proofreading team, from scans from biblioteca de la universitat de barcelona the queene-like closet or rich cabinet [illustration] printed for rich: lownes white lion in duck layne neare west smithfield the queen-like closet or rich cabinet: stored with all manner of rare receipts for _preserving, candying and cookery_. very pleasant and beneficial to all ingenious persons of the female sex. by hannah wolley. the second edition. london printed for _richard lowndes_ at the _white lion_ in _duck-lane_, near _west-smithfield_, . to the truly vertuous and my much honoured friend mrs. _grace buzby_, daughter to the late _sr. henry cary_, knight banneret; and wife to mr. _robert buzby_, gentleman, and wollen draper of london _madam_, your kind and good acceptance of my endeavours in work for you, and that esteem you have for what else i can do, make me bold to present this book to you; which by that time you have perused, i doubt not but you will deem it worthy of the title it bears; and indeed it was never opened before: if it may yield you any delight or benefit, i shall be glad; for as you have a true love and esteem for me, so i have a very great love and honourable esteem for you; and shall always be _your most observant servant_, _hannah wolley._ to all ladies, gentlewomen, and to all other of the female sex who do delight in, or be desirous of good accomplishments. ladies and gentlewomen, _i presume those bookes which have passed from me formerly, have got me some little credit and esteem amongst you. but there being so much time past since they were printed, that methinks, i hear some of you say_ i wish mrs. _wolley_ would put forth some new experiments _and to say the truth, i have been importun'd by divers of my friends and acquaintance to do so._ _i shall not give an apish example every day or week to follow ridiculous and foolish fancies, nor could i be too like the_ spaniard, _always to keep in one dress: i am not ashamed, nor do i disown what i have already printed, but some of you being so perfect in your practises, and i very desirous still to serve you, do now present you with this_ queen-like closet: _i do assure you it is worthy of the title it bears, for the very precious things you will find in it._ _thus beseeching your kind acceptance of this book, and of my earnest desires to you, i take my leave, but shall always be to all who have esteem for me,_ their faithful and humble servant, hannah wolley. _ladies, i do here present you (yet) that which sure will well content a queen-like closet rich and brave (such) not many ladies have: or cabinet, in which doth set jems richer than in karkanet; (they) only eies and fancies please, these keep your bodies in good ease; they please the taste, also the eye; would i might be a stander by: yet rather i would wish to eat, since 'bout them i my brains do beat: and 'tis but reason you may say, if that i come within your way; i sit here sad while you are merry, eating dainties, drinking perry; but i'm content you should so feed, so i may have to serve my deed._ _hannah wolley._ these things following are sold by _richard lowndes_ book-seller, at the _white-lion_ in _duck-lane_ near _west-smithfield_. a cordial powder, which doth infallibly cure the _rickets_ in children, and causeth an easie production of teeth. dr. _lionel lockyer_'s universal pill, curing any disease curable by physick; it operates gently and safely, it being very amicable to nature in purifying the whole body throughout, and then subduing all diseases, whether internal or external, as hath been experimented by persons of all sorts and sexes, both young and old, with admirable success. mr. _matthew_ his diaphoretick and diuretick pill, purging by sweat and urine: this pill being composed of simples of a very powerful operation, purged from their churlish and malignant quality by an excellent balsam of long preparation, is by it made so amicable to nature, that it hath upon ample experience been found effectual for curing all common diseases. mr. _edmund buckworth's_ famous lozenges, for the cure of consumptions, catarrhs, asthma's, phtisick, and all other diseases incident to the lungs, colds new and old, hoarsness, shortness of breath, and stuffings of the stomach; also a sovereign antidote against the plague, and all other contagious diseases. the famous spirit of salt of the world, well known for a sovereign remedy against most diseases; truly and only prepared by _constantine rhodocanaces_, grecian, one of his majesties chymists. the queen-like closet, or rich cabinet. . _to make_ aqua mirabilis _a very delicate way._ take three pints of sack, three pints of white wine, one quart of the spirit of wine, one quart of the juice of celandine leaves, of melilot-flowers, cardamum-seeds, cubebs, galingale, nutmegs, cloves, mace, ginger, two drams of each; bruise them, and mix them with the wine and spirits, let it stand all night in the still, not an alembeck, but a common still, close stopped with rye paste; the next morning make a slow fire in the still, and all the while it is stilling, keep a wet cloth about the neck of the still, and put so much white sugar candy as you think fit into the glass where it drops. . _the plague-water which was most esteemed of in the late great visitation._ take three pints of muskadine, boil therein one handful of sage, and one handful of rue until a pint be wasted, then strain it out, and set it over the fire again. put thereto a penniworth of long pepper, half an ounce of ginger, and a quarter of an ounce of nutmegs, all beaten together, boil them together a little while close covered, then put to it one penniworth of mithridate, two penniworth of venice treacle, one quarter of a pint of hot angelica water. take one spoonful at a time, morning and evening always warm, if you be already diseased; if not, once a day is sufficient all the plague time. it is most excellent medicine, and never faileth, if taken before the heart be utterly mortified with the disease, it is also good for the small pox, measles, or surfets. . _a very soveraign water._ take one gallon of good claret wine, then take ginger, galingale, cinnamon, nutmegs, grains, cloves, anniseeds, fennel-seeds, caraway-seeds, of each one dram; then take sage, mint, red-rose leaves, thyme, pellitory of the wall, rosemary, wild thyme, camomile, lavander, of each one handful, bruise the spices small and beat the herbs, and put them into the wine, and so let stand twelve hours close covered, stirring it divers times, then still it in an alembeck, and keep the best water by it self, and so keep every water by it self; the first you may use for aged people, the other for younger. this most excellent water was from dr. _chambers_, which he kept secret till he had done many cures therewith; it comforteth the vital spirits; it helpeth the inward diseases that come of cold; the shaking of the palsie; it helpeth the conception of women that are barren; it killeth the worms within the body, helpeth the stone within the bladder; it cureth the cold, cough, and tooth-ach, and comforteth the stomach; it cureth the dropsie, and cleanseth the reins; it helpeth speedily the stinking breath; whosoever useth this water, it preserveth them in good health, and maketh seem young very long; for it comforteth nature very much; with this water dr. _chambers_ preserved his own life till extreme age would suffer him neither to go nor stand one whit, and he continued five years after all physicians judged he could not live; and he confessed that when he was sick at any time, he never used any other remedy but this water, and wished his friends when he lay upon his deth-bed to make use of it for the preservation of their health. . _to make spirit of mints._ take three pints of the best white wine, three handfuls of right spear mint picked clean from the stalks, let it steep in the wine one night covered, in the morning, put it into a copper alembeck, and draw it with a pretty quick fire; and when you have drawn it all, take all your water and add as much wine as before, and put to the water, and the same quantity of mint as before; let it steep two or three hours, then put all into your still, and draw it with a soft fire, put into your receiver a quantity of loaf sugar, and you will find it very excellent; you may distil it in an ordinary still if you please; but then it will not be so strong nor effectual. thus you may do with any other herbs whatsoever. . _to make the cordial orange-water._ take one dozen and a half of the highest coloured and thick rin'd oranges, slice them thin, and put them into two pints of malago sack, and one pint of the best brandy, of cinamon, nutmegs, ginger, cloves, and mace, of each one quarter of an ounce bruised, of spear-mint and balm one handful of each, put them into an ordinary still all night, pasted up with rye paste; the next day draw them with a slow fire, and keep a wet cloth upon the neck of the still; put in some loaf sugar into the glass where it dropeth. . _to make spirit of oranges or of limons._ take of the thickest rin'd oranges or limons, and chip off the rinds very thin, put these chips into a glass-bottle, and put in as many as the glass will hold, then put in as much malago sack as the glass will hold besides; stop the bottle close that no air get in, and when you use it, take about half a spoonful in a glass of sack; it is very good for the wind in the stomach. . _to make limon water._ take twelve of the fairest limons, slice them, and put them into two pints of white wine, and put to them of cinamon and galingale, of each, one quarter of an ounce, of red rose leaves, burrage and bugloss flowers, of each one handful, of yellow sanders one dram, steep all these together hours, then distil them gently in a glass still, put into the glass where it droppeth, three ounces of sugar, and one grain of amber-greece. . _a water for fainting of the heart._ take of bugloss water and red rose water, of each one pint, of red cows milk half a pint, anni-seed and cinamon of each half an ounce bruised, maiden hair two handfuls, harts-tongue one handful, bruise them, and mix all these together, and distil them in an ordinary still, drink of it morning and evening with a little sugar. . _to make rosemary water._ take a quart of sack or white wine with as many rosemary flowers as will make it very thick, two nutmegs, and two races of ginger sliced thin into it; let it infuse all night, then distil it in an ordinary still as your other waters. . _to make a most precious water._ take two quarts of brandy, of balm, of wood-betony, of pellitory of the wall, of sweet marjoram, of cowslip-flowers, rosemary-flowers, sage-flowers, marigold-flowers, of each of these one handful bruised together; then take one ounce of gromwell seeds, one ounce of sweet fennel seeds, one ounce of coriander seeds bruised, also half an ounce of aniseeds and half an ounce of caraway-seeds, half an ounce of juniper berries, half an ounce of bay berries, one ounce of green licoras, three nutmegs, one quarter of an ounce of large mace, one quarter of an ounce of cinamon, one quarter of an ounce of cloves, half an ounce of ginger, bruise all these well together, then add to them half a pound of raisons in the sun stoned, let all these steep together in the brandy nine days close stopped, then strain it out, and two grains of musk, two of amber-greece, one pound of refined sugar; stop the glass that no air get in, and keep it in a warm place. . _doctor_ butler's _treacle water._ take the roots of polipody of the oak bruised, _lignum vitæ_ thin sliced, the inward part thereof, saxifrage roots thin sliced, of the shavings of harts-horn, of each half a pound, of the outward part of yellow citron not preserved; one ounce and half bruised, mix these together; then take {fumitory water} {carduus-water } of each one of {camomile-water} ounce. {succory-water } of cedar wood one ounce, of cinamon three drams, of cloves three drams, bruise all your forenamed things; then take of epithimum two ounces and a half, of cerratch six ounces, of carduus and balm, of each two handfuls, of burrage flowers, bugloss flowers, gillyflowers, of each four ounces, of angelica root, elecampane root beaten to a pap, of each four ounces, of andronichus treacle and mithridate, of each four ounces; mix all these together, and incorporate them well, and grind them in a stone mortar, with part of the former liquor, and at last, mix all together, and let them stand warm hours close stopped, then put them all into a glass still, and sprinkle on the top of _species aromatica rosata_ and _diambre_, of the species of _diarodon abbatis_, _diatrion santalon_, of each six drams; then cover the still close, and lute it well, and distill the water with a soft fire, and keep it close. this will yield five pints of the best water, the rest will be smaller. . _the cordial cherry water._ take nine pounds of red cherries, nine pints of claret wine, eight ounces of cinamon, three ounces of nutmegs; bruise your spice, stone your cherries, and steep them in the wine, then add to them half a handful of rosemary, half a handful of balm, one quarter of a handful of sweet marjoram, let them steep in an earthen pot twenty four hours, and as you put them into the alembeck, to distil them, bruise them with your hands, and make a soft fire under them, and distil by degrees; you may mix the waters at your pleasure when you have drawn them all; when you have thus done, sweeten it with loaf-sugar, then strain it into another glass, and stop it close that no spirits go out; you may (if you please) hang a bag with musk and amber-greece in it, when you use it, mix it with syrrup of gilly-flowers or of violets, as you best like it; it is an excellent cordial for fainting fits, or a woman in travel, or for any one who is not well. . _a most excellent water for the stone, or for the wind-cholick._ take two handfuls of mead-parsly, otherwise called saxifrage, one handful of mother-thyme, two handfuls of perstons, two handfuls of philipendula, and as much pellitory of the wall, two ounces of sweet fennel seeds, the roots of ten radishes sliced, steep all these in a gallon of milk warm from the cow, then distil it in an ordinary still, and four hours after, slice half an ounce of the wood called saxifrage, and put into the bottle to the water, keep it close stopped, and take three spoonfuls at a time, and fast both from eating and drinking one hour after; you must make this water about midsummer; it is a very precious water, and ought to be prized. . _the cock water, most delicate and precious for restoring out of deep consumptions, and for preventing them, and for curing of agues, proved by my self and many others._ take a red cock, pluck him alive, then slit him down the back, and take out his intrals, cut him in quarters, and bruise him in a mortar, with his head, legs, heart, liver and gizard; put him into an ordinary still with a pottle of sack, and one quart of milk new from a red cow, one pound of blew currants beaten, one pound of raisins in the sun stoned and beaten, four ounces of dates stoned and beaten, two handfuls of peniroyal, two handfuls of pimpernel, or any other cooling herb, one handful of mother-thyme, one handful of rosemary one handful of burrage, one quart of red rose water, two ounces of harts-horn, two ounces of china root sliced, two ounces of ivory shaving, four ounces of the flower of french barley; put all these into your still and paste it up very well, and still it with a soft fire, put into the glass where it droppeth one pound of white sugar candy beaten very small, twelve peniworth of leaf-gold, seven grains of musk, eleven grains of amber-greece, seven grains of bezoar stone; when it is all distilled, mix all the waters together, and every morning fasting, and every evening when you go to bed, take four or five spoonfuls of it warm, for about a month together, this hath cured many when the doctors have given them over. . _walnut water, or the water of life._ take green walnuts in the beginning of _june_, beat them in a mortar, and distil them in an ordinary still, keep that water by it self, then about midsummer gather some more, and distil them as you did before, keep that also by it self, then take a quart of each and mix them together, and distil them in a glass still, and keep it for your use; the virtues are as followeth; it will help all manner of dropsies and palsies, drank with wine fasting; it is good for the eyes, if you put one drop therein; it helpeth conception in women if they drink thereof one spoonful at a time in a glass of wine once a day, and it will make your skin fair if you wash therewith; it is good for all infirmities of the body, and driveth out all corruption, and inward bruises; if it be drunk with wine moderately, it killeth worms in the body; whosoever drinketh much of it, shall live so long as nature shall continue in him. finally, if you have any wine that is turned, put in a little viol or glass full of it, and keep it close stopped, and within four days it will come to it self again. . _to make wormwood water._ take four ounces of aniseeds, four ounces of licoras scraped, bruise them well with two ounces of nutmegs, add to them one good handful of wormwood, one root of angelica, steep them in three gallons of sack lees and strong ale together twelve hours; then distill them in an alembeck, and keep it for your use. . _a very rare cordial water._ take one gallon of white wine, two ounces of mithridate, two ounces of cinamon, one handful of balm, a large handful of cowslips, two handfuls of rosemary flowers, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of cloves, half an ounce of nutmegs, all bruised, steep these together four days in an earthen pot, and covered very close, distil them in an ordinary still well pasted, and do it with a very slow fire; save the first water by it self, and the small by it self, to give to children; when you have occasion to use it, take a spoonful thereof, sweetned with loaf-sugar; this water is good to drive out any infection from the heart, and to comfort the spirits. . _another most excellent cordial._ take celandine, sage, costmary, rue, wormwood, mugwort, scordium, pimpernel, scabious, egrimony, betony, balm, carduus, centory, peniroyal, elecampane roots, tormentil with the roots, horehound, rosa solis, marigold flowers, angelica, dragon, marjoram, thyme, camomile, of each two good handfuls; licoras, zedoary, of each one ounce; slice the roots, shred the herbs, and steep them in four quarts of white wine, and let it stand close covered days, then distil it in an ordinary still pasted up; when you use it, sweeten it with fine sugar, and warm it. . _to make_ rosa solis. take a pottle of _aqua composita_, and put it into a glass, then a good handful of _rosa solis_ clean picked, but not washed, put it to the _aqua composita_, then take a pound of dates stoned and beaten small, half a peniworth of long pepper, as much of grains, and of round pepper, bruise them small, take also a pound of loaf-sugar well beaten, a quarter of a pound of powder of pearl, and six leaves of book gold; put all to the rest, and stir them well together in the glass, then cover it very close, and let it stand in the sun fourteen days, ever taking it in at night; then strain it, and put it into a close bottle; you must not put in the pearl, gold or sugar till it hath been sunned and strained, neither must you touch the leaves of the _rosa solis_ with your hands when you pick it; keep it very close. . _the heart water._ take five handfuls of rosemary flowers, two drams of red coral, two drams of powder of pearl, two drams of white amber, two drams of cinamon, two pound of the best prunes stoned, six pints of damask rose water, two pints of sack; put all these into a pipkin never used, stop it up with paste, let them stand upon a soft fire a little while, then distil it in an ordinary still pasted up. . _the plague water._ take rosemary, red balm, burrage, angelica, carduus, celandine, dragon, featherfew, wormwood, penyroyal, elecampane roots, mugwort, bural, tormentil, egrimony, sage, sorrel, of each of these one handful, weighed weight for weight; put all these in an earthen pot, with four quarts of white wine, cover them close, and let them stand eight or nine days in a cool cellar, then distil it in a glass still. . _the treacle water._ take one pound of old venice treacle, of the roots of elecampane, gentian, cyprus, tormentil, of each one ounce, of carduus and angelica, half an ounce, of burrage, bugloss, and of rosemary flowers one ounce of each; infuse these in three pints of white wine, one pint of spring water, two pints of red rose water; then distil them in an ordinary still pasted up. this is excellent for swounding fits or convulsions, and expelleth any venomous disease; it also cureth any sort of agues. . _the snail water excellent for consumptions._ take a peck of snails with the shells on their backs, have in a readiness a good fire of charcoal well kindled, make a hole in the midst of the fire, and cast your snails into the fire, renew your fire till the snails are well rosted, then rub them with a clean cloth, till you have rubbed off all the green which will come off. then bruise them in a mortar, shells and all, then take clary, celandine, burrage, scabious, bugloss, five leav'd grass, and if you find your self hot, put in some wood-sorrel, of every one of these one handful, with five tops of angelica. these herbs being all bruised in a mortar, put them in a sweet earthen pot with five quarts of white wine, and two quarts of ale, steep them all night; then put them into an alembeck, let the herbs be in the bottom of the pot, and the snails upon the herbs, and upon the snails put a pint of earth-worms slit and clean washed in white wine, and put upon them four ounces of anniseeds or fennel-seeds well bruised, and five great handfuls of rosemary flowers well picked, two or three races of turmerick thin sliced, harts-horn and ivory, of each four ounces, well steeped in a quart of white wine till it be like a jelly, then draw it forth with care. . _to make a rare sweet water._ take sweet marjoram, lavender, rosemary, muscovy, maudlin, balm, thyme, walnut leaves, damask roses, pinks, of all a like quantity, enough to fill your still, then take of the best orrice powder, damask rose powder, and storax, of each two ounces; strew one handful or two of your powders upon the herbs, then distil them with a soft fire; tie a little musk in a piece of lawn, and hang it in the glass wherein it drops, and when it is all drawn out, take your sweet cakes and mix them with the powders which are left, and lay among your clothes, or with sweet oyles, and burn them for perfume. . _a very good surfet water._ take what quantity of brandy you please, steep a good quantity of the flowers of red poppies therein, which grow amongst the wheat, having the black bottoms cut off, when they have been steeped long enough, strain them out, and put in new, and so do till the brandy be very red with them, and let it stand in the sun all the while they infuse, then put in nutmegs, cloves, ginger and cinamon, with some fine sugar, so much as you think fit, and keep it close stopped; this is very good for surfets, wind in the stomach, or any illness whatever. . _an excellent water for the stomach, or against infection._ take carduus, mint and wormwood, of each a like quantity, shred them small and put them into new milk, distil them in an ordinary still with a temperate fire; when you take any of it, sweeten it with sugar, or with any syrrup, what pleases you best; it is a very good water, though the ingredients are but mean. . _the melancholy water._ take of the flowers of gilliflowers, four handfuls, rosemary flowers three handfuls, damask rose leaves, burrage and bugloss flowers of each one handful, of balm leaves six handfuls, of marigold flowers one handful, of pinks six handfuls, of cinamon grosly beaten, half an ounce, two nutmegs beaten, anniseeds beaten one ounce, three peniworth of saffron; put them all into a pottle of sack, and let them stand two days, stirring them sometimes well together; then distil them in an ordinary still, and let it drop into a glass wherein there is two grains of musk, and eight ounces of white sugar candy, and some leaf-gold; take of this water three times a week fasting, two spoonfuls at a time, and ofter if you find need; distil with soft fire; this is good for women in child-bed if they are faint. . _to make the elder water, or spirit of_ sambucus. take some rye leaven, and break it small into some warm water, let it be a sowre one, for that is best; about two ounces or more: then take a bushel of elder berries beaten small, and put them into an earthen pot and mix them very well with the leaven, and let it stand one day near the fire; then put in a little yest, and stir it well together to make it rise, so let it stand ten days covered, and sometimes stir it; then distil it in an alembeck; keep the first water by it self, and so the second, and the third will be good vinegar, if afterward you colour it with some of the berries. distil it with a slow fire, and do not fill the still too full. this water is excellent for the stomach. . _to make the balm water green._ take any wine or lees of wine, or good strong beer or ale with the grounds, and stir them all together very well, lest the wine lees be too thick, and burn the bottom of the pot; put them into an alembeck with good store of balm unwashed, therein still these till you leave no other tast but fair water, and draw also some of that, draw two alembecks full more as you draw the first, until you have so much as will fill your alembeck, then put this distilled water into your alembeck again, and some more balm, if you draw a wine gallon, put to it half a pound of coriander seeds bruised, two ounces of cloves, one quarter of an ounce of nutmegs, and one quarter of an ounce of mace bruised all of them, then set a receiver of a gallon under it, and fill it with fresh and green balm unwashed, and your water will be as green as grass; put still more and more of the herbs fresh, and let it stand a week to make it the more green. take this green water, and put to it one quart of the best damask rosewater, and before you mix your balm-water and rose-water together, you must dissolve two pounds of fine sugar in the first distilled water, then take ambergreece and musk, of each eight grains, being ground fine, and put it into the glass in a piece of lawn; put also a little orange or limon pill to it, and keep it cool and from the air. . _to make the very best surfet-water._ take one gallon of the best french spirits, and a pint of damask-rose-water, half a pint of poppy water, one pound of white sugar candy bruised, then take one pound and half of raisins in the sun stoned, half a pound of dates stoned and sliced, then take one ounce of mace, one ounce of cloves, one ounce of cinamon, one ounce of aniseeds rubbed clean from the dust, then take a quarter of an ounce of licoras clean scraped and sliced, and all the spices grosly beaten, let all these steep in the spirits four days; then take a quarter of a peck of red poppy leaves fresh gathered, and the black part cut off, and put them in, and when it hath stood four or five days, strain it, and put it into your glass, then put in your sugar-candy finely beaten, twelve peniworth of ambergreece, six peniworth of musk, keep it close, and shake it now and then, and when you use it, you may put some kind of syrrup to it, what you please. . _to make the true palsie-water, as it was given by that once very famous physician doctor_ matthias. take lavender flowers stripped from the stalks, and fill a gallon-glass with them, and pour on them good spirit of sack, or perfect _aqua vitæ_ distilled from all flegm, let the quantity be five quarts, then circulate them for six weeks, very close with a bladder, that nothing may breath out; let them stand in a warm place, then distil them in an alembeck with his cooler, then put into the said water, of sage, rosemary, and wood-betony flowers; of each half a handful, of lilly of the valley, and burrage, bugloss, and cowslip flowers, one handful of each; steep these in spirit of wine, malmsie, or _aqua vitæ_, every one in their season, till all may be had; then put also to them of balm, motherwort, spike-flowers, bay leaves, the leaves of orange trees, with the flowers, if they may be had, of each one ounce, put them into the aforesaid distilled wine all together, and distil it as before, having first been steeped six weeks; when you have distilled it, put into it citron pill, dried piony seeds hull'd, of each five drams, of cinamon half an ounce, of nutmegs, cardamum seeds, cubebs, and yellow saunders, of each half an ounce, of lignum aloes one dram; make all these into powder, and put them into the distilled wine abovesaid, and put to them of cubebs anew, a good half pound of dates, the stones taken out, and cut them in small pieces, put all these in, and close your vessel well with a double bladder; let them digest six weeks, then strain it hard with a press, and filtrate the liquor, then put into it of prepared pearl, smaragdus, musk and saffron, of each half a scruple; and of ambergreece one scruple, red roses dried well, red and yellow saunders, of each one ounce, hang these in a sarsenet bag in the water, being well sewed that nothing go out. _the virtues of this water._ this water is of exceeding virtue in all swoundings and weaknesses of the heart, and decaying of spirits in all apoplexies and palsies, also in all pains of the joints coming of cold, for all bruises outwardly bathed and dipped clothes laid to; it strengtheneth and comforteth all animal, natural and viral spirits, and cheareth the external senses, strengtheneth the memory, restoreth lost speech, and lost appetite, all weakness of the stomach, being both taken inwardly, and bathed outwardly; it taketh away the giddiness of the head, helpeth lost hearing, it maketh a pleasant breath, helpeth all cold disposition of the liver, and a beginning dropsie; it helpeth all cold diseases of the mother; indeed none can express sufficiently; it is to be taken morning and evening, about half a spoonful with crums of bread and sugar. . _for a cough of the lungs, or any cough coming of cold, approved by many._ take a good handful of french barley, boil it in several waters till you see the water be clear, then take a quart of the last water, and boil in it sliced licoras, aniseeds bruised, of each as much as you can take up with your four fingers and your thumb, violet leaves, strawberry leaves, five fingered grass, maidenhair, of each half a handful, a few raisins in the sun stoned; boil these together till it come to a pint, then strain it, and take twelve or fourteen jordan almonds blanched and beaten, and when your water is almost cold, put in your almonds, and stir it together, and strain it; then sweeten it with white sugar candy; drink this at four times, in the morning fasting, and at four of the clock in the afternoon a little warmed; do this nine or ten days together; if you please, you may take a third draught when you go to bed; if you be bound in your body, put in a little syrrup of violets, the best way to take it, is to suck it through a straw, for that conveys it to the lungs the better. . _to make the best bisket-cakes._ take four new laid eggs, leave out two of the whites, beat them very well, then put in two spoonfuls of rose-water, and, beat them very well together, then put in a pound of double refin'd sugar beaten and searced, and beat them together one hour, then put to them one pound of fine flower, and still beat them together a good while; then put them upon plates rubbed over with butter, and set them into the oven as fast as you can, and have care you do not bake them too much. . _perfumed roses._ take damask rose buds, and cut off the whites, then take rose-water or orange-flower water wherein hath been steeped _benjamin_, _storax_, _lignum rhodium_, civet or musk, dip some cloves therein and stick into every bud one, you must stick them in where you cut away the whites; dry them between white papers, they will then fall asunder; this perfume will last seven years. or do thus. take your rose leaves cut from the whites, and sprinkle them with the aforesaid water, and put a little powder of cloves among them. . _to make tincture of caraways._ take one quart of the spirits of french wine, put into it one pound of caraway comfits which are purled, and the pills of two citron limons; let it stand in a warm place to infuse, in a glass close stopped for a month, stirring it every day once. then strain it from the seeds, and add to it as much rosewater as will make it of a pleasant taste, then hang in your bottle a little ambergreece, and put in some leaf-gold; this is a very fine cordial. . _to get away the signs of the small pox._ quench some lime in white rosewater, then shake it very well, and use it at your pleasure; when you at any time have washed with it, anoint your face with pomatum, made with spermaceti and oyl of sweet almonds. . _to make clouted cream._ take milk that was milked in the morning, and scald it at noon; it must have a reasonable fire under it, but not too rash, and when it is scalding hot, that you see little pimples begin to rise, take away the greatest part of the fire, then let it stand and harden a little while, then take it off, and let it stand until the next day, covered, then take it off with a skimmer. . _to make a_ devonshire-_white-pot._ take two quarts of new milk, a peny white loaf sliced very thin, then make the milk scalding hot, then put to it the bread, and break it, and strain it through a cullender, then put in four eggs, a little spice, sugar, raisins, and currans, and a little salt, and so bake it, but not too much, for then it will whey. . _to make the_ portugal _eggs._ take a very large dish with a broad brim, lay in it some _naples_ bisket in the form of a star, then put so much sack into the dish as you do think the biskets will drink up; then stick them full with thin little pieces of preserved orange, and green citron pill, and strew store of french comfits over them, of divers colours, then butter some eggs, and lay them here and there upon the biskets, then fill up the hollow places in the dish, with several coloured jellies, and round about the brim thereof lay lawrel leaves guilded with leaf-gold; lay them flaunting, and between the leaves several coloured jellies. . _to candy flowers the best way._ takes roses, violets, cowslips, or gilly-flowers, and pick them from the white bottoms, then have boiled to a candy height sugar, and put in so many flowers as the sugar will receive, and continually stir them with the back of a spoon, and when you see the sugar harden on the sides of the skillet, and on the spoon, take them off the fire, and keep them with stirring in the warm skillet, till you see them part, and the sugar as it were sifted upon them, then put them upon a paper while they are warm and rub them gently with your hands; till all the lumps be broken, then put them into a cullender, and sift them as clean as may be, then pour them upon a clean cloth, and shake them up and down till there be hardly any sugar hanging about them; then if you would have them look as though they were new gathered, have some help, and open them with your fingers before they be quite cold, and if any sugar hang about them, you may wipe it off with a fine cloth; to candy rosemary flowers, or archangel, you must pull out the string that stands up in the middle of the blossom, and take them which are not at all faded, and they will look as though they were new gathered, without opening. . _to pickle cucumbers._ take the least you can get, and lay a layer of cucumbers, and then a layer of beaten spices, dill, and bay leaves, and so do till you have filled your pot, and let the spices, dill, and bay leaves cover them, then fill up your pot with the best wine vinegar, and a little salt, and so keep them. sliced turneps also very thin, in some vinegar, pepper and a little salt, do make a very good sallad, but they will keep but six weeks. . _to make sugar cakes._ take a pound of fine sugar beaten and searced, with four ounces of the finest flower, put to it one pound of butter well washed with rose-water, and work them well together, then take the yolks of four eggs, and beat them with four spoonfuls of rosewater, in which hath been steeped two or three days before nutmeg and cinamon, then put thereto so much cream as will make it knead to a stiff paste, rowl it into thin cakes, and prick them, and lay them on plates, and bake them; you shall not need to butter your plates, for they will slip off of themselves, when they are cold. . _to make a very fine cream._ take a quart of cream, and put to it some rosewater and sugar, some large mace, cinamon and cloves; boil it together for a quarter of an hour, then take the yolks of eight eggs, beat them together with some of your cream, then put them into the cream which is boiling, keep it stirring lest it curdle, take it from the fire, and keep it stirring till it be a little cold, then run it through a strainer, dish it up, and let it stand one night, the next day it will be as stiff as a custard, then stick it with blanched almonds, citron pill and eringo roots, and so serve it in. . _to make syrup of turneps for a consumption._ take half a peck of turneps washed and pared clean, cut them thin, put to them one pound of raisins of the sun stoned, one quarter of a pound of figs cut small, one ounce of anniseeds bruised, half an ounce of licoras sliced, one ounce of cloves bruised, two handfuls of burrage flowers, and so much water as will cover all, and two fingers breadth above them, then boil it on a great fire in an earthen vessel covered, untill the roots be soft and tender, then strain out the liquor, and to every pint of it put a pound of fine sugar, the whites of two eggs beaten, boil it to a syrrop, and use it often, two or three spoonfuls at a time. . _for a consumption._ take a pint of red cows milk, then take the yolk of a new laid egg potched very rare, then stir it into the milk over a soft fire, but do not let it boil, sweeten it with a little sugar candy, and drink it in the morning fasting, and when you go to bed. . _to make bottle ale for a consumption._ take a quart of ale, and a pint of strong _aqua vitæ_, mace and cinamon, of each one quarter of an ounce, two spoonfuls of the powder elecampane root, one quarter of a pound of loaf sugar, one quarter of a pound of raisins of the sun stoned, four spoonfuls of aniseeds beaten to powder, then put all together into a bottle and stop it close. take three spoonfuls of this in a morning fasting, and again one hour before supper and shake the bottle when you pour it out. . _to make cakes of quinces._ take the best you can get, and pare them, and slice them thin from the core, then put them into a gallipot close stopped, and tie it down with a cloth, and put it into a kettle of boiling water, so that it may stand steddy about five hours, and as your water boils away in the kettle, fill it up with more warm water, then pour your quinces into a fine hair sieve, and let it drain all the liquor into a bason, then take this liquor and weigh it, and to every pound take a pound of double refin'd sugar, boil this sugar to a candy height, then put in your liquor, and set them over a slow fire, and stir them continually till you see it will jelly, but do not let it boil; then put it into glasses, and set them in a stove till you see them with a candy on the top, then turn them out with a wet knife on the other side upon a white paper, sleeked over with a sleek-stone, and set them in the stove again till the other side be dry, and then keep them in a dry place. . _to make marmalade of apricocks._ take apricocks, pare them and cut them in quarters, and to every pound of apricocks put a pound of fine sugar, then put your apricocks into a skillet with half of the sugar, and let them boil very tender and gently, and bruise them with the back of a spoon, till they be like pap, then take the other part of the sugar, and boil it to a candy height, then put your apricocks into that sugar, and keep it stirring over the fire, till all the sugar be melted, but do not let it boil, then take it from the fire, and stir it till it be almost cold; then put it in glasses, and let it have the air of the fire to dry it. . _to make limon cakes._ take half a pound of refin'd sugar, put to it two spoonfuls of rosewater, as much orange flower water, and as much of fair water, boil it to a candy height, then put in the rind of a limon grated, and a little juice, stir it well on the fire, and drop it on plates or sleeked paper. . _to make wafers._ take a quart of flower heaped and put to it the yolks of four eggs, and two or three spoonfuls of rosewater, mingle this well together, then make it like batter with cream and a little sugar, and bake it on irons very thin poured on. . _to make marmalade of cherries with currans._ take four pounds of cherries when they are stoned, and boil them alone in their liquor for half an hour very fast, then pour away the liquor from them, and put to them half a pint and little more of the juice of currans, then boil a pound of double refin'd sugar to a candy height, and put your cherries and juice of currans in that, and boil them again very fast till you find it to jelly very well. . _to preserve rasberries._ take the weight of your rasberries in fine sugar, and take some rasberries and bruise them a little; then take the clearest of the bruised rasberries, i mean the juice and the weight of it in sugar, and your other sugar named before, and boil it, and scum it, then put in your whole rasberries, and boil them up once, then let them stand over the fire without boiling till you see it will jelly, and that it look clear, then take up your rasberries one by one, and put them into glasses, then boil your syrrop, and put it over them. . _to make syrrop of ale, good for weak people to take inwardly, or to heal old sores, applied thereto._ take two gallons of ale wort, the strongest you can get, so soon as it is run from the grounds, set it on the fire in a pipkin, and let it boil gently and that you do perceive it to be as though it were full of rags; run it through a strainer, and set it on the fire again, and let it boil until it be thick, and scum it clean, and when it is much wasted, put it into a lesser pan to boil, or else it will burn; when it is thick enough, take it off, and when it is cold, put it into gallipots, take as much as a walnut fasting; and as much when you go to bed. . _to make whipt sillibub._ take half a pint of rhenish wine or white wine, put it into a pint of cream, with the whites of three eggs, season it with sugar, and beat it as you do snow-cream, with birchen rods, and take off the froth as it ariseth, and put it into your pot, so do till it be beaten to a froth, let it stand two or three hours till it do settle, and then it will eat finely. . _to make raisin wine or stepony._ take four gallons of spring-water, four pounds of raisins of the sun stoned, the juice of four good limons, and the rind of two cut thin, boil the raisins, and pill in the water for half an hour or more, then put in the juice of limon, and a little spice, sugar and rosewater, and let it stand but a little more over the fire; then put it into an earthen pot, and beat it together till it be cold, then bottle it up, it will keep but a few days. _memorandum_, two pounds of sugar to one pound of cowslips is enough for conserve. . _to boil samphire._ take water and salt so strong as will bear an egg, boil it, and when it boils, put in your samphire unwashed, and let it scald a little, then take it off, and cover it so close that no air can get in, and set the pot upon a cold wisp of hay, and so let it stand all night, and it will be very green, then put it up for your use. . _to make cabbage cream._ take twenty five quarts of new milk, set it on the fire till it be ready to boil, stir it all the while that it creams not, then pour it into twenty several platters so fast as you can, when it is cold, take off the cream with a skimmer, and lay it on a pie plate in the fashion of a cabbage, crumpled one upon another, do thus three times, and between every layer you must mingle rosewater and sugar mingled thick, and laid on with a feather; some use to take a little cream and boil it with ginger, then take it from the fire and season it with rosewater and sugar, and the juice of jordan almonds blanched and beaten, then stir it till it be cold, that it cream not; then take toasts of manchet cut thin, not too hard, nor brown, lay them in the bottom of the dish, and pour the cream upon them, and lay the cabbage over. . _to make a trifle._ take sweet cream, season it with rosewater and sugar, and a little whole mace, let it boil a while, then take it off, and let it cool, and when it is lukewarm put it into such little dishes or bowls as you mean to serve it in; then put in a little runnet, and stir it together; when you serve it in, strew on some french comfits. . _to make thick cream._ take sweet cream, a little flower finely searced, large mace, a stick of cinamon, sugar and rosewater, let all these boil together till it be thick, then put into it thick cream, the yolks of eggs beaten, then let it seeth but a little while for fear of turning, then pour it out, and when it is cold serve it in. . _to pickle purslan to keep all the year._ take the leaves from the stalks, then take the pot you mean to keep them in, and strew salt over the bottom, then lay in a good row of the leaves, and strew on more salt, then lay in a row of the stalks, and put in more salt, then a row of the leaves, so keep it close covered. . _to stretch sheeps guts._ after they are clean scowred, lay them in water nine days, shifting them once a day, and they will be very easie to fill, and when they are filled, they will come to their wonted bigness. . _to make cream of pastes and jellies._ put eggs into the cream as you do for fool, and slice your sweet-meats very thin and boil with them, then sweeten it, and put it into a dish. . _to make a rare medicine for the chine-cough._ make a syrrop of hysop-water and white sugar candy, then take the powder of gum dragon, and as much of white sugar candy mixed together, and eat of it several times of the day, or take the above-named syrrop, either of them will do the cure. . _for a consumption._ take of syrrop of violets, syrrop of horehound, syrrop of maidenhair and conserve of fox lungs, of each one ounce, mix them well together, and take it often upon a liquoras stick in the day time, and at night. . _to make very rare ale._ when your ale is tunned into a vessel that will hold eight or nine gallons, and that hath done working, ready to be stopped up, then take a pound and half of raisins of the sun stoned and cut in pieces, and two great oranges, meat and rind, and sliced thin, with the rind of one limon, and a few cloves, one ounce of coriander seeds bruised, put all these in a bag, and hang them in the vessel, and stop it up close; when it hath stood four days, bottle it up, fill the bottles but a little above the neck, and put into every one a lump of fine sugar, and stop them close, and let it be three weeks or a month before you drink it. . _to make ale to drink within a week._ tun it into a vessel which will hold eight gallons, and when it hath done working, ready to bottle, put in some ginger sliced, and an orange stuck with cloves, and cut here and there with a knife, and a pound and half of sugar, and with a stick stir it well together, and it will work afresh; when it hath done working, stop it close, and let it stand till it be clear, then bottle it up and put a lump of sugar into every bottle, and then stop it close, and knock down the corks, and turn the bottles the bottoms upwards, and it will be fit to drink in a weeks time. . _for the griping in the guts._ take a peniworth of brandy, and a peniworth of mithridate mixed together, and drink it three nights together when you go to rest, or take a little oil of aniseeds in a glass of sack three times. . _to make a sack posset._ take twelve eggs beaten very well, and put to them a pint of sack, stir them well that they curd not, then put to them three pints of cream, half a pound of white sugar, stirring them well together, when they are hot over the fire, put them into a bason, and set the bason over a boiling pot of water, until the posset be like a custard, then take it off, and when it is cool enough to eat, serve it in with beaten spice strewed over it very thick. . _to make pennado._ take oatmeal clean picked and well beaten, steep it in water all night, then strain it and boil it in a pipkin with some currans, and a blade or two of mace, and a little salt; when it is well boiled, take it off, and put in the yolks of two or three new laid eggs beaten with rosewater, then set it on a soft fire, and stir it that it curd not, then sweeten it with sugar, and put in a little nutmeg. . _to make cakes without fruit._ take four pounds of fine flower, rub into it one pound of butter very well, then take warmed cream, and temper it with ale yest, so mix them together, and make them into a paste, put in a little rosewater, and several spices well beaten, let it lie by the fire till the oven heat, and when you make it up, knead into it half a pound of caraway comfits, and three quarters of a pound of bisket-comfits, make it up as fast as you can, not too thick, nor cut it too deep, put it into a hoop well butter'd, and wash it over with the white of an egg, rosewater, and sugar, and strew it with some comfits; do not bake it too much. . _a sack posset without milk._ take thirteen eggs and beat them very well, and while they are beating, take a quart of sack, half a pound of fine sugar, and a pint of ale, and let them boil a very little while, then put these eggs to them, and stir them till they be hot, then take it from the fire, and keep it stirring a while, then put it into a fit bason, and cover it close with a dish, then set it over the fire again till it arise to a curd; then serve it in with some beaten spice. . _a very fine cordial._ one ounce of syrrop of gilly-flowers, one dram of confection of alkermes, one ounce and a half of burrage-water, the like of mint-water, one ounce of dr. _mountsford's_ water, as much of cinamon water mixed together. . _the best way to preserve goosberries green and whole._ pick them clean and put them into water as warm as milk, so let them stand close covered half an hour, then put them into another warm water and let them stand as long, and so the third time, till you find them very green; then take their weight in fine sugar, and make a syrrop, then put them in, and let them boil softly one hour; then set them by till the next day, then heat them again, so do twice, then take them from that syrrop and make a new syrrop and boil them therein, till you find they be enough. . _to make the orange pudding._ take the rind of a small one pared very thin, and boiled in several waters, and beaten very fine in a mortar, then put to it four ounces of fine sugar, and four ounces of fresh butter, and the yolks of six eggs, and a little salt, beat it together in the mortar till the oven heats, and so butter a dish and bake it, but not too much; strew sugar on it and serve it to the table, bake it in puff-past. . _to make french bread._ take half a bushel of fine flower, ten eggs, one pound and a half of fresh butter, then put in as much yest as you do into manchet, temper it with new milk pretty hot, and let it lie half an hour to rise, then make it into loaves or rolls, and wash it over with an egg beaten with milk; let not your oven be too hot. . _to make a made dish._ take four ounces of sweet almonds blanched, and beaten with rosewater, strain them into some cream, then take artichoke bottoms boiled tender, and some boiled marrow, then boil a quart of cream with some rosewater and sugar to some thickness, then take it off, and lay your artichokes into a dish, and lay the marrow on them, then mix your almond cream, and the other together, and poure it over them, and set it on coals till you serve it in. . _to make a cake with almonds._ take one pound and half of fine flower, of sugar twelve ounces beaten very fine, mingle them well together, then take half a pound of almonds blanched, and beaten with rosewater, mingle all these with as much sack as will work it into a paste, put in some spice, some yest, and some plumped currans with some butter, and a little salt, to make it into a cake and bake it. . _to make a sillibub._ take a limon pared and sliced very thin, then cover the bottom of your sillibub pot with it, then strew it thick with fine sugar, then take sack or white wine, and make a curd with some milk or cream, and lay it on the limon with a spoon, then whip some cream and whites of eggs together, sweetened a little, and cast the froth thereof upon your sillibub, when you lay in your curd, you must lay sugar between every lay. . _to make fine water-gruel._ take the best oatmeal beaten, and steep it in water all night, the next day strain it, and boil it with a blade of mace, and when it is enough, put in some raisins and currans which have been infused in a pot (in a pot of seething water) and a little wine, a little salt, a little sugar, and so eat it. . _to make limon cream._ take a quart of cream, keep it stirring on the fire until it be blood warm, then take the meat of three limons sweetened well with sugar, and a little orange flower water, sweeten them so well that they may not turn the cream, then stir them into the cream, on the fire with some yolks of eggs, and serve it cold; limon posset thickned with yolks of eggs, makes a fine cawdle for a sick body. . _to make rare cakes with almonds._ take two pounds and an half of blanched almonds beaten fine with rosewater, mix them with a pound and three quarters of fine sugar and some musk, and ambergreece, six whites of eggs beaten to a froth, let them stand a little, then set them on a chafing-dish of coals, and dry them a little, stirring them all the while, then take half a peck of flower, put into it a little salt, three pints of ale-yest, have in readiness your cream lukewarm, strain your yest, and put into it six spoonfuls of sack, put in spice into your flower, and make all these into a stiff paste with the cream, work it well and lay it by the fire to rise one hour, then work into your paste two pounds and a quarter of fresh butter; pull your paste in pieces three times, then strew in a pound of caraway comfits, and make this paste into five cakes, lay them upon buttered plates or double papers, then strew caraway comfits on the top and double refined sugar; one hour will bake them sufficiently. . _to make_ shrewsbury _cakes._ take four pounds of flower, two pounds of butter, one pound and an half of fine sugar, four eggs, a little beaten cinamon, a little rosewater, make a hole in the flower, and put the eggs into it when they are beaten, then mix the butter, sugar, cinamon, and rosewater together, and then mix them with the eggs and flower, then make them into thin round cakes, and put them into an oven after the houshold bread is drawn; this quantity will make three dozen of cakes. . _to make goosberry wine._ bruise ripe goosberries with an apple-beater, but do not beat them too small, then strain them through a hair strainer, and put your juice into an earthen pot, keep it covered four or five days till it be clear, then draw it out into another vessel, letting it run into a hair sieve, stop it close, and let it stand one fortnight, then draw it out into quart bottles, putting one pound of sugar into eight bottles, stop them up close, and in a week or fortnights time you may drink them. . _to make damson wine._ take four gallons of water and put to every gallon of water four pounds of malaga raisins, and half a peck of damsons. put the raisins and damsons into a vessel without a head, cover the vessel and let them steep six days, stirring them twice every day; then let them stand as long without stirring, then draw the wine out of the vessel, and colour it with the infused juice of damsons sweetened with sugar, till it be like claret wine, then put it into a wine-vessel for a fortnight, and then bottle it up. . _to pickle cucumbers the very best way._ take those you mean to pickle, and lay them in water and salt three or four days, then take a good many great cucumbers, and cut the outsides of them into water, for the insides will be too pappy, boil them in that water, with dill seeds and fennel seeds, and when it is cold, put to it some salt, and as much of vinegar as will make it a strong pickle, then take them out of the water and salt, and pour this liquor over them, so let them stand close covered for a fortnight or three weeks. then pour the pickle from them and boil it, and when it is cold add to it some more vinegar, and put it to them again, so let them stand one month longer, and now and then when you see occasion, boil it again, and when it is cold, put it to them, and every time you boil it, put some vinegar thereto, and lay the seeds and pieces of cucumbers on the top, and after the first fortnight when you boil it, put in some whole pepper and some whole cloves and mace, and always put the liquor cold over them. . _to make the best orange marmalade._ take the rinds of the deepest coloured oranges, boil them in several waters till they are very tender, then mince them small, and to one pound of oranges, take a pound of pippins cut small, one pound of the finest sugar, and one pint of spring-water, melt your sugar in the water over the fire, and scum it, then put in your pippins, and boil them till they are very clear, then put in the orange rind, and boil them together, till you find by cooling a little of it, that it will jelly very well, then put in the juice of two oranges, and one limmon, and boil it a little longer; and then put it up in gally-pots. . _to preserve white quinces._ take the fairest you can get, and coddle them very tender, so that a straw may go through to the core, then core them with a scoop or small knife, then pare them neatly, and weigh them, to every pound of quinces, take one pound of double refined sugar, and a pint of the water wherein thin slices of pippins have been boiled; for that is of a jellying quality, put your sugar to the pippin water, and make a sirrup, and scum it, then put in your quinces, and boil them very quick, and that will keep them whole and white, take them from the fire sometimes and shake them gently, keep them clean scummed, when you perceive them to be very clear, put them into gally-pots or glasses, then warm the jelly and put it to them. . _to make conserve of red roses._ take their buds and clip off the whites, then take three times their weight in sugar double refin'd; beat the roses well in a mortar, then put in the sugar by little and little, and when you find it well incorporated, put it into gally-pots, and cover it with sugar, and so it will keep seven years. . _to make plain bisket-cakes._ take a pottle of flower, and put to it half a pound of fine sugar, half an ounce of caraway seeds, half an ounce of anniseeds, six spoonfuls of yest, then boil a pint of water or little more, put into it a quarter of a pound of butter or a little more, let it stand till it be cold, then temper them together till it be as thick as manchet, then let it lie a while to rise, so roul them out very thin, and prick them, and bake them in an oven not too hot. . _to make green paste of pippins._ take your pippins while they be green, and coddle them tender, then peel them, and put them into a fresh warm water, and cover them close, till they are as green as you desire. then take the pulp from the core, and beat it very fine in a mortar, then take the weight in sugar, and wet it with water, and boil it to a candy height, then put in your pulp, and boil them together till it will come from the bottom of the skillet, then make it into what form you please, and keep them in a stove. . _to make paste of any plumbs._ take your plumbs, and put them into a pot, cover them close, and set them into a pot of seething water, and so let them be till they be tender, then pour forth their liquor, and strain the pulp through a canvas strainer, then take to half a pound of the pulp of plumbs half a pound of the pulp of pippins, beat them together, and take their weight in fine sugar, with as much water as will wet it, and boil it to a candy height; then put in your pulp, and boil them together till it will come from the bottom of the posnet, then dust your plates with searced sugar, and so keep them in a stove to dry. . _to make almond ginger-bread._ take a little gum-dragon and lay it in steep in rosewater all night, then take half a pound of jordan almonds blanched and beaten with some of that rosewater, then take half a pound of fine sugar beaten and searced, of ginger and cinamon finely searced, so much as by your taste you may judge to be fit; beat all these together into a paste, and dry it in a warm oven or stove. . _to make snow cream._ take a pint of cream, and the whites of three eggs, one spoonful or two of rosewater, whip it to a froth with a birchen rod, then cast it off the rod into a dish, in the which you have first fastened half a manchet with some butter on the bottom, and a long rosemary sprig in the middle; when you have all cast the snow on the dish, then garnish it with several sorts of sweet-meats. . _to preserve oranges and limons that they shall have a rock candy on them in the syrrup._ take the fairest and cut them in halves, or if you will do them whole, then cut a little hole in the bottom, so that you may take out all the meat, lay them in water nine days, shifting them twice every day, then boil them in several waters, till a straw will run through them, then take to every pound of orange or limon one pound of fine sugar, and one quart of water, make your syrrup, and let your oranges or limons boil a while in it, then let them stand five or six days in that syrrup, then to every pound, put one pound more of sugar into your syrrup, and boil your oranges till they be very clear, then take your oranges out, and boil your syrrup almost to candy, and put to them. . _to make sugar plate._ take a little gum-dragon laid in steep in rosewater till it be like starch, then beat it in a mortar with some searced sugar till it come to a perfect paste, then mould it with sugar, and make it into what form you please, and colour some of them, lay them in a warm place, and they will dry of themselves. . _to make artificial walnuts._ take some of your sugar plate, print it in a mould fit for a walnut kernel, yellow it over with a little saffron, then take searced cinamon and sugar, as much of the one as the other, work it in paste with some rosewater, wherein gum dragon hath been steeped, and print it in a mould for a walnut shell, and when they are dry, close them together over the shell with a little of the gum water. . _to make short cakes._ take a pint of ale yest, and a pound and half of fresh butter, melt your butter, and let it cool a little, then take as much fine flower as you think will serve, mingle it with the butter and yest, and as much rosewater and sugar as you think fit, and if you please, some caraway comfits, so bake it in little cakes; they will last good half a year. . _to preserve red roses, which is as good and effectual as any conserve, and made with less trouble._ take red rose buds clipped clean from their whites one pound, put them into a skillet with four quarts of water, wine measure, then let them boil very fast till three quarts be boiled away, then put in three pounds of fine sugar, and let it boil till it begins to be thick, then put in the juice of a limon, and boil it a little longer, and when it is almost cold, put it into gally-pots, and strew them over with searced sugar, and so keep them so long as you please, the longer the better. . _a fine cordial infusion._ take the flesh of a cock chick cut in small pieces, and put into a glass with a wide mouth, put to it one ounce of harts-horn, half an ounce of red coral prepared, with a little large mace, and a slice or two of limon, and two ounces of white sugar-candy, stop the glass close with a cork, and set it into a vessel of seething water, and stuff it round with hay that it jog not; when you find it to be enough, give the sick party two spoonfuls at a time. . _for a cough of the lungs._ take two ounces of oil of sweet almonds newly drawn, three spoonfuls of colts-foot water, two spoonfuls of red rose-water, two ounces of white sugar-candy finely beaten; mingle all these together, and beat it one hour with a spoon, till it be very white; then take it often upon a licoras stick. this is very good. . _to preserve grapes._ take your fairest white grapes and pick them from the stalks, then stone them carefully, and save the juice, then take a pound of grapes, a pound of fine sugar, and a pint of water wherein sliced pippins have been boiled, strain that water, and with your sugar and that make a syrup, when it is well scummed put in your grapes, and boil them very fast, and when you see they are as clear as glass, and that the syrup will jelly, put them into glasses. . _to make collops of bacon in sweet-meats._ take some marchpane paste, and the weight thereof in fine sugar beaten and searsed, boil them on the fire, and keep them stirring for fear they burn, so do till you find it will come from the bottom of the posnet, then mould it with fine sugar like a paste, and colour some of it with beaten cinnamon, and put in a little ginger, then roll it broad and thin, and lay one upon another till you think it be of a fit thickness and cut it in collops and dry it in an oven. . _to make violet cakes._ take them clipped clean from the whites and their weight in fine sugar, wet your sugar in fair water, and boil it to a candy height, then put in your violets, and stir them well together, with a few drops of a limon, then pour them upon a wet pye-plate, or on a slicked paper, and cut them in what form you please; do not let them boil, for that will spoil the colour: thus you may do with any herb or flower, or with any orange or limon pill, and, if you like it, put in a little musk or ambergreece. . _to preserve white damsons._ take to every pound one pound of fine sugar and a quarter of a pint of fair water, make your syrup and scum it well, then take it from the fire, and when it is almost cold put in your damsons, and let them scald a little, then take them off a while, and then set them on again; when you perceive them to be very clear, put them into pots or glasses. . _to make a very good cake._ take a peck of flower, four pound of currans well washed, dryed and picked, four pounds of butter, one pound of sugar, one ounce of cinnamon, one ounce of nutmegs, beat the spice and lay it all night in rosewater, the next day strain it out, then take one pint and an half of good ale-yest the yolks of eggs, a pint of cream, put a pound of the butter into the warmed cream, put the rest into the flower in pieces, then wet your flower with your cream, and put in your currans, and a little salt, and four or five spoonfuls of caraway-comfits and your spice, mix them all and the yest well together, and let it lie one hour to rise, then make it up and bake it in a pan buttered: it may stand two hours. . _to make paste royal._ take quince marmalade almost cold, and mould it up with searced sugar to a paste, them make it into what form you please and dry them in a stove. . _to make paste of pippins coloured with barberries._ take the pulp of codled pippins, and as much of the juice of barberries as will colour it, then take the weight of it in fine sugar, boil it to a candy height, with a little water, then put in your pulp beaten very well in a mortar, boil it till it come from the bottom of the posnet, then dust your plate with sugar, and drop them thereon, and dry them in a stove or warm oven. . _to preserve barberries._ take one pound of stoned barberries and twice their weight in fine sugar, then strip two or three handfuls of barberries from their stalks, and put them into a dish with as much sugar as barberries, over a chafing dish of coals, when you see they are well plumped, strain them, then wet your other sugar with this, and no water, boil it and scum it, and then put in your stoned barberries, and boil them till they are very clear. . _to make jelly of currans or of any other fruit._ take your fruit clean picked from the stalks, and put them into a long gally-pot, and set it into a kettle of water close covered; keep the water boiling till you find the fruit be well infused, then pour out the clearest, and take the weight of it in fine sugar, wet your sugar with water, and boil it to a candy height, then put in your clear liquor, and keep it stirring over a slow fire till you see it will jelly, but do not let it boil; the pulp which is left of the liquor, you may make paste of if you please, as you do the pippin paste before named. . _to make a goosberry fool._ take a pint and an half of goosberries clean picked from the stalks, put them into a skillet with a pint and half of fair water, scald them till they be very tender, then bruise them well in the water, and boil them with a pound and half of fine sugar till it be of a good thickness, then put to it the yolks of six eggs and a pint of cream, with a nutmeg quartered, stir these well together till you think they be enough, over a slow fire, and put it into a dish, and when it is cold, eat it. . _to make perfumed lozenges._ take twelve grains of ambergreece, and six grains of musk, and beat it with some sugar plate spoken of before, then roule it out in thin cakes, and make them into what form you please, you may make them round like a sugar plumb, and put a coriander seed in each of them, and so they will be fine comfits, and you may make them into lozenges to perfume wine with. . _to candy eryngo roots._ take the roots new gathered, without knots or joints, wash them clean, and boil them in several waters till they are very tender, then wash them well, and dry them in a cloth, slit them, and take out the pith, and braid them in braids as you would a womans hair, or else twist them, then take twice their weight in fine sugar, take half that sugar, and to every pound of sugar, one quarter of a pint of rosewater and as much fair water, make a syrup of it, and put in your roots and boil them, and when they are very clear, wet the rest of the sugar with rosewater, and boil it to a candy height, then put in the roots and boil them, and shake them, and when they be enough, take them off, and shake them till they are cold and dry, then lay them upon dishes or plates till they are throughly dry, and then put them up; thus you may do orange or limon, or citron pill, or potato roots. . _to preserve goosberries._ take your gooseberries, and stone them, then take a little more than their weight in fine sugar, then with as much water as will melt the sugar, boil it and scum it, then put in your goosberries, and boil them apace till they be clear, then take up your goosberries, and put them into glasses, and boil the syrup a little more, and put over them. . _to make leach and to colour it._ take one ounce of isinglass and lay it in water four and twenty hours, changing the water three or four times, then take a quart of new milk, boiled with a little sliced ginger and a stick of cinamon, one spoonful of rosewater, and a quarter of a pound of sugar, when it hath boiled a while, put in the isinglass, and boil it till it be thick, keeping it always stirring, then strain it, and keep it stirring, and when it is cold, you may slice it out, and serve it upon plates; you may colour it with saffron, and some with turnsole, and lay the white and that one upon another, and cut it, and it will look like bacon; it is good for weak people, and children that have the rickets. . _to take away the signs of the small pox._ take some spercma-ceti, and twice so much virgins wax, melt them together and spread it upon kids leather, in the shape of mask, then lay it upon the face, and keep it on night and day, it is a very fine remedy. . _for morphew, or freckles, and to clear the skin._ take the blood of any fowl or beast, and wipe your face all over with it every night when you go to bed for a fortnight together, and the next day wash it all off with white wine, and white sugar candy, and sometimes hold your face over the smoke of brimstone for a while, and shut your eyes, if you add the juice of a limon to the white wine, it will be the better. . _to make almond butter to look white._ take about two quarts of water, the bottom of a manchet, and a blade of large mace, boil it half an hour, and let it stand till it be cold, then take a pound of sweet almonds blanched, and beaten with rosewater very fine, so strain them with this water many times, till you think the virtue is out of them, and that it be a thick almond milk, then put it into a skillet, and make it boiling hot, that it simper, then take a spoonful of the juice of a limon, and put into it, stirring of it in, and when you perceive it ready to turn, then take it from the fire, and take a large fine cloth, and cast your liquor all over the cloth with a ladle, then scrape it altogether into the middle with a spoon, then tie it hard with a packthred, so let it hang till the next morning, then put in a dish, and sweeten it with rosewater and sugar, put a little ambergreece if you please. . _for the ptisick._ take a pottle of small ale, one pound of raisins of the sun stoned, with a little handful of peniroyal, boil these together, and add a little sugar-candy to it, and take five or six spoonfuls at a time four or five times in a day for a good while. . _marmalade of apricocks._ take the ripest and stone them and pare them, and beat them in a mortar, then boil the pulp in a dish over a chafing-dish of coals, till it be somewhat dry, then take the weight in fine sugar, and boil it to a candy height, with some rosewater, then put in your pulp, and boil them together till it will come from the bottom of the skillet, and always keep it stirring, for fear it burn, then put it into glasses. . _syrup of turneps._ take of the best and pare them, and bake them in a pot, then take the clear juice from them, and with the like weight in fine sugar make it into a syrup, and a little licoras to it, and take it often. . _to make a good jelly._ take a lean pig, dress it clean, and boil it in a sufficient quantity of fair water, with four ounces of green licoras scraped and bruised, maidenhair two handfuls, colts-foot one handful, currans half a pound, dates two ounces stoned and sliced, ivory one ounce, hartshorn one ounce, boil these to a strong jelly, and strain it, and take off the fat, then put to it half a pound of sugar, and half a pint of white wine, and so eat it at your pleasure. . _a most excellent cordial proved by very many._ take three grains of east indian bezoar, as much of ambergreece, powder them very fine with a little sugar, and mingle it with a spoonful and half of the syrup of the juice of citrons, one spoonful of syrup of clovegilliflowers, and one spoonful of cinamon water, so take it warmed. . _to make the black juice of licoras._ take two gallons of running water, three handfuls of unset hysop, three pounds and half of licoras scraped, and dried in the sun and beaten, then cover it close, and boil it almost a whole day in the water, when it is enough, it will be as thick as cream, then let it stand all night, the next morning strain it, and put it in several pans in the sun to dry, till it work like wax, then mould it with white sugar candy beaten and searced, then print it in little cakes, and print them with seals, and dry them. . _to make marchpane._ take two pounds of jordan almonds, blanch and beat them in a mortar with rosewater, then take one pound and half of sugar finely searced, when the almonds are beaten to a fine paste with the sugar, then, take it out of the mortar, and mould it with searced sugar, and let it stand one hour to cool, then roll it as thin as you would do for a tart, and cut it round by the plate, then set an edge about it, and pinch it, then set it on a bottom of wafers, and bake it a little, then ice it with rosewater and sugar, and the white of an egg beaten together, and put it into the oven again, and when you see the ice rise white and high, take it out, and set up a long piece of marchpane first baked in the middle of the marchpane, stick it with several sorts of comfits, then lay on leaf-gold with a feather and the white of an egg beaten. . _to preserve green pippins._ scald some green pippins carefully, then peel them, and put them into warm water, and cover them, and let them stand over a slow fire till they are as green as you would have them, and so tender as that a straw may run through them, then to every pound of apples, take one pound of fine sugar, and half a pint of water, of which make a syrup, and when you have scumm'd it clean, put in your apples, and let them boil a while, then set them by till the next day, then boil them throughly, and put them up. . _to preserve peaches._ take your peaches when you may prick a hole through them, scald them in fair water and rub the fur off from them with your thumb, then put them in another warm water over a slow fire, and cover them till they be green, then take their weight in fine sugar and a little water, boil it and scum it, then put in your peaches, and boil them till they are clear, so you may do green plumbs or green apricocks. . _marmalade of damsons._ take two pounds of damsons, and one pound of pippins pared and cut in pieces, bake them in an oven with a little sliced ginger, when they are tender, poure them into a cullender, and let the syrup drop from them, then strain them, and take as much sugar as the pulp doth weigh, boil it to a candy height with a little water, then put in your pulp, and boil it till it will come from the bottom of the skillet, and so put it up. . _marmalade of wardens._ bake them in an earthen pot, then cut them from the core and beat them in a mortar, then take their weight in fine sugar, and boil it to a candy height with a little beaten ginger, and boil it till it comes from the bottom of the posnet; and so do with quinces if you please. . _marmalade of green pippins to look green._ scald them as you do to preserve, then stamp them in a mortar, and take their weight in fine sugar, boil it to a candy height with a little water, then boil it and the pulp together, till it will come from the bottom of posnet. . _to preserve green walnuts._ take them and steep them all night in water, in the morning pare them and boil them in fair water till they be tender, and then stick a clove into the head of each of them, then take one pound and half of sugar to every pound of walnuts, and to every pound of sugar one pint of rosewater, make a syrup of it, and scum it, then put in your walnuts, and boil them very leasurely till they are enough; then put in a little musk or ambergreece with a little rosewater, and boil them a little more, and put them up; it is a very good cordial, and will keep seven years or more. . _to dry old pippins._ pare them, and bore a hole through them with a little knife or piercer, and cut some of them in halves, take out the cores of them as you cut them, then put them into a syrup of sugar and water, as much as will cover them in a broad preserving pan, let them boil so fast as may be; taking them sometimes from the fire, scumming them clean; when you perceive your apples clear, and syrup thick, then take them up, and set them into a warm oven from the syrup, all night, the next morning turn them, and put them in again, so do till they are dry; if you please to glister some of them, put them into your candy-pot but one night, and lay them to dry the next day, and they will look like crystal. . _to preserve bullace as green as grass._ take them fresh gathered, and prick them in several places, scald them as you do your green peaches, then take their weight in fine sugar, and make a syrup with a little water, then put in your bullace, and boil them till they be very clear, and the syrup very thick. . _to preserve medlars._ take them at their full growth, pare them as thin as you can, prick them with your knife, and parboil them reasonable tender, then dry them with a cloth, and put to them as much clarified sugar as will cover them; let them boil leisurely, turning them often, till they have well taken the sugar, then put them into an earthen pot, and let them stand till the next day, then warm them again half an hour; then take them up and lay them to drain, then put into that syrup half a pint of water wherein pippins have been boiled in slices, and a quarter of a pound of fresh sugar, boil it, and when it will jelly, put it to the medlars in gallipots or glasses. . _to make conserve of violets._ take a pound clean cut from the whites, stamp them well in a mortar, and put to them two or three ounces of white sugar-candy, then take it out and lay it upon a sleeked paper, then take their weight in fine sugar, and boil it to a candy height with a little water, then put in your violets, and a little juice of limon, and then let them have but one walm or two over the fire, stirring it well; then take it off; and when it is between hot and cold, put it up, and keep it. . _to cast all kinds of shapes, what you please, and to colour them._ take half a pound of refined sugar, boil it to a candy height with as much rosewater as will melt it, then take moulds made of alabaster, and lay them in water one hour before you put in the hot sugar, then when you have put in your sugar turn the mould about in your hand till it be cool, then take it out of the mould, and colour it according to the nature of the fruit you would have it resemble. . _to dry pears without sugar._ pare them, and leave the stalks and pipps on them, then bake them in an earthen pot with a little claret wine, covered, then drain them from the syrup, and dry them upon sieves in a warm oven, turning them morning and evening, every time you turn them hold them by the stalk and dip them in the liquor wherein they were baked and flat them every time a little. if you do them carefully they will look very red and clear and eat moist, when they are dry put them up. . _to make rasberry wine._ take rasberries and bruise them with the back of a spoon, and strain them, and fill a bottle with the juyce, stop it, but not very close, let it stand four or five days, then pour it from the grounds into a bason, and put as much white-wine or rhenish as your juyce will well colour, then sweeten it with loaf sugar, then bottle it and keep it, and when you drink it you may perfume some of it with one of the lozenges spoken of before. . _to preserve oranges in jelly._ take the thickest rind oranges, chipped very thin, lay them in water three or four days, shifting them twice every day, then boil them in several waters, till you may run a straw through them, then let them lye in a pan of water all night, then dry them gently in a cloth, then take to every pound of oranges one pound and an half of sugar, and a pint of water, make thereof a syrup; then put in your oranges, and boil them a little, then set them by till the next day, and boil them again a little, and so do for four or five days together, then boil them till they are very clear, then drain them in a sieve, then take to every pound of oranges one quarter of a pint of water wherein sliced pippins have been boiled into your syrup, and to every quarter of a pint of that water, add a quarter of a pound of fresh sugar, boil it till it will jelly, then put your oranges into a pot or a glass, and put the jelly over them; you may if you please, take all the meat out of some of your oranges at one end, and fill it with preserved pippin, and if you put in a little juice of orange and limon into your syrup when it is almost boiled, it will be very fine tasted. . [transcriber's note: so numbered in original] _to make cristal jelly._ take a knuckle of veal and two calves feet, lay them in water all night, then boil them in spring water, till you perceive it to be a thick jelly, then take them out, and let your jelly stand till it be cold, then take the clearest, and put it into a skillet, and sweeten it with rosewater and fine sugar, and a little whole spice, and boil them together a little, and so eat it when it is cold. . _to make_ china-_broth._ take three ounces of _china_ sliced thin, and three pints of fair water, half an ounce of harts-horn, let it steep together twelve hours, then put in a red cock cut in pieces and bruised, one ounce of raisins of the sun stoned, one ounce of currans, one ounce of dates stoned, one parsley root, one fennel-root, the pith being taken out, a little burrage and bugloss, and a little pimpernel, two ounces of pearl barley; boil all these together till you think they be well boiled, then strain it out. . _to make court perfumes._ take three ounces of benjamin, lay it all night in damask rose buds clean cut from the white, beat them very fine in a stone mortar till it come to a paste, then take it out and mix it with a dram of musk finely beaten, as much civet, mould them up with a little searced sugar, and dry them between rose leaves each of them, then dry them very well and keep them to burn, one at a time is sufficient. . _a syrup for a cold._ take long-wort of the oak, sage of _jerusalem_, hysop, colts-foot, maidenhair, scabious, horehound, one handful of each, four ounces of licoras scraped, two ounces of anniseeds bruised, half a pound of raisins of the sun stoned, put these together into a pipkin with two quarts of spring water, let them stand all night to infuse close stopped, when it is half boiled away, strain it out, and put to it to every pint of liquor a pound of sugar and boil it to a syrup. . _to make white marmalade of quinces._ coddle them so tender that a straw may run thorow them, then take grated quinces and strain the juice from them, then slice your scalded quinces thin and weigh them, and take a little above their weight in fine sugar, wet your sugar with the raw juice, boil it and scum it, then put in your sliced quinces and boil them up quick till they jelly, then put them into glasses. . _the white juice of licoras._ take one pound of licoras clean scraped, cut it thin and short, and dry it in an oven, then beat it fine in a mortar, then put it into a stone jugg, and put thereto of the water of colts-foot, scabius, hysop and horehound, as much as will stand four fingers deep above the licoras, then set this jugg, close stopped, into a kettle of water, and keep the water boiling, let it be stuffed round with hay that it jog not, let it stand so four hours, and so do every other day for the space of ten days; then strain it into a dish, set the dish over boiling water, and let it vapour away till it be thick, then add to it one pound of fine sugar-candy, the best and whitest you can get, beaten very well, then put it into several dishes and dry it in the sun, or in a warm oven, beating it often with bone knives till it be stiff, then take as much gum dragon steeped in rose-water as will make it pliable to your hand, then make it into little rolls, and add two grains of musk or ambergreece and a few drops of oyl of anniseed, and so make them into little cakes, and print them with a seal and then dry them. . _to dry plumbs naturally._ take of any sort and prick them and put them into the bottom of a sieve dusted with flower to keep them from sticking, let them stand in a warm oven all night, the next morning turn them upon a clean sieve, and so do every day till you see that they are very dry. . _to dry preserved pears._ wash them from their syrup, then take some fine sugar and boil it to a candy height with a little water, then put in your pears, and shake them very well up and down, then lay them upon the bottom of a sieve, and dry them in a warm oven and so keep them. . _to make little cakes with almonds._ put into a little rosewater two grains of ambergreece, then take a pound of blanched almonds and beat them with this rosewater, then take a pound of your finest sugar, beaten and searced, and when your almonds are well beaten, mix some of the sugar with them, then make your cakes, and lay them on wafer sheets; and when they are half baked, take the rest of the sugar, being boiled to a candy height with a little rosewater, and so with a feather wash them over with this, and let them stand a while longer. . _to make very pretty cakes that will keep a good while._ take a quart of fine flower and the yolks of eggs, a quarter of a pound of sugar, and a little rosewater, with some beaten spice, and as much cream as will work it into a paste, work it very well and beat it, then rowl it as thin as possible, and cut them round with a spur, such as the pastry cooks do use; then fill them with currans first plumped a little in rosewater and sugar, so put another sheet of paste over them and close them, prick them, and bake them but let not your oven be too hot; you may colour some of them with saffron if you please, and some of them you may ice over with rosewater and sugar, and the white of an egg beaten together. . _to make a paste to wash your hands withal._ take a pound of bitter almonds, blanch them and beat them very fine in a mortar with four ounces of figgs, when it is come to a paste, put it into a gallipot and keep it for your use; a little at a time will serve. . _to keep flowers all the year._ take any sort of pretty flowers you can get, and have in readiness some rosewater made very slippery by laying gum arabick therein. dip your flowers very well, and swing it out again, and stick them in a sieve to dry in the sun, some other of them you may dust over with fine flower, and some with searced sugar, after you have wetted them, and so dry them. either of them will be very fine, but those with sugar will not keep so well as the other; they are good to set forth banquets, and to garnish dishes, and will look very fresh, and have their right smell. . _conserve of barberries._ take barberries, infuse them in a pot as other fruits spoken of before, then strain them, and to every pound of liquor take two pounds of sugar, boil them together over the fire till it will come from the bottom of the posnet, and then put it into gally-pots and keep it with fine sugar strewed over it. . _to preserve barberries without fire._ take your fairest bunches and lay a lay of fine sugar into the bottom of the pot, and then a lay of barberries, and then sugar again, till all be in, and be sure to cover them deep with sugar last of all, and cover your pot with a bladder wet and tyed on, that no air get in, and they will keep and be good, and much better to garnish dishes with than pickled barberries, and are very pleasant to eat. . _to candy almonds to look as though they had their shells on._ take jordan almonds and blanch them, then take fine sugar, wet it with water, and boil it to a candy height, colour it with cochineal, and put in a grain of ambergreece; when you see it at a candy height, put in your almonds well dried from the water, and shake them over the fire till you see they are enough, then lay them in a stove or some other warm place. . _to candy carrot roots._ take of the best and boil them tender then pare them, and cut them in such pieces as you like; then take fine sugar boiled to a candy height with a little water, then put in your roots, and boil them till you see they will candy; but you must first boil them with their weight in sugar and some water, or else they will not be sweet enough; when they are enough, lay them into a box, and keep them dry: thus you may do green peascods when they are very young, if you put them into boiling water, and let them boil close covered till they are green, and then boiled in a syrup, and then the candy, they will look very finely, and are good to set forth banquets, but have no pleasant taste. . _to make syrup of violets._ take violets clipped clean from the whites, to every ounce of violets take two ounces of water, so steep them upon embers till the water be as blew as a violet, and the violets turned white, then put in more violets into the same water, and again the third time, then take to every quart of water four pounds of fine sugar, and boil it to a syrup, and keep it for your use; thus you may also make syrup of roses. . _to make a syrup for any cough._ take four ounces of licoras scraped and bruised, maidenhair one ounce, aniseeds half an ounce, steep them in spring water half a day, then boil it half away; the first quantity of water which you steep them in must be four pints, and when it is half boiled away, then add to it one pound of fine sugar, and boil it to a syrup, and take two spoonfuls at a time every night when you go to rest. . _a pretty sweet-meat with roses and almonds._ take half a pound of blanched almonds beaten very fine with a little rosewater, two ounces of the leaves of damask roses beaten fine, then take half a pound of sugar, and a little more, wet it with water, and boil it to a candy height, then put in your almonds and roses, and a grain of musk or ambergreece, and let them boil a little while together, and then put it into glasses, and it will be a fine sort of marmalade. . _the best sort of hartshorn jelly to serve in a banquet._ take six ounces of hartshorn, put it into two quarts of water and let it infuse upon embers all night, then boil it up quick, and when you find by the spoon you stir it with, that it will stick to your mouth, if you do touch it, and that you find the water to be much wasted, strain it out, and put in a little more than half a pound of fine sugar, a little rosewater, a blade of mace, and a stick of cinamon, the juice of as many limons will give it a good taste, with two grains of ambergreece, set it over a slow fire, and do not let it boil, but when you find it to be very thick in your mouth, then put it softly into glasses; and set it into a stove, and that will make it to jelly the better. . _to make orange or limon chips._ take the parings of either of these cut thin, and boil them in several waters till they be tender, then let them lie in cold water a while, then take their weight in sugar or more, and with as much water as will wet it, boil it and scum it, then drain your chips from the cold water, and put them into a gally-pot; and pour this syrup boiling hot upon them, so let them stand till the next day, then heat the syrup again and pour over them, so do till you see they are very clear, every day do so till the syrup be very thick, and then lay them out in a stove to dry. . _to make cakes of almonds in thin slices._ take four ounces of jordan almonds, blanch them in cold water, and slice them thin the long way, then mix them with little thin pieces of candied orange and citron pill, then take some fine sugar boiled to a candy height with some water, put in your almonds, and let them boil till you perceive they will candy, then with a spoon take them out, and lay them in little lumps upon a pie-plate or sleeked paper, and before they be quite cold strew caraway comfits on them, and so keep them very dry. . _to make chips of any fruit._ take any preserved fruit, drain it from the syrup, and cut it thin, then boil sugar to a candy height, and then put your chips therein, and shake them up and down till you see they will candy, and then lay them out; or take raw chips of fruit boiled first in syrup, and then a candy boiled, and put over them hot, and so every day, till they begin to sparkle as they lie, then take them out, and dry them. . _to preserve sweet limons._ take the fairest, and chip them thin, and put them into cold water as you chip them, then boil them in several waters till a straw may run through them, then to every pound of limon, take a pound and half of fine sugar, and a pint of water, boil it together, and scum it, then let your limons scald in it a little, and set them by till the next day, and every other day heat the syrup only and put to them; so do times, and then at last boil them in the syrup till they be clear, then take them out, and put them into pots, and boil the syrup a little more, and put to them; if you will have them in jelly, make your syrup with pippin water. . _to make a custard for a consumption._ take four quarts of red cows milk, four ounces of conserve of red roses, prepared pearl, prepared coral, and white amber, of each one dram, two ounces of white sugar candy, one grain of ambergreece, put these into an earthen pot with some leaf gold, and the yolks and whites of twelve eggs, a little mace and cinamon, and as much fine sugar as will sweeten it well; paste the pot over and bake it with brown bread, and eat of it every day so long as it will last. . _to make chaculato._ take half a pint of claret wine, boil it a little, then scrape some chaculato very fine and put into it, and the yolks of two eggs, stir them well together over a slow fire till it be thick, and sweeten it with sugar according to your taste. . _to dry any sort of plumbs._ take to every pound of plumbs three quarters of a pound of sugar, boil it to a candy height with a little water, then put in your plumbs ready stoned, and let them boil very gently over a slow fire, if they be white ones they may boil a little faster, then let them by till the next day, then boil them well, and take them often from the fire for fear of breaking, let them lie in their syrup for four or five days, then lay them out upon sieves to dry, in a warm oven or stove, turning them upon clean sieves twice every day, and fill up all the broken places, and put the skins over them, when they are dry, wash off the clamminess of them with warm water, and dry them in the oven, and they will look as though the dew were upon them. . _to make jelly of quinces._ take your quinces, pare them and core them, and cut them in quarters, then put them into a new earthen pot with a narrow mouth, put in some of the cores in the bottom, and then the quinces, paste it up and bake it with brown bread, then run it thorough a bagg of boulting stuff as fast as you can, and crush it pretty hard, so long as it will run clear, to every pound of it take a pound of fine sugar, and put into it, and let it stand till it be dissolved, then set it over a slow fire, and scum it well, and keep it stirring till it jelly, then put it into glasses and keep it in a stove. . _to make a posset._ take a quart of white-wine and a quart of water, boil whole spice in them, then take twelve eggs and put away half the whites, beat them very well, and take the wine from the fire, then put in your eggs and stir them very well, then set it on a slow fire, and stir it till it be thick, sweeten it with sugar, and strew beaten spice thereon, then serve it in. you may put in ambergreece if you like it, or one perfumed lozenge. . _to make a sack posset._ take two quarts of cream and boil it with whole spice, then take twelve eggs well beaten and drained, take the cream from the fire, and stir in the eggs, and as much sugar as will sweeten it, then put in so much sack as will make it taste well, and set it on the fire again, and let it stand a while, then take a ladle and raise it up gently from the bottom of the skillet you make it in, and break it as little as you can, and so do till you see it be thick enough; then put it into a bason with the ladle gently; if you do it too much it will whey, and that is not good. . _another way for a posset._ boil a quart of cream as for the other, then take the yolks of fourteen eggs and four whites, beat them and strain them, take the cream from the fire, and stir in your eggs, then have your sack warmed in a bason, and when the cream and eggs are well mixed, put it to the sack, and sweeten it to your taste with fine sugar, and let it stand over a skillet of seething water for a while. . _to preserve pippins in thin slices in jelly._ take of the fairest pippins, pare them, and slice them into cold water, to every pound of pippins take a pound of sugar, and a pint of water, boil it and scum it, then shake your pippins clean from the water, and put them into the syrup, boil them very clear and apace, then put in some thin chips, or orange or citron preserved, and to one pound of pippin, put the juice of two oranges and one limon, then boil them a little longer till you see they will jelly, and then put them into glasses, but take heed you lay them in carefully, and lay the chips here and there between, and warm the jelly and put softly over them. . _to preserve currans in jelly._ take the fairest and pick them from the stalks, and stone them, and take their weight in sugar, wet it with water, boil it and scum it, then put in your currans, and boil them up quick, shake them often and scum them, and when they will jelly, they are enough; then put them into glasses; thus you may do white and red both, and they will be in a stiff jelly, and cut very well, do not cover them before they be cold. . _to preserve ripe apricocks._ take them and stone them, and weigh them, and to every pound of apricocks take a pound of fine sugar beaten small, then pare your fruit, and as you pare them, cast some sugar over them, and so do till all be done, then set them on the fire, and let the sugar melt but gently, then boil them a little in the syrup, and set them by till the next day, then boil them quick, and till they be very clear, then put them in pots, and boil the syrup a little more, and put it to them, if you would have them in jelly, you must put some of the infusion of goosberries, or of pippins into your syrup, and add more sugar to it. . _to preserve cornelions._ take the fairest and weigh them, then take their weight in sugar, and lay a lay of sugar into the pan, and then lay a lay of cornelions till all be in, and let your last lay be sugar, then put a little water into the midst of the pan, and set it on the fire, and when the sugar is melted boil them up quick, and take them often and shake them, and scum them, when you do perceive them to be very clear, they are enough. . _to make marmalade of cornelions._ take them and stone them, and weigh them, and to every pound of fruit take a pound of sugar, wet it with water, and boil it to a candy height, then put in your fruit and boil it very clear and quick, and shake it often, and scum it clean; when you see it very clear and very thick, it is enough; you must keep it in a stove or some warm place. . _to preserve damsons._ take the fairest, not too ripe, and take their weight in sugar, wet your sugar with a little water, boil it and scum it, then put in your damsons and boil them a little, then set them by till the next day, then boil them till they be very clear, and take them from the fire sometimes, and let them stand a while to keep them from breaking, when they are clear, take them out, and put them into glasses, and boil the syrup to a jelly and pour on them; be very careful how you take them to put them into your pots or glasses for fear of breaking them. . _to make orange marmalade._ take half a pound of orange chips tenderly boiled in several waters, and beaten fine in a mortar, then take a pound of fine sugar, wet it with water, boil it and scum it, then put in your orange, and half a pound of pippin also beaten fine, and let them boil together till they are very clear; then put in the juice of one orange and one limon, and stir it well, and let it boil a while longer, and then take it off and put it into glasses. . _to make jelly of pippins._ take pippins, pare them thin into a long gallipot, and set that into boiling water close covered, and so let it stand three or four hours, they must be sliced thin as well as pared; when you think they are infused enough, pour the liquor from them, and to every pint, take a pound of sugar double refined and put it into your liquor, boil them together till you find it will jelly, then put little small pieces of orange pill into it finely shred, the juice of one orange and one limon, and let it boil a little longer, and so put it into glasses, and set them into a stove, with the pulp that is left you may make paste if you please. . _to candy angelica._ take the tender green stalks and boil them in water till they be tender, then peel them, and put them into another warm water, and cover them till they are very green over a slow fire, then lay them on a clean cloth to dry, then take their weight in fine sugar, and boil it to a candy height with some rosewater, then put in your stalks, and boil them up quick, and shake them often and when you judge they be enough, lay them on a pie-plate, and open them with a little stick, and so they will be hollow, and some of them you may braid, and twist some of them, so keep them dry. . _to make seed-stuff of rasberries._ take rasberries and bruise them, and take their weight in fine sugar, and boil it to a candy height with a little water, then put in your bruised rasberries, and boil them till you see they will jelly very well. . _to make syrup of gilly-flowers._ take clove-gilly-flowers, and cut them from the whites, then take their weight in sugar beaten fine, then put a little sugar into your gally-pot, and then a lay of flowers, and then sugar again, till all be spent, and let sugar be the last, then put in a clove or two, according to your quantity, and a little malago sack; and so tie your pot up close, and set it into a pot or kettle of boiling water, and let them stand till they are infused; then poure out the liquor and strain the rest, but not too hard, then take this liquor and vapour it away over seething water till it be of a good thickness, then take your strained gilliflowers and put them into a pot with some white-wine vinegar, and cover them over with fine sugar, and so keep them; they are a better sallad than those you pickle up alone; as you make this, you may make syrup of any herbs or flowers. . _to make most excellent cake._ take a strik'd peck of flower, six pounds of currans, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of cinamon, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, as much of nutmeg, half a pound of fine sugar, and as much rosewater as you please; beat your spice, and put that and your fruits with a little salt into your flower, then take cream or new milk as much as you think fit, dissolve thereinto two pounds of fresh butter, then put it in a basin with the sugar and a pint of sack, knead it with a wine-pint of ale-yest, knead it till it rise under your hand, let all things be ready and your oven hot before you go to knead the cake. . _to make pomatum the best way._ take the caul of a lamb new killed, pick it clean from the skin, and lay it in spring-water nine days, shifting it every day twice, then melt it, then take yellow snails, stamp them, and put them into a glass with rosewater four days, stop the glass and shake it three or four times a day, then take white lilly roots, stamp them, and strain them, put the juice of them into the glass with the snails, then set a skillet on the fire with fair water, and let it boil, then put your dried lambs caul into an earthen basin, and let it melt, then take your glass with snails and roots, and drain it through a thick cloth, then put it into that tried stuff, then take half an ounce of white sugar-candy unbeaten put it in, and stir it over the fire, till that be dissolved, then take it from the fire, and put in three ounces of sweet almonds, keep it boiling and stirring a little longer, then take it off, and let it stand till it be reasonably cool, then beat it with a wooden slice till it be very white, then put in a little rosewater, and beat it a little longer, and then keep it in gallipots; you must put in a crust of bread when you melt it in the skillet, and when the sugar-candy goes in, take it out. . _to make the bean bread._ take a pound of the best jordan almonds; blanch them in cold water, and slice them very thin the long way of the almond with a wet knife, then take a pound of double refined sugar well beaten, and mix with your almonds, then take the white of one egg beaten with two spoonfuls of rosewater, and as the froth ariseth, cast it all over your almonds with a spoon, then mix them well together, and lay them upon wafer sheets, upon flowered plates, and shape them as you please with your knife and your fingers; then strew caraway comfits, and orange and citron pill cut thin, or some coriander comfits, so set them into an oven not too hot, and when they have stood about half an hour, raise them from their plates, and mend what you find amiss before they be too dry, then set them into the oven again, and when they are quite dry, break away the wafers with your fingers, and then clip them neatly with a pair of scizzers, and lay on some leaf-gold if you please. . _to make an excellent cake with caraway comfits._ take five pounds of manchet paste mingled very stiff and light without salt, cover it, and let it be rising half an hour, when your oven is almost hot, take two pounds and half of butter, very good, and melt it, and take five eggs, yolks and whites beaten, and half a pound of sugar, mingle them all together with your paste, and let it be as lithe as possible you can work it, and when your oven is hot and swept, strew into your cake one pound of caraway comfits, then butter a baking-pan, and bake it in that, let it stand one hour and quarter; when you draw it, lay a course linnen cloth and a woollen one over it, so let it lie till it be cold, then put it into an oven the next day, for a little time, and it will eat as though it were made of almonds, you must put in your sugar after your butter. . _to make diet bread or jumbolds._ take a quart of fine flower, half a pound of fine sugar, caraway seeds, coriander seeds and aniseeds bruised, of each one ounce, mingle all these together, then take the yolks of eight eggs, and the whites of three, beat them well with four spoonfuls of rosewater, and so knead these all together and no other liquor, when it is well wrought, lay it for one hour in a linnen cloth before the fire, then rowl it out thin, tie them in knots and prick them with a needle, lay them upon butter'd plates, and bake them in an oven not too hot. . _to make cider or perry as clear as rock water._ take two quarts of cider, half a pint of milk, put them both in an hipocras bag, and when it runs clear, bottle it up, and when it is a month old, it will sparkle in the glass as you drink it. . _to make almond bread._ take a pound of almonds blanched, and beaten with rosewater, then take a pound of sugar beaten fine, and a little grated bread finely searced, put them into a platter with your almonds, and stir them well together, set them over a chafing dish of coals, and boil them till they are as stiff as paste, stirring them continually, then mould them well and put them in what shape you you please; print them, and set them into some warm place to dry. . _to make good almond milk._ take jordan almonds blanched and beaten with rose water, then strain them often with fair water, wherein hath been boiled violet leaves and sliced dates; when your almonds are strained, take the dates and put to it some mace, sugar, and a little salt, warm it a little, and so drink it. . _to make white leach._ take sweet almonds blanched and beaten with rosewater, then strained with fair water, wherein hath been boiled aniseeds and ginger, put to it as much cream, wherein pure isinglass hath been boiled, as will make it stiff, and as much sugar as you please; let it be scalding hot, then run it through a strainer, and when it is cold, slice it out, it is very good for a weak body. . _to make red leach or yellow._ red by putting tornsel into it, or cochineal; yellow by putting saffron in it. . _cinamon or ginger leach._ take your spices beaten and searced, and mix them with your searced sugar, mould them up with gum arabick infused in rosewater, and so print them and dry them. . _to make leach of dates._ take your dates stoned and peeled very clean within, beat them fine with sugar, ginger and cinamon, and a little rosewater till it will work like paste, then print them and keep them dry. . _to make fine cakes._ take a quart of flower, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, with three or four yolks of eggs, a little rosewater, and a spoonful of yest, then roul them out thin, while the paste is hot, prick them, and set them into the oven not too hot. . _to make cornish cakes._ take claret wine, the yolks of eggs, and mace beaten fine, and some sugar and salt, mingle all these with flower and a little yeast, knead it as stiff as you can, then put in butter, and knead it stiff again, and then shape them and bake them. . _a cordial syrup._ take one pound of juice of burrage, and half so much of the juice of balm, boil them together, and when the grossness of the juice ariseth, then put in the whites of two eggs beaten with rosewater, and when you see them begin to grow hard, put in a little vinegar, let them boil together, and scum it clean, and run it through a jelly-bag, then set it over the fire again, and add to it one pound of fine sugar, and a little saffron, and so boil it till you think it be enough. . _for a consumption._ take of harts-tongue and maidenhair, of each one handful, hysop and balm, of each half a handful, licoras sliced, one ounce, piony root one ounce, boil these together in two pints and half of spring water until it be half consumed, then strain the liquor from the herbs, then take four ounces of currans washed clean, dried and beaten in a mortar, boil them in the liquor a little while, then strain it, and put to the liquor half a pound of sugar, and so boil it to a syrup, and take often of it. . _for a consumption._ take a pint of good wine-vinegar, and half a pint of colts-foot-water, half a pound of figs well bruised, then strain it, and boil it with a pound of sugar to a thick syrup. . _a very good perfume._ six spoonfuls of rosewater, musk, ambergreece and civet, of each two grains, a little sugar beaten fine, mould them up together with gum-dragon steeped in rosewater, make them in little cakes and dry them. . _a cordial to cause sleep._ two spoonfuls of poppy water, two spoonfuls of red rosewater, one spoonful of clove-gillyflower syrup, and a little diascordium, mingle them together, and take them at the time of rest. . _to perfume gloves._ take four grains of musk and grind it with rosewater, and also eight grains of civet, then take two spoonfuls of gum dragon steeped all night in rosewater, beat these to a thin jelly, putting in half a spoonful of oil of cloves, cinamon and jessamine mixed together, then take a spunge and dip it therin, and rub the gloves all over thin, lay them in a dry clean place eight and forty hours; then rub them with your hands till they become limber. . _a very good perfume to burn._ take ounces of the powder of juniper wood, ounce of benjamin, one ounce of storax, drops of oil of limons, as much oil of cloves, grains of musk, of civet, mold them up with a little gum dragon steeped in rosewater, make them in little cakes, and dry them between rose leaves, your juniper wood must be well dried, beaten and searced. . _to preserve cherries in jelly._ take fair ripe cherries, and stone them, then take a little more than their weight in fine sugar, then take the juyce of some other cherries, and put a spoonful of it in the bottom of the posnet, then put some of your sugar beaten fine into the posnet with it, and then a little more juyce, then put in your cherries, then put in sugar, and then juyce, and then cherries again, thus do till you have put in all, then let them boil apace till the sugar be melted, shaking them sometimes, then take them from the fire, and let them stand close covered one hour, then boil them up quick till the syrup will jelly. . _to dry apricocks or pippins to look as clear as amber._ take apricocks and take out the stones, and take pippins and cut them in halves and core them, let your apricocks be pared also; lay these fruits in an earthen dish, and strew them over with fine sugar, set them into a warm oven, and as the liquor comes from them put it away, when all the liquor is come away turn them and strew them thick with sugar on every side, set them into the oven again, and when the sugar is melted lay them on a dry dish, and set them in again, and every day, turn them till they be quite dry, thus you may dry any sort of plumbs or pears as well as the other, and they will look very clear. . _to dry pears or pippins without sugar._ take of the fairest and lay them in sweetwort two or three days, then lay them in a broad preserving pan of earth, and bake them, but let the oven be but gently hot, then lay them upon lattice sieves and set them into a warm oven, and turn them twice a day till they are dry. . _the spanish candy._ take any sort of flowers well picked and beaten in a mortar, and put them into a syrup, so much as the flowers will stain, boil them, and stir them till you see it will turn sugar again, then pour it upon a wet trencher, and when it is cold cut it into lozenges, and that which remaineth in the bottom of the posnet scrape it clean out, and beat it and searce it, then work it with some gum dragon steeped in rosewater and a little ambergreece, so make it into what shape you please, and dry it. . _to make naples bisket._ take four ounces of pine apple seeds, two ounces of sweet almonds blanched, the whites of two eggs, one spoonful of ale-yeast, one spoonful of rice flower, one spoonful of sweet cream, beat all these together in a mortar, then add to it musk or ambergreece, drop it upon a pie-plate, and make it in what shape you please, and so bake it. . _to make italian bisket._ take sugar searced fine, and beat in a mortar with gum dragon steeped in rosewater, and also the white of an egg, till it come to a perfect paste, then mould it up with searced sugar, powder of aniseeds, and a little musk, and make them in what shape you please, and bake them on pie-plates, but not too much. . _to make hippocras._ take to every gallon of sack or white wine, one pound of sugar, one ounce of cinamon, one ounce of ginger, one quarter of an ounce of nutmegs, a quarter of an ounce of coriander seed, with a few cloves, and a little long pepper or a few grains, let all these steep together four and twenty hours, stir it twice or thrice in that time; then put to every gallon one pint of milk, and run it through a jelly-bag, and then bottle it, and let them be stopped very close, set them in a cool place, it will keep a month. . _to make tuff-taffity cream._ take a quart of thick cream, the whites of eight eggs beaten to a froth with rosewater, then take off the froth and put in into the cream, and boil it, and always stir it, then put in the yolks of eight eggs well beaten, and stir them in off the fire, and then on the fire a little while, then season it with sugar, and pour it out, and when it is cold, lay on it jelly of currans or rasberries, or what you please. . _caraway cake._ take one quart of flower, and one pound of butter, rub your butter into your flower very well, then take two yolks of eggs and one white, two spoonfuls of cream, half a pint of ale-yest, mix them all together, do not knead it, but pull it in pieces, then set it to the fire to rise, and so let it lie almost one hour, turning it often, then pull it in pieces again, and strew in half a pound of caraway comfits, mingle them with the paste, then take it lightly with your hand, fashion it like an oval, and make it higher in the middle than the sides, let your oven be as hot as for a tart, be sure your oven or cake be ready both at once, put it upon a double paper buttered, and let it stand almost an hour, when it goes into the oven, strew it thick with caraway-comfits, and lay a paper over least it scorch. . _to candy barberries._ stone the fairest bunches you can get, and as you stone them strew in a little sugar, then take so much water as you think will cover them, and let them boil in it with a little sugar a little while, then put them into a deep thing that the syrup may cover them, then boil a little water and sugar to a candy height, then having your barberries drained well from the syrup put them into the hot candy, stir them gently til the sugar be dissolved, but do not let them boil in it, then open every branch and lay them upon the brims of dishes, shift them often on clean dishes and open them every time, then set them into an oven or stove to dry. . _to make a very fine sillibub._ take one quart of cream, one pint and an half of wine or sack, the juice of two limons with some of the pill, and a branch of rosemary, sweeten it very well, then put a little of this liquor, and a little of the cream into a basin, beat them till it froth, put that froth into the sillibub pot, and so do till the cream and wine be done, then cover it close, and set it in a cool cellar for twelve hours, then eat it. . _fine sweet powder for the hair._ take one pound of the best starch you can get, put it into a basin with half a pint of rosemary water, as much rosewater, stir them well together with a spoon, then dry them well in the sun, then take the searced powder of damask roses, and four grains of ambergreece, mix it well with your starch, and sift it fine. . _to make cakes of pistachoes._ take half a pound of almonds blanched, half a pound of pistachoes blanched, four ounces of pine-apple seeds, beat these together in a mortar with a little rosewater till it come to perfect paste, then put in the weight of it in sugar, and beat it again, then mould it with searced sugar, and lay it upon wafer sheets, and fashion them as you please; then stick them with quartered pistachoes; that they may make it look like a hedghog, then with a feather ice them over with the white of an egg, rosewater and sugar, then bake them carefully. . _to make cakes of apricocks in lumps._ take apricocks, and pare them and cut them in halves, then take their weight in sugar, put half this sugar and the apricocks into a posnet, let them boil apace till they look clear, then boil the other part of the sugar to a candy height, then put them together, and stir them a while, then put them into glasses and set them into a stove, and when the one side is dry, turn the other. . _to make rasberry sugar._ take the juice of rasberries and wet your sugar with it, and dry it in a stove in little cakes; this will keep all the year, a little of it being put into a glass of wine, will give it as good a taste, as you can desire, and as good a colour; in this manner you may make sugar of any fruit, flower, or herb. . _to dry apricocks._ take your fairest apricocks and stone them, then weigh them, and as you pare them, throw them into cold water, have in readiness their weight in fine sugar, wet it with some of the water they lie in, and boil it to a candy height, then put in your apricocks, and boil them till they are clear, when they have lain three or four days in the syrup, lay them out upon glasses to dry in a stove, and turn them twice a day. . _to make rough marmalade of cherries._ stone your cherries, and infuse them in a long gallipot in a kettle of boiling water, when they are all to pieces, then take their weight in fine sugar boiled to a candy height with a little water, then put in your apricocks and stir them over a slow fire, but do not let it boil, when it will jelly, put it into glasses. . _to make smooth marmalade of cherries._ infuse them as you do the other, then strain them hard, and boil the juice with a candy as you do the other. . _to make white trencher-plates which may be eaten._ take two eggs beaten very well, yolks and whites, two spoonfuls of sack, one spoonful of rosewater, and so much flower as will make it into a stiff paste, then roule it thin, and then lay it upon the outsides of plates well-buttered, cut them fit to the plates, and bake them upon them, then take them forth, and when they are cold, take a pound of double refin'd sugar beaten and searced, with a little ambergreece, the white of an egg and rosewater, beat these well together, and ice your plates all over with it, and set them into the oven again till they be dry. . _to make the froth posset._ take three pints of cream or new milk, set it on the fire, then take sixteen eggs and put the whites into a basin very deep, and beat the yolks by themselves, make a custard with them, and the cream which is on the fire, then beat the yolks to a froth with a little sack, and a little sugar, when it is a thick froth, cast it into another dish with a spoon, then take half a pint of sack, and sweeten it with sugar, set it on a chafing-dish of coals in a large basin, when it is hot, put in as much froth as the sack will receive, stir it in very well, then take your custard and pour upon it, stir it all one way when you put it in, then if the froth do not cover the top of the posset, put in more, and stir it very well, and cover it close with a warm dish, let it stand a while upon coals, but not too hot; you may know when it is enough by putting your spoon into the basin, for then it will be clear in the bottom, curd in the middle, and froth on the top. . _to make_ banbury _cakes._ make a posset of sack and cream, then take a peck of fine flower, half an ounce of mace, as much of nutmeg, as much of cinamon, beat them and searce them, two pounds of butter, ten eggs, leaving out half their whites, one pint and half of ale-yest, beat your eggs very well, and strain them, then put your yest, and some of the posset to the flower, stir them together, and put in your butter cold in little pieces, but your posset must be scalding hot; make it into a paste, and let it lie one hour in a warm cloth to rise, then put in ten pounds of currans washed and dried very well, a little musk and ambergreece dissolved in rosewater, put in a little sugar among your currans break your paste into little pieces, when you go to put in your currans, then lay a lay of broken paste, and then a lay of currans till all be in, then mingle your paste and currans well together, and keep out a little of your paste in a warm cloth to cover the top and bottom of your cake, you must rowl the cover very thin, and also the bottom, and close them together over the cake with a little rosewater; prick the top and bottom with a small pin or needle, and when it is ready to go into the oven, cut in the sides round about, let it stand two hours, then ice it over with rosewater or orange flower and sugar, and the white of an egg, and harden it in the oven. . _to make_ cambridge _almond butter._ take a quart of cream and sixteen eggs well beaten, mix them together and strain them into a posnet, set them on a soft fire, and stir them continually; when it is ready to boil, put in half a quarter of a pint of sack, and stir it till it run to a curd, then strain the whey from it as much as may be, then beat four ounces of blanched almonds with rosewater, then put the curd and beaten almonds and half a pound of fine sugar into a mortar, and beat them well together, then put it into glasses and eat it with bread, it will keep a fortnight. . _to make a sack posset without milk or bread._ take a quart of ale and half a pint of sack, boil them with what spice you please, then take three quarters of a pound of sugar, and twenty eggs, yolks and whites well beaten and strained, then take four ounces of almonds blanched and beaten with rosewater, put them to the eggs, and put them to the other things in the posnet upon the fire, and keep them stirring, and when it boileth up, put it into a bason, and strew on beaten spice and sugar, you must also sweeten it when the eggs go in. . _to preserve figs and dry them._ to every pound of your large ripe english figs, take a pound of sugar, and one pint of water boil your sugar and water, and scum it, then put in your figs, and boil them very well till they are tender & clear; boil them very fast, when they have been in the syrup a week, boil some sugar to a candy height, and put in the figs, and when you perceive they are enough, lay them out to dry. . _to pickle mushromes._ take them of one nights growth, and peel them inside and outside, boil them in water and salt one hour, then lay them out to cool, then make a pickle of white wine and white wine vinegar, and boil in it whole cloves, nutmegs, mace, and ginger sliced, and some whole pepper, when it is cold, put them into it, and keep them for sauces of several meats; and if you would dress them to eat presently, put them in a dish over a chafingdish of coals without any liquor, and the fire will draw out their natural liquor, which you must pour away, then put in whole spice, onions and butter, with a little wine, and so let them stew a while, then serve it in. . _to preserve whole quinces to look red._ when they are pared and cored, put them into cold water, and for every pound of quince take one pound of sugar, and a pint of water, make a syrup thereof, then put in your quinces, and set them on a slow fire, close covered, till you see they are of a good colour and very tender, then take them out, and boil your syrup till it will jelly. . _to make very good marmalade of quinces to look red._ weigh your quinces and pare them, cut them in quarters and core them, and keep them in cold water, then take their weight in sugar, and a little water, and boil it, and scum it, then put in your quinces, and set them on a slow fire, close covered, till you see it of a good colour, then uncover it, and boil it up very quick till you find that it will jelly very well. . _to make musk sugar._ bruise six grains of musk and tie them in a piece of tiffany, lay it in the bottom of a gallipot, and then fill it with sugar, and tie it up close, when you have spent that sugar, put in some more, it will be well perfumed. . _an excellent way to make syrup of roses, or of any other flower._ fill a silver bason three quarters full of spring water, then fill it up with rose-leaves or any other, and cover it, and set it upon a pot of seething water one hour, then strain it, and put in more; and do in like manner, and so do seven times, then take to every pint one pound of sugar, and make a syrup therewith. . _to dry rose leaves._ pick your roses, and dry them upon the leads of a house in a sun-shine day, and turn them as you do hay, and when they are through dry, keep them in broadmouth'd glasses close stopped. . _to candy flowers._ boil some rosewater and sugar together, then put in your flowers being very dry and boil them a little, then strew in some fine sugar over them, and turn them, and boil them a little more, then take them from the fire, and strew some more sugar over them, then take them out and lay them to dry, and open them, and strew sugar over them; they will dry in a few hours in a hot day. . _the making of sugar-plate and casting of it into moulds._ take one pound of double refin'd sugar beaten and searced, and three ounces of pure white starch beaten and searced, then have some gum-dragon steeped in rosewater, and put some of it with the sugar and starch and a little of ambergreece into a mortar, and beat them till they come to a perfect paste, you must also put in a little white of an egg with the gum, then mould it with searced sugar, then dust your moulds with sugar, then roul out your paste and lay it into the mould, pressing it down into every hollow part with your fingers, and when it hath taken impression, knock the mould on the edge against a table and it will come out, or you may help it with the point of your knife; if you find you have put in too much gum, then add more sugar, if too much sugar, then more gum, work it up as fast as you can, when they come out of the moulds trim them handsomely; if you would make saucers, dishes, or bowls, you must rowl it out thin and put your paste into a saucer, dish, or bowl for a mould, and let them stand therein till they be very dry, then gild them on the edges with the white of and egg laid round about the edge with a pencil, and press the gold down with some cotton, and when it is dry brush off the superfluous loose gold with the foot of an hare, and if you would have your paste exceeding smooth, as for cards or the like, then roul your paste upon a slicked paper with a very smooth rouling-pin; if you would colour any of it, you must take the searced powder of any herbs or flowers, first dryed, and put to it when you beat it in a mortar with the gum. . _to make paste of almonds._ take four ounces of _valentia_ almonds, blanched and beaten with rosewater till it come to perfect paste, then take stale white bread, grate it and sift it, and dry it by the fire, then put that to your almonds with the weight of all in fine sugar, beat them very well, and put in some spice beaten and searced, then when it is a little cool, roul it out, dust your moulds and print it, and dry it in an oven, you may if you please put the juice of a limon into it when it is beating, you may make some of it into jumbolds, and tie them in knots and bake them upon buttered plates, and when they are baked, ice them over with rosewater, sugar, and the white of an egg, and set them into the oven again for a while. . _to make french bisket._ take half a peck of fine flower, two ounces of coriander seeds, the whites of four eggs, half a pint of ale yest, and as much water as will make it up into a stiff paste, let your water be blood warm, then bake it in a long roll as big as your thigh, let it be in the oven but one hour, when it is two days old, pare it and slice it thin over-thwart, then ice it over thin, and set it into the oven to dry. . _to make ginger-bread._ take three stale manchets grated and sifted, then put to them half an ounce of cinamon, as much ginger, half an ounce of licoras and aniseeds together, beat all these and searce them, and put them in with half a pound of fine sugar, boil all these together with a quart of claret, stirring them continually till it come to a stiff paste, then when it is almost cold, mould it on a table with some searced spice and sugar, then bake it in what shape you please. . _another sort of ginger-bread._ take half a pound of sweet almonds blanched and beaten, half a pound of fine flower first dried in an oven, one pound of fine sugar, what sorts of spices you please, beaten and searced, and also seeds, beat all these together with two eggs, both yolks and whites, then mould it with flower and sugar together, and so bake it in what shape you please. . _to make puff-paste._ take a quart of the finest flower, the whites of three eggs, and the yolks of two, and a little cold water, make it into a perfect paste, then roul it abroad thin, then lay on little bits of butter, and fold it over again, then drive it abroad again, and lay on more butter, and then fold it over, and so do ten times, make it up for your use, and put your fruit or meat therein and bake it. . _another way for puff-paste._ take fine flower half a peck, the yolks of five eggs and one white, one pound of butter, half a pint of cream, and a little fair water, break your butter in little bits and do not mould it too much, but roul it abroad so soon as you can, and let the butter be seen in spots, for that will make it hollow when it comes into the oven, then put in your meat or fruit, and close it over, and wash it over with the yolk of an egg and cream beaten together, just when you set it into the oven; let your oven be quick, but do not let it stand too long, for that will spoil it. . _to make short paste without butter._ bake your flower first, then take a quart of it, and the yolks of three eggs and a pint of cream, two ounces of fine sugar, and a little salt, and so make it into paste. . _to candy whole spices with a hard rock-candy._ take one pound of fine sugar, and eight spoonfuls of rosewater, and the weight of six pence of gum arabick that is clear, boil them together till a drop will run as small as a hair; then put it into an earthen pipkin, and having before steeped your spices one night or two in rosewater, put your spices into the pipkin, and stop it up close that no air get in, keep it in a hot place three weeks, then break your pot with a hammer. thus you may do with preserved oranges and limons, any kinds of fruits and flowers, or herbs if you please. . _to make very fine bisket._ take half a pound of searced sugar, the yolks of six eggs, a little searced spice and seeds, and a little ambergreece or musk, your eggs must be very hard, then put all these into a mortar and beat them to a paste with a little gum dragon steeped in rosewater all night, then mould it up with fine sugar; and make it into pretty fancies, and dry them in a warm oven. . _to make orange, or limon or citron bisket._ take either of these preserved and washed from their syrup, beat them well in a mortar, and then put in a little gum dragon as before, beat them again together till it be a perfect paste, then mould it up with sugar searced, and make them up in what shape you please and dry it. . _to make bisket of potato-roots or parsneps._ take their roots boil'd very tender, and beat them in a mortar with their weight of searced sugar, then put in a little gum dragon as before, beat them to a paste, and mould them up with sugar searced, and make them up in what shape you please, and dry them. . _to pickle oranges or limons, taught me by a seaman._ take those which are free from any spots, and lay them gently in a barrel, then fill up the barrel with sea-water, and so cover your vessel close, for want of sea-water, you may take fair water, and make it so strong with bay salt, that it will bear an egg, and put to them in like manner. . _to keep grapes fresh and green, taught me by a sea-captain._ take your fairest grapes without any blemish, then lay some oats in a box; and then a lay of grapes, and then more oats, and so do till you have laid all in, then cover the grapes well with oats, and close your box fast that no air get in. . _to dry grapes to keep longer._ take your best clusters and hang them up in a room upon lines, and be sure you do not let them touch one another, they will keep four months. . _to make marmalade of oranges or limons._ boil the rinds of them in several waters till they be very tender, beat them small with their weight of pippins, then take the weight of all in fine sugar, and to every pound of sugar, a pint of water, boil your water and sugar together, and make a syrup, then put in your pulp, and boil it a good while till it be clear, then put in the juice of some orange and limon, so much as will give it a fine taste, then boil it a little longer till you see it will jelly very well, then put it into glasses, and keep it in a reasonable warm place; this is very cordial, and stoppeth rheum. . _to make green ginger wet._ take one pound of ginger, and steep it in red-wine and vinegar equally mixed, let it stand so close covered twelve days, and twice every day stir it up and down, then take two quarts of red-wine and as much vinegar, and boil them together a little while, then put in three pounds of sugar and make a syrup therewith, then put in your ginger and boil it a while, then set it by till the next day, so boil it every day a little, till it be very clear, and so keep it in the syrup. . _to make a sallad of limons._ take the rinds of limons cut in halves, and boil them in several waters till they are very tender, then take vinegar, water and sugar, and make a syrup, then put in your limons, first cut as you would an apple-paring, round and round till you come at the top, boil them a while in the syrup, then set them by till the next day, then boil them again a little, and so do till you see they be clear, and the syrup thick; when you serve them to the table, wash them in vinegar. . _to stew prunes without fire._ take your largest prunes well washed, and put them into a broad mouthed glass, then put to them some claret wine, and whole spice, and cover your glass very well, and set it in the sun ten days or more, and they will eat very finely; you must also put a little sugar into the glass with them. . _to make syrup of the juice of citrons or limons._ take the juyce of either of them, and put twice the weight of fine sugar therein, put it into a long gallipot, and set that pot into a kettle of boiling water, till you see they be well incorporated, then take it out, and when it is cold put it up. . _to make punch._ take one quart of claret wine, half a pint of brandy, and a little nutmeg grated, a little sugar, and the juice of a limon, and so drink it. . _to make limonado._ take one quarrt of sack, half a pint of brandy, half a pint of fair water, the juyce of two limons, and some of the pill, so brew them together, with sugar, and drink it. . _to make paste of pomewaters._ take your pomewater apples, and put them in a long gallipot, and set that pot in a kettle of boiling water, till your apples are tender, then pare them, and cut them from the core, and beat them in a mortar very well, then take their weight in fine sugar, and boil it to a candy height with a little water, then put in your apples, and boil them till it will come from the bottom of the posnet, when it is almost cold mould it with searced sugar, and make it in cakes and dry them. . _to make syrup of rasberries, or of other fruits, as grapes or the like._ take the juyce of your fruits and the weight thereof in fine sugar, mix them together, and put them into a long gally-pot, and set that pot into a kettle of seething water, and when you see it is enough let it cool, and then put it up; after you have strained out your juice, you must let it stand to settle three or four days before you put the sugar into it, and then take only the clearest, this is exceeding good and comfortable in all feavers. . _to make a caudle for a sick body both pleasant and comfortable._ take a quart of white wine, and boil it a while with a blade of large mace, and a little whole cinamon, then take four ounces of sweet almonds blanched and beaten with a little rosewater, then strain your almonds with the wine, and set it over the fire again, and when it is scalding hot, put in the yolks of four eggs, and as much sugar as you think fit. . _how to cover all kinds of seeds, or little pieces of spices, or orange or limon pill, with sugar for comfits._ first of all you mast have a deep bottomed basin of brass or latin, with two ears of iron to hang it with two cords over some hot coals. you must also have a broad pan to put ashes in, and hot coals upon them. you must have a brass ladle to let run the sugar upon the seeds. you must have a slice of brass to scrape away the sugar from the sides of the hanging basin if need be. having all these things in readiness, do as followeth; take fine white sugar beaten, and let your seeds and spice be dry, then dry them again in your hanging basin: take to every two pounds of sugar one quarter of a pound of spices or seeds, or such like. if it be aniseeds, two pounds of sugar to half a pound of aniseeds, will be enough. melt your sugar in this manner, put in three pounds of sugar into the basin, and one pint of water, stir it well till it be wet, then melt it very well and boil it very softly until it will stream from the ladle like turpentine, and not drop, then let it seeth no more, but keep it upon warm embers, that it may run from the ladle upon the seeds. move the seeds in the hanging basin so fast as you can or may, and with one hand, cast on half a ladle full at a time of the hot sugar, and rub the seeds with your other hand a pretty while, for that will make them take the sugar the better, and dry them well after every coat. do thus at every coat, not only in moving the basin, but also with stirring of the comfits with the one hand, and drying the same: in every hour you may make three pounds of comfits; as the comfits do increase in bigness, so you may take more sugar in your ladle to cast on: but for plain comfits, let your sugar be of a light decoction last, and of a high decoction first, and not too hot. for crisp and ragged comfits make your decoction so high, as that it may run from the ladle, and let it fall a foot high or more from the ladle, and the hotter you cast on your sugar, the more ragged will your comfits be; also the comfits will not take so much of the sugar, as upon a light decoction, and they will keep their raggedness long; this high decoction must serve for eight or ten coats, and put on at every time but one ladle full. a quarter of a pound of coriander seeds, and three pounds of sugar, will serve for very great comfits. see that you keep your sugar in the basin always in good temper, that it burn not in lumps, and if at any time it be too high boiled, put in a spoonful or two of water, and keep it warily with your ladle, and let your fire be always very clear, when your comfits be made, set them in dishes upon paper in the sun or before the fire, or in the oven after bread is drawn, for the space of one hour or two, and that will make them look very white. . [transcriber's note: so numbered in original] _to make a fine cullis or jelly._ take a red cock, scald, wash, and dress him clean, seeth it in white wine or rhenish wine, and scum it clean, put in a pint of thick cream to it, then put in whole spices, sugar and rosewater, and boil them together. . _a white jelly with almonds._ take rosewater and gum dragon first steeped, or isinglass dissolved, and some cinamon whole, seeth these together, then take one pound of almond blanched and beaten with rosewater, then put them in and seeth them with the rest, stir them always, and when it is enough, sweeten it to your taste, and when it is cold eat it. . _to make sweet cakes without sugar._ wash some parsnep roots, scrape them and slice them very thin dry them in a dish in an oven, and beat them to a powder, mix them with an equal quantity of fine flower, mix them with cream, beaten spice and salt, and so make them and bake them. . _to keep roses or gilliflowers very long._ take them when they are very fresh, and in the bud, and gathered very dry, dip them in the whites of eggs well beaten, and presently strew thereon searced sugar, and put them up in luted pots, and set them in a cool place, in sand or gravel, and with a filip of your finger at any time you may strike off the coat, and you will have the flower fresh and fair. . _how to keep walnuts long fresh and good._ make a lay of the dry stampings of crabs when the verjuice is pressed forth, then a lay of walnuts, and then crabs again, till all be in, then cover the vessel very well, and when you eat them, they will be as though they were new gathered. . _to pickle quinces._ put them into a vessel, and fill up the vessel with small ale, or white wine lees, which is better, and cover your vessel well that no air get in. . _to keep artichokes._ take your artichokes, and cut off the stalks within two inches of the apple, and of these stalks make a strong decoction, slicing them into thin and small pieces, and boil them with water and salt; when it is cold, put in your artichokes, and keep them from the air. when you spend them, lay them first in warm water, and then in cold, to take away the bitterness. . _to make clove or cinamon sugar._ put sugar in a box, and lay spices among it, and close up the box fast, and in short time it will smell and tast very well. . _to make irish_ aquavitæ. take to every gallon of good _aquavitæ_, two ounces of licoras bruised, two ounces of aniseeds bruised, let them stand six days in a vessel of glass close stopped, then pour out as much of it as will run clear, dissolve in that clear six great spoonfuls of the best molasses, then put it into another glass, then add to it some dates and raisins of the sun stoned; this is very good for the stomach. . _to distil roses speedily._ stamp your roses in a mortar with a little rosewater, and then distill them: this way will yield more water by much than the common way. . _to make scotch brewis._ take a manchet and pare off the crust then slice it thin and whole round the loaf, and lay these slices into a deep dish cross ways, one slice lying upon the edge of the other a little, that they may lye quite cross the dish, then fill it up with cream and put whole spice therein, so set it over a chafing-dish of coals very hot, and always cast the cream all over the bread with a spoon till all be spent, which will be above an hour, then take some sack and sweeten it with sugar, and pour all over it, and serve it to the table. . _to make fine black puddings._ take the blood of a hog, and strain it, and let it stand to settle, putting in a little salt while it is warm, then pour off the water on the top of the blood, and put so much oatmeal as you think fit, let it stand all night, then put in eight eggs beaten very well, as much cream as you think fit, one nutmeg or more grated, some pennyroyal and other herbs shred small, good store of beef sewet shred very small, and a little more salt, mix these very well together, and then have your guts very well scoured, and scraped with the back of a knife, fill them but not too full, then when you have tyed them fast, wash them in fair water, and let your water boil when they go in; then boil them half an hour, then stir them with the handle of a ladle and take them up and lay them upon clean straw, and prick them with a needle, and when they are a little cool put them into the boiling water again, and boil them till they are enough. . _to make the best almond-puddings._ take a quart of thick cream and boil it a while with whole spice, then put in half a pound of sweet almonds blanched and beaten to a paste with rosewater, boil these together till it will come from the bottom of the posnet, continually stirring it for fear it burn: then put it out, and when it is cool, put in twelve yolks of eggs, and six whites, some marrow in big bits, or beef suet shred small, as much sugar as you think fit, then fill your guts being clean scraped; you may colour some of them if you please, and into some put plumped currans, and boil them just as you do the other. . _to make a rice pudding to bake._ take three pints of milk or more, and put therein a quarter of a pound of rice, clean washed and picked, then set them over the fire, and let them warm together, and often stir them with a wooden spoon, because that will not scrape too hard at the bottom, to make it burn, then let it boil till it be very thick, then take it off and let it cool, then put in a little salt, some beaten spice, some raisins and currans, and some marrow, or beef suet shred very small, then butter your pan, and so bake it, but not too much. . _to make a pudding of wild curds._ take wild curds and cream with them, put thereto eggs, both yolks and whites, rosewater, sugar, and beaten spice with some raisins and currans, and some marrow, and a little salt, then butter a pan, and bake it. . _to make pudding of plum cake._ slice your cake into some cream or milk, and boil it, and when it is cold, put in eggs, sugar, a little salt and some marrow, so butter a pan and bake it, or fill guts with it. . _to make bisket pudding._ take naples biskets and cut them into milk, and boil it, then put in eggs, spice sugar, marrow, and a little salt, and so boil it and bake it. . _to make a dry oatmeal pudding._ take your oatmeal well picked, and put into it a little salt, some raisins and currans, and some beaten spice, and good store of beef suet finely shred, so tie it up hard in a cloth, and let your water boil when you put it in; and let it boil very well; if you would butter it, then leave out the suet; and if you would leave out the fruit, then put in sweet herbs good store. . _to make almond puddings a different way from the other._ take two manchets and grate them, then scald them in some cream, then put in some almonds blanched and beaten as you do other, with rosewater, let there be about half a pound, then put in eight eggs well beaten, some spice, sugar, salt and marrow, and having your guts well scowred and scraped, fill them, but not too full, and boil them as you do the other; or bake it if you please; currans will do well in it. . _to make a quaking pudding._ take grated bread, a little flower, sugar, salt, beaten spice, and store of eggs well beaten, mix these well, and beat them together, then dip a clean cloth in hot water, and flower it over, and let one hold it at the four corners till you put it in, so tie it up hard, and let your water boil when you put it in, then boil it for one hour, and serve it in with sack, sugar and butter. . _to make good dumplings._ take some flower and a little salt, and a little ale-yest, and so much water as will make it into a paste, so let your water boil when you do put them in; boil them but a little while, and then butter them. . _another way to make dumplings._ take half a quarter of a peck of flower, and one egg, yolk and white, half a pound of butter broke in little bits, mix them together with so much cold milk as will make it up, do not break your butter too small, for then they will not flake; make them up like rouls of butter, and when your water boils, put them in, and do not boil them too much, then butter them. . _another way to make dumplings._ take flower and temper it very light with eggs, milk, or rather cream, beaten spice, salt, and a little sugar, then wet a cloth in hot water, and flower it, and so boil it for a pudding, or else make it pretty stiff with the flower and a little grated bread, and so boil them for dumplings, then butter them, and serve them in. . _to make a green pudding to butter._ take a quart of cream and boil it, then put in twelve eggs, yolks and whites well beaten, and one manchet grated small, a little salt, beaten spice and some sugar: then colour it well with some juice of spinage, or if you will have it yellow, colour it with saffron, so boil it in a wet cloth flowred as before, and serve it in with wine, sugar and butter, and stick it with blanched almonds split in halves, and pour the sauce over it, and it will look like a hedghog. you may at some time stick it with candied orange pill or limon pill, or eringo roots candied, you may sometimes strew on some caraway comfits, and if you will bake it, then put in some marrow, and some dates cut small: thus you have many puddings taught in one. . _to make a pudding of a hogs liver._ take your liver and boil it in water and salt, but not too much; then beat it fine in a mortar, and put to it one quart of cream, a little salt, rosewater, sugar, beaten spice and currans, with six eggs beaten very well: mix it well. and if you bake it, put in marrow, or if you boil it in skins. but if you boil it in a cloth, then leave it out; and butter it when it is boiled. . _to make a rasberry pudding._ take a quart of cream and boil it with whole spice a while, then put in some grated bread, and cover it off the fire, that it may scald a little; then put in eight eggs well beaten, and sweeten it with sugar; then put in a pint or more of whole rasberries, and so boil it in a cloth, and take heed you do not boil it too much, then serve it in with wine, butter and sugar. you may sometimes leave out the rasberries, and put in cowslip flowers, or goosberries. . _to make a calves foot pudding._ take those which are tenderly boiled and shred them small with beef-suet, then put to four feet one quart of cream and eight eggs well beaten, a little salt, some rosewater and sugar, some beaten spice, and one pound of currans; mix all these well together, and boil it or bake it; but if you would butter it, then do not put in suet. . _to make a pudding to rost._ take a pint of cream, scald a little grated bread in it, then put in three eggs beaten, a little flower, currans, beaten spice, suet, sugar and salt, with some beef suet finely shred, make it pretty stiff, and wrap it in a lambs caul, and rost it on a spit with a loin of lamb; if you please, you may put in a little rosewater. . _to make cream of divers things._ take a quart of cream and boil it a while, then put in eight yolks of eggs, and six whites well beaten, put them in over the fire, and stir them lest they turn, then when it is almost enough, put in some candied eringo root, orange or limon pill candied, and cut thin, preserved plums, without the stones, quince, pippin, cherries, or the like; if you do not like it so thick, put fewer eggs into it. . _to make cream of artichoke bottoms._ take a quart of cream and boil it with a little whole mace a while; then have your artichoke bottoms boiled very tender, and bruise them well in a mortar, then put them into the cream, and boil them a while, then put in so many yolks of eggs as you think fit, and sweeten it to your taste; when you think it is enough, pour it out, and serve it in cold. . _to pickle barberries._ take your barberries and pick out the fairest bunches of them, then take the refuse, and with some water and salt, so strong as will bear an egg, boil them together for half an hour or more, then lay your fair bunches into a pot, and when the liquor is cold, pour it over them. . _to pickle french beans._ take them before they be too old, and boil them tender, then put them into a pickle made with vinegar and salt, and so keep them; it is a very good and pleasant sallad. . _to pickle oysters._ take your great oysters, and in opening them save the liquor, then strain it from dross, add to it some white wine, and white wine vinegar, and a little salt, and so let them boil together a while, putting in whole mace, whole cloves, whole pepper, sliced ginger, and quartered nutmegs, with a few bay leaves; when the liquor is boiled almost enough, put in your oysters and plump them, then lay them out to cool, then put them into a gally-pot or barrel, and when the liquor is cool, pour it over them, and keep them from the air. . _to make the best sort of mustard._ dry your seed very well, then beat it by little and little at a time in a mortar, and sift it, then put the powder into a gally-pot, and wet it with vinegar very well, then put in a whole onion, pilled but not cut, a little pepper beaten, a little salt, and a lump of stone sugar. . _another sort of mustard._ dry your horse-radish roots in an oven very dry, then beat them to powder and sift them, and when you would use any, wet it with wine vinegar, and so it will rather be better than the other. . _to keep boiled powdered beef long after it is boiled._ when your beef is well powdered, and boiled thorowly, and quite cold, wrap it up close in a linnen cloth, and then a woollen one, and so keep it in a chest or box from the air. . _to make clouted cream._ take three gallons of new milk, set it on the fire, and boil it, then put in two quarts of cream, and stir it about for a while over the fire, then pour it out into several pans, and cover it till the next morning, then take it off carefully with a skimmer, and put it all into one dish one upon another, then eat it with wine and sugar. . _an excellent damask powder._ take of orrice half a pound, rose leaves four ounces, cloves one ounce, _lignum rhodium_ two ounces, _storax_ one ounce and an half, _benjamin_ one ounce and an half, musk and civet of each ten grains, beat them altogether grosly, save the rose leaves you must put in afterwards. this is a very fine powder to lay among linnen. _the end of the first part._ the second part of the queen-like closet: having an addition of what hath already been treated of, and directing a very true and excellent way for all manner of cookery, both fish, flesh, and pastry; _shewing_, the true seasoning of all things for compleat tables: _also_ all kinds of sauces & pickles, in a very brevious way. here is to be noted, that in divers of these receipts there are directions for two or three several things in one, not confounding the brains with multitudes of words, to little or no purpose, or vain expressions of things with are altogether unknown to the learned as well as to the ignorant: this is really imparted for the good of all the female sex. by _hannah wolley_, alias _chaloner_. _london_, printed for _r. lowndes_. the queen-like closet, or rich cabinet. the second part. . _to make elder vinegar and to colour it._ take of your best white wine vinegar, and put such a quantity of ripe elder berries into it as you shall think fit, in a wide mouth'd glass, stop it close, and set it in the sun for about ten days, then pour it out gently into another glass, and keep it for your use; thus you may make vinegar of red roses, cowslipps, gilliflowers, or the like. . _to make metheglin, either brown or white, but white is best._ take what quantity you please of spring-water, and make it so strong with honey that it will bear an egg, then boil it very well, till a good part be wasted, and put in to it boiling a good quantity of whole spice, rosemary, balm, and other cordial and pleasant herbs or flowers. when it is very well boiled, set it to cool, it being strained from the herbs, and the bag of spices taken out; when it is almost cold, put in a little yest, and beat it well, then put it into vessels when it is quite cold, and also the bag of spice, and when it hath stood a few days, bottle it up; if you would have it red, you must put the honey to strong ale wort in stead of water. . _to make collar'd beef._ take a good flank of beef, and lay it in pump water and salt, or rather saltpeter, one day and one night, then take pepper, mace, nutmegs, ginger, and cloves, with a little of the herb called tarragon, beat your spice, shred your tarragon, and mingle these with some suet beaten small, and strew upon your beef, and so rowl it up, and tie it hard, and bake it in a pot with claret wine and butter, let the pot be covered close, and something in the pot to keep the meat down in the liquor that it may not scorch, set it into the oven with houshold bread, and when it is baked, take it out, and let it cool, then hang it up one night in the chimney before you eat it, and so as long as you please. serve it in with bay leaves, and eat it with mustard and sugar. . _to make almond puddings with french rolls or naples biskets._ take a quart of cream, boil it with whole spice, then take it from the fire, and put in three naples biskets, or one penny french roll sliced thin, and cover it up to scald; when it is cold, put in four ounces of sweet almonds blanched, and beaten with rosewater, the yolks of eight eggs, and a little marrow, with as much sugar as you think fit, and a little salt; you may boil it, or bake it, or put it into skins; if it be boiled or baked, put sugar on it when you serve it in. . _to make barley cream._ take two ounces of french barley, and boil it in several waters, then take a quart of cream, and boil it with whole spice, put in your barley, and boil them together very well, then put in the yolks of six eggs well beaten, and as much sugar as you think fit; stir them well over the fire, then poure it out, and when it is cold serve it in; thus you may make rice cream, onely do not boil that, but a very little in milk, before you put it into the cream. . _to make cheese-cakes._ take four gallons of new milk, set it with a little runnet, and when it is come, break it gently, and whey it very well, then take some manchet, first scalded well in new milk, let the milk be thick with it, and while it is hot, put in a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, and stir it in, when it is cold, mix that and your curd together very well, then put in one pound and half of plumped currans, some beaten spice, a very little salt, rosewater, and the yolks of eight eggs, half a pint of cream, and a little sugar, mix them well together, then make some paste, with flower, butter, the yolk of an egg and fair water, and roul it out thin, and so bake them in bake-pans, and do not let them stand too long in the oven. . _another way for cheese-cakes._ take the curd of four gallons of new milk, and put thereto half a pound of almonds blanched and beaten fine with rosewater, then put in one pint of raw cream, the yolks of ten eggs, some beaten spice, a little salt, one pound and half of plumped currans, a little rosewater, and some sugar, and so mix them very well, and put them into your crust and bake them. . _another way for cheese-cakes._ take the curd of four gallons of new milk, beat it well in a mortar with half a pound of fresh butter, and then season it as you do the other above-named. . _another way for cheese-cakes._ take the same quantity of curd, and mix it with half a pound of rice boiled tender in milk, one quarter of a pound of fresh butter, the yolks of eight eggs, one pint of cream, beaten spice, two pounds of currans first plumped, rosewater and sugar, and a little salt, and so bake them, not too much. . _to make fresh cheese._ take some very tender cheese-curd, stamp it very well in a mortar with a little rosewater, wherein whole spice hath been steeped, then let it stand in a little cullender about half an hour, then turn it out into your dish, and serve it to the table with cream, wine, and sugar. . _another way for a fresh cheese._ take a quart of cream, and boil in it whole spice, then stir in the yolks of eight eggs, and four whites well beaten, and when they are hot, put in so much sack as will give it a good taste, then stir it over the fire till it runneth on a curd, then beat it in a mortar as the other, and serve it to the table with cream and sugar. . _to make oatmeal pudding._ take oatmeal beaten fine, put to it some cream, beaten spice, rosewater and sugar, some currans, some marrow, or beef suet shred fine, and a little salt, then butter your pan and bake it. . _puddings in balls to stew or to fry._ take part of a leg of veal, parboil it, and shred it fine with some beef suet, then take some cream, currans, spice, rosewater, sugar and a little salt, a little grated bread, and one handful of flower, and with the yolks of eggs make them in balls, and stew them between two dishes, with wine and butter, or you may make some of them in the shape of sausages, and fry them in butter, so serve them to the table with sugar strewed over them. . _to boil pigeons._ take your largest pigeons and cut them in halves, wash them and dry them, then boil a little water and salt with some whole spice, and a little faggot of sweet herbs, then put in your pigeons and boil them, and when they are enough, take some boiled parsley shred small, some sweet butter, claret wine, and an anchovy, heat them together, then put in the yolks of eggs, and make it thick over the fire, then put in your pigeons into a dish, garnished with pickled barberries and raw parsley, and so pour over them your sawce, and serve it to the table. . _to make an apple tansie._ take a quart of cream, one manchet grated, the yolks of ten eggs, and four whites, a little salt, some sugar, and a little spice, then cut your apples in round thin slices, and lay them into your frying-pan in order, your batter being hot, when your apples are fried, pour in your butter, and fry it on the one side, then turn it on a pie-plate and slide it into the pan again, and fry it, then put it on a pie-plate, and squeez the juice of a limon over it, and strew on fine sugar, and serve it so to the table. . _to make a green tansie to fry, or boil over a pot._ take a quart of cream, the yolks of one dozen of eggs and half, their whites well beat, mix them together, and put in one nutmeg grated, then colour it well with the juice of spinage, and sweeten it with sugar; then fry it with butter as you do the other, and serve it in the same manner; but you must lay thin slices of limon upon this. if you will not fry it, then butter a dish, and pour it therein, and set it upon a pot of boiling water till it be enough; this is the better and easier way. thus you may make tansies of any other things, as cowslips, rasberries, violets, marigolds, gilliflowers, or any such like, and colour them with their juice; you may use green wheat instead of spinage. . _to make an amulet._ take twelve eggs, beat them and strain them, put to them three or four spoonfuls of cream, then put in a little salt, and having your frying-pan ready with some butter very hot, pour it in, and when you have fryed it a little, turn over both the sides into the middle, then turn it on the other side, and when it is fryed, serve it to the table with verjuice, butter and sugar. . _to make a chicken-pie._ make your paste with cold cream, flower, butter and the yolk of an egg, roul it very thin, and lay it in your baking-pan, then lay butter in the bottom. then lay in your chickens cut in quarters with some whole mace, and nutmeg sliced, with some marrow, hard lettuce, eryngo root, and citron pill, with a few dates stoned and sliced: then lay good store of butter, close up your pie and bake it: then cut it open, and put in some wine, butter, and sugar with the yolks of two or three eggs well beaten together over the fire, till it be thick, so serve it to the table, and garnish your dish with some pretty conceits made in paste. . _to make a collar of brawn of a breast of pork._ take a large breast of pork, and bone it, then roul it up, and tie it hard with a tape, then boil it water and salt till it be very tender, then make souce drink for it with small beer, water and salt, and keep it in it: serve it to the table with a rosemary branch in the middle of it, and eat it with mustard. . _to souce veal to eat like sturgeon._ take what part of veal you like best, and boil it with water and salt, and a bundle of sweet herbs, and a little limon pill; when it is boiled enough, put into your liquor so much vinegar as will make it tast sharp, and a limon sliced, and when it is cold, put in your veal, and when it hath lain four or five days, serve it to the table with fennel, and eat it with some vinegar; you must tie it up as you do brawn. . _to make a pasty of a breast of veal._ take half a peck of fine flower, and two pounds of butter broken into little bits, one egg, a little salt, and as much cold cream, or milk as will make it into a paste; when you have framed your pasty, lay in your breast of veal boned, and seasoned with a little pepper and salt, but first you must lay in butter. when your veal is laid in, then put in some large mace, and a limon sliced thin, rind and all, then cover it well with butter, close it and bake it, and when you serve it in, cut it up while it is very hot, put in some white wine, sugar, the yolks of eggs, and butter being first heated over the fire together; this is very excellent meat. . _to make a pigeon-pie._ make your paste as for the pasty, roul it thin, and lay it into your baking-pan, then lay in butter, then mix pepper and salt and butter together, and fill the bellies of your pigeons, then lay them in, and put in some large mace, and little thin slices of bacon, then cover them with butter, and close your pie, and bake it not too much. . _to boil a capon or hen with oysters._ take either of them, and fill the belly of it with oysters, and truss it, then boil it in white wine, water, the liquor of the oysters, a blade or two of mace, a little pepper whole, and a little salt; when it is boiled enough, take the oysters out of the belly, and put them into a dish, then take some butter, and some of the liquor it was boiled in, and two anchoves with the yolks of eggs well beaten, heat these together over the fire, and then put your oysters into it, then garnish your dish with limon sliced thin, and some of the oysters, also some pickled barberries and raw parsley, then lay your capon or hen in the middle of it, and pour the sauce upon the breast of it, then lay on sliced limon and serve it in. . _to make an olio._ first lay in your dish a fricasy made of a calves-head, with oisters and anchovies in it, then lay marrow-bones round the dish, within them lay pigeons boiled round the dish, and thin slices of bacon, lay in the middle upon your fricasy a powdred goose boiled, then lay some sweet-breads of veal fryed, and balls of sawsage-meat here and there, with some scotch collops of veal or of mutton: garnish your dish with limon or orange and some toasts for the marrow so serve it in. . _to make cracknels._ take half a pound of fine flower, and as much fine sugar, a few coriander seeds bruised, and some butter rubbed into the flower, wet it with eggs, rosewater and cream, make it into a paste, and rowl it in thin cakes, then prick them and bake them; then wash them over with egg and a little rosewater, then dry them again in the oven to make them crisp. . _to make good sauce for a boiled leg of mutton._ take the best prunes and stew them well with white wine or claret, and some whole spice, then drain them into a dish and set it over a chafing dish of coles; put to it a little grated bread, juice of limon and a little salt, then lay your mutton in a dish, being well boiled with water and salt, pour your sauce to it: garnish your dish with limon, barberries, parsly, and so serve it in. . _to rost pork without the skin._ take any joint of small pork, not salted and lay it to the fire till the skin may be taken off, then take it from the fire and take off the skin, then stick it with rosemary and cloves, and lay it to the fire again, then salt it and rost it carefully, then make sauce for it with claret wine, white bread sliced thin, a little water, and some beaten cinamon; boil these well together, then put in some salt, a little butter, vinegar, or juice of limon, and a little sugar, when your pork is rosted enough, then flower it, and lay it into a dish with the sauce, and serve it in. . _to roste a pig like lamb._ take a pig--cut it in quarters, and truss it like quarters of lamb, then spit it, and rost it till you may take off the skin, then take the spit from the fire, and take the skin clean off, then draw it with parsly, and lay it to the fire, baste it with butter, and when it is enough, flower it and serve it to the table with butter, the juice of orange, and gross pepper, and a little salt. . _to make codling cream._ take fair codling apples, and when you have scalded them very well, peel them, and put them into warm water over a few embers covered close till they are very green, then take a quart of cream and boil it with a blade of mace, and then bruise six of your codlings very well, and when your cream is almost cold, put in your codlings, and stir them very well over a slow fire for fear they turn, then put in the yolks of eggs well beaten, and what sugar you think fit, and let it be upon the fire, stirring it till you think it be enough, then serve it in cold. . _a very dainty summer dish._ set a little morning milk with runnet, as for a cheese, when it is come, slice it out with a thin slice, and lay it into the dish you mean to serve it in, and put to it a little raw cream, what wine you please, and some sugar, and so eat it. . _to butter lobsters, crabs or crafish._ take out their meat and mince it small, and set it over a chafing dish of coals with a little white wine, a little salt, and a blade of mace, and when it is very hot, put in some butter and some crums of white bread, then warm the shells against the fire, and fill them again with their meat, and so serve them in. you may do shrimps or prawns thus, only you must not put them into the shells, again, but garnish your dish with them. . _to make a very good cheese._ take a pail full of morning milk and stroakings, and set it together with two spoonfuls of runnet, and cover it; when it is come, put it into the wheying-cloth gently, and break it as little as you can; when the whey is run clean from it, put it into the vat, and turn it in the evening, next morning take it out and salt it a little, and turn it twice a day upon a clean board, and when it is a week old, lay it into some nettles, and that will mellow it. before you set your milk, you may if you please, colour it with the juice of marigolds, spinage or sage. . _to boil a rump of beef._ take a rump of beef a little salted, and boil it in as much water, as will cover it, and boil a net full of hard lettice with it, and when it is boiled, take your hard lettice, some wine, either white or claret, some gravie, some butter and some nutmeg, and warm them together; then dish your meat, and pour your sauce over it, and garnish your dish with parsley. . _to make fritters of liver or of any other meat._ take your liver, capon or veal, parboil it, mince it small, and then put to it some cream, eggs, spice and salt, and make it pretty thick, and so fry them; you may add a little flower if you will, serve them in with beaten spice and sugar strewed over them. . _to make an almond pudding to be baked and iced over._ take a pound of almonds blanched and beaten with rosewater, the yolks and whites of twelve eggs well beaten and strained, then put in sugar, beaten spice and marrow, with a little salt, not in too hot an oven; let this be baked; when it is baked, stick it full of blanched almonds, and ice it over with sugar, rosewater, and the white of an egg beaten together, then set it into the oven again, that the ice may rise and dry, then serve it to the table with fine sugar strewed upon the brims of the dish. . _to souce a pig in collars._ take the two sides of a large fat pig and bone them, then take sage, salt and grated nutmeg a good quantity, and strew all over the insides of them, then roul them up hard, and tie them well with a tape, then boil them, and also the head very well in salt and water till they be tender; then take them out of the liquor, and lay them to cool, then put some vinegar and a limon sliced into your liquor, and heat it again, and when it is cold, put in your collars and head, and when they have lain a week, serve them to the table with mustard. . _to bake venison or mutton to keep six or eight months._ take a haunch of venison, or for want of it, take a large leg of mutton, bone it, and stuff it well with gross pepper, cloves, mace and nutmeg mingled, with salt, then rub it all over with the like, then put it into a pot with good store of butter, and bake it with houshold bread, and let it be pasted over. then pour out all the liquor, and when it is cold, take only the fat, and some more butter, and melt them together in a stone-pot set into a kettle of boiling water, then pour it into the pot to your venison or mutton, and so keep it, slice it out, and serve it to the table with mustard and sugar, and garnish it with bay leaves. . _to pot pigeons, or wild fowl, or a goose or rabbits._ take either of these, and fill their bellies with the before named spices and salt and butter, and rub them over with the same, then do just as you do the venison. . _to boil a large pike and eels together._ take a large pike, and gut him and wash him, and be sure to save what is good within him, then take two great eels and scowr them well, throw away their heads, gut them, and wash them well, and cut them in pieces, then boil some white wine and water, salt and sweet herbs together, with some whole spice, and when it boils apace, put in your fish, and when it is enough, take some of the liquor, two anchovies, some butter and some shrimps taken out of their shells, and heat all these together, then put in the yolks of two or three eggs, and heat all together, then lay some sippets of french bread into your dish, and set over a chafingdish of coals, and lay your fish in order upon them, then pour your sawce all over it, and garnish your dish with shrimps, barberries and raw parsley, so serve it to the table very hot. . _to roste eels with bacon._ take great eels and scour them well, and throw away the heads, gut them, and cut them in pieces, then cut some fat bacon very thin, and wrap them in it, and some bay leaves, and so tie them fast to the spit, and roste them, and baste them well with claret wine and butter, and when they are enough dredge them over with grated bread, and serve them with wine, butter, and anchovies; garnish your dish as you please. . _to make a pie with eels and oisters._ make your paste, and roul it thin, and lay it into your baking pan, then take great eels and flay them, and gut them, cut them in pieces, and wash them, and dry them, then lay some butter into your pie, and season your eels with pepper, salt, nutmeg, cloves and mace, and lay them in, then cover them all over with greast oisters, and put in three or four bay leaves, then put in more of your beaten spices and salt, then cover them well with butter, and put in two or three spoonfuls of white wine, so close it and bake it, then serve it in hot to the table. . _to make a pie with parsneps and oisters very good._ take your parsneps tenderly boiled; and slice them thin, then having your paste ready laid in your baking-pan, put in a good store of butter, then lay in a lay of parsneps, and some large mace, and pepper cracked, then some oisters and yolks of eggs hard boiled, then more spice and butter, then more parsneps, then more oisters, then more hard eggs, more spice, and cover it well, and bake it, and serve it in hot. . _to dress artichoke suckers._ take your suckers of artichokes, and pare them as you would an apple, and cast them into water to keep their colour; and to take away the bitterness of them, put also to them the meat which is in the stalks of great artichokes, then boil water and salt together, and when it is boiling apace, put in your suckers and stalks tied up in a thin cloth with a blade or two of mace, and when they are enough, melt some butter and vinegar together very thick and hot, and a little pepper with it, then lay them in a dish, and pour the sauce over them, strew on a little salt, and about the dishes, and so serve it in. . _to boil cucumbers._ take your largest cucumbers, and wash them and put them into boiling water made quick with salt, then when they are boiled enough, take them and peel them and break them into a cullender, and when the water is well drained from them, put them into a hot dish, and pour over them some butter and vinegar a little pepper and salt, strew salt on your dish brims, lay some of the rind of them about the dish cut in several fancies, and so serve them to the table. . _to make several sallads, and all very good._ take either the stalks of mallows, or turnip stalks when they run to seed, or stalks of the herb mercury with the seedy head, either of these while they are tender put into boiling water and salt, and boiled tender, and then butter and vinegar over them. . _to make a sallad of burdock, good for the stone, another of the tender stalks of sow-thistles._ take the inside of the stalks of burdock, and cut them in thin slices, and lay them in water one whole day, shifting them sometimes, then boil them, and butter them as you do the forenamed. also the tender stalks of sow-thistles done in like manner, are very good and wholsome. . _to make a tart of spinage._ take a good quantity of green spinage, boil it in water and salt, and drain it well in a cullender, then put to it plumped currans, nutmeg, salt, sugar and butter, with a little cream, and the yolks of hard eggs beaten fine, then having your paste ready laid in your baking-pan, lay in a little butter, and then your spinage, and then a little butter again; so close it, and bake it, and serve it to the table hot, with sugar strewed over it. . _artichoke cream._ take the tender bottoms of artichokes, and beat them in a mortar, and pick out all the strings, then boil a quart of cream with large mace and nutmeg, then put in your bottoms, and when they have boiled a while, put in the yolks of six eggs well beaten, and so much sugar as you think fit, and heat them together over the fire, then pour it into a dish, and when it is cold serve it in with sugar strewed over it. . _to make very fine rolls for noble tables._ take half a peck of fine flower, the yolks of eggs and a little salt, with a pint of ale yest, mix them together, and make them into a paste with warm milk and a little sack, them mould it well, and put it into a warm cloth to rise, when your oven is hot, mould it again, and make it into little rolls, and bake them, then rasp them, and put them into the oven again for a while, and they will eat very crisp and fine. . _to make short rolls._ take half a peck of fine flower, and break into it one pound and half of fresh butter very small, then bruised coriander seeds, and beaten spice with a very little salt and some sugar, and a pint of ale-yest, mix them well together, and make them into a paste with warm milk and sack: then lay into it a warm cloth to rise, and when your oven is hot, make it into rolls, and prick them, and bake them, and when they are baked, draw them and cover them till they be cold; these also eat very finely, if you butter some of them while they are hot. . _to dress soals a fine way._ take one pair of your largest soals, and flay them on both sides, then fry them in sweet suet tried up with spice, bay leaves, and salt, then lay them into a dish, and put into them some butter, claret wine and two anchovies, cover them with another dish, and set them over a chafingdish of coals, and let them stew a while, then serve them to the table, garnish your dish with orange or limon, and squeeze some over them. . _to stew fish in the oven._ take soals, whitings or flounders, and put them into a stew-pan with so much water as will cover them, with a little spice and salt, a little white wine or claret, some butter, two anchovies, and a bundle of sweet herbs, cover them and set them into an oven not too hot; when they are enough, serve them in; garnish your dish wherein they lie with barberries, raw parsley, and slices of limon, and lay sippets in the bottom. . _to bake collops of bacon and eggs._ take a dish and lay a pie-plate therein, then lay in your collops of bacon, and break your eggs upon them. then lay on parsley, and set them into an oven not too hot, and they will be rather better than fried. . _to make furmity._ take some new milk or cream, and boil it with whole spice, then put in your wheat or pearl barley boiled very tender in several waters, when it hath boiled a while, thicken it with the yolks of eggs well beaten, and sweeten it with sugar, then serve it in with fine sugar on the brims of the dish. . _to make barly broth._ take french barley boiled in several waters, and to a pound of it, put three quarts of water, boil them together a while with some whole spice, then put in as many raisins of the sun and currans as you think fit, when it is well boiled, put in rosewater, butter and sugar, and so eat it. . _to make barley broth with meat._ take a knuckle of veal, and the crag-end of a neck of mutton, and boil them in water and salt, then put in some barly, and whole spice, and boil them very well together, then put in raisins stoned, and currans, and a few dates stoned and sliced thin; when it is almost enough, put in some cream, and boil it a while, then put in plumped prunes, and the yolks of eggs, rosewater and sugar, and a little sack, so serve it in; garnsh your dish with some of the raisins and prunes and fine sugar; this is very good and nourishing for sick or weak people. . _to make furmity with meat-broth._ boil a leg of beef in water and salt, and put in a little whole spice; when it is boiled tender; take it up, and put into the broth some wheat ready boiled, such as they sell in the market, and when that hath boiled a while, put in some milk, and let that boil a while, then thicken it with a little flower, or the yolks of eggs, then sweeten it with sugar, and eat it. . _to make furmity with almonds._ take three quarts of cream, and boil it with whole spice, then put in some pearled barley first boiled in several waters, and when they have boiled together a while, then put in so many blanched almonds beaten fine with rosewater, as you think may be enough, about four ounces of barly to this quantity of cream will be enough, and four ounces of almonds, boil them well together, and sweeten it with sugar, and so serve it in, or eat it by the way, you may put in saffron if you please. . _to make a hasty pudding._ take one quart of cream and boil it, then put in two manchets grated, and one pound almost of currans plumped, a little salt, nutmeg and sugar, and a little rosewater, and so let them boil together, stirring them continually over the fire, till you see the butter arise from the cream, and then pour it into a dish and serve it in with fine sugar strewed on the brims of the dish. . _another way to make a hasty pudding._ take good new milk and boil it, then put in flower, plumped currans, beaten spice, salt and sugar, and stir it continually till you find it be enough, then serve it in with butter and sugar, and a little wine if you please. . _to make spanish pap._ boil a quart of cream with a little whole spice, when it is well boiled, take out the spice, and thicken it with rice flower, and when it is well boiled, put in the yolks of eggs, and sugar and rosewater, with a very little salt, so serve it to the table either hot or cold, with fine sugar strewed on the brims of the dish. . _to make gravie broth._ take a good fleshy piece of beef, not fat, and lay it down to the fire, and when it begins to rost, slash it with a knife to let the gravie run out, and continually bast it with what drops from it and claret wine mixed together, and continually cut it, and bast it till all the gravie be out, then take this gravie and set it over a chafingdish of coals with some whole spice, limon pill, and a little salt, when you think it is enough, lay some sippets into another dish, and pour it in, and serve it to the table; garnish your dish with limon and orange; if you please you may leave out the sippets and put in some poach'd eggs, done carefully. . _to make french pottage._ take an equal quantity of chervil, hard lettice and sorrel, or any other herb as you like best, in all as much as a peck will hold pressed down, pick them well, and wash them, and drain them from the water, then put them into a pot with half a pound of fresh butter, and set them over the fire, and as the butter melts, stir them down in it till they are all within the butter, then put some water in, and a crust of bread, with some whole cloves and a little salt, and when it is well boiled, take out the crust of bread, and put in the yolks of four eggs well beaten, and stir them together over the fire, then lay some thin slices of white bread into a deep dish, and pour it in. . _to make cabbage pottage._ take a leg of beef and a neck of mutton, and boil them well in water and salt, then put in good store of cabbage cut small, and some whole spice, and when it is boiled enough, serve it in. . _to make a sallad of cold meat._ take the brawn of a cold capon, or a piece of cold veal, and mince it very small, with some limon pill, then put in some oil, vinegar, capers, caviare, and some anchovies, and mix them very well, then lay it in a dish in the form of a star, and serve it in; garnish your dish with anchovies, limon and capers. . _to dry a goose._ take a fair fat goose, and powder it about a month or thereabouts, then hang it up in a chimney as you do bacon, and when it is throughly dry, boil it well and serve it to the table with some mustard and sugar, garnish your dish with bay leaves: hogs cheeks are very good dried thus. . _to dress sheeps tongues with oysters._ take your sheeps tongues about six of them, and boil them in water and salt till they be tender, then peel them, and slice them thin, then put them into a dish with a quart of great oisters; a little claret wine and some whole spice, let them stew together a while, then put in some butter and the yolks of three eggs well beaten, shake them well together, then lay some sippets into a dish, and put your tongues upon them; garnish your dish with oisters, barberries, and raw parsley, and serve it in. . _to make a neats-tongue pie._ let two small neats tongues or one great one be tenderly boiled, then peel them and slice them very thin, season them with pepper and salt, and nutmeg; then having your paste ready laid into your baking-pan, lay some butter in the bottom, then lay in your tongues, and one pound of raisins of the sun, with a very little sugar, then lay in more butter, so close it and bake it, then cut it up, and put in the yolks of three eggs, a little claret wine and butter, stir it well together, and lay on the cover, and serve it; you may add a little sugar if you please. . _a capon with white broth._ take a large capon, and draw him, and truss him, and boil him in water and a little salt, with some whole spice: when you think it is almost enough, put in one pound of currans well washed and picked, four ounces of dates stoned and diced thin, and when they have boiled enough, put in half a pound of sweet almonds blanched and beaten fine with rose-water, strain them in with some of the liquor, then put in some sack and sugar; then lay some thin slices of white bread into a deep dish, and lay your capon in the midst, then pour your broth over it. garnish your dish with plumped raisins and prunes, and serve it in. . _to make a calvesfoot pie._ take six calves feet tenderly boiled, and cut them in halves, then make some paste with fine flower, butter, cold cream and the yolk and white of one egg, rowl it very thin, and lay it into your baking-pan, then lay some butter in the bottom, and then your calves feet with some large mace, half a pound of raisins of the sun, half a pound of currans, then lay more butter and close it and bake it, then cut it up, and put in the yolks of three eggs, some white wine, butter and a little salt, and so serve it to the table; garnish your dish with pretty conceits made in paste, and baked a little. . _to make an artichoke pie._ make your paste as before named, and roul it thin, and lay it into your baking-pan. then lay in butter sliced thin, and then your bottoms of artichokes tenderly boiled, season it with a little salt, a little gross pepper, and some sliced nutmeg, with a blade or two of mace and a little sugar, then lay in some marrow, candied orange and citron pill, with some candied eringo roots; then cover it with butter, and close it with your paste, and so bake it, then cut it up, and put in white wine, butter, and the yolks of eggs and sugar; cover it again, and serve it to the table. . _to make an oyster-pie._ make your paste as before, and lay it in your pan, then lay in butter, and then put in as many great oysters as will almost fill your pan, with their liquor strained, some whole pepper, mace and nutmeg; then lay in marrow and the yolks of hard eggs, so cover them with butter, close them, and bake your pie, then put in white wine, anchovies, butter and the yolks of eggs; cover it again and serve it the table. . _to make a pig-pie._ take a large pig and slit it in two, and bone it, onely the two sides, not the head, then having your paste ready laid in your pan, and some butter in the bottom, lay in your pig, season it with pepper, salt, nutmeg and mace, and one handful of sage shred small and mixed with the spice and salt, then lay in more butter, close it, and bake it. serve it in cold with mustard, and garnish your dish with bay leaves. if you would eat it hot, you must leave out the pepper and some of the salt, and put in store of currans, and when it comes out of the oven, put in some butter, vinegar, and sugar, and so serve it. . _to make a rasberry tart._ take some puff-paste rolled thin, and lay it into your baking-pan, then lay in your rasberries and cover them with fine sugar, then close your tart and bake it; then cut it up, and put in half a pint of cream, the yolks of two or three eggs well beaten, and a little sugar; then serve it in cold with the lid off, and sugar strewed upon the brims of the dish. . _to make a carp pie._ have your paste ready laid in your bake-pan, and some butter in the bottom. then take a large carp, scale him, gut him, and wash him clean, and dry him in a cloth, then lay him into your pan with some whole cloves, mace, and sliced nutmeg, with two handfuls of capers, then put in some white wine, and mix some butter with salt, and lay all over; then close it, and bake it; this is very good to be eaten either hot or cold. . _to boil a goose or rabbits with sausages._ take a large goose a little powdered, and boil it very well, or a couple of rabbits trussed finely; when either of these are almost boiled, put in a pound of sausages, and boil them with them, then lay either of these into a dish, and the sausages here and there one, with some thin collops of bacon fryed, then make for sauce, mustard and butter, and so serve it in. . _to make a fricasie of veal, chicken, or rabbits, or of any thing else._ take either of these and cut them into small pieces, then put them into a frying pan with so much water as will cover them with a little salt, whole spice, limon pill and a bundle of sweet herbs, let them boil together till the meat be tender, then put in some oysters, and when they are plumped, take a little wine, either white or claret, and two anchovies dissolved therein with some butter, and put all these to the rest, and when you think your meat is enough, take it out with a little skimmer, and put it into a dish upon sippets; then put into your liquor the yolks of eggs well beaten, and mix them over the fire, then pour it all over your meat; garnish your dish with barberries, and serve it in; this dish you may make of raw meat or of cold meat which hath been left at meals. . _to make scotch collops of veal or mutton._ take your meat and slice it very thin, and beat it with a rolling-pin, then hack it all over, and on both sides with the back of a knife, then fry it with a little gravie of any meat, then lay your scotch collops into a dish over a chafingdish of coals, and dissolve two anchovies in claret wine, and add to it some butter and the yolks of three eggs well beaten, heat them together, and pour it over them: then lay in some thin collops of bacon fryed, some sausage meat fried, and the yolks of hard eggs fryed after they are boiled, because they shall look round and brown, so serve it to the table. . _to make a pudding of a manchet._ take a manchet, put it into a posnet, and fill the posnet up with cream, then put in sugar and whole spice, and let it boil leisurely till all the cream be wasted away, then put it into a dish, and take some rosewater, and butter and sugar, and pour over it, so serve it in with fine sugar strewed all over it. your manchet must be chipped before you put it into the cream. . _to make a calves head pie._ make your paste, and lay it into your pan as before, then lay in butter, and then your calves head, being tenderly boiled, and cut in little thin bits, and seasoned with pepper, salt and nutmeg, then put in some oysters, anchovies and claret wine, with some yolks of hard eggs and marrow, then cover it with butter, and close it and bake it; when it is baked, eat it hot. . _to dry tongues._ take some pump water and bay salt, or rather refined saltpeter, which is better; make a strong brine therewith, and when the salt is well melted in it, put in your tongues, and let them lie one week, then put them into a new brine, made in the same manner, and in that let them lie a week longer, then take them out, and dry-salt them with bay salt beaten small, till they are as hard as may be, then hang them in the chimney where you burn wood, till they are very dry, and you may keep them as long as you please; when you would eat of them, boil them with [transcriber's note: word missing] in the pot as well as water, for that will make them look black, and eat tender, and look red within; when they are cold, serve them in with mustard and sugar. . _to make angelot cheese._ take some new milk and strokings together, the quantity of a pail full, put some runnet into it, and stir it well about, and cover it till your cheese be come, then have ready narrow deep moats open at both ends, and with your flitting dish fill your moats as they stand upon a board, without breaking or wheying the cheese, and as they sink, still fill them up, and when you see you can turn them, which will be about the next day, keep them with due turning twice in a day, and dry them carefully, and when they are half a year old, they will be fit to be eat. . _to make a hare-pie._ take the flesh of a very large hare, and beat it in a mortar with as much marrow or beef suet as the hare contains, then put in pepper, salt, nutmeg, cloves and mace, as much as you judge to be fit, and beat it again till you find they be well mixed, then having your paste ready in your baking-pan, lay in some butter, and then your meat, and then butter again; so close it, and bake it, and when it is cold, serve it in with mustard and sugar, and garnish your dish with bay leaves; this will keep much longer than any other pie. . _to rost a shoulder of venison or of mutton in bloud._ take the bloud of either the deer or the sheep, and strain it, and put therein some grated bread and salt, and some thyme plucked from the stalks, then wrap your meat in it and rost it, and when you see the bloud to be dry upon it, baste it well with butter, and make sauce for it with claret wine, crums of bread and sugar, with some beaten cinamon, salt it a little in the rosting, but not too much; you may stick it with rosemary if you will. . _to stew a pig._ lay a large pig to the fire, and when it is hot, skin it, and cut it into divers pieces, then take some white wine and strong broth, and stew it therein with an onion or two cut very small, a little pepper, salt, nutmeg, thyme, and anchovies, with some elder vinegar, sweet butter and gravie; when it is enough, lay sippets of french bread in your dish, and put your meat thereon. garnish your dish with oranges and limons. . _to make a fricasie of sheeps feet._ take your sheeps feet tenderly boiled, and slit them, and take out the knot of hair within, then put them into a frying-pan with as much water as will cover them, a little salt, nutmeg, a blade of mace, and a bundle of sweet herbs, and some plumped currans; when they are enough, put in some butter, and shake them well together, then lay sippets into a dish, and put them upon them with a skimmer, then put into your liquor a little vinegar, the yolks of two or three eggs, and heat it over the fire, and pour it over them; garnish your dish with barberries, and serve it to the table. . _to make a steak-pie with puddings in it._ lay your paste ready in your pan, and lay some butter in the bottom, then lay a neck of mutton cut into steaks thereon, then take some of the best of a leg of mutton minced small, with as much beef suet as mutton; season it with beaten spice and salt, and a little wine, apples shred small, a little limon pill, a little verjuice and sugar, then put in some currans, and when they are well mixed, make it into balls with the yolks of eggs, and lay them upon the steaks, then put in some butter and close your pie and bake it, and serve it in hot. . _to dress salmon or other fish by infusion, a very good way._ take a joul of salmon, or a tail, or any other part, or any other fish which you like, put it into a pot or pan, with some vinegar, water and salt, spice, sweet herbs, and white wine; when it is enough, lay it into a dish, and take some of the liquor with an anchovie or two, a little butter and the yolks of eggs beaten; heat these over the fire, and poure over your fish; if you please, you may put in shrimps, but then you must put in the more butter; garnish your dish with some limon or orange, and some shrimps. . _to make loaves to butter._ take the yolks of twelve eggs, and six whites, a little yeast, salt and beaten ginger, wet some flower with this, and make it into a paste, let it lie to rise a while, and then make it into loaves, and prick them, and bake them, then put in white wine and butter and sugar, and serve it in. . _to make a calves chaldron pie, and puddings also of it._ take a fat calves chaldron boiled tender, and shred it very small, then season it with beaten spice and salt: then put in a pound of currans and somewhat more, and as much sugar as you think fit, and a little rosewater; then having your pie ready, fill it with this, and press it down; close it and bake it, then put some wine into it, and so eat it. if you will make puddings of it, you must add a little cream and grated bread, a little sack, more sugar, and the yolks of eggs, and so you may bake them, or boil, or fry them. . _to make rice-cream._ boil a quart of cream, then put in two handfuls of rice flower, and a little fine flower, as much sugar as is fit, the yolk of an egg, and some rosewater. . _to make a pompion-pie._ having your paste ready in your pan, put in your pompion pared and cut in thin slices, then fill up your pie with sharp apples, and a little pepper, and a little salt, then close it, and bake it, then butter it, and serve it in hot to the table. . _to fry pompion._ cut it in thin slices when it is pared, and steep it in sack a while, then dip it in eggs, and fry it in butter, and put some sack and butter for sauce, so serve it in with salt about the dish brims. . _to make misers for children to eat in afternoons in summer._ take half a pint of good small beer, two spoonfuls of sack, the crum of half a penny manchet, two handfuls of currans washed clean and dried, and a little of grated nutmeg, and a little sugar, so give it to them cold. . _to fry toasts._ take a twopenny white loaf, and pare away the crust, and cut thin slices of it, then dip them first in cream, then in the yolks of eggs well beaten, and mixed with beaten cinamon, then fry them in butter, and serve them in with verjuice, butter and sugar. . _to boil or rather stew carps in their own blood._ take two fair carps, and scowr them very well from slime with water and a little salt, then lay them in a dish and open their bellies, take away their guts, and save the blood and rows in the dish, then put in a pint of claret wine, some whole spice and some salt, with a little horse-radish root, then cover them close, and let them stew over a chafingdish of coals, and when they are enough, lay them into a dish which must be rubbed with a shelots, and sippets laid in, then take a little of the liquor, and an anchovie or two, with a little butter, heat them together, and pour it over them, then garnish your dish with capers, oranges or limons, and serve it in very hot. . _to make fritters._ take half a pint of sack and a pint of ale, a little yest, the yolks of twelve eggs, and six whites, with some beaten spice and a very little salt, make this into thick batter with fine flower, then boil your lard, and dip round thin slices of apples in this batter, and fry them; serve them in with beaten spice and sugar. . _to pickle coleflowers._ take some white wine vinegar and salt, with some whole spice, boil them together very well, then put in your coleflowers, and cover them, and let them stand upon embers for one hour, then take them out, and when they are cold, put them into a pot, and boil the liquor again with more vinegar, and when it is cold, put it to them, and keep them close from the air. . _to preserve orange or limon pills in thin slices in jelly._ take the most beautiful and thickest rinds, and then cut them in halves, and take their meat clean out, then boil them in several waters till a straw will run through them, then wash them in cold water, and pick them and dry them: then take to a pound of these, one quart of water wherein thin slices of pippins have been boiled, and that the water feels slippery, take to this water three pounds of sugar, and make thereof a syrup, then put in your pills and scald them, and set them by till the next day, then boil them till you find that the syrup will jelly, then lay your pills into your glasses, and put into your syrup the juice of three oranges and one limon; then boil it again till it be a stiff jelly, and put it to them. . _to make cakes of the pulp of limons, or rather the juice of limons._ take out all the juice part of the limon without breaking the little skins which hold it, then boil some sugar to a candy height, and put in this juice, and stir it about, and immediately put it into a warm stove, and put in fire twice or thrice a day; when you see that it doth candy on the one side, then turn them out of the glasses with a wet knife on the other upon a sleeked paper, and then let that candy also, and put them up in a box with papers between them. . _to make good minced pies._ take one pound and half of veal parboiled, and as much suet, shred them very fine, then put in pound of raisins, pound of currans, pound of prunes, dates, some beaten spice, a few caraway seeds, a little salt, verjuice, rosewater and sugar, to fill your pies, and let them stand one hour in the oven: when they go to table strew on fine sugar. . _to make a loaf of curds._ take the curds of three quarts of milk rubbed together with a little flower, then put in a little beaten ginger, and a little salt, half a pint of yest, the yolks of ten eggs, and three whites: work these into a stiff paste with so much flower as you see fit, then lay it to rise in a warm cloth a while, then put in butter, sugar, sack, and some beaten spice, and so serve it in. . _to make cheese loaves._ take the curds of three quarts of milk, and as much grated bread as curd, the yolks of twelve eggs, and six whites, some cream, a little flower, and beaten spice, a little salt, and a little sack; when you have made it in a stiff paste with a little flower, roul some of it thin to fry, and serve them in with beaten spice and sugar strewed over them. then make the rest into a loaf, and bake it, then cut it open, and serve it in with cream, butter and sugar. . _to fry oysters._ take of your largest oysters, wash them and dry them, and beat an egg or two very well, and dip them in that, and so fry them, then take their liquor, and put an anchovy to it, and some butter, and heat them together over the fire, and having put your fryed oysters in a dish, pour the sawce over them and serve them in. . _to broil oysters._ take your largest oysters, and put them into scollop shells, or into the biggest oyster shells with their own liquor, and set them upon a gridiron over charcoals, and when you see they be boiled in the liquor, put in some butter, a few crums of bread, and a little salt, then let them stand till they are very brown, and serve them to the table in the shells upon a dish and pie-plate. . _to rost oysters._ take the largest, and spit them upon little long sticks, and tie them to the spit, then lay them down to the fire, and when they are dry, bast them with claret wine, and put into your pan two anchovies, and two or three bay-leaves, when you think they are enough, bast them with butter, and dredge them, and take a little of that liquor in the pan, and some butter, and heat it in a porringer, and pour over them. . _to make most excellent and delicate pies._ take two neats tongues tenderly boiled, and peel them, and mince them small with some beef suet or marrow, then take a pound of currans and a pound of raisins of the sun stoned, some beaten spice, rosewater, a little salt, a little sack and sugar. beat all these with the minced meat in a mortar till it come to a perfect paste, then having your paste ready laid in your baking-pan, fill it or them with this meat, then lay on the top some sliced dates, and so close them, and bake them, when they are cold they will cut smooth like marmalade. . _to make fine custards._ take two quarts of cream and boil it well with whole spice, then put in the yolks of twelve eggs, and six whites well beaten and strained, then put in these eggs over the fire, and keep them stirring lest they turn, then when they are thoroughly hot, take it off and stir it till it be almost cold, then put in rosewater and sugar, and take out the whole spice, then put your custard into several things to bake, and do not let them stand too long in the oven; when you serve them in, strew on small french comfits of divers colours, or else fine sugar, which you please. . _to make a stump pie._ take a pound of veal and as much suet, parboil your veal, and shred them together, but not very small, then put in one pound of raisins, one pound of currans, four ounces of dates stoned and sliced thin, some beaten spice, rosewater and sugar, and a little salt, then take the yolks of eggs well beaten, and mix amongst the rest of the things very well, then having your pie ready, fill it and press it down, then lid it, and bake it. . _to make egg-pies._ take the yolks of eight hard eggs, and shred them small with their weight of beef suet minced very small also, then put in one pound of currans, four ounces of dates stoned and sliced, some beaten spice, limon pill, rosewater and sugar, and a little salt, mix them well together, if you please, you may put in an apple shred small, so fill your pies and bake them, but not too much, serve them to the table with a little wine. . _to make hashed meat._ take a leg or shoulder of mutton, lay it down to the fire, and as it doth rost, cut it off in little bits, and let it lie in the pan, bast it with claret wine and butter, and a little salt, and put two or three shelots in your pan, when you have cut off so much as you can, lay the bones into a dish over a chafingdish of coals, and put your meat to it with the liquor, and two anchovies, cover it, and let it stew a while; when it is enough, put in some capers, and serve it in with sippets; garnish your dish with olives and capers, and samphire; thus you may do with any cold meat between two dishes. . _to make a fricasie of oysters._ take a quart of oysters and put them into a frying pan with some white wine and their own liquor, a little salt, and some whole spice, and two or three bay leaves, when you think they be enough, lay them in a dish well warmed, then add to their liquor two anchovies, some butter, and the yolks of four eggs; garnish your dish with barberries. . _to make a fricasie of eels._ take a midling sort of eels, scour them well, and cut off the heads and throw them away, then gut them, and cut them in pieces, then put them into a frying pan with so much white wine and water as will cover them, then put in whole spice, a bundle of sweet herbs and a little salt, let them boil, and when they be very tender, take them up and lay them into a warm dish, then add to their liquor two anchovies, some butter and the yolks of eggs, and pour over them: thus you may make fricasies of cockles or of shrimps, or prawns. garnish your dish with limon and barberries. . _to make an eel-pie._ take your largest eels, and flay them, and cut them in pieces, then having your pie ready with butter in the bottom, season your eels with pepper, salt and nutmeg, then lay them in and cover them with butter, so close it and bake it, if you please, you may put in some raisins of the sun, and some large mace, it is good hot or cold. . _to souce an eel and collar it._ take a very large fat eel and scour it well, throw away the head and gut her, and slit her down the back, season her with pepper, salt, nutmeg and mace, then boil her in white wine, and salt and water, with a bundle of sweet herbs and some limon pill, when it is well boiled, take it up and lay it to cool; then put good store of vinegar into the liquor, and when it is cold, put in your eel, and keep it: you must roul it up in a collar and tie it hard with a tape, and sew it up in a cloth, then put it in to boil; when it hath lain a week, serve it to the table with a rosemary branch in the middle, and bay leaves round the dish sides, eat it with mustard. . _to stew eels._ take them without their heads, flay them and cut them in pieces, then fill a posnet with them, and set them all on end one by one close to one another, and put in so much white wine and water as will cover them, then put in good store of currans to them, whole spice, sweet herbs, and a little salt, cover them and let them stew, and when they are very tender, put in some butter, and so shake them well, and serve them upon sippets; garnish your dish with orange or limon and raw parsley. . _to make a herring pie._ take four of the best pickled herrings, and skin them, then split them and bone them, then having your pie in readiness with butter in the bottom, then lay your herrings in halves into your pie one lay of them, then put in raisins, currans and nutmeg, and a little sugar, then lay in more butter, then more herrings, fruit and spice, and more butter, and so close it, and bake it; your herrings must be well watered. . _to rost a pike and to lard it._ take a large pike, and scale it, gut it, and wash it clean, then lard it on the back with pickled herring and limon pill, then spit it and lay it down to the fire to rost, bast it often with claret wine and butter, when it is enough, make sauce for it with claret wine and butter, and serve it in. . _to boil fresh salmon._ take a joll or a tail of fresh salmon, then take vinegar and water, salt and whole spice, and boil them together, then put in your salmon, and when it is boiled, take some butter and some of the liquor with an anchovie or two, and a little white wine and a quart of shrimps out of their shells, heat these together, and so dish your salmon, and pour this over it. garnish your dish with shrimps and anchovies, and slices of limon. . _to boil a cods head._ boil wine, water and salt together, with whole spice and sweet herbs, and a little horse-radish root, then put in your cods head, and boil it very well, then drain it well from the water, and lay it in a dish over a chafingdish of coals: then take some of the liquor and two anchovies, some butter and some shrimps, heat them over the fire, and pour over it, then poach some eggs and lay over it, and also about the brims of the dish; garnish your dish with limon and barberries, so serve it to the table very hot: thus you may do haddocks or whitings, or any other fresh fish you like best. . _to make olives of veal._ take thin slices of a leg of veal, and have ready some suet finely shred, some currans, beaten spice, sweet herbs, and hard yolks of eggs, and a little salt mixed well together, then strew it upon the insides of your slices of meat, and roul them up hard, and make them fast with a scure, so spit them and roste them, baste them with butter, and serve them in with vinegar, butter and sugar. . _to make an olive pie._ having your paste in readiness with butter in the bottom, lay in some of the forenamed olives, but not fastned with a scure, then put in currans, hard eggs, and sweet butter, with some herbs shred fine; be sure you cover it well with butter, and put in a little white wine and sugar, and close it, and bake it, eat it hot or cold, but hot is better. . _to make a ball to take stains out of linnen, which many times happens by cooking or preserving._ take four ounces of hard white sope, beat it in a mortar, with two small limons sliced, and as much roch allom as a hazle nut, when they are beaten well together, make it up in little balls, rub the stain therewith and then wash it in warm water, till you see it be quite out. . _to make a fine pomander._ take two ounces of laudanum, of benjamin and storax one ounce, musk six gr. as much of civet, as much of ambergreece, of calamus aromaticus, and lignum aloes, of each the weight of a groat, beat all these in a hot mortar and with a hot pestel, till it come to a perfect paste, then take a little gum dragon steeped in rosewater, and rub your hand withal, and make it up with speed, and dry them, but first make them into what shapes you please, and print them. . _a very fine washing-ball._ take three ounces of orrice, half an ounce of cypress-wood, ounces of calamus aromaticus, ounce of damask-rose leaves, ounces of lavender-flowers, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, beat all these and searce them fine, then take two pounds and an half of castile sope dissolved in rose water, and beat all these forenamed things with the sope in a mortar, and when they are well incorporated, make it into balls, and keep them in a box with cotton as long as you please. . _to make french broth called kink._ take a leg of beef and set it over the fire with a good quantity of fair water, when it boils, scum it, and what meat soever you have to dress that day, either of fowl or small meat, put it all into this liquor and parboil it, then take out those small meats, and put in some french barley, and some whole spice, one clove or two of garlick, and a handful of leeks, and some salt; when it is boiled enough, pour it from the barley, and in put a little saffron; so serve it in; and garnish your dish with sliced oranges or limons, and put a little of the juice therein. . _to make broth of a lambs head._ boil it with as much water as will cover it, with whole spice, and a little salt, and a bundle of sweet herbs, then put in strained oatmeal and cream, and some currans, when you take it up, put in sack and sugar, then lay the head in a dish, and put the broth to it, and serve it in. . _to season a chicken-pie._ having your paste rolled thin, and laid into your baking-pan, lay in some butter, then lay in your chickens quartered, and seasoned with pepper, nutmeg and a little salt, then put in raisins, currans, and dates, then lay butter on the top, close it and bake it, then cut it up, and put in clouted cream, sack and sugar. . _to make an herb pie._ take spinage, hard lettice, and a few sweet herbs, pick them, wash them, and shred them, and put them into your pie with butter, and nutmeg and sugar, and a little salt, to close it and bake it, then draw it and open it, and put in clouted cream; sack and sugar, and stir it well together, and serve it in. . _to roste lobsters._ take two fair lobsters alive, wash them clean, and stop the holes as you do to boil, then fasten them to a spit, the insides together; make a good fire, and strew salt on them, and that will kill them quickly, bast them with water and salt till they be very red, then have ready some oysters stewed and cut small; put them into a dish with melted butter beaten thick with a little water, then take a few spoonfuls of the liquor of the stewed oysters, and dissolve in it two anchovies, then put it to the melted butter, then take up your lobsters, and crack the shells that they may be easie to open. . _to make a pumpion pie._ take a pumpion, pare it, and cut it in thin slices, dip it in beaten eggs and herbs shred small, and fry it till it be enough, then lay it into a pie with butter, raisins, currans, sugar and sack, and in the bottom some sharp apples; when it is baked, butter it and serve it in. . _to make an artichoke pudding._ boil a quart of cream with whole spice, then put in half a pound of sweet almonds blanched, and beaten with rosewater; when they have boiled well, take it from the fire, and take out the spice, when it is almost cold, put in the yolks of ten eggs, some marrow and some bottoms of artichokes, then sweeten it with sugar and put in a little salt, then butter a dish, and bake it in it, serve it to the table stuck full of blanched almonds, and fine sugar strewed over it. . _to pickle sprats like anchovies._ take a peck of the biggest sprats without their heads, and salt them a little over night, then take a pot or barrel, and lay in it a lay of bay salt, and then a lay of sprats, and a few bay leaves, then salt again; thus do till you have filled the vessel, put in a little limon pill also among your bay leaves, then cover the vessel and pitch it, that no air get in, set it in a cool cellar, and once in a week turn it upside down; in three months you may eat of them. . _to keep artichokes all the year._ gather your artichokes with long stalks, and then cut off the stalks close to them, then boil some water, with good pears and apples sliced thin, and the pith of the great stalks, and a quince or two quartered to give it a relish; when these have boiled a while, put in your artichokes, and boil all together till they be tender, then take them up and set them to cool, then boil your liquor well and strain it, when your artichokes be cold, put them into your barrel, and when the liquor is cold, pour it over them, so cover it close that no air get in. . _to make pasty of a joll of ling._ make your crust with fine flower, butter, cold cream, and two yolks of eggs: roul it thin and lay it in your bake-pan, then take part of a joll of ling well boiled, and pull it all in bits, then lay some butter into your pasty and then the ling, then some grated nutmeg, sliced ginger, cloves and mace, oysters, muscles, cockles, and shrimps, the yolks of raw eggs, a few comfits perfumed, candied orange pill, citron pill, and limon pill, with eringo roots: then put in white wine, and good store of butter, and put on a thick lid, when it is baked, open it, and let out the steam. . _to make french servels._ take cold gammon of bacon, fat and lean together, cut it small as for sausages, season it with pepper, cloves and mace, and a little shelots, knead it into a paste with the yolks of eggs, and fill some bullocks guts with it, and boil them; but if you would have them to keep, then do not put in eggs. when you have filled the guts, boil them, and hang them up, and when you would eat them, serve them in thin slices with a sallad. . _to make a pallat pie._ take oxe pallats and boil them so tender that you may run a straw through them; to three palates take six sheeps tongues boiled tender and peeled, three sweet-breads of veal, cut all these in thin slices, then having your pie ready, and butter in the bottom, lay in these things, first seasoned with pepper, salt and nutmeg, and thyme and parsley shred small, and as the season of the year is, put into it asparagus, anchovies, chesnuts, or what you please else, as candied orange pill, limon pill, or citron pill, with eringo roots, and yolks of hard eggs, some marrow and some oysters, then lay in good store of butter on the top, so close it and bake it, then put in white wine, buter, the yolks of eggs, and vinegar and sugar; heat them together over the fire, and serve it in. . _to make sauce for fowles or mutton._ take claret wine, vinegar, anchovies, oisters, nutmeg, shelot, gravie of mutton or beef, sweet butter, juice of limon, and a little salt, and if you please orange or limon pill. . _to make oat-cakes._ take fine flower, and mix it very well with new ale yest, and make it very stiff, then make it into little cakes, and roul them very thin, then lay them on an iron to bake, or on a baking stone, and make but a slow fire under it, and as they are baking, take them and turn the edges of them round on the iron, that they may bake also, one quarter of an hour will bake them; a little before you take them up, turn them on the other side, only to flat them; for if you turn them too soon, it will hinder the rising, the iron or stone whereon they are baked, must stand at a distance from the fire. . _to make a rare lamb pie._ take a leg of lamb, and take the meat clean out of it at the great end, but keep the skin whole, then press the meat in a cloth, and mince it small, and put as much beef suet to it as the meat in weight, and mince it small, then put to it naples bisket grated fine, season it with beaten spice, rosewater, and a little salt, then put in some candied limon pill, orange pill, and citron pill shred small, and some sugar, then put part of the meat into the skin, then having your pie in readiness, and butter in the bottom, lay in this meat, then take the rest of your meat, and make it into balls or puddings with yolks of eggs, then lay them into the pie to fill up the corners, then take candied orange, limon and citron pill, cut in long narrow slices and strew over it; you may put in currans and dates if you please, then lay on butter, and close up your pie and bake it, and leave a tunnel, when it is baked, put in sack, sugar, yolks of eggs and butter heat together, if you put in marrow, it will be the better. . _to fry garden beans._ boil them and blanch them, and fry them in sweet butter, with parsley and shred onions and a little salt, then melt butter for the sauce. . _to make a sorrel sallad._ take a quantity of french sorrel picked clean and washed, boil it with water and a little salt, and when it is enough, drain it and butter it, and put in a little vinegar and sugar into it, then garnish it with hard eggs and raisins. . _to make good cold sallads of several things._ take either coleflowers, or carrots, or parsneps, or turneps after they are well boiled, and serve them in with oil, vinegar and pepper, also the roots of red beets boiled tender are very good in the same manner. . _to make the best sort of pippin paste._ take a pound of raw pippins sliced and beaten in a mortar, then take a pound of fine sugar and boil it to a candy height with a little fair water, then put in your pippins, and boil it till it will come from the bottom of the posnet, but stir it for fear it burn. . _to make sauce for a leg of veal rosted._ take boiled currans, and boiled parsley, and hard eggs and butter and sugar hot together. . _to make sauce for a leg of mutton rosted with chesnuts._ take a good quantity of chesnuts, and boil them tender, then take the shells off, and bruise them small, then put to them claret wine, butter and a little salt, so put it into the dish to the meat, and serve it in. . _to keep quinces white, either to preserve whole, or for white marmalade or paste._ coddle them with white wine and water, and cover them with sliced pippins in the codling. . _to make little pasties with sweet meats to fry._ make some paste with cold water, butter and flower, with the yolk of an egg, then roul it out in little thin cakes, and lay one spoonful of any kind of sweet meats you like best upon every one, so close them up and fry them with butter, and serve them in with fine sugar strewed on. . _to boil a capon on the french fashion._ boil your capon in water and salt, and a little dusty oatmeal to make it look white, then take two or three ladles full of mutton broth, a faggot of sweet herbs, two or three dates cut in long pieces, a few parboiled currans, and a little whole pepper, a little mace and nutmeg, thicken it with almonds; season it with verjuice, sugar, and a little sweet butter, then take up your capon and lard it well with preserved limon, then lay it in a deep dish, and pour the broth upon it; then garnish your dish with suckets and preserved barberries. . _to souce a pike, carp or bream._ draw your fish, but scale it not, and save the liver of it; wash it very well, then take white wine, as much water again as wine, boil them together with whole spice, salt and a bundle of sweet herbs, and when boiles put in your fish, and just before it a little vinegar; for that will make it crisp: when it is enough, take it up and put it into a trey, then put into the liquor some whole pepper, and whole ginger, and when it is boiled enough, take it off and cool it, and when it is quite cold, put in your fish, and when you serve it in, lay some of the jelly about the dish sides, and some fennel and sawcers of vinegar. . _to boil a gurnet on the french fashion._ draw your gurnet and wash it, boil it in water and salt and a bundle of sweet herbs; when it is enough, take it up and put it into a dish with sippets over a chafingdish of coals; then take verjuice, butter, nutmeg and pepper, and the yolks of two eggs, heat it together, and pour over it; garnish your dish as you please. . _to rost a leg of mutton on the french fashion._ take a leg of mutton, and pare off all the skin as thin as you can, then lard it with sweet lard, and stick it with cloves, when it is half rosted, cut off three or four thin pieces, and mince it with sweet herbs, and a little beaten ginger, put in a ladle full of claret wine, and a little sweet butter, two sponfuls of verjuice and a little pepper, a few capers, then chop the yolks of two hard eggs in it, then when these have stewed a while in a dish, put your bonie part which is rosted into a dish, and pour this on it and serve it in. . _to rost a neats tongue._ chop sweet herbs fine with a piece of raw apple, season it with pepper and ginger, and the yolk of an egg made hard and minced small, then stuff your tongue with this, and rost it well, and baste it with butter and wine; when it is enough, take verjuice, butter, and the juice of a limon, and a little nutmeg, then dish your tongue and pour this sauce over it and serve it in. . _to boil pigeons with rice._ take your pigeons and truss them, and stuff their bellies with sweet herbs, then put them into a pipkin with as much mutton broth as will cover them, with a blade of mace and some whole pepper; boil all these together until the pigeons be tender, and put in salt: then take them from the fire, and scum off the fat very clean, then put in a piece of sweet butter, season it with verjuice, nutmeg and a little sugar, thicken it with rice boiled in sweet cream. garnish your dish with preserved barberries and skirret roots boiled tender. . _to boil a rabbit._ take a large rabbit, truss it and boil it with a little mutton broth, white wine and a blade of mace, then take lettuce, spinage, and parsley, winter-savory and sweet marjoram, pick all these and wash them clean, and bruise them a little to make the broth look green, thicken it with the crust of a manchet first steeped in a little broth, and put in a little sweet butter, season it with verjuice and pepper, and serve it to the table upon sippets; garnish the dish with barberries. . _to boil a teal or wigeon._ parboil either of these fowls and throw them into a pail of fair water, for that taketh away the rankness, then rost them half, and take them from the fire, and put sweet herbs in the bellies of them, and stick the brests with cloaves, then put them in a pipkin with two or three ladles full of mutton broth, very strong of the meat, a blade of whole mace, two or three little onions minced small; thicken it with a toast of houshold bread, and put in a little butter, then put in a little verjuice, so take it up and serve it. . _to boil chickens or pigeons with goosberries or grapes._ boil them with mutton broth and white wine, with a blade of mace and a little salt, and let their bellies be filled with sweet herbs, when they are tender thicken the broth with a piece of manchet, and the yolks of two hard eggs, strained with some of the broth, and put it into a deep dish with some verjuice and butter and sugar, then having goosberries or grapes tenderly scalded, put them into it, then lay your chickens or pigeons into a dish, and pour the sauce over them, and serve them in. . _a made dish of rabbits livers._ take six livers and chop them fine with sweet herbs and the yolks of two hard eggs, season it with beaten spice, and salt, and put in some plumped currans, and a little melted butter, so mix them very well together, and having some paste ready rouled thin, make it into little pasties and fry them, strew sugar over them and serve them. . _to make a florentine with the brawn of a capon, or the kidney of veal._ mince any of these with sweet herbs, then put in parboiled currans, and dates minced small, and a little orange or limon pill which is candied shred small, season it with beaten spice and sugar, then take the yolks of two hard eggs and bruise them with a little cream, a piece of a short cake grated, and marrow cut in short pieces, mix all these together with the forenamed meat, and put in a little salt and a little rosewater, and bake it in a dish in a puff-past, and when you serve it strew sugar over it. . _a friday pie without fish or flesh._ wash a good quantity of green beets, and pluck out the middle string, then chop them small, with two or three ripe apples well relished, season it with pepper, salt, and ginger, then add to it some currans, and having your pie ready, and butter in the bottom, put in these herbs, and with them a little sugar, then put butter on the top, and close and bake it, then cut it up, and put in the juice of a limon and sugar. . _to make umble pies._ boil them very tender, and mince them very small with beef suet and marrow then season it with beaten spice and salt, rosewater and sugar and a little sack, so put it into your paste with currans and dates. . _to bake chickens with grapes._ scald your chickens and truss them, and season them with pepper, salt and nutmeg, and having your pie ready, and butter laid in the bottom, put in your chickens, and then more butter, and bake them with a thin lid on your pie, and when it is baked, put in grapes scalded tender, verjuice, nutmeg, butter and sugar, and the juice of an orange; so serve it in. . _to make a good quince-pie._ take your fairest quinces and coddle them until a straw will run through them, then core them and pare them, then take their weight in fine sugar, and stuff them full of sugar, then having your pie ready, lay in your quinces, and strew the rest of your sugar over them, and put in some whole cloves and cinamon, then close it, and bake it; you must let it stand in the oven four or five hours; serve it in cold and strew on sugar. . _to make tarts of pippins._ having some puff-past ready in a dish or pan, lay in some preserved pippins which have orange pill in them, and the juice of orange or limon, so close them and bake them a little. . _to make a good pie of beef._ take the buttock of a fat oxe, slice it thin, mince it small and beat it in a mortar to a paste, then lard it very well with lard, and season it with beaten spice, then make your pie, and put it in with some butter and claret wine, and so bake it well, and serve it in cold with mustard and sugar, and garnish it with bay-leaves. . _to bake a swan._ scald it and take out the bones, and parboil it, then season it very well with pepper, salt and ginger, then lard it, and put it in a deep coffin of rye paste with store of butter, close it and bake it very well, and when it is baked, fill up the vent-hole with melted butter, and so keep it; serve it in as you do the beef-pie. . _to bake a turkey or capon._ bone the turkey but not the capon, parboil them, and stick cloves on their brests, lard them and season them well with pepper and salt, and put them in a deep coffin with good store of butter, and close your pie, and bake it, and soak it very well; when it is baked, fill it up with melted butter, and when it is quite cold, serve it in and eat it with mustard and sugar: garnish it with bay leaves. . _to make fritters._ take the curds of a sack posset, the yolks of six eggs, and the whites of two, with a little fine flower to make it into a thick batter, put in also a pomewater cut in small pieces, some beaten spice, warm cream, and a spoonful of sack, and a little strong ale; mingle all these very well, and beat them well, and fry them in very hot lard, and serve them in with beaten spice and fine sugar. . _to bake woodcocks, black-birds sparrows or larks._ truss and parboil them, then season them with pepper and salt, and put them into a pie with good store of butter, and so bake them, then fill them up with butter. . _to bake a goose._ bone your goose and parboil it, and season it with pepper and salt, and lay it into a deep coffin with good store of butter top and bottom, then bake it very well, and when it is baked, fill up the pie at the vent-hole with melted butter, and so serve it in with mustard and sugar and bay-leaves. . _to make pancakes so crisp as you may set them upright._ make a dozen or a score of them in a little frying-pan, no bigger than a sawcer, then boil them in lard, and they will look as yellow as gold, and eat very well. . _to make blanched manchet._ take six eggs, half a pint of sweet cream, and a penny manchet grated, one nutmeg grated, two spoonfuls of rosewater, and two ounces of sugar, work it stiff like a pudding, then fry it in a very little frying-pan, that it may be thick. fry it brown, and turn it upon a pie-plate; cut it in quarters and strew sugar on it and serve it in. . _to make a sierced pudding._ mince a leg of mutton with sweet herbs, and some suet, make it very fine, then put in grated bread, minced dates, currans, raisins of the sun stoned, a little preserved orange or limon, and a few coriander seeds bruised, nutmeg, ginger, and pepper, mingle all together with cream and raw eggs wrought together like a paste, and bake it, and put for sauce the yolk of an egg, rosewater, sugar and cinamon, with a little butter heat together, when you serve it in, stick it with almonds and rosemary; you may boil it also if you please, or rost some of in a lambs cawl. . _to make a fricasie of eggs._ beat twelve eggs with cream, sugar, beaten spice and rosewater, then take thin slices of pomewater apple, and fry them well with sweet butter; when they are enough, take them up, and cleanse your pan, then put in more butter and make it hot, and put in half your eggs and fry them; then when the one side is fryed lay your apples all over the side which is not fryed, then pour in the rest of your eggs, and then turn it and fry the other side, then serve it in with the juice of an orange and butter, and sugar. . _to make a_ cambridge_-pudding._ take grated bread searced through a cullender, then mix it with fine flower, minced dates, currans, beaten spice, suet shred small, a little salt, sugar and rosewater, warm cream and eggs, with half their whites; mould all these together with a little yest, and make it up into a loaf, but when you have made it in two parts, ready to clap together, make a deep hole in the one, and put in butter, then clap on the other, and close it well together, then butter a cloth and tie it up hard, and put it into water which boiles apace, then serve it in with sack, butter and sugar. you may bake it if you please in a baking-pan. . _to make a pudding of goose blood._ save the blood of a goose, and strain it, then put in fine oatmeal steeped in warm milk, nutmeg, pepper, sweet herbs, sugar, salt, suet minced fine, rosewater, limon pill, coriander seeds, then put in some eggs, and beat all these together very well, then boil them how you do like, either in a buttered cloth or in skins, or rost it within the neck of the goose. . _to make liver puddings._ take a hogs liver boiled and cold, grate it like bread, then take new milk and the fat of a hog minced fine, put it to the bread and the liver, and divide it into two parts, then dry herbs or other if you can minced fine, and put the herbs into one part with beaten spice, anniseeds, rosewater, cream and eggs, sugar and salt, so fill the skins and boil them. to the other part put preserved barberries, diced dates, currans, beaten spice, salt, sugar, rosewater, cream and eggs, so mix them well together, and fill the skins and boil them. . _to make a chiveridge pudding._ take the fattest guts of your hog clean scoured, then fluff them with beaten spice and sliced dates, sweet herbs, a little salt, rosewater, sugar, and two or three eggs to make it slide; so fill them, tie them up like puddings and boil them; when they are enough serve them. . _to make rice puddings in skins._ take two quarts of milk and put therein as it is yet cold, two good handfuls of rice clean picked and washed, set it over a slow fire and stir it often, but gently; when you perceive it to swell, let it boil apace till it be tender and very thick, then take it from the fire, and when it is cold, put in six eggs well beaten, some rosewater and sugar, beaten spice and a little salt, preserved barberries and dates minced small, some marrow and citron pill; mingle them well together and fill your skins, and boil them. . _to make a stewed pudding._ take the yolks of three eggs and one white, six spoonfuls of sweet cream, a little beaten spice, and a quarter of a pound of sewet minced fine, a quarter of a pound of currans, and a little grated bread, rosewater, sugar and salt; mingle them well together, and wrap them up in little pieces of the cawl of veal, and fasten them with a little stick, and tie each end with a stick, you may put four in one dish, then take half a pint of strong mutton broth, and spoonfuls of vinegar, three or four blades of large mace, and one ounce of sugar, make this to boil over a chafingdish of coals, then put in your puddings, and when they boil, cover them with another dish, but turn them sometimes, and when you see that they are enough, take your puddings and lay them in a warm dish upon sippets, then add to their broth some sack, sugar, and butter, and pour over them; garnish your dish with limon and barberries. . _to make a_ sussex _pudding._ take a little cold cream, butter and flower, with some beaten spice, eggs, and a little salt, make them into a stiff paste, then make it up in a round ball, and as you mold it, put in a great piece of butter in the middle; and so tye it hard up in a buttered cloth, and put it into boiling water, and let it boil apace till it be enough, then serve it in, and garnish your dish with barberries; when it is at the table cut it open at the top, and there will be as it were a pound of butter, then put rosewater and sugar into it, and so eat it. in some of this like paste you may wrap great apples, being pared whole, in one piece of thin paste, and so close it round the apple, and throw them into boiling water, and let them boil till they are enough, you may also put some green goosberries into some, and when either of these are boiled, cut them open and put in rosewater butter and sugar. . _to make_ french _puffs._ take spinage parsley and endive, with a little winter savory, and wash them, and mince them very fine; season them with nutmeg, ginger and sugar, season them with eggs, and put in a little salt, then cut a limon into thin round slices, and upon every slice of limon lay one spoonful of it. then fry them, and serve them in upon some sippets, and pour over them sack, sugar and butter. . _to make apple puffs._ take a pomewater, or any other apple that is not hard or harsh in taste, mince it with a few raisins of the sun stoned, then wet them with eggs, and beat them together with the back of a spoon, season them with nutmeg, rosewater, sugar, and ginger, drop them into a frying pan with a spoon into hot butter, and fry them, then serve them in with the juice of an orange and a little sugar and butter. . _to make kickshaws, to bake or fry in what shape you please._ take some puff-paste and roul it thin, if you have moulds work it upon them with preserved pippins, and so close them, and fry or bake them, but when you have closed them you must dip them in the yolks of eggs, and that will keep all in; fill some with goosberries, rasberries, curd, marrow, sweet-breads, lambs stones, kidney of veal, or any other thing what you like best, either of them being seasoned before you put them in according to your mind, and when they are baked or fryed, strew sugar on them, and serve them in. . _to make an_ italian _pudding._ take a penny white loaf and pare off the crust, then cut it like dice, then take some beef suet shred small, and half a pound of raisins of the sun stoned, with as many currans, mingle them together and season them with beaten spice and a little salt, wet them with four eggs, and stir them gently for fear of breaking the bread, then put it in a dish with a little cream and rosewater and sugar, then put in some marrow and dates, and so butter a dish and bake it, then strew on sugar and serve it. . _to hash calves tongues._ boil them tender and pill them, then lard them with limon pill, and lard them also with fat bacon, then lay them to the fire and half rost them; then put them in a pipkin with claret wine, whole spice and sliced limon, and a few caraway seeds, a little rosemary and a little salt, boil all together and serve them in upon toasts. thus you may do with sheeps tongues also. . _to boil a capon._ take strong mutton broth, and truss a capon, and boil him in it with some marrow and a little salt in a pipkin, when it is tender, then put in a pint of white wine, half a pound of sugar, and four ounces of dates stoned and sliced, potato roots boiled and blanched, large mace and nutmeg sliced, boil all these together with a quarter of a pint of verjuyce, then dish the capon, and add to the broth the yolks of six eggs beaten with sack, and so serve it; garnish dish with several sorts of candied pills and preserved barberries, and sliced limon with sugar upon every slice. . _to boil a capon with rice._ truss your capon and boil him in water and salt, then take a quarter of a pound of rice, first boiled in milk, and put in with some whole spice and a little salt, when it is almost enough put in a little rosewater, and half a pound of almonds blanched and beaten, strain them in, and put in some cream and sugar, then when your capon is enough, lay it in a dish, and pour the broth thereon; garnish your dish as you please, and serve it in. . _to boil a capon with pippins._ parboil your capon after it is trussed, then put it into a pipkin with mutton broth and marrow, and a little salt, with a quart of white-wine, a little nutmeg and dates stoned and sliced, then put in a quarter of a pound of fine sugar, then take some pippins stewed with sugar, spice and a little water, and put them in, then lay your capon into a dish, and lay some naples biskets for sippets, then bruise the yolks of eight hard eggs and put into your broth, with a little sack, and pour it over your capon; garnish your dish and serve it in. . _to boil chickens with lettuce the very best way._ parboil your chickens and cut them in quarters, and put them into a pipkin with some mutton broth, and two or three sweet breads of veal, and some marrow, and some cloves, and a little salt, and a little limon pill; then take good store of hard lettuce, cut them in halves and wash them, and put them in; then put in butter and sack and white wine, with a little mace and nutmeg, and sliced dates, let all these stew upon the fire, and when they be enough, serve them in with toasts of white bread for sippets; garnish the dish with limon and barberies, and what else you please; thus you may do pigeons. . [transcriber's note: so numbered in original] _to boil a rabbit with grapes or with goosberries._ truss your rabbit whole, and boil it in some mutton broth till it be tender; then take a pint of white wine, and a good handful of spinage chopped, the yolks of hard eggs cut in quarters, put these to the rabbit with some large mace; a fagot of sweet herbs and a little salt and some butter, let them boil together a while, then take your rabbet and lay it in a dish and some sippets, then lay over it some grapes or goosberries, scalded with sugar, and pour your broth over it. . _to boil a rabbit with claret wine._ boil a rabbet as before, then slice onions and a carrot root, a few currans and a fagot of sweet herbs, and a little salt, minced parsley, barberries picked, large mace, nutmeg and ginger, put all these into a pipkin with the rabbet, half a pound of butter, and a pint of claret wine, and let them boil together till it be enough, then serve it upon sippets. . _to boil a wild duck._ truss and parboil it, then half rost it, then carve it, and save the gravie, then take onions and parsley sliced, ginger and pepper, put the gravie into a pipkin, with currans, mace, barberries, and a quart of claret wine, and a little salt, put your duck with all the forenamed things into it, and let them boil till it be enough, then put in butter and sugar, and serve it in upon sippets. . _to boil a tame duck._ take your duck and truss it, and boil it with water and salt, or rather mutton broth, when it hath boiled a while, put in some whole spice, and when it is boiled enough, take some white wine and butter, and good store of onions boiled tender in several waters, with a little of the liquor wherein the duck hath boiled, and a little salt: put your duck into a dish, and heat these things together and pour over it; and serve it; garnish the dish with boiled onions and barberries. . _to boil pigeons with capers and samphire._ truss your pigeons, and put them into a pipkin with some mutton broth and white wine, a bundle of sweet herbs, when they are boiled, lay them into a dish, then take some of the broth with some capers and limon sliced, and some butter, heat these together and pour over them; then fry thin slices of bacon, and lay upon them, and some samphire washed from the salt, and some slices of limon; garnish your dish with the same and serve it in. . _to boil sausages._ take two pounds of sausages, and boil them with a quart of claret wine and a bundle of sweet herbs, and whole cloves and mace; then put in a little butter, when they are enough, serve them in with this liquor and some mustard in sawcers. . _to boil goose giblets._ boil them with water and salt, and a bundle of sweet herbs, onions and whole spice, when they are enough, put in verjuice and butter, and some currans plumped, and serve them upon sippets. thus you may dress swans giblets. . _to boil giblets with roots and good herbs._ boil them in a quart of claret, ginger and cloves, and a faggot of sweet herbs, turneps and carots sliced, with good store of spinage and a little salt; when they are enough, serve them upon sippets. and add to the broth some verjuice and the yolks of eggs; garnish your dish with parsley and pickled barberries. . _to smoor a neck of mutton._ cut your steaks, and put them into a dish with some butter, then take a faggot of sweet herbs and some gross pepper and a little salt, and put them to them; cover your dish, and let them stew till they are enough, turning them sometimes, then put in a little claret wine and anchovies, and serve them upon sippets. . _to smoor veal._ cut thin slices of veal and hack them over with the back of a knife, then lard them with lard, and fry them with strong beer or ale till they be enough, then stew them in claret wine with some whole spice and butter and a little salt. garnish your dish with sausages fryed; and with barberries, to serve them in. . _to smoor steaks of mutton another way._ cut part of a leg of mutton into steaks, and fry it in white wine and a little salt, a bundle of herbs, and a little limon pill, then put it into a pipkin with some sliced limon, without the rind, and some of the liquor it was fried in, and butter and a little parslie, boil all together till you see it be enough, then serve it in, and garnish your dish with limon and barberries. . _to smoor chickens._ cut them in joints and fry them with sweet butter, then take white wine, parsley and onions chopp'd small, whole mace and a little gross pepper, a little sugar, verjuice and butter, let these and your fried chicken boil together, then fry the leaves of clary with eggs, put in a little salt to your chickens, and when they are enough, serve them in this fried clary, and garnish your dish with barberries. . _to fry museles, or oysters, or cockles to serve in with meat, or by themselves._ take any of these and parboil them in their own liquor, then dry them, flower them, and fry them, then put them into a pipkin with claret wine, whole spice and anchovies, and a little butter, so let them stew together, and serve them in either with a duck, or by themselves, as you like best. . [transcriber's note: so numbered in original] _to dress calves feet._ take calves feet tenderly boiled, and slit them in the middle, then put them in a dish with sweet butter, parsley and onions chopped a little thyme, large mace, pepper with a little wine vinegar, and a little salt, let all these stew together till they are enough, then lay your calves feet in a dish, and pour the sauce over them, then strew some raw parsley and hard eggs chopped together over them with slices of limon and barberries. . _to hash neats tongues._ boil them and blanch them, and slice them thin then take raisins of the sun, large mace, dates sliced thin, a few blanched almonds and claret wine with a little salt; boil all these together with some sweet butter, verjuice and sugar; when they are enough, serve them in and thicken the sauce with yolks of eggs; garnish your dish with barberries. . _another way to hash neats tongues._ boil neats tongues very tender, peel them and slice them thin, then take strong meat broth, blanched chesnuts, a faggot of sweet herbs, large mace, and endive, a little pepper and whole cloves and a little salt; boil all these together with some butter till they be enough; garnish your dish as before. . _to boil chickens in white-broth._ take three chickens and truss them, then take two or three blades of mace, as many quartered dates, four or five lumps of marrow, a little salt and a little sugar, the yolks of three hard eggs, and a quarter of a pint of sack, first boil your chickins in mutton broth, and then add these things to them, and let them boil till they are enough, then lay your chickens in a dish, and strain some almonds blanched and beaten into it, serve it upon sippets of french bread; garnish your dish with hard eggs and limons. . _to boil partridges._ put two or three partridges into a pipkin with as much water as will cover them, then put in three or four blades of mace, one nutmeg quartered, five or six cloves, a piece of sweet butter, two or three toasts of manchet toasted brown, soke them in sack or muskadine, and break them, and put them into the pipkin with the rest, and a little salt, when they are enough, lay them in a dish, and pour this broth over them, then garnish your dish with hard eggs and sliced limon, and serve it in. . _to boil a leg of mutton._ take a large leg of mutton and stuff it well with mutton suet, salt and nutmeg, boil it in water and salt, but not too much, then put some of that broth into another pot, with three or four blades of mace, some currans and salt, boil them till half be consumed, then put in some sweet butter, and some capers and a limon cut like dice with the rind on, a little sack, and the yolks of two hard eggs minced; then lay your mutton into a dish upon sippets, and pour this sauce over it; scrape sugar on the sides of your dish, and lay on slices of limon and barberries. . _to stew trouts._ put two trouts into a fair dish with some white wine, sweet butter, and a little whole mace, a little parsley, thyme and savory minced, then put in an anchovy and the yolks of hard eggs; when your fish is enough, serve it on sippets, and pour this over it, and garnish your dish with limon and barberries, and serve them in: you may add capers to it if you please, and you may do other fish in this manner. . _to boil eels in broth to serve with them._ flay and wash your eels and cut them in pieces about a handful long, then put them into a pot with so much water as will cover them, a little pepper and mace, sliced onions, a little grated bread, and a little yest, a good piece of sweet butter, some parsley, winter savory and thyme shred small; let them boil softly half an hour, and put in some salt, with some currans; when it is enough, put in verjuice and more butter, and so serve it; garnish your dish with parsley, limon and barberries, put sippets in your dish. . _to boil a pike with oysters._ take a fair pike and gut it and wash it, and truss it round with the tail in the mouth, then take white wine, water and salt, with a bundle of sweet herbs, and whole spice, a little horse-radish; when it boils, tie up your pike in a cloth, and put it in, and let it boil till it swims, for then it is enough; then take the rivet of the pike, and a pint of great oysters with their liquor, and some vinegar, large mace, gross pepper, then lay your pike in a dish with sippets, and then heat these just named things with some butter and anchovies, and pour over it; garnish your dish as you please. . _to make a grand sallad._ take a fair broad brimm'd dish, and in the middle of it lay some pickled limon pill, then lay round about it each sort by themselves, olives, capers, broom buds, ash keys, purslane pickled, and french beans pickled, and little cucumbers pickled, and barberries pickled, and clove gilliflowers, cowslips, currans, figs, blanched almonds and raisins, slices of limon with sugar on them, dates stoned and sliced. garnish your dish brims with candied orange, limon and citron pill, and some candied eringo roots. . _to rost pig with a pudding in his belly._ take a fat pig and truss his head backward loking over his back, then make such pudding as you like best, and fill his belly with it, your pudding must be stiff, then sew it up, and rost your pig, when it is almost enough, wring upon it the juice of a limon, and when you are ready to take it up, wash it over with yolks of eggs, and before they can dry, dredge it with grated bread mixed with a little nutmeg and ginger, let your sauce be vinegar, butter and sugar, and the yolks of hard eggs minced. . _to rost a leg of mutton with oisters._ take a large leg of mutton and stuff it well with mutton sewet, with pepper, nutmeg salt and mace, then rost it and stick it with cloves, when it is half rosted cut off some of the under side of the fleshy end, in little thin bits, then take a pint of oisters and the liquor of them, a little mace, sweet butter and salt, put all these with the bits of mutton into a pipkin till half be consumed; then dish your mutton and pour this sauce over it, strew salt about the dish side and serve it in. . _to make a steak-pie._ cut a neck of mutton in steaks, then season it with pepper and salt, lay your paste into your baking pan, and lay butter in the bottom, then lay in your steaks, and a little large mace, and cover it with butter, so close it, and bake it; and against it is baked, have in readiness good store of boiled parslie minced fine, and drained from the water, some white wine and some vinegar, sweet butter and sugar, cut open your pie, and put in this sauce, and shake it well, and serve it to the table; it is not so good cold as hot. . _to rost a haunch or a shoulder of venison, or a chine of mutton._ take either of these, and lard it with lard, and stick it thick with rosemary, then roft it with a quick fire, but do not lay it too near; baste it with sweet butter: then take half a pint of claret wine, a little beaten cinamon and ginger, and as much sugar as will sweeten it, five or six whole cloves, a little grated bread, and when it is boiled enough, put in a little sweet butter, a little vinegar, and a very little salt, when your meat is rosted, serve it in with sauce, and strew salt about your dish. . _to rost a capon with oysters and chesnuts._ take some boiled chesnuts, and take off their shells, and take as many parboil'd oysters, then spit your capon, and put these into the belly of it, with some sweet butter, rost it and bast it with sweet butter, save the gravie, and some of the chesnuts, and some of the oysters, then add to them half a pint of claret wine, and a pice of sweet butter and a little pepper, and a little salt, stew these altogether till the capon be ready, then serve them in with it; garnish your dish as you please. . _to rost shoulder or fillet of veal with farcing herbs._ wash your meat and parboil it a little, then take parsley, winter-savory, and thyme, of each a little minced small, put to them the yolks of three or four hard eggs minced, nutmeg, pepper and currans and salt, add also some suet minced small; work all these with the yolk of a raw egg, and stuff your meat with it, but save some, and set it under the meat while it doth rost, when your meat is almost rosted enough, put to these in the dish, a quarter of a pint of white wine vinegar, and some sugar, when your meat is ready, serve it in with this sauce, and strew on salt. . _to make boiled sallads._ boil some carots very tender, and scrape them to pieces like the pulp of an apple, season them with cinamon and ginger and sugar, put in currans, a little vinegar, and a piece of sweet butter, stew these in a dish, and when they begin to dry put in more butter and a little salt, so serve them to the table, thus you may do lettuce, or spinage or beets. . _to boil a shoulder of veal._ take a shoulder of veal and half boil it in water and salt, then slice off the most part of it, and save the gravie; then take that sliced meat, and put it in a pot with some of the broth that boiled it, a little grated bread, oister liquor, vinegar, bacon scalded and sliced thin, a pound of sausages out of their skins, and rolled in the yolks of eggs, large mace and nutmeg, let these stew about one hour, than put in one pint of oisters, some sweet herbs, and a little salt, stew them together, then take the bone of veal and broil it and dish it, then add to your liquor a little butter, and some minced limon with the rind, a shelot or two sliced, and pour it over, then lay on it some fryed oysters; garnish your dish with barberries and sliced limon, and serve it in. . _to boil a neck of mutton._ boil it in water and salt, then make sauce for it with samphire and a little of the broth, verjuice, large mace, pepper and onion, the yolks of hard eggs minced, some sweet herbs and a little salt, let these boil together half an hour or more: then beat it up with butter and limon; then dish your meat upon sippets, and pour it on; garnish your dish with the hard whites of eggs and parsley minced together, with sliced limon, so serve it; thus you may dress a leg or a brest of mutton if you please. . _to stew a loin of mutton._ cut your meat in steaks, and put it into so much water as will cover it, when it is scummed, put to three or four onions sliced, with some turneps, whole cloves, and sliced ginger, when it is half stewed, put in sliced bacon and some sweet herbs minced small, some vinegar and salt, when it is ready, put in some capers, then dish your meat upon sippets and serve it in, and garnish your dish with barberries and limon. . _to boil a haunch of venison._ boil it in water and salt, with some coleflowers and some whole spice; then take some of the broth, a little mace, and a cows udder boiled tender and sliced thin, a little horse-radish root searced, and a few sweet herbs; boil all these together, and put in a little salt, when your venison is ready, dish it, and lay your cows udder and the coleflowers over it, then beat up your sauce, and pour over it; then garnish your dish with limon and parsley and barberries, and so serve it; this sauce is also good with a powdered goose boiled, but first larded. . _to make white broth with meat or without._ take a little mutton broth, and as much of sack, and boil it with whole spice, sweet herbs, dates sliced, currans and a little salt, when it is enough, or very near, strain in some blanched almonds, then thicken it with the yolks of eggs beaten, and sweeten it with sugar, and so serve it in with thin slices of white bread: garnish with stewed prunes, and some plumped raisins. this may be served in also with any meat proper for to be served with white broth. . _to make good stewed broth._ take a hinder leg of beef and a pair of marrow bones, boil them in a great pot with water and a little salt, when it boiles, and is skimmed, put in some whole spice, and some raisins and currans, then put in some manchet sliced thin, and soaked in some of the broth, when it is almost enough, put in some stewed prunes, then dish your meat, and put into your broth a little saffron or red saunders, some white wine and sugar, so pour it over your meat, and serve it in; garnish your dish with prunes, raisins and fine sugar. . _to stew artichokes._ take the bottoms of artichokes tenderly boiled, and cut them in quarters, stew them with white wine, whole spice and marrow, with a little salt: when they are enough, put in sack and sugar, and green plumbs preserved, so serve them; garnish the dish with preserves. . _to stew pippins._ take a pound of pippins, pare them and core them, and cut them in quarters. then take a pint of water and a pound of fine sugar, and make a syrup, and scum it, then put in your pippins and boil them up quick, and put in a little orange or limon pill very thin; when they are very clear, and their syrup almost wasted, put in the juice of orange and limon, and some butter; so serve them in upon sippets, and strew fine sugar about the dish sides. . _to make a sallad with fresh salmon._ your salmon being boiled and souced, mince some of it small with apples and onyons, put thereto oyl, vinegar, and pepper; so serve it to the table: garnish your dish with limon and capers. . _to rost a shoulder of mutton with oisters._ take a large shoulder of mutton, and take sweet herbs chopped small, and mixed with beaten eggs and a little salt, take some great oisters, and being dried from their liquor, dip them in these eggs, and fry them a little, then stuff your meat well with them, then save some of them for sauce, and rost your mutton, and baste it with claret wine, butter, and salt, save the gravie, and put it with the oisters into a dish to stew with some anchovies, and claret wine: when your meat is enough, rub the dish with a shelot, and lay your meat in it, and then put some capers into your sauce, and pour over it, so serve it in; garnish your dish with olives, capers, and samphire. . _to rost a calves head with oisters._ split your calves head as to boil, and let it lie in water a while, then wash it well, and cut out the tongue, then boil your head a little, also the tongue and brains, then mince the brains and tongue with a little sage, oisters and marrow put amongst it when it is minced, three or four eggs well beaten, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, grated bread and salt, and a little sack, make it pretty thick, then take the head and fill it with this, and bind it close, and spit it and rost it, and save the gravie which comes from it in a dish, baste it well with butter, put to this gravie some oisters, and some sweet herbs minced fine, a little white wine, and a sliced nutmeg; when the head is rosted, set the dish of sauce upon hot coals with some butter and a little salt, and the juice of an orange, beat it up thick and dish your head, and serve it in with this sauce; garnish your dish with stewed oisters and barberries. . _sauce for woodcocks snites._ when you spit your fowl, put in an onion in the belly, when it is rosted, take the gravie of it, and some claret wine, and an anchovie with a little pepper and salt, so serve them. . _to make sauce for partridges._ take grated bread, water and salt, and a whole onion boiled together, when it is well boiled, take out the onion, and put in minced limon, and a piece of butter, and serve them in with it. . _to rost larks with bacon._ when your larks are pull'd and drawn, wash them and spit them with a thin slice of bacon and a sage leaf between the legs of every one, make your sauce with the juice of oranges and a little claret wine, and some butter, warm them together, and serve them up with it. . _to make sauce for quails._ take some vine leaves dried before the fire in a dish and mince them, then put some claret wine and a little pepper and salt to it, and a piece of butter, and serve them with it. this sauce is also for rosted pigeons. . _to rost a whole pig without the skin, with a pudding in his belly._ make ready the pig for the spit, then spit it and lay it down to the fire, and when you can take off the skin, take it from the fire and flay it, then put such a pudding as you love into the belly of it, then sew it up, and stick it with thyme and limon pill, and lay it down again, and rost it and bast it with butter, and set a dish under it to catch the gravie, into which put a little sliced nutmeg, and a little vinegar, and a little limon and some butter; heat them together: when your pig is enough, bread it, but first froth it up with butter and a little salt, then serve it in with this sauce to the table with the head on. . _to fry artichokes._ take the bottoms of artichokes tenderly boiled, and dip them in beaten eggs and a little salt, and fry them with a little mace shred among the eggs; then take verjuice, butter and sugar, and the juice of an orange, dish your artichokes, and lay on marrow fried in eggs to keep it whole, then lay your sauce, or rather pour it on, and serve them in. . _to make toasts of veal._ take a rosted kidney of veal, cold and minced small, put to it grated bread, nutmeg, currans, sugar and salt, with some almonds blanched and beaten with rosewater, mingle all these together with beaten eggs and a little cream, then cut thin slices of white bread, and lay this compound between two of them, and so fry them, and strew sugar on them, and serve them in. . _to make good pancakes._ take twenty eggs with half the whites, and beat them well and mix them with fine flower and beaten spice, a little salt, sack, ale, and a little yeste, do not make your batter too thin, then beat it well, and let it stand a little while to rise, then fry them with sweet lard or with butter, and serve them in with the juice of orange and sugar. . _to fry veal._ cut part of a leg of veal into thin slices, and hack them with the back of a knife, then season them with beaten spice and salt, and lard them well with hogs lard, then chop some sweet herbs, and beat some eggs and mix together and dip them therein, and fry them in butter, then stew them with a little white wine and some anchovies a little while, then put in some butter, and shake them well, and serve them in with sliced limon over them. . _to make good paste._ take to a peck of fine flower three pound of butter, and three eggs, and a little cold cream, and work it well together, but do not break your butter too small, and it will be very fine crust, either to bake meat in, or fruit, or what else you please. it is also a very fine dumplin, if you make it into good big rolls, and boil them and butter them, or roul some of it out thin, and put a great apple therein, and boil and butter them, with rosewater, butter and sugar. . _to make good paste to raise._ take to a peck of flower two pounds of butter and a little tried suet, let them boil with a little water or milk, then put two eggs into your flower, and mix them well together, then make a hole in the middle of your flower, and put in the top of your boiling liquor, and so much of the rest as will make it in to a stiff paste, then lay it into a warm cloth to rise. . _paste for cold baked meats._ take to every peck of flower one pound of butter or a little more, with hot liquor as the other, and put a little dissolved isinglass in it, because such things require strength; you may not forget salt in all your pastes, and work these pastes made with hot liquor much more than the other. . _to make a veal pie in summer._ take thin slices of a fillet of veal, then having your pie ready and butter in it, lay in your veal seasoned with a little nutmeg and salt so cover it with butter, and close it and bake it, then against it be drawn, scald some goosberries or grapes in sugar and water as to preserve, and when you open your pie, put in pieces of marrow boiled in white wine with a little blade of mace: then put these grapes or goosberries over all, or else some hard lettuce or spinage boiled and buttered. . _to make a pie of shrimps, or of prawns._ pick them clean from their shells, and have in readiness your pie with butter in the bottom, then lay in your fish with some large mace and nutmeg, and then butter again, and so bake it: then cut it up and put in some white wine and an anchovy or two, and some butter, and so serve them in hot; thus you may do with lobsters or crabs, or with crafish. . _to make a pie of larks, or of sparrows._ pluck your birds and draw them, then fill the bellies of them with this mixture following, grated bread, sweet herbs minced small, beef suet or marrow minced, almonds blanched and beated with rosewater, a little cream; beaten spice, and a little salt, some eggs and some currans, mix these together, and do as i have said, then having your pie ready raised or laid in your baking-pan, put in butter, and then fill it with birds. then put in nutmeg, pepper and salt, and put in the yolks of hard eggs, and some sweet herbs minced, then lay in pieces of marrow, and cover it with butter, and so close it and bake it; then cut it open and wring in the juice of an orange and some butter, and serve it. . _to make a lettuce pie._ take your cabbage lettuce and cut them in halves, wash them and boil them in water and salt very green, then drain them from the water, so having your pie in readiness, put in butter; then put in your boiled lettuce, with some marrow, raisins of the sun stoned, dates stoned and sliced thin, with some large mace, and nutmeg sliced, then put in more butter, close it and bake it; then cut it open, and put in verjuice, butter and sugar, and so serve it. [transcriber's note: no number in original] _to stew a neck of mutton._ put your neck of mutton cut in steaks into so much wine and water as will cover it, with some whole spice, let it stew till it be enough, then put in two anchovies, and a handful of capers, with a piece of sweet butter shake it very well, and serve it upon sippets. . _to make a pie of a rosted kidney of veal._ mince the kidney with the fat, and put to it some sweet herbs minced very small, a quarter of a pound of dates stoned, and sliced thin and minced, season it with beaten spice, sugar and salt, put in half a pound of currans, and some grated bread, mingle all these together very well with verjuice and eggs, and make them into balls, so put some butter into your pie, and then these balls, then more butter, so close it and bake it; then cut it open, and put in verjuice, butter and sugar made green with the juice of some spinage, add to it the yolks of eggs. . _to make a potato pie._ having your pie ready, lay in butter, and then your potatoes boiled very tender, then some whole spice and marrow, dates and the yolks of hard eggs blanched almonds, and pistacho nuts, the candied pills of citron, orange and limon, put in more butter close it and bake it, then cut it open, and put in wine, sugar, the yolks of eggs and butter. . _to make a pig pie._ spit a whole pigg and rost it till it will flay, then take it off the spit, and take off the skin, and lard it with hogs lard; season it with pepper, salt, nutmeg and sage, then lay it into your pie upon some butter, then lay on some large mace, and some more butter, and close it and bake it: it is either good hot or cold. . _to make a carp pie._ take a large carp and scale him, gut and wash him clean, and dry him well, then lay butter into your pie, and fill your carps belly with this pudding; grated bread, sweet herbs, and a little bacon minced small, the yolks of hard eggs and an anchovie minced, also a little marrow, nutmeg, and then put in a little salt, but a very little, and make some of this up in balls, then lard the carp, sew up his belly, and lay him into your pie, then lay in the balls of pudding, with some oysters, shrimps and capers, and the yolks of hard eggs and a little slices of bacon, then put in large mace and butter, so close it and bake it, then cut off the lid, and stick it full of pretty conceits made in paste, and serve it in hot. . _to make an almond tart._ take a quart of cream, and when it boils, put in half a pound of sweet almonds blanched and beaten with rosewater, boil them together till it be thick, always stirring it for fear it burn, then when it is cold, put in a little raw cream, the yolks of twelve eggs, and some beaten spice, some candied citron pill and eringo roots sliced, with as much fine sugar as will sweeten it, then fill your tart and bake it, and stick it with almonds blanched, and some citron pill, and strew on some small french comfits of several colours, and garnish your dish with almonds blanched, and preserved barberries. . _to make a dainty white-pot._ take a manchet cut like lozenges, and scald it in some cream, then put to it beaten spice, eggs, sugar and a little salt, then put in raisins, and dates stoned, and some marrow; do not bake it too much for fear it whey, then strew on some fine sugar and serve it in. . _to make a red deer pie._ bone your venison, and if it be a side, then skin it, and beat it with an iron pestle but not too small, then lay it in claret wine, and vinegar, in some close thing two days and nights if it be winter, else half so long, then drain it and dry it very well, and if lean, lard it with fat bacon as big as your finger, season it very high with all manner of spices and salt, make your pie with rye flower, round and very high, then lay store of butter in the bottom and bay leaves, then lay in your venison with more bay leaves and butter; so close it, and make a tunnel in the middle, and bake it as long as you do great loaves, when it is baked, fill it up with melted butter, and so keep it two or three months, serve it in with the lid off, and bay leaves about the dish; eat it with mustard and sugar. . _to make a pie of a leg of pork._ take a leg of pork well powdred and stuffed with all manner of good herbs, and pepper, and boil it very tender, then take off the skin, and stick it with cloves and sage leaves, then put it into your pie with butter top and bottom, close it and bake it, and eat it cold with mustard and sugar. . _to make a lamprey pie._ take your lamprey and gut him, and take away the black string in the back, wash him very well, and dry him, and season him with nutmeg, pepper and salt, then lay him into your pie in pieces with butter in the bottom, and some shelots and bay leaves and more butter, so close it and bake it, and fill it up with melted butter, and keep it cold, and serve it in with some mustard and sugar. . _to make a salmon pie._ take a joll of salmon raw, and scale it and lay it into your pie upon butter and bay leaves, then season it with whole spice and a little salt, then lay on some shrimps and oysters with some anchovies, then more spice and butter, so close the lid and bake it, but first put in some white wine, serve it hot, then if it wants, put in more wine and butter. . _to make a pudding of french barley._ take french barley tenderly boiled, then take to one pint of barley half a manchet grated, and four ounces of sweet almonds blanched and beeten with rosewater, half a pint of cream, and eight eggs with half the whites, season it with nutmeg, mace, sugar and salt, then put in some fruit, both raisins and currans, and some marrow, mingle these well together, and fill hogs guts with it. . _to make a hasty pudding in a bag or cloth._ boil a quart of thick cream with six spoonfuls of fine flower, then season it with nutmeg and salt, then wet a cloth, and flower it and butter it, then boil it, and butter it, and serve it in. . _to make a shaking pudding._ take a quart of cream and boil it, then put in some almonds blanched and beaten, when it is boiled and almost cold, put in eight eggs, and half the whites, with a little grated bread, spice and sugar, and a very little salt; then wet flower and butter, and put it in a cloth and boil it, but not too much, serve it in with rosewater, butter and sugar, and strew it with small french comfits. . _to make a haggus pudding._ take a calves chaldron well scowred, boiled, and the kernels taken out, mince it small, then take four or five eggs, and half the whites, some thick cream, grated bread, rosewater and sugar, and a little salt, currans and spice, and some sweet herbs chopped small, then put in some marrow or suet finely shred, so fill the guts, and boil them. . _to make an oatmeal pudding._ take the biggest oatmeal and steep it in warm cream one night, then put in some sweet herbs minced small, the yolks of eggs, sugar, spice, rosewater and a little salt, with some marrow, then butter a cloth, and boil it well, and serve it in with rosewater, butter and sugar. . _to make puddings of wine._ slice two manchets into a pint of white wine, and let your wine be first mulled with spice, and with limon pill, then put to it ten eggs well beaten with rosewater, some sugar and a little salt, with some marrow and dates, so bake it a very little, strew sugar on it, and serve it; instead of manchet you may use naples bisket, which is better. . _to make puddings with hogs lights._ parboil them very well, and mince them small with suet of a hog, then mix it with bread grated, and some cream and eggs, nutmeg, rosewater, sugar and a little salt, with some currans, mingle them well together, and fill the guts and boil them. . _to make stone cream._ boil a quart of cream with whole spice then pour it out into a dish, but let it be one quarter consumed in the boiling, then stir it till it be almost cold, then put some runnet into it as for a cheese, and stir it well together, and colour it with a little saffron, serve it in with sack and sugar. . _to make a posset pie with apples._ take the pulp of rosted apples and beat it well with sugar and rosewater to make it very sweet, then mix it with sweet cream, and the yolks of raw eggs, some spice and sack, then having your paste ready in your bake-pan, put in this stuff and bake it a little, then stick it with candied pills, and so serve it in cold. . _to dry pippins about_ christmas _or before._ when your houshold bread is drawn, then set in a dish full of pippins, and about six hours after take them out and lay them in several dishes one by one, and flat them with your hands a little, so do twice a day, and still set them into a warm oven every time till they are dry enough; then lay them into boxes with papers between every lay. . _to make snow cream._ take a quart of cream, and ounces of blanched almonds, beaten and strained, with half a pint of white wine, a piece of orange pill and a nutmeg sliced, and three sprigs of rosemary, mix these things together, and let them stand three hours, then strain it, and put the thick part into a deep dish, and sweeten it with sugar, then beat some cream with the whites of eggs till it be a thick froth, and cast the froth over it to a good thickness. . _to boil whitings or flounders._ boil some white wine, water, and salt, with some sweet herbs and whole spice; when it boils put in a little vinegar, for that will make fish crisp, then let it boil apace and put in your fish, and boil them till they swim, then take them out and drain them, and make sauce for them with some of the liquor and an anchovie or two, some butter and some capers, heat them over the fire, and beat it up thick and pour it over them; garnish your dish with capers and parsley, oranges and limons and let it be very hot when you serve it in. . _to make a pie of a gammon of bacon._ take a _westphalia_ gammon, and boil it tender with hay in the kettle, then take off the skin and stick it with cloves and strew it with pepper, then make your pie ready, and put it therein with butter at the bottom, then cover your bacon with oysters, parboiled in wine and their own liquor, and put in balls made of sausage meat, then put in the liquor of the parboiled oysters, some whole spice and bay leaves, with some butter, so close it, and bake it and eat it cold, you may put into it the yolks of hard eggs if you please, serve it with mustard sugar and bay leaves. . _to bake a bulloks cheek to be eaten hot._ take your cheek and stuff it very well with parsley and sweet herbs chopped, then put it into a pot with some claret wine and a little strong beer, and some whole spice, and so season it well with salt to your taste, and cover your pot and bake it, then take it out, and pull out the bones, and serve it upon tosted bread with some of the liquor. . _to bake a bullocks cheek to eat cold, as venison._ take a bullocks cheek, or rather two fair fat cheeks, and lay them in water one night, then take out every bone, and stuff it very well with all manner of spice and salt, then put it into a pot, one cheek clapped close together upon the other, then lay it over with bay leaves, and put in a quart of claret wine, so cover the pot and bake it with houshold bread, when you draw it, pour all the liquor out, and take only the fat of it and some melted butter, and pour in again, serve it cold with mustard and sugar, and dress it with bay leaves, it will eat like venison. . _to make a bacon froize._ take eight eggs well beaten, and a little cream, and a little flower, and beat them well together to be like other batter, then fry very thin slices of bacon, and pour some of this over, then fry it, and turn the other side, and pour more upon that, so fry it and serve it to the table. . _to make fryed nuts._ take eggs, flower, spice and cream, and make it into a paste, then make it into round balls and fry them, they must be as big as walnuts, be sure to shake them well in the pan and fry them brown, then roul some out thin, and cut them into several shapes, and fry them, so mix them together, and serve them in with spice beaten and sugar. . _to make a_ sussex _pancake._ take only some very good pie paste made with hot liquor, and roul it thin, and fry it with butter, and serve it in with beaten spice and sugar as hot as you can. . _to make a venison pasty._ take a peck of fine flower, and three pounds of fresh butter, break your butter into your flower, and put in one egg, and make it into a past with so much cold cream as you think fit, but do not mould it too much, then roul it pretty thin and broad, almost square, then lay some butter on the bottom, then season your venison on the fleshy side with pepper grosly beaten, and salt mixed, then lay your venison upon your butter with the seasoned side downward, and then cut the venison over with your knife quite cross the pasty to let the gravie come out the better in baking, then rub some seasoning in those cuts, and do not lay any else because it will make it look ill-favoured and black, then put some paste rouled thin about the meat to keep it in compass, and lay butter on the top, then close it up and bake it very well, but you must trim it up with several fancies made in the same paste, and make also a tunnel or vent, and just when you are going to set it into the oven, put in half a pint of clarret wine, that will season your venison finely, and make it shall not look or taste greasie, thus you may bake mutton if you please. . _to make a brave tart of several sweet meats._ take some puff-paste, and roule it very thin, and lay it in the bottom of your baking-pan, then lay in a lay of preserved rasberries, then some more paste very thin to cover them, then some currans preserved, and then a sheet of paste to cover them, then cherries, and another sheet to cover them, then any white sweet-meat, as pippins, white plumbs or grapes, so lid it with puff-paste, cut in some pretty fancy to shew the fruit, then bake it, and stick it full of candied pills, and serve it in cold. . _to make ice and snow._ take new milk and some cream and mix it together, and put it into a dish, and set it together with runnet as for a cheese, and stir it together, when it is come, pour over it some sack and sugar, then take a pint of cream and a little rosewater, and the whites of three eggs, and whip it to a froth with a birchen rod, then as the froth arises, cast it upon your cream which hath the runnet in it, till it lies deep, then lay on bunches of preserved barberries here and there carelesly, and cast more snow upon them, which will look exceeding well; then garnish your dish being broad brim'd with all kind of jellies in pretty-fancies, and several colours. . _to make a mutton pie._ cut a loin or neck of mutton in steaks, and season it with pepper and salt, and nutmeg, then lay it in your pie upon butter; then fill up your pie with apples sliced thin, and a few great onions sliced thin, then put in more butter, and close it and bake it, and serve it in hot. . _to poach eggs the best way._ boil vinegar and water together with a few cloves and mace, when it boiles break in your eggs, and turn them about gently with a tin slice till the white be hard, then take them up, and pare away what is not handsom, and lay them on sippets, and strew them over with plumped currans, then take verjuice, butter and sugar heat together, and pour over, and serve them in hot. . _a good sallad in winter._ take a good hard cabbage, and with a sharp knife shave it so thin as you may not discern what it is, then serve it with oil and vinegar. . _another sallad in winter._ take corn sallad clean picked and also well washed, and clear from the water, put it into a dish in some handsom form with some horse radish scraped, and some oil and vinegar. . _to make sorrel sopps for green geese or chickens, or for a sick body to eat alone._ take a good quantity of french sorrel clean picked, and stamp it in a mortar, then strain it into a dish, and set it over a chafing dish of coals, and put a little vinegar to it, then when it is thick by wasting, wring in the juice of a limon and sweeten it with sugar, and put in a little grated bread and nutmeg, then warm another dish with thin slices of white bread, and put some butter to your sorrel liquor, and pour over them, serve them in with slices of limon and fine sugar. . _to make green sauce for a powdred leg of pork, or for a spring._ take a great quantity of french sorrel, and pick out the strings and wash it well, and drain it clean from the water, then stamp it in a mortar till it be extream fine, then put in grated bread and beat it again, then a few currans and the yolks of hard eggs, and when it is beaten to a kind of pap, put in a little vinegar and sugar into it; so serve it in upon a plate with your meat. . _to make_ vin de molosso, _or treacle wine._ take fair water and make it so strong with molossoes, otherwise called treacle, as that it will bear an egg, then boil it with a bag of all kinds of spices, and a branch or two of rosemary, boil it and scum it, and put in some sweet herbs or flowers, according to the time of the year, boil it till a good part be consumed, and that it be very clear, then set it to cool in several things, and when it is almost cold, work it with yest, as you do beer, the next day put it into the vessel, and so soon as it hath done working stop it up close, and when it hath stood a fortnight, bottle it, this is a very wholesom drink against any infection, or for any that are troubled with the ptisick. . _for a consumption, an excellent medicine._ take shell snails, and cast salt upon them, and when you think they are cleansed well from their slime, wash them, and crack their shells and take them off, then wash them in the distilled water of hysop, then put them into a bag made of canvas, with some white sugar candy beaten, and hang up the bag, and let it drop as long as it will, which if you bruise the snails before you hang them up, it is the better; this liquor taken morning and evening a spoonful at a time is very rare. . _a suitable dish for lent._ take a large dish with broad brims, and in the middle put blanched almonds round about them, raisins of the sun, and round them figs, and beyond them all coloured jellies, and on the brims fig-cheese. . _to make a rock in sweet-meats._ first take a flat broad voiding basket, then have in readiness a good thick plum cake, then cut your cake fit to the bottom of the basket, and cut a hole in the middle of it, that the foot of your glass may go in, which must be a fountain-glass, let it be as high a one as you can get; put the foot of it in the hole of the cake edgling that it may stand the faster, then tie the cake fast with a tape to the basket, first cross one way and then another, then tie the foot of the glass in that manner too, that it may stand steady, then cut some odd holes in your cake carelesly, then take some gum dragon steeped in rosewater, and mix it with some fine sugar, not too thick, and with that you must fasten all your rock together, in these holes which you cut in your cake you must fasten some sort of biskets, as naples biskets, and other common bisket made long, and some ragged, and some coloured, that they may look like great ill-favoured, stones, and some handsome, some long, some short, some bigger, and some lesser, as you know nature doth afford, and some of one colour and some of another, let some stand upright and some aslannt, and some quite along, and fasten them all with your gum, then put in some better sweet-meats, as mackeroons and marchpanes, carelesly made as to the shape, and not put on the rock in a set form, also some rough almond cakes made with the long slices of almonds (as i have directed before;) so build it up in this manner, and fasten it with the gum and sugar, till it be very high, then in some places you must put whole quinces candied, both red and white, whole orange pills and limon pills candied; dried apricocks, pears and pippins candied, whole peaches candied, then set up here and there great lumps of brown and white sugar-candy upon the stick, which much resembles some clusters of fine stones growing on a rock; for sand which lies sometimes among the little stones, strew some brown sugar; for moss, take herbs of a rock candy; then you must make the likeness of snakes and snails and worms, and of any venomous creature you can think of; make them in sugar plate and colour them to their likeness, and put them in the holes that they may seem to lurk, and some snails creeping one way and some other; then take all manner of comfits, both rough and smooth, both great and small, and colour many of them, some of one colour and some of another, let some be white and some speckled, then when you have coloured them, and that they are dry, mix them together and throw them into the clefts, but not too many in one place, for that will hide the shape of your work, then throw in some chips of all sorts of fruit candied, as orange, limon, citron, quince, pear, and apples, for of all these you may make chips; then all manner of dryed plumbs, and cherries, cornelions dryed, rasps and currans; and in some places throw a few prunelles, pistacho nuts, blanched almonds, pine kernels, or any such like, and a pound of the great round perfumed comfits; then take the lid off the top of the glass and fill it with preserved grapes, and fill another with some harts-horn jelly, place these two far from one another, and if you set some kind of fowl, made in marchpanes, as a peacock, or such like, and some right feathers gummed on with gum arabick, let this fowl stand as though it did go to drink at the glass of harts-horn jelly, and then they will know who see it, that those two liquid glasses serve for resemblance of several waters in the rock. then make good store of oyster shells and cockle shells of sugar plate, let some be pure white as though the sea water had washed them, some brown on the outside, and some green, some as it were dirty, and others worn away in some places, some of them broke, and some whole, so set them here and there about the rock, some edgling, and some flat, some the hollow side upward, and some the other, then stick the moss, some upon the shells, and some upon the stones, and also little branches of candied fruits, as barberries, plums, and the like, then when all is done, sprinkle it over with rosewater, with a grain or two of musk or ambergreece in it; your glass must be made with a reasonable proportion of bigness to hold the wine, and from that, in the middle of it, there must be a conveyance to fall into a glass below it, which must have spouts for the wine to play upward or downward, then from thence in another glass below, with spouts also, and from thence it hath a conveyance into a glass below that, somewhat in form like a sillibub pot, where the wine may be drunk out at the spout; you may put some eringo roots, and being coloured, they will shew very well among the other sweet-meats, tie your basket about with several sorts of small ribbons: do not take this for a simple fancy, for i assure you, it is the very same that i taught to a young gentlewoman to give for a present to a person of quality. to the reader. _courteous reader, i think it not amiss, since i have given you, as i think, a very full direction for all kinds of food both for nourishment and pleasure, that i do shew also how to eat them in good order; for there is a time and season for all things: besides, there is not anything well done which hath not a rule, i shall therefore give you several bills of service for meals according to the season of the year, so that you may with ease form up a dinner in your mind quickly; afterwards i shall speak of ordering of banquets; but these things first, because banquets are most proper after meals. all you who are knowing already and vers'd in such things, i beseech you to take it only as a_ memorandum; _and to those who are yet unlearned, i presume they will reap some benefit by these directions; which is truly wished and desired by_ hanna woolley _alias_ chaloner. * * * * * _a bill of service for extraordinary feasts in the summer._ . a grand sallad. . a boiled capon or chickens. . a boiled pike or bream. . a florentine in puff paste. . a haunch of venison rosted. . a lomber pie. . a dish of green geese. . a fat pig with a pudding in the belly. . a venison pasty. . a chicken pie. . a dish of young turkeys. . a potato pie. . a couple of caponets. . a set custard. _the second course_ . a dish of chickens rosted. . souced conger or trouts. . an artichoke pie. . a cold baked meat. . a souced pig. . a dish of partridges. . an oringado pie. . a dish of quails. . another cold baked meat. . fresh salmon. . a dish of tarts. . a joll of sturgeon. _the third course._ . dish of fried perches. . a dish of green pease. . a dish of artichokes. . a dish of lobsters. . a dish of prawns or shrimps. . a dish of anchovies. . a dish of pickled oysters. . two or three dried tongues. * * * * * _another bill of fare for winter season._ . a collar of brawn. . a capon and white broth. . a boiled gurnet. . a dish of boiled ducks or rabbits. . a rosted tongue and udder. . a made dish in puff-paste. . a shoulder of mutton with oysters. . a chine of beef. . a dish of scotch collops of veal. . two geese in a dish. . an olive pie. . a pig. . a loin of veal. . a lark pie. . a venison pasty. . a dish of capons, two in a dish or three. . a dish of set custards. _the second course._ . young lamb cut in joints, three joints in a dish larded. . a couple of fat rabbets. . a kickshaw fried or baked. . a dish of rofted mallards. . a leash of partridges. . a pigeon pie. . four woodcocks in a dish. . a dish of teal, four or six. . a cold baked meat. . a good dish of plover. . twelve snites in a dish. . two dozen of larks in a dish. . another cold baked meat. _the third course._ . an oister pie hot. . a dish of fried puffs. . three or four dried neats tongues. . a joll of sturgeon. . laid tarts in puff-paste. . pickled oisters. . a dish of anchovies and caveare. . a warden pie or quince pie. _note_, that when your last course is ended, you must serve in your meat-jellies, your cheeses of several sorts, and your sweet-meats. * * * * * _a bill of fare for lesser feasts._ . an almond pudding boiled or baked. . a dish of boiled pigeons with bacon. . a leg of mutton, boiled with good sauce, or a leg of pork. . a dish of rosted olives of veal. . a dish of collops and eggs. .a piece of rosted beef. . a dish of scotch collops. . a loin of veal. . a fat pig rosted. . two turkies in a dish. . a venison pasty. . a dish of pheasants or partridges. . a dish of custards in little china pots. _the second course._ . three or four joints of lamb rosted asunder, though never so small. . a couple of rabbits. . a dish of mallard, teal or widgeon. . a leash of partridges or woodcocks. . a pigeon pie. . a dish of plovers or snites. . a dish of fat chickens rosted. . a warden or quince pie. . a sowced pig. . a dish of tarts of several sorts. . a dish of lobsters, or sturgeon. . a dish of pickled oysters. * * * * * _a bill of fare for fish days and fasting days in ember week, or in lent._ . a dish of butter newly churned. . a dish of rice milk or furmity. . a dish of buttered eggs. . a dish of stewed oysters. . a dish of gurnets boiled. . a boiled sallad. . a boiled pike or two carps stewed. . a dish of buttered loaves. . a pasty of ling. . a dish of buttered salt fish. . a dish of smelts. . a dish of white herrings broiled. . a potato pie or skirret pie. . a dish of flounders fryed. . an eel pie or carp pie. . a dish of fryed whitings. . a dish of salt salmon. . a dish of custards. . a joll of sturgeon. . a dish of pancakes or fritters. _the second course._ . a dish of eels spichcockt. . a fricasie of eels. . a dish of fryed puffs. . a dish of potatoes stewed. . a dish of fryed oysters. . a dish of blanched manchet. . an oyster pie with parsneps. . a pippin pie buttered. . a dish of buttered shrimps. . two lobsters rosted. . a dish of tarts of herbs. . a dish of souced fish. . a dish of pickled oysters. . a dish of anchovies and caveare. * * * * * _a bill of fare without feasting; only such a number of dishes as are used in great and noble houses for their own family, and for familiar friends with them._ _the first course in summer season._ . a fine pudding boiled or baked. . a dish of boiled chickens. . two carps stewed or a boiled pike. . a florentine in puff-paste. . a calves head, the one half hashed, and the other broiled. . a haunch of venison rosted. . a venison pasty. . a couple of fat capons, or a pig, or both. _the second course._ . a dish of partridges. . an artichoke pie. . a dish of quails. . a cold pigeon pie. . a souced pig. . a joll of fresh salmon. . a dish of tarts of several sorts. . a westphalia gammon and dried tongues about it. * * * * * _a bill of fare in winter in great houses._ . a collar of brawn. . a capon and white broth, or two boiled rabbits. . two rosted neats tongues and an udder between them. . a chine of beef rosted. . a made dish in puffpaste. . a shoulder of mutton stuffed with oysters. . a fine sallad of divers sorts of herbs and pickles. . an eel pie or some other pie. . three young turkies in a dish. . a dish of souced fish, what is most in season. _the second course in winter in great houses._ . a quarter of lamb rosted, the joints larded with several things, and rosted asunder. . a couple of rabbits. . a kickshaw fried. . a dish of mallard or teals. . a cold venison pasty, or other cold baked meat. . a dish of snites. . a quince or warden pie. . a dish of tarts. . a joll of sturgeon. . a dish of pickled oysters. * * * * * _a bill of fare for fish days in great houses and at familiar times._ . a dish of milk, as furmity, or the like. . a dish of stewed oysters or buttered eggs. . a boiled gurnet, or such like. . a dish of barrel cod buttered. . a dish of buttered loaves or fryed toasts. . a pasty made of a joll of ling. . a potato pie, or skirret pie. . a dish of plaice or flounders. . a piece of salt salmon. . a carp pie cold, or lamprey pie. _the second course to the same._ . a dish of eels spitchcockt. . a chine of salmon broiled. . a dish of oysters fryed. . an apple pie buttered. . a dish of fryed smelts. . a dish of buttered shrimps. . a dish of skirrets fryed. . two lobsters in a dish. . a dish of pickled oysters. . a dish of anchovies. when all these are taken away, then serve in your cheeses of all sorts, and also your creams and jellies, and sweet-meats after them, if they be required. thus i have done with the bills of fare in great houses, although it be impossible to name half which are in season for one meal; but this will serve you for the number of dishes, and any person who is ingenious, may leave out some, and put in other at pleasure. * * * * * _a bill of fare for gentlemens houses of lesser quality, by which you may also know how to order any family beneath another, which is very requisite._ _the first course in summer season._ . a boiled pike or carp stewed. . a very fine pudding boiled. . a chine of veal, and another of mutton. . a calves head pie. . a leg of mutton rosted whole. . a couple of capons, or a pig, or a piece of rost beef, or boiled beef. . a sallad, the best in season. _the second course to the same._ . a dish of fat chickens rosted. . a cold venison pasty. . a dish of fryed pasties. . a joll of fresh salmon. . a couple of lobsters. . a dish of tarts. . a gammon of bacon or dried tongues. after these are taken away, then serve in your cheese and fruit. _note_, that this bill of fare is for familiar times. * * * * * _a bill of fare for gentlemens houses at familiar times winter season._ _the first course._ . a collar of brawn. . a rosted tongue and udder. . a leg of pork boiled. . a piece of rost beef. . a venison pasty or other pie. . a marrow pudding. . a goose, or turkie, or pig. . a sallad of what's in season. _the second course to the same._ . two joints of lamb rosted. . a couple of rabbits. . a dish of wild fowl or larks. . a goose or turkie pie cold. . a fryed dish. . sliced venison cold. . a dish of tarts or custards. . a gammon of bacon, or dried tongues, or both in one dish. when these are taken away, serve in your cheese and fruit as before i have told you. * * * * * _a bill of fare for gentlemens houses upon fish days, and at familiar times._ . a dish of buttered eggs. . an almond pudding buttered. . a dish of barrel cod buttered. . a sallad of what's in season. . a dish of fresh fish boiled. . a dish of eels spitchcockt. . an oyster pie or herring pie. . a fricasie of eels and oysters. . a carp pie cold, or lamprey pie. _. the second course to the same._ . an apple pie buttered, or some pancakes or fritters. . a dish of fryed smelts. . a dish of broiled fish. . a dish of buttered crabs. . a dish of lobsters and prawns. . a joll of sturgeon or fresh salmon. . a dish of tarts or custards. . a dish of anchovies or pickled herring. when these are taken away, serve in your cheese and fruit as before i have told you. * * * * * now because i would have every one compleat who have a desire to serve in noble or great houses, i shall here shew them what their office requires; and, first, _for the kitchin, because without that we shall look lean, and grow faint quickly._ the cook, whether man or woman, ought to be very well skilled in all manner of things both fish and flesh, also good at pastry business, seasoning of all things, and knowing all kinds of sauces, and pickling all manner of pickles, in making all manner of meat jellies; also very frugal of their lords or of their masters, ladies or mistresses purse, very saving, cleanly and careful, obliging to all persons, kind to those under them, and willing to inform them, quiet in their office, not swearing nor cursing, nor wrangling, but silently and ingeniously to do their business, and neat and quick about it; they ought also to have a very good fancy: such an one, whether man or woman, deserves the title of a fit cook. * * * * * _for a maid under such a cook._ she ought to be of a quick and nimble apprehension, neat and cleanly in her own habit, and then we need not doubt of it in her office; not to dress her self, specially her head, in the kitchin, for that is abominable sluttish, but in her chamber before she comes down, and that to be at a fit hour, that the fire may be made, and all things prepared for the cook, against he or she comes in; she must not have a sharp tongue, but humble, pleasing, and willing to learn; for ill words may provoke blows from a cook, their heads being always filled with the contrivance of their business, which may cause them to be peevish and froward, if provoked to it; this maid ought also to have a good memory, and not to forget from one day to another what should be done, nor to leave any manner of thing foul at night, neither in the kitchin, nor larders, to keep her iron things and others clean scowred, and the floors clean as well as places above them, not to sit up junketing and gigling with fellows, when she should be in bed, such an one is a consumer of her masters goods, and no better than a thief; and besides, such behaviour favoureth much of levity. but such an one that will take the counsel i have seriously given, will not only make her superiours happy in a good servant, but she will make her self happy also; for by her industry she may come one day to be mistress over others. * * * * * _now to the butler._ he ought to be gentile and neat in his habit, and in his behaviour, courteous to all people, yet very saving of his masters goods, and to order himself in his office as a faithful steward, charge and do all things for the honour of his master or lady, not suffering their wine or strong drink to be devoured by ill companions, nor the small to be drawn out in waste, nor pieces of good bread to lie to mould and spoil, he must keep his vessels close stopped, and his bottles sweet, his cellars clean washed, and his buttery clean, and his bread-bins wholsom and sweet, his knives whetted, his glasses clean washed that there be no dimness upon them, when they come to be used, all his plate clean and bright, his table, basket and linnen very neat, he must be sure to have all things of sauce ready which is for him to bring forth, that it may not be to be fetched when it is called for, as oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard, oranges and limons, and also some pepper; he must also be very neat and handy in laying the clothes for the chief table, and also the side-boards, in laying his napkins in several fashions, and pleiting them, to set his glasses, plate, and trencher-plates in order upon the side-boards, his water-glasses, oranges or limons; that he be careful to set the salts on the table, and to lay a knife, spoon and fork at every plate, that his bread be chipped before he brings it in; that he set drink to warm in due time if the season require; that he observe a fit time to set chairs or stools, that he have his cistern ready to set his drink in; that none be spilt about the room, to wash the glasses when any one hath drunk, and to wait diligently on them at the table, not filling the glasses too full; such an one may call himself a butler. * * * * * _to the carver._ if any gentleman who attends the table, be employed or commanded to cut up any fowl or pig, or any thing else whatsoever, it is requisite that he have a clean napkin upon his arm, and a knife and fork for his use, that he take that dish he should carve from the table till he hath made it ready for his superiours to eat, and neatly and handsomly to carve it, not touching of it so near as he can with his fingers, but if he chance unawares to do so, not to lick his fingers, but wipe them upon a cloth, or his napkin, which he hath for that purpose; for otherwise it is unhandsom and unmannerly; the neatest carvers never touch any meat but with the knife and fork; he must be very nimble lest the meat cool too much, and when he hath done, return it to the table again, putting away his carving napkin, and take a clean one to wait withal; he must be very gentile and gallant in his habit, lest he be deemed unfit to attend such persons. * * * * * _to all other men-servants or maid-servants who commonly attend such tables._ they must all be neat and cleanly in their habit, and keep their heads clean kembed, always ready at the least call and very attentive to hear any one at the table, to set chairs or stools, and not to give any a foul napkin, but see that every one whom their lord or master is pleased to admit to their table, have every thing which is fit for them, and that they change their plates when need shall be; also that they observe the eyes of a stranger what they want, and not force them still to want because they are silent, because it is not very modest for an inferiour to speak aloud before their betters; and it is more unfit they should want, since they have leave to eat and drink: they must wait diligently, and at a distance from the table, not daring to lean on the chaires for soiling them, or shewing rudeness; for to lean on a chair when they wait, is a particular favour shewn to any superiour servant, as the chief gentleman, or the waiting woman when she rises from the table; they must not hold the plates before their mouths to be defiled with their breath, nor touch them on the right side; when the lord, master, lady or mistress shew that favour to drink to any inferiour, and do command them to fill for them to pledge them, it is not modesty for them to deny strangers that favour, as commonly they do, but to fulfill their commands, or else they dishonour the favour. when any dish is taken off the table, they must not set it down for dogs to eat, nor eat it themselves by the way, but haste into the kitchin with it to the cook, that he may see what is to be set away, and what to be kept hot for servants; when all is taken away, and thanks given, they must help the butler out with those things which belong to him, that he may not lose his dinner. they must be careful also to lay the cloth for themselves, and see that nothing be wanting at the table, and to call the rest of the servants to meals, whose office was not to wait at the table, then to sit down in a handsom manner, and to be courteous to every stranger, especially the servants of those persons whom their lord or master hath a kindness for. if any poor body comes to ask an alms, do not shut the door against them rudely, but be modest and civil to them, and see if you can procure somewhat for them, and think with your selves, that though you are now full fed, and well cloathed, and free from care, yet you know not what may be your condition another day: so much to inferiour servants. * * * * * _to the gentlewomen who have the charge of the sweet-meats, and such like repasts._ _gentlewomen_, perhaps you do already know what belongs to serving in fine cream cheeses, jellies, leaches or sweet-meats, or to set forth banquets as well as i do; but (pardon me) i speak not to any knowing person, but to the ignorant, because they may not remain so; besides really there are new modes come up now adays for eating and drinking, as well as for clothes, and the most knowing of you all may perhaps find somewhat here which you have not already seen; and for the ignorant, i am sure they may ground themselves very well from hence in many accomplishments, and truly i have taken this pains to impart these things for the general good of my country, as well as my own, and have done it with the more willingness, since i find so many gentlewomen forced to serve, whose parents and friends have been impoverished by the late calamities, _viz._ the late wars, plague, and fire, and to see what mean places they are forced to be in, because they want accomplishments for better. i am blamed by many for divulging these secrets, and again commended by others for my love and charity in so doing; but however i am better satisfied with imparting them, than to let them die with me; and if i do not live to have the comfort of your thanks, yet i hope it will cause you to speak well of me when i am dead: the books which before this i have caused to be put in print, found so good an acceptance, as that i shall still go on in imparting what i yet have so fast as i can. now to begin with the ordering those things named to you: if it be but a private dinner or supper in a noble house, where they have none to honour above themselves, i presume it may be thus: in summer time, when the meat is all taken away, you may present your several sorts of cream cheeses; one meal one dish of cream of one sort, the next of another; one or two scollop dishes with several sorts of fruit, which if it be small fruit, as rasps or strawberries, they must be first washed in wine in a dish or bason, and taken up between two spoons, that you touch them not. with them you may serve three or four small dishes also with sweet-meats, such as are most in season, with vine leaves and flowers between the dishes and the plates, two wet sweet-meats, and two dry, two of one colour, and two of another, or all of several colours. also a dish of jellies of several colours in one dish, if such be required. if any be left, you may melt them again, and put them into lesser glasses, and they will be for another time: if any dry ones be left, they are soon put into the boxes again. if any persons come in the afternoon, if no greater, or so great as the person who entertains them, then you may present one or two dishes of cream only, and a whipt sillibub, or other, with about four dishes of sweet-meats served in, in like manner as at dinner, with dishes of fruit, and some kind of wine of your own making; at evenings, especially on fasting days at night, it is fit to present some pretty kind of creams, contrary from those at dinner, or instead of them some possets, or other fine spoon meats, which may be pleasant to the taste, with some wet and dry sweet-meats, and some of your fine drinks, what may be most pleasing. at a feast, you may present these things following. so soon as the meat is quite taken away, have in readiness your cream cheeses of several sorts and of several of colours upon a salver, then some fresh cheese with wine and sugar, another dish of clouted cream, and a noch with cabbage cream of several colours like a cabbage; then all sorts of fruits in season, set forth as followeth: first, you must have a large salver made of light kind of wood, that it may not be too heavy for the servitor to carry, it must be painted over, and large enough to hold six plates round about and one larger one in the middle, there must be places made in it to set the plates in, that they may be very fast and sure from sliding, and that in the middle the seat must be much higher than all the rest, because that is most graceful; your plates must not be so broad as the trencher plates at meat, and should be either of silver or china. set your plates fast, then fill every one with several sorts of fruits, and the biggest sort in the middle, you must lay them in very good order, and pile them up till one more will not lie; then stick them with little green sprigs and fine flowers, such as you fancy best; then serve in another such salver, with plates piled up with all manner of sweet-meats, the wet sweet-meats round about and the dry in the middle, your wet sweet-meats must be in little glasses that you may set the more on, and between every two glasses another above the first of all, and one on the top of them all; you must put of all sorts of dryed sweet-meats in the middle plate, first your biggest and then your lesser, till you can lay no more; then stick them all with flowers and serve them: and in the bason of water you send in to wash the hands or fingers of noble persons, you must put in some orange flower water, which is very rare and very pleasant. in winter you must alter, as to the season, but serve all in this manner; and then dryed fruits will also be very acceptable; as dryed pears and pippins, candied oranges and limons, citrons and eringoes, blanched almonds, prunelles, figs, raisins, pistachoes and blanched walnuts. _finis._ the contents of the first part. a. artichoke cream. almond pudding. almond pudding. artichokes kept. almond jelly white. almond paste. almond butter. apricocks dried. apricocks in lumps. apricocks dried clear. almond bread. almond milk. ib. angelica candied. apricocks preserved. almond bakes. almonds candied. almond butter white. artificial walnuts. almond ginger-bread. ale to drink speedily. ale very rare. aqua mirabilis. b. bisket pudding. black pudding. bisket very fine. banbury cake. barberries candied. bean bread. barberries preserved without fire. bullace preserved. black juice of licoras. barberries preserved. bisket cake. balm water green. bisket orange, limon or citron. c. clouted cream. cream of divers things. curd pudding. clove sugar. cinamon sugar. ib. cake without sugar. cullis or jelly. comfits of all sorts. caudle for a sick body. candy as hard as a rock. caroway cake. cherries in jelly. cordial for sleep. , consumption. cordial syrup. ib. cornish cake. ib. cakes very fine. cider clear. clear perry. ib. caroway cake. cake. cornelions preserved. currans in jelly. custard for a consumption. ib. chips of fruit. chips of orange or limon. candied carrots. conserve of barberries. cordial most excellent. cakes to keep long. cakes with almonds. , court perfumes. china broth. cristal jelly. ib. conserve of violets. cakes very good. cakes of violets. collops like bacon in sweet meats. cough of the lungs. ib. cordial infusion. cakes very short. conserve of red roses. cucumbers pickled. cake with almonds. cake with almonds. cordial. cake without fruit. consumption. chine cough. ib. cream. ib. cabbage-cream. cakes of quinces. consumption ale. ib. consumption. ib. cream very fine. cucumbers pickled. candied flowers. clouted cream. cough of the lungs. cordial. cordial. cock-water most excellent. cordial cherry water. cordial orange water. d. damask powder for cloths. dumplings. dumplings. ib. dumplings. ib. distilled roses. diet bread. damsons preserved. damsons preserved white. damson wine. devonshire white-pot. doctor butlers water. doctor chambers water. e. elder water. f. french bisket. flowers candied. figs dried. flowers the best way to candy. froth posset. flowers kept long. french bread. g. green pudding. green ginger wet. grapes dried. grapes kept fresh. ginger-bread. green walnuts preserved. gooseberries preserved. gooseberry fool. grapes preserved. gooseberry wine. gooseberries green. griping of the guts. h. hipocras. heart water. i. irish aquavitæ. italian bisket. jumbolds. jelly of pippins. jelly of quinces. jelly of harts-horn. juice of licoras white. jelly very good. iringo root candied. jelly of currans. l. lemonalo. limon sallad. leach white. leach yellow. leach of ginger. ib. leach of cinamon. ib. leach of dates. ib. limons preserved. leach. lozenges perfumed. limon cream. [transcriber's note: there are no page numbers in the original for some of the following entries.] limon cakes. limon water. m. mustard. mustard. marmalade of limons. marmalade of oranges. musk sugar. marmalade of quinces. mushroms pickled. marmalade of cherries. marmalade of oranges. marmalade of cornelions. marmalade white. medlars preserved. marmalade of pippins. marmalade of wardens. marmalade of damsons. marchpane. marmalade of apricocks. morphew or freckles. marmalade of oranges. made dish. marmalade of cherries and currans. marmalade of apricocks. melancholy water. n. naples bisket. o. oatmeal pudding. oranges in jelly preserv'd. orange pudding. oranges and limons to preserve. p. pickled oysters. pickled french beans. ib. pickled barberries. poudered beef kept long. pudding to rost. pudding of calves feet. ib. pudding of rasberries. pudding of hogs liver. ib. pudding of cake. pudding of rice. paste of pomewaters. punch. prunes stewed without fire. ib. pickled oranges or limmons. potato bisket. ib. parsnep bisket. paste short without butter. puffpaste. puffpaste. ib. pistacho cakes. powder for the hair. pears or pippins dried. pippins dry and clear. perfume to burn. perfumed gloves. ib. perfume to burn. pomatum. pippins in jelly. posset. ib. posset with sack. posset. ib. plumbs dried. preserved pears dried. pretty sweet-meat. paste for the hands. plumbs dried naturally. pears dried. pippins dried. pippins green preserved. peaches preserved. ib. phtisick drink. paste of pippins. paste royal. paste of pippins. paste of plumbs. ib. plain bisket cake. posset without milk. pennado. purslane pickled. portugal eggs. perfumed roses. palsie water by dr. mathias. plague water. precious water. plague water. q. quaking pudding. quince pickled. r. roses kept long. rose leaves dried. red quinces whole. rasberry sugar. rasberry wine. red roses preserved. rasberries preserved. rosa solis. rosemary water. s. scotch brewis. syrup of rasberries, or other fruits, as grapes, &c. syrup of citrons. sugar plate. syrup of roses or other flowers. sack posset. sillibub. spanish candy. syrup of gilliflowers. seed stuff of rasberries. syrup for a cough. syrup of violets. syrup for a cold. syrup of turneps. signs of small pox taken away. sugar plate. snow cream. shrewsberry cakes. sillibub. sack posset. sheeps guts stretched. samphire boiled. stepony or raisin wine. ib. sillibub whipt. syrup of ale. ib. syrup of turneps. sugar cakes. signs of small pox taken away. surfet water the best. , sweet water. snail water. spirit of oranges and limons. spirit of mints. soveraign water. t. to cast all kinds of shapes and to colour them. tuff taffity cream. thick cream. trifle. tincture of caroways. treacle water. & w. walnuts kept long. white plates to eat. white quinces preserved. water gruel. wafer. water against infection. wormwood water. walnut water. water for the stone. water for fainting. the end of the contents of the first part. the contents of the second part. a. artichoke suckers dressed. artichoke cream. artichoke pie. artichoke pudding. artichokes kept long. artichokes stewed. artichokes fryed. artichoke pudding. almond pudding. apple tansie. an amulet. almond pudding. angelot cheese. apple puffs. almond tart. b. brown metheglin. beef collered. barly cream. barly broth without meat. barly broth with meat. balls to take out stains. broth of a lambs head. beef-pie very good. blanched manchet. bullocks cheek baked to eat hot. bullocks cheek baked to eat cold. ib. bacon froize. c. cheesecakes. cheesecakes. chicken pie. collar of brawn. capon boiled. cracknels. codling cream. cheese very stood. cucumbers boiled. collops of bacon and eggs. cabbage pottage. capon with white broth. calves foot pie. ib. carp pie. calves head pie. calves chaldron pie with puddings in it. coleflower pickled. cheese loaves. custards very fine. cods head boiled. chicken pie. capon boiled. chickens boiled with goosberries. chickens baked with grapes. capon baked. cambridge pudding. chiveridge pudding. calves tongue hashed. capon boiled. ib. capon boiled with rice. capon boiled with pippins. ib. chickens boiled with lettuce. chickens smoored. calves feet hashed. chickens in white broth. capon rosted with oysters. calves head with oysters. carp pie. consumption remedy. d. dried tongues. delicate pies. ducks boiled. e. elder vinegar. eels and pike together. eels rosted with bacon. eels and oister pie. egg pie. eel pie. eel souced and collered. ib. eels stewed. eels in broth. f. fresh cheese. furmity. furmity with meat broth. furmity with almonds. ib. french pottage. fricasies of several sorts. fricasie of sheeps feet. fried toasts. fritters. fricasie of oisters. fricasie of eels. ib. fresh salmon boiled. french broth. fine washing balls for the hands. french servels. florentine baked. friday pie without fish or flesh. ib. fritters. farced pudding. fricasie of eggs. french puffs. flounders boiled. g. green tansie. gravie broth. goose dried. goose giblets with sausages. garden beans dried. gurnet boiled. goose baked. goose giblets boiled with roots and herbs. goose giblets boiled. grand sallad. gammon of bacon pie. green sauce for pork. h. hasty pudding. hasty pudding. ib. hasty pudding. ib. hare pie. hashed meats. herring pie. herb pie. haunch of venison rosted. haunch of venison boiled. haggus pudding. hasty pudding. ib. i. italian pudding. ice and snow. k. kickshaws to bake or fry. l. lobsters buttered. liver fritters. loaves to butter. limon cakes. loaves of curds. lobsters rosted. lamb pie. leg of mutton rosted. leg of mutton boiled. leg of mutton with oysters. loin of mutton stewed. lark pie. lettuce pie. lampry pie. lenten dish. m. [transcriber's note: heading omitted in original.] metheglin. misers for childrens collation. minced pies. made dish of rabbet livers. mutton smoored. mutton smoored. mutton pie. n. neats tongue pie. neats tongue rosted. neats tongue hashed. neck of mutton boiled. neck of mutton stewed. nuts fried. o. oatmeal pudding. olio of several meats. oysters and eels in a pie. oysters and parsneps in a pie. oyster pie. oranges and limons in jelly. oisters fried. oisters broiled. ib. oysters rosted. ib. olives of veal. oatmeal pudding. oat-cakes. olive pie. p. puddings in balls. pigeons boiled. pasty of veal. pigeon pie. ib. pork rosted without the skin. pig rosted like lamb. potted fowl. parsnep pie with oysters. pig pie. pudding of manchet. pompion pie. pompion fryed. ib. pike rosted and larded. pomander very fine. pompion pie. pickled sprats. pasty of ling. pallat pie. pippin pie. pasties to fry. pigeons boiled with rice. pigeons boiled with gooseberries. ib. pippin tart. pancakes crisp. pudding of goose bloud. pudding of liver. pigeons boiled with capers and samphire. partridges boiled. pike boiled with oysters. pig rosted with a pudding in his belly. pippins stewed. pig rosted without the skin with a pudding in his belly. pancakes very good. paste very good. paste to raise. ib. paste for baked meat to eat cold. pie of veal. pie of shrimps or prawns. pie of rosted kidney. potato pie. pig pie. pork pie. pudding of french barlie. pomander very fine. pudding of wine. pudding of hogs lights. posset pie. pippins dried. poached eggs. pippin paste. pippins stewed. q. quodling cream. quinces to look white. quince pie very good. r. rump of beef boiled. rolls for noble tables. rolls very short. rasberry tarts. rabbets with sausages. rice cream. rabbet boiled. rice pudding. rabbet boiled with grapes. rabbet boiled with claret. ib. red deer pie. rock of sweet meats. s. souced veal. sauce for mutton. summer dish. souced pig. several sallads. several sallads. ib. soles dressed very fine. spinage tart. stewed fish. ib. spanish pap. sallad of cold meat. sheeps tongues with oysters. ib. scotch collops. shoulder of venison, or shoulder of mutton rosted in blood. stewed pig. ib. steak pie with puddings. salmon dressed by infusion. stewed carps in blood. stump pie. sauce for fowl. sorrel sallad. sallad cold. ib. sauce for veal. sauce for a leg of mutton. souced fish. swan baked. small birds baked. stewed pudding. sussex pudding. sausages boiled. shell-fish fryed. steak pie. shoulder of venison rosted. sallads boiled. shoulder of veal boiled. stewed broth good. sallad of salmon. shoulder of mutton with oysters. stewed artichokes. sauce for fowl. sauce for partridges. sauce for quails. salmon pie. shaking pudding. stone cream. snow cream. sussex pancake. snow and ice. sallad in winter. sallad in winter. sorrel sops. t. to boil a teal or wigeon. turkey baked. trouts stewed. toasts of veal fried. tarts of several sweet-meats. treacle wine. v. venison baked to keep. umble pies. veal smoored. veal rosted with farcing herbs. veal fried. venison pasty. vin de molosso. w. white broth with meat. white broth without meat. ib. white pot. whitings boiled. _postscript._ now good readers, here are three hundred and ten choice receipts added for a second part of the _queen-like closet_, and you may, i am sure, make many more of them if you observe how many i have taught in one; if i had not taken that course, only for brevity sake, & that it might not be tedious and impertinent to you, i might have enlarged this volume very much. _finis._ file made using scans of public domain works from biblioteca de la universitat de barcelona.) [unless otherwise noted, spelling and punctuation are unchanged. errors are listed at the end of the text.] the accomplisht cook, or the art & mystery of cookery. wherein the whole art is revealed in a more easie and perfect method, than hath been publisht in any language. expert and ready ways for the dressing of all sorts of flesh, fowl, and fish, with variety of sauces proper for each of them; and how to raise all manner of _pastes_; the best directions for all sorts of _kickshaws_, also the _terms_ of _carving_ and _sewing_. an exact account of all _dishes_ for all _seasons_ of the year, with other _a-la-mode curiosities_. the fifth edition, with large additions throughout the whole work: besides two hundred figures of several forms for all manner of bak'd meats, (either flesh, or fish) as, pyes tarts, custards; cheesecakes, and florentines, placed in tables, and directed to the pages they appertain to. approved by the fifty five years experience and industry of _robert may_; in his attendance on several persons of great honour. _london_, printed for _obadiah blagrave_ at the _bear_ and _star_ in st. _pauls church-yard_, . * * * * * * * * * _contents_ [added by transcriber using author's section headings.] directions for the order of carving fowl. bills of fare for every season in the year section i: perfect directions for the a-la-mode ways of dressing all manner of boyled meats, with their several sauces, &c. to make several sorts of puddings. sheeps haggas puddings. to make any kind of sausages. to make all manner of hashes. pottages. divers made dishes or _capilotado's_. section ii: an hundred and twelve excellent wayes for the dressing of beef. section iii: the a-la-mode ways of dressing the heads of any beasts. section iv: the rarest ways of dressing of all manner of roast meats, either of flesh or fowl, by sea or land, with their sauces that properly belong to them. section v: the best way of making all manner of sallets. section vi: to make all manner of carbonadoes, either of flesh or fowl; as also all manner of fried meats of flesh, collops and eggs, with the most exquisite way of making pancakes, fritters, and tansies. section vii: the most excellent ways of making all sorts of puddings. section viii: the rarest ways of making all manner of souces and jellies. section ix: the best way of making all manner of baked meats. section x: to bake all manner of curneld fruits in pyes, tarts, or made dishes, raw or preserved, as quinces, warden, pears, pippins, &c. section xi: to make all manner of made dishes, with or without paste. section xii: to make all manner of creams, sack-possets, sillabubs, blamangers, white-pots, fools, wassels, &c. section xiii: the first section for dressing of fish. shewing divers ways, and the most excellent, for dressing of carps, either boiled, stewed, broiled, roasted, or baked, &c. section xiv: the second section of fish. shewing the most excellent ways of dressing of pikes. section xv: the third section for dressing of fish. the most excellent ways of dressing salmon, bace, or mullet. section xvi: the fourth section for dressing of fish. shewing the exactest ways of dressing turbut, plaice, flounders, and lampry. section xvii: the fifth section of fish. shewing the best way to dress eels, conger, lump, and soals. section xviii: the sixth section of fish. the a-la-mode ways of dressing and ordering of sturgeon. section xix: the seventh section of fish. shewing the exactest ways of dressing all manner of shell-fish. section xx: to make all manner of pottages for fish-days. section xxi: the exactest ways for the dressing of eggs. section xxii: the best ways for the dressing of artichocks. section xxiii: shewing the best way of making diet for the sick. section xxiv: excellent ways for feeding of poultrey. [index] the table [publisher's advertising] * * * * * * * * * _to the right honourable my _lord montague,_ my _lord lumley,_ and my _lord dormer;_ and to the right worshipful sir _kenelme digby,_ so well known to this nation for their admired hospitalities._ _right honourable, and right worshipful_, he is an alien, a meer stranger in _england_, that hath not been acquainted with your generous house-keepings; for my own part my more particular tyes of service to you my honoured lords, have built me up to the height of this experience, for which this book now at last dares appear to the world; those times which i tended upon your honours were those golden days of peace and hospitality when you enjoyed your own, so as to entertain and releive others. right honourable, and right worshipful, i have not only been an eye-witness, but interested by my attendance; so as that i may justly acknowledge those triumphs and magnificent trophies of cookery that have adorned your tables; nor can i but confess to the world, except i should be guilty of the highest ingratitude, that the only structure of this my art and knowledge, i owed to your costs, generous and inimitable epences; thus not only i have derived my experience, but your country hath reapt the plenty of your humanity and charitable bounties. right honourable, and right worshipful, hospitality which was once a relique of the gentry, and a known cognizance to all ancient houses, hath lost her title through the unhappy and cruel disturbances of these times, she is now reposing of her lately so alarmed head on your beds of honour: in the mean space that our english world may know the _mecæna_'s and patrons of this generous art, i have exposed this volume to the publick, under the tuition of your names; at whose feet i prostrate these endeavours, and shall for ever remain _your most humble devoted servant._ _robert may._ _from _soleby_ in _leicestershire_, september . ._ _to the master cooks, and to such young practitioners of the art of cookery, to whom this book may be useful._ to you first, most worthy artists, i acknowledg one of the chief motives that made me to adventure this volume to your censures, hath been to testifie my gratitude to your experienced society; nor could i omit to direct it to you, as it hath been my ambition, that you should be sensible of my proficiency of endeavours in this art. to all honest well intending men of our profession, or others, this book cannot but be acceptable, as it plainly and profitably discovers the _mystery_ of the _whole art_; for which, though i may be _envied by some that only value their private interests above posterity, and the publick good_, yet god and my own conscience would not permit me _to bury these my experiences with my silver hairs in the grave_: and that more especially, as the advantages of my education hath raised me above the _ambitions_ of others, in the converse i have had with other _nations_, who in this _art_ fall short of what i _have known experimented by you my worthy country men_. howsoever, the _french by their insinuations, not without enough of ignorance_, have bewitcht some of the _gallants of our nation_ with epigram dishes, smoakt rather than drest, so strangely to captivate the _gusto_, their _mushroom'd experiences_ for _sauce_ rather than _diet_, for the generality howsoever called _a-la-mode_, not worthy of being taken notice on. as i live in _france_, and had the language and have been an eye-witness of their _cookeries_ as well, as a peruser of their manuscripts, and printed _authors_ whatsoever i found good in them, i have inserted in this _volume_. i do acknowledg my self not to be a little beholding to the _italian_ and _spanish_ treatises; though without my fosterage, and bringing up under the _generosities_ and _bounties of my noble patrons and masters_, i could never have arrived to this _experience_. to be confined and limited to the narrowness of a purse, is to want the _materials_ from which the _artist_ must gain his knowledge. those _honourable persons_, _my lord_ lumley, and others, with whom i have spent a part of my time, were such whose generous cost never weighed the expence, so that they might arrive to that right and high esteem they had of their _gusto's_. whosoever peruses this _volume_ shall find it amply exemplified in _dishes_ of such high prices, which only these _noblesses hospitalities_ did reach to: i should have sinned against their (to be perpetuated) bounties, if i had not set down their several varieties, that the _reader_ might be as well acquainted with what is extraordinary, as what is ordinary in this _art_; as i am truly sensible, that some of those things that i have set down will amaze a not thorow-paced _reader_ in the _art of cookery_, as they are delicates, never till this time made known to the world. _fellow cooks_, that i might give a testimony to my _countrey_ of the _laudableness of our profession_, that i might encourage young undertakers to make a progress in the _practice of this art_, i have laid open these experiences, as i was most unwilling to hide my talent, but have ever endeavoured to do good to others; i acknowledge that there hath already been _several books publisht_, and amongst the rest some out of the _french_, for ought i could perceive to very little purpose, _empty and unprofitable treatises_, of as little use as some _niggards kitchens_, which the _reader_ in respect of the confusion of the method, or barrenness of those _authors_ experience, hath rather been puzled then profited by; as those already extant authors have trac't but one common beaten road, repeating for the main what others have in the same homely manner done before them: it hath been my task to denote some _new faculty or science_, that others have not yet discovered; this the _reader_ will quickly discern by those _new terms of art_ which he shall meet withal throughout this _whole volume_. some things i have inserted of _carving and sewing_ that i might demonstrate the whole art. in the contrivance of these my labours, i have so managed them for the general good, that those whose purses cannot reach to the cost of rich dishes, i have descended to their meaner expences, that they may give, though upon a sudden treatment, to their kindred, friends, allies and acquaintance, a handsome and relishing entertainment in all seasons of the year, though at some distance from towns or villages. nor have my serious considerations been wanting amongst direction for diet how to order what belongs to the sick, as well as to those that are in health; and withal my care hath been such, that in this book as in a closet, is contained all such secrets as relate to _preserving_, _conserving_, _candying_, _distilling_, and such rare varieties as they are most concern'd in the _best husbandring and huswifering_ of them. nor is there any book except that of the _queens closet_, which was so _enricht with receipts_ presented to her _majesty_, as yet that i ever saw in any _language_, that ever contained so many _profitable experiences, as in this volume_: in all which the _reader_ shall find most of the _compositions_, and mixtures easie to be prepared, most pleasing to the palate, and not too chargeable to the purse; since you are at liberty to employ as much or as little therein as you please. in this edition i have enlarged the whole work; and there is added two hundred several figures of all sorts of pies, tarts, custards, cheesecakes, &c. more than was in the former: you will find them in tables directed to the _folio_ they have relation to; there being such variety of forms, the artists may use which of them they please. it is impossible for any _author_ to please all people, no more than the best cook can fancy their palats whose mouths are always out of taste. as for those who make it their business to hide their candle under a bushel, to do only good to themselves, and not to others, such as will curse me for revealing the secrets of this art, i value the discharge of my own conscience, in doing good, above all their malice; protesting to the whole world, that i have not _concealed any material secret_ of above my _fifty and five years experience_; my father _being a cook_ under whom in my child-hood i was bred up in this art. to conclude, the diligent peruser of this _volume_ gains that in a small time (as to the _theory_) which an _apprenticeship_ with some _masters_ could never have taught them. i have no more to do, but to desire of god a blessing upon these my endeavours; and remain. _yours in the most ingenious ways of friendship_, robert may. sholeby in leicestershire, _sept. . _. _a short narrative of some passages of the authors life._ for the better knowledge of the worth of this book, though it be not usual, the _author_ being living, it will not be amiss to acquaint the _reader_ with a breif account of some passages of his life, as also the eminent persons (renowned for their house-keeping) whom he hath served through the whole series of his life; for as the growth of children argue the strength of the parents, so doth the judgment and abilities of the artist conduce to the making and goodness of the work: now that such great knowledge in this commendable art was not gained but by long experience, practise, and converse with the most able men in their times, the _reader_ in this breif narrative may be informed by what steps and degrees he ascended to the same. he was born in the year of our lord . his father being one of the ablest _cooks_ in his time, and his first tutor in the knowledge and practice of cookery; under whom having attained to some perfection in this art, the old lady _dormer_ sent him over into _france_, where he continued five years, being in the family of a noble peer, and first president of _paris_; where he gained not only the _french_ tongue but also bettered his knowledge in his _cookery_, and returning again into _england_, was bound an apprentice in _london_ to mr. _arthur hollinsworth_ in _newgate market_, one of the ablest work-men in _london_, cook to the _grocers hall and star chamber_. his apprentiship being out, the lady _dormer_ sent for him to be her cook under father (who then served that honourable lady) where were four cooks more, such noble houses were then kept, the glory of that, and the shame of this present age; then were those golden days wherein were practised the _triumphs and trophies of cookery_; then was hospitality esteemed, neighbourhood preserved, the poor cherished, and god honoured; then was religion less talkt on, and more practised; then was atheism & schism less in fashion: then did men strive to be good, rather then to seem so. here he continued till the lady _dormer_ died, and then went again to _london_, and served the lord _castlehaven_, after that the lord _lumley_, that great lover and knower of art, who wanted no knowledge in the discerning this mystery; next the lord _montague_ in _sussex_; and at the beginning of these wars, the countess of _kent_, then mr. _nevel_ of _crissen temple_ in _essex_, whose ancestors the _smiths_ (of whom he is descended) were the greatest maintainers of hospitality in all those parts; nor doth the present m. _nevel_ degenerate from their laudable examples. divers other persons of like esteem and quality hath he served; as the lord _rivers_, mr. _john ashburnam_ of the bed-chambers, dr. _steed_ in _kent_, sir _thomas stiles_ of _drury lane_ in _london_, sir _marmaduke constable_ in _york-shire_, sir _charles lucas_; and lastly the right honourable the lady _englefield_, where he now liveth. thus have i given you a breif account of his life, i shall next tell you in what high esteem this noble art was with the ancient romans: _plutarch_ reports, that _lucullus_ his ordinary diet was fine dainty dishes, with works of pastry, banketting dishes, and fruit curiously wrought and prepared; that, his table might be furnished with choice of varieties, (as the noble lord _lumley_ did) that he kept and nourished all manner of fowl all the year long. to this purpose he telleth us a story how _pompey_ being sick, the physitians willed him to eat a thrush, and it being said there was none to be had; because it was then summer; it was answered they might have them at _lucullus_'s house who kept both thrushes and all manner of fowl, all the year long. this _lucullus_ was for his hospitality so esteemed in _rome_, that there was no talk, but of his noble house-keeping. the said _plutarch_ reports how _cicero_ and _pompey_ inviting themselves to sup with him, they would not let him speak with his men to provide any thing more then ordinary; but he telling them he would sup in _apollo_, (a chamber so named, and every chamber proportioned their expences) he by this wile beguil'd them, and a supper was made ready estimated at fifty thousand pence, every _roman_ penny being seven pence half penny _english_ money; a vast sum for that age, before the _indies_ had overflowed _europe_. but i have too far digressed from the author of whom i might speak much more as in relation to his person and abilities, but who will cry out the sun shines? this already said is enough to satisfie any but the malicious, who are the greatest enemies to all honest endeavours. _homer_ had his _zoilus_, and _virgil_ his _bavius_; the best wits have had their detractors, and the greatest artists have been maligned; the best on't is, such works as these outlive their _authors_ with an honurable respect of posterity, whilst envious criticks never survive their own happiness, their lives going out like the snuff of a candle. _w. w._ _triumphs and trophies in cookery, to be used at festival times, as _twelfth-day_, &c._ make the likeness of a ship in paste-board, with flags and streamers, the guns belonging to it of kickses, bind them about with packthread, and cover them with close paste proportionable to the fashion of a cannon with carriages, lay them in places convenient as you see them in ships of war, with such holes and trains of powder that they may all take fire; place your ship firm in the great charger; then make a salt round about it, and stick therein egg-shells full of sweet water, you may by a great pin take all the meat out of the egg by blowing, and then fill it up with the rose-water, then in another charger have the proportion of a stag made of course paste, with a broad arrow in the side of him, and his body filled up with claret-wine; in another charger at the end of the stag have the proportion of a castle with battlements, portcullices, gates and draw-bridges made of past-board, the guns and kickses, and covered with course paste as the former; place it at a distance from the ship to fire at each other. the stag being placed betwixt them with egg shells full of sweet water (as before) placed in salt. at each side of the charger wherein is the stag, place a pye made of course paste, in one of which let there be some live frogs, in each other some live birds; make these pyes of course paste filled with bran, and yellowed over with saffron or the yolks of eggs, guild them over in spots, as also the stag, the ship, and castle; bake them, and place them with guilt bay-leaves on turrets and tunnels of the castle and pyes; being baked, make a hole in the bottom of your pyes, take out the bran, put in your frogs, and birds, and close up the holes with the same course paste, then cut the lids neatly up; to be taken off the tunnels; being all placed in order upon the table, before you fire the trains of powder, order it so that some of the ladies may be perswaded to pluck the arrow out of the stag, then will the claret-wine follow, as blood that runneth out of a wound. this being done with admiration to the beholders, after some short pause, fire the train of the castle, that the pieces all of one side may go off, then fire the trains, of one side of the ship as in a battel; next turn the chargers; and by degrees fire the trains of each other side as before. this done to sweeten the stink of powder, let the ladies take the egg-shells full of sweet waters and throw them at each other. all dangers being seemingly over, by this time you may suppose they will desire to see what is in the pyes; where lifting first the lid off one pye, out skip some frogs, which make the ladies to skip and shreek; next after the other pye, whence come out the birds, who by a natural instinct flying in the light, will put out the candles; so that what with the flying birds and skipping frogs, the one above, the other beneath, will cause much delight and pleasure to the whole company: at length the candles are lighted, and a banquet brought in, the musick sounds, and every one with much delight and content rehearses their actions in the former passages. these were formerly the delight of the nobility, before good house-keeping had left _england_, and the sword really acted that which was only counterfeited in such honest and laudable exercises as these. [decoration] _on the unparalell'd piece of _mr. may_ his cookery._ see here a work set forth of such perfection, will praise it self, and doth not beg protection from flatter'd greatness. industry and pains for gen'ral good, his aim, his countrey gains; which ought respect him. a good _english_ cook, excellent modish monsieurs, and that book call'd _perfect cook_, _merete's_ pastery translated, looks like old hang'd tapistry, the wrong side outwards: so monsieur adieu, i'm for our native _mays_ works rare and new, who with antique could have prepar'd and drest the nations _quondam_ grand imperial feast, which that thrice crown'd third _edward_ did ordain for his high order, and their noble train, whereon st. _george_ his famous day was seen, a court on earth that did all courts out-shine. and how all rarities and cates might be order'd for a renown'd solemnity, learn of this cook, who with judgment, and reason, teacheth for every time, each thing its true season; making his compounds with such harmony, taste shall not charge with superiority of pepper, salt, or spice, by the best pallat, or any one herb in his broths or sallat. where temperance and discretion guides his deeds; _satis_ his motto, where nothing exceeds. or ought to wast, for there's good husbandry to be observ'd, as art in cookery. which of the mathematicks doth pertake, geometry proportions when they bake. who can in paste erect (of finest flour) a compleat fort, a castle, or a tower. a city custard doth so subtly wind, that should truth seek, she'd scarce all corners find; platform of sconces, that might souldiers teach, to fortifie by works as well as preach. i'le say no more; for as i am a sinner, i've wrought my self a stomach to a dinner. inviting poets not to tantalize, but feast, (not surfeit) here their fantasies. _james parry._ _to the reader of (my very loving friend) mr. _robert may_ his incomparable book of cookery._ see here's a book set forth with such things in't, as former ages never saw in print; something i'de write in praise on't, but the pen, of famous _cleaveland_, or renowned _ben_, if unintomb'd might give this book its due, by their high strains, and keep it always new. but i whose ruder stile could never clime, or step beyond a home-bred country rhime, must not attempt it: only this i'le say, _cato_'s _res rustica_'s far short of _may_. here's taught to keep all sorts of flesh in date, all sorts of fish, if you will marinate; to candy, to preserve, to souce, to pickle, to make rare sauces, both to please, and tickle the pretty ladies palats with delight; both how to glut, and gain an appetite. the fritter, pancake, mushroom; with all these, the curious caudle made of ambergriese. he is so universal, he'l not miss, the pudding, nor bolonian sausages. italian, spaniard, french, he all out-goes, refines their kickshaws, and their olio's, the rarest use of sweet-meats, spicery, and all things else belong to cookery: not only this, but to give all content, here's all the forms of every implement to work or carve with, so he makes the able to deck the dresser, and adorn the table. what dish goes first of every kind of meat, and so ye're welcom, pray fall too, and eat. _reader_, read on, for i have done; farewell, the book's so good, it cannot chuse but sell. _thy well-wishing friend_, john town. [decoration] _the most exact, or a-la-mode ways of carving and sewing._ _terms of carving._ break that deer, leach that brawn, rear that goose, lift that swan, sauce that capon, spoil that hen, frust that chicken, unbrace that mallard, unlace that coney, dismember that hern, display that crane, disfigure that peacock, unjoynt that bittern, untach that curlew, allay that pheasant, wing that partridge, wing that quail, mince that plover, thigh that pidgeon, border that pasty, thigh that woodcock; thigh all manner of small birds. timber the fire, tire that egg, chine that salmon, string that lamprey, splat that pike, souce that plaice, sauce that tench, splay that bream, side that haddock, tusk that barbel, culpon that trout, fin that chivin, transon that eel, tranch that sturgeon, undertranch that porpus, tame that crab, barb that lobster. _service._ first, set forth mustard and brawn, pottage, beef, mutton, stewed pheasant, swan, capon, pig, venison, hake, custard, leach, lombard, blanchmanger, and jelly; for standard, venison, roast kid, fawn, and coney, bustard, stork, crane, peacock with his tail, hern-shaw, bittern, woodcock, partridge, plovers, rabbits, great birds, larks, doucers, pampuff, white leach, amber-jelly, cream of almonds, curlew, brew, snite, quail, sparrow, martinet, pearch in jelly, petty pervis, quince baked, leach, dewgard, fruter fage, blandrells or pippins with caraways in comfits, wafers, and ipocras. _sauce for all manner of fowls._ mustard is good with brawn, beef, chine of bacon, and mutton, verjuyce good to boil'd chickens and capons; swan with chaldrons, ribs of beef with garlick, mustard, pepper, verjuyce, ginger; sauce of lamb, pig and fawn, mustard, and sugar; to pheasant, partridge, and coney, sauce gamelin; to hern-shaw, egrypt, plover, and crane, brew, and curlew, salt, and sugar, and water of camot, bustard, shovilland, and bittern, sauce gamelin; woodcock, lapwhing, lark, quail, martinet, venison and snite with white salt; sparrows and thrushes with salt, and cinamon. thus with all meats sauce shall have the operation. directions for the order of carving fowl. _lift that swan._ the manner of cutting up a swan must be to slit her right down in the middle of the breast, and so clean thorow the back from the neck to the rump, so part her in two halves cleanly and handsomly, that you break not nor tear the meat, lay the two halves in a fair charger with the slit sides downwards, throw salt about it, and let it again on the table. let your sauce be chaldron for a swan, and serve it in saucers. _rear the goose._ you must break a goose contrary to the former way. take a goose being roasted, and take off both his legs fair like a shoulder of lamb, take him quite from the body then cut off the belly piece round close to the lower end of the breast: lace her down with your knife clean through the breast on each side your thumbs bredth for the bone in the middle of the breast; then take off the pinion of each side, and the flesh which you first lac't with your knife, raise it up clear from the bone, and take it from the carcase with the pinion; then cut up the bone which lieth before in the breast (which is commonly call'd the merry thought) the skin and the flesh being upon it; then cut from the brest-bone, another slice of flesh clean thorow, & take it clean from the bone, turn your carcase, and cut it asunder the back-bone above the loin-bones: then take the rump-end of the back-bone, and lay it in a fair dish with the skinny-side upwards, lay at the fore-end of that the merry-thought with the skin side upward, and before that the apron of the goose; then lay your pinions on each side contrary, set your legs on each side contrary behind them, that the bone end of the legs may stand up cross in the middle of the dish, & the wing pinions on the outside of them; put under the wing pinions on each side the long slices of flesh which you cut from the breast bone, and let the ends meet under the leg bones, let the other ends lie cut in the dish betwixt the leg and the pinion; then pour your sauce into the dish under your meat, throw on salt, and set it on the table. _to cut up a turkey or bustard._ raise up the leg very fair, and open the joynt with the point of your knife, but take not off the leg; then lace down the breast with your knife on both sides, & open the breast pinion with the knife, but take not the pinion off; then raise up the merry-thought betwixt the breast bone, and the top of the merry-thought, lace down the flesh on both sides of the breast-bone, and raise up the flesh called the brawn, turn it outward upon both sides, but break it not, nor cut it not off; then cut off the wing pinion at the joynt next to the body, and stick on each side the pinion in the place where ye turned out the brawn, but cut off the sharp end of the pinion, take the middle piece, and that will just fit the place. you may cut up a capon or pheasant the same way, but of your capon cut not off the pinion, but in the place where you put the pinion of the turkey, you must put the gizard of your capon on each side half. _dismember that hern._ take off both the legs, and lace it down to the breast with your knife on both sides, raise up the flesh, and take it clean off with the pinion; then stick the head in the breast, set the pinion on the contrary side of the carcase, and the leg on the other side, so that the bones ends may meet cross over the carcase, and the other wings cross over upon the top of the carcase. _unbrace that mallard._ raise up the pinion and the leg, but take them not off, raise the merry-thought from the breast, and lace it down on each side of the breast with your knife, bending to and fro like ways. _unlace that coney._ turn the back downwards, & cut the belly flaps clean off from the kidney, but take heed you cut not the kidney nor the flesh, then put in the point of your knife between the kidneys, and loosen the flesh from each side the bone then turn up the back of the rabbit, and cut it cross between the wings, and lace it down close by the bone with your knife on both sides, then open the flesh of the rabbit from the bone, with the point of your knife against the kidney, and pull the leg open softly with your hand, but pluck it not off, then thrust in your knife betwixt the ribs and the kidney, slit it out, and lay the legs close together. _sauce that capon._ lift up the right leg and wing, and so array forth, and lay him in the platter as he should fly, and so serve him. know that capons or chickens be arrayed after one sauce; the chickens shall be sauced with green sauce or veriuyce. _allay that pheasant._ take a pheasant, raise his legs and wings as it were a hen and no sauce but only salt. _wing that partridg._ raise his legs, and his wing as a hen, if you mince him sauce him with wine, powder of ginger, and salt, and set him upon a chafing dish of coals to warm and serve. _wing that quail._ take a quail and raise his legs and his wings as an hen, and no sauce but salt. _display that crane._ unfold his legs, and cut off his wings by the joynts, then take up his wings and his legs, and sauce them with powder of ginger, mustard, vinegar, and salt. _dismember that hern._ raise his legs and his wings as a crane, and sauce him with vinegar, mustard, powder of ginger and salt. _unjoynt that bittern._ raise his legs & wings as a heron & no sauce but salt. _break that egript._ take an egript, and raise his legs and his wings as a heron, and no sauce but salt. _untach that curlew._ raise his legs and wings as a hen, & no sauce but salt. _untach that brew._ raise his legs and his wings in the same manner, and no sauce but only salt. _unlace that coney._ lay him on the back, and cut away the vents, then raise the wings and the sides, and lay bulk, chine, and sides together, sauce them with vinegar and powder of ginger. _break that sarcel._ take a sarcel or teal, and raise his wings and his legs, and no sauce but only salt. _mince that plover._ raise his leg and wings as a hen, and no sauce but only salt. _a snite._ raise his legs, wings and his shoulders as a plover, and no sauce but salt. _thigh that woodcock._ raise his legs as a hen, and dight his brain. _the sewing of fish._ _the first course._ to go to the sewing of fish, musculade, minews in few of porpos or of salmon, bak'd herring with sugar, green fish pike, lamprey, salent, porpos roasted, bak'd gurnet and baked lamprey. _the second course._ jelly white and red, dates in confect, conger, salmon, birt, dorey, turbut holibut for standard, bace, trout, mullet, chevin, soles, lamprey roast, and tench in jelly. _the third course._ fresh sturgeon, bream, pearch in jelly, a jole of salmon sturgeon, welks, apples and pears roasted; with sugar candy, figs of molisk, raisins, dates, capt with minced ginger, wafers, and ipocras. _the carving of fish._ the carver of fish must see to peason and furmety, the tail and the liver; you must look if there be a salt porpos or sole, turrentine, and do after the form of venison; _baked herring_, lay it whole on the trencher, then white herring in a dish, open it by the back, pick out the bones and the row, and see there be mustard. of salt fish, green-fish, salt salmon, and conger, pare away the skin; salt fish, stock fish, marling, mackrel, and hake with butter, and take away the bones & skins; _a pike_, lay the womb upon a trencher, with pike sauce enough, _a salt lamprey_, gobbin it in seven or eight pieces, and so present it, _a plaice_, put out the water, then cross him with your knife, and cast on salt, wine, or ale. _bace_, _gurnet_, _rochet_, _bream_, _chevin_, _mullet_, _roch_, _pearch_, _sole_, _mackrel_, _whiting_, _haddock_, and _codling_, raise them by the back, pick out the bones, and cleanse the rest in the belly. _carp bream_, _sole_, and _trout_, back and belly together. _salmon_, _conger_, _sturgeon_, _turbut_, _thornback_, _houndfish_, and _holibut_, cut them in the dishes; the _porpos_ about, _tench_ in his sauce; cut two _eels_, and _lampreys_ roast, pull off the skin, and pick out the bones, put thereto vinegar, and powder. a _crab_, break him asunder, in a dish make the shell clean, & put in the stuff again, temper it with vinegar, and powder them, cover it with bread and heat it; a _crevis_ dight him thus, part him asunder, slit the belly, and take out the fish, pare away the red skin, mince it thin, put vinegar in the dish, and set it on the table without heating. _a jole of sturgeon_, cut it into thin morsels, and lay it round about the dish, _fresh lamprey bak'd_, open the pasty, then take white bread, and cut it thin, lay it in a dish, & with a spoon take out galentine, & lay it upon the bread with red wine and powder of cinamon; then cut a gobbin of lamprey, mince it thin, and lay it in the gallentine, and set it on the fire to heat. _fresh herring_, with salt and wine, _shrimps_ well pickled, _flounders_, _gudgeons_, _minews_, and muskles, eels, and lampreys, sprats is good in few, musculade in worts, oysters in few, oysters in gravy, minews in porpus, salmon in jelly white and red, cream of almonds, dates in comfits, pears and quinces in sirrup, with parsley roots, mortus of hound fish raise standing. _sauces for fish._ mustard is good for salt herring, salt fish, salt conger, salmon, sparling, salt eel and ling; vinegar is good with salt porpus, turrentine, salt sturgeon, salt thirlepole, and salt whale, lamprey with gallentine; verjuyce to roach, dace, bream, mullet, flounders, salt crab and chevin with powder of cinamon and ginger; green sauce is good with green fish and hollibut, cottel, and fresh turbut; put not your green sauce away for it is good with mustard. _bills of _fare_ for every season in the year; also how to set forth the _meat_ in order for that service, as it was used before hospitality left this nation._ _a bill of fare for _all-saints-day_, being _novemb. _._ oysters. a collar of brawn and mustard. a capon in stewed broth with marrow-bones. a goose in stoffado, or two ducks. a grand sallet. a shoulder of mutton with oysters. a bisk dish baked. a roast chine of beef. minced pies or chewits of capon, tongue, or of veal. a chine of pork. a pasty of venison. a swan, or geese roast. a loyn of veal. a french pie of divers compounds. a roast turkey. a pig roast. a farc't dish baked. two brangeese roasted, one larded. souc't veal. two capons roasted, one larded. a double bordered custard. _a second course for the same mess._ oranges and lemons. a souc't pig. a young lamb or kid roast. two shovelers. two herns, one larded. a potatoe-pye. a duck and mallard, one larded. a souc't turbut. a couple of pheasants, one larded. marinated carp, or pike, or bream. three brace of partridg, three larded. made dish of spinage cream baked. a roll of beef. two teels roasted, one larded. a cold goose pie. a souc't mullet and bace. a quince pye. four curlews, larded. a dried neats tongue. a dish of anchoves. a jole of sturgeon. jellies and tarts royal, and ginger bread, and other fruits. _a bill of fare for christmas day, and how to set the meat in order._ oysters. a collar of brawn. stewed broth of mutton marrow bones. a grand sallet. a pottage of caponets. a breast of veal in stoffado. a boil'd partridge. a chine of beef, or surloin roast. minced pies. a jegote of mutton with anchove sauce. a made dish of sweet-bread. a swan roast. a pasty of venison. a kid with a pudding in his belly. a steak pie. a hanch of venison roasted. a turkey roast and stuck with cloves. a made dish of chickens in puff paste. two bran geese roasted, one larded. two large capons, one larded. a custard. _the second course for the same mess._ oranges and lemons. a young lamb or kid. two couple of rabbits, two larded. a pig souc't with tongues. three ducks, one larded. three pheasants, larded a swan pye. three brace of partridge, three larded. made dish in puff paste. bolonia sausages, and anchoves, mushrooms, and cavieate, and pickled oysters in a dish. six teels, three larded. a gammon of westphalia bacon. ten plovers, five larded. a quince pye, or warden pie. six woodcocks, larded. a standing tart in puff-paste, preserved fruits, pippins, _&c._ a dish of larks. six dried neats tongues. sturgeon. powdered geese. jellies. _a bill of fare for _new-years day_._ oysters. brawn and mustard. two boil'd capons in stewed broth, or white broth. two turkies in stoffado. a hash of twelve partridges, or a shoulder of mutton. two bran geese boil'd. a farc't boil'd meat with snites or ducks. a marrow pudding bak't a surloin of roast beef. minced pies, ten in a dish, or what number you please a loin of veal. a pasty of venison. a pig roast. two geese roast. two capons, one larded. custards. _a second course for the same mess._ oranges and lemons. a side of lamb a souc't pig. two couple of rabbits, two larded. a duck and mallard, one larded. six teels, three larded. a made dish, or batalia-pye. six woodcocks, larded. a warden pie, or a dish of quails. dried neats tongues. six tame pigeons, three larded. a souc't capon. pickled mushrooms, pickled oysters, and anchoves in a dish. twelve snites, six larded orangado pye, or a tart royal of dried and wet suckets. sturgeon. turkey or goose pye. jelly of five or six sorts, lay tarts of divers colours and ginger-bread, and other sweet-meats. _a bill of fare for _february_._ eggs and collops. brawn and mustard. a hash of rabbits four. a grand fricase. a grand sallet. a chine of roast pork. _a second course._ a whole lamb roast. three widgeons. a pippin pye. a jole of sturgeon. a bacon tart. a cold turkey pye. jellies and ginger-bread, and tarts royal. _a bill of fare for _march_._ oysters. brawn and mustard. a fresh neats tongue and udder in stoffado. three ducks in stoffado. a roast loin of pork. a pasty of venison. a steak pye. _a second course._ a side of lamb. six teels, three larded. a lamb-stone pye. of asparagus. a warden-pye. marinate flounders. jellies and ginger-bread, and tarts royal. _a bill of fare for _april_._ oysters. a bisk. cold lamb. a haunch of venison roast. four goslings. a turkey chicken. custards of almonds. _a second course._ lamb, a side in joynts. turtle doves eight. cold neats-tongue pye. pidgeons, four larded. lobsters. a collar of beef. tansies. _a bill of fare for _may_._ scotch pottage or skink. scotch collops of mutton a loin of veal. an oline, or a pallat pye. three capons, larded. custards. _a second course._ lamb. a tart royal, or quince pye a gammon of bacon pie. a jole of sturgeon. artichock pie hot. bolonia sausage. tansies. _a bill of fare for _june_._ a shoulder of mutton hasht a chine of beef. pasty of venison, a cold hash. a leg of mutton roast. four turkey chickens. a steak pye. _a second course._ jane or kid. rabbits. shovelers. sweet-bread pye. olines, or pewit. pigeons. _a bill of fare for _july_._ muskmelons. pottage of capon. boil'd pigeons. a hash of caponets. a grand sallet. a fawn. a custard. _a second course._ pease, of french beans. gulls four, two larded. pewits eight, four larded. a quodling tart green. portugal eggs, two sorts. buttered brawn. selsey cockles broil'd. _a bill of fare for _august_._ muskmelons. scotch collops of veal. boil'd breast of mutton. a fricase of pigeons. a stewed calves head. four goslings. four caponets. _a second course._ dotterel twelve, six larded tarts royal of fruit. wheat-ears. a pye of heath-pouts. marinate smelts. gammon of bacon. selsey cockles. _a bill of fare for _september_._ oysters. an olio. a breast of veal in stoffado. twelve partridg hashed. a grand sallet. chaldron pye. custard. _a second course._ rabbits two herns, one larded. florentine of tongues. pigeons roast, larded. pheasant pouts, larded. a cold hare pye. selsey cockles broil'd after. _a bill of fare for _october_._ oysters. boil'd ducks. a hash of a loin of veal. roast veal. two bran-geese roasted. tart royal. custard. _a second course._ pheasant, pouts, pigeons. knots twelve. twelve quails, six larded. potato pye. sparrows roast. turbut. selsey cockles. _a bill of fare formerly used in fasting days, and in _lent_._ _the first course._ oysters if in season. butter and eggs. barley pottage, or rice pottage. stewed oysters. buttered eggs on toasts. spinage sallet boil'd. boil'd rochet or gurnet. a jole of ling. stewed carp. oyster chewits. boil'd pike. roast eels. haddocks, fresh cod, or whitings. eel or carp pye. made dish of spinage. salt eels. souc't turbut. _a second course._ fried soals. stewed oysters in scollop shells. fried smelts. congers head broil'd. baked dish of potatoes, or oyster pye. a spitchcock of eels. quince pie or tarts royal. buttered crabs. fried flounders. jole of fresh salmon. fried turbut. cold salmon pye. fried skirrets. souc't conger. lobsters. sturgeon. [decoration] the accomplisht cook, or, the whole art and mystery of cookery, fitted for all degrees and qualities. * * * * * * * * * section i. _perfect directions for the a-la-mode ways of dressing all manner of boyled meats, with their several sauces_, &c. _to make an olio podrida._ take a pipkin or pot of some three gallons, fill it with fair water, and set it over a fire of charcoals, and put in first your hardest meats, a rump of beef, _bolonia_ sausages, neats tongues two dry, and two green, boiled and larded, about two hours after the pot is boil'd and scummed: but put in more presently after your beef is scum'd, mutton, venison, pork, bacon, all the aforesaid in gubbins, as big as a ducks egg, in equal pieces; put in also carrots, turnips, onions, cabbidge, in good big pieces, as big as your meat, a faggot of sweet herbs, well bound up, and some whole spinage, sorrel, burrage, endive, marigolds, and other good pot-herbs a little chopped; and sometimes _french_ barley, or lupins green or dry. then a little before you dish out your olio; put to your pot, cloves, mace, saffron, _&c._ then next have divers fowls; as first _a goose, or turkey, two capons, two ducks, two pheasants, two widgeons, four partridges, four stock doves, four teals, eight snites, twenty four quails, forty eight larks._ boil these foresaid fowls in water and salt in a pan, pipkin, or pot, _&c._ then have _bread_, _marrow_, _bottoms of artichocks_, _yolks of hard eggs_, _large mace_, _chesnuts boil'd and blancht_, _two colliflowers_, _saffron_. and stew these in a pipkin together, being ready clenged with some good sweet butter, a little white wine and strong broth. some other times for variety you may use beets, potato's, skirrets, pistaches, pineapple seed, or almonds, poungarnet, and lemons. now to dish your olio, dish first your beef, veal or pork; then your venison, and mutton, tongues, sausage, and roots over all. then next your largest fowl, land-fowl, or sea-fowl, as first, a goose, or turkey, two capons, two pheasants, four ducks, four widgeons, four stock-doves, four partridges, eight teals, twelve snites, twenty four quailes, forty eight larks, _&c._ then broth it, and put on your pipkin of colliflowers artichocks, chesnuts, some sweet-breads fried, yolks of hard eggs, then marrow boil'd in strong broth or water, large mace, saffron, pistaches, and all the aforesaid things being finely stewed up, and some red beets over all, slic't lemons, and lemon peels whole, and run it over with beaten butter. _marrow pies._ for the garnish of the dish, make marrow pies made like round chewets but not so high altogether, then have sweet-breads of veal cut like small dice, some pistaches, and marrow, some potato's, or artichocks cut like sweetbreads: as also some enterlarded bacon; yolks of hard eggs, nutmeg, salt, goosberries, grapes, or barberries, and some minced veal in the bottom of the pie minced with some bacon or beef-suit, sparagus and chesnuts, with a little musk; close them up, and bast them with saffron water, bake them, and liquor it with beaten butter, and set them about the dish side or brims, with some bottoms of artichocks, and yolks of hard eggs, lemons in quarters, poungarnets and red beets boil'd, and carved. _other marrow pies._ otherways for variety, you may make other marrow pies of minced veal and beef-suit, seasoned with pepper, salt, nutmegs and boiled sparagus, cut half an inch long, yolks of hard eggs cut in quarters, and mingled with the meat and marrow: fill your pies, bake them not too hard, musk them, _&c._ _other marrow pies._ otherways, marrow pies of bottoms of little artichocks, suckers, yolks of hard eggs, chesnuts, marrow, and interlarded bacon cut like dice, some veal sweet-breads cut also, or lamb-stones, potato's, or skirrets, and sparagus, or none; season them lightly with nutmeg, pepper and salt, close your pies, and bake them. __olio_, marrow pies._ _butter three pound, flower one quart, lamb-stones three pair, sweet-breads six, marrow-bones eight, large mace, cock-stones twenty, interlarded bacon one pound, knots of eggs twelve, artichocks twelve, sparagus one hundred, cocks-combs twenty, pistaches one pound, nutmegs, pepper, and salt._ season the aforesaid lightly, and lay them in the pie upon some minced veal or mutton, your interlarded bacon in thin slices of half an inch long, mingled among the rest, fill the pie, and put in some grapes, and slic't lemon, barberries or goosberries. . pies of marrow. _flower, sweet bread, marrow, artichocks, pistaches, nutmegs, eggs, bacon, veal, suit, sparagus, chesnuts; musk, saffron, butter._ . marrow pies. _flower, butter, veal, suet, pepper, salt, nutmeg, sparagus, eggs, grapes, marrow, saffron._ . marrow pies. _flower, butter, eggs, artichocks, sweet-bread, lamb-stones, potato's, nutmegs, pepper, salt, skirrets, grapes, bacon._ to the garnish of an extraordinary olio: as followeth. _two collers of pigbrawn, two marrow pies, twelve roste turtle doves in a pie, four pies, eighteen quails in a pie, four pies, two sallets, two jelleys of two colours, two forc't meats, two tarts._ thus for an extraordinary olio, or olio royal. _to make a bisk divers ways._ take a wrack of mutton, and a knuckle of veal, put them a boiling in a pipkin of a gallon, with some fair water, and when it boils, scum it, and put to it some salt, two or three blades of large mace, and a clove or two; boil it to three pints, and strain the meat, save the broth for your use and take off the fat clean. then boil twelve pigeon-peepers, and eight chicken peepers, in a pipkin with fair water, salt, and a piece of interlarded bacon, scum them clean, and boil them fine, white and quick. then have a rost capon minced, and put to it some gravy, nutmegs, and salt, and stew it together; then put to it the juyce of two or three oranges, and beaten butter, _&c._ then have ten sweet breads, and ten pallets fried, and the same number of lips and noses being first tender boil'd and blanched, cut them like lard, and fry them, put away the butter, and put to them gravy, a little anchove, nutmeg, and a little garlick, or none, the juyce of two or three oranges, and marrow fried in butter with sage-leaves, and some beaten butter. then again have some boil'd marrow and twelve artichocks, suckers, and peeches finely boil'd and put into beaten butter, some pistaches boiled also in some wine and gravy, eight sheeps tongues larded and boiled, and one hundred sparagus boiled, and put into beaten butter, or skirrets. then have lemons carved, and some cut like little dice. again fry some spinage and parsley, _&c._ these forefaid materials being ready, have some _french_ bread in the bottom of your dish. then dish on it your chickens, and pidgeons, broth it; next your quaile, then sweet breads, then your pullets, then your artichocks or sparagus, and pistaches, then your lemon, poungarnet, or grapes, spinage, and fryed marrow; and if yellow saffron or fried sage, then round the center of your boiled meat put your minced capon, then run all over with beaten butter, &c. . for variety, clary fryed with yolks of eggs. . knots of eggs. . cocks stones. . cocks combs. . if white, strained almonds, with some of the broth. . goosberries or barberries. . minced meat in balls. . if green, juyce of spinage stamped with manchet, and strained with some of the broth, and give it a warm. . garnish with boiled spinage. . if yellow, yolks of hard eggs strained with some broth and saffron. and many other varieties. _a bisk otherways._ take a leg of beef, cut it into two peices, and boil it in a gallon or five quarts of water, scum it, and about half an hour after put in a knuckle of veal, and scum it also, boil it from five quarts to two quarts or less; and being three quarters boil'd, put in some salt, and some cloves, and mace, being through boil'd, strain it from the meat, and keep the broth for your use in a pipkin. then have eight marrow bones clean scraped from the flesh, and finely cracked over the middle, boil in water and salt three of them, and the other leave for garnish, to be boil'd in strong broth; and laid on the top of the bisk when it is dished. again boil your fowl in water and salt, teals, partridges, pidgeons, plovers, quails, larks. then have a joint of mutton made into balls with sweet herbs, salt, nutmeggs, grated bread, eggs, suit, a clove or two of garlick, and pistaches, boil'd in broth, with some interlarded bacon, sheeps tongues, larded and stewed, as also some artichocks, marrow, pistaches, sweet-breads and lambs-stones in strong broth, and mace a clove or two, some white-wine and strained almonds, or with the yolk of an egg, verjuyce, beaten butter, and slic't lemon, or grapes whole. then have fryed clary, and fryed pistaches in yolks of eggs. then carved lemons over all. _to make another curious boil'd meat, much like a bisk._ take a rack of mutton, cut it in four peices, and boil it in three quarts of fair water in a pipkin, with a faggot of sweet herbs very hard and close bound up from end to end, scum your broth and put in some salt: then about half an hour after put in thre chickens finely scalded and trust, three patridges boiled in water, the blood being well soaked out of them, and put to them also three or four blades of large mace. then have all manner of sweet herbs, as parsley, time, savory, marjorim, sorrel, sage; these being finely picked, bruise them with the back of a ladle, and a little before you dish up your boil'd meat, put them to your broth, and give them a walm or two. again, for the top of your boil'd meat or garnish, have a pound of interlarded bacon in thin slices, put them in a pipkin with six marrow-bones, and twelve bottoms of yong artichocks, and some six sweet-breads of veal, strong broth, mace, nutmeg, some goosberries or barberries, some butter and pistaches. these things aforesaid being ready, and dinner called for, take a fine clean scoured dish and garnish it with pistaches and artichocks, carved lemon, grapes, and large mace. then have sippets finely carved, and some slices of _french_ bread in the bottom of the dish, dish three pieces of mutton, and one in the middle, and between the mutton three chickens, and up in the middle, the partridge, and pour on the broth with your herbs, then put on your pipkin over all, of marrow, artichocks, and the other materials, then carved lemon, barberries and beaten butter over all, your carved sippets round the dish. _another made dish in the french fashion, called an _entre de table_, entrance to the table._ take the bottoms of boil'd artichocks, the yolks of hard eggs, yong chicken-peepers, or pidgeon-peepers, finely trust, sweetbreads of veal, lamb-stones, blanched, and put them in a pipkin, with cockstones, and combs, and knots of eggs; then put to them some strong broth, white-wine, large mace, nutmeg, pepper, butter, salt, and marrow, and stew them softly together. then have goosberries or grapes perboil'd, or barberries, and put to them some beaten butter; and potato's, skirrets or sparagus boil'd, and put in beaten butter, and some boil'd pistaches. these being finely stewed, dish your fowls on fine carved sippets, and pour on your sweet-breads, artichocks, and sparagus on them, grapes, and slic't lemon, and run all over with beaten butter, _&c._ somtimes for variety, you may put some boil'd cabbidge, lettice, colliflowers, balls of minced meat, or sausages without skins, fryed almonds, calves udder. _another french boil'd meat of pine-molet._ take a manchet of _french_ bread of a day old, chip it and cut a round hole in the top, save the peice whole, and take out the crumb, then make a composition of a boild or a rost capon, minced and stampt with almond past, muskefied bisket bread, yolks of hard eggs, and some sweet herbs chopped fine, some yolks of raw eggs and saffron, cinamon, nutmeg, currans, sugar, salt, marrow and pistaches; fill the loaf, and stop the hole with the piece, and boil it in a clean cloth in a pipkin, or bake it in an oven. then have some forc't chickens flead, save the skin, wings, legs, and neck whole, and mince the meat, two pigeons also forc't, two chickens, two boned of each, and filled with some minced veal or mutton, with some interlarded bacon, or beef-suet, and season it with cloves, mace, pepper, salt, and some grated parmison or none, grated bread, sweet herbs chopped small, yolks of eggs, and grapes, fill the skins, and stitch up the back of the skin, then put them in a deep dish, with some sugar, strong broth, artichocks, marrow, saffron, sparrows, or quails, and some boiled sparagus. for the garnish of the aforesaid dish, rost turneps and rost onions, grapes, cordons, and mace. dish the forced loaf in the midst of the dish, the chickens, and pigeons round about it, and the quails or small birds over all, with marrow, cordons, artichoks or sparagus, pine apple-seed, or pistaches, grapes, and sweet-breads, and broth it on sippets. _to boil a chine of veal, whole, or in peices._ boil it in water, salt, or in strong broth with a faggot of sweet herbs, capers, mace, salt, and interlarded bacon in thin slices, and some oyster liquor. your chines being finely boiled, have some stewed oysters by themselves with some mace and fine onions whole, some vinegar, butter, and pepper _&c._ then have cucumbers boiled by themselves in water and salt, or pickled cucumbers boiled in water, and put in beaten butter, and cabbidge-lettice, boiled also in fair water, and put in beaten butter. then dish your chines on sippits, broth them, and put on your stewed oysters, cucumbers, lettice, and parboil'd grapes, boclites, or slic't lemon, and run it over with beaten butter. _chines of veal otherways, whole, or in pieces._ stew them, being first almost rosted, put them into a deep dish, with some gravy, some strong broth, white wine, mace, nutmeg, and some oyster liquor, two or three slices of lemon and salt, and being finely stewed serve them on sippits, with that broth and slic't lemon, goosberries, and beaten butter, boil'd marrow, fried spinage, _&c._ for variety capers, or sampier. _chines of veal boiled with fruit, whole._ put it in a stewing pan or deep dish, with some strong broth, large mace, a little white wine, and when it boils scum it, then put some dates to, being half boil'd and salt, some white endive, sugar, and marrow. then boil some fruit by it self, your meat and broth being finely boil'd, prunes and raisons of the sun, strain some six yolks of eggs, with a little cream, and put it in your broth, then dish it on sippets, your chine, and garnish your dish with fruit, mace, dates sugar, slic't lemon, and barberries, _&c._ _chines of veal otherways._ stew the whole with some strong broth, white-wine, and caper-liquor, slices of interlarded bacon, gravy, cloves, mace, whole pepper, sausages of minced meat, without skins, or little balls, some marrow, salt, and some sweet herbs picked of all sorts, and bruised with the back of a ladle; put them to your broth, a quarter of an hour before you dish your chines, and give them a warm, and dish up your chine on _french_ bread, or sippits, broth it, and run it over with beaten butter, grapes or slic't lemon, _&c._ _chines of mutton boil'd whole, or loins, or any joint whole._ boil it in a long stewing-pan or deep dish with fair water as much as will cover it, and when it boils cover it, being scumm'd first, and put to it some salt, white-wine, and some carrots cut like dice; your broth being half boil'd, strain it, blow off the fat, and wash away the dregs from your mutton, wash also your pipkin, or stewing pan, and put in again your broth, with some capers, and large mace: stew your broth and materials together softly, and lay your mutton by in some warm broth or dish, then put in also some sweet herbs, chopped with onions, boil'd among your broth. then have colliflowers ready boil'd in water and salt, and put in beaten butter, with some boil'd marrow, then the mutton and broth being ready, dissolve two or three yolks of eggs with white-wine, verjuyce or sack; give it a walm, and dish up your meat on sippets finely carved, or _french_ bread in slices, and broth it; then lay on your colliflowers, marrow, carrots, and gooseberries, barberries or grapes, and run it over with beaten butter. sometimes for variety, according to the seasons, you may use turnips, parsnips, artichocks, sparagus, hopbuds or colliflowers, boild in water and salt, and put in beaten butter, cabbidge sprouts, or cabbidge, lettice, and chesnuts. and for the thickning of this broth sometimes, take strained almonds, with strong broth, and saffron, or none. other-while grated bread, yolks of hard eggs, and verjuyce, _&c._ _to boil a chine, rack, or loin, of mutton, otherways, whole, or in pieces._ boil it in a stewing-pan or deep dish, with fair water as much as will cover it, and when it boils scum it, and put to it some salt; then being half boil'd, take up the meat, strain the broth, and blow off the fat, wash the stewing-pan and meat, then put in again the crag end of the mutton, to make the broth good, and put to it some mace. then a little before you take up your mutton, a handful of picked parsley, chopped small, put it in the broth, with some whole marigold flowers, and your whole chine of mutton give a walm or two, then dish it up on sippets and broth it. then have raisins of the sun and currans boiled tender, lay on it, and garnish your dish with prunes, marigold-flowers, mace, lemons, and barberries, _&c._ otherways without fruit, boil it with capers; and all manner of sweet herbs stripped, some spinage, and parsley bruised with the back of a ladle, mace, and salt, _&c._ _to boil a chine of mutton, whole or in peices, or any other joint._ boil it in a fair glazed pipkin, being well scummed, put in a faggot of sweet herbs, as time, parsly, sweet marjoram, bound hard and stripped with your knife, and put some carrots cut like small dice, or cut like lard, some raisins, prunes, marigold-flowers, and salt, and being finely boiled down, serve it on sippits, garnish your dish with raisins, mace, prunes, marigold-flowers, carrots, lemons, boil'd marrow, _&c._ sometimes for change leave out carrots and fruit. use all as beforesaid, and add white endive, capers, samphire, run it over with beaten butter and lemons. _barley broth._ _chine of mutton or veal in barley broth, rack, or any joynt._ take a chine or knuckle, and joynt it, put it in a pipkin with some strong broth, and when it boils, scum it, and put in some french barley, being first boiled in two or three waters, with some large mace, and a faggot of sweet herbs bound up, and close hard tied, some raisins, damask prunes, and currans, or no prunes, and marigold-flowers; boil it to an indifferent thickness, and serve it on sippets. _barley broth otherwise._ boil the barley first in two waters, and then put it to a knuckle of veal, and to the broth, salt, raisins, sweet herbs a faggot, large mace, and the quantity of a fine manchet slic't together. _otherwise._ otherways without fruit: put some good mutton-gravy, saffron, and sometimes raisins only. _chine or any joint._ otherways stew them with strong broth and white-wine, put it in a pipkin to them, scum it, and put to it some oyster-liquor, salt, whole peper, and a bundle of sweet herbs well bound up, some mace, two or three great onions, some interlarded bacon cut like dice, and chesnuts, or blanched almonds and capers. then stew your oysters by themselves with mace, butter, time and two or three great onions; sometimes grapes. garnish your dish with lemon-peel, oysters, mace, capers, and chesnuts, _&c._ _stewed broth._ to make stewd broth, the meat most proper for it is. _a leg of beef, marrow-bones, capon, or a loin or rack of mutton or a knuckle of veal._ take a knuckle of veal, a joynt of mutton, two marrow bones, a capon, boil them in fresh water, and scum them; then put in a bundle of sweet herbs well bound up or none, large mace, whole cinamon, and ginger bruised, and put in a littlerag, the spice being a little bruised also. then beat some oatmeale, strain it, and put it to your broth, then have boil'd prunes and currans strained also and put it to your broth, with some whole raisons and currans; and boil not your fruit too much: then about half an hour before you dish your meat, put in a pint of claret wine and sugar, then dish up your meat on fine sippits, and broth it. garnish your dish with lemons, prunes, mace, raisins, currans, and sugar. you may add to the former broth, fennel-roots and parsley roots tied up in a bundle. _stewed broth new fashion._ otherways for change; take two joints of mutton, rack and loin, being half boiled and scummed, take up the mutton, and wash away the dregs from it, strain the broth, and blow away the fat, then put to the broth in a pipkin a bundle of sweet herbs bound up hard, and some mace, and boil in it also a pound of raisins of the sun being strained, a pound of prunes whole, with cloves, pepper, saffron, salt, claret, and sugar: stew all well together, a little before you dish out your broth, put in your meat again, give it a warm, and serve it on fine carved sippits. _to stew a loin or rack of mutton, or any joint otherways._ i. chop a loin into steaks, lay it in a deep dish or stewing pan, and put to it half a pint of claret or white-wine, as much water, some salt and pepper, three or four whole onions, a faggot of sweet herbs bound up hard, and some large mace; cover them close, and stew them leisurely the space of two hours, turn them now and then, and serve them on sippets. ii. otherways for change, being half boiled, chop some sweet herbs and put to them, give them a walm, and serve them on sippets with scalded goosberries, barberries, grapes, or lemon. iii. otherways for variety, put raisins, prunes, currans, dates, and serve them with slic't lemon and beaten butter. iv. sometimes you may alter the spice, and put nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. v. sometimes to the first plain way, put capers, pickled cucumbers, samphire, _&c._ vi. otherways, stew it between two dishes with fair water, and when it boils, scum it, and put three or four blades of large mace, gross pepper, salt, and cloves, and stew them close covered two hours; then have parsley picked, and some stripped time, spinage, sorrel, savoury, and sweet marjoram, chopped with some onions, put them to your meat, and give it a walm, with some grated bread amongst, dish them on carved sippets, and blow off the fat on the broth, and broth it: lay lemon on it, and beaten butter, or stew it thus whole. before you put on your herbs blow off the fat. _to boil a leg of mutton divers ways._ i. stuff a legg of mutton with parsley being finely picked, boil it in water and salt, and serve it in a fair dish with parsley, and verjuyce in sawcers. ii. otherways: boil it in water and salt, not stuffed, and being boiled stuff it with lemon in bits like square dice, and serve it also with the peels square, cut round about it make sauce with the gravy and beaten butter, with lemon and grated nutmeg. iii. otherways, boil it in water and salt, being stuffed with parsley, and make sauce with large mace, gravy, chopped parsley, butter, vinegar, juice of orange, gooseberries, barberries, or grapes and sugar: serve it on sippets. iv. _to boil a leg of mutton otherways._ take a good leg of mutton, and boil it in water and salt, being stuffed with sweet herbs chopped with some beef-suet, some salt and nutmeg. then being almost boiled, take up some of the broth into a pipkin, and put to it some large mace, a few currans; a handful of french capers, and a little sack, the yolks of three or four hard eggs, minced small, and some lemon cut like square dice; and being finely boil'd, dish it on carved sippets, broth it, and run it over with beaten butter, and lemon shred small. v. _otherways._ take a fair leg of mutton, boil it in water and salt, and make sauce with gravy, some wine vinegar, salt-butter, and strong broth, being well stewed together with nutmeg. then dish up the leg of mutton on fine carved sippets, and pour on your broth. garnish your dish with barberries, capers, and slic't lemon. garnish the leg of mutton with the same garnish, and run it over with beaten butter, slic't lemon, and grated nutmeg. _to boil a leg of veal._ . stuff it with beef-suet, and sweet herbs chopped, nutmeg, salt, and boil it in fair water and salt. then take some of the broth, and put to some capers, currans, large mace, a piece of interlarded bacon, two or three whole cloves, pieces of pears, and some artichock-suckers boil'd and put in beaten butter, boil'd marrow and mace. then before you dish it up, have sorrel, sage, parsley, time, sweet marjoram coursely minced, with two or three cuts of a knife, and bruised with the back of a ladle on a clean board, put it to your broth to make it green, and give it a warm or two. then dish up the leg of veal on fine carved sippets, pour on the broth, and then your other materials, some goosberries, or barberries, beaten butter and lemon. . _to boil a leg of veal otherways._ stuff it with beef-suet, nutmeg, and salt, boil it in a pipkin, and when it boils, scum it, and put into it some salt, parsley, and fennel roots in a bundle close bound up; then being almost boil'd, take up some of the broth in a pipkin, and put to it some mace, raisins of the sun, gravy; stew them well together, and thicken it with grated bread strained with hard eggs: before you dish up your broth have parsley, time, sweet marjoram stript, marigold flowers, sorrel, and spinage picked: bruise it with the back of a ladle, give it a warm and dish up your leg of veal on fine carved sippets: pour on the broth and run it over with beaten butter. . _to boil a leg of veal otherwise with rice, or a knuckle._ boil it in a pipkin, put some salt to it, and scum it; then put to it some mace and some rice finely picked and washed, some raisins of the sun and gravy; and being fine and tender boil'd, put in some saffron and serve it on fine carved sippets, with the rice over all. . otherways with past cut like small lard, boil it in thin broth and saffron. . otherways in white broth, and with fruit, spinage, sweet herbs and gooseberries, _&c._ _to make all manner of forc't meats, or stuffings for any kind of meats; as leggs, breasts, shoulders, loins or racks; or for any poultry or fowl whatsoever, boil'd, rost, stewed, or baked; or boil'd in bags, round like a quaking pudding in a napkin._ _to force a leg of veal in the french fashion, in a feast for dinner or supper._ take a leg of veal, and take out the meat, but leave the skin and knuckle whole together, then mince the meat that came out of the leg with some beef-suet or lard, and some sweet herbs minced also; then season it with pepper, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, salt, a clove or two of garlic, and some three or four yolks of hard eggs whole or in quarters, pine apple-seed, two or three raw eggs, pistaches, chesnuts, pieces of artichocks, and fill the leg, sow it up and boil it in a pipkin with two gallons of fair water, and some white wine, being scummed and almost boil'd take up some broth into a dish or pipkin, and put to it some chesnuts, pistaches, pine-apple-seed, marrow, large mace, and artichocks bottoms, and stew them well together; then have some fried tost of manchet or roles finely carv'd. the leg being finely boil'd, dish it on french bread, and fried tost and sippets round about it, broth it and put on marrow, and your other materials, with sliced lemon and lemon peel, run it over with beaten butter, and thicken your broth sometimes with strained almonds; sometimes yolks of eggs and saffron, or saffron onely. you may add sometimes balls of the same meat. _garnish._ for your garnish you may use chesnuts, artichock, pistaches, pine-apple-seed and yolks of hard eggs in halves or potato's. otherwhiles: quinces in quarters, or pears, pippins gooseberries, grapes, or barberries. _to force a breast of veal._ mince some veal or mutton with some beef-suet or fat bacon, and some sweet herbs minced also, and seasoned with some cloves, mace, nutmeg, pepper, two or three raw eggs and salt: then prick it up, the breast being filled at the lower end, and stew it between two dishes with some strong broth, white wine, and large mace, then an hour after have sweet herbs picked and stripped, time, sorrel, parsley, sweet marjoram bruised with the back of a ladle, and put it into your broth with some beef-marrow, and give it a warm; then dish up your breast of veal, on fine sippets finely carved, broth it, and lay on slic't lemons, marrow, mace and barberries, and run it over with beaten butter. if you will have the broth yellow, put saffron into it. _to boil a breast of veal otherwise._ make a pudding of grated manchet, minced suet, and minced veal, season it with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, three or four eggs, cinamon, dates, currans, raisins of the sun, some grapes, sugar, and cream, mingle them all together, and fill the breast; prick it up, and stew it between two dishes, with white wine and strong broth, mace dates, marrow, and being finely stewed, serve it on sippets, and run it over with beaten butter, lemon, barberries, or grapes. sometimes thick it with some almond milk, sugar, and cream. _to boil a breast of veal in another manner._ joint it well, and perboil it a little, then put it in a stewing pan or deep dish with some strong broth; and a bundle of sweet herbs well bound up, some large mace, and some slices of interlarded bacon, two or three cloves, some capers, samphire, salt, some yolks of hard eggs, and white-wine; stew all these well together, and being boil'd and tender, serve it on fine carved sippets, and broth it. then have some fried sweetbreads, sausages of veal or pork, garlick or none, and run all over with beaten butter, lemon, and fried parsley. thus you may boil a rack or loin. to make several sorts of puddings. . _bread puddings yellow or green._ grate four penny loaves, and fearce them through a cullender, put them in a deep dish, and put to them four eggs, two quarts of cream, cloves, mace, and some saffron, salt, rose-water, sugar, currans, a pound of beef-suet minced, and a pound of dates. if green, juyces of spinage, and all manner of sweet herbs stamped amongst the spinage, and strain the juyce; sweet herbs chopped very small, cream, cinamon, nutmeg, salt, and all other things, as is next before laid: your herbs must be time stripped, savoury, sweet marjoram, rosemarry, parsley, pennyroyal, dates; in these seven or eight yolks of eggs. _another pudding, called cinamon-pudding_ take five penny loaves, and fearce them through a cullender, put them in a deep dish or tray, and put to them five pints of cream, cinamon six ounces, suet one pound minced, eggs six yolks, four whites, sugar, salt, slic't dates, stamped almonds, or none, rose-water. _to make rice puddings_ boil your rice with cream, strain it, and put to it two penny loaves grated, eight yolks of eggs, and three whites, beef suet, one pound of sugar, salt, rose-water, nutmeg, coriander beaten, _&c._ _other rice puddings._ steep your rice in milk over night, and next morning drain it, and boil it with cream, season it with sugar being cold, and eggs, beef-suet, salt, nutmegs, cloves, mace, currans, dates, &c. _to mak oatmeal puddings, called isings._ take a quart of whole oatmeal, being picked, steep it in warm milk over night, next morning drain it, and boil it in a quart of sweet cream; and being cold put to it six eggs, of them but three whites, cloves, mace, saffron, pepper, suet, dates, currans, salt, sugar. this put in bags, guts, or fowls, as capon, _&c._ if green, good store of herbs chopped small. _to make blood puddings_ take the blood of a hog, while it is warm, and steep in it a quart or more of great oatmeal groats, at the end of three days take the groats out and drain them clean; then put to these groats more then a quart of the best cream warmed on the fire; then take some mother of time, spinage, parsley, savory, endive, sweet marjoram, sorrel, strawberry leaves, succory, of each a few chopped very small and mix them with the groats, with a little fennel seed finely beaten, some peper, cloves, mace salt, and some beef-suet, or flakes of the hog cut small. otherways, you may steep your oatmeal in warm mutton broth, or scalding milk, or boil it in a bag. _to make andolians._ soak the hogs guts, and turn them, scour them, and steep them in water a day and a night, then take them and wipe them dry, and turn the fat side outermost. then have pepper, chopped sage, a little cloves and mace, beaten coriander-seed, & salt; mingle all together, and season the fat side of the guts, then turn that side inward again, and draw one gut over another to what bigness you please: thus of a whole belly of a fat hog. then boil them in a pot or pan of fair water, with a piece of interlarded bacon, some spices and salt; tye them fast at both ends, and make them of what length you please. sometimes for variety you may leave out some of the foresaid herbs, and put pennyroyal, savory, leeks, a good big onion or two, marjoram, time, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, salt, _&c._ _to make other blood puddings._ steep great oatmeal in eight pints of warm goose blood, sheeps blood, calves, or lambs, or fawns blood, and drain it, as is aforesaid, after three days put to it in every pint as before. _other blood puddings._ take blood and strain it, put in three pints of the blood, and two of cream, three penny manchets grated, and beef-suet cut square like small dice or hogs flakes, yolks of eight eggs, salt, sweet herbs, nutmeg, cloves, mace and pepper. sometimes for variety, sugar, currans, _&c._ _to make a most rare excellent marrow pudding in a dish baked, and garnish the dish brims with puff past._ take the marrow of four marrow bones, two pinemolets or french bread, half a pound of raisins of the sun, ready boil'd and cold, cinamon a quarter of an ounce finely beaten, two grated nutmegs, sugar a quarter of a pound, dates a quarter of a pound, sack half a pint, rose-water a quarter of a pint, ten eggs, two grains of ambergreese, and two of musk dissolved: now have a fine clean deep large dish, then have a slice of french bread, and lay a lay of sliced bread in the dish, and stew it with cinamon, nutmeg, and sugar mingled together, and also sprinkle the slices of bread with sack and rose-water, & then some raisins of the sun, and some sliced dates and good big peices of marrow; and thus make two or three lays of the aforesaid ingredients, with four ounces of musk, ambergreece, and most marrow on the top, then take two quarts of cream, and strain it with half a quarter of fine sugar, and a little salt, (about a spoonful) and twelve eggs, six of the whites taken away: then set the dish into the oven, temperate, and not too hot, and bake it very fair and white, and fill it at two several times, and being baked, scrape fine sugar on it, and serve it hot. _to make marrow puddings of rice and grated bread._ steep half a pound of rice in milk all night, then drain it from the milk, and boil it in a quart of cream; being boild strain it and put it to half a pound of sugar, beaten nutmeg and mace steeped in rose water, and put to the foresaid materials eight yolks of eggs, and five grated manchets, put to it also half a pound of marrow, cut like dice, and salt; mingle all together, and fill your bag or napkin, and serve it with beaten butter, being boiled and stuck with almonds. if in guts, being boild, tost them before the fire in a silver dish or tosting pan. _to make other puddings of turkie or capon in bags, guts, or for any kind of stuffing, or forcing, or in cauls_ take a rost turky, mince it very small, and stamp it with some almond past, then put some coriander-seed beaten, salt, sugar, rose-water, yolks of eggs raw, and marrow stamped also with it, and put some cream, mace, soked in sack and whitewine, rose-water and sack, strain it into the materials, and make not your stuff to thin, then fill either gut or napkin, or any fouls boil'd, bak'd or rost, or legs of veal or mutton, or breasts, or kid, or fawn, whole lambs, suckers, _&c._ sheeps haggas puddings. _to make a haggas pudding in a sheeps paunch._ take good store of parsley, savory, time, onions, oatmeal groats chopped together, and mingled with some beef or mutton-suet minced together, and some cloves, mace, pepper, and salt; fill the paunch, sow it up, and boil it. then being boiled, serve it in a dish, and cut a hole in the top of it, and put in some beaten butter with two or three yolks of eggs dissolved in the butter or none. thus one may do for a fasting day, and put no suet in it, and put it in a napkin or bag, and being well boiled, butter it, and dish it in a dish, and serve it with sippets. _a haggas otherways._ steep the oatmeal over night in warm milk, next morning boil it in cream, and being fine and thick boil'd, put beef-suet to it in a dish or tray, some cloves, mace, nutmeg, salt, and some raisins of the sun, or none, and an onion, somtimes savory, parsley, and sweet marjoram, and fill the panch, _&c._ _other haggas puddings._ calves panch, calves chaldrons; or muggets being clenged, boil it tender and mince it very small, put to it grated bread, eight yolks of eggs, two or three whites, cream, some sweet herbs, spinage, succory, sorrel, strawberry leaves very small minced; bits of butter, pepper, cloves, mace, cinnamon, ginger, currans, sugar, salt, dates, and boil it in a napkin or calves panch, or bake it: and being boiled, put it in a dish, trim the dish with scraped sugar, and stick it with slic't almonds, and run it over with beaten butter, _&c._ _to make liver puddings._ take a good hogs, calves, or lambs liver, and boil it: being cold, mince it very small, or grate it, and fearce it through a meal-sieve or cullender, put to it some grated manchet, two penny loaves, some three pints of cream, four eggs, cloves, mace, currans, salt, dates, sugar, cinamon, ginger, nutmegs, one pound of beef-suet minced very small: being mixt all together, fill a wet napkin, and bind it in fashion of a ball, and serve it with beaten butter and sugar being boil'd. _other liver puddings._ for variety, sometimes sweet herbs, and sometimes flakes of the hog in place of beef-suet, fennil-seed, carraway seed, or any other seed, and keep the order as is abovesaid. _to make puddings of blood after the italian fashion._ take three pints of hogs blood, strain it, and put to it half a pound of grated cheese, a penny manchet grated, sweet herbs chopped very small, a pound of beef-suet minced small, nutmeg, pepper, sugar, ginger, cloves, mace, cinamon, sugar, currans, eggs, _&c._ _to make puddings of a heifers udder._ take an heifers udder, and boil it; being cold, mince it small, and put to it a pound of almond paste, some grated manchet, three or four eggs, a quart of cream, one pound of beef-suet minced small, sweet herbs chopped small also, currans, cinamon, salt, one pound of sugar, nutmeg, saffron, yolks of hard eggs in quarters, preserved pears in form of square dice; bits of marrow; mingle all together, and put it in a clean napkin dipped in warm liquor, bind it up round like a ball, and boil it. being boil'd dish it in a clean scoured dish, scrape sugar, and run it over with beaten butter, stick it with slic't almonds, or slic't dates, canded lemon peel, orange, or citrons, juyce of orange over all. thus also lamb-stones, sweet-breads, turkey, capon, or any poultrey. _forcing for any roots; as mellons, cucumbers, colliflowers, cabbidge, pompions, gourds, great onions, parsnips, turnips or carrots._ take a musk mellon, take out the seed, cut it round the mellon two fingers deep, then make a forcing of grated bread, beaten almonds, rose-water and sugar, some musk-mellon stamped small with it, also bisket bread beaten to powder, some coriander-seed, canded lemon minced small, some beaten mace and marrow minced small, beaten cinamon, yolks of raw eggs, sweet herbs, saffron, and musk a grain; then fill your rounds of mellons, and put them in a flat bottom'd dish, or earthen pan, with butter in the bottom, and bake them in a dish. then have sauce made with white-wine and strong broth strained with beaten almonds, sugar and cinamon; serve them on sippets finely carved, give this broth a warm, and pour it on your mellons, with some fine scraped sugar, dry them in the oven, and so serve them. or you may do these whole; mellons, cucumbers, lemons or turnips, and serve them with any boil'd fowl. _other forcing, or pudding, or stuffing for birds or any fowl, or any joint of meat._ take veal or mutton, mince it, and put to it some grated bread, yolks of eggs, cream, currans, dates, sugar, nutmeg, cinamon, ginger, mace, juyce of spinage, sweet herbs, salt and mingle all together, with some whole marrow amongst. if yellow, use saffron. _other forcing for fowls or any joint of meat._ mince a leg of mutton or veal and some beef-suet, or venison, with sweet herbs, grated bread, eggs, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, salt, dates, currans, raisins, some dry canded oranges, coriander seed, and a little cream; bake them or boil them, and stew them in white wine, grapes, marrow, and give them a walm or two, thick it with two or three yolks of eggs, sugar, verjuyce, and serve these puddings on sippets, pour on the broth, and strew on sugar and slic't lemon. _other forcing of veal or pork, mutton, lamb, venison, land, or sea foul._ mince them with beef-suet or lard, and season them with pepper, cloves, mace, and some sweet herbs grated, bolonia sausages, yolks of eggs, grated cheese, salt, _&c._ other stuffings or forcings of grated cheese, calves brains, or any brains, as pork, goat, kid or lamb, or any venison, or pigs brains, with some beaten nutmeg, pepper, salt, ginger, cloves, saffron, sweet herbs, eggs, gooseberries, or grapes. other forcing of calves udder boiled and cold, and stamped with almond past, cheese-curds, sugar, cinamon, ginger, mace cream, salt, raw eggs, and some marrow or butter, _&c._ _other stuffings of puddings._ take rice flower, strain it with goats milk or cream, and the brawn of a poultry rosted, minced and stamped, boil them to a good thickness, with some marrow, sugar, rosewater and some salt; and being cold, fill your poultry, either in cauls of veal or other joynts of meat, and bake them or boil them in bags or guts, put in some nutmeg, almond past, and some beaten mace. _other stuffings of the brawn of a capon, chickens, pigeons, or any tender sea foul._ take out the meat, and save the skins whole, leave on the legs and wings to the skin, and also the necks and heads, and mince the meat raw with some interlarded bacon, or beef-suet, season it with cloves, mace, sugar, salt, and sweet herbs chopped small, yolks of eggs grated, parmisan or none, fill the body, legs, and neck, prick up the back, and stew them between two dishes with strong broth as much as will cover them, and put some bottoms of artichocks, cordons, or boil'd sparagus, goosberries, barberries, or grapes being boil'd, put in some grated permisan, large mace, and saffron, and serve them on fine carved sippets, garnish the dish with roast turnips, or roast onions, cardons, and mace, _&c._ _other forcing of livers of poultry, or kid or lambs._ take the liver raw, and cut it into little bits like dice, and as much interlarded bacon cut in the same form, some sweet herbs chopped small amongst; also some raw yolks of eggs, and some beaten cloves and mace, pepper, and salt, a few prunes or raisins, or no fruit, but grapes or gooseberries, a little grated permisan, a clove or two of garlick; and fill your poultry, either boild or rost, _&c._ _other forcing for any dainty foul; as turkie, chickens, or pheasants, or the like boil'd or rost._ take minced veal raw, and bacon or beef-suet minc't with it; being finely minced, season it with cloves and mace, a few currans salt, and some boiled bottoms of artichocks cut in form of dice small, and mingle amongst the forcing, with pine-apple-seeds, pistaches, chesnuts and some raw eggs, and fill your poultry, _&c._ _other fillings or forcings of parboild veal or mutton._ mince the meat with beef-suet or interlarded bacon, and some cloves, mace, pepper, salt, eggs, sugar, and some quartered pears, damsons, or prunes, and fill your fowls, _&c._ _other fillings of raw capons._ mince it with fat bacon and grated cheese, or permisan, sweet herbs, cheese curd, currans, cinamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, salt, and some pieces of artichocks like small dice, sugar, saffron, and some mushrooms. _otherways._ grated liver of veal, minced lard, fennel-seed, whole raw eggs, sugar, sweet herbs, salt, grated cheese, a clove or two of garlick, cloves, mace, cinamon and ginger, _&c._ _otherways._ for a leg of mutton, grated bread, yolks of raw eggs, beef-suet, salt, nutmeg, sweet herbs, juyce of spinage; cream, cinamon, and sugar; if yellow, saffron. _other forcing, for land or sea fowl boiled or baked, or a leg of mutton._ take the meat out of the leg, leave the skin whole, and mince the meat with beef-suet and sweet herbs; and put to it, being finely minced, grated bread, dates, currans, raisins, orange minced small, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, cream, and eggs; being boiled or baked, make a sauce with marrow, strong broth, white-wine, verjuyce, mace, sugar, and yolks of eggs, strained with verjuyce; serve it on fine carved sippets, and slic'd lemon, grapes or gooseberries: and thus you may do it in cauls of veal, lamb, or kid. _legs of mutton forc't, either rost or boil'd._ mince the meat with beef-suet or bacon, sweet herbs, pepper, salt, cloves and mace, and two or three cloves of garlick, raw eggs, two or three chesnuts, & work up altogether, fill the leg, and prick it up, then rost it or boil it: make sauce with the remainder of the meat, & stew it on the fire with gravy, chesnuts, pistaches, or pine apple seed, bits of artichocks, pears, grapes, or pippins, and serve it hot on this sauce, or with gravy that drops from it only, and stew it between two dishes. _other forcing of veal._ mince the veal and cut the lard like dice, and put to it, with some minced pennyroyall, sweet marjoram, winter savory, nutmeg, a little cammomile, pepper, salt, ginger, cinamon, sugar, and work all together; then fill it into beef guts of some three inches long, and stew them in a pipkin with claret wine, large mace, capers and marrow; being finely stewed, serve them on fine carved sippets, slic'd lemon and barberries, and run them over with beaten butter and scraped sugar. _other forcing for veal, mutton, or lamb._ either of these minced with beef-suet, parsley, time, savory, marigolds, endive and spinage; mince all together, and put some grated bread, grated nutmeg, currans, five dates, sugar, yolks of eggs, rose-water, and verjuyce; of this forcing you may make birds, fishes, beasts, pears, balls or what you will, and stew them, or fry them, or bake them and serve them on sippets with verjuyce, sugar and butter, either dinner or supper. _other forcing for breast, legs, or loyns of beef, mutton, veal, or any venison, or fowl, rosted, baked, or stewed._ mince any meat, and put to it beef-suet or lard, dates, raisins, grated bread, nutmeg, pepper and salt, and two or three eggs, _&c._ _otherways._ mince some mutton with beef-suet, some orange-peel, grated nutmeg, grated bread, coriander-seed, pepper, salt, and yolks of eggs, mingle all together, and fill any breast, or leg, or any joynt of sweet, and make sauce with gravy, strong broth, dates, currans, sugar, salt, lemons, and barberries. _&c._ _other forcing for rost or boil'd, or baked legs of any meat, or any other joint or fowl._ mince a leg of mutton with beef-suet, season it with cloves, mace, pepper, salt, nutmeg, rose-water, currans, raisins, carraway-seeds and eggs; and fill your leg of mutton, _&c._ then for sauce for the aforesaid, if baked, bake it in an earthen pan or deep dish, and being baked, blow away the fat, and serve it with the gravy. if rost, save the gravy that drops from it, and put to it slic't lemon or orange. if boil'd, put capers, barberries, white-wine, hard eggs minced, beaten butter, gravy, verjuyce and sugar, _&c._ _other forcing._ mince a leg of mutton or lamb with beef-suet, and all manner of sweet herbs minced, cloves, mace, salt, currans, sugar, and fill the leg with half the meat: than make the rest into little cakes as broad as a shilling, and put them in a pipkin, with strong mutton broth, cloves, mace, vinegar, and boil the leg, or bake it, or rost it. _forcing in the spanish fashion in balls._ mince a leg of mutton with beef suet and some marrow cut like square dice, put amongst some yolks of eggs, and some salt and nutmeg; make this stuff as big as a tennis ball, and stew them with strong broth the space of two hours; turn them and serve them on toasts of fine manchet, and serve them with the palest of the balls. _other manner of balls._ mince a leg of veal very small, yolks of hard eggs, and the yolks of seven or eight raw eggs, some salt, make them into balls as big as a walnut, and stew them in a pipkin with some mutton broth, mace, cloves, and slic't ginger, stew them an hour, and put some marrow to them, and serve them on sippets, _&c._ _other grand or forc't dish._ take hard eggs, and part the yolks and whites in halves, then take the yolks and mince them, or stamp them in a mortar, with marchpane stuff, and sweet herbs chopped very small, and put amongst the eggs or past, with sugar and cinamon fine beaten, put some currans also to them, and mingle all together with salt, fill the whites, and set them by. then have preserved oranges canded, and fill them with marchpane paste and sugar, and set them by also. then have the tops of sparagus boil'd, and mixed with butter, a little sack, and set them by also. then have boild chesnuts peeled and pistaches, and set them by also. then have marrow steeped first in rose-water, then fried in butter, set that by also. then have green quodlings slic't, mixt with bisket bread & egg, and fried in little cakes, and set that by also. then have sweet-breads, or lamb-stones, and yolks of hard eggs fryed, _&c._ and dipped in butter. then have small turtle doves, and pigeon peepers and chicken-peepers fried, or finely rosted or boiled, and set them by, or any small birds, and some artichocks, and potato's boil'd and fried in butter, and some balls as big as a walnut, or less, made of parmisan, and dipped in butter, and fried. then last of all, put them all in a great charger, the chickens or fowls in the middle, then lay a lay of sweetbreads, then a lay of bottoms of artichocks, and the marrow; on them some preserved oranges. then next some hard eggs round that, fried sparagus, yolks of eggs, chesnuts, and pistaches, then your green quodlings stuffed: the charger being full, put to them marrow all over the meat, and juyce of orange, and make a sauce of strained almonds, grapes, and verjuyce; and being a little stewed in the oven, dry it, _&c._ the dish. _sweetbreads, lambstones, chickens, marrow, almonds, eggs, oranges, bisket, sparagus, artichocks, musk, saffron, butter, potato's, pistaches, chesnuts, verjuyce, sugar, flower, parmisan, cinamon._ _to force a french bread called pine-molet, or three of them._ take a manchet, and make a hole in the top of it, take out the crum, and make a composition of the brawn of a capon rost or boil'd; mince it, and stamp it in a mortar, with marchpane past, cream, yolks of hard eggs, muskefied bisket bread, the crum of very fine manchet, sugar, marrow, musk, and some sweet herbs chopped small, beaten cinamon, saffron, some raw yolks of eggs, and currans: fill the bread, and boil them in napkins in capon broth, but first stop the top with the pieces you took off. then stew or fry some sweetbreads of veal and forced chickens between two dishes, or lamb-stones, fried with some mace, marrow, and grapes, sparagus, or artichocks, and skirrets, the manchets being well boil'd, and your chickens finely stewed, serve them in a fine dish, the manchets in the middle, and the sweetbreads, chickens, and carved sippets round about the dish; being finely dished, thicken the chicken broth with strained almonds, creams, sugar, and beaten butter. garnish your dish with marrow, pistaches, artichocks, puff paste, mace, dates, pomegranats, or barberries, and slic't lemon. _another forc't dish._ take two pound of beef-marrow, and cut it as big as great dice, and a pound of dates, cut as big as small dice; then have a pound of prunes, and take away the out-side from the stones with your knife, and a pound of currans, and put these aforesaid in a platter, twenty yolks of eggs, and a pound of sugar, an ounce of cinamon, and mingle all together. then have the yolks of twenty eggs more, strain them with rose-water, a little musk and sugar, fry them in two pancakes with a little sweet butter fine and yellow, and being fried, put one of them in a fair dish, and lay the former materials on it spread all over; then take the other, and cut it in long slices as broad as your little finger, and lay it over the dishes like a lattice window, set it in the oven, and bake it a little, then fry it, _&c._ bake it leisurely. _another forc't fryed dish._ make a little past with yolks of eggs, flower, and boiling liquor. then take a quarter of a pound of sugar, a pound of marrow, half an ounce of cinamon, and a little ginger. then have some yolks of eggs, and mash your marrow, and a little rose-water, musk or amber, and a few currans or none, with a little suet, and make little pasties, fry them with clarified butter, and serve them with scraped sugar, and juyce of orange. _otherways._ take good fresh water eels, flay and mince them small with a warden or two, and season it with pepper, cloves, mace, saffron: then put currans, dates, and prunes, small minced amongst, and a little verjuyce, and fry it in little pasties; bake it in the oven, or stew it in a pan in past of divers forms, or pasties or stars, _&c._ to make any kind of sausages. _first, bolonia sausages._ the best way and time of the year is to make them in _september_. take four stone of pork, of the legs the leanest, and take away all the skins, sinews, and fat from it; mince it fine and stamp it: then add to it three ounces of whole pepper, two ounces of pepper more grosly cracked or beaten, whole cloves an ounce, nutmegs an ounce finely beaten, salt, spanish, or peter-salt, an ounce of coriander-seed finely beaten, or carraway-seed, cinamon an ounce fine beaten, lard cut an inch long, as big as your little finger, and clean without rust; mingle all the foresaid together; and fill beef guts as full as you can possibly, and as the wind gathers in the gut, prick them with a pin, and shake them well down with your hands; for if they be not well filled, they will be rusty. these aforesaid bolonia sausages are most excellent of pork only: but some use buttock beef, with pork, half one and as much of the other. beef and pork are very good. some do use pork of a weeks powder for this use beforesaid, and no more salt at all. some put a little sack in the beating of these sausages, and put in place of coriander-seed, carraway-seed. this is the most excellent way to make bolonia sausages, being carefully filled, and tied fast with a packthred, and smoaked or smothered three or four days, that will turn them red; then hang them in some cool cellar or higher room to take the air. _other sausages._ sausages of pork with some of the fat of a chine of bacon or pork, some sage chopped fine and small, salt, and pepper: and fill them into porkets guts, or hogs, or sheeps guts, or no guts, and let them dry in the chimney leisurely, _&c._ _otherways._ mince pork with beef-suet, and mince some sage, and put to it some pepper, salt, cloves, and mace; make it into balls, and keep it for your use, or roll them into little sausages some four or five inches long as big as your finger; fry six or seven of them, and serve them in a dish with vinegar or juyce of orange. thus you may do of a leg of veal, and put nothing but salt and suet; and being fried, serve it with gravy and juyce of orange or butter and vinegar; and before you fry them flower them. and thus mutton or any meat. or you may add sweet herbs or nutmeg: and thus mutton. _other sausages._ mince some buttock-beef with beef suet, beat them well together, and season it with cloves, mace, pepper, and salt: fill the guts, or fry it as before; if in guts, boil them and serve them as puddings. _otherways for change._ if without guts, fry them and serve them with gravy, juyce of orange or vinegar, _&c._ _to make links._ take the raring pieces of pork or hog bacon, or fillets, or legs, cut the lean into bits as big as great dice square, and the fleak in the same form, half as much; and season them with good store of chopped sage chopt very small and fine; and season it also with some pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and mace also very small beaten, and salt, and fill porkets guts, or beef-guts: being well filled, hang them up and dry them till the salt shine through them; and when you will spend them, boil them and broil them. to make all manner of hashes. _first, of raw beef._ mince it very small with some beef-suet or lard, some sweet herbs, pepper, salt, some cloves, and mace, blanched chesnuts, or almonds blanched, and put in whole, some nutmeg, and a whole onion or two, and stew it finely in a pipkin with some strong broth the space of two hours, put a little claret to it, and serve it on sippets finely carved, with some grapes or lemon in it also, or barberries, and blow off the fat. _otherways._ stew it in beef gobbets, and cut some fat and lean together as big as a good pullets egg, and put them into a pot or pipkin with some carrots cut in pieces as big as a walnut, some whole onions, some parsnips, large mace, faggot of sweet herbs, salt, pepper, cloves, and as much water and wine as will cover them, and stew it the space of three hours. . _beef hashed otherways, of the buttock._ cut it into thin slices, and hack them with the back of your knife, then fry them with sweet butter; and being fried put them in a pipkin with some claret, strong broth, or gravy, cloves, mace, pepper, salt, and sweet-butter; being tender stewed the space of an hour, serve them on fine sippets, with slic't lemon, gooseberries, barberries, or grapes, and some beaten butter. . _beef hashed otherways._ cut some buttock-beef into fine thin slices, and half as many slices of fine interlarded bacon, stew it very well and tender, with some claret and strong broth, cloves, mace, pepper, and salt; being tender stewed the space of two hours, serve them on fine carved sippets, _&c._ . _a hash of bullocks cheeks._ take the flesh from the bones, then with a sharp knife slice them in thin slices like scotch collops, and fry them in sweet butter a little; then put them into a pipkin with gravy or strong broth and claret, and salt, chopped sage, and nutmeg, stew them the space of two hours, or till they be tender, then serve them on fine carved sippets, _&c._ _hashes of neats feet, or any feet; as calves, sheeps, dears, hogs, lambs, pigs, fawns, or the like, many of the ways following._ boil them very tender, and being cold, mince them small, then put currans to them, beaten cinamon, hard eggs minced, capers, sweet herbs minced small, cloves, mace, sugar, white-wine, butter, slic't lemon or orange, slic't almonds, grated bread, saffron, sugar, gooseberries, barberries or grapes; and being finely stewed down, serve them on fine carved sippets. . _neats feet hashed otherwise._ cut them in peices, being tender boild, and put to them some chopped onions, parsly, time butter, mace, pepper, vinegar, salt, and sugar: being finely stewed serve them on fine carved sippets, barberries, and sugar; sometimes thicken the broth with yolks of raw eggs and verjuice, run it over with beaten butter, and sometimes no sugar. . _hashing otherways of any feet._ mince them small, and stew them with white wine, butter, currans, raisins, marrow, sugar, prunes, dates, cinamon, mace, ginger, pepper, and serve them on tosts of fried manchet. sometimes dissolve the yolks of eggs. . _neats feet, or any feet otherways_ being tender boil'd and soused, part them and fry them in sweet butter fine and brown; dish them in a clean dish with some mustard and sweet butter, and fry some slic't onions, and lay them all over the top; run them over with beaten butter. . _neats-feet, or other feet otherways sliced, or in pieces stewed._ take boil'd onions, and put your feet in a pipkin with the onions aforesaid being sliced, and cloves, mace, white wine, and some strong broth and salt, being almost stewed or boil'd, put to it some butter and verjuyce, and sugar, give it a warm or two more, serve it on fine sippets, and run it over with sweet butter. . _neats-feet otherways, or any feet fricassed, or trotters._ being boil'd tender and cold, take out the hair or wool between the toes, part them in halves, and fry them in butter; being fryed, put away the butter, and put to them grated nutmeg, salt, and strong broth. then being fine and tender, have some yolks of eggs dissolved with vinegar or verjuyce, some nutmeg in the eggs also, and into the eggs put a piece of fresh butter, and put away the frying: and when you are ready to dish up your meat, put in the eggs, and give it a toss or two in the pan, and pour it in a clean dish. . _to hash neats-tongues, or any tongues._ being fresh and tender boil'd, and cold, cut them into thin slices, fry them in sweet butter, and put to them some strong broth, cloves, mace, saffron, salt, nutmegs grated, yolks of eggs, grapes, verjuyce: and the tongue being fine and thick, with a toss or two in the pan, dish it on fine sippets. sometimes you may leave out cloves and mace; and for variety put beaten cinamon, sugar, and saffron, and make it more brothy. . _to hash a neats-tongue otherways._ slice it into thin slices, no broader than a three pence, and stew it in a dish or pipkin with some strong broth, a little sliced onion of the same bigness of the tongue, and some salt, put to some mushrooms, and nutmeg, or mace, and serve it on fine sippets, being well stewed; rub the bottom of the dish with a clove or two of garlick or mince a raw onion very small and put in the bottom of the dish, and beaten butter run over the tops of your dish of meat, with lemon cut small. . _to hash a tongue otherwise, either whole or in slices._ boil it tender, and blanch it; and being cold, slice it in thin slices, and put to it boil'd chesnuts or roste, some strong broth, a bundle of sweet herbs, large mace, white endive, pepper, wine, a few cloves, some capers, marrow or butter, and some salt; stew it well together, and serve it on fine carved sippets, garnish it on the meat, with gooseberries, barberries, or lemon. . _to hash a tongue otherways._ being boil'd tender, blanch it, and let it cool, then slice it in thin slices, and put it in a pipkin with some mace and raisins, slic't dates, some blanched almonds; pistaches, claret or white whine, butter, verjuyce, sugar, and strong broth; being well stewed, strain in six eggs, the yolks being boil'd hard, or raw, give it a warm, and dish up the tongue on fine sippets. garnish the dish with fine sugar, or fine searced manchet, lay lemon on your meat slic't, run it over with beaten butter, _&c._ . _to hash a neats tongue otherways._ being boil'd tender, slice it in thin slices, and put it in a pipkin with some currans, dates, cinamon, pepper, marrow, whole mace, verjuyce, eggs, butter, bread, wine, and being finely stewed, serve it on fine sippets, with beaten butter, sugar, strained eggs, verjuyce, _&c._ _ . to stew a neats tongue whole._ take a fresh neats tongue raw, make a hole in the lower end, and take out some of the meat, mince it with some bacon or beef suet, and some sweet herbs, and put in the yolks of an egg or two, some nutmeg, salt, and some grated parmisan or fat cheese, pepper, and ginger; mingle all together, and fill the hole in the tongue, then rap a caul or skin of mutton about it, and bind it about the end of the tongue, boil it till it will blanch: and being blanched, wrap about it the caul of veal with some of the forcing, roast it a little brown, and put it in a pipkin, and stew it with some claret and strong broth, cloves, mace, salt, pepper, some strained bread, or grated manchet, some sweet herbs chopped small, marrow, fried onions and apples amongst; and being finely stewed down, serve it on fine carved sippets, with barberries and slic't lemon, and run it over with beaten butter. garnish the dish with grated or searced manchet. _ . to stew a neats tongue otherways, whole, or in pieces, boiled, blanch it, or not._ take a tongue and put it a stewing between two dishes being raw, & fresh, put some strong broth to it and white wine, with some whole cloves, mace, and pepper whole, some capers, salt, turnips cut like lard, or carrots, or any roots, and stew all together the space of two or three hours leisurely, then blanch it, and put some marrow to it, give it a warm or two, and serve it on sippets finely carved, and strow on some minced lemon and barberies or grapes, and run all over with beaten butter. garnish your dish with fine grated manchet finely searced. _ . to boil a tongue otherways._ salt a tongue twelve hours, or boil it in water & salt till it be tender, blanch it, and being finely boil'd, dish it in a clean dish, and stuff it with minced lemon, mince the rind, and strow over all, and serve it with some of the gallendines, or some of the italian sauces, as you may see in the book of sauces. _to boil a neats tongue otherways, of three or four days powder._ boil it in fair water, and serve it on brewice, with boiled turnips and onions, run it over with beaten butter, and serve it on fine carved sippets, some barberries, goosberries, or grapes, and serve it with some of the sauces, as you may see in the book of all manner of sauces. _to fricas a neats tongue, or any tongue._ being tender boil'd, slice it into thin slices, and fry it with sweet butter, then put away your butter, and put some strong broth, nutmeg, pepper, and sweet herbs chopped small, some grapes or barberries picked, and some yolks of eggs, or verjuyce, grated bread, or stamped almonds and strained. somtimes you may add some saffron. thus udders may be dressed in any of the ways of the neats-tongues beforesaid. _to hash any land-fowl, as turky, capon, pheasant, or partridges, or any fowls being roasted and cold. roast the fowls for hashes._ take a capon, hash the wings, and slice into thin slices, but leave the rump and the legs whole; mince the wings into very thin slices, no bigger then a _three pence_ in breadth, and put it in a pipkin with a little strong broth, nutmeg, some slic't mushroms, or pickled mushroms, & an onion very thin slic't no bigger than the _minced capon_ being well stew'd down with a little butter & gravy, dish it on fine sippets, & lay the rump or rumps whole on the minced meat, also the legs whole, and run it over with beaten butter, slices of lemon, and lemon peel whole. _collops or hashed veal._ take a leg of veal, and cut it into slices as thin as an half crown piece, and as broad as your hand, and hack them with the back of a knife, then lard them with small lard good and thick, and fry them with sweet butter; being fryed, make sauce with butter, vinegar, some chopped time amongst, and yolks of eggs dissolved with juice of oranges; give them a toss or two in the pan, and so put them in a dish with a little gravy, _&c._ or you may make other sauce of mutton gravy, juyce of lemon and grated nutmeg. _a hash of any tongues, neats tongues, sheeps tongues, or any great or small tongues._ being tender boil'd and cold, cut them in thin slices, and fry them in sweet butter; then put them in a pipkin with a pint of claret wine, and some beaten cinamon, ginger, sugar, salt, some capers, or samphire, and some sweet butter; stir it well down till the liquor be half wasted, and now and then stir it: being finely and leisurely stewed, serve it on fine carved sippets, and wring on the juyce of a lemon, and marrow, _&c._ or sometimes lard them whole, tost them, and stew them as before, and put a few carraways, and large mace, sugar, marrow, chestnuts: serve them on fried tosts, _&c._ _to make other hashes of veal._ take a fillet of veal with the udder, rost it; and being rosted, cut away the frothy flap; and cut it into thin slices; then mince it very fine with handfuls of french capers, & currans one handful; and season it with a little beaten nutmeg, ginger, mace, cinamon, and a handful of sugar, and stew these with a pound of butter, a quarter of a pint of vinegar, as much caper liquor, a faggot of sweet herbs, and little salt; let all these boil softly the space of two hours, now and then stirring it; being finely stewed, dish it up, and stick about it fried tost, or stock fritters, _&c._ or to this foresaid hash, you may add some yolks of hard eggs minced among the meat, or minced and mingled, and put whole currans, whole capers, and some white wine. or to this foresaid hash, you may, being hashed, put nothing but beaten butter only with lemon, and the meat cut like square dice, and serve it with beaten butter and lemon on fine carved sippets. _to hash a hare._ cut it in two pieces, and wash off the hairs in water and wine, strain the liquor, and parboil the quarters; then take them and put them into a dish with the legs, shoulders, and head whole, and the chine cut in two or three pieces, and put to it two or three grate onions whole, and some of the liquor where it was parboil'd: stew it between two dishes till it be tender, then put to it some pepper, mace, nutmeg, and serve it on fine carved sippets, and run it over with beaten butter, lemon, some marrow, and barberries. _to hash or boil rabits divers ways, either in quarters or slices cut like small dice, or whole or minced._ take a rabit being flayed, and wiped clean, cut off the legs, thighs, wings, and head, and part the chine into four pieces or six; put all into a dish, and put to it a pint of white wine, as much fair water, and gross pepper, slic'd ginger, some salt butter, a little time and other sweet herbs finely minced, and two or three blades of mace, stew it the space of two hours leisurely; and a little before you dish it, take the yolks of six new laid eggs and dissolve them with some grapes, verjuyce, or wine vinegar, give it a warm or two on the fire, till the broth be somewhat thick, then put it in a clean dish, with salt about the dish, and serve it hot. _a rabit hashed otherways._ stew it between two dishes in quarters, as the former, or in peices as long as your finger, with some strong broth, mace, a bundle of sweet herbs, and salt; being well stewed, strain the yolks of two hard eggs with some of the broth, and put it into the broth where the rabit stews, then have some cabbidge lettice boiled in water; and being boild squeeze away the water, and put them in beaten butter, with a few raisins of the sun boiled in water also by themselves; or in place of lettice use white endive. then being finely stewed, dish up the rabit on fine carved sippets, and lay on it mace, lettice in quarters, raisins, grapes, lemons, sugar, gooseberries, or barberries, and broth it with the former broth. thus chickens, or capons, or partridg, and strained almonds in this broth for change. to hash a rabit otherways, with a forcing in his belly of minced sweet herbs, yolks of hard eggs, parsley, pepper, and currants, and fill his belly. _to hash rabits, chickens, or pigeon, either in peices; or whole, with turnips._ boil either the rabits or fowls in water and salt, or strained oatmeal and salt. take turnips, cut them in slices, and after cut them like small lard an inch long, the quantity of a quart, and put them in a pipkin with a pound of butter, three or four spoonfulls of strong broth, and a quarter of a pint of wine vinegar, some pepper and ginger, sugar and salt; and let them stew leisurely with some mace the space of hours being very finely stewed, put them into beaten butter, beaten with cream and yolks of eggs, then serve them upon fine thin toasts of french bread. or otherways, being stewed as aforesaid without eggs, cream, or butter, serve them as formerly. and these will serve for boil'd chickens, or any kind of fowl for garnish. _to make a bisk the best way._ take a leg of beef and a knuckle of veal, boil them in two gallons of fair water, scum them clean, and put to them some cloves, and mace, then boil them from two gallons to three quarts of broth; being boil'd strain it and put it in a pipkin, when it is cold, take off the fat and bottom, clear it into another clean pipkin; and keep it warm till the bisk be ready. boil the fowl in the liquor of the marrow-bones of six peeping chickens, and six peeping pigeons in a clean pipkin, either in some broth, or in water and salt. boil the marrow by it self in a pipkin in the same broth with some salt. then have pallats, noses, lips, boil'd tender, blancht and cut into bits as big as sixpence; also some sheeps tongues boil'd, blancht, larded, fryed, and stewed in gravy, with some chesnuts blanched; also some cocks combs boil'd and blanched, and some knots of eggs, or yolks of hard eggs. stew all the aforesaid in some rost mutton, or beef gravy, with some pistaches, large mace, a good big onion or two, and some salt. then have lamb stones blancht and slic't, also sweet-breads of veal, and sweet-breads of lamb slit, some great oysters parboil'd, and some cock stones. fry the foresaid materials in clarified butter, some fryed spinage, or alexander leaves, & keep them warm in an oven, with some fried sausages made of minced bacon, veal, yolks of eggs, nutmegs, sweet herbs, salt and pistaches; bake it in an oven in cauls of veal, and being baked and cold, slice it round, fry it, and keep it warm in the oven with the foresaid fried things. _to make little pies for the bisk._ mince a leg of veal, or a leg of mutton with some interlarded bacon raw and seasoned with a little salt, nutmeg, pepper, some sweet herbs, pistaches, grapes, gooseberries, barberries, and yolks of hard eggs, in quarters; mingle all together, fill them, and close them up; and being baked liquor them with gravy, and beaten butter, or mutton broth. make the past of a pottle of flower, half a pound of butter, six yolks of eggs, and boil the liquor and butter together. _to make gravy for the bisk._ roast eight pound of buttock beef, and two legs of mutton, being throughly roasted, press out the gravy, and wash them with some mutton broth, and when you have done, strain it, and keep it warm in a clean pipkin for your present use. _to dish the bisk._ take a great eight pound dish, and a six penny french pinemolet or bread; chip it and slice it into large slices, and cover all the bottom of the dish; scald it or steep it well with your strong broth, and upon that some mutton or beef gravy; then dish up the fowl on the dish, and round the dish the fried tongues in gravy with the lips, pallats, pistaches, eggs, noses, chesnuts, and cocks combs, and run them over the fowls with some of the gravy, and large mace. then again run it over with fried sweetbread, sausage, lamb-stones, cock-stones, fried spinage, or alexander leaves, then the marrow over all; next the carved lemons upon the meat, and run it over with the beaten butter, yolks of eggs, and gravy beat up together till it is thick; then garnish the dish with the little pies, dolphins of puff-paste, chesnuts, boiled and fried oysters, and yolks of hard eggs. _to boil chines of veal._ first, stew them in a stewing pan or between two dishes, with some strong broth of either veal or mutton, some white wine, and some sausages made of minced veal or pork, boil up the chines, scum them, and put in two or three blades of large mace, a few cloves, oyster or caper liquor with a little salt; and being finely boil'd down put in some good mutton or beef-gravy; and a quarter of an hour before you dish them, have all manner of sweet herbs pickt and stript, as tyme, sweet marjoram, savory, parsley, bruised with the back of a ladle, and give them two or three walms on the fire in the broth; then dish the chines in thin slices of fine french bread, broth them, and lay on them some boiled beef-marrow, boil'd in strong broth, some slic't lemon, and run all over with a lear made of beaten butter, the yolk of an egg or two, the juyce of two or three oranges, and some gravy, _&c._ _to boil or stew any joynt of mutton._ take a whole loin of mutton being jointed, put it into a long stewing pan or large dish, in as much fair water as will more than half cover it, and when it is scum'd cover it; but first put in some salt, white wine, and carrots cut into dice-work, and when the broth is half boiled strain it, blow off the fat, and wash away the dregs from the mutton, wash also the stew-pan or pipkin very clean, and put in again the broth into the pan or pipkin, with some capers, large mace, and carrots; being washed, put them in again, and stew them softly, lay the mutton by in some warm place, or broth, in a pipkin; then put in some sweet herbs chopped with an onion, and put it to your broth also, then have colliflowers ready boild in water and salt, put them into beaten butter with some boil'd marrow: then the mutton and broth being ready, dissolve two or three yolks of eggs, with white wine, verjuyce, or sack, and give it a walm or two; then dish up the meat, and lay on the colliflowers, gooseberries, capers, marrow, carrots, and grapes or barberries, and run it over with beaten butter. for the garnish according to the season of the year, sparagus, artichocks, parsnips, turnips, hopbuds, coleworts, cabbidge-lettice, chestnuts, cabbidge-sprouts. sometimes for more variety, for thickning of this broth, strained almonds, with strong mutton broth. _to boil a rack, chine, or loin of mutton a most excellent way, either whole or in pieces._ boil it either in a flat large pipkin or stewing pan, with as much fair water as will cover the meat, and when it boils scum it, and put thereto some salt; and being half boiled take up the meat, and strain the broth, blow off the fat, and wash the stewing-pan and the meat from the dregs, then again put in the crag end of the rack of mutton to make the broth good, with some mace; then a little before you take it up, take a handful of picked parsley, chop it very small, and put it in the broth, with some whole marigold flowers; put in the chine again, and give it a walm or two, then dish it on fine sippets, and broth it, then add thereto raisins of the sun, and currans ready boil'd and warm, lay them over the chine of mutton, then garnish the dish with marigold-flowers, mace, lemon, and barberries. other ways for change without fruit. _to boil a chine of mutton in barley broth; or chines, racks, and knuckles of veal._ take a chine of veal or mutton and joynt it, put it in a pipkin with some strong mutton broth, and when it boils and is scummed, put in some french barley, being first boiled in fair water, put into the broth some large mace and some sweet herbs bound up in a bundle, a little rosemary, tyme, winter-savory, salt, and sweet marjoram, bind them up very hard; and put in some raisins of the sun, some good pruens, currans, and marigold-flowers; boil it up to an indifferent thickness, and serve it on fine sippets; garnish the dish with fruit and marigold-flowers, mace, lemon, and boil'd marrow. otherways without fruit, put some good mutton gravy, and sometimes raisins only. _to stew a chine of mutton or veal._ put it in a pipkin with strong broth and white wine; and when it boils scum it, and put to some oyster-liquor, salt, whole pepper, a bundle of sweet herbs well bound up, two or three blades of large mace, a whole onion, with some interlarded bacon cut into dice work, some chesnuts, and some capers, then have some stewed oysters by themselves, as you may see in the book of oysters. the chines being ready, garnish the dish with great oysters fried and stewed, mace, chesnuts, and lemon peel; dish up the chines in a fair dish on fine sippets; broth it, and garnish the chines with stewed oysters; chesnuts, mace, slic't lemon and some fried oysters. _to make a dish of steaks, stewed in a frying pan._ take them and fry them in sweet butter; being half fried, put out the butter, & put to them some good strong ale, pepper, salt, a shred onion, and nutmeg; stew them well together, and dish them on sippets, serve them and pour on the sauce with some beaten butter, _&c._ _to make stewd broth._ take a knuckle of veal, a joint of mutton, loin or rack, two marrow-bones, a capon, and boil them in fair water, scum them when they boil, and put to them a bundle of sweet herbs bound up hard and close; then add some large mace, whole cinamon, and some ginger, bruised and put in a fine clean cloth bound up fast, and a few whole cloves, some strained manchet, or beaten oatmeal strained and put to the broth; then have prunes and currans boil'd and strain'd; then put in some whole raisins, currans, some good damask prunes, and boil not the fruit too much, about half an hour before you dish your meat, put into the broth a pint of claret wine, and some sugar; dish up the meat on fine sippets, broth it, and garnish the dish with slic't lemons, prunes, mace, raisins, currans, scraped sugar, and barberries; garnish the meat in the dish also. _stewed broth in the new mode or fashion._ take a joynt of mutton, rack, or loin, and boil them in pieces or whole in fair water, scum them, and being scummed and half boil'd, take up the mutton, and wash away the dregs from the meat; strain the broth, and blow away the fat; then put the broth into a clean pipkin, with a bundle of sweet herbs bound up hard; then put thereto some large mace, raisins of the sun boil'd and strain'd, with half as many prunes; also some saffron, a few whole cloves, pepper, salt, claret wine, and sugar; and being finely stewed together, a little before you dish it up, put in the meat, and give it a walm or two; dish it up, and serve it on fine carved sippets. _to stew a loin, rack, or any joynt of mutton otherways._ chop a loin into steaks, lay it in a deep dish or stewing pan, and put to it half a pint of claret, and as much water, salt, and pepper, three or four whole onions, a faggot of sweet herbs bound up hard, and some large mace, cover them close, and stew them leisurely the space of two hours, turn them now & then, and serve them on sippets. otherways for change, being half boiled, put to them some sweet herbs chopped, give them a walm, and serve them on sippets with scalded gooseberies, barberries, grapes, or lemon. sometimes for variety put raisins, prunes, currans, dates, and serve them with slic't lemon, beaten butter. othertimes you may alter the spices, and put nutmeg, cloves, ginger, _&c._ sometimes to the first plain way put capers, pickled cucumbers, samphire, _&c._ _otherwayes._ stew it between two dishes with fair water, and when it boils, scum it, and put in three or four blades of large mace, gross pepper, cloves, and salt; stew them close covered two hours, then have parsley picked, and some stript, fine spinage, sorrel, savory, and sweet marjoram chopped with some onions, put them to your meat, and give it a walm, with some grated bread amongst them; then dish them on carved sippets, blow off the fat on the broth, and broth it, lay a lemon on it and beaten butter, and stew it thus whole. _to dress or force a leg of veal a singular good way, in the newest mode._ take a leg of veal, take out the meat, and leave the skin and the shape of the leg whole together, mince the meat that came out of the leg with some beef-suet or lard, and some sweet herbs minced; then season it with pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, all being fine beaten, with some salt, a clove or two of garlick, three or four yolks of hard eggs in quarters, pine-apple seed, two or three raw eggs, also pistaches, chesnuts, & some quarters of boil'd artichocks bottoms, fill the leg and sowe it up, boil it in a pipkin with two gallons of fair water and some white wine; being scumm'd and almost boil'd, take up some broth into a dish or pipkin, and put to it some chesnuts, pistaches, pine-apple-seed, some large mace, marrow, and artichocks bottoms boil'd and cut into quarters, stew all the foresaid well together; then have some fried tost of manchet or rowls finely carved. the leg being well boil'd, (dainty and tender) dish it on french bread, fry some toast of it, and sippets round about it, broth it, and put on it marrow, and your other materials, a slic't lemon, and lemon peel, and run it over with beaten butter. thicken the broth sometimes with almond paste strained with some of the broth, or for variety, yolks of eggs and saffron strained with some of the broth, or saffron only. one may add sometimes some of the minced meat made up into balls, and stewed amongst the broth, _&c._ _to boil a leg or knuckle of veal with rice._ boil it in a pipkin, put some salt to it, and scum it, then put to some mace and some rice finely picked and washed, some raisins of the sun and gravy; being fine and tender boil'd put in some saffron, and serve on fine carved sippets, with the rice over all. otherwayes with paste cut like small lard, and boil it in thin broth and saffron. or otherways in white broth, with fruit, sweet herbs, white wine and gooseberries. _to boil a breast of veal._ jonyt it well and parboil it a little, then put it in a stewing pan or deep dish with some strong broth and a bundle of sweet herbs well bound up, some large mace, and some slices of interlarded bacon, two or three cloves, some capers, samphire, salt, spinage, yolks of hard eggs, and white wine; stew all these well together, being tender boil'd, serve it on fine carved sippets, and broth it; then have some fryed sweetbreads, sausages of veal or pork, garlick or none, and run all over with beaten butter, lemon, and fryed parsley over all. thus you may boil a rack loin of veal. _to boil a breast of veal otherways._ make a pudding of grated manchet, minced suet, and minced veal, season it with nutmeg, pepper, salt, three or four eggs, cinamon, dates, currans, raisins of the sun, some grapes, sugar, and cream; mingle all together, fill the breast, prick it up, and stew it between two dishes with white wine, strong broth, mace, dates, and marrow, being finely stewed serve it on sippets, and run it over with beaten butter, lemon, barberries or grapes. sometimes thick it with some almond-milk, sugar, and cream. _to force a breast of veal._ mince some veal or mutton with some beef-suet or fat bacon, some sweet herbs minced, & seasoned with some cloves, mace, nutmeg, pepper, two or three raw eggs, and salt; then prick it up: the breast being filled at the lower end stew it between two dishes, with some strong broth, white wine, and large mace; then an hour after have sweet herbs pickt and stript, as tyme, sorrel, parsley, and sweet marjoram, bruised with the back of a ladle, put it into your broth with some marrow, and give them a warm; then dish up your breast of veal on sippets finely carved, broth it, and lay on slic't lemon, marrow, mace and barberries, and run it over with beaten butter. if you will have the broth yellow put thereto saffron, _&c._ _to boil a leg of veal._ stuff it with beef-suet, sweet herbs chopped, nutmeg and salt, and boil it in fair water and salt; then take some of the broth, and put thereto some capers, currans, large mace, a piece of interlarded bacon, two or three whole cloves, pieces of pears, some boil'd artichocks suckers, some beaten butter, boil'd marrow, and mace; then before you dish it up, have sorrel, sage, parsley, time, sweet marjoram, coursly minced with two or three cuts of a knife, and bruised with the back of a ladle on a clean board; put them into your broth to make it green, & give it a walm or two, then dish it up on fine carved sippets, pour on the broth, and then your other materials, some gooseberries, barberries, beaten butter and lemon. _to boil a leg of mutton._ take a fair leg of mutton, boil it in water and salt, make sauce with gravy, wine vinegar, white wine, salt, butter, nutmeg, and strong broth; and being well stewed together, dish it up on fine carved sippets, and pour on your broth. garnish your dish with barberries, capers, and slic't lemon, and garnish the leg of mutton with the same garnish and run it over with beaten butter, slic't lemon, and grated nutmeg. _to boil a leg of mutton otherways._ take a good leg of mutton, and boil it in water and salt, being stuffed with sweet herbs chopped with beef-suet, some salt and nutmeg; then being almost boil'd take up some of the broth into a pipkin, and put to it some large mace, a few currans, a handful of french capers, a little sack, the yolks of three or four hard eggs minced small, and some lemon cut like square dice; being finely boil'd, dish it on carved sippets, broth it and run it over with beaten batter, and lemon shred small. _otherways._ stuff a leg of mutton with parsley being finely picked, boil it in water and salt, and serve it on a fair dish with parsley and verjuyce in saucers. _otherways._ boil it in water and salt not stuffed, and being boiled, stuff it with lemon in bits like square dice, and serve it with the peel cut square round about it; make sauce with the gravy, beaten butter, lemon, and grated nutmeg. _otherways._ boil it in water and salt, being stuffed with parsley, make sauce for it with large mace, gravy, chopped parsley, butter, vinegar, juyce of orange, gooseberries, barberries, grapes, and sugar, serve it on sippets. _to boil peeping chickens, the best and rarest way, alamode._ take three or four _french_ manchets, & being chipped, cut a round hole in the top of them, take out the crum, and make a composition of the brawn of a roast capon, mince it very fine, and stamp it in a mortar with marchpane paste, the yolks of hard eggs, mukefied bisket bread, and the crum of the manchet of one of the breads, some sugar & sweet herbs chopped small, beaten cinamon, cream, marrow, saffron, yolks of eggs, and some currans; fill the breads, and boil them in a napkin in some good mutton or capon broath; but first stop the holes in the tops of the breads, then stew some sweet-breads of veal, and six peeping chickens between two dishes, or a pipkin with some mace, then fry some lamb-stones slic't in batter made of flower, cream, two or three eggs, and salt; put to it some juyce of spinage, then have some boil'd sparagus, or bottoms of artichocks boil'd and beat up in beaten butter and gravy. the materials being well boil'd and stewed up, dish the boil'd breads in a fair dish with the chickens round about the breads, then the sweetbreads, and round the dish some fine carved sippets; then lay on the marrow, fried lamb-stones, and some grapes; then thicken the broth with strained almonds, some cream and sugar, give them a warm, and broth the meat, garnish it with canded pistaches, artichocks, grapes, mace, some poungarnet, and slic't lemon. _to hash a shoulder of mutton._ take a shoulder of mutton, roast it, and save the gravy, slice one half, and mince the other, and put it into a pipkin with the shoulder blade, put to it some strong broth of good mutton or beef-gravy, large mace, some pepper, salt, and a big onion or two, a faggot of sweet herbs, and a pint of white wine; stew them well together close covered, and being tender stewed, put away the fat, and put some oyster-liquor to the meat, and give it a warm: then have three pints of great oysters parboil'd in their own liquor, and bearded; stew them in a pipkin with large mace, two great whole onions, a little salt, vinegar, butter, some white-wine, pepper, and stript tyme; the materials being well stewed down, dish up the shoulder of mutton on a fine clean dish, and pour on the materials or hashed mutton, then the stewed oysters over all; with slic't lemon and fine carved sippets round the dish. _to hash a shoulder of mutton otherways._ stew it with claret-wine, only adding these few varieties more than the other; _viz._ two or three anchoves, olives, capers, samphire, barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, and in all points else as the former. but then the shoulder being rosted, take off the skin of the upper side whole, and when the meat is dished, lay on the upper skin whole, and cox it. _to hash a shoulder of mutton the french way._ take a shoulder of mutton, roast it thorowly, and save the gravy; being well roasted, cut it in fine thin slices into a stewing pan, or dish; leave the shoulder bones with some meat on them, and hack them with your knife; then blow off the fat from the gravy you saved, and put it to your meat with a quarter of a pint of claret wine, some salt, and a grated nutmeg; stew all the foresaid things together a quarter of an hour, and serve it in a fine clean dish with sippets of french bread; then rub the dish bottom with a clove of garlick, or an onion, as you please; dish up the shoulder bones first, and then the meat on that; then have a good lemon cut into dice work, as square as small dice, and peel all together, and strew it on the meat; then run it over with beaten butter, and gravy of mutton. _scotch collops of mutton._ take a leg of mutton, and take out the bone, leave the leg whole, and cut large collops round the leg as thin as a half-crown piece; hack them, then salt and broil them on a clear charcoal fire, broil them up quick, and the blood will rise on the upper side; then take them up plum off the fire, and turn the gravy into a dish, this done, broil the other side, but have a care you broil them not too dry; then make sauce with the gravy, a little claret wine, and nutmeg; give the collops a turn or two in the gravy, and dish them one by one, or two, one upon another; then run them over with the juyce of orange or lemon. _scotch collops of a leg or loin of mutton otherways._ bone a leg of mutton, and cut it cross the grain of the meat, slice it into very thin slices, & hack them with the back of a knife, then fry them in the best butter you can get, but first salt them a little before they be fried; or being not too much fried, pour away the butter, and put to them some mutton broth or gravy only, give them a walm in the pan, and dish them hot. sometimes for change put to them grated nutmeg, gravy, juyce of orange, and a little claret wine; and being fried as the former, give it a walm, run it over with beaten butter, and serve it up hot. otherways for more variety, add some capers, oysters, and lemon. _to make a hash of partridges or capons._ take twelve partridges and roast them, and being cold mince them very fine, the brawns or wings, and leave the legs and rumps whole; then put some strong mutton broth to them, or good mutton gravy, grated nutmeg, a great onion or two, some pistaches, chesnuts, and salt; then stew them in a large earthen pipkin or sauce-pan; stew the rumps and legs by themselves in strong broth in another pipkin; then have a fine clean dish, and take a _french_ six penny bread, chip it, and cover the bottom of the dish, and when you go to dish the hash steep the bread with some good mutton broth, or good mutton gravy; then pour the hash on the steeped bread, lay the legs and the rumps on the hash, with some fried oysters, pistaches, chesnuts, slic't lemon, and lemon-peel, yolks of eggs strained with juyce of orange and beaten butter beat together, and run over all; garnish the dish with carved oranges, lemons, fried oysters, chesnuts, and pistaches. thus you may hash any kind of fowl, whether water or land-fowl. _to hash a hare._ flay it and draw it, then cut it into pieces, and wash it in claret wine and water very clean, strain the liquor, and parboil the quarters; then take them and slice them, and put them into a dish with the legs, wings, or shoulders and head whole; cut the chine into two or three pieces, and put to it two or three great onions, and some of the liquor where it was parboil'd, stew it between two dishes close covered till it be tender, and put to it some mace, pepper, and nutmeg; serve it on fine carved sippets, and run it over with beaten butter, lemon, marrow and barberries. _to hash a rabit._ take a rabit being flayed and wiped clean; then cut off the thighs, legs, wings, and head, and part the chine into four pieces, put all into a dish or pipkin, and put to it a pint of white wine, and as much fair water, gross pepper, slic't ginger, salt, tyme, and some other sweet herbs being finely minced, and two or three blades of mace; stew it the space of two hours, and a little before you dish it take the yolks of six new laid eggs, dissolve them with some grape verjuyce, give it a walm or two on the fire, and serve it up hot. _to stew or hash rabits otherways._ stew them between two dishes as the former, in quarter or pieces as long as your fingar, with some broth, mace, a bundle of sweet herbs, salt, and a little white wine, being well stewed down, strain the yolks of two or three hard eggs with some of the broth, and thicken the broth where the rabit stews; then have some cabbidg-lettice boil'd in fair water, and being boil'd tender, put them in beaten butter with a few boiled raisins of the sun; or in place of lettice you may use white endive: then the rabits being finely stewed, dish them upon carved sippets, and lay on the garnish of lettice, mace, raisins of the sun, grapes, slic't lemon or barberries, broth it, and scrape on sugar. thus chickens, pigeons, or partridges. _to hash rabits otherwayes._ make a forcing or stuffing in the belly of the rabits, with some sweet herbs, yolks of hard eggs, parsley, sage, currans, pepper and salt, and boil them as the former. _to hash any land fowl._ take a capon, and hash the wings in fine thin slices, leave the rumps and legs whole, put them into a pipkin with a little strong broth, nutmeg, some stewed or pickled mushrooms, and an onion very small slic't, or as the capon is slic't about the bigness of a three pence; stew it down with a little butter and gravy, and then dish it on fine sippets, lay the rumps and legs on the meat, and run it over with beaten butter, beaten with slices of lemon-peel. _to boil woodcocks or snipes._ boil them either in strong broth, or in water and salt, and being boiled, take out the guts, and chop them small with the liver, put to it some crumbs of grated white-bread, a little of the broth of the cock, and some large mace; stew them together with some gravy, then dissolve the yolks of two eggs with some wine vinegar, and a little grated nutmeg, and when you are ready to dish it, put the eggs to it, and stir it among the sauce with a little butter; dish them on sippets, and run the sauce over them with some beaten butter and capers, or lemon minced small, barberries, or whole pickled grapes. sometimes with this sauce boil some slic't onions, and currans boil'd in a broth by it self; when you boil it with onions, rub the bottom of the dish with garlick. _boil'd cocks or larks otherways._ boil them with the guts in them, in strong broth, or fair water, and three or four whole onions, large mace, and salt, the cocks being boil'd, make sauce with some thin slices of manchet or grated bread in another pipkin, and some of the broth where the fowl or cocks boil, then put to it some butter, and the guts and liver minced, then have some yolks of eggs dissolved with some vinegar and some grated nutmeg, put it to the other ingredients; stir them together, and dish the fowl on fine sippets; pour on the sauce with some slic't lemon, grapes, or barberries, and run it over with beaten butter. _to boil any land fowl, as turkey, bustard, pheasant, peacock, partridge, or the like._ take a turkey and flay off the skin, leave the legs and rumps whole, then mince the flesh raw with some beef-suet or lard, season it with nutmeg, pepper, salt, and some minced sweet herbs, then put to it some yolks of raw eggs, and mingle all together, with two bottoms of boil'd artichocks, roasted chesnuts blanched, some marrow, and some boil'd skirrets or parsnips cut like dice, or some pleasant pears, and yolks of hard eggs in quarters, some gooseberries, grapes, or barberries; fill the skin and prick it up in the back, stew it in a stewing-pan or deep dish, and cover it with another; but first put some strong broth to it, some marrow artichocks boil'd and quartered, large mace, white wine, chesnuts, quarters of pears, salt, grapes, barberries, and some of the meat made up in balls stewed with the turkey being finely boil'd or stewed, serve it on fine carved sippets, broth it, and lay on the garnish with slices of lemon, and whole lemon-peel, run it over with beaten butter, and garnish the dish with chesnuts, yolks of hard eggs, and large mace. for the lears of thickening, yolks of hard eggs strained with some of the broth, or strained almond past with some of the broth, or else strained bread and sorrel. otherways you may boil the former fowls either bon'd and trust up with a farsing of some minc'd veal or mutton, and seasoned as the former in all points, with those materials, or boil it with the bones in being trust up. a turkey to bake, and break the bones. otherways bone the fowl, and fill the body with the foresaid farsing, or make a pudding of grated bread, minced suet of beef or veal, seasoned with cloves, mace, pepper, salt, and grapes, fill the body, and prick up the back, and stew it as is aforesaid. or make the pudding of grated bread beef-suet minc'd some currans, nutmegs, cloves, sugar, sweet herbs, salt, juyce of spinage; if yellow, saffron, some minced meat, cream, eggs, and barberries: fill the fowl and stew it in mutton broth & white wine, with the gizzard, liver, and bones, stew it down well, then have some artichock bottoms boil'd and quarter'd, some potatoes boil'd and blanch'd, and some dates quarter'd, and some marrow boil'd in water and salt; for the garnish some boil'd skirret or pleasant pears. then make a lear of almond paste strained with mutton broth, for the thickning of the former broth. otherways simple, being stuffed with parsley, serve it in with butter, vinegar, and parsley, boil'd and minced; as also bacon boil'd on it, or about it, in two pieces; and two saucers of green sauce. or otherways for variety, boil your fowl in water and salt, then take strong broth, and put in a faggot of sweet herbs, mace, marrow, cucumber slic't, and thin slices of interlarded bacon, and salt, _&c._ _to boil capons, pullets, chickens, pigeons, pheasants or partridges._ searce them either with the bone or boned, then take off the skin whole, with the legs, wings, neck, and head on, mince the body with some bacon or beef suet, season it with nutmeg, pepper, cloves, beaten ginger, salt, and a few sweet herbs finely minced and mingled amongst some three or four yolks of eggs, some sugar, whole grapes, gooseberries, barberries, and pistaches; fill the skins, and prick them up in the back, then stew them between two dishes, with some strong broth, white-wine, butter, some large mace, marrow, gooseberries and sweet herbs, being stewed, serve them on sippets, with some marrow and slic't lemon; in winter, currans. _to boil a capon or chicken in white broth._ first boil the capon in water and salt, then take three pints of strong broth, and a quart of white-wine, and stew it in a pipkin with a quarter of a pound of dates, half a pound of fine sugar, four or five blades of large mace, the marrow of three marrow bones, a handful of white endive; stew these in a pipkin very leisurely, that it may but only simmer; then being finely stewed, and the broth well tasted, strain the yolks of ten eggs with some of the broth. before you dish up the capon or chickens, put in the eggs into the broth, and keep it stirring, that it may not curdle, give it a warm, and set it from the fire: the fowls being dished up put on the broth, and garnish the meat with dates, marrow, large mace, endive, preserved barberries, and oranges, boil'd skirrets, poungarnet, and kernels. make a lear of almond paste and grape verjuice. _to boil a capon in the italian fashion with ransoles, a very excellent way._ take a young capon, draw it and truss it to boil, pick it very clean, and lay it in fair water, and parboil it a little, then boil it in strong broth till it be enough, but first prepare your ransoles as followeth: take a good quantity of beet leaves, and boil them in fair water very tender, and press out the water clean from them, then take six sweetbreads of veal, boil and mince them very small and the herbs also, the marrow of four or five marrow-bones, and the smallest of the marrow keep, and put it to your minced sweetbreads and herbs, and keep bigger pieces, and boil them in water by it self, to lay on the capon, and upon the top of the dish, then take raisons of the sun ston'd, and mince them small with half a pound of dates, and a quarter of a pound of pomecitron minced small, and a pound of naples-bisket grated, and put all these together into a great, large dish or charger, with half a pound of sweet butter, and work it with your hands into a peice of paste, and season it with a little nutmeg, cinamon, ginger, and salt, and some parmisan grated and some fine sugar also and mingle them well, then make a peice of paste of the finest flower, six yolks of raw eggs, a little saffron beaten small, half a pound of butter and a little salt, with some fair water hot, (not boiling) and make up the paste, then drive out a long sheet with a rowling pin as thin as you can possible, and lay the ingredients in small heaps, round or long on the paste, then cover them with the paste, and cut them off with a jag asunder, and make two hundred or more, and boil them in a broad kettle of strong broth, half full of liquor; and when it boils put the ransols in one by one and let them boil a quarter of an hour; then take up the capon into a fair large dish, and lay on the ransoles, and stew on them grated cheese or parmisan, and naples-bisket grated, cinamon and sugar; and thus between every lay till you have filled the dish, and pour on melted butter with a little strong broath, then the marrow, pomecitron, lemons slic't, and serve it up; or you may fry half the ransoles in clarified butter, _&c._ _a rare fricase._ take six pigeon and six chicken-peepers, scald and truss them being drawn clean, head and all on, then set them, and have some lamb-stones and sweet-breads blanch'd, parboild and slic't, fry most of the sweet-breads flowred; have also some asparagus ready, cut off the tops an inch long, the yolk of two hard eggs, pistaches, the marrow of six marrow-bones, half the marrow fried green, & white butter, let it be kept warm till it be almost dinner time; then have a clean frying-pan, and fry the fowl with good sweet butter, being finely fryed put out the butter, & put to them some roast mutton gravy, some large fried oysters and some salt; then put in the hard yolks of eggs, and the rest of the sweet-breads that are not fried, the pistaches, asparagus, and half the marrow: then stew them well in the frying-pan with some grated nutmeg, pepper, a clove or two of garlick if you please, a little white-wine, and let them be well stew'd. then have ten yolks of eggs dissolved in a dish with grape-verjuice or wine-vinegar, and a little beaten mace, and put it to the frycase, then have a french six penny loaf slic't into a fair larg dish set on coals, with some good mutton gravy, then give the frycase two or three warms on the fire, and pour it on the sops in the dish; garnish it with fried sweet-breads, fried oysters, fried marrow, pistaches, slic't almonds and the juyce of two or three oranges. _capons in pottage in the _french_ fashion._ draw and truss the capons, set them, & fill their bellies with marrow; then put them in a pipkin with a knuckle of veal, a neck of mutton, a marrow bone, and some sweet breads of veal, season the broth with cloves mace, and a little salt, and set it to the fire; let it boil gently till the capons be enough, but have a care you boil them not too much; as your capons boil, make ready the bottoms and tops of eight or ten rowls of _french_ bread, put them dried into a fair silver dish, wherein you serve the capons; set it on the fire, and put to the bread two ladle-full of broth wherein the capons are boil'd, & a ladlefull of mutton gravy; cover the dish and let it stand till you dish up the capons; if need require, add now and then a ladle-full of broth and gravy: when you are ready to serve it, first lay on the marrow-bone, then the capons on each side; then fill up the dish with gravy of mutton, and wring on the juyce of a lemon or two; then with a spoon take off all the fat that swimmeth on the pottage; garnish the capons with the sweetbreads, and some carved lemon, and serve it hot. _to boil a capon, pullet, or chicken._ boil them in good mutton broth, white mace, a faggot of sweet herbs, sage, spinage, marigold leaves and flowers, white or green endive, borrage, bugloss, parsley, and sorrel, and serve it on sippets. _to boil capons or chickens with sage and parsley._ first boil them in water and salt, then boil some parsley, sage, two or three eggs hard, chop them; then have a few thin slices of fine manchet, and stew all together, but break not the slices of bread; stew them with some of the broth wherein the chickens boil, some large mace, butter, a little white-wine or vinegar, with a few barberries or grapes; dish up the chickens on the sauce, and run them over with sweet butter and lemon cut like dice, the peel cut like small lard, and boil a little peel with the chickens. _to boil a capon or chicken with divers compositions._ take off the skin whole, but leave on the legs, wings, and head; mince the body with some beef suet or lard, put to it some sweet herbs minced, and season it with cloves, mace, pepper, salt, two or three eggs, grapes, gooseberries, or barberries, bits of potato or mushroms. in the winter with sugar, currans, and prunes, fill the skin, prick it up, and stew it between two dishes with large mace and strong broth, peices of artichocks, cardones, or asparagus, and marrow: being finely stewed, serve it on carved sippets, and run it over with beaten butter, lemon slic't, and scrape on sugar. _to boil a capon or chicken with cardones, mushroms, artichocks, or oysters._ the foresaid fowls being parboil'd, and cleansed from the grounds, stew them finely; then take your cardones being cleansed and peeled into water, have a skillet of fair water boiling hot, and put them therein; being tender boil'd, take them up and fry them in chopt lard or sweet butter, pour away the butter, and put them into a pipkin, with strong broth, pepper, mace, ginger, verjuyce, and juyce of orange; stew all together, with some strained almonds, and some sweet herbs chopped, give them a warm, and serve your capon or chicken on sippets. let them be fearsed, as you may see in the book of fearst meats, and wrap your fearst fowl in cauls of veal, half roast them, then stew them in a pipkin with the foresaid cardones and broth. _to boil a capon or chicken in the _french_ fashion, with skirrets or _french_ beans._ take a capon and boil it in fair water with a little salt, and a faggot of tyme and rosemary bound up hard, some parsley and fennil-roots, being picked and finely cleansed, and two or three blades of large mace; being almost boil'd, put in two whole onions boil'd and strained with oyster liquor, a little verjuyce, grated bread, and some beaten pepper, give it a warm or two, and serve the capon or chicken on fine carved sippets. garnish it with orange peel boil'd in strong broth, and some french beans boil'd, and put in thick butter, or some skirret, cardones, artichocks, slic't lemon, mace, or orange. _to boil a capon or chicken with sugar pease._ when the cods be but young, string them and pick off the husks; then take two or three handfuls, and put them into a pipkin with half a pound of sweet butter, a quarter of a pint of fair water, gross pepper, salt, mace, and some sallet oyl: stew them till they be very tender, and strain to them three or four yolks of eggs, with six spoonfuls of sack. _to boil a capon or chicken with colliflowers._ cut off the buds of your flowers, and boil them in milk with a little mace till they be very tender; then take the yolks of two eggs, and strain them with a quarter of a pint of sack; then take as much thick butter being drawn with a little vinegar and slic't lemon, brew them together; then take the flowers out of the milk, put them to the butter and sack, dish up your capon being tender boil'd upon sippets finely carved, and pour on the sauce, serve it to the table with a little salt. _to boil a capon or chicken with sparagus._ boil your capon or chicken in fair water and some salt, then put in their bellies a little mace, chopped parsley, and sweet butter; being boild, serve them on sippets, and put a little of the broth on them: then have a bundle or two of sparagus boil'd, put in beaten butter, and serve it on your capon or chicken. _to boil a capon or chicken with rice._ boil the capon in fair water and salt, then take half a pound of rice, and boil it in milk; being half boil'd, put away the milk, and boil it in two quarts of cream, put to it a little rose-water and large mace, or nutmeg, with the foresaid materials. being almost boil'd, strain the yolks of six or seven eggs with a little cream, and stir all together; give them a warm, and dish up the capon or chicken, then pour on the rice being seasoned with sugar and salt, and serve it on fine carved sippets. garnish the dish with scraped sugar, orange, preserved barberries, slic't lemon, or pomegranate kernels, as also the capon or chicken, and marrow on them. _divers meats boiled with bacon hot or cold; as calves-head, any joynt of veal, lean venison, rabits, turkey, peacock, capons, pullets, pheasants, pewets, pigeons, partridges, ducks, mallards, or any sea fowl._ take a leg of veal and soak it in fair water, the blood being well soaked from it, and white, boil it, but first stuff it with parsley and other sweet herbs chopped small, as also some yolks of hard eggs minced, stuff it and boil it in water and salt, then boil the bacon by it self either stuffed or not, as you please; the veal and bacon being boil'd white, being dished serve them up, and lay the bacon by the veal with the rinde on in a whole piece, or take off the rinde and cut it in four, six, or eight thin slices; let your bacon be of the ribs, and serve it with parsley strowed on it, green sauce in saucers, or others, as you may see in the book of sauces. _cold otherways._ boil any of the meats, poultry, or birds abovesaid with the ribs of bacon, when it is boil'd take off the rind being finely kindled from the rust and filth, slice it into thin slices, and season it with nutmeg, cinamon, cloves, pepper, and fennil-seed all finely beaten, with fine sugar amongst them, sprinkle over all rose vinegar, and put some of the slices into your boild capon or other fowl, lay some slices on it, and lay your capon or other fowl on some blank manger in a clean dish, and serve it cold. _to boil land fowl, sea fowl, lamb, kid, or any heads in the _french_ fashion, with green pease or hasters._ take pease, shell them, and put them all into boiling mutton broth, with some thin slices of interlarded bacon; being almost boiled, put in chopped parsley, some anniseeds, and strain some of the pease, thicken them or not, as you please; then put some pepper, give it a warm, and serve kids or lambs head on sippets, and stick it otherways with eggs and grated cheese, or some of the pease or flower strained; sometimes for variety you may use saffron or mint. _to boil all other small fowls, as ruffes, brewes, godwits, knots, dotterels, strenits, pewits, ollines, gravelens, oxeyes, red-shanks_, &c. half roast any of these fowls, and stick on one side a few cloves as they roast, save the gravy, and being half roasted, put them into a pipkin, with the gravy, some claret wine, as much strong broth as will cover them, some broild houshold-bread strained, also mace, cloves pepper, ginger, some fried onions and salt; stew all well together, and serve them on fine carved sippets; sometimes for change add capers and samphire. _to boil all manner of small birds, or land fowl, as plovers, quails, rails, black-birds, thrushes, snites, wheat-ears, larks, sparrows, martins._ take them and truss them, or cut off the legs & heads, and boil them in strong broth or water, scum them, and put in large mace, white-wine, washed currans, dates, marrow, pepper, and salt; being well stewed, dish them on fine carved sippets, thicken the broth with strained almonds, rose-water, and sugar, and garnish them with lemon, barberries, sugar, or grated bread strewed about the dish. for leir otherways, strained bread and hard eggs, with verjuyce and broth. sometimes for variety garnish them with potatoes, farsings, or little balls of farsed manchet. _to boil a swan, whopper, wilde or tame goose, crane, shoveller, hern, ducks, mallard, bittorn, widgeons, gulls, or curlews._ take a swan and bone it, leave on the legs and wings, then make a farsing of some beef-suet or minced lard, some minced mutton or venison being finely minced with some sweet herbs, beaten nutmeg, pepper, cloves, and mace; then have some oysters parboil'd in their own liquor, mingle them amongst the minced meat, with some raw eggs, and fill the body of the fowl, prick it up close on the back, and boil it in a stewing-pan or deep dish, then put to the fowl some strong broth, large mace, white-wine, a few cloves, oyster-liquor, and some boil'd marrow; stew them all well together: then have oysters stewed by themselves with an onion or two, mace, pepper, butter, and a little white-wine. then have the bottoms of artichocks ready boild, and put in some beaten butter, and boil'd marrow; dish up the fowl on fine carved sippets, then broth them, garnish them with stewed oysters, marrow, artichocks, gooseberries, slic't lemon, barberries or grapes and large mace; garnish the dish with grated bread, oysters, mace, lemon and artichocks, and run the fowl over with beaten butter. otherways fill the body with a pudding made of grated bread, yolks of eggs, sweet herbs minced small, with an onion, and some beef-suet minced, some beaten cloves, mace, pepper, and salt, some of the blood of the fowl mixed with it, and a little cream; fill the fowl, and stew it or boil it as before. _to boil any large water fowl otherways, a swan, whopper, wild or tame geese._ take a goose and salt it two or three days, then truss it to boil, cut lard as big as your little finger, and lard the breast; season the lard with pepper, mace, and salt; then boil it in beef-broth, or water and salt, put to it pepper grosly beaten, a bundle of bay-leaves, tyme, and rosemary bound up very well, boil them with the fowl; then prepare some cabbidge boild tender in water and salt, squeeze out the water from it, and put it in a pipkin with strong broth, claret wine, and a good big onion or two; season it with pepper, mace, and salt, and three or four anchovies dissolved; stew these together with a ladleful of sweet butter, and a little vinegar: and when the goose is boil'd enough, and your cabbidge on sippets, lay on the goose with some cabbidge on the breast, and serve it up. thus you may dress any large wild fowl. _to boil all manner of small sea or land fowl._ boil the fowl in water and salt, then take some of the broth, and put to it some beefs-udder boild, and slic't into thin slices with some pistaches blanch'd, some slic't sausages stript out of the skin, white-wine, sweet, herbs, and large mace; stew these together till you think it sufficiently boiled, then put to it beet-root cut into slices, beat it up with butter, and carve up the fowl, pour the broth on it, and garnish it with sippets, or what you please. _or thus._ take and lard them, then half roast them, draw them, and put them in a pipkin with some strong broth or claret wine, some chesnuts, a pint of great oysters, taking the breads from them, two or three onions minced very small, some mace, a little beaten ginger, and a crust of _french_ bread grated; thicken it, and dish them up on sops: if no oysters, chesnuts, or artichock bottoms, turnips, colliflowers, interlarded bacon in thin slices, and sweetbreads, _&c._ _otherways._ take them and roast them, save the gravy, and being roasted, put them in a pipkin, with the gravy, some slic't onions, ginger, cloves, pepper, salt, grated bread, claret wine, currans, capers, mace, barberries, and sugar, serve them on fine sippets, and run them over with beaten butter, slic't lemon, and lemon peel; sometimes for change use stewed oysters or cockles. _to boil or dress any land fowl, or birds in the italian fashion, in a broth called _brodo-lardiero_._ take six pigeons being finely cleansed, and trust, put them into a pipkin with a quart of strong broth, or water, and half wine, then put therein some fine slices of interlarded bacon, when it boils scum it, and put in nutmeg, mace, ginger, pepper, salt, currans, sugar, some sack, raisins of the sun, prunes, sage, dryed cherries, tyme, a little saffron, and dish them on fine carved sippets. _to stew pigeons in the _french_ fashion._ the pigeons being drawn and trust, make a fearsing or stopping of some sweet herbs minced, then mince some beef-suet or lard, grated bread, currans, cloves, mace, pepper, ginger, sugar, & or raw eggs. the pigeons being larded & half roasted, stuff them with the foresaid fearsing, and put boil'd cabbidge stuck with a few cloves round about them; bind up every pigeon several with packthread, then put them in a pipkin a boiling with strong mutton broth, three or four yolks of hard eggs minced small, some large mace, whole cloves, pepper, salt, and a little white-wine; being boil'd, serve them on fine carved sippets, and strow on cinamon, ginger, and sugar. _otherways in the _french_ fashion._ take pigeons ready pull'd or scalded, take the flesh out of the skin, and leave the skin whole with the legs and wings hanging to it, mince the bodies with some lard or beef suet together very small, then put to them some sweet herbs finely minced, and season all with cloves, mace, ginger, pepper, some grated bread or parmisan grated, and yolks of eggs; fill again the skins, and prick them up in the back, then put them in a dish with some strong broth, and sweet herbs chopped, large mace, gooseberries, barberries, or grapes; then cabbidge-lettice boil'd in water and salt, put to them butter, and the pigeons being boil'd, serve them on sippets. _to boil pigeons otherways._ being trussed, put them in a pipkin, with some strong broth or fair water, boil and scum them, then put in some mace, a faggot of sweet herbs, white endive, marigold flowers, and salt; and being finely boiled, serve them on sippets, and garnish the dish with mace and white endive flowers. otherways you may add cucumbers in quarters either pickled or fresh, and some pickled capers; or boil the cucumbers by themselves, and put them in beaten butter, and sweet herbs chopped small. or boil them with capers, samphire, mace, nutmeg, spinage, endive, and a rack or chine of mutton boil'd with them. or else with capers, mace, salt, and sweet herbs in a faggot; then have some cabbidge or colliflowers boil'd very tender in fair water and salt, pour away the water, and put them in beaten butter, and when the fowls be boil'd, serve the cabbidge on them. _to boil pigeons otherwaies._ take pigeons being finely cleansed and trust, put them in a pipkin or skillet clean scowred, with some mutton broth or fair water; set them a boiling and scum them clean, then put to them large mace, and well washed currans, some strained bread strained with vinegar and broth, put it to the pigeons with some sweet butter and capers; boil them very white, and being boil'd, serve them on fine carved sippets in the broth with some sugar; garnish them with lemon, fine sugar, mace, grapes, gooseberries, or barberries, and run them over with beaten butter; garnish the dish with grated manchet. pottages. _pottage in the _italian_ fashion._ boil green pease with some strong broth, and interlarded bacon cut into slices; the pease being boiled, put to them some chopped parsley, pepper, anniseed, and strain some of the pease to thicken the broth; give it a walm and serve it on sippets, with boil'd chickens, pigeons, kids, or lambs-heads, mutton, duck, mallard, or any poultry. sometimes for variety you may thicken the broth with eggs. _pottage otherways in the italian fashion._ boil a rack of mutton, a few whole cloves, mace, slic't ginger, all manner of sweet herbs chopped, and a little salt; being finely boiled, put in some strained almond-paste, with grape verjuyce, saffron, grapes, or gooseberries; give them a warm, and serve your meat on sippets. _pottage of mutton, veal, or beef, in the _english_ fashion._ cut a rack of mutton in two pieces, and take a knuckle of veal, and boil it in a gallon pot or pipkin, with good store of herbs, and a pint of oatmeal chopped amongst the herbs, as tyme, sweet marjoram, parsley, chives, salet, succory, marigold-leaves and flowers, strawberry-leaves, violet-leaves, beets, borage, sorrel, bloodwort, sage, pennyroyal; and being finely boil'd, serve them on fine carved sippets with the mutton and veal, _&c._ _to stew a shoulder of mutton with oysters._ take a shoulder of mutton, and roast it, and being half roasted or more, take off the upper skin whole, & cut the meat into thin slices, then stew it with claret, mace, nutmeg, anchovies, oyster-liquor, salt, capers, olives, samphire, and slices of orange; leave the shoulder blade with some meat on it, and hack it, save also the marrow bone whole with some meat on it, and lay it in a clean dish; the meat being finely stewed, pour it on the bones, and on that some stewed oysters and large oysters over all, with slic't lemon and lemon peel. the skin being first finely breaded, stew the oysters with large mace, a great onion or two, butter, vinegar, white wine, a bundle of sweet herbs, and lay on the skin again over all, _&c._ _to roast a shoulder of mutton with onions and parsley, and baste it with oranges._ stuff it with parsley and onions, or sweet herbs, nutmeg, and salt, and in the roasting of it, baste it with the juyce of oranges, save the gravy and clear away the fat; then stew it up with a slice or two of orange and an anchovie, without any fat on the gravy, _&c._ _other hashes of scotch collops._ cut a leg of mutton into thin slices as thin as a shilling, cross the grain of the leg, sprinkle them lightly with salt, and fry them with sweet butter, serve them with gravy or juice of oranges, and nutmeg, and run them over with beaten butter, lemon, _&c._ _otherways the foresaid collops._ for variety, sometimes season them with coriander-seed, or stamped fennil-seed, pepper and salt; sprinkle them with white wine, then flower'd, fryed, and served with juice of orange, for sauce, with sirrup of rose-vinegar, or elder vinegar. _other hashes or scotch collop of any joint of veal, either in loyn, leg, rack or shoulder._ cut a leg into thin slices, as you do scotch collops of mutton, hack and fry them with small thin slices of interlarded bacon as big as the slices of veal, fry them with sweet butter; and being finely fried, dish them up in a fine dish, put from them the butter that you fried them with, and put to them beaten butter with lemon, gravy, and juyce of orange. _a hash of a leg of mutton in the _french_ fashion._ parboil a leg of mutton, then take it up, pare off some thin slices on the upper and under side, or round it, prick the leg through to let out the gravy on the slices; then bruise some sweet herbs, as tyme, parsly, marjoram, savory, with the back of a ladle, and put to it a piece of sweet butter, pepper, verjuyce; and when your mutton is boild, pour all over the slices herbs and broth on the leg into a clean dish. _another hash of mutton or lamb, either hot or cold._ roast a shoulder of mutton, and cut it into slices, put to it oysters, white wine, raisins of the sun, salt, nutmeg, and strong broth, (or no raisins) slic't lemon or orange; stew it all together, and serve it on sippets, and run it over with beaten butter and lemon, _&c._ _another hash of a joynt of mutton or lamb hot or cold._ cut it in very thin slices, then put them in a pipkin or dish, and put to it a pint of claret wine, salt, nutmeg, large mace, an anchovie or two, stew them well together with a little gravy; and being finely stewed serve them on carved sippets with some beaten butter & lemon, _&c._ _otherways._ cut it into thin slices raw, and fry it with a pint of white wine till it be brown, and put them into a pipkin with slic't lemon, salt, fried parsley, gravy, nutmeg, and garnish your dish with nutmeg and lemon. _other hashes of a shoulder of mutton._ boil it and cut it in thin slices, hack the shoulder-blade, and put all into a pipkin or deep dish, with some salt, gravy, white-wine, some strong broth, and a faggot of sweet herbs, oyster-liquor, caper-liquor, and capers; being stewed down, bruse some parsley, and put to it some beaten cloves and mace, and serve it on sippets. divers made dishes or _capilotado's_. _first, a dish of chines of mutton, veal, capon, pigeons, or other fowls._ boil a pound of rice in mutton broth, put to it some blanched chesnuts, pine apple-seeds, almonds or pistaches; being boil'd thick, put to it some marrow or fresh butter, salt, cinamon, and sugar; then cut your veal into small bits or peices, and break up the fowl; then have a fair dish, and set it on the embers, and put some of your rice, and some of the meat, and more of the rice and sugar, and cinamon, and pepper over all, and some marrow. __capilotado_, in the _lumbardy_ fashion of a capon._ boil rice in mutton broth till it be very thick, and put to it some salt and sugar. then have also some bolonia sausages boil'd very tender, minced very small, or grated, and some grated cheese, sugar, and cinamon mingled together; then cut up the boil'd or roast capon, and lay it upon a clean dish with some of the rice, strow on cinamon and sausage, grated cheese and sugar, and lay on yolks of raw eggs; thus make two or three layings and more, eggs and some butter or marrow on the top of all, and set it on the embers, and cover it, or in a warm oven. __capilotado_ of pigeons or wild ducks, or any land or sea fowls roasted._ take a pound of almond-paste, and put to it a capon minc't and stamped with the almonds, & some crums of manchet, some sack or white-wine, three pints of strong broth cold, and eight or ten yolks of raw eggs; strain all the foresaid together, and boil it in a skillet with some sugar to a pretty thickness, put to it some cinamon, nutmeg, and a few whole cloves, then have roast pigeons, or any small birds roasted, cut them up, and do as is aforesaid, and strow on sugar and cinamon. __capilotado_ for roast meats, as partridges, pigeons, eight or twelve, or any other the like; or sea fowls, ducks, or widgeons._ take a pound of almonds, a pound of currans, a pound of sugar, half a pound of muskefied bisket-bread, a pottle of strong broth cold, half a pint of grape verjuyce, pepper half an ounce, nutmegs as much, an ounce of cinamon, and a few cloves; all these aforesaid stamped, strained, and boil'd with the aforesaid liquor, and in all points as the former, only toasts must be added. _other _capilotado_ common._ take two pound of parmisan grated, a minced kidney of veal, a pound of other fat cheese, ten cloves of garlick boil'd, broth or none, two capons minced and stamped, rost or boil'd, and put to it ten yolks of eggs raw, with a pound of sugar: temper the foresaid with strong broth, and boil all in a broad skillet or brass pan, in the boiling stir it continually till it be incorporated, and put to it an ounce of cinamon, a little pepper, half an ounce of cloves, and as much nutmeg beaten, some saffron; then break up your roast fowls, roast lamb, kid, or fried veal, make three bottoms, and set it into a warm oven, till you serve it in, _&c._ __capilotado_, or custard, in the hungarian fashion, in the pot, or baked in an oven._ take two quarts of goat or cows milk, or two quarts of cream, and the whites of five new laid eggs, yolks and all, or ten yolks, a pound of sugar, half an ounce of cinamon, a little salt, and some saffron; strain it and bake it in a deep dish; being baked, put on the juyce of four or five oranges, a little white wine, rose-water, and beaten ginger, _&c._ _capilotado francois._ roast a leg of mutton, save the gravy, and mince it small, then strain a pound of almond paste with some mutton or capon broth cold, some three pints and a half of grape verjuyce, a pound of sugar, some cinamon, beaten pepper, and salt; the meat and almonds being stamp'd and strained, put it a boiling softly, and stir it continually, till it be well incorporate and thick; then serve it in a dish with some roast chickens, pigeons, or capons: put the gravy to it, and strow on sugar, some marrow, cinamon, _&c._ sometimes you may add some interlarded bacon instead of marrow, some sweet herbs, and a kidney of veal. sometimes eggs, currans, saffron, gooseberries, _&c._ _other made dishes, or little pasties called in italian _tortelleti_._ take a rost or boil'd capon, and a calves udder, or veal, mince it and stamp it with some marrow, mint, or sweet marjoram, put a pound of fat parmisan grated to it, half a pound of sugar, and a quarter of a pound of currans, some chopped sweet herbs, pepper, saffron, nutmeg, cinamon, four or five yolks of eggs, and two whites; mingle all together and make a piece of paste of warm or boiling liquor, and some rose-water, sugar, butter; make some great and some very little, rouls or stars, according to the judgment of the cook; boil them in broth, milk, or cream. thus also fish. serve them with grated fat cheese or parmisan, sugar, and beaten cinamon on them in a dish, _&c._ _tortelleti, or little pasties._ mince some interlarded bacon, some pork or any other meat, with some calves udder, and put to it a pound of fresh cheese, fat cheese, or parmisan, a pound of sugar, and some roasted turnips or parsnips, a quarter of a pound of currans, pepper, cloves, nutmegs, eight eggs, saffron; mingle all together, and make your pasties like little fishes, stars, rouls, or like beans or pease, boil them in flesh broth, and serve them with grated cheese and sugar, and serve them hot. __tortelleti_, or little pasties otherwayes, of beets or spinage chopped very small._ being washed and wrung dry, fry them in butter, put to them some sweet herbs chopped small, with some grated parmisan, some cinamon, cloves, saffron, pepper, currans, raw eggs, and grated bread: make your pasties, and boil them in strong broth, cream, milk, or almond-milk: thus you may do any fish. serve them with sugar, cinamon, and grated cheese. __tortelleti_, of green pease, french beans, or any kind of pulse green or dry._ take pease gren or dry, french beans, or garden beans green or dry, boil them tender, and stamp them; strain them through a strainer, and put to them some fried onions chopped small, sugar, cinamon, cloves, pepper, and nutmeg, some grated parmisan, or fat cheese, and some cheese-curds stamped. then make paste, and make little pasties, boil them in broth, or as beforesaid, and serve them with sugar, cinamon, and grated cheese in a fine clean dish. _to boil a capon or chicken with colliflowers in the french fashion._ cut off the buds of your flowers, and boil them in milk with a little mace till they be very tender; then take the yolks of eggs, strain them with a quarter of a pint of sack; then take as much thick butter, being drawn with a little vinegar and a slic't lemon, brew them together; then take the flowers out of the milk, and put them into the butter and sack: then dish up your capon, being tender boil'd, upon sippets finely carved, and pour on the sauce, and serve it to the table with a little salt. _to boil capons, chickens, pigeons, or any land fowls in the french fashion._ either the skin stuffed with minced meat, or boned, & fill the vents and body; or not boned and trust to boil, fill the bodies with any of the farsings following made of any minced meat, and seasoned with pepper, cloves, mace, and salt; then mince some sweet herbs with bacon and fowl, veal, mutton, or lamb, and mix with it three or four eggs, mingle all together with grapes, gooseberries, barberries, or red currans, and sugar, or none, some pine-apple-seed, or pistaches; fill the fowl, and stew it in a stewing-pan with some strong broth, as much as will cover them, and a little white wine; being stewed, serve them in a dish with sippets finely carved, and slic't oranges, lemons, barberries, gooseberries, sweet herbs chopped, and mace. _to boil partridges, or any of the former fowls stuffed with any the filling aforesaid._ boil them in a pipkin with strong broth, white-wine, mace, sweet herbs chopped very fine, and put some salt, and stew them leisurely; being finely stewed, put some marrow, and strained almonds, with rosewater to thicken it, serve them on fine carved sippets, and broth them, garnish the dish with grated bread and pistaches, mace, and lemon, or grapes. _to boil pigeons, woodcocks, snites, black birds, thrushes, veldifers, rails, quails, larks, sparrows, wheat ears, martins, or any small land fowl._ _woodcocks or snites._ boil them either in strong broth or water and salt, and being boil'd, take out the guts, and chop them small with the liver, put to it some crumb of white-bread grated, a little of the broth of the cock, and some large mace, stew them together with some gravy; then dissolve the yolks of two eggs with some wine vinegar, and a little grated nutmeg, and when you are ready to dish it, put the eggs to it, and stir it amongst the sauce with a little butter, dish them on sippets, and run the sauce over them with some beaten butter and capers, lemon minced small, barberries or pickled grapes whole. sometimes with this sauce, boil some slic't onions and currans in a broth by it self: when you boil it not with onions, rub the bottom of the dish with a clove or two of garlick. _boil woodcocks or larks otherways._ take them with the guts in, and boil them in some strong broth or fair water, and three or four whole onions, larg mace, and salt; the cocks being boil'd, make sauce with the some thin slices of manchet, or grated, in another pipkin, and some of the broth where the fowl or cocks boil, and put to it some butter, the guts and liver minced, and then have some yolks of eggs dissolved with some vinegar & some grated nutmeg, put it to the other ingredients, and stir them together, and dish the fowl on fine sippets, and pour on the sauce and some slic't lemon, grapes, or barberries, and run it over with beaten buter. _to boil all manner of sea fowl, or any wild fowl, as swan, whopper, crane, geese, shoveler, hern, bittorn, duck, widgeons, gulls, curlew, teels, ruffs,_ &c. stuff either the skin with his own meat, being minced with lard or beef-suet, some sweet herbs, beaten nutmeg, cloves, mace, and parboil'd oysters; mix all together, fill the skin, and prick it fast on the back, boil it in a large stewing pan or deep dish, with some strong broth, claret or white-wine, salt, large mace, two or three cloves, a bundle of sweet herbs, or none, oyster-liquor and marrow, stew all well together. then have stewed oysters by themselves ready stewed with an onion or two, mace, pepper, butter, and a little white-wine. then have the bottoms of artichocks put in beaten butter, and some boild marrow ready also; then again dish up the fowl on fine carved sippets, broth the fowl, & lay on the oysters, artichocks, marrow, barberries, slic't lemon, gooseberries, or grape; and garnish your dish with grated manchet strowed, and some oysters, mace, lemon, and artichocks, and run it over with beaten butter. otherways bone it and fill the body with a farsing or stuffing made of minced mutton with spices, and the same materials as aforesaid. otherways, make a pudding and fill the body, being first boned, and make the pudding of grated bread, sweet herbs chopped; onions, minced suet or lard, cloves, mace, pepper, salt, blood, and cream; mingle all together, as beforesaid in all points. or a bread pudding without blood or onions, and put minced meat to it, fruit, and sugar. otherways, boil them in strong broth, claret-wine, mace, cloves, salt, pepper, saffron, marrow, minced, onions, and thickned with strained sweet-breads of veal; or hard eggs strained with broth, and garnished with barberries, lemon, grapes, red currans, or gooseberries. _to boil all manner of sea fowls, as swan, whopper, geese, ducks, teels._ &c. put your fowl being cleansed and trussed into a pipkin fit for it, and boil it with strong broth or fair spring water, scum it clean, and put in three or four slic't onions, some large mace, currans, raisins, some capers, a bundle of sweet herbs, grated or strained bread, white-wine, two or three cloves, and pepper; being finely boil'd, slash it on the breast, and dish it on fine carved sippets; broth it, and lay on slic't lemon and a lemon peel, barberries or grapes, run it over with beaten butter, sugar, or ginger, and trim the dish sides with grated bread in place of the beaten ginger. _to boil these fowls otherways._ you may add some oyster liquor, barberries, grapes, gooseberries, or lemon. and sometimes prunes, raisins, or currans. otherways, half roast any of your fowls, slash them down the breast, and put them in a pipkin with the breast downward, put to them two or three slic't onions and carrots cut like lard, some mace, pepper, and salt, butter, savory, tyme, some strong broth, and some white-wine; let the broth be half wasted, and stew it very softly; being finely stewed dish it up, serve it on sippets, and pour on the broth, _&c._ otherways boil the fowl and not roast them, boil them in strong mutton broth, and put the fowl into a pipkin, boil and scum them, put to it slic't onions, a bunch of sweet herbs, some cloves, mace, whole pepper, and salt; then slash the breast from end to end or four slashes, and being boil'd, dish it up on fine carved sippets, put some sugar to it, and prick a few cloves on the breast of the fowl, broth it and strow on fine sugar, and grated bread. _otherways._ put them in a stewing pan with some wine and strong broth, and when they boil scum them, then put to them some slices of interlarded bacon, pepper, mace, ginger, cloves, cinamon, sugar, raisins of the sun, sage flowers, or seeds or leaves of sage; serve them on fine carved sippets and trim the dish sides with sugar or grated bread. or you may make a farsing of any of the foresaid fowls, make it of grated cheese, and some of their own fat, two or three eggs, nutmeg, pepper, and ginger, sowe up the vents, boil them with bacon, and serve them with a sauce made of almond paste, a clove of garlick, and roasted turnips or green sauce. _to boil any old geese, or any geese._ take them being powdered, and fill their bellies with oatmeal, being steeped first in warm milk or other liquor; then mingle it with some beef-suet, minced onions, and apples, seasoned with cloves, mace, some sweet herbs minced, and pepper, fasten the neck and vent, boil it, and serve it on brewes with colliflowers, cabbidge, turnips, and barberries, run it over with beaten butter. thus the smaller fowls, as is before specified, or any other. _to boil wild fowl otherways._ boil your fowl in strong broth or water, scum it clean, and put some white-wine to it, currans, large mace, a clove or two, some parsley and onions minced together: then have some stewed turnips cut like lard, and stewed in a pot or little pipkin with butter, mace, a clove, white-wine, and sugar; being finely stewed serve your fowl on sippets finely carved, broth the fowls, and pour on your turnips, run it over with beaten butter, a little cream, yolks of eggs, sack and sugar. scraped sugar to trim the dish, or grated bread. _otherways._ half roast your fowls, save the gravy, and carve the breast jagged; then put it in a pipkin, and stick here and there a clove, and put some slic't onions, chopped parsley, slic't ginger, pepper, and gravy, strained bread, with claret wine, currans, or capers, broth, mace, barberries, and sugar; being finely boil'd or stewed, serve it on carved sippets, and run it over with beaten butter, and a lemon peel. _to boil these aforesaid fowls otherways, with muscles, oysters, or cockcles; or fried wickles in butter, and after stewed with butter, white wine, nutmeg, a slic't orange, and gravy._ either boil the fowl or roast them, boil them by themselves in water and salt, scum them clean, and put to them mace, sweet herbs, and onions chopped together, some white-wine, pepper, and sugar, if you please, and a few cloves stuck in the fowls, some grated or strained bread with some of the broth, and give it a warm; dish up the fowls on fine sippets, or french bread, and carve the breast, broth it, and pour on your shell-fish, run it over with beaten butter, and slic't lemon or orange. _otherways in the french fashion._ half roast the fowls, and put them in a pipkin with the gravy, then have time, parsley, sage, marjoram, & savory; mince all together with a handful of raisins of the sun, put them into the pipkin with some mutton broth, some sack or white-wine, large mace, cloves, salt, and sugar. then have the other half of the fruit and herbs being minced, beat them with the white of an egg, and fry it in suet or butter as big as little figs and they will look green. dish up the fowls on sippets, broth it, and serve the fried herbs with eggs on them and scraped sugar. _to boil goose-giblets, or the giblets of any fowl._ boil them whole, being finely scalded; boil them in water and salt, two or three blades of mace, and serve them on sippets finely carved with beaten butter, lemon, scalded gooseberries, and mace, or scalded grapes, barberries or slic't lemon. or you may for variety use the yolks of two or three eggs, beatten butter, cream, a little sack, and sugar, for lear. _otherways._ boil them whole, or in pieces, and boil them in strong broth or fair water, mace, pepper, and salt, being first finely scummed, put two or three whole onions, butter, and gooseberries, run it over with beaten butter, being first dished on sippetts; make a pudding in the neck, as you may see in the book of all manner of puddings and farsings, _&c._ _otherways._ boil them with some white-wine, strong broth, mace, slic't ginger, butter, and salt; then have some stewed turnips or carrots cut like lard, and the giblets being finely dished on sippets, put on the stewed turnips, being thickned with eggs, verjuyce, sugar, and lemon, _&c._ _to bake goose giblets, or of any fowl, several ways for the garnish._ take giblets being finely scalded and cleansed, season them lightly with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, and put them into a pye, being well joynted, and put to them an onion or two cut in halves, and put some butter to them, and close them up, and bake them well, and soak them some three hours. _sauce for green-geese._ . take the juyce of sorrell mixed with scalded goose-berries, and served on sippets and sugar with beaten butter, _&c._ _otherways._ . their bellies roasted full of gooseberies, and after mixed with sugar, butter, verjuyce, and cinamon, and served on sippets. _to make a grand sallet of minced capon, veal, roast mutton, chicken or neats tongue._ minced capon or veal, _&c._ dried tongues in thin slices, lettice shred small as the tongue, olives, capers, mushrooms, pickled samphire, broom-buds, lemon or oranges, raisins, almonds, blew figs, virginia potato, caparones, or crucifix pease, currans, pickled oysters, taragon. _how to dish it up._ any of these being thin sliced, as is shown above said, with a little minced taragon and onion amongst it; then have lettice minced as small as the meat by it self, olives by themselves, capers by themselves, samphire by it self, broom-buds by it self, pickled mushrooms by themselves, or any of the materials abovesaid. garnish the dish with oranges and lemons in quarters or slices, oyl and vinegar beaten together, and poured over all, _&c._ _to boil all manner of land fowl, as followeth._ turkey, bustard peacock, capon, pheasant, pullet, heath-pouts, partridge, chickens, woodcocks, stock-doves, turtle-doves, tame pigeons, wild pigeons, rails, quails, black-birds, thrushes, veldifers, snites, wheatears, larks, sparrows, and the like. _sauce for the land fowl._ take boil'd prunes and strain them with the blood of the fowl, cinamon, ginger, and sugar, boil it to an indifferent thickness and serve it in saucers, and serve in the dish with the fowl, gravy, sauce of the same fowl. _to boil pigeons._ take pigeons, and when you have farsed and boned them, fry them in butter or minced lard, and put to them broth, pepper, nutmeg, slic't ginger, cinamon beaten, coriander seed, raisins of the sun, currans, vinegar, and serve them with this sauce, being first steep'd in it four or five hours, and well stewed down. or you may add some quince or dried cherries boil'd amongst. in summer you may use damsins, swet herbs chopped, grapes, bacon in slices, white-wine. thus you may boil any small birds, larks, veldifers, black-birds, _&c._ _pottage in the french fashion._ cut a breast of mutton into square bits or pieces, fry them in butter, & put them in a pipkin with some strong broth, pepper, mace, beaten ginger, and salt; stew it with half a pound of strained almonds, some mutton broth, crumbs of manchet, and some verjuyce; give it a warm, and serve it on sippets. if you would have it yellow, put in saffron; sometimes for change white-wine, sack, currans, raisins, and sometimes incorporated with eggs and grated cheese. otherways change the colour green, with juyce of spinage, and put to it almonds strained. _pottage otherways in the french fashion of mutton, kid, or veal._ take beaten oatmeal and strain it with cold water, then the pot being boiled and scummed, put in your strained oatmeal, and some whole spinage, lettice, endive, colliflowers, slic't onions, white cabbidge, and salt; your pottage being almost boil'd, put in some verjuyce, and give it a warm or two; then serve it on sippets, and put the herbs on the meat. _pottage in the english fashion._ take the best old pease you can get, wash and boil them in fair water, when they boil scum them, and put in a piece of interlarded bacon about two pound, put in also a bundle of mint, or other sweet herbs; boil them not too thick, serve the bacon on sippets in thin slices, and pour on the broth. _pottage without sight of herbs._ mince your herbs and stamp them with your oatmeal, then strain them through a strainer with some of the broth of the pot, boil them among your mutton, & some salt; for your herbs take violet leaves, strawberry leaves, succory, spinage, lang de beef, scallions, parsley, and marigold flowers, being well boil'd, serve it on sippets. _to make sausages._ take the lean of a leg of pork, and four pound of beef-suet, mince them very fine, and season them with an ounce of pepper, half an ounce of cloves and mace, a handful of sage minced small, and a handful of salt; mingle all together, then brake in ten eggs, and but two whites; mix these eggs with the other meat, and fill the hogs guts; being filled, tie the ends, and boil them when you use them. _otherways._ you may make them of mutton, veal, or beef, keeping the order abovesaid. _to make most rare sausages without skins._ take a leg of young pork, cut off all the lean, and mince it very small, but leave none of the strings or skins amongst it; then take two pound of beef-suet shred small, two handfuls of red sage, a little pepper, salt, and nutmeg, with a small peice of an onion; mince them together with the flesh and suet, and being finely minced, put the yolks of two or three eggs, and mix all together, make it into a paste, and when you will use it, roul out as many peices as you please in the form of an ordinary sausage, and fry them. this paste will keep a fortnight upon occasion. _otherways._ stamp half the meat and suet, and mince the other half, and season them as the former. _to make links._ take the fillet or a leg of pork, and cut it into dice work, with some of the fleak of the pork cut in the same form, season the meat with cloves, mace and pepper, a handful of sage fine minced, with a handful of salt; mingle all together, fill the guts and hang them in the air, and boil them when you spend them. these links will serve to stew with divers kinds of meats. * * * * * * * * * section ii. _an hundred and twelve excellent wayes for the dressing of beef._ _to boil oxe-cheeks._ take them and bone them, soak them in fair water four or five hours, then wash out the blood very clean, pair off the ruff of the mouth, and take out the balls of the eyes; then stuff them with sweet herbs, hard eggs, and fat, or beef-suet, pepper, and salt; mingle all together, and stuff them on the inside, prick both the insides together; then boil them amongst the other beef, and being very tender boild, serve them on brewis with interlarded bacon and _bolonia_ sausages, or boiled links made of pork on the cheeks, cut the bacon in thin slices, serve them with saucers of mustard, or with green sauce. _to dress oxe-cheeks otherways._ take out the bones and the balls of the eyes, make the mouth very clean, soak it, and wash out the blood; then wipe it dry with a clean cloath, and season it with pepper, salt, and nutmeg; then put it in a pipkin or earthen pan, with two or three great onions, some cloves, and mace, cut the jaw bones in pieces, & cut out the teeth, lay the bones on the top of the meat, then put to it half a pint of claret wine, and half as much water; close up the pot or pan with a course piece of paste, and set it a baking in an oven over night for to serve next day at dinner, serve it on toasts of fine manchet fried, then have boil'd carrots and lay on it with toasts of manchet laid round the dish; as also fried greens to garnish it, and run it over with beaten butter. this way you may also dress a leg of beef. _or thus._ take them and cleanse them as before, then roast them, and season them with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, save the gravy, and being roasted put them in a pipkin with some claret wine, large mace, a clove or two, and some strong broth, stew them till they be very tender, then put to them some fryed onions, and some prunes, and serve them on toasts of fried bread, or slices of french bread, and slices of orange on them, garnish the dish with grated bread. _to dress oxe cheeks in stofado, or the spanish fashion._ take the cheeks, bone them and cleanse them, then lay them in steep in claret or white-wine, and wine vinegar, whole cloves, mace, beaten pepper, salt, slic't nutmeg, slic't ginger, and six or seven cloves of garlick, steep them the space of five or six hours, and close them up in an earthen pot or pan, with a piece of paste, and the same liquor put to it, set it a baking over night for next day dinner, serve it on toasts of fine manchet fried: then have boil'd carrots and lay on it, with the toasts of manchet laid round the dish: garnish it with slic't lemons or oranges, and fried toasts, and garnish the dish with bay-leaves. _to marinate oxe-cheeks._ being boned, roast or stew them very tender in a pipkin with some claret, slic't nutmegs, pepper, salt, and wine-vinegar; being tender stewed, take them up, and put to the liquor in a pipkin a quart of wine-vinegar, and a quart of white-wine, boil it with some bay leaves, whole pepper, a bundle of rosemary, tyme, sweet marjoram, savory, sage, and parsley, bind them very hard the streightest sprigs, boil also in the liquor large mace, cloves, slic't ginger, slic't nutmegs and salt; then put the cheeks into the barrel, and put the liquor to them, and some slic't lemons, close up the head and keep them. thus you may do four or five heads together, and serve them hot or cold. _oxe cheeks in sallet._ take oxe cheeks being boned and cleansed, steep them in claret, white-wine, or wine vinegar all night, the next day season them with nutmegs, cloves, pepper, mace, and salt, roul them up, boil them tender in water, vinegar, and salt, then press them, and being cold, slice them in thin slices, and serve them in a clean dish with oyl and vinegar. _to bake oxe cheeks in a pasty or pie._ take them being boned and soaked, boil them tender in fair water, and cleanse them, take out the balls of the eyes, and season them with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, then have some beef-suet and some buttock beef minced and laid for a bed, then lay the cheeks on it, and a few whole cloves, make your pastie in good crust; to a gallon of flower, two pound and a half of butter, five eggs whites and all, work the butter and eggs up dry into the flower, then put in a little fair water to make it up into a stiff paste, and work up all cold. _to dress pallets, noses, and lips of any beast, steer, oxe, or calf._ take the pallats, lips, or noses, and boil them very tender, then blanch them, and cut them in little square pieces as broad as a sixpence, or like lard, fry them in sweet butter, and being fryed, pour away the butter, and put to it some anchovies, grated nutmeg, mutton gravy, and salt; give it a warm on the fire, and then dish it in a clean dish with the bottom first rubbed with a clove of garlick, run it over with beaten butter, juyce of oranges, fried parsley, or fried marrow in yolks of two eggs, and sage leaves. sometimes add yolks of eggs strained, and then it is a fricase. _otherways._ take the pallets, lips, or noses, and boil them very tender, blanch them, and cut them two inches long, then take some interlarded bacon and cut it in the like proportion, season the pallets with salt, and broil them on paper; being tender broil'd put away the fat, and put them in a dish being rubbed with a clove of garlick, put some mutton gravy to them on a chaffing dish of coals, and some juyce of orange, _&c._ _to fricase pallets._ take beef pallets being tender boil'd and blanched, season them with beaten cloves, nutmeg, pepper, salt, and some grated bread; then the pan being ready over the fire, with some good butter fry them brown, then put them in a dish, put to them good mutton gravy, and dissolve two or three anchovies in the sauce, a little grated nutmeg, and some juyce of lemons, and serve them up hot. _to stew pallets, lips, and noses._ take them being tender boild and blanched, put them into a pipkin, and cut to the bigness of a shilling, put to them some small cucumbers pickled, raw calves udders, some artichocks, potatoes boil'd or musk-mellon in square pieces, large mace, two or three whole cloves, some small links or sausages, sweetbreads of veal, some larks, or other small birds, as sparrows, or ox-eyes, salt, butter, strong broth, marrow, white-wine, grapes, barberries, or gooseberries, yolks of hard eggs, and stew them all together, serve them on toasts of fine french bread, and slic't lemon; sometimes thicken the broth with yolks of strained eggs and verjuyce. _to marinate pallets, noses, and lips._ take them being tender boil'd and blancht, fry them in sweet sallet oyl, or clarified butter, and being fryed make a pickle for them with whole pepper, large mace, cloves, slic't ginger, slic't nutmeg, salt and a bundle of sweet herbs, as rosemary, tyme, bay-leaves, sweet marjoram, savory, parsley, and sage; boil the spices and herbs in wine vinegar and white-wine, then put them in a barrel with the pallets, lips and noses, and lemons, close them up for your use, and serve them in a dish with oyl. _to dress pallets, lips, and noses, with collops of mutton and bacon._ take them being boild tender & blanch'd, cut them as broad as a shilling, as also some thin collops of interlarded bacon, and of a leg of mutton, finely hack'd with the back of a knife, fry them all together with some butter, and being finely fried, put out the butter, and put unto it some gravy, or a little mutton broth, salt, grated nutmeg, and a dissolved anchove; give it a warm over the fire and dish it, but rub the dish with a clove of garlick, and then run it over with butter, juyce of orange; and salt about the dish. _to make a pottage of beef pallets._ take beef pallets that are tender boi'd and blanched, cut each pallet in two pieces, and set them a stewing between two dishes with a fine piece of interlarded bacon, a handful of champignions, and five or six sweet-breads of veal, a ladle full of strong broth, and as much mutton gravy, an onion or two, two or three cloves, a blade or two of large mace, and an orange; as the pallets stew make ready a dish with the bottoms and tops of french bread slic't and steeped in mutton gravy, and the broth the pallets were stewed in; then you must have the marrow of two or three beef bones stewed in a little strong broth by it self in good big gobbets: and when the pallets, marrow, sweet-breads and the rest are enough, take out the bacon, onions, and spices, and dish up the aforesaid materials on the dish of steeped bread, lay the marrow uppermost in pieces, then wring on the juyce of two or three oranges, and serve it to the table very hot. _to rost a dish of oxe pallets with great oysters, veal, sweet-breads, lamb stones, peeping chickens, pigeons, slices of interlarded bacon, large cock-combs, and stones, marrow, pistaches, and artichocks._ take the oxe pallets and boil them tender, blanch them and cut them inches long, lard one half with smal lard, then have your chickens & pigeon peepers scalded, drawn, and trust; set them, and lard half of them; then have the lamb-stones, parboil'd and blanched, as also the combs, and cock-stones, next have interlarded bacon, and sage; but first spit the birds on a small bird-spit, and between each chicken or pigeon put on first a slice of interlarded bacon, and a sage leaf, then another slice of bacon and a sage leaf, thus do till all the birds be spitted; thus also the sweet-breads, lamb-stones, and combs, then the oysters being parboild, lard them with lard very small, and also a small larding prick, then beat the yolks of two or eggs, and mix them with a little fine grated manchet, salt, nutmeg, time, and rosemary minced very small, and when they are hot at the fire baste them often, as also the lambstones and sweet-breads with the same ingredients; then have the bottoms of artichocks ready boil'd, quartered, and fried, being first dipped in butter and kept warm, and marrow dipped in butter and fried, as also the fowls and other ingredients; then dish the fowl piled up in the middle upon another roast material round about them in the dish, but first rub the dish with a clove of garlick: the pallets by themselves, the sweet-breads by themselves, and the cocks stones, combs, and lamb-stones by themselves; then the artichocks, fryed marrow, and pistaches by themselves; then make a sauce with some claret wine, and gravy, nutmeg, oyster liquor, salt, a slic't or quartered onion, an anchove or two dissolved, and a little sweet butter, give it a warm or two, and put to it two or three slices of an orange, pour on the sauce very hot, and garnish it with slic't oranges and lemons. the smallest birds are fittest for this dish of meat, as wheat-ears, martins, larks, ox-eyes, quails, snites, or rails. _oxe pallets in jellies._ take two pair of neats or calves feet, scald them, and boil them in a pot with two gallons of water, being first very well boned, and the bone and fat between the claws taken out, and being well soaked in divers waters, scum them clean; and boil them down from two gallons to three quarts; strain the broth, and being cold take off the top and bottom, and put it into a pipkin with whole cinamon, ginger, slic't and quartered nutmeg, two or three blades of large mace, salt, three pints of white-wine, and half a pint of grape-verjuyce or rose vinegar, two pound and a half of sugar, the whites of ten eggs well beaten to froth, stir them all together in a pipkin, being well warmed and the jelly melted, put in the eggs, and set it over a charcoal-fire kindled before, stew it on that fire half an hour before you boil it up, and when it is just a boiling take it off, before you run it let it cool a little, then run it through your jelly bag once or twice; then the pallets being tender boild and blanched, cut them into dice-work with some lamb-stones, veal, sweet-breads, cock-combs, and stones, potatoes, or artichocks all cut into dice-work, preserved barberries, or calves noses, and lips, preserved quinces, dryed or green neats tongues, in the same work, or neats feet, all of these together, or any one of them; boil them in white-wine or sack, with nutmeg, slic't ginger, coriander, caraway, or fennil-seed, make several beds, or layes of these things, and run the jelly over them many times after one is cold, according as you have sorts of colours of jellies, or else put all at once; garnish it with preserved oranges, or green citron cut like lard. _to bake beef-pallets._ provide pallets, lips, and noses, boild tender and blanched, cock-stones, and combs, or lamb stones, and sweet-breads cut into pieces, scald the stones, combs, and pallets slic't or in pieces as big as the lamb stones, half a pint of great oysters parboil'd in their own liquor, quarter'd dates, pistaches a handful, or pine kernels, a few pickled broom buds, some fine interlarded bacon slic't in thin slices being also scalded, ten chestnuts roasted & blanched; season all these together with salt, nutmeg, and a good quantity of large mace, fill the pie, and put to it good butter, close it up and bake it, make liquor for it, then beat some butter, and three or four yolks of eggs with white or claret wine, cut up the lid, and pour it on the meat, shaking it well together, then lay on slic't lemon and pickled barberries, _&c._ _to dress a neats-tongue boil'd divers ways._ take a neats-tongue of three or four days powdering, being tender boil'd, serve it on cheat bread for brewis, dish on the tongue in halves or whole, and serve an udder with it being of the same powdering and salting, finely blanched, put to them the clear fat of the beef on the tongue, and white sippets round the dish, run them over with beaten butter, _&c._ _otherways._ for greater service two udders and two tongues finely blanched and served whole. sometimes for variety you may make brewis with some fresh beef or good mutton broth, with some of the fat of the beef-pot; put it in a pipkin with some large mace, a handful of parsley and sorrel grosly chopped, and some pepper, boil them together, and scald the bread, then lay on the boil'd tongue, mace, and some of the herbs, run it over with beaten butter, slic't lemon, gooseberries, barberries, or grapes. or for change, put some pared turnips boiling in fair water, & being tender boil'd, drain the water from them, dish them in a clean dish, and run them over with beaten butter, dish your tongues and udders on them, and your colliflowers on the tongues and udders, run them over with beaten butter; or in place of colliflowers, carrots in thin quarters, or sometimes on turnips and great boil'd onions, or butter'd cabbidge and carrots, or parsnips, and carrots buttered. _neats tongues and a fresh udder in stoffado._ season them with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, then lard them with great lard, and steep them all night in claret-wine, wine vinegar, slic't nutmegs and ginger, whole cloves, beaten pepper, and salt; steep them in an earthen pot or pan, and cover or close them up, bake them, and serve them on sops of french bread, and the spices over them with some slic't lemon, and sausages or none. _neats tongues stewed whole or in halves._ take them being tender boil'd, and fry them whole or in halves, put them in a pipkin with some gravy or mutton-broth, large mace, slic't nutmeg, pepper, claret, a little wine vinegar, butter, and salt; stew them well together, and being almost stewed, put to the meat two or three slices of orange, sparagus, skirrets, chesnuts, and serve them on fine sippets; run them over with beaten butter, slic't lemon, and boil'd marrow over all. sometimes for the broth put some yolks of eggs, beaten with grape-verjuyce. _to stew a neats tongue otherwayes._ make a hole in the but-end of it, and mince it with some fat bacon or beef-suet, season it with nutmeg, salt, the yolk of a raw egg, some sweet herbs minced small, & grated parmisan, or none, some pepper, or ginger, and mingle all together, fill the tongue and wrap it in a caul of veal, boil it till it will blanch, and being blancht, wrap about it some of the searsing with a caul of veal; then put it in a pipkin with some claret and gravy, cloves, salt, pepper, some grated bread, sweet herbs chopped small, fried onions, marrow boild in strong broth, and laid over all, some grapes, gooseberries, slic't orange or lemon, and serve it on sippets, run it over with beaten butter, and stale grated manchet to garnish the dish. or sometimes in a broth called _brodo lardiero_. _to hash or stew a neats tongue divers wayes._ take a neats-tongue being tender boil'd and blancht, slice it into thin slices, as big and as thick as a shilling, fry it in sweet butter; and being fried, put to it some strong broth, or good mutton-gravy, some beaten cloves, mace, nutmeg, salt, and saffron; stew them well together, then have some yolks of eggs dissolved with grape verjuyce, and put them into the pan, give them a toss or two, and the gravy and eggs being pretty thick, dish it on fine sippets. or make the same, and none of those spices, but only cinamon, sugar, and saffron. sometimes sliced as aforesaid, but in slices no bigger nor thicker than a three pence, and used in all points as before, but add some onions fried, with the tongue, some mushrooms, nutmegs, and mace; and being well stewed, serve it on fine sippets, but first rub the dish with a clove of garlick, and run all over with beaten butter, a shred lemon, and a spoonful of fair water. sometimes you may add some boil'd chesnuts, sweet herbs, capers, marrow, and grapes or barberries. or stew them with raisins put in a pipkin, with the sliced tongue, mace, slic't dates, blanched almonds, or pistaches, marrow, claret-wine, butter, salt, verjuyce, sugar, strong broth, or gravy; and being well stewed, dissolve the yolks of six eggs with vinegar or grape verjuyce, and dish it up on fine sippets, slic't lemon, and beaten butter over all. _to marinate a neats-tongue either whole or in halves._ take seven or eight neats-tongues, or heifer, calves, sheeps, or any tongues, boil them till they will blanch; and being blanched, lard them or not lard them, as you please; then put them in a barrel, then make a pickle of whole pepper, slic't ginger, whole cloves, slic't nutmegs, and large mace: next have a bundle of sweet herbs, as tyme, rosemary; bay-leaves, sage-leaves, winter-savory, sweet marjoram, and parsley; take the streightest sprigs of these herbs that you can get, and bind them up hard in a bundle every sort by it self, and all into one; then boil these spices and herbs in as much wine vinegar and white wine as will fill the vessel where the tongues are, and put some salt and slic't lemons to them; close them up being cold, and keep them for your use upon any occasion; serve them with some of the spices, liquor, sweet herbs, sallet oyl, and slic't lemon or lemon-peel, pack them close. _to fricase neats-tongues._ being tender boil'd, slice them into thin slices, and fry them with sweet butter; being fried put away the butter, and put to them some strong gravy or broth, nutmeg, pepper, salt, some sweet herbs chopped small, as tyme, savory, sweet marjoram, and parsley; stew them well together, then dissolve some yolks of eggs with wine-vinegar or grape-verjuyce, some whole grapes or barberries. for the thickening use fine grated manchet, or almond-paste strained, and some times put saffron to it. thus you may fricase any udder being tender boil'd, as is before-said. _to dress neats-tongues in brodo lardiero, or the italian way._ boil a neats-tongue in a pipkin whole, halves, or in gubbings till it may be blanched, cover it close, and put to it two or three blades of large mace, with some strong mutton or beef broth, some sack or white-wine, and some slices of interlarded bacon, scum it when it boils, and put to it large mace, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, raisins, two or three whole cloves, currans, prune, sage-leaves, saffron, and divers cherries; stew it well, and serve it in a fine clean scoured dish, on slices of french-bread. _to dress neats-tongues, as beefs noses, lips, and pallets._ take neats-tongues, being tender boild and blancht, slice them thin, and fry them in sweet butter, being fried put away the butter, and put to them anchovies, grated nutmeg, mutton gravy, and salt; give them a warm over the fire, and serve them in a clean scoured dish: but first rub the dish with a clove of garlick, and run the meat over with some beaten butter, juyce of oranges, fried parsley, fried marrow, yolks of eggs, and sage leaves. _to hash a neats-tongue whole or in slices._ boil it tender and blanch it, then slice it into thin slices, or whole, put to it some boil'd or roast chesnuts, some strong broth, whole cloves, pepper, salt, claret wine, large mace and a bundle of sweet herbs; stew them all together very leisurely, and being stewed serve it on fine carved sippets, either with slic't lemon, grapes, gooseberries, or barberries, and run it over with beaten butter. _to dry neats tongues._ take salt beaten very fine, and salt-peter of each alike, rub your tongues very well with the salts, and cover them all over with it, and as it wasts, put on more, when they are hard and stiff they are enough, then roul them in bran, and dry them before a soft fire, before you boil them, let them lie in pump water one night, and boil them in pump water. otherways powder them with bay-salt, and being well smoakt, hang them up in a garret or cellar, and let them come no more at the fire till they be boil'd. _to prepare a neats-tongue or udder to roast, a stag, hind, buck, doe, sheep, hog, goat, kid, or calf._ boil them tender and blanch them, being cold lard them, or roast them plain without lard, baste them with butter, and serve them on gallendine sauce. _to roast a neats tongue._ take a neats-tongue being tender boil'd, blanched, and cold, cut a hole in the but-end, and mince the meat that you take out, then put some sweet herbs finely minced to it, with a minced pippin or two, the yolks of eggs slic't, some minced beef-suet, or minced bacon, beaten ginger and salt, fill the tongue, and stop the end with a caul of veal, lard it and roast it; then make sauce with butter, nutmeg, gravy, and juyce of oranges; garnish the dish with slic't lemon, lemon peel and barberries. _to roast a neats-tongue or udder otherways._ boil it a little, blanch it, lard it with pretty big lard all the length of the tongue, as also udders; being first seasoned with nutmeg, pepper, cinamon, and ginger, then spit and roast them, and baste them with sweet butter; being rosted, dress them with grated bread and flower, and some of the spices abovesaid, some sugar, and serve it with juyce of oranges, sugar, gravy, and slic't lemon on it. _to make minced pies of a neats tongue._ take a fresh neats-tongue, boil, blanch, and mince it hot or cold, then mince four pound of beef-suet by it self, mingle them together, and season them with an ounce of cloves and mace beaten, some salt, half a preserved orange, and a little lemon-peel minced, with a quarter of a pound of sugar, four pound of currans, a little verjuyce, and rose-water, and a quarter of a pint of sack, stir all together, and fill your pies. _to bake neats tongues to eat cold, according to these figures._ take the tongues being tender boil'd and blanched, leave on the fat of the roots of the tongue, and season them well with nutmeg, pepper, and salt; but first lard them with pretty big lard, and put them in the pie with some whole cloves and some butter, close them and bake them in fine or course paste, made only of boiling liquor and flour, and baste the crust with eggs, pack the crust very close in the filling with the raw beef or mutton. _to bake two neats-tongues in a pie to eat hot, according to these figures._ take one of the tongues, and mince it raw, then boil the other very tender, blanch it, and cut it into pieces as big as a walnut, lard them with small lard being cold & seasoned; then have another tongue being raw, take out the meat, and mince it with some beef-suet or lard: then lay some of the minced tongues in the bottom of the pie, and the pieces on it; then make balls of the other meat as big as the pieces of tongue, with some grated bread, cream, yolks of eggs, bits of artichocks, nutmeg, salt, pepper, a few sweet herbs, and lay them in a pie with some boild artichocks, marrow, grapes, chesnuts blanch't, slices of interlarded bacon, and butter; close it up & bake it, then liquor it with verjuyce, gravy, and yolks of eggs. _to bake a neats tongue hot otherways._ boil a fresh tongue very tender, and blanch it; being cold slice it into thin slices, and season it lightly with pepper, nutmeg, cinamon, and ginger finely beaten; then put into the pie half a pound of currans, lay the meat on, and dates in halves, the marrow of four bones, large mace, grapes, or barberries, and butter; close it up and bake it, and being baked, liquor it with white or claret wine, butter, sugar, and ice it. _otherways._ boil it very tender, and being blanched and cold, take out some of the meat at the but-end, mince it with some beef-suet, and season it with pepper, ginger beaten fine, salt, currans, grated bread, two or three yolks of eggs, raisins minced, or in place of currans, a little cream, a little orange minced, also sweet herbs chopped small: then fill the tongue and season it with the foresaid spices, wrap it in a caul of veal, and put some thin slices of veal under the tongue, as also thin slices of interlarded bacon, and on the top large mace, marrow, and barberries, and butter over all; close it up and bake it, being baked, liquor it, and ice it with butter, sugar, white-wine, or grape-verjuyce. for the paste a pottle of flower, and make it up with boiling liquor, and half a pound of butter. _to roast a chine, rib, loin, brisket, or fillet of beef._ draw them with parsley, rosemary, tyme, sweet marjoram, sage, winter savory, or lemon, or plain without any of them, fresh or salt, as you please; broach it, or spit it, roast it and baste it with butter; a good chine of beef will ask six hours roasting. for the sauce take strait tops of rosemary, sage-leaves, picked parsley, tyme, and sweet marjoram; and strew them in wine vinegar, and the beef gravy; or otherways with gravy and juyce of oranges and lemons. sometimes for change in saucers of vinegar and pepper. _to roast a fillet of beef._ take a fillet which is the tenderest part of the beef, and lieth in the inner part of the surloyn, cut it as big as you can, broach it on a broach not too big, and be careful not to broach it through the best of the meat, roast it leisurely, & baste it with sweet butter, set a dish to save the gravy while it roasts, then prepare sauce for it of good store of parsley, with a few sweet herbs chopp'd smal, the yolks of three or four eggs, sometimes gross pepper minced amongst them with the peel of an orange, and a little onion; boil these together, and put in a little butter, vinegar, gravy, a spoonful of strong broth, and put it to the beef. _otherways._ sprinkle it with rose-vinegar, claret-wine, elder-vinegar, beaten cloves, nutmeg, pepper, cinamon, ginger, coriander-seed, fennil-seed, and salt; beat these things fine, and season the fillet with it, then roast it, and baste it with butter, save the gravy, and blow off the fat, serve it with juyce of orange or lemon, and a little elder-vinegar. _or thus._ powder it one night, then stuff it with parsley, tyme, sweet marjoram, beets, spinage, and winter-savory, all picked and minced small, with the yolks of hard eggs mixt amongst some pepper, stuff it and roast it, save the gravy and stew it with the herbs, gravy, as also a little onion, claret wine, and the juyce of an orange or two; serve it hot on this sauce, with slices of orange on it, lemons, or barberries. _to stew a fillet of beef in the italian fashion._ take a young tender fillet of beef, and take away all the skins and sinews clean from it, put to it some good white-wine (that is not too sweet) in a bowl, wash it, and crush it well in the wine, then strow upon it a little pepper, and a powder called _tamara_ in italian, and as much salt as will season it, mingle them together very well, and put to it as much white-wine as will cover it, lay a trencher upon it to keep it down in a close pan with a weight on it, and let it steep two nights and a day; then take it out and put it into a pipkin with some good beef-broth, but put none of the pickle to it, but only beef-broth, and that sweet, not salt; cover it close, and set it on the embers, then put to it a few whole cloves and mace, let it stew till it be enough, it will be very tender, and of an excellent taste; serve it with the same broth as much as will cover it. to make this _tamara_, take two ounces of coriander-seed, an ounce of anniseed, an ounce of fennel-seed, two ounces of cloves, and an ounce of cinamon; beat them into a gross powder, with a little powder of winter-savory, and put them into a viol-glass to keep. _to make an excellent pottage called skinke._ take a leg of beef, and chop it into three pieces, then boil it in a pot with three pottles of spring-water, a few cloves, mace, and whole pepper: after the pot is scum'd put in a bundle of sweet morjoram, rosemary, tyme, winter-savory, sage, and parsley bound up hard, some salt, and two or three great onions whole, then about an hour before dinner put in three marrow bones and thicken it with some strained oatmeal, or manchet slic't and steeped with some gravy, strong broth, or some of the pottage; then a little before you dish up the skinke, put into it a little fine powder of saffron, and give it a warm or two: dish it on large slices of french bread, and dish the marrow bones on them in a fine clean large dish; then have two or three manchets cut into toasts, and being finely toasted, lay on the knuckle of beef in the middle of the dish, the marrow bones round about it, and the toasts round about the dish brim, serve it hot. _to stew a rump, or the fat end of a brisket of beef in the french fashion._ take a rump of beef, boil it & scum it clean in a stewing pan or broad mouthed pipkin, cover it close, & let it stew an hour; then put to it some whole pepper, cloves, mace, and salt, scorch the meat with your knife to let out the gravy, then put in some claret-wine, and half a dozen of slic't onions; having boiled, an hour after put in some capers, or a handfull of broom-buds, and half a dozen of cabbidge-lettice being first parboil'd in fair water, and quartered, two or three spoonfuls of wine vinegar, and as much verjuyce, and let it stew till it be tender; then serve it on sippets of french bread, and dish it on those sippets; blow the fat clean off the broth, scum it, and stick it with fryed bread. _a turkish dish of meat._ take an interlarded piece of beef, cut it into thin slices, and put it into a pot that hath a close cover, or stewing-pan; then put it into a good quantity of clean picked rice, skin it very well, and put it into a quantity of whole pepper, two or three whole onions, and let this boil very well, then take out the onions, and dish it on sippets, the thicker it is the better. _to boil a chine, rump, surloin, brisket, rib, flank, buttock, or fillet of beef poudered._ take any of these, and give them in summer a weeks powdering, in winter a fortnight, stuff them or plain; if you stuff them, do it with all manner of sweet herbs, fat beef minced, and some nutmeg; serve them on brewis, with roots of cabbidge boil'd in milk, with beaten butter. _&c._ _to pickle roast beef, chine, surloin, rib, brisket, flank, or neats-tongues._ take any of the foresaid beef, as chine or fore-rib, & stuff it with penniroyal, or other sweet herbs, or parsley minced small, and some salt, prick in here & there a few whole cloves, roast it; and then take claret wine, wine vinegar, whole pepper, rosemary, and bayes, and tyme, bound up close in a bundle, and boil'd in some claret-wine, and wine-vinegar, make the pickle, and put some salt to it; then pack it up close in a barrel that will but just hold it, put the pickle to it, close it on the head, and keep it for your use. _to stew beef in gobbets, in the french fashion._ take a flank of beef, or any part but the leg, cut it into slices or gobbits as big as a pullets egg, with some gobbits of fat, and boil it in a pot or pipkin with some fair spring water, scum it clean, and put to it an hour after it hath boil'd carrots, parsnips, turnips, great onions, salt, some cloves, mace, and whole pepper, cover it close, and stew it till it be very tender; then half an hour before dinner, put into it some picked tyme, parsley, winter-savory, sweet marjoram, sorrel and spinage, (being a little bruised with the back of a ladle) and some claret-wine; then dish it on fine sippets, and serve it to the table hot, garnish it with grapes, barberries, or gooseberries, sometimes use spices, the bottoms of boil'd artichocks put into beaten butter, and grated nutmeg, garnished with barberries. _stewed collops of beef._ take some of the buttock of beef, and cut it into thin slices cross the grain of the meat, then hack them and fry them in sweet butter, and being fryed fine and brown put them in a pipkin with some strong broth, a little claret wine, and some nutmeg, stew it very tender; and half an hour before you dish it, put to it some good gravy, elder-vinegar, and a clove or two; when you serve it, put some juyce of orange, and three or four slices on it, stew down the gravy somewhat thick, and put into it when you dish it some beaten butter. _olives of beef stewed and roast._ take a buttock of beef, and cut some of it into thin slices as broad as your hand, then hack them with the back of a knife, lard them with small lard, and season them with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, then make a farsing with some sweet herbs, tyme, onions, the yolks of hard eggs, beef-suet or lard all minced, some salt, barberries, grapes or gooseberris, season it with the former spices lightly, and work it up together, then lay it on the slices, and roul them up round with some caul of veal, beef, or mutton, bake them in a dish within the oven, or roast them, then put them in a pipkin with some butter, and saffron, or none; blow off the fat from the gravy, and put it to them, with some artichocks, potato's, or skirrets blanched, being first boil'd, a little claret-wine, and serve them on sippets with some slic't orange, lemon, barberries, grapes or gooseberries. _to make a hash of raw beef._ mince it very small with some beef-suet or lard, and some sweet herbs, some beaten cloves and mace, pepper, nutmeg and a whole onion or two, stew all together in a pipkin, with some blanched chesnuts, strong broth, and some claret; let it stew softly the space of three hours, that it may be very tender, then blow off the fat, dish it, and serve it on sippets, garnish it with barberries, grapes, or gooseberries. _to make a hash of beef otherways._ take some of the buttock, cut it into thin slices, and hack them with the back of your knife, then fry them with sweet butter, and being fried put them into a pipkin with some claret, strong broth, or gravy, cloves, mace, pepper, salt, and sweet butter; being tender stewed serve them on fine sippets, with slic't lemon, grapes, barberries, or goosberries, and rub the dish with a clove of garlick. _otherways._ cut some buttock-beef into thin slices, and hack it with the back of a knife, then have some slices of interlarded bacon; stew them together in a pipkin, with some gravy, claret-wine, and strong broth, cloves, mace, pepper, and salt; being tender stewed, serve it on french bread sippets. _otherways._ being roasted and cold cut it into very fine thin slices, then put some gravy to it, nutmeg, salt, a little thin slic't onion, and claret-wine, stew it in a pipkin, and being well stewed dish it and serve it up, run it over with beaten butter and slic't lemon, garnish the dish with sippets, _&c._ _carbonadoes of beef, raw, roasted, or toasted._ take a fat surloin, or the fore-rib, and cut it into steaks half an inch thick, sprinkle it with salt, and broil it on the embers on a very temperate fire, and in an hour it will be broild enough; then serve it with gravy, and onions minced and boil'd in vinegar, and pepper, or juyce of oranges, nutmeg, and gravy, or vinegar, and pepper only, or gravy alone. or steep the beef in claret wine, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and broil them as the former, boil up the gravy where it was steeped, and serve it for sauce with beaten butter. as thus you may also broil or toast the sweet-breads when they are new, and serve them with gravy. _to carbonado, broil or toast beef in the italian fashion._ take the ribs, cut them into steaks & hack them, then season them with pepper, salt, and coriander-seed, being first sprinkled with rose-vinegar, or elder vinegar, then lay them one upon another in a dish the space of an hour, and broil or toast them before the fire, and serve them with the gravy that came from them, or juyce of orange and the gravy boild together. thus also you may do heifers' udders, oxe-cheeks, or neats-tongues, being first tender broild or roasted. in this way also you may make scotch collops in thin slices, hack them with your knife, being salted, and fine and softly broil'd serve them with gravy. _beef fried divers ways, raw or roasted._ . cut it in slices half an inch thick, and three fingers broad, salt it a little, and being hacked with the back of your knife, fry it in butter with a temperate fire. . cut the other a quarter of an inch thick; and fry it as the former. . cut the other collop to fry as thick as half a crown, and as long as a card: hack them and fry them as the former, but fry them not to hard. thus you may fry sweetbreads of the beef. _beef fried otherways, being roasted and cold._ slice it into good big slices, then fry them in butter, and serve them with butter and vinegar, garnish them with fried parsley. _sauces for the raw fried beef._ . beaten butter, with slic't lemon beaten together. . gravy and butter. . mustard, butter, and vinegar. . butter, vinegar, minced capers, and nutmeg. for the garnish of this fried meat, either parsley, sage, clary, onions, apples, carrots, parsnips, skirrets, spinage, artichocks, pears, quinces, slic't oranges, or lemons, or fry them in butter. thus you may fry sweet-breads, udders, and tongues in any of the foresaid ways, with the same sauces and garnish. _to bake beef in lumps several ways, or tongues in lumps raw, or heifer udders raw or boil'd._ take the buttock, brisket, fillet, or fore-rib, cut it into gobbets as big as a pullets egg, with some equal gobbets of fat, season them with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, and bake them with some butter or none. make the paste with a quarter of a pound of butter, and boiling liquor, boil the butter in the liquor, make up the paste quick and pretty stiff for a round pie. _to bake beef, red-deer-fashion in pies or pasties either surloin, brisket, buttock, or fillet, larded or not._ take the surloin, bone it, and take off the great sinew that lies on the back, lard the leanest parts of it with great lard, being season'd with nutmegs, pepper, and lard three pounds; then have for the seasoning four ounces of pepper, four ounces of nutmegs, two ounces of ginger, and a pound of salt, season it and put it into the pie: but first lay a bed of good sweet butter, and a bay-leaf or two, half an ounce of whole cloves, lay on the venison, then put on all the rest of the seasoning, with a few more cloves, good store of butter, and a bay-leaf or two, close it up and bake it, it will ask eight hours soaking, being baked and cold, fill it up with clarified butter, serve it, and a very good judgment shall not know it from red deer. make the paste either fine or course to bake it hot or cold; if for hot half the seasoning, and bake it in fine paste. to this quantity of flesh you may have three gallons of fine flower heapt measure, and three pound of butter; but the best way to bake red deer, is to bake it in course paste either in pie or pasty, make it in rye meal to keep long. otherways, you may make it of meal as it comes from the mill, and make it only of boiling water, and no stuff in it. _otherways to be eaten cold._ take two stone of buttock beef, lard it with great lard, and season it with nutmeg, pepper, and the lard, then steep it in a bowl, tray, or earthen pan, with some wine-vinegar, cloves, mace, pepper, and two or three bay-leaves: thus let it steep four or five days, and turn it twice or thrice a day: then take it and season it with cloves, mace, pepper, nutmeg, and salt; put it into a pot with the back-side downward, with butter under it, and season it with a good thick coat of seasoning, and some butter on it, then close it up and bake it, it will ask six or seven hours baking. being baked draw it, and when it is cold pour out the gravy, and boil it again in a pipkin, and pour it on the venison, then fill up the pot with the clarified butter, _&c._ _to make minced pies of beef._ take of the buttock of beef, cleanse it from the skins, and cut it into small pieces, then take half as much more beef-suet as the beef, mince them together very small, and season them with pepper, cloves, mace, nutmeg, and salt; then have half as much fruit as meat, three pound of raisins, four pound of currans, two pound of prunes, _&c._ or plain without fruit, but only seasoned with the same spices. _to make a collar of beef._ take the thinnest end of a coast of beef, boil it a little and lay in pump water, & a little salt three days, shifting it once a day; the last day put a pint of claret wine to it, and when you take it out of the water let it lie two or three hours a draining; then cut it almost to the end in three slices, and bruise a little cochinel and a very little allum, and mingle it with a very little claret wine, colour the meat all over with it; then take a douzen of anchoves, wash and bone them, lay them on the beef, & season it with cloves, pepper, mace, two handfuls of salt, a little sweet marjoram, and tyme; & when you make it up, roull the innermost slice first, & the other two upon it, being very well seasoned every where and bind it up hard with tape, then put it into a stone pot a little bigger than the collar, and pour upon it a pint of claret wine, and half a pint of wine vinegar, a sprig of rosemary, and a few bay-leaves; bake it very well, and before it be quite cold, take it out of the pot, and you may keep it dry as long as you please. _to bake a flank of beef in a collar._ take flank of beef, and lay it in pump water four days and nights, shift it twice a day, then take it out & dry it very well with clean cloaths, cut it in three layers, and take out the bones and most of the fat; then take three handfuls of salt, and good store of sage chopped very small, mingle them, and strew it between the three layers, and lay them one upon another; then take an ounce of cloves and mace, and another of nutmegs, beat them very well, and stew it between the layers of beef, roul it up close together, then take some packthred and tie it up very hard, put it in a long earthen pot, which is made of purpose for that use, tie up the top of the pot with cap paper, and set it in an oven; let it stand eight hours, when you draw it, and being between hot and cold, bind it up round in a cloth, tie it fast at both ends with packthred, and hang it up for your use. sometimes for variety you may use slices of bacon btwixt the layers, and in place of sage sweet herbs, and sometimes cloves of garlick. or powder it in saltpeter four or five days, then wash it off, roul it and use the same spices as abovesaid, and serve it with mustard and sugar, or gallendine. _to stuff beef with parsley to serve cold._ pick the parsley very fine and short, then mince some suet not to small, mingle it with the parsley, and make little holes in ranks, fill them hard and full, and being boiled and cold, slice it into thin slices, and serve it with vinegar and green parsley. _to make udders either in pie or pasty, according to these figures._ take a young udder and lard it with great lard, being seasoned with nutmeg, pepper, cloves, and mace, boil it tender, and being cold wrap it in a caul of veal, but first season it with the former spices and salt; put it in the pie with some slices of veal under it, season them, and some also on the top, with some slices of lard and butter; close it up, and being baked, liquor it with clarified butter. thus for to eat cold; if hot, liquor it with white-wine, gravy and butter. _to bake a heifers udder in the italian fashion._ the udder being boil'd tender, and cold, cut it into dice-work like small dice, and season them with some cloves, mace, cinamon, ginger, salt, pistaches, or pine-kernels, some dates, and bits of marrow; season the aforesaid materials lightly and fit, make your pie not above an inch high, like a custard, and of custard-paste, prick it, and dry it in the oven, and put in the abovesaid materials; put to it also some custard-stuff made of good cream, ten eggs, and but three whites, sugar, salt, rose-water, and some dissolved musk; bake it and stick it with slic't dates, canded pistaches, and scrape fine sugar on it. otherways, boil the udder very tender, & being cold slice it into thin slices, as also some thin slices of parmisan & interlarded bacon, some sweet herbs chopt small, some currans, cinamon, nutmeg, sugar, rose-water, and some butter, make three bottoms of the aforesaid things in a dish, patty-pan, or pie, with a cut cover, and being baked, scrape sugar on it, or rice it. _otherways to eat hot._ take an udder boil'd and cold, slice it into thin slices, and season it with pepper, cinamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt, mingle some currans among the slices and fill the pie; put some dates on the top, large mace, barberries, or grapes, butter, and the marrow of marrow-bones, close it up and bake it, being baked ice it; but before you ice it, liquor it with butter, verjuyce and sugar. _to stew calves or neats feet._ boil and blanch them, then part them in halves, and put them into a pipkin with some strong broth, a little powder of saffron, sweet butter, pepper, sugar, and some sweet herbs finely minced, let them stew an hour and serve them with a little grape verjuyce, stewed among them. neats feet being soust serve them cold with mustard. _to make a fricase of neats-feet._ take them being boild and blancht, fricase them with some butter, and being finely fried make a sauce with six yolks of eggs, dissolved with some wine-vinegar, grated nutmeg, and salt. _otherways._ first bone and prick them clean, then being boiled, blanched, or cold, cut them into gubbings, and put them in a frying-pan with a ladle-full of strong broth, a piece of butter, and a little salt; after they have fried awhile, put to them a little chopt parsley, green chibbolds, young spear-mint, and tyme, all shred very small, with a little beaten pepper: being almost fried, make a lear for them with the yolks of four or five eggs, some mutton gravy, a little nutmeg, and the juyce of a lemon wrung therein; put this lear to the neats feet as they fry in the pan, then toss them once or twice, and so serve them. _neats feet larded, and roasted on a spit._ take neats feet being boil'd, cold, and blanched, lard them whole, and then roast them, being roasted, serve them with venison sauce made of claret wine, wine-vinegar, and toasts of houshold bread strained with the wine through a strainer, with some beaten cinamon and ginger, put it in a dish or pipkin, and boil it on the fire, with a few whole cloves, stir it with a sprig of rosemary, and make it not too thick. _to make black puddings of beefers blood._ take the blood of a beefer when it is warm, put in some salt, and then strain it, and when it is through cold put in the groats of oatmeal well pic't, and let it stand soaking all night, then put in some sweet herbs, pennyroyal, rosemary, tyme, savoury, fennil, or fennil-seed, pepper, cloves, mace, nutmegs, and some cream or good new milk; then have four or five eggs well beaten, and put in the blood with good beef-suet not cut too small; mix all well together and fill the beefers guts, being first well cleansed, steeped, and scalded. _to dress a dish of tripes hot out of the pot or pan._ being tender boil'd, make a sauce with some beaten butter, gravy, pepper, mustard, and wine-vinegar, rub a dish with a clove of garlick, and dish them therein; then run the sauce over them with a little bruised garlick amongst it, and a little wine vinegar sprinkled over the meat. _to make bolonia-sausages._ take a good leg of pork, and take away all the fat, skins, and sinews, then mince and stamp it very fine in a wooden or brass mortar, weigh the meat, and to every five pound thereof take a pound of good lard cut as small as your little finger about an inch long, mingle it amongst the meat, and put to it half an ounce of whole cloves, as much beaten pepper, with the same quantity of nutmegs and mace finely beaten also, an ounce of whole carraway-seed, salt eight ounces, cocherel bruised with a little allom beaten and dissolved in sack, and stamped amongst the meat: then take beefers guts, cut of the biggest of the small guts, a yard long, and being clean scoured put them in brine a week or eight days, it strengthens and makes them tuff to hold filling. the greatest skill is in the filling of them, for if they be not well filled they will grow rusty; then being filled put them a smoaking three or four days, and hang them in the air, in some _garret_ or in a _cellar_, for they must not come any more at the fire; and in a quarter of a year they will be eatable. * * * * * * * * * section iii. _the a-la-mode ways of dressing the heads of any beasts._ _to boil a bullocks cheek in the italian way._ break the bones and steep the head in fair water, shift it, and scrape off the slime, let it lie thus in steep about twelve hours, then boil in fair water with some _bolonia_ sausage and a piece of interlarded bacon; the cheeks and the other materials being very tender boiled, dish it up and serve it with some flowers and greens on it, and mustard in saucers. _to stew bullocks cheeks._ take the cheeks being well soaked or steeped, spit and half roast them, save the gravy, and put them into a pipkin with some claret-wine, gravy, and some strong broth, slic't nutmeg, ginger, pepper, salt and some minced onions fried; stew it the space of two hours on a soft fire, and being finely stewed, serve it on carved sippets. _otherways._ take out the bones, balls of the eyes, and the ruff of the mouth, steep it well in fair water and shift it often: being well cleans'd from the blood and slime, take it out of the water, wipe it dry, and season it with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, put them in an earthen pot one upon another, and put to them a pint of claret wine, a few whole cloves, a little fair water, and two three whole onions; close up the pot and bake it, it will ask six hours bakeing; being tender baked, serve it on toasts of fine manchet. _or thus._ being baked or stewed, you may take out the bones and lay them close together, pour the liquor to them, and being cold slice them into slices, and serve them cold with mustard and sugar. _to boil a calves head._ take the head, skin, and all unflayed, scald it, and soak it in fair water a whole night or twelve hours, then take out the brains and boil them with some sage, parsley, or mint; being boil'd chop them small together, butter them and serve them in a dish with fine sippets about them, the head being finely cleansed, boil it in a clean cloth and close it up together again in the cloth; being boil'd, lay it one side by another with some fine slices of boil'd bacon, and lay some fine picked parsley upon it, with some borage or other flowers. _to hash a calves head._ take a calves head well steeped and cleansed from the blood and slime, boil it tender, then take it up and let it be through cold, cut it into dice-work, as also the brains in the same form, and some think slices interlarded bacon being first boil'd put some gooseberries to them, as also some gravy or juyce of lemon or orange, and some beaten butter; stew all together, and being finely stewed, dish it on carved sippets, and run it over with beaten butter. _otherways._ the head being boil'd and cold, slice is in to thin slices, with some onions and the brains in the same manner, then stew them in a pipkin with some gravy or strong mutton, broth, with nutmeg, some mushrooms, a little white wine and beaten butter; being well stewed together dish them on fine sippets, and garnish the meat with slic't lemon or barberries. _to souce a calves head._ first scald it and bone it, then steep it in fair water the space of six hour, dry it with a clean cloth, and season it with some salt and bruised garlick (or none) then roul it up in a collar, bind it close, and boil it in white wine, water, and salt; being boil'd keep it in that souce drink, and serve it in the collar, or slice it, and serve it with oyl, vinegar, and pepper. this dish is very rare, and to a good judgment scarce discernable. _to roast a calves head._ take a calves head, cleave it and take out the brains, skins, and blood about it, then steep them and the head in fair warm water the space of four or five hours, shift them three or four times and cleanse the head; then boil the brains, & make a pudding with some grated bread, brains, some beef-suet minced small, with some minced veal & sage; season the pudding with some cloves, mace, salt, ginger, sugar, five yolks of eggs, & saffron; fill the head with this pudding, then close it up and bind it fast with some packthread, spit it, and bind on the caul round the head with some of the pudding round about it, rost it & save the gravy, blow off the fat, and put to the gravy; for the sauce a little white-wine, a slic't nutmeg & a piece of sweet butter, the juyce of an orange, salt, and sugar. then bread up the head with some grated bread; beaten cinamon, minced lemon peel, and a little salt. _to roast a calves head with oysters._ split the head as to boil, and take out the brains washing them very well with the head, cut out the tongue, boil it a little, and blanch it, let the brains be parbol'd as well as tongue, then mince the brains and tongue, a little sage, oysters, beef-suet, very small; being finely minced, mix them together with three or four yolks of eggs, beaten ginger, pepper, nutmegs, grated bread, salt, and a little sack, if the brains and eggs make it not moist enough. this being done parboil the calves head a little in fair water, then take it up and dry it well in a cloth filling the holes where the brains and tongue lay with this farsing or pudding; bind it up close together, and spit it, then stuff it with oysters being first parboil'd in their own liquor, put them into a dish with minced tyme, parsley, mace, nutmeg, and pepper beaten very small; mix all these with a little vinegar, and the white of an egg, roul the oysters in it, and make little holes in the head, stuff it as full as you can, put the oysters but half way in, and scuer in them with sprigs of tyme, roast it and set the dish under it to save the gravy, wherein let there be oysters, sweet herbs minced, a little white-wine and slic't nutmeg. when the head is roasted set the dish wherein the sauce is on the coals to stew a little, then put in a piece of butter, the juyce of an orange, and salt, beating it up together: dish the head, and put the sauce to it, and serve it up hot to the table. _to bake a calves head in pye or pasty to eat hot or cold._ take a calves head and cleave it, then cleanse it & boil it, and being almost boil'd, take it up, & take it from the bones as whole as you can, when it is cold stuff it with sweet herbs, yolks of raw eggs, both finely minced with some lard or beef-suet, and raw veal; season it with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, brake two or three raw eggs into it; and work it together, and stuff the cheeks: the pie being made, season the head with the spices abovesaid, and first lay in the bottom of the pie some thin slices of veal, then lay on the head, and put on it some more seasoning, and coat it well with the spices, close it up with some butter, and bake it, being baked liquor it with clarified butter, and fill it up. if you bake the aforesaid pie to eat hot, give it but half the seasoning, and put some butter to it, with grapes, or gooseberries or barberries; then close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with gravy and butter beat up thick together; with the juyce of two oranges. _to make a calves-foot pye, or neats-foot pie, or florentine in a dish of puff-paste; but the other pye in short paste, and the dish of puff._ take two pair of calves feet, and boil them tender & blanch them, being cold bone them & mince them very small, and season them with pepper, nutmeg, cinamon, and ginger lightly, and a little salt, and a pound of currans, a quarter of a pound of dates, slic't, a quarter of a pound of fine sugar, with a little rose-water verjuyce, & stir all together in a dish or tray, and lay a little butter in the bottom of the pie, & lay on half the meat in the pie; then have the marrow of three marrow-bones, and lay that on the meat in the pie, and the other half of the meat on the marrow, & stick some dates on the top of the meat & close up the pie, & bake it, & being half bak't liquor it with butter, white-wine, or verjuyce, and ice it, and set in the oven again till it be iced, and ice it with butter, rose-water, and sugar. or you may bake them in halves with the bones in, and use for change some grapes, gooseberries, or barberries, with currans or without, and dates in halves, and large mace. _to stew a calves-head._ first boil it in fair water half an hour, then take it up and pluck it pieces, then put it into a pipkin with great oysters and some of the broth, which boil'd it, (if you have no stronger) a pint of white-wine or claret, a quarter of a pound of interlarded bacon, some blanched chesnuts, the yolks of three or four hard eggs cut into halves, sweet herbs minced, and a little horseradish-root scraped, stew all these an hour, then slice the brains (being parboil'd) and strew a little ginger, salt, and flower, you may put in some juyce of spinage, and fry them green with butter; then dish the meat, and lay the fried brains, oysters, chesnuts, half yolks of eggs, and sippet it, serve it up hot to the table. _to hash a calves head._ take a calves-head, boil it tender, and let it be through cold, then take one half and broil or roast it, do it very white and fair, then take the other half and slice it into thin slices, fry it with clarified butter fine and white, then put it in a dish a stewing with some sweet herbs, as rosemary, tyme, savory, salt, some white-wine or claret, some good roast mutton gravy, a little pepper and nutmeg; then take the tongue being ready boil'd, and a boil'd piece of interlarded bacon, slice it into thin slices, and fry it in a batter made of flower, eggs, nutmeg, cream, salt, and sweet herbs chopped small, dip the tongue & bacon into the batter, then fry them & keep them warm till dinner time, season the brains with nutmegs, sweet herbs minced small, salt, and the yolks of three or four raw eggs, mince all together, and fry them in spoonfuls, keep them warm, then the stewed meat being ready dish it, and lay the broild side of the head on the stewed side, then garnish the dish with the fried meats, some slices of oranges, and run it over with beaten butter and juyce of oranges. _to boil a calves head._ take a calves head being cleft and cleansed, and also the brains, boil the head very white and fine, then boil the brains with some sage and other sweet herbs, as tyme and sweet marjoram, chop and boil them in a bag, being boil'd put them out and butter them with butter, salt, and vinegar, serve them in a little dish by themselves with fine thin sippits about them. then broil the head, or toast it against the fire, being first salted and scotched with your knife, baste it with butter, being finely broil'd, bread it with fine manchet and fine flour, brown it a little and dish it on a sauce of gravy, minced capers; grated nutmeg, and a little beaten butter. _to bake lamb._ season lamb (as you may see in page ) with nutmegs, pepper, and salt, as you do veal, (in page ___) or as you do chickens, in pag. , & . for hot or cold pies. _to boil a lambs head in white broth._ take a lambs head, cleave it, and take out the brains, then open the pipes of the appurtenances, and wash and soak the meat very clean, set it a boiling in fair water & when it boils scum it, & put in some large mace, whole cinamon, slic't dates, some marrow, & salt, & when the heads is boil'd, dish it up on fine carved sippets, & trim the dish with scraping sugar: then strain six or seven yolks of eggs with sack or white-wine, and a ladleful of cream, put it into the broth, and give it a warm on the fire, stir it, and broth the head, then lay on the head some slic't lemon, gooseberries, grapes, dates, and large mace. _to stew a lambs head._ take a lambs head, cleave it, and take out the brains, wash and pick the head from the slime and filth, and steep it in fair water, shift it twice in an hour, as also the appurtenances, then set it a boiling on the fire with some strong broth, and when it boils scum it, and put in a large mace or two, some capers, quarters of pears, a little white wine, some gravy, marrow, and some marigold flowers; being finely stewed, serve it on carved sippets, and broth it, lay on it slic't lemon, and scalded gooseberries or barberries. _to boil a lambs head otherways._ make a forcing or pudding of the brains, being boil'd and cold cut them into bits, then mince a little veal or lamb with some beef-suet, and put to it some grated bread, nutmeg, pepper, salt, some sweet herbs minced, small, and three or four raw eggs, work all together, and fill the head with this pudding, being cleft, steeped, and after dried in a clean cloth, stew it in a stewing-pan or between two dishes with some strong broth; then take the remainder of this forcing or pudding, and make it into balls, put them a boiling with the head, and add some white-wine, a whole onion, and some slic't pipins or pears, or square bits like dice, some bits of artichocks, sage-leaves, large mace, and lettice boil'd and quartered, and put in beaten butter; being finely stewed, dish it up on sippets, and put the balls and the other materials on it, broth it and run it over with beaten butter and lemon. * * * * * * * * * section iv. _the rarest ways of dressing of all manner of roast meats, either of flesh or fowl, by sea or land, with their sauces that properly belong to them._ _divers ways of breading or dredging of meats and fowl._ . grated bread and flower. . grated bread, and sweet herbs minced, and dried, or beat to powder, mixed with the bread. . lemon in powder, or orange peel mixt with bread and flower, minced small or in powder. . cinamon, bread, flour, sugar made fine or in powder. . grated bread, fennil seed, coriander-seed, cinamon, and sugar. . for pigs, grated bread, flour, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, sugar; but first baste it with the jucye of lemons, or oranges, and the yolks of eggs. . bread, sugar, and salt mixed together. _divers bastings for roast meats._ . fresh butter. . clarified suet. . claret wine, with a bundle of sage, rosemary, tyme, and parsley, baste the mutton with these herbs and wine. . water and salt. . cream and melted butter, thus flay'd pigs commonly. . yolks of eggs, juyce of oranges and biskets, the meat being almost rosted, comfits for some fine large fowls, as a peacock, bustard, or turkey. _to roast a shoulder of mutton in a most excellent new way with oysters and other materials._ take three pints of great oysters and parboil them in their own liquor, then put away the liquor and wash them with some white-wine, then dry them with a clean cloth and season them with nutmeg and salt, then stuff the shoulder, and lard it with some anchoves; being clean washed spit it, and lay it to the fire, and baste it with white or claret wine, then take the bottoms of six artichocks, pared from the leaves and boil'd tender, then take them out of the liquor and put them into beaten butter, with the marrow of six marrow-bones, and keep them warm by a fire or in an oven, then put to them some slic'd nutmeg, salt, the gravy of a leg of roast mutton, the juyce of two oranges, and some great oysters a pint, being first parboil'd, and mingle with them a little musk or ambergreese; then dish up the shoulder of mutton, and have a sauce made for it of gravy which came from the roast shoulder of mutton stuffed with oysters, and anchovies, blow off the fat, then put to the gravy a little white-wine, some oyster liquor, a whole onion, and some stript tyme, and boil up the sauce, then put it in a fair dish, and lay the shoulder of mutton on it, and the bottoms of the artichocks round the dish brims, and put the marrow and the oysters on the artichoke bottoms, with some slic't lemon on the shoulder of mutton, and serve it up hot. _to roast a shoulder of mutton with oysters otherways._ take great oysters, and being opened, parboil them in their own liquor, beard them and wash them in some vinegar, then wipe them dry, and put to them grated nutmeg, pepper, some broom-buds, and two or three anchoves; being finely cleansed, washed, and cut into little bits, the yolk of a raw egg or two dissolved, some salt, a little samphire cut small, and mingle all together, then stuff the shoulder, roast it, and baste it with sweet butter, and being roasted make sauce with the gravy, white wine, oyster liquor, and some oysters, then boil the sauce up and blow off the fat, beat it up thick with the yolk of an egg or two and serve the shoulder up hot with the sauce, and some slic't lemon on it. _otherways._ the oysters being opened parboil them in their liquor, beard them and wipe them dry, being first washed out of their own liquor with some vinegar, put them in a dish with some time, sweet marjoram, nutmeg, and lemon-peel all minced very small, but only the oysters whole, and a little salt, and mingle all together, then make little holes in the upper side of the mutton, and fill them with this composition. roast the shoulder of mutton, and baste it with butter, set a dish under it to save the gravy that drippeth from it; then for the sauce take some of the oysters, and a whole onion, stew them together with some of the oyster-liquor they were parboil'd in, and the gravy that dripped from the shoulder, (but first blow off the fat) and boil up all together pretty thick, with the yolk of an egg, some verjuyce, the slice of an orange; and serve the mutton on it hot. or make sauce with some oysters being first parboil'd in their liquor, put to them some mutton gravy, oyster-liquor, a whole onion, a little white-wine, and large mace, boil it up and garnish the dish with barberries, slic't lemon, large mace and oysters. othertimes for change make sauce with capers, great oysters, gravy, a whole onion, claret-wine, nutmeg, and the juyce of two or three oranges beaten up thick with some butter and salt. _to roast a shoulder of mutton with oysters._ take a shoulder of mutton and rost it, then make sauce with some gravy, claret-wine, pepper, grated nutmeg, slic't lemon, and broom-buds, give it a warm or two, then dish the mutton, and put the sauce to it, and garnish it with barberries, and slic't lemon. _to roast a chine of mutton either plain or with divers stuffings, lardings and sauces._ first lard it with lard, or lemon peel cut like lard, or with orange-peel, stick here and there a clove, or in place of cloves, tops of rosemary, tyme, sage, winter-savory or sweet marjoram, baste it with butter, and make sauce with mutton-gravy, and nutmeg, boil it up with a little claret and the juyce of an orange, and rub the dish you put it in with a clove of garlick. or make a sauce with pickled or green cucumbers slic't and boil'd in strong broth or gravy; with some slic't onions, an anchove or two, and some grated nutmeg, stew them well together, and serve the mutton with it hot. _divers sauces for roast mutton._ . gravy, capers, samphire, and salt, and stew them well together. . watter, onion, claret-wine, slic't nutmeg and gravy boiled up. . whole onions stewed in strong broth or gravy, white-wine, pepper, pickled capers, mace, and three or four slices of a lemon. . mince a little roast mutton hot from the spit, and add to it some chopped parsley and onions, verjuyce or vinegar, ginger, and pepper; stew it very tender in a pipkin, and serve it under any joynt with some gravy of mutton. . onions, oyster-liquor, claret, capers, or broom-buds, gravy, nutmeg, and salt boiled together. . chop't parsley, verjuyce, butter, sugar, and gravy. . take vinegar, butter, and currans, put them in a pipkin with sweet herbs finely minced, the yolks of two hard eggs, and two or three slices of the brownest of the leg, mince it also, some cinamon, ginger, sugar, and salt. . pickled capers, and gravy, or gravy, and samphire, cut an inch long. . chopped parsley and vinegar. . salt, pepper, and juyce of oranges. . strained prunes, wine, and sugar. . white-wine, gravy, large mace, and butter thickned with two or three yolks of eggs. _oyster sauce._ . oyster-liquor and gravy boil'd together, with eggs and verjuyce to thicken it, then juyce of orange, and slices of lemon over all. . onions chipped with sweet herbs, vinegar, gravy and salt boil'd together. _to roast veal divers ways with many excellent farsings, puddings and sauces, both in the french, italian, and english fashion._ _to make a pudding in a breast of veal._ open the lower end with a sharp knife close between the skin and the ribs, leave hold enough of the flesh on both sides, that you may put in your hand between the ribs, and the skin; then make a pudding of grated white bread, two or three yolks of eggs, a little cream, clean washt currans pick't and dried, rose-water, cloves, and mace fine beaten, a little saffron, salt, beef-suet minced fine, some slic't dates and sugar; mingle all together, and stuff the breast with it, make the pudding pretty stiff, and prick on the sweetbread wrapped in the caul, spit it and roast it; then make sauce with some claret-wine, grated nutmeg, vinegar, butter, and two or three slices of orange, and boil it up, _&c._ _to roast a breast of veal otherways._ parboil it, and lard it with small lard all over, or the one half with lard; and the other with lemon-peel, sage-leaves, or any kind of sweet herbs; spit it and roast it, and baste it with sweet butter, and being roasted, bread it with grated bread, flower, and salt; make sauce with gravy, juyce of oranges, and slic't lemons laid on it. _or thus._ make stuffing or farsing with a little minced veal, and some tyme minced, lard, or fat bacon, a few cloves and mace beaten, salt, and two or three yolks of eggs; mingle them all together, and fill the breast, scuer it up with a prick or scuer, then make little puddings of the same stuff you stuffed the breast, and having spitted the breast, prick upon it those little puddings, as also the sweetbreads, roast all together, and baste them with good sweet butter, being finely roasted, make sauce with juyce of oranges and lemons. _to roast a loyn of veal._ spit it and lay it to the fire, baste it with sweet butter, then set a dish under it with some vinegar, two or three sage-leaves, and two or three tops of rosemary and tyme; let the gravy drop on them, and when the veal is finely roasted, give the herbs and gravy a warm or two on the fire, and serve it under the veal. _another sauce for a loin of veal._ all manner of sweet herbs minced very small, the yolks of two or three hard eggs minced very small, and boil them together with a few currans, a little grated bread, beaten cinamon, sugar, and a whole clove or two, dish the veal on this sauce, with two or three slices of an orange. _to roast olives on a leg of veal._ cut a leg of veal into thin slices, and hack them with the back of a knife; then strew on them a little salt, grated nutmeg, sweet herbs finely minced, and the yolks of some herd eggs minced also, grated bread, a little beef-suet minced, currans, and sugar, mingle all together, and strew it on the olives, then roul it up in little rouls, spit them and roul the caul of veal about them, roast them and baste them in sweet butter; being roasted, make sauce with some of the stuffing, verjuyce, the gravy that drops from them, and some sugar, and serve the olives on it. _to roast a leg or fillet of veal._ take it and stuff it with beef-suet, seasoned with nutmeg, salt, and the yolks of two or three raw eggs, mix them with suet, stuff it and roast it; then make sauce with the gravy that dripped from it, blow off the fat, and give it two or three warms on the fire, and put to it the juyce of two or three oranges. _to roast veal in pieces._ take a leg of veal, and cut it into square pieces as big as a hens egg, season them with pepper, salt, some beaten cloves, and fennil-seed; then spit them with slices of bacon between every piece; being spitted, put the caul of the veal about them and roast them, then make the sauce of the gravy and the juyce of oranges. thus you may do of veal sweet-breads, and lamb-stones. _to roast calves feet._ first boil them tender and blanch them, and being cold lard them thick with small lard, then spit them on a small spit and roast them, serve them with a sauce made of vinegar, cinamon, sugar, and butter. _to roast a calves head with oysters._ take a calves head and cleave it, take out the brains and wash them very well with the head, cut out the tongue, and boil, blanch, and parboil the brains, as also the head and tongue; then mince the brain and tongue with a little sage, oysters, marrow, or beef-suet very small, mix with it three or four yolks of eggs, beaten ginger, pepper, nutmeg, grated bread, salt, and a little sack, this being done, then take the calves head, and fill it with this composition where the brains and tongue lay: bind it up close together, spit it, and stuff it with oysters, compounded with nutmeg, mace, tyme, graded bread, salt, and pepper: mix all these with a little vinegar, and the white of an egg, and roul the oysters in it; stuff the head with it as full as you can, and roast it thorowly, setting a dish under it to catch the gravy, wherein let there be oysters, sweet herbs minced, a little white wine and slic't nutmeg; when the head is roasted, set the dish wherein the sauce is on the coals to stew a little, then put in a peice of butter, the juyce of an orange, and salt, beating it up thick together, dish the head, and put the sauce to it, and serve it hot to the table. _several sauces for roast veal._ . gravy, claret, nutmeg, vinegar, butter, sugar, and oranges. . juyce of orange, gravy, nutmeg, and slic't lemon on it. . vinegar and butter. . all manner of sweet herbs chopped small with the yolks of two or three eggs, and boil them in vinegar, butter, a few bread crumbs, currans, beaten cinamon, sugar, and a whole clove or two, put it under the veal, with slices of orange and lemon about the dish. . claret sauce, of boil'd carrots, and boil'd quinces stamped and strained, with lemon, nutmeg, pepper, rose-vinegar, sugar, and verjuyce, boil'd to an indifferent height or thickness, with a few whole cloves. _to roast red deer._ take a side, or half hanch, and either lard them with small lard, or stick them with cloves; but parboil them before you lard them, then spit and roast them. _sauces for red deer._ . the gravy and sweet herbs chopped small and boil'd together, or the gravy only. . the juyce of oranges or lemons, and gravy. . a gallendine sauce made with strained bread, vinegar, claret wine, cinamon, ginger, and sugar; strain it, and being finely beaten with the spices boil it up with a few whole cloves and a sprig of rosemary. . white bread boil'd in water pretty thick without spices, and put to it some butter, vinegar, and sugar. if you will stuff or farse any venison, stick them with rosemary, tyme, savory, or cloves, or else with all manner of sweet herbs, minced with beef-suet, lay the caul over the side or half hanch, and so roast it. _to roast pork with the sauces belonging to it._ take a chine of pork, draw it with sage on both sides being first spitted, then roast it; thus you may do of any other joynt, whether chine, loyn, rack, breast, or spare-rib, or harslet of a bacon hog, being salted a night of two. _sauces._ . gravy, chopped sage, and onions boil'd together with some pepper. . mustard, vinegar, and pepper. . apples pared, quartered, and boil'd in fair water, with some sugar and butter. . gravy, onions, vinegar, and pepper. _to roast pigs divers ways with their different sauces._ _to roast a pig with the hair on._ take a pig and draw out his intrails or guts, liver and lights, draw him very clean at vent, and wipe him, cut off his feet, truss him, and prick up the belly close, spit it, and lay it to the fire, but scorch it not, being a quarter roasted, the skin will rise up in blisters from the flesh; then with your knife or hands pull off the skin and hair, and being clean flayed, cut slashes down to the bones, baste it with butter and cream, being but warm, then bread it with grated white bread, currans, sugar, and salt mixed together, and thus apply basting upon dregging, till the body be covered an inch thick; then the meat being throughly roasted, draw it and serve it up whole, with sauce made of wine-vinegar, whole cloves, cinamon, and sugar boiled to a syrrup. _otherways._ you may make a pudding in his belly, with grated bread, and some sweet herbs minced small, a little beef-suet also minced, two or three yolks of raw eggs, grated nutmeg, sugar, currans, cream, salt, pepper, _&c._ dredge it or bread it with flower, bread, sugar, cinamon slic't nutmeg. _to dress a pig the french way._ take and spit it, the pig being scalded and drawn, and lay it down to the fire, and when the pig is through warm, take off the skin, and cut it off the spit, and divide it into twenty pieces, more or less, (as you please) then take some white-wine, and some strong broth, and stew it therein with an onion or two minc't very small, and some stripped tyme, some pepper, grated nutmeg, and two or three anchoves, some elder vinegar, a little butter, and some gravy if you have it; dish it up with the same liquor it was stewed in, with some french bread in slices under it, with oranges, and lemons upon it. _to roast a pig the plain way._ scald and draw it, wash it clean, and put some sage in the belly, prick it up, and spit it, roast it and baste with butter, and salt it; being roasted fine and crisp, make sauce with chopped sage and currans well boil'd in vinegar and fair water, then put to them the gravy of the pig, a little grated bread, the brains, some barberries, and sugar, give these a warm or two, and serve the pig on this sauce with a little beaten butter. _to roast a pig otherways._ take a pig, scald and draw it, then mince some sweet herbs, either sage or penny-royal, and roul it up in a ball with some butter, prick it up in the pigs belly and roast him; being roasted, make sauce with butter, vinegar, the brains, and some barberries. _otherways._ draw out his bowels, and flay it but only the head-truss the head looking over his back; and fill his belly with a pudding made of grated bread, nutmeg, a little minced beef-suet, two or three yolks of raw eggs, salt, and three or four spoonfuls of good cream, fill his belly and prick it up, roast it and baste it with yolks of eggs; being roasted, wring on the juyce of a lemon, and bread it with grated bread, pepper, nutmeg, salt, and ginger, bread it quick with the bread and spices. then make sauce with vinegar, butter, and the yolks of hard eggs minced, boil them together with the gravy of the pig, and serve it on this sauce. _to roast hares with their several stuffings and sauces._ take a hare, flay it, set it, and lard it with small lard, stick it with cloves, and make a pudding in his belly with grated bread, grated nutmeg, beaten cinamon, salt, currans, eggs, cream, and sugar; make it good, and stiff, fill the hare and roast it: if you would have the pudding green, put juyce of spinage, if yellow, saffron. _sauce._ beaten cinamon, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, boil'd prunes, and currans strained, muskefied bisket-bread, beaten into powder, sugar, and cloves, all boiled up as thick as water-grewel. _to roast a hare with the skin on._ draw a hare (that is, the bowels out of the body) wipe it clean, and make a farsing or stuffing of all manner of sweet herbs, as tyme, winter-savory, sweet marjoram, and parsley, mince them very small, and roul them in some butter, make a ball thereof, and put it in the belly of the hare, prick it up close, and roast it with the skin and hair on it, baste it with butter, and being almost roasted flay off the skin, and stick a few cloves on the hare; bread it with fine grated manchet, flower, and cinamon, bread it good and thick, froth it up, and dish it on sauce made of grated bread, claret-wine, wine-vinegar, cinamon, ginger, sugar, and barberries, boil it up to an indifferency. _several sauces belonging to rabits._ . beaten butter, and rub the dish with a clove of garlick. . sage and parsley minced, roul it in a ball with some butter, and fill the belly with this stuffing. . beaten butter with lemon and pepper. . in the french fashion, onions minced small and fried, and mingled with mustard and pepper. . the rabits being roasted, wash the belly with the gravy of mutton, and add to it a slice or two of lemon. _to roast woodcocks in the english fashion._ first pull and draw them, then being washt and trust, roast them, baste them with butter, and save the gravy, then broil toasts and butter them; being roasted, bread them with bread and flower, and serve them in a clean dish on the toast and gravy. _otherways in the french fashion._ being new and fresh kil'd that day you use them, pull, truss, & lard them with a broad piece of lard or bacon pricked over the breast: being roasted, serve them on broil'd toast, put in verjuyce, or the juyce of orange with the gravy, and warmed on the fire. or being stale, draw them, and put a clove or two in the bellies, with a piece of bacon. _to roast a hen or pullet._ take a pullet or hen full of eggs, draw it and roast it; being roasted break it up, and mince the brauns in thin slices, save the wings whole, or not mince the brauns, and leave the rump with the legs whole; stew all in the gravy and a little salt. then have a minced lemon, and put it into the gravy, dish the minced meat in the midst of the dish, and the thighs, wings, and rumps about it. garnish the dish, with oranges and lemons quartered, and serve them up covered. _sauce with oysters and bacon._ take oysters being parboil'd and clenged from the grunds, mingle them with pepper, salt, beaten nutmeg, time, and sweet marjoram, fill the pullets belly, and roast it, as also two or three ribs of interlarded bacon, serve it in two pieces into the dish with the pullet; then make sauce of the gravy, some of the oysters liquor, oysters and juice of oranges boil'd together, take some of the oysters out of the pullets belly, and lay on the breast of it, then put the sauce to it with slices of lemon. _sauce for hens or pullets to prepare them to roast._ take a pullet, or hen, if lean, lard it, if fat, not; or lard either fat or lean with a piece or slice of bacon over it, and a peice of interlarded bacon in the belly, seasoned with nutmeg, and pepper, and stuck with cloves. then for the sauce take the yolks of six hard eggs minced small, put to them white-wine, or wine vinegar, butter, and the gravy of the hen, juyce of orange, pepper, salt, and if you please add thereto mustard. _several other sauces for roast hens._ . take beer, salt, the yolks of three hard eggs, minced small, grated bread, three or four spoonfuls of gravy; and being almost boil'd, put in the juyce of two or three oranges, slices of a lemon and orange, with lemon-peel shred small. . beaten butter with juice of lemon or orange, white or claret wine. . gravy and claret wine boil'd with a piece of an onion, nutmeg, and salt, serve it with the slices of orange or lemons, or the juyce in the sauce. . or with oyster-liquor, an anchove or two, nutmeg, and gravy, and rub the dish with a clove of garlick. . take the yolks of hard eggs and lemon peel, mince them very small, and stew them in white-wine, salt, and the gravy of the fowl. _several sauces for roast chickens._ . gravy, and the juyce or slices of orange. . butter, verjuyce, and gravy of the chicken, or mutton gravy. . butter and vinegar boil'd together, put to it a little sugar, then make thin sops of bread, lay the roast chicken on them, and serve them up hot. . take sorrel, wash and stamp it, then have thin slices of manchet, put them in a dish with some vinegar, strained sorrel, sugar, some gravy, beaten cinamon, beaten butter, and some slices of orange or lemon, and strew thereon some cinamon and sugar. . take slic't oranges, and put to them a little white wine, rose-water, beaten mace, ginger, some sugar, and butter; set them on a chafing dish of coals and stew them; then have some slices of manchet round the dish finely carved, and lay the chickens being roasted on the sauce. . slic't onions, claret wine, gravy, and salt boil'd up. _sauces for roast pigeons or doves._ . gravy and juyce of orange. . boil'd parsley minced, and put amongst some butter and vinegar beaten up thick. . gravy, claret wine, and an onion stewed together, with a little salt. . vine-leaves roasted with the pigeons minced and put in claret-wine and salt, boil'd together, some butter and gravy. . sweet butter and juyce of orange beat together, and made thick. . minced onions boil'd in claret wine almost dry, then put to it nutmeg, sugar, gravy of the fowl, and a little pepper. . or gravy of the pigeons only. _sauces for all manner of roast land-fowl, as turkey, bustard, peacock, pheasant, partridge_, &c. . slic't onions being boil'd, stew them in some water, salt, pepper, some grated bread, and the gravy of the fowl. . take slices of white-bread and boil them in fair water with two whole onions, some gravy, half a grated nutmeg, and a little salt; strain them together through a strainer, and boil it up as thick as water grewel; then add to it the yolks of two eggs dissolved with the juyce of two oranges, _&c._ . take thin slices of manchet, a little of the fowl, some sweet butter, grated nutmeg, pepper, and salt; stew all together, and being stewed, put in a lemon minced with the peel. . onions slic't and boil'd in fair water, and a little salt, a few bread crumbs beaten, pepper, nutmeg, three spoonful of white wine, and some lemon-peel finely minced, and boil'd all together: being almost boil'd put in the juyce of an orange, beaten butter, and the gravy of the fowl. . stamp small nuts to a paste, with bread, nutmeg, pepper, saffron, cloves, juyce of orange, and strong broth, strain and boil them together pretty thick. . quince, prunes, currans, and raisins, boil'd, muskefied bisket stamped and strained with white wine, rose vinegar, nutmeg, cinamon, cloves, juyce of oranges and sugar, and boil it not too thick. . boil carrots and quinces, strain them with rose vinegar, and verjuyce, sugar, cinamon, pepper, and nutmeg, boil'd with a few whole cloves, and a little musk. . take a manchet, pare off the crust and slice it, then boil it in fair water, and being boil'd some what thick put in some white wine, wine vinegar, rose, or elder vinegar, some sugar and butter, _&c._ . almond-paste and crumbs of manchet, stamp them together with some sugar, ginger, and salt, strain them with grape-verjuyce, and juyce of oranges; boil it pretty thick. _sauce for a stubble or fat goose._ . the goose being scalded, drawn, and trust, put a handful of salt in the belly of it, roast it, and make sauce with sowr apples slic't, and boil'd in beer all to mash, then put to it sugar and beaten butter. sometime for veriety add barberries and the gravy of the fowl. . roast sowr apples or pippins, strain them, and put to them vinegar, sugar, gravy, barberries, grated bread, beaten cinamon, mustard, and boil'd onions strained and put to it. _sauces for a young stubble goose._ take the liver and gizzard, mince it very small with some beets, spinage, sweet herbs, sage, salt, and some minced lard; fill the belly of the goose, and sow up the rump or vent, as also the neck; roast it, and being roasted, take out the farsing and put it in a dish, then add to it the gravy of the goose, verjuyce, and pepper, give it a warm on the fire, and serve it with this sauce in a clean dish. the french sauce for a goose is butter, mustard, sugar, vinegar, and barberries. _sauce for a duck._ onions slic't and carrots cut square like dice, boil'd in white-wine, strong broth, some gravy, minced parsley, savory chopped, mace, and butter; being well stewed together, it will serve for divers wild fowls, but most proper for water fowl. _sauces for duck and mallard in the french fashion._ . vinegar and sugar boil'd to a syrrup, with two or three cloves, and cinamon, or cloves only. . oyster liquor, gravy of the fowl, whole onions boil'd in it, nutmeg, and anchove. if lean, farse and lard them. _sauces for any kind of roast sea fowl, as swan, whopper, crane, shoveler, hern, bittern, or geese._ make a gallendine with some grated bread, beaten cinamon, and ginger, a quartern of sugar, a quart of claret wine, a pint of wine vinegar, strain the aforesaid materials and boil them in a skillet with a few whole cloves; in the boiling stir it with a spring of rosemary, add a little red sanders, and boil it as thick as water grewel. _green sauce for pork, goslings, chickens, lamb, or kid._ stamp sorrel with white-bread and pared pipkins in a stone or wooden mortar, put sugar to it, and wine vinegar, then strain it thorow a fine cloth, pretty thick, dish it in saucers, and scrape sugar on it. _otherways._ mince sorrel and sage, and stamp them with bread, the yolks of hard eggs, pepper, salt, and vinegar, but no sugar at all. _or thus._ juyce of green white, lemon, bread, and sugar. _to make divers sorts of vinegar._ take good white-wine, and fill a firkin half full, or a lesser vessel, leave it unstopped, and set it in some hot place in the sun, or on the leads of a house, or gutter. if you would desire to make vinegar in haste, put some salt, pepper, sowr leven mingled together, and a hot steel, stop it up and let the sun come hot to it. if more speedy, put good wine into an earthen pot or pitcher, stop the mouth with a piece of paste, and put it in a brass pan or pot, boil it half an hour, and it will grow sowr. or not boil it, and put into it a beet root, medlars, services, mulberries, unripe flowers, a slice of barley bread hot out of the oven, or the blossoms of services in their season, dry them in the sun in a glass vessel in the manner, of rose vinegar, fill up the glass with clear wine vinegar, white or claret wine, and set it in the sun, or in a chimney by the fire. _to make vinegar of corrupt wine._ boil it, and scum it very clean, boil away one third part, then put it in a vessel, put to it some charnel, stop the vessel close, and in a short time it will prove good vinegar. _to make vinegar otherways._ take six gallons of strong ale of the first running, set it abroad to cool, and being cold put barm to it, and head it very thorowly; then run it up in a firkin, and lay it in the sun, then take four or five handfuls of beans, and parch them on a fire-shovel, or pan, being cut like chesnuts to roast, put them into the vinegar as hot as you can, and stop the bung-hole with clay; but first put in a handful of rye leven, then strain a good handful of salt, and put in also; let it stand in the sun from _may_ to _august_, and then take it away. _rose vinegar._ keep roses dried, or dried elder flowers, put them into several double glasses or stone bottles, write upon them, and set them in the sun, by the fire, or in a warm oven; when the vinegar is out, put in more flowers, put out the old, and fill them up with the vinegar again. _pepper vinegar._ put whole pepper in a fine clothe, bind it up and put it in the vessel or bottle of vinegar the space of eight days. _vinegar for digestion and health._ take eight drams of sea-onions, a quart of vinegar, and as much pepper as onions, mint, and juniper-berries. _to make strong wine vinegar into balls._ take bramble berries when they are half ripe, dry them and make them into powder, with a little strong vinegar, make little balls, and dry them in the sun, and when you will use them, take wine and heat it, put in some of the ball or a whole one, and it will be turned very speedily into strong vinegar. _to make verjuyce._ take crabs as soon as the kernels turn black, and lay them in a heap to sweat, then pick them from stalks and rottenness; and then in a long trough with stamping beetles stamp them to mash, and make a bag of course hair-cloth as square as the press; fill it with stamped crabs, and being well pressed, put it up in a clean barrel or hogs-head. _to make mustard divers ways._ have good seed, pick it, and wash it in cold water, drain it, and rub it dry in a cloth very clean; then beat it in a mortar with strong wine-vinegar; and being fine beaten, strain it and keep it close covered. or grind it in a mustard quern, or a bowl with a cannon bullet. _otherways._ make it with grape-verjuyce, common-verjuyce, stale beer, ale, butter, milk, white-wine, claret, or juyce of cherries. _mustard of dijon, or french mustard._ the seed being cleansed, stamp it in a mortar, with vinegar and honey, then take eight ounces of seed, two ounces of cinamon, two of honey, and vinegar as much as will serve, good mustard not too thick, and keep it close covered in little oyster-barrels. _to make dry mustard very pleasant in little loaves or cakes to carry in ones pocket, or to keep dry for use at any time._ take two ounces of seamy, half an ounce of cinamon, and beat them in a mortar very fine with a little vinegar, and honey, make a perfect paste of it, and make it into little cakes or loaves, dry them in the sun or in an oven, and when you would use them, dissolve half a loaf or cake with some vinegar, wine, or verjuyce. * * * * * * * * * section v. _the best way of making all manner of sallets._ _to make a grand sallet of divers compounds._ take a cold roast capon and cut it into thin slices square and small, (or any other roast meat as chicken, mutton, veal, or neats tongue) mingle with it a little minced taragon and an onion, then mince lettice as small as the capon, mingle all together, and lay it in the middle of a clean scoured dish. then lay capers by themselves, olives by themselves, samphire by it self, broom buds, pickled mushrooms, pickled oysters, lemon, orange, raisins, almonds, blue-figs, virginia potato, caperons, crucifix pease, and the like, more or less, as occasion serves, lay them by themselves in the dish round the meat in partitions. then garnish the dish sides with quarters of oranges, or lemons, or in slices, oyl and vinegar beaten together, and poured on it over all. on fish days, a roast, broil'd, or boil'd pike boned, and being cold, slice it as abovesaid. _another way for a grand sallet._ take the buds of all good sallet herbs, capers, dates, raisins, almonds, currans, figs, orangado. then first of all lay it in a large dish, the herbs being finely picked and washed, swing them in a clean napkin; then lay the other materials round the dish, and amongst the herbs some of all the aforesaid fruits, some fine sugar, and on the top slic't lemon, and eggs scarse hard cut in halves, and laid round the side of the dish, and scrape sugar over all; or you may lay every fruit in partitions several. _otherways._ dish first round the centre slic't figs, then currans, capers, almonds, and raisins together; next beyond that, olives, beets, cabbidge-lettice, cucumbers, or slic't lemon carved; then oyl and vinegar beaten together, the beast oyl you can get, and sugar or none, as you please; garnish the brims of the dish with orangado, slic't lemon jagged, olives stuck with slic't almonds, sugar or none. _another grand sallet._ take all manner of knots of buds of sallet herbs, buds of pot-herbs, or any green herbs, as sage, mint, balm, burnet, violet-leaves, red coleworts streaked of divers fine colours, lettice, any flowers, blanched almonds, blue figs, raisins of the sun, currans, capers, olives; then dish the sallet in a heap or pile, being mixed with some of the fruits, and all finely washed and swung in a napkin, then about the centre lay first slic't figs, next capers and currans, then almonds and raisins, next olives, and lastly either jagged beats, jagged lemons, jagged cucumbers, or cabbidge lettice in quarters, good oyl and wine vinegar, sugar or none. _otherways._ the youngest and smallest leaves of spinage, the smallest also of sorrel, well washed currans, and red beets round the centre being finely carved, oyl and vinegar, and the dish garnished with lemon and beets. _other grand sallets._ take green purslain and pick it leaf by leaf, wash it and swing it in a napkin, then being disht in a fair clean dish, and finely piled up in a heap in the midst of it lay round about the centre of the sallet pickled capers, currans, and raisins of the sun, washed, pickled, mingled, and laid round it: about them some carved cucumbers in slices or halves, and laid round also. then garnish the dish brims with borage, or clove jelly-flowers. or otherways with jagged cucumber-peels, olives, capers, and raisins of the sun, then the best sallet-oyl and wine-vinegar. _other grand sallets._ all sorts of good herbs, the little leaves of red sage, the smallest leaves of sorrel, and the leaves of parsley pickt very small, the youngest and smallest leaves of spinage, some leaves of burnet, the smallest leaves of lettice, white endive and charvel all finely pick't and washed, and swung in a strainer or clean napkin, and well drained from the water; then dish it in a clean scowred dish, and about the centre capers, currans, olives, lemons carved and slic't, boil'd beet-roots carved and slic't, and dished round also with good oyl and vinegar. _a good sallet otherways._ take corn-sallet, rampons, alexander-buds, pickled mushrooms, and make a sallet of them, then lay the corn sallet through the middle of the dish from side to side, and on the other side rampons, then alexander-buds, and in the other four quarter of mushrooms, salt, over all, and put good oyl and vinegar to it. _other grand sallet._ take the tenderest, smallest, and youngest ellicksander-buds, and small sallet, or young lettice mingled together, being washed and pickled, with some capers. pile it or lay it flat in a dish, first lay about the centre, olives, capers, currans, and about those carved oranges and lemons, or in a cross partition-ways, and salt, run oyl and vinegar over all. _otherways._ boil'd parsnips in quarters laid round the dish, and in the midst some small sallet, or water cresses finely washed and picked, on the water-cresses some little small lettice finely picked and washed also, and some elicksander-buds in halves, and some in quarters, and between the quarters of the parsnips, some small lettice, some water-cresses and elicksander-buds, oyl and vinegar, and round the dish some slices of parsnips. _another grand sallet._ take small sallet of all good sallet herbs, then mince some white cabbidge leaves, or striked cole-worts, mingle them among the small sallet, or some lilly-flowers slit with a pin; then first lay some minced cabbidge in a clean scowred dish, and the minced sallet round about it; then some well washed and picked capers, currans, olives, or none; then about the rest, a round of boild red beets, oranges, or lemons carved. for the garnish of the brim of the dish, boild colliflowers, carved lemons, beets, and capers. _sallet of scurvy grass._ being finely pick't short, well soak't in clean water, and swung dry, dish it round in a fine clean dish, with capers and currans about it, carved lemon and orange round that, and eggs upon the centre not boil'd too hard, and parted in halves, then oyl and vinegar; over all scraping sugar, and trim the brim of the dish. _a grand sallet of alexander-buds._ take large alexander-buds, and boil them in fair water after they be cleansed and washed, but first let the water boil, then put them in, and being boil'd, drain them on a dish bottom or in a cullender; then have boil'd capers and currans, and lay them in the midst of a clean scowred dish, the buds parted in two with a sharp knife, and laid round about upright, or one half on one side, and the other against it on the other side, so also carved lemon, scrape on sugar, and serve it with good oyl and wine vinegar. _other grand sallet of watercresses._ being finely picked, washed and laid in the middle of a clean dish with slic't oranges and lemons finely carved one against the other, in partitions or round the dish, with some alexander-buds boil'd or raw, currans, pers, oyl, and vinegar, sugar, or none. _a grand sallet of pickled capers._ pickled capers and currans basted and boil'd together, disht in the middle of a clean dish, with red beets boil'd and jagged, and dish't round the capers and currans, as also jagg'd lemon, and serve it with oyl and vinegar. _to pickle samphire, broom-buds, kitkeys, crucifix pease, purslane, or the like._ take samphire, and pick the branches from the dead leaves or straws, then lay it in a pot or barrel, & make a strong brine of white or bay-salt, in the boiling scum it clean; being boil'd and cold put it to the samphire, cover it and keep it for all the year, and when you have any occasion to use it, take and boil it in fair water, but first let the water boil before you put it in, being boiled and become green, let it cool, then take it out of the water, and put it in a little bain or double viol with a broad mouth, put strong wine vinegar to it, close it up close and keep it. _otherways._ put samphire in a brass pot that will contain it, and put to it as much wine-vinegar as water, but no salt; set it over a charcoal-fire, cover it close, and boil it till it become green, then put it up in a barrell with wine-vinegar close on the head, and keep it for use. _to pickle cucumbers._ pickle them with salt, vinegar, whole pepper, dill-seed, some of the stalks cut, charnell, fair water, and some sicamore-leaves, and barrel them up close in a barrel. _pickled quinces the best way._ . take quinces not cored nor pared, boil them in fair water not too tender, and put them in a barrel, fill it up with their liquor, and close on the head. . pare them and boil them with white-wine, whole cloves, cinamon, and slic't ginger, barrel them up and keep them. . in the juyce of sweet apples, not cored, but wiped, and put up raw. . in white-wine barrel'd up raw. . being pared and cored, boil them up in sweet-wort and sugar, keep them in a glazed pipkin close covered. . core them and save the cores, cut some of the crab-quinces, and boil them after the quinces be parboil'd & taken up; then boil the cores, and some of the crab-quinces in quarters, the liquor being boild strain it thorow a strainer, put it in a barrel with the quinces, and close up the barrel. _to pickle lemon._ boil them in water and salt, and put them up with white-wine. _to pickle any kind of flowers._ put them into a gally-pot or double glass, with as much sugar as they weigh, fill them up with wine vinegar; to a pint of vinegar a pound of sugar, and a pound of flowers; so keep them for sallets or boild meats in a double glass covered over with a blade and leather. _to pickle capers, gooseberries, barberries, red and white currans._ pick them and put them in the juyce of crab-cherries, grape-verjuyce, or other verjuyce, and then barel them up. _to candy flowers for sallets, as violets, cowslips, clove-gilliflowers, roses, primroses, borrage, bugloss_, &c. take weight for weight of sugar candy, or double refined sugar, being beaten fine, searsed, and put in a silver dish with rose-water, set them over a charecoal fire, and stir them with a silver spoon till they be candied, or boil them in a candy sirrup height in a dish or skillet, keep them in a dry place for your use, and when you use them for sallets, put a little wine-vinegar to them, and dish them. _for the compounding and candying the foresaid pickled and candied sallets._ though they may be served simply of themselves, and are both good and dainty, yet for better curiosity and the finer ordering of a table, you may thus use them. first, if you would set forth a red flower that you know or have seen, you shall take the pot of preserv'd gilliflowers, and suiting the colours answerable to the flower, you shall proportion it forth, and lay the shape of a flower with a purslane stalk, make the stalk of the flower, and the dimensions of the leaves and branches with thin slices of cucumbers, make the leaves in true proportion jagged or otherways, and thus you may set forth some blown some in the bud, and some half blown, which will be very pretty and curious; if yellow, set it forth with cowslip or primroses; if blue take violets or borrage; and thus of any flowers. * * * * * * * * * section vi. _to make all manner of carbonadoes, either of flesh or fowl; as also all manner of fried meats of flesh, collops and eggs, with the most exquisite way of making pancakes, fritters, and tansies._ _to carbonado a chine of mutton._ take a chine of mutton, salt it, and broil it on the embers, or toast it against the fire; being finely broil'd, baste it, and bread it with fine grated manchet, and serve it with gravy only. _to carbonado a shoulder of mutton._ take a shoulder of mutton, half boil it, scotch it and salt it, save the gravy, and broil it on a soft fire being finely coloured and fitted, make sauce with butter, vinegar, pepper, and mustard. _to carbonado a rack of mutton._ cut it into steaks, salt and broil them on the embers, and being finely soaked, dish them and make sauce of good mutton-gravy, beat up thick with a little juyce of orange, and a piece of butter. _to carbonado a leg of mutton._ cut it round cross the bone about half an inch thick, then hack it with the back of a knife, salt it, and broil it on the embers on a soft fire the space of an hour; being finely broil'd, serve it with gravy sauce, and juyce of orange. thus you may broil any hanch of venison, and serve it with gravy only. _to broil a chine of veal._ cut it in three or four pieces, lard them (or not) with small lard, season them with salt and broil them on a soft fire with some branches of sage and rosemary between the gridiron and the chine; being broil'd, serve it with gravy, beaten butter, and juyce of lemon or orange. _to broil a leg of veal._ cut it into rowls, or round the leg in slices as thick as ones finger, lard them or not, then broil them softly on embers, and make sauce with beaten butter, gravy, and juyce of orange. _to carbonado a rack of pork._ take a rack of pork, take off the skin, and cut it into steaks, then salt it, and strow on some fennil seeds whole and broil it on a soft fire, being finely broil'd, serve it on wine-vinegar and pepper. _to broil a flank of pork._ flay it and cut it into thin slices, salt it, and broil it on the embers in a dripping-pan of white paper, and serve it on the paper with vinegar and pepper. _to broil chines of pork._ broil them as you do the rack, but bread them and serve them with vinegar and pepper, or mustard and vinegar. or sometimes apples in slices, boil'd in beer and beaten butter to a mash. or green sauce, cinamon, and sugar. otherways, sage and onions minced, with vinegar and pepper boil'd in strong broth till they be tender. or minced onions boil'd in vinegar and pepper. _to broil fat venison._ take half a hanch, and cut the fattest part into thick slices half an inch thick; salt and broil them on the warm embers, and being finely soaked, bread them, and serve them with gravy only. thus you may broil a side of venison, or boil a side, fresh in water and salt, then broil it and dredge it, and serve it with vinegar and pepper. broil the chine raw as you do the half hanch, bread it and serve it with gravy. _to fry lambs or kids stones._ take the stones, parboil them, then mince them small and fry them in sweet butter, strain them with some cream, some beaten cinamon, pepper, and grated cheese being put to it when it is strained, then fry them, and being fried, serve them with sugar and rose-water. thus may you dress calves or lambs brains. _to carbonado land or water fowl._ being roasted, cut them up and sprinkle them with salt, then scoch and broil them and make sauce with vinegar and butter, or juyce of orange. _to dress a dish of collops and egg the best way for service._ take fine young and well coloured bacon of the ribs, the quantity of two pound, cut it into thine slices and lay them in a clean dish, toste them before the fire fine and crisp; then poche the eggs in a fair scrowred skillet white and fine, dish them on a dish and plate, and lay on the colops, some upon them, and some round the dish. _to broil bacon on paper._ make the fashion of two dripping-pans of two sheets of white paper, then take two pound of fine interlarded bacon, pare off the top, and cut the bacon into slices as thin as a card, lay them on the papers, then put them on a gridiron, and broil them on the embers. _to broil brawn._ cut a collar into six or seven slices round the collar, and lay it on a plate in the oven, being broil'd serve it with juyce of orange, pepper, gravy, and beaten butter. _to fry eggs._ take fifteen eggs and beat them in a dish, then have interlarded bacon cut into square bits like dice, and fry them with chopped onions, and put to them cream, nutmeg, cloves, cinamon, pepper, and sweet herbs chopped small, (or no herbs nor spice) being fried, serve them on a clean dish, with sugar and juyce of orange. _to fry an egg as round as a ball._ take a broad frying posnet, or deep frying pan, and three pints of clarified butter or sweet suet, heat it as hot as you do for fritters; then take a stick and stir it till it run round like to a whirle-pit; then break an egg into the middle of the whirle, and turn it round with your stick till it be as hard as a soft poached egg, and the whirling round of the butter or suet will make round as a ball; then take it up with a slice, and put it in a warm pipkin or dish, set it a leaning against the fire, so you may do as many as you please, they will keep half an hour yet be soft; you may serve them with fried or toasted collops. _to make the best fritters._ take good mutton-broth being cold, and no fat, mix it with flour and eggs, some salt, beaten nutmeg and ginger, beat them well together, then have apples or pippins, pare and core them, and cut them into dice-work, or square bits, and when you will fry them, put them in the batter, and fry them in clear clarified suet, or clarified butter, fry them white and fine, and sugar them. _otherways._ take a pint of sack, a pint of ale, some ale-yeast or barm, nine eggs yolks and whites beaten very well, the eggs first, then all together, then put in some ginger, salt, and fine flour, let it stand an hour or two, then put in apples, and fry them in beef-suet clarified, or clarified butter. _other fritters._ take a quart of flour, three pints of cold mutton broth, a nutmeg, a quartern of cinamon, a race of ginger, five eggs, and salt, and strain the foresaid materials; put to them twenty slic't pippins, and fry them in six pound of suet. sometimes make the batter of cream, eggs, cloves, mace, nutmeg, saffron, barm, ale, and salt. other times flour, grated bread, mace, ginger, pepper, salt, barm, saffron, milk, sack, or white wine. sometimes you may use marrow steeped in musk and rose-water, and pleasant pears or quinces. or use raisins, currans, and apples cut like square dice, and as small, in quarters or in halves. _fritters in the italian fashion._ take a pound of the best holland cheese or parmisan grated, a pint of fine flower, and as much fine bisket bread muskefied beaten to powder, the yolks of four or five eggs, some saffron and rosewater, sugar, cloves, mace, and cream, make it into stiff paste, then make it into balls, and fry them in clarified butter. or stamp this paste in a mortar, and make the balls as big as a nutmeg or musket bullet. _otherways in the italian fashion._ take a pound of rice and boil it in a pint of cream, being boil'd something thick, lay it abroad in a clean dish to cool, then stamp it in a stone mortar, with a pound of good fat cheese grated, some musk, and yolks of four or five hard eggs, sugar, and grated manchet or bisket bread; then make it into balls, the paste being stiff, and you may colour them with marigold flowers stamped, violets, blue bottles, carnations or pinks, and make them balls of two or three colours. if the paste be too tender, work more bread to them and flour, fry them, and serve them with scraping sugar and juyce of orange. garnish these balls with stock fritters. _fritters of spinage._ take spinage, pick it and wash it, then set on a skillet of fair water, and when it boileth put in the spinage, being tender boil'd put it in a cullender to drain away the liquor; then mince it small on a fair board, put it in a dish and season it with cinamon, ginger, grated manchet, fix eggs with the whites and yolks, a little cream or none, make the stuff pretty thick, and put in some boil'd currans. fry it by spoonfuls, and serve it on a dish and plate with sugar. thus also you may make fritters of beets, clary, borrage, bugloss, or lattice. _to make stock-fritters or fritters of arms._ strain half a pint of fine flower, with as much water, and make the batter no thicker, than thin cream; then heat the brass moulds in clarified butter; being hot wipe them, dip the moulds half way in the batter and fry them, to garnish any boil'd fish meats or stewed oysters. view their forms. _other fried dishes of divers forms, or stock-fritters in the italian fashion._ take a quart of fine flower, and strain it with some almond milk, leven, white wine, sugar and saffron; fry it on the foresaid moulds, or dip clary on it, sage leaves, or branches of rosemary, then fry them in clarified butter. _little pasties, balls, or toasts fried._ take a boil'd or raw pike, mince it and stamp it with some good fat old cheese grated, season them with cinamon, sugar, boil'd currans, and yolks of hard eggs, make this stuff into balls, toasts or pasties, and fry them. _otherways._ make your paste into little pasties, stars, half moons, scollops, balls, or suns. _or thus._ take grated bread, cake, or bisket bread, and fat cheese grated, almond paste, eggs, cinamon, saffron, and fry them as abovesaid. _otherways pasties to fry._ take twenty apples or pippins par'd, coard, and cut into bits like square dice, stew them in butter, and put to them three ounces of bisket bread, stamp all together in a stone mortar, with six ounces of fat cheese grated, six yolks of eggs, cinamon, six ounces of sugar, make it in little pasties, or half moons, and fry them. _otherways._ take a quart of fine flower, wet it with almond milk, sack, white-wine, rose-water, saffron, and sugar, make thereof a paste into balls, cakes, or any cut or carved branches, and fry them in clarified butter, and serve them with fine scraped sugar. _to fry paste out of a syringe or butter-squirt._ take a quart of fine flower, & a litle leven, dissolve it in warm water, & put to it the flour, with some white wine, salt, saffron, a quarter of butter, and two ounces of sugar; boil the aforesaid things in a skillet as thick as a hasty pudding, and in the boiling stir it continually, being cold beat it in a mortar, fry it in clarified butter, and run it into the butter through a butter-squirt. _to make pancakes._ take three pints of cream, a quart of flour, eight eggs, three nutmegs, a spoonful of salt, and two pound of clarified butter; the nutmegs being beaten, strain them with the cream, flour and salt, fry them into pancakes, and serve them with fine sugar. _otherways._ take three pints of spring-water, a quart of flour, mace, and nutmeg beaten, six cloves, a spoonful of salt, and six eggs, strain them and fry them into pancakes. _or thus._ make stiff paste of fine flour, rose-water, cream, saffron, yolks of eggs, salt, and nutmeg, and fry them in clarified butter. _otherways._ take three pints of cream, a quart of flour, five eggs, salt, three spoonfuls of ale, a race of ginger, cinamon as much, strain these materials, then fry and serve them with fine sugar. _to make a tansie the best way._ take twenty eggs, and take away five whites, strain them with a quart of good thick sweet cream, and put to it grated nutmeg, a race of ginger grated, as much cinamon beaten fine, and a penny white loaf grated also, mix them all together with a little salt, then stamp some green wheat with some tansie herbs, strain it into the cream and eggs, and stir all together; then take a clean frying-pan, and a quarter of a pound of butter, melt it, and put in the tansie, and stir it continually over the fire with a slice, ladle, or saucer, chop it, and break it as it thickens, and being well incorporated put it out of the pan into a dish, and chop it very fine; then make the frying pan very clean, and put in some more butter, melt it, and fry it whole or in spoonfuls; being finely fried on both sides, dish it up, and sprinkle it with rose-vinegar, grape-verjuyce, elder-vinegar, couslip-vinegar, or the juyce of three or four oranges, and strew on good store of fine sugar. _otherways._ take a little tansie, featherfew, parsley, and violets stamp and strain them with eight or ten eggs and salt, fry them in sweet butter, and serve them on a plate and dish with some sugar. _a tansie for lent._ take tansie and all manner of herbs as before, and beaten almond, stamp them with the spawn of pike or carp and strain them with the crumb of a fine manchet, sugar, and rose-water, and fry it in sweet butter. _toasts of divers sorts._ _first, in butter or oyl._ take a cast of fine rouls or round manchet, chip them, and cut them into toasts, fry them in clarified butter, frying oyl, or sallet oyl, but before you fry them dip them in fair water, and being fried, serve them in a clean dish piled one upon another, and sugar between. _otherways._ toste them before the fire, and run them over with butter, sugar, or oyl. _cinamon toasts._ cut fine thin toasts, then toast them on a gridiron, and lay them in ranks in a dish, put to them fine beaten cinamon mixed with sugar and some claret, warm them over the fire, and serve them hot. _french toasts._ cut french bread, and toast it in pretty thick toasts on a clean gridiron, and serve them steeped in claret, sack, or any wine, with sugar and juyce of orange. * * * * * * * * * section vii. _the most excellent ways of making all sorts of puddings._ _a boil'd pudding._ beat the yolks of three eggs, with rose-water, and half a pint of cream, warm it with a piece of butter as big as a walnut, and when it is melted mix the eggs and that together, and season it with nutmeg, sugar, and salt; then put in as much bread as will make it as thick as batter, and lay on as much flour as will lie on a shilling, then take a double cloth, wet it, and flour it, tie it fast, and put it in the pot; when it is boil'd, serve it up in a dish with butter, verjuice, and sugar. _otherways._ take flour, sugar, nutmeg, salt, and water, mix them together with a spoonful of gum-dragon, being steeped all night in rose-water, strain it, then put in suet, and boil it in a cloth. _to boil a pudding otherways._ take a pint of cream or milk, and boil it with a stick of cinamon, being boil'd let it cool, then put in six eggs, take out three whites, and beat the eggs before you put them in the milk, then slice a penny-roul very thin and being slic't beat all together, then put in some sugar, and flour the cloth; being boil'd for sauce, put butter, sack, and sugar, beat them up together, and scrape sugar on it. _other pudding._ sift grated bread through a cullender, and mix it with flour, minc't dates, currans, nutmeg, cinamon, minc't suet, new milk warm, sugar and eggs, take away some of the whites and work all together, then take half the pudding for one side, and half for the other side, and make it round like a loaf, then take butter and put it into the midst, and the other side aloft on the top, when the liquor boils, tie it in a fair cloth and boil it, being boil'd, cut it in two, and so serve it in. _to make a cream pudding to be boil'd._ take a quart of cream and boil it with mace, nutmeg and ginger quartered, put to it eight eggs, and but four whites beaten, a pound of almonds blanched, beaten, and strained in with the cream, a little rose-water, sugar, and a spoonful of fine flower; then take a thick napkin, wet it and rub it with flour, and tie the pudding up in it: being boil'd make sauce for it with sack, sugar, and butter beat up thick together with the yolk of an egg, then blanch some almonds, slice them, and stick the pudding with them very thick, and scrape sugar on it. _to make a green boil'd pudding of sweet herbs._ take and steep a penny white loaf in a quart of cream and only eight yolks of eggs, some currans, sugar, cloves, beaten mace, dates, juyce of spinage, saffron, cinamon, nutmeg, sweet marjoram, tyme, savory, peniroyal minced very small, and some salt, boil it in beef-suet, marrow, (or none.) these puddings are excellent for stuffings of roast or boil'd poultrey, kid, lamb, or turkey, veal, or breasts of mutton. _to make a pudding in haste._ take a pint of good milk or cream, put thereto a handful of raisins of the sun, with as many currans, and a piece of butter, then grate a manchet and a nutmeg, and put thereto a handful of flour; when the milk boils, put in the bread, let it boil a quarter of an hour, then dish it up on beaten butter. _to make a quaking pudding._ slice the crumbs of a penny manchet, and infuse it three or four hours in a pint of scalding hot cream, covering it close, then break the bread with a spoon very small, and put to it eight eggs, and put only four whites, beat them together very well, and season it with sugar, rose-water, and grated nutmeg: if you think it too stiff, put in some cold cream and beat them well together; then wet the bag or napkin and flour it, put in the pudding, tie it hard, and boil it half an hour, then dish it and put to it butter, rose-water, and sugar, and serve it up to the table. _otherways baked._ scald the bread with a pint of cream as abovesaid, then put to it a pound of almonds blanched and beaten small with rose-water in a stone mortar, or walnuts, and season it with sugar, nutmeg, salt, the yolks of six eggs, a quarter of a pound of dates slic't and cut small a handful of currans boil'd and some marrow minced, beat them all together and bake it. _to make a quaking pudding either boil'd or baked._ take a pint of good thick cream, boil it with some large mace, whole cinamon, and slic't nutmeg, then take six eggs, and but three whites, beat them well, and grate some stale manchet, the quantity of a half penny loaf, put it to the eggs with a spoonful of flour, then season the cream according to your own taste with sugar and salt; beat all well together, then wet a cloth or butter it, and put in the pudding when the water boils; an hour will bake it or boil it. _otherways._ take a penny white loaf, pare off the crust, and slice the crumb, steep it in a quart of good thick cream warmed, some beaten nutmeg, six eggs, whereof but two whites, and some salt. sometimes you may use boil'd currans, or boil'd raisins. if to bake, make it a little stiffer, sometimes add saffron; on flesh-days use beef-suet, or marrow; (or neither) for a boil'd pudding butter the napkin being first wetted in water, and bind it up like a ball, an hour will boil it. _to make a shaking pudding._ take a pint of cream and boil it with large mace, slic't nutmeg, and ginger, put in a few almonds blanched and beaten with rose-water, strain them all together, then put to it slic't ginger, grated bread, salt and sugar, flour the napkin or cloth, and put in the pudding, tie it hard, and put it in boiling water; (as you must do all puddings) then serve it up verjuyce, butter, and sugar. _to make a hasty-pudding in a bag._ boil a pint of thick cream with a spoonful of flour, season it with nutmeg, sugar, and salt, wet the cloth and flour it, then pour in the cream being hot into the cloth, and when it is boil'd butter it as a hasty pudding. if it be well made, it will be as good as a custard. _to make a hasty-pudding otherways._ grate a two penny manchet, and mingle it with a quarter of a pint of flour nutmeg, and salt, a quarter of sugar, and half a pound of butter; then set it a boiling on the fire in a clean scowred skillet, a quart, or three pints of good thick cream, and when it boils put in the foresaid materials, stir them continual, and being half boil'd, put in six yolks of eggs, stir them together, and when it is boil'd, serve it in a clean scowred dish, and stick it with some preserved orange-peel thin sliced, run it over with beaten butter, and scraping sugar. _to make an almond pudding._ blanch and beat a pound of almonds, strain them with a quart of cream, a grated, penny manchet searsed, four eggs, some sugar, nutmeg grated, some dates, & salt; boil it, and serve it in a dish with beaten butter, stick it with some muskedines, or wafers, and scraping sugar. _otherways._ take a pound of almond-paste, some grated bisket-bread, cream, rose-water, yolks of eggs, beaten cinamon, ginger, nutmeg, some boil'd currans, pistaches, and musk, boil it in a napkin, and serve it as the former. _to make an almond pudding in guts._ take a pound of blanched almonds, beat them very small, with rosewater, and a little good new milk or cream with two or three blades of mace, and some sliced nutmegs; when it is boil'd take the spice clean from it, then grate a penny loaf and searse it through a cullender, put it into the cream, and let it stand till it be pretty cool, then put in the almonds, five or six yolks of eggs, salt, sugar and good store of marrow or beef-suet finely minced, and fill the guts. _to make a rice pudding to bake._ boil the rice tender in milk, then season it with nutmeg, mace, rose-water, sugar, yolks of eggs, with half the whites, some grated bread, and marrow minced with amber-greese, and bake it in a buttered dish. _to make rice puddings in guts._ boil half a pound of rice with three pints of milk, and a little beaten mace, boil it until the rice be dry, but never stir it, if you do, you must stir it continually, or else it will burn, pour your rice into a cullender or strainer, that the moisture may run clean from it, then put to it six eggs, (put away the whites of three) half a pound of sugar, a quarter of a pint of rose-water, a pound of currans, and a pound of beef-suet shred small, season it with nutmeg, cinamon, and salt, then dry the small guts of a hog, sheep, or beefer, and being, finely cleansed for the purpose, steep and fill them, cut the guts a foot long, and fill them three quarters full, tie both ends together, and put them in boiling water, a quarter of an hour will boil them. _otherways._ boil the rice first in water, then in milk, after with salt, in cream; then take six eggs, grated bread, good store of marrow minced small, some nutmeg, sugar, and salt; fill the guts and put them into a pipkin, and boil them in milk and rose-water. _otherways._ steep it in fair water all night, then boil it in new milk, and drain out the milk through a cullender, then mince a good quantity of beef-suet not too small, and put it into the rice in some bowl or tray, with currans being first boil'd, yolks of eggs, nutmeg, cinamon, sugar, and barberries, mingle all together; then wash the second guts, fill them, and boil them. _to make a cinamon pudding._ take and steep a penny white loaf in a quart of cream, six yolks of eggs, and but two whites, dates, half an ounce of beaten cinamon, and some almond paste. sometimes add rose-water, salt, and boil'd currans, either bake or boil it for stuffings. _to make a haggas pudding._ take a calves chaldron being well scowred or boiled, mince it being cold, very fine and small, then take four or five eggs, and leave out half the whites, thick cream, grated bread, sugar, salt, currans, rose-water, some beef-suet or marrow, (and if you will) sweet marjoram, time, parsley, and mix all together; then having a sheeps maw ready dressed, put it in and boil it a little. _otherways._ take good store of parsley, tyme, savory, four or five onions, and sweet marjoram, chop them with some whole oatmeal, then add to them pepper, and salt, and boil them in a napkin, being boil'd tender, butter it, and serve it on sippets. _to make a chiveridge pudding._ lay the fattest of a hog in fair water and salt to scowr them, then take the longest and fattest gut, and stuff it with nutmeg, sugar, ginger, pepper, and slic't dates, cut them and serve them to the table. _to make leveridge puddings._ boil a hogs liver, and let it be thorowly cold, then grate and sift it through a cullender, put new milk to it and the fleck of a hog minced small put into the liver, and some grated bread, divide the meat in two parts, then take store of herbs, mince them fine, and put the herbs into one part with nutmeg, mace, pepper, anniseed, rosewater, cream, and eggs, fill them up and boil them. to the other part or sort put barberries, slic't dates, currans, cream, and eggs. _other leveridge puddings._ boil a hogs liver very dry, and when it is cold grate it and take as much grated manchet as liver, sift them through a cullender; and season them with cloves, mace, and cinamon, as much of all the other spices, half a pound of sugar, a pound and a half of currans, half a pint of rose-water, three pound of beef suet minced small, eight eggs and but four whites. _a swan or goose pudding._ strain the swan or goose blood, and steep with it oatmeal or grated bread in milk or cream, with nutmeg, pepper, sweet herbs minced, suet, rose-water, minced lemon peels very small and a small quantity of coriander-seed. this for a pudding in a swan or gooses neck. _to make a farsed pudding._ mince a leg of mutton with sweet herbs, grated bread, minced dates, currans, raisins of the sun, a little orangado or preserved lemon sliced thin, a few coriander-seeds, nutmeg, pepper, and ginger, mingle all together with some cream, and raw eggs, and work it together like a pasty, then wrap the meat in a caul of mutton or veal, and so you may either boil or bake them. if you bake them, indorse them with yolks of eggs, rose-water, and sugar, and stick them with little sprigs of rosemary and cinamon. _to make a pudding of veal._ mince raw veal very fine, and mingle it with lard cut into the form of dice, then mince some sweet marjoram, penniroyal, camomile, winter-savory, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, salt, work all together with good store of beaten cinamon, sugar, barberries, sliced figs, blanched almonds, half a pound of beef-suet finely minced, put these into the guts of a fat mutton or hog well cleansed, and cut an inch and a half long, set them a boiling in a pipkin of claret wine with large mace; being almost boil'd, have some boil'd grapes in small bunches, and barberries in knots, then dish them on french bread being scalded with the broth of some good mutton gravy, and lay them on garnish of slic't lemons. _to make a pudding of wine in guts._ slice the crumbs, of two manchets, and take half a pint of wine, and some sugar, the wine must be scalded; then take eight eggs, and beat them with rose-water, put to them sliced dates, marrow, and nutmeg, mix all together, and fill the guts to boil. _bread puddings in guts._ take cream and boil it with mace, and mix beaten almonds with rose-water, then take cream, eggs, nutmeg, currans, salt, and marrow, mix them with as much bread as you think fit, and fill the guts. _to make an italian pudding._ take a fine manchet and cut it in square pieces like dice, then put to it half a pound of beef-suet minced small, raisins of the sun, cloves, mace, minced dates, sugar, marrow, rose-water, eggs, and cream, mingle all these together, put them into a buttered dish, in less than an hour it will be baked, and when you serve it, scrape sugar on it. _other pudding in the italian fashion with blood of beast or fish._ take half a pound of grated cheese, a penny manchet grated, sweet herbs chopped very small, cinamon, pepper, salt, nutmeg, cloves, mace, four eggs, sugar, and currans, bake it in a dish or pie, or boil it in a napkin, and bind it up in a ball, being boil'd serve it with beaten butter, sugar, and beaten cinamon. _to make a french pudding._ take half a pound of raisins of the sun, a penny white loaf pared and cut into dice-work, half a pound of beef-suet finely minced, three ounces of sugar, eight slic't dates, a grain of musk, twelve or sixteen lumps of marrow, salt, half a pint of cream, three eggs beaten with it, and poured on the pudding, cloves, mace, nutmeg, salt, and a pome-water, or a pippin or two pared, slic't, and put in the bottom of the dish before you bake the pudding. _to make a french barley pudding._ boil the barley, & put to one quart of barley, a manchet grated, then beat a pound of almonds, & strain them with cream, then take eight eggs, & but four whites, & beat them with rose-water, season it with nutmeg, mace, salt, and marrow, or beef-suet cut small, mingle all together, then fill the guts and boil them. _to make an excellent pudding._ take crumbs of white-bread, as much fine flour, the yolks of four eggs, but one white, and as much good cream as will temper it as thick as you would make pancake batter, then butter the dish, bake it, and scrape sugar on it being baked. _puddings of swines lights._ parboil the lights, mince them very small with suet, and mix them with grated bread, cream, curans, eggs, nutmeg, salt, and rose-water, and fill the guts. _to make an oatmeal pudding._ pick a quart of whole oatmeal, being finly picked and cleansed, steep it in warm milk all night, next morning drain it, and boil it in three pints of cream; being boil'd and cold put to it six yolks of eggs and but three whites, cloves, mace, saffron, salt, dates slic't, and sugar, boil it in a napkin, and boil it as the bread-pudding, serve it with beaten butter, and stick it with slic't dates, and scrape sugar; or you may bake these foresaid materials in dish, pye, _&c._ sometimes add to this pudding raisins of the sun, and all manner of sweet herbs, chopped small, being seasoned as before. _other oatmeal pudding._ take great oatmeal, pick it and scale it in cream being first put in a dish or bason, season it with nutmeg, cinamon, ginger, pepper, and currans, bake it in a dish, or boil it in a napkin, being baked or boiled, serve it with beaten butter, and scraping sugar. _otherways._ season it with cloves, mace, saffron, salt, and yolks of eggs, and but five that have whites, and some cream to steep the groats in, boil it in a napkin, or bake it in a dish or pye. _to make oatmeal pudding-pies._ steep oatmeal in warm milk three or four hours, then strain some blood into it of flesh or fish, mix it with cream, and add to it suet minced small, sweet herbs chopped fine, as tyme, parsley, spinage, succory, endive, strawberry leaves, violet leaves, pepper, cloves mace, fat beef-suet, and four eggs; mingle all together, and so bake them. _to make an oatmeal pudding boil'd._ take the biggest oatmeal, mince what herbs you like best and mix with it, season it with pepper and salt, tye it strait in a bag, and when it is boild, butter it and serve it up. _oatmeal pudding otherwise of fish or flesh blood._ take a quart of whole oatmeal, steep it in warm milk over night, & then drain the groats from it, boil them in a quart or three pints of good cream; then the oatmeal being boil'd and cold, have tyme, penniroyal, parsley, spinage, savory, endive, marjoram, sorrel, succory, and strawberry leaves, of each a little quantity, chop them fine, and put them to the oatmeal, with some fennil-seed, pepper, cloves, mace, and salt, boil it in a napkin, or bake it in a dish, pie, or guts. sometimes of the former pudding you may leave out some of the herbs, and add these, penniroyal, savory, leeks, a good big onion, sage, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, salt, either for fish or flesh days, with butter or beef-suet, boil'd or baked in a dish, napkin, or pie. _to make a baked pudding._ take a pint of cream, warm it, and put to it eight dates minced, four eggs, marrow, rose-water, nutmegs raced and beaten, mace and salt, butter the dish, and put it in; and if you please, lay puff paste on it, and scrape sugar on it and in it. _to make a baked pudding otherways._ take a pint and a half of cream, and a pound of butter; set the same on fire till the butter be melted, then take three or four eggs, season it with nutmeg, rose-water, sugar, and salt, make it as thin as pankake batter, butter the dish, and baste it with a garnish of paste about it. _otherways._ take a penny loaf, pare it, slice it, and put it into a quart of cream with a little rose-water, break it very small, then take four ounces of almon-paste, and put in eight eggs beaten, the marrow of three or four marrow bones, three or four pippins slic't thin, or what way you please; mingle these together with a little ambergreese, and butter, then dish and bake it. _otherways._ take a quart of cream, put thereto a pound of beef-suet minced small, put it into the cream, and season it with nutmeg, cinamon, and rose-water, put to it eight eggs, and but four whites, and two grated manchets; mingle them well together, and put them in a butter'd dish, bake it, and being baked, scrape on sugar, and serve it. _to make black puddings._ take half the oatmeal, pick it, and take the blood while it is warm from the hog, strain it and put it in the oatmeal as soon us you can, let it stand all night; then take the other part of the oatmeal, pick it also, and boil it in milk till it be tender, and all the milk consumed, then put it to the blood and stir it well together, put in good store of beef or hog suet, and season it with good pudding herbs, salt, pepper, and fennil-seed, fill not the guts too full, and boil them. _to make black puddings otherways._ take the blood of the hog while it is warm, put in some salt, and when it is thorough cold put in the groats or oatmeal well picked; let it stand soaking all night, then put in the herbs, which must be rosemary, tyme, penniroyal, savory, and fennel, make the blood soft with putting in some good cream until the blood look pale; then beat four or five eggs, whites and all, and season it with cloves, mace, pepper, fennil-seed, and put good store of hogs fat or beef-suet to the stuff, cut not the fat too small. _to make black puddings an excellent way._ after the hogs umbles are tender boil'd, take some of the lights with the heart, and all the flesh about them, picking from them all the sinewy skins, then chop the meat as small as you can, and put to it a little of the liver very finely searsed, some grated nutmeg, four or five yolks of eggs, a pint of very good cream, two or three spoonfuls of sack, sugar, cloves, mace, nutmeg, cinamon, caraway-seed, a little rose-water, good store of hogs fat, and some salt: roul it in rouls two hours before you go to fill them in the guts, and lay the guts in steep in rose-water till you fill them. * * * * * * * * * section viii. _the rarest ways of making all manner of souces and jellies._ _to souce a brawn._ take a fat brawn of two or three years growth, and bone the sides, cut off the head close to the ears, and cut five collars of a side, bone the hinder leg, or else five collars will not be deep enough, cut the collars an inch deeper in the belly, then on the back; for when the collars come to boiling, they will shrink more in the belly than in the back, make the collars very even when you bind them up, not big at one end, & little at the other, but fill them equally, and lay them again in a soaking in fair water; before you bind them up, let them be well watered the space of two days, and twice a day soak & scrape them in warm water, then cast them in cold fair water, before you roul them up in collors, put them into white clouts, or sow them up with white tape. or bone him whole, & cut him cross the flitches, make but four or five collars in all, & boil them in cloths, or bind them up with white tape, then have your boiler ready, make it boil, and put in your collars of the biggest bulk first, a quarter of an hour before the other lessor; boil them at the first putting in the space of an hour with a quick fire, & keep the boiler continually fil'd up with warm clean liquor, scum off the fat clean still as it riseth; after an hour let it boil leisurely, and keep it still filled up to the brim; being fine and tender boil'd, that you may put a straw thorow it, draw your fire, and let your brawn rest till the next morning. then being between hot and cold, take it into molds of deep hoops, bind them about with packthred, and being cold, take them out and put them into souce drink made of boil'd oatmeal ground or beaten, and bran boil'd in fair water; being cold, strain it thorow a cullender into the tub or earthen pot, put salt into it, and close up the vessel close from the air. or you may make other souse-drink of whey and salt beaten together, it will make your brawn look more white and better. _to make pig brawn_ take a white or red pig, for a spotted one is not so handsome, take a good large fat one, and being scalded and drawn bone it whole, but first cut off the head and the hinder quarters, (and leave the bone in the hinder quarters) the rest being boned cut it into collars overwart both the sides, or bone the wole pig but only the head: then wash them in divers-waters, and let it soak in clean water two hours, the bloud being well soaked out, take them and dry the collars in a clean cloth, and season them in the inside with minced lemon-peel and salt, roul them up, & put them into fine clean clouts, but first make your collars very equal at both ends, round and even, bind them up at the ends and middle hard & close with packthred; then let your pan boil, and put in the collars, boil them with water and salt, and keep it filled up with warm water as you do the brawn, scum off the fat very clean, and being tender boil'd put them in a hoop as deep as the collar, bind it and frame it even, being cold put it into your souce drink made of whey and salt, or oatmeal boil'd and strained, then put them in a pipkin or little barrel, and stop them close from the air. when you serve it, dish it on a dish and plate, the two collars, two quarters and head, or make but two collars of the whole pig. _to garnish brawn or pig brawn._ leach your brawn, and dish it on a plate in a fair clean dish, then put a rosemary branch on the top being first dipped in the white of an egg well beaten to froth, or wet in water and sprinkled with flour, or a sprig of rosemary gilt with gold; the brawn spotted also with gold and silver leaves, or let your sprig be of a streight sprig of yew tree, or a streight furz bush, and put about the brawn stuck round with bay-leaves three ranks round, and spotted with red and yellow jelly about the dish sides, also the same jelly and some of the brawn leached, jagged, or cut with tin moulds, and carved lemons, oranges and barberries, bay-leaves gilt, red beets, pickled barberries, pickled gooseberries, or pickled grapes. _to souce a pig._ take a pig being scalded, cut off the head, and part it down the back, draw it and bone it, then the sides being well cleansed from the blood, and soaked in several clean waters, take the pig and dry the sides, season them with nutmeg, ginger, and salt, roul them and bind them up in clean clouts as the pig brawn aforesaid, then have as much water as will cover it in a boiling pan two inches over and two bottles of white-wine over and above; first let the water boil, then put in the collars with salt, mace, slic't ginger, parsley-roots and fennil-roots scraped and picked; being half boiled put in two quarts of white-wine, and when it is boil'd quite, put in slices of lemon to it, and the whole peel of a lemon. _otherways in collars._ season the sides with beaten nutmeg, salt, and ginger, or boil the sides whole or not bone them; boil also a piece or breast of veal with them, being well joynted and soaked two hours in fair water, boil it in half wine and half water, mace, slic't ginger, parsley, and fennil-roots, being boil'd leave it in this souce, and put some slic't lemon to it, with the whole pieces: when it is cold serve it with yellow, red, and white jelly, barberries, slic't lemon, and lemon-peel. or you may make but one collar of both the sides to the hinder quarters, or bone the two sides, and make but two collars of all, and save the head only whole, or souce a pig in quarters or halves, or make of a good large fat pig but one collar only, and the head whole. or souce it with two quarts of white wine to a gallon of water, put in your wine when your pig is almost boil'd, and put to it four maces, a few cloves, two races of slic't ginger, salt, a few bay-leaves, whole pepper, some slices of lemon, and lemon-peel; before you boil your pig, season the sides or collars with nutmeg, salt, cloves, and mace. _to souce a pig otherways._ scald it and cut it in four quarters, bone it, and let it ly in water a day and a night, then roul it up (like brawn) with sage leaves, lard in thin slices, & some grated bread mix't with the juyce of orange, beaten nutmeg, mace, and salt: roul it up in the quarters of the pig very hard and binde it up with tape, then boil it with fair water, white-wine, large mace, slic't ginger, a little lemon-peel, a faggot of sweet herbs, and salt; being boil'd put it in an earthen pot to cool in the liquor, and souce there two days, then dish it out on plates, or serve it in collars with mustard and sugar. _otherways._ season the sides with cloves, mace, and salt, then roul it in collars or sides with the bones in it; then take two or gallons of water, a pottle of white-wine, and when the liquor boils put in the pig, with mace, cloves, slic't ginger, salt, bay-leaves, and whole pepper; being half boil'd, put in the wine, _&c._ _otherways._ season the collars with chopped sage, beaten nutmeg, pepper, and salt. _to souce or jelly a pig in the spanish fashion._ take a pig being scalded, boned, and chined down the back, then soak the collars clean from the blood the space of two hours, dry them in a clean cloth, and season the sides with pepper, salt, and minced sage; then have two dryed neats-tongues that are boil'd tender and cold, that they look fine and red, pare them and slice them from end to end the thickness of a half crown piece, lay them on the inside of the seasoned pig, one half of the tongue for one side, and the other for the other side; then make two collars and bind them up in fine white clouts, boil them as you do the soust pigs with wine, water, salt, slic't ginger and mace, keep it dry, or in souce drink of the pig brawn. if dry serve it in slices as thick as a trencher cut round the collar or slices in jelly, and make jelly of the liquor wherein it was boil'd, adding to it juyce of lemon, ising-glass, spices, sugar clarified with eggs, and run it through the bag. _how to divide a pig into collars divers ways, either for pig brawn, or soust pig._ . cut a large fat bore-pig into one collar only, bone it whole, and not chine it, the head only cut off. . take out the hinder-quarters and buttocks with the bones in them, bone all the rest whole, only the head cut off. . take off the hinder quarters and make two collars, bone all the rest, only cut off the head & leave it whole. . cut off the head, and chine it through the back, and collar both sides at length from end to end. . chine it as before with the bones in, and souce it in quarters. _to souce a capon._ take a good bodied capon, young, fat, and finely pulled, drawn and trussed, lay it in soak two or three hours with a knuckle of veal well joynted, and after set them a boiling in a fine deep brass-pan, kettle, or large pipkin, in a gallon of fair water; when it boils, scum it, and put in four or five blades of mace, two or three races of ginger slic't, four fennil-roots, and four parsley-roots, scraped and picked, and salt. the capon being fine and tender boild take it up, and put it in other warm liquor or broth, then put to your souced broth a quart of white-wine, and boil it to a jelly; then take it off, and put it into an earthen pan or large pipkin, put your capon to it, with two or three slic't lemons, and cover it close, serve it at your pleasure, and garnish it with slices and pieces of lemon, barberries, roots, mace, nutmeg, and some of the jelly. some put to this souc't capon, whole pepper, & a faggot of sweet herbs, but that maketh the broth very black. in that manner you may souce any land fowl. _to souce a breast of veal, side of lamb, or any joynt of mutton, kid, fawn, or venison._ bone a breast of veal & soak it well from the blood, then wipe it dry, and season the side of the breast with beaten nutmeg, ginger, some sweet herbs minced small, whole coriander-seed, minced lemon-peel, and salt, and lay some broad slices of sweet lard over the seasoning, then roul it into a collar, and bind it up in a white clean cloth, put it into boiling liquor, scum it well, and then put in slic't ginger, slic't nutmeg, salt, fennil, and parsley-roots, being almost boild, put in a quart of white-wine, and when it is quite boild take it off, and put in slices of lemon, the peel of two lemons whole, and a douzen bay leaves, boil it close covered to make the veal look white. thus you may do a breast of mutton, either roul'd, or with the bones in, and season them with nutmeg, pepper & salt, roul them, & bake them in a pot with wine and water, any sea or land fowl, being stuffed or farsed; and filled up with butter afterwards, and served dry, or lard the fowls, bone and roul them. _to souce a leg of veal._ take a leg of veal, bone it and lard it, but first season the lard with pepper, cloves, & mace, lard it with great lard as big as your little finger, season the veal also with the same seasoning & some salt with it; lard it very thick then have all manner of sweet herbs minc't and strew'd on it, roul it like a collar of brawn, and boil it or stew it in the oven in a pipkin, with water, salt, and white-wine, serve it in a collar cold, whole or in slices, or put away the liquor, and fill it up with butter, or bake it with butter in a roul, jelly it, and mix some of the broth with almond milk, and jellies in slices of two collars, when you serve it. _otherways._ stuff or farse a leg of veal; with sweet herbs minc't, beef-suet, pepper, nutmeg, and salt, collar it, and boil or bake it; being cold, either serve it dry in a collar, or in slices, or in a whole collar with gallendines of divers sorts, or in thin slices with oyl and vinegar. thus you may dress any meat, venison, or fowls. _to souce bullocks cheeks, a flank, brisket, or rand of beef,_ &c. take a bullocks cheek or flank of beef and lay it in peter salt four days, then roul it as even as you can, that the collar be not bigger in one place than in another boil it in water and salt, or amongst other beef, boil it very tender in a cloth as you do brawn, and being tender boil'd take it up, and put it into a hoop to fashion it upright and round, then keep it dry, and take it out of the clout, and serve it whole with mustard and sugar, or some gallendines. if lean, lard it with groat lard. _to collar a surloin, flank, brisket, rand, or fore-rib of beef._ take the flank of beef, take out the sinewy & most of the fat, put it in pickle with as much water as will cover it, and put a handful of peter-salt to it, let it steep three days and not sift it, then take it out and hang it a draining the air, wipe it dry, then have a good handful of red sage, some tops of rosemary, savory, marjoram, tyme, but twice as much sage, mince them very small, then take quarter of an ounce of mace, and half as many cloves with a little ginger, and half an ounce of pepper, and likewise half an ounce of peter-salt; mingle them together, then take your beef, splat it, and lay it even that it may roul up handsomely in a collar; then take your seasoning of herbs and spices, and strow it all over, roul it up close, and bind it fast with packthred, put it into an earthen pipkin or pot, and put a pint of claret wine to it, an onion and two or three cloves of garlick, close it up with a piece of course paste, and bake it in a bakers oven, it will ask six hours soaking. _to souce a collar of veal in the same manner, or venison, pork, or mutton._ take out the bones, and put them in steep in the picle with peter-salt, as was aforesaid, steep them three days, and hang them in the air one day, lard them (or not lard them) with good big lard, and season the lard with nutmeg, pepper, and herbs, as is aforesaid in the collar of beef, strow it over with the herbs, and spices, being mingled together, and roul up the collar, bind it fast, and bake it tender in a pot, being stopped close, and keep it for your use to serve either in slices or in the whole collar, garnish it with bays and rosemary. _to make a jelly for any kind of souc't meats, dishes, or other works of that nature._ take six pair of calves feet, scald them and take away the fat betwixt the claws, & also the long shank-bones, lay them in soak in fair water or hours, and boil them in two gallons of fair spring-water, to three quarts of stock; being boild strain it through a strainer, & when the broth is cold, take it from the grounds, & divide it into three pipkins for three several colours, to every pipkin a quart of white-wine, and put saffron in one, cutchenele in another, and put a race of ginger, two blades of mace, and a nutmeg to each pipkin, and cinamon to two of the pipkins, the spices being first slic't, then set your pipkins on the fire, and melt the jelly; then have a pound and a half of sugar for each pipkin: but first take your fine sugar being beaten, and put in a long dish or tray, and put to it whites of eighteen eggs, and beat them well together with your rouling pin, and divide it into three parts, put each part equally into the several pipkins, and stir it well together; the broth being almost cold, then set them on a charcoal fire and let them stew leisurely, when they begin to boil over, take them off, let it cool a little, run them through the bags once or twice and keep it for your use. for variety sometimes in place of wine, you may use grapes stamped and strained, wood-sorrel, juyce of lemons, or juyce of oranges. _to jelly hogs or porkers feet, ears, or snouts._ take twelve feet, six ears, & six snouts or noses, being finely scalded, & lay them in soak twenty four hours, shift & scrape them very white, then boil them in a fair clean scoured brass pot or pipkin in three gallons of liquor, five quarts of water, three of wine-vinegar, or verjuyce, and four of white-wine, boil them from three gallons to four quarts waste, being scum'd, put in an ounce of pepper whole, an ounce of nutmegs in quarters, an ounce of ginger slic't, and an ounce of cinamon, boil them together, as is abovesaid, to four quarts. then take up the meat, and let them cool, divide them into dishes, & run it over with the broth or jelly being a little first setled, take the clearest, & being cold put juice or orange over all, serve it with bay-leaves about the dish. _to make a crystal jelly._ take three pair of calves feet, and scald off the hair very clean, knock off the claws, and take out the great bones & fat, & cast them into fair water, shift them three or four times in a day and a night, then boil them next morning in a glazed pipkin or clean pot, with six quarts of fair spring water, boil it and scum it clean, boil away three quarts or more; then strain it into a clean earthen pan or bason, & let it be cold: then prepare the dross from the bottom, and take the fat of the top clean, put it in a large pipkin of six quarts, and put into it two quarts of old clear white-wine, the juyce of four lemons, three blades of mace, and two races of ginger slic't; then melt or dissolve it again into broth, and let it cool. then have four pound of hard sugar fine beaten, and mix it with twelve whites of eggs in a great dish with your rouling pin, and put it into your pipkin to your jelly, stir it together with a grain of musk and ambergriese, put it in a fine linnen clout bound up, and a quarter of a pint of damask rose-water, set it a stewing on a soft charcoal fire, before it boils put in a little ising glass, and being boil'd up, take it, and let it cool a little, and run it. _other jelly for service of several colours._ take four pair of calves feet, a knuckle of veal, a good fleshie capon, and prepare these things as is said in the crystal jelly: boil them in three gallons of fair water, till six quarts be wasted, then strain it in an earthen pan, let it cool, and being cold pare the bottom, and take off the fat on the top also; then dissolve it again into broth, and divide it into equal parts, put it into four several pipkins, as will contain five pints a piece each pipkin, put a little saffron into one of them, into another cutchenele beaten with allum, into another turnsole, and the other his own natural white; also to every pipkin a quart of white-wine, and the juyce of two lemons. then also to the white jelly one race of ginger pare'd and slic't & three blades of large mace, to the red jelly nutmegs, as much in quantity of cinamon as nutmegs, also as much ginger; to the turnsole put also the same quantity, with a few whole cloves; then to the amber or yellow color, the same spices and quantity. then have eighteen whites of eggs, & beat them with six pound of double refined sugar, beaten small and stirred together in a great tray or bason with a rouling pin divide it into four parts in the four pipkins & stir it to your jelly broth, spice, & wine, being well mixed together with a little musk & ambergriese. then have new bags, wash them first in warm water, and then in cold, wring them dry, and being ready strung with packthread on sticks, hang them on a spit by the fire from any dust, and set new earthen pans under them being well seasoned with boiling liquor. then again set on your jelly on a fine charcoal fire, and let it stew softly the space of almost an hour, then make it boil up a little, and take it off, being somewhat cold run it through the bag twice or thrice, or but once if it be very clear; and into the bags of colors put in a sprig of rosemary, keep it for your use in those pans, dish it as you see good, or cast it into what mould you please; as for example these. _scollop shells, cockle shells, egg shells, half lemon, or lemon-peel, wilks, or winkle shells, muscle shells, or moulded out of a butter-squirt._ or serve it on a great dish and plate, one quarter of white, another of red, another of yellow, the fourth of another colour, & about the sides of the dish oranges in quarters of jelly, in the middle whole lemon full of jelly finely carved, or cast out of a wooden or tin mould, or run into little round glasses four or five in a dish, on silver trencher plates, or glass trencher plates. _the quantities for a quart of jelly broth for the true making of it._ a quart of white-wine, a pound and a half of sugar, eggs, two nutmegs, or mace, two races of ginger, as much cinamon, two grains of musk and ambergriese, calves feet, or a knuckle of veal. sometimes for variety, in place of wine, use grape-verjuyce; if juyce of grapes a quart, juyce of lemons a pint, juyce of oranges a quart, juyce of wood-sorrel a quart, and juyce of quinces a quart. _how to prepare to make a good stock for jellies of all sorts, and the meats most proper for them, both for service and sick-folks; also the quantities belonging to a quart of jellie._ _for the stock for service._ two pair of calves feet finely cleansed, the fat and great bones taken out and parted in halves; being well soaked in fair water twenty four hours, and often shifted, boil them in a brass pot or pipkin close covered, in the quantity of a gallon of water, boil them to three pints, then strain the broth through a clean strong canvas into an earthen pan or bason; when it is cold take off the top, and pare off the dregs from the bottom. put it in a clean well glazed pipkin of two quarts, with a quart of white-wine, a quarter of a pint of cinamon-water, as much of ginger-water, & as much of nutmeg-water, or these spices sliced. then have two pound of double refined sugar beaten with eggs, in a deep dish or bason, your jelly being new melted, put in the eggs with sugar, stir all the foresaid materials together, and set it astewing on a soft charcoal fire the space of half an hour or more, being well digested and clear run. take out the bone and fat of any meat for jellies, for it doth but stain the stock, and is the cause that it will never be white nor very clear. _meats proper for jelly for service or sick folks._ . three pair of calves feet. . three pair of calves feet, a knuckle of veal, and a fine well fleshed capon. . one pair of calves feet, a well fleshed capon, and half a pound of harts-horn of ising-glass. . an old cock and a knuckle of veal. . harts horn jelly only, or with a poultrey. . good bodied capons. . ising-glass only, or with a cock or capon. . jelly of hogs feet, ears, and snouts. . sheeps feet, lambs feet, and calves feet. _neats feet for a jelly for a neats-tongue._ being fresh and tender boil'd and cold, lard it with candied cittern candied orange, lemon, or quinces, run it over with jelly, and some preserved barberries or cherries. _to make a jelly as white as snow of jorden-almonds._ take a pound of almonds, steep them in cold water till they will blanch, which will be in six hours; being blanched into cold water, beat them with a quart of rose water: then have a decoction of half a pound of ising-glass, boil'd with a gallon of fair spring-water, or else half wine, boil it till half be wasted, then let it cool, strain it, and mingle it with your almonds, and strain with them a pound of double refined sugar, the juyce of two lemons, and cast it into egg shells; put saffron to some of it, and make some of it blue, some of it green, and some yellow; cast some into oranges, and some into lemon rindes candied: mix part of it with some almond paste colored; and some with cheese-curds; serve of divers of these colours on a great dish and plate. _to make other white jelly._ boil two capons being cleansed, the fat and lungs taken out, truss them and soak them well in clean water three of four hours; then boil them in a pipkin, or pot of two gallons or less, put to them a gallon or five quarts of white wine, scum them, and boil them to a jelly, next strain the broth from the grounds and blow off the fat clean; then take a quart of sweet cream, a quart of the jelly broth, a pound and half of refined sugar, and a quarter of a pint of rose water, mingle them all together, and give them a warm on the fire with half an ounce of fine searsed ginger; then set it a cooling, dish it, or cast it in lemon or orange-peels, or in any fashion of the other jellies, in moulds or glasses, or turn it into colours; for sick folks in place of cream use stamped almonds. _to make jellies for sauces, made dishes, and other works._ take six pair of calves feet, scald them and take away the fat between the claws, as also the great long shank bones, and lay them in water four or five hours; then boil them in two gallons of fair spring water, scum them clean and boil them from two gallons to three quarts, then strain it through a strong canvas, and let the broth cool; being cold cleanse it from the grounds, pare off the top and melt it, then put to it in a good large pipkin, three quarts of white-wine, three races of ginger slic't, some six blades of mace, a quarter of an ounce of cinamon, a grain of musk, and eighteen whites of eggs beaten with four pound of sugar, mingle them with the rest in the pipkin, and the juyce of three lemons, set all on the fire, and let it stew leisurely; then have your bag ready washed, and when your pipkin boils up, run it, _&c._ _harts horn jelly._ take half a pound of harts-horn, boil it in fair spring water leisurely, close covered, and in a well glazed pipkin that will contain a gallon, boil it till a spoonful will stand stiff being cold, then strain it through a fine thick canvas or fine boultering, and put it again into another lesser pipkin, with the juyce of eight or nine good large lemons, a pound and half of double refined sugar, and boil it again a little while, then put it in a gally pot, or small glasses, or cast it into moulds, or any fashions of the other jellies. it is held by the physicians for a special cordial. or take half a pound of harts-horn grated, and a good capon being finely cleansed and soaked from the blood, and the fat taken off, truss it, and boil it in a pot or pipkin with the harts-horn, in fair spring water, the same things as the former, _&c._ _to make another excellent jelly of harts horn and ising-glass for a consumption._ take half a pound of ising-glass, half a pound of harts-horn, half a pound of slic't dates, a pound of beaten sugar, half a pound of slic't figs, a pound of slic't prunes half an ounce of cinamon, half an ounce of ginger, a quarter of an ounce of mace, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, half an ounce of nutmegs, and a little red sanders, slice your spices, and also a little stick of liquorish and put in your cinamon whole. _to make a jelly for weakness in the back._ take two ounces of harts-horn, and a wine quart of spring-water, put it into a pipkin, and boil it over a soft fire till it be one half consumed, then take it off the fire, and let it stand a quarter of an hour, and strain it through a fine holland cloth, crushing the harts-horn gently with a spoon: then put to it the juyce of a lemon, two spoonfulls of red rose-water, half a spoonful of cinamon-water, four or five ounces of fine sugar, or make it sweet according to the parties taste; then put it out into little glasses or pipkins, and let it stand twenty four hours, then you may take of it in the morning, or at four of the clock in the afternoon, what quantity you please. to put two or three spoonfuls of it into broth is very good. _to make another dish of meat called a press, for service._ do in this as you may see in the jelly of the porker, before spoken of; take the feet, ears, snouts, and cheeks, being finely and tender boil'd to a jelly with spices, and the same liquor as is said in the porker; then take out the bones and make a lay of it like a square brick, season it with coriander or fennil-seed, and bind it up like a square brick in a strong canvas with packthred, press it till it be cold, and serve it in slices with bay-leaves, or run it over with jellies. _to make a sausage for jelly._ boil or roast a capon, mince and stamp it with some almond paste, then have a fine dried neats-tongue, one that looks fine and red ready boil'd, cut it into little pieces, square like dice, half an inch long, and as much of interlarded bacon cut into the same form ready boil'd and cold, some preserved quinces and barberries, sugar, and cinamon, mingle all together with some scraped ising-glass amongst it warm; roul it up in a sausage, knit it up at the ends, and sow the sides; then let it cool, slice it, and serve it in a jelly in a dish in thin slices, and run jelly over it, let it cool and lay on more, that cool, run more, and thus do till the dish be full; when you serve it, garnish the dish with jelly and preserved barberries, and run over all with juyce of lemon. _to make leach a most excellent way in the french fashion._ take a quart of sweet cream, twelve spoonfuls of rose-water, four grains of musk dissolved in rose-water, and four or five blades of large mace boil'd with half a pound of ising-glass, being steeped and washed clean, and put to it half a pound of sugar, and being boil'd to a jelly, run it through your jelly bag into a dish, and being cold slice it into chequer-work, and serve it on a plate or glasses, and sometimes without sugar in it, _&c._ _to make the best almond leach._ take an ounce of ising-glass, and lay it two hours in water, shift it, and boil it in fair water, let it cool; then take two pound of almonds, lay them in the water till they will blanch, then stamp them and put to them a pint of milk, strain them, and put in large mace and slic't ginger, boil them till it taste well of the spice, then put in your digested ising-glass, sugar, and a little rose-water, run it through a strainer, and put it into dishes. some you may colour with saffron, turnsole, or green wheat, and blew-bottles for blew. _to keep sparagus all the year._ parboil them very little, and put them into clarified butter, cover them with it, the butter being cold, cover them with a leather, and about a month after refresh the butter, melt it, and put it on them again, then set them under ground being covered with a leather. * * * * * * * * * section ix. _the best way of making all manner of baked meats._ _to make a bisk or batalia pie._ take six peeping pigeons, and as many peeping small chickens, truss them to bake; then have six oxe pallets well boil'd and blancht, and cut in little pieces; then take six lamb-stones, and as many good veal sweet-breads cut in halves and parboil'd, twenty cocks-combs boil'd and blanch'd, the bottoms of four artichocks boiled and blanched, a quart of great oysters parboil'd and bearded, also the marrow of four bones seasoned with pepper, nutmeg, mace, and salt; fill the pye with the meat, and mingle some pistaches amongst it, cock-stones, knots, or yolks of hard eggs, and some butter, close it up and bake it (an hour and half will bake it) but before you set it in the oven, put into it a little fair water: being baked pour out the butter, and liquor it with gravy, butter beaten up thick, slic't lemon, and serve it up. or you may bake this bisk in a patty-pan or dish. sometimes use sparagus and interlarded bacon. for the paste of this dish, take three quarts of flour, and three quarters of a pound of butter, boil the butter in fair water, and make up the paste hot and quick. otherways in the summer time, make the paste of cold butter; to three quarts of flour take a pound and a half of butter, and work it dry into the flour, with the yolks of four eggs and one white, then put a little water to it, and make it up into a stiff paste. _to bake chickens or pigeons._ take either six pigeon peepers or six chicken peepers, if big cut them in quarters, then take three sweet-breads of veal slic't very thin, three sheeps tongues boil'd tender, blanched and slic't, with as much veal, as much mutton, six larks, twelve cocks combs, a pint of great oysters parboild and bearded, calves udder cut in pieces, and three marrow bones, season these foresaid materials with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, then fill them in pies of the form as you see, and put on the top some chesnuts, marrow, large mace, grapes, or gooseberries; then have a little piece of veal and mince it with as much marrow, some grated bread, yolks of eggs, minced dates, salt, nutmeg, and some sweet marjoram, work up all with a little cream, make it up in little balls or rouls, put them in the pie, and put in a little mutton-gravy, some artichock bottoms, or the tops of boild sparagus, and a little butter; close up the pie and bake it, being baked liquor it with juyce of oranges, one lemon, and some claret wine, shake it well together, and so serve it. _to make a chicken pie otherways._ take and truss them to bake, then season them lightly with pepper, salt, and nutmeg; lay them in the pie, and lay on them some dates in halves, with the marrow of three marrow-bones, some large mace, a quarter of a pound of eringo roots, some grapes or barberries, and some butter, close it up, and put it in the oven; being half baked, liquor it with a pound of good butter; a quarter of a pint of grape-verjuyce, and a quartern of refined sugar, ice it and serve it up. otherways you may use the giblets, and put in some pistaches, but keep the former order as aforesaid for change. liquor it with caudle made of a pint of white-wine or verjuyce, the yolks of five or six eggs, suger, and a quarter of a pound of good sweet butter; fill the pye, and shake this liquor well in it, with the slices of a lemon. or you may make the caudle green with the juyce of spinage; ice these pies, or scrape sugar on them. otherways for the liquoring or garnishing of these pies, for variety you may put in them boil'd skirrets, bottom of artichocks boil'd, or boil'd cabbidge lettice. sometimes sweet herbs, whole yolks of hard eggs, interlarded bacon in very thin slices, and a whole onion; being baked, liquor it with white-wine, butter, and the juyce of two oranges. or garnish them with barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, red or white currans, and some sweet herbs chopped small, boil'd in gravy; and beat up thick with butter. otherways liquor it with white-wine, butter, sugar, some sweet marjoram, and yolks of eggs strained. or bake them with candied lettice stalks, potatoes, boil'd and blanch'd, marrow, dates, and large mace; being baked cut up the pye, and lay on the chickens, slic't lemon, then liquor the pye with white-wine, butter, and sugar, and serve it up hot. you may bake any of the foresaid in a patty-pan or dish, or bake them in cold butter paste. _to bake turkey, chicken, pea-chicken, pheasant-pouts, heath pouts, caponets, or partridge for to be eaten cold._ take a turkey-chicken, bone it, and lard it with pretty big lard, a pound and half will serve, then season it with an ounce of pepper, an ounce of nutmegs, and two ounces of salt, lay some butter in the bottom of the pye, then lay on the fowl, and put in it six or eight whole cloves, then put on all the seasoning with good store of butter, close it up, and baste it over with eggs, bake it, and being baked fill it up with clarified butter. thus you may bake them for to be eaten hot, giving them but half the seasoning, and liquor it with gravy and juyce of orange. bake this pye in fine paste; for more variety you may make a stuffing for it as followeth; mince some beef-suet and a little veal very fine, some sweet herbs, grated nutmeg, pepper, salt, two or three raw yolks of eggs, some boil'd skirrets or pieces of artichocks, grapes, or gooseberries, _&c._ _to bake pigeons wild or tame, stock-doves, turtle-doves, quails, rails, &c. to be eaten cold._ take six pigeons, pull, truss, and draw them, wash and wipe them dry, and season them with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, the quantity of two ounces of the foresaid spices, and as much of the one as the other, then lay some butter in the bottom of the pye, lay on the pigeons, and put all the seasoning on them in the pye, put butter to it, close it up and bake it, being baked and cold, fill it up with clarified butter. make the paste of a pottle of fine flour, and a quarter of a pound of butter boil'd in fair water made up quick and stiff. if you will bake them to be eaten hot, leave out half the seasoning: bake them in dish, pie, or patty-pan, and make cold paste of a pottle of flour, six yolks of raw eggs, and a pound of butter, work into the flour dry, and being well wrought into it, make it up stiff with a little fair water. being baked to be eaten hot, put it into yolks of hard eggs, sweet-breads, lamb-stones, sparagus, or bottoms of artichocks, chesnuts, grapes, or gooseberries. sometimes for variety make a lear of butter, verjuyce, sugar, some sweet marjoram chopped and boil'd up in the liquor, put them in the pye when you serve it up, and dissolve the yolk of an egg into it; then cut up the pye or dish, and put on it some slic't lemon, shake it well together, and serve it up hot. in this mode or fashion you bake larks, black-birds, thrushes, veldifers, sparrows, or wheat-ears. _to bake all manner of land fowl, as turkey, bustard, peacock, crane, &c. to be eaten cold._ take a turkey and bone it, parboil and lard it thick with great lard as big as your little finger, then season it with ounces of beaten pepper, two ounces of beaten nutmeg, and three ounces of salt, season the fowl, and lay it in a pie fit for it, put first butter in the bottom, with some ten whole cloves, then lay on the turkey, and the rest of the seasoning on it, lay on good store of butter, then close it up and baste it either with saffron water, or three or four eggs beaten together with their yolks; bake it, and being baked and cold, liquor it with clarified butter, _&c._ _to bake all manner of sea-fowl, as swan, whopper, to be eaten cold._ take a swan, bone, parboil and lard it with great lard, season the lard with nutmeg and pepper only, then take two ounces of pepper, three of nutmeg, and four of salt, season the fowl, and lay it in the pie, with good store of butter, strew a few whole cloves on the rest of the seasoning, lay on large sheets of lard over it, and good store of butter; then close it up in rye-paste or meal course boulted, and made up with boiling liquor, and make it up stiff: or you may bake them to eat hot, only giving them half the seasoning. in place of baking any of these fowls in pyes, you may bake them in earthen pans or pots, for to be preserved cold, they will keep longer. in the same manner you may bake all sorts of wild geese, tame geese, bran geese, muscovia ducks, gulls, shovellers, herns, bitterns, curlews, heath-cocks, teels, olines, ruffs, brewes, pewits, mewes, sea-pies, dap chickens, strents, dotterils, knots, gravelins, oxe-eys, red shanks, _&c._ in baking of these fowls to be eaten hot, for the garnish put in a big onion, gooseberries, or grapes in the pye, and sometimes capers or oysters, and liquor it with gravy, claret, and butter. _to dress a turkey in the french mode, to eat cold, called a la doode._ take a turkey and bone it, or not bone it, but boning is the best way, and lard it with good big lard as big as your little finger and season it with pepper, cloves, and mace, nutmegs, and put a piece of interlarded bacon in the belly with some rosemary and bayes, whole pepper, cloves and mace, and sew it up in a clean cloth, and lay it in steep all night in white-wine, next morning close it up with a sheet of course paste in a pan or pipkin, and bake it with the same liquor it was steept in; it will ask four hours baking, or you may boil the liquor; then being baked and cold, serve it on a pie-plate, and stick it with rosemary and bays, and serve it up with mustard and sugar in saucers, and lay the fowl on a napkin folded square, and the turkey laid corner-ways. thus any large fowl or other meat, as a leg of mutton, and the like. meats proper for a stofado may be any large fowl, as, _turkey, swan, goose, bustard, crane, whopper, wild geese, brand geese, hearn, shoveler, or bittern, and many more; as also venison, red deer, fallow deer, legs of mutton, breasts of veal boned and larded, kid or fawn, pig, pork, neats-tongues, and udders, or any meat, a turkey, lard one pound, pepper one ounce, nutmegs, ginger, mace, cloves, wine a quart, vinegar half a pint, a quart of great oysters, puddings, sausages, two lemons, two cloves of garlick._ _a stofado._ take two turkeys, & bone them and lard them with great lard as big as your finger, being first seasoned with pepper, & nutmegs, & being larded, lay it in steep in an earthen pan or pipkin in a quart of white-wine, & half as much wine-vinegar, some twenty whole cloves, half an ounce of mace, an ounce of beaten pepper, three races of slic't ginger, half a handful of salt, half an ounce of slic't nutmegs, and a ladleful of good mutton broth, & close up the pot with a sheet of coarse paste, and bake it; it will ask four hours baking; then have a fine clean large dish, with a six penny french bread slic't in large slices, and then lay them in the bottom of a dish, and steep them with some good strong mutton broth, and the same broth that it was baked in, and some roast mutton gravy, and dish the fowl, garnish it with the spices and some sausages, and some kind of good puddings, and marrow and carved lemons slic't, and lemon-peels. _to bake any kind of heads, and first of the oxe or bullocks cheeks to be eaten hot or cold._ being first cleansed from the slime and filth, cut them in pieces, take out the bones, and season them with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, then put them in a pye with a few whole cloves, a little seasoning, slices of bacon, and butter over all; bake them very tender, and liquor them with butter and claret wine. or boil your chickens, take out the bones and make a pasty with some minced meat, and a caul of mutton under it, on the top spices and butter, close it up in good crust, and make your pies according to these forms. _otherways._ bone and lard them with lard as big as your little finger seasoned with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, and laid into the pye or pasty, with slices of interlarded bacon, and a clove or two, close it up, and bake it with some butter; make your pye or pasty of good fine crust according to these forms. being baked fill it up with good sweet butter. _otherways._ you may make a pudding of some grated bread, minced veal, beef-suet, some minced sweet herbs, a minced onion, eggs, cream, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and lay it on the top of your meat in the pye, and some butter, close it up and bake it. _otherways._ take a calves head, soak it well and take out the brains, boil the head and take out the bones, being cold stuff it with sweet herbs and hard eggs chopped small, minced bacon, and a raw egg or two, nutmeg, pepper, and salt; and lay in the bottom of the pye minced veal raw, and bacon; then lay the cheeks on it in the pye, and slices of bacon on that, then spices, butter, and grapes or lemon, close it up, bake it, and liquor it with butter only. _otherways._ boil it and take out the bones, cleanse it, and season it with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, put some minced veal or suet in the bottom of the pye, then lay on the cheeks, and on them a pudding made of minced veal raw and suet, currans, grated bread or parmisan, eggs, saffron, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, put it on the head in the pye, with some thin slices of interlarded bacon, thin slices also of veal and butter, close it up, and make it according to these forms, being baked, liquor it with butter only. _to bake a calves chaldron._ boil it tender, and being cold mince it, and season it with nutmeg, pepper, cinamon, ginger, salt, caraway seeds, verjuyce, or grapes, some currans, sugar, rose-water and dates stir them all together and fill your pye, bake it, and being baked ice it. _minced pies of calves chaldrons, or muggets._ boil it tender, and being cold mince it small, then put to it bits of lard cut like dice, or interlarded bacon, some yolks of hard eggs cut like dice also, some bits of veal and mutton cut also in the same bigness, as also lamb, some gooseberries, grapes or barberries, and season it with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, fill your pye, and lay on it some thin slices of interlarded bacon, and butter; close it up, and bake it, liquor it with white-wine beaten with butter. _to bake a calves chaldron or muggets in a pye or little pasties, or make a pudding of it, adding two or three eggs._ being half boil'd, mince it small, with half a pound of beef-suet, and season it with beaten cloves and mace, nutmegs, a little onion and minced lemon peel, and put to it the juyce of an orange, and mix all together. then make a piece of puff-paste and bake it in a dish as other florentines, and close it up with the other half of the paste, and being baked put into it the juyce of two or three oranges, and stir the meat with the orange juyce well together and serve it, _&c._ _to bake a pig to be eaten cold called a maremaid pye._ take a pig, flay it and quarter it, then bone it, take also a good eel flayed, speated, boned, and seasoned with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, then lay a quarter of your pig in a round pie; and part of the eel on that quarter, then lay another quarter on the other and then more eel, and thus keep the order till your pie be full, then lay a few whole cloves, slices of bacon, and butter, and close it up, bake it in good fine paste, being baked and cold, fill it up with good sweet butter. _otherways._ scald it, and bone it being first cleansed, dry the sides in a clean cloth, and season them with beaten nutmeg, pepper, salt, and chopped sage; then have two neats-tongues dryed, well boild, and cold, slice them out all the length, as thick as a half crown, and lay a quarter of your pig in a square or round pie, and slices of the tongue on it, then another quarter of a pig and more tongue, thus do four times double; and lay over all slices of bacon, a few cloves, butter, and a bay-leafe or two; then bake it, and being baked, fill it up with good sweet butter. make your paste white of butter and flower. _otherways._ take a pig being scalded, flayed, and quartered, season it with beaten nutmeg, pepper, salt, cloves, and mace, lay it in your pie with some chopped sweet herbs, hard eggs, currans, (or none) put your herbs between every lay, with some gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, and lay on the top slices of interlarded bacon and butter, close it up, and bake it in good fine crust, being baked, liquor it with butter, verjuyce, and sugar. if to be eaten cold, with butter only. _otherways to be eaten hot._ cut it in pieces, and make a pudding of grated bread, cream, suet, nutmeg, eggs, and dates, make it into balls, and stick them with slic't almonds; then lay the pig in the pye, and balls on it, with dates, potato, large mace, lemon, and butter; being baked liquor it. _to bake four hares in a pie._ bone them and lard them with great lard, being first seasoned with nutmeg, and pepper, then take four ounces of pepper, four ounces of nutmegs, and eight ounces of salt, mix them together, season them, and make a round or square pye of course boulted rye and meal; then the pie being made put some butter in the bottom of it, and lay on the hares one upon another; then put upon it a few whole cloves, a sheet of lard over it, and good store of butter, close it up and bake it, being first basted over with eggs beaten together, or saffron; when it is baked liquor them with clarified butter. or bake them in white paste or pasty, if to be eaten hot, leave out half the seasoning. _to bake three hares in a pie to be eaten cold._ bone three hares, mince them small, and stamp them with the seasoning of pepper, salt, and nutmeg, then have lard cut as big as ones little finger, and as long as will reach from side to side of the pye; then lay butter in the bottom of it, and a lay of meat, then a lay of lard, and a lay of meat, and thus do five or six times, lay your lard all one way, but last of all a lay of meat, a few whole cloves, and slices of bacon over all, and some butter, close it up and bake it, being baked fill it up with sweet butter, and stop the vent. thus you may bake any venison, beef, mutton, veal, or rabits; if you bake them in earthen pans they will keep the longest. _to bake a hare with a pudding in his belly._ for to make this pie you must take as followeth, a gallon of flour, half an ounce of nutmegs, half an ounce of pepper, salt, capers, raisins, pears in quarters, prunes, with grapes, lemon, or gooseberries, and for the liquor a pound of sugar, a pint of claret or verjuyce, and some large mace. thus also you may bake a fawn, kid, lamb, or rabit: make your hare-pie according to the foregoing form. _to make minced pies of a hare._ take a hare, flay it, and cleanse it, then take the flesh from the bones, and mince it with the fat bacon, or beef-suet raw, season it with pepper, mace, nutmeg, cloves, and salt; then mingle all together with some grapes, gooseberries, or barberries; fill the pie, close it up and bake it. _otherways._ mince it with beef-suet, a pound and half of raisins minced, some currans, cloves, mace, salt, and cinamon, mingle all together, and fill the pie, bake it and liquor it with claret. _to make a pumpion pie._ take a pound of pumpion and slice it, a handful of time, a little rosemary, and sweet marjoram stripped off the stalks, chop them small, then take cinamon, nutmeg, pepper, and a few cloves all beaten, also ten eggs, and beat them, then mix and beat them all together, with as much sugar as you think fit, then fry them like a froise, after it is fried, let it stand till it is cold, then fill your pie after this manner. take sliced apples sliced thin round ways, and lay a layer of the froise, and a layer of apples, with currans betwixt the layers. while your pie is fitted, put in a good deal of sweet butter before you close it. when the pie is baked, take six yolks of eggs, some white-wine or verjuyce, and make a caudle of this, but not too thick, cut up the lid, put it in, and stir them well together whilst the eggs and pumpion be not perceived, and so serve it up. _to make a lumber-pie._ take some grated bread, and beef-suet cut into bits like great dice, and some cloves and mace, then some veal or capon minced small with beef-suet, sweet herbs, salt, sugar, the yolks of six eggs boil'd hard and cut in quarters, put them to the other ingredients, with some barberries, some yolks of raw eggs, and a little cream, work up all together and put it in the cauls of veal like little sausages; then bake them in a dish, and being half baked, have a pie made and dried in the oven; put these puddings into it with some butter, verjuyce, sugar, some dates on them, large mace, grapes, or barberries, and marrow; being baked, serve it with a cut cover on it, and scrape sugar on it. _otherways._ take some minc't meat of chewits of veal, and put to it some three or four raw eggs, make it into balls, then put them in a pye fitted for them according to this form, first lay in the balls, then lay on them some slic't dates, large mace, marrow, and butter; close it up and bake it, being baked, liquor it with verjuyce, sugar, and butter, then ice it, and serve it up. _to make an olive pye._ take tyme, sweet marjorarm, savory, spinage, parsley, sage, endive, sorrel, violet leaves, and strawberry leaves, mince them very small with some yolks of hard eggs, then put to them half a pound of currans, nutmeg, pepper, cinamon, sugar, and salt, minced raisins, gooseberries, or barberries, and dates minc'd small, mingle alltogether, then have slices of a leg of veal, or a leg or mutton, cut thin and hacked with the back of a knife, lay them on a clean board and strow on the foresaid materials, roul them up and put them in a pye; then lay on them some dates, marrow, large mace, and some butter, close it up and bake it, being baked cut it up, liquor it with butter, verjuyce, and sugar, put a slic't lemon into it, and serve it up with scraped sugar. _to bake a loin, breast, or rack of veal or mutton._ if you bake it with the bones, joynt a loin very well and season it with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, put it in your pye, and put butter to it, close it up, and bake it in good crust, and liquor it with sweet butter. thus also you may bake the brest, either in pye or pasty, as also the rack or shoulder, being stuffed with sweet herbs, and fat of beef minced together and baked either in pye or pasty. in the summer time you may add to it spinage, gooseberries, grapes, barberries, or slic't lemon, and in winter, prunes, and currans, or raisins, and liquor it with butter, sugar, and verjuyce. _to make a steak pye the best way._ cut a neck, loyn, or breast into steaks, and season them with pepper, nutmeg, and salt; then have some few sweet herbs minced small with an onion, and the yolks of three or four hard eggs minced also; the pye being made, put in the meat and a few capers, and strow these ingredients on it, then put in butter, close it up and bake it three hours moderately, _&c._ make the pye round and pretty deep. _otherways._ the meat being prepared as before, season it with nutmeg, ginger, pepper, a whole onion, and salt; fill the pye, then put in some large mace, half a pound of currans, and butter, close it up and put it in the oven; being half baked put in a pint of warmed clearet, and when you draw it to send it up, cut the lid in pieces, and stick it in the meat round the pye; or you may leave out onions, and put in sugar and verjuyce. _otherways._ take a loyn of mutton, cut it in steaks, and season it with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, then lay a layer of raisins and prunes in the bottom of the pye, steaks on them, and then whole cinamon, then more fruit and steaks, thus do it three times, and on the top put more fruit, and grapes, or slic't orange, dates, large mace, and butter, close it up and bake it, being baked, liquor it with butter, white wine and sugar, ice it, and serve it hot. _to bake steak pies the french way._ season the steaks with pepper, nutmeg, and salt lightly, and set them by; then take a piece of the leanest of a leg of mutton, and mince it small with some beef suet and a few sweet herbs, as tops of tyme, penniroyal, young red sage, grated bread, yolks of eggs, sweet cream, raisins of the sun, _&c._ work all together, and make it into little balls, and rouls, put them into a deep round pye on the steaks, then put to them some butter, and sprinkle it with verjuyce, close it up and bake it, being baked cut it up, then roul sage leaves in butter, fry them, and stick them in the balls, serve the pye without a cover, and liquor it with the juyce of two or three oranges or lemons. _otherways._ bake these steaks in any of the foresaid-ways in patty-pan or dish, and make other paste called cold butter paste; take to a gallon of flower a pound and a half of butter, four or five eggs and but two whites, work up the butter and eggs into the flour, and being well wrought, put to it a little fair cold water, and make it up a stiff paste. _to bake a gammon of bacon._ steep it all night in water, scrape it clean, and stuff it with all manner of sweet herbs, as sage, tyme, parsley, sweet marjoram, savory, violet-leaves, strawberry leaves, fennil, rose-mary, penniroyal, _&c._ being cleans'd and chopped small with some yolks of hard eggs, beaten nutmeg, and pepper, stuff it and boil it, and being fine and tender boil'd and cold, pare the under side, take off the skin, and season it with nutmeg and pepper, then lay it in your pie or pasty with a few whole cloves, and slices of raw bacon over it, and butter; close it up in pye or pasty of short paste, and bake it. _to bake wild bore._ take the leg, season it, and lard it very well with good big lard seasoned with nutmeg, pepper, and beaten ginger, lay it in a pye of the form as you see, being seasoned all over with the same spices and salt, then put a few whole cloves on it, a few bay-leaves, large slices of lard, and good store of butter, bake it in fine or course crust, being baked, liquor it with good sweet butter, and stop up the vent. if to keep long, bake it in an earthen pan in the abovesaid seasoning, and being baked fill it up with butter, and you may keep it a whole year. _to bake your wild bore that comes out of _france_._ lay it in soak two days, then parboil it, and season it with pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger; and when it is baked fill it up with butter. _to bake red deer._ take a side of red deer, bone it and season it, then take out the back sinew and the skin, and lard the fillets or back with great lard as big as your middle finger; being first seasoned with nutmeg, and pepper; then take four ounces of pepper, four ounces of nutmeg, and six ounces of salt, mix them well together, and season the side of venison; being well slashed with a knife in the inside for to make the seasoning enter; being seasoned, and a pie made according to these forms, put in some butter in the bottom of the pye, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, and a bay-leaf or two, lay on the flesh, season it, and coat it deep, then put on a few cloves, and good store of butter, close it up and bake it the space of eight or nine hours, but first baste the pie with six or seven eggs, beaten well together; being baked and cold fill it up with good sweet clarified butter. take for a side or half hanch of red deer, half a bushel of rye meal, being coursly searsed, and make it up very stiff with boiling water only. if you bake it to eat hot, give it but half the seasoning, and liquor it with claret-wine, and good butter. _to bake fallow-dear to be eaten hot or cold._ take a side of venison, bone and lard it with great lard as big as your little finger, and season it with two ounces of pepper, two ounces of nutmeg, and four ounces of salt; then have a pie made, and lay some butter in the bottom of it, then lay in the flesh, the inside downward, coat it thick with seasoning, and put to it on the top of the meat, with a few cloves, and good store of butter, close it up and bake it, the pye being first basted with eggs, being baked and cold, fill it up with clarified butter, and keep it to eat cold. make the paste as you do for red deer, course drest through a boulter, a peck and a pottle of this meal will serve for a side or half hanch of a buck. _to bake a side or half hanch to be eaten hot._ take a side of a buck being boned, and the skins taken away, season it only with two ounces of pepper, and as much salt, or half an ounce more, lay it on a sheet of fine paste with two pound of beef-suet, finely minced and beat with a little fair water, and laid under it, close it up and bake it, and being fine and tender baked, put to it a good ladle-full of gravy, or good strong mutton broth. _to make a paste for it._ take a peck of flour by weight, and lay it on the pastery board, make a hole in the midst of the flour, and put to it five pound of good fresh butter, the yolks of six eggs and but four whites, work up the butter and eggs into the flour, and being well wrought together, put some fair water to it, and make it into a stiff paste. in this fashion of fallow deer you may bake goat, doe, or a pasty of venison. _to make meer sauce, or a pickle to keep venison in that is tainted._ take strong ale and as much vinegar as will make it sharp, boil it with some bay salt, and make a strong brine, scum it, and let it stand till it be cold, then put in your vinison twelve hours, press it, parboil it, and season it, then bake it as before is shown. _other sauce for tainted venison._ take your venison, and boil water, beer, and wine-vinegar together, and some bay-leaves, tyme, savory, rosemary, and fennil, of each a handful, when it boils put in your venison, parboil it well and press it, and season it as aforesaid, bake it for to be eaten cold or hot, and put some raw minced mutton under it. _otherways to preserve tainted venison._ bury it in the ground in a clean cloth a whole night, and it will take away the corruption, savour, or stink. _other meer sauces to counterfeit beef, or muton to give it a venison colour._ take small beer and vinegar, and parboil your beef in it, let it steep all night, then put in some turnsole to it, and being baked, a good judgment shall not discern it from red or fallow deer. _otherways to counterfeit ram, wether, or any mutton for venison._ bloody it in sheeps, lambs, or pigs blood, or any good and new blood, season it as before, and bake it either for hot or cold. in this fashion you may bake mutton, lamb, or kid. _to make umble-pies._ lay minced beef-suet in the bottom of the pie, or slices of interlarded bacon, and the umbles cut as big as small dice, with some bacon cut in the same form, and seasoned with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, fill your pyes with it, and slices of bacon and butter, close it up and bake it, and liquor it with claret, butter, and stripped tyme. _to make pies of sweet-breads or lamb stones._ parboil them and blanch them, or raw sweetbreads or stones, part them in halves, & season them with pepper, nutmeg, and salt, season them lightly; then put in the bottom of the pie some slices of interlarded bacon, & some pieces of artichocks or mushrooms, then sweet-breads or stones, marrow, gooseberries, barberries, grapes, or slic't lemon, close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with butter only. or otherwise with butter, white-wine, and sugar, and sometimes add some yolks of eggs. _to make minced pies or chewits of a leg of veal, neats-tongue, turkey, or capon._ take to a good leg of veal six pound of beef-suet, then take the leg of veal, bone it, parboil it, and mince it very fine when it is hot; mince the suet by it self very fine also, then when they are cold mingle them together, then season the meat with a pound of sliced dates, a pound of sugar, an ounce of nutmegs, an ounce of pepper, an ounce of cinamon, half an ounce of ginger, half a pint of verjuyce, a pint of rose-water, a preserved orange, or any peel fine minced, an ounce of caraway-comfits, and six pound of currans; put all these into a large tray with half a handful of salt, stir them up all together, and fill your pies, close them up, bake them, and being baked, ice them with double refined sugar, rose-water, and butter. make the paste with a peck of flour, and two pound of butter boil'd in fair water or liquor, make it up boiling hot. _to make minced pies of mutton._ take to a leg of mutton four pound of beef-suet, bone the leg and cut it raw into small pieces, as also the suet, mince them together very fine, and being minc't season it with two pound of currans, two pound of raisins, two pound of prunes, an ounce of caraway seed, an ounce of nutmegs, an ounce of pepper, an ounce of cloves, and mace, and six ounces of salt; stir up all together, fill the pies, and bake them as the former. _to make minced pies of beef._ take a stone or eight pound of beef, also eight pound of suet, mince them very small, and put to them eight ounces of salt, two ounces of nutmegs, an ounce of pepper, an ounce of cloves and mace, four pound of currans, and four pound of raisins, stir up all these together, and fill your pies. _minced in the french fashion, called pelipate, or in english petits, made of veal, pork, or lamb, or any kind of venison, beef, poultrey, or fowl._ mince them with lard, and being minced, season them with salt, and a little nutmeg, mix the meat with some pine-apple-seed, and a few grapes or gooseberries; fill the pies and bake them, being baked liquor them with a little gravy. sometimes for variety in the winter time, you may use currans instead of grapes or gooseberries, and yolks of hard eggs minced among the meat. _minced pies in the italian fashion._ parboil a leg of veal, and being cold mince it with beef-suet, and season it with pepper, salt, and gooseberries; mix with it a little verjuyce, currans, sugar, and a little saffron in powder. _forms of minced pyes._ [illustration] _to make an extraordinary pie, or a bride pye of several compounds, being several distinct pies on one bottom._ provide cock-stones and combs, or lamb-stones, and sweet-breads of veal, a little set in hot water and cut to pieces; also two or three ox-pallats blanch't and slic't, a pint of oysters, slic't dates, a handful of pine kernels, a little quantity of broom buds, pickled, some fine interlarded bacon slic't; nine or ten chesnuts rosted and blancht season them with salt, nutmeg, and some large mace, and close it up with some butter. for the caudle, beat up some butter, with three yolks of eggs, some white or claret wine, the juyce of a lemon or two; cut up the lid, and pour on the lear, shaking it well together; then lay on the meat, slic't lemon, and pickled barberries, and cover it again, let these ingredients be put in the moddle or scollops of the pye. several other pies belong to the first form, but you must be sure to make the three fashions proportionably answering one the other; you may set them on one bottom of paste, which will be more convenient; or if you set them several you may bake the middle one full of flour, it being bak't and cold, take out the flour in the bottom, & put in live birds, or a snake, which will seem strange to the beholders, which cut up the pie at the table. this is only for a wedding to pass away the time. now for the other pies you may fill them with several ingredients, as in one you may put oysters, being parboild and bearded, season them with large mace, pepper, some beaten ginger, and salt, season them lightly and fill the pie, then lay on marrow & some good butter, close it up and bake it. then make a lear for it with white wine, the oyster liquor, three or four oysters bruised in pieces to make it stronger, but take out the pieces, and an onion, or rub the bottom of the dish with a clove of garlick; it being boil'd, put in a piece of butter, with a lemon, sweet herbs will be good boil'd in it, bound up fast together, cut up the lid, or make a hole to let the lear in, _&c._ another you may make of prawns and cockles, being seasoned as the first, but no marrow: a few pickled mushrooms, (if you have them) it being baked, beat up a piece of butter, a little vinegar, a slic't nutmeg, and the juyce of two or three oranges thick, and pour it into the pye. a third you may make a bird pie; take young birds, as larks pull'd and drawn, and a forced meat to put in the bellies made of grated bread, sweet herbs minced very small, beef-suet, or marrow minced, almonds beat with a little cream to keep them from oyling, a little parmisan (or none) or old cheese; season this meat with nutmeg, ginger, and salt, then mix them together, with cream and eggs like a pudding, stuff the larks with it, then season the larks with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and lay them in the pie, put in some butter, and scatter between them pine-kernels, yolks of eggs and sweet herbs, the herbs and eggs being minced very small; being baked make a lear with the juyce of oranges and butter beat up thick, and shaken well together. for another of the pies, you may boil artichocks, and take only the bottoms for the pie, cut them into quarters or less, and season them with nutmeg. thus with several ingredients you may fill your other pies. _for the outmost pies they must be egg-pies._ boil twenty eggs and mince them very small, being blanched, with twice the weight of them of beef-suet fine minced also; then have half a pound of dates slic't with a pound of raisins, and a pound of currans well washed and dryed, and half an ounce of cinamon fine beaten, and a little cloves and mace fine beaten, sugar a quarter of a pound, a little salt, a quarter of a pint of rose-water, and as much verjuyce, and stir and mingle all well together, and fill the pies, and close them, and bake them, they will not be above two hours a baking, and serve them all seventeen upon one dish, or plate, and ice them, or scrape sugar on them; every one of these pies should have a tuft of paste jagged on the top. _to make custards divers ways._ take to a quart cream, ten eggs, half a pound of sugar, half a quarter of an ounce of mace, half as much ginger beaten very fine, and a spoonful of salt, strain them through a strainer; and the forms being finely dried in the oven, fill them full on an even hearth, and bake them fair and white, draw them and dish them on a dish and plate; then strow on them biskets red and white, stick muskedines red and white, and scrape thereon double refined sugar. make the paste for these custards of a pottle of fine flour, make it up with boiling liquor, and make it up stiff. _to make an almond custard._ take two pound of almonds, blanch and beat them very fine with rosewater, then strain them with some two quarts of cream, twenty whites of eggs, and a pound of double refined sugar; make the paste as beforesaid, and bake it in a mild oven fine and white, garnish it as before and scrape fine sugar over all. _to make a custard without eggs._ take a pound of almonds, blanch and beat them with rose-water into a fine paste, then put the spawn or row of a carp or pike to it, and beat them well together, with some cloves, mace, and salt, the spices being first beaten, and some ginger, strain them with some fair spring water, and put into the strained stuff half a pound of double refined sugar and a little saffron; when the paste is dried and ready to fill, put into the bottom of the coffin some slic't dates, raisins of the sun stoned, and some boiled currans, fill them and bake them; being baked, scrape sugar on them. be sure always to prick your custards or forms before you set them in the oven. if you have no row or spawn, put rice flour instead hereof. _to make an extraordinary good cake._ take half a bushel of the best flour you can get very finely searsed, and lay it upon a large pastry board, make a hole in the midst thereof, and put to it three pound of the best butter you can get; with fourteen pound of currans finely picked and rubbed, three quarts of good new thick cream warm'd, two pound of fine sugar beaten, three pints of good new ale, barm or yeast, four ounces of cinamon fine beaten and searsed, also an ounce of beaten ginger, two ounces of nutmegs fine beaten and searsed; put in all these materials together, and work them up into an indifferent stiff paste, keep it warm till the oven be hot, then make it up and bake it, being baked an hour and a half ice it, then take four pound of double refined sugar, beat it, and searse it, and put it in a deep clean scowred skillet the quantity of a gallon, boil it to a candy height with a little rose-water, then draw the cake, run it all over, and set it into the oven, till it be candied. _to make a cake otherways._ take a gallon of very fine flour and lay it on the pastry board, then strain three or four eggs with a pint of barm, and put it into a hole made in the middle of the flour with two nutmegs finely beaten, an ounce of cinamon, and an ounce of cloves and mace beaten fine also, half a pound of sugar, and a pint of cream; put these into the flour with two spoonfuls of salt, and work it up good and stiff, then take half the paste, and work three pound of currans well picked & rubbed into it, then take the other part and divide it into two equal pieces, drive them out as broad as you wold have the cake, then lay one of the sheets of paste on a sheet of paper, and upon that the half that hath the currans, and the other part on the top, close it up round, prick it, and bake it; being baked, ice it with butter, sugar, and rose water, and set it again into the oven. _to make french bread the best way._ take a gallon of fine flour, and a pint of good new ale barm or yeast, and put it to the flour, with the whites of six new laid eggs well beaten in a dish, and mixt with the barm in the middle of the flour, also three spoonfuls of fine salt; then warm some milk and fair water, and put to it, and make it up pretty stiff, being well wrought and worked up, cover it in a boul or tray with a warm cloth till your oven be hot; then make it up either in rouls, or fashion it in little wooden dishes and bake it, being baked in a quick oven, chip it hot. * * * * * * * * * section x. _to bake all manner of curneld fruits in pyes, tarts, or made dishes, raw or preserved, as quinces, warden, pears, pippins,_ &c. _to bake a quince pye._ take fair quinces, core and pare them very thin, and put them in a pye, then put it in two races of ginger slic't, as much cinamon broken into bits, and some eight or ten whole cloves, lay them in the bottom of the pye, and lay on the quinces close packed, with as much fine refined sugar as the quinces weigh, close it up and bake it, and being well soaked the space of four or five hours, ice it. _otherways._ take a gallon of flour, a pound and a half of butter, six eggs, thirty quinces, three pound of sugar, half an ounce of cinamon, half an ounce of ginger, half an ounce of cloves, and some rose-water, make them in a pye or tart, and being baked stew on double refined sugar. _otherways._ bake these quinces raw, slic't very thin, with beaten cinamon, and the same quantity of sugar, as before, either in tart, patty-pan, dish, or in cold butter-paste, sometimes mix them with wardens, pears or pipins, and some minced citron. _to make a quince pye otherways._ take quinces and preserve them, being first coared and pared, then make a sirrup of fine sugar and spring water, take as much as the quinces weigh, and to every pound of sugar a pint of fair water, make your sirrup in a preserving pan; being scumm'd and boil'd to sirrup, put in the quinces, boil them up till they be well coloured, & being cold, bake them in pyes whole or in halves, in a round tart, dish, or patty-pan with a cut cover, or in quarters; being baked put in the same sirrup, but before you bake them, put in more fine sugar, and leave the sirrups to put in afterwards, then ice it. thus you may do of any curnel'd fruits, as wardens, pippins pears, pearmains, green quodlings, or any good apples, in laid tarts, or cuts. _to make a slic't tart of quinces, wardens, pears, pippins, in slices raw of divers compounds._ the foresaid fruits being finely pared, and slic't in very thine slices; season them with beaten cinamon, and candied citron minced, candied orange, or both, or raw orange peel, raw lemon peel, fennil-seed, or caraway-seed or without any of these compounds or spices, but the fruits alone one amongst the other; put to ten pippins six quinces, six wardens, eight pears, and two pound of sugar; close it up, bake it; and ice it as the former tarts. thus you may also bake it in patty-pan, or dish, with cold butter paste. _to bake quinces, wardens, pears, pippins, or any fruits preserved to be baked in pies, tarts, patty-pan or dish._ preserve any of the foresaid in white-wine & sugar till the sirrup grow thick, then take the quinces out of it, and lay them to cool in a dish, then set them into the pye, and prick cloves on the tops with some cinamon, and good store of refined sugar, close them up with a cut cover, and being baked, ice it, and fill it up with the syrrup they were first boiled in. _otherways._ you may bake them in an earthen pot with some claret-wine and sugar, and keep them for your use. _to make a trotter pye of quinces, wardens, pears,_ &c. take them either severally or all together in quarters, or slic't raw, if in quarters put some whole ones amongst them, if slic't beaten spices, and a little butter and sugar; take to twelve quinces a pound of sugar, and a quarter of a pound of butter, close it up and bake it, and being bak't cut it up and mash the fruit to pieces, then put in some cream, and yolks of eggs beaten together, and put it into the pye, stir all together, and cut the cover into five or six pieces like lozenges, or three square, and scrape on sugar. _to make a pippin pye._ take thirty good large pippins, pare them very thin, and make the pye, then put in the pippins, thirty cloves, a quarter of an ounce of whole cinamon, and as much pared and slic't, a quarter of a pound of orangado, as much of lemon in sucket, and a pound & half of refined sugar, close it up and bake it, it will ask four hours baking, then ice it with butter, sugar, and rose-water. _to make a pippin tart according to this form._ take fair pippins and pare them, then cut them in quarters, core them and stew them, in claret-wine, whole cinamon, and slic't ginger; stew them half an hour, then put them into a dish, and break them not, when they are cold, lay them one by one into the tart, then lay on some green cittern minced small, candied orange or coriander, put on sugar and close it up, bake it, and ice it, then scrape on sugar and serve it. _to make a pippin tart, either in tart, patty-pan, or dish._ take ten fair pippins, preserve them in white wine, sugar, whole cinamon, slic't ginger, and eight or ten cloves, being finely preserved and well coloured, lay them on a cut tart of short paste; or in place of preserving you may bake them between two dishes in the oven for the foresaid use. _a made dish of pippins._ take pippins, pare and slice them, then boil them in claret-wine in a pipkin, or between two dishes with some sugar, and beaten cinamon, when 'tis boiled good and thick, mash it like marmalade, and put in a dish of puff paste or short paste; acording to this form with a cut cover, and being baked ice it. _to preserve pippins in slices._ make pippins and slice them round with the coars or kernels in, as thick as a half crown piece, and some lemon-peel amongst them in slices, or else cut like small lard, or orange peel first boil'd and cut in the same manner; then make the syrup weight for weight, and being clarified and scummed clean, put in the pipins and boil them up quick; to a pound of sugar put a pint of fair water, or a pint of white-wine or claret, and make them of two colours. _to make a warden or a pear tart quartered._ take twenty good wardens, pare them, and cut them in a tart, and put to them two pound of refined sugar, twenty whole cloves, a quarter of an ounce of cinamon broke into little bits, and three races of ginger pared and slic't thin; then close up the tart and bake it, it will ask five hours baking, then ice it with a quarter of a pound of double refined sugar, rose-water, and butter. _other tart of warden, quinces, or pears._ first bake them in a pot, then cut them in quarters, and coar them, put them in a tart made according to this form, close it up, and when it is baked, scrape on sugar. _to make a tart of green pease._ take green pease and boil them tender, then pour them out into a cullender, season them with saffron, salt, and put sugar to them and some sweet butter, then close it up and bake it almost an hour, then draw it forth of the oven and ice it, put in a little verjuyce, and shake them well together, then scrape on sugar, and serve it in. _to make a tart of hips._ take hips, cut them, and take out the seeds very clean, then wash them and season them with sugar, cinamon, and ginger, close the tart, bake it, ice it, scrape on sugar, and serve it in. _to make a tart of rice._ boil the rice in milk or cream, being tender boil'd pour it into a dish, & season it with nutmeg, ginger, cinamon, pepper, salt, sugar, and the yolks of six eggs, put it in the tart with some juyce of orange; close it up and bake it, being baked scrape on sugar, and so serve it up. _to make a tart of medlers._ take medlers that are rotten, strain them, and set them on a chaffing dish of coals, season them with sugar, cinamon, and ginger, put some yolks of eggs to them, let it boil a little, and lay it in a cut tart; being baked scrape on sugar. _to make a cherry-tart._ take out the stones, and lay the cherries into the tart, with beaten cinamon, ginger, and sugar, then close it up, bake it, and ice it; then make a sirrup of muskedine, and damask water, and pour it into the tart, scrape on sugar, and so serve it. _to make a strawberry-tart._ wash the strawberries, and put them into the tart, season them with cinamon, ginger, and a little red wine, then put on sugar, bake it half an hour, ice it, scrape on sugar, and serve it. _to make a taffety-tart._ first wet the paste with butter and cold water, roul it very thin, then lay apples in the lays, and between every lay of apples, strew some fine sugar, and some lemon-peel cut very small, you may also put some fennil-seed to them; let them bake an hour or more, then ice them with rose-water, sugar, and butter beaten together, and wash them over with the same, strew more fine sugar on them, and put them into the oven again, being enough serve them hot or cold. _to make an almond tart._ strain beaten almonds with cream, yolks of eggs, sugar, cinamon, and ginger, boil it thick, and fill your tart, being baked ice it. _to make a damson tart._ boil them in wine, and strain them with cream, sugar, cinamon, and ginger, boil it thick, and fill your tart. _to make a spinage tart of three colours, green, yellow, and white._ take two handfuls of young tender spinage, wash it and put it into a skillet of boiling liquor; being tender boil'd have a quart of cream boil'd with some whole cinamon, quarterd nutmeg, and a grain of musk; then strain the cream, twelve yolks of eggs, and the boil'd spinage into a dish, with some rose-water, a little sack, and some fine sugar, boil it over a chaffing dish of coals, and stir it that it curd not, keep it till the tart be dried in the oven, and dish it in the form of three colours, green, white, and yellow. _to make cream tarts._ thicken cream with muskefied bisket bread, and serve it in a dish, stick wafers round about it, and slices of preserved citron, and in the middle a preserved orange with biskets, the garnish of the dish being of puff paste. or you may boil quinces, wardens, pares, and pippins in slices or quarters, and strain them into cream, as also these fruits, melacattons, necturnes, apricocks, peaches, plumbs, or cherries, and make your tart of these forms. _to make a french tart._ take a pound of almonds, blanch and beat them into fine paste in a stone mortar, with rose-water, then beat the white breast of a cold roast turkey, being minced, and beat with it a pound of lard minc't, with the marrow of four bones, and a pound of butter, the juyce of three lemons, two pounds of hard sugar, being fine beaten, slice a whole green piece of citron in small slices, a quarter of a pound of pistaches, and the yolks of eight or ten eggs, mingle all together, then make a paste for it with cold butter, two or three eggs, and cold water. _to make a quodling pie._ take green quodlings and quodle them, peel them and put them again into the same water, cover them close, and let them simmer on embers till they be very green, then take them up and let them drain, pick out the noses, and leave them on the stalks, then put them in a pie, and put to them fine sugar, whole cinamon, slic't ginger, a little musk, and rose-water, close them up with a cut cover, and as soon as it boils up in the oven, draw it, and ice it with rose-water, butter, and sugar. or you may preserve them and bake them in a dish with paste, tart, or patty-pan. _to make a dish in the italian fashion._ take pleasant pears, slice them into thin slices, and put to them half as much sugar as they weigh, then mince some candied citron and candied orange small, mix it with the pears, and lay them on a bottom of cold butter paste in a patty-pan with some fine beaten cinamon, lay on the sugar and close it up, bake it, being baked, ice it with rose-water, fine sugar, and butter. _for the several colours of tarts._ if to have them yellow, preserved quinces, apricocks, necturnes, and melacattons, boil them up in white-wine with sugar, and strain them. otherways, strained yolks of eggs and cream. for green tarts take green quodlings, green preserved apricocks, green preserved plums, green grapes, and green gooseberries. for red tarts, quinces, pippins, cherries, rasberries, barberries, red currans, red gooseberries, damsins. for black tarts, prunes, and many other berries preserved. for white tarts, whites of eggs and cream. of all manner of tart-stuff strained, that carries his colour black, as prunes, damsons, _&c._ for lard of set tarts dishes, or patty-pans. _tart stuff of damsons._ take a postle of damsons and good ripe apples, being pared and cut into quarters, put them into an earthen pot with a little whole cinamon, slic't ginger, and sugar, bake them and being cold strain them with some rose-water, and boil the stuff thick, _&c._ _other tart stuff that carries its colour black._ take three pound of prunes, and eight fair pippins par'd and cor'd, stew them together with some claret wine, some whole cinamon, slic't ginger, a sprig of rosemary, sugar, and a clove or two, being well stew'd and cold, strain them with rose-water, and sugar. _to make other black tart stuff._ take twelve pound of prunes, and sixteen pound of raisins, wash them clean, and stew them in a pot with water, boil them till they be very tender, and then strain them through a course strainer; season it with beaten ginger and sugar, and give it a warm on the fire. _yellow tart stuff._ take twelve yolks of eggs, beat them with a quart of cream, and bake them in a soft oven; being baked strain them with some fine sugar, rose-water, musk, ambergriese, and a little sack, or in place of baking, boil the cream and eggs. _white tart-stuff._ make the white tart stuff with cream, in all points as the yellow, and the same seasoning. _green tart-stuff._ take spinage boil'd, green peese, green apricocks, green plums quodled, peaches quodled, green necturnes quodled, gooseberries quodled, green sorrel, and the juyce of green wheat. _to bake apricocks green._ take young green apricocks, so tender that you may thrust a pin through the stone, scald them and scrape the out side, of putting them in water as you peel them till your tart be ready, then dry them and fill the tart with them, and lay on good store of fine sugar, close it up and bake it, ice it, scrape on sugar, and serve it up. _to bake mellacattons._ take and wipe them clean, and put them in a pie made scollop ways, or in some other pretty work, fill the pie, and put them in whole with weight for weight in refined sugar, close it up and bake it, being baked ice it. sometimes for change you may add to them some chips or bits of whole cinamon, a few whole cloves, and slic't ginger. _to preserve apricocks, or any plums green._ take apricocks when they are so young and green, that you may put a needle through stone and all, but all other plums may be taken green, and at the highest growth, then put them in indifferent hot water to break them, & let them stand close cover'd in that hot water till a thin skin will come off with scraping, all this while they will look yellow; then put them into another skillet of hot water, and let them stand covered until they turn to a perfect green, then take them out, weigh them, take their weight in sugar and something more, and so preserve them. clarifie the sugar with the white of an egg, and some water. _to preserve apricocks being ripe._ stone them, then weigh them with sugar, and take weight for weight, pare them and strow on the sugar, let them stand till the moisture of the apricocks hath wet the sugar, and stand in a sirrup: then set them on a soft fire, not suffering them to boil, till your sugar be all melted; then boil them a pretty space for half an hour, still stirring them in the sirrup, then set them by two hours, and boil them again till your sirrup be thick, and your apricocks look clear, boil up the sirrup higher, then take it off, and being cold put in the apricocks into a gally-pot or glass, close them up with a clean paper, and leather over all. _to preserve peaches after the venetian way._ take twenty young peaches, part them in two, and take out the stones, then take as much sugar as they weigh, and some rose-water, put in the peaches, and make a sirrup that it may stand and stick to your fingers, let them boil softly a while, then lay them in a dish, and let them stand in the same two or three days, then set your sirrup on the fire, let it boil up, and then put in the peaches, and so preserve them. _to preserve mellacattons._ stone them and parboil them in water, then peel off the outward skin of them, they will boil as long as a piece of beef, and therefore you need not fear the breaking of them; when they are boil'd tender make sirrup of them as you do of any other fruit, and keep them all the year. _to preserve cherries._ take a pound of the smallest cherries, but let them be well coloured, boil them tender in a pint of fair water, then strain the liquor from the cherries and take two pound of other fair cherries, stone them, and put them in your preserving-pan, with a laying of cherries and a laying of sugar, then pour the sirrup of the other strained cherries over them, and let them boil as fast as maybe with a blazing fire, that the sirrup may boil over them; when you see that the sirrup is of a good colour, something thick, and begins to jelly, set them a cooling, and being cold pot them; and so keep them all the year. _to preserve damsins._ take damsins that are large and well coloured, (but not throw ripe, for then they will break) pick them clean and wipe them one by one; then weigh them, and to every pound of damsins you must take a pound of barbary sugar, white & good, dissolved in half a pint or more of fair water; boil it almost to the height of a sirrup, and then put in the damsins, keeping them with a continual scuming and stirring, so let them boil on a gentle fire till they be enough, then take them off and keep them all the year. _to preserve grapes as green as grass._ take grapes very green, stone them and cut them into little bunches, then take the like quantity of refin'd sugar finely beaten, & strew a row of sugar in your preserving pan, and a lay of grapes upon it, then strow on some more sugar upon them, put to them four or five spoonfuls of fair water, and boil them up as fast as you can. _to preserve barberries._ take barberries very fair and well coloured, pick out the stones, weigh them, and to every ounce of barberries take three ounce of hard sugar, half an ounce of pulp of barberries, and an ounce of red rose-water to dissolve the sugar; boil it to a sirrup, then put in the barberries and let them boil a quarter of an our, then take them up, and being cool pot them, and they will keep their colour all the year. thus you may preserve red currans, _&c._ _to preserve gooseberries green._ take some of the largest gooseberries that are called gascoyn gooseberries, set a pan of water on the fire, and when it is lukewarm put in the berries, and cover them close, keep them warm half an hour; then have another posnet of warm water, put them into that, in like sort quoddle them three times over in hot water till they look green; then pour them into a sieve, let all the water run from them, and put them to as much clarified sugar as will cover them, let them simmer leisurely close covered, then your gooseberries will look as green as leek blades, let them stand simmering in that sirrup for an hour, then take them off the fire, and let the sirrup stand till it be cold, then warm them once or twice, take them up, and let the sirrup boil by it self, pot them, and keep them. _to preserve rasberries._ take fair ripe rasberries, (but not over ripe) pick them from the stalk, then take weight for weight of double refined sugar, and the juyce of rasberries; to a pound of rasberries take a quarter of a pint of raspass juyce, and as much of fair water, boil up the sugar and liquor, and make the sirrup, scum it, and put in the raspass, stir them into the sirrup, and boil them not too much; being preserved take them up, and boil the sirrup by it self, not too long, it will keep the colour; being cold, pot them and keep them. thus you may also preserve strawberries. _the time to preserve green fruits._ gooseberries must be taken about _whitsuntide_, as you see them in bigness, the long gooseberry will be sooner than the red; the white wheat plum, which is ever ripe in wheat harvest, must be taken in the midst of _july_, the pear plum in the midst of _august_, the peach and pippin about _bartholomew-tide_, or a little before; the grape in the first week of _september_. note that to all your green fruits in general that you will preserve in sirup, you must take to every pound of fruit, a pound and two ounces of sugar, and a grain of musk; your plum, pippin and peach will have three quarters of an hour boiling, or rather more, and that very softly, keep the fruit as whole as you can; your grapes and gooseberries must boil half an hour something fast and they will be the fuller. note also, that to all your conserves you take the full weight of sugar, then take two skillets of water, and when they are scalding hot put the fruits first into one of them and when that grows cold put them in the other, changing them till they be about to peel, then peel them, and afterwards settle them in the same water till they look green, then take them and put them into sugar sirrup, and so let them gently boil till they come to a jelly; let them stand therein a quarter of an hour, then put them into a pot and keep them. * * * * * * * * * section xi. _to make all manner of made dishes, with or without paste._ _to make a paste for a pie._ take to a gallon of flour a pound of butter, boil it in fair water, and make the paste up quick. _to make cool butter paste for patty-pans or pasties._ take to every peck of flour five pound of butter, the whites of six eggs, and work it well together with cold spring water; you must bestow a great deal of pains, and but little water, or you put out the millers eyes. this paste is good only for patty-pan and pasty. sometimes for this paste put in but eight yolks of eggs, and but two whites, and six pound of butter. _to make paste for thin bak'd meats._ the paste for your thin and standing bak'd meats must be made with boiling water, then put to every peck of flour two pound of butter, but let your butter boil first in your liquor. _to make custard paste._ let it be only boiling water and flour without butter, or put sugar to it, which will add to the stiffness of it, & thus likewise all pastes for cuts and orangado tarts, or such like. _paste for made-dishes in the summer._ take to a gallon of flour three pound of butter, eight yolks of eggs, and a pint of cream or almond milk, work up the butter and eggs dry into the flour, then put cream to it, and make it pretty stiff. _paste royal for made dishes._ take to a gallon of flour a pound of sugar, a quart of almond milk, a pound and half of butter, and a little saffron, work up all cold together], with some beaten cinamon, two or three eggs, rose-water, and a grain of ambergriese and musk. _otherways._ take a pottle of flour, half a pound of butter, six yolks of eggs, a pint of cream, a quarter of a pound of sugar, and some fine beaten cinamon, and work up all cold. _otherways._ take to a pottle of flour four eggs, a pound and a half of butter, and work them up dry in the flour, then make up the paste with a pint of white-wine, rose-water, and sugar. _to make paste for lent for made dishes._ take a quart of flour, make it up with almond-milk, half a pound of butter, and some saffron. _to make puff-paste divers ways._ _the first way._ take a pottle of flour, mix it with cold water, half a pound of butter, and the whites of five eggs; mix them together very well and stiff, then roul it out very thin, and put flour under it and over it, then take near a pound of butter, and lay it in bits all over, double it in five or six doubles, this being done roul it out the second time, and serve it as at the first, then roul it out and cut it into what form, or for what use you please; you need not fear the curle, for it will divide it as often as you double it, which ten or twelve times is enough for any use. _the second way._ take a quart of flour, and a pound and a half of butter, work the half pound of butter dry into the flour, then put three or four eggs to it, and as much cold water as will make it leith paste, work it in a piece of a foot long, then strew a little flour on the table, take it by the end, and beat it till it stretch to be long, then put the ends together, and beat it again, and so do five or six times, then work it up round, and roul it up broad; then beat your pound of butter with a rouling pin that it may be little, take little bits thereof, and stick it all over the paste, fold up your paste close, and coast it down with your rouling pin, roul it out again, and so do five or six times, then use it as you will. _the third way._ break two eggs into three pints of flour, make it with cold water and roul it out pretty thick and square, then take so much butter as paste, lay it in ranks, and divide your butter in five pieces, that you may lay it on at five several times, roul your paste very broad, and stick one part of the butter in little pieces all over your paste, then throw a handful of flour slightly on, fold up your paste and beat it with a rowling-pin, so roul it out again, thus do five times, and make it up. _the fourth way._ take to a quart of flour four whites and but two yolks of eggs, and make it up with as much cream as will make it up pretty stiff paste, then roul it out, and beat three quarters of a pound of butter of equal hardness of the paste, lay it on the paste in little bits at ten several times; drive out your paste always one way; and being made, use it as you will. _the fifth way._ work up a quart of flour with half a pound of butter, three whites of eggs, and some fair spring water, make it a pretty stiff paste, and drive it out, then beat half a pound of more butter of equal hardness of the paste, and lay it on the paste in little bits at three several times, roul it out, and use it for what use you please. drive the paste out every time very thin. _a made dish or florentine of any kind of tongue in dish, pye, or patty-pan._ take a fresh neats tongue, boil it tender and blanch it, being cold, cut it into little square bits as big as a nutmeg, and lard it with very small lard, then have another tongue raw, take off the skin, and mince it with beef-suet, then lay on one half of it in the dish or patty pan upon a sheet of paste; then lay on the tongue being larded and finely seasoned with nutmeg, pepper, and salt; and with the other minced tongue put grated bread to it, some yolks of raw eggs, some sweet herbs minced small, and made up into balls as big as a walnut, lay them on the other tongue, with some chesnuts, marrow, large mace, some grapes, gooseberries or barberries, some slices of interlarded bacon and butter, close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with grape-verjuyce, beaten butter, and the yolks of three or four eggs strained with the verjuyce. _a made dish of tongues otherways._ take neats-tongues or smaller tongues, boil them tender, and slice them thin, then season them with nutmeg, pepper, beaten cinamon; salt, and some ginger, season them lightly, and lay them in a dish on a bottom or sheet of paste mingled with some currans, marrow, large mace, dates, slic't lemon, grapes, barberries, or gooseberries and butter, close up the dish, and being almost baked, liquor it with white wine, butter, and sugar, and ice it. _made dish in paste of two rabits, with sweet liquor._ take the rabits, flay them, draw them and cut them into small pieces as big as a walnut, then wash and dry them with a clean cloth, and season them with pepper, nutmeg, and salt; lay them on a bottom of paste, also lay on them dates, preserved lettice stalks, marrow, large mace, grapes, and slic't orange or lemon, put butter to it, close it up and bake it, being baked, liquor it with sugar, white-wine and butter; or in place of wine, grape-verjuyce, and strained yolks of raw eggs. in winter bake them with currans, prunes, skirrets, raisins of the sun, _&c._ _a made dish of florentine, or a partridge or capon._ being roasted and minced very small with as much beef-marrow, put to it two ounces of orangado minced small with as much green citron minced also, season the meat with a little beaten cloves, mace, nutmeg, salt, and sugar, mix all together, and bake it in puff paste; when it is baked, open it, and put in half a grain of musk or ambergriese, dissolved with a little rose-water, and the juyce of oranges, stir all together amongst the meat, cover it again, and serve it to the table. _to make a florentine, or dish, without paste, or on paste._ take a leg of mutton or veal, shave it into thin slices, and mingle it with some sweet herbs, as sweet marjoram, tyme, savory, parsley, and rosemary, being minced very small, a clove of garlick, some beaten nutmeg, pepper, a minced onion, some grated manchet, and three or four yolks of raw eggs, mix all together with a little salt, some thin slices of interlarded bacon, and some oster-liquor, lay the meat round the dish on a sheet of paste, or in the dish without paste, bake it, and being baked, stick bay leaves round the dish. _to bake potatoes, artichocks in a dish, pye, or patty-pan either in paste, or little pasties._ take any of these roots, and boil them in fair water, but put them not in till the water boils, being tender boil'd, blanch them, and season them with nutmeg, pepper, cinamon, and salt, season them lightly, then lay on a sheet of paste in a dish, and lay on some bits of butter, then lay on the potatoes round the dish, also some eringo roots, and dates in halves, beef marrow, large mace, slic't lemon, and some butter, close it up with another sheet of paste, bake it, and being baked, liquor it with grape-verjuyce, butter and sugar, and ice it with rose-water and sugar. _to make a made dish of spinage in paste baked._ take some young spinage, and put it in boiling hot fair water, having boil'd two or three walms, drain it from the water, chop it very small, and put it in a dish with some beaten cinamon, salt, sugar, a few slic't dates, a grain of musk dissolved in rose-water, some yolks of hard eggs chopped small, some currans and butter; stew these foresaid materials on a chaffing dish of coals, then have a dish of short paste on it, and put this composition upon it, either with a cut, a close cover, or none; bake it, and being baked, ice it with some fine sugar, water, and butter. _other made dish of spinage in paste baked._ boil spinage as beforesaid, being tender boil'd, drain it in a cullender, chop it small, and strain it with half a pound of almond-paste, three or four yolks of eggs, half a grain of musk, three or four spoonfuls of cream, a quartern of fine sugar, and a little salt; then bake it on a sheet of paste on a dish without a cover, in a very soft oven, being fine and green baked, stick it with preserved barberries, or strow on red and white biskets, or red and white muskedines, and scrape on fine sugar. _a made dish of spinage otherways._ take a pound of fat and well relished cheese, and a pound of cheese curds, stamp them in a mortar with some sugar, then put in a pint of juyce of spinage, a pint of cream, ten eggs, cinamon, pepper, nutmeg, and cloves, make your dish without a cover, according to this form, being baked ice it. _to make a made dish of barberries._ take a good quantity of them and boil them with claret-wine, rose-water and sugar, being boil'd very thick, strain them, and put them on a bottom of puff paste in a dish, or short fine paste made of sugar, fine flour, cold butter, and cold water, and a cut cover of the same paste, bake it and ice it, and cast bisket on it, but before you lay on the iced cover, stick it with raw barberries in the pulp or stuff. _to make a peasecod dish, in a puff paste._ take a pound of almonds, and a quarter of a pound of sugar, beat the almonds finely to a paste with some rose-water, then beat the sugar amongst them, mingle some sweet butter with it, and make this stuff up in puff paste like peasecods, bake them upon papers, and being baked, ice it with rose-water, butter, and fine sugar. in this fashion you may make peasecod stuff of preserved quinces, pippins, pears, or preserved plums in puff paste. _make dishes of frogs in the italian fashion._ take the thighs and fry them in clarified butter, then have slices of salt eels watered, flay'd, bon'd, boil'd, and cold, slice them in thin slices, and season both with pepper, nutmeg, and ginger, lay butter on your paste, and lay a rank of frog, and a rank of eel, some currans, gooseberries or grapes, raisins, pine-apple seeds, juyce of orange, sugar, and butter; thus do three times, close up your dish, and being baked ice it. make your paste of almond milk, flour, butter, yolks of eggs, and sugar. in the foresaid dish you may add fryed onions, yolks of hard eggs, cheese-curds, almond-paste, or grated cheese. _to make a made dish of marrow._ take the marrow of two or three marrow-bones, cut it into pieces like great square dice, and put to it a penny manchet grated fine, some slic't dates, half a quartern of currans, a little cream, rosted wardens, pippins or quinces slic't, and two or three yolks of raw eggs, season them with cinamon, ginger, and sugar, and mingle all together. _a made dish of rice in puff paste._ boil your rice in fair water very tender, scum it, and being boil'd put it in a dish, then put to it butter, sugar, nutmeg, salt, rose-water, and the yolks of six or eight eggs, put it in a dish, of puff paste, close it up and bake it, being baked, ice it, and caste on red and white biskets, and scraping sugar. sometimes for change you may add boil'd currans and beaten cinamon, and leave out nutmeg. _otherways of almond-paste, and boiled rice._ mix all together with some cream, rose-water, sugar, cinamon, yolks of eggs, salt, some boil'd currans, and butter; close it up and bake it in puff-paste, ice it, and cast on red and white biskets and scrape on sugar. _otherways a made dish of rice and paste._ wash the rice clean, and boil it in cream till it be somewhat thick, then put it out into a dish, and put to it some sugar, butter, six or eight yolks of eggs, beaten cinamon, slic't dates, currans, rose-water, and salt, mix all together, and bake it in puff paste or short paste, being baked ice it, and cast biskets on it. _to make a made dish of rice, flour, and cream._ take half a pound of rice, dust and pick it clean, then wash it, dry it, lay it abroad in a dish as thin as you can or dry it in a temperate oven, being well dried, rub it, and beat it in a mortar till it be as fine as flour; then take a pint of good thick cream, the whites of three new laid eggs, well beaten together, and a little rose-water, set it on a soft fire, and boil it till it be very thick, then put it in a platter and let it stand till it be cold, then slice it out like leach, cast some bisket upon it, and so serve it. _to make a made dish of rice, prunes, and raisins._ take a pound of prunes, and as many raisins of the sun, pick and wash them, then boil them with water and wine, of each a like quantity; when you first set them on the fire, put rice flour to them, being tender boil'd strain them with half a pound of sugar, and some rose-water, then stir the stuff till it be thick like leach, put it in a little earthen pan, being cold slice it, dish it, and cast red and white bisket on it. _to make a made dish of blanchmanger._ take a pint of cream, the whites of six new laid eggs, and some sugar; set them over a soft fire in a skillet and stir it continually till it be good and thick, then strain it, and being cold, dish it on a puff-paste bottom with a cut cover, and cast biskets on it. _a made dish of custard stuff, called an artichock dish._ boil custard stuff in a clean scowred skillet, stir it continually, till it be something thick, then put it in a clean strainer, and let it drain in a dish, strain it with a little musk or ambergriese, then bake a star of puff paste on a paper, being baked take it off the paper, and put it in a dish for your stuff, then have lozenges also ready baked of puff paste, stick it round with them, and scrape on fine sugar. _a made dish of butter and eggs._ take the yolks of twenty four eggs, and strain them with cinamon, sugar, and salt; then put melted butter to them, some fine minced pippins, and minced citron, put it on your dish of paste, and put slices of citron round about it, bar it with puff paste, and the bottom also, or short paste in the bottom. _to make a made dish of curds._ take some tender curds, wring the wehy from them very well, then put to them two raw eggs, currans, sweet butter, rose-water, cinamon, sugar, and mingle all together, then make a fine paste with flour, yolks of egs, rose-water, & other water, sugar, saffron, and butter, wrought up cold, bake it either in this paste or in puff-paste, being baked ice it with rose-water, sugar, and butter. _to make a paste of violets, cowslips, burrage, bugloss, rosemary flowers,_ &c. take any of these flowers, pick the best of them, and stamp them in a stone mortar, then take double refined sugar, and boil it to a candy height with as much rosewater as will melt it, stir it continually in the boiling, and being boiled thick, cast it into lumps upon a pye plate, when it is cold, box them, and keep them all the year in a stove. _to make the portugal tarts for banquetting._ take a pound of marchpane paste being finely beaten, and put into it a grain of musk, six spoonfuls of rose-water, and the weight of a groat of orris powder, boil all on a chaffing dish of coals till it be something stiff; then take the whites of two eggs, beaten to froth, put them into it, and boil it again a little, let it stand till it be cold, mould it, and roul it out thin; then take a pound more of almond-paste unboil'd, and put to it four ounces of caraway-seed, a grain of musk, and three drops of oyl of lemons, roul the paste into small rouls as big as walnuts, and lay these balls into the first made paste, flat them down like puffs with your thumbs a little like figs and bake them upon marchpane wafers. _to make marchpane._ take two pounds of almonds blanch't and beaten in a stone mortar, till they begin to come to a fine paste, then take a pound of sifted sugar, put it in the mortar with the almonds, and make it into a perfect paste, putting to it now and then in the beating of it a spoonful of rose-water, to keep it from oyling; when you have beat it to a puff paste, drive it out as big as a charger, and set an edge about it as you do upon a quodling tart, and a bottom of wafers under it, thus bake it in an oven or baking pan; when you see it is white, hard, and dry, take it out, and ice it with rose-water and sugar being made as thick as butter for fritters, to spread it on with a wing feather, and put it into the oven again; when you see it rise high, then take it out and garnish it with some pretty conceits made of the same stuff, slick long comfets upright on it, and so serve it. _to make collops like bacon of marchpane._ take some of your marchpane paste and work it with red sanders till it be red, then roul a broad sheet of white marchpane paste, and a sheet of red paste, three of white, and four of red, lay them one upon another, dry it, cut it overthwart, and it will look like collops of bacon. _to make almond bread._ take almonds, and lay them in water all night, blanch them and slice them, take to every pound of almonds a pound of fine sugar finely beat, & mingle them together, then beat the whites of eggs to a high froth, & mix it well with the almonds & sugar; then have some plates and strew some flour on them, lay wafers on them and almonds with edges upwards, lay them as round as you can, and scrape a little sugar on them when they are ready to set in the oven, which must not be so hot as to colour white paper; being a little baked take them out, set them on a plate, then put them in again, and keep them in a stove. _to make almond bisket._ take the whites of four new laid eggs and two yolks, beat them together very well for an hour, then have in readiness a quarter of a pound of the best almonds blanched in cold water, beat them very small with rosewater to keep them from oiling, then have a pound of the best loaf sugar finely beaten, beat it in the eggs a while, then put in the almonds, and five or six spoonfuls of fine flour, so bake them on paper, plates, or wafers; then have a little fine sugar in a piece of tiffany, dust them over as they go into the oven, and bake them as you do bisket. _to make almond-cakes._ take a pound of almonds, blanch them and beat them very small in a little rose-water where some musk hath been steeped, put a pound of sugar to them fine beaten, and four yolks of eggs, but first beat the sugar and the eggs well together, then put them to the almonds and rose-water, and lay the cakes on wafers by half spoonfuls, set them into an oven after manchet is baked. _to make almond-cakes otherways._ take a pound of the best jordan almonds, blanch them in cold water as you do marchpane, being blanched wipe them dry in a clean cloth, & cut away all the rotten from them, then pound them in a stone-motar, & sometimes in the beating put in a spoonful of rose-water wherein you must steep some musk; when they are beaten small mix the almonds with a pound of refined sugar beaten and searsed; then put the stuff on a chafing-dish of coals in a made dish, keep it stirring, and beat the whites of seven eggs all to froth, put it into the stuff and mix it very well together, drop it on a white paper, put it on plates, and bake them in an oven; but they must not be coloured. _to make white ambergriese cakes._ take the purest refined sugar that can be got, beat it and searse it; then have six new laid eggs, and beat them into a froth, take the froth as it riseth, and drop it into the sugar by little and little, grinding it still round in a marble mortar and pestle, till it be throughly moistened, and wrought thin enough to drop on plates; then put in some ambergriese, a little civet, and some anniseeds well picked, then take your pie plates, wipe them, butter them, and drop the stuff on them with a spoon in form of round cakes, put them into a very mild oven and when you see them be hard and rise a little, take them out and keep them for use. _to make sugar-cakes or jambals._ take two pound of flour, dry it, and season it very fine, then take a pound of loaf sugar, beat it very fine, and searse it, mingle your flour and sugar very well; then take a pound and a half of sweet butter, wash out the salt and break it into bits into the flour and sugar, then take the yolks of four new laid eggs, four or five spoonfuls of sack, and four spoonfuls of cream, beat all these together, put them into the flour, and work it up into paste, make them into what fashion you please, lay them upon papers or plates, and put them into the oven; be careful of them, for a very little thing bakes them. _to make jemelloes._ take a pound of fine sugar, being finely beat, and the yolks of four new laid eggs, and a grain of musk, a thimble full of caraway seed searsed, a little gum dragon steeped in rose-water, and six spoonfuls of fine flour beat all these in a thin paste a little stiffer then butter, then run it through a butter-squirt of two or three ells long bigger then a wheat straw, and let them dry upon sheets of paper a quarter of an hour, then tie them in knots or what pretty fashion you please, and when they be dry, boil them in rose-water and sugar; it is an excellent sort of banqueting. _to make jambals._ take a pint of fine wheat flour, the yolks of three or four new laid eggs, three or four spoonfuls of sweet cream, a few anniseeds, and some cold butter, make it into paste, and roul it into long rouls, as big as a little arrow, make them into divers knots, then boil them in fair water like simnels; bake them, and being baked, box them and keep them in a stove. thus you may use them, and keep them all the year. _to make sugar plate._ take double refined sugar, sift it very small through a fine searse, then take the white of an egg, gum dragon, and rose-water, wet it, and beat it in a mortar till you are able to mould it, but wet it not to much at the first. if you will colour it, and the colour be of a watry substance, put it in with the rose-water, if a powder, mix it with your sugar before you wet it; when you have beat it in the mortar, and that it is all wet, and your colour well mixt in every place, then mould it and make it into what form you please. _to make muskedines called rising comfits or vissing comfits._ take half a pound of refined sugar, being beaten and searsed, put into it two grains of musk, a grain of civet, two grains of ambergriese, and a thimble full of white orris powder, beat all these with gum-dragon steeped in rose-water; then roul it as thin as you can, and cut it into little lozenges with your iging-iron, and stow them in some warm oven or stove, then box them and keep them all the year. _to make craknels._ take half a pound of fine flour dryed and searsed, and as much fine sugar searsed, mingled with a spoonfull of coriander-seed bruised, and two ounces of butter rubbed amongst the flour and sugar, wet it with the yolks of two eggs, half a spoonful of white rose-water, and two spoonfuls of cream, or as much as will wet it, work the paste till it be soft and limber to roul and work, then roul it very thin, and cut them round by little plats, lay them upon buttered papers, and when they go into the oven, prick them, and wash the tops with the yolk of an egg, beaten and made thin with rose-water or fair water; they will give with keeping, therfore before they are eaten they must be dried in a warm oven to make them crisp. _to make mackeroons._ take a pound of the finest sugar, and a pound of the best jordan-almonds, steep them in cold water, blanch them and pick out the spots: then beat them to a perfect paste in a stone mortar, in the beating of them put rose-water to them to keep them from oyling, being finely beat, put them in a dish with the sugar, and set them over a chafing-dish of coals, stir it till it will come clean from the bottom of the dish, then put in two grains of musk, and three of ambergriese. _to make the italian chips._ take some paste of flowers, beat them to fine powder, and searse or sift them; then take some gum-dragon steeped in rose-water, beat it to a perfect paste in a marble mortar, then roul it thin, and lay one colour upon another in a long roul, roul them very thin, then cut them overthwart, and they will look of divers pretty colours like marble. _to make bisket bread._ take a pound of sugar searsed very fine, a pound of flour well dryed, twelve eggs and but six whites, a handful of caraway-seed, and a little salt; beat all these together the space of an hour, then your oven being hot, put them into plates or tin things, butter them and wipe them, a spoonful into a plate is enough, so set them into the oven, and make it as hot as to bake them for manchet. _to make bisquite du roy._ take a pound of fine searsed sugar, a pound of fine flour, and six eggs, beat them very well, then put them all into a stone mortar, and pound them for the space of an hour and a half, let it not stand still, for then it will be heavy, and when you have beaten it so long a time, put in halfe an ounce of anniseed; then butter over some pie plates, and drop the stuff on the plate as fast as two or three can with spoons, shape them round as near as you can, and set them into an oven as hot as for manchet, but the less they are coloured the better. _bisquite du roy otherways._ take to a pound of flour a pound of sugar, and twelve new laid eggs, beat them in a deep dish, then put to them two grains of musk dissolved, rose-water, anniseed, and coriander-seed, beat them the space of an hour with a wooden spatter; then the oven being ready, have white tin molds butter'd, and fill them with this bisquite, strow double refined sugar in them, and bake them when they rise out of the moulds, draw them and put them on a great pasty-plate or pye-plate, and dry them in a stove, and put them in a square lattin box, and lay white papers betwixt every range or rank, have a padlock to it, and set it over a warm oven, so keep them, and thus for any kind of bisket, mackeroons, marchpane, sugar plates, or pasties, set them in a temperate place where they may not give with every change of weather, and thus you may keep them very long. _to make shell bread._ take a quarter of a pound of rice flour, a quarter of a pound of fine flour, the yolks of four new laid eggs, and a little rose-water, and a grain of musk; make these into a perfect paste, then roul it very thin and bake it in great muscle-shells, but first roast the shells in butter melted where they be baked, boil them in melted sugar as you boil a simmel, then lay them on the bottom of a wooden sieve, and they will eat as crisp as a wafer. _ to make bean bread._ take two pound of blanched almonds and slice them, take to them two pound of double refined sugar finely beaten and searsed, five whites of eggs beaten to froth, a little musk steeped to rose-water and some anniseeds, mingle them all together in a dish, and bake them on pewter-plates buttered, then afterwards dry them and them. _to make ginger-bread._ take a pound of jordan almonds, and a penny manchet grated and sifted and mingled among the almond paste very fine beaten, an ounce of slic't ginger, two thimble fuls of liquoras and anniseed in powder finely searsed, beat all in a mortar together, with two or three spoonfuls of rose-water, beat them to a perfect paste with half a pound of sugar, mould it, and roul it thin, then print it and dry it in a stove, and guild it if you please. thus you may make gingerbread of sugar plate, putting sugar to it as abovesaid. _to make ipocras._ take to a gallon of wine, three ounces of cinamon, two ounces of slic't ginger, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, an ounce of mace, twenty corns of pepper, an ounce of nutmegs, three pound of sugar, and two quarts of cream. _otherways._ take to a pottle of wine, an ounce of cinamon, an ounce of ginger, an ounce of nutmegs, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, seven corns of pepper, a handful of rosemary-flowers, and two pound of sugar. _to make excellent mead much commended._ take to every quart of honey a gallon of fair spring water, boil it well with nutmeg and ginger bruised a little, in the boiling scum it well, and being boil'd set it a cooling in severall vessels that it may stand thin, then the next day put it in the vessel, and let it stand a week or two, then draw it in bottles. if it be to drink in a short time you may work it as beer, but it will not keep long. or take to every gallon of water, a quart of honey, a quarter of an ounce of mace, as much ginger and cinnamon, and half as much cloves, bruise them, and use them as abovesaid. _otherways._ take five quarts and a pint of water, warm it, and put to it a quart of honey, and to every gallon of liquor one lemon, and a quarter of an ounce of nutmegs; it must boil till the scum rise black, and if you will have it quickly ready to drink, squeeze into it a lemon when you tun it, and tun it cold. _to make metheglin._ take all sorts of herbs that are good and wholesome as balm, mint, rosemary, fennil, angelica, wild time, hysop, burnet, agrimony, and such other field herbs, half a handful of each, boil and strain them, and let the liquor stand till the next day, being setled take two gallons and a half of honey, let it boil an hour, and in the boiling scum it very clean, set it a cooling as you do beer, and when it is cold, take very good barm and put it into the bottom of the tub, by a little & a little as to beer, keeping back the thick setling that lieth in the bottom of the vessel that it is cooled in; when it is all put together cover it with a cloth and let it work very near three days, then when you mean to put it up, skim off all the barm clean, and put it up into a vessel, but you must not stop the vessel very close in three or four days, but let it have some vent to work; when it is close stopped you must look often to it, and have a peg on the top to give it vent, when you heare it make a noise as it will do, or else it will break the vessel. sometimes make a bag and put in good store of slic't ginger, some cloves and cinamon, boil'd or not. * * * * * * * * * section xii. _to make all manner of creams, sack-possets, sillabubs, blamangers, white-pots, fools, wassels,_ &c. _to make apple cream._ take twelve pippins, pare and slice, or quarter them, put them into a skillet with some claret wine, and a race of ginger sliced thin, a little lemon-peel cut small, and some sugar; let all these stew together till they be soft, then take them off the fire and put them in a dish, and when they be cold take a quart of cream boil'd with a little nutmeg, and put in of the apple stuff to make it of what thickness you please, and so serve it up. _to make codling cream._ take twenty fair codlings being peeld and codled tender and green, put them in a clean silver-dish, filled half full of rose-water, and half a pound of sugar, boil all this liquor together till half be consumed, and keep it stirring till it be ready, then fill up the dish with good thick and sweet cream, stir it till it be well mingled, and when it hath boil'd round about the dish, take it off, sweeten it with fine sugar, and serve it cold. _otherways._ codle forty fair codlings green and tender, then peel and core them, and beat them in a mortar, strain them with a quart of cream, and mix them well together in a dish with fine sugar, sack, musk, and rose-water. thus you may do with any fruit you please. _to boil cream with codlings._ boil a quart of cream with mace, sugar, two yolks of eggs, two spoonfulls of rose water, and a grain of ambergriese, put it into the cream, and set them over the fire till they be ready to boil, then set them to cool, stirring it till it be cold; then take a quart of green codling stuff strained, put it into a silver dish, and mingle it with cream. _to make quince-cream._ take and boil them in fair water, but first let the water boil, then put them in and being tender boil'd take them up and peel them, strain them and mingle it with fine sugar, then take some very good and sweet cream, mix all together and make it of a fit thickness, or boil the cream with a stick of cinamon, and let it stand till it be cold before you put it to the quinces. thus you may do wardens or pears. _to make plum cream._ take any kind of plums, apricocks, or the like, and put them in a dish with some sugar, white-wine, sack, claret, or rose-water, close them up with a piece of paste between two dishes; being baked and cold, put to them cream boil'd with eggs, or without, or raw, and scrape on sugar, _&c._ _to make gooseberry cream._ codle them green, and boil them up with sugar, being preserved put them into the cream strain'd as whole, scrape sugar on them, and so serve them cold in boil'd or raw cream. thus you may do strawberries, raspas, or red currans, put in raw cream whole, or serve them with wine and sugar in a dish without cream. _to make snow cream._ take a quart of cream, six whites of eggs, a quartern of rose-water, a quarter of a pound of double refined sugar, beat them together in a deep bason or a boul dish, then have a fine silver dish with a penny manchet, the bottom and upper crust being taken away, & made fast with paste to the bottom of the dish, and a streight sprig of rosemary set in the middle of it; then beat the cream and eggs together, and as it froatheth take it off with a spoon and lay it on the bread and rosemary till you have fill'd the dish. you may beat amongst it some musk and ambergriese dissolv'd, and gild it if you please. _to make snow cream otherways._ boil a quart of cream with a stick of cinamon, and thicken it with rice flour, the yolks of two or three eggs, a little rose-water, sugar, and salt, give it a walm, and put it in a dish, lay clouted cream on it, and fill it up with whip cream or cream that cometh out of the top of a churn when the butter is come, disht out of a squirt or some other fine way, scrape on sugar, sprinkle it with rosewater, and stick some pine-apple-seeds on it. _otherways._ take three pints of cream, and the whites of seven eggs, strain them together, with a little rosewater and as much sugar as will sweeten it; then take a stick of a foot long, and split it in four quarters, beat the cream with it, or else with a whisk, and when the snow riseth, put it in a cullender with a spoon, that the thin may run from it, when you have snow enough, boil the rest with cinamon, ginger, and cloves, seeth it till it be thick, then strain it and when it is cold, put it in a clean dish, and lay your snow upon it. _to make snow cream otherways with almonds._ take a quart of good sweet cream, and a quarter of a pound of almond paste fine beaten with rose-water, and strained with half a pint of white-wine, put some orange-peel to it, a slic't nutmeg, and three sprigs of rosemary, let it stand two or three hours in steep; then put some double refined sugar to it, and strain it into a bason, beat it till it froth and bubble, and as the froth riseth, take it off with a spoon, and lay it in the dish you serve it up in. _to make a jelly of almonds as white as snow._ take a pound of almonds, steep them in cold water six hours, and blanch them into cold water, then make a decoction of half a pound of ising-glass, with two quarts of white wine and the juyce of two lemons, boil it till half be wasted, then let it cool and strain it, mingle it with the almonds, and strain them with a pound of double refined sugar, & the juyce of two lemons, turn it into colours, red, white, or yellow, and put it into egg shells, or orange peels, and serve them on a pye plate upon a dish. _to make almond cream._ take half a pound of almond paste beaten with ros-water, and strain it with a quart of cream, put it in a skillet with a stick of cinamon and boil it, stir it continually, and when it is boiled thick, put sugar to it, and serve it up cold. _to make almond cream otherways._ take thick almond milk made with fair spring-water, and boil it a little then take it from the fire, and put to a little salt and vinegar, cast it into a clean strainer and hang it upon a pin over a dish, then being finely drained, take it down and put it in a dish, put to it some fine beaten sugar, and a little sack, muskedine, or white wine, dish it on a silver dish, and strow on red biskets. _otherways._ take a quart of cream, boil it over night, then in the morning have half a pound of almonds blanched and fine beaten, strain them with the cream, and put to it a quarter of a pound of double refined sugar, a little rose-water, a little fine ginger and cinamon finely searsed, and mixed all together, dish it in a clean silver dish with fine carved sippets round about it. _to make almond cheese._ take almonds being beaten as fine as marchpane paste, then have a sack-posset with cream and sack, mingle the curd of the posset with almond paste, and set it on a chafing-dish of coals, put some double refined sugar to it and some rose-water; then fashion it on a pye-plate like a fresh cheese, put it in a dish, put a little cream to it, scrape sugar, on it, and being cold serve it up. _to make an excellent cream._ take a quart of cream, and set it a boiling, with a large mace or two, whilst it is boiling cut some thin sippets, and lay them in a very fine clean dish, then have seven or eight yolks of eggs strained with rose-water, put some sugar to them, then take the cream from the fire, put in the eggs, and stir all together, then pour it on the slices of fine manchet, and being cold scrape on sugar, and so serve it. _to make cream otherways._ take a quart of cream, and boil it with four or five large maces, and a stick of whole cinamon; when it hath boiled a little while, have seven or eight yolks of eggs dissolved with a little cream, take the cream from the fire and put in the eggs, stir them well into the boiled cream, and put it in a clean dish, take out the spices, and when it is cold stick it with those maces and cinamon. thus you may do with the whites of the eggs with cream. _to make cast cream._ take a quart of cream, a pint of new milk, and the whites of six eggs, strain them together and boil it, in the boiling stir it continnally till it be thick, then put to it some verjuyce, and put it into a strainer, hang it on a nail or pin to drain the whey from it, then strain it, put some sugar to it and rose-water; drain it in a fair dish, and strow on some preserved pine-kernels, or candied pistaches. in this fashion you may do it of the yolks of eggs. _to make clouted cream._ take three galons of new milk, and set it on the fire in a clean scowred brass pan or kettle till it boils, then make a hole in the middle of the milk, & take three pints of good cream and put into the hole as it boileth, boil it together half an hour, then divide it into four milk pans, and let it cool two days, if the weather be not too hot, then take it up with a slice or scummer, put it in a dish, and sprinkle it with rose-water, lay one clod upon another, and scrape on sugar. _to make clouted cream otherways extraordinary._ take four gallons of new milk from the cow, set it over the fire in clean scowred pan or kettle to scald ready to boil, strain it through a clean strainer and put it into several pans to cool, then take the cream some six hours after, and put it in the dish you mean to serve it in, season it with rose-water, sugar, and musk, put some raw cream to it, and some snow cream on that. _to make clouted cream otherways._ take a gallon of new milk from the cow, two quarts of cream and twelve spoonfuls of rose-water, put these together in a large milk-pan, and set it upon a fire of charcoal well kindled, (you must be sure the fire be not too hot) and let it stand a day and a night, then take it off and dish it with a slice or scummer, let no milk be in it, and being disht and cut in fine little pieces, scrape sugar on it. _to make a very good cream._ when you churn butter, take out half a pint of cream just as it begins to turn to butter, (that is, when it is a little frothy) then boil a quart of good thick and new cream, season it with sugar and a little rose-water, when it is quite cold, mingle it very well with that you take out of the churn, and so dish it. _to make a sack cream._ take a quart of cream, and set it on the fire, when it is boiled, drop in six or eight drops of sack, and stir it well to keep it from curdling, then season it with sugar and strong water. _to make cabbidge cream._ set six quarts of new milk on the fire, and when it boils empty it into ten or twelve earthen pans or bowls as fast as you can without frothing, set them where they may come, and when they are a little cold, gather the cream that is on the top with your hand, rumpling it together, and lay it on a plate, when you have laid three or four layers on one another, wet a feather in rose-water and musk and stroke over it, then searse a little grated nutmeg, and fine sugar, (and if you please, beat some musk and ambergriese in it) and lay three or four lays more on as before; thus do till you have off all the cream in the bowls, then put all the milk to boil again, and when it boils set it as you did before in bowls, and so use it in like manner; it will yield four or five times seething, which you must use as before, that it may lye round and high like a cabbige; or let one of the first bowls stand because the cream may be thick and most crumpled, take that up last to lay on uppermost, and when you serve it up searse or scrape sugar on it; this must be made over night for dinner, or in the morning for supper. _to make stone cream._ take a quart of cream, two or three blades of large mace, two or three little sticks of cinamon, and six spoonfulls of rosewater, season it sweet with sugar, and boil it till it taste well of the spice, then dish it, and stir it till it be as cold as milk from the cow, then put in a little runnet and stir it together, let it stand and cool, and serve it to the table. _to make whipt cream._ take a whisk or a rod and beat it up thick in a bowl or large bason, till it be as thick as the cream that comes off the top of a churn, then lay fine linning clouts on saucers being wet, lay on the cream, and let it rest two or three hours, then turn them into a fine silver dish, put raw cream to them, and scrape on sugar. _to make rice cream._ take a quart of cream, two handfuls of rice flour, and a quarter of a pound of sugar, mingle the flour and sugar very well together, and put it in the cream; then beat the yolk of an egg with a little rose-water, put it to the cream and stir them all together, set it over a quick fire, keeping it continually stirring till it be as thick as pap. _to make another rare cream._ take a pound of almond paste fine beaten with rose-water, mingle it with a quart of cream, six eggs, a little sack, half a pound of sugar, and some beaten nutmeg; strain them and put them in a clean scowred skillet, and set it on a soft fire, stir it continually, and being well incorporated, dish it, and serve it with juyce of orange, sugar, and stick it full of canded pistaches. _to make a white leach of cream._ take a quart of cream, twelve spoonfuls of rose-water, two grains of musk, two drops of oyl of mace, or two large maces, boil them with half a pound of sugar, and half a pound of the whitest ising-glass; being first steeped and washed clean, then run it through your jelly-bag, into a dish; when it is cold slice it into chequer-work, and serve it on a plate. this is the best way to make leach. _to make other leach with almonds._ take two ounces of ising-glass, lay it two hours in fair water; then boil it in clear spring water, and being well digested set it to cool; then have a pound of almonds beaten very fine with rose-water, strain them with a pint of new milk, and put in some mace and slic't ginger, boil them till it taste well of the spices, then put into it the digested ising-glass, some sugar, and a little rose-water, give it a warm over the fire, and run it through a strainer into dishes, and slice it into dishes. _to make a cream tart in the italian fashion to eat cold._ take twenty yolks of eggs, and two quarts of cream, strain it with a little salt, saffron, rose-water, juyce of orange, a little white-wine, and a pound of fine sugar, then bake it in a deep dish with some fine cinamon, and some canded pistaches stuck on it, and when it is baked, white muskedines. thus you may do with the whites of the eggs, and put in no spices. _to make piramedis cream._ take a quart of water, and six ounces of harts-horn, put it into a bottle with gum-dragon, and gum-araback, of each as much as a walnut; put them all into the bottle, which must be so big as will hold a pint more, for if it be full it will break, stop it very close with a cork, and tye a cloth over it, put the bottle in the beef-pot, or boil it in a pot with water, let it boil three hours, then take as much cream as there is jelly, and half a pound of almonds well beaten with rose-water, mingle the cream and the almonds together, strain it, then put the jelly when it is cold into a silver bason, and the cream to it, sweeten it as you please, and put in two or three grains of musk and ambergriese, set it over the fire, and stir it continually till be seathing hot, but let it not boil; then put it in an old fashioned drinking glass, and let it stand till it be cold, when you will use it, put the glass in some warm water, and whelm it in a dish, then take pistaches boil'd in white-wine and sugar, stick it all over, and serve it in with cream. _french barley cream._ take a porringer full of french perle barley, boil it in eight or nine several waters very tender, then put it in a quart of cream, with some large mace, and whole cinamon, boil it about a quarter of an hour; then have two pound of almonds blanched and beaten fine with rose-water, put to them some sugar, and strain the almonds with some cold cream, then put all over the fire, and stir it till it be half cold, then put to it two spoonfuls of sack or white-wine, and a little salt, and serve it in a dish cold. _to make cheesecakes._ let your paste be very good, either puff-paste or cold butter-paste, with sugar mixed with it, then the whey being dried very well from the cheese-curds which must be made of new milk or butter, beat them in a mortar or tray, with a quarter of a pound of butter to every pottle of curds, a good quantity of rose-water, three grains of ambergriese or musk prepared, the crums of a small manchet rubbed through a cullender, the yolks of ten eggs, a grated nutmeg, a little salt, and good store of sugar, mix all these well together with a little cream, but do not make them too soft; instead of bread you may take almonds which are much better; bake them in a quick oven, and let them not stand too long in, least they should be to dry. _to make cheesecakes otherways._ make the crust of milk & butter boil'd together, put it into the flour & make it up pretty stiff, to a pottle of fine flour, take half a pound of butter; then take a fresh cheese made of morning milk, and a pint of cream, put it to the new milk, and set the cheese with some runnet, when it is come, put it in a cheese-cloth and press it from the whey, stamp in the curds a grated fine small manchet, some cloves and mace, a pound and a half of well washed and pick't currans, the yolks of eight eggs, some rose-water, salt, half a pound of refined white sugar, and a nutmeg or two; work all these materials well together with a quarter of a pound of good sweet butter, and some cream, but make it not too soft, and make your cheesecakes according to these formes. _to make cheesecakes otherways._ make the paste of a pottle of flour, half a pound of butter, as much ale barm as two egg shells will hold, and a little saffron made into fine powder, and put into the flour, melt the butter in milk, and make up the paste; then take the curds of a gallon of new milk cheese, and a pint of cream, drain the whey very well from it, pound it in a mortar, then mix it with half a pound of sugar, and a pound of well washed and picked currans, a grated nutmeg, some fine beaten cinamon, salt, rose-water, a little saffron made into fine powder, and some eight yolks of eggs, work it up very stiff with some butter and a little cream. _otherways._ take six quarts of new milk, run it pretty cold, and when it is tender come, drain from it the whey, and hang it up in a strainer, press the whey from it, and beat it in a mortar till it be like butter, then strain it through a strainer, and mingle it with a pound of butter with your hand; then beat a pound of almonds with rose-water till they be as fine as the curds; put to them the yolks of twenty eggs, a quart of cream, two grated nutmegs, and a pound and a half of sugar, when the coffins are ready to be set into the oven, then mingle them together, and let them bake half an hour; the paste must be made of milk and butter warmed together, dry the coffins as you do for a custard, make the paste very stiff, and make them into works. _to make cheesecakes without milk._ take twelve eggs, take away six whites, and beat them very well, then take a quart of cream, and boil it with mace, take it off the fire, put in the eggs, and stir them well together, then set it on the fire again, and let it boil till it curds; then set it off, and put to it a good quantity of sugar, some grated nutmeg, and beaten mace; then dissolve musk & ambergriese in rose-water, three or four spoonfuls of grated bread, with half a pound of almonds beat small, a little cream, and some currans; then make the paste for them of flour, sugar, cream, and butter, bake them in a mild oven; a quarter of an hour will bake them. _cheesecakes otherways._ for the paste take a pottle of flour, half a pound of butter and the white of an egg, work it well into the flour with the butter, then put a little cold water to it, and work it up stiff; then take a pottle of cream, half a pound of sugar, and a pound of currans boil'd before you put them in, a whole nutmeg grated, and a little pepper fine beaten, boil these gently, and stir it continually with twenty eggs well beaten amongst the cream, being boil'd and cold, fill the cheesecakes. _to make cheesecakes otherways._ take eighteen eggs, and beat them very well, beat some flour amongst them to make them pretty thick; then have a pottle of cream and boil it, being boiled put in your eggs, flour, and half a pound of butter, some cinamon, salt, boil'd currans, and sugar, set them over the fire, and boil it pretty thick, being cold fill them and bake them, make the crust as beforesaid. _to make cheesecakes in the italian fashion._ take four pound of good fat holland cheese, and six pound of good fresh cheese curd of a morning milk cheese or better, beat them in a stone or wooden mortar, then put sugar to them, & two pound of well washed currans, twelve eggs, whites & all, being first well beaten, a pound of sugar, some cream, half an ounce of cinamon, a quarter of an ounce of mace, and a little saffron, mix them well together, & fill your talmouse or cheesecakes pasty-ways in good cold butter-paste; sometimes use beaten almonds amongst it, and some pistaches whole; being baked, ice them with yolks of eggs, rose-water, and sugar, cast on red and white biskets, and serve them up hot. _cheesecakes in the italian fashion otherways._ take a pound of pistaches stamped with two pound of morning-milk cheese-curd fresh made, three ounces of elder flowers, ten eggs, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pottle of flour, strain these in a course strainer, and put them in short or puff past. _to make cheesecakes otherways._ take a good morning milk cheese, or better, of some eight pound weight, stamp it in a mortar, and beat a pound of butter amongst it, and a pound of sugar, then mix with it beaten mace, two pound of currans well picked and washed, a penny manchet grated, or a pound of almonds blanched and beaten with fine rose-water, and some salt; then boil some cream, and thicken it with six or eight yolks of eggs, mixed with the other things, work them well together, and fill the cheesecakes, make the curd not too soft, and make the paste of cold butter and water according to these forms. _to make a triffel._ take a quart of the best and thickest cream, set it on the fire in a clean skillet, and put to it whole mace, cinamon, and sugar, boil it well in the cream before you put in the sugar; then your cream being well boiled, pour it into a fine silver piece or dish, and take out the spices, let it cool till it be no more than blood-warm, then put in a spoonful of good runnet, and set it well together being cold scrape sugar on it, and trim the dish sides finely. _to make fresh cheese and cream._ take a pottle of milk as it comes from the cow, and a pint of cream, put to it a spoonful of runnet, and let it stand two hours, then stir it up and put it in a fine cloth, let the whey drain from it, and put the curd into a bowl-dish, or bason; then put to it the yolk of an egg, a spoonful of rose-water, some salt, sugar, and a little nutmeg finely beaten, put it to the cheese in the cheese-fat on a fine cloth, then scrape on sugar, and serve it on a plate in a dish. thus you may make fresh cheese and cream in the _french_ fashion called _jonches_, or rush cheese, being put in a mould of rushes tyed at both ends, and being dished put cream to it. _to make a posset._ take the yolks of twenty eggs, then have a pottle of good thick sweet cream, boil it with good store of whole cinamon, and stir it continually on a good fire, then strain the eggs with a little raw cream; when the cream is well boiled and tasteth of the spice, take it off the fire, put in the eggs, and stir them well in the cream, being pretty thick, have some sack in a posset pot or deep silver bason, half a pound of double refined sugar, and some fine grated nutmeg, warm it in the bason and pour in the cream and eggs, the cinamon being taken out, pour it as high as you can hold the skillet, let it spatter in the bason to make it froth, it will make a most excellent posset, then have loaf-sugar fine beaten, and strow on it good store. to the curd you may add some fine grated manchet, some claret or white-wine, or ale only. _to make a posset otherways._ take two quarts of new cream, a quarter of an ounce of whole cinamon, and two nutmegs quartered, boil it till it taste well of the spice, and keep it always stirring, or it will burn to, then take the yolks of fourteen or fifteen eggs beaten well together with a little cold cream, put them to the cream on the fire, and stir it till it begin to boil, then take it off and sweeten it with sugar, and stir it on till it be pretty cool; then take a pint and a quarter of sack, sweeten that also and set it on the fire till it be ready to boil, then put it in a fine clean scowred bason, or posset pot, and pour the cream into it, elevating your hand to make it froth, which is the grace of your posset; if you put it through a tunnel or cullender, it is held the more exquisite way. _to make sack posset otherways._ take two quarts of good cream, and a quarter of a pound of the best almonds stamp't with some rose-water or cream, strain them with the cream, and boil with it amber and musk; then take a pint of sack in a bason, and set it on a chaffing dish till it be bloud warm; then take the yolks of twelve eggs with whites, beat them very well together, and so put the eggs into the sack, make it good and hot, then stir all together in the bason, set the cream cool a little before you put it into the sack, and stir all together on the coals, till it be as thick as you would have it, then take some amber and musk, grind it small with sugar, and strew it on the top of the posset, it will give it a most delicate and pleasant taste. _sack posset otherways._ take eight eggs, whites and yolks, beat them well together, and strain them into a quart of cream, season them with nutmeg and sugar, and put to them a pint of sack, stir them all together, and put it into your bason, set it in the oven no hotter then for a custard, and let it stand two hours. _to make a sack posset without milk or cream._ take eighteen eggs, whites and all, take out the cock-treads, and beat them very well, then take a pint of sack, and a quart of ale boil'd scum it, and put into it three quarters of a pound of sugar, and half a nutmeg, let it boil a little together, then take it off the fire stirring the eggs still, put into them two or three ladlefuls of drink, then mingle all together, set it on the fire, and keep it stirring till you find it thick, and serve it up. _other posset._ take a quart of cream, and a quarter of nutmeg in it, set it on the fire, and let it boil a little, as it is boling take a pot or bason that you may make the posset in, and put in three spoonfuls of sack, and some eight spoonfuls of ale, sweeten it with sugar, then set it on the coals to warm a little while; being warmed, take it off and let it stand till it be almost cold, then put it into the pot or bason, stir it a little, and let it stand to simmer over the fire an hour or more, the longer the better. _an excellent syllabub._ fill your sillabub pot half full with sider, and good store of sugar, and a little nutmeg, stir it well together, and put in as much cream by two or three spoonfuls at a time, as hard as you can, as though you milkt it in; then stir it together very softly once about, and let it stand two hours before you eat it, for the standing makes it curd. _to make white pots according to these forms._ take a quart of good thick cream, boil it with three or four blades of large mace, and some whole cinamon, then take the whites of four eggs, and beat them very well, when the cream boils up, put them in, and take them off the fire keeping them stirring a little while, & put in some sugar; then take five or six pippins, pare, and slice them, then put in a pint of claret wine, some raisins of the sun, some sugar, beaten cinamon, and beaten ginger; boil the pippins to pap, then cut some sippets very thin and dry them before the fire; when the apples and cream are boil'd & cold, take half the sippets & lay them in a dish, lay half the apples on them, then lay on the rest of the sippets and apples as you did before, then pour on the rest of the cream and bake it in the oven as a custard, and serve it with scraping sugar. bake these in paste, in dish or pan, or make the paste as you will do for a custard, make it three inches high in the foregoing forms. _otherways to make a white pot._ take a quart of sweet cream and boil it, then put to it two ounces of picked rice, some beaten mace, ginger, cinamon, and sugar, let these steep in it till it be cold, and strain into it eight yolks of eggs and but two whites, then put in two ounces of clean washed and picked currans, and some salt, stir all well together, and bake it in paste, earthen pan, dish, or deep bason; being baked, trim it with some sugar, and comfits of orange, cinamon, or white biskets. _to make a wassel._ take muskedine or ale, and set it on the fire to warm, then boil a quart of cream and two or three whole cloves, then have the yolks of three or four eggs dissolved with a little cream; the cream being well boiled with the spices, put in the eggs and stir them well together, then have sops or sippets of fine manchet or french bread, put them in a bason, and pour in the warm wine, with some sugar and thick cream on that; stick it with blanched almonds and cast on cinamon, ginger, and sugar, or wafers, sugar plate, or comfits. _to make a norfolk fool._ take a quart of good thick sweet cream, and set it a boiling in a clean scoured skillet, with some large mace and whole cinamon; then having boil'd a warm or two take the yolks of five or six eggs dissolved and put to it, being taken from the fire, then take out the cinamon and mace; the cream being pretty thick, slice a fine manchet into thin slices, as much as will cover the bottom of the dish, pour on the cream on them, and more bread, some two or three times till the dish be full, then trim the dish side with fine carved sippets, and stick it with slic't dates, scrape on sugar, and cast on red and white biskets. _to make pap._ take milk and flour, strain them, and set it over the fire till it boil, being boil'd, take it off and let it cool; then take the yolks of eggs, strain them, and put it in the milk with some salt, set it again on the embers, and stir it till it be thick, and stew leisurely, then put it in a clean scowred dish, and serve it for pottage, or in paste, add to it sugar and rose-water. _to make blamanger according to these forms._ take a capon being boil'd or rosted & mince it small then have a pound of blanched almonds beaten to a paste, and beat the minced capon amongst it, with some rose-water, mingle it with some cream, ten whites of eggs, and grated manchet, strain all the foresaid things with some salt, sugar, and a little musk, boil them in a pan or broad skillet clean scowred as thick as pap, in the boiling stir it continually, being boil'd strain it again, and serve it in paste in the foregoing forms, or made dishes with paste royal. to make your paste for the forms, take to a quart of flour a quarter of a pound of butter, and the yolks of four eggs, boil your butter in fair water, and put the yolks of the eight eggs on one side of your dish, make up your paste quick, not too dry, and make it stiff. _otherways._ take to a quart of fine flour a quarter of a pound of butter, a quarter of a pound of sugar, a little saffron, rose-water, a little beaten cinamon, and the yolk of an egg or two, work up all cold together with a little almond milk. _blamanger otherways._ take a boil'd or rost capon, and being cold take off the skin, mince it and beat it in a mortar, with some almond paste, then mix it with some capon broth, and crumbs of manchet, strained together with some rose-water, salt, and sugar; boil it to a good thickness, then put it into the paste of the former forms, of an inch high, or in dishes with paste royal, the paste being first baked. in this manner you may make blamanger of a pike. _otherways._ boil or rost a capon, mince it, and stamp it with almond paste, & strain it either with capon broth, cream, goats-milk, or other milk, strain them with some rice flour, sugar, and rosewater, boil it in a pan like pap, with a little musk, and stir it continually in the boiling, then put in the forms of paste as aforesaid. sometimes use for change pine-apple-seeds and currans, other times put in dates, cinamon, saffron, figs, and raisins being minced together, put them in as it boils with a little sack. _to make blamanger otherways._ take half a pound of fine searsed rice flour, and put to it a quart of morning milk, strain them through a strainer into a broad skillet; and set it on a soft fire, stir it with a broad stick, and when it is a little thick take it from the fire, then put in a quartern of rose-water, set it to the fire again, and stir it well, in the stirring beat it with the stick from the one side of the pan to the other, and when it is as thick as pap, take it from the fire, and put it in a fair platter, when it is cold lay three slices in a dish, and scrape on sugar. _blamanger otherways._ take a capon or a pike and boil it in fair water very tender, then take the pulp of either of them and chop it small, then take a pound of blanched almonds beat to a paste, beat the pulp and the almonds together, and put to them a quart of cream, the whites of ten eggs, and the crumbs of a fine manchet, mingle all together, and strain them with some sugar and salt, put them in a clean broad stew pan and set them over the fire, stir it and boil it thick; being boiled put it into a platter till it be cold, strain it again with a little rose-water, and serve it with sugar. _otherways._ blanch some almonds & beat them very fine to a paste with the boil'd pulp of a pike or capon, & crums of fine manchet, strain all together with sugar, and boil it to the thickness of an apple moise, then let it cool, strain it again with a little rose-water, and so serve it. _to make blamanger in the italian fashion._ boil a capon in water and salt very tender, or all to mash, then beat almonds, and strain them with your capon-broth, rice flour, sugar, and rose-water; boil it like pap, and serve it in this form; sometimes in place of broth use cream. * * * * * * * * * section xiii. or, the first section for dressing of _fish_. _shewing divers ways, and the most excellent, for dressing of carps, either boiled, stewed, broiled, roasted, or baked,_ &c. _to boil a carp in corbolion._ take as much wine as water, and a good handful of salt, when it boils, draw the carp and put it in the liquor, boil it with a continual quick fire, and being boiled, dish it up in a very clean dish with sippets round about it, and slic't lemon, make the sauce of sweet butter, beaten up with slic't lemon and grated nutmeg, garnish the dish with beaten ginger. _to boil a carp the best way to be eaten hot._ take a special male carp of eighteen inches, draw it, wash out the blood, and lay it in a tray, then put to it some wine-vinegar and salt, put the milt to it, the gall being taken from it; then have three quarts of white wine or claret, a quart of white wine vinegar, & five pints of fair water, or as much as will cover it; put the wine, water and vinegar, in a fair scowred pan or kettle, with a handful of salt, a quarter of an ounce of large mace, half a quartern of whole cloves, three slic'd nutmegs, six races of ginger pared and sliced, a quarter of an ounce of pepper, four or five great onions whole or sliced; then make a faggot of sweet herbs, of the tops of streight sprigs, of rosemary, seven or eight bay-leaves, tops of sweet marjoram, as much of the streight tops of time, winter-savory, and parsley; being well bound up, put them into the kettle with the spices, and some orange and lemon-peels; make them boil apace before you put in the carp, and boil it up quick with a strong fire; being finely boil'd and crisp, dish it in a large clean scowred dish, lay on the herbs and spice on the carp, with slic't lemons and lemon-peels, put some of the broth to it, and run it over with beaten butter, put fine carved sippets round about it, and garnish the dish with fine searsed manchet. or you may make sauce for it only with butter beat up thick, with slices of lemon, some of the carp liquor, and an anchove or two, and garnish the dish with beatten ginger. or take three or four anchoves and dissolve them in some white-wine, put them in a pipkin with some slic't horse-raddish, gross pepper, some of the carp liquor, and some stewed oyster liquor, or stewed oysters, large mace, and a whole onion or two; the sauce being well stewed, dissolve the yolks of three or four eggs with some of the sauce, and give it a warm or two, pour it on the carp with some beaten butter, the stewed oysters and slic't lemon, barberries, or grapes. _otherways._ dissolve three or four anchoves, with a little grated bread and nutmeg, and give it a warm in some of the broth the carp was boiled in, beat it up thick with some butter, and a clove of garlick, or pour it on the carp. or make sauce with beaten butter, grape-verjuyce, white wine, slic't lemon, juyce of oranges, juyce of sorrel, or white-wine vinegar. _or thus._ take white or claret wine, put it in a pipkin with some pared or sliced ginger, large mace, dates quartered, a pint of great oysters with the liquor, a little vinegar and salt, boil these a quarter of an hour, then mince a handful of parsley, and some sweet herbs, boil it as much longer till half be consumed, then beat up the sauce with half a pound of butter and a slic't lemon, and pour it on the carp. sometimes for the foresaid carp use grapes, barberries, gooseberries, and horse-raddish, _&c._ _to make a bisque of carps._ take twelve handsome male carps, and one larger than the rest, take out all the milts, and flea the twelve small carps, cut off their heads, take out their tongues, and take the fish from the bones, then take twelve large oysters and three or four yolks of hard eggs minc'd together, season it with cloves, mace, and salt, make thereof a stiff searse, add thereto the yolks of four or five eggs to bind, and fashion it into balls or rolls as you please, lay them into a deep dish or earthen pan, and put thereto twenty or thirty great oysters, two or three anchoves, the milts & tongues of the twelve carps, half a pound of fresh butter, the liquor of the oysters, the juyce of a lemon or two, a little white wine, some of the corbolion wherein the great carp is boil'd, & a whole onion, so set them a stewing on a soft fire, and make a soop therewith. for the great carp you must scald, draw him, and lay him for half an hour with other carps heads in a deep pan, with as much white wine vinegar as will cover and serve to boil him & the other heads in, then put therein pepper, whole mace, a race of ginger, slic't nutmeg, salt, sweet herbs, an onion or two slic't, & a lemon; when you have boiled the carps pour the liquor with the spices into the kettle where you boil him, when it boils put in the carp, and let it not boil too fast for breaking, after the carp hath boil'd a while put in the heads, and being boil'd, take off the liquor and let the carps and the heads keep warm in the kettle till you go to dish them. when you dress the bisk take a large silver dish, set it on the fire, lay therein slices of french bread, and steep it with a ladle full of the corbolion, then take up the great carp and lay him in the midst of the dish, range the twelve heads about the carp, then lay the fearse of the carp, lay that into the oysters, milts, and tongues, and pour on the liquor wherein the fearse was boil'd, wring in the juyce of a lemon and two oranges, and serve it very hot to the table. _to make a bisk with carps and other several fishes._ make the corbolion for the bisk of some jacks or small carps boil'd in half white-wine and fair spring-water; some cloves, salt, and mace, boil it down to jelly, strain it, and keep it warm for to scald the bisk; then take four carps, four tenches, four perches, two pikes, two eels flayed and drawn; the carps being scalded, drawn, and cut into quarters, the tenches scalded and left whole, also the pearches and the pikes all finely scalded, cleansed, and cut into twelve pieces, three of each side, then put them into a large stewing-pan with three quarts of claret-wine, an ounce of large mace, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, half an ounce of pepper, a quarter of an ounce of ginger pared & slic't, sweet herbs chopped small, as stripped time, savory, sweet marjoram, parsley, rosemary, three or four bay-leaves, salt, chesnuts, pistaches, five or six great onions, and stew all together on a quick fire. then stew a pottle of oysters the greatest you can get, parboil them in their own liquor, cleanse them from the dregs, and wash them in warm water from the grounds and shells, put them into a pipkin with three or four great onions peeled, then take large mace, and a little of their own liquor, or a little wine vinegar, or white wine. next take twelve flounders being drawn and cleansed from the guts, fry them in clarified butter with a hundred of large smelts, being fryed stew them in a stew-pan with claret-wine, grated nutmeg, slic't orange, butter, and salt. then have a hundred of prawns, boiled, picked, and buttered, or fryed. next, bottoms of artichocks, boiled, blanched, and put in beaten butter, grated nutmeg, salt, white-wine, skirrets, and sparagus in the foresaid sauce. then mince a pike and an eel, cleanse them, and season them with cloves, mace, pepper, salt, some sweet herbs minct, some pistaches, barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, some grated manchet, and yolks of raw eggs, mingle all the foresaid things together, and make it into balls, or farse some cabbidge lettice, and bake the balls in an oven, being baked stick the balls with pine-apple seeds, and pistaches, as also the lettice. then all the foresaid things being made ready, have a large clean scowred dish, with large sops of french bread lay the carps upon them, and between them some tench, pearch, pike, and eels, & the stewed oysteres all over the other fish, then the fried flounders & smelts over the oysters, then the balls & lettice stuck with pistaches, the artichocks, skirrets, sparagus, butter prawns, yolks of hard eggs, large mace, fryed smelts, grapes, slic't lemon, oranges, red beets or pomegranats, broth it with the leer that was made for it, and run it over with beaten butter. _the best way to stew a carp._ dress the carp and take out the milt, put it in a dish with then carp, and take out the gall, then save the blood, and scotch the carp on the back with your knife; if the carp be eighteen inches, take a quart of claret or white wine, four or five blades of large mace, cloves, two good races of ginger slic't, two slic't nutmegs, and a few sweet herbs, as the tops of sweet marjoram, time, savory, and parsley chopped very small, four great onions whole, three or four bay-leaves, and some salt; stew them all together in a stew-pan or clean scowred kettle with the wine, when the pan boils put in the carp with a quarter of a pound of good sweet butter, boil it on a quick fire of charcoal, and being well stew'd down, dish it in a clean large dish, pour the sauce on it with the spices, lay on slic't lemon and lemon-peel, or barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, and run it over with beaten butter, garnish the dish with dryed manchet grated and searsed, and carved sippets laid round the dish. in feasts the carps being scal'd, garnish the body with stewed oysters, some fryed in white batter, some in green made with the juyce of spinage: sometimes in place of sippets use fritters of arms, somtimes horse-raddish, and rub the dish with a clove or two of garlick. for more variety, in the order abovesaid, sometimes dissolve an anchove or two, with some of the broth it was stewed in, and the yolks of two eggs dissolved with some verjuyce, wine, or juyce of orange; sometimes add some capers, and hard eggs chopped, as also sweet herbs, _&c._ _to stew a carp in the french fashion._ take a carp, split it down the back alive, & put it in boiling liquor, then take a good large dish or stew-pan that will contain the carp; put in as much claret wine as will cover it, and wash off the blood, take out the carp, and put into the wine in the dish three or four slic't onions, three or four blades of large mace, gross pepper, and salt; when the stew-pan boils put in the carp and cover it close, being well stewed down, dish it up in a clean scowred dish with fine carved sippets round about it, pour the liquor it was boiled in on it, with the spices, onions, slic't lemon, and lemon-peel, run it over with beaten butter, and garnish the dish with dryed grated bread. _another most excellent way to stew a carp._ take a carp and scale it, being well cleansed and dried with a clean cloth, then split it and fry it in clarified butter, being finely fryed put it in a deep dish with two or three spoonfuls of claret wine, grated nutmeg, a blade or two of large mace, salt, three or four slices of an orange, and some sweet butter, set it on a chafing dish of coals, cover it close, and stew it up quick, then turn it, and being very well stew'd, dish it on fine carv'd sippets, run it over with the sauce it was stewed in, the spices, beaten butter, and the slices of a fresh orange, and garnish the dish with dry manchet grated and searsed. in this way you may stew any good fish, as soles, lobsters, prawns, oysters, or cockles. _otherways._ take a carp and scale it, scrape off the slime with a knife and wipe it clean with a dry cloth; then draw it, and wash the blood out with some claret wine into the pipkin where you stew it, cut it into quarters, halves, or whole, and put it into a broad mouthed pipkin or earthen-pan, put to it as much wine as water, a bundle of sweet herbs, some raisins of the sun, currans, large mace, cloves, whole cinamon, slic't ginger, salt, and some prunes boiled and strained, put in also some strained bread or flour, and stew them all together; being stewed, dish the carp in a clean scowred dish on fine carved sippets, pour the broth on the carp, and garnish it with the fruit, spices, some slic't lemon, barberries, or grapes, some orangado or preserved barberries, and scrape on sugar. _otherways._ do it as before, save only no currans, put prunes strained, beaten pepper, and some saffron. _to stew a carp seven several ways._ . take a carp, scale it, and scrape off the slime, wipe it with a dry cloth, and give it a cut or two cross the back, then put it a boiling whole, parted down the back in halves, or quarters, put it in a broad mouthed pipkin with some claret or white-wine, some wine-vinegar, and good fresh fish broth or some fair water, three or four blades of large mace, some slic't onions fryed, currans, and some good butter; cover up the pipkin, and being finely stewed, put in some almond-milk, and some sweet herbs finely minced, or some grated manchet, and being well stewed, serve it up on fine carved sippets, broth it, and garnish the dish with some barberries or grapes, and the dish with some stale manchet grated and sears'd, being first dryed. . for the foresaid broth, yolks of hard eggs strained with some steeped manchet, some of the broth it is stewed in, and a little saffron. . for variety of garnish, carrots in dice-work, some raisins, large mace, a few prunes, and marigold flowers, boil'd in the foresaid broth. . or leave out carrots and fruit, and put samphire and capers, and thicken it with french barley tender boil'd. . or no fruit, but keep the order aforesaid, only adding sweet marjoram, stripped tyme, parsley, and savory, bruise them with the back of a ladle, and put them into the broth. . otherways, stewed oysters to garnish the carp, and some boil'd bottoms of artichocks, put them to the stewed oysters or skirrets being boil'd, grapes, barberries, and the broth thickned with yolks of eggs strained with some sack, white wine, or caper liquor. . boil it as before, without fruit, and add to it capers, carrots in dice-work, mace, faggot of sweet herbs, slic't onions chopp'd with parsley, and boil'd in the broth then have boil'd colliffowers, turnips, parsnips, sparagus, or chesnuts in place of carrots, and the leire strained with yolks of eggs and white wine. _to make french herb pottage for fasting days._ take half a handful of lettice, as much of spinage, half as much of bugloss and borrage, two handfuls of sorrel, a little parsley, sage, a good handful of purslain, half a pound of butter, some pepper and salt, and sometimes, some cucumbers. _other broth or pottage of a carp._ take a carp, scale it, and scrape off the slime, wash it, and wipe it with a clean cloth, then draw it, and put it in a broad mouthed pipkin that will contain it, put to it a pint of good white or claret wine, and as much good fresh fish broth as will cover it, or as much fair water, with the blood of the carp, four or five blades of large mace, a little beaten pepper, some slic't onions, a clove or two, some sweet herbs chopped, a handful of capers, and some salt, stew all together, the carp being well stewed, put in some almond paste, with some white-wine, give it a warm or two with some stewed oyster-liquor, & serve it on french bread in a fair scowr'd dish, pour on the liquor, and garnish it with dryed grated manchet. _to dress a carp in stoffado._ take a carp alive, scale it, and lard it with a good salt eel, steep it in claret or white-wine, in an earthen pan, and put to it some wine-vinegar, whole cloves, large mace, gross pepper, slic't ginger, and four or five cloves of garlick, then have an earthen pan that will contain it, or a large pipkin, put to it some sweet herbs, three or four sprigs of rosemary, as many of time and sweet marjoram, two or three bay-leaves and parsley, put the liquor to it into the pan or pipkin wherein you will stew it, and paste on the cover, stew it in the oven, in an hour it will be baked, then serve it hot for dinner or supper, serve it on fine carved sippets of french bread, and the spices on it, with herbs, slic't lemon and lemon peel; and run it over with beaten butter. _to hash a carp._ take a carp, scale, and scrape off the slime with your knife, wipe it with a dry cloth, bone it, and mince it with a fresh water eel being flayed and boned; season it with beaten cloves, mace, salt, pepper, and some sweet herbs, as tyme, parsley, and some sweet marjoram minced very small, stew it in a broad mouthed pipkin, with some claret wine, gooseberries, or grapes, and some blanched chesnuts; being finely stewed, serve it on carved sippets about it, and run it over with beaten butter, garnish the dish with fine grated manchet searsed, and some fryed oysters in butter, cockles, or prawns. sometimes for variety, use pistaches, pine-apple-seeds, or some blanch't almonds stew'd amongst the hash, or asparagus, or artichock boil'd & cut as big as chesnuts, & garnish the dish with scraped horse-radish, and rub the bottom of the dish in which you serve the meat, with a clove or two of garlick. sometimes mingle it with some stewed oysters, or put to it some oyster-liquor. _to marinate a carp to be eaten hot or cold._ take a carp, scale it, and scrape off the slime, wipe it clean with a dry cloth, and split it down the back, flour it, and fry it in sweet sallet oyl, or good clarified butter; being fine and crisp fryed, lay it in a deep dish or earthen pan, then have some white or claret wine, or wine-vinegar, put it in a broad mouthed pipkin with all manner of sweet herbs bound up in a bundle, as rosemary, tyme, sweet marjoram, parsley, winter-savory, bay-leaves, sorrel, and sage, as much of one as the other, put it into the pipkin with the wine, with some large mace, slic't ginger, gross pepper, slic't nutmeg, whole cloves, and salt, with as much wine and vinegar as will cover the dish, then boil the spices and wine with some salt a little while, pour it on the fish hot, and presently cover it close to keep in the spirits of the liquor, herbs, and spices for an hours space; then have slic't lemons, lemon-peels, orange and orange peels, lay them over the fish in the pan, and cover it up close; when you serve them hot lay on the spices and herbs all about it, with the slic't lemons, oranges, and their peels, and run it over with sweet sallet oyl, (or none) but some of the liquor it is soust in. or marinate the carp or carps without sweet herbs for hot or cold, only bay-leaves, in all points else as is abovesaid; thus you may marinate soles, or any other fish, whether sea or fresh-water fish. or barrel it, pack it close, and it will keep as long as sturgeon, and as good. _to broil or toast a carp divers ways, either in sweet butter or sallet oyl._ take a carp alive, draw it, and wash out the blood in the body with claret wine into a dish, put to it some wine vinegar and oyl, then scrape off the slime, & wipe it dry both outside & inside, lay it in the dish with vinegar, wine, oyl, salt, and the streight sprigs of rosemary and parsley, let it steep there the space of an hour or two, then broil it on a clean scowred gridiron, (or toast it before the fire) broil it on a soft fire, and turn it often; being finely broil'd, serve it on a clean scowred dish, with the oyl, wine, and vinegar, being stew'd on the coals, put it to the fish, the rosemary and parsley round the dish, and some about the fish, or with beaten butter and vinegar, or butter and verjuyce, or juyce of oranges beaten with the butter, or juyce of lemons, garnish the fish with slices of orange, lemon, and branches of rosemary; boil the milt or spawn by it self and lay it in the dish with the carp. or make sauce otherways with beaten butter, oyster liquor, the blood of the carp, grated nutmeg, juyce of orange, white-wine, or wine vinegar boil'd together, crumbs of bread, and the yolk of an egg boiled up pretty thick, and run it over the fish. _to broil a carp in staffado._ take a live carp, scale it, and scrape off the slime, wipe it clean with a dry cloth, and draw it, wash out the blood, and steep it in claret, white-wine, wine-vinegar, large mace, whole cloves, two or three cloves of garlick, some slic't ginger, gross pepper, and salt; steep it in this composition in a dish or tray the space of two hours, then broil it on a clean scoured gridiron on a soft fire, & baste it with some sweet sallet oyl, sprigs of rosemary, time, parsley, sweet marjoram, and two or three bay-leaves, being finely broil'd; serve it with the sauce it was steeped in, boil'd up on the fire with a little oyster-liquor, the spices on it, and herbs round about it on the dish, run it over with sauce, either with sweet sallet oyl, or good beaten butter, and broil the milt or spawn by it self. _to roast a carp._ take a live carp, draw and wash it, and take away the gall, and milt, or spawn; then make a pudding with some grated manchet, some almond-paste, cream, currans, grated nutmeg, raw yolks of eggs, sugar, caraway-seed candied, or any peel, some lemon and salt, make a stiff pudding and put it through the gills into the belly of the carp, neither scale it, nor fill it too full; then spit it, and roust it in the oven upon two or three sticks cross a brass dish, turn it and let the gravy drop into the dish; being finely roasted, make sauce with the gravy, butter, juyce of orange or lemon, some sugar, and cinamon, beat up the sauce thick with the butter, and dish the carp, put the sauce over it with slices of lemon. _otherways._ scale it, and lard it with salt eel, pepper, and nutmeg, then make a pudding of some minced eel, roach, or dace, some sweet herbs, grated bread, cloves, mace, nutmeg, pepper, salt, yolks of eggs, pistaches, chesnuts, and the milt of the carp parboil'd and cut into dice-work, as also some fresh eel, and mingle it amongst the pudding or farse. _sauces for roast carp._ . gravy and oyster liquor, beat it up thick with sweet butter, claret wine, nutmeg, slices of orange, and some capers, and give it a warm or two. . beaten butter with slices of orange, and lemon, or the juyce of them only. . butter, claret-wine, grated nutmeg, selt, slices of orange, a little wine-vinegar and the gravy. . a little white-wine, gravy of the carp, an anchove or two dissolved in it, some grated nutmeg, and a little grated manchet, beat them up thick with some sweet butter, and the yolk of an egg or two, dish the carp, and pour the sauce on it. _to make a carp pye a most excellent way._ take carp, scale it and scrape off the slime, wipe it with a dry clean cloth, and split it down the back, then cut it in quarters or six pieces, three of each, and take out the milt or spawn, as also the gall; season it with nutmeg, pepper, salt, and beaten ginger, lay some butter in the pye bottom, then the carp upon it, and upon the carp two or three bay-leaves, four or five blades of large mace, four or five whole cloves, some blanched chesnuts, slices of orange, and some sweet butter, close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with beaten butter, the blood of the carp, and a little claret wine. for variety, in place of chesnuts, use pine apple-seeds, or bottoms of artichocks, gooseberries, grapes, or barberries. sometimes bake great oysters with the carp, and a great onion or two; sometimes sweet herbs chopped, or sparagus boiled. or bake it in a dish as you do the pye. to make paste for the pie, take two quarts and a pint of fine flour, four or five yolks of raw eggs, and half a pound of sweet butter, boil the butter till it be melted, and make the paste with it. _paste for a florentine of carps made in a dish or patty-pan._ take a pottle of fine flour, three quarters of a pound of butter, and six yolks of eggs, and work up the butter, eggs, and flour, dry them, then put to it as much fair spring water cold as will make it up into paste. _to bake a carp otherways to be eaten hot._ take a carp, scale it alive, and scrape off the slime, draw it, and take away the gall and guts, scotch it, and season it with nutmeg, pepper, and salt lightly, lay it into the pye, and put the milt into the belly, then lay on slic't dates in halves, large mace, orange, or slic't lemon, gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, raisins of the sun, and butter; close it up and bake it, being almost baked liquor it with verjuyce, butter, sugar, claret or white-wine, and ice it. sometimes make a pudding in the carps belly, make it of grated bread, pepper, nutmegs, yolks of eggs, sweet herbs, currans, sugar, gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, orangado, dates, capers, pistaches, raisins, and some minced fresh eel. or bake it in a dish or patty pan in cold butter paste. _to bake a carp with oysters._ scale a carp, scrape off the slime, and bone it; then cut it into large dice-work, as also the milt being parboil'd; then have some great oysters, parboil'd, mingle them with the bits of carp, and season them together with beaten pepper, salt, nutmeg, cloves, mace, grapes, gooseberries, or barberries, blanched chesnuts, and pistaches, season them lightly, then put in the bottom of the pie a good big onion or two whole, fill the pye, and lay upon it some large mace and butter, close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with white wine, and sweet butter, or beaten butter only. _to make minced pies of carps and eels._ take a carp being cleansed, bone it, and also a good fat fresh water eel, mince them together, and season them with pepper, nutmeg, cinamon, ginger, and salt, put to them some currans, caraway-seed, minced orange-peel, and the yolks of six or seven hard eggs minced also, slic't dates, and sugar; then lay some butter in the bottom of the pyes, and fill them, close them up, bake them, and ice them. _to bake a carp minced with an eel in the french fashion, called peti petes._ take a carp, scale it, and scrape off the slime, then roast it with a flayed eel, and being rosted draw them from the fire, and let them cool, then cut them into little pieces like great dice, one half of them, & the other half minced small and seasoned with nutmeg, pepper, salt, gooseberries, barberries, or grapes, and some bottoms of artichocks boil'd and cut as the carp: season all the foresaid materials and mingle all together, then put some butter in the bottom of the pye, lay on the meat and butter on the top, close it up, and bake it, being baked liquor it with gravy, and the juyce of oranges, butter, and grated nutmeg. sometimes liquor it with verjuyce and the yolks of eggs strained, sugar, and butter. or with currans, white wine, and butter boil'd together, some sweet herbs chopped small, and saffron. _to bake a carp according to these forms to be eaten hot._ take a carp, scale it, and scrape off the slime, bone it and cut it into dice-work, the milt being parboil'd, cut it into the same form, then have some great oysters parboild and cut into the same form also; put to it some grapes, goosberries, or barberries, the bottoms of artichocks boil the yolks of hard egs in quarters, boild, sparagus cut an inch long, and some pistaches, season all the foresaid things together with pepper, nutmegs, and salt, fill the pyes, close them up, and bake them, being baked, liquor them with butter, white-wine, and some blood of the carp, boil them together, or beaten butter, with juyce of oranges. _to bake a carp with eels to be eaten cold._ take four large carps, scale them & wipe off the slime clean, bone them, and cut each side into two pieces of every carp, then have four large fresh water eels, fat ones, boned, flayed, and cut in as many pieces as the carps, season them with nutmeg, pepper, and salt; then have a pye ready, either round or square, put butter in the bottom of it, then lay a lay of eel, and a lay of carp upon that, and thus do till you have ended; then lay on some large mace and whole cloves on the top, some sliced nutmeg, sliced ginger, and butter, close it up and bake it, being baked and cold, fill it up with clarified butter. _otherways._ take eight carps, scale and bone them, scrape and wash off the slime, wipe them dry, and mince them very fine, then have four good fresh water eels, flay and bone them, and cut them into lard as big as your finger, then have pepper, cloves, mace, and ginger severally beaten and mingled with some salt, season the fish and also the eels, cut into lard; then make a pye according to this form, lay some butter in the bottom of the pye, then a lay of carp upon the butter, so fill it, close it up and bake it. * * * * * * * * * section xiv. or, the second section of fish. _shewing the most excellent ways of dressing of pikes._ _to boil a pike._ wash him very clean, then truss him either round whole, with his tail in his mouth, and his back scotched, or splatted and trust round like a hart, with his tail in his mouth, or in three pieces, & divide the middle piece into two pieces; then boil it in water, salt, and vinegar, put it not in till the liquor boils, & let it boil very fast at first to make it crisp, but afterwards softly; for the sauce put in a pipkin a pint of white wine, slic't ginger, mace, dates quartered, a pint of great oysters with the liquor, a little vinegar and salt, boil them a quarter of an hour; then mince a few sweet herbs & parsley, stew them till half the liquor be consumed; then the pike being boiled dish it, and garnish the dish with grated dry manchet fine searsed, or ginger fine beaten, then beat up the sauce, with half a pound of butter, minced lemon, or orange, put it on the pike, and sippet it with cuts of puff-paste or lozenges, some fried greens, and some yellow butter. dish it according to these forms. _to boil a pike otherways._ take a male pike alive, splat him in halves, take out his milt and civet, and take away the gall, cut the sides into three pieces of a side, lay them in a large dish or tray, and put upon them half a pint of white wine vinegar, and half a handful of bay-salt beaten fine; then have a clean scowred pan set over the fire with as much rhenish or white-wine as will cover the pike, so set it on the fire with some salt, two slic't nutmegs, two races of ginger slic't, two good big onions slic't, five or six cloves of garlik, two or three tops of sweet marjoram, three or four streight sprigs of rosemary bound up in a bundle close, and the peel of half a lemon; let these boil with a quick fire, then put in the pike with the vinegar, and boil it up quick; whilest the pike is boiling, take a quarter of a pound of anchoves, wash and bone them, then mince them and put them in a pipkin with a quarter of a pound of butter, and or four spoonfuls of the liquor the pike was boiled in; the pike being boiled dish it, & lay the ginger, nutmegs, and herbs upon it, run it over with the sauce, and cast dried searsed manchet on it. this foresaid liquor is far better to boil another pike, by renewing the liquor with a little wine. _to boil a pike and eel together._ take a quart of white-wine, a pint and a half of white wine vinegar, two quarts of water, almost a pint of salt, a handful of rosemary and tyme, let your liquor boil before you put in your fish, the herbs, a little large mace, and some twenty corns of whole pepper. _to boil a pike otherways._ boil it in water, salt, and wine vinegar, two parts water, and one vinegar, being drawn, set on the liquor to boil, cleanse the civet, and truss him round, scotch his back, and when the liquor boils, put in the fish and boil it up quick; then make sauce with some white-wine vinegar, mace, whole pepper, a good handful of cockles broiled or boiled out of the shells and washed with vinegar, a faggot of sweet herbs, the liver stamped and put to it, and horse raddish scraped or slic't, boil all the foresaid together, dish the pike on sippets, and beat up the sauce with some good sweet butter and minced lemon, make the sauce pretty thick, and garnish it as you please. _otherways._ take as much white-wine and water as will cover it, of each a like quantity, and a pint of vinegar, put to this liquor half an ounce of large mace, two lemon-peels, a quarter of an ounce of whole cloves, three slic't nutmegs, four races of ginger slic't, some six great onions slic't, a bundle of six or seven sprigs or tops of rosemary, as much of time, winter-savory, and sweet marjoram bound up hard in a faggot, put into the liquor also a good handful of salt, and when it boils, put in the fish being cleansed and trussed, and boil it up quick. being boiled, make the sauce with some of the broth where the pike was boiled, and put it in a dish with two or three anchoves being cleansed and minced, a little white wine, some grated nutmeg, and some fine grated manchet, stew it on a chafing dish, and beat it up thick with some sweet butter, and the yolk of an egg or two dissolved with some vinegar, give it a warm, and put to it three or four slices of lemon. then dish the pike, drain the liquor from it upon a chafing-dish of coals, pour on the sauce, and garnish the fish with slic't lemons, and the spices, herbs, and boil'd onions, run it over with beaten butter, and lay on some barberries or grapes. sometimes for change you may put some horse-raddish scraped, or the juyce of it. _to boil a pike in white broth._ cut your pike in three pieces, then boil it in water, salt, and sweet herbs, put in the fish when the liquor boils; then take the yolks of six eggs, beat them with a little sack, sugar, melted butter, and some of the pike broth then put it on some embers to keep warm, stir it sometimes lest it curdle; then take up your pike, put the head and tail together in a clean dish, cleave the other piece in two, and take out the back-bone, put the one piece on one side, and the other piece on the other side, but blanch all, pour the broth on it, and garnish the fish with sippets, strow on fine ginger or sugar, wipe the edge of the dish round, and serve it. _to boil a pike in the french fashion, a-la-sauces d'almaigne, or in the german fashion._ take a pike, draw him, dress the rivet, and cut him in three pieces, boil him in as much wine as water, & some lemon-peel, with the liquor boils put in the fish with a good handful of salt, and boil him up quick. then have a sauce made of beaten butter, water, the slices of two or three lemons, the yolks of two or three eggs, and some grated nutmeg; the pike being boiled dish it on fine sippets, and stick it with some fried bread run it over with the sauce, some barberries or lemon, and garnish the dish with some pared and slic't ginger, barberries, and lemon peel. _to boil a pike in the city fashion._ take a live male pike, draw him and slit the rivet, wash him clean from the blood, and lay him in a dish or tray, then put some salt and vinegar to it, (or no vinegar; but only salt); then set on a kettle with some water & salt, & when it boils put in the pike, boil it softly, and being boiled, take it off the fire, and put a little butter into the kettle to it, then make a sauce with beaten butter, the juyce of a lemon or two, grape verjuyce or wine-vinegar, dish up the pike on fine carved sippets, and pour on the sauce, garnish the fish with scalded parsley, large mace barberries, slic't lemon, and lemon-peel, and garnish the dish with the same. _to stew a pike in the french fashion._ take a pike, splat it down the back alive, and let the liquor boil before you put it in, then take a large deep dish or stewing pan that will contain the pike, put as much claret-wine as will cover it, & wash off the blood take out the pike, and put to the wine in the dish three or four slic't onions, four blades of large mace, gross pepper, & salt; when it boils put in the pike, cover it close, & being stewed down, dish it up in a clean scowred dish with carved sippets round abound it, pour on the broth it was stewed in all over it, with the spices and onions, and put some slic't lemon over all, with some lemon-peel; run it over with beaten butter, and garnish the dish with dry grated manchet. thus you may also stew it with the scales on or off. sometimes for change use horse-raddish. _to stew a pike otherways in the city fashion._ take a pike, splat it, and lay it in a dish, when the blood is clean washed out, put to it as much white-wine as will cover it, and set it a stewing; when it boils put in the fish, scum it, and put to it some large mace, whole cinamon, and some salt, being finely stewed dish it on sippets finely carved. then thicken the broth with two or three egg yolks, some thick cream, sugar, and beaten butter, give it a warm and pour it on the pike, with some boil'd currans, and boil'd prunes laid all over it, as also mace, cinamon, some knots of barberries, and slic't lemon, garnish the dish with the same garnish, and scrape on fine sugar. in this way you may do carp, bream, barbel, chevin, rochet, gurnet, conger, tench, pearch, bace, or mullet. _to hash a pike._ scale and bone it, then mince it with a good fresh eel, being also boned and flayed, put to it some sweet herbs fine stripped and minced small, beaten nutmeg, mace, ginger, pepper, and salt; stew it in a dish with a little white wine and sweet butter, being well stewed, serve it on fine carved sippets, and lay on some great stewed oysters, some fryed in batter, some green with juyce of spinage, other yellow with saffron, garnish the dish with them, and run it over with beaten butter. _to souce a pike._ draw and wash it clean from the blood and slime, then boil it in water and salt, when the liquor boils put it to it, and boil it leisurely simmering, season it pretty savory of the salt, boil it not too much, nor in more water then will but just cover it. if you intend to keep it long, put as much white-wine as water, of both as much as will cover the fish, some wine vinegar, slic't ginger, large mace, cloves, and some salt; when it boils put in the fish, spices, and some lemon-peel, boil it up quick but not too much; then take it up into a tray, and boil down the liquor to a jelly, lay some slic't lemon on it, pour on the liquor, and cover it up close; when you serve it in jelly, dish and melt some of the jelly, and run it all over, garnish it with bunches of barberries and slic't lemon. or being soust and not jellied, serve it with fennil and parsley. when you serve it, you may lay round the dish divers small fishes, as tench, pearch, gurnet, chevin, roach, smelts, and run them over with jelly. _to souce and jelly pike, eeel, tench, salmon, conger,_ &c. scale the foresaid fishes, being scal'd, cleansed and boned, season them with nutmeg and salt, or no spices at all, roul them up and bind them like brawn, being first rouled in a clean white cloth close bound up round it, boil them in water, white-wine, and salt, but first let the pan or vessel boil, put it in and scum it, then put in some large mace and slic't ginger. if you will only souce them boil them not down so much; if to jelly them, put to them some ising-glass, and serve them in collars whole standing in the jelly. _otherways to souce and jelly the foresaid fishes._ make jelly of three tenches, three perches, and two carps, scale them, wash out the blood, and soak them in fair water three or four hours, leave no fat on them, then put them in a large pipkin with as much fair spring water as will cover them, or as many pints as pound of fish, put to it some ising-glass, and boil it close covered till two parts and a half be wasted; then take it off and strain it, let it cool, and being cold take off the fat on the top, pare the bottom, and put the jelly into three pipkins, put three quarts of white-wine to them, and a pound and a half of double refined sugar into each pipkin; then to make one red put a quarter of an ounce of whole cinamon, two races of ginger, two nutmegs, two or three cloves, and a little piece of turnsole dry'd, the dust rubbed out and steep'd in some claret-wine, put some of the wine into the jelly. to make another yellow, put a little saffron-water, nutmeg, as much cinamon as to the red jelly, and a race of ginger sliced. to the white put three blades of large mace, a race of ginger slic't, then set the jelly on the fire till it be melted, then have fiveteen whites of eggs beaten, and four pound and a half of refined sugar, beat amongst the eggs, being first beaten to fine powder; then divide the sugar and eggs equally into the three foresaid pipkins, stir it amongst the sugar very well, set them on the fire to stew, but not to boil up till you are ready to run it; let each pipkin cool a little before you run it, put a rosemary branch in each bag, and wet the top of your bags, wring them before you run them, and being run, put some into orange rinds, some into scollop shells, or lemon rindes in halves, some into egg shells or muscle shells, or in moulds for jellies. or you may make four colours, and mix some of the jelly with almonds-milk. you may dish the foresaid jellies on a pie-plate on a great dish in four quarters, and in the middle a lemon finely carved or cut into branches, hung with jellies, and orange peels, and almond jellies round about; then lay on a quarter of the white jelly on one quarter of the plate, another of red, and another of amber-jelly, the other whiter on another quarter, and about the outside of the plate of all the colours one by another in the rindes of oranges and lemons, and for the quarters, four scollop shells of four several colours, and dish it as the former. _pike jelly otherways._ take a good large pike, draw it, wash out the blood, and cut it in pieces, then boil it in a gallon or quarts of fair spring water, with half a pound of ising-glass close covered, being first clean scum'd, boil it on a soft fire till half be wasted; then strain the stock or broth into a clean bason or earthen pan, and being cold pare the bottom and top from the fat and dregs, put it in a pipkin and set it over the fire, melt it, and put it to the juyce of eight or nine lemons, a quart of white-wine, a race of ginger pared and slic't, three or four blades of large mace, as much whole cinamon, and a grain of musk and ambergriese tied up in a fine clean clout, then beat fifteen whites of eggs, and put to them in a bason four pound of double refined sugar first beaten to fine powder, stir it with the eggs with a rouling pin, and then put it among the jelly in the pipkin, stir them well together, and set it a stewing on a soft charcoal fire, let it stew there, but not boil up but one warm at least, let it stew an hour, then take it off and let it cool a little, run it through your jelly-bag, put a sprig of rosemary in the bottom of the bag, and being run, cast it into moulds. amongst some of it put some almond milk or make it in other colours as aforesaid. _to make white jelly of two pikes._ take two good handsome pikes, scale and draw them, and wash them clean from the blood, then put to them six quarts of good white-wine, and an ounce of ising-glass, boil them in a good large pipkin to a jelly, being clean scummed, then strain it and blow off the fat. then take a quart of sweet cream, a quart of the jelly, a pound and a half of double refined sugar fine beaten, and a quarter of a pint of rose-water, put all together in a clean bason, and give them a warm on the fire, with half an ounce of fine searsed ginger, then set it a cooling, dish it into dice-work, or cast it into moulds and some other coloured jellies. or in place of cream put in almond-milk. _to roast a pike._ take a pike, scour off the slime, and take out the entrails, lard the back with pickled herrings, (you must have a sharp bodkin to make the holes to lard it) then take some great oysters and claret-wine, season the oysters with pepper and nutmeg, stuff the belly with oysters, and intermix the stuffing with rosemary, tyme, winter savory, sweet marjoram, a little onion, and garlick, sow these in the belly of the pike; then prepare two sticks about the breadth of a lath, (these two sticks and the spit must be as broad as the pike being tied on the spit) tie the pike on winding packthred about it, tye also along the side of the pike which is not defended by the spit and the laths, rosemary, and bays, baste the pike with butter and claret wine with some anchoves dissolved in it; when the pike is wasted or roasted, take it off, rip up the belly, and take out the whole herbs quite away, boil up the gravy, dish the pike, put the wine to it, and some beaten butter. _to fry pikes._ draw them, wash off the slime and the blood clean, wipe them dry with a clean cloth, flour them, and fry them in clarifi'd butter, being fried crisp and stiff, make sauce with beaten butter, slic't lemon, nutmeg, and salt, beaten up thick with a little fried parsley. or with beaten butter, nutmeg, a little claret, salt, and slic't orange. otherways, oyster-liquor, a little claret, beaten butter, slic't orange, and nutmeg, rub the dish with a clove of garlick, give the sauce a warm, and garnish the fish with slic't lemon or orange and barberries. small pikes are best to fry. _to fry a pike otherways._ the pike being scalded and splatted, hack the white or inside with a knife, and it will be ribbed, then fry it brown and crisp in clarified butter, being fried, take it up, drain all the butter from it, and wipe the pan clean, then put it again into the pan with claret, slic't ginger, nutmeg, an anchove, salt, and saffron beat, fry it till it half be consumed, then put in a piece of butter, shake it well together with a minced lemon or slic't orange, and dish it, garnish it with lemon, and rub the dish with a clove of garlick. _to broil a pike._ take a pike, draw it & scale it, broil it whole, splat it or scotch it with your knife, wash out the blood clean, and lay it on a clean cloth, salt it, and heat the gridiron very hot, broil it on a soft fire, baste it with butter, and turn it often; being finely broil'd, serve it in a dish with beaten butter, and wine-vinegar, or juyce of lemons or oranges, and garnish the fish with slices of oranges or lemons, and bunches of rosemary. _otherways._ take a pike, as abovesaid, being drawn, wash it clean, dry it, and put it in a dish with some good sallet oyl, wine vinegar, and salt, there let it steep the space of half an hour, then broil it on a soft fire, turn it and baste it often with some fine streight sprigs of rosemary, parsley, and tyme, baste it out of the dish where the oyl and vinegar is; then the pike being finely broil'd, dish it in a clean dish, put the same basting to it being warmed on the coals, lay the herbs round the dish, with some orange or lemon slices. _to broil mackarel or horn kegg._ draw the mackarel at the gills, and wash them, then dry them, and salt and broil them with mints, and green fennil on a soft fire, and baste them with butter, or oyl and vinegar, and being finely broil'd, serve them with beaten butter and vinegar, or oyl and vinegar, with rosemary, time, and parsley; or other sauce, beaten butter, and slices of lemon or orange. _to broil herrings, pilchards, or sprats._ gill them, wash and dry them, salt and baste them with butter, broil them on a soft fire, and being broi'ld serve them with beaten butter, mustard, and pepper, or beaten butter and lemon; other sauce, take the heads and bruise them in a dish with beer and salt, put the clearest to the herrings. _to bake pikes._ bake your pikes as you do carp, as you may see in the foregoing section, only remember that small pikes are best to bake. * * * * * * * * * section xv. or the third section for dressing of fish. _the most excellent ways of dressing salmon, bace, or mullet._ _to calver salmon to be eaten hot or cold._ chine it, and cut each side into two or three peices according to the bigness, wipe it clean from the blood and not wash it; then have as much wine and water as you imagine will cover it, make the liquor boil, and put in a good handful of salt; when the liquor boils put in the salmon, and boil it up quick with a quart of white-wine vinegar, keep up the fire stiff to the last, and being througly boil'd, which will be in the space of half an hour or less, then take it off the fire and let it cool, take it up into broad bottomed earthen pans, and being quite cold, which will be in a day, a night, or twelve hours, then put in the liquor to it, and so keep it. some will boil in the liquor some rosemary bound up in a bundle hard, two or three cloves, two races of slic't ginger, three or four blades of large mace, and a lemon peel. others will boil it in beer only. or you may serve it being hot, and dish it on sippets in a clean scowred dish; dish it round the dish or in pieces and garnish it with slic't ginger, large mace, a clove or two, gooseberries, grapes, barberries, slic't lemon, fryed parsley, ellicksaders, sage, or spinage fried. to make sauce for the foresaid salmon, beat some butter up thick with a little fair water, put or three yolks of eggs dissolved into it, with a little of the liquor, grated nutmeg, and some slic't lemon, pour it on the salmon, and garnish the dish with fine searsed manchet, barberries, slic't lemon, and some spices, and fryed greens as aforesaid. _to stew a small salmon, salmon peal, or trout._ take a salmon, draw it, scotch the back, and boil it whole in a stew-pan with white-wine, (or in pieces) put to it also some whole cloves, large mace, slic't ginger, a bay-leaf or two, a bundle of sweet herbs well and hard bound up, some whole pepper, salt, some butter, and vinegar, and an orange in halves; stew all together, and being well stewed, dish them in a clean scowred dish with carved sippets, lay on the spices and slic't lemon, and run it over with beaten butter, and some of the gravy it was stewed in; garnish the dish with some fine searsed manchet or searsed ginger. _otherways a most excellent way to stew salmon._ take a rand or jole of salmon, fry it whole raw, and being fryed, stew it in a dish on a chaffing dish of coals, with some claret-wine, large mace, slic't nutmeg, salt, wine-vinegar, slic't orange, and some sweet butter; being stewed and the sauce thick, dish it on sippets, lay the spices on it, and some slices of oranges, garnish the dish with some stale manchet finely searsed and strewed over all. _to pickle salmon to keep all the year._ take a salmon, cut it in six round pieces, then broil it in white-wine, vinegar, and a little water, three parts wine and vinegar, and one of water; let the liquor boil before you put in the salmon, and boil it a quarter of an hour; then take it out of the liquor, drain it very well, and take rosemary sprigs, bay-leaves, cloves, mace, and gross pepper, a good quantity of each, boil them in two quarts of white-wine, and two quarts of white-wine vinegar, boil it well, then take the salmon being quite cold, and rub it with pepper, and salt, pack it in a vessel that will but just contain it, lay a layer of salmon and a layer of spice that is boil'd in the liquor; but let the liquor and spice be very cold before you put it to it; the salmon being close packed put in the liquor, and once in half a year, or as it grows dry, put some white-wine or sack to it, it will keep above a year; put some lemon-peel into the pickle, let the salmon be new taken if possible. _an excellent way to dress salmon, or other fish._ take a piece of fresh salmon, wash it clean in a little wine-vinegar, and let it lye a little in it in a broad pipkin with a cover, put to it six spoonfuls of water, four of vinegar, as much of white-wine, some salt, a bundle of sweet herbs, a few whole cloves, a little large mace, and a little stick of cinamon, close up the pipkin with paste, and set it in a kettle of seething water, there let it stew three hours; thus you may do carps, trouts, or eels, and alter the taste at your pleasure. _to hash salmon._ take salmon and set it in warm water, take off the skin, and mince a jole, rand, or tail with some fresh eel; being finely minced season it with beaten cloves, mace, salt, pepper, and some sweet herbs; stew it in a broad mouthed pipkin with some claret wine, gooseberries, barberries, or grapes, and some blanched chesnuts; being finely stewed serve it on sippets about it, and run it over with beaten butter, garnish the dish with stale grated manchet searsed, some fryed oysters in batter, cockles, or prawns; sometimes for variety use pistaches, asparagus boil'd and cut an inch long, or boil'd artichocks, and cut as big as a chesnut, some stewed oysters, or oyster-liquor, and some horse-raddish scraped, or some of the juyce; and rub the bottom of the dish wherein you serve it with a clove of garlick. _to dress salmon in stoffado._ take a whole rand or jole, scale it, and put it in an earthen stew-pan, put to it some claret, or white-wine, some wine-vinegar, a few whole cloves, large mace, gross pepper, a little slic't ginger, salt, and four or five cloves of garlick, then have three or four streight sprigs of rosemary as much of time, and sweet marjoram, two or bay leaves and parsley bound up into a bundle hard, and a quarter of a pound of good sweet butter, close up the earthen pot with course paste, bake it in an oven, & serve it on sippets of french bread, with some of the liquor and spices on it, run it over with beaten butter and barberries, lay some of the herbs on it, slic't lemon and lemon-peel. _to marinate salmon to be eaten hot or cold._ take a salmon, cut it into joles and rands, & fry them in good sweet sallet oyl or clarified butter, then set them by in a charger, and have some white or claret-wine, & wine vinegar as much as will cover it, put the wine & vinegar into a pipkin with all maner of sweet herbs bound up in a bundle as rosemary, time, sweet marjoram, parsly winter-savory, bay-leaves, sorrel, and sage, as much of one as the other, large mace, slic't ginger, gross pepper, slic't nutmeg, whole cloves, and salt; being well boil'd together, pour it on the fish, spices and all, being cold, then lay on slic't lemons, and lemon-peel, and cover it up close; so keep it for present spending, and serve it hot or cold with the same liquor it is soust in, with the spices, herbs, and lemons on it. if to keep long, pack it up in a vessel that will but just hold it, put to it no lemons nor herbs, only bay-leaves; if it be well packed, it will keep as long as sturgeon, but then it must not be splatted, but cut round ways through chine and all. _to boil salmon in stewed broth._ take a jole, chine, or rand, put it in a stew-pan or large pipkin with as much claret wine and water as will cover it, some raisins of the sun, prunes, currans, large mace, cloves, whole cinamon, slic't ginger, and salt, set it a stewing over a soft fire, and when it boils put in some thickning of strain'd bread, or flour, strain'd with some prunes being finely stewed, dish it up on sippets in a clean scowred dish, put a little sugar in the broth, the fruit on and some slic't lemon. _to fry salmon._ take a jole, rand, or chine, or cut it round through chine and all half an inch thick, or in square pieces fry it in clarified butter; being stiff & crisp fryed, make sauce with two or three spoonfuls of claret-wine, some sweet butter, grated nutmeg, some slices of orange, wine-vinegar, and some oyster-liquor; stew them all together, and dish the salmon, pour on the sauce, and lay on some fresh slices of oranges and fryed parsley, ellicksander, sage-leaves fryed in batter, pippins sliced and fryed, or clary fryed in butter, or yolks of eggs, and quarters of oranges and lemons round the dish sides, with some fryed greens in halves or quarters. _to roast a salmon according to this form._ take a salmon, draw it at the gills, and put in some sweet herbs in his belly whole; the salmon being scalded and the slime wip't off, lard it with pickled herrings, or a fat salt eel, fill his belly with some great oysters stewed, and some nutmeg; let the herbs be tyme, rosemary, winter savory, sweet marjoram, a little onion and garlick, put them in the belly of the salmon, baste it with butter, and set it in an oven in a latten dripping-pan, lay it on sticks and baste it with butter, draw it, turn it, and put some claret wine in the pan under it, let the gravy drip into it, baste it out of the pan with rosemary and bayes, and put some anchoves into the wine also, with some pepper and nutmeg; then take the gravy and clear off the fat, boil it up, and beat it thick with butter; then put the fish in a large dish, pour the sauce on it, and rip up his belly, take out some of the oysters, and put them in the sauce, and take away the herbs. _otherways._ take a rand or jole, cut it into four pieces, and season it with a little nutmeg and salt, stick a few cloves, and put it on a small spit, put between it some bay-leaves, and stick it with little sprigs of rosemary, roast it and baste it with butter, save the gravy, with some wine-vinegar, sweet butter, and some slices of orange; the meat being rosted, dish it, and pour on the sauce. _to broil or toast salmon._ take a whole salmon, a jole, rand, chine, or slices cut round it the thickness of an inch, steep these in wine-vinegar, good sweet sallet oyl and salt, broil them on a soft fire, and baste them with the same sauce they were steeped in, with some streight sprigs of rosemary, sweet marjoram, tyme, and parsley: the fish being broil'd, boil up the gravy and oyster-liquor, dish up the fish, pour on the sauce, and lay the herbs about it. _to broil or roast a salmon in stoffado._ take a jole, rand, or chine, and steep it in claret-wine, wine-vinegar, white-wine, large mace, whole cloves, two or three cloves of garlick, slic't ginger, gross pepper and salt; being steeped about two hours, broil it on a soft fire, and baste it with butter, or very good sallet oyl, sprigs of rosemary, tyme, parsley, sweet marjoram, and some two or three bay-leaves, being broiled, serve it with the sauce it was steeped in, with a little oyster-liquor put to it, dish the fish, warm the sauce it was stewed in, and pour it on the fish either in butter or oyl, lay the spices and herbs about it; and in this way you may roast it, cut the jole, or rand in six pieces if it be large, and spit it with bayes and rosemary between, and save the gravy for sauce. _sauces for roast or boil'd salmon._ take the gravy of the salmon, or oyster liquor, beat it up thick with beaten butter, claret wine, nutmeg, and some slices of orange. otherways, with gravy of the salmon, butter, juyce of orange or lemon, sugar, and cinamon, beat up the sauce with the butter pretty thick, dish up the salmon, pour on the sauce, and lay it on slices of lemon. or beaten butter, with slices of orange or lemon, or the juyce of them, or grape verjuyce and nutmeg. otherways, the gravy of the salmon, two or three anchoves dissolved in it, grated nutmeg, and grated bread beat up thick with butter, the yolk of an egg and slices of oranges, or the juyce of it. _to bake salmon._ take a salmon being new, scale it, draw it, and wipe it dry, scrape out the blood from the back-bone, scotch it on the back and side, then season it with pepper, nutmeg, and salt; the pie being made, put butter in the bottom of it, a few whole cloves, and some of the seasoning, lay on the salmon, and put some whole cloves on it, some slic't nutmeg, and butter, close it up and baste it over with eggs, or saffron water, being baked fill it up with clarified butter. or you may flay the salmon, and season as aforesaid with the same spices, and not scotch it but lay on the skin again, and lard it with eels. for the past only boiling liquor, with three gallons of fine or course flour made up very stiff. _to make minced pies of salmon._ mince a rand of fresh salmon very small, with a good fresh water eel being flayed and boned; then mince, some violet leaves, sorrel, strawberry-leaves, parsley, sage, savory, marjoram, and time, mingle all together with the meat currans, cinamon, nutmeg, pepper, salt, sugar, caraways; rose-water, white-wine, and some minced orangado, put some butter in the bottom of the pies, fill them, and being baked ice them, and scrape on sugar; make them according to these forms. _to make chewits of salmon._ mince a rand of salmon with a good fresh water eel, being boned, flayed, and seasoned with pepper, salt, nutmeg cinamon, beaten ginger, caraway-seed, rose-water, butter, verjuyce, sugar, and orange-peel minced mingle all together with some slic't dates, and currans, put butter in the bottom, fill the pies, close them up, bake them, and ice them. _to make a lumber pye of salmon._ mince a rand, jole, or tail with a good fat fresh eel seasoned in all points as beforesaid, put five or six yolks of eggs to it with one or two whites, make it into balls or rouls, with some hard eggs in quarters, put some butter in the pye, lay on the rouls, and on them large mace, dates in halves, slic't lemon, grapes, or barberries, & butter, close it up, bake it, and ice it; being baked, cut up the cover, fry some sage-leaves in batter, in clarified butter, and stick them in the rouls, cut the cover, and lay it on the plate about the pie, or mingle it with an eel cut into dice work, liquor it with verjuyce, sugar, and butter. _to boil bace, mullet, gurnet, rochet, wivers,_ &c. take a mullet, draw it, wash it, and boil it in fair water and salt, with the scales on, either splatted or whole, but first let the liquor boil, being finely boiled, dish it upon a clean scowred dish, put carved sippets round about it, and lay the white side uppermost, garnish it with slic't lemon, large mace, lemon-peel, and barberries, then make a lear or sauce with beaten butter, a little water, slices of lemon, juyce of grapes or orange, strained with the yolks of two or three eggs. _to souce mullets or bace._ draw them & boil them with the scales, but first wash them clean, & lay them in a dish with some salt, cast upon them some slic't ginger, & large mace, put some wine vinegar to them, and two or three cloves; then set on the fire a kettle with as much wine as water, when the pan boils put in the fish and some salt; boil it with a soft fire, & being finely boiled and whole, take them up with a false bottom and wires all together. if you will jelly them, boil down the liquor to a jelly with a piece of ising-glass; being boil'd to a jelly, pour it on the fish, spices and all into an earthen flat bottomed pan, cover it up close, and when you dish the fish, serve it with some of the jelly on it, garnish the dish with slic't ginger and mace, and serve with it in saucers wine vinegar, minc't fennil and slic't ginger; garnish the dish with green fennil and flowers, and parsley on the fish. _to marinate mullets or bace._ scale the mullets, draw them, and scrape off the slime, wash & dry them with a clean cloth, flour them and fry them in the best sallet oyl you can get, fry them in a frying pan or in a preserving pan, but first before you put in the fish to fry, make the oyl very hot, fry them not too much, but crisp and stiff; being clear, white, and fine fryed, lay them by in an earthen pan or charger till they be all fry'd, lay them in a large flat bottom'd pan that they may lie by one another, and upon one another at length, and pack them close; then make pickle for them with as much wine vinegar as will cover them the breadth of a finger, boil in it a pipkin with salt, bay-leaves, sprigs or tops of rosemary, sweet marjoram, time, savory, and parsley, a quarter of a handful of each, and whole pepper; give these things a warm or two on the fire, pour it on the fish, and cover it close hot; then slice or lemons being par'd, save the peels, and put them to the fish, strow the slices of lemon over the fish with the peels, and keep them close covered for your use. if this fish were barrel'd up, it would keep as long as sturgeon, put half wine vinegar, and half white-wine, the liquor not boil'd, nor no herbs in the liquor, but fry'd bay-leaves, slic't nutmegs, whole cloves, large mace, whole pepper, and slic't ginger; pack the fishes close, and once a month turn the head of the vessel downward; will keep half a year without barrelling. marinate these fishes following as the mullet; _viz_, bace, soals, plaice, flounders, dabs, pike, carp, bream, pearch, tench, wivers, trouts, smelts, gudgeons, mackarel, turbut, holly-bur, gurnet, roachet, conger, oysters, scollops, cockles, lobsters, prawns, crawfish, muscles, snails, mushrooms, welks, frogs. _to marinate bace, mullet, gurnet, or rochet otherways._ take a gallon of vinegar, a quart of fair water, a good handful of bay-leaves, as much of rosemary, and a quarter of a pound of pepper beaten, put these together, and let them boil softly, season it with a little salt, then fry your fish in special good sallet oyl, being well clarifi'd, the fish being fryed put them in an earthen vessel or barrel, lay the bay-leaves, and rosemary between every layer of the fish, and pour the broth upon it, when it is cold close up the vessel; thus you may use it to serve hot or cold, and when you dish it to serve, garnish it with slic't lemon, the peel and barberries. _to broil mullet, bace, or bream._ take a mullet; draw it, and wash it clean, broil it with the scales on, or without scales, and lay it in a dish with some good sallet oyl, wine vinegar, salt, some sprigs of rosemary, time, and parsley, then heat the gridiron, and lay on the fish, broil it on a soft fire, on the embers, and baste it with the sauce it was steep'd in, being broiled serve it in a clean warm dish with the sauce it was steeped in, the herbs on it, and about the dish, cast on salt, and so serve it with slices of orange, lemon, or barberries. or broil it in butter and vinegar with herbs as above-said, and make sauce with beaten butter and vinegar. or beaten butter and juyce of lemon and orange. sometimes for change, with grape verjuyce, juyce of sorrel, beaten butter and the herbs. _to fry mullets._ scale, draw, and scotch them, wash them clean, wipe them dry and flour them, fry them in clarified butter, and being fried, put them in a dish, put to them some claret wine, slic't ginger, grated nutmeg, an anchove, salt, and some sweet butter beat up thick, give the fish a warm with a minced lemon, and dish it, but first rub the dish with a clove of garlick. the least mullets are the best to fry. _to bake a mullet or bace._ scale, garbidge, wash and dry the mullet very well, then lard it with a salt eel, season it, and make a pudding for it with grated bread, sweet herbs, and some fresh eel minced, put also the yolks of hard eggs, an anchove wash'd & minc'd very small, some nutmeg, & salt, fill the belly or not fill it at all, but cut it into quarters or three of a side, and season them with nutmeg, ginger, and pepper, lay them in your pie, and make balls and lay them upon the pieces of mullet, then put on some capers, prawns, or cockles, yolks of eggs minced, butter, large mace, and barberries, close it up, and being bak'd cut up the lid, and stick it full of cuts of paste, lozenges, or other pretty garnish, fill it up with beaten butter, and garnish it with slic't lemon. or you may bake it in a patty pan with better paste than that which is made for pyes. this is a very good way for tench or bream. * * * * * * * * * section xvi. or, the fourth section for dressing of fish. _shewing the exactest ways of dressing turbut, plaice, flounders, and lampry._ _to boil turbut to eat hot._ draw and wash them clean, then boil them in white wine and water, as much of the one as of the other with some large mace, a few cloves, salt, slic't ginger, a bundle of time and rosemary fast bound up; when the pan boils put in the fish, scum it as it boils, and being half boil'd, put in some lemon-peel; being through boiled, serve it in this broth, with the spices, herbs, and slic't lemon on it; or dish it on sippets with the foresaid garnish, and serve it with beaten butter. _turbut otherways calvered._ draw the turbut, wash it clean, and boil it in half wine and half water, salt, and vinegar; when the pan boils put in the fish, with some slic't onions, large mace, a clove or two, some slic't ginger, whole pepper, and a bundle of sweet herbs, as time, rosemary, and a bay-leaf or two; scotch the fish on the white side very thick overthwart only one way, before you put it a boiling; being half boiled, put in some lemon or orange peel; and being through boil'd, serve it with the spices, herbs, some of the liquor, onions, and slic't lemon. or serve it with beaten butter, slic't lemon, herbs, spices, onions and barberries. thus also you may dress holyburt. _to boil turbut or holyburt otherways._ boil it in fair water and salt, being drawn and washed clean, when the pan boils put in the fish and scum it; being well boil'd dish it, and pour on it some stew'd oysters and slic't lemon; run it over with beaten butter beat up thick with juyce of oranges, pour it over all, then cut sippets, and stick it with fryed bread. _otherways._ serve them with beaten butter, vinegar, and barberries, and sippets about the dish. _to souce turbut or holyburt otherways._ take and draw the fish, wash it clean from the blood and slime, and when the pan boils put in the fish in fair water and salt, boil it very leisurely, scum it, and season it pretty savory of the salt, boil it well with no more water then will cover it. if you intend to keep it long, boil it in as much water as white-wine, some wine vinegar, slic't ginger, large mace, two or three cloves, and some lemon-peel; being boil'd and cold, put in a slic't lemon or two, take up the fish, and keep it in an earthen pan close covered, boil these fishes in no more liquor than will cover them, boil them on a soft fire simering. _to stew turbut or holyburt._ take it and cut it in slices, then fry it, and being half fryed put it in a stew-pan or deep dish, then put to it some claret, grated nutmeg, three or four slices of an orange, a little wine-vinegar, and sweet butter, stew it well, dish it, and run it over with beaten butter, slic't lemon or orange, and orange or lemon-peel. _to fry turburt or hollyburt._ cut the fish into thin slices, hack it with the knife, and it will be ribbid, then fry it almost brown with butter, take it up, draining all the butter from it, then the pan being clean, put it in again with claret, slic't ginger, nutmeg, anchove, salt, and saffron beat, fry it till it be half consumed, then put in a piece of butter, shaking it well together with a minced lemon, and rub the dish with a clove of garlick. to hash turbut, make a farc't meat of it, to rost or broil it, use in all points as you do sturgeon, and marinate it as you do carp. _the best way to calver flounders._ take them alive, draw and scotch them very thick on the white side, then have a pan of white-wine and wine vinegar over the fire with all manner of spices, as large mace, salt, cloves, slic't ginger, some great onions slic't, the tops of rosemary, time, sweet marjoram, pick'd parsley, and winter savory, when the pan boils put in the flounders, and no more liquor than will cover them; cover the pan close, and boil them up quick, serve them hot or cold with slic't lemon, the spices and herbs on them and lemon peel. broil flounders as you do bace and mullet, souce them as pike, marinate, and dress them in stoffado as carp, and bake them as oysters. _to boil plaice hot to butter._ draw them, and wash them clean, then boil them in fair water and salt, when the pan boils put them in being very new, boil them up quick with a lemon-peel; dish them upon fine sippets round about them, slic't lemon on them, the peel and some barberries, beat up some butter very thick with some juyce of lemon and nutmeg grated, and run it over them hot. _otherways._ boil them in white-wine vinegar, large mace, a clove or two, and slic't ginger; being boil'd serve them in beaten butter, with the juyce of sorrel, strained bread, slic't lemon, barberries, grapes, or gooseberries. _to stew plaice._ take and draw them, wash them clean, and put them in a dish, stew-pan or pipkin, with some claret or white wine, butter, some sweet herbs, nutmeg, pepper, an onion and salt; being finely stewed, serve them with beaten butter on carved sippets, and slic't lemon. _otherways._ draw, wash, and scotch them, then fry them not too much; being fried, put them in a dish or stew-pan, put to them some claret wine, grated nutmeg, wine vinegar, butter, pepper, and salt, stew them together with some slices of orange. _to bake a lampry._ draw it, and split the back on the inside from the mouth to the end of the tail, take out the string in the back, flay her and truss her round, parboil it and season it with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, put some butter in the bottom of the pie, and lay on the lampry with two or three good big onions, a few whole cloves and butter, close it up and baste it over with yolks of eggs, and beer or saffron water, bake it, and being baked, fill it up with clarified butter, stop it up with butter in the vent hole, and put in some claret wine, but that will not keep long. _to bake a lampry otherways with an eel._ flay it, splat it, and take out the garbidg, then have a good fat eel, flay it, draw it, and bone it, wipe them dry from the slime, and season them with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, cut them in equal pieces as may conveniently lye in a square or round pye, lay butter in the bottom, and three or four good whole onions, then lay a layer of eels over the butter, and on that lay a lampry, then another of eel, thus do till the pye be full, and on the top of all put some whole cloves and butter, close it up and bake it being basted over with saffron water, yolks of eggs, and beer, and being baked and cold, fill it up with beaten butter. make your pies according to these forms. _to bake a lampry in the italian fashion to eat hot._ flay it, and season it with nutmeg, pepper, salt, cinamon, and ginger, fill the pie either with lampry cut in pieces or whole, put to it raisins, currans, prunes, dryed cherries, dates, and butter, close it up, and bake it, being baked liquor it with strained almonds, grape verjuyce, sugar, sweet herbs chop't and boil'd all together, serve it with juyce of orange, white wine, cinamon, and the blood of the lampry, and ice it, thus you may also do lampurns baked for hot. _to bake a lampry otherways in patty-pan or dish._ take a lampry, roast it in pieces, being drawn and flayed, baste it with butter, and being roasted and cold, put it into a dish with paste or puff paste; put butter to it, being first seasoned with pepper, nutmeg, cinamon, ginger, and salt, seasoned lightly, some sweet herbs chopped, grated bisket bread, currans, dates, or slic't lemon, close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with butter, white-wine, or sack, and sugar. * * * * * * * * * section xvii. or, the fifth section of fish. _shewing the best way to dress eels, conger, lump, and soals._ _to boil eels to be eaten hot._ draw them, flay them, and wipe them clean, then put them in a posnet or stew-pan, cut them three inches long, and put to them some white-wine, white-wine vinegar, a little fair water, salt, large mace, and a good big onion stew the foresaid together with a little butter; being finely stewed and tender, dish them on carved sippets, or on slices of french bread, and serve them with boil'd currans boil'd by themselves, slic't lemon, barberries, and scrape on sugar. _otherways._ draw and flay them, cut them into pieces, and boil them in a little fair water, white-wine, an anchove, some oyster-liquor, large mace, two or three cloves bruised, salt, spinage, sorrel, and parsley grosly minced with a little onion and pepper, dish them upon fine carved sippets; then broth them with a little of that broth, and beat up a lear with some good butter, the yolk of an egg or two, and the rinde and slices of a lemon. _to stew eels._ flay them, cut them into pieces, and put them into a skillet with butter, verjuyce, and fair water as much as will cover them, some large mace, pepper, a quarter of a pound of currans, two or three onions, three or four spoonfuls of yeast, and a bundle of sweet herbs, stew all these together till the fish be very tender, then dish them, and put to the broth a quarter of a pound of butter, a little salt, and sugar, pour it on the fish, sippet it, and serve it hot. _to stew eels in an oven._ cut them in pieces, being drawn and flayed, then season them with pepper, salt, and a few sweet herbs chopped small, put them into an earthen pot, and set them up on end, put to them four or five cloves of garlick, and two or three spoonfulls of fair water, bake them, and serve them on sippets. _to stew eels otherways to be eaten hot._ draw the eels, flay them, and cut them into pieces three inches long, then put them into a broad mouthed pipkin with as much white-wine and water as will cover them put to them some stripped tyme, sweet marjoram, savory, picked parsley, and large mace, stew them well together and serve them on fine sippets, stick bay-leaves round the dish garnish the meat with slic't lemon, and the dish with fine grated manchet. _to stew whole eels to be eaten hot._ take three good eels, draw, flay them, and truss them round, (or in pieces,) then have a quart of white-wine, three half pints of wine-vinegar, a quart of water, some salt, and a handful of rosemary and tyme bound up hard, when the liquor boils put in the eels with some whole pepper, and large mace; being boil'd, serve them with some of the broth, beat up thick with some good butter and slic't lemon, dish them on sippets with some grapes, barberries, or gooseberries. _otherways._ take three good eels, draw, flay, and scotch them with your knife, truss them round, or cut them in pieces, and fry them in clarified butter, then stew them between two dishes, put to them some two or three spoonfuls of claret or white-wine, some sweet butter, two or three slices of an orange, some salt, and slic't nutmeg; stew all well together, dish them, pour on the sauce, and run it over with beaten butter, and slices of fresh orange, and put fine sippets round the dish. _to dress eels in stoffado._ take two good eels, draw, flay them, and cut them in pieces three inches long, put to them half as much claret wine as will cover them, or white-wine, wine-vinegar, or elder-vinegar, some whole cloves, large mace, gross pepper, slic't ginger, salt, four or five cloves of garlick, being put into a pipkin that will contain it, put to them also three or four sprigs of sweet herbs, as rosemary, tyme, or sweet marjoram; or bay leaves, and some parsley; cover up the pipkin, and paste the cover, then stew it in an oven, in one hour it will be baked, serve it hot for dinner or supper on fine sippets of french bread, and the spices upon it, the herbs, slic't lemon, and lemon-peel, and run it over with beaten butter. _to souce eels in collars._ take a good large silver eel, flay it (or not) take out the back bone, and wash and wipe away the blood with a dry cloth, then season it with beaten nutmeg and salt, cut off the head and roul in the tail; being seasoned in the in side, bind it up in a fine white cloth close and streight; then have a large skillet or pipkin, put in it some fair water and white wine, of each a like quantity, and some salt, when it boils put in the eel; being boil'd tender take it up, and let it cool, when it is almost cold keep it in sauce for your use in a pipkin close covered, and when you will serve it take it out of the cloth, pare it, and dish it in a clean dish or plate, with a sprig of rosemary in the middle of the collar: garnish the dish with jelly, barberries and lemon. if you will have it jelly, put in a piece of ising-glass after the eel is taken up, and boil the liquor down to a jelly. _to jelly eels otherways._ flay an eel, and cut it into rouls, wash it clean from the blood, and boil it in a dish with some white-wine, and white-wine vinegar, as much water as wine and vinegar, and no more of the liquor than will just cover it; being tender boil'd with a little salt, take it up and boil down the liquor with a piece of ising-glass, a blade of mace, a little juyce of orange and sugar; then the eel being dished, run the clearest of the jelly over it. _to souce eels otherways in collars._ take two fair eels, flay them, and part them down the back, take out the back-bone, then take tyme, parsley, & sweet marjoram, mince them small, and mingle them with nutmeg, ginger, pepper, and salt; then strow it on the inside of the eels, then roul them up like a collar of brawn, and put them in a clean cloth, bind the ends of the cloth, and boil them tender with vinegar, white-wine, salt, and water, but let the liquor boil before you put in the eels. _to souce eels otherways in a collar or roll._ take a large great eel, and scowr it with a handful of salt, then split it down the back, take out the back bone and the guts, wipe out the blood clean, and season the eel with pepper, nutmeg, salt, and some sweet herbs minced and strowed upon it, roul it up, and bind it up close with packthred like a collar of brawn, boil it in water, salt, vinegar, and two or three blades of mace, boil it half an hour; and being boil'd, put to it a slic't lemon, and keep it in the same liquor; when you serve it, serve it in a collar or cut it out in round slices, lay six or seven in a dish, and garnish it in the dish with parsley and barberries, or serve with it vinegar in saucers. _to souce eels otherways cut in pieces, or whole._ take two or three great eels, scowr them in salt, draw them and wash them clean, cut them in equal pieces three inches long, and scotch them cross on both sides, put them in a dish with wine-vinegar, and salt; then have a kettle over the fire with fair water and a bundle of sweet herbs or three great onions, and some large mace; when the kettle boils put in the eels, wine, vinegar, and salt; being finely boil'd and tender, drain them from the liquor and when they are cold take some of the broth and a pint of white wine, boil it up with some saffron beaten to powder, or it will not colour the wine; then take out the spices of the liquor where it was boiled and put it in the last broth made for it, leave out the onions and herbs of the first broth, and keep it in the last. _to make a hash of eels._ take a good large eel or two, flay, draw, and wash them, bone and mince them, then season them with cloves and mace, mix with them some good large oysters, a whole onion, salt, a little white-wine, and an anchove, stew them upon a soft fire, and serve them on fine carved sippets, garnish them with some slic't orange and run them over with beaten butter thickned with the yolk of an egg or two, some grated nutmeg, and juyce of orange. _to make a spitch-cock, or broil'd eels._ take a good large eel, splat it down the back, and joynt the back-bone; being drawn, and the blood washed out, leave on the skin, and cut it in four pieces equally, salt them, and bast them with butter, or oyl and vinegar; broil them on a soft fire, and being finely broil'd, serve them in a clean dish, with beaten butter and juyce of lemon, or beaten butter, and vinegar, with sprigs of rosemary round about them. _to broil salt eels._ take a salt eel and boil it tender, being flayed and trust round with scuers, boil it tender on a soft fire, then broil it brown, and serve it in a clean dish with two or three great onions boil'd whole and tender, and then broil'd brown; serve them on the eel with oyl and mustard in saucers. _to roast an eel._ cut it three inches long, being first flayed and drawn, split it, put it on a small spit, & roast it, set a dish under it to save the gravy, and roast it fine and brown, then make sauce with the gravy, a little vinegar, salt, pepper, a clove or two, and a little grated parmisan, or old _english_ cheese, or a little botargo grated; the eel being roasted, blow the fat off the gravy, and put to it a piece of sweet butter, shaking it well together with some salt, put it in a clean dish, lay the eel on it, and some slices of oranges. _to roast eels otherways._ take a good large silver eel, draw it, and flay it in pieces of four inches long, spit it on a small spit with some bay-leaves, or large sage leaves between each piece spit it cross ways, and roast it; being roasted, serve it with beaten butter, beaten with juyce of oranges, lemons, or elder vinegar, and beaten nutmeg, or serve it with venison sauce, and dredge it with beaten caraway-seed, cinamon, flour, or grated bread. _to bake eels in pye, dish or patty-pan._ take good fresh water eels, draw, and flay them, cut them in pieces, and season them with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, lay them in a pye with some prunes, currans, grapes, gooseberries, or barberries, large mace, slic't dates and butter, close it up and bake it, being baked, liquor it with white-wine, sugar, and butter, and ice it. if you bake it in a dish in paste, bake it in cold butter paste, rost the eel, & let it be cold, season it with nutmeg pepper, ginger, cinamon, and salt, put butter on the paste, and lay on the eel with a few sweet herbs chopped, and grated bisket-bread, grapes, currans, dates, large mace, and butter, close it up and bake it, liquor it, and ice it. _otherways._ take good fresh water eels; flay and draw them, season them with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, being cut in pieces, lay them in the pie, and put to them some two or three onions in quaters, some butter, large mace, grapes, barberries or gooseberries, close them up and bake them; being baked liquor them with beaten butter, beat up thick with the yolks of two eggs, and slices of an orange. sometimes you may bake them with a minced onion, some raisins of the sun, and season them with some ginger, pepper, and salt. _to bake eels otherways._ take half a douzen good eels, flay them and take out the bones, mince them and season them with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, lay some butter in the pye, and lay a lay of eel, and a lay of watred salt eel, cut into great lard as big as your finger, lay a lay of it, and another of minced eel, thus lay six or seven lays, and on the top lay on some whole cloves, slic't nutmeg, butter, and some slices of salt eel, close it up and bake it, being baked fill it up with some clarified butter, and close the vent. make your pye round according to this form. _to bake eels with tenches in a round or square pie to eat cold._ take four good large eels, flayed and boned, and six good large tenches, scale, splat, and bone them, cut off the heads and fins, as also of the eels; cut both eels, and tenches a handful long, & season them with pepper, salt and nutmeg; then lay some butter in the bottom of the pie, lay a lay of eels, and then a lay of tench, thus do five or six layings, lay on the top large mace, & whole cloves and on that butter, close it up and bake it; being baked and cold, fill it up with clarified butter. or you may bake them whole, and lay them round in the pye, being flayed, boned, and seasoned as the former, bake them as you do a lampry, with two or three onions in the middle. _to make minced pies of an eel._ take a fresh eel, flay it and cut off the fish from the bone, mince it small, and pare two or three wardens or pears, mince of them as much as of the eel, or oysters, temper and season them together with ginger, pepper, cloves, mace, salt, a little sanders, some currans, raisins, prunes, dates, verjuyce, butter, and rose-water. _minced eel pyes otherways._ take a good fresh water eel flay, draw, and parboil it, then mince the fish being taken from the bones, mince also some pippins, wardens, figs, some great raisins of the sun, season them with cloves, mace, pepper, salt, sugar, saffron, prunes, currans, dates on the top, whole raisins, and butter, make pies according to these forms; fill them, close them up and bake them, being baked, liquor them with grape verjuyce, slic't lemon, butter, sugar, and white-wine. _other minced eel pyes._ take or three good large eels, being cleans'd, mince them & season them with cloves, mace, pepper, nutmeg, salt, and a good big onion in the bottom of your pye, some sweet herbs chopped, and onions, put some goosberries and butter to it, and fill your pie, close it up and bake it, being baked, liquor it with butter and verjuyce, or strong fish broth, butter, and saffron. _otherways._ mince some wardens or pears, figs, raisins, prunes, and season them as abovesaid with some spices, but no onions nor herbs, put to them goosberries, saffron, slic't dates, sugar, verjuyce, rose-water, and butter; then make pyes according to these forms, fill them and bake them, being baked, liquor them with white batter, white-wine and sugar, and ice them. _to boil conger to be eaten hot._ take a piece of conger being scalded and wash'd from the blood and slime, lay it in vinegar & salt, with a slice or two of lemon, and some large mace, slic't ginger, and two or three cloves, then set some liquor a boiling in a pan or kettle, as much wine and water as will cover it when the liquor boils put in the fish, with the spices, and salt, and when it is boil'd put in the lemon, and serve the fish on fine carved sippets; then make a lear or sauce with beaten butter, beat with juyce of oranges or lemons, serve it with slic't lemon on it, slic't ginger and barberries; and garnish it with the same. _to stew conger._ take a piece of conger, and cut it into pieces as big as a hens egg, put them in a stew-pan or two deep dishes with some large mace, salt, pepper, slic't nutmeg, some white-wine, wine vinegar, as much water, butter, and slic't ginger, stew these well together, and serve them on sippets with slic't orange, lemon, and barberries, and run them over with beaten butter. _to marinate conger._ scald and draw it, cut it into pieces, and fry it in the best sallet oyl you can get; being fried put it in a little barrel that will contain it; then have some fryed bay-leaves, large mace, slic't ginger, and a few whole cloves, lay these between the fish, put to it white-wine, vinegar, and salt, close up the head, and keep it for your use. _to souce conger._ take a good fat conger, draw it at two several, vents or holes, being first scalded and the fins shaved off, cut it into three or four pieces, then have a pan of fair water, and make it boil, put in the fish, with a good quantity of salt, and let it boil very softly half an hour: being tender boil'd, set it by for your use for present spending; but to keep it long, boil it with as much wine as water, and a quart of white-wine vinegar. _to souce conger in collars like brawn._ take the fore part of a conger from the gills, splat it, and take out the bone, being first flayed and scalded, then have a good large eel or two, flay'd also and boned, seasoned in the inside with minced nutmeg, mace, and salt, seasoned and cold with the eel in the inside, bind it up hard in a clean cloth, boil it in fair water, white-wine and salt. _to roast conger._ take a good fat conger, draw it, wash it, and scrape off the slime, cut off the fins, and spit it like an s. draw it with rosemary and time, put some beaten nutmeg in his belly, salt, some stripped time, and some great oysters parboil'd, roast it with the skin on, and save the gravy for the sauce, boil'd up with a little claret-wine, beaten butter, wine vinegar, and an anchove or two, the fat blown off, and beat up thick with some sweet butter, two or three slices of an orange, and elder vinegar. or roast it in short pieces, and spit it with bay-leaves between, stuck with rosemary. or make venison sauce, and instead of roasting it on a spit, roast it in an oven. _to broil conger._ take a good fat conger being scalded and cut into pieces; salt them, and broil them raw; or you may broil them being first boiled and basted with butter, or steeped in oyl and vinegar, broil them raw, and serve them with the same sauce you steeped them in, bast them with rosemary, time, and parsley, and serve them with the sprigs of those herbs about them, either in beaten butter, vinegar, or oyl and vinegar, and the foresaid herbs: or broil the pieces splatted like a spitch-cock of an eel, with the skin on it. _to fry conger._ being scalded, and the fins shaved off, splat it, cut it into rouls round the conger, flour it, and fry it in clarified butter crisp, sauce it with butter beaten with vinegar, juyce of orange or lemon, and serve it with fryed parsley, fryed ellicksanders, or clary in butter. _to bake conger in pasty proportion._ [illustration] _in pye proportion._ bake it any way of the sturgeon, as you may see in the next section, to be eaten either hot or cold, and make your pies according to these forms. _to stew a lump._ take it either flayed (or not) and boil it, being splated in a dish with some white-wine, a large mace or two, salt, and a whole onion, stew them well together, and dish them on fine sippets, run it over with some beaten butter, beat up with two or three slices of an orange, and some of the gravy of the fish, run it over the lump, and garnish the meat with slic't lemon, grapes, barberries, or gooseberries. _to bake a lump._ take a lump, and cut it into pieces, skin and all, or flay it, and part it in two pieces of a side, season it with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and lay it in the pye, lay on it a bay-leaf or two, three or four blades of large mace, the slices of an orange, gooseberries, grapes, barberries, and butter, close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with beaten butter. thus you make bake it in a dish, pye, or patty-pan. _to boil soals._ draw and flay them, then boil them in vinegar, salt, white-wine and mace, but let the liquor boil before you put them in; being finely boil'd, take them up and dish them in a clean dish on fine carved sippets, garnish the fish with large mace, slic't lemon, gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, and beat up some butter thick with juyce of oranges, white-wine, or grape verjuyce and run it over the fish. sometimes you may put some stew'd oysters on them. _otherways._ take the soals, flay and draw them, and scotch one side with your knife, lay them in a dish, & pour on them some vinegar and salt, let them lie in it half an hour, in the mean time set on the fire some water, white-wine, six cloves of garlick, and a faggot of sweet herbs; then put the fish into the boiling liquor, and the vinegar and salt where they were in steep; being boiled, take them up and drain them very well, then beat up sweet butter very thick, and mix with it some anchoves minced small, and dissolved in the butter, pour it on the fish being dished, and strow on a little grated nutmeg, and minced orange mixt in the butter. _to stew soals._ being flayed and scotched, draw them and half fry them, then take some claret wine, and put to it some salt, grated ginger, and a little garlick, boil this sauce in a dish, when it boils put the soals therein, and when they are sufficiently stewed upon their backs, lay the two halves open on the one side and on the other; then lay anchoves finely washed and boned all along, and on the anchoves slices of butter, then turn the two sides over again, and let them stew till they be ready to be eaten, then take them out of the sauce, and lay them on a clean dish, pour some of the liquor wherein they were stewed upon them, and squeeze on an orange. _otherways._ draw, flay, and scotch them, then flour them and half fry them in clarified butter, put them in a clean pewter dish, and put to them three or four spoonfuls of claret wine, two of wine vinegar, two ounces of sweet butter, two or three slices of an orange, a little grated nutmeg, and a little salt; stew them together close covered, and being well stewed dish them up in a clean dish, lay some sliced lemon on them, and some beaten butter, with juyce of oranges. _to dress soals otherways._ take a pair of soals, lard them with water'd salt salmon, then lay them on a pye-plate, and cut your lard all of an equall length, on each side lear it but short; then flour the soals, and fry them in the best ale you can get; when they are fryed lay them on a warm dish, and put to them anchove sauce made of some of the gravy in the pan, and two or three anchoves, grated nutmeg, a little oyl or butter, and an onion sliced small, give it a warm, and pour it on them with some juyce, and two or three slices of orange. _to souce soals._ take them very new, and scotch them on the upper or white side very thick, not too deep, then have white-wine, wine vinegar, cloves, mace, sliced ginger, and salt, set it over the fire to boil in a kettle fit for it; then take parsley, tyme, sage, rosemary, sweet marjoram, and winter savory, the tops of all these herbs picked, in little branches, and some great onions sliced, when it boils put in all the foresaid materials with no more liquor than will just cover them, cover them close in boiling, and boil them very quick, being cold dish them in a fair dish, and serve them with sliced lemon, and lemon-peels about them and on them. _otherways._ draw them and wash them clean, then have a pint of fair water with as much white-wine, some wine vinegar & salt; when the pan or kettle boils, put in the soals with a clove or two, slic't ginger, and some large mace; being boil'd and cold, serve them with the spices, some of the gravy they were boil'd in, slic't lemon, and lemon-peel. _to jelly soals._ take three tenches, carps, and four pearches, scale them and wash out the blood clean, then take out all the fat, and to every pound of fish take a pint of fair spring-water or more, set the fish a boiling in a clean pipkin or pot, and when it boils scum it, and put in some ising-glass, boil it till one fourth part be wasted, then take it off and strain it through a strong canvas cloth, set it to cool, and being cold, divide it into three or four several pipkins, as much in the one as in the other, take off the bottom and the top, and to every quart of broth put a quart of white-wine, a pound and a half of refined sugar, two nutmegs, races of ginger, pieces of whole cinamon, a grain of musk, and whites of eggs, stir them together with a rowling-pin, and equally divide it into the several pipkins amongst the jellies, set them a stewing upon a soft charcoal fire, when it boils up, run it through the jelly-bags, and pour it upon the soals. _to roast soals._ draw them, flay off the black skin, and dry them with a clean cloth, season them lightly with nutmeg, salt, and some sweet herbs chopped small, put them in a dish with some claret-wine and two or three anchoves the space of half an hour, being first larded with small lard of a good fresh eel, then spit them, roast them and set the wine under them, baste them with butter, and being roasted, dish them round the dish; then boil up the gravy under them with three or four slices of an orange, pour on the sauce, and lay on some slices of lemon. marinate, broil, fry and bake soals according as you do carps, as you may see in the thirteenth section. * * * * * * * * * section xviii. or, the sixth section of fish. _the a-la-mode ways of dressing and ordering of sturgeon._ _to boil sturgeon to serve hot._ take a rand, wash off the blood, and lay it in vinegar and salt, with the slice of a lemon, some large mace, slic't ginger, and two or three cloves, then set on a pan of fair water, put in some salt, and when it boils put in the fish, with a pint of white-wine, a pint of wine vinegar, and the foresaid spices, but not the lemon; being finely boil'd, dish it on sippets, and sauce it with beaten butter, and juyce of orange beaten together, or juyce of lemon, large mace, slic't ginger, and barberries, and garnish the dish with the same. _otherways._ take a rand and cut it in square pieces as big as a hens egg, stew them in a broad mouthed pipkin with two or three good big onions, fome large mace, two or three cloves, pepper, salt, some slic't nutmeg, a bay-leaf or two some white-wine and water, butter, and a race of slic't ginger, stew them well together, and serve them on sippets of french bread, run them over with beaten butter, slic't lemon and barberries, and garnish the dish with the same. _sturgeon buttered._ boil a rand, tail, or jole in water and salt, boil it tender, and serve it with beaten butter and slic't lemon. _to make a hot hash of sturgeon._ take a rand, wash it out of the blood, and take off the scales, and skin, mince the meat very small, and season it with beaten mace, pepper, salt, and some sweet herbs minced small, stew all in an earthen pipkin with two or three big whole onions, butter, and white-wine; being finely stewed, serve it on sippets with beaten butter, minced lemon, and boil'd chesnuts. _to make a cold hash of sturgeon._ take a rand of sturgeon being fresh and new, bake it whole in an earthen pan dry, and close it up with a piece of course paste; being baked and cold slice it into little slices as small as a three pence, and dish them in a fine clean dish, lay them round the bottom of it, and strow on them pepper, salt, a minced onion, a minced lemon, oyl, vinegar, and barberries. _to marinate a whole sturgeon in rands and joles._ take a sturgeon fresh taken, cut it in joles and rands, wash off the blood, and wipe the pieces dry from the blood and slime, flour them, & fry them in a large kettle in four gallons of rape oyl clarified, being fryed fine and crisp, put it into great chargers, frayes, or bowls; then have firkins, and being cold, pack it in them as you do boil'd sturgeon that is kept in pickle, then make the sauce or pickle of gallons of white-wine, and three gallons of white-wine vinegar; put to them six good handfuls of salt, in each vessel, a quarter of a pound large mace, six ounces of whole pepper, and three ounces of slic't ginger, close it up in good sound vessels, and when you serve it, serve it in some of its own pickle, the spices on it, and slic't lemon. _to make a farc't meat of sturgeon._ mince it raw with a good fat eel, and being fine minced, season it with cloves, mace, pepper, and salt, mince some sweet herbs and put to it, and make your farcings in the forms of balls, pears, stars, or dolphins; if you please stuff carrots or turnips with it. _to dress a whole sturgeon in stoffado cut into rands and joles to eat hot or cold._ take a sturgeon, draw it, and part it in two halves from the tail to the head, cut it into rands and joles a foot long or more, then wash off the blood and slime, and steep it in wine-vinegar, and white-wine, as much as will cover it, or less, put to it eight ounces of slic't ginger, six ounces of large mace, four ounces of whole cloves, half a pound of whole pepper, salt, and a pound of slic't nutmegs, let these steep in the foresaid liquor six hours, then put them into broad earthen pans flat bottom'd, and bake them with this liquor and spices, cover them with paper, it will ask four or five hours baking; being baked serve them in a large dish in joles or rands, with large slices of french bread in the bottom of the dish, steep them well with the foresaid broth they were baked in, some of the spices on them, some slic't lemon, barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, and lemon peel, with some of the same broth, beaten butter, juyce of lemons and oranges, and the yolks of eggs beat up thick. if to eat cold, barrel it up close with this liquor and spices, fill it up with white-wine or sack; and head it up close, it will keep a year very well, when you serve it, serve it with slic't lemon, and bay-leaves about it. _to souce sturgeon to keep all the year._ take a sturgeon, draw it, and part it down the back in equal sides and rands, put it in a tub into water and salt, and wash it from the blood and slime, bind it up with tape or packthred, and boil it in a vessel that will contain it, in water, vinegar, and salt, boil it not too tender; being finely boil'd take it up, and being pretty cold, lay it on a clean flasket or tray till it be through cold, then pack it up close. _to souce sturgeon in two good strong sweet firkins._ if the sturgeon be nine foot in length, firkins will serve it, the vessels being very well filled and packed close, put into it eight handfuls of salt, six gallons of white wine, and four gallons of white wine vinegar, close on the heads strong and sure, and once a month turn it on the other end. _to broil sturgeon, or toast it against the fire._ broil or toast a rand or jole of sturgeon that comes new out of the sea or river, (or any piece) and either broil it in a whole rand, or slices an inch thick, salt them, and steep them in oyl-olive and wine vinegar, broil them on a soft fire, and baste them with the sauce it was steeped in, with branches of rosemary, tyme, and parsley; being finely broiled, serve it in a clean dish with some of the sauce it was basted with, and some of the branches of rosemary; or baste it with butter, and serve it with butter and vinegar, being either beaten with slic't lemon, or juyce of oranges. _otherways._ broil it on white paper, either with butter or sallet oyl, if you broil it in oyl, being broil'd, put to it on the paper some oyl, vinegar, pepper, and branches or slices of orange. if broil'd in butter, some beaten butter, with lemon, claret, and nutmeg. _to fry sturgeon._ take a rand of fresh sturgeon, and cut it into slices of half an inch thick, hack it, and being fried, it will look as if it were ribbed, fry it brown with clarified butter; then take it up, make the pan clean, and put it in again with some claret wine, an anchove, salt, and beaten saffron; fry it till half be consumed, and then put in a piece of butter, some grated nutmeg, grated ginger, and some minced lemon; garnish the dish with lemon, dish it, and run jelly first rubbed with a clove of garlick. _to jelly sturgeon._ season a whole rand with pepper, nutmeg, and salt, bake it dry in an earthen pan, and being baked and cold, slice it into thin slices, dish it in a clean dish, the dish being on it. _to roast sturgeon._ take a rand of fresh sturgeon, wipe it very dry, and cut it in pieces as big as a goose-egg, season them with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and stick each piece with two or cloves, draw them with rosemary, & spit them thorow the skin, and put some bay-leaves or sage-leaves between every piece; baste them with butter, and being roasted serve them on the gravy that droppeth from them, beaten butter, juyce of orange or vinegar, and grated nutmeg, serve also with it venison sauce in saucers. _to make olines of sturgeon stewed or roasted._ take spinage, red sage, parsley, tyme, rosemary, sweet marjoram, and winter-savory, wash and chop them very small, and mingle them with some currans, grated bread, yolks of hard eggs chopped small, some beaten mace, nutmeg, cinamon and salt; then have a rand of fresh sturgeon, cut in thin broad pieces, & hackt with the back of a chopping knife laid on a smooth pie-plate, strow on the minced herbs with the other materials, and roul them up in a roul, stew them in a dish in the oven, with a little white-wine or wine-vinegar, some of the farcing under them, and some sugar; being baked, make a lear with some of the gravy, and slices of oranges and lemons. _to make olines of sturgeon otherways._ take a rand of sturgeon being new, cut it in fine thin slices, & hack them with the back of a knife, then make a compound of minced herbs, as tyme, savory, sweet marjoram, violet-leaves, strawberry leaves, spinage, mints, sorrel, endive and sage; mince these herbs very fine with a few scallions, some yolks of hard eggs, currans, cinamon, nutmegs, sugar, rosewater, and salt, mingle all together, and strow on the compound herbs on the hacked olines, roul them up, and make pies according to these forms, put butter in the bottom of them, and lay the olines on it; being full, lay on some raisins, prunes, large mace, dates, slic't lemon, some gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, and butter, close them up and bake them, being baked, liquor them with butter, white-wine, and sugar, ice them, and serve them up hot. _to bake sturgeon in joles and rands dry in earthen pans, and being baked and cold, pickled and barreld up, to serve hot or cold._ take a sturgeon fresh and new, part him down from head to tail, and cut it into rands and joles, cast it into fair water and salt, wash off the slime and blood, and put it into broad earthen pans, being first stuffed with penniroyal, or other sweet herbs; stick it with cloves and rosemary, and bake it in pans dry, (or a little white-wine to save the pans from breaking) then take white or claret wine and make a pickle, half as much wine vinegar, some whole pepper, large mace, slic't nutmegs, and six or seven handfuls of salt; being baked and cold, pack and barrel it up close, and fill it up with this pickle raw, head it up close, and when you serve it, serve it with some of the liquor and slic't lemon. _to bake sturgeon pies to eat cold._ take a fresh jole of sturgeon, scale it, and wash off the slime, wipe it dry, and lard it with a good salt eel, seasoned with nutmeg, and pepper, cut the lard as big as your finger, and being well larded, season the jole or rand with the foresaid spices and salt, lay it in a square pie in fine or course paste, and put some whole cloves on it, some slic't nutmeg, slic't ginger, and good store of butter, close it up, and bake it, being baked fill it up with clarified butter. _to bake sturgeon otherways with salmon._ take a rand of sturgeon, cut it into large thick slices, & rands of fresh salmon in thick slices as broad as the sturgeon, season it with the same seasoning as the former, with spices and butter, close it up and bake it; being baked, fill it up with clarified butter. make your sturgeon pyes or pasties according to these forms. _to make a sturgeon pye to eat cold otherways._ take a rand of sturgeon, flay it and wipe it with a dry cloth, and not wash it, cut it into large slices; then have carps, tenches, or a good large eel flayed and boned, your tenches and carps scaled, boned, and wiped dry, season your sturgeon and the other fishes with pepper, nutmeg, and salt, put butter in the bottom of the pie, and lay a lay of sturgeon, and on that a lay of carps, then a lay of sturgeon, and a lay of eels, next a lay of sturgeon, and a lay of tench, and a lay of sturgeon above that; lay on it some slic't ginger, slic't nutmeg, and some whole cloves, put on butter, close it up, and bake it, being baked liquor it with clarified butter. or bake it in pots as you do venison, and it will keep long. _otherways._ take a rand of sturgeon, flay it, and mince it very fine, season it with pepper, cloves, mace, and salt; then have a good fresh fat eel or flayed and boned, cut it into lard as big as your finger, and lay some in the bottom of the pye, some butter on it, and some of the minced meat or sturgeon, and so lard and meat till you have filled the pye, lay over all some slices of sturgeon, sliced nutmeg, sliced ginger, and butter, close it up and bake it, being baked fill it up with clarified butter. if to eat hot, give it but half the seasoning, and make your pyes according to these forms. _to bake sturgeon pies to be eaten hot._ flay off the scales and skin of a rand, cut it in pieces as big as a walnut, & season it lightly with pepper, nutmeg, and salt; lay butter in the bottom of the pye, put in the sturgeon, and put to it a good big onion or two whole, some large mace, whole cloves, slic't ginger, some large oysters, slic't lemon, gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, and butter, close it up and bake it, being bak'd, fill it up with beaten butter, beaten with white-wine or claret, and juyce or slices of lemon or orange. to this pye in winter, you may use prunes, raisins, or currans, and liquor it with butter, verjuyce, and sugar, and in summer, pease boil'd and put in the pye, being baked, and leave out fruit. _otherways._ cut a rand of sturgeon into pieces as big as a hens egg, cleanse it, and season them with pepper, salt, ginger, and nutmeg, then make a pye and lay some butter in the bottom of it, then the pieces of sturgeon, and two or three bay-leaves, some large mace, three or four whole cloves, some blanched chesnuts, gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, and butter, close it up and bake it, and being baked, liquor it with beaten butter, and the blood of the sturgeon boil'd together with a little claret-wine. _to bake sturgeon pyes in dice work to be eaten hot._ take a pound of sturgeon, a pound of a fresh fat eel, a pound of carp, a pound of turbut, a pound of mullet, scaled, cleans'd, and bon'd, a tench, and a lobster, cut all the fishes into the form of dice, and mingle with them a quart of prawns, season them all together with pepper, nutmeg & salt, mingle some cockles among them, boil'd artichocks, fresh salmon, and asparagus all cut into dice-work. then make pyes according to these forms, lay butter in the bottom of them, then the meat being well mingled together, next lay on some gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, slic't oranges or lemons, and put butter on it, with yolks of hard eggs and pistaches, close it up and bake it, and being baked liquor it with good sweet butter, white-wine, or juyce of oranges. _to make minced pyes of sturgeon._ flay a rand of it, and mince it with a good fresh water eel, being flay'd and bon'd, then mince some sweet herbs with an onion, season it with cloves, mace, pepper, nutmeg and salt, mingle amongst it some grapes, gooseberries, or barberries, and fill the pye, having first put some butter in the bottom of it, lay on the meat, and more butter on the top, close it up, bake it, and serve it up hot. _otherways._ mince a rand of fresh sturgeon, or the fattest part of it very small, then mince a little spinage, violet leaves, strawberry leaves, sorrel, parsley, sage, savory, marjoram, and time, mingle them with the meat, some grated manchet, currans, nutmeg, salt, cinamon, cream, eggs, sugar, and butter, fill the pye, close it up, and bake it, being baked ice it. _minced pyes of sturgeon otherways._ flay a rand of sturgeon, and lard it with a good fat salt eel, roast it in pieces, and save the gravy, being roasted mince it small, but save some to cut into dice-work, also some of the eels in the same form, mingle it amongst the rest with some beaten pepper, salt, nutmeg, some gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, put butter in the bottom of the pye, close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with gravy, juyce of orange, nutmeg, and butter. sometimes add to it currans, sweet herbs, and saffron, and liquor it with verjuyce, sugar, butter, and yolks of eggs. _to make chewits of sturgeon, according to these forms._ mince a rand of sturgeon the fattest part, and season it with pepper, salt, nutmeg, cinamon, ginger, caraway-seed, rose-water, butter, sugar, and orange peel minced, mingle all together with some slic't dates, and currans, and fill your pyes. _to make a lumber pye of sturgeon._ mince a rand of sturgeon with some of the fattest of the belly, or a good fat fresh eel, being minced, season it with pepper, nutmeg, salt, cinamon, ginger, caraways, slic't dates, four or eight raw eggs, and the yolks of six hard eggs in quarters, mingle all together, and make them into balls or rolls, fill the pye, and lay on them some slic't dates, large mace, slic't lemon, grapes, gooseberries, or barberries, and butter, close it up, and bake it, being bak'd liquor it with butter, white-wine, and sugar. or only add some grated bread, some of the meat cut into dice-work, & some rose-water, bak'd in all points as the former, being baked cut up the cover, and stick it with balls, with fryed sage-leaves in batter; liquor it as aforesaid, and lay on it a cut cover, scrape on sugar. _to make an olive pye of sturgeon in the italian fashion._ make slices of sturgeon, hack them, and lard them with salt salmon, or salt eel, then make a composition of some of the sturgeon cut into dice-work, some fresh eel, dry'd cherries, prunes taken from the stones, grapes, some mushrooms & oysters; season the foresaid things all together in a dish or tray, with some pepper, nutmeg, and salt, roul them in the slices of the hacked sturgeon with the larded side outmost, lay them in the pye with the butter under them; being filled lay on it some oysters, blanched chesnuts, mushrooms, cockles, pine-apple-seeds, grapes, gooseberries, and more butter, close it up, bake it, and then liquor it with butter, verjuyce, and sugar, serve it up hot. _to bake sturgeon to be eaten hot with divers farcings or stuffings._ take a rand and cut it into small pieces as big as a walnut, mince it with fresh eel, some sweet herbs, a few green onions, pennyroyal, grated bread, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, currans, gooseberries, and eggs; mingle all together, and make it into balls, fill the pye with the whole meat and the balls, and lay on them some large mace, barberries, chesnuts, yolks of hard eggs, and butter; fill the pye, and bake it, being baked, liquor it with butter and grape-verjuyce. or mince some sturgeon, grated parmisan, or good holland cheese, mince the sturgeon, and fresh eel together, being fine minced put some currans to it, nutmeg, pepper, and cloves beaten, some sweet herbs minced small, some salt, saffron, and raw yolks of eggs. _other stuffings or puddings._ grated bread, nutmeg, pepper, sweet herbs minced very fine, four or five yolks of hard eggs minced very small, two or three raw eggs, cream, currans, grapes, barberries and sugar, mix them all together, and lay them on the sturgeon in the pye, close it up and bake it, and liquor it with butter, white-wine, sugar, the yolk of an egg, and then ice it. _to make an olio of sturgeon with other fishes._ take some sturgeon and mince it with a fresh eel, put to it some sweet herbs minc't small, some grated bread, yolks of eggs, salt, nutmeg, pepper, some gooseberries, grapes or barberries, and make it into little balls or rolls. then have fresh fish scal'd, washed, dryed, and parted into equal pieces, season them with pepper, nutmeg, salt, and set them by; then make ready shell-fish, and season them as the other fishes lightly with the same spices. then make ready roots, as potatoes, skirrets, artichocks and chesnuts, boil them, cleanse them, and season them with the former spices. next have yolks of hard eggs, large mace, barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, and butter, make your pye, and put butter in the bottom of it, mix them all together, and fill the pye, then put in two or three bay-leaves, and a few whole cloves, mix the minced balls among the other meat and roots; then lay on the top some large mace, potatoes, barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, chesnuts, pistaches and butter, close it up and bake it, fill it up with beaten butter, beaten with the juyce of oranges, dish and cut up the cover, and put all over it slic't lemons, and sometimes to the lear the yolk of an egg or two. _to make minced herring pies._ take salt herrings being watered, crush them between your hands, and you shall loose the fish from the skin, take off the skin whole, and lay them in a dish; then have a pound of almond paste ready, mince the herrings, and stamp them with the almond paste, two of the milts or rows, five or six dates, some grated manchet, sugar, sack, rose-water, and saffron, make the composition somewhat stiff, and fill the skins, put butter in the bottom of your pye, lay on the herring, and on them dates, gooseberries, currans, barberries, and butter, close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with butter, verjuyce, and sugar. make minced pyes of any meat, as you may see in page , in the dishes of minced pyes you may use those forms for any kind of minced pies, either of flesh, fish, or fowl, which i have particularized in some places of my book. _otherways._ bone them, and mince them being finely cleansed with or three pleasant pears, raisins of the sun, some currans, dates, sugar, cinamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, and butter, mingle all together, fill your pies, and being baked, liquor them with verjuyce, claret, or white-wine. _to make minced pies of ling, stock-fish, harberdine,_ &c. being boil'd take it from the skin and bones, and mince it with some pippins, season it with nutmeg, cinamon, ginger, pepper, caraway-seed, currans, minced raisins, rose-water, minced lemon-peel, sugar, slic't dates, white-wine, verjuyce, and butter, fill your pyes, bake them, and ice them. _otherways._ mince them with yolks of hard eggs, mince also all manner of good pot-herbs, mix them together, and season them with the seasoning aforesaid, then liquor it with butter, verjuyce, sugar, and beaten cinamon, and then ice them; making them according to these forms. * * * * * * * * * section xix. or, the seventh section of fish. _shewing the exactest ways of dressing all manner of shell-fish._ _to stew oysters in the french way._ take oysters, open them and parboil them in their own liquor, the quantity of three pints or a pottle; being parboil'd, wash them in warm water clean from the dregs, beard them and put them in a pipkin with a little white wine, & some of the liquor they were parboil'd in, a whole onion, some salt, and pepper, and stew them till they be half done; then put them and their liquor into a frying-pan, fry them a pretty while, put to them a good piece of sweet butter, and fry them a therein so much longer, then have ten or twelve yolks of eggs dissolved with some vinegar, wherein you must put in some minced parsley, and some grated nutmeg, put these ingredients into the oysters, shake them in the frying-pan a warm or two, and serve them up. _to stew oysters otherways._ take a pottle of large great oysters, parboil them in their own liquor, then wash them in warm water from the dregs, & put them in a pipkin with a good big onion or two, and five or six blades of large mace, a little whole pepper, a slic't nutmeg, a quarter of a pint of white wine, as much wine-vinegar, a quarter of a pound of sweet butter, and a little salt, stew them finely together on a soft fire the space of half an hour, then dish them on sippets of french bread, slic't lemon on them, and barberries, run them over with beaten butter, and garnish the dish with dryed manchet grated and searsed. _to stew oysters otherways._ take a pottle of large great oysters, parboil them in their own liquor, then wash them in warm water, wipe them dry, and pull away the fins, flour them and fry them in clarifi'd butter fine and white, then take them up, and put them in a large dish with some white or claret wine, a little vinegar, a quarter of a pound of sweet butter, some grated nutmeg, large mace, salt, and two or three slices of an orange, stew them two or three warms, then serve them in a large clean scowred dish, pour the sauce on them, and run them over with beaten butter, slic't lemon or orange, and sippets round the dish. _otherways._ take a pottle of great oysters, and stew them in their own liquor; then take them up, wash them in warm water, take off the fins, and put them in a pipkin with some of their own liquor, a pint of white-wine, a little wine vinegar, six large maces, or three whole onions, a race of ginger slic't, a whole nutmeg slic't, twelve whole pepper corns, salt, a quarter of a pound of sweet butter, and a little faggot of sweet herbs; stew all these together very well, then drain them through a cullender, and dish them on fine carved sippets; then take some of the liquor they were stewed in; beat it up thick with a minced lemon, and half a pound of butter, pour it on the oysters being dished, and garnish the dish and the oysters with grapes, grated bread, slic't lemon, and barberries. _or thus._ boil great oysters in their shells brown, and dry, but burn them not, then take them out and put them in a pipkin with some good sweet butter, the juice of two or three oranges, a little pepper, and grated nutmeg, give them a warm, and dish them in a fair scowred dish with carved sippets, and garnish it with dryed, grated, searsed fine manchet. _to make oyster pottage._ take some boil'd pease, strain them and put them in a pipkin with some capers, some sweet herbs finely chopped, some salt, and butter; then have some great oysters fryed with sweet herbs, and grosly chopped, put them to the strained pease, stew them together, serve them on a clean scowred dish on fine carved fippets, and garnish the dish with grated bread. _otherways._ take a quart of great oysters, parboil them in their own liquor, and stew them in a pipkin with some capers, large mace, a faggot of sweet herbs, salt, and butter, being finely stewed, serve them on slices of dryed _french_ bread, round the oysters slic't lemon, and on the pottage boil'd spinage, minced, and buttered, but first pour on the broth. _to make a hash of oysters._ take three quarts of great oysters, parboil them, and save their liquor, then mince quarts of them very fine, and put them a stewing in a pipkin with a half pint of white wine, a good big onion or two, some large mace, a grated nutmeg, some chesnuts, and pistaches, and three or spoonfuls of wine-vinegar, a quarter of a pound of good sweet butter, some oyster liquor, pepper, salt, and a faggot of sweet herbs; stew the foresaid together upon a soft fire the space of half an hour, then take the other oysters, and season them with pepper, salt and nutmeg, fry them in batter made of fine flour, egg, salt, and cream, make one half of it green with juyce of spinage, and sweet herbs chopped small, dip them in these batters, and fry them in clarified butter, being fried keep them warm in an oven; then have a fine clean large dish, lay slices of french bread all over the bottom of the dish, scald and steep the bread with some gravy of the hash, or oyster-liquor, & white wine boil'd together; dish the hash all over the slices of bread, lay on that the fryed oysters, chesnuts, and pistaches; then beat up a lear or sauce of butter, juyce of lemon or oranges, five or six, a little white-wine, the yolks of or eggs, and pour on this sauce over the hash with some slic't lemon, and lemon-peel; garnish the dish with grated bread, being dryed and searsed, some pistaches, chesnuts, carved lemons, & fryed oysters. sometimes you may use mushrooms boild in water, salt, sweet herbs--large mace, cloves, bayleaves, two or three cloves of garlick, then take them up, dip them in batter & fry them brown, make sauce for them with claret, and the juyce of two or three oranges, salt, butter, the juyce of horse-raddish roots beaten and strained, grated nutmeg, and pepper, beat them up thick with the yolks of two or three eggs, do this sauce in a frying-pan, shake them well together, and pour it on the hash with the mushrooms. _to marinate great oysters to be eaten hot._ take three quarts of great oysters ready opened, parboil them in their own liquor, then take them out and wash them in warm water, wipe them dry and flour them, fry them crisp in a frying-pan with three pints of sweet sallet oyl, put them in a dish, and set them before the fire, or in a warm oven; then make sauce with white wine; wine-vinegar, four or five blades of large mace, two or three slic't nutmegs, two races of slic't ginger, some twenty cloves, twice as much of whole pepper, and some salt; boil all the foresaid spices in a pipkin, with a quart of white wine, a pint of wine vinegar, rosemary, tyme, winter savory, sweet marjoram, bay leaves, sage, and parlsey, the tops of all these herbs about an inch long; then take three or four good lemons, slic't dish up the oysters in a clean scowred dish, pour on the broth, herbs, and spices on them, lay on the slic't lemons, and run it over with some of the oyl they were fried in, and serve them up hot. or fry them in clarified butter. _oysters in stoffado._ parboil a pottle or three quarts of great oysters, save the liquor and wash the oysters in warm water, then after steep them in white-wine, wine-vinegar, slic't nutmeg, large mace, whole pepper, salt, and cloves; give them a warm on the fire, set them off and let them steep two or three hours; then take them out, wipe them dry, dip them in batter made of fine flour, yolks of eggs, some cream and salt, fry them, and being fryed keep them warm, then take some of the spices liquor, some of the oysters-liquor, and some butter, beat these things up thick with the slices of an orange or two, and two or three yolks of eggs; then dish the fryed oysters in a fine clean dish on a chafing-dish of coals, run on the sauce over them with the spices, slic't orange, and barberries, and garnish the dish with searsed manchet. _to jelly oysters._ take ten flounders, two small pikes or plaice, and ounces of ising glass; being finely cleansed, boil them in a pipkin in a pottle of fair spring-water, and a pottle of white-wine, with some large mace, and slic't ginger; boil them to a jelly, and strain it through a strainer into a bason or deep dish; being cold pare off the top and bottom and put it in a pipkin, with the juyce of six or seven great lemons to a pottle of this broth, three pound of fine sugar beaten in a dish with the whites of twelve eggs rubbed all together with a rouling-pin, and put amongst the jelly, being melted, but not too hot, set the pipkin on a soft fire to stew, put in it a grain of musk, and as much ambergriece well rubbed, let it stew half an hour on the embers, then broil it up, and let it run through your jelly-bag; then stew the oysters in white wine, oyster-liquor, juyce of orange, mace, slic't nutmeg, whole pepper, some salt, and sugar; dish them in a fine clean dish with some preserved barberries, large mace, or pomegranat kernels, and run the jelly over them in the dish, garnish the dish with carved lemons, large mace, and preserved barberries. _to pickle oysters._ take eight quarts of oysters, and parboil them in their own liquor, then take them out, wash them in warm water and wipe them dry, then take the liquor they were parboil'd in, and clear it from the grounds into a large pipkin or skillet, put to it a pottle of good white-wine, a quart of wine vinegar, some large mace, whole pepper, and a good quantity of salt, set it over the fire, boil it leisurely, scum it clean, and being well boil'd put the liquor into eight barrels of a quart a piece, being cold, put in the oyster, and close up the head. _otherways._ take eight quarts of the fairest oysters that can be gotten, fresh and new, at the full of the moon, parboil them in their own liquor, then wipe them dry with a clean cloth, clear the liquor from the dregs, and put the oysters in a well season'd barrel that will but just hold them, then boil the oyster liquor with a quart of white-wine, a pint of wine-vinegar, eight or ten blades of large mace, an ounce of whole pepper, four ounces of white salt, four races of slic't ginger, and twenty cloves, boil these ingredients four or five warms, and being cold, put them to the oysters, close up the barrel, and keep it for your use. when you serve them, serve them in a fine clean dish with bay-leaves round about them, barberries, slic't lemon, and slic't orange. _to souce oysters to serve hot or cold._ take a gallon of great oysters ready opened, parboil them in their own liquor, and being well parboil'd, put them into a cullender, and save the liquor; then wash the oysters in warm water from the grounds & grit, set them by, and make a pickle for them with a pint of white-wine, & half a pint of wine vinegar, put it in a pipkin with some large mace, slic't nutmegs, slic't ginger, whole pepper, three or four cloves, and some salt, give it four or five warms and put in the oysters into the warm pickle with two slic't lemons, and lemon-peels; cover the pipkin close to keep in the spirits, spices, and liquor. _to roast oysters._ strain the liquor from the oysters, wash them very clean and give them a scald in boiling liquor or water; then cut small lard of a fat salt eel, & lard them with a very small larding-prick, spit them on a small spit for that service; then beat two or three yolks of eggs with a little grated bread, or nutmeg, salt, and a little rosemary & tyme minced very small; when the oysters are hot at the fire, baste them continually with these ingredients, laying them pretty warm at the fire. for the sauce boil a little white-wine, oyster-liquor, a sprig of tyme, grated bread, and salt, beat it up thick with butter, and rub the dish with a clove of garlick. _to roast oysters otherways._ take two quarts of large great oysters, and parboil them in there own liquor, then take them out, wash them from the dregs, and wipe them dry on a clean cloth; then haue slices of a fat salt eel, as thick as a half crown peice, season the oysters with nutmeg, and salt, spit them on a fine small wooden spit for that purpose, spit first a sage leafe, then a slice of eel, and then an oyster, thus do till they be all spitted, and bind them to another spit with packthread, baste them with yolks of eggs, grated bread and stripped time, and lay them to a warm fire with here and there a clove in them; being finely roasted make sauce with the gravy, that drops from them, blow off the fat, and put to it some claret wine, the juyce of an orange, grated nutmeg, and a little butter, beat it up thick together with some of the oyster-liquor, and serve them on this sauce with slices of orange. _otherways._ take the greatest oysters you can get, being opened parboil them in their own liquor, save the liquor, & wash the oysters in some water, wipe them dry, & being cold lard them with eight or ten lardons through each oyster, the lard being first seasoned with cloves, pepper, & nutmeg, beaten very small; being larded, spit them upon two wooden scuers, bind them to an iron spit and rost them, baste them with anchove sauce made of some of the oyster-liquor, let them drip in it, and being enough bread them with the crust of a roul grated, then dish them, blow the fat off the gravy, put it to the oysters, and wring on them the juyce of a lemon. _to broil oysters._ take great oysters and set them on a gridiron with the heads downwards, put them up an end, and broil them dry, brown, and hard, then put two or three of them in a shell with some melted butter, set them on the gridiron till they be finely stewed, then dish them on a plate, and fill them up with good butter only melted, or beaten with juyce of orange, pepper them lightly, and serve them up hot. _to broil oysters otherways upon paper._ broil them on a gridiron as before, then take them out of the shells into a dish, and chuse out the fairest, then have a sheet of white paper made like a dripping pan, set it on the gridiron, and run it over with clarified butter, lay on some sage leaves, some fine thin slices of a fat fresh eel, being parboil'd, and some oysters, stew them on the hot embers, and being finely broil'd, serve them on a dish and a plate in the paper they are boil'd in, and put to them beaten butter, juyce of orange, and slices of lemon. _to broil large oysters otherways._ take a pottle of great oysters opened & parboil them in there own liquor, being done, pour them in to a cullender, and save the liquor, then wash the oysters in warm water from the grounds, wipe them with a clean cloth, beard them, and put them in a pipkin, put to them large mace, two great onions, some butter, some of their own liquor, some white-wine, wine vinegar, and salt; stew them together very well, then set some of the largest shells, on a gridiron, put or in a shell, with some of the liquor out of the pipkin, broil them on a soft fire, and being broil'd, set them on a dish and plate, and fill them up with beaten butter. sometimes you may bread them in the broiling. _to fry oysters._ take two quarts of great oysters being parboil'd in their own liquor, and washed in warm water, bread them, dry them, and flour them, fry them in clarified butter crisp and white, then have butter'd prawns or shrimps, butter'd with cream and sweet butter, lay them in the bottom of a clean dish, and lay the fryed oysters round about them, run them over with beaten butter, juyce of oranges, bay-leaves stuck round the oysters, and slices of oranges or lemons. _otherways._ strain the liquor from the oysters, wash them, and parboil them in a kettle, then dry them and roul them in flour, or make a batter with eggs, flour, a little cream, and salt, roul them in it, and fry them in butter. for the sauce, boil the juyce of two or three oranges, some of their own liquor, a slic't nutmeg, and claret; being boil'd a little, put in a piece of butter, beating it up thick, then warm the dish, rub it with a clove of garlick, dish the oysters, and garnish them with slices of orange. _to bake oysters._ parboil your oysters in their own liquor, then take them out and wash them in warm water from the dregs dry them and season them with pepper, nutmeg, yolks of hard eggs, and salt; the pye being made, put a few currans in the bottom, and lay on the oysters, with some slic't dates in halves, some large mace, slic't lemon, barberries and butter, close it up and bake it, then liquor it with white-wine, sugar, and butter; or in place of white-wine, use verjuyce. [illustration: _the forms of oyster pyes._] _to bake oysters otherways._ season them with pepper, salt, and nutmegs, the same quantity as beforesaid, and the same quantity oysters, two or three whole onions, neither currans nor sugar, but add to it in all respects else; as slic't nutmeg on them, large mace, hard eggs in halves, barberries, and butter, liquor it with beaten nutmeg, white-wine, and juyce of oranges. otherways, for change, in the seasoning put to them chopped tyme, hard eggs, some anchoves, and the foresaid spices. or bake them in florentines, or patty-pans, and give them the same seasoning as you do the pies. or take large oysters, broil them dry and brown in the shells, and season them with former spices, bottoms of boil'd artichocks, pickled mushrooms, and no onions, but all things else as the former, liquor them with beaten butter, juyce of orange, and some claret wine. _otherways._ being parboil'd in their own liquor, season them with a little salt, sweet herbs minced small one spoonful, fill the pie, and put into it three or four blades of large mace, a slic't lemon, and on flesh days a good handful of marrow rouled in yolks of eggs and butter, close it up and bake it, make liquor for it with two nutmegs grated, a little pepper, butter, verjuyce, and sugar. _to make an oyster pye otherways._ take a pottle of oysters, being parboil'd in their own liquor, beard and dry them, then season them with large mace, whole pepper, a little beaten ginger, salt, butter, and marrow, then close it up and bake it, and being baked, make a lear with white wine the oyster liquor, and one onion, or rub the ladle with garlick you beat it up with all; it being boil'd, put in a pound of butter, with a minced lemon, a faggot of sweet herbs, and being boil'd put in the liquor. _to make minced pies or chewits of oysters._ take three quarts of great oysters ready opened and parboil'd in their own liquor, then wash them in warm water from the dregs, dry them and mince them very fine, season them lightly with nutmeg, pepper, salt, cloves, mace, cinamon, caraway-seed, some minced, rasins of the sun, slic't dates, sugar, currans, and half a pint of white wine, mingle all together, and put butter in the bottoms of the pies, fill them up and bake them. _to bake oysters otherways._ season them with pepper, salt, nutmeg, and sweet herbs strowed on them in the pie, large mace, barberries, butter, and a whole onion or two, for liquor a little white wine, and wine-vinegar, beat it up thick with butter, and liquor the pie, cut it up, and lay on a slic't lemon, let not the lemon boil in it, and serve it hot. _otherways._ season them as before with pepper, nutmeg, and salt, being bearded, but first fry them in clarified butter, then take them up and season them, lay them in the pie being cold, put butter to them and large mace, close it up and bake it; then make liquor with a little claret wine and juyce of oranges, beat it thick with butter, and a little wine vinegar, liquor the pie, lay on some slices of orange, and set it again into the oven a little while. _to bake oysters otherways._ take great oysters, beard them, and season them with grated nutmeg, salt, and some sweet herbs minc'd small, lay them in the pye with a small quantity of the sweet herbs strowed on them, some twenty whole corns of pepper, slic't ginger, a whole onion or two, large mace, and some butter, close it up and bake it, and make liquor with white-wine, some of their own liquor, and a minced lemon, and beat it up thick. _otherways._ broil great oysters dry in the shells, then take them out, and season them with great nutmeg, pepper, and salt, lay them in the pye, and strow on them the yolks of two hard eggs minced, some stripp'd tyme, some capers, large mace, and butter; close it up, and make liquor with claret wine, wine vinegar, butter, and juyce of oranges, and beat it up thick, and liquor the pye, set it again into the oven a little while, and serve it hot. _to make a made dish of oysters and other compounds._ take oysters, cockles, prawns, craw-fish, and shrimps, being finely cleans'd from the grit, season them with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, next have chesnuts roasted, and blanch't, skerrets boil'd, blanched and seasoned; then have a dish or patty-pan ready with a sheet of cool butter paste, lay some butter on it, then the fishes, and on them the skirrets, chesnuts, pistaches, slic't lemon, large mace, barberries, and butter; close it up and bake it, and being baked, fill it up with beaten butter, beat with juyce of oranges, and some white-wine, or beaten butter with a little wine-vinegar, verjuyce, or juyce of green grapes, or a little good fresh fish broth, cut it up and liquor it, lay on the cover or cut it into four or five pieces, lay it round the dish, and serve it hot. _to make cool butter-paste for this dish._ take to every peck of flour five pound of butter, and the whites of six eggs, work it well together dry, then put cold water to it; this paste is good only for patty-pans and pasties. _to make paste for oyster-pies._ the paste for thin bak't meats must be made with boiling liquor, put to every peck of flour two pound of butter, but let the butter boil in the liquor first. _to fry mushrooms._ blanch them & wash them clean if they be large, quarter them, and boil them with water, salt, vinegar, sweet herbs, large mace, cloves, bay-leaves, and two or three cloves of garlick, then take them up, dry them, dip them in batter and fry them in clarifi'd butter till they be brown, make sauce for them with claret-wine, the juice of two or three oranges, salt, butter, the juyce of horse-raddish roots beaten and strained, slic't nutmeg, and pepper; put these into a frying pan with the yolks of two or eggs dissolved with some mutton gravy, beat and shake them well together in the pan that they curdle not; then dish the mushrooms on a dish, being first rubbed with a clove of garlick, and garnish it with oranges, and lemons. _to dress mushrooms in the italian fashion._ take mushrooms, peel & wash them, and boil them in a skillet with water and salt, but first let the liquor boil with sweet herbs, parsley, and a crust of bread, being boil'd, drain them from the water, and fry them in sweet sallet oyl; being fried serve them in a dish with oyl, vinegar, pepper, and fryed parsley. or fry them in clarified butter. _to stew mushrooms._ peel them, and put them in a clean dish, strow salt on them, and put an onion to them, some sweet herbs, large mace, pepper, butter, salt, and two or three cloves, being tender stewed on a soft fire, put to them some grated bread, and a little white wine, stew them a little more and dish them (but first rub the dish with a clove of garlick) sippet them, lay slic't orange on them, and run them over with beaten butter. _to stew mushrooms otherways._ take them fresh gathered, and cut off the end of the stalk, and as you peel them put them in a dish with white wine; after they have laid half an hour, drain them from the wine, and put them between silver dishes, and set them on a soft fire without any liquor, & when they have stewed a while pour away the liquor that comes from them; then put your mushrooms into another clean dish with a sprig of time, a whole onion, or five corns of whole pepper, two or three cloves, a piece of an orange, a little salt, and a piece of good butter, & some pure gravy of mutton, cover them, and set them on a gentle fire, so let them stew softly till they be enough and very tender; when you dish them, blow off the fat from them, and take out the time, spice, and orange from them, then wring in the juyce of a lemon, and a little nutmeg among the mushrooms, toss them two or three times, and put them in a clean dish, and serve them hot to the table. _to dress champignions in fricase, or mushrooms, which is all one thing; they are called also fungi, commonly in english toad stools._ dress your champignions, as in the foregoing chapter, and being stewed put away the liquor, put them into a frying-pan with a piece of butter, some tyme, sweet marjoram, and a piece of an onion minced all together very fine, with a little salt also and beaten pepper, and fry them, and being finely fried, make a lear or sauce with three or four eggs dissolved with some claret-wine, and the juyce of two or three oranges, grated nutmeg, and the gravy of a leg of mutton, and shake them together in a pan with two or three tosses, dish them, and garnish the dish with orange and lemon, and rub the dish first with a clove of garlick, or none. _to broil mushrooms._ take the biggest and the reddest, peel them, and season them with some sweet herbs, pepper, and salt, broil them on a dripping-pan of paper, and fill it full, put some oyl into it, and lay it on a gridiron, boil it on a soft fire, turn them often, and serve them with oyl and vinegar. or broil them with butter, and serve them with beaten butter, and juyce of orange. _to stew cockles being taken out of the shells._ wash them well with vinegar, broil or broth them before you take them out of the shells, then put them in a dish with a little claret, vinegar, a handful of capers, mace, pepper, a little grated bread, minced tyme, salt, and the yolks of two or three hard eggs minced, stew all together till you think them enough; then put in a good piece of butter, shake them well together, heat the dish, rub it with a clove of garlick, and put two or three toasts of white bread in the bottom, laying the meat on them. craw-fish, prawns, or shrimps, are excellent good the same way being taken out of their shells, and make variety of garnish with the shells. _to stew cockles otherways._ stew them with claret wine, capers, rose or elder vinegar, wine vinegar, large mace, gross pepper, grated bread, minced tyme, the yolks of hard eggs minced, and butter: stew them well together. thus you may stew scollops, but leave out capers. _to stew scollops._ boil them very well in white wine, fair water, and salt, take them out of the shells, and stew them with some of the liquor elder vinegar, two or three cloves, some large mace, and some sweet herbs chopped small; being well stewed together, dish four or five of them in scollop shells and beaten butter, with the juyce of two or three oranges. _to stew muscles._ wash them clean, and boil them in water, or beer and salt; then take them out of the shells, and beard them from gravel and stones, fry them in clarified butter, and being fryed put away some of the butter, and put to them a sauce made of some of their own liquor, some sweet herbs chopped, a little white-wine, nutmeg, three or four yolks of eggs dissolved in wine vinegar, salt, and some sliced orange; give these materials a warm or two in the frying-pan, make the sauce pretty thick, and dish them in the scollop shells. _to fry muscles._ take as much water as will cover them, set it a boiling, and when it boils put in the muscles, being clean washed, put some salt to them, and being boil'd take them out of the shells, and beard them from the stones, moss, and gravel, wash them in warm water, wipe them dry, flour them and fry them crisp, serve them with beaten butter, juyce of orange, and fryed parsley, or fryed sage dipped in batter, fryed ellicksander leaves, and slic't orange. _to make a muscle pye._ take a peck of muscles, wash them clean, and set them a boiling in a kettle of fair water, (but first let the water boil) then put them into it, give them a warm, and as soon as they are opened, take them out of the shells, stone them, and mince them with some sweet herbs, some leeks, pepper, and nutmeg; mince six hard eggs and put to them, put some butter in the pye, close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with some butter, white wine, and slices of orange. _to stew prawns, shrimps, or craw-fish._ being boil'd and picked, stew them in white wine, sweet butter, nutmeg, and salt, dish them in scollop shells, and run them over with beaten butter, and juyce of orange or lemon. otherways, stew them in butter and cream, and serve them in scollop shells. _to stew lobsters._ take claret-wine vinegar, nutmeg, salt, and butter, stew them down some what dry, and dish them in a scollop-shell, run them over with butter and slic't lemon. otherways, cut it into dice-work, and warm it with white-wine and butter, put it in a pipkin with claret wine or grape verjuyce, and grated manchet, and fill the scollop-shells. _otherways._ being boil'd, take out the meat, break it small, but break the shells as little as you can, then put the meat into a pipkin with claret-wine, wine-vinegar, slic't nutmeg, a little salt, and some butter; stew all these together softly an hour, being stewed almost dry, put to it a little more butter, and stir it well together; then lay very thin toasts in a clean dish, and lay the meat on them. or you may put the meat in the shells, and garnish the dish about with the legs, and lay the body or barrel over the meat with some sliced lemon, and rare coloured flowers being in summer, or pickled in winter. crabs are good the same way, only add to them the juyce of two or three oranges, a little pepper, and grated bread. _to stew lobsters otherways._ take the meat out of the shells, slice it, and fry it in clarified butter, (the lobsters being first boil'd and cold), then put the meat in a pipkin with some claret wine, some good sweet butter, grated nutmeg, salt, and or three slices of an orange; let it stew leisurely half an hour, and dish it up on fine carved sippets in a clean dish, with sliced orange on it, and the juyce of another, and run it over with beaten butter. _to hash lobsters._ take them out of the shells, mince them small, and put them in a pipkin with some claret wine, salt, sweet butter, grated nutmeg, slic't oranges, & some pistaches; being finely stewed, serve them on sippets, dish them, and run them over with beaten butter, slic't oranges, some cuts of paste, or lozenges of puff-paste. _to boil lobsters to eat cold the common way._ take them alive or dead, lay them in cold water to make the claws tuff, and keep them from breaking off; then have a kettle over the fire with fair water, put in it as much bay-salt, as will make it a good strong brine, when it boils scum it, and put in the lobsters, let them boil leisurely the space of half an hour or more according to the bigness of them, being well boil'd take them up, wash them, and then wipe them with beer and butter; and keep them for your use. _to keep lobsters a quarter of a year very good._ take them being boil'd as aforesaid, wrap them in course rags having been steeped in brine, and bury them in a cellar in some sea-sand pretty deep. _to farce a lobster._ take a lobster being half boil'd, take the meat out of the shells, and mince it small with a good fresh eel, season it with cloves & mace beaten, some sweet herbs minced small and mingled amongst the meat, yolks of eggs, gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, and sometimes boil'd artichocks cut into dice-work, or boil'd aspragus, and some almond-paste mingled with the rest, fill the lobster shells, claws, tail, and body, and bake it in a blote oven, make sauce with the gravy and whitewine, and beat up the sauce or lear with good sweet butter, a grated nutmeg, juyce of oranges, and an anchove, and rub the dish with a clove of garlick. to this farcing you may sometime add almond paste currans, sugar, gooseberries, and make balls to lay about the lobsters, or serve it with venison sauce. _to marinate lobsters._ take lobsters out of the shells being half boil'd, then take the tails and lard them with a salt eel (or not lard them) part the tails into two halves the longest way, and fry them in sweet sallet oyl, or clarified butter; being finely fryed, put them into a dish or pipkin, and set them by; then make sauce with white wine, and white wine vinegar, four or five blades of large mace, three or four slic't nutmegs, two races of ginger slic't, some ten or twelve cloves twice as much of whole pepper, and salt, boil them altogether with rosemary, tyme, winter-savory, sweet marjoram, bay-leaves, sage, and parsley, the tops of all these herbs about an inch long; then take three or four lemons and slice them, dish up the lobsters on a clean dish, and pour the broth, herbs and spices on the fish, lay on the lemons, run it over with some of the oyl or butter they were fryed in, and serve them up hot. _to broil lobsters._ being boil'd lay them on a gridiron, or toast them against the fire, and baste them with vinegar and butter, or butter only, broil them leisurely, and being broil'd serve them with butter and vinegar beat up thick with slic't lemon and nutmeg. _otherways._ broil them, the tail being parted in two halves long ways, also the claws cracked and broil'd; broil the barrel whole being salted, baste it with sweet herbs, as tyme, rosemary, parsley, and savory, being broil'd dish it, and serve it with butter and vinegar. _to broil lobsters on paper._ slice the tails round, and also the claws in long slices, then butter a dripping-pan made of the paper, lay it on a gridiron, and put some slices of lobster seasoned with nutmeg and salt, and slices of a fresh eel, some sageleaves, tops of rosemary, two or three cloves, and sometimes some bay-leaves or sweet herbs chopped; broil them on the embers, and being finely broil'd serve them on a dish and a plate in the same dripping-pan, put to them beaten butter, juyce of oranges, and slices of lemon. _to roast lobsters._ take a lobster and spit it raw on a small spit, bind the claws and tail with packthred, baste it with butter, vinegar, and sprigs of rosemary, and salt it in the roasting. _otherways._ half boil them, take them out of the shells, and lard them with small lard made of a salt eel, lard the claws and tails, and spit the meat on a small spit, with some slices of the eel, and sage or bay leaves between, stick in the fish here and there a clove or two, and some sprigs of rosemary; roast the barrel of the lobsters whole, and baste them with sweet butter, make sauce with claret wine, the gravy of the lobsters, juyce of oranges, an anchove or two, and sweet butter beat up thick with the core of a lemon, and grated nutmeg. _otherways._ half boil them, and take the meat out of the tail, and claws as whole as can be, & stick it with cloves and tops of rosemary; then spit the barrels of the lobsters by themselves, the tails and claws by themselves, and between them a sage or bay-leaf; baste them with sweet butter, and dredg them with grated bread, yolks of eggs, and some grated nutmeg. then make sauce with claret wine, vinegar, pepper, the gravy of the meat, some salt, slices of oranges, grated nutmeg, and some beaten butter; then dish the barrels of the lobsters round the dish, the claws and tails in the middle, and put to it the sauce. _otherways._ make a farcing in the barrels of the lobsters with the meat in them, some almond-paste, nutmeg, tyme, sweet marjoram, yolks of raw eggs, salt, and some pistaches, and serve them with venison sauce. _to fry lobsters._ being boil'd take the meat out of the shells, and slice it long ways, flour it, and fry it in clarified butter, fine, white, and crisp; or in place of flouring it in batter, with eggs, flour, salt, and cream, roul them in it and fry them, being fryed make a sauce with the juyce of oranges, claret wine, and grated nutmeg, beaten up thick with some good sweet butter, then warm the dish and rub it with a clove of garlick, dish the lobsters, garnish it with slices of oranges or lemons, and pour on the sauce. _to bake lobsters to be eaten hot._ being boil'd and cold, take the meat out of the shells, and season it lightly with nutmeg, pepper, salt, cinamon, and ginger; then lay it in a pye made according to the following form, and lay on it some dates in halves, large mace, slic't lemons, barberries, yolks of hard eggs and butter, close it up and bake it, and being baked liquor it with white-wine, butter, and sugar, and ice it. on flesh days put marrow to it. _otherways._ take the meat out of the shells being boil'd and cold, and lard it with a salt eel or salt salmon, seasoning it with beaten nutmeg, pepper, and salt; then make the pye, put some butter in the bottom, and lay on it some slices of a fresh eel, and on that a layer of lobsters, put to it a few whole cloves, and thus make two or three layers, last of all slices of fresh eel, some whole cloves and butter, close up the pye, and being baked, fill it up with clarified butter. if you bake it these ways to eat hot, season it lightly, and put in some large mace; liquor it with claret wine, beaten butter, and slices of orange. _otherways._ take four lobsters being boil'd, and some good fat conger raw, cut some of it into square pieces as broad as your hand, then take the meat of the lobsters, and slice the tails in two halves or two pieces long wayes, as also the claws, season both with pepper, nutmeg and salt then make the pie, put butter in the bottom, lay on the slices, of conger, and then a layer of lobsters; thus do three or four times till the pie be full, then lay on a few whole cloves, and some butter; close it up and bake it, being baked liquor it with butter and white-wine, or only clarified butter. make your pyes according to these forms. if to eat hot season it lightly, and being baked liquor it with butter, white-wine, slic't lemon, gooseberries, grapes, or barberries. _to pickle lobsters._ boil them in vinegar, white-wine, and salt, being boiled take them up and lay them by, then have some bay-leaves, rosemary tops, winter-savory, tyme, large mace, and whole pepper: boil these foresaid materials all together in the liquor with the lobsters, and some whole cloves; being boil'd, barrel them up in a vessel that will but just contain them, and pack them close, pour the liquor to them, herbs spices, and some lemon peels, close up the head of the kegg or firkin; and keep them for your use; when you serve them, serve them with spices, herbs, peels, and some of the liquor or pickle. _to jelly lobsters, craw-fish, or prawns._ take a tench being new, draw out the garnish at the gills, and cut out all the gills, it will boil the whiter, then set on as much clear water aswil conveniently boil it, season it with salt, wine-vinegar, five or six bay-leaves large mace, three or four whole cloves, and a faggot of sweet herbs bound up hard together: so soon as this preparative boils, put in the tench being clean wiped, do not scale it, being boil'd take it up and wash off all the loose scales, then strain the liquor through a jelly-bag, and put to it a piece of ising-glass being first washed and steeped for the purpose, boil it very cleanly, and run it through a jelly-bag; then having the fish taken out of the shells, lay them in a large clean dish, lay the lobsters in slices, and the craw fish and prawns whole, and run this jelly over them. you may make this jelly of divers colours, as you may see in the section of jellies, page . garnish the dish of jellies with lemon-peels cut in branches, long slices as you fancy, barberries, and fine coloured flowers. or lard the lobsters with salt eel, or stick it with candied oranges, green citterns, or preserved barberries, and make the jelly sweet. _to stew crabs._ being boil'd take the meat out of the bodies or barrels, and save the great claws, and the small legs whole to garnish the dish, strain the meat with some claret wine, grated bread, wine-vinegar, nutmeg, a little salt, and a piece of butter; stew them together an hour on a soft fire in a pipkin, and being stewed almost dry, put in some beaten butter with juyce of oranges beaten up thick; then dish the shells being washed and finely cleansed, the claws and little legs round about them, put the meat into the shells, and so serve them. sometimes you may use yolks of eggs strained with butter. _to stew crabs otherways._ being boil'd take the meat out of the shells, and put it in a pipkin with some claret wine, and wine vinegar, minced tyme, pepper, grated bread, salt, the yolks of two or three hard eggs strained or minced very small, some sweet butter, capers, and some large mace; stew it finely, rub the shells with a clove or two of garlick, and dish them as is shown before. _otherways._ take the meat out of the bodies, and put it in a pipkin with some cinamon, wine vinegar, butter, and beaten ginger, stew them and serve them as the former, dished with the legs about them. sometimes you may add sugar to them, parboil'd grapes, gooseberries, or barberries, and in place of vinegar, juyce of oranges, and run them over with beaten butter. _to butter crabs._ the crabs being boil'd, take the meat out of the bodies, and strain it with the yolks of three or four hard eggs, beaten cinamon, sugar, claret-wine, and wine-vinegar, stew the meat in a pipkin with some good sweet butter the space of a quarter of an hour, and serve them as the former. _otherways._ being boil'd, take the meat out of the shells, as also out of the great claws, cut it into dice-work, & put both the meats into a pipkin, together with some white wine, juyce of oranges, nutmeg, and some slices of oranges, stew it two or three warms on the fire, and the shells being finely cleansed and dried, put the meat into them, and lay the legs round about them in a clean dish. _to make a hash of crabs._ take two crabs being boil'd, take out the meat of the claws, and cut it into dice-work, mix it with the meat of the body, then have some pine-apple seed, and some pistaches or artichock-bottoms, boil'd, blanched, and cut into dice-work, or some asparagus boil'd and cut half an inch long; stew all these together with some claret wine, vinegar, grated nutmeg, salt, sweet butter, and the slices of an orange; being finely stewed, dish it on sippets, cuts, or lozenges of puff paste, and garnish it with fritters of arms, slic't lemon carved, barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, and run it over with beaten butter, and yolks of eggs beaten up thick together. _to farce a crab._ take a boil'd crab, take the meat out of the shell, and mince the claws with a good fresh eel, season it with cloves, mace, some sweet herbs chopped, and salt, mingle all together with some yolks of eggs, some grapes, gooseberries, or barberres, and sometimes boil'd artichocks in dice-work, or boil'd asparagus, some almond-paste, the meat of the body of the crab, and some grated bread, fill the shells with this compound, & make some into balls, bake them in a dish with some butter and white wine in a soft oven; being baked, serve them in a clean dish with a sauce made of beaten butter, large mace, scalded grapes, gooseberries, or barberries, or some slic't orange or lemon and some yolks of raw eggs dissolved with some white-wine or claret, and beat up thick with butter; brew it well together, pour it on the fish, and lay on some slic't lemon, stick the balls with some pistaches, slic't almonds, pine-apple-seed, or some pretty cuts in paste. _to broil crabs in oyl or butter._ take crabs being boil'd in water and salt, steep them in oyl and vinegar, and broil them on a gridiron on a soft fire of embers, in the broiling baste them with some rosemary branches, and being broil'd serve them with the sauces they were boil'd with, oyl and vinegar, or beaten butter, vinegar, and the rosemary branches they were basted with. _to fry crabs._ take the meat out of the great claws being first boiled, flour and fry them, and take the meat out of the body strain half of it for sauce, and the other half to fry, and mix it with grated bread, almond paste, nutmeg, salt, and yolks of eggs, fry it in clarified butter, being first dipped in batter, put in a spoonful at a time; then make sauce with wine-vinegar, butter, or juyce of orange, and grated nutmeg, beat up the butter thick, and put some of the meat that was strained into the sauce, warm it and put it in a clean dish, lay the meat on the sauce, slices of orange over all, and run it over with beaten butter, fryed parsley, round the dish brim, and the little legs round the meat. _otherways._ being boil'd and cold, take the meat out of the claws, flour and fry them, then take the meat out of the body, butter it with butter vinegar, and pepper, and put it in a clean dish, put the fryed crab round about it, and run it over with beaten butter, juyce and slices of orange, and lay on it sage leaves fryed in batter, or fryed parsley. _to bake crabs in pye, dish, or patty pan._ take four or five crabs being boil'd, take the meat out of the shell and claws as whole as you can, season it with nutmeg and salt lightly; then strain the meat that came out of the body, shells, with a little claret-wine, some cinamon, ginger, juyce of orange and butter, make the pie, dish, or patty pan, lay butter in the bottom, then the meat of the claws, some pistaches, asparagus, some bottoms of artichocks, yolks of hard eggs, large mace, grapes, gooseberries or barberries, dates of slic't orange, and butter, close it up and bake it, being baked, liquor it with the meat out of the body. _otherways._ mince them with a tench or fresh eel, and season it with sweet herbs minced small, beaten nutmeg, pepper, and salt, lightly season, and mingle the meat that was in the bodies of the crabs with the other seasoned fishes; mingle also with this foresaid meat some boil'd or roasted chesnuts, or artichocks, asparagus boil'd and cut an inch long, pistaches, or pine-apple-seed, and grapes, gooseberries or barberries, fill the pie, dish, or patty-pan, close it up and bake it, being baked, liquor it with juyce of oranges, some claret wine, good butter beat up thick, and the yolks of two or three eggs; fill up the pie, lay slices of an orange on it and stick in some lozenges of puff-paste, or branches of short paste. _to make minced pies of a crab._ being boil'd, mince the legs, and strain the meat in the body with two or three yolks of eggs, mince also some sweet herbs and put to it some almond-paste or grated bread, a minced onion, some fat eel cut like little dice, or some fat belly of salmon; mingle it all together, and put it in a pie made according to this form, season it with nutmeg, pepper, salt, currans, and barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, mingle also some butter, and fill your pie, bake it, and being baked, liquor it with beaten butter and white wine. or with butter, sugar, cinamon, sweet herbs chopped, and verjuyce. _to dress tortoise._ cast off the head, feet, and tail, and boil it in water, wine, and salt, being boil'd, pull the shell asunder, and pick the meat from the skins, and the gall from the liver, save the eggswhole if a female, and stew the eggs, meat and liver in a dish with some grated nutmeg, a little sweet herbs minced small, and some sweet butter, stew it up, and serve it on fine sippets, cover the meat with the upper shell of the tortoise, and slices or juyce of orange. or stew them in a pipkin with some butter, whitewine some of the broth, a whole onion or two, tyme, parsley, winter savory, and rosemary minc't, being finely stewed serve them on sippets, or put them in the shells, being cleansed; or make a fricase in a frying-pan with or four yolks of eggs and some of the shells amongst them, and dress them as aforesaid. _to dress snails._ take shell snails, and having water boil'd, put them in, then pick them out of the shells with a great pin into a bason, cast salt to them, scour the slime from them, and after wash them in two or three waters; being clean scowred, dry them with a clean cloth; then have rosemary, tyme, parsley, winter-savory, and pepper very small, put them into a deep bason or pipkin, put to them some salt, and good sallet oyl, mingle all together, then have the shells finely cleansed, fill them, and set them on a gridiron, broil them upon the embers softly, and being broil'd, dish four or five dozen in a dish, fill them up with oyl, and serve them hot. _to stew snails._ being well scowred and cleansed as aforesaid, put to them some claret wine and vinegar, a handful of capers, mace, pepper, grated bread, a little minced tyme, salt, and the yolks of two or hard eggs minced; let all these stew together till you think it be enough, then put in a good piece of butter, shaking it together, heat the dish, and rub it with a clove of garlick, put them on fine sippets of french bread, pour on the snails, and some barberries, or slic't lemons. _otherways._ being cleansed, fry them in oyl or clarified butter, with some slices of a fresh eel, and some fried sage leaves; stew them in a pipkin with some white-wine, butter, and pepper, and serve them on sippets with beaten butter, and juyce of oranges. _otherways._ being finely boil'd and cleansed, fry them in clarified butter; being fryed take them up, and put them in a pipkin, put to them some sweet butter chopped parsley, white or claret wine, some grated nutmeg, slices of orange, and a little salt; stew them well together, serve them on sippets; and then run them over with beaten butter, and slices of oranges. _to fry snails._ take shell snails in _january_, _february_, or, _march_, when they be closed up, boil them in a skillet of boiling water, and when they be tender boil'd, take them out of the shell with a pin, cleanse them from the slime, flour them, and fry them; being fryed, serve them in a clean dish, with butter, vinegar, fryed parsley, fryed onions, or ellicksander leaves fryed, or served with beaten butter, and juyce of orange, or oyl, vinegar, and slic't lemon. _otherways._ fry them in oyl and butter, being finely cleansed, and serve them with butter, vinegar, and pepper, or oyl, vinegar, and pepper. _to make a hash of snails._ being boil'd and cleansed, mince them small, put them in a pipkin with some sweet herbs minced, the yolks of hard eggs, some whole capers, nutmeg, pepper, salt, some pistaches, and butter, or oyl; being stewed the space of half an hour on a soft fire; then have some fried toasts of french bread, lay some in the bottom, and some round the meat in the dish. _to dress snails in a pottage._ wash them very well in many waters, then put them in an earthen pan, or a wide dish, put as much water as will cover them, and set your dish on some caols; when they boil take them out of the shells, and scowr them with water and salt three or four times, then put them in a pipkin with water and salt, and let them boil a little, then take them out of the water, and put them in a dish with some excellent sallet oyl; when the oyl boils put in three or four slic't onions, and fry them, put the snails to them, and stew them well together, then put the oyl snails and onions all together in a pipkin of a fit size for them, and put as much warm water to them as will make a pottage, with some salt, and so let them stew three or four hours, then mince tyme, parsley, pennyroyal, and the like herbs; when they are minced, beat them to green sauce in a mortar, put in some crumbs of bread soakt with that broth or pottage, some saffron and beaten cloves; put all in to the snails, and give them a warm or , and when you serve them up, squeeze in the juyce of a lemon, put in a little vinegar, and a clove of garlick amongst the herbs, and beat them in it; serve them up in a dish with sippets in the bottom of it. this pottage is very nourishing, and excellent good against a consumption. _to bake snails._ being boil'd and scowred, season them with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, put them into a pie with some marrow, large mace, a raw chicken cut in pieces, some little bits of lard and bacon, the bones out, sweet herbs chopped, slic't lemon, or orange and butter; being full, close it up and bake it, and liquor it with butter and white-wine. _to bake frogs._ being flayed, take the hind legs, cut off the feet, and season them with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, put them in a pye with some sweet herbs chopped small, large mace, slic't lemon, gooseberries, grapes, or barberries, pieces of skirrets, artichocks, potatoes, or parsnips, and marrow; close it up and bake it; being baked, liquor it with butter, and juyce of orange, or grape-verjuyce. * * * * * * * * * section xx. _to make all manner of pottages for fish-days._ _french barley pottage._ cleanse the barley from dust, and put it in boiling milk, being boil'd down, put in large mace, cream, sugar, and a little salt, boil it pretty thick, then serve it in a dish, scrape sugar on it, and trim the dish sides. _otherways._ boil it in fair water, scum it, and being almost boil'd, put to it some saffron, or disolved yolks of eggs. _to make gruel pottage the best way for service._ pick your oatmeal, and boil it whole on a stewing fire; being tender boil'd, strain it through a strainer, then put it into a clean pipkin with fair boiling water, make it pretty thick of the strained oatmeal, and put to it some picked raisins of the sun well washed, some large mace, salt, and a little bundle of sweet herbs, with a little rose-water and saffron; set it a stewing on a fire of charcoal, boil it with sugar till the fruit be well allom'd, then put to it butter and the yolks of three or four eggs strained. _otherways._ good herbs and oatmel chopped, put them into boiling liquor in a pipkin, pot, or skillet, with some salt, and being boil'd put to it butter. _otherways._ with a bundle of sweet herbs and oatmeal chopped, some onions and salt, seasoned as before with butter. _to make furmety._ take wheat and wet it, then beat it in a sack with a wash beetle, being finely hulled and cleansed from the dust and hulls, boil it over night, and let it soak on a soft fire all night; then next morning take as much as will serve the turn, put it in a pipkin, pan, or skillet, and put it a boiling in cream or milk, with mace, salt, whole cinamon, and saffron, or yolks of eggs, boil it thick and serve it in a clean scowred dish, scrape on sugar, and trim the dish. _to make rice pottage._ pick the rice and dust it clean, then wash it, and boil it in water or milk; being boil'd down, put to it some cream, large mace, whole cinamon, salt, and sugar; boil it on a soft stewing fire, and serve it in a fair deep dish, or a standing silver piece. _otherways._ boil'd rice strained with almond milk, and seasoned as the former. _milk pottage._ boil whole oatmel, being cleanly picked, boil it in a pipkin or pot, but first let the water boil; being well boil'd and tender, put in milk or cream, with salt, and fresh butter, _&c._ _ellicksander pottage._ chop ellicksanders and oatmeal together, being picked and washed, then set on a pipkin with fair water, and when it boils, put in your herbs, oatmeal, and salt, boil it on a soft fire, and make it not too thick, being almost boil'd put in some butter. _pease pottage._ take green pease being shelled and cleansed, put them in a pipkin of fair boiling water; when they be boil'd and tender, take and strain some of them, and thicken the rest, put to them a bundle of sweet herbs, or sweet herbs chopped, salt, and butter; being through boil'd dish them, and serve them in a deep clean dish with salt and sippets about them. _otherways._ put them into a pipkin or skillet of boiling milk or cream, put to them two or three sprigs of mint, and salt; being fine and tender boil'd, thick them with a little milk and flour. _dry or old pease pottage._ take the choicest pease, (that some call seed way pease) commonly they be a little worm eaten, (those are the best boiling pease) pick and wash them, and put them in boiling liquor in a pot or pipkin; being tender boil'd take out some of them, strain them, and set them by for your use; then season the rest with salt, a bundle of mint and butter, let them stew leisurely, and put to them some pepper. _strained pease pottage._ take the former strained pease-pottage, put to them salt, large mace, a bundle of sweet herbs, and some pickled capers; stew them well together, then serve them in a deep dish clean scowred, with thin slices of bread in the bottom, and graced manchet to garnish it. _an excellent stewed broth for fish-day._ set a boiling some fair water in a pipkin, then strain some oatmeal and put to it, with large mace, whole cinamon, salt, a bundle of sweet herbs, some strained and whole prunes, and some raisins of the sun; being well stewed on a soft fire, and pretty thick, put in some claret-wine and sugar, serve it in a clear scowred deep dish or standing piece, and scrape on sugar. _onion pottage._ fry good store of slic't onions, then have a pipkin of boiling liquor over the fire, when the liquor boils put in the fryed onions, butter and all, with pepper and salt; being well stewed together, serve it on sops of french bread or pine-molet. _almond pottage._ take a pound of almond-paste, and strain it with some new milk; then have a pottle of cream boiling in a pipkin or skillet, put in the milk; and almonds with some mace, salt, and sugar; serve it in a clean dish on sippets of french bread, and scrape on sugar. _otherways._ strain them with fair water, and boil them with mace, salt, and sugar, (or none) add two or three yolks of eggs dissolved, or saffron; and serve it as before. _almond caudle._ strain half a pound of almonds being blanched and stamped, strain them with a pint of good ale, then boil it with slices of fine manchet, large mace, and sugar; being almost boil'd put in three or four spoonfuls of sack. _oatmeal caudle._ boil ale, scum it, and put in strained oatmeal, mace, sugar, and diced bread, boil it well, and put in two or three spoonfuls of sack, white-wine or claret. _egg caudle._ boil ale or beer, scum it, and put to it two or three blades of large mace, some sliced manchet and sugar; then dissolve four or five yolks of eggs with some sack, claret or white-wine, and put it into the rest with a little grated nutmeg; give it a warm, and serve it. _sugar, or honey sops._ boil beer or ale, scum it, and put to it slices of fine manchet, large mace, sugar, or honey; sometimes currans, and boil all well together. _to make an alebury._ boil beer or ale, scum it, and put in some mace, and a bottom of a manchet, boil it well, then put in some sugar. _buttered beer._ take beer or ale and boil it, then scum it, and put to it some liquorish and anniseeds, boil them well together; then have in a clean flaggon or quart pot some yolks of eggs well beaten with some of the foresaid beer, and some good butter; strain your butter'd beer, put it in the flaggon, and brew it with the butter and eggs. _buttered beer or ale otherways._ boil beer or ale and scum it, then have six eggs, whites and all, and beat them in a flaggon or quart pot with the shells, some butter, sugar, and nutmeg, put them together, and being well brewed, drink it when you go to bed. _otherways._ take three pints of beer or ale, put five yolks of eggs to it, strain them together, and set it in a pewter pot to the fire, put to it half a pound of sugar, a penniworth of beaten nutmeg, as much beaten cloves, half an ounce of beaten ginger, and bread it. _panado's._ boil fair water in a skillet, put to it grated bread or cakes, good store of currans, mace and whole cinamon: being almost boil'd and indifferent thick, put in some sack or white wine, sugar, some strained yolks of eggs. otherways with slic't bread, water, currans, and mace, and being well boil'd, put to it some sugar, white-wine, and butter. _to make a compound posset of sack, claret, white-wine, ale, beer, or juyce of oranges,_ &c. take twenty yolks of eggs with a little cream, strain them, and set them by; then have a clean scowred skillet, and put into it a pottle of good sweet cream, and a good quantity of whole cinamon, set it a boiling on a soft charcoal fire, and stir it continually; the cream having a good taste of the cinamon, put in the strained eggs and cream into your skillet, stir them together, and give them a warm, then have some sack in a deep bason or posset-pot, good store of fine sugar, and some sliced nutmeg; the sack and sugar being warm, take out the cinamon, and pour your eggs and cream very high in to the bason, that it may spatter in it, then strow on loaf sugar. _to make a posset simple._ boil your milk in a clean scowred skillet, and when it boils take it off, and warm in the pot, bowl, or bason some sack, claret, beer, ale, or juyce of orange; pour it into the drink, but let not your milk be too hot, for it will make the curd hard, then sugar it. _otherways._ beat a good quantity of sorrel, and strain it with any of the foresaid liquors, or simply of it self, then boil some milk in a clean scowred skillet, being boil'd, take it off and let it cool, then put it to your drink, but not too hot, for it will make the curd tuff. _possets of herbs otherways._ take a fair scowred skillet, put in some milk into it, and some rosemary, the rosemary being well boil'd in it, take it out and have some ale or beer in a pot, put to it the milk and sugar, (or none.) thus of tyme, carduus, cammomile, mint, or marigold flowers. _to make french puffs._ take spinage, tyme, parsley, endive, savory and marjoram, chop or mince them small; then have twenty eggs beaten with the herbs, that the eggs may be green, some nutmeg, ginger, cinamon, and salt; then cut a lemon in slices, and dip it in batter, fry it, and put a spoonful on every slice of lemon, fry it finely in clarified butter, and being fryed, strow on sack, or claret, and sugar. _soops or butter'd meats of spinage._ take fine young spinage, pick and wash it clean; then have a skillet or pan of fair liquor on the fire, and when it boils, put in the spinage, give it a warm or two, and take it out into a cullender, let it drain, then mince it small, and put it in a pipkin with some slic't dates, butter, white-wine, beaten cinamon, salt, sugar, and some boil'd currans; stew them well together, and dish them on sippets finely carved, and about it hard eggs in halves or quarters, not too hard boil'd, and scrape on sugar. _soops of carrots._ being boil'd, cleanse, stamp, and season them in all points as before; thus also potatoes, skirrets, parsnips, turnips, virginia artichocks, onions, or beets, or fry any of the foresaid roots being boil'd and cleansed, or peeled, and floured, and serve them with beaten butter and sugar. _soops of artichocks, potatoes, skirrets, or parsnips._ being boil'd and cleansed, put to them yolks of hard eggs, dates, mace, cinamon, butter, sugar, white-wine, salt, slic't lemon, grapes gooseberries, or barberries; stew them together whole, and being finely stewed, serve them on carved sippets in a clean scowred dish, and run it over with beaten butter and scraped sugar. _to butter onions._ being peeled, put them into boiling liquor, and when they are boil'd, drain them in a cullender, and butter them whole with some boil'd currans, butter, sugar, and beaten cinamon, serve them on fine sippets, scrape on sugar, and run them over with beaten butter. _otherways._ take apples and onions, mince the onions and slice the apples, put them in a pot, but more apples, than onions, and bake them with houshold bread, close up the pot with paste or paper; when you use them, butter them with butter, sugar, and boil'd currans, serve them on sippets, and scrape on sugar and cinamon. _buttered sparagus._ take two hundred of sparagus, scrape the roots clean and wash them, then take the heads of an hundred and lay them even, bind them hard up into a bundle, and so likewise of the other hundred; then have a large skillet of fair water, when it boils put them in, and boil them up quick with some salt; being boil'd drain them, and serve them with beaten butter and salt about the dish, or butter and vinegar. _buttered colliflowers._ have a skillet of fair water, and when it boils put in the whole tops of the colliflowers, the root being cut away, put some salt to it; and being fine and tender boiled dish it whole in a dish, with carved sippets round about it, and serve it with beaten butter and water, or juyce of orange and lemon. _otherways._ put them into boiling milk, boil them tender, and put to them a little mace and salt; being finely boil'd, serve them on carved sippets, the yolk of an egg or two, some boil'd raisins of the sun, beaten butter, and sugar. _to butter quinces._ roast or boil them, then strain them with sugar and cinamon, put some butter to them, warm them together, and serve them on fine carved sippets. _to butter rice._ pick the rice and sift it, and when the liquor boils, put it in and scum it, boil it not too much, then drain it, butter it, and serve it on fine carved sippets, and scraping sugar only, or sugar and cinamon. butter wheat, and french barley, as you do rice, but hull your wheat and barley, wet the wheat and beat it in a sack with a wash-beetle, fan it, and being clean hulled, boil it all night on a soft fire very tender. _to butter gourds, pumpions, cucumbers or muskmelons._ cut them into pieces, and pare and cleanse them; then have a boiling pan of water, and when it boils put in the pumpions, _&c._ with some salt, being boil'd, drain them well from the water, butter them, and serve them on sippets with pepper. _otherways._ bake them in an oven, and take out the seed at the top, fill them with onions, slic't apples, butter, and salt, butter them, and serve them on sippets. _otherways._ fry them in slices, being cleans'd & peel'd, either floured or in batter; being fried, serve them with beaten butter, and vinegar, or beaten butter and juyce of orange, or butter beaten with a little water, and served in a clean dish with fryed parsley, elliksanders, apples, slic't onions fryed, or sweet herbs. _to make buttered loaves._ season a pottle of flour with cloves, mace, and pepper, half a pound of sweet butter melted, and half a pint of ale-yeast or barm mix't with warm milk from the cow and three or four eggs to temper all together, make it as soft as manchet paste, and make it up into little manchets as big as an egg, cut and prick them, and put them on a paper, bake them like manchet, with the oven open, they will ask an hours baking; being baked melt in a great dish a pound of sweet butter, and put rose-water in it, draw your loaves, and pare away the crust then slit them in three toasts, and put them in melted butter, turn them over and over in the butter, then take a warm dish, and put in the bottom pieces, and strow on sugar in a good thickness, then put in the middle pieces, and sugar them likewise, then set on the tops and scrape on sugar, and serve five or six in a dish. if you be not ready to send them in, set them in the oven again, and cover them with a paper to keep them from drying. _to boil french beans or lupins._ first take away the tops of the cods and the strings, then have a pan or skillet of fair water boiling on the fire, when it boils put them in with some salt, and boil them up quick; being boil'd serve them with beaten butter in a fair scowred dish, and salt about it. _to boil garden beans._ being shelled and cleansed, put them into boiling liquor with some salt, boil them up quick, and being boiled drain away the liquor and butter them, dish them in a dish like a cross, and serve them with pepper and salt on the dish side. thus also green pease, haslers, broom-buds, or any kind of pulse. * * * * * * * * * section xxi. _the exactest ways for the dressing of eggs._ _to make omlets divers ways._ _the first way._ break six, eight, or ten eggs more or less, beat them together in a dish, and put salt to them; then put some butter a melting in a frying pan, and fry it more or less, according to your discretion, only on one side or bottom. you may sometimes make it green with juyce of spinage and sorrel beat with the eggs, or serve it with green sauce, a little vinegar and sugar boil'd together, and served up on a dish with the omlet. _the second way._ take twelve eggs, and put to them some grated white bread finely searsed, parsley minced very small, some sugar beaten fine, and fry it well on both sides. _the third way._ fry toasts of manchet, and put the eggs to them being beaten and seasoned with salt, and some fryed; pour the butter and fryed parsley over all. _the fourth way._ take three or four pippins, cut them in round slices, and fry them with a quarter of a pound of butter, when the apples are fryed, pour on them six or seven eggs beaten with a little salt, and being finely fryed, dish it on a plate-dish, or dish, and strow on sugar. _the fifth way._ mix with the eggs pine-kernels, currans, and pieces of preserved lemons, being fried, roul it up like a pudding, and sprinkle it with rose-water, cinamon water, and strow on fine sugar. _the sixth way._ beat the eggs, and put to them a little cream, a little grated bread, a little preserved lemon-peel minced or grated very small, and use it as the former. _the seventh way._ take a quarter of a pound of interlarded bacon, take it from the rinde, cut it into dice-work, fry it, and being fried, put in some seven or eight beaten eggs with some salt, fry them, and serve them with some grape-verjuyce. _the eighth way._ with minced bacon among the eggs fried and beaten together, or with thin slices of interlarded bacon, and fryed slices of bread. _the ninth way._ made with eggs and a little cream. _the tenth way._ mince herbs small, as lettice, bugloss, or borrage, sorrel, and mallows, put currans to them, salt, and nutmeg, beat all these amongst the herbs, and fry them with sweet butter, and serve it with cinamon and sugar, or fried parsley only; put the eggs to it in the pan. _the eleventh way._ mince some parsley very small being short and fine picked, beat it amongst the eggs, and fry it. or fry the parsley being grosly cut, beat the eggs, and pour it on. _the twelfth way._ mince leeks very small, beat them with the eggs and some salt, and fry them. _the thirteenth way._ take endive that is very white, cut it grosly, fry it with nutmeg, and put the eggs to it, or boil it being fried, and serve it with sugar. _the fourteenth way._ slice cheese very thin, beat it with the eggs, and a little salt, then melt some butter in the pan, and fry it. _the fifteenth way._ take six or eight eggs, beat them with salt, and make a stuffing, with some pine kernels, currans, sweet herbs, some minced fresh fish, or some of the milts of carps that have been fried or boiled in good liquor, and some mushrooms half boiled and sliced; mingle all together with some yolks or whites of eggs raw, and fill up great cucumbers therewith being cored, fill them up with the foresaid farsing, pare them, and bake them in a dish, or stew them between two deep basons or deep dishes; put some butter to them, some strong broth of fish, or fair water, some verjuyce or vinegar, and some grated nutmeg, and serve them on a dish with sippets. _the sixteenth way, according to the turkish mode._ take the flesh of a hinder part of a hare, or any other venison and mince it small with a little fat bacon, some pistaches or pine-apple kernels, almonds, spanish or hazle nuts peeled, spanish chesnuts or french chesnuts roasted and peeled, or some crusts of bread cut in slices, and rosted like unto chesnuts; season this minced stuff with salt, spices, and some sweet herbs; if the flesh be raw, add thereunto butter and marrow, or good sweet suet minced small and melted in a skillet, pour it into the seasoned meat that is minced, and fry it, then melt some butter in a skillet or pan, and make an omlet thereof; when it is half fried, put to the minced meat, and take the omlet out of the frying-pan with a skimmer, break it not, and put it in a dish that the minced meat may appear uppermost, put some gravy on the minced meat, and some grated nutmeg, stick some sippets of fryed manchet on it, and slices of lemon. roast meat is the best for this purpose. _the seventeenth way._ take the kidneys of a loin of veal after it hath been well roasted, mince it together with its fat, and season it with salt, spices, and some time, or other sweet herbs, add thereunto some fried bread, some boil'd mushrooms or some pistaches, make an omlet, and being half fried, put the minced meat on it. fry them well together, and serve it up with some grated nutmeg and sugar. _the eighteenth way._ take a carp or some other fish, bone it very well, and add to it some milts of carps, season them with pepper and salt, or with other spices; add some mushrooms, and mince them all together, put to them some apple-kernels, some currans, and preserved lemons in pieces shred very small: fry them in a frying-pan or tart-pan, with some butter, and being fryed make an omlet. being half fried, put the fried fish on it, and dish them on a plate, rowl it round, cut it at both ends, and spread them abroad, grate some sugar on it, and sprinkle on rose-water. _the nineteenth way._ mince all kind of sweet herbs, and the yolks of hard eggs together, some currans, and some mushrooms half boil'd, being all minced cover them over, fry them as the former, and strow sugar and cinamon on it. _the twentieth way._ take young and tender sparagus, break or cut them in small pieces, and half fry them brown in butter, put into them eggs beaten with salt, and thus make your omlet. or boil them in water and salt, then fry them in sweet butter, put the eggs to them, and make an omlet, dish it, and put a drop or two of vinegar, or verjuyce on it. sometimes take mushrooms, being stewed make an omlet, and sprinkle it with the broth of the mushrooms, and grated nutmeg. _the one and twentieth way._ slice some apples and onions, fry them, but not too much, and beat some six or eight eggs with some salt, put them to the apples and onions, and make an omlet, being fried, make sauce with vinegar or grape-verjuyce, butter, sugar, and mustard. _to dress hard eggs divers ways._ _the first way._ put some butter into a dish, with some vinegar or verjuyce, and salt; the butter being melted, put in two or three yolks of hard eggs, dissolve them on the butter and verjuice for the sauce; then have hard eggs, part them in halves or quarters, lay them in the sauce, and grate some nutmeg over them, or the crust of white-bread. _the second way._ fry some parsley, some minced leeks, and young onions, when you have fried them pour them into a dish, season them with salt and pepper, and put to them hard eggs cut in halves, put some mustard to them, and dish the eggs, mix the sauce well together, and pour it hot on the eggs. _the third way._ the eggs being boil'd hard, cut them in two, or fry them in butter with flour and milk or wine; being fried, put them in a dish, put to them salt, vinegar, and juyce of lemon, make a sweet sauce for it with some sugar, juyce of lemon, and beaten cinamon. _the fourth way._ cut hard eggs in twain, and season them with a white sauce made in a frying-pan with the yolks of raw eggs; verjuyce and white-wine dissolved together, and some salt, a few spices, and some sweet herbs, and pour this sauce over the eggs. _the fifth way in the portugal fashion._ fry some parsley small minced, some onions or leeks in fresh butter, being half fried, put into them hard eggs cut into rounds, a handful of mushrooms well picked, washed and slic't, and salt, fry all together, and being almost fried, put some vinegar to them, dish them, and grate nutmeg on them, sippet them, and on the sippets slic't lemons. _the sixth way._ take sweet herbs, as purslain, lettice, borrage, sorrel, parsley, chervil & tyme, being well picked and washed mince them very small, and season them with cloves, pepper, salt, minced mushrooms, and some grated cheese, put to them some grated nutmeg, crusts of manchet, some currans, pine-kernels, and yolks of hard eggs in quarters, mingle all together, fill the whites, and stew them in a dish, strow over the stuff being fryed with some butter, pour the fried farce over the whites being dished, and grate some nutmeg, and crusts of manchet. or fry sorrel, and put it over the eggs. _to butter a dish of eggs._ take twenty eggs more or less, whites and yolks as you please, break them into a silver dish, with some salt, and set them on a quick charcoal fire, stir them with a silver spoon, and being finely buttered put to them the juyce of three or four oranges, sugar, grated nutmeg, and sometimes beaten cinamon, being thus drest, strain them at the first, or afterward being buttered. _to make a bisk of eggs._ take a good big dish, lay a lay of slices of cheese between two lays of toasted cheat bread, put on them some clear mutton broth, green or dry pease broth, or any other clear pottage that is seasoned with butter and salt, cast on some chopped parsley grosly minced, and upon that some poached eggs. or dress this dish whole or in pieces, lay between some carps, milts fried, boil'd, or stewed, as you do oysters, stewed and fried gudgeons, smelts, or oysters, some fried and stewed capers, mushrooms, and such like junkets. sometimes you may use currans, boil'd or stewed prunes, and put to the foresaid mixture, with some whole cloves, nutmegs, mace, ginger, some white-wine, verjuyce, or green sauce, some grated nutmeg over all, and some carved lemon. _eggs in moon shine._ break them in a dish upon some butter and oyl melted or cold, strow on them a little salt, and set them on a chafing dish of coals make not the yolks too hard, and in the doing cover them, and make a sauce for them of an onion cut into round slices, and fried in sweet oyl or butter, then put to them verjuyce, grated nutmeg, a little salt, and so serve them. _eggs in moon shine otherways._ take the best oyl you can get, and set it over the fire on a silver dish, being very hot, break in the eggs, and before the yolks of the eggs do become very hard, take them up and dish them in a clean dish; then make the sauce of fryed onions in round slices, fryed in oyl or sweet butter, salt, and some grated nutmeg. _otherways._ make a sirrup of rose-water, sugar, sack, or white-wine, make it in a dish and break the yolks of the eggs as whole as you can, put them in the boiling sirrup with some ambergriece, turn them and keep them one from the other, make them hard, and serve them in a little dish with sugar and cinamon. _otherways._ take a quarter of a pound of good fresh butter, balm it on the bottom of a fine clean dish, then break some eight or ten eggs upon it, sprinkle them with a little salt, and set them on a soft fire till the whites and yolks be pretty clear and stiff, but not too hard, serve them hot, and put on them the juyce of oranges and lemons. or before you break them put to the butter sprigs of rosemary, juyce of orange, and sugar; being baked on the embers, serve them with sugar and beaten cinamon, and in place of orange, verjuyce. _eggs otherways._ fry them whole in clarified butter with sprigs of rosemary under, fry them not too hard, and serve them with fried parsley on them, vinegar, butter, and pepper. _to dress eggs in the spanish fashion, called, wivos me quidos._ take twenty eggs fresh and new and strain them with a quarter of a pint of sack, claret, or white-wine, a quarter of sugar, some grated nutmeg, and salt; beat them together with the juyce of an orange, and put to them a little musk (or none) set them over the fire, and stir them continually till they be a little thick, (but not too much) serve them with scraping sugar being put in a clean warm dish, on fine toasts of manchet soaked in juyce of orange and sugar, or in claret, sugar, or white-wine, and shake the eggs with orange, comfits, or muskedines red and white. _to dress eggs in the portugal fashion._ strain the yolks of twenty eggs, and beat them very well in a dish, put to them some musk and rose-water made of fine sugar, boil'd thick in a clean skillet, put in the eggs, and stew them on a soft fire; being finely stewed, dish them on a french plate in a clean dish, scrape on sugar, and trim the dish with your finger. _otherways._ take twenty yolks of eggs, or as many whites, put them severally into two dishes, take out the cocks tread, and beat them severally the space of an hour; then have a sirrup made in two several skillets, with half a pound a piece of double refined sugar, and a little musk and ambergriece bound up close in a fine rag, set them a stewing on a soft fire till they be enough on both sides, then dish them on a silver plate, and shake them with preserved pistaches, muskedines white and red, and green citron slic't. put into the whites the juyce of spinage to make them green. _to dress eggs called in french _a-la-hugenotte_, or, the protestant-way._ break twenty eggs, beat them together, and put to them the pure gravy of a leg of mutton or the gravy of roast beef, stir and beat them well together over a chafing-dish of coals with a little salt, add to them also juyce of orange and lemon, or grape verjuyce; then put in some mushrooms well boil'd and seasoned. observe as soon as your eggs are well mixed with the gravy and the other ingredients, then take them off from the fire, keeping them covered a while, then serve them with some grated nutmeg over them. sometimes to make them the more pleasing and toothsome, strow some powdered ambergriece, and fine loaf sugar scraped into them, and so serve them. _to dress eggs in fashion of a tansie._ take twenty yolks of eggs, and strain them on flesh days with about half a pint of gravy, on fish days with cream and milk, and salt, and four mackerooms small grated, as much bisket, some rose-water, a little sack or claret, and a quarter of a pound of sugar, put these things to them with a piece of butter as big as a walnut, and set them on a chafing-dish with some preserved citron or lemon grated, or cut into small pieces or little bits and some pounded pistaches; being well buttered dish it on a plate, and brown it with a hot fire-shovel, strow on fine sugar, and stick it with preserved lemon-peel in thin slices. _eggs and almonds._ take twenty eggs and strain them with half a pound of almond-paste, and almost half a pint of sack, sugar, nutmeg, and rose-water, set them on the fire, and when they be enough, dish them on a hot dish without toast, stick them with blanched and slic't almond, and wafers, scrape on fine sugar, and trim the dish with your finger. _to broil eggs._ take an oven peel, heat it red hot, and blow off the dust, break the eggs on it, and put them into a hot oven, or brown them on the top with a red hot fire shovel; being finely broil'd, put them into a clean dish, with some gravy, a little grated nutmeg, and elder vinegar; or pepper, vinegar, juyce of orange, and grated nutmeg on them. _to dress poached eggs._ take a dozen of new laid eggs, and the meat of or five partridges or any roast poultrey, mince it as small as you can, and season it with a few beaten cloves, mace, and nutmeg, put them into a silver dish with a ladle full or of pure mutton gravy, and or three anchoves dissolved, then set it a stewing on a chafing dish of coals; being half stewed, as it boils put in the eggs one by one, and as you break them, put by most of the whites, and with one end of your egg shell put in the yolks round in order amongst the meat, let them stew till the eggs be enough, then put in a little grated nutmeg, and the juice of a couple of oranges, put not in the seeds, wipe the dish, and garnish it with four or five whole onions boiled and broil'd. _otherways._ the eggs being poached, put them into a dish, strow salt on them, and grate on cheese which will give them a good relish. _otherways._ being poached and dished, strow on them a little salt, scrape on sugar, and sprinkle them with rose-water, verjuyce, juyce of lemon, or orange, a little cinamon water, or fine beaten cinamon. _otherways to poach eggs._ take as many as you please, break them into a dish and put to them some sweet butter, being melted, some salt, sugar, and a little grated nutmeg, give them a cullet in the dish, &c. _otherways._ poach them, and put green sauce to them, let them stand a while upon the fire, then season them with salt, and a little grated nutmeg. or make a sauce with beaten butter, and juyce of grapes mixt with ipocras, pour it on the eggs, and scrape on sugar. _otherways._ poach them either in water, milk, wine, sack, or clear verjuyce, and serve them with vinegar in saucers. or make broth for them, and serve them on fine carved sippets, make the broth with washed currans, large mace, fair water, butter, white wine, and sugar, vinegar, juyce of orange, and whole cinamon; being dished run them over with beaten butter, the slices of an orange, and fine scraped sugar. or make sauce with beaten almonds, strained with verjuyce, sugar beaten, butter, and large mace, boiled and dished as the former. or almond milk and sugar. _a grand farc't dish of eggs._ take twenty hard eggs, being blanched, part them in halves long ways, take out the yolks and save the whites, mince the yolks, or stamp them amongst some march pane paste, a few sweet herbs chopt small, & mingled amongst sugar, cinamon, and some currans well washed, fill again the whites with this farcing, and set them by. then have candied oranges or lemons, filled with march-pane paste, and sugar, and set them by also. then have the tops of boil'd sparagus, mix them with a batter made of flour, salt, and fair water, & set them by. next boil'd chesnuts and pistaches, and set them by. then have skirrets boil'd, peeled, and laid in batter. then have prawns boil'd and picked, and set by in batter also, oysters parboil'd and cockles, eels cut in pieces being flayed, and yolks of hard eggs. next have green quodling stuff, mixt with bisket bread and eggs, fry them in little cakes, and set them by also. then have artichocks and potatoes ready to fry in batter, being boil'd and cleansed also. then have balls of parmisan, as big as a walnut, made up and dipped in batter, and some balls of almond paste. these aforesaid being finely fryed in clarified butter, and muskefied, mix them in a great charger one amongst another, and make a sauce of strained grape verjuyce, or white-wine, yolks of eggs, cream, beaten butter, cinamon and sugar, set them in an oven to warm; the sauce being boil'd up, pour it over all, and set it again in the oven, ice it with fine sugar, and so serve it. _otherways._ boil ten eggs hard, and part them in halves long ways, take out the yolks, mince them, and put to them some sweet herbs minc'd small, some boil'd currans, salt, sugar, cinamon, the yolks of two or three raw eggs, and some almond paste, (or none) mix all together, and fill again the whites, then lay them in a dish on some butter with the yolks downwards, or in a patty-pan, bake them, and make sauce of verjuyce & sugar, strained with the yolk of an egg and cinamon, give it a walm, and put to it some beaten butter; being dished, serve them with fine carved sippets, slic't orange, and sugar. _to make a great compound egg, as big as twenty eggs._ take twenty eggs, part the whites from the yolks, and strain the whites by them selves, and the yolks by themselves; then have two bladders, boil the yolks in one bladder, fast bound up as round as a ball, being boil'd hard, put it in another bladder, and the whites round about it, bind it up round like the former, and being boil'd it will be a perfect egg. this serves for grand sallets. or you may add to these yolks of eggs, musk, and ambergriece, candied pistaches, grated bisket-bread, and sugar, and to the whites, almond-paste, musk, juyce of oranges, and beaten ginger, and serve it with butter, almond milk, sugar, and juyce of oranges. _to butter eggs upon toasts._ take twenty eggs, beat them in a dish with some salt and put butter to them; then have two large rouls or fine manchets, cut them into toasts, & toast them against the fire with a pound of fine sweet butter; being finely buttered, lay the toasts in a fair clean scowred dish, put the eggs on the toasts, and garnish the dish with pepper and salt. otherways, half boil them in the shells, then butter them, and serve them on toasts, or toasts about them. to these eggs sometimes use musk and ambergriece, and no pepper. _otherways._ take twenty eggs, and strain them whites and all with a little salt; then have a skillet with a pound of clarified butter, warm on the fire, then fry a good thick toast of fine manchet as round as the skillet, and an inch thick, the toast being finely fryed, put the eggs on it into the skillet, to fry on the manchet, but not too hard; being finely fried put it on a trencher-plate with the eggs uppermost, and salt about the dish. _an excellent way to butter eggs._ take twenty yolks of new laid or fresh eggs, put them into a dish with as many spoonfuls of jelly, or mutton gravy without fat, put to it a quarter of a pound of sugar, ounces of preserved lemon-peel either grated or cut into thin slices or very little bits, with some salt, and four spoonfuls of rose-water, stir them together on the coals, and being butter'd dish them, put some musk on them with some fine sugar; you may as well eat these eggs cold as hot, with a little cinamon-water, or without. _otherways._ dress them with claret, white-wine, sack, or juyce of oranges, nutmeg, fine sugar, & a little salt, beat them well together in a fine clean dish, with carved sippets, and candied pistaches stuck in them. _eggs buttered in the polonian fashion._ take twelve eggs, and beat them in a dish, then have steeped bread in gravy or broth, beat them together in a mortar, with some salt, and put it to the eggs, then put a little preserv'd lemon peel into it, either small shred or cut into slices, put some butter into it, butter them as the former, and serve them on fine sippets. or with cream, eggs, salt, preserved lemon-peels grated or in slices. or grated cheese in buttered eggs and salt. _otherways._ boil herbs, as spinage, sage, sweet marjoram, and endive, butter the eggs amongst them with some salt, and grated nutmeg. or dress them with sugar, orange juyce, salt, beaten cinamon, and grated nutmeg, strain the eggs with the juyce of oranges, and let the juyce serve instead of butter; being well soaked, put some more juyce over them and sugar. _to make minced pies of eggs according to these forms._ boil them hard, then mince them and mix them with cinamon, raw currans, carraway-seed, sugar, and dates, minced lemon peel, verjuyce, rose-water, butter, and salt; fill your pie or pies, close them, and bake them, being baked, liquor them with white-wine, butter, and sugar, and ice them. _eggs or quelque shose._ break forty eggs, and beat them together with some salt, fry them at four times, half, or but of one side; before you take them out of the pan, make a composition or compound of hard eggs, and sweet herbs minced, some boil'd currans, beaten cinamon, almond-paste, sugar, and juyce of orange, strow all over these omlets, roul them up like a wafer, and so of the rest, put them in a dish with some white-wine, sugar, and juyce of lemon; then warm and ice them in an oven, with beaten butter and fine sugar. _otherways._ set on a skillet, either full of milk, wine, water, verjuyce, or sack, make the liquor boil, then have twenty eggs beaten together with salt, and some sweet herbs chopped, run them through a cullender into the boiling liquor, or put them in by spoonfuls or all together; being not too hard boil'd, take them up and dish them with beaten butter, juice of orange, lemon, or grape-verjuyce, and beaten butter. _blanch manchet in a frying-pan._ take six eggs, a quart of cream, a penny manchet grated, nutmeg grated, two spoonfuls of rose-water, and ounces of sugar, beat it up like a pudding, and fry it as you fry a tansie; being fryed turn it out on a plate, quarter it, and put on the juyce of an orange and sugar. _quelque shose otherways._ take ten eggs, and beat them in a dish with a penny manchet grated, a pint of cream, some beaten cloves mace, boil'd currans, some rose-water, salt, and sugar; beat all together, and fry it either in a whole form of a tansie, or by spoonfuls in little cakes, being finely fried, serve them on a plate with juyce of orange and scraping sugar. _other fricase or quelque shose._ take twenty eggs, and strain them with a quart of cream, some nutmeg, salt, rose-water, and a little sugar, then have sweet butter in a clean frying-pan, and put in some pieces of pippins cut as thick as a half crown piece round the apple being cored; when they are finely fried, put in half the eggs, fry them a little, and then pour on the rest or other half, fry it at two times, stir the last, dish the first on a plate, and put the other on it with juyce of orange and sugar. _other fricase of eggs._ beat a dozen of eggs with cream, sugar, nutmeg, mace, and rose-water, then have two or three pippins or other good apples, cut in round slices through core and all, put them in a frying-pan, and fry them with sweet butter; when they be enough, take them up and fry half the eggs and cream in other fresh butter, stir it like a tansie, and being enough put it out into a dish, put in the other half of the eggs and cream, lay the apples round the pan, and the other eggs fried before, uppermost; being finely fried, dish it on a plate, and put to it the juyce of an orange and sugar. * * * * * * * * * section xxii. _the best ways for the dressing of artichocks._ _to stew artichocks._ the artichocks being boil'd, take out the core, and take off all the leaves, cut the bottoms into quarters splitting them in the middle; then have a flat stewing-pan or dish with manchet toasts in it, lay the artichocks on them, then the marrow of two bones, five or six large maces, half a pound of preserved plumbs, with the sirrup, verjuyce, and sugar; if the sirrup do not make them sweet enough, let all these stew together hours, if you stew them in a dish, serve them up in it, not stirring them, only laying on some preserves which are fresh, as barberries, and such like, sippet it, and serve it up. instead of preserved, if you have none, stew ordinary plumbs which will be cheaper, and do nigh as well. _to fry artichocks._ boil and sever all from the bottoms, then slice them in the midst, quarter them, dip them in batter, and fry them in butter. for the sauce take verjuyce, butter, and sugar, with the juyce of an orange, lay marrow on them, garnish them with oranges, and serve them up. _to fry young artichocks otherways._ take young artichocks or suckets, pare off all the outside as you pare an apple, and boil them tender, then take them up, and split them through the midst, do not take out the core, but lay the split side downward on a dry cloth to drain out the water; then mix a little flour with two or three yolks of eggs, beaten ginger, nutmeg & verjuyce, make it into batter and roul them well in it, then get some clarified butter, make it hot and fry them in it till they be brown. make sauce with yolks of eggs, verjuyce or white-wine, cinamon, ginger, sugar, and a good piece of butter, keep it stirring upon the fire till it be thick, then dish them on white-bread toasts, put the caudle on them, and serve them up. * * * * * * * * * section xxiii. _shewing the best way of making diet for the sick._ _to make a broth for a sick body._ take a leg of veal, and set it a boiling in a gallon of fair water, scum it clean, and when you have so done put in three quarters of a pound of currans, half a pound of prunes, a handful of borrage, as much mint, and as much harts-tongue; let them seeth together till all the strength be sodden out of the flesh, then strain it as clean as you can. if you think the party be in any heat, put in violet leaves and succory. _to stew a cock against a consumption._ cut him in six pieces, and wash him clean, then take prunes, currans, dates, raisins, sugar, three or four leaves of gold, cinamon, ginger, nutmeg, and some maiden hair, cut very small; put all these foresaid things into a flaggon with a pint of muskadine, and boil them in a great brass pot of half a bushel; stop the mouth of the flaggon with a piece of paste, and let it boil the space of twelve hours; being well stewed, strain the liquor, and give it to the party to drink cold, two or three spoonfuls in the morning fasting, and it shall help him. _this is an approved medicine._ _otherways._ take a good fleshy cock, draw him and cut him to pieces, wash away the blood clean, and take away the lights that lie at his back, wash it in white-wine, and no water, then put the pieces in a flaggon, and put to it two or three blades of large mace, a leaf of gold, ambergriece, some dates, and raisins of the sun; close up the flaggon with a piece of paste, and set it in a pot a boiling six hours; keep the pot filled up continually, with hot water; being boil'd strain it, and when it is cold give of it to the weak party the bigness of a hazelnut. _stewed pullets against a consumption._ take two pullets being finely cleansed, cut them to pieces, and put them in a narrow mouthed pitcher pot well glazed, stop the mouth of it with a piece of paste and set it a boiling in a good deep brass pot or vessel of water, boil it eight hours, keep it continually boiling, and still filled up with warm water; being well stewed, strain it, and blow off the fat; when you give it to the party, give it warm with the yolk of an egg, dissolved with the juyce of an orange. _to distill a pig good against a consumption._ take a pig, flay it and cast away the guts; then take the liver, lungs, and all the entrails, and wipe all with a clean cloth; then put it into a still with a pound of dates, the stones taken out, and sliced into thin slices, a pound of sugar, and an ounce of large mace. if the party be hot in the stomach, then take these cool herbs, as violet leaves, strawberry leaves, and half a handful of bugloss, still them with a soft fire as you do roses, and let the party take of it every morning and evening in any drink or broth he pleases. you may sometimes add raisins and cloves. _to make broth good against a consumption._ take a cock and a knuckle of veal, being well soaked from the blood, boil them in an earthen pipkin of five quarts, with raisins of the sun, a few prunes, succory, lang de-beef roots, fennil roots, parsley, a little anniseed, a pint of white-wine, hyssop, violet leaves, strawberry-leaves, bind all the foresaid roots, and herbs, a little quantity of each in a bundle, boil it leisurely, scum it, and when it is boil'd strain it through a strainer of strong canvas, when you use it, drink it as often as you please blood-warm. sometimes in the broth, or of any of the meats aforesaid, use mace, raisins of the sun, a little balm, endive, fennel and parsley roots. sometimes sorrel, violet leaves, spinage, endive, succory, sage, a little hyssop, raisins of the sun, prunes, a little saffron, and the yolk of an egg, strained with verjuyce or white-wine. _otherways._ fennil-roots, colts foot, agrimony, betony, large mace, white sander slic't in thin slices the weight of six pence, made with a chicken and a crust of manchet, take it morning and evening. _otherways._ violet leaves, wild tansie, succory-roots, large mace, raisins, and damask prunes boil'd with a chicken and a crust of bread. sometimes broth made of a chop of mutton, veal, or chicken, french barley, raisins, currans, capers, succory root, parsley roots, fennil-roots, balm, borrage, bugloss, endive, tamarisk, harts-horn, ivory, yellow sanders, and fumitory, put to these all (or some) in a moderate quantity. otherways, a sprig of rosemary, violet-leaves, tyme, mace, succory, raisins, and a crust of bread. _to make a paste for a consumption._ take the brawn of a roasted capon, the brawn of two partridges, two rails, two quails, and twelve sparrows all roasted; take the brawns from the bones, and beat them in a stone mortar with two ounces, of the pith of roast veal, a quarter of a pound of pistaches, half a dram of ambergriece, a grain of musk, and a pound of white sugar-candy beaten fine; beat all these in a mortar to a perfect paste, now and then putting in a spoonful of goats milk, also two or three grains of bezoar; when you have beaten all to a perfect paste, make it into little round cakes, and bake them on a sheet of white paper. _to make a jelly for a consumption of the lungs._ take half a pound of ising glass, as much harts-horn, an ounce of cinamon, an ounce of nutmegs, a few cloves, a pound of sugar, a stick of liquoras, four blades of large mace, a pound of prunes, an ounce of ginger, a little red sanders, and as much rubarb as will lie on a six pence, boil the foresaid in a gallon of water, and a pint of claret till a pint be wasted or boil'd away, boil them on a soft fire close covered, and slice all your spices very thin. _ an excellent water for a consumption._ take a pint of new milk, and a pint of good red wine, the yolks of twenty four new laid eggs raw, and dissolved in the foresaid liquors; then have as much fine slic't manchet as will drink up all this liquor, put it into a fair rose-still with a soft fire, and being distilled, take this water in all drinks and pottages the sick party shall eat, or the quantity of a spoonful at a draught in beer, in one month it will recover any consumption. _other drink for a consumption._ take a gallon of running water of ale measure, put to it an ounce of cinamon, an ounce of cloves, an ounce of mace, and a dram of acter-roots, boil this liquor till it come to three quarts, and let the party daily drink of it till he mends. _to make an excellent broth or drink for a sick body._ take a good fleshy capon, take the flesh from the bones, or chop it in pieces very small, and not wash it; then put them in a rose still with slics of lemon-peel, wood-sorrel, or other herbs according to the _physitians_ direction; being distilled, give it to the weak party to drink. or soak them in malmsey and some capon broth before you distill them. _to make a strong broth for a sick party._ roast a leg of mutton, save the gravy, and being roasted prick it, and press out the gravy with a wooden press; put all the gravy into a silver porrenger or piece, with the juyce of an orange and sugar, warm it on the coals, and give it the weak party. thus you may do a roast or boil'd capon, partridge, pheasant, or chicken, take the flesh from the bones, and stamp it in a stone or wooden mortar, with some crumbs of fine manchet, strained with capon broth, or without bread, and put the yolk of an egg, juyce of orange, lemon, or grape verjuyce and sugar. _to make china broth._ take an ounce of china thin slic't, put it in a pipkin of fair water, with a little veal or chicken, stopped close in pipkin, let it stand and twenty hours on the embers but not boil; then put to it colts foot, scabious-maiden-hair, violet leaves half a handful, candied eringo, and or marsh mallows, boil them on a soft fire till the third part be wasted, then put in a crust of manchet, a little mace, a few raisins of the sun stoned, and let it boil a while longer. take of this broth every morning half a pint for a month, then leave it a month, & use it again. _china broth otherways._ take ounces of china root thin sliced, and half an ounce of long pepper bruised; then take of balm, tyme, sage, marjoram, nepe, and smalk, of each two slices, clary, a hanful of cowslips, a pint of cowslip water, and blades of mace; put all into a new and well glazed pipkin of quarts, & as much fair water as will fill the pipkin, close it up with paste and let it on the embers to warm, but not to boil; let it stand thus soaking and twenty hours; then take it off, and put to it a good big cock chickens, calves foot, a knuckle of mutton, and a little salt; stew all with a gentle fire to a pottle, scum it very clean & being boil'd strain the clearest from the dregs & drink of it every morning half a pint blood-warm. _to make almond milk against a hot disease._ boil half a pound of french barley in several waters, keep the last water to make your milk of, then stamp half a pound of almonds with a little of the same water to keep them from oyling; being finely beaten, strain it whith the rest of the barley water, put some hard sugar to it, boil it a little, and give it the party warm. _an excellent restorative for a weak back._ take clary, dates, the pith of an oxe, and chop them together, put some cream to them, eggs, grated bread, and a little white saunders, temper them all well together fry them, and eat it in the morning fasting. otherways, take the leaves of clary and nepe, fry them with yolks of eggs, and eat them to break fast. * * * * * * * * * section xxiv. _excellent ways for feeding of poultrey._ _to feed chickens._ if you will have fat crammed chickens, coop them up when the dam hath forsaken them, the best cramming for them is wheat-meal and milk made into dough the crams steeped in milk, and so thrust down their throats; but in any case let the crams be small and well wet, for fear you choak them. fourteen days will feed a chicken sufficiently. _to feed capons._ either at the barn doors with scraps of corn and chavings of pulse, or else in pens in the house, by cramming them, which is the most dainty. the best way to cram a capon (setting all strange inventions apart) is to take barley meal, reasonably sifted, and mixing it with new milk, make it into good stiff dough; than make it into long crams thickest in the middle, & small at both ends, then wetting them in luke-warm milk, giue the capon a full gorge thereof three times a day morning noon, and night, and he will in a fortnight or three weeks be as fat as any man need to eat. _the ordering of goslings._ after they are hatched you shall keep them in the house ten or twelve days, and feed them with curds, scalded chippins, or barley meal in milk knodden and broken, also ground malt is exceeding good, or any bran that is scalded in water, milk, or tappings of drink. after they have got a little strength, you may let them go abroad with a keeper five or six hours in a day, and let the dam at her leisure entice them into the water; then bring them in, and put them up, and thus order them till they be able to defend themselves from vermine. after a gosling is a month or six weeks old you may put it up to feed for a green goose, & it will be perfectly fed in another month following; and to feed them, there is no better meat then skeg oats boil'd, and given plenty thereof thrice a day, morning, noon, and night, with good store of milk, or milk and water mixt together to drink. _for fatting of elder geese._ for elder geese which are five or six months old, having been in the stubble fields after harvest, and got into good flesh, you shall then choose out such geese as you would feed, and put them in several pens which are close and dark, and there feed them thrice a day with good store of oats, or spelted beans, and give them to drink water and barly meal mixt together, which must evermore stand before them. this will in three weeks feed a goose so fat as is needfull. _the fatting of ducklings._ you may make them fat in three weeks giving them any kind of pulse or grain, and good store of water. _fatting of swans and cygnets._ for swans and their feeding, where they build their nests, you shall suffer them to remain undisturbed, and it will be sufficient because they can better order themselves in that business than any man. feed your cygnets in all sorts as you feed your geese, and they will be through fat in seven or eight weeks. if you will have them sooner fat, you shall feed them in some pond hedged, or placed in for that purpose. _of fatting turkies._ for the fatting of turkies sodden barley is excellent, or sodden oats for the first fortnight, and then for another fortnight cram them in all sorts as you cram your capon, and they will be fat beyond measure. now for their infirmities, when they are at liberty, they are so good _physitians_ for themselves, that they will never trouble their owners; but being coopt up you must cure them as you do pullets. their eggs are exceeding wholesome to eat, and restore nature decayed wonderfully. having a little dry ground where they may sit and prune themselves, place two troughs, one full of barley and water, and the other full of old dried malt wherein they may feed at their pleasure. thus doing, they will be fat in less than a month: but you must turn his walks daily. _of nourishing and fatting herns, puets, gulls, and bitterns._ herns are nourished for two causes, either for noblemens sports, to make trains for the entering their hawks, or else to furnish the table at great feasts; the manner of bringing them up with the least charge, is to take them out of their nests before they can flie, and put them into a large high barn, where there is many high cross beams for them to pearch on; then to have on the flour divers square boards with rings in them, and between every board which should be two yards square, to place round shallow tubs full of water, then to the boards you shall tye great gobbits of dogs flesh, cut from the bones, according to the number which you feed, and be sure to keep the house sweet, and shift the water often, only the house must be made so, that it may rain in now and then, in which the hern will take much delight; but if you feed her for the dish, then you shall feed them with livers, and the entrals of beasts, and such like cut in great gobbits. _to feed codwits, knots, gray-plovers, or curlews._ take fine chilter-wheat, and give them water thrice a day, morning, noon, and night; which will be very effectual; but if you intend to have them extraordinary crammed fowl, then you shall take the finest drest wheat-meal, and mixing it with milk, make it into paste, and ever as you knead it, sprinkle into the grains of small chilter-wheat, till the paste be fully mixt therewith; then make little small crams thereof, and dipping them in water, give to every fowl according to his bigness, and let his gorge be well filled: do thus as oft as you shall find their gorges empty, and in one fortnight they will be fed beyond measure, and with these crams you may feed any fowl of what kind or nature soever. _otherways._ feed them with good wheat and water, give them thrice a day, morning, noon, and night; if you will have them very fat & crammed fowl, take fine wheat meal & mix it with milk, & make it into paste, and as you knead it, put in some corns of wheat sprinkled in amongst the paste till the paste be fully mixt therewith; then make little small crams thereof, and dipping them in water, give to every fowl according to his bigness, and that his gorge be well filled: do thus as oft as you shall find their gorges empty, and in one fortnight they will be fed very fat; with these crams you may feed any fowl of what kind or nature soever. _to feed black-birds thrushes, felfares, or any small birds whatsoever._ being taken old and wild, it is good to have some of their kinds tame to mix among them, and then putting them into great cages of three or four yards square, to have divers troughs placed therein, some filled with haws, some with hemp seed, and some with water, that the tame teaching the wild to eat, and the wild finding such change and alteration of food, they will in twelve or fourteen days grow exceeding fat, and fit for the kitchen. _to feed olines._ put them into a fine room where they may have air, give them water, and feed them with white bread boiled in good milk, and in one week or ten days they will be extraordinary fat. _to feed pewets._ feed them in a place where they may have the air, set them good store of water, and feed them with sheeps lungs cut small into little bits, give it them on boards, and sometimes feed them with shrimps where they are near the sea, and in one fortnight they will be fat if they be followed with meat. then two or three days before you spend them give them cheese curd to purge them. _the feedings of pheasant, partridge, quails, and wheat ears._ feed them with good wheat and water, this given them thrice a day, morning noon, and night, will do it very effectually; but if you intend to have them extraordinary crammed fowl, then take the finest drest wheatmeal, mix it with milk, and make into paste, ever as you knead it, sprinkle in the grains of corns of wheat, till the paste be full mixt there with; then make little small crams, dip them in water, and give to every fowl according to his bigness, that his gorge be well filled; do thus as often as you shall find his gorge empty, and in one fortnight they will be fed beyond measure. thus you may feed turtle doves. finis. the table. [transcriber's note: alphabetization in the table is unchanged.] a. _andolians._ page _almond pudding_ _almond leach_ _almond custard_ _almond tart_ _almond bread, biskets and cakes_ _almond cream_ _almond cheese_ _almond caudle_ _apricocks baked_ _apricocks preserved_ ibid. _ambergriece cakes_ _apple cream_ _aleberry_ _artichocks baked_ _artichocks stewed_ _artichocks fryed_ , b. _barley broth_ _broth stewed_ , _bisk divers ways_ , , , , _bisk or batalia pye_ _beef fillet roasted_ _beef roasted to pickle_ _beef collops stewed_ _beef carbonado'd_ _beef baked red deer fashion_ _beef minced pyes_ _bullocks cheeks souced_ _boar wild baked_ _brawn broil'd_ _brawn boil'd_ ibid. _brawn souc't_ _brawn of pig_ _brawn garnisht_ _breading of meats and fowls_ _bacon gammon baked_ _bread the french fashion_ _biscket bread_ _bisquite du roy_ ibid. _bean bread_ _beer buttered_ _barberries preserved_ _blamanger_ , _blanch manchet in a frying pan_ c. _calves head boil'd_ _calves head souced_ _calves head roasted_ ibid. _calves head hashed_ _calves head broil'd_ _calves head baked_ _calves foot pye_ _calves head roasted with oysters_ , _calves feet roasted_ _calves chaldron baked_ _capons in pottage_ _capons souc't_ _calves chaldron in minced pyes._ _capons boil'd_ , , _capons fillings raw_ _cocks boil'd_ _cock stewed against a consumption_ _chicken pye_ , _chickens peeping boil'd_ _chickens how to feed them_ _china broth_ , _capilotadoes or made dishes_ _collops and eggs_ _collops like bacon of marchpane._ _cucumbers pickled_ _colliflowers buttered_ _custards how to make them_ _custards without eggs_ ibid. _cheescakes how to make them_ , _cheescakes without milk_ _cheesecakes in the italian fashion_ , _cream and fresh cheese_ _codling cream_ _cast cream_ _clouted cream_ ibid. _cabbidge cream_ _cream tart_ _cherry tart_ _cherries preserved_ _cake a very good one_ _cracknéls,_ _carp boil'd in carbolion_ _carp bisk_ _carp stewed_ _carp stewed the french way_ , _carp broth_ _carp in stoffado_ _carp hashed_ ibid. _carp marinated_ _carp broil'd_ _carp roasted_ _carp pye_ _carp pie minc't with eels_ _carp baked the french way_ ibid. _conger boil'd_ _conger stewed_ _conger marinated_ ibid. _conger souc't_ ibid. _conger roasted_ _conger broil'd_ ibid. _conger fryed_ _conger baked_ ibid. _cockles stewed_ , _crabs stewed_ _crabs buttered_ ibid. _crabs hashed_ _crabs farced_ ibid. _crabs boil'd_ _crabs fryed_ ibid. _crabs baked_ _crab minced pyes_ d. _deer red roasted_ _deer red baked_ _deer fallow baked_ _dish in the italian way_ _damsin tart_ _damsins preserved_ _ducklings how to fat them_ e. _entre de table, a french dish_ _eggs fryed_ _eggs fryed as round as a ball_ ibid. _egg caudle_ _eggs dressed hard_ _eggs buttered_ _egg bisk_ ibid. _eggs in moon shine_ _eggs in the spanish fashion, call'd, wivos qme uidos_ _eggs in the portugal fashion_ ibid. _eggs a-la-hugenotte_ _eggs in fashion of a tansie_ ibid. _eggs and almonds_ _eggs broil'd_ ibid. _eggs poached_ , _eggs, grand farced dish_ _eggs compounded as big as twenty eggs_ _eggs buttered on toasts_ ibid. _eggs buttered in the polonian way_ _egg minced pyes_ ibid. _eggs or quelque shose_ _eggs fricase_ _eels boil'd_ _eels stewed_ _eels in stoffado_ _eels souced or jellied_ _eels hashed_ _eels broiled_ ibid. _eels roasted_ , _eels baked_ , _eel minced pies._ f. _fritters how to make them_ _fritters in the italian fasion_ _fritters of arms_ _fried dishes of divers forms_ ibid. _fried pasties, balls, or tosts_ ib. _french tart_ _french barley cream_ _florentine of tongues_ _florentine of partridg or capon_ _florentine without paste_ _flounders calvered_ _frogs baked_ _furmety._ _fowl hashed_ _fowl farced_ , _farcing in the spanish fashion_ _farcing french bread, called pinemolet_ _fricase a rare one_ _flowers pickled_ _flowers candied_ ibid. g. _grapes and gooseberries pickled_ _grapes preserved_ _gooseberries preserved_ _gooseberry cream_ _ginger bread_ _geese boil'd_ _goose giblets boil'd_ _goslings how to order them_ _geese old ones to fat them_ ib. h. _hashes all manner of ways_ , , , _hashes of scotch collops_ _hare hashed_ , _hares roasted_ _hares four baked in a pie_ _hares three in a pye_ ibid. _hare baked with a pudding in his belly_ _hens roasted_ _hip tart_ _herring minced pies_ _haberdine pyes_ ibid. _hogs feet jellied_ _herns to nourish and fat them_ i. _jelly crystal_ _ jelly of several colours_ ibid. _jelly as white as snow_ _jellies for souces_ _jelly of harts-horn_ _jelly for a consumption_ ibid. _jelly for a consumption of the lungs_ _jelly for weakness in the back_ _jumballs_ _italian chips_ _ipocras_ l. _lambs head boil'd_ _lambs head in white broth_ _lambs stones fryed_ _land or sea fowl boiled_ , , , _leach with almonds_ _lamprey how to bake_ , , _links how to make_ _lemons pickled_ _loaves buttered_ _lump baked_ _ling pyes_ _lobsters stewed_ _lobsters hashed_ _lobsters baked_ _lobsters farced_ ibid. _lobsters marinated_ _lobsters broil'd_ ibid. _lobsters roasted_ _lobsters fryed_ _lobsters baked_ ibid. _lobsters pickled_ _lobsters jellied_ ibid. m. _marrow pyes_ , , _marrow puddings_ , _maremaid pye_ , _made dish of tongues_ _made dish of spinage_ _made dish of barberries_ _made dish of frogs_ _made dish of marrow_ ibid. _made dish of rice_ ibid. _made dish of blanchmanger_ _made dish of butter and eggs_ _made dish of curds_ ibid. _made dish of oysters_ _marchpane_ _mead_ _metheglin_ _mackeroons_ _melacatoons baked_ _melacatoons preserved_ _medlar tart_ _minced pies of veal, mutton beef,_ &c. _minced pyes in the french fashion_ _minced pies in the italian fashion_ ibid. _mutton legs farced_ _mutton shoulder hashed_ _mutton shoulder roasted_ , _mutton or veal stewed_ _mutton shoulder stewed_ _mutton or veal stewed_ , _mutton chines boil'd_ , _mutton carbonadoed_ _mutton boil'd_ , _mustard how to make it_ _mustard of dijon_ ibid. _mustard in cakes_ _musquedines_ _mullet souc't_ _mullet marinated_ _mullet broil'd_ _mullet fryed_ _mullet baked_ ibid. _mushrooms fryed_ _mushrooms in the italian fashion_ ibid. _mushrooms stewed_ _mushrooms broil'd_ _muskles stewed_ _muskles fryed_ _muskle pyes_ ibid. n. _neats tongue boil'd_ , _neats tongue in stoffado_ _neats tongues stewed_ ibid. _neats tongue in brodo lardiero_ _neats tongue roasted_ _neats tongue hashed_ , _neats tongue bak't_ , _neats feet larded and roasted_ _norfolk fool._ o. _olio podrida_ _olines of beef_ _olines of a leg of veal_ _oline pye_ _olines how to feed them_ _oatmeal caudle_ _omlets of eggs_ , _onions buttered_ _oysters stewed the french way_ _oysters stewed otherways_ _oyster pottage_ _oysters hashed_ ibid. _oysters marinated_ _oysters in stoffado_ _oysters jellied_ _oysters pickled_ ibid. _oysters souc't_ _oysters roasted_ _oysters broil'd_ _oysters fryed_ _oysters baked_ _oyster mince pies_ _oxe cheeks boil'd_ _oxe cheeks in stoffado_ _oxe cheeks baked_ p. _partridge hashed_ _partridge how to feed them_ _paste how to make it_ _paste royal_ _paste for made dishes in lent_ ibid. _puff-paste_ , _paste of violets, cowslips_, &c. _paste for a consumption_ _pallets of oxe how to dress them_ _pallit pottage_ _pallets rosted_ ibid. _pallets in jellies_ _pallets bak't_ _pancakes_ _panadoes_ _pap_ _pease tarts_ _pease cod dish in puff paste_ _pease pottage_ _peaches preserved_ _pewets to nourish them_ _pheasants how to feed them_ _pheasant baked_ _pinemolet_ _pie extraordinary, or a bride pye_ _pie of pippins_ _pippins preserved_ _pig roasted with hair on_ _pig roasted otherways_ _pig souc't_ _pig jellied_ _pig distilled against a consumption_ _pigeons boil'd_ , _pigeons baked_ _pike boil'd_ , _pike stewed_ _pike hashed_ _pike souc't_ _pike jellied_ , _pike roasted_ _pike fried_ _pike boil'd_ ibid. _pike bak't_ _plumb cream_ _plaice boil'd or stewed_ _plovers how to feed them_ _pork boil'd_ , _pork roasted_ _pottages_ , _pottage in the french fashion_ _pottage without any sight of herbs_ ibid. _pottage called skink_ _pottage of ellicksanders_ _pottage of onions_ _pottage of almonds_ ibid. _pottage of grewel_ _pottage of rice_ _pottage of milk_ ibid. _potatoes baked_ _portugal tarts for banquettings_ _posset how to make it_ _posset of sack_ _posset compounded_ _posset simple_ _posset of herbs_ ibid. _puffs the french way_ ibid. _prawns stewed_ _preserved green fruits_ _pudding of several sorts_ , , _pudding of turkey or capon_ _puddings of liver_ _puddings of heifers udder_ ib. _puddings black_ , _pudding in a breast of veal_ , _pudding boil'd_ _pudding of cream_ _pudding of sweet herbs_ ibid. _pudding in hast_ _pudding quaking_ ibid. _pudding shaking_ _pudding of rice_ _pudding of cinamon_ _pudding haggas_ , _pudding cheveridge_ ibid. _pudding liveridge_ _pudding of swan or goose_ ib. _pudding of wine in guts_ _pudding in the italian fashion_ _pudding the french way_ ib. _pudding of swine lights_ _pudding of oatmeal_ ibid. _pudding pyes of oatmeal_ _pudding baked_ _puddings white_ _pullets stewed against a consumption_ _pyramides cream_ q. _quinces pickled_ _quince pyes_ _quince tarts_ _quince cream_ _quinces buttered_ _quodling pye_ _quails how to feed them_ r. _rasberies preserv'd_ _rabbits hashed_ , _restorative for a weak back_ _rice tart_ _rice cream_ _rice buttered_ _roots farced_ s. _sauce for green geese_ _sauce for land fowl_ , _sauce for roast mutton_ _sauce for roast veal_ _sauce for red deer_ ibid. _sauce for rabbits_ _sauce for hens_ , _sauce for chickens_ _sauce for pidgeons_ _sauce for a goose_ _sauce for a duck_ _sauce for a sea fowl_ ibid. _sauce for roast salmon_ _sausages_ , , _sausages bolonia_ _sausage for jelly_ _sallet grand of minc't fowl_ _sallet grand of divers compound_ , , _sallet of scurvy grass_ _sallet of elixander buds_ _scoch collops of mutton_ _salmon calvered_ _salmon stewed_ _salmon pickled_ _salmon hashed_ ibid. _salmon marinated_ _salmon in stoffado_ ibid. _salmon fryed_ _salmon roasted_ _salmon broil'd or roasted in stoffado._ _salmon baked_ _salmon, chewits, or minced pyes_ _salmon lumber pye_ _sack cream_ _stone cream_ _snow cream_ _scollops stewed_ _sea fowl bak'd_ _silabub an excellent way_ _shell bread_ _snails stewed_ _snails fryed_ _snails hashed_ ibid. _snails in pottage_ _snaile back'd_ _snites boil'd_ _soals boil'd_ _soals stewed_ _soals souc'd_ _soals jellied_ ibid. _soals roasted_ _soops of spinage_ _soops of carrots_ ibid. _soops of artichocks_ ibid. _souce veal lamb, or mutton_ _sparagus to keep all the year_ _sparagus buttered_ _spinage tart_ _steak pye_ _steak pyes the french way_ _strawberry tart_ _sturgeon boil'd_ _sturgeon buttered_ _sturgeon hashed_ ibid. _sturgeon marinated_ ibid. _sturgeon farced_ _sturgeon whole in stoffado_ ib _sturgeon souc't_ _sturgeon broil'd_ ibid. _sturgeon fryed_ _sturgeon roasted_ ibid. _sturgeon olines of it_ _sturgeon baked_ , , _sturgeon minc't pies_ , _sturgeon lumber pie_ _sturgeon baked with farcings_ ibid. _sturgeon olio_ _sugar plate_ _swans how to fat them_ _sweet-bread pies_ t. _tansey how to make_ _taffety tart_ _tart stuff of several colours_ , , _tortelleti, or little pasties_ , _tosts how to make them_ _toasts cinamon_ _toasts the _french_ way_ ibid. _tortoise how to dress it_ _tripes how to dress them_ _trotter pie_ _triffel how to make it_ _turkish dish of meat_ _turkey baked_ _turkies how to fat them_ _turbut boil'd_ _turbut souc't_ ibid. _turbut stewed or fryed_ v. _veal breast farced_ _veal breast boil'd_ ibid. _veal breast roasted_ _veal breast, loin, or rack baked_ _veal leg boil'd_ , _veal leg farced_ _veal chines boil'd_ _veal loin roasted_ _veal broil'd_ _veal hashed_ _veal farced_ , , _venison broil'd_ _venison tainted how to preserve it_ , _udders baked_ _verjuyce how to make it_ _vinegar to make it_ _rose vinegar_ _pepper vinegar_ ibid. _umble pies_ w. _warden tarts_ _water for a consumption_ _wossel to make it_ _wheat-ears how to feed them_ _whip cream_ _wheat leach of cream_ _white-pot to make it_ _woodcocks boil'd_ , _woodcocks roasted_ _finis._ _books printed for _obadiah blagrave_ at the _black bear_ in st. _pauls_ church-yard._ doctor _gell's_ remains; being sundry pious and learned notes and observations on the whole new testament opening and explaining all the difficulties therein; wherein our saviour jesus christ is yesterday, to day, and the same for ever. illustrated by that learned and judicious man dr. _robert gell_ rector of _mary aldermary_, _london_, in folio. christian religions appeal from the groundless prejudice of the scepticks to the bar of common reason; wherein is proved that the apostles did not delude the world. . nor were themselves deluded. . scripture matters of faith have the best evidence. . the divinity of scripture is as demonstrable as the being of a deity. by _john smith_ rector of st. _mary_ in _colchester_, in folio. an exposition on the ten commandments and the lords prayer. by mr. _edward elton_, in [o]. saint _clemont_ the blessed apostle st. _paul_'s fellow labourer in the gospel, his epistle to the _corinthians_. translated out of the greek, in [o]. a sermon preached before the king at _windsor_ castle. by _richard meggot_, d.d. in [o]. a sermon preached before the right honourble the lord mayor and aldermen of the city of _london_, _january_ the _ th_. . by _richard meggot_, d.d. in [o]. a sermon preached to the artillery company at st. _may le bow_, _sept._ . . by _richard meggot, d.d._ in [o]. the case of _joram_; a sermon preached before the house of peers in the abby-church at _westminster_, _jan._ . . by _seth ward_ lord bishop of _sarum_. a sermon preached at the funeral of _george_ lord general _monk_. by _seth ward_ lord bishop of _sarum_, in [o]. a sermon preached at the funeral of that faithful servant of christ dr. _robert breton_, pastor of _debtford_ in the conty of _kent_, on _march_. . . by _rich. parr_, d.d. of _camberwell_ in the county of _surrey_, in [o]. weighty reasons for tender and consciencious protestants to be in union and communion with the church of _england_, and not to forsake the publick assemblies, as the only means to prevent the growth of popery; in severol sermons on _cor._ . . _that ye all speak the same things, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind, and in the same judgment_, on _heb._ . . not forsaking the assembling of our selves together, as the manner of some is; in [o] large. the _psalms_ of king _david_ paraphrased, and turned into english verse, according to the common meetre, as they are usually sung in parish churches, by _miles smith_; in [o] large. the evangelical communicant in the eucharistical sacrament, or a treatise declaring who is fit to receive the supper of the lord, by _philip goodwin_; in [o]. a treatise of the sabbath-day, shewing how it should be sanctified by all persons, by _philip goodwin_, m.a. a fountain of tears, empying it self into three rivulets, _viz._ of compunction, compassion, devotion; or sobs of nature sanctified by grace. languaged in several soliloquies and prayers upon various subjects, for the benefit of all that are in affliction, and particularly for these present times, by _john featley_, chaplain to his majesty. a course of catechising, or the marrow of all authors as have writ or commented on the church catechism; in [o]. a more shorter explanation of the church catechism, fitted for the meanest capacity in [o] price _d._ by dr. _combar_. the life and death of that reverend divine dr. _fuller_, author of the book called the holy war and state; in [o]. _fons lachrymarum_, or a fountain of tears; from whence doth flow _englands_ complaint, _jeremiah_'s lamentations, paraphrased with divine meditations, by _john quarles_; in [o]. _gregory_ father _grey-beard_ with his vizard pull'd off, or news from the cabal, in some reflections upon a late book, entituled, _the rehearsal transprosed after the fashion it now obtains_; in a letter to mr _roger l'estrange_; in [o]. grounds and occasions of the contempt of the clergy with the severall answers to _hobbs_. a good companion, or a meditation upon death, by _william winstandly_; in [o]s. select thoughts, or choice helps for a pious spirit, a century of divine breathings for a ravished soul, beholding the excellency of her lord jesus: to which is added the breathings of the devout soul, by _jos. hall_ bishop of _norwich_; in [o]. the remedies of discontent, or a treatise of contentation; very fit for these present times; by _jos. hall_ bishop of _norwich_; [o]. the admired piece of physiognomy and chyromancy, mataposcopacy, the symmetrical proportions and signal moles of the body fully and accurately explained, with their natural predictive significations both to men and women, being delightful and profitable; with the subject of dreams made plain: whereunto is added the art of memory, by _richard saunders_; in _folio_: illustrated with cuts and figures. the sphere of _marcus manelius_ made an english poem; with learned annotations, and a long appendix: reciting the names of ancient and modern astronomers; with some thing memorable of them: illustrated with copper-cuts. by _edward sherborne_ esq, in _folio_. observations upon military and political affairs: written by the most honourable _george_ duke of _albemarle_; in _folio_: published by authority. modern fortification, or the elements of military architecture, practised and designed by the latest and most experienced engineers of this last age, _italian_, _french_, _dutch_ and _english_; and the manner of defending and besieging forts and places; with the use of a joynt ruler or sector, for the speedy description of any fortification; by sir _jonas moore_ knight, master surveyor. a general treatise of artillery or great ordnance: writ in _italian_ by _tomaso morety_ of _brescia_, engineer; first to the emperor, and now to the most serene republick of _venice_, translated into english, with notes thereupon; and some addition out of _french_ for sea-gunners. by sir _jonas moore_ knight: with an appendix of artificial fire-works of war and delight; by sir _abraham dager_ knight, engineer: illustrated with divers cuts. a mathematical compendium, or useful practices in arithmetick, geometry and astronomy, geography and navigation, embatteling and quartering of armies, fortifications and gunnery, gauging and dialling; explaining the loyerthius with new judices, napers, rhodes or bones, making of movements, and the application of pendulums: with the projection of the sphere for an universal dial. by sir _jonas moore_ knight. the works of that most excellent philosopher and astronomer sir _george wharton_ baronet: giving an account of all fasts and festivals, observations in keeping easter; _apotelesina_, or the nativity of the world of the _epochæ_ and _eræ_ used by chronologers: a discourse of years, months, and days of years; of eclipses and effects of the crises in diseases: with an excellent discourse of the names, _genus_, _species_, efficient and final causes of all comets; how astrology may be restored from _morinus_; in [o] large, _cum multis aliis_. the practical gauger, being a plain and easie method of gauging all sorts of brewing vesses; whereunto is added a short _synopsis_ of the laws of excise: the third edition, with addittions: by _john mayne_. a table for purchasers of estates, either lands or houses; by _william leybourne_. _blagrave_'s introduction to astrology, in three parts; containing the use of an _ephemerides_, and how to erect a figure of heaven to any time proposed; also the signification of the houses, planets, signs and aspects; the explanation of all useful terms of art: with plain and familiar instructions for the resolution of all manner of questions, and exemplified in every particular thereof by figures set and judged. the second treateth of elections, shewing their use and application as they are constituted on the twelve celestial houses, whereby you are enabled to choose such times as are proper and conducible to the perfection of any matter or business whatsoever. the third comprehendeth an absolute remedy for rectifying and judging nativities; the signification and portance of directions: with new and experienced rules touching revolutions and transits, by _jo. blagrave_, of _reading_ gent. _student in astrology and physick_; in [o] large. _blagrave_'s astrological practice of physick; discovering the true way to cure all kinds of diseases and infirmities which are naturally incident to the body of man; in [o] large. _gadbury_'s _ephemerides_ for thirty years, twenty whereof is yet to come and unexpired; in [o]. philosophy delineated, consisting of divers answers upon several heads in philosophy, first drawn up for the satisfaction of some friends, now exposed to publick view and examination; by _william marshall_ merch. _london_; in [o] large. the natural history of nitre, or a philosophical discourse of the nature, generation, place and artificial extraction of nitre, with its virtues and uses, by _william clerke_ m. _doctorum londinensis_. the sea-mans tutor, explaining geometry, cosmography and trigonometry, with requisite tables of longitude and latitude of sea-ports, travers tables, tables of easting and westing, meridian miles, declinations, amplitudes, refractions, use of the compass, kalender, measure of the earth globe, use of instruments, charts, differences of sailing, estimation of a ship-way by the log, and log-line currents. composed for the use of the mathematical school in christs hospital _london_, his majesties _charles_ ii. his royal foundation. by _peter perkins_ master of that school. platform for builders and a guide for purchasers by mr. _leyborne_. mr. _nich. culpeppers_ last legacy, left and bequeathed to his dearest wife for the publick good, being the choicest and most profitable of those secrets, which while he lived were locked up in his breast, and resolved never to publish them till after his death, containing sundry admirable experiments in physick and chyrurgery. the fifth edition, with the addition of a new tract of the anatomy of the reins and bladder, in [o]. large. mr. _nich. culpeppers_ judgment of diseases, called _symoteca uranica_; also a treatise of urine. a work useful for all that study physick, in [o]. large. mr. _nich. culpepper_'s school of physick, or the experimental practise of the whole art, wherein are contained all inward diseases from the head to the foot, with their proper and effectual cures. such dyet set down as ought to be observed in sickness and in health, in [o]. large. the compleat midwifes practice enlarged, in the most weighty and high concernment of the birth of man, containing a perfect directory or rules for midwives and nurses; as also a guide for women in their conception, bearing and nursing of children from the experience of our english, _viz._ sir _theodoret mayrn_, dr. _chamberlain_, mr. _nich. culpepper_, with the instructions of the queen of _frances_ midwife to her daughter in [o]. large. illustrated with several cuts of brass. _blagraves_ suppliment or enlargement to mr. _nich. culpeppers_ english physitian, containing a description of the form, place and time, celestial government of all such plants as grow in _england_, and are omitted in his book called the english physitian, printed in the same volume, so as it may be bound with the english physitian, in [o]. large. _de succo pancreatico_, or a physical and anatomical treatise of the nature and office of the panecratick juyce or sweet-bread in men, shewing its generation in the body, what diseases arise by its visitation; together with the causes and cures of agues and intermitting fevers, hitherto so difficult and uncertain, with several other things worthy of note. written by that famous physitian _d. reg. de graff_. illustrated with divers cuts in brass; in [o]. large. great _venus_ unmaskt, being a full discovery of the french pox or venereal evil. by _gidion harvey_ m.d. in [o]. large. the anatomy of consumptions, the nature and causes, subject, progress, change, signs, prognostications, preservations and several methods in curing consumptions, coughs and spitting of blood; together with a discourse of the plague. by _gidian harvey_, in [o]. large. elenchus of opinions concerning the small pox; by _tobias whitaker_ physitian to his majesty; together with problemical questions concerning the cure of the french pox; in [o]. _praxis catholica_, or the country-mans universal remedy, wherein is plainly set down the nature of all diseases with their remedies; in [o]. the queens closet opened, incomparable secrets in physick and chyrurgery, preserving, conserving and canding; which was presented unto the queen by the most experienced persons of their times; in [o]. large. the gentlemans jockie and approved farrier; instructing in the nature, causes, and cures of all diseases incident to horses, with an exact method of breeding, buying, dieting, and other ways of ordering all sorts of horses; in [o]. large. the country mans treasure, shewing the nature, cause and cure of all diseases incident to cattel, _viz._ oxen, cows and calves, sheep, hogs and dogs, with proper means to prevent their common diseases and distempers being very useful receits, as they have been practised by the long experience of forty years; by _james lambert_, in [o]. large. syncfoyle improved, a discourse shewing the utility and benefit which _england_ hath and may receive by the grass called syncfoyle, and answering all objections urged against it; in [o]. pharamond that famed romance, being the history of _france_, in twelve parts; by the author of _cleopatra_ and _cassandra_; _folio_. _parthenissa_ that famed romance. a short history of the late english rebellion; by _m. needham_, in [o]. the ingenious satyr against hypocrites; in [o]. wits interpreter, the english _parnassus_, or a sure guide to those admirable accomplishments that compleat the english gentry, in the most acceptable qualifications of discourse or writting; in which briefly the whole mystery of those pleasing witchcrafts of eloquence and love are made easie, in divers tracts; in [o]. large. mysteries of love and eloquence, or the art of wooing and complementing, as they are managed in the _spring-garden_, _hide-park_, and other places; in [o]. large. the maiden-head lost by moon-light, or the adventure of the meadow; by _joseph kepple_, in [o]. _vercingerixa_, a new droll; composed on occasion of the pretended _german princess_, in [o]. _meronides_, or _virgils_ traverstry, being a new paraphrase upon the fifth and sixth book of _virgils Æneas_ in _burlesque_ verse; by the author of the satyr against hypocrites. the poems of sir _austin corkin_, together with his plays; collected in one volume, in [o]. _gerania_, a new discovery of a little sort of people called _pigmies_ with a lively discription of their stature, habit manners, buildings, knowledge and government; by _joshua barns_, of _emmanuel_ colledge in _cambridge_, in [o]. the woman is as good as the man, or the equality of both sexes written originally in _french_, and translated in to english. the memoirs of madam _mary carlton_, commonly called the _german princess_; being a narrative of her life and death, interwoven with many strange and pleasant passages, from the time of her birth to her execution; in [o]. _cleaveland's_ genuine poems, orations, epistles, purged from many false and spurious ones which had usurped his name. to which is added many never before printed or published, according to the author's own copies; with a narrative of his life, in [o]. large. newly reprinted the exquisite letters of _mr. robart loveday_, the late admired translater of the three first volumes, of _cleopatra_, published by his brother _mr. anthony loveday_, in [o]. large. _troades_, a translation out of _seneca_; in [o]. _wallographea_, or the _britain_ described, being a relation of a pleasant journey into _wales_; wherein are set down several remarkable passages that occurred in the way thither; and also many choice observables, and notable commemorations concerning the state and condition, the nature and humour, actions, manners and customs of that country and people, in [o]. wit and drollery, jovial poems, corrected and amended with new additions; in [o] large. _adaga scholica_, or a collection of _scotch proverbs_ and _proverbial phrases_, in [o]. very useful and delightful. a treatise of taxes and contributions, shewing the nature and measures of crown lands, assessments, customs, poll-monies, lotteries, benevolence, penalty monopolies, offices, tythes, raising of coines, hearth-money, excise, and with several intersperst discourses and digressions concerning wars, the church universities, rents, and purchases, usury and exchange, banks and lumbards, registers for conveyances, buyers, insurances, exportation of money and wool, free ports coynes housing liberty of conscience; by sir _william pette_ knight, in [o]. _england_ described through the several counties and shires thereof, briefly handled; some things also premised to set forth the glory of this nation, by _edward leigh_, esq; _englands_ worthies, select lives of the most eminent persons from _constantine_ down to this present year . by _william winstandly_ gent. in [o] large. the glories and triumphs of his majesty king _charles_ the second, being a collection of all letters, speeches, and all other choice passages of state since his majesties return from _breda_, till after his coronation, in [o] large. the _portugal_ history, describing the said country, with the customs and uses among them, in [o] large. a new survey of the turkish government compleated, with divers cuts, being an exact and absolute discovery of what is worthy of knowledge, or any way satisfactory to curiosity in that mighty nation, in [o] large. the antiquity of _china_, or an historical essay, endeavouring a probability, that the language of the empire of _china_, is the primitive language spoken through the whole world before the confusion of _babel_; wherein the customs and manners of _chineans_ are presented, and ancient and modern authors consulted with. illustrated with a large map of the country, in [o] large. an impartial description of _surynham_ upon the continent of _guiana_ in _america_; with a history of several strange beasts, birds, fishes, serpents, insects and customs of that colony, in [o]. _ethecæ christianæ_, or the school of wisdom. it was dedicated to the duke of _monmouth_ in his younger years, in [o]. the life and actions of the late renowned prelate and souldier _christopher bernard van gale_ bishop of _munster_, in [o]. the conveyancers light, or the compleat clerk and scriveners guide, being an exact draught of all precedents and assurances now in use, likewise the forms of all bills, answers and pleadings in chancery, as they were penned by divers learned judges, eminent lawyers, and great conveyancers, both ancient and modern, in [o] large. the privileges and practices of parliaments in _england_, collected out of the common law of this land, in [o]. a letter from _oxford_ concerning the approaching parliament then called, . in vindication of the king, the church, and universities, [o]. _brevia parliamentaria rediviva_, in sections; containing several catalogues of the numbers and dates of all bundles of original writs of summons and elections that are now in the tower of _london_, in [o]. the new world of words, or a general english dictionary, containing the proper signification and etymologies of words, derived from other languages, _viz._ hebrew, arabick, syriack, greek, latin, italian, french, spanish, british, dutch, saxon, useful for the advancement of our english tongue; together with the definition of all those terms that conduce to the understanding of the arts and sciences, _viz._ theology, philosophy, logick, rhetorick, grammar, ethic, law, magick, chyrurgery, anatomy, chymistry, botanicks, arithmetick, geometry, astronomy, astrology, physiognomy, chyromancy, navigation, fortification, dyaling; _cum multis aliis_, in fol. _cocker's_ new copy-book, or _englands_ pen-man, being all the curious hands engraved on brass plates, in folio. _sir robert stapleton's_ translation of juvenals satyr, with annotations thereon, in folio. the rudiments of the latine tongue, by a method of vocabulary and grammar; the former comprising the primitives, whether noun or verb, ranked in their several cases; the latter teaching the forms of declension and conjugation, with all possible plainness: to which is added the hermonicon, _viz._ a table of those latin words, which their sound and signification being meerly resembled by, the english are the sooner learned thereby, for the use of merchant taylors school, in [o] large. _indiculis universalis_, or the whole universe in epitomie, wherein the names of almost all the works of nature, of all arts and sciences, and their most necessary terms are in english, latin and french methodically digested, in [o] large. _farnaby's_ notes on _juvinal_ and _persius_ in [o]. _clavis grammatica_, or the ready way to the latin tongue, containing most plain demonstrations for the regular translating of english into latin, with instructions how to construe and parse authors, fitted for such as would attain to the latin tongue, by _i. b._ schoolmaster. the english orator, or rhetorical descents by way of declamation upon some notable themes, both historical and philosophical, in [o]. advertisement. _there is sold by the said _obadiah blagrave_, a water of such an excellent nature and operation for preservation of the eyes, that the eye being but washed therewith once or twice a day, it not only takes away all hot rhumes and inflamations, but also preserveth the eye after a most wonderful manner; a secret which was used by a most learned bishop: by the help of which water he could read without the use of spectacles at years of age. a bottle of which will cost but s._ finis. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * errors and inconsistencies noted by transcriber unchanged text many compound words occur in up to three forms: with hyphen; as two separate words; and as a single unhyphenated word. hyphens at line break were retained unless the word was consistently hyphenless elsewhere. missing spaces between words were supplied when unambiguous. recurring usages and variant spellings beatten; dear [for deer]; galon; oatmel; somtimes [these spellings are rare but each occurs at least once.] boyled [the spelling with "y" occurs _only_ in the header for section i. both "boil'd" and "boiled" are used in the body text.] lay a lay of ... [the word "layer" also occurs, but "lay" is more common.] olive, oline [the word "olive"--the meat preparation, not the fruit--was written "oline" everywhere in the index, and occasionally in the body text. the unrelated "olines" are birds.] rabit [note that the word is consistently spelled with one "b" _except_ in the index.] snite [probably a variant of "snipe", but in some books it is understood as a different bird.] roast, toast [both words can be applied to meats.] give it a walm [the word "walm" is always used in this construction. it appears to mean "bring to a boil". some occurrences of "warm" may be errors for "walm".] body text pistaches, pineapple seed, or almonds [capitalization unchanged; "white-wine" is similar.] currans, pers, oyl, and vinegar [element "pers" is at line-beginning; missing syllable may be "pep-" or "ca-".] mingle alltogether, then have slices of a leg of veal [elsewhere, text has "all together" or, rarely, "altogether".] then afterwards dry them and them. [missing word could not be deduced.] to make black puddings an excellent way. [index reference has "puddings white"; see recipe.] giue the capon a full gorge thereof [archaic use of letter "u" unchanged.] wivos me quidos [see note on index] index the order of entries in the index was unchanged. eggs in the spanish fashion, call'd, wivos qme uidos [the index is clearly wrong, but the body text "me quidos" may also be garbled. "wivos" is "huevos"; the rest could not be deduced.] puddings white [see note on body text "black puddings"] wheat leach of cream [body text has "white"] catchwords in several places, text at the beginning of a page was corrected from the catchword on the previous page: take a goose being roasted, and ["take a goose"; catchword is capitalized "take"] take off the rind being finely kindled ["be-//finely kindled"; catchword is "ing"] parsley and onions minced together ["min-//together"; catchword is "-ced"] must not be so hot as to colour white paper ["to//lour white paper"; catchword is "colour"] typographical errors then lay your pinions on each side contrary [you pinions] bolonia sausages, and anchoves [an/choves at line break] then have ten sweet breads, and ten pallets fried [aud] then again have some boil'd marrow and twelve [boild'd] other rice puddings. [rich] other forcing of calves udder boiled and cold [calves uddder] _first, of raw beef._ [beeef] then have boil'd carrots [carrrots] and being cold take off ["b" printed upside-down] lay on the kunckle of beef [kunckle] thus also you may do hiefers' udders [uddders] beef fried otherways, being roasted and cold. [otheways] to bake a flank of beef in a collar. [lo bake] toasts of houshold bread [houshhold] [the spelling "household" does not occur] slice it in to thin slices [slice is in to] ["in to" is less common than "into", but does occur] with grapes, or gooseberries or barberries [barbeeries] with nutmegs, pepper, and salt [papper] . chop't parsley, verjuyce, butter, sugar, and gravy. [buttter] beaten cinamon, sugar, and a whole clove or two [aud a whole] cut a leg of veal into thin slices [slies] give it two or three warms on the fire [two or the warms] setting a dish under it to catch the gravy [seetting] a little beef-suet also minced [litlte] _to make strong wine vinegar into balls._ [stong] take crabs as soon as the kernels turn black [make crabs] . core them and save the cores [ . core] put it in a barrel with the quinces [barrrel] to make pancakes. [maka] serve them with fine sugar. [fina] [these two errors are in the same recipe.] boil the rice tender in milk [race] [the word "race" occurs often, but only as a measure of ginger.] yolks of eggs, rose-water, and sugar [ann sugar] . chine it as before with the bones in [ . chine] (or not lard them) [or uot] the herbs, and spices, being mingled together [text has "and spices,/ing mingled" at line break] three of wine-vinegar, or verjuyce [verjyce] and some preserved barberries or cherries. [chreries] and a quarter of a pint of rose water [a pine of] bake it in a dish as other florentines [floren-tines] [mid-line hyphen probably inherited from an earlier edition with different line breaks] then fill your pie after this manner [mnnner] some barberries, some yolks of raw eggs [yolks af] make the paste with a peck of flour [hf flour] four or five spoonfuls of fair water [four our or five] work up all cold together [togther] cut it into little square bits as big as a nutmeg [litttle] white-pots, fools, wassels [wasssls] thus you may do wardens or pears [thus yon] turn it into colours, red, white, or yellow [colous] (and if you please, beat some musk and ambergriese in it) [musst] ["musk and ambergriese" occurs several times] mix all these well together with a little cream [litlle] take a quart of good thick sweet cream ["t" printed upside down] stir it and boil it thick ["i" in first "it" printed upside down] boil a capon in water and salt very tender [copon] take as much wine as water [muck] and wash them in warm water from the grounds [aad] take out the gall, then save the blood [the save] serve it on french bread in a fair scowr'd dish [words "it" and "a" reversed] to bake a carp otherways to be eaten hot. [to be heaten] two or three anchoves being cleansed and minced [beina cleansed] alter the taste at your pleasure [at you pleasure] better paste than that which is made for pyes ["that" for "than"] take as much water as will cover them [ar much] stew them together an hour on a soft fire [au hour] lay the meat on the sauce [sance] put into them hard eggs cut into rounds [hards eggs] boil the yolks in one bladder [in on bladder] drink of it every morning half a pint blood-warm [mornig] excellent ways for feeding of poultrey. [exce!lent] [this line is printed in italics. the character is unambiguously an exclamation mark, not a defective "l".] [index] _eggs fryed as round as a ball_ ibid [iid] o. [n.] [advertising] very fit for these present times [persent] containing several catalogues [catalognes] missing or duplicated words let the other ends lie cut in the dish [the the dish] at the end of three days take the groats out [the the end] pour on the sauce with some slic't lemon [the the sauce] and half a dozen of slic't onions [half a a dozen] tie up the top of the pot [the the top] then take the tongue being ready boil'd [being being] as you do veal, (in page ___) [page number and closing parenthesis missing; reference may be to page "_to bake a loin, breast, or rack of veal or mutton._"] then mince the brain and tongue with a little sage [brain tongue] either in slices or in the whole collar [in in the whole] and serve it up with scraped sugar [serve it serve it] half an ounce of ginger [an an ounce] or boil the cream with a stick of cinamon [of of cinamon] set it over the fire in clean scowred pan [the the fire] a quarter of a pound of good sweet butter [of of good] and pour the cream into it [the the cream] boil it to the thickness of an apple moise [to to the] and being cold take off the fat on the top [take take off] put the clearest to the herrings [the the clearest] alter the taste at your pleasure [the the taste] then set on the tops and scrape on sugar [the the tops] balls of parmisan, as big as a walnut [as big a walnut] [index] _neats feet larded and roasted_ [page reference missing] _norfolk fool._ [page reference missing] [these two entries are consecutive.] [advertising] with the subject of dreams made plain [of of dreams] longer duplication, text as printed with line breaks as shown: to make paste for the pie, take two quarts and a pint of fine flour, four or five yolks of raw eggs, and half a pound of fine flour, four or five yolks of raw eggs, and half a pound of sweet butter, punctuation errors in punctuation were silently corrected. in the index, "ibid" was regularized to "ibid." nelson's home comforts. thirteenth edition. revised and enlarged by mary hooper, author of "little dinners," "every-day meals," "cookery for invalids," _etc. etc._ [illustration: decoration] london: g. nelson, dale & co., limited, , dowgate hill. . any of nelson's specialities mentioned in this book _may be obtained from_ |--------------------------| | | | w. chaplin & sons, | | & , waterloo place, | | southampton. | | | |please send, s.w.r. | |--------------------------| they are also sold by grocers, chemists, italian warehousemen, etc., throughout the world. should any difficulty be experienced in obtaining them, kindly send the name and address of your grocer, and we will at once communicate with him. [illustration: trade mark.] *** g. nelson, dale, & co., ltd., , dowgate hill, london. nelson's specialities. *** patent opaque gelatine. in packets, from d. to s. d. citric acid. in d. packets. for use with the gelatine. essence of lemon, almonds, & vanilla. in graduated bottles, d. family jelly boxes. s. d. each. containing sufficient of the above materials for quarts of jelly. bottled wine jellies (concentrated). calf's foot, lemon, sherry, port, orange, and cherry. quarts, s. d.; pints, s. d.; half-pints, d. tablet jellies. orange, lemon, calf's foot, cherry, raspberry, vanilla, port, sherry, etc. quarts, d.; pints, d.; half-pints, d. wine tablet jellies. port, sherry, orange. pints only, d. patent refined isinglass. in s. packets. gelatine lozenges. liquorice lozenges. in ornamental tins, d. jelly-jubes. a most agreeable and nourishing sweetmeat. extract of meat. for soups, gravies, etc. in ounce packets, d. pure beef tea. in half-pint packets, d. soups. beef and carrots } beef and celery } in pint packets, beef and onions } d. each. mulligatawny } beef, peas, and vegetables } in quart packets, beef, lentils, and vegetables } d. each. penny packets of soup for charitable purposes. egg albumen. for clearing jelly or soup. in boxes containing packets, d. per box. *** g. nelson, dale, & co., ltd., , dowgate hill, london. little dinners, how to serve them with elegance and economy. by mary hooper. _twenty-second edition. crown vo, cloth, price s. d._ "shows us how to serve up a 'little dinner,' such as a philosopher might offer a monarch--good, varied, in good taste, and cheap. exactly what the young english wife wishes to know, and what the ordinary cookery book does not teach her."--_queen._ *** every-day meals, being economic and wholesome recipes for plain dinners, breakfasts, luncheons, and suppers. by mary hooper. _eighth edition. crown vo, cloth, price s. d._ "our already deep obligations to miss hooper are weightily increased by this excellent and practical little book. the recipes for little dishes are excellent, and so clearly worded that presumptuous man instantly believes, on reading them, that he could descend into the kitchen and 'toss up' the little dishes without any difficulty."--_spectator._ *** cookery for invalids, for persons of delicate digestion, and for children. by mary hooper. _sixth edition. crown vo, cloth, price s. d._ "an epicure might be content with the little dishes provided by miss hooper; but, at the same time, the volume fills the utmost extent of promise held out in the title-page."--_pall mall gazette._ *** london: kegan paul, trench, & co. contents. *** page preface bottled jellies tablet jellies lemon sponge citric acid and pure essence of lemon pure essence of almonds and vanilla gelatine lozenges jelly-jubes licorice lozenges albumen extract of meat soups beef tea new zealand mutton tinned meats gelatine soups little dishes of fish little dishes of meat puddings jellies creams cakes beverages macaroni, etc. hints on housekeeping new zealand frozen mutton index nelson's home comforts. *** preface. in presenting our friends and the public with the thirteenth edition of our "home comforts," we have the pleasure to remark that so greatly has the book been appreciated, that the large number of five hundred thousand copies has been called for. the value of the jubilee edition was enhanced by some new recipes; these are repeated in the present edition, to which, also, some valuable additions have been made. since the introduction of our gelatine by the late mr. g. nelson, more than fifty years ago, we have considerably enlarged our list of specialities, and we have gratefully to acknowledge the public favour accorded to us. among those of our preparations which have met with so much appreciation and success, we would cite the following: nelson's bottled jellies.--it is sometimes so difficult, if not impossible, to have a first-class jelly made in private kitchens, that we venture to think our bottled jellies will be highly appreciated by all housekeepers. it is not too much to say that a ready-made jelly of the highest quality, and of the best and purest materials, requiring only the addition of hot water, is now, for the first time, supplied. careful experiments, extending over a long period of time, have been required to bring this excellent and very useful preparation to its present state of perfection, and it is confidently asserted that no home-made jelly can surpass it in purity, brilliancy, or delicacy of flavour. all that is necessary to prepare the jelly for the table is to dissolve it by placing the bottle in hot water, and then to add the given quantity of water to bring it to a proper consistency. it is allowed to stand until on the point of setting, and is then put into a mould. nelson's calf's foot, lemon, port, sherry, orange, and cherry jellies are now to be had of all first-class grocers, and are put up in bottles each containing sufficient of the concentrated preparation to make a quart, pint, or half-pint. nelson's tablet jellies are recommended for general use, are guaranteed of the purest and best materials, and are flavoured with the finest fruit essences. the tablet jellies are of so moderate a price as to be within the reach of all classes, and can be used as an every-day addition to the family bill of fare. they are not, however, intended as a substitute for high-class jellies, whether bottled or home-made. the tablet jellies used as directed in the recipes make, in a few minutes, creams of a most delicate kind, remarkable for smoothness of texture and fine flavour. nelson's port, sherry, and orange wine tablet jellies have now been added to the list. nelson's lemon sponge, supplied in tins, is a delicious novelty, and will be found to surpass any that can be made at home. nelson's citric acid and pure essence of lemon.--in order to save the trouble of putting jelly through a strainer when required for invalids, we have introduced our citric acid and essence of lemon, and by their use a jelly clear enough for all ordinary purposes is made in a few minutes. lemonade and other beverages can be quickly made, and with less expense than by any other method, by using nelson's citric acid and essence of lemon, and for these recipes are given. delicious beverages are also made with nelson's bottled jellies, see page . nelson's pure essence of almonds and vanilla.--these extracts, like the essence of lemon, will be found of superior strength and flavour, and specially adapted for the recipes in this book. nelson's gelatine lozenges are not only a delicious sweetmeat, but most useful as voice lozenges, or in cases of sore or irritable throat. the flavour is very delicate and refreshing. dissolved in water they make a useful beverage, and also a jelly suitable for children and invalids. nelson's jelly-jubes will be found most agreeable and nourishing sweetmeats, deliciously flavoured with fruit essences. they can be used as cough lozenges, will be found soothing for delicate throats, are useful for travellers, and may be freely given to children. nelson's licorice lozenges are not only a favourite sweetmeat, but in cases of throat irritation and cough are found to be soothing and curative. nelson's albumen is the white of eggs carefully dried and prepared, so that it will keep for an indefinite length of time. it is useful for any purpose to which the white of egg is applied, and answers well for clearing soup and jelly. when required for use, the albumen is soaked in cold water and whisked in the usual way. nelson's extract of meat.--the numerous testimonials which have been received as to the excellence of this preparation, as well as the great and universal demand for it, have afforded the highest satisfaction to us as the manufacturers, and have enabled us to offer it with increased confidence to the public. it is invaluable, whether for making soup or gravy, or for strengthening or giving flavour to many dishes; and it is not only superior to, but far cheaper than, any similar preparation now before the public. now that clear soup is so constantly required, and a thing of every-day use, nelson's extract of meat will be found a great boon. with the addition of a little vegetable flavouring, a packet of the extract will make a pint of soup as good and as fine as that produced, at much labour and expense, from fresh meat. with a judicious use of the liquor derived from boiling fowls, rabbits, and fresh meat, an endless variety of soup may be made, by the addition of nelson's extract of meat. some recipes are given by which first-class soups can be prepared in a short time, at a very small cost, and with but little trouble. it may be as well to say that soaking for a few minutes in cold water facilitates the solution of the extract of meat. nelson's soups are deserving of the attention of every housekeeper, for they combine all the elements of good nourishment, have an excellent flavour, both of meat and vegetables, are prepared by merely boiling the contents of a packet for fifteen minutes, and are so cheap as to be within everybody's means. penny packets of these soups, for charitable purposes, will be found most useful and nourishing. those who have to cater for a family know how often a little soup will make up a dinner that would otherwise be insufficient; yet because of the time and trouble required in the preparation, it is impossible to have it. in a case like this, or when a supplementary dish is unexpectedly required, nelson's soups are most useful. although these soups are all that can be desired, made with water according to the directions given with each packet, they can be utilised with great advantage for strengthening household stock. for instance, the liquor in which a leg of mutton has been boiled, or of pork, if not too salt, can be at once, by using a packet or two of nelson's soup, converted into a delicious and nourishing soup, and at a cost surprisingly small. or the bones of any joint can be made into stock, and, after all the fat has been skimmed off, have a packet of nelson's soup added, in the same manner as in the directions. nelson's beef tea will be found of the highest value, supplying a cup of unequalled nourishment, combining all the constituents of fresh beef. no other preparation now before the public contains that most important element, albumen, in a soluble form, as well as much of the fibrin of the meat. this beef tea is also generally relished by invalids, and merely requires to be dissolved in boiling water. new zealand mutton.--for information respecting this meat, and the great advantage as well as economy of its use, see page . nelson's tinned meats, known as the "tomoana brand," are prepared at the works of nelson bros., limited, hawke's bay, new zealand, from the finest cattle of the country. messrs. nelson specially recommend their "pressed mutton and green peas," "haricot mutton," and "pressed corned mutton." the "stewed kidneys" will be found of a quality superior to any articles of the kind now in the market, while the price places them within the reach of all classes of consumers. nelson's gelatine having now been favourably known all over the world for more than half a century, it is unnecessary to do more than observe that our efforts are constantly directed to supplying a perfectly pure article, always of the same strength and quality. when russian isinglass was first introduced into this country, the prejudices against its use on the part of our great-grandmothers were violent and extreme; for those worthy ladies would not believe that some unfamiliar substance, of the origin of which they were either ignorant or doubtful, could form an efficient substitute for the well-known calves' feet and cow-heels, from which they had always been in the habit of making their jellies and blanc-manges. by degrees, however, the gelatine made its way, and at length superseded the old system entirely; and its popularity is demonstrated by the fact that the works at emscote, near warwick, cover nearly five acres. * * * * * n.b.--it is necessary to call attention to the fact that in all the following recipes in which nelson's gelatine and specialities are used, the quantities are calculated for _their manufactures only_, the quality and strength of which may be relied upon for uniformity. nelson's home comforts. *** soups. *** beef and onion soup. a pint of very good soup can be made by following the directions which accompany each tin of nelson's beef and onion soup, viz. to soak the contents in a pint of cold water for fifteen minutes, then place over the fire, stir, and boil for fifteen minutes. it is delicious when combined with a tin of nelson's extract of meat, thus producing a quart of nutritious and appetising soup. nelson's mulligatawny soup. soaked in cold water for a quarter of an hour, and then boiled for fifteen minutes, nelson's mulligatawny soup is very appetising and delicious. it should be eaten with boiled rice; and for those who like the soup even hotter than that in the above preparation, the accompanying rice may be curried. in either case the rice should be boiled so that each grain should be separate and distinct from the rest. beef, lentil, and vegetable soup. pour one quart of boiling water upon the contents of a tin of nelson's soup of the above title, stirring briskly. the water must be boiling. a little seasoning of salt and pepper may be added for accustomed palates. this soup is perfectly delicious if prepared as follows: cut two peeled onions into quarters, tie them in a muslin bag, and let the soup boil for twenty minutes with them. take out the bag before serving the soup. beef, pea, and vegetable soup. the directions printed on each packet of nelson's beef, pea, and vegetable soup produce a satisfactory soup, but even this may be improved by the addition of the contents of a tin of nelson's extract of meat and a handful of freshly-gathered peas. it is perhaps not generally known that pea-pods, usually thrown away as useless, impart a most delicious flavour to soup if boiled fast for two or three hours in a large saucepan, strained, and the liquor added to the soup, stock, or beef tea. beef tea as a solid. soak the contents of a tin of nelson's beef tea in a gill of water for ten minutes. add to this the third of an ounce packet of nelson's gelatine, which has been soaked for two or three hours in half-a-pint of cold water. put the mixture in a stewpan, and stir until it reaches boiling-point. then put it into a mould which has been rinsed with cold water. when thoroughly cold, this will turn out a most inviting and extremely nutritious dish. clear vermicelli soup. boil two minced onions in a quart of the liquor in which a leg of mutton has been boiled, skim well, and when the vegetables are tender strain them out. pass the soup through a napkin, boil up, skim thoroughly, and when clear add the contents of a tin of nelson's extract of meat, stirring until dissolved. boil two ounces of vermicelli paste in a pint of water until tender. most shapes take about ten minutes. take care that the water boils when you throw in the paste, and that it continues to do so during all the time of cooking, as that will keep the paste from sticking together. when done, drain it in a strainer, put it in the tureen, and pour the soup on to it. soup julienne. wash and scrape a large carrot, cut away all the yellow parts from the middle, and slice the red outside of it an inch in length, and the eighth of an inch thick. take an equal quantity of turnip and three small onions, cut in a similar manner. put them in a stewpan with two ounces of butter and a pinch of powdered sugar; stir over the fire until a nice brown colour, then add a quart of water and a teaspoonful of salt, and let all simmer together gently for two hours. when done skim the fat off very carefully, and ten minutes before serving add the contents of a tin of nelson's extract of meat, and a cabbage-lettuce cut in shreds and blanched for a minute in boiling water; simmer for five minutes and the soup will be ready. many cooks, to save time and trouble, use the preserved vegetables, which are to be had in great perfection at all good italian warehouses. brown rabbit soup clear. fry a quarter of a pound of onions a light brown; mince a turnip and carrot and a little piece of celery; boil these until tender in three pints of the liquor in which a rabbit has been boiled, taking care to remove all scum as it rises; strain them out, and then pass the soup through a napkin. the soup should be clear, or nearly so, but if it is not, put it in a stewpan, boil and skim until bright; then throw in the contents of a tin of nelson's extract of meat, soaked for a few minutes; stir until dissolved; add pepper and salt to taste. hare soup. half roast a hare, and, having cut away the meat in long slices from the backbone, put it aside to make an _entrée_. fry four onions; take a carrot, turnip, celery, a small quantity of thyme and parsley, half-a-dozen peppercorns, a small blade of mace, some bacon-bones or a slice of lean ham, with the body of the hare cut up into small pieces; put all in two quarts of water with a little salt. when you have skimmed the pot, cover close and allow it to boil gently for three hours, then strain it; take off every particle of fat, and having allowed the soup to boil up, add the contents of a tin of nelson's extract of meat, and thicken it with a dessertspoonful of potato-flour; stir in two lumps of sugar, a glass of port wine, and season if necessary. mulligatawny soup. english cooks generally err in making both mulligatawny and curries too hot. it is impossible to give the exact quantity of the powder, because it varies so much in strength, and the cook must therefore be guided by the quality of her material. mulligatawny may be made cheaply, and be delicious. the liquor in which meat or fowl has been boiled will make a superior soup, and fish-liquor will answer well. slice and fry brown four onions, quarter, but do not peel, four sharp apples; boil them in three pints of stock until tender, then rub through a sieve to a pulp. boil this up in the soup, skimming well; add the contents of a tin of nelson's extract of meat, and stir in two ounces of flour and the curry-powder, mixed smooth in half-a-pint of milk. any little pieces of meat, fowl, game, or fish may be added as an improvement to the soup. just before serving taste that the soup is well-flavoured; add a little lemon-juice or vinegar. thin mulligatawny soup. to a quart of the liquor in which a fresh haddock has been boiled, add half-a-pint of water in which onions have been boiled. stir into this, after it has been skimmed, and whilst boiling, the contents of a tin of nelson's extract of meat, and a teaspoonful of curry-powder; let it boil up; add the juice of half a lemon and serve. brown artichoke soup. wash, peel, and cut into slices about half-an-inch thick two pounds of jerusalem artichokes. fry them in a little butter until brown; fry also brown half-a-pound of sliced onions. put these to boil in two quarts of water with two turnips, a carrot sliced, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and one of pepper. when the vegetables are tender drain the liquor, set it aside to cool, and remove all fat. pass the vegetables through a fine sieve to a nice smooth _purée_. those who possess a kent's "triturating strainer" will be able to do this much more satisfactorily, both as regards time and results, than by the old way of rubbing through a sieve. put the liquor on to boil, dissolve in it--according to the strength the soup is required to be--the contents of one or two tins of nelson's extract of meat, then add the vegetable _purée_, a lump or two of sugar, and if required, salt and pepper. let it boil up and serve. turtle soup. this soup is so often required for invalids, as well as for the table, that an easy and comparatively inexpensive method of preparing it cannot fail to be acceptable. nelson's beef tea or extract of meat will be used instead of fresh beef, and bellis's sun-dried turtle instead of live turtle. if convenient it is desirable to soak the dried turtle all night, but it can be used without doing so. put it on to boil in the water in which it was soaked, in the proportion of one quart with a teaspoonful of salt to a quarter of a pound of the turtle. add two or three onions peeled and quartered, a small bit of mace and sliced lemon-peel, and simmer gently for four or five hours, or until the turtle is tender enough to divide easily with a spoon. stock of any kind may be used instead of water, and as the liquid boils away more should be added, to keep the original quantity. herbs for the proper flavouring of the turtle soup are supplied by bellis; these should be put in about an hour before the turtle is finished, and be tied in muslin. when done take out the turtle and divide it into neat little pieces; strain the liquor in which it was cooked, and having boiled it up, stir in the contents of two tins of nelson's extract of meat, previously soaked for a few minutes. mix smooth in a gill of cold water a teaspoonful of french potato-flour and of vienna flour, stir into the soup, and when it has thickened put in the turtle meat; let it get hot through, add a wine-glassful of sherry, a dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, and salt and pepper to taste, and serve at once. it is necessary to have "bellis's sun-dried turtle," imported by t. k. bellis, jeffrey's square, st. mary axe, london (sold in boxes), for this soup, because it is warranted properly prepared. an inferior article, got up by negroes from turtle found dead, is frequently sold at a low price; but it is unnecessary to say it is not good or wholesome. mock turtle soup. this, like real turtle soup, can be made of nelson's extract of meat and bellis's mock turtle meat. boil the contents of a tin of this meat in water or stock, salted and flavoured with vegetables and turtle herbs, until tender. finish with nelson's extract of meat, and as directed for turtle soup. gravy. for roast meat, merely dissolve, after a little soaking, a tin of nelson's extract of meat in a pint of boiling water. for poultry or game, fry two onions a light brown, mince a little carrot and turnip, put in half a teaspoonful of herbs, tied in muslin, and boil until tender, in a pint of water. strain out the herbs, let the liquor boil up, stir in the contents of a tin of nelson's extract of meat, and if the gravy is required to be slightly thickened, add a small teaspoonful of potato-flour mixed smooth in cold water. for cutlets or other dishes requiring sharp sauce, make exactly as above, and just before serving add a little of any good piquant sauce, or pickles minced finely. glaze. soak in a small jar the contents of a tin of nelson's extract of meat in rather less than a gill of cold water. set the jar over the fire in a saucepan with boiling water, and let the extract simmer until dissolved. this is useful for strengthening soups and gravies, and for glazing ham, tongues, and other things. little dishes of fish. *** the recipes we are now giving are suitable for dinner, supper, or breakfast dishes, and will be found especially useful for the latter meal, as there is nothing more desirable for breakfast than fish. we are constantly told that it is not possible to have fresh fish for breakfast, because it cannot be kept all night in the home larder. but we must insist that there is no greater difficulty in keeping fish than meat. indeed, there is perhaps less difficulty, because fish can be left lying in vinegar, if necessary, whereas in the case of meat it cannot always be done. we will suppose that it is necessary to use strict economy. it is as well to proceed on that supposition, because people can always be lavish in their expenditure, whereas it is not so easy to provide for the household at once well and economically. in many neighbourhoods fish is sold much cheaper late in the day than in the morning, and in this case the housekeeper who can buy overnight for the use of the next day has a great advantage. suppose you get the tail of a cod weighing three pounds, as you frequently may, at a very small price in the evening, and use a part of it stuffed and baked for supper, you can have a dish of cutlets of the remainder for breakfast which will be very acceptable. we do not mean a dish of the cold remains, but of a portion of the fish kept uncooked, as it easily may be, as we have before said, by dipping it in vinegar. or, you get mackerel. nothing is better than this fish treated according to the recipe we give. even so delicate a fish as whiting may, by a little management with vinegar, be kept perfectly well from one day to the other. skinned whiting has very little flavour, and although when skilfully cooked in the usual way it is useful by way of change, the nourishment is much impaired by the removal of the skin. the same remark applies to soles. by frying fish unskinned you get a dish of a different character to that of skinned fish, and one of which the appetite does not so soon tire. fried sole. soles weighing from three-quarters of a pound to a pound are the most suitable size for frying whole. if it is desired to have the fish juicy and with their full flavour, do not have them skinned. the black side of the soles will not of course look so well, or be so crisp, as the white side, but this is of little consequence compared to the nourishment sacrificed in removing the skin. have the soles scraped, wipe them, put a tablespoonful of vinegar in a dish, pass the fish through it, and let them lie an hour or more, if necessary all night, as the flavour is thus improved. run a knife along the backbone, which prevents it looking red when cut. when ready to crumb the fish, lay them in a cloth and thoroughly dry them. beat up the yolk of an egg with a very little of the white, which will be sufficient to egg a pair of soles; pass the fish through the egg on both sides, hold it up to drain; have ready on a plate a quarter of a pound of very fine dry crumbs, mixed with two ounces of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper. draw the fish over the crumbs, first on one side, then on the other, and lay it gently on a dish, black side downwards, whilst you prepare another. some people succeed better in crumbing fish by sifting the crumbs on to it through a very fine strainer after it is egged. when the fish are ready put them, black side downwards, into the frying-pan with plenty of fat, hot enough to brown a piece of bread instantaneously, move the pan about gently, and when the soles have been fried four minutes, put a strong cooking-fork into them near the head, turn the white side downwards, and fry three minutes longer. seven minutes will be sufficient to fry a sole weighing three-quarters of a pound, and a pair of this weight is sufficient for a party of six persons. when the sole is done put the fork into the fish close to the head, hold it up and let all the fat drain away, lay it on a sheet of cap paper, and cover over with another sheet. being thus quite freed from grease, of a rich golden brown, crisp, and with an even surface, lay the fish on the dish for serving, which should have on it either a fish-paper or a napkin neatly folded. a well-fried sole is best eaten without any sauce, but in deference to the national usage, butter sauce, or melted butter, may be served with it. filleted soles. it is better for the cook to fillet the soles, for there is often much waste when it is done by the fishmonger. having skinned the fish, with a sharp knife make an incision down the spine-bone from the head to the tail, and then along the fins; press the knife between the flesh and the bone, bearing rather hard against the latter, and the fillets will then be readily removed. these can now be dressed in a variety of ways; perhaps the most delicate for breakfast is the following: fillets of sole sautÃ�s. having dried the fillets, divide them into neat pieces two or three inches long; dip them in the beaten yolk of egg, and then in seasoned bread-crumbs. make a little butter hot in the frying-pan, put in the fillets and cook them slowly until brown on one side, then turn and finish on the other. fillets of sole fried. these may either be rolled in one piece or divided into several, as in the foregoing recipe. in either case egg and crumb them thoroughly, place them in the wire-basket as you do them, which immerse in fat hot enough to crisp bread instantly. when done, put the fillets on paper to absorb any grease clinging to them, and serve as hot as possible. all kinds of flat fish can be filleted and cooked by these recipes, and will usually be found more economical than serving the fish whole. it is also economical to fillet the tail-end of cod, salmon, and turbot, and either fry or _sauté_, as may be preferred. fillets of sole with lobster. thin and fillet a pair of soles, each weighing about a pound. roll the fillets, secure them with thread, which remove before serving; put them in a stewpan with two ounces of sweet butter, cover closely, and allow them to cook at a slow heat for twenty minutes or until tender, taking care to keep them from getting brown. prepare a sauce by boiling a quarter of a pound of veal cutlet and the bones of the fish in half-a-pint of water. when reduced to a gill, strain and take off all fat from the sauce, thicken either with fine flour or "rizine," put it into the stewpan with the fish, and allow it to stand for a quarter of an hour without boiling. mince or cut in small pieces either the meat of a small fresh lobster, or half a flat tin of the best brand of preserved lobster. make this hot by putting it in a jam pot standing in a saucepan of boiling water. take up the fish, carefully pour the sauce round, and place on the top of each fillet some of the lobster. baked whiting. small whiting answer well for this purpose. tie them round, the tail to the mouth, dip them in dissolved butter, lightly sprinkle with pepper and salt, strew them with pale raspings, put them in a baking-dish with a little butter, and bake in a quick oven for a quarter of an hour. cod cutlets. a cheap and excellent dish is made by filleting the tail of cod, egging and crumbing the pieces and frying them. get about a pound and a half of the tail of a fine cod; with a sharp knife divide the flesh from the bone lengthways, cut it into neat pieces as nearly of a size as you can, and flatten with a knife. dip in egg, then in crumbs mixed with a little flour, pepper, and salt. it is best to fry the cutlets in the wire-basket in plenty of fat, but if this is not convenient they can be done in the frying-pan; in any case, they should be done quickly, so that they may get crisp. fried herrings. take care the fish is well cleaned, without being split. two or three hours before cooking, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper; when ready to cook, wipe and flour the herrings. have ready in the frying-pan as much fat at the proper temperature as will cover the herrings. cook quickly at first, then moderate the heat slightly, and fry for ten to twelve minutes, when they should be crisp and brown. when done, lay them on a dish before the fire, in order that all fat and the fish-oil may drain from them; with this precaution, fried herrings will be found more digestible than otherwise they would be. rolled herrings. choose the herrings with soft roes. having scraped and washed them, cut off the heads, split open, take out the roes, and cleanse the fish. hold one in the left hand, and, with thumb and finger of the right, press the backbone to loosen it, then lay flat on the board and draw out the bone; it will come out whole, leaving none behind. dissolve a little fresh butter, pass the inner side of the fish through it, sprinkle pepper and salt lightly over, then roll it up tightly with the fin and tail outwards, roll it in flour and sprinkle a little pepper and salt, then put a small game skewer to keep the herring in shape. have ready a good quantity of boiling fat; it is best to do the herrings in a wire-basket, and fry them quickly for ten minutes. take them up and set them on a plate before the fire, in order that all the fat may drain from them. pass the roes through flour mixed with a sufficient quantity of pepper and salt, fry them brown, and garnish the fish with them and crisp parsley. a difficulty is often felt in introducing herrings at dinner on account of the number of small bones in them, but this is obviated by the above method of dressing, as with care not one bone should be left in. galantine of fish. procure a fine large fresh haddock and two smaller, of which to make forcemeat. take off the head and open the large fish. carefully press the meat from the backbone, which must be removed without breaking the skin; trim away the rough parts and small bones at the sides. cover the inside of the fish with a layer of forcemeat, and at intervals place lengthways a few fillets of anchovies, between which sprinkle a little lobster coral which has been passed through a wire sieve; fold the haddock into its original form, and sew it up with a needle and strong thread. dip a cloth in hot water, wring it as dry as possible, butter sufficient space to cover the fish, then fold it up, tie each end, and put a small safety pin in the middle to keep it firm. braise the galantine for an hour in stock made from the bones of the fish. let it stay in the liquor until cold, when take it up and draw out the sewing thread. reduce and strain the liquor, mix with cream and aspic jelly, or nelson's gelatine, dissolved in the proportion of half-an-ounce to a pint. when this sauce is on the point of setting, coat the galantine with it, sprinkle with little passed lobster coral, dish in a bed of shred salad, tastefully interspersed with beetroot cut in dice and dipped in oil and vinegar. to make the forcemeat, pound the fillets of the small haddocks till fine, then work in about half its quantity of bread panada, an ounce of butter, and the fillets of two anchovies; season with salt and pepper, mix in one egg and a yolk, pass through a wire sieve, and work into it a gill of cream. fillets of sole en aspic. aspic jelly, or meat jelly, may be made very good, and at a moderate cost, by boiling lean beef or veal in water with a little vegetable and spice. to make it according to the standard recipes is so expensive and tedious that few persons care to attempt it. the following directions will enable a cook to make an excellent and clear aspic. cut two pounds of lean beefsteak or veal cutlet into dice, put it on in two quarts of cold water, and as soon as it boils, take off the scum as it rises. let it simmer gently for half-an-hour; then add four onions, a turnip, carrot, small bundle of sweet herbs, blade of mace, half-a-dozen white peppercorns, and when it has again boiled for an hour strain it through a napkin. let it stand until cold, remove all the fat, boil it up, and to a quart of the liquor put an ounce of nelson's gelatine, previously soaked in cold water. add salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper, and when the jelly is cool stir in the whites and shells of two eggs well beaten. let the jelly boil briskly for two minutes, let it stand off the fire for a few minutes, then strain through a jelly-bag and use as directed. take the fillets of a pair of large thick soles, cut them into neat square pieces, leaving the trimmings for other dishes, and lay them in vinegar with a little salt for an hour. as they must be kept very white the best french vinegar should be used. boil the fillets gently in salted water, with a little vinegar, till done; take them up and dry them on a cloth. have ready some picked parsley and hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters; arrange these neatly at the bottom of a plain mould so as to form a pretty pattern. pour in very gently enough jelly to cover the first layer, let it stand until beginning to set, then put another layer of fish, eggs, and parsley, then more jelly, and so on until the mould is full. when done set the mould on ice, or allow it to stand some hours in a cold place to get well set. turn it out, ornament with parsley, beetroot, and cut lemon. collared eels. clean and boil the eels in water highly seasoned with pepper and salt, an onion, bay-leaf, a clove, and a little vinegar. when the eels are done enough, slip out the bones and cut them up into pieces about two inches long. take the liquor in which the fish is boiled, strain it, let it boil in the stewpan without the lid, skimming it until it becomes clear. dissolve a quarter of an ounce of nelson's gelatine to each half-pint of the fish gravy, and boil together for a minute, let it then stand until cool. arrange the pieces of eel tastefully in a plain mould with small sprigs of curled parsley and slices of hard-boiled eggs, and, if you like, a fillet or two of anchovies cut up into dice. when all the fish is thus arranged in the mould, pour the jelly in very gently, a tablespoonful at a time, in order not to disturb the solid material. let the mould stand in cold water for seven or eight hours, when it can be turned out. ornament with parsley, lemon, and beetroot. little dishes of meat. *** in this chapter a number of useful and inexpensive dishes are given, which will serve either as breakfast dishes, _entrées_, or for invalids, and which may, in the hands of an intelligent cook, serve as models for many others. as will be seen, it is not so much a question of expense to provide these little tasty dishes as of management. in all the following recipes for little dishes of mutton, it will be found a great advantage to use new zealand meat. a good cook will never be embarrassed by having too much cold meat on hand, because she will be able by her skill so to vary the dishes that the appetites of those for whom she caters will never tire of it. even a small piece of the loin of mutton may be served in half-a-dozen different ways, and be relished by those who are tired of the mutton-chop or the plain roast. mutton cutlets. taken from the neck, mutton cutlets are expensive, but those from the loin will be found not only convenient, but to answer well at a smaller cost. first remove the under-cut or fillet from about two pounds of the best end of a loin of mutton, cut off the flap, which will be useful for stewing, and it is especially good eaten cold, and then remove the meat from the bones in one piece, which divide with the fillet into cutlets about half-an-inch thick. egg them over and dip them in well-seasoned bread-crumbs, fry them until a nice brown, and serve with gravy made from the bones and an onion. this way of cooking the loin is much more economical than in chops, because with them the bones and flap are wasted, whereas in cutlets all is used up. to stew the flap, put it in a stewpan, the fat downwards, sprinkle pepper and salt, and slice an onion or two over, and set it to fry gently in its own fat for an hour. take up the meat, and put half-a-pint of cold water to the fat, which, when it has risen in a solid cake, take off, mix a little flour with the gravy which will be found beneath the fat, add pepper, salt, and some cooked potatoes cut in slices. cut the meat into neat squares; let it simmer gently in the gravy with the potatoes for an hour. roulades of mutton. remove the fillet from a fine loin of mutton, trim away every particle of skin, fat, and gristle. flatten the fillet with a cutlet-bat, and cut it lengthways into slices as thin as possible; divide these into neat pieces about three inches long. sprinkle each with pepper, salt, and finely-chopped parsley, roll them up tightly, then dip in beaten egg, and afterwards in finely-sifted bread-crumbs mixed with an equal quantity of flour and highly seasoned with pepper and salt. as each roulade is thus prepared place it on a game-skewer, three or four on each skewer. dissolve an ounce of butter in a small frying-pan, and cook the roulades in it. mutton collops. cut neat thin slices from a leg of either roasted or boiled mutton, dip them in yolk of egg and in fine dry bread-crumbs to which a little flour, pepper, and salt have been added. heat enough butter in a small frying-pan to just cover the bottom, put in the slices of mutton and cook them very slowly, first on one side then on the other, until they are brown. garnish the dish on which the mutton is served with some fried potatoes or potato chips. mutton sautÃ�. put a little butter or bacon fat in the frying-pan, sprinkle pepper and salt over slices of cold mutton, and let them get hot very slowly. the mutton must be frequently turned, and never allowed to fry. when turned in the pan for the last time sprinkle a little chopped parsley on the upper side; remove the slices carefully on to a hot dish, pour the fat in the pan over, and serve. cold mutton potted. cut up the mutton, being careful to free it from all sinew and skin; chop or pound it with half its weight of cooked bacon until it is as fine as desired. season with a little pepper, salt, and allspice, put it into a jar, which set in a saucepan of water over the fire until the meat is hot through. when taken up stir occasionally until cool, then press it into little pots, and pour clarified butter or mutton fat over the top. if liked, a little essence of anchovy may be added to the seasoning. mutton pies. mince a quarter of a pound of underdone mutton, taking care to have it free from skin and fat. mix with it a tablespoonful of rich gravy--that which is found under a cake of dripping from a joint is particularly suitable for this purpose--add a few drops of essence of anchovy, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and a small teaspoonful of minced parsley. if necessary add salt. line four patty-pans with puff paste, divide the mutton into equal portions and put it into the pans, cover each with a lid of paste, and bake in a quick oven for half-an-hour. ox brain. having carefully washed the brain, boil it very fast, in order to harden it, in well-seasoned gravy. when it is done, take it out of the gravy and set it aside until cold. cut it either in slices or in halves, dip each piece in egg, then in bread-crumbs well seasoned with dried and sifted parsley, pepper, and salt, fry them in a little butter until brown. the gravy having become cold, take off the fat, and boil it in a stewpan without a lid until it is reduced to a small quantity; pour it round the brain, and serve. brain fritters. carefully wash an ox brain, and boil it for a quarter of an hour in well-seasoned stock. when the brain is cold, cut it into slices as thin as possible, dip each of them in batter, drop them as you do them into a stewpan half-full of fat at a temperature of °, or that which will brown instantly a piece of bread dipped into it. to make the batter, mix two large tablespoonfuls of fine flour with four of cold water, stir in a tablespoonful of dissolved butter or of fine oil, the yolk of an egg, and a pinch of salt and pepper; when ready to use, beat the white of the egg to a strong froth, and mix with it. do not fry more than two fritters at once; as you take them up, throw them on paper to absorb any grease clinging to them, serve on a napkin or ornamental dish-paper. if this recipe is closely followed, the fritters will be light, crisp, delicate morsels, melting in the mouth, and form besides a very pretty dish. garnish with fried parsley; take care the parsley is thoroughly dry, put it into a small frying-basket, and immerse it for an instant in the fat in which the fritters are to be cooked. turn it out on paper, dry, and serve. marrow toast. let the butcher break up a marrow-bone. take out the marrow in as large pieces as possible, and put them into a stewpan with a little boiling water, rather highly salted. when the marrow has boiled for a minute, drain the water away through a fine strainer. have ready a slice of lightly-toasted bread, place the marrow on it, and put it into a dutch oven before the fire for five minutes, or until it is done. sprinkle over it a little pepper and salt, and a small teaspoonful of parsley, chopped fine. the toast must be served very hot. chicken in aspic jelly. cut the white part of a cold boiled chicken, and as many similar pieces of cold ham, into neat rounds, not larger than a florin. run a little aspic jelly into a fancy border mould, allow it to set, and arrange a decoration of boiled carrot and white savoury custard cut crescent shape, dipping each piece in melted aspic. pour in a very little more jelly, and when it is set place the chicken and ham round alternately, with a sprig of chervil, or small salad, here and there. put in a very small quantity of aspic to keep this in place, then, when nearly set, sufficient to cover it. arrange another layer, this time first of ham then of chicken, fix them in the same way, and fill up the mould with aspic jelly. when the dish is turned out fill the centre with cold green peas, nicely seasoned, and garnish round with chopped aspic and little stars of savoury custard. to make this, soak a quarter of an ounce of nelson's gelatine in a gill of milk, dissolve it over the fire, and stir in a gill of thick cream, season to taste with cayenne pepper and salt, and, if liked, a little grate of nutmeg. pour the custard on to a large dish, and when cold cut it into the required shapes. veal cutlets in white sauce. cut six or seven cutlets, about half-an-inch thick, from a neck of veal, braise them in half-a-pint of good white stock with an onion, a small bunch of herbs, a bacon bone, and two or three peppercorns, until they are done. let the cutlets get cool in the liquor, then drain them. strain the liquor and make a white sauce with it; add a tablespoonful of thick cream and a quarter of an ounce of nelson's gelatine, dissolved in a gill of milk; season with salt and cayenne pepper, stirring occasionally until quite cold. dip the cutlets in, smoothly coating one side, and before the sauce sets decorate them with very narrow strips of truffle in the form of a star. cut as many pieces of cooked tongue or ham as there are cutlets, dish them alternately in a circle on a border of aspic, fill the centre with a salad composed of all kinds of cold cooked vegetables, cut with a pea-shaped cutter and seasoned with oil, vinegar, pepper, and salt. garnish with aspic jelly cut lozenge shape and sprigs of chervil. kidneys sautÃ�s. like many other articles of diet, kidneys within the last ten years have been doubled in price, and are so scarce as to be regarded as luxuries. the method of cooking them generally in use is extravagant, and renders them tasteless and indigestible. kidneys should never be cooked rapidly, and those persons who cannot eat them slightly underdone should forego them. one kidney dressed as directed in the following recipe will go as far as two cooked in the ordinary manner--an instance, if one were needed, of the economy of well-prepared food. choose fine large kidneys, skin them and cut each the round way into thin slices: each kidney should yield from ten to twelve slices. have ready a tablespoonful of flour highly seasoned with pepper and salt and well mixed together; dip each piece of kidney in it. cut some neat thin squares of streaked bacon, fry them _very slowly_ in a little butter; when done, put them on the dish for serving, and keep hot whilst you _sauté_ the kidneys, which put into the fat the bacon was cooked in. in about a minute the gravy will begin to rise on the upper side, then turn the kidneys and let them finish cooking slowly; when they are done, as they will be in three to four minutes, the gravy will again begin to rise on the side which is uppermost. put the kidneys on the dish with the bacon, and pour over them a spoonful or two of plain beef gravy, or water thickened with a little flour, boiled and mixed with the fat and gravy from the kidneys in the frying-pan. if there is too much fat in the pan, pour it away before boiling up the gravy. serve the kidneys on a hot-water dish. tinned kidneys with mushrooms. (_tomoana brand._) dry a half-tin of champignons in a cloth, or, if convenient, prepare a similar quantity of fresh button mushrooms; add to these a few pieces of dried mushrooms, previously soaked for ten minutes in tepid water, put them into a stewpan with a slice of butter, and stir constantly for six minutes, then add two or three kidneys cut in small neat pieces, in the shape of dice is best, and continue stirring until the kidneys are hot through, taking care to do them slowly; at the last moment season with pepper and salt, and serve very hot. garnish the dish with fried sippets of bread. kidneys with piccalilli sauce. (_tomoana brand._) take the kidneys out of the gravy, and cut them into six slices. mix a small teaspoonful of curry powder with three teaspoonfuls of fine flour and a small pinch of salt. dip each slice in this mixture, and when all are done put them in the frying-pan with a little butter, and let them get slowly hot through. when done, put the kidneys in the centre of a hot dish, and pour round them a sauce made as follows: boil up the gravy of the kidneys, and stir into it sufficient minced piccalilli pickles to make it quite thick, add a teaspoonful of flour to a tablespoonful of the piccalilli vinegar, stir into the sauce, and when all has boiled up together, pour it round the kidneys. broiled kidneys. these are quite an epicure's dish, and care must be taken to cook them slowly. having skinned the kidneys (they must not be split or cut) dip them for a moment in boiling fat, place them on the gridiron over a slow fire, turning them every minute. they will take ten to fifteen minutes to cook, and will be done as soon as the gravy begins to run. place them on a hot dish rubbed over with butter, salt and pepper them rather highly. it must be understood that kidneys thus cooked ought to have the gravy in them, and that when they are cut at table it should run from them freely and in abundance. lamb's fry. a really proper fry should consist not only of sweetbreads and liver, but of the heart, melt, brains, frill, and kidneys, each of which requires a different treatment. it is quite as easy to cook a fry properly as to flour and fry it hard and over-brown, as is too frequently done. trim the sweetbreads neatly, and simmer them for a quarter of an hour in good white stock with an onion. when they are done take them up and put the brains in the gravy, allowing them to boil as fast as possible in order to harden them; let them get cold, then cut into slices, egg and bread-crumb them, and fry with the sweetbread in a little butter. after the brains are taken out of the gravy, put the slices of heart and melt in, and let them stew slowly until tender. when they are ready, flour them, and fry with the liver and frill until brown. lastly, put the kidneys, cut in slices, into the pan, and very gently fry for about a minute. shake a little flour onto the pan, stir it about until it begins to brown; then pour on to it the gravy, in which the sweetbreads, etc., were stewed, see it is nicely seasoned, and pour round the fry, which should be neatly arranged in the centre of the dish. garnish with fried parsley. lamb's sweetbreads. these make an admirable breakfast dish, and can be partly prepared over-night. trim and wash the sweetbreads, put them into a saucepan with sufficient well-flavoured stock to cover them, a minced onion and a sprig of lemon-thyme; boil gently for fifteen minutes, or a little longer if necessary. take them up, drain, dip in egg and finely-sifted bread-crumbs mixed with a little flour, pepper, and salt. fry very carefully, so as not to make it brown or hard, some small slices of bacon, keep warm whilst you fry the sweetbreads in the fat which has run from it, adding, if required, a little piece of butter or lard. for a breakfast dish, the sweetbreads should be served without gravy, but if for an _entrée_ the liquor in which they were stewed, with slight additions and a little thickening, can be poured round them in the dish. calves' sweetbreads are prepared in the same manner as the above, and can either be fried, finished in a dutch oven, or served white, with parsley and butter, or white sauce. veal Ã� la casserole. for this dish a piece of the fillet about three inches thick will be required, and weighing from two to three pounds. it should be cut from one side of the leg, without bone; but sometimes butchers object to give it, as cutting in this manner interferes with cutlets. in such a case a piece must be chosen near the knuckle, and the bone be taken out before cooking. for a larger party, a thick slice of the fillet, weighing about four pounds, will be found advantageous. with a piece of tape tie the veal into a round shape, flour, and put it into a stewpan with a small piece of butter, fry until it becomes brown on all sides. then put half a pint of good gravy, nicely seasoned with pepper and salt, cover the stewpan closely, and set it on the stove to cook very slowly for at least four hours. when done, the veal will be exquisitely tender, full of flavour, but not the least ragged. take the meat up, and keep hot whilst the gravy is reduced, by boiling without the lid of the saucepan, to a rich glaze, which pour over the meat and serve. brown fricassÃ�e of chicken. this is a brown fricassée of chicken, and is an excellent dish. no doubt the reason it is so seldom given is that, although easy enough to do, it requires care and attention in finishing it. many of the best cooks, in the preparation of chickens for fricassée, cut them up before cooking, but we prefer to boil them whole, and afterwards to divide them, as the flesh thus is less apt to shrink and get dry. the chicken can be slowly boiled in plain water, with salt and onions, or, as is much better, in white broth of any kind. when the chicken is tender cut it up; take the back, and the skin, pinions of the wings, and pieces which do not seem nice enough for a superior dish, and boil them in a quart of the liquor in which it was boiled. add mushroom trimmings, onions, and a sprig of thyme; boil down to one-half, then strain, take off all fat, and stir over the fire with the yolk of two eggs and an ounce of fine flour until thickened. dip each piece of chicken in some of this sauce, and when they are cold pass them through fine bread-crumbs, then in the yolk of egg, and crumb again. fry carefully in hot fat. dish the chicken with a border of fried parsley, and the remainder of the gravy poured round the dish. this dish is generally prepared by french cooks by frying the chicken in oil, and seasoning with garlic; but unless the taste of the guests is well known, it is safer to follow the above recipe. chicken sautÃ�. put any of the meat of the breast or of the wings without bone into a frying-pan with a little fresh butter or bacon fat. cook them very slowly, turning repeatedly; if the meat has not been previously cooked it will take ten minutes, and five minutes if a _réchauffé_. sprinkle with pepper, and serve with mushrooms or broiled bacon. the legs of cooked chickens are excellent _sautés_, but they should be boned before they are put into the pan. potato hash. put some cold potatoes chopped into the frying-pan with a little fat, stir them about for five minutes, then add to them an equal quantity of cold meat, cut into neat little squares, season nicely with pepper and salt, fry gently, stirring all the time, until thoroughly hot through. dry curry. fry a minced onion in butter until lightly browned, cut up the flesh of two cooked chicken legs, or any other tender meat, into dice, mix this with the onions, and stir them together over the fire until the meat is hot through; sprinkle over it about a small teaspoonful of curry-powder, and salt to taste. having thoroughly mixed the meat with the curry-powder, pour over it a tablespoonful of milk or cream, and stir over the fire until the moisture has dried up. celery salt may be used instead of plain salt, and some persons add a few drops of lemon-juice when the curry is finished. croquettes. croquettes of all kinds, fish, game, poultry or any delicate meats, can be successfully made on the following model: whatever material is used must be finely minced or pounded. care is required in making the sauce, if it is too thin it is difficult to mould the croquettes, and ice will be required to set it. croquettes of game without any flavouring, except a little salt and cayenne, are generally acceptable as a breakfast dish. preserved lobster makes very good croquettes for an _entrée_, and small scraps of any kind can thus be made into a very good dish. put one ounce of fine flour into a stewpan with half a gill of cold water, stir this over a slow fire very rapidly until it forms a paste, then add one ounce of butter, and stir until well incorporated. mix in a small teaspoonful of essence of shrimps or anchovies, with a pinch of salt and pepper. take the stewpan off the fire, and stir the yolk of an egg briskly into the sauce; thoroughly mix it with half-a-pound of pounded fish or meat, spread it out on a plate until it is cool. flour your hands, take a small piece of the croquette mixture, roll into a ball or into the shape of a cork, then pass it through very finely-sifted and dried bread-crumbs. repeat the process until all the mixture is used; put the croquettes as you do them into a wire frying-basket, which shake very gently, when all are placed in it, in order to free them from superfluous crumbs. have ready a stewpan half-full of boiling fat, dip the basket in, gently moving it about, and taking care the croquettes are covered with fat. in about a minute they will become a delicate brown, and will then be done. turn them on a paper to absorb any superfluous fat, serve them on a napkin or ornamental dish paper. no more croquettes than will lie on the bottom of the basket without touching each other should be fried at once. meat cakes Ã� l'italienne. mix very fine any kind of cold meat or chicken, taking care to have it free from skin and gristle, add to it a quarter of its weight of sifted bread-crumbs, a few drops of essence of anchovy, a little parsley, pepper and salt, and sufficient egg to moisten the whole. flour your hands, roll the meat into little cakes about the size of a half-crown piece, then flatten the cakes with the back of a spoon, dip them in egg and fine bread-crumbs, and fry them in a little butter until lightly browned on the outside. put them on a hot dish and garnish with boiled italian paste. raised pork pie. take a pound of meat, fat and lean, from the chump end of a fine fore-loin of pork, cut it into neat dice, mix a tablespoonful of water with it, and season with a large teaspoonful of salt and a small one of black pepper. to make the crust, boil a quarter of a pound of lard or clarified dripping in a gill and a half of water, and pour it hot on to one pound of flour, to which a good pinch of salt has been added. mix into a stiff paste, pinch off enough of it to make the lid, and keep it hot. flour your board and work the paste into a ball, then with the knuckles of your right hand press a hole in the centre, and mould the paste into a round or oval shape, taking care to keep it a proper thickness. having put in the meat, join the lid to the pie, which raise lightly with both hands so as to keep it a good high shape, cut round the edge with a sharp knife, and make the trimmings into leaves to ornament the lid; and having placed these on, with a rose in the centre, put the pie on a floured baking-sheet and brush it over with yolk of egg. the crust of the pie should be cool and set before putting it into the oven, which should be a moderate heat. when the gravy boils out the pie is done. an hour and a half will bake a pie of this size. make a little gravy with the bones and trimmings of the pork, and to half-a-pint of it add a quarter of an ounce of nelson's gelatine, and nicely season with pepper and salt. when the pie is cold remove the rose from the top, make a little hole, insert a small funnel, and pour in as much gravy as the pie will hold. replace the rose on the top, and put the pie on a dish with a cut paper. if preferred, the pie can be made in a tin mould; but the crust is nicer raised by the hand. a great point to observe is to begin moulding the crust whilst it is hot, and to get it finished as quickly as possible. veal and ham pie. prepare the crust as for a pork pie. cut a pound of veal cutlet and a quarter of a pound of ham into dice, season with a teaspoonful of salt and another of black pepper, put the meat into the crust, and finish as for pork pie. add a quarter of an ounce of nelson's gelatine--previously soaked in cold water, and then dissolved--to a teacupful of gravy made from the veal trimmings. pork sausages. when a pig is cut up in the country, sausages are usually made of the trimmings; but when the meat has to be bought, the chump-end of a fore-loin will be found to answer best. the fine well-fed meat of a full-grown pig, known in london as "hog-meat," is every way preferable to that called "dairy-fed pork." the fat should be nearly in equal proportion to the lean, but of course this matter must be arranged to suit the taste of those who will eat the sausages. if young pork is used, remove the skin as thinly as you can--it is useful for various purposes--and then with a sharp knife cut all the flesh from the bones, take away all sinew and gristle, and cut the fat and lean into strips. some mincing-machines require the meat longer than others; for kent's combination, cut it into pieces about an inch long and half-an-inch thick. to each pound of meat put half a gill of gravy made from the bones, or water will do; then mix equally with it two ounces of bread-crumbs, a large teaspoonful of salt, a small one of black pepper, dried sage, and a pinch of allspice. this seasoning should be well mixed with the bread, as the meat will then be flavoured properly throughout the mass. arrange the skin on the filler, tie it at the end, put the meat, a little at a time, into the hopper, turn the handle of the machine briskly, and take care the skin is only lightly filled. when the sausages are made, tie the skin at the other end, pinch them into shape, and then loop them by passing one through another, giving a twist to each as you do them. sausage-skins, especially if preserved, should be well soaked before using, or they may make the sausages too salt. it is a good plan to put the skin on the water-tap and allow the water to run through it, as thus it will be well washed on the inside. fifteen to twenty minutes should be allowed for frying sausages, and when done they should be nicely browned. a little butter or lard is best for frying, and some pieces of light bread may be fried in it when the sausages are done, and placed round the dish by way of garnish. cooks cannot do better than remember dr. kitchener's directions for frying sausages. after saying, "they are best when quite fresh made," he adds: "put a bit of butter or dripping into a clean frying-pan; as soon as it is melted, before it gets hot, put in the sausages, and shake the pan for a minute, and keep turning them. be careful not to break or prick them in so doing. fry them over a very slow fire till they are nicely browned on all sides. the secret of frying sausages is to let them get hot very gradually; they then will not break if they are not stale. the common practice to prevent them bursting is to prick them with a fork, but this lets the gravy out." puddings. *** custard pudding. we give this pudding first because it affords an opportunity for giving hints on making milk puddings generally, and because, properly made, there is no more delicious pudding than this. it is besides most useful and nutritious, not only for the dinner of healthy people, but for children and invalids. but few cooks, however, make it properly; as a rule too many eggs are used, to which the milk is added cold, and the pudding is baked in a quick oven. the consequence is that the pudding curdles and comes to table swimming in whey; or, even if this does not happen, the custard is full of holes and is tough. in the first place, milk for all puddings with eggs should be poured on to the eggs boiling hot; in the next, the baking must be very slowly done, if possible, as directed in the recipe; the dish containing the pudding to be placed in another half-full of water. this, of course, prevents the baking proceeding too rapidly, and also prevents the pudding acquiring a sort of burned greasy flavour, which is injurious for invalids. lastly, too many eggs should not be used; the quantity given, two to the pint of milk, is in all cases quite sufficient, and will make a fine rich custard. we never knew a pudding curdle, even with london milk a day old, if all these directions were observed; but it is almost needless to say, that the pudding made with new rich milk is much finer than one of inferior milk. boil a pint and a half of milk with two ounces of lump sugar, or rather more if a sweet pudding is liked, and pour it boiling hot on three eggs lightly beaten--that is, just sufficiently so to mix whites and yolks. flavour the custard with nutmeg, grated lemon-peel, or anything which may be preferred and pour it into a tart-dish. place this dish in another three-parts full of boiling water, and bake slowly for forty minutes, or until the custard is firm. there is no need to butter the dish if the pudding is baked as directed. soufflÃ� pudding. this is a delicious pudding, and to insure its success great care and exactness are required. in the first place, to avoid failure it is necessary that the butter, flour, sugar, and milk, should be stirred long enough over a moderate fire to make a stiff paste, because if this is thin the eggs will separate, and the pudding when done resemble a batter with froth on the top. before beginning to make the pudding, prepare a pint tin by buttering it inside and fastening round it with string on the outside a buttered band of writing-paper, which will stand two inches above the tin and prevent the pudding running over as it rises. melt an ounce of butter in a stewpan, add one ounce of sifted sugar, stir in an ounce and a half of vienna flour, mix well together, add a gill of milk, and stir over the fire with a wooden spoon until it boils and is thick. take the stewpan off the fire, beat up the yolks of three eggs with half a teaspoonful of extract of vanilla, and stir a little at a time into the paste, to insure both being thoroughly mixed together. put a small pinch of salt to the whites of four eggs, whip them as stiff as possible, and stir lightly into the pudding, which pour immediately into the prepared mould. have ready a saucepan with enough boiling water to reach a little way up the tin, which is best placed on a trivet, so that the water cannot touch the paper band. let the pudding steam very gently for twenty minutes, or until it is firm in the middle, and will turn out. for sauce, boil two tablespoonfuls of apricot jam in a gill of water, with two ounces of lump sugar, stir in a wine-glassful of sherry, add a few drops of nelson's vanilla flavouring, pour over the pudding and serve. omelet soufflÃ�. put the yolks of two eggs into a basin with an ounce of sifted sugar and a few drops of nelson's vanilla essence; beat the yolks and sugar together for six minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick. then whip the whites very stiff, so that they will turn out of the basin like a jelly. mix the yolks and whites lightly together, have ready an ounce of butter dissolved in the omelet-pan, pour in the eggs, hold this pan over a slow fire for two minutes, then put the frying-pan into a quick oven and bake until the omelet has risen; four minutes ought to be sufficient to finish the omelet in the oven; when done, slide it on to a warm dish, double it, sift sugar over, and serve instantly. sponge soufflÃ�. cover the bottom of a tart-dish with sponge-cakes, pour over a little brandy and sherry; put in a moderate oven until hot, then pour on the cakes an egg whip made of two packets of nelson's albumen, beaten to a strong froth with a little sugar. bake for a quarter of an hour in a slow oven. cabinet pudding. butter very thickly a pint pudding-basin, and cover it neatly with stoned muscatel raisins, the outer side of them being kept to the basin. lightly fill up the basin with alternate layers of sponge-cake and ratafias, and when ready to steam the pudding, pour by degrees over the cake a custard made of half-a-pint of boiling milk, an egg, three lumps of sugar, a tablespoonful of brandy, and a little lemon flavouring. cover the basin with a paper cap and steam or boil gently for three-quarters of an hour. great care should be taken not to boil puddings of this class fast, as it renders them tough and flavourless. brandy sauce. mix a tablespoonful of fine flour with a gill of cold water, put it into a gill of boiling water, and, having stirred over the fire until it is thick, add the yolk of an egg. continue stirring for five minutes, and sweeten with two ounces of castor sugar. mix a wine-glass of brandy with two tablespoonfuls of sherry, stir it into the sauce, and pour it round the pudding. if liked, a grate of nutmeg may be added to the sauce, and, if required to be rich, an ounce of butter may be stirred in before the brandy. warwickshire pudding. butter a pint-and-a-half tart-dish, lay in it a layer of light bread, cut thin, on this sprinkle a portion of two ounces of shred suet, and of one ounce of lemon candied-peel, chopped very fine. fill the dish lightly with layers of bread, sprinkling over each a little of the suet and peel. boil a pint of milk with two ounces of sugar, pour it on two eggs, beaten for a minute, and add it to the pudding just before putting it into the oven; a little of nelson's essence of lemon or almonds may be added to the custard. bake the pudding in a very slow oven for an hour. vanilla rusk pudding. dissolve, but do not oil, an ounce of butter, mix in a quarter of a pound of sifted sugar, stir over the fire for a few minutes, add an egg well beaten, and half a teaspoonful of nelson's vanilla extract, or as much as will give a good flavour to the paste, which continue stirring until it gets thick. spread four slices of rusk with the vanilla paste, put them in a buttered tart-dish. boil half-a-pint of new milk, pour it on to an egg well beaten, then add it to the rusk, and put the pudding to bake in a slow oven for an hour. turn out when done, and sift sugar over the pudding. if a superior pudding is desired, boil a tablespoonful of apricot jam in a teacupful of plain sugar syrup, add a little vanilla flavouring, and pour over the pudding at the moment of serving. jubilee pudding. pour a pint of boiling milk on two ounces of rizine, stir over the fire for ten minutes, add half an ounce of butter, the yolks of two eggs, an ounce of castor sugar, and six drops of nelson's essence of almonds. put the pudding into a buttered pie-dish, and bake in a moderate oven for a quarter of an hour. when taken from the oven, spread over it a thin layer of apricot jam, and on this the whites of the eggs beaten to a strong froth, with half an ounce of castor sugar. return the pudding to a slow oven for about four minutes, in order to set the meringue. natal pudding. soak half-an-ounce of nelson's gelatine in half-a-pint of cold water until it is soft, when add the grated peel of half a lemon, the juice of two lemons, the beaten yolks of three eggs, and six ounces of lump sugar dissolved in half-a-pint of boiling water. stir the mixture over the fire until it thickens, taking care that it does not boil. have ready the whites of the eggs well whisked, stir all together, pour into a fancy mould, which put into a cold place until the pudding is set. queen's pudding. half-a-pound of bread-crumbs, a pint of new milk, two ounces of butter, the yolks of four eggs, and a little nelson's essence of lemon. boil the bread-crumbs and milk together, then add the sugar, butter, and eggs; when these are well mixed, bake in a tart-dish until a light brown. then put a layer of strawberry jam, and on the top of this the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth, with a little sifted sugar. smooth over the meringue with a knife dipped in boiling water, and bake for ten minutes in a slow oven. chocolate pudding. boil half-a-pound of light stale bread in a pint of new milk. stir continually until it becomes a thick paste; then add an ounce of butter, a quarter of a pound of sifted sugar, and two large teaspoonfuls of schweitzer's cocoatina, with a little nelson's essence of vanilla. take the pudding off the fire, and mix in, first, the yolks of three eggs, then the whites beaten to a strong froth. put into a buttered tart-dish and bake in a moderate oven for three-quarters of an hour. cocoa-nut pudding. choose a large nut, with the milk in it, grate it finely, mix it with an equal weight of finely-sifted sugar, half its weight of butter, the yolks of four eggs, and the milk of the nut. let the butter be beaten to a cream, and when all the other ingredients are mixed with it, add the whites of the eggs, whisked to a strong froth. line a tart-dish with puff-paste, put in the pudding mixture and bake slowly for an hour. butter a sheet of paper and cover the top of the pudding, as it should not get brown. raspberry and currant pudding. stew raspberries and currants with sugar and water, taking care to have plenty of juice. cut the crumb of a stale tin-loaf in slices about half-an-inch thick and put in a pie-dish, leaving room for the bread to swell, with alternate layers of fruit, until the dish is full. then put in as much of the juice as you can without causing the bread to rise. when it is soaked up put in the rest of the juice, cover with a plate, and let the pudding stand until the next day. when required for use turn out and pour over it a good custard or cream. the excellence of this pudding depends on there being plenty of syrup to soak the bread thoroughly. this is useful when pastry is objected to. the capital pudding. shred a quarter of a pound of suet, mix it with half a pound of flour, one small teaspoonful each of baking-powder and carbonate of soda, then add four tablespoonfuls of strawberry or raspberry jam, and stir well with a gill of milk. boil for four hours in a high mould, and serve with wine or fruit sauce. the latter is made by stirring jam into thin butter sauce. italian fritters. cut slices of very light bread half-an-inch thick, with a round paste-cutter, divide them into neat shapes all alike in size. throw them into boiling fat and fry quickly of a rich golden brown, dry them on paper, place on a dish, and pour over orange or lemon syrup, or any kind of preserve made hot. honey or golden syrup may be used for those who like them. duchess of fife's pudding. boil two ounces of rice in a pint of milk until quite tender. when done, mix with it a quarter of an ounce of nelson's gelatine soaked in a tablespoonful of water. line the inside of a plain mould with the rice, and when it is set fill it up with half-a-pint of cream, whipped very stiff and mixed with some nice preserve, stewed fruit, or marmalade. after standing some hours turn out the pudding, and pour over it a delicate syrup made of the same fruit as that put inside the rice. welsh cheesecake. dry a quarter of a pound of fine flour, mix with two ounces of sifted loaf-sugar, and add it by degrees to two ounces of butter beaten to a cream; then work in three well-beaten eggs, flavour with nelson's essence of lemon. line patty-pans with short crust, put in the above mixture, and bake in a quick oven. friar's omelet. make six moderate-sized apples into sauce, sweeten with powdered loaf-sugar, stir in two ounces of butter, and when cold, mix with two well-beaten eggs. butter a tart-dish, and strew the bottom and sides thickly with bread-crumbs, then put in the apple-sauce, and cover with bread-crumbs to the depth of a quarter of an inch, put a little dissolved butter on the top, and bake for an hour in a good oven. when done, turn it out, and sift sugar over it. compote of apples with fried bread. bake a dozen good cooking apples, scrape out the pulp, boil this with half-a-pound of sugar to a pound of pulp, until it becomes stiff. it must be stirred all the time it is boiling. when done, place the compote in the centre of the dish, piling it up high. have ready some triangular pieces of fried bread, arrange some like a crown on the top, the remainder at the bottom of the compote. have ready warmed half a pot of apricot marmalade mixed with a little plain sugar-syrup, and pour it over the compote, taking care that each piece of bread is well covered. apple fool. bake good sharp apples; when done, remove the pulp and rub it through a sieve, sweeten and flavour with nelson's essence of lemon; when cold add to it a custard made of eggs and milk, or milk or cream sweetened will be very good. keep the fool quite thick. serve with rusks or sponge finger biscuits. apple meringue. beat up two packets of nelson's albumen with six small teaspoonfuls of water, and stir them into half-a-pound of stiff apple-sauce flavoured with nelson's essence of lemon. put the meringue on a bright tin or silver dish, pile it up high in a rocky shape, and bake in a quick oven for ten minutes. stewed pears with rice. put four large pears cut in halves into a stewpan with a pint of claret, burgundy, or water, and eight ounces of sugar, simmer them until perfectly tender. take out the pears and let the syrup boil down to half; flavour it with vanilla. have ready a teacupful of rice, nicely boiled in milk and sweetened, spread it on a dish, lay the pears on it, pour the syrup over, and serve. this is best eaten cold. compote of prunes. wash the fruit in warm water, put it on to boil in cold water in which lump sugar has been dissolved. to a pound of prunes put half-a-pound of sugar, a pint of water, with the thin rind and juice of a lemon. let them simmer for an hour, or until so tender that they will mash when pressed. strain the fruit and set it aside. boil the syrup until it becomes very thick and is on the point of returning to sugar, then pour it over the prunes, turn them about so that they become thoroughly coated, taking care not to break them, let them lie for twelve hours, then pile up on a glass dish for dessert. on jelly-making. *** it is within the memory of many persons that jelly was only to be made from calves' feet by a slow, difficult, and expensive process. there is, indeed, a story told of the wife of a lawyer, early in this century, having appropriated some valuable parchment deeds to make jelly, when she could not procure calves' feet. but the secret that it could be so made was carefully guarded by the possessors of it, and it was not until the introduction of nelson's gelatine that people were brought to believe that jelly could be made other than in the old-fashioned way. even now there is a lingering superstition that there is more nourishment in jelly made of calves' feet than that made from gelatine. the fact is, however, that gelatine is equally nutritious from whatever source it is procured. foreign gelatine, as is well known, does sometimes contain substances which, if not absolutely deleterious, are certainly undesirable; but messrs. nelson warrant their gelatine of equal purity with that derived from calves' feet. it is unnecessary to enlarge on the economy both in time and money of using gelatine, or the more certain result obtained from it. if the recipe given for making "a quart of jelly" is closely followed, a most excellent and brilliant jelly will be produced. many cooks get worried about their jelly-bags, and are much divided in opinion as to the best kind to use. it is not a point of great consequence whether a felt or close flannel is selected. we incline to the latter, which must be of good quality, and if the material is not thick it should be used double. when put away otherwise than perfectly clean and dry, or when stored in a damp place, flannel bags are sure to acquire a strong mouldy flavour, which is communicated to all jelly afterwards strained through them. the great matter, therefore, to observe in respect of the jelly-bag, is that it be put away in a proper condition, that is, perfectly free from all stiffness and from any smell whatever. as soon as the bag is done with, turn it inside out, throw it into a pan of boiling water, stir it about with a spoon until it is cleansed. then, have another pan of boiling water, and again treat the bag in the same manner. add as much cold water as will enable you to wring the bag out dry, or it can be wrung out in a cloth. this done, finally rinse in hot water, wring, and, if possible, dry the bag in the open air. see that it is perfectly free from smell; if not, wash in very hot water again. wrap the bag in several folds of clean paper and keep it in a dry place. a thing to be observed is that, if the jelly is allowed to come very slowly to boiling-point it will be more effectually cleared, as the impurities of the sugar and the thicker portions of the lemons thus rise more surely with the egg than if this part of the process is too rapidly carried out. in straining, if the jelly is well made, it is best to pour all into the bag at one time, doing it slowly, so as not to break up the scum more than necessary. should the jelly not be perfectly bright on a first straining, it should be kept hot, and slowly poured again through the bag. the contents of the bag should not be disturbed, nor should the slightest pressure be applied, as this is certain to cloud the jelly. if brandy is used, it should be put in after the jelly is strained, as by boiling both the spirit and flavour of it are lost. in order that jelly may turn out well, do not put it into the mould until it is on the point of setting. if attention is paid to this there will never be any difficulty in getting jelly to turn out of a mould, and putting it into hot water or using hot cloths will be unnecessary. a mould should be used as cold as possible, because then when the jelly comes into contact with it, it is at once set and cannot stick. any kind of mould may be used. if the direction to put the jelly in _when just setting_ is followed, it will turn out as well from an earthenware as from a copper mould. it should be unnecessary to say that the utmost cleanliness is imperative to insure the perfection of jelly. so delicate a substance not only contracts any disagreeable flavour, but is rendered cloudy by the least touch of any greasy spoon, or by a stewpan which has not been properly cleansed. how to use gelatine. there are a few points connected with the use of gelatine for culinary purposes which cannot be too strongly impressed upon housekeepers and cooks. . gelatine should always be soaked in cold water till it is thoroughly saturated--say, till it is so soft that it will tear with the fingers--whether this is specified in the recipe or not. . nelson's gelatine being cut very fine will soak in about an hour, but whenever possible it is desirable to give it a longer time. when convenient, it is a good plan to put gelatine to soak over-night. it will then dissolve in liquid below boiling-point. when jelly has to be cleared with white of egg do not boil it longer than necessary. two minutes is quite sufficient to set the egg and clarify the jelly. use as little gelatine as possible; that is to say, never use more than will suffice to make a jelly strong enough to retain its form when turned out of the mould. the prejudice against gelatine which existed in former years was doubtless caused by persons unacquainted with its qualities using too large a quantity, and producing a jelly hard, tough, and unpalatable, which compared very unfavourably with the delicate jellies they had been accustomed to make from calves' feet, the delicacy of which arose from the simple fact that the gelatine derived from calves' feet is so weak that it is almost impossible to make the jellies too strong. persons accustomed to use gelatine will know that its "setting" power is very much affected by the temperature. in the recipes contained in the following pages the quantity of gelatine named is that which experience has shown to be best suited to the average temperature of this country. in hot weather and foreign climates a little more gelatine should be added. to make a quart of brilliant jelly. soak one ounce of nelson's opaque gelatine in half-a-pint of cold water for two or three hours, and then add the same quantity of boiling water; stir until dissolved, and add the juice and peel of two lemons, with wine and sugar sufficient to make the whole quantity one quart; have ready the white and shell of an egg, well beaten together, or a packet of nelson's albumen, and stir these briskly into the jelly; boil for two minutes without stirring it; remove from the fire, allow it to stand two minutes, and strain through a close flannel bag. let it be on the point of setting before putting into the mould. an economical jelly. for general family use it is not necessary to clear jelly through the bag, and a quart of excellent jelly can be made as follows: soak one ounce of nelson's gelatine in half-a-pint of cold water for two or three hours, then add a d. packet of nelson's citric acid and three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar; pour on half-a-pint of boiling water and half-a-pint of sherry, orange or other wine (cold), and add one-twelfth part of a bottle of nelson's essence of lemon; stir for a few minutes before pouring into the moulds. the effect of citric acid in the above quantity is to make the jelly clearer. when this is not of consequence, a third of a packet can be used, and six ounces of sugar. wine can be omitted if desired, and water substituted for it. ginger-beer makes an excellent jelly for those who do not wish for wine, and hedozone is also very good. jelly with fruit. this is an elegant sweetmeat, and with clear jelly and care in moulding, can be made by inexperienced persons, particularly if nelson's bottled jelly is used. if the jelly is home-made the recipe for making a "quart of jelly" will be followed. when the jelly is on the point of setting, put sufficient into a cold mould to cover the bottom of it. then place in the centre, according to taste, any fine fruit you choose, a few grapes, cherries, strawberries, currants, anything you like, provided it is not too heavy to break the jelly. put in another layer of jelly, and when it is set enough, a little more fruit, then fill up your mould with jelly, and let it stand for some hours. ribbon jelly. soak one ounce of nelson's patent gelatine in half-a-pint of cold water for twenty minutes, then add the same quantity of boiling water. stir until dissolved, and add the juice and peel of two lemons, with wine and sugar sufficient to make the whole quantity one quart. have ready the white and shell of an egg, well beaten together, and stir these briskly into the jelly; then boil for two minutes without stirring, and remove it from the fire; allow it to stand two minutes, then strain it through a close flannel bag. divide the jelly in two equal parts, leaving one pint of a yellow colour, and adding a few drops of prepared cochineal to colour the remainder a bright red. put a small quantity of red jelly into a mould previously soaked in cold water. let this set, then pour in a small quantity of the pale jelly, and repeat this until the mould is full, taking care that each layer is perfectly firm before pouring in the other. put it in a cool place, and the next day turn it out. or, the mould may be partly filled with the yellow jelly, and when this is thoroughly set, fill up with the red. ribbon jelly and jelly of two colours can be made in any pretty fancy mould (there are many to be had for the purpose); of course one colour must always be perfectly firm before the other is put in, or the effect would be spoilt by the two colours running into each other. ribbon jelly can be made with two kinds of nelson's bottled jelly. the sherry will be used for the pale, and cherry or port wine jelly for the red colour. thus an elegant jelly will be made in a few minutes. claret jelly. take one ounce of nelson's patent gelatine, soak for twenty minutes in half-a-pint of cold water, then dissolve. add three-quarters of a pound of sugar, a pot of red-currant jelly, and a bottle of good ordinary claret, and stir over the fire till the sugar is dissolved. beat the whites and shells of three eggs, stir them briskly into the preparation, boil for two minutes longer, take it off the fire, and when it has stood for two minutes pass it through the bag. this should be a beautiful red jelly, and perfectly clear. coffee jelly. soak an ounce of nelson's gelatine in half-a-pint of water for an hour or more, dissolve it in a pint-and-a-half of boiling water with half-a-pound of sugar. clear it with white of egg, and run through a jelly-bag as directed for making "a quart of brilliant jelly." this done, stir in a tablespoonful, or rather more if liked, of allen and hanbury's café vierge, which is a very fine essence of coffee. or, instead of dissolving the gelatine in water, use strong coffee. cocoa jelly. make half-a-pint of cocoa from the nibs, taking care to have it clear. soak half-an-ounce of nelson's gelatine in half-a-pint of water; add a quarter of a pound of sugar, dissolve, and clear the jelly with the whites and shells of two eggs in the usual way. flavour with nelson's essence of vanilla after the jelly has been through the bag. when a clear jelly is not required, the cocoa can be made of schweitzer's cocoatina, double the quantity required for a beverage being used. mix this with half-an-ounce of nelson's gelatine and flavour with vanilla. oranges filled with jelly. cut a small round from the stalk end of each orange, and scoop out the inside. throw the skins into cold water for an hour to harden them, drain, and when quite dry inside, half fill with pink jelly. put in a cool place, and when the jelly is firm, fill up with pale jelly or blanc-mange; set aside again, and cut into quarters before serving. arrange with a sprig of myrtle between each quarter. use lemons instead of oranges if preferred. orange fruit jelly. boil half-a-pound of lump sugar in a gill of water until melted. stir in half-an-ounce of nelson's gelatine previously soaked in a gill of cold water; when it is dissolved beat a little, and let it stand until cold. rub four lumps of sugar on the peel of two fine oranges, so as to get the full and delicate flavour; add this sugar with the juice of a lemon and sufficient orange juice strained to make half-a-pint to the above. beat well together, and when on the point of setting, add the fruit of two oranges prepared as follows: peel the oranges, cut away all the white you can without drawing the juice, divide the orange in quarters, take out seeds and all pith, and cut the quarters into three or four pieces. mix these with the jelly, which at once put into a mould, allowing it to stand a few hours before turning out. apple jelly. take one pound of apples, peel them with a sharp knife, cut them in two, take out the core, and cut the fruit into small pieces. place the apples in a stewpan, with three ounces of lump sugar, half-a-pint of water, a small teaspoonful of nelson's citric acid, and six drops of nelson's essence of lemon. put the stewpan on the fire, and boil the apples till they are quite tender, stirring occasionally to prevent the fruit sticking to the bottom of the pan; or the apples can be steamed in a potato-steamer, afterwards adding lemon-juice and sugar. soak an ounce of nelson's gelatine in a gill of cold water, dissolve it, and when the apples are cooked to a pulp, place a hair sieve over a basin and rub the apples through with a wooden spoon; stir the melted gelatine into the apples, taking care that it is quite smoothly dissolved. if liked, colour part of the apples by stirring in half a spoonful of cochineal colouring. rinse a pint-and-a-half mould in boiling water, and then in cold water; ornament the bottom of the mould with pistachio nuts cut in small pieces, or preserved cherries, according to taste. when on the point of setting put the apples into the mould, and if any part of the apples are coloured, fill the mould alternately with layers of coloured and plain apples. stand the mould aside in a cool place to set the apples, then turn out the jelly carefully on a dish, and send to table with cream whipped to a stiff froth. lemon sponge. to an ounce of nelson's gelatine add one pint of cold water, let it stand for twenty minutes, then dissolve it over the fire, add the rind of two lemons thinly pared, three-quarters of a pound of lump sugar, and the juice of three lemons; boil all together two minutes, strain it and let it remain till nearly cold, then add the whites of two eggs well beaten, and whisk ten minutes, when it will become the consistence of sponge. put it lightly into a glass dish immediately, leaving it in appearance as rocky as possible. this favourite sweetmeat is also most easily and successfully made with nelson's lemon sponge. dissolve the contents of a tin in half-a-pint of boiling water, let it stand until it is on the point of setting, then whip it until very white and thick. if any difficulty is experienced in getting the lemon sponge out of the tin, set it in a saucepan of boiling water for fifteen minutes. in cold weather also, should the sponge be slow in dissolving, put it in a stewpan with the boiling water and stir until dissolved; but do not boil it. it is waste of time to begin whipping until the sponge is on the point of setting. a gill of sherry may be added if liked, when the whipping of the sponge is nearly completed. put the sponge into a mould rinsed with cold water. it will be ready for use in two or three hours. a very pretty effect is produced by ornamenting this snow-white sponge with preserved barberries, or cherries, and a little angelica cut into pieces to represent leaves. strengthening jelly. put one ounce each of sago, ground rice, pearl barley, and nelson's gelatine--previously soaked in cold water--into a saucepan, with two quarts of water; boil gently till the liquid is reduced one-half. strain and set aside till wanted. a few spoonfuls of this jelly may be dissolved in broth, tea, or milk. it is nourishing and easily digested. dutch flummery. to an ounce and a half of nelson's patent gelatine add a pint of cold water; let it steep, then pour it into a saucepan, with the rinds of three lemons or oranges; stir till the gelatine is dissolved; beat the yolk of three eggs with a pint of good raisin or white wine, add the juice of the fruit, and three-quarters of a pound of lump sugar. mix the whole well together, boil one minute, strain through muslin, stir occasionally till cold; then pour into moulds. aspic jelly. were it not for the trouble of making aspic jelly, it would be more generally used than it is, for it gives not only elegance but value to a number of cold dishes. we have now the means of making this with the greatest ease, rapidity, and cheapness. soak an ounce of nelson's gelatine in a pint of cold water, dissolve it in a pint of boiling water, add a large teaspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of french vinegar, and the contents of a tin of nelson's extract of meat dissolved in a gill of boiling water. wash the shell of an egg before breaking it, beat up white and shell to a strong froth, and stir into the aspic. let it come slowly to the boil, and when it has boiled two minutes, let it stand for another two minutes, then strain through a flannel bag kept for the purpose. if a stiff aspic is required, use rather less water. how to make a jelly-bag. the very stout flannel called double-mill, used for ironing blankets, is a good material for a jelly-bag. take care that the seam of the bag be stitched twice, to secure the jelly against unequal filtration. the bag may, of course, be made any size, but one of twelve or fourteen inches deep, and seven or eight across the mouth, will be sufficient for ordinary use. the most convenient way of using the bag is to tie it upon a hoop the exact size of the outside of its mouth, and to do this tape should be sewn round it at equal distances. if there is no jelly-bag in a house, a good substitute may be made thus: take a clean cloth folded over corner-ways, and sew it up one side, making it in the shape of a jelly-bag. place two chairs back to back, then take the sewn-up cloth and hang it between the two chairs by pinning it open to the top bar of each chair. place a basin underneath the bag. here is another substitute: turn a kitchen stool upside down, and tie a fine diaper broth napkin, previously rinsed in hot water, to the four legs, place a basin underneath and strain through the napkin. creams. *** the careful housekeeper of modern times has been accustomed to class creams among the luxuries which can only be given on special occasions, both because they take so much time and trouble to make, and because the materials are expensive. it is, nevertheless, possible to have excellent creams made on a simple plan and at a moderate cost. cream of a superior kind is now everywhere to be had in jars, condensed milk answers well, and by the use of nelson's gelatine, and any flavouring or syrup, excellent creams can be made. our readers will find that the method of the following recipes is simple, the cost moderate, and the result satisfactory. a hint which, if acted on, will save time and trouble, may be given to inexperienced persons intending to make creams similar to lemon cream, which is light and frothy. do not add the lemon-juice until the mixture of cream and lemon-juice is nearly cold, and do not commence whipping until it is on the point of setting. delicious and inexpensive creams can be made by dissolving any of nelson's tablet jellies in half the quantity of water given in the directions for making the jelly, and adding cream, either plain or whipped, in the same way as directed for orange cream and cherry cream. lemon cream. soak an ounce of nelson's gelatine in half-a-pint of milk, dissolve it in a pint of boiling milk with a quarter of a pound of lump sugar. when nearly cold, add a gill of lemon-juice and whisk the cream until it is light and sponge-like. then stir in a gill of whipped cream, put into a mould, and let it stand for two or three hours. or, dissolve a pint tablet of nelson's lemon tablet jelly in half-a-pint of hot water. when cool, add to it half-a-pint of cream, and whisk together until on the point of setting, when mould it. strawberry cream. dissolve an ounce of nelson's gelatine, previously soaked in a gill of cold water, in a pint of hot milk. when it is so nearly cold as to be on the point of setting, add half-a-pint of strawberry syrup, and sufficient rose colouring to make it a delicate pink; whisk the cream until it is light and frothy, stir in lightly a gill of whipped cream, then mould it. a good syrup can be made for this cream by putting half-a-pound of strawberry and half-a-pound of raspberry jam into half-a-pint of boiling water, and, after having well stirred it, rubbing it through a fine sieve. the syrup should not be too sweet, and the addition of the juice of one or two lemons, or a little citric acid, will be an advantage. creams, which have cochineal colouring in them, should not be put into tin moulds, as this metal turns them of a mauve shade. breton's rose colouring is recommended, because it is prepared from vegetables, and is free from acid. orange cream. dissolve a pint tablet of nelson's orange tablet jelly in half-a-pint of hot water. when cool, mix with it half-a-pint of cream or milk, and whip together until the cream is on the point of setting. imitation lemon cream. this will be found useful when cream is not to be had. put the thin peel of two lemons into half-a-pint of boiling water, and when it has stood a little, dissolve half-a-pound of loaf sugar in it. when nearly cold, add three eggs, the yolks and whites well beaten together, and the juice of the lemons. strain this into a stewpan, and stir until it is well thickened. after taking from the fire, stir occasionally until cold, then mix into it a quarter of an ounce of nelson's gelatine soaked and dissolved in half a gill of water, also nearly cold. apricot cream. drain the juice from a tin of preserved apricots, add to it an equal quantity of water; make a syrup by boiling with this half-a-pound of lump sugar until it begins to thicken; then put in the apricots and simmer them gently for ten minutes. drain away the syrup, and put both it and the fruit aside separately for use as directed. dissolve an ounce of nelson's gelatine, previously soaked, in a quart of boiling milk lightly sweetened, and, when at the point of setting, put a teacupful of it gently into a mould, then a layer of the apricots; wait a minute or two before putting in another cup of cream, then fill up the mould with alternate layers of fruit and cream. let the cream stand some hours before turning out, and when it is on its dish pour round it the syrup of apricots. pineapple cream. drain the syrup from a tin of pineapple, boil it down to half. cut the best part of the pineapple into neat little squares, pound the remainder, which press through a strainer. make a custard with half-a-pint of milk and three yolks of eggs. measure the quantity of syrup and fruit juice, and dissolve nelson's gelatine in the proportion of half-an-ounce to a pint of it and custard together. mix the gelatine with the custard, then put in the pieces of pineapple, and when it is cold the syrup, the juice, and two tablespoonfuls of whipped cream. have ready a little of nelson's bottled cherry or port wine jelly melted in a fancy mould, which turn round so that it adheres to the sides, and when the first quantity is set, put in a little more. as the cream is on the point of setting, put it into the mould and allow it to stand until firm. when turned out, ornament the cream with the remainder of the bottled jelly lightly chopped. palace cream. make a custard of three eggs and a pint-and-a-half of milk sweetened, when it is ready dissolve in it an ounce of nelson's gelatine, previously soaked in half-a-pint of milk. when made, the quantity of custard should be fully a pint-and-a-half, otherwise the cream may be too stiff. when the cream is cool, put a little into a mould, previously ornamented with glacé cherries and little pieces of angelica to represent leaves. the fruit is all the better if soaked in a little brandy, as are the cakes, but milk can be used for these last. put a portion of two ounces of sponge-cakes and one ounce of ratafias on the first layer of cream, keeping it well in the centre, and then fill up the mould with alternate layers of cakes and cream. when turned out, a little liqueur or any kind of syrup can be poured round the cream. fruit cream. strain the juice from a bottle of raspberries and currants on to three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, boil up, then simmer for half-an-hour. mix the fruit and a large tablespoonful of raspberry jam with the syrup, and rub it through a hair sieve. dissolve nelson's gelatine, in the proportion of half-an-ounce to a pint of the fruit, in a little water, stir well together. when cold put it into a border mould, and as soon as it is firm turn out and fill the centre with a cream, which make with half-an-ounce of nelson's gelatine and three gills of milk, sweetened and flavoured with nelson's essence of vanilla. whisk until cool, when stir in a gill of whipped cream. mandarin cream. dissolve half-an-ounce of nelson's gelatine, previously soaked in half-a-pint of cold milk, in half-a-pint of sweetened boiling milk or cream. dissolve a pint bottle of cherry jelly as directed. when the last is on the point of setting put a layer into a mould, then a layer of the cream, each of these about an inch deep, and fill up the mould in this way. this quantity of material will make two handsome moulds, suitable for a supper party. blanc-mange. to an ounce of nelson's gelatine add half-a-pint of new milk, let it soak for twenty minutes, boil two or three laurel leaves in a pint of cream and half-a-pint of milk; when boiling pour over the soaked gelatine, stir it till it dissolves, add four or five ounces of lump sugar and a little brandy if approved; strain it through muslin, stir occasionally till it thickens, and then put it into moulds. solid syllabub. soak an ounce of nelson's gelatine twenty minutes in three-quarters of a pint of water, add the juice and peel of two large lemons, a quarter of a pint of sherry, five or six ounces of lump sugar; boil the above two minutes, then pour upon it a pint of warm cream, stir it quickly till it boils, then strain and stir till it thickens, and pour it into moulds. charlotte russe. line a plain mould at the bottom and sides with sponge finger-biscuits, fill it with strawberry cream, or cream made as directed in the several recipes. if the weather is warm it will be necessary to place the charlotte on ice for an hour or two, but in the winter it will turn out without this. the biscuits for a charlotte russe should be made quite straight, and in arranging them in the mould they should lap slightly one over the other. baden-baden pudding. dissolve an ounce of nelson's gelatine, previously soaked in half-a-pint of cold milk, in a pint-and-a-half of boiling milk; when it is nearly cold stir into it an ounce of rice, well boiled or baked; flavour the pudding to taste, and when on the point of setting put it into a mould and let it stand for two or three hours; serve plain or with stewed fruit. cherry cream. dissolve a pint tablet of nelson's cherry tablet jelly in half-a-pint of hot water. when cool, mix with it half-a-pint of cream or milk, and whip together until the cream is on the point of setting. velvet cream. soak three-quarters of an ounce of nelson's patent gelatine in half-a-pint of sherry or raisin wine, then dissolve it over the fire, stirring all the time; rub the rinds of two lemons with six ounces of lump sugar, add this, with the juice, to the hot solution, which is then to be poured gently into a pint of cream; stir the whole until quite cold, and then put into moulds. this can be made with a pint of boiling milk, in which an ounce of nelson's gelatine, previously soaked in half-a-pint of cold milk, has been dissolved, and flavoured and sweetened. italian cream. take three-quarters of an ounce of nelson's patent gelatine and steep it in half-a-pint of cold water; boil the rind of a lemon, pared thinly, in a pint of cream; add the juice of the lemon and three tablespoonfuls of raspberry or strawberry syrup to the soaked gelatine; then pour the hot cream upon the above ingredients, gently stirring the while. sweeten to taste, and add a drop or two of prepared cochineal. whisk till the mixture is thick, then pour into moulds. cheese and macaroni cream. boil two ounces of macaroni, in water slightly salted, until tender, when drain; cut it into tiny rings, and put it into a stewpan with half-a-pint of milk or cream, keeping it hot on the stove without boiling for half-an-hour. soak and dissolve half-an-ounce of nelson's gelatine in half-a-pint of milk, and when this and the macaroni are cold, stir together, add two ounces of grated parmesan cheese, with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. stir occasionally until the cream is on the point of setting, when mould it. should the cream be absorbed by the macaroni, more must be added to bring the whole quantity of liquid to one pint. if preferred, rice well boiled or baked in milk, or vermicelli paste, can be substituted for the macaroni. coffee cream. dissolve an ounce of nelson's gelatine, previously soaked in half-a-pint of cold milk, in a pint-and-a-half of boiling milk with two ounces of sugar; stir in sufficient strong essence of coffee to flavour it, and when on the point of setting put it into a mould. chocolate cream. boil a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar in a pint of milk. dissolve in it an ounce of nelson's gelatine, previously soaked in half-a-pint of cold milk, and stir into it three teaspoonfuls of schweitzer's cocoatina, dissolved in half-a-pint of boiling milk. beat until on the point of setting, and put the cream into a mould. a few drops of nelson's essence of vanilla can be added with advantage. chartreuse of oranges. peel four or five oranges, carefully take out the divisions which put on a hair sieve in a cool place to drain all night. melt a little nelson's bottled orange jelly, pour it into a saucer and dip in each piece of orange, which arrange in a close circle round the bottom of a small pudding-basin. keep the thick part of the orange downwards in the first row, in the next put them the reverse way. continue thus until the basin is covered. pour in a little of the melted jelly, then of cream, made by mixing a quarter of an ounce of nelson's gelatine soaked and dissolved in a gill of milk, into a gill of rich cream, sweetened. fill up the basin with alternate layers of jelly and cream, allowing each of these to set before the other is put in, making the jelly layers last. the chartreuse will turn out easily if the jelly is gently pressed from the basin all round. garnish with two colours of nelson's bottled jelly lightly chopped. fig cream. preserved green figs are used for this cream--those of fernando rodrigues are excellent. place the figs in a plain mould, and pour in gently, when on the point of setting, a cream made with a pint of cream and half-an-ounce of nelson's gelatine, and lightly sweetened. when the cream is turned out of the mould, pour round it the syrup in which the figs were preserved. champagne cream. although this is properly a jelly, when well made it eats so rich that it is usually called cream. it is chiefly used in cases of illness, when it is desirable to administer champagne in the form of jelly. soak half-an-ounce of nelson's gelatine in a gill of cold water, dissolve it in a stewpan with one or two ounces of sugar, according as the jelly is required sweet or otherwise. when cool, add three gills of champagne and two tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, whip until it is beginning to set and is light and frothy; put into a mould, and it will be ready for use in two hours, if put in a cold place. orange mousse. rub the zest of the peel of two oranges on to a quarter of a pound of lump sugar, which boil with half-a-gill of water to a thick syrup. beat the juice of three large oranges with two whole eggs, and having whisked them slightly, add the syrup and nelson's gelatine, dissolved, in the proportion of half-an-ounce to a pint of liquid. whisk the mixture over a saucepan of hot water until it is warm, then place the basin in another with cold water and continue whisking until it is beginning to set, when put it into a fancy mould. strawberry trifle. put a layer of strawberry jam at the bottom of a trifle dish. dissolve a half-pint tablet of nelson's raspberry jelly, and when it is set break it up and strew it over the jam. upon this lay sponge finger biscuits and ratafia cakes, and pour over just enough new milk to make them soft. make a thick custard, flavoured with nelson's essence of vanilla, and spread it over the cakes. finally place on the top a handsome quantity of cream, whisked with a little powdered sugar and flavoured with vanilla. whipped cream. to half-a-pint of cream put a tablespoonful of fine sifted sugar, add sufficient of any of nelson's essences to give it a delicate flavour. with a whisk or wire spoon, raise a froth on the cream, remove this as soon as it rises, put it on a fine hair, or, still better, lawn sieve; repeat this process until the cream is used up. should the cream get thick in the whisking, add a very little cold water. put the sieve containing the whisked cream in a basin and let it stand for some hours, which will allow it to become more solid and fit for such purposes as filling meringues. cakes. *** the proper beating of the whites of the eggs is an important matter in cake-making. there are a number of machines for this purpose, which are in turn eagerly adopted by inexperienced persons; but for private use not one of them is comparable to hand-beating. when once the knack of beating eggs is acquired but little labour is needed to bring them to the right consistency; indeed, the most successful result is that which is the most rapidly attained. the whites of eggs for beating should be fresh, and should be carefully separated from the yolks by passing and repassing them in the two halves of the shell. it is best to beat the whites immediately they are broken, but if this is not possible, they must be kept in a cool place until wanted. if ice is at hand, it will be found advantageous to keep the eggs in it. in well-furnished kitchens a copper beating-bowl is provided; it should not be tinned, as contact with this metal will blacken the eggs; for this reason, the whisk, if of iron wire, should not be new. an earthenware bowl with circular bottom, and sufficiently large to admit of a good stroke in beating, answers the purpose perfectly well. a pinch of salt may be added to the whites, and if an inexperienced beater finds them assume a granulated appearance, a little lemon-juice will remedy it. begin by beating gently, increasing the pace as the egg thickens. as it is the air mixing with the albumen of the eggs which causes them to froth, it is necessary to beat them in a well-ventilated and cool place, so that they may absorb as much air as possible. if these simple and important conditions are observed, the whites of a dozen eggs may be beaten to the strongest point, without fatigue to the operator, in five minutes. when the whites are properly beaten they should turn out of the bowl in one mass, and, after standing a little while, will not show signs of returning to their original state. in order more easily to make cakes and biscuits into the composition of which almonds and cocoa-nut enter largely, manufacturers supply both of these pounded or desiccated. it is, however, preferable to prepare the former fresh, and much time and trouble may be saved in passing almonds through kent's combination mincer, , high holborn, instead of laboriously pounding them in a mortar. the result is, besides, more satisfactory, the paste being smoother than it can otherwise be made in domestic practice. cakes of the description for which we now give recipes cannot be made well unless the materials are properly prepared and thoroughly beaten. it is clear that if eggs are not beaten to such a consistency that they will bear the weight of the other ingredients, the result must be a heavy cake. currants for cakes, after they have been washed and picked, should be scalded, in order to swell them and make them more tender. put the currants into a basin, pour boiling water over them, cover the basin with a plate; after they have stood a minute, drain away the water and throw the fruit on a cloth to absorb the moisture. put the currants on a dish or plate in a very cool oven, turning occasionally until thoroughly dry; dust a little flour over them, and they will be ready for use. castor sugar for cakes works more easily when it is fine. for superior cakes raw sugar will not answer. pound cake. one pound fresh butter, one pound vienna flour, six eggs (or seven, if small), one pound castor sugar, quarter of a pound almonds cut small, half-a-pound of currants or sultanas, three ounces of candied peel, a few drops of essence of ratafia. the butter to be beaten to a cream. if it is hard warm the pan. add the sugar gradually; next the eggs, which must previously be well beaten up; then sift in the flour; and, last of all, put in fruit, almonds, and flavouring. this cake takes about half-an-hour to mix, as all the ingredients must be well beaten together with an iron spoon from left to right. bake in small tins, for about forty minutes, in a moderate oven. plain pound cake. half-a-pound of fresh butter, three eggs, one pound of vienna flour, one pound of castor sugar, a quarter of a pound of almonds cut small, half-a-pound of currants, three ounces of candied peel, a few drops of essence of ratafia. beat the butter to a cream, from left to right, and mix in the sugar gradually. beat the eggs up, and mix them with half-a-pint of new milk; stir into the butter; then add the flour; and, last of all, the fruit. savoy sponge cake. beat half-a-pound of finely sifted sugar with the yolks of four eggs until you have a thick batter, stir in lightly six ounces of fine dry sifted flour, then the whites of the eggs beaten to a very strong froth. have ready a tin which has been lightly buttered, and then covered with as much sifted sugar as will adhere to it. pour in the cake mixture, taking care the tin is not more than half full, and bake for half-an-hour. lemon savoy sponge. half-a-pound of loaf sugar, rub some of the lumps on the peel of two lemons, so as to get all the flavour from them; dissolve the sugar in half a gill of boiling water; add the juice of the lemons, or one of them if a large size, and beat with the yolks of four eggs until very white and thick; stir in a quarter of a pound of fine flour, beat the whites of the eggs to a strong froth, and mix as thoroughly but as lightly as possible; butter and sift sugar over a mould, nearly fill it with cake mixture, and bake at dark yellow paper heat for thirty minutes. macaroons. beat up a packet of nelson's albumen with three teaspoonfuls of cold water to a strong froth, mix in half-a-pound of finely-sifted sugar and two ounces each of pounded sweet and bitter almonds. flour a baking-sheet, and lay on it sheets of wafer-paper, which can be bought at the confectioner's, and drop on to them at equal distances, a small piece of the paste. bake in a moderate oven for ten minutes, or until the macaroons are crisp and of a golden colour. when done cut round the wafer-paper with a knife, and put the cakes on a sieve to dry. in following recipes for this class of cake some judgment is required in the choice of the sugar, and the result will vary greatly according as this is of the right sort, or otherwise. a little more or less sugar may be required, and only practice can make perfect in this matter. as a general direction, it may be given that the sugar must be of the finest quality, and be very finely sifted, but not flour-like. cocoa-nut cakes. beat up a packet of nelson's albumen with three teaspoonfuls of cold water to a strong froth, mix with it a quarter of a pound of finely sifted sugar, and two ounces of edwards' desiccated cokernut. put sheets of wafer-paper on a baking-tin, drop small pieces of the cake mixture on to it, keeping them in a rocky shape. bake in a moderate oven for ten minutes, or until crisp. chocolate cakes. whisk a packet of nelson's albumen with three teaspoonfuls of cold water to the strongest possible froth, mix in half-a-pound of finely sifted sugar, two teaspoonfuls of schweitzer's cocoatina, and six drops of nelson's essence of vanilla; sift paper thickly with sugar, and drop small teaspoonfuls of the mixture at equal distances on it, allowing space for the cakes to spread a little. bake for ten minutes in a moderate oven. cocoa-nut rock. boil half-a-pound of loaf sugar in a gill of water until it is beginning to return again to sugar, when cool add a packet of nelson's albumen whisked to a strong froth with three teaspoonfuls of water, and stir in a quarter of a pound of edwards' desiccated cokernut. spread the mixture, not more than an inch thick, in a greased pudding-tin, and place in a cool oven to dry. when done cut in neat squares, and keep in tins in a cool, dry place. sugar icing. no icing can be successfully done unless the sugar is of the finest kind, perfectly white, and so finely sifted as hardly to be distinguished by the eye from potato-flour. such sugar can now generally be procured of the best grocers at a moderate price. the process of sifting the sugar at home is somewhat slow and troublesome, but by so doing a perfectly pure article is secured. after being crushed the sugar should be passed through sieves of varying fineness, and, finally, through one made for the purpose, or failing this, very fine muslin will answer. when the sugar has been sifted at home, and it is certain there is no admixture of any kind with it, a small quantity of "fécule de pommes de terre" (potato-flour) may be added; it reduces sweetness, and does not interfere with the result of the process. if the sugar is not sifted very fine a much longer time will be required to make the icing, and in the end it will not look so smooth as it ought to do. confectioners use pyroligneous acid instead of lemon-juice, and there is no objection to it in small quantities. to make the icing, beat up a packet of nelson's albumen dissolved with three teaspoonfuls of cold water, work in by degrees one pound of fine icing sugar, adding a teaspoonful of lemon-juice or a few drops of pyroligneous acid, which will assist in keeping the icing white, or a slight tinge of stone-blue will have the same effect. if potato-flour is used, mix it thoroughly with the sugar before adding it to the white of egg. a little more or less sugar may be required, as the result is in great measure determined by the method of the operator; and when the paste is perfectly smooth, and will spread without running, it is fit for use. for icing large cakes confectioners use a stand which has a revolving board, so that cakes can conveniently be turned about; failing this, an ordinary board or inverted plate can be made to answer. as soon as the icing is spread on the cake it must be dried in an oven with the door open. it is sometimes found sufficient to keep the cake in a hot room for some hours. if too great heat is used the icing will crack. almond paste. blanch one pound of sweet and two ounces of bitter almonds, pound them in a mortar, adding a little rose-water as you go on, to prevent oiling; and when all the almonds are reduced to a perfectly smooth paste, mix them with an equal weight of icing sugar. moisten the paste with a packet of nelson's albumen dissolved in three teaspoonfuls of cold water, and spread it evenly on the cake, allowing it to become dry and firm before spreading the icing over it. this paste can be used for making several kinds of cakes and sweetmeats, and without the albumen can be kept in bottles for some time. almond paste can be made from bitter almonds which have been infused in spirit to make an extract for flavouring, and in this case no sweet almonds will be required. beverages. *** among the most useful preparations which have ever been introduced to the public for the immediate production of delicious beverages, are nelson's bottled jellies. these beverages are highly approved for ordinary use at luncheon and dinner, as well as for afternoon and evening entertainments, and have a special value for invalids, as they contain nourishment and are at the same time very refreshing. when required for use, dissolve a bottle of the jelly, and mix with it five times its bulk of water, the beverage can then be used either hot or cold; if in standing it should be slightly thickened it will only be necessary briskly to stir it with a spoon. lemon, orange, and cherry jelly, with the addition of water as directed, will be found superior to any other beverage of the kind, and specially excellent for children's parties. the following "cups" are delicious made with the jelly as directed. claret cup, made merely with seltzer water, claret, and port wine jelly, will be found superior to the ordinary preparation. a little sugar may be added if desired. to a bottle of claret and a pint of seltzer-water use a half-pint bottle of port wine jelly, stir briskly until well mixed, put in a sprig of balm and borage, three thick slices of cucumber; place the vessel containing the claret cup covered over on ice for an hour; strain out the herbs before serving. badminton cup is made with burgundy, in the same way as the above, with the addition of a bottle of orange jelly. champagne cup requires equal quantities of the wine and seltzer-water, with a bottle of orange jelly. cider cup is made with a pint and a half of cider, a bottle of soda-water, and a bottle of either orange, lemon, or sherry jelly. cherry cup.--half-a-pint of claret, a quart of soda-water, and a half-pint bottle of cherry jelly. mulled port wine. dissolve a bottle of port wine jelly and add to it four times its bulk of boiling water with a little nutmeg, and, if liked, a crushed clove. lemonade. half-a-teaspoonful of nelson's citric acid dissolved in a quart of water, with a sliced lemon and sweetened with sugar, forms a good lemonade, and is a cooling and refreshing drink. a small pinch of the citric acid dissolved in a tumbler of water with a little sugar and a pinch of bicarbonate of potash, makes an effervescing draught. these acidulated drinks are exceedingly useful for allaying thirst; and as refrigerants in feverish and inflammatory complaints they are invaluable. lemonade (a new recipe). dissolve three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar and the contents of a threepenny packet of nelson's citric acid in a quart of boiling water; then add two quarts of fresh cold water and one-twelfth part of a bottle of nelson's essence of lemon. the above quantity of sugar may be increased or decreased according to taste. gingerade. crush an ounce of whole ginger, pour over it a quart of boiling water, cover the vessel, and let the infusion stand until cold. (the extract of ginger may be used in place of this infusion). strain through flannel; add a teaspoonful of nelson's citric acid, six drops of nelson's lemon flavouring, and a quarter of a pound of lump sugar; stir until dissolved, and the gingerade will be ready. an extract of ginger for family use. an extract of ginger made as follows is most useful for family purposes, and can be substituted for the infusion in gingerade. crush half-a-pound of fine whole ginger in the mortar, or cut into small pieces. put into a bottle with half-a-pint of unsweetened gin, let it stand for a month, shaking it occasionally, then drain it off into another bottle, allowing it to stand until it has become clear, when it will be fit for use. lemon syrup. boil a pound of fine loaf sugar in a pint-and-a-half of water. remove all scum as it rises, and continue boiling gently until the syrup begins to thicken and assumes a golden tinge, then add a pint of strained lemon-juice or a packet of nelson's citric acid dissolved in water, and allow both to boil together for half-an-hour. pour the syrup into a jug, to each pint add one-twelfth part of a bottle of nelson's essence of lemon, and when cold bottle and cork well. the juice of seville oranges may be made into a syrup in the same way as that of lemons, or lemon and orange juice may be used in equal quantities. these syrups are useful for making summer drinks, and for invalids as lemonade or orangeade. milk beverage. a very agreeable and useful beverage is made by dissolving a quarter of an ounce of nelson's gelatine in a pint of milk. a spoonful of cream can, if preferred, be used with a bottle of soda-water. for invalids, this beverage can be used instead of tea or coffee, and may be preferable in many cases on account of the nourishment it contains; it will also be found an excellent substitute, taken hot, for wine-whey, or posset, as a remedy for a cold. for summer use, milk beverage is delicious, and may be flavoured with raspberry or strawberry syrup. if on standing it should thicken, it will only be necessary briskly to beat it up with a spoon. citric acid. this acid exists in the juice of many fruits, such as the orange, currant, and quince, but especially in that of the lemon. it is chiefly made from the concentrated juice of lemons, imported from sicily and southern italy, and which, after undergoing certain methods of preparation, yields the crystals termed citric acid. these crystals may be used for all the purposes for which lemon-juice is employed. in the manufacture of the citric acid now offered to the public by messrs. g. nelson, dale, and co., only the pure juice of the lemon is used. essence of lemon. this well-known essence is extracted from the little cells visible in the rind of lemons, by submitting raspings of the fruit to pressure. the greater portion of the oil of lemons sold in england is imported from portugal, italy, and france. it is very frequently adulterated with oil of turpentine. in order to present the public with a perfectly pure commodity, g. nelson, dale, and co. import their essence of lemon direct from sicily, and from a manufacturer in whom they have the fullest confidence. nelson's essence of lemon is sold in graduated bottles, eightpence each, each bottle containing sufficient for twelve quarts of jelly. macaroni, etc. *** we now give recipes for a few useful little dishes, chiefly of macaroni, which can be had at such a price as to bring it within the reach of all classes. english-made macaroni can be bought at fourpence, and even less, the pound, and the finest italian at sixpence. the naples, or pipe-macaroni, is the most useful for families, and the genoa, or twisted, for high-class dishes. the english taste is in favour of macaroni boiled soft, and in order to make it so, many cooks soak it. but this is not correct, and it is not at all necessary to soak macaroni. if kept boiling in sufficient water, the macaroni requires no attention--ebullition prevents it sticking to the saucepan. although we give several ways of finishing macaroni, it is excellent when merely boiled in water with salt, as in the first recipe, eaten as an accompaniment to meat, or with stewed fruit. macaroni with cheese. throw a quarter of a pound of macaroni broken into pieces an inch long, into three pints of boiling water, with a large pinch of salt. the saucepan should be large, or the water will rise over when the macaroni boils fast, which it should do for twenty or twenty-five minutes. when done, strain the macaroni through a colander, put it back into the saucepan with an ounce of fresh butter, a small pinch of white pepper and of salt, if necessary, and shake it over the fire for a minute or two. take the saucepan off the fire, and stir into the macaroni two ounces or more, if liked, of grated parmesan cheese. serve immediately with crisp dry toast, cut in neat pieces. if not convenient to use parmesan, a mild dry english or american cheese will answer very well. some cooks prefer, when the macaroni is boiled, to put a fourth part of it on to a hot dish, then to strew over it a fourth part of the grated cheese, and so on till all of both are used, cheese, of course, covering the top. macaroni cheese. boil and drain the macaroni, mix with a quarter of a pound an ounce of butter, and two ounces of grated cheese; pepper or cayenne pepper and salt to taste. put the macaroni in a dish and strew over it sufficient grated cheese to cover it up, run a little dissolved butter over the top, and put it in the oven till it is a bright-yellow colour; serve quickly. macaroni with bacon. boil two ounces of streaky bacon, cut it into dice or mince it, stir it into a quarter of a pound of macaroni boiled as for macaroni cheese: if liked, add a few drops of vinegar, pepper, and salt, and serve very hot. macaroni with onions. boil the macaroni as above, mix with it two or three onions sliced and fried a delicate brown, add a few spoonfuls of gravy, stir over the fire for a few minutes and serve. stewed macaroni. throw a quarter of a pound of macaroni into three pints of boiling water with a teaspoonful of salt, and let it boil for twenty minutes. drain in a colander, then put it into a stewpan with half a tin of nelson's extract of meat dissolved in half-a-pint of water, and stir over the fire for five minutes. take it off the fire and stir in one ounce of grated cheese, pepper and salt to taste. macaroni with tomatoes. prepare the macaroni as in the above recipe, put it into a stewpan with a small piece of butter and a teacupful of tomato sauce, or a small bottle of conserve of tomatoes, and stir briskly over the fire for five minutes. sweet macaroni. boil the macaroni as for the other dishes, but with only a pinch of salt, until tender, when drained put into a stewpan with a gill of milk to each two ounces, and two ounces of sifted lump sugar. any flavouring may be used, but perhaps there is nothing better than grated lemon-peel, and for those who like it, powdered cinnamon or grated nutmeg. stir over the fire until all the milk is absorbed; a little cream is, of course, an improvement. for those who do not like milk, the juice of a lemon, or a little sherry, may be substituted, and for a superior dish vanilla can be used for flavouring. boiled cheese. put four tablespoonfuls of beer into a small saucepan, shred into it a quarter of a pound of good new cheese, and stir briskly over the fire until all is dissolved and is on the point of boiling, then take it off instantly, for, if the cheese is allowed to boil, it will become tough. have ready slices of toasted bread, spread the cheese on it, and serve as quickly as possible. les canapÃ�s au parmesan. take the crumb of a french roll, cut it into rounds a quarter of an inch thick, put them into a wire frying-basket, immerse in hot fat, and crisp the bread instantly. throw it on to paper, dry, and sprinkle over each piece a thick layer of grated parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. put the canapés in a dutch oven before a clear fire, just to melt the cheese, and serve immediately they are done. rice with parmesan cheese. boil a quarter of a pound of patna rice in water with salt; drain it, toss it up in a stewpan with two ounces of fresh butter, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. put a quarter of the rice on a hot dish, strew over it equally an ounce of grated parmesan cheese, then put another portion of rice and cheese until all is used. serve immediately. scalloped eggs. take a cupful of finely-sifted bread-crumbs, moisten them with a little cold milk, cream, or gravy, and season nicely with pepper and salt. put a thin layer of the moistened crumbs on a lightly-buttered dish, cut two hard eggs into slices, and dip each piece in very thick well-seasoned white sauce, or nelson's extract of meat dissolved in a little water, so as to glaze the eggs. having arranged the slices of egg neatly on the layer of moistened bread-crumbs, cover them with another layer of it, and on the top strew thickly some pale gold-coloured raspings. bake in a moderate oven for ten minutes. if potatoes are liked, they make a nice substitute for bread-crumbs. take some mashed potatoes, add to them a spoonful of cream or gravy, and proceed as with bread-crumbs. serve gravy made of nelson's extract of meat with this dish. scotch woodcock. melt a small piece of butter the size of a nut in a stewpan, break into it two eggs, with a spoonful of milk or gravy, and pepper and salt, stir round quickly until the eggs begin to thicken, keep the yolks whole as long as you can. when finished, pour on to a buttered toast, to which has been added a little essence of anchovy or anchovy paste, and serve. mushrooms with cream sauce. dissolve two ounces of butter in a stewpan, mix in the yolks of two eggs lightly beaten, the juice of a lemon, and a pinch of pepper and salt, stir this over the fire until thickened. have ready half-a-pint of plain butter sauce, and mix all gradually together, with a small tin of champignons, or about the same quantity of fresh mushrooms chopped and stewed gently for ten minutes in a little broth or milk. stir them with the liquor in which they have stewed into the sauce, and let them stand for a few minutes, then spread the mixture on to neat slices of toasted bread. the sauce must be a good thickness, so that it will not run off the toast, and care must be taken in the first process not to oil the butter or make the sauce lumpy. to boil rice (a black man's recipe). as rice is so often badly cooked, we make no apology for giving the black man's celebrated recipe. although he does not recommend a little salt in the water, we think that a small quantity should always be used, even when the rice has to be served as a sweet dish. "wash him well, much wash in cold water, rice flour, make him stick. water boil all ready, very fast. shove him in; rice can't burn, water shake him too much. boil quarter of an hour or little more. rub one rice in thumb and finger; if all rub away him quite done. put rice in colander, hot water run away. pour cup of cold water on him, put back in saucepan, keep him covered near the fire, then rice all ready. eat him up." to mince vegetables. peel the onion or turnip, put it on the board, cut it first one way in slices, not quite through, lest it should fall to pieces, then cut it in slices the other way, which will produce long cubes. finally turn the onion on its side and cut through, when it will fall into dice-like pieces. the inconvenience and sometimes positive pain caused to the eyes by mincing or chopping the onions on a board is thus obviated, and a large quantity can be quickly prepared in the above way. hints on housekeeping. *** how many people are crying, "how can we save? where can we retrench? shall the lot fall on the house-furnishing, or the garden, or the toilet, or the breakfast or the dinner table? shall we do with one servant less, move into a cheaper neighbourhood, or into a smaller house? no, we cannot make any such great changes in our way of life. there are the boys and girls growing up; we must keep up appearances for their sakes. we remember the old proverb that, 'however bad it may be to be poor, it is much worse to look poor.'" yet, although, for many reasons, it is often most difficult to retrench on a large scale, there are people who find it easier, for instance, to put down the carriage than to see that the small outgoings of housekeeping are more duly regulated. it is seldom, indeed, that a wife can assist her husband save by lightening his expenses by her prudence and economy. too many husbands, nowadays, can vouch for the truth of the old saying, "a woman can throw out with a spoon faster than a man can throw in with a shovel." the prosperity of a middle-class home depends very much on what is saved, and the reason that this branch of a woman's business is so neglected is that it is very difficult and very troublesome. "take care of your pence and the pounds will take care of themselves," is a maxim that was much in use when we were young. nowadays it is more fashionable to speak of this kind of thing as "penny wise and pound foolish." looking to the outgoings of pence is voted slow work, and it is thought fine to show a languid indifference to small savings. "such a fuss over a pennyworth of this or that, it's not worth while." yes, but it is not that particular pennyworth which is alone in question, there is the principle involved--the great principle of thrift--which must underlie all good government. the heads of households little think of what evils they perpetuate when they shut their eyes to wasteful practices, because it is easier to bear the cost than to prevent waste. the young servant trained under one careless how she uses, or rather misuses, that which is entrusted to her, carries in her turn the wasteful habits she has learned into another household, and trains others in a contempt for thrifty ways, until the knowledge of how to do things at once well and economically is entirely lost. we often hear it urged that it is bad for the mind of a lady to be harassed by the petty details of small savings, and that if she can afford to let things go easily she should not be so harassed. but under no circumstances must any mistress of a household permit habitual waste in such matters. when the establishment is so large as to be to a great extent removed from the immediate supervision of the mistress, all she can do is to keep a careful watch over every item of expenditure, and by every means in her power to let her servants feel that it is to their interest as well as to her own to keep within due bounds. a good cook is always a good manager. she makes many a meal of what an inferior cook would waste. the housekeeper should therefore insist on having good cooking at a reasonable cost, and never keep a cook who does not make the most of everything. in a large household a mistress cannot look after the sifting of cinders, but she can check her coal bills, and by observation find out in what department the waste is going on. it may not be possible to pay periodical visits to the gas-meter to see if the tap is turned on to the full when such force is not necessary, but she can from quarter to quarter compare notes, or have fixed, where it is easy for her to get at it, one of the gas-regulators now in use. and thus, by the exercise of judicious control and supervision, the guiding mind of the mistress will make itself felt in every department of the household without any undue worry to herself. the mistress of a small household who has things more under her immediate control, and whose income, no less than her sense of moral obligation, obliges her to look carefully after the outgoings, need not be told what a trial it is to be constantly on the watch to prevent waste. probably she is compelled to leave a certain quantity of stores for general use; indeed, we doubt very much if there is anything saved by the daily giving out of ounces and spoonfuls of groceries, for if a servant is disposed to be wasteful, she will be equally so with the small as the larger quantity. what perpetual worry is caused by seeing how soap is left in the water until it is so soft as to have lost half its value! how many pence go in most households in that way every week, we wonder! the scrubbing-brush also is left in water with the soap. a fairly good brush costs at least two shillings, and as one so treated only lasts half the proper time you may safely calculate that a shilling is soon wasted in that way. brushes of all sorts are, as a rule, most carelessly used, and left about anyhow instead of being hung up. how much loss there is in a year in the careless use of knives and plate! whenever possible both of these get into the hands of the cook. her own tools from neglect or misuse have become blunt or worse, and she takes the best blade and the plated or silver spoon whenever she has a chance. the plate gets thrown in a heap into an earthenware bowl to be bruised and scratched. the knives are either put insufficiently wiped through the cleaner, which is thus spoiled and made fit rather to dirty than clean knives, or they are left lying in hot water to have the handles loosened and discoloured. probably jars, tin boxes, and canisters are provided in sufficient quantity to put away and keep stores properly. but for all that, as it would seem in a most ingenious manner, loss and waste are contrived. raw sugar is kept in the paper until it rots through it. macaroni, rice, and such things are left a prey to mice or insects. the vinegar and sauce bottles stand without the corks. delicate things, which soon lose their fine aroma, as tea, coffee, and spices, are kept in uncovered canisters: the lid is first left off, then mislaid. the treacle jar stands open for stray fingers and flies to disport themselves therein. capers are put away uncovered with vinegar, and when next wanted are found to be mouldy. perhaps the juice of a lemon has been used; the peel, instead of being preserved, is thrown away, or left lying about till valueless. herbs, which should have been at once dried and sifted, are hid away in some corner to become flavourless and dirty, and so on with every kind of store and provision. it is impossible to calculate how many pennies are lost daily, in a large number of houses, by the absolute waste of pieces of bread left to mould or thrown out because trouble to utilise them cannot be taken. whoever thinks anything of the small quantities of good beer left in the jug; it is so much easier to throw it away than put it in a bottle? or who will be at the trouble of boiling up that "drop" of milk, which, nevertheless, cost a penny, and would make, or help to make, a small pudding for the next day? then, again, how many bits of fat and suet are lost because it is too much trouble to melt down the first, and preserve the other by very simple and effectual means? butter in summer is allowed to remain melting in the paper in which it is sent in, or perhaps it is put on a plate, to which some pennyworths of the costly stuff will stick and be lost. one would think it would be as easy at once to put it into cold salted water, if better means of cooling could not be used. if we pause here, it is not because we have exhausted the list of things most woefully wasted, mainly from want of thought, but because we have not space to enumerate more of them. we can only add that the importance of small household savings cannot well be overrated, both because of the principle involved and because of the substantial sum they represent together. there is no need in any household for even a penny a day to be wasted; and yet if we look closely into things, how much money value is lost daily in some one or other of the ways we have mentioned. in the course of the year, the daily pennies mount up to many pounds, and we are sure that it is much safer once in a way lavishly to spend the shillings than to be habitually careless of the outgoings of the pence. although it is not necessary that the mistress of a household who can afford to keep servants should herself do the cooking, or spend much time in her kitchen, it is absolutely necessary that she should understand the best methods, and know how everything should be done. many people will say that it is unbecoming for women to be _gourmands_; we agree with them, and that it is equally unbecoming for men to be so. but to be a _gourmet_ is another thing; and we ought not to lose sight of the fact that food eaten with real enjoyment and the satisfaction which accompanies a well-prepared meal, is greatly enhanced in value. professor c. voit has clearly pointed out, in his experiments and researches into diet, the great value of palatable food as nourishment, and how indispensable is a certain variety in our meals. "we think," he says, "we are only tickling the palate, and that it is nothing to the stomach and digestive organs whether food is agreeable to the palate or not, since they will digest it, if it is digestible at all. but it is not so indifferent after all, for the nerves of the tongue are connected with other nerves and with nerve-centres, so that the pleasure of the palate, or some pleasure, at any rate, even if it is only imagination, which can only originate in the central organ--the brain--often has an active effect on other organs. this is a matter of daily experience. without the secretion of gastric juice the assimilation of nourishment would be impossible. if, therefore, some provocatives induce and increase certain sensations and useful processes, they are of essential value to health, and it is no bad economy to spend something on them." it is surely somewhat singular that englishwomen, who have excelled in almost every other craft, should be remarkable for their want of skill in cookery. they have not been dismayed by any difficulties in literature, art, or science, and yet how few are there among us who can make a dish of porridge like a scotchwoman, or an omelette like a frenchwoman! the fact would seem to be, that educated women having disdained to occupy themselves either theoretically or practically with cookery, those whose legitimate business it has been have become indifferent also. the whole aim of the modern british cook seems to be to save herself trouble, and she will give as much time and thought to finding out ways of doing things in a slovenly manner as would go to doing them properly. no doubt cooks have often so much work of other kinds to do that they cannot give the necessary time to cooking. in a case of this kind, the mistress should herself give such help as she can, and bring up her daughters to help in the kitchen. people in middle-class life often expect the cook to do all the kitchen work, and frequently some of the house work. of course, in small families, this is quite possible to be done, and it is always best for servants, as for other people, to be fully employed. but in large families it is impossible the cooking can be properly done, when the cook is harassed by so many other occupations. thus, because it takes less time and attention than cooking smaller dishes, huge pieces of meat are roasted or boiled daily, and the leg-of-mutton style of dietary is perpetuated--declared to be the most economical, and, in short, the best for all the world. probably it is because bread and butter can be bought ready made, and involve no trouble, that they are held to be the chief necessaries of life in every english household. some children almost live, if they do not thrive, on bread and butter. thoughtless housekeepers think they have done their duty when they have seen that a sufficient supply of these articles has been sent in from the shops. when we insist that everyone should have home-baked bread, at once we shall be met with the "penny-wise" suggestion that home-baked bread costs more than baker's, because, being so nice, people eat more of it. good bread, we need not say, is far more nourishing than that which is made from inferior materials or adulterated even with non-injurious substances for wheaten flour. then all the other difficulties come to the fore: cook spoils the bakings, the oven is not suitable, and so on. to all these we answer: a good housekeeper, one who looks beyond the sum total of her weekly bills, who thinks no trouble too great to provide such food as will maintain the health of her family, will have home-baked bread. there are other points in domestic management which do not receive the attention they deserve. of these we may cite the use of labour-saving machines and of gas for cooking. how often do we hear it said: "i always have such and such a thing done in that way, because it was my mother's way!" this may be very nice and very natural, but it is nevertheless a sentimental reason. what should we think of a person who insisted on riding pillion, because her mother rode pillion? yet, this really is pretty much the same thing as we see every day, when ladies are so wedded to old ways that they persist in employing the rough-and-ready implements of domestic use, the pattern whereof has been handed down from the ark, instead of modern and scientific inventions which save both time and trouble. in no other department of the national life have the people been so slow to adopt simple machinery as in that of the household. it is alleged, in the first place, that labour-saving machines are expensive; in the next place, that servants do not understand them, and that they are always getting out of order. as to the first objection, we would say that as these machines--we speak only, of course, of really good machines--are made, not only with the object of saving labour, but material, the original cost of them is in a short time repaid. as regards the second objection, it seems incomprehensible that servants should not use with care and thoughtfulness machines, which not only save time and trouble, but greatly help in making their work perfect. there is no doubt that by the more general adoption of machinery household work would be much lightened, and that if there were a demand for it, enterprise would be much stimulated, and many more useful helps would be produced. as it is, manufacturers hesitate to bring out new inventions at a great expense, when there is a doubt of securing the appreciation of the public. only the other day we were inquiring for a little machine we had seen years ago, and were told by the maker that, "like many other useful things, it had been shelved by the public, and ultimately lost." let us take the case of making bread at home. by the use of a little simple dough-mixing machine, supplied by kent, , high holborn, the operation is easy, quick, cleanly, and certain. we have had one of these in use for more than ten years, and during that time have never had a bad batch of bread. not only in this machine do we make ten to eleven pounds of dough in five minutes, but the kneading is most perfectly done, and there is the great advantage of securing perfect cleanliness, the hands not being used at all in the process. yet we do not suppose that any number of the people who have admired the bread have set up the machine. it cannot be the cost of the machine, as it is inconsiderable, which prevents its more general use, since in households where expense is not an object the primitive process is still in vogue. many people imagine that washing machines are only needed in large families where all the washing is got up at home. but, if ever so small or only an occasional wash is done, there is no exaggerating the comfort and advantage of a machine which washes, wrings, and mangles. so far from injuring linen, machines of the best kind wear it far less than rough hand labour, and with reasonable care it will be found that delicate fabrics are not split in the wringing by a good machine, as they so frequently are by the hand. then there is the case of the knife-cleaning machine. there are families who, instead of using one, employ a boy to ruin their knives by rubbing them on a board with bath brick. they do so, they will tell you, "because machines wear out the knives." the slightest acquaintance with the mechanism of a good knife-cleaning machine should suffice to show that the brushes cannot wear out the knives, whereas the action of the board and brick is the most destructive that can be imagined. the objection of undue wear being disposed of, we are told that the machines soon get out of order, and are a constant expense. of course, with careless usage anything will come to grief, but the fact remains that kent, the leading manufacturer of knife-cleaners, has published a certificate from a lady who has had in constant use, for thirty years, one of his machines, which during that time has required no repairs. as to knives, we know of some which have been cleaned daily for twenty-five years in a machine, and are very little the worse for wear. dressmakers tell us that, but for the sewing machine, an elaborate style of trimming ladies' dresses would be impossible. we know that many inexpensive delicacies, which it is not practicable to have now because of the time and trouble they require, could easily be managed by the use of little articles of domestic machinery. for instance, take potted meat. there is the excellent combination mincer, also kent's, by which this is rapidly and perfectly done, and which enables cooks to use up many scraps of material in a most acceptable way, and without the labour of the pestle and mortar. this machine, however, is but little known. it costs but a sovereign, is useful for all mincing purposes, and makes the best sausages in the world. to make sausages properly, a machine must have an adjustment of the cutters by which the sinews of the meat and bits of skin are retained on them, as nothing is so unpleasant as to find these when eating the sausages. thus it will be seen how necessary it is, in setting up machinery which should last a lifetime, to have the best inventions in the market. not very long ago, a friend asked our opinion on the merits of the different makers of knife-cleaning machines. we explained to her the mechanism of the best of them, pointed out the superior workmanship, and that she should not grudge the money to have one which would do its work properly and be durable. probably under the impression that "in the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom," our friend made further inquiries, and ended by buying a much-advertised machine which, she was assured, was better and cheaper than that of kent, the original patentee. when she had the machine home, and calculated, together with the cost of carriage, her own expenses in going to london to choose it, she found that she had saved exactly eighteenpence, and then that her bargain would not clean the knives! the prejudices which for a long time existed against cooking by gas have gradually cleared away now that improved stoves have been introduced, and the public have experience of its many advantages. there are yet some difficulties to be met in bringing gas into more general use, one of which, the high price charged for it, is beyond the control of the housekeeper, and another, that of teaching servants to be economical and careful in its use. when this last can be overcome, even with the first named drawback, gas will not be found more expensive than coal. the cost of wood, of sweeping the chimney, and the extra wear and tear occasioned by the soot, smoke, and dust of a coal fire, must be calculated in addition to the fuel itself. it will be seen, when we say that the entire cooking for a small family having late dinners, bread baked, and much water heated, is done for something under £ a quarter, that gas as a fuel is not so great an extravagance after all. the stove used has the oven lined with a non-conducting substance, which has the advantage of keeping the heat within instead of sending it into the kitchen, as stoves made only of iron plates are apt to do. we have but space to add that the benefit to health, the cleanliness, the saving of time, labour, and temper, to say nothing of the superiority of cooking done by gas in such a stove as has been described, can only be fully appreciated by those who, like the writer, have had twenty years' experience of all these advantages. new zealand frozen mutton. *** the high price at which meat has stood for some years has made it necessary for the working classes to restrict themselves to a scanty allowance of animal food, and this often of poor quality. the difficulty of providing joints of meat for their families has, indeed, also been felt severely by people who are comparatively well-to-do. under these circumstances capitalists have thought it worth a considerable investment of money to discover some means of bringing the cheap and magnificent supplies of new zealand into the english market. after many failures, success has at length crowned the enterprise, and nothing can exceed the perfection in which new zealand mutton is now placed on the english market. it is universally admitted that the meat, both as respects its nutritive value and its flavour, is unsurpassed, while the price is very moderate. the same remarks apply to new zealand lamb. it commences to arrive in january, and is in the height of its season when our english lamb is a luxury which can only be enjoyed by the few. nelson brothers, limited, stand foremost among the importers of this invaluable food supply. the mutton and lamb selected by them is of the highest quality, and their system of refrigeration is perfect. in summer these new zealand meats have a great advantage over the home supply, as although in keeping they may lose colour, they remain good and sweet much longer than english-killed meat. the company have large refrigerating stores under cannon street station capable of holding some , sheep, and have recently erected stores of _treble that capacity_ at nelson's wharf, commercial road, lambeth, wherein the latest improvements both as regards construction and refrigerating machinery have been adopted, in order to facilitate the development of the frozen meat trade. nelson brothers have also branch offices at-- _a_, richmond street, liverpool. lease lane, birmingham. lawns lane, leeds. the abattoirs, manchester. baltic chambers, newcastle-on-tyne. tresillian terrace, cardiff. if any of our readers are anxious to try the meat, and are unable to procure it, a postcard to the head office, , dowgate hill, london, e.c., or to any of the branch offices, will at once put them in the way of carrying out their desire. as it occasionally happens that from want of some little precaution new zealand meat does not come to table in its best condition, we offer the following hints for the treatment of it: frozen mutton, like that which is freshly killed, requires to be hung a certain time--this is most essential to remember, otherwise the meat eats hard and tough--and it is important to observe, both when hanging and roasting, that it is so placed that the juice shall not run out of the cut end. hind-quarters, haunches, and legs should be hung with the knuckle end downwards; loins and saddles by the flaps, thus giving them a horizontal position. the meat in winter should be kept in the kitchen some time before cooking, and after being exposed for a few minutes to a rapid heat in order to seal up and keep the gravy in the joint, it should be cooked rather slowly, thus taking a little more time than is usually given to english meat. index. *** page albumen, beef tea, " " as a solid, beverages, badminton cup, champagne cup, cherry cup, cider cup, citric acid, claret cup, ginger, an extract of, for family use, gingerade, lemon, essence of, " syrup, lemonade, " (a new recipe), milk, port wine, mulled, blanc-mange, cakes, almond paste, chocolate, cocoa-nut, " rock, macaroons, pound, " plain, savoy sponge, " " lemon, sugar icing, citric acid, creams, apricot, champagne, charlotte russe, cheese and macaroni, cherry, chocolate, coffee, fig, fruit, italian, lemon, " imitation, mandarin, orange, " mousse, oranges, chartreuse of, palace, pineapple, strawberry, " trifle, syllabub, solid, velvet, whipped, essences-- almonds, lemon, vanilla, extract of meat, fish, little dishes of, cod cutlets, eels, collared, fish, galantine of, herrings, fried, " rolled, sole, filleted, " fillets of, en aspic, " " fried, " " sautés, " " with lobster, " fried, whiting, baked, flummery, dutch, gelatine, " how to use, housekeeping, hints on, jellies, nelson's bottled-- calf's foot, cherry, lemon, orange, port, sherry, jellies, tablet, jelly-making, on, jelly, apple, " aspic, " brilliant, " claret, " cocoa, " coffee, " economical, " orange fruit, " oranges filled with, " ribbon, " strengthening, " with fruit, jelly-bag, how to make a, jelly-jubes, lemon sponge, , lozenges-- gelatine, licorice, macaroni, etc., canapés au parmesan, cheese, boiled, eggs, scalloped, macaroni cheese, " stewed, " sweet, " with bacon, " " cheese, " " onions, " " tomatoes, mushrooms with cream sauce, rice, to boil (a black man's recipe), rice with parmesan cheese, scotch woodcock, vegetables, to mince, meat, little dishes of, brain fritters, chicken, brown fricassée of, chicken sauté, " in aspic jelly, croquettes, curry, dry, kidneys, broiled, " sautés, " with mushrooms, " with piccalilli, lamb's fry, " sweetbreads, marrow toast, meat cakes à l'italienne, mutton, cold, potted, " collops, " cutlets, " pies, " roulades of, " sauté, ox brain, pork pie, raised, potato hash, sausages, pork, veal à la casserole, veal and ham pie, veal cutlets in white sauce, mutton, new zealand frozen, puddings, apple fool, " meringue, baden-baden, brandy sauce, cabinet, capital, the, cheesecake, welsh, chocolate, cocoa-nut, compote of apples with fried bread, compote of prunes, custard, duchess of fife's, fritters, italian, jubilee, natal, omelet, friar's, " soufflé, pears, stewed, with rice, queen's, raspberry and currant, soufflé, sponge soufflé, vanilla rusk, warwickshire, soups, , artichoke, brown, beef and onion, beef, lentil, and vegetable, beef, pea, and vegetable, glaze, gravy, hare, julienne, mulligatawny, " nelson's, " thin, rabbit, brown; clear, turtle, " mock, vermicelli, clear, tinned meats, [illustration: trade mark.] *** charles dickens and evans, crystal palace press. [illustration: by royal letters patent.] for first class jellies *** nelson's opaque gelatine should always be used. see recipe, page . *** nelson's tablet jellies. _orange, lemon, calf's foot, cherry, raspberry, vanilla, apricot, pear, apple, black currant, pine apple, noyeau, etc._ quarts, d.; pints, d.; half-pints, d. *** wine tablet jellies. _port, sherry, orange._ pints only, d. these new jellies are perfectly pure and wholesome, and the flavours excellent, while their exceeding cheapness brings them within the reach of all classes. *** g. nelson, dale, & co., ltd., , dowgate hill, london. [illustration: by royal letters patent.] *** nelson's soups. these soups are already thoroughly cooked and seasoned, and can be prepared for the table in a few minutes. *** beef and carrots. beef and celery. beef and onions. mulligatawny. in pint packets, d. each. *** beef, peas, and vegetables. beef, lentils, and vegetables. in quart packets, d. each. *** penny packets of soup for charitable purposes. *** nelson's extract of meat, for making and improving soups, gravies, beef-tea, etc., etc. *** in ounce packets, d. each, and lb. tins, s. each. note. one packet is sufficient for a pint of strong soup. *** g. nelson, dale, & co., ltd., , dowgate hill, london. [illustration: by royal letters patent.] notice. *** on receipt of postal order for / a box containing samples of nelson's specialities and a copy of "nelson's home comforts," will be sent, carriage paid, to any address in the united kingdom, by g. nelson, dale, & co., limited, , dowgate hill, london, e.c. *** may also be obtained through any grocer at the same price. *** _n.b.--a copy of "home comforts" will be sent, gratis, on receipt of penny postage stamp._ *** g. nelson, dale, & co, ltd., , dowgate hill, london. [transcriber's note: minor punctuation errors have been corrected without note. the title page, originally following three pages of advertisements, has been moved to the beginning of the book. the following corrections and changes were also made: *p. : fibrine to fibrin (the fibrin of the meat) *p. : entrée italicized to match other instances *p. : liitle to little (season with a little pepper) *p. , index: em-dash added to end of jellies, nelson's bottled to match similar entries *p. , index: compôte to compote to match body of text (compote of apples with fried bread, compote of prunes) inconsistencies in hyphenation (e.g. sugar-syrup vs. sugar syrup, overnight vs. over-night) and variant spellings (e.g. omelette vs. omelet) have not been corrected.] [ transcriber's note: every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation; changes (corrections of spelling and punctuation) made to the original text are listed at the end of this file. although some of its entries are not in alphabetical order, no attempt has been made to reorder the index. ] +--------------------------------+ | | | _crown vo, / net_ | | | | a guide | | to | | modern cookery | | | | by the same author | | | | _fourth edition_ | | | +--------------------------------+ | | | _crown vo, / net_ | | | | = = menus and | | = = recipes | | | | of the baron brisse | | | | in french and english | | | | translated by | | mrs. matthew clark | | | | _ninth edition_ | | | +--------------------------------+ | | | _fcap. vo, / net_ | | | | leaves from | | our tuscan kitchen | | | | or | | | | how to cook | | vegetables | | | | by janet ross | | | | with photogravure frontispiece | | | | _third edition_ | | | +--------------------------------+ the skilful cook a practical manual of modern experience by mary harrison first class diplÔmÉe, south kensington lecturer on hygiene, domestic economy and cookery _eighth edition_ london j. m. dent & co. & , bedford street, w.c. _all rights reserved_ to her royal highness the princess christian whose interest in every good and useful work has so justly endeared her to all classes of this nation this work is by her gracious permission most respectfully dedicated by her humble and obedient servant mary harrison contents. page introduction hints to young housekeepers food and diet the table how to cook how to clean stoves and cooking utensils rules for boiling rules for roasting rules for frying rules for baking rules for grilling rules for broiling joints poultry and game savoury meat dishes sauces breakfast dishes and beverages cold meat cookery entrées fish cookery pastry puddings vegetables soups bread and cakes jellies and creams soufflées and omelets invalid cookery supper dishes and salads miscellaneous dishes odds and ends how to use up fragments forcemeats preserves menus suppers index the skilful cook. introduction. the importance of every woman having a thorough knowledge of domestic economy cannot be too strongly insisted on. the false refinement which, of late years, has considered an acquaintance with domestic matters to be only suitable for servants, has been fraught with the most disastrous consequences. this may seem strong language, but it is not too strong. all sanitary reformers know well enough that it is in the power of many women to prevent very many deaths, and an incalculable amount of misery and vice. speaking of sanitary reform, the late canon kingsley says:--'women can do in that work what men cannot. the private correspondence of women, private conversation, private example of ladies, above all of married women, of mothers of families, may do what no legislation can.' and again, in the same speech, delivered on behalf of the ladies' sanitary association, he says:--'ah! would to god that some man had the pictorial eloquence to put before the mothers of england the mass of preventable agony of mind and body which exists in england, year after year: and would that some man had the logical eloquence to make them understand that it is in their power, in the power of the mothers and wives of the higher classes--i will not say to stop it all, god only knows that--but to stop, as i believe, three-fourths of it.' this may seem to some, perhaps, too serious an introduction to a cookery book; but it is my earnest wish that my book may not be simply a collection of recipes for cooks to refer to, but a real help to those women who, recognising the importance of good cookery in sanitary reform, are doing their utmost (as i know many are) to acquire that knowledge, and are thereby making the lives of those about them brighter and happier; and are also by their examples doing an amount of good that they themselves scarcely dream of. i have been told more than once by those benevolently interested in the working classes that with instruction to ladies on cookery they had no sympathy, and they seemed to think that it would be better if lessons on the subject were given exclusively to the poor. they forget that the wives of the working men are women who have most of them been domestic servants, and that what they learn in their situations, and what habits they there acquire, they take for _good_ or _evil_ into their own homes; and in this way an ignorant careless mistress may be doing an infinitude of harm to her sister women in a lower position than herself. on the other hand, a mistress who understands thoroughly the management of a house, by wisely training her servants in habits of order and industry, by teaching them what they do not know and have had no opportunity of learning about hygiene or the laws of health, may be--in fact cannot help being--a blessing indirectly to many homes. i believe that the working classes must be taught in this way if they are to be taught at all. i have myself, over and over again, tried to benefit my poorer sisters by giving them free lessons on food and cookery; and although i invariably find a few who are very grateful for such instruction, the majority, i imagine, never trouble to put in practice what they have been taught. their habits have been already formed, and it is not easy for them to alter them. but it is a significant fact that those who do value the lessons are generally respectable hardworking women, who have held good situations under good mistresses. i have also heard it very ignorantly objected by some that by teaching ladies how to cook, you are taking the bread out of the servants' mouths. this is, indeed, the conclusion of a shallow mind; for with equal justice and good sense, it might be said that the owner of any large business was taking the bread out of his _employés'_ mouths because he happened to be acquainted with all the details of his own business, and was able to see that those in his employment attended to their duties properly. but this, i suppose, everyone will admit, that the owner of any business ignorant of the management and details of it, would not unlikely one day find himself without any business to manage. and if this is true with regard to men's businesses, is it not equally so with regard to women's? i have the greatest sympathy with servants, and would be the last to injure them in any way. a good servant is a treasure: and good work always deserves good wages. but the more a mistress knows of household work herself, the more is she likely to appreciate a servant who honestly and conscientiously performs her duties; and by understanding their difficulties, the more consideration is she likely to show to those in her employ. but there are some ladies to whom a knowledge of domestic economy ought to be especially invaluable--namely, those whose means are so limited that they cannot afford to engage servants who have had any great experience, and, therefore, who keep only what is called a general servant, a term which often means a woman or girl who will undertake to do everything, but who has only the vaguest notions of how anything should be done. they, poor things, have had no opportunity of learning in the homes from which they came. but it will be well for the poor 'general' if her mistress can teach and train her; for she will then leave her situation with knowledge and habits that will make her a valuable and useful woman, and be of the greatest service to her all her life. it is, however, quite surprising to see the rough way in which some people allow themselves to be served, and the muddle in which they prefer to live rather than do anything themselves that they consider menial; as if an untidy house, slovenly servants, badly cooked and coarsely served food, are not likely to do much more to lower their self-respect than any amount of so-called drudgery. 'a gentlewoman,' it has been said, 'never lowers herself by doing that which would make her feel less a gentlewoman if left undone.' how much healthier and happier, too, many girls would be, if, instead of going out in all weathers, day after day, to earn a miserable pittance in any such employment as daily governesses, they would do some of the lighter housework, cooking, &c., at home. by being able to do with one servant instead of two, they would save probably more than they could earn in other ways, besides being much stronger from the exercise thus taken. but too many girls are, unfortunately, imbued with the vulgar notion that work is not genteel. what a moloch this gentility has been and still is! what a number of human sacrifices are continually placed at its shrine, and what puppets its votaries become! mr. smiles says: 'there is a dreadful ambition abroad for being "genteel." we keep up appearances too often at the expense of honesty, and though we may not be rich, yet we must _seem_ to be so. we must be "respectable," though only in the meanest sense--in mere vulgar outward show. we have not the courage to go patiently onward in the condition of life in which it has pleased god to call us, but must needs live in some fashionable state to which we ridiculously please to call ourselves; and all to gratify the vanity of that unsubstantial genteel world of which we form a part.' it would effect a moral revolution if women would only look at matters in the true light. how much crime and misery may be traced to mismanaged unattractive homes! how many deaths to the ignorance of hygiene! how much intemperance to the physical depression caused by badly cooked food! let us hope that the refinement, falsely so called, which is only another name for vanity, laziness, and selfishness, may soon give way to the true refinement of heart and mind which considers nothing too menial which will benefit others; nothing too common that will add to the happiness of our fellow-creatures. if we women could earnestly and courageously endeavour to do the duty nearest to us, remembering that all honest work, of whatever kind, has been for ever ennobled by the great founder of our faith, so should we be, one in one way and one in another, 'helping to move (to quote dean goulburn) the wheels of the great world system whose revolutions are bringing on the kingdom of christ.' 'to be good and to be useful,' as canon kingsley says, 'are the two objects for which we were sent into this world.' hints to young housekeepers. she looketh well to the ways of her household. _proverbs of solomon._ take care that you know definitely what sum you can afford to spend on your household expenses, and make it a point of conscience never to exceed it. market with ready money, if possible; but, if it is more convenient to pay by the month, or quarter, never make that an excuse for letting your bills mount up to double what you can afford to pay. with accounts, carefully kept, it is quite possible to regulate the expenditure to the income. never order things at random, but inquire the price of everything before purchasing. take every pains to know how to judge of the quality of meat, groceries, &c., so that you may not be imposed on. never be ashamed to say you cannot afford to have this or that. to be poor may be a misfortune, but it is not a fault; and, indeed, to be rich is often a far greater misfortune. the discipline of poverty, and the self-denial it involves, will often strengthen a character which the luxury of riches would enervate. cultivate sufficient independence of character to enable you to form your household, and regulate your expenses according to your _own_ means, and not according to the income of your neighbours. what does it matter if some may sneer at your thread-bare carpets and frugal fare? the approval of your own conscience is of far more importance than the friendship of the vulgar-minded. above all things keep your accounts most strictly. without this you are like a mariner without a compass, or chart, you don't know where you are or what is your position, and you will find yourself, before long, on the rocks of debt and difficulty. extravagant housekeeping has been the cause of the most serious evils; and, if persisted in, will be sure, in time, to wreck the peace and happiness of yourself and family. extravagance is, no doubt, often the result of mere thoughtlessness, but that does not mend matters. there is as much evil wrought by want of thought as by want of heart. if it is true that there is but one step between the sublime and the ridiculous, it is equally true that there is but one step between folly and wickedness. therefore, all young housekeepers ought to give earnest attention to the management of their affairs, for certainly in these matters the 'wise woman buildeth her house, while the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.' food and diet. the human body is constantly wearing out. with every movement, every breath drawn, there is some waste of its substance. to repair this waste, and, in the case of children, to provide material for their growth, a certain amount of food should be taken daily. the food taken should consist of such qualities as will make flesh and muscle; such as will also keep up the heat of the body, and give force, or the power of movement. these foods must contain a certain quantity of liquid, and the salts necessary to keep the blood pure. table of foods. flesh-forming or nitrogenous. _examples_--meat poultry fish game eggs cheese flour oatmeal barley rice peas beans lentils heat-giving or carbonaceous. _examples_--butter suet dripping and fat of all kinds sugar in whatever form starch, which is contained in all vegetables the foods under the head of flesh-formers, although classed as flesh-formers, are really compound foods. they contain some heat-giving as well as flesh-forming properties. the heat-giving foods, on the contrary, are all simple foods. life could not be sustained on any one of them alone, whatever quantity might be taken. these facts are sufficient to show the necessity of a mixed diet. professor church says in his lectures on this subject: 'our food must be palatable, that we may eat it with relish, and get the greatest nourishment from it. the flavour and texture of food, its taste, in fact, stimulates the production of those secretions--such as the saliva and the gastric juice--by the action of which the food is digested or dissolved, and becomes finally a part of the body, or is _assimilated_. as food, then, must be relished it is desirable that it should be varied in character--it should neither be restricted to vegetable products on the one hand, nor to animal substances (including milk and eggs) on the other. by due admixture of these, and by varying, occasionally, the kind of vegetable or meat taken, or the modes of cooking adopted, the necessary constituents of a diet are furnished more cheaply, and at the same time do more efficiently their proper work. now, if we were to confine ourselves to wheaten bread, we should be obliged to eat in order to obtain our daily supply of albuminoids, or 'flesh-formers,' nearly  lb.--an amount that would give us nearly twice as much of the starchy matters which should accompany the albuminoids--or, in other words, it would supply not more than the necessary daily allowance of _nitrogen_, but almost twice the necessary daily allowance of _carbon_. now animal food is generally richer in albuminoid, or nitrogenous constituents, than vegetable food; so, by mixing lean meat with our bread, we may get a food in which the constituents correspond better to our requirements; for  lb. of bread may be substituted by  oz. of meat, and yet all the necessary carbon as well as nitrogen be thereby supplied. as such a substitution is often too expensive, owing to the high price of meat--cheese, which is twice as rich in nitrogenous matters (that is flesh-formers) as butchers' meat, may be, and constantly is, employed as a complete diet, and for persons in health, doing hard bodily work, it affords suitable nourishment. even some vegetable products, rich in nitrogen, as haricot beans, may be used in the same way as meat or cheese, and for the same purpose.'[ ] [ ] church _on food_. it is a pity that the value of haricot beans, peas, lentils, and oatmeal is not more generally known. one writer says that there is as much nourishment in  lb. of either of these as in  lb. of lean meat; and in a lecture on the same subject, another writer states that in three farthings' worth of oatmeal there is as much nourishment as in a mutton chop. these are certainly facts which should be known, especially by people of limited means. macaroni and semolina are also valuable foods; they are prepared from the most nutritious part of the wheat grain. rice and maize are deficient in flesh-forming properties, but useful as heat-giving foods; so are, also, tapioca, cornflour, and sago. potatoes and fresh vegetables contain but little nourishment. they must not, however, be despised on that account, as they are most valuable additions to our daily diet on account of the potash and other salts which they contain. these vegetables help to keep the blood pure. the anti-scorbutic properties of the potato are so great, that since its introduction into england leprosy is said to have entirely disappeared; neither is scurvy the scourge it was formerly. the food taken daily should be in proportion to the work done. a labouring man, for example, working hard each day, would require such foods as liver and bacon, steak, bullock's heart, beans, peas, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, &c.; foods, in fact, that would not be too easily digested. hard work causes the food to be assimilated more readily. a too easily digested fare would cause a constant feeling of hunger. for anyone, on the contrary, leading a sedentary life, the food taken could not be too digestible. in that case, mutton, plainly cooked chicken, soles, milk puddings, and lightly boiled eggs should be the kind of viands chosen. children should have plain wholesome fare. oatmeal and bread are both excellent foods for them. the lime they contain hardens their bones. the bread should be made from seconds flour, which contains more flesh-forming and mineral matter than the whiter and more sifted kinds. children should also have plenty of good milk. this is of the greatest importance, especially for the first months of a child's life. milk is the only perfect food, and contains all that is necessary to sustain healthy life. it is also the only food a child can properly digest, until it cuts its teeth. the improper feeding of children is the great cause of infant mortality. when it becomes advisable to add to milk other foods, they should be nutritious and well cooked. fine oatmeal or baked flour are, perhaps, the two best. dr. fothergill says: 'children fed on the food of their seniors, or rich cake, and crammed with sweeties, do not as a rule thrive well. they cannot compare favourably with children fed on oatmeal, maize, and milk. oatmeal is recovering its position as a nursery food, after its temporary banishment. oatmeal porridge is the food _par excellence_ of the infants born north of the trent, or was, at least, and stalwart people were the results.' there is no doubt oatmeal is an excellent food, not for children only, but for everyone, especially for those who work hard. it is much to be regretted that it is not more universally used. the english, as a rule, eat too much animal food; and do not give sufficient attention to the proper preparation of vegetables. oatmeal water is considered a most strengthening beverage, and is used by men in foundries when beer and fermented liquors would be found too heating. of alcoholic drinks, mr. buckmaster says (echoing the opinion of eminent physiologists): 'beer, wine, and spirits are never to be regarded as foods. their popular use is entirely due to their stimulating properties. they contain no nitrogen, and are therefore not flesh-formers, nor can they add anything to the wasting tissues. all stimulants act by increasing, for a time, the vitality of the body; but this activity is always followed by depression in proportion to the previous excitement. tea and coffee do, to some extent, prevent waste; but their value as foods depends mainly on the sugar and milk taken with them; and their use, _instead of food_, is almost as hurtful as intoxicating drinks. cocoa differs very much from either tea or coffee, since it is a nutritious liquid food.' in a lecture on the action of alcohol upon health, sir andrew clark says of health: 'that it is a state which cannot be benefited by alcohol in any degree.' he also states: 'it is capable of proof, beyond all possibility of question, that alcohol, _in ordinary circumstances, not only does not help work, but is a serious hindrance of work_.' these facts are so important, and ought to be so universally known, that it is to be hoped before long the chemistry of food will occupy the place it should as one of the most necessary branches of everyone's education. the table. a properly cooked meal, and a neatly arranged dinner-table, are helps to the happiness and moral progress of the humblest of families.--buckmaster. a really capable housekeeper will not be satisfied with good cookery only. she will be careful to have each dish nicely served, however plain it may be. culture, or the want of it, will be seen at once in the appointment of her table. this remark does not apply to a profusion of glass, silver, or flowers--these are questions of wealth--but to the neatness and order with which a table is laid, and the manner in which the meal is served. some people are particularly sensitive to external impressions; and to them a dinner, or any other meal, however costly, served in an untidy room, with table-cloth soiled, silver tarnished, glasses smeared, and above all a slovenly servant, would be enough to give a feeling of depression that would anything but aid digestion. a great point to be attended to is to have everything perfectly clean and orderly, however old and plain. clean table-cloths make a wonderful difference to the look of a table; a few flowers also will do much to give it a bright appearance. servants should be neat in their dress, and quiet in their movements. if only one is kept, that is no reason why she should wait at table in a slovenly dress and with ruffled hair. the dining-room should be, if possible, a bright room with a good aspect. heavy, sombre furniture, however fashionable, should be avoided. it is unfortunate that so little attention is paid to the influence of colour; a warm colouring will do much to give a bright look to a room which would otherwise be dull. the influence of the mental emotions on the digestion is so great that it is important that the conversation at meals should be as cheerful as possible, and no unpleasant subject should be discussed: anything that disturbs the appetite disturbs the digestion also. with these points carefully attended to--a bright room, neatly-laid table, well-cooked food, and cheerful conversation--dinner, or any other meal, will become what it should be, a refreshment to both mind and body. how to cook. hints to beginners. a few hints to beginners on the proper way to set about their work may be, perhaps, of some use; as i know many people get disgusted with cookery at the very outset, and after one attempt, form a resolution never to enter the kitchen again. they have spent the whole morning trying to make a single dish, and that has proved a failure; they have become hot, tired, and irritable, and ill able to bear the laughter their failure has excited. there has been a waste of material to no purpose, and they conclude, therefore, that it is useless for _them_ to make any further attempts. at any rate, they determine that they will not try again 'just yet;' and that often means that they do not try again at all. this disappointment and fatigue is generally the result of want of method and forethought. a recipe has been taken into the kitchen to be tried; very probably one half of the terms used in it have not been understood by the would-be cook. she at once begins to make the dish, going to the recipe to look for each article required as she wants to use it. if some of the supplies have run short, she has perhaps to wait in the middle of her operations while she sends to purchase them. moreover, when the cake, pastry, or whatever it may be, is made, the fire has very likely been forgotten. in this way, even if the dish has been properly prepared, it is spoiled in the cooking. those, too, who have some knowledge of the art and perhaps, can cook fairly well, will often find the work a great fatigue and toil. they spend double or treble the time they need in the kitchen, just for the want of a little judicious management. before trying a recipe read it over, _carefully_ notice how a dish is to be cooked, and make up the fire accordingly. if it is pastry, take means to get the oven hot; if a boiled pudding, make a good fire, and put a large saucepan of water on to cook it in before doing anything else. when this most important matter is attended to, put all the materials required on the table with the weights and scales; notice what cooking utensils will be required, see that they are all clean and ready for use, and put them near to hand. if, for example, you want to make a cake, proceed in this manner:--attend first to the fire to get the oven lightly heated, then put out the weights and scales and all necessary materials; put a basin on the table for mixing, two or three cups for breaking eggs in, one or two plates to put the different ingredients on as they are measured, a grater, and anything else that may be required. then carefully weigh the materials, taking the exact quantities named in the recipe. prepare them all before mixing any of them. wash and pick over the currants, and while they are drying, cut up all the candied peel; beat up the eggs, and grease and prepare the cake-tin. the butter should then be rubbed into the flour, and the other dry ingredients should be added. the cake should then be quickly mixed, put into its tin, and placed at once in a hot oven. if several dishes are to be made, a little thought beforehand will often prevent a very great deal of fatigue and waste of time. suppose, for example, that you wish to prepare two or three dishes for supper and to make some cakes for tea. you have, perhaps, decided to have a chicken coated with béchamel sauce, a _gâteau_ of apples with whipped cream, a custard pudding, and some rock cakes. make, the day before, if possible, a list of the articles required for the different dishes, and order what is necessary in good time, so that there may be no delay the next morning. have the kitchen quite clear from all litters before you begin to work. no one can cook well in a muddle. then commence operations by making up the fire and putting a saucepan of stock, or water, on to boil for the chicken. next put the gelatine to soak for the _gâteau_, not forgetting a little in the béchamel sauce. the longer gelatine soaks, the more quickly it will dissolve. then slice the apples and put them to stew with the sugar, so that they may be cooking while you are preparing something else. afterwards truss the chicken; and probably, by the time it is ready, the water or stock in the saucepan will be boiling. put the chicken into it to simmer gently, noticing the time, so that it may not be over-cooked. then prepare the ingredients for the rock cakes; mixing them--as they require a quick oven--before the pudding. while they are cooking, prepare the custard; and by the time it is made, the cakes, if the oven is properly hot, will be sufficiently set to admit of the heat being moderated. now make the béchamel sauce; strain it and add the dissolved gelatine. take up the chicken, remove the skewers, place it on a dish, and coat it nicely with the sauce. then rub the apples through the sieve, and finish making the _gâteau_. by this time the chicken, _gâteau_, and rock cakes are made, and the custard will be cooking. while waiting for the custard, whip the cream for the _gâteau_ and put it on a sieve to drain; prepare any decorations you may intend to put on the fowl, and lay them on a plate near to it in the pantry, ready to put on just before serving. everything will now be ready. with just a little management, even a slow worker would scarcely take a longer time to make these dishes than an hour and a half. whatever failures and disappointments you may meet with at first, do not be discouraged. success is certain if you will only have a little patience and perseverance. do not be disheartened because you feel very awkward, and because you not unfrequently forget the oven, and let your cakes and pastry burn. try not to mind the banter of your relations and friends at any possible failure. many well-meaning efforts to acquire this useful knowledge have been nipped in the bud by the thoughtless, silly way in which some people will laugh at any mistake or blunder. a cake which has caught in baking, or a pudding with the sugar left out, will probably afford them an inexhaustible subject of mirth. make up your mind, however, not to be discouraged by any of these things. practice will give nimbleness to your fingers and strength to your memory. as regards any laughter your mistakes may cause, only persevere, and it will not be long before the laugh will be on your side. but keep in mind in any of your attempts that you must be _exact_ in all you do. if you try to cook without paying strict attention to weights of the materials to be used and to the other directions, you will deserve to fail. be very particular in measuring quantities; bear in mind that carelessness in this respect is no mark of a superior cook as some people imagine, but rather of a careless or ignorant one. as whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well, bring all your intelligence to bear upon what you take in hand. how to clean stoves and cooking utensils. iron saucepans. immerse them in a pan of hot water with soda in it, and wash them thoroughly inside and out, taking care that nothing is left sticking to the bottom of the saucepans. if anything has been burnt in them, boil some strong soda and water in them before washing them, and then rub the bottom of the saucepan with sand until it is quite clean. the sand must be used nearly dry; if too much wetted it loses its power. the saucepan lids should be thoroughly rinsed and dried. enamel saucepans. wash them thoroughly in hot water with soda in it, using soap if necessary. if anything has been burnt in the saucepan, boil strong soda and water in it before cleaning it, and rub it well with sand. rinse and dry thoroughly. anglo-american saucepans. clean like enamel saucepans. they should be kept perfectly clean inside and out. tin saucepans. clean these like iron saucepans. dish covers and jelly moulds. wash with soap and water and dry thoroughly. powder some whiting, and mix with a little cold water; brush the mixture over the covers and moulds; when dry, rub off with a plate brush or soft cloth or leather. to clean a roaster. wash the dripping-pan and inside of the roaster with hot water and soda to remove all grease, then rub them with sand until they are quite bright, rinse and dry thoroughly. clean the outside of the roaster with whiting, used according to directions given for cleaning dish covers. hair and wire sieves. wash these thoroughly with hot water with soda in it, and scrub them quite clean with a sieve-brush. dry them thoroughly, and keep them in a _dry place_. if this is not done a hair sieve will get mildewed, an iron one rusty, and a copper one will verdigris and become poisonous. copper-wire sieves should always have especial care. paste boards and rolling pins. scrub them well with hot water and sand. do not use soda, as it will make the wood yellow. baking tins. wash them in hot water with soda in it, and rub with sand until they are bright; rinse and dry well. to clean a close stove or open range. scrape out all the ashes and brush up all the dust. then, with a brush, thoroughly clean the flues. brush the stove over with liquid blacklead, and when it is dry polish with brushes. then clean any steel about the stove and the fire-irons and fender with emery-paper; any brass with brick-dust well rubbed on with a leather. brush all the dust from the oven, and wipe it round with a cloth wrung out of hot water. to clean a gas stove. wash off any grease that may have been spilled on the stove with a cloth dipped in hot water, and wipe the inside of the stove, taking care to dry it thoroughly. wash the dripping-pan in hot water with soda in it, and rub it with sand to brighten it. then wipe it quite dry. brush the stove over with liquid blacklead, and polish it with brushes. copper cooking utensils. wash them well in hot water with soda in it; moisten some salt with vinegar, and rub them well with this to remove stains and tarnish. then wash them quickly with soap and water, and dry them thoroughly; polish them with a little powdered whiting rubbed on with a soft leather. rules for boiling. all meat, with the exception of salt meat, should be put into boiling water, and should be well boiled for quite five minutes, in order that the albumen on the outside of the joint may be set. the hardened albumen forms a kind of casing. this casing serves to keep in, as far as possible, the flavour and juices of the meat. when the meat has been boiled sufficiently long to effect this hardening, the kettle should be drawn to one side of the fire. the water should be kept at simmering point until the joint is cooked. the general rule, as regards time required for boiling, is a quarter of an hour for each pound of meat and a quarter of an hour over. but only general rules can be given, as the time will vary according to the nature of the joint to be cooked. a thick piece of meat will necessarily take longer to cook than a thin piece with much bone, although both may be the same weight. very _fresh_ meat will also take longer to cook than that which has been hung. as soon as the water boils, after the meat is in it, the scum should be carefully removed from time to time, while it is cooking. if the scum be allowed to boil down, it will settle on the joint and discolour it. it is best, however, as a precaution, to wrap the meat in a very clean cloth; this will effectually preserve its colour. salt meat should be put into lukewarm water, for the purpose of drawing out some of the salt. it should be simmered gently, allowing always twenty minutes to the pound, and twenty minutes over. salt hardens the fibre of the meat; it, therefore, requires to be cooked for a longer time to make it tender. rules for roasting. to roast successfully, make up a nice clear fire. when once made up, it should be replenished, if necessary, by putting on coal or coke at the back. the live coals should be drawn to the front to prevent smoke. fasten the joint to the jack. place the roaster close to the fire for the first ten minutes, so that the heat of the fire may at once harden the albumen, and form a case to keep in the flavour and juices. afterwards, draw the roaster farther back and cook gradually, basting every ten minutes. the basting keeps the meat from drying up, and gives it a better flavour. the length of time allowed for roasting is the same as for boiling, the rule being a quarter of an hour for each pound, and a quarter of an hour over. for white meat, veal and pork, or solid joints without bone, allow twenty minutes to the pound, and twenty minutes over. these rules, however, cannot always be strictly adhered to, as the size and shape of the joint must be taken into consideration, as well as the weight. meat that has been frozen will take longer to cook than fresh meat. meat which has been well hung will take a shorter time than fresh meat. if a jack is not used, the joint should be fastened to a rope of worsted, which should be kept constantly turning. gravy, for a joint, may be made according to two methods. the first method is to take the dripping-pan away half an hour before the joint is cooked, then to put a hot dish in its place, and to pour the contents of the pan into a basin. put the basin into a refrigerator; or, place it on ice. as soon as it is cold, the fat will cake on the top of the gravy, and should be removed very carefully. make the gravy hot, diluting it with warm water, if necessary, and pour it round the joint. the other and more usual method of making gravy, is to pour away all the fat from the pan as soon as the joint is cooked; and then pour into the pan a sufficient quantity of hot water, scraping well the brown glaze from the bottom; colour carefully with caramel, or burnt sugar, and pour it _round_ the joint, not _over_ it. pouring the gravy over the meat destroys its crispness. on no account make gravy from stock; stock is quite unsuitable, as the vegetable flavour is, to many persons, disagreeable. rules for frying. french or wet frying. this is cooking in a large quantity of fat sufficient to cover the articles fried in it. oil, lard, dripping, or fat rendered down, may be used for this purpose. oil is considered the best, as it will rise to ° without burning; other fats get over-heated after °, and therefore require greater care in using. success depends, almost entirely, on getting the fat to the right degree of heat. for ordinary frying, the heat required is °. unless this point is carefully attended to, total failure will be the result. there are signs, however, by which anyone may easily tell when the fat is ready for use. it must be quite still, making no noise; noise, or bubbling, will be caused by the evaporation of moisture, or water in it. the expression, 'boiling lard,' or 'boiling fat,' has been misleading to many inexperienced cooks, who, not unnaturally, imagine that when the fat is bubbling, like boiling water, it is boiling, and, therefore, at the right heat. but boiling _fat_ does not bubble. when it has the appearance of boiling water, it is simply due, as already explained, to the presence of water in it, which must pass away by evaporation, before the fat can reach the required heat. when it ceases to make any noise, and is quite still, it should be carefully watched; for very soon a pale blue vapour is seen rising, and then the fat is sufficiently hot. if, from the position of the stove, it is not easy to see this vapour, a piece of bread may be held in the fat as a test; if it begins to turn brown, in about a minute, the fat is ready. it should then be used without delay; since, when once hot enough, it rapidly gets overheated or burnt. fat is burning when the blue vapour becomes like smoke. burnt fat has an unpleasant smell, and is apt to give a disagreeable taste to the articles fried in it. with ordinary care fat need not get overheated. next to oil, fat rendered down (_see_ rendering down fat), is best for the purpose. if strained after each time of using, and not allowed to burn, it will keep good for months, and may be used for fish, sweets, or savouries, and no taste of anything previously fried in it will be given to the articles cooked. for this kind of frying, a kitchener, or gas stove, is preferable to an open range. all kinds of rissoles, croquettes, fillets and cutlets of fish, fritters, &c., should be fried in this manner, and should not be darker than a golden brown. it is an advantage to use a frying-basket for all such things as are covered with egg and bread-crumbs; but fritters, or whatever is dipped in batter, should be dropped into the fat, as they become so light that they rise to the top of it. when they are a pale fawn colour on the one side, they should be turned over to the other. care must be taken to drain everything, after frying, on kitchen paper in order to remove any grease. dry frying. this is frying in a cutlet or frying pan, with a small quantity of fat, and is only suitable for such things as require slow cooking, such as steaks, mutton or veal cutlets, fillets of beef, liver and bacon. pancakes also are fried in this manner. success depends, as in french frying, in having the fat rightly heated, taking care that the outside of the meat cooked be sealed up. in this way the juices and flavour will be retained in it. make, therefore, the frying-pan hot, then put in the fat; and when that is also perfectly hot, put in the meat to be cooked. when each side has been well sealed up, the heat applied must be moderated, so that the cooking may be gradual. the common mistake in this kind of frying is to put the meat into the fat when it is but barely melted; the juices of the meat are thus allowed to escape, and the meat is toughened. rules for baking. to bake meat successfully, the oven must be well ventilated, otherwise, the joint cooked in this manner will have an unpleasant flavour. the meat should be put on a trivet, which should be placed on a baking-tin. the oven must be very hot when the meat is put into it, and the heat should be kept up for the first quarter of an hour. this is to form the casing already alluded to in the directions for roasting and boiling; the heat of the oven must then be very much moderated, and the joint cooked very gradually, allowing twenty minutes for every pound, and twenty minutes over. the meat should be basted; and the gravy may be made in the same manner as in roasting. rules for grilling. for this method of cookery, a clear fire is essential. the griller is warmed, and the meat fastened in it. it is then hung on the bars of the fireplace, and a dish passed underneath to catch any gravy. an ordinary sized chop, cooked in this way, will take about five minutes on the one side, and three on the other. rules for broiling. this is cooking over the fire on a gridiron. the flavour of broiled meat is usually preferred to that of grilled. put the gridiron over the fire to heat, and then put the chop, or steak, on it; place the gridiron close to the fire at first, that the heat may rapidly seal up the outside of the meat. when this has been accomplished, lift the gridiron further from the fire, and cook gradually, turning occasionally. a clear fire is essential. coke is better than coal for broiling, because there is less smoke from it. joints. sirloin of beef. this is the primest joint, and must be either roasted or baked (see directions). horse-radish should be served with it. yorkshire pudding is also liked with roast beef. ribs of beef. these should be cooked like sirloin, and served with the same accompaniments. a neater looking joint is made by boning and rolling them. the bones can be used for soup. aitch bone, round, thick and thin flank of beef. those are usually salted and boiled (see directions for boiling salt meat). serve with carrots and turnips, and yeast, norfolk, or suet dumplings. brisket of beef. this should be stewed (see directions for stewed brisket). leg of mutton. this may be roasted, baked, or boiled. if roasted, it should be served with red-currant jelly; if boiled, with caper sauce. carrots and turnips are liked with boiled mutton. shoulder of mutton. this may be either roasted or baked. serve with onion sauce. saddle of mutton. this may be either roasted or baked. serve with red-currant jelly. neck of mutton. this is boiled, and requires long and gentle cooking. serve with caper sauce. fore quarter of lamb. this joint should be roasted or baked. serve with mint sauce. leg of lamb. this may be either roasted, baked, or boiled. serve, if roast, with mint sauce; and if boiled, with _maître d'hôtel_ sauce. shoulder of lamb, saddle of lamb, loin of lamb all these are either roasted or boiled, and served with mint sauce. fillet of veal. stuff it with veal stuffing and make into nice round shape; fasten it securely with string and skewers, and roast or bake it. serve with cut lemon, and send some boiled ham, pork, or bacon to table with it. use a pint of thin melted butter, instead of water, for making the gravy. breast, shoulder, and loin of veal. these are all roasted. thin melted butter is used to make the gravy for them, and cut lemon is served with them. knuckle of veal. this is boiled, and served with one dessertspoonful of chopped parsley added to one pint of melted butter. leg of pork. this must be roasted or baked, the skin having been previously scored with a knife. serve it with apple sauce. chine of pork. stuff it with pork stuffing (see forcemeats) and roast it. serve with apple sauce. spare rib of pork. this is roasted, the skin having previously been scored. serve it with apple sauce. hand of pork. soak it for two or three hours before cooking, and boil it. serve with pease pudding. leg of pork. this joint is also salted and boiled. it is served with pease pudding. to cook a ham. put into lukewarm water, to which has been added one pint of old ale. simmer it very gently until quite tender. for a ham always allow twenty-five minutes to each pound, and twenty-five minutes over. let it get cold in the liquor in which it boiled, then remove the rind and carefully cover with raspings. bacon. cook like ham, taking care that it is simmered until perfectly tender. remove the skin and cover with raspings. pickled pork. put it into lukewarm water and simmer gently until tender. poultry and game. roast goose. _ingredients_-- goose. sage and onion stuffing. ½ oz. of flour. onion. apple. sage leaves. ½ lb. of gravy beef. quart of water. _method._--stuff the goose by placing the sage and onion forcemeat inside it. then truss it nicely and roast it from one and a half to two hours. if it is a large one, two hours; if a small one, one and a half hours. to make the gravy, simmer the giblets in water for three hours with half a pound of gravy beef cut in pieces, a sliced onion, apple, and three sage leaves, pepper and salt. then stir in a thickening made of the flour, and colour the gravy with a little burnt sugar. if liked, a glass of port wine may be added. pour a little gravy round the goose, and serve the rest in a tureen. apple or tomato sauce should be served with roast goose. roast turkey. _ingredients_-- turkey. some veal forcemeat (omitting the suet).  lb. of gravy beef. pints of water. onion.  oz. of flour. _method._--place the forcemeat inside the turkey, and truss it nicely. roast it from one and a half to two and a half hours. make the gravy by simmering the giblets and beef in the water with the onion for three hours. thicken the gravy with the flour, and pour a little round the turkey. serve the rest in a tureen. place some fried or baked sausages round the turkey, and serve with bread sauce. boiled turkey. a small turkey is sometimes boiled like a fowl, and served with oyster, celery, or béchamel sauce. roast duck. _ingredients_-- duck. some sage and onion stuffing. rather more than pint water.  oz. of flour. onion. apple. ¼ lb. of gravy beef, or or bones. _method._--stuff the duck by placing the forcemeat inside it. truss it nicely, and roast it from three-quarters of an hour to an hour, according to its size. make the gravy by simmering the giblets in the water with the beef or bones, onion, apple, pepper and salt, for two hours. thicken it with the flour, and colour carefully with burnt sugar. pour a little gravy round the duck, and serve the rest in a tureen. a glass of port wine may be added to the gravy if liked. apple or tomato sauce should be served with roast duck. ducklings. these are cooked and served like ducks, and take from twenty to forty minutes to roast, according to their size. roast hare. _ingredients_-- hare. some veal forcemeat. ½ lb. of gravy beef. pint of water. onion.  oz. of flour. pepper and salt. _method._--stuff the belly of the hare with the forcemeat, and sew it in. truss it nicely, and roast it from one and a quarter to two hours, according to its size, basting it constantly. to make gravy, cut the beef into small pieces, and simmer in the water, with the onion sliced, for three hours. thicken it with the flour, and add, if liked, a glass of port wine. pour a little gravy round the hare, and serve the remainder in a tureen. jugged hare. _ingredients_-- hare. some veal forcemeat.  oz. of butter. onion, stuck with cloves. glasses of port wine. ½ pint of gravy or stock. lemon. _method._--dry the hare well and cut it in pieces. fry them in the butter. then remove them and fry the flour a nice brown. pour in the gravy or stock, and stir until it boils. then put the stock into an earthenware jar with the hare, onion, thin rind and juice of the lemon, and pepper and salt to taste. cover the jar close, and put it into a moderate oven, where it must simmer gently from three to four hours until the hare is quite tender. make some balls of veal forcemeat, to which the chopped liver of the hare has been added, and either fry or bake them. add them to the jugged hare, and, last of all, pour in the wine. serve with red-currant jelly. roast rabbit. _ingredients_-- rabbit. some veal forcemeat. some nice gravy (_see_ gravy). _method._--fill the belly of the rabbit with the forcemeat, and sew it in. truss it nicely, and roast it from three-quarters to one hour, basting constantly. pour a little gravy round it, and send some to table in a tureen. serve with red-currant jelly. boiled rabbit. _ingredients_-- rabbit. some onion or _maître d'hôtel_ sauce. _method._--boil the rabbit gently from half an hour to an hour, according to its size and age. serve it with onion or _maître d'hôtel_ sauce. stewed rabbits. _ingredients_-- rabbits. large onions. pints of water. ½ oz. of flour. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--cut the rabbits into joints, and slice the onions. put them with the water into a large stewpan, and simmer for one hour or more until the rabbits are tender. then make a thickening of the flour and stir it in, letting it boil well. put the rabbit on a hot dish, and pour the gravy over. ragout of rabbit. _ingredients_-- rabbit. onion stuck with cloves.  oz. of butter or dripping.  oz. of flour. ½ pint of water or stock. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--cut the rabbit into neat joints, and fry them in a stewpan in the butter or dripping. when brown remove them and fry the flour. then pour in the water or stock, and stir until it boils. put in the pieces of rabbit with the onion, and pepper and salt to taste. simmer gently for about one hour or more until quite tender. serve the rabbit on a hot dish, and strain the gravy over it. roast pheasant. _ingredients_-- pheasant. half a pint of gravy. butter. _method._--roast the pheasant nicely for three-quarters of an hour or an hour, according to its size, basting it constantly with butter. make a nice gravy for it (_see_ gravy), and serve it with bread sauce and browned crumbs. wild duck. _ingredients_--wild duck. half a pint of gravy (_see_ gravy). lemon juice. butter. _method._--roast the wild duck nicely before a clear fire for thirty or forty-five minutes, basting it constantly with butter. sprinkle over it a little cayenne and salt, and a few drops of lemon juice. serve the gravy in a tureen. if liked, a glass of port wine may be poured over the duck. partridges. partridges should be nicely roasted before a clear fire from twenty-five to thirty minutes. serve with a little gravy and bread sauce. browned crumbs are also handed with them. grouse. roast these birds before a nice clear fire, basting constantly with butter. serve with gravy, bread sauce, and browned crumbs. woodcocks and snipes. these birds should be nicely trussed but not drawn. roast them carefully from twenty to thirty minutes, basting constantly. place under them rounds of toasted bread, buttered on each side, to catch the trail as it drops, as this is considered a delicacy. when cooked, lay the toast on a hot dish, place the birds on it, and pour a little good gravy over. boiled fowl. truss nicely and flour the breast slightly. fold it in buttered paper, and tie securely with string. boil in stock or water, according to the directions given for boiling meat for three-quarters of an hour to one hour and a half, according to its age and size. serve with white, egg, or _maître d'hôtel_ sauce poured over it. roast fowl. truss nicely and roast, according to directions given for roasting meat, for three-quarters of an hour to one hour and a half according to its age and size. serve with bread sauce and some gravy (_see_ gravy). braised partridges. _ingredients_--a brace of partridges. a small piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. tomatoes. pint of good second stock. wineglass of sherry. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--truss two partridges as for boiling. put at the bottom of a stewpan the vegetables cut in small pieces. lay the partridges on the top and pour in the stock and sherry; these should be sufficient to come half way up the partridges. cover with buttered paper. put the lid on the stewpan and simmer very gently until the partridges are tender. then put them on a baking tin in the oven to brown them. strain the stock and boil it rapidly down to a glaze. serve the partridges with the glaze poured over them. savoury meat dishes. stewed steak. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of steak. piece of carrot, turnip, onion, and celery. pint of water.  oz. of dripping.  oz. of flour. pepper and salt. _method._--cut all the fat from the steak. make the dripping hot in a stewpan and fry the steak in it. then put in the vegetables, and pour in the water, adding pepper and salt. simmer the steak gently from three to four hours, until quite tender. when quite cooked, remove it from the gravy. put it on a hot dish. make a thickening of the flour; stir it into the gravy; boil for two minutes, and strain over the steak. a little mushroom catsup, harvey, or worcester sauce may be added if liked. the fat should previously have been cut into dice, placed on a baking tin, and cooked in the oven. for serving, put them in the middle of the steak. stewed brisket of beef. _ingredients_--  lb. of beef. carrots. onions. turnips. head of celery. sprig of parsley. marjoram and thyme. bay leaves. cloves. dozen peppercorns. quarts of water. _method._--put the meat into a saucepan with the vegetables and other ingredients, and simmer gently for three hours. serve on a hot dish, with some of the liquor for gravy. the remainder can be made into soup. if to be eaten cold, remove the bones, and press the beef. strain the meat liquor, remove the fat, and boil it down to a glaze. brush the meat over with it, giving it as many coats of glaze as necessary. stewed ox-cheek. _ingredients_-- ox-cheek. cowheel. or carrots. or turnips. or onions. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. bay leaves. quarts of water.  oz. of flour. _method._--wash the ox-cheek and cowheel, and cut them into neat pieces. put them into the water with the carrots, turnips, and onions, and celery cut in pieces, and the herbs, pepper and salt. stew very gently from four to five hours, until the stew is quite tender. make a thickening of the flour. stir and cook it well in the gravy. put the cheek and cowheel on a hot dish, and strain the gravy over them. the bones can be used for soup. mock hare. _ingredients_--  lb. shin of beef. quarts of water. carrots. turnips. onion. cloves. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. glass of port wine.  oz. of flour. pepper and salt. _method._--put the beef into the water with the vegetables cut in pieces, herbs, cloves, pepper and salt, and stew gently from four to five hours, until quite tender. then make a thickening of the flour, stir it in, and boil well for two or three minutes. for serving, place the beef on a hot dish. add the wine to the gravy, and strain it over the meat. haricot mutton. _ingredients_-- or mutton cutlets. pint of second stock. carrot. turnip. onion. stick of celery.  oz. of flour. pepper and salt.  oz. of dripping. _method._--fry the cutlets a nice brown in the dripping. mix the flour smoothly with the stock; boil it in a stewpan for two minutes. then put in the cutlets and the vegetables cut in fancy shapes. stew gently for about three-quarters of an hour, until the meat and vegetables are tender. dish the cutlets in a circle; place the vegetables round them and pour the gravy over. sheep's head. _ingredients_-- sheep's head.  oz. of butter or dripping. pepper and salt. ½ oz. of flour. a few drops of lemon juice. _method._--see that the head has been properly prepared by the butcher, and the nostrils removed. soak it well in salt and water, and wash it carefully. cut out the tongue, remove the brains, and tie the head into shape with a piece of string. put it and the tongue into a saucepan of boiling water, and simmer it from three to four hours. a quarter of an hour before it is cooked, put in the brains tied in muslin. to make a sauce for it, melt the butter or dripping in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. pour in one pint of the broth from the sheep's head. stir and cook well, adding pepper and salt to taste a few drops of lemon juice, or one teaspoonful of vinegar. lastly, add the brains, chopped small. for serving, put the head on a hot dish. remove the string, and pour the sauce over. sheep's head au gratin. _ingredients_-- sheep's head. tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs. ½ oz. of butter. teaspoonful of chopped parsley. teaspoonful of dried and powdered herbs. lemon juice. pepper and salt. _method._--boil the sheep's head according to the directions in preceding recipe. when cooked, lay it on a greased baking-sheet. sprinkle over it the crumbs, parsley, and herbs, adding a few drops of lemon juice; pepper and salt. put the butter in little pieces about the head, and brown it in a quick oven or before the fire. serve with the brain sauce given in the foregoing recipe. liver and bacon. _ingredients_-- sheep's liver.  lb. of fat bacon. pint of hot water. some flour. pepper and salt. _method._--cut the bacon into slices, and remove the rind. cut the liver into slices, and dip them in flour. fry the bacon in a frying-pan, then remove it, and fry the liver in the bacon fat, adding a little dripping, if necessary. when the liver is cooked, place it on a hot dish; dredge the pan with about half an ounce of flour. fry the flour brown. then pour in one pint of boiling water, stir and boil for one or two minutes; adding pepper and salt to taste. place the liver in a circle in the middle of a hot dish. put the bacon round it, and strain the gravy over it. pigs' fry, or mock goose. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of pigs' fry.  lb. of potatoes. onion. apple. a little sage. pepper and salt. _method._--boil the potatoes until half-cooked. then cut them in slices. cut the fry in small pieces. chop the onion and apple small. dry and powder the sage leaves. grease a pie-dish, and put a layer of sliced potatoes at the bottom. place on them a layer of pigs' fry. sprinkle it with some of the onion, apple, and powdered sage, pepper, and salt. cover with another layer of potatoes; and put on that some more of the fry. sprinkle again with the onion, apple, pepper, and salt. proceed in this way until the dish is full, letting the last layer be potatoes. pour in half a pint of water; and cover the dish with a piece of pig's caul, or paper spread with dripping. bake in a moderate oven for one hour and a half. it may be served in the pie-dish, or on a hot dish. mock goose another way. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of pigs' fry. some dried and powdered sage. chopped apple and onion. ¾ pint of cider. pepper and salt. _method._--cut the fry in slices. thread the pieces on a long skewer. lay it on a greased baking-tin, and sprinkle with the onion, apple, sage, pepper, and salt, and cover with the caul. bake in a moderate oven until tender. then place the fry on a hot dish, and remove the skewer. make the cider boiling, and pour over the fry. tripe and onions. _ingredients_--  lb. of tripe. good-sized onions. ½ pints of milk.  oz. of flour. pepper and salt. _method._--put the tripe into cold water, and bring it to the boil; this is to blanch it. blanch the onions likewise, then throw the water away, and cut the tripe into neat pieces. put them in the milk, with the onions cut in halves, and pepper and salt. stew gently for an hour. then take out the onions and chop them. remove the tripe, and put it on a hot dish. make a thickening of flour, and boil it well in the milk, and add the chopped onions. dish the tripe in a circle, and pour the milk and onions over. tripe may be cooked more economically by substituting water for milk. stewed tripe. _ingredients_--  lb. of tripe. quart of brown sauce (_see_ sauces). _method._--blanch the tripe, as in the preceding recipe. simmer gently in brown sauce for two hours. dish in a circle, with the brown sauce poured over. broiled steak. make the gridiron hot, and rub it with fat. lay the steak on it. place the gridiron close to a clear fire for about two minutes until the heat has scaled up that side of the steak. then turn it on to the other side, and let that remain close to the fire for the same length of time. then remove it further from the fire and cook more gradually, turning occasionally. it takes from ten to fifteen minutes to cook, according to the thickness of the steak. broiled chop. cook like a steak. it will take from seven to ten minutes to cook. serve very hot. fried steak. make the frying-pan quite hot. put a little butter or fat in it, and make that quite hot also. put in the steak, and fry it over a quick fire for two minutes on one side, then turn it on to the other. moderate the heat applied, and cook gently for about twenty minutes, turning occasionally. savoury roast. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of rump or beefsteak, cut thin. some veal, or sage-and-onion, stuffing. ¾ oz. of flour. cup of boiling water. _method._--lay the stuffing on the steak, roll it round it, and tie it with twine. place it in a pie-dish. pour the boiling water over it, and place another pie-dish, inverted, at the top of it. put it in a moderate oven for two or three hours, until the steak is tender. then put the steak on a hot dish. thicken the gravy with the flour and pour it over. breast of veal may be boned, and stuffed with veal stuffing and cooked in the same way. shoulder of mutton boned, stuffed, and rolled. _ingredients_-- shoulder of mutton. some veal stuffing, or sausage meat. _method._--remove the bone carefully, and place some stuffing in the place of it. roll up the mutton, and tie it firmly with twine. it may be roasted, baked, or braised. if braised, prepare it according to the directions given for braised breast of veal, using a large kettle, if a braising pan is not obtainable. braised breast of veal. _ingredients_-- or  lb. of breast of veal. some veal stuffing. some good second stock. carrot, turnip, onion. sprig of parsley, thyme, marjoram. bay leaf. _method._--remove the bones from the veal, and put the stuffing in it. roll the veal round it, and sew it or tie it securely with twine. put the vegetables, cut in small pieces, in the bottom of a stewpan. place the veal on them, and pour in sufficient stock to come half-way up it. put the lid on the stewpan, simmer gently until the veal is quite tender, allowing half an hour to each pound and half an hour over. then put the veal on a baking-sheet, and put in a quick oven to brown. strain the stock into a large stewpan, and boil it rapidly down to a glaze. put the veal on a hot dish, remove the string, and pour the glaze over it. place round the veal some carrot and turnip, cut in fancy shapes and cooked separately. toad-in-the-hole. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour. eggs. pint of milk. ½ lb. of ox kidney. a little salt. _method._--put the flour into a basin. make a well in the middle. put in the eggs; mix gradually. add the milk by degrees. beat well, and add the salt. cut the kidney in pieces, lay them in a well-greased yorkshire-pudding tin; and pour the batter over. bake from one and a quarter to one and a half hours. irish stew. _ingredients_--  lb. of potatoes.  lb. of scrag end of mutton. ½ lb. of onions. pepper and salt. _method._--peel and slice the potatoes and onions, and cut the meat into small pieces. put a layer of meat in the bottom of a saucepan, then a layer of potatoes, then one of onions. season with pepper and salt, and continue placing the ingredients in the saucepan in alternate layers. pour in half a pint of water and stew gently, stirring occasionally, for about one hour and a half. sea pie. _ingredients_--  lb. of steak. onions. carrot. small turnip. ¾ lb. of flour. ¼ lb. of suet. teaspoonful of baking powder. pepper and salt to taste. cold water. _method._--cut the vegetables and meat small, season them with pepper and salt, and put them into a large saucepan. put it by the side of the fire for the contents to simmer gently. chop the suet finely, add it to the flour and baking powder, and mix with cold water to a stiff paste. roll it to the size of the saucepan. place it over the meat, and simmer gently for two hours. for serving, remove the crust with a fish slice, put the meat and vegetables on to a hot dish, and place the crust on them. roast bullock's heart. _ingredients_-- bullock's heart. some veal stuffing (double the quantity given in the recipe). _method._--wash the heart in salt and water, and cleanse it thoroughly. wipe it quite dry. cut off the flaps and fill the cavities with the stuffing. grease a piece of paper with dripping, and tie it firmly over the top of the heart to keep in the forcemeat. roast it according to the directions for roasting meat; it will take about two hours. gravy for the heart. _ingredients_-- pint of stock. the trimmings from the heart. onion.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. a little harvey's sauce or catsup. a little burnt sugar, if necessary, for colouring. _method._--put the trimmings into a saucepan with the onion and water, and simmer gently while the heart is cooking. then melt the butter in a stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly; add the liquor strained. stir and boil three minutes; add the sauce, pepper and salt, and colouring. put the heart on a hot dish, remove the paper, and pour the gravy round it. if preferred, the heart may be baked. sauces. sauces are often failures, chiefly because they are not made of a proper consistency; and because the flour in them is not sufficiently cooked. it should be remembered that the starch in flour wants to be _well boiled_, otherwise it will be indigestible, and the sauce will have a raw, pasty taste. a sauce is not ready when it _thickens_, but should be boiled for quite three minutes. its consistency should depend on what it is to be used for. ordinary sauces, served in a sauce tureen, should be fairly thick; the proportions taken should be  oz. of butter; ¾ oz. of flour; ½ pint of milk. if the sauce is to be used to coat anything very thinly (new potatoes, for example), ½ oz. of flour, instead of ¾ oz., would be sufficient. if a sauce is required to entirely mask a small piece of fish, or chicken, &c.,  oz. of flour should be used, with the proportions of milk and butter already given. every ingredient should be properly weighed or measured. carelessness in this respect is a mark of ignorance, and _must_ occasion failures. for making most of the ordinary sauces, the butter is melted first in a small stewpan, care being taken that it does not discolour; the flour is then mixed with it. if the mixing is not perfect, the sauce will be lumpy. the milk, stock, or water, is then poured in, and the sauce is stirred _one way_, until it has boiled three minutes. if cream is used, it is then added, and allowed just to boil in the sauce. in making economical sauces, when less butter and flour are used (_see_ economical family sauce), the method employed is different. the flour is then mixed very smoothly with a little of the milk, water, or whatever is used, and then added to the remainder, which may be cold or boiling; but greater care is required to keep it smooth when the liquid is poured in boiling. english melted butter. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter. ¾ oz. of flour. ½ pint of water. pepper and salt. _method._--melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. add the water; stir and cook well. then add pepper and salt, and it is ready to serve. plain white sauce. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter. ¾ oz. of flour. ½ pint of milk. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. _method._--melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. add the milk. stir and cook well. then add the lemon juice and seasoning. a little cream may also be added if desired. maître d'hôtel sauce. _ingredients_--¾ oz. of butter. ½ oz. of flour. ½ pint of milk. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. _method._--melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. add the milk; stir and cook well. then add the lemon juice, seasoning, and chopped parsley. mayonnaise sauce. _ingredients_-- yolks of eggs. gill of salad oil. tablespoonfuls of taragon vinegar. pepper and salt. _method._--put the yolks, which must be perfectly free from the whites, into a basin, which in summer time should be placed on ice. work them well with a whisk or wooden spoon, adding the oil drop by drop. when the sauce is so thick that the whisk, or spoon, is moved with difficulty, the oil may be added more quickly, but still very gradually. lastly, add the taragon vinegar and seasoning. _note._--success in making this sauce depends on first dividing the yolks completely from the whites. secondly, in keeping them and the oil quite cold. thirdly, on adding the oil, drop by drop, until the sauce is perfectly thick. if the sauce is made in a warm place, or the oil mixed in too quickly, it is apt to curdle. should this occur, put a yolk in another basin and very slowly add the sauce to it, stirring briskly; this will generally make it smooth again. two yolks will be sufficient for any quantity of sauce, taragon vinegar being added in proportion to the oil used. tartare sauce. _ingredients_-- yolks. ¼ pint of salad oil. tablespoonfuls of taragon vinegar. teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. a few capers, or a chopped gherkin. pepper and salt. if liked, a teaspoonful of ready-made mustard. _method._--proceed as in making mayonnaise sauce; adding when the sauce is ready the parsley, capers, mustard, and seasoning. egg sauce. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter. ¾ oz. of flour. ½ pint of milk. lemon juice. pepper and salt. or hard-boiled eggs. _method._--melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. add the milk, and stir and cook well. then add the lemon juice, seasoning, and the chopped whites of the eggs. if a very thick sauce is required, take  oz. of flour. cream may be added if desired. brown sauce. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter. ½ oz. of flour. a small piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. a few button mushrooms. pint of good stock. a few drops of lemon juice. seasoning to taste. _method._--put the butter into a stewpan and fry the vegetables in it. then mix in the flour and fry that. add the stock; stir and cook well. squeeze in the lemon juice, and add the seasoning. strain through a tammy-cloth or fine strainer. genoise sauce. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter. ¾ oz. of flour. ½ gills of stock. ½ wineglass of port. a tiny piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. ½ teaspoonful of anchovy sauce. ½ teaspoonful of harvey's sauce. pepper and salt. _method._--melt the butter in a small stewpan, and fry the vegetables in it. then add the flour, and fry that. pour in the stock; stir and cook well. then add the wine and other ingredients, stir until it boils again, and then strain it. béchamel sauce. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter. ½ oz. of flour. pint of good white stock. ¼ pint of cream. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. _method._--melt the butter in a stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. add the stock. stir and cook well. then stir in the cream; let it boil in the sauce; and add lemon juice, pepper, and salt. strain through a tammy-cloth. milk may be substituted for the white stock, if more convenient. to flavour it, a small piece of carrot, turnip, and onion, and button mushrooms should be boiled in it. sauce hollandaise. _ingredients_--¼ pint of plain white sauce. the yolks of eggs. a little cayenne pepper and salt. a few drops of lemon juice, or taragon vinegar. _method._--put the white sauce and eggs into a jug, which must be placed in a saucepan of boiling water. stir until the mixture thickens, being careful it does not curdle. when quite ready, add the lemon juice or vinegar. lobster sauce. _ingredients_-- small lobster. some spawn. ½ oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. ½ pint of milk. ½ gill of cream. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. _method._--remove the flesh from the body and claws of the lobster, and cut it in small pieces. then boil the shell, broken small, in the milk. rub the spawn with ¼ oz. butter through a hair sieve. melt the remaining butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly, and then add the milk, strained. stir until it thickens. put in the spawn and butter, and continue stirring until the flour is well cooked. then add the cream--let it boil in the sauce--and lastly, the lemon juice, pepper and salt, and lobster. lobster sauce (a plainer receipt). _ingredients_--part of a tin of lobster.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. ¾ pint of milk. a few drops of lemon juice, or ½ a teaspoonful of vinegar. pepper and salt. _method._--cut up the lobster. melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. add the milk; stir and cook well. then add the lemon juice, seasoning, and pieces of lobster. shrimp sauce. remove the heads, tails, and skin from half a pint of shrimps; prepare some sauce as directed in the first or second recipe for lobster sauce, substituting the shrimps for the lobster. oyster sauce. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. ½ pint of milk. dozen of oysters. ½ gill of cream. a few drops of lemon juice. salt, pepper, and a little cayenne. _method._--remove the beard and white part of the oysters, and cut each one in two. strain the liquor through muslin, and scald the oysters in it (_i.e._ put the liquor, with the oysters in it, in a saucepan, and just bring it to the boil). put the beards and hard white parts in the milk and simmer them to extract the flavour. then melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. strain in the milk and oyster liquor, and stir and cook well. then add cream, and stir until the sauce again boils. lastly, add the oysters, pepper, salt, and lemon juice. french sauce. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter. ½ oz. of flour. gill of milk. gill of cream. the yolk of one egg. pepper and salt. _method._--melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix the flour smoothly. add the milk, stir and cook well. pour in the cream and let it boil in the sauce. then take it off the fire, and mix in the yolk of the egg. add pepper and salt to taste. celery sauce. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. tablespoonfuls of cream. ¾ pint of white stock or milk. head of celery. _method._--boil one head of celery in ¾ of a pint of white stock or milk. when tender, strain it from the liquor and rub it through a hair sieve. melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. add the stock or milk; stir and cook well. pour in the cream, and stir until the sauce boils again. add pepper and salt to taste. tomato sauce. _ingredients_-- ripe tomatoes. ¼ lb. of bacon.  oz. of flour. a piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. a sprig of parsley. thyme, marjoram, and a bay leaf. a teaspoonful of vinegar. pepper and salt. _method._--cut the bacon in slices and fry it. then put in the vegetables and fry them, dredge in the flour, and then add the tomatoes and fry them lightly. empty the contents of the frying-pan on a hair sieve, and rub the tomatoes through. the hair sieve will keep back the other vegetable, the flavour of which only is wanted. add the vinegar and seasoning, and make the sauce hot. onion sauce. _ingredients_-- or fair-sized onions. ½ pint of plain white sauce or melted butter ( st recipe). _method._--first, blanch the onions by putting them in cold water and bringing it to the boil. throw the water away. put the onions in fresh water and boil for an hour, or an hour and a half, until tender. chop them finely and add them to the sauce or melted butter. soubise sauce. _ingredients_--½ pint of plain white sauce. tablespoonfuls of cream. or onions. _method._--blanch the onions (as in preceding recipe) and boil until tender. then rub through a hair sieve. make some plain white sauce (_see_ recipe), and add to it the cream and pulped onion. bread sauce. _ingredients_--  oz. of bread crumbs. ½ pint of milk. peppercorns. tablespoonfuls of cream, or ½ oz. of butter. a small piece of onion. _method._--steep the onion and peppercorns in the milk, and put the milk on to boil. then remove the onions and peppercorns, and sprinkle in the crumbs. set the sauce by the side of the fire for six minutes, and then heat to boiling point, adding either the cream or butter. salt must be added to taste; also a little cayenne. economical family sauce. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of flour. pint of milk. pint of water. ½ oz. butter. _method._--mix the flour very smoothly with a little water. put the rest of the water, with the milk and butter, in a saucepan on the fire to boil. when it boils, put in the flour, stirring until the sauce is cooked. add pepper and salt to taste. if liked, a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar may be added. this sauce will form the basis of many other plain sauces: to use with fish, put in a tablespoonful of anchovy. onion sauce is made by adding cooked and chopped onions when the sauce is ready. caper sauce, by adding capers; or, as a substitute, chopped gherkin. this sauce may be made still more economically by using water only instead of milk. wine sauce. _ingredients_--  oz. of lump sugar. ¼ pint of water. a wineglass of sherry. a few drops of cochineal. a dessertspoonful of jam. _method._--boil the sugar and water together until reduced to one half. add the jam; let it melt. then add the sherry and cochineal, and strain. piquant sauce. _ingredients_--½ pint of brown sauce. tablespoonful of capers. tablespoonful of chopped gherkin. tablespoonful of very finely chopped shalot. ¼ pint of vinegar. pepper and salt. _method._--simmer the shalot, capers, and gherkin, in the vinegar until the shalot is quite soft. pour in the sauce, and let it boil up. season to taste. sauce réforme. _ingredients_-- pint of brown sauce. wineglass of port wine. teaspoonful of anchovy sauce. teaspoonful of harvey's sauce. tablespoonfuls of red-currant jelly. _method._--boil all the ingredients together, and the sauce is ready. port-wine sauce for wild duck. _ingredients_-- wineglasses of port. juice of half a lemon. finely chopped shalot. _method._--boil altogether and strain. sweet sauce. _ingredients_-- teaspoonful of arrowroot. juice of half a lemon and a little rind. tablespoonfuls of castor sugar. ½ pint of water. _method._--put the water with the lemon-rind and sugar into a saucepan to boil. mix the arrowroot smoothly with a little cold water. when the water in the saucepan boils, pour it in and stir it until it thickens; then strain it and add the lemon juice. a glass of sherry may be added to this sauce if desired. german sauce. _ingredients_--the yolks of eggs. wineglass of sherry. dessertspoonful of castor sugar. _method._--put all the ingredients into a saucepan, and mill over the fire with a whisk until the sauce froths. for a _christmas pudding_ make the sauce with three yolks, and a wineglass of brandy. a nice sweet sauce. _ingredients_--½ pint of plain white sauce or melted butter (omitting the seasoning). wineglass of sherry or brandy. dessertspoonfuls of castor sugar. _method._--add the wine and sugar to the sauce, and it is ready for use. jam sauce. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of red jam. ½ pint of water.  oz. of lump sugar. juice of half a lemon. _method._--boil the jam, sugar, and water together for three minutes. add the lemon juice, and strain. the lemon may be omitted if the flavour is not liked. apple sauce, no. . _ingredients_-- good-sized apples.  oz. of butter. tablespoonful of moist sugar, or more, according to taste. ½ gill of water. _method._--wash the apples and slice them, but do not peel or core them. put them in a stewpan with the water, butter, and sugar. stew gently for about thirty minutes, stirring occasionally. rub them quickly through a hair sieve, and put the sauce in a hot tureen. the hair sieve keeps back the rind and pips. apple sauce, no. . _ingredients_-- large apples.  oz. of butter. tablespoonful or more of moist sugar. ½ gill of water. _method._--peel, core, and slice the apples. stew them with the water, sugar, and butter until tender. then beat to a pulp with a fork. mint sauce. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of finely-chopped fresh mint. tablespoonful of sugar. ¼ pint of vinegar. _method._--mix all together, and let the sauce stand for an hour before serving. horse-radish sauce. _ingredients_-- stick of horse-radish. ½ gill of cream. tablespoonful of vinegar. ½ gill of milk. teaspoonful of ready-made mustard. teaspoonful of castor sugar. pepper and salt. _method._--scrape the horse-radish finely, and mix with all the other ingredients. if cream is not to be had, use milk thickened with a little cornflour. but it is not so good. gravy for made dishes. _ingredients_--  lb. of gravy beef. quart of water. a piece of onion, carrot, and turnip. sprig of parsley. thyme and marjoram. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--cut the beef into small pieces. put it with the vegetables into a stewpan with the water, and simmer very gently for four hours; then strain. if a thick gravy is required, thicken with one and a half ounces of flour; add pepper and salt to taste. to this gravy may be added a little sauce, catsup, port or sherry wine, &c., according to the purpose for which it is required. scraps of cooked meat and bones may be substituted for the fresh meat where economy must be studied. glaze. boil down one or two quarts of second stock (which will jelly when cold) until it is quite thick, and coats a spoon. one quart may be boiled down to a quarter of a pint. pour it into a jar. when wanted for use, put the jar to stand in a saucepan of boiling water until it is dissolved. glaze is used for enriching gravies and soups, and for glazing meat. cheap glaze for meat. _ingredients_-- teaspoonfuls of liebig's extract of meat. ½ oz. of nelson's or swinborne's gelatine, or isinglass. pepper and salt. ½ pint of cold water. _method._--soak the gelatine in the water for three-quarters of an hour. add the meat extract, and pepper and salt. stir and boil until reduced to about a quarter of a pint. this glaze can only be used for glazing meat. béarnaise sauce. _ingredients_-- finely-chopped shalot. ½ gill of white sauce. tablespoonful of taragon vinegar. the yolks of eggs. dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. pepper and salt. _method._--put the shalot and vinegar into a saucepan; boil until the vinegar has evaporated, but do not let the shalot burn. add the eggs and sauce, and mill with a whisk until the eggs are thick. add the parsley and pepper and salt. breakfast dishes and beverages. oatmeal porridge. _ingredients_--½ lb. of coarse oatmeal. quart of water. _method._--put the water on to boil. when boiling, sprinkle in the oatmeal, stirring all the time. when it thickens, put it by the side of the fire, and stir occasionally. cook it for quite three-quarters of an hour, longer if possible. when the time can be allowed, three hours will not be too long a time, especially if the porridge is for anyone with a weak digestion. a better plan is to put the saucepan containing it, after the contents have boiled for ten minutes, to stand in a saucepan of briskly boiling water; it will then cook without danger of burning, and may be left for any length of time; care only being taken that the water in the under saucepan does not boil away. whole-meal porridge. this may be made in the same way as oatmeal, but it requires even longer cooking. dry toast. cut the bread into rather thin slices, and remove the crust. toast it slowly, holding it at a little distance from a bright clear fire. when ready, put it at once into the rack; because, if the toast is placed flat on a table, it loses its crispness. the crusts may be soaked for plain puddings, or dried and powdered for bread crumbs. buttered toast. cut the bread about half an inch in thickness. toast quickly in front of a clear fire. put the butter on directly the toast is taken off the fork, and spread it quickly. put the toast on a _hot_ plate, and take care that it is served hot. toasted bacon. cut the bacon in thin slices, and toast it in a small dutch oven or on a toasting fork until the fat is transparent. fried bacon. cut the bacon in thin slices, and fry it in its own fat. it will be cooked when the fat is transparent. it must not be cooked too quickly, or the fat will burn up and be wasted. eggs and bacon. toast or fry the bacon, and lay a nicely poached egg on each slice. boiled eggs. put the eggs into boiling water, and boil an ordinary sized egg for three minutes; new-laid eggs will take one minute longer. eggs boiled five minutes will be nearly hard. to make them quite firm, boil them steadily for ten minutes. to make them mealy, boil them for an hour. poached eggs. eggs for poaching should be perfectly _fresh_, or they will not keep a nice shape. let the water be quite boiling; add to it a little salt. break the eggs into cups, and slip them gently into the boiling water. as soon as the white is nicely set, remove them with a fish slice. trim the eggs neatly, and serve them on hot buttered toast. an egg-poacher will be found very convenient for cooking eggs this way. fried kidneys. _ingredients_--a few kidneys. a little butter or dripping. a little flour. some gravy. pepper and salt. _method._--split open the kidneys lengthwise. flour them and fry them slowly in the butter or dripping for about four minutes. dish them on pieces of toast. pour the gravy into the pan; stir and boil for a minute, and then strain round the kidneys. kidneys toasted. _ingredients_--some kidneys. toasted bread. _method._--split open the kidneys lengthwise. toast them before a clear fire; when the gravy ceases to drop red they will be sufficiently cooked. a _hot_ dish should be placed under them to catch the gravy. place the toast on the dish and put the kidneys on it, and sprinkle over them a little pepper and salt. stewed kidneys. _ingredients_-- or kidneys. ½ pint of nice gravy. dessertspoonful of flour. pepper and salt to taste. lemon juice. _method._--mix the flour smoothly with the gravy. put it into a stewpan, and boil well for three minutes. put in the kidneys cut in slices, and simmer gently for about fifteen minutes. add a squeeze of lemon juice; pepper and salt to taste. serve on a piece of toast, and pour the gravy over. stuffed kidneys. _ingredients_-- or kidneys. ½ oz. of butter. half a shalot, chopped finely. dessertspoonful of parsley. tablespoonful of bread crumbs. a few drops of lemon juice. a little cayenne. pepper and salt. _method._--toast or broil the kidneys and split them open. fry the shalot in the butter. mix in the bread crumbs and parsley; add lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt. lay a little of the stuffing in each kidney and fold it over. serve very hot. kidneys à la tartare. _ingredients_--a few kidneys. ½ pint of tartare sauce. _method._--split the kidneys open, and toast or broil them nicely. serve on toasted bread with tartare sauce in a tureen. fried sausages. _ingredients_--sausages. a little butter or dripping. some toasted bread. _method._--prick the sausages with a fork, and fry them with butter or dripping, turning them that they get browned equally. serve them on toasted bread, with some nice gravy in a sauceboat. some people like the toast soaked in the fat in the pan, but this is a matter of taste. baked sausages. prick the sausages, and place them on a greased baking-sheet. bake until they are nicely browned. serve on toast, with gravy in a sauceboat. if liked, the toast can be soaked in the fat that runs from the sausages. oxford sausages. remove the sausage-meat from the skins, and place it in little rough heaps on a greased baking-sheet. bake in a quick oven until browned. serve on toast. tomatoes stuffed with sausage meat. _ingredients_--some nice ripe tomatoes. some sausage meat. _method._--cut the stalks from the tomatoes, but do not take out any of the inside. heap a little sausage meat on the top of each tomato. put them on a greased baking-sheet, and bake in a moderate oven for about fifteen minutes. croustards with minced meat. _ingredients_--some stale bread. scraps of cold meat. a little nice gravy. a little mushroom catsup. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--cut the bread into slices three-quarters of an inch in thickness. stamp it into rounds with a circular cutter. mark the middle with a cutter two sizes smaller, and scoop out the inside, making little nests of them, and taking care not to break the bottom or sides. fry the cases in hot fat (_see_ french frying); drain them and put them inside the oven to keep hot. mince the meat nicely, removing skin and gristle. make a little gravy hot in a stewpan. put in the mince, and make it hot without letting it boil. flavour to taste with catsup, pepper and salt. fill the croustard cases and serve immediately: they should be placed on a folded napkin, and garnished with parsley. mince à la reine. _ingredients_-- dozen mushrooms. some slices of cold meat. (cold game or chicken are excellent for this purpose). eggs. some rounds of bread, toasted or fried. pint of good gravy. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--peel the mushrooms. wash and dry them well, and cut them in slices. put them in a stewpan with part of the gravy, to stew for about thirty minutes, until they are tender. mince the meat and make it hot in a saucepan, with enough gravy to moisten it, adding pepper and salt to taste. poach the eggs nicely, and fry or toast the bread (fried bread is best). put the slices of fried bread on a hot dish; cover each piece with the minced meat, and lay an egg on each. pour the gravy and mushrooms round, and serve very hot. as a decoration, a tiny pinch of finely-chopped parsley might be put on the top of each egg. sheep's head moulded. _ingredients_-- sheep's head. hard-boiled eggs. pepper and salt. _method._--clean, and then boil the head until the flesh will leave the bones easily. take out all the bones; cut the meat into pieces an inch in size, and season them well with pepper and salt. cut the eggs into slices, and place them round the top of a cake-tin or basin. put in the head, and put a weight on it to press it down. when cold turn it out; serve garnished with parsley. veal cake. _ingredients_--remains of cooked veal. slices of ham. or hard-boiled eggs. some nice second stock. a little gelatine. some forcemeat balls. _method._--butter well a plain mould or basin. decorate it with slices of egg, and balls made of veal forcemeat. cut the ham and the veal into neat pieces. season them well with pepper and salt, and, if liked, a little chopped parsley. place them in the mould, and fill it up with stiff second stock. if the stock is not stiff enough, mix with it a little melted gelatine. cover the mould, and bake for one hour in a moderate oven. let it get cold, and then turn it on to a dish. brawn. _ingredients_-- pig's head. or hard-boiled eggs. onions. cloves. blade of mace. dozen peppercorns. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. _method._--clean the head well, and pickle it for three days (_see_ pickle for meat). then put it in enough cold water to cover it, and boil it gently for three hours or more, until the flesh will leave the bones easily. take out the tongue, skin it, and cut it in slices. stamp them into fancy shapes with a paste cutter; wet a plain round mould and decorate it with them and the eggs cut in slices. remove the meat from the bone, and cut it into large dice. take one quart of the liquor in which the head was boiled; put the bones into it, with the peppercorns, cloves, onions, and herbs; boil down for half an hour with the lid off the saucepan. then strain one pint of the broth into another saucepan. season the pieces of meat with pepper, and a little salt if necessary; put them into the broth. let it come to the boil, and then pour it into the decorated mould. when set, turn it on to a dish. scalloped eggs. _ingredients_--some eggs. bread-crumbs. a little onion, chopped as finely as possible (this may be omitted, if liked). a little finely-chopped parsley. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--grease some deep scallop shells. dust them over with bread crumbs, mixed with the parsley and onion. put an egg into each shell, and sprinkle with more crumbs, parsley, onion, pepper and salt. put them into a brisk oven until set. eggs sur le plat. _ingredients_-- eggs. ½ oz. of butter. pepper and salt. _method._--take a dish that will stand the heat of the oven; melt the butter in it. break the eggs on to it very carefully. pepper and salt them, and put them into the oven until they are set. they must be served on the same dish. buttered eggs. _ingredients_-- piece of fried or toasted bread. tablespoonful of gravy.  oz. of butter. pepper and salt. eggs. _method._--break the eggs into a basin, and add to them the gravy, pepper, and salt. melt the butter in a small frying or omelet pan; pour in the eggs, and stir quickly up from the bottom of the pan, until the whole is a soft yellow mass. spread on the toast, and serve very quickly. egg croustards. _ingredients_--some slices of stale bread, about ¾ inch in thickness. some eggs. some nicely-flavoured gravy. _method._--stamp out some rounds of bread with a circular paste-cutter. mark the middle with one a size smaller. then with a knife scoop out the inside, making little nests of bread, taking care not to break the bottom or sides. fry these cases in hot fat (_see_ french frying). when fried, drain them on kitchen paper, and keep them hot. make some water boiling hot in a stewpan; add to it a little lemon juice. put into it the eggs broken gently into cups. poach until the whites are set, then remove them carefully with a fish slice, and put an egg into each croustard. place them on a hot dish, and pour gravy boiling hot over them. eggs and anchovy. _ingredients_-- eggs. slice of fried or toasted bread. a little anchovy paste.  oz. of butter. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--let the fried or toasted bread be quite hot (fried bread is the best), and spread it thinly with anchovy paste. make the butter quite hot in a frying or omelet pan. break the eggs into it, add pepper and salt, and stir very quickly, until they are a soft yellow mass. spread it quickly over the toast, and serve immediately. eggs in cases. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs. dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. pepper and salt. if liked, a boiled onion very finely chopped. eggs. paper cases. _method._--butter well some paper cases; mix the crumbs, parsley, onion, pepper, and salt together; put a little at the bottom of each case. break the eggs gently, and put one egg into each case. cover each with some of the crumbs and seasoning, and put the cases in a quick oven to bake until the eggs are set. broiled mushrooms. choose nice large mushrooms; peel and wash them, and wipe them dry. cut out the stems, and put them, with the top of the mushrooms downwards, on a gridiron. put a small piece of butter on each, and broil for ten minutes slowly. remove them carefully, as the mushrooms will be by that time full of delicious gravy. broiled dried haddock. soak it in cold water for an hour before using. broil it slowly over a clear fire until it is quite hot, turning occasionally. rub some butter over it, and serve it at once. bloaters. cut the bloaters open down the back, and bone them. lay them one on the other with the insides together. broil them slowly over a clear fire, turning occasionally. serve very hot, with a little butter rubbed over them. if preferred, they may be broiled unboned. red herrings. remove their heads and tails. slit them open down the back and remove the bone. egg and bread-crumb them, and broil them over a clear fire. if preferred, they may be broiled unboned. tea. measure a teaspoonful of tea for each person, and one teaspoonful over. make the teapot quite hot by filling it with boiling water; let it stand in it for three minutes; then empty the teapot. put in the tea, and pour boiling water over it. cover it with a tea-cosy, and let it infuse for five minutes before using. the longer it stands, the darker it will get; but for people of weak digestions, it should be used after five minutes' infusion only. the water should be fresh spring water, and should be used as soon as it boils. water that has been boiled for any length of time is flat from the loss of its gases. coffee. to have coffee to perfection it should be freshly roasted and ground, as coffee quickly loses its flavour. if this is not possible, use the best french coffee sold in tins. the water should be freshly boiled; the coffee itself should _not_ be _boiled_, but only infused in the boiling water. boiling disperses the aroma. it can, however, be made more economically if boiled, and therefore recipes are given for its preparation in this manner. chicory is generally used with coffee in the proportion of two ounces of chicory to one pound of coffee. coffee (soyer's method.) _ingredients_--  oz. of coffee. pint of boiling water. _method._--put the coffee into a clean stewpan. stir over the fire until it smokes, but do not let it burn. then pour in the boiling water. cover close, and set by the side of the fire for ten minutes. strain through thick muslin. coffee (another method). _ingredients_--  oz. of coffee. ½ pint of boiling water. _method._--make a jug hot. put the coffee in it, and pour over the boiling water. let it stand in a hot place for half an hour. then strain through thick muslin. café au lait. half fill a cup with nicely-made coffee, and pour in the same quantity of boiled milk. coffee (economical method). _ingredients_--¾ lb. of coffee. quarts of cold water. _method._--make a bag of rather thick muslin, and put the coffee into it. the bag should be rather large, so that the coffee will have plenty of room. tie the ends of the bag securely. put it into a saucepan with the water; bring to the boil, and boil steadily for one hour. strain through thick muslin. this will make strong coffee, which can be diluted with boiling water as required. coffee made in a percolator. _ingredients_--  oz. of coffee. ½ pint of boiling water. _method._--make the percolator hot. put the coffee in it, and pour on the boiling water. let it stand in a hot place for about ten minutes. cocoa. this is best, especially for invalids, if prepared from the nibs; these should be perfectly fresh. put a quarter of a pound of nibs into two quarts of cold water; simmer for five hours and then strain. when cold remove the fat; heat it as required. cocoa may also be made from any of the different preparations. make it according to directions given on the canisters, and be very careful to mix it thoroughly. nothing is so unpleasant as to have the sides and bottom of the cup coated with cocoa. it is better to prepare it in a small saucepan; it should be boiled for two or three minutes. it is more nourishing if mixed with milk instead of water. chocolate. this is only a thicker preparation of cocoa, and may be made in the same way. cold meat cookery. hash. _ingredients_--the remains of cold meat. some nice stock or gravy. flour, in the proportion of ½ oz. to every ½ pint of gravy. pepper and salt, and, if liked, a little catsup, or harvey's sauce. toasted or fried bread. _method._--cut the meat into neat pieces. mix the flour smoothly with the gravy, and boil for three minutes, stirring all the time. add seasoning and catsup or a little sauce. then put the pieces of meat into the gravy and let them warm through; but do not let the gravy _boil_ when the meat is in it, as that would toughen it. tinned oysters make a nice addition to a hash. for serving, put the hash on a hot dish and garnish with sippets of fried or toasted bread. if no gravy or stock is available, make some by breaking up any bones from the meat; boil them in a sufficient quantity of water, with a piece of carrot, turnip, onion, celery, and a small bunch of herbs. boil for quite an hour, and then strain the liquor. minced meat. _ingredients_--some scraps of cold meat. a little gravy. some boiled rice or potatoes. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--mince the meat finely with a knife, or mincing machine (the flavour is nicer if a knife is used). mix with sufficient gravy to moisten the meat, and stir over the fire until hot; but do not let the gravy boil. serve with a border of boiled rice, or mashed potatoes round it. if veal or chicken is minced, squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice, and serve with sliced lemon. a little cooked ham should be added to these minces, to give them flavour; minced beef is improved by the addition of a few oysters. mince (with eggs). prepare some mince, as in preceding recipe, and serve with very nicely poached eggs on the top of it; garnish with sippets of fried or toasted bread. curry of cold meat. _ingredients_--some scraps of cold meat. some stock or gravy. curry powder and flour in the proportion of a dessertspoonful of each to every half pint of gravy. small onion. small apple. ½ oz. of dripping. a few drops of lemon juice. salt. some boiled rice. _method._--slice the onion and apple, and fry them in the dripping. when fried, rub them lightly through a hair sieve. mix the curry powder and flour smoothly with the stock. stir and cook well over the fire. add the onion, apple, lemon juice, and salt. then lay in the meat, and let it warm through, being careful that the sauce does not boil. serve with nicely boiled rice. shepherd's pie. _ingredients_--slices of cold meat. boiled potatoes. butter or dripping. a little gravy. pepper and salt. _method._--season the pieces of meat with pepper and salt, and lay them in a pie-dish with a little gravy. mash the potatoes smoothly with butter or dripping; and pepper and salt to taste. spread the potatoes over the meat in the form of a pie-crust, and smooth them with a knife dipped in hot water. bake for half an hour. patties. _ingredients_--some scraps of cold meat. a little gravy. pepper and salt. pastry. egg. _method._--mince the meat and moisten with the gravy, adding pepper and salt to taste. if veal or chicken are used, mince a little ham with them, and add a few drops of lemon juice. roll out the pastry, and stamp it into rounds with a fluted cutter. lay half the rounds on greased pattypans. brush round the edges of the paste with a little beaten egg, and put a little mince on each round. cover them with the remaining rounds of paste, pressing the edges lightly together. glaze with the beaten egg, and bake in a quick oven for about minutes. fritters. _ingredients_--some cold meat. some nice gravy. some kromesky batter. _method._--cut the meat into neat pieces; dip them in the batter and fry in hot fat until lightly browned (_see_ french frying). pile on a hot dish, and serve, if possible, with a nice gravy poured round them. rissoles. _ingredients_--some boiled potatoes. cold meat. a little butter. eggs. bread-crumbs. pepper and salt. _method._--take equal quantities of boiled potatoes and cold meat. mash the potatoes with butter, and add the meat finely minced. mix this thoroughly with a beaten egg, adding pepper and salt to taste. form into balls or egg shapes. egg and bread-crumb them, and fry them in hot fat (_see_ french frying). dish on a folded napkin, and garnish with fried parsley. cold meat with purée of tomatoes. _ingredients_--slices of cold meat. or tomatoes. small slice of bacon. bay leaf. piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. sprig of parsley. thyme and marjoram. teaspoonful of vinegar. pepper and salt. _method._--cut the bacon into dice, and fry it. as soon as the fat melts, put in the tomatoes and other vegetables, cut in slices; stir them, and fry lightly, and then rub through a hair sieve. add the vinegar and pepper and salt. make the _purée_ hot in a saucepan, and lay the pieces of meat in it to warm through. serve in a hot dish, with a border of boiled rice or macaroni. cold-meat pie. _ingredients_--slices of cold meat. (if liked, slices of cold boiled potatoes). some stock or gravy. pepper and salt. some plain pastry. _method._--roll out the paste, and cut a piece large enough for the cover. roll out the scraps, and from them cut a band an inch wide. wet the edge of the dish and place this round it. season the meat with pepper and salt, and lay the slices in the dish alternately with the potatoes. raise them in the middle of the dish in a dome-like shape, and pour in some gravy. wet the edges of the band of paste, and lay the cover over. trim round neatly, and make a hole in the middle of the crust. brush over with beaten egg, and decorate with paste leaves. bake in a quick oven for half an hour. cold meat and macaroni. _ingredients_--slices of cold meat. macaroni. stock. bread-crumbs. and, if possible, or tomatoes. _method._--put the macaroni in boiling water, and boil it minutes. then pour away the water, and stew it in the stock until tender. put a layer of macaroni in the bottom of a greased pie-dish. lay on it the meat, and cover it with another layer of macaroni, seasoning with pepper and salt. proceed in this way, until the dish is full (the top layer must be macaroni). if tomatoes are used, slice them, and lay over the top; sprinkle with brown crumbs, and bake for about or minutes. mayonnaise of cold meat. _ingredients_--slices of cold meat. green salad. beetroot. hard-boiled egg. some mayonnaise sauce. _method._--slice the salad, and mix the meat with it. heap it high on a glass or silver dish. garnish with beetroot and hard-boiled egg, and pour mayonnaise sauce over (_see_ sauces). beef and mushrooms. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. cold roast beef. dozen mushrooms. shalot or small onion, very finely chopped.  oz. of butter. ½ pint of beef gravy. dessertspoonful of vinegar. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--cut the beef into neat slices, and wash and peel the mushrooms. season the meat with pepper and salt, and lay half of it in the bottom of a pie-dish. place some of the mushrooms on the top of it. put  oz. of butter, in pieces, about them. then put in the remaining pieces of beef, and the mushrooms and butter in the same way. pour in the gravy and vinegar, and cover closely. put it into a moderate oven to bake for three-quarters of an hour. beef scalloped. _ingredients_--some cold roast beef minced. boiled onion, very finely chopped. some mashed potatoes. butter. pepper and salt. egg. a little gravy and mushroom catsup. _method._--mince the beef finely, and moisten it with a little nice gravy. add the onion to it, and season nicely with catsup. mix the mashed potatoes with plenty of butter, and the egg well beaten, pepper and salt. place the mince in greased scallop shells, and cover with the potatoes. bake in a quick oven until lightly browned. when economy has to be studied, leave out the eggs and substitute clarified dripping for the butter. the mixture can be baked in a pie-dish, if more convenient. cold beef olives. _ingredients_--some cold roast beef. some veal forcemeat, omitting the suet. some gravy. flour. pepper and salt. some mashed potatoes. _method._--take slices of cold beef, and cut them into strips ½ inches in width. lay on each a little veal stuffing; roll them round it, and tie them with string. put them into a stewpan close together; pour the gravy over them, and simmer them gently for ten minutes. dish them on a border of mashed potatoes. thicken the gravy with a little flour, and pour it over them. entrÉes. quenelles of veal. _ingredients_--  lb. of fillet of veal.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. gill of water. a few drops of lemon juice. eggs. seasoning. _method._--scrape the veal finely. melt the butter in a saucepan; mix in the flour. then add the water and cook well. put this panada into a mortar with the veal, eggs, lemon juice, and seasoning, and pound thoroughly. then rub through a wire sieve. shape the mixture somewhat like eggs with dessertspoons and a knife dipped in hot water. poach them gently in a greased frying-pan, or _sauté_ pan, for ten minutes. dish them on a border of mashed potatoes, and pour white sauce over them. garnish with chopped truffle and ham. cooked green peas, mushrooms, or other vegetables, may be placed in the centre. mutton cutlets à la macédoine. _ingredients_--part of best end of neck of mutton. egg. bread-crumbs.  oz. of clarified butter. seasoning. _method._--saw off the chine bone, and the ends of the rib bones, leaving the cutlet bone three inches in length. cut the cutlets with a bone to each, and beat them with a cutlet bat to about half an inch in thickness. trim them, and leave half an inch of the rib bone bare. season, egg and bread-crumb, and fry in clarified butter in a _sauté_ pan for five or seven minutes. dish on a border of mashed potatoes, put a _macédoine_ of vegetables in the centre, and pour brown sauce round them. mutton cutlets à la rachel. _ingredients_--some mutton cutlets. _foie gras._ brown sauce. _macédoine_ of vegetables. mashed potatoes. truffle. pigs' caul. _method._--plainly fry some mutton cutlets, coat one side of each cutlet with the _foie gras_, smoothing it with a knife dipped in hot water. lay a small piece of truffle on each cutlet and cover them with pigs' caul. put them on a baking-sheet in a moderate oven for about a quarter of an hour. dish them on a border of mashed potatoes. pour brown sauce round them, and put a _macédoine_ of vegetables in the middle. epigrammes. _ingredients_--the rib part, which was sawn off the mutton cutlets. egg and bread-crumbs. _method._--boil the mutton until the bones can be easily removed. press it, and, when cold, cut it into cutlets or other shapes. egg and bread-crumb twice, and fry in hot fat ( °) in a frying-basket. dish on a border of mashed potatoes, and pour brown sauce round them. any cooked vegetables can be put in the centre for a garnish. chicken croquettes. _ingredients_--  oz. of cooked chicken.  oz. of cooked ham.  oz. of butter. ¾ oz. of flour. gill of stock. ½ gill of cream. button mushrooms. a few drops of lemon juice. seasoning. pastry. _method._--mince the chicken, ham, and mushrooms. melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour. pour in the stock, and cook well. then add cream, lemon juice, and seasoning; lastly, the chicken, ham, and mushrooms. spread on a plate to cool. roll out some paste as thin as possible. cut into rounds. put a little of the mixture on each, and egg round the edges. fold them over, egg and bread-crumb the _croquettes_, and fry in a frying-basket in hot fat (_see_ french frying). garnish with fried parsley. veal cutlets à la talleyrand. _ingredients_-- or veal cutlets. ½ oz. butter. button mushrooms, chopped. small shalot, chopped. a teaspoonful of chopped parsley. the yolks of eggs. tablespoonfuls of cream. a few drops of lemon juice. gill of white sauce (_see_ sauces). some mashed potatoes. a few green peas. pepper and salt. _method._--fry the cutlets in the butter, sprinkling the mushroom, shalot, and parsley under and over them. when the cutlets are cooked, remove them from the pan and pour in the white sauce and cream. stir briskly over the fire. then add the yolks of the eggs; let them thicken in the sauce, but be careful not to curdle them. take the pan off the fire, and add the lemon juice and seasoning as required. dish the cutlets on a border of mashed potatoes. pour the sauce over them, and put a few nicely cooked peas, or other appropriate vegetables, in the middle. fillets of beef à la béarnaise. _ingredients_-- or nice little fillets. ½ oz. of butter. mashed potatoes. ½ pint of brown sauce (_see_ sauces), or good gravy. some good _béarnaise_ sauce (_see_ sauces). _method._--fry the fillets in the butter. dish them on a border of mashed potatoes. pour brown sauce or gravy round them, and put the _béarnaise_ sauce in the middle of the fillets. rabbits à la tartare. _ingredients_-- rabbit. some browned bread-crumbs. egg. ½ pint of tartare sauce (_see_ sauces). _method._--cut the rabbit into joints. dry them well. egg and bread-crumb them. put them on a greased baking-sheet, with pieces of butter on them. bake for half an hour, being careful not to dry them up too much. pour the sauce on a dish and pile up the rabbit in the middle of it. chicken à la tartare. proceed as in the foregoing recipe, substituting a chicken for a rabbit. pigeons stewed à l'italienne. _ingredients_-- pigeons. piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. pint of stock. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. bay leaf. if possible, or tomatoes. wineglass of sherry.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. some mashed potatoes. a _macédoine_ of vegetables. _method._--have the pigeons trussed as for stewing. cut them in two, and fry them in the butter. then remove the pigeons, and fry the vegetables. stir the flour, and when that is a little brown, pour in the stock or sherry. put in the pigeons and stew gently until they are tender. dish them in a circle on a border of mashed potatoes. strain the gravy over, and put a _macédoine_ of vegetables in the centre. croustards à la reine. _ingredients_--some puff pastry. a little _quenelle_ meat (_see_ quenelles of veal). gill of white sauce.  oz. of cold chicken minced.  oz. of cooked ham minced. or button mushrooms finely chopped. tablespoonfuls of cream. a little thick white sauce. ham or truffle for decoration. _method._--line some little tartlet tins with some puff paste, put a piece of dough in each, and bake them. mix the chicken, ham, and mushrooms with the white sauce and cream. add pepper and salt to taste. remove the paste cases from the tins, take the dough from the middle, and fill them with the chicken mixture. cover the top of each with the _quenelle_ meat spread like butter, put them into the oven for a few minutes to cook the _quenelle_ meat. when dishing them up, spread a little thick white sauce on the top of each, and ornament them with ham and truffle. sweetbreads à la béchamel. _ingredients_-- dozen lambs' heart sweetbreads. ¼ pint of veal stock.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. a small piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. sprig of parsley. tablespoonfuls of cream. a slice of lean ham. a few drops of lemon juice. some mashed potatoes. a few green peas nicely boiled. a little finely-chopped cooked ham. some parsley or truffle. pepper and salt. _method._--trim the sweetbreads, and soak them in cold water for two hours. then throw them into boiling water, and simmer them gently for five minutes. soak them again in cold water for twenty minutes. then put them in a stewpan with the stock, carrot, turnip, onion, parsley, and ham. simmer gently until the sweetbreads are quite tender. then remove them, and add to the stock the flour mixed thoroughly with butter. stir and boil well, to cook the flour. add the cream, lemon juice, and seasoning. strain the sauce through a fine strainer or tammy-cloth. dish the sweetbreads in a circle on a border of mashed potatoes. pour the sauce over them. put on each sweetbread a tiny pinch of finely-chopped parsley, ham, or truffle; or use all three, placing them alternately. the green peas should be put in the centre of the dish. braised sweetbreads. _ingredients_-- calves' sweetbreads. pint of strong second stock. a piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. bay leaf. some larding bacon. some carrots and turnips cut in fancy shapes. _method._--soak the sweetbreads in cold water for quite two hours. then put them in boiling water, and simmer them for ten minutes to make them firm. soak them again in cold water for twenty minutes, and then lard them nicely. put the vegetables, cut in pieces, in the bottom of a stewpan. lay the sweetbreads on them, and pour in the stock; it should come half way up the sweetbreads. cover them with buttered paper, and put the lid on the stewpan. simmer gently until the sweetbreads are tender. then put them on a baking-tin, and put them in the oven to brown. strain the stock they were cooked in into a large saucepan, and boil it rapidly down to a glaze. put the sweetbreads on a hot dish, and pour the glaze over. carrots and turnips may be cut in fancy shapes, and nicely boiled to garnish the dish. if preferred, the sweetbreads can be cooked without being larded; a slice of very thin bacon being laid on the top of each. if a proper braising-pan is used, the sweetbreads need not be browned in the oven. lambs' sweetbreads can be cooked the same way. one dozen will be wanted for a small dish. sweetbreads à la parisienne. _ingredients_-- dozen lambs' heart sweetbreads. pint of good second stock.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. a piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. sprig of parsley. dessertspoonful of mushroom catsup. wineglass of sherry. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. some mashed potatoes. green peas nicely cooked. _method._--trim the sweetbreads and soak them for two hours; throw them in boiling water, and simmer them gently for five minutes; then soak them in cold water for twenty minutes. simmer them in the stock until they are quite tender. then make the butter quite hot in a stewpan. fry the sweetbreads in it until nicely browned. remove them and fry the flour; then pour in the stock, and stir, and cook well; add the catsup, wine, and lemon juice. dish the sweetbreads on a border of mashed potatoes, and pour the same over them. put a garnish of nicely cooked green peas in the middle. minced sweetbread. _ingredients_--the remains of dressed sweetbreads. or mushrooms. enough stock to moisten nicely. teaspoonful of flour. a slice of cooked ham. a few drops of lemon juice.  oz. of butter. pepper and salt. _method._--mince the sweetbreads, mushrooms, and ham. melt the butter in a stewpan, and fry the mushrooms in it. put in the flour, and mix it smoothly with the butter. then put in the sweetbread and ham, and enough stock to mix nicely. add lemon juice, pepper, and salt, to taste. make it hot, and then put the mixture into oiled-paper cases. sprinkle over the top of each a few browned crumbs and put in the oven for a few minutes. fried sweetbread. _ingredients_-- dozen lambs' heart sweetbreads. pint of good stock.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. a few drops of lemon juice. if liked, ½ wineglass of sherry. eggs and bread-crumbs. some mashed potatoes and green peas. _method._--trim the sweetbreads, and soak them in cold water for two hours. then throw them into the boiling stock, and simmer them for half an hour or more until quite tender. if possible, let them get cold in the stock. then egg and bread-crumb them, and fry them in a frying basket in hot fat (_see_ french frying). to make a sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. mix in the flour smoothly, pour in the stock, and stir and cook well; add lemon juice, pepper, and salt to taste, and, if liked, a little sherry. dish the sweetbreads on the potatoes; pour the sauce round them, and put the peas in the centre. the sauce should be made before the sweetbreads are fried, that there may be no delay in serving. if calves' sweetbreads are used, proceed in the same way, cutting them in neat slices before frying. cutlets of veal with tomato sauce. _ingredients_--  lb. of fillet of veal. or  oz. of butter, or some of the fat skimmed from the stock-pot. pint of tomato sauce. ¼ lb. macaroni, nicely stewed in milk and seasoned with parmesan cheese. some mashed potatoes. uncooked tomato. _method._--cut the veal into neat little cutlets, and fry them nicely in the butter or skimming. dish them in a circle on a border of potatoes. pile the macaroni high in the middle. pour tomato sauce round, and garnish the macaroni with small strips of uncooked tomato. beef olives. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of thick beefsteak. some veal stuffing. ½ pint of stock.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. some mashed potatoes. a few carrots and turnips, cut in fancy shapes, and nicely cooked. _method._--cut the beef into thin strips, lay a little forcemeat on each, and roll them up. tie each roll with a little fine string. put them in a stewpan close together, and cover them with the stock. stew them gently for two or three hours until quite tender. then place them in a circle on a border of mashed potatoes. remove any fat from the stock, and stir in the butter and flour thoroughly mixed together. cook the flour well, and then add the lemon juice and seasoning. strain the sauce over the olives, and put the vegetables in the centre. veal à la béchamel. _ingredients_--  lb. of cold cooked veal. ¼ lb. of button mushrooms. ½ pint of _béchamel_ sauce. the yolks of eggs. some fried sippets of bread. _method._--cut the veal into large dice. clean the mushrooms and stew them in the sauce until tender. then add the yolks of two eggs well beaten. stir over the fire until they thicken, but on no account let the sauce _boil_, as that might curdle the eggs. last of all, put in the pieces of veal, and let the saucepan remain by the fire until they are thoroughly heated. serve garnished with fried sippets of bread. grenadines of veal. _ingredients_--  lb. of veal. some larding bacon. some good second stock. piece of carrot, turnip, onion. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. some nicely boiled green peas. _method._--cut the fillet into nice oval-shaped cutlets, about half an inch in thickness, and lard them. put the vegetables, cut in small pieces, at the bottom of the stewpan. lay the cutlets on them, and pour in sufficient stock to come half way up the cutlets. cover them with buttered paper, and put them on a slow fire to simmer gently until tender. then put them on a baking-tin in the oven to brown. strain the stock and boil it with a half-pint more to a strong glaze. dish the _grenadines_ on a border of mashed potatoes. pour a little glaze over each, and put the green peas in the middle. mayonnaise of fowl. cold entrée for suppers. _ingredients_-- fowls. ½ pint of _mayonnaise_ sauce. a cucumber. hard-boiled eggs. pint of aspic jelly. a beetroot. _method._--boil the fowls and cut them into neat joints. put them in a dish in a circle, the one leaning on the other. place in the middle a bunch of endive, and coat the pieces of chicken with _mayonnaise_ sauce. cut the hard-boiled eggs in quarters, and lay them round the chicken with slices of cucumber and beetroot, and garnish with a border of chopped aspic. veal cutlets. _ingredients_--  lb. of veal cutlet. egg and bread-crumbs.  oz. of clarified butter. ½ oz. of flour. ½ pint of nice stock. some mashed potatoes. _method._--beat the cutlet well to break the fibre of the meat, and then cut it into neat oval or round shapes. brush them with the egg and cover them with fine bread-crumbs. fry them in a cutlet-pan in the butter. when they are cooked pour some of the butter from the pan. stir in the flour smoothly. pour in the stock, and cook well. add pepper and salt and a few drops of lemon juice. dish the cutlets in a circle on a border of mashed potatoes. strain the gravy round them, and put some nice little rolls of bacon in the middle. to cook the bacon, cut it in thin slices; roll them, and put them on a skewer, they may be either toasted or baked. veal cutlets à l'italienne. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of fillet of veal. cut into neat cutlets.  oz. of butter. egg and bread-crumbs. some carrot and turnip, cut in fancy shapes and boiled. ½ pint of italian sauce. _method._--egg and bread-crumb the cutlets and fry them in the butter. dish them on a border of mashed potatoes. pour italian sauce over, and put the vegetables in the middle. make the italian sauce with the butter the cutlets are fried in. fillets of chicken. _ingredients_--some little fillets of chicken cut from the breast. some streaky bacon. ½ pint of _béchamel_ sauce, made with white stock. some mashed potatoes. _method._--lay the fillet on a greased baking-tin. cover with buttered paper and put them into a moderate oven for ten or fifteen minutes. dish them on a border of mashed potatoes. pour the sauce over and put little rolls of nicely cooked bacon in the middle. to cook the bacon, cut it into very thin strips and roll them, run a skewer through, and toast them before the fire. chicken à la marengo. _ingredients_-- chicken. ½ pint of second stock. tomatoes. piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. sprig of parsley, thyme, marjoram.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. a few drops of lemon juice. _method._--cut the chicken into neat joints and fry them in the butter. then remove them and fry the vegetables. add the flour and fry that. then pour in the stock; stir and boil for three minutes. then put in the chicken and the tomato, sliced. simmer for about thirty minutes, until the chicken is quite tender. then put the chicken on to an _entrée_ dish. add some lemon juice to the gravy, and strain over it. chicken à la cardinal. _ingredients_-- chicken. ½ pint of _béchamel_ sauce. ripe tomatoes. _method._--cut the chicken into joints and put them in a stewpan with the sauce and tomatoes, sliced. simmer gently until the chicken is quite tender. then place them on a hot _entrée_ dish and strain the sauce over them. kidneys and mushrooms. _ingredients_-- dozen medium sized mushrooms. sheep's kidneys. pint of second stock.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. tablespoonfuls of cream. a few drops of lemon juice. _method._--peel the mushrooms, cut off the stalks, and wash them. wipe the kidneys and slice them, put them in a stewpan with the stock and mushrooms. simmer them gently for thirty minutes or more, until quite tender. mix the butter and flour very smoothly, stir them in and boil for about three minutes. add the cream and let it boil, season to taste, and squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice. curried rabbit. _ingredients_-- apple. onion. dessertspoonfuls of curry powder. ½ pint of second stock. tablespoonfuls of cream.  oz. of butter. dessertspoonfuls of flour. salt. a few drops of lemon juice. _method._--cut the rabbit into neat joints and fry them in the butter. then remove them and fry the onion and apple, sliced. mix the curry powder and flour smoothly with the stock. put it into a stewpan; stir and boil three minutes. put in the rabbit and add the onion and apple, which should be rubbed through a hair sieve. simmer gently for thirty minutes or more, until the rabbit is tender. add the cream and let it boil in the sauce. squeeze in the lemon juice and add salt. if a dry curry is liked, remove the rabbit when tender, and boil and reduce the sauce to half the quantity, leaving only sufficient to coat the pieces of rabbit well. serve nicely cooked rice with the curry (_see_ rice for curry). curried chicken. make according to the directions in the preceding recipe, using white stock or boiled milk. mutton cutlets à la milanaise. _ingredients_-- or more mutton cutlets. eggs, white bread-crumbs.  oz. parmesan cheese, grated. a little boiled macaroni. ½ pint brown sauce. some mashed potatoes.  oz. clarified butter, or the fat skimming of the stock-pot. _method._--trim the cutlets neatly. brush them with egg and cover them with bread-crumbs mixed with  oz. of the grated cheese. fry them for about five minutes in a cutlet pan. dish them on a border of mashed potatoes and put some nicely-cooked macaroni in the centre with  oz. of grated cheese. pour the brown sauce round them and serve very hot. chaud-froid chicken. cold entrée for suppers and luncheons. _ingredients_--the best joints of chickens. pint of _béchamel_ sauce. ¼ oz. of swinborne's or nelson's gelatine. some aspic jelly. endive and lettuce. _method._--melt the gelatine and mix it with the sauce. coat the pieces of chicken carefully with it, giving them each two coats if they require it. when the sauce is firm, place them in a circle on an _entrée_ dish. put some lettuce, nicely mixed with salad dressing, in the centre, and garnish prettily with the endive. a border of aspic jelly should be placed round the chicken. if liked, the chicken may be decorated with truffle or ham. rissoles of game. _ingredients_--some scraps of cold game. some very stiff second stock. lemon juice, pepper, salt. egg and bread-crumbs. _method._--mince the game finely. melt the stock and moisten the game well with it. add pepper and salt, and a few drops of lemon juice. spread the mixture on a plate to get cold. when cold it will be quite firm. mould it into balls or egg shapes. cover them with egg and bread-crumbs, and fry them in hot fat (_see_ french frying). serve on a folded napkin, and garnish with fried parsley. podovies. _ingredients_--some cooked beef, minced finely. a little thick gravy, lemon juice. a little pastry. pepper and salt. some crushed vermicelli and one or two eggs. _method._--mix the beef with the gravy; season it with pepper and salt. roll out the pastry as thin as possible. cut it into rounds with a good-sized cutter. brush the edges of the rounds with beaten egg, and put a little of the minced meat in the middle of each. fold them over, pressing the edges well together. cover with the egg, and then with the vermicelli. drop them into hot fat (_see_ french frying) and fry them a golden brown. as they will rise to the top of the fat, it will be necessary to keep them under with a wire basket or spoon. dish on a folded napkin and garnish with fried parsley. fish cookery. to boil fish. be very careful that the fish is thoroughly cleansed, then place it on the fish-strainer, and tie a cloth, or piece of muslin, over it. (this is to prevent any scum settling on the fish to disfigure it, or spoil its colour.) immerse it in boiling water, to which two tablespoonfuls of salt, and two of vinegar, have been added; boil it for three minutes to set the albumen on the outside, and so form a casing to keep in the juices and flavour of the fish. then draw the kettle to the side of the fire and simmer gently until the fish is cooked. for a thick piece of fish, six minutes to each pound, and six minutes over, is the time usually allowed; but no hard-and-fast rule can be laid down, as the time it will take to cook depends on the size and shape, as well as on the weight of the fish. when the fish is cooked, it will have an opaque appearance; and on being pulled, will leave the bone readily. care must be taken to cook it sufficiently but not to over-boil it. under-done fish is very unpleasant, while over-cooked fish is flavourless, and breaks to pieces. salt fish is put into lukewarm water for the purpose of drawing out some of the salt, and must be simmered until tender. mackerel should also be put into lukewarm water, as the skin is very tender, and boiling water would break it. when the fish is cooked, remove the cloth, or muslin, and place the strainer across the kettle that the fish may get well drained. cover it with a hot cover, and leave it in that position for a few minutes. then dish, on a folded napkin; or on a strainer, if sauce is poured over it. garnish tastefully, and serve with an appropriate sauce. small cod, or salmon, if boiled whole, should be trussed in the form of the letter s. baked fish. the oven should be kept at a moderate heat, that the fish may not be dried up. small fish may be cooked with great advantage in the oven, if carefully covered with buttered paper, which will keep them moist, and prevent any baked flavour. fried fish. small fish, such as whiting, smelts, &c., are generally fried whole. larger fish, such as cod and salmon, are fried in the shape of cutlets. fish to be fried, must be covered with egg and crumbs, or batter. a stewpan, half full of fat, and not a frying-pan, should be used for the purpose (_see_ french frying), except in the case of the sole; and for that, the new fish-fryer, with a wire strainer, is far better than the old-fashioned pan. the bread-crumbs, for fish, should be prepared by rubbing stale bread through a wire sieve. boiled turbot. boil it according to the directions for boiling fish. it usually takes from half an hour to an hour, according to its size. it should be dished on a folded napkin, with the white side uppermost; and garnished with cut lemon, parsley, and coral. serve with it lobster, shrimp, or anchovy sauce. boiled brill. this fish is cooked like turbot; garnished in the same way, and served with the same sauces. boiled salmon. boil according to the directions given for boiling fish. truss a small salmon in the form of the letter s. dish on a folded napkin; and garnish with parsley and coral. serve with lobster, shrimp, anchovy, or tartare sauce. boiled cod. boil according to directions given for boiling fish. a small piece is often served with thick egg-sauce poured over it, and garnished with the yolk of an egg rubbed through a wire sieve. salt cod, haddock, plaice, and any fish, may be boiled according to directions given for boiling fish, and served with egg, anchovy, or any other appropriate sauce. curried fish. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of cold boiled fish. small onion. small apple. ½ pint of second stock. a few drops of lemon juice.  oz. of butter. dessertspoonful of curry powder. dessertspoonful of flour. salt. _method._--slice the onion and apple; fry them in the butter, and then rub them through a hair sieve. mix the flour and curry powder smoothly with the stock. stir over the fire and boil well. then add the onion, apple, lemon juice, and salt. break the fish into pieces, and remove the bones. put it into the sauce, and let it warm through. serve with a border of rice round it. kedgeree. _ingredients_--the remains of cooked fish. an equal quantity of boiled rice. hard-boiled eggs. a little butter. pepper and salt. _method._--break the fish into flakes, removing all the bones. melt a little butter in a saucepan. put in the rice, fish, and the whites of the eggs cut small, pepper and salt. stir over the fire until quite hot. heap it on a hot dish in the form of a pyramid, and sprinkle over it the yolks of the eggs, rubbed through a wire sieve. baked herrings. _ingredients_--a few herrings. browned bread-crumbs. a little butter or dripping. parsley. _method._--split open the herrings, and remove the back-bone. roll them up, and place them with their roes on a greased baking-sheet. cover them with greased paper, and put them into a moderate oven for ten or fifteen minutes until cooked. place the rolls on a folded napkin, and sprinkle some brown bread-crumbs in a straight line on each. garnish with the roes and sprigs of parsley. herrings baked in vinegar. _ingredients_--a few herrings. dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. small onion. vinegar. pepper and salt. _method._--grease a pie-dish, and put some herrings at the bottom. sprinkle them with the parsley and onion finely chopped, and the pepper and salt. put another layer of herrings on the top, and sprinkle them similarly. proceed in the same way until the dish is full. cover them with vinegar. place over them a dish, and bake in a slow oven for three or four hours. herrings cooked in this way are used cold. smelts fried. _ingredients_--smelts. egg. bread-crumbs. parsley. _method._--dry the smelts well, and fix their tails in their mouths. cover them with egg and bread-crumbs, and fry them a golden brown in a frying-basket in hot fat (_see_ french frying). garnish with fried parsley, and serve with melted butter or other suitable sauce. smelts au gratin. _ingredients_--some smelts. a few button mushrooms. shalot. sprig of parsley. lemon juice. pepper and salt. browned bread crumbs. glaze. _method._--lay the smelts on a greased baking-sheet. sprinkle under and over them the parsley, shalot, and mushrooms, finely chopped, with lemon juice, pepper, and salt. cover them with browned bread-crumbs, and put little bits of butter over them. bake them in a moderate oven for seven or ten minutes. put them on a hot dish, and pour melted glaze over them. ling and hake. these two fish may be cooked according to any of the recipes given for dressing cod. salmon à la tartare. _ingredients_--a piece of salmon. some tartare sauce. chopped parsley. coral. _method._--boil the salmon carefully according to the directions given for boiling fish. garnish with coral and parsley, and serve with tartare sauce (_see_ sauces). if the salmon is served cold, the tartare sauce is poured over it. if hot, it is served in a sauce-boat. a slice of salmon is frequently grilled, and served with tartare sauce. pickled salmon. _ingredients_--some boiled salmon. dozen peppercorns. saltspoonfuls of salt. bay leaves. equal quantities of vinegar and the liquor the fish was boiled in. _method._--lay the salmon in a deep pan or pie-dish. boil the fish liquor, vinegar, and other ingredients for a quarter of an hour. let it get cold, and then pour over the salmon, which should be allowed to remain in the pickle until the next day. whitebait. _ingredients_--whitebait. flour. _method._--put plenty of oil or fat into a stewpan, and make it hot (_see_ french frying). the heat of the fat for whitebait should be °. have a good heap of flour on a cloth. as soon as the fat is hot, throw the whitebait into the flour, and, taking the cloth by each end, shake the whitebait rapidly until they are well floured. turn them quickly into a frying-basket. shake the basket well for the loose flour to drop off, and throw the whitebait into the fat for a minute. as soon as they rise to the surface, remove them with a fish-slice, and drain them on kitchen paper. serve them with brown bread and butter, and slices of lemon. oyster patties. _ingredients_-- patty cases. ½ dozen oysters.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. ¼ pint of milk. ¼ pint of cream. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. a little cayenne. _method._--beard the oysters, and cut off the hard white part; cut each oyster in two. strain the oyster liquor through muslin. put the beards into the milk, and simmer them in it to extract the flavour. then melt the butter in a saucepan, and mix in the flour smoothly. strain in the milk, and add the oyster liquor. stir and cook well. then add the cream, and let it boil in the sauce. lastly, add the pepper, salt, cayenne, and the oysters. fill the patty cases with the mixture. put the lid on each, and decorate with powdered lobster coral. serve hot or cold. scalloped oysters. _ingredients_--some oysters. a little butter, and bread-crumbs. _method._--grease some scallop shells, and place on each two or three oysters. cover them with broad-crumbs, and put a little piece of butter on each. brown them in a quick oven, and serve very hot. scalloped oysters à la française. _ingredients_-- ½ dozen oysters.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. ¼ pint of milk. tablespoonfuls of cream. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. some bread crumbs. _method._--beard the oysters, and cut them in two. strain the oyster liquor through muslin. simmer the beards in the milk. melt the butter in a small stewpan, and mix in the flour smoothly. strain in the milk, add the oyster liquor, stir, and cook well. then add the cream, and let it boil in the sauce. lastly, add lemon juice, pepper, salt, cayenne, and oysters. grease some scallop shells, and sprinkle them with bread-crumbs. fill them with the mixture, and sprinkle some more crumbs over them. brown in a quick oven. serve on a folded napkin, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon. mackerel à la normande. _ingredients_-- dessertspoonful of bread-crumbs. mackerel. half a shalot, chopped finely. teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. ¼ teaspoonful dried and powdered herbs. ¼ oz. of butter or dripping. pepper and salt. _method._--split open the mackerel, and remove the back-bones as cleanly as possible. grease a baking-tin, and lay one of the mackerel, skin downwards, on it. mix the herbs, parsley, shalot, and bread-crumbs together with pepper and salt, and sprinkle them over the fish. lay the other mackerel on the top, with the skin uppermost. put little bits of butter or dripping about it, and bake from ten minutes to a quarter of an hour. for serving, sprinkle over a few brown bread-crumbs. haddock stuffed. _ingredients_-- haddock. tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs. dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. teaspoonful of dried and powdered herbs. pepper and salt. part of an egg, or a little milk, to bind the stuffing. _method._--mix the crumbs, parsley, herbs, pepper and salt, with the egg or milk. put the stuffing in the haddock, and fasten it with a small skewer. then truss it with string, or two skewers, in the form of the letter s. place it on a greased baking-tin; and put a few pieces of butter or dripping on it. bake it in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes. to serve, place it on a dish and remove the skewers. garnish with parsley. cutlets of cod. _ingredients_--the tail of a cod. egg. bread-crumbs. pepper and salt. _method._--cut the tail of a cod into neat cutlets. season them with pepper and salt, and cover them with egg and bread-crumbs. fry them in a frying-basket in hot fat (_see_ french frying). serve on a folded napkin, and garnish with fried parsley. cutlets of cod à l'italienne. _ingredients_--the tail of a cod. a little butter. lemon juice. pepper and salt. some italian sauce. _method._--divide the cod into neat cutlets. place them on a greased baking-sheet. sprinkle over them a few drops of lemon juice, pepper, and salt, and cover them with buttered paper. bake them in a moderate oven from ten to twelve minutes. dish them in a circle, and pour over them some italian sauce (_see_ sauces). garnish with coral and truffle. cutlets of cod à la genoise. cook some cod cutlets as in preceding recipe, and serve with genoise sauce (_see_ sauces). garnish with coral and truffle. cod with tomatoes. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of cod cutlets. or tomatoes. tablespoonful of vinegar. cayenne pepper and salt. _method._--rub the tomatoes through a hair sieve. then put the _purée_ thus obtained into a saucepan, and lay the pieces of cod in it. there should be enough tomato _purée_ to cover the cod. simmer gently until the cod is tender. add the vinegar and seasoning, dish in a circle, and pour the tomato over. cod fricassee. _ingredients_--some boiled cod, either hot or cold. plain white sauce (_see_ sauces). hard-boiled eggs. _method._--break the fish into flakes. make the sauce quite hot. put the fish into it, and warm it through. there should be just enough sauce to moisten the cod. heap it in a pyramid shape on a hot dish. garnish it with rings cut from the hard-boiled eggs. sprinkle over the top of the cod the yolks rubbed through a wire sieve or strainer. cod sounds boiled. _ingredients_--some cod sounds; milk; water. béchamel sauce. pepper and salt. _method._--soak the sounds in water for about six hours. then boil them in milk and water for half an hour or more until quite tender. cut them in pieces about two inches square, and make them hot in some _béchamel_ sauce. pile them on a dish in the form of a pyramid, with slices of hard-boiled egg, cut lemon, and parsley. marinaded cod sounds. _ingredients_--cod sounds. milk. water. oil. vinegar. shalot. parsley. pepper and salt. butter. _method._--soak the cod sounds in water for about six hours, and then boil them in milk and water until tender. cut them in pieces an inch and a half square. mix together equal quantities of oil and vinegar, and add to them a shalot and some parsley, very finely chopped; pepper, and salt. steep the sounds in the _marinade_. just before serving, dip each one in _kromesky_ batter, and fry in hot fat (_see_ french frying). dish in a circle, and pour over them some piquant sauce. decorate with truffle and coral. cod stuffed and baked. _ingredients_--a thick slice from the middle of the cod. some veal stuffing. browned bread-crumbs. _method._--fasten the stuffing securely in the cod. place it on a greased baking-sheet, and cover it with browned crumbs. place small pieces of butter or dripping about it, and bake it in a moderate oven for about half an hour, basting occasionally. serve with cut lemon, and garnish with parsley. note.--a small cod may be stuffed and cooked like a haddock. plaice. this fish may be boiled, baked, or fried. fried fillets of plaice. fillet the plaice by cutting down the centre of the fish with a sharp knife and removing the flesh from either side. egg and bread-crumb the fillets, and fry in hot fat (_see_ french frying). drain on kitchen paper, serve on a folded napkin, and garnish with fried parsley. fried fillets of sole. prepare like the fillets of plaice, with the exception that the sole should be skinned before it is filleted. fish croquettes. _ingredients_--  lb. of cooked fish (haddock, cod, ling, or hake are the best for the purpose).  oz. of butter. or eggs. pepper and salt. some white crumbs. parsley.  lb. of boiled potatoes. _method._--rub the potatoes through a sieve. break the fish into flakes, removing the bones. mix the fish and potatoes together; blend them thoroughly with the butter, pepper, salt, and a well-beaten egg. form the mixture into balls or cakes. egg and bread-crumb them, and fry them in hot fat (_see_ french frying). serve on a folded napkin, and garnish with fried parsley. fish pudding. make a mixture of fish and potatoes as in preceding recipe. put it on a dish that will stand the heat of the oven, and mould it into the form of a fish. bake for half an hour. halibut. this fish may be cooked and served like cod or turbot. red mullets à l'italienne. _ingredients_-- or red mullets. dessertspoonfuls of mushroom catsup. a little butter. lemon juice. pepper and salt. some italian sauce. _method._--lay the mullets in a well-buttered baking-sheet; moisten them with the catsup, and sprinkle with lemon juice, pepper, and salt. put some little bits of butter over them. bake in a moderate oven for a quarter of an hour or more until cooked. lay them on a hot dish. mix the liquor from the mullets with some italian sauce (_see_ sauces), and pour over. garnish with truffle and coral. red mullets à la genoise. _ingredients_--red mullets. ½ glass of port. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper. some genoise sauce. a little butter. _method._--lay the mullets on a well-greased baking-sheet. moisten them with the port wine and lemon juice, and put little bits of butter about them. bake them in a moderate oven until cooked. lay them on a hot dish. mix the liquor from the mullets with the genoise sauce, and pour over them. red mullet in cases. _ingredients_-- red mullets. dozen button mushrooms. dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. shalots. lemon-juice. pepper and salt. salad oil. _method._--chop the shalots and mushrooms, and mix them with the parsley. oil some pieces of foolscap paper. lay the mullets on them; sprinkle over them the parsley, mushroom, shalot, lemon juice, pepper and salt. fold them in the cases, and cook on a well-greased baking-sheet, in a moderate oven, for about twenty or thirty minutes. boiled whiting. fasten the tail in the mouth of each whiting, and lay them on a fish strainer. put them into boiling water, with salt in it, and cook them gently for five minutes or more. dish on a folded napkin, and garnish with parsley, coral, and cut lemon. serve with them _maître d'hôtel_, _béchamel_, italian, genoise, or any other suitable sauce. fried whiting. _ingredients_--some whiting. egg. bread-crumbs. parsley. lemon juice. _method._--skin the whiting, and fasten the tail in the mouth. dry them well with a cloth. egg and bread-crumb them, and fry them in a frying-basket, in hot fat (_see_ french frying). drain them on kitchen paper, and dish on a folded napkin. garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon. _béchamel_, lobster, shrimp, italian, genoise, or any other suitable sauce, may be served with them. whiting à l'italienne. _ingredients_--whiting. lemon-juice. pepper and salt. a little butter. italian sauce. _method._--skin and fillet the whiting. lay the fillets on a well-buttered baking-sheet. sprinkle with lemon-juice, pepper and salt, and cover them with buttered paper. cook them in a moderate oven, from seven to ten minutes. dish in a circle, and pour italian sauce over. garnish with truffle and coral. whiting à la genoise. prepare the whiting as in preceding receipt, substituting genoise for italian sauce. lobster cutlets. _ingredients_-- hen lobster. ½ oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. gill of cold water. tablespoonfuls of cream. a few drops of lemon juice. cayenne. pepper and salt. some spawn or coral. egg and bread-crumbs. parsley. _method._--remove the flesh from the body of the lobster, and cut it up. pound the coral in a mortar, with half an ounce of butter, and rub it through a hair sieve. (if spawn is used it need not be pounded.) melt  oz. of butter in a stewpan. mix in the flour; add the water; stir until it thickens. then add the coral, and butter, and cook well. next the cream, lemon juice, cayenne, pepper, salt, and lastly the chopped lobster. spread the mixture on a plate to cool. when cool, shape into cutlets. egg and bread-crumb, and fry in hot fat in a frying-basket. put a piece of the feeler in each, to represent a bone. garnish with fried parsley. lobster cutlets in aspic. shape some of the lobster-cutlet mixture into cutlets. roll in dried and powdered coral, and put a piece of feeler in each. pour a little aspic jelly into a clean yorkshire-pudding tin, or frying-pan. when set, lay the cutlets on it, and pour in, gently, enough aspic to cover them. when firm, cut them out with a border of aspic to each, and serve on chopped aspic. fried sole. _ingredients_--a sole. egg. bread-crumbs. parsley. _method._--remove the dark skin, and notch the other, here and there, with a knife. dry the sole well in a floured cloth. brush over with egg, and cover with bread-crumbs. flatten them on with a broad-bladed knife, and fry the sole a golden brown in hot fat (for heat of fat _see_ french frying). a fish-fryer, or a deep frying-pan, should be used for the purpose; and there should be sufficient fat to cover the sole, so that it will not require turning. when cooked, drain on kitchen paper. dish on a folded napkin. garnish with fried parsley. sole à la parisienne. _ingredients_-- sole. wineglass of sherry. ½ pint of good second stock. a few drops of lemon juice. teaspoonful of harvey's sauce. teaspoonful of anchovy sauce. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--remove the dark skin, and notch the other with a knife. lay the sole in a baking-pan, and pour over it the stock and sherry. cover with a dish, and bake for twenty or thirty minutes in a moderate oven. place it on a hot dish. boil the stock rapidly down to half the quantity. add to it the sauces, lemon juice, and seasoning, and pour it over the sole. fillets of sole à la rouennaise. _ingredients_-- or more soles. lemon juice. lobster-cutlet mixture. some white sauce. chopped truffle. _method._--remove both skins from the soles, and fillet them. spread some of the lobster-cutlet mixture on the half of each fillet, and fold over. place on a greased baking-sheet; sprinkle over lemon juice and salt, and cover with buttered paper. bake in a moderate oven for about twelve minutes. dish in a circle, and pour over white sauce, mixed with chopped truffle. fillets of sole à la maître d'hôtel. _ingredients_--fillets of sole. lemon juice and salt. _method._--roll or fold the fillets, and cook like the sole _à la rouennaise_. cover them with the same sauce as in the last recipe, using chopped parsley instead of truffle. sole au gratin. _ingredients_-- sole. dessertspoonful of chopped parsley. chopped shalot. chopped button mushrooms. lemon juice. pepper and salt. ½ oz. of butter. brown bread-crumbs. _method._--grease a dish that will stand the heat of the oven. sprinkle on it half of the parsley, shalot, and mushroom, with lemon juice, pepper, and salt. lay the sole on the mixture, and sprinkle the remainder of the parsley, &c., over it. cover with brown bread-crumbs, and put half an ounce of butter about it, in small pieces. bake from ten to fifteen minutes, according to size, and serve-with glaze poured round it. gurnets baked. _ingredients_-- or more gurnets. some veal stuffing, omitting the suet. a little stock. ½ wineglass of sherry. or dessertspoonfuls of mushroom catsup. some brown sauce. pepper and salt. _method._--remove the head and fins of the gurnets, and stuff them with veal stuffing, fastening it in with small skewers. lay them on a well-buttered baking-tin, and pour over them the stock, sherry, and catsup. bake them in a moderate oven until cooked. then place them on a hot dish, mix the liquor from them with the sauce and pour over. stewed eels. _ingredients_--  lb. of eels. pint of stock. wineglass of port. tablespoonful of flour. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper. salt. cayenne.  oz. of butter. _method._--cut the eels in pieces about ½ inches long. fry them brown in the butter. then put them in a stewpan with the stock. stew gently, until tender. then remove them from the stock, and put them in a hot dish. thicken the stock with the flour. add the wine, lemon juice, and seasoning. pour over the eels, and serve very hot. pastry. few people are successful in making pastry. yet, with a little practice, there is no reason why any one should not make it with some degree of perfection, if the following rules are carefully attended to. make the pastry in a cool place, not in a hot kitchen. the board, rolling-pin, and hands should be as cold as possible. handle it very lightly. the colder pastry is kept during making, the lighter it will be, because it will contain more air; cold air occupies a much less space than warm. the colder the air, the greater, consequently, will be its expansion when the pastry is put into a very hot oven. roll the paste lightly, and not more than necessary. puff paste is a kind of fine sandwich. there should be a certain number of layers of dough and layers of butter. take care, therefore, that the butter is not allowed to break through the dough; and be _very careful to follow_ the directions given for making this pastry. its manufacture requires patience, because, if it is not properly cooled between the turns, the friction of rolling will warm the butter, and cause it to smear into the dough. for short crust, rub the butter or fat lightly into the flour with the tips of the fingers; and do not use more water than necessary in mixing it. this is a common mistake; and too much water deprives the paste of its shortness. short paste is the best for children and persons of weak digestion; the flour in it being more thoroughly incorporated with the fat, gets better cooked. it is, therefore, capable of more perfect mastication than puff or flaky crust, both of which are liable to be swallowed in flakes. however well pastry is made, success will not be attained unless the oven is rightly heated. the very lightest crusts will often be totally spoiled in the baking because this important point is not attended to. if the oven is not very hot, the fat will melt and run out of the pastry before the starch grains in the flour burst; consequently, they cannot afterwards expand, however hot the oven may be made; and in this way the paste will become heavy. take great care, therefore, that the oven is very hot when the paste is put into it. watch the paste carefully that it does not take too dark a colour. when it is well thrown up and nearly cooked, it may be removed to a more moderately heated part of the oven if it should appear to be browning too quickly. ovens in which the heat comes from the bottom are decidedly the best for either cakes or pastry; but no one should expect to bake well in an oven they do not thoroughly understand. there is so much difference in ovens, that the hottest part of one may be the coolest in another. to bake well requires practice and experience, and no one should be discouraged by a few failures. puff paste. _ingredients_--equal quantities of vienna flour and butter. a few drops of lemon juice. enough water to mix the flour into a nice lithe dough. _method._--rub the flour through a wire sieve. make a well in the middle, and squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice. mix very gradually with very cold water, taking care that the dough is not too stiff. then knead and work well about until quite smooth. set it aside for a few minutes to get quite cold. squeeze the butter in a cloth to press out the water. roll out the dough, and place the butter, flattened to a third of its size, in the middle. then fold the dough from either side over it, pressing the edges together. turn it with its edges toward you, and roll out very gently (care must be taken that the butter does not break through the dough). fold it again in three, and put it aside to cool for quite a quarter of an hour. the colder it is kept the better. then turn its edges towards you, and roll it out again; fold evenly in three, and roll and fold again in the same manner; each roll and fold is called a turn. cool the paste for another quarter of an hour. then give it two more turns. let it cool again; and at the seventh roll it will probably be ready for use. it is, however, wise to bake a small piece of the paste before using the whole quantity. if the maker has a very light hand it sometimes happens that eight or even nine turns may be necessary to roll the butter sufficiently into the flour. patty cases. roll the puff paste, when ready, to rather more than a quarter of an inch in thickness. take a fluted cutter about the size of a tumbler. dip it in very hot water, and cut the paste into rounds with it. mark the middle of these rounds with a cutter about three sizes smaller. roll out the remains of the paste to half the thickness of the patties. stamp out some rounds for covers with a fluted cutter two sizes smaller than that used for the cases. put the cases and covers on a baking-tin, and bake in a quick oven for ten or fifteen minutes. when cooked, lift the lid and scrape out the soft inside carefully. good short crust. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. ¾ lb. of butter. enough cold water to mix rather stiffly. a pinch of salt. _method._--rub the butter into the flour until like fine bread-crumbs. mix with cold water, using as little as possible (if too much is used the crust will not be short). roll gently to make the paste bind. if this paste is used for tarts, add one dessertspoonful of castor sugar to the flour. plainer short crust. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. ¼ lb. of butter. ¼ lb. of lard. teaspoonful of baking powder. water enough to bind. _method._--make according to directions given in preceding recipe. economical short crust. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. ½ lb. of clarified dripping or lard. teaspoonful of baking powder. enough water to mix. to make this crust still plainer, a quarter of a pound only of clarified dripping or lard may be taken, and three good teaspoonfuls of baking powder. _method._--make according to the directions for short crust. flaky crust. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. ½ lb. of butter or dripping. a pinch of salt. enough cold water to mix the paste. _method._--rub one half of the butter into the flour, as for short crust. mix with the water, and roll it out very thinly. put the remainder in little pieces on the paste. fold in three, and then in three again. roll out to the size required. rough puff paste. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. ½ lb. of butter, lard, or dripping. salt. cold water. _method._--break the fat into the flour in pieces. add a pinch of salt. mix with a little cold water. turn on to a board. roll and fold four times. flaky bread crust. _ingredients_--  lb. of bread dough. some butter, lard, or dripping. _method._--roll out the dough very thin, and spread with the fat. fold in two. spread again with fat. fold in two, and spread once more with fat. fold again, and set aside for one hour. then roll out and use. beef-steak pie. _ingredients_--  lb. of nice beef-steak. ½ lb. of bullock's kidney.  lb. of flaky or rough puff paste. tablespoonful of flour. ½ pint of water. pepper and salt. _method._--roll the paste to a quarter of an inch in thickness. invert the pie-dish, and cut the paste to the size and shape of the under side of it. roll out the remainder, and cut a band one inch wide. wet the edge of the pie-dish, and place this round it. cut the beef into thin strips. dip them in flour, and season with pepper and salt. roll each of the strips round a tiny piece of fat. put them into the pie-dish alternately with pieces of kidney. raise them in the middle of the dish in a dome-like form, and pour in the water. wet the edges of the paste lining of the dish, and lay the cover over. press the edges lightly together, and trim round with a knife. make a hole in the middle of the paste to let the gases from the meat escape. brush the crust with beaten egg, and decorate with leaves cut from the trimmings. bake for about two hours. the pie should be put into a quick oven until the pastry is cooked; the heat must then be moderated to cook the meat thoroughly without drying up the pastry. if possible, finish cooking the meat on the top of the oven. some people prefer stewing the meat before using it in the pie. if this is done, it must be allowed to get cold before the pie is made. it is an improvement to the pie to put layers of oysters, bearded, alternately with the rolls of beef. rabbit pie. _ingredients_-- rabbit. ¼ lb. of salt pork.  lb. of rough puff or flaky paste. ½ pint of water. hard-boiled eggs. pepper and salt. _method._--prepare the paste as for beef-steak pie, lining the dish in the same manner. cut the rabbit into neat joints. season them with pepper and salt. put them in the pie-dish alternately with the pork. pour in the water, and cover with the paste. brush over with beaten egg, and decorate with paste leaves. make a hole in the middle of the crust for the gases to escape. bake for about an hour, attending to directions given for baking beef-steak pie. mince pies. _ingredients_--puff and other pastry. mincemeat. castor sugar. white of egg. the mincemeat. _ingredients_--  lb. of suet.  lb. of apples.  lb. of sugar.  lb. of currants.  lb. of raisins.  lb. of candied peel. the grated rind of lemons. ¼ lb. of ratafias soaked in brandy. _method._--chop the suet. wash and dry the currants. stone and cut the raisins in halves. peel, core, and mince the apples. chop the candied peel. mix all the ingredients well together. put them into a stone jar; cover closely and keep for a month. to make the pies. roll the paste out, and stamp it into rather large rounds with a fluted cutter dipped in hot water. lay half the rounds on patty pans. wet the edges of the pastry, and put some mincemeat into the middle of each round. cover with the remaining rounds, pressing the edges lightly together. to glaze, brush them with a little white of egg, and dust with castor sugar. bake in a quick oven for ten or fifteen minutes. mushroom pie. _ingredients_--puff, flaky, or short crust. mushrooms. boiled potatoes. butter. pepper and salt. _method._--roll out the paste, and prepare a pie-dish as for beef-steak pie. mash the potatoes with butter, pepper, and salt. peel the mushrooms, and cut off the ends of the stalks. put the potatoes and mushrooms in alternate layers in the pie-dish. cover with the paste, and finish off and decorate like a beef-steak pie. bake in a quick oven for about three quarters of an hour. pigeon pie. _ingredients_-- pigeons.  lb. of rump-steak. yolks of hard-boiled eggs. pepper and salt. some puff or other paste made with  lb. of flour. _method._--prepare the pie-dish, and roll out the paste as for beef-steak pie. draw the pigeons, and cut them in halves. cut the steak into thin strips, the way of the grain. season the steak and pigeons nicely, and put them into the pie-dish with the hard-boiled yolks. pour in the water. cover with the paste, and finish like a beef-steak pie. wash and clean the legs of two of the pigeons, and stick them in the hole in the top of the pie. bake for about an hour and a half. veal-and-ham pie. _ingredients_--  lb. of veal cutlet. ½ lb. of ham. hard-boiled eggs. dessertspoonful of chopped parsley. lemon. pepper and salt. some puff, flaky, or other pastry, made with  lb. of flour. _method._--roll out the paste, and prepare the dish as for beef-steak pie. cut the veal and ham into neat pieces. season them well, and sprinkle them with the parsley and lemon juice. put them into the pie-dish with the eggs cut in halves. pour in the water. cover with paste, and decorate like a beef-steak pie. bake for about two hours. cornish pasties. _ingredients_--some plain short crust. equal quantities of beef-steak or beef-skirt and potatoes. onion, finely chopped. pepper and salt. _method._--cut the meat and potatoes into small dice, and mix them with the onion, pepper, and salt. roll out the pastry. stamp it into rather large rounds with the lid of a small saucepan. wet round the edges of the paste, and place a small heap of meat and potatoes in the middle of each round. double the paste, bringing the edges to the top. goffer round them with the fingers to form a frill. place the pasties on a greased baking-sheet, and bake in a quick oven from half an hour to an hour. sausage rolls. _ingredients_--some puff or flaky crust. sausages. egg. _method._--parboil the sausages. skin them, cut them in halves, and let them cool. roll out the paste; cut it into squares. brush the edges with beaten egg. lay a half sausage on each piece of paste, and roll the paste round it, pressing the edges together. brush the rolls with beaten egg. lay them on a greased baking-sheet. bake in a quick oven for fifteen or twenty minutes. apple tart. _ingredients_--  lb. of apples.  oz. of moist sugar. some pastry. cloves or the grated rind of a small lemon. ¼ pint of water. _method._--make some pastry according to directions given for short crust (the quantity made from ¾ lb. of flour will be sufficient). roll out the paste in an oval shape to a quarter of an inch in thickness. invert a pint pie-dish, lay the paste over it, and cut it the size and shape of the under side of the dish. roll out the remaining pieces, and cut in strips about one inch wide. wet the edges of the pie-dish, and lay them evenly round it. peel, core, and quarter the apples. put them into the pie-dish, mixing them with the sugar. pile them up well in the middle of the dish, pressing them to an oval shape with the hands. pour in the water, and sprinkle over the lemon rind or cloves. wet the edges of the pastry, lining the dish, and put over the piece reserved for the cover. press the edges lightly together, and trim with a knife. make a small hole with a skewer on either side of the cover to let the steam escape. to glaze, brush over with the white of an egg, and dust with castor sugar. bake from half to three-quarters of an hour. the oven should be very quick at first, and moderate afterwards. any fruit tart may be made by this recipe. sugar must be added according to the acidity of the fruit used. genoise pastry. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of castor sugar. eggs. _method._--melt the butter in a stewpan, and brush over a _sauté_ pan or shallow cake tin with it. line the pan with paper, and brush that also with the melted butter. break the eggs into a basin. add to them the sugar, and beat with a whisk for about twenty minutes until they rise. the basin containing them may be placed on a saucepan of hot water; but care must be taken that the heat is not too great, as that would cook the eggs. when the eggs are sufficiently beaten, _stir_ in the flour and butter _very lightly_. if _beaten_ in, the pastry will not be light. pour the mixture into the pan, and bake for about an hour. genoise sandwiches. _ingredients_--genoise pastry. jam. _method._--cut the genoise pastry into slices. spread them with jam. lay the slices one on the other, and cut in triangular shapes. genoise iced-cakes. _ingredients_--genoise pastry. jam. grated cocoa-nut. iceing. _method._--stamp out small cakes of genoise pastry with a round cutter. spread the sides thinly with jam. roll the cakes in the cocoa-nut. ice round the top of the cakes, and put some jam in the middle of the iceing. genoise preserve-cakes. _ingredients_--uncooked genoise pastry. some preserve. some syrup of sugar and water. hundreds and thousands. chopped _pistachio_ kernels. grated cocoa-nut. _method._--partly fill small well-buttered dariol moulds with the genoise mixture, and bake in a moderate oven. when done, and sufficiently cool, cut a small circular piece from the bottom of the cakes. scoop out some of the inside, and fill them with the preserve. replace the small circular piece. brush the cakes over with the syrup, and roll them in the hundreds and thousands, chopped _pistachio_, and cocoa-nut. they should be entirely covered with the decorations. pile them prettily on a dish, and decorate them with holly leaves. almond cakes. _ingredients_--genoise pastry. almonds. the white of egg.  oz. of castor sugar. _method._--stamp out the genoise pastry into small cakes, with round cutters. beat the white of egg, mix it with the castor sugar, and spread it over the cakes. sprinkle them well with almonds, blanched and chopped. put them in a moderate oven to take a pale fawn colour. cheese cakes. _ingredients_--some remains of puff pastry.  oz. of sugar.  oz. of butter. lemon. half a sponge cake. whole egg and yolk. _method._--cream the butter in a basin. add to it the castor sugar. beat well together, adding one by one the yolks of the eggs. then mix in the grated lemon peel, and the lemon juice and the sponge cake, rubbed through a wire sieve. lastly, stir in lightly half the white of the egg, beaten to a stiff froth. roll out the pastry. stamp into rounds with a fluted cutter dipped in hot water. lay the rounds in patty pans, and put a little dummy of dough or bread in the middle of each. bake them in a quick oven. when nearly cooked, remove the dummies and fill their places with the cheese-cake mixture. return them to the oven until the pastry is cooked and the cheese-cake mixture has taken a pale colour. tartlets. _ingredients_--the remains of puff paste. some preserve. _method._--roll out the paste, and stamp into rounds with a fluted cutter dipped in hot water. lay the rounds on patty pans. place in the middle of each a dummy, made of dough or bread. bake in a quick oven. when the pastry is cooked remove the dummies, and fill the places with jam. plainer tartlets may be made with short, flaky, or other pastry. cheese d'artois. _ingredients_--remains of puff paste, or some flaky crust.  oz. of butter. whole egg and yolk.  oz. of parmesan cheese. a little cayenne. pepper and salt. _method._--cream the butter well in a basin. beat in the eggs, and add the grated cheese. season with pepper, salt, and cayenne. divide the pastry into two portions, and roll them out as thinly as possible. lay one piece on a greased baking-sheet. spread it over with the cheese mixture, and lay the other on the top. mark it with the back of a knife in strips, one inch wide and three inches long. brush over with beaten egg, and bake in a quick oven, until the paste is cooked. cut out the strips with a sharp knife. dish them on a folded napkin, and sprinkle them with grated cheese. cheese straws. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of grated parmesan cheese. the yolk of an egg. a little cayenne. pepper and salt. _method._--rub the butter lightly into the flour. add the grated cheese and seasoning, and mix with the yolk of egg. if necessary, add another yolk, but no water. roll out and cut into fingers about a quarter of an inch wide and two inches long. lay them on a greased baking-sheet. stamp out with a cutter, the size of an egg-cup, some rounds, and make them into rings by stamping out the middles with a smaller cutter. bake the rings and straws a pale fawn colour, and serve them with a bundle of straws placed in each ring. gooseberry turnovers. _ingredients_--some gooseberries. sugar. short crust. _method._--pick off the heads and tails of the gooseberries. roll out the paste and cut into rather large rounds. wet the edges and put some gooseberries in the middle of each round, with a teaspoonful of sugar. fold the paste over and press the edges together. decorate the edges with a fork or spoon. put the turnovers on a greased baking-sheet, and bake in a quick oven for fifteen minutes. petit choux. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of castor sugar. whole eggs. ½ pint of water. _method._--rub the flour through a sieve. put the butter and water on to boil. when boiling, stir in the flour and sugar. beat well over the fire, until the mixture leaves the sides of the saucepan, then remove the saucepan from the fire and beat in three eggs. shape like eggs, with two dessertspoons and a knife dipped in hot water. lay the pastry on a greased baking-sheet, and bake in a moderate oven for one hour. to serve, open the cakes at the side and insert a little whipped cream or preserve. decorate by brushing them over with white of egg, or a syrup of sugar and water, and sprinkle with chopped _pistachio_ kernels, grated cocoa-nut, or hundreds and thousands. apple turnovers. make like gooseberry turnovers, substituting minced apple for gooseberries. apple dumplings. _ingredients_-- dozen apples.  lb. of short crust. a little moist sugar. _method._--pare the apples and remove the cores; fill the holes with sugar. take pieces of paste large enough to cover the apples. do not roll them, but draw the paste over the apples. wet the edges to make them join. place the dumplings on a greased tin and bake for about three-quarters of an hour or one hour. the length of time will depend on the kind of apples used. puddings. a pudding which is to be boiled should be placed in a well-greased basin, or mould, which it should quite fill. a scalded and floured cloth should be tied securely over it. some puddings, such as suet, plum, &c., may be cooked without the basin, the mixture being firmly tied in a well-scalded and floured cloth, a little room being allowed for the pudding to swell. when cooked in this way, it is well to put a plate in the saucepan to prevent the pudding sticking to the bottom and burning. to cook a boiled pudding successfully, the water should be kept briskly boiling during the whole of the time it is cooking, and there should be sufficient water in the saucepan to well cover it. a kettle of boiling water should be at hand to fill up the saucepan as required. in steaming puddings, unless a steamer is used, the water should not be allowed to come more than halfway up the pudding-mould, and must only gently simmer, until the pudding is cooked. the mould used need not be covered with a cloth, but a piece of greased paper should be placed over it to prevent the condensed steam dropping on the pudding. some puddings require to be steamed very carefully, such as contain custard, for example. a custard pudding will be honeycombed (i.e. full of holes), if the water is allowed to boil; the heat of boiling will curdle the eggs. most baked puddings require a moderate oven, particularly such as rice, tapioca, &c. in preparing suet for puddings, remove the skin, slice the suet, and then chop it finely, using a little flour to prevent it sticking to the knife. currants must be well washed and dried. sultanas should be rubbed in flour, and the stalks picked off. beef-steak pudding. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. ¾ or ½ lb. of suet. ½ lb. of beef or rump steak. ½ lb. of bullock's kidney. seasoning. _method._--chop the suet finely, mix well with the flour, adding a pinch of salt. mix to a paste with cold water. roll it out, and line a greased quart-basin, reserving one-third for the cover. cut the steak into thin strips, and the kidney into slices. mix some pepper and salt on a plate, and season the meat nicely. roll each piece of meat round a tiny piece of the fat, and place the rolls and the pieces of kidney in the basin. pour in rather more than a quarter of a pint of water. roll out the remaining piece of paste. wet the edges of that in the basin, lay the cover on, and trim round neatly. tie over a well-scalded and floured cloth, and boil for four hours. oysters are sometimes put in these puddings; they should be bearded, and the hard white part removed. a rabbit or veal pudding may be made in the same manner. to these add a quarter of a pound of lean ham or bacon. where economy must be studied, less suet may be used in making the crust. suet pudding. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. , , or  oz. of finely-chopped suet. a pinch of salt, or, if liked, a teaspoonful of baking powder. _method._--mix the flour and suet lightly together. add the salt. mix to a stiff paste with cold water. then boil in a well-scalded and floured cloth for three hours. sultana pudding. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. ½ lb. of finely-chopped suet. ¼ lb. of sultanas. ¼ lb. of castor sugar; or, three ounces of moist sugar.  oz. of candied peel. the grated rind of a lemon. a pinch of salt. egg. a little milk. _method._--rub the sultanas in flour and pick off the stalks. cut the candied peel in small pieces. put all the dry ingredients into a basin, and mix with the egg, well beaten, and a little milk. boil in a basin or cloth three hours. compote of rice. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of rice. ¼ lb. of sugar. pint or more of milk. vanilla or other flavouring. _method._--boil the rice in the milk, with the sugar, for twenty minutes; if very stiff, add a little more milk or cream. flavour with vanilla, and put into a buttered mould with a well in the centre. any fruit may be put in the middle, when it is served. if oranges are used, boil ½ gill of water with ¼ lb. of lump sugar, until it sticks to a knife like an icicle. peel the oranges, and roll them in it. if apples are used, boil them gently in one pint of water, with ¼ lb. of sugar. when tender, add a little cochineal. take the apples out, and reduce the syrup to less than a quarter of a pint. roll the apples in it. queen victoria pudding. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of butter. ¼ lb. of castor sugar. ¼ lb. of flour.  oz. of chopped peel.  oz. of blanched and chopped almonds. tablespoonfuls of brandy. eggs. _method._--put the butter and sugar in a basin. cream them well together with a wooden spoon. add the yolks of the eggs one by one; then the flour, peel, almonds, and brandy. beat the whites of the eggs stiffly, and mix them in lightly. put the mixture in a well-buttered mould. cover with buttered paper, and steam for three hours. rice bars. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of rice. pint of milk.  oz. of castor sugar. yolks of eggs. a little lemon essence. whole egg. some bread-crumbs. some red jam. _method._--boil the rice in the milk, with the sugar, for half an hour, gently stirring occasionally. then remove from the fire and, when cool, beat in the two yolks, and add the lemon essence. then spread on a flat dish to cool. when quite cold, cut into bars. brush over with the beaten egg, and cover with bread-crumbs. fry in hot fat until lightly coloured. there should be an equal number of bars. spread one half of them with jam, and lay the others on the top. rice cakes. put the rice mixtures when hot into well-greased tartlet tins. make a small hole in the middle and put in a little jam. cover with some more of the rice mixture and let them get cold. then egg and bread-crumb them, and fry in hot fat. orange pudding. _ingredients_--the rind and juice of oranges.  oz. of cake-crumbs rubbed through a sieve.  oz. of castor sugar. eggs. gill of milk or cream. _method._--put the crumbs in a basin, with the sugar. add the grated rind of one orange, and the juice of the two. beat in the yolks of the three eggs, and add the milk or cream. whip the white of one egg to a stiff froth, stir in lightly. line a pie-dish with a little good pastry; pour the mixture in. bake until set, and of a light brown colour. welcome-guest pudding. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of suet. ¼ lb. of sugar. ¼ lb. of cake-crumbs, or ratafias, rubbed through a sieve. ¼ lb. of bread-crumbs. the rind and juice of one lemon. eggs, well beaten. _method._--put all the dry ingredients into a basin. add the lemon rind and juice, and mix with the eggs. put into a well-greased mould. cover with buttered paper, and steam for two hours. crème frite. _ingredients_-- whole egg. white. yolks. gill of cream. gill of milk. tablespoonful of castor sugar. flavouring to taste.  oz. of cake-crumbs. _method._--cream the yolks and white well together with the castor sugar. add cream, milk, and flavouring. strain this custard into a greased pudding-basin, and steam _very gently_, until firm. let it get quite cold; then turn it out. cut into slices about one-third of an inch thick. stamp into round or fancy shapes. egg and cake-crumb them. fry in a frying-basket in hot fat. serve on a glass dish, and sprinkle with castor sugar. gâteau de cerise. _ingredients_--  lb. of cooking cherries. ¼ lb. of lump sugar. ½ pint of water. a few drops of cochineal. ¾ of an ounce-packet of gelatine. the juice of one lemon. _method._--boil the sugar and water; add the lemon and skim well. add the cherries (stoned), and stew for a quarter of an hour. melt the gelatine in a little water, and add it to the cherries, with enough cochineal to colour brightly. pour the mixture into a border mould. when set, dip it in hot water for a second or two, and turn on to a glass dish. serve with whipped cream in the centre. jaune mange. _ingredients_--½ ounce packet of gelatine. ½ pint of water. ½ pint of white wine. juice of one and a half lemon. rind of half a lemon.  oz. of castor sugar. yolks. _method._--soak the gelatine in the water with the lemon rind. then put it in a saucepan with all the other ingredients. stir over the fire until the custard thickens; but, on no account, let it boil. then strain into a wetted mould. apple charlotte. _ingredients_--  lb. of apples. ½ lb. of moist sugar. grated rind of a lemon. slices of broad. some clarified butter. _method._--peel and core the apples, and stew them with the sugar, lemon rind, and a quarter pint of water, until reduced to half the quantity. take a plain round tin, holding about a pint and a half. cut a round of stale bread, about one-eighth of an inch thick; dip it in clarified butter, and lay it in the bottom of the mould. line the sides with slices of bread, cut about an inch wide, and one-eighth of an inch thick, and also dipped in butter. pour the apple mixture into the mould. cover with another round of bread dipped in butter; and bake in a moderately quick oven for three quarters of an hour. for serving, turn it on to a hot dish, and sprinkle castor sugar over it. viennoise pudding. _ingredients_--  oz. of stale crumb of bread cut into dice.  oz. of sultanas. ¼ lb. of castor sugar.  oz. of candied peel. grated rind of a lemon. wineglass of sherry. ½ pint of milk. whole eggs.  oz. of lump sugar. _method._--put the  oz. of lump sugar into an old saucepan, and burn it a dark brown. pour in the milk, and stir until it is well coloured and the sugar dissolved. beat the eggs well, strain the coloured milk on to them, and add the sherry. put all the dry ingredients into a basin, and pour the eggs, milk, and sherry over them. let the pudding soak for half an hour. then put it into a well-greased pint-mould. cover with buttered paper, and steam for one hour and a half. this pudding is to be served with german sauce (_see_ sauces). snow pudding. _ingredients_--½ pint of milk. ½ oz. of bread-crumbs. grated rind of a lemon. tablespoonfuls of caster sugar. eggs. tablespoonfuls of strawberry or any other jam. a little pastry. _method._--put the bread-crumbs into a basin. boil the milk, and pour it over them. mix in the sugar, one whole egg, and two yolks well beaten, and add the lemon rind. line a pint pie-dish with a little pastry. spread the jam at the bottom and pour the mixture over. bake in a moderate oven until set. beat the remaining whites to a stiff froth, with a dessertspoonful of castor sugar; and heap it lightly on the top just before serving. german puffs. _ingredients_-- eggs. their weight in castor sugar, and ground rice. the grated rind of a lemon. _method._--beat the eggs well. then stir in, gradually, the castor sugar and ground rice, and add the lemon rind. partly fill well-buttered cups, or moulds, with the mixture; and bake in a moderate oven for a quarter of an hour, or twenty minutes. serve with a wine or sweet sauce (_see_ sauces). apple amber pudding. _ingredients_-- apples. ½ oz. of butter.  oz. of moist sugar. rind and juice of one lemon. eggs. a little pastry. _method._--wash the apples (they need not be peeled or cored) and cut them into small pieces. put them into a stewpan with the butter, sugar, lemon rind and juice, and stew until tender. then rub through a hair sieve--the sieve keeps back the peel and pips. beat the three yolks into the mixture, and put it into a pint pie-dish lined with a little pastry. bake in a moderate oven until set. then beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth with a dessertspoonful of castor sugar, and heap on the top. put it, again, into a cool oven, until the whites are set. this pudding may be served either hot or cold. apple pudding. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. or  oz. of suet. a pinch of salt. teaspoonful of baking powder. some apples. tablespoonfuls or more of moist sugar. the grated rind of a small lemon. or cloves. _method._--prepare the paste, and line a basin as for beef-steak pudding. put in the apples, which should be pared and cored, and sprinkle in the sugar and lemon rind. put on the cover of paste, and tie over it a well-scalded and floured cloth. boil for one hour, or longer: the length of time will depend on the fruit used. any fresh fruit may be substituted for the apple. raspberry pudding. _ingredients_-- pint of raspberries.  oz. of sugar. thin slices of bread. a little milk. _method._--pick the stalks from the raspberries, and mix them with the sugar. put them and the bread in alternate layers in a pie-dish, moistening the bread with a little milk. bake for half an hour. note.--this pudding is very good served with cream or custards. the bottled raspberries may be used instead of fresh fruit. lemon pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of bread-crumbs. ¼ lb. of finely-chopped suet. ¼ lb. of castor sugar. the grated rind of one lemon, and the juice of two. eggs. enough milk to mix it. _method._--put the bread-crumbs and suet into a basin. add sugar, grated lemon-rind, and juice. mix the pudding with the two eggs, well beaten, and a very little milk. boil it for one hour and a half. this pudding may be served with a wine or sweet sauce (_see_ sauces). marmalade pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of flour. ½ lb. of bread-crumbs. ½ lb. of finely-chopped suet. ½ lb. of moist sugar. ½ lb. of marmalade. eggs. the grated rind of a lemon. _method._--put the flour, bread-crumbs, suet, sugar, and lemon rind into a basin. mix with the marmalade and two eggs, well beaten, and, if necessary, a little milk. put it into a well-greased pudding-basin, and tie over it a scalded and floured cloth. boil it for five hours. general satisfaction. _ingredients_-- sponge cakes. tablespoonfuls of strawberry or other jam. wineglass of sherry. rather more than ½ a pint of milk. eggs. tablespoonful of sugar. a little pastry. _method._--line a pie-dish with a little pastry. spread the jam at the bottom, and lay on it the sponge cakes, cut in halves. beat one whole egg and three yolks well together. mix with the sugar and milk, and pour over the sponge cakes. bake in a moderate oven until the custard is set. beat the three whites stiffly, and lay on the top of the pudding. put into a cool oven until the whites are set, and of a pale fawn colour. this pudding may be served hot or cold. marlborough pudding. _ingredients_-- pint of milk. tablespoonfuls of flour. whole eggs and yolks. the grated rind of a lemon.  oz. of castor sugar.  oz. of butter. _method._--mix the flour smoothly with the milk, and stir over the fire until it boils and thickens. add the sugar, the eggs, well beaten, the grated lemon rind, and the butter beaten to a cream. line a pie-dish with pastry; pour in the mixture. bake in a moderate oven until set. yorkshire (or batter) pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of flour. pint of milk. eggs. a pinch of salt. _method._--put the flour into a basin, make a hole in the middle, and put in the eggs unbeaten. stir smoothly round with a wooden spoon, adding the milk very gradually. if it is to be served with meat, bake it in a baking-tin, which should be well greased with quite one ounce of butter or clarified dripping. curate's puddings. _ingredients_--the weight of eggs in each sugar, flour, and butter. eggs. a little flavouring essence of any kind, or the grated rind of a lemon. _method._--rub the butter well into the flour. add the sugar and the four eggs, well beaten. half fill well-buttered cups or moulds, and bake for twenty minutes or half an hour. serve with a wine or sweet sauce (_see_ sauces). canary pudding. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of flour. tablespoonfuls of sugar pint of milk. eggs. _method._--put the milk and sugar on to boil. mix the flour with a little cold milk. when the milk boils pour in the flour, and stir it briskly until it thickens. when cool, add the two eggs, well beaten. bake in a greased pie-dish for half an hour. christmas pudding. _ingredients_--  lb. of raisins.  lb. of suet. ½ lb. of candied peel. ¾ lb. of flour. ¼ lb. of bread-crumbs, ¼ lb. of moist sugar. a little mixed spice. half a nutmeg grated. a little lemon rind grated. ½ pint of milk. eggs. _method._--put the dry ingredients into a basin, and mix with the eggs, well beaten, and the milk. put into a well-greased basin, and boil ten hours if possible. cabinet pudding. _ingredients_--a few raisins or cherries. dozen sponge finger-biscuits.  oz. of castor sugar. pint of milk. whole eggs and yolks. a little vanilla or other flavouring. _method._--decorate a well-buttered pint-and-a-half mould with raisins or preserved cherries. beat the eggs and milk well together. sweeten with the sugar, and add the flavouring. break the cakes into pieces. put a quarter of them at the bottom of the mould. pour in a little of the custard, then more pieces of cake and more custard, and continue in this way until the mould is full. cover with buttered paper, and steam gently for about an hour. auntie's pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of flour. ¼ lb. of finely-chopped suet. ¼ lb. of currants, well washed and dried.  oz. of sugar. egg. a little milk. _method._--put all the dry ingredients into a basin. mix with the egg, well beaten, and the milk. boil in a well-greased basin for an hour and a quarter. rhubarb fool. _ingredients_-- sticks of rhubarb. ½ lb. of moist sugar (more, if necessary). ½ pint of water. gill of milk. the thin rind of half a lemon. _method._--cut the rhubarb in small pieces. stew gently with the sugar and water until quite tender. rub through a sieve. add the milk, and serve cold. scrap pudding. _ingredients_--some scraps of bread. ¼ lb. of moist sugar. ¼ lb. of finely-chopped suet. the grated rind of a lemon. eggs, well beaten. ¾ pint of milk. some preserve. _method._--dry the bread in a slow oven until it is hard. pound it in a mortar, and measure ounces of the powder; mix it with the suet and sugar. add the lemon rind; pour over the milk, and add the eggs. beat well for a few minutes. then put the mixture in layers in a pie-dish alternately with the preserve. let the top layer be the pudding mixture. bake in a moderate oven until the mixture is set. bread-and-cheese pudding. _ingredients_--  oz. of dried and powdered bread. ½ lb. of grated cheese. ½ pint of milk. egg, well beaten. pepper and salt. a little cayenne. _method._--mix all the ingredients together, and bake in a pie-dish until the mixture is set. mould of rice. _ingredients_--½ lb. of rice. quart of milk. ¼ lb. of moist or castor sugar. _method._--boil the rice with the sugar in the milk until it is perfectly soft. then put it into a mould. when cold, turn it out, and serve it with jam. norfolk dumpling. _ingredients_--some bread dough. _method._--make the dough into small round balls. drop them into fast-boiling water, and boil quickly for twenty minutes. serve immediately, either with meat or with sweet sauce. sago pudding. _ingredients_-- pint of milk. tablespoonfuls of sago. tablespoonfuls of sugar. egg. _method._--simmer the sago in the milk until it thickens. add the sugar and the egg, well beaten. put it into a pie-dish, and bake in a moderate oven for half an hour. the egg may be omitted if preferred. rice pudding. _ingredients_-- pint of milk. tablespoonfuls of rice. tablespoonfuls of sugar. _method._--wash the rice and put it in a pie-dish with the sugar. pour the milk over it and let it soak for an hour. then bake in a moderate oven for one hour, or more, until the rice is quite cooked. if eggs are used the rice must be simmered in the milk before they are added, and then poured into the pie-dish. tapioca pudding. make like a rice pudding. semolina pudding. _ingredients_-- pint of milk. tablespoonfuls of semolina. tablespoonful of moist sugar. an egg, if liked. _method._--simmer the semolina in the milk, with the sugar, stirring until it thickens. then beat in the egg. put in a pie-dish, and bake for half an hour. swiss apple pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of bread-crumbs.  oz. of suet, finely chopped. ¼ lb. of apples, finely minced. ¼ lb. of sugar. the juice and grated rind of one lemon. egg well beaten. _method._--mix all the ingredients well together, and bake in a pie-dish for one hour. light sultana pudding. _ingredients_-- eggs. their weight in each--butter, flour, and sugar. ¼ lb. of sultanas. the grated rind of a lemon. _method._--beat the butter to a cream. mix in gradually the flour and sugar, alternately with the eggs, which should be well beaten. then add the sultanas, well cleaned, and the grated lemon rind. steam for three hours. fun pudding. _ingredients_--  lb. of apples. tablespoonfuls of apricot jam. tablespoonfuls of sugar.  oz. of butter. dessertspoonfuls of arrowroot. pint of milk. _method._--peel and core the apples, and slice them very finely. lay them at the bottom of a pie-dish, and sprinkle some sugar over them. put the butter about them in little pieces, and spread over the apricot jam. boil the milk, with the remainder of the sugar, and then stir it into the arrowroot, mixed smoothly with cold milk. when it thickens, pour over the apricot and apples, and bake for half an hour. sweet custard pudding. _ingredients_--some apricot jam. eggs. pint of hot milk. tablespoonfuls of castor or moist sugar. the grated rind of a lemon. a little pastry. _method._--line a pie-dish neatly with the pastry, and spread the jam at the bottom. beat the eggs with the milk and sugar, and pour over the jam. bake in a very moderate oven for about one hour. jam roly-poly pudding. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. , , or  oz. of suet, finely chopped. some red jam. teaspoonful of baking powder. _method._--put the flour into a basin, and add to it the suet and baking powder. mix it with a little cold water and roll it out. spread it with the jam, and roll up in the form of a bolster. scald and flour a cloth, and sew, or tie, the pudding firmly in it. boil for two hours. treacle roly-poly pudding. make like a jam roly-poly, using treacle instead of jam. custard pudding. _ingredients_-- pint of hot milk. eggs. tablespoonfuls of castor sugar. a little flavouring essence. a little pastry. _method._--line a pie-dish with pastry. beat the eggs in the milk, with the sugar. add the flavouring essence, and strain into the pie-dish. bake in a moderate oven for one hour, or until set. note.--a richer custard may be made by using five yolks and one whole egg. bread-and-butter pudding. _ingredients_--some slices of bread-and-butter. tablespoonfuls of sugar. pint of milk. a few currants, nicely washed. or eggs, if liked. _method._--put some thin slices of bread-and-butter in the bottom of a pie-dish. sprinkle them with sugar and currants. lay some more slices on the top, with more sugar and currants. pour over the milk, and let it soak for half an hour. then bake until set. if eggs are used, beat them with the milk. ginger pudding. _ingredients_--  oz. of bread-crumbs.  oz. of suet, finely chopped. ½ lb. of treacle. tablespoonfuls of moist sugar. teaspoonfuls of ground ginger.  oz. of flour. teaspoonful of baking powder. _method._--put the bread-crumbs, suet, flour, ginger, and baking powder into a basin. mix with the treacle. boil in a basin, or cloth, for two hours. fig pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of bread-crumbs. ¼ lb. of suet, finely chopped.  oz. of brown sugar.  oz. of flour. the grated rind of a lemon. egg. ½ lb. of figs. a little milk. _method._--put the bread-crumbs, suet, and sugar, with the figs, cut small, into a basin. add the flour and lemon rind, and mix with the egg, well beaten, and a little milk. boil in a well-greased basin for two hours. rice balls. _ingredients_--½ lb. of rice. quart of milk or water. tablespoonfuls of moist sugar. _method._--wash the rice well. put it with the sugar and milk, or water, into a large saucepan. boil gently for about one hour. then press into cups, and turn on to a dish. these may be served with jam, treacle, butter and sugar, or with a sweet sauce. little batter puddings. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of flour. ½ pint of milk. egg. some jam. _method._--put the flour into a bowl, and make a well in the middle. put in the egg, mix smoothly with a wooden spoon, adding the milk by degrees. grease some little patty-pans, and half fill them with the batter. bake in a quick oven. when done, dish on a folded napkin, and put a little jam on each. ellen's pudding. _ingredients_--a little pastry.  oz. of butter.  oz. of sugar. ½ pint of milk. the grated rind of a lemon. egg well beaten.  oz. of cake-crumbs. _method._--beat the butter to a cream in a basin. mix in the sugar thoroughly. add the milk gradually. then add the egg and cake-crumbs, and pour the mixture into a pie-dish lined with a little pastry. it is an improvement to put some jam at the bottom of the dish. bake for about half an hour. bread-and-fruit pudding. _ingredients_--slices of stale bread. pint of raspberries. ½ pint of currants. ¼ lb. of sugar. _method._--line a cake-tin, or pie-dish, with stale bread, cut to fit it nicely. stew the fruit with the sugar until nicely cooked. pour into the mould, and cover with slices of bread. cover it with a plate, with a weight on it, and let it stand until the next day. turn it out and serve plain, or with custard, whipped cream, or milk thickened with cornflour (_see_ cheap custard). ground-rice pudding. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of ground rice. pint of milk.  oz. of sugar. or eggs (these may be omitted if liked). a little grated lemon rind, or flavouring essence. _method._--boil the milk with the sugar. mix the rice smoothly with a little cold milk. pour it into the boiling milk, and stir until it thickens. add the eggs, well beaten, and the flavouring. pour into a pie-dish, and bake for about thirty minutes. cold tapioca pudding. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of tapioca. quart of milk. tablespoonfuls of sugar. lemon, or some other flavouring. _method._--soak the tapioca all night in cold water. the next day pour away the water, and put it, with the milk, into a large stewpan with the sugar. simmer gently for one hour. then pour it into a wetted basin, or mould. when set, turn it out, and serve with stewed fruit, jam, or treacle. tapioca and apples. _ingredients_-- quart of water or milk. tablespoonfuls of tapioca. tablespoonfuls of sugar.  lb. of apples. the grated rind of a lemon. _method._--soak the tapioca in cold water. then simmer it in the milk and water, with the sugar, for thirty minutes. add the apples, peeled, cored, and sliced. put the mixture into a pie-dish and bake for about one hour in a moderate oven. steamed rice pudding. _ingredients_--  oz. of whole rice. tablespoonful of sugar. egg. ½ pint of milk. _method._--wash the rice well, and put it into a saucepan of cold water. bring it to the boil, and then pour off the water. pour in the milk, and add the sugar. simmer until the rice is quite soft. remove it from the fire, and when cooled a little, stir in the yolk of the egg. beat the white to a stiff froth, and stir it in lightly. put the mixture into a well-greased pudding-mould, and steam for thirty minutes. ratafia pudding. _ingredients_-- pint of milk. eggs. sponge cakes. ½ lb. of ratafias. _method._--boil the milk, and when it has cooled a little add to it the three eggs, well beaten. break the sponge cakes and ratafias in pieces, and pour the custard over them. decorate a greased mould with raisins, and pour the mixture into the mould. cover with greased paper, and steam for two hours. serve with sweet or wine sauce. macaroni pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of macaroni. ¼ lb. of sugar. or eggs. quart of milk. _method._--break the macaroni into pieces and put them into a saucepan of boiling water. boil for twenty minutes, and then strain off the water. pour in the milk; add the sugar, and simmer gently for ten minutes. beat up the eggs and stir them in. put the mixture into a buttered pie-dish and bake for about thirty minutes. eastern pudding. _ingredients_--  lb. of figs (cut in small dice). ¼ lb. of suet. ½ lb. of bread-crumbs. eggs. the grated rind of a lemon. wineglass of brandy.  oz. of sugar. _method._--put the figs, suet, bread-crumbs, and grated lemon rind into a basin. mix it with the eggs, well beaten, and the brandy, adding a little milk if necessary. boil in a greased basin for two hours. ground-barley pudding. _ingredients_-- tablespoonful of ground barley. ½ pint of milk. tablespoonful of moist sugar. egg. _method._--mix the barley smoothly with the milk. put it into a saucepan with the sugar, and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. then let it simmer for fifteen minutes. remove from the fire, and beat in the yolk of the egg. whip the white up stiffly, and stir in lightly. pour the mixture into a buttered pie-dish, and bake for fifteen minutes. steamed semolina pudding. _ingredients_--  oz. of semolina. pint of milk. eggs.  oz. of moist sugar. a little flavouring essence. _method._--boil the semolina in the milk, with the sugar, until quite soft. then add the flavouring essence and the yolks of the two eggs. beat the whites up stiffly and mix them in lightly. pour the mixture into a greased pudding-mould, and steam for one hour. albert puddings. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of castor sugar. eggs. a few drops of vanilla flavouring. _method._--work the butter to a cream in a basin, and beat in the flour, sugar, and eggs smoothly. add the flavouring essence. put the mixture into well-greased cups and bake for about half an hour. serve with sweet sauce. pearl-barley pudding. _ingredients_--  oz. of pearl barley. pint of milk.  oz. of moist sugar. _method._--put the barley to soak in cold water all night. then pour away the water and put the barley into a pie-dish. add the sugar and milk; and bake in a moderate oven for three hours. baked lemon pudding. _ingredients_-- pint of milk.  oz. of bread-crumbs. egg.  oz. of moist sugar. the juice of a lemon and half the rind, grated. _method._--put the crumbs into a basin. boil the milk with the butter and sugar, and pour it over the crumbs. stir in the egg, well beaten; add the lemon rind and juice. pour it into a greased pie-dish, and bake in a moderate oven until set. west-of-england pudding. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of sago. small apples. quart of milk.  oz. of moist sugar. _method._--soak the sago in cold water for an hour. then simmer it in the milk, with the sugar, for twenty minutes. peel and core the apples. place them in a buttered pie-dish, and pour the sago over them. bake in a moderate oven for about one hour. pancakes. _ingredients_--½ lb. of flour. eggs. pint of milk. some lard, or dripping, for frying. _method._--put the flour into a basin, add to it a pinch of salt. make a well in the middle and put the two eggs into it; mix them smoothly with the flour; and add the milk very gradually. melt the lard, or dripping. well season a small frying-pan, about the size of a cheese plate. put into it a teaspoonful of the melted fat, and let it run well over the pan. then pour in enough batter to cover the pan thinly, and fry it brown, shaking the pan occasionally to keep it from burning. then toss it on to the other side; and, when that is fried, turn it on to kitchen paper. sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice and roll it up. keep it hot while the remainder of the batter is fried in the same way. if the maker cannot toss the pancakes well, they may be turned with a broad-bladed knife. if they are fried in a larger pan, more fat must be used. railway pudding. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of flour.  oz. of castor sugar. eggs. ½ pint of milk. teaspoonfuls of baking powder. _method._--mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder in a basin. beat the eggs well with the milk, and mix the pudding with them. pour into a well-greased yorkshire-pudding tin; and bake for about thirty minutes. when done, turn out and cut into squares. dish in a circle, with a little jam, or treacle, on each. poor knight's pudding. _ingredients_--some small square slices of stale bread. castor sugar. _method._--fry the bread in hot fat (_see_ french frying). drain on kitchen paper. dish in the form of a wreath, the one leaning on the other, and put a little jam on each. gooseberry fool. _ingredients_-- quart of gooseberries. ¾ lb. of moist sugar. ½ pint of water. pint of milk or cream. _method._--take the tops and stalks from the gooseberries, and boil them with the sugar and water until soft. rub them through a hair sieve. mix in the milk, or cream, gradually; and serve on a glass dish. apricot pudding. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of finely-chopped suet. ½ lb. of bread-crumbs. eggs. tablespoonfuls of apricot jam. glass of sherry.  oz. of sugar. _method._--put the suet, bread-crumbs, and sugar into a basin, and mix with the eggs, well beaten, apricot and sherry. put the mixture into a greased pudding-mould and boil for two hours. stale-bread pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. scraps of bread. quart of boiling milk. eggs.  oz. of sugar. ¼ lb. of currants. _method._--soak the bread in cold water until soft. squeeze it quite dry, and beat up with a fork. pour the boiling milk over. stir in the sugar and eggs, well beaten. then stir in the currants. bake in a pie-dish for two hours. baked plum pudding. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of finely-chopped suet. ¾ lb. of flour. ¼ lb. of raisins, stoned and chopped. ¼ lb. of currants.  oz. of candied peel.  oz. of moist sugar. egg. teaspoonfuls of baking powder. gill, or more, of milk. _method._--put all the dry ingredients into a basin, and mix with the egg and milk; it must be quite stiff. bake in a greased baking-tin for one hour. for serving, cut into squares, and dust them over with castor sugar. treacle pudding. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. ¼ lb of finely-chopped suet. ¼ lb. of treacle. ½ oz. of ground ginger. egg.  oz. of moist sugar. ½ gill of milk. teaspoonful of baking powder. _method._--put the dry ingredients into a basin. mix with the treacle and the egg well beaten with the milk. boil in a greased basin for four hours. the egg may be omitted, if liked. plum pudding. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of finely-chopped suet. ¼ lb. of currants. ¼ lb. of raisins, stoned and chopped.  oz. of flour.  oz. of bread-crumbs.  oz. of candied peel.  oz. of sugar. gill of milk. eggs. ½ teaspoonful of baking powder. _method._--put the dry ingredients into a basin, and mix with the eggs and milk, well beaten together. boil in a cloth or basin for four hours. windsor pudding. _ingredients_--  oz. of semolina.  oz. of candied peel. ½ pint of milk. ¼ lb. of treacle. _method._--mix the milk smoothly with the semolina. then put it into a saucepan and stir until it thickens. add the treacle and candied peel; pour it into a pie-dish. bake for about thirty minutes. spring pudding. _ingredients_-- pint of gooseberries. ½ pint of milk.  oz. of moist sugar. slices of bread-and-butter. _method._--stew the gooseberries with a very little water and the sugar for ten minutes. dip the bread into the milk, and lay a slice at the bottom of a pie-dish. put a layer of gooseberries on it. then another slice of bread-and-butter and more gooseberries. continue in this manner until the dish is full. bake gently for one hour. gingerbread pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of flour. ½ lb. of treacle. ¼ lb. of finely chopped suet. teaspoonfuls of ground ginger. ½ teaspoonful of baking powder.  oz. of candied peel. egg. a little milk. _method._--put the dry ingredients into a basin. mix with the egg, well beaten, treacle and milk. boil in a greased basin for three hours. economical bread pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of scraps of bread. ¼ lb. of finely-chopped suet. ¼ lb. of currants.  oz. of moist sugar. egg. _method._--soak the bread in cold water until soft; squeeze it quite dry. beat it up with a fork. add to it the suet, sugar, and currants, which should be well washed and dried. mix with the egg, well beaten. boil in a greased basin for an hour. economical ginger pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of scraps of bread. ¼ lb. of finely-chopped suet.  oz. of moist sugar. tablespoonfuls of treacle. teaspoonfuls of ground ginger. _method._--soak the bread in cold water until quite soft. squeeze it dry, and beat with a fork until quite fine. add the suet, sugar, and ginger, and mix with the treacle. boil in a greased basin for an hour. economical fig pudding. _ingredients_--½ lb. of scraps of bread. ¼ lb. of finely-chopped suet. ½ lb. of figs. egg.  oz. of moist sugar. _method._--soak the bread in cold water until quite soft. squeeze it dry. add to it the suet, sugar, and figs, chopped small, and mix with beaten egg. boil in a greased basin for one hour. economical lemon pudding. make like preceding recipe, substituting the grated rind and juice of two lemons for the figs. currant pudding. _ingredients_-- eggs. the same weight of sugar, flour, and bread-crumbs. suet, currants, minced apples. a little grated lemon rind. a little milk. _method._--chop the suet finely, and add to it the sugar, flour, bread-crumbs, minced apple, currants, and grated lemon rind. mix with the eggs, well beaten, and a little milk. boil in a greased basin for three hours. plain cold cabinet pudding. _ingredients_-- tablespoonful of flour. ½ tablespoonful of arrowroot. wineglass of sherry. a few raisins. stale sponge cakes. pint of milk.  oz. of sugar. _method._--put the milk to boil with the sugar. when boiling, stir in the flour, mixed with a little cold milk. when it thickens, add the arrowroot, also mixed smoothly with milk. boil for three minutes, stirring all the time. then add to it the sherry. cut the raisins in two and stone them. decorate a plain round tin with them. break up the cakes and put some pieces in the tin. pour in some of the thickened milk, then some more pieces of cake, and more milk. continue in this way until the mould is full. set it aside until quite cold. then turn it out, and serve with jam. cornflour pudding. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of cornflour. pint of milk. tablespoonfuls of castor sugar. egg, if liked. _method._--put the milk on to boil. put the cornflour into a pie-dish with the sugar. mix smoothly with a little cold milk. pour on it the boiling milk, stirring quickly until it thickens. add the egg, well beaten, and a little flavouring essence. bake in a pie-dish for about thirty minutes. swiss pudding. _ingredients_--  lb. of apples. ½ lb. of bread-crumbs.  oz. of moist sugar. a little grated lemon rind.  oz. of butter. _method._--peel, core, and slice the apples. put a layer of them into a buttered pie-dish. sprinkle them with crumbs, lemon rind, and a little sugar, and put small pieces of butter about them. put some pieces of apple on the top; sprinkle them also with crumbs, lemon rind, sugar, and butter. continue in the same way until the dish is full. bake until the pudding is nicely browned. for serving, it may be turned out of the dish. brown-bread pudding. _ingredients_-- loaf of brown bread. gill of double cream. the rind of lemon.  oz. of castor sugar. gill of milk. eggs. a few drops of essence of vanilla. _method._--remove the crust from the loaf, and rub the crumb through a wire sieve. put five ounces of the crumbs into a basin with the sugar and grated lemon rind. boil the milk, pour it over the crumbs, and add the vanilla essence. whip the cream to a stiff froth, and mix it with the pudding, adding also the yolks of the eggs. beat the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth, and stir them in lightly. put the mixture into a well-greased mould, and steam for an hour and a half. diplomatic pudding. _ingredients_--¼ pint of sweet jelly. pint of milk. ½ oz. of gelatine. sponge cakes.  oz. of ratafias. whole egg, and yolks.  oz. of sugar. a little flavouring essence. _method._--soak the gelatine in a little milk. break the sponge cakes and ratafias, and put them into a basin. boil the milk with the sugar. beat the eggs, and pour the milk on them. strain it into a jug, and put it to stand in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir until the custard coats the spoon. then melt the gelatine, add it to the custard, and pour it at once over the cakes. while the mixture cools, pour a little jelly, coloured with cochineal, into a plain round tin. when it is set, place a jam-pot, or a smaller tin, on it, and pour some jelly round the sides. when it is quite firm, pour some boiling water into the jam-pot, or tin, and remove it quickly. when the custard and cakes are cold, but not set, add the essence, and pour into the mould. when quite firm, dip the tin in hot water for a second or two, and turn it on to a glass dish. pease pudding. _ingredients_-- pint of split peas. pepper and salt. _method._--soak the peas overnight. tie them in a bag or cloth, leaving room for them to swell. cook them with the meat with which they are to be served. then drain them in a colander. mash them with pepper and salt, and press them into a shape in a vegetable-dish. hominy porridge. _ingredients_-- pint of milk or water. tablespoonfuls of flaked hominy. _method._--mix the hominy smoothly with the milk or water. stir and cook over the fire for ten minutes. hominy pudding. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of flaked hominy. pint of milk. tablespoonfuls of sugar. _method._--mix the hominy with a little cold milk, and make the remainder boil. then stir in the hominy and cook until it thickens. add the sugar, pour into a greased pie-dish, and bake for about half an hour. if liked, one or two eggs may be added to the pudding, with a little flavouring essence. note.--the _flaked_ hominy is the best for general purposes, as the _granulated_ takes many hours boiling before it is properly cooked. vegetables. the rules for cooking vegetables are very simple, and easily remembered. all vegetables, with the exception of old potatoes, are put into boiling water. green vegetables must be boiled with the lid off the saucepan, as the steam would discolour them, and the water must _boil_, _not simmer_. salt is added, in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water. if the water is very hard, it may be necessary to add a little piece of soda. the lime in hard water discolours green vegetables, and the use of soda is to throw this down. do not, however, use soda, unless obliged, as too much of it will destroy, to some extent, the flavour of the vegetables. peas must be boiled gently, as rapid boiling would break their skins. haricot beans must be boiled gently, for the same reason. root vegetables take longer to cook than fresh ones. old potatoes must be put into warm water, as they require gradual cooking, and must be boiled gently, until tender. with that exception, all the others must be put into boiling water. carrots, turnips, and parsnips are generally cooked with the meat with which they are served, as their flavour is thereby improved. to boil potatoes. if boiled in their skins, scrub them perfectly clean, and put them into a saucepan with sufficient warm water to cover them. sprinkle them with salt and boil them gently for half an hour or more, until very _nearly_ tender, but not quite. then pour the water away. peel the potatoes, replace them in the saucepan, sprinkle salt upon them, cover them with a cloth, and put the lid on the saucepan. let them stand by the side of the fire to finish cooking in their own steam. care must be taken that the potatoes cooked in this way are free from disease. one tainted potato would destroy the flavour of the others. if cooked without their skins, pare them thinly and treat them in the same manner, pouring off the water when they are very nearly tender, and finish cooking them in their own steam. if the potatoes are good and are cooked according to these directions, they will be perfectly dry and flowery. to steam potatoes. put the potatoes into the steamer, and sprinkle them with salt. keep the water in the saucepan underneath quickly boiling the whole time the potatoes are cooking. if the potatoes are cooked in their skins,[*] peel them when very nearly tender, and put them back in the steamer to finish cooking. steaming is one of the simplest and best ways of cooking potatoes. if the potatoes are good and the water is kept briskly boiling, this method cannot fail to be successful. [*] this should only be done when untainted by disease. to cook new potatoes. put the potatoes into boiling water with some salt, and boil gently for twenty minutes or more, according to their age. when very nearly tender pour off the water, cover them with a cloth, and set the saucepan by the side of the fire, and finish cooking in their own steam. baked potatoes. choose nice potatoes, not too large, and scrub them perfectly clean. bake them in a moderate oven for about an hour. brussels sprouts. trim them nicely and put them in boiling water, adding salt in the proportion of a tablespoonful to every two quarts of water. put in a little sugar, or, if the water is hard, a little piece of soda the size of a pea. boil them quickly, with the lid off the saucepan, from ten to twenty minutes, according to the size and age of the sprouts. when tender, drain them quite dry in a colander. dry the saucepan and put them back with a little butter, pepper, and salt. shake them over the fire for a minute or so, and then serve on a hot dish. to boil a cauliflower. soak it in salt and water to draw out any insects, and trim off the outside leaves. put it, with the flower downwards, into a saucepan of boiling water with salt in it, and cook from twenty to thirty minutes, according to its age. drain it on a sieve or colander. if liked, it may be served with white or french sauce poured over it (_see_ sauces.) green peas. put them into plenty of boiling water, with a little sugar and a sprig or two of mint. boil gently with the lid off the saucepan for twenty minutes or more, according to their size and age. drain them in a colander. then put them into a saucepan with a little piece of butter, a teaspoonful of castor sugar, pepper and salt, and shake them over the fire for a minute or two. french beans. remove the strings and cut the beans into slices. put them into plenty of boiling water, with salt in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water, a little sugar, or, if the water is hard, a small piece of soda about the size of a pea. boil quickly for fifteen minutes or longer, according to their age. drain in a colander. then put them into a saucepan with a small piece of butter, pepper and salt, and shake them over the fire for a minute or two. spinach. pull off the stalks and wash the spinach well in several waters to remove all grit. put it into a saucepan without any water but that which adheres to the leaves, and sprinkle a little salt over it. cook with the lid off the saucepan until quite tender, stirring it occasionally. drain it in a colander, and wring it dry in a cloth. then chop it, or rub it through a wire sieve. the latter method is preferable. to dress it, mix it in a saucepan over the fire with a little butter, pepper, and salt; a little cream may be used also, care being taken not to make the spinach too moist to serve. press it into shape, as a mound or pyramid, in a vegetable dish, and garnish with fried _croutons_ of bread. asparagus. cut the asparagus all the same length, and scrape the white part lightly. tie it together and put it in boiling water, to which salt has been added, in the proportion of one tablespoonful to two quarts of water. add also half an ounce of butter. boil gently with the lid off the saucepan for half an hour, until the green part is tender--very young asparagus will not take so long. dish on toast; if liked, french or white sauce may be poured over the green ends. jerusalem artichokes. peel them, and throw them into boiling water, with salt in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water. boil gently with the lid on the saucepan for about fifteen or twenty minutes, until quite tender. they may be served plain, or with french or white sauce poured over them. they should be sent to table quickly, or they will be discoloured. carrots. scrape them and put them into boiling water with salt in it, in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water. boil gently with the lid on the saucepan until they are quite tender. new carrots will take about twenty minutes, old ones an hour or more, according to their age and size. when they are served with boiled meat, they are generally cooked with it. new carrots are sometimes boiled in second stock. when tender, they are put on a hot vegetable dish, the stock is rapidly boiled down to a glaze, and poured over them. turnips. boil according to directions given for cooking carrots. turnips generally take about half an hour; but the time depends on their age and size. if liked, they may be rubbed through a wire sieve, and mashed with butter, pepper, and salt. parsnips. cook like carrots. they may be served plain, or rubbed through a wire sieve and mashed with butter, pepper, and salt. haricot beans. soak them overnight. put them into boiling water with a small piece of butter and a small onion. boil gently from three to four hours until quite tender. drain them, and before serving shake them over the fire with a little butter, pepper, and salt. spanish onions. first blanch them by putting them into cold water and bringing it to the boil. then throw away the water. rinse the onions, sprinkle some salt over them, and put them into fresh water. boil gently from two to three hours, until perfectly tender. drain them, and serve, if liked, with french, italian or white sauce. spanish onions are sometimes boiled in stock, or milk which is afterwards used to make the sauce. celery. clean the celery thoroughly, and tie it in bundles. put it in boiling water, milk, or stock, with a little salt and butter, and simmer gently for twenty minutes or more, until quite tender. dish on a piece of toast. if liked, a sauce may be made with the liquor in which the celery has been cooked, and poured over it. vegetable marrows. peel the marrows thinly, and cut them in quarters, removing the seeds. put them in boiling water, with salt in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water, and boil gently until tender. they may be served, if desired, with french or white sauce poured over them. marrows are very nice when boiled in milk; the milk can afterwards be used to make the sauce. cabbage. take off the outer decayed leaves, and soak the cabbage in salt and water, to draw out any insects. if very large, cut into quarters. put into boiling water, to which salt should be added, in the proportion of a tablespoonful to every two quarts of water. if the water is hard, a piece of soda the size of a bean should be added. boil quickly--with the lid off the saucepan--for half an hour, or more, until tender. drain well in a colander before serving. broad beans. put them, when shelled, into boiling water, to which salt should be added in the proportion of a tablespoonful to every two quarts of water. boil gently, from fifteen minutes to half an hour, according to their size and age. when tender, pour the water away, and shake them in the saucepan over the fire, with a little butter or dripping, pepper, and salt. tomatoes. these are better baked than boiled: boiling destroys their flavour. put them on a baking-tin, greased with butter or dripping. sprinkle over them a little pepper and salt, and cover them with a greased paper. put them in a moderate oven, for about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. seakale. tie it in bundles, and put into boiling water, with a little butter, and also some salt, in the proportion of a tablespoonful to every two quarts of water. boil, with the lid off the saucepan, until the seakale is tender. drain, and serve on toast. french or white sauce may be poured over it. seakale is sometimes boiled in milk, which should afterwards be used to make the sauce. mushrooms. peel the mushrooms; rinse them to remove any grit, and cut off the ends of the stalks. put them on a greased baking-tin, with the stalks upwards, and put some little bits of butter on each mushroom, with a little pepper and salt. cover them with buttered paper, and bake them in a moderate oven from ten to twenty minutes, until tender. serve on a hot dish, with the gravy poured over them. stewed mushrooms. peel and rinse the mushrooms, and cut off the ends of the stalks. stew them gently in water, stock, or milk, until quite tender, adding pepper and salt to taste. then thicken the gravy with a little flour, and let it cook well, stirring carefully. before serving, stir in a little cream or butter. fried potatoes. take thin peelings of potatoes, and twist into fancy shapes, or cut the potatoes into thin slices. dry them well in a cloth, and drop them into hot fat (_see_ french frying) until quite crisp, and of a light brown colour. remove them with a fish-slice or colander-spoon, and drain them on kitchen paper. tomato farni. _ingredients_-- or ripe tomatoes.  oz. of butter. ½ oz. of flour. gill of stock or milk. dessertspoonful of chopped parsley. dessertspoonful of chopped cooked ham. dessertspoonful of grated parmesan cheese. a few button mushrooms, chopped. a few drops of lemon juice. some white and browned bread-crumbs. pepper and salt. _method._--melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. then add the stock or milk; stir and cook well. then mix in sufficient white bread-crumbs to make the mixture stiff. add the parsley, mushrooms, cheese, ham, lemon-juice, pepper, and salt. scoop out the top of each tomato. pile a little of the stuffing on each, and sprinkle a few browned bread-crumbs over. put them on a greased baking-sheet, and cook them in a moderate oven for about a quarter of an hour. cauliflower au gratin. _ingredients_-- cauliflower.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. gill of water. tablespoonfuls of cream.  oz. of grated parmesan cheese. pepper, salt, and a little cayenne. _method._--boil the cauliflower; remove the green leaves. place it, with the flower upwards, in a vegetable-dish, and press it into an oval shape. melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix the flour in smoothly. add the water; stir and cook well. then add the cream, and one ounce of parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, and cayenne. pour the sauce over the cauliflower. sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over it, and brown, either with a salamander or in a quick oven. potato croquettes. _ingredients_--  lb. of potatoes.  oz. of butter. eggs. pepper and salt. some white bread-crumbs. _method._--boil the potatoes, and rub them through a wire sieve. mash them well with the butter, pepper, and salt. mix in one egg, well beaten. flour the hands very slightly, and form the mixture in balls, or any other shape preferred. brush them over with beaten egg, and cover them with crumbs. slightly mould them again when the crumbs are on them. fry in a frying-basket, in hot fat (_see_ french frying). garnish with fried parsley. salsify patties. _ingredients_--some patty-cases, made as for oysters. ½ lb. of salsify.  oz. of flour. ½ pint of milk. tablespoonfuls of cream. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. a little cayenne. _method._--cook the salsify in milk or water until tender. then cut it into small pieces. melt the butter in a small stewpan, mix in the flour smoothly. then add the milk; stir and cook well. mix in the cream and let it boil in the sauce. then add the lemon juice, seasoning, and salsify. fill the patty-cases with the mixture, and put a lid on each. tomatoes au gratin. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of tomatoes. pint of bread-crumbs.  oz. of butter. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--slice the tomatoes, and put a layer of them in the bottom of a pie-dish. cover them with crumbs; sprinkle with pepper and salt, and place small pieces of butter on them. then put another layer of tomatoes, covering them in the same way with crumbs. use up all the tomatoes and crumbs in this way, letting the last layer be of crumbs. bake in a quick oven for about twenty minutes. mashed potatoes. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter to every pound of potatoes. tablespoonful of cream, if possible. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--the potatoes should be well cooked, and be dry and floury. put them quickly through a wire sieve. mix them well in a saucepan with the butter, cream, and seasoning. make them quite hot. heap them in a mound-like form in a vegetable dish, and smooth over with a knife. mashed potatoes (a plainer way). add to the potatoes, while in the saucepan, some butter or dripping. season with pepper and salt. beat with a fork until perfectly smooth and free from lumps. where economy must be studied, nice beef dripping will be found an excellent substitute for butter. potato balls. form some mashed potatoes into balls. brush them over with beaten egg. put them on a greased baking-tin, and bake in a quick oven until brown. serve garnished with parsley. this is a nice way of using up cold potatoes. flaked potatoes. rub some nicely-cooked floury potatoes through a wire sieve into a hot vegetable dish. this must be done quickly, that the potatoes may be served quite hot. rice for a curry. well wash some patna rice. throw it into plenty of quickly-boiling water with salt in it, and boil until the rice is nearly cooked, but not quite. this will take from eight to ten minutes. strain the rice on a sieve and pour hot water over it, rinsing it well. then put it in the saucepan again, cover it and let it stand in a hot place to finish cooking in its own steam. soups. these are very valuable preparations, and are useful to the poor as well as to the rich, as many of the most nutritious soups are the cheapest. pea soup, haricot soup, and lentil soup are all rich in nourishment, and may be made at a trifling cost, stock not being _necessary_ for their manufacture. the boilings from meat, when not too salt, may be used with advantage in making these soups; but if this is not available, they may be made quite well with water; and, if carefully prepared, will have all the flavour of a meat soup. in making stock for meat soups, it must be borne in mind that in order to extract the juices from the meat it must be put into _cold_ water, which should be heated very gradually, and only allowed to _simmer_. in this way a rich stock is procured, as all the virtue of the meat is drawn into the water. boiling would produce a poor and flavourless stock, as the extreme heat applied, by hardening the albumen, would tend to keep in the juices of the meat instead of drawing them out. in making stock from bones, the method to be pursued is quite the opposite. bones must be boiled, otherwise the gelatine in them will not be extracted; simmering would be of little use. the gelatine can only be thoroughly extracted when they are boiled at higher pressure than is possible in ordinary cookery. bones contain so much gelatine that after they have been once used in stock they should be broken up in pieces and again boiled, so that the gelatine from the _inside_ may also be extracted. an economical cook will often make excellent stock for soup from bones alone, with the addition of suitable vegetables for flavouring. first stock for clear soup. _ingredients_--  lb. of shin of beef, or  lb. of shin of beef and  lb. of knuckle of veal. pints of water. carrots. turnips. onion. the white part of a leek. dozen peppercorns. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. a bay leaf. pepper and salt. _method._--cut the meat into pieces about one inch in size. break up the bone and remove the marrow. put bones and meat into a stockpot with the cold water. let them soak for half an hour. then put the pot on the fire; add some salt and pepper to it, and gently simmer the contents for half an hour. next put in the vegetables sliced, and the herbs tied together. simmer for ½ hours longer, skimming occasionally. strain into a clean pan, and set aside to get cold. white stock. this may be made by the directions in the preceding recipe, using white meat instead of beef; knuckle of veal is considered the stock meat for white soup. knuckle of veal and a rabbit make excellent stock. very good economical white stock may be made by using bones only in making the stock, and no meat; use a ham-bone, if possible, with the others, as this gives a nice flavour. second stock. take any scraps of cooked or uncooked meat; any bones, cooked or uncooked, to make second stock. allow one pint of water to every pound of meat and bones, and vegetables in the same proportion as for first stock. the bones should be broken up. boil gently until all the virtue is extracted from the meat, bones, and vegetables. the contents of the stockpot should be emptied into a pan every night, and the stock strained from the meat, bones, and vegetables. these should be looked over, and the bones, meat, &c., which are of no further use removed; the remainder should be set aside to use with fresh stock material. bones may be boiled for a very long time before the gelatine will be perfectly extracted. second stock, when cold, should be a stiff jelly, in consequence of the gelatine contained in the bones. white stock from bones uncooked. _ingredients_--  lb. of uncooked bones, with a ham-bone, if possible, amongst them. pints of water. carrots. turnips. large onion. half a head of celery. sprig of parsley. thyme, marjoram, and a bay leaf. blade of mace. _method._--break up the bones and put them with the vegetables, sliced, into a stockpot with the water; boil gently for five hours, adding pepper and salt to taste. then strain into a clean pan. clear soup. _ingredients_-- quarts of first stock. ¾ lb. of gravy beef. the white and shell of one egg. _method._--remove _all_ the fat from the stock. if it is in a jelly, take off as much as possible with an iron spoon, and remove the remainder by washing the top of the stock with a cloth dipped in very hot water. scrape the beef finely and soak it in two tablespoonfuls of cold water to loosen the juices. put the stock in a stewpan and add the beef to it, the white and shell of the egg, and a very tiny piece of each kind of vegetable used in making the stock. whisk over the fire until the stock begins to simmer. then leave off stirring and let it well boil up. remove it from the fire and put it on one side for a crust to form. tie a clean cloth to the four legs of a chair turned upside down. pour some boiling water through it into a basin, to ensure it being perfectly clean. then put a clean basin underneath and pour all the contents of the stewpan on to the cloth. the first time the soup runs through it will be cloudy, because the filter made by the beef and egg will not have settled at the bottom of the cloth. take the soup away; put a clean basin under the cloth, and pour the soup slowly through. if this is carefully done the soup will be quite brilliant the second time of straining, and will not require to go through the cloth again. julienne soup. this is a clear soup with shred vegetables served in it. scrape some carrots and take thin parings of them. cut these into very thin strips. take some thin slices of turnip and cut them into strips of the same length. boil the turnips for five minutes, and the carrots for fifteen minutes. consommée au royal. this is clear soup with a savoury custard in it. savoury custard. _ingredients_-- whole egg. yolk. ½ gill of clear soup. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--beat the eggs and soup together and strain them into a greased gallipot. cover them with buttered paper and steam very gently for a quarter of an hour until the custard is firm. let it cool, then turn it out. cut into thin slices. stamp into dice or diamonds and serve them in the clear soup. if the custard is not very gently steamed it will be full of holes, and useless for this purpose. consommée à la princesse. serve small _quenelles_ (see _quenelles_ of veal), made in teaspoons, and nicely poached, in the clear soup. friar tuck. make one quart of clear soup boiling hot. beat two eggs well. when the soup is quite boiling, strain the eggs through a pointed strainer into it. celery soup. _ingredients_-- quarts of second stock. heads of celery.  oz. of flour. ½ pint of cream or good milk. _method._--wash the celery well and cut it in pieces. simmer it in the stock for half an hour or more until quite tender. make a thickening of the flour; pour it into the soup and boil, stirring, for three minutes. then rub through a sieve. put it into the saucepan again. add the cream, stir and let it boil up. serve with fried _croutons_ of bread. oyster soup. _ingredients_-- dozen oysters. ½ pint of white stock.  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. teaspoonful of anchovy sauce. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. _method._--beard the oysters and cut them in two. put the beards into the stock and simmer them in it for a few minutes. melt the butter in another stewpan; mix in the flour smoothly; pour in the stock; stir and boil well. add the cream and let it boil in the soup. strain the oyster liquor and scald the oysters in it. put them in the soup and add the anchovy sauce and lemon juice. haricot soup. _ingredients_-- pint of haricot beans. onion. quarts of water. pint of milk. ½ oz. of dripping. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--soak the beans over night in cold water. boil them with the onion, dripping, pepper and salt, in three pints of water, from three to four hours, until quite soft. rub them with their liquor through a wire sieve. add the milk, and make the soup hot, stirring it over the fire until it boils. serve with fried _croutons_ of bread. note.--this soup is much improved if it is rubbed through a _hair_ sieve after it has been through the wire sieve. green pea purée. _ingredients_-- pints of shelled peas. a large handful of pea-shells. or leaves of spinach. or sprigs of parsley. a few young onions. a sprig of mint. a small piece of soda. lump of sugar. pints of second stock. tablespoonfuls of arrowroot. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--wash the shells well, and put them, with the peas and other vegetables, into boiling water, to which is added the soda and the sugar. when quite tender, drain off the water, and put the vegetables into the stock, which should be made boiling. let it boil up. then rub through a hair sieve. make the soup hot; thicken with arrow-root; and, in serving, add, if liked, a little cream, or glaze. potage à l'américaine. _ingredients_-- pints of second stock. tablespoonfuls of crushed tapioca. good-sized tomatoes. _method._--put the stock into a stewpan on the fire to boil. when boiling, stir in the crushed tapioca. stir and cook for about ten minutes, until it is transparent. rub the tomatoes through a hair sieve. add them to the stock. boil for about two minutes and the soup will be ready to serve. cream may be added if liked. onion soup. _ingredients_-- spanish onions.  oz. of butter. quarts of water.  oz. of flour. ½ pint of milk or cream. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--peel the onions, and cut them in slices. fry them in the butter, but do not let them discolour. then boil them in the water until quite soft. rub them with their liquor through a hair sieve. put this _purée_ into a stewpan on the fire to boil. when boiling, stir in a thickening of the flour. stir and cook well. then add the milk or cream, pepper, and salt, to taste. let the soup boil up, and it is ready. serve with fried _croutons_ of bread. tapioca cream. _ingredients_-- ½ pint of white stock.  oz. of crushed tapioca. tablespoonfuls of cream. the yolks of eggs. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--put the stock into a stewpan on the fire to boil. when boiling, sprinkle in the crushed tapioca. stir and cook well for about ten minutes. beat the yolks lightly with the cream, and strain them. let the stock cool a little, and then add two or three tablespoonfuls of it gradually to the eggs and cream. pour the eggs and cream into the stock, and stir over the fire until the eggs thicken like custard. care must be taken that the stock does not boil after the eggs are in it, as that would curdle them. palestine soup. _ingredients_--  lb. of jerusalem artichokes. quarts of stock; or the liquor mutton or veal has been boiled in. onion. turnip. ½ head of celery. ½ pint of cream, or good milk. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--peel and cut the artichokes and other vegetables into slices. boil them in the stock until tender. rub through a hair sieve. add the cream, and boil it in the soup. add pepper and salt; and serve with fried _croutons_ of bread. potato purée. _ingredients_--  lb. of potatoes. onion. stick of celery. ½ pint of white stock. ½ pint of cream or milk. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--peel the potatoes, and cut them, as well as the onion and the celery, into thin slices. put them in the stock, and simmer gently until tender. rub through a tammy-cloth or hair sieve. add the cream to the soup, and make it hot. serve with fried _croutons_ of bread. egyptian purée or lentil soup. _ingredients_-- pint of egyptian lentils. good-sized onion. carrot and turnip. sticks of celery, or one dessertspoonful of celery seed tied in a piece of muslin. quarts of water, or liquor from a leg of mutton. pepper and salt. _method._--wash the lentils thoroughly. then boil them in the water with the vegetables, cut in small pieces, from two to three hours, stirring occasionally; when quite cooked, rub through a wire sieve; season to taste. make the soup hot in a stewpan, stirring all the time. serve with fried _croutons_ of bread. note.--this soup is much improved if it is rubbed through a hair sieve, after it has been through the wire sieve. pea soup. make according to directions given in preceding recipe, substituting split peas for lentils. calf-tail soup. _ingredients_-- calves' tails. carrot. turnip. onion. sprig of thyme, parsley, and marjoram. a little celery. small clove of garlic. dozen peppercorns.  oz. flour. quarts of stock. salt. _method._--cut the tails into joints. put them into a stewpan, with the water; when it simmers put in the vegetables, &c., and cook very gently for four hours. remove the pieces of tail, and let the stock get cold. then remove the fat, and thicken the stock with the flour. serve with the pieces of tail in it. a wineglass of sherry may be added if liked. ox-tail soup. _ingredients_-- ox-tail. quarts of stock. carrot, turnip, and onion. half a head of celery. slice of ham. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. bay leaves. cloves. pepper and salt.  oz. of butter. wineglass of sherry. a few drops of lemon juice.  oz. of flour. _method._--cut the ox-tail into joints. fry them in the butter, with the vegetables, cut in pieces. put the tail and vegetables into a large saucepan with the stock, pepper, salt, and cloves. boil for very nearly four hours. then strain the stock. remove the pieces of tail, and put them on one side. when the stock is quite cold, remove the fat perfectly and put the stock in a stewpan on the fire to boil. when it boils, stir in a thickening made of the flour. stir, and cook the flour well. then add the sherry and lemon juice. serve with the pieces of tail in it. sheep's-head soup. _ingredients_-- sheep's head. quarts of water. large carrot. large turnip. large onion. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. head of celery.  oz. of flour. teaspoonful of minced parsley. tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs. egg. pepper and salt. _method._--split open the head, and clean it thoroughly. remove the tongue and brains, and blanch the head by putting it into cold water and bringing it to the boil. throw the water away, and rinse the head well. put it into a large saucepan with the three quarts of water and the vegetables, cut in small pieces. boil gently for five hours. then strain into a basin, and rub the meat and vegetables through a wire sieve. when cold, remove the fat from the stock, and add the pulped vegetables and meat. make the soup hot, and stir in a thickening made of the flour. boil the flour well, stirring all the time. serve the soup with forcemeat balls in it. _to make the forcemeat balls._--boil the tongue and brains separately. chop them up; mix them with the bread-crumbs, pepper, salt, and the minced parsley, and bind with the egg. make into balls, and roll them in flour; place them on a greased baking-sheet and bake until brown. put them in a soup-tureen, and pour the soup over them. tapioca soup. _ingredients_--  oz. of tapioca. pints of second stock. _method._--wash the tapioca well, and throw it into the stock when boiling. simmer gently for half an hour, stirring occasionally. ox-cheek soup. _ingredients_-- ox-cheek. some cold water, allowing pint to every pound of meat and quart over. carrots. turnips. onions. half a head of celery. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. bay leaves. pepper and salt. flour. if possible, a ham-bone. a few drops of lemon juice. _method._--cut up the cheek, and put it with the bone and vegetables into a stockpot to boil gently for five hours, skimming occasionally. then strain the stock into a clean pan and set it aside to get cold. when cold, carefully remove all the fat. put the stock into a stewpan on the fire to boil. when boiling, stir in a thickening made of the flour, mixed smoothly with cold water. use one ounce of flour to every pint of stock. stir and boil the flour in the stock for three minutes. add to it a squeeze of lemon juice, and serve the soup with neat pieces of the cheek, about one inch in size, in it. the remains of the cheek may be reboiled, with fresh vegetables, to make a plain second stock. giblet soup. _ingredients_-- sets of goose or sets of duck giblets. ¼ of a head of celery. carrot. turnip. onion. cloves. blade of mace. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. quarts of second stock. a few drops of lemon juice. pepper and salt. _method._--clean the giblets thoroughly, and cut them in pieces. put them into a saucepan, with the vegetables sliced, and the stock, and simmer gently for two hours. then take out the best pieces of giblet, trim them neatly, and set them aside. simmer the soup for half an hour longer. then add to it a thickening of flour, using one ounce of flour to every pint of stock. boil and cook the flour well, and add pepper and salt to taste. strain the soup into another saucepan. add to it the lemon juice, and, if liked, two glasses of madeira wine; also the pieces of giblet. make it quite hot, and it is then ready for serving. milk soup. _ingredients_-- potatoes. onions.  oz. of butter or dripping. tablespoonfuls of semolina. pint of milk. quarts of liquor from meat. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--slice the potatoes and onions; add them to the meat liquor, with the butter and pepper and salt to taste, and boil gently for one hour. then rub the soup through a wire sieve. put it into the saucepan again, and, when boiling, shake into it the semolina and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. when the semolina is cooked the soup is ready. if this soup is used for children, water may be substituted for the meat liquor if the latter is not available. bonne femme soup. _ingredients_-- lettuces. leaves of sorrel. sprigs of taragon. sprigs of chervil. half a cucumber. pints of white stock. the yolks of eggs. ¼ of a pint of cream. the crust of a french roll. ½ oz. of butter. _method._--wash the lettuce, taragons, and chervil well, and shred them finely. peel the cucumber, and shred it also finely. melt the butter, and gently _sauté_ the vegetables in it for five minutes, taking care they do not discolour. boil the stock in another saucepan, and, when boiling, pour it on to the vegetables. simmer gently until the vegetables are quite tender. beat the yolks of the eggs with the cream, and when the stock has cooled a little strain them through a hair sieve into it. put the stewpan by the fire, and stir until the eggs thicken, taking care that the stock does not boil, as that would curdle them. add pepper and salt to taste, and the soup is ready. the crust of the french roll should be served in the soup; it should be baked in the oven and then cut into fancy shapes. turnip soup. _ingredients_-- quart of stock, or the boilings from mutton.  lb. of turnips. large onion. ½ pint of cream, or good milk. large slices of bread. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--put the bread to soak in a little cold stock. pare the turnips and onions, and cut them in pieces. boil them gently in the stock, adding (when well soaked) the bread. when the turnips are cooked, rub the soup through a wire sieve. put it again into the saucepan. add to it the cream or milk, pepper and salt to taste; and let it well boil up. serve with fried or toasted _croutons_ of bread. rabbit soup. _ingredients_-- large rabbit. quarts of water. ½ pint of milk or cream. good-sized onions. _method._--cut the rabbit into joints. put them in a stewpan with the onions sliced and the water. stew very gently for three hours. then strain the stock and remove the fat. put it into a clean stewpan and add a thickening of flour, taking one ounce of flour to every pint of soup. stir and cook well. add the milk or cream and boil it in the soup. season with pepper and salt to taste, and serve with fried or toasted bread. it is an improvement to this soup to cook a ham-bone with the rabbit, or a slice of lean pork. hare soup. _ingredients_-- hare.  lb. of gravy beef. carrot, turnip, and onion. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. bay leaf. dozen peppercorns. blade of mace and cloves. or  oz. of butter or dripping. pints of water. _method._--cut the hare into joints, and the meat into pieces, and fry them in a stewpan in the butter or dripping. afterwards fry the vegetables in the same fat. then pour in the water, add the mace and pepper-corns, and simmer gently from four to five hours. strain the stock and let it get cold. remove the fat perfectly, and put it into a clean stewpan on the fire. when it boils stir in a thickening of flour, using one ounce of flour to every pint of soup. cook the flour well, and add a little colouring if necessary. season to taste, and, just before serving, pour in two glasses of port wine. some forcemeat balls should be served in the soup. make them with veal forcemeat, mixed with the liver of the hare finely chopped, and bake them in the oven. mulligatawny soup. _ingredients_-- rabbit or chicken. quarts of second stock. onion. apple. tablespoonfuls of curry powder. ½ pint of cream.  oz. of butter or dripping. a few drops of lemon juice. _method._--cut the rabbit, or chicken, into joints, and fry them in the butter or dripping. remove them when nicely browned, and fry the apple and onion. then put the apple, onion, and meat into a stewpan, with the stock, which should be mixed with the curry powder. simmer very gently for an hour and a half, until the meat is tender. then remove the meat from the stock, and cut it into neat pieces, convenient for serving in the soup, removing all the bone. thicken the soup with flour, using about one ounce to every pint of stock. boil the flour well in the stock, and then rub the soup through a wire sieve. put it into a stewpan, add the cream, and let it boil in the soup. put in the pieces of meat; and, just before serving, add a squeeze of lemon juice. serve nicely boiled rice with this soup (_see_ rice for curry). parsnip soup. _ingredients_-- quarts of stock.  lb. of parsnips. if possible, ½ pint of cream. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--slice the parsnips and put them into boiling stock. simmer them for one hour, or more, until quite tender. then rub the soup through a wire sieve. add the cream to it, and pepper and salt to taste. put it into a clean stewpan. boil up once more and it is ready. serve with fried _croutons_ of bread. red lentil soup. _ingredients_-- pint of egyptian lentils. large carrot. onions.  lb. of parsnips. sprig of parsley. or large crusts of bread. quarts of water. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--wash the lentils well. boil with the vegetables, cut in slices, and the bread, for two hours or more; stirring occasionally when the lentils are nearly cooked, as they are apt to stick to the bottom of the saucepan and burn. rub the soup through a wire sieve, adding pepper and salt to taste. make it hot again, stirring all the time, and it is ready to serve. mock-turtle soup. _ingredients_--half a calf's head.  oz. of butter. shalot. half-a-dozen mushrooms. carrot. ½ a head of celery. leek. onion. small turnip. sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. bay leaf. blade of mace. cloves.  oz. of flour. wineglasses of sherry. dozen forcemeat balls. quarts of water. ¼ lb. of ham. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--wash the calf's head thoroughly. cut all the flesh from the bones and tie it in a cloth. put it, with the bones and water, into a large saucepan and let it simmer gently, stirring occasionally for three and a half hours. then take out the calf's head and strain the stock into a clean pan. let it get cold, and then carefully remove all the fat. then put the butter into a stewpan, and fry in it the ham and vegetables, cut into slices, with the herbs, mace, cloves, &c. when they are fried, put in the flour and fry till a light brown, stirring it to keep it from burning. then pour in the stock and stir until it boils. add pepper and salt to taste; put it by the side of the fire to simmer for half an hour. remove all scum, or fat, as it rises. then strain the stock into another stewpan. cut part of the calf's head into neat pieces and add it to the stock. pour in the sherry and lemon juice, and add the forcemeat balls. let the soup just come to the boil, and it is ready for serving. the forcemeat balls should be made of veal stuffing, and should be either fried or baked. they should not be too large. it is better to make this soup the day before it is wanted. pot-au-feu. _ingredients_--  lb. of sticking of beef, or  lb. of ox cheek without the bone. large carrots. head of celery. onions. turnips. sprigs of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. cloves. quarts of water.  oz. of crushed tapioca, or sago. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--tie the meat firmly into shape with string. put it into a large saucepan with the water. when it boils, add a teaspoonful of salt. simmer the meat gently for nearly two hours. clean the vegetables thoroughly, tying the celery, parsnips, and carrots together. add them, with the exception of the cabbage, to the meat, and simmer gently for two hours more. then add the cabbage, cleaned and trimmed; it should be cut in two, and tied together with string. simmer until it is tender, adding pepper and salt to taste. the meat is then served with the carrots, turnips, and parsnips, as a garnish, and a little of the liquor poured round for gravy. the cabbage is served in a vegetable dish. to make the soup, put two quarts of the liquor into a saucepan. when it boils sprinkle in the sago, or tapioca, and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. dr. kitchener's broth. _ingredients_--  oz. of scotch barley.  oz. of sliced onions.  oz. of dripping.  oz. bacon.  oz. oatmeal. quarts of the liquor from meat. _method._--wash the barley, and soak it in water for two hours. put the meat liquor on to boil. when boiling, add the barley and the onions. let it boil gently for an hour and a half. then put the dripping into another saucepan, and fry the bacon in it. then add, by degrees, the oatmeal; stir until it forms a paste. then pour in the broth. season with pepper and salt to taste, and set it by the side of the fire to simmer for thirty minutes; the soup is then ready. crowdie. _ingredients_-- gallon of liquor from meat. ¼ pint of oatmeal. onion. pepper and salt. _method._--put the liquor into a saucepan on the fire. mix the oatmeal to a paste with cold water. pour it into the liquor when boiling. stir until it thickens. add the onion, finely-chopped, and pepper and salt to taste. boil gently, stirring occasionally, for half an hour. bread and cakes. in making bread be careful that the yeast is good; otherwise the bread may be heavy. the german and french yeast will do quite as well as the brewers', and are generally more easily procured. the french yeast is the closest and strongest, but, though less is required, bread made with it will take longer to rise than that made with german. the yeast may be tested by mixing it with a little sugar; if it is good, it has the power of dissolving the sugar to a syrup. everything made with yeast should be allowed a proper time to rise. a quartern loaf will generally be ready to make up in about two hours after the dough is set, but the time of rising will vary according to circumstances--for example, in cold weather it may not rise so quickly as in hot. for making bread, warm the pan or tub the dough is to be mixed in, but do not make it hot. take care that the flour is dry, and free from lumps. the water used must be warmed, but care must be taken that it is neither too hot nor too cold. a certain amount of warmth is necessary for the growth of the yeast, but too great heat kills it. the water, therefore, should be lukewarm. when the dough is mixed, sprinkle the top with a little flour to prevent a crust forming; the pan should then be covered with a cloth and placed on a chair in a warm place, free from draught. it may be placed with advantage before the oven or boiler, but should not be put directly in front of a fire. when the dough is exposed to too great a heat it gets moist and sticky, is very difficult to make up, and is heavy when baked. when the dough has risen sufficiently, it should be well kneaded, and then made up into loaves. these loaves are then set on floured tins to rise in a warm place for about twenty minutes before they are baked. the oven should be very hot for the first twenty minutes, and then very much moderated: a sharp heat is necessary at first to throw up the bread; but the rest of the time the heat applied should be moderate. the same heat is required in baking cakes: a sharp heat at first, to throw them up, and moderate afterwards, so that they may get cooked through without the crust burning. the sugar in cakes causes them to burn very quickly. it is, therefore, a wise precaution to line the tin, even for a plain cake, with foolscap paper. currants used in cakes should be well washed and dried before they are used, and any stones removed from them. sultanas should be rubbed in flour, and the stalks picked off. raisins should be stoned, and cut in two or three pieces. to cream butter is to work it about in a basin with the hand, or wooden spoon, until it is the consistency of cream. the cake tins should be kept in a dry place, and before using should be well greased, especially at the bottom. a quartern loaf. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of flour. ¾ pint of water. ½ oz. of salt.  oz. of german yeast. _method._--put  lb. of flour into the pan. make the water lukewarm, and mix it with the yeast. make a hole in the middle of the flour, and mix in the water smoothly and gradually. knead lightly for a minute or two. sprinkle with a little flour, and set to rise in a warm place for about two hours. then knead well for about a quarter of an hour, working in the remainder of the flour. make it into a loaf, and put it in or on a floured tin. set it to rise for about twenty minutes, and then bake. the oven must be very hot for the first few minutes, and then the heat must be _much_ lowered, that the bread may get well cooked through. vienna bread. _ingredients_--  lb. of vienna flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of german yeast. pint of milk. teaspoonful of salt. _method._--rub the butter well into the flour, and add the salt. make the milk tepid, and mix smoothly with the german yeast. make a well in the middle of the flour, and stir in the milk smoothly. knead very lightly for a minute, and then put the dough to rise in a warm place for two hours. when it has well risen, make it into rolls or fancy twists. set them to rise on floured tins for about ten minutes. then bake in a quick oven from ten to twenty minutes, according to their size. when nearly cooked, brush them with a little milk or white of egg to glaze them. unfermented bread. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. heaped teaspoonfuls of baking powder. enough water to mix a dough. _method._--put the flour in a pan. add the baking powder and mix up with the water. make it into small loaves quickly, and bake in a quick oven for about half an hour. milk rolls. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour.  oz. of butter. heaped teaspoonfuls of baking powder. enough milk to mix to a dough. _method._--rub the butter into the flour lightly. add the baking powder, and mix with the milk. make into small rolls as quickly as possible, and bake for a few minutes in a quick oven. brush over with a little milk to glaze them. pound cake. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of castor sugar.  oz. of candied peel. ¼ lb. of sultanas. large eggs. grated rind of a lemon. _method._--rub the flour and sugar through a sieve. beat the butter to a cream in a basin. mix in a little flour and sugar. then a well-beaten egg. next more flour, sugar, and another egg. continue mixing in the same way until the flour, sugar, and eggs are all well blended together. add the other ingredients, and put into a well-greased cake-tin lined with buttered paper. bake for about two hours. queen cakes. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of sugar. eggs. a few currants. grated rind of a lemon. _method._--cream the butter. mix in the flour, sugar, and eggs, according to directions given in preceding recipe. add the lemon rind, and partly fill small well-greased queen-cake tins with the mixture. sprinkle a few currants on the top of each. bake in a moderately quick oven for about a quarter of an hour. rock cakes. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of castor sugar. ½ lb. of currants.  oz. of candied peel. teaspoonful of baking powder. eggs. grated rind of a lemon. _method._--rub the butter into the flour. add the sugar, currants, and other ingredients. mix very stiffly with the eggs, well beaten. put in rough heaps on a well-greased baking-sheet. bake in a quick oven for a quarter of an hour. plain rock cakes. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. ¼ lb. of moist sugar. ¼ lb. of currants. ¼ lb. of butter, lard, or dripping. egg. a little milk. _method._--rub the butter or dripping into the flour. add the other dry ingredients. mix stiffly with the egg, well beaten, and a little milk. put in little rough heaps on a well-greased baking-tin. bake in a quick oven for about a quarter of an hour. plain seed cake. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour.  oz. of butter or clarified dripping. teaspoonful of caraway seeds.  oz. of castor sugar. teaspoonfuls of baking powder. egg. ¾ gill of milk. ½ saltspoonful of salt. _method._--rub the fat well into the flour. add all the other dry ingredients. mix with the egg and milk, well beaten. bake in a well-greased cake-tin for about an hour. sultana cake. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour. ¼ lb. butter. ¼ lb. of castor sugar. ¼ lb. of sultana raisins.  oz. of candied peel. eggs. teaspoonful of baking powder. ½ gill of milk. grated rind of a lemon. _method._--rub the butter well into the flour. add all the other dry ingredients. mix with the milk and yolks of the eggs, well beaten together. beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and mix them in lightly. put the mixture in a well-greased cake-tin. bake for about one hour and a half. plain plum cake. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour. ¼ lb. of dripping. ¼ lb. of currants. ½ pint of milk. ¼ lb. of sugar. teaspoonfuls of baking powder. _method._--rub the dripping into the flour. add the other dry ingredients. mix with the milk. bake in a well-greased cake-tin for about one hour and a quarter. rice cake. _ingredients_--  oz. of ground rice.  oz. of castor sugar. eggs. grated rind of a lemon. _method._--beat the eggs well with a whisk. mix in gradually the castor sugar and rice, and add the lemon rind. bake in a well-greased baking-tin in a quick oven for about one hour. cornflour cake. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of cornflour. ¼ lb. of castor sugar.  oz. of butter. teaspoonful of baking powder. eggs. _method._--beat the butter to a cream. then mix in the sugar. add the two eggs, and beat all well together. lastly, stir in the cornflour and add the baking powder. put the mixture into a well-greased cake-tin, and bake for about three-quarters of an hour. scones. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour.  oz. of castor sugar.  oz. of butter. ½ pint of milk. teaspoonfuls of baking powder, or ¼ oz. of cream of tartar, and teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. _method._--rub the butter into the flour. add the other dry ingredients. mix lightly with the milk. divide the dough into two pieces. make each piece into a ball. roll it out to about three-quarters of an inch in thickness. cut into triangular-shaped pieces. bake on a greased baking-tin for about twenty minutes. brush them over with a little white of egg or milk to glaze them. currant cake. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour. ¼ lb. of currants. ¼ lb. of sugar.  oz. of butter. egg. teaspoonfuls of baking powder. ¼ pint of milk. a little grated lemon rind. _method._--rub the butter into the flour until like fine bread-crumbs. add the sugar and currants--the currants should be well washed and dried--also the baking powder and lemon rind. mix with the beaten egg and milk. bake it at once, in a greased cake-tin lined with paper, for one hour and a half. luncheon cake. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour.  oz. of butter, lard, or dripping. ¼ lb. of sultanas. ¼ lb. of currants.  oz. of sugar.  oz. of candied peel. eggs. rather less than a ¼ pint of milk. teaspoonfuls of baking powder.  oz. of lump sugar. grated lemon rind. _method._--put the lump sugar in a saucepan and burn it brown. pour in the milk and stir until it is coloured. then strain it and let it get cold. put the flour into a basin. rub the butter lightly into it. add the sultanas (well cleaned), and the rest of the dry ingredients. mix with the eggs well beaten, and the milk. put it into a well-greased tin, which should be lined with paper. bake from one hour and a half to two hours. gingerbread. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour.  lb. of treacle. ½ lb. moist sugar. eggs. ½ oz. of carbonate of soda.  oz. of butter.  oz. of ginger. ½ a cup of water.  oz. of candied peel. _method._--put the flour, sugar, ginger, candied peel, and carbonate of soda into a basin. warm the treacle, water, and butter in a saucepan. mix with the dry ingredients and add the eggs, well beaten. partly fill a well-greased yorkshire-pudding tin. smooth over with a knife dipped in hot water, and score with a knife. bake in a moderate oven for about an hour and a half. sponge cake. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour. eggs.  oz. of castor sugar. _method._--oil the cake-mould, and dust it over with castor sugar. beat the eggs and sugar for about twenty minutes until they rise and are quite light; this may be done over hot water, care being taken that the heat is not too great to cook the eggs. dry and sift the flour, and stir it lightly in. pour into the mould and bake in a moderate oven for about one hour. sponge roll. _ingredients_-- eggs. the weight of eggs in castor sugar. of in flour. some jam. _method._--beat the eggs to a cream. add the sugar and then the flour, lightly. have a baking-tin ready greased with butter, and lined with greased paper. pour in the mixture; spread it over and bake it till a light fawn colour. then turn it on to a cloth. spread with the jam melted and roll up quickly. seed cake. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of castor sugar. ½ oz. of caraway seeds. ¼ pint of milk. teaspoonful of baking powder. eggs. _method._--rub the butter into the flour. add the castor sugar and seeds. mix with the yolks and milk beaten together. beat the whites stiffly and stir in lightly. bake in a nicely prepared tin for about one hour and a half. madeira cake. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour.  oz. of lump sugar. ¼ lb. of butter. eggs. ½ gill of water. _method._--boil the water and sugar to a syrup. pour when hot, but not boiling, on to the eggs and beat over hot water until light. melt the butter and stir it in very lightly with the flour. oil a mould and dust it with castor sugar. pour in the mixture, and bake from one hour and a half to two hours. buns. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour. ½ oz. of yeast. ½ pint of milk.  oz. of sugar.  oz. of sultanas.  oz. of butter. egg. _method._--put ten ounces of the flour into a basin. mix the yeast smoothly with the milk, which should be made tepid. stir into the flour. beat for five minutes, and set to rise in a warm place for about two hours. then beat in the remainder of the flour, sultanas, sugar, butter, and the egg. set to rise for about two hours more. then form into buns. place them on a floured tin, and let them rise for ten minutes. bake in a very quick oven for about five minutes until nicely coloured. boil half an ounce of sugar with half a gill of water, and brush the buns over with this to glaze them. dough cake. _ingredients_--½ quartern of dough. ¼ lb. of currants. ¼ lb. of moist sugar. ¼ lb. of clarified dripping. _method._--put the dough into a basin. beat in the dripping, sugar, and currants. these should be well washed and dried. place in a greased tin, and set to rise for one hour. bake in a moderate oven for two hours. candied-peel drops. _ingredients_--½ lb. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of candied peel. grated rind of a lemon. egg. a little milk. one teaspoonful of baking powder.  oz. of sugar. _method._--rub the butter into the flour. add the sugar, grated lemon rind, baking powder, and the candied peel chopped small. mix with the egg, well beaten, and the milk. put it in little heaps on a greased baking-tin. bake in a quick oven for about fifteen minutes. shrewsbury cakes. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of butter. ¼ lb. of castor sugar.  oz. of flour. egg. _method._--cream the butter and sugar. add to them the egg, well beaten. then stir in the flour. knead it to a dough. roll out, and cut into small round cakes with a cutter. place them on a greased baking-sheet. bake in a moderate oven from fifteen to twenty minutes. oatmeal biscuits. _ingredients_--  oz. of flour.  oz. of oatmeal.  oz. of castor sugar.  oz. of lard, dripping, or butter. ¼ teaspoonful of baking powder. egg. tablespoonful of water. _method._--put the flour, oatmeal, sugar, and baking-powder into a basin. mix them with the fat melted, and the egg beaten with the water. knead lightly into a dough. roll it out, and cut into round cakes. place them on a greased baking-tin. bake in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes. shortbread. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of flour.  oz. of castor sugar.  oz. of butter. _method._--put the flour and sugar into a basin. melt the butter, and mix them with it. knead lightly. roll out, cut the paste into cakes with a knife, and bake for half an hour. yorkshire teacakes. _ingredients_--¾ lb. of flour. ½ gill of milk.  oz. of butter. egg. ½ oz. of german yeast. _method._--put the flour into a basin, and rub the butter into it. make the milk tepid, and blend it with the yeast. strain it into the flour. add the egg. beat all well together for a few minutes. knead lightly. then divide the dough in two. make each part into a ball, and put them in floured cake-tins. put the cakes in a warm place to rise for one hour, and then bake them for about twenty minutes. brush them over with a syrup of sugar and water to glaze them. ginger biscuits. _ingredients_--½ lb. of flour.  oz. of butter, lard, or dripping. ½ oz. of ground ginger.  oz. of castor sugar. egg, and a little milk. ½ teaspoonful of baking powder. _method._--rub the butter into the flour until it is like fine bread-crumbs. add the sugar and baking powder, and mix with the egg, well beaten, and as much milk as necessary to make it bind. roll out, and cut into small round cakes. put them on a greased tin. bake in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes. lemon-rock cakes. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of castor sugar. grated rind of one lemon and juice of two. egg. a little milk. teaspoonful of baking powder. _method._--rub the butter into the flour. add the sugar, baking-powder, lemon rind, and juice. mix with the egg, well beaten, and as much milk as necessary; the mixture should be very stiff. put it in little rough heaps on a greased baking-tin. bake in a quick oven for about fifteen minutes. soda cakes. _ingredients_--½ lb. of flour.  oz. of butter.  oz. of sugar.  oz. of candied peel. grated rind of a lemon. whole egg. if necessary, a little milk. ½ a teaspoonful of carbonate soda. _method._--rub the butter well into the flour. add the sugar, peel, lemon rind, and soda. mix with the egg, well beaten, and, if necessary, a little milk; the mixture must be very stiff. put it in little rough heaps on a greased baking-tin. bake in a quick oven for fifteen minutes. gingerbread cakes. _ingredients_--  lb. of flour.  oz. of butter, lard, or dripping.  oz. of ground ginger.  oz. of moist sugar. ¾ lb. of treacle. _method._--put the sugar, treacle, and fat into a saucepan, and melt them. put the flour and ginger into a basin. mix with the other ingredients. roll out, and cut into small cakes. bake on a greased baking-tin, in a slow oven, for ten or fifteen minutes. rice buns. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of ground rice. ¼ lb. of castor sugar.  oz. of butter. egg. ½ a teaspoonful of baking powder. a little flavouring essence. _method._--beat the butter to a cream with the sugar. then add the eggs, well beaten, and stir in the ground rice. partly fill little greased patty-pans with the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven for a quarter of an hour. galettes. _ingredients_--  lb. of vienna flour.  lb. of household flour.  oz. of yeast. ½ lb. of butter. eggs. ½ a pint of milk. a little sugar. _method._--make the milk tepid. then mix it smoothly with the yeast, and stir it into the household flour. knead it to a dough. rub the butter into the other flour and beat in the eggs well with the sugar. then knead both doughs together. put them to rise for about two hours. when nicely risen, make the dough into buns. put them on a floured baking-sheet. bake in a quick oven for about ten minutes. when nearly ready, brush over with a little white of egg to glaze them. jellies and creams. to clear jellies. take a large saucepan, and see that it is perfectly clean. put into it all the ingredients for the jelly, and the whites and shells of the eggs. the use of the whites of eggs is to clear the jelly; the shells form a filter through which to strain it. whisk all together over a quick fire until the jelly begins to simmer; then immediately leave off stirring, and let it well boil up. the heat of the boiling jelly hardens the egg, which rises to the surface in the form of a thick scum, bringing all impurities with it. if the stirring were continued during the boiling it would prevent the scum rising properly, and the jelly would not clear. when the jelly has well boiled up, remove it from the fire and let it stand for a few minutes till a crust is formed. to strain it, a chair may be turned upside down, and a cloth tied firmly to its four legs. any cloth, which is clean, and not too closely woven, will answer the purpose. put a basin under the cloth, and pour some boiling water through it. this will make it hot, and ensure its being perfectly clean. change the basin for a clean dry one, and pour the whole contents of the saucepan on to the cloth. the first runnings of the jelly will be cloudy, because the filter which the eggs make will not have settled in the cloth. as soon as the jelly runs slowly, and looks clear, put a clean basin under the cloth, and put the first runnings through it again, very gently, that they may not disturb the filter of egg-shells. strain the jelly in a warm place, out of draught. two eggs are considered sufficient to clarify a quart of jelly, but if the eggs are small it is wise to take a third. if there is not sufficient white of egg, the jelly will not clear. the jelly should be allowed to get nearly cold before it is put into the moulds. if it is put hot into metal moulds it is likely to become cloudy. to make creams. to make a good cream, it is essential that the cream used should be double; that is, a thick cream that will whip up to a stiff froth. beat it well with a wire whisk until it will stand on the end of it without dropping. this must be done in a cool place, especially in summer time. cream is liable to curdle, and turn to butter, if beaten in too warm a temperature. the gelatine must be added last of all. it should be stirred in thoroughly, but quickly; it must not be too hot, or too cold, but just lukewarm. if too hot, it destroys the lightness of the cream; if too cold, it does not mix thoroughly. pour the cream into a mould as soon as the gelatine is mixed with it, as it begins to set directly. to turn a jelly or cream out of its mould, take a basin of hot water, as hot as the hand can bear, draw the mould quickly through it, letting the water quite cover it for a second. wipe off all the moisture immediately with a dry cloth. shake the tin gently, to be sure the contents are free. lay the dish on the open side of the mould, quickly reverse it, and draw the mould carefully away. strawberry cream. _ingredients_--½ pint of double cream.  oz. of amber gelatine, or rather less than ½ oz. of the opaque. tablespoonfuls of castor sugar. some strawberries. ¼ pint of milk. a few drops of cochineal. _method._--soak the gelatine in the milk for about twenty minutes or more. then dissolve it by stirring it in a saucepan over the fire. rub sufficient strawberries through a hair sieve to make a quarter of a pint of _purée_. beat up the cream with the sugar. then add the _purée_ of fruit, and a few drops of cochineal to colour it. lastly stir in the melted gelatine. pour the cream at once into a wetted mould. when quite set, dip it for a second or two into very hot water, and turn it on to a glass dish. charlotte russe. _ingredients_-- dozen sponge fingers.  oz. of glace cherries. ½ pint of double cream. ½ oz. of amber gelatine melted in a little milk, or less than ¼ oz. of the opaque. dessertspoonfuls of castor sugar. a few drops of essence of vanilla, or other flavouring. _method._--first put the gelatine to soak in a little milk. then cut the cherries in halves, and place them in a circle round the bottom of a plain round tin, with the cut side uppermost. divide the sponge fingers, lengthwise, without breaking them, and trim each one at the side, top, and bottom neatly. then line the tin with them, placing them on the top of the cherries, with the brown side next the tin; they should be put close together, and the last should serve as a wedge to keep the others in place. beat up the cream stiffly with the sugar. add the vanilla flavouring and the melted gelatine. this must be neither too hot nor too cold. stir it thoroughly, but quickly, into the cream, and pour at once into the prepared tin. when set, dip the bottom of the tin into hot water for a second or two, and turn it carefully on to a glass dish. custard cream. _ingredients_--½ pint of double cream. tablespoonfuls of castor sugar.  oz. of amber gelatine, or less than ½ of the opaque. whole egg. yolks. ½ pint of hot milk. a few drops of vanilla or other essence. _method._--put the gelatine to soak in a little milk. then beat the eggs lightly and add them to the milk. strain into a jug and add the sugar. put the jug into a saucepan of boiling water, and stir until the custard coats the spoon; care must be taken that it does not curdle. while the custard cools beat up the cream stiffly. melt the gelatine, and add it to the custard. flavour it, and, when sufficiently cooled, mix the custard and cream thoroughly together. pour at once into a wetted mould. bohemian cream. _ingredients_--½ pint of sweet jelly of any kind. ½ pint of double cream. _method._--beat the cream stiffly. mix with it the jelly, which should be melted, but cold. pour into a wetted mould. wine jelly. _ingredients_--  oz. packet of either nelson's or swinbourne's gelatine. pint of water. ½ pint of sherry. ¼ to ½ lb. of lump sugar, according to taste. the juice of two lemons. the rind of one. the whites and shells of large eggs. _method._--soak the gelatine in the water with the thin rind of a lemon for three quarters of an hour, if possible. then add all the other ingredients. clarify and strain (_see_ to clear jellies). when quite cold pour into a wetted mould. calf's-foot stock. _ingredients_-- calf's feet. pints of water. _method._--cut each foot into four pieces. blanch them by putting them in cold water and bringing them to the boil. throw the water away, and well wash the feet. put them into a saucepan, with four pints of water, and boil gently for five hours. then strain the stock from the bones, and set it aside until the next day. the fat must then be carefully removed, or the stock will not clear. to turn this into calf's-foot jelly, add-- half a pint of white wine. the rind of and the juice of lemons. ¾ lb. of lump sugar. the whites and shells of eggs. clarify and strain (_see_ to clear jellies). pineapple jelly. _ingredients_-- pineapple.  oz. packet of gelatine. pint of water. ¼ lb. of lump sugar. the thin rind of lemon, and the juice of . the whites and shells of large eggs. _method._--first soak the gelatine in the water. cut up the pineapple and bruise it in a mortar. add it, and all the other ingredients, to the gelatine. then clarify (_see_ to clear jellies). note.--the grated pineapple, sold in tins, is excellent for jellies or creams. aspic jelly. _ingredients_--  oz. packet of gelatine. pint of good stock. ¼ pint of taragon vinegar. ¼ pint of sherry. a small carrot, turnip, and onion. a sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. bay leaves. cloves. dozen peppercorns. a piece of celery. a blade of mace. a clove of garlic. shalot. the whites and shells of large eggs. salt to taste. _method._--soak the gelatine in the stock. then add all the other ingredients and clarify (_see_ to clear jellies). claret jelly. _ingredients_--  oz. packet of gelatine. ½ pint of water. pint of claret. ½ lb. of lump sugar. a few drops of cochineal. _method._--soak the gelatine in the water. add the sugar, and stir over the fire until dissolved. pour in the wine, and colour with cochineal. strain into a wetted mould. when firm, dip into hot water for a second or two, and turn on to a glass dish. note.--this jelly is not clarified. cake is usually served with claret jelly. orange jelly. _ingredients_-- dozen oranges. lemon. pints of water.  oz. packet and a half of swinbourne's or nelson's opaque gelatine (in summer two packets). ½ lb. of lump sugar. _method._--soak the gelatine in the water with the thin rind of one lemon and three oranges. add the sugar; stir over the fire until the gelatine is dissolved. add the juice of the twelve oranges. let the jelly boil up, and then strain into a wetted mould. when firm, dip into hot water for a second or two, and turn on to a glass dish. note.--this jelly is not clarified. strawberry jelly. _ingredients_-- quart of strawberries. ½ lb. of lump sugar. juice of one lemon. ½ oz. of swinbourne's or nelson's opaque gelatine. ½ pint of cold water. ½ pint of boiling water. the whites and shells of large eggs. _method._--soak the gelatine in the cold water. mash the strawberries to a pulp. add them to the gelatine with the sugar and lemon juice. pour the boiling water over. then put all the ingredients into a saucepan. add to them the whites and shells of the eggs, and clarify and strain (_see_ to clear jellies). pour into a wetted mould, and set in a cool place until firm. to turn it out, dip the tin into very hot water for a second or two, and turn it carefully on to a glass dish. orange cream. _ingredients_-- pint of double cream. oranges.  oz. of sugar.  oz. packet of gelatine. whole eggs. yolks of eggs. pint of milk. _method._--soak the gelatine in a ¼ pint of milk with the thin rind of one orange. strain the juice of the oranges into a cup. beat the eggs, and yolks of eggs, with the milk. strain into a jug, and add the sugar. put the jug to stand in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir until the custard coats the spoon. melt the gelatine and add it to the custard. whip up the cream stiffly, and add to it the orange juice. when the custard is cool, beat it into the cream, and pour at once into a wetted mould. if liked, it may be put into a border mould, and served with whipped cream in the middle. blancmange. _ingredients_--  oz. packet of swinbourne's isinglass. pint of milk. pint of cream. or  oz. castor sugar. flavouring essence. _method._--soak the isinglass in the milk; add the sugar and stir over the fire until both are dissolved. then pour in the cream; stir occasionally until cold. add the flavouring essence and pour it into a wetted mould. note.--a _blancmange_ may be made economically by using less cream and more milk, or using milk only. if it is not stirred until cold, the cream and milk will separate. vanilla cream. make a thick cream as for charlotte russe, and flavour with vanilla. gâteau aux pommes. _ingredients_--  lb. apples.  oz. moist sugar. lemon. ½ oz. packet of swinbourne's or nelson's gelatine. ½ pint of water. a few drops of cochineal. _method._--soak the gelatine in half the water. wash and slice the apples. put them in a stewpan with the sugar and thin lemon rind and juice and remainder of the water. stew until soft, then rub through a _hair_ sieve. melt the gelatine; mix it thoroughly with the apples. colour with cochineal, and pour the mixture into a wetted mould. note.--this sweet looks very nice when it is made in a border mould. it is then served with whipped cream or white of egg in the middle. peaches, prunes, or any suitable fruit may be substituted for the apples. compote of peaches. _ingredients_--  oz. of sugar. pint of water. dozen peaches. ½ pint of whipped cream. _method._--boil the sugar and water for ten minutes. pare the peaches and simmer for about twenty minutes. remove carefully and place on a glass dish. reduce the syrup and pour over them. when cold, cover with whipped cream. almond bavarian cream. _ingredients_-- pint of double cream. ½ lb. of sweet almonds. or drops of essence of almonds.  oz. of castor sugar. ¾ of an ounce packet of gelatine. eggs. ¾ of a pint of milk. _method._--soak the gelatine in the milk. blanch and pound the almonds, adding a few drops of orange-flower water to keep them from oiling. beat the eggs and milk lightly together, and strain into a jug. add to them the sugar and almonds. put the jug into a saucepan of boiling water, and stir until the custard coats the spoon. melt the gelatine, and add it to the custard. whip the cream to a stiff froth, and drop in the almond essence. when the custard is cool, stir it into the cream. mix them well together, and pour into a wetted mould. stone cream. _ingredients_-- pint of double cream. wineglasses of sherry. juice of a lemon. ¼ lb. of castor sugar. gill of milk.  oz. of nelson's or swinbourne's opaque gelatine. a little almond flavouring. _method._--soak the gelatine in the milk with the sugar. beat the cream up stiffly. melt the gelatine; add to it the sherry, lemon juice, and flavouring. stir it quickly into the beaten cream. pour it into a wetted mould. when set, dip it into very hot water for a second, and turn it carefully on to a glass dish. lemon sponge. _ingredients_--½ oz. packet of gelatine. pint of cold water. ½ lb. of lump sugar. the thin rind and juice of two lemons. the whites of eggs. _method._--soak the gelatine in the water with the rind of the lemon for one hour. add the sugar and dissolve it over the fire. stir and simmer it for a few minutes. strain into a basin and add the lemon juice. when it begins to set, beat in the whites of the eggs, whipped to a very stiff froth. whisk until the whole mixture is light and spongy. then heap it on a glass dish. a little of it may be coloured a pale pink with cochineal; and as a decoration, a few pistachio kernels, blanched and chopped, can be sprinkled over the sponge. floating island. _ingredients_--a round sponge-cake. pint of custard (_see_ boiled custard). red jam. the whites of two eggs. tablespoonful of castor sugar. some chopped pistachio kernels. some hundreds and thousands. _method._--cut the cake horizontally in slices. spread them with jam. place them on each other in the form of the cake, and spread the top with jam. put the cake on a glass dish, and pour the custard over. whip the whites of the eggs stiffly with the sugar, and heap on the top of the cake. decorate with chopped pistachios and hundreds and thousands. maraschino cream. _ingredients_-- yolks of eggs. white. ½ pint of milk. ½ pint of whipped double cream. tablespoonfuls of castor sugar.  oz. of amber gelatine, or ½ oz. of the opaque, melted in a little milk. small glass of maraschino. _method._--make the eggs and milk into a custard (_see_ boiled custard). add to it the sugar and melted gelatine. when it has cooled, mix it with the cream. add the maraschino and pour into a wetted mould previously decorated with a little bright fruit. when set, dip into hot water for a second or two, and turn it on to a glass dish. pistachio cream. _ingredients_--½ pint of whipped double cream. ½ oz. of amber gelatine, or less than ¼ oz. of the opaque, melted in a little milk.  oz. of castor sugar.  oz. of pistachio kernels blanched. a few drops of vanilla. _method._--pound the pistachios in a mortar, and rub them through a sieve. then mix them with the cream. add a few drops of vanilla, the sugar, and, last of all, the melted gelatine. pour it into a wetted mould. when set, dip it into hot water for a second or two, and turn carefully on to a glass dish. croquant of oranges. _ingredients_-- or oranges. ½ teacupful of melted sweet jelly. a few pistachio kernels, blanched and chopped. ½ pint of whipped double cream. ½ oz. of amber gelatine, or less than ¼ oz. of the opaque, melted in a little milk.  oz. of castor sugar. _method._--peel and divide six oranges into sections, and carefully remove the white skins. dip each piece into the jelly, and line a plain round charlotte russe tin with them. place them to form a star in the bottom of the mould, and fill up any spaces with the chopped pistachio kernels. add the juice of three oranges to the whipped cream. mix in the sugar, and add, last of all, the melted gelatine. pour the cream into the tin. when set, dip the tin in hot water to loosen the pieces of orange, and then turn carefully on to a glass or silver dish. chartreuse de fruit. _ingredients_--various fruits, such as strawberries, greengages, cherries, peaches, &c. some strawberry or other cream. ½ teacupful of sweet jelly, melted. _method._--line a plain charlotte russe mould tastefully with slices of the different fruits, dipping each piece in the melted jelly. then pour in a strawberry or any other cream (_see_ strawberry cream). when set, dip the mould into very hot water for a second or two to loosen the fruit, and then turn them on to a glass or silver dish. strawberry charlotte. _ingredients_--some fine ripe strawberries. some pistachio kernels, blanched and chopped. ½ teacupful of melted sweet jelly. some strawberry cream. _method._--line a charlotte russe mould tastefully with the strawberries cut in half, dipping them in the jelly, and laying them in the tin with the cut side downwards. fill the spaces with the pistachios. when the strawberries are quite firm, pour in some strawberry cream (_see_ strawberry cream). when set, dip into very hot water for a second or two to loosen the fruit, and turn on to a glass or silver dish. tipsy cake. _ingredients_-- large sponge cake. wineglass of sherry. wineglass of brandy. pint custard (_see_ boiled custard). some blanched almonds. _method._--put the cake on a glass dish. soak it with the sherry and brandy. pour over the custard, and stick blanched almonds well over it. trifle. _ingredients_-- savoy cake. pint of double cream. pint of rich custard (_see_ boiled custard). some strawberry or other jam. wineglass of sherry. wineglass of brandy. ½ lb. of macaroons.  oz. of castor sugar. sponge cakes. _method._--cut the cake into slices an inch thick. lay them on the bottom of a glass dish. spread them with jam. lay the macaroons on them. cover them with sponge cakes. soak them with the sherry and brandy, and cover with the custard. whip the cream very stiffly with the sugar. drain it on a sieve. before serving, heap the whip on the top of the trifle. decorate it with chopped pistachios, and hundreds and thousands. apple flummery. _ingredients_--  lb. of apples. the rind and juice of a small lemon.  oz. of sugar. ¼ pint of water. ½ oz. packet of nelson's or swinbourn's gelatine. ½ pint of cream. cochineal. _method._--cut up the apples, and stew them with the sugar, lemon, and water, until tender. rub them through a hair sieve. while the apples are cooking, soak the gelatine in the cream. then stir over the fire until the gelatine is quite dissolved. add the cream and gelatine to the apple pulp, and beat all well together. colour with cochineal, and pour into a wetted mould. when firm, dip for a second or two into very hot water, and then turn on to a glass dish. apple cream. _ingredients_--  lb. of apples. ¼ lb. of sugar. glass of port wine. the rind of a lemon. ¼ pint of water. ½ pint of cream or milk. cochineal. _method._--wash the apples, and cut them into pieces. put them into a stewpan with the lemon rind, sugar, wine, and water. stew gently until they are quite tender. then rub them through a hair sieve, and colour with cochineal. boil the cream or milk and add it to the apple pulp. beat them thoroughly together, and serve when cold in a glass dish. alpine snow. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of apples.  oz. of castor sugar. ¼ pint of water. the thin rind and juice of half a lemon. the whites of eggs. cochineal. _method._--wash the apples and cut them in pieces. put them in a stewpan with the water, sugar, lemon rind and juice. stew gently until quite tender. then rub through a hair sieve. whip the whites of the eggs. when the apple pulp is quite cold, add them to it, and beat until the mixture is a stiff froth. colour prettily with cochineal, and heap on a glass dish. welsh custard. _ingredients_--  lb. of apples. the thin rind of a lemon. juice of half a lemon.  oz. of castor sugar. teaspoonfuls of ground ginger. whole eggs. ¾ pint of water. _method._--wash and cut up the apples. stew them until tender with the sugar, lemon rind and juice, ginger, and water. rub them through a hair sieve (there should be about one pint of pulp if the stewing has been very gentle). beat the eggs, and strain them into the apple pulp. pour the custard into a jug. put it to stand in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir until it thickens, taking care that it does not curdle. stir occasionally while it is cooling, and serve in custard glasses or on a glass dish. cheap custard. _ingredients_-- tablespoonful of cornflour. pint of milk. the yolks of eggs.  oz. of castor sugar. vanilla or other flavouring. _method._--put the milk and sugar on to boil. when boiling, stir in the cornflour, which should be mixed very smoothly with a little cold milk. boil, stirring all the time, for ten minutes. then remove from the fire, and, when it has cooled a little, beat in the yolks of the eggs. stir again over the fire to cook the eggs, but take care they do not curdle. flavour to taste, and when cold pour into custard glasses. a cheaper substitute for custard may be made by omitting the eggs. arrowroot custard. _ingredients_-- pint of milk. tablespoonful of arrowroot.  oz. of castor sugar. the yolks of eggs. vanilla or other flavouring. _method._--boil the milk with the sugar. when boiling, pour in the arrowroot, mixed very smoothly with a little cold milk. stir until it boils and thickens. then remove it from the fire, beat in the yolks and stir until they thicken. plain trifle. _ingredients_--a little red jam. sponge cakes.  doz. ratafias. pint of milk. the white of an egg. eggs.  oz. of castor sugar. _method._--boil the milk with the sugar. beat the eggs, and stir the milk on to them. strain into a jug. place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir until the custard coats the spoon. then let it cool, stirring occasionally. cut the cakes in halves; spread them with jam; place them on a dish alternately with the ratafias. pour the custard over them, and set aside until quite cold. decorate with the white of egg beaten stiffly. boiled custard. _ingredients_--¾ pint of new milk. yolks of eggs. dessertspoonfuls of castor sugar. a little flavouring of vanilla, lemon, or almond. _method._--boil the milk with the sugar. beat the yolks lightly. pour the milk (not too hot) on them, stirring all the time. strain the custard into a jug, which must be placed in a saucepan of boiling water. stir until it coats the spoon. great care must be taken that the custard does not curdle; it mast be stirred occasionally while cooling. a cheaper custard may be made by substituting two whole eggs for the five yolks, or one whole egg and two yolks. soufflÉes and omelets. the best cooks will sometimes fail in making soufflées, as their manufacture requires the very greatest care and attention. it is also necessary to be able to judge to a nicety the time they will take to cook, because, to be eaten in perfection, they should be served directly they are ready. in making a soufflée, be very careful to take _exact_ measure of the different ingredients; a little too much flour, or rather too little milk, may make a great difference in the lightness of it. the flour should be the best vienna. another point to be attended to is to whip up the whites of the eggs as stiffly as possible, and to mix them with the other ingredients very lightly. bear in mind that the object in beating the whites of eggs is to introduce air into the soufflée; and it is the expansion of the air when the soufflée is cooking which makes it light. if the whites are mixed heavily with the other ingredients, the air which has been whipped into them is beaten out again; and consequently they fail to make the soufflée light. when the soufflée is firm in the middle, it is sufficiently cooked, and should be served with the greatest expedition, as it will begin to sink rapidly. an omelet soufflée, left in the oven two or three minutes over time, will be quite spoilt, and become tough and leathery. steamed soufflées are turned out of the tins they are cooked in, and served with a sauce poured round them. baked soufflées are served in the tins, which are slipped into a hot metal or silver case, or a napkin is folded round them. plain omelets are quickly made, and quickly spoiled. some practice is required to make the plain omelet to perfection, as the art consists in folding the omelet just at the right moment, before the eggs used in them are too much set. the omelet should not be firm throughout, like a pancake, but should be moist and succulent in the middle. a very sharp fire is essential, and the omelet should not take more than three minutes in the making. steamed soufflée. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter.  oz. of flour. ¼ pint of milk. eggs. dessertspoonfuls of castor sugar. _method._--well grease a soufflée-tin with butter. fold a half sheet of kitchen paper in three. brush it over with melted butter, and fasten it round the top of the tin, letting it come nearly three inches above it. melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. add the milk, and stir and cook well. mix in the sugar, and beat in the yolks of three of the eggs, one by one. add a little flavouring essence. beat the whites of four eggs to a stiff froth, and stir them in lightly. put the mixture at once into the tin. cover it with buttered paper, and steam carefully for half an hour. when done, it will be firm in the middle. turn it quickly on to a hot dish, and serve at once, with wine sauce poured round it (_see_ sauces). cheese fondu. _ingredients_--  oz. of butter. ½ oz. of flour. ¼ pint of milk.  oz. of grated parmesan cheese. eggs. a little pepper, salt, and cayenne. _method._--prepare the tin as for a steamed soufflée. melt the butter in a small stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly, add the milk, and stir and cook well. add the seasoning, and beat in the yolks of two of the eggs. then mix in the grated cheese. beat the whites of the three eggs to a stiff froth, and stir them in lightly. put the mixture at once into the tin, and bake for twenty-five or thirty minutes. when done, it will be firm in the middle. serve in the tin, with a napkin folded round it. omelet soufflée. _ingredients_-- yolks and whites of eggs. dessertspoonful of castor sugar. a little flavouring essence. _method._--beat the yolks in a basin with the sugar, and add the essence. whip up the whites as stiffly as possible, and mix them lightly with the yolks. pour the mixture into a well-greased omelet-pan, and put it into a brisk oven for about three minutes, until of a pale-brown colour. turn it on to a hot dish. fold it over and serve quickly. a savoury omelet soufflée. may be made by omitting the flavouring essence, and substituting pepper and salt for the sugar. the omelet should then be served with a rich gravy poured round it. cheese ramequins. make a mixture as directed for cheese fondu. partly fill little ramequin cases with it, and bake in a quick oven for a few minutes. batter for fritters (kromesky). _ingredients_--¼ lb. of flour. tablespoonful of oiled butter or salad oil. gill of tepid water. the white of egg, beaten to a stiff froth. if for _sweet_ fritters, castor sugar to taste. _method._--put the flour into a basin. make a hole in the middle, and put in the oil. stir smoothly, adding the water by degrees. beat until quite smooth. then add the beaten white, stirring it in lightly. apple fritters. pare some nice apples. cut them into slices about a quarter of an inch thick, and stamp out the core with a round cutter. lay the rings in the batter, and cover them well with it. lift them out with a skewer, and drop them into hot fat (_see_ french frying). when lightly browned on one side, turn them on to the other. drain them on kitchen paper. dish on a folded napkin, with castor sugar dusted over them. a small savoury omelet. _ingredients_-- or eggs. dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley.  oz. of butter. pepper and salt. _method._--break the eggs into a basin. add to them the parsley, pepper, and salt. melt the butter in a small omelet-pan. beat the eggs very lightly, and pour them into the pan. shake and stir the mixture vigorously until it begins to set. when some of the egg is set and the other still liquid, tilt the pan, and draw the egg quickly to the one side of it. leave it there to set for two or three seconds; then tilt the pan again and fold the omelet, quickly drawing it to the other side of the pan. as soon as the outside is set, turn it on a hot dish and serve immediately. to make an omelet successfully, a _very_ quick fire is necessary; an omelet should not take more than three minutes to cook. larger omelets are made by using more eggs and butter and parsley in proportion. chopped cooked ham and kidney may be added to a savoury omelet; also mushrooms and shalots. the latter should be finely chopped, and fried in a little butter before they are used. a cheese omelet is made by adding grated parmesan or other cheese to the mixture. invalid cookery. much attention should be paid to this branch of cookery. the recovery of many sick people depends, to a great extent, on their being able to take a proper amount of nourishment. this they will not be likely to do, unless the food is well cooked, and nicely served. everything, for an invalid, should be dressed plainly, and _well cooked_. highly seasoned meat, rich gravies, sauces, puddings, &c., should be avoided. the digestive organs are weakened by illness, and should not be unduly taxed. all meals should be served punctually; carelessness in this respect has often been the cause of great exhaustion. a good nurse ought to watch her patients carefully, and never allow their strength to sink for want of nourishment at the right time. it is not wise to prepare too large a quantity of anything at one time; an invalid's appetite is generally very variable. all fat should be carefully removed from beef-tea and broth before they are served. this can be best done when they are cold. great care should be taken to make everything look as tempting as possible. the tray-cloths used, glass, silver, &c., should be spotlessly clean, and bright-looking. raw-beef tea. _ingredients_--equal quantities in weight of beef and cold water. _method._--scrape the beef very finely, and remove the fat. soak the beef in the water for about half an hour, moving it occasionally with a fork. when the juices of the meat are drawn into the water, and it has become a deep-red colour, it is ready for use and should be strained. this tea is better made from rump or beef steak. do not make too much at one time. in hot weather two ounces or a quarter of a pound of meat will be quite sufficient. be careful that the meat is perfectly sweet and good. beef tea. _ingredients_--  lb. of rump or beef steak. ½ pint of cold water. _method._--cut the steak into small pieces, and put them into a jar with the water; tie a piece of paper over the top. put the jar to stand in a saucepan of boiling water for four hours. pour the tea from the beef, and remove the fat when cold; salt can be added to taste. mutton broth. _ingredients_--  lb. of scrag end of neck of mutton. pints of water. tablespoonful of rice. salt to taste. _method._--cut up the mutton, and put it into a saucepan with the water. simmer gently for four hours. then strain away from the meat, and set on one side to cool. when quite cold carefully remove the fat, and put the broth into a clean saucepan. put it on the fire to boil, and, when boiling, throw in the rice, which should have been well washed. as soon as the rice is cooked, the broth is ready. add salt and pepper to taste. clear barley-water. _ingredients_--  oz. of pearl barley. a little thin lemon peel. pint of boiling water. sugar to taste. _method._--wash the barley, and put it into a jug with the lemon peel. pour the boiling water over it, and add the sugar. let it stand until cold, and then strain it. thick barley-water. _ingredients_--  oz. of pearl barley. quart of water. a little thin lemon peel. sugar to taste. _method._--wash the barley, and put it into a saucepan with cold water. boil for ten minutes. then throw the water away, and wash the barley. this is to blanch it. if this were not done the barley water would have a dark-coloured, unpleasant appearance. put it into a saucepan, with the quart of water, and boil gently for two hours. sweeten to taste, and then strain it. rice water. _ingredients_--  oz. of rice. pints of water. inch of cinnamon. sugar to taste. _method._--wash the rice well, and throw it into three pints of boiling water, with the cinnamon. boil gently for two hours. sweeten to taste, and strain. apple water. _ingredients_-- large apples. a little thin lemon peel. pint of boiling water. sugar to taste. _method._--peel and cut up the apples. put them into a jug with the lemon peel and sugar. pour over the boiling water, and cover close until cold; then strain it. lemonade. _ingredients_-- lemons. lumps of sugar. pint of boiling water. _method._--take the yellow part of the lemon peel, cut very thinly, from one of the lemons. then remove the skin completely from them both. cut them into slices, and remove the pips. put the sliced lemon, thin peel, and sugar, into a jug; pour over the boiling water. cover, until cold, and then strain. a cup of arrowroot. _ingredients_--½ pint of milk. dessertspoonful of arrowroot. castor sugar. _method._--put the milk into a saucepan on the fire to boil. mix the arrowroot very smoothly with a little cold milk; when the milk boils pour in the arrowroot, and stir until the milk has thickened. add sugar to taste. for water arrowroot, substitute water for milk. arrowroot pudding. _ingredients_--cup of arrowroot, made as in foregoing recipe. or eggs. a little vanilla, or other flavouring. _method._--beat the yolks one by one into the arrowroot, and add flavouring to taste. beat the whites up stiffly, and stir them in lightly. pour the mixture into a greased pie-dish. bake for a few minutes, and serve as quickly as possible. treacle posset. _ingredients_--½ pint of milk. ¼ pint of treacle. _method._--put the milk into a saucepan on the fire to boil. when boiling, pour in the treacle. this will curdle the milk. let it boil up again, and then strain it. white-wine whey. _ingredients_--½ pint of milk. wineglass of sherry. sugar to taste. _method._--the same as in foregoing recipe. sweeten to taste. orangeade. _ingredients_-- oranges. pint of boiling water. lumps of sugar. _method._--take the rind thinly from half an orange. put it into a jug. peel the oranges, and slice them, removing the pips. put them into the jug. pour the boiling water over, add the sugar, and cover closely until cold; then strain. toast and water. _ingredients_--toasted bread. water. _method._--toast a piece of crust of bread nicely, being careful not to burn it. plunge it into a jug of cold water, and let it stand for thirty minutes. then strain the water from it. sago gruel. _ingredients_--½ oz. of sago. ½ pint of water. lumps of sugar. _method._--wash the sago, and let it soak in the water for thirty minutes. then simmer for about thirty minutes. add the sugar, and it is ready. prune drink. _ingredients_-- ½ oz. of prunes. quart of water.  oz. of sugar. _method._--cut the prunes in two. boil them with the sugar in the water for one hour. strain, and cover until cold. rice milk. _ingredients_--  oz. of rice. pint of milk. sugar to taste. _method._--wash the rice, and simmer in the milk, with the sugar, for one hour. tapioca milk may be made in the same way. the crushed tapioca is the best. suet and milk. _ingredients_-- pint of milk.  oz. of suet. _method._--chop the suet finely. tie it loosely in muslin, and simmer in the milk for three-quarters of an hour; then strain. invalids' soup. _ingredients_-- pint of beef tea.  oz. of crushed tapioca, semolina, or sago. the yolks of eggs. _method._--put the beef-tea into a saucepan on the fire. when it boils, sprinkle in the tapioca; stir, and boil for about fifteen minutes. then add the yolks of the eggs; stir until they thicken, but do not let the soup boil after the yolks of the eggs are in it, as that would curdle them. gruel. _ingredients_-- pint of water. dessertspoonfuls of fine oatmeal. _method._--put the water on the fire to boil. mix the oatmeal smoothly with cold water. when the water in the saucepan boils, pour in the oatmeal, and stir well until it thickens. then put it by the side of the fire, and stir occasionally, cooking it for _quite_ half an hour. bran tea. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of good bran. quart of water.  oz. of gum arabic. tablespoonful of honey. _method._--boil the bran in the water for ten minutes. dissolve the gum and honey in it, and strain it through muslin. this is a remedy for hoarseness. linseed tea. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of linseed. quart of boiling water. lumps of sugar. lemon. _method._--put the linseed and sugar into a jug, with the thin rind and juice of the lemon. pour boiling water over. let it stand, and then strain. if the tea is preferred thick, two tablespoonfuls of the linseed may be boiled in the water. boiled apple-water. _ingredients_-- good sized apples.  oz. of sugar. quart of water. a little thin lemon-rind. _method._--wash the apples, and slice them. put them, with the sugar and lemon rind, into the water. boil gently for one hour. then strain, and cover close until cold. sole for an invalid. grease a baking-sheet with butter. lay the sole on it. cover with greased kitchen paper, and put it into a moderate oven for fifteen or twenty minutes, according to the size of the sole. if properly cooked, the sole will be as white and delicate as if it had been boiled. it may be served with or without a plain white sauce. whiting, plaice, smelts, &c., may be cooked in the same way. chicken fillets for an invalid. cut some nice little fillets from the breast of a chicken, and cook them according to the directions in preceding recipe. sweetbreads plainly boiled. soak the sweetbreads in cold water for two hours. then put them in boiling water for six minutes. soak them again in cold water for twenty minutes. put them into boiling water or broth, and simmer them gently for thirty minutes or more, until quite tender. serve with or without a plain white sauce. * * * * * other dishes suitable for the convalescent will found under the following headings:-- sole à la béchamel. sole à la maître d'hôtel. whiting boiled. boiled chicken. sweetbread à la béchamel. mutton chop. rice pudding. cornflower pudding. blancmange. tapioca pudding. sago pudding. haricot soup. tapioca soup. tapioca cream. oyster soup. supper dishes and salads. ox tongue. put it in lukewarm water; simmer for about three hours, until very tender. a very dry tongue may take four hours' gentle simmering. if very salt or much dried, soak for twelve hours before cooking. when tender, remove the skin and cover with glaze or fine raspings. galantine of fowl. _ingredients_-- fowl. ½ lb. of pork. ½ lb. of veal. yolks of hard-boiled eggs. truffles. _method._--bone the fowl, mince the pork and veal finely, and season with pepper and salt. fill the fowl with the stuffing, placing in the yolks and truffles. shape the fowl nicely, and fasten it securely in a cloth. boil it according to directions for boiling meat. when cooked, remove the cloth and put in a clean one, fastening it as before. put it under pressure (not too much) until it is cold. remove the cloth, glaze it, and garnish with aspic jelly. galantine of veal. breast of veal boned may be used instead of a fowl to make a galantine. roll it round the stuffing and prepare it according to directions in preceding recipe. galantine of turkey. this may be prepared like galantine of fowl, using larger proportions for the stuffing. lobster salad. _ingredients_-- fine lobster. lettuce. endive. or hard-boiled eggs. some _mayonnaise_ dressing. if possible, some aspic jelly. _method._--remove the flesh from the body and claws of the lobster, and cut it in pieces. let the lettuce be well washed and dried. cut it up, and mix it with the lobster and some _mayonnaise_ sauce. put a border of chopped aspic on a dish. heap the salad in the middle. decorate the salad with pieces of endive and hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters. miroton of lobster. _ingredients_--a lobster. lettuce. a small cupful of _mayonnaise_ sauce. hard-boiled eggs. if possible, some aspic jelly. endive. _method._--cut the eggs at the bottom so that they will stand upright. then cut them in quarters, lengthwise. dip the ends in a little aspic jelly, or melted gelatine, and place them close together, in the form of a large circle on a flat dish with the white part inside. remove the flesh from the body and claws of the lobster. cut up the lettuce, and mix it with the lobster and _mayonnaise_. heap the salad in the middle of the crown of eggs. decorate it with endive, and put a border of aspic jelly round it. chicken salad. _ingredients_--a cold chicken. some celery. a lettuce. endive. beetroot. a small cupful of _mayonnaise_ sauce. or hard-boiled eggs. _method._--remove the skin of the chicken, and cut it into dice. cut up the celery into half-inch lengths, taking half as much celery as chicken. cut up the lettuce, and mix the chicken, celery, and lettuce together with the _mayonnaise_. put them into a salad-bowl, or heap on a dish. decorate with endive, beetroot, and hard-boiled eggs. mayonnaise of salmon. _ingredients_--some cold dressed salmon. a lettuce. endive. some hard-boiled eggs. a small cupful of _mayonnaise_ sauce. some chopped aspic. _method._--break the salmon into flakes, removing the bones. cut up the lettuce, and mix the salad with the _mayonnaise_ sauce. heap it lightly on a dish. decorate prettily with endive, and put some hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters, round it; also, if liked, a border of aspic jelly. oyster salad. _ingredients_-- tin of oysters. crisp lettuce. head of celery. a little _mayonnaise_ or salad-dressing. _method._--wash the lettuce, and cut it coarsely. wash, and cut the celery into one-inch lengths, trim the oysters, and mix them with the salad. put the mixture into a salad-bowl, and pour over the _mayonnaise_ or dressing. celery salad. _ingredients_-- heads of celery. beetroot. a plain salad-dressing. _method._--wash the celery, and cut it into half-inch lengths. put them in a salad-bowl, and pour the dressing over. garnish with a border of beetroot. tomato salad. _ingredients_--a few ripe tomatoes. equal quantities of oil and vinegar. dessertspoonful of chopped parsley. pepper and salt. _method._--slice the tomatoes and lay them on a glass dish. sprinkle them with the parsley. mix the oil and vinegar with pepper and salt, and pour over them. cauliflower salad. _ingredients_-- boiled cauliflower. a little _mayonnaise_ or salad-dressing. pepper and salt. _method._--divide the cauliflower into tufts, and remove the green leaves. place them on a dish, and pour the dressing over them. garnish with beetroot. potato salad. _ingredients_--some boiled potatoes. boiled onion. some plain salad-dressing. _method._--slice the potatoes and onion thinly. lay them on a dish, and pour the dressing over. if preferred, the onion may be omitted. haricot salad. _ingredients_--some nicely cooked haricot beans. teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. equal quantities of oil and vinegar. pepper and salt. _method._--lay the beans in a dish. sprinkle them with the parsley. mix the oil and vinegar with the pepper and salt, and pour over them. lentil salad. _ingredients_--some boiled lentils. a little chopped parsley. equal quantities of oil and vinegar. pepper and salt. _method._--lay the lentils in a dish. sprinkle them with the chopped parsley. mix the oil and vinegar with the pepper and salt, and pour over them. mixed salad. _ingredients_--equal quantities of boiled potato, carrot, turnip, and beetroot. equal quantities of oil and vinegar. pepper and salt to taste. _method._--cut the vegetables into small dice. place them in a salad bowl. mix the oil and vinegar with the pepper and salt, and pour over them. spring salad. _ingredients_-- lettuce. some mustard and cress. endive. hard-boiled eggs. beetroot. watercress. some _mayonnaise_ or salad-dressing. _method._--wash the vegetables well; put them in a draught to dry them quickly. then cut them rather coarsely. put them into a salad-bowl. pour over the dressing, and garnish with hard-boiled eggs and beetroot. for a more elaborate salad, put the vegetables into a glass or silver dish, heaping them high in the centre. decorate with sprigs of endive, placing a large tuft at the top. round the base place the hard-boiled eggs, cut in quarters, alternately with slices of beetroot. finish off with a border of chopped aspic jelly. miscellaneous dishes. cheese pâtés. _ingredients_--some stale bread. ½ tablespoonful of hot water. tablespoonfuls of grated cheese.  oz. of butter. a few bread-crumbs. pepper and salt. a little cayenne. a few browned bread-crumbs. the yolk of an egg. _method._--cut the bread in slices of one inch in thickness. stamp into rounds with a circular pastry-cutter; scoop out the inside, making little nests of them. fry in hot fat (_see_ french frying); drain them on kitchen paper. put them inside the oven to keep hot. put the butter and water into a saucepan on the fire to boil. when boiling, stir in sufficient crumbs to make the mixture stiff. beat in the yolk, add pepper, salt, and cayenne; and stir in the cheese. pile the mixture on the cases; sprinkle a few browned crumbs over them and be careful to serve quite hot. welsh rare-bit. _ingredients_--some slices of bread about half an inch in thickness. some slices of cheese. a little butter. the yolk of an egg. pepper and salt. a little cayenne. _method._--toast the bread and keep it quite hot. cut the cheese into very thin pieces. put it in a saucepan with the butter; pepper and salt to taste. stir until it has melted, then mix in the yolk. spread it on the toast, and brown before the fire. toasted cheese. _ingredients_--some slices of very hot toast. some slices of cheese. mustard, pepper and salt. _method._--toast the cheese nicely, and lay it quickly on hot toast. spread a little mustard thinly over it, with pepper and salt, and serve very hot. cheese pudding. _ingredients_--  oz. of bread-crumbs. pint of milk. ¼ lb. of grated cheese. eggs.  oz. of butter. pepper and salt. a little cayenne. _method._--put the crumbs into a basin. boil the milk; pour it over them, and let them soak. then add the yolks of the three eggs, the grated cheese, and seasoning. beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth and stir them in lightly. pour the mixture into a greased pie-dish, and bake in a quick oven until well thrown up and brown. macaroni and cheese. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of macaroni.  oz. of grated cheese. ½ pint of milk.  oz. of butter. ½ oz. of flour. pepper and salt. a little cayenne. _method._--break the macaroni into small pieces, and boil in a quart of water for thirty minutes or more until the macaroni is tender. then strain away the water. melt the butter in a stewpan. mix in the flour smoothly. pour in the milk, stir, and boil well. then put in the macaroni, seasoning, and half the cheese. put the mixture into a greased pie-dish. sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over it, and bake in a quick oven until brown. macaroni stewed in milk. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of macaroni. pint of milk. _method._--break the macaroni, and boil it in one quart of water for thirty minutes. then strain away the water, and pour in the milk. stew gently, stirring occasionally for thirty minutes. this may be eaten with jam, sugar, treacle, stewed fruit, &c. macaroni stewed in stock. prepare according to directions in the preceding recipe, using stock instead of milk. macaroni is very good plainly boiled and served as a vegetable with roasted or stewed meat. savoury rice. _ingredients_-- onion.  oz. of rice. pint of boilings from meat. pepper and salt. _method._--boil the onion until tender, then chop it finely. wash the rice, and boil it in the meat liquor with the chopped onion until tender. add pepper and salt to taste. cheese sandwiches. _ingredients_--¼ lb. of grated cheese. the yolks of hard-boiled eggs. slices of buttered bread.  oz. of butter. pepper and salt. a little cayenne. _method._--beat the yolks well with the butter; add the cheese and seasoning. spread the mixture on the two pieces of buttered bread, and place the others over. rice stewed with cheese. _ingredients_--½ lb. of rice. ½ pints of water. pint of milk.  oz. of grated cheese. pepper and salt. _method._--boil the rice gently in the water for half an hour, then add the milk and cheese and boil gently for half an hour more. stewed normandy pippins. _ingredients_--  lb. of pippins. quart of water.  oz. of lump sugar. _method._--soak the pippins in the water. then stew them with the sugar for one hour or more until quite soft. place them on a glass dish and pour the syrup over them. odds and ends. croutons of bread for soup. cut stale bread into small dice, fry them in a little butter, or in a large quantity of fat (_see_ french frying), a golden brown colour. drain on kitchen paper and serve on a folded napkin. toasted bread for soup. cut toasted bread into small dice, put them on a baking-tin and place them in a quick oven for a few minutes. serve on a folded napkin. bread-crumbs. these are best made by rubbing stale bread through a wire sieve, or the crumb of stale bread may be dried in a slow oven and pounded for crumbs. browned bread-crumbs. these can be made from white crumbs, which should be put on a baking-tin and baked a golden brown colour in the oven; or the crusts of stale bread can be dried in a slow oven and pounded. raspings can be used, but they should be rubbed through a wire sieve. browned crumbs for game. put white crumbs into a frying-pan with a little butter, and stir until they are lightly browned. macédoine of vegetables. cut carrots and turnips into fancy shapes with a dry cutter, boil them separately, cooking the turnips five minutes and the carrots fifteen. mix them with nicely boiled green peas and french beans. in the winter moir's _macédoine_ of cooked vegetables, sold in tins, will be found very convenient. pickle for meat. _ingredients_-- ½ lb. of salt.  oz. of brown sugar.  oz. of saltpetre. gallon of water. _method._--put the salt, sugar, and saltpetre into a large saucepan with the water. put it on the fire, bring it to the boil, and let it boil for five minutes. it must be kept well skimmed. strain it into a large tub or basin. when the pickle is quite cold, meat can be put into it. fried parsley. choose nice green parsley, wash and dry it, and pick it from the stalk; put it into a wire spoon or basket, and fry in hot fat (_see_ french frying). it must be removed directly it is crisp or it will discolour; drain it on kitchen paper, and sprinkle it with salt. parsley that has been frozen will turn black in frying. rendering down fat. _ingredients_--  lb. of any fat, cooked or uncooked. _method._--cut the fat into small pieces. put it into a large saucepan and cover with water. boil for one hour with the lid on the saucepan, that the steam may whiten the fat. then remove the lid, and boil steadily until the water has evaporated, and the fat melted out of the pieces. stir occasionally to prevent the fat sticking to the bottom of the saucepan and burning. when the fat is ready, let it cool a little, and then strain it. the pieces should be well pressed to squeeze out all the fat. this fat may be used for frying, or plain cakes and pastry. the quantity given is sufficient for french frying. to clarify dripping. melt the dripping and pour it into cold water. when cold, scrape off the sediment which will be found at the bottom. to clarify butter. boil the butter, and remove the curd as it rises. to blanch almonds and pistachio kernels. put them into cold water, and bring it to boiling point. then remove their skins. almonds should afterwards be thrown into cold water to preserve their colour. how to use up fragments. scraps of bread. these may be used for puddings, or dried and powdered for crumbs; they can also be used to thicken soup. cold potatoes. these may be mashed and baked in a pie-dish, or made into balls and fried or baked; they may also be sliced and made into french salad, or used to thicken soup. scraps of meat. if there are not sufficient to re-cook for a made dish of any kind, put them into the stock-pot. fat, cooked or uncooked. this can be cut in pieces and rendered down (_see_ rendering down fat). it can be used for frying, plain pastry, and cakes. fat skimmings from the stock-pot. this is excellent to fry cutlets, &c., in, and can be used instead of butter. dripping. clarify it and use it for frying, plain cakes, and pastry. scraps of cheese. grate them, and use for welsh rare-bit, macaroni cheese, cheese sandwiches, _pâtés_, &c. cold vegetables. if any quantity, re-warm them, or make into french salads. any scraps can be put into the stock-pot. water in which vegetables have been boiled. use this, if possible, for vegetable soups, as it contains to a great extent the valuable salts of the vegetables. boilings from meats. these, if not too salt, can be used to make pea, lentil, and other vegetable soups. forcemeats. veal stuffing. _ingredients_-- tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs. tablespoonful of finely-chopped suet. dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. teaspoonful of dried and powdered thyme and marjoram. egg. pepper and salt. _method._--mix all the ingredients with the egg well beaten. a little grated lemon rind and juice improves the flavour. sage-and-onion stuffing. _ingredients_-- onions. ¼ lb. of bread-crumbs. sage leaves.  oz. of butter. pepper and salt. _method._--blanch the onions by putting them into cold water, and bringing it to the boil; boil for five minutes, and then throw the water away. rinse the onions and put them into another saucepan of water, and boil for about one hour until they are quite tender; five minutes before taking them up put in the sage leaves. drain the onions and sage leaves, and chop them finely; then mix them with the bread-crumbs, pepper and salt. quenelle forcemeat. _see_ quenelles of veal. forcemeat balls. these are made with veal stuffing. shape it into balls and bake them in the oven. if they are served with hare, the liver is chopped and mixed with the forcemeat. imitation foie gras. _ingredients_--½ lb. of calf's liver. ¼ lb. of bacon. a piece of carrot, turnip, and onion. a sprig of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. a bay leaf. pepper and salt. _method._--slice the liver, bacon, and vegetables. put them into a frying-pan and cook (turning frequently) until the liver is quite tender. care must be taken that the liver does not fry brown. put the whole contents of the frying-pan into a mortar and pound well. then rub the mixture through a hair sieve. preserves. strawberry jam. _ingredients_--  lb. of strawberries.  lb. of loaf sugar. _method._--take the stalks from the strawberries and put them in a preserving pan. stir and boil for thirty minutes on a moderate fire. then add the sugar broken into small lumps; stir and boil for about thirty minutes longer, or until the jam stiffens. remove all the scum as it rises. put the jam into pots and cover close. raspberry jam. _ingredients_--  lb. of raspberries.  lb. of loaf sugar. _method._--remove the stalks from the raspberries and boil them over a moderate fire for fifteen minutes, stirring all the time. add the sugar broken into lumps, and boil for about thirty minutes longer, or until the jam will set. remove all the scum carefully. put the jam into pots and cover close. rhubarb jam. _ingredients_--  lb. of rhubarb.  lb. of lump sugar. _method._--peel and cut the rhubarb as for a tart, put it in the pan with the sugar, and boil gently at first, then more quickly, skimming frequently. when it will set it is ready. red gooseberry jam. _ingredients_--  lb. of gooseberries.  lb. of lump sugar. water. _method._--take the heads and stalks from the gooseberries and put them in a pan, allowing a quarter of a pint of water to every pound of gooseberries. put the gooseberries into a preserving-pan. stir and boil for fifteen minutes. then add the sugar. continue stirring until the jam is set, skimming frequently. put it into pots and cover close. damson jam. _ingredients_--  lb. of damsons. ¾ lb. of lump sugar. _method._--boil for thirty minutes. then put in the sugar broken into small pieces, and boil and skim for about twenty minutes longer, or until the jam will set. put into pots and cover close. black-currant jam. _ingredients_--  lb. of black currants. ¾ lb. of lump sugar. _method._--boil the fruit and sugar together until the jam will set, skimming all the time. put into pots and cover close. menus. i. haricot soup. boiled salmon, hollandaise sauce. _entrée._ chicken croquettes. saddle of lamb, mint sauce, spinach, potatoes. cabinet pudding, orange jelly. cheese, &c. dessert. ii. mock-hare soup. boiled cod, egg sauce. _entrée._ curried rabbit. roast leg of mutton, currant jelly, cauliflower, potatoes. marmalade pudding, general satisfaction. cheese. dessert. iii. celery soup. boiled mackerel, melted butter. _entrée._ curried chicken. boiled leg of mutton, caper sauce, mashed turnips, potatoes. ginger pudding, apple turnovers. cheese, &c. dessert. iv. tapioca soup. sole au gratin. _entrée._ mushrooms and kidneys. roast fowl, bacon, bread sauce, brussels sprouts, potatoes. pancakes, snow pudding, cheese cakes. cheese, &c. dessert. v. macaroni soup. fried cutlets of cod, anchovy sauce. _entrée._ minced meat with poached eggs. braised breast of veal, cauliflower, potatoes. marlborough pudding, jam roly-poly. cheese, &c. dessert. vi. lentil soup. boiled cod, egg sauce. _entrée._ tomatoes stuffed with sausage-meat. ribs of beef, horse-radish sauce, potatoes, spinach. apple fritters, lemon pudding. cheese, &c. dessert. vii. haricot soup. plaice filleted and fried, anchovy sauce. _entrée._ croustards of minced meat. roast leg of mutton, red-currant jelly, potatoes, brussels sprouts. boiled fowl, egg sauce. baked custard, sultana pudding, normandy pippins. cheese. dessert. viii. celery soup. boiled halibut, shrimp sauce. _entrée._ rissoles. sirloin of beef, horse-radish sauce, greens, potatoes. tapioca pudding, jam tarts, raspberry pudding. cheese. dessert. ix. palestine soup. fried whiting, thick white sauce. _entrée._ curried eggs. shoulder of mutton, onion sauce, cauliflower, potatoes. boiled beef, young carrots. blancmange, gooseberry fool, apple pudding. cheese. dessert. x. mock-turtle soup. boiled cod, lobster sauce. _entrées._ mutton cutlets à la macédoine. tomato farni. roast fillet of veal, boiled fowl, béchamel sauce, asparagus, potatoes. ducklings, green peas. cheese cakes, chartreuse de fruit, lemon jelly. cheese. dessert. xi. clear soup. cod's head and shoulders, oyster sauce. fried smelts. _entrées._ beef olives. quenelles of veal. saddle of mutton, red currant jelly, spinach, potatoes. boiled turkey, celery sauce. grouse. plum pudding, mince pies, tipsy cake, stone cream, cheese ramequins. cheese. dessert. xii. bonne femme soup. boiled brill, anchovy sauce. _entrées._ podovies. veal cutlets à la talleyrand. boiled leg of mutton, caper sauce, young carrots. roast fowl and bacon, brussels sprouts, potatoes. goslings, green peas. charlotte russe, viennoise pudding, apple fritters. cheese. dessert. xiii. calves'-tail soup. palestine soup. sole à la rouennaise. fried whiting. _entrées._ mutton cutlets, tomato sauce. rabbit à la tartare. sirloin of beef, horse-radish sauce, spinach, potatoes. boiled turkey, white sauce, brussels sprouts. pheasants. marmalade pudding, general satisfaction, almond cakes, vanilla cream, cheese straws. cheese. dessert. xiv. mulligatawny. cod, oyster sauce. red mullets in cases. _entrées._ chicken tartlets. fillets de boeuf, à la béarnaise. mutton cutlets à la macédoine. saddle of mutton, red-currant jelly, potatoes, brussels sprouts. boiled turkey, celery sauce. boiled tongue. pheasants. apple amber pudding, plum pudding, stone cream, orange fritters, cheese ramequins. cheese. dessert. xv. mock turtle. clear soup. turbot, hollandaise sauce. lobster cutlets. _entrées._ braised sweetbreads. pigeons à l'italienne. fillets of chicken. saddle of lamb, mint sauce, asparagus, potatoes. boiled fowls, bacon. béchamel sauce, potato croquettes. ducklings, green peas. strawberry cream, genoise pastry, cold cabinet pudding, claret jelly, cheese straws. cheese. dessert. xvi. potage à l'américaine. boiled turbot, lobster sauce. _entrées._ oyster patties. fillets de boeuf à la béarnaise. roast leg of mutton, red-currant jelly, brussels sprouts potatoes. boiled fowl, bacon, celery sauce. jugged hare. gâteau de cerise, croquant of oranges, boiled custards. cheese. dessert. xvii. mock-turtle soup. potato purée. salmon, hollandaise sauce, cucumber. sole à la béchamel. _entrées._ chicken à la marengo. braised sweetbreads. saddle of lamb, mint sauce, peas, potatoes. boiled fowl, egg sauce, boiled ham, potato croquettes, asparagus. goslings, peas. strawberry charlotte, good trifle, orange jelly, jam puffs, cheese d'artois. cheese. dessert. xviii. julienne. oyster soup. turbot, lobster sauce. sole à la genoise. _entrées._ sweetbreads à la béchamel. mutton cutlets à la rachel. sirloin of beef, horse-radish sauce, asparagus, potatoes. boiled leg of mutton, caper sauce, mashed turnips. ducklings, peas. charlotte russe, pine-apple jelly, normandy pippins, custards in glasses. cheese. dessert. xix. ox-tail soup. tapioca cream. boiled salmon, tartare sauce. sole à la maître d'hôtel. _entrées._ chicken à la marengo. mutton cutlets à la milanaise. podovies. roast fillet of veal, french beans, potatoes. haunch of mutton, red currant jelly. goslings, green peas. pistachio cream, orange jelly, snow puddings, cheese d'artois. cheese. dessert. suppers. cold supper. people. one sirloin of beef. one roast turkey. one boiled ham. one lobster salad. one apple tart. twelve cheese cakes. one blancmange. one jelly. fruit. cheese. cold supper. people. one rabbit pie. one galantine of veal. one ox tongue. one lobster salad. one charlotte russe. one croquant of oranges. one small trifle. two jellies. one dish of pastry. cheese, &c. fruit. cold supper. people. ribs of beef rolled. salmon coated with mayonnaise sauce. cucumber. one pigeon pie. one veal-and-ham pie. one ox tongue. a stone cream. one tipsy cake. a dish of genoise pastry. a pine-apple jelly. a compote of peaches. strawberries and cream. a lemon jelly. cheese and fruit. cold supper. people. roast turkey. boiled tongue. one pigeon pie. one mayonnaise of lobster garnished with aspic. one veal-and-ham pie. one large pine-apple jelly. one large blancmange. jam puffs. cheese cakes. boiled custards. normandy pippins. gâteau de cerise. cakes. biscuits. fruit. high tea for people, for lawn tennis parties, &c. one lobster mayonnaise. two chickens, coated with thick white sauce. one veal-and-ham pie. one tongue. one apple amber pudding. twelve boiled custards. twelve custard-glasses filled with chopped jelly. one blancmange. strawberries and cream. thin bread and butter. biscuits, cake, fruit. tea, coffee. supper for people. guests not seated. ham, tongue, and beef sandwiches. four quarts of blancmange, differently flavoured and decorated. four quarts of jelly, differently flavoured and moulded. two charlottes russe. one large trifle. two tipsy cakes. three dishes of genoise pastry in various forms. two lemon sponges. fruit. supper for people. guests not seated. less expensive. ham and beef sandwiches. four quarts of blancmange, differently flavoured and decorated. two quarts of apple gâteau. four jellies of different kinds. one large lemon-sponge. two dishes of light pastry. boiled custards. normandy pippins. two jaunemanges. two tipsy cakes. fruit. index. almond cakes, almonds and pistachio kernels, to blanch, alpine snow, apple cream, -- dumplings, -- flummery, -- fritters, -- tart, -- turnovers, -- water, -- -- boiled, arrowroot, a cup of, -- custard, artichokes, jerusalem, asparagus, bacon, -- and eggs, -- fried, -- toasted, baking, rules for, barley water, clear, -- -- thick, batter for fritters (kromesky), beans, broad, -- french, -- haricot, beef, aitch-bone, round, thick and thin flank of, -- brisket of, -- -- stewed, -- fillets of, à la béarnaise, -- olives, -- ribs of, -- scalloped, -- sirloin of, -- steak pie, -- tea, -- -- raw, -- and mushrooms, beginners, hints to, - beverages, biscuits, ginger, -- oatmeal, blancmange, bloaters, boiling, rules for, boilings from meats, bran tea, brawn, bread, -- croutons of, for soup, -- crumbs, -- -- browned, -- crust, flaky, -- scraps of, -- toasted, for soup, -- unfermented, -- vienna, breakfast dishes, breast of veal, braised, brill, boiled, broiling, rules for, broth, dr. kitchener's, -- mutton, browned crumbs for game, brussels sprouts, bullock's heart, -- -- gravy for, buns, -- rice, butter, to clarify, cabbage, café au lait, cake, cornflour, -- currant, -- dough, -- luncheon, -- madeira, -- plum, plain, -- pound, -- rice, -- seed, -- -- plain, -- sponge, -- sultana, -- tipsy, cakes, gingerbread, -- lemon-rock, -- queen, -- rock, -- -- plain, -- shrewsbury, -- soda, calf's-foot stock, candied peel drops, carrots, cauliflower au gratin, -- to boil, celery, charlotte russe, chartreuse de fruit, chaud-froid chicken, cheese cakes, -- d'artois, -- fondu, -- pâtés, -- pudding, -- ramequins, -- rice stewed with, -- sandwiches, -- scraps of, -- straws, -- toasted, -- and macaroni, chicken à la cardinal, -- à la marengo, -- à la tartare, -- croquettes, -- curried, -- fillets of, -- -- for an invalid, children, food of, chocolate, chop, broiled, cocoa, cod, boiled, -- cutlets of, -- -- à la genoise, -- -- à l'italienne, -- fricassee, -- salt, -- sounds, boiled, -- -- marinaded, -- stuffed and baked, -- with tomatoes, coffee, , cold beef olives, -- meat cookery, -- -- and macaroni, -- -- curry of, -- -- mayonnaise of, -- -- pie, -- -- with purée of tomatoes, -- potatoes, -- vegetables, compote of peaches, cooking utensils and stoves, how to clean, - cornish pasties, cream, almond bavarian, -- bohemian, -- custard, -- maraschino, -- orange, -- pistachio, -- stone, -- strawberry, -- vanilla, creams and jellies, , -- to make, crème frite, croquant of oranges, croustards à la reine, -- with mincemeat, crust, economical short, -- flaky, -- good short, -- plainer short, curried fish, curried rabbit, curry, rice for a, custard, arrowroot, -- boiled, -- cheap, -- cream, -- savoury, -- welsh, cutlets, mutton, à la macédoine, -- -- à la milanaise, -- -- à la rachel, -- veal, -- -- à l'italienne, -- -- à la talleyrand, -- -- with tomato sauce, domestic economy, advantage of a knowledge of, to women, - dripping, -- to clarify, duck, roast, -- wild, ducklings, eels, stewed, egg croustards, eggs and anchovy, -- boiled, -- buttered, -- in cases, -- poached, -- scalloped, -- sur le plat, entrées, epigrammes, fat, cooked or uncooked, -- rendering down, -- skimmings from the stock-pot, fish, baked, -- cookery, -- croquettes, -- curried, -- fried, -- pudding, -- to boil, floating island, foie gras, imitation, food and diet, foods, table of, forcemeat balls, forcemeats, fowl, boiled, -- galantine of, -- mayonnaise of, -- roast, fragments, how to use up, fried parsley, fritters, -- batter for (kromesky), frying, dry, -- french, or wet, , -- rules for, galettes, game, rissoles of, gâteau aux pommes, -- de cerise, genoise iced cakes, -- pastry, -- preserve cakes, -- sandwiches, gingerbread, goose, mock, , -- roast, gooseberry fool, -- turnovers, green peas, grilling, rules for, grouse, gruel, gurnets, baked, haddock, -- broiled, dried, -- stuffed, hake, halibut, ham, how to cook a, hare, jugged, -- mock, -- roast, haricot mutton, hash, herrings, baked, -- -- in vinegar, -- red, housekeepers, hints to young, imitation foie-gras, invalid cookery, -- soup, invalids, dishes suitable for, irish stew, jam, black currant, -- damson, -- raspberry, -- red gooseberry, -- rhubarb, -- strawberry, jaunemange, jelly, aspic, -- claret, -- orange, -- pineapple, -- strawberry, -- wine, jellies, , -- to clear, joints, , kedgeree, kidneys, à la tartare, -- and mushrooms, -- fried, -- stewed, -- stuffed, -- toasted, lamb, fore quarter of, -- leg of, -- loin, saddle, and shoulder of, lemonade, lemon sponge, ling, linseed tea, liver and bacon, lobster cutlets, -- -- in aspic, -- miroton of, macaroni and cheese, -- stewed in milk, -- -- -- stock, macédoine of vegetables, mackerel à la normande, mayonnaise of fowl, -- -- salmon, meat, pickle for, -- scraps of, menus, - milk rolls, mince à la reine, -- (with eggs), -- pies, minced meat, mincemeat, miscellaneous dishes, mock goose, or pig's fry, , -- hare, mullets, red, à la genoise, -- -- à l'italienne, -- -- in cases, mushroom pie, mushrooms, -- boiled, -- stewed, mutton cutlets à la macédoine, -- -- à la rachel, -- leg of, -- neck of, -- saddle of, -- shoulder of, -- -- boned, stuffed, and rolled, norfolk dumpling, oatmeal porridge, odds and ends, omelet, savoury, a small, -- soufflée, -- -- savoury, omelets, , onions, spanish, orangeade, ox-cheek, stewed, ox-tongue, oyster patties, oysters, scalloped, -- -- à la française, pancakes, parsley, fried, parsnips, partridges, -- braised, pastry, patties, -- oyster, -- salsify, patty cases, peaches, compote of, petit choux, pheasant, roast, pickle for meat, pie, mushroom, -- pigeon, -- rabbit, -- sea, -- shepherd's, -- veal and ham, pigeons stewed à l'italienne, pippins, stewed normandy, plaice, , -- fried fillets of, podovies, porridge, hominy, -- oatmeal, -- whole-meal, potato balls, -- croquettes, potatoes, baked, -- cold, -- flaked, -- fried, -- mashed, -- to boil, -- to steam, -- new, to cook, pork, chine of, -- hand of, -- leg of, -- spare rib of, -- pickled, poultry and game, - preserves, prune drink, pudding, albert, -- apple, -- -- amber, -- -- charlotte, -- apricot, -- arrowroot, -- auntie's, -- baked lemon, -- -- plum, -- beef steak, -- bread and butter, -- -- cheese, -- -- fruit, -- brown bread, -- cabinet, -- -- plain cold, -- canary, -- cheese, -- christmas, -- cornflour, -- curate's, -- currant, -- custard, -- diplomatic, -- economical bread, -- -- fig, -- -- ginger, -- -- lemon, -- eastern, -- ellen's, -- fig, -- fun, -- ginger, -- general satisfaction, -- gingerbread, -- good tapioca, -- ground barley, -- -- rice, -- hominy, -- jam roly-poly, -- lemon, -- light sultana, -- macaroni, -- marlborough, -- marmalade, -- orange, -- pearl barley, -- pease, -- plum, -- poor knight's, -- queen victoria, -- railway, -- raspberry, -- ratafia, -- rice, -- sago, -- scrap, -- semolina, -- snow, -- spring, -- stale bread, -- steamed rice, -- -- semolina, -- suet, -- sultana, -- sweet custard, -- swiss, -- -- apple, -- tapioca, -- treacle, -- -- roly-poly, -- viennoise, -- welcome guest, -- west of england, -- windsor, -- yorkshire (or batter), puddings, little batter, puff paste, -- -- rough, puffs, german, quartern loaf, a, quenelle forcemeat, quenelles of veal, rabbit, boiled, -- curried, -- pie, -- ragout of, -- roast, -- stewed, rabbits à la tartare, rhubarb fool, rice balls, -- bars, -- cakes, -- compote of, -- for a curry, -- milk, -- mould of, -- savoury, -- stewed with cheese, -- water, rissoles, -- of game, roast, savoury, roasting, rules for, sago gruel, salad, cauliflower, -- celery, -- chicken, -- haricot, -- lentil, -- lobster, -- mixed, -- oyster, -- potato, -- spring, -- tomato, sauces, -- apple, no. , -- -- no. , -- béarnaise, -- béchamel, -- bread, -- brown, -- celery, -- economical family, -- egg, -- french, -- genoise, -- german, -- glaze, -- -- cheap, for meat, -- gravy for made dishes, -- hollandaise, -- horse-radish, -- jam, -- lobster, , -- maître d'hôtel, -- mayonnaise, -- melted butter, english, -- mint, -- onion, -- oyster, -- piquante, -- plain white, -- port wine, for wild duck, -- réforme, -- shrimp, -- soubise, -- sweet, -- -- a nice, -- tartare, -- tomato, -- wine, salmon à la tartare, -- boiled, -- pickled, sausage rolls, sausages, baked, -- fried, -- oxford, savoury meat dishes, scones, scraps of bread, -- cheese, -- meat, seakale, sea pie, sheep's head, -- au gratin, -- moulded, shortbread, smelts, fried, -- au gratin, snipes, sole à la parisienne, -- à la rouennaise, -- au gratin, -- fillets of, à la maître d'hôtel, -- for an invalid, -- fried, -- fillets of, soufflée, steamed, soufflées, , soups, -- bonne femme, -- clear, -- -- first stock for, -- -- second stock, -- calf-tail, -- celery, -- consommée à la princesse, -- -- au royal, -- crowdie, -- egyptian purée, or lentil soup, -- friar tuck, -- giblet, -- green pea purée, -- hare, -- haricot, -- julienne, -- milk, -- mock turtle, -- mulligatawny, -- onion, -- ox-cheek, -- ox-tail, -- oyster, -- palestine, -- parsnip, -- potage à l'américaine, -- potato purée, -- pot-au-feu, -- rabbit, -- red lentil, -- sheep's-head, -- tapioca, -- -- cream, -- turnip, -- white stock, -- -- from bones uncooked, spinach, sponge roll, steak, broiled, -- fried, -- stewed, strawberry charlotte, stuffing, sage and onion, -- veal, suet and milk, supper dishes and salads, suppers, - sweetbreads à la béchamel, -- à la parisienne, -- braised, -- fried, -- minced, -- plainly boiled, table, the, tapioca and apples, tartlets, tea, -- bran, -- linseed, teacakes, yorkshire, toad-in-the-hole, toast and water, -- buttered, -- dry, toasted cheese, tomato farni, tomatoes, -- au gratin, -- stuffed with sausage meat, treacle posset, trifle, -- plain, tripe and onions, -- stewed, turbot, boiled, turkey, boiled, -- roast, -- galantine of, turnips, veal à la béchamel, -- breast of, -- -- braised, -- cake, -- cutlets, -- -- à l'italienne, -- -- à la talleyrand, -- -- with tomato sauce, -- fillet of, -- galantine of, -- grenadines of, -- knuckle of, -- loin of, -- shoulder of, -- and ham pie, vegetable marrows, vegetables, cold, -- macédoine of, -- rules for cooking, water in which vegetables have been boiled, welsh rare-bit, whitebait, whiting à la genoise, -- à l'italienne, -- boiled, -- fried, white-wine whey, woodcocks, w. brendon and son, limited, plymouth [ transcriber's note: the following is a list of corrections made to the original. the first line is the original line, the second the corrected one. cheese, and for the same purpose.[ ] cheese, and for the same purpose.'[ ] _ingredients._--  lb. shin of beef. _ingredients_--  lb. shin of beef. _ingredients._--  lb. of tripe. [in tripe and onions recipe] _ingredients_--  lb. of tripe. broiled steak broiled steak. _method_--proceed as in making mayonnaise sauce; adding when the sauce _method._--proceed as in making mayonnaise sauce; adding when the sauce well cooked well cooked. dessertspoonful of castor sugar [in german sauce recipe] dessertspoonful of castor sugar. tablespoonful of bread crumbs tablespoonful of bread crumbs.  oz. of butter [in sweetbreads à la béchamel recipe]  oz. of butter. simmer them in the stock until they are quite tender simmer them in the stock until they are quite tender. _ingredients._--some cooked beef, minced finely. _ingredients_--some cooked beef, minced finely. dish, and pour melted glaze over them dish, and pour melted glaze over them. hallibut. halibut. garnish with truffle and coral [in red mullets à l'italienne recipe] garnish with truffle and coral. half a sponge cake half a sponge cake. gooseberry turnovers gooseberry turnovers. note.--this pudding is very good served with cream or custards the note.--this pudding is very good served with cream or custards. the line a pie-dish with pastry; pour in the mixture line a pie-dish with pastry; pour in the mixture. make like a jam roly-poly, using treacle instead of jam make like a jam roly-poly, using treacle instead of jam. break the sponge cakes and ratifias in pieces, and pour the custard over break the sponge cakes and ratafias in pieces, and pour the custard over use up all the tomatoes and crumbs in this way. letting the last layer use up all the tomatoes and crumbs in this way, letting the last layer bake in a quick oven for about twenty minutes, bake in a quick oven for about twenty minutes. _ingredients_-- quarts of second stock _ingredients_-- quarts of second stock. tablespoonfuls of crushed tapioca tablespoonfuls of crushed tapioca. blade of mace, [in giblet soup recipe] blade of mace.  lb. of parsnips [in red lentil soup recipe]  lb. of parsnips. or large crusts of bread or large crusts of bread. grated rind of one lemon and juice of two grated rind of one lemon and juice of two. a savoury omelet soufflée a savoury omelet soufflée. _method._--peel and cut up the apples _method._--peel and cut up the apples. shape the fowl nicely, and fasten it securely in a cloth shape the fowl nicely, and fasten it securely in a cloth. _ingredients._--  lb. of pippins. _ingredients_--  lb. of pippins.  oz. of saltpetre,  oz. of saltpetre. the add the sugar broken into small lumps; stir and boil for about then add the sugar broken into small lumps; stir and boil for about mutton cutlets à la macédoine. tomatos farni. mutton cutlets à la macédoine. tomato farni. -- -- fillets of, -- fillets of, -- for an invalid, -- -- for an invalid, gateaux aux pommes, gâteau aux pommes, mullets, red, à la genoise, mullets, red, à la genoise, -- -- à l'italienne, -- -- à l'italienne, -- app , -- apple, -- diplomatic, -- diplomatic, soufflée, stewed, soufflée, steamed, -- consommé à la princesse, -- consommée à la princesse, -- mock turtle, -- mock turtle, -- mulligatawny, -- mulligatawny, -- parsnip, -- parsnip, -- pot-au-feu, -- pot-au-feu, -- red lentil, -- red lentil, ] the transcriber trusts that the reader will not take any of the advice offered in this text. [illustration: _mrs. eaton._ bungay. _published by j. & r. childs._] _the_ _cook and housekeeper's_ complete & universal dictionary including _a system of modern cookery in all its various branches,_ adapted to the use of private families. _also a variety of original & valuable information._ _relative to_ _baking brewing carving cleaning collaring curing economy of bees ---- of a dairy economy of poultry family medicine gardening home-made wines pickling potting preserving rules of health_ and every other subject connected with domestic economy. by mrs. mary eaton. bungay. _printed & published by j. & r. childs_ . the cook and housekeeper's complete and universal dictionary; including a system of modern cookery, in all its various branches, adapted to the use of _private families_: also a variety of original and valuable information. relative to baking, brewing, carving, cleaning, collaring, curing, economy of bees, ---- of a dairy, economy of poultry, family medicine, gardening, home-made wines, pickling, potting, preserving, rules of health, and every other subject connected with domestic economy. by mrs. mary eaton. _embellished with engravings._ bungay: printed and published by j. and r. childs. . introduction. nothing is more obvious, than that experience purchased by the sacrifice of independence is bought at too dear a rate. yet this is the only consolation which remains to many females, while sitting on the ashes of a ruined fortune, and piercing themselves with the recollection of the numerous imprudencies into which they have been led, simply for the want of better information. not because there is any want of valuable publications, for in the present age they abound; but rather because they contain such a variety of superfluous articles, and are too indiscriminate to become generally useful. a young female, just returned from the hymeneal altar, is ready to exclaim on the first perusal, as the philosopher did who visited the metropolis, 'how many things are here which i do not want!' the volume when purchased is often found to contain what is only or chiefly adapted to those who live in "king's houses," or "who fare sumptuously every day." indeed, it has been the failing of most works of this nature, that they have either been too contracted, or too diffuse; detailed what was unnecessary, or treated superficially what was in fact of most consequence to the great bulk of mankind. if it be objected to the present work, that it exhibits nothing new; that the experiments are founded upon the simplest rules of nature; that most of the things have been rehearsed in various forms; it is not necessary to deny or to conceal the fact, every other consideration having been subordinated to one leading object, and that is general utility. it is but justice however to add, that many of the articles are perfectly original, having been extracted from a variety of unpublished manuscripts, obligingly and expressly furnished in aid of the present undertaking. a great number of outlandish articles are intentionally omitted, as well as a farrago of french trifles and french nonsense, in order to render the work truly worthy of the patronage of the genuine english housekeeper. it may also fairly be presumed, that the superior advantages of the present work will immediately be recognized, not only as comprehending at once the whole theory of domestic management, but in a form never before attempted, and which of all others is best adapted to facilitate the acquisition of useful knowledge. the alphabetical arrangement presented in the following sheets, pointing out at once the article necessary to be consulted, prevents the drudgery of going through several pages in order to find it, and supplies by its convenience and universal adaptation, the desideratum so long needed in this species of composition. _importance of domestic habits and acquirements._ though domestic occupations do not stand so high in the general esteem as they formerly did, there are none of greater importance in social life, and none when neglected that produce a larger portion of human misery. there was a time when ladies knew nothing beyond their own family concerns; but in the present day there are many who know nothing about them. if a young person has been sent to a fashionable boarding-school, it is ten to one, when she returns home, whether she can mend her own stockings, or boil a piece of meat, or do any thing more than preside over the flippant ceremonies of the tea-table. each extreme ought to be avoided, and care taken to unite in the female character, the cultivation of talents and habits of usefulness. in every department those are entitled to the greatest praise, who best acquit themselves of the duties which their station requires, and this it is that gives true dignity to character. happily indeed there are still great numbers in every situation, whose example combines in a high degree the ornamental with the useful. instances may be found of ladies in the higher walks of life, who condescend to examine the accounts of their servants and housekeepers; and by overseeing and wisely directing the expenditure of that part of their husband's income which falls under their own inspection, avoid the inconveniences of embarrassed circumstances. how much more necessary then is domestic knowledge in those whose limited fortunes press on their attention considerations of the strictest economy. there ought to be a material difference in the degree of care which a person of a large and independent estate bestows on money concerns, and that of one in inferior circumstances: yet both may very commendably employ some portion of their time and thoughts on this subject. the custom of the times tends in some measure to abolish the distinctions in rank, the education given to young people being nearly the same in all. but though the leisure of the higher sort may very well be devoted to different accomplishments, the pursuits of those in a middle sphere, if less ornamental, would better secure their own happiness, and that of others connected with them. we sometimes bring up children in a manner calculated rather to fit them for the station we wish, than that which it is likely they will actually possess; and it is in all cases worth the while of parents to consider whether the expectation or hope of raising their offspring above their own situation be well founded. there is no opportunity of attaining a knowledge of family management at school, certainly; and during vacations, all subjects that might interfere with amusement are avoided. the consequence is, when a girl in the higher ranks returns home after completing her education, her introduction to the gay world, and a continued course of pleasures, persuade her at once that she was born to be the ornament of fashionable circles, rather than descend to the management of family concerns, though by that means she might in various ways increase the comfort and satisfaction of her parents. on the other hand, persons of an inferior sphere, and especially in the lower order of middling life, are almost always anxious to give their children such advantages of education as they themselves did not possess. whether their indulgence be productive of the happiness so kindly aimed at, must be judged by the effects, which are not very favourable if what has been taught has not produced humility in herself, and increased gratitude and respect to her parents. were a young woman brought to relish home society, and the calm delights of an easy and agreeable occupation, before she entered into the delusive scenes of pleasure, presented by the theatre and other dissipations, it is probable she would soon make a comparison much in favour of the former, especially if restraint did not give to the latter an additional relish. if our observations were extended to the marriage state, we should find a life of employment to be the source of unnumbered pleasures. to attend to the nursing, and at least the early instruction of children, and rear a healthy progeny in the ways of piety and usefulness; to preside over the family, and regulate the income allotted to its maintenance; to make home the agreeable retreat of a husband, fatigued by intercourse with a bustling world; to be his enlightened companion, and the chosen friend of his heart; these, these are woman's duties, and her highest honour. and when it is thus evident that high intellectual attainments may find room for their exercise in the multifarious occupations of the daughter, the wife, the mother, the mistress of the house; no one can reasonably urge that the female mind is contracted by domestic employ. it is however a great comfort that the duties of life are within the reach of humbler abilities, and that she whose chief aim it is to fulfil them, will very rarely fail to acquit herself well. _domestic expenditure._ the mistress of a family should always remember, that the welfare and good management of the house depend on the eye of the superior; and consequently that nothing is too trifling for her notice, whereby waste may be avoided. if a lady has never been accustomed while single to think of family management, let her not on that account fear that she cannot attain it. she may consult others who are experienced, and acquaint herself with the necessary quantities of the several articles of family expenditure, in proportion to the number it consists of, together with the value of the articles it may be necessary to procure. a minute account of the annual income, and the times of payment, should be taken in writing; likewise an estimate of the supposed amount of each item of expense. those who are early accustomed to calculations of this kind, will acquire so accurate a knowledge of what their establishment demands, as will suggest the happy medium between prodigality and parsimony, without in the least subjecting themselves to the charge of meanness. few branches of female education are so useful as great readiness at figures, though nothing is more commonly neglected. accounts should be regularly kept, and not the smallest item be omitted to be entered. if balanced every week, or month at longest, the income and outgoings will easily be ascertained, and their proportions to each other be duly observed. some people fix on stated sums to be appropriated to each different article, and keep the money separate for that purpose; as house, clothes, pocket, education of children, &c. whichever way accounts be entered, a certain mode should be adopted, and strictly adhered to. many women are unfortunately ignorant of the state of their husband's income; and others are only made acquainted with it when some speculative project, or profitable transaction, leads them to make a false estimate of what can be afforded. it too often happens also that both parties, far from consulting each other, squander money in ways that they would even wish to forget: whereas marriage should be a state of mutual and perfect confidence, with a similarity of pursuits, which would secure that happiness it was intended to bestow. there are so many valuable women who excel as wives, that it is fair to infer there would be few extravagant ones, if they were consulted by their husbands on subjects that concern the mutual interest of both parties. many families have been reduced to poverty by the want of openness in the man, on the subject of his affairs; and though on these occasions the women are generally blamed, it has afterwards appeared that they never were allowed to make particular enquiries, nor suffered to reason upon what sometimes appeared to them imprudent. many families have fully as much been indebted to the propriety of female management, for the degree of prosperity they have enjoyed, as to the knowledge and activity of the husband and the father. ready money should be paid for all such things as come not into weekly bills, and even for them some sort of check is necessary. the best places for purchasing goods should also be attended to. on some articles a discount of five per cent is allowed in london and other large cities, and those who thus pay are usually best served. under an idea of buying cheap, many go to new shops; but it is safest to deal with people of established credit, who do not dispose of goods by underselling. to make tradesmen wait for their money is very injurious, besides that a higher price must be paid: and in long bills, articles never bought are often charged. if goods are purchased at ready-money price, and regularly entered, the exact state of the expenditure will be known with ease; for it is delay of payment that occasions so much confusion. a common-place book should always be at hand, in which to enter such hints of useful knowledge, and other observations, as are given by sensible experienced people. want of attention to what is advised, or supposing things to be too minute to be worth regarding, are the causes why so much ignorance prevails on necessary subjects, among those who are not backward in frivolous ones. it is very necessary for the mistress of a family to be informed of the price and quality of all articles in common use, and of the best times and places for purchasing them. she should also be acquainted with the comparative prices of provisions, in order that she may be able to substitute those that are most reasonable, when they will answer as well, for others of the same kind, but which are more costly. a false notion of economy leads many to purchase as bargains, what is not wanted, and sometimes never is used. were this error avoided, more money would remain of course for other purposes. it is not unusual among lower dealers to put off a larger quantity of goods, by assurances that they are advancing in price; and many who supply fancy articles are so successful in persuasion, that purchasers not unfrequently go beyond their original intention, and suffer inconvenience by it. some things are certainly better for keeping, and should be laid in accordingly; but this applies only to articles in constant consumption. unvarying rules cannot be given, for people ought to form their conduct on their circumstances. some ladies charge their account with giving out to a superintending servant such quantities of household articles, as by observation and calculation they know to be sufficient, reserving for their own key the large stock of things usually laid in for extensive families in the country. should there be more visitors than usual, they can easily account for an increased consumption, and vice versa. such a degree of judgment will be respectable even in the eye of domestics, if not interested in the ignorance of their employers; and if they are, their services will not compensate the want of honesty. a bill of parcels and receipt should be required, even if the money be paid at the time of purchase; and to avoid mistakes, let the goods be compared with these when brought home. though it is very disagreeable to suspect any one's honesty, and perhaps mistakes are often unintentional; yet it is proper to weigh meat and grocery articles when brought in, and compare them with the charge. the butcher should be ordered to send the weight with the meat, and the checks regularly filed and examined. a ticket should be exchanged for every loaf of bread, which when returned will shew the number to be paid for, as tallies may be altered, unless one is kept by each party. those who are served with brewer's beer, or any other articles not paid for weekly or on delivery, should keep a book for entering the dates: which will not only serve to prevent overcharges, but will show the whole year's consumption at one view. `poole's complete housekeeper's account book,' is very well adapted to this purpose. an inventory of furniture, linen, and china, should be kept, and the things examined by it twice a year, or oftener if there be a change of servants; into each of whose care the articles are to be entrusted, with a list, the same as is done with plate. tickets of parchment with the family name, numbered, and specifying what bed it belongs to, should be sewed on each feather bed, bolster, pillow, and blanket. knives, forks, and house cloths are often deficient: these accidents might be obviated, if an article at the head of every list required the former to be produced whole or broken, and the marked part of the linen, though all the others should be worn out. glass is another article that requires care, though a tolerable price is given for broken flint-glass. trifle dishes, butter stands, &c. may be had at a lower price than cut glass, made in moulds, of which there is a great variety that look extremely well, if not placed near the more beautiful articles. _choice and treatment of servants._ the regularity and good management of a family will very much depend on the character of the servants who are employed in it, and frequently one of base and dishonest principles will corrupt and ruin all the rest. no orders, however wise or prudent, will be duly carried into effect, unless those who are to execute them are to be depended on. it behoves every mistress therefore to be extremely careful whom she takes into her service; to be very minute in investigating character, and equally cautious and scrupulously just in giving recommendations of others. were this attended to, many bad people would be incapacitated for doing mischief, by abusing the trust reposed in them. it may fairly be asserted that the robbery, or waste, which is only a milder term for the unfaithfulness of a servant, will be laid to the charge of that master or mistress, who knowing or having well-founded suspicions of such faults, is prevailed upon by false pity, or entreaty, to slide such servant into another place. there are however some who are unfortunately capricious, and often refuse to give a character because they are displeased with the servant leaving; but this is an unpardonable violation of the right of a servant, who having no inheritance, is dependant on her fair name for employment. to refuse countenance to the evil, and to encourage the good servant, are equally due to society at large; and such as are honest, frugal, and attentive to their duties, should be liberally rewarded, which would encourage merit, and stimulate servants to acquit themselves with propriety. the contrary conduct is often visited with a kind of retributive justice in the course of a few years. the extravagant and idle in servitude are ill prepared for the industry and sobriety on which their own future welfare so essentially depends. their faults, and the attendant punishment come home, when they have children of their own; and sometimes much sooner. they will see their own folly and wickedness perpetuated in their offspring, whom they must not expect to be better than the example and instruction given by themselves. those who have been faithful and industrious in service, will generally retain those habits in their own families, after they are married; while those who have borne an opposite character are seldom successful in the world, but more frequently reduced to beggary and want. it is in general a good maxim, to select servants not younger than thirty. before that age, however comfortable you may endeavour to make them, their want of experience, and the hope of something still better, prevent their being satisfied with their present state. after they have had the benefit of experience, if they are tolerably comfortable, they will endeavour to deserve the smiles of even a moderately kind master or mistress, for fear they may change for the worse. life may indeed be very fairly divided into the seasons of hope and fear. in youth, we hope every thing may be right: in age, we fear that every thing may be wrong. at any rate it is desirable to engage a good and capable servant, for one of this description eats no more than a bad one. considering also how much waste is occasioned by provisions being dressed in a slovenly and unskilful manner, and how much a good cook, to whom the conduct of the kitchen is confided, can save by careful management, it is clearly expedient to give better wages for one of this description, than to obtain a cheaper article which in the end will inevitably become more expensive. it is likewise a point of prudence to invite the honesty and industry of domestics, by setting them an example of liberality in this way; nothing is more likely to convince them of the value that is attached to talent and good behaviour, or to bind them to the interest of those whom they are engaged to serve. the office of the cook especially is attended with so many difficulties, so many disgusting and disagreeable circumstances, and even dangers, in order to procure us one of the greatest enjoyments of human life, that it is but justice to reward her attention and services, by rendering her situation every way as comfortable as we can. those who think, that to protect and encourage virtue is the best preventive to vice, should give their female servants liberal wages. how else can they provide themselves the necessary articles of clothing, and save a little to help themselves in a time of a sickness, when out of place, or amidst the infirmities of age. the want of liberality and of justice in this respect is a principal source of the distress and of the degradation to which multitudes of females are reduced, and who are driven at length to seek an asylum in foundling hospitals and female penitentiaries. good wages however are not all that a faithful servant requires; kind treatment is of far greater consequence. human nature is the same in all stations. if you can convince your servants that you have a generous and considerate regard for their health and comfort, there is no reason to imagine that they will be insensible to the good they receive. be careful therefore to impose no commands but what are reasonable, nor reprove but with justice and temper; the best way to ensure which is, not to lecture them till at least one day after the offence has been committed. if they have any particular hardship to endure in service, let them see that you are concerned for the necessity of imposing it. servants are more likely to be praised into good conduct, than scolded out of bad behaviour. always commend them when they do right; and to cherish in them the desire of pleasing, it is proper to show them that you are pleased. by such conduct ordinary servants will often be converted into good ones, and there are few so hardened as not to feel gratified when they are kindly and liberally treated. at the same time avoid all approaches to familiarity, which to a proverb is accompanied with contempt, and soon destroys the principle of obedience. when servants are sick, you are to remember that you are their patron, as well as their master or mistress; not only remit their labour, but give them all the assistance of food and physic, and every comfort in your power. tender assiduity about an invalid is half a cure; it is a balsam to the mind, which has the most powerful effect on the body; it soothes the sharpest pains, and strengthens beyond the richest cordial. the practice of some persons in sending home poor servants to a miserable cottage, or to a workhouse, in time of illness, hoping for their services if they should happen to recover, while they contribute nothing towards it, is contrary to every principle of justice and humanity. particular attention ought to be paid to the health of the cook, not only for her own sake, but also because healthiness and cleanliness are essential to the duties of her office, and to the wholesomeness of the dishes prepared by her hand. besides the deleterious vapours of the charcoal, which soon undermine the health of the heartiest person, the cook has to endure the glare of a scorching fire, and the smoke, so baneful to the complexion and the eyes; so that she is continually surrounded with inevitable dangers, while her most commendable achievements pass not only without reward, but frequently without even thanks. the most consummate cook is seldom noticed by the master, or heard of by the guests, who, while they eagerly devour his dainties, and drink his wine, care very little who dressed the one or sent the other. the same observations apply to the kitchen maid or second cook, who have in large families the hardest place, and are worse paid, verifying the old proverb, 'the more work the less wages.' if there be any thing right, the cook has the praise, when any praise is given: if any thing be wrong, the kitchen maid has the blame. for this humble domestic is expected by the cook to take the entire management of all roasts and boils, fish and vegetables, which together constitute the principal part of an englishman's dinner. the master or mistress who wishes to enjoy the rare luxury of a table well served in the best stile, should treat the cook as a friend; should watch over her health with peculiar care, and be sure that her taste does not suffer, by her stomach being deranged by bilious attacks. a small proportion of that attention usually bestowed on a favourite horse, or even a dog, would suffice to regulate her animal system. cleanliness, and a proper ventilation to carry off smoke and steam, should be particularly attended to in the construction of a kitchen. the grand scene of action, the fire-place, should be placed where it may receive plenty of light. too often the contrary practice has prevailed, and the poor cook is continually basted with her own perspiration; but a good state of health can never be preserved under such circumstances. _necessity of order and regularity._ no family can be properly managed, where the strictest order and regularity is not observed. 'a house divided against itself cannot stand;' and if the direction of its affairs be left to accident or chance, it will be equally fatal to its comfort and prosperity. it is the part of a prudent manager to see all that is doing, and to foresee and direct all that should be done. the weakest capacity can perceive what is wrong after it has occurred; but discernment and discretion are necessary to anticipate and prevent confusion and disorder, by a well-regulated system of prompt and vigorous management. if time be wisely economised, and the useful affairs transacted before amusements are allowed, and a regular plan of employment be daily laid down, a great deal may be done without hurry or fatigue. the retrospect would also be most pleasant at the end of the year, to be able to enumerate all the valuable acquirements made, and the just and benevolent actions performed, under the active and energetic management of the mistress of a family. as highly conducive to this end, early and regular hours should be kept in the evening, and an early hour especially for breakfast in the morning. there will then be more time to execute the orders that may be given, which in general should comprise the business of the day; and servants, by doing their work with ease, will be more equal to it, and fewer of them will be necessary. it is worthy of notice, that the general expense will be reduced, and much time saved, if every thing be kept in its proper place, applied to its proper use, and mended, when the nature of the accident will allow, as soon as broken or out of repair. a proper quantity of household articles should always be ready, and more bought in before the others are consumed, to prevent inconvenience, especially in the country. much trouble and irregularity would be prevented when there is company to dinner, if the servants were required to prepare the table and sideboard in similar order daily. as some preparation is necessary for accidental visitors, care should be taken to have constantly in readiness a few articles suited to such occasions, which if properly managed will be attended with little expense, and much convenience. _bad habit of keeping spare rooms._ though persons of large fortune may support an expensive establishment without inconvenience, it ill becomes those in the middle rank to imitate such an example. nothing can be more ludicrous than the contrast exhibited between two families of this description; the one living in the dignified splendour, and with the liberal hospitality, that wealth can command; the other in a stile of tinsel show, without the real appropriate distinctions belonging to rank and fortune. they are lavish, but not liberal, often sacrificing independence to support dissipation, and betraying the dearest interests of society for the sake of personal vanity, and gratifying what is significantly termed 'the pride of life.' the great point for comfort and respectability is, that all the household economy should be uniform, not displaying a parade of show in one thing, and a total want of comfort in another. besides the contemptible appearance that this must have to every person of good sense, it is often productive of fatal consequences. how common it is, in large towns especially, that for the vanity of having a showy drawing-room to receive company, the family are confined to a close back room, where they have scarcely air or light, the want of which is essentially injurious to health. to keep rooms for show belongs to the higher classes, where the house is sufficiently commodious for the family, and to admit of this also: but in private dwellings, to shut up perhaps the only room that is fit to live in, is to be guilty of a kind of self-destruction; and yet how frequently this consideration escapes persons who are disposed to render their family every comfort, but they have a grate, a carpet, and chairs too fine for every day's use. what a reflection, when nursing a sick child, to think that it may be the victim of a bright grate, and a fine carpet! or, what is equally afflicting, to see all the children perhaps rickety and diseased from the same cause! keeping a spare bed for ornament, rather than for use, is often attended with similar consequences. a stranger or a friend is allowed to occupy it once in so many months, and he does it at the peril of his health, and even of his life. another bad effect of keeping spare rooms is the seeing more company, and in a more expensive manner, than is compatible with the general convenience of the family, introducing with it an expense in dress, and a dissipation of time, from which it suffers in various ways. not the least of these is the neglect of parental instruction, which it is attempted to supply by sending the children at an improper age to school; the girls where they had better never go, and the boys where they get but little good, and perhaps are all the worse for mending. social intercourse is not improved by parade, but quite the contrary; real friends, and the pleasantest kind of acquaintance, those who like to be social, are repulsed by it. the failure therefore is general, involving the loss of nearly all that is valuable in society, by an abortive attempt to become fashionable. _setting out a table._ the direction of a table is no inconsiderable part of a lady's concern, as it involves judgment in expenditure, respectability of appearance, the comfort of her husband, and those who partake of their hospitality. it is true that the mode of covering a table, and providing for the guests, is merely a matter of taste, materially different in a variety of instances; yet nothing can be more ruinous of real comfort than the too common custom of making a profusion and a parade, unsuited not only to the circumstances of the host, but to the number of the guests; or more fatal to true hospitality than the multiplicity of dishes which luxury has made fashionable at the tables of the great, the wealthy, and the ostentatious, who are often neither great, nor wealthy, nor wise. such excessive preparation, instead of being a compliment to the party invited, is nothing better than an indirect offence, conveying a tacit insinuation that it is absolutely necessary to provide such delicacies to bribe the depravity of their palates, when we desire the pleasure of their company, and that society must be purchased on dishonourable terms before it can be enjoyed. when twice as much cooking is undertaken as there are servants, or conveniences in the kitchen to do it properly, dishes must be dressed long before the dinner hour, and stand by spoiling; and why prepare for eight or ten more than is sufficient for twenty or thirty visitors? 'enough is as good as a feast;' and a prudent provider, avoiding what is extravagant and superfluous, may entertain her friends three times as often, and ten times as well. perhaps there are few incidents in which the respectability of a man is more immediately felt, than the style of dinner to which he may accidentally bring home a visitor. and here, it is not the multiplicity of articles, but the choice, the dressing, and the neat appearance of the whole that is principally regarded. every one is to live as he can afford, and the meal of the tradesman ought not to emulate the entertainments of the higher classes; but if two or three dishes are well served, with the usual sauces, the table linen clean, the small sideboard neatly laid, and all that is necessary be at hand, the expectation of the husband and the friend will be gratified, because no irregularity of domestic arrangement will disturb the social intercourse. the same observation holds good on a larger scale. in all situations of life the entertainment should be no less suited to the station than to the fortune of the entertainer, and to the number and rank of those invited. the manner of carving is not only a very necessary branch of information, to enable a lady to do the honours of the table, but makes a considerable difference in the consumption of a family; and though in large parties she is so much assisted as to render this knowledge apparently of less consequence, yet she must at times feel the deficiency; and should not fail to acquaint herself with an attainment, the advantage of which is evident every day. some people haggle meat so much, as not to be able to help half a dozen persons decently from a large tongue, or a sirloin of beef; and the dish goes away with the appearance of having been gnawed by dogs. habit alone can make good carvers; but some useful directions on this subject will be found in the following pages, under the article carving. half the trouble of waiting at table may be saved, by giving each guest two plates, two knives and forks, two pieces of bread, a spoon, a wine glass, and a tumbler; and by placing the wines and sauces in the centre of the table, one visitor may help another. if the party is large, the founders of the feast should sit about the middle of the table, instead of at each end. they will then enjoy the pleasure of attending equally to all their friends; and being in some degree relieved from the occupation of carving, will have an opportunity of administering all those little attentions which contribute so much to the comfort of their guests. dinner tables are seldom sufficiently lighted, or attended; an active waiter will have enough to do to attend upon half a dozen persons. there should be half as many candles as there are guests, and their flame should not be more than eighteen inches above the table. the modern candelabras answer no other purpose than that of giving an appearance of pomp and magnificence, and seem intended to illuminate the ceiling, rather than to shed light upon the plates. _quality of provisions to be regarded._ the leading consideration about food ought always to be its wholesomeness. cookery may produce savoury and elegant looking dishes, without their possessing any of the real qualities of food. it is at the same time both a serious and a ludicrous reflection, that it should be thought to do honour to our friends and to ourselves to set out a table where indigestion with all its train of evils, such as fever, rheumatism, gout, and the whole catalogue of human diseases, lie lurking in almost every dish. yet this is both done, and taken as a compliment. the practice of flavouring custards, for example, with laurel leaves, and adding fruit kernels to the poison of spirituous liquors, though far too common, is attended with imminent danger: for let it be remembered, that the flavour given by laurel essence is the most fatal kind of poison. children, and delicate grown-up persons, have often died suddenly from this cause, even where the quantity of the deleterious mixture was but small. how infinitely preferable is a dinner of far less show, where nobody need to be afraid of what they are eating; and such a one will always be genteel and respectable. if a person can give his friend only a leg of mutton, there is nothing of which to be ashamed, provided it is good and well dressed. nothing can be of greater importance to the mistress of a family, than the preservation of its health; but there is no way of securing this desirable object with any degree of certainty, except her eye watches over every part of the culinary process. the subject of cookery is too generally neglected by mistresses, as something beneath their notice; or if engaged in, it is to contrive a variety of mischievous compositions, both savoury and sweet, to recommend their own ingenuity. yet it is quite evident that every good housewife ought to be well acquainted with this important branch of domestic management, and to take upon herself at least its entire direction and controul. this is a duty which her husband, children, and domestics, have a right to expect at her hands; and which a solicitude for their health and comfort will induce her to discharge with fidelity. if cookery has been worth studying as a sensual gratification, it is much more so as the means of securing the greatest of human blessings. a house fitted up with clean good furniture, the kitchen provided with clean wholesome-looking cooking utensils, good fires, in grates that give no anxiety lest a good fire should spoil them, clean good table-linen, the furniture of the table and sideboard good of the kind without ostentation, and a well-dressed plain dinner, bespeak a sound judgment and correct taste in a private family, that place it on a footing of respectability with the first characters in the country. it is only conforming to our sphere, not vainly attempting to be above it, that can command true respect. ================================================================== _explanation of the plate._ venison. . haunch. | . neck. | . shoulder. | . breast. beef. | . thick flank. | . shoulder or leg _hind quarter._ | . thin flank. | of mutton piece. . sirloin. | . leg. | . brisket . rump. | . fore rib; five ribs. | . clod. . edge bone. | | . neck or sticking . buttock. | _fore quarter._ | piece. . mouse buttock.| . middle rib; four ribs.| . shin. . veiny piece. | . chuck; three ribs. | . cheek. veal. . loin, best end. | . neck, best end. . loin, chump end. | . neck, scrag end. . fillet. | . blade bone. . hind knuckle. | . breast, best end. . fore knuckle. | . breast, brisket end. pork. . sparerib. | . fore loin. . hand. | . hind loin. . belly or spring. | . leg. mutton. . leg. | . neck, best end. | . breast. . loin, best end. | . neck, scrag end. |a chine is two loins. . loin, chump end. | . shoulder. |a saddle is two necks. [illustration] the cook and housekeeper's complete and universal dictionary. acid, lemon: a good substitute for this expensive article, suitable for soups, fish sauces, and many other purposes, may be made of a dram of lump sugar pounded, and six drops of lemon essence, to three ounces of crystal vinegar. the flavour of the lemon may also be communicated to the vinegar, by an infusion of lemon peel. acids, to remove stains caused by acids. see stains. accidents by fire. much mischief frequently arises from the want of a little presence of mind on such occasions, when it is well known that a small quantity of water speedily and properly applied, would obviate great danger. the moment an alarm of fire is given in a house, some blankets should be wetted in a tub of water, and spread on the floor of the room where the fire is, and the flames beaten out with a wet blanket. two or three pails of water thus applied, will be more effectual than a larger quantity poured on in the usual way, and at a later period. if a chimney be on fire, the readiest way is to cover the whole front of the fire-place with a wet blanket, or thrust it into the throat of the chimney, or make a complete inclosure with the chimney-board. by whatever means the current of air can be stopped below, the burning soot will be put out as rapidly as a candle is by an extinguisher, and upon the same principle. a quantity of salt thrown into water will increase its power in quenching the flames, and muddy water is better for this purpose than clear water. children, and especially females, should be informed, that as flame tends upward, it is extremely improper for them to stand upright, in case their clothes take fire; and as the accident generally begins with the lower part of the dress, the flames meeting additional fuel as they rise, become more fatal, and the upper part of the body necessarily sustains the greatest injury. if there be no assistance at hand in a case of this kind, the sufferer should instantly throw herself down, and roll or lie upon her clothes. a carpet, hearth rug, or green baize table cloth, quickly wrapped round the head and body, will be an effectual preservative; but where these are not at hand, the other method may easily be adopted. the most obvious means of preventing the female dress from catching fire, is that of wire fenders of sufficient height to hinder the coals and sparks from flying into the room; and nurseries in particular should never be without them. destructive fires often happen from the thoughtlessness of persons leaving a poker in the grate, which afterward falls out and rolls on the floor or carpet. this evil may in a great measure be prevented by having a small cross of iron welded on the poker, immediately above the square part, about an inch and a half each way. then if the poker slip out of the fire, it will probably catch at the edge of the fender; or if not, it cannot endanger the floor, as the hot end of the poker will be kept from it by resting on the cross. in cases of extreme danger, where the fire is raging in the lower part of the house, a fire escape is of great importance. but where this article is too expensive, or happens not to be provided, a strong rope should be fastened to something in an upper apartment, having knots or resting places for the hands and feet, that in case of alarm it may be thrown out of the window; or if children and infirm persons were secured by a noose at the end of it, they might be lowered down in safety. no family occupying lofty houses in confined situations ought to be without some contrivance of this sort, and which may be provided at a very trifling expense. horses are often so intimidated by fire, that they have perished before they could be removed from the spot; but if a bridle or a halter be put upon them, they might be led out of the stable as easily as on common occasions. or if the harness be thrown over a draught horse, or the saddle placed on the back of a saddle horse, the same object may be accomplished. adulterations in baker's bread may be detected, by mixing it with lemon juice or strong vinegar: if the bread contains chalk, whiting, or any other alkali, it will immediately produce a fermentation. if ashes, alum, bones, or jalap be suspected, slice the crumb of a loaf very thin, set it over the fire with water, and let it boil gently a long time. take it off, pour the water into a vessel, and let it stand till nearly cold; then pour it gently out, and in the sediment will be seen the ingredients which have been mixed. the alum will be dissolved in the water, and may be extracted from it. if jalap has been used, it will form a thick film on the top, and the heavy ingredients will sink to the bottom. see beer, flour, spirits, wine. ague. persons afflicted with the ague ought in the first instance to take an emetic, and a little opening medicine. during the shaking fits, drink plenty of warm gruel, and afterwards take some powder of bark steeped in red wine. or mix thirty grains of snake root, forty of wormwood, and half an ounce of jesuit's bark powdered, in half a pint of port wine: put the whole into a bottle, and shake it well together. take one fourth part first in the morning, and another at bed time, when the fit is over, and let the dose be often repeated, to prevent a return of the complaint. if this should not succeed, mix a quarter of an ounce each of finely powdered peruvian bark, grains of paradise, and long pepper, in a quarter of a pound of treacle. take a third part of it as soon as the cold fit begins, and wash it down with a glass of brandy. as the cold fit goes off, and the fever approaches, take a second third part, with the like quantity of brandy; and on the following morning fasting, swallow the remainder, with the same quantity of brandy as before. three doses of this excellent electuary have cured hundreds of persons, and seldom been known to fail. to children under nine years of age, only half the above quantity must be given. try also the following experiment. when the cold fit is on, take an egg beaten up in a glass of brandy, and go to bed directly. this very simple recipe has proved successful in a number of instances, where more celebrated preparations have failed. air. few persons are sufficiently aware, that an unwholesome air is the common cause of disease. they generally pay some attention to what they eat and drink, but seldom regard what goes into the lungs, though the latter often proves more fatal than the former. air vitiated by the different processes of respiration, combustion, and putrefaction, or which is suffered to stagnate, is highly injurious to health, and productive of contagious disorders. whatever greatly alters its degree of heat or cold, also renders it unwholesome. if too hot, it produces bilious and inflammatory affections: if too cold, it obstructs perspiration, and occasions rheumatism, coughs, and colds, and other diseases of the throat and breast. a damp air disposes the body to agues, intermitting fevers, and dropsies, and should be studiously avoided. some careful housewives, for the sake of bright and polished stoves, frequently expose the health of the family in an improper manner; but fires should always be made, if in the height of summer, when the weather is wet or cold, to render the air wholesome; and let the fire-irons take care of themselves. no house can be wholesome, unless the air has a free passage through it: dwellings ought therefore to be daily ventilated, by opening the windows and admitting a current of fresh air into every room. instead of making up beds as soon as people rise out of them, a practice much too common, they ought to be turned down, and exposed to dry fresh air from the open windows. this would expel any noxious vapours, and promote the health of the family. houses surrounded with high walls, trees, or plantations, are rendered unwholesome. wood, not only obstructs the free current of air, but sends forth exhalations, which render it damp and unhealthy. houses situated on low ground, or near lakes and ponds of stagnant water, are the same: the air is charged with putrid exhalations, which produce the most malignant effects. persons obliged to occupy such situations should live well, and pay the strictest regard to cleanliness. the effluvia arising from church-yards and other burying grounds is very infectious; and parish churches, in which many corpses are interred, become tainted with an atmosphere so corrupt, especially in the spring, when the ground begins to grow warm, that it is one of the principal sources of putrid fevers, which so often prevail at that season of the year. such places ought to be kept perfectly clean, and frequently ventilated, by opening opposite doors and windows; and no human dwelling should be allowed in the immediate vicinity of a burying ground.--the air of large towns and cities is greatly contaminated, by being repeatedly respired; by the vapours arising from dirty streets, the smoke of chimneys, and the innumerable putrid substances occasioned by the crowd of inhabitants. persons of a delicate habit should avoid cities as they would the plague; or if this be impracticable, they should go abroad as much as possible, frequently admit fresh air into their rooms, and be careful to keep them very clean. if they can sleep in the country, so much the better, as breathing free air in the night will in some degree make up for the want of it in the day time. air which stagnates in mines, wells, and cellars, is extremely noxious; it kills nearly as quick as lightning, and ought therefore to be carefully avoided. accidents occasioned by foul air might often be prevented, by only letting down into such places a lighted candle, and forbearing to enter when it is perceived to go out. the foul air may be expelled by leaving the place open a sufficient time, or pouring into it a quantity of boiling water. introducing fresh air into confined rooms and places, by means of ventilators, is one of the most important of modern improvements.--dyers, gilders, plumbers, refiners of metals, and artisans employed over or near a charcoal fire, are exposed to great danger from the vitiated state of the air. to avert the injury to which their lungs are thus exposed, it would be proper to place near them a flat open vessel filled with lime water, and to renew it as often as a variegated film appears on the surface. this powerfully attracts and absorbs the noxious effluvia emitted by the burning charcoal.--but if fresh air be necessary for those in health, much more so for the sick, who often lose their lives for want of it. the notion that sick people require to be kept hot is very common, but no less dangerous, for no medicine is so beneficial to them as fresh air, in ordinary cases, especially if administered with prudence. doors and windows are not to be opened at random; but the air should be admitted gradually, and chiefly by opening the windows of some other apartment which communicates with the sick room. the air may likewise be purified by wetting a cloth in water impregnated with quick lime, then hanging it in the room till it becomes dry, and removing it as often as it appears necessary. in chronic diseases, especially those of the lungs, where there is no inflammation, a change of air is much to be recommended. independently of any other circumstance, it has often proved highly beneficial; and such patients have breathed more freely, even though removed to a damp and confined situation. in short, fresh air contains the vitals of health, and must be sought for in every situation, as the only medium of human existence. alabaster. the proper way of cleaning elegant chimney pieces, or other articles made of alabaster, is to reduce some pumice stone to a very fine powder, and mix it up with verjuice. let it stand two hours, then dip into it a sponge, and rub the alabaster with it: wash it with fresh water and a linen cloth, and dry it with clean linen rags. alamode beef. choose a piece of thick flank of a fine heifer or ox. cut some fat bacon into long slices nearly an inch thick, but quite free from yellow. dip them into vinegar, and then into a seasoning ready prepared, of salt, black pepper, allspice, and a clove, all in fine powder, with parsley, chives, thyme, savoury, and knotted marjoram, shred as small as possible, and well mixed. with a sharp knife make holes deep enough to let in the larding; then rub the beef over with the seasoning, and bind it up tight with a tape. set it in a well tinned pot over a fire, or rather a stove: three or four onions must be fried brown and put to the beef, with two or three carrots, one turnip, a head or two of celery, and a small quantity of water. let it simmer gently ten or twelve hours, or till extremely tender, turning the meat twice. put the gravy into a pan, remove the fat, keep the beef covered, then put them together, and add a glass of port wine. take off the tape, and serve with vegetables; or strain them off, and cut them into dice for garnish. onions roasted, and then stewed with the gravy, are a great improvement. a tea-cupful of vinegar should be stewed with the beef.--another way is to take about eleven pounds of the mouse-buttock, or clod of beef, or a blade bone, or the sticking piece, and cut it into pieces of three or four ounces each. put two or three ounces of beef drippings, and two large onions, into a large deep stewpan; as soon as it is quite hot, flour the meat, put it into the stewpan, and keep stirring it with a wooden spoon. when it has been on about ten minutes, dredge it with flour, and keep doing so till you have stirred in as much as will thicken it. then cover it with about a gallon of boiling water, adding it by degrees, and stirring it together. skim it when it boils, and then put in a dram of ground black pepper, and two drams of allspice. set the pan by the side of the fire, or at a distance over it, and let it stew very slowly for about three hours. when the meat is sufficiently tender, put it into a tureen, and send it to table with a nice sallad. ale, allowing eight bushels of malt to the hogshead, should be brewed in the beginning of march. pour on at once the whole quantity of hot water, not boiling, and let it infuse three hours close covered. mash it in the first half hour, and let it stand the remainder of the time. run it on the hops, half a pound to the bushel, previously infused in water, and boil them with the wort two hours. cool a pailful after it has boiled, add to it two quarts of yeast, which will prepare it for putting to the rest when ready, the same night or the next day. when tunned, and the beer has done working, cover the bung-hole with paper. if the working requires to be stopped, dry a pound and a half of hops before the fire, put them into the bung-hole, and fasten it up. ale should stand twelve months in casks, and twelve in bottles, before it be drank; and if well brewed, it will keep and be very fine for eight or ten years. it will however be ready for use in three or four months; and if the vent-peg be never removed, it will have strength and spirit to the very last. but if bottled, great care must be taken to have the bottles perfectly sweet and clean, and the corks of the best quality. if the ale requires to be refined, put two ounces of isinglass shavings to soak in a quart of the liquor, and beat it with a whisk every day till dissolved. draw off a third part of the cask, and mix the above with it: likewise a quarter of an ounce of pearl ashes, one ounce of salt of tartar calcined, and one ounce of burnt alum powdered. stir it well, then return the liquor into the cask, and stir it with a clean stick. stop it up, and in a few days it will be fine. see beer, brewing. ale posset. beat up the yolks of ten eggs, and the whites of four; then put them into a quart of cream, mixed with a pint of ale. grate some nutmeg into it, sweeten it with sugar, set it on the fire, and keep it stirring. when it is thick, and before it boils, take it off, and pour it into a china bason. this is called king william's posset. a very good one may however be made by warming a pint of milk, with a bit of white bread in it, and then warming a pint of ale with a little sugar and nutmeg. when the milk boils, pour it upon the ale; let it stand a few minutes to clear, and it will make a fine cordial. alegar. take some good sweet wort before it is hopped, put it into a jar, and a little yeast when it becomes lukewarm, and cover it over. in three or four days it will have done fermenting; set it in the sun, and it will be fit for use in three or four months, or much sooner, if fermented with sour yeast, and mixed with an equal quantity of sour ale. allspice, used as an essence, is made of a dram of the oil of pimento, apothecaries' measure, mixed by degrees with two ounces of strong spirits of wine. the tincture, which has a finer flavour than the essence, is made of three ounces of bruised allspice, steeped in a quart of brandy. shake it occasionally for a fortnight, and then pour off the clear liquor. a few drops of either will be a grateful addition to a pint of gravy, or mulled wine, or in any case where allspice is used. almond biscuits. blanch a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds, and pound them fine in a mortar, sprinkling them from time to time with a little fine sugar. then beat them a quarter of an hour with an ounce of flour, the yolks of three eggs, and four ounces of fine sugar, adding afterward the whites of four eggs whipped to a froth. prepare some paper moulds like boxes, about the length of two fingers square; butter them within, and put in the biscuits, throwing over them equal quantities of flour and powdered sugar. bake them in a cool oven; and when of a good colour, take them out of the papers. bitter almond biscuits are made in the same manner, except with this difference; that to every two ounces of bitter almonds must be added an ounce of sweet almonds. almond cheesecakes. blanch and pound four ounces of almonds, and a few bitter ones, with a spoonful of water. add four ounces of pounded sugar, a spoonful of cream, and the whites of two eggs well beaten. mix all as quick as possible, put it into very small pattipans, and bake in a tolerable warm oven, under twenty minutes. or blanch and pound four ounces of almonds, with a little orange-flower or rose-water; then stir in the yolks of six and the whites of three eggs well beaten, five ounces of butter warmed, the peel of a lemon grated, and a little of the juice, sweetened with fine moist sugar. when well mixed, bake in a delicate paste, in small pans. another way is, to press the whey from as much curd as will make two dozen small cheesecakes. then put the curd on the back of a sieve, and with half an ounce of butter rub it through with the back of a spoon; put to it six yolks and three whites of eggs, and a few bitter almonds pounded, with as much sugar as will sweeten the curd. mix with it the grated rind of a lemon, and a glass of brandy; put a puff-paste into the pans, and ten minutes will bake them. almond cream. beat in a mortar four ounces of sweet almonds, and a few bitter ones, with a tea-spoonful of water to prevent oiling, both having first been blanched. put the paste to a quart of cream, and add the juice of three lemons sweetened; beat it with a whisk to a froth, which take off on the shallow part of a sieve, and fill the glasses with some of the liquor and the froth. almond custard. blanch and beat four ounces of almonds fine, with a spoonful of water. beat a pint of cream with two spoonfuls of rose-water, put them to the yolks of four eggs, and as much sugar as will make it tolerably sweet. then add the almonds, stir it all over a slow fire till of a proper thickness, without boiling, and pour it into cups. almond jumbles. rub half a pound of butter into a pound of flour, with half a pound of loaf sugar powdered, a quarter of a pound of almonds beat fine with rose-water, the yolks of two eggs, and two spoonfuls of cream. make them all into a paste, roll it into any shape, and bake on tins. ice them with a mixture of fine sugar, rose-water, and the white of an egg, beat up together, and lay the icing on with a feather, before the jumbles are put into the oven. almond puddings. beat half a pound of sweet and a few bitter almonds with a spoonful of water; then mix four ounces of butter, four eggs, two spoonfuls of cream, warm with the butter, one of brandy, a little nutmeg and sugar to taste. butter some cups, half fill them, and bake the puddings. serve with butter, wine, and sugar.--for baked almond puddings, beat a quarter of a pound of sweet and a few bitter almonds with a little wine, the yolks of six eggs, the peel of two lemons grated, six ounces of butter, nearly a quart of cream, and the juice of one lemon. when well mixed, bake it half an hour, with paste round the dish, and serve it with pudding sauce. small almond puddings are made of eight ounces of almonds, and a few bitter ones, pounded with a spoonful of water. then mix four ounces of butter warmed, four yolks and two whites of eggs, sugar to taste, two spoonfuls of cream, and one of brandy. mix it together well, and bake in little cups buttered. almonds burnt. add three quarters of a pound of loaf sugar to a pound of almonds, picked and cleaned, and a few spoonfuls of water. set them on the fire, keep them stirring till the sugar is candied, and they are done. almonds iced. make an iceing similar to that for twelfth-night cakes, with fine sifted loaf sugar, orange-flower water, and whisked white of eggs. having blanched the almonds, roll them well in this iceing, and dry them in a cool oven. amber pudding. put a pound of butter into a saucepan, with three quarters of a pound of loaf sugar finely powdered. melt the butter, and mix well with it; then add the yolks of fifteen eggs well beaten, and as much fresh candied orange as will add colour and flavour to it, being first beaten to a fine paste. line the dish with paste for turning out; and when filled with the above, lay a crust over as you would a pie, and bake it in a slow oven. this makes a fine pudding as good cold as hot. american cakes, though but little known in this country, form an article of some importance in domestic economy: they are cheap, easily made, and very nutritious. mix a quarter of a pound of butter with a pound of flour; then, having dissolved and well stirred a quarter of a pound of sugar in half a pint of milk, and made a solution of about half a tea-spoonful of crystal of soda, salt of tartar, or any other purified potash, in half a tea-cupful of cold water, pour them also among the flour; work up the paste to a good consistence, roll it out, and form it into cakes or biscuits. the lightness of these cakes depending much on the expedition with which they are baked, they should be set in a brisk oven. american spruce. in the spring of the year, this valuable extract is obtained from the young shoots and tops of the pine or fir trees; and in autumn, from their cones. these are merely boiled in water, to the consistence of honey or molasses. the bark and softer part of the tops and young shoots, being easily dissolved, make the finest essence; while the cones and bark of larger branches, undergoing only a partial solution, form an inferior article, after being strained from the dregs. both sorts, when decanted clear off, are put up in casks or bottles, and preserved for making spruce beer. anchovies. these delicate fish are preserved in barrels with bay salt, and no other of the finny tribe has so fine a flavour. choose those which look red and mellow, and the bones moist and oily. they should be high-flavoured, and have a fine smell; but beware of their being mixed with red paint, to improve their colour and appearance. when the liquor dries, pour on them some beef brine, and keep the jar close tied down with paper and leather. sprats are sometimes sold for anchovies, but by washing them the imposition may be detected. see sprats. anchovy essence. chop two dozen of anchovies, without the bone, add some of their own liquor strained, and sixteen large spoonfuls of water. boil them gently till dissolved, which will be in a few minutes; and when cold, strain and bottle the liquor. the essence can generally be bought cheaper than you can make it. anchovy paste. pound them in a mortar, rub the pulp through a fine sieve, pot it, cover it with clarified butter, and keep it in a cool place. the paste may also be made by rubbing the essence with as much flour as will make a paste; but this is only intended for immediate use, and will not keep. this is sometimes made stiffer and hotter, by the addition of a little flour of mustard, a pickled walnut, spice, or cayenne. anchovy powder. pound the fish in a mortar, rub them through a sieve, make them into a paste with dried flour, roll it into thin cakes, and dry them in a dutch oven before a slow fire. to this may be added a small portion of cayenne, grated lemon peel, and citric acid. pounded to a fine powder, and put into a well-stopped bottle, it will keep for years. it is a very savoury relish, sprinkled on bread and butter for a sandwich. anchovy sauce. chop one or two anchovies without washing, put them into a saucepan with flour and butter, and a spoonful of water. stir it over the fire till it boils once or twice. when the anchovies are good, they will soon be dissolved, and distinguished both by their colour and fragrance. anchovy toast. bone and skin six or eight anchovies, pound them to a mass with an ounce of fine butter till the colour is equal, and then spread it on toast or rusks. or, cut thin slices of bread, and fry them in clarified butter. wash three anchovies split, pound them in a mortar with a little fresh butter, rub them through a hair sieve, and spread on the toast when cold. garnish with parsley or pickles. angelica tarts. take an equal quantity of apples and angelica, pare and peel them, and cut them separately into small pieces. boil the apples gently in a little water, with fine sugar and lemon peel, till they become a thin syrup: then boil the angelica about ten minutes. put some paste at the bottom of the pattipans, with alternate layers of apples and angelica: pour in some of the syrup, put on the lid, and bake them carefully. angling apparatus. fishing rods should be oiled and dried in the sun, to prevent their being worm eaten, and render them tough; and if the joints get swelled and set fast, turn the part over the flame of a candle, and it will soon be set at liberty. silk or hemp lines dyed in a decoction of oak bark, will render them more durable and capable of resisting the wet; and after they have been used they should be well dried before they are wound up, or they will be liable to rot. to make a cork float, take a good new cork, and pass a small red-hot iron through the centre of it lengthways; then round one end of it with a sharp knife, and reduce the other to a point, resembling a small peg top. the quill which is to pass through it may be secured at the bottom by putting in a little cotton wool and sealing wax, and the upper end is to be fitted with a piece of hazel like a plug, cemented like the other, with a piece of wire on the top formed into an eye, and two small hoops cut from another quill to regulate the line which passes through the float. to render it the more visible, the cork may be coloured with red wax. for fly fishing, either natural or artificial flies may be used, especially such as are found under hollow stones by the river's side, on the trunk of an oak or ash, on hawthorns, and on ant hills. in clear water the angler may use small flies with slender wings, but in muddy water a large fly is better: in a clear day the fly should be light coloured, and in dark water the fly should be dark. the rod and line require to be long; the fly when fastened to the hook should be allowed to float gently on the surface of the water, keeping the line from touching it, and the angler should stand as far as may be from the water's edge with the sun at his back, having a watchful eye and a quick hand. fish may be intoxicated and taken in the following manner. take an equal quantity of cocculus indicus, coriander, fenugreek, and cummin seeds, and reduce them to a powder. make it into a paste with rice flour and water, roll it up into pills as large as peas, and throw them into ponds or rivers which abound with fish. after eating the paste, the fish will rise to the surface of the water almost motionless, and may be taken out by the hand. antidote to opium or laudanum. the deleterious effects of opium, which are so often experienced in the form of laudanum, may in great measure be counteracted by taking a proper quantity of lemon juice immediately afterwards. four grains of opium, or a hundred drops of laudanum, are often sufficient for a fatal dose; but if an ounce of pure lemon juice, or twice that quantity of good vinegar be added to every grain of opium, or every twenty-five drops of laudanum, it will relieve both the head and the bowels; and the use of vegetable acids cannot be too strongly recommended to those who are under the necessity of taking considerable doses of opiates. ants. though it does not become us to be prodigal of life in any form, nor wantonly to seek its extinction, yet where any species of animals are found to be really noxious or annoying, the good of man requires that they should be destroyed. houses are sometimes so infested with ants, that they are not to be endured. in this case, sprinkle the places they frequent with a strong decoction of walnut-tree leaves; or take half a pound of sulphur, and a quarter of a pound of potash, and dissolve them together over the fire. afterwards beat them to a powder, add some water to it; and when sprinkled, the ants will either die or leave the place. when they are found to traverse garden walls or hot-houses, and to injure the fruit, several holes should be drilled in the ground with an iron crow, close to the side of the wall, and as deep as the soil will admit. the earth being stirred, the insects will begin to move about: the sides of the holes are then to be made smooth, so that the ants may fall in as soon as they approach, and they will be unable to climb upwards. water being then poured on them, great numbers may easily be destroyed. the same end may be answered by strewing a mixture of quick lime and soot along such places as are much frequented by the ants; or by adding water to it, and pouring it at the roots of trees infested by them. to prevent their descending from a tree which they visit, it is only necessary to mark with a piece of common chalk a circle round its trunk, an inch or two broad, and about two feet from the ground. this experiment should be performed in dry weather, and the ring must be renewed: as soon as the ants arrive at it, not one of them will attempt to cross over.--ant hills are very injurious in dry pastures, not only by wasting the soil, but yielding a pernicious kind of grass, and impeding the operation of the scythe. the turf of the ant hill should be pared off, the core taken out and scattered at a distance; and when the turf is laid down again, the place should be left lower than the ground around it, that when the wet settles into it, the ants may be prevented from returning to their haunt. the nests may more effectually be destroyed by putting quick lime into them, and pouring on some water; or by putting in some night soil, and closing it up. apple trees may be preserved from the innumerable insects with which they are annoyed, by painting the stems and branches with a thick wash of lime and water, as soon as the sap begins to rise. this will be found, in the course of the ensuing summer to have removed all the moss and insects, and given to the bark a fresh and green appearance. other fruit trees may be treated in the same manner, and they will soon become more healthy and vigorous. trees exposed to cattle, hares and rabbits, may be preserved from these depredators, without the expense of fence or rails, by any of the following experiments. wash the stems of the trees or plants to a proper height with tanner's liquor, or such as they use for dressing hides. if this does not succeed, make a mixture of night soil, lime and water, and brush it on the stems and branches, two or three times in a year: this will effectually preserve the trees from being barked. a mixture of fresh cow dung and urine has been found to answer the same purpose, and also to destroy the canker, which is so fatal to the growth of trees. apples are best preserved from frost, by throwing over them a linen cloth before the approach of hard weather: woollen will not answer the purpose. in this manner they are kept in germany and in america, during the severest winters; and it is probable that potatoes might be preserved in the same way. apples may also be kept till the following summer by putting them into a dry jar, with a few pebbles at the bottom to imbibe the moisture which would otherwise destroy the fruit, and then closing up the jar carefully with a lid, and a little fresh water round the edge. apples dried. put them in a cool oven six or seven times; and when soft enough to bear it, let them be gently flattened by degrees. if the oven be too warm they will waste; and at first it should be very cool. the biffin, the minshul crab, or any tart apples, are the best for drying. apple dumplings. pare and slice some apples, line a bason with a thin paste, fill it with the fruit, and close the paste over. tie a cloth tight over, and boil the dumpling till the fruit is done. currant and damson puddings are prepared in the same way. apple fool. stew some apples in a stone jar on a stove, or in a saucepan of water over the fire: if the former, a large spoonful of water should be added to the fruit. when reduced to a pulp, peel and press them through a cullendar; boil a sufficient quantity of new milk, and a tea-cupful of raw cream, or an egg instead of the latter, and leave the liquor to cool. then mix it gradually with the pulp, and sweeten the whole with fine moist sugar. apple fritters. pare some apples, and cut them into thin slices; put a spoonful of light batter into a frying-pan, then a layer of apples, and another spoonful of batter. fry them to a light brown, and serve with grated sugar over them. apple jelly. prepare twenty golden pippins, boil them quite tender in a pint and a half of spring water, and strain the pulp through a cullendar. to every pint add a pound of fine sugar, with grated orange or lemon peel, and then boil the whole to a jelly. or, having prepared the apples by boiling and straining them through a coarse sieve, get ready an ounce of isinglass boiled to a jelly in half a pint of water, and mix it with the apple pulp. add some sugar, a little lemon juice and peel; boil all together, take out the peel, and put the jelly into a dish, to serve at table.--when apple jelly is required for preserving apricots, or any sort of sweetmeats, a different process is observed. apples are to be pared, quartered and cored, and put into a stewpan, with as much water as will cover them. boil them to a mash as quick as possible, and add a quantity of water; then boil half an hour more, and run it through a jelly bag. if in summer, codlins are best: in autumn, golden rennets or winter pippins.--red apples in jelly are a different preparation. these must be pared and cored, and thrown into water; then put them in a preserving pan, and let them coddle with as little water as will only half cover them. observe that they do not lie too close when first put in; and when the under side is done, turn them. mix some pounded cochineal with the water, and boil with the fruit. when sufficiently done, take them out on the dish they are to be served in, the stalk downwards. make a rich jelly of the water with loaf sugar, boiling them with the thin rind and juice of a lemon. when cold, spread the jelly over the apples; cut the lemon peel into narrow strips, and put them across the eye of the apple. the colour should be kept fine from the first, or the fruit will not afterwards gain it; and use as little of the cochineal as will serve, lest the syrup taste bitter. apple marmalade. scald some apples till they come to a pulp; then take an equal weight of sugar in large lumps, just dip them in water, and boil the sugar till it can be well skimmed, and is reduced to a thick syrup. put it to the pulp, and simmer it on a quick fire a quarter of an hour. grate a little lemon peel before boiling, but if too much it will be bitter. apple pasty. make a hot crust of lard or dripping, roll it out warm, cover it with apples pared and sliced, and a little lemon peel and moist sugar. wet the edges of the crust, close it up well, make a few holes in the top, and bake it in a moderate oven. gooseberries may be done in the same way. apple pie. pare and core the fruit, after being wiped clean; then boil the cores and parings in a little water, till it tastes well. strain the liquor, add a little sugar, with a bit of bruised cinnamon, and simmer again. meantime place the apples in a dish, a paste being put round the edge; when one layer is in, sprinkle half the sugar, and shred lemon peel; squeeze in some of the juice, or a glass of cider, if the apples have lost their spirit. put in the rest of the apples, the sugar, and the liquor which has been boiled. if the pie be eaten hot, put some butter into it, quince marmalade, orange paste or cloves, to give it a flavour. apple postilla. bake codlins, or any other sour apples, but without burning them; pulp them through a sieve into a bowl, and beat them for four hours. sweeten the fruit with honey, and beat it four hours more; the longer it is beaten the better. pour a thin layer of the mixture on a cloth spread over a tray, and bake it in a slow oven, with bits of wood placed under the tray. if not baked enough on one side, set it again in the oven; and when quite done, turn it. pour on it a fresh layer of the mixture, and proceed with it in like manner, till the whole is properly baked. apple postilla is also made by peeling the apples and taking out the cores after they are baked, sweetening with sugar, and beating it up with a wooden spoon till it is all of a froth. then put it on two trays, and bake it for two hours in an oven moderately hot. after this another layer of the beaten apples is added, and pounded loaf sugar spread over. sometimes a still finer sort is made, by beating yolks of eggs to a froth, and then mixing it with the apple juice. apple pudding. butter a baking dish, put in the batter, and the apples whole, without being cut or pared, and bake in a quick oven. if the apples be pared, they will mix with the batter while in the oven, and make the pudding soft. serve it up with sugar and butter. for a superior pudding, grate a pound of pared apples, work it up with six ounces of butter, four eggs, grated lemon peel, a little sugar and brandy. line the dish with good paste, strew over it bits of candied peel, put in the pudding, and bake it half an hour. a little lemon juice may be added, a spoonful of bread crumbs, or two or three naples biscuits. another way is, to pare and quarter four large apples, boil them tender, with the rind of a lemon, in so little water that it may be exhausted in the boiling. beat the apples fine in a mortar, add the crumb of a small roll, four ounces of melted butter, the yolks of five and the whites of three eggs, the juice of half a lemon, and sugar to taste. beat all together, and lay it in a dish with paste to turn out, after baking. apple puffs. pare the fruit, and either stew them in a stone jar on a hot hearth, or bake them. when cold, mix the pulp of the apple with sugar and lemon peel shred fine, taking as little as possible of the apple juice. bake them in thin paste, in a quick oven: if small, a quarter of an hour will be sufficient. orange or quince marmalade is a great improvement; cinnamon pounded, or orange flower-water, will make an agreeable change. apple sauce. pare, core, and slice some apples; put them in a stone jar, into a saucepan of water, or on a hot hearth. if the latter, put in a spoonful or two of water, to prevent burning. when done, mash them up, put in a piece of butter the size of a nutmeg, and a little brown sugar. serve it in a sauce tureen, for goose and roast pork. apple trifle. scald some apples, pass them through a sieve, and make a layer of the pulp at the bottom of a dish; mix the rind of half a lemon grated, and sweeten with sugar. or mix half a pint of milk, half a pint of cream, and the yolk of an egg. scald it over the fire, and stir it all the time without boiling; lay it over the apple pulp with a spoon, and put on it a whip prepared the day before. apple water. cut two large apples in slices, and pour a quart of boiling water on them, or on roasted apples. strain it well, and sweeten it lightly. when cold, it is an agreeable drink in a fever. apple wine. to every gallon of apple juice, immediately as it comes from the press, add two pounds of lump sugar; boil it as long as any scum rises, then strain it through a sieve, and let it cool. add some yeast, and stir it well; let it work in the tub for two or three weeks, or till the head begins to flatten; then skim off the head, draw off the liquor clear, and tun it. when made a year, rack it off, and fine it with isinglass. to every eight gallons add half a pint of the best rectified spirits of wine, or a pint of brandy. apricots dried. pare thin and halve four pounds of apricots, put them in a dish, and strew among them three pounds of fine loaf-sugar powdered. when the sugar melts, set the fruit over a stove to do very gently; as each piece becomes tender, take it out, and put it into a china bowl. when all are done, and the boiling heat a little abated, pour the syrup over them. in a day or two remove the syrup, leaving only a little in each half. in a day or two more turn them, and so continue daily till quite dry, in the sun or in a warm place. keep the apricots in boxes, with layers of fine paper. apricots preserved. there are various ways of doing this: one is by steeping them in brandy. wipe, weigh, and pick the fruit, and have ready a quarter of the weight of loaf sugar in fine powder. put the fruit into an ice-pot that shuts very close, throw the sugar over it, and then cover the fruit with brandy. between the top and cover of the pot, fit in a piece of thick writing paper. set the pot into a saucepan of water, and heat it without boiling, till the brandy be as hot as you can bear your finger in it. put the fruit into a jar, and pour the brandy on it. when cold, put a bladder over, and tie it down tight.--apricots may also be preserved in jelly. pare the fruit very thin, and stone it; weigh an equal quantity of sugar in fine powder, and strew over it. next day boil very gently till they are clear, remove them into a bowl, and pour in the liquor. the following day, mix it with a quart of codlin liquor, made by boiling and straining, and a pound of fine sugar. let it boil quickly till it comes to a jelly; put the fruit into it, give it one boil, skim it well, and distribute into small pots.--a beautiful preserve may also be made in the following manner. having selected the finest ripe apricots, pare them as thin as possible, and weigh them. lay them in halves on dishes, with the hollow part upwards. prepare an equal weight of loaf sugar finely pounded, and strew it over them; in the mean time break the stones, and blanch the kernels. when the fruit has lain twelve hours, put it into a preserving pan, with the sugar and juice, and also the kernels. let it simmer very gently till it becomes clear; then take out the pieces of apricot singly as they are done, put them into small pots, and pour the syrup and kernels over them. the scum must be taken off as it rises, and the pots covered with brandy paper.--green apricots are preserved in a different way. lay vine or apricot leaves at the bottom of the pan, then fruit and leaves alternately till full, the upper layer being thick with leaves. then fill the pan with spring water, and cover it down, that no steam may escape. set the pan at a distance from the fire, that in four or five hours the fruit may be soft, but not cracked. make a thin syrup of some of the water, and drain the fruit. when both are cold, put the fruit into the pan, and the syrup to it; keep the pan at a proper distance from the fire till the apricots green, but on no account boil or crack them. remove the fruit very carefully into a pan with the syrup for two or three days, then pour off as much of it as will be necessary, boil with more sugar to make a rich syrup, and add a little sliced ginger to it. when cold, and the thin syrup has all been drained from the fruit, pour the thick over it. the former will serve to sweeten pies. apricot cheese. weigh an equal quantity of pared fruit and sugar, wet the latter a very little, and let it boil quickly, or the colour will be spoiled. blanch the kernels and add them to it: twenty or thirty minutes will boil it. put it in small pots or cups half filled. apricot jam. when the fruit is nearly ripe, pare and cut some in halves; break the stones, blanch the kernels, and put them to the fruit. boil the parings in a little water, and strain it: to a pound of fruit add three quarters of a pound of fine sifted sugar, and a glass of the water in which the parings were boiled. stir it over a brisk fire till it becomes rather stiff: when cold, put apple jelly over the jam, and tie it down with brandy paper. apricot pudding. halve twelve large apricots, and scald them till they are soft. meanwhile pour on the grated crumbs of a penny loaf a pint of boiling cream; when half cold, add four ounces of sugar, the yolks of four beaten eggs, and a glass of white wine. pound the apricots in a mortar, with some or all of the kernels; then mix the fruit and other ingredients together, put a paste round a dish, and bake the pudding in half an hour. aromatic vinegar. mix with common vinegar a quantity of powdered chalk or whiting, sufficient to destroy the acidity; and when the white sediment is formed, pour off the insipid liquor. the powder is then to be dried, and some oil of vitriol poured upon it, as long as white acid fumes continue to ascend. this substance forms the essential ingredient, the fumes of which are particularly useful in purifying rooms and places where any contagion is suspected. arrow root. this valuable article has often been counterfeited: the american is the best, and may generally be known by its colour and solidity. if genuine, the arrow root is very nourishing, especially for weak bowels. put into a saucepan half a pint of water, a glass of sherry, or a spoonful of brandy, grated nutmeg, and fine sugar. boil it up once, then mix it by degrees into a dessert-spoonful of arrow root, previously rubbed smooth with two spoonfuls of cold water. return the whole into the saucepan, stir and boil it three minutes. arsenic. the fatal effects of mineral poisons are too often experienced, and for want of timely assistance but seldom counteracted. arsenic and other baleful ingredients, if used for the destruction of vermin, should never be kept with common articles, or laid in the way of children. but if, unfortunately, this deadly poison should by some mistake be taken inwardly, the most effectual remedy will be a table-spoonful of powdered charcoal, mixed with honey, butter, or treacle, and swallowed immediately. two hours afterwards, take an emetic or an opening draught, to cleanse away the whole from the stomach and bowels. the baneful effects of verdigris, from the use of copper boilers and saucepans, may be counteracted by the same means, if resorted to in time, and no remedy is so likely to become effectual. artichokes. soak them in cold water, wash them well, and boil them gently in plenty of water. if young, they will be ready in half an hour; if otherwise, they will not be done in twice that time. the surest way to know when they are boiled enough is to draw out a leaf, and see whether they be tender; but they cannot be properly boiled without much water, which tends also to preserve their colour. trim and drain them on a sieve, serve with melted butter, pepper and salt, and small cups. artichoke bottoms, if dried, must be well soaked, and stewed in weak gravy. or they may be boiled in milk, and served with cream sauce, or added to ragouts, french pies, &c. if intended to keep in the winter, the bottoms must be slowly dried, and put into paper bags. asparagus. having carefully scraped the stalks till they appear white, and thrown them into cold water, tie them up in small bundles with tape, and cut the stalks of an equal length. put them into a stewpan of boiling water a little salted, and take them up as soon as they begin to be tender, or they will lose both their taste and colour. meanwhile make toasts well browned for the bottom of the dish, moisten them in the asparagus liquor, place them regularly, and pour on some melted butter. then lay the asparagus on the toasts round the dish, with the heads united at the centre, but pour no butter over them. serve with melted butter in a sauce tureen, and separate cups, that the company may season with salt and pepper to their taste.--as this vegetable is one of the greatest delicacies which the garden affords, no person should be unacquainted with the means of producing it in constant succession. toward the end of july, the stalks of the asparagus are to be cut down, and the beds forked up and raked smooth. if the weather be dry, they should be watered with the drain of a dunghill, and left rather hollow in the middle to retain the moisture. in about a fortnight the stalks will begin to appear, and the watering should be continued once a week if the weather be dry. asparagus may thus be cut till near the end of september, and then by making five or six hot-beds during the winter, a regular succession may be provided for almost every month in the year. to obviate the objection of cutting the same beds twice a year, two or three others may be left uncut in the spring, and additional beds made for the purpose. the seed is cheap, and in most places the dung may be easily procured. there is no need to continue the old beds when they begin to fail; it is better to make new ones, and to force the old roots by applying some rotten dung on the tops of the beds, and to sow seed every year for new plants. asses' milk, so beneficial in consumptive cases, should be milked into a glass that is kept warm, by being placed in a bason of hot water. the fixed air that it contains sometimes occasions pain in the stomach; at first therefore a tea-spoonful of rum may be taken with it, but should only be put in the moment it is to be swallowed. the genuine milk far surpasses any imitation of it that can be made; but a substitute may be found in the following composition. boil a quart of water with a quart of new milk, an ounce of white sugar-candy, half an ounce of eringo-root, and half an ounce of conserve of roses, till the quantity be half wasted. as this is an astringent, the doses must be proportioned accordingly, and the mixture is wholesome only while it remains sweet.--another way. mix two spoonfuls of boiling water, two of milk, and an egg well beaten. sweeten with white sugar-candy pounded: this may be taken twice or thrice a day. or, boil two ounces of hartshorn-shavings, two ounces of pearl barley, two ounces of candied eringo-root, and one dozen of snails that have been bruised, in two quarts of water till reduced to one. mix with an equal quantity of new milk, when taken, twice a day. asthma. as this complaint generally attacks aged people, the best mode of relief will be to attend carefully to diet and exercise, which should be light and easy, and to avoid as much as possible an exposure to cold and frosty air. the temperature of the apartment should be equalised to moderate summer's heat by flues and stoves, and frequently ventilated. a dish of the best coffee, newly ground and made very strong, and taken frequently without milk or sugar, has been found highly beneficial. an excellent diet drink may be made of toast and water, with the addition of a little vinegar, or a few grains of nitre. tar water is strongly recommended, and also the smoking of the dried leaves of stramonium, commonly called the thorn-apple. astringent bolus, proper to be taken in female complaints, arising from excessive evacuations. fifteen grains of powdered alum, and five grains of gum kino, made into a bolus with a little syrup, and given every four or five hours till the discharge abates. astringent mixture, in case of dysentery, may be made of three ounces of cinnamon water, mixed with as much common water, an ounce and a half of spirituous cinnamon-water, and half an ounce of japonic confection. a spoonful or two of this mixture may be taken every four hours, after the necessary evacuations have been allowed, and where the dysentery has not been of long standing, interposing every second or third day a dose of rhubarb. b. bacon, though intended to be a cheap article of housekeeping, is often, through mismanagement, rendered one of the most expensive. generally twice as much is dressed as need be, and of course there is a deal of waste. when sent to table as an accompaniment to boiled poultry or veal, a pound and a half is plenty for a dozen people. bacon will boil better, and swell more freely, if the rind is taken off before it is dressed; and when excessively salt, it should be soaked an hour or two in warm water. if the bacon be dried, pare off the rusty and smoked part, trim it neatly on the under side, and scrape the rind as clean as possible. or take it up when sufficiently boiled, scrape the under side, and cut off the rind: grate a crust of bread over it, and place it a few minutes before the fire to brown. two pounds will require to be boiled gently about an hour and a half, according to its thickness: the hock or gammon being very thick, will take more. see dried bacon. baking. this mode of preparing a dinner is undoubtedly one of the cheapest and most convenient, especially for a small family; and the oven is almost the only kitchen which the poor man possesses. much however depends on the care and ability of the baker: in the country especially, where the baking of dinners is not always considered as a regular article of business, it is rather a hazardous experiment to send a valuable joint to the oven; and more is often wasted and spoiled by the heedless conduct of the parish cook, than would have paid for the boiling or roasting at home. but supposing the oven to be managed with care and judgment, there are many joints which may be baked to great advantage, and will be found but little inferior to roasting. particularly, legs and loins of pork, legs of mutton, fillets of veal, and other joints, if the meat be fat and good, will be eaten with great satisfaction, when they come from the oven. a sucking pig is also well adapted to the purpose, and is equal to a roasted one, if properly managed. when sent to the baker, it should have its ears and tail covered with buttered paper fastened on, and a bit of butter tied up in a piece of linen to baste the back with, otherwise it will be apt to blister. a goose should be prepared the same as for roasting, placing it on a stand, and taking care to turn it when it is half done. a duck the same. if a buttock of beef is to be baked, it should be well washed, after it has been in salt about a week, and put into a brown earthen pan with a pint of water. cover the pan tight over with two or three thicknesses of writing paper, and give it four or five hours in a moderate oven. brown paper should never be used with baked dishes; the pitch and tar which it contains will give the meat a smoky bad taste. previously to baking a ham, soak it in water an hour, take it out and wipe it, and make a crust sufficient to cover it all over; and if done in a moderate oven, it will cut fuller of gravy, and be of a finer flavour, than a boiled one. small cod-fish, haddock, and mackarel will bake well, with a dust of flour and some bits of butter put on them. large eels should be stuffed. herrings and sprats are to be baked in a brown pan, with vinegar and a little spice, and tied over with paper. these and various other articles may be baked so as to give full satisfaction, if the oven be under judicious management. baked carp. clean a large carp, put in a portuguese stuffing, and sow it up. brush it all over with the yolk of an egg, throw on plenty of crumbs, and drop on oiled butter to baste with. place the carp in a deep earthen dish, with a pint of stock, a few sliced onions, some bay leaves, a bunch of herbs, such as basil, thyme, parsley, and both sorts of marjoram; half a pint of port wine, and six anchovies. cover over the pan, and bake it an hour. let it be done before it is wanted. pour the liquor from it, and keep the fish hot while you heat up the liquor with a good piece of butter rolled in flour, a tea-spoonful of mustard, a little cayenne, and a spoonful of soy. serve it on the dish, garnished with lemon and parsley, and horse-radish, and put the gravy into the sauce tureen. baked custard. boil a pint of cream and half a pint of milk with a little mace, cinnamon and lemon peel. when cold, mix the yolks of three eggs, and sweeten the custard. make the cups or paste nearly full, and bake them ten minutes. baked herrings. wash and drain, without wiping them; and when drawn, they should not be opened. season with allspice in fine powder, salt, and a few whole cloves. lay them in a pan with plenty of black pepper, an onion, and a few bay leaves. add half vinegar and half small beer, enough to cover them. put paper over the pan, and bake in a slow oven. if it be wished to make them look red, throw a little saltpetre over them the night before. baked milk. a very useful article may be made for weakly and consumptive persons in the following manner. put a gallon of milk into a jar, tie white paper over it, and let it stand all night in the oven when baking is over. next morning it will be as thick as cream, and may be drank two or three times a day. baked pears. those least fit to eat raw, are often the best for baking. do not pare them, but wipe and lay them on tin plates, and bake them in a slow oven. when done enough to bear it, flatten them with a silver spoon; and when done through, put them on a dish. they should be baked three or four times, and very gently. baked pike. scale and open it as near the throat as possible, and then put in the following stuffing. grated bread, herbs, anchovies, oysters, suet, salt, pepper, mace, half a pint of cream, four yolks of eggs; mix all over the fire till it thickens, and then sow it up in the fish. little bits of butter should be scattered over it, before it is sent to the oven. serve it with gravy sauce, butter and anchovy. in carving a pike, if the back and belly be slit up, and each slice drawn gently downwards, fewer bones will be given at table. baked soup. a cheap and plentiful dish for poor families, or to give away, may be made of a pound of any kind of meat cut in slices, with two onions, two carrots sliced, two ounces of rice, a pint of split peas, or whole ones if previously soaked, seasoned with pepper and salt. put the whole into an earthen jug or pan, adding a gallon of water: cover it very close, and bake it. balm wine. boil three pounds of lump sugar in a gallon of water; skim it clean, put in a handful of balm, and boil it ten minutes. strain it off, cool it, put in some yeast, and let it stand two days. add the rind and juice of a lemon, and let it stand in the cask six months. balsamic vinegar. one of the best remedies for wounds or bruises is the balsamic or anti-putrid vinegar, which is made in the following manner. take a handful of sage leaves and flowers, the same of lavender, hyssop, thyme, and savory; two heads of garlic, and a handful of salt. these are to be infused in some of the best white-wine vinegar; and after standing a fortnight or three weeks, it will be fit for use. banbury cakes. work a pound of butter into a pound of white-bread dough, the same as for puff paste; roll it out very thin, and cut it into bits of an even form, the size intended for the cakes. moisten some powder sugar with a little brandy, mix in some clean currants, put a little of it on each bit of paste, close them up, and bake them on a tin. when they are taken out, sift some fine sugar over them. barberries, when preserved for tarts, must be picked clean from the stalks, choosing such as are free from stones. to every pound of fruit, weigh three quarters of a pound of lump sugar; put the fruit into a stone jar, and either set it on a hot hearth, or in a saucepan of water, and let them simmer very slowly till soft. then put them and the sugar into a preserving-pan, and boil them gently fifteen minutes.--to preserve barberries in bunches, prepare some fleaks of white wool, three inches long, and a quarter of an inch wide. tie the stalks of the fruit on the stick, from within an inch of one end to beyond the other, so as to make them look handsome. simmer them in some syrup two successive days, covering them each time with it when cold. when they look clear, they are simmered enough. the third day, they should be treated like other candied fruit. see candied. barberry drops. cut off the black tops, and roast the fruit before the fire, till it is soft enough to pulp with a silver spoon through a sieve into a china bason. then set the bason in a saucepan of water, the top of which will just fit it, or on a hot hearth, and stir it till it grows thick. when cold, put to every pint a pound and a half of double refined sugar, pounded and sifted through a lawn sieve, which must be covered with a fine linen, to prevent waste while sifting. beat the sugar and juice together three hours and a half if a large quantity, but two and a half for less. then drop it on sheets of white thick paper, the size of drops sold in the shops. some fruit is not so sour, and then less sugar is necessary. to know when there is enough, mix till well incorporated, and then drop. if it run, there is not enough sugar; and if there be too much, it will be rough. a dry room will suffice to dry them. no metal must touch the juice but the point of a knife, just to take the drop off the end of the wooden spoon, and then as little as possible. barley broth. wash three quarters of a pound of scotch barley in a little cold water, put it in a soup pot with a shin or leg of beef, or a knuckle of veal of about ten pounds weight, sawn into four pieces. cover it with cold water, and set it on the fire; when it boils skim it very clean, and put in two onions. set it by the side of the fire to simmer very gently about two hours; then skim off all the fat, put in two heads of celery, and a large turnip cut into small squares. season it with salt, let it boil an hour and a half longer, and it is done. take out the meat carefully with a slice, cover it up and keep it warm by the fire, and skim the broth well before it is put into the tureen. this dish is much admired in scotland, where it is regarded, not only as highly nutricious, but as a necessary article of domestic economy: for besides the excellent soup thus obtained, the meat also becomes an agreeable dish, served up with sauce in the following manner. reserve a quart of the soup, put about an ounce of flour into a stewpan, pour the liquor to it by degrees, stirring it well together till it boils. add a glass of port wine or mushroom ketchup, and let it gently boil up; strain the sauce through a sieve over the meat, and add to it some capers, minced gherkins, or walnuts. the flavour may be varied or improved, by the addition of a little curry powder, ragout, or any other store sauces. barley gruel. wash four ounces of pearl barley, boil it in two quarts of water and a stick of cinnamon, till reduced to a quart. strain and return it into the saucepan with some sugar, and three quarters of a pint of port wine. it may be warmed up, and used as wanted. barley sugar. this well known article of confectionary is made in the following manner. put some common or clarified syrup into a saucepan with a spout, such as for melting butter, if little is wanted to be made, and boil it till it comes to what is called carimel, carefully taking off whatever scum may arise; and having prepared a marble stone, either with butter or sweet oil, just sufficiently to prevent sticking, pour the syrup gently along the marble, in long sticks of whatever thickness may be desired. while hot, twist it at each end; and let it remain till cold, when it will be fit for immediate use. the rasped rind of lemon, boiled up in the syrup, gives a very agreeable flavour to barley sugar; and indeed the best is commonly so prepared. barley water. wash a handful of common barley, then simmer it gently in three pints of water, with a bit of lemon peel. or boil an ounce of pearl barley a few minutes to cleanse it, and then put on it a quart of water. simmer it an hour: when half done, put into it a piece of fresh lemon peel, and one bit of sugar. if likely to be thick, add a quarter of a pint of water, and a little lemon juice, if approved. this makes a very pleasant drink for a sick person; but the former is less apt to nauseate. basil vinegar. sweet basil is in full perfection about the middle of august, when the fresh green leaves should be gathered, and put into a wide-mouthed bottle. cover the leaves with vinegar, and let them steep for ten days. if it be wished to have the infusion very strong, strain out the liquor, put in some fresh leaves, and let them steep for ten days more. this is a very agreeable addition to sauces and soups, and to the mixture usually made for salads. basilicon. yellow basilicon is made of equal quantities of bees-wax, white rosin, and frankincense. melt them together over a slow fire, add the same weight of fresh lard, and strain it off while it is warm. this ointment is used for cleansing and healing wounds and ulcers. basket salt. this fine and delicate article is chiefly made from the salt springs in cheshire, and differs from the common brine salt, usually called sea salt, not only in its whiteness and purity, but in the fineness of its grain. some families entertain prejudices against basket salt, notwithstanding its superior delicacy, from an idea, which does not appear warranted, that pernicious articles are used in its preparation; it may therefore be proper to mention, that by dissolving common salt, again evaporating into dryness, and then reducing it to powder in a mortar, a salt nearly equal to basket salt may be obtained, fine and of a good colour, and well adapted to the use of the table. bath buns. rub half a pound of butter into a pound of fine flour, with five eggs, and three spoonfuls of thick yeast. set it before the fire to rise; then add a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, and an ounce of carraway seeds. mix them well in, roll it out in little cakes, strew on carraway comfits, and bake on tins. batter pudding. rub by degrees three spoonfuls of fine flour extremely smooth, into a pint of milk. simmer till it thickens, stir it in two ounces of butter, set it to cool, and then add the yolks of three eggs. flour a wet cloth, or butter a bason, and put the batter into it. tie it tight, and plunge it into boiling water, the bottom upwards. boil it an hour and a half, and serve with plain butter. if a little ginger, nutmeg, and lemon peel be added, serve with sweet sauce. bean bread. blanch half a pound of almonds, and put them into water to preserve their colour. cut the almonds edgeways, wipe them dry, and sprinkle over them half a pound of fine loaf sugar pounded and sifted. beat up the white of an egg with two spoonfuls of orange-flower water, moisten the almonds with the froth, lay them lightly on wafer paper, and bake them on tins. bean pudding. boil and blanch some old green-beans, beat them in a mortar, with very little pepper and salt, some cream, and the yolk of an egg. a little spinach-juice will give a finer colour, but it is as good without. boil it an hour, in a bason that will just hold it; pour parsley and butter over, and serve it up with bacon. bee hives. common bee hives made of straw are generally preferred, because they are not likely to be overheated by the rays of the sun; they will also keep out the cold better than wood, and are cheaper than any other material. as cleanliness however is of great consequence in the culture of these delicate and industrious insects, the bottom or floor of the hive should be covered with gypsum or plaster of paris, of which they are very fond; and the outside of their habitation should be overspread with a cement made of two-thirds of cow-dung, and one-third of ashes. this coating will exclude noxious insects, which would otherwise perforate and lodge in the straw; it will also secure the bees from cold and wet, while it exhales an odour which to them is very grateful. the inner part of the hive should be furnished with two thin pieces of oak, or peeled branches of lime tree, placed across each other at right angles, which will greatly facilitate the construction of the combs, and support them when filled with honey. a good bee-hive ought to be so planned as to be capable of enlargement or contraction, according to the number of the swarm; to admit of being opened without disturbing the bees, either for the purpose of cleaning it, of freeing it from noxious insects, or for the admission of a stock of provision for the winter. it should also admit of the produce being removed without injury to the bees, and be internally clean, smooth, and free from flaws. a hive of this description may easily be made of three or four open square boxes, fastened to each other with buttons or wooden pegs, and the joints closed with cement. the whole may be covered with a moveable roof, projecting over the boxes to carry off the rain, and kept firm on the top by a stone being laid upon it. if the swarm be not very numerous, two or three boxes will be sufficient. they should be made of wood an inch thick, that the bees and wax may be less affected by the changes of the atmosphere. this hive is so easily constructed, that it is only necessary to join four boards together in the simplest manner; and a little cement will cover all defects. within the upper part of the boxes, two bars should be fixed across from one corner to another, to support the combs. at the lower end of each box in front, there must be an aperture, or door, about an inch and an half wide, and as high as is necessary for the bees to pass without obstruction. the lowest is to be left open as a passage for the bees, and the others are to be closed by a piece of wood fitted to the aperture. a hive thus constructed may be enlarged or diminished, according to the number of boxes; and a communication with the internal part can readily be effected by removing the cover. bee house. an apiary or bee house should front the south, in a situation between the extremes of heat and cold. it should stand in a valley, that the bees may with greater ease descend loaded on their return to the hive; and near a dwelling-house, but at a distance from noise and offensive smells; surrounded with a low wall, and in the vicinity of shallow water. if there be no running stream at hand, they ought to be supplied with water in troughs or pans, with small stones laid at the bottom, that the bees may alight upon them and drink. they cannot produce either combs, honey, or food for their maggots, without water; but the neighbourhood of rivers or ponds with high banks ought to be avoided, or the bees will be blown into the water with high winds, and be drowned. care should also be taken to place the hives in a neighbourhood which abounds with such plants as will supply the bees with food; such as the oak, the pine, the willow, fruit trees, furze, broom, mustard, clover, heath, and thyme, particularly borage, which produces an abundance of farina. the garden in which the bee house stands, should be well furnished with scented plants and flowers, and branchy shrubs, that it may be easy to hive the swarms which may settle on them. see bees, hiving, &c. beef. in every sort of provisions, the best of the kind goes the farthest; it cuts out with most advantage, and affords most nourishment. the best way to obtain a good article is to deal with shops of established credit. you may perhaps pay a little more than by purchasing of those who pretend to sell cheap, but you will be more than in proportion better served. to prevent imposition more effectually, however, it is necessary to form our own judgment of the quality and value of the articles to be purchased. if the flesh of ox-beef is young, it will show a fine smooth open grain, be of a good red, and feel tender. the fat should look white rather than yellow, for when that is of a deep colour, the meat is seldom good. beef fed with oil cakes is generally so, and the flesh is loose and flabby. the grain of cow-beef is closer, and the fat whiter, than that of ox-beef; but the lean is not so bright a red. the grain of bull-beef is closer still, the fat hard and skinny, the lean of a deep red, and a stronger scent. ox-beef is the reverse; it is also the richest and the largest; but in small families, and to some tastes, heifer-beef as better still, if finely fed. in old meat there is a horny streak in the ribs of beef: the harder that is, the older: and the flesh is not finely flavoured. beef bouilli. a term given to boiled beef, which, according to the french fashion, is simmered over a slow fire, for the purpose of extracting a rich soup, while at the same time the meat makes its appearance at table, in possession of a full portion of nutricious succulence. this requires nothing more than to stew the meat very slowly, instead of keeping the pot quickly boiling, and taking up the beef as soon as it is done enough. meat cooked in this manner, affords much more nourishment than when dressed in the common way, and is easy of digestion in proportion to its tenderness. the leg or shin, or the middle of a brisket of beef, weighing seven or eight pounds, is best adapted for this purpose. put it into a soup pot or deep stewpan with cold water enough to cover it, and a quart over. set it on a quick fire to get the scum up, which remove as it rises; then put in two carrots, two turnips, two leeks, or two large onions, two heads of celery, two or three cloves, and a faggot of parsley and sweet herbs. set the pot by the side of the fire to simmer very gently, till the meat is just tender enough to eat: this will require four or five hours. when the beef is done, take it up carefully with a slice, cover it up, and keep it warm by the fire. thicken a pint and a half of the beef liquor with three table spoonfuls of flour, season it with pepper, a glass of port wine or mushroom ketchup, or both, and pour it over the beef. strain the soup through a hair sieve into a clean stewpan, take off the fat, cut the vegetables into small squares, and add them to the soup, the flavour of which may be heightened, by adding a table-spoonful of ketchup. beef broth. if intended for sick persons, it is better to add other kinds of meat, which render it more nourishing and better flavoured. take then two pounds of lean beef, one pound of scrag of veal, one pound of scrag of mutton, some sweet herbs, and ten pepper corns, and put the whole into a nice tin saucepan, with five quarts of water. simmer it to three quarts, clear it from the fat when cold, and add an onion if approved. if there be still any fat remaining, lay a piece of clean blotting or writing paper on the broth when in the bason, and it will take up every particle of the fat. beef cakes, chiefly intended for a side-dish of dressed meat. pound some beef that is under done, with a little fat bacon or ham. season with pepper, salt, a little shalot or garlick; mix them well, and make the whole into small cakes three inches long, and half as wide and thick. fry them to a light brown, and serve them in good thick gravy. beef cecils. mince some beef with crumbs of bread, a quantity of onions, some anchovies, lemon peel, salt, nutmeg, chopped parsley, pepper, and a bit of warmed butter. mix these over the fire a few minutes: when cool enough, make them into balls of the size and shape of a turkey's egg, with an egg. sprinkle them with fine crumbs, fry them of a yellow brown, and serve with gravy, as for beef olives. beef collops. cut thin slices of beef from the rump, or any other tender part, and divide them into pieces three inches long: beat them with the blade of a knife, and flour them. fry the collops quick in butter two minutes; then lay them into a small stewpan, and cover them with a pint of gravy. add a bit of butter rubbed in flour, pepper and salt, a little bit of shalot shred very fine, with half a walnut, four small pickled cucumbers, and a tea-spoonful of capers cut small. be careful that the stew does not boil, and serve in a hot covered dish. beef fricassee. cut some thin slices of cold roast beef, shred a handful of parsley very small, cut an onion into quarters, and put them all together into a stewpan, with a piece of butter, and some strong broth. season with salt and pepper, and simmer very gently for a quarter of an hour. mix into it the yolks of two eggs, a glass of port wine, and a spoonful of vinegar: stir it quick, rub the dish with shalot, and turn the fricassee into it. beef gravy. cover the bottom of a stewpan, clean and well-tinned, with a slice of good ham or lean bacon, four or five pounds of gravy beef cut in pieces, an onion, a carrot, two cloves, and a head of celery. add a pint of broth or water, cover it close, and simmer it till the liquor is nearly all exhausted. turn it about, and let it brown slightly and equally all over, but do not suffer it to burn or stick to the pan, for that would spoil the gravy. then put in three quarts of boiling water; and when it boils up, skim it carefully, and wipe off with a clean cloth what sticks round the edge and inside of the stewpan, that the gravy may be delicately clean and clear. let it stew gently by the side of the fire for about four hours, till reduced to two quarts of good gravy. take care to skim it well, strain it through silk or muslin, and set it in a cold place. beef hams. cut the leg of beef like a ham; and for fourteen pounds weight, mix a pound of salt, a pound of brown sugar, an ounce of saltpetre, and an ounce of bay salt. put it into the meat, turn and baste it every day, and let it lie a month in the pickle. then take it out, roll it in bran, and smoke it. afterwards hang it in a dry place, and cut off pieces to boil, or broil it with poached eggs. beef hash. cut some thin slices of beef that is underdone, with some of the fat; put it into a small stewpan, with a little onion or shalot, a little water, pepper and salt. add some of the gravy, a spoonful of vinegar, and of walnut ketchup: if shalot vinegar be used, there will be no need of the onion nor the raw shalot. the hash is only to be simmered till it is hot through, but not boiled: it is owing to the boiling of hashes and stews that they get hard. when the hash is well warmed up, pour it upon sippets of bread previously prepared, and laid in a warm dish. beef heart. wash it carefully, stuff it as a hare, and serve with rich gravy and currant-jelly sauce. hash it with the same, and add a little port wine. beef olives. take some cold beef that has not been done enough, and cut slices half an inch thick, and four inches square. lay on them a forcemeat of crumbs of bread, shalot, a little suet or fat, pepper and salt. roll and fasten them with a small skewer, put them into a stewpan with some gravy made of the beef bones, or the gravy of the meat, and a spoonful or two of water, and stew them till tender. beef olives may also be made of fresh meat. beef palates. simmer them in water several hours, till they will peel. then cut the palates into slices, or leave them whole, and stew them in a rich gravy till they become as tender as possible. season with cayenne, salt and ketchup: if the gravy was drawn clear, add also some butter and flour. if the palates are to be dressed white, boil them in milk, and stew them in a fricassee sauce; adding cream, butter, flour, mushroom powder, and a little pounded mace. beef pasty. bone a small rump or part of a sirloin of beef, after hanging several days. beat it well with a rolling pin; then rub ten pounds of meat with four ounces of sugar, and pour over it a glass of port, and the same of vinegar. let it lie five days and nights; wash and wipe the meat very dry, and season it high with pepper and salt, nutmeg and jamaica pepper. lay it in a dish, and to ten pounds add nearly one pound of butter, spreading it over the meat. put a crust round the edges, and cover with a thick one, or it will be overdone before the meat is soaked: it must be baked in a slow oven. set the bones in a pan in the oven, with no more water than will cover them, and one glass of port, a little pepper and salt, in order to provide a little rich gravy to add to the pasty when drawn. it will be found that sugar gives more shortness and a better flavour to meat than salt, too great a quantity of which hardens; and sugar is quite as good a preservative. beef patties. shred some dressed beef under done, with a little fat; season with salt and pepper, and a little shalot or onion. make a plain paste, roll it thin, and cut it in shape like an apple puff. fill it with mince, pinch the edges, and fry them of a nice brown. the paste should be made with a small quantity of butter, egg and milk. beef pie. season some cuttings of beef with pepper and salt, put some puff paste round the inside of the dish, and lay in the meat. add some small potatoes, if approved, fill up the dish with water, and cover it with the paste. beef pudding. roll some fine steaks with fat between, and a very little shred onion. lay a paste of suet in a bason, put in the rolled steaks, cover the bason with a paste, and pinch the edges to keep in the gravy. cover with a cloth tied close, and let the pudding boil slowly a considerable time.--if for baking, make a batter of milk, two eggs and flour, or, which is much better, potatoes boiled, and mashed through a cullender. lay a little of it at the bottom of the dish, then put in the steaks prepared as above, and very well seasoned. pour the remainder of the batter over them, and bake it. beef sanders. mince some beef small, with onion, pepper and salt, and add a little gravy. put it into scallop shells or saucers, making them three parts full, and fill them up with potatoes, mashed with a little cream. put a bit of butter on the top, and brown them in an oven, or before the fire, or with a salamander. mutton may be made into sanders in the same way. beef scallops. mince some beef fine, with onion, pepper and salt, and add a little gravy. put the mince into scallop shells or saucers three parts full, and fill them up with potatoes, mashed with a little cream. lay a bit of butter on the tops, and brown them in an oven, or before the fire. beef steaks. to have them fine, they should be cut from a rump that has hung a few days. broil them over a very clear or charcoal fire; put into the dish a little minced shalot, a table-spoonful of ketchup. the steak should be turned often, that the gravy may not be drawn out on either side. this dish requires to be eaten so hot and fresh done, that it is not in perfection if served with any thing else. pepper and salt should be added when taking it off the fire, and a bit of butter rubbed on at the moment of serving. if accompanied with oyster sauce, strain off the liquor from the oysters, and throw them into cold water to take off the grit, while you simmer the liquor with a bit of mace and lemon peel. then put in the oysters, stew them a few minutes, add a little cream, and some butter rubbed in a bit of flour. let them boil up once, and throw the sauce over the steaks at the moment of sending the dish to table. beef stew. cut into small pieces four or five pounds of beef, with some hard fat. put these into a stewpan, with three pints of water, a little salt and pepper, a sprig of sweet herbs, and three cloves. cover the pan very close, and let it stew four hours over a slow fire. throw in some carrots and turnips, cut into square pieces; the white part of a leek, with two heads of celery chopped fine; a crust of bread, and two spoonfuls of vinegar. when done, put it into a deep dish, set it over hot water, and cover it close. skim the gravy, and put in a few pickled mushrooms; thicken it with flour and butter, make it hot, and pour it over the beef. beef tea. cut a pound of fleshy beef into thin slices; simmer it with a quart of water twenty minutes, after it has once boiled, and been skimmed. season it, if approved; but a little salt only is sufficient. beef vingrette. cut a slice of under-done boiled beef three inches thick, and a little fat. stew it in half a pint of water, a glass of white wine, a bunch of sweet herbs, an onion, and a bay leaf. season it with three cloves pounded, and pepper, till the liquor is nearly wasted away, turning it once. serve it up cold. strain off the gravy, and mix it with a little vinegar for sauce. beer. during the present ruinous system of taxation, it is extremely difficult, though highly desirable, to procure a cheap and wholesome beverage, especially for the labouring part of the community, to whom it is as needful as their daily food. beer that is brewed and drunk at home, is more pure and nutricious than what is generally purchased at an alehouse; and those who cannot afford a better article, may perhaps find it convenient to adopt the following method for obtaining some cheap drink for small families.--to half a bushel of malt, add four pounds of treacle, and three quarters of a pound of hops. this will make twenty-five gallons of wholesome beer, which will be fit for use in a fortnight; but it is not calculated for keeping, especially in warm weather. beer brewed in this way will not cost one halfpenny a pint. an agreeable table beer may be made ready for drinking in three or four days, consisting of treacle and water, fermented with a little yeast. boil six or seven gallons of water, pour it on the same quantity of cold water in a cask, and a gallon of treacle. stir them well together; and when the fermentation is abated, close the bung-hole in the usual way. a little of the outer rind of an orange peel infused into the beer, and taken out as soon as it has imparted a sufficient degree of bitterness, will give it an agreeable flavour, and assist in keeping the beer from turning sour. a little gentian root boiled in the water, either with or without the orange peel, will give a wholesome and pleasant bitter to this beer. a small quantity, by way of experiment, may be made thus. to eight quarts of boiling water, put one ounce of treacle, a quarter of an ounce of ginger, and two bay leaves. let the whole boil a quarter of an hour; then cool and work it with yeast, the same as other beer. another way to make a cheap malt liquor is to take a bushel of malt, with as much water and hops as if two bushels of malt were allowed in the common way, and put seven pounds of the coarsest brown sugar into the boiling wort. this makes a very pleasant liquor; is as strong, and will keep as long without turning sour or flat, as if two bushels had been employed. twenty gallons of good beer may be made from a bushel of malt, and three quarters of a pound of hops, if care be taken to extract all their goodness. for this purpose boil twenty-four gallons of water, and steep the malt in it for three hours: then tie up the hops in a hair cloth, and boil malt, hops, and wort, all together for three quarters of an hour, which will reduce it to about twenty gallons. strain it off, and set it to work when lukewarm. see brewing.--as however it does not suit some persons to brew, in any way whatever, it may be necessary to add a few brief remarks on the distinguishing qualities of sound beer, that persons may know what it is they purchase, and how far their health may be affected by it. wholesome beer then ought to be of a bright colour, and perfectly transparent, neither too high nor too pale. it should have a pleasant and mellow taste, sharp and agreeably bitter, without being hard or sour. it should leave no pungent sensation on the tongue; and if drank in any tolerable quantity, it must neither produce speedy intoxication, nor any of the usual effects of sleep, nausea, headache, or languor; nor should it be retained too long after drinking it, or be too quickly discharged. if beer purchased at the alehouse be suspected of having been adulterated with the infusion of vitriol, for the purpose of adding to its strength, it may be detected by putting in a few nut galls, which will immediately turn it black, if it have been so adulterated; and the beer ought by all means to be rejected, as highly injurious to the constitution, and may be fatal even to life itself. bees. a hive of bees may be considered as a populous city, containing thirty thousand inhabitants. this community is in itself a monarchy, composed of a queen, of males which are the drones, and of working bees called neuters. the combs being composed of pure wax, serve as a magazine for their stores, and a nursery for their young. between the combs there is a space sufficient for two bees to march abreast, and there are also transverse defiles by which they can more easily pass from one comb to another.--the queen bee is distinguishable from the rest by the form of her body. she is much longer, unwieldy, and of a brighter colour, and seldom leaves the parent hive; but when she goes to settle a new colony, all the bees attend her to the place of destination. a hive of bees cannot subsist without a queen, as she produces their numerous progeny; and hence their attachment to her is unalterable. when a queen dies, the bees immediately cease working, consume their honey, fly about at unusual times, and eventually pine away, if not supplied with another sovereign. the death of the queen is proclaimed by a clear and uninterrupted humming, which should be a warning to the owner to provide the bees if possible with another queen, whose presence will restore vigour and exertion; of such importance is a sovereign to the existence and prosperity of this community. it is computed that a pregnant queen bee contains about five thousand eggs, and that she produces from ten to twelve thousand bees in the space of two months.--drones are smaller than the queen, but larger than the working bees, and when on the wing they make a greater noise. their office is to impregnate the eggs of the queen after they are deposited in the cells; but when this is effected, as they become useless to the hive, they are destroyed by the working bees and thrown out; and having no sting, they are without the power of resistance. after the season of the encrease of the bees is past, and when they attend to the collection of winter stores, every vestige of the drones is destroyed to make room for the honey. when drones are observed in a hive late in autumn, it is usually a sign that the stock is poor.--working bees compose the most numerous body of the state. they have the care of the hive, collect the wax and honey, fabricate the wax into combs, feed the young, keep the hive clean, expel all strangers, and employ themselves in promoting the general prosperity. the working bee has two stomachs, one to contain the honey, and another for the crude wax. among the different kinds of working bees, those are to be preferred which are small, smooth, and shining, and of a gentle disposition.--considering the rich productions of these little insects, and the valuable purposes to which they may be applied, it is truly astonishing that so important an object in rural economy has been so little attended to by the inhabitants of this country. in egypt, the cultivation of bees forms a leading object, and their productions constitute a part of its riches. about the end of october, when sustenance cannot be provided for them at home, the inhabitants of lower egypt embark their bees on the nile, and convey them to the distant regions of upper egypt, when the inundation is withdrawn, and the flowers are beginning to bud. these insects are thus conducted through the whole extent of that fertile country; and after having gathered all the rich produce of the banks of the nile, are re-conducted home about the beginning of february. in france also, floating bee-hives are very common. one barge contains from sixty to a hundred hives, which are well defended from the inclemency of the weather. thus the owners float them gently down the stream, while they gather the honey from the flowers along its banks, and a little bee-house yields the proprietors a considerable income. at other times they convey bees by land, to places where honey and wax may be collected. the hives are fastened to each other by laths placed on a thin packcloth, which is drawn up on each side and tied with packthread several times round their tops. forty or fifty hives are then laid in a cart, and the owner takes them to distant places where the bees may feed and work. but without this labour the industrious bee might be cultivated to great advantage, and thousands of pounds weight of wax and honey collected, which now are suffered to be wasted on the desert air, or perish unheeded amidst the flowers of the field.--those whose attention may be directed to the subject by these remarks, and who intend to erect an apiary, should purchase the stocks towards the close of the year, when bees are cheapest; and such only as are full of combs, and well furnished with bees. to ascertain the age of the hives it should be remarked, that the combs of the last year are white, while those of the former year acquire a darkish yellow. where the combs are black, the hive should be rejected as too old, and liable to the inroads of vermin. in order to obtain the greatest possible advantage from the cultivation of bees, it is necessary to supply them with every convenience for the support of themselves and their young. and though it may be too much trouble to transport them to distant places, in order to provide them with the richest food, and to increase their abundant stores; yet in some instances this plan might in part be adopted with considerable success. it has been seen in germany, as well as in other parts of the continent, that forty large bee hives have been filled with honey, to the amount of seventy pounds each, in one fortnight, by their being placed near a large field of buck wheat in flower; and as this and various other plants adapted to enrich the hive are to be found in many parts of england, there is no reason why a similar advantage might not be derived from such an experiment.--besides providing for them the richest food in summer, in order to facilitate their labours, it is equally necessary to attend to their preservation in the winter. to guard against the effects of cold, the bees should be examined during the winter; and if instead of being clustered between the combs, they are found in numbers at the bottom of the hive, they should be carried to a warmer place, where they will soon recover. in very severe seasons, lay on the bottom of an old cask the depth of half a foot of fine earth pressed down hard; place the stool on this with the hive, and cut a hole in the cask opposite to the entrance of the hive, in which fix a piece of reed or hollow elder, and then cover the whole with dry earth. this will preserve a communication with the external air, and at the same time keep out the cold. the bees remaining in a torpid state during the winter, they require but little food; but as every sunny day revives and prompts them to exercise, a small supply is necessary on these occasions. many hives of bees which are supposed to have died of cold, have in reality perished by famine, especially when a rainy summer prevented them from collecting a sufficient store of provision. hence the hives should be carefully examined in autumn, and ought then to weigh at least eighteen pounds each. when bees require to be fed, the honey should be diluted with water, and put into an empty comb, split reeds, or upon clear wood, which the bees will suck perfectly dry. but it is a much better way to replenish the weak hives in september, with such a portion of combs filled with honey taken from other hives as may be deemed a sufficient supply. this is done by turning up the weak hive, cutting out the empty combs, and placing full ones in their stead, so secure as not to fall down when the hive is replaced. if this be too troublesome, a plate of honey may be set under the hive, and straws laid across the plate, covered with paper perforated with small holes, through which the bees will suck the honey without difficulty.--these valuable insects are liable to various disorders, both from the food they eat, from foreign enemies, and from one another. if they have fed greedily on the blossoms of the milk thistle or the elm, it will render them incapable of working, and the hive will be stained with filth. the best cure in this case is pounded pomegranate seed, moistened with sweet wine; or raisins mixed with wine or mead, and the infusion of rosemary. when they are infested with vermin, the hive must be cleansed, and perfumed with a branch of pomegranate or the wild fig-tree, which will effectually destroy them. butterflies sometimes conceal themselves in the hives, and annoy the bees; but these intruders may easily be exterminated by placing lighted candles in deep tin pots between the hives, as they will be attracted by the flame, and so perish. in order to extirpate wasps and hornets preying upon the honey, it is only necessary to expose shallow vessels near the hive with a little water, to which those depredators eagerly repair to quench their thirst, and thus easily drown themselves. to prevent bees of one society from attacking or destroying those of another, which is frequently the case, the following method may be tried. let a board about an inch thick be laid on the bee bench, and set the hive upon it with its mouth exactly on the edge. the mouth of the hive should also be contracted to about an inch in length, and a semicircular hole made in the board immediately under the mouth of the hive. by this simple method, the bees which come to make the attack will be foiled, and constrained to act with great disadvantage. if this do not succeed, remove the hive to a distant part of the garden, and to a more easterly or colder aspect, which will frequently end the contest.--when bees are to be taken up for the purpose of obtaining the wax and honey, great care should be taken not to destroy the insects; and for this end the following method is recommended. the upper box on the hive, which principally contains the honey, is first to be taken off. the joint should be loosened, the cement scraped off, and then a piece of iron wire to be drawn through the comb so as to divide it. when the upper box is thus separated, its cover is to be taken off and immediately placed on the second box, which is now the highest. having taken out the contents of the box which has been separated, it is to be placed again on the stand, under the lower box, and its door only is to be left open. if any bees remain in the box when taken away, a little smoke will drive them out, and they will quickly return to their own hive. in this manner a second or a third box of honey may be removed in succession, when the lower part of the hive appears to be full; but care must be taken not to deprive the bees entirely of the stock which they have collected for the winter. in taking up a common straw hive of bees, the best way is to remove it into a darkened room, that it may appear to the bees as if it were late in the evening. then gently turning the hive bottom upwards, and supporting it in that position, cover it with an empty hive a little raised towards the window, to give the bees sufficient light to guide their ascent. keep the empty hive steadily supported on the edge of the full hive, and strike the hand round the full hive to frighten the bees, till they have nearly all ascended into the other. the new hive containing the bees must be placed on the stand of the apiary, to receive the absent bees as they return from the fields. beet root. this cooling and wholesome vegetable is good boiled, and sliced with a small quantity of onion, or stewed with whole onions in the following manner. boil the beet tender with the skin on, slice it into a stewpan with a little broth and a spoonful of vinegar. simmer it till the gravy is tinged with the colour; then put it into a small dish, and make a round of button onions, first boiled tender. take off the skin just before serving, and let them be quite hot and clear. or roast three large onions, and peel off the outer skins till they look clear; and serve round them the stewed beet root. the root must not be broken before it is dressed, or it will lose its colour, and look ill.--to preserve beet-root for winter use, they should not be cleared from the earth, but kept in layers of dry sand. beetles. when these insects become troublesome in the house, put some small lumps of quick lime into the chinks or holes of the wall from whence they issue, or scatter it on the ground. or at night, lay a spoonful of treacle on a piece of wood, and float it in a pan of water: beetles are so fond of syrup, that they will be drowned in attempting to get at it. the common black beetle may also be extirpated by placing a hedgehog in the room, during the summer nights; or by laying a bundle of pea straw near their holes, and afterwards burning it when the beetles have crept into it. benton cakes. mix a paste of flour, a little bit of butter, and milk. roll it as thin as possible, and bake on a backstone over the fire, or on a hot hearth. another sort of benton tea-cakes are made like biscuits, by rubbing into a pound of flour six ounces of butter, and three large spoonfuls of yeast. work up the paste with a sufficient quantity of new milk, make it into biscuits, and prick them with a clean fork. or melt six or seven ounces of butter, with a sufficient quantity of new milk warmed to make seven pounds of flour into a stiff paste. roll it thin, and make it into biscuits. benton sauce. grate some horse-radish, or scrape it very fine. add to it a little made mustard, some pounded white sugar, and four large spoonfuls of vinegar. serve it up in a saucer: this is good with hot or cold roast beef. bills of fare, or list of various articles in season in different months. january.----_poultry._ game, pheasants, partridges, hares, rabbits, woodcocks, snipes, turkeys, capons, pullets, fowls, chickens, tame pigeons.--_fish._ carp, tench, perch, eels, lampreys, crayfish, cod, soles, flounders, plaice, turbot, skate, thornback, sturgeon, smelts, whitings, crabs, lobsters, prawns, oysters.--_vegetables._ cabbage, savoys, coleworts, sprouts, brocoli, leeks, onions, beet, sorrel, chervil, endive, spinach, celery, garlic, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, shalots, lettuces, cresses, mustard, rape, salsify, herbs dry and green.--_fruit._ apples, pears, nuts, walnuts, medlars, grapes. february, march.----meat, fowls and game, as in january, with the addition of ducklings and chickens.--_fish._ as the last two months, except that cod is not thought so good, from february to july.--_vegetables._ the same as the former months, with the addition of kidney beans.--_fruit._ apples, pears, forced strawberries. april, may, june.----_meat._ beef, mutton, veal, lamb, venison in june.----_poultry._ pullets, fowls, chickens, ducklings, pigeons, rabbits, leverets.--_fish._ carp, tench, soles, smelts, eels, trout, turbot, lobsters, chub, salmon, herrings, crayfish, mackarel, crabs, prawns, shrimps.--_vegetables._ as before, and in may, early potatoes, peas, radishes, kidney beans, carrots, turnips, early cabbages, cauliflowers, asparagus, artichokes, all sorts of forced sallads.--_fruit._ in june, strawberries, cherries, melons, green apricots, gooseberries and currants for tarts. in july, cherries, strawberries, pears, melons, gooseberries, currants, apricots, grapes, nectarines, peaches; but most of these are forced. july, august, september.--meat as before.--_poultry._ pullets, fowls, chickens, rabbits, pigeons, green geese, leverets, turkey poults, plovers, wheatears, and geese in september.--_fish._ cod, haddock, flounders, plaice, skate, thornback, mullets, pike, carp, eels, shellfish, except oysters; mackarel the first two months, but are not good in august.--_vegetables._ beans, peas, french beans, and various others.--_fruit._ in july, strawberries, gooseberries, pineapples, plums, cherries, apricots, raspberries, melons, currants, damsons. in august and september, peaches, plums, filberts, figs, mulberries, cherries, apples, pears, nectarines, grapes, pines, melons, strawberries, medlars, quinces, morella cherries, damsons, and various plums. october.--meat as before, and doe-venison.----_poultry._ game, pheasants, fowls, partridges, larks, hares, dotterels, wild ducks, teal, snipes, widgeon, grouse.--_fish._ dories, smelts, pike, perch, holibets, brills, carp, salmon trout, barbel, gudgeons, tench, shellfish.--_vegetables._ as in january, french beans, runners, windsor beans.----_fruit._ peaches, pears, figs, bullace, grapes, apples, medlars, damsons, filberts, nuts, walnuts, quinces, services. november.--_meat._ beef, mutton, veal, pork, house lamb, doe venison, poultry and game. fish as the last month.--_vegetables._ carrots, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, skirrets, onions, leeks, shalots, cabbage, savoys, colewort, spinach, cardoons, cresses, endive, celery, lettuces, salad, herbs.--_fruit._ pears, apples, nuts, walnuts, bullace, chesnuts, medlars, grapes. december.--_meat._ beef, mutton, veal, house lamb, pork and venison.--_poultry._ game, turkeys, geese, pullets, pigeons, capons, fowls, chickens, rabbits, hares, snipes, woodcocks, larks, pheasants, partridges, sea-fowls, guinea-fowls, wild ducks, teal, widgeon, dotterels, dunbirds, grouse.--_fish._ turbot, cod, holibets, soles, gurnets, sturgeon, carp, gudgeons, codlings, eels, dories, shellfish.--_vegetables._ as in the last month; asparagus forced.--_fruit._ as the last, except bullace. birch wine. the season for obtaining the liquor from birch trees, is in the latter end of february or the beginning of march, before the leaves shoot out, and as the sap begins to rise. if the time be delayed, the juice will grow too thick to be drawn out. it should be as thin and clear as possible. the method of procuring the juice is by boring holes in the trunk of the tree, and fixing in facets made of elder; but care should be taken not to tap it in too many places at once, for fear of injuring the tree. if the tree is large, it may be bored in five or six places at once, and bottles are to be placed under the apertures to receive the sap. when four or five gallons have been extracted from different trees, cork the bottles very close, and wax them till the wine is to be made, which should be as soon as possible after the sap has been obtained. boil the sap, and put four pounds of loaf sugar to every gallon, also the rind of a lemon cut thin; then boil it again for nearly an hour, skimming it well all the time. into a cask that will contain it, put a lighted brimstone match, stop it up till the match is burnt out, and then pour the liquor into it as quickly as possible. when nearly cold, work it with a toast spread with yeast, and let it stand five or six days, stirring it two or three times a-day. put the bung lightly in till it has done working; then close it down, and let it stand two or three months. the wine may then be bottled, and will be fit for use in about a week. it makes a rich and salutary cordial, and its virtues are much relied on in consumptive and scorbutic cases. biscuit cake. one pound of flour, five eggs well beaten and strained, eight ounces of sugar, a little rose or orange flower water. beat the whole thoroughly, and bake it one hour. biscuits. to make hard biscuits, warm two ounces of butter in as much skimmed milk as will make a pound of flour into a very stiff paste. beat it with a rolling pin, and work it very smooth. roll it thin, and cut it into round biscuits. prick them full of holes with a fork, and about six minutes will bake them.--for plain and very crisp biscuits, make a pound of flour, the yolk of an egg, and some milk, into a very stiff paste. beat it well, and knead it quite smooth; roll the paste very thin, and cut it into biscuits. bake them in a slow oven till quite dry and crisp.--to preserve biscuits for a long time sweet and good, no other art is necessary than packing them up in casks well caulked, and carefully lined with tin, so as to exclude the air. the biscuits should be laid as close as possible; and when it is necessary to open the cask, it must be speedily closed again with care. sea bread may also be preserved on a long voyage, by being put into a bag which has been previously soaked in a quantity of liquid nitre, and dried. this has been found to preserve the biscuits from the fatal effects of the wevil, and other injurious insects, which are destructive to this necessary article of human sustenance. bitters. bruise an ounce of gentian root, and two drams of cardamom seeds together: add an ounce of lemon peel, and three drams of seville orange peel. pour on the ingredients a pint and half of boiling water, and let it stand an hour closely covered: then pour off the clear liquor, and a glass of it taken two or three times a day will be found an excellent bitter for the stomach.--or slice an ounce of gentian root, and add half a dram of snakes' root bruised, half a dram of saffron, three quarters of a dram of cardamom seeds, and the same of cochineal bruised together, and the peel of three seville oranges. steep the ingredients in a pint of brandy fourteen days, shaking them together frequently; then strain the tincture through a piece of muslin, and a tea-spoonful in a glass of wine may be taken two or three times a day. black butter. boil a pound of moist sugar with three pounds of gooseberries, currants, raspberries, and cherries, till reduced to half the quantity. put it into pots covered with brandy paper, and it will be found a pleasant sweetmeat. black caps. divide and core some fine large apples, put them in a shallow pan, strew white sugar over, and bake them. boil a glass of wine, the same of water, and sweeten it for sauce. or, take off a slice from the stalk end of some apples, and core without paring them. mix with grated lemon, and a few cloves in fine powder, as much sugar as will sweeten them. stuff the holes as close as possible with this, and turn the flat end down on a stewpan; set them on a very slow fire, with some raisin wine and water. cover them close, and now and then baste them with the liquor: when done enough, black the tops with a salamander. black ink. infuse in a gallon of rain or soft water, a pound of blue galls bruised, and keep it stirring for three weeks. then add four ounces of green copperas, four ounces of logwood chips, six ounces of gum arabac, and a glass of brandy.--to make ink of a superior quality, and fit for immediate use, prepare the following ingredients. four ounces of blue galls, two ounces of chipped logwood, two of sulphate of iron, one ounce and a half of gum arabac, half an ounce of sulphate of copper, and half an ounce of brown sugar. boil the galls and logwood in six pints of spring or distilled water, until nearly three pints of water are evaporated, then strain it through a piece of flannel. powder the salts in a mortar, dissolve the gum in a little warm water, then mix the whole together, and shake it frequently for two or three days; during which time expose it to the air, and it will become blacker. decant the liquor into stone bottles well corked, and it will be fit for use directly. those who wish to avoid the trouble of such a process, will find an excellent substitute in walkden's ink powder ready prepared, with directions how to use it. if a cup of sweet wort be added to two papers of the powder, it will give it the brightness of japan ink. black lead. the best preparation for cleaning cast-iron stoves is made of black lead, mixed with a little common gin, or the dregs of port wine, and laid on the stove with a piece of linen rag. then with a clean brush, not too hard, and dipped in some dried black lead powder, rub the stove till it comes to a beautiful brightness. this will produce a much finer black varnish on the cast-iron, than either boiling the black lead with small beer and soap, or mixing it with white of egg, as is commonly practised. black paper, for drawing patterns, may easily be made in the following manner. mix and smooth some lamp-black and sweet oil, with a piece of flannel. cover a sheet or two of large writing paper with this mixture, then dab the paper dry with a rag of fine linen, and prepare it for future use by putting the black side on another sheet of paper, and fastening the corners together with a small pin. when wanted to draw, lay the pattern on the back of the black paper, and go over it with the point of a steel pencil. the black paper will then leave the impression of the pattern on the under sheet, on which you must now draw it with ink. if you draw patterns on cloth or muslin, do it with a pen dipped in a bit of stone blue, a bit of sugar, and a little water, mixed smooth in a tea cup, in which it will be always ready for use. black puddings. the pig's blood must be stirred with a little salt till it is cold. put a full quart of it to a quart of whole grits, and let it stand all night. soak the crumb of a quartern loaf in rather more than two quarts of new milk made hot. in the meantime prepare the guts by washing, turning and scraping, with salt and water, and changing the water several times. chop fine a little winter savoury and thyme, a good quantity of pennyroyal, pepper and salt, a few cloves, some allspice, ginger and nutmeg. mix these all together, with three pounds of beef suet, and six eggs well beaten and strained. have ready some hog's fat cut into large bits; and as the skins are filling with the pudding, put in the fat at intervals. tie up in links only half filled, and boil in a large kettle, pricking them as they swell, or they will burst. when boiled, lay them between clean cloths till cold, and hang them up in the kitchen. when to be used, scald them a few minutes in water; wipe, and put them into a dutch oven. if there be not skins enough, put the stuffing into basins, and boil it covered with floured cloths. slice and fry it when used.--another way is, to soak all night a quart of bruised grits in as much boiling-hot milk as will swell them, and leave half a pint of liquid. chop a quantity of pennyroyal, savoury and thyme; add salt and pepper, and allspice finely powdered. mix the above with a quart of the blood, prepared as before directed; clean the skins thoroughly, half fill them with the stuffing, put in as much of the leaf fat of the pig as will make it pretty rich, and boil as before directed. a small quantity of leeks finely shred and well mixed, is a great improvement.--a superior article may be made as follows: boil a quart of half-grits in as much milk as will swell them to the utmost, drain them and add a quart of blood, a pint of rich cream, a pound of suet, some mace, nutmeg, allspice, and four cloves, all in fine powder. and two pounds of hog's leaf cut into dice, two leeks, a handful of parsley, ten leaves of sage, a large handful of pennyroyal, and a sprig of thyme and knotted marjoram, all finely minced; eight eggs well beaten, half a pound of bread crumbs scalded in a pint of milk, with pepper and salt. soak and clean the skins in several waters, last of all in rose-water, and half fill them with the stuffing. tie the skins in links, boil and prick them with a clean fork, to prevent their breaking, and cover them with a clean cloth till cold. blackberry jam. put some red, but not ripe, blackberries into a jar, and cover it up closely. set the jar in a kettle or deep stewpan of water over the fire, as a water bath; and when it has simmered five or six hours, force the juice through a sieve. to every pint of juice, add two pounds of powdered loaf-sugar, boiling and scumming it in the same manner as for any other jam or jelly. this simple article is said to afford effectual relief in cases of stone or gravel: a tea-spoonful to be taken every night, and repeated in the morning, if necessary. a good jam may also be made of ripe blackberries, in a similar manner; and both, like other jams, should be kept in jars, closely tied over with brandy paper. blackberry wine. pick and clean a quantity of ripe blackberries; to every quart of fruit, add a quart of cold water which has first been boiled. bruise them well, and let the whole stand twenty-four hours, stirring it occasionally during that time. express all the juice and run it through a sieve or jelly bag, on a pound and a half of sugar to each gallon of liquid. stir it till thoroughly dissolved, put it in a well seasoned barrel, add a little dissolved isinglass, and let it remain open till the next day; then bung it up. this makes a pleasant wine, which may be bottled off in about two months. blacking for shoes is made of four ounces of ivory black, three ounces of the coarsest sugar, a table-spoonful of sweet oil, and a pint of small beer, gradually mixed together cold. blacking balls. portable shoe-blacking, in the form of cakes or balls, is made in the following manner. take four ounces of mutton suet, one ounce of bees-wax, one of sweet oil, and a dram each of powdered sugar-candy and gum-arabac. melt them well together over a slow fire; add a spoonful of turpentine, and lamp-black sufficient to give it a good black colour. while hot enough to run, make the composition into a ball, by pouring it into a tin mould; or let it stand till nearly cold, and then it may be moulded into any form by the hand. blade-bone of pork. cut it from the bacon-hog, with a small quantity of meat upon it, and lay it on the gridiron. when nearly done pepper and salt it. add a piece of butter, and a tea-spoonful of mustard; and serve it up quickly. this dish is much admired in somersetshire. a blade-bone of mutton may be dressed in the same way. blamange. boil two ounces of isinglass half an hour, in a pint and half of water, and strain off the cream. sweeten it, and add some peach water, or a few bitter almonds; let it boil up once, and put it into what forms you please. be sure to let the blamange settle before you turn it into the forms, or the blacks will remain at the bottom of them, and be on the top of the blamange when taken out of the moulds. if not to be very stiff, a little less isinglass will do.--for yellow blamange, pour a pint of boiling water upon an ounce of isinglass, and the peel of one lemon. when cold, sweeten with two ounces of fine sugar: add a quarter of a pint of white wine, the yolks of four eggs, and the juice of one lemon. stir all together, and let it boil five minutes: strain through a bag, and put into cups. blankets, if not in constant use, are liable to be moth-eaten. to prevent this, they should be folded and laid under feather beds that are in use, and occasionally shaken. when soiled, they should be washed, not scoured: and well dried before they are laid by, or they will breed moths. bleaching of straw. this is generally done by the fumes of sulphur, in a place enclosed for that purpose: but to render the straw very white, and encrease its flexibility in platting, it should be dipped in a solution of oxygenated muriatic acid, saturated with potash. oxygenated muriate of lime will also answer the purpose. to repair straw bonnets, they must be carefully ripped to pieces; the plat should be bleached with the above solution, and made up afresh. blue ink. dissolve an ounce of finely powdered verdigris, and half an ounce of cream of tartar, in three ounces of water. this will make a fine blue writing ink, which has the singular property of giving to an iron nail, immersed in it for twenty-four hours, a beautiful green colour. boarded floors will preserve a beautiful appearance, if treated in the following manner. after washing them very clean with soda and warm water, and a brush, wash them with a large sponge and clean water, observing that no spot be left untouched. be careful to clean straight up and down, not crossing from board to board: then dry with clean cloths, rubbing hard up and down the same way. the floors should not be often wetted, but very thoroughly when done; and once a week dry-rubbed with hot sand, and a heavy brush, the right way of the boards. if oil or grease have stained the floor, make a strong lye of pearl-ashes and soft water, and add as much unslaked lime as it will take up. stir it together, and then let it settle a few minutes; bottle it, and stop it close. when used, lower it with a little water, and scour the part with it. if the liquor lie long on the boards, it will extract their colour; it must therefore be done with care and expedition. stone work may be freed from stains in the same way. bockings. mix three ounces of buck-wheat flour with a tea-cupful of warm milk, and a spoonful of yeast. let it rise before the fire about an hour; then mix four eggs well beaten, and as much milk as will make the batter the usual thickness for pancakes, and fry them in the same manner. boiling. cleanliness here is of great consequence; and for this purpose all culinary vessels should be made of iron, or of other metals well tinned. the pernicious effects of copper or brass may be perceived by rubbing the hand round the inside of a pot or kettle made of either of those metals, and which has been scoured clean and fit for use; for though it may not discolour the hand, yet it will cause an offensive smell, and must in some degree affect every article which is put into it. if copper or brass be used, they should be well cleaned, and nothing suffered to remain in the vessels longer than is necessary for the purposes of cooking. in small families however, block-tin saucepans and boilers are much to be preferred, as lightest and safest. if proper care be taken of them, and they are well dried after being cleaned, they are also by far the cheapest; the purchase of a new tin saucepan being little more than the expense of tinning a copper one. care should be taken to have the covers of boiling pots fit close, not only to prevent an unnecessary evaporation of the water, but that the smoke may not insinuate itself under the edge of the lid, and give the meat a bad taste. a trivet or fish drainer placed in the boiler to lay the meat on, and to raise it an inch and a half from the bottom, will prevent that side of it which comes next the bottom from being done too much, and the lower part of the meat will be as delicately done as any other. instead of a trivet, four skewers stuck into the meat transversely will answer the purpose, or a soup plate whelmed the wrong side upwards. with good management it will take less fire for boiling than for roasting, but it should be kept to a regular pitch, so as to keep the pot gently boiling all the time. if it boils too fast, it will harden the meat, by extracting too much of the gravy; but if it be allowed to simmer only, or to boil gently, it will become rich and tender. the scum must be carefully taken off as soon as the water boils, or it will sink and discolour the meat. the oftener it is scummed, and the cleaner the top of the water is kept, the cleaner will be the meat; and if a little cold water be occasionally thrown in, it will bring up the remainder of the scum to the surface. neither mixing milk with the water nor wrapping up the meat in a cloth are necessary, if the scum be attentively removed; and the meat will have a more delicate colour, and a finer flavour, if boiled in clear water only. the general rule for boiling is to allow a quarter of an hour to a pound of meat; but if it be boiled gently or simmered only, which is by far the superior way, twenty minutes to the pound will scarcely be found too much. at the same time care must be taken to keep the pot constantly boiling, and not to suffer the meat to remain in after it is done enough, or it will become sodden, and lose its flavour. the quantity of water is regulated by the size of the meat; sufficient to cover it, but not to drown it; and the less water, the more savoury will the meat be, and the better the broth. it is usual to put all kinds of fresh meat into hot water, and salt meat into cold water; but if the meat has been salted only a short time it is better to put it in when the water boils, or it will draw out too much of the gravy. lamb, veal, and pork require rather more boiling than other meat, to make them wholesome. the hind quarters of most animals require longer time to dress than the fore quarters, and all kinds of provision require more time in frosty weather than in summer. large joints of beef and mutton are better a little underdone; they make the richer hash; but meat that is fresh slain will remain tough and hard, in whatever way it may be cooked. all meat should be washed clean before it is put into the boiler, but salt meat especially. a ham of twenty pounds will take four hours and a half in boiling, and others in proportion. a dried tongue, after being soaked, will take four hours boiling: a tongue out of pickle, from two hours and a half to three hours, or more if very large: it must be judged by its feeling quite tender. boiling is in general the most economical mode of cooking, if care be taken to preserve the broth, and apply it to useful purposes. boiled bacon. soak it, and take off the rind before boiling. a pound of bacon boiled without the skin will weigh an ounce heavier than a pound boiled with it. fat bacon should be put into hot water, and lean into cold water, when it is to be dressed. young bacon will boil in about three quarters of an hour. grate some toasted bread over it, and set it near the fire to brown it a little, before it is sent to table. boiled beef. when the water boils put in the meat, whether beef or mutton, and take off the scum as it rises. if the scum be suffered to sink, it will stick to the meat, and spoil its colour. turnips, greens, potatoes, or carrots with the beef, and caper sauce with the mutton. boiled custard. set a pint of cream over a slow fire, adding two ounces of sugar, and the rind of a lemon. take it off the fire as soon as it begins to simmer; as the cream cools, add by degrees the yolks of eight eggs well beaten, with a spoonful of orange water. stir it carefully over a slow fire till it almost boils, and strain it quickly through a piece of thin muslin. put it into cups, and serve it up cold. boiled duck. choose a fine fat duck, salt it two days, and boil it slowly in a cloth. serve it with onion sauce, but melt the butter with milk instead of water. boiled eels. the small ones are best, provided they are bright, and of a good colour. after they are skinned, boil them in a small quantity of water, with a quantity of parsley, which with the liquor should be sent to table with them. serve chopped parsley and butter for sauce. boiled fowl. for boiling, choose those that are not black-legged. pick them nicely, singe, wash, and truss them. flour them, and put them into boiling water: half an hour will be sufficient for one of middling size. serve with parsley and butter; oyster, lemon, liver, or celery sauce. if for dinner, ham, tongue or bacon is usually served with them, and also greens.--when cooked with rice, stew the fowl very slowly in some clear mutton broth well skimmed, and seasoned with onion, mace, pepper and salt. about half an hour before it is ready, put in a quarter of a pint of rice well washed and soaked. simmer it till it is quite tender, strain it from the broth, and put the rice on a sieve before the fire. keep the fowl hot, lay it in the middle of the dish, and the rice round it without the broth. the broth will be nice by itself, but the less liquor the fowl is done with the better. gravy, or parsley and butter, for sauce. boiled ham. soak the ham in cold water the night before it is to be dressed, scrape it clean, and put it into the boiler with cold water. skim the liquor while boiling; let it not boil fast, but simmer only, and add a little cold water occasionally for this purpose. when the ham is done, take it up, pull off the skin carefully, and grate a crust of bread over it so as to cover it tolerably thick. set it before the fire, or put it into the oven till the bread is crisp; garnish it with carrots, or any thing that is in season. a ham of twenty pounds will require five hours boiling, and others in proportion. boiled leg of pork. salt it eight or ten days; and when it is to be dressed, weigh it. let it lie half an hour in cold water to make it white: allow a quarter of an hour for every pound, and half an hour over, from the time it boils up. skim it as soon as it boils, and frequently after. allow plenty of water, and save some of it for peas-soup. the leg should be small, and of a fine grain; and if boiled in a floured cloth, it will improve the colour and appearance. serve it with peas-pudding and turnips. boiled salmon. clean it carefully, boil it gently, and take it out of the water as soon as done. let the water be warm, if the fish be split: if underdone, it is very unwholesome. serve with shrimp or anchovy sauce. boiled turbot. the turbot kettle must be of a proper size, and in good order. set the fish in cold water sufficient to cover it completely, throw a handful of salt and a glass of vinegar into it, and let it gradually boil. be very careful that no blacks fall into it; but skim it well, and preserve the beautiful colour of the fish. serve it garnished with a complete fringe of curled parsley, lemon and horse-radish. the sauce must be the finest lobster, anchovy and butter, and plain butter, served plentifully in separate tureens.--if necessary, turbot will keep two or three days, and be in as high perfection as at first, if lightly rubbed over with salt, and carefully hung in a cold place. boiled turkey. a turkey will neither boil white nor eat tender, unless it has been killed three or four days. pick it clean, draw it at the rump, cut off the legs, stick the end of the thighs into the body, and tie them fast. flour the turkey, put it into the water while cold, let it boil gently half an hour or more, take off the scum, and cover the kettle close. make the stuffing of grated bread and lemon peel, four ounces of shred suet, a few chopped oysters, two eggs, and a little cream. fill the craw with stuffing, and make the rest into balls, which are to be boiled and laid round the dish. the stuffing may be made without oysters; or force-meat or sausage may be used, mixed with crumbs of bread and yolks of eggs. celery sauce or white sauce is very proper. boiled veal. dredge it with flour, tie it up in a cloth, and put it in when the water boils. a knuckle requires more boiling in proportion to its weight, than any other joint, to render the gristle soft and tender. parsley and butter, bacon and greens, are commonly eaten with it. boilers. copper boilers and saucepans are apt to become leaky, when they have been joined or mended, or from bruises, which sometimes render them unfit for use. in this case a cement of pounded quicklime, mixed with ox's blood, applied fresh to the injured part, will be of great advantage, and very durable. a valuable cement for such purposes may also be made of equal parts of vinegar and milk mixed together so as to produce a curd: the whey is then put to the whites of four or five eggs after they have been well beaten, and the whole reduced to a thick paste by the addition of some quicklime finely sifted. this composition applied to cracks or fissures of any kind, and properly dried, will resist the effects of fire and water. bologna sausages. cut into small pieces four pounds of lean beef, and add to it a pound of diced suet, with the same quantity of diced bacon. season with allspice, pepper, bay salt, saltpetre, and a little powder of bay leaves. mix the whole together, tie the meat up in skins about the thickness of the wrist, dry the sausages in the same manner as tongues, and eat them without boiling. bologna soup. bind close with packthread, fifteen pounds of brisket of beef, and put it into a pot with water sufficient to cover it. then add three large carrots, some good turnips, four onions, a bunch of sweet herbs, and half a white cabbage sliced and fried in butter. the pot must be well scummed before the herbs are put in. it must boil very slowly for five or six hours; and when half boiled, prepare three or four pounds of loin of mutton, with all the fat taken off, and put it into the pot. flavour the soup with whole pepper, and a head of celery; and to make it of a good colour, draw the gravy from a pound of lean beef over a slow fire, and add a ladleful to the soup, first carefully taking off all the fat. having cut and dried the crust of a french roll, lay it in a stewpan with a little soup; and after stewing it over a slow fire, place it with a slice in the soup tureen. the beef must be untied, and served up with chopped parsley strewed over it; accompanied also with gravy sauce, a few capers, and some chopped carrots, thickened with the yolk of an egg. add a little seasoning to the soup. boots. persons who travel much, or are often exposed to the weather, must be sensible of the importance of being provided with boots that will resist the wet. the following is a composition for preserving leather, the good effects of which are sufficiently ascertained. one pint of drying oil, two ounces of yellow wax, two ounces of spirit of turpentine, and half an ounce of burgundy pitch, should be carefully melted together over a slow fire. with this mixture, new shoes and boots are to be rubbed in the sun, or at some distance from the fire, with a sponge or brush. the operation is to be repeated as often as they become dry, and until they are fully saturated. in this manner the leather becomes impervious to the wet: the boots or shoes last much longer than those of common leather, acquire such softness and pliability that they never shrivel or grow hard, and in that state are the most effectual preservation against wet and cold. it is necessary to observe, however, that boots or shoes thus prepared ought not to be worn till they become perfectly dry and flexible: otherwise the leather will be too soft, and the boots unserviceable. boot tops. many of the compositions sold for the purpose of cleaning and restoring the colour of boot tops, are not found to answer, and are often injurious to the leather. a safe and easy preparation is made of a quart of boiled milk, which, when cold, is to be mixed with an ounce of the oil of vitriol, and an ounce of the spirit of salts, shaken well together. an ounce of red lavender is then to be added, and the liquid applied to the leather with a sponge. or, mix a dram of oxymuriate of potash with two ounces of distilled water; and when the salt is dissolved, add two ounces of muriatic acid. shake together in another vial, three ounces of rectified spirits of wine, with half an ounce of the essential oil of lemon, and unite the contents of the two vials, keeping the liquid closely corked for use. it is to be applied with a clean sponge, and dried gently; after which the tops may be polished with a proper brush, so as to appear like new leather. this mixture will readily take out grease, or any kind of spots, from leather or parchment. bottles. the common practice of cleaning glass bottles with shot is highly improper; for if through inattention any of it should remain, when the bottles are again filled with wine or cider, the lead will be dissolved, and the liquor impregnated with its pernicious qualities. a few ounces of potash dissolved in water will answer the purpose much better, and clean a great number of bottles. if any impurity adhere to the sides, a few pieces of blotting paper put into the bottle, and shaken with the water, will very soon remove it. another way is to roll up some pieces of blotting paper, steep them in soap and water, then put them into bottles or decanters with a little warm water, and shake them well for a few minutes: after this they will only require to be rinsed and dried. bottling liquors. here the first thing to be attended to is, to see that the bottles be perfectly clean and dry; if wet, they will spoil the liquor, and make it turn mouldy. then, though the bottles should be clean and dry, yet if the corks be not new and sound, the liquor will be damaged; for if the air can by any means penetrate, the liquor will grow flat, and never rise. as soon as a cask of liquor begins to grow vapid, and to lose its briskness, while it is on the tap, it should be drawn off immediately into bottles; and in order to quicken it, put a piece of loaf sugar into every bottle, about the size of a walnut. to forward the ripening, wrap the bottles in hay, and set them in a warm place; straw will not answer the purpose. when ale is to be bottled, it will be an improvement to add a little rice, a few raisins, or a tea-spoonful of moist sugar to each bottle. in the summer time, if table beer is bottled as soon as it has done working, it will soon become brisk, and make a very pleasant and refreshing drink. bottled currants. see that the bottles be perfectly clean and dry, and let the fruit be gathered quite ripe, and when the weather is dry. the currants should be cut from the large stalks, with the smallest bit of stalk to each, and care taken not to wound the fruit, that none of the moisture may escape. it would be best indeed to cut them under the trees, and let them drop gently into the bottles. stop up the bottles with cork and rosin, and trench them in the garden with the neck downwards: sticks should be placed opposite to where each sort of fruit begins. cherries and damsons may be kept in the same way. bottled gooseberries. pick some smooth gooseberries before they are quite full grown, put them into gooseberry bottles lightly corked, and set them up to their necks in a copper of cold water. put a little hay round the bottles to prevent their breaking, make a fire under them, and let the heat increase gradually; let them simmer ten minutes, but not boil. take out the fire, and let them remain in the copper till cold. then take them out, dry the bottles, rosin down the corks close, and set them in dry saw-dust with their necks downward. braising. to braise any kind of meat, put it into a stewpan, and cover it with fat bacon. then add six or eight onions, a bundle of herbs, carrots, celery, any bones or trimmings of meat or fowls, and some stock. the bacon must be covered with white paper, and the lid of the pan must be kept close. set it on a slow stove; and according to what the meat is, it will require two or three hours. the meat is then to be taken out, the gravy nicely skimmed, and set on to boil very quick till it is thick. the meat is to be kept hot; and if larded, put into the oven for a few minutes. then put the jelly over it, which is called glazing, and is used for ham, tongue, and various made-dishes. white wine is added to some glazing. the glaze should be of beautiful clear yellow brown, and it is best put on with a nice brush. braised chickens. bone them, and fill them with forcemeat. lay the bones and any other poultry trimmings into a stewpan, and the chickens on them. put to them a few onions, a handful of herbs, three blades of mace, a pint of stock, and a glass or two of sherry. cover the chickens with slices of bacon, and then white paper; cover the whole close, and put them on a slow stove for two hours. then take them up, strain the braise, and skim off the fat carefully: set it on to boil very quick to a glaze, and lay it over the chicken with a brush. before glazing, put the chicken into an oven for a few minutes, to give it a colour. serve with a brown fricassee of mushrooms. braised mutton. take off the chump end of a loin of mutton, cover it with buttered paper, and then with paste, as for venison. roast it two hours, but let it not be browned. have ready some french beans boiled, and drained on a sieve; and while you are glazing the mutton, give the beans one heat-up in gravy, and lay them on the dish with the meat over them. braised veal. lard the best end of a neck of veal with bacon rolled in chopped parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg. put it into a tosser, and cover it with water. add the scrag end of the neck, a little lean bacon or ham, an onion, two carrots, two heads of celery, and a glass of madeira. stew it quickly for two hours, or till it is tender, but not too much. strain off the liquor: mix a little flour and butter in a stewpan till brown, and lay the veal in this, the upperside to the bottom of the pan. let it be over the fire till it gets coloured: then lay it into the dish, stir some of the liquor in and boil it up, skim it nicely, and squeeze orange and lemon juice into it. brandy cream. boil two dozen of blanched almonds, and pounded bitter almonds, in a little milk. when cold, add to it the yolks of five eggs beating well in cream; sweeten, and put to it two glasses of good brandy. after it is well mixed, pour to it a quart of thin cream; set it over the fire, but not to boil. stir it one way till it thickens, then pour into cups or low glasses, and when cold it will be ready. a ratafia drop may be added to each cup; and if intended to keep, the cream must be previously scalded. brandy pudding. line a mould with jar-raisins stoned, or dried cherries, then with thin slices of french roll; next to which put ratafias, or macaroons; then the fruit, rolls and cakes in succession, till the mould is full, sprinkling in at times two glasses of brandy. beat four eggs, add a pint of milk or cream lightly sweetened, half a nutmeg, and the rind of half a lemon finely grated. let the liquid sink into the solid part; then flour a cloth, tie it tight over, and boil one hour; keep the mould the right side up. serve with pudding sauce. brass. culinary vessels made of this metal, are constantly in danger of contracting verdigris. to prevent this, instead of wiping them dry in the usual manner, let them be frequently immersed in water, and they will be preserved safe and clean. brawn. young brawn is to be preferred, the horny part of which will feel moderately tender, and the flavour will be better; the rind of old brawn will be hard. for mock brawn, boil a pair of neat's feet very tender; take the meat off, and have ready a belly-piece of salt pork, which has been in pickle for a week. boil this almost enough, take out the bones if there be any, and roll the feet and the pork together. bind it tight together with a strong cloth and coarse tape, boil it quite tender, and hang it up in the cloth till cold. keep it afterwards in souse till it is wanted. bread. two very important reasons urge the propriety and necessity of using home-baked bread, in preference to baker's bread, wherever it can be done with tolerable convenience; these are, its superior quality, and its cheapness. a bushel of wheat, weighing sixty pounds, will make sixty-five pounds of household bread, after the bran has been taken out; and if the pollard be separated also, to make a finer article, a bushel of ground wheat will then make fifty-eight pounds of fine white bread, free from any foreign mixture, leaving from ten to fifteen pounds of bran and pollard, which may be applied to useful purposes. the calculation then will be easy, and the difference between purchasing and making bread will be seen at once. a bushel of ground wheat weighing sixty pounds will produce thirteen quartern loaves and a half of fine bread, after the bran and pollard have been taken out; add to the price of the wheat, nine-pence a bushel for grinding, three-pence for yeast, four-pence for salt and the expence of baking; and from this deduct six-pence at least for the value of the bran and pollard, and it gives the price of the quartern loaves made and baked at home. in general it will be found that there is a saving of one third of the expense, if the business be properly conducted. then the wholesome and nutricious quality of the bread is incomparably superior; there is no addition of alum, ground potatoes, whiting, or any other ingredient to give weight or colour to the bread, as is too often the case with baker's bread; but all is nutricious, sound, and good. but supposing their bread to be equal in quality, there is still a considerable saving in the course of a year, especially in a large family; and if household bread be made instead of fine bread, every bushel of good heavy wheat will produce nearly fifteen quartern loaves. besides this, rye, and even a little barley mixed with the wheat, will make very good bread, and render it cheaper still. rye will add a sweetness to the bread, and make it cut firmer, so as to prevent the waste of crumbs, and is unquestionably an article of good economy. the addition of potatoes is by no means to be approved, though so often recommended; any of the grains already mentioned have in them ten times the nutrition of potatoes, and in the end will be found to be much cheaper. making bread with skim milk, instead of water, where it can be done, is highly advantageous, and will produce a much better article than can be purchased at a baker's shop.--on the subject of making bread, little need be said, as every common maid-servant is or ought to be well acquainted with this necessary part of household work, or she is good for nothing. to make good bread however, the flour should be kept four or five weeks before it is baked. then put half a bushel of it into a kneading trough, mix with it between four and five quarts of warm water or skim milk, and a pint and a half of good yeast, and stir it well together with the hand till it become tough. let it rise before the fire, about an hour and a half, or less if it rise fast; then, before it falls, add four quarts more of warm water, and half a pound of salt. work it well, and cover it with a cloth. put the fire into the oven; and by the time it is heated, the dough will be ready. make the loaves about five pounds each, sweep out the oven very clean and quick, and put in the bread; shut it up close, and two hours and a half will bake it. in summer the water should be milk warm, in winter a little more, and in frosty weather as hot as the hand will bear, but not scalding, or the whole will be spoiled. bread is better baked without tins, which gives to the crust an unnatural degree of hardness.--those who are under the necessity of purchasing baker's bread, for want of other convenience, may detect the adulteration of alum by macerating a small piece of the crumb of new-baked bread in cold water, sufficient to dissolve it; and the taste of the alum, if it has been used, will acquire a sweet astringency. or a heated knife may be thrust into a loaf before it has grown cold; and if it be free from that ingredient, scarcely any alteration will be visible on the blade; but, in the contrary case, its surface, after being allowed to cool, will appear slightly covered with an aluminous incrustation. bread cake. to make a common bread cake, separate from the dough, when making white bread, as much as is sufficient for a quartern loaf, and knead well into it two ounces of butter, two of lisbon sugar, and eight of currants. warm the butter in a tea-cupful of good milk. by adding another ounce of butter or sugar, or an egg or two, the cake may be improved, especially by putting in a tea-cupful of raw cream. it is best to bake it in a pan, rather than as a loaf, the outside being less hard. bread cheesecakes. slice a penny white loaf as thin as possible, pour over it a pint of boiling cream, and let it stand two hours. beat up eight eggs, half a pound of butter, and a grated nutmeg. put in half a pound of currants, well washed and dried, and a spoonful of brandy or white wine. bake them in pattipans, or raised crusts. bread pudding. grate some white bread, pour over some boiling milk, and cover it close. when soaked an hour or two, beat it fine, and mix with it two or three eggs well beaten. put it into a bason that will just hold it, tie a floured cloth over it, and put it into boiling water. send it up with melted butter poured over: it may be eaten with salt or sugar. prunes, or french plums, make a fine pudding instead of raisins, either with suet or bread pudding.--another and richer. pour half a pint of scalding milk, on half a pint of bread crumbs, and cover it up for an hour. beat up four eggs, and when strained, add to the bread, with a tea-spoonful of flour, an ounce of butter, two ounces of sugar, half a pound of currants, an ounce of almonds beaten with orange-flower water, half an ounce of orange, of lemon, and of citron. butter a bason that will exactly hold it, flour the cloth, tie it tight over, and boil the pudding an hour. bread sauce. boil a large onion quartered, with some black pepper and milk, till the onion is quite a pap. pour the milk on white stale-bread grated, and cover it. in an hour put it into a saucepan, with a good piece of butter mixed with a little flour: boil the whole up together, and serve with it. bread soup. boil some pieces of bread crust in a quart of water, with a small piece of butter. beat it with a spoon, and keep it boiling till the bread and water be well mixed: then season it with a little salt. [illustration: _patent brewing machine._ a _the machine ready for use, with the cover raised._ b _moveable fire place._ c _cylindrical boiler to be placed on_ b, _with its cover_ d. e _extracting perforated cylinder to be placed within_ c. f _centre for ditto._ g. g _coolers, one to pack within the other._] bread and butter pudding. spread some butter on slices of bread, and lay them in a dish, with currants between each layer. to make it rich, add some sliced citron, orange, or lemon. pour over an unboiled custard of milk, two or three eggs, a few corns of pimento, and a very little ratifia, two hours at least before it is to be baked, and lade it over to soak the bread. a paste round the edge makes all puddings look better, but it is not necessary. bread and rice pudding. boil a quarter of a pound of rice in some milk till it is quite soft, put it into a bason, and let it stand till the next day. soak some sliced bread in cold milk, drain it off, mash it fine, and mix it with the rice. beat up two eggs with it, add a little salt, and boil it an hour. breakfast cakes. take a pound and a half of flour, four ounces of butter, a spoonful of yeast, and half a pint of warm milk. rub the butter into the flour, and mix the eggs, yeast, and milk together. put the liquid into the middle of the flour, and let it stand to rise for two hours. make it into cakes, let them stand to rise again, and wash them over with skimmed milk before they are put into the oven. breast of lamb. cut off the chine-bone from the breast, and set it on to stew with a pint of gravy. when the bones would draw out, put it on the gridiron to grill; and then lay it in a dish on cucumbers nicely stewed. breast of mutton. pare off the superfluous fat, and roast and serve the meat with stewed cucumbers; or to eat cold, covered with chopped parsley. or half-boil, and then grill it before the fire: cover it with bread crumbs and herbs, and serve with caper sauce. or if boned, take away a good deal of the fat, and cover it with bread, herbs, and seasoning. then roll and boil it; serve with chopped walnuts, or capers and butter. breast of veal. before roasting it, take off the two ends to fry and stew, if the joint be large, or roast the whole together, and pour butter over it. if any be left, cut it into regular pieces, put them into a stewpan, and pour some broth over it. if no broth, a little water will do: add a bunch of herbs, a blade or two of mace, some pepper, and an anchovy. stew till the meat be tender, thicken with flour and butter, and add a little ketchup. serve the sweetbread whole upon it, which may either be stewed or parboiled, and then covered with crumbs, herbs, pepper and salt, and browned in a dutch oven. the whole breast may be stewed in the same way, after cutting off the two ends. a boiled breast of veal, smothered with onion sauce, is also an excellent dish, if not old nor too fat. brentford rolls. mix with two pounds of flour, a little salt, two ounces of sifted sugar, four ounces of butter, and two eggs beaten with two spoonfuls of yeast, and about a pint of milk. knead the dough well, and set it to rise before the fire. make twelve rolls, butter tin plates, and set them before the fire to rise, till they become of a proper size, and bake them half an hour. brewing. the practice of brewing malt liquor is but seldom adopted by private families in large towns and cities, owing probably to a want of conveniences for the purpose, and an aversion to the labour and trouble which it might occasion. but if the disagreeable filthiness attending the process in large public breweries were duly considered, together with the generally pernicious quality of the beer offered to sale, as well as the additional expense incurred by this mode of procuring it, no one who regards economy, or the health and comfort of his family, would be without home-brewed beer, so long as there were any means left of obtaining it. beer as strong of malt and hops, when all the foreign ingredients are extracted, may be manufactured at home at less than one third of what it could cost at a public brewery, besides the satisfaction of drinking, what is known to be wholesome, and free from any deleterious mixture. twelve shillings for malt and hops will provide a kilderkin of beer far superior to one that could be purchased under license for a pound, while the yeast and the grains are sufficient to repay all the labour and expense of brewing. on every account, therefore, it is desirable that the practice of domestic brewing were universally adopted. the health and comfort of the community would be increased; and by a larger consumption of malt, the growth of barley would be extended, and agriculture proportionably benefited. in order to this however, the enormous duty upon malt requires to be diminished or repealed. the farmer, unable to make three shillings a bushel of his barley, is suffering severely under this grinding taxation, as well as the consumer, who is compelled to pay a duty of four shillings and six-pence for every bushel that is converted into malt.--the best seasons of the year for brewing are march and october, the weather in those months being generally free from the extremes of heat and cold, which are alike injurious to the process of fermentation. if this is not in all cases practicable, means should be used to cool the place where the liquor is set for working in the summer, and of warming it in the winter: otherwise the beer will be likely to turn sour or muddy. the beer which is brewed in march should not be tapped till october, nor that brewed in october till the following march; taking this precaution, that families of an equal number all the year round, will drink at least a third more in summer than in winter.--the most suitable water for brewing is soft river water, which having had the rays of the sun and the influence of the air upon it, will more easily penetrate and extract the virtues of the malt. hard water possesses an astringent quality, which prevents the goodness of the malt from being freely communicated to the liquor. if two parcels of beer be brewed in all respects the same, except in the quality of the water, it will be found that the beer brewed with soft river water will exceed the other in strength above five degrees, in the course of twelve months' keeping. where water is naturally of a hard quality, it may in some measure be softened by exposing it to the action of the sun and air, and infusing in it some pieces of soft chalk. throwing into it a quantity of bran while it is boiling, and before it is poured on the malt, will likewise have a good effect.--previous to commencing the process of brewing, it will be necessary to ascertain the quantity of malt and hops, which of course will be regulated by the demands of the family, the convenience of cellerage, and other circumstances. supposing two or three sorts of liquor be required, six bushels of malt, and about three quarters of a pound of hops to each bushel, will make half a hogshead of ale, half a hogshead of table beer, and the same of small beer; or about nine gallons of each to the bushel. but if in a smaller brewing, only two sorts are required, or the whole be blended into one, then eighteen gallons of wholesome beverage may be produced at something less than three farthings a pint.--having thus adjusted the proportion of malt and hops to the quantity of beer to be brewed, the next thing will be to heat water sufficient for the purpose. meanwhile see that the brewing utensils be properly cleaned and scalded, and the pen-staff in the mash tub well fixed. then put a quantity of boiling water into the mash-tub, in which it must stand till the greater part of the steam is gone off, or you can see your own shadow in it. it will then be necessary that one person should pour the malt gently in, while another is carefully stirring it. a little malt should be reserved to strew over the mash in order to prevent evaporation, and then the tub may be covered over with sacks. if it be not sufficient to contain the whole at once, the mashing must be repeated, observing that the larger the quantity that is mashed at once, the longer it will require to stand before it is drawn off. the mash of ale must be allowed to steep three hours, table beer one hour, and small beer half an hour afterwards. by this mode of proceeding, the boilings will regularly succeed each other, which will greatly expedite the business. in the course of mashing, be careful to stir it thoroughly from the bottom, especially round the basket, that there may be no adhesion, in any part of the mash. previous to running it off, be prepared with a pail to catch the first flush, as that is generally thick, and return it to the mash two or three times, till it run clear and fine. by this time the copper should be boiling, and a convenient tub placed close to the mash-tub. put into it half the quantity of boiling water intended for drawing off the best wort; after which the copper must be filled up again, and proper attention paid to the fire. meanwhile, keep slopping and wetting the mash with the hot water out of the tub, in moderate quantities, every eight or ten minutes, till all the water is added to the mash. then let off the remaining quantity, which will be boiling hot, and this will finish the process for strong beer. boil up the copper as quick as possible for the second mash, whether intended for strong or small beer. empty the boiling water into the tub by the side of the mash, as in the former instance, and renew the process. great care is required in boiling the wort after it is drawn off, and the hops must be put in with the first boiling. in filling the copper with the wort, leave sufficient room for boiling, that there may be no waste in boiling over, and make a good fire under it. quick boiling is a part of the business that requires particular attention, and great caution must be observed when the liquor begins to swell in waves in the copper. the furnace door must be opened, and the fire damped or regulated to suit the boiling of the wort. in order to ascertain the proper time for boiling the liquor, lade out some of it; and if a working be discovered, and the hops are sinking, the wort is boiled enough. long and slow boiling injures and wastes the liquor. as soon as it is sufficiently boiled, run the liquor through a cloth or fine sieve into some coolers, to free it from the hops, and to get a proper quantity cooled immediately to set it to work. if the brewhouse be not sufficiently airy to cool a quantity soon, the liquor must be emptied into shallow tubs, and placed in a passage where there is a thorough draught of air, but where it is not exposed to rain or wet. the remainder in the copper may then be let into the first cooler, taking care to attend to the hops, and to make a clear passage through the strainer. the hops must be returned into the copper, after having run off four or five pailfuls of the liquor for the first cooling, and then it must be set to work in the following manner. take four quarts of yeast, and divide half of it into small wooden bowls or basons, adding to it an equal quantity of wort nearly cold. as soon as it ferments to the top of the basons, put it into two pails; and when that works to the top, distribute it into two wide open tubs. fill them half full with cool wort, and cover them over, till it comes to a fine white head. this will be accomplished in about three hours, and then both quantities may be put together into the working tub, with the addition of as much wort as is sufficiently cooled. if the weather be mild and open, it cannot be worked too cold. if the brewing be performed in frosty weather, the brewhouse must be kept warm; but hot wort must never be added to keep the liquor to a blood heat. attention also must be paid to the quality of the yeast, or it may spoil all the beer. if it has been taken from foxed beer, or such as has been heated by ill management in the working, it will be likely to communicate the same bad quality. if the yeast be flat, and that which is fresh and lively cannot be procured, put to it a pint of warm sweetwort of the first letting off, when it is about half the degree of milk-warm. shake the vessel that contains it, and it will soon gather strength, and be fit for use.--tunning is the last and most simple operation in the business of brewing. the casks being well prepared, perfectly sweet and dry, and placed on the stand ready to receive the liquor, first skim off the top yeast, then fill the casks quite full, bung them down, and leave an aperture for the yeast to work through. if the casks stand on one end, the better way is to make a hole with a tap-borer near the summit of the stave, at the same distance from the top as the lower tap-hole is from the bottom. this prevents the slovenliness of working the beer over the head of the barrel; and the opening being much smaller than the bung-hole, the beer by being confined will sooner set itself into a convulsive motion, and work itself fine, provided proper attention be paid to filling up the casks five or six times a day.----another method of brewing, rather more simple but not more excellent than the above, may be adopted by those whose conveniences are more limited. for table beer, allow three bushels of malt to thirty-nine gallons of water, and a pound and a half of hops. pour a third part of the hot water upon the malt, cover it up warm half an hour, then stir up the mash, and let it stand two hours and a half more. set it to drain off gently; when dry, add half the remaining water, mash, and let it stand half an hour. run that into another tub, and pour the rest of the water on the malt; stir it well, cover it up, and let it infuse a full hour. run that off and mix all together. put the hops into a little hot water to open the pores, then put the hops and water into the tub, run the wort upon them, and boil them together for an hour. strain the liquor through a coarse sieve, and set it to cool. if the whole be not cool enough that day to add to it the yeast, a pail or two of wort may be prepared, and a quart of yeast added to it over night. before tunning, all the wort should be put together, and thoroughly mixed. when it has done working, paste a piece of paper on the bung-hole, and after three days it may be fastened close. in less than a month the beer will be fit for use. see ale, malt, beer. brewing utensils. the most desirable object in the process of brewing is the fixing of the copper, so as to make the fire come directly under the bottom of it. many coppers are injured, and rendered unserviceable, for want of proper attention to this particular. the method adopted by the most experienced bricklayers is to divide the heat of the fire by a stop; and if the door and the draft be in a direct line, the stop must be erected from the middle of each outline of the grating, and parallel with the centre sides of the copper. the stop is nothing more than a thin wall in the centre of the right and left sides of the copper, ascending half way to the top of it; on the top of which must be left a small cavity, four or five inches square, for a draft of that half part of the fire which is next to the copper door, to pass through, and then the building must close all round to the finishing at the top. by this method of fixing the copper, the heat will communicate from the outward part of the fire round the outward half of the copper through the cavity; as also will the furthest part of the fire, which contracts a conjunction of the whole, and causes the flame to slide gently and equally all round the bottom of the copper. considerable advantages result from this position of the copper. if the draught under it were suffered at once to ascend, without being thus divided, the hops would be scorched in the boiling, and liable to stick to the sides, which would considerably injure the flavour of the liquor, unless kept continually stirring. it will also save the consumption of fuel, and preserve the copper much longer than any other method, as there will be no difficulty in boiling half a copper full at a time without doing it any injury.--the next article of consideration in this case is the mash-tub. this should be proportioned to the size of the copper, and the quantity of beer intended to be brewed. the grains should not be kept in the tub any longer than the day after brewing, as in hot weather especially the grains begin to turn sour as soon as they are cold; and if there be any sour scent in the brewhouse at the time the liquor is tunned, it will be apt to injure the flavour of the beer.--tubs and coolers require to be kept perfectly sweet and clean, and should not be used for any other purpose. in small houses, where many vessels are cumbersome and inconvenient, it is too common to use the same tubs for both washing and brewing; but this ought not to be done where it can be avoided; and where it is unavoidable, the utmost care is necessary to give them a double washing, scouring, and scalding. coolers also require considerable care, or by the slightest taint they will soon contract a disagreeable flavour. this often proceeds from wet having infused itself into the wood, it being apt to lodge in the crevices of old vessels, and even infect them to such a degree, that it cannot be removed, even after several washings and scaldings. one cause incidental to this evil is, using the brewhouse for the purposes of washing, which ought never to be permitted, where any other convenience can be had; for nothing can be more injurious than the remains of dirty suds, left in vessels intended for brewing only. nor should water be suffered to stand too long in the coolers, as it will soak into them, and soon turn putrid, when the stench will enter the wood, and render them almost incurable. more beer is spoiled for want of attention to these niceties than can well be imagined, and the real cause is seldom known or suspected; but in some families, after all the care that is taken in the manufacture of the article, the beer is never palatable or wholesome.--barrels should be well cleaned with boiling water; and if the bung-hole will admit, they should be scrubbed inside with a hard brush. if they have acquired a musty scent, take out the heads, and let them be well scrubbed with sand and fuller's earth. then put in the head again, and scald it well; throw in a piece of unslaked lime, and close up the bung. when the cask has stood some time, rinse it well with cold water, and it will then be fit for use. new casks likewise require attention, for they are apt to give the liquor a bad taste, if they be not well scalded and seasoned several days successively before they are used; and old casks are apt to grow musty, if they stand any time out of use. to prevent this, a cork should be put into every one of them as soon as the cock or fosset is taken out; the vent and the bung-hole must also be well closed. the best way to season new casks is to boil two pecks of bran or malt dust in a copper of water, and pour it in hot; then stop it up close, and let it stand two days. when the cask is washed and dried, it will be fit for use. brewing machine. where a family usually consume ten gallons of beer, or upwards, in a week, there is a brewing machine lately invented, which will be found singularly convenient and advantageous, and comparatively of little expense. the use of it in brewing curtails the labour, shortens the time in which the operation may be performed, greatly diminishes the quantity of fuel, and may be placed within very narrow limits, in the house of any tradesman in the most crowded city. eighteen gallons of good beer may be brewed with this machine in the course of six hours, or a larger quantity with a machine of proportionate dimensions, in the same space of time. the process is so simple, that it may be comprehended by any person of ordinary capacity, and once seeing the operation performed will be sufficient. in the common mode of brewing, the principal difficulty consists in ascertaining the degrees of heat necessary to the production of good beer, without the use of a thermometer; but in the use of this machine, this difficulty is completely obviated.--the machine complete is represented by figure a; and b, c, d, e, f, represent its several parts. b is the bottom, made of strong sheet-iron, standing upon three legs. the hollow part of it contains the fire, put in at a door, the latch of which appears in front. the tube which projects upwards, is a stove pipe to carry off the smoke; and the circular pan that is seen between the legs, is a receptacle for the ashes or cinders that fall down through the grate above. c is a sheet-iron vessel, tinned on the inside, the bottom of which fits into the top of b; and the cock in c is to let off the wort, as will be seen hereafter. d is the lid of this vessel. e is made of sheet-iron, tinned inside and out, and full of holes to act as a strainer. it is to hold the malt first, and the hops afterwards; it goes into c, as may be seen in figure a. in the middle of e is a round space, f, made of the same metal, and rising up from the bottom, having itself no bottom. it has holes in it all the way up, like the outer surface of e.--in preparing for brewing, the machine is put together as in a, except placing on the lid. the first thing is to put the malt, coarsely ground, into e, and no part into f, or into the circular space between c and e; otherwise e cannot act as a strainer, when the liquor is drawn off; and in this consists its principal use. having put in the malt, then add the water which of course flows into any part of the vessel c. stir the malt well with a stick, or with something that will separate it completely, so that no adhesion may be formed by the flour of the malt. this is very apt to be the case in the common mode of brewing, when water is poured hot upon the malt; but here the water is applied in a cold state, so that there is little trouble in separating the malt completely in the water. if the small machine be used, which is adapted to a bushel of malt, and the beer is to be fully equal in strength to london porter, then eighteen gallons to the bushel may be considered as the general estimate; and for this purpose the first mash is to receive twelve gallons of cold soft water, which will produce nine gallons of wort. having stirred the malt very carefully, light the fire under it, and get the liquor quickly to or degrees of heat. this may be ascertained by lifting off the lid, and dipping the thermometer from time to time into the centre f, and keeping it there a minute to give the quicksilver time to rise. while the mash is coming to this heat, stir the malt well three or four times. when the liquor has acquired its proper heat, put out the fire, and cover the whole of the machine with sacks, or something that will exclude the external air. in this state the mash remains for two hours: the cock is then turned, and nine gallons of wort will be drained off. put the wort into a tub of some sort, and keep it warm. then put into the machine twelve gallons more of water, rekindle the fire, and bring the heat to degrees as soon as possible; when this is done, extinguish the fire, and let the mash now stand an hour. draw off the second wort; and if only one sort of beer is wanted, add it to the first quantity. now take out the grains, lift out e, clean it well, and also the inside of c. replace e, put the hops into it, and the whole of the wort into the machine. cover it with the lid, light the fire a third time, and bring the liquor to a boil as soon as possible. let it boil a full hour with the lid off, and boil briskly all the time. the use of the centre f will now appear; for the machine being nearly full to the brim, the bubbling takes place in the centre f only, where there are no hops. there is a great boiling over in this centre, but the liquor sent up falls into e, and so there is no boiling over of c. when the full hour of brisk boiling has expired, put out the fire, draw off the liquor, leaving the hops of course in e. the liquor is now to go into shallow coolers; and when the heat is reduced to degrees, take out about a gallon of the liquor, and mix it with half a pint of good yeast. distribute it equally among the different parcels of wort, afterwards mix the whole together, and leave the liquor till it comes down to about sixty degrees of heat. the next removal is into the tun-tub, in which capacity c, without the addition of e, will serve very well. while the liquor is cooling, remove the spent hops from e, the stove pipe from b, the ash-receiver from the bottom. the machine remaining now as a tun-tub, draw off the liquor as soon as it is down to degrees; or take it out of the coolers, pour it into the tun-tub, and put on the lid. if the weather be very cold, or the tun-tub be in a cold place, cover it with something to keep it warm. here the fermentation takes place, sometimes sooner and sometimes later; but it generally shows itself by a head beginning to rise in about eight or ten hours; and at the end of eight and forty hours the head assumes a brownish appearance, and is covered with yeast instead of froth. the beer is then to be tunned into well-seasoned casks, sweet and sound, or all the expense and labour will be lost. the cask being fixed on the stand in the cellar, and the beer ready, skim off the yeast, and keep it in a deep earthen vessel. draw off the beer into a pail, and with the help of a wooden funnel fill the cask quite full. the beer will now begin to ferment again, and must be allowed to discharge itself from the bung-hole. when the working has ceased, the cask is again filled up with the surplus beer; and a handful of fresh hops being added, the bung is finally closed down. if the whole process has been properly attended to, such a cask of beer will be clear in a week; and as soon as clear it may be tapped. small beer may be tapped in less time. on a larger scale, or with casks of a smaller size, two sorts may be made, ale and small beer, taking the first wort for the former, and the second for the latter.--the advantages attending the patent machine are very obvious; for though the process appears to be minute, it is easily conducted, and but little time is required for the purpose. in the common method of brewing, the water must be carried from the copper to the mash-tub, while the machine serves for both purposes at once. with the common utensils the process is necessarily much slower, and the fuel consumed is nearly ten times as much; but the great convenience of all is the little room required and the place of brewing. in the common way there is wanted a copper fixed in brick-work, and for a family of any considerable size a brewhouse is indispensable. on the contrary, the machine is set up opposite any fire place, and the pipe enters the chimney, or is put into the fire place. there is no boiling over, no slopping about; and the operation may be performed upon a boarded floor, as well as upon a brick or stone floor. if there be no fire place in the room, the pipe can be projected through an opening in the window, or through the outside of any sort of building, not liable to suffer from the heat of the pipe. even a garden walk, a court, or open field will answer the purpose, provided there be no rain, and the mash-tub be kept sufficiently warm. when the brewing is finished, the machine should be well scalded, rubbed dry, and kept in a dry place. the two coolers, g g, placed on different casks, have no necessary connection with the machine. they are made of wood or cast-iron, of a size to fit one within another to save room. the patent machine is sold by messrs. needham and co. , piccadilly, london. the price of one for brewing a bushel of malt is £ , for two bushels £ , for three £ , for four £ , for five £ , and for six £ . if the article be thought expensive, a few neighbouring families might unite in the purchase, and the money would very soon be more than saved in the economy of brewing. bride cake. mix together a pound of dried flour, two drams of powdered mace, and a quarter of a pound of powdered loaf sugar. add a quarter of a pint of cream, and half a pound of melted butter; a quarter of a pint of yeast, five eggs, with half of the whites beaten up with the yolks, and a gill of rose water. having warmed the butter and cream, mix them together, and set the whole to rise before the fire. pick and clean half a pound of currants, put them in warm and well dried. bright bars of polished stoves, may be restored to their proper lustre, by rubbing them well with some of the following mixture on a piece of broad-cloth. boil slowly one pound of soft soap in two quarts of water, till reduced to one. of this jelly take three or four spoonfuls, and mix it to a consistence with the addition of emery. when the black is removed, wipe them clean, and polish with glass, not sand-paper. brisket of beef, if intended to be stewed, should have that part of it put into a stewpot which has the hard fat upon it, with a small quantity of water. let it boil up, and skim it well; then add carrots, turnips, onions, celery, and a few pepper corns. stew it till it is quite tender; then take out the fat bones, and remove all the fat from the soup. either serve that and the meat in a tureen, or the soup alone, and the meat on a dish, garnished with vegetables. the following sauce with the beef, will be found to be very excellent.--take half a pint of the soup, and mix it with a spoonful of ketchup, a glass of port wine, a tea-spoonful of made mustard, a little flour and salt, and a bit of butter. boil all together a few minutes, and pour it round the meat. chop capers, walnuts, red cabbage, pickled cucumbers, and chives or parsley, small, and place them in separate heaps over it. broad beans. boil them tender, with a bunch of parsley, which must afterwards be chopped and put into melted butter, to serve with them. bacon or pickled pork is usually boiled with the beans, but the meat will be of a better colour, if boiled separately. brocoli. to dress brocoli, cut the heads with short stalks, and pare off the tough skin. tie the small shoots into bunches, and boil them a shorter time than the heads. a little salt should be put into the water. serve them up with or without toast. broiling. cleanliness is extremely necessary in this mode of cookery; and for this purpose the gridiron, which is too frequently neglected, ought to be carefully attended to, keeping it perfectly clean between the bars, and bright on the top. when hot, wipe it well with a linen cloth; and before using it, rub the bars with mutton suet, to prevent the meat being marked by the gridiron. the bars should be made with a small gutter in them to carry off the gravy into a trough in front, to prevent the fat from dropping into the fire and making a smoke, which will spoil the flavour of the meat. upright gridirons are therefore the best, as they can be set before the fire, without fear of smoke, and the gravy is preserved in the trough under them. a brisk and clear fire is also indispensable, that the bars of the gridiron may all be hot through before any thing be laid upon them, yet not so as to burn the meat, but to give it that colour and flavour which constitute the perfection of this mode of cooking. never hasten any thing that is broiling, lest it be smoked and spoiled; but the moment it is done, send it up as hot as possible. broiled cod. cut the fish in thick slices, dry and flour it well; rub the gridiron with chalk, set it on a clear fire, and lay on the slices of cod. keep them high from the fire, turn them often, till they are quite done, and of a fine brown. take them up carefully without breaking, and serve with lobster or shrimp sauce. broiled eels. skin and clean a large eel, cut it in pieces and broil it slowly over a good fire. dust it well with dried parsley, and serve it up with melted butter. broiled fowl. cut a large fowl into four quarters, put them on a bird-spit, and tie that on another spit, and half roast. or half roast the whole fowl, and finish it on the gridiron, which will make it less dry than if wholly broiled. another way is to split the fowl down the back, pepper, salt, and broil it, and serve with mushroom sauce. broiled herrings. flour them first, broil them of a good colour, and serve with plain butter for sauce. broiled pigeons. after cleaning, split the backs, pepper and salt them, and broil them very nicely. pour over them either stewed or pickled mushrooms in melted butter, and serve them up as hot as possible. broiled salmon. cut slices an inch thick, and season with pepper and salt. lay each slice in half a sheet of white paper, well buttered; twist the ends of the paper, and broil the slices over a slow fire six or eight minutes. serve them in the paper, with anchovy sauce. broken china. to repair any article of this description, beat some lime into the finest powder, and sift it through muslin. tie some of it into a thin muslin, put on the edges of the broken china some white of an egg, and dust on a little lime as quickly as possible; but be careful to unite the broken parts very exactly. broth. a very nourishing kind of broth for weakly persons may be made as follows. boil two pounds of loin of mutton, with a large handful of chervil, in two quarts of water, till reduced to one. any other herb or roots may be added. remove part of the fat, and take half a pint three or four times a day. if a broth is wanted to be made quickly, take a bone or two of a neck or loin of mutton, pare off the fat and the skin, set it on the fire in a small tin saucepan that has a cover, with three quarters of a pint of water, the meat being first beaten, and cut in thin bits. put in a bit of thyme and parsley, and if approved, a slice of onion. let it boil very quick, skim it nicely; take off the cover, if likely to be too weak; otherwise keep it covered. half an hour is sufficient for the whole process. brown gravy. cover the bottom of a stewpan with lean veal an inch thick, overlay it with slices of undressed gammon, two or three onions, two or three bay leaves, some sweet herbs, two blades of mace, and three cloves. cover the stewpan, and set it over a slow fire; but when the juices come out, let the fire be a little quicker. when the meat is of a fine brown, fill the pan with good beef-broth, boil and skim it, then simmer it an hour. add a little water, thickened with flour; boil it half an hour, and strain it. gravy thus made will keep a week. brown bread ice. grate some brown bread as fine as possible, soak a small proportion in cream two or three hours, sweeten and ice it. brown bread pudding. half a pound of stale brown bread grated, half a pound of currants, ditto of shred suet, sugar and nutmeg. mix it up with four eggs, a spoonful of brandy, and twice as much cream. boil it in a cloth or bason of proper size three or four hours. browning. powder four ounces of double-refined sugar, put it into a very nice iron fryingpan, with one ounce of fresh butter. mix it well over a clear fire; and when it begins to froth, hold it up higher: when of a very fine dark brown, pour in a small quantity of a pint of port, and the whole by very slow degrees, stirring it all the time. put to the above half an ounce of jamaica, and the same of black pepper, six cloves of shalots peeled, three blades of mace bruised, three spoonfuls of mushroom and the same of walnut ketchup, some salt, and the finely-pared rind of a lemon. boil gently fifteen minutes, pour it into a bason till cold, take off the scum, and bottle it for use. this article is intended to colour and flavour made-up dishes. bruises. when the contusion is slight, fomentations of warm vinegar and water, frequently applied, will generally relieve it. cataplasms of fresh cow-dung applied to bruises, occasioned by violent blows or falls, will seldom fail to have a good effect. nothing however is more certainly efficacious than a porter plaster immediately applied to the part affected. boil some porter in an earthen vessel over a slow fire till it be well thickened; and when cold spread it on a piece of leather to form the intended plaster. bubble and squeak. boil, chop and fry some cabbage, with a little butter, pepper and salt. lay on it slices of underdone beef, lightly fried. bugs. dip a sponge or brush into a strong solution of vitriol, and rub it on the bedstead, or in the places where these vermin harbour, and it will destroy both them and their nits. if the bugs appear after once using it, the application must be repeated, and some of the liquid poured into the joints and holes of the bedstead and headboard. beds that have much woodwork require to be taken down and well examined, before they can be thoroughly cleared of these vermin, and the mixture should be rubbed into all the joints and crevices with a painter's brush. it should also be applied to the walls of the room to insure success; and if mixed with a little lime, it will produce a lively yellow. the boiling of any kind of woodwork or household furniture in an iron cauldron, with a solution of vitriol, will prevent the breeding of bugs, and preserve it from rottenness and decay. sulphur made into a paste, or arsenic dissolved in water, and applied in the same manner, will also be found an effectual remedy for the bugs. but if these do not completely succeed, take half a pint of the highest rectified spirits of wine, and half a pint of spirits of turpentine; dissolve in this mixture half an ounce of camphor, and shake them well together. dust the bed or the furniture, dip a sponge or brush into the mixture, wet them all over, and pour some of the liquid into the holes and crevices. if any should afterwards appear, wet the lacings of the bed, the foldings of the curtains near the rings, and other parts where it is at all likely the bugs may nestle and breed, and it will not fail to destroy them. the smell of this mixture is not unwholesome, and may be applied to the finest damask bed without any fear of soiling it. it should be well shaked together, but never used by candle-light, for fear of its taking fire. bullace cheese. to every quart of full ripe bullace, add a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar finely powdered. put them into a pot, and bake them in a moderate oven till they are soft. rub them through a hair sieve; to every pound of pulp add half a pound of loaf sugar powdered, and in the meantime keep it stirring. pour the pulp into preserving pots, tie brandy paper over; and keep them in a dry place. when it has stood a few months, it will cut out very bright and fine. buns. to make a good plain bun, that may be eaten with or without toasting and butter, rub four ounces of butter into two pounds of flour, four ounces of sugar, a nutmeg, a few jamaica peppers, and a dessert-spoonful of caraways. put a spoonful or two of cream into a cup of yeast, and as much good milk as will make the above into a light paste. set it to rise by the fire till the oven be ready, and bake the buns quickly on tins.--to make some of a richer sort, mix one pound and a half of dried flour with half a pound of sugar. melt eighteen ounces of butter in a little warm water, add six spoonfuls of rose-water, and knead the above into a light dough, with half a pint of yeast. then mix in five ounces of caraway comfits, and put some on them. burns. in slight cases, the juice of onions, a little ink or brandy rubbed immediately on the part affected, will prevent blisters. the juice of burdock, mixed with an equal quantity of olive oil, will make a good ointment for the purpose, and the fresh leaves of that plant may also be applied as a kind of plaster. houseleek used by itself, or mixed with cream, will afford quick relief in external inflammations. a little spirit of turpentine, or linseed oil, mixed with lime water, if kept constantly to the part will remove the pain. but warm vinegar and water, frequently applied with a woollen cloth, is most to be depended on in these cases. burnt cream. boil a pint of cream with a stick of cinnamon, and some lemon peel. take it off the fire, and pour it very slowly into the yolks of four eggs, stirring it till half cold. sweeten it, take out the spice, and pour it into a dish. when cold, strew over it some white pounded sugar, and brown it with a salamander. or, make a rich custard without sugar, and boil in it some lemon peel. when cold, sift over it plenty of white sugar, and brown the top with a salamander. butter. no one article of family consumption is of greater consequence than butter of a superior quality, and no one requires more care and management. it possesses various degrees of goodness, according to the food on which the cows are pastured, and the manner in which the dairy is conducted; but its sweetness is not affected by the cream being turned, of which it is made. when cows are in turnips, or eat cabbages, the taste is strong and disagreeable; and to remedy this, the following methods have been tried with advantage. when the milk is strained into the pans, put to every six gallons one gallon of boiling water. or dissolve one ounce of nitre in a pint of spring water, and put a quarter of a pint to every fifteen gallons of milk. or, in churning, keep back a quarter of a pint of sour cream, and put it into a well-scalded pot, into which the next cream is to be gathered. stir that well, and do so with every fresh addition.--to make butter, skim the milk in the summer, when the sun has not heated the dairy. at that season it should stand for butter twenty-four hours without skimming, and forty-eight in winter. deposit the cream-pot in a very cold cellar, unless the dairy itself is sufficiently cold. if you cannot churn daily, shift the cream into scalded fresh pots; but never omit churning twice a week. if possible, place the churn in a thorough air; and if not a barrel one, set it in a tub of water two feet deep, which will give firmness to the butter. when the butter is come, pour off the buttermilk, and put the butter into a fresh scalded pan, or tubs, which have afterwards been in cold water. pour water on it, and let it lie to acquire some hardness before it is worked; then change the water, and beat it with flat boards so perfectly, that not the least taste of buttermilk remain, and that the water which must be often changed, shall be quite clear. then work some salt into it, weigh, and make it into forms; throw them into cold water, in an earthen pan with a cover. nice cool butter will then be had in the hottest weather. it requires more working in hot than in cold weather; but care should be taken at all times not to leave a particle of buttermilk, or a sour taste, as is too often done.--to preserve butter, take two parts of the best common salt, one part of fine loaf-sugar, and one of saltpetre; beat them well together. to sixteen ounces of butter, thoroughly cleansed from the milk, add one ounce of this mixture: work it well, and pot down the butter when it becomes firm and cold. butter thus preserved is the better for keeping, and should not be used under a month. this article should be kept from the air, and is best in pots of well-glazed ware, that will hold from ten to fourteen pounds each. put some salt on the top; and when that is turned to brine, if not enough to cover the butter entirely, add some strong salt and water. it then requires only to be covered from the dust, and will be good for winter use.--in purchasing butter at market, recollect that if fresh, it ought to smell like a nosegay, and be of an equal colour throughout. if sour in smell, it has not been sufficiently washed: if veiny and open, it is probably mixed with stale butter, or some of an inferior quality. to ascertain the quality of salt butter, put a knife into it, and smell it when drawn out: if there is any thing rancid or unpleasant, the butter is bad. salt butter being made at different times, the layers in casks will greatly vary; and it is not easy to ascertain its quality, except by unhooping the cask, and trying it between the staves. butter dish. roll butter in different forms, like a cake or a pine, and mark it with a tea-spoon. or roll it in crimping rollers, work it through a cullender, or scoop it with a tea-spoon; mix it with grated beef, tongue, or anchovies. garnish with a wreath of curled parsley, and it will serve as a little dish. buttermilk, if made of sweet cream, is a delicious and very wholesome article of food. those who can relish sour buttermilk, will find it still more light, and it is reckoned very beneficial in consumptive cases. if not very sour, it is also as good as cream to eat with fruit; but it should be sweetened with white sugar, and mixed with a very little milk. it does equally well for cakes and rice puddings, and of course it is economical to churn before the cream is too stale for any thing but to feed pigs.--the celebrated dr. boerhaäve recommended the frequent use of sweet buttermilk in all consumptive cases, and that it should form the whole of the patient's drink, while biscuits and rusks, with ripe and dried fruits of various kinds, should chiefly be depended on as articles of food. for this purpose take the milk from the cow into a small churn; in about ten minutes begin churning, and continue till the flakes of butter swim about pretty thick, and the milk is discharged of all the oily particles, and appears thin and blue. strain it through a sieve, and let the patient drink it as frequently as possible. buttermilk pudding. warm three quarts of new milk, turn it with a quart of buttermilk, and drain the curd through a sieve. when dry pound in a marble mortar, with nearly half a pound of sugar, a lemon boiled tender, the crumb of a roll grated, a nutmeg grated, six bitter almonds, four ounces of warm butter, a tea-cupful of good cream, the yolks of five and whites of three eggs, a glass of sweet wine and a glass of brandy. when well incorporated, bake in small cups or bowls well buttered. if the bottom be not brown, use a salamander; but serve as quick as possible, and with pudding sauce. buttered crabs. pick out the inside when boiled, beat it up in a little gravy, with wine, pepper, salt, nutmeg, a few crumbs of bread, a piece of butter rolled in a little flour, and some vinegar or lemon juice. serve it up hot. buttered eggs. beat four or five eggs, yolk and white together; put a quarter of a pound of butter in a bason, and then put that into boiling water. stir it till melted, then put that butter and the eggs into a saucepan; keep a bason in your hand, just hold the saucepan in the other over a slow part of the fire, shaking it one way, as it begins to warm. pour it into the bason and back again, then hold it over the fire, stirring it constantly in the saucepan, and pouring it into the bason, more perfectly to mix the egg and butter, until they shall be hot without boiling. serve on toasted bread, or in a bason, to eat with salt fish or red herrings. buttered loaf. take three quarts of new milk, and add as much rennet as is sufficient to turn it; then break the curd, and drain off all the whey through a clean cloth. pound it in a stone mortar, add the white of one and the yolks of six eggs, a good handful of grated bread, half as much of fine flour, and a little salt. mix them well together with the hand, divide the whole into four round loaves, and place them upon white paper. after they are well buttered, varnish them all over with a feather, dipped in the yolk of an egg stirred up with a little beer. set the loaves in a quick oven three quarters of an hour; while baking, take half a pound of new butter, add to it four spoonfuls of water, half a nutmeg grated, and sugar sufficient to sweeten it. stir them together over the fire till they boil; when sufficiently thickened, draw the loaves from the oven, open their tops, pour in the butter and sugar, and send them up with sugar strewed over them. buttered lobsters. pick out the meat, cut and warm it, with a little weak brown gravy, nutmeg, salt, pepper, butter, and a little flour. if done white, a little white gravy and cream. buttered oranges. grate off a little of the outside rind of four seville oranges, and cut a round hole at the blunt end opposite the stalk, large enough to take out the pulp and seeds and juice. then pick the seeds and skin from the pulp, rub the oranges with a little salt, and lay them in water for a short time. the bits cut out are to be saved. boil the fruit in fresh water till they are tender, shifting the water to take out the bitterness. in the meantime make a thin syrup with fine sugar, put the oranges into it, and boil them up. as the quantity of syrup need not be enough to cover them, turn them round, that each part may partake of the syrup, and let them remain in it hot till they are wanted. about half an hour before serving, put some sugar to the pulp, and set it over the fire; mix it well, and let it boil. then add a spoonful of white wine for every orange, give it a boil, put in a bit of fresh butter, and stir it over the fire to thicken. fill the oranges with it, and serve them with some of the syrup in the dish, with the bits on the top. buttered orange-juice. mix the juice of seven seville oranges with four spoonfuls of rose-water, and add the yolks of eight and the whites of four eggs well beaten. strain the liquor on half a pound of sugar pounded, stir it over a gentle fire; and when it begins to thicken, add a piece of butter the size of a small walnut. keep it over the fire a few minutes longer, then pour it into a flat dish, and serve it to eat cold. if no silver saucepan for the purpose, do it in a china bason in a saucepan of boiling water, the top of which will just receive the bason. buttered prawns. take them out of the husk; warm them with a little good gravy, a bit of butter and flour, a taste of nutmeg, pepper and salt. simmer them together a minute or two, and serve with sippets; or with cream sauce, instead of brown. shrimps are done in the same manner. buttered rice. wash and pick some rice, drain, and set it on the fire, with new milk sufficient to make it swell. when tender, pour off the milk, and add a bit of butter, a little sugar and pounded cinnamon. shake and keep it from burning on the fire, and serve it up as a sweet dish. c. cabbage. wash and pick it carefully, and if very large, quarter it. put it into a saucepan with plenty of boiling-water, and a large spoonful of salt; if any scum rises, take it off, and boil it till the stalk is tender. keep the vegetable well covered with water all the time of boiling, and see that no smoke or dirt arises from stirring the fire. with careful management the cabbage will look as beautiful when dressed, as it did when growing. the flavour of an old cabbage may be much improved, by taking it up when half done, and putting it directly into another saucepan of fresh boiling water. when taken up, drain it in a cullender. it may be chopped and warmed with a piece of butter, pepper and salt, or sent to table whole with melted butter. savoys and greens in general are dressed in the same way. cakes. in making and baking cakes the following particulars should be attended to. the currants should be nicely picked and washed, dried in a cloth, and set before the fire. if damp, they will make cakes or puddings heavy. before they are added, a dust of dry flour should be scattered among them, and then shaken together, which will make the cake or pudding lighter. eggs should be beaten a long time, whites and yolks apart, and always strained. sugar should be rubbed to a powder on a clean board, and sifted through a fine hair or lawn sieve. lemon peel requires to be pared very thin, and with a little sugar beaten to a paste in a marble mortar. it should then be mixed with a little wine or cream, so as to divide easily among the other ingredients. after all the articles are put into the pan, they should be long and thoroughly beaten, as the lightness of the cake depends much on their being well incorporated. both black and white plumb cakes, being made with yeast, require less butter and eggs, and eat equally light and rich. if the leaven be only of flour, milk and water, and yeast, it becomes more tough, and is less easily divided, than if the butter be first put with those ingredients, and the dough afterwards set to rise by the fire. the heat of the oven is of great importance for cakes, especially large ones. if not pretty quick, the batter will not rise; and if too quick, put some white paper over the cake to prevent its being burnt. if not long enough lighted to have a body of heat, or it is become slack, the cake will be heavy. to know when it is soaked, take a broad-bladed knife that is very bright, and thrust it into the centre; draw it out instantly, and if the paste in any degree adheres, return the cake to the oven, and close it up. if the heat is sufficient to raise but not to soak the baking, a little fresh fuel should be introduced, after taking out the cakes and keeping them hot, and then returning them to the oven as quickly as possible. particular care however should be taken to prevent this inconvenience, when large cakes are to be baked. cake trifle. bake a rice cake in a mould; and when cold, cut it round with a sharp knife, about two inches from the edge, taking care not to perforate the bottom. put in a thick custard, and some spoonfuls of raspberry jam; and then put on a high whip. calf's feet broth. boil two feet in three quarts of water till reduced to half the quantity; strain it, and set it by. when to be used, take off the fat, put a large tea-cupful of the jelly into a saucepan, with half a glass of sweet wine, a little sugar and nutmeg, and heat it up till it be ready to boil. then take a little of it, and beat it by degrees to the yolk of an egg, adding a bit of butter the size of a nutmeg; stir it all together, but do not let it boil. grate a little fresh lemon peel into it.--another way is to boil two calves' feet with two ounces of veal, and two of beef, the bottom of a penny loaf, two or three blades of mace, half a nutmeg, and a little salt, in three quarts of water, till reduced to half the quantity. then strain it, and take off the fat. calf's feet jelly. boil two feet, well cleaned, in five pints of water till they are broken, and the water half wasted. strain it, take off the fat when cold, and remove the jelly from the sediment. put it into a saucepan, with sugar, raisin wine, lemon juice and lemon peel. when the flavour is rich, add the whites of five eggs well beaten, and their shells broken. set the saucepan on the fire, but do not stir the jelly after it begins to warm. let it boil twenty minutes after it rises to a head, then pour it through a flannel bag, first dipping the jelly bag in hot water to prevent waste, and squeezing it quite dry. run the jelly repeatedly through the bag, until it is quite clear, and then put it into glasses or forms. the following method will greatly facilitate the clearing of the jelly. when the mixture has boiled twenty minutes, throw in a tea-cupful of cold water; let it boil five minutes longer, then take the saucepan off the fire covered close, and keep it half an hour. it will afterwards be so clear as to need only once running through the bag, and much waste will be prevented.--another way to make jelly is to take three calf's feet, or two cow-heels, that have been only scalded, and boil them in four quarts of water, till it be half wasted. remove the jelly from the fat and sediment, mix with it the juice of a seville orange and twelve lemons, the peels of three ditto, the whites and shells of twelve eggs, brown sugar to taste, nearly a pint of raisin wine, one ounce of coriander seed, a quarter of an ounce of allspice, a bit of cinnamon, and six cloves, all bruised and previously mixed together. the jelly should boil fifteen minutes without stirring, and then be cleared through a flannel bag. take a little of the jelly while running, mix it with a tea-cupful of water in which a piece of beet root has been boiled, and run it through the bag when all the rest is run out. the other jelly being cooled on a plate, this will serve to garnish it. jelly made in this way will have a fine high colour and flavour. but in all cases, to produce good jelly, the feet should only be scalded to take off the hair. those who sell them ready prepared generally boil them too long, and they become in consequence less nutricious. if scalded only, the liquor will require greater care in removing the fat; but the jelly will be far stronger, and of course allow more water. jelly is equally good if made of cow-heels nicely cleaned, and will be much stronger than what is made from calf's feet. calf's feet pudding. boil four feet quite tender, pick off the meat, and chop it fine. add some grated bread, a pound of chopped suet, half a pint of milk, six eggs, a pound of currants, four ounces of citron, two ounces of candied peel, a grated nutmeg, and a glass of brandy. butter the cloth and flour it, tie it close, and boil it three hours. calf's head boiled. clean it carefully and soak it in water, that it may look very nice, and take out the brains for sauce. wash them well, tie them up in a cloth, with a little sage and parsley; put them into the pot at the same time with the head, and scum the water while boiling. a large head will take two hours, and when the part which joined the neck becomes tender it is done. take up the brains and chop them with the sage and parsley, and an egg boiled hard. put them into a saucepan with a bit of butter, pepper and salt, and warm them up. peel the tongue, lay it in the middle of the dish, with the brain sauce round it. strew over the head some grated bread and chopped parsley, and brown it by the fire in a separate dish, adding bacon, pickled pork, and greens. calf's head collared. scald the skin off a fine head, clean it nicely, and take out the brains. boil it tender enough to remove the bones, and season it high with mace, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. put a layer of chopped parsley, then a quantity of thick slices of fine ham, or a beautiful coloured tongue skinned, and then the yolks of six nice yellow eggs stuck here and there about. roll the head quite close, and tie it up tight, placing a cloth under the tape, as for other collars. boil it, and then lay a weight upon it. calf's head fricasseed. clean and half-boil part of a head; cut the meat into small bits, and put it into a tosser, with a little gravy made of the bones, some of the water it was boiled in, a bunch of sweet herbs, an onion, and a blade of mace. the cockscombs of young cockrels may be boiled tender, and then blanched, or a sweetbread will do as well. season the gravy with a little pepper, nutmeg, and salt. rub down some flour and butter, and give all a boil together. then take out herbs and onion, and add a small cup of cream, but do not boil it in. serve with small bits of bacon rolled up and forcemeat balls. calf's head hashed. when half boiled, cut off the meat in slices, half an inch thick, and two or three inches long. brown some butter, flour, and sliced onion; and throw in the slices with some good gravy, truffles and morels. give it one boil, skim it well and set it in a moderate heat to simmer till very tender. season at first with pepper, salt, and cayenne; and ten minutes before serving, throw in some shred parsley, and a very small bit of taragon and knotted marjoram cut as fine as possible. send it up with forcemeat balls, and bits of bacon rolled round, adding the squeeze of a lemon.--another way is to boil the head almost enough, and take the meat of the best side neatly off the bone with a sharp knife. lay this into a small dish, wash it over with the yolks of two eggs, and cover it with crumbs, a few herbs nicely shred, a little pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg all mixed together first. set the dish before the fire, and turn it now and then, that all parts of the head may be equally brown. in the mean time slice the remainder of the head, peel the tongue and slice it. put a pint of good gravy into a pan with an onion, and a small bunch of herbs, consisting of parsley, basil, savoury, taragon, knotted marjoram, and a little thyme. add a small quantity of salt and cayenne, a few truffles and morels, and two spoonfuls of ketchup. then beat up half the brains, put it to the rest with a little butter and flour, and simmer the whole together. beat the other part of the brains with shred lemon peel, a little nutmeg and mace, some shred parsley and an egg. then fry it in small cakes of a beautiful yellow brown. dip some oysters into the yolk of an egg, and do the same; and also some relishing forcemeat balls, made as for mock turtle. garnish with these, and small bits of bacon just made hot before the fire. calf's head pie. stew a knuckle of veal till fit for eating, with two onions, a few isinglass shavings, a bunch of herbs, a blade of mace, and a few peppercorns, in three pints of water. keep the broth for the pie. take off a bit of the meat for the balls, and let the other be eaten; but simmer the bones in the broth till it is very good. half boil the head, and cut it into square bits; put a layer of ham at the bottom, then some head, first fat and then lean, with balls and hard eggs cut in half, and so on till the dish be full; but great care must be taken not to place the pieces close, or the pie will be too solid, and there will be no space for the jelly. the meat must be first seasoned pretty well with pepper and salt, and a scrape or two of nutmeg. put a little water and gravy into the dish, cover it with a tolerably thick crust, and bake it in a slow oven. when done, fill it up with gravy, and do not cut it till quite cold. use a very sharp knife for this purpose, first cutting out a large piece, and going down to the bottom of the dish: thinner slices may afterwards be cut. the different colours, and the clear jelly, will have a beautiful marbled appearance. a small pie may be made to eat hot, and will have a good appearance, if seasoned high with oysters, mushrooms, truffles and morels. the cold pie will keep several days, and slices of it will make a handsome side-dish. if the isinglass jelly be not found stiff enough, a calf's foot or a cow heel may be used instead. to vary the colour, pickled tongue may be cut in, instead of ham. calf's head roasted. wash the head perfectly clean, stew it with oysters, tie it together and spit it, baste it well with butter and flour rubbed smooth. stew together some of the oyster liquor, gravy, butter and salt, with a few sprigs of marjoram and savoury, adding a little claret, and pour the sauce over the dish. calf's head soup. after the head has been thoroughly cleaned, put it into a stewpan with a proper quantity of water, an onion, some sweet herbs, mace and cloves, and a little pearl barley. boil it quite tender, put in some stewed celery, and season it with pepper. pour the soup into a dish, place the head in the middle, and send it hot to table. calf's head stewed. wash and soak it for an hour, bone it, take out the brains, the tongue and the eyes. make a forcemeat with two pounds of beef suet, as much lean veal, two anchovies boned and washed, the peel of a lemon, some grated nutmeg, and a little thyme. chop them up together with some grated bread, and mix in the yolks of four eggs. make part of this forcemeat into fifteen or twenty balls; boil five eggs hard, some oysters washed clean, and half a pint of fresh mushrooms, and mix with the rest of the forcemeat. stuff that part of the head where the bones were taken out, tie it up carefully with packthread, put it into two quarts of gravy or good broth, with a blade of mace, cover it close, and stew it very slowly for two hours. while the head is doing, beat up the brains with some lemon-thyme and parsley chopped very fine, some grated nutmeg, and the yolk of an egg mixed with it. fry half the brains in dripping, in little cakes, and fry the balls. when the head is done, keep it warm with the brain-cakes and balls; strain off the liquor in which the head was stewed, add to it some stewed truffles and morels, and a few pickled mushrooms. put in the other half of the brains chopped, boil them up together, and let them simmer a few minutes. lay the head into a hot dish, pour the liquor over it, and place the balls and the brain-cakes round it. for a small family, half the head will be sufficient. a lamb's head may be done in the same way. calf's heart. chop fine some suet, parsley, sweet marjoram and a boiled egg. add some grated bread, lemon peel, pepper, salt and mustard. mix them together in a paste, and stuff the heart with it, after it has been well washed and cleaned. if done carefully, it is better baked than roasted. serve it up quite hot, with gravy and melted butter. calf's kidney. chop veal kidney, and some of the fat; likewise a little leek or onion, pepper, and salt. roll the kidney up with an egg into balls, and fry it.--a calf's heart should be stuffed and roasted as a beef's heart; or sliced and made into a pudding, the same as for a steak or kidney pudding. calf's liver. there are several ways of making this into a good dish. one is to broil it, after it has been seasoned with pepper and salt. then rub a bit of cold butter over, and serve it up hot and hot.--if the liver is to be roasted, first wash and wipe it, then cut a long hole in it, and stuff it with crumbs of bread, chopped anchovy, herbs, fat bacon, onion, salt, pepper, a bit of butter, and an egg. sew up the liver, lard or wrap it in a veal caul, and put it to the fire. serve it with good brown gravy, and currant jelly.--if the liver and lights are to be dressed together, half boil an equal quantity of each; then cut them in a middling-sized mince, add a spoonful or two of the water that boiled it, a bit of butter, flour, salt and pepper. simmer them together ten minutes, and serve the dish up hot. calf's sweetbreads. these should be half boiled, and then stewed in white gravy. add cream, flour, butter, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. or do them in brown sauce seasoned. or parboil, and then cover them with crumbs, herbs, and seasoning, and brown them in a dutch oven. serve with butter, and mushroom ketchup, or gravy. calves. the general method of rearing calves consumes so much of the milk of the dairy, that it is highly necessary to adopt other means, or the calves must be sold to the butcher while they are young. a composition called linseed milk, made of linseed oil-cake powdered, and gradually mixed with skim-milk sweetened with treacle, has been tried with considerable effect. it must be made nearly as warm as new milk when taken from the cow. hay tea mixed with linseed and boiled to a jelly, has likewise been tried with success. a species of water gruel, made in the following manner, is strongly recommended. put a handful or two of oatmeal into some boiling water, and after it has thickened a little, leave it to cool till it is lukewarm; mix with it two or three pints of skim-milk, and give it to the calf to drink. at first it may be necessary to make the calf drink by presenting the fingers to it; but it will soon learn to drink of itself, and will grow much faster than by any other method. according to the old custom, a calf intended to be reared is allowed to suck for six or eight weeks; and if the cow give only a moderate quantity of milk, the value of it will amount to the price of the calf in half that time. by the method now recommended, only a little oatmeal or ground barley is consumed, and a small quantity of skim-milk. the calf is also more healthy and strong, and less subject to disease. small whisps of hay should be placed round them on cleft sticks, to induce the calves to eat; and when they are weaned, they should be turned into short sweet grass; for if hay and water only are used, they are liable to swellings and the rot. the fatting of calves being an object of great importance, a greater variety of food is now provided for this purpose than formerly, and great improvements have been made in this part of rural economy. grains, potatoes, malt dust, pollard, and turnips now constitute their common aliment. but in order to make them fine and fat, they must be kept as clean as possible, with fresh litter every day. bleeding them twice before they are slaughtered, improves the beauty and whiteness of the flesh, but it may be doubted whether the meat is equally good and nutricious. if calves be taken with the scouring, which often happens in a few days after being cast, make a medicine of powdered chalk and wheat meal, wrought into a ball with some gin; and it will afford relief. the shoote is another distemper to which they are liable, and is attended with a violent cholic and the loathing of food. the general remedy in this case is milk, well mulled with eggs; or eggs and flour mixed with oil, melted butter, linseed or anniseed. to prevent the sickness which commonly attends calves about michaelmas time, take newly-churned butter, without salt, and form it into a cup the size of an egg; into this cup put three or four cloves of bruised garlic, and fill it up with tar. having put the cup down the calf's throat, pour into its nostrils half a spoonful of the spirit of turpentine, rub a little tar upon its nose, and keep it within doors for an hour. calves ought to be housed a night before this medicine is given. calico furniture. when curtains or bed furniture of this description are to be taken down for the summer, shake off the loose dust, and lightly brush them with a small long-haired furniture brush. wipe them afterwards very closely with clean flannels, and rub them with dry bread. if properly done, the curtains will look nearly as well as at first, and if the colour be not very light, they will not require washing for years. fold them up in large parcels, and put them by carefully. while the furniture remains up, it should be preserved as much as possible from the sun and air, which injure delicate colours; and the dust may be blown off with bellows. curtains may thus be kept clean, even to use with the linings after they have been washed or newly dipped. camp vinegar. slice a large head of garlic, and put it into a wide-mouthed bottle, with half an ounce of cayenne, two tea-spoonfuls of soy, two of walnut ketchup, four anchovies chopped, a pint of vinegar, and enough cochineal to give it the colour of lavender drops. let it stand six weeks; then strain it off quite clear, and keep it in small bottles sealed up. camphor julep. dissolve a quarter of an ounce of camphor in half a pint of brandy. it may thus be kept fit for use; and a tea-spoonful taken in a wine glass of cold water will be found an agreeable dose.--another way. to a quarter of an ounce of camphor, add a quart of boiling water, and a quart of cold. let it stand six hours, and strain it off for use. camphor ointment. put half an ounce of camphor into an ounce of the oil of almonds, mixed with an ounce of spermaceti. scrape fine into it half an ounce of white wax, and melt it over some hot water. camphorated oil. beat an ounce of camphor in a mortar, with two ounces of florence oil, till the camphor is entirely dissolved. this liniment is highly useful in rheumatism, spasms, and other cases of extreme pain. canaries. those who wish to breed this species of birds, should provide them a large cage, with two boxes to build in. early in april put a cock and hen together; and whilst they are pairing, feed them with soft meat, or a little grated bread, scalded rapeseed and an egg mixed together. at the same time a small net of fine hay, wool, cotton, and hair should be suspended in one corner of the cage, so that the birds may pull it out as they want it to build with. tame canaries will sometimes breed three or four times in a year, and produce their young about a fortnight after they begin to sit. when hatched, they should be left to the care of the old ones, to nurse them up till they can fly and feed themselves; during which time they should be supplied with fresh victuals every day, accompanied now and then with cabbage, lettuce, and chick-weed with seeds upon it. when the young canaries can feed themselves, they should be taken from the old ones, and put into another cage. boil a little rapeseed, bruise and mix it with as much grated bread, mace seed, and the yolk of an egg boiled hard; and supply them with a small quantity every day, that it may not become stale or sour. besides this, give them a little scalded rapeseed, and a little rape and canary seed by itself. this diet may be continued till they have done moulting, or renewed at any time when they appear unhealthy, and afterwards they may be fed in the usual manner. cancer. it is asserted by a french practitioner, that this cruel disorder may be cured in three days, by the following simple application, without any surgical operation whatever. knead a piece of dough about the size of a pullet's egg, with the same quantity of hog's lard, the older the better; and when they are thoroughly blended, so as to form a kind of salve, spread it on a piece of white leather, and apply it to the part affected. this, if it do no good, is perfectly harmless.--a plaster for an eating cancer may be made as follows. file up some old brass, and mix a spoonful of it with mutton suet. lay the plaster on the cancer, and let it remain till the cure is effected. several persons have derived great benefit from this application, and it has seldom been known to fail. candied angelica. cut angelica into pieces three inches long, boil it tender, peel and boil it again till it is green; dry it in a cloth, and add its weight in sugar. sift some fine sugar over, and let them remain in a pan two days; then boil the stalks clear and green, and let them drain in a cullender. beat another pound of sugar and strew over them, lay them on plates, and dry them well in an oven. candied fruit. take the preserve out of the syrup, lay it into a new sieve, and dip it suddenly into hot water, to take off the syrup that hangs about it. put it on a napkin before the fire to drain, and then do another layer in the sieve. sift the fruit all over with double refined sugar previously prepared, till it is quite white. set it on the shallow end of sieves in a lightly-warm oven, and turn it two or three times: it must not be cold till dry. watch it carefully, and it will be beautiful. candied peel. take out the pulps of lemons or oranges, soak the rinds six days in salt and water, and afterwards boil them tender in spring water. drain them on a sieve, make a thin syrup of loaf sugar and water, and boil the peels in it till the syrup begins to candy about them. then take out the peels, grate fine sugar over them, drain them on a sieve, and dry them before the fire. candles. those made in cold weather are best; and if put in a cool place, they will improve by keeping; but when they begin to sweat and turn rancid, the tallow loses its strength, and the candles are spoiled. a stock for winter use should be provided in autumn, and for summer, early in the spring. the best candle-wicks are made of fine cotton; the coarser yarn consumes faster, and burns less steady. mould candles burn the clearest, but dips afford the best light, their wicks being proportionally larger. caper sauce. add a table-spoonful of capers to twice the quantity of vinegar, mince one third of the capers very fine, and divide the others in half. put them into a quarter of a pint of melted butter, or good thickened gravy, and stir them the same way as the melted butter, to prevent their oiling. the juice of half a seville orange or lemon may be added. an excellent substitute for capers may be made of pickled green peas, nastursions, or gherkins, chopped into a similar size, and boiled with melted butter. when capers are kept for use, they should be covered with fresh scalded vinegar, tied down close to exclude the air, and to make them soft. capillaire. take fourteen pounds of good moist sugar, three of coarse sugar, and six eggs beaten in well with the shells, boil them together in three quarts of water, and skim it carefully. then add a quarter of a pint of orange-flower water, strain it off, and put it into bottles. when cold, mix a spoonful or two of this syrup in a little warm or cold water. carachee. mix with a pint of vinegar, two table-spoonfuls of indian soy, two of walnut pickle, two cloves of garlic, one tea-spoonful of cayenne, one of lemon pickle, and two of sauce royal. carmel cover. dissolve eight ounces of double refined sugar in three or four spoonfuls of water, and as many drops of lemon juice. put it into a copper skillet; when it begins to thicken, dip the handle of a spoon in it, and put that into a pint bason of water. squeeze the sugar from the spoon into it, and so on till all the sugar is extracted. take a bit out of the water, and if it snaps and is brittle when cold, it is done enough. but let it be only three parts cold, then pour the water from the sugar, and having a copper form oiled well, run the sugar on it, in the manner of a maze, and when cold it may be put on the dish it is intended to cover. if on trial the sugar is not brittle, pour off the water, return it into the skillet, and boil it again. it should look thick like treacle, but of a light gold colour. this makes an elegant cover for sweetmeats. carp. this excellent fish will live some time out of water, and may therefore get wasted: it is best to kill them as soon as caught, to prevent this. carp should either be boiled or stewed. scale and draw it, and save the blood. set on water in a stewpan, with a little chili vinegar, salt, and horse-radish. when it boils, put in the carp, and boil it gently for twenty minutes, according to the thickness of the fish. stew the blood with half a pint of port wine, some good gravy, a sliced onion, a little whole pepper, a blade of mace, and a nutmeg grated. thicken the sauce with butter rolled in flour, season it with pepper and salt, essence of anchovy, and mushroom ketchup. serve up the fish with the sauce poured over it, adding a little lemon juice. carp are also very nice plain boiled, with common fish sauce. carpets. in order to keep them clean, they should not frequently be swept with a whisk brush, as it wears them fast; not more than once a week, and at other times with sprinkled tea-leaves, and a hair brush. fine carpets should be done gently on the knees, with a soft clothes' brush. when a carpet requires more cleaning, take it up and beat it well, then lay it down and brush it on both sides with a hand-brush. turn it the right side upwards, and scour it clean with ox-gall and soap and water, and dry it with linen cloths. lay it on the grass, or hang it up to dry thoroughly. carraway cake. dry two pounds of good flour, add ten spoonfuls of yeast, and twelve of cream. wash the salt out of a pound of butter, and rub it into the flour; beat up eight eggs with half the whites, and mix it with the composition already prepared. work it into a light paste, set it before the fire to rise, incorporate a pound of carraway comfits, and an hour will bake it. carrier sauce. chop six shalots fine, and boil them up with a gill of gravy, a spoonful of vinegar, some pepper and salt. this is used for mutton, and served in a boat. carrole of rice. wash and pick some rice quite clean, boil it five minutes in water, strain and put it into a stewpan, with a bit of butter, a good slice of ham, and an onion. stew it over a very gentle fire till tender; have ready a mould lined with very thin slices of bacon, mix the yolks of two or three eggs with the rice, and then line the bacon with it about half an inch thick. put into it a ragout of chicken, rabbit, veal, or of any thing else. fill up the mould, and cover it close with rice. bake it in a quick oven an hour, turn it over, and send it to table in a good gravy, or curry sauce. carrots. this root requires a good deal of boiling. when young, wipe off the skin after they are boiled; when old, scrape them first, and boil them with salt meat. carrots and parsnips should be kept in layers of dry sand for winter use, and not be wholly cleared from the earth. they should be placed separately, with their necks upward, and be drawn out regularly as they stand, without disturbing the middle or the sides. carrot pudding. boil a large carrot tender; then bruise it in a marble mortar, and mix with it a spoonful of biscuit powder, or three or four little sweet biscuits without seeds, four yolks and two whites of eggs, a pint of cream either raw or scalded, a little ratifia, a large spoonful of orange or rose-water, a quarter of a nutmeg, and two ounces of sugar. bake it in a shallow dish lined with paste; turn it out, and dust a little fine sugar over it. carrot soup. put some beef bones into a saucepan, with four quarts of the liquor in which a leg of mutton or beef has been boiled, two large onions, a turnip, pepper and salt, and boil them together for three hours. have ready six large carrots scraped and sliced; strain the soup on them, and stew them till soft enough to pulp through a hair sieve or coarse cloth, with a wooden spoon; but pulp only the red part of the carrot, and not the yellow. the soup should be made the day before, and afterwards boiled with the pulp, to the thickness of peas-soup, with the addition of a little cayenne. [illustration: carving] [illustration: carving.] carving. in nothing does ceremony more frequently triumph over comfort, than in the administration of 'the honours of the table.' every one is sufficiently aware that a dinner, to be eaten in perfection, should be taken the very moment it is sent hot to table; yet few persons seem to understand, that he is the best carver who fills the plates of the greatest numbers of guests in the least portion of time, provided it be done with ease and elegance. in a mere family circle, where all cannot and ought not to be choosers, it is far better to fill the plates and send them round, rather than ask each individual what particular part they would prefer; and if in a larger company a similar plan were introduced, it would be attended with many advantages. a dexterous carver, would help half a dozen people in less time than is often wasted in making civil faces to a single guest. he will also cut fair, and observe an equitable distribution of the dainties he is serving out. it would save much time, if poultry, especially large turkeys and geese, were sent to table ready cut up. when a lady presides, the carving knife should be light, of a middling size, and of a fine edge. strength is less required than address, in the manner of using, it; and to facilitate this, the butcher should be ordered to divide the joints of the bones, especially of the neck, breast, and loin of mutton, lamb, and veal; which may then be easily cut into thin slices attached to the adjoining bones. if the whole of the meat belonging to each bone should be too thick, a small slice may be taken off between every two bones. the more fleshy joints, as fillet of veal, leg or saddle of mutton and beef, are to be helped in thin slices, neatly cut and smooth; observing to let the knife pass down to the bone in the mutton and beef joints. the dish should not be too far off the carver, as it gives an awkward appearance, and makes the task more difficult. in helping fish, take care not to break the flakes; which in cod and very fresh salmon are large, and contribute much to the beauty of its appearance. a fish knife, not being sharp, divides it best on this account. help a part of the roe, milt or liver, to each person. the heads of carp, part of those of cod and salmon, sounds of cod, and fins of turbot, are likewise esteemed niceties, and are to be attended to accordingly. in cutting up any wild fowl, duck, goose, or turkey, for a large party, if you cut the slices down from pinion to pinion, without making wings, there will be more prime pieces. but that the reader may derive the full advantage of these remarks, we shall descend to particulars, and illustrate the subject with a variety of interesting plates, which will show at the same time the manner in which game and poultry should be trussed and dished.----cod's head. fish in general requires very little carving, the fleshy parts being those principally esteemed. a cod's head and shoulders, when in season, and properly boiled, is a very genteel and handsome dish. when cut, it should be done with a fish trowel, and the parts about the backbone on the shoulders are the firmest and the best. take off a piece quite down to the bone, in the direction _a_, _b_, _c_, _d_, putting in the spoon at _a_, _c_, and with each slice of fish give a piece of the sound, which lies underneath the backbone and lines it, the meat of which is thin, and a little darker coloured than the body of the fish itself. this may be got by passing a knife or spoon underneath, in the direction of _d_, _f_. about the head are many delicate parts, and a great deal of the jelly kind. the jelly part lies about the jaw, bones, and the firm parts within the head. some are fond of the palate, and others the tongue, which likewise may be got by putting a spoon into the mouth.----edge bone of beef. cut off a slice an inch thick all the length from _a_ to _b_, in the figure opposite, and then help. the soft fat which resembles marrow, lies at the back of the bone, below _c_; the firm fat must be cut in horizontal slices at the edge of the meat _d_. it is proper to ask which is preferred, as tastes differ. the skewer that keeps the meat properly together when boiling is here shewn at _a_. this should be drawn out before it is served up; or, if it is necessary to leave the skewer in, put a silver one.----sirloin of beef may be begun either at the end, or by cutting into the middle. it is usual to enquire whether the outside or the inside is preferred. for the outside, the slice should be cut down to the bones; and the same with every following helping. slice the inside likewise, and give with each piece some of the soft fat. the inside done as follows eats excellently. have ready some shalot vinegar boiling hot: mince the meat large, and a good deal of the fat; sprinkle it with salt, and pour the shalot vinegar and the gravy on it. help with a spoon, as quickly as possible, on hot plates.----round or buttock of beef is cut in the same way as fillet of veal, in the next article. it should be kept even all over. when helping the fat, observe not to hack it, but cut it smooth. a deep slice should be cut off the beef before you begin to help, as directed above for the edge-bone.----fillet of veal. in an ox, this part is round of beef. ask whether the brown outside be liked, otherwise help the next slice. the bone is taken out, and the meat tied close, before dressing, which makes the fillet very solid. it should be cut thin, and very smooth. a stuffing is put into the flap, which completely covers it; you must cut deep into this, and help a thin slice, as likewise of fat. from carelessness in not covering the latter with paper, it is sometimes dried up, to the great disappointment of the carver.----breast of veal. one part, called the brisket, is thick and gristly; put the knife about four inches from the edge of this, and cut through it, which will separate the ribs from the brisket.----calf's head has a great deal of meat upon it, if properly managed. cut slices from _a_ to _b_, letting the knife go close to the bone. in the fleshy part, at the neck end _c_, there lies the throat sweetbread, which you should help a slice of from _c_ to _d_ with the other part. many like the eye, which must be cut out with the point of a knife, and divided in two. if the jaw-bone be taken off, there will be found some fine lean. under the head is the palate, which is reckoned a nicety; the lady of the house should be acquainted with all things that are thought so, that she may distribute them among her guests.----shoulder of mutton. this is a very good joint, and by many preferred to the leg; it being very full of gravy, if properly roasted, and produces many nice bits. the figure represents it as laid in the dish with its back uppermost. when it is first cut, it should be in the hollow part of it, in the direction of _a_, _b_, and the knife should be passed deep to the bone. the prime part of the fat lies on the outer edge, and is to be cut out in thin slices in the direction _e_. if many are at table, and the hollow part cut in the line _a_, _b_, is eaten, some very good and delicate slices may be cut out on each side the ridge of the blade-bone, in the direction _c_, _d_. the line between these two dotted lines, is that in the direction of which the edge or ridge of the blade-bone lies, and cannot be cut across.----leg of mutton. a leg of wether mutton, which is the best flavoured, may be known by a round lump of fat at the edge of the broadest part, as at _a_. the best part is in the midway, at _b_, between the knuckle and further end. begin to help there, by cutting thin deep slices to _c_. if the outside is not fat enough, help some from the side of the broad end in slices from _e_ to _f_. this part is most juicy; but many prefer the knuckle, which in fine mutton will be very tender though dry. there are very fine slices on the back of the leg: turn it up, and cut the broad end, not in the direction you did the other side, but longways. to cut out the cramp bone, take hold of the shank with your left hand, and cut down to the thigh bone at _d_; then pass the knife under the cramp bone in the direction, _d_, _g_.----fore quarter of lamb. separate the shoulder from the scoven, which is the breast and ribs, by passing the knife under in the direction of _a_, _b_, _c_, _d_; keeping it towards you horizontally, to prevent cutting the meat too much off the bones. if grass lamb, the shoulder being large, put it into another dish. squeeze the juice of half a seville orange or lemon on the other part, and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. then separate the gristly part from the ribs in the line _e_, _c_; and help either from that or from the ribs, as may be chosen.----haunch of venison. cut down to the bone in the line _a_, _b_, _c_, to let out the gravy. then turn the broad end of the haunch toward you, put in the knife at _b_, and cut as deep as you can to the end of the haunch _d_; then help in thin slices, observing to give some fat to each person. there is more fat, which is a favourite part, on the left side of _c_ and _d_ than on the other: and those who help must take care to proportion it, as likewise the gravy, according to the number of the company.--haunch of mutton is the leg and part of the loin, cut so as to resemble a haunch of venison, and is to be helped at table in the same manner.----saddle of mutton. cut long thin slices from the tail to the end, beginning close to the back bone. if a large joint, the slice may be divided. cut some fat from the sides.----ham may be cut three ways. the common method is, to begin in the middle, by long slices from _a_ to _b_, from the centre through the thick fat. this brings to the prime at first, which is likewise accomplished by cutting a small round hole on the top of the ham, as at _c_, and with a sharp knife enlarging that by cutting successive thin circles: this preserves the gravy, and keeps the meat moist. the last and most saving way is, to begin at the hock end, which many are most fond of, and proceed onwards. ham that is used for pies, &c. should be cut from the under side, first taking off a thick slice.----sucking pig. the cook usually divides the body before it is sent to table, and garnishes the dish with the jaws and ears. the first thing is, to separate a shoulder from the carcase on one side, and then the leg, according to the direction given by the dotted line _a_, _b_, _c_. the ribs are then to be divided into about two helpings, and an ear or jaw presented with them, and plenty of sauce. the joints may either be divided into two each, or pieces may be cut from them. the ribs are reckoned the finest part, but some people prefer the neck end, between the shoulders.----goose. cut off the apron in the circular line _a_, _b_, _c_, and pour into the body a glass of port wine, and a large tea-spoonful of mustard, first mixed at the sideboard. turn the neck end of the goose towards you, and cut the whole breast in long slices from one wing to another; but only remove them as you help each person, unless the company is so large as to require the legs likewise. this way gives more prime bits than by making wings. take off the leg, by putting the fork into the small end of the bone, pressing it to the body; and having passed the knife at _d_, turn the leg back, and if a young bird, it will easily separate. to take off the wing, put your fork into the small end of the pinion, and press it close to the body; then put in the knife at _d_, and divide the joint, taking it down in the direction _d_, _e_. nothing but practice will enable people to hit the joint dexterously. when the leg and wing of one side are done, go on to the other; but it is not often necessary to cut up the whole goose, unless the company be very large. there are two side bones by the wing, which may be cut off; as likewise the back and lower side bones: but the best pieces are the breast and the thighs, after being divided from the drum-sticks.----hare. the best way of cutting it up is, to put the point of the knife under the shoulder at _a_, and so cut all the way down to the rump, on one side of the back-bone, in the line _a_, _b_. do the same on the other side, so that the whole hare will be divided into three parts. cut the back into four, which with the legs is the part most esteemed. the shoulder must be cut off in a circular line, as _c_, _d_, _a_. lay the pieces neatly on the dish as you cut them; and then help the company, giving some pudding and gravy to every person. this way can only be practised when the hare is young. if old, do not divide it down, which will require a strong arm: but put the knife between the leg and back, and give it a little turn inwards at the joint; which you must endeavour to hit, and not to break by force. when both legs are taken off, there is a fine collop on each side the back; then divide the back into as many pieces as you please, and take of the shoulders, which are by many preferred, and are called the sportman's pieces. when every one is helped, cut off the head; put your knife between the upper and lower jaw, and divide them, which will enable you to lay the upper one flat on your plate; then put the point of the knife into the centre, and cut the head into two. the ears and brains may be helped then to those who like them.----carve rabbits as directed the latter way for hare; cutting the back into two pieces, which with the legs are the prime.----a fowl. the legs of a boiled fowl are bent inwards, and tucked into the belly; but before it is served, the skewers are to be removed. lay the fowl on your plate; and place the joints, as cut off, on the dish. take the wing off in the direction of _a_ to _b_, in the annexed engraving, only dividing the joint with your knife; and then with your fork lift up the pinion, and draw the wing towards the legs, and the muscles will separate in a more complete form than if cut. slip the knife between the leg and body, and cut to the bone; then with the fork turn the leg back, and the joint will give way if the bird is not old. when the four quarters are thus removed, take off the merrythought from _a_, and the neck bones; these last by putting in the knife at _c_, and pressing it under the long broad part of the bone in the line _c_, _b_. then lift it up, and break it off from the part that sticks to the breast. the next thing is, to divide the breast from the carcase, by cutting through the tender ribs close to the breast, quite down to the tail. then lay the back upwards, put your knife into the bone half-way from the neck to the rump, and on raising the lower end it will separate readily. turn the rump from you, and very neatly take off the two sidebones, and the whole will be done. as each part is taken off, it should be turned neatly on the dish, and care should be taken that what is left goes properly from table. the breast and wings are looked upon as the best parts, but the legs are most juicy in young fowls. after all, more advantage will be gained by observing those who carve well, and a little practice, than by any written directions whatever.----a pheasant. the bird in the annexed engraving is as trussed for the spit, with its head under one of its wings. when the skewers are taken out, and the bird served, the following is the way to carve it. fix a fork in the centre of the breast; slice it down in the line _a_, _b_; take off the leg on one side in the dotted line _b_, _d_; then cut off the wing on the same side in the line _c_, _d_. separate the leg and wing on the other side, and then cut off the slices of breast you divided before. be careful how you take off the wings; for if you should cut too near the neck, as at _g_, you will hit on the neck-bone, from which the wing must be separated. cut off the merrythought in the line _f_, _g_, by passing the knife under it towards the neck. cut the other parts as in a fowl. the breast, wings, and merrythought, are the most esteemed; but the leg has a higher flavour.----partridge. the partridge is here represented as just taken from the spit; but before it is served up, the skewers must be withdrawn. it is cut up in the same manner as a fowl. the wings must be taken off in the line _a_, _b_, and the merrythought in the line _c_, _d_. the prime parts of a partridge are the wings, breast, and merrythought; but the bird being small, the two latter are not often divided. the wing is considered as the best, and the tip of it reckoned the most delicate morsel of the whole.----pigeons. cut them in half, either from top to bottom or across. the lower part is generally thought the best; but the fairest way is to cut from the neck to _a_, rather than from _c_ to _b_, by _a_, which is the most fashionable. the figure represents the back of the pigeon; and the direction of the knife is in the line _c_, _b_, by _a_, if done the last way. casks. new casks are apt to give beer a bad taste, if not well scalded and seasoned before they are used. boil therefore two pecks of bran or malt dust in a copper of water, pour it hot into the cask, stop it close, and let it stand two days. then wash it clean, and dry it fit for use. old casks are apt to grow musty, if allowed to stand by neglected; they should therefore be closely stopped as soon as emptied. when tainted, put in some lime, fill up with water, and let them stand a day or two. if this be not sufficient, the head must be taken out, the inside well scoured, and the head replaced. caterpillars. these noxious insects, sustained by leaves and fruit, have been known in all ages and nations for their depredations on the vegetable world. in august and september they destroy cabbages and turnips in great abundance, and commit their ravages in fields and gardens whenever the easterly winds prevail. various means have been devised for their destruction, and any of the following which may happen to be the most convenient, may be employed with very good effect. mix and heat three quarts of water and one quart of vinegar, put in a full pound of soot, and stir it with a whisk till the whole is incorporated. sprinkle the plants with this preparation, every morning and evening, by dipping in a brush and shedding it over them; and in a few days all the cankers will disappear. or sow with hemp all the borders where cabbages are planted, so as to enclose them, and not one of these vermin will approach. when gooseberry or currant bushes are attacked, a very simple expedient will suffice. put pieces of woollen rags in every bush, the caterpillars will take refuge in them during the night, and in the morning quantities of them may thus be taken and destroyed. if this do not succeed, dissolve an ounce of alum in a quart of tobacco liquor; and as soon as the leaves of the plants or bushes appear in the least corroded, sprinkle on the mixture with a brush. if any eggs be deposited, they never come forward after this application; and if changed into worms they will sicken and die, and fall off. nothing is more effectual than to dust the leaves of plants with sulphur put into a piece of muslin, or thrown upon them with a dredging box: this not only destroys the insects, but materially promotes the health of the plants. when caterpillars attack fruit trees, they may be destroyed by a strong decoction of equal quantities of rue, wormwood, and tobacco, sprinkled on the leaves and branches while the fruit is ripening. or take a chafing-dish of burning charcoal, place it under the branches of the bush or tree, and throw on it a little brimstone. the vapour of the sulphur, and the suffocating fume arising from the charcoal, will not only destroy all the insects, but prevent the plants from being infested with them any more that season. black cankers, which commit great devastation among turnips, are best destroyed by turning a quantity of ducks into the field infested by them. every fourth year these cankers become flies, when they deposit their eggs on the ground, and thus produce maggots. the flies on their first appearance settle on the trees, especially the oak, elm, and maple: in this state they should be shaken down on packsheets, and destroyed. if this were done before they begin to deposit their eggs on the ground, the ravages of the canker would in a great measure be prevented. caudle. make a fine smooth gruel of half grits, strain it after being well boiled, and stir it at times till quite cold. when to be used, add sugar, wine, lemon peel and nutmeg. a spoonful of brandy may be added, and a little lemon juice if approved. another way is to boil up half a pint of fine gruel, with a bit of butter the size of a large nutmeg, a spoonful of brandy, the same of white wine, one of capillaire, a bit of lemon peel and nutmeg.--another. beat up the yolk of an egg with sugar, mix it with a large spoonful of cold water, a glass of wine, and nutmeg. mix it by degrees with a pint of fine gruel, not thick, but while it is boiling hot. this caudle is very agreeable and nourishing. some add a glass of beer and sugar, or a tea-spoonful of brandy.--a caudle for the sick and lying-in is made as follows. set three quarts of water on the fire, mix smooth as much oatmeal as will thicken the whole, with a pint of cold water; and when the water boils pour in the thickening, and add twenty peppercorns in fine powder. boil it up to a tolerable thickness; then add sugar, half a pint of good table beer, and a glass of gin, all heated up together. cauliflowers. choose those that are close and white, cut off the green leaves, and see that there be no caterpillars about the stalk. soak them an hour in cold water, then boil them in milk and water, and take care to skim the saucepan, that not the least foulness may fall on the flower. the vegetable should be served very white, and not boiled too much.--cauliflower dressed in white sauce should be half boiled, and cut into handsome pieces. then lay them in a stewpan with a little broth, a bit of mace, a little salt, and a dust of white pepper. simmer them together half an hour; then add a little cream, butter, and flour. simmer a few minutes longer, and serve them up.--to dress a cauliflower with parmesan, boil the vegetable, drain it on a sieve, and cut the stalk so that the flower will stand upright about two inches above the dish. put it into a stewpan with a little white sauce, and in a few minutes it will be done enough. then dish it with the sauce round, put parmesan grated over it, and brown it with a salamander. cauliflowers ragout. pick and wash the cauliflowers very clean, stew them in brown gravy till they are tender, and season with pepper and salt. put them in a dish, pour gravy on them, boil some sprigs of cauliflower white, and lay round. cayenne. those who are fond of this spice had better make it themselves of english capsicums or chillies, for there is no other way of being sure that it is genuine. pepper of a much finer flavour may be obtained in this way, without half the heat of the foreign article, which is frequently adulterated and coloured with red lead. capsicums and chillies are ripe and in good condition, during the months of september and october. the flavour of the chillies is superior to that of the capsicums, and will be good in proportion as they are dried as soon as possible, taken care that they be not burnt. take away the stalks, put the pods into a cullender, and set them twelve hours before the fire to dry. then put them into a mortar, with one fourth their weight of salt; pound and rub them till they are as fine as possible, and put the powder into a well-stopped bottle. a hundred large chillies will produce about two ounces of cayenne. when foreign cayenne is pounded, it is mixed with a considerable portion of salt, to prevent its injuring the eyes: but english chillies may be pounded in a deep mortar without any danger, and afterwards passed through a fine sieve. celery sauce. cut small half a dozen heads of clean white celery, with two sliced onions. put them into a stewpan, with a small piece of butter, and sweat them over a slow fire till quite tender. add two spoonfuls of flour, half a pint of broth, salt and pepper, and a little cream or milk. boil it a quarter of an hour, and pass it through a fine hair sieve with the back of a spoon. when celery is not in season, a quarter of a dram of celery seed, or a little of the essence, will impregnate half a pint of sauce with all the flavour of the vegetable. this sauce is intended for boiled turkey, veal, or fowls. celery soup. split half a dozen heads of celery into slips about two inches long, wash them well, drain them on a hair sieve, and put them into a soup pot, with three quarts of clear gravy. stew it very gently by the side of the fire, about an hour, till the celery is tender. if any scum arise, take it off, and season with a little salt. when celery cannot be procured, half a dram of the seed, pounded fine, will give a flavour to the soup, if put in a quarter of an hour before it is done. a little of the essence of the celery will answer the same purpose. cellars. beer and ale that have been well brewed, are often injured or spoiled in the keeping, for want of paying proper attention to the state of the cellar. it is necessary however to exclude as much as possible all external air from these depositaries, as the state of the surrounding atmosphere has a most material influence upon the liquor, even after it has been made a considerable time. if the cellar is liable to damps in the winter, it will tend to chill the liquor, and make it turn flat; or if exposed to the heat of summer, it will be sure to turn sour. the great object therefore is to have a cellar that is both cool and dry. dorchester beer, generally in high esteem, owes much of its fineness to this circumstance. the soil in that county being very chalky, of a close texture and free from damps, the cellars are always cool and dry, and the liquors are found to keep in the best possible manner. the nottingham ale derives much of its celebrity also from the peculiar construction of the cellars, which are generally excavated out of a rock of sand-stone to a considerable depth, of a circular or conical form, with benches formed all round in the same way, and on these the barrels are placed in regular succession. cerate. half a pound of white wax, half a pound of calumine stone finely powdered, and a pint and a half of olive oil, will make an excellent cerate. let the calumine be rubbed smooth with some of the oil, and added to the rest of the oil and wax, which should be previously melted together. stir them together till they are quite cold. chardoons. to dress chardoons, cut them into pieces of six inches long, and tie them in a bunch. boil them tender, then flour and fry them with a piece of butter, and when brown serve them up. or tie them in bundles, and serve them on toast as boiled asparagus, with butter poured over. another way is to boil them, and then heat them up in fricassee sauce. or boil in salt and water, dry them, dip them into butter, fry, and serve them up with melted butter. or having boiled, stew, and toss them up with white or brown gravy. add a little cayenne, ketchup, and salt, and thicken with a bit of butter and flour. charlotte. rub a baking-dish thick with butter, and line the bottom and sides with very thin slices of white bread. put in layers of apples thinly sliced, strewing sugar between, and bits of butter, till the dish is full. in the mean time, soak in warm milk as many thin slices of bread as will cover the whole; over which lay a plate, and a weight to keep the bread close on the apples. to a middling sized dish use half a pound of butter in the whole, and bake slowly for three hours. cheap soup. much nutricious food might be provided for the poor and necessitous, at a very trifling expence, by only adopting a plan of frugality, and gathering up the fragments, that nothing be lost. save the liquor in which every piece of meat, ham, or tongue has been boiled, however salt; for it is easy to use only a part of it, and to add a little fresh water. then, by the addition of more vegetables, the bones of meat used in the family, the pieces of meat that come from table on the plates, and rice, scotch barley, or oatmeal, there will be some gallons of useful soup saved. the bits of meat should only be warmed in the soup, and remain whole; the bones and sinewy parts should be boiled till they yield their nourishment. if the fragments are ready to put into the boiler as soon as the meat is served, it will save lighting the fire, and a second cooking. take turnips, carrots, leeks, potatoes, leaves of lettuce, or any sort of vegetable that is at hand; cut them small, and throw in with the thick part of peas, after they have been pulped for soup, and grits, or coarse oatmeal, which have been used for gruel. should the soup be poor of meat, the long boiling of the bones, and different vegetables, will afford better nourishment than the laborious poor can generally obtain; especially as they are rarely tolerable cooks, and have not fuel to do justice to what they buy. in almost every family there is some superfluity; and if it be prepared with cleanliness and care, the benefit will be very great to the receiver, and the satisfaction no less to the giver. the cook or servant should never be allowed to wash away as useless, the peas or grits of which soup or gruel have been made, broken potatoes, the green heads of celery, the necks and feet of fowls, and particularly the shanks of mutton; all of which are capable of adding flavour and richness to the soup. the bones, heads, and fins of fish, containing a portion of isinglass, may also be very usefully applied, by stewing them in the water in which the fish is boiled, and adding it to the soup, with the gravy that is left in the dish. if strained, it considerably improves the meat soup, particularly for the sick; and when such are to be supplied, the milder parts of the spare bones and meat should be used, with very little of the liquor of the salt meats. if a soup be wanted for the weakly and infirm, put two cow heels and a breast of mutton into a large pan, with four ounces of rice, one onion, twenty corns of jamaica pepper, and twenty black, a turnip, and carrot, and four gallons of water. cover it with white paper, and bake it six hours. cheese. this well-known article of domestic consumption, is prepared from curdled milk, cleared from the whey. it differs very much in quality and flavour, according to the pasture in which the cows feed, and the manner in which the article itself is made. the same land rarely produces very fine butter, and remarkably fine cheese; yet with proper management, it may give one pretty good, where the other excels in quality. cheese made on the same land, from new milk, skimmed or mixed milk, will differ greatly, not only in richness, but also in taste. valuable cheese may be made from a tolerable pasture, by taking the whole of two meals of milk, and proportioning the thickness of the vat to the quantity, rather than having a wide and flat one, as the former will produce the mellowest cheese. the addition of a pound of fresh-made butter of a good quality, will cause the cheese made on poor land to be of a very different quality from that usually produced by it. a few cheeses thus made, when the weather is not extremely hot, and when the cows are in full feed, are well adapted to the use of the parlour. cheese for common family use may very well be produced by two meals of skim, and one of new milk; or on good land, by the skim milk only. the principal ingredient in making cheese is the rennet, maw, or inner part of a calf's stomach, which is cleaned, salted, and hung up in paper bags to dry. the night before it is used, it is washed and soaked in a little water. when the milk is ready, being put into a large tub, warm a part of it to the degree of new milk; but if made too hot, the cheese will be tough. pour in as much rennet as will curdle the milk, and then cover it over. let it stand till completely turned; then strike the curd down several times with the skimming dish, and let it separate, still keeping it covered. there are two modes of breaking the curd, and there will be a difference in the taste of the cheese, according as either is observed. one is to gather it with the hands very gently towards the side of the tub, letting the whey pass through the fingers till it is cleared; and lading it off as it collects. the other is, to get the whey from it by early breaking the curd. the last method deprives it of many of its oily particles, and is therefore less proper. in pursuing the process, put the vat on a ladder over the tub, and fill it with curd by means of the skimmer. press the curd close with the hand, add more as it sinks, and finally leave it two inches above the edge. before the vat is filled, the cheesecloth must be laid at the bottom; and when full, drawn smooth over on all sides. in salting the cheese, two modes may be adopted; either by mixing it in the curd while in the tub, after the whey is out, or by putting it in the vat, and crumbling the curd all to pieces with it, after the first squeezing with the hand has dried it. these different methods prevail in the different parts of the country. put a board under and over the vat, and place it in the press: in two hours turn it out, and put in a fresh cheesecloth. press it again for eight or nine hours, salt it all over, and turn it again in the vat. let it stand in the press fourteen or sixteen hours, observing to put the cheeses last made undermost. before putting them the last time into the vat, pare the edges if they do not look smooth. the vat should have holes at the sides, and at the bottom, to let all the whey pass through. put on clean boards, and change and scald them. when cheese is made, care must be taken to preserve it sound and good. for this purpose wash it occasionally in warm whey, wipe it once a month, and keep it on a rack. if wanted to ripen soon, a damp cellar will bring it forward. when a whole cheese is cut, the inside of the larger quantity should be spread with butter, and the outside wiped, to preserve it. to keep those in daily use moist, let a clean cloth be wrung out from cold water, and wrapt round them when carried from the table. dry cheese may be used to advantage to grate for serving with macaroni or eating without; and any thing tending to prevent waste, is of some consequence in a system of domestic economy. to preserve cheeses from decay, lay them in an airy situation, and cover them with dried leaves of the yellow star of bethlehem. the tender branches of the common birch, will prevent the ravages of mites. if cheese get hard, and lose its flavour, pour some sweet wine over four ounces of pearlash, till the liquor ceases to ferment. filter the solution, dip into it some clean linen cloths, cover the cheese with them, and put in a cool dry place. turn the cheese every day, repeat the application for some weeks, and the cheese will recover its former flavour and goodness. cheesecakes. strain the whey from the curd of two quarts of milk; when rather dry, crumble it through a coarse sieve. with six ounces of fresh butter, mix one ounce of blanched almonds pounded, a little orange-flower water, half a glass of raisin wine, a grated biscuit, four ounces of currants, some nutmeg and cinnamon in fine powder. beat them up together with three eggs, and half a pint of cream, till quite light: then fill the pattipans three parts full.--to make a plainer sort of cheesecakes, turn three quarts of milk to curd; break it and drain off the whey. when quite dry, break it in a pan, with two ounces of butter, till perfectly smooth. add a pint and a half of thin cream or good milk, a little sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and three ounces of currants.--another way is to mix the curd of three quarts of milk, a pound of currants, twelve ounces of lisbon sugar, a quarter of an ounce of cinnamon, the same of nutmeg, the peel of one lemon chopped as fine as possible, the yolks of eight and the whites of six eggs, a pint of scalded cream and a glass of brandy. put a light thin puff paste in the pattipans, and three parts fill them. cheese puffs. strain some cheese curd from the whey, and beat half a pint of it fine in a mortar, with a spoonful and a half of flour, three eggs, but only one white. add a spoonful of orange-flower water, a quarter of a nutmeg, and sugar to make it pretty sweet. lay a little of this paste, in small round cakes, on a tin plate. if the oven be hot, a quarter of an hour will bake them. serve the puffs with pudding sauce. cherry brandy. stone ten pounds of black cherries, bruise the stones in a mortar, and put them to a gallon of the best brandy. let it stand a month close covered, pour it clear from the sediment, and bottle it. morella cherries managed in this way will make a fine rich cordial. cherry jam. to twelve pounds of ripe fruit, kentish or duke cherries, weigh one pound of sugar. break the stones of part, and blanch them; then put them to the fruit and sugar, and boil all gently till the jam comes clear from the pan. pour it into china plates to come up dry to the table, and keep it in boxes with white paper between. cherry pie. this should have a mixture of other fruit; currants or raspberries, or both. currant pie is also best with raspberries. cherry wine. mash some ripe cherries, and press them through a hair sieve. allow three pounds of lump sugar to two quarts of juice, stir them together till the sugar is dissolved, and fill a small barrel with the liquor. add a little brandy, close down the bung when it has done hissing, let it stand six months and bottle it off. cherries in brandy. weigh some fine morellas, cut off half the stalk, prick them with a new needle, and drop them into a jar or wide-mouth bottle. pound three quarters of the weight of sugar or white candy, and strew over; fill the bottle up with brandy, and tie a bladder over. chervil sauce. the flavour of this fine herb, so long a favourite with the french cook, is a strong concentration of the combined taste of parsley and fennel, but more aromatic and agreeable than either, and makes an excellent sauce for boiled poultry or fish. wash the chervil, and pick it very clean; put a tea-spoonful of salt into half a pint of boiling water, boil the chervil about ten minutes, drain it on a sieve, and mince it very fine. put it into a sauce boat, mix with it by degrees some good melted butter, and send it up in the boat. cheshire cheese. in preparing this article, the evening's milk is not touched till the next morning, when the cream is taken off and warmed in a pan, heated with boiling water; one third part of the milk is heated in a similar manner. the cows being milked early in the morning, the new milk, and that of the preceding night thus prepared, are poured into a large tub along with the cream. a piece of rennet kept in lukewarm water since the preceding evening, is put into the tub in order to curdle the milk, and the curd is coloured by an infusion of marigolds or carrots being rubbed into it. it is then stirred together, covered up warm, and allowed to stand about half an hour till it is coagulated; when it is first turned over with a bowl to separate the whey from the curds, and broken soon after into small pieces. when it has stood some time, the whey is taken out, and a weight laid at the bottom of the tub to press out the remainder. as soon as it becomes more solid, it is cut into slices, and turned over several times to extract all the whey, and again pressed with weights. being taken out of the tub, it is broken very small, salted, and put into a cheese vat. it is then strongly pressed and weighted, and wooden skewers are placed round the cheese, which are frequently drawn out. it is then shifted out of the vat with a cloth placed at the bottom; and being turned it is put into the vat again. the upper part is next broken by the hand down to the middle, salted, pressed, weighted, and skewered as before, till all the whey is extracted. the cheese is then reversed into another vat, likewise warmed with a cloth under it, and a tin hoop put round the upper part of the cheese. these operations take up the greater part of the forenoon; the pressing of the cheese requires about eight hours more, as it must be twice turned in the vat, round which thin wire skewers are passed, and shifted occasionally. the next morning it ought to be turned and pressed again; and on the following day the outside is salted, and a cloth binder tied round it. the outsides are sometimes rubbed with butter, in order to give them a coat; and being turned and cleaned every day, they are left to dry two or three weeks. chickens. fowls are chiefly considered as an article of luxury, and are generally sold at a high price; yet the rearing of them is seldom productive of much pecuniary advantage. they are liable to innumerable accidents in their early stages, which require incessant watchfulness and care; and if the grain on which they feed is to be purchased, the labour and expence are scarcely requited by the price they bear in the market. the irish peasantry are in the habit of rearing a great number of fowls, by substituting the offal of potatoes instead of grain; but the flesh is neither so firm nor so good as that of chickens raised in england. it is much to be desired therefore, that encouragement could be given to the cottagers of this country for rearing a larger quantity of poultry, by means less expensive than the present, in order that the market might be supplied on better terms with an article of food so fine and delicate, and in such general respect. various artificial means have been used for brooding chickens, in order to increase their number, and to bring them forward at an earlier season, but none of them have been found to answer, though in egypt immense quantities are raised every year by the heat of ovens, bringing the eggs to a state of maturity. a well-fed hen is supposed to lay about two hundred eggs in a year; but as she does not sit more than once or twice in that time, it is but a small quantity of chickens that can be hatched in the usual way, and it would be highly desirable if some other expedient could be devised.--the most expeditious way of fattening chickens is to mix a quantity of rice flour sufficient for present use, with milk and a little coarse sugar, and stir it over the fire till it comes to a thick paste. feed the chickens with it while it is warm by putting as much into their coops as they can eat; and if a little beer be given them to drink, it will fatten them very soon. a mixture of oatmeal and treacle made into crumbs is also good food for chickens; and they are so fond of it, that they will grow and fatten much faster than in the common way. poultry in general should be fed in coops, and kept very clean. their common food is barley meal mixed with water: this should not be put in troughs, but laid upon a board, which should be washed clean every time fresh food is put upon it. the common complaint of fowls, called the pip, is chiefly occasioned by foul and heated water being given them. no water should be allowed, more than is mixed up with their food; but they should often be provided with some clean gravel in their coop.--the method of fattening poultry for the london market, is liable to great objection. they are put into a dark place, and crammed with a paste made of barley meal, mutton suet, treacle or coarse sugar, mixed with milk, which makes them ripe in about a fortnight; but if kept longer, the fever that is induced by this continual state of repletion, renders them red and unsaleable, and frequently kills them. air and exercise are as indispensable to the health of poultry as to other animals; and without it, the fat will be all accumulated in the cellular membrane, instead of being dispersed throughout the system. a barn-door fowl is preferable to any other, only that it cannot be fatted in so short a time. chicken broth. having boiled a chicken for panada, take off the skin and the rump, and put it into the water it was boiled in. add one blade of mace, a slice of onion, and ten corns of white pepper. simmer it till the broth be of a pleasant flavour, adding a little water if necessary. beat a quarter of an ounce of sweet almonds with a tea-spoonful of water till it is quite fine, boil it in the broth, and strain it. when cold, remove the fat. chicken currie. cut up the chicken raw, slice onions, and fry both in butter with great care, of a fine light brown; or if chickens that have been dressed are used, fry only the onions. having cut the joints into two or three pieces each, lay them in a stewpan, with veal or mutton gravy, and a clove or two of garlic. simmer till the chicken is quite tender. half an hour before serving it up, rub smooth a spoonful or two of currie powder, a spoonful of flour, and an ounce of butter; and add this to the stew, with four large spoonfuls of cream, and a little salt. squeeze in a small lemon, when the dish is going to table.--a more easy way to make currie is to cut up a chicken or young rabbit; if chicken, take off the skin. roll each piece in a mixture of a large spoonful of flour, and half an ounce of currie powder. slice two or three onions, and fry them in butter, of a light brown; then add the meat, and fry all together till the meat begin to brown. put all into a stewpan, cover it with boiling water, and simmer very gently two or three hours. if too thick, add more water half an hour before serving. if the meat has been dressed before, a little broth will be better than water, but the currie is richer when made of fresh meat. slices of underdone veal, turkey, or rabbit, will make excellent currie. a dish of rice boiled dry should be served with it. chicken panada. boil a chicken in a quart of water, till about three parts ready. take off the skin, cut off the white meat when cold, and pound it to a paste in a marble mortar, with a little of the liquor it was boiled in. season it with a little salt, a grate of nutmeg, and the least bit of lemon peel. boil it gently for a few minutes till it be tolerably thick, but so it may be drank. the flesh of a chicken thus reduced to a small compass, will be found very nourishing. chicken pie. cut up two young fowls, season them with white pepper, salt, a little mace, nutmeg, and cayenne, all finely powdered. put alternately in layers the chicken, slices of ham, or fresh gammon of bacon, forcemeat balls, and eggs boiled hard. if baked in a dish, add a little water, but none if in a raised crust. prepare some veal gravy from the knuckle or scrag, with some shank-bones of mutton, seasoned with herbs, onions, mace, and white pepper, to be poured into the pie when it returns from the oven. if it is to be eaten hot, truffles, morels, and mushrooms may be added; but not if it is to be eaten cold. if baked in a raised crust, the gravy must be nicely strained, and then put in cold as jelly. to make the jelly clear, give it a boil with the whites of two eggs, after taking away the meat, and then run it through a fine lawn sieve.--rabbits, if young and fleshy, will make as good a pie. their legs should be cut short, and their breast-bones must not go in, but will help to make the gravy. chicken sauce. an anchovy or two boned and chopped, some parsley and onion chopped, and mixed together, with pepper, oil, vinegar, mustard, walnut or mushroom ketchup, will make a good sauce for cold chicken, veal, or partridge. chili vinegar. slice fifty english chilies, fresh and of a good colour, and infuse them in a pint of the best vinegar. in a fortnight, this will give a much finer flavour than can be obtained from foreign cayenne, and impart an agreeable relish to fish sauce. chimney pieces. to blacken the fronts of stone chimney-pieces, mix oil varnish with lamp black that has been sifted, and a little spirit of turpentine to thin it to the consistence of paint. wash the stone very clean with soap and water, and sponge it with clear water. when perfectly dry, brush it over twice with this colour, leaving it to dry between the times, and it will look extremely well. china. broken china may be repaired with cement, made of equal parts of glue, the white of an egg, and white-lead mixed together. the juice of garlic, bruised in a stone mortar, is also a fine cement for broken glass or china; and if carefully applied, will leave no mark behind it. isinglass glue, mixed with a little finely sifted chalk, will answer the same purpose, if the articles be not required to endure heat or moisture. china chilo. mince a pint-basonful of undressed neck or leg of mutton, with some of the fat. put into a stewpan closely covered, two onions, a lettuce, a pint of green peas, a tea-spoonful of salt, the same quantity of pepper, four spoonfuls of water, and two or three ounces of clarified butter. simmer them together two hours, add a little cayenne if approved, and serve in the middle of a dish of boiled dry rice. chine of bacon. one that has been salted and dried requires to be soaked several hours in cold water, and scraped clean. then take a handful of beech, half as much parsley, a few sprigs of thyme, and a little sage, finely chopped together. make some holes in the chine with the point of a knife, fill them with the herbs, skewer the meat up in a cloth, and boil it slowly about three hours. a dried pig's face is cooked in the same manner, adding a little salt, pepper, and bread crumbs to the stuffing. chocolate. those who use much of this article, will find the following mode of preparing it both useful and economical. cut a cake of chocolate into very small pieces, and put a pint of water into the pot; when it boils, put in the chocolate. mill it off the fire till quite melted, then on a gentle fire till it boil; pour it into a bason, and it will keep in a cool place eight or ten days or more. when wanted, put a spoonful or two into some milk; boil it with sugar, and mill it well. if not made too thick, this will form a very good breakfast or supper. chocolate cream. scrape into one quart of thick cream, an ounce of the best chocolate, and a quarter of a pound of sugar. boil and mill it: when quite smooth, take it off the fire, and leave it to be cold. then add the whites of nine eggs; whisk it, and take up the froth on sieves, as other creams are done. serve up the froth in glasses, to rise above some of the cream. cholic. young children are often afflicted with griping pains in the bowels; and if attended with costiveness, it will be necessary to give them very small doses of manna and rhubarb every half hour, till they produce the desired effect. when the stools are green, a few drams of magnesia, with one or two of rhubarb, according to the age of the patient, may be given with advantage; but the greatest benefit will be derived from clysters made of milk, oil and sugar, or a solution of white soap and water. a poultice of bread, milk and oil, may likewise be applied to the lower part of the belly, and frequently renewed with a little warm milk to give it a proper consistence. the cholic in adults arises from a variety of causes, not easily distinguished except by professional persons; and therefore it is absolutely necessary to abstain from all violent remedies, or it may be attended with fatal consequences. nothing can be applied with safety but emollient clysters and fomentations, and to drink copiously of camomile tea, or any other diluting liquor, till the spasms be relieved, and the nature of the disease more clearly understood. persons who are subject to the bilious cholic in particular, should abstain from acrid, watery and oily food, especially butter, fat meat, and hot liquors: and pursue a calm and temperate course of life. chopped hands. wash in common water, and then in rose water, a quarter of a pound of hog's lard not salted; mix with it the yolks of two new laid eggs, and a large spoonful of honey. add as much fine oatmeal, or almond paste, as will work it into a paste; and by frequently rubbing it on the hands, it will keep them smooth, and prevent their being chopped. chopped lips. put into a new tin saucepan, a quarter of an ounce of benjamin, storax, and spermaceti, two pennyworth of alkanet root, a large juicy apple chopped, a bunch of black grapes bruised, a quarter of a pound of unsalted butter, and two ounces of bees wax. simmer them together till all be dissolved, and strain it through a linen. when cold melt it again, and pour it into small pots or boxes, or make it into cakes on the bottoms of tea-cups. chump of veal. to dress it _à-la-daube_, cut off the chump end of the loin, take out the edge bone, stuff the hollow with good forcemeat, tie it up tight, and lay it in a stewpan with the bone that was taken out, a little faggot of herbs, an anchovy, two blades of mace, a few white peppercorns, and a pint of good veal broth. cover the veal with slices of fat bacon, and lay a sheet of white paper over it. cover the pan close, simmer it two hours, then take out the bacon, and glaze the veal. serve it on mushrooms, with sorrel sauce, or any other that may be preferred. churning. in order to prepare for this important operation, the milk when drawn from the cow, and carefully strained through a cloth or hair sieve, should be put into flat wooden trays about three inches deep, and perfectly clean and cool. the trays are then to be placed on shelves, till the cream be completely separated; when it is to be nicely taken off with a skimming dish, without lifting or stirring the milk. the cream is then deposited in a separate vessel, till a proper quantity is collected for churning. in hot weather, the milk should stand only twenty-four hours, and be skimmed early in the morning before the dairy becomes warm, or in the evening after sun-set. in winter the milk may remain unskimmed for six and thirty or even eight and forty hours. the cream should be preserved in a deep pan during the summer, and placed in the coolest part of the dairy, or in a cellar where free air is admitted. the cream which rises first to the surface is richer in quality, and larger in quantity, than what rises afterwards. thick milk produces a smaller proportion of cream than that which is thinner, though the former is of a richer quality: if therefore the thick milk be diluted with water, it will afford more cream, but its quality will be inferior. milk carried about in pails, and partly cooled before it be strained and poured into the trays, never throws up such good and plentiful cream, as if it had been put into proper vessels immediately after it came from the cow. those who have not an opportunity of churning every other day, should shift the cream daily into clean pans, in order to keep it cool; but the churning should take place regularly twice a week in hot weather, and in the morning before sun-rise, taking care to fix the churn in a free circulation of air. in the winter time, the churn must not be set so near the fire as to heat the wood, as by this means the butter will acquire a strong rancid flavour. cleanliness being of the utmost importance, the common plunge-churn is preferable to any other; but if a barrel-churn be requisite in a large dairy, it must be kept thoroughly clean with salt and water. if a plunge-churn be used, it may be set in a tub of cold water during the time of churning, which will harden the butter in a considerable degree. the motion of the churn should be regular, and performed by one person, or the butter will in winter go back; and if the agitation be violent and irregular, the butter will ferment in summer, and acquire a disagreeable flavour. the operation of churning may be much facilitated by adding a table-spoonful or two of distilled vinegar to a gallon of cream, but not till after the latter has undergone considerable agitation. in many parts of england, butter is artificially coloured in winter, though it adds nothing to its goodness. the juice of carrots is expressed through a sieve, and mixed with the cream when it enters the churn, to give it the appearance of may butter. very little salt is used in the best epping butter; but a certain proportion of acid, either natural or artificial, must be used in the cream, in order to secure a successful churning. some keep a small quantity of the old cream for that purpose; some use a little rennet, and others a few tea-spoonfuls of lemon juice. it has been ascertained however, by a variety of experiments, that it is more profitable to churn the cream, than to churn the whole milk, as is practised in some parts of the country. cream butter is also the richest of the two, though it will not keep sweet so long. cider. particular caution is requisite in bottling this useful beverage, in order to its being well preserved. to secure the bottles from bursting, the liquor must be thoroughly fine before it be racked off. if one bottle break, it will be necessary to open the remainder, and cork them up again. weak cider is more apt to burst the bottles, than that of a better quality. good corks, soaked in hot water, will be more safe and pliant; and by laying the bottles so that the liquor may always keep the corks wet and swelled, will tend much to its preservation. for this purpose the ground is preferable to a frame, and a layer of sawdust better than the bare floor; but the most proper situation would be a stream of running water. in order to ripen bottled liquors, they are sometimes exposed to moderate warmth, or the rays of the sun, which in a few days will bring them to maturity. cider cup. to make a cooling drink, mix together a quart of cider, a glass of white wine, one of brandy, one of capillaire, the juice of a lemon, a bit of the peel pared thin, a sprig of borage or balm, a piece of toasted bread, and nutmeg grated on the top. cinnamon cakes. whisk together in a pan six eggs, and two table-spoonfuls of rose water. add a pound of fine sugar sifted, a desert-spoonful of pounded cinnamon, and flour sufficient to make it into a paste. roll it out, cut it into cakes, and bake them on writing paper. citron pudding. boil some windsor beans quite soft, take off the skins, and beat a quarter of a pound of them into a paste. then add as much butter, four eggs well beaten, with some sugar and brandy. put a puff-paste in the dish, lay some slices of citron on it, pour in the pudding, garnish with bits of citron round the edge of the dish, and bake it in a moderate oven. clarified broth. put broth or gravy into a clean stewpan, break the white and shell of an egg, beat them together and add them to the broth. stir it with a whisk; and when it has boiled a few minutes, strain it through a tammis or a napkin. clarified butter. to make clarified butter for potted things, put some butter into a sauceboat, and set it over the fire in a stewpan that has a little water in it. when the butter is dissolved, the milky parts will sink to the bottom, and care must be taken not to pour them over things to be potted. clarified dripping. mutton fat taken from the meat before it is roasted, or any kind of dripping, may be sliced and boiled a few minutes; and when it is cold, it will come off in a cake. this will make good crust for any sort of meat pie, and may be made finer by boiling it three or four times. clarified sugar. break in large lumps as much loaf sugar as is required, and dissolve it in a bowl, allowing a pound of sugar to half a pint of water. set it over the fire, and add the white of an egg well whipt. let it boil up; and when ready to run over, pour in a little cold water to give it a check. but when it rises the second time, take it off the fire, and set it by in a pan a quarter of an hour. the foulness will sink to the bottom, and leave a black scum on the top, which must be taken off gently with a skimmer. then pour the syrup very quickly from the sediment, and set it by for sweetmeats. clarified syrup. break two pounds of double-refined sugar, and put it into a stewpan that is well tinned, with a pint of cold spring water. when the sugar is dissolved, set it over a moderate fire. beat up half the white of an egg, put it to the sugar before it gets warm, and stir it well together. as soon as it boils take off the scum, and keep it boiling till it is perfectly clear. run it through a clean napkin, put it into a close stopped bottle, and it will keep for months, as an elegant article on the sideboard for sweetening. clary wine. boil fifteen gallons of water, with forty-five pounds of sugar, and skim it clean. when cool put a little to a quarter of a pint of yeast, and so by degrees add a little more. in the course of an hour put the smaller to the larger quantity, pour the liquor on clary flowers, picked in the dry: the quantity for the above is twelve quarts. if there be not a sufficient quantity ready to put in at once, more may be added by degrees, keeping an account of each quart. when the liquor ceases to hiss, and the flowers are all in, stop it up for four months. rack it off, empty the barrel of the dregs, and add a gallon of the best brandy. return the liquor to the cask, close it up for six or eight weeks, and then bottle it off. cleanliness. nothing is more conducive to health than cleanliness, and the want of it is a fault which admits of no excuse. it is so agreeable to our nature, that we cannot help approving it in others, even if we do not practise it ourselves. it is an ornament to the highest as well as to the lowest station, and cannot be dispensed with in either: it ought to be cultivated everywhere, especially in populous towns and cities. frequent washing not only improves the appearance, but promotes perspiration, by removing every impediment on the skin, while at the same time it braces the body, and enlivens the spirits. washing the feet and legs in lukewarm water, after being exposed to cold and wet, would prevent the ill effects which proceed from these causes, and greatly contribute to health. diseases of the skin, a very numerous class, are chiefly owing to the want of cleanliness, as well as the various kinds of vermin which infest the human body; and all these might be prevented by a due regard to our own persons. one common cause of putrid and malignant fevers is the want of cleanliness. they usually begin among the inhabitants of close and dirty houses, who breathe unwholesome air, take little exercise, and wear dirty clothes. there the infection is generally hatched, and spreads its desolation far and wide. if dirty people cannot be removed as a common nuisance, they ought at least to be avoided as infectious, and all who regard their own health should keep at a distance from their habitations. infectious diseases are often communicated by tainted air: every thing therefore which gives a noxious exhalation, or tends to spread infection, should be carefully avoided. in great towns no filth of any kind should be suffered to remain in the streets, and great pains should be taken to keep every dwelling clean both within and without. no dunghills or filth of any kind should be allowed to remain near them. when an infection breaks out, cleanliness is the most likely means to prevent its spreading to other places, or its returning again afterwards. it will lodge a long time in dirty clothes, and be liable to break out again; and therefore the bedding and clothing of the sick ought to be carefully washed, and fumigated with brimstone. infectious diseases are not only prevented, but even cured by cleanliness; while the slightest disorders, where it is neglected, are often changed into the most malignant. yet it has so happened, that the same mistaken care which prevents the least admission of fresh air to the sick, has introduced the idea also of keeping them dirty; than which nothing can be more injurious to the afflicted, or more repugnant to common sense. in a room too, where cleanliness is neglected, a person in perfect health has a greater chance to become sick, than a sick person has to get well. it is also of great consequence, that cleanliness should be strictly regarded by those especially who are employed in preparing food; such as butchers, bakers, brewers, dairy maids, and cooks; as negligence in any of these may prove injurious to the public health. good housekeepers will keep a careful eye on these things, and every person of reflection will see the necessity of cultivating general cleanliness as of great importance to the wellbeing of society. clear broth. to make a broth that will keep long, put the mouse round of beef into a deep pan, with a knuckle bone of veal, and a few shanks of mutton. cover it close with a dish or coarse crust, and bake with as much water as will cover it, till the beef is done enough for eating. when cold, cover it close, and keep it in a cool place. when to be used, give it any flavour most approved. clear gravy. slice some beef thin, broil a part of it over a very clear quick fire, just enough to give a colour to the gravy, but not to dress it. put that and the raw beef into a very nicely tinned stewpan, with two onions, a clove or two, whole black pepper, berries of allspice, and a bunch of sweet herbs. cover it with hot water, give it one boil, and skim it well two or three times. then cover it, and simmer till it be quite strong. clothing. those who regard their health should be careful to adapt their clothing to the state of the climate, and the season of the year. whatever be the influence of custom, there is no reason why our clothing should be such as would suit an inhabitant of the torrid or the frigid zones, but of the state of the air around us, and of the country in which we live. apparel may be warm enough for one season of the year, which is by no means sufficient for another; we ought therefore neither to put off our winter garments too soon, nor wear our summer ones too long. every change of this sort requires to be made cautiously, and by degrees. in general, all clothes should be light and easy, and in no instance ought health and comfort to be sacrificed to pride and vanity. in the early part of life it is not necessary to wear many clothes: but in the decline of life, when many diseases proceed from a defect of perspiration, plenty of warm clothing is required. attention should also be paid to the constitution, in this as well as in other cases. some persons can endure either cold or heat better than others, and may therefore be less mindful of their clothing: the great object is to wear just so many garments as is sufficient to keep the body warm, and no more. shoes in particular should be easy to the foot, and all tight bandages on every part of the body carefully avoided. clouted cream. string four blades of mace on a thread, put them to a gill of new milk, and six spoonfuls of rose water. simmer a few minutes, then by degrees strain the liquor to the yolks of two eggs well beaten. stir the whole into a quart of rich cream, and set it over the fire; keep it stirring till hot, but not boiling; pour it into a deep dish, and let it stand twenty-four hours. serve it in a cream dish, to eat with fruits. some prefer it without any flavour but that of cream; in which case use a quart of new milk and the cream, or do it as the devonshire scalded cream. when done enough, a round mark will appear on the surface of the cream, the size of the bottom of the pan, which is called the ring; and when that is seen, remove the pan from the fire. clyster. a common clyster is made of plain gruel strained, and a table-spoonful of oil or salt. a pint is sufficient for a grown person. cock chaffers. this species of the beetle, sometimes called the may bug, is a formidable enemy to the husbandman, and has been found to swarm in such numbers, as to devour every kind of vegetable production. the insect is first generated in the earth, from the eggs deposited by the fly in its perfect state. in about three months, the insects contained in these eggs break the shell, and crawl forth in the shape of a grub or maggot, which feeds upon the roots of vegetables, and continues in this state of secret annoyance for more than three years, gradually growing to the size of an acorn. it is the thick white maggot with a red head, so frequently found in turning up the soil. at the end of the fourth year, they emerge from the earth, and may be seen in great numbers in the mild evenings of may. the willow seems to be their favourite food; on this they hang in clusters, and seldom quit it till they have completely devoured its foliage. the most effectual way to destroy them, is to beat them off with poles, and then to collect and burn them. the smoke of burning heath, fern, or other weeds, will prevent their incursions in gardens, or expel them if they have entered. cock roaches. these insects, consisting of various species, penetrate into chests and drawers, and do considerable injury to linen, books, and other articles. they seldom appear till night, when they infest beds, and bite very severely, leaving an unpleasant smell. the best remedy is to fill an earthen dish with small beer, sweetened with coarse sugar, and set in the place infested. lay a board against the pan, to form a kind of ladder, and the insects will ascend and fall into the liquor. cockle ketchup. open the cockles, scald them in their own liquor, and add a little water, if there be not enough; but it is better to have a sufficient quantity of cockles, than to dilute it with water. strain the liquor through a cloth, and season it with savoury spices. if for brown sauce, add port, anchovies, and garlic: a bit of burnt sugar will heighten the colouring. if for white sauce, omit these, and put in a glass of sherry, some lemon juice and peel, mace, nutmeg, and white pepper. cod fish. in season from the beginning of december till the end of april. to be quite good, the fish should be thick at the neck, the flesh white and firm, the gills very red, and the eyes bright and fresh. when flabby, they are not good. the cod is generally boiled whole; but a large head and shoulders contain all that is relishing, the thinner parts being overdone and tasteless before the thick are ready. but the whole fish may often be purchased more reasonably; and the lower half, if sprinkled and hung up, will be in high perfection one or two days. or it may be made salter, and served with egg sauce, potatoes, and parsnips. small cod is usually very cheap. if boiled fresh, it is watery; but eats well if salted and hung up for a day, to give it firmness. then it should be stuffed and boiled, or it is equally good broiled. cod's head. the head and shoulders of the cod will eat much finer by having a little salt rubbed down the bone, and along the thick part, even if eaten the same day. tie it up, put it on the fire in cold water sufficient to cover it, and throw a handful of salt into it. great care must be taken to serve it up without the smallest speck of black, or scum. garnish with plenty of double parsley, lemon, horse radish, and the milt, roe and liver, and fried smelts, if approved. if with smelts, no water must be suffered to hang about the fish, or the beauty and flavour of the smelts will be lost. serve with plenty of oyster or shrimp sauce, anchovy and butter. cod pie. take a piece of the middle of a small cod, and salt it well one night. wash it the next day, season with pepper and salt, mixed with a very little nutmeg. lay the meat in a dish, with the addition of a little good broth of any kind, and some bits of butter on it. cover the dish with a crust, and bake it. when done, make a sauce of a spoonful of broth, a quarter of a pint of cream, a little flour and butter, and a dust of grated lemon and nutmeg. give it one boil, and pour it into the pie. oysters may be added, but parsley will do instead. mackarel may be done in the same way, but must not be salted till they are used. cod sounds boiled. soak them in warm water half an hour, then scrape and clean them. if to be dressed white, boil them in milk and water. when tender, serve them up in a napkin, with egg sauce. the salt must not be much soaked out, unless for fricassee. cod sounds broiled. scald them in hot water, rub well with salt, pull off the dirty skin, and simmer them till tender. then take them out, flour, and broil them. while this is doing, season a little brown gravy with pepper, salt, a tea-spoonful of soy, and a little mustard. give it a boil with a little flour and butter, and pour it over the sounds. cod sounds ragout. having scalded, cleaned, and rubbed them well with salt, stew them in white gravy seasoned. before they are served, add a little cream, butter and flour, gently boiling up. a bit of lemon peel, nutmeg, and the least pounded mace, will give it a good flavour. cod sounds like chickens. carefully wash three large sounds, boil them in milk and water, but not too tender. when cold, put a forcemeat of chopped oysters, crumbs of bread, a bit of butter, nutmeg, pepper, salt, and the yolks of two eggs. spread it thin over the sounds, roll up each in the form of a chicken, and skewer it. then lard them as chickens, dust a little flour over, and roast them slowly in a tin oven. when done enough, pour over them a fine oyster sauce, and place them on the table as a side or corner dish. codlins. this fruit may be kept for several months, if gathered of a middling size at midsummer, and treated in the following manner. put them into an earthen pan, pour boiling water over them, and cover the pan with cabbage leaves. keep them by the fire till ready to peel, but do not peel them; then pour off the water, and leave them cold. place the codlins in a stone jar with a smallish mouth, and pour on the water that scalded them. cover the pot with bladder wetted and tied very close, and then over it coarse paper tied again. the fruit is best kept in small jars, such as will be used at once when opened. codlin cream. pare and core twenty good codlins; beat them in a mortar with a pint of cream, and strain it into a dish. put to it sugar, bread crumbs, and a glass of wine; and stir it well. codlin tart. scald the fruit, and take off the skin. put a little of the liquor on the bottom of a dish, lay in the apples whole, and strew them over with lisbon or fine sugar. when cold, put a paste round the edges, and over the fruit. moisten the crust with the white of an egg, and strew some fine sugar over it; or cut the lid in quarters, without touching the paste on the edge of the dish. remove the lid when cold, pour in a good custard, and sift it over with sugar. another way is to line the bottom of a shallow dish with paste, lay in the scalded fruit, sweeten it, and lay little twists of paste over in bars. coffee. put two ounces of fresh-ground coffee, of the best quality, into a coffee pot, and pour eight coffee cups of boiling water on it. let it boil six minutes, and return it; then put in two or three chips of isinglass, and pour on it one large spoonful of boiling water. boil it five minutes more, and set the pot by the fire for ten minutes to keep it hot: the coffee will then be of a beautiful clearness. fine cream should always be served with coffee, and either pounded sugar-candy, or fine lisbon sugar. if for foreigners, or those who like it very strong, make only eight dishes from three ounces. if not fresh roasted, lay it before the fire until perfectly hot and dry; or put the smallest bit of fresh butter into a preserving pan, and when hot, throw the coffee into it, and toss it about until it be freshened, but let it be quite cold before it is ground.--but as coffee possesses a raw and astringent quality, which often disagrees with weak stomachs, and by being drank too warm is as frequently rendered unwholesome, the following is recommended as an improved method of preparing it. to an ounce of coffee, add a tea-spoonful of the best flour of mustard, to correct its acidity, and improve its fragrance; and in order to render it truly fine and wholesome, it should be made the evening before it is wanted. let an ounce of fresh-ground coffee be put into a clean coffee pot well tinned, pour upon it a full pint of boiling water, set it on the fire, and after it has well boiled, let it stand by to settle. next morning pour off the clear liquor, add to it a pint of new milk, warm it over the fire, and sweeten it to taste. coffee made in this way, will be found particularly suitable to persons of a weak and delicate habit.--a substitute for foreign coffee may be prepared from the acorns of the oak, by shelling and dividing the kernels, drying and roasting them gradually in a close vessel, and keeping them constantly stirring. grind it like other coffee, and either use it alone, or mix with it a small quantity of foreign coffee. the seeds of the flower de luce, or common waterflag, being roasted in the same manner as coffee, very much resembles it in colour and flavour. coffee made of these seeds is extremely wholesome, in the proportion of an ounce to a pint of boiling water. coffee cakes. melt some fresh butter in a pint of thin cream, and work up with it four pounds of dried flour. add a pound of sugar, a pint of yeast, and half an ounce of carraways. stir them all together, set it before the fire to rise, roll the paste out thin, cut it into small cakes, and bake them on buttered paper. coffee cream. boil a calf's foot in water till reduced to a pint of jelly, clear of sediment and fat. make a tea-cupful of strong fresh coffee, clear it perfectly bright with isinglass, and pour it to the jelly. add a pint of very good cream, sweeten it with fine lisbon sugar, boil it up once, and pour it into the dish. this article is much admired, but the jelly must not be stiff, and the coffee must be fresh. coffee milk. boil a dessert-spoonful of ground coffee, in nearly a pint of milk, a quarter of an hour. then put in a shaving or two of isinglass to clear it; let it boil a few minutes, and set it on the side of the fire to grow fine. this makes a very fine breakfast; it should be sweetened with real lisbon sugar of a good quality. cold caudle. boil a quart of spring water; when cold, add the yolk of an egg, the juice of a small lemon, six spoonfuls of sweet wine, sugar to taste, and syrup of lemons one ounce. cold fish. soles, cod, whitings, or smelts may be cut into bits, and put into scallop shells, with cold oyster, lobster, or shrimp sauce. having added some bread crumbs, they may be put into a dutch oven, and browned like scalloped oysters. cold meat. if it be a little underdone, the best way to warm it up is to sprinkle over a little salt, and put it into a dutch oven at some distance before a gentle fire, that it may warm gradually. watch it carefully, and keep turning it till it is quite hot and brown, and serve it up with gravy. this is preferable to hashing, as it will retain more of its original flavour. roast beef or mutton, of course, are best for this purpose. cold sallad. boil an egg quite hard, put the yolk into a sallad dish, mash it with a spoonful of water, then add a little of the best sallad oil or melted butter, a tea-spoonful of ready-made mustard, and some vinegar. cut the sallad small and mix it together, adding celery, radishes, or other sallad herbs with it. onions may be served in a saucer, rather than mixed in the bowl. an anchovy may be washed, cut small, and mixed with it; also a bit of beet root, and the white of an egg. celery may be prepared in the same way. colds. for a bad cold take a large tea-cupful of linseed, two pennyworth of stick liquorice, and a quarter of a pound of sun raisins. put them into two quarts of water, and let it simmer over a slow fire till reduced one half. then add a quarter of a pound of sugar-candy pounded, a table-spoonful of rum, and the same of lemon juice or vinegar. the rum and lemon juice are better added when the mixture is taken, or they are apt to grow flat. take half a pint just warm at bed time. collared beef. choose the thin end of the flank of fine mellow beef, but not too fat: lay it into a dish with salt and saltpetre, turn and rub it every day for a week, and keep it cool. then take out every bone and gristle, remove the skin of the inside part, and cover it thick with the following seasoning cut small; a large handful of parsley, the same of sage, some thyme, marjoram and pennyroyal, pepper, salt, and allspice. roll the meat up as tight as possible, and bind it round with a cloth and tape; then boil it gently for seven or eight hours. put the beef under a good weight while hot, without undoing it: the shape will then be oval. part of a breast of veal rolled in with the beef, looks and eats very well. collared eel. bone a large eel, but do not skin it. mix up pepper, salt, mace, allspice, and a clove or two, in the finest powder, and rub over the whole inside: roll it tight, and bind it with a coarse tape. boil it in salt and water till done enough, then add vinegar, and when cold keep the collar in pickle. serve it either whole or in slices. chopped parsley, sage, a little thyme, knotted marjoram, and savoury, mixed with the spices, greatly improve the taste. collared mackarel. do them the same as eels, omitting the herbs. collared mutton. take out the bones and gristle of a breast of mutton, lay the meat flat, and rub it over with egg. mix some grated bread, pounded cloves and mace, pepper, salt, and lemon peel, and strew over it. two or three anchovies, washed and boned, may be added. roll the meat up hard, bind it with tape and boil it; or if skewered, it may either be roasted or baked. collared pork. bone a breast of pork, and season it with thyme, parsley and sage. roll it hard, tie it up in a cloth, and boil it. press it well, take it out of the cloth when cold, and keep it in the liquor it was boiled in. collared pork's head. clean it well, take out the brains, rub it with a handful of salt, and two ounces of saltpetre. let it lie a fortnight in brine, then wash it, and boil it till the bones will easily come out. lay it in a dish, take off the skin carefully, take out the bones, and peel the tongue. mix a handful of sage, a little thyme, and four shalots chopped fine. put the meat to it, and chop it into pieces about an inch square. put a thin cloth into an earthen pot, lay in the meat, cover the cloth over, and press it down. set the pot in the liquor again, boil it nearly an hour longer, then take it out, place a weight on the cover within side, and let it remain all night. take it out, strip off the cloth, and eat the collar with mustard and vinegar. collared salmon. split such part of the fish as may be sufficient to make a handsome roll, wash and wipe it; and having mixed salt, white pepper, pounded mace, and jamaica pepper, in quantity to season it very high, rub it inside and out well. then roll it tight and bandage it, put as much water and one third vinegar as will cover it, adding bay leaves, salt, and both sorts of pepper. cover it close, and simmer till it is done enough. drain and boil the liquor, put it on when cold, and serve with fennel. it is an elegant dish, and extremely good. collared veal. bone the breast and beat it, rub it with egg, and strew over it a seasoning of pounded mace, nutmeg, pepper and salt, minced parsley, sweet marjoram, lemon peel, crumbs of bread, and an anchovy. roll it up tight in a cloth, and boil it two hours and a half in salt and water. hang it up, or press it: make a pickle for it of the liquor it was boiled in, and half the quantity of vinegar. college puddings. grate the crumb of a two-penny loaf, shred eight ounces of suet, and mix with eight ounces of currants, one of citron mixed fine, one of orange, a handful of sugar, half a nutmeg, three eggs beaten, yolk and white separately. mix and make into the size and shape of a goose-egg. put half a pound of butter into a fryingpan; and when melted and quite hot, stew them gently in it over a stove; turn them two or three times, till they are of a fine light brown. mix a glass of brandy with the batter, and serve with pudding sauce. colouring for jellies. for a beautiful red, take fifteen grains of cochineal in the finest powder, and a dram and a half of cream of tartar. boil them in half a pint of water very slowly for half an hour, adding a bit of alum the size of a pea; or use beet root sliced, and some liquor poured over. for white, use cream; or almonds finely powdered, with a spoonful of water. for yellow, yolks of eggs, or a little saffron steeped in the liquor and squeezed. for green, spinach or beet leaves bruised and pressed, and the juice boiled to take off the rawness. any of these will do to stain jellies, ices, or cakes. colouring for soups. put four ounces of lump sugar, a gill of water, and half an ounce of fine butter into a small tosser, and set it over a gentle fire. stir it with a wooden spoon, till of a light brown. then add half a pint of water; let it boil and skim it well. when cold, bottle and cork it close. add to either soup or gravy as much of this as will give it a proper colour. common cake. mix three quarters of a pound of flour with half a pound of butter, four ounces of sugar, four eggs, half an ounce of carraways, and a glass of raisin wine. beat it well, and bake it in a quick oven.--a better sort of common cake may be made of half a pound of butter, rubbed into two pounds of dried flour; then add three spoonfuls of yeast that is not bitter, and work it to a paste. let it rise an hour and a half; then mix in the yolks and whites of four eggs beaten separately, a pound of lisbon sugar, about a pint of milk to make it of a proper thickness, a glass of sweet wine, the rind of a lemon, and a tea-spoonful of powdered ginger. a pound of currants, or some carraways may be added, and let the whole be well beaten together. common plants. the virtues of a great number of ordinary plants and weeds being but little understood, they are generally deemed useless; but they have properties nevertheless which might be rendered useful, if carefully and judiciously applied. the young shoots and leaves of chick-weed, for example, may be boiled and eaten like spinach, are equally wholesome, and can scarcely be distinguished from it. the juice expressed from the stem and leaves of goose-grass, taken to the amount of four ounces, night and morning for several weeks, is very efficacious in scorbutic complaints, and other cutaneous eruptions. the smell of garlic is an infallible remedy against the vapours, faintings, and other hysteric affections. the common poppy is an antidote to the stings of venomous insects, and a remedy for inflammation of the eyes: it also cures the pleurisy, and spitting of blood. sage taken in any form tends to cleanse and enrich the blood: it makes a good cordial, and is highly useful in cases of nervous debility. it is often given in fevers with a view to promote perspiration, and with the addition of a little lemon juice it makes a grateful and cooling beverage. cool tankard. put into a quart of mild ale a glass of white wine, one of brandy, one of capillaire, the juice of a lemon, and a little piece of the rind. add a sprig of borage or balm, a bit of toasted bread, and nutmeg grated on the top. copper. many serious accidents have been occasioned by the use of copper in kitchen requisites. the eating of fruit especially that has been prepared in a copper stewpan, where some of the oxide was insensibly imbibed, has been known to produce death; or if coffee grounds are suffered to remain long in a copper coffee-pot, and afterwards mixed with fresh coffee, for the sake of economy, the effects will be highly injurious, if not fatal. the best antidote in such cases, when they unhappily occur, is to take immediately a large spoonful of powdered charcoal, mixed with honey, butter, or treacle; and within two hours afterwards, an emetic or a cathartic to expel the poison. coppers. in domestic economy, the necessity of keeping copper vessels always clean, is generally acknowledged; but it may not perhaps be so generally known, that fat and oily substances, and vegetable acids, do not attack copper while hot; and therefore, that if no liquor were suffered to remain and grow cold in copper vessels, they might be used for every culinary purpose with perfect safety. the object is to clean and dry the vessels well before they turn cold. copying letters. dissolve a little sugar in the ink, and write with it as usual. when a copy is required, moisten a piece of unsized paper lightly with a sponge, and apply it to the writing; then smooth the wet paper over with a warm iron, such as is used in a laundry, and the copy is immediately produced without the use of a machine. copying prints. moisten a piece of paper with a solution of soap and alum, lay it on the print or picture, and pass it under a rolling press. another method is to have a small frame in the form of a basin stand, enclosing a square of glass on the pot, on which the print is laid with the paper upon it; and then placing a candle under the glass, the print may be traced with a pencil, or pen and ink. impressions may also be transferred by mixing a little vermillion with linseed oil so as to make it fluid; then with a pen dipped in it, trace every line of the print accurately. turn the print with its face downwards on a sheet of white paper, wet the back of the print, lay another sheet upon it, and press it till the red lines are completely transferred. corks. economy in corks is very unwise: in order to save a mere trifle in the purchase, there is a danger of losing some valuable article which it is intended to preserve. none but velvet taper corks should be used for liquors that are to be kept for any length of time; and when a bottle of ketchup or of anchovy is opened, the cork should be thrown away, and a new one put in that will fit it very tight. if a cork is forced down even with the mouth of the bottle, it is too small, and should be drawn, that a larger one may be put in. cork cement. liquors and preserves, intended to be kept a long time, are often spoiled by the clumsy and ineffectual manner in which they are fastened down. bottles therefore should be secured with the following cement, spread upon the cork after it is cut level with the top of the bottle. melt in an earthen or iron pot half a pound of black rosin, half a pound of sealing wax, and a quarter of a pound of bees wax. when it froths up, and before all is melted and likely to boil over, stir it with a tallow candle, which will settle the froth till all is melted and fit for use. corns. apply to warts and corns, a piece of soft brown paper moistened with saliva, and a few dressings will remove them. a convenient plaster may also be made of an ounce of pitch, half an ounce of galbanum dissolved in vinegar, one scruple of ammoniac, and a dram and a half of diachylon mixed together. costiveness. from whatever cause it may arise, frequent exercise in the open air, and abstinence from heating liquors, will be found very beneficial. to those who are afflicted with this complaint, it is particularly recommended that they should visit the customary retreat every morning at a stated hour, that nature may in this respect, by perseverance, acquire a habit of regularity. in obstinate cases, three drams of carbon may be taken two or three times a day, mixed with three ounces of lenitive electuary, and two drams of carbonate of soda, as circumstances may require. half an ounce of epsom salts, dissolved in a tumbler or two of cold water, and drank at intervals, will have a very salutary effect. cottenham cheese. though this is so much noted for its superior flavour and delicacy, it does not appear to be owing to any particular management of the dairy, but rather to the fragrance of the herbage on which the cows feed in that part of the country. coughs. the extract of malt will be found an excellent remedy for coughs or colds. pour as much hot water over half a bushel of pale ground malt as will just cover it; the water must not be boiling. in forty-eight hours drain off the liquor entirely, but without squeezing the grains. put the former into a large sweetmeat pan, or saucepan, that there may be room to boil as quick as possible, without boiling over. when it begins to thicken, stir it constantly, till it becomes as thick as treacle. take a dessert-spoonful of it three times a day.--another remedy for a bad cough may be prepared as follows. mix together a pint of simple mint water, two table-spoonfuls of sallad oil, two tea-spoonfuls of hartshorns, sweetened with sugar, and take two large spoonfuls of the mixture two or three times a day. court plaister. dissolve half an ounce of isinglass in an ounce of water, and boil it till the water is nearly all consumed; then add gradually a dram of friar's balsam, and stir them well together. dip a brush in the hot mixture, and spread it on a piece of clean silk. cows. in the management of cows intended for the dairy, a warm stable or cowhouse is of great importance. cows kept at pasture will require from one to two acres of land each to keep them during the summer months; but if housed, the produce of one fourth part will be sufficient. their dung, which would otherwise be wasted on the ground by the action of the sun and weather, is hereby easily preserved, and given to the soil where it is most wanted, and in the best condition. the treading on the grass and pasture, which diminishes its value, is prevented; the expence of division-fences is avoided, and the time and trouble of driving them about is all saved. they are also kept more cool, are less tormented by flies than if pastured, acquire good coats and full flesh, though they consume a much smaller quantity of food. they are in all respects more profitably kept in the house, than out of doors; but they must be regularly and gradually trained to it, or they will not thrive. cows should always be kept clean, laid dry, and have plenty of good water to drink. they should never be suffered to drink at stagnant pools, or where there are frogs, spawn, or filth of any kind; or from common sewers or ponds that receive the drainings of stables, or such kind of places; all which are exceedingly improper. one of the most effectual means of rendering their milk sweet and wholesome, as well as increasing its quantity, is to let them drink freely of water in which the most fragrant kind of clover or lucern has been steeped: and if they are curried in the same manner as horses, they will not only receive pleasure from it, but give their milk more freely. in holland, where the greatest attention is paid to all kinds of domestic animals, the haunches of dairy cows are washed morning and evening with warm water previous to milking, and after calving are clothed with sacking. the floors of their cowhouses are paved with brick, with a descent in the middle, where a gutter carries off the drain, and the place is kept perfectly clean with a broom and pails of water. the filthy state in which cows are confined in the vicinity of london, and other large cities, and the manner in which they are literally crammed, not with wholesome food, but with such things as are calculated to produce an abundance of milk, cannot be too severely reprobated as injurious to the public health. it is also notorious, that vessels of hot and cold water are always kept in these cowhouses for the accommodation of mercenary retailers, who purchase a quantity of milk at a low price, and then mix it with such a proportion of water as they think necessary to reduce it to a proper standard; when it is hawked about at an exorbitant price. the milk is not pure in its original state, and being afterwards adulterated, it is scarcely fit for any purpose in a family. the first object in the article of food, is wholesomeness; and grass growing spontaneously on good meadow-land is in general deemed most proper for cows intended to supply the dairy. the quantity of milk produced by those which feed on sainfoin is however nearly double to that of any other provender: it is also richer in quality, and will yield a larger quantity of cream: of course the butter will be better coloured and flavoured than any other. turnips and carrots form an excellent article, and cannot be too strongly recommended, especially as a winter food; but they should be cleaned and cut; and parsnips, with the tops taken off will produce abundance of milk, of a superior quality; and cows will eat them freely though they are improper for horses. of all vegetable productions, perhaps the cabbage is the most exuberant for this purpose, and ought by all means to be encouraged. the drum-headed cabbage, and the hardy variety of a deep green colour with purple veins, and of the same size with the drum-head, are particularly useful in the feeding of cows, and afford an increase of milk far superior to that produced by turnips. they are also excellent for the fattening of cattle, which they will do six weeks sooner than any other vegetables, though the cabbage plant is generally supposed to impart a disagreeable flavour to butter and cheese made from the milk of cows fed upon it, yet this may easily be prevented by putting a gallon of boiling water to six gallons of milk, when it is standing in the trays; or by dissolving an ounce of saltpetre in a quart of spring water, and mixing about a quarter of a pint of it with ten or twelve gallons of milk as it comes from the cow. by breaking off the loose leaves, and giving only the sound part to the cows, this disagreeable quality may also be avoided, as other cattle will eat the leaves without injury. when a cow has been milked for several years, and begins to grow old, the most advantageous way is to make her dry. to effect this, bruise six ounces of white rosin, and dissolve it in a quart of water. the cow having been housed, should then be bled and milked; and after the mixture has been administered, she should be turned into good grass. she is no longer to be milked, but fattened on rich vegetables. cows intended for breeding, should be carefully selected from those which give plenty of milk. during three months previously to calving, if in the spring, they should be turned into sweet grass; or if it happen in the winter, they ought to be well fed with the best hay. the day and night after they have calved, they should be kept in the house, and lukewarm water only allowed for their drink. they may be turned out the next day, if the weather be warm, but regularly taken in for three or four successive nights; or if the weather be damp and cold, it is better to girt them round with sacking, or keep them wholly within. cows thus housed should be kept in every night, till the morning cold is dissipated, and a draught of warm water given them previously to their going to the field. if the udder of a milking cow becomes hard and painful, it should be fomented with warm water and rubbed with a gentle hand. or if the teats are sore, they should be soaked in warm water twice a day; and either be dressed with soft ointment, or done with spirits and water. if the former, great cleanliness is necessary: the milk at these times is best given to the pigs. or if a cow be injured by a blow or wound, the part affected should be suppled several times a day with fresh butter; or a salve prepared of one ounce of castile soap dissolved in a pint and a half of fresh milk over a slow fire, stirring it constantly, to form a complete mixture. but if the wound should turn to an obstinate ulcer, take castile soap, gum ammoniac, gum galbanum, and extract of hemlock, each one ounce; form them into eight boluses, and administer one of them every morning and evening. to prevent cows from sucking their own milk, as some of them are apt to do, rub the teats frequently with strong rancid cheese, which will prove an effectual remedy. cow heels. these are very nutricious, and may be variously dressed. the common way is to boil, and serve them in a napkin, with melted butter, mustard, and a large spoonful of vinegar. or broil them very tender, and serve them as a brown fricassee. the liquor will do to make jelly sweet or relishing and likewise to give richness to soups or gravies. another way is to cut them into four parts, to dip them into an egg, and then dredge and fry them. they may be garnished with fried onions, and served with sauce as above. or they may be baked as for mock turtle. cowslip mead. put thirty pounds of honey into fifteen gallons of water, and boil till one gallon is wasted; skim it, and take it off the fire. have a dozen and a half of lemons ready quartered, pour a gallon of the liquor boiling hot upon them, and the remainder into a tub, with seven pecks of cowslip pips. let them remain there all night; then put the liquor and the lemons to eight spoonfuls of new yeast, and a handful of sweet-briar. stir all well together, and let it work for three or four days; then strain and tun it into a cask. let it stand six months, and bottle it for keeping. cowslip wine. to every gallon of water, weigh three pounds of lump sugar; boil them together half an hour, and take off the scum as it rises. when sufficiently cool, put to it a crust of toasted bread dipped in thick yeast, and let the liquor ferment in the tub thirty six hours. then put into the cask intended for keeping it, the peel of two and the rind of one lemon, for every gallon of liquor; also the peel and the rind of one seville orange, and one gallon of cowslip pips. pour the liquor upon them, stir it carefully every day for a week, and for every five gallons put in a bottle of brandy. let the cask be close stopped, and stand only six weeks before it be bottled off. crabs. the heaviest are best, and those of a middling size the sweetest. if light they are watery: when in perfection the joints of the legs are stiff, and the body has a very agreeable smell. the eyes look dead and loose when stale. the female crab is generally preferred: the colour is much brighter, the claws are shorter, and the apron in front is much broader. to dress a hot crab, pick out the meat, and clear the shell from the head. put the meat into the shell again, with a little nutmeg, salt, pepper, a bit of butter, crumbs of bread, and three spoonfuls of vinegar. then set the crab before the fire, or brown the meat with a salamander. it should be served on a dry toast.--to dress a cold crab, empty the shell, mix the flesh with a small quantity of oil, vinegar, salt, white pepper and cayenne. return the mixture, and serve it up in the shell. cracknels. mix with a quart of flour, half a nutmeg grated, the yolks of four eggs beaten, and four spoonfuls of rose water. make the whole into a stiff paste, with cold water. then roll in a pound of butter, and make the paste into the shape of cracknels. boil them in a kettle of water till they swim, and then put them into cold water. when hardened, lay them out to dry, and bake them on tin plates. cracknuts. mix eight ounces of fine flour, with eight ounces of sugar, and melt four ounces of butter in two spoonfuls of raisin wine. with four eggs beaten and strained, make the whole into a paste, and add carraway seed. roll the paste out as thin as paper, cut it into shapes with the top of a glass, wash them with the white of an egg, and dust them over with fine sugar. cramp. persons subject to this complaint, being generally attacked in the night, should have a board fixed at the bottom of the bed, against which the foot should be strongly pressed when the pain commences. this will seldom fail to afford relief. when it is more obstinate, a brick should be heated, wrapped in a flannel bag at the bottom of the bed, and the foot placed against it. the brick will continue warm, and prevent a return of the complaint. no remedy however is more safe or more certain than that of rubbing the affected part, to restore a free circulation. if the cramp attack the stomach or bowels, it is attended with considerable danger: medicine may relieve but cannot cure. all hot and stimulating liquors must be carefully avoided, and a tea-cupful of lukewarm gruel or camomile tea should be frequently given, with ten or fifteen drops of deliquidated salt of tartar in each. cranberries. if for puddings and pies, they require a good deal of sugar. if stewed in a jar, it is the same: but in this way they eat well with bread, and are very wholesome. if pressed and strained, after being stewed, they yield a fine juice, which makes an excellent drink in a fever. cranberry gruel. mash a tea-cupful of cranberries in a cup of water, and boil a large spoonful of oatmeal in two quarts of water. then put in the jam, with a little sugar and lemon peel; boil it half an hour, and strain it off. add a glass of brandy or sweet wine. cranberry jelly. make a very strong isinglass jelly. when cold, mix it with a double quantity of cranberry juice, pressed and strained. sweeten it with fine loaf sugar, boil it up, and strain it into a shape.--to make cranberry and rice jelly, boil and press the fruit, strain the juice, and by degrees mix it into as much ground rice as will, when boiled, thicken to a jelly. boil it gently, keep it stirring, and sweeten it. put it in a bason or form, and serve it up with milk or cream. cray fish. make a savoury fish-jelly, and put some into the bottom of a deep small dish. when cold, lay the cray-fish with their back downwards, and pour more jelly over them. turn them out when cold, and it will make a beautiful dish. prawns may be done in the same way. cream. rich cream for tea or coffee is prepared in the following manner. put some new milk into an earthen pan, heat it over the fire, and set it by till the next day. in order to preserve it a day or two longer, it must be scalded, sweetened with lump sugar, and set in a cool place. if half a pint of fresh cream be boiled in an earthen pot with half a pound of sugar, and corked up close in phials when cold, it will keep for several weeks, and be fit for the tea-table. cream for pies. boil a pint of new milk ten minutes, with a bit of lemon peel, a laurel leaf, four cloves, and a little sugar. mix the yolks of six eggs and half a tea-spoonful of flour, strain the milk to them, and set it over a slow fire. stir it to a consistence, but do not let it curdle: when cold it may be spread over any kind of fruit pies. cream for whey butter. set the whey one day and night, and skim it till a sufficient quantity is obtained. then boil it, and pour it into a pan or two of cold water. as the cream rises, skim it till no more comes, and then churn it. where new-milk cheese is made daily, whey butter for common and present use may be made to advantage. cream cheese. to make this article, put into a pan five quarts of strippings, that is, the last of the milk, with two spoonfuls of rennet. when the curd is come, strike it down two or three times with the skimming dish just to break it. let it stand two hours, then spread a cheese cloth on a sieve, lay the curd on it, and let the whey drain. break the curd a little with the hand, and put it into a vat with a two-pound weight upon it. let it stand twelve hours, take it out, and bind a fillet round. turn it every day till dry, from one board to another; cover them with nettles or clean dock-leaves, and lay them between two pewter plates to ripen. if the weather be warm, the cheese will be ready in three weeks.--another way. prepare a kettle of boiling water, put five quarts of new milk into a pan, five pints of cold water, and five of hot. when of a proper heat, put in as much rennet as will bring it in twenty minutes, likewise a bit of sugar. when the curd is come, strike the skimmer three or four times down, and leave it on the curd. in an hour or two lade it into the vat without touching it; put a two-pound weight on it when the whey has run from it, and the vat is full.--to make another sort of cream cheese, put as much salt to three pints of raw cream as will season it. stir it well, lay a cheese cloth several times folded at the bottom of a sieve, and pour the curd upon it. when it hardens, cover it with nettles on a pewter plate.--what is called rush cream cheese is made as follows. to a quart of fresh cream put a pint of new milk, warm enough to give the cream a proper degree of warmth; then add a little sugar and rennet. set it near the fire till the curd comes; fill a vat made in the form of a brick, of wheat straw or rushes sewed together. have ready a square of straw or rushes sewed flat, to rest the vat on, and another to cover it; the vat being open at top and bottom. next day take it out, change it often in order to ripen, and lay a half pound weight upon it.--another way. take a pint of very thick sour cream from the top of the pan for gathering butter, lay a napkin on two plates, and pour half into each. let them stand twelve hours, then put them on a fresh wet napkin in one plate, and cover with the same. repeat this every twelve hours, till the cheese begins to look dry. then ripen it with nut leaves, and it will be ready in ten days. fresh nettles, or two pewter plates, will ripen cream cheese very well. cream pudding. slice the crumb of a penny loaf into a quart of cream, scald it over the fire, and break it with a spoon. add to it six eggs, with three of the whites only, half a pound of fine raisins, a quarter of a pound of sugar, a little rose water and nutmeg. beat it all up together, stir in a little marrow if approved, and bake it in a dish with paste. creams. to make an excellent cream, boil half a pint of cream and half a pint of milk with two bay leaves, a bit of lemon peel, a few almonds beaten to paste, with a drop of water, a little sugar, orange flower water, and a tea-spoonful of flour rubbed down with a little cold milk. when the cream is cold, add a little lemon juice, and serve it up in cups or lemonade glasses.--for a superior article, whip up three quarters of a pint of very rich cream to a strong froth, with some finely-scraped lemon peel, a squeeze of the juice, half a glass of sweet wine, and sugar to make it pleasant, but not too sweet. lay it on a sieve or in a form, next day put it on a dish, and ornament it with very light puff paste biscuits, made in tin shapes the length of a finger, and about two thick. fine sugar may be sifted over, or it may be glazed with a little isinglass. macaroons may be used to line the edges of the dish. cress vinegar. dry and pound half an ounce of the seed of garden cresses, pour upon it a quart of the best vinegar, and let it steep ten days, shaking it up every day. being strongly flavoured with the cresses, it is suitable for salads and cold meat. celery vinegar is made in the same manner. crickets. the fume of charcoal will drive them away: or a little white arsenic mixed with a roasted apple, and put into the holes and cracks where the crickets are, will effectually destroy them. scotch snuff dusted upon the holes where they come out, will also have the same effect. crimp cod. boil a handful of salt in a gallon of pump water, and skim it clean. cut a fresh cod into slices an inch thick, and boil it briskly in the brine a few minutes; take the slices out very carefully, and lay them on a fish plate to drain. dry and flour them, and lay them at a distance upon a clear fire to broil. serve with lobster or shrimp sauce. crimp salmon. when the salmon is scaled and cleaned, take off the head and tail, and cut the body through into large slices. throw them into a pan of pump water, sprinkle on a handful of bay salt, stir it about, and then take out the fish. set on a deep stewpan, boil the head and tail whole, put in some salt, but no vinegar. when they have boiled ten minutes, skim the water clean, and put in the slices. when boiled enough, lay the head and tail in the dish, and the slices round; or either part may be dressed separately. crisp parsley. pick and wash some young parsley, shake it in a dry cloth to drain the water from it, spread it on a sheet of white paper, in a dutch oven before the fire, and turn it frequently until it is quite crisp. this is a much better way of preparing it than by frying, which is seldom well done; and it will serve as a neat garnish for fish or lamb chops. cross buns. warm before the fire two pounds and a half of fine flour; add half a pound of sifted loaf sugar, some coriander seeds, cinnamon and mace finely pounded. melt half a pound of butter in half a pint of milk; after it has cooled, stir in three table-spoonfuls of thick yeast, and a little salt. work the whole into a paste, make it into buns, and cut a cross on the top. put them on a tin to rise before the fire, brush them over with warm milk, and bake in a moderate oven. crows. these birds are extremely useful to the farmer, in devouring multitudes of locusts, caterpillars, and other insects, which are highly injurious to the crops; but at certain seasons they have become so numerous, and committed such depredations on the corn fields, that an act of parliament has been passed for their destruction. the most successful method is to prepare a kind of table between the branches of a large tree, with some carrion and other meat, till the crows are accustomed to resort to the place for food. afterwards the meat may be poisoned; and the birds still feeding on it, will be destroyed. the drug called _nux vomica_ is best adapted to the purpose. crumpets. warm before the fire two pounds of fine flour, with a little salt, and mix it with warm milk and water till it becomes stiff. work up three eggs with three spoonfuls of thick yeast, and a cupful of warm milk and water; put it to the batter, and beat them well together in a large bowl, with as much milk and water as will make the batter thick. set it before the fire to rise, and cover it close. set on the fryingpan, rub it over with a bit of butter tied up in muslin, and pour in as much batter at a time as is sufficient for one crumpet. let it bake slowly till it comes to a pale yellow; and when cold, the crumpets may be toasted and buttered. cucumbers. the best way of cultivating this delicious vegetable is as follows. when the plants have been raised on a moderate hot bed, without forcing them too much, they should be set in the open ground against a south wall in the latter end of may, and trained upon the wall like a fruit tree. when they have run up about five feet, they will send forth blossoms, and the fruit will soon appear. cucumbers of the slender prickly sort are to be preferred, and they should not be watered too much while growing, as it will injure the fruit. the flesh of cucumbers raised in this way, will be thicker and firmer, and the flavour more delicious, than those planted in the usual manner, where the runners are suffered to trail upon the ground. melons may also be treated in the same manner, and the quality of both will be greatly improved.--when cucumbers are to be prepared for the table, pare and score them in several rows, that they may appear as if slightly chopped. add some young onions, pepper and salt, a glass of white wine, the juice of a lemon, and some vinegar. or cut them in thin slices, with pepper, salt, vinegar, and sliced onions. or send them to table whole, with a sliced onion in a saucer. cucumber ketchup. pare some large old cucumbers, cut them in slices, and mash them; add some salt, and let them stand till the next day. drain off the liquor, boil it with lemon peel, mace, cloves, horse-radish, shalots, white pepper, and ginger. strain it; and when cold put it into bottles, with the mace, cloves and peppercorns, but not the rest. a little of this ketchup will give an agreeable taste to almost any kind of gravy sauce. cucumber vinegar. pare and slice fifteen large cucumbers, and put them into a stone jar, with three pints of vinegar, four large onions sliced, two or three shalots, a little garlic, two large spoonfuls of salt, three tea-spoonfuls of pepper, and half a tea-spoonful of cayenne. keep the vinegar in small bottles, to add to sallad, or to eat with meat. cullis. to make cullis for ragouts, cut in pieces two pounds of lean veal, and two ounces of ham. add two cloves, a little nutmeg and mace, some parsley roots, two carrots sliced, some shalots, and two bay leaves. put them into an earthen jar on a hot hearth, or in a kettle of boiling water. cover them close, let them simmer for half an hour, observing that they do not burn; then put in beef broth, stew it, and strain it off. cumberland pudding. to make what is called the duke of cumberland's pudding, mix six ounces of grated bread, the same quantity of currants well cleaned and picked, the same of beef suet finely shred, the same of chopped apples, and also of lump sugar. add six eggs, half a grated nutmeg, a dust of salt, and the rind of a lemon minced as fine as possible; also a large spoonful each of citron, orange, and lemon cut thin. mix them thoroughly together, put the whole into a basin, cover it close with a floured cloth, and boil it three hours. serve it with pudding sauce, add the juice of half a lemon, boiled together. curd pudding. rub the curd of two gallons of milk well drained through a sieve. mix it with six eggs, a little cream, two spoonfuls of orange-flower water, half a nutmeg, flour and crumbs of bread each three spoonfuls, currants and raisins half a pound of each. boil the pudding an hour in a thick well-floured cloth. curd puffs. turn two quarts of milk to curd, press the whey from it, rub it through a sieve, and mix four ounces of butter, the crumb of a penny loaf, two spoonfuls of cream, half a nutmeg, a little sugar, and two spoonfuls of white wine. butter some small cups or pattipans, and fill them three parts. orange-flower water is an improvement. bake the puffs with care, and serve with sweet sauce in a boat. curd star. set on the fire a quart of new milk, with two or three blades of mace; and when ready to boil, put to it the yolks and whites of nine eggs well beaten, and as much salt as will lie upon a six-pence. let it boil till the whey is clear; then drain it in a thin cloth, or hair sieve. season it with sugar, and a little cinnamon, rose water, orange-flower water, or white wine. put it into a star form, and let it stand some hours before it be turned into a dish: then pour round it some thick cream or custard. curds and cream. put three or four pints of milk into a pan a little warm, and then add rennet or gallina. when the curd is come, lade it with a saucer into an earthen shape perforated, of any form you please. fill it up as the whey drains off, without breaking or pressing the curd. if turned only two hours before wanted, it is very light; but those who like it harder may have it so, by making it earlier, and squeezing it. cream, milk, or a whip of cream, sugar, wine, and lemon, may be put into the dish, or into a glass bowl, to serve with the curd.--another way is to warm four quarts of new milk, and add a pint or more of buttermilk strained, according to its sourness. keep the pan covered till the curd be sufficiently firm to cut, three or four times across with a saucer, as the whey leaves it. put it into a shape, and fill up until it be solid enough to take the form. serve with plain cream, or mixed with sugar, wine and lemon. curds and whey. according to the italian method, a more delicate and tender curd is made without the use of common rennet. take a number of the rough coats that line the gizzards of turkeys and fowls, clean them from the pebbles they contain, rub them well with salt, and hang them up to dry. when to be used, break off some bits of the skin, and pour on some boiling water. in eight or nine hours the liquor may be used as other rennet. curing butter. it is well known, that butter as it is generally cured, does not keep for any length of time, without spoiling or becoming rancid. the butter with which london is supplied, may be seen at every cheesemonger's in the greatest variety of colour and quality; and it is too often the case, that even the worst butter is compounded with better sorts, in order to procure a sale. these practices ought to be discountenanced, and no butter permitted to be sold but such as is of the best quality when fresh, and well cured when salted, as there is hardly any article more capable of exciting disgust than bad butter. to remedy this evil, the following process is recommended, in preparing butter for the firkin. reduce separately to fine powder in a dry mortar, two pounds of the whitest common salt, one pound of saltpetre, and one pound of lump sugar. sift these ingredients one upon another, on two sheets of paper joined together, and then mix them well with the hands, or with a spatula. preserve the whole in a covered jar, placed in a dry situation. when required to be used, one ounce of this composition is to be proportioned to every pound of butter, and the whole is to be well worked into the mass. the butter may then be put into pots or casks in the usual way. the above method is practised in many parts of scotland, and is found to preserve the butter much better than by using common salt alone. any housekeeper can make the experiment, by proportioning the ingredients to the quantity of butter; and the difference between the two will readily be perceived. butter cured with this mixture appears of a rich marrowy consistency and fine colour, and never acquires a brittle hardness, nor tastes salt, as the other is apt to do. it should be allowed to stand three weeks or a month before it is used, and will keep for two or three years, without sustaining the slightest injury. butter made in vessels or troughs lined with lead, or in glazed earthenware pans, which glaze is principally composed of lead, is too apt to be contaminated by particles of that deleterious metal. it is better therefore to use tinned vessels for mixing the preservative with the butter, and to pack it either in wooden casks, or in jars of the vauxhall ware, which being vitrified throughout, require no inside glazing. curing hams. when hams are to be cured, they should hang a day or two; then sprinkle them with a little salt, and drain them another day. pound an ounce and a half of saltpetre, the same quantity of bay salt, half an ounce of sal-prunelle, and a pound of the coarsest sugar. mix these well, and rub them into each ham every day for four days, and turn it. if a small one, turn it every day for three weeks: if a large one, a week longer, but it should not be rubbed after four days. before it is dried, drain and cover it with bran, and smoke it ten days.--or choose the leg of a hog that is fat and well fed, and hang it up a day or two. if large, put to it a pound of bay salt, four ounces of saltpetre, a pound of the coarsest sugar, and a handful of common salt, all in fine powder, and rub the mixture well into the ham. lay the rind downwards, and cover the fleshy part with the salts. baste it frequently with the pickle, and turn it every day for a month. drain and throw bran over it, then hang it in a chimney where wood is burnt, and turn it now and then for ten days.--another way is, to hang up the ham, and sprinkle it with salt, and then to rub it daily with the following mixture. half a pound of common salt, the same of bay salt, two ounces of saltpetre, and two ounces of black pepper, incorporated with a pound and a half of treacle. turn it twice a day in the pickle for three weeks; then lay it into a pail of water for one night, wipe it quite dry, and smoke it two or three weeks.--to give hams a high flavour, let them hang three days, when the weather will permit. mix an ounce of saltpetre with a quarter of a pound of bay salt, the same quantity of common salt, and also of coarse sugar, and a quart of strong beer. boil them together, pour the liquor immediately upon the ham, and turn it twice a day in the pickle for three weeks. an ounce of black pepper, and the same quantity of allspice, in fine powder, added to the above will give a still higher flavour. wipe and cover it with bran, smoke it three or four weeks; and if there be a strong fire, it should be sewed up in a coarse wrapper.--to give a ham a still higher flavour, sprinkle it with salt, after it has hung two or three days, and let it drain. make a pickle of a quart of strong beer, half a pound of treacle, an ounce of coriander seed, two ounces of juniper berries, an ounce of pepper, the same quantity of allspice, an ounce of saltpetre, half an ounce of sal-prunelle, a handful of common salt, and a head of shalot, all pounded or cut fine. boil these together for a few minutes, and pour them over the ham. this quantity is sufficient for a ham of ten pounds. rub and turn it every day for a fortnight; then sew it up in a thin linen bag, and smoke it three weeks. drain it from the pickle, and rub it in bran, before drying. in all cases it is best to lay on a sufficient quantity of salt at first, than to add more afterwards, for this will make the ham salt and hard. when it has lain in pickle a few days, it would be advantageous to boil and skim the brine, and pour it on again when cold. bacon, pig's face, and other articles may be treated in the same manner. currant cream. strip and bruise some ripe currants, strain them through a fine sieve, and sweeten the juice with refined sugar. beat up equal quantities of juice and cream, and as the froth rises put it into glasses. currant fritters. thicken half a pint of ale with flour, and add some currants. beat it up quick, make the lard boil in the frying-pan, and put in a large spoonful of the batter at a time, which is sufficient for one fritter. currant gruel. make a pint of water gruel, strain and boil it with a table-spoonful of clean currants till they are quite plump. add a little nutmeg and sugar, and a glass of sweet wine. this gruel is proper for children, or persons of a costive habit. currant jam. whether it be made of black, red, or white currants, let the fruit be very ripe. pick it clean from the stalks, and bruise it. to every pound put three quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, stir it well, and boil it half an hour. currant jelly. strip the fruit, whether red or black, and put them into a stone jar, to boil on a hot hearth, or over the fire in a saucepan of water. strain off the liquor, and to every pint add a pound of loaf sugar in large lumps. put the whole into a china or stone jar, till nearly dissolved; then put it into a preserving pan, and skim it while simmering on the fire. when it will turn to jelly on a plate, keep it in small jars or glasses. currant pie. put a paste round the dish, fill it with fruit and good moist sugar, add a little water, and cover it with paste. place a tea-cup in the dish, bottom upwards, to prevent the juice from boiling over. baked currants are better mixed with raspberries or damsons. currant sauce. to make the old sauce for venison, boil an ounce of dried currants in half a pint of water a few minutes. then add a small tea-cupful of bread crumbs, six cloves, a glass of port wine, and a bit of butter. stir it till the whole is smooth. currant shrub. strip some white currants, and prepare them in a jar as for jelly. strain the juice, of which put two quarts to one gallon of rum, and two pounds of lump sugar. strain the whole through a jelly bag. currant wine. to every three pints of fruit, carefully picked and bruised, add one quart of water. in twenty-four hours strain the liquor, and put to every quart a pound of good lisbon sugar. if for white currants use lump sugar. it is best to put the whole into a large pan; and when in three or four days the scum rises, take that off before the liquor be put into the barrel. those who make from their own gardens, may not have fruit sufficient to fill the barrel at once; but the wine will not be hurt by being made in the pan at different times, in the above proportions, and added as the fruit ripens; but it must be gathered in dry weather, and an account taken of what is put in each time.--another way. put five quarts of currants, and a pint of raspberries, to every two gallons of water. let them soak all night, then squeeze and break them well. next day rub them well on a fine wire sieve, till all the juice is obtained, and wash the skins again with some of the liquor. to every gallon put four pounds of good lisbon sugar, tun it immediately, lay the bung lightly on, and leave it to ferment itself. in two or three days put a bottle of brandy to every four gallons, bung it close, but leave the vent peg out a few days. keep it three years in the cask, and it will be a fine agreeable wine; four years would make it still better.--black currant wine is made as follows. to every three quarts of juice add the same quantity of water, and to every three quarts of the liquor put three pounds of good moist sugar. tun it into a cask, reserving a little for filling up. set the cask in a warm dry room, and the liquor will ferment of itself. when the fermentation is over, take off the scum, and fill up with the reserved liquor, allowing three bottles of brandy to forty quarts of wine. bung it close for nine months, then bottle it; drain the thick part through a jelly bag, till that also be clear and fit for bottling. the wine should then be kept ten or twelve months. curries. cut fowls or rabbits into joints; veal, lamb or sweetbreads into small pieces. put four ounces of butter into a stewpan; when melted, put in the meat, and two sliced onions. stew them to a nice brown, add half a pint of broth, and let it simmer twenty minutes. mix smooth in a basin one table-spoonful of currie powder, one of flour, and a tea-spoonful of salt, with a little cold water. put the paste into the stewpan, shake it well about till it boils, and let it simmer twenty minutes longer. just before it is dished up, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, and add a good table-spoonful of melted butter. currie balls. take some bread crumbs, the yolk of an egg boiled hard, and a bit of fresh butter about half the size; beat them together in a mortar, season with a little currie powder, roll the paste into small balls, and boil them two or three minutes. these will serve for mock turtle, veal, poultry, and made dishes. currie of cod. this should be made of sliced cod, that has either been crimped, or sprinkled with salt for a day, to make it firm. fry it of a fine brown with onions, and stew it with a good white gravy, a little currie powder, a bit of butter and flour, three or four spoonfuls of rich cream, salt, and cayenne, if the powder be not hot enough. currie of lobsters. take them from the shells, lay them into a pan with a small piece of mace, three or four spoonfuls of veal gravy, and four of cream. rub smooth one or two tea-spoonfuls of currie powder, a tea-spoonful of flour, and an ounce of butter. simmer them together an hour, squeeze in half a lemon, and add a little salt. currie of prawns is made in the same way. currie powder. dry and reduce the following articles to a fine powder. three ounces of coriander seed, three ounces of turmeric, one ounce of black pepper, and one of ginger; half an ounce of lesser cardamoms, and a quarter of an ounce each of cinnamon, cummin seed, and cayenne. thoroughly pound and mix them together, and keep it in a well-stopped bottle. currie sauce. stir a small quantity of currie powder in some gravy, melted butter, or onion sauce. this must be done by degrees, according to the taste, taking care not to put in too much of the currie powder. currie soup. cut four pounds of a breast of veal into small pieces, put the trimmings into a stewpan with two quarts of water, twelve peppercorns, and the same of allspice. when it boils, skim it clean; and after boiling an hour and a half, strain it off. while it is boiling, fry the bits of veal in butter, with four onions. when they are done, add the broth to them, and put it on the fire. let it simmer half an hour, then mix two spoonfuls of currie powder, and the same of flour, with a little cold water and a tea-spoonful of salt, and add these to the soup. simmer it gently till the veal is quite tender, and it is ready. or bone a couple of fowls or rabbits, and stew them in the same manner. instead of black pepper and allspice, a bruised shalot may be added, with some mace and ginger. custards. to make a cheap and excellent custard, boil three pints of new milk with a bit of lemon peel, a bit of cinnamon, two or three bay leaves, and sweeten it. meanwhile rub down smooth a large spoonful of rice flour in a cup of cold milk, and mix with it the yolks of two eggs well beaten. take a basin of the boiling milk and mix with the cold, then pour it to the boiling, stirring it one way till it begin to thicken, and is just going to boil up; then pour it into a pan, stir it some time, add a large spoonful of peach water, two spoonfuls of brandy, or a little ratafia. marbles boiled in custard, or any thing likely to burn, will prevent it from catching if shaked about in the saucepan.--to make a richer custard, boil a pint of milk with lemon peel and cinnamon. mix a pint of cream, and the yolks of five eggs well beaten. when the milk tastes of the seasoning, sweeten it enough for the whole; pour into the cream, stirring it well; then give the custard a simmer, till it come to a proper thickness. stir it wholly one way, season it as above, but do not let it boil. if the custard is to be very rich, add a quart of cream to the eggs instead of milk. custard paste. six ounces of butter, three spoonfuls of cream, the yolks of two eggs, and half a pound of flour, are to be mixed well together. let it stand a quarter of an hour, work it well, and roll it out thin. custard pudding. mix by degrees a pint of good milk with a large spoonful of flour, the yolks of five eggs, some orange-flower water, and a little pounded cinnamon. butter a bason that will just hold it, pour in the batter, and tie a floured cloth over. put it in when the water boils, turn it about a few minutes to prevent the egg settling on one side, and half an hour will boil it. put currant jelly over the pudding, and serve it with sweet sauce. cutlets maintenon. cut slices of veal three quarters of an inch thick, beat them with a rolling-pin, and wet them on both sides with egg. dip them into a seasoning of bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, knotted marjoram, pepper, salt, and a little grated nutmeg. then put them into white papers folded over, and broil them. have ready some melted butter in a boat, with a little mushroom ketchup.--another way is to fry the cutlets, after they have been prepared as above. dredge a little flour into the pan, and add a piece of butter; brown it, pour in a little boiling water, and boil it quick. season with pepper, salt, and ketchup, and pour over them.--or, prepare as before, and dress the cutlets in a dutch oven. pour over them melted butter and mushrooms. neck steaks especially are good broiled, after being seasoned with pepper and salt; and in this way they do not require any herbs. cutting glass. if glass be held in one hand under water, and a pair of scissors in the other, it may be cut like brown paper; or if a red hot tobacco pipe be brought in contact with the edge of the glass, and afterwards traced on any part of it, the crack will follow the edge of the pipe. cutting of teeth. great care is required in feeding young children during the time of teething. they often cry as if disgusted with food, when it is chiefly owing to the pain occasioned by the edge of a silver or metal spoon pressing on their tender gums. the spoon ought to be of ivory, bone, or wood, with the edges round and smooth, and care should be taken to keep it sweet and clean. at this period a moderate looseness, and a copious flow of saliva, are favourable symptoms. with a view to promote the latter, the child should be suffered to gnaw such substances as tend to mollify the gums, and by their pressure to facilitate the appearance of the teeth. a piece of liquorice or marshmallow root will be serviceable, or the gums may be softened and relaxed by rubbing them with honey or sweet oil. d. dairy. in a publication intended for general usefulness, the management of the dairy, the source of so many comforts, demands some attention, in addition to the information conveyed under various other articles, connected with this interesting part of female economy. a dairy house then ought to be so situated that the windows or lattices may front the north, and it should at all times be kept perfectly cool and clean. lattices are preferable to glazed lights, as they admit a free circulation of air; and if too much wind draws in, oiled paper may be pasted over the lattice, or a frame constructed so as to slide backwards and forwards at pleasure. dairies cannot be kept too cool in the summer: they ought therefore to be erected, if possible, near a spring of running water. if a pump can be fixed in the place, or a stream of water conveyed through it, it will tend to preserve a continual freshness and purity of the air. the floor should be neatly paved with red brick, or smooth stone, and laid with a proper descent, so that no water may stagnate: it should be well washed every day, and all the utensils kept with the strictest regard to cleanliness. neither the cheese, rennet, or cheesepress, must be suffered to contract any taint; nor should the churns be scalded in the dairy, as the steam arising from the hot water tends greatly to injure the milk. the utensils of the dairy should all be made of wood: lead, copper, and brass are poisonous, and cast iron gives a disagreeable taste to the productions of the dairy. milk leads in particular should be utterly abolished, and well-glazed earthen pans used in their stead. sour milk has a corroding tendency, and the well known effects of the poison of lead are, bodily debility, palsy, and death. the best of all milk vessels are flat wooden trays about three inches deep, and wide enough to contain a full gallon of milk. these may be kept perfectly clean with good care, and washing and scalding them well with salt and water. as soon as the operation of churning is performed, the butter should be washed immediately in several waters, till thoroughly cleansed from the milk, which should be forced out with a flat wooden ladle, or skimming dish, provided with a short handle. this should be quickly performed, with as little working of the butter as possible; for if it be too much beaten and turned, it will become tough and gluey, which greatly debases its quality. to beat it up with the hand is an indelicate practice, as the butter cannot fail to imbibe the animal effluvia: a warm hand especially will soften it, and make it appear greasy. if the heat of the weather should render it too soft to receive the impression of the mould, it may be put into small vessels, and allowed to swim in a trough of cold water, provided the butter do not come in contact with the water, which would diminish some of its best qualities. a little common salt must be worked up in the butter at the time of making it, and care must be taken not to handle it too much. meat hung in a dairy will taint the air, and spoil the milk.--see butter, cheese, churning, &c. damp beds. of all other means of taking cold, damp beds are the most dangerous, and persons who keep them in their houses are guilty of a species of murder, though it unfortunately happens that no housewife is willing to acknowledge that _her_ beds were ever damp. there is however no other effectual way of preventing the dreadful effects so often experienced in this way, than by keeping the beds in constant use, or causing them frequently to be slept in till they are wanted by a stranger. in inns, where the beds are used almost every night, nothing more is necessary than to keep the rooms well aired, and the linen quite dry. if a bed be suspected of dampness, introduce a glass goblet between the sheets with its bottom upwards, immediately after the warming pan is taken out. after a few minutes, if any moisture adheres to the inside of the glass, it is a certain sign that the bed is damp: but if only a slight steam appears, all is safe. if a goblet be not at hand, a looking glass will answer the purpose. the safest way in all such cases is to take off the sheets, and sleep between the blankets. damp houses. nothing is more common than for persons to hazard their lives by inhabiting a dwelling almost as soon as the plasterer or the painter has performed his work, and yet this ought to be guarded against with the utmost care. the custom of sitting in a room lately washed, and before it is thoroughly dried, is also highly injurious to health. colds occasioned by these means often bring on asthmas and incurable consumptions. damp walls. when a house has undergone repairs, the walls are apt to become damp, as well as when it has been new built. to prevent the ill effects, powder some glass fine, mix it with slacked lime, dry the mixture well in an iron pot, and pass it through a flour sieve. then boil some tar with a little grease for a quarter of an hour, and make a cement of the whole together. care must be taken to prevent any moisture from mixing with the cement, which must be used as soon as made. lay it on the damp part of the wall like common plaster about a foot square at a time, or it will quickly become too hard for use: if the wall be very wet, a second coating will be required. common hair mortar may then be laid on, with the addition of a little paris plaster, which will prevent the walls in future from becoming damp. damson cheese. pick the damsons clean, bake them slowly, till they may be rubbed through a cullender, leaving nothing but the skins and stones. boil the pulp and juice three hours over a slow fire, with some moist sugar, and keep it stirring to prevent burning. blanch the kernels, and mix them with the jam a few minutes before it be taken off the fire. put it into cups, tie it down with writing paper dipped in brandy, and the cheese will keep several years, if kept in a dry place. damson pudding. line a bason with tolerably thin paste, fill with the fruit, and cover the paste over it. tie a cloth tight over, and boil till the fruit is done enough. damson wine. take a considerable quantity of damsons and common plums inclining to ripeness; slit them in halves, so that the stones may be taken out, then mash them gently, and add a little water and honey. add to every gallon of the pulp a gallon of spring water, with a few bay leaves and cloves: boil the mixture, and add as much sugar as will sweeten it, skim off the froth, and let it cool. now press the fruit, squeezing out the liquid part; strain all through a fine cloth, and put the water and juice together in a cask. having allowed the whole to stand and ferment for three or four days, fine it with white sugar, flour, and whites of eggs. draw it off into bottles, then cork it well: in twelve days it will be ripe, and will taste like weak port, having a flavour of canary. damsons preserved. to keep damsons for winter pies, put them in small stone jars, or wide-mouthed bottles; set them up to their necks in a boiler of cold water, and scald them. next day, when perfectly cold, fill up the bottles with spring water, and close them down.--another way is to boil one third as much sugar as fruit over a slow fire, till the juice adheres to the fruit, and forms a jam. keep it in small jars in a dry place. if too sweet, mix with it some of the fruit done without sugar.--or choose some pots of equal size top and bottom, sufficient to hold eight or nine pounds each. put in the fruit about a quarter up, strew in a quarter of the sugar, then another quantity of fruit, and so on till all of both are in. the proportion of sugar is to be three pounds to nine pounds of fruit. set the jars in the oven, and bake the fruit quite through. when cold, put a piece of clean-scraped stick into the middle of the jar, and let the upper part stand above the top. cover the fruit with writing paper, and pour melted mutton-suet over, full half an inch thick. keep the jars in a cool dry place, and use the suet as a cover, which may be drawn up by the stick, if a forked branch be left to prevent its slipping out. davenport fowls. hang up young fowls for a night. take the liver, hearts, and tenderest parts of the gizzards, and shred them small, with half a handful of young clary, an anchovy to each fowl, an onion, and the yolks of four eggs boiled hard, seasoning the whole with pepper, salt, and mace. stuff the fowls with this mixture, and sew up the vents and necks quite close, that the water may not get in. boil them in salt and water till almost done; then drain them, and put them into a stewpan with butter enough to brown them. serve them with fine melted butter, and a spoonful of ketchup of either sort, in the dish. debility. a general relaxation of the nervous system is the source of numerous disorders, and requires a treatment as various as the causes on which it depends. in general, gentle heat possesses both stimulating and strengthening properties, and this is best communicated by a warm bath, which instead of relaxing will invigorate the whole frame. diet must also be attended to; and weakly persons should be careful to eat light and nourishing food, and plenty of nutricious vegetables. new laid eggs, soup, strong meat-broth, and shell-fish are also very nourishing. clothing should be accommodated to the climate and changes of weather, so as to preserve as much as possible a middle temperature between cold and heat. invalids of this description require longer and less disturbed rest than persons in perfect health and vigour; labour and exercise adapted to their habits and strength, a clean but not too soft bed, an airy and capacious apartment, and particularly a calm and composed mind, which last possesses a most powerful influence in preserving health and life, for without tranquility, all other means will be ineffectual. derbyshire bread. rub four ounces of butter into four pounds of flour, add four eggs well beaten, a pint of milk, and a large spoonful of yeast. mix them into a paste, make it into rolls, and let them stand half an hour to rise before the fire. put them into the oven, dip them in milk the next day, and then let them stand by the fire in a dutch oven about twenty minutes. the rolls will then be very good, and keep a fortnight. devonshire junket. put warm milk into a bowl, and turn it with rennet. then without breaking the curd, put on the top some scalded cream, sugar and cinnamon. diet bread. beat nine eggs, and add their weight in sifted sugar, and half as much flour. mix them well together, grate in the rind of a lemon, and bake it in a hoop. diet drink. infuse in five gallons of small beer, twelve ounces of red dock-roots, the pith taken out; three ounces of chicary roots, two handfuls of sage, balm, brooklime, and dandelion; two ounces of senna, two of rhubarb, four ounces of red saunders, and a few parsley and carraway seeds. or boil a pound of the fine raspings of guaiacum, with six gallons of sweetwort, till reduced to five; and when it is set to work, put in the above ingredients. if a little salt of wormwood be taken with it, this diet drink will act as a diuretic, as well as a purgative. dinners. the first course for large dinner parties, generally consists of various soups, fish dressed many ways, turtle, mock turtle, boiled meats and stewed: tongue, ham, bacon, chawls of bacon, boiled turkey and fowls: rump, sirloin, and ribs of beef roasted: leg, saddle, and other roast mutton: roast fillet, loin, neck, breast, and shoulder of veal: leg of lamb, loin, fore-quarter, chine, lamb's head and mince: mutton stuffed and roasted, steaks variously prepared, ragouts and fricassees: meat pies raised, and in dishes: patties of meat, fish, and fowl: stewed pigeons, venison, leg of pork, chine, loin, spare-rib, rabbits, hare, puddings, boiled and baked: vegetables, boiled and stewed: calf's head different ways, pig's feet and ears different ways.--dishes for the second course, birds, and game of all sorts: shell-fish, cold and potted: collared and potted fish, pickled ditto, potted birds, ribs of lamb roasted, brawn, vegetables, stewed or in sauce: french beans, peas, asparagus, cauliflower, fricassee, pickled oysters, spinach, and artichoke bottoms: stewed celery, sea kale, fruit tarts, preserved-fruit tarts, pippins stewed, cheesecakes, various sorts: a collection of sweet dishes, creams, jellies, mince pies, and all the finer sorts of puddings: omlet, macaroni, oysters in scallops, stewed or pickled.--for removes of soup and fish, one or two joints of meat or fowl are served; and for one small course, the article suited to the second must make a part. where vegetables, fowls, or any other meat are twice dressed, they add to the appearance of the table the first time; and three sweet articles may form the second appearance, without greater expence. in some houses, one dish at a time is sent up with the vegetables, or sauces proper to it, and this in succession hot and hot. in others, a course of soups and fish: then meats and boiled fowls, turkey, &c. made dishes and game follow; and lastly, sweet dishes; but these are not the common modes. it ought also to be remarked, that cooks in general do not think of sending up such articles as are in the house, unless ordered; though by so doing, the addition of something collared or pickled, some fritters, fried patties, or quick-made dumplings, would be useful when there happen to be accidental visitors: and at all times it is proper to improve the appearance of the table rather than let things spoil below, by which an unnecessary expence is incurred.--any of the following articles may be served as a relish, with the cheese, after dinner. baked or pickled fish done high, dutch pickled herrings: sardinias, which eat like anchovy, but are larger: anchovies, potted char, ditto lampreys: potted birds made high, caviare and sippets of toast: salad, radishes, french pie, cold butter, potted cheese, anchovy toast. distress for rent. in these days of general complaint and general distress, when so many families and individuals are suffering from the extortions of tax-gatherers, and the severity of landlords, it is proper that householders and occupiers of land should be furnished with a little information on the subject of their legal rights and liabilities, in order to guard against injustice, or the fatal consequences of illegal proceedings. it must therefore be observed, that rent is recoverable by action of debt at common law; but the general remedy is distress, by taking the goods and chattels out of the possession of the tenant, to procure satisfaction for rent. a distress for rent therefore must be made for nonpayment, or rent in arrears, and cannot be made on the day in which the rent becomes due. neither can distress be made after the rent has been tendered; or if it be tendered while the distress is making, the landlord must deliver up the distress. any goods or effects that are damaged by the proceedings of the landlord, must be made good by him.--when distress is levied, it should be for the whole of the rent in arrears; not a part at one time and the remainder at another, if there was at first a sufficiency; but if the landlord should mistake the value of the things, he may make a second distress to supply the deficiency. he must be careful to demand neither more nor less than is due; he must also shew the certainty of the rent, and when it was due; otherwise the demand will not be good, nor can he obtain a remedy.--a landlord may distrain whatever he finds on the premises, whether it be the property of his tenant or not, except such things as are for the maintenance and benefit of trade; such as working tools and implements, sacks of corn, or meal in a mill. neither fixtures in a house nor provisions can be distrained, nor any other article which cannot be restored in as good a state as when it was taken; but wearing apparel may be distrained when they are not in use. money out of a bag cannot be distrained, because it cannot be known again; but money sealed up in a bag may. a horse in a cart cannot be distrained, without also taking the cart; and if a man be in the cart, these cannot be taken. a horse bringing goods to market, goods brought to market to be sold, goods for exportation on a wharf or in a warehouse, goods in the hands of a factor, goods delivered to a carrier to be conveyed for hire, wool in a neighbour's barn, are all considered as goods in the hands of a third person, and cannot therefore be distrained by a landlord for rent. but goods left at an inn or other place of conveyance, a chaise or horse standing in a stable, though the property of a third person, may be distrained for rent. a distress must not be made after dark, nor on the sabbath day.--where a landlord means to distrain for rent, it is not necessary to demand his rent first, unless the tenant is on the premises on the day of payment, and ready to pay it. but if goods are distrained, and no cause given for so doing, the owner may rescue them, if not impounded. distraining part of the goods for rent in arrear, in the name of the whole goods, will be deemed a lawful seizure. but if distress and sale be made for rent when it can be proved that no rent is due or in arrear, the person so injured may recover double the value of such goods distrained, with full costs of suit. if goods be impounded, though they have been distrained without a cause, a tenant cannot touch them, because they are then in the hands of the law; but if not impounded or taken away, he is at liberty to rescue them.--if distress be made for rent, and the goods are not replevied within five days after the distress is made, and notice left on the premises stating the cause of such distress, the person distraining may have the goods appraised by two persons, sworn by the constable of the place for that purpose, and may after such appraisement sell them to the best advantage. the rent may then be taken, including all expences, and the overplus left in the hands of the constable for the owner's use. if a landlord commit an unlawful act or any other irregularity, in making distress for rent which is justly due, the distress itself will not on that account be deemed unlawful; but full damages may be demanded by the injured party, with full costs of suit; either in an action of trespass, or on the case. but if full recompense be tendered to the tenant for such trespass before the action is commenced, he is bound to accept it, or the action will be discharged.--if a tenant clandestinely remove his goods, to prevent the landlord from distraining them for rent, he may seize the goods within thirty days, wherever they shall be found; and if not actually sold previous to the seizure, he may dispose of them in order to recover his rent. any tenant or assistant removing goods to prevent a distress, is liable to double the value of the goods, which the landlord may recover by action at law. if under the value of fifty pounds, complaint may be made in writing to two neighbouring magistrates, who will enforce the payment by distress, or commit the offenders to the house of correction for six months. if any person after the distress is made, shall presume to remove the goods distrained, or take them away from the person distraining, the party aggrieved may sue for the injury, and recover treble costs and damages against the offender.--a landlord may not break a lock, nor open a gate; but if the outer door of the house be open he may enter, and break open the inner doors. but where goods are fraudulently removed, and locked up to prevent their being seized, the landlord may break open every place where they are and seize them. if in a dwelling house, an oath must first be made before a magistrate, that is was suspected the goods were lodged there. the most eligible way is to remove the goods immediately, and to give the tenant notice where they are removed to; but it is usual to leave them under the protection of a person on the premises for five whole days, after which it is lawful to sell them. in making the distress, it is necessary to give the bailiff a written order for that purpose, which the landlord may do himself without any stamp, only specifying the person's name, place of abode, and rent in arrears for which the goods and chattels are to be seized. after this an inventory is to be made of the articles, a copy of which is to be given to the tenant, accompanied with a notice that unless the arrears of rent and charges of distress be paid, or the goods replevied at the expiration of five days from the day of distress, the said goods will be appraised and sold according to law. if the landlord chooses to indulge the tenant with a longer time to raise the money, a memorandum must be taken of the tenant, stating that possession is lengthened at his request, or the landlord will be liable to an action for exceeding the time of his original notice.--see tenants. double rent. if a tenant has received a written notice, and he refuse to quit, after such notice has been regularly served, and will not give possession at the time required, he is liable to pay at the rate of double the annual value of the land or tenement so detained, for so long time as the same are detained in his possession, and the payment may be recovered by action of debt. or if the tenant shall give notice of his intention to quit the premises, and do not deliver up possession according to such notice, he is liable to the payment of double rent, as in the other case.--the following is the form of a notice to a tenant to quit, or to pay double rent. 'mr. a. b. i hereby give you notice to deliver up possession and quit, on or before next michaelmas day, the house and premises which you now hold of me, situate in the parish of ------inthe county of ------: and in default of your compliance therewith, i do and will insist on your paying me for the same, the yearly rent of ------ being double the annual rent, for such time as you shall detain the key, and keep possession, over the said notice. witness my hand this day of ------ -. c. d. landlord of the said premises. witness e. f.'--if, after notice of double rent be expired, a single rent is accepted, such acceptance will prevent the penalty, until notice is again given, and the time expired. down. this valuable part of goose coating, which contributes so much to the comfort and even the luxury of life, comes to maturity when it begins to fall off of itself; and if removed too soon, it is liable to be attacked by worms. lean geese furnish more than those that are fat, and the down is more valuable. neither the feathers nor the down of geese which have been dead some time are fit for use: they generally smell bad, and become matted. none but what is plucked from living geese, or which have just been killed, ought to be exhibited for sale; and in this case the down should be plucked soon, or before the geese are entirely cold. draught for a cough. beat a fresh-laid egg, and mix it with a quarter of a pint of new milk warmed, but do not heat it after the egg is put in. add a large spoonful of capillaire, the same of rose water, and a little nutmeg scraped. take it the first and last thing, and it will be found a fine soft draught for those who are weakly, or have a cold.--another remedy. take a handful of horehound, a handful of rue, a handful of hyssop, and the same quantity of ground ivy and of tormentil, with a small quantity of long plantain, pennyroyal, and five finger. boil them in four quarts of water till reduced to two quarts. strain it off, then add two pounds of loaf sugar; simmer it a little, add a quart of brandy and bottle it for use. a wine glassful of this to be taken occasionally. dried bacon. when two flitches are to be cured, divide the hog, cut off the hams, and take out the chine. it is common to remove the spare-ribs, but the bacon will be preserved better from being rusty, if they are left in. salt the bacon six days, then drain it from that first pickle: mix a proper quantity of salt with half a pound of bay-salt, three ounces of saltpetre, and a pound of coarse sugar, to each hog. rub the salts well in, and turn it every day for a month. drain and smoke it for a few days, or dry it with bran or flour, and hang it in the kitchen, or on a rack suspended from the ceiling.--good bacon may be known, if you are going to purchase it, by the rind being thin, the fat firm, and of a red tinge, the lean tender, of a good colour, and adhering to the bone. if there are yellow streaks in it, it is going, if not already rusty. dried cherries. stone six pounds of kentish cherries, and put them into a preserving pan with two pounds of loaf sugar pounded and strewed among them. simmer them till they begin to shrivel, then strain them from the juice, lay them on a hot hearth or in an oven, when either is cool enough to dry without baking them. the same syrup will do another six pounds of fruit.--to dry cherries without sugar, stone, and set them over the fire in a preserving pan. simmer them in their own liquor, and shake them in the pan. put them by in common china dishes: next day give them another scald, and when cold put them on sieves to dry, in an oven moderately warm. twice heating, an hour each time, will be sufficient. place them in a box, with a paper between each layer.--a superior way of preserving cherries is to allow one pound of double-refined sugar to every five pounds of fruit, after they are stoned; then to put both into a preserving pan with very little water, till they are scalding hot. take the fruit out immediately and dry them; return them into the pan again, strewing the sugar between each layer of cherries. let it stand to melt, then set the pan on the fire, and make it scalding hot as before; take it off, and repeat this thrice with the sugar. drain them from the syrup, and lay them singly to dry on dishes, in the sun or on a stove. when dry, put them into a sieve, dip it into a pan of cold water, and draw it instantly out again, and pour them on a fine soft cloth; dry them, and set them once more in the sun, or on a stove. keep them in a box, with layers of white paper, in a dry place. this is the best way to give plumpness to the fruit, as well as colour and flavour. dried haddock. choose them of two or three pounds weight; take out the gills, eyes, and entrails, and remove the blood from the backbone. wipe them dry, and put some salt into the bodies and sockets. lay them on a board for a night, then hang them up in a dry place, and after three or four days they will be fit to eat. skin and rub them with egg, and strew crumbs over them. lay them before the fire, baste with butter till they are quite brown, and serve with egg sauce.--whitings, if large, are excellent in this way; and where there is no regular supply of fish, it will be found a great convenience. dried salmon. cut the fish down, take out the inside and roe. after scaling it, rub it with common salt, and let it hang twenty-four hours to drain. pound three or four ounces of saltpetre, according to the size of the fish, two ounces of bay salt, and two ounces of coarse sugar. mix them well, rub it into the salmon, and lay it on a large dish for two days; then rub it with common salt, wipe it well after draining, and in twenty-four hours more it will be fit to dry. hang it either in a wood chimney, or in a dry place, keeping it open with two small sticks.--dried salmon is broiled in paper, and only just warmed through. egg sauce and mashed potatoes may be eaten with it; or it may be boiled, especially the part next the head. an excellent dish of dried salmon may also be made in the following manner. prepare some eggs boiled hard and chopped large, pull off some flakes of the fish, and put them both into half a pint of thin cream, with two or three ounces of butter rubbed in a tea-spoonful of flour. skim and stir it till boiling hot, make a wall of mashed potatoes round the inner edge of a dish, and pour the above into it. drink for the sick. pour a table-spoonful of capillaire, and the same of good vinegar, into a tumbler of fresh cold water. tamarinds, currants, fresh or in jelly, scalded currants or cranberries, make excellent drinks; with a little sugar or not, as most agreeable. or put a tea-cupful of cranberries into a cup of water, and mash them. in the meantime boil two quarts of water with one large spoonful of oatmeal, and a bit of lemon peel; then add the cranberries, and as much fine lisbon sugar as shall leave a smart flavour of the fruit. add a quarter of a pint of sherry, or less, as may be proper: boil all together for half an hour, and strain off the drink. dripping, if carefully preserved, will baste every thing as well as butter, except fowls and game; and for kitchen pies nothing else should be used. the fat of a neck or loin of mutton makes a far lighter pudding than suet. dripping crust. rub a pound of clarified dripping into three pounds of fine flour, and make it into a paste with cold water. or make a hot crust with the same quantity, by melting the dripping in water, and mixing it hot with the flour. drop cakes. rub half a pound of butter into a pound of fine flour; mix it with half a pound of sugar, and the same of currants. mix it into a paste, with two eggs, a large spoonful of rose water, brandy, and sweet wine; and put it on plates ready floured. dropsy. gentle exercise and rubbing the parts affected, are highly proper in this complaint, and the tepid bath has often procured considerable relief. the patient ought to live in a warm dry place, not expose himself to cold or damp air, and wear flannel next the skin. vegetable acids, such as vinegar, the juice of lemons and oranges, diluted with water, should be drank in preference to wine or spirits, either of which are generally hurtful. the diet should be light and nourishing, easy of digestion, and taken in moderation. horseradish, onions and garlic, may be used instead of foreign spices; but tea, coffee, and punch, are alike improper. drowning. if a person unfortunately fall into the water, and is supposed to be drowned, he should be carefully undressed as soon as he is taken out; then laid on a bed or mattrass in a warm apartment, with the head and upper part a little raised, and the nostrils cleaned with a feather dipped in oil. let the body be gently rubbed with common salt, or with flannels dipped in spirits; the pit of the stomach fomented with hot brandy, the temples stimulated with spirits of hartshorn, and bladders of lukewarm water applied to different parts of the body, or a warming-pan wrapped in flannel gently moved along the back. a warm bath, gradually increased to seventy-five degrees, would be highly proper; or the body may be carried to a brewhouse, and covered up with warm grains for an hour or two. an attempt should be made to inflate the lungs, either by the help of a pair of bellows, or a person's blowing with his mouth through the nostril, which in the first instance is much better. if the patient be very young, or the animation do not appear altogether suspended, he may be placed in bed between two persons to promote natural warmth, or covered with blankets or warm flannels. stimulating clysters of warm water and salt, or six ounces of brandy, should be speedily administered. the means should be persevered in for several hours, as there are instances of persons recovering after all hope was given up, and they had been abandoned by their attendants. as soon as the first symptoms of life are discernible, care must be taken to cherish the vital action by the most gentle and soothing means. fomentations of aromatic plants may then be applied to the pit of the stomach, bladders of warm water placed to the left side, the soles of the feet rubbed with salt, and a little white wine dropped on the tongue. the patient should then be left in a quiet state till able to drink a little warm wine, or tea mixed with a few drops of vinegar. the absurd practice of rolling persons on casks, lifting the feet over the shoulders, and suffering the head to remain downwards, in order to discharge the water, has occasioned the loss of many lives, as it is now fully and clearly established, that the respiration being impeded is in this case the sole cause of the suspension of life; and which being restored, the vital functions soon recover their tone. no attempt must be made to introduce liquor of any kind into the mouth, till there are strong signs of recovery. ducks. in rearing this species of poultry, they should be accustomed to feed and rest in one place, to prevent their straggling too far to lay. places near the water to lay in are advantageous, and these might consist of small wooden houses, with a partition in the middle, and a door at each end. they generally begin to lay in the month of february. their eggs should be daily taken away except one, till they seem inclined to set, and then they should be left with a sufficient quantity of eggs under them. they require no attention while setting, except to give them food at the time they come out to seek it; and water should be placed at a convenient distance, that their eggs may not be spoiled by their long absence in seeking it. twelve or thirteen eggs will be sufficient. in an early season it is best to place them under a hen, that the ducks may have less time for setting, for in cold weather they cannot so well be kept from the water, and would scarcely have strength to bear it. they should be placed under cover, especially in a wet season; for though water is the natural element of ducks, yet they are apt to be killed by the cramp before they are covered with feathers to defend them. ducks will eat any thing; and when to be fatted, they should have plenty of food, however coarse it may be, and in three weeks they will be ready. duck pie. bone a full-grown young duck and a fowl. wash and season them with pepper and salt, and a small proportion of mace and allspice in the finest powder. put the fowl within the duck, and in the former a calf's tongue, boiled very tender and peeled. press the whole close, and draw the legs inwards, that the body of the fowl may be quite smooth. the space between the sides of the crust may be filled with fine forcemeat, the same as for savoury pies. bake it in a slow oven, either in a raised crust or pie dish, with a thick ornamented crust. large staffordshire pies are made as above, but with a goose outwards, then a turkey, a duck next, then a fowl; and either tongue, small birds, or forcemeat in the middle. duck sauce. put a rich gravy into the dish, and slice the breast. cut a lemon, put on it some pepper and salt, squeeze it on the breast, and pour a spoonful of gravy over the meat, before it is sent round.--see roast duck. dun birds. roast and baste them with butter, and sprinkle a little salt before they are taken up. pour a good gravy over them, and serve with shalot sauce in a boat. dunelm of veal. stew a few small mushrooms in their own liquor and a bit of butter, a quarter of an hour. mince them fine, and put them with their liquor to some cold minced veal. add a little pepper and salt, some cream, and a bit of butter rubbed in less than half a tea-spoonful of flour. simmer the mince three or four minutes, and serve it on thin sippets of bread. cold fowl may be treated in the same manner. dutch beef. take a lean piece of beef, rub it well with treacle or brown sugar, and let it be turned often. in three days wipe it, and salt it with common salt and saltpetre beaten fine: rub these well in, and turn it every day for a fortnight. roll it tight in a coarse cloth, and press it under a large weight: hang it to dry in a wood smoke, but turn it upside down every day. boil it in pump water, and press it: it will then grate or cut into shivers, like dutch beef. dutch flummery. boil two ounces of isinglass in a pint and half of water very gently half an hour; add a pint of white wine, the juice of three lemons, and the thin rind of one. rub a few lumps of sugar on another lemon to obtain the essence, and add with them a sufficient quantity of sugar to sweeten. beat up the yolks of seven eggs, mix it with the above, and give them together one scald. keep the flummery stirring all the time, pour it into a bason, stir it till half cold, let it settle, and then put it into a melon shape. dutch pudding. melt a pound of butter in half a pint of milk; mix it into two pounds of flour, eight eggs, and four spoonfuls of yeast. add a pound of currants, and a quarter of a pound of sugar beaten and sifted, and bake it an hour in a quick oven. this is a very good pudding hot, and equally so as a cake when cold. if for the latter, carraways must be used instead of currants. dutch rice pudding. soak four ounces of rice in warm water half an hour; drain away the water, put the rice into a stewpan, with half a pint of milk, and half a stick of cinnamon, and simmer it till tender. when cold, add four eggs well beaten, two ounces of butter melted in a tea-cupful of cream; and add three ounces of sugar, a quarter of a nutmeg, and a good piece of lemon peel. put a light puffpaste into a mould or dish, or grated tops and bottoms, and bake in a quick oven. dutch waffles. these form a delicious article in the shape of puff cakes, which are instantly prepared and exhibited for sale in stalls or tents, in the fairs of holland, where they are eaten hot as they come from the plate or baking pan, with fine sugar strewed over them. mix together three pounds of fine flour, a dozen eggs, a pound of melted butter, half a pint of ale, some milk, and a little yeast. beat it well, till it forms a thick paste, and let it stand three or four hours before the fire to rise. lay it in small pieces on a hot iron or fryingpan, with a pair of buttered tongs, till it is lightly browned. eat the waffles with fine sugar sifted over, or a little sack and melted butter. dyeing. nankeen dye is made of equal parts of arnetto and common potash, dissolved in boiling water. to dye cotton, silk, woollen, or linen of a beautiful yellow, the plant called weld, or dyer's weed, is used for that purpose. blue cloths dipped in a decoction of it will become green. the yellow colour of the dutch pink is obtained from the juice of the stones and branches of the weld. black dye is obtained from a strong decoction of logwood, copperas, and gum arabic. oak saw-dust, or the excrescences on the roots of young oaks, may be used as a substitute for galls, both in making ink and black dye. e. earthenware. an ounce of dry lean cheese grated fine, and an equal quantity of quicklime mixed well together in three ounces of skim milk, will form a good cement for any articles of broken earthenware, when the rendering of the joint visible is reckoned of no consequence. a cement of the same nature may be made of quicklime tempered with the curd of milk, but the curd should either be made of whey or buttermilk. this cement, like the former, requires to be applied immediately after it is made, and it will effectually join any kind of earthenware or china. earwigs. these insects are often destructive in gardens, especially where carnations, nuts, or filberts, pears and apples are reared. their depredations on the flowers may be prevented by putting the bowl of a tobacco-pipe on the sticks which support them, into which they will creep in the day time, and may be destroyed. green leaves of elder laid near fruit trees, or flower roots, will prevent their approach. large quantities may be taken by placing short cuts of reed, bean or wheat straw, among the branches of fruit trees, and laying some on the ground near the root. having committed their depredations in the night, they take refuge in these in the day time; the reed or straw may be taken away and burnt, and more put in its stead.--if unfortunately one of these disagreeable insects have crept into the ear, from their running so frequently about our garments, let the afflicted person lay his head upon a table, while some friend carefully drop into the ear a little sweet oil, or oil of almonds. a drop or two will be sufficient to destroy the insect, and remove the pain. an earwig may be extracted by applying a piece of apple to the ear, which will entice the insect to come out. edgebone of beef. skewer it up tight, and tie a broad fillet round it, to keep the skewers in their places. put it in with plenty of cold water, and carefully catch the scum as it rises. when all the scum is removed, place the boiler on one side of the fire, to keep simmering slowly till it is done. a piece weighing ten pounds will take two hours, and larger in proportion. the slower it boils the better it will look, and the tenderer it will be: if allowed to boil quick at first, no art can make it tender afterwards. dress plenty of carrots, as cold carrots are a general favourite with cold beef. eel broth. clean half a pound of small eels, and set them on the fire with three pints of water, some parsley, a slice of onion, and a few peppercorns. let them simmer till the eels are broken, and the broth good. add salt, and strain it off. the above should make three half pints of broth, nourishing and good for weakly persons. eel pie. cut the eels in lengths of two or three inches, season with pepper and salt, and place them in a dish with some bits of butter, and a little water. cover the dish with a paste, and bake it. eel soup. put three pounds of small eels to two quarts of water, a crust of bread, three blades of mace, some whole pepper, an onion, and a bunch of sweet herbs. cover them close, stew till the fish is quite broken, and then strain it off. toast some bread, cut it into dice, and pour the soup on it boiling hot. part of a carrot may be put in at first. this soup will be as rich as if made of meat. a quarter of a pint of rich cream, with a tea-spoonful of flour rubbed smooth in it, is a great improvement. eggs. in new-laid eggs there is a small division of the skin at the end of the shell, which is filled with air, and is perceptible to the eye. on looking through them against the sun or a candle, they will be tolerably clear; but if they shake in the shell, they are not fresh. another way to distinguish fresh eggs, is to put the large end to the tongue; if it feels warm, it is new and good. eggs may be bought cheapest in the spring, when the hens first begin to lay, before they set: in lent and at easter they become dear. they may be preserved fresh for some time by dipping them in boiling water, and instantly taking them out, or by oiling the shell, either of which will prevent the air from passing through. they may also be kept on shelves with small holes to receive one in each, and be turned every other day; or close packed in a keg, and covered with strong lime water. a still better way of preserving eggs in a fresh state is to dip them in a solution of gum-arabic in water, and then imbed them in powdered charcoal. the gum-arabic answers the purpose of a varnish for the eggs, much better than any resinous gum, as it can easily be removed by washing them in water, and is a much cheaper preparation than any other. if eggs are greased the oily matter becomes rancid, and infallibly hastens the putrefaction of the eggs. but being varnished with gum water, and imbedded in charcoal, they will keep for many years, and may be removed from one climate to another. eggs and bacon. lay some slices of fine streaked bacon in a clean dish, and toast them before the fire in a cheese-toaster, turning them when the upper side is browned; or if it be wished to have them mellow and soft, rather than curled and crisp, parboil the slices before they are toasted and do them lightly. clear dripping or lard is to be preferred to butter for frying the eggs, and be sure that the fryingpan is quite clean before it is put in. when the fat is hot, break two or three eggs into it. do not turn them; but while they are frying, keep pouring some of the fat over them with a spoon. when the yolk just begins to look white, which it will in about two minutes, they are enough, and the white must not be suffered to lose its transparency. take up the eggs with a tin slice, drain the fat from them, trim them neatly, and send them up with the bacon round them. eggs and onions. boil some eggs hard, take out the yolks whole, and cut the whites in slices. fry some onions and mushrooms, put in the whites, and keep them turning. pour off the fat, flour the onions, and add a little gravy. boil them up, then put in the yolks, with a little pepper and salt. simmer the whole about a minute, and serve it up. eggs for sallad. boil a couple of eggs for twelve minutes, and put them into a bason of cold water, to render the yolks firm and hard. rub them through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and mix them with a spoonful of water, or fine double cream, and add two table-spoonfuls of oil or melted butter. when these are well mixed, add by degrees a tea-spoonful of salt, or powdered lump sugar, and the same of made mustard. add very gradually three table-spoonfuls of vinegar, rub it with the other ingredients till thoroughly incorporated, and cut up the white of the egg to garnish the top of the sallad. let the sauce remain at the bottom of the bowl, and do not stir up the sallad till it is to be eaten. this sauce is equally good with cold meat, cold fish, or for cucumbers, celery, and radishes. eggs for the sick. eggs very little boiled or poached, when taken in small quantities, convey much nourishment. the yolk only, when dressed, should be eaten by invalids. an egg divided, and the yolk and white beaten separately, then mixed with a glass of wine, will afford two very wholesome draughts, and prove lighter than when taken together. an egg broken into a cup of tea, or beaten and mixed with a bason of milk, makes a breakfast more supporting than tea only. eggs for turtle. beat in a mortar three yolks of eggs that have been boiled hard. make it into a paste with the yolk of a raw one, roll it into small balls, and throw them into boiling water for two minutes to harden. egg balls. boil the eggs hard, and put them in cold water. take out the yolks, and pound them fine in a mortar, wetting them with raw yolks, about one to three. season them with salt and white pepper, dry them with flour, and roll them into small balls, as they swell very much in boiling. when dressed, boil them in gravy for a minute. egg pie. boil twelve eggs hard, and chop them with one pound of marrow, or beef suet. season with a little cinnamon and nutmeg finely beaten, adding one pound of currants clean washed and picked, two or three spoonfuls of cream, a little sweet wine, and rose water. mix all together, and fill the pie: when it is baked, stir in half a pound of fresh butter, and the juice of a lemon. egg mince pies. boil six eggs hard, shred them small, and double the quantity of shred suet. then add a pound of currants washed and picked, or more if the eggs were large; the peel of one lemon shred very fine, and the juice; six spoonfuls of sweet wine, mace, nutmeg, sugar, a very little salt; orange, lemon, and citron, candied. cover the pies with a light paste. egg sauce. boil the eggs hard, chop them fine, and put them into melted butter. if thrown into cold water after being boiled, the yolks will become firmer, will be easier to cut, and the surface be prevented from turning black. egg sauce will be found an agreeable accompaniment to roast fowl, or salt fish. egg wine. beat up an egg, and mix it with a spoonful of cold water. set on the fire a glass of white wine, half a glass of water, with sugar and nutmeg. when it boils, pour a little of it to the egg by degrees, till the whole is mixed, and stir it well. then return the whole into the saucepan, put it on a gentle fire, stir it one way for about a minute. if it boil, or the egg be stale, it will curdle. the wine may be made without warming the egg; it is then lighter on the stomach, though not so pleasant to the taste. serve it with toast. elder. the foetid smell of the common elder is such, especially of the dwarf elder, that if the leaves and branches be strewed among cabbage and cauliflower plants, or turnips, it will secure them from the ravages of flies and caterpillars; and if hung on the branches of trees, it will protect them from the effects of blight. or if put into the subterraneous paths of the moles, it will drive them from the garden. an infusion of the leaves in water, and sprinkled over rose-buds and other flowers, will preserve them from the depredations of the caterpillar. elder rob. clear some ripe elder-berries from the stalks, bake them in covered jars for two hours, and squeeze the juice through a strainer. to four quarts of juice put one pound of sugar, and stir it over the fire till reduced to one quart. when cold, tie it down with a bladder, and keep it in a dry place. it is very good for sore throats and fevers. elder syrup. pick off the elder berries when fully ripe, bake them in a stone jar, strain them through a coarse sieve, and put the juice into a clean kettle. to every quart of juice add a pound of fine soft sugar, boil and skim it well: when it is clear, pour it into a jar, cool it, and cover it down. half a pint of this syrup added to a gallon of new made wine, will give it a very rich flavour, or it may be used for other purposes. elder wine. pick the berries from the stalk, and to every quart allow two quarts of water. boil them half an hour, run the liquor and break the fruit through a hair sieve, and to every quart of juice put three quarters of a pound of moist sugar. boil the whole a quarter of an hour, with some peppercorns, ginger, and a few cloves. pour it into a tub, and when of a proper warmth, into the barrel, with toast and yeast to work, which there is more difficulty to make it do than most other liquors. when it ceases to hiss, put a quart of brandy to eight gallons, and stop it up. bottle it in the spring, or at christmas.--to make white elder wine, very much like frontiniac, boil eighteen pounds of white powder sugar with six gallons of water, and two whites of eggs well beaten. skim it clean, and but in a quarter of a peck of elder flowers from the tree that bears white berries, but do not keep them on the fire. stir it when nearly cold, and put in six spoonfuls of lemon juice, four or five spoonfuls of yeast, and beat it well into the liquor. stir it every day, put into the cask six pounds of the best raisins stoned, and tun the wine. stop it close, and bottle it in six months. when well kept, this wine will pass for frontiniac. elder flower wine. to six gallons of spring water put six pounds of sun raisins cut small, and a dozen pounds of fine sugar: boil the whole together for about an hour and a half. when the liquor is cold, put in half a peck of ripe elder flowers, with about a gill of lemon juice, and half the quantity of ale yeast. cover it up, and after standing three days, strain it off. pour it into a cask that is quite clean, and that will hold it with ease. when this is done, add a quart of rhenish wine to every gallon of liquor, and let the bung be lightly put in for twelve or fourteen days. then stop it down fast, and put it in a cool dry place for four or five months, till it is quite settled and fine: then bottle it off. english bamboo. about the middle of may, cut some large young shoots of elder; strip off the outward peel, and soak them all night in some strong salt and water. dry them separately in a cloth, and have in readiness the following pickle. to a quart of vinegar put an ounce of white pepper, an ounce of sliced ginger, a little mace and pimento, all boiled together. put the elder shoots into a stone jar, pour on the liquor boiling hot, stop it up close, and set it by the fire two hours, turning the jar often to keep it hot. if not green when cold, strain off the liquor, pour it on boiling again, and keep it hot as before.--or if it be intended to make indian pickle, the addition of these shoots will be found to be a great improvement. in this case it will only be necessary to pour boiling vinegar and mustard seed on them, and to keep them till the jar of pickles shall be ready to receive them. the cluster of elder flowers before it opens, makes a delicious pickle to eat with boiled mutton. it is prepared by only pouring vinegar over the flowers. english brandy. english or british brandy may be made in smaller quantities, according to the following proportions. to sixty gallons of clear rectified spirits, put one pound of sweet spirit of nitre, one pound of cassia buds ground, one pound of bitter almond meal, (the cassia and almond meal to be mixed together before they are put to the spirits) two ounces of sliced orris root, and about thirty or forty prune stones pounded. shake the whole well together, two or three times a day, for three days or more. let them settle, then pour in one gallon of the best wine vinegar; and add to every four gallons, one gallon of foreign brandy. english champaigne. take gooseberries before they are ripe, crush them with a mallet in a wooden bowl; and to every gallon of fruit, put a gallon of water. let it stand two days, stirring it well. squeeze the mixture with the hands through a hop sieve, then measure the liquor, and to every gallon put three pounds and a half of loaf sugar. mix it well in the tub, and let it stand one day. put a bottle of the best brandy into the cask, which leave open five or six weeks, taking off the scum as it rises. then stop it up, and let it stand one year in the barrel before it is bottled. english sherry. boil thirty pounds of lump sugar in ten gallons of water, and clear it of the scum. when cold, put a quart of new alewort to every gallon of liquor, and let it work in the tub a day or two. then put it into a cask with a pound of sugar candy, six pounds of fine raisins, a pint of brandy, and two ounces of isinglass. when the fermentation is over, stop it close: let it stand eight months, rack it off, and add a little more brandy. return it to the cask again, and let it stand four months before it is bottled. english wines. during the high price of foreign wine, home-made wines will be found particularly useful; and though sugar is dear, they may be prepared at a quarter of the expence. if carefully made, and kept three or four years, a proportionable strength being given, they would answer the purpose of foreign wines for health, and cause a very considerable reduction in the expenditure. sugar and water are the principal basis of home-made wine; and when these require to be boiled, it is proper to beat up the whites of eggs to a froth, and mix them with the water when cold, in the proportion of one egg to a gallon. when the sugar and water are boiled, the liquor should be cooled quickly; and if not for wines that require fermenting, it may be put into the cask when cold. if the wine is to be fermented, the yeast should be put into it when it is milk-warm; but must not be left more than two nights to ferment, before it is put into the cask. particular care should be taken to have the cask sweet and dry, and washed inside with a little brandy, before the wine is tunned, but it should not be bunged up close till it has done fermenting. after standing three or four months, it will be necessary to taste the wine, to know whether it be fit to draw off. if not sweet enough, some sugar should be added, or draw it off into another cask, and put in some sugar-candy: but if too sweet, let it stand a little longer. when the wine is racked, the dregs may be drained through a flannel bag; and the wine, if not clear enough for the table, may be used for sauce. essence of allspice. take a dram of the oil of pimento, and mix it by degrees with two ounces of strong spirit of wine. a few drops will give the flavour of allspice to a pint of gravy, or mulled wine. essence of anchovy. put into a marble mortar ten or twelve fine mellow anchovies, that have been well pickled, and pound them to a pulp. put this into a clean well-tinned saucepan, then put a table-spoonful of cold water into the mortar, shake it round, and pour it to the pounded anchovies. set them by the side of a slow fire, frequently stirring them together till they are melted, which they will be in the course of five minutes. now stir in a quarter of a dram of good cayenne, and let it remain by the fire a few minutes longer. rub it through a hair sieve with the back of a wooden spoon, and keep it stopped very closely: if the air gets to it, it is spoiled directly. essence of anchovy is made sometimes with sherry, or madeira, instead of water, or with the addition of mushroom ketchup. essence of cayenne. put half an ounce of cayenne pepper into half a pint of wine or brandy, let it steep a fortnight, and then pour off the clear liquor. this article is very convenient for the extempore seasoning and finishing of soups and sauces, its flavour being instantly and equally diffused. essence of celery. steep in a quarter of a pint of brandy, or proof spirit, half an ounce of celery seed bruised, and let it stand a fortnight. a few drops will immediately flavour a pint of broth, and are an excellent addition to pease, and other soups. essence of cloves. mix together two ounces of the strongest spirit of wine, and a dram of the oil of cloves. nutmeg, cinnamon, and mace are prepared in the same manner. essence of flowers. select a quantity of the petals of any flowers which have an agreeable fragrance, lay them in an earthen vessel, and sprinkle a little fine salt upon them. then dip some cotton into the best florence oil, and lay it thin upon the flowers; continue a layer of petals, and a layer of cotton, till the vessel is full. it is then to be closed down with a bladder, and exposed to the heat of the sun. in about a fortnight a fragrant oil may be squeezed away from the whole mass, which will yield a rich perfume. essence of ginger. grate three ounces of ginger, and an ounce of thin lemon peel, into a quart of brandy, or proof spirit, and let it stand for ten days, shaking it up each day. if ginger is taken to produce an immediate effect, to warm the stomach, or dispel flatulence, this will be found the best preparation. essence of lavender. take the blossoms from the stalks in warm weather, and spread them in the shade for twenty-four hours on a linen cloth; then bruise and put them into warm water, and leave them closely covered in a still for four or five hours near the fire. after this the blossoms may be distilled in the usual way. essence of lemon peel. wash and brush clean the lemons, and let them get perfectly dry. take a lump of fine sugar, and rub them till all the yellow rind is taken up by the sugar; scrape off the surface of the sugar into a preserving pot, and press it hard down. cover it very close, and it will keep for some time. by this process is obtained the whole of the fine essential oil, which contains the flavour. essence of mushrooms. this delicate relish is made by sprinkling a little salt over some mushrooms, and mashing them three hours after. next day strain off the liquor, put it into a stewpan, and boil it till reduced one half. it will not keep long, but is preferable to any of the ketchups. an artificial bed of mushrooms would supply this article all the year round. essence of oysters. take fine fresh milton oysters, wash them in their own liquor, skim it, and pound them in a marble mortar. to a pint of oysters add a pint of sherry, boil them up, and add an ounce of salt, two drams of pounded mace, and one of cayenne. let it just boil up again, skim it, and rub it through a sieve. when cold, bottle and cork it well, and seal it down. this composition very agreeably heightens the flavour of white sauces, and white made-dishes. if a glass of brandy be added to the essence, it will keep a considerable time longer than oysters are out of season. essence of shalot. peel, mince, and pound in a mortar, three ounces of shalots, and infuse them in a pint of sherry for three days. then pour off the clear liquor on three ounces more of shalots, and let the wine remain on them ten days longer. an ounce of scraped horseradish may be added to the above, and a little thin lemon peel. this will impart a fine flavour to soups, sauces, hashes, and various other dishes. essence of soap. for washing or shaving, the essence of soap is very superior to what is commonly used for these purposes, and a very small quantity will make an excellent lather. mix two ounces of salt of tartar with half a pound of soap finely sliced, put them into a quart of spirits of wine, in a bottle that will contain twice the quantity. tie it down with a bladder, prick a pin through it for the air to escape, set it to digest in a gentle heat, and shake up the contents. when the soap is dissolved, filter the liquor through some paper to free it from impurities, and scent it with burgamot or essence of lemon. essence of turtle. mix together one wine-glassful of the essence of anchovy, one and a half of shalot wine, four wine-glassfuls of basil wine, two ditto of mushroom ketchup, one dram of lemon acid, three quarters of an ounce of lemon peel very thinly pared, and a quarter of an ounce of curry powder, and let them steep together for a week. the essence thus obtained will be found convenient to flavour soup, sauce, potted meats, savoury patties, and various other articles. evacuations. few things are more conducive to health than keeping the body regular, and paying attention to the common evacuations. a proper medium between costiveness and laxness is highly desirable, and can only be obtained by regularity in diet, sleep, and exercise. irregularity in eating and drinking disturbs every part of the animal economy, and never fails to produce diseases. too much or too little food will have this effect: the former generally occasions looseness, and the latter costiveness; and both have a tendency to injure health. persons who have frequent recourse to medicine for preventing costiveness, seldom fail to ruin their constitution. they ought rather to remove the evil by diet than by drugs, by avoiding every thing of a hot or binding nature, by going thinly clothed, walking in the open air, and acquiring the habit of a regular discharge by a stated visit to the place of retreat. habitual looseness is often owing to an obstructed perspiration: persons thus afflicted should keep their feet warm, and wear flannel next the skin. their diet also should be of an astringent quality, and such as tends to strengthen the bowels. for this purpose, fine bread, cheese, eggs, rice milk, red wine, or brandy and water would be proper.--insensible perspiration is one of the principal discharges from the human body, and is of such importance to health, that few diseases attack us while it goes on properly; but when obstructed, the whole frame is soon disordered, and danger meets us in every form. the common cause of obstructed perspiration, or taking cold, is the sudden changes of the weather; and the best means of fortifying the body is to be abroad every day, and breathe freely in the open air. much danger arises from wet feet and wet clothes, and persons who are much abroad are exposed to these things. the best way is to change wet clothes as soon as possible, or to keep in motion till they be dry, but by no means to sit or lie down. early habits may indeed inure people to wet clothes and wet feet without any danger, but persons of a delicate constitution cannot be too careful. perspiration is often obstructed by other means, but it is in all cases attended with considerable danger. sudden transitions from heat to cold, drinking freely of cold water after being heated with violent exercise, sitting near an open window when the room is hot, plunging into cold water in a state of perspiration, or going into the cold air immediately after sitting in a warm room, are among the various means by which the health of thousands is constantly ruined; and more die of colds than are killed by plagues, or slain in battle. eve's pudding. grate three quarters of a pound of bread; mix it with the same quantity of shred suet, the same of apples, and also of currants. mix with these the whole of four eggs, and the rind of half a lemon shred fine. put it into a shape, and boil it three hours. serve with pudding sauce, the juice of half a lemon, and a little nutmeg. exercise. whether man were originally intended for labour or not, it is evident from the human structure, that exercise is not less necessary than food, for the preservation of health. it is generally seen among the labouring part of the community, that industry places them above want, and activity serves them instead of physic. it seems to be the established law of the animal creation, that without exercise no creature should enjoy health, or be able to find subsistence. every creature, except man, takes as much of it as is necessary: he alone deviates from this original law, and suffers accordingly. weak nerves, and glandular obstructions, which are now so common, are the constant companions of inactivity. we seldom hear the active or laborious complain of nervous diseases: indeed many have been cured of them by being reduced to the necessity of labouring for their own support. this shews the source from which such disorders flow, and the means by which they may be prevented. it is evident that health cannot be enjoyed where the perspiration is not duly carried on; but that can never be the case where exercise is neglected. hence it is that the inactive are continually complaining of pains of the stomach, flatulencies, and various other disorders which cannot be removed by medicine, but might be effectually cured by a course of vigorous exercise. but to render this in the highest degree beneficial, it should always be taken in the open air, especially in the morning, while the stomach is empty, and the body refreshed with sleep. the morning air braces and strengthens the nerves, and in some measure answers the purpose of a cold bath. every thing that induces people to sit still, except it be some necessary employment, ought to be avoided; and if exercise cannot be had in the open air, it should be attended to as far as possible within doors. violent exertions however are no more to be recommended than inactivity; for whatever fatigues the body, prevents the benefit of exercise, and tends to weaken rather than strengthen it. fast walking, immediately before or after meals, is highly pernicious, and necessarily accelerates the circulation of the blood, which is attended with imminent danger to the head or brain. on the other hand, indolence not only occasions diseases, and renders men useless to society, but it is the parent of vice. the mind, if not engaged in some useful pursuit, is constantly in search of ideal pleasures, or impressed with the apprehension of some imaginary evil; and from these sources proceed most of the miseries of mankind. an active life is the best guardian of virtue, and the greatest preservative of health. f. facsimiles. to produce a facsimile of any writing, the pen should be made of glass enamel, the point being small and finely polished, so that the part above the point may be large enough to hold as much or more ink than a common writing pen. a mixture of equal parts of frankfort black, and fresh butter, is now to be smeared over sheets of paper, and is to be rubbed off after a certain time. the paper thus smeared is to be pressed for some hours, taking care to have sheets of blotting paper between each of the sheets of black paper. when fit for use, writing paper is put between sheets of blackened paper, and the upper sheet is to be written on, with common ink, by the glass or enamel pen. by this method, not only the copy is obtained on which the pen writes, but also two or more, made by means of the blackened paper. family pies. to make a plain trust for pies to be eaten hot, or for fruit puddings, cut some thin slices of beef suet, lay them in some flour, mix it with cold water, and roll it till it is quite soft. or make a paste of half a pound of butter or lard, and a pound and a half of flour. mix it with water, work it up, roll it out twice, and cover the dish with it. family wine. an excellent compound wine, suited to family use, may be made of equal parts of red, white, and black currants, ripe cherries and raspberries, well bruised, and mixed with soft water, in the proportion of four pounds of fruit to one gallon of water. when strained and pressed, three pounds of moist sugar are to be added to each gallon of liquid. after standing open for three days, during which it is to be stirred frequently, it is to be put into a barrel, and left for a fortnight to work, when a ninth part of brandy is to be added, and the whole bunged down. in a few months it will be a most excellent wine. fatting fowls. chickens or fowls may be fatted in four or five days, by setting some rice over the fire with skimmed milk, as much as will serve for one day. let it boil till the rice is quite swelled, and add a tea-spoonful of sugar. feed them three times a day, in common pans, giving them only as much as will quite fill them at once. before they are fed again, set the pans in water, that no sourness may be conveyed to the fowls, as that would prevent their fattening. let them drink clean water, or the milk of the rice; but when rice is given them, after being perfectly soaked, let as much of the moisture as possible be drawn from it. by this method the flesh will have a clean whiteness, which no other food gives; and when it is considered how far a pound of rice will go, and how much time is saved by this mode, it will be found nearly as cheap as any other food, especially if it is to be purchased. the chicken pen should be cleaned every day, and no food given for sixteen hours before poultry is to be killed. fawn. a fawn, like a sucking pig, should be dressed almost as soon as it is killed. when very young, it is trussed, stuffed, and spitted the same as a hare. but they are better eating when of the size of a house lamb, and then roasted in quarters: the hind quarter is most esteemed. the meat must be put down to a very quick fire, and either basted all the time it is roasting, or be covered with sheets of fat bacon. when done, baste it with butter, and dredge it with a little salt and flour, till a nice froth is set upon it. serve it up with venison sauce. if a fawn be half roasted as soon as received, and afterwards made into a hash, it will be very fine. fear. sudden fear, or an unexpected fright, often produces epileptic fits, and other dangerous disorders. many young people have lost their lives or their senses by the foolish attempts of producing violent alarm, and the mind has been thrown into such disorders as never again to act with regularity. a settled dread and anxiety not only dispose the body to diseases, but often render those diseases fatal, which a cheerful mind would overcome; and the constant dread of some future evil, has been known to bring on the very evil itself. a mild and sympathizing behaviour towards the afflicted will do them more good than medicine, and he is the best physician and the best friend who administers the consolation of hope. feathers. where poultry is usually sold ready picked, the feathers which occasionally come in small quantities are neglected; but care should be taken to put them into a clean tub, and as they dry to change them into paper bags, in small quantities. they should hang in a dry kitchen to season; fresh ones must not be added to those in part dried, or they will occasion a musty smell, but they should go through the same process. in a few months they will be fit to add to beds, or to make pillows, without the usual mode of drying them in a cool oven, which may be pursued if they are wanted before five or six months. feathers cleaned. in order to clear feathers from animal oil, dissolve a pound of quick lime in a gallon of clear water; and pour off the clear lime-water for use, at the time it is wanted. put the feathers to be cleaned in a tub, and add to them a sufficient quantity of the clear lime-water, so as to cover them about three inches. the feathers, when thoroughly moistened, will sink down, and should remain in the lime-water for three or four days; after which, the foul liquor should be separated from them by laying them on a sieve. they are afterwards to be washed in clean water, and dried on nets, the meshes being about the same fineness as those of cabbage nets. they must be shaken from time to time on the nets; as they dry, they will fall through the meshes, and are to be collected for use. the admission of air will be serviceable in the drying, and the whole process may be completed in about three weeks. the feathers, after being thus prepared, want nothing farther than beating, to be used either for beds, bolsters, pillows, or cushions. feet. to prevent corns from growing on the feet, wear easy shoes, and bathe the feet often in lukewarm water, with a little salt and potash dissolved in it. the corn itself may be completely destroyed by rubbing it daily with a little caustic solution of potash, till a soft and flexible skin is formed. for chilblains, soak the feet in warm bran and water and rub them well with flour of mustard. this should be done before the chilblains begin to break. fennel sauce. boil fennel and parsley, tied together in a bunch; chop it small, and stir it up with melted butter. this sauce is generally eaten with mackarel. fever drink. to make a refreshing drink in a fever, put into a stone jug a little tea sage, two sprigs of balm, and a small quantity of wood sorrel, having first washed and dried them. peel thin a small lemon, and clear from the white; slice it, and put in a bit of the peel. then pour in three pints of boiling water, sweeten, and cover it close.--another drink. wash extremely well an ounce of pearl barley; shift it twice, then put to it three pints of water, an ounce of sweet almonds beaten fine, and a bit of lemon peel. boil the liquor smooth, put in a little syrup of lemons, and capillaire.--another way is to boil three pints of water with an ounce and a half of tamarinds, three ounces of currants, and two ounces of stoned raisins, till nearly a third is consumed. strain it on a bit of lemon peel, which should be removed in the course of an hour, or it will infuse a bitter taste. fillet of veal. stuff it well under the udder, at the bone, and quite through to the shank. put it into the oven, with a pint of water under it, till it comes to a fine brown. then put it in a stewpan with three pints of gravy, and stew it quite tender. add a tea-spoonful of lemon pickle, a large spoonful of browning, one of ketchup, and a little cayenne; thicken it with a bit of butter rolled in flour. put the veal in a dish, strain the gravy over it, and lay round it forcemeat balls. garnish with pickle and lemon. fine cake. to make an excellent cake, rub two pounds of fine dry flour with one of butter, washed in plain and then in rose water. mix with it three spoonfuls of yeast, in a little warm milk and water. set it to rise an hour and a half before the fire, and then beat into it two pounds of currants, carefully washed and picked, and one pound of sifted sugar. add four ounces of almonds, six ounces of stoned raisins chopped fine, half a nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and a few cloves, the peel of a lemon shred very fine, a glass of wine, one of brandy, twelve yolks and whites of eggs beat separately, with orange, citron, and lemon. beat them up well together, butter the pan, and bake in a quick oven.--to make a still finer cake, wash two pounds and a half of fresh butter in water first, and then in rose water, and beat the butter to a cream. beat up twenty eggs, yolks and whites, separately, half an hour each. have ready two pounds and a half of the finest flour well dried and kept hot, likewise a pound and a half of loaf sugar pounded and sifted, an ounce of spice in very fine powder, three pounds of currants nicely cleaned and dry, half a pound of almonds blanched, and three quarters of a pound of sweetmeats cut small. let all be kept by the fire, and mix the dry ingredients. pour the eggs strained to the butter, mix half a glass of sweet wine with a full glass of brandy, and pour it to the butter and eggs, mixing them well together. add the dry ingredients by degrees, and beat them together thoroughly for a great length of time. having prepared and stoned half a pound of jar raisins, chopped as fine as possible, mix them carefully, so that there shall be no lumps, and add a tea-cupful of orange flower water. beat the ingredients together a full hour at least. have a hoop well buttered, or a tin or copper cake-pan; take a white paper, doubled and buttered, and put in the pan round the edge, if the cake batter fill it more than three parts, for space should be allowed for rising. bake it in a quick oven: three hours will be requisite. fine crust. for orange cheesecakes, or sweetmeats, when intended to be particularly nice, the following fine crust may be prepared. dry a pound of the finest flour and mix with it three ounces of refined sugar. work up half a pound of butter with the hand till it comes to a froth, put the flour into it by degrees, adding the yolks of three and the whites of two eggs, well beaten and strained. if too thin, add a little flour and sugar to make it fit to roll. line some pattipans, and fill them: a little more than fifteen minutes will bake them. beat up some refined sugar with the white of an egg, as thick as possible, and ice the articles all over as soon as they are baked. then return them to the oven to harden, and serve them up cold, with fresh butter. salt butter will make a very fine flaky crust, but if for mince pies, or any sweet things, it should first be washed. fire arms. the danger of improperly loading fire arms chiefly arises from not ramming the wadding close to the powder; and then when a fowling-piece is discharged, it is very likely to burst in pieces. this circumstance, though well known, is often neglected, and various accidents are occasioned by it. hence when a screw barrel pistol is to be loaded, care should be taken that the cavity for the powder be entirely filled with it, so as to leave no space between the powder and the ball. for the same reason, if the bottom of a large tree is to be shivered with gunpowder, a space must be left between the charge and the wadding, and the powder will tear it asunder. but considering the numerous accidents that are constantly occurring, from the incautious use of fire arms, the utmost care should be taken not to place them within the reach of children or of servants, and in no instance to lay them up without previously drawing the charge. fire irons. to preserve them from rust, when not in use, they should be wrapped up in baize, and kept in a dry place. or to preserve them more effectually, let them be smeared over with fresh mutton suet, and dusted with unslaked lime, pounded and tied up in muslin. irons so prepared will keep many months. use no oil for them at any time, except a little salad oil, there being water in all other, which would soon produce rust. firmity. to make somersetshire firmity, boil a quart of fine wheat, and add by degrees two quarts of new milk. pick and wash four ounces of currants, stir them in the jelly, and boil them together till all is done. beat the yolks of three eggs, and a little nutmeg, with two or three spoonfuls of milk, and add to the boiling. sweeten the whole, and serve it in a deep dish, either warm or cold. fish. in dressing fish of any kind for the table, great care is necessary in cleaning it. it is a common error to wash it too much, and by this means the flavour is diminished. if the fish is to be boiled, after it is cleaned, a little salt and vinegar should be put into the water, to give it firmness. codfish, whiting, and haddock, are far better if a little salted, and kept a day; and if the weather be not very hot, they will be good two days. when fish is cheap and plentiful, and a larger quantity is purchased than is immediately wanted, it would be proper to pot or pickle such as will bear it, or salt and hang it up, or fry it a little, that it may serve for stewing the next day. fresh water fish having frequently a muddy smell and taste, should be soaked in strong salt and water, after it has been well cleaned. if of a sufficient size, it may be scalded in salt and water, and afterwards dried and dressed. fish should be put into cold water, and set on the fire to do very gently, or the outside will break before the inner part is done. crimp fish is to be put into boiling water; and when it boils up, pour in a little cold water to check extreme heat, and simmer it a few minutes. the fish plate on which it is done, may be drawn up, to see if it be ready, which may be known by its easily separating from the bone. it should then be immediately taken out of the water, or it will become woolly. the fish plate should be set crossways over the kettle, to keep hot for serving; and a clean cloth over the fish, to prevent its losing its colour. small fish nicely fried, covered with egg and crumbs, make a dish far more elegant than if served plain. great attention is required in garnishing fish, by using plenty of horseradish, parsley, and lemon. when well done, and with very good sauce, fish is more attended to than almost any other dish. the liver and roe should be placed on the dish in order that they may be distributed in the course of serving.--if fish is to be fried or broiled, it must be dried in a nice soft cloth, after it is well cleaned and washed. if for frying, smear it over with egg, and sprinkle on it some fine crumbs of bread. if done a second time with the egg and bread, the fish will look so much the better. put on the fire a stout fryingpan, with a large quantity of lard or dripping boiling hot, plunge the fish into it, and let it fry tolerably quick, till the colour is of a fine brown yellow. if it be done enough before it has obtained a proper degree of colour, the pan must be drawn to the side of the fire. take it up carefully, and either place it on a large sieve turned upwards, and to be kept for that purpose only, or on the under side of a dish to drain. if required to be very nice, a sheet of writing paper must be placed to receive the fish, that it may be free from all grease; it must also be of a beautiful colour, and all the crumbs appear distinct. the same dripping, adding a little that is fresh, will serve a second time. butter gives a bad colour, oil is the best, if the expense be no objection. garnish with a fringe of fresh curled parsley. if fried parsley be used, it must be washed and picked, and thrown into fresh water; when the lard or dripping boils, throw the parsley into it immediately from the water, and instantly it will be green and crisp, and must be taken up with a slice.--if fish is to be broiled, it must be seasoned, floured, and laid on a very clean gridiron, which when hot, should be rubbed with a bit of suet, to prevent the fish from sticking. it must be broiled over a very clear fire, that it may not taste smoky; and not too near, that it may not be scorched. fish gravy. skin two or three eels, or some flounders; gut and wash them very clean, cut them into small pieces, and put them into a saucepan. cover them with water, and add a little crust of toasted bread, two blades of mace, some whole pepper, sweet herbs, a piece of lemon peel, an anchovy or two, and a tea-spoonful of horse-radish. cover the saucepan close, and let it simmer; then add a little butter and flour, and boil with the above. fish pie. to make a fine fish pie, boil two pounds of small eels. cut the fins quite close, pick off the flesh, and return the bones into the liquor, with a little mace, pepper, salt, and a slice of onion. then boil it till it is quite rich, and strain it. make forcemeat of the flesh, with an anchovy, a little parsley, lemon peel, salt, pepper, and crumbs, and four ounces of butter warmed. lay it at the bottom of the dish: then take the flesh of soles, small cod, or dressed turbot, and rub it with salt and pepper. lay this on the forcemeat, pour on the gravy, and bake it. if cod or soles are used, the skin and fins must be taken off. fish sauce. put into a very nice tin saucepan a pint of port wine, a gill of mountain, half a pint of fine walnut ketchup, twelve anchovies with the liquor that belongs to them, a gill of walnut pickle, the rind and juice of a large lemon, four or five shalots, a flavour of cayenne, three ounces of scraped horse-radish, three blades of mace, and two tea-spoonfuls of made mustard. boil it all gently, till the rawness goes off, and put it into small bottles for use. cork them very close and seal the top.--or chop two dozen of anchovies not washed, and ten shalots, and scrape three spoonfuls of horseradish. then add ten blades of mace, twelve cloves, two sliced lemons, half a pint of anchovy liquor, a quart of hock or rhenish wine, and a pint of water. boil it down to a quart, and strain it off. when cold, add three large spoonfuls of walnut ketchup, and put the sauce into small bottles well corked.--to make fish sauce without butter, simmer very gently a quarter of a pint of vinegar, and half a pint of soft water, with an onion. add four cloves, and two blades of mace, slightly bruised, and half a tea-spoonful of black pepper. when the onion is quite tender, chop it small with two anchovies, and set the whole on the fire to boil for a few minutes, with a spoonful of ketchup. prepare in the mean time the yolks of three fresh eggs, well beaten and strained, and mix the liquor with them by degrees. when all are well mixed, set the saucepan over a gentle fire, keeping a bason in one hand, to toss the sauce to and fro in, and shake the saucepan over the fire, that the eggs may not curdle. do not let it boil, only make the sauce hot enough to give it the thickness of melted butter.--fish sauce à la craster, is made in the following manner. thicken a quarter of a pound of butter with flour, and brown it. add a pound of the best anchovies cut small, six blades of pounded mace, ten cloves, forty corns of black pepper and allspice, a few small onions, a faggot of sweet herbs, consisting of savoury, thyme, basil, and knotted marjoram, also a little parsley, and sliced horse-radish. on these pour half a pint of the best sherry, and a pint and a half of strong gravy. simmer all gently for twenty minutes, then strain it through a sieve, and bottle it for use. the way of using it is, to boil some of it in the butter while melting. flannels. in order to make flannels keep their colour and not shrink, put them into a pail, and pour on boiling water. let them lie till cold, before they are washed. flat beer. much loss is frequently sustained from beer growing flat, during the time of drawing. to prevent this, suspend a pint or more of ground malt in it, tied up in a large bag, and keep the bung well closed. the beer will not then become vapid, but rather improve the whole time it is in use. flat cakes. mix two pounds of flour, one pound of sugar, and one ounce of carraways, with four or five eggs, and a few spoonfuls of water. make all into a stiff paste, roll it out thin, cut it into any shape, and bake on tins lightly floured. while baking, boil to a thin syrup a pound of sugar in a pint of water. when both are hot, dip each cake into the syrup, and place them on tins to dry in the oven for a short time. when the oven is a little cooler, return them into it, and let them remain there four or five hours. cakes made in this way will keep good for a long time. flat fish. flounders, plaice, soles, and other kinds of flat fish, are good boiled. cut off the fins, draw and clean them well, dry them with a cloth, and boil them in salt and water. when the fins draw out easily, they are done enough. serve them with shrimp, cockle, or mustard sauce, and garnish with red cabbage. flatulency. wind in the stomach, accompanied with pain, is frequently occasioned by eating flatulent vegetables, or fat meat, with large draughts of beverage immediately afterwards, which turn rancid on the stomach; and of course, these ought to be avoided. hot tea, turbid beer, and feculent liquors will have the same effect. a phlegmatic constitution, or costiveness, will render the complaint more frequent and painful. gentle laxatives and a careful diet are the best remedy; but hot aromatics and spirituous liquors should be avoided. fleas. want of cleanliness remarkably contributes to the production of these offensive insects. the females of this tribe deposit their eggs in damp and filthy places, within the crevices of boards, and on rubbish, when they emerge in the form of fleas in about a month. cleanliness, and frequent sprinkling of the room with a simple decoction of wormwood, will soon exterminate the whole breed of these disagreeable vermin; and the best remedy to expel them from bed clothes is a bag filled with dry moss, the odour of which is to them extremely offensive. fumigation with brimstone, or the fresh leaves of pennyroyal sewed in a bag, and laid in the bed, will also have the desired effect. dogs and cats may be effectually secured from the persecutions of these vermin, by occasionally anointing their skin with sweet oil, or oil of turpentine; or by rubbing into their coats some scotch snuff. but if they be at all mangy, or their skin broken, the latter would be very painful and improper. flies. if a room be swarming with these noisome insects, the most ready way of expelling them is to fumigate the apartment with the dried leaves of the gourd. if the window be opened, the smoke will instantly drive them out: or if the room be close, it will suffocate them. but in the latter case, no person should remain within doors, as the fume is apt to occasion the headache. another way is to dissolve two drams of the extract of quassia in half a pint of boiling water; and, adding a little sugar or syrup, pour the mixture upon plates. the flies are extremely partial to this enticing food, and it never fails to destroy them. camphor placed near any kind of provision will protect it from the flies. flip. to make a quart of flip, put the ale on the fire to warm, and beat up three or four eggs, with four ounces of moist sugar. add a tea-spoonful of grated nutmeg or ginger, and a quartern of good old rum or brandy. when the ale is nearly boiling, put it into one pitcher, and the rum and eggs into another: turn it from one pitcher to another, till it is as smooth as cream. floating island. mix three half pints of thin cream with a quarter of a pint of raisin wine, a little lemon juice, orange flower water, and sugar. put it into a dish for the middle of the table, and lay on with a spoon the following froth ready prepared. sweeten half a pound of raspberry or currant jelly, add to it the whites of four eggs beaten, and beat up the jelly to a froth, until it will take any form you please. it should be raised high, to represent a castle or a rock.--another way. scald a codlin before it be ripe, or any other sharp apple, and pulp it through a sieve. beat the whites of two eggs with sugar, and a spoonful of orange flower water; mix in the pulp by degrees, and beat all together till it produces a large quantity of froth. serve it on a raspberry cream, or colour the froth with beet root, raspberry, or currant jelly, and set it on a white cream, which has already been flavoured with lemon, sugar, and raisin wine. the froth may also be laid on a custard. floor cloths. the best are such as are painted on a fine cloth, well covered with colour, and where the flowers do not rise much above the ground, as they wear out first. the durability of the cloth will depend much on these two particulars, but more especially on the time it has been painted, and the goodness of the colours. if they have not been allowed sufficient space for becoming thoroughly hardened, a very little use will injure them: and as they are very expensive articles, care is necessary in preserving them. it answers to keep them some time before they are used, either hung up in a dry airy place, or laid down in a spare room. when taken up for the winter, they should be rolled round a carpet roller, and care taken not to crack the paint by turning in the edges too suddenly. old carpets answer quite well, painted and seasoned some months before they are laid down. if intended for passages, the width must be directed when they are sent to the manufactory, as they are cut before painting. floor cloths cleaned. sweep them first, then wipe them with a flannel; and when the dust and spots are removed, rub with a wax flannel, and dry them with a plain one. use but little wax, and rub only with the latter to give a little smoothness, or it will make the floor cloth slippery, and endanger falling. washing now and then with milk, after the above sweeping and dry rubbing, will give as good an appearance, and render the floor cloths less slippery. flounders. these are both sea and river fish: the thames produces the best. they are in season from january to march, and from july to september. their flesh should be thick and firm, and their eyes bright: they very soon become flabby and bad. before they are dressed, they should be rubbed with salt inside and out, and lie two hours to acquire firmness. then dip them in eggs, cover with grated bread, and fry them. flour. good wheat flour may be known by the quantity of glutinous matter it contains, and which will appear when kneaded into dough. for this purpose take four ounces of fine flour, mix it with water, and work it together till it forms a thick paste. the paste is then to be well washed and kneaded with the hands under the water, and the water to be renewed till it ceases to become white by the operation. if the flour be sound, the paste which remains will be glutinous and elastic, and brittle after it has been baked.--adulterated meal and flour are generally whiter and heavier than the good, and may be detected in a way similar to that already mentioned, under the article adulterations. or pour boiling water on some slices of bread, and drop on it some spirits of vitriol. put them in the flour; and if it contain any quantity of whiting, chalk, or lime, a fermentation will ensue. vitriol alone, dropped on adulterated bread or flour, will produce a similar effect.--american flour requires nearly twice as much water to make it into bread as is used for english flour, and therefore it is more profitable. fourteen pounds of american flour will make twenty-one pounds and a half of bread, while the best sort of english flour produces only eighteen pounds and a half. flour caudle. into five large spoonfuls of pure water, rub smooth one dessert-spoonful of fine flour. set over the fire five spoonfuls of new milk, and put into it two pieces of sugar. the moment it boils, pour into it the flour and water, and stir it over a slow fire twenty minutes. it is a nourishing and gently astringent food, and excellent for children who have weak bowels. flower garden. the pleasures of the garden are ever various, ever new; and in every month of the year some attention is demanded, either in rearing the tender plant, in preparing the soil for its reception, or protecting the parent root from the severity of the winter's blast. ranunculuses, anemones, tulips, and other bulbous roots, if not taken up, will be in great danger from the frost, and their shoots in the spring will either be impaired, or totally destroyed.----january. cover the flower beds with wheat straw, to protect them from the cold; but where the shoots begin to appear, place behind them a reed edge, sloping three feet forward. a mat is to be let down from the top in severe weather, and taken up when it is mild. this will preserve them, without making them weak or sickly. the beds and boxes of seedling flowers should also be covered, and the fence removed when the weather is mild. clean the auricula plants, pick off dead leaves, and scrape away the surface of the mould. replenish them with some that is fine and fresh, set the pots up to the brim in the mould of a dry bed, and place behind them a reed edging. cover carnation plants from wet, and defend them from mice and sparrows.----february. make hotbeds for annual flowers, of the dung reserved for that purpose, and sow them upon a good thickness of mould, laid regularly over the dung. transplant perennial flowers, and hardy shrubs, canterbury bells, lilacs, and the like. break up and new lay the gravel walks. weed, rake, and clean the borders; and where the box of the edging is decayed, make it up with a fresh plantation. sow auricula and polyanthus seeds in boxes, made of rough boards six inches deep, with holes at the bottom to run off the water. fill the boxes with light mould, scatter the seeds thinly over the surface, sift some more mould over them about a quarter of an inch thick, and place them where they may enjoy the morning sun. plant out carnations into pots for flowering.----march. watch the beds of tender flowers, and throw mats over them, supported by hoops, in hard weather. continue transplanting all the perennial fibrous rooted flowers, such as golden-rods, and sweet-williams. dig up the earth with a shovel about those which were planted in autumn, and clean the ground between them. all the pots of flowering plants must now be dressed. pick off dead leaves, remove the earth at the top, and put fresh instead; then give them a gentle watering, and set them in their places for flowering. be careful that the roots are not wounded, and repeat the watering once in three days. the third week in march is the time to sow sweet peas, poppies, catchflies, and all the hardy annual plants. the last week is proper for transplanting evergreens, and a showery day should be chosen for the purpose. hotbeds should now be made, to receive the seedlings of annual flowers raised in the former bed.----april. tie up to sticks the stalks of tall flowers, cut the sticks about two feet long, thrust them eight inches into the ground, and hide them among the leaves. clean and rake the ground between them. take off the slips of auriculas, and plant them out carefully for an increase. transplant perennial flowers and evergreens, as in the former months; take up the roots of colchichams, and other autumnal bulbous plants. sow french honeysuckles, wallflowers, and other hardy plants, upon the natural ground, and the more tender sorts on hotbeds. transplant those sown last month, into the second hotbed. sow carnations and pinks on the natural ground, and on open borders.----may. when the leaves of sowbreads are decayed, take up the roots, and lay them by carefully till the time of planting. take up the hyacinth roots which have done flowering, and lay them sideways in a bed of dry rich mould, leaving the stems and leaves to die away: this will greatly strengthen the roots. roll the gravel walks carefully and frequently, and keep the grass clean mowed. clean all the borders from weeds, take off the straggling branches from the large flowering plants, and train them up in a handsome shape. plant out french and african marigolds from the hotbeds, with other autumnals, the last week of this month, choosing a cloudy warm day. tie up the stalks of carnations, pot the tender annuals, such as balsams and amaranths, and set them in a hotbed frame, till summer is more advanced for planting them in the open ground.----june. choose the evening of a mild showery day, and plant out into the open ground, the tender annuals hitherto kept in pots in the hotbed frame. they must be carefully loosened from the sides of the pot, and taken out with all the mould about them; a large hole must be opened for each, to set them upright in it; and when settled in the ground by gentle watering, they must be tied up to sticks. let pinks, carnations, and sweet-williams, be laid this month for an increase. let the layers be covered lightly, and gently watered every other day. spring flowers being now over, and their leaves faded, the roots must be taken up, and laid by for planting again at a proper season. snow-drops, winter-aconite, and such sorts, are to be thus managed. the hyacinth roots, laid flat in the ground, must now be taken up, and the dead leaves clipped off; and when cleared from the mould, they must be spread upon a mat in an airy room to dry, and laid by for future planting. tulip roots also must now be taken up, as the leaves decay: anemones and ranunculuses are treated in the same manner. cut in three or four places, the cups or poles of the carnations that are near blowing, that they may show regularly. at the same time inoculate some of the fine kind of roses.----july. clip box edgings, cut and trim hedges, look over all the borders, clear them from weeds, and stir up the mould between the plants. roll the gravel frequently, and mow the grass plats. inoculate roses and jasmines that require this kind of propagation, and any of the other flowering shrubs. gather the seeds of flowers intended to be propagated, and lay them upon a shelf in an airy room in the pods. when they are well hardened, tie them up in paper bags, but do not take them out of the pods till they are wanted. lay pinks and sweet-williams in the earth as formerly, cut down the stalks of those plants which have done flowering, and which are not kept for seed. tie up with sticks such as are coming into flower, as for the earlier kinds. sow lupins, larkspurs, and similar sorts, on dry warm borders, to stand the winter, and flower early next year.----august. dig up a mellow border, and draw lines at five inches distance, lengthways and across. in the centre of these squares, plant the seedling polyanthuses, one in each square. in the same manner plant out the seedling auriculas. shade them till they have taken root, and water them once a day. see whether the layers of sweet-williams, carnations, and such like, have taken root; transplant such as are rooted, and give frequent gentle waterings to the others in order to promote it. cut down the stalks of plants that have done flowering, saving the seed that may be wanted, as it ripens, and water the tender annuals every evening. sow anemones and ranunculuses, tulip, and narcissus seed. dig up a border for early tulip roots, and others for hyacinths, anemones, and ranunculuses. sow annuals to stand through the winter, and shift auriculas into fresh pots.----september. during this month, preparation should be made for the next season. tear up the annuals that have done flowering, and cut down such perennials as are past their beauty. bring in other perennials from the nursery beds, and plant them with care at regular distances. take up the box edgings where they have outgrown their proper size, and part and plant them afresh. plant tulip and other flower roots, slip polyanthuses, and place them in rich shady borders. sow the seeds of flower de luce and crown imperial, as also of auriculas and polyanthuses, according to the method before recommended. part off the roots of flower de luce, piony, and others of a similar kind. in the last week transplant hardy flowering shrubs, and they will be strong the next summer.----october. let all the bulbous roots for spring flowering be put into the ground; narcissus, maragon, tulips, and such ranunculuses and anemones as were not planted sooner. transplant columbines, monkshood, and all kinds of fibrous rooted perennials. place under shelter the auriculas and carnations that are in pots. dig up a dry border, and if not dry enough, dig in some sand, and set in the pots up to the brim. place the reed fence sloping behind them, and fasten a mat to its top, that may be let down in bad weather. take off the dead leaves of the auriculas, before they are thus planted. bring into the garden some fresh flowering shrubs, wherever they may be wanted, and at the end of the month prune some of the hardier kind.----november. prepare a good heap of pasture ground, with the turf among it, to rot into mould for the borders. transplant honeysuckles and spireas, with other hardy flowering shrubs. rake over the beds of seedling flowers, and strew some peas straw over to keep out the frost. cut down the stems of perennials which have done flowering, pull up annuals that are spent, and rake and clear the ground. place hoops over the beds of ranunculuses and anemones, and lay mats or cloths in readiness to draw over them, in case of hard rains or frost. clean up the borders in all parts of the garden, and take care to destroy not only the weeds, but all kinds of moss. look over the seeds of those flowers which were gathered in summer, to see that they are dry and sweet; and prepare a border or two for the hardier kind, by digging and cleaning.----december. during frost or cold rain, draw the mats and cloths over the ranunculuses; give the anemones a little air in the middle of every tolerable day; and as soon as possible, uncover them all day, but draw on the mats at night. throw up the earth where flowering shrubs are to be planted in the spring, and turn it once a fortnight. dig up the borders that are to receive flower roots in the spring, and give them the advantage of a fallow, by throwing up the ground in a ridge. scatter over it a very little rotten dung from a melon bed, and afterwards turn it twice during the winter. examine the flowering shrubs, and prune them. cut away all the dead wood, shorten luxuriant branches, and if any cross each other, take away one. leave them so that the air may have a free passage between them. sift a quarter of an inch of good fresh mould over the roots of perennial flowers, whose stalks have been cut down, and then rake over the borders. this will give the whole an air of culture and good management, which is always pleasing. flower pots. as flowers and plants should enjoy a free circulation of air to make them grow well, sitting rooms are not very well adapted to the purpose, unless they could be frequently ventilated by opening the doors and windows. in every severe frost or damp weather, moderate fires should be made in the rooms where the plants are placed, and the shutters closed at night. placing saucers under the pots, and pouring water continually into them, is highly improper: it should be poured on the mould, that it may filter through it, and thereby refresh the fibres of the plant. many kinds of annuals, sown in march and the beginning of april, may be transplanted into pots about the end of may, and should be frequently watered till they have taken root. if transplanted in the summer season, the evening is the proper time, and care must be taken not to break the fibres of the root. when the plants are attacked by any kind of crawling insects, the evil may be prevented by keeping the saucers full of water, so as to form a river round the pot, and rubbing some oil round the side. oil is fatal to most kinds of insects, and but few of them can endure it. flower seeds. when the seeds begin to ripen they should be supported with sticks, to prevent their being scattered by the wind; and in wet weather they should be removed to a dry place, and rubbed out when convenient. august is in general the proper time for gathering flower seeds, but many kinds will ripen much sooner. to ascertain whether the seed be fully ripe, put a little of it into water: if it be come to maturity, it will sink to the bottom, and if not it will swim upon the surface. to preserve them for vegetation, it is only necessary to wrap the seed up in cartridge paper, pasted down and varnished over with gum, or the white of an egg. some kinds of seeds are best enclosed in sealing wax. flummery. steep in cold water, for a day and a night, three large handfuls of very fine white oatmeal. pour it off clear, add as much more water, and let it stand the same time. strain it through a fine hair sieve, and boil it till it is as thick as hasty pudding, stirring it well all the time. when first strained, put to it one large spoonful of white sugar, and two of orange flower water. pour it into shallow dishes, and serve it up with wine, cider, and milk; or it will be very good with cream and sugar. fomentations. boil two ounces each of camomile flowers, and the tops of wormwood, in two quarts of water. pour off the liquor, put it on the fire again, dip in a piece of flannel, and apply it to the part as hot as the patient can bear it. when it grows cold, heat it up again, dip in another piece of flannel, apply it as the first, and continue changing them as often as they get cool, taking care not to let the air get to the part affected when the flannel is changed.--to relieve the toothache, pain in the face, or any other acute pain, the following anodyne fomentation may be applied. take two ounces of white poppy heads, and half an ounce of elder flowers, and boil them in three pints of water, till it is reduced one third. strain off the liquor, and foment the part affected. food. in the early ages of the world, mankind were chiefly supported by berries, roots, and such other vegetables as the earth produced of itself, according to the original grant of the great proprietor of all things. in later ages, especially after the flood, this grant was enlarged; and man had recourse to animals, as well as to vegetables artificially raised for their support, while the art of preparing food has been brought to the highest degree of perfection. vegetables are however, with a few exceptions, more difficult of digestion than animal food; but a due proportion of both, with the addition of acids, is the most conducive to health, as well as agreeable to the palate. animal as well as vegetable food may be rendered unwholesome by being kept too long; and when offensive to the senses, they become alike injurious to health. diseased animals, and such as die of themselves, ought never to be eaten. such as are fed grossly, stalled cattle and pigs, without any exercise, do not afford food so nourishing or wholesome as others. salt meat is not so easily digested as fresh provisions, and has a tendency to produce putrid diseases, especially the scurvy. if vegetables and milk were more used, there would be less scurvy, and fewer inflammatory fevers. our food ought neither to be too moist, nor too dry. liquid food relaxes and renders the body feeble: hence those who live much on tea, and other watery diet, generally become weak, and unable to digest solid food. they are also liable to hysterics, with a train of other nervous affections. but if the food be too dry, it disposes the body to inflammatory disorders, and is equally to be avoided. families would do well to prepare their own diet and drink, as much as possible, in order to render it good and wholesome. bread in particular is so necessary a part of daily food, that too much care cannot be taken to see that it be made of sound grain duly prepared, and kept from all unwholesome ingredients. those who make bread for sale, seek rather to please the eye than to promote health. the best bread is that which is neither too coarse nor too fine, well fermented, and made of wheat flour, or wheat and rye mixed together. good fermented liquors, neither too weak nor too strong, are to be preferred. if too weak, they require to be drunk soon, and then they produce wind and flatulencies in the stomach. if kept too long, they turn sour, and then become unwholesome. on the other hand, strong liquor, by hurting the digestion, tends to weaken and relax: it also keeps up a constant fever, which exhausts the spirits, inflames the blood, and disposes the body to numberless diseases. beer, cider, and other family liquors, should be of such strength as to keep till they are ripe, and then they should be used. persons of a weak and relaxed habit should avoid every thing hard of digestion: their diet requires to be light and nourishing, and they should take sufficient exercise in the open air. those who abound with blood, should abstain from rich wines and highly nourishing food, and live chiefly on vegetables. corpulent persons ought frequently to use radish, garlic, or such things as promote perspiration. their drink should be tea, coffee, or the like; they ought also to take much exercise, and but little sleep. those who are of a thin habit, should follow the opposite course. such as are troubled with sour risings in the stomach, should live chiefly on animal food; and those who are afflicted with hot risings and heartburn, should have a diet of acid vegetables. persons of low spirits, and subject to nervous disorders, should avoid all flatulent food, whatever is hard of digestion, or apt to turn sour on the stomach. their diet should be light, cool, and of an opening nature; not only suited to the age and constitution, but also to the manner of life. a sedentary person should live more sparingly than one who labours hard without doors, and those who are afflicted with any particular disease ought to avoid such aliment as has a tendency to increase it. those afflicted with the gravel ought to avoid every thing astringent; and the scorbutic of every description, salted or smoked provisions. in the first period of life, the food should be light, but nourishing, and frequently taken. for infants in particular, it ought to be adapted to their age, and the strength of their digestive powers. no food whatever that has been prepared for many hours should be given them, especially after being warmed up; for it creates flatulence, heartburn, and a variety of other disorders. sudden changes from liquid to solid food should be avoided, as well as a multiplicity of different kinds; and all stimulating dishes and heating liquors, prepared for adults, should be carefully withheld from children. the common but indecent practice of introducing chewed victuals into their mouth, is equally disgusting and unwholesome. solid food is most proper for the state of manhood, but it ought not to be too uniform. nature has provided a great variety for the use of man, and given him an appetite suited to that variety: the constant use of one kind of food therefore is not good for the constitution, though any great or sudden change in diet ought as well to be avoided. the change should be gradual, as any sudden transition from a low to a rich and luxurious mode of living, may endanger health, and even life itself. the diet suited to the last period of life, when nature is on the decline, approaches nearly to that of the first: it should be light and nourishing, and more frequently taken than in vigorous age. old people are generally afflicted with wind, giddiness, and headachs, which are frequently occasioned by fasting too long, and even many sudden deaths arise from the same cause. the stomach therefore should never be allowed in any case to be too long empty, but especially in the decline of life. proper attention to diet is of the utmost importance, not only to the preservation of health, but in the cure of many diseases, which may be effected by diet only. its effects indeed are not always so quick as those of medicine, but they are generally more lasting, and are obtained with greater ease and certainty. temperance and exercise are the two best physicians in the world; and if they were duly regarded, there would be little occasion for any other. food for birds. an excellent food for linnets, canaries, and other singing birds, may be prepared in the following manner. knead together one pound of split peas ground to flour, half a pound each of coarse sugar and fine grated bread, two ounces of unsalted butter, and the yolks of two eggs. brown the paste gently in a fryingpan, and when cold mix with it two ounces of mace seed, and two pounds of bruised hemp seed, separated from the husk. this paste given to birds in small quantities will preserve them in health, and prompt them to sing every month in the year. forcemeat. this article, whether in the form of stuffing balls, or for patties, makes a considerable part of good cooking, by the flavour it imparts to whatsoever dish it may be added. yet at many tables, where every thing else is well done, it is common to find very bad stuffing. exact rules for the quantity cannot easily be given; but the following observations may be useful, and habit will soon give knowledge in mixing it to the taste. the selection of ingredients should of course be made, according to what they are wanted for, observing that of the most pungent, the smallest quantity should be used. no one flavour should greatly preponderate; yet if several dishes be served the same day, there should be a marked variety in the taste of the forcemeat, as well as of the gravies. it should be consistent enough to cut with a knife, but neither dry nor heavy. the following are the articles of which forcemeat may be made, without giving it any striking flavour. cold fowl or veal, scraped ham, fat bacon, beef suet, crumbs of bread, salt, white pepper, parsley, nutmeg, yolk and white of eggs well beaten to bind the mixture. to these, any of the following may be added, to vary the taste, and give it a higher relish. oysters, anchovy, taragon, savoury, pennyroyal, knotted marjoram, thyme, basil, yolks of hard eggs, cayenne, garlic, shalot, chives, jamaica pepper in fine powder, or two or three cloves. forcemeat balls. to make fine forcemeat balls for fish soups, or stewed fish, beat together the flesh and soft parts of a lobster, half an anchovy, a large piece of boiled celery, the yolk of a hard egg, a little cayenne, mace, salt, and white pepper. add two table-spoonfuls of bread crumbs, one of oyster liquor, two ounces of warmed butter, and two eggs well beaten. make the whole into balls, and fry them in butter, of a fine brown. forcemeat for fowls. shred a little ham or gammon, some cold veal or fowl, beef suet, parsley, a small quantity of onion, and a very little lemon peel. add salt, nutmeg, or pounded mace, bread crumbs, and either white pepper or cayenne. pound it all together in a mortar, and bind it with one or two eggs beaten and strained. the same stuffing will do for meat, or for patties. for fowls, it is usually put between the skin and the flesh. forcemeat for goose. chop very fine about two ounces of onion, and an ounce of green sage. add four ounces of bread crumbs, the yolk and white of an egg, a little pepper and salt; and if approved, a minced apple. this will do for either goose or duck stuffing. forcemeat for hare. chop up the liver, with an anchovy, some fat bacon, a little suet, some sweet herbs, and an onion. add salt, pepper, nutmeg, crumbs of bread, and an egg to bind all together. forcemeat for savoury pies. the same as for fowls, only substituting fat or bacon, instead of suet. if the pie be of rabbit or fowls, the livers mixed with fat and lean pork, instead of bacon, will make an excellent stuffing. the seasoning is to be the same as for fowls or meat. forcemeat for turkey. the same stuffing will do for boiled or roast turkey as for veal, or to make it more relishing, add a little grated ham or tongue, an anchovy, or the soft part of a dozen oysters. pork sausage meat is sometimes used to stuff turkies or fowls, or fried, and sent up as garnish. forcemeat for turtle. a pound of fine fresh suet, one ounce of cold veal or chicken, chopped fine; crumbs of bread, a little shalot or onion, white pepper, salt, nutmeg, mace, pennyroyal, parsley, and lemon thyme, finely shred. beat as many fresh eggs, yolks and whites separately, as will make the above ingredients into a moist paste. roll it into small balls, and boil them in fresh lard, putting them in just as it boils up. when of a light brown take them out, and drain them before the fire. if the suet be moist or stale, a great many more eggs will be necessary. balls made in this way are remarkably light; but being greasy, some people prefer them with less suet and eggs. forcemeat for veal. scrape two ounces of undressed lean veal, free from skin and sinews; two ounces of beef or veal suet, and two of bread crumbs. chop fine two drams of parsley, one of lemon peel, one of sweet herbs, one of onion, and add half a dram of mace or allspice reduced to a fine powder. pound all together in a mortar, break into it the yolk and white of an egg, rub it all up well together, and season it with a little pepper and salt. this may be made more savoury, by the addition of cold boiled tongue, anchovy, shalot, cayenne, or curry powder. forehand of pork. cut out the bone, sprinkle the inside with salt, pepper, and dried sage. roll the pork tight, and tie it up; warm a little butter to baste it, and then flour it. roast it by a hanging jack, and about two hours will do it. forequarter of lamb. roast it either whole, or in separate parts. if left to be cold, chopped parsley should be sprinkled over it. the neck and breast together are called a scoven. fowls. in purchasing fowls for dressing, it is necessary to see that they are fresh and good. if a cock bird is young, his spurs will be short; but be careful to observe that they have not been cut or pared, which is a trick too often practised. if fresh, the vent will be close and dark. pullets are best just before they begin to lay, and yet are full of egg. if hens are old, their combs and legs will be rough: if young, they will be smooth. a good capon has a thick belly and a large rump: there is a particular fat at his breast, and the comb is very pale. black-legged fowls being moist, are best for roasting. freckles. the cosmetics generally recommended for improving the skin and bloom of the face are highly pernicious, and ought by no means to be employed. temperance in diet and exercise, with frequent washing and bathing, are the best means of preserving a healthful countenance. but those who desire to soften and improve the skin, may use an infusion of horseradish in milk, or the expressed juice of houseleek mixed with cream, which will be useful and inoffensive. freckles on the face, or small discolourations on other parts of the skin, are constitutional in some cases; and in others, they are occasioned by the action of the sun upon the part, and frequent exposures to the morning air. for dispersing them, take four ounces of lemon juice, one dram of powdered borax, and two drams of sugar: mix them together, and let them stand a few days in a glass bottle till the liquid is fit for use, and then rub it on the face. but for chaps and flaws in the skin, occasioned by cold, rub on a little plain unscented pomatum at bed-time, and let it remain till morning. or, which is much better, anoint the face with honey water, made to the consistence of cream, which will form a kind of varnish on the skin, and protect it from the effects of cold. french beans. string, and cut them into four parts; if smaller, they look so much the better. lay them in salt and water; and when the water boils, put them in with some salt. as soon as they are done, serve them immediately, to preserve their colour. or when half done, drain off the water, and add two spoonfuls of broth strained. in finishing them, put in a little cream, with flour and butter. french bread. with a quarter of a peck of fine flour, mix the yolks of three and the whites of two eggs, beaten and strained; a little salt, half a pint of good yeast that is not bitter, and as much lukewarm milk as will work it into a thin light dough. stir it about, but do not knead it. divide the dough into three parts, put them into wooden dishes, set them to rise, then turn them out into the oven, which must be quick, and rasp the bread when done. french dumplings. grate a penny loaf, add half a pound of currants, three quarters of a pound of beef suet finely shred, and half a grated nutmeg. beat up the yolks of three eggs with three spoonfuls of cream, as much white wine, and a little sugar. mix all together, work it up into a paste, make it into dumplings of a convenient size, and tie them up in cloths. put them into boiling water, and let them boil three quarters of an hour. french pie. lay a puff paste round the edge of the dish, and put in either slices of veal, rabbits or chickens jointed; with forcemeat balls, sweetbreads cut in pieces, artichoke bottoms, and a few truffles. french porridge. stir together some oatmeal and water, and pour off the latter. put fresh in, stir it well, and let it stand till the next day. strain it through a fine sieve, and boil the water, which must be small in quantity, adding some milk while it is doing. with the addition of toast, this is much in request abroad, for the breakfast of weakly persons. french pudding. grate six ounces of brown bread, and shred half a pound of suet. add four eggs well beaten, half a pound of currants picked and washed, a quarter of a pound of sugar, and a little nutmeg. mix all together, tie the pudding up close in a cloth, and boil it two hours. serve it up with a sauce of melted butter, a little sugar and sweet wine. french rolls. rub one ounce of butter into a pound of flour; mix one egg beaten, a little yeast that is not bitter, and as much milk as will make the dough tolerably stiff. beat it well, but do not knead it: let it rise, and bake it on tins. french salad. mince up three anchovies, a shalot, and some parsley. put them into a bowl with two table-spoonfuls of vinegar, one of oil, and a little salt and mustard. when well mixed, add by degrees some cold roast or boiled meat in very thin slices: put in a few at a time, not exceeding two or three inches long. shake them in the seasoning, and then put more: cover the bowl close, and let the salad be prepared three hours before it is to be eaten. garnish with parsley, and a few slices of the fat. fricandeau of beef. take a nice piece of lean beef; lard it with bacon seasoned with pepper, salt, cloves, mace, and allspice. put it into a stewpan with a pint of broth, a glass of white wine, a bundle of parsley, all sorts of sweet herbs, a clove of garlic, a shalot or two, four cloves, pepper and salt. when the meat is become tender, cover it close. skim the sauce well, strain it, set it on the fire, and let it boil till reduced to a glaze. glaze the larded side with this, and serve the meat on sorrel sauce. fricandeau of veal. cut a large piece from the fat side of the leg, about nine inches long and half as thick and broad. beat it with the rolling pin, take off the skin, and trim the rough edges. lard the top and sides, cover it with fat bacon, and then with white paper. lay it into a stewpan with any pieces of undressed veal or mutton, four onions, a sliced carrot, a faggot of sweet herbs, four blades of mace, four bay leaves, a pint of good veal or mutton broth, and four or five ounces of lean ham or gammon. cover the pan close, and let it stew slowly for three hours; then take up the meat, remove all the fat from the gravy, and boil it quick to a glaze. keep the fricandeau quite hot, and then glaze it. serve it with the remainder of the glaze in the dish, and sorrel sauce in a tureen.--the following is a cheaper way of making a good fricandeau of veal. with a sharp knife cut the lean part of a large neck from the best end, scooping it from the bones a hand's length, and prepare it in the manner above directed. three or four bones only will be necessary, and they will make the gravy; but if the prime part of the leg is cut off, it spoils the whole.--another way is to take two large round sweetbreads, and prepare them like veal. make a rich gravy with truffles, morels, mushrooms, and artichoke bottoms, and serve it round. fricassee of chickens. boil rather more than half, in a small quantity of water, and let them cool. cut them up, simmer in a little gravy made of the liquor they were boiled in, adding a bit of veal or mutton, onion, mace, lemon peel, white pepper, and a bunch of sweet herbs. when quite tender, keep them hot, while the following sauce is prepared. strain off the liquor, return it into the saucepan with a little salt, a scrape of nutmeg, and a little flour and butter. give it one boil, and when ready to serve, beat up the yolk of an egg, add half a pint of cream, and stir them over the fire, but do not let it boil. it will be quite as good however without the egg. without the addition of any other meat, the gravy may be made of the trimmings of the fowls, such as the necks, feet, small wing bones, gizzards, and livers. fricassee of rabbits. skin them, cut them in pieces, soak in warm water, and clean them. then stew them in a little fresh water, with a bit of lemon peel, a little white wine, an anchovy, an onion, two cloves, and a sprig of sweet herbs. when tender take them out, strain off the liquor, put a very little of it into a quarter of a pint of thick cream, with a piece of butter, and a little flour. keep it constantly stirring till the butter is melted; then put in the rabbit, with a little grated lemon peel, mace, and lemon juice. shake all together over the fire, and make it quite hot. if more agreeable, pickled mushrooms may be used instead of lemon.--to make a brown fricassee, prepare the rabbits as above, and fry them in butter to a nice brown. put some gravy or beef broth into the pan, shake in some flour, and keep it stirring over the fire. add some ketchup, a very little shalot chopped, salt, cayenne, and lemon juice, or pickled mushrooms. boil it up, put in the rabbit, and shake it round till it is quite hot. frying. this is often a very convenient and expeditious mode of cooking; but though one of the most common, it is as commonly performed in a very imperfect manner, and meets with less attention than the comfort of a good meal requires. a fryingpan should be about four inches deep, with a perfectly flat and thick bottom, and perpendicular sides. when used it should be half filled with fat, for good frying is in fact, boiling in fat. to make sure that the pan is quite clean, rub a little fat over it, then make it warm, and wipe it out with a clean cloth. great care must be taken in frying, never to use any oil, butter, lard, or drippings, but what is quite clean, fresh, and free from salt. any thing dirty spoils the appearance, any thing bad tasted or stale spoils the flavour, and salt prevents its browning. fine olive oil is the most delicate for frying, but it is very expensive, and bad oil spoils every thing that is dressed with it. for general purposes, and especially for fish, clean fresh lard is not near so expensive as oil or clarified butter, and does almost as well, except for collops and cutlets. butter often burns before any one is aware, and what is fried with it will get a dark and dirty appearance. dripping, if nicely clean and fresh, is almost as good as any thing: if not clean, it may easily be clarified. whatever fat be used, let it remain in the pan a few minutes after frying, and then pour it through a sieve into a clean bason. if not burnt, it will be found much better than it was at first; but the fat in which fish has been fried, will not serve any other purpose. to fry fish, parsley, potatoes, or any thing that is watery, the fire must be very clear, and the fat quite hot, which will be the case when it has done hissing. fish will neither be firm nor crisp, nor of a good colour, unless the fat be of a proper heat. to determine this, throw a little bit of bread into the pan: if it fries crisp, the fat is ready: if it burns the bread, it is too hot. whatever is fried before the fat is hot enough, will be pale and sodden, and offend the palate and the stomach, as well as the eye. the fat also must be thoroughly drained from the fry, especially from such things as are dressed in bread crumbs, or the flavour will be impaired. the dryness of fish depends much upon its having been fried in fat of a due degree of heat, they are then crisp and dry in a few minutes after being taken out of the pan: when they are not, lay them on a soft cloth before the fire, and turn them till they are dry. fried carp. scale, draw, and wash them clean; dry them in flour, and fry them in hog's lard to a light brown. fry some toast, cut three-corner ways, with the roes; lay the fish on a coarse cloth to drain, and serve them up with butter, anchovy sauce, and the juice of a lemon. garnish with the bread, roe, and lemon. fried eels. there is a greater difference in the goodness of eels than of any other fish. the true silver-eel, so called from the bright colour of the belly, is caught in the thames. the dutch eels sold at billingsgate are very bad; those taken in great floods are generally good, but in ponds they have usually a strong rank flavour. except the middle of summer, they are always in season. if small, they should be curled round and fried, being first dipped into eggs and crumbs of bread. fried eggs. boil six eggs for three minutes, put them in cold water, and take off the shells, without breaking the whites. wrap the eggs up in a puff paste, smear them over with egg, and grate some bread over them. put into a stewpan a sufficient quantity of lard or butter to swim the eggs; and when the lard is hot, put in the eggs, and fry them of a good colour. lay them on a cloth to drain. fried herbs. clean and drain a good quantity of spinach leaves, two large handfuls of parsley, and a handful of green onions. chop the parsley and onions, and sprinkle them among the spinach. stew them together with a little salt, and a bit of butter the size of a walnut. shake the pan when it begins to grow warm, and let it lie closely covered over a slow stove till done enough. it is served with slices of broiled calves' liver, small rashers of bacon, and fried eggs. the latter on the herbs, and the other in a separate dish. this is the mode of dressing herbs in staffordshire. fried mackarel. stuff the fish with grated bread, minced parsley and lemon peel, pepper and salt, nutmeg, and the yolk of an egg, all mixed together. serve with anchovy and fennel sauce. or split the fish open, cut off their heads, season and hang them up four or five hours, and then broil them. make the sauce of fennel and parsley chopped fine, and mixed with melted butter. fried oysters. to prepare a garnish for boiled fish, make a batter of flour, milk, and eggs. season it a very little, dip the oysters into the batter, and fry them of a fine yellow brown. a little nutmeg should be put into the seasoning, and a few crumbs of bread into the flour. fried parsley. pick some young parsley very clean, and put it into a fryingpan with a bit of butter. stir it with a knife till it becomes crisp, and use it for garnishing. or rub the picked parsley in a cloth to clean it, and set it before the fire in a dutch oven till it is crisp. this is better than fried parsley, and may be rubbed on steaks, calf's liver, or any other dish of the kind. fried patties. mince a bit of cold veal, and six oysters; mix them with a few crumbs of bread, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and a very small bit of lemon peel. add the liquor of the oysters, warm all together in a tosser, but it must not boil, and then let it grow cold. prepare a good puff-paste, roll it thin, and cut it into round or square pieces. put some of the mixture between two of them, twist the edges to keep in the gravy, and fry them of a fine brown. if baked, it becomes a fashionable dish. all patties should be washed over with egg before they are baked. fried potatoes. slice them thin, and fry them in butter till they are brown; then lay them in a dish, and pour melted butter over them. potatoes may likewise be fried in butter, and served up with powder sugar strewed over them. any kind of fruit may be fried in the same manner, and all batter should be fried in hog's lard. fried rabbit. cut it into joints, and fry it in butter of a nice brown. send it to table with fried or dried parsley, and gravy or liver sauce. fried smelts. wipe them clean, take away the gills, rub them over with a feather dipped in egg, and strew on some grated bread. fry them in hog's lard over a clear fire, and put them in when the fat is boiling hot. when they are of a fine brown, take them out and drain off the fat. garnish with fried parsley and lemon. fried soles. divide two or three soles from the backbone, and take off the head, fins, and tail. sprinkle the inside with salt, roll them up tight from the tail and upwards, and fasten with small skewers. small fish do not answer, but if large or of a tolerable size, put half a fish in each roll. dip them into yolks of eggs, and cover them with crumbs. egg them over again, and then put more crumbs. fry them of a beautiful colour in lard, or in clarified butter. or dip the soles in egg, and cover them with fine crumbs of bread. set on a fryingpan of the proper size, and put into it a good quantity of fresh lard or dripping. let it boil, and immediately put the fish into it, and do them of a fine brown. soles that have been fried, eat good cold with oil, vinegar, salt and mustard. fried tench. scale and clean the fish well, dry and lay them before the fire, dust them with flour, and fry them in dripping or hog's lard. serve with crisped parsley, and plain butter. perch, trout, and grayling may be done the same. fried turbot. cut a small turbot across in ribs, dry and flour it, put it into a fryingpan, and cover it with boiling lard. fry it brown, and drain it. clean the pan, put in a little wine, an anchovy, salt, nutmeg, and a little ginger. put in the fish, and stew it till the liquor is half wasted. then take it out, put in some butter rolled in flour, with a minced lemon, and simmer them to a proper thickness. rub a hot dish with a piece of shalot, lay the turbot in the dish, and pour the sauce over it. fried venison. cut the meat into slices, fry it of a bright brown, and keep it hot before the fire. make gravy of the bones, add a little butter rolled in flour, stir it in the pan till it is thick and brown, and put in some port and lemon juice. warm the venison in it, put in the dish, and pour the sauce over it. send up currant jelly in a glass. fritters. make them of pancake batter, dropped in small quantities into the pan: or put apple into batter, pared and sliced, and fry some of it with each slice. currants, or very thinly-sliced lemon, make an agreeable change. fritters for company should be served on a folded napkin in the dish. any sort of sweetmeat, or ripe fruit, may be made into fritters. frontiniac. boil twelve pounds of loaf sugar, and six pounds of raisins cut small, in six gallons of water. when the liquor is almost cold, put in half a peck of elder flowers; and the next day six spoonfuls of the syrup of lemons, and four of yeast. let it stand two days, put it into a barrel that will just hold it, and bottle it after it has stood about two months. frost and blights. when a fruit tree is in full blossom, the best way to preserve it from frost and blights is to twine a rope upon its branches, and bring the end of it into a pail of water. if a light frost happen in the night, the tree will not be affected by it; but an ice will be formed on the surface of the water, in which the end of the rope is immersed. this experiment may easily be tried on wall fruit, and has been found to answer. if trees be infected with an easterly blight, the best way is to fumigate them with brimstone strewed on burning charcoal: this will effectually destroy the insects, and preserve the fruit. afterwards it will be proper to dash them with water, or wash the branches with a woollen cloth, and clear them of all glutinous matter and excrescences of every kind, which would harbour the insects; but the washing should be performed in the early part of a warm day, that the moisture may be exhaled before the cold of the evening approaches. frosted potatoes. if soaked three hours in cold water, before they are to be prepared as food, changing the water every hour, these valuable roots will recover their salubrious quality and flavour. while in cold water, they must stand where a sufficiency of artificial heat may prevent freezing. if much frozen, allow a quarter of an ounce of saltpetre to every peck of potatoes, and dissolve it in the water. but if so much penetrated by the frost as to render them unfit for culinary purposes, they may be made into starch, and will yield a large quantity of flour for that purpose. froth for creams. sweeten half a pound of the pulp of damsons, or any other scalded fruit. put to it the whites of four eggs beaten, and beat up the pulp with them till it will stand up, and take any form. it should be rough, to imitate a rock, or the billows of the ocean. this froth looks and eats well, and may be laid on cream, custard, or trifle, with a spoon. fruit. the method of preserving any kind of fruit all the year, is to put them carefully into a wide-mouthed glass vessel, closed down with oiled paper. the glasses are to be placed in a box filled with a mixture of four pounds of dry sand, two pounds of bole-armeniac, and one pound of saltpetre, so that the fruit may be completely covered. the fruit should be gathered by the hand before it be thoroughly ripe, and the box kept in a dry place. fruit biscuits. to the pulp of any scalded fruit, put an equal weight of sugar sifted, and beat it two hours. then make it into little white-paper forms, dry them in a cool oven, and turn them the next day. they may be put into boxes in the course of two or three days. fruit for children. to prepare fruit for children, far more wholesome than in puddings or pies, put some sliced apples, plums or gooseberries, into a stone jar, and sprinkle among them a sufficient quantity of fine moist sugar. set the jar on a hot hearth, or in a saucepan of boiling water, and let it remain till the fruit is well done. slices of bread, or boiled rice, may either be stewed with the fruit, or added when eaten. fruit paste. put any kind of fruit into a preserving pan, stir it till it will mash quite soft, and strain it. to one pint of juice, add a pound and a half of fine sugar; dissolve the sugar in water, and boil it till the water is dried up. then mix it with the juice, boil it once, pour it into plates, and dry it in a stove. when wanted for use, cut it in strips, and make paste knots for garnishing. fruit puddings. make up a thick batter of milk and eggs, with a little flour and salt; put in any kind of fruit, and either bake or boil it. apples should be pared and quartered, gooseberries and currants should be picked and cleaned, before they are put into the batter. or make a thick paste, roll it out, and line a bason with it, after it has been rubbed with a little butter. then fill it with fruit, put on a lid, tie it up close in a cloth, and boil it for two hours. the pudding will be lighter, if only made in a bason, then turned out into a pudding cloth, and boiled in plenty of water. fruit stains. if stains of fruit or wine have been long in the linen, rub the part on each side with yellow soap. then lay on a thick mixture of starch in cold water, rub it well in, and expose the linen to the sun and air till the stain comes out. if not removed in three or four days, rub off the mixture, and renew the process. when dry, it may be sprinkled with a little water.--many other stains may be taken out by only dipping the linen into sour buttermilk, and drying it in a hot sun. then wash it in cold water and dry it, two or three times a day. fruit for tarts. to preserve fruit for family desserts, whether cherries, plums, or apples, gather them when ripe, and put them in small jars that will hold about a pound. strew over each jar six ounces of fine pounded sugar, and cover each with two bladders, separately tied down. set the jars in a large stewpan of water up to the neck, and let it boil three hours gently. keep these and all other sorts of fruit free from damp. fruit trees. when they have the appearance of being old or worn out, and are covered with moss and insects, they may be revived and made fruitful by dressing them well with a brush, dipped in a solution of strong fresh lime. the outer rind, with all its incumbrance, will then fall off; a new and clean one will be formed, and the trees put on a healthy appearance. fruits in jelly. put half a pint of calf's foot jelly into a bowl; when stiff, lay in three peaches, and a bunch of grapes with the stalk upwards. cover over with vine leaves, and fill up the bowl with jelly. let it stand till the next day, and then set it to the brim in hot water. when it gives way from the bowl, turn the jelly out carefully, and send it to table. any kind of fruit may be treated in the same way. fuel. coals constitute a principal article of domestic convenience, especially during the severity of winter. at that season they often become very scarce, and are sold at an extravagant price. to remedy this evil in some measure, take two-thirds of soft clay, free from stones, and work it into three or four bushels of small coals previously sifted: form this composition into balls or cakes, about three or four inches thick, and let them be thoroughly dried. when the fire burns clear, place four or five of these cakes in the front of the grate, where they will soon become red, and yield a clear and strong heat till they are totally consumed. the expense of a ton of this composition is but trifling, when compared with that of a chaldron of coals, as it may be prepared at one-fourth of the cost, and will be of greater service than a chaldron and a half of the latter. coal dust worked up with horse dung, cow dung, saw dust, tanner's waste, or any other combustible matter that is not too expensive, will also be found a saving in the article of fuel. nearly a third of the coals consumed in large towns and cities might be saved, if the coal ashes were preserved, instead of being thrown into the dust bins, and afterwards mixed with an equal quantity of small coal, moistened with water. this mixture thrown behind the fire, with a few round coals in front, would save the trouble of sifting the ashes, and make a cheerful and pleasant fire.----the best mode of lighting a fire.--fill the grate with fresh coals quite up to the upper bar but one; then lay on the wood in the usual manner, rather collected in a mass than scattered. over the wood place the cinders of the preceding day, piled up as high as the grate will admit, and placed loosely in rather large fragments, in order that the draft may be free: a bit or two of fresh coal may be added to the cinders when once they are lighted, but no small coal must be thrown on at first. when all is prepared, light the wood, when the cinders in a short time being thoroughly ignited, the gas rising from the coals below, which will now be affected by the heat, will take fire as it passes through them, leaving a very small portion of smoke to go up the chimney. one of the advantages of this mode of lighting a fire is, that small coal is better suited to the purpose than large, except a few pieces in front to keep the small from falling out of the grate. a fire lighted in this way will burn all day, without any thing being done to it. when apparently quite out, on being stirred, you have in a few minutes a glowing fire. when the upper part begins to cake, it must be stirred, but the lower must not be touched. fumigation. to prevent infection from fever, take a handful each of rue, sage, mint, rosemary, and lavender, all fresh gathered. cut them small, put them into a stone jar, pour on a pint of the best white-wine vinegar, cover the jar close, and let it stand eight days in the sun, or near the fire. then strain it off, and dissolve in it an ounce of camphor. this liquid sprinkled about the chamber, or fumigated, will much revive the patient, and prevent the attendants from receiving the infection. or mix a spoonful of salt in a cup, with a little powdered magnesia: pour on the mixture at different times a spoonful of strong vitriolic acid, and the vapour arising from it will destroy the putrid effluvia. furniture linings. these articles require to be first washed, and afterwards dyed of a different colour, in order to change and improve their appearance.--for a buff or salmon colour, according to the depth of the hue, rub down on a pewter plate two pennyworth of spanish arnatto, and then boil it in a pail of water a quarter of an hour. put into it two ounces of potash, stir it round, and instantly put in the lining. stir it all the time it is boiling, which must be five or six minutes; then put it into cold spring water, and hang the articles up singly without wringing. when almost dry, fold the lining, and mangle it.--for pink, the calico must be washed extremely clean, and thoroughly dried. then boil it in two gallons of soft water, and four ounces of alum; take it out, and dry it in the air. meanwhile boil in the alum water two handfuls of wheat bran till quite slippery, and then strain it. take two scruples of cochineal, and two ounces of argall finely pounded and sifted, and mix it with the liquor a little at a time. put the calico into the liquor, keep it stirring and boiling, till the liquor is nearly wasted. then take out the calico, wash it first in chamber lye, and afterwards in cold water. rinse it in water-starch strained, dry it quick without hanging it in folds, and let it be well mangled. it would be better still to have it callendered.--blue. the calico must be washed clean and dried. then mix some of scott's liquid blue in as much water as will be sufficient to cover the things to be dyed, and add some starch to give it a light stiffness. dry a small piece of the lining to see whether the colour is deep enough; and if approved, put it in and wash it in the dye. dry the articles singly, and mangle or callender them. furs. to preserve them from the moth, comb them occasionally while in use. when not wanted, mix among them bitter apples from the druggists, in small muslin bags, sewing them in several folds of linen, carefully turned in at the edges. keep the furs in a cool place, free from damp. g. gad fly. cows and oxen are often so distressed by the darts of the gad fly, that they rush into the water for refuge till night approaches. the only remedy is to wash the backs of the cattle in the spring with strong tobacco-water, which would greatly prevent the generating of these vermin. when sheep are struck with the fly, the way is to clip off the wool, to rub the parts affected with powdered lime or wood ashes, and afterwards to anoint them with currier's oil, which will heal the wounds, and secure the animals from future attack. or dissolve half an ounce of corrosive sublimate in two quarts of soft water, and add a quarter of a pint of spirits of turpentine. cut off the wool as far as it is infected, pour a few drops of the mixture in a circle round the maggots produced by the flies, and afterwards rub a little of it among them, and the maggots will immediately be destroyed. game. game ought not to be thrown away even after it has been kept a long time, for when it seems to be spoiled it may often be made fit for eating, by carefully cleaning and washing it with vinegar and water. if there is danger of birds not keeping, the best way is to crop and draw them. pick them clean, wash them in two or three waters, and rub them with salt. plunge them into a kettle of boiling water one by one, and draw them up and down by the legs, that the water may pass through them. let them remain in the water five or six minutes, and then hang them up in a cool place. when drained, season the insides well with pepper and salt, and wash them before they are roasted. the most delicate birds, even grouse, may thus be preserved. those that live by suction cannot be done this way, as they are never drawn; and perhaps the heat might make them worse, as the water could not pass through them; but they will bear a high flavour. lumps of charcoal put about birds and meat will preserve them from taint, and restore what is spoiling. game sauce. wash and pare a head of celery, cut it into thin slices, boil it gently till it becomes tender; then add a little beaten mace, pepper, salt, and nutmeg. thicken it with flour and butter, boil it up, pour some of it in the dish, and some in a boat. lemon pickle or lemon juice may be added to it. gammon. take off the rind of the ham and gammon, and soak it in water; cover the fat part with writing paper, roast, and baste it with canary. when done, sprinkle it over with crumbs of bread and parsley. serve it with brown gravy, after it is well browned, and garnish it with raspings of bread. garden hedges. a well trained hawthorn fence is the strongest, but as it is apt to get thin and full of gaps at the bottom, the barberry is to be preferred, especially on high banks with a light soil. it may be raised from the berries as easily as hawthorn, and will grow faster, if the suckers be planted early. the barberry puts up numerous suckers from the roots; it will therefore always grow close at the bottom, and make an impenetrable fence. in trimming any kind of close hedge, care should be taken to slope the sides, and make it pointed at the top: otherwise, the bottom being shaded by the upper part, will make it grow thin and full of gaps. the sides of a young hedge may be trimmed, to make it bush the better; but it should not be topped till it has arrived at a full yard in height, though a few of the points may be taken off. the bottom of hawthorn hedges may be conveniently thickened, by putting in some plants of common sweet briar, or barberry. garden rhubarb. to cultivate the common garden rhubarb, it should not only have a depth of good soil, but it should be watered in dry weather, and well covered with straw or dung in the winter season. it will then become solid when taken out of the ground; and if cut into large slices, and hung up in a warm kitchen, it will soon be fit for use. the plants may be taken up when the leaves are decayed, either in spring or in autumn, while the weather is dry; and when the roots are cleared from dirt, without washing, they should be dried in the sun for a few days before they are hung up. the better way would be to wrap them up separately in whited brown paper, and dry them on the hob of a common stove. lemon and orange peel will dry remarkably well in the same manner. gargles. common gargles may be made of figs boiled in milk and water, with a little sal-ammoniac; or sage-tea, with honey and vinegar mixed together. a sore throat may be gargled with it two or three times a day. geese. the rearing of this species of poultry incurs but little expense, as they chiefly support themselves on commons or in lanes, where they can get at water. the largest are esteemed the best, as also are the white and the grey: the pied and dark coloured are not so good. thirty days are generally the time that the goose sets, but in warm weather she will sometimes hatch sooner. give them plenty of food, such as scalded bran and light oats. as soon as the goslings are hatched, keep them housed for eight or ten days, and feed them with barley meal, bran, and curds. green geese should begin to fatten at six or seven weeks old, and be fed as above. stubble geese require no fattening, if they have the run of good fields and pasture.--if geese are bought at market, for the purpose of cooking, be careful to see that they are fresh and young. if fresh, the feet will be pliable: if stale, dry and stiff. the bill and feet of a young one will be yellow, and there will be but few hairs upon them: if old, they will be red. green geese, not more than three or four months old, should be scalded: a stubble goose should be picked dry. george pudding. boil very tender a handful of whole rice in a small quantity of milk, with a large piece of lemon peel. let it drain; then mix with it a dozen apples, boiled to a pulp as dry as possible. add a glass of white wine, the yolks of five eggs, two ounces of orange and citron cut thin, and sweeten it with sugar. line a mould or bason with a very good paste, beat the five whites of the eggs to a very strong froth, and mix it with the other ingredients. fill the mould, and bake it of a fine brown colour. serve it bottom upwards with the following sauce: two glasses of wine, a spoonful of sugar, the yolks of two eggs, and a piece of sugar the size of a walnut. simmer without boiling, and pour to and from the saucepan till the sauce is of a proper thickness, and then put it in the dish. german puddings. melt three ounces of butter in a pint of cream, and let it stand till nearly cold. then mix two ounces of fine flour, and two ounces of sugar, four yolks and two whites of eggs, and a little rose or orange flower water. bake in little buttered cups half an hour. they should be served the moment they are done, and only when going to be eaten, or they will not be light. turn the puffs out of the cups, and serve with white wine and sugar. german puffs. mix together two ounces of blanched almonds well beaten, a spoonful of rose water, one white and two yolks of eggs, a spoonful of flour, half a pint of cream, two ounces of butter, and sugar to taste. butter some cups, half fill them, and put them in the oven. serve with white wine sauce, butter, and sugar. this is esteemed a good middle dish for dinner or supper. giblets. let the giblets be picked clean and washed, the feet skinned, the bill cut off, the head split in two, the pinion bones broken, the liver and gizzard cut in four, and the neck in two pieces. put them into a pint of water, with pepper and salt, an onion, and sweet herbs. cover the saucepan close, and stew them on a slow fire till they are quite tender. take out the onion and herbs, and put them into a dish with the liquor. giblet pie. clean and skin the giblets very carefully, stew them with a small quantity of water, onion, black pepper, and a bunch of sweet herbs, till nearly done. let them grow cold: and if not enough to fill the dish, lay at the bottom two or three slices of veal, beef, or mutton. add the liquor of the stew; and when the pie is baked, pour into it a large teacupful of cream. sliced apples added to the pie are a great improvement. duck giblets will do; but goose giblets are much to be preferred. giblet soup. scald and clean three or four sets of goose or duck giblets, and stew them slowly with a pound or two of gravy beef, scrag of mutton, or the bone of a knuckle of veal, an ox tail, or some shanks of mutton. add a large bunch of sweet herbs, a tea-spoonful of white pepper, a large spoonful of salt, and three onions. put in five pints of water, cut each of the gizzards into four pieces, and simmer till they become quite tender. skin the stew carefully, add a quarter of a pint of cream, two tea-spoonfuls of mushroom powder, and an ounce of butter mixed with a dessert-spoonful of flour. let it boil a few minutes, then put it into a tureen, add a little salt, and serve up the soup with the giblets. instead of cream, it may be seasoned with a large spoonful of ketchup, some cayenne, and two glasses of sherry. gilded frames. these valuable articles cannot be preserved from fly stains, without covering them with strips of paper, and suffering them to remain till the flies are gone. previous to this, the light dust should be blown from the gilding, and a feather or a clean brush lightly passed over it. linen takes off the gilding, and deadens its brightness; it should therefore never be used for wiping it. some means should be used to destroy the flies, as they injure furniture of every kind, and the paper likewise. bottles hung about with sugar and vinegar, or beer, will attract them; or fly water, put into little shells placed about the room, but out of the reach of children. gilliflower wine. to three gallons of water put six pounds of the best raw sugar; boil the sugar and water together for the space of half an hour, and keep skimming it as the scum rises. let it stand to cool, beat up three ounces of syrup of betony with a large spoonful of ale yeast, and put it into the liquor. prepare a peck of gilliflowers, cut from the stalks, and put them in to infuse and work together for three days, the whole being covered with a cloth. strain it, and put it into a cask; let it settle for three or four weeks, and then bottle it. ginger beer. to every gallon of spring water add one ounce of sliced white ginger, one pound of lump sugar, and two ounces of lemon juice. boil the mixture nearly an hour, and take off the scum; then run it through a hair sieve into a tub, and when cool, add yeast in the proportion of half a pint to nine gallons. keep it in a temperate situation two days, during which it may be stirred six or eight times. then put it into a cask, which must be kept full, and the yeast taken off at the bunghole with a spoon. in a fortnight, add half a pint of fining to nine gallons of the liquor, which will clear it by ascent, if it has been properly fermented. the cask must still be kept full, and the rising particles taken off at the bunghole. when fine, which may be expected in twenty-four hours, bottle and cork it well; and in summer it will be ripe and fit to drink in a fortnight. ginger drops. beat two ounces of fresh candied orange in a mortar, with a little sugar, till reduced to a paste. then mix an ounce of the powder of white ginger, with a pound of loaf sugar. wet the sugar with a little water, and boil all together to a candy, and drop it on white paper the size of mint drops. these make an excellent stomachic. ginger wine. to seven gallons of water put nineteen pounds of moist sugar, and boil it for half an hour, taking off the scum as it rises. then take a small quantity of the liquor, and add to it nine ounces of the best ginger bruised. put it all together, and when nearly cold, chop nine pounds of raisins very small, and put them into a nine gallon cask, with one ounce of isinglass. slice four lemons into the cask, taking out all the seeds, and pour the liquor over them, with half a pint of fresh yeast. leave it unstopped for three weeks, and in about three months it will be fit for bottling. there will be one gallon of the sugar and water more than the cask will hold at first: this must be kept to fill up as the liquor works off, as it is necessary that the cask should be kept full, til it has done working. the raisins should be two thirds malaga, and one third muscadel. spring and autumn are the best seasons for making this wine.--another. boil nine quarts of water with six pounds of lump sugar, the rinds of two or three lemons very thinly pared, and two ounces of bruised white ginger. let it boil half an hour, and skim it well. put three quarters of a pound of raisins into the cask; and when the liquor is lukewarm, turn it, adding the juice of two lemons strained, with a spoonful and a half of yeast. stir it daily, then put in half a pint of brandy, and half an ounce of isinglass shavings. stop it up, and bottle it in six or seven weeks. the lemon peel is not to be put into the barrel. gingerbread. mix with two pounds of flour, half a pound of treacle, and half a pound of butter, adding an ounce of ginger finely powdered and sifted, and three quarters of an ounce of caraway seeds. having worked it very much, set it to rise before the fire. then roll out the paste, cut it into any shape, and bake it on tins. if to be made into sweetmeats, add some candied orange-peel, shred into small pieces.--another sort. to three quarters of a pound of treacle, put one egg beaten and strained. mix together four ounces of brown sugar, half an ounce of sifted ginger, and a quarter of an ounce each of cloves, mace, allspice, and nutmeg, beaten as fine as possible; also a quarter of an ounce of coriander and caraway seeds. melt a pound of butter, and mix with the above, adding as much flour as will knead it into a pretty stiff paste. roll it out, cut it into cakes, bake them on tin plates in a quick oven, and a little time will do them. gingerbread buttons or drops may be made of a part of the paste.--a plain sort of gingerbread may be prepared as follows. mix three pounds of flour with half a pound of butter, four ounces of brown sugar, and half an ounce of pounded ginger. make it into a paste, with a pound and a quarter of warm treacle. or make the gingerbread without butter, by mixing two pounds of treacle with the following ingredients. four ounces each of orange, lemon, citron, and candied ginger, all thinly sliced; one ounce each of coriander seeds, caraways, and pounded ginger, adding as much flour as will make it into a soft paste. lay it in cakes on tin plates, and bake it in a quick oven. keep it dry in a covered earthen vessel, and the gingerbread will be good for some months. if cakes or biscuits be kept in paper, or a drawer, the taste will be disagreeable. a tureen, or a pan and cover, will preserve them long and moist; or if intended to be crisp, laying them before the fire, or keeping them in a dry canister, will make them so. gingerbread nuts. carefully melt half a pound of butter, and stir it up in two pounds of treacle. add an ounce of pounded ginger, two ounces of preserved lemon and orange peel, two ounces of preserved angelica cut small, one of coriander seed pounded, and the same of caraway whole. mix them together, with two eggs, and as much flour as will bring it to a fine paste. make it into nuts, put them on a tin plate, and bake them in a quick oven. glass. broken glass may be mended with the same cement as china, or if it be only cracked, it will be sufficient to moisten the part with the white of an egg, strewing it over with a little powdered lime, and instantly applying a piece of fine linen. another cement for glass is prepared from two parts of litharge, one of quick lime, and one of flint glass, each separately and finely powdered, and the whole worked up into a paste with drying oil. this compound is very durable, and acquires a greater degree of hardness when immersed in water. glasses. these frail and expensive articles may be rendered less brittle, and better able to bear sudden changes of temperature, by first plunging them into cold water, then gradually heating the water till it boils, and suffering it to cool in the open air. glasses of every description, used for the table, will afterwards bear boiling water suddenly poured into them, without breaking. when they have been tarnished by age or accident, their lustre may be restored by strewing on them some fuller's earth, carefully powdered and cleared of sand and dirt, and then rubbing them gently with a linen cloth, or a little putty. gloves. leather gloves may be repaired, cleaned, and dyed of a fine yellow, by steeping a little saffron in boiling water for about twelve hours; and having lightly sewed up the tops of the gloves, to prevent the dye from staining the insides, wet them over with a sponge or soft brush dipped in the liquid. a teacupful will be sufficient for a single pair. gloucester cheese. this article is made of milk immediately from the cow; and if it be too hot in the summer, a little skim milk or water is added to it, before the rennet is put in. as soon as the curd is come it is broken small, and cleared of the whey. the curd is set in the press for about a quarter of an hour, in order to extract the remainder of the liquid. it is then put into the cheese tub again, broken small, and scalded with water mixed with a little whey. when the curd is settled, the liquor is poured off; the curd is put into a vat, and worked up with a little salt when about half full. the vat is then filled up, and the whole is turned two or three times in it, the edges being pared, and the middle rounded up at each turning. at length, the curd being put into a cloth, it is placed in the press, then laid on the shelves, and turned every day till it becomes sufficiently firm to bear washing. gloucester jelly. take rice, sago, pearl barley, hartshorn shavings, and eringo root, each one ounce. simmer with three pints of water till reduced to one, and then strain it. when cold it will be a jelly; of which give, dissolved in wine, milk, or broth, in change with other nourishment. gnats. the stings of these troublesome insects are generally attended with a painful swelling. one of the most effectual remedies consists of an equal mixture of turpentine and sweet oil, which should immediately be applied to the wounded part, and it will afford relief in a little time. olive oil alone, unsalted butter, or fresh lard, if rubbed on without delay, will also be found to answer the same purpose. they may be destroyed by fumigation, the same as for flies. gold. to clean gold, and restore its lustre, dissolve a little sal ammoniac in common wine. boil the gold in it, and it will soon recover its brilliance. to clean gold or silver lace, sew it up in a linen cloth, and boil it with two ounces of soap in a pint of water: afterwards wash the lace in clear water. when the lace happens to be tarnished, the best liquor for restoring its lustre is spirits of wine, which should be warmed before it is applied. this application will also preserve the colour of silk or embroidery. gold rings. if a ring sticks tight on the finger, and cannot easily be removed, touch it with mercury, and it will become so brittle that a slight blow will break it. goose feathers. these being deemed particularly valuable, the birds in some counties are plucked four or five times in a year. the first operation is performed in the spring for feathers and quills, and is repeated for feathers only, between that period and michaelmas. though the plucking of geese appears to be a barbarous custom, yet experience has proved, that if carefully done, the birds thrive better, and are more healthy, when stripped of their feathers, than if they were left to drop them by moulting. geese intended for breeding in farm yards, and which are called old geese, may be plucked three times a year, at an interval of seven weeks, but not oftener. every one should be thirteen or fourteen weeks old before they are subject to this operation, or they are liable to perish in cold summers; and if intended for the table, they would become poor and lose their quality, were they stripped of their feathers at an earlier period. goose pie. quarter a goose, season it well, put it in a baking dish, and lay pieces of butter over it. put on a raised crust, and bake it in a moderate oven. to make a richer pie, forcemeat may be added, and slices of tongue. duck pie is made in the same manner. goose sauce. put into melted butter a spoonful of sorrel juice, a little sugar, and some scalded gooseberries. pour it into boats, and send it hot to table. gooseberry fool. put the fruit into a stone jar, with some good lisbon sugar. set the jar on a stove, or in a saucepan of water over the fire: if the former, a large spoonful of water should be added to the fruit. when it is done enough to pulp, press it through a cullender. have ready a sufficient quantity of new milk, and a tea-cupful of raw cream, boiled together, or an egg instead of the latter. when cold, sweeten it pretty well with fine lisbon sugar, and mix the pulp with it by degrees. gooseberry hops. gather the largest green gooseberries of the walnut kind, and slit the tops into four quarters, leaving the stalk end whole. pick out the seeds, and with a strong needle and thread fasten five or six together, by running the thread through the bottoms, till they are of the size of a hop. lay vine leaves at the bottom of a tin preserving-pan, cover them with the hops, then a layer of leaves, and so on: lay a good many on the top, and fill the pan with water. stop it down so close that no steam can escape, set it by a slow fire till scalding hot, and then take it off to cool. repeat the operation till the gooseberries, on being opened, are found to be of a good green. then drain them on sieves, and make a thin syrup of a pound of sugar to a pint of water, well boiled and skimmed. when the syrup is half cold, put in the fruit; give it a boil up, and repeat it thrice. gooseberry hops look well and eat best dried, and in this case they may be set to dry in a week. but if to be kept moist, make a syrup in the above proportions, adding a slice of ginger in the boiling. when skimmed and clear, give the gooseberries one boil, and pour the syrup cold over them. if found too sour, a little sugar may be added, before the hops that are for drying receive their last boil. the extra syrup will serve for pies, or go towards other sweetmeats. gooseberry jam. gather some ripe gooseberries, of the clear white or green sort, pick them clean and weigh them. allow three quarters of a pound of lump sugar to a pound of fruit, and half a pint of water. boil and skim the sugar and water, then put in the fruit, and boil it gently till it is quite clear. break the gooseberries into jam, and put into small pots.--another. gather some ripe gooseberries in dry weather, of the red hairy sort, and pick off the heads and tails. put twelve pounds of them into a preserving pan, with a pint of currant juice, drawn as for jelly. boil them pretty quick, and beat them with a spoon; when they begin to break, add six pounds of white lisbon sugar, and simmer them slowly to a jam. they require long boiling, or they will not keep; but they make an excellent jam for tarts and puffs. when the jam is put into jars, examine it after two or three days; and if the syrup and fruit separate, the whole must be boiled again. in making white gooseberry jam, clarified sugar should be used; and in all cases great care must be taken to prevent the fruit from burning to the bottom of the pan. gooseberry pudding. stew some gooseberries in a jar over a hot hearth, or in a saucepan of water, till reduced to a pulp. take a pint of the juice pressed through a coarse sieve, and mix it with three eggs beaten and strained. add an ounce and a half of butter, sweeten it well, put a crust round the dish, and bake it. a few crumbs of roll should be mixed with the above to give it a little consistence, or four ounces of naples biscuits. gooseberry trifle. scald as much fruit as when pulped through a sieve, will cover the bottom of a dish intended to be used. mix with it the rind of half a lemon grated fine, sweetened with sugar. put any quantity of common custard over it, and a whip on the top, as for other trifles. gooseberry vinegar. boil some spring water; and when cold, put to every three quarts, a quart of bruised gooseberries in a large tub. let them remain two or three days, stirring often; then strain through a hair bag, and to each gallon of liquor add a pound of the coarsest sugar. put it into a barrel, with yeast spread upon a toast, and cover the bung hole with a piece of slate. the greater the quantity of sugar and fruit, the stronger the vinegar. gooseberry wine. when the weather is dry, gather gooseberries about the time they are half ripe. pick them clean as much as a peck into a convenient vessel, and bruise them with a piece of wood, taking as much care as possible to keep the seeds whole. now having put the pulp into a canvas bag, press out all the juice; and to every gallon of the gooseberries, add about three pounds of fine loaf sugar. mix the whole together by stirring it with a stick, and as soon as the sugar is quite dissolved, pour it into a cask which will exactly hold it. if the quantity be about eight or nine gallons, let it stand a fortnight: if twenty gallons, forty days, and so on in proportion. set it in a cool place; and after standing the proper time, draw it off from the lees. put it into another clean vessel of equal size, or into the same, after pouring out the lees and making it clean. let a cask of ten or twelve gallons stand for about three months, and twenty gallons for five months, after which it will be fit for bottling off. gooseberries preserved. gather some dry gooseberries of the hairy sort, before the seeds become large, and take care not to cut them in taking off the stalks and buds. if gathered in the damp, or the gooseberry skins are the least broken in the preparation, the fruit will mould. fill some jars or wide-mouthed bottles, put the corks loosely in, and set the bottles up to the neck in a kettle of water. when the fruit looks scalded, take them out; and when perfectly cold, cork them down close, and rosin the top. dig a trench sufficiently deep to receive all the bottles, and cover them with the earth a foot and a half. when a frost comes on, a little fresh litter from the stable will prevent the ground from hardening, so that the fruit may more easily be dug up.--green gooseberries may also be preserved for winter use, without bedding them in the earth. scald them as above, and when cold, fill the bottles up with cold water. cork and rosin them down, and keep them in a dry place.--another way. having prepared the gooseberries as above, prepare a kettle of boiling water, and put into it as much roche alum as will harden the water, or give it a little roughness when dissolved: but if there be too much it will spoil the fruit. cover the bottom of a large sieve with gooseberries, without laying one upon another; and hold the sieve in the water till the fruit begins to look scalded on the outside. turn them gently out of the sieve on a cloth on the dresser, cover them with another cloth, putting some more to be scalded, till the whole are finished. observe not to put one quantity upon another, or they will become too soft. the next day pick out any bad or broken ones, bottle the rest, and fill up the bottles with the alum water in which they were scalded. if the water be left in the kettle, or in a glazed pan, it will spoil; it must therefore be quickly put into the bottles. gooseberries prepared in this way, and stopped down close, will make as fine tarts as when fresh from the trees.--another way. in dry weather pick some full grown but unripe gooseberries, top and tail them, and put them into wide-mouthed bottles. stop them lightly with new velvet corks, put them into the oven after the bread is drawn, and let them stand till they are shrunk one fourth. take them out of the oven, fasten the corks in tight, cut off the tops, and rosin them down close. set them in a dry place; and if well secured from the air, they will keep the year round. currants and damsons may be preserved in the same way. goosegrass ointment. melt some hog's lard, add as much clivers or goosegrass as the lard will moisten, and boil them together over a slow fire. keep the mixture stirring till it becomes a little brown, and then strain it through a cloth. when cold, take the ointment from the water, and put it up in gallipots. gout. gouty patients are required to abstain from all fermented and spirituous liquors, and to use wine very moderately; carefully to avoid all fat, rancid, and salted provisions, and high seasoned dishes of every description. the constant use of barley bread is recommended, with large doses of powdered ginger boiled in milk for breakfast. absorbent powders of two scruples of magnesia, and three or four grains each of rhubarb and purified kali, should be taken during the intervals of gouty fits, and repeated every other morning for several weeks. the feet should be kept warm, sinapisms frequently applied to them, and the part affected should be covered with flannel. gout cordial. take four pounds of sun raisins sliced and stoned, two ounces of senna, one ounce of fennel seed, one of coriander, half an ounce of cochineal, half an ounce of saffron, half an ounce of stick liquorice, and half a pound of rhubarb: infuse them all in two gallons of brandy, and let it stand for ten days. stir it occasionally, then strain it off, and bottle it. take a small wine-glass full, when the gout is in the head or stomach; and if the pain be not removed, take two large spoonfuls more.--or take six drams of opium, half an ounce of soap of tartar, half an ounce of castile soap, one dram of grated nutmeg, three drams of camphor, two scruples of saffron, and nine ounces of sweet spirit of sal-ammoniac. put them all into a wine flask in a sand-heat for ten days, shaking it occasionally till the last day or two: then pour it off clear, and keep it stopped up close for use. take thirty or forty drops in a glass of peppermint two hours after eating; it may also be taken two or three times in the day or night if required. granaries. these depositaries are very liable to be infested with weasels, and various kinds of insects. to prevent their depredations, the floors of granaries should be laid with poplars of lombardy. grapes. to preserve this valuable fruit, prepare a cask or barrel, by carefully closing up its crevices to prevent access of the external air. place a layer of bran, which has been well dried in an oven; upon this place a layer of bunches of grapes, well cleaned, and gathered in the afternoon of a dry day, before they are perfectly ripe. proceed then with alternate layers of bran and grapes till the barrel is full, taking care that the bunches of grapes do not touch each other, and to let the last layer be of bran; then close the barrel so that the air may not be able to penetrate. grapes thus packed will keep for a twelvemonth. to restore their freshness, cut the end of each bunch, and put that of white grapes into white wine, and that of black grapes into red wine, as flowers are put into water to keep them fresh. it is customary in france to pack grapes for the london market in saw dust, but it must be carefully dried with a gentle heat, or the turpentine and other odours of the wood will not fail to injure the fruit. oak saw dust will answer the purpose best. grape wine. to every gallon of ripe grapes put a gallon of soft water, bruise the grapes, let them stand a week without stirring, and draw the liquor off fine. to every gallon of liquor allow three pounds of lump sugar, put the whole into a vessel, but do not stop it till it has done hissing; then stop it close, and in six months it will be fit for bottling.--a better wine, though smaller in quantity, will be made by leaving out the water, and diminishing the quantity of sugar. water is necessary only where the juice is so scanty, or so thick, as in cowslip, balm, or black currant wine, that it could not be used without it. gravel. the gout or rheumatism has a tendency to produce this disorder; it is also promoted by the use of sour liquor, indigestible food, especially cheese, and by a sedentary life. perspiration should be assisted by gentle means, particularly by rubbing with a warm flannel; the diet regulated by the strictest temperance, and moderate exercise is not to be neglected. for medicine, take the juice of a horseradish, made into a thin syrup by mixing it with sugar; a spoonful or two to be taken every three or four hours. gravel walks. to preserve garden walks from moss and weeds, water them frequently with brine, or salt and water, both in the spring and in autumn. worms may be destroyed by an infusion of walnut-tree leaves, or by pouring into the holes a ley made of wood ashes and lime. if fruit trees are sprinkled with it, the ravages of insects will be greatly prevented. gravies. a few general observations are necessary on the subject of soups and gravies. when there is any fear of gravy meat being spoiled before it be wanted, it should be well seasoned, and lightly fried, in order to its keeping a day or two longer; but the gravy is best when the juices are fresh. when soups or gravies are to be put by, let them be changed every day into fresh scalded pans. whatever liquor has vegetables boiled in it, is apt to turn sour much sooner than the juices of meat, and gravy should never be kept in any kind of metal. when fat remains on any soup, a tea-cupful of flour and water mixed quite smooth, and boiled in, will take it off. if richness or greater consistence be required, a good lump of butter mixed with flour, and boiled in the soup or gravy, will impart either of these qualities. long boiling is necessary to obtain the full flavour; and gravies and soups are best made the day before they are wanted. they are also much better when the meat is laid in the bottom of the pan, and stewed with herbs, roots, and butter, than when water is put to the meat at first; and the gravy that is drawn from the meat, should almost be dried up before the water is added. the sediment of gravies that have stood to be cold, should not be used in cooking. when onions are strong, boil a turnip with them, if for sauce; and this will make them mild and pleasant. if soups or gravies are too weak, do not cover them in boiling, that the watery particles may evaporate. a clear jelly of cow heels is very useful to keep in the house, being a great improvement to soups and gravies. truffles and morels thicken soups and sauces, and give them a fine flavour. the way is to wash half an ounce of each carefully, then simmer them a few minutes in water, and add them with the liquor to boil in the sauce till quite tender. as to the materials of which gravy is to be made, beef skirts will make as good as any other meat. beef kidney, or milt, cut into small pieces, will answer the purpose very well; and so will the shank end of mutton that has been dressed, if much be wanted. the shank bones of mutton, if well soaked and cleaned, are a great improvement to the richness of the gravy. taragon gives the flavour of french cookery, and in high gravies it is a great improvement; but it should be added only a short time before serving. to draw gravy that will keep for a week, cut some lean beef thin, put it into a fryingpan without any butter, cover it up, and set it on the fire, taking care that it does not burn. keep it on the fire till all the gravy that comes out of the meat is absorbed, then add as much water as will cover the meat, and keep it stewing. put in some herbs, onions, spice, and a piece of lean ham. let it simmer till it is quite rich, and keep it in a cool place; but do not remove the fat till the gravy is to be used. gravy for fowl. when there is no meat to make gravy of, wash the feet of the fowl nicely, and cut them and the neck small. simmer them with a little bread browned, a slice of onion, a sprig of parsley and thyme, some salt and pepper, and the liver and gizzard, in a quarter of a pint of water, till half wasted. take out the liver, bruise it, and strain the liquor to it. then thicken it with flour and butter, and a tea-spoonful of mushroom ketchup will make the gravy very good. gravy for wild fowl. set on a saucepan with half a pint of veal gravy, adding half a dozen leaves of basil, a small onion, and a roll of orange or lemon peel. let it boil up for a few minutes, and strain it off. put to the clear gravy the juice of a seville orange, half a teaspoonful of salt, the same of pepper, and a glass of red wine. shalot and cayenne may be added. this is an excellent sauce for all kinds of wild water-fowl, and should be sent up hot in a boat, as some persons like wild fowl very little done, and without any sauce. the common way of gashing the breast, and squeezing in a lemon, cools and hardens the flesh, and compels every one to eat it that way, whether they approve of it or not. gravy for mutton. to make mutton taste like venison, provide for it the following gravy. pick a very stale woodcock or snipe, and cut it to pieces, after having removed the bag from the entrails. simmer it in some meat gravy, without seasoning; then strain it, and serve it with the mutton. gravy soup. wash and soak a leg of beef; break the bone, and set it on the fire with a gallon of water, a large bunch of sweet herbs, two large onions sliced and fried to a fine brown, but not burnt; add two blades of mace, three cloves, twenty berries of allspice, and forty black peppers. stew the soup till it is rich, and then take out the meat, which may be eaten at the kitchen table, with a little of the gravy. next day take off the fat, which will serve for basting, or for common pie crust. slice some carrots, turnips, and celery, and simmer them till tender. if not approved, they can be taken out before the soup is sent to table, but the flavour will be a considerable addition. boil vermicelli a quarter of an hour, and add to it a large spoonful of soy, and one of mushroom ketchup. a french roll should be made hot, then soaked in the soup, and served in the tureen. gravy without meat. put into a bason a glass of small beer, a glass of water, some pepper and salt, grated lemon peel, a bruised clove or two, and a spoonful of walnut pickle, or mushroom ketchup. slice an onion, flour and fry it in a piece of butter till it is brown. then turn all the above into a small tosser, with the onion, and simmer it covered for twenty minutes. strain it off for use, and when cold take off the fat. grayline. having scaled and washed the fish, then dry them. dust them over with flour, and lay them separately on a board before the fire. fry them of a fine colour with fresh dripping; serve them with crimp parsley, and plain butter. perch and tench may be done the same way. grease extracted. the ashes of burnt bones finely powdered, or calcined hartshorn, heated over the fire in a clean vessel, and laid on each side of the grease spot, if on books or paper, with a weight laid upon it to assist the effect, will completely remove it; or the powder may be wrapped in thin muslin, and applied in the same manner. when prints get foul and dirty, they may readily be cleaned in the same manner as linen is bleached, by being exposed to the sun and air, and frequently wetted with clean water. if this do not fully succeed, the print may be soaked in hot water; and if pasted on canvas, it should first be taken off by dipping it in boiling water, which will loosen it from the canvas. the dirt occasioned by flies, may be gently taken off with a wet sponge, after the print has been well soaked. spots of white-wash may be removed by spirit of sea salt diluted with water.--if grease spots appear in leather, a different process must be pursued. a paste made of mealy potatoes, dry mustard, and spirits of turpentine, mixed together, and applied to the spot, will extract the grease from leather, if rubbed off after it has been allowed sufficient time to dry. a little vinegar may be added, to render the application more effectual. green fruit. green peaches, plums, or other fruit, should be put into a preserving pan of spring water, covered with vine leaves, and set over a clear fire. when they begin to simmer take them off, and take the fruit out carefully with a slice. peel and preserve them as other fruit. green gages. in order to preserve them for pies and tarts, choose the largest when they begin to soften. split them without paring; and having weighed an equal quantity of sugar, strew a part of it over the fruit. blanch the kernels with a small sharp knife. next day pour the syrup from the fruit, and boil it gently six or eight minutes with the other sugar; skim it, and add the plums and kernels. simmer it till clear, taking off any scum that rises; put the fruit singly into small pots, and pour the syrup and kernels to it. if the fruit is to be candied, the syrup must not be added: for the sake of variety, it may be proper to do some each way. green goose pie. bone two young green geese, of a good size; but first take away every plug, and singe them nicely. wash them clean, and season them well with salt, pepper, mace, and allspice. put one inside the other, and press them quite close, drawing the legs inward. put a good deal of butter over them, and bake them either with or without a crust: if the latter, a cover to the dish must fit close to keep in the steam. green peas. peas should not be shelled till they are wanted, nor boiled in much water. put them in when the water boils, with a little salt, and a lump of sugar. when they begin to dent in the middle, they are done enough. strain them through a cullender, put a piece of butter in the dish, and stir them till it is melted. garnish with boiled mint. green peas preserved. if it be wished to keep them for winter use, shell the peas, and put them into a kettle of water when it boils. warm them well, without boiling, and pour them into a cullender. when the water drains off, turn them out on a dresser covered with a cloth, and put over another cloth to dry them perfectly. deposit them in wide-mouth bottles, leaving only room to pour clarified mutton suet upon them an inch thick, and also for the cork. rosin it down, and keep it in the cellar or in the earth, the same as other green fruit. when the peas are to be used, boil them tender, with a piece of butter, a spoonful of sugar, and a little mint.--another way. shell the peas, scald and dry them as above. put them on tins or earthen dishes in a cool oven once or twice to harden, and keep them in paper bags hung up in the kitchen. when they are to be used, let them be an hour in water; then set them on with cold water, a piece of butter, and a sprig of dried mint, and boil them. green peas soup. in shelling the peas, divide the old from the young. stew the old ones to a pulp, with an ounce of butter, a pint of water, a leaf or two of lettuce, two onions, pepper and salt. put to the liquor that stewed them some more water, the hearts and tender stalks of the lettuces, the young peas, a handful of spinach cut small, salt and pepper to relish, and boil them till quite soft. if the soup be too thin, or not rich enough, add an ounce or two of butter, mixed with a spoonful of rice or flour, and boil it half an hour longer. before serving, boil in the soup some green mint shred fine. when the peas first come in, or are very young, the stock may be made of the shells washed and boiled, till they are capable of being pulped. more thickening will then be wanted. green peas stewed. put into a stewpan a quart of peas, a lettuce and an onion both sliced, and no more water than hangs about the lettuce from washing. add a piece of butter, a little pepper and salt, and stew them very gently for two hours. when to be served, beat up an egg, and stir it into them, or a bit of flour and butter. chop a little mint, and stew in them. gravy may be added, or a tea-spoonful of white powdered sugar; but the flavour of the peas themselves is much better. green sauce. mix a quarter of a pint of sorrel juice, a glass of white wine, and some scalded gooseberries. add sugar, and a bit of butter, and boil them up, to serve with green geese or ducklings. gridiron. the bars of a gridiron should be made concave, and terminate in a trough to catch the gravy, and keep the fat from dropping into the fire and making a smoke, which will spoil the broiling. upright gridirons are the best, as they can be used at any fire, without fear of smoke, and the gravy is preserved in the trough under them. the business of the gridiron may be done by a dutch oven, when occasion requires. grief. in considering what is conducive to health or otherwise, it is impossible to overlook this destructive passion, which like envy is 'the rottenness of the bones.' anger and fear are more violent, but this is more fixed: it sinks deep into the mind, and often proves fatal. it may generally be conquered at the beginning of any calamity; but when it has gained strength, all attempts to remove it are ineffectual. life may be dragged out for a few years, but it is impossible that any one should enjoy health, whose mind is bowed down with grief and trouble. in this case some betake themselves to drinking, but here the remedy only aggravates the disease. the best relief, besides what the consolations of religion may afford, is to associate with the kind and cheerful, to shift the scene as much as possible, to keep up a succession of new ideas, apply to the study of some art or science, and to read and write on such subjects as deeply engage the attention. these will sooner expel grief than the most sprightly amusements, which only aggravate instead of relieving the anguish of a wounded heart. grill sauce. to half a pint of gravy add an ounce of fresh butter, and a table-spoonful of flour, previously well rubbed together; the same of mushroom or walnut ketchup, two tea-spoonfuls of lemon juice, one of made mustard, one of caper, half a one of black pepper, a little lemon peel grated fine, a tea-spoonful of essence of anchovies, a very small piece of minced shalot, and a little chili vinegar, or a few grains of cayenne. simmer them all together for a few minutes, pour a little of it over the grill, and send up the rest in a sauce tureen. grilled mutton. cut a breast of mutton into diamonds, rub it over with egg, and strew on some crumbs of bread and chopped parsley. broil it in a dutch oven, baste it with butter, and pour caper sauce or gravy into the dish. ground rice milk. boil one spoonful of ground rice, rubbed down smooth, with three half pints of milk, a little cinnamon, lemon peel, and nutmeg. sweeten it when nearly done. ground rice pudding. boil a large spoonful of ground rice in a pint of new milk, with lemon peel and cinnamon. when cold, add sugar, nutmeg, and two eggs well beaten. bake it with a crust round the dish. a pudding of russian seed is made in the same manner. grouse. twist the head under the wing, and roast them like fowls, but they must not be overdone. serve with a rich gravy in the dish, and bread sauce. the sauce recommended for wild fowl, may be used instead of gravy. grubs. various kinds of grubs or maggots, hatched from beetles, are destructive of vegetation, and require to be exterminated. in a garden they may be taken and destroyed by cutting a turf, and laying it near the plant which is attacked, with the grass side downwards. but the most effectual way is to visit these depredators at midnight, when they may be easily found and destroyed. gudgeons. these delicate fish are taken in running streams, where the water is clear. they come in about midsummer, and are to be had for five or six months. they require to be dressed much the same as smelts, being considered as a species of fresh-water smelts. guinea fowl. pea and guinea fowl eat much like pheasants, and require to be dressed in the same way. guinea hens. these birds lay a great number of eggs; and if their nest can be discovered, it is best to put them under common hens, which are better nurses. they require great warmth, quiet, and careful feeding with rice swelled in milk, or bread soaked in it. put two peppercorns down their throat when first hatched. gunpowder. reduce to powder separately, five drams of nitrate of potass, one dram of sulphur, and one of new-burnt charcoal. mix them together in a mortar with a little water, so as to make the compound into a dough, which roll out into round pieces of the thickness of a pin, upon a slab. this must be done by moving a board backwards and forwards until the dough is of a proper size. when three or four of these strings or pieces are ready, put them together, and with a knife cut the whole off in small grains. place these grains on a sheet of paper in a warm place, and they will soon dry. during granulation, the dough must be prevented from sticking, by using a little of the dry compound powder. this mode of granulation, though tedious, is the only one to be used for so small a quantity, for the sake of experiment. in a large way, gunpowder is granulated by passing the composition through sieves. h. haddocks. these fish may be had the greater part of the year, but are most in season during the first three months. in choosing, see that the flesh is firm, the eyes bright, and the gills fresh and red. clean them well, dry them in a cloth, and rub them with vinegar to prevent the skin from breaking. dredge them with flour, rub the gridiron with suet, and let it be hot when the fish is laid on. turn them while broiling, and serve them up with melted butter, or shrimp sauce. hair. frequent cutting of the hair is highly beneficial to the whole body; and if the head be daily washed with cold water, rubbed dry, and exposed to the air, it will be found an excellent preventive of periodical headachs. pomatums and general perfumery are very injurious; but a mixture of olive oil and spirits of rosemary, with a few drops of oil of nutmeg, may be used with safety. if a lead comb be sometimes passed through the hair, it will assume a darker colour, but for health it cannot be recommended. hair powder. to know whether this article be adulterated with lime, as is too frequently the case, put a little of the powder of sal-ammoniac into it, and stir it up with warm water. if the hair powder has been adulterated with lime, a strong smell of alkali will arise from the mixture. hair water. to thicken the hair, and prevent its falling off, an excellent water may be prepared in the following manner. put four pounds of pure honey into a still, with twelve handfuls of the tendrils of vines, and the same quantity of rosemary tops. distil as cool and as slowly as possible, and the liquor may be allowed to drop till it begins to taste sour. hams. when a ham is to be dressed, put it into water all night, if it has hung long; and let it lie either in a hole dug in the earth, or on damp stones sprinkled with water, two or three days, to mellow it. wash it well, and put it into a boiler with plenty of water; let it simmer four, five, or six hours, according to the size. when done enough, if before the time of serving, cover it with a clean cloth doubled, and keep the dish hot over some boiling water. take off the skin, and rasp some bread over the ham. preserve the skin as whole as possible, to cover the ham when cold, in order to prevent its drying. garnish the dish with carrot when sent to table. if a dried ham is to be purchased, judge of its goodness by sticking a sharp knife under the bone. if it comes out with a pleasant smell, the ham is good: but if the knife be daubed, and has a bad scent, do not buy it. hams short in the hock are best, and long-legged pigs are not fit to be pickled. ham sauce. when a ham is almost done with, pick all the meat clean from the bone, leaving out any rusty part. beat the meat and the bone to a mash, put it into a saucepan with three spoonfuls of gravy, set it over a slow fire, and stir it all the time, or it will stick to the bottom. when it has been on some time, put to it a small bundle of sweet herbs, some pepper, and half a pint of beef gravy. cover it up, and let it stew over a gentle fire. when it has a good flavour of the herbs, strain off the gravy. a little of this sauce will be found an improvement to all gravies. hands. when the hands or feet are severely affected with the cold, they should not immediately be exposed to the fire, but restored to their usual tone and feeling, by immersing them in cold water, and afterwards applying warmth in the most careful and gradual manner. persons subject to chopped hands in the winter time, should be careful to rub them quite dry after every washing; and to prevent their being injured by the weather, rub them with a mixture of fresh lard, honey, and the yolks of eggs; or a little goose fat will answer the purpose. hard dumplings. make a paste of flour and water, with a little salt, and roll it into balls. dust them with flour, and boil them nearly an hour. they are best boiled with a good piece of meat, and for variety, a few currants may be added. hares. if hung up in a dry cool place, they will keep a great time; and when imagined to be past eating, they are often in the highest perfection. they are never good if eaten when fresh killed. a hare will keep longer and eat better, if not opened for four or five days, or according to the state of the weather. if paunched when it comes from the field, it should be wiped quite dry, the heart and liver taken out, and the liver scalded to keep for stuffing. repeat this wiping every day, rub a mixture of pepper and ginger on the inside, and put a large piece of charcoal into it. if the spice be applied early, it will prevent that musty taste which long keeping in the damp occasions, and which also affects the stuffing. if an old hare is to be roasted, it should be kept as long as possible, and well soaked. this may be judged of, in the following manner. if the claws are blunt and rugged, the ears dry and tough, and the haunch thick, it is old. but if the claws are smooth and sharp, the ears easily tear, and the cleft in the lip is not much spread, it is young. if fresh and newly killed, the body will be stiff, and the flesh pale. to know a real leveret, it is necessary to look for a knob or small bone near the foot on its fore leg: if there be none, it is a hare. hare pie. cut up the hare, and season it; bake it with eggs and forcemeat, in a dish or raised crust. when cold take off the lid, and cover the meat with savoury jelly: see the article. hare sauce. this usually consists of currant jelly warmed up; or it may be made of half a pint of port, and a quarter of a pound of sugar, simmered together over a clear fire for about five minutes. it may also be made of half a pint of vinegar, and a quarter of a pound of sugar, reduced to a syrup. hare soup. take an old hare unfit for other purposes, cut it into pieces, and put it into a jar; add a pound and a half of lean beef, two or three shank bones of mutton well cleaned, a slice of lean bacon or ham, an onion, and a bunch of sweet herbs. pour on two quarts of boiling water, cover the jar close with bladder and paper, and set it in a kettle of water. simmer till the hare is stewed to pieces, strain off the liquor, boil it up once, with a chopped anchovy, and add a spoonful of soy, a little cayenne, and salt. a few fine forcemeat balls, fried of a good brown, should be served in the tureen. harrico of mutton. remove some of the fat, and cut the middle or best end of the neck into rather thin steaks. flour and fry them in their own fat, of a fine light brown, but not enough for eating. then put them into a dish while you fry the carrots, turnips, and onions; the carrots and turnips in dice, the onions sliced. they must only be warmed, and not browned. then lay the steaks at the bottom of a stewpan, the vegetables over them, and pour on as much boiling water as will just cover them. give them one boil, skim them well, and then set the pan on the side of the fire to simmer gently till all is tender. in three or four hours skim them; add pepper and salt, and a spoonful of ketchup. harrico of veal. take the best end of a small neck, cut the bones short, but leave it whole. then put it into a stewpan, just covered with brown gravy; and when it is nearly done, have ready a pint of boiled peas, six cucumbers pared and sliced, and two cabbage-lettuces cut into quarters, all stewed in a little good broth. add them to the veal, and let them simmer ten minutes. when the veal is in the dish, pour the sauce and vegetables over it, and lay the lettuce with forcemeat balls round it. hartshorn jelly. simmer eight ounces of hartshorn shavings with two quarts of water, till reduced to one. strain and boil it with the rinds of four china oranges, and two lemons pared thin. when cool, add the juice of both, half a pound of sugar, and the whites of six eggs beaten to a froth. let the jelly have three or four boils without stirring, and strain it through a jelly bag. hashed beef. put into a stewpan, a pint and a half of broth or water, a large table-spoonful of mushroom ketchup, with the gravy saved from the beef. add a quarter of an ounce of onion sliced very fine, and boil it about ten minutes. put a large table-spoonful of flour into a basin, just wet it with a little water, mix it well together, then stir it into the broth, and boil it five or ten minutes. rub it through a sieve, return it to the stewpan, put in the hash, and let it stand by the side of the fire till the meat is warm. a tea-spoonful of parsley chopped very fine, and put in five minutes before it is served up, will be an agreeable addition; or to give a higher relish, a glass of port wine, and a spoonful of currant jelly. hashes and meats dressed a second time, should only simmer gently, till just warmed through. hashed duck. cut a cold duck into joints, and warm it in gravy, without boiling, and add a glass of port wine. hashed hare. season the legs and wings first, and then broil them, which will greatly improve the flavour. rub them with cold butter and serve them quite hot. the other parts, warmed with gravy, and a little stuffing, may be served separately. hashed mutton. cut thin slices of dressed mutton, fat and lean, and flour them. have ready a little onion boiled in two or three spoonfuls of water; add to it a little gravy, season the meat, and make it hot, but not to boil. serve up the hash in a covered dish. instead of onion, a clove, a spoonful of currant jelly, and half a glass of port wine, will give an agreeable venison flavour, if the meat be fine. for a change, the hash may be warmed up with pickled cucumber or walnut cut small. hashed venison. warm it with its own gravy, or some of it without seasoning; but it should only be warmed through, and not boiled. if no fat be left, cut some slices of mutton fat, set it on the fire with a little port wine and sugar, and simmer it dry. then put it to the hash, and it will eat as well as the fat of venison. hasty dish of eggs. beat up six eggs, pour them into a saucepan, hold it over the fire till they begin to thicken, and keep stirring from the bottom all the time. then add a piece of butter the size of a walnut, stir it about till the eggs and water are thoroughly mixed, and the eggs quite dry. put it on a plate, and serve it hot. hasty fritters. melt some butter in a saucepan, put in half a pint of good ale, and stir a little flour into it by degrees. add a few currants, or chopped apples; beat them up quick, and drop a large spoonful at a time into the pan, till the bottom is nearly covered. keep them separate, turn them with a slice; and when of a fine brown, serve them up hot, with grated sugar over them. hasty pudding. boil some milk over a clear fire, and take it off. keep putting in flour with one hand, and stirring it with the other, till it becomes quite thick. boil it a few minutes, pour it into a dish, and garnish with pieces of butter. to make a better pudding, beat up an egg and flour into a stiff paste, and mince it fine. put the mince into a quart of boiling milk, with a little butter and salt, cinnamon and sugar, and stir them carefully together. when sufficiently thickened, pour it into a dish, and stick bits of butter on the top. or shred some suet, add grated bread, a few currants, the yolks of four eggs and the whites of two, with some grated lemon peel and ginger. mix the whole together, and make it into balls the size and shape of an egg, with a little flour. throw them into a skillet of boiling water, and boil them twenty minutes; but when sufficiently done, they will rise to the top. serve with cold butter, or pudding sauce. hats. gentlemen's hats are often damaged by a shower of rain, which takes off the gloss, and leaves them spotted. to prevent this, shake out the wet as much as possible, wipe the hat carefully with a clean handkerchief, observing to lay the beaver smooth. then fix the hat in its original shape, and hang it to dry at a distance from the fire. next morning, brush it several times with a soft brush in the proper direction, and the hat will have sustained but little injury. a flat iron moderately heated, and passed two or three times gently over the hat, will raise the gloss, and give the hat its former good appearance. haunch of mutton. keep it as long as it can be preserved sweet, and wash it with warm milk and water, or vinegar if necessary. when to be dressed especially, observe to wash it well, lest the outside should contract a bad flavour from keeping. lay a paste of coarse flour on strong paper, and fold the haunch in it; set it a great distance from the fire, and allow proportionate time for the paste. do not remove it till nearly forty minutes before serving, and then baste it continually. bring the haunch nearer the fire before the paste is taken off, and froth it up the same as venison. a gravy must be made of a pound and a half of a loin of old mutton, simmered in a pint of water to half the quantity, and no seasoning but salt. brown it with a little burnt sugar, and send it up in the dish. care should be taken to retain a good deal of gravy in the meat, for though long at the fire, the distance and covering will prevent its roasting out. serve with currant-jelly sauce. haunch of venison. if it be the haunch of a buck, it will take full three hours and a half roasting; if a doe, about half an hour less. venison should be rather under than overdone. sprinkle some salt on a sheet of white paper, spread it over with butter, and cover the fat with it. then lay a coarse paste on strong white paper, and cover the haunch; tie it with fine packthread, and set it at a distance from a good fire. baste it often: ten minutes before serving take off the paste, draw the meat nearer the fire, and baste it with butter and a good deal of flour, to make it froth up well. gravy for it should be put into a boat, and not into the dish, unless there is none in the venison. to make the gravy, cut off the fat from two or three pounds of a loin of old mutton, and set it in steaks on a gridiron for a few minutes just to brown one side. put them into a saucepan with a quart of water, keep it closely covered for an hour, and simmer it gently. then uncover it, stew it till the gravy is reduced to a pint, and season it with salt only. currant-jelly sauce must be served in a boat. beat up the jelly with a spoonful or two of port wine, and melt it over the fire. where jelly runs short, a little more wine must be added, and a few lumps of sugar. serve with french beans. if the old bread sauce be still preferred, grate some white bread, and boil it with port wine and water, and a large stick of cinnamon. when quite smooth, take out the cinnamon, and add some sugar. hay stacks. in making stacks of new hay, care should be taken to prevent its heating and taking fire, by forming a tunnel completely through the centre. this may be done by stuffing a sack full of straw, and tying up the mouth with a cord; then make the rick round the sack, drawing it up as the rick advances, and taking it out when finished. head ache. this disorder generally arises from some internal cause, and is the symptom of a disease which requires first to be attended to; but where it is a local affection only, it may be relieved by bathing the part affected with spirits of hartshorn, or applying a poultice of elder flowers. in some cases the most obstinate pain is removed by the use of vervain, both internally in the form of a decoction, and also by suspending the herb round the neck. persons afflicted with headache should beware of costiveness: their drink should be diluting, and their feet and legs kept warm. it is very obvious, that as many disorders arise from taking cold in the head, children should be inured to a light and loose covering in their infancy, by which means violent headaches might be prevented in mature age: and the maxim of keeping the feet warm and the head cool, should be strictly attended to. head and pluck. whether of lamb or mutton, wash the head clean, take the black part from the eyes, and the gall from the liver. lay the head in warm water; boil the lights, heart, and part of the liver; chop them small, and add a little flour. put it into a saucepan with some gravy, or a little of the liquor it was boiled in, a spoonful of ketchup, a small quantity of lemon juice, cream, pepper, and salt. boil the head very white and tender, lay it in the middle of the dish, and the mince meat round it. fry the other part of the liver with some small bits of bacon, lay them on the mince meat, boil the brains the same as for a calf's head, beat up an egg and mix with them, fry them in small cakes, and lay them on the rim of the dish. garnish with lemon and parsley. heart burn. persons subject to this disorder, ought to drink no stale liquors, and to abstain from flatulent food. take an infusion of bark, or any other stomachic bitter; or a tea-spoonful of the powder of gum arabic dissolved in a little water, or chew a few sweet almonds blanched. an infusion of anise seeds, or ginger, have sometimes produced the desired effect. hedge hog. make a cake of any description, and bake it in a mould the shape of a hedge hog. turn it out of the mould, and let it stand a day or two. prick it with a fork, and let it remain all night in a dish full of sweet wine. slit some blanched almonds, and stick about it, and pour boiled custard in the dish round it. herb pie. pick two handfuls of parsley from the stems, half the quantity of spinach, two lettuces, some mustard and cresses, a few leaves of borage, and white beet leaves. wash and boil them a little, drain and press out the water, cut them small; mix a batter of flour, two eggs well beaten, a pint of cream, and half a pint of milk, and pour it on the herbs. cover with a good crust, and bake it. herb tea. if betony be gathered and dried before it begins to flower, it will be found to have the taste of tea, and all its good qualities, without any of its bad ones: it is also considered as a remedy for the headache. hawthorn leaves dried, and one third of balm and sage, mixed together, will make a wholesome and strengthening drink. an infusion of ground ivy, mixed with a few flowers of lavender, and flavoured with a drop of lemon juice, will make an agreeable substitute for common tea. various other vegetables might also be employed for this purpose; such as sage, balm, peppermint, and similar spicy plants; the flowers of the sweet woodroof, those of the burnet, or pimpernel rose; the leaves of peach and almond trees, the young and tender leaves of bilberry, and common raspberry; and the blossoms of the blackthorn, or sloe tree. most of these when carefully gathered and dried in the shade, especially if they be managed like indian tea-leaves, bear a great resemblance to the foreign teas, and are at the same time of superior flavour and salubrity. herbs for winter. take any sort of sweet herbs, with three times the quantity of parsley, and dry them in the air, without exposing them to the sun. when quite dry, rub them through a hair sieve, put them in canisters or bottles, and keep them in a dry place: they will be useful for seasoning in the winter. mint, sage, thyme, and such kind of herbs, may be tied in small bunches, and dried in the air: then put each sort separately into a bag, and hang it up in the kitchen. parsley should be picked from the stalks as soon as gathered, and dried in the shade to preserve the colour. cowslips and marigolds should be gathered dry, picked clean, dried in a cloth, and kept in paper bags. hessian soup. clean the root of a neat's tongue very nicely, and half an ox's head, with salt and water, and soak them afterwards in water only. then stew them in five or six quarts of water, till tolerably tender. let the soup stand to be cold, take off the fat, which will do for basting, or to make good paste for hot meat pies. put to the soup a pint of split peas, or a quart of whole ones, twelve carrots, six turnips, six potatoes, six large onions, a bunch of sweet herbs, and two heads of celery. simmer them without the meat, till the vegetables are done enough to pulp with the peas through a sieve; and the soup will then be about the thickness of cream. season it with pepper, salt, mace, allspice, a clove or two, and a little cayenne, all in fine powder. if the peas are bad, and the soup not thick enough, boil in it a slice of roll, and pass it through the cullender; or add a little rice flour, mixing it by degrees.--to make a ragout with the above, cut the nicest part of the head, the kernels, and part of the fat from the root of the tongue, into small thick pieces. rub these with some of the above seasoning, putting them into a quart of the liquor reserved for that purpose before the vegetables were added; flour them well, and simmer till they are nicely tender. then add a little mushroom and walnut ketchup, a little soy, a glass of port wine, and a tea-spoonful of made mustard, and boil all up together. serve with small eggs and forcemeat balls. this furnishes an excellent soup and a ragout at a small expense. hiccough. a few small draughts of water in quick succession, or a tea-spoonful of vinegar, will often afford immediate relief. peppermint water mixed with a few drops of vitriolic acid may be taken; and sometimes sneezing, or the stench of an extinguished tallow candle, has been found sufficient. hind quarter of lamb. boil the leg in a floured cloth an hour and a quarter; cut the loin into chops, fry them, lay them round the leg, with a bit of parsley on each, and serve it up with spinach or brocoli. hind quarter of pig. to dress this joint lamb fashion, take off the skin, roast it, and serve it up with mint sauce. a leg of lamb stuffed like a leg of pork, and roasted, with drawn gravy, is very good. a loin of mutton also, stuffed like a hare, and basted with milk. put gravy in the dish, served with currant jelly, or any other sauce. hiving of bees. when it is intended to introduce a swarm of bees into a new hive, it must be thoroughly cleaned, and the inside rubbed with virgin wax. a piece of nice honeycomb, made of very white wax, and about nine inches long, should be hung on the cross bars near the top of the hive, to form a kind of nest for the bees, and excite them to continue their work. the new hive being thus prepared, is then to be placed under an old one, before the bees begin to swarm, in such a manner as to be quite close, and to leave the bees no passage except into the new hive. as these insects generally work downwards, they will soon get into their new habitation; and when it is occupied by one half of the swarm, some holes must be made in the top of the old hive, and kept covered till the proper time of making use of them. preparation being thus made, take the opportunity of a fine morning, about eight or nine o'clock, at which time most of the bees are out, gathering their harvest. the comb is to be cut through by means of a piece of iron wire, and the old hive separated from the new one. an assistant must immediately place the cover, which should be previously fitted, upon the top of the new one. the old hive is then to be taken to the distance of twenty or thirty yards, and placed firm upon a bench or table, but so as to leave a free space both above and below. the holes at the top being opened, one of the new boxes is to be placed on the top of the old hive, having the cover loosely fastened on it; and is to be done in such a manner, by closing the intervals between them with linen cloths, that the bees on going out by the holes on the top of the old hive can only go into the new one. but in order to drive the bees into the new hive, some live coals must be placed under the old one, upon which some linen may be thrown, to produce a volume of smoke; and the bees feeling the annoyance, will ascend to the top of the old hive, and at length will go through the holes into the new one. when they have nearly all entered, it is to be removed gently from the old hive, and placed under the box already mentioned, the top or cover having been taken off. if it should appear the next morning that the two boxes, of which the new hive is now composed, do not afford sufficient room for the bees, a third or fourth box may be added, under the others, as their work goes on, changing them from time to time so long as the season permits the bees to gather wax and honey. when a new swarm is to be hived, the boxes prepared as above and proportioned to the size of the swarm, are to be brought near the place where the bees have settled. the upper box with the cover upon it, must be taken from the others. the cross bars at the top should be smeared with honey and water, the doors must be closed, the box turned upside down, and held under the swarm, which is then to be shaken into it as into a common hive. when the whole swarm is in the box, it is to be carried to the other boxes, previously placed in their destined situation, and carefully put upon them. the interstices are to be closed with cement, and all the little doors closed, except the lowest, through which the bees are to pass. the hive should be shaded from the sun for a few days, that the bees may not be tempted to leave their new habitation. it is more advantageous however to form artificial swarms, than to collect those which abandon their native hives; and the hive here recommended is more particularly adapted to that purpose. by this mode of treatment, we not only avoid the inconveniences which attend the procuring of swarms in the common way, but obtain the advantage of having the hives always well stocked, which is of greater consequence than merely to increase their number; for it has been observed, that if a hive of four thousand bees give six pounds of honey, one of eight thousand will give twenty-four pounds. on this principle it is proper to unite two or more hives, when they happen to be thickly stocked. this may be done by scattering a few handfuls of balm in those hives which are to be united, which by giving them the same smell, they will be unable to distinguish one another. after this preparation, the hives are to be joined by placing them one upon the other, in the evening when they are at rest, and taking away those boxes which are nearly empty. all the little doors must be closed, except the lowest.----if bees are kept in single straw hives in the usual way, the manner of hiving them is somewhat different. they are first allowed to swarm, and having settled, they are then taken to the hive. if they fix on the lower branch of a tree, it may be cut off and laid on a cloth, and the hive placed over it, so as to leave room for the bees to ascend into it. if the queen can be found, and put into the hive, the rest will soon follow. but if it be difficult to reach them, let them remain where they have settled till the evening, when there will be less danger of escaping. after this the hive is to be placed in the apiary, cemented round the bottom, and covered from the wet at top. the usual method of uniting swarms, is by spreading a cloth at night upon the ground close to the hive, in which the hive with the new swarm is to be placed. by giving a smart stroke on the top of the hive, all the bees will drop into a cluster upon the cloth. then take another hive from the beehouse, and place it over the bees, when they will ascend into it, and mix with those already there. another way is to invert the hive in which the united swarms are to live, and strike the bees of the other hive into it as before. one of the queens is generally slain on this occasion, together with a considerable number of the working bees. to prevent this destruction, one of the queens should be sought for and taken, when the bees are beaten out of the hive upon the cloth, before the union is effected. bees never swarm till the hive is too much crowded by the young brood, which happens in may or june, according to the warmth of the season. a good swarm should weigh five or six pounds; those that are under four pounds weight, should be strengthened by a small additional swarm. the size of the hive ought to be proportionate to the number of the bees, and should be rather too small than too large, as they require to be kept dry and warm in winter. in performing these several operations, it will be necessary to defend the hands and face from the sting of the bees. the best way of doing this is to cover the whole head and neck with a coarse cloth or canvas, which may be brought down and fastened round the waist. through this cloth the motion of the bees may be observed, without fearing their stings; and the hands may be protected by a thick pair of gloves. hodge podge. boil some slices of coarse beef in three quarts of water, and one of small beer. skim it well, put in onions, carrots, turnips, celery, pepper and salt. when the meat is tender, take it out, strain off the soup, put a little butter and flour into the saucepan, and stir it well, to prevent burning. take off the fat, put the soup into a stewpan, and stew the beef in it till it is quite tender. serve up the soup with turnips and carrots, spinage or celery. a leg of beef cut in pieces, and stewed five or six hours, will make good soup; and any kind of roots or spices may be added or omitted at pleasure. or stew some peas, lettuce, and onions, in a very little water, with a bone of beef or ham. while these are doing, season some mutton or lamb steaks, and fry them of a nice brown. three quarters of an hour before serving, put the steaks into a stewpan, and the vegetables over them. stew them, and serve all together in a tureen. another way of making a good hodge podge, is to stew a knuckle of veal and a scrag of mutton, with some vegetables, adding a bit of butter rolled in flour. hog's cheeks. if to be dried as usual, cut out the snout, remove the brains, and split the head, taking off the upper bone to make the chawl a good shape. rub it well with salt, and next day take away the brine. on the following day cover the head with half an ounce of saltpetre, two ounces of bay salt, a little common salt, and four ounces of coarse sugar. let the head be often turned, and after ten days smoke it for a week like bacon. hog's ears forced. parboil two pair of ears, or take some that have been soused. make a forcemeat of an anchovy, some sage and parsley, a quarter of a pound of chopped suet, bread crumbs, and only a little salt. mix all these with the yolks of two eggs, raise the skin of the upper side of the ears, and stuff them with the mixture. fry the ears in fresh butter, of a fine colour; then pour away the fat, and drain them. prepare half a pint of rich gravy, with a glass of fine sherry, three tea-spoonfuls of made mustard, a little butter and flour, a small onion whole, and a little pepper or cayenne. put this with the ears into a stewpan, and cover it close; stew it gently for half an hour, shaking the pan often. when done enough, take out the onion, place the ears carefully in a dish, and pour the sauce over them. if a larger dish is wanted, the meat from two feet may be added to the above. hog's head. to make some excellent meat of a hog's head, split it, take out the brains, cut off the ears, and sprinkle it with salt for a day. then drain it, salt it again with common salt and saltpetre for three days, and afterwards lay the whole in a small quantity of water for two days. wash it, and boil it till all the bones will come out. skin the tongue, and take the skin carefully off the head, to put under and over. chop the head as quick as possible, season it with pepper and salt, and a little mace or allspice berries. put the skin into a small pan, with the chopped head between, and press it down. when cold it will turn out, and make a kind of brawn. if too fat, a few bits of lean pork may be prepared in the same way, and added to it. add salt and vinegar, and boil these with some of the liquor for a pickle to keep it. hog's lard. this should be carefully melted in a jar placed in a kettle of water, and boiled with a sprig of rosemary. after it has been prepared, run it into bladders that have been extremely well cleaned. the smaller they are, the better the lard will keep: if the air reaches it, it becomes rank. lard being a most useful article for frying fish, it should be prepared with care. mixed with butter, it makes fine crust. hollow biscuits. mix a pound and a quarter of butter with three pounds and a half of flour, adding a pint of warm water. cut out the paste with a wine glass, or a small tin, and set them in a brisk oven, after the white bread is drawn. hones. for joining them together, or cementing them to their frames, melt a little common glue without water, with half its weight of rosin, and a small quantity of red ochre. honey. the honey produced by young bees, and which flows spontaneously, is purer than that expressed from the comb; and hence it is called virgin honey. the best sort is of a thick consistence, and of a whitish colour, inclining to yellow: it possesses an agreeable smell, and a pleasant taste. when the combs are removed from the hive, they are taken by the hand into a sieve, and left to drain into a vessel sufficiently wide for the purpose. after it has stood a proper time to settle, the pure honey is poured into earthen jars, tied down close to exclude the air. honey vinegar. when honey is extracted from the combs, by means of pressure, take the whole mass, break and separate it, and into each tub or vessel put one part of combs, and two of water. set them in the sun, or in a warm place, and cover them with cloths. fermentation takes place in a few days, and continues from eight to twelve days, according to the temperature of the situation in which the operation is carried on. during the fermentation, stir the matter from time to time, and press it down with the hand, that it may be perfectly soaked. when the fermentation is over, put the matter to drain on sieves or strainers. at the bottom of the vessels will be found a yellow liquor, which must be thrown away, because it would soon contract a disagreeable smell, which it would communicate to the vinegar. then wash the tubs, put into them the water separated from the other matter, and it will immediately begin to turn sour. the tubs must then be covered again with cloths, and kept moderately warm. a pellicle or skin is formed on the surface, beneath which the vinegar acquires strength. in a month's time it begins to be sharp, but must be suffered to stand a little longer, and then put into a cask, of which the bunghole is to be left open. it may then be used like any other vinegar. all kinds of vinegar may be strengthened by suffering it to be repeatedly frozen, and then separating the upper cake of ice or water from it. hooping cough. this disorder generally attacks children, to whom it often proves fatal for want of proper management. those who breathe an impure air, live upon poor sustenance, drink much warm tea, and do not take sufficient exercise, are most subject to this convulsive cough. in the beginning of the disorder, the child should be removed to a change of air, and the juice of onions or horseradish applied to the soles of the feet. the diet light and nourishing, and taken in small quantities; the drink must be lukewarm, consisting chiefly of toast and water, mixed with a little white wine. if the cough be attended with feverish symptoms, a gentle emetic must be taken, of camomile flowers, and afterwards the following liniment applied to the pit of the stomach. dissolve one scruple of tartar emetic in two ounces of spring water, and add half an ounce of the tincture of cantharides: rub a tea-spoonful of it every hour on the lower region of the stomach with a warm piece of flannel, and let the wetted part be kept warm with flannel. this will be found to be the best remedy for the hooping cough. hops. the quality of this article is generally determined by the price; yet hops may be strong, and not good. they should be bright, of a pleasant flavour, and have no foreign leaves or bits of branches among them. the hop is the husk or seed pod of the hop vine, as the cone is that of the fir tree; and the seeds themselves are deposited, like those of the fir, round a little soft stalk, enveloped by the several folds of this pod or cone. if in the gathering, leaves or tendrils of the vine are mixed with the hops, they may help to increase the weight, but will give a bad taste to the beer; and if they abound, they will spoil it. great attention therefore must be paid to see that they are free from any foreign mixture. there are also numerous sorts of hops, varying in size, in form, and quality. those that are best for brewing are generally known by the absence of a brown colour, which indicates perished hops; a colour between green and yellow, a great quantity of the yellow farina, seeds not too large or hard, a clamminess when rubbed between the fingers, and a lively pleasant smell, are the general indications of good hops. at almost any age they retain the power of preserving beer, but not of imparting a pleasant flavour; and therefore new hops are to be preferred. supposing them to be of a good quality, a pound of hops may be allowed to a bushel of malt, when the beer is strong, or brewed in warm weather; but under other circumstances, half the quantity will be sufficient. hop-top soup. take a quantity of hop-tops when they are in the greatest perfection, tie them in small bunches, soak them in water, and put them to some thin peas-soup. boil them up, add three spoonfuls of onion juice, with salt and pepper. when done enough, serve them up in a tureen, with sippets of toasted bread at the bottom. horseradish powder. in november or december, slice some horseradish the thickness of a shilling, and lay it to dry very gradually in a dutch oven, for a strong heat would very soon evaporate its flavour. when quite dry, pound it fine, and bottle it. horseradish vinegar. pour a quart of the best vinegar on three ounces of scraped horseradish, an ounce of minced shalot, and a dram of cayenne. let it stand a week, and it will give an excellent relish to cold beef, or other articles. a little black pepper and mustard, celery or cress seed, may be added to the above. house drains. the smell of house drains is oftentimes exceedingly offensive, but may be completely prevented by pouring down them a mixture of lime water, and the ley of wood ashes, or suds that have been used in washing. an article known by the name of a sink trap may be had at the ironmongers, which is a cheap and simple apparatus, for carrying off the waste water and other offensive matter from sinks and drains. but as the diffusion of any collection of filth tends to produce disease and mortality, it should not be suffered to settle and stagnate near our dwellings, and every possible care should be taken to render them sweet and wholesome. house tax. as the present system of taxation involves so important a part of the annual expenditure, and is in many instances attended with so much vexation and trouble, it concerns every housekeeper to be acquainted with the extent of his own liability, and of course to regulate his conveniences accordingly. it appears then, that every inhabited dwellinghouse, containing not more than six windows or lights, is subject to the yearly sum of six shillings and six-pence, if under the value of five pounds a year. but every dwellinghouse worth five pounds and under twenty pounds rent by the year, pays the yearly sum of one shilling and six-pence in the pound; every house worth twenty pounds and under forty pounds a year, two shillings and three-pence in the pound; and for every house worth forty pounds and upwards, the yearly sum of two shillings and ten-pence in the pound. these rents however are to be taken from the rates in which they are charged, and not from the rents which are actually paid. household bread. four ounces of salt are dissolved in three quarts of water, and mixed with a pint of yeast. this mixture is poured into a cavity made in a peck of second flour, placed in a large pan or trough. when properly kneaded and fermented, it is divided into pieces of a certain weight, and baked. sometimes, in farm houses, a portion of rice flour, boiled potatoes, or rye meal, is mixed with the flour, previous to kneading the dough. the rye and rice serve to bind the bread, but the potatoes render it light and spongy.--or, for a larger quantity, put a bushel of flour into a trough, two thirds wheat and one of rye. mix a quart of yeast with nine quarts of warm water, and work it into the flour till it becomes tough. leave it to rise about an hour; and as soon as it rises, add a pound of salt, and as much warm water as before. work it well, and cover it with flannel. make the loaves a quarter of an hour before the oven is ready; and if they weigh five pounds each, they will require to be baked two hours and a half. hung beef. make a strong brine with bay salt, common salt, and saltpetre, and put in ribs of beef for nine days. then dry it, or smoke it in a chimney. or rub the meat with salt and saltpetre, and repeat it for a fortnight, and dry it in wood smoke. hungary water. to one pint of highly rectified spirits of wine, put an ounce of the oil of rosemary, and two drams of the essence of ambergris. shake the bottle well several times, and let the cork remain out twenty-four hours. shake it daily for a whole month, and then put the water into small bottles for use. hunter's beef. to a round of beef that weighs twenty-five pounds, allow three ounces of saltpetre, three ounces of the coarsest sugar, an ounce of cloves, half an ounce of allspice, a nutmeg, and three handfuls of common salt, all in the finest powder. the beef should hang two or three days; then rub the above mixture well into it, and turn and rub it every day for two or three weeks. the bone must be taken out first. when to be dressed, dip it into cold water, to take off the loose spice; bind it up tight with tape, and put it into a pan with a tea-cupful of water at the bottom. cover the top of the meat with shred suet, and the pan with a brown crust and paper, and bake it five or six hours. when cold, take off the paste and tape. the gravy is very fine, and a little of it is a great improvement to any kind of hash or soup. both the gravy and the meat will keep some time. the meat should be cut with a very sharp knife, and quite smooth, to prevent waste. hunter's pudding. mix together a pound of suet, a pound of flour, a pound of currants, and a pound of raisins stoned and cut. add the rind of half a lemon finely shred, six peppercorns in fine powder, four eggs, a glass of brandy, a little salt, and as much milk as will make it of a proper consistence. boil it in a floured cloth, or a melon mould, eight or nine hours. a spoonful of peach water may sometimes be added to change the flavour. this pudding will keep six months after it is boiled, if tied up in the same cloth when cold, and hung up, folded in writing paper to preserve it from the dust. when to be eaten, it must be boiled a full hour, and served with sweet sauce. hysterics. the sudden effusion of water on the face and hands, while the fit is on, and especially immersing the feet in cold water, will afford relief. fetid smells are also proper; such as the burning of feathers, leather, or the smoke of sulphur, and the application of strong volatile alkali, or other pungent matters to the nostrils. to effect a radical cure, the cold bath, mineral waters, and other tonics are necessary. in germany however, they cure hysteric affections by eating carraway seeds finely powdered, with a little ginger and salt, spread on bread and butter every morning. i. ice for iceing. to prepare artificial ice for articles of confectionary, procure a few pounds of real ice, reduce it nearly to powder, and throw a large handful or more of salt amongst it. this should be done in as cool a place as possible. the ice and salt being put into a pail, pour some cream into an ice pot, and cover it down. then immerse it in the ice, and draw that round the pot, so as to enclose every part of it. in a few minutes stir it well with a spoon or spatula, removing to the centre those parts which have iced round the edges. if the ice cream or water be in a a form, shut the bottom close, and move the whole in the ice, as a spoon cannot be used for that purpose without danger of waste. there should be holes in the pail, to let off the ice as it thaws. when any fluid tends towards cold, moving it quickly will encrease that tendency; and likewise, when any fluid is tending to heat, stirring it will facilitate its boiling. ice creams. mix the juice of the fruits with as much sugar as will be wanted, before the cream is added, and let the cream be of a middling richness. ice waters. rub some fine sugar on lemon or orange, to give the colour and flavour; then squeeze the juice of either on its respective peel. add water and sugar to make a fine sherbet, and strain it before it be put into the ice-pot. if orange, the greater proportion should be of the china juice, and only a little of seville, and a small bit of the peel grated by the sugar. the juice of currants or raspberries, or any other sort of fruit, being squeezed out, sweetened, and mixed with water, may be prepared for iceing in the same way. iceing for cakes. beat and sift half a pound of fine sugar, put it into a mortar with four spoonfuls of rose water, and the whites of two eggs beaten and strained. whisk it well, and when the cake is almost cold, dip a feather in the iceing, and cover the cake well. set it in the oven to harden, but suffer it not to remain to be discoloured, and then keep it in a dry place.--for a very large cake, beat up the whites of twenty fresh eggs, and reduce to powder a pound of double refined sugar, sifted through a lawn sieve. mix these well in a deep earthen pan, add orange flower water, barely sufficient to give it a flavour, and a piece of fresh lemon peel. whisk it for three hours till the mixture is thick and white, then with a thin broad piece of board spread it all over the top and sides, and set it in a cool oven, and an hour will harden it. iceing for tarts. beat well together the yolk of an egg and some melted butter, smear the tarts with a feather, and sift sugar over them as they are put into the oven. or beat up the white of an egg, wash the paste with it, and sift over some white sugar. iliac passion. this dangerous malady, in which the motion of the bowels is totally impeded or inverted, arises from spasms, violent exertions of the body, eating of unripe fruit, drinking of sour liquors, worms, obstinate costiveness, and various other causes, which produce the most excruciating pain in the region of the abdomen. large blisters applied to the most painful part, emollient clysters, fomentations, and the warm bath, are amongst the most likely means; but in many instances, this disorder is not to be controuled by medicine. no remedy however can be applied with greater safety or advantage, than frequent doses of castor oil: and if this fail, quicksilver in a natural state is the only medicine on which any reliance can be placed. imperial. put into a stone jar two ounces of cream of tartar, and the juice and paring of two lemons. pour on them seven quarts of boiling water, stir it well, and cover it close. when cold, sweeten it with loaf sugar; strain, bottle, and cork it tight. this makes a very pleasant and wholesome liquor; but if drunk too freely, it becomes injurious. in bottling it off, add half a pint of rum to the whole quantity. imperial cream. boil a quart of cream with the thin rind of a lemon, and stir it till nearly cold. have ready in a dish or bowl, in which it is to be served, the juice of three lemons strained, mixed with as much sugar as will sweeten the cream. pour this into the dish from a large tea-pot, holding it high, and moving it about to mix with the juice. it should be made at least six hours before it is used; and if the day before, it would be still better. imperial water. put into an earthen pan, four ounces of sugar, and the rind of three lemons. boil an ounce of cream of tartar in three quarts of water, and pour it on the sugar and lemon. let it stand all night, clear it through a bag, and bottle it. incense. compound in a marble mortar, a large quantity of lignum rhodium, and anise, with a little powder of dried orange peel, and gum benzoin. add some gum dragon dissolved in rose water, and a little civet. beat the whole together, form the mixture into small cakes, and place them on paper to dry. one of these cakes being burnt, will diffuse an agreeable odour throughout the largest apartment. indelible ink. gum arabic dissolved in water, and well mixed with fine ivory black, will make writing indelible. if the writing be afterwards varnished over with the white of an egg clarified, it will preserve it to any length of time. indian pickle. lay a pound of white ginger in water one night; then scrape, slice, and lay it in salt in a pan, till the other ingredients are prepared. peel and slice a pound of garlic, lay it in salt three days, and afterwards dry it in the sun. salt and dry some long pepper in the same way: then prepare various sorts of vegetables in the following manner. quarter some small white cabbages, salt them three days, then squeeze and lay them in the sun to dry. cut some cauliflowers into branches, take off the green part of radishes, cut celery into lengths of about three inches, put in young french beans whole, and the shoots of elder, which will look like bamboo. choose apples and cucumbers of a sort the least seedy, quarter them, or cut them in slices. all must be salted, drained, and dried in the sun, except the latter, over which some boiling vinegar must be poured. in twelve hours drain them, but use no salt. put the spice into a large stone jar, adding the garlic, a quarter of a pound of mustard seed, an ounce of turmeric, and vinegar sufficient for the quantity of pickle. when the vegetables are dried and ready, the following directions must be observed. put some of them into a half-gallon stone jar, and pour over them a quart of boiling vinegar. next day take out those vegetables; and when drained, put them into a large stock jar. boil the vinegar, pour it over some more of the vegetables, let them lie all night, and complete the operation as before. thus proceed till each set is cleansed from the dust they may have contracted. then to every gallon of vinegar, put two ounces of flour of mustard, gradually mixing in a little of it boiling hot, and stop the jar tight. the whole of the vinegar should be previously scalded, and set to cool before it is put to the spice. this pickle will not be ready for a year, but a small quantity may be got ready for eating in a fortnight, by only giving the cauliflower one scald in water, after salting and drying as above, but without the preparative vinegar: then pour the vinegar, which has the spice and garlic, boiling hot over it. if at any time it be found that the vegetables have not swelled properly, boiling the pickle, and pouring it hot over them, will make them plump.--another way. cut the heads of some good cauliflowers into pieces, and add some slices of the inside of the stalk. put to them a white cabbage cut in pieces, with inside slices of carrot, turnips, and onions. boil a strong brine of salt and water, simmer the vegetables in it one minute, drain them, and dry them on tins over an oven till they are shriveled up; then put them into a jar, and prepare the following pickle. to two quarts of good vinegar, put an ounce of the flour of mustard, one of ginger, one of long pepper, four of cloves, a few shalots, and a little horseradish. boil the vinegar, put the vegetables into a jar, and pour it hot over them. when cold, tie them down, and add more vinegar afterwards, if necessary. in the course of a week or two, the pickle will be fit for use. indigestion. persons of weak delicate habits, particularly the sedentary and studious, are frequently subject to indigestion. the liberal use of cold water alone, in drinking, washing, and bathing, is often sufficient to effect a cure. drinking of sea water, gentle purgatives, with bark and bitters, light and nourishing food, early rising, and gentle exercise in the open air, are also of great importance. infection. during the prevalence of any infectious disease, every thing requires to be kept perfectly clean, and the sick room to be freely ventilated. the door or window should generally be open, the bed curtains only drawn to shade the light, clothes frequently changed and washed in cold water, all discharges from the patient instantly removed, and the floor near the bed rubbed every day with a wet cloth. take also a hot brick, lay it in an earthen pan, and pour pickle vinegar upon it. this will refresh the patient, as well as purify the surrounding atmosphere. those who are obliged to attend the patients, should not approach them fasting, nor inhale their breath; and while in their apartment, should avoid eating and drinking, and swallowing their own saliva. it will also be of considerable service to smell vinegar and camphor, to fumigate the room with tobacco, and to chew myrrh and cinnamon, which promote a plentiful discharge from the mouth. as soon as a person has returned from visiting an infected patient, he ought immediately to wash his mouth and hands with vinegar, to change his clothes, and expose them to the fresh air; and to drink an infusion of sage, or other aromatic herbs. after the disorder has subsided, the walls of the room should be washed with hot lime, which will render it perfectly sweet. inflammations. in external inflammations, attended with heat and swelling of the part affected, cooling applications and a little opening medicine are the best adapted; and in some cases, cataplasms of warm emollient herbs may be used with advantage. inflammation of the eyes. in this case leeches should be applied to the temples; and after the bleeding has ceased, a small blister may be tried, with a little opening medicine. much benefit has been derived from shaving the head, cutting the hair, and bathing the feet in warm water. if the inflammation has arisen from particles of iron or steel falling into the eyes, the offending matter is best extracted by the application of the loadstone. if eyes are blood-shotten, the necessary rules are, an exclusion from light, cold fomentations, and abstinence from animal food and stimulating liquors. for a bruise in the eye, occasioned by any accident, the best remedy is a rotten apple, and some conserve of roses. fold them in a piece of thin cambric, apply it to the part affected, and it will take out the bruise. inflammation of the bowels. this is a complaint that requires great care. if the belly be swelled, and painful to the touch, apply flannels to it, dipped in hot water and wrung out, or use a warm bath. a blister should be employed as soon as possible, and mild emollient injections of gruel or barley water, till stools be obtained. the patient should be placed between blankets, and supplied with light gruel; and when the violence of the disorder is somewhat abated, the pain may be removed by opiate clysters. a common bread and milk poultice, applied as warm as possible to the part affected, has also been attended with great success: but as this disorder is very dangerous, it would be proper to call in medical assistance without delay. ink. to make an excellent writing ink, take a pound of the best aleppo galls, half a pound of copperas, a quarter of a pound of gum arabic, and a quarter of a pound of white sugar candy. bruise the galls and beat the other ingredients fine, and infuse them together in three quarts of rain water. let the mixture stand by the fire three or four days, and then boil it gently over a slow fire; or if infused in cold water, and afterwards well strained, it will nearly answer the same purpose. care must be taken to obtain good materials, and to mix them in due proportion. to preserve the ink from mouldiness, it should be put into a large glass bottle with a ground stopper, and frequently shaked; but if a crust be formed, it should be carefully taken out, and not mixed with the ink. a little more gum and sugar candy may be added, to render the ink more black and glossy; but too much will make it sticky, and unfit for use.--another method is to bruise a pound of good galls, black and heavy, and put them into a stone jar. then pour on a gallon of rain water, nearly of a boiling heat, and let it stand by the fire about a fortnight. afterwards add four ounces of green copperas or sulphate of iron, four ounces of logwood shavings, one ounce of alum, one of sugar candy, and four of gum arabic. let the whole remain about two days longer in a moderate heat, stir the ingredients together once or twice a day, and keep the jar slightly covered. the ink is then to be strained through a flannel, put into a bottle with a little brandy at the top, well corked, and set by for use in a temperate place. a few cloves bruised with gum arabic, and put into the bottle, will prevent the ink from getting mouldy; and if some of superior quality be required, white wine or vinegar must be used instead of water. ink powder. for the convenience of travellers by sea or by land, ink powders have been invented, which consist of nothing else than the substances employed in the composition of common ink, pounded and pulverized, so that it be instantaneously converted into ink by mixing it up with a little water. walkden's ink powder is by far the best. ink stains. the stains of ink, on cloth, paper, or wood, may be removed by almost all acids; but those acids are to be preferred, which are least likely to injure the texture of the stained substance. the muriatic acid, diluted with five or six times its weight of water, may be applied to the spot; and after a minute or two, may be washed off, repeating the application as often as it is found necessary. but the vegetable acids are attended with less risk, and are equally effectual. a solution of lemon or tartareous acid, in water, may be applied to the most delicate fabrics, without any danger of injuring them: and the same solution will discharge writing, but not printing ink. hence they may be employed in cleaning books which have been defaced by writing on the margin, without impairing the text. lemon juice and the juice of sorrel will also remove ink stains, but not so easily as the concrete acid of lemons, or citric acid. on some occasions it will be found sufficient, only to dip the spotted part in the fine melted tallow of a mould candle, and afterwards wash it in the usual way. insects. the most effectual remedy against the whole tribe of insects, which prey upon plants and vegetables, is the frequent use of sulphur, which should be dusted upon the leaves through a muslin rag or dredging box, or fumed on a chaffing dish of burning charcoal. this application will also improve the healthiness of plants, as well as destroy their numerous enemies. another way is to boil together an equal quantity of rue, wormwood, and tobacco, in common water, so as to make the liquor strong, and then to sprinkle it on the leaves every morning and evening. by pouring boiling water on some tobacco and the tender shoots of elder, a strong decoction may also be made for this purpose, and shed upon fruit trees with a brush: the quantity, about an ounce of tobacco and two handfuls of elder to a gallon of water. elder water sprinkled on honeysuckles and roses, will prevent insects from lodging on them. if a quantity of wool happen to be infected with insects, it may be cleansed in the following manner. dissolve a pound of alum, and as much cream of tartar, in a quart of boiling water, and add two full gallons of cold water to it. the wool is then to be soaked in it for several days, and afterwards to be washed and dried. inside of a sirloin. cut out all the meat and a little fat, of the inside of a cold sirloin of beef, and divide it into pieces of a finger's size and length. dredge the meat with flour, and fry it in butter, of a nice brown. drain the butter from the meat, and toss it up in a rich gravy, seasoned with pepper, salt, anchovy, and shalot. it must not be suffered to boil; and before serving, add two spoonfuls of vinegar. garnish with crimped parsley. invisible ink. boil half an ounce of gold litharge well pounded, with a little vinegar in a brass vessel for half an hour. filter the liquid through paper, and preserve it in a bottle closely corked. this ink is to be used with a clean pen, and the writing when dry will become invisible. but if at any time it be washed over with the following mixture, it will instantly become black and legible. put some quicklime and red orpiment in water, place some warm ashes under it for a whole day, filter the liquor, and cork it down. whenever applied in the slightest degree, it will render the writing visible. irish beef. to twenty pounds of beef, put one ounce of allspice, a quarter of an ounce of mace, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and half an ounce each of pepper and saltpetre. mix all together, and add some common salt. put the meat into a salting pan, turn it every day, and rub it with the seasoning. after a month take out the bone, and boil the meat in the liquor it was pickled in, with a proper quantity of water. it may be stuffed with herbs, and eaten cold. irish pancakes. beat eight yolks and four whites of eggs, strain them into a pint of cream, sweeten with sugar, and add a grated nutmeg. stir three ounces of butter over the fire, and as it melts pour it to the cream, which should be warm when the eggs are put to it. mix it smooth with nearly half a pint of flour, and fry the pancakes very thin; the first with a bit of butter, but not the others. serve up several at a time, one upon another. irish stew. take five thick mutton chops, or two pounds off the neck or loin; four pounds of potatoes, peeled and divided; and half a pound of onions, peeled and sliced. put a layer of potatoes at the bottom of a stewpan, then a couple of chops, and some of the onions, and so on till the pan is quite full. add a small spoonful of white pepper, about one and a half of salt, and three quarters of a pint of broth or gravy. cover all close down, so as to prevent the escape of steam, and let them stew two hours on a very slow fire. it must not be suffered to burn, nor be done too fast: a small slice of ham will be an agreeable addition. iron moulds. wet the injured part, rub on a little of the essential salt of lemons, and lay it on a hot waterplate. if the linen becomes dry, wet it and renew the process, observing that the plate is kept boiling hot. much of the powder sold under the name of salt of lemons is a spurious preparation, and therefore it is necessary to dip the linen in a good deal of water, and to wash it as soon as the stain is removed, in order to prevent the part from being worn into holes by the acid. iron pots. to cure cracks or fissures in iron pots or pans, mix some finely sifted lime with whites of eggs well beaten, till reduced to a paste. add some iron file dust, and apply the composition to the injured part, and it will soon become hard and fit for use. iron and steel. various kinds of polished articles, in iron and steel, are in danger of being rusted and spoiled, by an exposure to air and moisture. a mixture of nearly equal quantities of fat, oil varnish, and the rectified spirits of turpentine, applied with a sponge, will give a varnish to those articles, which prevents their contracting any spots of rust, and preserves their brilliancy, even though exposed to air and water. common articles of steel or iron may be preserved from injury by a composition of one pound of fresh lard, an ounce of camphor, two drams of black lead powder, and two drams of dragon's blood in fine powder, melted over a slow fire, and rubbed on with a brush or sponge, after it has been left to cool. isinglass jelly. boil an ounce of isinglass in a quart of water, with a few cloves, lemon peel, or wine, till it is reduced to half the quantity. then strain it, and add a little sugar and lemon juice. issue ointment. for dressing blisters, in order to keep them open, make an ointment of half an ounce of spanish flies finely powdered, mixed with six ounces of yellow basilicon ointment. italian beef steaks. cut a fine large steak from a rump that has been well kept, or from any tender part. beat it, and season with pepper, salt, and onion. lay it in an iron stewpan that has a cover to fit it quite close, and set it by the side of the fire without water. it must have a strong heat, but care must be taken that it does not burn: in two or three hours it will be quite tender, and then serve with its own gravy. itch. rub the parts affected with the ointment of sulphur, and keep the body gently open by taking every day a small dose of sulphur and treacle. when the cure is effected, let the clothes be carefully fumigated with sulphur, or the contagion will again be communicated. the dry itch requires a vegetable diet, and the liberal use of anti-scorbutics: the parts affected may be rubbed with a strong decoction of tobacco. ivory. bones and ivory may be turned to almost any use, by being softened in the following manner. boil some sage in strong vinegar, strain the liquor through a piece of cloth, and put in the articles. in proportion to the time they are steeped in the liquor, ivory or bones will be capable of receiving any new impression. j. japan blacking. take three ounces of ivory black, two ounces of coarse sugar, one ounce of sulphuric acid, one ounce of muriatic acid, a lemon, a table-spoonful of sweet oil, and a pint of vinegar. first mix the ivory black and sweet oil together, then the lemon and sugar, with a little vinegar to qualify the blacking; then add both the acids, and mix them all well together. the sugar, oil, and vinegar prevent the acids from injuring the leather, and add to the lustre of the blacking.--a cheap method is to take two ounces of ivory black, an ounce and a half of brown sugar, and half a table-spoonful of sweet oil. mix them well, and then gradually add half a pint of small beer.--or take a quarter of a pound of ivory black, a quarter of a pound of moist sugar, a table-spoonful of flour, a piece of tallow about the size of a walnut, and a small piece of gum arabic. make a paste of the flour, and whilst hot, put in the tallow, then the sugar, and afterwards mix the whole well together in a quart of water. jarganel pears. these may be preserved in a fine state, in the following manner. pare them very thin, simmer in a thin syrup, and let them lie a day or two. make the syrup richer, and simmer them again. repeat this till they are clear; then drain, and dry them in the sun or a cool oven a very little time. they may also be kept in syrup, and dried as wanted, which makes them more moist and rich. jaundice. the diet of persons affected with the jaundice ought to be light and cooling, consisting chiefly of ripe fruits, and mild vegetables. many have been effectually cured, by living for several days on raw eggs. buttermilk whey sweetened with honey, or an infusion of marshmallow roots, ought to constitute the whole of the patient's drink. honey, anti-scorbutics, bitters, and blisters applied to the region of the liver, have all been found serviceable in the cure of the jaundice. jelly for cold fish. clean a maid, and put it into three quarts of water, with a calf's foot, or cow heel. add a stick of horseradish, an onion, three blades of mace, some white pepper, a piece of lemon peel, and a good slice of lean gammon. stew it to a jelly, and strain it off. when cold, remove every particle of fat, take it up from the sediment, and boil it with a glass of sherry, the whites of four or five eggs, and a piece of lemon. boil without stirring; after a few minutes set it by to stand half an hour, and strain it through a bag or sieve, with a cloth in it. cover the fish with it when cold. jerusalem artichokes. these must be taken up the moment they are boiled enough, or they will be too soft. they may be served plain, or with fricassee sauce. jugged hare. after cleaning and skinning an old hare, cut it up, and season it with pepper, salt, allspice, pounded mace, and a little nutmeg. put it into a jar with an onion, a clove or two, a bunch of sweet herbs, a piece of coarse beef, and the carcase bones over all. tie the jar down with a bladder and strong paper, and put it into a saucepan of water up to the neck, but no higher. keep the water boiling five hours. when it is to be served, boil up the gravy with flour and butter; and if the meat get cold, warm it up in the gravy, but do not boil it. jugged veal. cut some slices of veal, and put them into an earthen jug, with a blade of mace, a little pepper, salt, and nutmeg. add a sprig of sweet herbs, and a bit of lemon peel. cover the jug close, that the steam may not escape; set it in a pot of boiling water, and about three hours will do it. half an hour before it is done, put in a piece of butter rolled in flour, and a little lemon juice, or lemon pickle. turn it out of the jug into a dish, take out the herbs and lemon peel, and send it to table garnished with lemon. jumbles. powder and sift half a pound of fine lump sugar, and mix it with half a pound of dried flour. beat up two eggs in a table-spoonful of orange or rose water, shred the peel of half a lemon very fine, mix the whole together, and make it into a paste. cut the paste into fancy shapes, bake them slightly on tins, and take them out of the oven as soon as the edges begin to brown. k. ketchup. the liquor obtained from mushrooms, approaches the nearest to meat gravy, in flavour and quality, of any other vegetable juice, and is the best substitute for it, in any of those savoury dishes intended to please the palate. but in order to have it wholesome and good, it must be made at home, the mushrooms employed in preparing ketchup for sale being generally in a state of putrefaction; and in a few days after the mushrooms are gathered, they become the habitation of myriads of insects. in order to procure and preserve the flavour of the vegetable for any considerable time, the mushrooms should be sought from the beginning of september, and care taken to select only the right sort, and such as are fresh gathered. full grown flaps are the best for ketchup. place a layer of these at the bottom of a deep earthen pan, and sprinkle them with salt; then another layer of mushrooms, and some more salt on them, and so on alternately. let them remain two or three hours, by which time the salt will have penetrated the mushrooms, and rendered them easy to break. then pound them in a mortar, or mash them with the hand, and let them remain two days longer, stirring them up, and mashing them well each day. then pour them into a stone jar, and to each quart add an ounce of whole black pepper. stop the jar very close, set it in a stewpan of boiling water, and keep it boiling at least for two hours. take out the jar, pour the juice clear from the settlings through a hair sieve into a clean stewpan, and let it boil very gently for half an hour. if intended to be exquisitely fine, it may be boiled till reduced to half the quantity. it will keep much better in this concentrated state, and only half the quantity be required. skim it well in boiling, and pour it into a clean dry jar; cover it close, let it stand in a cool place till the next day, and then pour it off as gently as possible, so as not to disturb the settlings. if a table-spoonful of brandy be added to each pint of ketchup, after standing a while, a fresh sediment will be deposited, from which the liquor is quietly to be poured off, and bottled into half pints, as it is best preserved in small quantities, which are soon used. it must be closely corked and sealed down, or dipped in bottle cement, that the air may be entirely excluded. if kept in a cool dry place, it may be preserved for a long time; but if it be badly corked, and kept in a damp place, it will soon spoil. examine it from time to time, by placing a strong light behind the neck of the bottle; and if any pellicle appears about it, it must be boiled up again with a few peppercorns. no more spice is required than what is necessary to feed the ketchup, and keep it from fermenting. brandy is the best preservative to all preparations of this kind. keeping provisions. when articles of food are procured, the next thing to be considered is, how they may be best preserved, in order to their being dressed. more waste is oftentimes occasioned by the want of judgment or of necessary care in this particular, than by any other means; and what was procured with expense and difficulty is rendered unwholesome, or given to the dogs. very few houses have a proper place to keep provisions in; the best substitute is a hanging-safe, suspended in an airy situation. a well-ventilated larder, dry and shady, would be better for meat and poultry, which require to be kept a proper time to be ripe and tender. the most consummate skill in culinary matters, will not compensate the want of attention to this particular. though animal food should be hung up in the open air, till its fibres have lost some degree of their toughness; yet if kept till it loses its natural sweetness, it is as detrimental to health as it is disagreeable to the taste and smell. as soon therefore as you can detect the slightest trace of putrescence, it has reached its highest degree of tenderness, and should be dressed immediately. much of course will depend on the state of the atmosphere: if it be warm and humid, care must be taken to dry the meat with a cloth, night and morning, to keep it from damp and mustiness. during the sultry months of summer, it is difficult to procure meat that is not either tough or tainted. it should therefore be well examined when it comes in; and if flies have touched it, the part must be cut off, and then well washed. meat that is to be salted should lie an hour in cold water, rubbing well any part likely to have been fly-blown. when taken out of the water, wipe it quite dry, then rub it thoroughly with salt, and throw a handful over it besides. turn it every day, and rub in the pickle, which will make it ready for the table in three or four days. if to be very much corned, wrap it in a well-floured cloth, after rubbing it with salt. this last method will corn fresh beef fit for the table the day it comes in, but it must be put into the pot when the water boils. if the weather permit, meat eats much better for hanging two or three days before it is salted. in very cold weather, meat and vegetables touched by the frost should be brought into the kitchen early in the morning, and soaked in cold water. putting them into hot water, or near the fire, till thawed, makes it impossible for any heat to dress them properly afterwards. in loins of meat, the long pipe that runs by the bone should be taken out, as it is apt to taint; as also the kernels of beef. rumps and edgebones of beef when bruised, should not be purchased. to preserve venison, wash it well with milk and water, then dry it with clean cloths till not the least damp remains, and dust it all over with pounded ginger, which will protect it against the fly. by thus managing and watching, it will hang a fortnight. when to be used, wash it with a little lukewarm water, and dry it. pepper is likewise good to keep it. kidney pudding. split and soak the kidney, and season it. make a paste of suet, flour, and milk; roll it, and line a bason with some of it. put in the kidney, cover the paste over, and pinch it round the edge. tie up the bason in a cloth, and boil it a considerable time. a steak pudding is made in the same way. kitchen economy. many articles thrown away, or suffered to be wasted in the kitchen, might by proper management be turned to a good account. the shank bones of mutton, so little esteemed in general, would be found to give richness to soups or gravies, if well soaked and brushed, before they are added to the boiling. they are also particularly nourishing for sick persons. roast beef-bones, or shank bones of ham, make fine peas-soup; and should be boiled with the peas the day before the soup is to be eaten, that the fat may be taken off. the liquor in which meat has been boiled makes an excellent soup for the poor, by adding to it vegetables, oatmeal, or peas. when whites of eggs are used for jelly, or other purposes, a pudding or a custard should be made to employ the yolks. if not immediately wanted, they should be beat up with a little water, and put in a cool place, or they will soon harden, and become useless. it is a great mistake to imagine that the whites of eggs make cakes and puddings heavy: on the contrary, if beaten long and separately, they contribute greatly to give lightness. they are also an advantage to paste, and make a pretty dish beaten with fruit, to set in cream. all things likely to be wanted should be in readiness; sugars of different sorts, currants washed, picked, and perfectly dry; spices pounded, and kept in very small bottles closely corked, but not more than are likely to be used in the course of a month. much waste may be prevented by keeping every article in the place best suited to it. vegetables will keep best on a stone floor, if the air be excluded. meat in a cold dry place. salt, sugar, and sweetmeats require to be kept dry; candles cold, but not damp. dried meats and hams the same. rice, and all sorts of seeds for puddings and saloops, should be close covered to preserve from insects; but that will not prevent it, if long kept. kitchen garden. here a little attention will be requisite every month in the year, as no garden can be long neglected, without producing weeds which exhaust the soil, as well as give a very slovenly appearance.--january. throw up a heap of new dung to heat, that it may be ready to make hotbeds for early cucumbers, and raising of annuals for the flower garden. dig up the ground that is to be sown with the spring crops, that it may lie and mellow. nurse the cauliflower plants kept under glasses, carefully shut out the frost, but in the middle of milder days let in a little air. pick up the dead leaves, and gather up the mould about the stalks. make a slight hotbed in the open ground for young sallads, and place hoops over it, that it may be covered in very cold weather. sow a few beans and peas, and seek and destroy snails and other vermin.--february. dig and level beds for sowing radishes, onions, carrots, parsnips, and dutch lettuce. leeks and spinage should also be sown in this month, likewise beets, celery, sorrel, and marigolds, with any other of the hardy kinds. the best way with beans and peas, is to sow a new crop every fortnight, that if one succeeds and another fails, as will often be the case, there still may be a constant supply of these useful articles for the table. plant kidney beans upon a hotbed for an early crop; the dwarf, the white and battersea beans, are the best sorts. they must have air in the middle of mild days when they are up, and once in two days they should be gently watered. transplant cabbages, plant out silesia and cos lettuce from the beds where they grew in winter, and plant potatoes and jerusalem artichokes.--march. sow more carrots, and also some large peas, rouncevals and gray. in better ground sow cabbages, savoys, and parsnips for a second crop; and towards the end of the month, put in a larger quantity of peas and beans. sow parsley, and plant mint. sow cos and imperial lettuce, and transplant the finer kinds. in the beginning of the month, sow dutch parsley for the roots. the last week take advantage of the time, or the dry days, to make beds for asparagus. clear up the artichoke roots, slip off the weakest, and plant them out for a new crop, leaving four on each good root to bear, and on such as are weaker two. dig up a warm border, and sow some french beans; let them have a dry soil, and give them no water till they appear above ground.--april. on a dry warm border, plant a large crop of french beans. plant cuttings of sage, and other aromatics. sow marrowfat peas, and plant some beans for a late crop. sow thyme, sweet marjoram, and savoury. sow young sallads once in ten days, and some cos and silesia lettuces. the seeds of all kinds being now in the ground, look to the growing crops, clear away the weeds every where among them, dig up the earth between the rows of beans, peas, and all other kinds that are distantly planted. this gives them a strong growth, and brings them much sooner to perfection than can be done in any other way. draw up the mould to the stalks of the cabbage and cauliflower plants, and in cold nights cover the glasses over the early cucumbers and melons.--may. once in two days water the peas, beans, and other large growing plants. destroy the weeds in all parts of the ground, dig up the earth between the rows, and about the stems of all large kinds. sow small sallads once in two days, as in the former month: at the same time choose a warm border, and sow some purslain. sow also some endive, plant peas and beans for a large crop, and french beans to succeed the others. the principal object with these kinds of vegetables, is to have them fresh and young throughout the season. choose a moist day, and an hour before sunset plant out some savoys, cabbages, and red cabbages. draw the earth carefully up to their stems, and give them a few gentle waterings.--june. transplant the cauliflowers sown in may, give them a rich bed, and frequent waterings. plant out thyme, and other savoury herbs sown before, and in the same manner shade and water them. take advantage of cloudy weather to sow turnips; and if there be no showers, water the ground once in two days. sow brocoli upon a rich warm border, and plant out celery, for blanching. this must be planted in trenches a foot and a half deep, and the plants must be set half a foot asunder in the rows. endive should also be planted out for blanching, but the plants should be set fifteen inches asunder, and at the same time some endive seed should be sown for a second crop. pick up snails, and in the damp evenings kill the naked slugs.--july. sow a crop of french beans to come in late, when they will be very acceptable. clear all the ground from weeds, dig between the rows of beans and peas, hoe the ground about the artichokes, and every thing of the cabbage kind. water the crops in dry weather, and the cucumbers more freely. watch the melons as they ripen, but give them very little water. clear away the stalks of beans and peas that have done bearing. spinach seed will now be ready for gathering, as also that of the welch onion, and some others: take them carefully off, and dry them in the shade. take up large onions, and spread them upon mats to dry for the winter.--august. spinach and onions should be sowed on rich borders, prepared for that purpose. these two crops will live through the winter, unless very severe, and be valuable in the spring. the second week in this month sow cabbage seed of the early kind, and in the third week sow cauliflower seed. this will provide plants to be nursed up under bell glasses in the winter. some of these may also be planted in the open ground in a well defended situation. the last week of this month sow another crop, to supply the place of these in case of accidents; for if the season be very severe, they may be lost; and if very mild, they will run to seed in the spring. these last crops must be defended by a hotbed frame, and they will stand out and supply deficiencies. sow cabbage lettuces, and the brown dutch kinds, in a warm and well sheltered border. take up garlic, and spread it on a mat to harden. in the same manner take up onions and rocambole, and shalots at the latter end of the month.--september. sow various kinds of lettuces, silesia, cos, and dutch, and when they come up, shelter them carefully. the common practice is to keep them under hand-glasses, but they will thrive better under a reed fence, placed sloping over them. make up fresh warm beds with the dung that has lain a month in the heap. plant the spawn in these beds, upon pasture mould, and raise the top of the bed to a ridge, to throw off the wet. look to the turnip beds and thin them, leaving the plants six inches apart from each other. weed the spinach, onions, and other new-sown plants. earth up the celery, and sow young sallads upon warm and well-sheltered borders. clean asparagus beds, cut down the stalks, pare off the earth from the surface of the alleys, throw it upon the beds half an inch thick, and sprinkle over it a little dung from an old melon bed. dig up the ground where summer crops have ripened, and lay it in ridges for the winter. the ridges should be disposed east and west, and turned once in two months, to give them the advantage of a fallow. sow some beans and peas on warm and well-sheltered borders, to stand out the winter.--october. set out cauliflower plants, where they can be sheltered; and if glasses are used, put two under each, for fear of one failing. sow another crop of peas, and plant more beans; choose a dry spot for them, where they can be sheltered from the winter's cold. transplant the lettuces sown last month, where they can be defended by a reed fence, or under a wall. transplant cabbage plants and coleworts, where they are to remain. take great care of the cauliflower plants sown early in summer; and as they now begin to show their heads, break in the leaves upon them to keep off the sun and rain; it will both harden and whiten them.--november. weed the crops of spinach, and others that were sown late, or the wild growth will smother and starve the crop. dig up a border under a warm wall, and sow some carrots for spring; sow radishes in a similar situation, and let the ground be dug deep for both. turn the mould that was trenched and laid up for fallowing; this will destroy the weeds, and enrich the soil by exposing it to the air. prepare some hotbeds for salading, cover them five inches with mould, and sow them with lettuces, mustard, rape, cresses, and radish. plant another crop of beans, and sow more peas for a succession. trench the ground between the artichokes, and throw a thick ridge of earth over the roots: this will preserve them from the frost, and prevent their shooting at an improper time. make a hotbed for asparagus. take up carrots and parsnips, and put them in sand to be ready for use. give air occasionally to the plants under hand-glasses and on hotbeds, or they will suffer as much for want of it, as they would have done by an exposure to the cold.--december. plant cabbages and savoys for seed: this requires to be done carefully. dig up a dry border, and break the mould well; then take up some of the stoutest cabbage and savoy plants, hang them up by the stalks four or five days, and afterwards plant them half way up the stalks into the ground. draw up a good quantity of mould about the stalk that is above ground, make it into a kind of hill round each, and leave them to nature. sow another crop of peas, and plant some more beans, to take their chance for succeeding the other. make another hotbed for asparagus, to yield a supply when the former is exhausted. continue to earth up celery, and cover some endive with a good quantity of peas straw, as it is growing, that it may be taken up when wanted, and be preserved from the winter's frost. kitchen pepper. mix in the finest powder, one ounce of ginger, half an ounce each of cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and jamaica pepper; ten cloves, and six ounces of salt. keep it in a bottle, and it will be found an agreeable addition to any brown sauces or soups. spice in powder, kept in small bottles close stopped, goes much farther than when used whole. it must be dried before it is pounded, and should be done in quantities that may be used in three or four months. nutmeg need not be done, but the others should be kept in separate bottles, with a label on each. kitchen utensils. continual attention must be paid to the condition of the boilers, saucepans, stewpans, and other kitchen requisites, which ought to be examined every time they are used. their covers also must be kept perfectly clean, and well tinned. stewpans in particular should be cleaned, not only on the inside, but about a couple of inches on the outside, or the broths and soups will look green and dirty, and taste bitter and poisonous. not only health but even life depends on the perfectly clean and wholesome state of culinary utensils. if the tinning of a pan happens to be scorched or blistered, it is best to send it directly to be repaired, to prevent any possible danger arising from the solution of the metal. stewpans and soup pots should be made with thick round bottoms, similar to those of copper saucepans; they will then wear twice as long, and may be cleaned with half the trouble. the covers should be made to fit as close as possible, that the broth or soup may not waste by evaporation. they are good for nothing, unless they fit tight enough to keep the steam in, and the smoke out. stewpans and saucepans should always be bright on the upper rim, where the fire does not burn them; but it is not necessary to scour them all over, which would wear out the vessels. soup pots and kettles should be washed immediately after being used, and carefully dried by the fire, before they are put by. they must also be kept in a dry place, or damp and rust will soon destroy them. copper utensils should never be used in the kitchen; or if they be, the utmost care should be taken not to let the tin be rubbed off, and to have them fresh done when the least defect appears. neither soup nor gravy should at any time be suffered to remain in them longer than is absolutely necessary for the purposes of cookery, as the fat and acid employed in the operation, are capable of dissolving the metal, and so of poisoning what is intended to be eaten. stone and earthen vessels should be provided for soups and gravies intended to be set by, as likewise plenty of common dishes, that the table-set may not be used for such purposes. vegetables soon turn sour, and corrode metals and glazed red ware, by which a strong poison is produced. vinegar, by its acidity, does the same, the glazing being of lead or arsenic. care should be taken of sieves, jelly bags, and tapes for collared articles, to have them well scalded and kept dry, or they will impart an unpleasant flavour when next used. stewpans especially, should never be used without first washing them out with boiling water, and rubbing them well with a dry cloth and a little bran, to clean them from grease and sand, or any bad smell they may have contracted since they were last used. in short, cleanliness is the cardinal virtue of the kitchen; and next to this, economy. knife board. common knife boards with brick dust, soon wear out the knives that are sharpened upon them. to avoid this, cover the board with thick buff leather, and spread over it a thin paste of crocus martis, with a little emery finely powdered, and mixed up with lard or sweet oil. this will give a superior edge and polish to the knives, and make them wear much longer than in the usual way of cleaning them. knuckle of veal. as few persons are fond of boiled veal, it may be well to cut the knuckle small, and take off some cutlets or collops before it is dressed; but as the knuckle will keep longer than the fillet, it is best not to cut off the slices till wanted. break the bones to make it take less room, wash the joint well, and put it into a saucepan with three onions, a blade or two of mace, and a few peppercorns. cover it with water, and simmer it till quite done. in the mean time some macaroni should be boiled with it if approved, or rice, or a little rice flour, to give it a small degree of thickness; but avoid putting in too much. before it is served, add half a pint of milk and cream, and let it go to table either with or without the meat.--a knuckle of veal may also be fried with sliced onion and butter, to a good brown. prepare some peas, lettuce, onion, and a cucumber or two, stewed in a small quantity of water for an hour. add these to the veal, and stew it till the meat is tender enough to eat, but not overdone. put in pepper, salt, and a little shred mint, and serve all together. l. lamb. in purchasing this meat, observe particularly the neck of a fore-quarter. if the vein is bluish, it is fresh: if it has a green or yellow cast, it is stale. in the hind-quarter, if there is a faint smell under the kidney, and the knuckle is limp, the meat is stale. if the eyes are sunk, the head is not fresh. grass lamb comes into season in april or may, and continues till august. house lamb may be had in large towns almost all the year, but it is in highest perfection in december and january. lamb chops. cut up a neck or loin, rub the chops with egg, and sprinkle them over with grated bread, mixed with a little parsley, thyme, marjoram, and lemon peel, chopped fine. fry them in butter till they are of a light brown, put them in a warm dish, garnished with crisped parsley. or make a gravy in the pan with a little water, and butter rolled in flour, and pour it over them. lamb cutlets. cut some steaks from the loin, and fry them. stew some spinach, put it into a dish, and lay the cutlets round it. lamb's fry. serve it fried of a beautiful colour, and with a good deal of dried or fried parsley over it. lamb's head. a house-lamb's head is the best; but any other may be made white by soaking it in cold water. boil the head separately till it is very tender. have ready the liver and lights three parts boiled and cut small: stew them in a little of the water in which they were boiled, season and thicken with flour and butter, and serve the mince round the head. lamb pie. make it of the loin, neck, or breast; the breast of house-lamb especially, is very delicate and fine. it should be lightly seasoned with pepper and salt, the bone taken out, but not the gristle. a small quantity of jelly gravy is to be put in hot, but the pie should not be cut till cold. put in two spoonfuls of water before baking. grass lamb makes an excellent pie, and should only be seasoned with pepper and salt. put in two spoonfuls of water before baking, and as much gravy when it comes from the oven. it may generally be remarked, that meat pies being fat, it is best to let out the gravy on one side, and put it in again by a funnel, at the centre, when a little may be added. lamb steaks. quarter some cucumbers, and lay them into a deep dish; sprinkle them with salt, and pour vinegar over them. fry the steaks of a fine brown, and put them into a stewpan; drain the cucumbers, and put them over the steaks. add some sliced onions, pepper and salt; pour hot water or weak broth on them, and stew and skim them well. lamb steaks brown. season some house-lamb steaks with pepper, salt, nutmeg, grated lemon peel, and chopped parsley: but dip them first into egg, and fry them quick. thicken some good gravy with a little flour and butter, and add to it a spoonful of port wine, and some oysters. boil up the liquor, put in the steaks warm, and serve them up hot. palates, balls, or eggs, may be added, if approved. lamb steaks white. steaks of house-lamb should be stewed in milk and water till very tender, with a bit of lemon peel, a little salt, mace, and pepper. have ready some veal gravy, and put the steaks into it; mix some mushroom powder, a cup of cream, and a dust of flour; shake the steaks in this liquor, stir it, and make it quite hot. just before taking up the steaks, put in a few white mushrooms. when poultry is very dear, this dish will be found a good substitute. lamb's sweetbreads. blanch them, and put them a little while into cold water. stew them with a ladleful of broth, some pepper and salt, a few small onions, and a blade of mace. stir in a bit of butter and flour, and stew them half an hour. prepare two or three eggs well beaten in cream, with a little minced parsley, and a dust of grated nutmeg. add a few tops of boiled asparagus, stir it well over the fire, but let it not boil after the cream is in, and take great care that it does not curdle. young french beans or peas may be added, but should first be boiled of a beautiful colour. lambstones fricasseed. skin and wash, dry and flour them; then fry them of a beautiful brown in hog's lard. lay them on a sieve before the fire, till the following sauce is prepared. thicken nearly half a pint of veal gravy with flour and butter, and then add to it a slice of lemon, a large spoonful of mushroom ketchup, a tea-spoonful of lemon pickle, a taste of nutmeg, and the yolk of an egg well beaten in two large spoonfuls of thick cream. put this over the fire, stir it well till it is hot, and looks white; but do not let it boil, or it will curdle. then put in the fry, shake it about near the fire for a minute or two, and serve it in a very hot dish and cover.--a fricassee of lambstones and sweetbreads may be prepared another way. have ready some lambstones blanched, parboiled, and sliced. flour two or three sweetbreads: if very thick, cut them in two. fry all together, with a few large oysters, of a fine yellow brown. pour off the butter, add a pint of good gravy, some asparagus tops about an inch long, a little nutmeg, pepper, and salt, two shalots shred fine, and a glass of white wine. simmer them ten minutes, put a little of the gravy to the yolks of three eggs well beaten, and mix the whole together by degrees. turn the gravy back into the pan, stir it till of a fine thickness without boiling, and garnish with lemon. lameness. much lameness, as well as deformity, might certainly be prevented, if stricter attention were paid to the early treatment of children. weakness of the hips, accompanied with a lameness of both sides of the body, is frequently occasioned by inducing them to walk without any assistance, before they have strength sufficient to support themselves. such debility may in some measure be counteracted, by tying a girdle round the waist, and bracing up the hips; but it requires to be attended to at an early period, or the infirmity will continue for life. it will also be advisable to bathe such weak limbs in cold water, or astringent decoctions, for several months. if the lameness arise from contraction, rather than from weakness, the best means will be frequent rubbing of the part affected. if this be not sufficient, beat up the yolk of a new laid egg, mix it well with three ounces of water, and rub it gently on the part. perseverance in the use of this simple remedy, has been successful in a great number of instances. lamprey. to stew lamprey as at worcester, clean the fish carefully, and remove the cartilage which runs down the back. season with a small quantity of cloves, mace, nutmeg, pepper, and allspice. put it into a small stewpot, with beef gravy, port, and sherry. cover it close, stew it till tender, take out the lamprey, and keep it hot. boil up the liquor with two or three anchovies chopped, and some butter rolled in flour. strain the gravy through a sieve, add some lemon juice, and ready-made mustard. serve with sippets of bread and horseradish. when there is spawn, it must be fried and laid round. eels done the same way, are a good deal like the lamprey. larks. to dress larks and other small birds, draw and spit them on a bird spit. tie this on another spit, and roast them. baste gently with butter, and strew bread crumbs upon them till half done. brown them in dressing, and serve with bread crumbs round. lavender water. to a pint of highly rectified spirits of wine, add an ounce of the essential oil of lavender, and two drams of the essence of ambergris. put the whole into a quart bottle, shake it frequently, and decant it into small bottles for use. laver. this is a plant that grows on the rocks near the sea in the west of england, and is sent in pots prepared for eating. place some of it on a dish over the lamp, with a bit of butter, and the squeeze of a seville orange. stir it till it is hot. it is eaten with roast meat, and tends to sweeten the blood. it is seldom liked at first, but habit renders it highly agreeable. leaf impressions. to take impressions of leaves and plants, oil a sheet of fine paper, dry it in the sun, and rub off the superfluous moisture with another piece of paper. after the oil is pretty well dried in, black the sheet by passing it over a lighted lamp or candle. lay the leaf or plant on the black surface, with a small piece of paper over it, and rub it carefully till the leaf is thoroughly coloured. then take it up undisturbed, lay it on the book or paper which is to receive the impression, cover it with a piece of blotting paper, and rub it on the back a short time with the finger as before. impressions of the minutest veins and fibres of a plant may be taken in this way, superior to any engraving, and which may afterwards be coloured according to nature. a printer's ball laid upon a leaf, which is afterwards pressed on wet paper, will also produce a fine impression; or if the leaf be touched with printing ink, and pressed with a rolling pin, nearly the same effect will be produced. leather. to discharge grease from articles made of leather, apply the white of an egg; let it dry in the sun, and then rub it off. a paste made of dry mustard, potatoe meal, and two spoonfuls of the spirits of turpentine, applied to the spot and rubbed off dry, will also be found to answer the purpose. if not, cleanse it with a little vinegar. tanned leather is best cleaned with nitrous acid and salts of lemon diluted with water, and afterwards mixed with skimmed milk. the surface of the leather should first be cleaned with a brush and soft water, adding a little free sand, and then repeatedly scoured with a brush dipped in the nitrous mixture. it is afterwards to be cleaned with a sponge and water, and left to dry. leavened bread. take two pounds of dough from the last baking, and keep it in flour. put the dough or leaven into a peck of flour the night before it is baked, and work them well together in warm water. cover it up warm in a wooden vessel, and the next morning it will be sufficiently fermented to mix with two or three bushels of flour: then work it up with warm water, and a pound of salt to each bushel. cover it with flannel till it rises, knead it well, work it into broad flat loaves or bricks, and bake them as other bread. leek milk. wash a large handful of leeks, cut them small, and boil them in a gallon of milk till it become as thick as cream. then strain it, and drink a small bason full twice a day. this is good for the jaundice. leek soup. chop a quantity of leeks into some mutton broth or liquor, with a seasoning of salt and pepper. simmer them an hour in a saucepan; mix some oatmeal with a little cold water quite smooth, and pour it into the soup. simmer it gently over a slow fire, and take care that it does not burn to the bottom. this is a scotch dish. leg of lamb. to make it look as white as possible, it should be boiled in a cloth. at the same time the loin should be fried in steaks, and served with it, garnished with dried or fried parsley. spinach to eat with it. the leg may be roasted, or dressed separately. leg of mutton. if roasted, serve it up with onion or currant-jelly sauce. if boiled, with caper sauce and vegetables. leg of pork. salt it, and let it lie six or seven days in the pickle, turn and rub it with the brine every day. put it into boiling water, if not too salt; use a good quantity of water, and let it boil all the time it is on the fire. send it to table with peas pudding, melted butter, turnips, carrots, or greens. if it is wanted to be dressed sooner, it may be hastened by putting a little fresh salt on it every day. it will then be ready in half the time, but it will not be quite so tender.--to dress a leg of pork like goose, first parboil it, then take off the skin, and roast it. baste it with butter, and make a savoury powder of finely minced or dried and powdered sage, ground black pepper, and bread crumbs rubbed together through a cullender; to which may be added an onion, very finely minced. sprinkle the joint with this mixture when it is almost roasted, put half a pint of made gravy into the dish, and goose stuffing under the knuckle skin, or garnish with balls of it, either fried or boiled. leg of veal. let the fillet be cut large or small, as best suits the size of the company. take out the bone, fill the space with a fine stuffing, skewer it quite round, and send it to table with the large side uppermost. when half roasted, or before, put a paper over the fat, and take care to allow sufficient time: as the meat is very solid, place it at a good distance from the fire, that it may be gradually heated through. serve it up with melted butter poured over it. some of it would be good for potting. lemon brandy. pare two dozen of lemons, and steep the peels in a gallon of brandy. squeeze the lemons on two pounds of fine sugar, and add six quarts of water. the next day put the ingredients together, pour on three pints of boiling milk, let it stand two days, and strain it off. lemon cake. beat up the whites of ten eggs, with three spoonfuls of orange flower water; put in a pound of sifted sugar, and the rind of a lemon grated. when it is well mixed, add the juice of half a lemon, and the yolks of ten eggs beaten smooth. stir in three quarters of a pound of flour, put the cake into a buttered pan, and bake it an hour carefully. lemon cheesecakes. mix four ounces of fine sifted sugar and four ounces of butter, and melt it gently. then add the yolks of two and the white of one egg, the rind of three lemons shred fine, and the juice of one and a half; also one savoy biscuit, some blanched almonds pounded, and three spoonfuls of brandy. mix them well together, and put in the following paste. eight ounces of flour, six ounces of butter, two thirds of which must first be mixed with the flour; then wet it with six spoonfuls of water, and roll in the remainder.--another way. boil two large lemons, or three small ones, and after squeezing, pound them well together in a mortar, with four ounces of loaf sugar, the yolks of six eggs, and eight ounces of fresh butter. fill the pattipans half full. orange cheesecakes are done in the same way, only the peel must be boiled in two or three waters to take out the bitterness: or make them of orange marmalade well beaten in a mortar. lemon cream. put to a pint of thick cream, the yolks of two eggs well beaten, four ounces of fine sugar, and the thin rind of a lemon. boil it up, and stir it till nearly cold. put the juice of a lemon into a bowl, and pour the cream upon it, stirring it till quite cold. white lemon cream is made in the same way, only put the whites of the eggs instead of the yolks, whisking it extremely well to a froth. lemon custards. beat the yolks of eight eggs till they are as white as milk; then put to them a pint of boiling water, the rinds of two lemons grated, and the juice sweetened to taste. stir it on the fire till it thickens; then add a large glass of rich wine, and half a glass of brandy. give the whole one scald, and put it in cups to be eaten cold. lemon drops. grate three large lemons, with a large piece of double-refined sugar. then scrape the sugar into a plate, add half a tea-spoonful of flour, mix well, and beat it into a light paste with the white of an egg. drop it upon white paper, and put the drops into a moderate oven on a tin plate. lemon honeycomb. sweeten the juice of a lemon to your taste, and put it in the dish that you intend to serve it in. mix the white of an egg well beaten, with a pint of rich cream, and a little sugar. whisk it; and as the froth rises, put it on the lemon juice. prepare it the day before it is to be used. lemon juice. in order to keep this article ready for use, the best way is to buy the fruit when it is cheap, and lay it two or three days in a cool place. if too unripe to squeeze immediately, cut the peel off some of them, and roll them under the hand, to make them part with the juice more freely. others may be left unpared for grating, when the pulp is taken out, and they are dried. squeeze the juice into a china bason, and strain it through some muslin which will not permit any of the pulp to pass. having prepared some small phials, perfectly dry, fill them with the juice so near the top as only to admit half a tea-spoonful of sweet oil into each. cork the bottles tight, and set them upright in a cool place. when the lemon juice is wanted, open only such a sized bottle as will be used in two or three days. wind some clean cotton round a skewer, and dipping it in, the oil will be attracted; and when all of it is removed, the juice will be as fine as when first bottled. hang the peels up to dry, and keep them from the dust. lemon mince pies. squeeze a large lemon, boil the outside till tender enough to beat to a mash. add to it three large apples chopped, four ounces of suet, half a pound of washed currants, and four ounces of sugar. put in the juice of a lemon, and candied fruit, as for other pies. make a short crust, and fill the pattipans as usual. lemon pickle. wipe six lemons, and cut each into eight pieces. put on them a pound of salt, six large cloves of garlic, two ounces of horseradish sliced thin; likewise of cloves, mace, nutmeg, and cayenne, a quarter of an ounce of each, and two ounces of flour of mustard. to these add two quarts of vinegar, and boil it a quarter of an hour in a well-tinned saucepan; or, which is better, do it in a jar, placed in a kettle of boiling water, or set the jar on a hot hearth till done. then set the jar by closely covered, stirring it daily for six weeks, and afterwards put the pickle into small bottles. lemon pudding. beat the yolks of four eggs; add four ounces of white sugar, the rind of a lemon being rubbed with some lumps of it to take the essence. then peel and beat it into a paste, with the juice of a large lemon, and mix all together with four or five ounces of warmed butter. put a crust into a shallow dish, nick the edges, and put the above into it. when sent to table, turn the pudding out of the dish. lemon puffs. beat and sift a pound and a quarter of double-refined sugar; grate the rind of two large lemons, and mix it well with the sugar. then beat the whites of three new-laid eggs a great while; add them to the sugar and peel, and beat it together for an hour. make it up into any shape, put it on paper laid on tin plates, and bake in a moderate oven. oiling the paper will make it come off with ease, but it should not be removed till quite cold. lemon sauce. cut thin slices of lemon into very small dice, and put them into melted butter. give it one boil, and pour it over boiled fowls. lemon and liver sauce. pare off as thin as possible the rind of a lemon, or of a seville orange, so as not to cut off any of the white with it. then peel off all the white, and cut the lemon into slices, about as thick as two half crowns. pick out the peps, and divide the slices into small squares. prepare the liver as for liver and parsley sauce, and add to it the slices of lemon, and a little of the peel finely minced. warm up the sauce in melted butter, but do not let it boil. lemon syrup. put a pint of fresh lemon juice to a pound and three quarters of lump sugar. dissolve it by a gentle heat, skim it till the surface is quite clear, and add an ounce of lemon peel cut very thin. let them simmer very gently for a few minutes, and run the syrup through a flannel. when cold, bottle and cork it closely, and keep it in a cool place. lemon water. a delightful drink may be made of two slices of lemon, thinly pared into a teapot, with a little sugar, or a large spoonful of capillaire. pour in a pint of boiling water, and stop it close two hours. lemon whey. pour into boiling milk as much lemon juice as will make a small quantity quite clear; dilute it with hot water to an agreeable smart acid, and add a bit or two of sugar. this is less heating than if made of wine; and if intended only to excite perspiration, will answer the purpose as well. vinegar whey is made in the same manner, by using vinegar only, instead of lemon juice. lemon white sauce. cut the peel of a small lemon very thin, and put it into a pint of sweet rich cream, with a sprig of lemon thyme, and ten white peppercorns. simmer gently till it tastes well of the lemon, then strain and thicken it with a quarter of a pound of butter, and a dessert-spoonful of flour rubbed in it. boil it up, stir it well, and pour the juice of the lemon strained into it. dish up the chickens, and mix with the cream a little white gravy quite hot, but do not boil them together: add a little salt to flavour. lemons for puddings. to keep oranges or lemons for puddings, squeeze out the pulp, and put the outsides into water for a fortnight. then boil them in the same water till they are quite tender, strain the liquor from them, and when they are tolerably dry, put them into any jar of candy that happens to be left from old sweetmeats. or boil a small quantity of syrup of lump sugar and water, and put over them. in a week or ten days boil them gently in it till they look clear, and cover them with it in the jar. if the fruit be cut in halves, they will occupy less space. lemonade. to prepare lemonade a day before it is wanted for use, pare two dozen lemons as thin as possible. put eight of the rinds into three quarts of hot water, not boiling, and cover it over for three or four hours. rub some fine loaf sugar on the lemons to attract the essence, and put it into a china bowl, into which the juice of the lemons is to be squeezed. add a pound and a half of fine sugar, then put the water to the above, and three quarts of boiling milk. pour the mixture through a jelly bag, till it is perfectly clear.--another way. pare a quantity of lemons, and pour some hot water on the peels. while infusing, boil some sugar and water to a good syrup, with the white of an egg whipt up. when it boils, pour a little cold water into it. set it on again, and when it boils take off the pan, and let it stand by to settle. if there be any scum, take it off, and pour it clear from the sediment, to the water in which the peels were infused, and the lemon juice. stir and taste it, and add as much more water as shall be necessary to make a very rich lemonade. wet a jelly bag, and squeeze it dry; then strain the liquor, and it will be very fine.--to make a lemonade which has the appearance of jelly, pare two seville oranges and six lemons very thin, and steep them four hours in a quart of hot water. boil a pound and a quarter of loaf sugar in three pints of water, and skim it clean. add the two liquors to the juice of six china oranges, and twelve lemons; stir the whole well, and run it through a jelly bag till it is quite clear. then add a little orange water, if approved, and more sugar if necessary. let it be well corked, and it will keep.--lemonade may be prepared in a minute, by pounding a quarter of an ounce of citric or crystalised lemon acid, with a few drops of quintessence of lemon peel, and mixing it by degrees with a pint of clarified syrup or capillaire. lent potatoes. beat three or four ounces of almonds, and three or four bitter ones when blanched, putting a little orange flower water to prevent oiling. add eight ounces of butter, four eggs well beaten and strained, half a glass of raisin wine, and sugar to taste. beat all together till quite smooth, and grate in three savoy biscuits. make balls of the above with a little flour, the size of a chesnut; throw them into a stewpan of boiling lard, and boil them of a beautiful yellow brown. drain them on a sieve, and serve with sweet sauce in a boat. lethargy. this species of apoplexy discovers itself by an invincible drowsiness, or inclination to sleep; and is frequently attended with a degree of fever, and coldness of the extremities. blisters and emetics have often procured relief. the affusion of cold water upon the head, and the burning of feathers or other fetid substances, held near the nostrils, are also attended with advantage. lice. want of cleanliness, immoderate warmth, violent perspiration, and a corrupted state of the fluids, tend to promote the generation of this kind of vermin. the most simple remedy is the seed of parsley, reduced to a fine powder and rubbed to the roots of the hair, or to rub the parts affected with garlic and mustard. to clean the heads of children, take half an ounce of honey, half an ounce of sulphur, an ounce of vinegar, and two ounces of sweet oil. mix the whole into a liniment, and rub a little of it on the head repeatedly. lice which infest clothes, may be destroyed by fumigating the articles of dress with the vapour of sulphur. garden lice may be treated in the same way as for destroying insects. light cake. mix a pound of flour, half a pound of currants, and a little nutmeg, sugar, and salt. melt a quarter of a pound of butter in a quarter of a pint of milk, and strain into it two spoonfuls of yeast and two eggs. stir it well together, set it before the fire to rise, and bake it in a quick oven. light paste. for tarts and cheesecakes, beat up the white of an egg to a strong froth, and mix it with as much water as will make three quarters of a pound of fine flour into a very stiff paste. roll it out thin, lay two or three ounces of butter upon it in little bits, dredge it with a little flour, and roll it up tight. roll it out again, and add the same proportion of butter, and so proceed till the whole is worked up. light puffs. mix two spoonfuls of flour, a little grated lemon peel, some nutmeg, half a spoonful of brandy, a little loaf-sugar, and one egg. fry it enough, but not brown; beat it in a mortar with five eggs, whites and yolks. put a quantity of lard in a fryingpan; and when quite hot, drop a dessert-spoonful of batter at a time, and turn them as they brown. send the puffs to table quickly, with sweet sauce. lime water. pour two gallons of water upon a pound of fresh-burnt lime; and when the ebullition ceases, stir it up well, and let it stand till the lime is settled. filter the liquor through paper, and keep it for use closely stopped. it is chiefly used for the gravel, in which case a pint or more may be drunk daily. for the itch, or other diseases of the skin, it is to be applied externally. linen. linen in every form is liable to all the accidents of mildew, iron moulds, ink spots, and various other stains, which prove highly injurious, if not speedily removed. in case of mildew, rub the part well with soap, then scrape and rub on some fine chalk, and lay the linen out to bleach. wet it a little now and then, and repeat the operation if necessary. ink spots and iron moulds may be removed, by rubbing them with the salt of sorrel, or weak muriatic acid, and laying the part over a teapot or kettle of boiling water, so that it may be affected by the steam. or some crystals of tartar powdered, and half the quantity of alum, applied in the same manner, will be found to extract the spots. the spirits of salts diluted with water, will remove iron moulds from linen; and sal ammoniac with lime, will take out the stains of wine. fruit stains may generally be removed by wetting the part with water, and exposing it to the fumes of brimstone. when ink has been suddenly spilled on linen, wet the place immediately with the juice of sorrel or lemon, or with vinegar, and rub it with hard white soap. or add to the juice a little salts, steam the linen over boiling water, and wash it afterwards in ley. if ink be spilled on a green tablecloth or carpet, the readiest way is to take it up immediately with a spoon, and by pouring on fresh water, while the spoon is constantly applied, the stains will soon be removed. scorched linen may be restored by means of the following application. boil two ounces of fuller's earth, an ounce of hen's dung, half an ounce of soap, and the juice of two onions, in half a pint of vinegar, till reduced to a good consistency. spread the composition over the damaged part, let it dry on, and then wash it well once or twice. if the threads be not actually consumed by the scorch, the linen will soon be restored to its former whiteness. lip salve. put into a small jar two ounces of white wax, half an ounce of spermaceti, and a quarter of a pint of oil of sweet almonds. tie it down close, and put the jar into a small saucepan, with as much water as will nearly reach the top of the jar, but not so as to boil over it, and let it simmer till the wax is melted. then put in a pennyworth of alkanet root tied up in a rag, with the jar closed, and boil it till it becomes red. take out the alkanet root, and put in two pennyworth of essence of lemon, and a few drops of bergamot. pour some into small boxes for present use, and the remainder into a gallipot tied down with a bladder.--another. an ounce of white wax and ox marrow, with three ounces of white pomatum, melted together over a slow fire, will make an agreeable lip salve, which may be coloured with a dram of alkanet, and stirred till it becomes a fine red. little bread puddings. steep the crumb of a penny loaf grated, in about a pint of warm milk. when sufficiently soaked, beat up six eggs, whites and yolks, and mix with the bread. add two ounces of warmed butter, some sugar, orange flower water, a spoonful of brandy, a little nutmeg, and a tea-cupful of cream. beat all well together, bake in buttered teacups, and serve with pudding sauce. a quarter of a pound of currants may be added, but the puddings are good without. orange or lemon will be an agreeable addition. liver and herbs. clean and drain a good quantity of spinach, two large handfuls of parsley, and a handful of green onions. chop the parsley and onions, and sprinkle them among the spinach. stew them together with a little salt and butter, shake the pan when it begins to grow warm, and cover it close till done enough over a slow fire. lay on slices of liver, fried of a nice brown and slices of bacon just warmed at the fire. on the outside part of the herbs lay some eggs nicely fried, and trimmed round. or the eggs may be served on the herbs, and the liver garnished with the bacon separately. liver sauce. chop some liver of rabbits or fowls, and do it the same as for lemon sauce, with a very little pepper and salt, and some parsley. liver and parsley sauce. wash the fresh liver of a fowl or rabbit, and boil it five minutes in a quarter of a pint of water. chop it fine, or pound or bruise it in a little of the liquor it was boiled in, and rub it through a sieve. wash about one third the bulk of parsley leaves, put them into boiling water, with a tea-spoonful of salt, and let them boil. then lay the parsley on a hair sieve, mince it very fine, and mix it with the liver. warm up the sauce in a quarter of a pint of melted butter, but do not let it boil. lobsters. if they have not been long taken, the claws will have a strong motion, when the finger is pressed upon the eyes. the heaviest are the best, and it is preferable to boil them at home. if purchased ready boiled, try whether their tails are stiff, and pull up with a spring; otherwise that part will be flabby. the male lobster is known by the narrow back part of his tail, and the two uppermost fins within it are stiff and hard: those of the hen are soft, and the tail broader. the male, though generally smaller, has the highest flavour, the flesh is firmer, and the colour when boiled is a deeper red. lobster patties. to be made as oyster patties, gently stewed and seasoned, and put into paste baked in pattipans, with the addition of a little cream, and a very small piece of butter. lobster pie. boil two or three small lobsters, take out the tails, and cut them in two. take out the gut, cut each into four pieces, and lay them in a small dish. put in the meat of the claws, and that picked out of the body; pick off the furry parts of the latter, and take out the lady; beat the spawn in a mortar, and likewise all the shells. stew them with some water, two or three spoonfuls of vinegar, pepper, salt, and some pounded mace. a large piece of butter rolled in flour must be added, when the goodness of the shells is obtained. give it a boil or two, and pour it into a dish strained; strew some crumbs, and put a paste over all. bake it slowly, and only till the paste is done. lobster salad. make a salad, cut some of the red part of the lobster, and add to it. this will form a pleasing contrast to the white and green of the vegetables. be careful not to put in too much oil, as shell-fish absorbs the sharpness of the vinegar. serve it up in a dish, not in a bowl. lobster sauce. pound the spawn with two anchovies, pour on two spoonfuls of gravy, and strain all into some melted butter. then put in the meat of the lobster, give it all one boil, and add the squeeze of a lemon. or leave out the anchovies and gravy, and do it as above, either with or without salt and ketchup, as may be most approved. many persons prefer the flavour of the lobster and salt only. lobster soup. take the meat from the claws, bodies, and tails, of six small lobsters. remove the brown fur, and the bag in the head; beat the fins in a mortar, the chine, and the small claws. boil it very gently in two quarts of water, with the crumb of a french roll, some white pepper, salt, two anchovies, a large onion, sweet herbs, and a bit of lemon peel, till all the goodness is extracted, and then strain it off. beat the spawn in a mortar with a bit of butter, a quarter of a nutmeg, and a tea-spoonful of flour, and then mix it with a quart of cream. cut the tails into pieces, and give them a boil up with the cream and soup. serve with forcemeat balls made of the remainder of the lobster, mace, pepper, salt, a few crumbs, and an egg or two. let the balls be made up with a little flour, and heated in the soup. lodgings. the tenure on which the generality of houses are held, does not warrant a tenant to let, or a lodger to take apartments by the year. to do this, the tenant ought himself to be the proprietor of the premises, or to hold possession by lease for an unexpired term of several years, which would invest him with the right of a landlord to give or receive half a year's notice, or proceed as in other cases of landlord and tenant. unfurnished lodgings are generally let by the week, month, or quarter; and if ever they be let by the year, it is a deviation from a general custom, and attended with inconvenience. if a lodger should contend that he agreed for a whole year, he must produce some evidence of the fact; such as a written agreement, or the annual payment of rent; otherwise he must submit to the general usage of being denominated a quarterly lodger. in the case of weekly tenants, the rent must be paid weekly; for if once allowed to go to a quarter, and the landlord accept it as a quarter's rent, he breaks the agreement; the inmate then becomes a quarterly lodger, and must receive a quarter's notice to quit. more care however is still required in letting lodgings that are ready furnished, as the law does not regard them in the same light as other tenements. such apartments are generally let by the week, on payment of a certain sum, part of which is for the room, and part for the use of the furniture which is attended with some difficulty. properly considered, the payment is not rent, nor are the same remedies lawful as in unfurnished lodgings. the best way to let furnished lodgings is to have a written agreement, with a catalogue of all the goods, and to let the apartments and the furniture for separate sums: in which case, if the rent be not paid, distress may be made for it, though not for the furniture. persons renting furnished apartments frequently absent themselves, without apprising the housekeeper, and as often leave the rent in arrear. in such a case, the housekeeper should send for a constable, after the expiration of the first week, and in his presence enter the apartment, take out the lodger's property and secure it, until a request be made for it. if after fourteen days' public notice in the gazette, the lodger do not come and pay the arrears, the housekeeper may sell the property for the sum due. when a housekeeper is troubled with a disagreeable character, the best way to recover possession of the apartment is to deliver a written notice by a person that can be witness, stating that if the lodger did not quit that day week, the landlord would insist on his paying an advance of so much per week; and if he did not quit after such notice, he would make the same advance after every following week. in the city of london, payment may be procured by summoning to the court of requests at guildhall, for any sum not exceeding five pounds. in other parts of the kingdom there are similar courts of conscience, where payment may be enforced to the amount of forty shillings. loin of mutton. if roasted, it is better to cut it lengthways as a saddle; or if for steaks, pies, or broth. if there be more fat on the loin than is agreeable, take off a part of it before it is dressed; it will make an excellent suet pudding, or crust for a meat pie, if cut very fine. london bread. according to the method practised by the london bakers, a sack of flour is sifted into the kneading trough, to make it lie loose. six pounds of salt, and two pounds of alum, are separately dissolved in hot water; and the whole being cooled to about ninety degrees, is mixed with two quarts of yeast. when this mixture has been well stirred, it is strained through a cloth or sieve, and is then poured into a cavity made in the flour. the whole is now mixed up into a dough, and a small quantity of flour being sprinkled over it, it is covered up with cloths, and the lid of the trough is shut down, the better to retain the heat. the fermentation now goes on, and the mass becomes enlarged in bulk. in the course of two or three hours, another pailful of warm water is well mixed with the sponge, and it is again covered up for about four hours. at the end of this time, it is to be kneaded for more than an hour, with three pailfuls of warm water. it is now returned to the trough in pieces, sprinkled with dry flour, and at the end of four hours more, it is again kneaded for half an hour, and divided into quartern and half-quartern loaves. the weight of a quartern loaf, before baking, should be four pounds fifteen ounces; after baking, four pounds six ounces, avoirdupois. when the dough has received its proper shape for loaves, it is put into the oven, at a heat that will scorch flour without burning, where it is baked two hours and a half, or three hours. london porter. a late writer has given considerable information respecting the brewing of porter. his intention being to exhibit the advantages derived from domestic brewing, he has annexed the price of each article of the composition, though it will be seen that the expense on some of the principal articles has been considerably reduced since that estimate was given. £ _s._ _d._ one quarter of malt lb. of hops lb. of treacle lb. of liquorice root bruised lb. of essentia bina lb. of colouring capsicum half an ounce spanish liquorice two ounces india berries one ounce salt of tartar two drams heading a quarter of an ounce ginger three ounces lime four ounces linseed one ounce cinnamon bark two drams --------- coals --------- total expense £ this will produce ninety gallons of good porter, and fifty gallons of table beer; the cost of the porter at the large breweries being £ _s._ and that of the beer £ _s._ leaves a profit of £ to the brewer.--the 'essentia bina' is composed of eight pounds of moist sugar, boiled in an iron vessel, for no copper one could withstand the heat sufficiently, till it becomes of a thick syrupy consistence, perfectly black, and extremely bitter. the 'colouring' is composed of eight pounds of moist sugar, boiled till it attains a middle state, between bitter and sweet. it gives that fine mellow colour usually so much admired in good porter. these ingredients are added to the first wort, and boiled with it. the 'heading' is a mixture of half alum, and half copperas, ground to a fine powder. it is so called, from its giving to porter that beautiful head or froth, which constitutes one of the peculiar properties of porter, and which publicans are so anxious to raise to gratify their customers. the linseed, ginger, limewater, cinnamon, and several other small articles, are added or withheld according to the taste or practice of the brewer, which accounts for the different flavours so observable in london porter. of the articles here enumerated, it is sufficient to observe, that however much they may surprise, however pernicious or disagreeable they may appear, they have always been deemed necessary in the brewing of porter. they must invariably be used by those who wish to continue the taste, the flavour and appearance, to which they have been accustomed.--omitting however those ingredients which are deemed pernicious, it will be seen by the following estimate how much more advantageous it is to provide even a small quantity of home-brewed porter, where this kind of liquor is preferred. ingredients necessary for brewing five gallons of porter. _s._ _d._ one peck of malt quarter of a pound of liquorice bruised spanish liquorice essentia colour treacle hops capsicum and ginger coals ------- total expense ------- this will produce five gallons of good porter, which if bought of the brewer would cost but being brewed at home, for ------- leaves a clear gain of this saving is quite enough to pay for time and trouble, besides the advantage of having a wholesome liquor, free from all poisonous ingredients. porter thus brewed will be fit for use in a week, and may be drunk with pleasure. to do ample justice to the subject however, it may be proper briefly to notice the specific properties of the various ingredients which enter into the composition of london porter. it is evident that some porter is more heady than others, and this arises from the greater or less quantity of stupefying ingredients intermixed with it. malt itself, to produce intoxication, must be used in such large quantities as would very much diminish the brewer's profit. of the wholesomeness of malt there can be no doubt; pale malt especially is highly nutritive, containing more balsamic qualities than the brown malt, which being subject to a greater degree of fire in the kiln, is sometimes so crusted and burnt, that the mealy part loses some of its best qualities. amber malt is that which is dried in a middling degree, between pale and brown, and is now much in use, being the most pleasant, and free from either extreme. hops are an aromatic grateful bitter, very wholesome, and undoubtedly efficacious in giving both flavour and strength to the beer. yeast is necessary to give the liquor that portion of elastic air, of which the boiling deprives it. without fermentation, or working, no worts, however rich, can inebriate. liquorice root is pleasant, wholesome, and aperient; and opposes the astringent qualities of some of the other ingredients; it ought therefore to be used, as should spanish liquorice, which possesses the same properties. capsicum disperses wind, and when properly used, cannot be unwholesome: it leaves a glow of warmth on the stomach, which is perceptible in drinking some beers. ginger has the same effect as capsicum, and it also cleanses and flavours the beer. but capsicum being cheaper is more used, and by its tasteless though extremely hot quality, cannot be so readily discovered in beer as ginger. treacle partakes of many of the properties of liquorice; and by promoting the natural secretions, it renders porter and beer in general very wholesome. treacle also is a cheaper article than sugar, and answers the purpose of colour, where the beer is intended for immediate consumption; but in summer, when a body is required to withstand the temperature of the air, and the draught is not quick, sugar alone can give body to porter. treacle therefore is a discretionary article. coriander seed, used principally in ale, is warm and stomachic; but when used in great quantity, it is pernicious. coculus indicus, the india berry, is poisonous and stupefying, when taken in any considerable quantity. when ground into fine powder it is undiscoverable in the liquor, and is but too much used to the prejudice of the public health. what is called heading, should be made of the salt of steel; but a mixture of alum and copperas being much cheaper, is more frequently used. alum is a great drier, and causes that thirst which some beer occasions; so that the more you drink of it, the more you want. alum likewise gives a taste of age to the beer, and is penetrating to the palate. copperas is well known to be poisonous, and may be seen in the blackness which some beer discovers. salt is highly useful in all beers; it gives a pleasing relish, and also fines the liquor.--these remarks are sufficient to show the propriety of manufacturing at home a good wholesome article for family use, instead of resorting to a public house for every pint of beer which nature demands, and which when procured is both expensive and pernicious. and lest any objection should be made, as to the difficulty and inconvenience of brewing, a few additional observations will here be given, in order to facilitate this very important part of domestic economy. be careful then to procure malt and hops of the very best quality, and let the brewing vessels be closely inspected; the least taint may spoil a whole brewing of beer. the mash tub should be particularly attended to, and a whisp of clean hay or straw is to be spread over the bottom of the vessel in the inside, to prevent the flour of the malt running off with the liquor. the malt being emptied into the mash tub, and the water brought to boil, dash the boiling water in the copper with cold water sufficient to stop the boiling, and leave it just hot enough to scald the finger, always remembering to draw off the second mash somewhat hotter than the first. the water being thus brought to a proper temperature by the addition of cold water, lade it out of the copper over the malt till it becomes thoroughly wet, stirring it well to prevent the malt from clotting. when the water is poured on too hot, it sets the malt, and closes the body of the grain, instead of opening it so as to dissolve in the liquor. cover up the mash tub close to compress the steam, and prevent the liquid from evaporating. let the wort stand an hour and a half or two hours after mashing, and then let the liquor run off into a vessel prepared to receive it. if at first it runs thick and discoloured, draw off a pailful or two, and pour it back again into the mash tub till it runs clear. in summer it will be necessary to put a few hops into the vessel which receives the liquor out of the mash tub, to prevent its turning sour, which the heat of the weather will sometimes endanger. let the second mash run out as before, and let the liquor stand an hour and a half, but never let the malt be dry: keep lading fresh liquor over it till the quantity of wort to be obtained is extracted, always allowing for waste in the boiling. the next consideration is boiling the wort when obtained. the first copperful must be boiled an hour; and whilst boiling, add the ingredients specified above, in the second estimate. the hops are now to be boiled in the wort, but are to be carefully strained from the first wort, in order to be boiled again in the second. eight pounds is the common proportion to a quarter of malt; but in summer the quantity must be varied from eight to twelve pounds, according to the heat of the atmosphere. after the wort has boiled an hour, lade it out of the copper and cool it. in summer it should be quite cold before it is set to work; in winter it should be kept till a slight degree of warmth is perceptible by the finger. when properly cooled set it to work, by adding yeast in proportion to the quantity. if considerable, and if wanted to work quick, add from one to two gallons. porter requires to be brought forward quicker than other malt liquor: let it work till it comes to a good deep head, then cleanse it by adding the ginger. the liquor is now fit for tunning: fill the barrels full, and let the yeast work out, adding fresh liquor to fill them up till they have done working. now bung the barrels, but keep a watchful eye upon them for some time, lest the beer should suddenly ferment again and burst them, which is no uncommon accident where due care is not taken. the heat of summer, or a sudden change of weather, will occasion the same misfortune, if the barrels are not watched, and eased when they require it, by drawing the peg. the only part which remains to complete the brewing, is fining the beer. to understand this, it is necessary to remark, that london porter is composed of three different sorts of malt; pale, brown, and amber. the reason for using these three sorts, is to attain a peculiar flavour and colour. amber is the most wholesome, and for home brewing it is recommended to use none else. in consequence of the subtleness of the essentia, which keeps continually swimming in the beer, porter requires a considerable body of finings; but should any one choose to brew without the essentia, with amber malt, and with colour only, the porter will soon refine of itself. the finings however are composed of isinglass dissolved in stale beer, till the whole becomes of a thin gluey consistence like size. one pint is the usual proportion to a barrel, but sometimes two, and even three are found necessary. particular care must be taken that the beer in which the isinglass is dissolved, be perfectly clear, and thoroughly stale.--by attending to these directions, any person may brew as good, if not better porter, than they can be supplied with from the public houses. many notions have been artfully raised, that porter requires to be brewed in large quantities, and to be long stored, to render it sound and strong; but experience will prove the falsehood of these prejudices, which have their origin with the ignorant, and are cherished by the interested. one brewing under another will afford ample time for porter to refine for use, and every person can best judge of the extent of his own consumption. porter is not the better for being brewed in large quantities, except that the same trouble which brews a peck, will brew a bushel. this mode of practice will be found simple and easy in its operation, and extremely moderate in point of trouble and expense. london syllabub. put a pint and a half of port or white wine into a bowl, nutmeg grated, and a good deal of sugar. then milk into it near two quarts of milk, frothed up. if the wine be rather sharp, it will require more for this quantity of milk. in devonshire, clouted cream is put on the top, with pounded cinnamon and sugar. looking glasses. in order to clean them from the spots of flies and other stains, rub them over with a fine damp cloth. then polish with a soft woollen cloth, and powder blue. love. as health is materially affected by the passions, it is of some consequence to observe their separate influence, in order to obviate some of their ill effects. love is unquestionably the most powerful, and is less under the controul of the understanding than any of the rest. it has a kind of omnipotence ascribed to it, which belongs not to any other. 'love is strong as death; many waters cannot quench it, neither can the floods drown it.' other passions are necessary for the preservation of the individual, but this is necessary for the continuation of the species: it was proper therefore that it should be deeply rooted in the human breast. there is no trifling with this passion: when love has risen to a certain height, it admits of no other cure but the possession of its object, which in this case ought always if possible to be obtained. the ruinous consequences arising from disappointment, which happen almost every day, are dreadful to relate; and no punishment can be too great for those whose wilful conduct becomes the occasion of such catastrophes. parents are deeply laden with guilt, who by this means plunge their children into irretrievable ruin; and lovers are deserving of no forgiveness, whose treacherous conduct annihilates the hopes and even the existence of their friends. m. macaroni. the usual way of preparing macaroni is to boil it in milk, or weak veal broth, flavoured with salt. when tender, put it into a dish without the liquor. add to it some bits of butter and grated cheese; over the top grate more, and add a little more butter. set the dish into a dutch oven a quarter of an hour, but do not let the top become hard.--another way. wash it well, and simmer in half milk and half broth, of veal or mutton, till it is tender. to a spoonful of this liquor, put the yolk of an egg beaten in a spoonful of cream; just make it hot to thicken, but not to boil. spread it on the macaroni, and then grate fine old cheese all over, with bits of butter. brown the whole with a salamander.--another. wash the macaroni, then simmer it in a little broth, with a little salt and pounded mace. when quite tender, take it out of the liquor, lay it in a dish, grate a good deal of cheese over, and cover it with fine grated bread. warm some butter without oiling, and pour it from a boat through a small earthen cullender all over the crumbs; then put the dish into a dutch oven to roast the cheese, and brown the bread of a fine colour. the bread should be in separate crumbs, and look light. macaroni pudding. simmer in a pint of milk, an ounce or two of the pipe sort of macaroni, and a bit of lemon and cinnamon. when quite tender, put it into a dish with milk, two or three eggs, but only one white. add some sugar, nutmeg, a spoonful of peach water, and the same of raisin wine. bake with a paste round the edges. a layer of orange marmalade, or raspberry jam, in a macaroni pudding, is a great improvement. in this case omit the almond water, or ratifia, which would otherwise be wanted to give it a flavour. macaroni soup. boil a pound of the best macaroni in a quart of good stock, till it is quite tender. then take out half, and put it into another stewpot. add some more stock to the remainder, and boil it till all the macaroni will pulp through a fine sieve. then add together the two liquors, a pint or more of boiling cream, the macaroni that was first taken out, and half a pound of grated parmesan cheese. make it hot, but do not let it boil. serve it with the crust of a french roll, cut into the size of a shilling. macaroons. blanch four ounces of almonds, and pound them with four spoonfuls of orange water. whisk the whites of four eggs to a froth, mix it with the almonds, and a pound of sifted sugar, till reduced to a paste. lay a sheet of wafer paper on a tin, and put on the paste in little cakes, the shape of macaroons. mackarel. their season is generally may, june, and july; but may sometimes be had at an earlier period. when green gooseberries are ready, their appearance may at all times be expected. they are so tender a fish that they carry and keep worse than any other: choose those that are firm and bright, and sweet scented. after gutting and cleaning, boil them gently, and serve with butter and fennel, or gooseberry sauce. to broil them, split and sprinkle with herbs, pepper and salt; or stuff with the same, adding crumbs and chopped fennel. magnum bonum plums. though very indifferent when eaten raw, this fruit makes an excellent sweetmeat, or is fine in the form of tarts. prick them with a needle to prevent bursting, simmer them very gently in a thin syrup, put them in a china bowl, and when cold pour the syrup over. let them lie three days, then make a syrup of three pounds of sugar to five pounds of fruit, with no more water than hangs to large lumps of the sugar dipped quickly, and instantly brought out. boil the plums in this fresh syrup, after draining the first from them. do them very gently till they are clear, and the syrup adheres to them. put them one by one into small pots, and pour the liquor over. reserve a little syrup in the pan for those intended to be dried, warm up the fruit in it, drain them out, and put them on plates to dry in a cool oven. these plums are apt to ferment, if not boiled in two syrups; the former will sweeten pies, but will have too much acid to keep. a part may be reserved, with the addition of a little sugar, to do those that are dry, for they will not require to be so sweet as if kept wet, and will eat very nicely if boiled like the rest. one parcel may be done after another, and save much sugar, but care must be taken not to break the fruit. mahogany. to give a fine colour to mahogany, let the furniture be washed perfectly clean with vinegar, having first taken out any ink stains there may be, with spirits of salt, taking the greatest care to touch the stained part very slightly, and then the spirits must be instantly washed off. use the following liquid. put into a pint of cold-drawn linseed oil, four pennyworth of alkanet root, and two pennyworth of rose pink. let it remain all night in an earthen vessel, then stirring it well, rub some of it all over the mahogany with a linen rag; and when it has lain some time, rub it bright with linen cloths. dining tables should be covered with mat, oil cloth, or baize, to prevent staining; and should be instantly rubbed when the dishes are removed, while the board is still warm. maids. this kind of fish, as well as skate, requires to be hung up a day before it is dressed, to prevent its eating tough. maids may either be broiled or fried; or if a tolerable size, the middle part may be boiled, and the fins fried. they should be dipped in egg, and covered with crumbs. malt. this article varies very much in value, according to the quality of the barley, and the mode of manufacture. when good it is full of flour, and in biting a grain asunder it will easily separate; the shell will appear thin, and well filled up with flour. if it bite hard and steely, the malt is bad. the difference of pale and brown malt arises merely from the different degrees of heat employed in the drying: the main object is the quantity of flour. if the barley was light and thin, whether from unripeness, blight, or any other cause, it will not malt so well; but instead of sending out its roots in due time, a part of it will still be barley. this will appear by putting a handful of unground malt in cold water, and stirring it about till every grain is wetted; the good will swim, and the unmalted barley sink to the bottom. but if the barley be well malted, there is still a variety in the quality: for a bushel of malt from fine, plump, heavy barley, will be better than the same quantity from thin and light barley. weight therefore here is the criterion of quality; and a bushel of malt weighing forty-five pounds is cheaper than any other at almost any price, supposing it to be free from unmalted barley, for the barley itself is heavier than the malt. the practice of mixing barley with the malt on a principle of economy, is not to be approved; for though it may add a little to the strength of the wort, it makes the beer flat and insipid, and of course unwholesome. marble. chimney pieces, or marble slabs, may be cleaned with muriatic acid, either diluted or in a pure state. if too strong, it will deprive the marble of its polish, but may be restored by using a piece of felt and a little putty powdered, rubbing it on with clean water. another method is, making a paste of a bullock's gall, a gill of soap lees, half a gill of turpentine, and a little pipe clay. the paste is then applied to the marble, and suffered to remain a day or two. it is afterwards rubbed off, and applied a second or third time, to render the marble perfectly clean, and give it the finest polish. marble cement. if by any accident, marble or alabaster happen to be broken, it may be strongly cemented together in the following manner. melt two pounds of bees' wax, and one pound of rosin. take about the same quantity of marble or other stones that require to be joined, and reduce it to a powder; stir it well together with the melted mixture, and knead the mass in water, till the powder is thoroughly incorporated with the wax and rosin. the parts to be joined must be heated and made quite dry, and the cement applied quite hot. melted sulphur, laid on fragments of stone previously heated, will make a firm and durable cement. little deficiencies in stones or corners that have been stripped or broken off, may be supplied with some of the stone powdered and mixed with melted sulphur: but care must be taken to have both parts properly heated. marble paper. for marbling books or paper, dissolve four ounces of gum arabac in two quarts of water, and pour it into a broad vessel. mix several colours with water in separate shells: with small brushes peculiar to each colour, sprinkle and intermix them on the surface of the gum water, and curl them with a stick so as to form a variety of streaks. the edges of a book pressed close may then be slightly dipped in the colours on the surface of the water, and they will take the impression of the mixture. the edges may then be glazed with the white of an egg, and the colours will remain. a sheet of paper may be marbled in the same way. marble stains. to take stains out of marble, make a tolerably thick mixture of unslaked lime finely powdered, with some strong soap-ley. spread it instantly over the marble with a painter's brush, and in two month's time wash it off perfectly clean. prepare a fine thick lather of soft soap, boiled in soft water; dip a brush in it, and scour the marble well with powder. clear off the soap, and finish with a smooth hard brush till the stains are all removed. after a very good rubbing, the marble will acquire a beautiful polish. if the marble has been injured by iron stains, take an equal quantity of fresh spirits of vitriol and lemon juice. mix them in a bottle, shake it well, and wet the spots. rub with a soft linen cloth, and in a few minutes they will disappear. marble veal. the meat is prepared in the same way as potted beef or veal. then beat up a boiled tongue, or slices of ham, with butter, white pepper, and pounded mace. put a layer of veal in the pot, then stick in pieces of tongue or ham, fill up the spaces with veal, and pour clarified butter over it. marking ink. mix two drams of the tincture of galls with one dram of lunar caustic, and for marking of linen, use it with a pen as common ink. the cloth must first be wetted in a strong solution of salt of tartar, and afterwards dried, before any attempt be made to write upon it. a beautiful red ink may also be prepared for this purpose by mixing half an ounce of vermillion, and a dram of the salt of steel, with as much linseed oil as will make it of a proper consistency, either to use with a pen or a hair pencil. other colours may be made in the same way, by substituting the proper ingredients instead of vermillion. mangoes. cut off the tops of some large green cucumbers, take out the seeds, and wipe them dry. fill them with mustard-seed, horseradish, sliced onion, ginger, and whole pepper. sow on the tops, put the mangoes into a jar, cover them with boiling vinegar, and do them the same as any other pickle. melons are done in the same way. marigold wine. boil three pounds and a half of lump sugar in a gallon of water, put in a gallon of marigold flowers, gathered dry and picked from the stalks, and then make it as for cowslip wine. if the flowers be gathered only a few at a time, measure them when they are picked, and turn and dry them in the shade. when a sufficient quantity is prepared, put them into a barrel, and pour the sugar and water upon them. put a little brandy into the bottles, when the wine is drawn off. marmalade. for a cough or cold, take six ounces of malaga raisins, and beat them to a fine paste, with the same quantity of sugarcandy. add an ounce of the conserve of roses, twenty-five drops of oil of vitriol, and twenty drops of oil of sulphur. mix them well together, and take a small tea-spoonful night and morning. marrow bones. cover the top of them with a floured cloth, boil and serve them with dry toast. marshmallow ointment. take half a pound of marshmallow roots, three ounces of linseed, and three ounces of fenugreek seed; bruise and boil them gently half an hour in a quart of water, and then add two quarts of sweet oil. boil them together till the water is all evaporated, and strain off the oil. add a pound of bees' wax, half a pound of yellow rosin, and two ounces of common turpentine. melt them together over a slow fire, and keep stirring till the ointment is cold. mashed parsnips. boil the roots tender, after they have been wiped clean. scrape them, and mash them in a stewpan with a little cream, a good piece of butter, pepper and salt. mashed potatoes. boil the potatoes, peel them, and reduce them to paste. add a quarter of a pint of milk to two pounds weight, a little salt, and two ounces of butter, and stir it all well together over the fire. they may either be served up in this state, or in scallops, or put on the dish in a form, and the top browned with a salamander. mattrasses. cushions, mattrasses, and bed clothes stuffed with wool, are particularly liable to be impregnated with what is offensive and injurious, from persons who have experienced putrid and inflammatory fevers, and cannot therefore be too carefully cleaned, carded, and washed. it would also be proper frequently to fumigate them with vinegar or muriatic gas. if these articles be infested with insects, dissolve a pound and a half of alum, and as much cream of tartar, in three pints of boiling water. mix this solution in three gallons of cold water, immerse the wool in it for several days, and then let it be washed and dried. this operation will prevent the insects from attacking it in future. mead. dissolve thirty pounds of honey in thirteen gallons of water; boil and skim it well. then add of rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and sweetbriar, about a handful altogether. boil the whole for an hour, and put it into a tub, with two or three handfuls of ground malt. stir it till it is about blood warm, then strain it through a cloth, and return it into the tub. cut a toast, spread it over with good ale yeast, and put it into the tub. when the liquor has sufficiently fermented, put it into a cask. take an ounce and a half each of cloves, mace, and nutmegs, and an ounce of sliced ginger. bruise the spices; tie them up in a cloth, and hang it in the vessel, which must be stopped up close for use.--another way. put four or five pounds of honey into a gallon of boiling water, and let it continue to boil an hour and a half. skim it quite clean, put in the rinds of three or four lemons, and two ounces of hops sewed up in a bag. when cold, put the liquor into a cask, stop it up close, and let it stand eight or nine months. measles. in general, all that is needful in the treatment of this complaint is to keep the body open by means of tamarinds, manna, or other gentle laxatives; and to supply the patient frequently with barley water, or linseed tea sweetened with honey. bathe the feet in warm water; and if there be a disposition to vomit, it ought to be promoted by drinking a little camomile tea. if the disorder appear to strike inward, the danger may be averted by applying blisters to the arms and legs, and briskly rubbing the whole body with warm flannels. meat. in all sorts of provisions, the best of the kind goes the farthest; it cuts out with most advantage, and affords most nourishment. round of beef, fillet of veal, and leg of mutton, are joints that bear a higher price; but as they have more solid meat, they deserve the preference. those joints however which are inferior, may be dressed as palatably; and being cheaper, they should be bought in turn; for when weighed with the prime pieces, it makes the price of these come lower. in loins of meat, the long pipe that runs by the bone should be taken out, as it is apt to taint; as also the kernels of beef. rumps and edgebones of beef are often bruised by the blows which the drovers give the beasts, and the part that has been struck always taints; these joints therefore when bruised should not be purchased. and as great loss is often sustained by the spoiling of meat, after it is purchased, the best way to prevent this is to examine it well, wipe it every day, and put some pieces of charcoal over it. if meat is brought from a distance in warm weather, the butcher should be desired to cover it close, and bring it early in the morning, to prevent its being fly-blown.--all meat should be washed before it is dressed. if for boiling, the colour will be better for the soaking; but if for roasting, it should afterwards be dried. particular care must be taken that the pot be well skimmed the moment it boils, otherwise the foulness will be dispersed over the meat. the more soups or broth are skimmed, the better and cleaner they will be. boiled meat should first be well floured, and then put in while the water is cold. meat boiled quick is sure to be hard; but care must be taken, that in boiling slow it does not stop, or the meat will be underdone. if the steam be kept in, the water will not be much reduced; but if this be desirable, the cover must be removed. as to the length of time required for roasting and boiling, the size of the joint must direct, as also the strength of the fire, and the nearness of the meat to it. in boiling, attention must be paid to the progress it makes, which should be regular and slow. for every pound of meat, a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes is generally allowed, according as persons choose to have it well or underdone. in preparing a joint for roasting, care must be taken not to run the spit through the best parts of the meat, and that no black stains appear upon it at the time of serving. meat sauce. put to a clean anchovy, a glass of port wine, a little strong broth, a sliced shalot, some nutmeg, and the juice of a seville orange. stew them together, and mix it with the gravy that runs from the meat. meat screen. this is a great saver of coals, and should be sufficiently large to guard what is roasting from currents of air. it should be placed on wheels, have a flat top, and not be less than about three feet and a half wide, with shelves in it, about one foot deep. it will then answer all the purposes of a large dutch oven, a plate warmer, and a hot hearth. some are made with a door behind, which is convenient; but the great heat to which they are exposed soon shrinks the materials, and the currents of air through the cracks cannot be prevented. those without a door are therefore best. medley pie. cut into small pieces some fat pork, or other meat underdone, and season it with salt and pepper. cover the sides of the dish with common crust, put in a layer of sliced apples with a little sugar, then a layer of meat, and a layer of sliced onions, till the dish is full. put a thick crust over it, and bake it in a slow oven. currants or scalded gooseberries may be used instead of apples, and the onions omitted. melon flummery. put plenty of bitter almonds into some stiff flummery, and make it of a pale green with spinach juice. when it becomes as thick as cream, wet the melon mould, and put the flummery into it. put a pint of calf's foot jelly into a bason, and let it stand till the next day: then turn out the melon, and lay it in the midst of the bason of jelly. fill up the bason with jelly beginning to set, and let it stand all night. turn it out the next day, the same as for fruit in jelly: make a garland of flowers, and place it on the jelly. melon mangoes. there is a particular sort for preserving, which must be carefully distinguished. cut a square small piece out of one side, and through that take out the seeds, and mix with them mustard-seed and shred garlic. stuff the melon as full as the space will allow, replace the square piece, and bind it up with fine packthread, boil a good quantity of vinegar, to allow for wasting, with peppercorns, salt, and ginger. pour the liquor boiling hot over the mangoes four successive days; and on the last day put flour of mustard, and scraped horseradish into the vinegar just as it boils up. observe that there is plenty of vinegar before it is stopped down, for pickles are soon spoiled if not well covered. also the greater number of times that boiling vinegar is poured over them, the sooner they will be ready for eating. mangoes should be pickled soon after they are gathered. large cucumbers, called green turley, prepared as mangoes, are very excellent, and come sooner to table. melted butter. though a very essential article for the table, it is seldom well prepared. mix on a trencher, in the proportion of a tea-spoonful of flour to four ounces of the best butter. put it into a saucepan, and two or three table-spoonfuls of hot water; boil it quick for a minute, and shake it all the time. milk used instead of water, requires rather less butter, and looks whiter. mice. the poisonous substances generally prepared for the destruction of mice are attended with danger, and the use of them should by all means be avoided. besides the common traps, baited with cheese, the following remedy will be found both safe and efficacious. take a few handfuls of wheat flour, or malt meal, and knead it into a dough. let it grow sour in a warm place, mix with it some fine iron filings, form the mass into small balls, and put them into the holes frequented by the mice. on eating this preparation, they are inevitably killed. cats, owls, or hedgehogs, would be highly serviceable in places infested with mice. an effectual mousetrap may be made in the following manner. take a plain four square trencher, and put into the two contrary corners of it a large pin, or piece of knitting needle. then take two sticks about a yard long, and lay them on the dresser, with a notch cut at each end of the sticks, placing the two pins on the notches, so that one corner of the trencher may lie about an inch on the dresser or shelf that the mice come to. the opposite corner must be baited with some butter and oatmeal plastered on the trencher; and when the mice run towards the butter, it will tip them into a glazed earthen vessel full of water, which should be placed underneath for that purpose. to prevent the trencher from tipping over so as to lose its balance, it may be fastened to the shelf or dresser with a thread and a little sealing wax, to restore it to its proper position. to prevent their devastations in barns, care should be taken to lay beneath the floor a stratum of sharp flints, fragments of glass mixed with sand, or broken cinders. if the floors were raised on piers of brick, about fifteen inches above the ground, so that dogs or cats might have a free passage beneath the building, it would prevent the vermin from harbouring there, and tend greatly to preserve the grain. field mice are also very destructive in the fields and gardens, burrowing under the ground, and digging up the earth when newly sown. their habitations may be discovered by the small mounds of earth that are raised near the entrance, or by the passages leading to their nests; and by following these, the vermin may easily be destroyed. to prevent early peas being eaten by the mice, soak the seed a day or two in train oil before it is sown, which will promote its vegetation, and render the peas so obnoxious to the mice, that they will not eat them. the tops of furze, chopped and thrown into the drills, when the peas are sown, will be an effectual preventive. sea sand strewed thick on the surface of the ground, round the plants liable to be attacked by the mice, will have the same effect. mildew. to remove stains in linen occasioned by mildew, mix some soft soap and powdered starch, half as much salt, and the juice of a lemon. lay it on the part on both sides with a painter's brush, and let it lie on the grass day and night till the stain disappears. milk butter. this article is principally made in cheshire, where the whole of the milk is churned without being skimmed. in the summer time, immediately after milking, the meal is put to cool in earthen jars till it become sufficiently coagulated, and has acquired a slight degree of acidity, enough to undergo the operation of churning. during the summer, this is usually performed in the course of one or two days. in order to forward the coagulation in the winter, the milk is placed near the fire; but in summer, if it has not been sufficiently cooled before it is added to the former meal, or if it has been kept too close, and be not churned shortly after it has acquired the necessary degree of consistence, a fermentation will ensue; in which case the butter becomes rancid, and the milk does not yield that quantity which it would, if churned in proper time. this also is the case in winter, when the jars have been placed too near the fire, and the milk runs entirely to whey. milk butter is in other respects made like the common butter. milk and cream. in hot weather, when it is difficult to preserve milk from becoming sour, and spoiling the cream, it may be kept perfectly sweet by scalding the new milk very gently, without boiling, and setting it by in the earthen dish or pan that it is done in. this method is pursued in devonshire, for making of butter, and for eating; and it would answer equally well in small quantities for the use of the tea table. cream already skimmed may be kept twenty-four hours if scalded, without sugar; and by adding as much pounded lump sugar as shall make it pretty sweet, it will be good two days, by keeping it in a cool place. milk porridge. make a fine gruel of half grits well boiled, strain it off, add warm or cold milk, and serve with toasted bread. milk punch. pare six oranges and six lemons as thin as possible, and grate them afterwards with sugar to extract the flavour. steep the peels in a bottle of rum or brandy, stopped close twenty-four hours. squeeze the fruit on two pounds of sugar, add to it four quarts of water, and one of new milk boiling hot. stir the rum into the above, and run it through a jelly bag till perfectly clear. bottle and cork it close immediately. milk of roses. mix an ounce of oil of almonds with a pint of rose water, and then add ten drops of the oil of tartar. milk soup. boil a pint of milk with a little salt, cinnamon, and sugar. lay thin slices of bread in a dish, pour over them a little of the milk, and keep them hot over a stove without burning. when the soup is ready, beat up the yolks of five or six eggs, and add them to the milk. stir it over the fire till it thickens, take it off before it curdles, and pour it upon the bread in the dish. milking. cows should be milked three times a day in the summer, if duly fed, and twice in the winter. great care should be taken to drain the milk completely from the udder; for if any be suffered to remain, the cow will give less every meal, till at length she becomes dry before her proper time, and the next season she will scarcely give a sufficient quantity of milk to pay the expences of her keeping. the first milk drawn from a cow is also thinner, and of an inferior quality to that which is afterwards obtained: and this richness increases progressively, to the very last drop that can be drawn from the udder. if a cow's teats be scratched or wounded, her milk will be foul, and should not be mixed with that of other cows, but given to the pigs. in warm weather, the milk should remain in the pail till nearly cold, before it is strained; but in frosty weather this should be done immediately, and a small quantity of boiling water mixed with it. this will produce plenty of cream, especially in trays of a large surface. as cows are sometimes troublesome to milk, and in danger of contracting bad habits, they always require to be treated with great gentleness, especially when young, or while their teats are tender. in this case the udder ought to be fomented with warm water before milking, and the cow soothed with mild treatment; otherwise she will be apt to become stubborn and unruly, and retain her milk ever after. a cow will never let down her milk freely to the person she dreads or dislikes. millet pudding. wash three spoonfuls of the seed, put it into a dish with a crust round the edge, pour over it as much new milk as will nearly fill the dish, two ounces of butter warmed with it, sugar, shred lemon peel, and a dust of ginger and nutmeg. as you put it in the oven, stir in two beaten eggs, and a spoonful of shred suet. mince pies. of scraped beef, free from skin and strings, weigh two pounds, of suet picked and chopped four pounds, and of currants nicely cleaned and perfectly dry, six pounds. then add three pounds of chopped apples, the peel and juice of two lemons, a pint of sweet wine, a nutmeg, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, the same of mace, and pimento, in the finest powder. mix the whole well together, press it into a deep pan, and keep it covered in a dry cool place. a little citron, orange, and lemon peel, should be put into each pie when made. the above quantity of mince meat may of course be reduced, in equal proportions, for small families.--mince pies without meat, are made in the following manner. pare, core, and mince six pounds of apples; shred three pounds of fresh suet, and stone three pounds of raisins minced. add to these, a quarter of an ounce each of mace and cinnamon, and eight cloves, all finely powdered. then three pounds of the finest powder sugar, three quarters of an ounce of salt, the rinds of four and the juice of two lemons, half a pint of port, and half a pint of brandy. mix well together, and put the ingredients into a deep pan. prepare four pounds of currants, well washed and dried, and add them when the pies are made, with some candied fruit. minced beef. shred fine the underdone part, with some of the fat. put it into a small stewpan with some onion, or a very small quantity of shalot, a little water, pepper and salt. boil it till the onion is quite soft; then put some of the gravy of the meat to it, and the mince, but do not let it boil. prepare a small hot dish with sippets of bread, mix a large spoonful of vinegar with the mince, and pour it into the dish. if shalot vinegar is used, the raw onion and shalot may be dispensed with. minced collops. chop and mince some beef very small, and season it with pepper and salt. put it, in its raw state, into small jars, and pour on the top some clarified butter. when to be used, put the clarified butter into a fryingpan, and fry some sliced onions. add a little water to it, put in the minced meat, and it will be done in a few minutes. this is a favourite scotch dish, and few families are without it. it keeps well, and is always ready for an extra dish. minced veal. cut some cold veal as fine as possible, but do not chop it. put to it a very little lemon-peel shred, two grates of nutmeg, some salt, and four or five spoonfuls either of weak broth, milk, or water. simmer these gently with the meat, adding a bit of butter rubbed in flour, but take care not to let it boil. put sippets of thin toasted bread, cut into a three-cornered shape, round the dish. mint sauce. pick and wash the mint clean, and chop it fine. put it into a small bason, and mix it with sugar and vinegar. mint vinegar. as fresh mint is not at all times to be had, a welcome substitute will be found in the preparation of mint vinegar. dry and pound half an ounce of mint seed, pour upon it a quart of the best vinegar, let it steep ten days, and shake it up every day. this will be useful in the early season of house lamb. mites. though they principally affect cheese, there are several species of this insect which breed in flour and other eatables, and do considerable injury. the most effectual method of expelling them is to place a few nutmegs in the sack or bin containing the flour, the odour of which is insupportable to mites; and they will quickly be removed, without the meal acquiring any unpleasant flavour. thick branches of the lilac, or the elder tree, peeled and put into the flour, will have the same effect. quantities of the largest sized ants, scattered about cheese-rooms and granaries, would presently devour all the mites, without doing any injury. mixed wine. take an equal quantity of white, red, and black currants, cherries, and raspberries; mash them, and press the juice through a strainer. boil three pounds of moist sugar in three quarts of water, and skim it clean. when cold, mix a quart of juice with it, and put it into a barrel that will just hold it. put in the bung, and after it has stood a week, close it up, and let it stand three or four months. when the wine is put into the barrel, add a little brandy to it. mock brawn. boil two pair of neat's feet quite tender, and pick all the flesh off the bone. boil the belly piece of a porker nearly enough, and bone it. roll the meat of the feet up in the pork, tie it up in a cloth with tape round it, and boil it till it becomes very tender. hang it up in the cloth till it is quite cold, put it into some souse, and keep it for use. mock turtle. divide a calf's head with the skin on, and clean it well. half boil it, take all the meat off in square pieces, break the bones of the head, and boil them in some veal and beef broth, to add to the richness. fry some shalot in butter, and dredge in flower enough to thicken the gravy; stir this into the browning, and give it one or two boils. skim it carefully, and then put in the head; add a pint of madeira, and simmer till the meat is quite tender. about ten minutes before serving, put in some basil, tarragon, chives, parsley, cayenne pepper, and salt; also two spoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, and one of soy. squeeze the juice of a lemon into the tureen, and pour the soup upon it. serve with forcemeat balls, and small eggs.--a cheaper way. prepare half a calf's head as above, but without the skin. when the meat is cut off, break the bones, and put them into a saucepan with some gravy made of beef and veal bones, and seasoned with fried onions, herbs, mace, and pepper. have ready prepared two or three ox-palates boiled so tender as to blanch, and cut into small pieces; to which a cow heel, likewise cut into pieces, is a great improvement. brown some butter, flour, and onion, and pour the gravy to it; then add the meats as above, and stew them together. add half a pint of sherry, an anchovy, two spoonfuls of walnut ketchup, the same of mushroom ketchup, and some chopped herbs as before. the same sauce as before.--another way. put into a pan a knuckle of veal, two fine cow heels, two onions, a few cloves, peppercorns, berries of allspice, mace, and sweet herbs. cover them with water, tie a thick paper over the pan, and set it in an oven for three hours. when cold, take off the fat very nicely, cut the meat and feet into bits an inch and a half square, remove the bones and coarse parts, and then put the rest on to warm, with a large spoonful of walnut and one of mushroom ketchup, half a pint of sherry or madeira, a little mushroom powder, and the jelly of the meat. if it want any more seasoning, add some when hot, and serve with hard eggs, forcemeat balls, a squeeze of lemon, and a spoonful of soy. this is a very easy way of making an excellent dish of mock turtle.--another. stew a pound and a half of scrag of mutton, with three pints of water till reduced to a quart. set on the broth, with a calf's foot and a cow heel; cover the stewpan tight, and let it simmer till the meat can be separated from the bones in proper pieces. set it on again with the broth, adding a quarter of a pint of sherry or madeira, a large onion, half a tea-spoonful of cayenne, a bit of lemon peel, two anchovies, some sweet herbs, eighteen oysters chopped fine, a tea-spoonful of salt, a little nutmeg, and the liquor of the oysters. cover it close, and simmer it three quarters, of an hour. serve with forcemeat balls, and hard eggs in the tureen.--an excellent and very cheap mock turtle may be made of two or three cow heels, baked with two pounds and a half of gravy beef, herbs, and other ingredients as above. moles. as these little animals live entirely on worms and insects, of which they consume incalculable numbers, they may be considered as harmless, and even useful, rather than otherwise; and it has been observed in fields and gardens where the moles had been caught, that they afterwards abounded with vermin and insects. but when the moles become too numerous, they are hurtful to vegetation, and require to be destroyed. besides the common method of setting traps in their subterraneous passages, many might be dug out of the earth by carefully watching their situation and motions before the rising of the sun, and striking in a spade behind them to cut off their retreat. the smell of garlic is so offensive to them, that if a few heads of that plant were thrust into their runs, it would expel them from the place. moonshine pudding. put into a baking dish a layer of very thin bread and butter, strewed over with currants and sweetmeats, and so on till the dish is full. mix together a pint and a half of cream, the yolks of six eggs, half a grated nutmeg, and some sugar. pour the mixture on the top of the pudding, and bake it three quarters of an hour. moor fowl. to dress moor fowl with red cabbage, truss the game as for boiling. set them on the fire with a little soup, and let them stew for half an hour. cut a red cabbage into quarters, add it to the moor fowl, season with salt and white pepper, and a little piece of butter rolled in flour. a glass of port may be added, if approved. lift out the cabbage, and place it neatly in the dish, with the moor fowl on it. pour the sauce over them, and garnish with small slices of fried bacon. morella cherries. when the fruit is quite ripe, take off the stalks, prick them with a pin, and allow a pound and a half of lump sugar to every pound of cherries. reduce part of the sugar to powder, and strew it over them. next day dissolve the remainder in half a pint of currant juice, set it over a slow fire, put in the cherries with the sugar, and give them a gentle boil. take out the cherries carefully, boil the syrup till it is thick, pour it upon the cherries, and tie them down.--any other kind of fruit may be treated in the same way, only using such kind of juice to boil in the syrup as is most suitable to the fruit to be preserved. it is proper to put apple jelly over jam or preserved fruit, or to sift sugar over the tops of the jars; and when cold, cover them with brandy paper. if the air be admitted, they will not keep. morella wine. cleanse from the stalks sixty pounds of morella cherries, and bruise them as to break the stones. press out the juice, mix it with six gallons of sherry wine, and four gallons of warm water. powder separately an ounce of nutmeg, cinnamon, and mace, and hang them separately in small bags, in the cask containing the liquor. bung it down; and in a few weeks it will become a deliciously flavoured wine. morels. in their green state they have a very rich, high flavour, and are delicious additions to some dishes, or sent up as a stew by themselves, when they are fresh and fine. when dried they are of very little use, and serve only to soak up good gravy, from which they take more flavour than they give. moss. to destroy moss on trees, remove it with a hard brush early in the spring of the year, and wash the trees afterwards with urine or soap suds, and plaster them with cow dung. when a sort of white down appears on apple trees, clear off the red stain underneath it, and anoint the infected parts with a mixture of train oil and scotch snuff, which will effectually cure the disease. moths. one of the most speedy remedies for their complete extirpation, is the smell of turpentine, whether it be by sprinkling it on woollen stuffs, or placing sheets of paper moistened with it between pieces of cloth. it is remarkable that moths are never known to infest wool unwashed, or in its natural state, but always abandon the place where such raw material is kept. those persons therefore to whom the smell of turpentine is offensive, may avail themselves of this circumstance, and place layers of undressed wool between pieces of cloth, or put small quantities in the corners of shelves and drawers containing drapery of that description. this, or shavings of the cedar, small slips of russia leather, or bits of camphor, laid in boxes or drawers where furs or woollen clothes are kept, will effectually preserve them from the ravages of the moth and other insects. muffins. stir together a pint of yeast with a pint and half of warm milk and water, and a little salt. strain it into a quarter of a peck of fine flour, knead it well, and set it an hour to rise. pull it into small pieces, roll it into balls with the hand, and keep them covered up warm. then spread them into muffins, lay them on tins, and bake them; and as the bottoms begin to change colour, turn them on the other side. a better sort may be made by adding two eggs, and two ounces of butter melted in half a pint of milk. muffins should not be cut, but pulled open. mulberry syrup. put the mulberries into a kettle of water, and simmer them over the fire till the juice runs from them. squeeze out the juice, and add twice the weight of sugar. set it over a slow fire, skim it clean, and simmer it till the sugar is quite dissolved. mulberry wine. gather mulberries on a dry day, when they are just changed from redness to a shining black. spread them thinly on a fine cloth, or on a floor or table, for twenty-four hours, and then press them. boil a gallon of water with each gallon of juice, putting to every gallon of water an ounce of cinnamon bark, and six ounces of sugarcandy finely powdered. skim and strain the water when it is taken off and settled, and put it to the mulberry juice. now add to every gallon of the mixture, a pint of white or rhenish wine. let the whole stand in a cask to ferment, for five or six days. when settled draw it off into bottles, and keep it cool. mulled ale. boil a pint of good sound ale with a little grated nutmeg and sugar, beat up three eggs, and mix them with a little cold ale. then pour the hot ale to it, and return it several times to prevent its curdling. warm and stir it till it is thickened, add a piece of butter or a glass of brandy, and serve it up with dry toast. mulled wine. boil some spice in a little water till the flavour is gained, then add an equal quantity of port, with sugar and nutmeg. boil all together, and serve with toast.--another way. boil a blade of cinnamon and some grated nutmeg a few minutes, in a large tea-cupful of water. pour to it a pint of port wine, add a little sugar, beat it up, and it will be ready. good home-made wine may be substituted instead of port. mumbled hare. boil the hare, but not too much; take off the flesh, and shred it very fine. add a little salt, nutmeg, lemon peel, and the juice of a lemon. put it into a stewpan with a dozen eggs, and a pound of butter, and keep it stirring. muscle plum cheese. weigh six pounds of the fruit, bake it in a stone jar, remove the stones, and put in the kernels after they are broken and picked. pour half the juice on two pounds and a half of lisbon sugar; when melted and simmered a few minutes, skim it, and add the fruit. keep it doing very gently till the juice is much reduced, but take care to stir it constantly, to prevent its burning. pour it into small moulds, pattipans, or saucers. the remaining juice may serve to colour creams, or be added to a pie. mushrooms. before these are prepared for eating, great care must be taken to ascertain that they are genuine, as death in many instances has been occasioned by using a poisonous kind of fungus, resembling mushrooms. the eatable mushrooms first appear very small, of a round form, and on a little stalk. they grow very fast, and both the stalk and the upper part are white. as the size increases, the under part gradually opens, and shows a kind of fringed fur, of a very fine salmon colour; which continues more or less till the mushroom has gained some size, and then it turns to a dark brown. these marks should be attended to, and likewise whether the skin can be easily parted from the edges and middle. those that have a white or yellow fur should be carefully avoided, though many of them have a similar smell, but not so strong and fragrant, as the genuine mushroom. great numbers of these may be produced, by strewing on an old hotbed the broken pieces of mushrooms; or if the water in which they have been washed be poured on the bed, it will nearly answer the same purpose. mushrooms dried. wipe them clean, take out the brown part of the large ones, and peel off the skin. lay them on paper to dry in a cool oven, and keep them in paper bags in a dry place. when used, simmer them in the gravy, and they will swell to nearly their former size. or before they are made into powder, it is a good way to simmer them in their own liquor till it dry up into them, shaking the pan all the time, and afterwards drying them on tin plates. spice may be added or not. tie the mushrooms down close in a bottle, and keep it in a dry place. mushroom ketchup. take the largest broad mushrooms, break them into an earthen pan, strew salt over, and stir them occasionally for three days. then let them stand twelve days, till there is a thick scum over. strain and boil the liquor with jamaica and black peppers, mace, ginger, a clove or two, and some mustard seed. when cold, bottle it, and tie a bladder over the cork. in three months boil it again with fresh spice, and it will then keep a twelvemonth.--another way. fill a stewpan with large flap mushrooms, that are not worm-eaten, and the skins and fringe of such as have been pickled. throw a handful of salt among them, and set them by a slow fire. they will produce a great deal of liquor, which must be strained; then add four ounces of shalots, two cloves of garlic, a good deal of whole pepper, ginger, mace, cloves, and a few bay leaves. boil and skim it well, and when cold, cork it up close. in two months boil it up again with a little fresh spice, and a stick of horseradish. it will then keep a year, which mushroom ketchup rarely does, if not boiled a second time. mushroom powder. wash half a peck of large mushrooms while quite fresh, and free them from grit and dirt with flannel. scrape out the black part clean, and do not use any that are worm-eaten. put them into a stewpan over the fire without any water, with two large onions, some cloves, a quarter of an ounce of mace, and two spoonfuls of white pepper, all in powder. simmer and shake them till all the liquor be dried up, but be careful they do not burn. lay them on tins or sieves in a slow oven till they are dry enough to beat to powder; then put the powder into small bottles, corked, and tied closely, and kept in a dry place. a tea-spoonful of this powder will give a very fine flavour to any soup or gravy, or any sauce; and it is to be added just before serving, and one boil given to it after it is put in. mushroom sauce. melt some butter with flour, in a little milk or cream. put in some mushrooms, a little salt and nutmeg, and boil it up together in a saucepan. or put the mushrooms into melted butter, with veal gravy, salt, and nutmeg. muslin patterns. in order to copy muslin patterns, the drawing is to be placed on a sheet of white paper, and the outline pricked through with a pin. the white sheet may then be laid on a second clear one, and a muslin bag of powdered charcoal sifted or rubbed over it. the pierced paper being removed, a perfect copy may be traced on the other; and in this way, patterns may be multiplied very expeditiously. mustard. mix by degrees, the best durham flour of mustard with boiling water, rubbing it perfectly smooth, till it comes to a proper thickness. add a little salt, keep it in a small jar close covered, and put only as much into the glass as will be used soon. the glass should be wiped daily round the edges. if for immediate use, mix the mustard with new milk by degrees, till it is quite smooth, and a little raw cream. it is much softer this way, does not taste bitter, and will keep well. a tea-spoonful of sugar, to half a pint of mustard, is a great improvement, and tends much to soften it. patent mustard is nearly as cheap as any other, and is generally preferred. musty flour. when flour has acquired a musty smell and taste, from dampness and other causes, it may be recovered by the simple use of magnesia, allowing thirty grains of the carbonate to one pound of flour. it is to be leavened and baked in the usual way of making bread. the loaves will be found to rise well in the oven, to be more light and spongy, and also whiter than bread in the common way. it will likewise have an excellent taste, and will keep well. the use of magnesia in bread making is well worthy of attention, for if it improves musty flour, and renders it palatable, it would much more improve bread in general, and be the interest of families to adopt it. the use of magnesia in bread, independent of its improving qualities, is as much superior to that of alum as one substance can be to another. mutton. in cutting up mutton, in order to its being dressed, attention should be paid to the different joints. the pipe that runs along the bone of the inside of a chine must be removed, and if the meat is to be kept some time, the part close round the tail should be rubbed with salt, after first cutting out the kernel. a leg is apt to be first tainted in the fat on the thick part, where the kernel is lodged, and this therefore should be removed, or the meat cannot be expected to keep well. the chine and rib bones should be wiped every day, and the bloody part of the neck be cut off to preserve it. the brisket changes first in the breast; and if it is to be kept, it is best to rub it with a little salt, should the weather be hot. every kernel should be taken out of all sorts of meat as soon as it is brought in, and then wiped dry. for roasting, it should hang as long as it will keep, the hind quarter especially, but not so long as to taint; for whatever may be authorised by the prevailing fashion, putrid juices certainly ought not to be taken into the stomach. great care should be taken to preserve by paper the fat of what is roasted. mutton for boiling will not look of a good colour, if it has hung long.--in purchasing this meat, choose it by the fineness of the grain, the goodness of its colour, and see that the fat be firm and white. it is not the better for being young: if it be wether mutton, of a good breed and well fed, it is best for age. the flesh of ewe mutton is paler, and the texture finer. ram mutton is very strong flavoured, the flesh is of a deep red, and the fat is spongy: wether mutton is the best. mutton broth. soak a neck of mutton in water for an hour, cut off the scrag, and put it into a stewpot, with two quarts of water. as soon as it boils, skim it well, and simmer it an hour and a half. cut the best end of the mutton into pieces, two bones in each, and take off some of the fat. prepare four or five carrots, as many turnips, and three onions, all sliced, but not cut small. put them soon enough to get quite tender, and add four large spoonfuls of scotch barley, first wetted with cold water. twenty minutes before serving, put in some chopped parsley, add a little salt, and send up all together. this is a scotch dish, and esteemed very excellent in the winter. mutton chops. cut them from the loin or neck, broil them on a clear fire, and turn them often, or the fat dropping into the fire will smoke them. when done, put them into a warm dish, rub them with butter, slice a shalot in a spoonful of boiling water, with a little salt and ketchup, and pour it over the chops. the ketchup may be omitted, and plain butter used instead. mutton chops in disguise. prepare a seasoning of chopped parsley and thyme, grated bread, pepper and salt. smear the chops over with egg, strew the seasoning on them, and roll each in buttered paper. close the ends, put them in a dutch oven or fryingpan, and let them broil slowly. when done, send them to table in the paper, with gravy in a boat. mutton collops. from a loin of mutton that has been well kept, cut some thin collops nearest to the leg. take out the sinews, season the collops with salt, pepper, and mace; and strew over them shred parsley, thyme, and two or three shalots. fry them in butter till half done; add half a pint of gravy, a little lemon juice, and a piece of butter rubbed in flour. simmer them together very gently for five minutes, and let the collops be served up immediately, or they will become hard. mutton cutlets. to do them in the portuguese way, half fry the chops with sliced shalot or onion, chopped parsley, and two bay leaves. season with pepper and salt; then lay a forcemeat on a piece of white paper, put the chop on it, and twist the paper up, leaving a hole for the end of the bones to go through. broil the cutlets on a gentle fire, serve them with a little gravy, or with sauce robart. mutton ham. choose a fine-grained leg of wether mutton, of twelve or fourteen pounds weight; cut it ham shape, and let it hang two days. then put into a stewpan half a pound of bay salt, the same of common salt, two ounces of saltpetre, and half a pound of coarse sugar, all in powder. mix, and make it quite hot; then rub it well into the ham. let it be turned in the liquor every day; at the end of four days add two ounces more of common salt; in twelve days take it out, dry it, and hang it up a week in wood smoke. it is to be used in slices, with stewed cabbage, mashed potatoes, or eggs. mutton hashed. cut thin slices of dressed mutton, fat and lean, and flour them. boil the bones with a little onion, season the meat, and warm it up with the gravy, but it should not boil. instead of onion, a clove, a spoonful of currant jelly, and a glass of port wine, will make it taste like venison. mutton kebobbed. take all the fat out of a loin of mutton, and that on the outside also if too fat, and remove the skin. joint it at every bone, mix a small nutmeg grated with a little salt and pepper, crumbs of bread, and herbs. dip the steaks into the yolks of three eggs, and sprinkle the above mixture all over them. then place the steaks together as they were before they were cut asunder, tie and fasten them on a small spit. roast them before a quick fire; set a dish under, and baste them with a good piece of butter, and the liquor that comes from the meat, but throw some more of the above seasoning over. when done enough, lay the meat in a dish. prepare an additional half pint of good gravy, put into it two spoonfuls of ketchup, and rub down a tea-spoonful of flour with it. give it a boil, skim off all the fat, and pour it over the mutton. be careful to keep the meat hot, till the gravy is quite ready. mutton pie. cut steaks from a loin or neck of mutton that has hung some time; beat them, and remove some of the fat. season with salt, pepper, and a little onion. put a little water at the bottom of the dish, and a little paste on the edge; then cover it with a tolerably thick paste. or raise small pies, breaking each bone in two to shorten it; cover it over, and pinch the edges together. when the pies come from the oven, pour into each a spoonful of good mutton gravy. mutton pudding. season some chops with salt and pepper, and a taste of onion. place a layer of meat at the bottom of the dish, pour over them a batter of potatoes boiled and pressed through a cullender, and mixed with an egg and milk. put in the rest of the chops, and the batter, and bake it. batter made of flour eats very well, but requires more egg, and is not so good as potatoe. another way is to cut slices off a leg that has been underdone, and put them into a bason lined with a fine suet crust. season with pepper and salt, and finely shred onion or shalot. mutton rumps and kidneys. stew six rumps in some good mutton gravy half an hour; then take them up, and let them stand to cool. clear the gravy from the fat, and put into it four ounces of boiled rice, an onion stuck with cloves, and a blade of mace. boil them till the rice is thick. wash the rumps with yolks of eggs well beaten, and strew over them crumbs of bread, a little pepper and salt, chopped parsley and thyme, and grated lemon peel, fried in butter, of a fine brown. while the rumps are stewing, lard the kidneys, and set them to roast in a dutch oven. when the rumps are ready, the grease must be drained from them before they are put in the dish; the pan being cleared likewise from the fat, warm up the rice in it. lay the latter on the dish, place the rumps round upon the rice, the narrow ends towards the middle, and the kidneys between. garnish with hard eggs cut in halves, the white being left on, or with different coloured pickles. mutton sauce. two spoonfuls of the liquor in which the mutton is boiled, the same quantity of vinegar, two or three shalots finely shred, with a little salt, put into a saucepan with a bit of butter rolled in flour, stirred together and boiled once, will make good sauce for boiled mutton. mutton sausages. take a pound of the rawest part of a leg of mutton that has been either roasted or boiled; chop it quite small, and season it with pepper, salt, mace, and nutmeg. add to it six ounces of beef suet, some sweet herbs, two anchovies, and a pint of oysters, all chopped very small; a quarter of a pound of grated bread, some of the anchovy liquor, and two eggs well beaten. when well mixed together, put it into a small pot; and use it by rolling it into balls or sausages, and fry them. if approved, a little shalot may be added, or garlick, which is a great improvement. mutton steaks. these should be cut from a loin or neck that has been well kept; if a neck, the bones should not be long. broil them on a clear fire, season them when half done, and let them be often turned. take them up into a very hot dish, rub a bit of butter on each, and serve them up hot and hot the moment they are done.--to do them maintenon, half fry them first, then stew them while hot, with herbs, crumbs, and seasoning. rub a bit of butter on some writing paper, to prevent its catching the fire, wrap the steaks in it, and finish them on the gridiron. n. nankeen dye. the article generally sold under this title, and which produces a fine buff colour so much in use, is made of equal parts of arnetto and common potash, dissolved and boiled in water. the yellow colour called dutch pink, is made from a decoction of weld or dyer's weed; and if blue cloths be dipped in this liquid, they will take the colour of a fine green. nasturtions, if intended for capers, should be kept a few days after they are gathered. then pour boiling vinegar over them, and cover them close when cold. they will not be fit to eat for some months; but are then finely flavoured, and by many are preferred to capers. neat's tongue. if intended to be stewed, it should be simmered for two hours, and peeled. then return it to the same liquor, with pepper, salt, mace, and cloves, tied up in a piece of cloth. add a few chopped capers, carrots and turnips sliced, half a pint of beef gravy, a little white wine, and sweet herbs. stew it gently till it is tender, take out the herbs and spices, and thicken the gravy with butter rolled in flour. neck of mutton. this joint is particularly useful, because so many dishes may be made of it; but it is not esteemed advantageous for a family. the bones should be cut short, which the butchers will not do unless particularly desired. the best end of the neck may be boiled, and served with turnips; or roasted, or dressed in steaks, in pies, or harrico. the scrags may be stewed in broth; or with a small quantity of water, some small onions, a few peppercorns, and a little rice, and served together. when a boiled neck is to look particularly nice, saw down the chine bone, strip the ribs halfway down, and chop off the ends of the bones about four inches. the skin should not be taken off till boiled, and then the fat will look the whiter. when there is more fat than is agreeable, it makes a very good suet pudding, or crust for a meat pie if cut very fine. neck of pork. a loin or neck of pork should be roasted. cut the skin across with a sharp penknife, at distances of half an inch. serve with vegetables and apple sauce. neck of veal. cut off the scrag to boil, and cover it with onion sauce. it should be boiled in milk and water. parsley and butter may be served with it, instead of onion sauce. or it may be stewed with whole rice, small onions, and peppercorns, with a very little water. it may also be boiled and eaten with bacon and greens. the best end of the neck may either be roasted, broiled as steaks, or made into a pie. neck of venison. rub it with salt, and let it lie four or five days. flour it, and boil it in a cloth, allowing to every pound a quarter of an hour. cauliflower, turnips, and cabbages, are eaten with it, and melted butter. garnish the dish with some of the vegetables. nelson puddings. put into a dutch oven six small cakes, called nelson balls or rice cakes, made in small teacups. when quite hot, pour over them boiling melted butter, white wine, and sugar. new casks. if not properly prepared before they are used, new casks are apt to give beer and other liquor a bad taste. they must therefore be well scalded and seasoned several days successively before they are used, and frequently filled with fresh water. the best way however is to boil two pecks of bran or malt dust in a copper of water, and pour it hot into the cask; then stop it up close, let it stand two days, wash it out clean, and let the cask be well dried. newcastle pudding. butter a half melon mould or quart basin, stick it all round with dried cherries or fine raisins, and fill it up with custard and layers of thin bread and butter. boil or steam it an hour and a half. newmarket pudding. put on to boil a pint of good milk, with half a lemon peel, a little cinnamon, and a bay leaf. boil it gently for five or ten minutes, sweeten with loaf sugar, break the yolks of five and the whites of three eggs into a basin, beat them well, and add the milk. beat it all up well together, and strain it through a tammis, or fine hair sieve. prepare some bread and butter cut thin, place a layer of it in a pie dish, and then a layer of currants, and so on till the dish is nearly full. pour the custard over it, and bake it half an hour. norfolk dumplins. make a thick batter with half a pint of milk and flour, two eggs, and a little salt. take a spoonful of the batter, and drop it gently into boiling water; and if the water boil fast, they will be ready in a few minutes. take them out with a wooden spoon, and put them into a dish with a piece of butter. these are often called drop dumplins, or spoon dumplins. norfolk punch. to make a relishing liquor that will keep many years, and improve by age, put the peels of thirty lemons and thirty oranges into twenty quarts of french brandy. the fruit must be pared so thin and carefully, that not the least of the white is left. let it infuse twelve hours. prepare thirty quarts of cold water that has been boiled, put to it fifteen pounds of double-refined sugar, and when well incorporated, pour it upon the brandy and peels, adding the juice of the oranges and of twenty-four lemons. mix them well, strain the liquor through a fine hair sieve, into a very clean cask, that has held spirits, and add two quarts of new milk. stir the liquor, then bung it down close, and let it stand six weeks in a warm cellar. bottle off the liquor, but take care that the bottles be perfectly clean and dry, the corks of the best quality, and well put in. of course a smaller quantity of this punch may be made, by observing only the above proportions.--another way. pare six lemons and three seville oranges very thin, squeeze the juice into a large teapot, put to it three quarts of brandy, one of white wine, one of milk, and a pound and a quarter of lump sugar. let it be well mixed, and then covered for twenty-four hours. strain it through a jelly bag till quite clear, and then bottle it off. northumberland pudding. make a hasty pudding with a pint of milk and flour, put it into a bason, and let it stand till the next day. then mash it with a spoon, add a quarter of a pound of clarified butter, as many currants picked and washed, two ounces of candied peel cut small, and a little sugar and brandy. bake it in teacups, turn them out on a dish, and pour wine sauce over them. nose bleeding. violent bleeding at the nose may sometimes be prevented by applying lint dipped in vinegar, or a strong solution of white vitriol, with fomentations of the temples and forehead made of nitre dissolved in water. but as bleeding at the nose is often beneficial, it should not be suddenly stopped. notice to quit. the usual mode of letting houses is by the year, at a certain annual rent to be paid quarterly: therefore unless a written agreement can be produced, to show that the premises were engaged for a shorter period, the law considers the tenant as entered for one whole year, provided the rent exceeds forty shillings per annum, and this consideration must govern the notice to quit. every tenant who holds from year to year, which is presumed to be the case in every instance where proof is not given to the contrary, is entitled to half a year's notice, which must be given in such a manner that the tenant must quit the premises at the same quarter day on which he took possession: so that if his rent commenced at michaelmas, the notice must be served at or before lady-day, that he may quit at michaelmas. if a tenant come in after any of the regular quarter days, and pay a certain sum for the remainder of the quarter, he does not commence annual tenant until the remainder of the quarter is expired; but if he pay rent for the whole quarter, he is to be considered as yearly tenant from the commencement of his rent, and his notice to quit must be regulated accordingly. should it happen that the landlord cannot ascertain the precise time when the tenancy commenced, he may enquire of the tenant, who must be served with notice to quit at the time he mentions, and must obey the warning agreeably to his own words, whether it be the true time or not. if he refuse to give the desired information, the landlord, instead of 'on or before midsummer next,' must give in his notice, 'at the end and expiration of the current year of your tenancy, which shall expire next after the end of one half year from the date hereof.' if notice be given up to a wrong time, or a quarter instead of half a year, such warning will be sufficient, if the party make no objection at the time he receives it. when premises are held by lease, the expiration of the term is sufficient notice to quit, without giving any other warning for that purpose. the following is the form of a landlord's notice to his tenant:--'i do hereby give you notice to quit the house and premises you hold of me, situate in the parish of ------ in the county of ------ on or before midsummer next. dated the ------ day of ------ in the year ------ r. c.'--the following is a tenant's notice to his landlord:--'sir, i hereby give you warning of my intention to quit your house in the parish of ------ on or before michaelmas next. dated the ------ day of ------ in the year ------ c. r.'--these forms will also serve for housekeepers and lodgers, if 'apartment' be added instead of house or premises. care however must be taken to give the address correctly: 'r. c. landlord of the said premises, to c. r. the tenant thereof.' or, 'to mr. r. c. the landlord of the said premises.' nottingham pudding. peel six large apples, take out the core with the point of a small knife or an apple scoop, but the fruit must be left whole. fill up the centre with sugar, place the fruit in a pie dish, and pour over a nice light batter, prepared as for batter pudding, and bake it an hour in a moderate oven. nutmeg graters. those made with a trough, and sold by the ironmongers, are by far the best, especially for grating fine and fast. nuts. hazel nuts may be preserved in great perfection for several months, by burying them in earthen pots well closed, a foot or two in the ground, especially in a dry or sandy place. o. oat cakes. these may be made the same as muffins, only using fine yorkshire oatmeal instead of flour. another sort is made of fine oatmeal, warm water, yeast and salt, beat to a thick batter, and set to rise in a warm place. pour some of the batter on a baking stone, to any size you please, about as thick as a pancake. pull them open to butter them, and set them before the fire. if muffins or oat cakes get stale, dip them in cold water, and crisp them in a dutch oven. oatmeal. this article has undergone a very considerable improvement, since the introduction of what are termed embden groats, manufactured in england it is true, out of dutch oats, but of a quality superior to any thing before known in this country under the name of oatmeal, and which may now be had of almost all retailers at a moderate price. oatmeal flummery. put three large handfuls of fine oatmeal into two quarts of spring water, and let it steep a day and a night. pour off the clear water, put in the same quantity of fresh water, and strain the oatmeal through a fine sieve. boil it till it is as thick as hasty pudding, keep it stirring all the time, that it may be smooth and fine. when first strained, a spoonful of sugar should be added, two spoonfuls of orange flower-water, two or three spoonfuls of cream, a blade of mace, and a bit of lemon peel. when boiled enough, pour the flummery into a shallow dish, and serve it up. oatmeal pudding. pour a quart of boiling milk over a pint of the best oatmeal, and let it soak all night. next day beat two eggs, and mix a little salt. butter a bason that will just hold it, cover it tight with a floured cloth, and boil it an hour and a half. eat it with cold butter and salt. when cold, slice and toast it, and eat it as oat-cake, buttered. old writings. when old deeds or writings are so much defaced that they can scarcely be deciphered, bruise and boil a few nut galls in white wine; or if it be a cold infusion, expose it to the sun for two or three days. then dip a sponge into the infusion, pass it over the writing that is sunk, and it will instantly be revived, if the infusion be strong enough of the galls. vitriolic or nitrous acid a little diluted with water, will also render the writing legible; but care must be taken that the solution be not too strong, or it will destroy the paper or the parchment which contains the writing. ointments. an excellent ointment for burns, scalds, chilblains, and dressing blisters, may be made in the following manner. take eight ounces of hog's lard quite fresh, one ounce of bees' wax, and one of honey. put them into a kettle over the fire, and stir it together till it is all melted. pour it into a jar for keeping, add a large spoonful of rose water, and keep stirring it till it is cold.--bad scalds and burns should first have a poultice of grated potatoes applied to them for several hours, and then a plaster of the ointment, which must be renewed morning and evening.--for blisters, a plaster of this should be spread rather longer than the blister, and put on over the blister plaster when it has been on twenty-four hours, or sooner if it feel uneasy. by this means the blister plaster will slip off when it has done drawing, without any pain or trouble.--for chilblains, it has never been known to fail of a cure, if the feet have been kept clean, dry, and warm.--an emollient ointment, for anointing any external inflammations, may be made as follows. take two pounds of palm oil, a pint and a half of olive oil, half a pound of yellow wax, and a quarter of a pound of venice turpentine. melt the wax in the oil over the fire, mix in the turpentine, and strain off the ointment. ointment for burns. scrape two ounces of bees' wax into half a pint of sallad oil, and let it simmer gently over the fire till the whole is incorporated. take it off the fire, beat up the yolks of three eggs with a spoonful of oil, and stir up all together till it is quite cold. ointment for the eyes. this is made of four ounces of fresh lard, two drams of white wax, and one ounce of prepared tutty. melt the wax with the lard over a gentle fire, and sprinkle in the tutty, continually stirring them till the ointment is cold. ointment of lead. this should consist of half a pint of olive oil, two ounces of white wax, and three drams of the sugar of lead finely powdered. rub the sugar of lead with some of the oil, add to it the other ingredients, which should be previously melted together, and stir them till the ointment is quite cold. this cooling ointment may be used in all cases where the intention is to dry and skin over the wound, as in burns and scalds. ointment of marshmallows. take half a pound of marshmallow roots, three ounces of linseed, and three ounces of fennugreek seed. bruise and boil them gently half an hour in a quart of water, and then add two quarts of sweet oil. boil them together till the water is all evaporated: then strain off the oil, and add to it a pound of bees' wax, half a pound of yellow rosin, and two ounces of common turpentine. melt them together over a slow fire, and keep stirring till the ointment is cold. ointment of sulphur. this is the safest and best application for the itch, and will have no disagreeable smell, if made in the following manner. take four ounces of fresh lard, an ounce and a half of flour of sulphur, two drams of crude sal-ammoniac, and ten or a dozen drops of lemon essence. when made into an ointment, rub it on the parts affected. olives. this foreign article, sent over in a state of preservation, requires only to be kept from the air. olives are of three kinds, italian, spanish, and french, of different sizes and flavour. each should be firm, though some are most fleshy. omlet. make a batter of eggs and milk, and a very little flour. add chopped parsley, green onions, or chives, or a very small quantity of shalot, a little pepper and salt, and a scrape or two of nutmeg. boil some butter in a small frying-pan, and pour the above batter into it. when one side is of a fine yellow brown, turn it and do the other: double it when served. some lean ham scraped, or grated tongue, put in at first, is a very pleasant addition. four eggs will make a pretty omlet, but some will use eight or ten, and only a small proportion of flour, but a good deal of parsley. if the taste be approved, a little tarragon will give a fine flavour. ramakins and omlet, though usually served in the course, would be much better if they were sent up after, that they might be eaten as hot as possible. onion gravy. peel and slice some onions into a small stewpan, with an ounce of butter, adding cucumber or celery if approved. set it on a slow fire, and turn the onion about till it is lightly browned; then stir in half an ounce of flour, a little broth, a little pepper and salt, and boil it up for a few minutes. add a table-spoonful of port wine, the same of mushroom ketchup, and rub it through a fine sieve. it may be sharpened with a little lemon juice or vinegar. the flavour of this sauce may be varied by adding tarragon, or burnt vinegar. onion sauce. peel the onions and boil them tender. squeeze the water from them, chop and add them to butter that has been melted rich and smooth, with a little good milk instead of water. boil it up once, and serve it for boiled rabbits, partridges, scrag or knuckle of veal or roast mutton. a turnip boiled with the onions makes them milder. onion soup. put some carrots, turnips, and a shank bone, into the liquor in which a leg or neck of mutton has been boiled, and simmer them together two hours. strain it on six onions, sliced and fried of a light brown; simmer the soup three hours, and skim it carefully. put a small roll into it, or fried bread, and serve it up hot. onions. in order to obtain a good crop of onions, it is proper to sow at different seasons. on light soils sow in august, january, or early in february: on heavy wet soils in march, or early in april. onions however should not be sown so soon as january, unless the ground be in a dry state, which is not often the case at that time of the year: otherwise, advantage should be taken of it. as this valuable root is known frequently to fail by the common method of culture, the best way is to sow the seed successively, that advantage may be taken of the seasons as they happen. orange biscuits. boil whole seville oranges in two or three waters, till most of the bitterness is gone. cut them, and take out the pulp and juice; then beat the outside very fine in a mortar, and put to it an equal weight of double-refined sugar beaten and sifted. when extremely well mixed to a paste, spread it thin on china dishes, and set them in the sun, or before the fire. when half dry, cut it into what form you please, and turn the other side up to dry. keep the biscuits in a box, with layers of paper. they are intended for desserts, and are also useful as a stomachic, to carry in the pocket on journeys, and for gouty stomachs. orange brandy. steep the peels of twenty seville oranges in three quarts of brandy, and let it stand a fortnight in a stone bottle. boil two quarts of water with a pound and a half of loaf sugar nearly an hour, clarify,it with the white of an egg, strain it, and boil it till reduced nearly one half. when cold, strain the brandy into the syrup. orange butter. boil six hard eggs, beat them in a mortar with two ounces of fine sugar, three ounces of butter, and two ounces of blanched almonds beaten to a paste. moisten with orange-flower water; and when all is mixed, rub it through a cullender on a dish, and serve with sweet biscuits between. orange cheesecakes. blanch half a pound of almonds, beat them very fine, with orange-flower water, half a pound of fine sugar beaten and sifted, a pound of butter that has been melted carefully without oiling, and which must be nearly cold before it is used. then beat the yolks of ten and the whites of four eggs. pound in a mortar two candied oranges, and a fresh one with the bitterness boiled out, till they are as tender as marmalade, without any lumps. beat the whole together, and put it into pattipans. orange chips. cut oranges in halves, squeeze the juice through a sieve, and soak the peels in water. next day boil them in the same till tender; then drain and slice the peels, add them to the juice, weigh as much sugar, and put all together into a broad earthen dish. place the dish at a moderate distance from the fire, often stirring till the chips candy, and then set them in a cool room to dry, which commonly requires about three weeks. orange cream. boil the rind of a seville orange very tender, and beat it fine in a mortar. add to it a spoonful of the best brandy, the juice of a seville orange, four ounces of loaf sugar, and the yolks of four eggs. beat them all together for ten minutes; then by gentle degrees, pour in a pint of boiling cream, and beat it up till cold. set some custard cups into a deep dish of boiling water, pour the cream into the cups, and let it stand again till cold. put at the top some small strips of orange paring cut thin, or some preserved chips. orange-flower cakes. soak four ounces of the leaves of the flowers in cold water for an hour; drain, and put them between napkins, and roll with a rolling-pin till they are bruised. have ready boiled a pound of sugar to add to it in a thick syrup, give them a simmer until the syrup adheres to the sides of the pan, drop it in little cakes on a plate, and dry them in a cool room. orange fool. mix the juice of three seville oranges, three eggs well beaten, a pint of cream, a little nutmeg and cinnamon, and sweeten it to taste. set the whole over a slow fire, and stir it till it becomes as thick as good melted butter, but it must not be boiled. then pour it into a dish for eating cold. orange jam. lay half a dozen oranges in water four or five days, changing the water once or twice every day. take out the oranges, and wipe them dry. tie them up in separate cloths, and boil them four hours in a large kettle, changing the water once or twice. peel off the rinds and pound them well in a marble mortar, with two pounds of fine sugar to one pound of orange. then beat all together, and cover the jam down in a pot. orange jelly. grate the rind of two seville and two china oranges, and two lemons. squeeze the juice of three of each, and strain it; add a quarter of a pound of lump sugar dissolved in a quarter of a pint of water, and boil it till it nearly candies. prepare a quart of jelly, made of two ounces of isinglass; add to it the syrup, and boil it once up. strain off the jelly, and let it stand to settle before it is put into the mould. orange juice. when the fresh juice cannot be procured, a very useful article for fevers may be made in the following manner. squeeze from the finest fruit, a pint of juice strained through fine muslin. simmer it gently with three quarters of a pound of double-refined sugar twenty minutes, and when cold put it into small bottles. orange marmalade. rasp the oranges, cut out the pulp, then boil the rinds very tender, and beat them fine in a marble mortar. boil three pounds of loaf sugar in a pint of water, skim it, and add a pound of the rind; boil it fast till the syrup is very thick, but stir it carefully. then add a pint of the pulp and juice, the seeds having been removed, and a pint of apple liquor; boil it all gently about half an hour, until it is well jellied, and put it into small pots. lemon marmalade may be made in the same way, and both of them are very good and elegant sweetmeats. orange peel. scrape out all the pulp, soak the peels in water, and stir them every day. in a week's time put them in fresh water, and repeat it till all the bitterness is extracted. boil the peels in fresh water over a slow fire till they are quite tender, and reduce the liquor to a quantity sufficient to boil it to a thick syrup. put the peels into the syrup, simmer them gently, take them out of the syrup, and let them cool. lay them to dry in the sun, and the peel will be nicely candied. orange pudding. grate the rind of a seville orange, put to it six ounces of fresh butter, and six or eight ounces of lump sugar pounded. beat them all in a marble mortar, and add at the same time the whole of eight eggs well beaten and strained. scrape a raw apple, and mix it with the rest. put a paste round the bottom and sides of the dish, and over the orange mixture lay cross bars of paste. half an hour will bake it.--another. mix two full spoonfuls of orange paste with six eggs, four ounces of fine sugar, and four ounces of warm butter. put the whole into a shallow dish, with a paste lining, and bake it twenty minutes.--another. rather more than two table-spoonfuls of the orange paste, mixed with six eggs, four ounces of sugar, and four ounces of butter melted, will make a good pudding, with a paste at the bottom of the dish. twenty minutes will bake it.--or, boil the rind of a seville orange very soft, and beat it up with the juice. then add half a pound of butter, a quarter of a pound of sugar, two grated biscuits, and the yolks of six eggs. mix all together, lay a puff paste round the edge of the dish, and bake it half an hour. orange tart. squeeze, pulp, and boil two seville oranges quite tender. weigh them, add double the quantity of sugar, and beat them together to a paste. add the juice and pulp of the fruit, and a little bit of fresh butter the size of a walnut, and beat all together. choose a very shallow dish, line it with a light puff-crust, lay the orange paste in it, and ice it over. or line a tart pan with a thin puff-paste, and put into it orange marmalade made with apple jelly. lay bars of paste, or a croquant cover over, and bake it in a moderate oven.--another. squeeze some seville oranges into a dish, grate off the outside rind, throw the peel into water, and change it often for two days. boil a saucepan of water, put in the oranges, and change the water three or four times to take out the bitterness: when they are quite tender, dry and beat them fine in a mortar. take their weight in double refined sugar, boil it to a syrup, and skim it clean: then put in the pulp, and boil it till it is quite clear. put it cold into the tarts, and the juice which was squeezed out, and bake them in a quick oven. lemon tarts are made in the same way. orange wine. to six gallons of water put fifteen pounds of soft sugar: before it boils, add the whites of six eggs well beaten, and take off the scum as it rises. when cold, add the juice of fifty oranges, and two thirds of the peels cut very thin; and immerse a toast covered with yeast. in a month after it has been in the cask, add a pint of brandy, and two quarts of rhenish wine. it will be fit to bottle in three or four months, but it should remain in bottles for twelve months before it is drunk. oranges. if intended to be kept for future use, the best way is to dry and bake some clean sand; and when it is cold, put it into a vessel. place on it a layer of oranges or lemons with the stalk end downwards, so that they do not touch each other, and cover them with the sand two inches deep. this will keep them in a good state of preservation for several months. another way is to freeze the fruit, and keep them in an ice-house. when used they are to be thawed in cold water, and will be good at any time of the year. if oranges or lemons are designed to be used for juice, they should first be pared to preserve the peel dry. some should be halved, and when squeezed, the pulp cut out, and the outsides dried for grating. if for boiling in any liquid, the first way is the best. oranges carved. with a penknife cut on the rinds any shape you please, then cut off a piece near and round the stalk, and take all the pulp out carefully with an apple scoop. put the rinds into salt and water two days, and change the water daily. boil them an hour or more in fresh salt and water, and drain them quite dry. let them stand a night in plain water, and then another night in a thin syrup, in which boil them the next day a few minutes. this must be repeated four days successively. then let them stand six or seven weeks, observing often whether they keep well; otherwise the syrup must be boiled again. then make a rich syrup for the oranges. oranges in jelly. cut a hole in the stalk part, the size of a shilling, and with a blunt knife scrape out the pulp quite clear without cutting the rind. tie each part separately in muslin, and lay them in spring water two days, changing the water twice a day. in the last water boil them over a slow fire till they are quite tender. observe that there is enough at first to allow for wasting, as they must be kept covered till the last. to every pound of fruit, allow two pounds of double-refined sugar, and one pint of water. boil the two latter, with the juice of the orange, till reduced to a syrup. clarify it, skim it well, and let it stand to be cold. then boil the fruit in the syrup half an hour; and if not clear, repeat it daily till they are done.--lemons are preserved in a similar way. pare and core some green pippins, and boil them in water till it is strongly flavoured with them. the fruit should not be broken, only gently pressed with the back of a spoon, and the water strained through a jelly bag till it is quite clear. to every pint of liquor put a pound of double-refined sugar, the peel and juice of a lemon, and boil the whole to a strong syrup. drain off the syrup from the fruit, and turning each lemon with the hole upwards in the jar, pour the apple jelly over it. the bits cut out must undergo the same process with the fruit, and the whole covered down with brandy paper. oranges preserved. to fill preserved oranges for a corner dish, take a pound of naples biscuits, some blanched almonds, the yolks of four eggs beaten, four ounces of butter warmed, and sugar to taste. grate the biscuits, mix them with the above, and some orange-flower water. fill the preserved oranges, and bake them in a very slow oven. if to be frosted, sift some fine sugar over them, as soon as they are filled; otherwise they should be wiped. or they may be filled with custard, and then the fruit need not be baked, but the custard should be put in cold. orangeade. squeeze out the juice of an orange, pour boiling water on a little of the peel, and cover it close. boil water and sugar to a thin syrup, and skim it. when all are cold, mix the juice, the infusion, and the syrup, with as much more water as will make a rich sherbet. strain the whole through a jelly bag; or squeeze the juice and strain it, and water and capillaire. orchard. fruit trees, whether in orchards, or espaliers, or against walls, require attention, in planting, pruning, or other management, almost every month in the year, to render them productive, and to preserve the fruit in a good state.--january. cut out dead wood and irregular branches, clean the stumps and boughs from the moss with a hollow iron. repair espaliers by fastening the stakes and poles with nails and wire, and tying the shoots down with twigs of osier. put down some stakes by all the new-planted trees. cut grafts to be ready, and lay them in the earth under a warm wall.--february. most kinds of trees may be pruned this month, though it is generally better to do it in autumn; but whatever was omitted at that season, should be done now. the hardiest kinds are to be pruned first; and such as are more tender, at the latter end of the month, when there will be less danger of their suffering in the wounded part from the frost. transplant fruit trees to places where they are wanted. open a large hole, set the earth carefully about the roots, and nail them at once to the wall, or fasten them to strong stakes. sow the kernels of apples and pears, and the stones of plums for stocks. endeavour to keep off the birds that eat the buds of fruit trees at this season of the year.--march. the grafts which were cut off early and laid in the ground, are now to be brought into use; the earliest kinds first, and the apples last of all. when this is done, take off the heads of the stocks that were inoculated the preceding year. a hand's breadth of the head should be left, for tying the bud securely to it, and that the sap may rise more freely for its nourishment. the fruit trees that were planted in october should also be headed, and cut down to about four eyes, that the sap may flow more freely.--april. examine the fruit trees against the walls and espaliers, take off all the shoots that project in front, and train such as rise kindly. thin apricots upon the trees, for there are usually more than can ripen; and the sooner this is done, the better will the rest succeed. water new-planted trees, plant the vine cuttings, and inspect the grown ones. nip off improper shoots; and when two rise from the same eye, take off the weakest of them. weed strawberry beds, cut off the strings, stir the earth between them, and water them once in two or three days. dig up the borders near the fruit trees, and never plant any large kind of flowers or vegetables upon them. any thing planted or sown near the trees, has a tendency to impoverish the fruit.--may. if any fresh shoots have sprouted upon the fruit trees, in espaliers, or against walls, take them off. train the proper ones to the walls or poles, at due distances, and in a regular manner. look over vines, and stop every shoot that has fruit upon it, to three eyes beyond the fruit. then train the branches regularly to the wall, and let such as are designed for the next year's fruiting grow some time longer, as their leaves will afford a suitable shade to the fruit. water the trees newly planted, keep the borders about the old ones clear, and pick off the snails and other vermin.--june. renew the operation of removing from wall trees and espaliers, all the shoots that project in front. train proper branches to their situations, where they are wanted. once more thin the wall fruit: leave the nectarines four inches apart, and the peaches five, but none nearer: the fruit will be finer, and the next year the tree will be stronger, if this precaution be adopted. inoculate the apricots, and choose for this purpose a cloudy evening. water trees lately planted, and pick up snails and vermin.--july. inoculate peaches and nectarines, and take off all projecting shoots in espaliers and wall fruit-trees. hang phials of honey and water upon fruit-trees, to protect them from the depredations of insects, and look carefully for snails, which also will destroy the fruit. keep the borders clear from weeds, and stir the earth about the roots of the trees; this will hasten the ripening of the fruit. examine the fruit trees that were grafted and budded the last season, to see that there are no shoots from the stocks. whenever they rise, take them off, or they will deprive the intended growth of its nourishment. attend to the trees lately planted, and water them often; and whatever good shoots they make, fasten them to the wall or espalier. repeat the care of the vines, take off improper or irregular shoots, and nail up the loose branches. let no weeds rise in the ground about them, for they will exhaust the nourishment, and impoverish the fruit.--august. watch the fruit on the wall trees, and keep off the devourers, of which there will be numberless kinds swarming about them during this month. send away the birds, pick up snails, and hang bottles of sweet water for flies and wasps. fasten loose branches, and gather the fruit carefully as it ripens. examine the vines all round, and remove those trailing branches which are produced so luxuriantly at this season of the year. suffer not the fruit to be shaded by loose and unprofitable branches, and keep the ground clear of weeds, which otherwise will impoverish the fruit.--september. the fruit must now be gathered carefully every day, and the best time for this purpose is an hour after sun-rise: such as is gathered in the middle of the day is always flabby and inferior. the fruit should afterwards be laid in a cool place till wanted. grapes as they begin to ripen will be in continual danger from the birds, if not properly watched and guarded. transplant gooseberries and currants, and plant strawberries and raspberries: they will then be rooted before winter, and flourish the succeeding season.--october. it is a useful practice to prime the peach and nectarine trees, and also the vines, as it invigorates the buds in the spring of the year. cut grapes for preserving, with a joint of the vine to each bunch. for winter keeping, gather fruits as they ripen. transplant all garden trees for flowering, prune currant bushes, and preserve the stones of the fruit for sowing.--november. stake up all trees planted for standards, or the winds will rock them at the bottom, and the frost will be let in and destroy them. throw a good quantity of peas straw about them, and lay on it some brick bats or pebbles to keep it fast: this will mellow the ground, and keep the frost from the roots. continue to prune wall fruit-trees, and prune also at this time the apple and pear kinds. pull off the late fruit of figs, or it will decay the branches.--december. prepare for planting trees where they will be wanted in the spring, by digging the ground deep and turning it well, in the place intended for planting. scatter over the borders some fresh mould and rotted dung, and in a mild day dig it in with a three-pronged fork. look over the orchard trees, and cut away superfluous wood and dead branches. let the boughs and shoots stand clear of each other, that the air may pass between, and the fruit will be better flavoured. this management is required for old trees: those that are newly planted are to be preserved by covering the ground about their roots. orgeat. boil a quart of new milk with a stick of cinnamon, sweeten it to taste, and let it cool. then pour it gradually over three ounces of almonds, and twenty bitter almonds that have been blanched and beaten to a paste, with a little water to prevent oiling. boil all together, and stir it till cold, then add half a glass of brandy.--another way. blanch and pound three quarters of a pound of almonds, and thirty bitter ones, with a spoonful of water. stir in by degrees two pints of water, and three pints of milk, and strain the whole through a cloth. dissolve half a pound of fine sugar in a pint of water, boil and skim it well; mix it with the other, adding two spoonfuls of orange-flower water, and a teacupful of the best brandy. orgeat for the sick. beat two ounces of almonds with a tea-spoonful of orange-flower water, and a bitter almond or two; then pour a quart of milk and water to the paste. sweeten with sugar, or capillaire. this is a fine drink for those who feel a weakness in the chest. in the gout also it is highly useful, and with the addition of half an ounce of gum arabic, it has been found to allay the painfulness of the attendant heat. half a glass of brandy may be added, if thought too cooling in the latter complaint, and the glass of orgeat may be put into a basin of warm water. ortolans. pick and singe, but do not draw them. tie them on a bird spit, and roast them. some persons like slices of bacon tied between them, but the taste of it spoils the flavour of the ortolan. cover them with crumbs of bread. ox cheek. soak half a head three hours, and clean it in plenty of water. take off all the meat, and put it into a stewpan with an onion, a sprig of sweet herbs, pepper, salt, and allspice. lay the bones on the top, pour on two or three quarts of water, and close it down. let it stand eight or ten hours in a slow oven, or simmer it on a hot hearth. when tender skim off the fat, and put in celery, or any other vegetable. slices of fried onion may be put into it a little before it is taken from the fire. ox cheek soup. break the bones of the cheek, wash it clean, put it into a stewpan, with a piece of butter at the bottom. add half a pound of lean ham sliced, one parsnip, two carrots, three onions, four heads of celery, cut small, and three blades of mace. set it over a slow fire for a quarter of an hour, then add a gallon of water, and simmer it gently till reduced to half the quantity. if intended as soup only, strain it off, and put in a head of sliced celery, with a little browning, to give it a fine colour. warm two ounces of vermicelli and put into it; boil it ten minutes, and pour it into a tureen, with the crust of a french roll. if to be used as stew, take up the cheek as whole as possible; put in a boiled carrot cut in small pieces, a slice of toasted bread, and some cayenne pepper. strain the soup through a hair sieve upon the meat, and serve it up. ox feet. these are very nutricious, in whatever way they are dressed. if to be eaten warm, boil them, and serve them up in a napkin. melted butter for sauce, with mustard, and a large spoonful of vinegar. or broil them very tender, and serve them as a brown fricassee. the liquor will do to make jelly sweet or relishing, and likewise to give richness to soups or gravies. they may also be fried, after being cut into four parts, dipped in egg, and properly floured. fried onions may be served round the dish, with sauce as above. or they may be baked for mock turtle. if to be eaten cold, they only require mustard, pepper, and vinegar.--another way. extract the bones from the feet, and boil the meat quite tender; then put it into a fryingpan with a little butter. after a few minutes, add some chopped mint and parsley, the yolks of two eggs beat up fine, half a pint of gravy, the juice of a lemon, and a little salt and nutmeg. put the meat into a dish, and pour the sauce over it. ox feet jelly. take a heel that has been only scalded, not boiled, slit it in two, and remove the fat from between the claws. simmer it gently for eight hours in a quart of water, till reduced to a pint and half, and skim it clean while it is doing. this strong jelly is useful in making calves' feet jelly, or may be added to mock turtle, and other soups. ox palates. boil them tender, blanch and scrape them. rub them with pepper, salt, and bread, and fry them brown on both sides. pour off the fat, put beef or mutton gravy into the stewpan for sauce, with an anchovy, a little lemon juice, grated nutmeg and salt. thicken it with butter rolled in flour: when these have simmered a quarter of an hour, dish them up, and garnish with slices of lemon. oxford dumplins. mix together two ounces of grated bread, four ounces of currants, the same of shred suet, a bit of lump sugar, a little powdered pimento, and plenty of grated lemon peel. add two eggs and a little milk; then divide the whole into five dumplins, and fry them of a fine yellow brown. made with half the quantity of flour, instead of bread, they are very excellent. serve them up with sweet sauce. oxford sausages. chop a pound and a half of pork, and the same of veal, cleared of skin and sinews. add three quarters of a pound of beef suet, mince and mix them together. steep the crumb of a penny loaf in water, and mix it with the meat; add also a little dried sage, pepper and salt. oyster loaves. open a quart of fresh oysters, wash and stew them in their own liquor, with two anchovies, a bunch of sweet herbs, a blade of mace, and a bit of lemon peel. drain off the liquor, boil up a quarter of a pound of butter till it turns brown; add half a spoonful of flour, and boil it up again. put in some of the oyster liquor, with a little gravy, white wine, mace, nutmeg, a few cloves, and a small piece of shalot. stew all together till it becomes as thick as cream; then put in the oysters, and stew them a few minutes. fry some bread crumbs in butter or sweet dripping till they are crisp and brown, drain them well, put in the oysters, and dish them up.--another. open the oysters, and save the liquor; wash them in it, and strain it through a sieve. put a little of the liquor into a tosser, with a bit of butter and flour, white pepper, a scrape of nutmeg, and a little cream. stew the oysters in the liquor, cut them into dice, and then put them into rolls sold for the purpose. oyster patties. put a fine puff-crust into small pattipans, and cover with paste, with a bit of bread in each. while they are baking, take off the beard of the oysters, cut the oysters small, put them in a small tosser, with a dust of grated nutmeg, white pepper and salt, a taste of lemon peel, shred as fine as possible, a spoonful of cream, and a little of the oyster liquor. simmer them together a few minutes, and fill the pattipans as soon as they are baked, first taking out the bread. a bread crust should be put into all patties, to keep them hollow while baking. oyster pie. open the oysters, take off the beards, parboil the oysters, and strain off the liquor. parboil some sweetbreads, cut them in slices, place them in layers with the oysters, and season very lightly with salt, pepper and mace. then add half a teacup of liquor, and the same of gravy. bake in a slow oven; and before the pie is sent to table, put in a teacup of cream, a little more oyster liquor, and a cup of white gravy, all warmed together, but not boiled. oyster sauce. save the liquor in opening the oysters, boil it with the beards, a bit of mace and lemon peel. in the mean time, throw the oysters into cold water, and drain it off. strain the liquor, put it into a saucepan with the oysters, and as much butter, mixed with a little milk, as will make sauce enough; but first rub a little flour with it. set them over the fire, and keep stirring all the time. when the butter has boiled once or twice, take them off, and keep the saucepan near the fire, but not on it; for if done too much, the oysters will be hard. squeeze in a little lemon juice, and serve it up. if for company, a little cream is a great improvement. observe, the oysters will thin the sauce, and therefore allow butter accordingly. oyster soup. beat the yolks of ten hard eggs, and the hard part of two quarts of oysters, in a mortar, and put them to two quarts of fish stock. simmer all together for half an hour, and strain it off. having cleared the oysters of the beards, and washed them well, put them into the soup, and let it simmer five minutes. beat up the yolks of six raw eggs, and add them to the soup. stir it all well together one way, by the side of the fire, till it is thick and smooth, but do not let it boil. serve up all together. oyster mouth soup. make a rich mutton broth, with two large onions, three blades of mace, and a little black pepper. when strained, pour it on a hundred and fifty oysters, without the beards, and a bit of butter rolled in flour. simmer it gently a quarter of an hour, and serve up the soup. oysters. of the several kinds of oysters, the pyfleet, colchester, and milford, are much the best. the native milton are fine, being white and fleshy; but others may be made to possess both these qualities in some degree, by proper feeding. colchester oysters come to market early in august, the milton in october, and are in the highest perfection about christmas, but continue in season till the middle of may. when alive and good, the shell closes on the knife; but if an oyster opens its mouth, it will soon be good for nothing. oysters should be eaten the minute they are opened, with their own liquor in the under shell, or the delicious flavour will be lost. the rock oyster is the largest, but if eaten raw it tastes coarse and brackish, but may be improved by feeding. in order to do this, cover the oysters with clean water, and allow a pint of salt to about two gallons; this will cleanse them from the mud and sand contracted in the bed. after they have lain twelve hours, change it for fresh salt and water; and in twelve hours more they will be fit to eat, and will continue in a good state for two or three days. at the time of high water in the place from whence they were taken, they will open their shells, in expectation of receiving their usual food. the real colchester or pyfleet barrelled oysters, that are packed at the beds, are better without being put into water; they are carefully and tightly packed, and must not be disturbed till wanted for the table. in temperate weather these will keep good for a week or ten days. to preserve barrelled oysters however, the best way is to remove the upper hoop, so that the head may fall down upon the oysters, and then to place a weight upon it. this will compress the oysters, keep in the liquor, and preserve them for several days. p. pain in the ear. this complaint is sometimes so prevalent as to resemble an epidemic, particularly amongst children. the most effectual remedy yet discovered has been a clove of garlic, steeped for a few minutes in warm sallad oil, and put into the ear, rolled up in muslin or fine linen. when the garlic has accomplished its object, and is removed from the ear, it should be replaced with cotton, to prevent the patient taking cold. paint. painted doors and windows may be made to look well for a considerable time, if properly cleaned. a cloth should never be used, for it leaves some lint behind; but take off the dust with a painter's brush, or a pair of bellows. when the painting is soiled or stained, dip a sponge or a bit of flannel in soda water, wash it off quickly, and dry it immediately, or the strength of the soda will eat off the colour. when wainscot requires scouring, it should be done from the top downwards, and the soda be prevented from running on the uncleaned part as much as possible, or marks will appear after the whole is finished. one person should dry the board with old linen, as fast as the other has scoured off the dirt, and washed away the soda. paint for iron. for preserving palisadoes and other kinds of iron work exposed to the weather, heat some common litharge in a shovel over the fire. then scatter over it a small quantity of sulphur, and grind it in oil. this lead will reduce it to a good lead colour, which will dry very quickly, get remarkably hard, and resist the weather better than any other common paint. paintings. oil paintings frequently become smoked or dirty, and in order to their being properly cleaned, require to be treated with the greatest care. dissolve a little common salt in some stale urine, dip a woollen cloth in the liquid, and rub the paintings over with it till they are quite clean. then wash them with a sponge and clean water, dry them gradually, and rub them over with a clean cloth. paling preserved. the following cheap and valuable composition will preserve all sorts of wood work exposed to the vicissitudes of the weather. take some well-burnt lime, and expose it to the air till it falls to powder, without putting any water to it, and mix with it two thirds of wood ashes, and one third of fine sand. sift the whole through a fine sieve, and work it up with linseed oil to the consistence of common paint, taking care to grind it fine, and mix it well together. the composition may be improved by the addition of an equal quantity of coal tar with the linseed oil; and two coats of it laid on any kind of weather boards, will be found superior to any kind of paint used for that purpose. palpitation of the heart. persons of a full habit may find relief in bleeding; but where it is accompanied with nervous affections, as is generally the case, bleeding must by all means be avoided. frequent bathing the feet in warm water, a stimulating plaster applied to the left side, and gentle exercise, are the most proper. palsy. the luxurious, the sedentary, and those who have suffered great anxiety and distress of mind, are the most subject to this disorder, which generally attacks the left side, and is attended with numbness and drowsiness. the parts affected ought to be frequently rubbed with a flesh brush, or with the hand. blisters, warm plasters, volatile liniments, and electricity should likewise be employed. the following electuary is also recommended. mix an ounce of flour of mustard, and an ounce of the conserve of roses, in some syrup of ginger; and take a tea-spoonful of it three or four times a day. panada. to make panada in five minutes, set a little water on the fire with a glass of white wine, some sugar, and a scrape of nutmeg and lemon peel, grating meanwhile some crumbs of bread. the moment the mixture boils up, keeping it still on the fire, put in the crumbs, and let it boil as fast as it can. when of a proper thickness just to drink, take it off.--another way. make the panada as above, but instead of a glass of wine, put in a tea-spoonful of rum, a little butter and sugar. this makes a very pleasant article for the sick.--another. put into the water a bit of lemon peel, and mix in the crumbs: when nearly boiled enough, add some lemon or orange syrup. observe to boil all the ingredients; for if any be added after, the panada will break, and not turn to jelly. pancakes. make a light batter of eggs, flour, and milk. fry it in a small pan, in hot dripping or lard. salt, nutmeg, or ginger, may be added. sugar and lemon should be served, to eat with them. when eggs are very scarce, the batter may be made of flour and small beer, with the addition of a little ginger; or clean snow, with flour, and a very little milk, will serve instead of egg. fine pancakes, fried without butter or lard, are made as follows. beat six fresh eggs extremely well, strain and mix them with a pint of cream, four ounces of sugar, a glass of wine, half a nutmeg grated, and as much flour as will make it almost as thick as ordinary pancake batter, but not quite. heat the fryingpan tolerably hot, wipe it with a clean cloth, and pour in the batter so as to make the pancakes thin.--new england pancakes are made of a pint of cream, mixed with five spoonfuls of fine flour, seven yolks and four whites of eggs, and a very little salt. they are then fried very thin in fresh butter, and sent to table six or eight at once, with sugar and cinnamon strewed between them.--another way to make cream pancakes. stir a pint of cream gradually into three spoonfuls of flour, and beat them very smooth. add to this six eggs, half a pound of melted butter, and a little sugar. these pancakes will fry from their own richness, without either butter or lard. run the batter over the pan as thin as possible, and when the pancakes are just coloured they are done enough. pap bread. to prepare a light nourishing food for young children, pour scalding water on some thin slices of good white bread, and let it stand uncovered till it cools. then drain off the water, bruise the bread fine, and mix it with as much new milk as will make a pap of a moderate thickness. it will be warm enough for use, without setting it on the fire. it is common to add sugar, but the pap is better without it, as is almost all food intended for children; and the taste will not require it, till habit makes it familiar. paper. all sorts of paper improve by keeping, if laid in a dry place, and preserved from mould and damp. it is bought much cheaper by the ream, than by the quire. the expense of this article is chiefly occasioned by the enormous duty laid upon it, and the necessity of importing foreign rags to supply the consumption. if more care were taken in families generally, to preserve the rags and cuttings of linen from being wasted, there would be less need of foreign imports, and paper might be manufactured a little cheaper. paper hangings. to clean these properly, first blow off the dust with the bellows, and then wipe the paper downwards in the slightest manner with the crumb of a stale white loaf. do not cross the paper, nor go upwards, but begin at the top, and the dirt of the paper and the crumbs will fall together. observe not to wipe more than half a yard at a stroke, and after doing all the upper part, go round again, beginning a little above where you left off. if it be not done very lightly, the dirt will adhere to the paper; but if properly attended to, the paper will look fresh and new. paper paste. to make a strong paste for paper, take two large spoonfuls of fine flour, and as much pounded rosin as will lie upon a shilling. mix them up with as much strong beer as will make the paste of a due consistence, and boil it half an hour. it is best used cold. parsley. to preserve parsley through the winter, gather some fine fresh sprigs in may, june, or july. pick and wash them clean, set on a stewpan half full of water, put a little salt in it, boil and scum it clean. then add the parsley, let it boil for two minutes, and take it out and lay it on a sieve before the fire, that it may be dried as quick as possible. put it by in a tin box, and keep it in a dry place. when wanted, lay it in a basin, and cover it with warm water for a few minutes before you use it. parsley and butter. wash some parsley very clean, and pick it carefully leaf by leaf. put a tea-spoonful of salt into half a pint of boiling water, boil the parsley in it about ten minutes, drain it on a sieve, mince it quite fine, and then, bruise it to a pulp. put it into a sauce boat, and mix with it by degrees about half a pint of good melted butter, only do not put so much flour to it, as the parsley will be sure to add to its thickness. parsley and butter should not be poured over boiled dishes, but be sent up in a boat. the delicacy of this elegant and innocent relish, depends upon the parsley being minced very fine. with the addition of a slice of lemon cut into dice, a little allspice and vinegar, it is made into dutch sauce. parsley pie. lay a fowl, or a few bones of the scrag of veal, seasoned, into a dish. scald a cullenderful of picked parsley in milk; season it, and add it to the fowl or meat, with a tea-cupful of any sort of good broth or gravy. when baked, pour into it a quarter of a pint of cream scalded, with a little bit of butter and flour. shake it round, and mix it with the gravy in the dish. lettuces, white mustard leaves, or spinach, well scalded, may be added to the parsley. parsley sauce. when no parsley leaves are to be had, tie up a little parsley seed in a piece of clean muslin, and boil it in water ten minutes. use this water to melt the butter, and throw into it a little boiled spinach minced, to look like parsley. parsnips. carrots and parsnips, when laid up for the winter, should have the tops cut off close, be cleared of the rough earth, and kept in a dry place. lay a bed of dry sand on the floor, two or three inches thick, put the roots upon it close together, with the top of one to the bottom of the next, and so on. cover the first layer with sand two inches thick, and then place another layer of roots, and go on thus till the whole store are laid up. cover the heap with dry straw, laid on tolerably thick. beet roots, salsify, hamburgh parsley roots, horseradish, and turnips, should all be laid up in the same manner, as a supply against frosty weather, when they cannot be got out of the ground. parsnips boiled. these require to be done very tender, and may be served whole with melted butter, or beaten smooth in a bowl, warmed up with a little cream, butter, flour, and salt. parsnips are highly nutricious, and make an agreeable sauce to salt fish. parsnips fricasseed. boil them in milk till they are soft. then cut them lengthways into bits, two or three inches long, and simmer them in a white sauce, made of two spoonfuls of broth. add a bit of mace, half a cupful of cream, a little flour and butter, pepper and salt. parsnip wine. to twelve pounds of sliced parsnips, add four gallons of water, and boil them till they become soft. squeeze the liquor well out of them, run it through a sieve, and add to every gallon three pounds of lump sugar. boil the whole three quarters of an hour, and when it is nearly cold, add a little yeast. let it stand in a tub for ten days, stirring it from the bottom every day, and then put it into a cask for twelve months. as it works over, fill it up every day. partridge boiled. this species of game is in season in the autumn. if the birds be young, the bill is of a dark colour, and the legs inclined to yellow. when fresh and good, the vent will be firm; but when stale, this part will look greenish. boiled partridges require to be trussed the same as chickens: from twenty to twenty-five minutes will do them sufficiently. serve them up with either white or brown mushroom sauce, or with rice stewed in gravy, made pretty thick, and seasoned with pepper and salt. pour the sauce over them, or serve them up with celery sauce. a boiled pheasant is dressed in the same manner, allowing three quarters of an hour for the cooking. partridge pie. pick and singe four partridges, cut off the legs at the knee, season with pepper, salt, chopped parsley, thyme, and mushrooms. lay a veal steak and a slice of ham at the bottom of the dish, put in the partridge, and half a pint of good broth. lay puff paste on the edge of the dish, and cover with the same; brush it over with egg, and bake it an hour. partridge soup. skin two old partridges, and cut them into pieces, with three or four slices of ham, a stick of celery, and three large onions sliced. fry them all in butter till brown, but take care not to burn them. then put them into a stewpan, with five pints of boiling water, a few peppercorns, a shank or two of mutton, and a little salt. stew it gently two hours, strain it through a sieve, and put it again into a stewpan, with some stewed celery and fried bread. when it is near boiling, skim it, pour it into a tureen, and send it up hot. paste puddings. make a paste of butter and flour, roll it out thin, and spread any kind of jam, or currants over it, with some suet chopped fine. roll it up together, close the paste at both ends, and boil it in a cloth. pastry. an adept in pastry never leaves any part of it adhering to the board or dish, used in making it. it is best when rolled on marble, or a very large slate. in very hot weather, the butter should be put into cold water to make it as firm as possible; and if made early in the morning, and preserved from the air until it is to be baked, the pastry will be found much better. an expert hand will use much less butter and produce lighter crust than others. good salt butter well washed, will make a fine flaky crust. when preserved fruits are used in pastry, they should not be baked long; and those that have been done with their full proportion of sugar, require no baking at all. the crust should be baked in a tin shape, and the fruit be added afterwards; or it may be put into a small dish or tart pans, and the covers be baked on a tin cut out into any form. patties. slice some chicken, turkey, or veal, with dressed ham, or sirloin of beef. add some parsley, thyme, and lemon peel, chopped very fine. pound all together in a mortar, and season with salt and white pepper. line the pattipans with puff paste, fill them with meat, lay on the paste, close the edges, cut the paste round, brush it over with egg, and bake the patties twenty minutes. pavements. for cleaning stone stairs, and hall pavements, boil together half a pint each of size and stone-blue water, with two table-spoonfuls of whiting, and two cakes of pipe-clay, in about two quarts of water.--wash the stones over with a flannel slightly wetted in this mixture; and when dry, rub them with a flannel and brush. payment of rent. rent due for tenements let from year to year, is commonly paid on the four quarter days; and when the payments are regularly made at the quarter, the tenant cannot be deprived of possession at any other time than at the end of a complete year from the commencement of his tenancy. if therefore he took possession at midsummer, he must quit at midsummer, and notice thereof must be sent at or before the preceding christmas. a similar notice is also required from the tenant to the landlord, when it is intended to leave the premises.--every quarter's rent is deemed a separate debt, for which the landlord can bring a separate action, or distress for nonpayment. the landlord himself is the proper person to demand rent: if he employs another person, he must be duly authorised by power of attorney, clearly specifying the person from whom, and the premises for which the rent is due: or the demand will be insufficient, if the tenant should be inclined to evade payment. the following is the form of a receipt for rent:--'received of r. c. february , , the sum of ten pounds twelve shillings for a quarter's rent, due at christmas last.' '£ j. w. m.' pea fowl. these require to be fed the same as turkeys. they are generally so shy, that they are seldom to be found for some days after hatching; and it is very wrong to pursue them, as many ignorant people do, under the idea of bringing them home. it only causes the hen to carry the young ones through dangerous places, and by hurrying she is apt to tread upon them. the cock bird kills all the young chickens he can get at, by one blow on the centre of the head with his bill, and he does the same by his own brood, before the feathers of the crown come out. nature therefore directs the hen to hide and keep them out of his way, till the feathers rise. pea powder. pound together in a marble mortar half an ounce each of dried mint and sage, a dram of celery seed, and a quarter of a dram of cayenne, and rub them through a fine sieve. this gives a very savoury relish to pea soup, and to water gruel. a dram of allspice, or black pepper, may be pounded with the above, as an addition, or instead of the cayenne. peach wine. take peaches, apricots, and nectarines, when they are full of juice, pare them, and take out the stones. then slice them thin, pour over them from one to two gallons of water, and a quart of white wine. simmer the whole gently for a considerable time, till the sliced fruit becomes soft. pour off the liquid part into another vessel, containing more peaches that have been sliced but not heated; let them stand for twelve hours, then pour out the liquid part, and press what remains through a fine hair bag. let the whole be now put into a cask to ferment, and add a pound and a half of loaf sugar to each gallon. boil an ounce of beaten cloves in a quart of white wine, and put it into the cask; the morella wine will have a delicious flavour. wine may be made of apricots by only bruising, and pouring the hot water upon them: this wine does not require so much sweetening. to give it a curious flavour, boil an ounce of mace, and half an ounce of nutmegs, in a quart of white wine; and when the wine is fermenting, pour the liquid in hot. in about twenty days or a month, these wines will be fit for bottling. pearl barley pudding. cleanse a pound of pearl barley, and put to it three quarts of milk, half a pound of sugar, and a grated nutmeg. bake it in a deep pan, take it out of the oven, and beat up six eggs with it. then butter a dish, pour in the pudding, and bake it again an hour. pearls. to make artificial pearls, take the blay or bleak fish, which is very common in the rivers near london, and scrape off the fine silvery scales from the belly. wash and rub them in water; let the water settle, and a sediment will be found of an oily consistence. a little of this is to be dropped into a hollow glass bead of a bluish tint, and shaken about, so as to cover all the internal surface. after this the bead is filled up with melted white wax, to give it weight and solidity. pears. large ones, when intended to be kept, should be tied and hung up by the stalk. peas. young green peas, well dressed, are one of the greatest delicacies of the vegetable kingdom. they must be quite young; it is equally indispensable that they be fresh gathered, and cooked as soon as they are shelled, for they soon lose both their colour and sweetness. of course they should never be purchased ready shelled. to have them in perfection, they must be gathered the same day that they are dressed, and be put on to boil within half an hour after they are shelled. as large and small peas cannot be boiled together, the small ones should be separated from the rest, by being passed through a riddle or coarse sieve. for a peck of young peas, which will not be more than sufficient for two or three persons, after they are shelled, set on a saucepan with a gallon of water. when it boils, put in the peas with a table-spoonful of salt. skim it well, keep them quickly boiling from twenty to thirty minutes, according to their age and size. to judge whether they are done enough, take some out with a spoon and taste them, but be careful not to boil them beyond the point of perfection. when slightly indented, and done enough, drain them on a hair sieve. put them into a pie dish, and lay some small bits of butter on the peas; put another dish over them, and turn them over and over, in order to diffuse the butter equally among them. or send them to table plain from the saucepan, with melted butter in a sauce tureen. garnish the dish with a few sprigs of mint, boiled by themselves. peas and bacon. cut a piece of nice streaked bacon, lay it in water to take out some of the salt, and boil it with some dried peas, in a little water. add two carrots or parsnips, two onions, and a bunch of sweet herbs. when the peas are done enough, pulp them through a cullender or sieve, and serve them over the bacon. peas cultivated. instead of sowing peas in straight rows, they should be formed into circles of three or four feet diameter, with a space of two feet between each circle. by this means they will blossom nearer the ground, than when enclosed in long rows, and will ripen much sooner. or if set in straight rows, a bed of ten or twelve feet wide should be left between, for onions and carrots, or any crops which do not grow tall. the peas will not be drawn up so much, but will grow stronger, and be more productive. scarlet beans should be treated in the same manner. peas and pork. two pounds of the belly part of pickled pork will make very good broth for peas soup, if the pork be not too salt. if it has been in salt several days, it must be laid in water the night before it is used. put on three quarts of soft water, or liquor in which meat has been boiled, with a quart of peas, and let it boil gently for two hours. then put in the pork, and let it simmer for an hour or more, till it is quite tender. when done, wash the pork clean in hot water, send it up in a dish, or cut into small pieces and put with the soup into the tureen. peas porridge. boil the peas, and pulp them through a cullender. heat them up in a saucepan with some butter, chopped parsley and chives, and season with pepper and salt. peas pudding. soak the peas an hour or two before they are boiled; and when nearly done, beat them up with salt and pepper, an egg, and a bit of butter. tie it up in a cloth, and boil it half an hour. peas soup. save the liquor of boiled pork or beef: if too salt, dilute it with water, or use fresh water only, adding the bones of roast beef, a ham or gammon bone, or an anchovy or two. simmer these with some good whole or split peas; the smaller the quantity of water at first the better. continue to simmer till the peas will pulp through a cullender; then set on the pulp to stew, with more of the liquor that boiled the peas, two carrots, a turnip, a leek, and a stick of chopped celery, till all is quite tender. the last requires less time, an hour will do it. when ready, put into a tureen some fried bread cut into dice, dried mint rubbed fine, pepper and salt if needed, and pour in the soup. when there is plenty of vegetables, no meat is necessary; but if meat be preferred, a pig's foot or ham bone may be boiled with the peas, which is called the stock. more butter than is above mentioned will be necessary, if the soup is required to be very rich. pencil drawings. to prevent chalk or pencil drawings from rubbing out, it is only necessary to lay them on the surface of some skim milk, free from cream and grease; and then taking off the drawing expeditiously, and hanging it up by one corner to dry. a thin wash of isinglass will also answer the same purpose. pepper pot. to three quarts of water, put any approved vegetables; in summer, peas, lettuce, spinach, and two or three onions; in winter, carrot, turnip, onions, and celery. cut them very small, and stew them with two pounds of neck of mutton, and a pound of pickled pork. half an hour before serving, clear a lobster or crab from the shell, and put it into the stew, adding a little salt and cayenne. some people choose very small suet dumplings, boiled in the above, or fowl may be used instead of mutton. a pepper pot may indeed be made of various things, and is understood to consist of a proper mixture of fish, flesh, fowl, vegetables, and pulse. a small quantity of rice should be boiled with the whole. peppermint drops. pound and sift four ounces of double-refined sugar, and beat it with the whites of two eggs till perfectly smooth. then add sixty drops of oil of peppermint; beat it well, drop it on white paper, and dry it at a distance from the fire. perch. when of a good size, as in holland, they are a remarkably fine fresh-water fish, though not so delicate as carp or tench. clean them carefully, and if to be boiled, put them into a fish-kettle, with as much cold spring water as will cover them, and add a handful of salt. set them on a quick fire till they boil, and then place them on one side to boil gently for about ten minutes, according to their size. if to be fried, wipe them on a dry cloth, after they have been well cleaned and washed, and flour them lightly all over. fry them about ten minutes in hot lard or dripping, lay them on a hair sieve to drain, and send them up on a hot dish. garnish with sprigs of green parsley, and serve them with anchovy sauce. perfumery. oil of lavender and other essences are frequently adulterated with a mixture of the oil of turpentine, which may be discovered by dipping a piece of paper or rag into the oil to be tried, and holding it to the fire. the fine scented oil will quickly evaporate, and leave the smell of the turpentine distinguishable, if the essence has been adulterated with this ingredient. permanent ink. this useful article for marking linen is composed of nitrate of silver, or lunar caustic, and the tincture or infusion of galls; in the proportion of one dram of the former in a dry state, to two drams of the latter. the linen, cotton, or other fabric, must be first wetted with the following liquid; namely, an ounce of the salt of tartar, dissolved in an ounce and a half of water; and must be perfectly dry before any attempt is made to write upon it. pettitoes. boil them very gently in a small quantity of water, along with the liver and the heart. then cut the meat fine, split the feet, and simmer them till they are quite tender. thicken with a bit of butter, a little flour, a spoonful of cream, and a little pepper and salt. give it a boil up, pour the liquor over a sippets of bread, and place the feet on the mince. pewter and tin. dish covers and pewter requisites should be wiped dry immediately after being used, and kept free from steam or damp, which would prevent much of the trouble in cleaning them. where the polish is gone off, let the articles be first rubbed on the outside with a little sweet oil laid on a piece of soft linen cloth. then clear it off with pure whitening on linen cloths, which will restore the polish. pheasants. the cock bird is reckoned the best, except when the hen is with egg. if young, its spurs are short and blunt; but if old, they are long and sharp. a large pheasant will require three quarters of an hour to boil; if small, half an hour. if for roasting, it should be done the same as a turkey. serve it up with a fine gravy, including a very small piece of garlic, and bread sauce or fried bread crumbs instead. when cold the meat may be made into excellent patties, but its flavour should not be overpowered with lemon. for the manner of trussing a pheasant or partridge, see plate. phosphoric match bottle. two thirds of calcined oyster shells, and one third of sulphur, put into a hot crucible for an hour, and afterwards exposed to the air for half an hour, become phosphorus. this is put into a bottle, and when used to procure a light, a very small quantity is taken out on the point of a common match, and rubbed upon a cork, which produces an immediate flame. if a small piece of phosphorus be put into a vial, and a little boiling oil poured upon it, a luminous bottle will be formed; for on taking out the cork, to admit the atmospheric air, the empty space in the vial will become luminous; and if the bottle be well closed, it will preserve its illuminative power for several months. pickle. for hams, tongues, or beef, a pickle may be made that will keep for years, if boiled and skimmed as often as it is used. provide a deep earthen glazed pan that will hold four gallons, having a cover that will fit close. put into it two gallons of spring water, two pounds of coarse sugar, two pounds of bay salt, two pounds and a half of common salt, and half a pound of salt petre. keep the beef or hams as long as they will bear, before they are put into the pickle; sprinkle them with coarse sugar in a pan, and let them drain. then rub them well with the pickle, and pack them in close, putting as much as the pan will hold, so that the pickle may cover them. the pickle is not to be boiled at first. a small ham may be fourteen days, a large one three weeks, a tongue twelve days, and beef in proportion to its size. they will eat well out of the pickle without drying. when they are to be dried, let each be drained over the pan; and when it will drop no longer, take a clean sponge and dry it thoroughly. six or eight hours will smoke them, and there should be only a little saw-dust and wet straw used for this purpose; but if put into a baker's chimney, they should be sown up in a coarse cloth, and hang a week. pickles. the free or frequent use of pickles is by no means to be recommended, where any regard is paid to health. in general they are the mere vehicles for taking a certain portion of vinegar and spice, and in the crisp state in which they are most admired are often indigestible, and of course pernicious. the pickle made to preserve cucumbers and mangoes, is generally so strongly impregnated with garlic, mustard, and spice, that the original flavour of the vegetable, is quite overpowered, and the vegetable itself becomes the mere absorbent of these foreign ingredients. but if pickles must still be regarded for the sake of the palate, whatever becomes of the stomach, it will be necessary to watch carefully the proper season for gathering and preparing the various articles intended to be preserved. frequently it happens, after the first week that walnuts come in season, that they become hard and shelled, especially if the weather be hot and dry; it is therefore necessary to purchase them as soon as they first appear at market; or in the course of a few months after being pickled, the nuts may be found incased in an impenetrable shell. the middle of july is generally the proper time to look for green walnuts. nasturtiums are to be had about the same. garlic and shalots, from midsummer to michaelmas. onions of various kinds for pickling, are in season by the middle of july, and for a month after. gherkins, cucumbers, melons, and mangoes, are to be had by the middle of july, and for a month after. green, red, and yellow capsicums, the end of july, and following month. chilies, tomatas, cauliflowers, and artichokes, towards the end of july, and throughout august. jerusalem artichokes for pickling, july and august, and for three months after. french beans and radish pods, in july. mushrooms, for pickling and for ketchup, in september. red cabbage, and samphire, in august. white cabbage, in september and october. horseradish, november and december.--pickles, when put down, require to be kept with great care, closely covered. when wanted for use they should be taken out of the jar with a wooden spoon, pierced with holes, the use of metal in this case being highly improper. pickles should be well kept from the air, and seldom opened. small jars should be kept for those more frequently in use, that what is not eaten may be returned into the jar, and the top kept closely covered. in preparing vinegar for pickles, it should not be boiled in metal saucepans, but in a stone jar, on a hot hearth, as the acid will dissolve or corrode the metal, and infuse into the pickle an unwholesome ingredient. for the same reason pickles should never be put into glazed jars, as salt and vinegar will penetrate the glaze, and render it poisonous. pickled asparagus. cut some asparagus, and lay it in an earthen pot. make a brine of salt and water, strong enough to bear an egg; pour it hot on the asparagus, and let it be closely covered. when it is to be used, lay it for two hours in cold water; boil and serve it up on a toast, with melted butter over it. if to be used as a pickle, boil it as it comes out of the brine, and lay it in vinegar. pickled bacon. for two tolerable flitches, dry a stone of salt over the fire, till it is scalding hot. beat fine two ounces of saltpetre, and two pounds of bay salt well dried, and mix them with some of the heated salt. rub the bacon first with that, and then with the rest; put it into a tub, and keep it close from the air. pickled beet root. boil the roots till three parts done, or set them into a cool oven till they are softened. cut them into slices of an inch thick, cover them with vinegar, adding some allspice, a few cloves, a little mace, black pepper, horseradish sliced, some onions, shalots, a little pounded ginger, and some salt. boil these ingredients together twenty minutes, and when cold, add to them a little bruised cochineal. put the slices of beet into jars, pour the pickle upon them, and tie the jars down close. pickled cabbage. slice a hard red cabbage into a cullender, and sprinkle each layer with salt. let it drain two days, then put it into a jar, cover it with boiling vinegar, and add a few slices of red beet-root. the purple red cabbage makes the finest colour. those who like the flavour of spice, will boil some with the vinegar. cauliflower cut in branches, and thrown in after being salted, will look of a beautiful red. pickled carrots. half boil some middle sized yellowish carrots, cut them into any shape, and let them cool. take as much vinegar as will cover them, boil it with a little salt, and a pennyworth of saffron tied in a piece of muslin. put the carrots into a jar; when the pickle is cold, pour it upon them, and cover the jar close. let it stand all night, then pour off the pickle, and boil it with jamaica pepper, mace, cloves, and a little salt. when cold, pour it upon the carrots, and tie them up for use. pickled cucumbers. cut them into thick slices, and sprinkle salt over them. next day drain them for five or six hours, then put them into a stone jar, pour boiling vinegar over them, and keep them in a warm place. repeat the boiling vinegar, and stop them up again instantly, and so on till quite green. then add peppercorns and ginger, and keep them in small stone jars. cucumbers are best pickled with sliced onions. pickled gherkins. select some sound young cucumbers, spread them on dishes, salt and let them lie a week. drain and put them in a jar, pouring boiling vinegar over them. set them near the fire, covered with plenty of vine leaves. if they do not come to a tolerably good green, pour the vinegar into another jar, set it on a hot hearth, and when the vinegar boils, pour it over them again, and cover them with fresh leaves. repeat this operation as often as is necessary, to bring the pickle to a good colour. too many persons have made pickles of a very fine green, by using brass or bellmetal kettles; but as this is highly poisonous, the practice ought never to be attempted. pickled ham. after it has been a week in the pickle, boil a pint of vinegar, with two ounces of bay salt. pour it hot on the ham, and baste it every day; it may then remain in the brine two or three weeks. pickled herring. procure them as fresh as possible, split them open, take off the heads, and trim off all the thin parts. put them into salt and water for one hour, drain and wipe the fish, and put them into jars, with the following preparation, which is enough for six dozen herrings. take salt and bay salt one pound each, saltpetre and lump sugar two ounces each, and powder and mix the whole together. put a layer of the mixture at the bottom of the jar, then a layer of fish with the skin side downwards; so continue alternately till the jar is full. press it down, and cover it close: in two or three months they will be fit for use. pickled lemons. they should be small, and with thick rinds. rub them with a piece of flannel, and slit them half down in four quarters, but not through to the pulp. fill the openings with salt hard pressed in, set them upright in a pan for four or five days, until the salt melts, and turn them thrice a day in their own liquor till quite tender. make enough pickle to cover them, of rape vinegar, the brine of the lemons, peppercorns, and ginger. boil and skim it; when cold put it to the lemons, with two ounces of mustard seed, and two cloves of garlic to six lemons. when the lemons are to be used, the pickle will be useful in fish or other sauces. pickled mackarel. clean and divide the fish, and cut each side into three; or leave them undivided, and cut each side into five or six pieces. to six large mackarel, take nearly an ounce of pepper, two nutmegs, a little mace, four cloves, and a handful of salt, all finely powdered. mix them together, make holes in each bit of fish, put the seasoning into them, and rub some of it over each piece. fry them brown in oil, and when cold put them into a stone jar, and cover them with vinegar. thus prepared, they will keep for months; and if to be kept longer, pour oil on the top. mackarel preserved this way are called caveach. a more common way is to boil the mackarel after they are cleaned, and then to boil up some of the liquor with a few peppercorns, bay leaves, and a little vinegar; and when the fish is cold, the liquor is poured over them. collared mackarel are prepared the same way as collared eel. pickled melons. take six melons, cut a slice out of them, and scrape out the seeds and pulp quite clean. put them into a tin stewpan with as much water as will cover them; add a small handful of salt, and boil them over a quick fire. when they boil take them off the fire, put them into an earthen pan with the water, and let them stand till the next day. the melons must then be taken out and wiped dry, both within and without. put two small cloves of garlic into each, a little bit of ginger, and bruised mustard seed, enough to fill them. replace the slice that was cut out, and tie it on with a thread. boil some cloves, mace, ginger, pepper, and mustard seed, all bruised, and some garlic, in as much vinegar as will cover them. after a little boiling, pour the whole, boiling-hot, upon the melons. they must be quite covered with the pickle, and tied down close, when cold, with a bladder and leather. they will not be fit for use in less than three or four months, and will keep two or three years. pickled mushrooms. rub the buttons with a piece of flannel, and salt. take out the red inside of the larger ones, and when old and black they will do for pickling. throw some salt over, and put them into a stewpan with mace and pepper. as the liquor comes out, shake them well, and keep them over a gentle fire till all of it be dried into them again. then put as much vinegar into the pan as will cover them, give it one warm, and turn all into a glass or stone jar. mushrooms pickled in this way will preserve their flavour, and keep for two years. pickled nasturtium. take the buds fresh off the plants when they are pretty large, but before they grow hard, and put them into some of the best white wine vinegar, boiled up with such spices as are most agreeable. keep them in a bottle closely stopped, and they will be fit for use in a week or ten days. pickled onions. in the month of september, choose the small white round onions, take off the brown skin, have ready a very nice tin stewpan of boiling water, and throw in as many onions as will cover the top. as soon as they look clear on the outside, take them up with a slice as quick as possible, and lay them on a clean cloth. cover them close with another cloth, and scald some more, and so on. let them lie to be cold, then put them in a jar or wide-mouthed glass bottles, and pour over them the best white-wine vinegar, just hot, but not boiling, and cover them when cold. they must look quite clear; and if the outer skin be shriveled, peel it off. pickled oysters. open four dozen large oysters, wash them in their own liquor, wipe them dry, and strain off the liquor. add a dessert-spoonful of pepper, two blades of mace, a table-spoonful of salt, if the liquor require it; then add three spoonfuls of white wine, and four of vinegar. simmer the oysters a few minutes in the liquor, then put them into small jars, boil up the pickle, and skim it. when cold, pour the liquor over the oysters, and cover them close.--another way. open the oysters, put them into a saucepan with their own liquor for ten minutes, and simmer them very gently. put them into a jar one by one, that none of the grit may stick to them; and when cold, cover them with the pickle thus made. boil the liquor with a bit of mace, lemon peel, and black peppers; and to every hundred of these corns, put two spoonfuls of the best undistilled vinegar. the pickle should be kept in small jars, and tied close with bladder, for the air will spoil them. pickled pigeons. bone them, turn the inside out, and lard it. season with a little salt and allspice in fine powder; then turn them again, and tie the neck and rump with thread. put them into boiling water; when they have boiled a minute or two to make them plump, take them out and dry them well. then put them boiling hot into the pickle, which must be made of equal quantities of white wine and white-wine vinegar, with white pepper and allspice, sliced ginger and nutmeg, and two or three bay leaves. when it boils up, put in the pigeons. if they are small, a quarter of an hour will do them; if large, twenty minutes. then take them out, wipe them, and let them cool. when the pickle is cold, take the fat from it, and put them in again. keep them in a stone jar, tied down with a bladder to keep out the air. instead of larding, put into some a stuffing made of yolks of eggs boiled hard, and marrow in equal quantities, with sweet herbs, pepper, salt, and mace. pickled pork. the hams and shoulders being cut off, take for pickling the quantities proportioned to the middlings of a pretty large hog. mix and pound fine, four ounces of salt petre, a pound of coarse sugar, an ounce of salprunel, and a little common salt. sprinkle the pork with salt, drain it twenty four hours, and then rub it with the above mixture. pack the pieces tight in a small deep tub, filling up the spaces with common salt. place large pebbles on the pork, to prevent it from swimming in the pickle which the salt will produce. if kept from the air it will continue very fine for two years. pickled roses. take two pecks of damask rose buds, pick off the green part, and strew in the bottom of a jar a handful of large bay salt. put in half the roses, and strew a little more bay salt upon them. strip from the stalk a handful of knotted marjoram, a handful of lemon thyme, and as much common thyme. take six pennyworth of benjamin, as much of storax, six orris roots, and a little suet; beat and bruise them all together, and mix them with the stripped herbs. add twenty cloves, a grated nutmeg, the peel of two seville oranges pared thin, and of one lemon shred fine. mix them with the herbs and spices, strew all on the roses, and stir them once in two days till the jar is full. more sweets need not be added, but only roses, orange flowers, or single pinks. pickled salmon. after scaling and cleaning, split the salmon, and divide it into convenient pieces. lay it in the kettle to fill the bottom, and as much water as will cover it. to three quarts add a pint of vinegar, a handful of salt, twelve bay-leaves, six blades of mace, and a quarter of an ounce of black pepper. when the salmon is boiled enough, drain and lay it on a clean cloth; then put more salmon into the kettle, and pour the liquor upon it, and so on till all is done. after this, if the pickle be not smartly flavoured with the vinegar and salt, add more, and boil it quick three quarters of an hour. when all is cold, pack the dish in a deep pot, well covered with the pickle, and kept from the air. the liquor must be drained from the fish, and occasionally boiled and skimmed. pickled samphire. clear the branches of the samphire from the dead leaves, and lay them into a large jar, or small cask. make a strong brine of white or bay salt, skim it clean while it is boiling, and when done let it cool. take the samphire out of the water, and put it into a bottle with a broad mouth. add some strong white-wine vinegar, and keep it well covered down. pickled sturgeon. the following is an excellent imitation of pickled sturgeon. take a fine large turkey, but not old; pick it very nicely, singe, and make it extremely clean. bone and wash it, and tie it across and across with a piece of mat string washed clean. put into a very nice tin saucepan a quart of water, a quart of vinegar, a quart of white wine, not sweet, and a large handful of salt. boil and skim it well, and then boil the turkey. when done enough, tighten the strings, and lay upon it a dish with a weight of two pounds over it. boil the liquor half an hour; and when both are cold, put the turkey into it. this will keep some months, and eats more delicately than sturgeon. vinegar, oil, and sugar, are usually eaten with it. if more vinegar or salt should be wanted, add them when cold. garnish with fennel. pickled tongues. to prepare neats' tongues for boiling, cut off the roots, but leave a little of the kernel and fat. sprinkle some salt, and let it drain from the slime till next day. then for each tongue mix a large spoonful of common salt, the same of coarse sugar and about half as much of salt petre; rub it in well, and do so every day. in a week add another spoonful of salt. if rubbed every day, a tongue will be ready in a fortnight; but if only turned in the pickle daily, it will keep four or five weeks without being too salt. when tongues are to be dried, write the date on a parchment, and tie it on. tongues may either be smoked, or dried plain. when a tongue is to be dressed, boil it five hours till it is quite tender. if done sooner, it is easily kept hot for the table. the longer it is kept after drying, the higher it will be; and if hard, it may require soaking three or four hours.--another way. clean and prepare as above; and for two tongues allow an ounce of salt petre, and an ounce of salprunella, and rub them in well. in two days after well rubbing, cover them with common salt, turn them every day for three weeks, then dry them, rub bran over, and smoke them. keep them in a cool dry place, and in ten days they will be fit to eat. pickled walnuts. when they will bear a pin to go into them, boil a brine of salt and water, strong enough to swim an egg, and skim it well. when the brine is quite cold, pour it on the walnuts, and let them soak for six days. change the brine, and let them stand six more; then drain and put them into a jar, pouring over them a sufficient quantity of the best vinegar. add plenty of black pepper, pimento, ginger, mace, cloves, mustard seed, and horseradish, all boiled together, but put on cold. to every hundred of walnuts put six spoonfuls of mustard seed, and two or three heads of garlic or shalot, but the latter is the mildest. the walnuts will be fit for use in about six months; but if closely covered, they will be good for several years: the air will soften them. the pickle will be equal to ketchup, when the walnuts are used.--another way. put the walnuts into a jar, cover them with the best vinegar cold, and let them stand four months. then, pour off the pickle, and boil as much fresh vinegar as will cover the walnuts, adding to every three quarts of vinegar a quarter of a pound of the best mustard, a stick of horseradish sliced, half an ounce of black pepper, half an ounce of allspice, and a good handful of salt. pour the whole boiling hot upon the walnuts, and cover them close: they will be fit for use in three or four months. two ounces of garlic or shalot may be added, but must not be boiled in the vinegar. the pickle in which the walnuts stood the first four months, may be used as ketchup. pictures. the following simple method of preventing flies from sitting on pictures, or any other furniture, is well experienced, and if generally adopted, would prevent much trouble and damage. soak a large bunch of leeks five or six days in a pail of water, and wash the pictures with it, or any other piece of furniture. the flies will never come near any thing that is so washed. pie sauce. mix some gravy with an anchovy, a sprig of sweet herbs, an onion, and a little mushroom liquor. boil and thicken it with butter rolled in flour, add a little red wine, and pour the sauce into the pie. this serves for mutton, lamb, veal, or beef pies, when such an addition is required. pies and tarts. attention should be paid to the heat of the oven for all kinds of pies and tarts. light paste should be put into a moderate oven: if too hot the crust will not rise, but burn: if too slack, the paste will be heavy, and not of a good colour. raised paste should have a quick oven, and well closed. iced tarts should be done in a slack oven, or the iceing will become brown before the tarts are baked. pigeons. in order to breed pigeons, it is best to take two young ones at a time; and if well looked after, and plentifully fed, they will breed every month. they should be kept very clean, and the bottom of the dove-cote be strewed with sand once a month or oftener. tares and white peas are their proper food, and they should be provided with plenty of fresh water. starlings and other birds are apt to come among them, and suck the eggs. vermin likewise are their enemies, and frequently destroy them. if the brood should be too small, put among them a few tame pigeons of their own colour. observe not to have too large a proportion of cock birds, for they are quarrelsome, and will soon thin the dove-cote. pigeons are fond of salt, and it keeps them in health. lay a large piece of clay near their dwelling, and pour upon it any of the salt brine that may be useless in the family. bay salt and cummin seeds mixed together, is a universal remedy for the diseases of pigeons. the backs and breasts are sometimes scabby, but may be cured in the following manner. take a quarter of a pound of bay salt, and as much common salt; a pound of fennel seed, a pound of dill seed, as much cummin seed, and an ounce of assafoetida; mix all with a little wheat flour, and some fine wrought clay. when all are well beaten together, put it into two earthen pots, and bake them in the oven. when the pots are cold, put them on the table in the dove-cote; the pigeons will eat the mixture and get well. pigeons dressed. these birds are particularly useful, as they may be dressed in so many ways. the good flavour of them depends very much on their being cropped and drawn as soon as killed. no other bird requires so much washing. pigeons left from dinner the day before may be stewed, or made into a pie. in either case, care must be taken not to overdo them, which will make them stringy. they need only be heated up in gravy ready prepared; and forcemeat balls may be fried and added, instead of putting a stuffing into them. if for a pie, let beef steaks be stewed in a little water, and put cold under them. cover each pigeon with a piece of fat bacon to keep them moist, season as usual, and put in some eggs.--in purchasing pigeons, be careful to see that they are quite fresh: if they look flabby about the vent, and that part is discoloured, they are stale. the feet should be supple: if old the feet are harsh. the tame ones are larger than the wild, and by some they are thought to be the best. they should be fat and tender; but many are deceived in their size, because a full crop is as large as the whole body of a small pigeon. the wood-pigeon is large, and the flesh dark coloured: if properly kept, and not over roasted, the flavour is equal to teal. pigeons in disguise. draw the pigeons, take out the craw very carefully, wash them clean, cut off the pinions, and turn their legs under their wings. season them with pepper and salt, roll each pigeon in a puff paste, close them well, tie them in separate cloths, and boil them an hour and a half. when they are untied be careful they do not break; put them in a dish, and pour a little good gravy over them. pigeons in a hole. truss four young pigeons, as for boiling, and season them with pepper, salt, and mace. put into the belly of each a small piece of butter, lay them in a pie dish, and pour batter over them, made of three eggs, two spoonfuls of flour, and half a pint of milk. bake them in a moderate oven, and send them to table in the same dish. pigeons in jelly. save some of the liquor in which a knuckle of veal has been boiled, or boil a calf's or a neat's foot; put the broth into a pan with a blade of mace, a bunch of sweet herbs, some white pepper, lemon peel, a slice of lean bacon, and the pigeons. bake them, and let them stand to be cold; but season them before baking. when done, take them out of the liquor, cover them close to preserve the colour, and clear the jelly by boiling it with the whites of two eggs. strain it through a thick cloth dipped in boiling water, and put into a sieve. the fat must be all removed, before it be cleared. put the jelly roughly over and round the pigeons.--a beautiful dish may be made in the following manner. pick two very nice pigeons, and make them look as well as possible by singeing, washing, and cleaning the heads well. leave the heads and the feet on, but the nails must be clipped close to the claws. roast them of a very nice brown; and when done, put a small sprig of myrtle into the bill of each. prepare a savoury jelly, and with it half fill a bowl of such a size as shall be proper to turn down on the dish intended for serving in. when the jelly and the birds are cold, see that no gravy hangs to the birds, and then lay them upside down in the jelly. before the rest of it begins to set, pour it over the birds, so as to be three inches above the feet. this should be done full twenty four hours before serving. the dish thus prepared will have a very handsome appearance in the mid range of a second coarse; or when served with the jelly roughed large, it makes a side or corner dish, being then of a smaller size. the head of the pigeons should be kept up, as if alive, by tying the neck with some thread, and the legs bent as if the birds sat upon them. pigeon pie. rub the pigeons with pepper and salt, inside and out. put in a bit of butter, and if approved, some parsley chopped with the livers, and a little of the same seasoning. lay a beef steak at the bottom of the dish, and the birds on it; between every two, a hard egg. put a cup of water in the dish; and if a thin slice or two of ham be added, it will greatly improve the flavour. when ham is cut for gravy or pies, the under part should be taken, rather than the prime. season the gizzards, and two joints of the wings, and place them in the centre of the pie. over them, in a hole made in the crust, put three of the feet nicely cleaned, to show what pie it is. pig's cheek. to prepare a pig's cheek for boiling, cut off the snout, and clean the head. divide it, take out the eyes and the brains, sprinkle the head with salt, and let it drain twenty-four hours. salt it with common salt and saltpetre; and if to be dressed without being stewed with peas, let it lie eight or ten days, but less if to be dressed with peas. it must first be washed, and then simmered till all is tender. pig's feet and ears. clean them carefully, soak them some hours, and boil them quite tender. then take them out, and boil a little salt and vinegar with some of the liquor, and pour it over them when cold. when to be dressed, dry them, cut the feet in two, and slice the ears. fry them, and serve with butter, mustard, and vinegar. they may be either done in batter, or only floured. pig's feet and ears fricasseed. if to be dressed with cream, put no vinegar into the pickle. cut the feet and ears into neat bits, and boil them in a little milk. pour the liquor from them, and simmer in a little veal broth, with a bit of onion, mace, and lemon peel. before the dish is served up, add a little cream, flour, butter, and salt. pig's feet jelly. clean the feet and ears very carefully, and soak them some hours. then boil them in a very small quantity of water, till every bone can be taken out. throw in half a handful of chopped sage, the same of parsley, and a seasoning of pepper, salt, and mace in fine powder. simmer till the herbs are scalded, and then pour the whole into a melon form. pig's harslet. wash and dry some liver, sweetbreads, and fat and lean bits of pork, beating the latter with a rolling-pin to make it tender. season with pepper, salt, sage, and a little onion shred fine. when mixed, put all into a cawl, and fasten it up tight with a needle and thread. roast it on a hanging jack, or by a string. serve with a sauce of port wine and water, and mustard, just boiled up, and put into the dish. or serve it in slices with parsley for a fry. pig's head collared. scour the head and ears nicely, take off the hair and snout, and remove the eyes and the brain. lay the head into water one night, then drain it, salt it extremely well with common salt and saltpetre, and let it lie five days. boil it enough to take out the bones, then lay it on a dresser, turning the thick end of one side of the head towards the thin end of the other, to make the roll of equal size. sprinkle it well with salt and white pepper, and roll it with the ears. the pig's feet may also be placed round the outside when boned, or the thin parts of two cow heels, if approved. put it in a cloth, bind it with a broad tape, and boil it till quite tender. place a good weight upon it, and do not remove the covering till the meat is cold. if the collar is to be more like brawn, salt it longer, add a larger proportion of saltpetre, and put in also some pieces of lean pork. then cover it with cow heel to make it look like the horn. this may be kept in a pickle of boiled salt and water, or out of pickle with vinegar: it will be found a very convenient article to have in the house. if likely to spoil, slice and fry it, either with or without batter. pig sauce. take a tea-spoonful of white gravy, a small piece of anchovy, with the gravy from the roasting of the pig, and mix the brains with it when chopped. add a quarter of a pound of butter, a little flour to thicken it, a slice of lemon, and a little salt. shake it over the fire, and put it hot into the dish. good sauce may also be made by putting some of the bread and sage, which has been roasted in the pig, into good beef gravy, and adding the brains to it. pilau. stew a pound of rice in white gravy till it is tender. half boil a well grown fowl, then lay it into a baking dish with some pepper and salt strewed over it. lay truffles, morels, mushrooms, hard eggs, or forcemeat balls, any or all of them round it at pleasure; put a little gravy into the dish, and spread the rice over the whole like a paste. bake it gently, till the fowl is done enough. if it seem dry, cut a hole carefully at the top, and pour in some white gravy, made pretty warm, before it is sent to table. partridges or pheasants are very nice, dressed the same way. pilchard pie. soak two or three salted pilchards for some hours, the day before they are to be dressed. clean and skin the white part of some large leeks, scald them in milk and water, and put them in layers into a dish, with the pilchards. cover the whole with a good plain crust. when the pie is taken out of the oven, lift up the side crust with a knife, and empty out all the liquor: then pour in half a pint of scalded cream. pile ointment. cut some green shoots of elder early in the spring, clear away the bark, and put two good handfuls into a quart of thick cream. boil it till it comes to an ointment, and as it rises take it off with a spoon, and be careful to prevent its burning. strain the ointment through a fine cloth, and keep it for use. piles. if this complaint be occasioned by costiveness, proper attention must be paid to that circumstance; but if it originate from weakness, strong purgatives must be avoided. the part affected should be bathed twice a day with a sponge dipped in cold water, and the bowels regulated by the mildest laxatives. an electuary, consisting of one ounce of sulphur, and half an ounce of cream of tartar, mixed with a sufficient quantity of treacle, may be taken three or four times a day. the patient would also find relief by sitting over the steam of warm water. a useful liniment for this disorder may be made of two ounces of emollient ointment, and half an ounce of laudanum. mix them with the yolk of an egg, and work them well together. pills. opening pills may be made of two drams of castile soap, and two drams of succotrine aloes, mixed with a sufficient quantity of common syrup. or when aloes will not agree with the patient, take two drams of the extract of jalap, two drams of vitriolated tartar, and as much syrup of ginger as will form them of a proper consistence for pills. four or five of these pills will generally prove a sufficient purge; and for keeping the body gently open, one may be taken night and morning.--composing pills may consist of ten grains of purified opium, and half a dram of castile soap, beaten together, and formed into twenty parts. when a quieting draught will not sit upon the stomach, one or two of these pills may be taken to great advantage.--pills for the jaundice may be made of one dram each of castile soap, succotrine aloes, and rhubarb, mixed up with a sufficient quantity of syrup. five or six of these pills taken twice a day, more or less, to keep the body open, with the assistance of a proper diet, will often effect a cure. pipers. boil or bake them with a pudding well seasoned. if baked, put a large cup of rich broth into the dish; and when done, boil up together for sauce, the broth, some essence of anchovy, and a squeeze of lemon. pippin pudding. coddle six pippins in vine leaves covered with water, very gently, that the inside may be done without breaking the skins. when soft, take off the skin, and with a tea-spoon take the pulp from the core. press it through a cullender, add two spoonfuls of orange-flower water, three eggs beaten, a glass of raisin wine, a pint of scalding cream, sugar and nutmeg to taste. lay a thin puff paste at the bottom and sides of the dish; shred some very thin lemon peel as fine as possible, and put it into the dish; likewise lemon, orange, and citron, in small slices, but not so thin as to dissolve in the baking. pippin tarts. pare two seville or china oranges quite thin, boil the peel tender and shred it fine. pare and core twenty pippins, put them in a stewpan, with as little water as possible. when half done, add half a pound of sugar, the orange peel and juice, and boil all together till it is pretty thick. when cold, put it in a shallow dish, or pattipans lined with paste, to turn out, and be eaten cold. pistachio cream. blanch four ounces of pistachio nuts, beat them fine with a little rose-water, and add the paste to a pint of cream. sweeten it, let it just boil, and then put it into glasses. pistachio tart. shell and peel half a pound of pistachio nuts, beat them very fine in a marble mortar, and work into them a piece of fresh butter. add to this a quarter of a pint of cream, or of the juice of beet leaves, extracted by pounding them in a marble mortar, and then draining off the juice through a piece of muslin. grate in two macarones, add the yolks of two eggs, a little salt, and sugar to the taste. bake it lightly with a puff crust under it, and some little ornaments on the top. sift some fine sugar over, before it is sent to table. plaice. the following is an excellent way of dressing a large plaice, especially if there be a roe. sprinkle it with salt, and keep it twenty four hours. then wash, and wipe it dry, smear it over with egg, and cover it with crumbs of bread. boil up some lard or fine dripping, with two large spoonfuls of vinegar; lay in the fish, and fry it of a fine colour. drain off the fat, serve it with fried parsley laid round, and anchovy sauce. the fish may be dipped in vinegar, instead of putting vinegar in the pan. plain bread pudding. prepare five ounces of bread crumbs, put them in a basin, pour three quarters of a pint of boiling milk over them, put a plate over the top to keep in the steam, and let it stand twenty minutes. then beat it up quite smooth, with two ounces of sugar, and a little nutmeg. break four eggs on a plate, leaving out one white, beat them well, and add them to the pudding. stir it all well together, put it into a mould that has been well buttered and floured, tie a cloth tight over it, and boil it an hour. plain cheesecakes. three quarters of a pound of cheese curd, and a quarter of a pound of butter, beat together in a mortar. add a quarter of a pound of fine bread soaked in milk, three eggs, six ounces of currants well washed and picked, sugar to the taste, a little candied orange peel, and a little sack. bake them in a puff crust in a quick oven. plain fritters. grate a fine penny loaf into a pint of milk, beat it smooth, add the yolks of five eggs, three ounces of fine sugar, and a little nutmeg. fry them in hog's lard, and serve them up with melted butter and sugar. plain peas soup. the receipts too generally given for peas are so much crowded with ingredients, that they entirely overpower the flavour of the peas. nothing more is necessary to plain good soup, than a quart of split peas, two heads of celery, and an onion. boil all together in three quarts of broth or soft water; let them simmer gently on a trivet over a slow fire for three hours, and keep them stirring, to prevent burning at the bottom of the kettle. if the water boils away, and the soup gets too thick, add some boiling water to it. when the peas are well softened, work them through a coarse sieve, and then through a tammis. wash out the stewpan, return the soup into it, and give it a boil up; take off any scum that rises, and the soup is ready. prepare some fried bread and dried mint, and send them up with it on two side dishes. this is an excellent family soup, produced with very little trouble or expense, the two quarts not exceeding the charge of one shilling. half a dram of bruised celery seed, and a little sugar, added just before finishing the soup, will give it as much flavour as two heads of the fresh vegetable. plain rice pudding. wash and pick some rice, scatter among it some pimento finely powdered, but not too much. tie up the rice in a cloth, and leave plenty of room for it to swell. boil it in a good quantity of water for an hour or two, and serve it with butter and sugar, or milk. lemon peel may be added to the pudding, but it is very good without spice, and may be eaten with butter and salt. planting. in rendering swampy ground useful, nothing is so well adapted as planting it with birch or alder, which grows spontaneously on bogs and swamps, a kind of soil which otherwise would produce nothing but weeds and rushes. the wood of the alder is particularly useful for all kinds of machinery, for pipes, drains, and pump trees, as it possesses the peculiar quality of resisting injury from wet and weather. the bark is also highly valuable to black dyers, who purchase it at a good price; and it is much to be lamented that the properties of this useful tree are not duly appreciated. plantations. young plantations are liable to great injury, by being barked in the winter season. to prevent this, take a quantity of grease, scent it with a little tar, and mix them well together. brush it round the stems of young trees, as high at least as hares and rabbits can reach, and it will effectually prevent their being barked by these animals. tar must not be used alone, for when exposed to the sun and air, it becomes hard and binding, and hinders the growth of the plantation. grease will not have this effect, and the scent of the tar is highly obnoxious to hares and rabbits. plasters. common plaster is made of six pints of olive oil, and two pounds and a half of litharge finely powdered. a smaller quantity may of course be made of equal proportions. boil them together over a gentle fire, in about a gallon of water, and keep the ingredients constantly stirring. after they have boiled about three hours, a little of the salve may be taken out, and put into cold water. when of a proper consistence, the whole may be suffered to cool, and the water pressed out of it with the hands. this will serve as a basis for other plasters, and is generally applied in slight wounds and excoriations of the skin. it keeps the part warm and supple, and defends it from the air, which is all that is necessary in such cases.--adhesive plaster, which is principally used for keeping on other dressings, consists of half a pound of common plaster, and a quarter of a pound of burgundy pitch melted together.--anodyne plaster is as follows. melt an ounce of the adhesive, and when cooling, mix with it a dram of powdered opium, and the same of camphor, previously rubbing with a little oil. this plaster generally gives ease in acute pains, especially of the nervous kind.--blistering plaster is made in a variety of ways, but seldom of a proper consistence. when compounded of oils, and other greasy substances, its effects are lessened, and it is apt to run, while pitch and rosin render it hard and inconvenient. the following will be found the best method. take six ounces of venice turpentine, two ounces of yellow wax, three ounces of spanish flies finely powdered, and one ounce of the flour of mustard. melt the wax, and while it is warm, add the turpentine to it, taking care not to evaporate it by too much heat. after the turpentine and wax are sufficiently incorporated, sprinkle in the powders, and stir the mass till it is cold. when the blistering plaster is not at hand, mix with any soft ointment a sufficient quantity of powdered flies, or form them into a plaster with flour and vinegar. plate. the best way to clean plate, is to boil an ounce of prepared hartshorn powder in a quart of water; and while on the fire, put in as much plate as the vessel will hold. let it boil a little, then take it out, drain it over the saucepan, and dry it before the fire. put in more, and serve it the same, till all is done. then soak some clean rags in the water, and when dry they will serve to clean the plate. cloths thus saturated with hartshorn powder, are also the best things for cleaning brass locks, and the finger plates of doors. when the plate is quite dry, it must be rubbed bright with soft leather. in many plate powders there is a mixture of quicksilver, which is very injurious; and among other disadvantages, it makes silver so brittle that it will break with a fall. in common cases, whitening, properly purified from sand, applied wet, and rubbed till dry, is one of the cheapest and best of all plate powders. plating of glass. pour some mercury on a tin foil, smoothly laid on a flat table, and rub it gently with a hare's foot. it soon unites itself to the tin, which then becomes very splendid, or is what they call quickened. a plate of glass is then cautiously, passed upon the tin leaf, in such a manner as to sweep off the redundant mercury, which is not incorporated with the tin. leaden weights are then to be placed on the glass; and in a little time the quicksilvered tin foil adheres, so firmly to the glass, that the weights may be removed without any danger of its falling off. the glass thus coated is a common looking-glass. about two ounces of mercury are sufficient for covering three square feet of glass. plovers. in purchasing plovers, choose those that feel hard at the vent, which shows they are fat. in other respects, choose them by the same marks as other fowl. when stale, the feet are harsh and dry. they will keep a long time. there are three sorts of these birds, the grey, the green, and the bastard plover, or lapwing. green plovers are roasted in the same way as snipes and woodcocks, without drawing, and are served on toast. the grey ones may be roasted, or stewed with gravy, herbs, and spice. plovers' eggs. boil them ten minutes, and serve them either hot or cold on a napkin. these make a nice and fashionable dish. plum cake. this is such a favourite article in most families, and is made in so many different ways, that it will be necessary to give a variety of receipts, in order that a selection may be made agreeably to the taste of the reader, or the quality of the article to be preferred.--for a good common plum cake, mix five ounces of butter in three pounds of fine dry flour, and five ounces of the best moist sugar. add six ounces of currants, washed and dried, and some pimento finely powdered. put three spoonfuls of yeast into a pint of new milk warmed, and mix it with the above into a light dough.--a cake of a better sort. mix thoroughly a quarter of a peck of fine flour well dried, with a pound of dry and sifted loaf sugar, three pounds of currants washed and very dry, half a pound of raisins stoned and chopped, a quarter of an ounce of mace and cloves, twenty peppercorns, a grated nutmeg, the peel of a lemon cut as fine as possible, and half a pound of almonds blanched and beaten with orange-flower water. melt two pounds of butter in a pint and a quarter of cream, but not too hot; add a pint of sweet wine, a glass of brandy, the whites and yolks of twelve eggs beaten apart, and half a pint of good yeast. strain this liquid by degrees into the dry ingredients, beating them together a full hour; then butter the hoop or pan, and bake it. when the batter is put into the pan, throw in plenty of citron, lemon, and orange candy. if the cake is to be iced, take half a pound of double refined sugar sifted, and put a little with the white of an egg; beat it well, and by degrees pour in the remainder. it must be whisked nearly an hour, with the addition of a little orange-flower water, but not too much. when the cake is done, pour the iceing over it, and return it to the oven for fifteen minutes. but if the oven be quite warm, keep it near the mouth, and the door open, lest the colour be spoiled.--another. dried flour, currants washed and picked, four pounds; sugar pounded and sifted, a pound and a half; six orange, lemon, and citron peels, cut in slices. these are to be mixed together. beat ten eggs, yolks and whites separately. melt a pound and a half of butter in a pint of cream; when cold, put to it half a pint of yeast, near half a pint of sweet wine, and the eggs. then strain the liquid to the dry ingredients, beat them well, and add of cloves, mace, cinnamon, and nutmeg, half an ounce each. butter the pan, and put it into a quick oven. three hours will bake it.--another. mix with a pound of well-dried flour, a pound of loaf sugar, and the eighth of an ounce of mace, well beaten. beat up five eggs with half the whites, a gill of rose water, and a quarter of a pint of yeast, and strain them. melt half a pound of butter in a quarter of a pint of cream, and when cool, mix all together. beat up the batter with a light hand, and set it to rise half an hour. before it is put into the oven, mix in a pound and a half of currants, well washed and dried, and bake it an hour and a quarter.--for a rich cake, take three pounds of well-dried flour, three pounds of fresh butter, a pound and a half of fine sugar dried and sifted, five pounds of currants carefully cleaned and dried, twenty-four eggs, three grated nutmegs, a little pounded mace and cloves, half a pound of almonds, a glass of sack, and a pound of citron or orange peel. pound the almonds in rose water, work up the butter to a thin cream, put in the sugar, and work it well; then the yolks of the eggs, the spices, the almonds, and orange peel. beat the whites of the eggs to a froth, and put them into the batter as it rises. keep working it with the hand till the oven is ready, and the scorching subsided; put it into a hoop, but not full, and two hours will bake it. the almonds should be blanched in cold water. this will make a large rich plum cake.--a small common cake may be made of a pound of dough, a quarter of a pound of butter, two eggs, a quarter of a pound of lump sugar, a quarter of a pound of currants, and a little nutmeg.--another. take a pound and a half of fine white dough, roll into it a pound of butter, as for pie crust, and set it by the fire. beat up the yolks of four eggs, with half a pound of fine powdered sugar; pour it upon the mass, and work it well by the fire. add half a pound of currants, well picked and washed, and send it to the oven. half the quantity of sugar, eggs, and butter, will make a very pleasant cake.--another. a pound and a half of well-dried flour, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, and a pound of currants, picked and washed. beat up eight eggs, warm the butter, mix all together, and beat it up for an hour.--for little plum cakes, intended to keep for some time, dry a pound of fine flour, and mix it with six ounces of finely pounded sugar. beat six ounces of butter to a cream, and add to three eggs well beaten, half a pound of currants nicely washed and dried, together with the sugar and flour. beat all for some time, then dredge some flour on tin plates, and drop the batter on them the size of a walnut. if properly mixed, it will be a stiff paste. bake in a brisk oven. to make a rich plum cake, take four pounds of flour well dried, mix with it a pound and a half of fine sugar powdered, a grated nutmeg, and an ounce of mace pounded fine. when they are well mixed, make a hole in the middle, and pour in fifteen eggs, but seven whites, well beaten, with a pint of good yeast, half a quarter of a pint of orange-flower water, and the same quantity of sack, or any other rich sweet wine. then melt two pounds and a half of butter in a pint and a half of cream; and when it is about the warmth of new milk, pour it into the middle of the batter. throw a little of the flour over the liquids, but do not mix the whole together till it is ready to go into the oven. let it stand before the fire an hour to rise, laying a cloth over it; then have ready six pounds of currants well washed, picked, and dried; a pound of citron and a pound of orange peel sliced, with a pound of blanched almonds, half cut in slices lengthways, and half finely pounded. mix all well together, butter the tin well, and bake it two hours and a half. this will make a large cake.--another, not quite so rich. three pounds of flour well dried, half a pound of sugar, and half an ounce of spice, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon, well pounded. add ten eggs, but only half the whites, beaten with a pint of good yeast. melt a pound of butter in a pint of cream, add it to the yeast, and let it stand an hour to rise before the fire. then add three pounds of currants well washed, picked and dried. butter the tin, and bake it an hour.--a common plum cake is made of three pounds and a half of flour, half a pound of sugar, a grated nutmeg, eight eggs, a glass of brandy, half a pint of yeast, a pound of butter melted in a pint and half of milk, put lukewarm to the other ingredients. let it rise an hour before the fire, then mix it well together, add two pounds of currants carefully cleaned, butter the tin, and bake it. plum jam. cut some ripe plums to pieces, put them into a preserving pan, bruise them with a spoon, warm them over the fire till they are soft, and press them through a cullender. boil the jam an hour, stir it well, add six ounces of fine powdered sugar to every pound of jam, and take it off the fire to mix it. then heat it ten minutes, put it into jars, and sift some fine sugar over it. plum pudding. take six ounces of suet chopped fine, six ounces of malaga raisins stoned, eight ounces of currants nicely washed and picked, three ounces of bread crumbs, three ounces of flour, and three eggs. add the sixth part of a grated nutmeg, a small blade of mace, the same quantity of cinnamon, pounded as fine as possible; half a tea-spoonful of salt, nearly half a pint of milk, four ounces of sugar, an ounce of candied lemon, and half an ounce of citron. beat the eggs and spice well together, mix the milk with them by degrees, and then the rest of the ingredients. dip a fine close linen cloth into boiling water, and put it in a hair sieve, flour it a little, and tie the pudding up close. put it into a saucepan containing six quarts of boiling water; keep a kettle of boiling water near it, to fill up the pot as it wastes, and keep it boiling six hours. if the water ceases to boil, the pudding will become heavy, and be spoiled. plum puddings are best when mixed an hour or two before they are boiled, as the various ingredients by that means incorporate, and the whole becomes richer and fuller of flavour, especially if the various ingredients be thoroughly well stirred together. a table-spoonful of treacle will give the pudding a rich brown colour.--another. beat up the yolks and whites of three eggs, strain them through a sieve, gradually add to them a quarter of a pint of milk, and stir it well together. rub in a mortar two ounces of moist sugar, with as much grated nutmeg as will lie on a six-pence, and stir these into the eggs and milk. then put in four ounces of flour, and beat it into a smooth batter; by degrees stir into it seven ounces of suet, minced as fine as possible, and three ounces of bread crumbs. mix all thoroughly together, at least half an hour before the pudding is put into the pot. put it into an earthenware pudding mould, well buttered, tie a pudding cloth tight over it, put it into boiling water, and boil it three hours. half a pound of raisins cut in halves, and added to the above, will make a most admirable plum pudding. this pudding may also be baked, or put under roast meat, like a yorkshire pudding. in the latter case, half a pint more milk must be added, and the batter should be an inch and a quarter in thickness. it will take full two hours, and require careful watching; for if the top get burned, an unpleasant flavour will pervade the whole pudding. or butter some saucers, and fill them with batter; in a dutch oven they will bake in about an hour.--another. to three quarters of a pound of flour, add the same weight of stoned raisins, half a pound of suet or marrow, cut small, a pint of milk, two eggs, three spoonfuls of moist sugar, and a little salt. boil the pudding five hours.--to make a small rich plum pudding, take three quarters of a pound of suet finely shred, half a pound of stoned raisins a little chopped, three spoonfuls of flour, three spoonfuls of moist sugar, a little salt and nutmeg, three yolks of eggs, and two whites. boil the pudding four hours in a basin of tin mould, well buttered. serve it up with melted butter, white wine and sugar, poured over it.--for a large rich pudding, take three pounds of suet chopped small, a pound and a half of raisins stoned and chopped, a pound and a half of currants, three pounds of flour, sixteen eggs, and a quart of milk. boil it in a cloth seven hours. if for baking, put in only a pint of milk, with two additional eggs, and an hour and a half will bake it.--a plum pudding without eggs may be made of three quarters of a pound of flour, three quarters of a pound of suet chopped fine, three quarters of a pound of stoned raisins, three quarters of a pound of currants well washed and dried, a tea-spoonful of ground ginger, and rather more of salt. stir all well together, and add as little milk as will just mix it up quite stiff. boil the pudding four hours in a buttered basin.--another. the same proportions of flour and suet, and half the quantity of fruit, with spice, lemon, a glass of white wine, an egg and milk, will make an excellent pudding, but it must be well boiled. poached eggs. set a stewpan of water on the fire; when boiling, slip an egg, previously broken into a cup, into the water. when the white looks done enough, slide an egg-slice under the egg, and lay it on toast and butter, or boiled spinach. as soon as done enough, serve them up hot. if the eggs be not fresh laid, they will not poach well, nor without breaking. trim the ragged parts of the whites, and make them look round. poison. whenever a quantity of arsenic has been swallowed, by design or mistake, its effects may be counteracted by immediately drinking plenty of milk. the patient should afterwards take a dram of the liver of sulphur, in a pint of warm water, a little at a time as he can bear it; or he may substitute some soap water, a quantity of common ink, or any other acid, if other things cannot be readily procured.--to obviate the ill effects of opium, taken either in a liquid or solid form, emetics should be given as speedily as possible. these should consist of an ounce each of oxymel squills and spearmint water, and half a scruple of ipecacuanha, accompanied with frequent draughts of water gruel to assist the operation.--those poisons which may be called culinary, are generally the most destructive, because the least suspected; no vessels therefore made of copper or brass should be used in cooking. in cases where the poison of virdigris has been recently swallowed, emetics should first be given, and then the patient should drink abundance of cold water.--if any one has eaten of the deadly nightshade, he should take an emetic as soon as possible, and drink a pint of vinegar or lemon juice in an equal quantity of water, a little at a time; and as sleep would prove fatal, he should keep walking about to prevent it.--for the bite of the mad dog, or other venomous animals, nothing is to be depended on for a cure but immediately cutting out the bitten part with a lancet, or burning it out with a red-hot iron.--to prevent the baneful effects of burning charcoal, set an open vessel of boiling water upon the pan containing the charcoal, and keep it boiling. the steam arising from the water will counteract the effects of the charcoal. painters, glaziers, and other artificers, should be careful to avoid the poisonous effects of lead, by washing their hands and face clean before meals, and by never eating in the place where they work, nor suffering any food or drink to remain exposed to the fumes or dust of the metal. every business of this sort should be performed as far as possible with gloves on the hands, to prevent the metal from working into the pores of the skin, which is highly injurious, and lead should never be touched when it is hot. poivrade sauce. pick the skins of twelve shalots, chop them small, mix with them a table-spoonful of veal gravy, a gill and a half of vinegar, half an anchovy pressed through a fine sieve, and a little salt and cayenne. if it is to be eaten with hot game, serve it up boiling: if with cold, the sauce is to be cold likewise.--another way. put a piece of butter the size of half an egg into a saucepan, with two or three sliced onions, some of the red outward part, of carrots, and of the part answering to it of parsnip, a clove of garlic, two shalots, two cloves, a bay leaf, with basil and thyme. shake the whole over the fire till it begins to colour, then add a good pinch of flour, a glass of red wine, a glass of water, and a spoonful of vinegar. boil it half an hour, take off the fat, pass the sauce through a tammis, add some salt and pepper, and use it with any thing that requires a relishing sauce. polished stoves. steel or polished stoves may be well cleaned in a few minutes, by using a piece of fine-corned emery stone, and afterwards polishing with flour of emery or rottenstone. if stoves or fire irons have acquired any rust, pound some glass to fine powder; and having nailed some strong woollen cloth upon a board, lay upon it a thick coat of gum water, and sift the powdered glass upon it, and let it dry. this may be repeated as often as is necessary to form a sharp surface, and with this the rust may easily be rubbed off; but care must be taken to have the glass finely powdered, and the gum well dried, or the polish on the irons will be injured. fire arms, or similar articles, may be kept clean for several months, if rubbed with a mixture consisting of one ounce of camphor dissolved in two pounds of hog's lard, boiled and skimmed, and coloured with a little black lead. the mixture should be left on twenty four hours to dry, and then rubbed off with a linen cloth. pomade divine. clear a pound and a half of beef marrow from the strings and bone, put it into an earthen pan of fresh water from the spring, and change the water night and morning for ten days. then steep it in rose water twenty four hours, and drain it in a cloth till quite dry. take an ounce of each of the following articles, namely, storax, gum benjamin, odoriferous cypress powder, or of florence; half an ounce of cinnamon, two drams of cloves, and two drams of nutmeg, all finely powdered. mix them with the marrow above prepared, and put all the ingredients into a pewter pot that holds three quarts. make a paste of flour and the white of an egg, and lay it upon a piece of rag. over that must be another piece of linen, to cover the top of the pot very close, that none of the steam may evaporate. set the pot into a large copper pot of water, observing to keep it steady, that it may not reach to the covering of the pot that holds the marrow. as the water shrinks add more, boiling hot, for it must boil incessantly for four hours. strain the ointment through a linen cloth into small pots, and cover them when cold. do not touch it with any thing but silver, and it will keep many years. a fine pomatum may also be made by putting half a pound of fresh marrow prepared as above, and two ounces of fresh hog's lard, on the ingredients; and then observing the same process as above. pomatum. to make soft pomatum, beat half a pound of unsalted fresh lard in common water, then soak and beat in two different rose-waters. drain it, and beat it, with two spoonfuls of brandy. let it drain from this, then add some essence of lemon, and keep it in small pots. or soak half a pound of clear beef marrow, and a pound of unsalted fresh lard, in water two of three days, changing and beating it every day. put it into a sieve; and when dry, into a jar, and the jar, into a saucepan of water. when melted, pour it into a bason, and beat it with two spoonfuls of brandy. drain off the brandy, and add essence of lemon, bergamot, or any other scent that is preferred.--for hard pomatum, prepare as before equal quantities of beef marrow and mutton suet, using the brandy to preserve it, and adding the scent. then pour it into moulds, or phials, of the size intended for the rolls. when cold break the bottles, clear away the glass carefully, and put paper round the balls. ponds. stagnant or running water is often infected with weeds, which become troublesome and injurious to the occupier, but which might easily be prevented by suffering geese, or particularly swans, to feed upon the surface. these water fowls, by nibbling the young shoots as fast as they arise, will prevent their growth and appearance on the surface of the water, and all the expense which might otherwise be incurred in clearing them away. poor man's sauce. pick a handful of parsley leaves from the stalks, mince them very fine, and strew over a little salt. shred fine half a dozen young green onions, add these to the parsley, and put them into a sauce boat, with three table-spoonfuls of oil, and five of vinegar. add some ground black pepper and salt, stir them together, and it is ready. pickled french beans or gherkins cut fine, may be added, or a little grated horseradish. this sauce is much esteemed in france, where people of taste, weary of rich dishes, occasionally order the fare of the peasant. pork. this is a strong fat meat, and unless very nicely fed, it is fit only for hard working people. young pigs, like lamb and veal, are fat and luscious, but afford very little nutriment. pork fed by butchers, or at distilleries, is very inferior, and scarcely wholesome; it is fat and spongy, and utterly unfit for curing. dairy fed pork is the best. to judge of pork, pinch the lean; and if young and good, it will easily part. if the rind is tough, thick, and cannot easily be impressed with the finger, it is old. a thin rind denotes a good quality in general. when fresh, the meat will be smooth and cool: if clammy, it is tainted. what is called in some places measly pork, is very unwholesome; and may be known by the fat being full of kernels, which in good pork is never the case. bacon hogs and porkers are differently cut up. hogs are kept to a larger size; the chine or backbone is cut down on each side, the whole length, and is a prime part either boiled or roasted. the sides of the hog are made into bacon, and the inside is cut out with very little meat to the bone. on each side there is a large sparerib, which is usually divided into two, a sweet bone and a blade bone. the bacon is the whole outside, and contains a fore leg and a ham; the last of these is the hind leg, but if left with the bacon it is called a gammon. hog's lard is the inner fat of the bacon hog, melted down. pickled pork is made of the flesh of the hog, but more frequently of smaller and younger meat. porkers are not so large as hogs, and are generally divided into four quarters. the fore quarter has the spring or fore leg, the fore loin or neck, the sparerib, and the griskin. the hind quarter has the leg and the loin. pig's feet and ears make various good dishes, and should be cut off before the legs and cheeks are cured. the bacon hog is sometimes scalded, to take off the hair, and sometimes singed. the porker is always scalded. pork chops. cut the chops nearly half an inch thick, trim them neatly, and beat them flat. put a piece of butter into the fryingpan; as soon as it is hot, put in the chops, turn them often, and they will be nicely browned in fifteen minutes. take one upon a plate and try it; if done, season it with a little finely minced onion, powdered sage, pepper and salt. or prepare some sweet herbs, sage and onion chopped fine, and put them into a stewpan with a bit of butter. give them one fry, beat two eggs on a plate with a little salt, and the minced herbs, and mix it all well together. dip the chops in one at a time, then cover them with bread crumbs, and fry them in hot lard or drippings, till they are of a light brown. veal, lamb, or mutton chops, are very good dressed in the same manner. pork griskin. as this joint is usually very hard, the best way is to cover it with cold water, and let it boil up. then take it out, rub it over with butter, and set it before the fire in a dutch oven; a few minutes will do it. pork jelly. take a leg of well-fed pork, just as cut up, beat it, and break the bone. set it over a gentle fire, with three gallons of water, and simmer it down to one. stew with it half an ounce of mace, and half an ounce of nutmegs, and strain it through a fine sieve. when cold, take off the fat, and flavour it with salt. this jelly is reckoned a fine restorative in consumptive cases, and nervous debility, a chocolate-cupful to be taken three times a day. pork as lamb. to dress pork like lamb, kill a young pig four or five months old, cut up the fore-quarter for roasting as you do lamb, and truss the shank close. the other parts will make delicate pickled pork, steaks, or pies. pork pies. raise some boiled crust into a round or oval form, and have ready the trimming and small bits of pork when a hog is killed. if these be not sufficient, take the meat of a sweet bone. beat it well with a rolling-pin, season with pepper and salt, and keep the fat and lean separate. put it in layers, quite up to the top; lay on the lid, cut the edge smooth round, and pinch it together. as the meat is very solid, it must be baked in a slow soaking oven. the pork may be put into a common dish, with a very plain crust, and be quite as good. observe to put no bone or water into pork pie: the outside pieces will be hard, unless they are cut small, and pressed close. pork pies in a raised crust, are intended to be eaten cold. pork sauce. take two ounces of the leaves of green sage, an ounce of lemon peel thinly pared, an ounce of minced shalot, an ounce of salt, half a dram of cayenne, and half a dram of citric acid. steep them for a fortnight in a pint of claret, shake it often, and let it stand a day to settle. decant the clear liquor, and cork it up close. when wanted, mix a table-spoonful in a quarter of a pint of gravy, or melted butter. this will give a fine relish to roast pork, or roast goose. pork sausages. chop fat and lean pork together, season it with pepper, salt, and sage. fill hogs' guts that have been thoroughly soaked and cleaned, and tie up the ends carefully. or the minced meat may be kept in a very small pan, closely covered, and so rolled and dusted with flour before it is fried. serve them up with stewed red cabbage, mashed potatoes, or poached eggs. the sausages should be pricked with a pin, before they are boiled or fried, or they will be liable to burst. pork steaks. cut them from a loin or neck, and of middling thickness. pepper and broil them, and keep them turning. when nearly done, put on salt, rub a bit of butter over, and serve the moment they are taken off the fire, a few at a time. porker's head. choose a fine young head of pork, clean it well, and put bread and sage as for pig. sow it up tight, roast it as a young pig, on the hanging jack, and serve it with the same kind of sauce. portable soup. boil one or two knuckles of veal, one or two shins of beef, and three pounds of beef, in as much water only as will cover them. take the marrow out of the bones, put in any kind of spice, and three large onions. when the meat is done to rags, strain it off, and set it in a very cold place. take off the cake of fat, which will do for common pie crusts, and put the soup into a double-bottomed tin saucepan. set it on a pretty quick fire, but do not let it burn. it must boil fast and uncovered, and be stirred constantly for eight hours. put it into a pan, and let it stand in a cold place a day; then pour it into a round soup-dish, and set the dish into a stewpan of boiling water on a stove, and let it boil. stir it now and then, till the soup is thick and ropy; then it is enough. pour it into the little round part at the bottom of cups and basons turned upside down, to form it into cakes; and when cold, turn them out on flannel to dry. keep them in tin canisters; and when to be used, dissolve them in boiling water. the flavour of herbs may be added, by first boiling and straining off the liquor, and melting the soup in it. this preparation is convenient in travelling, or at sea, where fresh meat is not readily obtained, as by this means a bason of soup may be made in five minutes. porter. this pleasant beverage may be made with eight bushels of malt to the hogshead, and eight pounds of hops. while it is boiling in the copper, add to it three pounds of liquorice root bruised, a pound of spanish liquorice, and twelve pounds of coarse sugar or treacle. portugal cakes. take a pound of well-dried flour, a pound of loaf sugar, a pound of butter well washed in orange-flower water, and a large blade of mace. take half the flour, and fifteen eggs, leaving out two of the whites, and work them well together with the butter for half an hour, shaking in the rest of the flour with a dredger. put the cakes into a cool oven, strewing over them a little sugar and flour, and let them bake gently half an hour. portuguese soles. if the fish be large, cut it in two: if small, they need only be split open. the bones being taken out, put the fish into a pan with a bit of butter, and some lemon juice. fry it lightly, lay it on a dish, spread a forcemeat over each piece, and roll it round, fastening the roll with a few small skewers. lay the rolls into a small earthen pan, beat up an egg and smear them, and strew some crumbs over. put the remainder of the egg into the bottom of the pan, with a little meat gravy, a spoonful of caper liquor, an anchovy chopped fine, and some minced parsley. cover the pan close, and bake in a slow oven till the fish is done enough. place the rolls in a dish for serving, and cover it to keep them hot till the baked gravy is skimmed. if not enough, a little fresh gravy must be prepared, flavoured as above, and added to the fish. this is the portuguese way of dressing soles. portuguese stuffing. pound lightly some cold beef, veal, or mutton. add some fat bacon lightly fried and cut small, some onions, a little garlic or shalot, some parsley, anchovy, pepper, salt, and nutmeg. pound all fine with a few crumbs, and bind it with two or three yolks of eggs. this stuffing is for baked soles, the heads of which are to be left on one side of the split part, and kept on the outer side of the roll; and when served, the heads are to be turned towards each other in the dish. garnish with fried or dried parsley. pot herbs. as some of these are very pungent, they require to be used with discretion, particularly basil, savoury, thyme, or knotted marjoram. the other sorts are milder, and may be used more freely. pot pourri. put into a large china jar the following ingredients in layers, with bay salt strewed between. two pecks of damask roses, part in buds and part blown; violets, orange flowers and jasmine, a handful of each; orris root sliced, benjamin and storax, two ounces of each; a quarter of an ounce of musk, a quarter of a pound of angelica root sliced, a quart of the red parts of clove gilliflowers, two handfuls of lavender flowers, half a handful of rosemary flowers, bay and laurel leaves, half a handful of each; three seville oranges, stuck as full of cloves as possible, dried in a cool oven and pounded, and two handfuls of balm of gilead dried. cover all quite close, and when the pot is uncovered the perfume is very fine. potatoe balls. mix some mashed potatoes with the yolk of an egg, roll the mass into balls, flour them, or put on egg and bread crumbs, and fry them in clean drippings, or brown them in a dutch oven.--potatoe balls ragout are made by adding to a pound of potatoes, a quarter of a pound of grated ham, or some chopped parsley, or sweet herbs; adding an onion or shalot, salt and pepper, a little grated nutmeg or other spice, and the yolks of two eggs. they are then to be dressed as potatoe balls. potatoe bread. weigh half a pound of mealy potatoes after they are boiled or steamed, and rub them while warm into a pound and a half of fine flour, dried a little before the fire. when thoroughly mixed, put in a spoonful of good yeast, a little salt, and warm milk and water sufficient to work into dough. let it stand by the fire to rise for an hour and a half, then make it into a loaf, and bake it in a tolerably brisk oven. if baked in a tin the crust will be more delicate, but the bread dries sooner.--another. to two pounds of well-boiled mealy potatoes, rubbed between the hands till they are as fine as flour, mix in thoroughly two large double handfuls of wheat flour, three good spoonfuls of yeast, a little salt, and warm milk enough to make it the usual stiffness of dough. let it stand three or four hours to rise, then mould it, make it up, and bake it like common bread. potatoe cheesecakes. boil six ounces of potatoes, and four ounces of lemon peel; beat the latter in a marble mortar, with four ounces of sugar. then add the potatoes, beaten, and four ounces of butter melted in a little cream. when well mixed, let it stand to grow cold. put crust in pattipans, and rather more than half fill them. this quantity will make a dozen cheesecakes, which are to be baked half an hour in a quick oven, with some fine powdered sugar sifted over them. potatoe fritters. boil two large potatoes, scrape them fine; beat up four yolks and three whites of eggs, and add a large spoonful of cream, another of sweet wine, a squeeze of lemon, and a little nutmeg. beat this batter at least half an hour, till it be extremely light. put a good quantity of fine lard into a stewpan, and drop a spoonful of the batter at a time into it, and fry the fritters. serve for sauce a glass of white wine, the juice of a lemon, one dessert spoonful of peach leaf or almond water, and some white sugar. warm them together, but do not put the sauce into the dish.--another way. slice some potatoes thin, dip them in a fine batter, and fry them. lemon peel, and a spoonful of orange-flower water, should be added to the batter. serve up the fritters with white sugar sifted over them. potatoe paste. pound some boiled potatoes very fine, and while warm, add butter sufficient to make the mash hold together. or mix it with an egg; and before it gets cold, flour the board pretty well to prevent it from sticking, and roll the paste to the thickness wanted. if suffered to get quite cold before it be put on the dish, it will be apt to crack. potatoe pasty. boil, peel, and mash some potatoes as fine as possible. mix in some salt, pepper, and a good piece of butter. make a paste, roll it out thin like a large puff, and put in the potatoe. fold over one half, pinching the edges, and bake it in a moderate oven. potatoe pie. skin some potatoes, cut them into slices, and season them. add some mutton, beef, pork, or veal, and put in alternate layers of meat and potatoes. potatoe pudding. to make a plain potatoe pudding, take eight ounces of boiled potatoes, two ounces of butter, the yolks and whites of two eggs, a quarter of a pint of cream, a spoonful of white wine, the juice and rind of a lemon, and a little salt. beat all to a froth, sweeten it to taste, make a crust to it, or not, and bake it. if the pudding is required to be richer, add three ounces more of butter, another egg, with sweetmeats and almonds. if the pudding is to be baked with meat, boil the potatoes and mash them. rub the mass through a cullender, and make it into a thick batter with milk and two eggs. lay some seasoned steaks in a dish, then some batter; and over the last layer of meat pour the remainder of the batter, and bake it of a fine brown.--another. mash some boiled potatoes with a little milk, season it with pepper and salt, and cut some fat meat into small pieces. put a layer of meat at the bottom of the dish, and then a layer of potatoe till the dish is full. smooth the potatoes on the top, shake a little suet over it, and bake it to a fine brown. mashed potatoes may also be baked as a pudding under meat, or placed under meat while roasting, or they may be mixed with batter instead of flour. potatoe rolls. boil three pounds of potatoes, bruise and work them with two ounces of butter, and as much milk as will make them pass through a cullender. take nearly three quarters of a pint of yeast, and half a pint of warm water; mix them with the potatoes, pour the whole upon five pounds of flour, and add some salt. knead it well: if not of a proper consistence, add a little more warm milk and water. let it stand before the fire an hour to rise; work it well, and make it into rolls. bake them about half an hour, in an oven not quite so hot as for bread. the rolls will eat well, toasted and buttered. potatoe snow. the whitest sort of potatoes must be selected, and free from spots. set them over the fire in cold water; when they begin to crack, strain off the water, and put them into a clean stewpan by the side of the fire till they are quite dry, and fall to pieces. rub them through a wire sieve on the dish they are to be sent up in, and do not disturb them afterwards. potatoe soup. cut a pound and a half of gravy beef into thin slices, chop a pound of potatoes, and an onion or two, and put them into a kettle with three quarts of water, half a pint of blue peas, and two ounces of rice. stew these till the gravy is quite drawn from the meat, strain it off, take out the beef, and pulp the other ingredients through a coarse sieve. add the pulp to the soup, cut in two or three roots of celery, simmer in a clean saucepan till this is tender, season with pepper and salt, and serve it up with fried bread cut into it. potatoe starch. raw potatoes, in whatever condition, constantly afford starch, differing only in quality. the round grey or red produce the most, affording about two ounces of starch to a pound of pulp. the process is perfectly easy. peel and wash a pound of full grown potatoes, grate them on a bread grater into a deep dish, containing a quart of clear water. stir it well up, then pour it through a hair sieve, and leave it ten minutes to settle, till the water is quite clear. then pour off the water, and put a quart of fresh water to it; stir it up, let it settle, and repeat this till the water is quite clear. a fine white powder will at last be found at the bottom of the vessel. the criterion of this process being completed, is the purity of the water that comes from it after stirring it up. lay the powder on a sheet of paper in a hair sieve to dry, either in the sun or before the fire, and it is ready for use. put into a well stopped bottle, it will keep good for many months. if this be well made, a table-spoonful of it mixed with twice the quantity of cold water, and stirred into a soup or sauce, just before it is taken up, will thicken a pint of it to the consistence of cream. this preparation much resembles the indian arrow root, and is a good substitute for it. it gives a fulness on the palate to gravies and sauces at hardly any expense, and is often used to thicken melted butter instead of flour. being perfectly tasteless, it will not alter the flavour of the most delicate broth or gruel. potatoes. the following is allowed to be a superior method of raising potatoes, and of obtaining a larger and finer growth. dig the earth twelve inches deep, if the soil will admit, and afterwards open a hole about six inches deep, and twelve wide. fill it with horse dung, or long litter, about three inches thick, and plant a whole potatoe upon it; shake a little more dung over it, and mould up the earth. in this way the whole plot of ground should be planted, placing the potatoes at least sixteen inches apart. when the young shoots make their appearance, they should have fresh mould drawn round them with a hoe; and if the tender shoots are covered, it will prevent the frost from injuring them. they should again be earthed, when the roots make a second appearance, but not covered, as in all probability the season will be less severe. a plentiful supply of mould should be given them, and the person who performs this business should never tread upon the plant, or the hillock that is raised round it, as the lighter the earth is the more room the potatoe will have to expand. in holland, the potatoes are strangely cultivated, though there are persons who give the preference to dutch potatoes, supposing them to be of a finer grain than others. they are generally planted in the fields, in rows, nearly as thick as beans or peas, and are suffered to grow up wild and uncultivated, the object being to raise potatoes as small as possible, while the large ones, if such there happen to be, are thrown out and given to the pigs. the mode of cultivation in ireland, where potatoes are found in the greatest perfection, is far different, and probably the best of all. the round rough red are generally preferred, and are esteemed the most genuine. these are planted in rows, and only just put in beneath the soil. these rows are divided into beds about six feet wide, a path or trench is left between the beds, and as the plants vegetate the earth is dug out of the trench, and thrown lightly over the potatoes. this practice is continued all the summer, the plants are thus nourished by the repeated accession of fresh soil, and the trench as it deepens serves the purpose of keeping the beds dry, and of carrying off the superfluous water. the potatoes are always rich and mealy, containing an unusual quantity of wholesome flour. potatoes boiled. the vegetable kingdom scarcely affords any food more wholesome, more easily procured, easily prepared, or less expensive than the potatoe; yet although this most useful vegetable is dressed almost every day, in almost every family,--for one plate of potatoes that comes to table as it should, ten are spoiled. there is however a great diversity in the colour, size, shape, and quality of the potatoe, and some are of a very inferior description. the yellow are better than the white, but the rough red are the most mealy and nutritive. choose those of a moderate size, free from blemishes, and fresh. it is best to buy them in the mould, as they come from the bed, and they should not be wetted till they are cleaned for cooking. protect them from the air and frost, by laying in heaps in a dry place, covering them with mats, or burying them in dry sand. if the frost affects them, the life of the vegetable is destroyed, and the potatoe speedily rots. when they are to be dressed, wash them, but do not pare or cut them, unless they are very large. fill a saucepan half full of potatoes of an equal size, and add as much cold water as will cover them about an inch. most boiled things are spoiled by having too little water, but potatoes are often spoiled by too much: they should merely be covered, and a little allowed for waste in boiling. set them on a moderate fire till they boil, then take them off, and place them on the side of the fire to simmer slowly, till they are soft enough to admit a fork. the usual test of their skin cracking is not to be depended on, for if they are boiled fast this will happen when the potatoes are not half done, and the inside is quite hard. pour off the water the minute the potatoes are done, or they will become watery and sad; uncover the saucepan, and set it at such a distance from the fire as will prevent its burning; the superfluous moisture will then evaporate, and the potatoes become perfectly dry and mealy. this method is in every respect equal to steaming, and the potatoes are dressed in half the time. potatoes broiled. parboil, then slice and broil them. or parboil, and set them whole on the gridiron over a very slow fire. when thoroughly done, send them up with their skins on. this method is practised in many irish families. potatoes in cream. half boil some potatoes, drain and peel them nicely, and cut into neat pieces. put them into a stewpan with some cream, fresh butter, and salt, of each a proportion to the quantity of potatoes; or instead of cream, put some good gravy, with pepper and salt. stew them very gently, and be careful to prevent their breaking. potatoes fried. if they are whole potatoes, first boil them nearly enough, and then put them into a stewpan with a bit of butter, or some nice clean beef drippings. to prevent their burning, shake them about till they are brown and crisp, and then drain them from the fat. it would be an elegant improvement, to flour and dip them in the yolk of an egg previous to frying, and then roll them in fine sifted bread crumbs: they would then deserve to be called potatoes full dressed.--if to be fried in slices or shavings, peel some large potatoes, slice them about a quarter of an inch thick, or cut them in shavings round and round, as in peeling a lemon. dry them well in a clean cloth, and fry them in lard or dripping. take care that the fat and the fryingpan are both perfectly clean. put the pan on a quick fire; as soon as the lard boils, and is still, put in the potatoe slices, and keep moving them till they are crisp. take them up and lay them to drain on a sieve, and then send them to table with a very little salt sprinkled over.--to fry cold potatoes, put a bit of clean dripping into a fryingpan. when melted, slice in the potatoes with a little pepper and salt; set them on the fire, and keep them stirring. when quite hot, they are ready. this is a good way of re-dressing potatoes, and making them palatable. potatoes mashed. when the potatoes are thoroughly boiled, drain and dry them well, and pick out every speck. rub them through a cullender into a clean stewpan: to a pound of potatoes allow half an ounce of butter, and a spoonful of milk. mix it up well, but do not make it too moist. after lady day, when potatoes are getting old and specked, and also in frosty weather, this is the best way of dressing them. if potatoes are to be mashed with onions, boil the onions, and pass them through a sieve. mix them with the potatoes, in such a proportion as is most approved. potatoes preserved. to keep potatoes from the frost, lay them up in a dry store room, and cover them with straw, or a linen cloth. if this be not convenient, dig a trench three or four feet deep, and put them in as they are taken up. cover them with the earth taken out of the trench, raise it up in the middle like the roof of a house, and cover it with straw so as to carry off the rain. better still if laid above ground, and covered with a sufficient quantity of mould to protect them from the frost, as in this case they are less likely to be injured by the wet. potatoes may also be preserved by suffering them to remain in the ground, and digging them up in the spring of the year, as they are wanted. potatoes roasted. choose them nearly of a size, wash and dry the potatoes, and put them in a dutch oven, or cheese toaster. take care not to place them too near the fire, or they will burn on the outside before they are warmed through. large potatoes will require two hours to roast them properly, unless they are previously half boiled. when potatoes are to be roasted under meat, they should first be half boiled, drained from the water, and placed in the pan under the meat. baste them with some of the dripping, and when they are browned on one side, turn and brown them on the other. send them up round the meat, or in a small dish. potatoes scalloped. having boiled and mashed the potatoes, butter some clean scallop shells, or pattipans, and put in the potatoes. smooth them on the top, cross a knife over them, strew on a few fine bread crumbs, sprinkle them a little with melted butter from a paste brush, and then set them in a dutch oven. when they are browned on the top, take them carefully out of the shells, and brown the other side. potatoes steamed. the potatoes must be well washed, but not pared, and put into the steamer when the water boils. moderate sized potatoes will require three quarters of an hour to do them properly. they should be taken up as soon as they are done enough, or they will become watery: peel them afterwards. potted beef. take two pounds of lean beef, rub it with saltpetre, and let it lie one night. then lay on common salt, and cover it with water four days in a small pan. dry it with a cloth, season it with black pepper, lay it into as small a pan as will hold it, cover it with coarse paste, but put in no liquor, and bake it five hours in a very cool oven. when cold, pick out the strings and fat. beat the meat very fine, with a quarter of a pound of fine butter just warm, but not oiled, and as much of the gravy as will make it into a paste. put it into very small pots, and cover them with clarified butter.--another way. take beef that has been dressed, either boiled or roasted; beat it in a mortar with some pepper and salt, a few cloves, grated nutmeg, and a little fine butter just warm. this eats as well as the former, but the colour is not so fine. it is however a good way for using the remains of a large joint. potted birds. having cleaned them nicely, rub every part well with a seasoning of white pepper and salt, mace and allspice in fine powder. put them in a pan, lay on some butter, cover it with a paste of coarse flour, and a paper tied closely over. when baked and grown cold, cut them into pieces proper for helping, pack them close into a large potting-pan, and leave as little space as possible to receive the butter. cover them with butter, and one third less will be wanted than when the birds are done whole. potted cheese. cut and pound four ounces of cheshire cheese, one ounce and a half of fine butter, a tea-spoonful of white powdered sugar, a little bit of mace, and a glass of white wine. press it down in a deep pot. potted damsons. weigh the damsons, and wipe them dry one by one, allowing one pound of fine sugar to three pounds of fruit. spread a little of the sugar at the bottom of the jar, then a layer of fruit, and so on till the jar is full. then add three or four spoonfuls of water, tie it down close, and put it several times into a cool oven. potted dripping. boil six pounds of good beef dripping in soft water, strain it into a pan, and let it stand to cool. take off the hard fat, scrape off the gravy, and repeat it several times. when the fat is cold and hard, put it into a saucepan with six bay leaves, six cloves, half a pound of salt, and a quarter of a pound of whole pepper. let the fat be entirely melted; and when it has cooled a little, strain it through a sieve into the pot, and tie it down. turn the pot upside down, that no rats or mice may get at it, and it will keep a long time, and make good puff paste, or crust for puddings. potted hare. an old hare will do well for this purpose, likewise for soup and pie. after seasoning it, bake it with butter. when cold, take the meat from the bones, and beat it in a mortar. if not high enough, add salt, mace, pepper, and a piece of fresh butter melted in a spoonful or two of gravy that came from the hare. when well mixed, put it into small pots, and cover it with butter. the legs and back should be baked at the bottom of the jar, to keep them moist, and the bones be put over them. potted herrings. scale, clean, and season them well. bake them in a pan with spice, bay leaves, and some butter. when cold, lay them in a potting pot, and cover them over with butter. they are very fine for a supper dish. potted lobsters. half boil them, pick out the meat, cut it into small pieces, season with mace, white pepper, nutmeg, and salt. press it close into a pot, and cover it with butter; bake it half an hour, and then put in the spawn. when cold take out the lobster, and put it into pots with a little of the butter. beat the rest of the butter in a mortar, with some of the spawn, mix the coloured butter with as much as will be sufficient to cover the pots, and strain it. cayenne may be added, if approved.--another way. take out the meat as whole as possible, split the tail, and remove the gut; and if the inside be not watery, it may be added. season with mace, nutmeg, white pepper, salt, and a clove or two, in the finest powder. lay a little fine butter at the bottom of the pan, and the lobster smooth over it, with bay leaves between; cover it with butter, and bake it gently. when done, pour the whole on the bottom of a sieve; and with a fork lay the pieces into potting pots, some of each sort, with the seasoning about it. when cold, pour clarified butter over, but not hot. it will be good the next day; but if highly seasoned, and well covered with butter, it will keep some time. potted lobster may be used cold, or as a fricassee, with a cream sauce. it then looks very nicely, and eats well, especially if there is spawn. mackarel, herrings, and trout, are good potted in the same way. potted mackerel. clean, season, and bake them in a pan with spice, bay leaves, and some butter. when cold, lay them in a pot for potting, and cover them over with butter. potted moor game. pick, singe, and wash the birds nicely. dry and season them pretty high, inside and out, with pepper, mace, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. pack them in as small a pot as will hold them, cover them with butter, and bake in a very slow oven. when cold, take off the butter, dry them from the gravy, and put one bird into each pot, which should just fit. add as much more butter as will cover them, but take care that it be not oiled. the best way to melt it is, by warming it in a bason placed in a bowl of hot water. potted partridge. clean them nicely, and season with mace, allspice, white pepper, and salt, all in fine powder. rub every part well, then lay the breast downwards in a pan, and pack the birds as close as possible. put a good deal of butter on them, cover the pan with a paste of coarse flour and a paper over, tie it close and bake it. when cold, put the birds into pots, and cover them with butter. the butter that has covered potted things will serve for basting, or for paste for meat pies. potted pigeons. let them be quite fresh, clean them carefully, and season them with salt and pepper. lay them close in a small deep pan; for the smaller the surface, and the closer they are packed, the less butter will be wanted. cover them with butter, then with very thick paper tied down, and bake them. when cold, put them dry into pots that will hold two or three in each, and pour butter over them, using that which was baked in part. if they are to be kept, the butter should be laid pretty thick over them. if pigeons were boned, and then put in an oval form into the pot, they would lie closer, and require less butter. they may be stuffed with a fine forcemeat made with veal, bacon, and the other ingredients, and then they will eat very fine. if a high flavour is preferred, add mace, allspice, and a little cayenne, before baking. potted rabbits. cut up two or three young but full-grown rabbits, and take off the leg bones at the thigh. pack them as closely as possible in a small pan, after seasoning them with pepper, salt, mace, allspice, and cayenne, all in very fine powder. make the top as smooth as possible. keep out the heads and the carcase bones, but take off the meat about the neck. put in a good deal of butter, and bake the whole gently. keep it two days in the pan, then shift it into small pots, with some additional butter. when a rabbit is to be blanched, set it on the fire with a small quantity of cold water, and let it boil. it is then to be taken out immediately, and put into cold water for a few minutes. potted salmon. scale and wipe a large piece of salmon, but do not wash it. salt it, and let it lie till the salt is melted and drained from it; then season it with pounded mace, cloves, and whole pepper. lay in a few bay leaves, put it close into a pan, cover it over with butter, and bake it. when well done, drain it from the gravy, put it into pots to keep, and when cold cover it with clarified butter. any kind of firm fish may be potted in the same manner. potted shrimps. when boiled, take them out of the skins, and season them with salt, white pepper, and a very little mace and cloves. press them into a pot, set it in the oven ten minutes, and when cold lay on butter. potted trout. scale and draw out the entrails of the fish without opening the belly, give them a wash, and let them drain from the water. season the fish well with salt, pepper, cloves, mace, and ginger. lay them into a broad pan in two layers, cover them with butter, and then with paper. lay some sticks across the pan to keep the paper up. bake them moderately, then take them out and drain them. put them into pots in two layers, and fill up the pots with clarified butter, as cool as it can be to run properly. any other fish may be potted in the same way. potted veal. cold fillet makes the finest potted veal, or it may be done as follows. season a large slice of the fillet before it is dressed, with some mace, peppercorns, and two or three cloves. lay it close into a potting pan that will but just hold it, fill the pan up with water, and bake it three hours. then pound it in a mortar, and flavour it with salt. in pounding, put to it a little of the baked gravy, if the meat is to be eaten soon; otherwise only a little butter just melted. when done, cover it over with butter. to pot veal or chicken with ham, pound some cold veal or the white of a chicken, seasoned as above, and place layers of it with layers of ham pounded, or rather shred. press down each, and cover the whole with clarified butter. potted venison. if the venison be stale, rub it with vinegar, dry it with a cloth, and rub it well with red wine. season it with pepper, salt, and mace, and put it into a jar. pour over it half a pint of red wine, lay in a pound of butter, and bake it tender. when it is done, clean it from the bones and skin, and beat it in a marble mortar with the fat and gravy. press it hard into the pots, and pour clarified butter over it. poultices. common poultice is best made of white bread, put into boiling water till it is of a proper thickness. then let it boil, and add a bit of lard, or a little sweet oil. water answers the purpose better than milk, as the poultice thus made will retain the moisture longer.--a poultice to ripen tumours or swellings, should consist of two ounces of white lily roots, half a pound of figs, and two ounces of meal or bean flour. these are to be boiled in water till it comes to a proper consistence; the poultice is then spread on a thick cloth, applied warm, and shifted as often as it grows dry.--carrot poultice is made of clean grated carrots mixed with water, so as to form a soft pulp. this is an excellent poultice to ease pain arising from a sore; it not only cleanses it, but takes off the offensive smell which generally attends such complaints. it also affords great relief in cancers, and should be changed twice a day. poultry. previously to their being dressed, every description of game and poultry requires to be carefully picked, and neatly trussed; every plug should be removed, and the hair nicely singed with white paper. in drawing poultry, care must be taken not to break the gall bag, for no washing will take off the bitter where it has touched. in dressing wild fowl, a brisk clear fire must be kept up, that they may be done of a fine yellow brown, but so as to leave the gravy in: the fine flavour is lost if done too much. tame fowls require more roasting, and are longer in heating through than others. all sorts should be continually basted, that they may be served up with a froth, and appear of a fine colour. a large fowl will take three quarters of an hour, a middling one half an hour, and a small one, or a chicken, twenty minutes. the fire must be very quick and clear, before any fowls are put down. a capon will take from half an hour to thirty-five minutes, a goose an hour, wild ducks a quarter of an hour, pheasants twenty minutes, a small stuffed turkey an hour and a quarter, turkey poults twenty minutes, grouse a quarter of an hour, quails ten minutes, and partridges about twenty-five minutes. a hare will take nearly an hour, and the hind part requires most heat. pigs and geese require a brisk fire, and quick turning. hares and rabbits must be well attended to, and the extremities brought to the quick part of the fire, to be done equally with the backs. poultry yard. in the rearing of poultry, care should be taken to choose a fine large breed, or the ends of good management may be defeated. the dartford sort is generally approved, but it is difficult to say which is to be preferred, if they be but healthy and vigorous. the black sort are very juicy, but as their legs are so much discoloured, they are not well adapted for boiling. those hens are usually preferred for setting, which have tufts of feathers on their head; those that crow are not considered so profitable. some fine young fowls should be reared every year, to keep up a stock of good breeders, and bad layers and careless nurses should be excluded. the best age for a setting hen is from two to five years, and it is necessary to remark which among them are the best breeders. hens set twenty days, and convenient places should be provided for their laying, which will also serve for setting and hatching. a hen house should be large and high, should be frequently cleaned out, and well secured from the approach of vermin, or the eggs will be sucked, and the fowls destroyed. hens must not be disturbed while sitting, for if frightened, they are apt to forsake their nests. wormwood and rue should be planted about their houses; some of the former should occasionally be boiled, and sprinkled about the floor, which should not be paved, but formed of smooth earth. the windows of the house should be open to the rising sun, and a hole left at the door to let in the smaller fowls; the larger may be let in and out by opening the door. there should be a small sliding board to shut down when the fowls are gone to roost, to prevent the ravages of vermin, and a strong door and lock should be added, to secure the poultry from thieves and robbers. let the hens lay some time before they are allowed to set, the proper time for which will be from the end of february to the beginning of may. broods of chickens are hatched all through the summer, but those that come out very late require care till they have gained sufficient strength. feed the hens well during the time of laying, and give them oats occasionally. if the eggs of any other sort are put under a hen with some of her own, observe to add her own as many days after the others as there is a difference in the length of their setting. a turkey and duck set thirty days, the hen only twenty. choose large clear eggs to put her upon, and such a number as she can properly cover; about ten or twelve are quite sufficient. if the eggs be very large, they sometimes contain a double yolk, and in that case neither will be productive. when some of the chickens are hatched, long before the others, it may be necessary to keep them in a basket of wool till the others come forth. the day after they are hatched, give them some crumbs of white bread or grots soaked in milk, which are very nourishing. as soon as they have gained a little strength, feed them with curd, cheese parings cut small, or any soft food, but nothing that is sour, and provide them with clean water twice a day. keep the hen under a pen till the young have strength to follow her about, which will be in two or three weeks; and be sure to feed the hen well. poultry in general should be fed as nearly as possible at the same hour of the day, and in the same place, as this will be the surest way of collecting them together. potatoes boiled in a little water, so as to be dry and mealy, and then cut, and wetted with skim milk that is not sour, will form an agreeable food for poultry, and young turkies will thrive much on it. grain should however be given occasionally, or the constant use of potatoe food will make their flesh soft and insipid. the food of fowls goes first into the crop, which softens it; it then passes into the gizzard, which by constant friction macerates it; this is facilitated by small stones which are generally found there, and which help to digest the food. if a setting hen be troubled with vermin, let her be well washed with a decoction of white lupins. the pip in fowls is occasioned by drinking dirty water, or taking filthy food. the general symptom is a white thin scale on the tongue, which should be pulled off with the finger; afterwards rub the tongue with a little salt, and the disorder will be removed.--geese require a somewhat different management. they generally breed once in a year; but if well kept, they will frequently hatch twice within that period. three of these birds are usually allotted to a gander; if there were more, the eggs would be rendered abortive. the quantity of eggs to be placed under each goose while setting, is about a dozen or thirteen. while brooding, they should be well fed with corn and water, which must be placed near them, so that they may eat at pleasure. the ganders should never be excluded from their company, because they are then instinctively anxious to watch over and guard their own geese. the nests of geese should be made of straw, and so confined that the eggs may not roll out, as the geese turn them every day. when they are nearly hatched, it is proper to break the shell near the back of the young gosling, as well for the purpose of admitting the air, as to enable it to make its escape at the proper time. to fatten young geese, the best way is to coop them up in a dark narrow place, where they are to be fed with ground malt mixed with milk; or if milk be scarce, with barley meal mashed up with water. a less expensive way will be to give them boiled oats, with either duck's meat or boiled carrots; and as they are very fond of variety, these may be given them alternately. they will then become fat in a few weeks, and their flesh will acquire a fine flavour. in order to fatten stubble geese at michaelmas time, the way is to turn them out on the wheat stubble, or those pastures that grow after wheat has been harvested. they are afterwards to be pent up, and fed with ground malt mixed with water. boiled oats or wheat may occasionally be substituted.--ducks are fattened in the same manner, only they must be allowed a large pan of water to dabble in. those kept for breeders, should have the convenience of a large pond; and such as have their bills a little turned up will generally be found the most prolific. in the spring of the year, an additional number of ducks may be reared by putting the eggs under the care of the hen, who will hatch them as her own brood.--turkies, early in the spring, will often wander to a distance in order to construct their nest, where the hen deposits from fourteen to seventeen eggs, but seldom produces more than one brood in a season. great numbers are reared in the northern counties, and driven by hundreds to the london market by means of a shred of scarlet cloth fastened to the end of a pole, which from their antipathy to this colour serves as a whip. turkies being extremely delicate fowls, are soon injured by the cold: hence it is necessary, soon after they are hatched, to force them to swallow one whole peppercorn each, and then restore them to the parent bird. they are also liable to a peculiar disorder, which often proves fatal in a little time. on inspecting the rump feathers, two or three of their quills will be found to contain blood; but on drawing them out, the chickens soon recover, and afterwards require no other care than common poultry. young turkies should be fed with crumbs of bread and milk, eggs boiled hard and chopped, or with common dock leaves cut fine, and mixed with fresh butter-milk. they also require to be kept in the sunshine or a warm place, and guarded from the rain, or from running among the nettles. they are very fond of the common garden peppercress, or cut-leaved cress, and should be supplied with as much of it as they will eat, or allowed to pick it off the bed. in norfolk they are fed with curds and chopped onions, also with buck wheat, and are literally crammed with boluses of barley meal till their crops are full, which perhaps may account for the superior excellence of the turkies in that part of the kingdom. pounce. this article, used in writing, is made of gum sandaric, powdered and sifted very fine; or an equal quantity of rosin, burnt alum, and cuttle fishbone well dried, and mixed together. this last is of a superior quality. pound cake. beat a pound of butter to a cream, and mix with it the whites and yolks of eight eggs beaten apart. have ready warm by the fire, a pound of flour, and the same of sifted sugar. mix them and a few cloves, a little nutmeg and cinnamon, in fine powder together; then by degrees work the dry ingredients into the butter and eggs. it must be well beaten for a full hour, adding a glass of wine, and some carraway seeds. butter a pan, and bake it a full hour in a quick oven. the above proportions, leaving out four ounces of the butter, and the same of sugar, make a less luscious cake, but a very pleasant one. pounded cheese. cut a pound of good mellow cheese into thin slices, add to it two or three ounces of fresh butter, rub them well together in a mortar till quite smooth. when cheese is dry, and for those whose digestion is feeble, this is the best way of eating it; and spread on bread, it makes an excellent supper. the flavour of this dish may be encreased by pounding it with curry powder, ground spice, black cayenne, and a little made mustard; or it may be moistened with a glass of sherry. if pressed down hard in a jar, and covered with clarified butter, it will keep for several days in cool weather. prawns and shrimps. when fresh they have a sweet flavour, are firm and stiff, and of a bright colour. shrimps are of the prawn kind, and may be judged by the same rules. prawn soup. boil six whitings and a large eel, in as much water as will cover them, after being well cleaned. skim them clean, and put in whole pepper, mace, ginger, parsley, or onion, a little thyme, and three cloves, and boil the whole to a mash. pick fifty crawfish, or a hundred prawns; pound the shells, and a small roll. but first boil them with a little water, vinegar, salt, and herbs. put this liquor over the shells in a sieve, and then pour the soup, clear from the sediment. chop a lobster, and add this to it, with a quart of good beef gravy. add also the tails of the crawfish, or the prawns, with some flour and butter. the seasoning may be heightened, if approved. preserves. these can never be done to perfection, without plenty of good sugar. fruits may be kept with small quantities of sugar, but then they must boil so long that there is as much waste in the boiling away, as some more sugar added at first would have cost, and the quality of the preserve will neither be so proper for use, nor of so good an appearance, as with a larger proportion of sugar, and moderate boiling. fruits are often put up without any sugar at all, but if they do not ferment and spoil, which is very common, they must have a good deal of sugar added to them when used, and thus the risk of spoiling seems hardly compensated by any saving. the only real economy that can be exercised in this case is, not to make any preserves at all. the most perfect state in which fruits in general can be taken for preserving is, just when they are full ripe. sooner than this they have not acquired their best qualities, and if they hang long after it they begin to lose them. some persons will delay the doing them, under an idea that the longer they hang the less sugar they require. but it is a false economy that would lose the perfection of the fruit to save some of the sugar, and probably quite unfounded in fact, as all things will naturally keep the best that are taken at their highest perfection, and hence do with as little sugar then as at any time. preserved cucumbers. choose such as are most free from seed; some should be small to preserve whole, and others large to cut in pieces. put them into a jar, with strong salt and water, and a cabbage leaf to keep them down, and set them in a warm place till they turn yellow. then wash and set them over the fire in fresh water, with a little salt, and a fresh cabbage leaf over them; cover the pan close, but they must not be boiled. if not of a fine green, change the water, cover them as before, and make them hot; when of a good green, take them off the fire, and let them stand till cold. cut the large cucumbers in quarters, and take out the seeds and pulp; put them into cold water for two days, and change the water twice each day. place on the fire a pound of refined sugar, with half a pint of water; skim it clean, put in the rind of a lemon, and an ounce of ginger with the outside scraped off. when the syrup is pretty thick take it off, and when cold wipe the cucumbers dry, and put them in. boil the syrup every two or three days, continuing to do so for three weeks, and make it stronger if necessary. be sure to put the syrup to the cucumbers quite cold, cover them close, and keep them in a dry place. preserved oysters. open the oysters carefully, so as not to cut them, except in dividing the gristle which attaches the shells. put them into a mortar, and add about two drams of salt to a dozen oysters. pound and then rub them through the back of a hair sieve, and put them into the mortar again, with as much well-dried flour as will make them into a paste. roll it out several times, and at last flour and roll it out the thickness of a half crown, and divide it into pieces about an inch square. lay them in a dutch oven, that they may dry gently without being burnt; turn them every half hour, and when they begin to dry, crumble them. they will take about four hours to dry, then pound them fine, sift and put them into bottles, and seal them down. to make half a pint of oyster sauce, put one ounce of butter into a stewpan, with three drams of oyster powder, and six spoonfuls of milk. set it on a slow fire, stir it till it boils, and season it with salt. this powder, if made of plump juicy natives, will abound with the flavour of the fish; and if closely corked, and kept in a dry place, will remain good for some time. it is also an agreeable substitute when oysters are out of season, and is a valuable addition to the list of fish sauces. it is equally good with boiled fowl, or rump steak; and sprinkled on bread and butter, it makes a very good sandwich. preserved walnuts. put the walnuts into cold water, let them boil five minutes, strain off the water, and change it three times. dry the nuts in a cloth, and weigh them; to every pound of nuts allow a pound of sugar, and stick a clove in each. put them into a jar with some rose vinegar; boil up a syrup, with a pint of water and half a pound of sugar, and pour over them. let them stand three or four days, and boil up the syrup again. repeat this three times, and at last give the walnuts a good scald, and let them remain in the syrup. preservation of butter. butter, as it is generally cured, does not keep well for any length of time, without spoiling or becoming rancid. the following method of preserving butter, supposing it to have been previously well made, is recommended as the best at present known. reduce separately to fine powder in a dry mortar, two pounds of the whitest common salt, one pound of saltpetre, and one pound of lump sugar. sift these ingredients one above another, on two sheets of paper joined together, and then mix them well with the hands, or with a spatula. preserve the whole in a covered jar, placed in a dry situation. when required to be used, one ounce of this composition is to be proportioned to every pound of butter, and the whole is to be well worked into the mass: the butter is then to be packed in casks in the usual way. butter cured with this mixture will be of a rich marrowy consistence, and will never acquire that brittle hardness so common to salt butter. it has been known to keep for three years, as sweet as it was at first; but it must be observed, that butter thus cured requires to stand at least three weeks or a month before it is used. if it be opened sooner, the salts are not sufficiently blended with it, and sometimes the coolness of the nitre will then be perceived, which totally disappears afterwards. cleanliness in this article is indispensable, but it is not generally suspected, that butter made or kept in vessels or troughs lined with lead, or put into glazed earthenware pans, is too apt to be contaminated with particles of that deleterious metal. if the butter is in the least degree rancid, this can hardly fail to take place; and it cannot be doubted, that during the decomposition of the salts, the glazing is acted upon. it is better therefore to use tinned vessels for mixing the preservative with the butter, and to pack it either in wooden vessels, or in stone jars which are vitrified throughout, and do not require any inside glazing. pressed beef. salt a piece of the brisket, a thin part of the flank, or the tops of the ribs, with salt and saltpetre five days. boil it gently till extremely tender, put it under a great weight, or in a cheesepress, and let it remain till perfectly cold. it is excellent for sandwiches, or a cold dish. primrose vinegar. boil four pounds of moist sugar in ten quarts of water for about a quarter of an hour, and take off the scum. then pour the liquor on six pints of primroses, add some fresh yeast before it is quite cold, and let it work all night in a warm place. when the fermentation is over, close up the barrel, and still keep it in a warm place. prince of wales's pudding. put half a pound of loaf sugar, and half a pound of fresh butter, into a saucepan; set it over the fire till both are melted, stirring it well, as it is very liable to burn, but do not let it boil. pour this into an earthen pan, grate the rind of a lemon into it, and leave it to cool. have ready two sponge biscuits soaked in a quarter of a pint of cream, bruise them fine and stir them into the sugar and butter. beat the yolks of ten, and the whites of five eggs well with a little salt; squeeze and strain the juice of the lemon into them, and mix these well in with the other ingredients. lay a puff paste into the dish, strew it with pieces of candied lemon peel, put in the pudding, and bake it three quarters of an hour in a moderate oven. sift fine sugar over it, before it is sent to the table. provisions. the first of all requisites for human sustenance is bread, which with great propriety is denominated 'the staff of life.' the next to this is meat, which though not alike essential, is of great importance in strengthening and invigorating the human frame. the former of these constituting the principal food of great numbers, and a part of the sustenance of all people, it is highly necessary to attend carefully to the ingredients of which it is composed, and to the manner in which it is prepared. a person's health must inevitably be injured by bad corn and flour, and even by what is good, when improperly prepared. the best flour is often made into bad bread by not suffering it to rise sufficiently; by not kneading it well, by not baking it enough, and by keeping it too long. mixing other substances with the flour also injures the quality of the bread in a very high degree. these faults have a bad effect on those who generally eat such bread, but the injury is still more serious to children and weakly persons. where the flour is corrupted, the use of it in every other article of food, will of course be as unwholesome as in that of bread. the mere exposure to the air will evaporate and deaden all flour, though the grain may never have passed through any fermentation or digestion; as in the instance of wheat flour, the strongest and the best of any other. for this reason, flour which has been ground five or six weeks, or longer, though it be kept close in sacks or barrels, will not make so sweet a loaf, nor one so moist and pleasant, as that which is newly ground. hence all bread made in london eats drier and harsher than bread in the country, which is made within a few days after the grinding of the wheat. all grains which are ground, ought therefore to be used as soon afterwards as possible. but this is not the most profitable to the dealers in meal, as meal newly ground will not part so freely from the bran, nor consequently yield so much flour, as when it lies a certain time after the grinding; for this disposes the branny and floury parts to give way from each other, and thus they separate easier and more completely than when dressed immediately. the flour also then looks finer, but the bread made of such meal is not of so good a quality as that made of meal fresh ground. all sorts of grain kept entire, will remain sound and good for a long time: but flour will in a comparatively short time, corrupt, and generate worms. this therefore requires peculiar attention, or much loss and injury may be sustained. the health of mankind depends in great measure on the good or bad preparation of food, and on the purity of all sorts of provisions: and grain being the most essential article of sustenance, very much depends on the conduct of millers, bakers, and mealmen. those who acquit themselves honestly in these vocations are entitled to a fair profit, and the goodwill of their fellow-men: but such as betray the confidence reposed in them, by corrupting or withholding it when needed, are undoubtedly amongst the worst enemies of mankind. so far as health is concerned, bread made with leaven is preferable to that made with yeast; the sour quality of leaven is more agreeable to the ferment of the stomach than yeast; it is also easier of digestion, and more cleansing. it opens the vessels, and gives a healthy appetite; and a little use will make it familiar and pleasant to the eater. this bread however seldom agrees with weak stomachs, especially such as are liable to acidity and heartburn. one of the best kinds of bread for sickly people, is made of wheaten flour, the coarse or husky bran being taken out, but not finely dressed; otherwise it would be dry, and obstructing to the stomach. the inner skin or branny parts of wheat contain a moisty quality, which is opening and cleansing, while the fine floury parts afford more nourishment. bread therefore of a middling quality is the wholesomest, and the best. mixing in much salt is injurious, from the change it occasions in bread of every description. finding no matter liable to putrefaction to work on, it acts upon the best qualities of the flour, which it alters and corrupts. hence, when bread is intended to be kept a considerable time, as biscuits for a long voyage, no salt is put into it. but bread for common use will admit of a moderate portion of salt. it may be remarked however, that bread, notwithstanding it is so excellent with meat, milk, and vegetables, is not so substantial and nourishing as flour, when prepared in porridges and other articles. to have good bread, it should not be baked in too close an oven, but a free passage should be left for the air. the best way is to make it into thin cakes, and bake them on a stone, which many in the northern counties use for that purpose, making a wood fire under it. this sort of bread is sweeter, of a more innocent taste, and far easier of digestion, than bread baked the common way in ovens. in the same manner cakes may be made of any kind of grain, such as rye, oats, or barley, and will be found more wholesome and nourishing, and more agreeable to nature, than bread made in the usual manner. oat cakes are often preferred to those made of wheat flour, as they tend to open the body, and are rather warmer, to cold and weak stomachs. barley is not so nourishing, and requires more preparation to render it digestible, than the other kinds of grain. cakes, biscuits, muffins, buns, crumpets, and small bread, made with eggs, butter, or sugar, seldom agree with delicate persons. biscuits made without leaven, yeast, butter, or sugar, are more difficult of digestion, than bread when it is fermented. where bread is fixed to a standard weight and price, bakers are very apt to mix alum and pearlash with it, for the purpose of hastening its rising, and of encreasing its weight, by causing it to retain its moisture. if a piece of bread be soaked in water, and turns the juice of a red cabbage into a green colour, it is a proof that it contains an alkali or earthy substance, which is most probably pearlash. it is said that a compound salt is clandestinely sold in london, under the name of baker's salt, and is composed of the above ingredients. when there is reason to suspect that bread is adulterated with alum, it may be detected thus. cut about a pound of bread into an earthen vessel, pour upon it a quart of boiling water, and let it stand till cold. strain the liquor off gently through a piece of fine linen, boil it down to about a wine glass full, and set it by to cool. if there be a mixture of alum, it will form itself into crystals. the observance of the following rules may be considered as essential to the making of good bread. the corn must be sound and clean, and newly ground, and not contaminated with any extraneous mixtures. to make it easy of digestion it should be leavened, and moderately seasoned with salt. let it rise for several hours, and be well wrought and kneaded with the hands. it must be well baked, but neither over nor under-done. if baked too little, the bread will be heavy, clammy, and unwholesome: if too much, its strength and goodness will be consumed. in general, bread should not be eaten hot; it is then more viscid, and harder of digestion. bread is in its best state the first and second day after it is baked. economical bread, or bread of an inferior quality, depraved by other mixtures, has frequently been recommended to poor people in times of scarcity; but except where absolute necessity exists, this is a kind of policy that cannot be too severely condemned. the labouring classes, whose dependence is almost entirely upon bread, ought to be provided with what is of the purest and most nutricious quality, and at a reasonable price. they might then live upon their labour, and in health and activity would feel that labour itself was sweet. if potatoes, rice, or any other ingredients are to be mixed with the bread, to lower its nutricious qualities, let it not be offered to the labourer; but if economy of this kind be required, let it be exercised by those whose eyes are standing out with fatness, and to whom a sparer diet might be beneficial.--meat in general, as well as all other kinds of food, is nourishing or otherwise, according to its quality, and the manner in which it is prepared. there are peculiar constitutions, or particular diseases and periods of life, when animal food is highly detrimental; and others again, when it is essentially necessary; but it is the general use of it, and not these exceptions, that will be the subject of the following observations. as a part of our habitual diet, the main points to be attended to are, the kinds of animal food, and the modes of dressing it, which are most to be recommended. a choice of meat is desirable, but if the animals subject to this choice be neither sound nor healthy, it is of little consequence which kind is preferred, for they, are alike unwholesome. it is proper therefore to avoid the flesh of all such as are fatted in confinement, or upon pernicious substances, which can never make wholesome food. oil cakes and rank vegetables, with want of air and exercise, will produce such sort of meat as will shew immediately from its appearance, that it must be unwholesome. animals may eat rancid fulsome food, and grow fat upon it, and yet the meat they produce may be highly offensive. hunger and custom will induce the eating of revolting substances, both in the brute and human species; and growing fat is by no means a certain sign of health. on the contrary, it is frequently the symptom of a gross habit, and a tendency to disease. the distinct effects of various kinds of food upon animals, are very obvious in the instance of milch cows. grass, hay, straw, grains, turnips, and oil cakes, produce milk of such different qualities as must be at once distinguished; and the preference to that where cows are fed upon grass or hay, and next to them straw, appears very decided. the inference would be fair, that it must be the same with respect to flesh, even if it were less obvious than it is. it is an unwise economy, in the management of cows, that withholds from them a sufficient quantity of the best and most nourishing food. if duly appreciated, the quality of milk is even of superior importance to that of flesh, from its general excellence and utility as an article of food. if milk was plentiful and good, the want of meat would in many instances not be felt, and in others, the consumption of it might be lessened with great advantage. to confine cows with a view to increase their supply of milk, is as injurious to the quality of it, as the confinement of animals is in other instances. the over feeding them also with a similar view, is an injurious practice. cleanliness too is no less essential to keeping them in a wholesome state, than to animals intended to be slaughtered. it is no uncommon effect of confining and cramming animals, that they become diseased in the liver, besides acquiring a general tendency to putridity in their juices and muscular substances, from want of air and exercise, excess of feeding and bad food, and the dirt in which they live. a brute, no more than a human being, can digest above a certain quantity of food, to convert it into actual nourishment; and good chyle can only be produced from wholesome food, cleanliness, air, and exercise. to be well fleshed rather than fat, is the desirable state of animals destined for slaughter. there will always be with this a sufficient proportion of fat; and labouring by artificial means to produce more, is only encreasing that part of animal substance, which from its gross indigestible nature is not proper for human diet, unless in a very limited degree. venison, which in its domestic state is never fatted like other animals; game, and every wild animal proper for food; possess superior qualities to the tame, from the total contrast in their habits, more than from the food they eat. they have an extensive range in the open air, take much exercise, and choose their own sustenance, the good effects of which are very evident in a short delicate texture of flesh found only in them. their juices and flavour are more pure, and their fat is far more delicious than that of home-bred animals. the superiority of welch mutton and scotch beef is owing to a similar cause, and is still more in point than the former, as a contrast between animals of the same species under different management. the preferences just mentioned are not a mere matter of taste, which might readily be dispensed with, but are founded on more important considerations. a short delicate texture renders the meat more digestible, in a very high degree, than the coarse, heavy, stringy kind of substance produced by the misapplied art of man. a pure animal juice too, is something more than a luxury; for if what we use as food is not pure, neither can our blood nor our juices be so. if we would but be content with unadulterated luxuries, we have them at our command; and provided they are not indulged to excess, are of decided advantage to our health. supposing all animal flesh to be good of its kind, there is still abundant room for selection and choice. mutton, beef, venison, game, wild rabbits, fowls, turkies, and various small birds, are preferable to lamb, veal, pork, young pigs, ducks, geese, and tame rabbits. beef and mutton are much easier of digestion and more nutricious than veal and lamb, especially if not slaughtered before they come to proper maturity. nothing arrives at perfection under a stated period of growth, and till this is attained it will afford only inferior nutriment. if the flesh of mutton and lamb, beef and veal, are compared, they will be found of a different texture, and the two young meats of a more stringy indivisible nature than the others, which makes them harder of digestion. neither are their juices so nourishing when digested; as any one at all in the habit of observing what is passing within and about them will readily perceive from their own experience. lamb and veal leave a craving nausea in the stomach, not perceived after taking other kinds of animal food. veal broth soon turns sour by standing, owing to the sugar of milk contained in the blood of a calf; and the same change takes place in a weak stomach. persons in the habit of drinking strong liquors with their meals, cannot competently judge of such an effect; as these liquors harden all kinds of animal food, and therefore little distinction can be perceived amongst them. pork and young pigs are liable to the same objections as lamb and veal, but in a greater degree; they are fat and luscious, but afford no nutriment. ducks and geese are of a coarse oily nature, and only fit for very strong stomachs. tame rabbits are of a closer heavier texture than wild ones, and hence of inferior quality. pigeons are of a hot nature, and should therefore be used sparingly. fowls and turkies are of a mild proper nature for food, but the fattening them in confinement is equally prejudicial, as to other animals already mentioned. if left at large, well fed with good barley, and with clean water to drink, they will be little inferior to game. barley is preferable to barley meal, as retaining all the natural qualities of the grain in greater perfection than when ground; and as these birds are provided with grinders in the gizzard, the concocting their own food is more nourishing and wholesome for them. these, like other animals, should be suffered to attain their full growth, in order to have them in the best state for nutriment. some parts of birds, and other animals, are hard and viscid, as the head, neck, feet, and tail; the parts about the wings, back, and breast of birds, are in general the most tender, and of the finest flavour. in four-footed animals, the upper part of the leg and shoulder, the back, breast, and long bones of the neck, are generally superior to the rest. the heart and other viscera are nutricious, but hard of digestion, and improper for weak stomachs. the larger an animal is of its kind, the flesh of it will be stronger, and more difficult to digest; the juices also will be more rank than those of smaller ones of the same species, supposing them to have arrived at the same maturity. animals which abound with fat and oily substances are harder to digest, than those of a drier and more fleshy nature; and to persons who use but little exercise, or have weak stomachs, this kind of food is very improper. its tendency is to weaken the tone and force of the stomach, the fat and oil being enclosed in little bladders, which are with difficulty broken and separated. hence fat meat is not so digestible as that of well fed animals, which do not abound with fat. the flesh of very old animals is unwholesome, being hard, dry, sinewy, innutricious, and difficult to digest. those which are the longest in coming to maturity have the coarsest juices, such as oxen, cows, and boars. these are less tender and digestible than sheep, venison, hares, rabbits, poultry, game, and other birds. in almost all cases, the strong and pungent in flavour are harder to digest than those of a milder nature. the flesh of birds is lighter, drier, and easier of digestion, than that of four-footed animals. a difference also arises from the place of pasturage, from food and exercise. animals living in high places, refreshed with wholesome winds, and cherished with the warm beams of the sun, where there are no marshes, lakes, or standing waters, are preferable to those living in pools, as ducks and geese, and other kinds of fowl.--fish is less nourishing than flesh, because it is gross, phlegmatic, cold, and full of watery superfluities: but under certain restrictions, it may be safely used as a part of our general diet. it is unsuitable to cold phlegmatic constitutions, but very well adapted to such as are hot and choleric. the white kinds of fish, which contain neither fat nor oil, are preferable to the rest; such as whitings, turbot, soles, skate, haddock, flounders, smelts, trout, and graylings. these are easier of digestion than salmon, mackarel, eels, lampreys, herrings, or sprats, and therefore more wholesome. shell-fish, such as oysters, muscles, cockles, crabs, and lobsters, are very far from being easy of digestion, and are particularly improper for invalids, though too commonly imagined to be suitable in such cases. in general it may be observed, that those kinds of fish which are well grown, nourish better than the young and immature. sea-fish are wholesomer than fresh-water fish: they are of a hotter nature, not so moist, and more approaching to flesh meat. of all sea and river fish, those are the best which live in rocky places. next to these, in gravelly or sandy places, in sweet, clear, running water, where there is nothing offensive. those which live in pools, muddy lakes, marshes, or stagnant water, are bad. whether sea or river fish, those are the best which are not too large, whose flesh is not hard and dry, but crisp and tender; which taste and smell well, and have many fins and scales. all fresh fish should be eaten hot, and less in quantity than fresh meat. fish should not be eaten very often, and never after great labour and exercise, nor after eating other solid food. fish and milk are not proper to be eaten at the same meal, nor should eggs be used with fish, except with salt fish, and that should be well soaked in water before it is dressed. it may be eaten with carrots or parsnips, instead of egg sauce. if salt fish be eaten too often, or without this precaution, it produces gross humours and bad juices in the body; occasions thirst, hoarseness, sharpness in the blood, and other unfavourable symptoms. it is therefore a kind of food which should be used very sparingly, and given only to persons of a strong constitution. all kinds of salted and dried fish are innutricious and unwholesome, and their injurious effects are often visible in the habits of seafaring people. even prawns and shrimps, if eaten too freely, are known to produce surfeits, which end in st. anthony's fire.--if proper attention be paid to health, every kind of sustenance intended for the use of man, must be provided in its season; for to every thing there is both time and season, which the wisdom and goodness of providence have pointed out. every production is the most pure in quality, and of course the most wholesome, when nature has perfected her work, and prepared it for human sustenance. to anticipate her seasons, or to prolong them, is a misapplication of labour, and a perversion of the bounties of providence into secret poisons, to indulge the wanton cravings of a depraved appetite. the properties of animal food in general seem not to restrict the use of it to any particular season, but rather to admit its common use at all times. the only period in which it is less seasonable than at any other, appears to be in hot weather, when animal substances of all kinds are very liable to taint. the profuse supply of vegetables too in the warmer months, seems to lessen the occasion for animal food. attention should be paid however at all times to the proper season for using the different kinds of animal food, and to the various circumstances that may contribute to its being more or less wholesome. the killing of animals by the easiest means, and not previously abusing them by over-driving, or in any other way, materially affects their fitness for food, and ought therefore to be carefully attended to. the high flavour, or taint in meat, which so many english palates prefer, is in fact the commencement of putrefaction; and of course meat in this state is very improper for food, particularly for persons with any tendency to putrid disorders. at a time when bad fevers prevail, food of this description ought to be generally avoided, as it disposes the blood and juices to receive infection. with respect to grain, its adaptedness to keep the whole year round, evidently denotes that it was intended for constant use. but the recurrence of an annual supply seems to be the voice of nature, forbidding its being kept in ordinary cases to a longer period, especially as new corn is generally preferred to the old. all other vegetables, including fruits, seem designed only for a transient season. roots, and a few late fruits, have indeed the property of keeping for some months, and may thus provide a store for the winter, when fresh vegetables are less plentiful. other kinds will not keep without undergoing a culinary process, by which they are rendered less wholesome, however palatable they may be considered. provisions of almost every description may be preserved from putrefaction by being partially dressed and then closely stopped down, as has been fully demonstrated by messrs. donkin and gamble of bermondsey, who by means of air-tight canisters are in the habit of preparing all kinds of meat, which will keep perfectly sweet and fresh for a considerable length of time in any climate, and are incomparably better than those preserved in the ordinary way by salting or drying. but however applicable these preserves may be to the purposes of a long voyage, or a foreign expedition, where no fresh supplies can be obtained, they are by no means to be recommended to private families, who enjoy the superior advantages of going to market for fresh provisions. time, which devours all things, cannot fail to impair, though not immediately, the flavour and other properties of whatever is preserved, in defiance of every precaution against its influence. the appearance and flavour of such articles may not be revolting to us, but if compared with the same things when fresh and well dressed, their inferiority is sufficiently obvious. pickled salmon is a familiar instance of this kind. it is very generally relished, and often preferred to fresh salmon; yet if brought into comparison, the substance of the one is heavy, that of the other light and elastic. the flavour of the pickled salmon is sophisticated and deadened, if not vapid; that of the other is natural, fresh, and delicate, the pure volatile spirit not being destroyed by improper cookery, or long keeping. instances of violent surfeits often occur from eating pickled salmon, soused mackarel, and other rich preserves, not from their being in a state of decay, but from the unwholesomeness of their preparation. people acquire tastes indeed, that reconcile them to any thing; that even make them fond of corrupted flavours, such as decayed cheese, tainted meat, and other things of a similar description. our taste therefore is very likely to betray us into error; and to guard against it, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between what is really wholesome and what is otherwise, for this is rather a matter of judgment than of taste.--a few brief remarks may very properly be added on the important article of milk, which forms, or ought to form, an essential part of the food of every family, in one shape or another. as far as regards the general properties of milk, it is in season at all times; and by judicious management it might always be supplied in sufficient quantities to become a plentiful source of human sustenance. it is of the best quality however, five or six months after a cow has calved. when she becomes with calf again, her milk will of course fall off, both in quantity and in quality. the impatient greediness of cow-keepers would have calves and milk at the same time, and on this account they seldom allow their dairies a fair interval for keeping up a successive supply of the best milk. to keep cows in the healthiest condition, and their milk consequently in the purest state, they should not be confined in houses, nor in yards, but suffered to go at large in the open fields. they should also be well fed with wholesome provender, and have access to good water. if kept quite clean, by occasionally rubbing them down, and washing their bag, and legs and feet, their health would be promoted, and of course the nutricious quality of the milk. if the comfort and welfare of society were consulted, the higher classes would not slight their dairies for studs of horses, kept more for ostentation than for use. in reference to the same subject, the breaking up of small farms is deeply to be regretted, not only as ruinous to a numerous class of deserving persons, but as depriving the markets and the neighbourhoods of those articles of necessity which their industry produced. it was an object to a small farmer to make the most of his dairy and poultry yard, which to an occupier on a larger scale is regarded as a matter of indifference. the consequence is, there is neither so plentiful a supply of these things, nor are they so good in quality as formerly. the wife of a small farmer attended to her own business, her poultry was brought up at the barn door, and killed when it was sweet and wholesome, while the produce of her dairy redounded to her credit, and afforded ample satisfaction to her customers.--the most judicious choice of food however will avail but little, if the manner of preparing it is not equally judicious. the principal error in cooking lies in overdoing what is intended for the table; the qualities of the meat are then so entirely changed, that it ceases to be nourishing, and becomes hard of digestion. it is literally put into the stomach only to be pressed out of it again by some unnatural exertion, which at last throws the oppressive load into the rest of the system, from whence it will not pass off without leaving some injury behind it. this, frequently repeated, ends at last in acute or chronic diseases, no less certainly than constant friction upon a stone will at length wear it away, though it may be a long time before any impression upon it is perceived. similar effects arise from drinking, but generally with a more rapid progress, from the extension and collapse of the vessels being more sudden and violent. plain cookery, in the exact medium between under and over doing, is the point to be attained to render our food salutary. the mixture of a great variety of ingredients should be avoided, for if good in themselves separately, they are often rendered indigestible by being compounded one with another. as we must eat every day, there is opportunity enough for all things in turn, without attempting any unwholesome composition. much seasoning with spices, contributes to make animal food indigestible. they are much safer when used just before serving up the dish, or by adding them at the time of eating it. beef and pork long salted, and hams, bacon, tongues, and hung beef, are very indigestible, and particularly improper for weak stomachs, though they will often crave them. boiled meat is generally preferable to roast meat, for nourishment and digestion. boiling extracts more of the rank strong juices, and renders it lighter and more diluted. roasting leaves it fuller of gravy, but it adds to the rigidity of the fibres. the flesh of young animals is best roasted. fried and broiled meats are difficult to be digested, though they are very nourishing: weak stomachs had better avoid them. meat pies and puddings cannot be recommended, but strong stomachs may sustain but little inconvenience from them. it is a confined mode of cookery, and the meat therefore is not at all purified of its grossness. when meat pies and puddings are used, they should be moderately seasoned. baking meat, instead of roasting it, is a worse manner of dressing it, from the closeness of the oven, and the great variety of things often baking at the same time. stewing is not a good way of dressing meat, unless it is done very carefully. if it is stewed till all the juices are drawn from the meat, the latter becomes quite unfit for food: and if the stewpan be kept close covered, there are the same objections to it as meat pies and puddings. hashing is a very bad mode of cooking. it is doing over again what has already been done enough, and makes the meat vapid and hard. what would have been good nourishment in the cold meat, is thus totally lost, as the juices, which are all drawn into the gravy, are spoiled by this second cookery, which exposes them too long to the fire. prune pudding. mix four spoonfuls of flour in a quart of milk; add six eggs, two tea-spoonfuls of powdered ginger, a little salt, and a pound of prunes. tie it in a cloth, and boil it an hour. prune tart. scald some prunes, take out the stones and break them. put the kernels into a little cranberry juice, with the prunes and sugar; simmer them together, and when cold, make a tart of the sweetmeat. pruning. in pruning wall fruit, care should be taken to cut off all fresh shoots that will not readily bind to the wall; for if any be twisted or bruised in the binding, they will in time decay, and the sap will issue from the place. vines should not be cut too close to please the eye, as by that means they have sometimes been rendered barren of fruit. two knots should generally be left on new shoots, which will produce two bunches of grapes, and which are to be cut off at the next pruning. new branches are to be left every year, and some of the old ones must be removed, which will increase the quantity of fruit. puddings. the only puddings which can with propriety be recommended, as really wholesome diet, are those of the simplest kind, such as are seldom met with except in families in the middle ranks of life. the poor unfortunately cannot get them, and the rich prefer those of a more complex kind, of which the best that can be hoped is, that they will not do much harm. the principal ingredients of common puddings are so mild and salutary, that unless they are over-cooked, or too many of them mixed together, such puddings are generally wholesome. to make them of the best and most nutricious quality, the materials should all be fresh and good of their kind; such as, flour newly ground, new milk, fresh laid eggs, and fresh suet. millet, sago, tapioca, whole rice, will all keep a considerable time, if put into a dry place. when rice, millet, or sago, are wanted to be used ground, they had better be ground at home for the sake of having them fresh, and the certainty of having them pure. such a mill as is used for grinding coffee, will grind them extremely well. the whites of eggs should never be used in puddings for children, or persons of weak stomachs, or for those who are any way indisposed, on account of their being indigestible. omitting them altogether would indeed be attended with no disadvantage. the yolk of an egg alone answers the same purpose, as when the white is used with it. to prove this, let two cups of batter pudding be made, one with the yolk of an egg only, the other with the yolk and white together, and the result will be, that the pudding with the yolk only is quite as light, if not lighter, than the one with the whole egg. in other instances also, of several kinds of puddings, where the whites of eggs have been totally omitted, without at all encreasing the number of eggs, the result has been the same. there is a species of economy practised by good housewives, of making compositions on purpose to use up the whites of eggs which have been left out of any preparation made with eggs. but this is a false economy; for surely it is far better to reject as food what is known to be injurious, and to find other uses for it, than to make the human stomach the receptacle for offal. economy would be much more judiciously exerted in retrenching superfluities, than exercised in this manner. two or three good dishes of their kind, and well cooked, are infinitely preferable to a whole course of indigestible compositions. a soup might as well be made of cabbage stalks and pea shells, as any preparation of food with whites of eggs, when there is no doubt of their being positively prejudicial. as cabbage stalks then go to the dunghill, and pea shells to the pigs, so let whites of eggs go to the book-binder, or find some other destination. there are also various kinds of fruit that require to be used with great caution. currants, raisins, prunes, french plums, figs, and all kinds of preserves, are prepared either by the heat of the sun, or by cookery to the full extent that they will bear, and beyond which any application of heat gives them a tendency to putridity. they are therefore certainly prejudicial to weak stomachs when used in puddings, and cannot be good for any; though strong stomachs may not perceive an immediate ill effect from them. eaten without any farther preparation, and especially with bread, these things may be used in moderation. for the reasons just given, spices are better not put into puddings, they are already in a sufficiently high state of preparation. the warm climates in which they grow, brings them to a state of far greater maturity than the general productions of our northern latitude. when they are used, it is better to add them ground, at the time of eating what is to be seasoned, or put in the last thing before serving up the dish. these are also better ground at home, both to have them fresh, and free from adulteration. almonds used in puddings are liable to the same objection. the danger of using laurel leaves in cooking, cannot be too frequently repeated. bay leaves, bitter almonds, and fruit kernels, if not equally dangerous, are pernicious enough to make it very advisable not to use them. fresh fruits often become more unwholesome from being cooked in puddings and tarts, yet will in many cases agree then with stomachs that cannot take them raw; but unripe fruits are not good, either dressed or in any other state.--to prepare puddings in the best manner, they should boil briskly over a clear fire, with the pot lid partly if not entirely off, as the access of fresh air makes every thing dress sweeter. as butter is generally an expensive article, dripping, nicely prepared, may on many occasions be used as a substitute. it will answer the purpose of rubbing basins with, quite as well as butter, and never gives any unpleasant flavour to the pudding. it is also very proper to dredge a basin with flour, after it is rubbed with butter or dripping. economy in eggs is both rational and useful, as puddings with a moderate number of eggs are more wholesome, than when used extravagantly or with profusion. pudding cloths, and every utensil in making puddings, should be quite clean, or the food cannot be wholesome. the outside of a boiled pudding often tastes disagreeably, which arises from the cloth not being nicely washed, and kept in a dry place. it should be dipt in boiling water, squeezed dry, and floured, when to be used. a bread pudding should be loosely tied, and a batter pudding tight over. the water should boil quick when the pudding is put in, and it should be moved about for a minute, lest the ingredients should not mix. batter pudding should be strained through a coarse sieve, when all is mixed: in others, the eggs should be strained separately. pans and basins in which puddings are to be boiled, should always be buttered, or rubbed with clean dripping. a pan of cold water should be prepared, and the pudding dipped in as soon as it comes out of the pot, to prevent its adhering to the cloth. good puddings may be made without eggs; but they must have as little milk as is sufficient to mix the batter, and must boil three or four hours. a few spoonfuls of fresh small beer, or one of yeast, will answer instead of eggs. snow is also an excellent substitute for eggs, either in puddings or pancakes. two large spoonfuls will supply the place of one egg, and the article it is used in will be equally good. this is a useful piece of information, especially as snow often falls when eggs are scarce and dear. fresh small beer, or bottled malt liquors, will likewise serve instead of eggs. the yolks and whites beaten long and separately, make the article they are put into much lighter. pudding cakes. put four yolks and two whites of eggs to a pint of milk; mix with it half a pint of bread crumbs grated fine, half a nutmeg, six ounces of currants washed and dried, a quarter of a pound of beef suet chopped small, a little salt, and flour sufficient to make it of a moderate thickness. fry these cakes in lard, of about the usual size of a fritter. pudding ketchup. steep an ounce of thin-pared lemon peel, and half an ounce of mace, in half a pint of brandy, or a pint of sherry, for fourteen days. then strain it, and add a quarter of a pint of capillaire. this will keep for years, and being mixed with melted butter, it is a delicious relish to puddings and sweet dishes. pudding with meat. make a batter with flour, milk, and eggs. pour a little into the bottom of a pudding-dish; then put seasoned meat of any kind into it, and a little shred onion. pour the remainder of the batter over, and bake it in a slow oven. a loin of mutton baked in batter, being first cleared of most of the fat, makes a good dish. puffs. they should be made of light puff crust, rolled out and cut into shapes according to the fancy. then bake them, and lay some sweetmeat in the middle. or roll out the crust, cut it into pieces of any shape, lay sweetmeats over one half, and turn the other half of the crust over; press them together round the edge, and bake them. puff crust. take a pound and a half of flour, put it upon a pie board with a little salt, and mix in gradually just water sufficient to make it into a paste, taking care that it be neither too thin nor too stiff. mould it lightly together, and let it lie for two hours before it is finished. roll out the paste, put a pound of butter into the middle of it, fold the two ends of the paste over it, and roll it out; then fold it together, and roll it out again. repeat this six times in the winter, and five in the summer. it should be rolled rather less than half an inch in thickness, dusting a little flour lightly over and under it, to prevent its sticking to the rolling-pin. when finished, roll it out for use as occasion requires. this makes a very nice and delicate crust.--another. to a pound and a half of flour, allow a pound of butter, and three quarters of an ounce of salt. put the flour on a clean pie board, make a hole in the middle, and put in the salt with the butter cut into small pieces. pour in the water carefully, as it is of great importance that the crust should not be made too thin; there should only be water enough just to make it hold well together, and to roll it out smooth. work the butter and water up well together with the hand, and then by degrees mix in the flour. when the flour is all mixed in, mould the paste till it is quite smooth and free from lumps, and then let it lie two hours before it be used. this is a very nice crust for putting round the dish for baked puddings, tarts, or pies. puff paste. puffs may be made of any sort of fruit, but it should be prepared first with sugar. to make a rich paste, weigh an equal quantity of butter with as much fine flour as is necessary. mix a little of the former with the latter, and wet it with as little water as will make it into a stiff paste. roll it out, and put all the butter over it in slices; turn in the ends, and roll it thin. do this twice, and tough it no more than can be avoided. the butter may be added at two different times; and to those who are not accustomed to make paste, it may be better to do so. the oven must be rather quicker than for a short crust.--a less rich paste may be made of a pound of flour, and a quarter of a pound of butter, rubbed together. mix it into a paste with a little water, and an egg well beaten; of the former as little as will suffice, or the paste will be tough. roll it out, and fold it three or four times. or rub extremely fine, six ounces of butter in one pound of dried flour, with a spoonful of white sugar. work up the whole into a stiff paste, with as little hot water as possible. puits d' amour. cut a fine rich puff paste rolled thin, with tin shapes made on purpose, one size less than another, in a pyramidal form, and lay them so. then bake in a moderate form, that the paste may be done sufficiently, but very pale. lay different coloured sweetmeats on the edges. pulled chickens. take off the skin, and pull the flesh off the bones of a cold fowl, in large pieces. dredge it with flour, and fry it of a nice brown in butter. drain the butter from it, simmer the flesh in a good well-seasoned gravy, thickened with a little butter and flour, adding the juice of half a lemon.--another way. cut off the legs, and the whole back, of an underdone chicken. pull all the white part into little flakes free from skin, toss it up with a little cream thickened with a piece of butter rolled in flour, half a blade of powdered mace, some white pepper, salt, and the squeeze of a lemon. cut off the neck end of the chicken, broil the back and sidesmen in one piece, and the two legs seasoned. put the hash in the middle of the dish, with the back on it, and the two legs at the end. pulled turkey. divide the meat of the breast by pulling instead of cutting. then warm in a spoonful or two of white gravy, and a little cream, grated nutmeg, salt, and a little flour and butter, but do not let it boil. the leg should be seasoned, scored, and broiled, and put into the dish with the above round it. cold chicken may be treated in the same manner. punch. in preparing this favourite liquor, it is impossible to take too much pains in the process of mixing, that all the different articles may be thoroughly incorporated together. take then two large fresh lemons with rough skins, quite ripe, and some lumps of double-refined sugar. rub the sugar over the lemons, till it has absorbed all the yellow part of the rinds. put these lumps into a bowl, and as much more as the juice of the lemons may be supposed to require: no certain weight or quantity can be mentioned, as the acidity of a lemon cannot be known till tried, and therefore this must be determined by the taste. then squeeze the lemon juice upon the sugar, and with a bruiser press the sugar and the juice particularly well together, for a great deal of the richness and fine flavour of the punch depends on this rubbing and mixing being thoroughly performed. having well incorporated the juice and the sugar, mix it up with boiling soft water, and let it stand a little to cool. when this mixture, which is now called the sherbet, is made of a pleasant flavour, take equal quantities of rum and brandy and put into it, mixing the whole well together. the quantity of liquor must be according to taste: two good lemons are generally enough to make four quarts of punch, including a quart of liquor, with half a pound of sugar: but this depends much on taste, and on the strength of the spirit. as the pulp of the lemon is disagreeable to some persons, the sherbet may be strained before the liquor is put in. some strain the lemon before they put it to the sugar, which is improper; as when the pulp and sugar are well mixed together, it adds much to the richness of the punch. when only rum is used, about half a pint of porter will soften the punch; and even when both rum and brandy are used, the porter gives a richness, and also a very pleasant flavour. a shorter way is to keep ready prepared a quarter of an ounce of citric or crystallized lemon acid, pounded with a few drops of the essence of lemon peel, gradually mixed with a pint of clarified syrup or capillaire. brandy or rum flavoured with this mixture, will produce good punch in a minute. punch royal. take thirty seville oranges and thirty lemons quite sound, pare them very thin, and put the parings into an earthen pan, with as much rum or brandy as will cover them. take ten gallons of water, and twelve pounds of lump sugar, and boil them. when nearly cold, put in the whites of thirty eggs well beaten, stir it and boil it a quarter of an hour, then strain it through a hair sieve into an earthen pan, and let it stand till the next day. then put it into a cask, strain the spirit from the parings, and add as much more as will make it up five gallons. put it into the cask with five quarts of seville orange juice, and three quarts of lemon juice. stir it all together with a cleft stick, and repeat the same once a day for three successive days; then stop it down close, and in six weeks it will be fit to drink. purple gloves. to dye white gloves of a beautiful purple, boil four ounces of logwood, and two ounces of roche alum, in three pints of soft water, till half wasted. strain off the liquid, and let it stand to be cold. mend the gloves neatly, brush them over with the dye, and when dry repeat it. twice is sufficient, unless the colour is to be very dark. when quite dry, rub off the loose dye with a coarse cloth. beat up the white of an egg, and with a sponge rub it over the leather. the dye will stain the hands, but wetting them with vinegar will take it off before they are washed. q. quails. these are dressed in the same manner as snipes and woodcocks. they should be roasted without drawing, served on toast, and eaten with butter only. quaking pudding. scald a quart of cream; when almost cold, put to it four eggs well beaten, a spoonful and a half of flour, with nutmeg and sugar. tie it close in a buttered cloth, boil it an hour, and turn it out carefully, without cracking it. serve it with melted butter, a little wine, and sugar. quarter of lamb. a fore-quarter may either be roasted whole, or in separate parts. if left to be cold, chopped parsley should be sprinkled over it. the neck and breast together are called a scoven. queen cakes. mix a pound of dried flour, a pound of sifted sugar, and a pound of currants, picked and cleaned. wash a pound of butter in rose water, beat it well, and mix with it eight eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately. put in the dry ingredients by degrees, beat the whole an hour, butter little tins, teacups or saucers, fill them half full of batter, and bake them. sift over them a little fine sugar, just before they are put into the oven.--another way. beat eight ounces of butter, and mix it with two eggs, well beaten and strained. mix eight ounces of dried flour, the same of lump sugar, and the grated rind of a lemon. put the whole together, and beat it full half an hour with a silver spoon. butter small pattipans, half fill them, and bake twenty minutes in a quick oven. queen anne's biscuits. a pound of flour well dried, half a pound of fine sugar powdered and sifted, a pound of currants well washed and picked, and half a pound of butter. rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the sugar and currants; add ten spoonfuls of cream, the yolks of three eggs, three spoonfuls of sack, and a little mace finely pounded. when the paste is well worked up, set it in a dish before the fire till it be thoroughly warm. make it up into cakes, place them on a tin well buttered, prick them full of holes on the top, and bake them in a quick oven. queen anne's kitchen. the economy of the royal kitchen a century ago, though not equal perhaps to the refinement of modern times, was sufficiently sumptuous; and what it wanted in delicacies, was abundantly compensated by a profusion of more substantial dishes of truly english fare. the following are only a few specimens of the stile of cooking approved by queen anne, sufficient to show in what manner royalty was provided for in the days of our forefathers. under the article of roasting, a few particulars will occur. when a turkey, capon, or fowl was to be dressed, it was laid down to the fire, at a proper distance, till it became thoroughly hot. it was then basted all over with fresh butter, and afterwards dredged thinly with flour. the heat of the fire converted this into a thin crust, to keep in the gravy; and no more basting was allowed till the roasting was nearly done, when it was once more basted all over with butter. as the meat began to brown, it was sprinkled a little with large salt, and the outside finished with a fine brown. it was sometimes the custom to baste such meats with the yolks of fresh eggs beaten thin, which was continued during the time of roasting. the following directions were given for roast veal. chop some parsley and thyme very small. beat up the yolks of five or six eggs with some cream, add the chopped herbs, some grated bread, a few cloves, a little mace and nutmeg, some currants and sugar. mix these well together, raise the skin of the breast of veal, put the stuffing under it, and skewer it down close. lay the veal before the fire, and baste it with butter. when sufficiently roasted, squeeze on the juice of a lemon, and serve it up. for roast pig, chop up some sage, and sow it up in the belly of the pig. roast and baste it with butter, sprinkled with a little salt. when roasted fine and crisp, serve it upon a sauce made of chopped sage and currants, well boiled in vinegar and water, the gravy and brains of the pig, a little grated bread, some barberries and sugar, all well mixed together, and heated over the fire. another way. fill the belly of the pig with a pudding made of grated bread, a little minced beef suet, the yolks of two or three raw eggs, three or four spoonfuls of good cream, and a little salt. sow it up in the belly of the pig, lay it down to roast, and baste it with yolks of eggs beat thin. a few minutes before it is taken up, squeeze on the juice of a lemon, and strew it over with bread crumbs, pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. make a sauce with vinegar, butter, and the yolks of eggs boiled hard and minced. boil the whole together, with the gravy of the pig, and then serve it up in this sauce. when a hare is to be dressed, wash it well, and dry it in a cloth. sow up a pudding in the belly, truss the hare as if it were running, and roast it. make a sauce of claret wine, grated bread, sugar, ginger, barberries, and butter, boiled all together, and serve it up with the hare.--boiled dishes were prepared in the following manner. if a capon, pullet, or chicken, boil it in good mutton broth. put in some mace, a bunch of sweet herbs, a little sage, spinage, marigold leaves and flowers, white or green endive, borage, bugloss, parsley, and sorrel. serve it up on sippets of white bread. if to be dressed with cauliflower, cut the vegetable into small heads, with about an inch and a half of stalk to them. boil them in milk with a little mace, till they are very tender, and beat up the yolks of two eggs with a quarter of a pint of sack. melt some butter very thick, with a little vinegar and sliced lemon. pour this and the eggs to and fro till they are well mixed, then take the cauliflower out of the milk, and put it into the sauce. having boiled the chicken tender, serve it upon sippets of white bread, finely carved, and pour the sauce over it. pigeons are to be put into a skillet with some strong broth, or spring water. boil and skim them, put in some mace, a bunch of sweet herbs, some white endive, marigold flowers, and salt. when finely boiled, serve them upon sippets of white bread, and garnish the dish with mace and white endive. small birds, such as woodcocks, snipes, blackbirds, thrushes, fieldfares, rails, quails, wheatears, larks, martins, and sparrows, are to be boiled in strong broth, or in salt and water. when boiled, take out the trails, and chop them and the livers small. add some crumb of grated bread, a little of the liquor in which the birds were boiled, some mace, and stew them all together in some gravy. beat up the yolks of two eggs, with a little white wine vinegar and grated nutmeg; and when ready to serve, stir these into the sauce with a small piece of butter. dish up the birds upon sippets of white bread, and pour the sauce over them with some capers, lemon finely minced, and barberries, or pickled grapes, whole. carrots and onions boiled together in broth, separately from the sauce, are sometimes added to it. when no onion is put in, rub the bottom of the dish with a clove or two of garlic. a goose, before it is boiled, is to be salted for a day or two. steep some oatmeal in warm milk, or some other liquor, and mix it with some shred beef suet, minced apples and onions, sweet herbs chopped, and a seasoning of cloves, mace, and pepper. fill the belly of the goose with this stuffing, and tie it close at the neck and vent. boil and serve it on slices of bread, dipped in any kind of broth, with cauliflowers, cabbage, turnips, and barberries. pour melted butter over it. a wild duck, being first drawn and trussed, must be parboiled, and then half roasted. having carved it, put the gravy into a pipkin with plenty of onion and parsley, sliced ginger, mace, some washed currants, barberries, and a quart of claret. boil all together, skim it clean, add some butter and sugar, and serve up the duck with the sauce poured over it. a rabbit is to be boiled in salt and water. chop some parsley and thyme together, a handful of each, and boil it in a little of the liquor in which the rabbit is boiling. then add to it three or four spoonfuls of verjuice, a piece of butter, and two or three eggs well beaten. stir the whole together, thicken it over the fire, and serve up the rabbit with this sauce poured over it.--in the royal kitchen, a florentine pie was made of a leg of veal or mutton, cut into thin slices, and seasoned with sweet marjoram, thyme, savory, parsley, rosemary, an onion and a clove of garlic, all cut small. to these were added, nutmeg and pepper beaten fine, some grated manchet, a little salt, and the yolks of three or four raw eggs, to mix and make them adhere together. the meat is laid in a dish, with a crust under it, intermixed with some thin slices of streaked bacon. a few bay leaves and some oyster liquor are added, the dish covered with a crust, and baked. for a veal pie, cut a fillet into pieces, about the size of walnuts, and season them with cinnamon, ginger, sugar, and salt. use a raised crust or dish, at pleasure, lay in the meat with roasted chesnuts peeled and quartered, dates sliced, and the marrow from two beef bones. put on the top crust, bake the pie; and when done, serve it up with the following sauce poured into it. beat up the yolk of an egg with some white wine, cinnamon, ginger, and sugar. heat it over the fire till it thickens a little, taking care not to let the egg curdle. sauce for a loin of veal was made of all kinds of sweet herbs, with the yolks of two or three hard eggs minced very fine. they were then boiled up with some currants, a little grated bread, pounded cinnamon, sugar, and two whole cloves. the sauce was poured into the dish intended for the veal, with two or three slices of an orange. a cod's head was directed to be dressed in the following manner. cut the head large, and a good piece of the shoulder with it, and boil it in salt and water. have prepared a quart of cockles, with the shelled meat of two or three crabs. put these into a pipkin with nearly half a pint of white wine, a bunch of sweet herbs, two onions, a little mace, a little grated nutmeg, and some oyster liquor. boil these till the liquor is wasted, then add three or four large spoonfuls of melted butter. drain the cod's head well over a chafing-dish of coals, and serve it up with the above sauce, taking out the bunch of herbs, and adding more butter, if required. serve up the liver and roe on the sides of the dish. quick hedges. a great variety of different sorts of plants is employed in forming and constructing these hedges, as those of the hawthorn, the black-thorn, the crab-tree, the hazel, the willow, the beech, the elder, the poplar, the alder, and several other kinds, according to particular circumstances and situations. whatever sort of plants may be employed for this purpose, the work should constantly be well performed in the first instance, and the hedges and plants be afterwards kept in due order and regularity by suitable pruning, cutting in, and other proper management. excellent hawthorn hedges are raised by planting one row only at six inches asunder, rather than two rows nine inches or a foot apart. those planted six inches apart do not require to be cut down to thicken them at the bottom, and will form a complete protection against hogs, and in other respects form a beautiful and effectual fence. quicksilver, when rubbed down and blended with unctuous matters, forms a sort of ointment, which is useful in the curing of different diseases of the skin, as well as in destroying lice and other vermin that infest animals of different kinds, which form the live stock of the farmer. it has also been found useful in its crude state in destroying insects on fruit trees. take a small awl, and pierce sloping, through the rind, and into part of the wood of the branch, but not to the heart or pith of it; and pour in a small drop or two of the quicksilver, and stop it up with a small wooden plug made to fit the orifice, and the insects will drop off from that very branch the next day; and in a day or two more, from the other branches of the trees without any other puncture, and the tree will continue in full vigour and thrive well through the summer. honeysuckles and other shrubs may be cleared of insects, by scraping away the top of the ground with a trowel, and running an awl in the same sloping manner, into the main stem just above the roots; but with the same caution as above, not quite to the inner pith, and then applying the quicksilver. the insects will drop off the day after the experiment. quills. to harden and prepare them for use, dip them for a minute in some boiling water in which alum has been dissolved; or thrust them into hot ashes till they become soft, and afterwards press and scrape them with the back of a knife. when they are to be clarified, the barrels must be scraped and cut at the end, and then put into boiling water for a quarter of an hour, with a quantity of alum and salt. afterwards they are dried in an oven, or in a pan of hot sand. quin's fish sauce. half a pint of walnut pickle, the same of mushroom pickle, six anchovies pounded, six anchovies whole, and half a tea-spoonful of cayenne. shake it up well, when it is to be used. quince. the fruit of the quince is astringent and stomachic; and its expressed juice, in small quantities, as a spoonful or two, is of considerable service in nausea, vomitings, eructations, &c. quince trees are very apt to have rough bark, and to be bark-bound; in these cases it will be necessary to shave off the rough bark with a draw-knife, and to scarify them when bark-bound, brushing them over with the composition. it is also advised to plant quince trees at a proper distance from apple and pears, as bees and the wind may mix the farina, and occasion the apples and pears to degenerate. these trees may be raised from the kernels of the fruit sown in autumn; but there is no depending on having the same sort of good fruit from seedlings, nor will they soon become bearers. but the several varieties may be continued the same by cuttings and layers; also by suckers from such trees as grow upon their own roots, and likewise be increased by grafting and budding upon their own pear-stocks raised from the kernels in the same manner as for apples. standard quinces, designed as fruit trees, may be stationed in the garden or orchard, and some by the sides of any water, pond, watery ditch, &c. as they delight in moisture. quince jelly. when quinces have been boiled for marmalade, take the first liquor and pass it through a jelly bag. to every pint allow a pound of fine loaf sugar, and boil it till it is quite clear and comes to a jelly. the quince seeds should be tied in a piece of muslin, and boiled in it. quince marmalade. pare and quarter some quinces, and weigh an equal quantity of sugar. to four pounds of the latter put a quart of water, boil and skim it well, by the time the quinces are prepared. lay the fruit in a stone jar, with a teacupful of water at the bottom, and pack them with a little sugar strewed between. cover the jar close, set it in a cool oven, or on a stove, and let the quinces soften till they become red. then pour the syrup and a quart of quince juice into a preserving pan, and boil all together till the marmalade be completed, breaking the lumps of fruit with the ladle; otherwise the fruit is so hard, that it will require a great deal of time. stewing quinces in a jar, and then squeezing them through a cheese cloth, is the best method of obtaining the juice; and in this case the cloth should first be dipped in boiling water, and then wrung out. quince pudding. scald six large quinces very tender, pare off the thin rind, and scrape them to a pulp. add powdered sugar enough to make them very sweet, and a little pounded ginger and cinnamon. beat up the yolks of four eggs with some salt, and stir in a pint of cream. mix these with the quince, and bake it in a dish, with a puff crust round the edge. in a moderate oven, three quarters of an hour will be sufficient. sift powdered sugar over the pudding before it is sent to table. quince wine. gather the quinces in a dry day, when they are tolerably ripe; rub off the down with a linen cloth, and lay them in hay or straw for ten days to perspire. cut them in quarters, take out the cores, and bruise them well in a mashing tub with a wooden pestle. squeeze out the liquid part by degrees, by pressing them in a hair bag in a cider press. strain the liquor through a fine sieve, then warm it gently over a fire, and skim it, but do not suffer it to boil. now sprinkle into it some loaf sugar reduced to powder, and boil a dozen or fourteen quinces thinly sliced, in a gallon of water mixed with a quart of white wine. add two pounds of fine sugar, strain off the liquor, and mingle it with the natural juice of the quinces. put this into a cask, but do not fill it, and mix them well together. let it stand to settle, put in two or three whites of eggs, and draw it off. if it be not sweet enough, add more sugar, and a quart of the best malmsey. to make it still better, boil a quarter of a pound of stone raisins, and half an ounce of cinnamon bark, in a quart of the liquor, till a third part is reduced. then strain it, and put it into the cask when the wine is fermenting. quinces preserved. wipe clean a quantity of golden pippins, not pared but sliced, and put them into two quarts of boiling water. boil them very quick, and closely covered, till the water is reduced to a thick jelly, and then scald the quinces, either whole or cut in halves. to every pint of pippin jelly add a pound of the finest sugar, boil and skim it clear. put those quinces that are to be done whole into the syrup at once, and let it boil very fast; and those that are to be in halves by themselves. skim it carefully, and when the fruit is clear, put some of the syrup into a glass, to try whether it jellies, before taking it off the fire. a pound of quinces is to be allowed to a pound of sugar, and a pound of jelly already boiled with the sugar. quinsey. for a quinsey, or inflammation of the throat, make a volatile liniment, by shaking together an ounce of florence oil, and half an ounce of the spirit of hartshorn; or an equal quantity of each, if the patient be able to bear it. moisten a piece of flannel with the liniment, and apply it to the throat every four or five hours. after bleeding, it will seldom fail to lessen or carry off the complaint. r. rabbits. wild ones have the finest flavour, and are by far the best. tame rabbits are scarcely eatable, unless kept delicately clean. the doe brings forth every month, and must be allowed to go with the buck as soon as she has kindled. the sweetest hay, oats, beans, sow-thistle, parsley, carrot tops, cabbage leaves, and bran, should be given to the rabbits, fresh and fresh. if not carefully attended, their own stench will destroy them, and be very unwholesome to those who live near them. constant care is requisite to prevent this inconvenience.--when rabbits are to be dressed, they may have gravy and stuffing like hare; or they may be larded, and roasted without stuffing. for the manner of trussing a rabbit, either for roasting or boiling, see the plate. if boiled, it should be smothered with onion sauce, the butter to be melted with milk instead of water. if fried in joints, it must be dressed with dried or fried parsley, and liver sauce made for it, the same as for roasting. chop up the liver with parsley, and put it into melted butter, with pepper and salt. if fricasseed, the same as for chickens. young rabbits are good in a pie, with forcemeat as for chicken pie.--when rabbits are to be purchased for cooking, the following things must be observed. if the claws are blunt and rugged, the ears dry and tough, and the haunch thick, it is old. but if the claws are smooth and sharp, the ears easily tear, and the cleft in the lip is not much spread, it is young. if fresh and newly killed, the body will be stiff, and in hares the flesh is pale. they keep a good while by proper care, and are best when rather beginning to turn, if the inside is preserved from being musty. to distinguish a real leveret from a hare, a knob or small bone will be discovered near the foot on its fore leg.----_tame rabbits_ may be bred with much success and ornamental effect in a small artificial warren, in a lawn in the garden, made in the following manner. pare off the turf of a circle about forty feet diameter, and lay it on the outside; then dig a ditch within this circle, the outside perpendicular, the inner sloping, and throw earth sufficient into the middle to form a little hill, two or three feet higher than the level of the lawn; the rest must be carried away. then lay down the turf on the hill, and beat it well to settle. the ditch at bottom should be about three feet wide, and three and a half deep, with two or three drains at the bottom, covered with an iron grate, or a stone with holes, to carry off the hasty rains, in order to keep the rabbits dry. in the outside bank should be six alcoves, the sides and top supported, either by boards or brick-work, to give the rabbits their dry food in; by their different situations some will always be dry; six boxes or old tea-chests, let into the bank will do very well. if the ground be very light, the outside circle should have a wall built round it, or some stakes driven into the ground, and boards or hurdles nailed to them, within a foot of the bottom, to prevent the bank from falling in. the entrance must either be by a board to turn occasionally across the ditch, or by a ladder. the turf being settled, and the grass beginning to grow, turn in the rabbits, and they will immediately go to work to make themselves burrows in the sides, and in the hill. by way of inducing them rather to build in the sides, to keep the turf the neater, make a score of holes about a foot deep, and they will finish them to their own mind; and if there be a brick wall round it, it should be built on pillars, with an arch from each, to leave a vacancy for a burrow. lucern, parsley and carrots are very proper food for them; and they should also be fed upon some of the best upland pasture hay. rabbits are subject to several diseases, as the _rot_, which is caused by giving them too large a quantity of green food, or the giving it fresh gathered, with the dew or rain hanging in fresh drops upon it, as it is over-moisture that always causes the disease; the green food should therefore always be given dry, and a sufficient quantity of hay, or other dry food, intermixed with it, to counteract the bad effects of it. and a sort of _madness_ often seizes them: this may be known by their tumbling about; their heels upwards, and hopping in an odd manner into the boxes. this distemper is supposed to be owing to the rankness of their feeding; and the general cure is the keeping them low and giving them the prickly herb called tare-thistle to eat as much as possible. they are also subject to a sort of scabby eruption, which is seldom removed. these should, however, be directly separated from the rest of the stock. rabbit like hare. choose a full-grown young rabbit, and hang it up three or four days. then skin it, and without washing, lay it in a seasoning of black pepper and allspice, in very fine powder. add a glass of port wine, and the same quantity of vinegar. baste it occasionally for forty hours, then stuff and roast it as hare, and with the same sauce. do not wash off the liquor that it was soaked in. radishes. these are raised from seed by different sowings from the end of october till april, or the following month. they should have a light fine mould, and the more early sowings be made on borders, under warm walls, or other similar places, and in frames covered by glasses. the common spindle-rooted, short-topped sorts are mostly made use of in these early sowings, the seed being sown broadcast over the beds after they have been prepared by digging over and raking the surface even, being covered in with a slight raking. some sow carrots with the early crops of radishes. it is usual to protect the early sown crops in the borders, during frosty nights and bad weather, by mats or dry wheat straw, which should be carefully removed every mild day. by this means they are brought more forward, as well as form better roots. when mats are used, and supported by pegs or hoops, they are readily applied and removed. a second more general sowing should be made in january or february. when the crops have got their rough leaf; they should be thinned out, where they are too thick, to the distance of two inches, as there will be constantly more thinning by the daily drawing of the young radishes. when the weather is dry in march, or the following month, the crops should be occasionally well watered, which not only forwards the growth of the crops, but increases the size of the roots, and renders them more mild and crisp in eating. and the sowings should be continued at the distance of a fortnight, till the latter end of march, when they should be performed every ten days, until the end of april or beginning of the following month. in sowing these later crops, it is the practice of some gardeners to sow coss-lettuces and spinach with them, in order to have the two crops coming forward at the same time; but the practice is not to be much recommended, where there is sufficient room. but in sowing the main general crops in the open quarters, the market-gardeners generally put them in on the same ground where they plant out their main crops of cauliflowers and cabbages, mixing spinach with the radish-seed as above, sowing the seeds first, and raking them in, then planting the cauliflowers or cabbages; the radishes and spinach come in for use before the other plants begin to spread much, and as soon as those crops are all cleared off for use, hoe the ground all over to kill weeds and loosen the soil, drawing earth about the stems of the cauliflowers and cabbages. the turnip radish should not be sown till the beginning of march, the plants being allowed a greater distance than for the common spindle-rooted sort. the seeds of this sort are apt to degenerate, unless they are set at a distance from that kind. the white and black spanish radishes are usually sown about the middle of july, or a little earlier, and are fit for the table by the end of august, or the beginning of september, continuing good till frost spoils them. these should be thinned to a greater distance than the common sort, as their roots grow as large as turnips, and should not be left nearer than six inches. to have these roots in winter, they should be drawn before hard frost comes on, and laid in dry sand, as practised for carrots, carefully guarding them from wet and frost; as in this way they may be kept till the spring. in regard to the culture of the general crops, they require very little, except occasional thinning, where they are too thick, when the plants are come into the rough leaf, either by hoeing or drawing them out by hand: though for large quantities, small hoeing is the most expeditious mode of thinning, as well as most beneficial to the crop by loosening the ground; in either method thinning the plants to about two or three inches distance, clearing out the weakest, and leaving the strongest to form the crop. in order to save the seed, about the beginning of may some ground should be prepared by digging and levelling; then drawing some of the straightest and best coloured radishes, plant them in rows three feet distant, and two feet asunder in the rows; observing, if the season be dry, to water them until they have taken root: after which they will only require to have the weeds hoed down between them, until they are advanced so high as to overspread the ground. when the seed begins to ripen, it should be carefully guarded against the birds. when it is ripe, the pods will turn brown: then it must be cut, and spread in the sun to dry; after which it must be thrashed, and laid up for use where no mice can come at it. in order to have the roots early, as in january or the following month, the method of raising them in hot-beds is sometimes practised. they should have eighteen inches depth of dung to bring them up, and six or seven inches depth of light rich mould. the seed should be sown moderately thick, covering it in half an inch thick, and putting on the lights: the plants usually come up in a week or less; and when they appear, the lights should be lifted or taken off occasionally, according to the weather; and in a fortnight thin the plants to the distance of an inch and half or two inches, when in six weeks they will be fit to draw. where there are no frames to spare, the beds may be covered with mats over hoops, and the sides secured by boards and straw-bands. and when in want of dung, if the beds be covered with frames, and the lights put on at night and in bad weather, the plants may be raised for use a fortnight sooner than in the open borders.--to raise them in constant succession, steep the seed in rain water for twenty-four hours, tie it up in a linen bag, and hang it in the sun all day. the seed beginning to shoot, is then to be sown in fresh earth well exposed to the sun, and covered with a tub. in three days the radishes will be produced fit for salad, and much more delicate than those grown in the common way. in the winter the seeds should be steeped in warm water, and the bag put in a place sufficiently hot to make them sprout. then fill a tub with rich mould, sow the seeds in it, and cover them over closely with another tub, taking care to sprinkle them now and then with warm water. the two tubs closely joined should be set in a warm place, and in about a fortnight some fine salad will be produced. radishes may be raised in this manner all the year round, and by the quickness of their growth they will be rendered fine and delicate. ragout of eggs. boil eight eggs hard, then shell and cut them into quarters. have ready a pint of good gravy, well seasoned, and thickened over the fire with two ounces of butter rolled in flour. when quite smooth and hot, pour it over the eggs, and serve them up. by using cream instead of gravy, this will make a fricassee. ragout of morels. cut them in long slices, then wash and drain them well. put them into a stewpan with a piece of butter, some chopped parsley, a bunch of herbs, and some gravy. simmer them over a gentle fire, and when nearly done, add a little pepper, salt, and flour. set them over the fire, till the sauce is properly thickened. stewed with a little water and a blade of mace, and thickened with cream, and yolks of eggs, they make a white ragout. serve them with sippets of bread toasted. ragout of truffles. peel the truffles, cut them in slices, wash and drain them well. put them into a saucepan with a little gravy, and stew them gently over a slow fire. when they are nearly done enough, thicken them with a little butter and flour. stewed in a little water, and thickened with cream and yolk of egg, they make a nice white ragout. truffles, mushrooms, and morels, are all of them very indigestible, and therefore not to be recommended to general use. raised crust. for meat pies or fowls, boil some water with a little fine lard, and an equal quantity of fresh dripping or butter, but not much of either. while hot, mix this with as much fine flour as is necessary, making the paste as stiff as possible, to be smooth. good kneading will be required for this purpose, and beating it with a rolling-pin. when quite smooth, put a part of it into a cloth, or under a pan, to soak till nearly cold. those who are not expert in raising a crust, may roll the paste of a proper thickness, and cut out the top and bottom of the pie, then a long piece for the sides. cement the bottom to the sides with egg, bringing the former rather farther out, and pinching both together. put egg between the edges of the paste, to make it adhere at the sides. fill the pie, put on the cover, and pinch it and the side crust together. the same mode of uniting the paste is to be observed, if the sides are pressed into a tin form, in which the paste must be baked, after it is filled and covered; but in the latter case, the tin should be buttered, and carefully taken off when done enough; and as the form usually makes the sides of a lighter colour than is proper, the paste should be put into the oven again for a quarter of an hour. the crust should be egged over at first with a feather.--another. put four ounces of butter into a saucepan with water; and when it boils, pour it into a quantity of flour. knead and beat it quite smooth, cover it with small bits of butter, and work it in. if for custard, put a paper within to keep out the sides till half done. mix up an egg with a little warm milk, adding sugar, a little peach water, lemon peel, or nutmeg, and fill up the paste.--another way. to four pounds of flour, allow a pound of butter, and an ounce of salt. heap the flour on a pie board, and make a hole in the middle of it, and put in the butter and salt. pour in water nearly boiling, but with caution, that the crust be not too flimsey. work the butter with the hand till it is melted in the water, then mix in the flour, mould it for a few minutes as quick as possible, that it may be free from lumps, and the stiffer it is the better. let it be three hours before it is used. raisin wine. to every gallon of spring water, allow eight pounds of fresh smyrnas, and put them together in a large tub. stir it thoroughly every day for a month, then press the raisins in a horse-hair bag as dry as possible, and put the liquor into a cask. when it has done hissing, pour in a bottle of the best brandy, stop it close for twelve months, and then rack it off free from the dregs. filter the dregs through a bag of flannel of three or four folds, add what is clear to the general quantity, and pour on a quart or two of brandy, according to the size of the vessel. stop it up, and at the end of three years it may either be bottled, or drank from the cask. if raisin wine be made rich of the fruit, and well kept, the flavour will be much improved.--to make raisin wine with cider, put two hundred-weight of malagas into a cask, and pour upon them a hogshead of good sound cider that is not rough; stir it well two or three days, stop it up, and let it stand six months. then rack it into a cask that it will fill, and add a gallon of the best brandy. if raisin wine be much used, it would answer well to keep a cask always for it, and bottle off one year's wine just in time to make the next, which, allowing the six months of infusion, would make the wine to be eighteen months old. in cider counties this way is found to be economical; and if the wine is not thought strong enough, the addition of another stone or two of raisins would be sufficient, and the wine would still be very cheap. when the raisins are pressed through a horse-hair bag, they will either produce a good spirit by distillation, if sent to a chemist, or they will make excellent vinegar.--raisin wine without cider. on four hundred-weight of malagas pour a hogshead of spring water, stir it well every day for a fortnight, then squeeze the raisins in a horse-hair bag in a press, and tun the liquor. when it ceases to hiss, stop it close. in six months rack it off into another cask, or into a tub; and after clearing out the sediment, return it into the cask without washing it. add a gallon of the best brandy, stop it close, and bottle it off in six months. the pressed fruit may be reserved for making vinegar. ramakins. scrape a quarter of a pound of cheshire cheese, and the same of gloucester cheese, and add them to a quarter of a pound of fresh butter. beat all in a mortar, with the yolks of four eggs, and the inside of a small french roll boiled soft in cream. mix the paste with the whites of the eggs previously beaten, put it into small paper pans made rather long than square, and bake in a dutch oven to a fine brown. they should be eaten quite hot. some like the addition of a glass of white wine. the batter for ramakins is equally good over macaroni, when boiled tender; or on stewed brocoli, celery, or cauliflower, a little of the gravy they have been stewed in being put in the dish with them, but not enough to make the vegetable swim. raspberry brandy. pick some fine dry fruit, put them into a stone jar, and the jar into a kettle of water, or on a hot hearth, till the juice will run. after straining it, add to every pint of juice, half a pound of sugar; give it one boil, and skim it. when cold, put equal quantities of juice and brandy; shake it well, and bottle it. some persons prefer it stronger of the brandy. raspberry cakes. pick out some fine ripe raspberries, weigh and boil them. when mashed, and the liquor is wasted, add sugar equal to the first weight of the fruit. take it off the fire, mix it well, until perfectly dissolved, and then put it on china plates to dry in the sun. as soon as the top part dries, cut the paste into small cakes with the cover of a canister; then turn them on fresh plates, and put them into boxes when dry, with layers of white paper. raspberry cream. mash the fruit gently, and let them drain; sprinkle some sugar over, and that will produce more juice. then put the juice to some cream, and sweeten it. after this it may be lowered with milk; but if the milk be put in before the cream, it will curdle it. when fresh fruit cannot be obtained, it is best made of raspberry jelly, instead of jam.--another way. boil an ounce of isinglass shavings in three pints of cream and new milk mixed, for fifteen minutes, or till the shavings be melted. strain it through a hair sieve into a bason; when cool, add about half a pint of raspberry juice or syrup, to the milk and cream. stir it till it is well incorporated; sweeten, and add a glass of brandy. whisk it about till three parts cold, and then put it into a mould till it is quite cold. in summer, use the fresh juice; in winter, syrup of raspberries. raspberry jam. weigh equal quantities of fruit and sugar; put the former into a preserving-pan, boil and break it, stir it constantly, and let it boil very quickly. when most of the juice is wasted, add the sugar, and simmer it half an hour. by this mode of management the jam is greatly superior in colour and flavour, to that which is made by putting the sugar in at first.--another way. put the fruit in a jar, and the jar in a kettle of water on a hot hearth, and let it remain till the juice will run from it. then take away a quarter of a pint from every pound of fruit, boil and bruise it half an hour. put in the weight of the fruit in sugar, add the same quantity of currant juice, and boil it to a strong jelly. the raspberry juice will serve to put into brandy, or may be boiled with its weight in sugar, for making the jelly for raspberry ice or cream. raspberry tarts. roll out some thin puff paste, and lay it in a pattipan. put in the raspberries, strew some fine sugar over them, cover with a thin lid, and bake the tart. mix a pint of cream with the yolks of two or three eggs well beaten, and a little sugar. cut open the tart, pour in the mixture, and return it to the oven for five or six minutes.--another. line the dish with puff paste, put in sugar and fruit, lay bars across, and bake them. currant tarts are done in the same way. raspberry vinegar. put a pound of fine fruit into a china bowl, and pour upon it a quart of the best white wine vinegar. next day strain the liquor on a pound of fresh raspberries, and the following day do the same; but do not squeeze the fruit, only drain the liquor as dry as possible from it. the last time pass it through a canvas, previously moistened with vinegar, to prevent waste. put it into a stone jar, with a pound of sugar to every pint of juice, broken into large lumps. stir it when melted, then put the jar into a saucepan of water, or on a hot hearth; let it simmer, and skim it clean. when cold, bottle it up. this is one of the most useful preparations that can be kept in a house, not only as affording the most refreshing beverage, but being of singular efficacy in complaints of the chest. a large spoonful or two in this case is to be taken in a tumbler of water. no glazed or metal vessel of any kind should be used in this preparation. the fruit, with an equal quantity of sugar, makes excellent raspberry cakes, without boiling. raspberry wine. to every quart of well-picked raspberries put a quart of water; bruise, and let them stand two days. strain off the liquor; and to every gallon add three pounds of lump sugar. when dissolved, put the liquor in a barrel; and when fine, which will be in about two months, bottle it off. to each bottle put a spoonful of brandy, or a glass of wine. ratifia. blanch two ounces of peach and apricot kernels, bruise and put them into a bottle, and fill it nearly up with brandy. dissolve half a pound of white sugar-candy in a cup of cold water, and add it to the brandy after it has stood a month on the kernels, and they are strained off. then filter through paper, and bottle it up for use. the leaves of peaches and nectarines, when the trees are cut in the spring, being distilled, are an excellent substitute for ratifia in puddings. ratifia cakes. blanch and beat fine in a mortar, four ounces of bitter almonds, and two ounces of sweet almonds. prepare a pound and a half of loaf sugar, pounded and sifted; beat up the whites of four eggs to a froth, and add the sugar to it a little at a time, till it becomes of the stiffness of dough. stir and beat it well together, and put in the almonds. drop the paste on paper or tins, and bake it in a slow oven. try one of the cakes, and if it rises out of shape, the oven is too hot. the cakes must not be handled in making, but a spoon or a knife must be used. ratifia cream. boil three or four laurel, peach, or nectarine leaves, in a full pint of cream, and strain it. when cold, add the yolks of three eggs beaten and strained, sugar, and a large spoonful of brandy stirred quick into it. scald and stir it all the time, till it thickens. or mix half a quarter of a pint of ratifia, the same quantity of mountain wine, the juice of two or three lemons, a pint of rich cream, and agreeably sweetened with sugar. beat it with a whisk, and put it into glasses. the cream will keep eight or ten days.--another. blanch a quarter of an ounce of bitter almonds, and beat them with a tea-spoonful of water in a marble mortar. rub with the paste two ounces of loaf sugar, simmer it ten minutes with a tea-cupful of cream, and then strain and ice it. ratifia drops. blanch and beat in a mortar four ounces of bitter almonds, and two ounces of sweet almonds, with a small part of a pound of fine sugar sifted. add the remainder of the sugar, and the whites of two eggs, and make the whole into a paste. divide the mass into little balls the size of a nutmeg, put them on wafer paper, and bake them gently on tin plates. rats. the first step taken by rat-catchers, in order to clear a house, &c. of those vermin, is to allure them all together, to one proper place, before they attempt to destroy them; for there is such an instinctive caution in these animals, accompanied with a surprising sagacity in discovering any cause of danger, that if any of them be hurt, or pursued, in an unusual manner, the rest take the alarm, and become so shy and wary, that they elude all the devices and stratagems of their pursuers for some time after. the place where the rats are to be assembled, should be some closet, or small room, into which all the openings, but one or two, may be secured; and this place should be, as near as may be, in the middle of the house, or buildings. it is the practice, therefore, to attempt to bring them all together in some such place before any attempt be made to take them; and even then to avoid any violence, hurt, or fright to them, before the whole be in the power of the operator. in respect to the means used to allure them to one place, they are various; one of those most easily and efficaciously practised is the trailing some piece of their most favourite food, which should be of the kind that has the strongest scent, such as toasted cheese, or broiled red-herring, from the holes or entrances to their accesses in every part of the house, or contiguous buildings, whence it is intended to allure them. at the extremities, and in different parts of the course of this trailed tract, small quantities of meal, or any other kind of their food, should be laid, to bring the greater number into the tracks, and to encourage them to pursue it to the centre place, where they are intended to be taken; at that place, where time admits of it, a more plentiful repast is laid for them, and the trailing repeated for two or three nights. but besides this trailing, and way-baiting, some of the most expert of the rat-catchers have a shorter, and, perhaps, more effectual method of bringing them together, which is, the calling them, by making such a kind of whistling noise as resembles their own call, and by this means, with the assistance of the way-baits, they call them out of their holes, and lead them to the repast prepared for them at the place designed for taking them. but this is much more difficult to be practised than the art of trailing; for the learning the exact notes, or cries, of any kind of beasts or birds, so as to deceive them, is a peculiar talent, not easily attained to in other cases. and in practising either of these methods, great caution must be used by the operator to suppress, and prevent, the scent of his feet and body from being perceived; which is done by overpowering that scent by others of a stronger nature. in order to this the feet are to be covered with cloths rubbed over with assafoetida, or other strong smelling substances; and even oil of rhodium is sometimes used for this purpose, but sparingly, on account of its dearness, though it has a very alluring, as well as disguising effect. if this caution of avoiding the scent of the operator's feet, near the track, and in the place where the rats are proposed to be collected, be not properly observed, it will very much obstruct the success of the attempt to take them; for they are very shy of coming where the scent of human feet lies very fresh, and intimates, to their sagacious instinct, the presence of human creatures, whom they naturally dread. to the above-mentioned means of alluring by trailing, way-baiting, and calling, is added another of very material efficacy, which is the use of the oil of rhodium, which, like the marum syriacum in the case of cats, has a very extraordinary fascinating power on these animals. the oil is extremely dear, and therefore very sparingly used. it is exhaled in a small quantity in the place, and at the entrance of it, where the rats are intended to be taken, particularly at the time when they are to be last brought together in order to their destruction; and it is used also, by smearing it on the surface of some of the implements used in taking them, by the method before described, and the effect it has in taking off their caution and dread, by the delight they appear to have in it, is very extraordinary. it is usual, likewise, for the operator to disguise his figure as well as scent, which is done by putting on a sort of gown or cloak, of one colour, that hides the natural form, and makes him appear like a post, or such inanimate thing; which habit must likewise be scented as above, to overpower the smell of his person; and besides this he is to avoid all motion, till he has secured his point of having all the rats in his power. when the rats are thus enticed and collected, where time is afforded, and the whole in any house or outbuildings are intended to be cleared away, they are suffered to regale on what they most like, which is ready prepared for them; and then to go away quietly for two or three nights; by which means those which are not allured the first night are brought afterwards, either by their fellows, or the effects of the trailing, &c. and will not fail to come duly again, if they are not disturbed or molested. but many of the rat-catchers make shorter work, and content themselves with what can be brought together in one night or two; but this is never effectual, unless where the building is small and entire, and the rats but few in number. with respect to the means of taking them when they are brought together, they are various. some entice them into a very large bag, the mouth of which is sufficiently capacious to cover nearly the whole floor of the place where they are collected; which is done by smearing some vessel, placed in the middle of the bag, with oil of rhodium, and laying in the bag baits of proper food. this bag, which before laid flat on the ground, with the mouth spread open, is to be suddenly closed when the rats are all in it. others drive or frighten them, by slight noises or motions, into a bag of a long form, the mouth of which, after all the rats are come in, is drawn up to the opening of the place by which they entered, all other ways of retreat being secured. others, again, intoxicate or poison them, by mixing with the repast prepared for them the cocculus indicus, or the nux vomica. a receipt for this purpose has appeared, which directs four ounces of cocculus indicus, with twelve ounces of oatmeal, and two ounces of treacle or honey, to be made up into a moist paste with strong beer; but if the nux vomica be used, a much less proportion will serve than is here given of the cocculus. any similar composition of these drugs, with that kind of food the rats are most fond of, and which has a strong flavour, to hide that of the drugs, will equally well answer the end. if, indeed, the cocculus indicus be well powdered, and infused in strong beer for some time, at least half the quantity here directed will serve as well as the quantity before mentioned. when the rats appear to be thoroughly intoxicated with the cocculus, or sick with the nux vomica, they may be taken with the hand, and put into a bag or cage, the door of the place being first drawn to, lest those which have strength and sense remaining should escape. by these methods, when well conducted, a very considerable part of the rats in a farm, or other house, and the contiguous buildings, may be taken and destroyed. but various other methods have been practised.--the following compositions are advised for destroying these mischievous creatures, and which are stated to have been attended with great success. first, to a quart of oatmeal, add six drops of oil of rhodium, one grain of musk, and two or three of the nuts of nux vomica finely powdered; make them into pellets, and put them into the rat-holes. this, it is said, was at first greedily eaten, and did great execution; but the wise animals, after a time, ceased to eat it. secondly; this consisted of three parts of oatmeal and one of stave's-acre, mixed well into a paste with honey. pieces of this paste were laid in their holes, and again did great execution. thirdly; this is a method of destroying them by laying a large box down on its front side, with the lid supported open by a string over a pulley; and by trailing toasted cheese and a red-herring from their holes to this box, and placing oatmeal and other food in it, which they are for a few nights to be permitted to eat unmolested; and finally to watch them by moon-light, the inside of the box being painted white; and, when many of them are seen, to let down the lid; by which contrivance sixty of them are stated to have been taken at one time.--but though the usual ways of destroying rats are by traps and poison, it is advised never to use arsenic, or corrosive sublimate, for that purpose, except under particular circumstances, as they are deadly poisons: nux vomica will generally answer the end as well, without the danger. it is a very good plan, to prevent accidents, to enclose the traps in cases, having holes in the ends of them large enough to admit rats, but small enough to exclude dogs, cats, &c. as a bait for rat-traps, the following composition may be made use of with advantage. take a pound of good flour, three ounces of treacle, and six drops of the oil of carraways: put them all in a dish, and rub them well together till they are properly mixed: then add a pound of crumb of bread. the traps baited with this mixture should be set as near their haunts as possible; but, for two or three days, so as not to fall or strike on the rats going in, but letting them have free liberty to go in and out at pleasure, as this makes them fearless. some of the bait should also be laid at the rat-holes, and a little of it scattered quite up to the traps, and so on to the bridge of each trap, where a handful may be placed. it may also be proper to scent the traps with the following mixture, for the purpose of enticing the rats into them. take twenty drops of the oil of rhodium, six or seven grains of musk, and half an ounce of oil of aniseed; put them in a small phial, and shake it well before using; then dip a piece of twisted paper or rag in the mixture, and rub each end of the trap with it, if a box trap, and put two or three drops on the bridge, leaving the paper or rag in the trap. of whatever kind the trap is, it should be scented; but once in a twelvemonth will be sufficient. then throw some chaff mixed with a little wheat about the bottom of the trap, in order to deceive the rats; for they are very sagacious, and will not enter a suspicious place. this will be necessary to be done only at the first time of setting the traps; for, after some rats have been caught and have watered and dunged in them, rats will enter boldly when they find others have been there before them: do not, therefore, wash or clean out the trap, as some people do before they set it again, but let the dung and urine remain in it. keep the places where the traps are set as private as possible; and when they are set for catching, mix no bread with the bait, as the rats will, in that case, be apt to carry it away. and it is useful, when the holes are found quiet, and that no rats use them, to stop them up with the following composition. take a pint of common tar, half an ounce of pearl-ashes, an ounce of oil of vitriol, and a good handful of common salt, mix them all well together in an old pan or pot. take some pieces of paper, and lay some of the above mixture very thick on them; then stop the holes well up with them, and build up the mouth of the holes with brick or stone, and mortar; if this be properly done, rats will no more approach these while either smell or taste remains in the composition. but with a view to destroy rats in places where traps cannot be set, it is recommended to take a quart of the above bait, then to rasp into it three nuts of nux vomica, and add a quarter of a pound of crumb of bread, if there was none before; mix them all well together, and lay it into the mouth of their holes, and in different places where they frequent; but first give them of the bait without nux vomica, for three or four succeeding nights; and when they find it agrees with them, they will eat that mixed with the nut with greediness. however, as it is frequently found that rats are very troublesome in sewers and drains, in such cases arsenic may be used with success in the following manner. take some dead rats, and having put some white arsenic, finely powdered, into an old pepper-box, shake a quantity of it on the foreparts of the dead rats, and put them down the holes, or avenues, by the sides of the sewers at which they come in; this puts a stop to the live ones coming any further; for when they perceive the arsenic, they will retire immediately; whereas, if they were put down without the arsenic, the live ones would eat them. it is by means of arsenic, notwithstanding the above observations, that the most certain method of destroying these troublesome vermin, (provided they can be made to eat it,) takes place; which has been found to answer best when it is prepared by being finely levigated, and mixed up with very strong old cheese and oatmeal. but after all, it is probable that this highly destructive animal, and great pest to the farmer, might be most readily exterminated by parishes uniting for the purpose, and raising certain sums of money to be applied in this way, under the direction of a proper person who is fully acquainted with the business.--in many grain and other districts in the kingdom these animals prevail very much, especially the grey kind, particularly in all those where there are no regular raised staddles or stands for the grain stacks to rest upon, which is the case in a great number. the mischief, injury, and destruction of grain which is produced in this way, is scarcely to be calculated; and they are besides very mischievous, troublesome, and inconvenient in several others; so that they should be every where extirpated as much as possible. and in corn tracts, stands or staddles should every where be provided in order to prevent mischief being done by them. razor straps. nothing makes a better razor strap than crocus martis with a little sweet oil, rubbed well on doe skin with a glass bottle; and to keep it in perfect order, it should not be left too long dry. red cabbage. slice a red cabbage crossways, put it in an earthen dish, and throw on it a handful of salt. cover it over till the next day, drain it in a cullender, and put it into a jar. boil some good vinegar, with cloves and allspice; pour it hot on the cabbage till the jar is full, and when cold tie it down close. red herrings. choose those that are large and moist, cut them open, and pour over them some boiling small beer. let them soak half an hour, then drain and dry them; make them just hot through before the fire, and rub them over with cold butter. serve with egg sauce, or buttered eggs; mashed potatoes should also be sent up with them. red ink. infuse a quarter of a pound of brazil wood, rasped, in two pints of vinegar, for three days. then boil the liquid and the wood over a gentle fire, for an hour, and strain it off quite hot. put it again over the fire, and dissolve in it, first, half an ounce of gum arabic, and afterwards, half an ounce of alum, and the same quantity of white sugar. when the alum is dissolved, remove it from the fire, and preserve it for use. red mullet. this sort of fish are in season in august; and to be good, they should be quite firm. sea mullets are preferred to the river ones, and the red to the grey. this fish is sometimes called the sea woodcock. to dress mullets, clean them, but leave the inside. fold them in oiled paper, and bake them gently in a small dish. make a sauce of the liquor that comes from the fish, with a piece of butter, a little flour, a little essence of anchovy, and a glass of sherry. give it a boil, serve in a boat, and the fish in the paper cases. regimen. it may be difficult accurately to ascertain the predominant qualities of particular constitutions, or of the food that is best adapted in particular instances; yet it is certain, that health is dependent on regimen and diet, more than on any other cause. there are things so decidedly injurious, and so well known to be so, as to require no admonition; the instincts of nature will teach us to refrain; and generally speaking, the best rule for our practice is to observe by experience, what it is that hurts or does us good, and what our stomachs are best able to digest. we must at the same time keep our judgment unbiassed, and not suffer it to become a pander to the appetite; or the stomach and the health will be betrayed to the mere indulgence of sensuality. the gratification of our taste in the abundant supplies of nature, converted by art to the purposes of wholesome food, is perfectly compatible with the necessary maintenance of health; it is only the indiscriminate or inordinate indulgence of our appetites, regardless of the consequences, that is the proper object of censure. many of the diseases to which we are subject might be traced to this source; yet we are generally so little aware of it, that we impute them to the state of the weather, to infection, or any other imaginary cause, rather than the true one. the weather has very little serious effect upon a person in health, unless exposed to it in some unusual manner that suddenly checks perspiration, or some of the ordinary evacuations. infection, though of formidable import, is almost divested of its power over those whose temperance in food and diet keeps the blood and juices pure. the closest attendance upon an infected person has often been found perfectly consistent with personal safety under such circumstances. even diseases, said to be hereditary, may with great probability be assigned to errors in domestic life, of which the children partake, and fall into the same disorders as their parents, and remote progenitors. but even if this be not exactly so, an originally indifferent constitution may certainly be much amended by proper management. amongst a variety of causes producing ill health, there can be no doubt but bad air, want of cleanliness, want of exercise, excessive fatigue, and mental uneasiness, must have an unfavourable influence; yet none of these have so immediate an effect as the food we eat, which if not wholesome and nutricious, tends directly to contaminate the system. we derive the renewal of our blood and juices, which are constantly exhausting, from the substances converted into food. as our food therefore is proper or improper, too much or too little, so will our blood and juices be good or bad, overcharged or deficient, and our state of health accordingly good or diseased. it is not only necessary however, that our aliment should be plain and wholesome; it is requisite also that it should contain active principles; such as salts, oils, and spirits, which have the property of stimulating the solids, quickening the circulation, and make the fluids thinner; thus rendering them more suited to undergo the necessary secretions of the body. the art of preserving health, and of prolonging life, consists therefore in the use of a moderate quantity of such diet as shall neither encrease the salts and oils so as to produce disease, nor to diminish them so as to suffer the solids to become relaxed. eating too little is hurtful, as well as eating too much. neither excess nor hunger, nor any thing else that passes the bounds of nature, can be good for man. temperance and moderation in eating and drinking, are nature's great preservatives. 'the throat has destroyed more than the sword.' some people are apt to think, the more plentifully they eat and drink, the better they thrive, and the stronger they grow. but this is not the case: a little, well digested, will render the body more vigorous than when it is glutted with superfluity, most of which is turned to excrementitious, not alimentary, fluid, and must soon be evacuated, or sickness will follow. it is said of the highly celebrated dr. boerhaäve, that having long promised to a friend the secret of preserving health and long life, his friend became impatient to obtain the secret, when he perceived that the physician was dying. to his repeated solicitations, the doctor as frequently replied, 'do not eat too much--do not eat too much;' and left this advice as his last legacy to his valued friend. by loading the stomach, digestion is impeded; for the natural juice of the stomach, which is the great medium of digestion, has not then room to exert itself. the stomach therefore nauseates its contents, and is troubled with eructations; the spirits are oppressed, obstructions ensue, and disease is the consequence. besides, when thus overfilled, the stomach presses on the diaphragm, prevents the proper play of the lungs, and occasions difficulty and uneasiness in breathing. hence arise various bad symptoms and effects, throughout the whole of the animal economy; prostrating the strength, impairing the senses, hastening old age, and shortening life. though these unhappy consequences may not be immediately perceived, yet they are the certain attendants of intemperance; and it has been generally observed in great eaters, that though from custom, a state of youth, and a strong constitution, they suffer no present inconvenience, but have digested their food, and sustained the surfeit; yet if they have not been unexpectedly cut off, they have found the symptoms of old age come on early in life, attended with pains and innumerable disorders. if health is to be regarded, we must ever make it a rule not to eat to satiety or fulness, but desist while the stomach feels quite easy. thus we shall be refreshed, light, and cheerful; not dull, heavy, or indisposed. should we ever be tempted to eat too much at one time, we should eat the less at another: abstinence is the best remedy for repletion. if our dinner has been larger than usual, let our supper be less, or rather, quite omitted. with regard to the times of eating, they must to a certain degree be conformed to family convenience, but ought to be quite independent of the caprice of fashion, instead of being as they are, governed by it. this, and a want of punctuality to the dinner hour, are the cause of more real harm to the constitution than thoughtless people of fashion, and their more thoughtless imitators, are apt to imagine. when a dinner is dressed, nothing can prevent its being injured by standing. it may be kept hot, and this imposes on those who think no farther upon the subject; but the very means made use of for this purpose, only help to spoil it the more. if things boiled are kept in the water after they are done enough, they become sodden, vapid, and heavy. the invention of hot closets for keeping other things hot, dry away the juices, and make them strong and rancid. from such dinners, indigestions will ensue, frequent head-aches, nervousness, and many other uneasy sensations, which finally bring on maladies of a more serious nature. the great points to be guarded against, respecting the times of eating, are either eating too soon after a former meal, or fasting too long. the stomach should always have time to empty itself, before it is filled again. some stomachs digest their contents sooner than others, and if long empty it may destroy the appetite, and greatly disturb both the head and animal spirits; because from the great profusion of nerves spread over the stomach, there is an immediate sympathy between that and the head. hence the head is sure to be affected by whatever disorders the stomach, whether from any particular aliment that disagrees with it, or being over filled, or too long empty. hence also, too frequently, arise apoplexy, or paralytic affections, especially in aged people. such as feel a gnawing in the stomach, as it is called, should not wait till the stated time of the next meal, but take a small quantity of food, light, and easy of digestion, that the stomach may have something to work on. children, with craving appetites, do and may eat often, allowing only a proper interval to empty the stomach. young persons in health, who use much exercise, may eat three times a day. but such as are in years, such as are weak, as do no work, or lead a sedentary life, eating twice in the day is quite sufficient: or if in the present habits of society it is found to be difficult to arrange for two meals only, let them take three very moderate ones. weak and aged persons may eat often, but then it should be very little at a time. the diseases to which we are liable often require substances of more active principles than what are found in common aliment, and hence the need of medicine, in order to, produce sudden alterations. but where such alterations are not immediately necessary, the same effect may be produced with much greater safety, by a proper attention to diet only. abstinence is in short, one of the best remedies to which we can resort; and if employed in time, will entirely cure many disorders, and check the violence of such as cannot be entirely carried off by it. in all cases where there is any inflammation, and in stomach complaints, it is particularly necessary, and may be safely continued till the symptoms of disease disappear. where the digestion is habitually weak, a day of abstinence once a week will always be beneficial. the quality of our food is a subject of greater difficulty than the quantity. moderation is an invariably safe guide in the latter case; but though always favourable to prevent ill effects from any error in quality, it will not always be effectual. to a person in good health, with a strong stomach, and whose constant beverage is water, or some weak liquor, the niceties in food and cooking are less material, than to persons with naturally weak stomachs, or to those in sickness, or for children. but all persons who would to a certainty preserve their health and faculties, and live out the natural term of life, should use plain food, as all high seasonings and compound mixtures, have an injurious effect, sooner or later, on the strongest constitutions. if a few instances can be shewn to the contrary, these, like other anomalies in nature, cannot constitute an exception to a well established fact. a prevailing error in the diet of this country is a too great use of animal food. the disease called the sea scurvy, often occurs from this cause, in every large town in england; and it is probable that the frequency and fatality of putrid and scarlet fevers may justly be attributed to it also. the prejudices of this country are very strong in favour of animal food, but the evidence of facts is equally strong against its absolute necessity. instances of this are seen in the natives of hindostan, who live upon rice, and who by way of opprobrium call the inhabitants of this country 'flesh eaters;' in the poor of ireland, who live upon potatoes, and in the poor of scotland, who live upon oatmeal. after all, the medium is in all probability the best; neither animal nor vegetable diet exclusively, but a reasonable proportion of both. persons of indifferent health should be particularly cautious in their diet, and those labouring under any particular malady should carefully conform to the regimen prescribed for them by their medical advisers.--our beverage is another very important article, in reference to health. it is essential to moisten and convey more solid food into the stomach, and from thence to the respective parts of the system. also to allay thirst, to dilute the blood, that it may circulate through the minutest vessels, and to dissolve and carry off by watery secretions the superfluous salts taken in with the food. no liquid is so effectual for this purpose as pure water; with the exception only of a few cases. no other liquid circulates so well, or mixes so immediately with our fluids. other liquids are impregnated with particles which act strongly upon the solids or fluids, or both; but water being simple, operates only by diluting, moistening, and cooling, which are the great uses of drink pointed out to us by nature. hence it is evident that water in general is the best and most wholesome drink; but as some constitutions require something to warm and stimulate the stomach, fermented liquors may be proper, if taken in moderation. it is necessary however, that beer, ale, cider, and wine, be taken in a sound state and of proper age, or they will be highly detrimental. spirituous liquors, taken too freely, or in a raw state, are attended with direful effects, and are the destruction of thousands. from the degree of heat they have undergone in distillation, they acquire a corrosive and burning quality, which makes them dangerous to the constitution. they contract the fibres and smaller vessels, especially where they are tenderest, as in the brain, and thus destroy the intellectual faculties. they injure the coat of the stomach, and so expose the nerves and relax the fibres, till the whole stomach becomes at last soft and flabby. hence ensues loss of appetite, indigestion, and diseases that generally terminate in premature death. light wines of a moderate strength, and matured by age, are more wholesome than strong, rich, and heavy wines, and pass off the stomach with less difficulty. red port is strong and astringent, but white port and spanish wines are stimulating and attenuating. french wines are lighter, and not so strong as the portuguese and spanish wines, which renders them wholesomer for thin and dry constitutions. rhenish and moselle wines are the most wholesome of any, where acidity is not hurtful. home made wines are prejudicial to all constitutions, being very windy and heady. the notion that liquors of any kind assist digestion, is quite erroneous, as wine and all other strong liquors are as hard to digest as strong solid food. those who drink only water or small beer at their meals, are able to eat and digest almost double the quantity of what they could, if they drank strong liquors. when the stomach is uneasy from too much food, or such as is indigestible, strong liquors produce a deceitful glow in the stomach, which induces a belief of their having the beneficial effect of assisting digestion. the fallacy of this conclusion is sufficiently apparent from the state in which cherries are found, after they have been steeped in brandy: instead of becoming more tender, they are rendered as tough as leather. similar effects are produced on food in the stomach, as well as out of it. strong liquors are plainly improper at meals, as by their heat and activity they hurry the food undigested into the habit, and so lay the foundation for various distempers, such as the gout, rheumatism, apoplexy, and palsy. rennet. this article, so necessary in making of cheese, is prepared as follows. take out the stomach of a calf as soon as killed, and scour it inside and out with salt, after it is cleared of the curd always found in it. let it drain a few hours, then sow it up with two good handfuls of salt in it, or stretch it on a stick well salted, and hang it up to dry.--another way. clean the maw as above, and let it drain a day. then put into two quarts of fresh spring-water a handful of hawthorn tops, a handful of sweet briar, a handful of rose leaves, a stick of cinnamon, forty cloves, four blades of mace, a sprig of knotted marjoram, and two large spoonfuls of salt. let them boil gently till the liquor is reduced to three pints, and strain it off; when only milk warm, pour it on the maw. slice a lemon into it, let it stand two days, strain it again, and bottle it for use. it will keep good at least for twelve months, and has a very fine flavour. sweet aromatic herbs may also be added. the liquor must be pretty salt, but not made into brine: a little of it will turn the milk. salt the maw again for a week or two, and dry it stretched on cross sticks, and it will be nearly as strong as before. the rennet when dried must be kept in a cool place. resentment. this is a dangerous passion, and often fatal to health. anger disorders the whole frame, hurries on the circulation of the blood, occasions fevers and other acute disorders, and sometimes ends in sudden death. resentment also preys upon the mind, and occasions the most obstinate disorders, which gradually waste the constitution. those who value health therefore, will guard against indulging this malignant propensity, and endeavour to preserve a happy degree of tranquillity. rheumatism. in this complaint the diet should be nourishing, with a little generous wine; costiveness must be carefully avoided. the painful part should be kept warm with flannel, should be frequently rubbed, occasionally electrified, and supplied with the volatile liniment. blisters, cataplasms of mustard or horseradish, may be applied with advantage. if these be not effectual, take a pint of the spirits of turpentine, and add half an ounce of camphor. let it stand till the camphor is dissolved, then rub it on the part affected night and morning, and it will seldom fail to afford effectual relief. this mixture is also very proper for sprains and bruises, and should be kept for family use. but several of our own domestic plants as above may be used with advantage in the rheumatism. one of the best is the white _mustard_. a table-spoonful of the seed of this plant may be taken twice or thrice a day, in a glass of water or small wine. the water trefoil is likewise of great use in this complaint. it may be infused in wine or ale, or drunk in the form of tea. the ground-ivy, camomile, and several other bitters, are also beneficial, and may be used in the same manner. no benefit, however, is to be expected from these, unless they be taken for a considerable time. cold bathing, especially in salt water, often cures the rheumatism. it is also advisable to take exercise, and wear flannel next the skin. issues are likewise very proper, especially in chronic cases. if the pain affects the shoulders, an issue may be made in the arm; but if it affects the loins, it should be put into the leg or thigh. such as are subject to frequent attacks of the rheumatism ought to make choice of a dry, warm situation, to avoid the night air, wet clothes, and wet feet, as much as possible. their clothing should be warm, and they should wear flannel next their skin, and make frequent use of the flesh brush. one of the best articles of dress, not only for the prevention of rheumatism, but for powerful co-operation in its cure, is fleecy hosiery. in low marshy situations, the introduction of that manufacture has prevented more rheumatisms, colds, and agues, than all the medicines ever used there. such of the inhabitants of marshy counties as are in easy circumstances, could not, perhaps, direct their charity and humanity to a better object than to the supplying their poor neighbours with so cheap and simple a preservative. rhubarb. by proper attention in the growth and preparation of this root, it may be obtained here nearly in equal goodness to the foreign. the plants are all increased by seeds, which should be sown in autumn soon after they are ripe, where the plants are designed to remain, as their roots being large and fleshy when they are removed, they do not recover it soon; nor do the roots of such removed plants ever grow so large and fair as those which remain where they were sown. when the plants appear in the spring, the ground should be well hoed over, to cut up the weeds; and where they are too close, some should be cut up, leaving them at the first hoeing six or eight inches asunder; but at the second they may be separated to a foot and a half distance, and more. when any weeds appear, the ground should be scuffled over with a dutch hoe in dry weather; but after the plants cover the ground with their broad leaves, they keep down the weeds without any farther trouble. the ground should be cleaned in autumn when the leaves decay, and in the spring, before the plants begin to put up their new leaves, be dug well between them. in the second year, many of the strongest plants will produce flowers and seeds, and in the third year most of them. it is advised, that the seeds be carefully gathered when ripe, and not permitted to scatter, lest they grow and injure the old plants. the roots continue many years without decaying, and the old roots of the true rhubarb are much preferable to the young ones. the roots may be generally taken up after four years, but if they remain longer it is so much the better. these plants delight in a rich soil, which is not too dry nor over moist: and where there is depth in such land for their roots to run down, they attain a great size, both in the leaves and roots. rhubarb pie. peel the stalks of the plant, cut them about an inch long, put them into a dish with moist sugar, a little water and lemon peel. put on the crust, and bake it in a moderate oven. rhubarb pudding. put four dozen clean sticks of rhubarb into a stewpan, with the peel of a lemon, a bit of cinnamon, two cloves, and as much moist sugar as will sweeten it. set it over the fire, and reduce it to a marmalade. pass it through a hair sieve, then add the peel of a lemon, half a nutmeg grated, a quarter of a pound of good butter, the yolks of four eggs, and one white, and mix all well together. line a pie dish with good puff paste, put in the mixture, and bake it half an hour. this will make a good spring pudding. rhubarb sauce. to make a mock gooseberry-sauce for mackarel, reduce three dozen sticks of rhubarb to a marmalade, and sweeten it with moist sugar. pass it through a hair sieve, and serve it up in a boat.--mock gooseberry-fool is made of rhubarb marmalade, prepared as for a pudding. add a pint of good thick cream, serve it up in glasses, or in a deep dish. if wanted in a shape, dissolve two ounces of isinglass in a little water, strain it through a tammis, and when nearly cold put it to the cream. pour it into a jelly mould, and when set, turn it out into a dish, and serve it up plain. rhubarb sherbet. boil six or eight sticks of clean rhubarb in a quart of water, ten minutes. strain the liquor through a tammis into a jug, with the peel of a lemon cut very thin, and two table-spoonfuls of clarified sugar. let it stand five or six hours, and it will be fit to drink. rhubarb soup. there are various ways of dressing garden rhubarb, which serves as an excellent substitute for spring fruit. peel and well wash four dozen sticks of rhubarb, blanch it in water three or four minutes, drain it on a sieve, and put it into a stewpan with two sliced onions, a carrot, an ounce of lean ham, and a good bit of butter. let it stew gently over a slow fire till tender, then put in two quarts of rich soup, to which add two or three ounces of bread crumbs, and boil it about fifteen minutes. skim off all the fat, season with salt and cayenne, pass it through a tammis, and serve it up with fried bread. rhubarb tart. cut the stalks in lengths of four or five inches, and take off the thin skin. lay them in a dish, pour on a thin syrup of sugar and water, cover them with another dish, and let it simmer very slowly for an hour on a hot hearth; or put the rhubarb into a block-tin saucepan, and simmer it over the fire. when cold, make it into a tart; the baking of the crust will be sufficient, if the rhubarb be quite tender. ribs of beef. the following is an excellent way of dressing this rich and valuable joint. hang up three ribs three or four days, take out the bones from the whole length, sprinkle it with salt, roll the meat tight, and roast it. if done with spices, and baked as hunter's beef, it is excellent, and nothing can look nicer. rice broth. put a quarter of a pound of whole rice into a gallon of water. let it simmer till it is quite soft, then put in a knuckle of veal, or the scrag end of a leg of mutton, with two or three pounds of gravy beef. stew this very gently for two hours, then put in turnips, carrots, celery, leeks, or any other vegetables. continue to stew slowly, and when the whole is sufficiently done, season it with salt, and serve it up. rice cake. mix ten ounces of ground rice, three ounces of flour, and eight ounces of pounded sugar. sift the composition by degrees into eight yolks and six whites of eggs, and the peel of a lemon shred so fine that it is quite mashed. mix the whole well in a tin stewpan with a whisk, over a very slow fire. put it immediately into the oven in the same, and bake it forty minutes.--another. beat twelve yolks and six whites of eggs, with the peels of two lemons grated. mix one pound of rice flour, eight ounces of fine flour, and a pound of sugar pounded and sifted. beat it well with the eggs by degrees, for an hour, with a wooden spoon. butter a pan well, and put it in at the oven mouth. a gentle oven will bake it in an hour and a half. rice caudle. when the water boils, pour into it some grated rice, with a little cold water. when of a proper consistence, add sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon, and a spoonful of brandy, and boil all smooth.--another way. soak in water some fine rice for an hour, strain it, and put two spoonfuls of the rice into a pint and a quarter of milk. simmer till it will pulp through a sieve, then put the pulp and milk into the saucepan, with a bruised clove, and a bit of lump sugar. simmer all together ten minutes; if too thick, add a spoonful or two of milk, and serve with thin toast. rice cheesecakes. boil four ounces of ground rice in milk, with a blade of cinnamon: put it into a pot, and let it stand till the next day. mash it fine with half a pound of butter; add to it four eggs, half a pint of cream, a grated nutmeg, a glass of brandy, and a little sugar. or the butter may be stirred and melted in the rice while it is hot, and left in the pot till the next day. rice custard. boil three pints of new milk with a little cinnamon, lemon peel, and sugar. mix the yolks of two eggs well beaten, with a large spoonful of rice flour, smothered in a cup of cold milk. take a basin of the boiling milk, mix it with the cold that has the rice in it, and add it to the remainder of the boiling milk, stirring it one way till it begins to thicken. pour it into a pan, stir it till it is cool, and add a spoonful of brandy or orange water. this is a good imitation of cream custard, and considerably cheaper. rice edging. after soaking and picking some fine carolina rice, boil it in salt and water, until sufficiently tender, but not to mash. drain, and put it round the inner edge of the dish, to the height of two inches. smooth it with the back of a spoon, wash it over with the yolk of an egg, and put it into the oven for three or four minutes. this forms an agreeable edging for currie or fricassee, with the meat served in the middle. rice flummery. boil with a pint of new milk, a bit of lemon peel and cinnamon. mix with a little cold milk as much rice flour as will make the whole of a good consistence, add a little sugar, and a spoonful of peach water, or a bitter almond beaten. boil it, but do not let it burn; pour it into a shape or pint basin, taking out the spice. when cold, turn the flummery into a dish, and serve with cream, milk, or custard round. or put a tea-cupful of cream into half a pint of new milk, a glass of white wine, half a lemon squeezed, and sugar. rice milk. boil half a pound of rice in a quart of water, with a bit of cinnamon, till the water is wasted. add three pints of milk, an egg beaten up with a spoonful of flour, and stir it till it boils. then pour it out, sweeten it, and put in currants and nutmeg. rice pancakes. boil half a pound of rice to a jelly in a small quantity of water; when cold, mix it with a pint of cream, eight eggs, a little salt and nutmeg. stir in eight ounces of butter just warmed, and add flour sufficient to thicken the batter. fry in as little lard or dripping as possible. rice paste. to make a rice paste for sweets, boil a quarter of a pound of ground rice in the smallest quantity of water. strain from it all the moisture possible, beat it in a mortar with half an ounce of butter, and one egg well beaten. it will make an excellent paste for tarts, and other sweet dishes.--to make a rich paste for relishing things, clean some rice, and put it into a saucepan. add a little milk and water, or milk only, and an onion, and simmer it over the fire till it swells. put some seasoned chops into a dish, and cover it with the rice. the addition of an egg will make the rice bind the better. rabbits fricasseed, and covered with rice paste, are very good. rice pudding. if for family use, swell the rice with a very little milk over the fire. then add more milk, an egg, some sugar, allspice, and lemon peel; and bake it in a deep dish. or put into a deep pan half a pound of rice washed and picked, two ounces of butter, four ounces of sugar, a little pounded allspice, and two quarts of milk. less butter will do, or some suet: bake the pudding in a slow oven. another. boil a quarter of a pound of rice in a quart of milk, with a stick of cinnamon, till it is thick; stir it often, that it does not burn; pour it into a pan, stir in a quarter of a pound of butter, and grate half a nutmeg; add sugar to your taste, and a small tea-cup of rose-water; stir all together till cold; beat up eight eggs, (leave out half the whites) stir all well together, lay a thin puff paste at the bottom of the dish, and nip the edge; then pour in the pudding and bake it.--another. to make a plain rice pudding, put half a pound of rice well picked, into three quarts of milk; add half a pound of sugar, a small nutmeg grated, and half a pound of butter; butter the dish with part, and break the rest into the milk and rice; stir all well together, pour it into a dish, and bake it.--another. to make a boiled rice pudding, take a quarter of a pound of rice well picked and washed, tie it in a cloth, leaving room for it to swell; boil it for an hour; take it up and stir in a quarter of a pound of butter, some nutmeg and sugar; tie it up again very tight, and boil it an hour more. when you send it to table, pour butter and sugar over it.--another. to make a ground rice pudding. to a pint of milk put four ounces of ground rice; boil it for some time, keeping it stirring, lest it should burn; pour it into a pan, and stir in a quarter of a pound of butter; then beat up six eggs, leaving out half the whites, a little lemon peel finely shred, a little nutmeg grated, a quarter of a pound of sugar, a gill of cream, a little rose-water, and as much salt as you can take up between your thumb and finger; mix all well together, make a puff paste, lay it round the rim of the dish, and bake it.--lay citron or orange cut very thin, on the top, and strew a few currants on.--another. to make rice pudding with fruit. swell half a pound of rice with a very little milk over the fire, and then mix with it any kind of fruit; such as currants, scalded gooseberries, pared and quartered apples, raisins, or black currants. put an egg into the pudding to bind it, boil it well, and serve it up with sugar. rice sauce. steep a quarter of a pound of rice in a pint of milk, with an onion, a dozen pepper corns or allspice, and a little mace. when the rice is quite tender, take out the spice, and rub the rice through a sieve into a clean stewpan: if too thick, put a little milk or cream to it. this makes a very delicate white sauce; and at elegant tables, is frequently used instead of bread sauce. rice souffle. blanch some carolina rice, strain and boil it in milk, with lemon peel and a bit of cinnamon. let it boil till the rice is dry; then cool it, and raise a rim three inches high round the dish, having egged the dish where it is put, to make it stick. then egg the rice all over. fill the dish half way up with a marmalade of apples; have ready the whites of four eggs beaten to a fine froth, and put them over the marmalade. sift fine sugar over, and set it in the oven, which should be warm enough to give it a beautiful colour. rice soup. boil a pound of rice with a little cinnamon, in two quarts of water. take out the cinnamon, add a little sugar and nutmeg, and let it stand to cool. then beat up the yolks of three eggs in a little white wine, and mix it with the rice. set it on a slow fire, stir it well, and take it up as soon as it has boiled to a proper thickness. rich giblet soup. take four pounds of gravy beef, two pounds of scrag of mutton, two pounds of scrag of veal; stew them well down together in a sufficient quantity of water for a strong broth, let it stand till it is quite cold, then skim the fat clean off. take two pair of giblets well scalded and cleaned, put them into your broth, and let them simmer till they are stewed tender; then take out your giblets, and run the soup through a fine sieve to catch the small bones; then take an ounce of butter and put it into a stew-pan, mixing a proper quantity of flour, which make of a fine light brown. take a small handful of chives, the same of parsley, a very little penny-royal, and a very little sweet marjoram; chop all these herbs together excessive small, put your soup over a slow fire, put in your giblets, butter and flour, and small herbs; then take a pint of madeira wine, some cayenne pepper, and salt to your palate. let them all simmer together, till the herbs are tender, and the soup is finished. send it to the table with the giblets in it. let the livers be stewed in a saucepan by themselves, and put in when you dish. rich gravy. cut lean beef into small slices, according to the quantity wanted; slice some onions thin, and flour them both. fry them of a light pale brown, but do not suffer them on any account to get black. put them into a stewpan, pour boiling water on the browning in the fryingpan, boil it up, and pour it on the meat. add a bunch of parsley, thyme, and savoury, a small piece of marjoram, the same of taragon, some mace, berries of allspice, whole black pepper, a clove or two, and a bit of ham, or gammon of bacon. simmer till the juice of the meat is extracted, and skim it the moment it boils. if for a hare, or stewed fish, anchovy should be added. rich gravy soup. take a pound of lean beef, two pounds of veal, and a pound of mutton cut in pieces; put them into a pot, with six quarts of water, a large faggot of sweet herbs, an onion stuck with cloves, some whole pepper, a little mace, and the upper crust of bread toasted brown. put in an ox palate well cleaned and blanched whole; set it over a slow fire, and let it stew till half is wasted; strain it off, and put it into a clean saucepan. take off the ox palate, shred small, some cock's combs blanched, an ounce of morels cut in pieces, four large heads of celery well washed, and cut small, with the heart of four or five savoys, about as big as a turkey's egg, put in whole; cover it close, and let it stew softly for an hour and a half. if it want any more seasoning, add it; cut some french bread toasts thin, and crisp them before the fire. when your soup is ready, lay your bread in the dish, and put in your soup. rich home-made wine.--take new cider from the press, mix it with as much honey as will support an egg, boil it gently fifteen minutes, but not in an iron, brass, or copper pot. skim it well, and tun it when cool, but the cask must not be quite full. bottle it in the following march, and it will be fit to drink in six weeks, but it will be less sweet if kept longer in the cask. this will make a rich and strong wine, suitable for culinary purposes, where milk or sweet wine is to be employed. honey, besides its other valuable uses, is a fine ingredient to assist and render palatable, new or harsh cider. rich plum pudding. to make a small, but very rich plum pudding, shred fine three quarters of a pound of suet, and half a pound of stoned raisins, chopped a little. add three spoonfuls of flour, as much moist sugar, a little salt and nutmeg, the yolks of three, and the whites of two eggs. let it boil four hours in a basin or tin mould, well buttered. when the pudding is served up, pour over it some melted butter, with white wine and sugar.--for a larger pudding of the same description, shred three pounds of suet; add a pound and a half of raisins stoned and chopped, a pound and a half of currants, three pounds of good flour, sixteen eggs, and a quart of milk. boil it in a cloth seven hours. rich rice pudding. boil half a pound of rice in water, till it is quite tender, adding a little salt. drain it dry, mix it with four eggs, a quarter of a pint of cream, and two ounces of fresh butter melted in the cream. add four ounces of beef suet or marrow, or veal suet taken from the fillet, finely shred; three quarters of a pound of currants, two spoonfuls of brandy, a spoonful of peach water or ratifia, nutmeg, and grated lemon peel. when well mixed, put a paste round the edge, fill the dish, and bake it in a moderate oven. slices of candied orange, lemon, and citron, may be added. rickets. this disease generally attacks children between the age of nine months and two years; and as it is always attended with evident signs of weakness and relaxation, the chief aim in the cure must be to brace and strengthen the solids, and to promote digestion and the due preparation of the fluids. these important ends will be best answered by wholesome nourishing diet, suited to the age and strength of the patient, open dry air, and sufficient exercise. the limbs should be rubbed frequently with a warm hand, and the child kept as cheerful as possible. biscuit is generally reckoned the best bread; and pigeons, pullet, veal, rabbits, or mutton roasted or minced, are the most proper meat. if the child be too young for animal food, he may have rice, millet, or pearl barley, boiled with raisins, to which may be added a little wine and spice. his drink may be good claret, mixed with an equal quantity of water. those who cannot afford claret, may give the child now and then a wine glass of mild ale, or good porter. the disease may often be cured by the nurse, but seldom by the physician. in children of a gross habit, gentle vomits and repeated purges of rhubarb may sometimes be of use, but they will seldom carry off the disease; that must depend chiefly upon such things as brace and strengthen the system; for which purpose, besides the regimen mentioned above, the cold bath, especially in the warm season, is highly recommended. it must, however, be used with prudence, as some ricketty children cannot bear it. the best time for using the cold bath is in the morning, and the child should be well rubbed with a dry cloth immediately after he comes out of it. ring worm. this eruption, which generally appears on the head, in a circular form, attended with painful itching, is sometimes removed by rubbing it with black ink, or mushroom ketchup. the following preparation is also recommended. wash some roots of sorrel quite clean, bruise them in a mortar, and steep them in white wine vinegar for two or three days. then rub the liquor on the ring worm three or four times a day, till it begin to disappear. roasting. the first requisite for roasting is to have a clear brisk fire, proportioned to the joint that is to be roasted; without this every attempt must prove abortive. next to see that the spit is properly cleaned before it enters the meat, and the less it passes through it the better. neck and loins require to be carefully jointed before they are put on the spit, that the carver may separate them easily and neatly. the joint should be balanced evenly on the spit, that its motion may be regular, and the fire operate equally on every part; for this purpose cook-holds and balancing skewers are necessary. all roasting should be done open to the air, to ventilate the meat from its own fumes, and by the radiant heat of a glowing fire; otherwise it is in fact baked, and rendered less wholesome. hence what are called rumford roasters, and the machines invented by economical gratemakers, are utterly to be rejected. if they save any thing in fuel, which is doubtful, they are highly injurious to the flavour and best qualities of the meat. for the same reason, when a joint is dressed, it is better to keep it hot by the fire, than to put it under a cover, that the exhalations may freely escape. in making up the fire for roasting, it should be three or four inches longer at each end than the article on the spit, or the ends of the meat cannot be done nice and brown. half an hour at least before the roasting begins, prepare the fire, by putting on a few coals so as to be sufficiently lighted by the time the fire is wanted. put some of them between the bars, and small coals or cinders wetted at the back of the fire; and never put down meat to a burnt up fire. in small families, not provided with a jack or spit, a bottle jack, sold by the ironmongers, is a valuable instrument for roasting; and where this cannot be had, a skewer and a string, or rather a quantity of coarse yarn loosely twisted, is as philosophical as any of them, and will answer the purpose as well. do not put meat too near the fire at first. the larger the joint, the farther it must be kept from the fire: if once it gets scorched, the outside will become hard, and acquire a disagreeable taste. if the fire is prevented from penetrating into it, the meat will appear done, before it is little more than half ready, besides losing the pale brown colour which is the beauty of roast meat. from ten to fourteen inches is the usual distance at which it is put from the grate, when first laid down; and afterwards it should be brought nearer by degrees. if the joint is thicker at one end than the other, lay the spit slanting, with the thickest part nearest the fire. when the article is thin and tender, the fire should be small and brisk; but for a large joint the fire should be strong, and equally good in every part of the grate, or the meat cannot be equally roasted, nor possess that uniform colour which is the test of good cooking. give the fire a good stirring before the meat is laid down, keep it clear at the bottom, and take care that there are no smoky coals in the front, to spoil the look and taste of the meat. if a jack be used, it should be carefully oiled and kept clean, and covered from the dust, or it will never go well. the dripping pan should be placed at such a distance from the fire as just to catch the drippings; if it be too near, the ashes will fall into it, and spoil the drippings. if too far from the fire to catch them, the drippings will not only be lost, but the meat will be blackened, and spoiled by the fetid smoke, which will arise when the fat falls on the live cinders. the meat must be well basted, to keep it moist. when it does not supply dripping enough for this purpose, add some that has been saved on former occasions, and nicely prepared, which answers as well or better than butter. meat should not be sprinkled with salt till nearly done, as it tends to draw out the gravy. basting with a little salt and water, when the meat is first laid down, is often done, but the practice is not good. where the fat is very fine and delicate, it is best to cover it with writing paper to prevent its wasting; but in general it is as well to expose it to the action of the fire, and let it fall into the dripping pan. half an hour before the meat is done, prepare some gravy if necessary; and just before it is taken up, put it nearer the fire to brown it. if it is to be frothed, baste and dredge it carefully with flour. the common fault is that of using too much flour; the meat should have a fine light varnish of froth, not the appearance of being covered with a paste; and those who are particular about the froth, use butter instead of dripping. when the roast is quite done, it is best to take it up directly, as every moment beyond doing it enough does it an injury. if it cannot be sent to table immediately, which is most desirable, it should be kept hot, but so as to suffer the fumes to escape. with respect to the time required for roasting, the general rule of a quarter of an hour to a pound of meat, is a pretty fair one, but it will not do for all kinds of joints. the use of a meat screen must also be considered, as it tends materially to assist the operation, by concentrating the heat, and excluding the cold drafts of air. attention must be paid to the nature of the joint, whether thick or thin, the strength of the fire, the nearness of the meat to it, and the frequency with which it is basted. the more it is basted the less time it will take, as it keeps the meat soft and mellow on the outside, and the fire acts upon it with greater force. much will depend on the time the meat has been kept, and on the temperature of the weather. the same weight will be twenty minutes or half an hour longer in cold weather, than it will be in warm weather; and when the meat is fresh slain, than when it has been kept till it is tender. if meat get frozen, it should be thawed by lying some time in cold water; and then be well dried in a clean cloth, before it is laid down to the fire. a sirloin of beef, weighing from twenty-five to thirty pounds, will generally take four hours; a part of it, from twelve to fifteen pounds, two hours and three quarters, or three hours. a piece of ribs of the same weight, much the same time, and a rump four hours. a sheet of paper should be tied over the thin part, or it will burn before the thick part is done enough. a leg of mutton, weighing eight or nine pounds, will require two hours and a quarter; a shoulder of seven pounds, an hour and three quarters; a chine of ten or eleven pounds, two hours and a half; a loin, rather more than an hour and a half; a neck, the same; a breast, an hour. a haunch of mutton should be dressed like venison, only in proportion as it may be less, it must not roast quite so long. a fillet of veal, from twelve to fourteen pounds weight, requires three hours and twenty minutes. this is usually stuffed, either in the place of the bone, when that is taken out, or under the flap. a loin takes two hours and a half, a shoulder two hours and twenty minutes, a neck nearly two hours, and a breast an hour and a half. these directions suppose the joints to be of a common size. if they are very thick, a little more time must be allowed. when veal is quite small, the time must be reduced accordingly. a quarter of lamb, of a moderate size, will require two hours; a leg, an hour and forty minutes; a shoulder, an hour and twenty minutes; a loin, the same; a neck, an hour and ten minutes; a breast, three quarters of an hour; and ribs, an hour and a half. a leg of pork, weighing seven pounds, will require nearly two hours; a loin of five pounds, an hour and twenty minutes. both these should be scored across in narrow stripes, before they are laid down to the fire. a sparerib of eight or nine pounds, will take an hour and three quarters; a griskin of six or seven pounds, an hour and a quarter; a chine, if parted down the back-bone so as to have but one side, two hours; if not parted, it will take four hours.--the bastings proper for roast meat, are fresh butter, clarified suet, salt and water, yolks of eggs, grated biscuit, and orange juice. for mutton and lamb, minced sweet herbs, butter and claret; and for roast pig, melted butter and cream. the dredgings, are flour mixed with grated bread; sweet herbs dried and powdered, and mixed with grated bread; lemon peel dried and pounded, or orange peel mixed with flour; sugar finely powdered, and mixed with pounded cinnamon, and flour, or grated bread; fennel seeds, corianders, cinnamon, sugar finely powdered, and mixed with grated bread or flour; sugar, bread, and salt mixed. for young pigs, grated bread or flour mixed with pounded nutmeg, ginger, pepper, sugar, and yolks of eggs. roast beef. take care that your spit and dripping-pan be very clean; and to prepare your fire according to the size of the joint you have to dress. if it be a sirloin or chump, butter a piece of writing paper, and fasten it on to the back of your meat, with small skewers, and lay it down to a good clear fire, at a proper distance. as soon as your meat is warm, dust on some flour, and baste it with butter; then sprinkle some salt, and at times baste with what drips from it. about a quarter of an hour before you take it up, remove the paper, dust on a little flour, and baste with a piece of butter, that it may go to table with a good froth, but not look greasy. a piece of ten pounds requires about two hours and a half, and others in proportion. salad and vegetables are eaten with it, also mustard and horseradish. roast calf's head. wash the head very clean, take out the brains, and dry it well with a cloth. make a seasoning of pepper, salt, nutmeg, and cloves; add a slice of bacon finely minced, and some grated bread. strew the seasoning over the head, roll it up, skewer and tie it close with tape. roast and baste it with butter. make veal gravy thickened with butter rolled in flour, and garnish the edge of the dish with fried brains. roast calf's liver. cut a hole in the liver, and stuff it with crumbs of bread, mixed with chopped onions and herbs, salt, pepper, butter, and an egg. sew up the liver, wrap it up in a veal caul, and roast it. serve it up with brown gravy, and currant jelly. roast cheese. grate three ounces of fat cheshire cheese, mix it with the yolks of two eggs, four ounces of grated bread, and three ounces of butter. beat the whole well in a mortar, with a dessert-spoonful of mustard, and a little salt and pepper. toast some bread, cut it into proper pieces, lay the above paste thick upon them, and lay them into a dutch oven covered with a dish till they are hot through. remove the dish, to let the paste brown a little, and serve it up as hot as possible, immediately after dinner. roast chickens. being cleaned and trussed, put them down to a good fire. singe them, dust them with flour, and baste them well with butter. make gravy of their necks and gizzards, or of beef. strain the gravy, and pour it into the dish, adding parsley and butter, or egg sauce. roast collared beef. take out the inside meat from a sirloin of beef, sprinkle it with vinegar, and let it hang till the next day. prepare a stuffing as for a hare, put this at one end of the meat, roll the rest round it, bind it very close, and roast it gently for an hour and three quarters, or a little more or less, proportioned to the thickness. serve it up with gravy the same as for hare, and with currant jelly. roast collared mutton. if a loin of mutton has been collared, take off the fat from the upper side, and the meat from the under side. bone the joint, season it with pepper and salt, and some shalot or sweet herbs, chopped very small. let it be rolled up very tight, well tied round, and roasted gently. about an hour and a half will do it. while this is roasting, half boil the meat taken from the under side, then mince it small, put it into half a pint of gravy; and against the time that the mutton is ready, heat this and pour it into the dish when it is served up. roast collared pork. when a neck of pork has been collared, and is intended for roasting, the bones must be taken out. strew the inside with bread crumbs, chopped sage, a very little pounded allspice, some pepper and salt, all mixed together. roll it up very close, bind it tight, and roast it gently. an hour and a half or little more, according to the thickness, will roast it enough. a loin of pork with the fat and kidney taken out and boned, and a forehand of pork boned, are very nice dressed in the same way. roast duck. if two are dressed, let one of them be unseasoned, in order to suit the company. stuff the other with sage and onion, a dessert-spoonful of crumbs, a bit of butter, with pepper and salt. serve them up with a fine gravy. roast eel. take a good large silver eel, draw and skin it, and cut it in pieces of four inches long. spit them crossways on a small spit, with bay leaves, or large sage leaves between each piece. when roasted, serve up the fish with butter beaten with orange or lemon juice, and some grated nutmeg. or serve it with venison sauce, and dredge it with pounded carraway seeds, cinnamon, or grated bread. roast fowl. a large barn-door fowl, well hung, should be stuffed in the crop with sausage meat. the head should be turned under the wing, as a turkey. serve with gravy in the dish, and bread sauce. roast fowl in general may be garnished with sausages, or scalded parsley. egg sauce or bread sauce are equally proper. roast goose. after the fowl is picked, the plugs of the feathers pulled out, and the hairs carefully singed, let it be well washed and dried. put in a seasoning of shred onion and sage, pepper and salt. fasten it tight at the neck and rump, and then roast it. put it first at a distance from the fire, and by degrees draw it nearer, and baste it well. a slip of paper should be skewered on the breast-bone; when the breast is rising, take off the paper, and be careful to serve it before the breast falls, or it will be spoiled by coming flat to the table. send up a good gravy in the dish, with apple and gravy sauce. for a green goose, gooseberry sauce. roast griskin. put a piece of pork griskin into a stewpan, with very little more water than will just cover it. let it boil gradually, and when it has fairly boiled up, take it out. rub it over with a piece of butter, strew it with a little chopped sage and a few bread crumbs, and roast it in a dutch oven. it will require doing but a little while. roast hare. after it is skinned, let it be extremely well washed, and then soaked an hour or two in water. if an old hare, lard it, which will make it tender, as also will letting it lie in vinegar. but if put into vinegar, it should be very carefully washed in water afterwards. make a stuffing of the liver, with an anchovy, some fat bacon, a little suet, all finely minced; adding pepper, salt, nutmeg, a little onion, some sweet herbs, crumbs of bread, and an egg to bind it all. then put the stuffing, a pretty large one, into the belly of the hare, and sew it up. baste it well with milk till half done, and afterwards with butter. if the blood has settled in the neck, soaking the part in warm water, and putting it to the fire, will remove it, especially if the skin be nicked a little with a small knife to let it out. the hare should be kept at a distance from the fire at first. serve it up with a fine froth, some melted butter, currant-jelly sauce, and a rich gravy in the dish. the ears being reckoned a dainty, should be nicely cleaned and singed. for the manner of trussing a hare or rabbit, see plate. roast heart. take some suet, parsley, and sweet marjoram, chopped fine. add some bread crumbs, grated lemon peel, pepper, salt, mustard, and an egg. mix these into a paste, and stuff the heart with it. whether baked or roasted, serve it up with gravy and melted butter. baking is best, if it be done carefully, as it will be more regularly done than it can be by roasting. calf's or bullock's heart are both dressed in the same way. roast lamb. lay the joint down to a good clear fire, that will want little stirring; then baste it with butter, and dust on a little flour; after that, baste it with what falls from it; and a little before you take it up baste it again with butter, and sprinkle on a little salt. roast larks. put a dozen larks on a skewer, and tie both ends of the skewer to the spit. dredge and baste them, and let them roast ten minutes. take the crumb of a penny loaf, grate it, and put it into a fryingpan, with a little bit of butter. shake it over a gentle fire till it becomes brown; lay it between the birds on a dish, and pour melted butter over it. roast leg of pork. choose a small leg of fine young pork, cut a slit in the knuckle with a sharp knife, fill the space with chopped sage and onion, mixed together with a little pepper and salt. when half roasted, score the skin in slices, but do not cut deeper than the outer rind. eat it with potatoes and apple sauce. roast lobster. when the lobster is half boiled, take it out of the water; and while hot, rub it with butter, and lay it before the fire. continue basting it with butter till it has a fine froth. roast mutton and lamb. these require to be well roasted, before a quick clear fire. a small fore quarter of lamb will take an hour and a half. baste the joint as soon as it is laid down, and sprinkle on a little salt. when nearly done, dredge it with flour. in dressing a loin or saddle of mutton, the skin must be loosened, and then skewered on; but it should be removed before the meat is done, and the joint basted and made to froth up. when a fore quarter is sent to table, the shoulder may be taken off, the ribs a little seasoned with pepper and salt, and a lemon squeezed over them. serve up the joint with vegetables and mint sauce. for a breast of mutton, make a savoury forcemeat, if the bones are taken out, and wash it over with egg. spread the forcemeat upon it, roll it up, bind it with packthread, and serve it up with gravy sauce. or roast it with the bones in, without the forcemeat. roast onions. they should be roasted with all the skins on. they eat well alone, with only salt and cold butter; or with beet root, or roast potatoes. roast pheasants. dust them with flour, baste them often with butter, and keep them at a good distance from the fire. make the gravy of a scrag of mutton, a tea-spoonful of lemon pickle, a large spoonful of ketchup, and the same of browning. strain it, and put a little of it into the dish. serve them up with bread sauce in a basin, and fix one of the principal feathers of the pheasant in its tail. a good fire will roast them in half an hour. guinea and pea fowls eat much like pheasants, and are to be dressed in the same way. roast partridges. partridges will take full twenty minutes. before they are quite done, dredge them with flour, and baste them with fresh butter; let them go to table with a fine froth, and gravy sauce in the dish, and bread sauce in a tureen. the bread sauce should be made as follows. take a good piece of stale bread, and put it into a pint of water, with some whole pepper, a blade of mace, and a bit of onion: let it boil till the bread is soft; then take out the spice and onion; pour out the water, and beat the bread with a spoon till it is like pap; put in a good piece of butter, and a little salt; set it over the fire for two or three minutes. roast pig. a sucking pig for roasting, should be put into cold water for a few minutes, as soon as it is killed. then rub it over with a little rosin finely powdered, and put it into a pail of scalding water half a minute. take it out, lay it on a table, and pull off the hair as quickly as possible: if any part does not come off, put it in again. when quite clean from hair, wash it well in warm water, and then in two or three cold waters, that no flavour of the rosin may remain. take off all the feet at the first joint, make a slit down the belly, and take out the entrails: put the liver, heart, and lights to the feet. wash the pig well in cold water, dry it thoroughly, and fold it in a wet cloth to keep it from the air. when thus scalded and prepared for roasting, put into the belly a mixture of chopped sage, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and sow it up. lay it down to a brisk fire till thoroughly dry; then have ready some butter in a dry cloth, and rub the pig with it in every part. dredge over it as much flour as will lie on, and do not touch it again till it is ready for the table. then scrape off the flour very carefully with a blunt knife, rub it well with the buttered cloth, and take off the head while it is at the fire. take out the brains, and mix them with the gravy that comes from the pig. the legs should be skewered back before roasting, or the under part will not be crisp. take it up when done, and without drawing the spit, cut it down the back and belly, lay it into the dish, mince the sage and bread very fine, and mix them with a large quantity of good melted butter that has very little flour. pour the sauce into the dish after the pig has been split down the back, and garnish with the ears and the two jaws: take off the upper part of the head down to the snout. in devonshire it is served up whole, if very small; the head only being cut off to garnish the dish.--another way. spit your pig, and lay it down to a clear fire, kept good at both ends: put into the belly a few sage leaves, a little pepper and salt, a little crust of bread, and a bit of butter, then sew up the belly; flour him all over very well, and do so till the eyes begin to start. when you find the skin is tight and crisp, and the eyes are dropped, put two plates into the dripping pan, to save what gravy comes from him: put a quarter of a pound of butter into a clean coarse cloth, and rub all over him, till the flour is clean taken off; then take it up into your dish, take the sage, &c. out of the belly, and chop it small; cut off the head, open it, and take out the brains, which chop, and put the sage and brains into half a pint of good gravy, with a piece of butter rolled in flour; then cut your pig down the back, and lay him flat in the dish: cut off the two ears, and lay one upon each shoulder; take off the under jaw, cut it in two, and lay one on each side; put the head between the shoulders, pour the gravy out of the plates into your sauce, and then into the dish. send it to table garnished with a lemon. roast pigeons. stuff them with parsley, either cut or whole, and put in a seasoning of pepper and salt. serve with parsley and butter. peas or asparagus should be dressed to eat with them. roast pike. clean the fish well, and sew up in it the following stuffing. grated bread crumbs, sweet herbs and parsley chopped, capers and anchovies, pepper, salt, a little fresh butter, and an egg. turn it round with the tail in its mouth, and roast it gently till it is done of a fine brown. it may be baked, if preferred. serve it up with a good gravy sauce. roast plovers. green plovers should be roasted like woodcocks, without drawing, and served on a toast. grey plovers may either be roasted, or stewed with gravy, herbs, and spice. roast pork. pork requires more doing than any other meat; and it is best to sprinkle it with a little salt the night before you use it, and hang it up; by that means it will take off the faint, sickly taste. when you roast a chine of pork, lay it down to a good fire, and at a proper distance, that it may be well soaked, otherwise it eats greasy and disagreeable. a spare-rib is to be roasted with a fire that is not too strong, but clear; when you lay it down, dust on some flour and baste it with butter: a quarter of an hour before you take it up, shred some sage small; baste your pork; strew on the sage; dust on a little flour, and sprinkle a little salt just before you take it up. a loin must be cut on the skin in small streaks, and then basted; but put no flour on, which would make the skin blister; and see that it is jointed before you lay it down to the fire. a leg of pork is often roasted with sage and onion shred fine, with a little pepper and salt, and stuffed at the knuckle, with gravy in the dish; but a leg of pork done in this manner, parboil it first, and take off the skin; lay it down to a good clear fire; baste it with butter, then shred some sage fine, and mix it with pepper, salt, nutmeg, and bread crumbs; strew this over it the time it is roasting; baste it again with butter, just before you take it up, that it may be of a fine brown, and have a good froth; send up some good gravy in the dish; a griskin roasted in this manner eats finely. roast porker's head. clean it well, put bread and sage into it as for a young pig, sew it up tight, and put it on a hanging jack. roast it in the same manner as a pig, and serve it up the same. roast potatoes. half boil them first, then take off the thin peel, and roast them of a beautiful brown. roast pullet. to roast a small hen turkey or a pullet with batter, the bird must first be boned, and filled with forcemeat or stuffing. then paper it round, and lay it down to roast. when nearly half done, drop off the paper, and baste the bird with a very smooth light batter. when the first basting is dry, baste it again, and repeat this till the bird is nicely crusted over, and sufficiently done. it will require ten minutes or a quarter of an hour longer roasting than a bird of the same size in the common way, on account of its being stuffed with forcemeat. serve it up with white gravy, or mushroom sauce. roast quails. quails may be dressed and served up like woodcocks; or dressed with the insides stuffed with sweet herbs and beef suet chopped fine, and mixed with a little spice. they must roast rather a shorter time than woodcocks. roast rump of beef. let it lie in salt for two days, then wash it, and soak it an hour in a quart of claret, and a pint of elder vinegar. baste it well with the liquor while roasting. make a gravy of two beef palates cut thin and boiled, and thickened with burnt butter. add to it mushrooms and oysters, and serve it up hot. roast sirloin. when a sirloin of beef is about three parts roasted, take out the meat from the under side, and mince it nicely. season it with pepper and salt, and some shalot chopped very small. by the time the beef is roasted, heat this with gravy just sufficient to moisten it. dish up the beef with the upper side downwards, put the mince in the inside, and strew it with bread crumbs ready prepared. brown them of a fine colour on a hot salamander over the fire, and then serve up the beef with scraped horseradish laid round it. roast snipes. snipes and land rails are dressed exactly in the same manner as woodcocks, but only require a shorter time in roasting. roast sturgeon. put the fish on a lark spit, then tie it on a large spit, and baste it constantly with butter. serve it with a good gravy, an anchovy, a squeeze of seville orange or lemon, and a glass of sherry.--another way is, to put into a stewpan a piece of butter rolled in flour, with four cloves, a bunch of sweet herbs, two onions, pepper and salt, half a pint of water, and a glass of vinegar. stir it over the fire till hot, then let it become lukewarm, and steep the fish in it an hour or two. butter a paper well, tie it round, and roast it without letting the spit run through. serve it with sorrel and anchovy sauce. roast sweetbreads. parboil two large ones, and then roast them in a dutch oven. use gravy sauce, or plain butter, with mushroom ketchup. roast tongue. after well cleaning a neat's tongue, salt it for three days with common salt and saltpetre. this makes an excellent dish, with the addition of a young udder, having some fat to it, and boiled till tolerably tender. then tie the thick part of one to the thin part of the other, and roast the tongue and udder together. a few cloves should be stuck in the udder. serve them with good gravy, and currant-jelly sauce. some people like neats' tongues cured with the root, in which case they look much larger; but otherwise the root must be cut off close to the gullet, next to the tongue, but without taking away the fat under the tongue. the root must be soaked in salt and water, and extremely well cleaned, before it is dressed; and the tongue should be laid in salt a day and a night before it is pickled. roast turkey. the sinews of the leg should be drawn, whichever way it is dressed. the head should be twisted under the wing; and in drawing it, take care not to tear the liver, nor let the gall touch it. put a stuffing of sausage meat; or if sausages are to be served in the dish, a bread stuffing. as this makes a large addition to the size of the fowl, observe that the heat of the fire is constantly to that part, for the breast is often not done enough. a little strip of paper should be put on the bone, to prevent its being scorched while the other parts are roasting. baste it well, and froth it up. serve with gravy in the dish, and plenty of bread sauce in a sauce tureen. add a few crumbs and a beaten egg to the stuffing of sausage meat. another way. bone your turkey very nicely, leaving on the pinions, rump, and legs; then take the flesh of a nice fowl, the same weight of bread grated, and half a pound of beef suet, nicely picked; beat these in a marble mortar, season with mace, one clove, pepper, nutmeg, salt beat fine, a little lemon peel shred very small, and the yolks of two eggs; mix all up together very well; then fill all the parts that the bones came out of, and raise the breast to the form it was before the bone was taken out; sew up the skin of the back, and skewer down the legs close as you do a chicken for roasting; spit it and let it be nicely roasted: send good gravy in the dish. roast veal. veal must be well done before a good fire. cover the fat of the loin and fillet with paper. stuff the fillet and shoulder in the following manner. take a quarter of a pound of suet, parsley, and sweet herbs, and chop them fine. add grated bread, lemon peel, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and an egg. mix all well together, and put the stuffing safely into the veal. roast the breast with the caul on: when nearly done, take it off, and baste and dredge the meat. lay it in the dish, pour a little melted butter over it, and serve it up with salad, boiled vegetables, or stewed celery. roast venison. after a haunch of venison is spitted, take a piece of butter and rub all over the fat, dust on a little flour, and sprinkle a little salt: then take a sheet of writing paper, butter it well, and lay over the fat part; put two sheets over that, and tie the paper on with small twine: keep it well basting, and let there be a good soaking fire. if a large haunch, it will take full three hours to do it. five minutes before you send it to table take off the paper, dust it over with a little flour, and baste it with butter; let it go up with a good froth; put no gravy in the dish, but send it in one boat; and currant jelly melted, in another; or if you have no currant jelly, boil half a pint of red wine with a quarter of a pound of lump sugar, a stick of cinnamon, and a piece of lemon peel in it, to a syrup. the neck and shoulder are dressed the same way; and as to the time, it depends entirely on the weight, and the goodness of your fire: if you allow a quarter of an hour to each pound, and the fire be tolerably kept up, you cannot well err. a breast of venison is excellent dressed in the following way: flour it, and fry it brown on both sides in fresh butter: keep it hot in a dish, dust flour into the butter it was fried in, till it is thick and brown. keep it stirring that it may not burn; pour in half a pint of red wine, and a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar: stir it and let it boil to a proper thickness. squeeze in the juice of a lemon, take off the scum very clean, and pour it over your venison, then send it to table. roast wheat-ears. these birds should be spitted sideways, with a vine leaf between each. baste them with butter, and cover them with bread crumbs while roasting. ten or twelve minutes will do them. serve them up with fried bread crumbs in the dish, and gravy in a tureen. roast wild duck. a wild duck or a widgeon will require twenty or twenty-five minutes roasting, according to the size. a teal, from fifteen to twenty minutes; and other birds of this kind, in proportion to their size, a longer or a shorter time. serve them up with gravy, and lemons cut in quarters, to be used at pleasure. roast woodcocks. whether for woodcocks or snipes, put a toast of fine bread under the birds while at the fire; and as they are not to be drawn before they are spitted, let the tail drop on the toast while roasting, and baste them with butter. when done, lay the birds on the toast in a dish, and send it warm to the table. a woodcock takes twenty minutes roasting, and a snipe fifteen. robert sauce. put an ounce of butter into a pint stewpan, and when melted, add to it half an ounce of onion minced very fine. turn it with a wooden spoon till it takes a light brown colour, and then stir into it a table-spoonful of flour, a table-spoonful of mushroom ketchup, the like quantity of port wine, half a pint of weak broth, and half a tea-spoonful of pepper and salt mixed together. give them a boil, then add a tea-spoonful of mustard, the juice of half a lemon, and one or two tea-spoonfuls of vinegar, basil, taragon, or burnet vinegar. this sauce is in high repute, and is adapted for roast pork or roast goose. rolls. warm an ounce of butter in half a pint of milk, put to it a spoonful or more of small beer yeast, and a little salt. mix in two pounds of flour, let it rise an hour, and knead it well. make the paste into seven rolls, and bake them in a quick oven. if a little saffron, boiled in half a tea-cupful of milk, be added, it will be a great improvement. rolled beef. soak the inside of a large sirloin in a glass of port wine and a glass of vinegar mixed, for eight and forty hours: have ready a very fine stuffing, and bind it up tight. roast it on a hanging spit, baste it with a glass of port wine, the same quantity of vinegar, and a tea-spoonful of pounded allspice. larding it improves the flavour and appearance: serve it with a rich gravy in the dish, with currant jelly and melted butter in tureens. this article will be found very much to resemble a hare. rolled breast of veal. bone it, take off the thick skin and gristle, and beat the meat with a rolling-pin. season it with herbs chopped very fine, mixed with salt, pepper, and mace. roll the meat in some thick slices of fine ham, or in two or three calves' tongues of a fine red, first boiled an hour or two and peeled. bind the meat up tight in a cloth, and tie it round with tape. simmer it over the fire for some hours, in a small quantity of water, till it is quite tender. lay it on the dresser with a board and weight upon it till quite cold. then take off the tape, and pour over it the liquor, which must be boiled up twice a week, or it will not keep. pigs' or calves' feet boiled and taken from the bones, may be put in or round the veal. the different colours placed in layers look well when cut. boiled yolks of eggs, beet root, grated ham, and chopped parsley, may be laid in different parts to encrease the variety, and improve the general appearance. rolled loin of mutton. hang the joint up till tender, and then bone it. lay on a seasoning of pepper, allspice, mace, nutmeg, and a few cloves, all in fine powder. next day prepare a stuffing as for hare, beat the meat with a rolling-pin, cover it with the stuffing, roll it up tight and tie it. half bake it in a slow oven, let it grow cold, take off the fat, and put the gravy into a stewpan. flour the meat, and put it in likewise. stew it till almost ready, and add a glass of port, an anchovy, some ketchup, and a little lemon pickle. serve it in the gravy, and with jelly sauce. a few mushrooms are a great improvement; but if to eat like hare, these must not be added, nor the lemon pickle. rolled neck of pork. bone it first, then put over the inside a forcemeat of chopped sage, a very few crumbs of bread, salt, pepper, and two or three berries of allspice. then roll the meat up very tight, place it at a good distance from the fire, and roast it slowly. rolled steaks. cut a large steak from a round of beef, spread over it a forcemeat, such as is made for veal, roll it up like collared eel, and tie it up in a cloth. boil it an hour and a half, and when done enough, cut it into slices. prepare a rich gravy, a little thickened, and pour over the steaks. roman cement. to make a mortar for outside plastering, or brick-work, or to line reservoirs, so as no water can penetrate it, mix together eighty-four pounds of drifted sand, twelve pounds of unslaked lime, and four pounds of the poorest cheese grated through an iron grater. when well mixed, add enough hot water, not boiling, to make it into a proper consistence for plastering, such a quantity of the above as is wanted. it requires very good and quick working. one hod of this mortar will go a great way, as it is to be laid on in a thin smooth coat, without the least space being left uncovered. the wall or lath work should be first covered with common hair mortar well dried. suffolk cheese will be found to make the best cement. rook pie. skin and draw some young rooks, cut out the backbones, and season with pepper and salt. lay them in a dish with a little water, strew some bits of butter over them, cover the dish with a thick crust, and bake it well. rose water. when the roses are full blown, pick off the leaves carefully, and allow a peck of them to a quart of water. put them in a cold still over a slow fire, and distil it very gradually. bottle the water, and cork it up in two or three days. rot in sheep. when sheep are newly brought in, it will preserve their health to give them a table-spoonful of the juice of rue leaves, mixed with a little salt. if they are in danger of the rot, this mixture may be repeated every week or oftener, as the case requires. round of beef. cut out the bone first, then skewer and tie up the beef to make it quite round. salt it carefully, and moisten it with the pickle for eight or ten days. it may be stuffed with parsley, if approved; in which case the holes to admit the parsley must be made with a sharp-pointed knife, and the parsley coarsely cut and stuffed in tight. when dressed it should be carefully skimmed as soon as it boils, and afterwards kept boiling very gently. rout cakes. to make rout drop-cakes, mix two pounds of flour with one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, and one pound of currants, cleaned and dried. moisten it into a stiff paste with two eggs, a large spoonful of orange-flower water, as much rose water, sweet wine, and brandy. drop the paste on a tin plate floured, and a short time will bake them. royal cakes. put into a saucepan a quarter of a pint of water, a piece of butter half the size of an egg, two ounces of fine sugar, a little grated lemon peel, and a little salt. when it has boiled about half a minute, stir in by degrees four spoonfuls of flour, keeping it constantly stirring all the time, till it becomes a smooth paste, pretty stiff, and begins to adhere to the saucepan. then take it off the fire, and add three eggs well beaten, putting them in by degrees, and stirring the paste all the time to prevent its being lumpy. add a little orange-flower water, and a few almonds pounded fine. make it into little cakes, and bake them upon a sheet of tin well buttered. half an hour will bake them in a moderate oven. royal punch. take thirty seville oranges and thirty lemons, quite sound, and pare them very thin. put the parings into an earthen pan, with as much rum or brandy as will cover them. cover up the pan, and let them stand four days. take ten gallons of water, and twelve pounds of lump sugar, and boil them. when nearly cold, put in the whites of thirty eggs well beaten, and stir it and boil it a quarter of an hour. strain it through a hair sieve into an earthen pan, and let it stand till next day. then put it into a cask, strain the spirit from the parings of the oranges and lemons, and add as much more to it as will make it up five gallons. put it into the cask with five quarts of seville orange juice and three quarts of lemon juice. stir it all together with a cleft stick, and repeat the same once a day for three successive days: then stop it down close, and in six weeks it will be fit to drink. ruffs and reeves. these are to be trussed and skewered the same as snipes and quails. place bars of bacon over them, roast them in about ten minutes, and serve with a good gravy in the dish. rump of beef. take a rump of beef, or about eight pounds of the brisket, and stew it till it is quite tender, in as much water as will cover it. when sufficiently done, take out the bones, and skim off the fat very clean. to a pint of the liquor, add the third part of a pint of port wine, a little walnut or mushroom ketchup, and some salt. tie up some whole white pepper and mace in a piece of muslin, and stew all together for a short time. have ready some carrots and turnips boiled tender and cut into squares, strew them upon the beef, putting a few into the dish. truffles and morels may be added, or artichoke bottoms. rump soup. two or three rumps of beef will make a stronger soup, and of a far more nourishing quality, than a larger quantity of meat without them. it may be made like gravy soup, and thickened and flavoured in any way that is most approved. rump steaks. the best steaks are those cut from the middle of a rump of beef, that has been killed at least four days in moderate weather, and much longer in cold weather, when they can be cut about six inches long, four inches wide, and half an inch thick. do not beat them, unless you suspect they will not be tender. take care to have a very clear brisk fire, throw on it a little salt, make the gridiron hot, and set it slanting, to prevent the fat from dropping into the fire, and making a smoke. it requires more practice and care than is generally supposed to do steaks to a nicety; and for want of these little attentions, this very common dish, which every body is supposed capable of dressing, seldom comes to table in perfection. it may be underdone or thoroughly done, as happens to be preferred. it is usual to put a table-spoonful of ketchup into a dish before the fire, with a little minced shalot. in broiling, turn the steak with a pair of meat tongs, and it will be done in about ten or fifteen minutes. rub a bit of butter over it, and send it up quite hot, garnished with pickles, and scraped horseradish.--if onion gravy is to be added, prepare it in the following manner. peel and slice two large onions, put them into a stewpan with two table-spoonfuls of water, cover the stewpan close, and set it on a slow fire till the water has boiled away, and the onions have got a little browned. then add half a pint of good broth, or water with a large spoonful of ketchup, and boil the onions till they are quite tender. strain off the liquor, and chop them very fine. thicken the broth with butter rolled in flour, and season it with mushroom ketchup, pepper and salt. put the onion into it, let it boil gently for five minutes, and pour it over the broiled steak. good beef gravy, instead of broth, will make the sauce superlative.--if a cold rump steak is to be warmed up, lay it in a stewpan, with a large onion cut in quarters, six berries of allspice, and six of black pepper. cover the steak with boiling water, let it stew gently for an hour, thicken the liquor with butter rolled in flour, shake it well over the fire for five minutes, and it is ready. lay the steaks and onion on a dish, and pour the gravy over them through a sieve. rusks. beat seven eggs well, and mix them with half a pint of new milk, in which four ounces of butter have been previously melted. add a quarter of a pint of yeast, and three ounces of sugar, and put them by degrees into as much flour as will make a very light paste, rather like a batter, and let it rise before the fire half an hour. then add some more flour, to make it a little stiffer, but not much. work it well, and divide it into small loaves, or cakes, about five or six inches wide, and flatten them. when baked and cold, slice them the thickness of rusks, and put them into the oven to brown a little. the cakes when first baked, eat deliciously buttered for tea; or made with carraways, they eat well cold. russian sauce. to four spoonfuls of grated horseradish, put two tea-spoonfuls of patent mustard, a little salt, one tea-spoonful of sugar, and a sufficient quantity of vinegar to cover the ingredients. this sauce is used for cold meat, but makes a good fish sauce, with the addition of melted butter. rust. to prevent iron and steel from rusting, mix with fat oil varnish, at least half, or at most four fifths of its quantity of highly rectified spirits of turpentine. this varnish must be lightly and evenly applied with a sponge; after which the article is left to dry in some situation not exposed to dust. articles thus varnished retain their metallic lustre, and do not contract any spots of rust. this varnish may also be applied to copper, of which it preserves the polish and heightens the colour. s. sack cream. boil a pint of raw cream, the yolk of an egg well beaten, two or three spoonfuls of white wine, sugar, and lemon peel. stir it over a gentle fire till it be as thick as rich cream, and afterwards till it becomes cold. then serve it in glasses, with long pieces of dry toast. sack dumplins. grate the crumb of two penny rolls, add three quarters of a pound of suet cut small, three quarters of a pound of currants washed clean, a grated nutmeg, a little sugar, the yolks of eight eggs, and two wine glasses of sack. make the paste into dumplins of a moderate size, tie them in cloths, and boil them two hours. melted butter for sauce, with white wine and sugar. sack mead. to every gallon of water put four pounds of honey, and boil it three quarters of an hour, taking care to skim it. to every gallon add an ounce of hops; then boil it half an hour, and let it stand till the next day. put it into a cask, and to thirteen gallons of the liquor add a quart of brandy. stop it lightly till the fermentation is over, and then bung it up close. a large cask should be suffered to stand a year. sacks of corn. seeds, and various kinds of grain, are liable to damage when kept in sacks or bins, from the want of being sufficiently aired. make a small wooden tube nearly the length of the sack, closed and pointed at one end, and perforated with holes about an inch asunder, nearly two thirds of its length from the point end. then at the other end fasten a leather tube, and thrust it into the corn to the bottom of the sack. put the pipe of a pair of bellows into the leather tube, and blow into it, so that the air may be diffused among the corn throughout the holes of the wooden tube. if corn be thus treated every other day after it is first put into sacks, it will prevent the damp sweats which would otherwise injure it, and it will afterwards keep sweet with very little airing. saddle of mutton. when it has been well kept, raise the skin, and then skewer it on again. take it off a quarter of an hour before serving, sprinkle on some salt, baste and dredge it well with flour. the rump should be split, and skewered back on each side. the joint may be cut large or small, according to the company: the latter is the most elegant. being broad, it requires a high and strong fire. saffron cake. take a quarter of a peck of fine flour, a pound and a half of fresh butter, a quarter of an ounce of mace and cinnamon together, beat fine, and mix the spice in the flour. set on a quart of milk to boil, break the butter in, and stir it till the milk boils; take off all the butter, and a little of the milk; mix with the flour a pound of sugar beat fine, a penny-worth of saffron made into a tincture; take a pint of yeast that is not bitter, and stir it well into the remainder of the milk; beat up six eggs very well, and put to the yeast and milk, strain it to the flour, with some rose-water, and the tincture of saffron; beat up all together with your hands lightly, and put it into a hoop or pan well buttered. it will take an hour and a half in a quick oven. you may make the tincture of saffron with the rose-water. sage is raised from seed, or from slips. to have it at hand for winter it is necessary to dry it; and it ought to be cut for this purpose before it comes out into bloom, as indeed is the case with all other herbs. sage cheese. to make this kind of cheese, bruise the tops of young red sage in a mortar, with some leaves of spinach, and squeeze out the juice. mix it with the rennet in the milk, more or less, according as the taste and colour may be preferred. when the curd is come, break it gently, and put it in with the skimmer, till it is pressed two inches above one vat. press it eight or ten hours, salt and turn it every day. sago. to prevent the earthy taste, soak it an hour in cold water; pour off the water, and wash it well. then add more, and simmer it gently till the berries are clear, with lemon peel and spice, if approved. add wine and sugar, and boil all up together.--if intended for the sick, or those whom disease has left very feeble, boil a teacupful of washed, sago in a quart of water, and a taste of lemon peel. when thickened, grate in some ginger, and add half a pint of raisin wine, some brown sugar, and two spoonfuls of geneva: boil all up together. sago milk. cleanse the sago as in the former article, and boil it slowly in new milk. it swells so much, that a small quantity will be sufficient for a quart; and when done, it will be diminished to about a pint. it requires no sugar or flavouring. sago pudding. boil a pint and a half of new milk, with four spoonfuls of sago nicely washed and picked; then add lemon peel, cinnamon, and nutmeg. sweeten the pudding, mix in four eggs, put a paste round the dish, and bake it slowly. sail cloth. the old mode of painting canvas was to wet it, and prime it with spanish brown. then to give it a second coat of a chocolate colour, made by mixing spanish brown and black paint; and lastly, to finish it with black. this was found to harden to such a degree as to crack, and eventually to break, the canvas, and so to render it unserviceable in a short time. the new method, which is greatly superior, is to grind ninety-six pounds of english ochre with boiled oil, and to add sixteen pounds of black paint, which mixture forms an indifferent black. a pound of yellow soap, dissolved in six pints of water over the fire, is mixed while hot, with the paint. this composition is then laid upon the canvas, without being wetted as formerly, and as stiff as can conveniently be done with a brush, so as to form a smooth surface. two days afterwards, a second coat of ochre and black is laid on, with a very small portion of soap; and allowing this coat an intermediate day for drying, the canvas is then finished with black paint as usual. three days being then allowed for it to dry and harden, it does not stick together when taken down, and folded in cloths of sixty or seventy yards each. salad mixture. salad herbs should be gathered in the morning, as fresh as possible, or they must be put into cold spring water for an hour. carefully wash and pick them, trim off all the dry or cankered leaves, put them into a cullender to drain, and swing them dry in a coarse clean napkin. then pound together the yolks of two hard eggs, an ounce of scraped horseradish, half an ounce of salt, a table-spoonful of made mustard, four drams of minced shalots, one dram of celery seed, one dram of cress seed, and half a dram of cayenne. add by degrees a wine glass of salad oil, three glasses of burnet, and three of tarragon vinegar. when thoroughly incorporated, set it over a very gentle fire, and stir it with a wooden spoon till it has simmered to the consistence of cream. then pass it through a tammis or fine sieve, and add it to the salad. salad sauce. mix two yolks of eggs boiled hard, as much grated parmesan cheese as will fill a dessert-spoon, a little patent mustard, a small spoonful of tarragon vinegar, and a large one of ketchup. stir them well together, then put in four spoonfuls of salad oil, and one spoonful of elder vinegar, and beat them up very smooth. salads. cold salads are proper to be eaten at all seasons of the year, but are particularly to be recommended from the beginning of february to the end of june. they are in greater perfection, and consequently more powerful, during this period, than at any other, in opening obstructions, sweetening and purifying the blood. the habit of eating salad herbs tends considerably to prevent that pernicious and almost general disease the scurvy, and all windy humours which offend the stomach. also from the middle of september till december, and during the winter, if the weather be mild and open, all green herbs are wholesome, and highly beneficial. it is true that they have not so much vigour in the winter season, nor are they so medicinal as in the spring of the year; yet those which continue fresh and green, will retain a considerable portion of their natural qualities; and being eaten as salads, with proper seasoning, they will operate much in the same way as at other periods of the year. it is a necessary consequence of cold weather, that the heat of the body is driven more inward than in warm weather, as the cold of the atmosphere repels it from the surface. hence arises an appetite for strong and solid food, and strong drinks, which for want of temperance and care, lays the foundation for diseases that commonly make their appearance in the summer following. eating freely of salads and other vegetables in the winter, will prevent in a great treasure these ill effects; and if properly seasoned and prepared, they will warm the stomach, and be found exhilarating. the effect produced is in unison with all the operations of the human constitution, while the use of strong stimulants excites to unnatural action, which is soon succeeded by a cold and chilling languor. green herbs in winter are much more beneficial than is generally imagined; they are particularly salutary to aged persons, and such as are subject to stoppages, or shortness of breath. in this case, instead of an onion, a clove of garlic may be put into the salad, which is a preferable way of eating it. this will open and warm the stomach, and give a general glow to the whole system.--the following are the principal herbs used as salads. basil, balm, borage, burnet, celery, chervil, colewort, coriander, corn-salad, cresses, endive, french fennel, lettuce, mint, mustard, nasturtiums, nettle-tops, parsley, pennyroyal, radishes, rape, sage, sorrel, spinage, tarragon, and water-cresses. onions, both young and full grown, shalots, garlic, and chives, are all used as seasoning to salads. red beet-root, boiled and cold, is often sliced into them. several of these herbs are very little in use as salads, but there are none of them that may not be recommended as good for the purpose. the usual salads are too much limited to what is specifically called small salading, lettuce, celery, and endive. these are all excellent in their kind, but to prefer them to the exclusion of every thing else, is a mere prejudice. with a wish therefore to counteract it, and to provide a larger assortment of wholesome salads, the following particulars are given, with directions for preparing several different dishes of this description. in general it may be proper to observe, that salads of all kinds should be very fresh; or if not immediately procured in this state, they may be refreshed by being put into cold spring water. they should be very carefully washed and picked, and drained quite dry in a clean cloth. in dressing lettuce, or small herbs, it is best to arrange them, properly picked and cut, in the salad dish; then to mix the sauce in something else, and pour it to the salad down the side of the dish, so as to let it run to the bottom, and not to stir it up till used at table. this preserves the crispness of the salad, which is one of its principal delicacies. with celery and endive the sauce should be poured upon them, and the whole well stirred together to mix it equally. lettuce, endive, and celery, may be eaten with salt only; and if well chewed, as all salads ought to be, they often agree better than when mixed with seasonings. if mustard in salad sauces occasion sickness, or otherwise disagrees, cayenne pepper will often prove an excellent substitute.--the following salads are remarkably wholesome, and have a cooling and salutary effect upon the bowels. . take spinage, parsley, sorrel, lettuce, and a few onions. then add oil, vinegar, and salt, to give it a high taste and relish, but let the salt rather predominate above the other ingredients. the wholesomest way of eating salads is with bread only, in preference to bread and butter, bread and cheese, or meat and bread; though any of these may be eaten with it, when the salad is seasoned only with salt and vinegar. it is not advisable to eat butter, cheese, or meat with salads, or any thing in which there is a mixture of oil. all fat substances are heavy of digestion, and to mix such as disagree in their nature, is to encrease this evil to a degree that the stomach can hardly overcome. . prepare some lettuce, spinage tops, pennyroyal, sorrel, a few onions, and some parsley. then season them with oil, vinegar, and salt. . another salad may be made of lettuce, sorrel, spinage, tops of mint, and onions, seasoned as before. . take spinage, lettuce, tarragon, and parsley, with some leaves of balm. or sorrel, tarragon, spinage, lettuce, onions, and parsley. or tops of pennyroyal, mint, lettuce, spinage, sorrel, and parsley. or lettuce, spinage, onions, pennyroyal, balm, and sorrel. or sage, lettuce, spinage, sorrel, onions, and parsley; seasoned with salt, oil, and vinegar. . make a salad of pennyroyal, sage, mint, balm, a little lettuce, and sorrel; seasoned with oil, vinegar, and salt. this is an excellent warming salad, though the above are all of an exhilarating tendency. . mix some lettuce, sorrel, endive, celery, spinage, and onions, seasoned as above. . take the fresh tender leaves of cole wort, or cabbage plants, with lettuce, sorrel, parsley, tarragon, nettle tops, mint, and pennyroyal; and season them with salt, oil, and vinegar. if highly seasoned, this is a very warm and relishing salad. . for winter salad, take some tender plants of colewort, sorrel, lettuce, endive, celery, parsley, and sliced onions; and season them as before. . another winter salad may be made of lettuce, spinage, endive, celery, and half a clove of garlic. season it well with oil, vinegar, and salt. this salad is very warming and wholesome. all these aromatic herbs are particularly proper for phlegmatic and weakly persons, as they have the property of warming the stomach, and improving the blood. to supply the want of oil in salads, make some thick melted butter, and use it in the same proportion as oil. some sweet thick cream is a still better substitute, and will do as well as oil, especially as some persons have an aversion to oil. cream also looks well in salads. a good salad sauce may be made of two yolks of eggs boiled hard, mixed with a spoonful of parmesan cheese grated, a little patent mustard, a spoonful of tarragon vinegar, and a larger one of ketchup. when stirred well together, add four spoonfuls of salad oil, and one of elder vinegar, and beat them up very smooth. it is very common in france, amongst all classes of people, to dress cauliflowers and french beans to eat cold, as salads, with a sauce of oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. in some parts of france, raw salads, composed entirely of herbs growing wild in the fields, are in frequent use; and for distinction sake, are called rural salads. the english, who are not so fond of pungent flavours, are in the habit of substituting sugar instead of pepper and salt, where oil is not used, in order to soften the asperity of the vinegar. salmagundy. this is a beautiful small dish, if in a nice shape, and the colours of the ingredients be properly varied. for this purpose chop separately the white part of cold chicken or veal, yolks of eggs boiled hard, the whites of eggs, beet root, parsley, half a dozen anchovies, red pickled cabbage, ham and grated tongue, or any thing well flavoured and of a good colour. some people like a small proportion of onion, but it may be better omitted. a saucer, large teacup, or any other base, must be put into a small dish; then make rows round it wide at the bottom, and growing smaller towards the top, choosing such ingredients for each row as will most vary the colours. at the top, a little sprig of curled parsley may be stuck in; or without any thing on the dish, the salmagundy may be laid in rows, or put into the half-whites of eggs, which may be made to stand upright by cutting off a little bit at the round end. in the latter case, each half egg receives but one ingredient. curled butter and parsley may be put as garnish between. salmon. if fresh and good, the flesh will be of a fine red, the gills particularly; the scales very bright, and the whole fish stiff. when just killed there is a whiteness between the flakes, which gives great firmness; by keeping, this melts down, and the fish is more rich. the thames salmon bears the highest price; that caught in the severn is next in goodness, and by some it is preferred. those with small heads, and thick in the neck, are best. salmon au court-bouillon. scale and clean a fresh salmon very well, score the sides deep, to take the seasoning; take of mace and cloves, and white pepper, a quarter of an ounce each, a small nutmeg, and an ounce of salt; beat these very fine in a mortar; cut a little lemon peel fine, and shred some parsley, mix all together, and season the fish inside and out; then work up near a pound of butter in flour, and fill up the notches; the rest put into the belly of the fish; lay it in a clean cloth or napkin, roll it up, and bind it round with packthread, lay it into a fish-kettle, and put to it as much white wine vinegar, and water in an equal quantity, as will be sufficient to boil it in. set it over a good charcoal fire, and when you think it is enough, draw it off your stove, so that it may but just simmer. fold a clean napkin the length of your dish the fish is to go up in; take up the fish, unbind it, and lay it on the napkin. garnish your dish with picked raw parsley, and horseradish. send plain butter in a bason, and shalots chopped fine, and simmered in vinegar in a boat. salmon a la braise. clean a middling salmon, take the flesh of a tench, or a large eel, and chop it very fine, with two anchovies, a little lemon peel shred, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and a little thyme and parsley; mix all together with a good piece of butter, put into the belly of the fish, and sew it up; put it into an oval stew-pan that will just hold it; brown about half a pound of fresh butter, and put to it a pint of fish broth, and a pint and a half of white wine; pour this over your fish; if it does not cover it, add some more wine and broth; put in a bundle of sweet herbs, and an onion, a little mace, two or three cloves, and some whole pepper tied up in a piece of muslin: cover it close, and let it stew gently over a slow fire. before it is quite done, take out your onion, herbs, and spice; then put in some mushrooms, truffles, and morels, cut in pieces; let them stew all together, till the salmon is enough; take it up carefully, take off all the scum, and pour your sauce over. garnish with horseradish, barberries, and lemon. either of these is a fine dish for a first course. salmon pie. make puff paste, and lay over your dish; clean and scale a middling piece of salmon; cut it into three or four pieces, according to the size of your dish, and season it pretty high with mace, cloves, pepper, and salt; put some butter at the bottom, and lay in the salmon; take the meat of a lobster cut small, and bruise the body with an anchovy; melt as much butter as you think proper, stir the lobster into it, with a glass of white wine, and a little nutmeg; pour this over the salmon, lay on the top crust, and let it be well baked. saloop. boil together a little water, wine, lemon peel, and sugar. mix in a small quantity of saloop powder, previously rubbed smooth with a little cold water. stir it all together, and boil it a few minutes. salt. the properties of common salt are such as to render it an article of the greatest importance in the preparation of food, and in the preservation of health. if salt be withheld for any length of time, diseases of the stomach become general, and worms are gendered in the bowels, which are removed with great difficulty. in ireland, salt is a well-known common remedy for bots in the horse; and among the poor people, a dose of common salt is esteemed a sufficient cure for the worms. it is supposed by some medical men, that salt furnishes soda to be mixed with the bile: without this necessary addition, the bile would be deprived of the qualities necessary to assist in the operation of digestion. one of the greatest grievances of which the poor man can complain is the want of salt. many of the insurrections and commotions among the hindoos, have been occasioned by the cruel and unjust monopolies of certain unworthy servants of the east india company, who to aggrandize their own fortunes have oftentimes bought up, on speculation, all the salt in the different ports and markets, and thus have deprived the ingenious but wretched natives of their only remaining comfort, salt being the only addition they are usually enabled to make to their poor pittance of rice. many of the poor in england, previously to the late reduction especially, have loudly lamented the high price of salt, which thousands are in the habit of using as the only seasoning to their meal of potatoes. salt is also of the greatest use in agriculture. from one to two bushels makes fine manure for an acre of land, varied according to the quality of the soil. this answers better than almost any other compost. the chinese have for ages been accustomed to manure their fields by sprinkling them with sea water. the persians sprinkle the timber of their buildings with salt, to prevent them from rotting. it is used in abyssinia instead of money, where it passes from hand to hand, under the shape of a brick, worth about eighteen pence. in feeding of cattle, it is also found to be highly beneficial. a nobleman who purchased two hundred merino sheep in spain, attributes the health of his flock principally to the constant use of salt. these sheep having been accustomed to that article in their native land, it was thought necessary to supply them with it, especially in this damp climate, and in the rich pastures of some parts of this country. a ton of salt is used annually for every thousand sheep: a handful is put in the morning on a flat stone or slate, ten of which, set a few yards apart, are sufficient for a hundred sheep. this quantity is given twice a week. out of a flock of nearly a thousand, there were not ten old sheep that did not readily take it, and not a single lamb which did not consume it greedily. salt is likewise a preventive of disorders in stock fed with rank green food, as clover or turnips, and it is deemed a specific for the rot. horses and horned cattle are also very fond of salt: the cow gives more milk, and richer in quality, when salt is mixed with her food. the wild beasts of the american forests leave their haunts at certain seasons, and travel in company to various places where salt is to be found. there they lick the ground on which the salt lies, or which is strongly impregnated by it. cattle fed on grass which grows on the sea shore, are always fatter and in better condition, than those which graze on in land-pastures. considering its various uses in agriculture, as an article of food, and as a preservative from putrefaction, salt may be pronounced one of the most generally useful and necessary of all the minerals; and it is truly lamentable, that in almost all ages and countries, particularly in those where despotism prevails, this should be one of those necessaries of life, on which the most heavy taxes are imposed. bay salt is a kind of brownish impure salt, obtained in france, italy, and other countries, by evaporating sea water in pits. the principal part of bay salt sold in this country is however of home manufacture, being a coarse grained chrystalized salt, made dirty by powdered turkey umber, or some such colouring material, to give it the appearance of a foreign article. the only utility which this salt appears to possess, beyond that of the common fine-grained salt usually found in the shops, is that it dissolves more slowly by moisture, and therefore is better calculated for salting of fish, and other animal substances, which cannot be wholly covered with brine. basket salt is made from the water of the salt springs in cheshire and other places. it differs from the common brine salt in the fineness of the grain, as well as on account of its whiteness and purity. it is principally used at table. salt beef. great attention is requisite in salting meat; and in the country, where large quantities are often cured, this is of particular importance. beef and pork should be well sprinkled, and a few hours afterwards hung to drain, before it is rubbed with the salt. this method, by cleansing the meat from the blood, serves to keep it from tasting strong. it should be turned every day; and if wanted soon, it should be rubbed daily. a salting tub or lead may be used, and a cover to fit close. those who use a good deal of salt meat will find it answer well to boil up the pickle, and skim it clean; and when cold, pour it over meat that has been sprinkled and drained.--to salt beef red, which is extremely good to eat fresh from the pickle, or to hang to dry, choose a piece of the flank, or any part that has but little bone. sprinkle it, and let it drain a day. then rub it with common salt, bay salt, and a small proportion of saltpetre, all in fine powder. a few grains of cochineal may be added. rub the pickle into the meat every day for a week, and afterwards turning it only will be sufficient. it will be excellent in about eight days; and in sixteen days it may be drained from the pickle. smoke it at the mouth of the oven, when heated with wood, or send it to the baker's; a few days will be sufficient to smoke it. a little of the coarsest sugar added to the salt, will be an improvement. red beef boiled tender, eats well with greens or carrots. if it is to be grated as dutch beef, then cut a lean bit, boil it extremely tender, and put it hot under a press. when cold fold it in a sheet of paper, and it will keep in a dry place two or three months, ready for serving on bread and butter.--if a piece of beef is to be prepared for eating immediately, it should not weigh more than five or six pounds. salt it thoroughly before it is to be put into the pot, take a coarse cloth, flour it well, put the meat into it, and fold it up close. put it into a pot of boiling water, and boil it as another piece of salt meat of the same size, and it will be as salt as if it had been in pickle four or five days. salt cod. soak and clean the piece intended to be dressed, and lay it all night in water, with a glass of vinegar. boil it enough, then break it into flakes on the dish; pour over it parsnips boiled, beaten in a mortar, and boiled up with cream. add to it a large piece of butter, rubbed in a little flour. egg sauce may be sent up instead, or the parsnip root whole. the fish may also be boiled without flaking, and served with either of the sauces as above. salt fish. backlio, old ling, and tusk, are reckoned the best salt fish. old ling and backlio, must be laid in water for ten or twelve hours, then taken out, and scaled very clean; wash the fish, and let it lay out of water till you want to use it; if it is the next day, it will be the better. when you dress it, put it into cold water, and let it do as gently as possible; let it be boiled so tender, that you may put a fork into any part of it without sticking, then it is enough. lay a clean napkin over your dish, take up the fish, lay it upon the napkin, and throw the corners over each other. send it to table with egg sauce in a basin, parsnips sliced, and butter and mustard in a boat. salt fish with cream. soak and boil some good barrel cod, till about three parts done. divide it into flakes, put them into a saucepan with some cream, a little pepper, and a handful of parsley scalded and chopped. stew it gently till tender, thicken the sauce with two or three yolks of eggs, and serve it up. salt fish pie. boil a side of salt fish as you would for eating; cut a square bit out of the middle, about the bigness of your hand; take the skin off the other, and take out all the bones; mince this very small with six eggs boiled hard; season it with pepper, nutmeg, and beaten mace, then slice the crumb of french rolls thin into a pan, pour over it a quart of boiling milk, and let it stand to soak; in the mean time, make a good puff paste, and sheet the dish all over; have in readiness the quantity of two spoonfuls of parsley shred very fine, beat the bread well together, then put in the fish and eggs, and chopped parsley; stir all well together; melt about three quarters of a pound of butter, and stir it into the ingredients, with a gill of mountain; pour this into the dish, lay the square piece of fish in the middle; lay on the lid, and bake it an hour, or a little more.--you may make ling, or stock-fish pie in this manner; but you are to observe, that all the skin is to be taken off, and not to put a piece whole into the pie, according to this receipt; but mince all the fish with the yolks of hard eggs, leaving out the whites, and adding a large spoonful of made mustard when you stir the ingredients together, before you put them into the pie. salt pork. to a hundred weight of pork or beef, take ten pounds of common salt, and half a pound of saltpetre. let the meat be well cleaned from those particles of blood which hang about it when cut into four pound pieces: this is best done by washing it in salt and water, or brine that has been used, provided it be sweet. lay the meat in rows, and rub the upper side moderately with salt; then place another layer of meat, and repeat the operation as on the first layer. in this manner continue the same proportion of salt and saltpetre, till the whole quantity is heaped up in a tub, or some other vessel, not of lead, in order to preserve the pickle from issuing from it. in this state it must remain for three days, then turn it into another tub, sprinkling it with salt in the act of turning the meat. when all is turned and salted, let the pickle procured by the first salting, be slowly poured about the meat. in this state let it remain for a week, and it will be excellent for home use. if wanted for exportation, pack it in this state into casks. but as the greatest care is required for its preservation, when sent abroad, a layer of salt must first be put into the barrel, and then a layer of meat, till the cask is full, taking care to use the hand only in packing in the pieces. when the barrel is headed, the pickle must be filtered through a coarse cloth; and when perfectly fine, fill up the cask with the pickle to the bung hole. let it remain in this state till the next day, in order to ascertain whether the cask be quite tight, and then bung it up. beef or pork cured in this manner will not fail to keep any reasonable length of time. the too great rubbing of meat will not keep it the better, it frequently retards the operation of the salt by filling the outward pores of the meat only to the destruction of the middle of the piece, which frequently perishes. salting of butter. after the butter is well worked up and cleared from the milk, it is ready for salting. the tub in which it is to be preserved being perfectly clean, should be rubbed in the whole inside with common salt; and a little melted butter should be poured into the cavity between the bottom and the sides, before the butter is put in. although common salt is generally employed on this occasion, yet the following composition not only preserves the butter more effectually from taint, but also makes it look better, taste sweeter, richer, and more marrowy, than if it had been cured with common salt only. take of best common salt two parts, saltpetre one part, lump sugar one part, and beat them up together in a mortar, so that they may be completely blended. to every pound of butter, add one ounce of this composition: mix it well in the mass, and close it up for use. butter prepared in this manner will keep good for three years, and cannot be distinguished from that which is recently salted; but it does not taste well till it has stood a fortnight or three weeks. to preserve butter for winter use, take some that is fresh and good in the month of august or september, and put it into an unglazed jar, in layers about two inches thick, till the jar is full, within three inches of the top. make a strong brine of salt and water, boil and skim it; and when it is quite cold, pour a sufficient quantity over the butter, so that the brine may be an inch deep. tie paper over it, and set it in a cool place. when wanted for use, cut it no deeper than the first layer till that is all used. then cut the second in the same manner, and so on to the bottom of the tub or jar. by this means there will be no more than a part of one layer that is not covered with the brine. to make it eat like fresh butter, dip each piece into water when it is cut out of the jar; or work it over again in fresh buttermilk or milk, and make it into shapes like fresh butter. it will eat much better with toast, than most of the fresh butter that is made in winter. it is a false idea, that butter, to be preserved for winter use, requires a greater quantity of salt: experience has proved the contrary. butter salted in the common way, and put in pots with brine over the top, retains its flavour, and is better preserved than by an additional quantity of salt. one more observation on the preservation of butter is necessary. it is universally allowed that cleanliness is indispensible, but it is not generally suspected, that butter from being made in vessels or troughs lined with lead, or in glazed earthenware pans, which glaze is principally composed of lead, is too apt to be contaminated by particles of that deleterious metal. if the butter is in the least degree rancid, this can hardly fail to take place, and it cannot be doubted, that during the decomposition of the salts, the glazing is acted on. it is better therefore to use tinned vessels for mixing the preservative with the butter, and to pack it either in wooden vessels, or in jars of the vauxhall ware, which being vitrified throughout, do not require an inside glazing. samphire. this should be boiled in plenty of water, with a good deal of salt in it. put it in when the water boils, and let it boil till quite tender. serve it up with melted butter. sandwiches. properly prepared, these form an elegant and convenient luncheon; but they have got much out of fashion, from the bad manner in which they are commonly made. they have consisted of any offal or odd ends, that cannot be sent to table in any other form, merely laid between slices of bread and butter. whatever kind of meat is used however, it must be carefully trimmed from every bit of skin and gristle, and nothing introduced but what is relishing and acceptable. sandwiches may be made of any of the following materials. cold meat, poultry, potted meat, potted shrimps or lobsters, potted cheese; grated ham, beef, or tongue; anchovy, sausages, cold pork; hard eggs, pounded with a little butter and cheese; forcemeats, and curry powder. mustard, pepper, and salt, are to be added, as occasion requires. savoury beef. the tongue side of a round of beef is best adapted for the purpose; and if it weighs about fifteen pounds, let it hang two or three days. then take three ounces of saltpetre, one ounce of coarse sugar, a quarter of an ounce of black pepper, some minced herbs, and three quarters of a pound of salt. incorporate these ingredients by pounding them together in a mortar; and if approved, add a quarter of an ounce of ginger. take out the bone, and rub the meat well with the above mixture, turning it and rubbing it every day for a fortnight. when it is to be dressed, put it into a pan with a quart of water. cover the meat with about three pounds of mutton suet chopped, and an onion or two minced small. put the whole into a pan, cover it with a flour crust, and bake it in a moderate oven for six hours. instead of baking it may be covered with water, and stewed very gently for about five hours; and when sent to table, cover the top of it with finely chopped parsley. the gravy will be excellent for sauce or soup, or making of soy, or browning; and being impregnated with salt, it will keep several days. that the suet may not be wasted, when the dish comes from the oven, take out the beef, and strain the contents of the pan through a sieve. clarify the fat when cold, and it will do for frying. the meat should not be cut till it is cold, and then with a sharp knife to prevent waste, and keep it smooth and even. this is a most excellent way of preparing savoury beef for sandwiches, and for other elegant and economical purposes. savoury jelly. if to put over cold pies, make it of a small bare knuckle of veal, or of a scrag of mutton. if the pie be of fowl or rabbit, the carcases, necks, and heads, added to any piece of meat, will be sufficient, observing to give it a consistence by adding cow heel, or shanks of mutton. put the meat into a stewpan that shuts very close, adding a slice of lean ham or bacon, a faggot of different herbs, two blades of mace, an onion or two, a small bit of lemon peel, a tea-spoonful of jamaica pepper bruised, and the same of whole pepper, with three pints of water. as soon as it boils skim it well, let it simmer very slowly till it is quite strong, and then strain it. when cold take off the fat with a spoon first, and then, to remove every particle of grease, lay on it a clean piece of blotting paper. if not clear, after being cold, boil it a few minutes with the whites of two eggs, but do not add the sediment. pour it through a clean sieve, with a napkin in it, which has been dipped in boiling water, to prevent waste. savoury pies. few articles of cookery are more generally approved than relishing pies, if properly made; and there are various things adapted to this purpose. some eat best cold, and in that case, no suet should be put into the forcemeat that is used with them. if the pie is either made of meat that will take more dressing, to make it quite tender, than the baking of the crust will allow; or if it is to be served in an earthen pie-form, the following preparation must be observed. for instance, take three pounds of a veiny piece of beef, that has fat and lean; wash it, and season it with salt, pepper, mace, and allspice, in fine powder, rubbing them in well. set it by the side of a slow fire, in a stewpot that will just hold it. add about two ounces of butter, cover it quite close, and let it just simmer in its own steam till it begins to shrink. when it is cold, add more seasoning, forcemeat, and eggs. if in a dish, put some gravy to it before baking: if in a crust only, the gravy must not be added till after it is cold, and in a jelly. forcemeat may be put both under and over the meat, if preferred to balls. savoury rice. wash and pick some rice quite clean, stew it very gently in a small quantity of veal or rich mutton broth, with an onion, a blade of mace, pepper and salt. when swelled, but not boiled to a mash, dry it on the shallow part of a sieve before the fire, and either serve it dry, or put it in the middle of a dish, and pour hot gravy round it. savoury veal pie. make a good puff-paste, and sheet your dish; cut the veal into pieces, season it with pepper, mace, and nutmeg, finely beat, and a little salt; lay it into the crust, with lambstones, sweetbreads, the yolks of hard eggs, an artichoke bottom boiled, and cut in dice, and the tops of asparagus; put in about half a pint of water, lay pieces of butter over the top, put on the lid, and ornament it to your fancy. in a quick oven about an hour and an half will bake it. make a caudle for it thus: take half a pint of strong veal broth, a gill of white wine, and the yolks of three eggs; set this over the stove, and keep it stirring; put in some grated nutmeg, and a little salt; when it boils, if there is any scum, take it off; pour in a gill of cream, keep it stirring till it simmers, then take the lid of your pie off carefully, and pour the caudle over it, shake it round, lay on the lid as exact as you can, and send it to table. you may do lamb this way. savoury vegetables. wash a dish with the white of eggs. make several divisions with mashed potatoes and yolks of eggs mixed together and put on the dish, and bake it of a nice colour. in the first division put stewed spinach, in the second mashed turnips, in the third slices of carrots, in the fourth some button onions stewed in gravy, or any other kind of vegetables to make a variety. savoy biscuits. take six eggs, separate the yolks and whites, mix the yolks with six ounces of sugar finely powdered, and the rind of a grated lemon. beat them together for a quarter of an hour, then whisk the whites up in a broad dish till they are well frothed, and mix them with the yolks, adding five ounces of flour well dried. stir the whole well together; then, with a piece of flat ivory, take out the batter, and draw it along clean white paper to the proper size of the biscuit. sift some sugar over them, and bake them in a very hot oven. they must however be carefully watched, for they are soon done, and a few seconds over the proper time will scorch and spoil them. savoy cake. put four eggs into a scale, and then take their weight in fine sugar, powdered and sifted, with the weight of seven eggs in flour well dried. break the eggs, putting the yolks into one basin, and the whites into another. mix with the yolks the sugar that has been weighed, a little grated lemon peel, and a little orange-flower water. beat them well together for half an hour, then add the whites whipped to a froth, and mix in the flour by degrees, continuing to beat them all the time. then put the batter into a tin well buttered, and bake it an hour and a half. this is a very delicate light cake for serving at table, or in a dessert, and is pretty when baked in a melon mould, or any other kind of shape. it may be iced at pleasure. sauce for boiled meat. the sauces usually sent to table with boiled meat, not poured over the dish, but put into boats, are the following. gravy, parsley and butter, chervil, caper, oyster, liver and parsley, onion, celery, shalot, and curry. the ingredients for compound sauces should be so nicely proportioned, that no one may be predominant, but that there may be an equal union of the combined flavours. all sauces should be sent to table as hot as possible, for nothing is more unsightly than the surface of a sauce in a frozen state, or garnished with grease on the top. sauce for brawn. take a peck of bran, seven gallons of water, a pound of salt, a sprig of bay and rosemary. boil the whole half an hour, strain it off, let it stand till it is cold, and then put it in the brawn. sauce for carp. rub half a pound of butter with a tea-spoonful of flour, melt it in a little water, and add nearly a quarter of a pint of thick cream. put in half an anchovy chopped fine, but not washed; set it over the fire, and as it boils up, add a large spoonful of real india soy. if that does not give it a fine colour, add a little more. turn it into the sauce tureen, and put in some salt and half a lemon. stir it well to keep it from curdling. sauce for chickens. an anchovy or two boned and chopped, some parsley and onion chopped, adding pepper, oil, vinegar, mustard, and walnut or mushroom ketchup. these mixed together will make a good sauce for cold chicken, partridge, or veal. sauce for chops. to make a relishing sauce for steaks or chops, pound an ounce of black pepper, and half an ounce of allspice, with an ounce of salt, and half an ounce of scraped horseradish, and the same of shalot peeled and quartered. put these ingredients into a pint of mushroom ketchup, or walnut pickle; let them steep for a fortnight, and then strain off the liquor. a tea-spoonful or two mixed with the gravy usually sent up for chops and steaks, or added to thick melted butter, will be found an agreeable addition. sauce for fish. simmer very gently a quarter of a pint of vinegar, and half a pint of soft water, with an onion, a little horseradish, and the following spices lightly bruised: four cloves, two blades of mace, and half a tea-spoonful of black pepper. when the onion becomes tender, chop it small, with two anchovies, and boil it for a few minutes with a spoonful of ketchup. beat the yolks of three eggs, strain them, and mix the liquor with them by degrees. when well mixed, set the saucepan over a gentle fire, keeping the basin in one hand, into which toss the sauce to and fro, and shake the saucepan over the fire that the eggs may not curdle. the sauce must not be boiled, but made hot enough to give it the thickness of melted butter.--the following sauces for fish will be found excellent.--lobster sauce. take a lobster, bruise the body and spawn, that is in the inside, very fine, with the back of a spoon, mince the meat of the tail and claws small, melt your butter of a good thickness, put in the bruised part, and shake it well together, then put in the minced meat with a very little nutmeg grated, and a spoonful of white wine; let it just boil up, and pour it into boats, or over your fish.--shrimp sauce. put half a pint of shrimps, clean picked, into a gill of good gravy; let it boil up with a lump of butter rolled in flour, and a spoonful of red wine.--oyster sauce. take a pint of oysters that are tolerably large; put them into a saucepan with their own liquor, a blade of mace, a little whole pepper, and a bit of lemon peel; let them stew over the fire till the oysters are plump; pour all into a clean pan, and wash them carefully, one by one, out of the liquor; strain about a gill of the liquor through a fine sieve, add the same quantity of good gravy, cut half a pound of fresh butter in pieces, roll up some in flour, and then put all to your oysters; set it over a clear fire, shake it round often till it boils, and add a spoonful of white wine: let it just boil, and pour it into your bason or boat.--anchovy sauce. strip an anchovy, bruise it very fine, put it into half a pint of gravy, a quarter of a pound of butter rolled in flour, a spoonful of red wine, and a tea-spoonful of ketchup; boil all together till it is properly thick, and serve it up.--another. half a pint of water, two anchovies split, a clove, a bit of mace, a little lemon peel, a few peppercorns, and a large spoonful of red wine; boil all together, till your anchovy is dissolved; then strain it off, and thicken it with butter rolled in flour. this is the best sauce for skate, maid, or thornback. sauce for fish pies. take equal quantities of white wine, not sweet; of vinegar, oyster liquor, and mushroom ketchup. boil them up with an anchovy, strain the liquor, and pour it through a funnel into the pie after it is baked. or chop an anchovy small, and boil it up with three spoonfuls of gravy, a quarter of a pint of cream, and a little butter and flour. sauce for fowls. cut up the livers, add slices of lemon in dice, scalded parsley, some hard eggs, and a little salt. mix them with butter, boil them up, and pour the sauce over the fowls. this will be found an excellent sauce for rabbit or fowl, especially to hide the bad colour of fowls. or boil some veal gravy, with pepper and salt, the juice of a seville orange and a lemon, and a little port wine. pour it into the dish, or send it up in a boat. sauce for goose. mix a table-spoonful of made mustard, and half a tea-spoonful of cayenne, in a glass and a half of port wine. heat and pour it hot into the inside of a roast goose when it is taken up, by a slit made in the apron. what is sauce for a goose will not make bad sauce for a duck. it must be understood that this is not adapted to green geese or ducklings. sauce for hashes. chop the bones and fragments of the joint, put them into a stewpan, and cover them with boiling water. add six peppercorns, the same of allspice, a handful of parsley, half a head of celery cut in pieces, and a small sprig of savoury, lemon thyme, or sweet marjoram. cover it up, and let it simmer gently for half an hour. slice half an ounce of onion, put it into a stewpan with an ounce of butter, and fry it over a quick fire for two or three minutes, till it takes a little colour. thicken it with flour, and mix with it by degrees the gravy made from the bones. let it boil very gently for a quarter of an hour, till it acquires the consistence of cream, and strain it through a fine sieve into a basin. return it to the stewpan, season it a little, and cut in a few pickled onions, walnuts, or gherkins. add a table-spoonful of ketchup or walnut pickle, or some capers and caper liquor, or a table-spoonful of ale, a little shalot, or tarragon vinegar. cover the bottom of the dish with sippets of bread, to retain the gravy, and garnish with fried sippets. to hash meat in perfection, it should be laid in this gravy only just long enough to get properly warmed through. sauce for lent. melt some butter in a saucepan, shake in a little flour, and brown it by degrees. stir in half a pint of water, half a pint of ale, an onion, a piece of lemon peel, two cloves, a blade of mace, some whole pepper, a spoonful of ketchup, and an anchovy. boil it all together a quarter of an hour, strain it, and it will make good sauce for various dishes. sauce for lobster. bruise the yolks of two hard boiled eggs with the back of a wooden spoon, or pound them in a marble mortar, with a tea-spoonful of water, and the soft inside and the spawn of the lobster. rub them quite smooth with a tea-spoonful of made mustard, two table-spoonfuls of salad oil, and five of vinegar. season it with a very little cayenne, and some salt. tarragon vinegar, or essence of anchovy, may be added occasionally. sauce for minced veal. take the bones of cold roast or boiled veal, dredge them well with flour, and put them into a stewpan. add a pint and a half of weak broth, a small onion, a little grated or finely minced lemon peel, half a tea-spoonful of salt, and a blade of pounded mace. thicken it with a table-spoonful of flour rubbed into half an ounce of butter, stir it into the broth, and let it boil gently for about half an hour. strain it through a tammis or sieve, and it is ready to put to the veal to warm up, which is to be done by placing the stewpan by the side of the fire. squeeze in half a lemon, cover the bottom of the dish with sippets of toasted bread cut into triangles, and garnish the dish with slices of ham or bacon. a little basil wine gives an agreeable vegetable relish to minced veal. sauce for partridge. rub down in a mortar the yolks of two eggs boiled hard, an anchovy, two dessert-spoonfuls of oil, three of vinegar, a shalot, cayenne if approved, and a tea-spoonful of mustard. all should be pounded before the oil is added, and strained when done. shalot vinegar is preferable to the shalot. sauce for poultry. wash and pick some chervil very carefully, put a tea-spoonful of salt into half a pint of boiling water, boil the chervil about ten minutes, drain it on a sieve, mince it quite fine, and bruise it to a pulp. mix it by degrees with some good melted butter, and send it up in a sauce boat. this makes a fine sauce for either fish or fowl. the flavour of chervil is a strong concentration of the combined taste of parsley and fennel, but is more aromatic and agreeable than either. sauce for quails. shred two or three shalots, and boil them a few minutes in a gill of water, and half a gill of vinegar. add to this a quarter of a pint of good gravy, and a piece of butter rolled in flour. shake it over the fire till it thickens, and then serve it in the dish with roast quails, or any other small birds. sauce robart. this is a favourite sauce for rump steaks, and is made in the following manner. put a piece of butter, the size of an egg, into a saucepan; and while browning over the fire, throw in a handful of sliced onions cut small. fry them brown, but do not let them burn. add half a spoonful of flour, shake the onions in it, and give it another fry. then put four spoonfuls of gravy, some pepper and salt, and boil it gently ten minutes. skim off the fat, add a tea-spoonful of made mustard, a spoonful of vinegar, and the juice of half a lemon. boil it all together, and pour it round the steaks, which should be of a fine yellow brown, and garnished with fried parsley and lemon. sauce for steaks. when the steaks are taken out of the fryingpan, keep back a spoonful of the fat, or put in an ounce of butter. add flour to thicken it, and rub it well over the fire till it is a little browned. then add as much boiling water as will reduce it to the consistence of cream, and a table-spoonful of ketchup or walnut pickle. let it boil a few minutes, and pour it through a sieve upon the steaks. to this may be added a sliced onion, or a minced shalot, with a glass of port wine. broiled mushrooms are favourite relishes to beef steaks. garnish with finely scraped horseradish, pickled walnuts, or gherkins. sauce for veal. mince any kind of sweet herbs with the yolks of two or three hard eggs. boil them together with some currants, a little grated bread, pounded cinnamon, sugar, and two whole cloves. pour the sauce into the dish intended for the veal, with two or three slices of orange. sauce for wild fowl. simmer a tea-cupful of port wine, the same quantity of good meat gravy, a little shalot, a little pepper and salt, a grate of nutmeg, and a bit of mace, for ten minutes. put in a piece of butter, and flour; give it all one boil, and pour it through the birds. in general they are not stuffed as tame fowl, but may be done so if approved. sausages. chop fat and lean pork together, season it with sage, pepper, salt, and two or three berries of allspice. half fill some hog's guts that have been soaked and made extremely clean; or the meat may be kept in a very small pan closely covered, and so rolled and dusted with a very little flour before it is fried. the sausages must be pricked with a fork before they are dressed, or they will burst in the frying. serve them on stewed red cabbage, or mashed potatoes put in a form, and browned with a salamander.--the following is the way of making excellent sausages to eat cold. season some fat and lean pork with salt, saltpetre, black pepper, and allspice, all in fine powder. rub the mixture into the meat, and let it lie in pickle for six days. then cut it small, and mix with it some shred shalot or garlic, as fine as possible. have ready an ox-gut that has been scoured, salted, and well soaked, and fill it with the above stuffing. tie up the ends, and hang it to smoke as you would hams, but first wrap it in a fold or two of old muslin. it must be high dried. some choose to boil it, but others eat it without boiling. the skin should be tied in different places, so as to make each link about eight or nine inches long. sausages with apples. fry some sliced apples with the sausages, till they are of a light brown. lay the sausages in the middle of the dish, and the apples round them. or fry them without apples, and serve them up on fried bread, with mashed potatoes. or put the sausages into boiling water, simmer them about five minutes, and serve them up with poached eggs, or roasted potatoes. scalds. when a burn or scald is trifling, and occasions no blister, it is sufficient to put a compress of several folds of soft linen upon it, dipped in cold water, and to renew it every quarter of an hour till the pain is entirely removed. when a burn or scald blisters, a compress of fine linen spread over with soft pomatum should be applied to it, and changed twice a day. if the skin is burnt through, and the flesh under it injured, the same pomatum may be applied; but instead of a compress of linen, it should be spread upon a piece of soft lint, applied directly over it, and this cover with a slip of simple adhesive plaster. for an extensive burn or scald, skilful advice should immediately be obtained, as it always endangers the life of the sufferer. a linen rag dipped in laudanum, or spread thick with honey, will be sufficient in ordinary cases. the pomatum proper, where any serious injury has been sustained, is made in the following manner. take an ounce of the ointment called nutritum, the yolk of a small egg, or the half of a large one, and mix them well together. the nutritum may easily be made by rubbing two drains of cerus, or white lead, with half an ounce of vinegar, and three ounces of common oil, and mixing them well together. if the ingredients for making nutritum are not at hand, to make the pomatum, one part of wax should be melted with eight parts of oil, and the yolk of an egg added to two ounces of this mixture. a still more simple application, and sooner prepared, is to beat up a whole egg with two spoonfuls of sweet oil, free from any rankness. when the pain of the burn and all its other symptoms have nearly subsided, it will be sufficient to apply the following plaster. boil together to a proper consistence, half a pound of oil of roses, a quarter of a pound of red lead, and two ounces of vinegar. dissolve in the mixture three quarters of an ounce of yellow wax, and one dram of camphor, stirring the whole well together. take it off the fire, and spread it upon sheets or slips of paper, of any size that may be most convenient. for an adhesive plaster, melt four ounces of white wax, and add one or two spoonfuls of oil. dip into this mixture, slips of moderately thin linen, and let them dry; or spread it thin and evenly over them.--the following is a highly esteemed method of curing scalds or burns. take half a pound of alum in powder, dissolve it in a quart of water; bathe the burn or scald with a linen rag wet in this mixture; then bind the wet rag thereon with a slip of linen, and moisten the bandage with the alum water frequently, without removing it, in the course of two or three days. a workman who fell into a copper of boiling liquor, where he remained three minutes before taken out, was immediately put into a tub containing a saturated solution of alum in water, where he was kept two hours; his sores were then dressed with cloths and bandages, wet in the above mixture, and kept constantly moistened for twenty-four hours, and in a few days he was able to return to business.--the application of vinegar to burns and scalds is to be strongly recommended. it possesses active powers, and is a great antiseptic and corrector of putrescence and mortification. the progressive tendency of burns of the unfavourable kind, or ill-treated, is to putrescence and mortification. where the outward skin is not broken, it may be freely used every hour or two; where the skin is broken, and if it gives pain, it must be gently used. but equal parts of vinegar and water, in a tepid state, used freely every three or four hours, are generally the best application, and the best rule to be directed by.--house-leek, either applied by itself, or mixed with cream, gives present relief in burns, and other external inflammations. scald head. this disorder is chiefly incident to children, and is seated in the roots of the hair. it is frequently cured by changing the nurse, weaning the child, and removing it to a dry and airy situation. if the itching of the head becomes very troublesome, it may be allayed by gently rubbing it with equal parts of the oil of sweet almonds, and the juice expressed from the leaves of the common burdock, simmered together till they form a soapy liniment, adding a few grains only of pearlash. if this treatment be not sufficient, cut off the hair, or apply an adhesive plaster made of bees' wax, pitch, and mutton suet. after it is removed, the head should be washed with warm soapy water, and the whole body cleansed in a lukewarm bath. scalded codlins. wrap each in a vine leaf, and pack them close in a nice saucepan: when full, pour in as much water as will cover them. set the saucepan over a gentle fire, and let them simmer slowly till done enough to take the thin skin off when cold. place them in a dish, with or without milk, cream or custard: if the latter, there should be no ratafia. dust some fine sugar over the apples. scalded cream. let the milk stand twenty-four hours in winter, and twelve at least in summer. place the milk pan on a hot hearth, or in a wide brass kettle of water, large enough to receive the pan. it must remain on the fire till quite hot, but on no account boil, or there will be a skim instead of cream upon the milk. when it is done enough, the undulations on the surface will begin to look thick, and a ring will appear round the pan, the size of the bottom. the time required to scald cream depends on the size of the pan, and the heat of the fire; but the slower it is done the better. when the cream is scalded, remove the pan into the dairy, and skim it the next day. in cold weather it may stand thirty-six hours, and never less than two meals. in the west of england, butter is usually made of cream thus prepared; and if made properly it is very firm. scalding fruit. the best way of scalding any kind of fruit, is to do it in a stone jar on a hot iron hearth; or by putting the vessel into a saucepan of water, called a water-bath. vinegar also is best boiled in the same manner. scalding pudding. from a pint of new milk take out enough to mix three large spoonfuls of flour into a smooth batter. set the remainder of the milk on the fire, and when it is scalding hot, pour in the batter, and keep it on the fire till it thickens. stir it all the time to prevent its burning, but do not let it boil. when of a proper thickness, pour it into a basin, and let it stand to cool. then put in, six eggs, a little sugar, and some nutmeg. boil it an hour in a basin well buttered. scalloped oysters. having opened the oysters, and washed them from the grit, put them into scallop shells or saucers, and bake them before the fire in a dutch oven. add to them some crumbs of bread, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and a bit of butter, before they are set to the fire.--another way. to fill four scallop shells, have a pint and a half of oysters, put them on the fire, in their own liquor, with a blade of mace, a little salt, and some whole pepper; (put a salamander in the fire to be red hot,) grate some crumbs of bread sufficient for your shells; butter the inside of the shells very well, and strew bread crumbs thereon; take your oysters off the fire, pour them into a pan, take off the beards, and fill the shells; grate a little nutmeg into every shell, put a spoonful or two of the liquor upon the oysters, and fill up the shells quite full with bread crumbs; set them before the fire, and baste them with butter all over the bread, then set them upon a gridiron over a clear fire, for about half an hour; hold your salamander over them, till they are of a fine brown, then send them to table for a side-dish. in the same manner do shrimps, muscles, or cockles. scalloped potatoes. when boiled, mash them with milk, pepper, salt, and butter. fill some scallop shells, smooth the tops, set them in a dutch oven to brown before the fire; or add the yolk of an egg, and mash them with cream, butter, salt, and pepper. score the top with a knife, and put thin slices over, before they are put into the oven. scalloped veal. mince it fine, set it over the fire a few minutes, with pepper and salt, a little nutmeg and cream. put it into scallop shells, and fill them up with grated bread; over which put a little butter, and brown them before the fire. scarlet dye. wool may be dyed scarlet, the most splendid of all colours, by first boiling it in a solution of muris-sulphate of tin; then dying it a pale yellow with quercitron bark, and afterwards crimson with cochineal. scorched linen. boil to a good consistency, in half a pint of vinegar, two ounces of fuller's earth, an ounce of hen's dung, half an ounce of cake soap, and the juice of two onions. spread this composition over the whole of the damaged part; and, if the scorching were not quite through, and the threads actually consumed, after suffering it to dry on, and letting it receive a subsequent good washing or two, the place will appear full as white and perfect as any other part of the linen. scotch barley broth. cut a leg of beef into pieces, and boil it in three gallons of water, with a sliced carrot and crust of bread, till reduced to half the quantity. strain it off, and put it again into the pot. boil it an hour, with half a pound of scotch barley, a few heads of celery cut small, a sprig of sweet herbs, an onion, a little minced parsley, and a few marigolds. put in a large fowl, and boil it till the broth is good. season it with salt, take out the onion and herbs, and serve it up with the fowl in the middle. broth may be made with a sheep's head chopped in pieces, or six pounds of thick flank of beef, boiled in six quarts of water. put the barley in with the meat, and boil it gently for an hour, keeping it clear from scum. the articles before-mentioned may then be added, with sliced turnips and carrots, and boiled together till the broth is good. season it, take it up, pour the broth into a tureen, with the meat in the middle, and carrots and turnips round the dish. scotch burgoo. this is a sort of oatmeal hasty pudding without milk, much used by the scotch peasantry; and as an example of economy, is worthy of being occasionally adopted by all who have large families and small incomes. it is made in the following easy and expeditious manner. to a quart of oatmeal, add gradually two quarts of water, so that the whole may mix smoothly. stir it continually over the fire, and boil it for a quarter of an hour. take it up, and stir in a little salt and butter, with or without pepper. this quantity will provide five or six persons with a tolerable meal. scotch collops. cut veal into thin round slices, about three inches over, and beat them with a rolling-pin. grate a little nutmeg over, dip them into the yolk of an egg, and fry them in a little butter of a fine brown. pour off the butter, and have ready warmed half a pint of gravy, with a little butter and flour in it, the yolk of an egg, two large spoonfuls of cream, and a dust of salt. do not boil the sauce, but stir it till it comes to a fine thickness, and pour it over the collops.--another way. take what quantity of veal you want, cut into collops, and beat it with the back of a knife; season as above, and fry them in butter of a fine brown; pour off the butter, and put in half a pint of good gravy, and a small glass of white wine: you may add what other ingredients you please. roll a piece of butter as big as a walnut in flour, toss it up, and when it boils, take off the scum very clean: let your sauce be thick enough to hang; dish it up, and garnish to your fancy.--another way: dressed white. take three or four pounds of a fillet of veal, cut in small thin slices; then take a clean stewpan, butter it on the inside; season your collops with beaten mace, nutmeg, and salt; dust them over with flour, and lay them into your stewpan, piece by piece, till all your meat is in: set it over the stove, and toss it up together, till all your meat be white. put in half a pint of strong veal broth; let them boil, and take off all the scum clean; beat up the yolks of two eggs in a gill of cream, and put it to your collops, and keep it tossing all the while, till it just boils up; then squeeze in a little lemon, toss it round, and dish it up. garnish your dish with sliced lemon. if you would make a fine dish of it, when you put in your veal broth, you must add morels, truffles, mushrooms, artichoke bottoms cut in small dice, force-meat balls boiled, not fried, and a few cock's combs; then garnish your dish with fried oysters, petit-pasties, lemon, and barberries. remember when you make a made dish, and are obliged to use cream, that it should be the last thing; for it is apt to curdle if it boils at any time. scotch eggs. boil five pullet's eggs, quite hard; and without removing the white, cover them completely with a fine relishing forcemeat, in which, let scraped ham, or chopped anchovy, bear a due proportion. fry of a beautiful yellow brown, and serve with good gravy in the dish. scotch leek soup. prepare a sheep's head, either by cleaning the skin very nicely, or taking it off, as preferred. split the head in two, take out the brains, and put it into a kettle with plenty of water. add a large quantity of leeks cut small, with pepper and salt. stew these very slowly for three hours. mix as much oatmeal as will make the soup pretty thick, and make it very smooth with cold water. pour it into the soup, continue stirring it till the whole is smooth and well done, and then serve it up. scotch pancakes. to a pint of cream beat up eight eggs, leaving out two whites, a quarter of a pound of butter melted, one spoon-full of flour, a nutmeg grated, three spoonfuls of sack, and a little sugar. when the butter is cool, mix all together into a batter; have ready a stove with charcoal, and a small fryingpan no bigger than a plate, tie a piece of butter in a clean cloth; when the pan is hot rub this round it, and put in the batter with a spoon, run it round the pan very thin and fry them only on one side; put a saucer into the middle of the dish, and lay pancakes over it, till it is like a little pyramid; strew pounded sugar between every pancake, and garnish the dish with seville oranges cut in small quarters. scouring balls. portable balls for removing spots from clothes, may be thus prepared. dry some fuller's-earth, so that it crumbles into a powder; then moisten it with the clear juice of lemons, and add a small quantity of pure pearl-ash. knead the whole carefully together, till it acquires the consistence of a thick elastic paste: form it into convenient small balls, and dry them in the sun. to be used, first moisten the spot on the clothes with water, then rub it with the ball, and let the spot dry in the sun. after having washed it with pure water, the spot will entirely disappear. scrophula. the principal difficulty in curing the scrophula, or king's evil, arises from the circumstance, that it may remain concealed for a long time, and thus become deeply rooted in the constitution before its effects are evident. the system requires to be strengthened by the free use of peruvian bark, sea water and sea bathing, and moderate exercise in the open air. hemlock plasters applied to the swellings, and drinking of milk whey, have also been found useful. but in the progress of the disorder, medical advice will be necessary. scurvy. when the scurvy proceeds chiefly from the long-continued use of salt provisions, it will be necessary to take large portions of the juice of lemons, oranges, or tamarinds; to eat water cresses, scurvy grass, and fresh vegetables of every description. but where these cannot be procured, pickled cabbage, cucumber, onions, and other fruits, as well as horseradish and mustard, may be taken with considerable advantage. take also a pound of water-dock roots, and boil them in six pints of water, adding an ounce or two of chrystals of tartar, till one third part of the liquor be evaporated; and drink half a pint or more of it every day. raw carrots eaten are also very good for the scurvy; and during a voyage, they should be packed up in casks of sand and kept for use. if the limbs be swelled, or joints stiff, it will be proper to foment them with warm vinegar, or bathe them in lukewarm water. a valuable ointment may be made of a pound of fresh lard, and as much cliver or goose-grass as the lard will moisten. boil them together over a slow fire, stir the mixture till it turns brown, and strain it through a cloth. take the ointment from the water, and rub it on the parts affected. scurvy grass ale. brew it as for other ale, omitting the hops; and when the liquor boils, put in half a bushel of fine wormwood, a bushel of scurvy grass, and twelve pounds of sugar. this quantity of ingredients is sufficient for a hogshead. sea-kale is a highly nutritious and palatable culinary vegetable. it is an early esculent plant, the young shoots of which are used somewhat in the manner of asparagus, and may, it is said, be grown by the method of cultivation which is given hereafter, to a size and of a delicacy of flavour greatly superior to that which is commonly brought to the table. in the cultivation of it in the garden, the improved method which has lately been advised, is that of preparing the ground for it by trenching it two feet and a half deep, about the close of the year or in the beginning of it: when not that depth naturally, and of a light quality, it is to be made so by artificial means, such as the applying of a suitable proportion of fine white sand, and very rotten vegetable mould: if the ground be wet in the winter season, it should be completely drained, that no water may stagnate in it near the bottom of the cultivated mould, as the strength of the plants depends upon the dryness and richness of the bottom soil. after which the ground is to be divided into beds, four feet in width, with alleys of eighteen inches between them; then, at the distance of every two feet each way, five or six seeds are to be sown, in a circle of about four inches diameter, to the depth of two inches. this business should be performed in a strictly regular and exact manner, as the plants are afterwards to be covered by means of pots for blanching them, and the health and beauty of the crops equally depend upon their standing at regular distances. if the seeds which were sown were sound and perfect, they will come up and shew themselves in the last spring or beginning summer months; which as soon as they have made three or four leaves, all but three of the strongest and best plants should be taken away from each circle; planting out those which are pulled up, which, when done by a careful hand, may be performed so as for them to have the whole of their tap-root in a spare bed for extra forcing, or the repairs of accidents. the turnip fly and wire worm are to be carefully guarded against, the latter by picking them by the hand from out of the ground, and the former by the use of lime laid round the young plants in a circle. when the summer months prove dry, the beds should be plentifully watered. as soon as the leaves decay in the autumn they should be cleared away, and the beds be covered with light fresh earth and sand to the thickness of an inch; the compost thus used having laid some time in a heap, and been turned several times, so as to be free from weeds, and the ova of insects as well as grubs. upon the sandy loam dressing, about six inches in depth of light stable litter is to be applied, which completes the work of the first year. in the spring of the second, when the plants are beginning to push, the stable litter is to be raked off, a little of the most rotten being dug into the alleys, and another inch depth of loam and sand applied. cutting this year is to be refrained from, notwithstanding some of the plants may rise strong, and the beds managed exactly as before during this winter season. in the third season, a little before the plants begin to stir, the covering laid on for the winter is to be raked off, and an inch in depth of pure dry sand or fine gravel now laid on. then each circle of plants is to be covered with one of the blanching-pots already alluded to, pressing it firmly into the ground, so as to exclude all light and air, as the colour and flavour of the shoots are greatly injured by exposure to either of them. when the beds are twenty-six feet long, and four wide, they will hold twenty-four blanching-pots, with three plants under each, making seventy-two plants in a bed. they are to be examined from time to time, the young stems being cut, when about three inches above the ground, care being taken not to injure any of the remaining buds below, some of which will immediately begin to swell. in this way a succession of gatherings may be continued for the space of six weeks, after which period the plants are to be uncovered, and their leaves suffered to grow, that they may acquire and return nutriment to the root for the next year's buds. when seeds are not wanted, the flowers should be pinched off by the finger and thumb, as long as they appear. where the expence of blanching-pots is objected to, the beds must be covered with a large portion of loose gravel and mats; but the saving is trifling, when the time and trouble of removing and replacing the gravel, for the cutting of the crop and securing the plant, are considered. by this mode of management, sea-kale is said to have been cut which measured ten, eleven, and even twelve inches in circumference, and that each blanching-pot on the average afforded a dish of it twice in the season. the blanching-pots for this use are somewhat of the same shape and size as the large bell-glasses commonly employed in market gardens for raising tender vegetable crops, but made of the same materials as the common earthenware, having a handle at the top. they may be about a foot and a half in diameter at the rim where they apply to the ground. _forcing sea-kale._--it is supposed that no vegetable can be so easily and cheaply forced as this, or require so little trouble; as the dung is in the finest state possible for spring hot-beds, after the common crop has been cut and gathered. the principal circumstance necessary in this business, is that of being very attentive and particular in guarding against too great a heat. the temperature under the blanching-pots should constantly be kept as near fifty-five degrees of fahrenheit's scale as possible, and on no account higher than sixty at any time. in this intention, in either of the two concluding months of the year, as the sea-kale may be wanted more early or late, a suitable quantity of fresh stable dung should be collected and prepared, to cover both the beds and the alleys from two to three feet in height; as in the quantity to be laid on, a great deal must always be left to the judgment of the gardener, as well as to the state of the season as to mildness or severity. it should invariably be well pressed down between the blanching-pots, heat-sticks being placed at proper intervals, by the occasional examination of which the heat below will be readily shewn. when the dung has remained in this situation four or five days, the pots should be examined to see the state of the shoots it not unfrequently happens that worms spring above the surface, and spoil the delicacy of flavour in the young shoots. in order to prevent this, it is best to cover it with dry sea-coal ashes, which have been sifted neither very small nor very large. salt has also the power of destroying them in an effectual manner, without injuring the sea-kale. the crop, it is said, will be ready to cut and gather in three weeks or a month from the first application of the heat; but as much danger and mischief are the consequence when this is violent, it is advised to begin soon enough, and to force slowly, rather than in too quick a manner. it is likewise necessary to cut the leaves off a fortnight or three weeks before they decay, in those plants which are intended to be forced at a very early period. it is also suggested that the blanching-pots used in forcing should be made in two pieces, the uppermost of which should fit like a cap upon the lower; as the crop might then be examined at all times without disturbing the hot dung. sea-kale is cooked, and sent to the table in the same manner as asparagus. sea sickness. this disorder may in a great measure be prevented, by taking a few drops of vitriolic æther on a bit of sugar dissolved in the mouth, or drinking a few drops of æther in water, with a little sugar. sea water. to render salt water fit for washing linen at sea, a quantity of soda should be kept at hand, and used for that purpose, as often as occasion requires. as much soda should be put into sea water as will render it turbid, and completely precipitate the lime and magnesia which it contains. the water will then become sufficiently alkaline for the purpose of washing. shaving soap. cut half a pound of fine white soap in thin slices, add half an ounce of salt of tartar, and mix them with full half a pint of spirits of wine. put the ingredients into a quart bottle, tie it down with a bladder, digest it in a gentle heat till the soap is dissolved, and let the air escape through a pinhole in the bladder. filter the mixture through paper, and scent it with a little bergamot, or essence of lemon. it will have the appearance of fine oil. a small quantity mixed with water will produce an excellent lather, and is much superior to any other composition in washing or shaving. sealing of letters. to secure letters from being opened, beat up some fine bean flour with the white of an egg, and make it into a paste. use a little of it in the form of a wafer, close the letters with it, and hold the sealed part to the spout of a tea-pot of boiling water. the steam will harden the cement so that the letter cannot be opened without tearing, and will render it more secure than either wax or wafer. seasoning. though general rules may be given for stuffings and seasoning, yet much must be left to common discretion. the different tastes of people require more or less of the flavour of spices, salt, garlic, butter, and other ingredients; and the proportions must of course be regulated accordingly, taking care that a variety of flavour be given to the different dishes served at the same time. the proper articles should be kept ready for use; but if suet or bacon be not at hand, butter must be used instead, and fish gravy instead of stock or meat gravy. more depends on judgment and care than on the ingredients merely, of which the dish is composed. seasoning mahogany. having provided a steam-tight wooden box, capable of holding such pieces of mahogany as are wanted for chairs or other purposes, a pipe from a boiler must be adapted to it, by means of which the box is to be filled with steam, to a temperature about equal to that of boiling water. the time required for wood an inch and a half thick, is about two hours; and pieces of this thickness become sufficiently dry to work, after being placed in a warm room for twenty-four hours. by this treatment the wood is something improved in colour, and the blemishes of green veins are entirely removed. the eggs also of any insect contained in the wood, will be destroyed by the heat of the steam. by this process, two important advantages are gained. there is a saving of capital, vested in wood lying to season during several months; and the warping of small pieces of wood is entirely prevented. seed cake. mix a quarter of a peck of flour with half a pound of sugar, a quarter of an ounce of allspice, and a little ginger. melt three quarters of a pound of butter, with half a pint of milk; when just warm, put to it a quarter of a pint of yeast, and work it up to a good dough. add seeds or currants, let it stand before the fire a few minutes before it goes to the oven, and bake it an hour and a half.--another way is to mix a pound and a half of flour, a pound of lump sugar, eight eggs beaten separately, an ounce of seeds, two spoonfuls of yeast, and the same of milk and water. milk alone soon causes cake and bread to get dry.--another. break eighteen eggs into a large pan, and leave out eight of the whites; add to them two pounds of fresh butter, and with your hand work the butter and eggs till they are well mixed, and like thick barme; put in two or three spoonfuls of sack, two pounds of lump sugar sifted, two pounds of fine flour, and two ounces of carraway seeds, mix the sugar, flour, and seeds, well together, and set it before the fire for half an hour, covering it with a cloth, and remember to put the flour, &c. in by degrees. tin pudding pans are the best things to bake it in, and take care it be not over-done; they will rise very high in the oven, and when they begin to sink again, they are baked enough.--a cheap seed cake. take half a peck of flour, set a pint of milk on the fire, and break in a pound and a half of butter; when all the butter is melted, stir in half a pint of ale yeast that is not bitter. take half an ounce of allspice beat fine, and a pound of sugar sifted; mix these with the flour first, then make a hole in the middle of the flour, and pour in the butter, milk, and yeast. while you are working it, strew in some carraway seeds, and set it before the fire to rise; bake it an hour and a half in a quick oven. it is best baked in two cakes; if you make it in two, put currants in one, and carraway seeds in the other.--seed cake the nun's way. to four pounds of the finest flour, add three pounds of double-refined sugar beat and sifted; mix this with the flour, and set it before the fire to dry; beat up four pounds of nice fresh butter to a cream, break three dozen of eggs (leaving out sixteen whites) and beat them up very well, with a tea-cupful of orange-flower water, strain them into the butter, and beat them well therewith; take the flour and sugar, and mix in six ounces of carraway seeds; put these ingredients to the butter and eggs by degrees, and beating all continually for two hours: butter a hoop, and bake it three hours in a moderate oven. if you please, you may add two or three grains of ambergris. seed water. bruise a spoonful of coriander seeds, and half a spoonful of carraway. boil them in a pint of water, strain them, beat up the yolk of an egg and mix with the water, add a little sweet wine and lump sugar. seeds. to discover when seeds of any kind are fully ripe and good, throw them into a basin of water. if not sufficiently ripe, they will swim on the surface; but when arrived at full maturity, they will be found uniformly to sink to the bottom; a fact that is said to hold equally true of all seeds, from the cocoa nut to the orchis.--seeds of plants may be preserved, for many months at least, by causing them to be packed, either in husks, pods, &c. in absorbent paper, with raisins or brown moist sugar; or a good way, practised by gardeners, is to wrap the seed in brown paper or cartridge paper, pasted down, and then varnished over.--to preserve seeds, when sown, from vermin. steep the grain or seed three or four hours, or a sufficient time for it to penetrate the skin, or husk, in a strong solution of liver of sulphur. shads. they must be scaled very clean, then gut and wash them, dry them in a cloth, score them on the sides, rub them with butter, sprinkle salt over them, and broil them of a fine brown; boil sorrel, chervil, onion and parsley, chop it fine; melt a piece of butter in cream sufficient for your sauce, then put in your herbs, season it with salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg, toss it up together, and pour over your fish; or you may serve it with a ragout of mushrooms, or a brown sauce with capers, garnished with lemon. seville orange posset. squeeze seville orange or lemon juice into a glass dish, or mix them together if preferred, and sweeten it well with fine sugar. then warm some cream over the fire, but do not let it boil. put it into a teapot and pour it into the juice, holding the teapot up very high, that it may froth and curdle the better. instead of cream, milk thickened with one or two yolks of eggs may be used, if more convenient. shalot. as the habits of growth in roots of this nature differ greatly in the different sorts, some requiring to be nearly or quite on the surface of the ground, while others stand in need of being a considerable depth below it, which has not been well attended to in the garden culture of such roots; it may be readily supposed that these have considerable influence and effect on the growth of such root crops. in consequence of finding that crops of this root generally became mouldy and perished, and that they were usually planted, from the directions of garden cultivators, at the depth of two or three inches from the surface; the injury, failure, and destruction of such crops, were naturally ascribed to this cause. a few bulbs or bunches of this root were consequently divided, as far as possible, into single buds or bulbs, and planted upon or rather above the surface of the ground, some very rich soil being placed underneath them, and the mould on each side raised to support them, until they became firmly rooted. this mould was then removed by means of a hoe, and the use of the watering-pot, and the bulbs of course left wholly out of the ground. the growth of the plants had now so near a resemblance to that of the common onion, as not readily to be distinguished from it, until their irregularity of form, the consequence of the numerous germs within each bulb, became evident. the forms of the bulbs, however, continued constantly different from all those raised in the ordinary method, being much more broad, but of less length. the crop was a great deal better in quality, and at the same time much more abundant in quantity. it may consequently not be unworthy of the gardener's attention.--garlic, rocambole, and shalot are chiefly used in ragouts and sauces which require to be highly flavoured, unless a separate sauce is made of them only; and indeed, the mixing of animal juices in preparations of vegetables is by no means to be recommended, where the health is to be consulted. the substitution of butter and flour, yolks of eggs and cream, mushroom or walnut ketchup, is greatly to be preferred to rich gravies, in dressing of vegetables. shalot sauce. put a few chopped shalots into a little gravy boiled clear, and nearly half as much vinegar. season with pepper and salt, and boil it half an hour. shalot vinegar. split six or eight shalots; put them into a wide-mouthed quart bottle, and fill it up with vinegar. stop it close; and in a month the vinegar will be fit for use. shalot wine. peel, mince, and pound in a mortar, three ounces of shalots, and infuse them in a pint of sherry for ten days. pour off the clear liquor on three ounces more of shalots, and let the wine stand on them ten days longer. an ounce of scraped horseradish may be added to the above, and a little lemon peel cut thin. this is rather the most expensive, but by far the most elegant preparation of shalot. it imparts the onion flavour to soups and sauces, for chops, steaks, hashes, or boiled meats, more agreeably than any other, without leaving any unpleasant taste in the mouth. shank jelly. boil fifteen shanks of mutton in three quarts of water. two cow heels, three calf's feet, or five sheep's feet, will answer the same purpose. let them stew no longer than to extract a good jelly, and when cold take off the fat, and clear it from the settlement at the bottom. the jelly may be cleared with whites of eggs, and running it through a jelly bag. orange or lemon juice, or wine, and sugar, may be added, as is suitable for the patient. wine however should never be given to any invalid, without the express permission of the medical attendant, as it may do more harm than good, unless used with great discretion. much less should any kind of spirits be allowed, as they are of a much more dangerous nature than wine in such cases. sharp sauce. put into a silver saucepan, or one that is very clean and well tinned, half a pint of the best white wine vinegar, and a quarter of a pound of pounded loaf sugar. simmer it gently over the fire, skim it well, pour it through a tammis or fine sieve, and send it up in a basin. this sauce is adapted for venison, and is often preferred to the sweet wine sauces. sheep's ears. take a dozen and a half of sheep's ears, scald and clean them very well; then make a forcemeat of veal, suet, crumbs of bread, a little nutmeg, pepper, salt, and beaten mace, parsley and thyme shred fine; mix these ingredients with the yolk of an egg; fill the ears, and lay one over the other, press them close, flour them, and fry them in clean beef dripping, of a fine brown; serve them up with gravy sauce in the dish, garnished with lemon. this is a pretty side dish. shelford pudding. mix three quarters of a pound of currants or raisins, one pound of suet, a pound of flour, six eggs, some good milk, lemon peel, and a little salt. boil it in a melon shape six hours. sherbet. this liquor is a species of negus without the wine. it consists of water, lemon, or orange juice, and sugar, in which are dissolved perfumed cakes, made of the best damascus fruit, and containing also an infusion of some drops of rose-water: another kind is made of violets, honey, juice of raisins, &c. it is well calculated for assuaging thirst, as the acidity is agreeably blended with sweetness. it resembles, indeed, those fruits which we find so grateful when one is thirsty. shin of beef. a shin or leg of beef, weighing full six pounds, will make a large tureen of excellent soup. cut half a pound of bacon into slices about half an inch thick, lay it at the bottom of a soup kettle or deep stewpan, and place the meat on this, after having first chopped the bone in two or three places. add two carrots, two turnips, a head of celery, two large onions with two or three cloves stuck in them, a dozen black peppercorns, the same of jamaica pepper, and a bundle of lemon thyme, winter savoury, and parsley. just cover the meat with cold water, boil it over a quick fire, skim it well, and then let it stew very gently by the side of the fire for four hours till it is quite tender. take out all the meat, strain off the soup, and remove the fat from the surface when cold. cut the meat into small pieces, and put them into the soup, when it is to be warmed up for the table. a knuckle of veal may be dressed in the same way. shingles. this disorder, of the same nature as st. anthony's fire, and requiring a similar mode of treatment, attacks various parts of the body, but chiefly the waist, around which it appears in numerous pimples of a livid hue, and seldom attended with fever. no attempt should be made to repel the eruption; the body should be kept gently open, and the part affected rubbed with a little warm wheaten flour. then linen bags of oatmeal, camomile flowers, and a little bruised camphor may also be applied, which will effectually relieve the inflammation. shoe blacking. in three pints of small beer, put two ounces of ivory black, and one pennyworth of brown sugar. as soon as they boil, put a dessert-spoonful of sweet oil, and then boil slowly till reduced to a quart. stir it up with a stick every time it is used; and put it on the shoe with a brush when wanted.--another. two ounces of ivory black; one tea-spoonful of oil of vitriol, one table-spoonful of sweet oil; and two ounces of brown sugar; roll the same into a ball, and to dissolve it add half a pint of vinegar.--another. take ivory black and brown sugar candy, of each two ounces; of sweet oil a table-spoonful; add gradually thereto a pint of vinegar, cold, and stir the whole till gradually incorporated.--another. to one pint of vinegar add half an ounce of vitriolic acid, half an ounce of copperas, two ounces of sugar candy, and two ounces and a half of ivory black: mix the whole well together.--another. sweet oil, half an ounce; ivory black and treacle, of each half a pound; gum arabic half an ounce; vinegar, three pints; boil the vinegar, and pour it hot on the other ingredients.--another. three ounces of ivory black, one ounce of sugar candy, one ounce of oil of vitriol, one ounce of spirits of salts, one lemon, one table-spoonful of sweet oil, and one pint of vinegar.--first mix the ivory black and sweet oil together, then the lemon and sugar candy, with a little vinegar to qualify the blacking, then add your spirits of salts and vitriol, and mix them all well together. n. b. the last ingredients prevent the vitriol and salts from injuring the leather, and add to the lustre of the blacking.--another. ivory black, two ounces; brown sugar, one ounce and a half; sweet oil, half a table-spoonful. mix them well, and then gradually add half a pint of small beer.--another. a quarter of a pound of ivory black, a quarter of a pound of moist sugar, a table-spoonful of flour, a piece of tallow about the size of a walnut, and a small piece of gum arabic.--make a paste of the flour, and while hot put in the tallow, then the sugar, and afterwards mix the whole well together in a quart of water, and you will have a beautiful shining blacking. shoes. the best way of cleaning shoes in the winter time is to scrape off the dirt with the back of a knife, or with a wooden knife made for that purpose, while the shoes are wet, and wipe off the remainder with a wet sponge, or piece of flannel. set them to dry at a distance from the fire, and they will afterwards take a fine polish. this will save much of the trouble in cleaning, when the dirt is suffered to dry on; and by applying a little sweet oil occasionally, the leather will be prevented from growing hard. to secure the soles of shoes or boots from being penetrated with rain or snow, melt a little bees' wax and mutton suet, and rub it slightly over the edges of the sole where the stitches are; this will be sufficient to repel the wet. occasionally rubbing the soles with hot tar, and dusting over it a small quantity of iron filings, will tend to fill up the pores of the leather, and preserve the feet dry and warm in winter. the practice of pouring brandy or spirits into shoes or boots, with a view to prevent the effects of wet or cold, is very pernicious, and often brings on inflammation of the bowels. the best remedy for damp feet is to bathe them in warm water; and if they become sore or blistered, rub them with a little mutton suet. as many evils and inconveniences arise from wearing improper shoes, it may be necessary to observe, that an easy shoe, adapted to the size and shape of the foot, is of considerable consequence. the soles should be thick, and their extremities round rather than pointed, in order to protect the toes from being injured by sharp stones, or other rough substances, that may occur in walking. persons wearing narrow or fashionable shoes, merely for the sake of appearance, not only suffer immediate fatigue and languor when walking only a short distance, but are exposed to the pain and inconvenience of warts and corns, and numerous other maladies; while the want of dry easy shoes checks the necessary perspiration, which extends its influence to other parts of the body. for children, a kind of half boots, such as may be laced above the ancles, are superior to shoes, as they not only have the advantage of fitting the leg, but are likewise not easily trodden down at the heels, and children can walk more firmly in them than in shoes. short biscuits. beat half a pound of butter to a cream, then add half a pound of loaf sugar finely powdered and sifted, the yolks of two eggs, and a few carraways. mix in a pound of flour well dried, and add as much cream as will make it a proper stiffness for rolling. roll it out on a clean board, and cut the paste into cakes with the top of a glass or cup. bake them on tins for about half an hour.--another way. a quarter of a pound of butter beat to a cream, six ounces of fine sugar powdered and sifted, four yolks of eggs, three quarters of a pound of flour, a little mace, and a little grated lemon peel. make them into a paste, roll it out, and cut it into cakes with the top of a wine glass. currants or carraways may be added if agreeable. short cakes. rub into a pound of dried flour, four ounces of butter, four ounces of powdered sugar, one egg, and a spoonful or two of thin cream to make it into a paste. when mixed, put currants into one half, and carraways into the rest. cut them into little cakes with the top of a wine glass, or canister lid, and bake them a few minutes on floured tins. short crust. dry two ounces of white sugar; after it has been pounded and sifted. mix it with a pound of flour well dried, and rub into it three ounces of butter, so fine as not to be seen. put the yolks of two eggs well beaten into some cream, mix it with the above into a smooth paste, roll it out thin, and bake it in a moderate oven.--another. mix with a pound of fine flour dried, an ounce of sugar pounded and sifted. crumble three ounces of butter into it, till it looks all like flour; and with a glass of boiling cream, work it up to a fine paste.--to make a richer crust, but not sweet, rub six ounces of butter into eight ounces of fine flour. mix it into a stiffish paste, with as little water as possible; beat it well, and roll it thin. this, as well as the former, is proper for tarts of fresh or preserved fruit.--another. to a pound of flour allow six ounces of butter, and a little salt. rub the butter well into the flour with the hand, till the whole is well united, and then put in a small quantity of cold water, just enough to mix it to a paste. mould it quite smooth with the hand, and roll it out for use. short paste. rub a quarter of a pound of butter into a pound of flour, mixed with water and two eggs. work it up to a good stiffness, and roll it out. if for sweet tarts, two table-spoonfuls of sugar should be added. shoulder of lamb forced. bone a shoulder of lamb, and fill it up with forcemeat; braise it two hours over a slow stove. take it up and glaze it, or it may be glazed only, and not braised. serve with sorrel sauce under the lamb. shoulder of lamb grilled. roast a shoulder of lamb till about three parts done, score it both ways into squares about an inch large, rub it over with yolks of egg, season it with pepper and salt, and strew it over with bread crumbs and chopped parsley. set it before the fire, brown it with a salamander, and serve it up with gravy, mushroom ketchup, lemon juice, and a piece of butter rolled in flour. heat it over the fire till it is well thickened. shoulder of mutton. if intended to be boiled with oysters, hang it up some days, and then salt it well for two days. bone it, sprinkle it with pepper, and a little pounded mace. lay some oysters over it, and roll the meat up tight and tie it. stew it in a small quantity of water, with an onion and a few peppercorns, till it is quite tender. prepare a little good gravy, and some oysters stewed in it; thicken this with flour and butter, and pour it over the mutton when the tape is taken off. the stewpan should be kept close covered. if the shoulder is to be roasted, serve it up with onion sauce. the blade-bone may be broiled. shoulder of pork. a shoulder or a breast of pork is best put into pickle. salt the shoulder as a leg; and when very nice it may be roasted, instead of being boiled. shoulder of veal. cut off the knuckle for a stew or gravy, and roast the other part with stuffing. it may be larded, and served with melted butter. the blade-bone, with a good deal of meat left on it, eats extremely well with mushroom or oyster sauce, or with mushroom ketchup in butter. shoulder of venison. the neck and shoulder are roasted the same as the haunch, and served with the same sauce. but if the shoulder is to be stewed, take out the bone, and beat the meat with a rolling-pin. lay amongst it some slices of mutton fat, that have lain a few hours in a little port wine; sprinkle a little pepper and allspice over it in fine powder, roll and tie it up tight. set it in a stewpan that will just hold it, with mutton or beef gravy, half a pint of port wine, with pepper and allspice. simmer it close covered, and very slowly, for three or four hours. when quite tender, take off the tape, set the meat on a dish, and strain the gravy over it. serve with currant-jelly sauce. this is the best way of dressing a shoulder of venison, unless it be very fat, and then it should be roasted. the bone should be stewed with it. shrewsbury cakes. sift one pound of sugar, some pounded cinnamon, and nutmeg grated, into three pounds of fine flour. add a little rose water to three eggs well beaten, and mix with the flour; then pour into it as much melted butter as will make it a good thickness to roll out. mould it well, roll it thin, and cut it into any shape you please. shrimp pie. pick a quart of shrimps; if they be very salt, season them only with mace and a clove or two. mince two or three anchovies, mix them with the spice, and then season the shrimps. put some butter at the bottom of the dish, and over the shrimps, with a glass of sharp white wine. the pie will not take long in baking, and the paste must be light and thin. shrimp sauce. if the shrimps be not ready picked pour over a little water to wash them. put them to butter melted thick and smooth, give them one boil, and add the juice of a lemon. shrub. to a gallon of rum, put a quart of the juice of seville oranges, and two pounds and a half of loaf sugar beaten fine, and then barrel it. steep the rinds of half a dozen oranges in a little rum, the next day strain it into the vessel, and make it up ten gallons with water that has been boiled. stir the liquor twice a day for a fortnight, or the shrub will be spoiled. sick rooms. to purify sick rooms from noxious vapours, exhalations, and all kinds of infected air, put half an ounce of finely pulverized black oxide of manganese into a saucer, and pour upon it nearly an ounce of muriatic acid. place the saucer on the floor of the infected apartment, leave it and shut the door, and the contagion will be completely destroyed. muriatic acid with red oxide of lead will have a similar effect. sulphur burnt for the same purpose, has the power of overcoming the effects of noxious vapours. shallow vessels filled with lime water are of great use in absorbing carbonic acid gas, especially in workshops where charcoal is burnt. newly prepared charcoal will absorb various kinds of noxious effluvia, and might be used with considerable advantage for the purification of privies, if small pieces of it are strewed upon the floor. never venture into a sick room if you are in a violent perspiration (if circumstances require your continuance there for any time,) for the moment your body becomes cold, it is in a state likely to absorb the infection, and give you the disease. nor visit a sick person, (especially if the complaint be of a contagious nature) with an empty stomach; as this disposes the system more readily to receive the contagion. in attending a sick person, place yourself where the air passes from the door or window to the bed of the diseased, not betwixt the diseased person and any fire that is in the room, as the heat of the fire will draw the infectious vapour in that direction, and you would run much danger from breathing in it. silk dyes. silk is usually dyed red with cochineal, or carthamus, and sometimes with brazil wood. archil is employed to give silk a bloom, but it is seldom used by itself, unless when the colour wanted is lilac. silk may be dyed crimson, by steeping it in a solution of alum, and then dyeing it in the usual way in a cochineal bath. poppy colour, cherry, rose, and flesh colour, are given to silk by means of carthamus. the process consists merely in keeping the silk as long as it extracts any colour, in an alkaline solution of carthamus, into which as much lemon juice has been poured, as is sufficient to give it a fine cherry red colour. silk cannot be dyed a full scarlet; but a colour approaching to scarlet may be given to it, by first impregnating the stuff with murio-sulphate of tin, and afterwards dyeing it in equal parts of cochineal and quercitron bark. silk stockings. to clean silk stockings properly, it is necessary first to wash them in a lukewarm liquor of white soap, then to rinse them in clean water, and wash them again as before. they are to be washed a third time in a stronger soap liquor, made hot and tinged with blueing, and rinsed in clean water. before they are quite dry, they are to be stoved with brimstone, and afterwards polished with glass upon a wooden leg. gauzes are whitened in the same manner, only a little gum is put in the soap liquor before they are stoved. silks cleaned. the best method of cleaning silks, woollens, and cottons, without damage to their texture and colour, is to grate some raw potatoes to a fine pulp in clean water, and pass the liquid matter through a coarse sieve into another vessel of water. let the mixture stand till the fine white particles of the potatoes are precipitated; then pour off the liquor, and preserve it for use. the article to be cleaned should then be laid upon a linen cloth on a table; and having provided a clean sponge, dip it into the potatoe liquor, and apply it to the article to be cleaned, till the dirt is made to disappear; then wash it in clean water several times. two middle-sized potatoes will be sufficient for a pint of water. the coarse pulp, which does not pass through the sieve, is of great use in cleaning worsted curtains, tapestry, carpets, and other coarse articles. the mucilaginous liquor will clean all sorts of silk, cotton or woollen goods, without hurting or spoiling the colour. it may also be used in cleaning oil paintings, or furniture that is soiled. dirtied painted wainscots may be cleaned by wetting a sponge in the liquor, then dipping it in a little fine clean sand, and afterwards rubbing the wainscot with it. silvering. for silvering glass globes, and such kind of articles, one part of mercury, and four of tin, are generally used. but if two parts of mercury, one of tin, one of lead, and one of bismuth, are melted together, the compound which they form will answer the purpose better. either of them must be made in an iron ladle, over a clear fire, and be frequently stirred. the glass to be silvered must be very clean and dry. the alloy is poured in at the top, and shaken till the whole internal surface is covered. silvering of ivory. prepare a diluted solution of nitrate of silver, and immerse in it an ivory paper knife. when the ivory has become yellow, in that part where it is in contact with the fluid, take it out and immerse it in an ale glass containing distilled water, placed in a window. in a short time, by exposure to the rays of the sun, it will become intensely black. take it out of the water, wipe it dry, and rub it with a piece of leather. the silver will now appear on the ivory in a metallic state, and the knife will retain its silvery coat for a long time. silvering on silk. paint flowers or figures of any kind on a white silk ribbon, with a camel hair pencil, dipped in a solution of nitrate of silver. immerse this whilst wet in a jar of sulphurous acid gas, by burning sulphur under a jar of atmospheric air. the penciling will then assume a beautiful metallic brilliance. sinapisms. the sinapism is a poultice made of vinegar instead of milk, and rendered warm and stimulating by the addition of mustard, horseradish, or garlic. the common sinapism is made of equal quantities of bread crumbs and mustard, a sufficient quantity of strong vinegar, and mixing all together into a poultice. when a sinapism is required to be more stimulating, a little bruised garlic may be added. sinapisms are employed to recal the blood and spirits to a weak part, as in the case of palsy; they are also of service in deep-seated pains, as in the case of sciatica. when the gout seizes the head or stomach, they are applied to the feet to bring the disorder down, and are likewise applied to the soles of the feet in a low state of fever. they should not be suffered to lie on till they have raised blisters, but till the parts become red, and will continue so when pressed with the finger. sippets. when the stomach is too weak to receive meat, put on a very hot plate two or three sippets of bread, and pour over them some beef, mutton, or veal gravy. flavour with a little salt. simple waters. the most expeditious method of distilling waters is to tie a piece of muslin or gauze, over a glazed earthen pot, whose mouth is just large enough to receive the bottom of a warming pan; on this lay your herb, clipped, whether mint, lavender, or whatever else you please; then place upon them the hot warming-pan, with live coals in it, to cause heat just enough to prevent burning, by which means, as the steam issuing out of the herb cannot mount upwards, by reason of the bottom of the pan just fitting the brim of the vessel below it, it must necessarily descend, and collect into water at the bottom of the receiver, and that strongly impregnated with the essential oil and salt of the vegetable thus distilled; which, if you want to make spirituous, or compound water of, is easily done, by simply adding some good spirits, or french brandy to it, which will keep good for a long time, and be much better than if the spirits had passed through a still, which must of necessity waste some of their strength. care should be taken not to let the fire be too strong, lest it scorch the plants; and to be made of charcoal, for continuance and better regulation, which must be managed by lifting up and laying down the lid, as you want to increase or decrease the degrees of heat. the cooler the season, the deeper the earthen pan; and the less fire at first (afterwards to be gradually raised) in the greater perfection will the distilled water be obtained.--as the more moveable, or volatile parts of vegetables, are the aqueous, the oily, the gummy, the resinous, and the saline, these are to be expected in the waters of this process; the heat here employed being so great as to burst the vessels of the plants, some of which contain so large a quantity of oil, that it may be seen swimming on the surface of the water.--medical waters thus procured will afford us nearly all the native virtues of vegetables, and give us a mixture of their several principles, whence they in a manner come up to the expressed juice, or extract gained therefrom: and if brandy be at the same time added to these distilled waters, so strong of oil and salt, a compound, or spirituous water, may be likewise procured, at a cheap and easy rate.--although a small quantity only of distilled water can be obtained at a time by this confined operation, yet it compensates in strength what is deficient in quantity. such liquors, if well corked up from the air, will keep good a long time, especially if about a twentieth part of any spirits be added, in order to preserve the same more effectually. size from potatoes. one of the beneficial uses of potatoes, not perhaps generally known, is, that the starch of them, quite fresh, and washed only once, may be employed to make size, which, mixed with chalk, and diluted in a little water, forms a very beautiful and good white for ceilings. this size has no smell, while animal size, which putrefies so readily, always exhales a very disagreeable odour. that of potatoes, as it is very little subject to putrefaction, appears, from experience, to be more durable in tenacity and whiteness; and, for white-washing, should be preferred to animal size, the decomposition of which is always accompanied with unhealthy exhalations. skate. in the purchase of this article, observe that it be very white and thick. it requires to be hung up one day at least before it is dressed; if too fresh, it eats tough. skate may either be boiled, or fried in crumbs, being first dipped in egg. crimp skate should be boiled and sent up in a napkin, or it may be fried as above. skate soup. this is made of the stock fish for soup, with an ounce of vermicelli boiled in it, a little before it is served. then add half a pint of cream, beaten with the yolks of two eggs. stir it by the side of the fire, but not on it. serve it up with a small french roll warmed in a dutch oven, and then soaked an hour in the soup. skirrets. hamburgh parsley, scorzonera, and skirrets, are much esteemed for their roots, the only part which is eaten. they should be boiled like young carrots, and they will eat very well with meat, or alone, or in soups. the shoots of salsify in the spring, from the roots of a year old, gathered green and tender, will eat very nice, if boiled in the same manner as asparagus. slate, a well-known, neat, convenient, and durable material, for the covering of the roofs of buildings. there are great varieties of this substance; and it likewise differs very greatly in its qualities and colours. in some places it is found in thick laminæ, or flakes; while in others it is thin and light. the colours are white, brown, and blue. it is so durable, in some cases, as to have been known to continue sound and good for centuries. however, unless it should be brought from a quarry of well reputed goodness, it is necessary to try its properties, which may be done by striking the slate sharply against a large stone, and if it produce a complete sound, it is a mark of goodness; but if in hewing it does not shatter before the edge of the _sect_, or instrument commonly used for that purpose, the criterion is decisive. the goodness of slate may be farther estimated by its colour: the deep black hue is apt to imbibe moisture, but the lighter is always the least penetrable: the touch also may be in some degree a guide, for a good firm stone feels somewhat hard and rough, whereas an open slate feels very smooth, and as it were, greasy. and another method of trying the goodness of slate, is to place the slate-stone lengthwise and perpendicularly in a tub of water, about half a foot deep, care being taken that the upper or unimmersed part of the slate be not accidentally wetted by the hand, or otherwise; let it remain in this state twenty-four hours; if good and firm stone, it will not draw water more than half an inch above the surface of the water, and that perhaps at the edges only, those parts having been a little loosened in the hewing; but a spongy defective stone will draw water to the very top. there is still another mode, held to be infallible. first, weigh two or three of the most suspected slates, noting the weight; then immerge them in a vessel of water twelve hours; take them out, and wipe them as clean as possible with a linen cloth; and if they weigh more than at first, it denotes that quality of slate which imbibes water: a drachm is allowable in a dozen pounds, and no more. it may be noticed, that in laying of this material, a bushel and a half of lime, and three bushels of fresh-water sand, will be sufficient for a square of work; but if it be pin plastered, it will take above as much more: but good slate, well laid and plastered to the pin, will lie an hundred years; and on good timber a much longer time. it has been common to lay the slates dry, or on moss only, but they are much better when laid with plaster. when they are to be plastered to the pin, then about the first quantity of lime and sand will be sufficient for the purpose, when well mixed and blended together, by properly working them. slates differ very much in thickness as well as colour, which suits them for different situations and purposes. a great deal of good slate of various kinds is raised in different parts of wales, and much excellent blue and other coloured sorts is procured from the northern parts of lancashire, and other neighbouring places, as well as from different other counties throughout the kingdom. in some parts the slate is distributed into three kinds, as the best, the middling, and the waste or common sort. sleep. 'tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep,' is indispensible to the continuance of health and life; and the night is appropriated for the recovery of that strength which is expended on the various exercises of the day. but sleep, as well as diet and exercise, ought to be duly regulated; for too little of it, as well as too much, is alike injurious. a medium ought therefore to be observed, though the real proportion cannot be ascertained by any given time, as one person will be more refreshed by five or six hours sleep, than another by eight or ten. children may be allowed to take as much as they please; but for adults, six hours is generally sufficient, and no one ought to exceed eight. to make sleep refreshing, it is necessary to take sufficient exercise in the open air. too much exertion will prevent sleep, as well as too little; yet we seldom hear the active and laborious complain of restless nights, for they generally enjoy the luxury of undisturbed repose. refreshing sleep is often prevented by the use of strong tea, or heavy suppers; and the stomach being loaded, occasions frightful dreams, and broken and interrupted rest. it is also necessary to guard against anxiety and corroding grief: many by indulging these, have banished sleep so long that they could never afterwards enjoy it. sleep taken in the forepart of the night is most refreshing, and nothing more effectually undermines and ruins the constitution than night watching. how quickly the want of rest in due season will destroy the most blooming complexion, or best state of health, may be seen in the ghastly countenances of those who turn the day into night, and the night into day. sliced cucumbers. cut some cucumbers into thick slices, drain them in a cullender, and add some sliced onions. use some strong vinegar, and pickle them in the same manner as gherkins and french beans. slices of beef. to prepare red beef for slices, cut off a piece of thin flank, and remove the skin. rub the beef well with a mixture made of two pounds of common salt, two ounces of bay salt, two ounces of saltpetre, and half a pound of moist sugar, pounded together in a marble mortar. put it into an earthen pan, and turn and rub it daily for a week. then take it out of the brine and wipe it, strew over it pounded mace, cloves, pepper, a little allspice, plenty of chopped parsley, and a few shalots. roll it up, bind it round with tape, boil it quite tender, and press it. when cold cut it into slices, and garnish it with pickled barberries, fresh parsley, or any other approved article. slices of cod. to boil slices of codfish, put plenty of salt into some spring water. boil it up quick, and then put in the fish. keep it boiling, and skim it very clean. it will be done sufficiently in eight or ten minutes. some small pieces may be fried and served round it. oyster, shrimp, or anchovy sauce, should be served with it. slices of ham. bacon or ham may be fried, broiled on a gridiron over a clear fire, or toasted with a fork. the slices should be of the same thickness in every part. to have it curled, the slices should be cut about two inches long, then rolled up, and a little wooden skewer passed through them. put them into a cheese toaster or dutch oven, for eight or ten minutes, turning the slices as they crisp. this is considered the handsomest way of dressing rashers of bacon, but it is best uncurled, because it is crisper, and more equally done. slices of ham or bacon should not be more than half a quarter of an inch thick, and will eat much more mellow if soaked in hot water for a quarter of an hour, and then dried in a cloth, before they are toasted. slices of salmon. when washed, wipe the salmon quite dry. rub the slices over with a soft brush dipped in sweet oil, season with pepper and salt, fold them neatly in clean white paper, and broil them over a clear fire. slight wounds. when fresh wounds bleed much, lint dipped in vinegar or spirits of turpentine, may be pressed upon the surface for a few minutes, and retained by a moderately tight bandage; but if the blood spirts out violently, it shows that an artery is wounded, and it must be held very firmly till a surgeon arrives. but when the blood seems to flow equally from every part of the wound, and there is no reason therefore to suppose that any considerable vessel is wounded, it may be permitted to bleed while the dressings are preparing. the edges of the wound are then to be gently pressed together, and retained by straps of sticking plaster. these may remain on for three or four days, unless the sore becomes painful, or the matter smells offensive, in which case the straps of plaster must be taken off, the parts washed clean with warm water, and fresh slips of plaster applied, nicely adjusted to keep the wound closed. the slips must be laid over the wound crossways, and reach several inches beyond each side of it, in order to hold the parts firmly together. by keeping the limb or part very still, abstaining from strong liquors, taking only light mild food, and keeping the bowels open, all simple wounds may easily be healed in this manner. but poultices, greasy salves, or filling the wound with lint, will have an opposite effect. even ragged or torn wounds may be drawn together and healed by sticking plaster, without any other salves or medicines. a broken shin, or slight ruffling of the skin, may be covered with lint dipped in equal parts of vinegar and brandy, and left to stick on, unless the place inflames; and then weak goulard is the best remedy. common cuts may be kept together by sticking plaster, or with only a piece of fine linen rag, or thread bound round them. the rag applied next to a cut or wound of any kind, should always be of white linen; but calico, or coloured rags, will do quite as well for outward bandages. important wounds should always be committed to the care of a skilful surgeon. slugs. these reptiles do great damage in fields and gardens, especially to crops of lettuces, cabbages, or turnips. their track is perceived by the shining and slimy substance which they leave behind them. there are several kinds of these little animals. the white and brown leathery kind often even destroy the strong stems of young cabbage, and other similar plants. the destruction of them has been suggested to be effected by the use of tar-water, sprinkled over the ground; and also by having recourse to lime, in the preparation of the land for such crops. they conceal themselves in the holes and crevices, only making their appearance early in mornings and late in the evenings. the white slug or snail is likewise very destructive to young turnip crops, by rising out of the holes of the soils, on wet and dewy mornings and evenings. rolling the ground with a heavy implement, before the sun rises, has been advised as a means of destroying them in these cases. slugs of this sort are likewise very destructive, in some districts, to the roots of corn crops, during the day-time, in the early spring months, while they lie concealed in the ground, by eating and devouring them; and by coming out in the evenings, and during the night-time, to commit ravages on the blades, and other parts above the ground. numbers of them are sometimes met with upon the same plant, and they may easily be extirpated and removed from the land by the above practice, while they are at work, especially in moon-light seasons, and any further injury to the crops be guarded against. warm moist weather is always a great encouragement to their coming out of their hiding-places; and advantage should constantly be taken of it for their extermination, as they suddenly retire under ground during the time of cold. the strong lands of other places are occasionally much infested with them in the pea, bean, and rye crops and stubbles, as well as clover roots, when a wheat crop is put in upon them. the slugs, in some cases, are of about half an inch in length, having their backs of a blueish cast in the skin part, and their under parts wholly of a white appearance. a mixture of sulphur and lime, made so as to be conveniently applied, has been found to be highly destructive of them in general.--the use of lime-water has lately been advised as an excellent and cheap mode of destroying slugs in gardens, as well as fields, in the second volume of the transactions of the horticultural society of london. it is found to be far preferable, in this intention, to quicklime, which is liable to become too soon saturated with moisture, and rendered ineffectual. the manner of employing the water is after it has been newly made from stone lime, by means of hot water poured upon it, to pour it through the fine rose of a watering-pot over the slugs, which have been collected by means of pea-haulm, or some other similar substance, laid down on the ground in portions, at the distance of about a pole from each other. in proper weather, the slugs soon collect in this way, in great numbers, for shelter as well as to get food. when a boy takes up the substance, and by a gentle shake leaves the whole of the slugs on the ground, another person then pours a small quantity of lime-water on them, and the boy removes the haulmy material to some intermediate place, in order that the same practice may be repeated. by persevering in this method for a little while, the whole of the slugs may be destroyed, as the least drop of the water speedily kills them. this practice, it is supposed, will be found highly beneficial in the flower-garden, as by watering the edgings of box, thrift, or other kinds, the slugs will be killed with certainty, even when the weather is moist. the application is considered simple, the effect certain, and the expence trifling, whether in the garden or the field; a few pots only being required, in the latter case, to the acre, which can be made with a very small quantity of lime. and the labour is not of any material consequence, so that the whole charge will not, it is imagined, exceed five shillings the acre.--to prevent slugs from getting into fruit trees. if the trees are standards, tie a coarse horse-hair rope about them, two or three feet from the ground. if they are against the wall, nail a narrow slip of coarse horse-hair cloth against the wall, about half a foot from the ground, and they will never get over it, for if they attempt it, it will kill them, as their bellies are soft, and the horse-hair will wound them. small coal. there is generally a great waste in the article of coal, owing to the quantity of dust found amongst it; but this if wetted makes the strongest fire for the back of the grate, where it should remain untouched till it is formed into a cake. cinders lightly wetted give a great degree of heat, and are better than coal for furnaces, ironing stoves, and ovens. they should be carefully preserved and sifted in a covered tin bucket, which prevents the dispersion of the dust. small pox. previous to the appearance of the eruption, the patient should be kept in a cool dry apartment, and abstain from all animal food, cheese, and pastry. the diet should consist of cooling vegetables, ripe fruit, pearl barley, and sago. the drink may be barley water, with a few drops of vinegar or cream of tartar, or lukewarm milk and water; but neither beer nor wine must be allowed. in case of an obstruction of the bowels, mild laxatives or clysters may be given; and if the throat be affected, it should be gargled with vinegar and water. warm fomentations should be applied to the neck, and mustard poultices to the feet. after the eruption has made its appearance, the recovery of the patient may be chiefly entrusted to nature, while proper attention is paid to diet and regimen. but if the pustules begin to disappear, blisters ought to be immediately applied to the calves of the legs, and parsley-root boiled in milk should frequently be eaten, in order to encourage the eruption. when the pustules suddenly sink in, it denotes danger, and medical assistance should speedily be procured. in case of inoculation, which introduces the disease in a milder form, and has been the means of saving the lives of many thousands, a similar mode of treatment is required. for about a week or ten days previous to inoculation, the patient should adhere to a regular diet; avoiding all animal food, seasoned dishes, wine and spirits, and should live sparingly on fruit pies, puddings, and vegetables. the same regimen must be observed as in the former instance, during the progress of the disease, and then, but little medicine will be required. small rice puddings. wash two large spoonfuls of rice, and simmer it with half a pint of milk till it is thick. put in a piece of butter the size of an egg, and nearly half a pint of thick cream, and give it one boil. when cold, mix four yolks and two whites of eggs well beaten, sugar and nutmeg to taste. add grated lemon, and a little cinnamon. butter some small cups, and fill them three parts full, putting at bottom some orange or citron. bake them three quarters of an hour in a slowish oven. serve them up the moment they are to be eaten, with sweet sauce in the dish, or in a boat. smell of paint. when a room is newly painted, place three or four tubs full of water near the wainscot, and renew the water daily. in two or three days it will absorb all the offensive effluvia arising from the paint, and render the room wholesome. the smell of paint may also be prevented, by dissolving some frankincense in spirits of turpentine over a slow fire, and mixing it with the paint before it be laid on. smelling bottle. reduce to powder an equal quantity of sal-ammoniac and quicklime separately, put two or three drops of the essence of bergamot into a small bottle, then add the other ingredients, and cork it close. a drop or two of æther will improve it. smelts. this delicate fish is caught in the thames, and some other large rivers. when good and in season, they have a fine silvery hue, are very firm, and have a refreshing smell like cucumbers newly cut. they should not be washed more than is necessary merely to clean them. dry them in a cloth, lightly flour them, and shake it off. dip them in plenty of eggs, then into bread crumbs grated fine, and plunge them into a good pan of boiling lard. let them continue gently boiling, and a few minutes will make them a bright yellow-brown. take care not to take off the light roughness of the crumbs, or their beauty will be lost. smoked herrings. clean and lay them in salt one night, with saltpetre; then hang them on a stick, through the eyes, in a row. have ready an old cask, in which put some saw-dust, and in the midst of it a heater red-hot. fix the stick over the smoke, and let them remain twenty-four hours. smoky chimnies. the plague of a smoking chimney is proverbial, and has engaged considerable attention from observers of various descriptions. smoky chimnies in a new house, are such, frequently, for want of air. the workmanship of the rooms being all good and just out of the workman's hands, the joints of the flooring and of the pannels of the wainscoting are all true and tight; the more so as the walls, perhaps not yet thoroughly dry, preserve a dampness in the air of the room which keeps the woodwork swelled and close: the doors and the sashes too being worked with truth, shut with exactness, so that the room is perfectly tight, no passage being left open for the air to enter except the key-hole, and even that is frequently closed by a little dropping shutter. in this case it is evident that there can be no regular current through the flue of the chimney, as any air escaping from its aperture would cause an exhaustion in the air of the room similar to that in the receiver of an air-pump, and therefore an equal quantity of air would rush down the flue to restore the equilibrium; accordingly the smoke, if it ever ascended to the top, would be beat down again into the room. those, therefore, who stop every crevice in a room to prevent the admission of fresh air, and yet would have their chimney carry up the smoke, require inconsistencies and expect impossibilities. the obvious remedy in this case is, to admit more air, and the question will be how and where this necessary quantity of air from without is to be admitted, so as to produce the least inconvenience; for if the door or window be left so much open, it causes a cold draft of air to the fire-place, to the great discomfort of those who sit there. various have been the contrivances to avoid this, such as bringing in fresh air through pipes in the jambs of the chimney, which, pointing upwards, should blow the smoke up the funnel; opening passages in the funnel above to let in air for the same purpose; but these produce an effect contrary to that intended, for as it is the constant current of air passing from the room through the opening of the chimney into the flue, which prevents the smoke coming out into the room, if the funnel is supplied by other means with the air it wants, and especially if that air be cold, the force of that current is diminished, and the smoke in its efforts to enter the room finds less resistance. the wanted air must then indispensably be admitted into the room to supply what goes off through the opening of the chimney, and it is advisable to make the aperture for this purpose as near the ceiling as possible, because the heated air will naturally ascend and occupy the highest part of the room, thus causing a great difference of climate at different heights, a defect which will be in some measure obviated by the admission of cold air near the ceiling, which descending, will beat down and mingle the air more effectually. another cause of smoky chimnies is too short a funnel, as, in this case, the ascending current will not always have sufficient power to direct the smoke up the flue. this defect is frequently found in low buildings, or the upper stories of high ones, and is unavoidable, for if the flue be raised high above the roof to strengthen its draft, it is then in danger of being blown down and crushing the roof in its fall. the remedy in this case is to contract the opening of the chimney so as to oblige all the entering air to pass through or very near the fire, by which means it will be considerably heated, and by its great rarefaction, cause a powerful draft, and compensate for the shortness of its column. the case of too short a funnel is more general than would be imagined, and often found where one would not expect it; for it is not uncommon in ill-contrived buildings, instead of having a separate funnel for each fire-place, to bend and turn the funnel of an upper room so as to make it enter the side of another flue that comes from below. by this means the funnel of the upper room is made short, of course, since its length can only be reckoned from the place where it enters the lower funnel, and that flue is also shortened by all the distance between the entrance of the second funnel and the top of the stack; for all that part being readily supplied with air through the second flue, adds no strength to the draft, especially as that air is cold when there is no fire in the second chimney. the only easy remedy here, is to keep the opening shut of that flue in which there is no fire. another very common cause of the smoking of chimnies is, their overpowering one another. for instance, if there be two chimnies in one large room, and you make fires in both of them, you will find that the greater and stronger fire shall overpower the weaker, and draw air down its funnel to supply its own demand, which air descending in the weaker funnel will drive down its smoke, and force it into the room. if, instead of being in one room, the two chimnies are in two different rooms communicating by a door, the case is the same whenever that door is open. the remedy is, to take care that every room have the means of supplying itself from without, with the air its chimney may require, so that no one of them may be obliged to borrow from another, nor under the necessity of lending. another cause of smoking is, when the tops of chimnies are commanded by higher buildings, or by a hill, so that the wind blowing over such eminences falls like water over a dam, sometimes almost perpendicularly on the tops of the chimnies that lie in its way, and beats down the smoke contained in them. the remedy commonly applied in this case is, a turn-cap, made of tin or plate-iron, covering the chimney above, and on three sides, open on one side, turning on a spindle, and which being guided or governed by a vane, always presents its back to the wind. this method will generally be found effectual, but if not, raising the flues, where practicable, so as their tops may be on a level with or higher than the commanding eminence, is more to be depended on. there is another case of command, the reverse of that last mentioned; it is where the commanding eminence is farther from the wind than the chimney commanded. for instance, suppose the chimney of a building to be so situated as that its top is below the level of the ridge of the roof, which, when the wind blows against it, forms a kind of dam against its progress. in this case, the wind being obstructed by this dam, will, like water, press and search for passages through it, and finding the top of the chimney below the top of the dam, it will force itself down that funnel in order to get through by some door or window open on the other side of the building, and if there be a fire in such chimney, its smoke is of course beat down and fills the room. the only remedy for this inconvenience is, to raise the funnel higher than the roof, supporting it, if necessary, by iron bars; for a turn-cap in this case has no effect, the dammed up air pressing down through it in whatever position the wind may have placed its opening. chimnies otherwise drawing well are sometimes made to smoke by the improper and inconvenient situation of a door. when the door and chimney are placed on the same side of a room, if the door is made to open from the chimney, it follows, that when only partly opened, a current of air is admitted and directed across the opening of the chimney, which is apt to draw out some of the smoke. chimnies which generally draw well, do, nevertheless, sometimes give smoke into the room, it being driven down by strong winds passing over the tops of their flues, though not descending from any commanding eminence. to understand this, it may be considered that the rising light air, to obtain a free issue from the funnel, must push out of its way, or oblige the air that is over it to rise. in a time of calm, or of little wind, this is done visibly; for we see the smoke that is brought up by that air rise in a column above the chimney. but when a violent current of wind passes over the top of a chimney, its particles have received so much force, which keeps them in a horizontal direction, and follow each other so rapidly, that the rising light air has not strength sufficient to oblige them to quit that direction, and move upwards to permit its issue. add to this, that some of the air may impinge on that part of the inside of the funnel which is opposed to its progress, and be thence reflected downwards from side to side, driving the smoke before it into the room. the simplest and best remedy in this case is the application of a chimney-pot, which is a hollow truncated cone of earthenware placed upon the top of the flue. the intention of this contrivance is, that the wind and eddies which strike against the oblique surface of these covers may be reflected upwards instead of blowing down the chimney. the bad construction of _fire-places_ is another cause of smoking chimneys; and this case will lead us to the consideration of the methods of increasing the heat and diminishing the consumption of fuel; for it will be found that the improvements necessary to produce the last-mentioned end will also have a general tendency to cure smoky chimnies. on this subject the meritorious labours of count rumford are conspicuous, and we shall proceed to give an abridged account of his method. in investigating the best form of a fire-place, it will be necessary to consider, first, what are the objects which ought principally to be had in view in the construction of a fire-place; and, secondly, to consider how these objects can best be attained. now the design of a chimney-fire being simply to warm a room, it is essential to contrive so that this end shall be actually attained, and with the least possible expence of fuel, and also that the air of the room be preserved perfectly pure and fit for respiration, and free from smoke and all disagreeable smells. to cause as many as possible of the rays, as they are sent off from the fire in straight lines, to come directly into the room, it will be necessary, in the first place, to bring the fire as far forward, and to leave the opening of the fire-place as wide and high as can be done without inconvenience; and secondly, to make the sides and back of the fire-place of such form, and of such materials, as to cause the direct rays from the fire which strike against them, to be sent into the room by reflection in the greatest abundance. now, it will be found, upon examination, that the best form for the vertical sides of a fire-place, or the _covings_, as they are called, is that of an upright plane, making an angle with the plane of the back of the fire-place of about degrees. according to the old construction of chimnies, this angle is degrees, or forms a right angle; but, as in this case the two covings are parallel to each other, it is evident that they are very ill contrived for throwing into the room, by reflection, the rays from the fire which fall on them. the next improvement will be to reduce the throat of the chimney, the immoderate size of which is a most essential fault in their construction; for, however good the formation of a fire-place may be in other respects, if the opening left for the passage of the smoke is larger than is necessary for that purpose, nothing can prevent the warm air of the room from escaping through it; and whenever this happens, there is not only an unnecessary loss of heat, but the warm air, which leaves the room to go up the chimney, being replaced by cold air from without, produces those drafts of air so often complained of. but though these evils may be remedied, by reducing the throat of the chimney to a proper size, yet, in doing this, several considerations will be necessary to determine its proper situation. as the smoke and hot vapour which rise from a fire naturally tend upwards, it is evident that it will be proper to place the throat of the chimney perpendicularly over the fire; but to ascertain its most advantageous distance, or how far above the burning fuel it ought to be placed, is not so easy, and requires several advantages and disadvantages to be balanced. as the smoke and vapour rise in consequence of their being rarefied by heat, and made lighter than the air of the surrounding atmosphere, and as the degree of their rarefraction is in proportion to the intensity of their heat, and as this heat is greater near the fire than at a distance from it, it is clear, that the nearer the throat of a chimney is to the fire, the stronger will be what is commonly called its draught, and the less danger there will be of its smoking, or of dust coming into the room when the fire is stirred. but, on the other hand, when a very strong draught is occasioned by the throat of the chimney being very near the fire, it may happen that the influx of air into the fire may become so strong as to cause the fuel to be consumed too rapidly. this however will very seldom be found to be the case, for the throats of chimnies are in general too high. in regard to the materials which it will be most advantageous to employ in the construction of fire-places, little difficulty will attend the determination of that point. as the object in view is to bring radiant heat into the room, it is clear that that material is best for the construction of a fire-place which reflects the most, or which absorbs the least of it, for that heat which is absorbed cannot be reflected. now, as bodies which absorb radiant heat are necessarily heated in consequence of that absorption; to discover which of the various materials that can be employed for constructing fire-places are best adapted for that purpose, we have only to find, by an experiment very easy to be made, what bodies acquire least heat, when exposed to the direct rays of a clear fire; for those which are least heated evidently absorb the least, and consequently reflect the most radiant heat. and hence it appears that iron, and in general metals of all kinds, which are well known to grow very hot when exposed to the rays projected by burning fuel, are to be reckoned among the very worst materials that it is possible to employ in the construction of fire-places. perhaps the best materials are fire-stone and common bricks and mortar. these substances are fortunately very cheap, and it is not easy to say to which of the two the preference ought to be given. when bricks are used, they should be covered with a thin coating of plaster, which, when perfectly dry, should be white-washed. the fire-stone should likewise be white-washed, when that is used; and every part of the fire-place which does not come into actual contact with the burning fuel should be kept as white and clean as possible. the bringing forward of the fire into the room, or rather bringing it nearer to the front of the opening of the fire-place, and the diminishing of the throat of the chimney, being two objects principally had in view in the alterations of fire-places recommended, it is evident that both these may be attained merely by bringing forward the back of the chimney. it will then remain to be determined how far the back should be brought forward. this point will be limited by the necessity of leaving a proper passage for the smoke. now, as this passage, which in its narrowest part is called the throat of the chimney, ought, for reasons before stated, to be immediately or perpendicularly over the fire, it is evident that the back of the chimney should be built perfectly upright. to determine therefore the place of the new back, nothing more is necessary than to ascertain how wide the throat of the chimney ought to be left. this width is determined by count rumford from numerous experiments, and comparing all circumstances, to be four inches. therefore, supposing the breast of the chimney, or the wall above the mantle, to be nine inches thick, allowing four inches for the width of the throat, this will give thirteen inches for the depth of the fire-place. the next consideration will be the width which it will be proper to give to the back. this, in fire-places of the old construction, is the same with the width of the opening in front; but this construction is faulty, on two accounts; first, because the covings being parallel to each other, are ill contrived to throw out into the room the heat they receive from the fire in the form of rays; and, secondly, the large open corners occasion eddies of wind which frequently disturb the fire and embarrass the smoke in its ascent, in such a manner as to bring it into the room. both these defects may be entirely remedied, by diminishing the width of the back of the fire-place. the width which in most cases it will be best to give it, is one-third of the width of the opening of the fire-place in front. but it is not absolutely necessary to conform rigorously to this decision, nor will it always be possible. where a chimney is designed for warming a room of moderate size, the depth of the fire-place being determined by the thickness of the breast to thirteen inches, the same dimensions would be a good size for the width of the back, and three times thirteen inches, or three feet three inches, for the width of the opening in front, and the angles made by the back of the fire-place, and the sides of it, or covings, would be just degrees, which is the best position they can have for throwing heat into the room. in determining the width of this opening in front, the chimney is supposed to be perfectly good, and well situated. if there is any reason to apprehend its ever smoking, it will be necessary to reduce the opening in front, placing the covings at a less angle than degrees, and especially to diminish the height of the opening by lowering the mantle. if from any consideration, such as the wish to accommodate the fire-place to a grate or stove already on hand, it should be wished to make the back wider than the dimension recommended, as for instance, sixteen inches; it will be advisable not to exceed the width of three feet three inches for the opening in front, as in a very wide and shallow fire-place, any sudden motion of the air in front would be apt to bring out puffs of smoke into the room. the throat of the chimney being reduced to four inches, it will be necessary to make a provision for the passage of a chimney sweeper. this is to be done in the following manner. in building up the new back of the fire-place, when this wall is brought up so high that there remains no more than about ten or eleven inches between what is then the top of it and the underside of the mantle, an opening or door-way, eleven or twelve inches wide, must be begun in the middle of the back, and continued quite to the top of it, which according to the height that it will commonly be necessary to carry up the back, will make the opening twelve or fourteen inches high, which will be quite sufficient for the purpose. when the fire-place is finished, this door-way is to be closed by a few bricks laid without mortar, or a tile or piece of stone confined in its place by means of a rebate made for that purpose in the brick-work. as often as the chimney is swept, the chimney sweeper removes this temporary wall or stone, which is very easily done, and when he has finished his work, he again puts it in its place. the new back and covings may be built either of brick-work or of stone, and the space between them and the old back and covings, ought to be filled up to give greater solidity to the structure. this may be done with loose rubbish or pieces of broken bricks or stones, provided the work be strengthened by a few layers or courses of bricks laid in mortar; but it will be indispensably necessary to finish the work where these new walls end, that is to say, at the top of the throat of the chimney, where it ends abruptly in the open canal or flue, by a horizontal course of bricks well secured with mortar. it is of much importance that they should terminate in this manner; for were they to be sloped outward and raised in such a manner as to swell out the upper extremity of the throat of the chimney in the form of a trumpet, and increase it by degrees to the size of the flue of the chimney, this construction would tend to assist the winds which may attempt to blow down the chimney, in forcing their way through the throat, and throwing the smoke backward into the room. the internal form of the breast of the chimney is also a matter of great importance, and which ought to be particularly attended to. the worst form it can have is that of a vertical plane or upright flat, and next to this the worst form is an inclined plane. both these forms cause the current of warm air from the room which will, in spite of every precaution, sometimes find its way into the chimney, to cross upon the current of smoke which rises from the fire in a manner most likely to embarrass it in its ascent and drive it back. the current of air which, passing under the mantle, gets into the chimney, should be made gradually to bend its course upwards, by which means it will unite quietly with the ascending current of smoke, and will be less likely to check and impede its progress. this is to be effected by rounding off the inside of the breast of the chimney, which may be done by a thick coating of plaster. when the breast or wall of the chimney in front is very thin, it may happen, that the depth of the fire-place determined according to the preceding rules may be too small. thus supposing the breast to be only four inches thick, which is sometimes the case, particularly in rooms situated near the top of a house, taking four inches for the width of the throat, will give only eight inches for the depth of the fire-place. in this case, it would be proper to increase the depth of the fire-place at the hearth to twelve or thirteen inches, and to build up the back perpendicularly to the height of the top of the grate, and then sloping the back by a gentle inclination forward, bring it to its proper place directly under the back part of the throat of the chimney. this slope, though it ought not to be too abrupt, yet should be quite finished at the height of eight or ten inches above the fire, otherwise it may perhaps cause the chimney to smoke; but when it is very near the fire, its heat will enable the current of rising smoke to overcome the obstacle which this slope will oppose to its ascent, which it could not so easily do, were the slope situated at a greater distance from the burning fuel. there is one important circumstance respecting chimney fire-places designed for burning coals which remains to be examined, and that is the grate. although there are few grates that may not be used in chimnies, altered or constructed on the principles recommended by count rumford, yet they are not by any means all equally well adapted for that purpose. those whose construction is most simple, and which of course are the cheapest, are beyond comparison the best on all accounts. nothing being wanted but merely a grate to contain the coals, and all additional apparatus being not only useless but pernicious; all complicated and expensive grates should be laid aside, and such as are more simple substituted in their room. the proper width for grates in rooms of a middling size, will be from six to eight inches, and their length may be diminished more or less according to the difficulty of heating the room, or the severity of the weather. but where the width of a grate is not more than five inches, it will be very difficult to prevent the fire from going out. it has been before observed that the use of metals is as much as possible to be avoided in the construction of fire-places, it will therefore be proper always to line the back and sides of a grate with fire stone, which will cause the fire to burn better and give more heat into the room. snails. these are a species of slugs covered with shell, and which are very destructive to wall fruit. to prevent their ascending the standard trees, tie a coarse horse-hair rope about them, two or three feet from the ground; and to secure the wall trees, nail a narrow slip of horse-hair cloth against the wall, about half an inch from the ground, underneath the branches of the tree. in the winter time the snails may be found in the holes of walls, under thorns, behind old trees or close hedges, and might be taken and destroyed. when they attack vegetables, a few sliced turnips laid on the borders will attract them in the evening, when they may easily be gathered up. lime and ashes strewed on the ground, will also prevent their depredations. snipes. these birds will keep several days, and should be roasted without drawing, and then served on toast. butter only should be eaten with them, as gravy takes off from the fine flavour. the thigh and back are most esteemed. snipes in ragout. slit them down the backs, but do not take out the insides; toss them up with a little melted bacon fat, seasoned with pepper and salt, and a little mushroom ketchup; when they are enough, squeeze in a little juice of lemon, and serve them up. snipes in surtout. half roast your snipes, and save the trail; then make a forcemeat with veal, and as much beef suet chopped, and beat in a mortar; add an equal quantity of bread crumbs: season it with beaten mace, pepper, salt, parsley, and sweet herbs shred fine; mix all together, and moisten it with the yolks of eggs: lay a rim of this forcemeat round the dish, then put in your snipes. take strong gravy, according to your dish, with morels and truffles, a few mushrooms, a sweetbread cut in pieces, and an artichoke bottom cut small: let all stew together, then beat up the yolks of two or three eggs with a little white wine; pour this into your gravy, and keep it stirring till it is of a proper thickness, then let it stand to cool; work up the remainder of your forcemeat, and roll it out as you do paste; pour your sauce over the birds, and lay on your forcemeat; close the edges, and wash it over with the yolks of eggs, and strew bread crumbs over that; send it to the oven about half an hour, and then to table as hot as you can. snow balls. swell some rice in milk, and strain it off. having pared and cored some apples, put the rice round them, and tie up each in a cloth. add to each a bit of lemon peel, a clove, or cinnamon, and boil them well. snow cream. put to a quart of cream the whites of three eggs well beaten, four spoonfuls of sweet wine, sugar to sweeten, and a bit of lemon peel. whip it to a froth, remove the peel, and serve the cream in a dish. soldering. put into a crucible two ounces of lead, and when it is melted, throw in an ounce of tin. this alloy is that generally known by the name of solder. when heated by a hot iron, and applied to tinned iron, with powdered rosin, it acts as a cement or solder. it is also used to join leaden pipes, and other articles. soles. a fine thick sole is almost as good eating as turbot, and may be boiled in the same way. wash the fish and clean it nicely, put it into a fish-kettle with a handful of salt, and as much cold water as will cover it. set it on the side of the fire, take off the scum as it rises, and let it boil gently about five minutes, or longer if it be very large. send it up on a fish-drainer, garnished with slices of lemon and sprigs of curled parsley, or nicely fried smelts, or oysters. slices of lemon for garnish are universally approved, either with fried or boiled fish. parsley and butter, or fennel and butter, make an excellent sauce; chervil sauce, or anchovies, are also approved. boiled soles are very good warmed up like eels, or covered with white wine sauce. when soles are very large, the best way is to take off the fillets, trim them neatly, and press them dry in a soft cloth. egg them over, strew on fine bread crumbs, and fry them. or skin and wash a pair of large soles very clean, dry them in a cloth, wash them with the yolk of an egg on both sides, and strew over them a little flour, and a few bread crumbs; fry them of a fine gold colour, in florence oil, enough to cover them; when done, drain them, and lay them into an earthen dish that will hold them at length, and set them by to cool; then make the marinate with a pint of the best vinegar, half a pint of sherry, some salt, pepper, nutmeg, two cloves, and a blade of mace; boil all together for about ten minutes, then pour it over the fish hot, the next day they will be fit for use. when you dish them up, put some of the liquor over them; garnish the dish with fennel, sliced lemon, barberries, and horseradish. if you have any fried fish cold, you may put it into this marinate.--to fricassee soles white. clean your soles very well, bone them nicely, and if large, cut them in eight pieces, if small, only in four; take off the heads; put the heads and bones, an anchovy, a faggot of sweet herbs, a blade or two of mace, some whole pepper, salt, an onion, and a crust of bread, all into a clean saucepan, with a pint of water, cover it close, and let it boil till a third is wasted; strain it through a fine sieve into a stew-pan; put in your soles with a gill of white wine, a little parsley chopped fine, a few mushrooms cut in two, a piece of butter rolled in flour, enough to thicken your sauce; set it over your stove, shake your pan frequently, till they are enough, and of a good thickness; take the scum off very clean, dish them up, and garnish with lemon and barberries.--another way. strip off the black skin of the fish, but not the white; then take out the bones, and cut the flesh into slices about two inches long; dip the slices in the yolks of eggs, and strew over them raspings of bread; then fry them in clarified butter, and when they are fried enough, take them out on a plate, and set them by the fire till you have made the following sauce. take the bones of the fish, boil them up with water, and put in some anchovy and sweet herbs, such as thyme and parsley, and add a little pepper, cloves and mace. when these have boiled together some time, take the butter in which the fish was fried, put it into a pan over the fire, shake flour into it, and keep it stirring while the flour is shaking in; then strain the liquor into it, in which the fish bones, herbs, and spice were boiled, and boil it together, till it is very thick, adding lemon juice to your taste. put your fish into a dish, and pour the sauce over it; serve it up, garnished with slices of lemon and fried parsley. this dish may take place on any part of the table, either in the first or second course.--another way. take a pair of large soles, skin and clean them well, pour a little vinegar, and strew some salt over them; let them lay in this till they are to be used. when you want to boil them, take a clean stew-pan, put in a pint of white wine, and a little water, a faggot of sweet herbs, an onion stuck with three or four cloves, a blade of mace, a little whole pepper, and a little salt. when your soles are enough, take them up, and lay them into a dish, strain off the liquor, put it into the stew-pan, with a good piece of butter rolled in flour, and half a pint of white shrimps clean picked; toss all up together, till it is of a proper thickness; take care to skim it very clean, pour it over the fish. garnish the dish with scraped horseradish, and sliced lemon; or you may send them to table plain, and for sauce, chop the meat of a lobster, bruise the body very smooth with a spoon, mix it with your liquor, and send it to table in a boat or bason. this is much the best way to dress a small turbot. sole pie. split some soles from the bone, and cut the fins close. season with a mixture of salt, pepper, a little nutmeg and pounded mace, and put them in layers, with oysters. a pair of middling-sized soles will be sufficient, and half a hundred oysters. put in the dish the oyster liquor, two or three spoonfuls of broth, and some butter. when the pie comes from the oven, pour in a cupful of thick cream, and it will eat excellently.--another way. clean and bone a pair of large soles; boil about two pounds of eels tender; take off all the meat, put the bones into the water they were boiled in, with the bones of the soles, a blade of mace, whole pepper, and a little salt; let this boil till you have about half a pint of strong broth. take the flesh off the eels, and chop it very fine, with a little lemon peel, an anchovy, parsley, and bread crumbs: season with pepper, salt, nutmeg, and beaten mace; melt a quarter of a pound of butter, and work all up to a paste. sheet the dish with a good puff-paste; lay the forcemeat on the paste, and then lay in the soles; strain off the broth, scum it clean, pour over the fish a sufficient quantity, and lay on the lid. when it comes from the oven, if you have any of the broth left, you may warm it, and pour it into the pie. solid syllabubs. mix a quart of thick raw cream, one pound of refined sugar, a pint and a half of fine raisin wine, in a deep pan; and add the grated peel and the juice of three lemons. beat or whisk it one way, half an hour; then put it on a sieve, with a piece of thin muslin laid smooth in the shallow end, till the next day. put it in glasses: it will keep good in a cool place ten days. somersetshire syllabub. put into a large china bowl a pint of port, a pint of sherry, or other white wine, and sugar to taste. milk the bowl full. in twenty minutes' time, cover it pretty high with clouted cream. grate nutmeg over it, add pounded cinnamon, and nonpareil comfits. sore breasts. sore breasts in females, during the time of suckling, are often occasioned by the improper practice of drawing the breasts, which is both painful and dangerous. if they get too full and hard before the infant can be applied, it is better to let them remain a few hours in that state, than to use any unnatural means, or else to present the breast to a child that is a few months old. it is the application of too great force in drawing them, placing a child to suck at improper times, the use of stimulating liquors and heated rooms, which frequently occasion milk fevers and abscesses in the breast. the nipple is sometimes so sore, that the mother is sometimes obliged to refuse the breast, and a stagnation takes place, which is accompanied with ulcerations and fever. to prevent these dangerous affections, the young mother should carefully protrude the nipple between her fingers to make it more prominent, and cover it with a hollow nutmeg several weeks previous to her delivery. but if the parts be already in a diseased state, it will be proper to bathe them with lime water, or diluted port wine. after this the breast should be dressed with a little spermaceti ointment, or a composition of white wax and olive oil, which is mild and gentle. if this do not answer the purpose, take four ounces of diachylon, two ounces of olive oil, and one ounce of vinegar. boil them together over a gentle fire, keep stirring them till reduced to an ointment, and apply a little of it to the nipple on a fine linen rag. if accompanied with fever, take the bark in electuary three or four times a day, the size of a nutmeg, and persevere in it two or three weeks if necessary. sore eyes. pound together in a mortar, an ounce of bole-ammoniac, and a quarter of an ounce of white copperas. shred fine an ounce of camphor, and mix the ingredients well together. pour on them a quart of boiling water, stir the mixture till it is cold, and apply a drop or two to the eye, to remove humours or inflammation. a cooling eye-water may be made of a dram of lapis calaminaris finely powdered, mixed with half a pint of white wine, and the same of plantain water. sore throat. an easy remedy for this disorder is to dip a piece of broad black ribband into hartshorn, and wear it round the throat two or three days. if this be not sufficient, make a gargle in the following manner. boil a little green sage in water, strain it, and mix it with vinegar and honey. or pour a pint of boiling verjuice on a handful of rosemary tops in a basin, put a tin funnel over it with the pipe upwards, and let the fume go to the throat as hot as it can be borne. a common drink for a sore throat may be made of two ounces of turkey figs, the same quantity of sun raisins cut small, and two ounces of pearl barley, boiled in three pints of water till reduced to a quart. boil it gently, then strain it, and take it warm. sometimes a handful of salt heated in an earthen pan, then put into a flannel bag, and applied as hot as possible round the throat, will answer the purpose. a fumigation for a sore throat may be made in the following manner. boil together a pint of vinegar, and an ounce of myrrh, for half an hour, and pour the liquor into a basin. place over it the large part of a funnel that fits the basin, and let the patient inhale the vapour by putting the pipe of the funnel into his mouth. the fumigation must be applied as hot as possible, and renewed every quarter of an hour, till the patient is relieved. for an inflammation or putrid sore throat, or a quinsey, this will be found of singular use if persisted in. sorrel sauce. wash and clean a quantity of sorrel, put it into a stewpan that will just hold it, with a piece of butter, and cover it close. set it over a slow fire for a quarter of an hour, pass the sorrel with the back of a wooden spoon through a hair sieve, season it with pepper and salt, and a dust of powdered sugar. make it hot, and serve it up under lamb, veal, or sweetbreads. cayenne, nutmeg, and lemon juice, are sometimes added. sorrel soup. make a good gravy with part of a knuckle of veal, and the scrag end of a neck or a chump end of a loin of mutton. season it with a bunch of sweet herbs, pepper, and salt, and two or three cloves. when the meat is quite stewed down, strain it off, and let it stand till cold. clear it well from the fat, put it into a stewpan with a young fowl nicely trussed, and set it over a slow fire. wash three or four large handfuls of sorrel, chop it a little, fry it in butter, put it into the soup, and let the whole stew till the fowl is well done. skim it very clean, and serve it up with the fowl in the soup. soups. it has generally been considered as good economy to use the cheapest and most inferior kind of meat for broths and soups, and to boil it down till it is entirely destroyed, and hardly worth giving to the pigs. but this is a false frugality; and it is far better to buy good pieces of meat, and only stew them till they are tender enough to be eaten. lean juicy beef, mutton, or veal, form the basis of good broth; and it is therefore advisable to procure those pieces which afford the richest succulence, and such as is fresh slain. stale meat will make the broth grouty and bad tasted, and fat is not so well adapted to the purpose. the following herbs, roots, and seasonings, are proper for making and giving a relish to broths and soups, according as the taste may suit. scotch barley, pearl barley, wheat flour, oatmeal, bread, raspings, peas, beans, rice, vermicelli, maccaroni, isinglass, potatoe mucilage, mushroom, or mushroom ketchup, champignons, parsnips, carrots, beet root, turnips, garlic, shalots, and onions. sliced onions fried with butter and flour till they are browned, and then rubbed through a sieve, are excellent to heighten the colour and flavour of brown soups and sauces, and form the basis of most of the fine relishes furnished by the cook. the older and drier the onion, the stronger will be its flavour, and the quantity must be regulated accordingly. leeks, cucumber, or burnet vinegar; celery, or celery seed pounded. the latter, though equally strong, does not impart the delicate sweetness of the fresh vegetable; and when used as a substitute, its flavour should be corrected by the addition of a bit of sugar. cress seed, parsley, common thyme, lemon thyme, orange thyme, knotted marjoram, sage, mint, winter savoury, and basil. as fresh green basil is seldom to be procured, and its fine flavour is soon lost, the best way of preserving the extract is by pouring wine on the fresh leaves. bay leaves, tomata, tarragon, chervil, burnet, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, mace, black pepper, white pepper, essence of anchovy, lemon peel, lemon juice, and seville orange juice. the latter imparts a finer flavour than the lemon, and the acid is much milder. the above materials, with wine and mushroom ketchup, combined in various proportions, will make an endless variety of excellent broths and soups. the general fault of english soups seems to be the employment of an excess of spice, and too small a proportion of roots and herbs. this is especially the case with tavern soups, where cayenne and garlic are often used instead of black pepper and onion, for the purpose of obtaining a higher relish. soups, which are intended to constitute the principal part of a meal, certainly ought not to be flavoured like sauces, which are only designed to give a relish to some particular dish. the principal art in composing a good rich soup, is so to proportion the several ingredients one to another, that no particular taste be stronger than the rest; but to produce such a fine harmonious relish, that the whole becomes delightful. in order to this, care must be taken that the roots and herbs be perfectly well cleaned, and that the water be proportioned to the quantity of meat, and other ingredients. in general a quart of water may be allowed to a pound of meat for soups; and half the quantity for gravies. if they stew gently, little more water need be put in at first, than is expected at the end; for when the pot is covered quite close, and the fire gentle, very little is wasted. gentle stewing is incomparably the best; the meat is more tender, and the soup better flavoured. the cover of a soup kettle should fit very close, or the most essential parts of the broth will soon evaporate, as will also be the case with quick boiling. it is not merely the fibres of the meat that afford nourishment, but chiefly the juices they contain; and these are not only extracted but exhaled, if it be boiled fast in an open vessel. a succulent soup can never be made but in a well closed vessel, which preserves the nutritive parts by preventing their dissipation, yet the flavour is perhaps more wholesome by an exposure to the air. place the soup kettle over a moderate fire, sufficient to make the water hot, without causing it to boil; for if the water boils immediately, it will not penetrate the meat, and cleanse it from the clotted blood and other matters, which ought to go off in scum. the meat will be hardened all over by violent heat, will shrink up as if it were scorched, and afford very little gravy. on the contrary, by keeping the water heating about half an hour without boiling, the meat swells, becomes tender, and its fibres are dilated. by this process, it yields a quantity of scum, which must be taken off as soon as it appears. after the meat has had a good infusion for half an hour, the fire may be improved to make the pot boil, and the vegetables be put in with a little salt. these will cause more scum to rise, which must be taken off immediately. then cover the boiler very closely, and place it at a proper distance from the fire, where it is to boil very gently and equally, but not fast. soups will generally take from three to six hours doing. the better way is to prepare them the evening before, as that will give more time to attend to the dinner the next day. when the soup is cold, the fat may much more easily and completely be removed; and when it is decanted, take care not to disturb the settlings at the bottom of the vessel, which are so fine that they will escape through a sieve. a tammis is the best strainer, the soup appears smoother and finer, and the cloth is easier cleaned than any sieve. if you strain it while it is hot, let the tammis or napkin be previously soaked in cold water; the coldness of the strainer will tend to coagulate the fat, and only suffer the pure broth to pass through. the full flavour of the ingredients can only be extracted by long and slow simmering, during which the boiler must be kept close covered, to prevent evaporation. clear soups must be perfectly transparent, thickened soups about the consistence of cream; the latter will require nearly double the quantity of seasoning, but too much spice makes it unwholesome. to thicken and give body to soups and sauces, the following materials are used. bread raspings, potatoe mucilage, isinglass, flour and butter, barley, rice, or oatmeal and water rubbed well together. any of these are to be mixed gradually with the soup, till thoroughly incorporated, and it should afterwards have at least half an hour's gentle simmering. if it appears lumpy, it must be passed through a tammis or fine sieve. a piece of boiled beef pounded to a pulp, with a bit of butter and flour, and rubbed through a sieve, and gradually incorporated with the soup, will be found an excellent addition. if the soup is too thin or too weak, take off the cover of the boiler, and let it boil till some of the watery part of it has evaporated; or add some of the thickening materials before mentioned. when soups and gravies are kept from day to day, in hot weather, they should be warmed up every day, and put into fresh scalded pans or tureens, and placed in a cool cellar. in temperate weather, every other day may be sufficient.--it has been imagined that soups tend to relax the stomach; but so far from being prejudicial in this way, the moderate use of such kind of liquid food may rather be considered as salutary, and affording a good degree of nourishment. soup of a good quality, if not eaten too hot, or in too great a quantity, is attended with great advantages, especially to those who drink but little. warm fluids in the form of soup, unite with our juices much sooner and better, than those which are cold and raw. on this account, what is called restorative soup is the best food for those who are enfeebled by disease or dissipation, and for old people, whose teeth and digestive organs are impaired. after taking cold, or in nervous headachs, cholics, indigestions, and different kinds of cramps and spasms in the stomach, warm broth or soup is of excellent service. after intemperate eating, to give the stomach a holiday for a day or two, by a diet on mutton broth, is the best way to restore its tone. the stretching of any power to its utmost extent, weakens it; and if the stomach be obliged every day to do as much as it can, it will every day be able to do less. it is therefore a point of wisdom to be temperate in all things, frequently to indulge in soup diet, and occasionally in almost total abstinence, in order to preserve the stomach in its full tone and vigour.--cheap soups for charitable purposes are best made of fat meat, well boiled with vegetables. much unreasonable prejudice has prevailed on this subject, as if fat was unsuitable for such a purpose, when it is well known that the nutritious parts of animal and vegetable diet depend on the oil, jelly, mucilage, and sweetness which they contain. the farina of grain, and the seeds of vegetables, contain more of the nutritious and essential parts of the plant than any other, as is evident from the use of celery seed, the eighth part of an ounce of which will give more relish to a gallon of soup, than a large quantity of the root or stalk. on the same principle, the fat is the essence of meat, nearly so as the seeds of plants are of their respective species. to establish this fact, a simple experiment will be sufficient. boil from two to four ounces of the lean part of butcher's meat in six quarts of water, till reduced to a gallon. thicken it with oatmeal, and the result of the decoction will be found to be water gruel, or something like it. but dissolve the same quantity of the fat of meat in a gallon of water, thicken it over the fire with oatmeal, and the result will be a very pleasant broth, possessing the identical taste of the meat in a considerable degree, whether of beef or mutton. if some of the gelatinous parts of meat be added, the broth is then of a rich and nutritious quality, and can be made very cheap. for example: take from four to six ounces of barley, oatmeal two ounces, onions or leeks a small quantity; beef fat, suet, or drippings, from two to four ounces; celery seed half a spoonful, pepper and salt to give the soup a relish, and water sufficient to make a gallon. boil the barley, previously washed, in six quarts of water, which when boiled sufficiently soft will be reduced to a gallon. it will be necessary to skim it clean in the course of the boiling, and to stir it well from the bottom of the boiler. the celery seed should be bruised, and added with the leeks and onions, towards the end of the process. the oatmeal is to be mixed in a little cold water, and put in about an hour before the soup is done. in the last place add the fat, melted before the fire, if not in a state of drippings, and season with pepper and salt. a few grains of cayenne would give the soup a higher relish. wheat flour may be used instead of oatmeal, but in a smaller proportion. the addition of turnips, carrots, and cabbages, will be a considerable improvement. the intention of the oatmeal or flour is, by the mucilage they contain, assisted with barley broth, to unite the fat with the liquid, so as to form one uniform mass. where the fat is suspended in the soup, and not seen floating on the top, by which it is rendered easier of digestion, and more readily convertible into good chyle, it is evident that it must be more palatable, as well as abundantly more nutritious. some may think this kind of soup unwholesome, from the quantity of fat it contains; but a little reflection will shew the contrary. suet puddings and dumplins are not unwholesome, neither are mutton drippings with potatoes or other vegetables. in short, fat is eaten daily by all ranks of people, in some way or other, in much larger quantities than is prescribed for soup. a labouring man would find no difficulty in eating as much suet at one meal, in a flour pudding, or as much drippings as is necessary for a gallon of soup, in a mass of potatoes or cabbages; while at the same time a quart of soup with a slice of bread, would be a very hearty meal. in no other way could meat drippings be applied to so good a purpose, as in the manufacture of a gallon of soup, sufficient to give a dinner to a whole family. the quantity of fat or drippings necessary for the soup is so small, that it may easily be spared from a joint of roast meat, while enough will remain for other purposes. when mutton dripping is made into soup, wheat flour is better than oatmeal; but the mucilage of potatoe is better still, requiring only one ounce to the gallon. when pork is roasted, peas should be used in preference to boiled barley, and the soup will be very superior in flavour to any that is made with the bones of meat, or combined with bacon. fat pork is eaten daily in large quantities, in most of the counties of england; and in some parts, hog's lard is spread on bread instead of butter, besides the abundance of lard that is used by all ranks of people, in puddings, cakes, and pasties. fat enters so much into the composition of our diet, that we could scarcely subsist without it; and the application of it to soups is only a different mode of using it, and certainly more frugal and economical than any other. it may readily be perceived how soups made from lean meat might be improved by the addition of a little fat, mixed up and incorporated with a mucilage of potatoes, of wheat flour, oatmeal, peas, and barley. but where a quantity of fat swims on the surface of the broth, made from a fat joint of meat, and it cannot from its superabundance be united with the liquid, by means of any mucilage, it had better be skimmed off, and preserved for future use; otherwise the soup will not be agreeable, for it is the due proportion of animal and vegetable substance that makes soup pleasant and wholesome. to make good soup of a leg of beef or an ox cheek, which is generally called stew, a pretty large quantity of the vegetable class ought to be added; and none seems better adapted than scotch barley, by which double and treble the quantity of soup may be made from the same given weight of meat. one pint of well prepared leg of beef, or ox cheek soup, together with the fat, will make a gallon of good soup at the trifling expense of four-pence. in the same way soups may be made from the stew of beef, mutton, veal, or pork, choosing those parts where mucilage, jelly, and fat abound. bacon is allowed to be a considerable improvement to the taste of veal, whether roasted or boiled; and it is the same in soup. when therefore veal broth is made for family use, two ounces of fat bacon should be added to every gallon, melted before the fire or in a fryingpan. the soup should then be thickened with flour, potatoe starch, and barley. the last article should seldom be omitted in any soup, it being so very cheap and pleasant, as well as wholesome and nutritious. soup made of tripe is another cheap article. boil a pound of well cleaned tripe in a gallon of barley broth, with onions and parsley, adding two ounces of bacon fat, with salt and pepper. this produces an extremely nutritious soup, from the gelatinous principle with which the tripe abounds. cow heels, calves and sheep's feet, are also well adapted to the purpose. excellent soups may be made from fried meat, where the fat and gravy are added to the boiled barley; and for that purpose, fat beef steaks, pork and mutton chops, should be preferred, as containing more of the nutritious principle. towards the latter end of frying the steaks, add a little water to produce a gravy, which is to be put to the barley broth. a little flour should also be dredged in, which will take up all the fat left in the fryingpan. a quantity of onions should previously be shred, and fried with the fat, which gives the soup a fine flavour, with the addition of pepper, salt, and other seasoning. there would be no end to the variety of soups that might be made from a number of cheap articles differently combined; but perhaps the distribution of soup gratis does not answer so well as teaching people how to make it, and to improve their comforts at home. the time lost in waiting for the boon, and fetching it home, might by an industrious occupation, however poorly paid for labour, be turned to a better account than the mere obtaining of a quart of soup. but it unfortunately happens, that the best and cheapest method of making a nourishing soup, is least known to those who have most need of it. the labouring classes seldom purchase what are called the coarser pieces of meat, because they do not know how to dress them, but lay out their money in pieces for roasting, which are far less profitable, and more expensive in the purchase. to save time, trouble, and firing, these are generally sent to the oven to be baked, the nourishing parts are evaporated and dried up, the weight is diminished nearly one third, and what is purchased with a week's earnings is only sufficient for a day or two's consumption. if instead of this improvident proceeding, a cheap and wholesome soup were at least occasionally substituted, it would banish the still more pernicious custom of drinking tea two or three times a day, for want of something more supporting and substantial. in addition then to the directions already given, the following may be considered as one of the cheapest and easiest methods of making a wholesome soup, suited to a numerous family among the labouring classes. put four ounces of scotch barley washed clean, and four ounces of sliced onions, into five quarts of water. boil it gently for one hour, and pour it into a pan. put into a saucepan nearly two ounces of beef or mutton drippings, or melted suet, or two or three ounces of minced bacon; and when melted, stir into it four ounces of oatmeal. rub these together into a paste, and if properly managed, the whole of the fat will combine with the barley broth, and not a particle, appear on the surface to offend the most delicate stomach. now add the barley broth, at first a spoonful at a time, then the rest by degrees, stirring it well together till it boils. put into a teacup a dram of finely pounded cress or celery seed, and a quarter of a dram of finely pounded cayenne, or a dram and a half of ground black pepper or allspice, and mix it up with a little of the soup. put this seasoning into the whole quantity, stir up the soup thoroughly, let it simmer gently a quarter of an hour, and add a little salt. the flavour may be varied by doubling the portion of onions, or adding a clove of garlic or shalot, and leaving out the celery seed. change of food is absolutely necessary, not only as a matter of pleasure and comfort, but also of health. it may likewise be much improved, if instead of water, it be made of the liquor that meat has been boiled in. this soup has the advantage of being very soon made, with no more fuel than is necessary to warm a room. those who have not tasted it, cannot imagine what a savoury and satisfying meal is produced by the combination of these cheap and homely ingredients. soup with cucumbers. pare and cut the cucumbers, then stew them with some good broth, and veal gravy to cover them. when done enough, heat the soup with the liquor they were stewed in, and season it with salt. serve up the soup garnished with the cucumbers. these will be a proper garnish for almost any kind of soup. soup a l' eau. put into a saucepan holding about three pints, a quarter of a cabbage, four carrots, two parsnips, six onions, and three or four turnips. add a root of celery, a small root of parsley, some sorrel, a bunch of white beet leaves and chervil, and half a pint of peas tied in a piece of linen. add water in proportion to the vegetables, and stew the whole for three hours. strain off the broth, add some salt, heat it and serve it up, garnished with the vegetables. soup gravy. take some good juicy lean beef, free from sinews or other offal substance; or take the lean of a neck, or loin, or the fleshy part of a leg of mutton, or well-grown fowl, in the proportion of a pound of meat to a quart of water to beef, and rather less to mutton or fowl. cut the meat in pieces, and let it stew very gently till the pure gravy is fairly drawn from the meat, without extracting the dregs. the time required for this will vary according to the quantity, the proper degree of heat being of course longer in penetrating the larger portion. from an hour and a half to three hours, at discretion, will allow sufficient time for any quantity that is likely to be wanted at once for soup, at least in private families. when done, strain the gravy through a hair sieve into an earthen pot, and let it stand till cold. take off the fat, and pour the gravy clear from the sediment at the bottom. soup maigre. melt half a pound of butter into a stewpan, shake it round, and throw in half a dozen sliced onions. shake the pan well for two or three minutes, then put in five heads of celery, two handfuls of spinach, two cabbage lettuces cut small, and some parsley. shake the pan well for ten minutes, put in two quarts of water, some crusts of bread, a tea-spoonful of beaten pepper, and three or four blades of mace. a handful of white beet leaves, cut small, may be added. boil it gently an hour. just before serving, beat in two yolks of eggs, and a large spoonful of vinegar.--another. flour and fry a quart of green peas, four sliced onions, the coarse stalks of celery, a carrot, a turnip, and a parsnip. pour on three quarts of water, let it simmer till the whole will pulp through a sieve, and boil in it the best of the celery cut thin.--another way. take a bunch of celery washed clean and cut in pieces, a large handful of spinage, two cabbage lettuces, and some parsley; wash all very clean, and shred them small; then take a large clean stewpan, put in about half a pound of butter, and when it is quite hot, slice four large onions very thin, and put into your butter; stir them well about for two or three minutes; then put in the rest of your herbs; shake all well together for near twenty minutes, dust in some flour, and stir them together; pour in two quarts of boiling water; season with pepper, salt, and beaten mace: chip a handful of crust of bread, and put in; boil it half an hour, then beat up the yolks of three eggs in a spoonful of vinegar; pour it in, and stir it for two or three minutes; then send it to table. soup with onions. blanch some small white onions in scalding water, peel off the first skin, and stew them in a little broth. when ready, lay them in a row round the edge of the dish intended for the soup. to keep them in their place, put a thin slip of bread rubbed with white of egg round the rim of the dish, and set the dish for a moment over a stove to fasten the bread. slips of bread may be used in this manner to keep all kinds of garnishing to soups in their proper place. soup a la reine. blanch and beat very fine in a marble mortar, three quarters of a pound of sweet almonds, with the white part of a cold roasted fowl. slice to these the crumb of four small rolls, and then strain to it three quarts of good veal gravy, boiled with a blade of mace. simmer these all together for a quarter of an hour, then rub them through a tammis, season it with salt, give it a boil, and serve it up with a small tea-cupful of cream stirred into it, and the slices of crust cut off the rolls laid on the top.--another way. have ready a strong veal broth that is white, and clean scummed from all fat; blanch a pound of almonds, beat them in a mortar, with a little water, to prevent their oiling, and the yolks of four poached eggs, the lean part of the legs, and all the white part of a roasted fowl; pound all together, as fine as possible; then take three quarts of the veal broth, put it into a clean stew-pot, put your ingredients in, and mix them well together; chip in the crust of two french rolls well rasped; boil all together over a stove, or a clear fire. take a french roll, cut a piece out of the top, and take out all the crumb: mince the white part of a roasted fowl very fine, season it with pepper, salt, nutmeg, and a little beaten mace; put in about an ounce of butter, and moisten it with two spoonfuls of your soup strained to it; set it over the stove to be thoroughly hot: cut some french roll in thin slices, and set them before the fire to crisp; then strain off your soup through a tammis or a lawn strainer, into another clean stew-pot; let it stew till it is as thick as cream; then have your dish ready; put in some of your crisp bread; fill your roll with your mince, and lay on the top as close as possible; put it into the middle of your dish, and pour a ladleful of your soup over it; put in your bread first, then pour in your soup, till your dish is full. garnish with petty patties; or make a rim for your dish, and garnish with lemon raced. if you please, you may send a chicken boned in the middle, instead of your roll; or you may send it to table with only crisp bread. soup a-la sap. boil half a pound of grated potatoes, a pound of beef sliced thin, a pint of grey peas, an onion, and three ounces of rice, in six pints of water till reduced to five. strain it through a cullender, pulp the peas into it, and return it into the saucepan with two heads of sliced celery. stew it tender, add pepper and salt, and serve it with fried bread. sour beer. if beer be brewed ever so well, much will depend on the management afterwards, to prevent its becoming sour or vapid. different conveniences of cellarage will materially affect beer. if the cellar is bad, there should not be more than six weeks between brewing and brewing. where beer is kept too long in a bad cellar, so as to be affected by the heat of the weather, it will putrefy, though ever so well bunged. hops may prevent its turning sour, but will not keep it from becoming vapid. it should be well understood, that there is no certainty in keeping beer, if not brewed at the proper season. in winter there is a danger of wort getting too cold, so as to prevent the process of fermentation; and in the summer, of its not being cool enough, unless brewed in the dead of night. in temperate weather, at the spring or autumn, the spirit of the beer is retained, and it is thereby enabled to work the liquor clear; whereas in hot weather, the spirit quickly evaporates, leaving the wort vapid and flat, unable to work itself clear, but keeping continually on the fret, till totally spoiled. this is the obvious reason for the use of sugar, prepared for colour, because sugar will bear the heat better than malt; and when thoroughly prepared, possesses such a strong principle of heat in itself, as to bid defiance to the hottest temperature of the air, and to render its turning sour almost impossible. clean casks are also essential to the preservation of good beer. to keep the casks sweet and in order, never allow them to remain open; but whenever the beer is drawn off, bung them up tight with the lees within them. in a good cellar they will never spoil. should the casks get musty, the following method will remedy the evil. soak them well for three or four days in cold water, then fill them full of boiling hot water; put in a lump or two of lime, shake it thoroughly till quite dissolved, let the casks stand about half an hour, then wash them out with cold water, and they will be clean and sweet. if still apprehensive of the beer getting flat or sour, put into a cask containing eighteen gallons, a pint of ground malt suspended in a bag, and close the bung perfectly. this will prevent the mischief, and the beer will improve during the whole time of drawing it. when beer has actually turned sour, put in some oyster shells, calcined to whiteness, or a little powdered chalk. either of these will correct the acidity, and make it brisk and sparkling. salt of tartar, or soda powder, put into the beer at the time of drinking it, will also destroy the acidity, and make it palatable. sour krout. take some full-grown hard cabbages of the closest texture, and cut them into slices about an inch thick, opening them a little, that they may receive the salt more effectually. rub a good deal of salt amongst them, lay them into a large pan, and sprinkle more salt over them. let them remain twenty-four hours, turning them over four or five times, that every part may be alike saturated. next day put the cabbage into a tub or large jar, pressing it down well, and then pour over it a pickle made of a pint of salt to a quart of water. this pickle must be poured on boiling hot, and the cabbage entirely covered with it. let it stand thus twenty-four hours longer, when it will have shrunk nearly a third. then take the cabbage out, and put it into a fresh tub or jar, pressing it down well as before, and pour over it a pickle made as follows. to one quart of the salt and water pickle which had been used the day before, put three quarts of vinegar, four ounces of allspice, and two ounces of carraway seeds. this must be poured on cold, so as to cover the cabbage completely. let it stand one day loosely covered, and then stop it down quite close. sour sauce for fish. boil two blades of mace in a wine glass of water, and half as much sharp vinegar, for a quarter of an hour. then take out the mace, and put in a quarter of a pound of butter, and the yolk of an egg well beaten. shake these over the fire one way till the sauce is properly thickened, without suffering it to boil. souse for brawn. boil a quarter of a pint of wheat bran, a sprig of bay, and a sprig of rosemary, in two gallons of water for half an hour, adding four ounces of salt. strain it, and let it cool. this will do for pig's feet and ears, as well as brawn. soused sturgeons. draw and divide the fish down the back, and then into pieces. put the fish into salt and water, clean it well, bind it with tape, and boil it very carefully in vinegar, salt, and water. when done lay it to cool, and pack it up close in the liquor it was boiled in. soused tripe. boil the tripe, but not quite tender; then put it into salt and water, which must be changed every day till it is all used. when the tripe is to be dressed, dip it into a batter of eggs and flour, and fry it of a good brown. soy. to make english soy, pound some walnuts when fit for pickling, in a marble mortar, very small. squeeze them through a strainer, let the liquor stand to settle, and then pour off the fine. to every quart of liquor put a pound of anchovies, and two cloves of shalot. boil it enough to make the scum rise, and clear it well. add two ounces of jamaica pepper, a quarter of an ounce of mace, and half a pint of vinegar. boil it again, until the anchovies are dissolved and the shalot tender, and let it stand till the next day. then pour off the fine, and bottle it for use. strain the thick through a sieve, and put it by separately. when used for fish, put some of the soy to the usual anchovies and butter, or to plain butter. spanish cardoons. cut them three inches long, leaving out any that are hollow and green. boil them in water half an hour, and then put them into warm water to pick them. stew them with some broth, with a spoonful of flour mixed in it. add salt, onions, roots, a bunch of sweet herbs, a dash of verjuice, and a little butter. when they are well done take them out, and put them into a good cullis, with a little broth. boil them half an hour in this sauce to give them a flavour, and then serve them up. let the sauce be neither too clear nor too thick, and of a fine light colour. spanish flummery. scald a quart of cream, with a little cinnamon or mace. mix this gradually into half a pound of rice flour, and then stir it over a gentle fire till it acquires the thickness of jelly. sweeten it to the taste, and pour it into cups or shapes. turn it out when cold, and serve it up. cream, wine, or preserves eat well with it, or it may be eaten alone as preferred. oatmeal may be used instead of rice. spanish fritters. cut the crumb of a french roll into square lengths, of the thickness of one's finger, nutmeg, sugar, pounded cinnamon, and an egg. when well soaked, fry the fritters of a nice brown; and serve with butter, wine, and sweet sauce. spanish puffs. boil a stick of cinnamon, a piece of lemon peel, and a little sugar, in three quarters of a pint of water for ten minutes. let it cool, then add three eggs well beaten, and shake in three large spoonfuls of flour. beat these well together, add three more eggs, and simmer the whole over the fire, till it thickens almost to a paste. drop this with a tea-spoon into boiling lard, and fry these little puffs of a delicate light brown. spanish sauce. put some gravy into a saucepan with a glass of white wine, and the same of good broth. add a bunch of parsley and chives, two cloves of garlic, half a bay leaf, a pinch of coriander seed, two cloves, a sliced onion, a carrot, half a parsnip, and two spoonfuls of salad oil. stew these for two hours over a very slow fire. skim off the fat, pass the sauce through a tammis, season it with pepper and salt, and use it with any thing as approved. sparerib. baste it with a very little butter and flour; and when done, sprinkle it with dried sage crumbled. serve it with potatoes and apple sauce. sparrow. a mischievous destructive bird in corn-fields, and which should mostly be destroyed. it is observed, that were all the farmers in a neighbourhood to agree to their destruction, by offering rewards for their heads, their numbers might be lessened; and that were the practice general, surely the whole race might be extirpated. it is supposed that six-pence a dozen the first year, nine-pence the second, and a shilling the third year, would nearly reach their complete extirpation. to enforce which it should be considered how soon twelve sparrows destroy twelve penny-worth of wheat. in kent, they use a species of trap, which is very effectual in taking them. it consists of a small wicker basket, resembling a fruit-sieve of the london markets, with a cover of the same material fitted to it, and formed on the principle of the fish-pot, and the vermin trap, into which the entrance is easy, but the return difficult. these traps, which are an ordinary article of sale in the markets of the district, are constituted of brown unpeeled oziers. the diameter about two feet; the depth nine inches; the cover is somewhat dishing, with a tunnel or inverted cone, in the centre, reaching to within an inch of the bottom of the basket; the aperture or entrance, formed by the points of the twigs, of which the tunnel is constructed, being about an inch and a half in diameter. and the usual bait is wheat scattered in the basket. the number caught at once, is frequently more than theory would suggest; the contentions of a few that have entered, seldom failing to bring others to the combat. these mischievous birds, however, soon grow too cunning to be taken in any sort of trap to any extent, which has a chance of extirpating and destroying the race; consequently some more effectual and certain plan, such as that suggested above, or some other, which is better and more fully adapted to the purpose, must be had recourse to in order to completely exterminate them, and prevent the injury they do annually to the farmer, in the destruction of his wheat and other crops. though these are only small birds, they destroy vast quantities of grain, much more than has indeed been commonly supposed. it is stated to have been calculated to have amounted to a hundred sacks of wheat besides the oats and barley, in the course of only one season, in a township of no very great extent in the north-western part of the kingdom. where rewards or sums of money are paid for the taking or destroying them, no advantages are gained, except where there are sufficiently ample and proper regulations entered into and enforced, the whole district, parish, or township, becomes partakers in the business. no languid or half measures will do any thing useful, or to the purpose, in this sort of undertaking. it is not improbable, but that these destructive birds might be greatly extirpated and thinned down in their numbers, by the use of some tasteless infusion of a strongly poisonous nature, either to the ears of the grain at the time of harvest, or to the naked grain in the winter season, when they are extremely eager for food, as they are constantly found to remain hovering about houses or other buildings, where the effects of such trials might easily be ascertained. if such a method should succeed, the whole race might readily, and with great facility and certainty, be exterminated. spasms. an involuntary and painful contraction of the muscles may arise from various causes, and require different modes of treatment. but if no medical assistance be at hand, the application of volatile liniments to the part affected, a clyster with a little laudanum in it, or the warm bath, may be tried with advantage. spermaceti ointment. this is made of a quarter of a pint of fine salad oil, a quarter of a pound of white wax, and half an ounce of spermaceti, melted over a gentle fire, and kept stirring till the ointment is cold. spices. as it regards health, spices are generally improper; but black pepper, ginger, and cayenne, may be esteemed the best. nutmegs, cloves, mace, cinnamon, and allspice, are generally productive of indigestion and headach, in persons of a weakly habit. spiders. these industrious insects are generally loathed and destroyed, though they are extremely useful in reducing the quantity of flies, and serve as a very accurate barometer for the weather. when they are totally inactive, it is a certain sign that rain will shortly follow; but if they continue to spin during a shower, it indicates that the rain will soon be over, and that calm and fine weather will succeed. if the weather be about to change, and become wet or windy, the spider will make the supporters of his web very short; but if the threads be extended to an unusual length, the weather will continue serene for ten or twelve days, or more, according to the length of the threads which support the web. the red spider however is very injurious and destructive to different sorts of plants and fruit-trees, especially in forcing houses. it is found particularly so to those of the forced french bean, melon; peach, vine, cherry, currant, and some other kinds. the generation and production of this insect are greatly caused and promoted by the dry warm heat that is constantly kept up in the houses which contain these sorts of plants and trees, and there are many other circumstances which combine in bringing it forth. it is an insect which has no wings, and the female is oviparous. several different methods have been attempted in order to the removal and destruction of it. constant daily watering, or washing the trees, are said to have the power of subduing it, but in the execution of the work, care is always to be taken that every part of the leaves be wetted, otherwise the insects shelter and save themselves in the dry parts, and are preserved from the effects of the water. moisture conveyed in some way or other is certainly found to be the most destructive, of any thing yet discovered, of these pernicious insects, as well as many others that infest hot-houses. throwing weak lime-water in a plentiful manner on the under sides of the leaves, where these insects are commonly found, will, for the most part, soon destroy them. the following directions have been given for the destruction of this sort of spider, when it becomes injurious to melon plants; and the same may probably be found useful for those of the forced french bean, and some other similar kinds. in cases of dry weather, and with a dry heat, melon plants are very subject to be infested with the red spider; and the appearances of it may constantly be long noticed before the insects can be seen with the naked eye, by the leaves beginning to curl and crack in their middle parts. whenever they are discovered to be in this state or condition, and there is fine warm sunny weather, the watering of them all over the leaves, both on the under and upper sides, is advised; a watering-pot, with a rose finely perforated with holes, or a garden-engine, which disperses the water in a fine dew-like manner, being employed for the purpose. the work should be performed about six o'clock in the morning, and the plants be shaded with mats about eight, if the sun shine with much power, shutting the frames down closely until about eleven; and then admitting a small quantity of fresh air, letting the mats remain until about three in the afternoon, when they should be wholly taken away. the shade which is thus afforded by the mats prevents the leaves of the plants from being scorched or otherwise injured by the action of the heat of the sun while they are in a wet cooled down state. where a southerly breeze prevails, watering them again about three in the afternoon is recommended, shutting them up close as before, to keep the heat in, which causes a strong exhalation of the moisture, and is greatly destructive of the spiders. in all these waterings, the water is to be thrown as much and as finely as possible on the under sides of the leaves, where the insects mostly lodge; the vines or stems of the plants being gently turned in that intention, taking great care not to injure them, by which means the water is capable of being easily thrown over the whole of the under sides of the leaves, it being done in a gentle manner, in the modes already suggested, so as not to wash up the mouldy matters unto the plants: the lights and sides of the frames which contain the plants, should also, at the same time, have water plentifully thrown on and against them. when these waterings are finished, the vines or stems of the plants are to be carefully laid down again in their former positions. and if the day be sunny, the mats may be let remain, as already directed, until the leaves of the plants become perfectly dry, air being admitted according to the heat that may be present at the time. it is likewise further advised as a precautionary measure, that, before the frames and lights, which are to contain plants of this sort, are employed, they should be well washed, both inside and out, first with clean water, and then with a mixture of soap-suds and urine; a brush or woollen rag being made use of in the operation; as by this method the ova or eggs of the spiders or other insects that may have been deposited and lodged in or on them, in the preceding season, may be cleared away and destroyed. the exhalations of the water which has been thrown upon the plants, and the frames or boxes that contain them, may also be useful in killing these insects, in other cases by keeping them in a close state. these washings should never, however, be performed in cold frosty seasons; and the water made use of in such cases should always be of the rain or soft kind. spinach. this vegetable requires to be carefully washed and picked. when that is done, throw it into a saucepan that will just hold it, sprinkle it with a little salt, and cover it close. set the pan on the fire, and shake it well. when sufficiently done, beat up the spinach with some butter, but it must be sent to table pretty dry. it would look well, if pressed into a tin mould in the form of a large leaf, which is sold at the tin shops. a spoonful of cream is an improvement. spinach cream. beat the yolks of eight eggs with a whisk or a wooden spoon, sweeten it well, and add a stick of cinnamon, a pint of rich cream, and three quarters of a pint of new milk. stir it well, and then add a quarter of a pint of spinach juice. set it over a gentle stove, and stir it constantly one way, till it is as thick as a hasty pudding. put into a custard dish some naples biscuits, or preserved orange, in long slices, and pour the mixture over them. it is to be eaten cold, and is a dish either for supper, or for a second course. spinach and eggs. the spinach must be well washed, then throw a small handful of salt into a saucepan of boiling water, before the spinach is put in, and press it down as it boils. when it becomes tender, press it well in a sieve or cullender. break the eggs into cups, and put them into a stewpan of boiling water. when done, take them out with a slice, and lay them on the spinach. send them to table with melted butter. spinach pudding. scald and chop some spinach very fine, four ounces of biscuit soaked in cream, the yolks of eight eggs beat up, a quarter of a pound of melted butter, a little salt and nutmeg, and sugar to your taste; beat up all together, and set it over the fire till it is stiff, but do not let it boil; cool it, and bake it in puff-paste; or you may butter a bason, and boil it.--another. boil a pint of cream, with some lemon-peel, a blade of mace, half a nutmeg cut in pieces; strain it off, and stir it till it is cold, then boil a good handful of young spinach tender; chop it very fine; beat up eight eggs, leave out four whites, add some fine sugar pounded, and a glass of sack; mix all well together, put it into the dish, with a puff-paste at the bottom, and lay on the top candied orange and lemon cut in thin slices. half an hour, or a little better, will bake it. spinach soup. shred two handfuls of spinach, a turnip, two onions, a head of celery, two carrots, and a little parsley and thyme. put all into a stewpot, with a bit of butter the size of a walnut, and a pint of good broth, or the liquor in which meat has been boiled. stew till the vegetables are quite tender, and work them with a spoon through a coarse cloth or sieve. to the vegetable pulp and liquor, add a quart of fresh water, salt and pepper, and boil all together. have ready some suet dumplins the size of a walnut, and put them into a tureen, before the soup is poured over. the suet must be quite fresh, and not shred too fine. spirits. good pure spirits ought to be perfectly clear, pleasant, and strong, though not of a pungent odour, and somewhat of a vinous taste. to try the purity of spirits, or whether they have been diluted with water, see whether the liquor will burn away without leaving any mixture behind, by dipping in a piece of writing paper, and lighting it at the candle. as pure spirit is much lighter than water, put a hollow ivory ball into it: the deeper the ball sinks, the lighter the liquor, and consequently the more spirituous. spirits of clary. distil a peck of clary flowers in a cold still, and then another peck of flowers, adding to them the distilled liquor. put to this a bottle of sack or sweet wine, and another peck of flowers, and put all together into a glass still. let it distil on white sugar candy, with the addition of a little ambergris. spirits of lavender. take fourteen pounds of lavender flowers, ten gallons and a half of rectified spirits of wine, and one gallon of water. draw off ten gallons by a gentle fire, or which is much better, by a sand-bath heat. to convert this into the red liquid known by the name of compound lavender spirits, take of the above lavender spirits two gallons, of hungary water one gallon, cinnamon and nutmegs three ounces each, and of red saunders one ounce. digest the whole for three days in a gentle heat, and then filtre it for use. some add saffron, musk, and ambergris, of each half a scruple; but these are now generally omitted. spirits of saffron. pick eight ounces of english saffron very clean, cut it fine, and steep it twenty-four hours in a gallon of the best white wine. put it into an alembic with three gallons of water, draw it off gently so long as the saffron tastes, and sweeten it with white sugar candy. dissolve the candy in some of the weaker extract, after the stronger part is drawn off, by setting it on the fire, and then mix the whole together. spits. roasting spits require to be kept bright and clean, and should be scoured with nothing but sand and water. if they are wiped clean, as soon as the meat is drawn from them, and while they are hot, a very little cleaning will be necessary. a very useful kind of spit is sold at the ironmongers, which sustains the meat without the necessity of passing it through, which is much to be preferred. spitchcock eels. take one or two large eels, leave the skin on, cut them into pieces of three inches long, open them on the belly side, and clean them nicely. wipe them dry, smear them over with egg, and strew on both sides chopped parsley, pepper and salt; a very little sage, and a bit of mace pounded fine and mixed with the seasoning. rub the gridiron with a bit of suet, broil the fish of a fine colour, and serve with anchovy and butter sauce. splinters. to run splinters, prickles or thorns, such as those of roses, thistles, or chesnuts, into the hands, feet, or legs, is a very common accident; and provided any such substance is immediately extracted, it is seldom attended with any bad consequences. but the more certainly to prevent any ill effects, a compress of linen dipped in warm water, may be applied to the part, or it may be bathed a little while in warm water. if the thorn or splinter cannot be extracted directly, or if any part of it be left in, it causes an inflammation, and nothing but timely precaution will prevent its coming to an abscess. a plaster of shoemaker's wax spread upon leather, draws these wounds remarkably well. when it is known that any part of it remains, an expert surgeon would open the place and take it out; but if it be unobserved, as will sometimes happen, when the thorn or splinter is very small, till the inflammation begins, and no advice can be at once procured, the steam of water should be applied to it at first, and then a poultice of bread and milk, with a few drops of peruvian balsam. it is absolutely necessary that the injured part should be kept in the easiest posture, and as still as possible. if this does not soon succeed, good advice must be obtained without delay, as an accident of this kind neglected, or improperly treated, may be the occasion of losing a limb. in this and all cases of inflammation, a forbearance from animal food, and fermented liquors, is always advisable. sponge cake. weigh ten eggs, add their weight in very fine sugar, and of flour the weight of six eggs. beat the yolks with the flour, and the whites alone, to a very stiff froth. mix by degrees the whites and the flour with the other ingredients, beat them well half an hour, and bake the cake an hour in a quick oven.--another, without butter. dry a pound of flour, and a pound and a quarter of sugar. grate a lemon, add a spoonful of brandy, and beat the whole together with the hand for an hour. bake the cake in a buttered pan, in a quick oven. sweetmeats may be added if approved. spoonmeats for infants. it is something more than a human axiom, that milk is for babes; and as this forms the basis of nearly all the food from which their nourishment is derived, it is necessary to observe, that the best way of using it is without either skimming or boiling it. the cream is the most nutritious balsamic part of milk, and to deprive it of this is to render it less nourishing, and less easy of digestion, than in its pure state. in some particular cases skimmed milk may be preferable, but it may be adopted as a general rule, that new milk is the wholesomest and the best. if it stands any time before it is used, instead of taking off the cream, it should be mixed in with the milk. boiling the milk, if it be only a little, fixes it, and entirely alters its qualities. as a proof of this, it will not afterwards afford any cream, but merely a thin skin. in this state it is hard of digestion, and therefore apt to occasion obstructions. it is most proper for food in its natural state, or when only scalded.--one of the first and simplest preparations for infants is bread pap, made by pouring scalding water on thin slices of good white bread, and letting it stand uncovered till it cools. the water is then drained off, the bread bruised fine, and mixed with as much new milk as will make it of a tolerable consistence. it is then warm enough for use, without setting it upon the fire. sugar is very commonly put into this pap, but it is much better without it. the palate of the child will not require sugar in any kind of food, till habit makes it familiar.--egg pap is another suitable article for young children. set a quart of spring water on a clear brisk fire. mix two spoonfuls of fresh fine flour with the yolks of two or three eggs well beaten, adding a little cold water. when the water is ready to boil, stir in the batter before it boils, till of a sufficient thickness. then take it off the fire, add a little salt, pour it into a basin, and let it cool of itself till it become about as warm as milk from the cow. if eggs cannot be procured, a small piece of butter may be added with the salt, and stirred in gently till well mixed, to prevent its oiling. eggs however are to be preferred. this food is extremely wholesome, affords real nourishment, opens all the passages, breeds good blood and lively spirits, is pleasant to the palate, and grateful to the stomach. the frequent use of it purifies the blood and all the humours, prevents windy distempers and griping pain, both of the stomach and bowels. from all the ingredients bearing a resemblance to each other, no predominant quality prevails, so that it may justly claim the first place amongst all spoonmeats or paps, and as food for infants it is next to the milk of the breast. in some cases it is much better, on account of the various diseases to which suckling women are subject, and the improper food in which they too frequently indulge. no other ingredients should however be added to this kind of food, such as sugar, spices, or fruits, which tend only to vitiate the diet, and to render it less nutritious. this and other sorts of spoonmeat should be made rather thin than otherwise, and abounding with liquid, whether milk or water. all porridges and spoonmeats that are made thin, and quickly prepared, are sweeter, brisker on the palate, and easier of digestion, than those which are thick, and long in preparing. food should never be given to children more than milk warm, and the proper way to cool it is by letting it stand uncovered to cool itself; for much stirring alters the composition, and takes off the sweetness. covering it down too, keeps in the fumes that ought to go off, and by excluding the air, renders it less pure.--flour pap. to two thirds of new milk, after it has stood five or six hours from the time of milking, add one third of spring water, and set it on a quick clear fire. make a batter of milk and fine flour, and just as the milk and water is ready to boil, pour in the batter, and stir it a few minutes. when it is ready to boil again, take it off, add a little salt, and let it stand to cool. a good spoonful of flour is sufficient to thicken a pint of milk, or milk and water. this will make it about the thickness of common milk porridge, which is what will eat the sweetest, and be the easiest of digestion. this kind of food affords substantial nourishment, it neither binds nor loosens the body, but keeps it in proper order, nourishes the blood, and tends to produce a lively disposition. pap prepared in this way is far more friendly to nature than in the common way of boiling, and may be constantly eaten with much better effect, and without ever tiring or cloying the stomach.--oatmeal pap. mix a pint of milk and water, in the proportion of two thirds milk and one third water, with a good spoonful of oatmeal, but it is best not to be too thick. set it in a saucepan upon a quick clear fire, and when it is near boiling take it off. pour it from one basin into another, backwards and forwards seven or eight times, which will bring out the fine flour of the oatmeal, and incorporate it with the milk. then return it into the saucepan, set it upon the fire, and when it is again ready to boil take it off, and let it stand in the saucepan a little to fine, for the husky part of the oatmeal will sink to the bottom. when settled, pour it off into a basin, add a little salt, and let it stand to cool. this is an excellent pap, very congenial to a weak constitution, affording good nourishment, and easy of digestion.--water gruel. take a spoonful and a half of fresh ground oatmeal, mix with it gradually a quart of spring water, and set it on a clear fire. when ready to boil take it off, pour it from one basin into another, backwards and forwards five or six times, and set it on the fire again. take it off again just before it boils, and let it stand a little time in the saucepan, that the coarse husks of the oatmeal may sink to the bottom. then pour it out, add a little salt, and let it stand to cool. when water gruel is made with grots, it must boil gently for some time. the longer it boils the more it will jelly; but moderation must be observed in this respect, for if it be very long boiled and becomes very thick, it will be flat and heavy. a mistaken idea very generally prevails, that water gruel is not nourishing; on the contrary, it is a light, cleansing, nourishing food, good either in sickness or in health, both for old and young.--milk porridge. make some water gruel, and when it has stood awhile to cool, add to it about one third part of new milk without boiling. it may be eaten with or without salt. milk porridge is exceedingly cleansing and easy of digestion, and is agreeable to the weakest stomach. there is also another way of making it, which some prefer. stir a pint of water gradually into three large spoonfuls of fresh oatmeal, let it stand till clear, and then pour off the water. put a pint of fresh water to the oatmeal, stir it up well, and leave it till the next day. strain off the liquor through a fine sieve, and set it in a saucepan over a clear brisk fire. add about half the quantity of milk gradually while it is warming, and when it is just ready to boil take it off, pour it into a basin, add a little salt, and let it stand to cool. this as well as the former porridge is very light, and proper for weak stomachs.--indian arrow root is another excellent preparation for children. put a dessert-spoonful of the powdered root into a basin, and mix with it as much cold new milk as will make it into a paste. pour upon this half a pint of milk scalding-hot, stirring it briskly to keep it smooth. set it on the fire till it is ready to boil, then take it off, pour it into a basin, and let it cool. this may be made with water instead of milk, and some cold milk mixed with it afterwards; or if the stomach be very weak, it will be best without any milk at all. great care must be taken to procure the genuine arrow root, which makes a very strengthening and excellent food for infants or invalids.--sago jelly. soak a large spoonful of sago for an hour in cold water, then pour off the water, add a pint of fresh water to the sago, and stew it gently till it is reduced to about half the quantity. when done, pour it into a basin, and let it cool.--sago with milk. prepare a large spoonful of sago by soaking it for an hour in cold water, but instead of adding water afterwards, put in a pint and a half of new milk. boil it gently till reduced to about half the quantity, then pour it into a basin, and let it cool.--tapioca jelly. wash two good spoonfuls of the large sort of tapioca in cold water, and then soak it in a pint and a half of water for four hours. stew it gently in the same water till it is quite clear. let it stand to cool after it is poured out of the saucepan, and use it either with or without the addition of a little new milk.--pearl barley gruel. put two ounces of pearl barley, after it has been well washed, into a quart of water. simmer it gently till reduced to a pint, then strain it through a sieve, and let it cool.--rice gruel. soak two large spoonfuls of rice in cold water for an hour. pour off the water, and put a pint and a quarter of new milk to the rice. stew it gently till the rice is sufficiently tender to pulp it through a sieve, and then mix the pulp into the milk that the rice was stewed in. simmer it over the fire for ten minutes, and if it appear too thick, gradually add a little more milk, so as not to damp it from simmering. when done, pour it into a basin to cool.--rice milk. to four large spoonfuls of whole rice, washed very clean in cold water, add a quart of new milk, and stew them together very gently for three hours. let it stand in a basin to cool before it is used. another way of making rice milk is boiling the rice first in water, then pouring off the water, and boiling the rice with milk. a better way perhaps is, after washing the rice well, setting it over the fire for half an hour with a little water to break it. add a little at a time some warm milk, till it is sufficiently done, and of a proper thickness. let it simmer slowly, and season it with salt and sugar; but for children the sugar had better be omitted.--ground rice milk. mix a large spoonful of ground rice into a batter, with two or three spoonfuls of new milk. set a pint of new milk on the fire, and when it is scalding hot, stir in the batter, and keep it on the fire till it thickens, but it must not boil. it should be carefully stirred to prevent its burning, and cooled by standing by in a basin.--millet milk. wash three spoonfuls of millet seed in cold water, and put it into a quart of new milk. simmer it gently till it becomes moderately thick, and cool it in a basin till wanted for use. all those preparations which require some time in doing, also require the precaution of being carefully stirred, to prevent their burning.--drinks for young children, in addition to their diet, are best made of milk and water, whey, barley water, pearl barley water, apple water, and toast and water. for milk and water, put one third of new milk to two thirds of spring water. this is best drunk cold; but if it must be warmed, it should be by putting warm water to cold milk. it ought not to be made more than milk warm. for whey, take a quart of new milk before it is cold, and put in as much rennet as will turn it to a clear whey. let it stand till it is properly turned, and pour it off through a cheesecloth without pressing the curd, that the whey may be the purer. it may be drunk cold, or just warmed by setting it before the fire for a little while. if new milk cannot be had, other milk must be warmed to the degree of new milk.--barley water is made of a handful of common barley well washed, and simmered in three pints of water, till of a proper thickness for use; but the longer the barley boils, the thinner the liquor will become. pearl barley water is made of an ounce of pearl barley, heated in half a pint of water over the fire in order to clean it. the water is then poured off, and a quart of fresh water added to the pearl barley. simmer it half an hour, and if it appears too thick, add more water, but let it be kept warm, as any quantity of cold water would damp it too suddenly, and thus tend to spoil it. both this and barley water may be used cold, or milk warm.--apple water. slice into a jug two or three sound ripe apples, and pour on them a quart of scalding hot water. let it stand to cool, and it will be fit for use. the apples should not be pared, as it takes off their spirit.--toast and water is made of a slice of white bread toasted quite dry, and of a dark brown colour. it is then put into a jug, and spring water poured upon it. after an hour it is fit for use. as all these preparations, both of drinks and spoonmeats, become flat and good for little by long standing, it is better to make only such quantities of them at a time as will soon be used. when they are warmed up, no more should be done at once than is just sufficient for the occasion, as repeated warming injures the nutritious quality of every thing. when it can be avoided it is better not to set things on the fire to warm them up, but to place them before or on the side of the fire. care however must be taken not to let them dry and scorch, as it makes them very strong and unwholesome. some earthenware vessel should be used for this purpose, as less liable to produce an injurious effect. a very good method of warming things is by setting them in a basin over boiling water, or by placing them in it. sprains. these generally proceed from some external injury, attended with pain, swelling, and inflammation. a fomentation of vinegar, or camphorated spirits of wine, if applied immediately, will generally be sufficient: if not, a few drops of laudanum should be added. the fomentation should be frequently renewed, and the sprained part kept in a state of rest and relaxation. sprats. when quite good and fresh, their gills are of a fine red, their eyes and whole body beautifully bright. after being scaled and cleaned, they should be fastened in rows by a skewer run through the heads; then broiled, and served up hot and hot. sprats like anchovies. salt them well, and let the salt drain from them. in twenty-four hours wipe them dry, but do not wash them. mix four ounces of common salt, an ounce of bay salt, an ounce of saltpetre, a quarter of an ounce of sal-prunella, and half a tea-spoonful of cochineal, all in the finest powder. sprinkle it amongst three quarts of the fish, and pack them in two stone jars. keep them in a cool place, fastened down with a bladder. these artificial anchovies are pleasant on bread and butter, but the genuine should be used for sauce. spring fruit pudding. peel and wash four dozen sticks of rhubarb, put them into the stewpan with a lemon, a little cinnamon, and sweeten the whole with moist sugar. set it over the fire, and reduce it to a marmalade. pass it through a hair sieve, add the yolks of four eggs and one white, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, half a nutmeg, and the peel of a lemon grated. beat all well together, line the inside of a pie dish with good puff paste, put in the pudding, and bake it half an hour. spring soup. put a pint of peas into a saucepan with some chervil, purslain, lettuce, sorrel, parsley, three or four onions, and a piece of butter. shake them over the fire a few minutes, add warm water in proportion to the vegetables, and stew them till they are well done. strain off the soup, and pulp the vegetables through a tammis or sieve. heat the pulp with three parts of the soup, mix six yolks of eggs with the remainder of it, and thicken it over the fire. when ready to serve, add this to the soup, and season the whole with salt. sprouts. before the sprouts of greens are boiled, trim and wash them very nicely, and drain them in a cullender. then put them into boiling water, with some salt thrown in, and sprinkle a little more upon the sprouts. boil them very fast, and clear off any scum that may arise. when the stalks are quite tender, drain the sprouts off directly into a cullender, or they will lose both their flavour and colour. serve them up laid neatly in the dish with a fork, as that will not break them like a spoon. borecole and brussel sprouts, like all the cabbage species, should be boiled in plenty of water, changing it when about half done, and boiling them well. spruce beer. pour sixteen gallons of warm water into a barrel, with twelve pounds of molasses, and half a pound of the essence of spruce. when cool, add a pint of yeast, stir it well for two or three days, and put it into stone bottles. wire down the corks, pack the bottles in saw dust, and the liquor will ripen in about a fortnight. squab pie. prepare apples as for other pies, and lay them in rows with mutton chops. shred some onion, and sprinkle it among them, and also some sugar.--another. make a good crust, and sheet your dish all over; lay a layer of pippins, and strew sugar over them; cut a loin of mutton into steaks, season them with pepper and salt; lay a layer of steaks, then pippins; then lay some onions sliced thin on the apples, then the rest of your mutton, and apples and onions over all; pour in a pint of water, and lid your pye; let it be well baked. staffordshire beef steaks. beat them a little with a rollingpin, then flour and season, and fry them of a fine light brown, with sliced onions. lay the steaks into a stewpan, and pour over them as much boiling water as will serve for sauce. stew them very gently for half an hour, and add a spoonful of ketchup or walnut liquor, before they are served up. staffordshire syllabub. put into a bowl a pint of cider, and a glass of brandy, with sugar and nutmeg. pour into it some warm milk, from a large tea-pot, held up high, and moved over it. stains by acids. wet the injured part, and lay on some salt of wormwood; then rub it, without diluting it with more water. or let the cloth imbibe a little water without dipping, and hold the part over a lighted match at a due distance. the spots will be removed by the sulphureous gas. another way is to tie up some pearl ash in the stained part, then scrape some soap into cold soft water to make a lather, and boil the linen till the stain disappears. stains in mahogany. if any kind of furniture get stained with ink, dilute half a tea-spoonful of oil of vitriol with a large spoonful of water, and touch the stained part with a feather dipped in the liquid. it must be watched, and not suffered to remain too long, or it will leave a white mark. it is better to rub it quick, and to moisten it again, if the stain be not entirely removed. staining of bone. this article must first be prepared, by being steeped for several days in a mixture of roche alum, vitriol, verdigris, and copper filings, infused in white wine vinegar. when the ingredients are dissolved, the mixture may be boiled with the bone in it, and it will take a fine green colour. by infusing brazil wood, french berries, or indigo in the vinegar, with a little roche alum, either red, yellow, or blue may be produced. either bone, ivory, or wood, may be coloured in this manner. staining of parchment. paper or parchment may be stained of a green colour, by gradually dissolving some copper filings in aqua-fortis, or the spirits of salt, putting in the filings till the ebullition ceases. a solution of verdigris in vinegar, or the crystals of verdigris in water, will answer the same purpose. a fine crimson stain may be produced by a tincture of the indian lake, made by infusing the lake several days in spirits of wine, and pouring off the tincture from the dregs. a beautiful yellow may be formed from the tincture of turmeric, made in the same way. if the colours be wanted of a deeper cast, arnatto or dragon's blood may be added to the tincture. staining of wood. to stain wood of a mahogany colour, put it into a mixture of oil of turpentine and pounded dragon's blood, and let it stand an hour over a slow fire. when taken off the fire, the wood may remain in the liquor all night. the dye may be made stronger or weaker, by using more or less of dragon's blood, and by a greater or less degree of digestion and boiling. the best wood for this purpose is plane tree, because it may easily be sawn and polished, and is beautifully veined and spotted. to stain wood a fine black, drop a little oil of vitriol into a small quantity of water, rub it on the wood, and hold it to the fire. it will then become a fine black, and receive a beautiful polish. stalks of beet leaves. trim and well wash the stalks of green and white beet leaves, and boil them in water, moving them frequently, to prevent the upper ones from turning black. when done enough, drain them in a cullender. make a white sauce with a little flour and water, a piece of butter, some pepper and salt, and a taste of vinegar. thicken this over the fire, and put in the stalks to stew gently for a few minutes, to give them a flavour. if the butter oils, it is a sign that the sauce is too thick. in this case add another spoonful or two of water, and shake the stewpan till the sauce recovers it appearance. starch is a substance which is extracted from wheaten flour, by washing it in water. all farinaceous seeds, and the roots of most vegetables, afford this substance in a greater or less degree; but it is most easily obtained from the flour of wheat, by moistening any quantity thereof with a little water, and kneading it with the hand into a tough paste: this being washed with water, by letting fall upon it a very slender stream, the water will be rendered turbid as it runs off, in consequence of the fecula or starch which it extracts from the flour, and which will subside when the water is allowed to stand at rest. the starch so obtained, when dried in the sun, or by a stove, is usually concreted into small masses of a long figure and columnar shape, which have a fine white colour, scarcely any smell, and very little taste. if kept dry, starch in this state continues a long time uninjured, although exposed to the air. it is not soluble in cold water; but forms a thick paste with boiling-hot water, and when this paste is allowed to cool, it becomes semi-transparent and gelatinous, and being dried, becomes brittle, and somewhat resembles gum. starch, although found in all nutritive grains, is only perfect when they have attained maturity, for before this it is in a state approaching to mucilage, and so mixed with saccharine matter and essential oils, that it cannot be extracted in sufficient purity to concrete into masses. wheat, or such parts of it as are not used for human food, are usually employed for manufacturing starch, such as the refuse wheat and bran; but when the finest starch is required, good grain must be used. this, being well cleaned, and sometimes coarsely bruised, is put into wooden vessels full of water to ferment: to assist the fermentation, the vessels are exposed to the greatest heat of the sun, and the water is changed twice a day, during eight or twelve days, according to the season. when the grain bursts easily under the finger, and gives out a milky white liquor when squeezed, it is judged to be sufficiently softened and fermented. in this state, the grains are taken out of the water by a sieve, and put into a canvas sack, and the husks are separated and rubbed off, by beating and rubbing the sack upon a plank: the sack is then put into a tub filled with cold water, and trodden or beaten till the water becomes milky and turbid, from the starch which it takes up from the grain. a scum sometimes swims upon the surface of the water, which must be carefully removed; the water is then run off through a fine sieve into a settling-vessel, and fresh water is poured upon the grains, two or three times, till it will not extract any more starch, or become coloured by the grain. the water in the settling-vessels being left at rest, precipitates the starch which it held suspended; and to get rid of the saccharine matter, which was also dissolved by the water, the vessels are exposed to the sun, which soon produces the acetous fermentation, and takes up such matter as renders the starch more pure and white. during this process, the starch for sale in the shops receives its colour, which consists of smalt mixed with water and a small quantity of alum, and is thoroughly incorporated with the starch; but this starch is unfit for medicinal purposes. when the water becomes completely sour, it is poured gently off from the starch, which is washed several times afterwards with clean water, and at last is placed to drain upon linen cloths supported by hurdles, and the water drips through, leaving the starch upon the cloths, in which it is pressed or wrung, to extract as much as possible of the water; and the remainder is evaporated, by cutting the starch into pieces, which are laid up in airy places, upon a floor of plaster or of slightly burnt bricks, until it becomes completely dried from all moisture, partly by the access of warm air, and partly by the floor imbibing the moisture. in winter time, the heat of a stove must be employed to effect the drying. lastly, the pieces of dried starch are scraped, to remove the outside crust, which makes inferior starch, and these pieces are broken into smaller pieces for sale. the grain which remains in the sack after the starch is extracted, contains the husks and the glutinous part of the wheat, which are found very nutritious food for cattle. the french manufacturers, according to "les arts et metiers," pursue a more economical method, as they are enabled, by employing an acid water for the fermentation in the first instance, to use the most inferior wheat, and the bran or husks of wheat. this water they prepare, by putting a pailful of warm water into a tub, with about two pounds of leaven, such as some bakers use to make their dough rise or ferment. the water stands two days, and is then stirred up, and half a pailful of warm water added to it; then being left to settle till it is clear, it is poured off for use. to use this water in the fermentation of the materials, a quantity of it is poured into a tub, and about as much fair water is poured upon it as will fill the tub half full: the remainder of the tub is then filled up with the materials, which are one half refuse wheat, and the other half bran. in this tub it continues to steep and ferment during ten days, or less, according to the strength of the leaven-water, and according to the disposition of the weather for fermentation. when the materials have been sufficiently steeped, or fermented, an unctuous matter, which is the oil of the grain, will be seen swimming on the surface, having been thrown up by the fermentation. this must be scummed off; and the fermented grain, being taken out of the tub, is put into a fine hair sieve, placed over a settling-tub, when fair water is poured upon it, and washed through the sieve into the tub; by which means the starch is carried through the sieve with the water, of which about six times the quantity of the grain are used. the water stands in the settling tub for a day, and becomes clear at top; when it is carefully laded out of the tub, leaving at the bottom a white sediment, which is the starch. the water which is taken off is sour, and is called _sure_ water: this is the proper leaven for the first steeping of the materials. the starch now obtained must be rendered marketable; for which purpose, as much water is poured upon it as will enable it to be pounded and broken up with a shovel, and then the tub is filled up with fair water. two days after this, the water is laded out from the tub, and the starch appears in the bottom, but covered over with a dark-coloured and inferior kind of starch, which is taken off, and employed for fattening hogs. the remainder of the sediment, which is good starch, is washed several times, to remove all the inferior starch; and when this is done, about four inches of thick starch should be found at the bottom of each tub: but the quantity varies, according to the goodness of the meal or bran which has been used. it is evident that the refuse wheat, when employed for making starch, ought to afford more, the whole being used, than the bran or husks; but the starch so extracted is always of an inferior quality to that which is extracted from the bran of good wheat, particularly in the whiteness of its colour. the starch in the different tubs is brought together into one, and there worked up with as much water as will dissolve it into a thin paste, which is put into a silk sieve, and strained through with fresh water. this water is settled in a tub, and afterwards poured off, but before it is so completely settled as to lose all its white colour: this renders the starch which is deposited, still finer and whiter; and the starch which is deposited by the water so poured off, is of a more common quality. the starch, thus purified, is taken out of the bottom of the tubs, and put into wicker-baskets, about eighteen inches long and ten deep, rounded at the corners, and lined with linen cloths, which are not fastened to the baskets. the water drips from the starch through the cloths for a day, and the baskets are then carried up to apartments at the top of the house, where the floor is made of very clean white plaster; and the windows are thrown open, to admit a current of air. here the baskets are turned downwards upon the plaster-floor, and the linen cloths, not being fastened to the baskets, follow the starch, and when taken off, leave loaves, or cakes of starch, which are left to dry a little, and are then broken into smaller pieces, and left on the plaster-floor, till very dry. but if the weather is at all humid, the starch is removed from the plaster-floor and spread out upon shelves, in an apartment which is warmed by a stove, and there it remains till perfectly dry. the pieces are afterwards scraped, to remove the outside crust, which makes common starch; and the scraped pieces being again broken small, the starch is carried to the stove, and spread out to a depth of three inches, on hurdles covered with cloths. the starch must be turned over every morning and evening, to prevent it from turning to a greenish colour, which it would otherwise do. those manufacturers who are not provided with a stove, make use of the top of a baker's oven to spread the starch upon; and after being thoroughly dried here, it is ready for sale. starch may be made from potatoes, by soaking them about an hour in water, and taking off their roots and fibres, then rubbing them quite clean by a strong brush: after this they are reduced to a pulp, by grating them in water. this pulp is to be collected in a tub, and mixed up with a large quantity of clear water: at the same time, another clean tub must be provided; and a hair sieve, not too fine, must be supported over it by two wooden rails extended across the tub. the pulp and water are thrown into the sieve, and the flour of starch is carried through with the water; fresh water must then be poured on, till it runs through quite clear. the refuse pulp which remains in the sieve, being boiled in water, makes an excellent food for animals; and the quantity of this pulp is near seven-eighths of all the potatoes employed. the liquor which has passed through the sieve is turbid, and of a darkish colour, from the extractive matter which is dissolved in it. when it is suffered to rest for five or six hours, all this matter deposits or settles to the bottom, and the liquor which remains is to be poured off as useless; and a large quantity of fresh water is thrown upon the flour, and stirred up: it is then settled for a day, and the water being poured off, the flour will be found to have again settled in a whiter state. but to improve it, another quantity of water is poured on, and mixed up with it; in which state it is passed through a fine silk sieve, to arrest any small quantity of the pulp which may have escaped the first hair sieve. the whole must afterwards be suffered to stand quiet, till the flour is entirely settled, and the water above become perfectly clear; but if the water has any sensible colour or taste, the flour must be washed again with fresh water, for it is absolutely necessary that none of the extractive matter be suffered to remain with it. the flour, when thus obtained pure, and drained from the water, may be taken out of the tub with a wooden shovel, and placed upon wicker-frames covered with paper, to be dried in some situation properly defended from dust. when the manufacture of starch from potatoes is attempted in a large way, some kind of mill must be used to reduce them to a pulp, as the grating of them by hand is too tedious an operation. a mill invented by m. baumé is very complete for this purpose. in its general structure it resembles a large coffee-mill: the grater consists of a cone of iron plate, about seven inches in diameter, and eight inches in height, the exterior surface of which is made toothed, like a rasp, by piercing holes through the plate from the inside. this cone is fixed upon a verticle axle, with a handle at the top to turn it by; and is mounted on the pivots of the axle, within a hollow cylinder of plate-iron, toothed withinside like the outside of the cone; the smallest end of the interior cone being uppermost, and the lower or larger end being as large as the interior diameter of the hollow cylinder. a conical hopper is fixed to the hollow cylinder, round the top of it, into which the potatoes are thrown; and falling down into the space between the outside of the cone and the inside of the hollow cylinder, they are ground, and reduced to a pulp, when the interior cone is turned round by its handle; and as the lower part of the cone is fitted close to the interior diameter of the cylinder, the potatoes must be ground to a fine pulp before they can pass through between the two. the machine, when at work, is placed in a tub filled with water; and as fast as the grinding proceeds, the pulp mixes regularly with the water, ready for the process before described. poland starch is reckoned the best: its quality may be judged of by the fineness of the grain, its being very brittle, and of a good colour. the price of starch depends upon that of flour; and when bread is cheap, starch may be bought to advantage. if it be of good quality it will keep for some years, covered close, and laid up in a dry warm room. in the year , lord william murray obtained a patent for manufacturing starch from horse-chesnuts. the method was to take the horse-chesnuts out of the outward green prickly husk, and either by hand, with a knife or tool, or else with a mill adapted for the purpose, the brown rind was carefully removed, leaving the chesnuts perfectly white, and without the smallest speck. in this state the nuts were rasped or ground to a pulp with water, and the pulp washed with water through a coarse horse-hair sieve, and twice afterwards through finer sieves, with a constant addition of clear cold water, till all the starch was washed clean from the pulp which remained in the sieve; and the water being settled, deposited the starch, which was afterwards repeatedly washed, purified, and dried, in the same manner as the potatoe-starch before described. we are not informed if this manufacture has been carried into effect. the sour, nauseous, milky liquor obtained in the process of starch-making, appears, upon analysis, to contain acetous acid, ammonia, alcohol, gluten, and phosphate of lime. the office of the acid is to dissolve the gluten and phosphate of lime, and thus to separate them from the starch. starch is used along with smalt, or stone-blue, to stiffen and clear linen. the powder of it is also used to whiten and powder the hair. it is also used by the dyers, to dispose their stuffs to take colours the better. starch is sometimes used instead of sugar-candy for mixing with the colours that are used in strong gum-water, to make them work more freely, and to prevent their cracking. it is also used medicinally for the same intentions with the viscous substance which the flour of wheat forms with milk, in fluxes and catarrhs, under various forms of powders, mixtures, &c. a drachm of starch, with three ounces of any agreeable simple water, and a little sugar, compose an elegant jelly, of which a spoonful may be taken every hour or two. these gelatinous mixtures are likewise an useful injection in some diarrhoeas, particularly where the lower intestines have their natural mucus rubbed off by the flux, or are constantly irritated by the acrimony of the matter. steaks fried. moisten the pan with butter, put in some beef steaks, and when done, lay them on a dish. put to the gravy that comes out of them, a glass of port wine, half an anchovy, a sliced shalot with nutmeg, pepper, and salt. give it a boil in the pan, pour it over the steaks, and send them hot to table. in a plainer way, put a little flour and water into the pan with the gravy when the steaks are taken out, adding a spoonful of ketchup, an onion or shalot. the wine and anchovy may be omitted. garnish with scraped horse-radish round the dish. steak pie. raise a crust pretty deep and thick. divide a breast or neck of mutton into steaks, beat and season them with nutmeg, pepper, and salt. add some sweet herbs cut very fine, two onions sliced, the yolks of three or four hard eggs minced, and two spoonfuls of capers. scatter these among the steaks as they are laid into the pie. put on the top crust, and let the pie soak in a moderately hot oven for two hours or longer, according to its size. have some gravy ready to put into it through a funnel, when it is to be served up. steak pudding. make a paste of suet or dripping and flour, roll it out, and line a basin with it. season the meat, and put it in. cover it with the paste, pinch it close round the edge, tie it up in a cloth, and boil it two hours, but be careful not to break it.--another way. make a good paste, with suet shred very fine, and flour; mix it up with cold water, and a little salt, and make your crust pretty stiff; about two pounds of suet to a quarter of a peck of flour. let the steaks be either beef or mutton, well seasoned with pepper and salt; make it up like an apple-pudding, tie it in a cloth tight, and put it into the water boiling. if it be a large pudding, it will take four or five hours; if a middling one, three hours. steaks rolled. after beating them to make them tender, spread them over with any quantity of high seasoned forcemeat. then roll them up, and skewer them tight. fry the steaks in nice dripping, till they become of a delicate brown. then take them out of the fat in which they were fried, and put them into a stewpan with some good gravy, a spoonful of port wine, and some ketchup. when sufficiently stewed, serve them up with the gravy, and a few pickled mushrooms. steam. steam is employed to great advantage for culinary purposes. it is made to communicate with vessels in the form of boilers, as a substitute for having fires under them, which is a great advantage, both in the economy of fuel, and in avoiding at the same time the nuisance of ashes and smoke. the most convenient application of steam for culinary purposes is, when it directly acts upon the substance to be heated. this has been generally effected by placing the substance, whether meat or vegetables, in a vessel without water, and allowing the steam to enter and condense upon it. the most convenient apparatus of this kind we have yet heard of, consists of a cast-iron plate about thirty inches or three feet square, standing horizontally in a recess in the wall, like a table. round the edge of this plate is a groove, about half an inch wide and two inches deep. into this groove fits an inverted tin vessel, like a dish-cover. this is capable of being elevated and depressed by a pulley and chain, having a counterpoise, in order to expose the table at any time. the steam comes under the table and enters in the centre. the dishes to receive the heat are placed on any part within the groove, the steam being common to all. the water resulting from the condensation runs into the groove, and at a point short of the top runs off. the water which remains forms a complete water-lute, to prevent the escape of steam. the table being placed in a recess, like a common stone hearth, a small flue is placed over it to take away any steam that may escape when the cover is lifted up. the great quantity of hot water required in a scullery should be perpetually kept up by a supply of steam. for this purpose a large cylindrical vessel of cast-iron should be elevated in a corner of the scullery, in order that water may be drawn from it by a cock. this vessel should be connected from the bottom with a cold-water cistern, the bottom of which is level with the top of the cylinder, by which the latter is kept constantly full. the hot-water cylinder is closed firmly at the top, and therefore, when the air is allowed to escape, the water rises to the top. if now a pipe be connected with the top, coming down to where it is to be drawn off, if any portion is drawn out here, as much will come in at the bottom of the cylinder from the reservoir above. so far we have described this cylinder without its steam-vessel. within this cylinder, and about the middle, is a distinct vessel, nearly of the width of the cylinder; but having a free space round the inner vessel about an inch wide. the depth of the inner vessel must be about one-sixth that of the outer one. this inner vessel must have no connection with the outer one, and must be so water-tight, that although it is surrounded with the water of the outer one, none should get in. the inner vessel is on one side connected by a pipe with a steam-boiler, having another pipe to allow the condensed water to run off, which may be preserved as distilled water, and is valuable for many purposes. the heat arising from the condensation is communicated to the water in the outer vessel, the hottest being at the top, where the mouth of the exit-pipe is placed. when, therefore, a portion of hot water is drawn from the cock, the pipe of which comes from the top of the vessel immediately under the cover, an equal quantity comes in at the bottom from the reservoir. this useful apparatus is the invention of an ingenious economist of derby, and is at present in use in his kitchen. the art of boiling vegetables of all kinds in steam instead of water, might probably be managed to advantage, as a greater degree of heat might be thus given them, by contriving to increase the heat of the steam after it has left the water; and thus the vegetable mucilage in roots and seeds, as in potatoes and flour puddings, as well as in their leaves, stems, and flower-cups, might be rendered probably more nutritive, and perhaps more palatable; but that many of the leaves of vegetables, as the summits of cabbage-sprouts, lose their green colour by being boiled in steam, and look like blanched vegetables. steam has likewise lately been applied in gardening to the purpose of forcing plants of different kinds in the winter season, in order to have their produce at an early period, as to the cucumber, and some other vegetables of a somewhat similar nature; but the exact manner of its application in this intention, so far as we know, has not yet been communicated to the public; it is, however, by some mode of flues, pipes, and other contrivances for conveying and containing it, so as that its heat may be uninterruptedly, equally, and regularly afforded to the roots of the plants which it is designed to push forward into the fruiting state. it is said to have been used in some instances in different parts of lancashire with great success. but how far the expense and advantage of such a method may admit of and encourage its being introduced into general practice, have not, probably, yet been well or fully ascertained. if it should be found capable of perfectly succeeding in this use, on more full and correct experience, it will, however, constitute not only a neat and clean, but an elegant mode of forcing plants into fruit at early seasons. steamed potatoes. the potatoes must be well washed, but not pared, and put into the steamer when the water boils. moderate sized potatoes will require three quarters of an hour to do them properly. they should be taken up as soon as they are done enough, or they will become watery. steel. to transform iron into steel, put four ounces of cast iron into a crucible, with a considerable degree of heat. while in a state of fusion, immerse in it a polished iron wire of some thickness, and keep it there for some time, but not so long as to fuse it. when cold, the wire will be so hard as to resist the action of a common file, being converted into steel. steel rust. the prevention of rust, on such articles of furniture as are made of polished steel, is an object of great importance in domestic economy. the cutlers in sheffield, when they have given a knife or razor blade the requisite degree of polish, rub them with powdered quick-lime, in order to prevent them from tarnishing; and it seems that articles made of polished steel are dipped in lime water, before they are sent into the retail market. but when steel has contracted rust, the method of cleaning and polishing it is to oil the rusty parts, and let it remain in that state two or three days. then wipe it dry with clean rags, and polish with emery or pumice stone, or hard wood. after the oil is cleared off, a little fresh lime finely powdered will often be found sufficient; but where a higher polish is required, it will be necessary to use a paste composed of finely levigated bloodstone and spirits of wine. steel stoves. to preserve them effectually from rust, beat into three pounds of unsalted lard, two drams of camphor sliced thin, till the whole is absorbed. then take as much black lead as will make it of the colour of broken steel; dip a rag into it, rub it thick on the stove, and the steel will never rust, even if wetted. when the stove is to be used, the grease must be washed off with hot water, and the steel be dried before polishing. stewed artichokes. wash and pare some jerusalem artichokes, and part them in two. boil them in a small quantity of gravy till almost done, and the liquor nearly consumed. then add some cream, a piece of butter rolled in flour and a little salt, all in proportion to the number of artichokes. stew them gently for ten minutes, and serve them up with sippets of white bread fried. stewed artichoke bottoms. boil some artichokes till about half done, and then take off the leaves and the choke. trim the bottoms nicely, and stew them gently in some gravy, with a little lemon-juice or vinegar, and some salt, till they are quite tender. before serving them up, wipe them dry, then lay them in a dish with sippets of toasted or fried bread laid round it, and pour some strong clear gravy over them. dried artichoke bottoms may also be used for stewing, but should first be soaked a little while in warm water. stewed breast of veal. take a nice breast of veal, cut off the thin end, and boil it down for your sauce, with a faggot of sweet herbs, an onion stuck with three cloves, two blades of mace, some whole pepper and salt; put to it a quart of water, and let it stew gently till half is wasted, then raise the skin off your breast of veal, and make a forcemeat of the sweetbread first parboiled, a few crumbs of bread, a little beef suet, and some parsley shred very fine; season it with pepper, salt, and nutmeg; moisten it with a spoonful of cream, and an egg; mix all well together, and force your veal; skewer it down close, dredge it over with flour, tie it up in a clean cloth, and let it boil an hour and a half. if your gravy is done, strain it off, and take off the fat very clean; blanch and beard half a pint of oysters, a gill of pickled mushrooms, a little lemon-peel shred very fine: put this to your gravy, and thicken it with a piece of butter rolled in flour; fry six or eight large oysters, dipped in batter for garnish. when your veal is enough, dish it up, and pour your sauce over. garnish your dish with lemon, oysters, and barberries. stewed brisket of beef. stew nine pounds of brisket of beef, in two gallons of water, for two or three hours over night. when made sufficiently tender, take out the bones, and carefully skim off the fat. boil in some of the liquor a few carrots, turnips, onions, celery, and white cabbage, till they become quite tender. add some salt, and the remainder of the broth to the beef, and stew all together till sufficiently done. stewed calf's liver larded. take a calf's liver, and lard it, and put it into a stewpan, with some water, a bundle of sweet herbs, an onion, a blade of mace, some whole pepper, and a little salt; cover it close, and let it stew till it is enough; then take up your liver, and put it into the dish you intend; cover it over, and take out your herbs and spice; skim off all the fat very clean; put in a piece of butter rolled in flour; boil it till it is of a proper thickness; pour it over your liver, and send it to table garnished with lemon. stewed cardoons. cut them into pieces, not more than five or six inches long. take off the outward skin, and wash and scald them. put them into a stewpan, with gravy enough to cover them, and let them stew gently till almost done, and the liquor nearly exhausted. add a small quantity of fresh gravy, and continue stewing them gently till quite tender. serve them up with sippets of toasted bread round the edge of the dish. if the gravy is not sufficiently seasoned, add a little salt and cayenne. stewed carp. scale and clean the fish, and preserve the roe. lay the carp in a stewpan, with a rich beef-gravy, an onion, eight cloves, a dessert-spoonful of jamaica pepper, the same of black pepper, and a glass of port or cider. simmer it closely covered; when nearly done, add two anchovies chopped fine, a dessert-spoonful of made mustard, a little fine walnut ketchup, and a bit of butter rolled in flour. shake it, and let the gravy boil a few minutes. serve with sippets of fried bread, the roe fried, and a good deal of horseradish and lemon.--another way. scale your carp, then gut and wash them very clean, and dry them in a cloth; put a piece of butter into a stewpan, when it is hot, fry them as quick as you can, till they are of a fine brown; boil the roes, then fry them of a fine gold colour; take them up, and keep them hot before the fire: then put to your carp half port wine and half water, as much as will cover them a little more than half way; put in some thyme, parsley, a piece of lemon-peel, whole pepper, a few cloves, a blade or two of mace, an onion, some horse-radish sliced, and two spoonfuls of ketchup; put on your cover, and let it stew very gently, till your fish is enough; do not turn them in the pan, but with a ladle take some of the liquor, and pour over your fish every now and then, while they are stewing, then cover them close again: when they are done enough, take them out of the pan with a slice, and take care not to break them; put them into the dish you intend to send them to table in, then strain the liquor, and thicken it up with a piece of butter rolled in flour; let it boil till it is pretty thick, pour the sauce over the fish, and garnish your dish with the roes, lemon, and horseradish, and send it to table. you may squeeze a little lemon into the sauce, if you like it, and add oysters fried in butter; or you may stew them in cider, instead of wine, and it is very little inferior. tench may be done the same way.--to stew carp white. scale and gut your fish very clean, save the roes and melts, then stove them in some good white broth; season them with mace, salt, whole pepper, an onion stuck with cloves, a faggot of sweet herbs, and about half a pint of white wine; cover them close, and let them stew gently over a charcoal fire. dip the roes and melts in the yolk of an egg; flour them, and fry them of a fine brown, and have fried parsley and sippets ready. when the fish is near done, take out the onion and faggot, beat up the yolks of four or five eggs, take up the fish carefully, and put it into the dish you serve it in; pour off the sauce, then strain it into a stewpan, and put in your eggs; keep it stirring till it is as fine as cream, then pour it over the dish. garnish with the roes, fried parsley, sippets, horseradish scraped, and lemon: send it as hot as possible to table.--a plain way to stew carp. clean your carp very well, cut them in two, put them into a stewpan, with a little onion shred fine, pepper, salt, a little beaten mace, a few capers chopped small, and some crusts of bread chipped in. then pour in a gill of white, and a gill of red wine, and as much water as will just cover them; cover the pan close, and let them stew till they are enough, and the sauce grown thick. serve it up with lemon and horseradish for garnish. stewed carrots. half boil, scrape them nicely, and slice them into a stewpan. add half a tea-cupful of weak broth, the same quantity of cream, with pepper and salt. simmer till the carrots are quite tender, but not broken. before serving, warm them up with a bit of butter rubbed in flour. chopped parsley may be added, if approved, ten minutes before serving. stewed celery. wash six heads, and strip off the outer leaves. either divide or leave them whole, according to their size, and cut them into lengths of four inches. put them into a stewpan with a cup of broth, or weak gravy, and stew them tender. add two spoonfuls of cream, and a little flour and butter seasoned with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, and simmer them all together. stewed chickens. cut two chickens into quarters; wash them clean, and put them into a stewpan, with half a pint of red wine, and a gill of water, an onion, a faggot of sweet herbs, seasoned with mace, pepper, and salt; cover them close, and let them stew half an hour, then take the quantity of an egg of butter rolled in flour; take out the onion and sweet herbs; shake it round till it is of a good thickness, and take off all the scum very clean: dish it up garnished with lemon.--to stew chickens for a tender stomach. take two nice chickens, and half boil them; then take them up into a small soup-dish; separate all the joints, and add three or four spoonfuls of the liquor they are boiled in, with a little beaten mace, and salt; then cover them close with another dish, and keep in all the steam; set it over a clear stove, and let it stew till the chickens are enough, and send them hot to table in the same dish they were stewed in. stewed cod. cut a cod in slices, as you would for crimping, lay it in a clean stewpan; season it with nutmeg, a little mace finely beaten, pepper, and salt, and a bundle of sweet herbs; then pour in white wine and water an equal quantity, just to cover it: put on the cover, and let it simmer for six or eight minutes; skim it very clean, put in half a pint of shrimps clean picked, a good piece of butter rolled in flour, and the juice of a lemon; cover it, and shake your pan round gently: as soon as it begins to boil, take off all the scum as it rises: if your sauce is of a proper thickness, your fish will be enough; wipe the rim of the pan very clean, and slide the fish into your dish, taking care not to break it. garnish with lemon and scraped horse-radish.--another way. lay the slices into a large stewpan, so that they need not be laid one upon another. season with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, a bundle of sweet herbs, and an onion. add half a pint of white wine, and a quarter of a pint of water. simmer it gently a few minutes, squeeze in a lemon, add a few oysters, the liquor strained, a piece of butter rolled in flour, and a little mace. cover it close, and let it stew gently, shaking the pan often. when done take out the herbs and onions, and serve it up with the sauce poured over it. stewed cucumbers. slice them thick, or halve and divide them into two lengths. strew over them some salt and pepper, and sliced onions: add a little broth, or a bit of butter. simmer very slowly, and put in a little flour and butter before serving.--another way. slice the onions, and cut the cucumbers large. flour and fry them in butter, then stew them in good broth or gravy, and skim off the fat. stewed duck. half roast a duck, put it into a stewpan with a pint of beef gravy, a few leaves of sage and mint cut small, pepper and salt, and a small bit of onion shred as fine as possible. simmer them a quarter of an hour, skim it clean, and add nearly a quart of green peas. cover the stewpan close, and simmer near half an hour longer. put in a piece of butter and a little flour, give it one boil, and serve all together in a dish. stewed eels. melt an ounce of butter in a stewpan, add a handful of sorrel cut in large pieces, a dozen sage leaves finely minced, five pounds of eels cut in pieces, and seasoned with pepper and salt. then put in two anchovies boned and minced, half a nutmeg, and half a pint of water. stew them gently together for half an hour, take out the onion, squeeze in a lemon, and lay toasted bread round the dish. half this quantity will be sufficient for a small dish.--another way. take what quantity of eels you please; after they are cleaned, fry them in butter, then pour the butter clear off; put into your pan a bundle of sweet herbs, an onion stuck with two or three cloves, a blade of mace, some whole pepper, and a little salt; then add a pint of red wine and water, and let them stew till they are tender: put the eels into a dish, strain off the sauce, and thicken it up with a piece of butter rolled in flour, or a piece of thickened burnt butter. garnish your dish with horse-radish and lemon.--another way. having cleaned your eels very well, cut them in pieces, put them into a stewpan, with a bundle of sweet herbs, an onion stuck with cloves, mace, whole pepper, and a little salt; put to them a gill of white wine, half a pint of red, and a gill of water; cover them close, and let them stew till tender; strain off the gravy, thicken it up, and send it to table.--to stew an eel whole. take a fine large eel, clean it well, force the inside with crumbs of bread, an anchovy cut fine, salt, pepper, a little nutmeg, and two or three oysters bruised, with some parsley shred fine; fill the inside as full as you can, sew it up with fine thread, turn it round, and run a small skewer through it, to keep it in its folds; put it into a small stewpan, with an onion stuck with cloves, and a faggot of herbs; put over it red wine; cover the pan down very close, and let it stew gently till tender; take out the onion, &c. put the eel into a dish, and a plate over it; thicken the sauce with butter rolled in flour, and squeeze a little lemon into the plate. if you have any forcemeat left, make them into small balls, and fry them; put them into the sauce, give them a toss, and pour it over the eel. garnish the dish with fried oysters, horseradish, and lemon. stewed endive. trim off all the green parts of the endive, wash and cut into pieces, and scald it till about half done. drain it well, chop it a little, put it into a stewpan with a little strong gravy, and stew it gently till quite tender. season it with some pepper and salt, and serve it up as a sauce to any kind of roast meat; or it eats well with potatoes. stewed fowl with celery. take a fowl or turkey trussed short as for boiling, press down the breast-bone, put it into a clean stewpan, with good veal broth, as much as will cover it; season it with beaten mace, pepper and salt, a faggot of sweet herbs, and an onion; cover it close, and let it boil; in the mean time, take a large bunch of celery, cut all the white part small, and wash it very clean; if your turkey or fowl boils, take out the onion and herbs; scum it very clean, and put in your celery; cover it down close, and let it stew till your celery is very tender, and your fowl likewise; take a clean stewpan, and set it over your stove; take up your fowl or turkey, and keep it hot; pour your celery and sauce into your stewpan; beat up the yolks of two or three eggs in half a pint of cream, and a large spoonful of white wine; stir it till it is of a good thickness, and just at boiling squeeze in a little juice of lemon, or a little mushroom pickle; shake it round, and pour it over your fowl. garnish your dish with lemon. stewed french beans. prepare some young beans as for boiling, and boil them in plenty of water, with salt in it, till they are rather more than half done. drain them in a cullender, beat up the yolks of three eggs with a quarter of a pint of cream, put them into a stewpan with two ounces of fresh butter, and set it over a slow fire. when hot, put in the beans, with a spoonful of vinegar, and simmer them quite tender, stirring the mixture to keep it from curdling or burning. to stew french beans with gravy, pursue the same method, only instead of the eggs and cream, put half a pint of gravy. use only half the quantity of butter, and add that rolled in flour, to thicken up the whole after the beans are put in. the vinegar should be omitted, and cayenne and salt added if required. stewed giblets. after very nicely cleaning goose or duck giblets, and removing the thick membrane from the gizzards, stew them, in a little water. season them with salt and pepper, and a very small piece of mace. before serving, give them one boil with a cup of cream, and a piece of butter rubbed in a tea-spoonful of flour. stewed green peas. to a quart of peas add a quart of gravy, two or three lumps of sugar, with pepper and salt. stew them gently till the peas are quite tender, and if the gravy is not sufficiently thick, add a piece of butter rolled in flour. if the peas are old, half boil them first in hard water, before they are stewed. whether for young or old peas, the gravy must be strong. to stew them in a mild way, put a pint of young peas into a stewpan, with very little water, and two young lettuces cut small. stew them gently till the peas are tender, then add four spoonfuls of cream, a lump of sugar, and the yolks of two eggs. stir the whole together over the fire for a short time, but do not allow it to boil. a little salt should be added before serving up the stew. another way is to take a quart of young peas, a small onion sliced, two lettuces cut small, and a sprig or two of mint. put them into a stewpan, adding some salt, a little pepper and mace, and half a pint of hard water. stew these gently for twenty minutes, then put in a quarter of a pound of butter rolled in flour, and a spoonful of mushroom ketchup. keep the stewpan over the fire till the peas are quite tender, shaking it frequently, and never suffering them to boil. receipts for stewing peas might be multiplied to almost any extent, for there is no one preparation in cookery perhaps more varied than this, though without any very material difference. stewed hare. take off the legs and shoulders, cut out the backbone, cut into pieces the meat which comes off the sides, and put all into a stewpan. add three quarters of a pint of small beer, the same of water, a large onion stuck with cloves, some whole pepper, a slice of lemon, and a little salt. stew it gently for an hour, close covered, and put to it a quart of gravy. stew it gradually two hours longer, or till it is quite tender. take out the hare, rub smooth half a spoonful of flour in a little gravy, add it to the sauce, and boil it up. then add a little salt and cayenne, and put in the hare again. when heated through, serve it up in a tureen or deep dish, adding port wine if approved. stewed knuckle of veal. take a knuckle of veal of about five pounds; wash it clean, and put it into a clean stewpan, with two quarts of water, a faggot of sweet herbs, two blades of mace, an onion stuck with three or four cloves, some whole pepper, and a little salt; put in a crust of the upper part of a loaf, cover it down close, and make it boil, then scum it very clean, and let it just simmer for full two hours. when you take it up, put your veal into the dish first, and strain your broth through a fine sieve over it, then take off all the fat very clean, and put some thin slices of french roll in your dish, and toasted bread cut in dice, in a plate. serve it up hot. you may boil a quarter of a pound of rice in fair water, till it is very tender; then strain it off; and when you send your veal to table, lay your rice all over it.--rice is better boiled by itself, for when you boil it with the meat, the scum is apt to discolour it, and make it eat greasy. stewed lobster. pick the meat out of the shell, put it into a dish that has a lamp, and rub it down with a bit of butter. add two spoonfuls of any sort of gravy, one of soy or walnut ketchup, a little salt and cayenne, and a spoonful of port. a lobster thus stewed will have a very fine relish. stewed muscles. wash your muscles very clean, then put them into a large stewpan over a good fire; put over them a coarse wet cloth doubled: when they begin to boil, take up the cloth; if the shells are open, take them off the fire, and pick out the fish, beard them, and cut off the tongue: when you have picked about a quart, strain half a pint of the liquor to them, roll two ounces of butter in flour, add a glass of white wine, a little beaten mace, and squeeze in a little lemon juice; let them stew till of a proper thickness, put toasted sippets in the dish, pour in the muscles, and send them to table. cockles may be done the same way. stewed mushrooms. the large buttons are best, and the small flaps while the fur is still red. rub the large buttons with salt and a piece of flannel, cut out the fur, and take off the skin from the others. sprinkle them with salt, put them into a stewpan, and add some peppercorns. let it simmer slowly till it is done, then put in a small bit of butter and flour, and two spoonfuls of cream. give it one boil, and serve up the dish with sippets of bread. stewed mutton chops. take some chops of the best end of a loin of mutton, or some slices out of the middle part of a leg. season them with pepper and salt, lay them into a stewpan with some sliced onion, and cover them with water and a little gravy. when done on one side, turn the steaks on the other, and thicken the gravy at the same time with some butter and flour. a little shalot or ketchup, or both, may be added at pleasure. twenty or twenty-five minutes will stew them, but long stewing will make them hard. stewed onions. peel six large onions, fry them gently of a fine brown, but do not blacken them. then put them into a small stewpan, with a little weak gravy, pepper and salt. cover and stew them gently two hours, and let them be lightly floured at first. stewed ox cheek. soak and cleanse a fine cheek the day before it is to be eaten. put it into a stewpan that will cover close, with three quarts of water; simmer it after it has first boiled up, and been well skimmed. in two hours put in plenty of carrots, leeks, two or three turnips, a bunch of sweet herbs, some whole pepper, and four ounces of allspice. skim it often, and when the meat is tender, take it out. let the soup get cold, take off the cake of fat, and serve the soup separately, or with the meat. it should be of a fine brown, which may be done by adding a little burnt sugar, or by frying some onions quite brown with flour, and simmering them with it. this last method improves the flavour of all soups and gravies of the brown sort. if vegetables are not approved, they may be taken out of the soup, and a small roll be toasted, or bread fried and added. celery is a great addition, and should always be served. when out of season, the seed of it gives quite as good a flavour, boiled in, and strained off.--another way. soak an ox cheek three hours, and clean it with plenty of water. take the meat off the bones, and put it into a stewpan with a large onion, a bunch of sweet herbs, some bruised allspice, pepper and salt. lay the bones on the top, pour on two or three quarts of water, and cover the pan close with stout paper, or a dish that will fit close. let it stand eight or ten hours in a slow oven, or simmer it by the side of the fire, or on a hot hearth. when done tender, put the meat into a clean pan, and let it get cold. take off the cake of fat, and warm the head in pieces in the soup. serve with any sort of vegetables. stewed oysters. open the shells, separate the liquor from the oysters, and wash them from the grit. strain the liquor, add to the oysters a bit of mace, lemon peel, and a few white peppers. simmer them very gently, put in some cream, a little flour and butter, and serve them up with sippets. boiled oysters should be served in the shell, and eaten with cold butter. stewed parsnips. boil the parsnips in milk and water, or milk alone, till fully half done. slice and divide them into two, down the middle and across. stew them gently with some good gravy, seasoned with pepper and salt; and five minutes before they are taken up, add a piece of butter rolled in flour. if parsnips are to be stewed white, put in broth and cream in equal quantities, instead of gravy. stewed pears. pare and quarter some large pears; throw them into water as soon as pared, and before they are divided, to prevent their turning black. pack them round a block-tin stewpan, and sprinkle as much sugar over as will make them pretty sweet. add lemon peel, a clove or two, and some bruised allspice; just cover them with water, and add a little red liquor. cover them close, and stew three or four hours: when tender, take them out, and pour the liquor upon them. stewed peas. steep some old peas in water all night, if not fine boilers; otherwise only half an hour. put them into a stewpan of water, just enough to cover them, with a good bit of butter, or a piece of beef or pork. stew them very gently till the peas are soft, and the meat is tender. if it be not salt meat, add salt and a little pepper, and serve the peas round the meat. stewed pheasants. stew your pheasants in a strong veal gravy. while they are simmering, prepare artichoke bottoms cut in dice, and some chesnuts roasted, blanched, and cut in four: let your pheasants stew till your gravy is half wasted, then scum it very clean, and put in your chesnuts and artichoke bottoms; season with a little beaten mace, pepper, and salt, a small glass of white wine, and a little juice of lemon. if your sauce is not thick enough, roll a piece of butter in flour, and let it boil up: in case any scum arises, take it clean off; dish your pheasants, and pour the sauce over them; garnish with lemon. stewed pigeons. see that they are quite fresh, carefully cropped, drawn, and washed; then soak them half an hour. in the mean time cut a hard white cabbage in slices, as if for pickling, and put it in water. then drain and boil it in milk and water; drain it again, and lay some of it at the bottom of a stewpan. put the pigeons upon it, but first season them well with salt and pepper, and cover them with the remainder of the cabbage. add a little broth, and stew gently till the pigeons are tender; then put among them two or three spoonfuls of cream, and a piece of butter and flour for thickening. after a boil or two, serve up the birds in the middle of the dish, with the cabbage placed round them.--another way is to stew the birds in a good brown gravy, either stuffed or not; and seasoned high with spice and fresh mushrooms, or a little ketchup.--another way. take your pigeons trussed as for baking; bruise the livers, and mix them up with a few bread crumbs, parsley, and a little lemon peel chopped small; season it with mace, nutmeg, pepper, and salt; work all up with a piece of butter, and stuff the bellies of your pigeons; tie up the necks and vents; then stew them with some butter, till they are brown all over; put them into another pan that will just hold them, with as much strong gravy as will cover them; let them stew till they are tender, then bruise an anchovy, a shalot shred fine, a piece of butter rolled in flour, and a spoonful of white wine; let all boil together to a proper thickness; scum very clean; dish up, and garnish with crisp bacon and lemon. stewed pippins. scoop out the core of some golden pippins, pare them very thin, and throw them into water. for every pound of fruit, make half a pound of refined sugar into a syrup, with a pint of water. when skimmed, put in the pippins, and stew them quite clear. grate some lemon over, be careful not to break them, and serve them up in the syrup. they make an elegant corner dish, or a dessert.--another way. pare your pippins nicely, cut them in halves, and take out the cores; to a quart of spring water, put a pound of double refined sugar, and a piece of lemon-peel; boil it almost to a syrup; take out the peel, and put in the pippins; boil them till they are pretty tender, then draw them to one side of the fire, and let them stew till clear; take them out carefully one at a time, and lay them in a china or earthen dish for use. if golden pippins are done this way, they are very little inferior to apricots. stewed pork steaks. cut some steaks from the best end of a loin or neck of pork. take off the skin, and nearly all the fat, and fry them of a nice brown. put the steaks into a stewpan, with good gravy enough to make a proper sauce to them, adding pepper and salt. ten minutes before they are done, thicken the gravy with a piece of butter rolled in flour. a little shalot, or ketchup, or both may be added. stewed potatoes. half boil some potatoes, drain and peel them nicely, and cut them into neat pieces. put them into a stewpan with some cream, fresh butter, and salt, each proportioned to the quantity of potatoes; or stew them in good gravy, with pepper and salt. simmer them gently till they are well done and be careful not to let them break. stewed prunes. stew some prunes gently in a little water, till the stones will slip out easily, but they must not be boiled too much. these are useful in fevers, or in any complaint where fruit is proper; and when fruit more acid would not agree. stewed rabbit. divide them into quarters, flour and fry them in butter; then put them into a stewpan, with some good gravy, and a glass of white wine. season with salt, pepper, and a sprig of sweet herbs. cover them close, and let them stew till they become tender. strain off the sauce, thicken it with flour and butter, and pour it over them. stewed red cabbage. slice a small red cabbage, or half a large one, and wash it clean. put it into a saucepan with pepper, salt, and butter, but no water except what hangs about the cabbage. stew it tender, and when ready to serve, add two or three spoonfuls of vinegar, and give it one boil over the fire. it may be eaten with cold meat, or with sausages laid upon it.--another way. shred the cabbage, and wash it. put it into a saucepan with pepper, salt, some slices of onion; and a little plain gravy. when it is boiled quite tender, add a bit of butter rubbed with flour, a few minutes before serving, with two or three spoonfuls of vinegar, and boil it up.--another. cut the cabbage very thin, put it into a stewpan with a small slice of ham, and half an ounce of butter at the bottom. put in half a pint of broth, and a gill of vinegar, and let it stew three hours covered down. when it is very tender, add a little more broth, salt, pepper, and a table-spoonful of pounded sugar. mix these well, and boil it till the liquor is wasted. then put it into the dish, and lay fried sausages upon it. stewed rump of beef. wash it well, and season it high with pepper, cayenne, salt, allspice, three cloves, and a blade of mace, all in fine powder. bind it up tight, and lay it into a pot that will just hold it. fry three large onions sliced, and put them to it, with three carrots, two turnips, one shalot, four cloves, a blade of mace, and some celery. cover the meat with good beef broth, or weak gravy. simmer it as gently as possible for several hours, till quite tender. clear off the fat, and add to the gravy half a pint of port wine, a glass of vinegar, and a large spoonful of ketchup; half a pint of beer may be added. simmer for half an hour, and serve in a deep dish. the herbs to be used should be burnet, tarragon, parsley, thyme, basil, savoury, marjoram, pennyroyal, knotted marjoram, and some chives; a good handful all together. but observe to proportion the quantities to the pungency of the several sorts. garnish with carrots, turnips, or truffles and morels, or pickles of different colours, cut small, and laid in little heaps separate. chopped parsley, chives, and beet root may be added. if there is too much gravy for the dish, take only a part to season for serving, the less the better; and to increase the richness, add a few beef bones and shanks of mutton in stewing. a spoonful or two of made mustard is a great improvement to the gravy.--another way. half roast the rump, then put it into a large pot with three pints of water, one of small beer, one of port vine, some salt, three or four spoonfuls of vinegar, and two of ketchup. add a bunch of sweet herbs, consisting of burnet, tarragon, parsley, thyme, basil, savoury, pennyroyal, marjoram, knotted marjoram, and a leaf or two of sage; also some onions, cloves, and cayenne. cover it close, and simmer it for two or three hours, till quite tender. when done lay it into a deep dish, set it over some hot water, and cover it close. skim the gravy, put in a few pickled mushrooms, truffles, morels, and oysters if agreeable, but it is very good without. thicken the gravy with flour and butter, heat it with the above, and pour it over the beef. forcemeat balls of veal, anchovies, bacon, suet, herbs, spice, bread, and eggs to bind, are a great improvement. a rump of beef is excellent roasted; but in the country it is generally sold whole with the edge-bone, or cut across instead of lengthways as in london, where one piece is for boiling, and the rump for stewing or roasting. this must be attended to, the whole being too large to dress together.--another way. raise the lean next the chump-end; cut that bone off, but leave the chine-bone, then with two skewers fasten the meat as if the bone was not taken away: put it into a pot with a little more water than will cover it: add parsley, thyme, two or three large onions, a handful of salt, whole pepper half an ounce, half a quarter of an ounce of cloves, the same quantity of mace; cover it close down, and stew it over a slow fire for three hours, till your beef is very tender. to make your sauce, take two pounds of gravy beef, cut it in pretty thick slices, and flour them well; put a piece of butter into your stewpan, over a stove, or a quick fire. when that is brown, put in the slices of beef, and fry them brown, as quick as you can; then add water as much as you think will be sufficient to make a very strong gravy; cut an onion cross with parsley, thyme, pepper, and salt, two or three cloves, and a blade of mace; let this stew till your gravy is very rich, then strain it off, and thicken it up with a piece of butter rolled in flour. stewed savoys. these may be done in the same manner as red cabbage; but the better way is to boil the savoy in water till about half done, and then stew it. this takes off the strong flavour, and makes it much more agreeable. stewed scallops. boil them very well in salt and water; take out the fish, stew them in some of their liquor, with a little white wine, two or three blades of mace, a little nutmeg, and a good piece of butter rolled in flour; let them be thoroughly stewed, then pour in a little cream, shake your pan round, and squeeze in the juice of a seville orange. send them to table garnished with baked sippets and orange. stewed soles. half fry them in butter, take out the fish, and put a quart of water or gravy into the pan, two anchovies, and a sliced onion. when they have boiled slowly for a quarter of an hour, put the fish in again, and stew them gently about twenty minutes. take them out, thicken the liquor with butter and flour, boil it gently, strain it over the fish, and serve it with oyster, cockle, or shrimp sauce. stewed sorrel. wash it clean, and put it into a silver vessel, or stone jar, with no more water than hangs to the leaves. simmer it as slowly as possible; and when done enough, beat it up with a piece of butter. this is very fine with a fricandeau, with roast meat, mackarel, or any thing usually eaten with an acid sauce. the same thickening may be added, as for spinach and sorrel. it is as well prepared in a stone jar set before the fire, only it requires a longer time. stewed spinach with cream. boil the spinach till nearly done enough, then squeeze all the water from it, and put it into a stewpan, with a piece of butter and some salt. stir it over the fire till the butter is well mixed in with it, and add as much cream as will make it of a moderate thickness. shake it for a minute or two over the fire, and serve it up with sippets of bread, either fried or toasted. stewed spinach with gravy. pick the spinach nicely, then wash it well, and put it into a stewpan, with a few spoonfuls of water, and a little salt. stew this till quite tender, shaking the pan very often to prevent its burning. when done enough, put it into a sieve to drain, and give it a slight squeeze. beat the spinach well, then return it to the stewpan with some gravy, pepper, salt, and a piece of butter. let it stew about a quarter of an hour, stirring it frequently. serve it up either in a dish by itself, or with poached eggs upon it, according to the occasion for which it is wanted. stewed spinach with sorrel. take spinach and sorrel, in the proportion of three fourths of spinach to one of sorrel. pick and wash these very nicely; cut them a little, and put them into a stewpan, with two or three spoonfuls of water. keep them stirring over the fire, till they begin to soften and to liquify. then leave it to stew at a distance over the fire for an hour or more, stirring it every now and then. thicken it with a little flour, and when quite done, add some pepper and salt, and serve it up. this will form an excellent sauce to all kinds of meat, or to eat with potatoes. almost any kind of cold vegetables may be added to this stew. they should be put in just long enough to heat, and mixed in properly with the spinach before it is served up. stewed tongue. prepare a tongue with saltpetre and common salt for a week, and turn it every day. boil it tender enough to peel, and afterwards stew it in a moderately strong gravy. season it with soy, mushroom ketchup, cayenne, pounded cloves, and salt if necessary. serve with truffles, morels, and mushrooms. the roots of the tongue must be removed before it is salted, but some fat should be left. stewed turkey. have a nice hen turkey trussed close, and the breast-bone broken; put it into a stewpan with a good piece of butter; let the breast and pinions be glazed of a fine brown; then put it into a stewpan that is very clean; and a faggot of sweet herbs, an onion stuck with three cloves, two blades of mace, some whole pepper, and a little salt; then put in as much strong broth or gravy as will just cover it; cover it very close, and let it stew over a moderate fire, till you think it is tender; in the mean time make some forcemeat balls of veal, &c. and let them be fried of a fine brown, in readiness. when your turkey is done, take it up, put it into your dish, and keep it hot; strain off your liquor into a clean stewpan, and scum it very clean: if it is not thick enough, roll apiece of butter in flour; put in half a glass of white wine, and your forcemeat balls; toss up all together, till your sauce is of a good thickness; squeeze in a little lemon; pour your sauce over the turkey, and garnish your dish with lemon. in the same manner you may do a large fowl; and you may add morels, truffles, artichoke bottoms, &c.--another. put turkey or fowl into a stewpan, with a sufficient quantity of gravy or good broth, a head of celery cut small, whole pepper, and a sprig of thyme tied up in a muslin bag. when these are stewed enough, take them up, thicken the liquor with flour and butter, lay the meat in a dish, and pour the sauce over it. stewed veal. cut off the neck end of a breast of veal, and stew it for gravy. make a forcemeat of the sweetbread boiled, a few crumbs of bread, a little beef suet, an egg, pepper and salt, a spoonful or two of cream, and a little grated nutmeg. mix them all together, raise the thin part of the breast, and put in the stuffing. skewer the skin close down, dredge it over with flour, tie it up in a cloth, and stew it in milk and water rather more than an hour: if a large one, an hour and a half. the proper sauce for this dish is made of a little gravy, a few oysters, a few mushrooms chopped fine, and a little lemon juice, thickened with flour and butter. if preferred, the veal may be stewed in broth, or weak gravy. then thicken the gravy it was stewed in, pour it over the veal, and garnish with forcemeat balls. stewed venison. let the meat hang as long as it will keep sweet. take out the bone, beat the meat with a rolling-pin, lay on some slices of mutton fat, sprinkle over it a little pepper and salt, roll it up light and tie it. stew it in mutton or beef gravy, with a quarter of a pint of port wine, some pepper and allspice. cover it close, and simmer it as slowly as possible for three or four hours. when quite tender take off the tape, lay the meat on a dish, strain the gravy over it, and serve it up with currant jelly. stewed water cresses. pick and wash a quantity of water cresses, and boil them for a few minutes. drain and press them dry, chop them slightly, and put them into a stewpan, either with good gravy or cream, and a seasoning of salt and pepper. add a thickening of butter rolled in flour, if necessary. stew them gently for ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour, and serve them up with a garnish of sippets, of fried or toasted bread. sticking plaster. melt three ounces of diachylon with half an ounce of rosin, and when cooled to about the thickness of treacle, spread it upon a piece of smooth soft linen. stilton cheese. this rich and relishing article is made in the following manner. the night's cream is put into the morning's milk, with the rennet. when the curd is come, it is not broken, as is usually done with other cheese, but taken out whole, and put into a sieve to drain. here it is pressed till it becomes firm and dry, when it is placed in a wooden hoop made to fit it, in order to prevent its breaking. after being taken out of the hoop, the cheese is bound with cloths, which are changed every day, till it is sufficiently firm to support itself. the cloths are then removed, and the cheese is rubbed with a brush and turned every day. the rennet bag should be kept perfectly sweet and fresh: if it be in the least degree tainted, the cheese will never have a good flavour. stings. the stings of bees are often more virulent than those of wasps, and attended with more painful effects. the sting being barbed, it is always left in the wound. when therefore a person is stung by a bee, the sting should be instantly extracted, or it will communicate more of its poison, according to the time it is permitted to remain. it should be carefully pulled out with a steady hand, for if any of it break in, remedies will in a great measure be ineffectual. when the sting is completely extracted, the wounded part should be sucked, and very little inflammation will ensue. if a few drops of the spirits of hartshorn be immediately rubbed on the part affected, the cure will be more speedily accomplished. another simple remedy is, a solution of indigo in water, or of potash, a little oil of tartar, or common sweet oil, rubbed upon the part. honey and olive oil, or some bruised mallows, may occasionally be substituted with advantage; but their application should be repeated till the pain ceases. rubbing on a little common salt, after it has been moistened, is also said to be an effectual cure. if a wasp or bee has been incautiously swallowed in a glass of liquor, take a spoonful of common salt, or repeated doses of salt and water. this will immediately kill the insect, and prevent the injurious effects of the sting. to remove the disagreeable itching which arises from the sting of gnats, wash the part directly with cold water; or at night, rub on fuller's earth mixed with water. stock. to make a clear brown stock, for gravy or gravy soup, put into a stewpan with two quarts of water, a pound of lean beef, a pound of the lean of a gammon of bacon, all sliced. add two or three scraped carrots, two onions, two turnips, and two heads of sliced celery. stew the meat quite tender, but do not let it brown. when thus prepared, it will serve either for soup, or brown or white gravy. if for brown, put in some soup colouring, and boil it a few minutes. stock-fish. put it into water, and let it remain there two days, shifting the water often; then take it out, and clean the skin and inner part with a hard brush, and hang it up for one night in the air. in the morning put it again into water, and let it remain till the next morning, shifting the water often; take it out, and hang it up for another day, when it will be fit for dressing. roll up the fish round, and tie it close with a tape; put it into a fish-kettle, the water of which simmers when you put it on: let it remain simmering for three quarters of an hour, then let it boil for five minutes, and the fish is enough. stomachic tincture. in low nervous affections arising from a languid circulation, and when the stomach is in a state of debility, the following tincture will be found to be strengthening and beneficial. an ounce and a half of peruvian bark bruised, and an ounce of orange peel, steeped in a pint of the best brandy, for ten days. shake the bottle every day, then let it settle for two days, and decant off the clear liquor. take a tea-spoonful of the tincture in a wine glass of water, twice a day, when the stomach feels empty and uneasy, an hour before dinner, and also in the evening. this agreeable aromatic tonic will procure an appetite, and aid digestion. tea made with dried seville orange peel, in the same way as common tea, and drunk with milk and sugar, has been taken by nervous persons with great benefit. sucking a bit of dried orange peel about an hour before dinner, when the stomach is empty, is very grateful and strengthening. stone stairs and halls. in order to clean these properly, boil a pound of pipe-maker's clay with a quart of water, a quart of small beer, and a bit of stone blue. wash the stairs or the floor with this mixture, and when dry, rub it with flannel and a brush. stopples. when a glass stopple is set fast, in a bottle or decanter, rub a drop or two of olive oil round it, close to the mouth of the decanter, and place it near the fire. the oil will soon insinuate itself downwards, and the stopple may then be loosened by the hand, or by striking it lightly with a piece of soft wood. sometimes the rubbing of the neck of the bottle with a small key, and striking the head of the stopper, will be sufficient to loosen it, without the application of any oil. storing. the storing of fruits, vegetables, and roots, has been performed in various ways, which are well known already; but lately some better modes have been suggested for this purpose. for apples and pears, after they have been carefully gathered from the trees, and laid in heaps covered with clean cloths or mats for sweating, which is effected in three or four days, they remaining for that length of time afterwards, they are to be wiped separately with clean cloths; when some glazed earthen jars are to be provided with tops and covers, and likewise a quantity of pure pit-sand, which is quite free from any mixture. this is to be thoroughly dried upon a flue. then put a layer of this sand an inch thick on the bottoms of the jars; above this layer of fruit, a quarter of an inch free of each other; covering the whole with sand to the depth of an inch; then a second course of fruit is to be laid in, and again covered with an inch of the sand, proceeding in the same way until the whole be finished and completed. an inch and a half in depth of sand may be laid over the last or uppermost layer of fruit; when the jars are to be closed and placed in some dry situation, as cool as possible, but entirely out of the way of frost. the usual time at which each kind of such fruits should be ready for the table being known, the jars containing such fruit may, it is said, be examined, by turning out the sand and fruit together cautiously into a sieve. the ripe fruit may then be laid upon the shelves of the fruit-room for use, and the unripe be carefully replaced in the jars as before, but with fresh dry sand. some kinds of apples managed in this way, will, it is said, keep a great while, as till july; and pears until april, and in some sorts till june. it is not improbable but that many other sorts of fruit might be stored and preserved in somewhat the same way. vegetables of the cauliflower kind have been stored and kept well through a great part of the winter, by putting them, when in full head, on a dry day, into pits about eighteen inches in depth, and much the same breadth, in a perfectly dry soil, with the stalks and leaves to them, the latter being carefully doubled over and lapped round the heads, instead of hanging them up in sheds or other places, as is the usual practice in preserving them. in performing the work, it is begun at one end of the pits, laying the heads in with the root-stalks uppermost, so as that the former may incline downwards, the roots of the one layer covering the tops or heads of the other, until the whole is completed. the pits are then to be closely covered up with the earth into a sort of ridge, and beaten quite smooth with the back of the spade, in order that the rain-water may be fully thrown off. fine cauliflowers have been thus stored and kept for the occasional supply of the table until the middle of the following january. for storing and preserving different kinds of roots for common summer use, until the coming in or return of the natural crops, the following method has likewise been proposed. as the ice in ice-houses has commonly subsided some feet, as four, five, or more, by the beginning of the spring, it is proposed to deposit in the rooms or vacancies so left empty, the roots that are to be preserved. as soon as any openings in the places have been well stuffed with straw, and the surfaces of the ice covered with the sort of material, case-boxes, dry ware, casks, baskets, or any other such vessels, are to be placed upon it, which are then to be filled with the roots, such as turnips, carrots, beets, celery, potatoes in particular, and some others. in cases where there are not ice-houses, vegetation may be greatly retarded, and the roots preserved by storing them in deep vaulted cellars, caves, coal-pits, mines, or in any place seated deep in the earth. potatoes have also been well stored and preserved, it is said, by earthing them in small parcels, as about two bolls each, heaped up, and covered in the usual way with straw and earth; which are turned over into other pits in the early spring, first rubbing off all the sprouts or shoots, and having the roots well watered in small quantities as they are put into the other pits, the whole earthy covering being also well watered and beaten together at the time with the back part of the spade. this covering is to be made to the thickness of about two feet. the same practice or process is to be repeated every time the potatoes are turned over, which should be about once in three weeks, as the state of the weather may be. and where the pits or heaps are not in the shade, it is sometimes proper, when the season is very hot, to cover them with mats supported on sticks, so as to permit a free current of air between the mats and the heaps. in this way it is stated that these roots have been preserved quite plump and entire in the taste until the end of september, or till the succeeding crop becomes perfectly ripe, so as to be used without loss, as that must always be the case where the roots are largely employed before they are in a state of mature growth. it is asserted, too, that in this manner potatoes are even capable of recovering in plumpness and taste, where they have been suffered, by improper exposure to air or heat, to become deficient in these qualities. stove blacking, for backs of grates, hearths, and the fronts of stoves, is made in the following manner. boil a quarter of a pound of the best black lead, with a pint of small beer, and a bit of soap the size of a walnut. when that is melted, dip in a painter's brush, and wet the grate, having first cleared off all the soot and dust. then take a hard brush, and rub it till it is quite bright. a mixture of black lead and whites of eggs well beaten together, will answer the same purpose. stramonium. this celebrated plant, commonly called the thorn apple, often grows on dunghills, and flowers in the month of july. having lately been discovered as possessing very powerful medical properties, and as affording the most effectual remedy for the asthma, it is now frequently transplanted into gardens, though its odour is extremely offensive. a kind of herb tobacco is made of the dried leaves, mixed with a little rosemary to prevent nausea, and a pipeful is smoked in the evening before going to bed. the practice should be continued for some time, or as often as asthma returns, and it will afford very sensible relief. the plant may easily be raised from seed; but an elegant preparation of the stramonium, or the asthmatic tobacco, may be had of several medicine vendors in the kingdom. strawberries. sir joseph banks, from a variety of experiments, and the experience of many years, recommends a general revival of the now almost obsolete practice of laying straw under strawberry plants, when the fruit begins to swell; by which means the roots are shaded from the sun, the waste of moisture by evaporation prevented, the leaning fruit kept from damage, by resting on the ground, particularly in wet weather, and much labour in watering saved. twenty trusses of long straw are sufficient for feet of plants. on the management of strawberries in june and july, the future prosperity of them greatly depends; and if each plant has not been kept separate, by cutting off the runners, they will be in a state of confusion, and you will find three different sorts of plants. . old plants, whose roots are turned black, hard, and woody. . young plants, not strong enough to flower. . flowering plants, which ought only to be there, and perhaps not many of them. before the time of flowering is quite over, examine them, and pull up every old plant which has not flowered; for, if once they have omitted to flower you may depend upon it they will never produce any after, being too old, and past bearing; but to be fully convinced, leave two or three, set a stick to them, and observe them next year. if the young plants, runners of last year, be too thick, take some of them away, and do not leave them nearer than a foot of the scarlet, alpines, and wood, and fifteen or sixteen inches of all the larger sorts; and in the first rainy weather in july or august, take them all up, and make a fresh plantation with them, and they will be very strong plants for flowering next year. old beds, even if the plants be kept single at their proper distance, examine, and pull all the old plants which have not flowered. when the fruit is nearly all gathered examine them again, and cut off the runners; but if you want to make a fresh plantation, leave some of the two first, and cut off all the rest. then stir up the ground with a trowel, or three-pronged fork, and in august they will be fit to transplant. if you have omitted in july do not fail in august, that the runners may make good roots to be transplanted in september, for, if later, the worms will draw them out of the ground, and the frost afterwards will prevent them from striking root; the consequence of which is, their not flowering the next spring; and you will lose a year. strawberry and raspberry fool. bruise a pint of scarlet strawberries, and a pint of raspberries, pass them through a sieve, and sweeten them with half a pound of fine sugar pounded, add a spoonful of orange-flower water, then boil it over the fire, for two or three minutes; take it off, and set on a pint and a half of cream, boil it and stir it till it is cold; when the pulp is cold, put them together, and stir them till they are well mixed; put the fool into glasses, or basins, as you think proper. strawberry jam. dissolve four pounds of lump sugar in a quart of currant juice, then boil and scum it quite clean. mash four quarts of raspberries, and mix with it. let it boil quick, over a clear fire, for nearly an hour, or till the sugar and raspberries are quite mixed. this may be known by putting a little on a plate; if the juice drains from the fruit, it must be boiled longer. when done enough, put it into pots, and the next day put brandy papers over them. tie them down with another paper, and set the jars in a dry place. strawberries preserved. to keep whole strawberries, take equal weights of the fruit and double refined sugar. lay the strawberries in a large dish, and sprinkle over them half the sugar in fine powder. shake the dish gently, that the sugar may touch the under side of the fruit. next day make a thin syrup with the remainder of the sugar, and instead of water, allow to every pound of strawberries a pint of red currant juice. simmer the fruit in this, until sufficiently jellied. choose the largest scarlet strawberries, before they are dead ripe. they will eat well in thin cream, served up in glasses. strawberries in wine. put a quantity of the finest strawberries into a gooseberry bottle, and strew in three spoonfuls of fine sugar. fill up the bottle with madeira, or fine sherry. strengthening draught. for weakly persons, any of the following preparations will be highly beneficial. put two calves' feet in two pints of water, and the same quantity of new milk; bake them in a jar closely covered, three hours and a half. when cold remove the fat, and take a large teacupful of the mucilage, morning and evening. it may be flavoured by baking in it lemon peel, cinnamon, or mace: sugar is to be added afterwards.--or simmer six sheeps' trotters, with two blades of mace, a bit of cinnamon, lemon peel, a few hartshorn shavings, and a little isinglass, in two quarts of water till reduced to one. when cold, remove the fat, and take nearly half a pint twice a day, warming it with a little new milk.--another way. boil an ounce of isinglass shavings, forty peppercorns, and a bit of brown crust of bread, in a quart of water, till reduced to a pint, and strain it. this makes a pleasant jelly to keep in case of sickness, and a large spoonful may be taken in wine and water, in milk, tea, soup, or any other way.--or boil a quarter of an ounce of isinglass shavings with a pint of new milk, till reduced one half. add a little sugar, and for a change a bitter almond. take this at bed-time, but not too warm. dutch flummery, jellies, or blamange, if not too rich, are also very strengthening. strengthening jelly. put an ounce of isinglass shavings, with a few jamaica peppercorns, and a toast of bread. boil it to a pint, and strain it off. a large spoonful of the jelly may be taken in wine and water, milk, tea, or any other agreeable liquor. or boil a quarter of an ounce of isinglass shavings in a pint of new milk, till it is reduced to half a pint, adding a bitter almond, or a little sugar, by way of change. strong gravy. take a stewpan that will hold four quarts, lay at the bottom of it a slice or two of undressed ham or bacon, about a quarter of an inch thick, and two pounds of beef or veal. add a carrot, a large onion with four cloves stuck in it, one head of celery, a bundle of parsley, lemon thyme, and savoury; a few leaves of sweet basil, a bay leaf, a shalot, a piece of lemon peel, and a dozen corns of allspice. pour on half a pint of water, cover it close, and let it simmer gently on a slow fire for half an hour, in which time it will be almost dry. watch it very carefully, and let it take a nice brown colour. turn the meat and herbs, to brown on all sides; then put in a pint of water to a pound of meat, and let it boil for two hours. it will now be formed into a rich strong gravy, easily converted into cullis, or thickened gravy. stucco. a stucco for walls, &c. may be formed of the grout or putty, made of good stone-lime, or the lime of cockle-shells, which is better, properly tempered and sufficiently beat, mixed with sharp grit-sand, in a proportion which depends on the strength of the lime: drift-sand is best for this purpose, and it will derive advantage from being dried on an iron plate or kiln, so as not to burn; for thus the mortar would be discoloured. when this is properly compounded, it should be put up in small parcels against walls, or otherwise, to mellow, as the workmen term it; reduced again to a soft putty, or paste, and spread thin on the walls without any undercoat, and well trowelled. a succeeding coat should be laid on, before the first is quite dry, which will prevent joints of brick-work appearing through it. much depends upon the workmen giving it sufficient labour, and trowelling it down. if this stucco, when dry, is laid over with boiling linseed oil, it will last a long time, and not be liable, when once hardened, to the accidents to which common stucco is liable. liardet's, or, as it is commonly called, _adams oil-cement_, or stucco, is prepared in the following manner: for the first coat, take twenty-one pounds of fine whiting, or oyster-shells, or any other sea-shells calcined, or plaster of paris, or any calcareous material calcined and pounded, or any absorbent material whatever, proper for the purpose; add white or red lead at pleasure, deducting from the other absorbent materials in proportion to the white or red lead added; to which put four quarts, beer measure, of oil; and mix them together with a grinding-mill, or any levigating machine: and afterwards mix and beat up the same well with twenty-eight quarts, beer measure, of any sand or gravel, or of both, mixed and sifted, or of marble or stone pounded, or of brick-dust, or of any kind of metallic or mineral powders, or of any solid material whatever, fit for the purpose. for the second coat, take sixteen pounds and a half of super-fine whiting, or oyster-shells, or any sea-shells calcined, &c. as for the first coat; add sixteen pounds and a half of white or red lead, to which put six quarts and a half of oil, wine measure, and mix them together as before: afterwards mix and beat up the same well with thirty quarts, wine measure, of fine sand or gravel sifted, or stone or marble pounded, or pyrites, or any kind of metallic or mineral powder, &c. this composition requires a greater proportion of sand, gravel, or other solids, according to the nature of the work, or the uses to which it is to be applied. if it be required to have the composition coloured, add to the above ingredients such a proportion of painter's colours, as will be necessary to give the tint or colour required. in making the composition, the best linseed or hempseed, or other oils proper for the purpose, are to be used, boiled or raw, with drying ingredients, as the nature of the work, the season, or the climate requires; and in some cases, bees' wax may be substituted in place of oil: all the absorbent and solid materials must be kiln-dried. if the composition is to be of any other colour than white, the lead may be omitted, by taking the full proportion of the other absorbents; and also white or red lead may be substituted alone, instead of any other absorbent material. the first coat of this composition is to be laid on with a trowel, and floated to an even surface with a rule or darby, (i. e. a handle-float.) the second coat, after it is laid on with a trowel, when the other is nearly dry, should be worked down and smoothed with floats edged with horn, or any hard smooth substance that does not stain. it may be proper, previously to laying on the composition, to moisten the surface on which it is to be laid by a brush with the same sort of oil and ingredients which pass through the levigating machine, reduced to a more liquid state, in order to make the composition adhere the better. this composition admits of being modelled or cast in moulds, in the same manner as plasterers or statuaries model or cast their stucco work. it also admits of being painted upon, and adorned with landscape, or ornamental, or figure-painting, as well as plain painting.--to make an excellent stucco, which will adhere to wood work, take a bushel of the best stone lime, a pound of yellow ochre, and a quarter of a pound of brown umber, all in fine powder. mix them to a proper thickness, with a sufficient quantity of hot water, but not boiling, and lay it on with a new white-washer's brush. if the wall be quite smooth, one or two coats will do; but each must be dry before the next is put on. the month of march is the best season for doing this. stucco washes. the most beautiful white-wash is made of clean good lime mixed with skim milk instead of water. for blue wash, put four pounds of blue vitriol into an iron or brass pot, with a pound of the best whiting, and a gallon of water. let it boil an hour, stirring it all the time. then pour it into an earthen pan, and set it by for a day or two till the colour is settled. pour off the water, and mix the colour with the white-washer's size. wash the walls over three or four times, according as it may be necessary. to make yellow wash, dissolve in soft water over the fire equal quantities of umber, bright ochre, and blue black. add as much white-wash as is necessary for the work, and stir it all together. if either cast predominates, put in more of the others, till the proper tint is obtained. stuffings. forcemeat or stuffing is generally considered as a necessary accompaniment to most of the made dishes, and when composed with good taste, it gives to them additional spirit and relish. it is often employed in making of patties, for stuffing of veal, game, and poultry. the ingredients should be so proportioned, that no one flavour predominates; and instead of using the same stuffing for veal, hare, and other things, it is easy to make a suitable variety. the poignancy of forcemeat should be regulated by the savouriness of the viands, to which it is intended to give an additional zest. some dishes require a very delicately flavoured stuffing, while for others it should be full and high seasoned. the consistence of forcemeats is attended with some difficulty; they are almost always either too heavy or too light. they should be mixed perfectly smooth, and the ingredients thoroughly incorporated. forcemeat balls must not be larger than a small nutmeg. if for brown sauce, flour and fry them: if for white sauce, put them into boiling water, and boil them for three minutes: the latter are by far the most delicate. parboiled sweetbreads and tongues are the principal ingredients for stuffing or forcemeat. besides these, yolks of hard eggs, flour, bread crumbs, boiled onion, mashed potatoe, mutton, beef, veal suet, marrow, calf's udder or brains, veal minced and pounded, and potted meats. also of garden herbs and roots, parsley, thyme, spinach, marjoram, savoury, tarragon, sage, chervil, basil, burnet, bay leaf, truffles, morels, mushrooms, leeks, shalot, onions, and garlic. of fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs, oysters, lobsters, and anchovies. of spices, pepper, mace, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cayenne, and cloves. these, with bacon and ham, form the principal ingredients for various kinds of stuffing. the liquids in general consist of meat gravy, lemon juice, syrup of lemons, essence of anchovy, mushroom ketchup, vegetable essences, and the essence of spices. stuffing for goose. chop very fine one or two onions, and a little green sage. add a large teacupful of bread crumbs, a very little pepper and salt, half the liver parboiled, and the yolks of two eggs. incorporate the whole well together, put it into the goose, but leave a little room for the stuffing to swell. stuffing for hare. two ounces of beef suet chopped fine, three ounces of fine bread crumbs, a little parsley, marjoram, lemon thyme, or winter savory; a dram of grated lemon peel, half a dram of nutmeg, of shalot, and the same of pepper and salt. mix these with an egg, so as to make them cohesive; but if the stuffing be not of a sufficient consistence, it will be good for nothing. if the liver be quite sound, it may be parboiled, minced very fine, and added to the above. put the stuffing into the hare, and sow it up. stuffing for pig. rub some of the crumb of a stale loaf through a cullender, mince fine a handful of sage, and a large onion. mix these together with an egg, some pepper and salt, and a piece of butter. fill the belly of the pig with the stuffing, and sow it up. lay the pig to the fire, and baste it with salad oil, without leaving it for a moment. stuffing for pike. take equal parts of fat bacon, beef suet, and fresh butter; some parsley, thyme, and savoury; a small onion, and a few leaves of scented marjoram shred fine; an anchovy or two, a little salt and nutmeg, and some pepper. oysters will be an improvement, with or without anchovies; add some crumbs, and an egg to bind. stuffing for poultry. mince a quarter of a pound of beef suet, (marrow is better,) the same weight of bread crumbs, two drams of parsley leaves, nearly as much of sweet marjoram or lemon thyme, and the same of grated lemon peel. add an onion or shalot, chopped as fine as possible, a little grated nutmeg, pepper and salt. pound all together thoroughly, with the yolk and white of two eggs. this is about the quantity for a turkey poult; a very large turkey will take nearly twice as much. to the above may be added an ounce of dressed ham. stuffing for veal. take an equal quantity of grated bread and beef suet, shred very fine. add parsley and sweet herbs chopped small, a minced anchovy, some nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and a little grated lemon peel. mix these well together with raw egg or milk. this stuffing will do for roast turkey or hare. sturgeon. fresh sturgeon should be cut in slices, rubbed over with egg, and sprinkled with grated bread, parsley, salt and pepper. then fold the slices in white paper, and broil them gently. for sauce, send up butter, anchovy, and soy.--another way. clean the sturgeon, and prepare as much liquor as will cover it, thus: take a pint of vinegar, about two quarts of water, a stick of horseradish cut in slips, some lemon peel, two or three bay leaves, and a small handful of salt, boil it in this pickle, till you think it is enough, and serve it with the following sauce: melt a pound of butter, with an anchovy bruised, a blade or two of mace, the body of a crab, or lobster bruised, a little ketchup, a small glass of white wine, half a pint of white shrimps, boil all together, till it is of a proper thickness, squeeze in some lemon, and scraped horseradish; pour a little sauce over your fish, the rest send in boats. sturtiums. gather them young and dry, and put them into a jar of old vinegar, which has been taken from green pickles and onions. the vinegar must be boiled afresh, or boil some fresh vinegar with salt and spice, and when cold, put in the sturtiums. substitute for cream. as milk or cream is difficult to procure in some situations, particularly during a long voyage, a very good substitute may be found in beating up a fresh egg, and gradually pouring on boiling water to prevent its curdling. the taste of this composition in tea will scarcely be distinguished from the richest cream, and eggs may easily be preserved for a considerable length of time. substitute for gravy. mix a gill of water, a gill of table beer, a spoonful of ketchup, an onion sliced thin, a clove or two, three or four peppercorns, and a little salt, all together. melt a piece of butter, the size of an egg in a small saucepan, and when hot dredge in some flour, stirring it till the froth subsides, by which time it will be browned. add to it the mixture already prepared, give it a boil, and flavour it with a very small quantity of the essence of anchovy. succory. wild white succory is only good to eat in salads. the green is used to put into cooling broths, and to make decoctions in medicine. common white succory is eaten in salads, and used for ragouts. first pick and wash it, then scald it half an hour in water, put it afterwards into fresh water, in order to press it well with the hands. stew it with some broth, a little butter, and some cullis, if any at hand. if not, brown a little flour to thicken the sauce. when done enough, take off the fat, season it nicely, and add a little shalot. serve it under a shoulder, a leg, or neck of mutton, roasted. suckers. the season for taking up or transplanting suckers of trees and shrubs, is almost any time, in open weather, from october till march, being careful to dig them up from the mother-plant with as much and many root-fibres as possible, and trimming them ready for planting, by shortening the long straggling fibres, and cutting off any thick-nobbed part of the old root that may adhere to the bottom, leaving only the fibres arising from the young wood; though it is probable some will appear with hardly any fibres; but as the bottom part, having been under ground, and contiguous to the root of the main plant, is naturally disposed to send forth fibres for rooting; preparatory to planting them out, the stems of the shrub and tree-suckers should likewise be trimmed occasionally, by cutting off all lower laterals; and any having long, slender, and weak tops, or such as are intended to assume a more dwarfish or bushy growth, may be shortened at top in proportion, to form about half a foot to one or two feet in length, according to their nature or strength; and others that are more strong, or that are designed to run up with taller stems, may have their tops left entire, or shortened but little: when thus taken up and trimmed, they should be planted out in rows in the nursery; the weak suckers separately in close rows; and also the shortened and stronger plants, each separately in wider rows; so that the rows may be from one to two feet asunder, in proportion to the size and strength of the suckers: and after being thus planted out, they should have the common nursery-culture of cleaning from weeds in summer, and digging the ground between the rows in winter, &c. and in from one to two or three years they will be of a proper size for planting out where they are to remain: and some kinds of trees, large shrubs, &c. produce suckers strong enough in one season to be fit for planting where they are to remain; as well as some sorts of roses, and numerous other flowering shrubs; also some plants of the strong shooting gooseberries, currants, raspberries, and others of similar kinds. it may generally be observed of such trees and shrubs as are naturally disposed to send up many suckers, that by whatsoever method they are propagated, whether by seeds, suckers, layers, cuttings, &c. they commonly still continue their natural tendency in this respect. when it is, therefore, required to have any sorts to produce as few suckers as possible, not to over-run the ground, or disfigure the plants, it is proper, both at the time of separating the suckers, or planting them off from the main plants, and at the time of their final removal from the nursery, to observe if at the bottom part they shew any tendency to emit suckers, by the appearance of prominent buds, which, if the case, should all be rubbed off as close as possible: as, however, many sorts of trees and shrubs are liable to throw out considerably more than may be wanted, they should always be cleared away annually at least, and in such as are not wanted for increase, it is proper to eradicate them constantly, as they are produced in the spring and summer seasons. also numerous herbaceous and succulent plants are productive of bottom offset suckers from the roots, by which they may be increased. in slipping and planting these sorts of offset suckers, the smaller ones should be planted in nursery beds, pots, &c. according to the nature of growth and temperature of the different sorts, to have the advantage of one summer's advanced growth; and the larger ones be set at once, where they are to remain, in beds, borders, pots, &c. according to the different sorts or descriptions of them. the suckers of many of the finer kinds of flower-plants, as in the auricula and others, may be separated or taken off from the parent plants any time between the month of february and that of august, as they may become of a proper size, or be wanted for increase; but if they be not wanted for this use, they should never be suffered to remain. they can often be slipped off by the fingers, or a sharp piece of wood, without removing much earth, or the plants from the pots; but when they are large, and cannot be thus separated with a sufficient number of fibres to their bottom parts, they may be taken out of the pots, and be removed by the knife without danger, which is perhaps the best way, as affording most fibres. the suckers of such old flower-plants, when they are wanted to blow strong, should always be taken off without disturbing the plants in the pots, especially when they are few. the suckers, in all cases of this sort, should constantly be planted as soon as possible after they are slipped, in proper small upright pots, giving a slight watering at the time, with suitable temporary shade. they should be placed in proper situations out of the droppings of trees. they thus soon become rooted. the suckers of such flower-plants must, however, never be removed after the latter of the above periods, as they have then done shooting, and are become inactive, and as the winter immediately succeeds, seldom do well, especially without great care and trouble. sucking pig. when the pig has been killed and well cleaned, cut off the feet at the first joint, and put them with the heart, liver, and lights, to boil for gravy. before the pig is spitted, chop a little sage very fine, mix it with a handful of bread crumb, a little pepper and salt, and sow it up in the belly. lay it down to a brisk fire, rub it with butter tied up in a piece of thin rag, during the whole time of roasting. take off the head while at the fire, take out the brains and chop them, mix them with the gravy that comes from the pig, and add a little melted butter. before the spit is drawn, cut the pig down the back and belly, and lay it in the dish. put a little of the sauce over it, take the bottom jaws and ears to garnish with, and send brown gravy sauce to table, mixed with the bread and sage that comes out of the pig. currant sauce is frequently eaten with it. a moderate sized pig will require about an hour and a half roasting. suet. the proper way of treating suet, is to choose the firmest part as soon as it comes in, and pick it free from skin and veins. set it in a nice saucepan at some distance from the fire, that it may melt without frying, or it will taste. when melted, pour it into a pan of cold water. when it comes to a hard cake, wipe it very dry, fold it in fine paper, and then in a linen bag. keep it in a dry cool place. suet prepared in this way, will keep a twelvemonth. when used, scrape it fine, and it will make a good crust, either with or without butter. suet dumplins. take a pound of suet, or the outward fat of loins or necks of mutton, and shred it very fine. mix it well with a pound and a quarter of flour, two eggs, a sufficient quantity of milk to make it, and a little salt. drop the batter into boiling water, or boil the dumplins in a cloth. suet dumplins with currants. take a pint of milk, four eggs, a pound of suet shred fine, and a pound of currants well cleaned, two tea-spoonfuls of salt, and three of beaten ginger; first take half the milk and mix it like a thick batter, then put in the eggs, the salt, and ginger, then the rest of the milk by degrees, with the suet and currants, and flour enough to make it like a light paste. make them up about the bigness of a large turkey's egg, flat them a little, and put them into boiling water; move them softly that they do not stick together, keep the water boiling, and a little more than half an hour will do them. suet dumplins with eggs. mix up a pint of milk, two eggs, three quarters of a pound of beef suet chopped fine, a tea-spoonful of grated ginger, and flour enough to make it into a moderately stiff paste. make the paste into dumplins, roll them in a little flour, and put them into boiling water. move them gently for a little while to prevent their sticking together. if the dumplins are small, three quarters of an hour will boil them; if large, the time must be proportioned to their size. they will boil equally well in cloths, which is often preferred for keeping the outside drier. suet pudding. shred a pound of suet; mix with it a pound and a quarter of flour, two eggs beaten separately, some salt, and as little milk as will make it. boil the pudding four hours. it eats well the next day, cut in slices and broiled. the outward fat of a loin or neck of mutton finely shred, makes a more delicate pudding than suet. suet pudding with eggs. to a pound of beef suet chopped very fine, add six large spoonfuls of flour, a tea-spoonful of grated ginger, and a tea-spoonful of salt. gradually mix with these ingredients a quart of milk, and four eggs well beaten. boil it three hours in a buttered basin, or two hours and a half in a cloth well floured. suffocation. immediately on discovering a person in this unfortunate situation, whatever be the cause, the windows and doors ought to be opened; the body undressed, covered with blankets, removed to the open air, and supported in a leaning posture on a chair. the patient's face should be sprinkled with vinegar, the pit of the stomach with water, and the legs plunged into a cold bath; at the same time rubbing the skin with flannel, or a soft brush. clysters of vinegar and water will also be useful, and an attempt should be made to promote sickness, by tickling the throat with a feather dipped in oil. when the patient is able to swallow, the most proper drink is vinegar and water, or infusions of mint and balm. suffolk cheese. the curd is broken up in the whey, which is poured off as soon as the former has subsided. the remainder, with the curd, is put into a coarse strainer, left to cool, and is then pressed as tightly as possible. after this it is put into the vat, and set in a press to discharge the remaining whey. the curd is then taken out, broken again as finely as possible, salted, and returned to the press. suffolk dumplins. make a very light dough with yeast, as for bread; add a little salt, and use milk instead of water. let it rise an hour before the fire. round the dough into balls, the size of a middling apple; throw them into boiling water, and let them boil twenty minutes. to ascertain when they are done enough, stick a clean fork into one; and if it come out clear, they are ready to take up. do not cut, but tear them apart on the top with two forks, for they become heavy by their own steam. they should be eaten immediately, with gravy or cold butter, or with meat. sugars. these being an article of considerable expense in all families, the purchase demands particular attention. the cheapest does not go so far as the more refined, and there is a difference even in the degree of sweetness. of white sugar that should be preferred which is close, heavy, and shining. the best sort of brown sugar has a bright gravelly appearance, and it is often to be bought pure as imported. east india sugars are finer for the price, but not so strong, consequently unfit for wines and sweetmeats, but do well for common purposes, if good of their kind. to prepare white sugar pounded, rolling it with a bottle and sifting it, wastes less than pounding it in a mortar. sugar cakes. make into a paste a pound of flour, twelve ounces of fine sugar sifted, the yolks of two eggs, a little nutmeg, and orange-flower water. roll it out thin, cut out the cakes with a tin or glass, sift sugar over them, and bake them in a quick oven. sugar paste. to a pound of flour put two ounces of loaf sugar rolled and sifted, and rub in half a pound of butter. mix it up with one egg well beaten, and cold water sufficient to make it into a paste. mould it with the hand till it is quite smooth, and roll it out for use. sugar vinegar. to every gallon of water, add two pounds of the coarsest sugar; then boil and skim it thoroughly, and add one quart of cold water for every gallon of hot. when cool, put in a toast spread with yeast. stir it nine days, then barrel it off, and set it in the sun, with a piece of slate on the bung hole. make the vinegar in march, and it will be ready in six months. when sufficiently sour it may be bottled, or may be used from the cask with a wooden spigot and faucet. sun flower. the valuable properties of the sun flower are too much neglected, and might be rendered of general advantage. the leaves furnish abundance of agreeable fodder for cattle, the flower is enriched with honey for the bees, the dry stalks burn well, affording a considerable quantity of alkali from the ashes, and the seed is highly valuable in feeding pigs and poultry. the cultivation of this plant cannot be too much recommended, and requires but little management. supper dish. to make a pretty supper dish, wash a tea-cupful of rice in milk, and boil it tender. strain off the milk, lay the rice in small heaps on a dish, strew over them some finely-powdered sugar and cinnamon, and put warm wine and a little butter into the dish. suppers. hot suppers are not much in use where people dine late, nor indeed in ordinary cases. when required, the top and bottom of the table may be furnished with game, fowls, rabbit; boiled fish, such as soles, mackarel, oysters, stewed or scalloped; french beans, cauliflower, or jerusalem artichokes, in white sauce; brocoli with eggs, stewed spinach with eggs, sweetbreads, small birds, mushrooms, scalloped potatoes; cutlets, roast onions, salmagundi, buttered eggs on toast, cold neat's tongue, ham, collared things, sliced hunter's beef, buttered rusks with anchovies, grated hung beef with butter, with or without rusks; grated cheese round, and butter dressed in the middle of a plate; radishes the same, custards in glasses with sippets, oysters cold or pickled; potted meats, fish, birds, cheese; good plain cake sliced, pies of birds or fruit; lobsters, prawns, cray fish, any sweet things, and fruits. a sandwich set with any of the above articles, placed on the table at a little distance from each other, will look well. the lighter the things, the better they appear, and glass intermixed has the best effect. jellies, different coloured things, and flowers, add to the beauty of the table. an elegant supper may be served at a small expense, by those who know how to make trifles that are in the house form the greatest part of the entertainment. susan pudding. boil some windsor beans, just as they begin to be black-eyed, till they are quite tender. then peel them, and beat up half a pound of them very smooth in a marble mortar. add four spoonfuls of thick cream, sugar to taste, half a pound of clarified butter, and eight eggs, leaving out half the whites. beat up the eggs well with a little salt, and white wine sufficient to give it an agreeable flavour. line a dish with puff paste, add a pretty good layer of candied citron cut in long pieces, pour in the other ingredients, and bake it in a moderate oven three quarters of an hour. sweeping of chimnies. the common practice of employing poor children to sweep narrow chimnies, is most inhuman and unwise: many lives are lost by this means, and much injury is done to the building. the children being obliged to work themselves up by pressing with their feet and knees on one side, and their back on the other, often force out the bricks which divide the chimnies, and thereby encrease the danger, in case a foul chimney should take fire, as the flames frequently communicate by those apertures to other apartments, which were not suspected to be in any danger. to avoid these consequences, a rope twice the length of the chimney should be provided, to the middle of which a bunch of furze or broom is to be tied, sufficient to fill the cavity of the chimney. put one end of the rope down the chimney, with a stone fastened to it, and draw the brush after it, which will clear the sides of the chimney, and bring down the soot. if necessary, a person at top may draw the brush up again to the top of the chimney, keeping hold of the rope, and thus clean the chimney thoroughly without difficulty or danger. sweet herbs. it is of some importance to know when the various seasons commence for procuring sweet and savoury herbs, fit for culinary purposes. all vegetables are in the highest state of perfection, and fullest of juice and flavour, just before they begin to flower. the first and last crop have neither the fine flavour nor the perfume of those which are gathered in the height of the season; that is, when the greater part of the crop of each species is ripe. let them be gathered on a dry day, and they will have a better colour after being preserved. cleanse them well from dust and dirt, cut off the roots, separate the bunches into smaller ones, and dry them by the heat of a stove, or in a dutch oven before the fire. take them in small quantities, that the process may be speedily finished, and thus their flavour will be preserved. drying them in the sun exhausts some of their best qualities. in the application of artificial heat, the only caution requisite is to avoid burning; and of this, a sufficient test is afforded by the preservation of the colour. the common custom is, when they are perfectly dried, to put them in bags, and lay them in a dry place. but the best way to preserve the flavour of aromatic plants, is to pick off the leaves as soon as they are dried; then to pound and pass them through a hair sieve, and keep them in well-stopped bottles.--basil is in the best state for drying, from the middle of august, and three weeks afterwards. knotted marjoram, from the beginning of july to the end of the month. winter savoury, the latter end of july, and throughout august. thyme, lemon thyme, and orange thyme, during june and july. mint, the latter end of june, and throughout july. sage, august and september. tarragon, june, july, and august. chervil, may, june, and july. burnet, june, july, and august. parsley, may, june, and july. fennel, the same. elder flowers, and orange flowers, may, june, and july. herbs carefully dried, are a very agreeable substitute; but when fresh ones can be had, their flavour and fragrance are much finer, and therefore to be preferred. sweet lamb pie. make a good puff paste; then cut a loin of lamb into chops, and season with salt and nutmeg; lay a paste over the bottom of your dish; put in your chops, with a handful of currants washed and picked very clean; lay on your lid, and bake it. when it comes from the oven, take off the lid nicely, and pour over a caudle made of white wine, the yolks of eggs, a little nutmeg, and sugar pounded: lay the lid on again, and send it to table as hot as you can. sweet macaroni. to make a very nice dish of macaroni, boil two ounces of it in a pint of milk, with a bit of cinnamon and lemon peel, till the pipes are swelled to their utmost size without breaking. lay them on a custard dish, pour a custard over them, and serve them up cold. sweet patties. chop the meat of a boiled calf's foot, the liquor of which is intended for jelly; two apples, one ounce of orange and lemon peel candied, and some fresh peel and juice. mix with them half a nutmeg grated, the yolk of an egg, a spoonful of brandy, and four ounces of currants washed and dried. fill some small pattipans lined with paste, and bake them.--to make patties resembling mince pies, chop the kidney and fat of cold veal, apple, orange and lemon peel candied; adding some fresh currants, a little wine, two or three cloves, a little brandy and sugar. sweet pot. take three handfuls of orange flowers, three of clove gilliflowers, three of damask roses, one of knotted marjoram, one of lemon thyme, six bay leaves, a handful of rosemary, one of myrtle, one of lavender, half one of mint, the rind of a lemon, and a quarter of an ounce of cloves. chop all together, and put them in layers, with pounded bay-salt between, up to the top of the jar. if all the ingredients cannot be got at once, put them in when obtained, always throwing in salt with every fresh article. this will be found a quick and easy way of making a sweet-scented pot. sweet sauce. put some currant jelly into a stewpan, and when melted, pour it into a sauce boat. this is a more salubrious relish for venison or hare, than either spice or salt, and is an agreeable accompaniment to roast or hashed meats. sweetbreads fricassee. cut the sweetbreads in pretty thick slices, boil them till about half done, with a little more water than just to cover them. add a little salt, white pepper, and mace. then some butter, the yolks of four eggs beaten with a little white wine, and some verjuice. keep this over the fire, shaking it well, till the sauce is properly thickened. serve it up with the juice of a seville orange squeezed over it. if it is to be a brown fricassee, fry the sweetbreads first in butter till the outside is browned. then pour away the butter, put water to the sweetbreads, and boil and finish them as before. an onion or a clove of garlic may be added to the water; or if broth be used instead of water, it will make the fricassee more savoury. sweetbreads fried. cut them into long slices, rub them over with egg, season with pepper, salt, and grated bread, and fry them in butter. serve them up with melted butter and ketchup, garnished with crisped parsley, and thin slices of toasted bacon. sweetbreads ragout. cut them about the size of a walnut, wash and dry them, then fry them of a fine brown. pour on them a good gravy, seasoned with salt, pepper, allspice, and either mushrooms or mushroom ketchup, adding truffles and morels, if approved. strain, and thicken with butter and a little flour. sweetbreads roasted. parboil two large ones; when cold, lard them with bacon, and roast them in a dutch oven. for sauce, plain butter and mushroom ketchup. sweetmeats. preserves or sweetmeats should be carefully kept from the air, and set in a very dry place. if they have only a small proportion of sugar, a warm situation would not injure them; but if they have not been sufficiently boiled, the heat will make them ferment, and the damp will cause them to grow mouldy. they should be inspected two or three times in the first two months that they may be gently boiled again, if not likely to keep. it is necessary to observe, that the boiling of sugar more or less, constitutes the chief art of the confectioner; and those who are not practically acquainted with the subject, and only preserve fruit in a plain way for family use, are not aware that in two or three minutes, a syrup over the fire will pass from one gradation to another, called by the confectioners, degrees of boiling, of which there are six, and those sub-divided. without entering, however, into the minutiæ of the business, it is only necessary to make the observation in order to guard against under boiling, which prevents sweetmeats from keeping; and quick and long boiling, which reduces them to candy. attention, without much practice, will enable a person to do any of the following sorts of sweetmeats and preserves, which are quite sufficient for a private family. the higher articles of preserved fruits may be bought at less expense than made. jellies of fruit are made with an equal quantity of sugar, that is, a pound to a pint, and require no very long boiling. a pan should be kept for the purpose of preserving, of double block tin, with a bow handle for safety, opposite the straight one: and if when done with, it be carefully cleaned and set by in a dry place, it will last for several years. pans of copper or brass are extremely improper, as the tinning wears out by the scraping of the ladle. sieves and spoons should likewise be kept on purpose for sweetmeats. sweetmeats keep best in drawers that are not connected with a wall. if there be the least damp, cover them only with paper dipped in brandy, and laid on quite close; and to prevent the mouldiness occasioned by insects, cover them with fresh paper in the spring. when any sweetmeats are to be dried in the sun, or in a stove, it will be best in private families, where there is not a regular stove for the purpose, to place them in the sun on flag stones, which reflect the heat, and to cover them with a garden glass to keep off the insects. if put into an oven, take care that it be not too warm, and watch to see them done properly and slowly. when green fruits are to be preserved, take pippins, apricots, pears, plums, or peaches, and put them into a block tin preserving pan, with vine leaves under and over them, and cover them with spring water. put on the tin cover to exclude the air, and set the pan on the side of the fire. when the fruit begins to simmer, remove the pan from the fire, pour off the water, and if not green, put fresh leaves when cold, and repeat the same. take them out carefully with a slice, peel and do them as directed for the different kinds of preserves. when fruit is plentiful, and sweetmeats are wanted for tarts, divide two pounds of apricots just ripe, and take out and break the stones. put the kernels without their skins to the fruit; add three pounds of greengages, and two pounds and a half of lump sugar. the sugar should be broken in large pieces, and just dipped in water, and added to the fruit over a slow fire. simmer it till reduced to a clear jam, but observe that it does not boil, and skim it well. if the sugar be clarified, it will make the jam the better. put it into small pots, which art the best for preserving sweetmeats. sweetmeat pies. sweetmeats made with syrups are made into pies the same as raw fruit, and the same crusts may be used for them. tarts made of any kind of jam are commonly made with a crust round the bottom of the dish, the sweetmeat then put in, and only little ornaments of crust cut with a jagging iron, and laid over the top. sugar paste may be used if preferred. little tartlets are made in the same way, only baked in tins and turned out. swoons. in a swooning fit, the patient should immediately be exposed to the open air, and the face and neck sprinkled with cold water. pungent odours, or volatile spirits, should be held to the nostrils, and the feet rubbed with hot flannels, or put into warm water. syllabub. put a pint of cider and a bottle of strong beer into a large punch bowl, grate in a nutmeg, and sweeten it. put in as much new milk from the cow as will make a strong froth, and let it stand an hour. clean and wash some currants, and make them plump before the fire: then strew them over the syllabub, and it will be fit for use. a good imitation of this may be made by those who do not keep cows, by pouring new milk out of a tea-pot into the cider and beer, or wine.--a fine syllabub from the cow. make your syllabub either of wine or cyder, (if cyder, put a spoonful of brandy in) sweeten it, and grate in some nutmeg; then milk into the liquor till you have a fine light curd; pour over it half a pint, or a pint of good cream, according to the quantity of syllabub you make: you may send it in the basin it was made in, or put it into custard-cups, and tea-spoons with it on a salver.--to make very fine syllabubs. take a quart and half a pint of cream, a pint of rhenish, and half a pint of sack; grate the rind of three lemons into the cream; with near a pound of double-refined sugar; squeeze the juice of three lemons into the wine, and put it to the cream; then beat all together with a whisk half an hour, take it up together with a spoon, and fill the glasses. it is best at three or four days old, and will keep good nine or ten days. these are called the everlasting syllabubs. sympathetic ink. write on paper with a solution of nitrate of bismuth, and smear the writing over with a feather, moistened with an infusion of galls. the letters which were before invisible, will now appear of a brown colour. or write with a solution of muriate of antimony, and smear the writing over with a feather dipped in a solution of galls. the writing before invisible, will now turn yellow. or write with a transparent infusion of gall nuts, and smear it over with a solution of metallic salt; and on a slight exposure to the air, the writing will turn quite black. if written with a solution of sulphate of iron, and rubbed over with a solution of prussiate of potass, it will appear of a beautiful blue colour. syrup of cream. scald a pint of perfectly fresh cream, add to it a pound and a quarter of powdered lump sugar. keep it in a cool place for two or three hours, then put it into small phials, holding one or two ounces each, and cork it close. it will keep good thus for several weeks, and will be found very useful in voyages. syrup of diacodium. steep two pounds and a quarter of poppy heads in a gallon of water, and let it infuse twenty-four hours. boil the infusion till reduced to three pints, and add to it a pound and a half of sugar. syrup of mulberries. put the mulberries into a jar, and the jar into a kettle of water over the fire, till the juice runs from them. then squeeze the fruit, and add to the juice twice its weight in sugar. set it over a slow fire, skim it clean, and keep it simmering till the sugar is all dissolved. t. table beer. if the quantity to be brewed is taken as a barrel, or six and thirty gallons, two bushels and a half of malt will be sufficient. the dimensions of the vessels may be supposed to correspond with those used in a moderate family, and the copper holding about thirty gallons. a quantity of boiling water being poured into the mash tub, is suffered to remain there till the steam is nearly all evaporated. the malt previously ground, is then thrown into the water, and thoroughly stirred and mixed with it. this agitation of the malt and water, commonly called mashing, is kept up for a quarter of an hour, by which the malt is more effectually brought into contact with the water, and a greater proportion of its soluble matter extracted. after this the mash tub is covered over in order to retain as much heat as possible, and the whole is suffered to remain undisturbed for an hour and a half or two hours. at the end of that time, the water thus impregnated with the malt, in which state it is commonly called sweet wort, is slowly drawn off into another vessel. the quantity of water used in the first mashing is about twenty-five gallons; of which, not above fifteen are afterwards obtained, the rest being absorbed by the malt, with the exception of a small quantity carried off by evaporation. this first wort being drawn off from the malt, a fresh portion of hot water is thrown into the mash tub, and the process of mashing is repeated for ten minutes. the tub being again covered, the whole is suffered to remain for about an hour, when a second wort is drawn off. the quantity of water used in this second mashing is about fifteen gallons; and the malt having already retained as much water as is sufficient to saturate it, the whole amount of the fifteen gallons is afterwards recovered from the mash tub. about twelve gallons of hot water is now added to the malt, and the mixture being mashed for a few minutes, is suffered to remain another hour, in order to form a third wort. in the meantime a part of the two first worts is poured into the copper, with a pound and a half or two pounds of hops, and boiled for an hour, or an hour and a half; after which it is strained through a sieve into another vessel. the third wort is now drawn off from the mash tub, and being mixed with the remaining part of the first and second wort, it is boiled for an hour or more, with the hops used in the former instance. the three worts are then distributed into shallow vessels or coolers, and suffered to remain there till the liquor is reduced to a lukewarm state. it is then collected into the tun tub, and fermented with about a quart of yeast, which converts it into beer. but as table beer is sometimes brewed in considerable quantities for the use of large families, and in a still more economical manner, an estimate will be given, in order to show the saving that is made in private brewing. the following is a preparation for ten barrels. £ _s._ _d._ malt, one quarter hops, eight pounds colouring, ditto spanish liquorice, oz. treacle, ten pounds --------- --------- ten barrels bought at the brewery at _s._ ten barrels brewed at home --------- clear gain --------- liquorice root and other flavouring substances may be added: what are here inserted are only the general requisites.--another way of making a cheap and wholesome table beer, is to dissolve four pounds of coarse sugar in ten gallons of water. then put in three ounces of hops, boil the whole for three quarters of an hour, and let it work as usual. it should be kept a week or ten days before it is tapped, and it will improve daily afterwards, if not kept too long. or for a still smaller quantity, put a pound of treacle to eight quarts of boiling water: add two bay leaves, and a quarter of an ounce of powdered ginger. boil the whole for fifteen minutes, then let it cool, and work it with yeast. tainted meat. when the weather is so hot that meat will scarcely keep from day to day, wrapping it in a thin cloth dipped in vinegar, and not wrung very dry, will help to keep it from being tainted. or rubbing the meat with black pepper will preserve it, and let it be hung up as usual. it is much better however, that meat should not be kept so long as to risk its being tainted. tan gloves. to dye gloves to look like york tan or limerick, put some saffron into a pint of water boiling hot, and let it infuse all night. next morning wet the leather over with a brush, but take care that the tops of the gloves be sewn close, to prevent the colour from getting in. tansey. to make a tansey, beat up seven eggs, yolks and whites separately. add a pint of cream, nearly the same of spinach juice, and a little tansey juice, gained by pounding it in a stone mortar; a quarter of a pound of naples biscuit, a glass of white wine, and a little sugar and nutmeg. set all in a saucepan, just to thicken, over the fire; then put it into a dish, lined with paste to turn out, and bake it.--another. beat ten eggs very well with a little salt, half a pound of loaf sugar pounded, half a pint of spinach juice, and a spoonful of the juice of tansey; mix them well together, and strain it to a quart of cream; grate in half a pound of naples biscuits, and a nutmeg; add a quarter of a pound of jordan almonds blanched and beat fine, with a little rose water, and mix all well together; put it into a stewpan, with a piece of butter the bigness of a golden pippin. set it over a slow charcoal fire; keep it stirring till it is hardened; then butter a dish very well, that will just hold it: put in the tansey, bake it in a moderate oven, taking care that it is not scorched. when it comes home, turn it upon a pie plate, cut seville oranges in small quarters, and lay round it, and on the tansey, citron, and orange peel cut thin, with double refined sugar laid in little heaps between. if you have not naples biscuits, grate seven ounces of the finest stale bread you have.--_a boiled tansey._ cut the crumb of a stale penny loaf thin, pour over as much hot cream as will wet it, and cover it over till cold; then beat and strain six eggs to it, a little lemon peel shred fine, a little grated nutmeg, and salt; green it as you did the baked tansey, and sweeten it to your taste; stir all very well together, butter a bason, that will hold it, butter also a cloth to lay over the top, tie it tight, and boil it an hour and quarter; turn it into a dish, and garnish with seville orange; stick candied orange cut thin on the top. tansey pudding. grate four ounces of bread, blanch two ounces of sweet almonds, and beat them fine in a marble mortar, with orange-flower water. mix these, and four ounces of fine powdered sugar with the bread. add five eggs, a little salt, a pint of cream, a grated nutmeg, half a pint of spinach juice expressed from the leaves, beaten in a marble mortar, and strained through a cloth, and two or three spoonfuls of tansey juice beaten out and strained in the same manner. stir the whole together, and put it into a saucepan with a small piece of butter. set it over the fire till it thickens, stirring it all the time, but do not let it boil. when done, cool it in a basin, then pour it into a dish well buttered, and bake it half an hour. turn it out of the dish before it is sent to table, sift some fine sugar over it, and lay a seville orange round it cut in pieces, and squeeze the juice upon it. tapioca jelly. choose the largest sort, pour on cold water to wash in two or three times, and then soak it in fresh water five or six times. simmer it in the same until it become quite clear, with a bit of lemon peel. then add lemon juice, wine, and sugar. tapioca pudding. wash six spoonfuls of the large kind of tapioca, and stew it gently in a quart of milk till it is pretty thick. let it stand uncovered to cool. add two eggs well beaten with some salt, and sugar to the taste. bake it with a crust round the edge of a dish, in a moderate oven, for an hour. tar water. pour a gallon of cold water on a quart of tar, and stir and mix them thoroughly with a ladle or flat stick, for the space of three or four minutes; after which the vessel must stand forty-eight hours, that the tar may have time to subside; when the clear water is to be poured off, and kept for use, no more being made from the same tar, which may still serve for common purposes. the general rule for taking it is, about half a pint night and morning, on an empty stomach, which quantity may be varied according to the case and age of the patient; provided it be always taken on an empty stomach, and about two hours before or after a meal. tar water cures indigestion, and gives a good appetite. it is an excellent medicine in an asthma; it imparts a kindly warmth, and quick circulation to the juices, without heating, and is therefore useful, not only as a pectoral and balsamic, but also as a powerful and a safe deobstruent in cachectic and hysteric cases. as it is both healing and diuretic, it is very good for the gravel. it is believed to be of great use in a dropsy, having been known to cure a very bad anasarca in a person whose thirst, though very extraordinary, was in a short time removed by the drinking of tar water. it is also believed to be the best and safest medicine, either for preventing the gout, or for so strengthening nature against the fit, as to drive it from the vitals. it may likewise be safely used in inflammatory cases; and, in fact, hath been found an admirable febrifuge, at once the safest cooler and cordial. the salts and more active spirits of tar are got by infusion in cold water; but the resinous part is not to be dissolved thereby. hence the prejudice which some, perhaps, may entertain against tar water, the use of which might inflame the blood by its sulphur and resin, as a medicine, appears not to be well grounded. it is observed by chemists, that all sorts of balsamic wood afford an acid spirit, which is the volatile oily salt of the vegetable. herein is chiefly contained their medicinal virtues; and it appears that the acid spirit in tar water possesses the virtues, in an eminent degree, of that of guaiacum, and other medicinal woods. it is certain tar water warms, and therefore some may perhaps still think it cannot cool. the more effectually to remove this prejudice, let it be farther considered, that, as on one hand, opposite causes do sometimes produce the same effect; for instance, heat by rarefaction, and cold by condensation, do both increase the air's elasticity; so, on the other hand, the same cause shall sometimes produce opposite effects. heat, for instance, in one degree thins, in another coagulates, the blood. it is not therefore strange, that tar water should warm one habit and cool another; have one good effect on a cold constitution, and another good effect on an inflamed one; nor, if this be so, that it should cure opposite disorders. a medicine of so great virtue in so many different disorders, and especially in that grand enemy the fever, must needs be a benefit to mankind in general. there are nevertheless three sorts of people to whom it may be peculiarly recommended; seafaring persons, ladies, and men of studious and sedentary lives. if it be asked, what precise quantity, or degree of strength is required in tar water? it is answered, that the palate, the stomach, the particular case and constitution of the patient, the very season of the year, will dispose and require him to drink more or less in quantity, stronger or weaker in degree. precisely to measure its strength by a scrupulous exactness, is by no means necessary. it is to be observed, that tar water should not be made in unglazed earthen vessels, these being apt to communicate a nauseous sweetness to the water. tar water is also recommended in the plague, and for the distemper among horned cattle; with what success must be left to experience. tarragon vinegar. fill a wide-mouthed bottle with tarragon leaves, gathered on a dry day, just before the plant begins to flower. dry the leaves a little before the fire, steep them a fortnight in the best vinegar, and strain it fine through a flannel jelly bag. pour it into half-pint bottles, cork them up carefully, and keep them in a dry place. this forms an agreeable addition to soups and salad sauce, and to mix with mustard. tartar wine. add to a quantity of mare's milk a sixth part of water, and pour the mixture into a wooden vessel. use as a ferment an eighth part of sour cow's milk; but at any future preparation, a small portion of old koumiss will answer better. cover the vessel with a thick cloth, and set it in a place of moderate warmth, leaving it at rest for twenty four hours. at the end of this time the milk will become sour, and a thick substance will be gathered on its surface. now with a churn-staff, beat it till the thick substance just mentioned, be intimately blended with the subjacent fluid. in this situation leave it at rest for twenty four hours more. afterwards pour it into a higher and narrower vessel, resembling a churn, where the agitation must be repeated as before, till the liquor appear to be perfectly combined. in this state it is called koumiss, the taste of which ought to be a pleasant mixture of sweet and sour. agitation must be employed every time before it is used. this wine, prepared by the tartars, is cooling and antiseptic. sometimes aromatic herbs, as angelica, are infused in the liquor during fermentation. tarts. sweetmeats made with syrups are formed into pies and tarts the same as raw fruits, and the same crusts may be used for them. tarts made of any kind of jam are usually formed with a crust round the bottom of the dish, the sweetmeat is then put in, and little ornaments of crust placed over the top, made with a jagging iron. sugar paste is suitable for these. little tartlets are made in the same way, only baked in tins and turned out.----take apples, or pears, cut them in small quarters, and set them over the fire, with a piece of lemon peel, and some cinnamon; let them simmer in as much water as will cover them, till tender; and if you bake them in tin pattipans, butter them first, and lay over a thin paste; lay in some sugar, then the fruit, with three or four tea-spoonfuls of the liquor they were simmered in; put in a little more sugar, and lid them over. if your tarts are made of apricots, green almonds, nectarines, or green plums, they must be scalded before you use them, and observe to put nothing to them but sugar, and as little water as possible; make use of the syrup they were scalded in, as you did for your apples, &c. cherries, currants, raspberries, and all ripe fruits need not be scalded; and if you make your tarts in china, or glass patties, lay the sugar at bottom, then the fruit, with a little more sugar on the top; put no paste at the bottom, only lid them over, and bake them in a slack oven. you have receipts how to make crust for tarts; mince pies must be baked in tin patties, that you may slip them out into a dish, and a puff paste is the best for them. when you make sweetmeat tarts, or a crocant tart, lay in the sweetmeats, or preserved fruit either in glass or china patties that are small, for that purpose; lay a very thin crust on the top, and let them be baked no more than till your crust is nicely coloured, and that in a slow oven. if you would have a crocant tart for the middle of the table, or a side-dish, have a glass, or china dish, of what size you please, and lay in the preserved fruit of different sorts, (you must have a round cover just the size of the inside of your dish) roll out a sugar crust, the thickness of an half crown, and lay over the cover; mark it with marking irons made on purpose for that use, of what shapes you please; then put the crust, with the cover, into a very slack oven, not to discolour it, only to have it crisp. when you take it out of the oven, loosen it from the cover very gently, and when quite cold, take it carefully off, and lay over your sweetmeats, and it being hollow, you will see the fruit through it. if the tart is not eaten, only take off the lid, and your sweetmeats may be put into the pots again. tea. the habit of drinking tea frequently, and in large quantities, cannot fail to be injurious, as it greatly weakens and relaxes the tone of the stomach. this produces indigestion, nervous trembling and weakness, attended with a pale, wan complexion. when tea is taken only at intervals, and after solid food, it is salutary and refreshing; but when used as a substitute for plain nourishing diet, as is too commonly the case amongst the lower classes, it is highly pernicious, especially as large quantities of a spurious description are too frequently imposed upon the public. the policy which compels a very numerous class to purchase this foreign article, for procuring which immense sums are sent out of the country, while the produce of our own soil is comparatively withheld by an exorbitant system of taxation, cannot be too severely condemned, as alike injurious to health, to the interests of agriculture, and to the comfort and industry of the people. the duty on foreign tea has indeed been greatly encreased, but at the same time, so has the duty on malt and beer; no encouragement therefore is given to the home consumption, but the money which ought to be paid for the production of barley and malt is given to the foreigner, while by the enormous price of the article, a powerful stimulus is furnished for attempting an illicit importation, and for the pernicious adulteration of what is now esteemed almost a common necessary of life. it is desirable to lessen the injurious effects of tea as much as possible by mixing it with milk, which will render it softer and more nutritious. with the addition of sugar it may be made to form a wholesome breakfast for those who are strong and live freely, operating as a diluent for cleansing the bladder and kidnies, and the alimentary passages. persons of weak nerves ought however to abstain from tea, as they would from drains and cordials, as it causes the same kind of irritation on the delicate fibres of the stomach, which ends in lowness, trembling, and vapours. tea should never be drunk hot at any time, as it tends still more to produce that relaxation which ought to be carefully avoided. green tea is less wholesome than black or bohea. tea cakes. rub four ounces of butter into eight ounces of flour, mix with it eight ounces of currants, and six of fine lisbon sugar. add two yolks and one white of eggs, and a spoonful of brandy. roll the paste about the thickness of a biscuit, and cut it out with a wine glass into little cakes. the white of the other egg beaten up, may be washed over them, and then they may be dusted with fine sugar. tea-kettles. hard water used for tea is apt to form an offensive crust inside the tea-kettle, which may be prevented by frequent cleaning, or putting a flat oyster shell at the bottom. this will attract the stony particles that are in the water, and the concretion will be formed upon it. tea-pots. an infusion of tea is always more perfect in a metal tea-pot, than in one of stone or earthenware. if boiling water be poured into two tea-pots, one of bright silver or polished tin, and the other of black stoneware, and they be left in a room of moderate temperature, it will be found that the former will retain its heat nearly twice as long as the other. tea-pots of polished metal are therefore to be preferred. teats. sore teats, in neat cattle, is an affection in those of the cow kind, to which some are much more subject than others; especially such as have newly or lately calved. when the teats of these animals are affected during the summer months, they often become ulcerated, and by the teazing of the flies, the cattle are rendered difficult to be milked; they also become a very great nuisance at the periods of milking, as the discharges from them are apt, without much attention, to pass between the fingers of the operator into the milk-pail, and spoil the milk. the affection is caused by inflammation, irritation, and too much distention of the parts by the milk. in order to the removal of it, the milk should be first frequently drawn, and the parts well washed with soft soap and warm water; after which, a substance composed of elder ointment and wax melted together, to which is then added a little alum and sugar of lead, in fine powder, may be used to the parts after milking at night and in the morning; or a weak solution of white vitriol and a little sugar of lead, in soft water may be made use of in the same way, in some cases, with more advantage. the addition of a little assafoetida, and such like substances, in powder, is, it is said, beneficial in the summer season in driving away the flies. great care is to be taken to keep the teats as clean as possible during the time of cure. teeth and gums. in order to preserve the teeth and gums, they require to be cleaned very carefully; for if the enamel of the teeth be worn off by an improper mode of cleaning, they will suffer more injury than by a total neglect. a common skewer of soft wood, bruised and bitten at the end, will make the best brush for this purpose. once a week dip the skewer brush into a few grains of gunpowder, after they have been bruised, and it will remove every spot and blemish till the teeth appear beautifully white. the mouth should be well washed after the operation, to prevent any ill effects of the gunpowder. teeth, if not regularly cleaned, are apt to contract a false kind of enamel which is injurious to the gums, leaving the fangs of the teeth bare, so that they are soon destroyed, by being exposed to the air, and for want of being protected by the gums. this tartarous enamel must therefore be scaled off, that the gums may grow up to their proper place. raspberries or strawberries eaten plentifully have been found to dissolve these concretions, and contribute to the preservation of the teeth and gums. tooth powders and tinctures also have their use. a very convenient powder may be made of charcoal pounded in a mortar, and sifted fine. apply a little of it to the teeth twice a week, and it will not only render them beautifully white, but also make the breath sweet, and the gums firm and comfortable. the charcoal may be ground in water, and so preserved for use. a tincture for the gums may be made of three ounces of the tincture of bark, and half an ounce of sal ammoniac, mixed together. dip the finger into a tea-spoonful of the tincture, and rub the gums and teeth with it, which are afterwards to be washed with warm water. this tincture not only cures the toothache, but preserves the teeth and gums, and causes them to adhere to each other. tenant at sufferance. when a lease is expired, and the tenant keeps possession without any new contract, he is deemed a tenant at sufferance. but on the landlord's acceptance of any rent after the expiration of the lease, the tenant may hold the premises from year to year, till half a year's notice is given. tenant at will. a tenant at will is one who holds an estate or tenement at the will of the landlord, and may at any time be ejected. meanwhile he is at liberty to leave when he chooses, on giving proper notice, and cannot be compelled to occupy. tench. these are a fine flavoured fresh-water fish, and should be killed and dressed as soon as caught. they abound very much in the dykes of lincolnshire. when they are to be bought, examine whether the gills are red and hard to open, the eyes bright, and the body stiff. the tench has a slimy matter about it, the clearness and brightness of which indicate freshness. the season for this delicate fish is july, august, and september. when to be dressed, put them into cold water, boil them carefully, and serve with melted butter and soy. they are also very fine stewed, or fricasseed, as follows. to fricassee tench white. having cleaned your tench very well, cut off their heads, slit them in two, and if large, cut each half in three pieces, if small, in two: melt some butter in a stewpan, and put in your tench; dust in some flour, and pour in some boiling water, and a few mushrooms, and season it with salt, pepper, a bundle of sweet herbs, and an onion stuck with cloves: when this boils, pour in a pint of white wine boiling hot; let it stew till sufficiently wasted; take out the fish, and strain the liquor, saving the mushrooms; bind your fricassee with the yolk of three or four eggs beaten up with a little verjuice, some parsley chopped fine, and a little nutmeg grated; stir it all the time it boils, scum it very clean, pour your sauce over the fish, and send it to table.--to fricassee tench brown. prepare your tench as in the other receipt; put some butter and flour into a stewpan, and brown it; then put in the tench with the same seasoning you did your white fricassee; when you have tossed them up, moisten them with a little fish broth; boil a pint of white wine, and put to your fricassee, stew it till enough, and properly wasted; then take the fish up, and strain the liquor, bind it with a brown cullis, and serve it up. if asparagus or artichokes are in season, you may boil these, and add them to your fricassee. tench broth. clean the fish, and set them on the fire with three pints of water; add some parsley, a slice of onion, and a few peppercorns. simmer till the fish is broken, the broth become good, and reduced one half. add some salt, and strain it off. tench broth is very nutricious, and light of digestion. thick milk. beat up an egg, and add to it a tea spoonful of flour. mix it smooth with a tea-spoonful of cold milk, and put to it a pint of boiling milk. stir it over a slow fire till it boils, then pour it out, and add a little sugar and nutmeg. the saucepan should have a little cold water put into it first, to prevent the milk from burning at the bottom, or marbles boiled in it will answer the same purpose. thickened gravy. to a quart of gravy allow a table-spoonful of thickening, or from one to two table-spoonfuls of flour, according to the thickness required. put a ladleful of the gravy into a basin with the thickening, stir it up quick, add the rest by degrees, till it is all well mixed. then pour it back into a stewpan, and leave it by the side of the fire to simmer for half an hour longer, that the thickening may be thoroughly incorporated with the gravy. let it neither be too pale nor too dark a colour. if not thick enough, let it stew longer, or add to it a little glaze or portable soup. if too thick, it may be diluted with a spoonful or too of warm broth or water. thickened soup. put into a small stewpan three table-spoonfuls of the fat taken off the soup, and mix it with four table-spoonfuls of flour. pour in a ladleful of the soup, mix it with the rest by degrees, and boil it up till it is smooth. this may be rendered more savoury by adding a little ketchup. the soup should be strained through a tammis. thickening. clarified butter is best for this purpose, or put some fresh butter into a stewpan over a slow clear fire. when it is melted, add fine flour sufficient to make it the thickness of paste. stir it well together with a wooden spoon for fifteen or twenty minutes, till it is quite smooth, and the colour of a guinea. this must be done very gradually and patiently, or it will be spoiled. pour it into an earthen pan, and it will keep good a fortnight in summer, and longer in winter. particular attention must be paid in making it; if it gets any burnt smell or taste, it will spoil every thing it is put into. when cold, it should be thick enough to cut out with a knife, like a solid paste. this is a very essential article in the kitchen, and the basis of consistency in most made dishes, soups, sauces, and ragouts. in making this thickening, the less butter and the more flour is used the better. they must be thoroughly worked together, and the broth or soup added by degrees. unless well incorporated, the sauce will taste floury, and have a greasy disagreeable appearance. to prevent this, it must be finished and cleansed, after it is thickened, by adding a little broth or warm water, and setting it by the side of the fire to raise any fat that is not thoroughly incorporated with the gravy, that it may be carefully removed as it comes to the top. some cooks merely thicken their soups and sauces with flour, or the farina of potatoe; and others use the fat skimmings off the top of broth, as a substitute for butter. thorns and splinters. to run prickles or thorns, such as those of roses, thistles, and chesnuts, or little splinters of wood or bone, into the hands, feet, or legs, is a very common accident, and provided any such substance be immediately extracted, it is seldom attended with any bad consequences. but the more certain prevention is a compress of linen dipped in warm water, and applied to the part, or to bathe it a little while in warm water. if the thorn or splinter cannot be extracted directly, or if any part of it be left in, it causes an inflammation, and nothing but timely precaution will prevent its coming to an abscess. a plaster of shoemaker's wax spread upon leather, draws these wounds remarkably well. when it is known that any part of the splinter remains, an expert surgeon would open the place and take it out; but if it be unobserved, as will sometimes happen when the substance is very small, till the inflammation begins, and no advice can at once be procured, the steam of water should be applied to it first, and then a poultice of bread crumb and milk, with a few drops of peruvian balsam. it is quite necessary that the injured part should be kept in the easiest posture, and as still as possible. if this does not soon succeed, good advice must be procured without delay, as an accident of this kind neglected, or improperly treated, may be the occasion of losing a limb. in this and all other cases of inflammation, a forbearance from animal food and fermented liquors, is always advisable. thrush. this disorder in children affects the mouth and throat, and sometimes the stomach. in the former case it will be sufficient to cleanse the mouth with a little sage tea, sweetened with the honey of roses, and mixed with a dram of borax. in the latter, great benefit may be derived from a decoction of carrots in water, or an ounce of linseed boiled in a pint of water till reduced to a consistence, and sweetened with two ounces of honey, a table-spoonful of which may be given occasionally. this complaint may generally be prevented by a due attention to cleanliness, daily washing and bathing the child in lukewarm water, washing its mouth after it has been applied to the breast, giving it pure air, and removing any obstruction in the bowels by the use of manna or tamarinds. thyme. these plants may be easily raised from seed, by slipping the roots and branches, and by cuttings; but the seed method is seldom practised, except with the second sort, or garden thyme. the seed should be sown in the early spring on light, rich, dry ground, which should be properly dug over, and the surface be made moderately smooth with the spade. as the seed is small, it should not be sown too thick, or be covered too deep: the seed is best sown while the ground is fresh stirred, either broad-cast on the surface, raking it in lightly, or in flat shallow drills, earthed over thinly: the plants appear in two or three weeks. it is necessary to be careful to keep them well weeded, giving occasional light waterings in dry weather; and by june they will require thinning, especially if the plants are to grow stocky, and with bushy full heads; in which case they should be set out to six or eight inches distance; when those thinned out may be planted in another place, in rows six or eight inches asunder, giving water till fresh rooted, keeping the whole clean from weeds by occasional hoeing between them in dry days, which will also stir the surface of the earth, and much improve the growth of the plants: they will be in perfection for use in summer, or early in autumn. some think the common thyme best cultivated for kitchen use in beds or borders, in rows at least half a foot apart, employing for the purpose either the young seedling plants, which are fit to set out, or the root slips of old plants, each of which soon increase into plants of bushy growths proper for being cropped for the above use. it may also often be well cultivated as an edging to herbary and other compartments; in both of which methods the plants multiply exceedingly fast by offsets, and are abiding, furnishing the means of great future increase. some should, however, always be annually raised from seed in the above manner, as such plants possess a stronger aromatic quality than those from old ones. when it is intended to increase any particular varieties, and continue them the same with certainty, it can only be effected by slips and cuttings. in respect to the offsets and slips, all the sorts multiply by offsets of the root and slips of the branches: the rooted slips are the most expeditious method, as the old plants increase into many offset stems rising from the root, each furnished with fibres; and by taking up the old plants in the spring, &c. and slipping or dividing them into separate parts, not too small, with roots to each, and planting them in beds of good earth, in rows half a foot asunder, giving water directly, and repeating it occasionally in dry weather till they have taken root, and begin to shoot at top; they soon grow freely, and form good bushy plants in two or three months. the strong slips of the branches without roots, succeed when planted any time in the early spring season in a shady border, in rows four or five inches distant, giving due waterings; and become good plants by autumn, when they may be planted out where they are to remain. the cuttings of the young branches grow readily, the same as the slips, when planted at the same season in a shady place, and well watered. the common thyme is in universal use as a pot-herb for various culinary purposes; it may also be employed in assemblage with other small plants, to embellish the fronts of flower-borders, shrubbery clumps, small and sloping banks, &c. placing the plants detached or singly, to form little bushy tufts, and in which the variegated sorts, and the silver thyme and lemon thyme particularly, form a very agreeable variety. the lemon thyme is also in much estimation for its peculiar odoriferous smell. some of each of these sorts may also be potted, in order to be moved occasionally to any particular places as may be required, and under occasional shelter in severe winters, to preserve the plants more effectually in a lively state; likewise some of the mastick thyme. spanish and portugal thymes are also sometimes potted for the same purpose, and to place under the protection of a garden frame or greenhouse in winter, to continue them in a more fresh and lively growth; and sometimes some of the smaller thymes are sown or planted for edgings to particular beds or borders for variety, such as the lemon thyme, silver-leaved and variegated sorts; also occasionally the common thyme; and all kept low, close and regular, by clipping them at the sides and tops annually in the summer season. all the several sorts and varieties possess an aromatic quality, which principally resides in the leaves, whence it is imparted and affords a line agreeable fragrance. but the first three kinds are much the most noted and valued in kitchen gardens, and more especially the common thyme, which is so very useful as a culinary herb. tin covers. properly to clean tin covers and pewter pots, get the finest whiting, which is only sold in large cakes, the small being mixed with sand. powder and mix a little of it with a drop of sweet oil, rub the pots and covers well with it, and wipe them clean. then dust over some dry whiting in a muslin bag, and rub the articles bright with dry leather. the last is to prevent rust, which must be carefully guarded against by wiping thoroughly dry, and setting them by the fire when they come from table. if covers are once hung up without wiping, the steam will be sure to rust the inside. tincture of allspice. bruise three ounces of allspice, and steep it in a quart of brandy. shake it up occasionally and after a fortnight pour off the clear liquor. it makes a most grateful addition in all cases where allspice is used, in gravies, or to flavour and preserve potted meats. tincture of bark. to make the compound tincture, take two ounces of peruvian bark powdered, half an ounce of seville orange peel, and half an ounce of bruised cinnamon. infuse the whole in a pint and a half of brandy, let it stand five or six days in a close vessel, and then strain off the tincture. take one or two tea-spoonfuls twice a day in any suitable liquor, sharpened with a few drops of the spirits of vitriol. this tincture is highly beneficial in intermitting fevers, and in slow, nervous, or putrid fevers, especially towards their decline. tincture of cinnamon. this exhilirating cordial is made by pouring a bottle of the best brandy on three ounces of bruised cinnamon. a tea-spoonful of it, and a lump of sugar, in a glass of good sherry or madeira, with the yolk of an egg beaten up in it, was formerly considered as the balsam of life. two tea-spoonfuls of it in a wine glass of water, are at present a very pleasant remedy in nervous languors, and in relaxations of the bowels. in the latter case, five drops of laudanum may be added to each dose. tincture of cloves. bruise three ounces of cloves, steep them for ten days in a quart of brandy, and strain off the tincture through a flannel sieve. it imparts an excellent flavour to mulled wine. in all cases tinctures are to be preferred to essences, as affording a much finer flavour. tincture of lemon peel. a very easy and economical way of obtaining and preserving the flavour of lemon peel, is to fill a wide-mouthed pint bottle half full of brandy or rum; and when a lemon is used, pare off the rind very thin, and put it into the spirits. in the course of a fortnight the liquor will be strongly flavoured with the lemon. tincture of nutmeg. steep three ounces of nutmeg in a quart of brandy, and let it stand a fortnight. shake it up occasionally, and then pour off the clear liquor. tincture of rhubarb. take two ounces and a half of rhubarb, and half an ounce of lesser cardamon seeds; steep them for a week in a quart of brandy, and strain off the tincture. to make the bitter tincture of rhubarb, add an ounce of gentian root, and a dram of snake root. the tincture is of great use in case of indigestion, pain or weakness of the stomach; and from one to three or four spoonfuls may be taken every day. tingeing of glass. the art of tingeing glass of various colours is by mixing with it, while in a state of fusion, some of the metallic oxides; and on this process, well conducted, depends the formation of pastes. blue glass is formed by means of oxide of cobalt; green, by the oxide of iron or copper; violet, by oxide of manganese; red, by a mixture of the oxides of copper and iron; purple, by the purple oxide of gold; white, by the oxides of arsenic and of zinc; yellow, by the oxide of silver, and by combustible bodies. toast and water. take a slice of fine and stale loaf-bread, cut very thin, (as thin as toast is ever cut) and let it be carefully toasted on both sides, until it be completely browned all over, but no wise blackened or burned in any way. put this into a common deep stone or china jug, and pour over it, from the tea kettle, as much clean boiling water as you wish to make into drink. much depends on the water being actually in a boiling state. cover the jug with a saucer or plate, and let the drink stand until it be quite cold; it is then fit to be used; the fresher it is made the better, and of course the more agreeable. the above will be found a pleasant, light, and highly diuretic drink. it is peculiarly grateful to the stomach, and excellent for carrying off the effects of any excess in drinking. it is also a most excellent drink at meals, and may be used in the summer time, if more agreeable to the drinker. toasted cheese. mix some fine butter, made mustard, and salt, into a mass. spread it on fresh made thin toasts, and grate some gloucester cheese upon them. tomatoes. these are chiefly used in soups and sauces, and serve as little dishes at table at any part of a dinner. when they are to be baked, cut the tomatoes lengthways in the middle, with the part where there is a rind downwards. strew upon each a seasoning of pepper, salt, and sweet herbs chopped small. set them in the oven till they are soft, and serve them up, without any other sauce. the fruit of the purple egg plant is eaten, prepared in the same manner. tomata sauce. for hot or cold meats put tomatas, when perfectly ripe, into an earthen jar. set it in an oven when the bread is drawn, till they are quite soft; then separate the skins from the pulp, and mix this with capsicum vinegar, and a few cloves of pounded garlic, which must both be proportioned to the quantity of fruit. add powdered ginger and salt to taste. some white wine vinegar and cayenne may be used instead of capsicum vinegar. keep the mixture in small wide-mouthed bottles, well corked, and in a cool dry place. tongues. when a tongue is intended to be eaten cold, season it with common salt and saltpetre, brown sugar, a little bay salt, pepper, cloves, mace, and allspice, in fine powder, and let it lie a fortnight. then take away the pickle, put the tongue into a small pan, and lay some butter on it. cover it with brown crust, and bake it slowly till it becomes so tender that a straw would go through it. the thin part of tongues, when hung up to dry, grates like hung beef, and also makes a fine addition to the flavour of omlets.--to boil a tongue. if it is a dried tongue, soak it over night; the next day put it into cold water, and let it have a good deal of room; it will take at least four hours. if it is a green tongue out of the pickle, you need not soak it, but it will require near the same time. about an hour before you send it to table, take it out and blanch it, then put it into the pot again till you want it, by this means it will eat the tenderer. tongue and udder. clean the tongue nicely, rub it with salt, a very little saltpetre, and a little coarse sugar, and let it lie for two or three days. when to be dressed, have a fresh tender udder with some fat to it, and boil that and the tongue gently till half done. take them very clean out of the water, then tie the thick end of the one to the thin end of the other, and roast them with a few cloves stuck into the udder. serve them up with gravy in the dish, and currant jelly in a tureen. a dried tongue to be boiled, requires to be previously soaked for ten or twelve hours. a tongue out of pickle is only to be washed, and boiled in the same way. it will take four hours to do it well, and for the first two hours it should only simmer. about an hour before it is done it should be taken up and peeled, and then put into the boiler again to finish it. serve it up with turnips nicely mashed, and laid round it. tooth ach. the best possible preventive of this disorder is to keep the teeth clean, as directed for the teeth and gums. if the gums be inflamed, recourse should be had to bleeding by leeches, and blisters behind the ears. a few drops of laudanum in cotton, laid on the tooth, will sometimes afford relief. in some cases, vitriolic æther dropped on the cheek, and the hand held to the part till the liquid is evaporated, is found to answer the purpose. but it is much easier to prescribe the means of preventing the disorder, than to point out a specific remedy; and the nostrums generally given on this subject are either ineffectual or injurious. tourte crust. to make a crust for french pies called tourtes, take a pound and a half of fine flour, a pound of butter, and three quarters of an ounce of salt. put the flour upon a clean pie board, make a hole in the middle, and put in the salt, with the butter cut into small pieces. pour in the water carefully, as it is of great importance that the crust be rather stiff; and for this purpose there should only be just water enough to make it hold together so as to roll it out smooth. work up the butter and water well together with the hand, and mix it in the flour by degrees. when the flour is all mixed in, mould the paste till it is quite smooth and free from lumps, and let it lie two hours before it be used. this is a very nice crust for putting round the dish for baked puddings. tourtes of fish. prepare the crust and put it into the dish, as for meat tourtes. then take almost any kind of fish, cut them from the backbone, and lay them in slices upon the crust, with a little bunch of sweet herbs in the middle, some salt and pounded spice, according to the taste. lay butter all over the top crust, and bake it an hour and a half. cut the crust round after it is baked, take out the herbs, skim off the remainder of the fat, pour on a sauce of fish gravy, and serve it up. mushrooms are very nice in the sauce, and so are capers, but the flavour of the sauce must be regulated by the taste. truffles and morels may also be put in, as in the meat tourtes. eels, pike, salmon, tench, whiting, are proper for the purpose. nothing makes a nicer tourte in this way than large soles, taking off the flesh from the backbone, without the side fins. lobsters also make an excellent tourte, and oysters are very nice mixed with other fish. tourtes of meat. prepare a crust of paste, roll it out, and line a dish with it not deeper than a common plate. veal, chicken, pigeons, sweetbread, or game of any kind, may be prepared as follows. cut in pieces whichever is preferred, just heat it in water, drain it, season it with pepper and salt, lay it upon the crust without piling it up high, and leave a border round the rim of the dish. place some pieces of butter upon the meat to keep it moist, and add truffles, mushrooms, morels, artichoke bottoms, or forcemeat balls, at pleasure. cover the whole with slices of fat bacon, and then lay a crust over it exactly corresponding with that underneath. glaze over the upper crust with yolk of egg, and set the tourte into an oven. when it has been in a quarter of an hour, draw it to the mouth of the oven, and make a hole in the centre of the crust to let out the fumes. let it stand nearly three hours longer in the oven, then take it out, cut the crust round with the rim, take it off, take out the bacon, and clear off any fat that may remain on the top. have ready a rich ragout sauce to pour over it, then replace the crust, and serve it up. this dish is according to the french fashion. transparent marmalade. cut the palest seville oranges in quarters, take out the pulp, and put it in a bason, picking out the seeds and skins. let the outsides soak in water with a little salt all night, then boil them in a good quantity of spring water till tender; drain, and cut them in very thin slices, and put them to the pulp. to every pound, add a pound and a half of double-refined sugar beaten fine; boil them together twenty minutes, but be careful not to break the slices. it must be stirred all the time very gently, and put into glasses when cold. transparent paintings. the paper must be fixed in a straining frame, in order to place it between the eye and the light, when required. after tracing the design, the colours must be laid on, in the usual method of stained drawings. when the tints are got in, place the picture against the window, on a pane of glass framed for the purpose, and begin to strengthen the shadows with indian ink, or with colours, according as the effect requires; laying the colours sometimes on both sides of the paper, to give greater force and depth of colour. the last touches for giving final strength to shadows and forms, are to be done with ivory black or lamp black, prepared with gum water; as there is no pigment so opaque, and capable of giving strength and decision. when the drawing is finished, and every part has got its depth of colour and brilliancy, being perfectly dry, touch very carefully with spirits of turpentine, on both sides, those parts which are to be the brightest, such as the moon and fire; and those parts requiring less brightness, only on one side. then lay on immediately with a pencil, a varnish made by dissolving one ounce of canada balsam in an equal quantity of spirit of turpentine. be cautious with the varnish, as it is apt to spread. when the varnish is dry, tinge the flame with red lead and gamboge, slightly touching the smoke next the flame. the moon must not be tinted with colour. much depends on the choice of the subject, and none is so admirably adapted to this species of effect, as the gloomy gothic ruin, whose antique towers and pointed turrets finely contrast their dark battlements with the pale yet brilliant moon. the effect of rays passing through the ruined windows, half choked with ivy; or of a fire among the clustering pillars and broken monuments of the choir, round which are figures of banditti, or others, whose haggard faces catch the reflecting light; afford a peculiarity of effect not to be equaled in any other species of painting. internal views of cathedrals also, where windows of stained glass are introduced, have a beautiful effect. the great point to be attained is, a happy coincidence between the subject and the effect produced. the fine light should not be too near the moon, as its glare would tend to injure her pale silver light. those parts which are not interesting, should be kept in an undistinguishing gloom; and where the principal light is, they should be marked with precision. groups of figures should be well contrasted; those in shadow crossing those that are in light, by which means the opposition of light against shade is effected. transparent pudding. beat up eight eggs, put them into a stewpan, with half a pound of sugar finely pounded, the same quantity of butter, and some grated nutmeg. set it on the fire, and keep it stirring till it thickens. then set it into a basin to cool, put a rich puff paste round the dish, pour in the pudding, and bake it in a moderate oven. it will cut light and clear. candied orange and citron may be added if approved. transplanting of flowers. annuals and perennials, sown in march or april, may be transplanted about the end of may. a showery season is preferable, or they must frequently be watered till they have taken root. in the summer time the evening is the proper season, and care should be taken not to break the fibres in digging up the root. chinasters, columbines, marigolds, pinks, stocks, hollyhocks, mallows, sweetwilliams, wallflowers, and various others, may be sown and transplanted in this manner. traps. garden traps, such as are contrived for the purpose of destroying mice and other vermin; which are often conveyed into such places with the straw, litter, and other matters that are made use of in them; and which are extremely hurtful and troublesome in the spring season, in destroying peas and beans, as well as lettuces, melons, and cucumbers in frames. traps for this purpose are contrived in a great many ways; but as field vermin are very shy, and will rarely enter traps which are close, the following simple cheap form has been advised, though it has nothing of novelty in it. these traps may be made by stringing garden beans on a piece of fine pack-thread, in the manner of beads, and then driving two small stake-like pieces of wood into the ground at the breadth of a brick from each other, and setting up a brick, flat stone, or board with a weight on it, inclining to an angle of about forty-five degrees; tying the string, with the beans on it, round the brick or other substances and stakes, to support them in their inclining position, being careful to place all the beans on the under sides of the bricks or other matters. the mice in eating the beans, in such cases, will also destroy the pack-thread, and by such means disengage the brick or other weighty body, which by falling on them readily destroys them. mice are always best got rid of by some sort of simple open traps of this nature. treacle beer. pour two quarts of boiling water on a pound of treacle, and stir them together. add six quarts of cold water, and a tea-cupful of yeast. tun it into a cask, cover it close down, and it will be fit to drink in two or three days. if made in large quantities, or intended to keep, put in a handful of malt and hops, and when the fermentation is over, stop it up close. treacle posset. add two table-spoonfuls of treacle to a pint of milk, and when ready to boil, stir it briskly over the fire till it curdles. strain it off after standing covered a few minutes. this whey promotes perspiration, is suitable for a cold, and children will take it very freely. treatment of children. it ought to be an invariable rule with all who have the care of children, to give them food only when it is needful. instead of observing this simple and obvious rule, it is too common, throughout every period of childhood, to pervert the use of food by giving it when it is not wanted, and consequently when it does mischief, not only in a physical but in a moral point of view. to give food as an indulgence, or in a way of reward, or to withhold it as a matter of punishment, are alike injurious. a proper quantity of food is necessary in all cases, to sustain their health and growth; and their faults ought to be corrected by more rational means. the idea of making them suffer in their health and growth on account of their behaviour, is sufficient to fill every considerate mind with horror. it is the project only of extreme weakness, to attempt to correct the disposition by creating bodily sufferings, which are so prone to hurt the temper, even at an age when reason has gained a more powerful ascendancy. eatables usually given to children by well-meaning but injudicious persons, in order to pacify or conciliate, are still worse than the privations inflicted by way of punishment. sugar plums, sugar candy, barley sugar, sweetmeats, and most kinds of cakes, are unwholesome, and cloying to the appetite. till children begin to run about, the uniformity of their lives makes it probable that the quantity of food they require in the day is nearly the same, and that it may be given to them statedly at the same time. by establishing a judicious regularity with regard to both, much benefit will accrue to their health and comfort. the same rule should be applied to infants at the breast, as well as after they are weaned. by allowing proper intervals between the times of giving children suck, the breast of the mother becomes duly replenished with milk, and the stomach of the infant properly emptied to receive a fresh supply. the supposition that an infant wants food every time it cries, is highly fanciful; and it is perfectly ridiculous to see the poor squalling thing thrown on its back, and nearly suffocated with food to prevent its crying, when it is more likely that the previous uneasiness arises from an overloaded stomach. even the mother's milk, the lightest of all food, will disagree with the child, if the administration of it is improperly repeated. a very injurious practice is sometimes adopted, in suckling a child beyond the proper period, which ought by all means to be discountenanced, as evidently unnatural, and tending to produce weakness both in body and mind. suckling should not be continued after the cutting of the first teeth, when the clearest indication is given, that the food which was adapted to the earliest stage of infancy ceases to be proper. attention should also be paid to the quantity as well as to quality of the food given, for though a child will sleep with an overloaded stomach, it will not be the refreshing sleep of health. when the stomach is filled beyond the proper medium, it induces a similar kind of heaviness to that arising from opiates and intoxicating liquors; and instead of awakening refreshed and lively, the child will be heavy and fretful. by the time that children begin to run about, the increase of their exercise will require an increase of nourishment: but those who overload them with food at any time, in hopes of strengthening them, are very much deceived. no prejudice is equally fatal to such numbers of children. whatever unnecessary food a child receives, weakens instead of strengthening it: for when the stomach is overfilled, its power of digestion is impaired, and food undigested is so far from yielding nourishment, that it only serves to debilitate the whole system, and to occasion a variety of diseases. amongst these are obstructions, distention of the body, rickets, scrophula, slow fevers, consumptions, and convulsion fits. another pernicious custom prevails with regard to the diet of children, when they begin to take other nourishment besides their mother's milk, and that is by giving them such as their stomachs are unable to digest, and indulging them also in a mixture of such things at their meals as are hurtful to every body, and more especially to children, considering the feeble and delicate state of their organs. this injudicious indulgence is sometimes defended on the plea of its being necessary to accustom them to all kinds of food; but this idea is highly erroneous. their stomachs must have time to acquire strength sufficient to enable them to digest varieties of food; and the filling them with indigestible things is not the way to give them strength. children can only acquire strength gradually with their proper growth, which will always be impeded if the stomach is disordered. food for infants should be very simple, and easy of digestion. when they require something more solid than spoonmeats alone, they should have bread with them. plain puddings, mild vegetables, and wholesome ripe fruits, eaten with bread, are also good for them. animal food is better deferred till their increased capacity for exercise will permit it with greater safety, and then care must be taken that the exercise be proportioned to this kind of food. the first use of it should be gradual, not exceeding two or three times in a week. an exception should be made to these rules in the instances of scrophulous and rickety children, as much bread is always hurtful in these cases, and fruits are particularly pernicious. plain animal food is found to be the most suitable to their state. the utmost care should be taken under all circumstances to procure genuine unadulterated bread for children, as the great support of life. if the perverted habits of the present generation give them an indifference as to what bread they eat, or a vitiated taste for adulterated bread, they still owe it to their children as a sacred duty, not to undermine their constitution by this injurious composition. the poor, and many also of the middling ranks of society are unhappily compelled to this species of infanticide, as it may almost be called, by being driven into large towns to gain a subsistence, and thus, from the difficulty of doing otherwise, being obliged to take their bread of bakers, instead of making wholesome bread at home, as in former times, in more favourable situations. while these are to be pitied, what shall be said of those whose fortunes place them above this painful necessity. let them at at least rear their children on wholesome food, and with unsophisticated habits, as the most unequivocal testimony of parental affection performing its duty towards its offspring. it is proper also to observe, that children ought not to be hurried in their eating, as it is of great importance that they should acquire a habit of chewing their food well. they will derive from it the various advantages of being less likely to eat their food hot, of thus preparing what they eat properly for the stomach, instead of imposing upon it what is the real office of the teeth; and also that of checking them from eating too much. when food is not properly masticated, the stomach is longer before it feels satisfied; which is perhaps the most frequent, and certainly the most excusable cause of eating more than is fairly sufficient. thoughtless people will often, for their own amusement, give children morsels of high dishes, and sips of spirituous or fermented liquors, to see whether they will relish them, or make faces at them. but trifling as this may seem, it would be better that it were never practised, for the sake of preserving the natural purity of their tastes as long as possible. treatment of the sick. though an unskilful dabbling in cases of illness, which require the attention of the most medical practitioners, is both dangerous and presumptuous; yet it is quite necessary that those who have the care of a family should be able to afford some relief in case of need, as well as those whose duty it is more immediately to attend upon the sick. uneasy symptoms are experienced at times by all persons, not amounting to a decided state of disease, which if neglected may nevertheless issue in some serious disorder that might have been prevented, not only without risk, but even with greater advantage to the individual than by an application to a positive course of medicine. attention to the state of the bowels, and the relief that may frequently be afforded by a change of diet, come therefore very properly within the sphere of domestic management, in connection with a few simple medicines in common use. the sensations of lassitude or weariness, stiffness or numbness, less activity than usual, less appetite, a load or heaviness at the stomach, some uneasiness in the head, a more profound degree of sleep, yet less composed and refreshing than usual; less gaiety and liveliness, a slight oppression of the breast, a less regular pulse, a propensity to be cold, or to perspire, or sometimes a suppression of a former disposition to perspire, are any of them symptomatic of a diseased state, though not to any very serious or alarming degree. yet under such circumstances persons are generally restless, and scarcely know what to do with themselves; and often for the sake of change, or on the supposition that their sensations proceed from lowness, they unhappily adopt the certain means of making them terminate in dangerous if not fatal diseases. they increase their usual quantity of animal food, leave off vegetables and fruit, drink freely of wine or other strong liquors, under an idea of strengthening the stomach, and expelling wind; all of which strengthen nothing but the disposition to disease, and expel only the degree of health yet remaining. the consequence of this mistaken management is, that all the evacuations are restrained, the humours causing and nourishing the disease are not at all attempered and diluted, nor rendered proper for evacuation. on the contrary they become sharper, and more difficult to be discharged. by judicious management it is practicable, if not entirely to prevent a variety of disorders, yet at least to abate their severity, and so to avert the ultimate danger. as soon as any of the symptoms begin to appear, the proper way is to avoid all violent or laborious exercise, and to indulge in such only as is gentle and easy. to take very little or no solid food, and particularly to abstain from meat, or flesh broth, eggs, and wine, or other strong liquors. to drink plentifully of weak diluting liquor, by small glasses at a time, at intervals of about half an hour. if these diluents are not found to answer the purpose of keeping the bowels open, stronger cathartics must be taken, or injections for the bowels, called lavements. by pursuing these precautions, the early symptoms of disease will often be removed, without coming to any serious issue: and even where this is not the case, the disorder will be so lessened as to obviate any kind of danger from it. when confirmed diseases occur, the only safe course is to resort to the most skilful medical assistance that can be obtained. good advice and few medicines will much sooner effect a cure, than all the drugs of the apothecary's shop unskilfully administered. but the success of the best advice may be defeated, if the patient and his attendants will not concur to render it effectual. if the patient is to indulge longings for improper diet, and his friends are to gratify them, the advantage of the best advice may be defeated by one such imprudent measure. patients labouring under accidents which require surgical assistance, must be required strictly to attend to the same directions. general regulations are all that a physician or surgeon can make respecting diet, many other circumstances will therefore require the consideration of those who attend upon the sick, and it is of consequence that they be well prepared to undertake their charge, for many fatal mistakes have arisen from ignorance and prejudice in these cases. a few rules that may be referred to in the absence of a medical adviser, are all that are necessary in the present instance, more especially when the patient is so far recovered as to be released from medicines, and put under a proper regimen, with the use of a gentle exercise, and such other regulations as a convalescent state requires.--when for example, persons are labouring under acute disorders, or accidents, they are frequently known to suffer from the injudiciousness of those about them, in covering them up in bed with a load of clothes that heat and debilitate them exceedingly, or in keeping them in bed when the occasion does not require it, without even suffering them to get up and have it new made, and by never allowing a breath of fresh air to be admitted into the room. the keeping patients quiet is undoubtedly of essential importance; they should not be talked to, nor should more persons be admitted into the room than are absolutely necessary. every thing that might prove offensive should immediately be removed. sprinkling the room sometimes with vinegar, will contribute to keep it in a better state. the windows should be opened occasionally for a longer or shorter time, according to the weather and season of the year, without suffering the air to come immediately upon the patient. waving the chamber door backward and forward for a few minutes, two or three times in a day, ventilates the room, without exposing the sick person to chilness. occasionally burning pastils in the room, or a roll of paper, is also useful. the bed linen, and that of the patient, should be changed every day, or in two or three days, as circumstances may require. a strict forbearance from giving sick persons any nourishment beyond what is prescribed by their medical attendant, should invariably be observed. some persons think they do well in this respect to cheat the doctor, while in fact they cheat the patient out of the benefit of his advice, and endanger his life under a pretence of facilitating his recovery. in all cases it is important to wait with patience the slow progress of recovery, rather than by injudicious means to attempt to hasten it; otherwise the desired event will only be retarded. what has long been undermining the stamina of health, which is commonly the case with diseases, or what has violently shocked it by accident, can only be removed by slow degrees. medicines will not operate like a charm; and even when they are most efficacious, time is required to recover from the languid state to which persons are always reduced, both by accident and by disease. when the period is arrived at which sick persons may be said to be out of danger, a great deal of patience and care will still be necessary to prevent a relapse. much of this will depend on the convalescent party being content for some time with only a moderate portion of food, for we are not nourished in proportion to what we swallow, but to what we are well able to digest. persons on their recovery, who eat moderately, digest their food, and grow strong from it. those in a weak state, who eat much, do not digest it; instead therefore of being nourished and strengthened by it, they insensibly wither away. the principal rules to be observed in this case are, that persons in sickness, or those who are slowly recovering, should take very little nourishment at a time, and take it often. let them have only one sort of food at each meal, and not change their food too often; and be careful that they chew their food well, to make it easy of digestion. let them diminish their quantity of drink. the best drink for them in general is water, with a third or fourth part of white wine. too great a quantity of liquids at such a time prevents the stomach from recovering its tone and strength, impairs digestion, promotes debility, increases the tendency to a swelling of the legs; sometimes it even occasions a slow fever, and throws back the patient into a languid state. persons recovering from sickness should take as much exercise in the open air as they are able to bear, either on foot, in a carriage, or on horseback: the latter is by far the best. the airing should be taken in the middle of the day, when the weather is temperate, or before the principal meal. exercise taken before a meal strengthens the organs of digestion, and therefore tends to health; but when taken after a meal, it is injurious. as persons in this state are seldom quite so well towards night, they should take very little food in the evening, in order that their sleep may be less disturbed and more refreshing. it would be better not to remain in bed above seven or eight hours; and if they feel fatigued by sitting up, let them lie down for half an hour to rest. the swelling of the legs and ancles, which happens to most persons in a state of weakness and debility, is attended with no danger, and will generally disappear of itself, if they live soberly and regularly, and take moderate exercise. the most solicitous attention must be paid to the state of the bowels; and if they are not regular, they must be kept open every day by artificial means, or it will produce heat and restlessness, and pains in the head. care should be taken not to return to hard labour too soon after recovering from illness; some persons have never recovered their usual strength for want of this precaution.--common colds, though lightly regarded, are often of serious consequence. a cold is an inflammatory disease, though in no greater degree than to affect the lungs or throat, or the thin membrane which lines the nostrils, and the inside of certain cavities in the bones of the cheeks and forehead. these cavities communicate with the nose in such a manner, that when one part of this membrane is affected with inflammation, it is easily communicated to the rest. when the disorder is of this slight kind, it may easily be cured without medicine, by only abstaining from meat, eggs, broth, and wine; from all food that is sharp, fat, and heavy. little or no supper should be eaten, but the person should drink freely of an infusion of barley, or of elder flowers, with the addition of a third or fourth part of milk. bathing the feet in warm water before going to bed, will dispose the patient to sleep. in colds of the head, the steam of warm water alone, or of water in which elder flowers or some mild aromatic herbs have been boiled, will generally afford speedy relief. these also are serviceable in colds which affect the breast. hot and close rooms are very hurtful in colds, as they tend to impede respiration; and sitting much over the fire increases the disorder. spermaceti is often taken in colds and coughs, which must from its greasy nature impair the digestive faculty, and cannot operate against the cause of a cold; though the cure of it, which is effected in due time by the economy of nature, is often ascribed to such medicines as may rather have retarded it. whenever a cold does not yield to the simple treatment already described, good advice should be procured, as a neglected cold is often the origin of very serious disorders.--a few observations on the nature of the diet and drink proper for sickly persons, will be necessary at the close of this article, for the information of those who occasionally undertake the care of the afflicted. as the digestion of sick persons is weak, and very similar to that of children, the diet suited to the latter is generally proper for the former, excepting in the two great classes of diseases called putrid and intermittent fevers. in case of putrid fever no other food should be allowed, during the first weeks of recovery, than the mildest vegetable substances. when recovering from agues and intermittent fevers, animal jellies, and plain animal food, with as little vegetable as possible, is the proper diet. meat and meat broth, generally speaking, are not so well adapted for the re-establishment of health and strength, as more simple diets. flesh being the food most used by old and young at all other times, is consequently that from which their distempers chiefly proceed, or at least it nourishes those disorders which other causes may have contributed to introduce. it is of a gross, phlegmatic nature and oily quality, and therefore harder of digestion than many other sorts of food, tending to generate gross humours and thick blood, which are very unfavourable to the recovery of health. the yolk of an egg lightly boiled or beaten up raw with a little wine may be taken, when animal food is not forbidden, and the party cannot chew or swallow more solid food. the spoonmeats and drinks directed for children, and simple puddings made as for them, may all be used for invalids, subject only to the restrictions imposed by their medical attendant. puddings and panadoes made of bread are better for weak stomachs than those made of flour.--diet drinks may be made of an infusion of herbs, grains, or seeds. for this purpose the herbs should be gathered in their proper season, then dried in the shade, and put into close paper bags. when wanted for use, take out the proper quantity, put it into a linen bag, suspend it in the beer or ale, while it is fermenting, from two to six or eight hours, and then take it out. wormwood ought not to be infused so long; three or four hours will be sufficient, or it will become nauseous, and soon turn to putrefaction. the same is to be understood in infusing any sort of well-prepared herbs, and great care is required in all preparations of this kind that the pure properties are neither evaporated, nor overpowered by the bad ones. beer, ale, or any other liquor in which herbs are infused, must be unadulterated, or the benefit of these infusions will be destroyed by its pernicious qualities. nothing is more prejudicial to health than adulterated liquors, or liquors that are debased by any corrupting vegetable substance. those things which in their purest state are of a doubtful character, and never to be trusted without caution, are by this means converted into decided poisons.--herb tea of any kind should always be made with a moderate proportion of the herb. when the tea is of a proper strength, the herb should be taken out, or it will become nauseous by long infusion. these kinds of tea are best used quite fresh.--herb porridge may be made of elder buds, nettle tops, clivers, and water cresses. mix up a proper quantity of oatmeal and water, and set it on the fire. when just ready to boil, put in the herbs, cut or uncut; and when ready again to boil, lade it to and fro to prevent its boiling. continue this operation six or eight minutes, then take it off the fire, and let it stand awhile. it may either be eaten with the herbs, or strained, and should not be eaten warmer than new milk. a little butter, salt, and bread, may be added. another way is, to set some oatmeal and water on a quick fire; and when it is scalding hot, put in a good quantity of spinage, corn salad, tops of pennyroyal, and mint cut small. let it stand on the fire till ready to boil, then pour it up and down six or seven minutes, and let it stand off the fire that the oatmeal may sink to the bottom. strain it, and add butter, salt, and bread. when it is about milk-warm it will be fit to eat. this is an excellent porridge, pleasant to the palate and stomach, cleansing the passages by opening obstructions. it also breeds good blood, thus enlivens the spirits, and makes the whole body active and easy.--a cooling drink may be made of two ounces of whole barley, washed and cleansed in hot water, and afterwards boiled in five pints of water till the barley opens. add a quarter of an ounce of cream of tartar, and strain off the liquor. or bruise three ounces of the freshest sweet almonds, and an ounce of gourd melon seeds in a marble mortar, adding a pint of water, a little at a time, and then strain it through a piece of linen. bruise the remainder of the almonds and seeds again, with another pint of water added as before; then strain it, and repeat this process a third time. after this, pour all the liquor upon the bruised mass, stir it well, and finally strain it off. half an ounce of sugar may safely be bruised with the almonds and seeds at first; or if it be thought too heating, a little orange-flower water may be used instead.--currant drink. put a pound of the best red currants, fully ripe and clean picked, into a stone bottle. mix three spoonfuls of good new yeast with six pints of hot water, and pour it upon the currants. stop the bottle close till the liquor ferments, then give it as much vent as is necessary, keep it warm, and let it ferment for about three days. taste it in the mean time to try whether it is become pleasant; and as soon as it is so, run it through a strainer, and bottle it off. it will be ready to drink in five or six days.--boniclapper is another article suited to the state of sickly and weakly persons. boniclapper is milk which has stood till it has acquired a pleasant sourish taste, and a thick slippery substance. in very hot weather this will be in about twenty-four hours from the time of its being milked, but longer in proportion as the weather is colder. if put into vessels which have been used for milk to be soured in, it will change the sooner. new milk must always be used for this purpose. boniclapper is an excellent food at all times, particularly for those who are troubled with any kind of stoppages; it powerfully opens the breast and passages, is itself easy of digestion, and helps to digest all hard or sweeter foods. it also cools and cleanses the whole body, renders it brisk and lively, and is very efficacious in quenching thirst. no other sort of milkmeat or spoonmeat is so proper and beneficial for consumptive persons, or such as labour under great weakness and debility. it should be eaten with bread only, and it will be light and easy on the stomach, even when new milk is found to disagree. if this soured milk should become unpleasant at first, a little custom and use will not only render it familiar, but agreeable to the stomach and palate; and those who have neither wisdom nor patience to submit to a transient inconvenience, will never have an opportunity of knowing the intrinsic value of any thing. to these may be added a variety of other articles adapted to a state of sickness and disease, which will be found under their respective heads; such as beef tea, flummery, jellies of various kinds, lemon whey, vinegar whey, cream of tartar whey, mustard whey, treacle posset, buttermilk, onion porridge, water gruel, and wormwood ale. trees. several different methods have been proposed of preventing the bark being eaten off by hares and rabbits in the winter season; such as twisting straw-ropes round the trees; driving in small flat stakes all about them; and the use of strong-scented oils. but better and neater modes have lately been suggested; as with hog's lard, and as much whale-oil as will work it up into a thin paste or paint, with which the stems of the trees are to be gently rubbed upwards, at the time of the fall of the leaf. it may be done once in two years, and will, it is said, effectually prevent such animals from touching them. another and still neater method, is to take three pints of melted tallow to one pint of tar, mixing them well together over a gentle fire. then, in the month of november, to take a small brush and go over the rind or bark of the trees with the composition in a milk-warm state, as thin as it can be laid on with the brush. it is found that such a coating does not hinder the juices or sap from expanding in the smallest degree; and the efficacy of the plan is proved, in preventing the attacks of the animals, by applying the liquid composition to one tree and missing another, when it was found that the former was left, while the latter was attacked. its efficacy has been shewn by the experience of five years. the trees that were gone over the first two years have not been touched since; and none of them have been injured by the hares.--the mossing of trees is their becoming much affected and covered with the moss-plant or mossy substance. it is found to prevail in fruit-grounds of the apple kind, and in other situations, when they are in low, close, confined places, where the damp or moisture of the trees is not readily removed. it is thought to be an indication of weakness in the growth, or of a diseased state of the trees, and to require nice attention in preventing or eradicating it. the modes of removing it have usually been those of scraping, rubbing, and washing, but they are obviously calculated for trees only on a small scale. how far the use of powdery matters, such as lime, chalk, and others, which are capable of readily absorbing and taking up the wetness that may hang about the branches, and other parts of the trees, by being well dusted over them, may be beneficial, is not known, but they would seem to promise success by the taking away the nourishment and support of the moss, when employed at proper seasons. and they are known to answer in destroying moss in some other cases, when laid about the stems of the plants, as in thorn-hedges, &c. the mossing in all sorts of trees is injurious to their growth by depriving them of a portion of their nourishment, but more particularly hurtful to those of the fruit-tree kind, as preventing them from bearing full good crops of fruit by rendering them in a weak and unhealthy state.----the following are substances destructive of insects infesting fruit shrubs and trees in gardening, or of preventing their injurious ravages and effects on trees. many different kinds of substances have been recommended for the purpose, at different times; but nothing perhaps has yet been found fully effectual in this intention, in all cases. the substances and modes directed below have lately been advised as useful in this way. as preventives against gooseberry caterpillars, which so greatly infest and injure shrubs of that kind, the substances mentioned below have been found very simple and efficacious. in the autumnal season, let a quantity of cow-urine be provided, and let a little be poured around the stem of each bush or shrub, just as much as merely suffices to moisten the ground about them. this simple expedient is stated to have succeeded in an admirable manner, and that its preventive virtues have appeared to extend to two successive seasons or years. the bushes which were treated in this manner remained free from caterpillars, while those which were neglected, or intentionally passed by, in the same compartment, were wholly destroyed by the depredations of the insects. another mode of prevention is proposed, which, it is said, is equally simple and effectual; but the good effects of which only extend to the season immediately succeeding to that of the application. this is, in situations near the sea, to collect as much drift or sea-weed from the beach, when occasion serves, as will be sufficient to cover the whole of the gooseberry compartment to the depth of four or five inches. it should be laid on in the autumn, and the whole covering remain untouched during the winter and early spring months; but as the fruiting season advances, be dug in. this method, it is said, has answered the most sanguine expectations; no caterpillars ever infesting the compartments which are treated in this manner. another method, which is said to have been found successful, in preventing or destroying caterpillars on the above sort of fruit shrubs, is this: as the black currant and elder bushes, growing quite close to those of the gooseberry kind, were not attacked by this sort of vermin, it was conceived that an infusion of their leaves might be serviceable, especially when prepared with a little quick-lime, in the manner directed below. six pounds each of the two first sorts of leaves are to be boiled in twelve gallons of soft water; then fourteen pounds of hot lime are to be put into twelve gallons of water, and, after being well incorporated with it, they are both to be mixed well together. with this mixture the infested gooseberry bushes by fruit trees are to be well washed or the hand garden-engine; after which a little hot lime is to be taken and laid about the root of each bush or tree so washed, which completes the work. thus the caterpillars will be completely destroyed, without hurting the foliage of the bushes or trees in any way. a dull day is to be preferred for performing the work of washing, &c. as soon as all the foliage is dropped off from the bushes or trees, they are to be again washed over with the hand-engine, in order to clean them of all decayed leaves, and other matters; for which purpose any sort of water will answer. the surface of the earth, all about the roots of the bushes and trees, is then to be well stirred, and a little hot lime again laid about them, to destroy the ova or eggs of the insects. this mode of management has never failed of success, in the course of six years' practice. it is noticed, that the above quantity of prepared liquid will be sufficient for about two acres of ground in this sort of plantation, and cost but little in providing. the use of about a gallon of a mixture of equal proportions of lime-water, chamber-ley, and soap-suds, with as much soot as will give it the colour and consistence of dunghill drainings, to each bush in the rows, applied by means of the rose of a watering-pot, immediately as the ground between them is dug over, and left as rough as possible, the whole being gone over in this way without treading or poaching the land, has also been found highly successful by others. the whole is then left in the above state until the winter frosts are fairly past, when the ground between the rows and bushes are levelled, and raked over in an even manner. by this means of practice, the bushes have been constantly kept healthy, fruitful, and free from the annoyance of insects. the bushes are to be first pruned, and dung used where necessary. a solution of soft soap, mixed with an infusion of tobacco, has likewise been applied with great use in destroying caterpillars, by squirting it by the hand-syringe upon the bushes, while a little warm, twice in the day. but some think that the only safety is in picking them off the bushes, as they first appear, together with the lower leaves which are eaten into holes: also, the paring, digging over, and clearing the foul ground between the bushes, and treading and forcing such foul surface parts into the bottoms of the trenches. watering cherry-trees with water prepared from quick-lime new burnt, and common soda used in washing, in the proportion of a peck of the former and half a pound of the latter to a hogshead of water, has been found successful in destroying the green fly and the black vermin which infest such trees. the water should stand upon the lime for twenty-four hours, and be then drawn off by a cock placed in the cask, ten or twelve inches from the bottom, when the soda is to be put to it, being careful not to exceed the above proportion, as, from its acridity, it would otherwise be liable to destroy the foliage. two or three times watering with this liquor, by means of a garden engine, will destroy and remove the vermin. the application of clay-paint, too, has been found of great utility in destroying the different insects, such as the coccus, thrips, and fly, which infest peach, nectarine, and other fine fruit trees, on walls, and in hot-houses. this paint is prepared by taking a quantity of the most tenacious brown clay, and diffusing it in as much soft water as will bring it to the consistence of a thick cream or paint, passing it through a fine sieve or hair-searce, so as that it may be rendered perfectly smooth, unctuous, and free from gritty particles. as soon as the trees are pruned and nailed in, they are all to be carefully gone over with a painter's brush dipped in the above paint, especially the stems and large branches, as well as the young shoots, which leaves a coat or layer, that, when it becomes dry, forms a hard crust over the whole tree, which, by closely enveloping the insects, completely destroys them, without doing any injury to either the bark or buds. and by covering the trees with mats or canvas in wet seasons, it may be preserved on them as long as necessary. where one dressing is not effectual, it may be repeated; and the second coating will mostly be sufficient. where peach and nectarine trees are managed with this paint, they are very rarely either hide-bound or attacked by insects. this sort of paint is also useful in removing the mildew, with which these kinds of trees are often affected; as well as, with the use of the dew-syringe, in promoting the equal breaking of the eyes of vines, trained on the rafters of pine stoves. watering the peach tree borders with the urine of cattle, in the beginning of winter, and again in the early spring, has likewise been thought beneficial in destroying the insects which produce the above disease. careful and proper cleaning and washing these trees, walls, and other places in contact with them, has, too, been found of great utility in preventing insects from accumulating on them. trifle. to make an excellent trifle, lay macaroons and ratifia drops over the bottom of a dish, and pour in as much raisin wine as they will imbibe. then pour on them a cold rich custard, made with plenty of eggs, and some rice flour. it must stand two or three inches thick: on that put a layer of raspberry jam, and cover the whole with a very high whip made the day before, of rich cream, the whites of two well-beaten eggs, sugar, lemon peel, and raisin wine, well beat with a whisk, kept only to whip syllabubs and creams. if made the day before it is used, the trifle has quite a different taste, and is solid and far better. tripe. after being well washed and cleaned, tripe should be stewed with milk and onion till quite tender. serve it in a tureen, with melted butter for sauce. or fry it in small pieces, dipped in batter. or cut the thin part into bits, and stew them in gravy. thicken the stew with butter and flour, and add a little ketchup. tripe may also be fricasseed with white sauce. troughs. water troughs of various kinds, which require to be rendered impervious to the wet, may be lined with a strong cement of gypsum and quicklime, mixed up with water. four fifths of pulverised coal or charcoal, and one fifth of quicklime, well mixed together, and infused in boiling pitch or tar, will also form a useful cement for this purpose. it requires to be of the consistence of thin mortar, and applied hot with a trowel. trout. open them along the belly, wash them clean, dry them in a cloth, and season them with pepper and salt. set the gridiron over the fire, and when it is hot rub the bars with a piece of fresh suet. lay on the fish, and broil them gently over a very clear fire, at such a distance as not to burn them. when they are done on one side, turn them carefully on the other, and serve them up the moment they are ready. this is one of the best methods of dressing this delicate fish; but they are sometimes broiled whole, in order to preserve the juices of the fish, when they are fresh caught. another way is, after they are washed clean and well dried in a napkin, to bind them about with packthread, and sprinkle them with melted butter and salt; then to broil them over a gentle fire, and keep them turning. make a sauce of butter rolled in flour, with an anchovy, some pepper, nutmeg, and capers. add a very little vinegar and water, and shake it together over a moderate fire, till it is of a proper thickness. put the trout into a dish, and pour this sauce over them. trout of a middle size are best for broiling. the gurnet or piper is very nice broiled in the same manner, and served with the same kind of sauce. mullets also admit of the same treatment. trout are very commonly stewed, as well as broiled; and in this case they should be put into a stewpan with equal quantities of champaigne, rhenish, or sherry wine. season the stew with pepper and salt, an onion, a few cloves, and a small bunch of parsley and thyme. put into it a crust of french bread, and set it on a quick fire. when the fish is done, take out the bread, bruise it, and then thicken the sauce. add a little flour and butter, and let it boil up. lay the trout on a dish, and pour the thickened sauce over it. serve it with sliced lemon, and fried bread. this is called trout á la genevoise. a plainer way is to dry the fish, after it has been washed and cleaned, and lay it on a board before the fire, dusted with flour. then fry it of a fine colour with fresh dripping; serve it with crimp parsley and plain butter. trout pie. scale and wash the fish, lard them with pieces of silver eel, rolled up in spice and sweet herbs, with bay leaves finely powdered. slice the bottoms of artichokes, lay them on or between the fish, with mushrooms, oysters, capers, and sliced lemon or seville orange. use a dish or raised crust, close the pie, and bake it gently.--another way. clean and scale your trouts, and cut off the heads and fins; boil an eel for forcemeat; when you have cut off the meat of the eel, put the bones and the heads of the trout into the water it was boiled in, with an onion, mace, whole pepper, a little salt, and a faggot of sweet herbs; let it boil down till there is but enough for the pie. chop the meat of the eel very fine, add grated bread, an anchovy chopped small, sweet herbs, and a gill of oysters blanched and bearded, the yolks of two hard eggs chopped very fine, and as much melted butter as will make it into a stiff forcemeat; season the trout with mace, pepper and salt; fill the belly with the forcemeat, and make the remainder into balls; sheet your dish with a good paste, lay some butter on that, then the trout and forcemeat; strain off the fish broth, and scum it very clean, and add a little white wine, and a piece of butter rolled in flour; when it is all melted, pour it into the pie, and lid it over; bake it in a gentle oven, and let it be thoroughly done. truffles. the largest are the most esteemed; those which are brought from perigord are the best. they are usually eaten dressed in wine, and broth seasoned with salt, pepper, a bunch of sweet herbs, some roots and onions. before being dressed they must be soaked in warm water, and well rubbed with a brush, that no earth may adhere to them. when dressed, serve them in a plate as an entremet. the truffle is also very excellent in all sorts of ragouts, either chopped or out into slices, after they are peeled. it is one of the best seasonings that can be used in a kitchen. truffles are also used dried, but their flavour is then much diminished. truffles ragout. peel the truffles, cut them in slices, wash and drain them well. put them into a saucepan with a little gravy, and stew them gently over a slow fire. when they are almost done enough, thicken them with a little butter and flour. stewed in a little water, and thickened with cream and yolk of egg, they make a nice white ragout. truffles, mushrooms, and morels are all of them very indigestible. tunbridge cakes. rub six ounces of butter quite fine into a pound of flour; then mix six ounces of sugar, beat and strain two eggs, and make the whole into a paste. roll it very thin, and cut it with the top of a glass. prick the cakes with a fork, and cover them with carraways; or wash them with the white of an egg, and dust a little white sugar over. turbot. this excellent fish is in season the greatest part of the summer. when fresh and good, it is at once firm and tender, and abounds with rich gelatinous nutriment. being drawn and washed clean, it may be lightly rubbed with salt, and put in a cold place, and it will keep two or three days. an hour or two before dressing it, let it soak in spring water with some salt in it. to prevent the fish from swelling and cracking on the breast, score the skin across the thickest part of the back. put a large handful of salt into a fish kettle with cold water, lay the turbot on a fish strainer and put it in. when it is beginning to boil, skim it well; then set the kettle on the side of the fire to boil as gently as possible for about fifteen or twenty minutes; if it boil fast, the fish will break to pieces. rub a little of the inside coral spawn of the lobster through a hair sieve, without butter; and when the turbot is dished, sprinkle the spawn over it. garnish the dish with sprigs of curled parsley, sliced lemon, and finely scraped horseradish. send up plenty of lobster sauce. the thickest part of the fish is generally preferred. the spine bone should be cut across to make it easier for carving. turbot pie. take a middling turbot, clean it very well, cut off the head, tail, and fins. make a forcemeat thus; take a large eel, boil it tender, then take off the flesh; put the bones of the turbot and eel into the water the eel was boiled in, with a faggot of herbs, whole pepper, an onion, and an anchovy; let this boil till it becomes a strong broth. in the mean time, cut the eel very fine; add the same quantity of grated bread, a little lemon-peel, an anchovy, parsley, and the yolks of two or three hard eggs, and half a pint of oysters blanched and bearded; chop all these as fine as possible; mix all together with a quarter of a pound of melted butter; and with this forcemeat lay a rim in the inside of the dish; put in the turbot, and fill up the vacancies with forcemeat; strain off the broth, scum it very clean, and add a lump of butter rolled in flour, and a glass of white wine; pour this over the fish. make a good puff paste, cover the pie with it, and let it be thoroughly baked. when it comes from the oven, warm the remainder of the liquor; pour it in, and send it to table. turkeys. when young they are very tender, and require great attention. as soon as hatched, put three peppercorns down their throat. they must be carefully watched, or they will soon perish. the hen turkey is so careless, that she will stalk about with one chicken, and leave the remainder, or even tread upon and kill them. turkeys are violent eaters, and must therefore be left to take charge of themselves in general, except one good feed a day. the hen sets twenty-five or thirty days, and the young ones must be kept warm, as the least cold or damp kills them. they must be fed often, and at a distance from the hen, or she will pick every thing from them. they should have curds, green cheese parings cut small, and bread and milk with chopped wormwood in it. their drink milk and water, but must not be left to turn sour. all young fowls are a prey for vermin, therefore they should be kept in a safe place where none can come. weasels, stoats, and ferrets will creep in at a very small crevice. the hen should be under a coop, in a warm place exposed to the sun, for the first three or four weeks; and the young ones should not be suffered to wander about in the dew, at morning or evening. twelve eggs are enough to put under a turkey; and when she is about to lay, lock her up till she has laid every morning. they usually begin to lay in march, and set in april. feed them near the hen-house, and give them a little meat in the evening, to accustom them to roosting there. fatten them with sodden oats or barley for the first fortnight; and the last fortnight give them as above, and rice swelled with warm milk over the fire twice a day. the flesh will be beautifully white and fine flavoured. the common way in norfolk is to cram them, but they are so ravenous that it seems unnecessary, if they are not suffered to wander far from home, which keeps them lean and poor.--when fat turkeys are to be purchased in the market, in order to judge of their quality it is necessary to observe, that the cock bird when young has a smooth black leg, and a short spur. if fresh and sweet, the eyes are full and bright, and the feet moist and supple. if stale, the eyes will be sunk, and the feet stiff and dry. the hen turkey is known by the same rules; but if old, the legs will be red and rough. turkey patties. mince some of the white part, and season it with grated lemon, nutmeg, salt, a dust of white pepper, a spoonful of cream, and a very small piece of butter warmed. fill the patties, and bake them. turkey pie. break the bones, and beat the turkey flat on the breast. lard it with bacon, lay it into a raised crust with some slices of bacon under it, and well seasoned with salt, pepper, nutmeg, whole cloves, and bay leaves. lay a slice of bacon over it, cover it with a crust, and bake it. when baked, put a clove of garlic or shalot into the whole in the middle of the crust, and let it stand till cold. the turkey may be boned if preferred. duck or goose pie may be made in the same manner. turkey sauce. open some oysters into a bason, and pour the liquor into a saucepan as soon as it is settled. add a little white gravy, and a tea-spoonful of lemon pickle. thicken it with flour and butter, boil it a few minutes, add a spoonful of cream, and then the oysters. shake them over the fire, but do not let them boil. or boil some slices or fine bread with a little salt, an onion, and a few peppercorns. beat it well, put in a bit of butter, and a spoonful of cream. this sauce eats well with roast turkey or veal. turkish yogurt. let a small quantity of milk stand till it be sour, then put a sufficient quantity of it to new milk, to turn it to a soft curd. this may be eaten with sugar only, or both this and the fresh cheese are good eaten with strawberries and raspberries, as cream, or with sweetmeats of any kind. turnips. to dress this valuable root, pare off all the outside coat, cut them in two, and boil them with beef, mutton, or lamb. when they become tender take them up, press away the liquor, and mash them with butter and salt, or send them to table whole, with melted butter in a boat. young turnips look and eat well with a little of the top left on them. to preserve turnips for the winter, cut off the tops and tails, and leave the roots a few days to dry. they should then be stacked up with layers of straw between, so as to keep them from the rain and frost, and let the stack be pointed at the top. turnips mashed. pare and boil them quite tender, squeeze them as dry as possible between two trenchers, put them into a stewpan, and mash them with a wooden spoon. then rub them through a cullender, add a little bit of butter, keep stirring them till the butter is melted and well mixed with them, and they are ready for the table. turnip butter. in the fall of the year, butter is apt to acquire a strong and disagreeable flavour, from the cattle feeding on turnips, cabbages, leaves of trees, and other vegetable substances. to correct the offensive taste which this produces, boil two ounces of saltpetre in a quart of water, and put two or more spoonfuls of it into a pail before milking, according to the quantity of milk. if this be done constantly, the evil will be effectually cured: if not, it will be owing to the neglect of the dairy maid. turnip fly. to prevent the black fly from injuring the turnip crop, mix an ounce of sulphur daily with three pounds of turnip seed for three days successively, and keep it closely covered in an earthen pan. stir it well each time, that the seed may be duly impregnated with the sulphur. sow it as usual on an acre of ground, and the fly will not attack it till after the third or fourth leaf be formed, when the plant will be entirely out of danger. if garden vegetables be attacked by the fly, water them freely with a decoction of elder leaves. turnip pie. season some mutton chops with salt and pepper, reserving the ends of the neck bones to lay over the turnips, which must be cut into small dice, and put on the steaks. add two or three spoonfuls of milk, also a sliced onion if approved, and cover with a crust. turnip sauce. pare half a dozen turnips, boil them in a little water, keep them shaking till they are done, and the liquor quite exhausted, and then rub them through a tammis. take a little white gravy and cut more turnips, as if intended for harrico. shake them as before, and add a little more white gravy. turnip soup. take from a knuckle of veal all the meat that can be made into cutlets, and stew the remainder in five pints of water, with an onion, a bundle of herbs, and a blade of mace. cover it close, and let it do on a slow fire, four or five hours at least. strain it, and set it by till the next day. then take the fat and sediment from it, and simmer it with turnips cut into small dice till tender, seasoning it with salt and pepper. before serving, rub down half a spoonful of flour with half a pint of good cream, and a piece of butter the size of a walnut. let a small roll simmer in the soup till fully moistened, and serve this with it. the soup should be as thick as middling cream. turnip tops. these are the shoots which come out in the spring from the old turnip roots, and are to be dressed in the same way as cabbage sprouts. they make very nice sweet greens, and are esteemed great purifiers of the blood and juices. turnpikes. mix together a quarter of a pound each of flour, butter, currants, and lump sugar powdered. beat up four eggs with two of the whites, make the whole into a stiff paste, with the addition of a little lemon peel. roll the paste out thin, and cut it into shapes with a wine glass. the addition of a few carraway seeds will be an improvement. turtle. the morning that you intend to dress the turtle, fill a boiler or kettle with a quantity of water sufficient to scald the callapach and callapee, the fins, &c. and about nine o'clock hang up your turtle by the hind fins, cut off its head, and save the blood; then with a sharp pointed knife separate the callapach from the callapee (or the back from the belly part) down to the shoulders, so as to come at the entrails, which take out, and clean them, as you would those of any other animal, and throw them into a tub of clean water, taking great care not to break the gall, but cut it off the liver, and throw it away. then separate each distinctly, and take the guts into another vessel, open them with a small penknife, from end to end, wash them clean, and draw them through a woollen cloth in warm water, to clear away the slime, and then put them into clean cold water till they are used, with the other part of the entrails, which must all be cut up small to be mixed in the baking dishes with the meat. this done, separate the back and belly pieces entirely, cutting away the four fins by the upper joint, which scald, peel off the loose skin, and cut them into small pieces, laying them by themselves, either in another vessel, or on the table, ready to be seasoned. then cut off the meat from the belly part, and clean the back from the lungs, kidneys, &c. and that meat cut into pieces as small as a walnut, laying it likewise by itself. after this you are to scald the back and belly pieces, pulling off the shell from the back and the yellow skin from the belly; when all will be white and clean, and with the kitchen cleaver cut those up likewise into pieces about the bigness or breadth of a card. put those pieces into clean cold water, wash them out, and place them in a heap on the table, so that each part may lie by itself. the meat, being thus prepared and laid separately for seasoning, mix two third parts of salt, or rather more, and one third part of cayenne pepper, black pepper, and a spoonful of nutmeg and mace pounded fine, and mixed together; the quantity to be proportioned to the size of the turtle, so that in each dish there may be about three spoonfuls of seasoning to every twelve pounds of meat. your meat being thus seasoned, get some sweet herbs, such as thyme, savoury, &c. let them be dried and rubbed fine, and having provided some deep dishes to bake it in, (which should be of the common brown ware) put in the coarsest parts of the meat at the bottom, with about a quarter of a pound of butter in each dish, and then some of each of the several parcels of meat, so that the dishes may be all alike, and have equal portions of the different parts of the turtle; and between each laying of the meat, strew a little of this mixture of sweet herbs. fill your dishes within an inch and an half, or two inches of the top; boil the blood of the turtle, and put into it; then lay on forcemeat balls made of veal, or fowl, highly seasoned with the same seasoning as the turtle; put into each dish a gill of good madeira wine, and as much water as it will conveniently hold; then break over it five or six eggs, to keep the meat from scorching at the top, and over that shake a small handful of shred parsley, to make it look green; which done, put your dishes into an oven made hot enough to bake bread, and in an hour and half, or two hours, (according to the size of the dishes) it will be sufficiently done. send it to the table in the dishes in which it is baked, in order to keep it warm while it is eating. turtle fins. put into a stewpan five large spoonfuls of brown sauce, with a bottle of port wine, and a quart of mushrooms. when the sauce boils, put in four fins; and after taking away all the small bones that are seen breaking through the skin, add a few sprigs of parsley, a bit of thyme, one bay leaf, and four cloves, and let it simmer one hour. ten minutes before it is done, put in five dozen of button onions ready peeled, and see that it is properly salted. turtle soup. the best sized turtle is one from sixty to eighty pounds weight, which will make six or eight tureens of fine soup. kill the turtle the evening before; tie a cord to the hind fins, and hang it up with the head downwards. tie the fore fins by way of pinioning them, otherwise it would beat itself, and be troublesome to the executioner. hold the head in the left hand, and with a sharp knife cut off the neck as near the head as possible. lay the turtle on a block on the back shell, slip the knife between the breast and the edge of the back shell; and when the knife has been round, and the breast is detached from the back, pass the fingers underneath, and detach the breast from the fins, always keeping the edge of the knife on the side of the breast; otherwise if the gall be broken, the turtle will be spoiled. cut the breast into four pieces, remove the entrails, beginning by the liver, and cut away the gall, to be out of danger at once. when the turtle is emptied, throw the heart, liver, kidneys, and lights, into a large tub of water. cut away the fins to the root, as near to the back shell as possible; then cut the fins in the second joint, that the white meat may be separated from the green. scrape the fat from the back shell by skimming it, and put it aside. cut the back shell into four pieces. set a large turbot pan on the fire, and when it boils dip a fin into it for a minute, then take it out and peel it very clean. when that is done, take another, and so on till all are done; then the head, next the shell and breast, piece by piece. be careful to have the peel and shell entirely cleaned off, then put in the same pan some clean water, with the breast and back, the four fins, and the head. let it boil till the bones will leave the meat, adding a large bundle of turtle herbs, four bay leaves, and some thyme. if two dishes are to be made of the fins, they must be removed when they have boiled one hour. put into a small stewpan the liver, lights, heart, and kidneys, and the fat that was laid aside. take some of the liquor that the other part was boiled in, cover the stewpan close, and let it boil gently for three hours. clean the bones, breast, and back from the green fat, and cut it into pieces an inch long, and half an inch wide, but suffer none of it to be wasted. put all these pieces on a dish, and set it by till the broth is ready. to prepare the broth, put on a large stockpot, and line the bottom of it with a pound and a half of lean ham, cut into slices. cut into pieces a large leg of veal, except a pound of the fillet to be reserved for forcemeat; put the rest upon the ham, with all the white meat of the turtle, and a couple of old fowls. put it on a smart fire, with two ladlefuls of rich broth, and reduce it to a glaze. when it begins to stick to the bottom, pour the liquor in which the turtle was boiled into the pot where the other part of the turtle has been boiled. add to it a little more sweet herbs, twenty-four grains of allspice, six blades of mace, two large onions, four carrots, half an ounce of whole pepper, and some salt. let it simmer for four hours, and then strain the broth through a cloth sieve. put into it the green part of the turtle that has been cut in pieces and nicely cleaned, with two bottles of madeira. when it has boiled a few minutes with the turtle, add the broth to it. melt half a pound of butter in a stewpan, add four large spoonfuls of flour, stir it on the fire till of a fine brown colour, and pour some of the broth to it. mix it well, and strain it through a hair sieve into the soup. cut the liver, lights, heart, kidneys, and fat into small square pieces, and put them into the soup with half a tea-spoonful of cayenne, two of curry powder, and four table-spoonfuls of the essence of anchovies. let it boil an hour and a half, carefully skimming off the fat. pound the reserved veal in a marble mortar for the forcemeat, and rub it through a hair sieve, with as much of the udder as there is of meat from the leg of veal. put some bread crumbs into a stewpan with milk enough to moisten it, adding a little chopped parsley and shalot. dry it on the fire, rub it through a wire sieve, and when cold mix it all together, that every part may be equally blended. boil six eggs hard, take the yolks and pound them with the other ingredients; season it with salt, cayenne, and a little curry powder. add three raw eggs, mix all well together, and make the forcemeat into small balls the size of a pigeon's egg. ten minutes before the soup is ready put in the forcemeat balls, and continue to skim the soup till it is taken off the fire. if the turtle weighs eighty pounds, it will require nearly three bottles of madeira for the soup. when the turtle is dished, squeeze two lemons into each tureen. it is also very good with eggs boiled hard, and a dozen of the yolks put in each tureen. this is a highly fashionable soup, and such as is made in the royal kitchen; but it is difficult of digestion, and fit only for those who 'live to eat.' foreigners in general are extremely fond of it; and at the spanish dinner in , eight hundred guests attended, and two thousand five hundred pounds weight of turtle were consumed. tusk. lay the tusk in water the first thing in the morning; after it has lain three or four hours, scale and clean it very well; then shift the water, and let it lie till you want to dress it. if it is large, cut it down the back, and then across; if small, only down the back; put it into cold water, and let it boil gently for about twenty minutes. send it to table in a napkin, with egg sauce, butter and mustard, and parsnips cut in slices, in a plate. twopenny. the malt beverage thus denominated, is not formed to keep, and therefore not likely to be brewed by any persons for their own consumption. the following proportions for one barrel, are inserted merely to add to general information in the art of brewing. £ _s._ _d._ malt, a bushel and a half hops, one pound liquorice root, a pound and a half capsicum, a quarter of an ounce spanish liquorice, ounces treacle, five pounds ---------- ---------- £ _s._ _d._ one barrel of twopenny, paid for at the publican's, quarts, at _ d._ per quart brewed at home, coals included ---------- clear gain, ---------- it is sufficient to observe respecting this liquor, that it requires no storing, being frequently brewed one week, and consumed the next. the quantity of capsicum in one barrel of twopenny, is as much as is commonly contained in two barrels of porter: this readily accounts for the preference given to it by the working classes, in cold winter mornings. twopenny works remarkably quick, and must be carefully attended to, in the barrels. v. vaccine inoculation. one of the most important discoveries in the history of animal nature is that of the cow pox, which was publicly announced by dr. jenner in the year , though it had for ages been known by some of the dairymen in the west of england. this malady appears on the nipples of cows in the form of irregular pustules, and it is now ascertained that persons inoculated with the matter taken from them are thereby rendered incapable of the small pox infection. innumerable experiments have been made in different countries, in asia and america, with nearly the same success; and by a series of facts duly authenticated, in many thousands of instances, it is fully proved that the vaccine inoculation is a milder and safer disease than the inoculated small pox; and while the one has saved its tens of thousands, the other is going on to save its millions. with a view of extending the beneficial effects of the new inoculation to the poor, a new dispensary, called the vaccine institution, has been established in london, where the operation is performed gratis, and the vaccine matter may be had by those who wish to promote this superior method of inoculation. the practice itself is very simple. nothing more is necessary than making a small puncture in the skin of the arm, and applying the matter. but as it is of great consequence that the matter be good, and not too old, it is recommended to apply for the assistance of those who make it a part of their business, as the expense is very trifling. varnish for boots. to render boots and shoes impervious to the wet, take a pint of linseed oil, half a pound of mutton suet, six or eight ounces of bees' wax, and a small piece of rosin. boil all together in a pipkin, and let it cool to milk warm. then with a hair brush lay it on new boots or shoes; but it is better still to lay it on the leather before the articles are made. the shoes or boots should also be brushed over with it, after they come from the maker. if old boots or shoes are to be varnished, the mixture is to be laid on when the leather is perfectly dry. varnish for brass. put into a pint of alcohol, an ounce of turmeric powder, two drams of arnatto, and two drams of saffron. agitate the mixture during seven days, and filter it into a clean bottle. now add three ounces of clean seed-lac, and agitate the bottle every day for fourteen days. when the lacquer is used, the pieces of brass if large are to be first warmed, so as to heat the hand, and the varnish is to be applied with a brush. smaller pieces may be dipped in the varnish, and then drained by holding them for a minute over the bottle. this varnish, when applied to rails for desks, has a most beautiful appearance, like that of burnished gold. varnish for drawings. mix together two ounces of spirits of turpentine, and one ounce of canada balsam. the print is first to be sized with a solution of isinglass water, and dried; the varnish is then to be applied with a camel-hair brush. but for oil paintings, a different composition is prepared. a small piece of white sugar candy is dissolved and mixed with a spoonful of brandy; the whites of eggs are then beaten to a froth, and the clear part is poured off and incorporated with the mixture. the paintings are then brushed over with the varnish, which is easily washed off when they are required to be cleaned again, and on this account it will be far superior to any other kind of varnish for this purpose. varnish for fans. to make a varnish for fans and cases, dissolve two ounces of gum-mastic, eight ounces of gum-sandaric, in a quart of alcohol, and then add four ounces of venice turpentine. varnish for figures. fuse in a crucible half an ounce of tin, with the same quantity of bismuth. when melted, add half an ounce of mercury; and when perfectly combined, take the mixture from the fire and cool it. this substance, mixed with the white of an egg, forms a very beautiful varnish for plaster figures. varnish for furniture. this is made of white wax melted in the oil of petrolium. a light coat of this mixture is laid on the wood with a badger's brush, while a little warm, and the oil will speedily evaporate. a coat of wax will be left behind, which should afterwards be polished with a woollen cloth. varnish for hats. the shell of the hat having been prepared, dyed, and formed in the usual manner, is to be stiffened, when perfectly dry, with the following composition, worked upon the inner surface. one pound of gum kino, eight ounces of gum elemi, three pounds of gum olibanum, three pounds of gum copal, two pounds of gum juniper, one pound of gum ladanum, one pound of gum mastic, ten pounds of shell lac, and eight ounces of frankincense. these are pounded small and mixed together; three gallons of alcohol are then placed in an earthen vessel to receive the pounded gums, and the vessel is then to be frequently agitated. when the gums are sufficiently dissolved by this process, a pint of liquid ammonia is added to the mixture, with an ounce of oil of lavender, and a pound of gum myrrh and gum opoponax, dissolved in three pints of spirit of wine. the whole of the ingredients being perfectly incorporated and free from lumps, constitute the patent water-proof mixture with which the shell of the hat is stiffened. when the shell has been dyed, shaped, and rendered perfectly dry, its inner surface and the under side of the brim are varnished with this composition by means of a brush. the hat is then placed in a warm drying-room until it becomes hard. this process is repeated several times, taking care that the varnish does not penetrate through the shell, so as to appear on the outside. to allow the perspiration of the head to evaporate, small holes are to be pierced through the crown of the hat from the inside outward; and the nap of silk, beaver, or other fur, is to be laid on by the finisher in the usual way. that on the under side of the brim, which has been prepared as above, is to be attached with copal varnish. varnish for paintings. mix six ounces of pure mastic gum with the same quantity of pounded glass, and introduce the compound into a bottle containing a pint of oil of turpentine. now add half an ounce of camphor bruised in a mortar. when the mastic is dissolved, put in an ounce of venice turpentine, and agitate the whole till the turpentine is perfectly dissolved. when the varnish is to be applied to oil paintings, it must be gently poured from the glass sediment, or filtered through a muslin. varnish for paling. a varnish for any kind of coarse wood work is made of tar ground up with spanish brown, to the consistence of common paint, and then spread on the wood with a large brush as soon as made, to prevent its growing too stiff and hard. the colour may be changed by mixing a little white lead, whiting, or ivory black, with the spanish brown. for pales and weather boards this varnish is superior to paint, and much cheaper than what is commonly used for that purpose. it is an excellent preventive against wet and weather, and if laid on smooth wood it will have a good gloss. varnish for silks. to one quart of cold-drawn linseed oil, add half an ounce of litharge. boil them for half an hour, and then add half an ounce of copal varnish. while the ingredients are heating in a copper vessel, put in one ounce of rosin, and a few drops of neatsfoot oil, stirring the whole together with a knife. when cool, it is ready for use. this varnish will set, or keep its place on the silk in four hours, the silk may then be turned and varnished on the other side. varnish for straw hats. for straw or chip hats, put half an ounce of black sealing-wax powdered into two ounces of spirits of wine or turpentine, and place it near the fire till the wax is dissolved. if the hat has lost its colour or turned brown, it may first be brushed over with writing ink, and well dried. the varnish is then to be laid on warm with a soft brush, in the sun or before the fire, and it will give it a new gloss which will resist the wet. varnish for tinware. put three ounces of seed-lac, two drams of dragon's blood, and one ounce of turmeric powder, into a pint of well-rectified spirits. let the whole remain for fourteen days, but during that time, agitate the bottle once a day at least. when properly combined, strain the liquid through a piece of muslin. this varnish is called lacquer; it is brushed over tinware to give it a resemblance to brass. varnish for wood. the composition which is the best adapted to preserve wood from the decay occasioned both by the wet and the dry rot, is as follows. melt twelve ounces of rosin in an iron kettle, and when melted, add eight ounces of roll brimstone. when both are in a liquid state, pour in three gallons of train oil. heat the whole slowly, gradually adding four ounces of bees' wax in small pieces, and keep the mixture stirring. as soon as the solid ingredients are dissolved, add as much spanish brown, red or yellow ochre, ground fine with some of the oil, as will give the whole a deep shade. lay on this varnish as hot and thin as possible; and some days after the first coat becomes dry, give a second. this will preserve planks and other wood for ages. veal. in purchasing this article, the following things should be observed. the flesh of a bull calf is the firmest, but not so white. the fillet of the cow calf is generally preferred for the udder. the whitest meat is not the most juicy, having been made so by frequent bleeding, and giving the calf some whiting to lick. choose that meat which has the kidney well covered with fat, thick and white. if the bloody vein in the shoulder look blue, or of a bright red, it is newly killed; but any other colour shows it stale. the other parts should be dry and white: if clammy or spotted, the meat is stale and bad. the kidney turns first in the loin, and the suet will not then be firm. this should carefully be attended to, if the joint is to be kept a little time. the first part that turns bad in a leg of veal, is where the udder is skewered back: of course the skewer should be taken out, and both that and the part under it wiped every day. it will then keep good three or four days in hot weather. take care also to cut out the pipe that runs along the chine of a loin of veal, the same as in beef, to hinder it from tainting. the skirt of the breast of veal is likewise to be taken off, and the inside of the breast wiped and scraped, and sprinkled with a little salt. veal blanquets. cut thin slices off a fillet of veal roasted. put some butter into a stewpan, with an onion chopped small; fry them till they begin to brown, then dust in some flour, and add some gravy, and a faggot of sweet herbs, seasoned with pepper, salt, and mace; let this simmer till you have the flavour of the herbs, then put in your veal; beat up the yolks of two eggs in a little cream, and grated nutmeg, some chopped parsley, and a little lemon peel shred fine. keep it stirring one way till it is smooth, and of a good thickness: squeeze in a little juice of orange, and dish it up. garnish with orange and barberries. veal broth. to make a very nourishing veal broth, take off the knuckle of a leg or shoulder of veal, with very little meat to it, and put it into a stewpot, with three quarts of water. add an old fowl, four shank-bones of mutton extremely well soaked and bruised, three blades of mace, ten peppercorns, an onion, and a large slice of bread. cover it close, boil it up once, and skim it carefully. simmer it four hours as slowly as possible, strain and take off the fat, and flavour it with a little salt.--another way. take a scrag of veal, of about three pounds; put it into a clean saucepan, with a tea-spoonful of salt; when it boils, scum it clean; put in a spoonful of ground rice, some mace, a faggot of herbs, and let it boil gently for near two hours, or till you have about two quarts: send it to table with your veal in the middle, toasted bread, and parsley and butter in a boat. veal a la creme. take the best end of a loin of veal, joint it, and cut a little of the suet from the kidney. make it lie flat, then cut a place in the middle of the upper part about three inches deep and six inches long, take the piece out and chop it, add a little beef suet or beef marrow, parsley, thyme, green truffles, mushrooms, shalots, lemon peel chopped fine, and season it with pepper, salt, and a little beaten allspice. put all together into a marble mortar, add the yolks of two eggs, and a little french bread soaked in cream. pound the ingredients well, fill the cavity with the forcemeat, and cover it with a piece of veal caul. then tie it down close, cover the whole with a large piece of caul, and roast it gently. when to be served up, take off the large caul, let it colour a little, glaze it lightly, and put under it a white sauce. a fillet of veal may be done in the same way, instead of using plain stuffing for it. veal cake. boil six or eight eggs hard; cut the yolks in two, and lay some of the pieces in the bottom of the pot. shake in a little chopped parsley, some slices of veal and ham, and then eggs again; shaking in after each, some chopped parsley, with pepper and salt, till the pot is full. then put in water enough to cover it, and lay on it about an ounce of butter: tie it over with a double paper, and bake it about an hour. then press it close together with a spoon, and let it stand till cold. the cake may be put into a small mould, and then it will turn out beautifully for a supper or side dish. veal collops. cut long thin collops, beat them well, and lay on them a bit of thin bacon of the same size. spread forcemeat over, seasoned high, and also a little garlic and cayenne. roll them up tight, about the size of two fingers, but not more than two or three inches long. fasten each firmly with a small skewer, smear them over with egg, fry them of a fine brown, and pour a rich brown gravy over.--to dress collops quickly in another way, cut them as thin as paper, and in small bits, with a very sharp knife. throw the skin and any odd bits of veal into a little water, with a dust of pepper and salt. set them on the fire while the collops are preparing and beating, and dip them into a seasoning of herbs, bread, pepper, salt, and a scrape of nutmeg, having first wetted them with egg. then put a bit of butter into a fryingpan, and give the collops a very quick fry; for as they are so thin, two minutes will do them on both sides. put them into a hot dish before the fire, strain and thicken the gravy, give it a boil in the fryingpan, and pour it over the collops. the addition of a little ketchup will be an improvement.--another way is to fry the collops in butter, seasoned only with salt and pepper. then simmer them in gravy, either white or brown, with bits of bacon served with them. if white, add lemon peel and mace, and a little cream. veal cutlets. cut the veal into thin slices, dip them in the yolks of egg, strew them over with grated bread and nutmeg, sweet herbs and parsley, and lemon peel minced fine, and fry them with butter. when the meat is done, lay it on a dish before the fire. put a little water into the pan, stir it round and let it boil; add a little butter rolled in flour, and a little lemon juice, and pour it over the cutlets. or fry them without the bread and herbs, boil a little flour and water in the pan with a sprig of thyme, and pour it on the cutlets, but take out the thyme before the dish is sent to table. veal gravy. make it as for cullis; but leave out the spices, herbs, and flour. it should be drawn very slowly; and if for white dishes, the meat should not be browned. veal larded. take off the under bone of a neck of veal, and leave only a part of the long bones on. trim it neatly, lard and roast it gently with a veal caul over it. ten minutes before it is done, take off the caul, and let the veal be of a very light colour. when it is to be served up, put under it some sorrel sauce, celery heads, or asparagus tops, or serve it with mushroom sauce. veal olives. cut some long thin collops, beat them, lay them on thin slices of fat bacon, and over these a layer of forcemeat highly seasoned, with some shred shalot and cayenne. roll them tight, about the size of two fingers, but not more than two or three inches long. fasten them round with a small skewer, rub egg over them, and fry them of a light brown. serve with brown gravy, in which boil some mushrooms pickled or fresh, and garnish with fried balls. veal olive pie. having prepared the veal olives, lay them round and round the dish, making them highest in the middle. fill it nearly up with water, and cover it with paste. when baked, mix some gravy, cream, and flour, and pour it hot into the pie. veal patties. mince some veal that is not quite done, with a little parsley, lemon peel, a dust of salt and nutmeg. add a spoonful of cream, gravy sufficient to moisten the meat, and a little scraped ham. this mixture is not to be warmed till the patties are baked. veal pie. take some of the middle or scrag of a small neck, and season it, adding or not a few slices of lean bacon or ham. if wanted of a high relish, add mace, cayenne, and nutmeg, to the salt and pepper; also forcemeat, and eggs. to these likewise may be added, truffles, morels, mushrooms, sweetbreads cut into small bits, and cocks' combs blanched, if approved. it will be very good without any of the latter additions, but a rich gravy must be prepared, and poured in after baking.--to make a rich veal pie, cut steaks from a neck or breast of veal, season them with pepper, salt, nutmeg, and a very little clove in powder. slice two sweetbreads, and season them in the same manner. lay a puff paste on the ledge of the dish, put in the meat, yolks of hard eggs, the sweetbreads, and some oysters, up to the top of the dish. lay over the whole some very thin slices of ham, and fill up the dish with water. cover it with a crust, and when taken out of the oven, pour in at the top, through a funnel, a few spoonfuls of good veal gravy, and fill it up with cream; but first boil and thicken it with a tea-spoonful of flour. veal and parsley pie. cut some slices from a leg or neck of veal; if the leg, from about the knuckle. season them with salt, scald some pickled parsley, and squeeze it dry. cut the parsley a little, and lay it at the bottom of the dish; then put in the meat, and so on, in layers. fill up the dish with new milk, but not so high as to touch the crust. when baked, pour out a little of the milk, and put in half a pint of good scalded cream. chicken may be cut up, skinned, and dressed in the same way. veal porcupine. bone a fine large breast of veal, and rub it over with the yolks of two eggs. spread it out, and lay on it a few slices of bacon, cut as thin as possible. add a handful of parsley shred fine, the yolks of five eggs, boiled hard and chopped, and a little lemon peel finely shred. steep the crumb of a penny loaf in cream, and add to it, seasoning the whole together with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. roll the veal close, and skewer it up. cut some fat bacon, the lean of boiled ham, and pickled cucumbers, about two inches long. place these in rows upon the veal, first the ham, then the bacon, and last the cucumbers, till the whole is larded. put the meat into a deep earthen pan with a pint of water, cover it close, and set it in a slow oven for two hours. skim off the fat afterwards, and strain the gravy through a sieve into a stewpan. add a glass of white wine, a little lemon pickle and caper liquor, and a spoonful of mushroom ketchup, and thicken the gravy with a bit of butter rolled in flour. lay the porcupine on a dish, and pour the sauce over it. have ready prepared a thin forcemeat, made of the crumb of a penny loaf, half a pound of beef suet shred fine, the yolks of four eggs, and a few oysters chopped. mix these together, season the forcemeat with cayenne, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and spread it on the veal caul. having rolled the whole up tight, like collared eel, bind it in a cloth, and boil it an hour. when done enough, cut it into four slices, laying one at each end, and the others on the sides of the dish. have the sweetbreads ready prepared, cut in slices and fried, and lay them round the dish, with a few mushrooms pickled. this is allowed to make a fine bottom dish, when game is not to be had. veal rolls. cut thin slices of either fresh or cold veal, spread on them a fine seasoning of a very few crumbs, a little chopped bacon or scraped ham, and a little suet, parsley, and shalot. or instead of the parsley and shalot, some fresh mushrooms stewed and minced. then add pepper and salt, and a small piece of pounded mace. this stuffing may either fill up the roll like a sausage, or be rolled with the meat. in either case tie it up very tight, and stew very slowly in good gravy, and a glass of sherry. skim it very carefully, and serve it up quite tender.--another way. take slices of veal, enough to make a side dish; lay them on your dresser, and lay forcemeat upon each slice; roll them up, and tie them round with coarse thread. rub them over with the yolk of an egg, spit them on a bird spit, and roast them of a fine brown. for sauce, have good gravy, with morels, truffles, and mushrooms, tossed up to a proper thickness. lay your rolls in your dish, and pour your sauce over. garnish with lemon. veal sausages. chop equal quantities of lean veal and fat bacon, a handful of sage, a little salt and pepper, and a few anchovies. beat all in a mortar; and when used, roll and fry it. serve it with fried sippets, or on stewed vegetables, or on white collops. veal scallops. mince some cold veal very small, and set it over the fire with a scrape of nutmeg, a little pepper and salt, and a little cream. heat it for a few minutes, then put it into the scallop shells, and fill them with crumbs of bread. lay on some pieces of butter, and brown the scallops before the fire. either veal or chicken looks and eats well, prepared in this way, and lightly covered with crumbs of fried bread; or these may be laid on in little heaps. veal-suet pudding. cut the crumb of a threepenny loaf into slices, boil and sweeten two quarts of new milk, and pour over it. when soaked, pour out a little of the milk; mix it with six eggs well beaten, and half a nutmeg. lay the slices of bread into a dish, with layers of currants and veal suet shred, a pound of each. butter the dish well, and bake it; or if preferred, boil the pudding in a bason. veal sweetbread. parboil a fine fresh sweetbread for five minutes, and throw it into a basin of water. when the sweetbread is cold, dry it thoroughly in a cloth, and roast it plain. or beat up the yolk of an egg, and prepare some fine bread crumbs. run a lark spit or a skewer through it, and tie it on the ordinary spit. egg it over with a paste brush, powder it well with bread crumbs, and roast it. serve it up with fried bread crumbs round it, and melted butter, with a little mushroom ketchup and lemon juice. or serve the sweetbread on toasted bread, garnished with egg sauce or gravy. instead of spitting the sweetbread, it may be done in a dutch oven, or fried. vegetables. there is nothing in which the difference between an elegant and an ordinary table is more visible, than in the dressing of vegetables, especially greens. they may be equally as fine at first, at one place as at another, but their look and taste afterwards are very different, owing entirely to the careless manner in which they have been prepared. their appearance at table however is not all that should be considered; for though it is certainly desirable that they should be pleasing to the eye, it is of still greater consequence that their best qualities should be carefully preserved. vegetables are generally a wholesome diet, but become very prejudicial if not properly dressed. cauliflowers, and others of the same species, are often boiled only crisp, to preserve their beauty. for the look alone, they had better not be boiled at all, and almost as well for the purpose of food, as in such a crude state they are scarcely digestible by the strongest stomach. on the other hand, when overboiled they become vapid, and in a state similar to decay, in which they afford no sweet purifying juices to the stomach, but load it with a mass of mere feculent matter. the same may be said of many other vegetables, their utility being too often sacrificed to appearance, and sent to table in a state not fit to be eaten. a contrary error often prevails respecting potatoes, as if they could never be done too much. hence they are popped into the saucepan or steamer, just when it happens to suit, and are left doing, not for the time they require, but till it is convenient to take them up; when perhaps their nutricious qualities are all boiled away, and they taste of nothing but water. ideas of nicety and beauty in this case ought all to be subservient to utility; for what is beauty in vegetables growing in the garden is not so at table, from the change of circumstances. they are brought to be eaten, and if not adapted properly to the occasion, they are deformities on the dish instead of ornaments. the true criterion of beauty is their suitableness to the purposes intended. let them be carefully adapted to this, by being neither under nor over done, and they will not fail to please both a correct eye and taste, while they constitute a wholesome species of diet. a most pernicious method of dressing vegetables is often adopted, by putting copper into the saucepan with them in the form of halfpence. this is a dangerous experiment, as the green colour imparted by the copperas, renders them in the highest degree unwholesome, and even poisonous. besides, it is perfectly unnecessary, for if put into boiling water with a little salt, and boiled up directly, they will be as beautifully green as the most fastidious person can require. a little pearlash might safely be used on such an occasion, and with equal effect, its alkaline properties tending to correct the acidity. many vegetables are more wholesome, and more agreeable to the taste, when stewed a good while, only care must be taken that they stew merely, without being suffered to boil. boiling produces a sudden effect, stewing a slower effect, and both have their appropriate advantages. but if preparations which ought only to stew, are permitted to boil, the process is destroyed, and a premature effect produced, that cannot be corrected by any future stewing. in order to have vegetables in the best state for the table, they should be gathered in their proper season, when they are in the greatest perfection, and that is when they are most plentiful. forced vegetables seldom attain their true flavour, as is evident from very early asparagus, which is altogether inferior to that which is matured by nature and common culture, or the mere operation of the sun and climate. peas and potatoes are seldom worth eating before midsummer; unripe vegetables being as insipid and unwholesome as unripe fruit, and are liable to the same objections as when they are destroyed by bad cooking. vegetables are too commonly treated with a sort of cold distrust, as if they were natural enemies. they are seldom admitted freely at our tables, and are often tolerated only upon a sideboard in small quantities, as if of very inferior consideration. the effect of this is like that of all indiscriminate reserve, that we may negatively be said to lose friends, because we have not the confidence to make them. from the same distrust or prejudice, there are many vegetables never used at all, which are nevertheless both wholesome and palatable, particularly amongst those best known under the denomination of herbs. the freer use of vegetable diet would be attended with a double advantage, that of improving our health, and lessening the expense of the table. attention should however be paid to their size and quality, in order to enjoy them in their highest degree of perfection. the middle size are generally to be preferred to the largest or the smallest; they are more tender, and full of flavour, just before they are quite full grown. freshness is their chief value and excellence, and the eye easily discovers whether they have been kept too long, as in that case they lose all their verdure and beauty. roots, greens, salads, and the various productions of the garden, when first gathered, are plump and firm, and have a fragrant freshness which no art can restore, when they have lost it by long keeping, though it will impart a little freshness to put them into cold spring water for some time before they are dressed. they should neither be so young as not to have acquired their good qualities, nor so old as to be on the point of losing them. to boil them in soft water will best preserve the colour of such as are green; or if only hard water be at hand, a tea-spoonful of potash should be added. great care should be taken to pick and cleanse them thoroughly from dust, dirt, and insects, and nicely to trim off the outside leaves. if allowed to soak awhile in water a little salted, it will materially assist in cleansing them from insects. all the utensils employed in dressing vegetables should be extremely clean and nice; and if any copper vessel is ever used for the purpose, the greatest attention must be paid to its being well tinned. the scum which arises from vegetables as they boil should be carefully removed, as cleanliness is essential both to their looking and eating well. the lid of the saucepan should always be taken off when they boil, to give access to the air, even if it is not otherwise thought necessary. put in the vegetables when the water boils, with a little salt, and let them boil quickly; when they sink to the bottom, they are generally done enough. take them up immediately, or they will lose their colour and goodness. drain the water from them thoroughly, before they are sent to table. when greens are quite fresh gathered, they will not require so much boiling by at least a third of the time, as when they have been gathered a day or two and brought to the public market. the following table shows when the various kinds of vegetables are in season, or the time of their earliest natural growth, and when they are most plentiful, or in their highest perfection. artichokes, july, september, ---- jerusalem ditto, sept. november, angelica stalks, may, june, asparagus, april, june, beet roots, dec. january, boricole, november, january cabbage, may, july, ---- red ditto, july, august, ---- white ditto, october, cardoons, nov. december, carrots, may, august, cauliflowers, june, august, celery, sept. november, chervil, march, may, corn salad, may, june, cucumbers, july, september, endive, june, october, kidney beans, july, august, leeks, sept. december, lettuce, april, july, onions, august, november, parsley, february, march, parsnips, july, october, peas, june, august, potatoes, june, november, radishes, march, june, ---- spanish ditto, august, september, scarlet beans, july, august, small salad, may, june, salsify, july, august, scorzonera, july, august, sea kale, april, may, shalots, august, october, savory cabbage, sept. november, sorrel, june, july, spinage, march, july, ---- winter ditto, oct. november, turnips, may, july, turnip tops, april, may, windsor beans, june, august. vegetables and fish. pick, wash, and chop some sorrel, spinage, small onions or chives, and parsley. put them into a stewpan with fresh butter, a good spoonful of lemon or seville orange juice, or vinegar and water, some essence of anchovy, and cayenne pepper. do these gently over the fire till the vegetables are tender, then put in the fish, and stew them till well done. vegetable essences. the flavour of the various sweet and savoury herbs may be obtained, by combining their essential oils with rectified spirit of wine, in the proportion of one dram of the former to two ounces of the latter; by picking the leaves, and laying them in a warm place to dry, and then filling a wide-mouth bottle with them, and pouring on them wine, brandy, or vinegar, and letting them steep for fourteen days. vegetable marrow. take off all the skin of six or eight gourds, put them into a stewpan with water, salt, lemon juice, and a bit of butter, or fat bacon. let them stew gently till quite tender, and serve them up with rich dutch sauce, or any other sauce highly flavoured. vegetable pie. scald and blanch some broad beans, and cut in some young carrots, turnips, artichoke bottoms, mushrooms, peas, onions, parsley, celery, or any of these. make the whole into a nice stew, with some good veal gravy. bake a crust over a dish, with a little lining round the edge, and a cup turned up to keep it from sinking. when baked, open the lid, and pour in the stew. vegetable soup. pare and slice five or six cucumbers, add the inside of as many cos-lettuces, a sprig or two of mint, two or three onions, some pepper and salt, a pint and a half of young peas, and a little parsley. put these into a saucepan with half a pound of fresh butter, to stew in their own liquor half an hour, near a gentle fire. pour on the vegetables two quarts of boiling water, and stew them two hours. rub a little flour in a tea-cupful of water, boil it with the rest nearly twenty minutes, and serve it.--another way. peel and slice six large onions, six potatoes, six carrots, and four turnips; fry them in half a pound of butter, and pour on them four quarts of boiling water. toast a crust of bread quite brown and hard, but do not burn it; add it to the above, with some celery, sweet herbs, white pepper, and salt. stew it all together gently four hours, and strain it through a coarse cloth. put in a sliced carrot, some celery, and a small turnip, and stew them in the soup. an anchovy, and a spoonful of ketchup, may be added if approved. vegetable syrup. to a pint of white wine vinegar, put two pounds of the best brown sugar. boil them to a syrup; and when quite cold, add two table-spoonfuls of paregoric elixir, which is made in the following manner. steep in a pint of brandy a dram of purified opium, a dram of flowers of benjamin, and two scruples of camphor, adding a dram of the oil of anniseed. let it stand ten days, occasionally shaking it up, and then strain it off. this added to the above composition, forms the celebrated godbold's vegetable syrup. the paregoric elixir taken by itself, a tea-spoonful in half a pint of white wine whey or gruel at bed time, is an agreeable and effectual medicine for coughs and colds. it is also excellent for children who have the hooping cough, in doses of from five to twenty drops in a little water, or on a small piece of sugar. the vegetable syrup is chiefly intended for consumptive cases. velvets. when the pile of velvet requires to be raised, it is only necessary to warm a smoothing iron, to cover it with a wet cloth, and hold it under the velvet. the vapour arising from the wet cloth will raise the pile of the velvet, with the assistance of a whisk gently passed over it. to remove spots and stains in velvet, bruise some of the plant called soapwort, strain out the juice, and add to it a small quantity of black soap. wash the stain with this liquor, and repeat it several times after it has been allowed to dry. to take wax out of velvet, rub it frequently with hot toasted bread. venison. if it be young and good, the fat of the venison will be clear, bright, and thick, and the cleft part smooth and close: but if the cleft is wide and tough, it is old. to judge of its sweetness, run a very sharp narrow knife into the shoulder or haunch, and the meat will be known by the scent. few people like it when it is very high. venison pasty. to prepare venison for pasty, take out all the bones, beat and season the meat, and lay it into a stone jar in large pieces. pour over it some plain drawn beef gravy, not very strong; lay the bones on the top, and set the jar in a water bath, or saucepan of water over the fire, and let it simmer three or four hours. the next day, when quite cold, remove the cake of fat, and lay the meat in handsome pieces on the dish. if not sufficiently seasoned, add more pepper, salt, or pimento. put in some of the gravy, and keep the remainder for the time of serving. when the venison is thus prepared, it will not require so much time to bake, or such a very thick crust as usual, and by which the under part is seldom done through. a shoulder of venison makes a good pasty, and if there be a deficiency of fat, it must be supplied from a good loin of mutton, steeped twenty-four hours in equal parts of rape, vinegar, and port. the shoulder being sinewy, it will be of advantage to rub it well with sugar for two or three days; and when to be used, clear it perfectly from the sugar and the wine with a dry cloth. a mistake used to prevail, that venison could not be baked too much; but three or four hours in a slow oven will be sufficient to make it tender, and the flavour will be preserved. whether it be a shoulder or a side of venison, the meat must be cut in pieces, and laid with fat between, that it may be proportioned to each person, without breaking up the pasty to find it. lay some pepper and salt at the bottom of the dish, and some butter; then the meat nicely packed, that it may be sufficiently done, but not lie hollow to harden at the edges. in order to provide gravy for the pasty, boil the venison bones with some fine old mutton, and put half a pint of the gravy cold into the dish. then lay butter on the venison and cover as well as line the sides with a thick crust, but none must be put under the meat. keep the remainder of the gravy till the pasty comes from the oven; pour it quite hot into the middle by means of a funnel, and mix it well in the dish by shaking. it should be seasoned with pepper and salt.--another way. take a side of venison, bone it, and season it with pepper and salt, cloves, and mace finely beaten; cut your venison in large pieces, and season it very well with your spices then lay it into an earthen pan; make a good gravy of two pound of beef, and pour this gravy over the venison; take three quarters of a pound of beef suet, well picked from the skins, wet a coarse cloth, lay your suet on it, and cover it over, and beat it with a rolling-pin, till it is as fine as butter; as your cloth dries, wet it, and shift your suet, and put it over the top of the venison; make a paste of flour and water, and cover the pan, and send it to the oven to bake; it is best baked with a batch of bread; when it comes from the oven, and is quite cold, make a puff-paste; lay a paste all over your dish, and a roll round the inside, then put in your venison with the fat, and all the gravy, if the dish will hold it; put on the lid, and ornament it as your fancy leads. it will take two hours and a half in a quick oven. a sheet of paper laid on the top, will prevent it from catching, and the crust will be of a fine colour. by baking your venison in this manner, it will keep four or five days before you use it, if you do not take off the crust. venison sauce. boil an ounce of dried currants in half a pint of water, and some crumbs of bread, a few cloves or grated nutmeg, a glass of port wine, and a piece of butter. sweeten it to your taste, and send it to table in a boat. verjuice. lay some ripe crabs together in a heap to sweat, then take out the stalks and decayed ones, and mash up the rest. press the juice through a hair cloth into a clean vessel, and it will be fit to use in a month. it is proper for sauces where lemon is wanted. vermicelli pudding. boil a pint of milk with lemon peel and cinnamon, and sweeten it with loaf sugar. strain it through a sieve, add a quarter of a pound of vermicelli, and boil it ten minutes. then put in the yolks of five and the whites of three eggs, mix them well together, and steam the pudding an hour and a quarter, or bake it half an hour. vermicelli soup. boil two ounces of vermicelli in three quarts of veal gravy, then rub it through a tammis, season it with salt, give it a boil, and skim it well. beat up the yolks of four eggs, mix with them half a pint of cream, stir them gradually into the soup, simmer it for a few minutes, and serve it up. a little of the vermicelli may be reserved to serve in the soup, if approved.--another way. take two quarts of strong veal broth, put into a clean saucepan a piece of bacon stuck with cloves, and half an ounce of butter worked up in flour; then take a small fowl trussed to boil, break the breastbone, and put it into your soup; stove it close, and let it stew three quarters of an hour; take about two ounces of vermicelli, and put to it some of the broth; set it over the fire till it is quite tender. when your soup is ready, take out the fowl, and put it into your dish; take out your bacon, skim your soup as clean as possible; then pour it on the fowl, and lay your vermicelli all over it; cut some french bread thin, put it into your soup, and send it to table. if you chuse it, you may make your soup with a knuckle of veal, and send a handsome piece of it in the middle of your dish, instead of the fowl. vicarage cake. mix a pound and a half of fine flour, half a pound of moist sugar, a little grated nutmeg and ginger, two eggs well beaten, a table-spoonful of yeast, and the same of brandy. make it into a light paste, with a quarter of a pound of butter melted in half a pint of milk. let it stand half an hour before the fire to rise, then add three quarters of a pound of currants, well washed and cleaned, and bake the cake in a brisk oven. butter the tin before the cake is put into it. vinegar. allow a pound of lump sugar to a gallon of water. while it is boiling, skim it carefully, and pour it into a tub to cool. when it is no more than milk warm, rub some yeast upon a piece of bread and put into it, and let it ferment about twenty-four hours. then tun the liquor into a cask with iron hoops, lay a piece of tile over the bung-hole, and set it in the kitchen, which is better than placing it in the sun. it will be fit to bottle in about six months. march is the best time of the year for making vinegar, though if kept in the kitchen, this is of less consequence. a cheap sort of vinegar may be made of the refuse of the bee hives, after the honey is extracted. put the broken combs into a vessel, and add two parts of water: expose it to the sun, or keep it in a warm place. fermentation will succeed in a few days, when it must be well stirred and pressed down to make it soak; and when the fermentation is over, the matter is to be laid upon sieves to drain. the yellow liquor which forms at the bottom of the vessel must be removed, the vessel well cleaned, and the liquor which has been strained is to be returned to the vessel. it will immediately begin to turn sour; it should therefore be covered with a cloth, and kept moderately warm. a pellicle will be formed on the surface, beneath which the vinegar acquires strength: it must be kept standing for a month or two, and then put into a cask. the bunghole should be left open, and the vinegar will soon be fit for use. the prunings of the vine, being bruised and put into a vat or mash tub, and boiling water poured on them, will produce a liquor of a fine vinous quality, which may be used as vinegar.--another method. to every pound of coarse sugar add a gallon of water; boil the mixture, and take off the scum as long as any rises. then pour it into proper vessels, and when sufficiently cooled put into it a warm toast covered with yeast. let it work about twenty-four hours, and then put it into an iron-bound cask, fixed either near a constant fire, or where the summer sun shines the greater part of the day. in this situation it should not be closely stopped up, but a tile or something similar should be laid on the bunghole, to keep out the dust and insects. at the end of three months or less it will be clear, and fit for use, and may be bottled off. the longer it is kept after it is bottled, the better it will be. if the vessel containing the liquor is to be exposed to the sun's heat, the best time to begin making it is in the month of april. vinegar for salads. take three ounces each of tarragon, savory, chives, and shalots, and a handful of the tops of mint and balm, all dry and pounded. put the mixture into a wide-mouthed bottle, with a gallon of the best vinegar. cork it down close, set it in the sun, and in a fortnight strain off and squeeze the herbs. let it stand a day to settle, and filter it through a tammis bag. vinegar whey. set upon the fire as much milk as is wanted for the occasion, and when it is ready to boil, put in vinegar sufficient to turn it to a clear whey. let it stand some minutes, and then pour it off. if too acid, a little warm water may be added. this whey is well adapted to promote perspiration. lemon or seville orange juice may be used instead of vinegar. vingaret. chop some mint, parsley, and shalot; and mix them up with oil and vinegar. serve the sauce in a boat, for cold fowl or meat. vipers. the bites of such reptiles should constantly be guarded against as much as possible, as they are not unfrequently attended with dangerous consequences. animals of the neat-cattle kind are more liable to be bitten and stung by these reptiles, than those of any other sort of live stock. instances have been known where the tongues of such cattle have been even bitten or stung while grazing or feeding, which have proved fatal. such stock are, however, seldom attacked by reptiles of the adder kind, except in cases where these are disturbed by the animals in pasturing or feeding; which is the main reason why so many of them are bitten and stung about the head, and occasionally the feet. there are mostly much pain, inflammation, and swelling produced by these bites and stings; the progress of which may commonly be checked or stopped, and the complaint removed, by the use of such means as are directed below. a sort of soft liquid of the liniment kind may be prepared by mixing strong spirit of hartshorn, saponaceous liniment, spirit of turpentine, and tincture of opium, with olive oil; the former in the proportion of about two ounces each to three of the last, incorporating them well together by shaking them in a phial, which will be found very useful in many cases. a proper quantity of it should be well rubbed upon the affected part, two or three times in the course of the day, until the inflammation and swelling begin to disappear, after the bottle has been well shaken. in the more dangerous cases, it may often be advantageous to use fomentations to the affected parts, especially when about the head, with the above application; such as those made by boiling white poppy-heads with the roots of the marshmallow, the leaves of the large plantain, and the tops of wormwood, in the quantities of a few ounces of the first, and a handful of each of the latter, when cut small, and bruised in five or six quarts of the stale grounds of malt liquor. they may be applied frequently to the diseased parts, rubbing them afterwards each time well with the above soft liquid liniment. where there are feverish appearances, as is often the case in the summer season, a proper quantity of blood may sometimes be taken away with great benefit, and a strong purge be afterwards given of the cooling kind with much use. in slight cases of this kind, some think the continued free use of spirit of hartshorn, given internally, and applied externally to the affected parts, is the best remedy of any that is yet known. as they are so dangerous, these reptiles should always be destroyed as much as possible in all pastures and grazing grounds. u. udder sweet pie. either parboil or roast a tongue and udder, slice them into tolerably thin slices, and season them with pepper and salt. stone half a pound of sun raisins, raise a crust, or put a puff crust round the edge of a dish, place a layer of tongue and udder at the bottom, and then some raisins, and so on till the dish is full. cover the top with a crust, and when the pie is baked, pour in the following sauce. beat up some yolks of eggs, with vinegar, white wine, sugar, and butter. shake them over the fire till ready to boil, and add it to the pie immediately before it is sent to table. ulcers. ulcers should not be healed precipitately, for it may be attended with considerable danger. the first object is to cleanse the wound with emollient poultices, and soften it with yellow basilicon ointment, to which may be added a little turpentine or red precipitate. they may also be washed with lime water, dressed with lint dipped in tincture of myrrh, with spermaceti, or any other cooling ointment. umbrella varnish. make for umbrellas the following varnish, which will render them proof against wind and rain. boil together two pounds of turpentine, one pound of litharge in powder, and two or three pints of linseed oil. the umbrella is then to be brushed over with the varnish, and dried in the sun. universal cement. to an ounce of gum mastic add as much highly rectified spirits of wine as will dissolve it. soak an ounce of isinglass in water until quite soft, then dissolve it in pure rum or brandy, until it forms a strong glue, to which add about a quarter of an ounce of gum ammoniac well rubbed and mixed. put the two mixtures in an earthen vessel over a gentle heat; when well united, the mixture may be put into a phial, and kept well stopped. when wanted for use, the bottle must be set in warm water, and the china or glass articles having been also warmed, the cement must be applied. it will be proper that the broken surfaces, when carefully fitted, should be kept in close contact for twelve hours at least, until the cement is fully set, after which the fracture will be found as secure as any other part of the vessel, and scarcely perceptible. w. wafers. dry some flour well, mix with it a little pounded sugar, and finely pounded mace. make these ingredients into a thick batter with cream. butter the wafer irons, and make them hot; put a tea-spoonful of the batter into them, bake them carefully, and roll them off the iron with a stick. wainscots. dirty painted wainscots may be cleaned with a sponge wetted in potato water, and dipped in a little fine sand. for this purpose grate some raw potatoes into water, run the pulp through a sieve, and let it stand to settle; the clear liquor will then be fit for use. if applied in a pure state, without the sand, it will be serviceable in cleaning oil paintings, and similar articles of furniture. when an oak wainscot becomes greasy, and has not been painted, it should be washed with warm beer. then boil two quarts of ale, and put into it a piece of bees' wax the size of a walnut, with a large spoonful of sugar. wet the wainscot all over with a brush dipped in the mixture, and when dry, rub it bright: this will give it a fine gloss. walnut ketchup. to make the finest sort of walnut ketchup, boil or simmer a gallon of the expressed juice of walnuts when they are tender, and skim it well. then put in two pounds of anchovies, bones and liquor; two pounds of shalot, one ounce of mace, one ounce of cloves, one of whole pepper, and one of garlic. let all simmer together till the shalots sink; then put the liquor into a pan till cold; bottle it up, and make an equal distribution of the spice. cork it well, and tie a bladder over. it will keep twenty years, but is not good at first. be careful to express the juice at home, for what is sold as walnut ketchup is generally adulterated. some people make liquor of the outside shell when the nut is ripe, but neither the colour nor the flavour is then so fine.--another way. take four quarts of walnut juice, two quarts of white wine vinegar, three ounces of ginger sliced, two ounces of black pepper bruised, two ounces of white pepper bruised, half a pound of anchovies; let these simmer gently, till half the quantity is evaporated; then add to it a quart of red wine, two heads of garlic, the yellow rind of eight seville oranges, or half a pound of dried orange peel cut very small, and forty bay leaves: give it one boil together, then cover it close in an earthen vessel, and let it stand till it is cold. when it is cold put it into wide-mouthed quart bottles; and into each of the bottles put one ounce of shalots skinned and sliced: cork the bottles close, and put them by for two months, when it will be fit for use. the shalots will likewise eat very fine when taken out, though they will look of a bad colour.--another way, for fish sauce. take walnuts, when they are fit for pickling, bruise them well in a marble mortar, and strain off the liquor from them through a cloth, let it stand to settle, pour off the clear, and to every pint of it add one pound of anchovies, half a quarter of an ounce of mace, half a quarter of an ounce of cloves, half a quarter of an ounce of jamaica pepper, bruised fine; boil them together till the anchovies are dissolved; then strain it off, and to the strained liquor add half a pint of the best vinegar, and eight shalots; just boil it up again, pour it into a stone pan or china bowl, and let it stand till cold, when it is fit to put up in bottles for use. it will keep for years, and is excellent with fish sauce. warts and corns. warts may safely be destroyed by tying them closely round the bottom with a silk thread, or a strong flaxen thread well waxed. or they may be dried away by some moderately corroding application, such as the milky juice of fig leaves, of swallow wort, or of spurge. warts may also be destroyed by rubbing them with the inside of bean shells. but these corrosives can only be procured in summer; and persons who have very delicate thin skins should not use them, as they may occasion a painful swelling. instead therefore of these applications, it may be proper to use a little vinegar impregnated with as much salt as it will dissolve. a plaster may also be made of sal ammoniac and some galbanum, which well kneaded together and applied, seldom fails of destroying them. the general and principal cause of corns is, shoes too hard and stiff, or else too small. the cure consists in softening the corns by repeated washing, and soaking the feet in warm or hot water; then cutting the corn very carefully when softened, with a sharp penknife without wounding the quick, and afterwards applying a leaf of houseleek, ground ivy, or purslain, dipped in vinegar. or instead of these leaves, they may be dressed every day with a plaster of simple diachylon, or of gum ammoniacum softened in vinegar. the bark of the willow tree burnt to ashes, and mixed with strong vinegar, forms a lixivium which by repeated applications eradicates, warts, corns, and other cutaneous excrescences. it is however the wisest way to obviate the cause which produces them. wash. an infusion of horseradish in milk, makes one of the safest and best washes for the skin; or the fresh juice of houseleek, mixed with an equal quantity of new milk or cream. honey water made rather thick, so as to form a kind of varnish on the skin, is a useful application in frosty weather, when the skin is liable to be chipped; and if it occasions any irritation or uneasiness, a little fine flour or pure hair powder should be dusted on the hands or face. a more elegant wash may be made of four ounces of potash, four ounces of rose water, and two of lemon juice, mixed in two quarts of water. a spoonful or two of this mixture put into the basin, will scent and soften the water intended to be used. wash balls. shave thin two pounds of new white soap, into about a teacupful of rose water, and pour on as much boiling water as will soften it. put into a brass pan a pint of sweet oil, four pennyworth of oil of almonds, half a pound of spermaceti, and dissolve the whole over the fire. then add the soap, and half an ounce of camphor that has first been reduced to powder by rubbing it in a mortar with a few drops of spirits of wine, or lavender water, or any other scent. boil it ten minutes, then pour it into a basin, and stir till it is quite thick enough to roll up into hard balls, which must then be done as soon as possible. if essence is used, stir it in quick after it is taken off the fire, that the scent may not fly off. washing. soda, by softening the water, saves a great deal of soap. it should be melted in a large jug of water, and some of it poured into the tubs and boiler; and when the lather becomes weak, more is to be added. the new improvement in soft soap is, if properly used, a saving of nearly half in quantity; and though something dearer than the hard, it reduces the expence of washing considerably. many good laundresses advise soaping linen in warm water the night previous to washing, as facilitating the operation with less friction. wasps. these insects are not only destructive to grapes, peaches, and the more delicate kinds of fruit, but also to bees; the hives of which they attack and plunder, frequently compelling those industrious inmates to forsake their habitation. about the time when the wasps begin to appear, several phials should be filled three parts full of a mixture consisting of the lees of beer or wine, and the sweepings of sugar, or the dregs of molasses, and suspended by yellow packthread on nails in the garden wall. when the bottles are filled with insects, the liquor must be poured into another vial, and the wasps crushed on the ground. if they settle on wall fruit, they may be destroyed by touching them with a feather dipped in oil; or may be taken with birdlime put on the end of a stick or lath, and touched while sitting on the fruit. the number of these noxious insects might be greatly reduced by searching for their nests in the spring of the year. the places to find them are at new posts, pales, melon frames, or any solid timber; for as they make their combs of the shavings of sound wood, which they rasp off with their fangs, and moisten up with a mucus from their bodies, they may often be found near such materials. water. as it is difficult in some places to obtain a sufficient quantity of fresh spring water for constant use, especially in large towns and cities, it is important to know that river water or such as becomes turbid, may be rendered fit for use by the following easy experiment. dissolve half an ounce of alum in a pint of warm water, and stir it about in a puncheon of water taken from the river; the impurities will soon settle to the bottom, and in a day or two it will become as clear as the finest spring water. to purify any kind of water that has become foul by being stagnant, place a piece of wicker work in the middle of a vessel; spread on this a layer of charcoal four or five inches thick, and above the charcoal a quantity of sand. the surface of the sand is to be covered with paper pierced full of holes, to prevent the water from making channels in the sand. the water to be purified is to be poured on, to filter through the sand and charcoal, and the filter is to be removed occasionally. by this simple process, any person may procure good limpid water at a very trifling expense, and preserve what would otherwise become useless and offensive. water for brewing. the most proper water for brewing is soft river water, which has had the rays of the sun, and the influence of the air upon it, which have a tendency to permit it easily to penetrate the malt, and extract its virtues. on the contrary, hard waters astringe and bind the power of the malt, so that its virtues are not freely communicated to the liquor. some people hold it as a maxim, that all water that will mix with soap is fit for brewing, which is the case with the generality of river water; and it has frequently been found from experience, that when an equal quantity of malt has been used to a barrel of river water, as to a barrel of spring water, the brewing from the former has exceeded the other in strength above five degrees in the course of twelve months keeping. it has also been observed, that the malt was not only the same in quantity for one barrel as for the other, but was the same in quality, having all been measured from the same heap. the hops were also the same, both in quality and in quantity, and the time of boiling equal in each. they were worked in the same manner, and tunned and kept in the same cellar; a proof that the water only could be the cause of the difference. dorchester beer, which is generally in much esteem, is chiefly brewed with chalky water, which is plentiful in almost every part of that county; and as the soil is mostly chalk, the cellars, being dug in that dry soil, contribute much to the good keeping of their drink, it being of a close texture, and of a dry quality, so as to dissipate damps; for it has been found by experience, that damp cellars are equally injurious to the casks and the good keeping of the liquor. where water is naturally of a hard quality, it may in some measure be softened by an exposure to the sun and air, and by infusing in it some pieces of soft chalk; or when the water is set on to boil, in order to be poured on the malt, put into it a quantity of bran, and it will have a very good effect. water cakes. dry three pounds of fine flour, and rub into it a pound of sifted sugar, a pound of butter, and an ounce of carraway seeds. make it into a paste with three quarters of a pint of boiling new milk; roll the paste very thin, and cut it into any form or size. punch the cakes full of holes, and bake on tin plates in a cool oven. water gruel. mix by degrees a large spoonful of oatmeal with a pint of water in a saucepan, and when smooth, boil it. or rub the oatmeal smooth in a little water, and put it into a pint of water boiling on the fire. stir it well, and boil it quick, but do not suffer it to boil over. in a quarter of an hour strain it off, add salt and a bit of butter when eaten, and stir it together till the whole is incorporated. to make it however in the quickest manner, mix a spoonful of ground oatmeal very smooth, with as much hot water as will just liquify it. then gradually pour upon it a pint of boiling water, stirring it all the time to keep it smooth. it may be cooled by pouring it from one basin to another till it is fit to drink. water gruel made in this way is very smooth and good, and being prepared in a few minutes, it is particularly useful when wanted in haste, to assist the operation of medicine. water pipes. to prevent their freezing when full of water, preserve a little circulation by leaving the cock dripping; or by tying up the ball cock during the winter's frost, the water may be preserved for use. care should be taken however to lay the pipe which supplies the cistern in such a position as not to retain the water, and of course it will not be liable to freeze. water souchy. stew two or three flounders, some parsley leaves and roots, thirty peppercorns, and a quart of water, till the fish are boiled to pieces, and then pulp them through a sieve. set over the fire the pulped fish, the liquor that boiled them, some perch, tench, and flounders, and some fresh leaves or roots of parsley. simmer them together till done enough, and serve in a deep dish. slices of bread and butter are to be sent to table, to eat with the souchy. wax. bees' wax is obtained from the combs, after the sweet and liquid parts are extracted, by heating and pressing them between iron plates. the best sort is firm and hard, of a clear yellow colour and an agreeable odour, similar to that of honey. new wax is tough, yet easily broken; by long keeping it becomes harder and more brittle, loses its colour, and partly also its fragrance. with a view to bleach the wax, it is cut into small pieces, melted, and poured into cold water. in this state it is exposed to the sun, afterwards melted again, poured into water, and exposed to the air, two or three times over, till it is perfectly blanched. it is then dissolved for the last time, cast into flat moulds, and again exposed to the air for a day or two, in order to render it more transparent. wax plaster. this is made of a pound of yellow wax, half a pound of white rosin, and three quarters of mutton suet, melted together. this forms a proper plaster for blisters, and in other cases where a gentle digestive is necessary. weak eyes. dimness of sight, arising from weakness or inflammation, is best relieved by frequent washing of the eyes with cold water. if this do not succeed, the following solution may be applied. dissolve four grains each of the sugar of lead and crude sal-ammoniac, in eight ounces of water, to which a few drops of laudanum may occasionally be added, and bathe the eyes with it night and morning. a tea-spoonful of brandy in a cup of water will also make good eye-water, or a little simple rose water may supply the place. wedding cake. take two pounds of butter, beat it to a cream with the hand, and put in two pounds of fine sugar sifted. mix well together two pounds of fine dried flour, half a pound of almonds blanched and pounded with orange-flower water, and an ounce of beaten mace. beat up sixteen eggs, leaving out three whites, and put to them half a glass of sack, and the same of brandy. put a handful of the flour and almonds to the sugar and butter, then a spoonful of the eggs, and so on till they are all mixed together. beat it an hour with the hand, add two pounds of currants, half a pound of citron, half a pound of orange peel, and two spoonfuls of orange-flower water. butter the tin, and bake it three hours and a half. an iceing should be put over the cake after it is baked. weeds. weeds are in their most succulent state in the month of june, and there is scarcely a hedge border but might be rendered useful by mowing them at this season, but which afterwards would become a nuisance. after the weeds have lain a few hours to wither, hungry cattle will eat them with great freedom, and it would display the appearance of good management to embrace the transient opportunity. welch ale. to brew very fine welch ale, pour forty-two gallons of hot but not boiling water, on eight bushels of malt; cover it up, and let it stand three hours. mean while infuse four pounds of hops in a little hot water, and put the water and hops into a tub; run the wort upon them, and boil them together three hours. strain off the hops, and reserve them for the small beer. let the wort stand in a high tub till cool enough to receive the yeast, of which put in two quarts of the best quality: mix it thoroughly and often. when the wort has done working, the second or third day, the yeast will sink rather than rise in the middle: remove it then, and tun the ale as it works out. pour in a quart at a time gently, to prevent the fermentation from continuing too long, which weakens the liquor. put paper over the bung-hole two or three days before it is closed up. welch beef. rub three ounces of saltpetre into a good piece of the round or buttock. after four hours apply a handful of common salt, a quarter of an ounce of jamaica pepper, and the same of black pepper, mixed together. continue it in the pickle a fortnight, then stuff it with herbs, cover it with a thick paste, and bake it. take off the paste, pour the liquor from it, and pour over it some melted beef suet. welch pudding. melt half a pound of fine butter gently, beat with it the yolks of eight and the whites of four eggs. mix in six ounces of loaf sugar, and the rind of a lemon grated. put a paste into a dish for turning out, pour in the batter, and bake it nicely. welch rabbit. toast a slice of bread on both sides, and butter it. toast a slice of gloucester cheese on one side, and lay that on the bread; then toast the other side with a salamander, rub mustard over, and serve it up hot under a cover. wens. these are prevalent chiefly among the inhabitants of marshy countries, bordering on rivers and standing waters, especially among females, and persons of a delicate habit; but they very often arise from scrophula. camphor mixed with sweet oil, or a solution of sal ammoniac, have often been applied to these tumours with success. in derbyshire, where this disorder greatly prevails, they use the following preparation. fifteen grains of burnt sponge are beaten up with a similar quantity of millipede, and from eight to ten grains of cinnabar antimony. the whole is to be mixed with honey, and taken every morning before breakfast. westphalia ham. rub the ham with half a pound of coarse sugar, let it lie twelve hours, then rub it with an ounce of saltpetre pounded, and a pound of common salt. let it lie three weeks, turning it every day. dry it over a wood fire, and put a pint of oak sawdust into the water when it is boiled.--another way. take spring water that is not hard, add saltpetre and bay salt to it till it will bear an egg, the broad way, then add a pound and a half of coarse sugar; mix all together, and let the ham lay in this pickle a fortnight or three weeks; then lay it in the chimney to dry. when you boil it, put some hay into the copper with it. you may keep the pickle as long as you please by often boiling it up. wet clothes. when a person has the misfortune to get wet, care should be taken not to get too near the fire, or into a warm room, so as to occasion a sudden heat. the safest way is to keep in constant motion, until some dry clothes can be procured, and to exchange them as soon as possible. wheat bread. to make it in the most economical way, the coarsest of the bran only is to be taken from the flour, and the second coat, or what is called pollard, is to be left in the meal. five pounds of the bran are to be boiled in somewhat more than four gallons of water, in order that, when perfectly smooth, three gallons and three quarts of clear bran water may be poured into and kneaded up with forty-six pounds of the meal; adding salt as well as yeast, in the same way as for other bread. when the dough is ready to bake, the loaves are to be made up, and baked two hours and a half in a tolerably hot oven. as flour when thus made up will imbibe three quarts more of this bran liquor than of common water, it evidently produces not only a more nutricious and substantial food, but increases one fifth above the usual quantity; consequently it makes a saving of at least one day's consumption in every week. if this meal bread were in general use, it would be a saving to the nation of nearly ten millions a year. besides, this bread has the following peculiar property: if put into the oven and baked for twenty minutes, after it is ten days old, it will appear again like new bread. wheat ears. to roast wheat ears and ortolans, they should be spitted sideways, with a vine leaf between each. baste them with butter, and strew them with bread crumbs while roasting. ten or twelve minutes will do them. serve them up with fried bread crumbs in the dish, and gravy in a tureen. whey. cheese whey is a very wholesome drink for weakly persons, especially when the cows are in fresh pasture. tending to quench thirst, and to promote sleep, it is well adapted to feverish constitutions. it is the most relaxing and diluting of all drinks, dissolving and carrying off the salts, and is a powerful remedy in the hot scurvy. whey butter. the whey is first set in mugs, to acquire a sufficient degree of consistence and sourness for churning, either by the warmth of the season, or by a fire, as in the making of milk butter. sometimes the green and white whey are boiled together, and turned by a little sour ale. when the green whey is boiled alone, it is necessary to keep it over the fire about half an hour, till it begins to break and separate, but it must be allowed to simmer only. the process is much the same as in milk butter, but it will keep only a few days, and does not cut so firm as the butter which is made of cream. whigs. mix with two pounds of fine flour, half a pound of sugar pounded and sifted, and an ounce of carraway seeds. melt half a pound of butter in a pint of milk; when as warm as new milk, put to it three eggs, leaving out one white, and a spoonful of yeast. mix them well together, and let the paste stand four hours to rise. make them into whigs, and bake them on buttered tins.--another way. rub half a pound of butter into a pound and a half of flour, add a quarter of a pound of sugar, a very little salt, and three spoonfuls of new yeast. make it into a light paste with warm milk, let it stand an hour to rise, and then form it into whigs. bake them upon sheets of tin in a quick oven. carraway seeds may be added if preferred.--another way. take two pounds and a half of flour, dry it before the fire, and when cold rub in a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, and six ounces of sugar; mix half a pint of yeast that is not bitter, with warm milk, put this to the flour with some carraway seeds; mix all together to a light dough, set it before the fire to rise, then make it into what shape you please; bake them in a slack oven. you may add allspice beat fine, instead of carraways, if you please.--another way. take a pound and a half of flour, add a quarter of a pint of ale yeast to half a pint of warm milk, mix these together, and let it lie by the fire half an hour; then work in half a pound of sugar and half a pound of fresh butter to a paste; make them up, and let them be put into a quick oven. whipt cream. take a quart of thick cream, the whites of eight eggs well beaten, with half a pint of sack; mix all together, and sweeten it to your taste, with double-refined sugar; (you may perfume it if you please, with a little musk, or ambergris, tied in a piece of muslin, and steeped a little while in the cream) pare a lemon, and tie some of the peel in the middle of the whisk, then whip up the cream, take off the froth with a spoon, and lay it in the glasses, or basons. this does well over a fine tart. whipt syllabubs. put some rich cream into an earthen pot, add some white wine, lemon juice, and sugar to the taste. mill them well together with a chocolate mill, and as the froth keeps rising take it off with a spoon, and put it into syllabub glasses. they should be made the day before they are to be used. syllabubs are very pretty in the summer time made with red currant juice, instead of lemon juice.--another way. take a quart of cream, boil it, and let it stand till cold; then take a pint of white wine, pare a lemon thin, and steep the peel in the wine two hours before you use it; to this add the juice of a lemon, and as much sugar as will make it very sweet; put all together into a bowl, and whisk it one way till it is pretty thick, fill the glasses, and keep it a day before you use it. it will keep good for three or four days. let the cream be full measure, and the wine rather less; if you like it perfumed, put in a grain or two of ambergris.--another way. to a quart of thick cream put half a pint of sack, the juice of two seville oranges, or lemons, grate the peel of two lemons, and add half a pound of double-refined sugar well pounded; mix a little sack with sugar, and put it into some of the glasses, and red wine and sugar into others, the rest fill with syllabub only. then whisk your cream up very well, take off the froth with a spoon, and fill the glasses carefully, as full as they will hold. observe, that this sort must not be made long before they are used. white bread. this is made the same as household bread, except that it consists of fine flour unmixed. the water to be used should be lukewarm in summer, and in very cold weather it must be hot, but not so as to scald the yeast. bricks are made by moulding the loaves long instead of round, and cutting the sides in several places before they are put into the oven. white cakes. dry half a pound of flour, rub into it a very little pounded sugar, one ounce of butter, an egg, a few carraways, and as much milk and water as will make it into a paste. roll it thin, cut it into little cakes with a wine glass, or the top of a canister, and bake them fifteen minutes on tin plates. white caudle. boil four spoonfuls of oatmeal in two quarts of water, with a blade or two of mace, and a piece of lemon peel; stir it often, and let it boil a full quarter of an hour, then strain it through a sieve for use; when you use it, grate in some nutmeg, sweeten it to your palate, and add what white wine you think proper: if it is not for a sick person, you may squeeze in a little lemon juice. white cerate. take four ounces of olive oil, half an ounce of spermaceti, and four ounces of white wax. put them into an earthen pipkin, and stir the mixture with a stick till it is quite cold. white gravy. boil in a quart of water a pound and a half of veal, from the knuckle or scrag end of the neck. add a small onion, a bunch of sweet herbs, a blade of mace, a little whole pepper and salt. after an hour's simmering over the fire, strain off the gravy, and it is ready for use. white gravy for soups. to a few slices of lean ham, add a knuckle of veal cut in pieces, some turnips, parsnips, leeks, onions, and celery. put them all into a stewpan with two quarts of water, and let it simmer till the meat is nearly tender, without allowing it to colour. add to this half as much clear beef gravy, and boil it an hour, skimming off the fat very clean. strain it, and set it by for use. white herrings. if good, their gills are of a fine red, and the eyes bright; as is likewise the whole fish, which must be stiff and firm. having scaled, drawn, and cleaned them, dust them with flour, and fry them of a light brown. plain or melted butter for sauce. white lead. white oxide of lead is often adulterated by the carbonate of lime. to detect this pour four drams of pure acetous acid, over a dram of the suspected oxide. this will dissolve both oxide and chalk; but if a few drops of a solution of oxalic acid be now poured in, a very abundant white precipitate of oxalate of lime will take place. white paint. an excellent substitute for white oil paint may be made of fresh curds bruised fine, and kneaded with an equal quantity of slacked lime. the mixture is to be well stirred, without any water, and it will produce an excellent white paint for inside work. as it dries very quickly, it should be used as soon as made; and if two coats be laid on, it may afterwards be polished with a woollen cloth till it becomes as bright as varnish. if applied to places exposed to moisture, the painting should be rubbed over with the yolk of an egg, which will render it as durable as the best of oil painting. no kind of painting can be so cheap; and as it dries speedily, two coats of it may be laid on in a day and polished, and no offensive smell will arise from it. white pot. the antient way of making a white pot is to put the yolks of four or five eggs well beaten to a pint of cream, adding some pulps of apples, sugar, spices, and sippets of white bread. it may be baked either in a dish, or in a crust.--another way. beat eight eggs, leaving out four whites, with a little rose water; strain them to two quarts of new milk, and a small nutmeg grated, and sugar to your taste; cut a french roll in thin slices, and lay in the bottom of a soup dish (after buttering it) then pour over your milk and eggs, and bake it in a slow oven. white puddings. pour two pints and a half of scalding hot milk upon half a pound of naples biscuits, or bread; let it stand uncovered, and when well soaked, bruise the bread very fine. add half a pound of almonds well beaten with orange-flower water, three quarters of a pound of sugar, a pound of beef suet or marrow shred fine, a quarter of an ounce of salt, ten yolks of eggs and five whites. mix the whole thoroughly together, and put it into the skins well prepared, filling them but half full, and tying them at proper distances like sausages. the skins must be carefully cleaned, and laid in rose water some hours before they are used. currants may be used instead of almonds, if preferred. white hog's puddings. when the skins have been well soaked and cleaned, rinse and soak them all night in rose water, and put into them the following preparation. mix half a pound of blanched almonds cut into seven or eight parts, with a pound of grated bread, two pounds of marrow or rich suet, a pound of currants, some beaten cinnamon, cloves, mace, and nutmeg; a quart of cream, the yolks of six and whites of two eggs, a little orange-flower water, a little fine lisbon sugar, and some lemon peel and citron sliced, and half fill the skins. to know whether it be sweet enough, warm a little in a panikin. much care must be taken in boiling, to prevent the puddings from bursting. prick them with a small fork as they rise, and boil them in milk and water. lay them in a table cloth till cold. white onion sauce. peel half a dozen white spanish onions, cut them in half, and lay them in a pan of spring water for a quarter of an hour. boil them an hour, or till quite tender, drain them well on a hair sieve, and then chop and bruise them fine. put them into a clean saucepan with flour and butter, half a tea-spoonful of salt, and some cream or good milk. stir it till it boils, rub the whole through a sieve, adding milk or cream to make it of a proper thickness. this is the usual sauce for boiled rabbits, mutton, or tripe; but there requires plenty of it. white sauce. this favourite sauce is equally adapted to fowls, fricassee, rabbits, white meat, fish, and vegetables; and it is seldom necessary to purchase any fresh meat to make it, as the proportion of that flavour is but small. the liquor in which fowls, veal, or rabbit have been boiled, will answer the purpose; or the broth of whatever meat happens to be in the house, such as necks of chickens, raw or dressed veal. stew with a little water any of these, with a bit of lemon peel, some sliced onion, some white peppercorns, a little pounded mace or nutmeg, and a bunch of sweet herbs. keep it on the fire till the flavour is good; then strain it, and add a little good cream, a piece of butter, a very little flour, and salt to your taste. a squeeze of lemon may be added after the sauce is taken off the fire, shaking it well. yolk of egg is often used in fricassee, cream is better, as the former is apt to curdle. white soup. take a scrag of mutton, a knuckle of veal, after cutting off as much meat as will make collops, two or three shank bones of mutton nicely cleaned, and a quarter of very fine undressed lean gammon of bacon. add a bunch of sweet herbs, a piece of fresh lemon peel, two or three onions, three blades of mace, and a dessert-spoonful of white pepper. boil all in three quarts of water, till the meat falls quite to pieces. next day take off the fat, clear the jelly from the sediment, and put it into a nice tin saucepan. if maccaroni be used, it should be added soon enough to get perfectly tender, after soaking in cold water. vermicelli may be added after the thickening, as it requires less time to do. prepare the thickening beforehand thus: blanch a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds, and beat them to a paste in a marble mortar, with a spoonful of water to prevent their oiling. then mince a large slice of cold veal or chicken, and beat it with a piece of stale white bread; add all this to a pint of thick cream, a bit of fresh lemon peel, and a blade of pounded mace. boil it a few minutes, add to it a pint of soup, and strain and pulp it through a coarse sieve. this thickening is then fit for putting to the rest, which should boil for half an hour afterwards.--to make a plainer white soup, boil a small knuckle of veal, till the liquor is reduced to three pints. add seasoning as above, and a quarter of a pint of good milk. two spoonfuls of cream, and a little ground rice, will give it a proper thickness. the meat and the soup may both be served together.--another. take a scrag or knuckle of veal, slices of undressed gammon of bacon, onions, mace, and simmer them in a small quantity of water, till it is very strong. lower it with a good beef broth made the day before, and stew it till the meat is done to rags. add cream, vermicelli, a roll, and almonds. white wine whey. set on the fire half a pint of new milk; the moment it boils up, pour in as much sound raisin wine as will completely turn it, and until it looks clear. let it boil up, then set the saucepan aside till the curd subsides, and do not stir it. pour the whey off, add to it half a pint of boiling water, and a little lump sugar. the whey will thus be cleared of milky particles, and may be made to any degree of weakness. whitings. these may be had almost at any time, but are chiefly in season during the first three months of the year. in choosing them, the firmness of the body and fins is chiefly to be looked to; and in places where there is no regular supply of fish, it will be found an accommodation to dry them for keeping. the largest are best for this purpose. take out the gills, the eyes, and the entrails, and remove the blood from the backbone. wipe them dry, salt the inside, and lay them on a board for the night. hang them up in a dry place, and after three or four days they will be fit to eat. when to be dressed, skin and rub them over with egg, and cover them with bread crumbs. lay them before the fire, baste with butter till sufficiently browned, and serve them with egg sauce. whitlows. as soon as the disorder is apparent, the finger affected is to be plunged into warm water, or the steam of boiling water may be applied to it. the application must be very frequently repeated the first day, and the complaint will soon be dispersed. unfortunately however it is too generally supposed, that such slight attacks can have only slight consequences, and hence they are too apt to be neglected till the complaint has considerably increased. but in this state no time should be lost in resorting to skilful advice, as the danger attending these small tumours is much greater than is usually imagined. whole rice pancakes. stew half a pound of whole rice in water till it is very tender, and let it stand in a basin to cool. break it small, put to it half a pint of scalded cream, half a pound of clarified butter, a handful of flour, a little nutmeg and salt, and five eggs well beaten. stir these well together, and fry them in butter or lard. serve them up with sugar sifted over them, and a seville orange or lemon cut and laid round the dish. this preparation may be made into a pudding, either baked or boiled, and with currants added or not, as approved. three quarters of an hour will bake it, and an hour will boil it. whole rice pudding. stew very gently a quarter of a pound of whole rice, in a pint and a half of new milk. when the rice is tender, pour it into a basin, stir in a piece of butter, and let it stand till quite cool. then put in four eggs, a little salt, some nutmeg and sugar. boil it an hour in a basin well buttered. wild ducks. a wild duck, or a widgeon, will require twenty or twenty-five minutes roasting, according to the size. a teal, from fifteen to twenty minutes; and other birds of this kind, in proportion to their size, a longer or a shorter time. baste them with butter, and take them up with the gravy in, sprinkling a little over them before they are quite done. serve them up with shalot sauce in a boat, or with good gravy, and lemons cut in quarters. wild fowl. season with salt and pepper, and put a piece of butter into each; but the flavour is best preserved without stuffing. to take off the fishy taste which wild fowl sometimes have, put an onion, salt, and hot water, into the dripping pan, and baste them with this for the first ten minutes: then take away the pan, and baste constantly with butter. wild fowl require much less dressing than tame: they should be served of a fine colour, and well frothed up. a rich brown gravy should be sent in the dish; and when the breast is cut into slices, before taking off the bone, a squeeze of lemon, with pepper and salt, is a great improvement to the flavour. wiltshire bacon. the way to cure wiltshire bacon is to sprinkle the flitch with salt, and let the blood drain off for twenty-four hours. then mix a pound and a half of coarse sugar, the same quantity of bay salt, not quite so much as half a pound of saltpetre, and a pound of common salt. rub this mixture well on the bacon, turning it every day for a month: then hang it to dry, and afterwards smoke it ten days. the quantity of salts above mentioned is sufficient for the whole hog. wiltshire cheese. this is made of new milk, a little lowered with water and skim milk. the curd is first broken with the hand and dish, care being taken to let the whey run off gradually, to prevent its carrying away with it the fat of the cowl. for thin cheese the curd is not broken so fine as in gloucestershire; for thick cheese it is crushed finer still. the whey is poured off as it rises, and the curd pressed down. the mass is then pared down three or four times over, in slices about an inch thick, in order to extract all the whey from it, and then it is pressed and scalded as before. after separating the whey, the curd is sometimes broken again, and salted in the cowl; and at others it is taken warm out of the liquor, and salted in the vat. thin cheeses are placed in one layer, with a small handful of salt; and thick ones in two layers, with two handfuls of salt; the salt being spread and rubbed uniformly among the curd. windsor beans. these should be boiled in plenty of water, with a little salt, and be put in when the water boils. serve them up with boiled bacon, and parsley and butter in a boat. windsor beans fricasseed. when grown large, but not mealy, boil, blanch, and lay them in a white sauce previously heated up. warm them through in the sauce, and serve them up. no beans but what are of a fine green should be used for this dish. windsor pudding. shred half a pound of suet very fine, grate into it half a pound of french roll, a little nutmeg, and the rind of a lemon. add to these half a pound of chopped apple, half a pound of currants clean washed and fried, half a pound of jar raisins stoned and chopped, a glass of rich sweet wine, and five eggs well beaten, with a little salt. mix all thoroughly together, and boil it in a basin or mould for three hours. sift fine sugar over it when sent to table, and pour white wine sauce into the dish. windsor soap. cut the best white soap into thin slices, melt it over a slow fire, and scent it with oil of carraway, or any other agreeable perfume. shaving boxes may then be filled with the melted soap, or it may be poured into a small drawer or any other mould; and after it has stood a few days to dry, it may be cut into square pieces ready for use. wine. the moderate use of wine is highly conducive to health, especially in weak and languid habits, and in convalescents who are recovering from the attacks of malignant fevers. hence it forms an extensive article of commerce, and immense quantities are consumed in this country. but nothing is more capable of being adulterated, or of producing more pernicious effects on the human constitution, and therefore it requires the strictest attention. a few simple means only will be sufficient to detect such adulterations, and to prevent their fatal consequences. if new white wine, for example, be of a sweetish flavour, and leave a certain astringency on the tongue; if it has an unusually high colour, disproportionate to its nominal age and real strength; or if it has a strong pungent taste, resembling that of brandy or other ardent spirits, such liquor may be considered as adulterated. when old wine presents either a very pale or a very deep colour, or possesses a very tart and astringent taste, and deposits a thick crust on the sides or bottom of glass vessels, it has then probably been coloured with some foreign substance. this may easily be detected by passing the liquor through filtering paper, when the colouring ingredients will remain on the surface. the fraud may also be discovered by filling a small vial with the suspected wine, and closing its mouth with the finger: the bottle is then to be inverted, and immersed in a basin of clear water. the finger being withdrawn, the tinging or adulterating matter will pass into the water, so that the former may be observed sinking to the bottom by its own weight. wines becoming tart or sour, are frequently mixed with the juice of carrots and turnips; and if this do not recover the sweetness to a sufficient degree, alum or the sugar of lead is sometimes added; but which cannot fail to be productive of the worst effects, and will certainly operate as slow poison. to detect the alum, let the suspected liquor be mixed with a little lime water. at the end of ten or twelve hours the composition must be filtered, and if crystals be formed, it contains no alum. but if it be adulterated, the sediment will split into small segments, which will adhere to the filtering paper on which it is spread. in order to detect the litharge or sugar of lead, a few drops of the solution of yellow orpiment and quicklime should be poured into a glass of wine. if the colour of the liquor change, and become successively dark red, black or brown, it is an evident proof of its being adulterated with lead. as orpiment is poisonous, it would be better to use a few drops of vitriolic acid for this purpose, which should be introduced into a small quantity of the suspected liquor. this will cause the lead to sink to the bottom of the glass, in the form of a white powder. a solution of hepatic gas in distilled water, if added to wine sophisticated with lead, will produce a black sediment, and thus discover the smallest quantity of that poisonous metal; but in pure wine, no precipitation will take place. the following preparation has been proved to be a sufficient test for adulterated wine or cider. let one dram of the dry liver of sulphur, and two drams of the cream of tartar, be shaken in two ounces of distilled water, till the whole become saturated with hepatic gas: the mixture is then to be filtered through blotting paper, and kept in a vial closely corked. in order to try the purity of wine, about twenty drops of this test are to be poured into a small glass: if the wine only become turbid with white clouds, and a similar sediment be deposited, it is then not impregnated with any metallic ingredients. but if it turn black or muddy, its colour approach to a deep red, and its taste be at first sweet, and then astringent, the liquor certainly contains the sugar, or other pernicious preparation of lead. the presence of iron is indicated by the wine acquiring a dark blue coat, after the test is put in, similar to that of pale ink; and if there be any particles of copper or verdigris, a blackish grey sediment will be formed. a small portion of sulphur is always mixed with white wines, in order to preserve them; but if too large a quantity be employed, the wine thus impregnated becomes injurious. sulphur however may easily be detected, for if a piece of an egg shell, or of silver, be immersed in the wine, it instantly acquires a black hue. quicklime is also mixed with wine, for imparting a beautiful red colour. its presence may easily be ascertained by suffering a little wine to stand in a glass for two or three days; when the lime, held in solution, will appear on the surface in the form of a thin pellicle or crust. the least hurtful but most common adulteration of wine, is that of mixing it with water, which may be detected by throwing into it a small piece of quicklime. if it slack or dissolve the lime, the wine must have been diluted; but if the contrary, which will seldom be the case, the liquor may be considered as genuine. wine cooled. the best way of cooling wine or other liquors in hot weather, is to dip a cloth in cold water, and wrap it round the bottle two or three times, then place it in the sun. the process should be renewed once or twice. wine posset. boil some slices of white bread in a quart of milk. when quite soft, take it off the fire, grate in half a nutmeg, and a little sugar. pour it out, and add by degrees a pint of sweet wine, and serve it with toasted bread. wine refined. in order to refine either wine or cider, beat up the whites and shells of twenty eggs. mix a quart of the liquor with them, and put it into the cask. stir it well to the bottom, let it stand half an hour, and stop it up close. in a few days it may be bottled off. wine roll. soak a penny french roll in raisin wine till it will hold no more: put it in a dish, and pour round it a custard, or cream, sugar, and lemon juice. just before it is served, sprinkle over it some nonpareil comfits, or stick into it a few blanched almonds slit. sponge biscuits may be used instead of the roll. wine sauce. for venison or hare, mix together a quarter of a pint of claret or port, the same quantity of plain mutton gravy, and a table-spoonful of currant jelly. let it just boil up, and send it to table in a sauce boat. wine vinegar. after making raisin wine, when the fruit has been strained, lay it on a heap to heat; then to every hundred weight, put fifteen gallons of water. set the cask in the sun, and put in a toast of yeast. as vinegar is so necessary an article in a family, and one on which so great a profit is made, a barrel or two might always be kept preparing, according to what suited. if the raisins of wine were ready, that kind might be made; if gooseberries be cheap and plentiful, then gooseberry vinegar may be preferred; or if neither, then the sugar vinegar; so that the cask need not be left empty, or be liable to grow musty. wine whey. put on the fire a pint of milk and water, and the moment it begins to boil, pour in as much sweet wine as will turn it into whey, and make it look clear. boil it up, and let it stand off the fire till the curd all sinks to the bottom. do not stir it, but pour off the whey for use. or put a pint of skimmed milk and half a pint of white wine into a basin, let it stand a few minutes, and pour over it a pint of boiling water. when the curd has settled to the bottom, pour off the whey, and put in a piece of lump sugar, a sprig of balm, or a slice of lemon. winter vegetables. to preserve several vegetables to eat in the winter, observe the following rules. french beans should be gathered young, and put into a little wooden keg, a layer of them about three inches deep. then sprinkle them with salt, put another layer of beans, and so on till the keg is full, but be careful not to sprinkle too much salt. lay over them a plate, or a cover of wood that will go into the keg, and put a heavy stone upon it. a pickle will rise from the beans and salt; and if they are too salt, the soaking and boiling will not be sufficient to make them palatable. when they are to be eaten, they must be cut, soaked, and boiled as fresh beans. carrots, parsnips, and beet root, should be kept in layers of dry sand, and neither they nor potatoes should be cleared from the earth. store onions keep best hung up in a dry cold room. parsley should be cut close to the stalks, and dried in a warm room, or on tins in a very cool oven. its flavour and colour may thus be preserved, and will be found useful in winter. artichoke bottoms, slowly dried, should be kept in paper bags. truffles, morels, and lemon peel, should be hung in a dry place, and ticketed. small close cabbages, laid on a stone floor before the frost sets in, will blanch and be very fine, after many weeks' keeping. wood. an excellent glue, superior to the common sort, and suitable for joining broken furniture or any kind of wood, may be made of an ounce of isinglass dissolved in a pint of brandy. the isinglass should be pounded, dissolved by gentle heat, strained through a piece of muslin, and kept in a glass closely stopped. when required for use, it should be dissolved with moderate heat, and applied the same as common glue. its effect is so powerful as to join the parts of wood stronger than the wood itself, but should not be exposed to damp or moisture. woodcocks. these will keep good for several days. roast them without drawing, and serve them on toast. the thigh and back are esteemed the best. butter only should be eaten with them, as gravy diminishes the fineness of the flavour. to roast woodcocks and snipes in the french method, take out the trails and chop them, except the stomachs, with some minced bacon, or a piece of butter. add some parsley and chives, and a little salt. put this stuffing into the birds, sow up the opening, and roast them with bacon covered with paper. serve them up with spanish sauce. woollens. to preserve articles of this sort from the moths, let them be well brushed and shaken, and laid up cool and dry. then mix among them bitter apples from the druggists', in small muslin bags, carefully sewn up in several folds of linen, and turned in at the edges. worms. a strong decoction of walnut tree leaves thrown upon the ground where there are worm casts, will cause them to rise up. they may then be given to the poultry, or thrown into the fish pond. salt and water, or a ley of wood ashes, poured into worm-holes on a gravel walk, will effectually destroy them. sea water, the brine of salted meat, or soot, will be found to answer the same purpose. worms. worms in children are denoted by paleness of the face, itching of the nose, grinding of the teeth during sleep, offensive breath, and nausea. the belly is hard and painful, and in the morning there is a copious flow of saliva, and an uncommon craving for dry food. amongst a variety of other medicines for destroying worms in the human body, the following will be found effectual. make a solution of tartarised antimony, two grains in four ounces of water, and take two or three tea-spoonfuls three times a day, for four days; and on the following day a purging powder of calomel and jalap, from three to six grains each. or take half a pound of senna leaves well bruised, and twelve ounces of olive oil, and digest them together in a sand heat for four or five days. strain off the liquor, take a spoonful in the morning fasting, persevere in it, and it will be found effectual in the most obstinate cases. a more simple remedy is to pour some port wine into a pewter dish, and let it stand for twenty-four hours. half a common wine-glassful is a sufficient dose for an infant, and a whole one for an adult. wormwood ale. the proper way to make all sorts of herb drinks, is to gather the herbs in the right season. then dry them in the shade, and put them into closed paper bags. when they are wanted for use, take out the proper quantity, put it into a linen bag, and suspend it in the beer or ale, while it is working or fermenting, from two to six or eight hours, and then take it out. wormwood ought not to lie so long, three or four hours will be quite sufficient. if the herbs are properly gathered and prepared, all their pure and balsamic virtues will readily infuse themselves into the liquor, whether wine or beer, as the pure sweet quality in malt does into the warm liquor in brewing, which is done effectually in about an hour. but if malt is suffered to remain more than six hours, before the liquor is drawn off, all the nauseous properties will be extracted, and overpower the good ones. it is the same in infusing any sort of well-prepared herbs, and great care therefore is requisite in all preparations, that the pure qualities are neither evaporated or overpowered. otherwise, whatever it be, it will soon tend to putrefaction, and become injurious and loathsome. beer, ale, or other liquor, into which herbs are infused, must be unadulterated, or the infusion will be destroyed by its pernicious qualities. nothing is more prejudicial to the health, or the intellectual faculties of mankind, than adulterated liquors. articles which in their purest state are of an equivocal character, and never to be trusted without caution, are thus converted into decided poisons.--another way of making wormwood ale. take a quantity of the herb, according to the intended strength of the liquor, and infuse it for half an hour in the boiling wort. then strain it off, and set the wort to cool. wormwood beer prepared either ways, is a fine wholesome liquor. it is gentle, warming, assisting digestion, and refining to the blood, without sending any gross fumes to the head. the same method should be observed in making all sorts of drinks, in which any strong bitter herbs are infused. it renders them pleasant and grateful, both to the stomach and palate, and preserves all the medicinal virtues. most bitter herbs have a powerful tendency to open obstructions, if judiciously managed; but in the way in which they are too commonly made, they are not only rendered extremely unpleasant, but their medicinal properties are destroyed. wounds. if occasioned by a cut, it will be proper immediately to close the wounded part, so as to exclude the air and prevent its bleeding, and then any common sticking plaister may be applied. when the wound is deep and difficult to close, a bandage should be applied; and if the skin be lacerated, or the edges of the wound begin to be rough, lay on some lint dipped in sweet oil, and cover the whole with a piece of fine oil cloth. new honey spread on folded linen affords an excellent remedy for fresh and bleeding wounds, as it will prevent inflammation and the growth of proud flesh. in wounds which cannot readily be healed, on account of external inflammation and feverish heat, emollient poultices, composed of the crumb of bread boiled in milk, must be applied, and renewed several times in a day, without disturbing or touching the wounded part with the fingers. wounds of the joints will heal most expeditiously by the simple application of cold water, provided the orifice of such wounds be immediately closed by means of adhesive plaster. wow wow. for stewed beef, chop some parsley leaves very fine, quarter two or three pickled cucumbers or walnuts, and divide them into small squares, and set them by ready. put into a saucepan a good bit of butter, stir up with it a table-spoonful of fine flour, and about half a pint of the broth in which the beef was boiled. add a table-spoonful of vinegar, as much ketchup or port wine, or both, and a tea-spoonful of made mustard. let it simmer gently till it is sufficiently thickened, put in the parsley and pickles ready prepared, and pour it over the beef, or send it up in a sauce tureen. writ of ejectment. when a tenant has either received or given a proper notice to quit at a certain time, and fails to deliver up possession, it is at the option of the landlord to give notice of double rent, or issue a writ to dispossess the tenant. in the latter case he recovers the payment of the rent, or the surrender of the premises. in all cases between landlord and tenant, when half a year's rent is due, such landlord may serve a declaration or ejectment for the recovery of the premises, without any formal demand or re-entry. if the premises be unoccupied, though not surrendered, he may affix the declaration to the door, or any other conspicuous part of the dwelling, which will be deemed legal, and stand instead of a deed of re-entry. y. yeast. this is the barm or froth which rises in beer, and other malt liquors, during a state of fermentation. when thrown up by one quantity of malt or vinous liquid, it may be preserved to be put into another, at a future period; on which it will exert a similar fermentative action. yeast is likewise used in the making of bread, without which it would be heavy and unwholesome. it has a vinous sour odour, a bitter taste arising from the hops in the malt liquor, and it reddens the vegetable blues. when it is filtered, a matter remains which possesses properties similar to vegetable gluten; by this separation the yeast loses the property of exciting fermentation, but recovers it again when the gluten is added. the addition of yeast to any vegetable substance, containing saccharine matter, excites fermentation by generating a quantity of carbonic acid gas. this very useful substance cannot always be procured conveniently from malt liquor for baking and brewing: the following method will be found useful for its extemporaneous preparation. mix two quarts of soft water with wheat flour, to the consistence of thick gruel; boil it gently for half an hour, and when almost cold, stir into it half a pound of sugar and four spoonfuls of good yeast. put the whole into a large jug, or earthen vessel, with a narrow top, and place it before the fire, that by a moderate heat it may ferment. the fermentation will throw up a thin liquor, which pour off and throw away; keep the remainder in a bottle, or jug tied over, and set it in a cool place. the same quantity of this as of common yeast will suffice to bake or brew with. four spoonfuls of this yeast will make a fresh quantity as before, and the stock may always be kept up, by fermenting the new with the remainder of the former quantity.--another method. take six quarts of soft water, and two handfuls of wheaten meal or barley. stir the latter in the water before the mixture is placed over the fire, where it must boil till two thirds are evaporated. when this decoction becomes cool, incorporate with it, by means of a whisk, two drams of salt of tartar, and one dram of cream of tartar, previously mixed. the whole should now be kept in a warm place. thus a very strong yeast for brewing, distilling, and baking, may be obtained. for the last-mentioned purpose, however, it ought to be diluted with pure water, and passed through a sieve, before it is kneaded with the dough, in order to deprive it of its alkaline taste.--in countries where yeast is scarce, it is a common practice to twist hazel twigs so as to be full of chinks, and then to steep them in ale yeast during fermentation. the twigs are then hung up to dry, and at the next brewing they are put into the wort instead of yeast. in italy the chips are frequently put into turbid wine for the purpose of clearing it, which is effected in about twenty-four hours.--a good article for baking bread may be made in the following manner. boil a pound of fine flour, a quarter of a pound of brown sugar, and a little salt, in two gallons of water, for one hour. let it stand till it is milk warm, then bottle and cork it close, and it will be fit for use in twenty-four hours. a pint of this yeast will make eighteen pounds of bread. or mash a pound of mealy potatoes, and pulp them through a cullender; add two ounces of brown sugar, and two spoonfuls of common yeast. keep it moderately warm while fermenting, and it will produce a quart of good yeast.--the best method of preserving common yeast, produced from beer or ale, is to set a quantity of it to settle, closely covered, that the spirit may not evaporate. provide in the mean time as many small hair sieves as will hold the thick barm: small sieves are mentioned, because dividing the yeast into small quantities conduces to its preservation. lay over each sieve a piece of coarse flannel that may reach the bottom, and leave at least eight inches over the rim. pour off the thin liquor, and set it by to subside, as the grounds will do for immediate baking or brewing, if covered up for a few hours. fill the sieves with the thick barm, and cover them up for two hours: then gather the flannel edges as a bag, and tie them firmly with twine. lay each bag upon several folds of coarse linen, changing these folds every half hour, till they imbibe no more moisture. then cover each bag with another piece of flannel, changing it if it becomes damp, and hang them in a cool airy place. the yeast should be strained before it is set to settle, and while the flannel bags are laid upon the folds of linen, they must be covered with a thick cloth. when the yeast is wanted for use, prepare a strong infusion of malt; to a gallon of which add a piece of dried barm, about the size of a goose's egg. the proportion indeed must depend upon its quality, which experience only can ascertain. the malt infusion must be nearly milk warm when the yeast is crumbled into it: for two hours it will froth high, and bake two bushels of flour into well-fermented bread. a decoction of green peas, or of ripened dry peas, with as much sugar as will sweeten it, makes fairer bread than the malt infusion; but it will take a larger quantity of dried yeast to produce fermentation. it was usual some years ago to reduce porter yeast to dryness, and in that state it was carried to the west indies, where it was brought by means of water to its original state, and then employed as a ferment.--another method of preserving yeast. take a quantity of yeast, and work it well with a whisk till it becomes thin; then have a broad wooden platter, or tub, that is very clean and dry, and, with a soft brush, lay a layer of yeast all over the bottom, and turn the mouth downwards that no dust can fall in, but so that the air may come to it, to dry it. when that coat is very dry, lay on another; do so till you have as much as you intend to keep, taking care that one coat is dry before you lay on another. when you have occasion to make use of this yeast, cut a piece off, and lay it in warm water; stir it till it is dissolved, and it is fit for use. if it is for brewing, take a whisk, or a large handful of birch tied together, and dip it into the yeast, and hang it up to dry; when it is dry wrap it up in paper, and keep it in a dry place; thus you may do as many as you please. when your beer is fit to work, throw in one of your whisks, and cover it over; it will set it a working as well as fresh yeast. when you find you have a head sufficient, take out your whisk and hang it up. if the yeast is not all off, it will do for your next brewing. yeast cakes. the inhabitants of long island in america are in the habit of making yeast cakes once a year. these are dissolved and mixed with the dough, which it raises in such a manner as to form it into very excellent bread. the following is the method in which these cakes are made. rub three ounces of hops so as to separate them, and then put them into a gallon of boiling water, where they are to boil for half an hour. now strain the liquor through a fine sieve into an earthen vessel, and while it is hot, put in three pounds and a half of rye flour, stirring the liquid well and quickly as the flour is put in. when it has become milk warm, add half a pint of good yeast. on the following day, while the mixture is fermenting, stir well into it seven pounds of indian corn meal, and it will render the whole mass stiff like dough. this dough is to be well kneaded and rolled out into cakes about a third of an inch in thickness. these cakes are to be cut out into large disks or lozenges, or any other shape, by an inverted glass tumbler or any other instrument; and being placed on a sheet of tinned iron, or on a piece of board, are to be dried by the heat of the sun. if care be taken to turn them frequently, and to see that they take no wet or moisture, they will become as hard as ship biscuit, and may be kept in a bag or box, which is to be hung up or kept in an airy and perfectly dry situation. when bread is to be made, two cakes of the above-mentioned thickness, and about three inches in diameter, are to be broken and put into hot water, where they are to remain all night, the vessel standing near the fire. in the morning they will be entirely dissolved, and then the mixture is to be employed in setting the sponge, in the same way as beer yeast is used. in making a farther supply for the next year, beer or ale yeast may be used as before; but this is not necessary where a cake of the old stock remains, for this will act on the new mixture precisely in the same way. if the dry cakes were reduced to powder in a mortar, the same results would take place, with perhaps more convenience, and in less time. indian meal is used because it is of a less adhesive nature than wheat flour, but where indian meal cannot easily be procured, white pea-meal, or even barley-meal, will answer the purpose equally well. the principal art or requisite in making yeast cakes, consists in drying them quickly and thoroughly, and in preventing them from coming in contact with the least particle of moisture till they are used. yeast dumplins. make a very light dough as for bread, only in a smaller quantity. when it has been worked up, and risen a sufficient time before the fire, mould it into good sized dumplins, put them into boiling water, and let them boil twenty minutes. the dough may be made up with milk and water if preferred. these dumplins are very nice when done in a potatoe steamer, and require about thirty-five minutes, if of a good size. the steamer must not be opened till they are taken up, or it will make the dumplins heavy. dough from the baker's will answer the purpose very well, if it cannot conveniently be made at home. the dough made for rolls is the most delicate for dumplins. if not eaten as soon as they are taken up, either out of the water or the steamer, they are apt to fall and become heavy. eaten with cold butter they are much better than with any kind of sauce, except meat dripping directly from the pan. the addition of a few currants will make good currant dumplins. yellow blamange. pour a pint of boiling water to an ounce of isinglass, and add the peel of one lemon. when cold, put in two ounces of sifted sugar, a quarter of a pint of white wine, the yolks of four eggs, and the juice of a lemon. stir all well together, let it boil five minutes, strain it through a bag, and put it into cups. yellow dye. there is a new stain for wood, and a yellow dye for cloth, which consists of a decoction of walnut or hickory bark, with a small quantity of alum dissolved in it, in order to give permanency to the colour. wood of a white colour receives from the application of this liquid a beautiful yellow tinge, which is not liable to fade. it is particularly for furniture made of maple, especially that kind of it which is called bird's eye, and which is commonly prepared by scorching its surface over a quick fire. the application of the walnut dye gives a lustre even to the darkest shades, while to the paler and fainter ones it adds somewhat of a greenish hue, and to the whiter parts various tints of yellow. after applying this stain to cherry and apple wood, the wood should be slightly reddened with a tincture of some red dye, whose colour is not liable to fade. a handsome dye is thus given to it which does not hide the grain, and which becomes still more beautiful as the wood grows darker by age. walnut bark makes the most permanent yellow dye for dyeing cloth of any of the vegetable substances used in this country. care should be taken that the dye be not too much concentrated: when this happens, the colour is far less bright and delicate, and approaches nearer to orange. it is hardly necessary to add, that the dye should be boiled and kept in a brass vessel, or in some other which has no iron in its composition. a lively yellow colour for dyeing cloth, may be produced from potato tops. gather them when ready to flower, press out the juice, mix it with a little water, and suffer the cloth to remain in it for twenty-four hours. the cloth, whether of wool, cotton, or flax, is then to be dipped in spring water. by plunging the cloth thus tinged with yellow, into a vessel of blue dye, a brilliant and lasting green is obtained. yellow lemon cream. pare four lemons very thin into twelve large spoonfuls of water, and squeeze the juice on seven ounces of finely powdered sugar. beat well the yolks of nine eggs; then add the peels and juice of the lemons, and work them together for some time. strain the whole through a flannel, into a silver saucepan, or one of very nice block-tin, and set it over a gentle fire. stir it one way till it is pretty thick, and scalding hot, but not boiling, or it will curdle. pour it into jelly glasses. a few lumps of sugar should be rubbed hard on the lemons before they are pared, to attract the essence, and give a better colour and flavour to the cream. yorkshire cakes. mix two pounds of flour with four ounces of butter melted in a pint of good milk, three spoonfuls of yeast, and two eggs. beat all well together, and let it rise; then knead it, and make it into cakes. let them first rise on tins, and then bake in a slow oven.--another sort is made as above, leaving out the butter. the first sort is shorter; the last lighter. yorkshire knead cakes. rub six ounces of butter into a pound of flour till it is very fine, and mix it into a stiff paste with milk. knead it well, and roll it out several times. make it at last about an inch thick, and cut it into cakes, in shapes according to the fancy. bake them on an iron girdle, and when done on one side turn them on the other. cut them open and butter them hot. they also eat well cold or toasted. half a pound of currants well washed and dried may be added at pleasure. yorkshire hams. mix half a pound of salt, three ounces of saltpetre, half an ounce of sal prunella, and five pounds of coarse sugar. rub the hams with this mixture, after it has been well incorporated, and lay the remainder of it upon the top. then put some water to the pickle, adding salt till it will bear an egg. boil and strain it, cover the hams with it, and let them lie a fortnight. rub them well with bran, and dry them. the above ingredients are sufficient for three good hams. yorkshire pudding. mix five spoonfuls of flour with a quart of milk, and three eggs well beaten. butter the pan. when the pudding is brown by baking under the meat, turn the other side upwards, and brown that. set it over a chafing-dish at first, and stir it some minutes. it should be made in a square pan, and cut into pieces before it comes to table. young fowls. the following will be found to be a nice way of dressing up a small dish. bone, singe, and wash a young fowl. make a forcemeat of four ounces of veal, two ounces of lean ham scraped, two ounces of fat bacon, two hard yolks of eggs, a few sweet herbs chopped, two ounces of beef suet, a tea-spoonful of lemon peel minced fine, an anchovy, salt, pepper, and a very little cayenne. beat all in a mortar, with a tea-cupful of crumbs, and the yolks and whites of three eggs. stuff the inside of the fowl, draw the legs and wings inwards, tie up the neck and rump close. stew the fowl in a white gravy; when it is done through and tender, add a large cupful of cream, with a bit of butter and flour. give it one boil, add the squeeze of a lemon, and serve it up. young onion sauce. peel a pint of button onions, and lay them in water. put them into a stewpan with a quart of cold water, and let them boil for half an hour or more, till they are quite tender. they may then be put to half a pint of mushroom sauce. finis. j. and r. childs, printers, bungay. * * * * * transcriber's notes: obvious punctuation errors repaired with the exception of emdashes and long dashes which seem to have been chosen on a whim. this was retained as no clear usage could be determined. varied hyphenation was retained. archaic spelling was retained, this includes words such as "controul" and "bason." decisions on what to correct were mainly made on the spelling occurring more than once in the text. the dictionary portion of the text places the letter v before the letter u. page viii, "coudescend" changed to "condescend" (who condescend to examine) page xiv, "sometims" changed to "sometimes" (and sometimes never is) page , extra word "a". original reads: (pint add a a pound) page , "fricasee" changed to "fricassee" (fricassee sauce; adding cream) page , "salsafy" changed to "salsify" (rape, salsify, herbs) page , "composion" changed to "composition" (sifted. this composition) page , "perper" changed to "pepper" (parsely, salt, pepper) page , "artle" changed to "article" (a much better article) page , "or" changed to "of" (of as much wort) page , "housleek" changed to "houseleek" (houseleek used by) page , "boorhaave" changed to "boorhaäve" (boerhaäve recommended the) page , "runnet" changed to "rennet" (rennet as is sufficient) page , "of" changed to "off" (take off the fat) page , "trufflles" changed to "truffles" (cayenne, a few truffles) page , "thorougly" changed to "thoroughly" (thoroughly blended, so as) page , "boi" changed to "boil" (days; then boil) page , "wisk" changed to "whisk" (swept with a whisk) page , "seady" changed to "ready" (ready cut up) page , "prerides" changed to "presides" (a lady presides) page , "clarifed" changed to "clarified" (clarified sugar. break) page , "degress" changed to "degrees" (be added by degrees, keeping) page , "them" changed to "then" (then be oval) page , "accomodation" changed to "accommodation" (accommodation of mercenary) page , "acacording" changed to "according" (buttermilk strained, according) page , "gizards" changed to "gizzards" (line the gizzards of turkeys) page , "marjarom" changed to "marjoram" (marjoram, pepper, salt) page , "scissars" changed to "scissors" (scissors in the other) page , "rhubard" changed to "rhubarb" (two of rhubarb, four) page , "tkem" changed to "them" (liberty to rescue them) page , "but' changed to "put" (and put in six) page , "peefectly" changed to "perfectly" (after being perfectly soaked) page , "soakd" changed to "soaked" (after being perfectly soaked) page , " e" changed to "lie" (let it lie closely) page , "i" changed to "in" (saving in the article) page , "candid" changed to "candied" (sweetmeats, add some candied) page , "ot" changed to "of" (of coarse sugar. let) page , "vingear" changed to "vinegar" (vinegar, to change his) page , "coppera" changed to "copperas" (mixture of alum and copperas) page , "und" changed to "and" (and take a small) page , word "do" added to text (in order to do this) page , "trough" changed to "through" (passed through a riddle) page , "penicious" changed to "pernicious" (of course pernicious) page , "dey" changed to "dry" (three weeks, then dry) page , "crums" changed to "crumbs" (with crumbs of bread) page , "smootly" changed to "smoothly" (on a tin foil, smoothly) page , "surperfluous" changed to "superfluous" (burning; the superflous) page , "than" changed to "then" (the pan, then shift) page , "d wn" changed to "down" (press down each, and) page , word "be" added to text (flour. these are to be) page , "infeority" changed to "inferiority" (dressed, their inferiority) page , "chaffing" changed to "chafing" (over a chafing-dish) page , "out" changed to "cut" (of morels. cut) page , "stir it is till it cool" changed to "stir it till it is cool" (stir it till it is cool) page , repeated word "it" removed from text. original read (it it in pieces of four) page , "o" changed to "of" (one pound of currants) page , "binns" changed to "bins" (kept in sacks or bins) page , "ofe th" changed to "of the" (strain the contents of the) page , "rgeat" changed to "great" (great rarefaction, causes) page , "injuririous" changed to "injurious" (to produce an injurious) page , "celebated" changed to "celebrated" (stramonium. this celebrated) page , "cherries" changed to "cherries" (apples, &c. cherries,) page , "regulary" changed to "regularly" (regularly cleaned, are apt) page , "chessnut" changed to "chesnut" (thistles, and chesnuts,) page , "brililant" changed to "brilliant" (the pale yet brilliant) page , "trasplanting" changed to "transplanting" (transplanting of flowers) page , "romoved" changed to "removed" (removed by slow degrees) page , "yourt" changed to "yogurt" (turkish yogurt. let a small) page , the entry for "wild ducks" was moved to before "wild fowl." page , "close" changed to "closed" (closed paper bags) produced from scanned images of public domain material from the google print project.) transcriber's note obvious typographical errors have been corrected. a list of corrections is found at the end of the text. inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been maintained. a list of inconsistently spelled and hyphenated words is found at the end of the text. oe ligatures have been expanded. the lady's own cookery book, and new dinner-table directory; in which will be found a large collection of original receipts, including not only the result of the authoress's many years observation, experience, and research, but also the contributions of an extensive circle of acquaintance: adapted to the use of persons living in the highest style, as well as those of moderate fortune. third edition. london: published for henry colburn. . preface. the receipts composing the volume here submitted to the public have been collected under peculiarly favourable circumstances by a lady of distinction, whose productions in the lighter department of literature entitle her to a place among the most successful writers of the present day. moving in the first circles of rank and fashion, her associations have qualified her to furnish directions adapted to the manners and taste of the most refined luxury; whilst long and attentive observation, and the communications of an extensive acquaintance, have enabled her equally to accommodate them to the use of persons of less ample means and of simpler and more economical habits. when the task of arranging the mass of materials thus accumulated devolved upon the editor, it became his study to give to them such a form as should be most convenient for constant reference. a glance at the "contents," which might with equal propriety be denominated an index, will, he flatters himself, convince the reader that this object has been accomplished. it will there be seen that the receipts, upwards of sixteen hundred in number, are classed under eleven distinct heads, each of which is arranged in alphabetical order--a method which confers on this volume a decided advantage over every other work of the kind, inasmuch as it affords all the facilities of a dictionary, without being liable to the unpleasant intermixture of heterogeneous matters which cannot be avoided in that form of arrangement. the intimate connexion between the science of cookery and the science of health, the sympathies subsisting between every part of the system and the stomach, and the absolute necessity of strict attention not less to the manner of preparing the alimentary substances offered to that organ than to their quality and quantity, have been of late years so repeatedly and so forcibly urged by professional pens, that there needs no argument here to prove the utility of a safe guide and director in so important a department of domestic economy as that which is the subject of this volume. in many more cases, indeed, than the uninitiated would imagine, is the healthy tone of the stomach dependent on the proper preparation of the food, the healthy tone of the body in general on that of the stomach, and the healthy tone of the mind on that of the body: consequently the first of these conditions ought to command the vigilance and solicitude of all who are desirous of securing the true enjoyment of life--the _mens sana in corpore sano_. the professed cook may perhaps be disposed to form a mean estimate of these pages, because few, or no learned, or technical, terms are employed in them; but this circumstance, so far from operating to the disparagement of the work, must prove a strong recommendation to the public in general. the chief aim, in fact, of the noble authoress has been to furnish such plain directions, in every branch of the culinary art, as shall be really useful to english masters and english servants, and to the humble but earnest practitioner. let those who may desire to put this collection of receipts to the test only give them a fair trial, neither trusting to conceited servants, who, despising all other methods, obstinately adhere to their own, and then lay the blame of failure upon the directions; nor committing their execution to careless ones, who neglect the means prescribed for success, either in regard to time, quantities, or cleanliness; and the result will not fail to afford satisfactory evidence of their pleasant qualities and practical utility. contents. page general directions catalogue of things in season--fish--game and poultry--fruit--roots and vegetables general rules for a good dinner dinner for fourteen or sixteen ---- ---- twelve or fourteen ---- ---- ten or twelve ---- ---- eight ---- ---- six ---- ---- four soups. almond asparagus ib. calf's-head carrot ib. clear ib. ---- herb cod's-head ib. crawfish ib. ----, or lobster ib. curry, or mulligatawny eel ib. fish ib. french ib. friar's chicken giblet ib. gravy hare ib. hessian mock-turtle ib. mulligatawny onion ox-head green pea ib. winter pea pea portable potato ib. rabbit ib. root ib. scotch leek soup, to brown or colour ib. soups and brown sauces, seasoning for ib. soups ib. ---- without meat ---- for the poor ---- and bouilli ib. soupe à-la-reine ib. ---- maigre ---- santé spanish ib. turnip veal ib. vegetable ib. vermicelli west india, or pepper-pot ib. white broths. broth for the poor ---- ---- ---- sick ib. barley chervil ib. hodge-podge ib. leek porridge ib. madame de maillet's ib. mutton pork ib. pottage ib. scotch pottage ib. scotch turnip ib. veal ib. fish. carp and tench ----, to stew ib. cod, to stew ----, ragout of ib. ----, head, to boil ib. crab, to dress ---- or lobster, to butter ib. ---- ---- ----, to stew crawfish, to make red ib. eels, to broil whole ib. ----, to collar ----, to fry ----, to pot ib. ----, to pickle ib. ----, to roast ib. ----, to spitchcock ib. ----, to stew fish, to recover when tainted ib. ----, in general, to dress ----, to dress in sauce ib. ----, hashed in paste ib. ----, to cavietch ib. gudgeon ib. haddock, to bake ib. ---- pudding herring ib. lampreys to pot ib. lobsters, to butter ----, to fricassee ib. ----, to hash ib. ----, to pot ----, to stew ib. ---- curry powder ib. ---- patés ib. ---- salad mackarel à la maitre d'hotel ib. ----, to boil ib. ----, to broil ib. ----, to collar ib. ----, to fry ib. ----, to pickle ib. ----, to pot ib. ----, to souse ---- pie ib. mullet, to boil ib. ----, to broil ib. ----, to fry ib. oysters, to stew ib. ----, ragout ----, to pickle ib. ---- patés ib. oyster loaves ---- pie ib. perch, to fricassee pike, to dress ib. ----, stuffed, to boil ib. ----, to boil à-la-française ib. ----, to broil ib. ----, in court bouillon ----, fricandeau ib. ----, german way of dressing ib. ----, to pot ib. ----, to roast ----, au souvenir ib. ----, à la tatare ib. salmon, to dress ib. ----, en caisses ib. ----, à la poële scallops ib. shrimps, to pot ib. smelts, to fry ib. ----, to pickle ib. ----, to pot soles, to boil ib. ----, to boil à-la-française ib. ----, to stew ib. water souchi ib. sprats, to bake sturgeon, to roast ib. turbot, to dress ib. ----, plain boiled ----, to boil ib. ----, to boil in gravy ib. ----, to boil in court bouillon with capers ib. ----, to fry ---- or barbel, glazed ib. ----, en gras ib. ----, or barbel, en maigre ib. turtle, to dress whiting, to dry ib. made dishes. asparagus forced in french rolls eggs, to dress ib. ----, buttered ib. ----, scotch ----, for second course ib. ----, to fry as round as balls ib. ----, fricassee of ib. ----, à la crême ib. ham, essence of maccaroni in a mould of pie-crust ib. ---- ib. omelets ----, asparagus ----, french ib. ragout for made dishes ib. trouhindella ib. meats and vegetables. artichokes, to fricassee bacon, to cure ib. barbicue ib. beef, alamode ---- ---- in the french manner ib. ----, rump, with onions ----, rump, to bake ib. ----, rump, cardinal fashion ib. ----, sausage fashion ----, ribs and sirloin ib. ----, ribs, en papillotes ib. ----, brisket, stewed german fashion ----, to bake ib. ----, bouilli ib. ----, relishing ----, to stew ib. ----, cold, to dress ----, cold boiled, to dress ib. ----, cold, to pot ib. ---- steaks, to broil ib. ---- ---- and oysters ---- (rump steaks) broiled, with onion gravy ib. ---- steaks, to stew ---- olives ----, pickle for ib. ----, to salt ib. ----, to dry ----, hung ib. ----, for scraping ----, italian ib. ----, red ib. ----, collar of bisquet, to make ib. boar's-head, to dress whole brawn, to keep ib. hog's-head, like brawn ib. mock-brawn ib. cabbage, farced calf's-head ib. ----, like turtle ib. ----, to hash ----, fricassee ----, to pickle ib. ---- liver cauliflowers with white sauce ib. celery, to stew ib. ---- à-la-crême ib. collops, scotch ib. ----, brown scotch ----, white ib. ----, to mince ---- of cold beef ib. cucumbers, to stew ib. curry-powder ib. ----, indian farcie forcemeat ib. fricandeau ham, to cure ib. ----, westphalia, to cure ----, english, to make like westphalia ----, green ----, to prepare for dressing without soaking ib. ----, to dress ib. ----, to roast ----, entrée of ib. ----, toasts ib. ---- and chicken, to pot ib. herb sandwiches hog's puddings, black ib. ---- ----, white ib. kabob, an indian ragout lamb, leg, to boil ---- ----, with forcemeat ib. ----, shoulder of, grilled ib. ----, to ragout ib. ----, to fricassee ib. meat, miscellaneous directions respecting ----, general rules for roasting and boiling ib. ----, half roasted or under done ib. mustard to make mutton, chine, to roast ib. ---- chops, to stew ib. ---- cutlets ib. ---- ----, with onion sauce ib. ---- hams, to make ----, haricot ----, leg ib. ----, leg, in the french fashion ib. ----, or beef, leg, to hash ----, loin, to stew ib. ----, neck, to roast ib. ----, neck, to boil ib. ----, neck, to fry ----, saddle, and kidneys ib. ----, shoulder, to roast in blood ib. ----, shoulder or leg, with oysters ib. ----, roasted, with stewed cucumbers ib. ----, to eat like venison ----, in epigram ib. mushrooms to stew brown ib. newmarket john ib. ox-cheek to stew ib. ox-tail ragout peas to stew ib. ----, green, to keep till christmas pickle, red, for any meat ib. pie, beef-steak ib. ----, calf's-head ib. ----, mutton or grass-lamb ib. ----, veal ----, veal and ham ib. ----, veal olive ib. ----, beef olive ib. pig, to barbicue ib. ----, to collar ib. ----, to collar in colours ----, to pickle or souse ib. ----, to roast ib. ----, to dress lamb-fashion ib. pigs'-feet and ears, fricassee of ---- ---- ---- ----, ragout of ib. pig's-head, to roll ib. pilaw, an indian dish ib. pork, to collar ----, to pickle ib. ----, chine, to stuff or roast ib. ---- cutlets ----, gammon, to roast ib. ----, leg, to broil ib. ----, spring, to roast ib. potatoes, to boil ib. ----, to bake potato balls ib. potatoes, croquets of ib. ----, to fry ib. ----, to mash ----, french way of cooking ib. ----, à-la-maitre d'hotel ib. rice to boil ib. rissoles ib. rice robinson, to make a salad, to dress ib. sausages, bologna ib. ----, english ib. ----, oxford ----, for scotch collops ib. ----, veal ib. ----, without skins spinach, the best mode of dressing ib. ----, to stew ib. sweetbreads, ragout of savoury toasts, to relish wine tomato, to eat with roast meat tongues, to cure ib. ----, to smoke ----, to bake ib. ----, to boil ib. ----, to pot ib. ---- and udder to roast ----, sheep's, or any other, with oysters ib. tripe, to dress ib. ----, to fricassee ib. truffles and morels, to stew ib. veal, to boil ----, to collar ib. ----, to roast ib. ----, roasted, ragout of ib. ----, to stew ----, with rice, to stew ib. ----, served in paper ib. ----, bombarded ib. ---- balls ----, breast ib. ----, breast, with cabbage and bacon ib. ----, breast, en fricandeau ib. ----, breast, glazed brown ib. ----, breast, stewed with peas ----, breast, ragout ib. ---- collops, with oysters ---- collops, with white sauce ---- cutlets, to dress ib. ---- cutlets, larded ib. ----, fillet, to farce or roast ib. ----, fillet, to boil ----, half a fillet, to stew ib. ----, knuckle, white ib. ----, knuckle, ragout ib. ----, leg, and bacon, to boil ----, loin, to roast ib. ----, loin, to roast with herbs ib. ----, loin, fricassee of ib. ----, loin, bechamel ----, neck, stewed with celery ib. ---- olives ib. ---- rumps ----, shoulder, to stew ib. ---- steaks ib. ---- sweetbreads, to fry ib. ---- sweetbreads, to roast vegetables, to stew ib. venison, haunch, to roast ib. ----, to boil ib. ----, haunch, to broil ----, to recover when tainted ib. ----, red deer, to pot ib. ----, excellent substitute for ib. water-cresses, to stew poultry. chicken, to make white ----, to fricassee ib. ----, white fricassee of ----, or fowl, cream of ----, to fry ib. ----, to heat ib. ----, dressed with peas ib. ---- and ham, ragout of ib. ----, or ham and veal patés duck, to boil ib. ----, to boil à-la-française ib. ----, à-la-braise ib. ----, to hash ----, to stew with cucumbers ib. ----, to stew with peas ib. fowls, to fatten in a fortnight ib. ----, to make tender ib. ----, to roast with anchovies ib. ----, with rice, called pilaw ib. ----, to hash ----, to stew ib. goose, to stuff ib. ----, liver of, to dress ib. pigeons, to boil ib. ----, to broil pigeons, to jug ----, to pot ib. ----, to stew ib. ----, biscuit of ----, en compote ib. ----, à la crapaudine ----, in disguise ib. ----, in fricandeau ib. ----, aux poires ----, pompeton of ib. ----, au soleil ib. ----, à la tatare, with cold sauce ----, surtout of ib. poultry, tainted, to preserve ib. pullets, with oysters ib. ----, to bone and farce rabbits, to boil ib. ----, to boil with onions ib. ----, brown fricassee of ib. ----, white fricassee of ib. turkey, to boil ---- with oysters ib. ---- à la daube ib. ----, roasted, delicate gravy for ---- or veal stuffing ib. game. hare, to dress ----, to roast ib. ----, to hash ----, to jug ib. ----, to mince ----, to stew ib. ---- stuffing ib. partridge, to boil ----, to roast ib. ----, à la paysanne ib. ----, à la polonaise ib. ----, à la russe ----, rolled ib. ----, stewed ib. ----, salme of ib. ----, to pot ---- pie ib. pheasant, to boil ib. ----, with white sauce ----, à la braise ib. ----, à l'italienne ib. pheasant, puré of widgeon, to dress ib. wild-duck, to roast ib. woodcocks and snipes, to roast ib. ----, à la française ib. ----, to pot ib. sauces. anchovy, essence of ---- pickle ib. ---- sauce ib. ----, to recover ib. bacchanalian sauce bechamel ib. beef bouilli, sauce for ib. ---- à la russe, sauce for bread sauce ib. ---- ---- for pig ib. browning for made dishes ib. butter, to burn ----, to clarify ib. ----, plain melted ib. ----, to thicken for peas ib. caper sauce carp sauce ib. ----, light brown sauce for ib. ---- and tench, sauce for ib. ----, white sauce for ib. ----, or tench, dutch sauce for ---- sauce for fish ib. cavechi, an indian pickle ib. celery sauce, white ---- ----, brown ib. chickens, boiled, sauce for ib. ---- or game, sauce for ib. ----, white sauce for ib. consommé ib. cream sauce for white dishes cullis, to thicken sauces ib. ----, brown ib. ----, à la reine ib. ----, turkey ---- of veal, or other meat ib. dandy sauce, for all sorts of poultry and game ib. devonshire sauce ducks, sauce for ib. dutch sauce ib. ---- sauce for fish ib. ---- sauce for meat or fish ib. ---- sauce for trout egg sauce ib. exquisite, the ib. fish sauce ib. ---- sauce, excellent white ----, white sauce for, with capers and anchovies ib. ----, stock ib. forcemeat balls for sauces ib. fowls, white sauce for ---- of all kinds, or roasted mutton, sauce for ib. general sauce genoese sauce, for stewed fish ib. german sauce gravy, beef ib. ---- beef, to keep ----, brown ib. green sauce, for green geese or ducklings ib. ham sauce hare or venison sauce ib. harvey's sauce ib. hashes or fish, sauce for ib. ----, white, or chickens, sauce for ib. horseradish sauce ib. italian sauce ketchup ib. lemon sauce ib. liver sauce for boiled fowls ib. lobster sauce ib. marchioness's sauce meat jelly for sauces ib. mixed sauce ib. mushroom ketchup ---- sauce mutton, roasted, sauce for ib. onion sauce ib. ---- ----, brown ib. oyster sauce ib. pepper-pot ib. pike sauce piquante, sauce ib. poivrade sauce poor man's sauce ib. quin's fish sauce ib. ragout sauce ib. ravigotte, sauce ib. ---- ----, à la bourgeoise ib. relishing sauce remoulade, sauce ib. rice sauce richmond sauce ib. roast meat, sauce for ib. robert, sauce ib. salad sauce ib. shalot sauce spanish sauce ib. steaks, sauce for ib. sultana sauce ib. tomato ketchup ib. ---- sauce turkey, savoury jelly for ib. ---- or chicken sauce ---- or fowl, boiled, sauce for ib. venison sauce ib. ---- ----, sweet ib. walnut ketchup ib. white sauce ---- wine sweet sauce ib. confectionary. almacks almond butter ib. ---- cheesecakes ib. ---- cream ---- paste ib. ---- puffs angelica, to candy ib. apples, to do ib. ----, (pippins) to candy ib. ----, (pippins) to dry ib. ----, to preserve green ----, (golden pippins) to preserve ib. ----, (crabs) to preserve ib. ----, (siberian crabs) to preserve, transparent ib. ----, (golden pippins) to stew ib. ----, cheese ----, conserve of ib. ----, demandon ib. ----, fraise ib. ----, fritters ----, jelly ib. ----, (crab) jam or jelly ----, (pippin or codling) jelly ib. ---- and pears, to dry ib. apricots in brandy ---- chips ib. ---- burnt cream ib. ----, to dry ib. ----, jam ---- and plum jam ib. ---- paste ib. ----, to preserve ib. ----, to preserve whole ----, to preserve in jelly ib. bances, french ib. barberries, to preserve biscuits ib. ----, dutch ib. ----, ginger ----, lemon ib. ----, ratafia ib. ----, table ib. blancmange ib. ----, dutch bread ib. ----, diet ib. ----, potato ----, rice ib. ----, rye ib. ----, scotch, short ib. loaves, buttered ib. loaf, egg buns ib. ----, bath ----, plain ib. butter, to make without churning ib. ----, black ib. ----, spanish cake ib. ----, excellent ib. ----, great ib. ----, light ib. ----, nice ib. ----, plain ----, very rich ----, without butter ib. ----, almond ib. ----, almond, clear ----, apple ----, apricot clear ib. ----, biscuit ib. ----, bread ib. ----, breakfast ----, breakfast, excellent ib. ----, breakfast, bath ib. ----, butter ib. ----, caraway ----, caraway, small ----, cocoa-nut ib. ----, currant, clear ib. ----, egg ib. ----, enamelled ib. ----, epsom ib. ----, ginger ----, ginger, or hunting ib. ----, gooseberry, clear ib. ----, jersey ib. ----, jersey merveilles ib. ----, london wigs ----, onion ib. ----, orange ib. ----, orange clove ib. ----, orange-flower ----, plum ib. ----, plum, clear ib. ----, portugal ib. ----, potato ib. ----, pound ib. ----, pound davy ----, quince, clear ib. ----, ratafia ib. ----, rice ib. ----, rock ----, royal ib. ----, savoy or sponge ib. ----, seed ib. ----, shrewsbury ----, sponge ----, sugar ib. ----, sugar, little ib. ----, sweet ib. ----, tea ib. ----, tea, dry ----, thousand ib. ----, tunbridge ib. ----, veal ib. ----, yorkshire calves'-foot jelly ib. cheese, to make ib. ----, the best in the world ----, to stew ----, cream ib. ----, cream, princess amelia's ib. ----, cream, irish ib. ----, rush ----, winter cream ib. ----, cream, to make without cream ib. ----, damson ib. ----, french ----, italian ib. ----, lemon ib. cheesecakes ib. ----, almond ----, cocoa-nut ib. ----, cream ib. ----, curd ----, lemon ib. ----, orange ib. ----, scotch ib. cherries, to preserve ----, to preserve (morella) ib. ----, brandy ----, to dry ib. ----, dried, liquor for ib. cherry jam cocoa jam ib. cocoa-nut candy ib. coffee, to roast ib. ----, to make the foreign way ib. cream, to make rise in cold weather ----, to fry ib. ----, and curd, artificial ib. ----, of rice ----, almond ib. ----, barley ib. ----, french barley ib. ----, chocolate ----, citron ib. ----, clotted ib. ----, coffee ib. ----, eringo ib. ----, fruit ----, preserved fruit ib. ----, italian ib. ----, lemon ib. ----, lemon, without cream ----, lemon, frothed ib. ----, orange ib. ----, orange, frothed ----, imperial, orange ib. ----, pistachio ib. ----, raspberry ib. ----, ratafia ib. ----, rice ib. ----, runnet whey ----, snow ib. ----, strawberry ib. ----, sweetmeat ib. ----, whipt ib. cucumbers, to preserve green ib. curd, cream ----, lemon ib. ----, paris ib. currants, to bottle ib. ----, or barberries, to dry ----, to ice ib. ----, white, to preserve ib. currant jam ----, jelly, black or red ib. ----, juice ib. ----, paste custard ib. ----, almond damsons, to bottle ib. ----, to dry ib. ----, to preserve without sugar dripping, to clarify for crust ib. dumplings ib. ----, currant ----, drop ib. ----, kitchen hard ib. ----, yest ib. eggs ----, whites of ib. figs, to dry ib. flowers, small, to candy ib. ----, in sprigs, to candy flummery, dutch ib. ----, hartshorn ib. fondues fritters, yorkshire ib. fruit, to preserve ib. ----, to preserve green ib. ----, of all sorts, to scald ib. gingerbread ----, thick ----, cakes or nuts ib. gooseberries, to bottle ib. ----, in jelly ib. ----, to preserve ----, paste of grapes, to dry ib. ----, to preserve ib. greengages, to preserve ib. hartshorn jelly hedgehog ib. ice and cream ib. ----, lemon iceing for cakes ib. jaunemange ib. jelly, coloured ib. ----, gloucester ----, lemon ib. ----, nourishing ib. ----, orange ib. ----, restorative ----, strawberry ib. ----, wine ib. lemons or seville oranges, to preserve lemon caudle ib. ---- or chocolate drops ib. ---- puffs ---- tart ib. ----, solid ib. ----, syrup of ib. macaroons ib. marmalade, citron ib. ----, cherry ----, orange ib. ----, scotch, orange ----, red quince ib. ----, white quince marchpane ib. marrow pasties melons or cucumbers, to preserve ib. melon compote ib. mince-meat ib. ---- without meat ----, lemon mirangles ib. moss ib. muffins oranges, to preserve ib. ----, seville, to preserve orange butter ib. ----, candied ib. ---- cream ib. ---- jelly ---- paste ib. ---- puffs ib. ---- sponge ---- and lemon syrup ib. oranges for a tart ib. orange tart ib. panada pancakes ib. ----, french ----, grillon's ib. ----, quire of paper ib. ----, rice ib. paste ib. ----, for baking or frying ib. ----, for pies ----, for raised pies ib. ----, for tarts ib. ----, for tarts in pans ib. ----, for small tartlets ib. ----, potato ib. ----, rice ----, royal ib. ----, short or puff ib. ----, short ib. ----, short, with suet ----, sugar ib. peaches, to preserve in brandy ib. pears, to pot ----, to stew pie, chicken ib. ----, giblet ib. ----, common goose ib. ----, rich goose ib. ----, ham and chicken ib. ----, hare ----, lumber ib. ----, olive ib. ----, partridge ib. ----, rich pigeon ----, high veal ib. ----, vegetable ib. ----, yorkshire christmas ib. pineapple, to preserve in slices ib. ---- chips plums, to dry green ib. ----, green, jam of ib. ----, great white, to preserve posset ib. ----, sack ib. ----, sack, without milk ib. ----, sack, or jelly puffs ib. ----, cheese ib. ----, chocolate ib. ----, german ib. ----, spanish pudding ib. ----, good ib. ----, very good ib. ----, excellent ----, plain ib. ----, scalded ----, sweet ib. ----, all three ib. ----, almond ib. ----, amber ----, princess amelia's ib. ----, apple-mignon ib. ----, apple ib. ----, arrow-root ----, pearl barley ib. ----, batter ib. ----, plain batter ib. ----, norfolk batter ----, green bean ib. ----, beef-steak ib. ----, bread ib. ----, bread, rich ----, bread and butter ib. ----, raisin-bread ib. ----, buttermilk ib. ----, carrot ib. ----, charlotte ----, cheese ib. ----, citron ib. ----, cocoa-nut ib. ----, college ----, new college ib. ----, cottage ----, currant ib. ----, custard ib. ----, fish ----, french ib. ----, gooseberry ib. ----, hunters' ----, jug ib. ----, lemon ib. ----, small lemon ib. ----, maccaroni ib. ----, marrow ib. ----, nottingham ----, oatmeal ib. ----, orange ib. ----, paradise ----, pith ----, plum ib. ----, plum, rich ----, potato ib. ----, pottinger's ----, prune ib. ----, quaking ib. ----, ratafia ----, rice ib. ----, plain rice ib. ----, ground rice ----, rice, hunting ib. ----, kitchen rice ib. ----, rice plum ib. ----, small rice ib. ----, swedish rice ib. ----, rice white pot ----, sago ib. ----, spoonful ib. ----, plain suet ib. ----, tansy ib. ----, tapioca ----, neat's tongue ib. quatre fruits ib. quinces, to preserve ib. ramaquins raspberries, to preserve ----, to preserve in currant jelly ib. ----, jam ----, paste ib. rice crust, apple tart with rolls ib. ----, excellent ib. ----, little ----, breakfast ib. ----, brentford ib. ----, dutch ib. ----, french ----, milton runnet ib. rusks ib. ----, and tops and bottoms ib. sally lunn slipcote ib. soufflé ib. ---- of apples and rice ib. strawberries, to preserve for eating with cream strawberries, to preserve in currant jelly ----, to preserve in gooseberry jelly ----, jam ib. sugar, to clarify ib. syllabub ----, everlasting ib. ----, solid ib. ----, whipt ib. taffy trifle ib. trotter jelly ib. veal and ham patés ib. venison pasty vol-au-vent ib. wafers ib. ----, sugar ib. walnuts, to preserve ib. ----, white ib. whey, mustard ib. yest ib. ----, excellent ----, potato ib. pickles. general directions almonds, green ib. artichokes ib. ----, to boil in winter ib. asparagus barberries ib. beet-root ib. ---- and turnips cabbage ib. ----, red ib. capers capsicum ib. cauliflower ib. clove gilliflower, or any other flower, for salads ib. codlings ib. cucumbers ----, large, mango of ----, sliced ib. ----, stuffed ib. ----, to preserve french beans herrings, to marinate ----, red, trout fashion ib. india pickle, called picolili ib. lemons ----, or oranges mango cossundria melons ib. ----, to imitate mangoes ib. ----, or cucumbers, as mangoes ib. mushrooms ----, brown ----, to dry ib. ----, liquor and powder ib. mustard pickle ib. nasturtiums onions ib. ----, spanish, mango of orange and lemon-peel ib. oysters ib. peaches, mango of purslain, samphire, broom-buds, &c. quinces ib. radish pods ib. salmon ----, to marinate samphire ib. smelts ib. suckers ib. vinegar, for pickling ib. ----, camp ----, chili ib. ----, elder-flower ib. ----, garlic ----, gooseberry ib. ----, plague or four thieves' ----, raisin ib. ----, raspberry ib. walnuts, black ----, green ----, ketchup of ib. wines, cordials, liqueurs, &c. ale, to drink in a week ----, very rare ib. ----, orange ib. aqua mirabilis bitters ib. cherry brandy ib. cherry water, cordial ib. cordial, very fine cup ib. elder-flower water ib. elder-berry syrup ib. ginger beer imperial lemonade ib. ----, clarified ----, milk ib. ----, transparent ib. lemon water ib. mead ib. mithridate brandy nonpareil ib. noyau orange juice ib. oranges, or lemons, spirit of ib. orange-water, cordial ib. orgeat ib. punch, excellent ----, milk ib. ----, norfolk ib. ----, roman raspberry liqueur ib. ---- vinegar ib. ratafia brandy ib. shrub ----, currant ib. spruce beer ib. wine, bittany ----, champagne, sham ----, cherry ib. ----, cowslip ib. ----, currant ----, currant, or elder ----, currant, black ib. ----, currant, red ib. ----, currant, red or white ib. ----, damson ----, elder ib. ----, elder flower ----, frontiniac, sham ib. ----, mixed fruit ib. ----, ginger ib. ----, gooseberry ----, grape ----, lemon ----, madeira, sham ib. ----, orange ib. ----, port, sham ----, raisin ib. the lady's own cookery book. general directions. the following directions may appear trite and common, but it is of the greatest consequence that they be strictly observed: attend to minute cleanliness. never wipe a dish, bowl, or pan, with a half dirty napkin, or give the vessel a mere rinse in water and think that it is then fit for use. see that it be dried and pure from all smell before you put in any ingredient. never use the hands when it is possible to avoid it; and, when you do, have a clean basin of water to dip them in, and wipe them thoroughly several times while at work, as in mixing dough, &c. use silver or wooden spoons; the latter are best for all confectionery and puddings. take care that the various spoons, skewers, and knives, be not used promiscuously for cookery and confectionery, or even for different dishes of the same sort. if an onion is cut with any knife, or lies near any article of kitchen use, that article is not fit for service till it has been duly scoured and laid in the open air. the same remark applies to very many strong kitchen herbs. this point is scarcely ever enough attended to. in measuring quantities, be extremely exact, having always some particular vessel set apart for each ingredient (best of earthenware, because such cannot retain any smell) wherewith to ascertain your quantities. do nothing by guess, how practised soever you may deem yourself in the art: nor say "oh! i want none of your measures for such a thing as a little seasoning," taking a pinch here and there. be assured you will never in that way make a dish, or a sauce, twice in the same manner; it may be good by _chance_, but it will always be a _chance_, and the chances are very much against it; at all events it will not be precisely the _same_ thing, and precision is the very essence of good cookery. the french say _il faut que rien ne domine_--no one ingredient must predominate. this is a good rule to please general taste and great judges; but, to secure the favour of a particular palate it is not infallible: as, in a good herb soup, for instance, it may better delight the master or mistress that some one herb or savoury meat _should_ predominate. consult, therefore, the peculiarities of the tastes of your employer; for, though a dish may be a good dish of its kind, if it is not suited to the taste of the eater of what avail is it? let not the vanity of the cook induce you to forget the duty of a servant, which is, in the first place, to please his master: be particular, therefore, in enquiring what things please your employer. many capital cooks will be found for great feasts and festivals, but very few for every-day service, because this is not "eye-service," but the service of principle and duty. few, indeed, there are who will take equal pains to make one delicate dish, one small exquisite dinner, for the three hundred and sixty-five days in the year; yet this is by far the most valuable attainment of the two. the great secret of all cookery consists in making fine meat jellies; this is done at less expence than may be imagined by a _careful, honest_ cook. for this purpose let all parings of meats of every kind, all bones, however dry they may appear, be carefully collected, and put over a very slow fire in a small quantity of water, always adding a little more as the water boils down. skim this juice when cool: and, having melted it a second time, pass it through a sieve till thoroughly pure: put no salt or pepper; use this fine jelly for any sauce, adding herbs, or whatever savoury condiments you think proper, at the time it is used. be careful all summer long to dry vegetables and herbs. almost every herb and vegetable may be dried and preserved for winter use; for on these must chiefly depend all the varied flavours of your dishes. mushrooms and artichokes strung on a string, with a bit of wood knotted in between each to prevent their touching, and hung in a dry place, will be excellent; and every species of culinary herb may be preserved either in bottles or paper bags. a catalogue of things in season. january. _fish._ cod, skate, thornback, salmon, soles, eels, perch, carp, tench, flounders, prawns, lobsters, crabs, shrimps, cockles, muscles, oysters, smelts, whiting. _game and poultry._ hares, pheasants, partridges, wild ducks, widgeon, teal, capons, pullets, fowls, chickens, squab-pigeons, tame rabbits, woodcocks, snipes, larks, blackbirds, and wood-pigeons. _fruit._ portugal grapes, the kentish russet, golden french kirton, dutch pippins, nonpareils, pearmains, russetting apples, and all sorts of winter pears. _roots and vegetables._ many sorts of cabbages, savoys, sprouts, and greens, parsnips, carrots, turnips, potatoes, celery, endive, cabbage-lettuces, leeks, onions, horseradish, small salad under glasses, sweet herbs, and parsley, green and white brocoli, beet-root, beet-leaves and tops, forced asparagus, cucumbers in hotbeds, french beans and peas in the hothouse. february. _fish._ cod, skate, thornback, salmon, sturgeon, soles, flounders, whitings, smelts, crabs, lobsters, prawns, shrimps, oysters, eels, crawfish, carp, tench, and perch. _game and poultry._ hares and partridges till the th. turkeys, capons, pullets with eggs, fowls, chickens, tame rabbits, woodcocks, snipes, all sorts of wild-fowl, which begin to decline in this month. _fruit._ nearly the same as last month. _roots and vegetables._ the same as last month. march. _fish._ cod and codlings, turbot, salmon, skate, thornback, smelts, soles, crabs, lobsters, prawns, flounders, plaice, oysters, perch, carp, tench, eels, gudgeons, mullet, and sometimes mackerel, comes in. _poultry._ turkeys, pullets, fowls, chickens, ducklings, tame rabbits, pigeons, guinea-fowl. _fruit._ pineapples, the golden ducket, dorset pippins, rennetings, loan's pearmain, nonpareils, john apples, the later bonchretien and double-blossom pears. _roots and vegetables._ carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, beet, leeks, onions, green and white brocoli, brocoli sprouts, brown and green cole, cabbage sprouts, greens, spinach, small salad, parsley, sorrel, corn salad, green fennel, sweet herbs of all sorts, cabbage lettuces, forced mushrooms, asparagus forced, cucumbers in hotbeds, french beans and peas in hothouses, and young radishes and onions. april. _fish._ salmon, turbot, mackerel, skate, thornback, red and grey mullet, gurnets, pipers, soles, lobsters, oysters, prawns, crawfish, smelts, carp, perch, pike, gudgeons, eels, and plaice. _game and poultry._ pullets, fowls, chickens, ducklings, pigeons, tame rabbits, and sometimes young leverets, guinea-fowl. _fruit._ a few apples and pears, pineapples, hothouse grapes, strawberries, cherries, apricots for tarts, and green gooseberries. _roots and vegetables._ carrots, potatoes, horseradish, onions, leeks, celery, brocoli sprouts, cabbage plants, cabbage lettuce, asparagus, spinach, parsley, thyme, all sorts of small salads, young radishes and onions, cucumbers in hotbeds, french beans and peas in the hothouse, green fennel, sorrel, chervil, and, if the weather is fine, all sorts of sweet herbs begin to grow. may. _fish._ turbot, salmon, soles, smelts, trout, whiting, mackerel, herrings, eels, plaice, flounders, crabs, lobsters, prawns, shrimps, crawfish. _game and poultry._ pullets, fowls, chickens, guinea-fowl, green geese, ducklings, pigeons, tame rabbits, leverets, and sometimes turkey poults. _fruit._ strawberries, green apricots, cherries, gooseberries, and currants, for tarts, hothouse pineapples, grapes, apricots, peaches, and fine cherries. _roots and vegetables._ spring carrots, horseradish, beet-root, early cauliflower, spring cabbage, sprouts, spinach, coss, cabbage, and silesia lettuces, all sorts of small salads, asparagus, hotspur beans, peas, fennel, mint, balm, parsley, all sorts of sweet herbs, cucumbers and french beans forced, radishes, and young onions, mushrooms in the cucumber beds. june. _fish._ turbot, trout, mackerel, mullet, salmon, salmon trout, soles, smelts, eels, lobsters, crabs, crawfish, prawns, and shrimps. _game and poultry._ spring fowls, and chickens, geese, ducks, turkey poults, young wild and tame rabbits, pigeons, leverets, and wheatears. _fruit._ pineapples, currants, gooseberries, scarlet strawberries, hautboys, several sorts of cherries, apricots, and green codlings. _roots and vegetables._ young carrots, early potatoes, young turnips, peas, garden beans, cauliflowers, summer cabbages, spinach, coss, cabbage, and silesia lettuces, french beans, cucumbers, asparagus, mushrooms, purslain, radishes, turnip-radishes, horseradish, and onions. july. _fish._ turbot, salmon, salmon trout, berwick and fresh water trout, red and grey mullet, johndories, skate, thornback, maids, soles, flounders, eels, lobsters, crawfish, prawns, and shrimps. _game and poultry._ leverets, geese, ducks and ducklings, fowls, chickens, turkey poults, quails, wild rabbits, wheatears, and young wild ducks. _fruit._ pineapples, peaches, apricots, scarlet and wood strawberries, hautboys, summer apples, codlings, summer pears, green-gage and orleans plums, melons, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, cherries of all kinds, and green walnuts to pickle. _roots and vegetables._ carrots, potatoes, turnips, onions, cauliflowers, marrowfat and other peas, windsor beans, french beans, mushrooms, sorrel, artichokes, spinach, cabbages, cucumbers, coss and cabbage lettuces, parsley, all sorts of sweet and potherbs, mint, balm, salsify, and field mushrooms. august. _fish._ codlings, some turbot, which goes out this month, skate, thornback, maids, haddock, flounders, red and grey mullet, johndories, pike, perch, gudgeons, roach, eels, oysters, crawfish, some salmon, salmon trout, berwick and fresh water trout. _game and poultry._ leverets, geese, turkey poults, ducks, fowls, chickens, wild rabbits, quails, wheatears, young wild ducks, and some pigeons. _fruit._ pineapples, melons, cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, apples, pears, all sorts of plums, morella cherries, filberts and other nuts, currants, raspberries, late gooseberries, figs, early grapes, mulberries, and ripe codlings. _roots and vegetables._ carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, onions, horseradish, beet-root, shalots, garlic, cauliflower, french beans, later peas, cucumbers, cabbages, sprouts, coss lettuce, endive, celery, parsley, sweet herbs, artichokes, artichoke suckers, chardoons, mushrooms, and all sorts of small salads. september. _fish._ cod, codlings, skate, thornback, haddocks, soles, whitings, herrings come in full season, salmon, smelts, flounders, pike, perch, carp, tench, eels, lampreys, oysters, cockles, muscles, crawfish, prawns, and shrimps. _game and poultry._ hares, leverets, partridges, quails, young turkeys, geese, ducks, capons, pullets, fowls, chickens, pigeons, wild and tame rabbits, wild ducks, widgeon, teal, plover, larks, and pippets. _fruit._ pineapples, melons, grapes, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears, apples, quinces, medlars, filberts, hazel nuts, walnuts, morella cherries, damsons, white and black bullace. _roots and vegetables._ carrots, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, leeks, horseradish, beet-root, onions, shalots, garlic, celery, endive, coss and cabbage lettuces, artichokes, french beans, latter peas, mushrooms, cucumbers, red and other cabbages, cabbage plants, jerusalem artichokes, parsley, sorrel, chervil, thyme, all sorts of sweet herbs, mint, balm, all sorts of small salad. october. _fish._ cod, codlings, brill, haddocks, whiting, soles, herrings, cole-fish, halibut, smelts, eels, flounders, perch, pike, carp, tench, oysters, cockles, muscles, lobsters, crabs, crawfish, prawns, and shrimps. _game and poultry._ hares, leverets, pheasants, partridges, moor-game, grouse, turkeys, geese, ducks, capons, pullets, fowls, chickens, pigeons, wild and tame rabbits, all sorts of wild-fowl, larks, plovers, woodcocks, snipes, wood-pigeons, pippets. _fruit._ pineapples, peaches, grapes, figs, medlars, all sorts of fine apples and pears, white plums, damsons, white and black bullace, quinces, filberts, walnuts, and chesnuts. _roots and vegetables._ carrots, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, leeks, horseradish, onions, shalots, garlic, beet-root, artichokes, latter cauliflowers, red and white cabbages, savoys, cabbage plants, green and white brocoli, chardoons, green and brown cole, celery, endive, spinach, sorrel, chervil, parsley, purslain, all sorts of sweet herbs, coss and cabbage lettuces, rocambole, and all sorts of small salads. november. _fish._ cod, salmon, herrings, barbel, halibut, smelts, flounders, whiting, haddock, pipers, gurnets, pike, perch, carp, tench, eels, lobsters, crabs, oysters, muscles, cockles, crawfish, prawns, and shrimps. _game and poultry._ the same as last month. _fruit._ pineapples, all sorts of winter pears, golden pippins, nonpareils, all sorts of winter apples, medlars, white and black bullace, and walnuts kept in sand. _roots and vegetables._ turnips, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, chardoons, onions, shalots, garlic, rocambole, cauliflowers in the greenhouse, red and other cabbages, savoys, cabbage plants, winter spinach, forced asparagus, late cucumbers, forced mushrooms, parsley, sorrel, chervil, thyme, all sorts of sweet herbs, celery, endive, cabbage lettuces, brown and green cole, and all sorts of small salads under glasses. december. _fish._ cod, codlings, halibut, skate, sturgeon, soles, salmon, gurnets, haddock, whiting, sometimes turbots come with the soles, herrings, perch, pike, carp, tench, eels, lobsters, crabs, crawfish, muscles, cockles, prawns, shrimps, thames flounders, and smelts. _game and poultry._ hares, pheasants, partridges, moor or heath game, grouse, turkeys, geese, capons, pullets, fowls, chickens, all sorts of wild-fowl, wood cocks, snipes, larks, wild and tame rabbits, dottrels, wood-pigeons, blackbirds, thrushes, plover both green and grey. _fruit._ all sorts of winter pears and apples, medlars, chesnuts, portugal grapes and grapes hung in the room, and walnuts kept in sand. _roots and vegetables._ same as the last month. * * * * * beef, mutton, and veal, are in season all the year; house lamb in january, february, march, april, may, october, november, and december. grass lamb comes in at easter and lasts till april or may; pork from september till april or may; roasting pigs all the year; buck venison in june, july, august, and september; doe and heifer venison in october, november, december, and january. general rules for a good dinner. there should be always two soups, white and brown, two fish, dressed and undressed; a bouilli and petits-patés; and on the sideboard a plain roast joint, besides many savoury articles, such as hung beef, bologna sausages, pickles, cold ham, cold pie, &c. some or all of these according to the number of guests, the names of which the head-servant ought to whisper about to the company, occasionally offering them. he should likewise carry about all the side-dishes or _entrées_, after the soups are taken away in rotation. a silver lamp should be kept burning, to put any dish upon that may grow cold. it is indispensable to have candles, or plateau, or epergne, in the middle of the table. beware of letting the table appear loaded; neither should it be too bare. the soups and fish should be dispatched before the rest of the dinner is set on; but, lest any of the guests eat of neither, two small dishes of patés should be on the table. of course, the meats and vegetables and fruits which compose these dinners must be varied according to the season, the number of guests, and the tastes of the host and hostess. it is also needless to add that without iced champagne and roman punch a dinner is not called a dinner. these observations and the following directions for dinners are suitable to persons who chuse to live _fashionably_; but the receipts contained in this book will suit any mode of living, and the persons consulting it will find matter for all tastes and all establishments. there is many an excellent dish not considered adapted to a fashionable table, which, nevertheless, is given in these pages. a dinner for fourteen or sixteen persons. n.b. it is the fashion to lay two table-cloths, and never to leave the table uncovered. of course, the individual things must be varied according to the season. first course. queen soup, white, removed by plain boiled turbot. petits patés of oysters. +----------+ | plateau, | | or | | epergne, | | or | | candles. | +----------+ petits patés of chickens. herb soup, brown, removed by dressed fish (salmon.) remove the whole and set on as follows:-- sweetbreads, stewed beef, small larded. with beef vegetables. pies. reindeer tongues, dressed peas. rissoles of highly dressed in veal and ham, sauce. served in sauce. macaroni, +----------+ dressed with | | eggs. parmesan | plateau. | cheese. | | +----------+ mutton stuffed cabbage. supreme of cutlets fowls. glazed in onion sauce. vol-au-vent. roasted turkey, small breast with truffles, of veal morels, chesnuts, &c. glazed brown, with peas under. on the sideboard, fish sauces, cold pie, hot ham, saddle of mutton roasted; pickles, cucumbers, salad, mashed potatoes, greens, and cauliflowers, crumbs of bread, and grated parmesan cheese. these should be handed round, to eat with soup, or game, or fowl, if liked. second course. larded hare, removed by souffle[ -*]. cauliflower, orange with cheese. jelly. apples in compote. +----------+ puffs and | | stewed tartlets. | plateau. | partridges. | | +----------+ dressed italian pigeons. cream. creams in glasses. small puddings, two roasted pheasants, jerusalem with sauce. one larded, artichokes. one plain, removed by fondu[ -+]. [ -*] light sweet pudding. [ -+] melted cheese. remove the whole. third course. gruyère[ -*] pickles. cheese pickles. and schabzieger[ -*]. savoury toasts. bologna brawn. sausages. +----------+ | | | plateau. | | | +----------+ cold pie. cold pie. savoury toasts. anchovies. kipper salmon. stilton and parmesan. radishes, cucumbers, salad, butter, &c. to be handed from the side table. [ -*] swiss cheeses. dessert. cream ice, pistachio nuts and removed by figs. orange chips. a preserved pineapple. dried cake. preserved sweetmeats. plums. +----------+ chantilly | | pyramid with basket. | plateau. | various sweetmeats. | | +----------+ almonds cake. preserves of and raisins. apricots. brandy water ice sugared cherries. à la macedoine, walnuts. removed by grapes. dinner for twelve or fourteen persons. first course. white soups, lamb cutlets and removed by plain fish: stewed chicken. asparagus sauce. removed by bouilli, dressed according to any of the various receipts. patés. dressed vegetable fricandeau, or in a mould. beef olives. sorrel sauce. +----------+ | | | plateau. | | | small +----------+ small ham, savoury pies. glazed. macaroni in a mould. patés. breast of veal, stewed white, as per receipt. dressed eggs. small ragout of any of the brown soups, mutton. removed by any of the dressed fish. sideboard furnished with plain joint and vegetables of all sorts, pickles, &c. second course. charlotte. plover's eggs. grouse. tart. jelly. custards. +----------+ | | | plateau. | | | partridges. +----------+ woodcocks. trifle. fried artichokes. dressed sea kale. leveret. third course. various cheeses, with red herring. savoury toasts. +----------+ | | radishes, cucumbers, | plateau. | sausages, &c. &c. | | +----------+ savoury toasts. potted game. dessert. ice water, chesnuts. removed by walnuts. pineapple. various cake. green figs. apples. +----------+ | | | plateau. | | | filberts. +----------+ grapes. various cake. plums. pears. ice cream, removed by peaches. dinner for ten or twelve persons. first course. scotch collops, brown soup, ragout of brown. removed by ham. fish, removed by boiled turkey, white sauce. vol-au-vent fricandeau, of chicken. +----------+ with spinach. | | | plateau. | | | cutlets with +----------+ rissoles tomata sauce. of fowl. white soup, removed by dressed fish, removed by macaroni roast mutton. patés in paste. of veal. sideboard--salad, brocoli, mashed potatoes, cold pie, potted meats. second course. orange jelly. peahen, plum puddings. larded. +----------+ | | stewed truffles. | plateau. | blancmange. | | +----------+ tart, two eggs, with sponge cake, wild fowls. white sauce, with custard. cheesecakes. sideboard, sea kale, pickles, greens, potatoes. third course. gruyère--schabzieger. butter. celery. grated parmesan. +----------+ | | radishes. | plateau. | cheese in | | square pieces. +----------+ salad. dessert. ice. biscuits. currants. apricots. various cakes. strawberries. preserved orange. +----------+ | | | plateau. | | | preserved pine. +----------+ cherries. cakes. peaches. gooseberries. wafers. ice. dinner for eight persons. first course. dressed patés of veal asparagus. and ham. fish, removed by loin of mutton, rolled with tomata sauce. +----------+ | | dressed tongues. | plateau. | beef olives. | | stewed spinach. +----------+ soup, removed by roast neck of veal, with rich white sauce and mushrooms. macaroni. stewed spinach. sideboard, a bouilli, a joint, pickles, plain boiled vegetables, &c. second course. stewed pigeons, dressed removed by dressed eggs. a fondu. french beans. +----------+ | | apple tart. | plateau. | four small | | plum puddings. +----------+ roast fowl, fried with dressed ham. artichokes. water cresses, removed by souffle. when a plain roast fowl, there should be on the sideboard egg sauce or bread sauce; if a plain duck, wine sauce or onion sauce. cheese course. various cheeses, bologna sausages, pickles. savoury toasts, &c. &c. dessert. ice cream, removed by a large cake stuck with sweetmeats. oranges. brandy dry preserves. cherries. +----------+ | | | plateau. | | | +----------+ wet preserves. apples. brandy peaches. strawberries. dinner for six persons. first course. asparagus soup, removed by small ham. fish, sea kale, removed by white sauce. roast veal bechamelled. +----------+ | | | plateau. | | | +----------+ stewed turnips, alamode mutton cutlets, browned. beef. sauce piquante. second course. turkey poult stuffed, blancmange. glazed brown, croquets fine rich brown sauce of potatoes. under. +----------+ | | | plateau. | | | +----------+ dressed peas. stewed duck, tart. with truffles, morells, &c. third course. two or three sorts of cheeses (plain), a small fondu, relishes, &c. dessert. ice, brandy peaches. removed by apples. preserved citron. +----------+ | | | plateau. | | | +----------+ large cake oranges. like a hedgehog, dry preserves. stuck with almonds. dinner for four persons. first course. hare soup, removed by fish, removed by bouilli beef. +----------+ | | tendrons de veau. | plateau. | dressed ham. | | brocoli. +----------+ chicken pie second course. raspberry widgeon. stewed cream. french beans. +----------+ | | croquettes | plateau. | tart. of potatoes. | | +----------+ partridge. cheese as usual. dessert. orange chips. dry preserves. wet preserves. wafers. soups. _almond soup._ take lean beef or veal, about eight or nine pounds, and a scrag of mutton; boil them gently in water that will cover them, till the gravy be very strong and the meat very tender; then strain off the gravy and set it on the fire with two ounces of vermicelli, eight blades of mace, twelve cloves, to a gallon. let it boil till it has the flavour of the spices. have ready one pound of the best almonds, blanched and pounded very fine; pound them with the yolks of twelve eggs, boiled hard, mixing as you pound them with a little of the soup, lest the almonds should grow oily. pound them till they are a mere pulp: add a little soup by degrees to the almonds and eggs until mixed together. let the soup be cool when you mix it, and do it perfectly smooth. strain it through a sieve; set it on the fire; stir it frequently; and serve it hot. just before you take it up add a gill of thick cream. _asparagus soup._ put five or six pounds of lean beef, cut in pieces and rolled in flour, into your stewpan, with two or three slices of bacon at the bottom: set it on a slow fire and cover it close, stirring it now and then, till your gravy is drawn; then put in two quarts of water and half a pint of pale ale; cover it close and let it stew gently for an hour. put in some whole pepper and salt to your taste. then strain out the liquor and take off the fat; put in the leaves of white beet, some spinach, some cabbage lettuce, a little mint, sorrel, and sweet marjoram, pounded; let these boil up in your liquor. then put in your green tops of asparagus, cut small, and let them boil till all is tender. serve hot, with the crust of a french roll in the dish. _another._ boil three half pints of winter split peas; rub them through a sieve; add a little gravy; then stew by themselves the following herbs:--celery, a few young onions, a lettuce, cut small, and about half a pint of asparagus, cut small, like peas, and stewed with the rest; colour the soup of a pea green with spinach juice; add half a pint of cream or good milk, and serve up. _calf's head soup._ take a knuckle of veal, and put as much water to it as will make a good soup; let it boil, skimming it very well. add two carrots, three anchovies, a little mace, pepper, celery, two onions, and some sweetherbs. let it boil to a good soup, and strain it off. put to it a full half pint of madeira wine; take a good many mushrooms, stew them in their own liquor; add this sauce to your soup. scald the calf's head as for a hash; cut it in the same manner, but smaller; flour it a little, and fry it of a fine brown. then put the soup and fried head together into a stewpan, with some oysters and mushrooms, and let them stew gently for an hour. _carrot soup._ take about two pounds of veal and the same of lean beef; make it into a broth or gravy, and put it by until wanted. take a quarter of a pound of butter, four large fine carrots, two turnips, two parsnips, two heads of celery, and four onions; stew these together about two hours, and shake it often that they may not burn to the stewpan; then add the broth made as above, boiling hot, in quantity to your own judgment, and as you like it for thickness. it should be of about the consistency of pea-soup. pass it through a tamis. season to your taste. _another._ take four pounds of beef, a scrag of mutton, about a dozen large carrots, four onions, some pepper and salt; put them into a gallon of water, and boil very gently for four hours. strain the meat, and take the carrots and rub them very smooth through a hair sieve, adding the gravy by degrees till about as thick as cream. the gravy must have all the fat taken off before it is added to the carrots. turnip soup is made in the same way. _clear soup._ take six pounds of gravy beef; cut it small, put it into a large stewpan, with onions, carrots, turnips, celery, a small bunch of herbs, and one cup of water. stew these on the fire for an hour, then add nine pints of boiling water; let it boil for six hours, strain it through a fine sieve, and let it stand till next day; take off the fat; put it into a clean stewpan, set it on the fire till it is quite hot; then break three eggs into a basin, leaving the shells with them. add this to the soup by degrees; cover close till it boils; then strain it into a pan through a fine cloth. when the eggs are well beaten, a little hot soup must be added by degrees, and beaten up before it is put into the stewpan with the whole of the soup. _clear herb soup._ put celery, leeks, carrots, turnips, cabbage lettuce, young onions, all cut fine, with a handful of young peas: give them a scald in boiling water; put them on a sieve to drain, and then put them into a clear consommé, and let them boil slowly till the roots are quite tender. season with a little salt. when going to table put a little crust of french roll in it. _cod's head soup._ take six large onions, cut them in slices, and put them in a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of the freshest butter. set it in a stove to simmer for an hour, covered up close; take the head, and with a knife and fork pick all the fins you can get off the fish. put this in a dish, dredge it well with flour, and let it stand. take all the bones of the head and the remainder, and boil them on the fire for an hour, with an english pint of water. strain off the liquor through a sieve, and put it to your onions; take a good large handful of parsley, well washed and picked clean; chop it as fine as possible; put it in the soup; let it just boil, otherwise it will make it yellow. add a little cayenne pepper, two spoonfuls of anchovy, a little soy, a little of any sort of ketchup, and a table-spoonful of vinegar. then put the fish that has been set aside on the plate into the stewpan to the soup, and let it simmer for ten minutes. if not thick enough add a small piece of butter rolled in flour. _crawfish soup._ boil off your crawfish; take the tails out of the shells; roast a couple of lobsters; beat these with your crawfish shells; put this into your fish stock, with some crusts of french rolls. rub the whole through a tamis, and put your tails into it. you may farce a carp and put in the middle, if you please, or farce some of the shells and stick on a french roll. _crawfish, or lobster soup._ take some middling and small fishes, and put them in a gallon of water, with pepper, salt, cloves, mace, sweetherbs, and onions; boil them to pieces, and strain them out of the liquor. then take a large fish, cut the flesh off one side, make forcemeat of it, and lay it on the fish; dredge grated bread in it, and butter a dish well; put it in the oven and bake it. then take one hundred crawfish, break the shells of the tails and claws, take out the meat as whole as you can; pound the shells and add the spawn of a lobster pounded; put them into the soup, and, if you like, a little veal gravy; give them a boil or two together. strain the liquor off into another saucepan, with the tops of french bread, dried, beat fine, and sifted. give it a boil to thicken; then brown some butter, and put in the tails and claws of the crawfish, and some of the forcemeat made into balls. lay the baked fish in the middle of the dish, pour the soup boiling hot on it; if you like, add yolks of eggs, boiled hard, pounded, and mixed by degrees with the soup. _curry or mulligatawny soup._ boil a large chicken or fowl in a pint of water till half done; add a table-spoonful of curry powder, with the juice of one lemon and a half; boil it again gently till the meat is done. for a large party you must double the quantity of all the articles, and always proportion the water to the quantity of gravy you think the meat will yield. _eel soup._ take two pounds of eels; put to them two quarts of water, a crust of bread, two or three blades of mace, some whole pepper, one onion, and a bunch of sweet herbs. cover them close, and let them stew till the liquor is reduced to one half, and if the soup is not rich enough it must boil till it is stronger.--then strain it, toast some bread, and cut it in small. this soup will be as good as if meat were put into it. a pound of eels makes a pint of soup. _fish soup._ stew the heads, tails, and fins, of any sort of flat fish or haddock. strain and thicken with a little flour and butter; add pepper, salt, anchovy, and ketchup, to taste. cut the fish in thick pieces, and let them stew gently till done. _french soup._ take the scrag end of a neck of mutton, or two pounds of any meat, and make it into very strong broth; then take one large cabbage, three lettuces, three carrots, one root of celery, and two onions; cut them all small, and fry them with butter. pour your broth upon your vegetables a little at a time, cover it up close, and let it stew three hours or more. serve with the vegetables. _friar's chicken._ stew a knuckle of veal, a neck of mutton, a large fowl, two pounds of giblets, two large onions, two bunches of turnips, one bunch of carrots, a bunch of thyme, and another of sage, eight hours over a very slow stove, till every particle of juice is extracted from the meat and vegetables. take it off the stove, pass it through a hair tamis; have ready a pound of grated veal, or, what is better, of grated chicken, with a large bunch of parsley, chopped very fine and mingled with it. put this into the broth; set it on the stove again, and while there break four raw eggs into it. stir the whole for about a quarter of an hour and serve up hot. _giblet soup._ no. . take the desired quantity of strong beef gravy; add to it a few slices of veal fried in butter; take a piece of butter rolled in flour, and with it fry some sliced onion and thyme; when made brown, add it to the soup. when sufficiently stewed, strain and put to it two spoonfuls of ketchup, a few spoonfuls of madeira, and a little lemon juice. the giblets being separately stewed in a pint of water, add their gravy to the soup. _giblet soup._ no. . parboil the giblets, and pour the water from them; put them into fresh water or thin gravy, with a large onion stuck with cloves; season it to your taste; boil them till the flesh comes from the bones. mix the yolk of an egg with flour into a paste; roll it two or three times over with a rollingpin; cut it in pieces, and thicken the soup with it. _giblet soup._ no. . take three pair of goose giblets; scald and cut them as for stewing; set them on the fire in three quarts of water, and when the scum rises skim them well: put in a bundle of sweet herbs, some cloves, mace, and allspice, tied in a bag, with some pepper and salt. stew them very gently till nearly tender: mix a quarter of a pound of butter with flour, and put it in, with half a pint of white wine, and a little cayenne pepper. stew them till thick and smooth; take out the herbs and spices; skim well; boil the livers in a quart of water till tender, and put in. serve up in a terrine or dish. _gravy soup._ no. . put two pounds of gravy beef, cut in small pieces, with pepper, salt, some whole pepper, and a piece of butter, the size of a walnut, into a stewpan. when drawn to a good gravy, pour in three quarts of boiling water; add some mace, four heads of celery, one carrot, and three or four onions. let them stew gently about an hour and a half; then strain; add an ounce and half of vermicelli, and let it stew about ten minutes longer. _gravy soup._ no. . take two ox melts, cut them in pieces, season them with pepper and salt, and dredge them with flour. shred two large onions, fry them of a nice brown colour, put them at the bottom of the saucepan with a piece of butter. take one ox rump, stew it with carrots and celery and twelve allspice. then put all together and strain well. this quantity will make three quarts. you may send the ox rump to table in the soup, if approved. two carrots and two heads of celery will be sufficient. _gravy soup._ no. . cut the lean part of a shin of beef, the same of a knuckle of veal, and set the bones of both on the fire, in two gallons of water, to make broth. put the meat in a stewpan; add some lean bacon or ham, one carrot, two turnips, two heads of celery, two large onions, a bunch of sweet herbs, some whole pepper, two race of ginger, six cloves. set these over the fire, let it draw till all the gravy is dried up to a nice brown; then add the broth that is made with the bones. let it boil slowly four or five hours. make the soup the day before you want to use it, that you may take the fat clean from the top, also the sediment from the bottom. have ready some turnips, carrots, and cabbage lettuces, cut small, and one pint of young peas; add these to your soup; let it boil one hour, and it will be ready, with salt to your taste. _hare soup._ skin the hare, and wash the inside well. separate the limbs, legs, shoulders, and back; put them into a stewpan, with two glasses of port wine, an onion stuck with four cloves, a bundle of parsley, a little thyme, some sweet basil and marjoram, a pinch of salt, and cayenne pepper. set the whole over a slow fire, and let it simmer for an hour; then add a quart of beef gravy and a quart of veal gravy; let the whole simmer gently till the hare is done. strain the meat; then pass the soup through a sieve, and put a penny roll to soak in the broth. take all the flesh of the hare from the bones, and pound it in a mortar, till fine enough to be rubbed through a sieve, taking care that none of the bread remains in it. thicken the broth with the meat of the hare; rub it all together till perfectly fine, like melted butter, not thicker; heat it, and serve it up very hot. be careful not to let it boil, as that will spoil it. _another._ half roast a good-sized hare; cut the back and legs in square pieces; stew the remaining part with five pints of good broth, a bunch of sweet herbs, three blades of mace, three large shalots, shred fine, two large onions, one head of celery, one dozen white pepper, eight cloves, and a slice of ham. simmer the whole together three hours; then strain and rub it through a hair sieve with a wooden spoon; return the gravy into a stewpan; throw in the back and legs, and let it simmer three quarters of an hour before you send it to table. _hessian soup._ take seven pints of water, one pint of split peas, one pound of lean beef, cut into small slices, three quarters of a pound of potatoes, three ounces of ground rice, two heads of celery, two onions, or leeks. season with pepper and salt, and dried mint, according to your taste. let it all boil slowly together till reduced to five pints. _another._ one pound of beef, one pint of split peas, three turnips, four ounces ground rice, three potatoes, three onions, one head of celery, seven pints of water. boil till reduced to six pints; then strain it through a hair sieve, with a little whole pepper. _mock turtle soup._ no. . take a calf's head, very white and very fresh, bone the nose part of it; put the head into some warm water to discharge the blood; squeeze the flesh with your hand to ascertain that it is all thoroughly out; blanch the head in boiling water. when firm, put it into cold water, which water must be prepared as follows: cut half a pound of fat bacon, a pound of beef suet, an onion stuck with two cloves, two thick slices of lemon; put these into a vessel, with water enough to contain the head; boil the head in this, and take it off when boiled, leaving it to cool. then make your sauce in the following manner: put into a stewpan a pound of ham cut into slices; put over the ham two knuckles of veal, two large onions, and two carrots; moisten with some of the broth in which you have boiled the head to half the depth of the meat only; cover the stewpan, and set it on a slow fire to sweat through; let the broth reduce to a good rich colour; turn up the meat for fear of burning. when you have a very good colour, moisten with the whole remaining broth from the head; season with a very large bundle of sweet herbs, sweet basil, sweet marjoram, lemon-thyme, common thyme, two cloves, and a bay leaf, a few allspice, parsley, and green onions and mushrooms. let the whole boil together for one hour; then drain it. put into a stewpan a quarter of a pound of very fresh butter, let it melt over a very slow fire; put to this butter as much flour as it can receive till the flour has acquired a very good brown colour; moisten this gradually with the broth till you have employed it all; add half a bottle of good white wine; let the sauce boil that the flour may be well done; take off all the scum and fat; pass it through a sieve. cut the meat off the calf's head in pieces of about an inch square; put them to boil in the sauce; season with salt, a little cayenne pepper, and lemon juice. throw in some forcemeat balls, made according to direction, and a few hard yolks of eggs, and serve up hot. _mock turtle._ no. . take a calf's head with the skin on; let it be perfectly well cleaned and scalded, if it is sent otherwise from the butcher's. you should examine and see that it is carefully done, and that it looks white and clean, by raising the skin from the bone with a knife. boil it about twenty minutes; put it in cold water for about ten minutes; take the skin clean from the flesh, and cut it in square pieces. cut the tongue out, and boil it until it will peel; then cut it in small pieces, and put it all together. line the bottom of a soup-pot with slices of ham, a bay-leaf, a bunch of thyme, some other herbs, and an onion stuck with six cloves. cover all this with a slice of fat bacon, to keep the meat from burning, dry it in a clean cloth, and lay it in the pot with salt, cayenne pepper, and as much mace as will lie on a shilling: and cover the meat over with the parings of the head, and some slices of veal. add to it a pint of good strong broth; put the cover over the pot as close as possible, and let it simmer two hours. when the head is tender, make the browning as follows: put into a stewpan a good quarter of a pound of butter; as it boils, dredge in a very little flour, keeping it stirring, and throw in by degrees an onion chopped very fine, a little thyme, parsley, &c. picked, also chopped very fine. put them in by degrees, stirring all the time; then add a pint of good strong broth, a pint of good madeira wine, and all the liquor with your meat in the stewpot. let them boil all together, till the spirit of the wine is evaporated, for that should not predominate. add the juice of two or three large lemons; then put in the head, tongue, &c.; skim the fat off as it rises. dish it very hot; add forcemeat balls and hard eggs, made thus: take six or eight and boil them hard; then take the yolks, and pound them in a mortar with a dust of flour, and half or more of a raw egg, (beaten up) as you may judge sufficient. rub it all to a paste; add a little salt; then roll them into little eggs, and add them, with the forcemeat balls, to the turtle when you dish it. _mock turtle._ no. . neat's feet instead of calf's head; that is, two calf's feet and two neat's feet. _mock turtle._ no. . two neat's and two calf's feet cut into pieces an inch long, and put into two quarts of strong mutton gravy, with a pint of madeira. take three dozen oysters, four anchovies, two onions, some lemon-peel, and mace, with a few sweet herbs; shred all very fine, with half a tea-spoonful of cayenne pepper, and add them to the feet. let all stew together two hours and a quarter. just before you send it to table, add the juice of two small lemons, and put forcemeat balls and hard eggs to it. _mulligatawny soup._ no. . cut in pieces three fowls; reserve the best pieces of one of them for the terrine; cut the remainder very small: add to them a pound of lean ham, some garlic, bay-leaves, spices, whole mace, peppercorns, onions, pickles of any kind that are of a hot nature, and about four table-spoonfuls of good curry-powder. cover the ingredients with four quarts of strong veal stock, and boil them till the soup is well flavoured: then strain that to the fowl you have reserved, which must be fried with onions. simmer the whole till quite tender, and serve it up with plain boiled rice. _mulligatawny soup._ no. . boil a knuckle of veal of about five pounds weight; let it stand till cold; then strain, and fry it in a little butter. strain the liquor, and leave it till cold; take the fat off. fry four onions brown in butter, add four dessert spoonfuls of curry-powder, a little turmeric, a little cayenne; put all these together in the soup. let it simmer for two hours, and if not then thick enough, add a little suet and flour, and plain boiled rice to eat with it; and there should be a chicken or fowl, half roasted, and cut up in small pieces, then fried in butter of a light brown colour, and put into the soup instead of the veal, as that is generally too much boiled. _mulligatawny soup._ no. . have some good broth made, chiefly of the knuckle of veal: when cold skim the fat off well, and pass the broth when in a liquid state through the sieve. cut a chicken or rabbit into joints, (chicken or turkey is preferable to rabbit,) fry it well, with four or five middle-sized onions shred fine; shake a table-spoonful of curry-powder over it, and put it into the broth. let it simmer three hours, and serve it up with a seasoning of cayenne pepper. _onion soup._ no. . take twelve large spanish onions, slice and fry them in good butter. let them be done very brown, but not to burn, which they are apt to do when they are fried. put to them two quarts of boiling water, or weak veal broth; pepper and salt to your taste. let them stew till they are quite tender and almost dissolved; then add crumbs of bread made crisp, sufficient to make it of a proper thickness. serve hot. _onion soup._ no. . boil three pounds of veal with a handful of sweet herbs, and a little mace; when well boiled strain it through a sieve, skim off all the fat. pare twenty-five onions; boil them soft, rub them through a sieve, and mix them with the veal gravy and a pint of cream, salt, and cayenne pepper, to your taste. give it a boil and serve up; but do not put in the cream till it comes off the fire. _onion soup._ no. . take two quarts of strong broth made of beef; twelve onions; cut these in four quarters, lay them in water an hour to soak. brown four ounces of butter, put the onions into it, with some pepper and salt, cover them close, and let them stew till tender: cut a french loaf into slices, or sippets, and fry them in fresh butter; put them into your dish, and boil your onions and butter in your soup. when done enough, squeeze in the juice of a lemon, and pour it into your dish with the fried sippets. you may add poached eggs, if it pleases your palate. _ox head soup._ bone the head and cut it in pieces; wash it extremely clean from the blood; set it on the fire in three gallons of water. put in a dozen onions, eight turnips, six anchovies, and a bundle of sweet herbs. let all stew together very gently, till it is quite tender. carefully skim off all the fat as it boils, but do not stir it. take cabbage lettuce, celery, chervil, and turnips, all boiled tender and cut small; put them into the soup, and let them boil all together half an hour. _another._ to half an ox's head put three gallons of water, and boil it three hours. clean and cut it small and fine; let it stew for an hour with one pint of water, which must be put to it boiling; then add the three gallons boiling. _green pea soup._ no. . take a knuckle of veal of about four pounds, chop it in pieces, and set it on the fire in about six quarts of water, with a small piece of lean ham, three or four blades of mace, the same of cloves, about two dozen peppercorns, white and black, a small bundle of sweet herbs and parsley, and a crust of french roll toasted crisp. cover close, and let it boil very gently over a slow fire till reduced to one half; then strain it off, and add a full pint of young green peas, a fine lettuce, cut small, four heads of celery, washed and cut small, about a quarter of a pound of fresh butter made hot, with a very little flour dredged into it, and some more lettuce cut small and thrown in. just fry it a little; put it into the soup; cover it close, and let it stew gently over a slow fire two hours. have a pint of old peas boiled in a pint of water till they are very tender, then pulp them through a sieve; add it to the soup, and let it all boil together, putting in a very little salt. there should be two quarts. toast or fry some crust of french roll in dice. _green pea soup._ no. . put one quart of old green peas into a gallon of water, with a bunch of mint, a crust of bread, and two pounds of fresh meat of any sort. when these have boiled gently for three hours, strain the pulp through a colander; then fry spinach, lettuce, beet, and green onions, of each a handful, not too small, in butter, and one pint of green peas, boiled; pepper and salt. mix all together, and let them just boil. the spinach must not be fried brown, but kept green. _green pea soup._ no. . boil the shells of your youngest peas in water till all the sweetness is extracted from them; then strain, and in that liquor boil your peas for the soup, with whole pepper and salt. when boiled, put them through a colander; have ready the young peas boiled by themselves; put a good piece of butter in a frying-pan with some flour, and into that some lettuce and spinach; fry it till it looks green, and put it into the soup with the young peas. when the greens are tender, it is done enough. _green pea soup._ no. . boil a quart of old peas in five quarts of water, with one onion, till they are soft; then work them through a sieve.--put the pulp in the water in which the peas were boiled, with half a pint of young peas, and two cabbage lettuces, cut in slices; then let it boil half an hour; pepper and salt, to your taste.--add a small piece of butter, mixed with flour, and one tea-spoonful of loaf sugar. _green pea soup._ no. . make a good stock for your soup of beef, mutton, and veal; season to your palate; let it stand till cold, then take off all the fat. take some old peas, boil them in water, with a sprig of mint and a large lettuce, strain them through a sieve; mix them with your soup till of proper thickness. then add three quarters of a pint of cream; simmer it up together, and have ready half a pint of young peas, or asparagus, ready boiled to throw in. if the soup is not of a fine green, pound some spinach, and put in a little of the juice, but not too much. _green pea soup._ no. . take a quart of old peas, three or four cabbage lettuces, two heads of celery, two leeks, one carrot, two or three turnips, two or three old onions, and a little spinach that has been boiled; put them over the fire with some good consommé, and let them do gently, till all are very tender. rub the whole through a tamis, or hair-sieve; put it in the pot. have about half a pint of very young peas, and the hearts of two cabbage lettuces, cut fine and stewed down in a little broth. put all together, with a small faggot of mint, and let it boil gently, skimming it well. when going to table, put into it fried bread, in dice, or crust of french roll. this quantity will be sufficient for a terrine. _winter pea soup._ take two quarts of old peas, a lettuce, a small bit of savoury, a handful of spinach, a little parsley, a cucumber, a bit of hock of bacon; stew all together till tender. rub the whole through a colander; add to it some good gravy, and a little cayenne or common pepper. these quantities will be sufficient for a large terrine. send it up hot with fried bread. _pea soup._ no. . take two pints of peas, one pound of bacon, two bunches of carrots and onions, two bunches of parsley and thyme; moisten the whole with cold water, and let them boil for four hours, adding more water to them if necessary. when quite done, pound them in a mortar, and then rub them through a sieve with the liquor in which they have been boiling. add a quart of the mixed jelly soup, boil it all together, and leave it on a corner of the fire till served. it must be thick and smooth as melted butter, and care taken throughout that it does not burn. _pea soup._ no. . take about three or four pounds of lean beef; cut it in pieces and set it on the fire in three gallons of water, with nearly one pound of ham, a small bundle of sweet herbs, another of mint, and forty peppercorns. wash a bunch of celery clean, put in the green tops; then add a quart of split peas. cover it close, and let the whole boil gently till two parts out of three are wasted. strain it off, and work it through a colander; put it into a clean saucepan with five or six heads of celery, washed and cut very small; cover it close, and let it stew till reduced to about three quarts: then cut some fat and lean bacon in dice, fry them just crisp; do the same by some bread, and put both into the soup. season it with salt to your taste. when it is in the terrine, rub a little dried mint over it. if you chuse it, boil an ox's palate tender, cut it in dice, and put in, also forcemeat balls. _pea soup._ no. . to a quart of split peas put three quarts of water, two good turnips, one large head of celery, four onions, one blade of ginger, one spoonful of flour of mustard, and a small quantity of cayenne, black pepper, and salt. let it boil over a slow fire till it is reduced to two quarts; then work it through a colander with a wooden spoon. set it on the fire, and let it boil up; add a quarter of a pound of butter mixed with flour; beat up the yolks of three eggs, and stir it well in the soup. gut a slice of bread into small dice; fry them of a light brown; put them into your soup-dish, and pour the soup over them. _pea soup._ no. . boil one onion and one quart of peas in three quarts of water till they are soft; then work them through a hair sieve. mix the pulp with the water in which the peas were boiled; set it over the fire and let it boil; add two cabbage lettuces, cut in slices, half a pint of young peas, and a little salt. let it boil quickly half an hour; mix a little butter and flour, and boil in the soup. _portable soup._ strip all the skin and fat off a leg of veal; then cut all the fleshy parts from the bone, and add a shin of beef, which treat in the same way; boil it slowly in three gallons of water or more according to the quantity of the meat; let the pot be closely covered: when you find it, in a spoon, very strong and clammy, like a rich jelly, take it off and strain it through a hair sieve into an earthen pan. after it is thoroughly cold, take off any fat that may remain, and divide your jelly clear of the bottom into small flatfish cakes in chinaware cups covered. then place these cups in a large deep stewpan of boiling water over a stove fire, where let it boil gently till the jelly becomes a perfect glue; but take care the water does not get into the cups, for that will spoil it all. these cups of glue must be taken out, and, when cold, turn out the glue into a piece of new coarse flannel, and in about six hours turn it upon more fresh flannel, and keep doing this till it is perfectly dry--if you then lay it by in a dry warm place, it will presently become like a dry piece of glue. when you use it in travelling, take a piece the size of a large walnut, seasoning it with fresh herbs, and if you can have an old fowl, or a very little bit of fresh meat, it will be excellent. _potato soup._ five large carrots, two turnips, three large mealy potatoes, seven onions, three heads of celery; slice them all thin, with a handful of sweet herbs; put them into one gallon of water, with bones of beef, or a piece of mutton; let them simmer gently till the vegetables will pulp through a sieve. add cayenne pepper, salt, a pint of milk, or half a pint of cream, with a small piece of butter beaten up with flour. _rabbit soup._ one large rabbit, one pound of lean ham, one onion, one turnip, and some celery, two quarts of water; let them boil till the rabbit is tender. strain off the liquor; boil a pint of cream, and add it to the best part of the rabbit pounded; if not of the thickness you wish, add some flour and butter, and rub it through a sieve. it must not be boiled after the cream is added. _root soup._ potatoes, french turnips, english turnips, carrots, celery, of each six roots; pare and wash them; add three or four onions; set them on the fire with the bones of a rump of beef, or, if you have no such thing, about two pounds of beef, or any other beef bones. chop them up, and put them on the fire with water enough to cover them; let them stew very gently till the roots are all tender enough to rub through a sieve. this done, cut a few roots of celery small, and put it to the strained soup. season it with pepper and salt, and stew it gently till the celery is tender; then serve it with toast or fried bread. a bundle of herbs may be boiled in it, just to flavour it, and then taken out. _scotch leek soup._ you make this soup to most advantage the day after a leg of mutton has been boiled, into the liquor from which put four large leeks, cut in pieces. season with pepper and salt, and let it boil gently for a quarter of an hour. mix half a pint of oatmeal with cold water till quite smooth; pour this into the soup; let it simmer gently half an hour longer; and serve it up. _to brown or colour soup._ to brown soup, take two lumps of loaf-sugar in an iron spoon; let it stand on the stove till it is quite black, and put it into soup. _seasoning for soups and brown sauces._ salt a bullock's liver, pressing it thoroughly with a great weight for four days. take ginger and every sort of spice that is used to meat, and half a pound of brown sugar, a good quantity of saltpetre, and a pound of juniper-berries. rub the whole in thoroughly, and let it lie six weeks in the liquor, boiling and skimming every three days, for an hour or two, till the liver becomes as hard as a board. then steep it in the smoke liquor that is used for hams, and afterwards hang it up to smoke for a considerable time. when used, cut slices as thin as a wafer, and stew them down with the jelly of which you make your sauce or soup, and it will give a delightful flavour. _soup._ no. . a quarter of a pound of portable soup, that is, one cake, in two quarts of boiling water; vegetables to be stewed separately, and added after the soup is dissolved. _soup._ no. . take a piece of beef about a stone weight, and a knuckle of veal, eight or ten onions, a bunch of thyme and parsley, an ounce of allspice, ten cloves, some whole pepper and salt; boil all these till the meat is all to pieces. strain and take off the fat. make about a quart of brown beef gravy with some of your broth; then take half a pound of butter and a good handful of flour mixed together, put it into a stewpan, set it over a slow fire, keeping it stirring till very brown; have ready what herbs you design for your soup, either endive or celery; chop them, but not too small; if you wish for a fine soup add a palate and sweetbreads, the palate boiled tender, and the sweetbreads fried, and both cut into small pieces. put these, with herbs, into brown butter; put in as much of your broth as you intend for your soup, which must be according to the size of your dish. give them a boil or two, then put in a quart of your gravy, and put all in a pot, with a fowl, or what you intend to put in your dish. cover it close, and, let it boil an hour or more on a slow fire. should it not be seasoned enough, add more salt, or what you think may be necessary: a fowl, or partridge, or squab pigeons, are best boiled in soup and to lie in the dish with it. _soup._ no. . cut three pounds of beef and one pound of veal in slices and beat it. put half a pound of butter and a piece of bacon in your pan, brown it, and sprinkle in half a spoonful of flour. cut two onions in; add pepper and salt, a bit of mace, and some herbs, then put in your meat, and fry it till it is brown on both sides. have in readiness four quarts of boiling water, and a saucepan that will hold both water and what is in your frying-pan. cover it close; set it over a slow fire and stew it down, till it is wasted to about five pints; then strain it off, and add to it what soup-herbs you like, according to your palate. celery and endive must be first stewed in butter; and peas and asparagus first boiled, and well drained from the butter, before you put it to the soup. stew it some time longer, and skim off all the fat; then take a french roll, which put in your soup-dish; pour in your soup, and serve it up. just before you take it off the fire, squeeze in the juice of a lemon. if veal alone is used, and fowl or chicken boiled in it and taken out when enough done, and the liquor strained, and the fowl or chicken put to the clear liquor, with vermicelli, you will have a fine white soup; and the addition of the juice of a lemon is a great improvement. the french cooks put in chervil and french turnips, lettuce, sorrel, parsley, beets, a little bit of carrot, a little of parsnips, this last must not boil too long--all to be strained off: to be sent up with celery, endive (or peas) or asparagus, and stuffed cucumbers. _soup without meat._ take two quarts of water, a little pepper, salt, and jamaica pepper, a blade of mace, ten or twelve cloves, three or four onions, a crust of bread, and a bunch of sweet herbs; boil all these well. take the white of two or three heads of endive, chopped, but not too small. put three quarters of a pound of butter in a stewpan that will be large enough to hold all your liquor. set it on a quick fire till it becomes very brown; then put a little of your liquor to prevent its turning, or oiling; shake in as much flour as will make it rather thick; then put in the endive and an onion shred small, stirring it well. strain all your liquor, and put it to the butter and herbs; let it stew over a slow fire almost an hour. dry a french roll, and let it remain in it till it is soaked through, and lay it in your dish with the soup. you may make this soup with asparagus, celery, or green peas, but they must be boiled before you put them to the burnt butter. _soup for the poor._ eight pails of water, two quarts of barley, four quarts of split peas, one bushel of potatoes, half a bushel of turnips, half a bushel of carrots, half a peck of onions, one ounce of pepper, two pounds of salt, an ox's head, parsley, herbs, boiled six hours, produce one hundred and thirty pints. boil the meat and take off the first scum before the other ingredients are put in. _another._ to feed one hundred and thirty persons, take five quarts of scotch barley, one quart of scotch oatmeal, one bushel of potatoes, a bullock's head, onions, &c., one pound and half of salt. _soup and bouilli_ may be made of ox-cheek, stewed gently for some hours, and well skimmed from the fat, and again when cold. small suet dumplings are added when heated for table as soup. _soupe à la reine, or queen's soup._ soak a knuckle of veal and part of a neck of mutton in water; put them in a pot with liquor, carrots, turnips, thyme, parsley, and onions. boil and scum it; then season with a head or two of celery; boil this down; take half a pound of blanched almonds, and beat them; take two fowls, half roasted, two sweetbreads set off; beat these in a mortar, put them in your stock, with the crumbs of two french rolls; then rub them through a tamis and serve up. _another._ for a small terrine take about three quarters of a pound of almonds; blanch, and pound them very fine. cut up a fowl, leaving the breast whole, and stew in consommé. when the breast is tender, take it out, (leaving the other parts to stew with the consommé) pound it well with the almonds and three hard-boiled yolks of eggs, and take it out of the mortar. strain the consommé, and put it, when the fat is skimmed off, to the almonds, &c. have about a quarter of a pint of scotch barley boiled very tender, add it to the other ingredients, put them into a pot with the consommé, and stir it over the fire till it is boiling hot and well mixed. rub it through a tamis, and season it with a little salt; it must not boil after being rubbed through. _soupe maigre._ no. . take the white part of eight loaved lettuces, cut them as small as dice, wash them and strain them through a sieve. pick a handful of purslain and half a handful of parsley, wash and drain them. cut up six large cucumbers in slices about the thickness of a crown-piece. peel and mince four large onions, and have in readiness three pints of young green peas. put half a pound of fresh butter into your stewpan; brown it of a high colour, something like that of beef gravy. put in two ounces of lean bacon cut clean from the rind, add all your herbs, peas, and cucumbers, and thirty corns of whole pepper; let these stew together for ten minutes; keep stirring to prevent burning. put one gallon of boiling water to a gallon of small broth, and a french roll cut into four pieces toasted of a fine yellow brown. cover your stewpan, and let it again stew for two hours. add half a drachm of beaten mace, one clove beaten, and half a grated nutmeg, and salt to your taste. let it boil up, and squeeze in the juice of a lemon. send it to table with all the bread and the herbs that were stewed in it. _soupe maigre._ no. . take of every vegetable you can get, excepting cabbage, in such quantity as not to allow any one to predominate; cut them small and fry them brown in butter; add a little water, and thicken with flour and butter. let this stew three hours very gently; and season to your taste. the french add french rolls. _soupe maigre._ no. . half a pound of butter, put in a stewpan over the fire, and let it brown. cut two or three onions in slices, two or three heads of celery, two handfuls of spinach, a cabbage, two turnips, a little parsley, three cabbage lettuces, a little spice, pepper and salt. stew all these about half an hour; then add about two quarts of water, and let it simmer till all the roots are tender. put in the crust of a french roll, and send it to table. _soupe maigre._ no. . cut three carrots, three turnips, three heads of celery, three leeks, six onions, and two cabbage lettuces in small pieces; put them in your stewpan with a piece of butter, the size of an egg, a pint of dried or green peas, and two quarts of water, with a little pepper and salt. simmer the whole over the fire till tender; then rub it through a sieve or tamis; add some rice, and let it simmer an hour before you serve it up. _soupe maigre._ no. . take three carrots, three turnips, three heads of celery, three leeks, six onions, two cabbage lettuces; cut them all in small pieces, and put them in your stewpan, with a piece of butter about the size of an egg, and a pint of dried or green peas, and two quarts of water. simmer them over the fire till tender, then rub through a sieve or tamis. add some rice, and let it simmer an hour before you serve it up. _soupe santé, or wholesome soup._ take beef and veal cut in thin slices; put sliced turnips, carrots, onions, bacon, in the bottom of your stewpan; lay your meat upon these, and over it some thin thyme, parsley, a head or two of celery. cover the whole down; set it over a charcoal fire; draw it down till it sticks to the bottom; then fill up with the above stock. let it boil slowly till the goodness is extracted from your meat; then strain it off. cut and wash some celery, endive, sorrel, a little chervil, spinach, and a piece of leek; put these in a stewpan, with a bit of butter. stew till tender, then put this in your soup; give it a boil up together, and skim the fat off. cut off the crust of french rolls; dry and soak them in some of your soup; put them into it, and serve your soup. _spanish soup._ put the scrag end of a neck of veal, two calves' feet, two pounds of fresh beef, one old fowl, into a pot well tinned, with six quarts of water, and a little salt, to raise the scum, which must be very carefully taken off. let these boil very gently two hours and a half, till the water is reduced to four quarts; then take out all the meat, strain the broth, and put to it a small quantity of pepper, mace, cloves, and cinnamon, finely pounded, with four or five cloves of garlic. a quarter of an hour afterwards add eight or ten ounces of rice, with six ounces of ham or bacon, and a drachm of saffron put into a muslin bag. observe to keep it often stirred after the rice is in, till served up. it will be ready an hour and a half after the saffron is in. you should put a fowl into it an hour before it is ready, and serve it up whole in the soup. this soup will keep two or three days. _turnip soup._ make a good strong gravy of beef or mutton; let it stand till cold; take off all the fat; pare some turnips and slice them thin; stew them till tender, then strain them through a sieve; mix the pulp with the gravy, till of a proper thickness:--then add three quarters of a pint of cream; boil it up, and send it to table. _veal soup._ take a knuckle of veal, and chop it into small pieces; set it on the fire with four quarts of water, pepper, mace, a few herbs, and one large onion. stew it five or six hours; then strain off the spice, and put in a pint of green peas until tender. take out the small bones, and send the rest up with the soup. _vegetable soup._ no. . take a quart of beef jelly and the same quantity of veal jelly: boil it, have some carrots and turnips, cut small, previously boiled in a little of the jelly; throw them in, and serve it up hot. _vegetable soup._ no. . take two cabbage and two coss lettuces, one hard cabbage, six onions, one large carrot, two turnips, three heads of celery, a little tarragon, chervil, parsley, and thyme, chopped fine, and a little flour fried in a quarter of a pound of butter (or less will do). then add three quarts of boiling water; boil it for two hours, stir it well, and add, before sending it to table, some crumbs of stale bread: the upper part of the loaf is best. _vegetable soup._ no. . let a quantity of dried peas (split peas), or haricots, (lentils) be boiled in common water till they are quite tender; let them then be gradually passed through a sieve with distilled water, working the mixture with a wooden spoon, to make what the french call a _puré_: and let it be made sufficiently liquid with distilled water to bear boiling down. then let a good quantity of fresh vegetables, of any or all kinds in their season, especially carrots, lettuces, turnips, celery, spinach, with always a few onions, be cut into fine shreds, and put it into common boiling water for three or four minutes to blanch; let them then be taken out with a strainer, added to and mixed with the _puré_, and the whole set to boil gently at the fire for at least two hours. a few minutes before taking the soup from the fire, let it be seasoned to the taste with pepper and salt. the soup, when boiling gently at the fire, should be very frequently stirred, to prevent its sticking to the side of the pan, and acquiring a burnt taste. _vegetable soup._ no. . cut two potatoes, one turnip, two heads of celery, two onions, one carrot, a bunch of sweet herbs; put them all into a stewpan; cover close; draw them gently for twenty minutes, then put two quarts of good broth, let it boil gently, and afterwards simmer for two hours. strain through a fine sieve; put it into your pan again; season with pepper and salt, and let it boil up. _vegetable soup._ no. . take four turnips, two potatoes, three onions, three heads of celery, two carrots, four cabbage lettuces, a bunch of sweet herbs, and parsley. the vegetables must be cut in slices; put them into a stewpan, with half a pint of water; cover them close; set them over the fire for twenty minutes to draw; add three pints of broth or water, and let it boil quickly. when the vegetables are tender rub them through a sieve. if you make the soup with water, add butter, flour, pepper, and salt. let it be of the thickness of good cream, and add some fine crumbs of bread with small dumplings. _vermicelli soup._ break the vermicelli a little, throw it into boiling water, and let it boil about two minutes. strain it in a sieve, and throw it into cold water: then strain and put it into a good clear consommé, and let it boil very slowly about a quarter of an hour. when it is going to table, season with a little salt, and put into it a little crust of french roll. _west india soup, called pepper pot._ a small knuckle of veal and a piece of beef of about three pounds, seven or eight pounds of meat in all; potherbs as for any other soup. when the soup is skimmed and made, strain it off. the first ingredient you add to the soup must be some dried ocre (a west india vegetable), the quantity according to your judgment. it is hard and dry, and therefore requires a great deal of soaking and boiling. then put in the spawn of the lobsters you intend for your soup, first pounding it very fine, and mixing it by degrees with a little of your soup cooled, or it will be lumpy, and not so smooth as it should be. put it into the soup-pot, and continue to stir some time after it is in. take about two middling handfuls of spinach and about six hearts of the inside of very nice greens; scald both greens and spinach before you put them to the soup, to take off the rawness; the greens require most scalding. squeeze them quite dry, chop and put them into the soup; then add all the fat and inside egg and spawn you can get from the lobsters, also the meat out of the tails and claws. add the green tops only of a large bundle of asparagus, of the sort which they call sprew-grass, previously scalded; a few green peas also are very good. after these ingredients are in, the soup should no more than simmer; and when the herbs are sufficiently tender it is done enough. this soup is not to be clear, on the contrary thick with the lobster, and a perfect mash with the lobster and greens. you are to put in lobster to your liking; i generally put in five or six, at least of that part of them which is called fat, egg, and inside spawn, sufficient to make it rich and good. it should look quite yellow with this. put plenty of the white part also, and in order that none of the goodness of the lobsters should be lost, take the shells of those which you have used, bruise them in a mortar, and boil them in some of the broth, to extract what goodness remains; then strain off the liquor and add it to the rest. scoop some potatoes round, half boiling them first, and put into it. season with red pepper. put in a piece of nice pickled pork, which must be first scalded, for fear of its being too salt; stew it with the rest and serve it. _white soup._ no. . take two chickens; skin them; take out the lungs and wash them thoroughly; put them in a stewpan with some parsley. add a quart of veal jelly, and stew them in this for one hour over a very slow fire. then take out the chickens, and put a penny roll to soak in the liquor; take all the flesh of the chickens from the bones, and pound it in a mortar, with the yolk of three eggs boiled hard. add the bread (when soaked enough) and pound it also with them; then rub the whole finely through a sieve. add a quart more jelly to the soup, and strain it through a sieve; then put the chicken to the soup. set a quart of cream on the fire till it boils, stirring it all the time; when ready to serve, pour that into the soup and mix it well together. have ready a little vermicelli, boiled in a little weak broth, to throw into the soup, when put into the terrine. _white soup._ no. . have good stock made of veal and beef; then take about a pound of veal, and the like quantity of ham, cut both into thin slices, and put them into a stewpan, with a pint of water and two onions cut small. set it on the fire and stew it down gently, till it is quite dry, and of a rather light brown colour; then add the stock, and let it all stew till the veal and ham are quite tender. strain it off into the stewpot; add a gill or more of cream, some blanched rice boiled tender, the quantity to your own judgment, the yolks of six eggs beaten up well with a little new milk: let the soup be boiling hot before the eggs are added, which put to it by degrees, keeping it stirring over a slow fire. serve it very hot: to prevent curdling, put the soup-pot into a large pot of boiling water, taking care that not the least drop of water gets in, and so make it boiling hot. _white soup._ no. . cut one pound of veal, or half a fowl, into small pieces; put to it a few sweet herbs, a crust of bread, an ounce of pearl barley well washed. set it over a slow fire, closely covered; let it boil till half is consumed; then strain it and take off the fat. have ready an ounce of sweet almonds blanched, pound them in a marble mortar, adding a little soup to prevent their oiling. mix all together. when you send it up, add one third of new milk or cream, salt and pepper to taste. _white soup._ no. . take a knuckle of veal, and put water according to the quantity of soup you require; let it boil up and skim it; then put in three ounces of lean bacon or ham, with two heads of celery, one carrot, one turnip, two onions, and three or four blades of mace, and boil for three or four hours. when properly boiled, strain it off, taking care to skim off all the fat; then put into it two ounces of rice, well boiled, half a pint of cream beaten up, and five or six yolks of eggs. when ready to serve, pour the soup to the eggs backward and forward to prevent it from curdling, and send it to table. you must boil the soup once after you add the cream, and before you put it to the eggs. three laurel leaves put into it in summer and six in winter make a pleasant addition, instead of sweet almonds. _white soup._ no. . make your stock with veal and chicken, and beat half a pound of almonds in a mortar very fine, with the breast of a fowl. put in some white broth, and strain off. stove it gently, and poach eight eggs, and lay in your soup, with a french roll in the middle, filled with minced chicken or veal, and serve very hot. _white soup._ no. . take a knuckle of veal; stew it with celery, herbs, slices of ham, and a little cayenne and white pepper; season it to your taste. when it is cleared off, add one pound of sweet almonds, a pint of cream, and the yolks of eight eggs, boiled hard and finely bruised. mix these all together in your soup; let it just boil, and send it up hot. you may add a french roll; let it be nicely browned. the ingredients here mentioned will make four quarts. _white soup._ no. . stock from a boiled knuckle of veal, thickened with about two ounces of sweet almonds, beaten to a paste, with a spoonful of water to prevent their oiling; a large slice of dressed veal, and a piece of crumb of bread, soaked in good milk, pounded and rubbed through a sieve; a bit of fresh lemon-peel and a blade of mace in the finest powder. boil all together about half an hour, and stir in about a pint of cream without boiling. broths. _broth for the poor._ a good wholesome broth may be made at a very reasonable rate to feed the poor in the country. the following quantities would furnish a good meal for upwards of fifty persons. take twenty pounds of the very coarse parts of beef, five pounds of whole rice, thirteen gallons of water; boil the meat in the water first, and skim it very well; then put in the rice, some turnips, carrots, leeks, celery, thyme, parsley, and a good quantity of potatoes; add a good handful of salt, and boil them all together till tender. _another._ four hundred quarts of good broth for the poor may be made as follows:--good beef, fifty pounds weight; beeves' cheeks, and legs of beef, five; rice, thirty pounds; peas, twenty-three quarts; black pepper, five ounces and a half; cayenne pepper, half an ounce; ground ginger, two ounces; onions, thirteen pounds; salt, seven pounds and a half; with celery, leeks, carrots, dried mint, and any other vegetable. _broth for the sick._ no. . boil one ounce of very lean veal, fifteen minutes in a little butter, and then add half a pint of water; set it over a very slow fire, with a spoonful of barley and a piece of gum arabic about the size of a nut. _broth for the sick._ no. . put a leg of beef and a scrag of mutton cut in pieces into three or four gallons of water, and let them boil twelve hours, occasionally stirring them well; and cover close. strain the broth, and let it stand till it will form a jelly; then take the fat from the top and the dross from the bottom. _broth for the sick._ no. . take twelve quarts of water, two knuckles of veal, a leg of beef, or two shins, four calves' feet, a chicken, a rabbit, two onions, cloves, pepper, salt, a bunch of sweet herbs. cover close, and let the whole boil till reduced to six quarts. strain and keep it for use. _barley broth._ take four or five pounds of the lean end of a neck of mutton, soak it well in cold water for some time, then put it in a saucepan with about four quarts of water and a tea-cupful of fine barley. just before it boils take it off the fire and skim it extremely well; put in salt and pepper to your taste, and a small bundle of sweet herbs, which take out before the broth is sent up. then let it boil very gently for some hours afterwards; add turnips, carrots, and onions, cut in small pieces, and continue to boil the broth till the vegetables are quite done and very tender. when nearly done it requires to be stirred frequently lest the barley should adhere. _another._ put on whatever bones you have; stew them down well with a little whole pepper, onions, and herbs. when done, strain it off, and next day take off all the fat. take a little pearl barley, boil it a little and strain it off; put it to the broth, add a coss lettuce, carrot, and turnip, cut small. boil all together some time, and serve it up. _chervil broth for cough._ boil a calf's liver and two large handfuls of chervil in four quarts of spring water till reduced to one quart. strain it, and take a coffee-cupful night and morning. _hodge-podge._ stew a scrag of mutton: put in a peck of peas, a bunch of turnips cut small, a few carrots, onions, lettuce, and some parsley. when sufficiently boiled add a few mutton chops, which must stew gently till done. _leek porridge._ peel twelve leeks; boil them in water till tender; take them out and put them into a quart of new milk; boil them well; thicken up with oatmeal, and add salt according to the taste. _madame de maillet's broth._ two ounces of veal, six carrots, two turnips, one table-spoonful of gum arabic, one table-spoonful of rice, two quarts of water; simmer for about two hours. _mutton broth._ the bone of a leg of mutton to be chopped small, and put into the stewpan with vegetables and herbs, together with a little drop of water, and drawn as gravy soup; add boiling water. _pork broth._ take a leg of pork fresh cut up; beat it and break the bone; put it into three gallons of soft water, with half an ounce of mace and the same quantity of nutmeg. let it boil very gently over a slow fire, until two thirds of the water are consumed. strain the broth through a fine sieve, and when it is cold take off the fat. drink a large cupful in the morning fasting, and between meals, and just before going to bed, warmed. season it with a little salt. this is a fine restorative. _potage._ boil a leg of beef, and a knuckle of veal, with a bunch of sweet herbs, a little mace and whole pepper, and a handful of salt. when the meat is boiled to rags or to a very strong broth, strain it through a hair sieve, and when it is cold, take off the fat. with raw beef make a gravy thus: cut your beef in pieces, put them in a frying-pan with a piece of butter or a slice of bacon, fry it very brown, then put it to some of your strong broth, and when it grows browner and thick till it becomes reduced to three pints of gravy, fill up your strong broth to boil with a piece of butter and a handful of sweet herbs. afterwards a chicken must be boiled and blanched and cut in slices; and two or three sweetbreads fried very brown; a turnip also sliced and fried. boil all these half an hour, and put them in the dish in which you intend to serve up, with three french rolls (cut in halves) and set it over a fire with a quart of your gravy, and some of your broth, covered with a dish, till it boils very fast, and as it reduces fill up with your broth till your bread is quite soaked. you may put into the dish either a duck, pigeon, or any bird you please; but whichever you choose, roast it first, and then let it boil in the dish with your bread. this may be made a pea soup, by only rubbing peas through a sieve. _scotch pottage._ place a tin saucepan on the fire with some boiling water; stir in scotch oatmeal till it is of the desired consistence: when done, pour it in a basin and add milk or cream to it. it is more nutritious to make it of milk instead of water, if the stomach will bear it. the scotch peasantry live entirely on this strengthening food. the best scotch oatmeal is to be bought at dudgeon's, in the strand. _scotch broth._ boil very tender a piece of thin brisket of beef, with trimmings of any other meat, or a piece of gravy beef; cut it into square pieces; strain off the broth and put it in a soup-pot; add the beef, cut in squares, with plenty of carrots, turnips, celery, and onions, cut in shapes and well boiled before put to the broth, and, if liked, some very small suet dumplings first boiled. season it to your palate. _turnip broth._ have a sufficient quantity of good strong broth as for any other soup, taking care that it is not too strongly flavoured by any of the roots introduced into it. peel a good quantity of the best turnips, selecting such as are not bitter. sweat them in butter and a little water till they are quite tender. rub them through a tamis, mix them with the broth; boil it for about half an hour. add half a pint of very good cream, and be careful not to have too fierce a fire, as it is apt to burn. _another._ put one pound of lean veal, pulled into small pieces in a pipkin, with two large or three middling turnips. cover the pipkin very close, to prevent water from getting into it; set it in a pot of water, and let it boil for two or three hours. a tea-cupful of the broth produced in the pipkin may be taken twice or thrice a day. _veal broth._ no. . take ten or twelve knuckles, such as are cut off from legs and shoulders of mutton, at the very shank; rub them with a little salt, put them in a pan of water for two or three hours, and wash them very clean; boil them in a gallon of spring water for an hour. strain them very clean, then put in two ounces of hartshorn shavings, and the bottom crust of a penny loaf; let it boil till the water is reduced to about three pints; strain it off, and when cold skim off the fat. take half a pint warm before you rise, and the same in bed at night. make it fresh three times a week in summer, and twice a week in winter: do not put in any lamb bones. this is an excellent thing. _veal broth._ no. . soak a knuckle of veal for an hour in cold water; put it into fresh water over the fire, and, as the scum rises, take it off; let it stew gently for two hours, with a little salt to make the scum rise. when it is sufficiently stewed, strain the broth from the meat. put in some vermicelli; keep the meat hot; and as you are going to put the soup into the terrine add half a pint of cream. _veal broth._ no. . take one pound of lean veal, one blade of mace, two table-spoonfuls of rice, one quart of water; let it boil slowly two hours; add a little salt. _veal broth._ no. .--_excellent for a consumption._ boil a knuckle of veal in a gallon of water; skim and put to it half a pound of raisins of the sun, stoned, and the bottoms of two manchets, with a nutmeg and a half sliced, and a little hartshorn. let it boil till reduced to half the quantity; then pound it all together and strain. add some brown sugar-candy, some rose-water, and also the juice of a lemon, if the patient has no cough. fish. _carp and tench._ scale the fish, take out the gut and gall; save all the blood. split the carp if large; cut it in large pieces, and salt it. boil some sliced parsley roots and onions tender in half a pint of water, adding a little cayenne pepper, ginger, cloves, and allspice, a lemon sliced, a little vinegar, and moist sugar, one glass of red wine, and some butter rolled in flour. then put in the fish, and let it boil very fast for half an hour in a stewpan. the blood is to be put in the sauce. _carp, to stew._ scale, gut, and cleanse them; save the roes and milts; stew them in some good broth: season, to your taste, with a bundle of herbs, onions, anchovies, and white wine; and, when they are stewed enough, thicken the sauce with the yolks of five eggs. pass off the roes, dip them in yolk of egg and flour, and fry them with some sippets of french bread; then fry a little parsley, and, when you serve up, garnish the dish with the roes, parsley, and sippets. _another way._ have your carp fresh out of the water; scale and gut them, washing the blood out of each fish with a little claret; and save that after so doing. cut your carp in pieces, and stew in a little fresh butter, a few blades of mace, winter savory, a little thyme, and three or four onions; after stewing awhile, take them out, put them by, and fold them up in linen, till the liquor is ready to receive them again, as the fish would otherwise be boiled to pieces before the liquor was reduced to a proper thickness. when you have taken out your fish, put in the claret that you washed out the blood with, and a pint of beef or mutton gravy, according to the quantity of your fish, with some salt and the butter in which you stewed the carp; and when this butter is almost boiled to a proper thickness put in your fish again; stew all together, and serve it up. two spoonfuls of elder vinegar to the liquor when taken up will give a very agreeable taste. _cod, to stew._ cut a cod into thin pieces or slices; lay them in rows at the bottom of a dish; put in a pint of white wine, half a pound of butter, a few oysters, with their liquor, a little pepper and salt, with some crumbs of bread. stew them all till they are done enough. garnish the dish with lemon. _cod, ragout of._ wash the cod clean, and boil it in warm water, with vinegar, pepper, salt, a bay-leaf, and lemon. make a sauce of burnt butter, fried flour, capers, and oysters. when you serve it up put in some black pepper and lemon-juice. _cod's head, to boil._ take vinegar and salt, a bunch of sweet herbs, and an onion; set them on the fire in a kettle of water; boil them and put in the head; and, while it is boiling, put in cold water and vinegar. when boiled, take it up, put it into a dish, and make sauce as follows:--take gravy and claret, boiled with a bundle of sweet herbs and an onion, two or three anchovies, drawn with two pounds of butter, a pint of shrimps, oysters, the meat of a lobster shred fine. you may stick little toasts on the head, and lay on and about the roe, milt, and liver. garnish the dish with fried parsley, lemon, barberries, horseradish, and fried fish. _crab, to dress._ take all the body and the meat of the legs, and put them together in a dish to heat, with a little broth or gravy, just to make them moist. when hot, have ready some good broth or gravy, with an anchovy dissolved in it, and the juice of a small lemon, heated; afterwards thicken it up with butter, and stir it in the crab, as it is, hot: then serve all up in the shell. _crab or lobster, to butter._ the crabs or lobsters being boiled and cold, take all the meat out of the shells and body; break the claws and take out the meat. shred it small; add a spoonful or two of claret, a little vinegar, and a grated nutmeg. let it boil up till it is thoroughly hot; then put in some melted butter, with anchovies and white gravy; thicken with the yolk of an egg or two, and when very hot put it into the large shell. put crumbs of bread over it, and brown it with a salamander. _crab, or lobster, to stew._ no. . a little cayenne, vinegar, butter, flour, and salt. cover it with water and let it stew gently. _crab, or lobster, to stew._ no. . when the lobsters are boiled, take out the tail and claws, and dip them in white wine; strew over them nutmeg, cloves, mace, salt, and pepper, mixed together. then pour over them some melted butter with a little white wine in it; send them to the bakehouse, and let them stand in a slow oven about half an hour. pour out the butter and wine, and pour on some fresh butter; when cold, cover them, and keep them in a cold place. _crab, or lobster, to stew._ no. . boil the lobsters; when cold take out all the meat; season it well with pepper, salt, nutmeg and mace pounded. put it into an earthen pot with as much clarified butter as will cover it; bake it well. while warm, take it out of the pot, and let the butter drain from it. break it as fine as you can with a spoon or knife; add more seasoning if required; put it as close as possible in the pot, and cover with clarified butter. the hen lobsters are best for this purpose, as the eggs impart a good colour. it may be pounded in a marble mortar, but, if baked enough, will do as well without it. _crawfish, to make red._ rub the fish with aqua vitæ, which will produce the desired effect most completely. _eels broiled whole._ skin, wash, and dry your eels, and score them with the knife, seasoning them with pepper, salt, thyme, parsley, and crumbs of bread, turning them round and skewering them across; you may either roast or broil them as you like best: the sauce to be melted butter with lemon juice. _eels, to collar._ scour large silver eels with salt; slit them, and take out the back-bones; wash and dry them; season with shred parsley, sage, an onion, and thyme. then roll each into collars, in a cloth; tie them close with the heads, bones, and a bundle of herbs, and boil them in salt and water. when tender, take them up, and again tie them close; drain the pickle, and put them into it. _eels, to fry._ cut every eel into eight pieces; mix them with a proper quantity of yolks of eggs, and well season with pepper, and salt, and bread rubbed fine, with parsley and thyme; then flour them, and fry them. you may cook them as plain as you like, with only salt and flour, and serve them up with melted butter and fried parsley. _eels, to pot._ into an earthen pan put jamaica and common pepper, pounded fine, and salt; mix them and strew some at the bottom of the pan; cut your eels and lay them over it, and strew a little more seasoning over them. then put in another layer of eels, repeating this process till all the eels are in. lay a few bay leaves upon them, and pour as much vinegar as you may think requisite; cover the pan with brown paper and bake them. pour off the liquor, cover them with clarified butter, and lay them by for use. _eels, to pickle._ drain, wash, and well cleanse your eels, and cut off the heads. cut them in lengths of four or five inches, with their skins on; stew in them some pepper and salt, and broil them on a gridiron a fine colour: then put them in layers in a jar, with bay-leaf, pepper, salt, a few slices of lemon, and a few cloves. pour some good vinegar on them; tie strong paper over, and prick a few holes in it. it is better to boil the seasoning with some sweet herbs in the vinegar, and let it stand to be cold before it is put over the eels. two yolks of eggs boiled hard should be put in the vinegar with a tea-spoonful of flour of mustard. two yolks are sufficient for twelve pounds of eels. _eels, to roast._ skin your eels; turn, scotch, and wash them with melted butter; skewer them crosswise; fix them on the spit, and put over them a little pepper, salt, parsley, and thyme; roast them quick. fry some parsley, and lay it round the dish; make your sauce of butter and gravy. _eels, to spitchcock._ leave the skin on the eels; scour them with salt; wash them; cut off their heads and slit them on the belly side; take out the bone and guts. wash and wipe them well; cut them in pieces three inches long, and wipe them quite dry. put two ounces of butter, with a little minced parsley, thyme, sage, pepper and salt, and a little chopped shalot, in a stewpan; when the butter is melted, stir the ingredients together, and take the pan off the fire; mix the yolks of two eggs with them and dip the eels in, a piece at a time; then roll them in bread crumbs, making as much stick on as you can. rub the gridiron with a bit of suet; set it over a clear fire, and broil your eels of a fine crisp brown; dust them with crisp parsley. sauce, anchovy and butter, or plain butter in a boat. _another way._ wash your eels well in their skins with salt and water; dry and slit them; take out the back-bone, and slash them: season them with chopped parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. clean the inside with melted butter; cut them into pieces about three inches long and broil them; make the sauce with butter and orange juice. _eels, to stew._ take five pounds of middling shafflings, cut off their heads, skin, and cut them in pieces as long as your finger. wash them in several waters; dry them well with a cloth, lay them in a pan, sprinkle over them half an ounce of white salt, and let them lie an hour. lay them in a stewpan, and add half a pint of french white wine, a quarter of a pint of water, two cloves beaten, a blade of mace, a large onion peeled, and the rind of a lemon; stew all these gently half an hour: then take the eels out of the liquor, skim off all the fat, and flour the eels all over; put to the liquor in which they were stewed an anchovy, washed and boned, and mix sorrel and parsley, half a handful of each, and half a pound of fresh butter. let it just boil up; put in the eels; when they boil, lay them on sippets in your dish, and send them up hot to table. _another way._ cover the fish close in a stewpan with a piece of butter as big as a walnut rolled in flour, and let it stew till done enough, which you will know by the eels being very tender. take them up and lay them on a dish; strain your sauce, and give it a quick boil and pour it over the fish. garnish with lemon. _fish, to recover when tainted._ when fish of any kind is tainted plunge it in cold milk, which will render it sweet again. _fish, in general, to dress._ take water, salt, half a pint of vinegar, a sprig of thyme, a small onion, and a little lemon peel; boil them all together, then put in your fish, and when done enough take them out, drain them well, and lay them over a stove to keep hot. if you fry fish, strew some crumbs of grated bread very fine over them, and fry them in sweet oil; then drain them well and keep them hot. _fish, to dress in sauce._ cut off the heads, tails, and fins, of two or three haddocks or other small fish; stew them in a quart of water, with a little spice and anchovy, and a bunch of sweet herbs, for a quarter of an hour; and then skim. roll a bit of butter in flour, and thicken the liquor; put down the fish, and stew them with a little chopped parsley, and cloves, or onions. _fish hashed in paste._ cut the fish into dice about three quarters of an inch square; prepare white sauce the same as for fowls, leaving out the mushrooms and truffles; add a little anchovy sauce to give it a good colour, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt. when the sauce is done, throw in the dice of fish, and when thoroughly hot serve it. there should be a little more butter in the sauce than is commonly used in the white sauce for fowls. _fish, to cavietch._ cut the fish into slices, season them with pepper and salt, and let them lie for an hour; dry them well with a cloth, flour and fry them brown in oil: boil a quantity of vinegar proportionate to that of the fish to be prepared: cover the fish with slices of garlic and some whole pepper and mace; add the same quantity of oil as vinegar, mix them well together, and salt to your taste. when the fish and liquor are quite cold, slice onions and lay at the bottom of the pan; then put a layer of fish, and so on, till the whole is in. the liquor must be cold before it is poured on the fish. _gudgeon._ dress as you would smelts. _haddocks, to bake._ bone two or three haddocks, and lay them in a deep pan with pepper, salt, butter and flour, and two or three anchovies, and sufficient water to cover them. cover the pan close for an hour, which is required to bake them, and serve them in the saucepan. _haddock baked._ let the inside of the gills be drawn out and washed clean; fill with bread crumbs, parsley, sweet herbs chopped, nutmeg, salt, pepper, a bit of butter, and grated lemon-peel; skewer the tail into the mouth, and rub it well with yolk of egg. strew over bread crumbs, and stick on bits of butter. bake the fish in a common oven, putting into the dish a little white wine and water, a bit of mace, and lemon-peel. serve up with oyster sauce, white fish sauce, or anchovy sauce; but put to the sauce what gravy is in the dish, first skimming it. _haddock pudding._ skin the fish; take out all the bones, and cut it in thin slices. butter the mould well, and throw round it the spawn of a lobster, before it is boiled. put alternate slices of haddock and lobster in the mould, and season to your taste. beat up half a pint of cream or more, according to the size of the mould, with three eggs, and pour on it: tie a cloth over, and boil it an hour. stew oysters to go in the dish. garnish with pastry. _herring._ the following is a swedish dish: take salted herring, some cold veal, an apple, and an onion, mince them all fine, and mix them well together with oil and vinegar. _lampreys, to pot._ well cleanse your lampreys in the following manner: the intestines and the pipe which nature has given them instead of a bone must be taken clear away, by opening them down the belly from head to tail. they must then be rubbed with wood-ashes, to remove the slime. then rub with salt, and wash them in three or four waters. let them be quite free from water before you proceed to season them thus:--take, according to the quantity you intend to pot, allspice ground with an equal quantity of black pepper, a little mace, cayenne pepper, salt, about the same quantity as that of all the other seasoning; mix these well together, and rub your lampreys inside and out. put them into an earthen pan or a well-tinned copper stewpan, with some good butter under and over, sufficient to cover them, when dissolved. put in with them a few bay-leaves and the peel of a lemon. let them bake slowly till they are quite done; then strain off the butter, and let them lie on the back of a sieve till nearly cold. then place them in pots of suitable size, taking great care to rub the seasoning well over them as you lay them in; because the seasoning is apt to get from the fish when you drain them. carefully separate the butter which you have strained from the gravy; clarify it, and, when almost cold, pour it into your pots so as to cover your fish completely. if you have not sufficient butter for this purpose you must clarify more, as the fish must be entirely hid from sight. they are fit for use the next day. great care must be taken to put them into the pots quite free from the gravy or moisture which they produce. _another way._ skin your fish, cleanse them with salt, and wipe them dry. beat some black pepper, mace, and cloves; mix them with salt, and season your fish with it. put them in a pan; cover with clarified butter; bake them an hour and season them well; remove the butter after they are baked; take them out of their gravy, and lay them on a coarse cloth to drain. when quite cold, season them again with the same seasoning. lay them close in the pot; cover them completely with clarified butter; and if your butter is good, they will keep a long time. _lobsters, to butter._ put by the tails whole, to be laid in the middle of the dish; cut the meat into large pieces; put in a large piece of butter, and two spoonfuls of rhenish wine; squeeze in the juice of a lemon, and serve it up. _lobster fricassee._ cut the meat of a lobster into dice; put it in a stewpan with a little veal gravy; let it stew for ten minutes. a little before you send it to table beat up the yolk of an egg in cream: put it to your lobster, stirring it till it simmers. pepper and salt to your taste. dish it up very hot, and garnish with lemon. _lobsters, to hash._ take the meat out of a boiled lobster as whole as you can. break all the shells; to these and the remains of the body, the large claws excepted, as they have no goodness in them, put some water, cayenne pepper, salt, and common pepper. let them stew together till the liquor has a good flavour of the lobster, but observe that there must be very little water, and add two teaspoonfuls of anchovy pickle. strain through a common sieve; put the meat of the lobster to the gravy; add some good rich melted butter, and send to table. lobster sauce is made in the same way, only the meat should be cut smaller than for hashing. hen lobsters are best. _lobsters, to pot._ boil four moderate-sized lobsters, take off the tails, and split them. take out the flesh as whole as possible; pick the meat out of the body and chine; beat it fine, and season with pepper, salt, nutmeg, and mace, and season separately, in the same manner, the tails and claws, which must also be taken out as whole as you can. clarify a pound of the very finest butter; skim it clean; put in the tails and claws, with what you have beaten, and let it boil a very short time, stirring it all the while lest it should turn. let it drain through a sieve, but not too much; put it down close in a pot, and, when it is a little cooled, pour over the butter which you drained from it. when quite cold, tie it down. the butter should be the very best, as it mixes with the lobster spawn, &c., and is excellent to eat with the rest or spread upon bread. _lobsters, to stew._ half boil two fine lobsters; break the claws and take out the meat as whole as you can; cut the tails in two, and take out the meat; put them in a stewpan, with half a pint of gravy, a gill of white wine, a little beaten mace, cayenne pepper, salt, a spoonful of ketchup, a little anchovy liquor, and a little butter rolled in flour. cover and stew them gently for twenty minutes. shake the pan round frequently to prevent the contents from sticking; squeeze in a little lemon. cut the chines in four; pepper, salt, and broil them. put the meat and sauce in a dish, and the chines round for garnish. _lobster curry powder._ eleven ounces of coriander seed, six drachms of cayenne pepper, one ounce of cummin, one ounce and a half of black pepper, one ounce and a half of turmeric, three drachms of cloves, two drachms of cardamoms. _lobster patés._ rub two ounces of butter well into half a pound of flour; add one yolk of an egg and a little water, and make it into a stiff paste. sheet your paté moulds very thin, fill them with crumbs of bread, and bake lightly. turn out the crumbs and save them. cut your lobster small; add to it a little white sauce, and season with pepper and salt. take care that it is not too thin. fill your moulds; cover with the crumbs which you saved, and a quarter of an hour before dinner put them into the oven to give them a light colour. oyster patés are done the same way. _lobster salad._ boil a cauliflower, pull it in pieces, and put it in a dish with a little pepper, salt, and vinegar. have four or five hard-boiled eggs, boiled beet-root, small salad, and some anchovies, nicely cleaned and cut in lengths. put a layer of small salad at the bottom of the dish, then a layer of the cauliflower, then the eggs cut in slices, then the beet, and so on. take the claws and tail of the lobster, cut as whole as possible, and trim, to be laid on the top. the trimmings and what you can get out may be put in at the time you are laying the cauliflower, &c. in the dish. make a rich salad sauce with a little elder vinegar in it, and pour it over. lay the tails and claws on the top, and cross the shreds of the anchovies over them. _mackarel à la maitre d'hotel._ boil the fish, and then put it in a stewpan, with a piece of butter and sweet herbs. set it on the fire till the butter becomes oil. _mackarel, to boil._ boil them in salt and water with a little vinegar. fennel sauce is good to eat with them, and also coddled gooseberries. _mackarel, to broil._ you may split them or broil them whole; pepper and salt them well. for sauce, scald some mint and fennel, chop them small; then melt some butter and put your herbs in. you may scald some gooseberries and lay over your mackarel. _mackarel, to collar._ collar them as eels, only omit the sage, and add sweet herbs, a little lemon-peel, and seasoning to your taste. _mackarel, to fry._ for frying you may stuff the fish with crumbs of bread, parsley well chopped, lemon-peel grated, pepper and salt, mixed with yolk of egg. serve up with anchovy or fennel sauce. _mackarel, to pickle._ cut the mackarel into four or five pieces; season them very high; make slits with a penknife, put in the seasoning, and fry them in oil to a good brown colour. drain them very dry; put them into vinegar, if they are to be kept for any time; pour oil on the top. _mackarel, to pot._ proceed in the same manner as with eels. _mackarel, to souse._ wash and clean your fish: take out the roes, and boil them in salt and water; when enough, take them out and lay them in the dish; pour away half the liquor they were boiled in, and add to the rest of the liquor as much vinegar as will cover them and two or three bay leaves. let them lie three days before they are eaten. _mackarel pie._ cut the fish into four pieces; season them to your taste with pepper, salt, and a little mace, mixed with a quarter of a pound of beef suet, chopped fine. put at the bottom and top, and between the layers of fish, a good deal of young parsley, and instead of water a little new milk in the dish for gravy. if you like it rich, warm about a quarter of a pint of cream, which pour in the pie when baked; if not, have boiled a little gravy with the heads. it will take the same time to bake as a veal pie. _mullet, to boil._ let them be boiled in salt and water, and, when you think them done enough, pour part of the water from them, and put a pint of red wine, two onions sliced, some nutmeg, salt, and vinegar, beaten mace, a bunch of sweet herbs, and the juice of a lemon. boil all these well together, with two or three anchovies; put in your fish; and, when they have simmered some time, put them into a dish and strain the sauce over. if you like, shrimps or oysters may be added. _mullet, to broil._ let the mullet be scaled and gutted, and cut gashes in their sides; dip them in melted butter, and broil them at a great distance from the fire. sauce--anchovy, with capers, and a lemon squeezed into it. _mullet, to fry._ carefully scale and gut the fish, score them across the back, and then dip them into melted butter. melt some butter in a stewpan; let it clarify. fry your mullet in it; when done, lay them on a warm dish. sauce--anchovy and butter. _oysters, to stew._ take a quart of large oysters; strain the liquor from them through a sieve; wash them well, and take off the beards. put them in a stewpan, and drain the liquor from the settlings. add to the oysters a quarter of a pound of butter mixed with flour and a gill of white wine, and grate in a little nutmeg with a gill of cream. keep them stirred till they are quite thick and smooth. lay sippets at the bottom of the dish; pour in your oysters, and lay fried sippets all round. _another way._ put a quarter of a pound of butter into a clean stewpan, and let it boil. strain a pint of oysters from their liquor; put them into the butter; and let them stew with some parsley minced small, a little shalot shred small, and the yolks of three eggs well beaten up with the liquor strained from the oysters. put all these together into the stewpan with half a pound more butter; shake it and stew them a little; if too much, you make the oysters hard. _oysters, ragout of._ twenty-five oysters, half a table-spoonful of soy, double the quantity of vinegar, a piece of butter, and a little pepper, salt, and flour. _oysters, to pickle._ blanch the oysters, and strain off the liquor; wash the oysters in three or four waters; put them into a stewpan, with their liquor and half a pint of white wine vinegar, two onions sliced thin, a little parsley and thyme, a blade of mace, six cloves, jamaica pepper, a dozen corns of white pepper, and salt according to your taste. boil up two or three minutes; let them stand till cold; then put them into a dish, and pour the liquor over them. _oyster patés._ no. . stew the oysters in their own liquor, but do not let them be too much done; beard them; take a table-spoonful of pickled mushrooms, wash them in two or three cold waters to get out the vinegar; then cut each mushroom into four, and fry them in a little butter dusted over with flour. take three table-spoonfuls of veal jelly, and two spoonfuls of cream; let it boil, stirring all the while; add a small bit of butter. season with a pinch of salt, and one of cayenne pepper. throw the oysters, which you have kept warm in a cloth near the fire, into the sauce; see that it is all hot; then have the patés ready, fill them with the oysters and sauce, and put a top on each. when the paste of oyster patés is done, remove the tops gently and cleanly with a knife; take out the flaky part of the paste inside and from the inside of the top; cut six little pieces of bread square so as to fill the inside; lay on the top of the paste. then place them on a sheet of paper in a dish, and put them before the fire, covering them with a cloth to keep them hot. when you are going to serve them take out the piece of bread, and fill the patés with the oysters and sauce. _oyster patés._ no. . spread some puff-paste about half an inch thick. cut out six pieces with a small tea-cup. rub a baking sheet over with a brush dipped in water, and put the patés on it at a little distance from each other. glaze them thoroughly with the yolk and white of egg mixed up; open a hole at the top of each with a small knife; cut six tops of the size of a crown-piece, and place them lightly on the patés. let them be baked, and when done remove the tops, and place the crust on paper till ready to serve up; then fill them with oysters (as described in the preceding recipe) put the tops over them, and dish them upon a folded napkin. _oyster patés._ no. . parboil your oysters, and strain them from their liquor, wash the beard, and cut them in flour. put them in a stewpan, with an ounce of butter rolled in flour, half a gill of cream, and a little grated lemon-peel, if liked. free the oyster liquor from sediment, reduce it by boiling to one half; add cayenne pepper and salt. stir it over the fire, and fill your patés. _oyster loaves._ cut out the crumb of three french rolls; lay them before the fire till they are hot through, turning them often. melt half a pound of butter; put some into the loaves; put on their tops, and boil them till they are buttered quite through. then take a pint of oysters, stewed with half a pint of water, one anchovy, a little pepper and salt, a quarter of a pound of butter, and as much sauce as will make your sauce thick. give it a boil. put as many oysters into your loaves as will go in; pour the rest of the sauce all over the loaves in the dish in which they are served up. _oyster pie._ beard the oysters; scald and strain them from their liquor, and season the liquor with pepper, salt, and anchovy, a lump of butter, and bread crumbs. boil up to melt the anchovies; then just heat your oysters in it; put them all together into your pie-dish, and cover them with a puff-paste. if you put your oysters into a fresh pie, you must cover them at the top with crisped crumbs of bread; add more to the savouring if you like it. _perch, to fricassee._ boil the perch, and strip them of the bones; half cover them with white wine; put in two or three anchovies, a little pepper and salt, and warm it over the fire. put in a little parsley and onions, with yolks of eggs well beaten. toss it together; put in a little thick butter; and serve it up. _pike, to dress._ if you would serve it as a first dish, do not scale it; take off the gills, and, having gutted it, boil it in court bouillon, as a side-dish, or _entrée_. it may be served in many ways. cut it into pieces, and put it into a stewpan, with a bit of butter, a bunch of all sorts of sweet herbs, and some mushrooms; turn it a few times over the fire, and shake in a little flour; moisten it with some good broth and a pint of white wine, and set it over a brisk fire. when it is done, add a trifle of salt and cayenne pepper, the yolk of three eggs, and half a pint of cream, stirring it till well mixed. serve up hot. _pike stuffed, to boil._ clean a large pike; take out the gills; prepare a stuffing with finely grated bread, all sorts of sweet-herbs, particularly thyme, some onions, grated lemon-peel, oysters chopped small, a piece of butter, the boiled yolk of two eggs, and a sufficient quantity of suet to hold the ingredients together. put them into the fish, and sew it up. turn the tail into the mouth, and boil it in pump water, with two spoonfuls of vinegar and a handful of salt. it will take forty minutes to boil, if a large fish. _pike, to boil, à-la-française._ wash well, clean, and scale a large pike, and cut it into three pieces; boil an equal quantity of white wine and water with lemon-peel, and when the liquor boils put your pike in, with a handful of salt. when done, lay it on sippets, and stick it with bits of fried bread. sauce--melted butter, with slices of lemon in it, the yolks of three eggs, and some grated nutmeg. pour your sauce over the pike, and serve it up. _pike, to broil._ split it, and scotch it with a knife on the outside; season it with salt; put the gridiron on a clear fire, make it very hot, then lay on the pike; baste it with butter, turn it often, and, when broiled crisp and stiff put it into a dish, and serve it up with butter and the juice of lemons, or white wine vinegar. garnish with slices of oranges or lemons. _pike in court bouillon._ scale and well wash your pike; lay it in a pan; pour vinegar and salt over it; let it lie for an hour, then take it out, season with pepper, a little salt, sweet herbs, cloves, and a bay leaf, with a piece of butter. wrap it up in a napkin, and put it into a stewpan, with some white wine, a lemon sliced, a little verjuice, nutmeg, cloves, and a bay leaf. let this liquor boil very fast; put in the pike, and when done lay it on a warm dish, and strain the liquor into a saucepan; add to it an anchovy washed and boned, a few capers, a little water, and a piece of butter rolled in flour: let these simmer till of proper thickness, and pour them over the fish. _pike fricandeau._ cut a pike in several pieces, according to its size, after having scaled, gutted, and washed, it. lard all the upper part with bacon cut small, and put it into a stewpan with a glass of red wine (or white wine if for white sauce) some good broth, a bunch of sweet-herbs, and some lean veal cut into dice. when it is stewed and the sauce strained off, complete it in the manner of any other fricandeau; putting a good sauce under it, either brown or white, as you chuse. _pike, german way of dressing--delicious!_ take a pike of moderate size; when well washed and cleansed, split it down the back, close to the bone, in two flat pieces. set it over the fire in a stewpan with salt and water; half boil it. take it out; scale it; put it into the stewpan again, with a very little water, and some mushrooms, truffles, and morels, an equal quantity, cut small; add a bunch of sweet herbs. let it stew very gently, closely covered, over a very slow fire, or the fish will break; when it is almost done, take out the herbs, put in a cupful of capers, chopped small, three anchovies split and shred fine, a piece of butter rolled in flour, and a table-spoonful of grated parmesan cheese. pour in a pint of white wine, and cover the stewpan quite close. when the ingredients are mixed, and the fish quite done, lay it in a warm dish, and pour the sauce over it. _pike, to pot._ after scaling the fish, cut off the head, split it, take out the back-bone, and strew it over with bay salt and pepper. cover and bake it; lay it on a coarse cloth to drain, and when cold put it in a pot that will just hold it, and cover with clarified butter. if not well drained from the gravy it will not keep. _pike, to roast._ scale and slash the fish from head to tail; lard it with the flesh of eels rolled up in sweet-herbs and seasoning; fill it with fish and forced meat. roast it at length; baste and bread it; make the sauce of drawn butter, anchovies, the roe and liver, with mushrooms, capers, and oysters. ornament with sliced lemon. _pike au souvenir._ wash a large pike; gut and dry it; make a forcemeat with eel, anchovy, whiting, pepper, salt, suet, thyme, bread crumbs, parsley, and a bit of shalot, mixed with the yolks of eggs; fill the inside of the fish with this meat; sew it up; after which draw with your packing-needle a piece of packthread through the eyes of the pike, through the middle and the tail also in the form of s; wash it over with the yolk of an egg, and strew it with the crumbs of bread. roast or bake it with a caul over it. sauce--melted butter and capers. _pike à la tatare, or in the tartar fashion._ clean your pike; gut and scale it; cut it into bits, and lay it in oil, with salt, cayenne pepper, parsley, scallions, mushrooms, two shalots, the whole shred very fine; grate bread over it and lay it upon the gridiron, basting it, while broiling, with the rest of the oil. when it is done of a good colour, serve it in a dry dish, with sauce _à la remoulade_ [see sauces] in a sauce-boat. _fresh salmon, to dress._ cut it in slices, steep it in a little sweet butter, salt and pepper, and broil it, basting it with butter while doing. when done, serve over it any of the fish sauces, as described (see the sauces), or you may serve it with court bouillon, which will do for all kinds of fish whatever. _salmon, to dress _en caisses_, that is, in small paper cases._ take two slices of fresh salmon, about the thickness of half a finger; steep it an hour in sweet butter with mushrooms, a clove of garlic, and a shalot, all shred fine, half a laurel-leaf, thyme, and basil, reduced to a fine powder, salt, and whole pepper. then make a neat paper box to contain your salmon; rub the outside of it with butter, and put the salmon with all its seasoning and covered with grated bread into it; do it in an oven, or put the dish upon a stove, and, when the salmon is done, brown it with a salamander. when you serve it, squeeze in the juice of a large lemon. if you serve it with spanish sauce, the fat must be taken off the salmon before you put in the sauce. _salmon à la poële, or done on the stove._ put three or four slices of fillet of veal, and two or three of ham, having carefully cut off the fat of both, at the bottom of a stewpan, just the size of the salmon you would serve. lay the salmon upon it, and cover it with thin slices of bacon, adding a bunch of parsley, scallions, two cloves of garlic, and three shalots. boil it gently over a moderate stove fire, a quarter of an hour; moisten it with a glass of champagne, or fine white wine; let it continue to stew slowly till thoroughly done; and the moment before you serve it strain off the sauce, laying the salmon in a hot dish. add to the sauce five or six spoonfuls of cullis; let it boil up two or three times, and then pour it over the salmon, and serve up. _scallops._ pick the scallops, and wash them extremely clean; make them very dry. flour them a very little. fry them of a fine light brown. make a nice, strong, light sauce of veal and a little ham; thicken a very little, and gently stew the scallops in it for half an hour. _shrimps, to pot._ pick the finest shrimps you can procure; season them with a little mace beaten fine, and pepper and salt to your taste. add a little cold butter. pound all together in a mortar till it becomes a paste. put it into small pots, and pour over it clarified butter. _another way._ to a quart of pickled shrimps put two ounces of fresh butter, and stew them over a moderate fire, stirring them about. add to them while on the fire twelve white peppercorns and two blades of mace, beaten very fine, and a very little salt.--let them stew a quarter of an hour: when done, put them down close in pots, and pour clarified butter over them when cold. _smelts, to fry._ dry and rub them with yolk of egg; flour or strew some fine bread crumbs on them; when fried, lay them in the dish with their tails in the middle of it. anchovy sauce. _smelts, to pickle._ take a quarter of a peck of smelts, and put them into a jar, and beat very fine half an ounce of nutmegs, and the same quantity of saltpetre and of pepper, a quarter of an ounce of mace, and a quarter of a pound of common salt. wash the fish; clean gut them, after which lay them in rows in a jar or pan; over every layer of smelts strew your seasoning, with some bay-leaves, and pour on boiled red wine sufficient to cover them. put a plate or a cover over, and when cold tie them down close. _smelts, to pot._ clean the inside of the fish, and season them with salt, pounded mace, and pepper. bake them, and when nearly cold lay them upon a cloth; then put them into pots, taking off the butter from the gravy; clarify it with more butter, and pour it on them. _soles, to boil._ the soles should be boiled in salt and water. anchovy sauce. _soles, to boil, à-la-française._ put a quart of water and half a pint of vinegar into an earthen dish; skin and clean a pair of soles; put them into vinegar and water, let them remain there for two hours. dry them with a cloth, and put them into a stewpan, with a pint of wine, a quarter of a pint of water, a little sweet marjoram, a very little thyme, an onion stuck with four cloves, and winter savory. sprinkle a very little bay salt, covering them close. let them simmer gently till they are done; then take them out, and lay them in a warm dish before the fire. put into the liquor, after it is strained, a piece of butter rolled in flour; let it boil till of a proper thickness; lay your soles in the dish, and pour the sauce over them. a small turbot or any flat fish may be done the same way. _soles, to stew._ cut and skin the soles, and half fry them; have ready the quantity you like of half white wine and half water, mixed with some gravy, one whole onion, and a little whole pepper. stew them all together, with a little shred lemon, and a few mushrooms. when they are done enough, thicken the sauce with good butter, and serve it up. _water souchi._ put on a kettle of water with a good deal of salt in it, and a good many parsley roots; keep it skimmed very clean, and when it boils up throw in your perch or whatever fish you use for the purpose. when sufficiently boiled, take them up and serve them hot. have ready a pint or more of water, in which parsley roots have been boiled, till it has acquired a very strong flavour, and when the fish are dished throw some of this liquor over them. the dutch sauce for them is made thus:--to a pint of white wine vinegar add a blade or two of mace; let it stew gently by the fire, and, when the vinegar is sufficiently flavoured by the mace, put into it about a pound of butter. shake the saucepan now and then, and, when the butter is quite melted, make all exceedingly hot; have ready the yolks of four good eggs beaten up. you must continue beating them while another person gently pours to them the boiling vinegar by degrees, lest they should curdle; and continue stirring them all the while. set it over a gentle fire, still continuing to stir until it is very hot and of the thickness you desire; then serve it. _sprats, to bake._ wipe your sprats with a clean cloth; rub them with pepper and salt, and lay them in a pan. bruise a pennyworth of cochineal; put it into the vinegar, and pour it over the sprats with some bay-leaves. tie them down close with coarse paper in a deep brown pan, and set them in the oven all night. they eat very fine cold. you may put to them a pint of vinegar, half a pint of red wine, and spices if you like it; but they eat very well without. _sturgeon, to roast._ put a walnut-sized bit of butter (or more if it is a large fish), rolled in flour, in a stewpan, with sweet-herbs, cloves, a gill of water, and a spoonful of vinegar; stir it over the fire, and when it is lukewarm take it off, and put in your sturgeon to steep. when it has been a sufficient time to take the flavour of the herbs, roast it, and when done, serve it with court bouillon, or any other fish sauce. _turbot, to dress._ wipe your turbot very dry, then take a deep stewpan, put in the fish, with two bay-leaves, a handful of parsley, a large onion stuck with cloves, some salt, and cayenne; heat a pint of white wine boiling hot, and pour it upon the turbot; then strain in some very strong veal gravy, (made from your stock jelly,) more than will cover it; set it over a stove, and let it simmer very gently, that the full strength of the ingredients may be infused into it. when it is quite done, put it on a hot dish; strain the gravy into a saucepan, with some butter and flour to thicken it. plaice, dabs, and flounders, may be dressed in the same way. _turbot, plain boiled._ make a brine with two handfuls of salt in a gallon of water, let the turbot lie in it two hours before it is to be boiled; then set on a fish-kettle, with water enough to cover it, and about half a pint of vinegar, or less if the turbot is small; put in a piece of horseradish; when the water boils put in the turbot, the white side uppermost, on a fish-plate; let it be done enough, but not too much, which will be easily known by the look. a small one will take twenty minutes, a large one half an hour. then take it up, and set it on a fish-plate to drain, before it is laid in the dish. see that it is served quite dry. sauce--lobster and white sauce. _turbot, to boil._ put the turbot into a kettle, with white wine vinegar and lemon; season with salt and onions; add to these water. boil it over a gentle fire, skimming it very clean. garnish with slices of lemon on the top. _turbot, to boil in gravy._ wash and well dry a middling sized turbot; put it with two bay-leaves into a deep stew-dish, with some cloves, a handful of parsley, a large onion, and some salt and pepper, add a pint of boiling hot white wine, strain in some strong veal gravy that will more than cover the fish, and remove it on one side that the ingredients may be well mixed together. lay it on a hot dish, strain the gravy into a saucepan with some butter and flour, pour a little over the fish, and put the remainder in a sauce terrine. _turbot, to boil in court bouillon, with capers._ be very particular in washing and drying your turbot. take thyme, parsley, sweet-herbs of all sorts, minced very fine, and one large onion sliced; put them into a stewpan, then lay in the turbot--the stewpan should be just large enough to hold the fish--strew over the fish the same herbs that are under it, with some chives and a little sweet basil; pour in an equal quantity of white wine and white wine vinegar, till the fish is completely covered; strew in a little bay salt with some pepper. set the stewpan over a stove, with a very gentle fire, increasing the heat by degrees, till it is done sufficiently. take it off the fire, but do not take the turbot out: let it stand on the side of the stove. set a saucepan on the fire, with a pound of butter and two anchovies, split, boned, and carefully cleansed, two large spoonfuls of capers cut small, some chives whole, and a little cayenne, nutmeg grated, a little flour, a spoonful of vinegar, and a little broth. set the saucepan over the stove, keep shaking it round for some time, and then leave it at the side of the stove. take up the stewpan in which is the turbot, and set it on the stove to make it quite hot; then put it in a deep dish; and, having warmed the sauce, pour it over it, and serve up. soles, flounders, plaice, &c. are all excellent dressed in the same way. _turbot, to fry._ it must be a small turbot. cut it across, as if it were ribbed; when it is quite dry, flour it, and put it into a large frying-pan with boiling butter enough to cover it; fry it brown, then drain it. put in enough claret to cover it, two anchovies, salt, a scruple of nutmeg and ginger, and let it stew slowly till half the liquor is wasted; then take it out, and put in a piece of butter, of the size of a walnut, rolled in flour, and a lemon minced, juice and all. let these ingredients simmer till of a proper thickness. rub a hot dish with an eschalot or onion; pour the sauce in, and lay the turbot carefully in the midst. _turbot or barbel, glazed._ lard the upper part of your turbot or barbel with fine bacon. let it simmer slowly between slices of ham, with a little champagne, or fine white, and a bunch of sweet-herbs. put into another stewpan part of a fillet of veal, cut into dice, with one slice of ham; stew them with some fine cullis, till the sauce is reduced to a thick gravy. when thoroughly done, strain it off before you serve it, and, with a feather, put it over your turbot to glaze it. then pour some good cullis into the stewpan, and toss it up as a sauce to serve in the dish, adding the juice of a lemon. _turbot, to dress _en gras_, or in a rich fashion._ put into a stewpan a small quantity of broth, several slices of veal, and an equal quantity of ham, a little cayenne, and a bunch of sweet-herbs. let it stew over a very slow stove, and add a glass of champagne. when this is completely done, serve it with any of the sauces, named in the article sauces, added to its own. _turbot or barbel, to dress _en maigre,_ or in a lean fashion._ put into a stewpan a large handful of salt, a pint of water, a clove of garlic, onions, and all sorts of sweet kitchen herbs, the greater variety the better, only an equal quantity of each. boil the whole half an hour over a slow fire; let it settle. pour off the clear part of the sauce, and strain it through a sieve; then put twice as much rich milk as there is of the brine, and put the fish in it over a very slow fire, letting it simmer only. when your turbot is done, pour over it any of the sauces named as being proper for fish in the article sauces. _turtle, to dress._ after having killed the turtle, divide the back and belly, cleaning it well from the blood in four or five waters, with some salt; take away the fins from the back, and scrape and scald them well from the scales; then put the meat into the saucepan, with a little salt and water just to cover it; stew it, and keep skimming it very clean all the while it is stewing. should the turtle be a large one, put a bottle of white wine; if a small one, half that quantity. it must be stewed an hour and a half before you put in the wine, and the scum have done rising; for the wine being put in before turns it hard; and, while it is stewing, put an onion or two shred fine, with a little parsley, thyme, salt, and black pepper. after it has stewed tender, take it out of the saucepan, and cut it into small pieces; let the back shell be well washed clean from the blood, and rub it with salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, and onions, shred fine, mixed well together; put a layer of seasoning into the shell, and lay on your meat, and so continue till the shell is filled, covering it with seasoning. if a large turtle, two pounds of butter must be cut into bits, and laid between the seasoning and the meat. you must thicken the soup with butter rolled in flour. an hour and a half is requisite for a large turtle. _whiting, to dry._ take the whiting when they come fresh in, and lay them in salt and water about four hours, the water not being too salt. hang them up by the tails two days near a fire, after which, skin and broil them. made dishes. _asparagus forced in french rolls._ take out the crumb of three french rolls, by first cutting off a piece of the top crust; but be careful to cut it so neatly that the crust fits the place again. fry the rolls brown in fresh butter. take a pint of cream, the yolks of six eggs beaten fine, a little salt and nutmeg; stir them well together over a slow fire until the mixture begins to be thick. have ready a hundred of small asparagus boiled; save tops enough to stick in the rolls; the rest cut small and put into the cream; fill the rolls with it. before you fry the rolls, make holes thick in the top crust to stick the asparagus in; then lay on the piece of crust, and stick it with asparagus as if it was growing. _eggs, to dress._ boil or poach them in the common way. serve them on a piece of buttered toast, or on stewed spinach. _eggs buttered._ no. . take the yolks and whites; set them over the fire with a bit of butter, and a little pepper and salt; stir them a minute or two. when they become rather thick and a little turned in small lumps, pour them on a buttered toast. _eggs buttered._ no. . put a lump of butter, of the size of a walnut; beat up two eggs; add a little cream, and put in the stewpan, stirring them till they are hot. add pepper and salt, and lay them on toast. _eggs buttered._ no. . beat the eggs well together with about three spoonfuls of cream and a little salt; set the mass over a slow fire, stirring till it becomes thick, without boiling, and have a toast ready buttered to pour it upon. milk with a little butter, about the size of a walnut, may be used instead of the cream. _eggs, scotch._ take half a pound of the flesh of a fowl, or of veal, or any white meat (dressed meat will do), mince it very small with half a pound of suet and the crumb of a french roll soaked in cream, a little parsley, plenty of lemon-peel shred very small, a little pepper, salt, and nutmeg; pound all these together, adding a raw egg, till they become a paste. boil as many eggs as you want very hard; take out the yolks, roll them up in the forcemeat, and make them the size and shape of an egg. fry them till they are of a light brown, and toss them up in a good brown sauce. quarter some hard-boiled eggs, and spread them over your dish. _eggs for second course._ boil five eggs quite hard; clear away the shells, cut them in half, take out the yolks, and put the whites into warm water. pound the yolks in a mortar till they become very fine. have ready some parsley and a little onion chopped as fine as possible; add these to the yolks, with a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper. add a sufficient quantity of hot cream to make it into a thick even paste; fill the halves of the whites with this, and keep the whole in hot water. prepare white sauce; place the eggs on a dish in two rows, the broad part downward; pour the sauce over them, and serve up hot. _eggs to fry as round as balls._ put three pints of clarified butter into a deep stewpan; heat it as hot as for fritters, and stir the butter with a stick till it turns round like a whirlpool. break an egg into the middle, and turn it round with the stick till it is as hard as a poached egg. the whirling round of the butter makes it as round as a ball. take it up with a slice; put it in a dish before the fire. do as many as you want; they will be soft, and keep hot half an hour. serve on stewed spinach. _eggs, fricassee of._ boil the eggs pretty hard; cut them in round slices; make white sauce and pour it over them; lay sippets round your dish, and put a whole yolk in the middle. _eggs à la crême._ boil the eggs, which must be quite fresh, twelve minutes; and throw them into cold water. when cold, take off the shell without breaking the white. have a little shalot and parsley minced fine and mixed; pass it with a little fresh butter. when done enough, set it to cool. cut the eggs through the middle; put the whites into warm water; pound the yolks very fine; put them into your stewpan, with a little cream, pepper, and salt. make the whole very hot, and dish. two gills of cream will be sufficient for ten eggs. _ham, essence of._ take six pounds of ham; cut off all the skin and fat, and cut the lean into slices about an inch thick; lay them in the bottom of a stewpan, with slices of carrots, parsnips, six onions sliced; cover down very close, and set it over a stove. pour on a pint of veal cullis by degrees, some fresh mushrooms cut in pieces, if to be had, if not, mushroom powder, truffles, morels, two cloves, a basil leaf, parsley, a crust of bread, and a leek. cover down close, and let it simmer till the meat is quite dissolved. a little of this sauce will flavour any lighter sauce with great zest and delicacy. _maccaroni in a mould of pie crust._ prepare a paste, as generally made for apple-pies, of an oval shape; put a stout bottom to it and no top; let it bake by the fire till served. prepare a quarter of a pound of maccaroni, boil it with a little salt and half an ounce of butter; when done, put it in another stewpan with an ounce more of butter, a little grated cheese, and a spoonful of cream. drain the maccaroni, and toss it till the cheese be well mixed; pour it into a dish; sprinkle some more grated cheese over it, and baste it with a little butter. when ready to be served, put the maccaroni into the paste, and dish it up hot without browning the cheese. _maccaroni, to dress._ no. . stew one pound of gravy beef to a rich gravy, with turnips and onions, but no carrots; season it high with cayenne, and fine it with whites of eggs. when the gravy is cold, put in the maccaroni; set it on a gentle fire; stir it often that it may not burn, and let it stew an hour and a half. when you serve it up add of cheshire cheese grated as much as will make the maccaroni relishing. _maccaroni._ no. . boil two ounces of maccaroni in plenty of water an hour and a half, and drain it through a sieve. put it into a saucepan, and beat a little bit of butter, some pepper and salt, and as much grated cheese as will give a proper flavour. put it into the saucepan with the maccaroni, and add two spoonfuls of cream. set it on the fire, and stew it up. put it on your dish; strew a little grated cheese over it, and brown with a salamander. _maccaroni._ no. . boil the maccaroni till tender; cut it in pieces about two inches long; put it into either white or brown sauce, and let it stew gently for half an hour. either stir in some grated cheese, or send it in plain. pepper and salt to your taste. _maccaroni._ no. . soak a quarter of a pound of maccaroni in milk for two hours; put it into a stewpan, boil it well, and thicken with a little flour and butter. season it with pepper and salt to your taste; and add three table-spoonfuls of cream. put it in a dish; add bread crumbs and sliced cheese, and brown with a salamander. _maccaroni._ no. . set on the fire half a gallon of water; when it boils put into it one pound of maccaroni, with a quarter of a pound of salt; let it boil a quarter of an hour, then strain very dry, put it in a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of fresh butter; let it fry a quarter of an hour longer. add pepper and grated cheese; stew them together; then put the maccaroni into a terrine, and shake some grated cheese on it. it is very good with a-la-mode beef gravy instead of butter. _maccaroni._ no. . boil a quarter of a pound of maccaroni till it is quite tender; lay it on a sieve to drain; then put it into a tossing-pan with about a gill of cream and a piece of butter rolled in flour. boil five minutes, pour it on a plate, and lay parmesan cheese toasted all over it. _maccaroni._ no. . break a quarter of a pound of pipe maccaroni into pieces about an inch long, put it into a quart of boiling broth; boil it for three hours; then strain it off from the broth, and make a sauce with a bit of butter, a little flour, some good broth, and a little cream; when it boils add a little parmesan cheese. put your maccaroni into the sauce, and just stir it together. put it on the dish for table, with grated parmesan cheese over it, and give it a good brown colour with a hot shovel or salamander. _maccaroni._ no. . boil three ounces of maccaroni in water till quite tender; lay it on a sieve to drain; when dry, put it into a stewpan, over a charcoal fire, with three or four spoonfuls of fresh cream, one ounce of butter, and a little grated parmesan cheese. set it over a slow fire till quite hot, but it must not boil; pour it into your hot dish; shake a little of the cheese over the top, and brown with a salamander. _omelets._ should be fried in a small frying-pan, made for the purpose; with a small quantity of butter. their great merit is to be thick; therefore use only half the number of whites that you do of yolks of eggs. the following ingredients are the basis of all omelets: parsley, shalot, a portion of sweet-herbs, ham, tongue, anchovy, grated cheese, shrimps, oysters, &c. _omelet._ no. . slice very thin two onions, about two ounces each; put them in a stewpan with three ounces of butter; keep the pan covered till done, stirring now and then, and, when of a nice brown, stir in as much flour as will produce a stiff paste. add by degrees as much water or milk as will make it the thickness of good cream, and stew it with pepper and salt; have ready hard-boiled eggs (four or five); you may either shred or cut them in halves or quarters. _omelet._ no. . beat five eggs lightly together, a small quantity of shalot, shred quite fine; parsley, and a few mushrooms. fry, and be careful not to let it burn. when done add a little sauce. _omelet._ no. . break five eggs into a basin; add half a pint of cream, a table-spoonful of flour, a little pounded loaf-sugar, and a little salt. beat it up with a whisk for five minutes; add candied citron and orange peel; fry it in two ounces of butter. _omelet._ no. . take six or seven eggs, a gill of good cream, chopped parsley, thyme, a very small quantity, shalot, pepper, salt, and a little grated nutmeg. put a little butter in your frying-pan, which must be very clean or the omelet will not turn out. when your butter is melted, and your omelet well beat, pour it in, put it on a gentle fire, and as it sets keep moving and mixing it with a spoon. add a little more butter if required. when it is quite loose from the bottom, turn it over on the dish in which it is to be served. _omelet._ no. . break eight eggs into an earthen pan, with a little pepper and salt, and water sufficient to dissolve the salt; beat the eggs well. throw an ounce and a half of fresh butter into a frying-pan; melt it over the fire; pour the eggs into the pan; keep turning them continually, but never let the middle part be over the fire. gather all the border, and roll it before it is too much done; the middle must be kept hollow. roll it together before it is served. a little chopped parsley and onions may be mixed with the butter and eggs, and a little shalot or pounded ham. _omelet._ no. . four eggs, a little scraped beef, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, lemon peel, parsley, burnet, chervil, and onion, all fried in lard or butter. _asparagus omelet._ beat up six eggs, put some cream to them. boil some asparagus, cut off the green heads, and mix with the eggs; add pepper and salt. make the pan hot; put in some butter; fry the omelet, and serve it hot. _a french omelet._ beat up six eggs; put to them a quarter of a pint of cream, some pepper, salt, and nutmeg; beat them well together. put a quarter of a pound of butter, made hot, into your omelet-pan, and fry it of a light brown. double it once, and serve it up plain, or with a white sauce under it. if herbs are preferred, there should be a little parsley shred, and green onion cut very fine, and serve up fried. _ragout for made dishes._ boil and blanch some cocks' combs, with sweetbreads sliced and lambs' stones; mix them up in gravy, with sweet-herbs, truffles, mushrooms, oysters, and savoury spice, and use it when you have occasion. _trouhindella._ chop fine two pounds of veal, fat and lean together; slice crumb of bread into some warm milk: squeeze it out of the milk and put it to the veal; season with pepper, salt, and nutmeg; make it up in three balls, and fry it in butter half an hour. put a quart of mutton or veal broth into the pan, and let it stew three quarters of an hour, or till it is reduced to a quarter of a pint of strong gravy. meats and vegetables. _artichokes, to fricassee._ scrape the bottom clean; cut them into large dice, and boil them, but not too soft. stove them in a little cream, seasoned with pepper and salt; thicken with the yolks of four eggs and melted butter, and serve up. _bacon, to cure._ no. . use two pounds of common salt; one pound of bay salt; one pound of brown sugar; two ounces of saltpetre; two ounces of ground black pepper. _bacon, to cure._ no. . take half a pound of saltpetre, or let part of it be petre salt, half a pound of bay salt, and one pound of coarse sugar; pound and mix them well together. rub this mixture well into the bacon, and cover it completely with common salt. dry it thoroughly, and keep it well packed in malt dust. _bacon, to cure._ no. . for sixty pounds' weight of pork take three pounds of common salt, half a pound of saltpetre, and half a pound of brown sugar. the sugar must be put on first and well rubbed in, and last of all the common salt. let the meat lie in salt only a week, and then hang it at a good distance from the fire, but in a place where a fire is constantly kept. when thoroughly dry, remove it into a garret, and there let it remain till wanted for use. _barbicue._ cut either the fore quarter or leg of a small pork pig in the shape of a ham; roast it well, and a quarter of an hour before it is enough done, baste it with madeira wine; then strain the madeira and gravy in the dripping-pan through a sieve; mix to your taste with cayenne pepper and lemon-juice; and serve it in the dish. _alamode beef._ no. . take a piece of the round of beef, fresh and tender; beat it well, and to six pounds of beef put one pound of bacon, cut into large pieces for larding, and season it with pepper, cloves, and salt. lard your beef, and put it into your stewpan, with a bay-leaf or two, and two or three onions, a bunch of parsley, a little lemon-peel, three spoonfuls of vinegar, and the same quantity of beer. cover it close, and set it over a gentle charcoal fire; stew it very gently that your liquor may come out; and shake it often to prevent its sticking. as the liquor increases, make your fire a little stronger, and, when enough done, skim off all the fat, and put in a glass of claret. stew it half an hour longer, and when you take it off your fire squeeze in the juice of a lemon, and serve up. it must stew five hours; and is as good cold as hot. _alamode beef._ no. . lard the mouse-buttock with fat bacon, sprinkled with parsley, scallions, mushrooms, truffles, morels, one clove of garlic shred fine, salt, and pepper. let it stew five or six hours in its own gravy, to which add, when it is about half done, a large spoonful of brandy. it should be done in an earthen vessel just large enough to contain it, and may be served hot or cold. _alamode beef._ no. . lard a piece of beef with fat bacon, dipped in pepper, vinegar, allspice, and salt; flour it all over; cut two or three large onions in thin slices; lay them at the bottom of the stewpan with as much butter as will fry your beef; lay it in and brown it all over; turn it frequently. pour to it as much boiling water as will cover it; add a little lemon-peel, and a bunch of herbs, which must be taken out before done enough; when it has stewed about two hours turn it. when finished, put in some mushrooms or ketchup, and serve up. _alamode beef, in the french manner._ take the best part of the mouse-buttock, between four and seven pounds, larded well with fat bacon, and cut in square pieces the length and thickness of your beef. before you lard it, take a little mace, six cloves, some pepper and salt, ground all together, and mix it with some parsley, shalot, and a few sweet-herbs; chop them small, roll your bacon in this mixture, and lard your beef. skewer it well, and tie it close with a string; put two or three slices of fat bacon at the bottom of your stewpan, with three slices of carrot, two onions cut in two, and half a pint of water; put your beef in, and set your stewpan on the fire. after the beef has stewed about ten minutes, add more hot water, till it half covers the meat; let it boil till you feel with your finger that your beef is warm or hot through. lay two or three slices of fat bacon upon your beef, add a little mace, cloves, pepper, and salt, a few slices of carrot, a small bunch of sweet-herbs, and celery tied together, a little garlic if you like it. cut a piece of paper, of the size of your cover; well grease it with butter or lard; put it over your pan, cover it close, and let it stew over a very slow fire seven or eight hours. if you like to eat the beef cold, do not uncover the pan till it is so, for it will be the better for it. if you choose to stew a knuckle of veal with the beef, it will add greatly to the flavour. _rump of beef, with onions._ having extracted the bones, tie it compactly in a good shape, and stew it in a pan that will allow for fire at the top. put in a pint of white wine, some good broth, a slice of veal, two of bacon, or ham, which is better, a large bunch of kitchen herbs, pepper and salt. when the beef is nearly half done, add a good quantity of onions. the beef being thoroughly done, take it out and wipe off the grease; place it in the dish in which it is to be served at table, put the onions round it, and pour over it a good sauce, any that suits your taste. _rump of beef, to bake._ bone a rump of beef; beat it thoroughly with a rolling-pin, till it is very tender; cut off the sinew, and lard it with large pieces of bacon; roll your larding seasoning first--of pepper, salt, and cloves. lard athwart the meat that it may cut handsomely; then season the meat all over with pepper and salt, and a little brown sugar. tie it neatly up with packthread across and across, put the top undermost, and place it in an earthen pan. take all the bones that came out of it, and put them in round and round the beef, so that it cannot stir; then put in half a pound of butter, two bay-leaves, two shalots, and all sorts of seasoning herbs, chopped fine. cover the top of the pot with coarse paste; put it in a slow oven; let it stand eight hours; take it out, and serve it in the dish in which it is to go to table, with its own juice, and some have additional broth or gravy ready to add to it if it is too dry. _rump of beef, cardinal fashion._ choose a rump of beef of moderate size, say ten or twelve pounds; take out the bones; beat it, and lard it with a pound of the best bacon, mingled with salt and spices, without touching the upper parts. rub half a quarter of a pound of saltpetre in powder into the meat that it may look red; and put it into a pan with an ounce of juniper-berries a little bruised, a tea-spoonful of brown sugar, a little thyme, basil, and a pound of salt; and there let it remain, the pan being covered close, for eight days. when the meat has taken the salt, wash it in warm water, and put some slices of bacon upon the upper part on that side which is covered with fat, and tie a linen cloth over it with packthread. let it stew gently five hours, with a pint and a half of red wine, a pint of water, six onions, two cloves of garlic, five carrots, two parsnips, a laurel leaf, thyme, basil, four or five cloves, parsley, and scallions. when it is done, it may be either served up hot, or left to cool in its own liquor, and eaten cold. _beef, sausage fashion._ take a slice of beef, about half an inch thick and four or five wide; cut it in two equal parts; beat them well to make them flat, and pare the edges neatly. mince your parings with beef suet, parsley, onions, mushroom, a shalot, two leaves of basil, and mix them into a forcemeat with the yolks of four eggs. a little minced ham is a great addition. spread this forcemeat upon the slices of beef, and roll them up in the form of sausages. tie them with packthread, and stew them in a little broth, a glass of white wine, salt, pepper, an onion stuck with cloves, a carrot, and a parsnip. when they are done, strain off the liquor, and, having skimmed off the fat, reduce it over the fire to the consistence of a sauce; take care that it be not too highly flavoured, and serve it over your sausages, or they may be served on sorrel, spinach, or any other sauce you prefer. _ribs and sirloin of beef._ when the ribs and sirloin are tender, they are commonly roasted, and eaten with their own gravy. to make the sirloin still better, take out the fillet: cut it into thin slices, and put it into a stewpan, with a sauce made with capers, anchovies, mushrooms, a little garlic, truffles, and morels, the whole shred fine, turned a few times over the fire, with a little butter, and moistened with some good cullis. when the sauce is skimmed and seasoned to your taste, put in the fillet with the gravy of the meat, and heat and serve it over the ribs or sirloin. _rib of beef, en papillotes, (in paper.)_ cut a rib of beef neatly, and stew it with some broth and a little pepper and salt. when the meat is done enough, reduce the sauce till it sticks to the rib, and then steep the rib in butter, with parsley, scallions, shalots, and mushrooms, shred fine, and a little basil in powder. wrap the rib, together with its seasoning, in a sheet of white paper, folding the paper round in the form of a curling paper or papillote; grease the outside, and lay it upon the gridiron, on another sheet of greased paper, over a slow fire. when it is done, serve it in the paper. _brisket of beef, stewed german fashion._ cut three or four pounds of brisket of beef in three or four pieces of equal size, and boil it a few minutes in water; in another pan boil the half of a large cabbage for a full quarter of an hour; stew the meat with a little broth, a bunch of parsley, scallions, a little garlic, thyme, basil, and a laurel-leaf; and an hour afterwards put in the cabbage, cut into three pieces, well squeezed, and tied with packthread, and three large onions. when the whole is nearly done, add four sausages, with a little salt and whole pepper, and let it stew till the sauce is nearly consumed; then take out the meat and vegetables, wipe off the grease, and dish them, putting the beef in the middle, the onions and cabbage round, and the sausages upon it. strain the sauce through a sieve, and, having skimmed off the fat, serve it over the ragout. the beef will take five hours and a quarter at the least to stew. _beef, to bake._ take a buttock of beef; beat it in a mortar; put to it three pounds of bacon cut in small pieces; season with pepper and salt, and mix in the bacon with your hands. put it into a pot, with some butter and a bunch of sweet-herbs, covering it very close, and let it bake six hours. when enough done, put it into a cloth to strain; then put it again into your pot, and fill it up with butter. _beef bouilli._ take the thick part of the brisket of beef, and let it lie in water all night; tie it up well, and put it to boil slowly, with a small faggot of parsley and thyme, a bag of peppercorns and allspice, three or four onions, and roots of different sorts: it will take five or six hours, as it should be very tender. take it out, cut the string from it, and either glaze it or sprinkle some dry parsley that has been chopped very fine over it; sprinkle a little flour on the top of it, with gherkin and carrot. the chief sauce for it is _sauce hachée_, which is made thus: a little dressed ham, gherkin, boiled carrot, and the yolk of egg boiled, all chopped fine and put into brown sauce. _another way._ take about eight or nine pounds of the middle part of the brisket; put it into your stew-kettle (first letting it hang up for four or five days) with a little whole pepper, salt, and a blade or two of mace, a turnip or two, and an onion, adding about three pints or two quarts of water. cover it up close, and when it begins to boil skim it; let it stand on a very slow fire, just to keep it simmering. it will take five hours or more before it is done, and during that time you must take the meat out, in order to skim off the fat. when it is quite tender take your stewpan, and brown a little butter and flour, enough to thicken the gravy, which you must put through a colander, first adding sliced carrots and turnips, previously boiled in another pot. you may also, if you choose, put in an anchovy, a little ketchup, and juice of lemon; but these are omitted according to taste. when the gravy is thus prepared, put the meat in again; give it a boil, and dish it up. _relishing beef._ take a round of the best piece of beef and lard it with bacon; half roast it; put it in a stewpan, with some gravy, an onion stuck with cloves, half a pint of white wine, a gill of vinegar, a bunch of sweet-herbs, pepper, cloves, mace, and salt; cover it down very close, and let it only simmer till it is quite tender. take two ox-palates, two sweetbreads, truffles, morels, artichoke-bottoms, and stew them all together in some good gravy, which pour over the beef. have ready forcemeat balls fried, made in different shapes; dip some sippets into butter, fry and cut them three-corner-ways, stick them into the meat; lay the balls round the dish. _beef, to stew._ take a pound and a half of the fat part of a brisket, with four pounds of stewing beef, cut into pieces; put these into a stewpan, with a little salt, pepper, a bunch of sweet-herbs and onions, stuck with cloves, two or three pieces of carrots, two quarts of water, and half a pint of good small beer. let the whole stew for four hours; then take some turnips and carrots cut into pieces, a small leek, two or three heads of celery, cut small, and a piece of bread toasted hard. let these stew all together one hour longer; then put the whole into a terrine, and serve up. _another way._ put three pounds of the thin part of the brisket of beef and half a pound of gravy beef in a stewpan, with two quarts of water, a little thyme, marjoram, parsley, whole pepper and salt, a sufficient quantity, and an onion; let it stew six hours or more; then add carrots, turnips, (cut with a machine) and celery cut small, which have all been previously boiled; let the vegetables be stewed with the beef one hour. just before you take it off the fire, put in some boiled cabbage chopped small, some pickled cucumbers and walnuts sliced, some cucumber liquor, and a little walnut liquor. thicken the sauce with a lump of butter rolled in flour. strew the cut vegetables over the top of the meat. _cold beef, to dress._ slice it as thin as possible; slice, also, an onion or shalot; squeeze on it the juice of a lemon or two; then beat it between two plates, as you do cucumbers. when it is very well beaten, and tastes sharp of the lemon, put it into the dish, in which it is to be served; pick out the onion, and strew over it some fine shred parsley and fine bread crumbs; then pour on it oil and mustard well mixed; garnish with sliced lemon. _cold boiled beef, to dress._ when your rump or brisket of beef has been well boiled in plain water, about an hour before you serve it up take it out of the water, and put it in a pot just large enough to contain it. there let it stew, with a little of its own liquor, salt, basil, and laurel; and, having drained, put it into the dish on which it is to be served for table, and pour over it a sauce, which you must have previously ready, made with gravy, salt, whole pepper, and a dash of vinegar, thickened over the stove with the yolks of three eggs or more, according to the size of the beef and the quantity of sauce wanted. then cover beef and all with finely grated bread; baste it with butter, and brown it with a salamander. _cold beef, to pot._ cut the beef small; add to it some melted butter, two anchovies well washed and boned, a little jamaica pepper beat very fine. beat them well together in a marble mortar till the meat is yellow; then put it into pots, and cover it with clarified butter. _beef steaks to broil._ when your steak is nearly broiled, chop some large onions, as fine as possible, and cover the steak thickly with it, the last time you turn it, letting it broil till fit to send to table, when the onion should quite cover the steak. pour good gravy in the dish to moisten it. _beef steaks and oysters._ put two dozen oysters into a stewpan with their own liquor; when it boils add a spoonful of water; when the oysters are done drain them in a sieve, and let the liquor settle; then pour it off clear into another vessel; beard them, and add a pint of jelly gravy to the liquor; add a piece of butter and two spoonfuls of flour to thicken it. let this boil fifteen minutes; then throw in the oysters, and let it stand. take a beef-steak, pare it neatly round, and dress it as usual; when done, lay it on a hot dish, and pour the sauce and oysters over it. _rump steaks broiled, with onion gravy._ peel and slice two large onions; put them into a stewpan with two table-spoonfuls of water; set it on a slow fire till the water is boiled away and the onions have become a little brown. add half a pint of good broth; boil the onions till tender; strain the broth from them, and chop them fine; thicken with flour and butter, and season with mushroom ketchup, pepper, and salt; put the onions in, and boil it gently for five minutes: pour the gravy over a broiled rump-steak. _beef steaks, to stew._ pepper and salt two fine rump steaks; lay them in a stewpan with a few cloves, some mace, an onion, one anchovy, a bundle of sweet herbs, a gill of white wine, and a little butter mixed with flour; cover them close, stew them very gently till they are tender, and shake the pan round often to keep them from sticking. take them carefully out, flour and fry them of a nice brown in fresh butter, and put them in a dish. in the mean time strain off the gravy from the fat out of the frying-pan, and put it in the sauce, with a dozen oysters blanched, and a little of the oyster liquor; give it a boil up, pour it over the steaks, and garnish with horseradish. you may fry them first and then stew them; put them in a dish, and strain the sauce over them without any oysters, as a common dish. _another way._ beat three pounds of rump steaks; put them in a stewpan, with a pint of water, the same quantity of small beer, six cloves, a large onion, a bunch of sweet-herbs, a carrot, a turnip, pepper, and salt. stew this very gently, closely covered, for four or five hours; but take care the meat does not go to rags, by being done too fast. take up the meat, and strain the gravy over it. have turnips cut into balls, and carrots into shapes, and put them over the meat. _beef olives._ take a rump of beef, cut into steaks, about five inches long and not half an inch thick. lay on some good forcemeat, made with veal; roll them, and tie them round once or twice, to keep them in a neat shape. mix some crumbs of bread, egg, a little grated nutmeg, pepper and salt; fry them brown; have ready some good gravy, with a few truffles, morels, and mushrooms, boiled together. pour it into the dish and send them to table, after taking off the string that tied them in shape. _another way._ cut steaks from the inside of the sirloin, about an inch thick, six inches long, and four or five broad: beat and rub them over with yolk of egg; strew on bread crumbs, parsley chopped, lemon-peel shred, pepper and salt, and chopped suet. roll them up tight, skewer them; fry or brown them in a dutch oven; stew them in some beef broth or gravy until tender. thicken the gravy with a little flour; add ketchup, and a little lemon juice, and, to enrich it, add pickled mushrooms, hard yolks of eggs, and forcemeat balls. _pickle for beef._ to four gallons of water put a sufficient quantity of common salt; when quite dissolved, to bear an egg, four ounces of saltpetre, two ounces of bay salt, and half a pound of coarse sugar. boil this pickle for twenty minutes, skim it well, and strain it. when quite cold, put in your beef, which should be quite covered with the pickle, and in nine days it will be fit for use; or you may keep it three months, and it will not be too salt. the pickle must be boiled and well skimmed at the end of six weeks, and every month afterwards; it will then keep three months in summer and much longer in winter. _beef, to salt._ into four gallons of water put one pound and a half of coarse brown sugar, two ounces of saltpetre, and six pounds of bay salt; boil and skim as long as any scum rises. when cold, put in the meat, which must be quite covered with pickle: once in two months boil up the pickle again, skimming carefully. add in the boiling two ounces of coarse sugar, half a pound of bay salt, and the same pickle will be good for twelve months. it is incomparable for hung beef, hams, or neats' tongues. when you take them out of this pickle, clean, dry, and put them in a paper bag, and hang them up in a dry place. pork may be pickled in the same manner. _beef, to salt._ eight pounds of salt, six ounces of saltpetre, one pound and a half of brown sugar, four gallons of water; boil all together, skim and put on the beef when cold; the beef to be kept under the pickle with a weight. _beef, to dry._ salt it in the same way as your hams; keep it in your pickle a fortnight or three weeks, according to its size; hang it up to dry for a few days; then have it smoked the same as hams. _hung beef._ no. . take a round, ribs, rump, or sirloin; let it lie in common salt for a month, and well cover it with the brine. rub a little saltpetre over it two or three days before it is hung up; observing, before it is put up to dry, to strew it over with bran or oatmeal, to keep it from the dust; or, which will answer the same purpose, wrap it up in strong coarse paper. it is not to be smoked; only hang it up in the kitchen, and not too near the fire. the time of hanging to dry must be regulated by the quantity of air in which it is suspended, or left to the discretion of the person who has the care of it. the time which it must lie in water before dressing depends upon the driness of the meat. half boil it in simmering water, and afterwards roast. it must not be cut till cold. _hung beef._ no. . take the under-cliff of a small buttock of beef, two ounces of common salt, and one ounce of saltpetre, well beaten together: put to it half a pint of vinegar with a sprig of thyme. rub the beef with this pickle every morning for six days, and let it lie in it. then dry it well with a cloth, and hang it up in the chimney for a fortnight. it must be made perfectly dry before it will be fit for eating; it should also be kept in a dry place. _hung beef._ no. . take the tenderest part of beef, and let it hang in the cellar as long as you can, taking care that it is not in the least tainted. take it down, wash it well in sugar and water. dry six-pennyworth of saltpetre and two pounds of bay salt, and pound them fine; mix with it three large spoonfuls of brown sugar; rub your beef thoroughly with it. take common salt, sufficient according to the size of the beef to salt it; let it lie closely covered up until the salts are entirely dissolved, which will be in seven or eight days. turn it every day, the under part uppermost, and so on for a fortnight; then hang it where it may have a little warmth of the fire. it may hang in the kitchen a fortnight. when you use it, boil it in hay and pump water very tender: it will keep boiled two or three months, rubbing it with a greasy cloth, or putting it for two or three minutes into boiling water to take off any mouldiness. _beef for scraping._ to four pounds of lean buttock of beef take one ounce of saltpetre and some common salt, in which let the meat lie for a month; then hang it to dry for three weeks. boil it for grating when wanted. _italian beef._ take a round of beef, about fifteen or eighteen pounds; rub it well with three ounces of saltpetre, and let it lie for four hours in it. then season it very well with beaten mace, pepper, cloves, and salt sufficient; let it then lie in that seasoning for twelve days; wash it well, and put it in the pot in which you intend to bake it, with one pound of suet shred fine, and thrown under and over it. cover your pot and paste it down: let it stew six hours in its own liquor, and eat it cold. _red beef._ twelve pounds of ribs of beef boned, four ounces of bay salt, three ounces of saltpetre; beat them fine, and mix with half a pound of coarse sugar, two pounds of common salt, and a handful of juniper berries bruised. rub the beef well with this mixture, and turn it every day about three weeks or a month; bake it in a coarse paste. _another way._ take a piece of brisket of beef, about sixteen or eighteen pounds; make the pickle for it as follows:--saltpetre and bay salt, one pound and a half of each, one pound of coarse brown sugar, and six pounds of common salt; add to these three gallons of water. set it on the fire and keep it stirring, lest the salts should burn; as it boils skim it well till clear: boil it about an hour and a half. when it is quite cold, put in the beef, and let it lie in a pan that will hold it properly; turn it every day, and let it remain in about a fortnight. take it out, and just wash it in clean water, and put it into the pot in which you stew it with some weak broth; then add slices of fat bacon, fat of veal, any pieces of fat meat, the more fat the better, especially of veal, also a pint of brandy, a full pint of wine, a handful of bay-leaves, a few cloves, and some blades of mace, about two large carrots, one dozen of large onions, a good bundle of sweet-herbs, some parsley, and two or three turnips. stew it exceedingly gently for eight hours. the broth should cover the meat while it is stewing, and keep the slices of fat as much over it as you can; the seldomer you uncover the pot the better. when you think it sufficiently tender, which try with your finger, take it off, and, though it may appear tender enough to fall to pieces, it will harden sufficiently when it grows cold. it should remain in the pot just as it is taken off the fire till it is very nearly if not quite cold. it will eat much better for being so left, and you will also not run the risk of breaking the beef in pieces, as you would by removing it whilst hot. _collar of beef._ bone the navel and navel round; make sufficient pickle to cover it, as strong as to bear an egg, with bay salt; beat two ounces of saltpetre very fine, and strew half of it on your beef before you lay it in your pickle. then lay it in an earthen pan, and press it down in the liquor with a weight, as it must be all covered. let it remain thus for four or five days, stirring it however once every day. take it out, let the brine drain from it, lay it on a table, and season it with nutmeg, pepper, cloves, and mace, some parsley, thyme, and sweet marjoram, of each a little, and eight anchovies sliced; roll it up with these like brawn, and bind it quite fast with strong tape. then put it into a pan, deep enough for it to stand upright; fill the pan with water, and cover it with paste. make your oven very hot, put it in, and let it remain there five or six hours; then take it out, and, having removed the tape, roll it in a cloth; hang it up till cold. if you think it not salt enough, before you bake it, put a little salt with your spice and herbs, for baking in water abates much of its saltness. _another._ salt a flank of beef with white salt, and let it lie for forty-eight hours. wash it, and hang it in the wind to dry for twenty-four hours. then take pepper, salt, cloves, saltpetre, all beaten fine, and mix them together; rub the beef all over; roll it up hard, and tie it fast with tape. put it in a pan, with a few bay-leaves, and four pounds of butter. cover the pot with rye paste, and bake it with household bread. _bisquet, to make._ cut some slips of white paper; butter and place them at the bottom and sides of the pan you make your bisquet in; then cut thin collops of veal, or whatever meat you make it of; lay them on the paper, and cover them with forcemeat. put in anything else you like, carrots, &c.; close the top with forcemeat and veal, and paper again; put it in the oven or stove, and, when done, and you want to dish it, turn the pan upside down from the dish; take the paper off, and pour good gravy on it. _boar's head, to dress whole._ when the head is cut off, the neck part must be boned, and the tongue taken out. the brains also must be taken out on the inside, so as not to break the bone and skin on the outside. when boned, singe the hair off, and clean it; then put it for four or five days into a red pickle made of saltpetre, bay salt, common salt, and coarse brown sugar, rubbing the pickle in every day. when taken out of the pickle, lay the tongue in the centre of the neck or collar; close the meat together as close as you can, and bind it with strong tape up to the ears, the same as you would do brawn; then put it into a pot or kettle, the neck downward, and fill the pot with good broth and rhenish wine, in the proportion of one bottle of wine to three pints of broth, till it is covered a little above the ears. season the wine and broth with small bunches of sweet-herbs, such as basil, winter savory, and marjoram, bay-leaves, shalots, celery, carrots, turnips, parsley-roots, with different kinds of spices. set it over the fire to boil; when it boils, put it on one side to boil gently, till the head is tender. take it out of the liquor, and put it into an earthen pan; skim all the fat off the liquor; strain it through a sieve into the head; put it by until it is quite cold, and then it will be fit for use. _brawn, to keep._ put some bran and three handfuls of salt into a kettle of water; boil and strain it through a sieve, and, when cold, put your brawn into it. _hog's head like brawn._ wash it well; boil it till the bones will come out; when cold, put the inside of the cheek together with salt between; put the ears round the sides. put the cheeks into a cloth, press them into a sieve, or anything round; lay on a weight for two days. have ready a pickle of salt and water, with about a pint of malt, boiled together; when cold, put in the head. _mock brawn._ take two pair of neats' feet; boil them very tender, and take the flesh clean from the bones. boil the belly piece of pork till nearly done, then bone it, and roll the meat of the feet up very tight in the pork. take a strong cloth, with some coarse tape; roll it round very tight; tie it up in the cloth; boil it till it is so tender that a skewer may go through it; let it be hung in a cloth till it is quite cold; after which put it into some sousing liquor, and keep it for use. _cabbage, farced._ take a fine white-heart cabbage, about as big as a quarter of a peck, lay it in water two or three hours, half boil it, put it in a colander to drain, then cut out the heart, but take very great care not to break off any of the outside leaves. fill it with forcemeat made thus:--take a pound of veal, half a pound of bacon, fat and lean together; cut them small, and beat them fine in a mortar, with the yolks of four eggs boiled hard; season with pepper and salt, a little beaten mace, a very little lemon-peel, some parsley chopped fine, a very little thyme, and three anchovies. when these are beat fine, take the crumb of a stale roll, some mushrooms, either fresh or pickled, and the heart of the cabbage which you cut out. chop it very fine; mix all together with the yolk of an egg; fill the hollow of the cabbage, and tie it round with thread. lay some slices of bacon in the bottom of a stewpan, and upon these some thin slices of coarse beef, about one pound: put in the cabbage, cover it close, and let it stew gently over a slow fire, until the bacon begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. shake in a little flour; then put in a quart of good broth, an onion stuck with cloves, two blades of mace, some whole pepper, a little bundle of sweet-herbs; cover close, and let it stew gently an hour and a half. put in a glass of red wine, give it a boil, and take it up; lay it in a dish, and strain the gravy over it, untying the packthread first. this is a very good dish, and makes the next day an excellent hash, with a veal steak nicely boiled and laid on it. _calf's head._ scald the hair off; trim and pare it, and make it look as neat as possible. take out the bones, and have ready palates boiled tender, hard-boiled yolks of eggs, oysters just scalded, and very good forcemeat: stuff all this into the head, and sew it close in a cloth. boil it gently for full three hours. make a strong good gravy for sauce. garnish with fried bacon. _calf's head, to dress like turtle._ the wool must be scalded off in the same manner as the hair is taken off a little pig, which may be done at the butcher's; then wash and parboil it; cut the meat from the bones, and put it in a saucepan, with as much of the broth as will just cover it. put in half a tea-spoonful of cayenne pepper, and some common pepper and salt, a large onion, and a faggot of sweet-herbs; take out the herbs and the onion before it breaks. about half an hour before it is done, put three quarters of a pint of white or raisin wine; have ready the yolks of six or eight eggs boiled hard, which you must make into small balls, and put in just before you serve it up. it will take two hours and a half, or perhaps three hours doing, over a slow fire. _calf's head, to hash._ no. . let the calf's head be washed dean, and boiled tender; then cut the meat off one half of the head in small slices. to make the sauce, take some parsley, thyme, and a very little onion, let them be chopped fine; then pass them in a stewpan over the fire, with some butter, till tender. add some flour, a very little pepper and salt, and some good strong broth, according to your quantity of meat; let it boil, then skim it, put the meat into it, and add a little lemon-juice and a little white wine; let all boil together about ten minutes. there may be some force-meat balls added, if liked. the other half of the head must be scored like diamonds, cross and across; then rub it with some oiled butter and yolk of egg; mix some chopped parsley and thyme, pepper, salt, a little nutmeg, and some bread crumbs; strew the head all over with this; broil it a nice light brown, and put it on the hash when dished. scald the brains, and cut them in four pieces; rub them with yolk of egg, then let them be crumbed, with the same crumbs and herbs as the head was done with, and fried a light brown; lay them round the dish with a few slices of bacon or ham fried. the brains may be done, to be sent up alone on a plate, as follows:--let the brains be washed and skinned; let them be boiled in broth, about twenty-five minutes; make a little white sauce of some butter, flour, salt, a little cream, and a little good broth; let it just boil; then pick a little green sage, a little parsley picked very small, and scalded till tender; the brains, parsley, and sage, must be strained off, and put into the white sauce, and let it come to a boil, just before you put them on the dish to send up. _calf's head, to hash._ no. . take half a calf's head, cover it with water in a large saucepan, and boil it till the meat comes from the bone. cut it into pieces; put it into some of the liquor in which the head was boiled, and let it stew till it becomes thick. add a little salt and mace, and put it into a mould. _calf's head, to hash._ no. . your calf's head being half boiled and cooled, cut it in thin slices, and fry it in a pan of brown butter; put it into your tossing pan with gravy; stew it till tender; toss it up with burnt butter, or butter rolled in flour. garnish with forcemeat balls, and fritters, made of the brains, mixed up with eggs, a little cream, a dust of flour, nutmeg, and a little parsley, boiled and chopped fine. mix them all well together, and fry them in little cakes; put a few bits of bacon and lemon round the dish. _calf's head, to hash._ no. . half boil the head; cut it into round pieces; season with nutmeg, salt, pepper, and a large onion. save all the gravy, put in a pint of white wine, a quarter of a pound of butter, and four spoonfuls of oyster liquor: let it stew with the meat, not too fast: thicken it with a little butter and a dozen of oysters, and, when dished, add some rolled bacon, forcemeat balls, and the brains fried in thin cakes, very brown, and the size of a crown-piece, laid round the dish. garnish with lemon and pickled mushrooms; lemon pickle is an addition. _calf's head, to hash._ no. . have the head well cleaned; boil it well, cut in slices half of the head, and have some good ragout of forcemeat, truffles, mushrooms, morels, and artichoke bottoms, also some veal sweet-herbs. season your ragout, and throw in your slices, a bit of garlic and parsley, with some thyme, and squeeze a lemon in it, but be cautious to have it skimmed well. take the other part of the head, and score it like diamonds; season with salt and pepper, and rub it over with an egg and some crumbs of bread. then broil it, pour the hash into the dish; let the half head lie in the middle, and cut and set off the brains afterwards in slices. fry bacon, and lay slices round the dish with sliced lemon. _calf's head fricassee._ clean well a calf's head, boil it and cut in square pieces of about an inch; put half a pint of its own liquor, and mix it well with some mushrooms, sweetbreads, yolks of eggs, artichoke bottoms, and cream. season with nutmeg and mace, and squeeze in a lemon: but serve it up hot. _calf's head, to pickle._ take out the bones and clean the head carefully: wash it well with eggs, seasoning it with pepper, salt, nutmeg, thyme, and parsley. put some forcemeat on it, and roll it up. boil it tender; take it up, lay it in sturgeon-pickle for four days; and if you please you may cut it in pieces as you would sturgeon. _calf's liver._ lay it for a few hours in milk, then dry and fry it in butter. _cauliflowers, with white sauce._ boil the cauliflowers in small pieces till tender; drain them in a sieve; when quite dry lay them in a dish; season the sauce with a little pepper and salt, and pour it pretty thick over them. _celery, to stew._ cut and trim a dozen heads of celery; put them in cold water to blanch; stew them in a little butter, salt, and water. when done enough they should be quite soft, but not broken. drain them, and have ready a rich white sauce, the same that is used for boiled chickens, only without truffles or mushrooms; pour this sauce over the celery, and serve hot. _another way._ take a dozen white heads of celery, cut about two inches long, wash them clean, and put them in a stewpan, with a pint of gravy, a glass of white wine, a bundle of sweet-herbs, pepper, and salt: cover close, and stew them till they are tender. then take out the sweet-herbs; put in a piece of butter mixed with flour; let it stew till it is thick, and dish it up. _celery à la crême._ take a dozen white heads of celery, cut about two inches long; wash them very clean, and boil them in water till they are very tender; have ready half a pint of cream, a little butter mixed with flour, a little nutmeg, and salt; boil it up till thick and smooth; put in the celery, give it a toss or two, and dish it up. _scotch collops._ take a piece of the fillet of veal, as much as will cut into fifteen pieces, of the size and thickness of a crown-piece; shake a little flour over it; put a little butter into a frying-pan, and melt it; fry the slices of veal quick till they are brown, and lay them in a dish near the fire. then prepare a sauce thus: take a little butter in a stewpan and melt it; add a table-spoonful of flour; stir it about till it is as smooth as cream; put in half a pint each of beef and veal jelly, cayenne pepper and salt, a pinch of each, and one glass of white wine, twenty-four pieces of truffles the size of a shilling, and a table-spoonful of mushrooms: wash them thoroughly from vinegar; squeeze the juice of half a lemon; stew the sauce gently for one hour; then throw in the veal, and stew it all together for five minutes. serve quite hot, laying the veal regularly in the dish. _another way._ cut the lean part of a leg of veal into thin collops; beat them with the back of a knife; season with pepper and salt, shred thyme and parsley, and flour them well. reserve some of the meat to make balls. taking as much suet as meat, shred it small; then beat it in a mortar; season with pepper, salt, shred herbs, a little shred onion, and a little allspice. put in an egg or two, according to the quantity. make balls, and fry them in good dripping; keep them warm. then fry your collops with clarified butter, till they are brown enough; and, while they are warming in the pan, put in your sauce, which must be made thus:--have some good glaze, a little white wine, a good piece of butter, and two yolks of eggs. put your balls to the collops; flour and make them very hot in the pan; put in your sauce, shake them well, and let them boil. if you would have them white, put strong broth instead of glaze and half a pint of cream. _scotch collops, brown._ cut your collops thin and from the fillet. season them with salt and pepper, and fry them off quick and brown. brown a piece of butter thickened with flour, and put in some good gravy, mushrooms, morels, truffles, and forcemeat balls, with sweetbread dried. squeeze in a lemon, and let the whole boil till of a proper thickness. then put in your collops, but do not let them boil; toss them up quick, and serve up. _collops, white._ no. . take a small slice of veal, cut thin slices from it, and beat them out very thin: butter a frying-pan very lightly, place them in it, and pass them on the fire, but not to get any colour. trim them round, and put them into white sauce. _collops, white._ no. . cut the veal very thin; put it into a stewpan with a piece of butter and one clove of shalot; toss it in a pan for a few minutes. have ready to put to it some cream, more or less according to the quantity of veal, a piece of butter mixed with flour, the yolk of an egg, a little nutmeg, and a tea-spoonful of lemon-pickle. stir it over the fire till it is thick enough, but do not let it boil. if you choose forcemeat balls, have them ready boiled in water, and take out the shalot before you dish up: ten minutes will do them. _collops, white._ no. . hack and cut your collops well; season with pepper and salt, and fry them quick of a pale colour in a little bit of butter. squeeze in a lemon: put in half a pint of cream and the yolks of four eggs. toss them up quick, and serve them hot. _collops, to mince._ chop some beef as fine as possible; the under part of roasted beef without any fat is best. put some onions, pepper, and salt to it. then put a little butter in the frying-pan; when it is melted, put in the meat, and stew it well. add a cupful of gravy; if you have none, water will do. just before it is done put in a little vinegar. _collops of cold beef._ take off all the fat from the inside of a sirloin of beef; cut it neatly into thin collops, about the size of a crown or half-crown piece, as you like for size, and cut them round. slice an onion very small; boil the gravy that came from the beef when roasted, first clearing it of all the fat, with a little water; season it with pepper, and, instead of salt, anchovies dissolved in walnut ketchup, or the liquor from pickled walnuts, and a bundle of sweet-herbs. let this boil before you put in the collops; put them in with a good piece of butter rolled in a little flour; shake it round to thicken it, and let it do no longer than till the collops are thoroughly heated, lest they be hard. this does better than fresh meat. serve it hot with pickles, or slices of stewed cucumbers, cut round, like the meat, and placed alternately with it round the dish. _cucumbers, to stew._ pare twelve cucumbers, and slice them rather thicker than for eating; put them to drain, and lay them in a coarse cloth till dry. flour and fry them brown in butter; then put to them some gravy, a little claret, some pepper, cloves, and mace; let them stew a little; then roll a bit of butter in flour, and toss them up. a sufficient quantity of onion should be sliced thin, and done like the cucumbers. _curry powder, from a resident in india._ no. . half a pound of coriander seed, two ounces of black pepper, two ounces of cummin seed, one ounce of turmeric, one ounce and half of ground rice: all the above must be finely pounded; add cayenne to your taste. mix all well together; put it into a dish close before the fire; roast it well for three or four hours; and, when quite cold, put it into a bottle for use. _curry powder._ no. . thirteen ounces of coriander seed,* two ounces of fenugreek seed,* (if not liked this may be omitted,) one ounce of cayenne pepper, or powdered capsicums, six ounces of pale-coloured turmeric,* five ounces of black pepper. pound the whole very fine; set it in a dutch oven before the fire to dry, turning it often; when cold put it into a dry bottle; cork, and keep it in a dry place. so prepared, curry-powder will keep for many years. the ingredients marked thus * may be procured at apothecaries' hall, or at any wholesale chemist's. _curry powder._ no. . one pound of turmeric, one pound of coriander seed, one pound of ginger, six ounces of cardamom, four ounces of cummin, one ounce of long pepper, pounded and mixed together. cayenne pepper may also be added. _curry, indian._ no. . curry may be made of chicken, rabbits, lobster, or of any species of fish, flesh, or fowl. fry the material with onions, as for mulligatawny, a small piece of garlic, eight almonds, and eight sweet chesnuts. put it all into a stewpan, with a spoonful or two of curry-powder, a large tea-cupful of strong good gravy, and a large piece of butter. let the whole stew gently till the gravy becomes very thick and is nearly evaporated. particular attention should be paid in sending this dish up hot, and always with plenty of rice in a separate dish; most people like pickle with it. _curry._ no. . chop one or two onions very fine; put them into a stewpan with some butter, and let them remain on a slow fire till they are well done, taking care not to let them burn. pour off the butter: put in one dessert spoonful of powder and a little gravy; stir it about till it is well mixed; set it on a slow fire till it is all sufficiently done. put in a little lemon-juice; when nearly done, thicken the gravy with flour. let the rice be very well picked and afterwards cleansed; it ought to be washed in several waters, and kept in water till it is going to be boiled. have the meat or fish ready, pat it into the stewpan, and stir it about till it is well mixed. the rice must be boiled twenty minutes quickly, and the scum taken off; the water to be thrown off and the saucepan uncovered till it is dry enough. meat used for this curry must be previously fried. _curry._ no. . fry onions, ginger, garlic, and meat, in one ounce of butter, of a light brown; stew it with a table-spoonful of curry-powder and three pints of water, till it comes to a pint and a half. a good half hour before dinner, put in greens, such as brocoli, cauliflower, sliced apple, and mango, the juice of one lemon, grated ginger, and cayenne, with two spoonfuls of cream, and a little flour to thicken it. _curry._ no. . skin and prepare two chickens as for a fricassee; wash them very clean, and stew them in a pint and a half of water for about five minutes. strain off the liquor, and put the chickens in a clean dish. slice three large onions, and fry them in about two ounces of butter. put in the chickens, and fry them together till they are brown. take a quarter of an ounce of curry-powder, and salt to your palate, and strew over the chickens while they are frying; then pour in the liquor in which they were first stewed, and let them stew again for half an hour. add a quarter of a pint of cream and the juice of two lemons. have rice boiled dry to eat with it. rabbits do as well as chickens. _curry._ no. . take two chickens, or in the same proportion of any other kind of flesh, fish, or fowl; cut the meat small; strew a little salt and pepper over it; add a small quantity of onion fried in butter; put one table-spoonful of curry-powder to your meat and onions; mix them well together with about three quarters of a pint of water. put the whole in a stewpan covered close; let it stew half an hour before you open the pan; then add the juice of two lemons, or an equal quantity of any other souring. let it stew again till the gravy appears very thick and adheres to the meat. if the meat floats in the gravy, the curry will not be considered as well made. salt to your palate. _curry._ no. . mix together a quart of good gravy, two spoonfuls of curry-powder, two of soy, a gill of red wine, a little cayenne pepper, and the juice of a lemon. cut a breast of veal in square pieces, and put it in a stewpan with a pint of gravy; stew slowly for a quarter of an hour; add the rest of the gravy with the ingredients, and stew till done. _curry._ no. . take a fowl, fish, or any meat you like; cut it in slices; cut up two good sized onions very fine; half fry your fowl, or meat, with the onions, in a quarter of a pound of butter. add two table-spoonfuls of curry-powder, fry it a little longer, and stew it well; then add any acid you like, a little salt, and half a pint of water. let all stew together until the meat is done. _farcie, to make._ take the tender part of a fillet of veal, free from sinew, and mince it fine, with a piece of the fat of ham, some chopped thyme, basil, and marjoram, dried, and a little seasoning according to the palate. put the whole in a stewpan, and keep stirring it till it is warm through; then put it on a sieve to drain. when the liquor has run from it, pound the farcie, while warm, in a mortar, adding the drained liquor, by degrees, till the whole is again absorbed in the meat, which must be pounded very fine. put it in an earthen pot, and steam it for half an hour with a slice of fat ham; cover over the pot to prevent the steam from getting to it; when cold, pour on some good jelly made of the lean of ham and veal, and take care to pour it on cold (that is, when the jelly is just dissolved,) otherwise it will raise the farcie. when livers are to be had, put a third of them with the ham and veal, as above directed, and the farcie will be better. _forcemeat, to make._ no. . chop small a pound of veal, parsley, thyme, a small onion, and a pound of beef; grate the inside of three french rolls, and put all these together, with pepper, salt, soup, and nutmeg, seasoning it to your taste; add as many eggs as will make it of a proper stiffness, and roll them into balls. _forcemeat._ no. . take half a pound of the lean of a leg of veal, with the skin picked off, cut it into small pieces, and mince it very small; shred very fine a pound of beef-suet and grate a nutmeg into both; beat half as much mace into it with cloves, pepper, and salt, a little rosemary, thyme, sweet marjoram, and winter savory. put all these to the meat in a mortar, and beat all together, till it is smooth and will work easily with your hands, like paste. break two new laid eggs to some white bread crumbs, and make them into a paste with your hands, frying it in butter. if you choose, leave out the herbs. _forcemeat._ no. . a pound of veal, full its weight in beef suet, and a bit of bacon, shred all together; beat it in a mortar very fine; season with sweet-herbs, pepper, and salt. when you roll it up to fry, add the yolks of two or three eggs to bind it; you may add oysters or marrow. _fricandeau._ take a piece of veal next to the udder; separate the skin, and flatten the meat on a clean cloth; make slits in the bottom part, that it may soak up seasoning, and lard the top very thick and even. take a stewpan that will receive the veal without confining it; put at the bottom three carrots cut in slices, two large onions sliced, a bunch of parsley, the roots cut small, a little mace, pepper, thyme, and a bay-leaf; then lay some slices of very fat bacon, so as entirely to cover the vegetables, and make a pile of bacon in the shape of a tea-cup. lay the veal over this bacon; powder a little salt over it; then put sufficient broth, and some beef jelly, lowered with warm water, to cover the bottom of the stewpan without reaching the veal. lay a quantity of fine charcoal hot on the cover of the pan, keeping a very little fire beneath; as soon as it begins to boil, remove the stewpan, and place it over a very slow and equal fire for three hours and a half, removing the fire from the top; baste it frequently with liquor. when it has stewed the proper time, try if it is done by putting in a skewer, which will then go, in and out easily. put a great quantity of fire again on the top of the stewpan till the bacon of the larding becomes quite firm; next remove the veal, and keep it near the fire; reduce the liquor to deep rich gravy to glaze it, which pour over the top only where it is larded; and, when it is served, put the fricandeau in a dish, and the puré of spinach, which is to be ready according to the receipt given in the proper place, (see spinach to stew,) to lay round the dish. _ham, to cure._ no. . take a ham of young pork; sprinkle it with salt, and let it lie twenty-four hours. having wiped it very dry, rub it well with a pound of coarse brown sugar, a pound of juniper berries, a quarter of a pound of saltpetre, half a pint of bay salt, and three pints of common salt, mixed together, and dried in an iron pot over the fire, stirring them the whole time. after this, take it off the fire, when boiled, and let it lie in an earthen glazed pan three weeks, but it must be often turned in the time, and basted with the brine in which it lies. then hang it up till it has done dripping; and dry it in a chimney with deal saw-dust and juniper berries. _ham, to cure._ no. . for two hams, take half a pound of bay salt, two ounces of saltpetre, two ounces of sal prunella, half a pound of brown sugar, half a pound of juniper berries, half a pound of common salt; beat them all, and boil them in two quarts of strong beer for half an hour very gently. leave out one ounce of saltpetre to rub the hams over-night. put them into the pickle, and let them lie a month or five weeks, basting them every day. pickle in the winter, and dry in wood smoke; let them hang up the chimney a fortnight. _ham, to cure._ no. . hang up a ham two days; beat it well on the fleshy side with a rollingpin; rub in an ounce of saltpetre, finely powdered, and let it lie a day. then mix together an ounce of sal prunella with two large handfuls of common salt, one handful of bay salt, and a pound of coarse sugar, and make them hot in a stewpan. while hot, rub it well in with two handfuls more of common salt; then let it lie till it melts to brine. turn the meat twice every day for three weeks, and dry it like bacon. _ham, to cure--the thorpe way._ no. . the following are the proportions for two hams, or pigs' faces: boil one pound of common salt, three ounces of bay salt, two ounces and a half of saltpetre, and one pound of the coarsest brown sugar, in a quart of strong old beer. when this pickle is cold, well rub the hams or faces with it every day for a fortnight. smoke them with horse litter for two hours; then hang them to dry in a chimney where wood is burned for a fortnight, after which, hang them in a dry place till wanted for use. they are not so good if used under eight months or after a year old. _ham, to cure._ no. . for one large ham take one pound of coarse sugar, one pound common salt, a quarter of a pound of saltpetre, and two ounces of bay salt, boiled in a quart of strong ale, or porter. when cold put it to your ham; and let it lie in the pickle three weeks, turning the ham every day. _ham, to cure._ no. . put two ounces of sal prunella, a pound of bay salt, four pounds of white salt, a pound of brown sugar, half a pound of saltpetre, to one gallon of water; boil it a quarter of an hour, keeping, it well skimmed, and, when cold, pour it from the sediment into the vessel in which you steep, and let the hams remain in the pickle about a month; the tongues a fortnight. in the same manner dutch beef may be made by letting it lie in the pickle for a month, and eight or ten days for collared beef; dry them in a stove or chimney. tongues may be cured in the same manner. _ham, to cure._ no . four gallons of spring water, two pounds of bay salt, half a pound of common salt, two pounds of treacle, to be boiled a quarter of an hour, skimmed well, and poured hot on the hams. let them be turned in the pickle every day, and remain three weeks or a month; tongues may be cured in the same way. _ham, to cure._ no. . one ounce of pepper, two of saltpetre, one pound of bay salt, one ounce of sal prunella, one pound of common salt. rub these in well, and let the ham lie a week after rubbing; then rub over it one pound of treacle or coarse sugar. let it lie three weeks longer; take it up, steep it twenty-four hours in cold water, and then hang it up. _ham, to cure._ no. . one pound of common salt, half a pound of bay salt, four ounces of saltpetre, two ounces of black pepper; mix them together, and rub the ham very well for four days, until the whole is dissolved. then take one pound and a half of treacle and rub on, and let it lie in the pickle one month; turning it once a day. when you dress it, let the water boil before you put it in. _ham, to cure._ no. . into four gallons of water put one pound and a half of the coarsest sugar, two ounces of saltpetre, and six pounds of common salt; boil it, carefully taking off the scum till it has done rising; then let it stand till cold. having put the meat into the vessel in which you intend to keep it, pour on the liquor till it is quite covered. if you wish to keep the meat for a long time, it will be necessary once in two or three months to boil the pickle over again, clearing off the scum as it rises, and adding, when boiling, a quarter of a pound of sugar, half a pound of salt, and half an ounce of saltpetre; in this way the pickle will keep good for a year. when you take the meat out of the pickle, dry it well before it is smoked. hams from fifteen to twenty pounds should lie in pickle twenty-four days; small hams and tongues, fifteen days; a small piece of beef about the same time. hams and beef will not do in the same pickle together. after the hams are taken out, the pickle must be boiled again before the beef is put in. the same process may be used for beef and tongues. _ham, to cure._ no. . mix one pound and a half of salt, one pound and a half of coarse sugar, and one ounce of saltpetre, in one quart of water; set it on the fire, and keep stirring the liquor till it boils. skim it. when boiled about five minutes take it off, and pour it boiling hot on the leg of pork, which, if not quite covered, must be turned every day. let it remain in the pickle one month; then hang it in the chimney for six weeks. these proportions will cure a ham of sixteen pounds. when the ham is taken out of the pickle, the liquor may be boiled up again and poured boiling hot upon pigs' faces. after that boil again, and pour it cold upon a piece of beef, which will be excellent. it will then serve cold for pigs' or sheep's tongues, which must be well washed and rubbed in a little of the liquor and left in the remainder. _ham, to cure._ no. . take a ham of fifteen pounds, and wash it well with a quarter of a pint of vinegar, mixed with a quarter of a pound of the coarsest sugar. next morning rub it well with three quarters of a pound of bay salt rolled, on the lean part; baste it often every day for fourteen days, and hang it up to dry. _ham, to cure._ no. . three ounces of saltpetre, bay salt and brown sugar two ounces of each, a small quantity of cochineal; mix them all together, and warm them over the fire. rub the hams well with it, and cover them over with common salt. _ham, to cure._ no. . take a quantity of spring water sufficient to cover the meat you design to cure; make the pickle with an equal quantity of bay salt and common salt; add to a pound of each one pound of coarse brown sugar, one ounce of saltpetre, and one ounce of petre-salt; let the pickle be strong enough to bear an egg. if you design to eat the pork in a month or six weeks, it is best not to boil the pickle; if you intend it for the year, the pickle must be boiled and skimmed well until it is perfectly clear; let it be quite cold before you use it. rub the meat that is to be preserved with some common salt, and let it lie upon a table sloping, to drain out all the blood; wipe it very dry with a coarse cloth before you put it into the pickle. the proportion of the pickle may be this: four pounds of common salt, four pounds of bay salt, three pounds of coarse sugar, two ounces of saltpetre, and two ounces of petre-salt, with a sufficient quantity of spring water to cover what you do, boiled as directed above. let the hams lie about six weeks in the pickle, and then send them to be smoked. beef, pork, and tongues, may be cured in the same manner: ribs of beef done in this way are excellent. _ham, to cure._ no. . wash the ham clean; soak it in pump water for an hour; dry it well, and rub into it the following composition: saltpetre two ounces, bay salt nine ounces, common salt four ounces, lump sugar three ounces; but first beat them separately into a fine powder; mix them together, dry them before the fire, and then rub them into the ham, as hot as the hand can bear it. then lay the ham sloping on a table; put on it a board with forty or fifty pounds weight; let it remain thus for five days; then turn it, and, if any of the salt is about it, rub it in, and let it remain with the board and weight on it for five days more; this done rub off the salt, &c. when you intend to smoke it, hang the ham in a sugar hogshead, over a chaffing-dish of wood embers; throw on it a handful of juniper-berries, and over that some horse-dung, and cover the cask with a blanket. this may be repeated two or three times the same day, and the ham may be taken out of the hogshead the next morning. the quantity of salt here specified is for a middle sized ham. there should not be a hole cut in the leg, as is customary, to hang it up by, nor should it be soaked in brine. hams thus cured will keep for three months without smoking, so that the whole quantity for the year may be smoked at the same time. the ham need not be soaked in water before it is used, but only washed clean. instead of a chaffing-dish of coals to smoke the hams, make a hole in the ground, and therein put the fire; it must not be fierce: be sure to keep the mouth of the hogshead covered with a blanket to retain the smoke. _westphalia ham, to cure._ no. . cut a leg of pork to the shape of a westphalia ham; salt it, and set it on the fire in a skillet till dry, and put to it two ounces of saltpetre finely beaten. the salt must be put on as hot as possible. let it remain a week in the salt, and then hang it up in the chimney for three weeks or a month. two ounces of saltpetre will be sufficient for the quantity of salt required for one ham. _westphalia ham, to cure._ no. . let the hams be very well pricked with a skewer on the wrong side, hanging them in an airy place as long as they will keep sweet, and with a gallon of saltpetre make a pickle, and keep stirring it till it will bear an egg; boil and skim it and put three pounds of brown sugar to it. let the hams lie about a month in this pickle, which must be cold when they are put in; turn them every day; dry them with saw-dust and charcoal. the above is the quantity that will do for six hams. _westphalia ham, to cure._ no. . rub every ham with four ounces of saltpetre. next day put bay salt, common salt, and coarse sugar, half a pound of each, into a quart of stale strong beer, adding a small quantity of each of these ingredients for every ham to be made at that time. boil this pickle, and pour it boiling hot over every ham. let them lie a fortnight in it, rubbing them well and turning them twice a day. then smoke the ham for three days and three nights over a fire of saw-dust and horse-litter, fresh made from the stable every night; after which smoke them for a fortnight over a wood fire like other bacon. _westphalia ham, to cure._ no. . for two hams the following proportions may be observed: wash your hams all over with vinegar, and hang them up for two or three days. take one pound and a half of the brownest sugar, two ounces of saltpetre, two ounces of bay salt, and a quart of common salt; mix them together; heat them before the fire as hot as you can bear your hand in, and rub it well into the hams before the fire, till they are very tender. lay them in a tub made long for that purpose, or a butcher's tray, that will hold them both, one laid one way and the other the contrary way, and strew the remainder of the ingredients over them. when the salt begins to melt, add a pint of vinegar, and let them lie three weeks, washing them with the liquor and turning them every day. dry them in saw-dust smoke; hang them in a cellar; and if they mould it will do them no harm, as these hams require damp and not extreme driness. juniper-berries thrown into the fire at which they are smoked greatly improve their flavour. _westphalia ham, to cure._ no. . one pound of common salt, one pound of bay salt, four ounces of saltpetre, two ounces of black pepper; pound them separately, then mix them, and rub the ham very well until the whole is used. rub one pound of treacle on them; lay them in the pickle one month, turning them every day. the quantity here specified will do for two hams. before you hang them up, steep them in a pail of water for twelve hours. _westphalia ham, to cure._ no. . make a good brine of salt and water, sufficiently strong to bear an egg; boil and skim it clean, and when quite cold rub the meat with sal prunella and saltpetre mixed together. put it in a vessel, and pour your brine into it; and, when the ham has been in the brine about fourteen days, take it out, drain it, and boil the brine, putting in a little salt, and letting it boil till clear. skim it, and when cold put in your ham, rubbing it over with saltpetre, &c. as you did at first. then let your ham again lie in the brine for three weeks longer; afterwards rub it well with bran, and have it dried by a wood fire. _english hams, to make like westphalia._ no. . cut your legs of pork like hams; beat them well with a wooden mallet, till they are tender, but great care must be taken not to crack or break the skin, or the hams will be spoiled. to three hams take half a peck of salt, four ounces of saltpetre, and five pounds of coarse brown sugar; break all the lumps, and mix them well together. rub your hams well with this mixture, and cover them with the rest. let them lie three days; then hang them up one night, and put as much water to the salt and sugar as you think will cover them; the pickle must be strong enough to bear an egg: boil and strain it, and, when it is cold, pack your hams close, and cover them with the pickle at least an inch and half above their tops. let them lie for a fortnight; then hang them up one night; the next day rub them well with bran, and hang them in the chimney of a fire-place in which turf, wood, or sawdust is burned. if they are small they will be dry enough in a fortnight; if large, in two or three days more. then hang them up against a wall near a fire, and not in a damp place. tongues may be cured in the same manner, and ribs of beef may be put in at the same time with the hams. you must let the beef lie in the pickle three weeks, and take it out when you want to boil it without drying it. _english hams, to make like westphalia._ no. . cut off with the legs of young well grown porkers part of the flesh of the hind loin; lay them on either side in cloths, and press out the remaining blood and moisture, laying planks on them with heavy weights, which bring them into form; then salt them well with common salt and sugar finely beaten, and lay them in troughs one upon another, pressed closely down and covered with hyssop. let them remain thus for a fortnight; then pass through the common salt, and with saltpetre rub them well over, which may be continued three or four days, till they soak. take them out, and hang them in a close barn or smoke-loft; make a moderate fire under them, if possible of juniper-wood, and let them hang to sweat and dry well. afterwards hang them up in a dry and airy place to the wind for three or four days, which will remove the ill scent left by the smoke; and wrap them up in sweet hay. to dress them, put them into a kettle of water when it boils; keep them well covered till they are done, and very few can distinguish them from the true westphalia. _english hams, to make like westphalia._ no. . take a ham of fifteen or eighteen pounds weight, two ounces of saltpetre, one pound of coarse sugar, one ounce of petre-salt, one ounce of bay salt, and one ounce of sal prunella, mixed with common salt enough to cover the ham completely. turn your ham every other day, and let it remain in salt for three weeks. take it out, rub a little bran over it, and dry it in a wood fire chimney, where a constant fire is kept: it will be fit for eating in a month. the quantity of the above ingredients must be varied according to the size of your ham. before you dress it soak it over-night in water. hams from bacon pigs are better than pork. an onion shred small gives it a good flavour. _green hams._ salt a leg of pork as for boiling, with a little saltpetre to make it red. let it lie three weeks in salt, and then hang for a month or six weeks; but if longer it is of no consequence. when boiled, stuff with young strawberry leaves and parsley, which must be particularly well washed or they will be gritty. _ham, to prepare for dressing without soaking._ put the ham into a coarse sack well tied up, or sew it up in a cloth. bury it three feet under ground in good mould; there let it remain for three or four days at least. this is an admirable way. the ham eats much mellower and finer than when soaked. _ham, to dress._ boil the ham for two hours; take it out and trim it neatly all round; prepare in a stewpan some thin slices of veal, so as to cover the bottom; add to it two bunches of carrots sliced, six large onions, two cloves, two bunches of parsley, a tea-spoonful of cayenne pepper, a pint of beef jelly, a bottle of white wine, and three pints of boiling water. place the ham in the stewpan, and let it boil an hour and three quarters; then serve it immediately without sauce, preserving the sauce for other use. _ham, to roast._ tie or sew up the ham in a coarse cloth, put it into a sack, and bury it three or four feet under ground, for three or four days before you dress it. wash it in warm water, pare it, and scrape the rind. spit and lay it down to roast. into a broad stewpan put a pint of white wine, a quart of good broth, half a pint of the best vinegar, two large onions sliced, a blade of mace, six cloves, some pepper, four bay-leaves, some sweet basil, and a sprig of thyme. let all these have a boil; and set the liquor under the ham, and baste very frequently with it. when the ham is roasted, take up the pan; skim all the fat off; pour the liquor through a fine sieve; then take off the rind of the ham, and beat up the liquor with a bit of butter; put this sauce under, and serve it. _ham, entrée of._ cut a dozen slices of ham; take off the fat entirely; fry them gently in a little butter. have a good brown rich sauce of gravy; and serve up hot, with pieces of fried bread, cut of a semicircular shape, of the same size as the pieces of ham, and laid between them. _ham toasts._ cut slices of dressed ham, and thin slices of bread, or french roll, of the same shape; fry it in clarified butter; make the ham hot in cullis, or good gravy, thickened with a little floured butter. dish the slices of ham on the toast; squeeze the juice of a seville orange into the sauce; add a little pepper and salt; and pour it over them. _ham and chicken, to pot. mrs. vanbrugh's receipt._ put a layer of ham, then another of the white part of chicken, just as you would any other potted meat, into a pot. when it is cut out, it will shew a very pretty stripe. this is a delicate way of eating ham and chicken. _another way._ take as much lean of a boiled ham as you please, and half the quantity of fat; cut it as thin as possible; beat it very fine in a mortar, with a little good oiled butter, beaten mace, pepper, and salt; put part of it into a china pot. then beat the white part of a fowl with a very little seasoning to qualify the ham. put a layer of chicken, then one of ham, then another of chicken at the top; press it hard down, and, when it is cold, pour clarified butter over it. when you send it to table in the pot, cut out a thin slice in the form of half a diamond, and lay it round the edge of the pot. _herb sandwiches._ take twelve anchovies, washed and cleaned well, and chopped very fine; mix them with half a pound of butter; this must be run through a sieve, with a wooden spoon. with this, butter bread, and make a salad of tarragon and some chives, mustard and cress, chopped very small, and put them upon the bread and butter. add chicken in slices, if you please, or hard-boiled eggs. _hog's puddings, black._ no. . steep oatmeal in pork or mutton broth, of milk; put to it two handfuls of grated bread, a good quantity of shred herbs, and some pennyroyal: season with salt, pepper, and ginger, and other spices if you please; and to about three quarts of oatmeal put two pounds of beef suet shred small, and as much hog suet as you may think convenient. add blood enough to make it black, and half a dozen eggs. _hog's puddings, black._ no. . to three or four quarts of blood, strained through a sieve while warm, take the crumbs of twelve-pennyworth of bread, four pounds of beef suet not shred too fine, chopped parsley, leeks, and beet; add a little powdered marjoram and mint, half an ounce of black pepper, and salt to your taste. when you fill your skins, mix these ingredients to a proper thickness in the blood; boil them twenty minutes, pricking them as they rise with a needle to prevent their bursting. _hog's puddings, black._ no. . steep a pint of cracked oatmeal in a quart of milk till tender; add a pound of grated bread, pennyroyal, leeks, a little onion cut small, mace, pepper, and salt, to your judgment. melt some of the leaf of the fat, and cut some of the fat small, according to the quantity made at once; and add blood to make the ingredients of a proper consistence. _hog's puddings, white._ no. . take the pith of an ox, and lay it in water for two days, changing the water night and morning. then dry the pith well in a cloth, and, having scraped off all the skin, beat it well; add a little rose-water till it is very fine and without lumps. boil a quart or three pints of cream, according to the quantity of pith, with such spices as suit your taste: beat a quarter of a pound of almonds and put to the cream. when it is cold, rub it through a hair sieve; then put the pith to it, with the yolks of eight or nine eggs, some sack, and the marrow of four bones shred small; some sweetmeats if you like, and sugar to your taste: if marrow cannot be procured suet will do. the best spices to put into the cream are nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon; but very little of the last. _hog's puddings, white._ no. . take a quart of cream and fourteen eggs, leaving out half the whites; beat them but a little, and when the cream boils up put in the eggs; keep them stirring on a gentle fire till the whole is a thick curd. when it is almost cold, put in a pound of grated bread, two pounds of suet shred small, having a little salt mixed with it, half a pound of almonds well beaten in orange-flower water, two nutmegs grated, some citron cut small, and sugar to your taste. _hog's puddings, white._ no. . take two pounds of grated bread; one pint and a half of cream; two pounds of beef suet and marrow; half a pound of blanched almonds, beat fine with a gill of brandy; a little rose-water; mace, cloves, and nutmeg, pounded, a quarter of an ounce; half a pound of currants, well picked and dried; ten eggs, leaving out half the whites; mix all these together, and boil them half an hour. _kabob, an india ragout._ this dish may be made of any meat, but mutton is the best. take a slice from a tender piece, not sinewy, a slice of ginger, and a slice of onion, put them on a silver skewer alternately, and lay them in a stewpan, in a little plain gravy. this is the kabob. take rice and split peas, twice as much rice as peas; boil them thoroughly together, coloured with a little turmeric, and serve them up separately or together. the ginger must be steeped over-night, that you may be able to cut it. _another way._ to make the kabob which is usually served up with pilaw, take a lean piece of mutton, and leave not a grain of fat or skin upon it; pound it in a mortar as for forcemeat; add half a clove of garlic and a spoonful or more of curry-powder, according to the size of the piece of meat, and the yolk of an egg. mix all well together; make it into small cakes; fry it of a light brown, and put it round the pilaw. _leg of lamb, to boil._ divide the leg from the loin of a hind quarter of lamb; slit the skin off the leg, and cut out the flesh of one side of it, and chop this flesh very small; add an equal quantity of shred beef suet and some sweet-herbs shred small; season with nutmeg, pepper, and salt; break into it two eggs. mix all well together, put it into the leg, sew it up, and boil it. chop the loin into steaks, and fry them, and, when the leg is boiled enough, lay the steaks round it. take some white wine, anchovies, nutmeg, and a quarter of a pound of butter; thicken with the yolks of two eggs; pour it upon the lamb, and so serve it up. boil your lamb in a cloth. _leg of lamb, with forcemeat._ slit a leg of lamb on the wrong side, and take out as much meat as possible, without cutting or cracking the outward skin. pound this meat well with an equal weight of fresh suet: add to this the pulp of a dozen large oysters, and two anchovies boned and clean washed. season the whole with salt, black-pepper, mace, a little thyme, parsley, and shalot, finely shred together; beat them all thoroughly with the yolks of three eggs, and, having filled the skin tight with this stuffing, sew it up very close. tie it up to the spit and roast it. serve it with any good sauce. _shoulder of lamb, grilled._ half roast, then score, and season it with pepper, salt, and cayenne. broil it; reserve the gravy carefully; pass it through a sieve to take off all fat. mix with it mushroom and walnut ketchup, onion, the size of a nut, well bruised, a little chopped parsley, and some of the good jelly reserved for sauces. put a good quantity of this sauce; make it boil, and pour it boiling hot on the lamb when sent to table. _lamb, to ragout._ roast a quarter of lamb, and when almost done dredge it well with grated bread, which must be put into the dish you serve it up in; take veal cullis, salt, pepper, anchovy, and lemon juice; warm it, lay the lamb in it, and serve it up. _lamb, to fricassee._ cut the hind quarter of lamb into thin slices, and season them with spice, sweet-herbs, and a shalot; fry and toss them up in some strong broth, with balls and palates, and a little brown gravy to thicken it. _miscellaneous directions respecting meat._ a leg of veal, the fillet without bone, the knuckle for steaks, and a pie; bone of fillet and knuckle for soup.--shoulder of veal, knuckle cut off for soup.--breast of veal, thin end stews, or re-heats as a stew.--half a calf's head boils, then hashes, with gravy from the bones.--for mock turtle soup, neats' feet instead of calf's head, that is, two calves' feet and two neats' feet.--giblets of all poultry make gravy.--ox-cheek, for soup and kitchen.--rump of beef cut in two, thin part roasted, thick boiled: or steaks and one joint, the bone for soup.--the trimmings of many joints will make gravy.--to boil the meat white, well flour the joint and the cloth it is boiled in, not letting any thing be boiled with it, and frequently skimming the grease.--lamb chops fried dry and thin make a neat dish, with french beans in cream round them. a piece of veal larded in white celery sauce, to answer the chops.--dressed meat, chopped fine, with a little forcemeat, and made into balls about the size of an egg, browned and fried dry, and sent up without any sauce.--sweetbreads larded in white celery sauce.--to remove taint in meat, put the joint into a pot with water, and, when it begins to boil, throw in a few red clear cinders, let them boil together for two or three minutes, then take out the meat, and wipe it dry.--to keep hams, when they are cured for hanging up, tie them in brown paper bags tight round the hocks to exclude the flies, which omission occasions maggots.--ginger, where spice is required, is very good in most things. _meat, general rule for roasting and boiling._ the general rule for roasting and boiling meat is as follows: fifteen minutes to a pound in roasting, twenty minutes to a pound in boiling. on no account whatever let the least drop of water be poured on any roast meat; it soddens it, and is a bad contrivance to make gravy, which is, after all, no gravy, and totally spoils the meat. _meat, half-roasted or under-done._ cut small pieces, of the size of a half-crown, of half-roasted mutton, and put them into a saucepan with half a pint of red wine, the same quantity of gravy, one anchovy, a little shalot, whole pepper, and salt; let them stew a little; then put in the meat with a few capers, and, when thoroughly hot, thicken with butter rolled in flour. _mustard, to make._ mix three table-spoonfuls of mustard, one of salt, and cold spring water sufficient to reduce it to a proper thickness. _chine of mutton, to roast._ let the chine hang downward, and raise the skin from the bone. take slices of lean gammon of bacon, and season it with chives, parsley, and white pepper; spread them over the chine, and lay the bacon upon them. turn the skin over them, and tie it up; cover with paper, and roast. when nearly done, dredge with crumbs of bread, and serve up, garnishing with mutton cutlets. _mutton chops, to stew._ put them in a stewpan, with an onion, and enough cold water to cover them; when come to a boil, skim and set them over a very slow fire till tender; perhaps about three quarters of an hour. turnips may be boiled with them. _mutton cutlets._ cut a neck of mutton into cutlets; beat it till very tender; wash it with thick melted butter, and strew over the side which is buttered some sweet-herbs, chopped small, with grated bread, a little salt, and nutmeg. lay it on a gridiron over a charcoal fire, and, turning it, do the same to that side as the other. make sauce of gravy, anchovies, shalots, thick butter, a little nutmeg, and lemon. _mutton cutlets, with onion sauce._ cut the cutlets very small; trim all round, taking off all the fat; cut off the long part of the bone; put them into a stewpan, with all the trimmings that have been cut off, together with one onion cut in slices; add some parsley, a carrot or two, a pinch of salt, and six table-spoonfuls of mutton or veal jelly, and let them stew till the cutlets are of a brown colour all round, but do not let them burn. take out the cutlets, drain them in a sieve, and let them cool; then strain the sauce till it becomes of a fine glaze, and re-warm them. have ready some good onion sauce; put it in the middle of the dish; place the cutlets--eight, if they are small--round it, and serve the glaze with them; take care it does not touch the onion sauce, but pour it round the outside part. _mutton hams, to make._ cut a hind quarter of mutton like a ham. take one ounce of saltpetre, one pound of coarse sugar, and one pound of common salt; mix them together, and rub the ham well with them. lay it in a hollow tray with the skin downward; baste it every day for a fortnight; then roll it in sawdust, and hang it in wood smoke for a fortnight. boil and hang it in a dry place; cut it out in rashers. it does not eat well boiled, but is delicious broiled. _haricot mutton._ take a neck of mutton, and cut it in the same manner as for mutton chops. when done, lay them in your stewpan, with a blade of mace, some whole peppercorns, a bunch of sweet-herbs, two onions, one carrot, one turnip, all cut in slices, and lay them over your mutton. set your stewpan over a slow fire, and let the chops stew till they are brown; turn them, that the other side may be the same. have ready some good gravy, and pour on them, and let them stew till they are very tender. your ragout must be turnips and carrots cut into dice, and small onions, all boiled very tender, and well stirred up in the liquor in which your mutton was stewed. _another way._ fry mutton chops in butter till they are brown, but not done through. lay them flat in a stewpan, and just cover them with gravy. put in small onions, whole carrots, and turnips, scooped or cut into shapes; let them stew very gently for two hours or more. season the chops before you fry them with pepper and salt. _leg of mutton._ to give a leg of mutton the taste of mountain meat, hang it up as long as it will keep fresh; rub it every day with ginger and coarse brown sugar, leaving it on the meat. _leg of mutton in the french fashion._ a leg of mutton thus dressed is a very excellent dish. pare off all the skin as neatly as possible; lard the leg with the best lard, and stick a few cloves here and there, with half a clove of garlic, laid in the shank. when half roasted, cut off three or four thin pieces, so as not to disfigure it, about the shank bone; mince these very fine with sage, thyme, mint, and any other sweet garden herbs; add a little beaten ginger, very little, three or four grains; as much cayenne pepper, two spoonfuls of lemon juice, two ladlefuls of claret wine, a few capers, the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs: stew these in some meat jelly, and, when thoroughly stewed, pour over your roast, and serve it up. do not spare your meat jelly; let the sauce be in generous quantity. _leg of mutton or beef, to hash._ cut small flat pieces of the meat, taking care to pare the skin and sinews, but leaving as much fat as you can find in the inside of the leg; season with a little salt and cayenne pepper and a little soup jelly; put in two whole onions, two bunches of parsley, the same of thyme, and a table-spoonful of mushroom-powder. take two or three little balls of flour and butter, of the size of a nut, to thicken the sauce; beat it well together; let this simmer a little while; take off the scum; put in the meat, and let it boil. serve up hot, with fried bread round it. _another way._ take the mutton and cut it into slices, taking off the skin and fat; beat it well, and rub the dish with garlic; put in the mutton with water, and season with salt, an onion cut in half, and a bundle of savoury herbs; cover it, and set it over a stove and stew it. when half stewed, add a little white wine (say two glasses) three blades of mace, and an anchovy; stew it till enough done; then take out the onion and herbs, and put the hash into the dish, rubbing a piece of butter in flour to thicken it, and serve it up. _loin of mutton, to stew._ cut your mutton in steaks, and put it into as much water as will cover it. when it is skimmed, add four onions sliced and four large turnips. _neck of mutton, to roast._ draw the neck with parsley, and then roast it; and, when almost enough, dredge it with white pepper, salt, and crumbs; serve it with the juice of orange and gravy. _neck of mutton, to boil._ lard a neck of mutton with lemon-peel, and then boil it in salt and water, with sweet-herbs. while boiling, stew a pint of oysters in their own liquor, half a pint of white wine, and the like quantity of broth; put in two or three whole onions and some anchovies, grated nutmeg, and a little thyme. thicken the broth with the yolks of four eggs, and dish it up with sippets. lay the oysters under the meat, and garnish with barberries and lemon. _neck of mutton, to fry._ take the best end of a neck of mutton, cut it into steaks, beat them with a rolling-pin, strew some salt on them, and lay them in a frying-pan: hold the pan over a slow fire that may not burn them: turn them as they heat, and there will be gravy enough to fry them in, till they are half done. then put to them some good gravy; let them fry together, till they are done; add a good bit of butter, shake it up, and serve it hot with pickles. _saddle of mutton and kidneys._ raise the skin of the fore-chine of mutton, and draw it with lemon and thyme; and with sausage-meat farce part of it. take twelve kidneys, farce, skewer, and afterwards broil them; and lay round horseradish between, with the gravy under. _shoulder of mutton, to roast in blood._ cut the shoulder as you would venison; take off the skin, and let it lie in blood all night. take as much powder of sweet-herbs as will lie on a sixpence, a little grated bread, pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and lemon-peel, the yolks of two eggs boiled hard, about twenty oysters, and some salt; temper these all together with the blood; stuff the meat thickly with it, and lay some of it about the mutton; then wrap the caul of the sheep about the shoulder; roast it, and baste it with blood till it is nearly done. take off the caul, dredge, baste it with butter, and serve it with venison sauce. if you do not cut it venison fashion, yet take off the skin, because it will eat tough; let the caul be spread while it is warm, and, when you are to dress it, wrap it up in a cloth dipped in hot water. for sauce, take some of the bones of the breast; chop and put to them a whole onion, a little lemon-peel, anchovies, and a little spice. stew these; add some red wine, oysters, and mushrooms. _shoulder, or leg of mutton, with oysters._ make six holes in either a shoulder or leg of mutton with a knife: roll in eggs with your oysters, with crumbs and nutmeg, and stuff three or four in every hole. if you roast, put a caul over it; if for boiling, a napkin. make some good oyster sauce, which lay under, and serve up hot. _roasted mutton, with stewed cucumbers._ bone a neck and loin of mutton, leaving on only the top bones, about an inch long; draw the one with parsley, and lard the other with bacon very closely; and, after skewering, roast them. fry and stew your cucumbers; lay them under the mutton, and season them with salt, pepper, vinegar, and minced shalot, and put the sauce under the mutton, garnishing with pickled cucumbers and horseradish. _mutton to eat like venison._ boil and skin a loin of mutton; take the bones, two onions, two anchovies, a bunch of sweet-herbs, some pepper, mace, carrot, and crust of bread; stew these all together for gravy; strain it off, and put the mutton into a stewpan with the fat side downward; add half a pint of port wine. stew it till thoroughly done. _mutton in epigram._ roast a shoulder of mutton till it is three parts done, and let it cool; raise the skin quite up to the knuckle, and cut off all to the knuckle. sauce the blade-bone; broil it, and hash the rest, putting in some capers, with good gravy, pickled cucumbers, and shalots. stir them well up, and lay the blade-bone on the skin. _mushrooms, to stew brown._ take some pepper and salt, with a little cayenne and a little cream; thicken with butter and flour. to do them white, cut out all the black inside. _newmarket john._ cut the lean part of a leg of mutton in little thin collops; beat them; butter a stewpan, and lay the collops all over. have ready pepper, salt, shalot or garlic, and strew upon them. set them over a very slow fire. as the gravy draws, turn over the collops, and dredge in a very little flour; have ready some good hot gravy. shake it up all together, and serve with pickles. _ox-cheek, to stew._ choose one that is fat and young, which may be known by the teeth; pick out the eye-balls; cut away the snout and all superfluous bits. wash and clean it perfectly; well dry it in a cloth, and, with the back of a cleaver, break all the bones in the inside of the cheek; then with a rollingpin beat the flesh of the outside. if it is intended for the next day's dinner, proceed in this manner:--quarter and lard it with marrow; then pour on it garlic or elder vinegar so gently that it may sink into the flesh; strew salt over it, and let it remain so till morning. then put it into a stewpan, big enough, if you do both cheeks, to admit of their lying flat close to one another; but first rub the pan well with garlic, and with a spoon spread a pound of butter and upwards at the bottom and sides of the pan. strew cloves and beaten mace on the cheeks, also thyme and sweet marjoram, finely chopped; then put in as much white wine as will cover them an inch or more above the meat, but wash not off the other things by pouring it on. rub the lid of the pan with garlic, and cover it so close that no steam can escape. make a brisk fire under it, and, when the cover is so hot that you cannot bear your hand on it, then a slack fire will stew it, but keep it so that the cover be of the same heat as long as it is stewing. it must not be uncovered the whole time it is doing: about three hours will be sufficient. when you take it up, be careful not to break it; take out the loose bones; pour the liquor on the cheek; clear from the fat and the dross, and put lemon-juice to it. serve it hot. _another way._ soak it in water, and make it very clean; put it in a gallon of water, with some potherbs, salt, and whole pepper. when stewed, so that the bones will slip out easily, take it up and strain off the soup; put a bit of butter in the frying-pan with some flour, and fry the meat brown, taking care not to burn it. put some of the soup to the flour and butter, with ketchup, mushrooms, anchovy, and walnut liquor. lay the cheek in a deep dish, and pour the sauce over it. _ox-tail ragout._ some good gravy must first be made, and the tail chopped through every joint, and stewed a long time in it till quite tender, with an onion stuck with cloves, a table-spoonful of port or madeira wine, a tea-spoonful of soy, and a little cayenne. thicken the gravy with a little flour. _another._ take two or three ox-tails; put them in a saucepan, with turnips, carrots, onions, and some black peppercorns; stew them for four hours. take them out; cut them in pieces at every joint; put them into a stewpan with some good gravy, and scraped turnip and carrot; or cut them into the shape of a ninepin; pepper and salt to your taste; add the juice of half a lemon; and send it to table very hot. _peas, to stew._ take a quart of fine peas, and two small or one large cabbage lettuce; boil the lettuce tender; take it out of the water, shake it well, and put it into the stewpan, with about two ounces of butter, three or four little onions cut small, and the peas. set them on a very slow fire, and let them stew about two hours; season them to your taste with pepper and a tea-spoonful of sugar; and, instead of salt, stew in some bits of ham, which you may take out or leave in when you serve it. there should not be a drop of water, except what inevitably comes from the lettuce. _another way._ to your peas, add cabbage lettuces cut small, a small faggot of mint, and one onion; pass them over the fire with a small bit of butter, and, when they are tender and the liquor from them reduced, take out the onion and mint, and add a little white sauce. take care it be not too thin; season with a little pepper and salt. _green peas, to keep till christmas._ gather your peas, when neither very young nor old, on a fine dry day. shell, and let two persons holding a cloth, one at each end, shake them backward and forward for a few minutes. put them into clean quart bottles; fill the bottles, and cork tight. melt some rosin in a pipkin, dip the necks of the bottles into it, and set them in a cool dry place. _another way._ shell the peas, and dry them in a gentle heat, not much greater than that of a hot summer's day. put them when quite dry into linen bags, and hang them up in a dry place. before they are boiled, at christmas or later, steep them in half milk, half water, for twelve or fourteen hours; then boil them as if fresh gathered. beans and french beans may be preserved in the same manner. _red pickle, for any meat._ a quarter of a pound of saltpetre, a large common basinful of coarse sugar, and coarse salt. a leg of pork to lie in it a fortnight. _beef steak pie._ rump steaks are preferable to beef; season them with the usual seasoning, puff-paste top and bottom, and good gravy to fill the dish. _calf's head pie._ parboil the head; cut it into thin slices; season with pepper and salt; lay them into a crust with some good gravy, forcemeat balls, and yolks of eggs boiled hard. bake it about an hour and a half; cut off the lid; thicken some good gravy with a little flour; add some oysters; serve it with or without a lid. _mutton or grass lamb pie._ take a loin of mutton or lamb, and clear it from fat and skin; cut it into steaks; season them well with pepper and salt; almost fill the dish with water; lay puff paste at top and bottom. _veal pie (common)._ make exactly as you would a beef-steak pie. _veal pie (rich)._ take a neck, a fillet, or a breast of veal, cut from it your steaks, seasoned with pepper, salt, nutmeg, and a few cloves, truffles, and morels; then slice two sweetbreads; season them in the same manner, and put a layer of paste round the dish; then lay the meat, yolks of eggs boiled hard, and oysters at the top: fill it with water. when taken out of the oven, pour in at the top through a funnel some good boiled gravy, thickened with cream and flour boiled up. _veal and ham pie._ take two pounds of veal cutlets, or the best end of the neck, cut them in pieces about half the size of your hand, seasoned with pepper and a very little salt, and some dressed ham in slices. lay them alternately in the dish with forcemeat or sausage meat, the yolks of three eggs boiled hard, and a gill of water. _veal olive pie._ make your olives as directed in the receipt for making olives; put them into a crust; fill the pie with water: when baked, pour in some good gravy, boiled and thickened with a little good cream and flour boiled together. these ingredients make an excellent pie. _beef olive pie._ make your olives as you would common beef olives; put them into puff paste, top and bottom; fill the pie with water, when baked, pour in some good rich gravy. _pig, to barbicue._ the best pig for this purpose is of the thick neck breed, about six weeks old. season the barbicue very high with cayenne, black pepper, and sage, finely sifted; which must be rubbed well into the inside of the pig. it must then be sewed up and roasted, or, if an oven can be depended upon, it will be equally good baked. the sauce must be a very high beef gravy, with an equal quantity of madeira wine in it. send the pig to table whole. be careful not to put any salt into the pig, as it will change its colour. _pig, to collar._ have your pig cut down the back, and bone and wash it clean from the blood; dry it well, and season it with spice, salt, parsley, and thyme, and roll it hard in a collar; tie it close in a dry cloth and boil it with the bones, in three pints of water, a quart of vinegar, a handful of salt, a faggot of sweet-herbs, and whole spice. when tender, let it cool and take it off; take it out of the cloth, and keep it in the pickle. _pig, to collar in colours._ boil and wash your pig well, and lay it on a dresser: chop parsley, thyme, and sage, and strew them over the inside of the pig. beat some mace and cloves, mix with them some pepper and salt, and strew that over. boil some eggs hard, chop the yolks, and put them in layers across your pig; boil some beet-root, and cut that into slices, and lay them across; then roll it up in a cloth and boil it. before it is cold, press it with a weight, and it will be fit for use. _pig, to pickle or souse._ take a fair fat pig, cut off his head, and cut him through the middle. take out the brains, lay them in warm water, and leave them all night. roll the pig up like brawn, boil till tender, and then throw it into an earthen pan with salt and water. this will whiten and season the flesh; for no salt must be put into the boiling for fear of turning it black. then take a quart of this broth and a quart of white wine, boil them together, and put in three or four bay-leaves: when cold, season your pig, and put it into this sauce. it will keep three months. _pig, to roast._ chop the liver small by itself: mince blanched bacon, capers, truffles, anchovy, mushrooms, sweet-herbs and garlic. season and blanch the whole. fill your pig with it; tie it up; sprinkle some good olive oil over it; roast and serve it up hot. _another way._ put a piece of bread, parsley, and sage, cut small, into the belly with a little salt; sew up the belly; spit the pig, and roast it; cut off the ears and the under-jaws, which you will lay round; making a sauce with the brains, thick butter and gravy, which lay underneath. _pig, to dress lamb fashion._ after skinning the pig, but leaving the skin quite whole, with the head on, chine it down, as you would do mutton, larding it with thyme and lemon-peel; and roast it in quarters like lamb. fill the other part with a plum-pudding; sew the belly up, and bake it. _pigs' feet and ears, fricassee of._ clean the feet and ears, and boil them very tender. cut them in small shreds, the length of a finger and about a quarter of an inch in breadth; fry them in butter till they are brown but not hard; put them into a stewpan with a little brown gravy and a good piece of butter, two spoonfuls of vinegar, and a good deal of mustard--enough to flavour it strong. salt to your taste; thicken with very little flour. put in half an onion; then take the feet, which should likewise be boiled as tender as for eating; slit them quite through the middle; take out the large bones; dip them in eggs, and strew them over with bread crumbs, seasoned with pepper and salt; boil or fry them, and put them on the ragout, into which squeeze some lemon-juice. _pigs' feet and ears, ragout of._ split the feet, and take them out of souse; dip them in eggs, then in bread-crumbs and chopped parsley; fry them in lard. drain them; cut the ears in long narrow slips; flour them; put them into some good gravy; add ketchup, morels, and pickled mushrooms; stew them into the dish, and lay on the feet. _pig's head, to roll._ take the belly-piece and head of pork, rub it well with saltpetre and a very little salt; let it lie three or four days; wash it clean; then boil the head tender, and take off all the meat with the ears, which cut in pieces. have ready four neats' feet, also well boiled; take out the bones, cut the meat in thin slices, mix it with the head, and lay it with the belly-piece: roll it up tight, and bind it up, and set it on one end, with a trencher upon it; set it within the tin, and place a heavy weight upon that, and let it stand all night. in the morning take it out, and bind it with a fillet; put it in some salt and water, which must be changed every four or five days. when sliced, it looks like brawn. it is also good dipped in butter and fried, and eaten with melted butter, mustard, and vinegar: for that purpose the slices should be only about three inches square. _pilaw, an indian dish._ take six or eight ribs of a neck of mutton; separate and take off all the skin and fat, and put them into a stewpan with twelve cloves, a small piece of ginger, twelve grains of black pepper, and a little cinnamon and mace, with one clove of garlic. add as much water as will serve to stew these ingredients thoroughly and make the meat tender. then take out the mutton, and fry it in nice butter of a light brown, with some small onions chopped fine and fried very dry; put them to the mutton-gravy and spice in which it was stewed, adding a table-spoonful of curry-powder and half an ounce of butter. after mixing all the above ingredients well together, put them to the rice, which should be previously half boiled, and let the whole stew together, until the rice is done enough and the gravy completely absorbed. when the pilaw is dished for table, it should be thinly covered with plain boiled rice to make it look white, and served up very hot. _pork, to collar._ bone and season a breast of pork with savoury spice, parsley, sage, and thyme; roll it in a hard collar of cloth; tie it close, and boil it, and, when cold, keep it in souse. _pork, to pickle._ having boned your pork, cut it into such pieces as will lie most conveniently to be powdered. the tub used for this purpose must be sufficiently large and sound, so as to hold the brine; and the narrower and deeper it is the better it will keep the meat. well rub the meat with saltpetre; then take one part of bay and two parts of common salt, and rub every piece well, covering it with salt, as you would a flitch of bacon. strew salt in the bottom of the tub; lay the pieces in it as closely as possible, strewing salt round the sides of the tub, and if the salt should even melt at the top strew no more. meat thus cured will keep a long time. _another way._ cut your pork into small pieces, of the size you would boil at one time; rub all the pieces very well with salt, and lay them on a dresser upon boards made to slope that the brine may run off. after remaining three or four days, wipe them with a dry cloth; have ready a quantity of salt mixed with a small portion of saltpetre: rub each piece well with this mixture, after which cover them all over with salt. put them into an earthen jar, or large pan, placing the pieces as close together as possible, closing the top of the jar or pan, so as to prevent all external air from getting in; put the shoulder pieces in a pan by themselves. pork prepared in this manner will keep good a year. _chine of pork, to stuff and roast._ make your stuffing of parsley, sage, thyme, eggs, crumbs of bread, and season it with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and shalot; stuff the chine thick, and roast it gently. when about a quarter roasted, cut the skin in slips, making your sauce with lemon-peel, apples, sugar, butter, and mustard, just as you would for a roast leg. _another way._ take a chine of pork that has hung four or five days; make holes in the lean, and stuff it with a little of the fat leaf, chopped very small, some parsley, thyme, a little sage, and shalot, cut very fine, and seasoned with pepper and salt. it should be stuffed pretty thick. have some good gravy in the dish. for sauce, use apple sauce. _pork cutlets._ cut off the skin of a loin or neck of pork and make cutlets; season them with parsley, sage, and thyme, mixed together with crumbs of bread, pepper, and salt; broil them, and make sauce with mustard, butter, shalot, and gravy, and serve up hot. _gammon, to roast._ let the gammon soak for twenty-four hours in warm water. boil it tender, but not too much. when hot, score it with your knife; put some pepper on it, and then put it into a dish to crisp in a hot oven; but be mindful to pull the skin off. _leg of pork, to broil._ after skinning part of the fillet, cut it into slices, and hack it with the back of your knife; season with pepper, salt, thyme, and sage, minced small. broil the slices on the gridiron, and serve with sauce made with drawn butter, sugar, and mustard. _spring of pork, to roast._ cut off the spring of a knuckle of pork, and leave as much skin on the spring as you can, parting it from the neck, and taking out the bones. rub it well with salt, and strew it all over with thyme shred small, parsley, sage, a nutmeg, cloves, and mace, beaten small and well mixed together. rub all well in, and roll the whole up tight, with the flesh inward. sew it fast, spit it lengthwise, and roast it. _potatoes, to boil._ no. . the following is the celebrated lancashire receipt for cooking potatoes:--cleanse them well, put them in cold water, and boil them with their skins on exceedingly slow. when the water bubbles, throw in a little cold water. when they are done, drain the water completely away through a colander; return them into a pot or saucepan without water; cover them up, and set them before the fire for a quarter of an hour longer. do not pare the potatoes before they are boiled, which is a very unwholesome and wasteful practice. _potatoes, to boil._ no. . scrape off the rind; put them into an iron pot; simmer them till they begin to crack, and allow a fork to pierce easily; then pour off the water, and put aside the lid of the pot, and sprinkle over some salt. place your pot at the edge of the fire, and there let it remain an hour or more, and during this time all the moisture of the potatoes will gradually exhale in steam, and you will find them white or flaky as snow. take them out with a spoon or ladle. _potatoes, to boil._ no. . boil them as usual; half an hour before sending to table, throw away the water from them, and set the pot again on the fire; sufficient moisture will come from the potatoes to prevent the pot from burning; let them stand on the half stove, and not be peeled until sent to table. _potatoes, to bake._ wash nicely, make into balls, and bake in the dutch oven a light brown. this forms a neat side or corner dish. _potato balls._ pound some boiled potatoes in a mortar, with the yolks of two eggs, a little pepper, and salt; make them in balls about the size of an egg; do them over with yolk of egg and crumbs of bread; then fry them of a light brown for table; five balls for a corner dish. _croquets of potatoes._ boil some potatoes in water, strain them, and take sufficient milk to make them into a mash, rather thick; before you mix the potatoes put the peel of half a lemon, finely grated, one lump of sugar, and a pinch of salt; strain the milk after heating it, and add the potatoes; mash them well together; let the mash cool; roll it into balls of the shape and size of an egg; let there be ten or twelve of them; brush them over with the yolk of egg, and roll them in crumbs of bread and a pinch of salt. do this twice over; then fry them of a fine brown colour, and serve them with fried parsley round. _potatoes, to fry._ after your potatoes are nicely boiled and skinned, grate them, and to every large table-spoonful of potatoes add one egg well beat, and to each egg a small spoonful of cream, with some salt. drop as many spoonfuls as are proper in a pan in which is clarified butter. _potatoes, to mash._ after the potatoes are boiled and peeled, mash them in a mortar, or on a clean board, with a broad knife, and put them into a stewpan. to two pounds of potatoes put in half a pint of milk, a quarter of a pound of butter, and a little salt; set them over the fire, and keep them stirred till the butter is melted; but take care they do not burn to the bottom. dish them up in what form you please. _potatoes, french way of cooking._ boil the potatoes in a weak white gravy till nearly done; stir in some cream and vermicelli, with three or four blades of mace, and let it boil till the potatoes are sufficiently done, without being broken. _potatoes, à-la-maitre d'hotel._ cut boiled potatoes into slices, not too thin; simmer them in a little plain gravy, a bit of butter rubbed in a little flour, chopped parsley, pepper, and salt, and serve hot. _rice, to boil._ to boil rice well, though a simple thing, is rarely well done. have two quarts of water boiling, while you wash six ounces of rice, picked clean. change the water three or four times. when the rice is clean, drain and put it into the boiling water. boil twenty minutes; add three quarters of a table-spoonful of salt. drain off the water well--this is the most essential point--set it before the fire, spread thin to dry. when dry, serve it up. if the rice is not dry, so that each grain separates easily from the others, it is not properly boiled. _another way._ put one pound of rice into three quarts of boiling water; let it remain twenty minutes. skim the water, and add one ounce of hog's lard and a little salt and pepper. let it simmer gently over the fire closely covered, for an hour and a quarter, when it will be fit for use. this will produce eight pounds of savoury rice. _rissoles._ no. . take a roasted fowl, turkey, or pullet; pull it into shreds; there must be neither bone nor skin. cut some veal and ham into large dice; put it into a stewpan, with a little thyme, carrots, onions, cloves, and two or three mushrooms. make these ingredients simmer over a slow fire for two hours, taking care they do not burn; put in a handful of flour, and stir well, with a pint of cream and as much good broth; let the whole then stew for a quarter of an hour; continue to stir with a wooden spoon to prevent its burning. when it is done enough, strain it through a woollen strainer; then put in the whole meat of the poultry you have cut, with which you must make little balls of the size of pigeons' eggs. dip them twice in very fine crumbs of bread; wrap them in paste, rolled very thin; then fry them in lard, which should be very hot. _rissoles._ no. . take the fleshy parts and breasts of two fowls, which cut into small dice, all of an equal size; then throw them into some white sauce, and reduce it till it becomes very thick and stiff. when this is cold, cut it into several pieces, and roll them to the size and shape of a cork; then roll them in crumbs of bread very fine; dip them into some white and yolks of eggs put up together with a little salt, and roll them again in bread. if they are not stiff enough to keep their shape, this must be repeated; then fry them of a light brown colour, drain them, wipe off the grease, and serve them with fried parsley between them. _rissoles._ no. . take of the puré made as directed for pheasant, veal, or game, (see pheasant under the head game) a sufficient quantity for eight rissoles, then a little of the jelly of veal, say about half a pint; put in it a pinch of salt and of cayenne pepper, two table-spoonfuls of cream, the yolk of one egg, and a piece of butter of the size of a walnut; mix this sauce well together over the fire, strain it, and then add the puré. let it cool, and prepare a little puff-paste sufficient to wrap the rissoles once over with it, taking care to roll the paste out thin. fry them, and send them up with fried parsley, without sauce. the rissoles must be made stiff enough not to break in the frying. _rice._ one pound of veal or fowl, chopped fine; have ready some good bechamel sauce mixed with parsley and lemon-juice; mix it of a good thickness. when cold, make it up into balls, or what shape you please; dip them in yolks of eggs and bread crumbs, and fry them a few minutes before they go to table. they should be of a light brown, and sent up with fried parsley. _a robinson, to make._ take about eight or ten pounds of the middle of a brisket of beef; let it hang a day; then salt it for three days hung up; afterwards put it in strong red pickle, in which let it remain three weeks. take it out, put it into a pot with plenty of water, pepper, a little allspice, and onion; let it simmer for seven or eight hours, but never let it boil. when quite tender, take out all the bones, spread it out on a table to cool, well beat it out with a rollingpin, and sprinkle with cayenne, nutmeg, and very little cloves, pounded together. put it in a coarse cloth after it is rolled; twist it at each end to get out the fat, and bind it well round with broad tape; in that state let it remain three days. _salad, to dress._ two or three eggs, two or three anchovies, pounded, a little tarragon chopped very fine, a little thick cream, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper, mixed well together. after these are all well mixed, add oil, a little tarragon, elder, and garlic vinegar, so as to have the flavour of each, and then a little of the french vinegar, if there is not enough of the others to give the requisite taste. _bologna sausages._ have the fillets of young, tender porkers, and out of the weight of twenty-five pounds three parts are to be lean and one fat; season them well in the small shredding with salt and pepper, a little grated nutmeg, and a pint of white wine, mixed with a pint of hog's blood; stirring and beating it well together, with a little of the sweet-herbs finely chopped; with a funnel open the mouths of the guts, and thrust the meat gently into it with a clean napkin, as by forcing it with your hands you may break the gut. divide them into what lengths you please; tie them with fine thread, and let them dry in the air for two or three days, if the weather be clear and a brisk wind, hanging them in rows at a little distance from each other in the smoke-loft. when well dried, rub off the dust they contract with a clean cloth; pour over them sweet olive-oil, and cover them with a dry earthen vessel. _english sausages._ chop and bruise small the lean of a fillet of young pork; to every pound put a quarter of a pound of fat, well skinned, and season it with a little nutmeg, salt, and pepper, adding a little grated bread; mix all these well together, and put it into guts, seasoned with salt and water. _another way._ take six pounds of very fine well fed pork, quite free from gristle and fat; cut it very small, and beat it fine in a mortar; shred six pounds of suet, free from skin, as fine as possible. take a good deal of sage, the leaves picked off and washed clean, and shred fine as possible; spread the meat on a clean table; then shake the sage, about three large spoonfuls, all over; shred the yellow part of the rind of a lemon very fine, and throw that over, with as much sweet-herbs, when shred fine, as will fill a large spoon; grate two nutmegs over it, with two tea-spoonfuls of bruised pepper, and a large spoonful of salt. then throw over it the suet, and mix all well together, and put it down close in a pot. when you use it, roll it up with as much beaten egg as will make the sausages roll smooth; let what you fry them in be hot before you put them into the pan; roll them about, and when they are thoroughly hot, and of a fine light brown colour, they are done. by warming a little of the meat in a spoon when you are making it, you will then taste if it is seasoned enough. _oxford sausages._ take the best part of a leg of veal and of a leg of pork, of each three pounds; skin it well, and cut it into small dice. take three pounds of the best beef suet (the proportion of which you may increase or diminish according to your taste,) skin it well; add a little sage, and chop it all together as fine as forcemeat. when chopped, put in six or seven eggs and a quarter of a pound of cold water, and season to your liking with pepper and salt. work it up as if you were kneading dough for bread; roll it out in the form of sausages, and let the pan you fry them in be hot, with a bit of butter in it. _sausages for scotch collops._ take beef suet and some veal, with a little winter savory, sage, thyme, and some grated nutmeg, beaten cloves, mace, and a little salt and pepper. let these be well beaten together; then add two eggs beat, and heat all together. roll them up in grated bread, fry, and send them up. _veal sausages._ take half a pound of the lean of a leg of veal; cut it in small pieces, and beat it very fine in a stone mortar, picking out all the little strings. shred one pound and half of beef-suet very small; season it with pepper, salt, cloves, and mace, but twice as much mace as cloves, some sage, thyme, and sweet marjoram, according to your palate. mix all these well with the yolks of twelve eggs; roll them to your fancy, and fry them in lard. _sausages without skins._ take a pound and quarter of the lean of a leg of veal and a pound and quarter of the lean of a hind loin of pork; pick the meat from the skins before you weigh it; then take two pounds and half of fresh beef-suet picked clean from the skins, and an ounce and half of red sage leaves, picked from the stalks; wash and mince them as fine as possible; put them to the meat and suet, and mince as fine as you can. add to it two ounces of white salt and half an ounce of pepper. pare all the crust from a stale penny french roll, and soak the crumb in water till it is wet through; put it into a clean napkin, and squeeze out all the water. put the bread to the meat, with four new-laid eggs beaten; then with your hands work all these things together, and put them into a clean earthen pan, pressed down close. they will keep good for a week. when you use this meat, divide a pound into eighteen parts; flour your hands a little, and roll it up into pretty thick sausages, and fry them in sweet butter; a little frying will do. _spinach, the best mode of dressing._ boil the spinach, squeeze the water from it completely, chop it a little; then put it and a piece of butter in a stewpan with salt and a very little nutmeg; turn it over a brisk fire to dry the remaining water. then add a little flour; mix it well, wet it with a little good broth, and let it simmer for some time, turning it now and then to prevent burning. to dress it _maigre_, put cream instead of broth, and an onion with a clove stuck in it, which you take out when you serve the spinach. garnish with fried bread. observe that if you leave water in it, the spinach cannot ever be good. _another way._ clean it well, and throw it into fresh water; then squeeze and drain it quite dry. chop it extremely small, and put it into a pan with cream, fresh butter, salt, and a very small quantity of pepper and nutmeg: add an onion with two cloves stuck in it, and serve it up very hot, with fried bread sippets of triangular shape round the dish. _spinach, to stew._ pick the spinach very carefully; put it into a pan of water; boil it in a large vessel with a good deal of salt to preserve the green colour, and press it down frequently that it may be done equally. when boiled enough to squeeze easily, drain it from the water, and throw it into cold water. when quite cold, make it into balls, and squeeze it well. then spread it on a table and chop it very fine; put a good piece of butter in a stewpan, and lay the spinach over the butter. let it dry over a slow fire, and add a little flour; moisten with half a pint of beef jelly and a very little warm water: add a little cayenne pepper. this spinach should be very like thick melted butter, and as fine and smooth as possible. _another way._ take some fine spinach, pick and wash it extremely clean. when well boiled, put it into cold water, and squeeze it in a cloth very dry; chop it very small; put it in a stewpan with a piece of butter and half a pint of good cream; stir it well over the fire, that it may not oil; and put in a little more cream just as you are going to dish it. _sweetbreads, ragout of._ wash your sweetbreads; put them into boiling water, and, after blanching them, throw them into cold water; dry them with a linen cloth; and put them in a saucepan over the fire with salt, pepper, melted bacon, and a faggot of sweet-herbs. shake them together, and put some good gravy to moisten them; simmer over the fire, and thicken to your liking. _another._ take sweetbreads and lamb's fry, and parboil them, cutting them into slices, and cocks'-combs sliced and blanched, and season them with pepper and salt, and other spices; fry them in a little lard; drain and toss them in good gravy, with two shalots, a bunch of sweet-herbs, mushrooms, and truffles. thicken it with a glass of claret; garnish with red beet root. _savoury toasts, to relish wine._ cut six or seven pieces of bread about the size of two fingers, and fry them in butter till they are of a good colour; cut as many slices of ham of the same size, and put them into a stewpan over a slow fire, for an hour; when they are done take them out, and stir into the stewpan a little flour; when of a good colour moisten it with some broth, without salt; then skim off the fat, and strain the sauce through a sieve. dish the ham upon the fried bread, and pour the sauce over. _another._ rasp some crumb of bread; put it over the fire in butter; put over it a minced veal kidney, with its fat, parsley, scallions, a shalot, cayenne pepper and salt, mixed with the whites and yolks of four eggs beat: put this forcemeat on fried toasts of bread, covering the whole with grated bread, and passing the salamander over it. serve it with a clear beef gravy sauce under it. _tomata to eat with roast meat._ cover the bottom of a flat saucepan with the tomatas, that they may lie one upon another; add two or three spoonfuls of water, a little salt and pepper, to your taste; cover the pan, and stew them; in six or seven minutes turn them, and let them stew till they are soft. send them up with their liquor. _tongues, to cure._ no. . take two fine bullocks' tongues; wash them well in spring water; dry them thoroughly with a cloth, and salt them with common salt, a quarter of a pound of saltpetre, a quarter of a pound of treacle, and a quarter of a pound of gunpowder. let them lie in this pickle for a month; turn and rub them every day; then take them out and dry them with a cloth; rub a little gunpowder over them, and hang them up for a month, when they will be fit to eat, previously soaking a few hours as customary. _tongues, to cure._ no. . one pound of bay salt, half a pound of saltpetre, two ounces of sal prunella, two pounds of coarse sugar; make your brine strong enough with common salt to float an egg. the quantity of water is seven quarts, boil all together, and scum it well for half an hour. when cold, put the tongues in, and wash them in warm water before dressing. for table be sure never to let them boil, but simmer slowly for four or five hours. _tongues, to cure._ no. . take two fine neats' tongues; cut off the roots, and cut a nick in the under side; wash them clean, and dry with a cloth. rub them with common salt, and lay them on a board all night. next day take two ounces of bay salt, one of sal prunella, and a handful of juniper-berries, all bruised fine; mix them with a quarter of a pound of coarse sugar and one pound of common salt. rub the tongues well with this mixture; lay them in a long pan, and turn and rub them daily for a fortnight. take them out of the pickle, and either dry or dress them. _tongues, to cure._ no. . mix some well bruised bay salt, and a little saltpetre, with common salt, and with a linen cloth rub the tongues and salt them, most particularly the roots; and as the brine consumes put some more, till the tongues are hard and stiff. when they are salted, roll them up, and dry them in bran. _tongues, to cure._ no. . have the roots well cleansed from the moisture, and with warm water wash and open the porous parts, that the salt may penetrate, and dry them well. cover them for a week with a pickle made of common salt, and bay salt well boiled in it; then rub them with saltpetre, and to make them of a good red colour you must take them out, and rub and salt them well so that the salt penetrates, pressing them down hard with a board that, when they are put to dry, they may keep their due proportion. the usual way of drying them is with burnt sawdust, which, with the salt, gives the dusky colour that appears on the outside before they are boiled. _tongues, to cure._ no. . well rub into the tongue two ounces of saltpetre, a pound of common salt, and a quarter of a pound of treacle; and baste every day for three weeks. _tongue, to smoke._ wipe the tongue dry, when taken out of the pickle; glaze it over with a brush dipped in pyroligneous acid, and hang it up in the kitchen. _tongue, to bake._ season your tongues with pepper, salt, and nutmeg; lard them with large lardoons, and have them steeped all night in vinegar, claret, and ginger. season again with whole pepper, sliced nutmeg, whole cloves, and salt. bake them in an earthen pan; serve them up on sippets, and lay your spice over them, with slices of lemon and some sausages. _tongue, to boil._ put a good quantity of hay with your tongues, tying them up in a cloth, or else in hay. boil them till they are tender and of a good colour, and they will eat short and mellow. _tongue, to pot._ prick the tongues with a skewer, and salt them with bay-salt and saltpetre, to make them red. boil them till they will just peel; season with mace and a little pepper, to your liking; bake them in a pot well covered with butter, and they will keep as long as any potted meat. _tongue and udder, to roast._ have the tongue and udder boiled and blanched, the tongue being salted with saltpetre; lard them with the whole length of large lardoons, and then roast them on a spit, basting them with butter: when roasted, dress them with grated bread and flour, and serve up with gravy, currant-jelly by itself, and slices of lemon. _sheep's tongue, or any other, with oysters._ boil six tongues in salt and water till they are sufficiently tender to peel. slice them thin, and with a quart of large oysters put them in a dish, with some whole spice and a little claret, and let them stew together. then put in some butter, and three yolks of eggs well beaten. shake them all well together, and put some sippets and lay your tongues upon them. _tripe, to dress._ take of the finest tripe, and, when properly trimmed, cut it in pieces about four inches square; put it in a stewpan, with as much white wine as will almost cover it: slice in three or four race of ginger, quarter in a nutmeg, put in a good deal of salt, a bundle of herbs, rosemary, thyme, sweet marjoram, and onion. when this has stewed gently a good while, take out a pint of the clearest liquor, free from fat or dross, and dissolve in it some anchovies finely picked. take up the tripe, a bit at a time, with a fork, and lay it in a warmed dish; pour on it the liquor in which the anchovies were dissolved. sprinkle on it a little lemon juice. those who are fond of onions or garlic may make either the prevailing ingredient. _tripe, to fricassee._ cut into slices the fat part of double tripe; dip them into eggs or batter, and fry them to lay round the dish. cut the other part into long slips, and into dice, and toss them up with onion, chopped parsley, melted butter, yolks of eggs, and a little vinegar. season with pepper and salt, and serve up. _truffles and morels, to stew._ well wash the truffles, cut them into slices, of the size and about the thickness of half-a-crown; put them into a stewpan, with a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper, and a little butter, to prevent their being burnt. let them stew ten minutes; have ready a good brown sauce of half a pint of beef and the same of veal jelly, thickened with a little butter and flour; add to it any trimmings of the truffles or morels, and boil them also in it; put in one pinch of cayenne pepper. strain the truffles or morels from the butter they were first stewed in; throw them into the sauce; warm the whole again, and serve hot. _veal, to boil._ veal should be boiled well; a knuckle of six pounds will take very nearly two hours. the neck must be also well boiled in a good deal of water; if boiled in a cloth, it will be whiter. serve it with tongue, bacon, or pickled pork, greens of any sort, brocoli, and carrots, or onion sauce, white sauce, oyster sauce, parsley and butter, or white celery sauce. _veal, to collar._ bone and wash a breast of veal; steep it in three waters, and dry it with a cloth; season it with savoury spice, some slices of bacon, and shred sweet-herbs; roll them in a collar of cloth, and boil it in salt and water, with whole spice; skim it clean and take it up, and when cold put it in the pickle. _another way._ take the meat of a breast of veal; make a stuffing of beef-suet, crumb of bread, lemon peel, parsley, pepper, and salt, mixed up with two eggs; lay it over the meat, and roll it up. boil an hour and a half, and send it to table with oyster sauce. _veal, to roast._ veal will take a quarter of an hour to a pound: paper the fat of the loin and fillet; stuff the fillet and shoulder with the following ingredients: a quarter of a pound of suet, chopped fine, parsley, and sweet-herbs chopped, grated bread, lemon-peel, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and yolk of egg; butter may supply the want of suet. roast the breast with the caul on it till almost done; take it off, flour and baste it. veal requires to be more done than beef. for sauce use salad pickles, brocoli, cucumbers, raw or stewed, french beans, peas, cauliflower, celery, raw or stewed. _veal, roasted, ragout of._ cut slices of veal about the size of two fingers and at least as long as three; beat them with a cleaver till they are no thicker than a crown-piece; put upon every slice some stuffing made with beef-suet, ham, a little thyme, parsley, scallions, and a shalot. when the whole is minced, add the yolks of two eggs, half a table-spoonful of brandy, salt, and pepper; spread it on the veal and roll it. cover each piece with a thin slice of bacon, and tie it carefully. then put them on a small delicate spit covered with paper; and, when they are done, take off the paper carefully, grate bread over them, and brown them at a clear fire. serve them with a gravy sauce. _veal, to stew._ cut the veal into small pieces; season with an onion, some salt and pepper, mace, lemon-peel, and two or three shalots; let them stew in water, with a little butter, or port wine, if you like. when enough done, put in some yolks of eggs beaten, and boil them quick. dish and serve them up. _veal, with rice, to stew._ boil half a pound of rice in three quarts of water in a small pan with some good broth, about a pint, and slices of ham at the bottom, and two good onions. when it is almost done, spread it, about twice the thickness of a crown-piece, over a silver or delft dish in which it is to be served [it must be a dish capable of bearing the fire]. lay slices of veal and ham alternately--the veal having already been dressed brown. cover the meat with rice in such a manner that it cannot be seen; put your dish upon a hot stove; brown the rice with a salamander; drain off the fat that may be in the dish, and serve it dry, or, if it is preferred, with any of the good sauces, for which there are directions, poured under it. _veal served in paper._ cut some slices of veal from the fillet, about an inch thick, in a small square, about the size of a small fricandeau; make a box of paper to fit neatly; rub the outside with butter, and put in your meat, with sweet oil or butter, parsley, scallions, shalots, and mushrooms, all stewed very fine, salt, and whole pepper. set it upon the gridiron, with a sheet of oiled paper under it, and let it do by a very slow fire, lest the paper burn. when the meat is done on one side turn it on the other. serve it in the box, having put over it very gently a dash of vinegar. _bombarded veal._ take a piece of a long square of bacon; cut it in thin slices; do the same with veal, and lay the slices on your bacon. having made a piece of good forcemeat, spread it thin on your veal, having previously seasoned the latter with pepper and salt. roll these up one by one; spit them on a lark spit, quite even; wash them over with eggs and crumbs of bread; then roast them, and serve up with a good ragout. _veal balls._ take two pounds of veal; pick out the skin and bones; mix it well with the crust of a french roll, soaked in hot milk, half a pound of veal suet, two yolks of eggs, onion, and chopped parsley; season with pepper and salt. roll the balls in raspings; fry them of a gold colour: boil the bones and the bits of skin to make the gravy for them. _breast of veal._ to fricassee it like fowls, parboil it; turn it a few times over the fire with a bit of butter, a bunch of parsley, scallions, some mushrooms, truffles, and morels. shake in a little flour; moisten with some good stock broth; and when the whole is done and skimmed, thicken it with the yolks of three eggs beat with some milk; and, before it is served, add a very little lemon juice. _breast of veal, with cabbage and bacon._ cut the breast of veal in pieces, and parboil it; parboil also a cabbage and a bit of streaked bacon, cut in slices, leaving the rind to it. tie each separately with packthread, and let them stew together with good broth; no salt or pepper, on account of the bacon. when the whole is done, take out the meat and cabbage, and put them into the terrine you serve to table. take the fat off the broth, put in a little cullis, and reduce the sauce over the stove. when of a proper thickness pour it over the meat, and serve up. _breast of veal en fricandeau._ lard your veal, and take a ragout of asparagus, (for which see ragouts,) and lay your veal, larded or glazed, upon the ragout. the same may be done with a ragout of peas. _breast of veal, glazed brown._ take a breast of veal, cut in pieces, or whole if you prefer it. stir a bit of butter and a spoonful of flour over the fire, and, when it is of a good colour, put in a pint of broth, and afterwards the veal. stew it over a slow fire, and season with pepper and salt, a bunch of parsley, scallions, cloves, thyme, laurel, basil, and half a spoonful of vinegar. when the meat is done and well glazed, skim the sauce well, and serve it round it. _breast of veal, to stew with peas._ cut the nicest part of the breast of veal, with the sweetbread; roast it a little brown; take a little bit of the meat that is cut off the ends, and fry it with butter, salt, pepper, and flour; take a little hot water just to rinse out the gravy that adheres to the frying-pan, and put it into a stewpan, with two quarts of hot water, a bundle of parsley, thyme, and marjoram, a bit of onion or shalot, plenty of lemon-peel, and a pint of old green peas, the more mealy the better. let it stew two or three hours, then rub it through a sieve with a spoon; it should be all nice and thick; then put it again in the stewpan with the meat, having ready some hot water to add to the gravy in case it should be wanted. a thick breast will take two hours, and must be turned every now and then. boil about as many nice young peas as would make a dish, the same as for eating; put them in about ten minutes before you take it up, skimming all the fat nicely off; and season it at the same time with salt and cayenne to your taste. _another way._ cut your veal into pieces, about three inches long; fry it delicately; mix a little flour with some beef broth, with an onion and two cloves; stew this some time, strain it, add three pints or two quarts of peas, or heads of asparagus, cut like peas. put in the meat; let it stew gently; add pepper and salt. _breast of veal ragout._ bone and cut out a large square piece of the breast of veal; cut the rest into small pieces, and brown it in butter, stewing it in your ragout for made dishes; thicken it with brown butter, and put the ragout in the dish. lay diced lemon, sweetbreads, sippets, and bacon, fried in batter of eggs; then lay on the square piece. garnish with sliced oranges. _veal collops, with oysters._ cut thin slices out of a leg of veal, as many as will make a dish, according to the number of your company. lard one quarter of them, and fry them in butter; take them out of the pan and keep them warm. clean the pan, and put into it half a pint of oysters, with their liquor, and some strong broth, one or two shalots, a glass of white wine, two or three anchovies minced, and some grated nutmeg; let these have a boil up, and thicken with five eggs and a piece of butter. put in your collops, and shake them together till the sauce is tolerably thick. set them on the stove again to stew a little; then serve up. _veal collops, with white sauce._ cut veal that has been already roasted into neat small pieces, round or square; season them with a little pepper and salt; pass them quick of a pale colour in a bit of butter of the size of a walnut; add the yolks of five eggs, and half a pint of cream, with a very small onion or two, previously boiled; toss them up quick, and serve hot. _veal cutlets, to dress._ cut the veal steaks thin; hack and season them with pepper, salt, and sweet-herbs. wash them over with melted butter, and wrap white paper buttered over them. roast or bake them; and, when done, take off the paper, and serve them with good gravy and seville orange-juice squeezed on. _another way._ take the best end of a neck of veal and cut your cutlets; four ribs will make eight cutlets. beat them out very thin, and trim them round. take chopped parsley, thyme, shalots, and mushrooms, pass them over the fire, add a little juice of lemon, lemon-peel, and grated nutmeg. dip in the cutlets, crumb them, and boil them over a gentle fire. save what you leave from dipping them in, put some brown sauce to it, and put it under them when going to table, first taking care to remove the grease from it. lamb cutlets are done the same way. _veal cutlets, larded._ cut a neck of veal into bones; lard one side, and fry them off quick. thicken a piece of butter, of the size of a large nut, with a little flour, and whole onion. put in as much good gravy as will just cover them, and a few mushrooms and forcemeat balls. stove them tender; skim off all grease; squeeze in half a lemon, and serve them up. _fillet of veal, to farce or roast._ mince some beef suet very small, with some sweet marjoram, winter savory, and thyme; season with salt, cloves, and mace, well beaten; put in grated bread; mix them all together with the yolk of an egg; make small holes in the veal, and stuff it very thick with these. put it on the spit and roast it well. let the sauce consist of butter, gravy, and juice of lemon, very thick. dish the veal, and pour the sauce over it, with slices of lemon laid round the dish. _fillet of veal, to boil._ cut out the bone of a fillet of veal; put it into good milk and water for a little while: make some forcemeat with boiled clary, raw carrots, beef suet, grated bread, sweet-herbs, and a good quantity of shrimps, nutmeg, and mace, the yolks of three eggs boiled hard, some pepper and salt, and two raw eggs; roll it up in butter, and stuff the veal with it. boil the veal in a cloth for two hours, and scald four or five cucumbers, in order to take out the pulp the more easily. this done, fill them with forcemeat, and stew them in a little thin gravy. for sauce take strong white gravy, thickened with butter, a very little flour, nutmeg, mace, and lemon-peel, three anchovies dissolved in lemon-juice, some good cream, the yolk of an egg beaten, and a glass of white wine. serve with the cucumbers. _half a fillet of veal, to stew._ take a stewpan large enough for the piece of veal, put in some butter, and fry it till it is firm, and of a fine brown colour all round; put in two carrots, two large onions, whole, half a pound of lean bacon, a bunch of thyme and of parsley, a pinch of cayenne pepper and of salt: add a cupful of broth, and let the whole stew over a very slow fire for one hour, or according to the size of your piece of veal, until thoroughly done. have ready a pint of jelly soup, in which stew a table-spoonful of mustard and the same of truffles cut in small pieces; add one ounce of butter and a dessert spoonful of flour to thicken; unite it well together; put in a glass of white wine, and boil. when ready to serve, pour it over the veal; let there be sauce sufficient to fill the dish; the veal must be strained from the vegetables, and great care taken that the sauce is well passed through the sieve, to keep it clear from grease. _knuckle of veal, white._ boil a knuckle of veal in a little water kept close from the air, with six onions and a little whole pepper, till tender. the sauce to be poured over it, when dished in a little of its own liquor--two or three anchovies, a little mace, half a pint of cream, and the yolk of an egg, thickened with a little flour. _knuckle of veal ragout._ cut the veal into slices half an inch thick; pepper, salt, and flour them; fry them of a light brown; put the trimmings, with the bone broken, an onion sliced, celery, a bunch of sweet-herbs; pour warm water to cover them about an inch. stew gently for two hours; strain it, and thicken with flour and butter, a spoonful of ketchup, a glass of wine, and the juice of half a lemon. give it a boil, strain into a clean saucepan, put in the meat, and make it hot. _leg of veal and bacon, to boil._ lard the veal with bacon and lemon-peel; boil it with a piece of bacon, cut in slices; put the veal into a dish, and lay the bacon round it. serve it up with green sauce made thus: beat two or more handfuls of sorrel in a mortar, with two pippins quartered, and put vinegar and sugar to it. _loin of veal, to roast._ roast, and baste with butter; set a dish under your veal, with vinegar, a few sage leaves, and a little rosemary and thyme. let the gravy drop on these, and, when the veal is roasted, let the herbs and gravy boil once or twice on the fire: serve it under the veal. _loin of veal, to roast with herbs._ lard the fillet of a loin of veal; put it into an earthen pan; steep it three hours with parsley, scallions, a little fennel, mushrooms, a laurel-leaf, thyme, basil, and two shalots, the whole shred very fine, salt, whole pepper, a little grated nutmeg, and a little sweet oil. when it has taken the flavour of the herbs, put it upon the spit, with all its seasoning, wrapt in two sheets of white paper well buttered; tie it carefully so as to prevent the herbs falling out, and roast it at a very slow fire. when it is done take off the paper, and with a knife pick off all the bits of herbs that stick to the meat and paper, and put them into a stewpan, with a little gravy, two spoonfuls of verjuice, salt, whole pepper, and a bit of butter, about as big as a walnut, rolled in flour. before you thicken the sauce, melt a little butter; mix it with the yolk of an egg, and rub the outside of the veal, which should then be covered with grated bread, and browned with a salamander. serve it up with a good sauce under, but not poured over so as to disturb the meat. _loin of veal, fricassee of._ well roast a loin of veal, and let it stand till cold. cut it into slices; in a saucepan over the stove melt some butter, with a little flour, shred parsley, and chives. turn the stewpan a little for a minute or so, and pepper and salt the veal. put it again into the pan, and give it three or four turns over the stove with a little broth, and boil it a little: then put three or four yolks of eggs beaten up to a cream, and some parsley shred, to thicken it, always keeping it stirred over the fire till of sufficient thickness; then serve it up. _loin of veal bechamel._ when the veal is nicely roasted, cut out part of the fillet down the back; cut it in thin slices, and put some white sauce to what you have cut out. season it with the juice of lemon and a little pepper and salt; put it into the veal, and cover the top with crumbs of bread that has been browned, or salamander it over with crumbs, or leave the skin of the veal so that you can turn it over when the seasoning part is put in. _neck of veal, stewed with celery._ take the best end of a neck, put it into a stewpan with beef broth, salt, whole pepper, and two cloves, tied in a bit of muslin, an onion, and a piece of lemon-peel. add a little cream and flour mixed, some celery ready boiled, and cut into lengths; and boil it up. _veal olives._ no. . are done the same way as the beef olives, only cut off a fillet of veal, fried of a fine brown. the same sauce is used as for beef, and, if you like, small bits of curled bacon may be laid in the dish. garnish with lemon and parsley. _veal olives._ no. . wash eight or ten scots collops over with egg batter; season and lay over a little forcemeat; roll them up and roast them; make a good ragout for them; garnish with sliced orange. _veal olives._ no. . take a good fillet of veal, and cut large collops, not too thin, and hack them well; wash them over with the yolk of an egg; then spread on a good layer of forcemeat, made of veal pretty well seasoned. roll them up, and wash them with egg; lard them over with fat bacon, tie them round, if you roast them; but, if to be baked, you need only wash the bacon over with egg. garnish with slices of lemon, and for sauce take thick butter and good gravy, with a piece of lemon. _veal olives._ no. . lay over your forcemeat; first lard your collops, and lay a row of large oysters; and then roll them up, and roast or bake them. make a ragout of oysters, sweetbreads fried, a few morels and mushrooms, and lay in the bottom of your dish, and garnish with fried oysters and grated bread. _veal rumps._ take three veal rumps; parboil and put them into a little pot, with some broth, a bunch of parsley, scallions, a clove of garlic, two shalots, a laurel leaf, thyme, basil, two cloves, salt, pepper, an onion, a carrot, and a parsnip: let them boil till they are thoroughly done, and the sauce is very nearly consumed. take them out, let them cool, and strain the sauce through a rather coarse sieve, that none of the fat may remain. put it into a stewpan, with the yolks of three eggs beat up, and a little flour, and thicken it over the fire. then dip your veal rumps into it, and cover them with grated bread; put them upon a dish, and brown them with a salamander. serve them with sour sauce, for which see the part that treats of sauces. _shoulder of veal, to stew._ put it in an earthen pan, with a gill of water, two spoonfuls of vinegar, salt, whole pepper, parsley and scallions, two cloves of garlic, a bay leaf, two onions, two heads of celery, three cloves, and a bit of butter. cover the pan close, and close the edges with flour and water. stew it in an oven three hours; then skim and strain the sauce, and serve it over the veal. _veal steaks._ cut a neck of veal into steaks, and beat them on both sides: beat up an egg, and with a feather wet your steaks on both sides. add some parsley, thyme, and a little marjoram, cut small, and seasoned with pepper and salt. sprinkle crumbs of bread on both sides of the steaks, and put them up quite tight and close into paper which has been rubbed with butter. they may be either broiled or baked in a pan. _veal sweetbreads, to fry._ cut each of your sweetbreads in three or four pieces and blanch them: put them for two hours in a marinade made with lemon-juice, salt, pepper, cloves, a bay leaf, and an onion sliced. take the sweetbreads out of the marinade, and dry them with a cloth; dip them in beaten yolk of eggs, with crumbs of bread; fry them in lard till they are brown; drain them; fry some parsley, and put it in the middle of the dish, and serve them. _veal sweetbreads, to roast._ lard your sweetbreads with small lardoons of bacon, and put them on a skewer; fasten them to the spit and roast them brown. put some good gravy into a dish; lay in the sweetbreads, and serve them very hot. you ought to set your sweetbreads and spit them; then egg and bread them, or they will not be brown. _vegetables, to stew._ cut some onions, celery, turnips, and carrots, into small squares, like dice, but not too small; stew them with a bunch of thyme in a little broth and butter; fry them till they are of a fine brown colour; turn them with a fork, till quite soft; if they are not done enough, put a little flour from the dredging-box to brown them; skim the sauce well, and pass it through a sieve; add a little cayenne pepper and salt; put the vegetables in, and serve them up. _haunch of venison, to roast._ no. . butter and sprinkle your fat with salt; lay a sheet of paper over it; roll a thin sheet of paste and again another sheet of paper over the paste, and with a packthread tie and spit it. baste the sheet of paper with butter, and let the venison roast till done enough. be careful how you take off the papers and paste, basting it with some butter during that time, and dredge up: then let it turn round some time to give the fat a colour. the object of pasting is to save the fat. have currant-jelly with it, and serve it up. _haunch of venison, to roast._ no. . let your haunch be well larded with thick bacon; seasoning it with fine spices, parsley, sweet-herbs, cut small, pepper, and salt. pickle it with vinegar, onions, salt, pepper, parsley, sweet basil, thyme, and bay-leaves: and, when pickled enough, spit it, and baste it with the pickle. when roasted, dish it up with vinegar, pepper, and thick sauce. _haunch of venison, to roast._ no. . have the haunch well and finely larded with bacon, and put paper round it: roast and serve it up with sauce under it, made of good cullis or broth, gravy of ham, capers, anchovies, salt, pepper, and vinegar. _venison, to boil._ have your venison a little salted, and boil it in water. meanwhile boil six cauliflowers in milk and water; and put them into a large pipkin with drawn butter; keep them warm, and put in six handfuls of washed spinach, boiled in strong broth; pour off the broth, and put some drawn butter to it; lay some sippets in the dish, and lay your spinach round the sides; have the venison laid in the middle, with the cauliflower over it; pour your butter also over, and garnish with barberries and minced parsley. _haunch of venison, to broil._ take half a haunch, and cut it into slices of about half an inch thick; broil and salt them over a brisk fire, and, when pretty well soaked, bread and serve them up with gravy: do the same with the chine. _venison, to recover when tainted._ boil bay salt, ale, and vinegar together, and make a strong brine; skim it, and let it stand till cool, and steep the venison for a whole day. drain and press it dry: parboil, and season it with pepper and salt. _another way._ tie your venison up in a clean cloth; put it in the earth for a whole day, and the scent will be gone. _red deer venison, to pot._ let the venison be well boned and cut into pieces about an inch thick, and round, of the diameter of your pot. season with pepper and salt, something higher than you would pasty, and afterwards put it into your pots, adding half a quarter of butter, and two sliced nutmegs, cloves and mace about the same quantity of each, but rather less of the cloves. then put into your pots lean and fat, so that there may be fat and lean mixed, until the pots are so nearly filled as to admit only a pint of butter more to be put into each. make a paste of rye-flour, and stop your pots close on the top. have your oven heated as you would for a pasty; put your pots in, and let them remain as long as for pasty; draw them out, and let them stand half an hour; afterwards unstop them, and turn the pots upside down; you may remove the contents, if you like, into smaller pots; in which case take off all the butter, letting the gravy remain, and using the butter for the fresh pots; let them remain all night; the next day fill them with fresh butter. to make a pie of the same, proceed in the same way with the venison, only do not season it so high; but put in a liberal allowance of butter. _venison, excellent substitute for._ skin a loin of mutton; put to it a quarter of a pint of port wine, half a pint of spring water, two spoonfuls of vinegar, an onion with three cloves, a small bunch of thyme and parsley, a little pepper and salt, to your taste. stew them with the mutton very slowly for two hours and a half; baste it with the liquor very often; skim off the fat, and send the gravy in the dish with the mutton. sauce--the same as for venison. _water cresses, to stew._ when the cresses are nicely picked and well washed, put them into a stewpan with a little butter under them. let them stew on a clear fire until almost done; then rub them through a sieve; put them again into a pan, with a dust of flour, a little salt, and a spoonful of good cream: give it a boil, and dish it up with sippets. the cream may be omitted, and the cresses may be boiled in salt and water before they are rubbed through the sieve, and afterwards stewed, but it takes the strength out, therefore it is best not to boil them first. poultry. _chicken, to make white._ feed them in the coop on boiled rice; give them no water at all to drink. scalded oatmeal will do as well. _chicken, to fricassee._ no. . empty the chicken, and singe it till the flesh gets very firm. carve it as neatly as possible; divide the legs at the joints into four separate pieces, the back into two, making in all ten pieces. take out the lungs and all that remains within; wash all the parts of the chicken very thoroughly in lukewarm water, till all the blood is out. put the pieces in boiling water, sufficient to cover them, about four tea-cupfuls, and let them remain there ten minutes; take them out, preserve the water, and put them into cold water. when quite cool, put two ounces of fresh butter into a stewpan with half a pint of mushrooms, fresh or pickled; if pickled, they must be put into fresh cold water two or three hours before; the water to be changed three times; put into the stewpan two bunches of parsley and two large onions; add the chicken, and set the stewpan over the fire. when the chickens have been fried lightly, taking care they are not in the least browned, dust a little salt and flour over them; then add some veal jelly to the water in which they were blanched; let them boil about three quarters of an hour in that liquor, skimming off all the butter, and scum very cleanly; then take out the chicken, leaving the sauce or liquor, and lay it in another stewpan, which place in a basin of hot water near the fire. boil down the sauce or liquor, adding some more veal jelly, till it becomes strong, and there remains sufficient sauce for the dish; add to this the yolk of four eggs and three table-spoonfuls of cream: boil it, taking great care to keep it constantly stirring; and, when ready to serve, having placed the chicken in a very hot dish, with the breast in the middle, and the legs around, pour the sauce well over every part. the sauce should be thicker than melted butter, and of a yellow colour. _chicken, to fricassee._ no. . cut the chicken up in joints; put them into cold water, and set them on the fire till they boil; skim them well. save the liquor. skin, wash, and trim the joints; put them into a pan, with the liquor, a small bunch of parsley and thyme, a small onion, and as much flour and water as will give it a proper thickness, and let them boil till tender. when going to table, put in a yolk of egg mixed with a little good cream, a little parsley chopped very fine, juice of lemon, and pepper and salt to your taste. _chicken, to fricassee._ no. . take two chickens and more than half stew them; cut them into limbs; take the skin clean off, and all the inside that is bloody. put them into a stewpan, with half a pint of cream, about two ounces of butter, into which shake a little flour, some mace, and whole pepper, and a little parsley boiled and chopped fine. thicken it up with the yolks of two eggs; add the juice of a lemon, and three spoonfuls of good white gravy. _chicken, to fricassee._ no. . have a frying-pan, with sufficient liquor to cover your chicken cut into pieces; half of the liquor to be white wine and water. take one nutmeg sliced, half a dozen cloves, three blades of mace, and some whole pepper; boil all these together in a frying-pan; put half a pound of fresh butter and skim it clean; then put in your chickens, and boil them till tender; add a small quantity of parsley. take four yolks and two whites of eggs; beat them well with some thick butter, and put it to your chicken in the pan; toss it over a slow fire till thick, and serve it up with sippets. _chicken, white fricassee of._ cut in pieces chickens or rabbits; wash and dry them in a cloth; flour them well, and fry in clarified butter till they are a little brown, but, if not enough done, put them in a stewpan, and just cover them with strong veal or beef broth. put in with them a bunch of thyme, an onion stuck with cloves, a little pepper and salt, and a blade of mace. cover and stew till tender, and till the liquor is reduced about one half. put in a quarter of a pound of butter, the yolk of two eggs beat, and a quarter of a pint of cream. stir well; let it boil; if not thick enough, shake in some flour; and then put in juice of lemon. _cream of chicken, or fowl._ for this purpose fowls are preferable, because the breasts are larger. take two chickens, cut off the breast, and roast them; the remainder put in a stewpan with two pounds of the sinewy part of a knuckle of veal. boil the whole together to make a little clear good broth: when the breasts are roasted, and your broth made, take all the white of the breast, put it in a small stewpan, and add to it the broth clean and clear. it will be better to cut the white of the chickens quite fine, and, when you find that it is boiled soft, proceed in the same manner as for cream of rice and pass it. just in the same way, make it of the thickness you judge proper, and warm in the same manner as the cream of rice: put in a little salt if it is approved of. _chickens, to fry._ scald and split them; put them in vinegar and water, as much as will cover them, with a little pepper and salt, an onion, a slice or two of lemon, and a sprig or two of thyme, and let them lie two hours in the pickle. dry them with a cloth; flour and fry them in clarified butter, with soft bread and a little of the pickle. _chickens, to heat._ take the legs, wings, brains, and rump, and put them into a little white wine vinegar and claret, with some fresh butter, the water of an onion, a little pepper and sliced nutmeg, and heat them between two dishes. _chickens, dressed with peas._ singe and truss your chickens; boil one half and roast the other. put them into a small saucepan, with a little water, a small piece of butter, a little salt, and a bundle of thyme and parsley. set them on the fire, and put in a small lump of sugar. when they boil, set them over a slow fire to stew. lay your boiled chickens in a dish; put your peas over them; then lay the roasted ones between, and send to table. _chicken and ham, ragout of._ clear a chicken which has been dressed of all the sauce that may be about it. if it has been roasted, pare off the brown skin, take some soup, veal jelly, and cream, and a table-spoonful of mushrooms; if pickled, wash them in several waters to take out the vinegar: put them in the jelly, and keep this sauce to heat up. cut up the chicken, the wings and breast in slices, the merrythought also, and divide the legs. heat the fowl up separately from the sauce in a little thin broth: prepare six or eight slices of ham stewed apart in brown gravy; dip each piece of the fowl in the white sauce, and lay them in the middle of the dish with a piece of the ham alternately one beside another, taking care that as little of the white sauce as possible goes on the ham, to preserve its colour. lay the legs one on each side of the meat in the middle; and pour the sauce in the middle, taking care not to pour it over the ham. _chicken, or ham and veal patés._ cut up into small dice some of the white of the chicken, or the most delicate part of veal already dressed; take sufficient white sauce, with truffles, morels, and mushrooms, and heat it up to put in the patés. when ready, pour it amply into them, and serve up hot. _another._ take the white of a chicken or veal, cut it up in small dice; do the same with some ham or tongue; warm it in a little broth, and take a good white sauce, such as is used for pheasants, and heat it up thoroughly. _duck, to boil._ pour over it boiling milk and water, and let it lie for an hour or two. then boil it gently for a full half hour in plenty of water. serve with onion sauce. _duck, to boil, à la française._ to a pint of rich beef gravy put two dozen of roasted peeled chesnuts, with a few leaves of thyme, two small onions if agreeable, a race of ginger, and a little whole pepper. lard a fine tame duck, and half roast it; put it into the gravy; let it stew ten minutes, and add a pint of port wine. when the duck is done, take it out; boil up your gravy to a proper thickness, but skim it very clean from the fat; lay your duck in the dish, and pour the sauce over it. _duck à la braise._ lard the duck; lay a slice or two of beef at the bottom of the pan, and on these the duck, a piece of bacon, and some more beef sliced, an onion, a carrot, whole pepper, a slice of lemon, and a bunch of sweet-herbs. cover this close, and set it over the fire for a few minutes, shaking in some flour: then pour in a quart of beef broth or boiling water, and a little heated red wine. stew it for half an hour; strain the sauce, and skim it; put to it some more wine if necessary, with cayenne, shalot, a little mint, juice of a lemon, and chopped tarragon. if agreeable to your taste, add artichoke bottoms boiled and quartered. _duck, to hash._ when cut in pieces, flour it; put it into a stewpan with some gravy, a little red wine, shalot chopped, salt and pepper; boil these; put in the duck; toss it up, take out the lemon, and serve with toasted sippets. _duck, to stew with cucumbers._ half roast the duck, and stew it as before. slice some cucumbers and onions; fry and drain them very dry; put them to the duck, and stew all together. _duck, to stew with peas._ half roast the duck, put it into some good gravy with a little mint and three or four sage-leaves chopped. stew this half an hour; thicken the gravy with a little flour; throw in half a pint of green peas boiled, or some celery, in which case omit the mint. _fowls, to fatten in a fortnight._ gather and dry, in proper season, nettle leaves and seed; beat them into powder, and make it into paste with flour, adding a little sweet olive-oil. make this up into small crams: coop the birds up and feed them with it, giving them water in which barley has been boiled, and they will fatten in the above-mentioned time. _fowl, to make tender._ pour down the throat of the fowl, about an hour before you kill it, a spoonful of vinegar, and let it run about again. when killed, hang it up in the feathers by the legs in a smoky chimney; then pluck and dress it. this method makes fowls very tender. _fowl, to roast with anchovies._ put a bit of butter in your stewpan with a little flour; keep stirring this over the fire, but not too hot, till it turns of a good gold colour, and put a little of it into your gravy to thicken it. _fowl with rice, called pilaw._ boil a pint of rice in as much water as will cover it. put in with it some whole black pepper, a little salt, and half a dozen cloves, tied up in a bit of cloth. when the rice is tender take out the cloves and pepper, and stir in a piece of butter. boil a fowl and a piece of bacon; lay them in a dish, and cover them with the rice. lay round the dish and upon the rice hard eggs cut in halves and quarters, and onions, first boiled and then fried. _fowl, to hash._ cut the fowl in pieces; put it in some gravy, with a little cream, ketchup, or mushroom-powder, grated lemon-peel, a few oysters and their liquor, and a piece of butter mixed with flour. keep stirring it till the butter is melted. lay sippets in the dish. _fowl, to stew._ take a fowl, two onions, two carrots, and two turnips; put one onion into the fowl, and cut all the rest into four pieces each. add two or three bits of bacon or ham, a bay-leaf, and as much water as will prevent their burning when put into an earthen vessel; cover them up close, and stew them for three hours and a half on a slow fire. serve up hot or cold. _goose, to stuff._ having well washed your goose, dry it, and rub the inside with pepper and salt. crumble some bread, but not too fine; take a piece of butter and make it hot; cut a middle-sized onion and stew in the butter. cut the liver very small, and put that also in the butter for about a minute just to warm, and pour it over the head. it must then be mixed up with an egg and about two spoonfuls of cream, a little nutmeg, ginger, pepper and salt, and a small quantity of summer savory. _another way._ chop fine two ounces of onions, and an ounce of green sage leaves; add four ounces of bread crumbs, the yolk and white of an egg, a little salt and pepper, and sometimes minced apples. _goose's liver, to dress._ when it is drawn, leave the gall sticking to it; lay it in fresh water for a day, and change the water several times. when you use it, wipe it dry, cut off the gall, and fry it in butter, which must be made very hot before the liver is put in: it must be whole and fried brown--no fork stuck in it. serve with a little ketchup sauce. _pigeons, to boil._ chop sweet-herbs and bacon, with grated bread, butter, spice, and the yolk of an egg; tie both ends of the pullets, and boil them. garnish with sliced lemon and barberries. _pigeons, to broil._ cut their necks and wings close, leaving the skin of the neck to enable you to tie close, and with some grated bread put an anchovy, the two livers of pigeons, half a grated nutmeg, a quarter of a pound of butter, a very little thyme, a little pepper and salt, and sweet marjoram shred. mix all together, and into each bird put a piece of the size of a walnut, after sewing up the vents and necks, and, with a little nutmeg, pepper, and salt, strewed over them, broil them on a slow charcoal fire, basting and turning very often. use rich gravy or melted butter for sauce, and season to your taste. _pigeons, to jug._ pick and draw the pigeons, and let a little water pass through them; parboil and bruise the liver with a spoon; mix pepper, salt, grated nutmeg, parsley shred fine, and lemon-peel, suet cut small, in quantity equal to the liver, the yolks of two eggs boiled hard and also cut fine; mix these with two raw eggs, and stuff the birds, tying up the necks and vents. after dipping the pigeons into water, season them with salt and pepper; then put them into a jug, with two or three pieces of celery, stopping it very close, to prevent the steam escaping. set them in a kettle of cold water; lay a tile on the top, and boil three hours; take them out, and put in a piece of butter rolled in flour; shake it round till thick, and pour it over the pigeons. _pigeons, to pot._ truss and season them with savoury spice; put them into a a pot or pan, covering them with butter, and bake them. take out, drain, and, when cold, cover them with clarified butter. fish may be potted in the same way, but always bone them when baked. _pigeons, to stew._ no. . truss your pigeons as for boiling. take pepper, salt, cloves, mace, some sweet-herbs, a little grated bread, and the liver of the birds chopped very fine; roll these up in a bit of butter, put it in the stomach of the pigeons, and tie up both ends. make some butter hot in your stewpan, fry the pigeons in it till they are brown all over, putting to them two or three blades of mace, a few peppercorns, and one shalot. take them out of the liquor, dust a little flour into the stewpan, shaking it about till it is brown. have ready a quart of small gravy and a glass of white wine; let it just boil up: strain out all the spice, and put the gravy and pigeons into the stewpan. let them simmer over the fire two hours; put in some pickled mushrooms, a little lemon juice, a spoonful of ketchup, a few truffles and morels. dish and send to table with bits of bacon grilled. some persons add forcemeat balls, but they are very rich without. _pigeons, to stew._ no. . shred the livers and gizzards, with as much suet as there is meat; season with pepper, salt, parsley, and thyme, shred small; fill the pigeons with this stuffing; lay them in the stewpan, breasts downward, with as much strong broth as will cover them. add pepper, salt, and onion, and two thin rashers of bacon. cover them close; let them stew two hours or more, till the liquor is reduced to one half, and looks like gravy, and the pigeons are tender; then put them in a dish with sippets. if you have no strong broth, you may stew in water; but you must not put so much water as broth, and they must stew more slowly. _pigeons, to stew._ no. . cut six pigeons with giblets into quarters, and put them into a stewpan, with two blades of mace, salt, pepper, and just water sufficient to stew them without burning. when tender, thicken the liquor with the yolk of an egg and three spoonfuls of fresh cream, a little shred thyme, parsley, and a bit of butter. shake all together, and garnish with lemon. _pigeons, biscuit of._ wash, clean, and parboil, your pigeons, and stew them in strong broth. have a ragout made for them of strong gravy, with artichoke bottoms and onions, seasoning them with the juice of lemons, and lemons diced, truffles, mushrooms, morels, and bacon cut as for lard. pour the broth into a dish with dried sippets, and, after placing your pigeons, pour on the ragout. garnish with scalded parsley, lemons, and beet-root. _pigeons, en compote._ no. . the pigeons must be young and white, and the inside entirely taken out. let none of the heart or liver remain, which is apt to render them bitter. make some forcemeat of veal, and fill the pigeons with it; then put them in a braise, with some bacon, a slice of lemon, a little thyme, and bay-leaf, and let them stew gently for an hour. the sauce is made of cucumbers and mushrooms, and they must be sweated in a little butter till tender; then strain it off the butter, and put in some strong gravy and a little flour to thicken it. lastly, add the yolks of two eggs and a little good cream, which, when put to it, must be well stirred, and not suffered to boil, as it would curdle and spoil the sauce. _pigeons, en compote._ no. . have the birds trussed with their legs in their bodies, but stuffed with forcemeat; parboil and lard them with fat bacon; season with pepper, spices, parsley, and minced chives; stew them very gently. while they are stewing, make a ragout of fowls' livers, cocks'-combs, truffles, morels, and mushrooms, and put a little bacon in the frying-pan to melt; put them in, and shake the pan three or four times round; then add some rich gravy, and let it simmer a little, and put in some veal cullis and ham to thicken it. drain the pigeons, and put them into this ragout; let them just simmer; take them up, put them into your dish, and pour the ragout over. _pigeons, en compote._ no. . lard, truss, and force them; season and stew them in strong broth. have a ragout garnished with sippets, sweetbreads, and sprigs of parsley; then fry the pigeons in a batter of eggs and sliced bacon. you may garnish most dishes in the same way. _pigeons, à la crapaudine._ cut the birds open down the back, and draw the legs through the skin inside, as you would do a boiled fowl, then put into a roomy saucepan some butter, a little parsley, thyme, shalots, and, if you can have them, mushrooms, all chopped together very fine. put the pigeons in this, and let them sweat in the butter and herbs for about five minutes. while they are warm and moist with the herbs and butter, cover them all over with fine bread crumbs; sprinkle a little salt upon them, and boil them on a slow fire. the sauce may be either of mushrooms or cucumbers, made by sweating whichever you choose in butter till quite tender, then adding a little gravy, cream, and flour. _pigeons in disguise._ draw, truss, and season the pigeons with salt and pepper, and make a nice puff; roll each pigeon in a piece of it; tie them in a cloth, but be careful not to let the paste break. boil them in plenty of water for an hour and a half; and when you untie them take great care they do not break; put them into a dish, and pour a little good gravy to them. _pigeons in fricandeau._ draw and truss the pigeons with the legs in the bellies, larding them with bacon, and slit them. fry them of a fine brown in butter: put into the stewpan a quart of good gravy, a little lemon-pickle, a tea-spoonful of walnut ketchup, cayenne, a little salt, a few truffles, morels, and some yolks of hard eggs. pour your sauce with its ingredients over the pigeons, when laid in the dish. _pigeons aux poires._ let the feet be cut off, and stuff them with forcemeat, in the shape of a pear, rolling them in the yolk of an egg and crumbs of bread, putting in at the lower end to make them look like pears. rub your dish with a piece of butter, and then lay them over it, but not to touch each other, and bake them. when done, lay them in another dish, and pour some good gravy into it, thickening with the yolk of an egg; but take care not to pour it over the pigeons. _another way._ cut off one leg; truss the pigeons to boil, and let the leg come out of the vent; fill them with forcemeat: tie them with packthread, and stew them in good broth. roll the pigeons in yolks of eggs, well beaten with crumbs of bread. lard your stewpan, but not too hot, and fry your birds to the colour of a popling pear; lay them in a dish, and send up gravy and orange in a terrine with them. _pigeons, pompeton of._ butter your pan, lay in it some sliced bacon, and cover all the inside of it with forcemeat. brown the pigeons off in a pan, and put them in a good ragout, stewing them up together, and put also a good ladleful of ragout to the forcemeat: then lay your pigeons breast downward, and pour over them the ragout that remains; cover them with forcemeat, and bake them. turn them out, and serve up. _pigeons au soleil._ make some forcemeat, with half a pound of veal, a quarter of a pound of mutton, and two ounces of beef, and beat them in a mortar with salt, pepper, and mace, till they become paste. beat up the yolks of four eggs, put them into a plate, and mix two ounces of flour and a quarter of a pound of grated bread. set on your stewpan with a little rich beef gravy; tie up three or four cloves in a piece of muslin, and put into it; then put your pigeons in, and stew them till nearly done; set them before the fire to keep warm, and with some good beef dripping in your pan, enough to cover the birds, set it on the fire; when boiling, take one at a time, and roll it in the meat that was beaten, then in the yolk of an egg, till they are quite wet; strew them with bread and flour in boiling dripping, and let them remain till brown. _pigeons à la tatare, with cold sauce._ singe and truss the pigeons as for boiling, and beat them flat, but not so as to break the skin; season them with salt, pepper, cloves, and mace. dip them in melted butter and grated bread; lay them on a gridiron, and turn them often. should the fire not be clear, lay them upon a sheet of paper buttered, to keep them from being smoked. for sauce, take a piece of onion or shalot, an anchovy, and two spoonfuls of pickled cucumbers, capers, and mushrooms: mince these very small by themselves; add a little pepper and salt, five spoonfuls of oil, one of water, and the juice of a lemon, and mix them well together with mustard. pour the sauce cold into the dish, and lay the birds, when broiled, upon it. _pigeons, surtout of._ take some large tame pigeons; make forcemeat thus: parboil and bruise the livers fine; beat some boiled ham in a mortar; mix these with some mushrooms, a little chopped parsley, a clove of garlic shred fine, two or three young onions minced fine, a sweetbread of veal, parboiled and minced very fine, pepper, and salt. fill the pigeons with this stuffing; tie them close, and cover each pigeon with the forcemeat: tie them up in paper to keep it on, and while roasting have some essence of ham heated; pour it into your dish, and lay your pigeons upon it. _to preserve tainted poultry._ have a large cask that has been just emptied, with part of a stave or two knocked out at the head, and into the others drive hooks to hang your fowls, but not so as to touch one another, covering the open places with the staves or boards already knocked out, but leaving the bung-hole open as an air vent. let them dry in a cool place, and in this way you may keep fish or flesh. _pullets with oysters._ boil your pullets. put a quart of oysters over the fire till they are set; strain them through a sieve, saving the liquor, and put into it two or three blades of mace, with a little thyme, an onion, parsley, and two anchovies. boil and strain all these off, together with half a pound of butter; draw it up, and squeeze into it half a lemon. then let the oysters be washed, and set one by one in cold water; put them in the liquor, having made it very hot, and pour it over the pullets. garnish, if you please, with bacon and sausages. _pullets to bone and farce._ bone the pullets as whole as you possibly can, and fill the belly with sweetbreads, mushrooms, chesnuts, and forcemeat balls; lard the breast with gross lard, pass them off in a pan, and either roast or stew them, making a sauce with mushrooms and oysters, and lay them under. _rabbits, to boil._ truss and lard them with bacon, boiling them white. take the liver, shred with it fat bacon for sauce, and put to it very strong broth, vinegar, white wine, salt, nutmeg, mace, minced parsley, barberries, and drawn butter. lay your rabbits in the dish, and let the sauce be poured over them. garnish the dish with barberries and lemon. _rabbits, to boil with onions._ truss the rabbits close; well wash; boil them white; boil the onions by themselves, changing the water three times. strain them well, and chop and butter them, putting in a quarter of a pint of cream; then serve up the rabbits covered with onions. _rabbits, brown fricassee of._ fry your rabbits brown, and stew it in some gravy, with thyme, an onion, and parsley, tied together. season, and thicken it with brown thickening, a few morels, mushrooms, lemon, and forcemeat balls. _rabbits, white fricassee of._ no. . cut the rabbits in slices; wash away the blood; fry them on a slow fire, and put them into your pan with a little strong broth; seasoning, and tossing them up with oysters and mushrooms. when almost done, put in a pint of cream, thickened with a piece of butter and flour. _rabbits, white fricassee of._ no. . take the yolks of five eggs and a pint of cream; beat them together, and put two ounces of butter into the cream, until the rabbits are tender. put in this liquor to the rabbits, and keep tossing them over the fire till they become thickened, and then squeeze in a lemon; add truffles, mushrooms, morels, artichoke bottoms, pallets, cocks-combs, forcemeat balls, or any of these. _rabbits, white fricassee of._ no. . cut them in the same manner as for eating, and put them into a stewpan, with a pint of veal gravy, a little beaten mace, a slice of lemon-peel, and anchovy, and season with cayenne pepper and salt. stew over a slow fire, and, when done enough, thicken the gravy with butter and flour; then strain and add to it two eggs, mixed with a glass of cream, and a little nutmeg. take care not to let it boil. _turkey, to boil._ fill a large turkey with oysters; take a breast of veal, cut in olives; bone it, and season it with pepper, salt, nutmegs, cloves, mace, lemon-peel, and thyme, cut small; take some lean veal to make forcemeat, with the ingredients before mentioned, only adding shalot and anchovies; put some in the olives and some in the turkey, in a cloth; roast or bake the olives. take three anchovies, a little pepper, a quarter of a pint of gravy, as much white wine; boil these with a little thyme till half is consumed; then put in some butter, meat, oysters, mushrooms, fried balls, and bacon; put all these in a pan, and pour on the turkey; lay the olives round, and garnish the dish with pickles and lemon. if you want sauce, add a little gravy, and serve it up. _turkey, with oysters._ boil your turkey, and serve with the same sauce as for pullets, only adding a few mushrooms. _turkey à la daube._ bone a turkey, and season it with pepper and salt; spread over it some slices of ham, over them some forcemeat, over that a fowl, boned, and seasoned as the turkey, then more ham and forcemeat, and sew it up. cover the bottom of a stewpan with veal and ham cut in slices; lay in the turkey breast downward: chop all the bones to pieces, and lay them on the turkey; cover the pan close, and set it over the fire for five minutes. put as much clear broth as will cover it, and let it do for two hours. when it is more than half done, put in one ounce of the best isinglass and a bundle of sweet-herbs; skim off all the fat, and, when it is cold, break it with whites of eggs as you do other jelly. put part of it into a pan or mould that will hold the turkey, and, when it is cold, lay the turkey upon it with the breast downward; then cover it with the rest of the jelly. when you serve it, turn it out whole upon the dish. _roasted turkey, delicate gravy for._ prepare a very rich brown gravy with truffles cut in it; slit the skins off some chesnuts with a knife, and fry them in butter till thoroughly done, but not burned, and serve them whole in the sauce. there may be a few sausages about the turkey. _turkey or veal stuffing._ mix a quarter of a pound of beef suet, the same quantity of bread crumbs, two drachms of parsley, a drachm and a half of sweet marjoram, or lemon-thyme, and the same of grated lemon-peel; an onion or shalot chopped fine, a little salt and pepper, and the yolks of two eggs, all pounded well together. for a boiled turkey, add the soft part of a dozen oysters, a little grated ham or tongue, and an anchovy, if you please. game. _hare, to dress._ stuff and lard the hare, trussing it as for roasting: put it into a fish-kettle, with two quarts of strong beef gravy, one of red wine, a bunch of sweet-herbs, some slices of lemon, pepper, salt, a few cloves, and a nutmeg. cover it up close, and let it simmer over a slow fire till three parts done. take it up, put it into a dish, and strew over it crumbs of bread, a few sweet-herbs chopped fine, some grated lemon-peel, and half a nutmeg. set it before the fire, and baste it till it is of a fine light brown; and, while it is doing, skim the gravy, thicken it with the yolk of an egg and a piece of butter rolled in flour, and, when done, put it in a dish, and the rest in a boat or terrine. _hare, to roast._ take half a pint of cream, grate bread into it; a little winter savory, thyme, and parsley; shred these very fine; half a nutmeg grated, and half of the hare's liver, shred; beat an egg, yolk and white together, and mix it in with it, and half a spoonful of flour if you think it too light. put it into the hare and sew it up. have a quart of cream to baste it with. when the hare is roasted, take some of the best of the cream out of the dripping-pan, and make it fine and smooth by beating it with a spoon. have ready melted a little thick butter, and mix it with the cream, and a little of the pudding out of the hare's belly, as much as will make it thick. _another way._ lard the hare well with bacon; make a pudding of grated bread, and chop small the heart and liver, parboiled, with beef-suet and sweet-herbs. with the marrow mix some eggs, spice, and cream; then sew it in the belly of the hare; roast, and serve it up with butter, drawn with cream, gravy, or claret. _hare, to hash._ cut the hare into small pieces, and, if any stuffing is left, rub it small in gravy, and put to it a glass of red wine, a little pepper, salt, an onion, and a slice of lemon. toss it up till hot through, and then take out the lemon and onion. _hare, to jug._ no. . cut and put it into a jug, with the same ingredients as for stewing, but no water or beer; cover it closely; set it in a kettle of boiling water, and keep it boiling three hours, or until the hare is tender; then pour your gravy into the stewpan, and put to it a glass of red wine and a little cayenne; but if necessary put a little more of the gravy, thicken it with flour; boil it up; pour it over the hare, and add a little lemon-juice. _hare, to jug._ no. . cut and joint the hare into pieces; scald the liver and bruise it with a spoon; mix it with a little beaten mace, grated lemon-peel, pepper, salt, thyme, and parsley shred fine, and a whole onion stuck with a clove or two; lay the head and neck at the bottom of the jar; lay on it some seasoning, a very thin slice of fat bacon, then some hare, and bacon, seasoned well in. stop close the jug or jar with a cork, to prevent any water getting in or the steam evaporating; set it in a pot of hot water, and let it boil three hours; then have ready some strong beef gravy boiling, and pour it into the jug till the hare is just covered; shake it, pour it into your dish, and take out the onion. _hare, to jug._ no. . cut the hare in pieces, but do not wash it; season with an onion shred fine, a bunch of sweet-herbs, such as thyme, parsley, sweet marjoram, and the peel of one lemon. cut half a pound of fat bacon into thin slices; then put it into a jug, first a layer of hare and then one of bacon; proceed thus till the jug is full: stop it close, that no steam may escape; then put it in a pot of boiling water, and let it boil three hours. take up the jug; put in a quarter of a pound of butter mixed with flour; set it in your kettle again for a quarter of an hour, then put it in your dish. garnish with lemon-peel. _hare, to jug._ no. . cut the hare in pieces, and half season and lard them. put the hare into a large-mouthed jug, with two onions stuck with cloves, and a faggot of sweet-herbs; close down, and let it boil three hours. take it out, and serve up hot. _hare, to mince._ boil the hare with onions, parsley, and apples, till tender; shred it small, and put in a pint of claret, a little pepper, salt, and nutmeg, with two or three anchovies, and the yolks of twelve eggs boiled hard and shred very small; stirring all well together. in serving up, put sufficient melted butter to make it moist. garnish the dish with whites of eggs, cut in half, and some of the bones. _hare, to stew._ cut off the legs and shoulders, and cut out the back bone; cut into slices the meat that comes off the sides: put all these into a vessel with three quarters of a pint of small beer, the same of water, a large onion stuck with cloves, whole pepper, some salt, and a slice of lemon. let this stew gently for an hour closely covered, and then put a quart of good gravy to it, stewing it gently two hours longer, till tender. take out the hare, and rub half a spoonful of smooth flour in a little gravy; put it to the sauce and boil it up; add a little cayenne and salt if necessary; put in the hare, and, when hot through, serve it up in a terrine stand. _hare stuffing._ two ounces of beef suet, three ounces of bread crumbs, a drachm of parsley, half a drachm of shalot, the same of marjoram, lemon-thyme, grated lemon-peel, and two yolks of egg. _partridge, to boil._ cover them with water, and fifteen minutes will boil them. sauce--celery, liver, mushroom, or onion sauces. _partridge, to roast._ half an hour will be sufficient; and for sauce, gravy and bread sauce. _partridge à la paysanne._ when you have picked and drawn them, truss and put them on a skewer, tie them to a spit, and lay them to roast. put a piece of fat bacon on a toasting fork, and hold it over the birds, that as it melts it may drop upon them while roasting. after basting them well in this manner, strew over a few crumbs of bread and a little salt, cut fine some shalots, with a little gravy, salt and pepper, and the juice of half a lemon. mix all these over the fire; thicken them up; pour them into a dish, and lay your partridges upon them. _partridge à la polonaise._ pick and draw a brace of partridges, and put a piece of butter in their bellies; nut them on the spit, and cover them with slices of bacon, and over that with paper, and lay them down to a moderate fire. while roasting, cut same shalots and parsley very small; mix these together, adding slices of ginger with pepper and salt; take a piece of butter, and work them up into a stiff paste. when the birds are nearly done, take them up; gently raise the wings and legs, and under each put a piece of paste; then hold them tight together, and squeeze over them a little orange juice and a good deal of zest from the peel. serve them up hot with good gravy. _partridge à la russe._ pick, draw, and cut into quarters some young partridges, and put them into white wine; set a stewpan with melted bacon over a brisk fire; then put your partridges in, turning them two or three times. add a glass of brandy; set them over a slow fire, and, when they have stewed some time, put in a few mushrooms cut into slices, with good gravy. simmer them briskly, and skim the fat off as it rises. when done, put in a piece of butter rolled in flour, and squeeze in the juice of lemon. _partridge rolled._ lard some young partridges with ham and bacon, and strew over some salt and pepper, with beaten mace, sweet-herbs cut small, and some shred lemon-peel. take some thin beef steaks, taking care that they have no holes in them, and strew over some seasoning, squeezing over some lemon-juice. lay a partridge upon each steak, roll it up, and tie it round to keep it together, and pepper the outside. set on a stewpan, with some slices of bacon and an onion cut in pieces; then carefully lay the partridges in, put some rich gravy to them, and stew gently till they are done. take the partridges out of the beef; lay them in a dish, and pour over them some rich essence of ham. _partridge stewed._ stuff the craws with bread crumbs, grated lemon-peel, a bit of butter, shalot chopped, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and yolk of egg; rub the inside with pepper and salt. half roast them; then stew them with rich gravy and a little madeira, a piece of lemon-peel, an onion, savory, and spice, if necessary, for about half an hour. take out the lemon-peel and onion, and thicken with a little flour; garnish with hard yolks of eggs; add artichoke bottoms boiled and quartered. _salme of partridges._ cut up the partridges neatly into wings, legs, and breast; keep the backs and rumps apart to put into sauce; take off all the skin very clean, so that not a bit remains; then pare them all round, put them in a stewpan, with a little jelly gravy, just to cover them; heat them thoroughly, taking care they do not burn; strain off the gravy, and leave the partridge in the pan away from the fire, covering the pan. take a large onion, three or four slices of ham, free from all fat, one carrot, cut in dice, a dessert-spoonful of mushrooms, clear washed from vinegar if they are pickled, two cloves, a little parsley and thyme, and a bit of butter, of the size of a walnut; fry these lightly; add a glass and a half of white wine, together with the jelly in which the partridges were heated, and as much more as will make up a pint of rich sauce, thickened with a little flour and butter; put in the parings of the birds except the claws; let them stew for an hour and a half on the corner of the stove; skim very clear; put in one lump of sugar, and strain the whole through a sieve; put the saucepan containing the partridges in boiling water, till thoroughly heated; lay the different parts of the birds neatly in a very hot dish; pour the sauce over them; have some slices of bread cut oval, rather broad at one end, neatly fried; lay them round the dish, and serve up. _partridge, to pot._ for two brace of partridges take a small handful of salt, and of pepper, mace, and cloves, a quarter of an ounce each. with these, when well mixed, rub the birds thoroughly, inside and outside. take a large piece of butter, season it well, put it into them, and lay them in pots, with the breasts downward. the pots must be large enough to admit the butter to cover them while they bake. set them in a moderate oven; let them stand two hours; then take them out, and let them well drain from the gravy. put them again into the pots; clear the butter in which they were baked through a sieve, and fill up the pots with it. _partridge pie._ bone your partridges, and stuff them with forcemeat, made of breast of chicken and veal, ham and beef-suet, all chopped very fine, but not pounded in a mortar, which would spoil it. season with mace, pepper, salt, a very little shalot, and lemon-peel. put the whole into a stewpan; keep it stirred; add three eggs; have a raised crust, and lay thin slices of good fat bacon at the bottom and all round. _pheasant, to boil._ boil the birds in abundance of water; if they are large, they will require three quarters of an hour; if small, about half an hour. for sauce--stewed white celery, thickened with cream, and a bit of butter rolled in flour; pour this over them. _pheasant, with white sauce._ truss the bird with the legs inward, (like a fowl for boiling); singe it well; take a little butter and the fat of some bacon, and fry the pheasant white; when sufficiently firm, take it out of the pan; then put a spoonful of flour into the butter; fry this flour white; next add a pint of veal or game jelly; put in a few mushrooms, if pickled to be well washed; cut small a bunch of parsley, a large onion, a little thyme, one clove, a pinch of salt, cayenne pepper, and a small lump of sugar; stew the bird in this sauce till done; this may be known by putting a fork into the flesh, and seeing that no blood issues out; then skim off the fat and drain the pheasant; then strain and boil the gravy in which it has been stewed; have ready a few mushrooms fried white in butter; then thicken the gravy with the yolk of four eggs and two table-spoonfuls of cream, throw in the mushrooms, place the pheasant in a hot dish, pour the sauce over it, and serve it up. _pheasant à la braise._ put a layer of beef, the same of veal, at the bottom of the stewpan, with a thin slice of bacon, a little bit of carrot, an onion stuck with cloves, a bunch of sweet-herbs, some black and white pepper, and a little beaten mace, and put in your pheasant; put over it a layer of veal and the same of beef; set it on the fire for five or six minutes; then pour two quarts of boiling water, cover it down close, and put a damp cloth round the outside of the cover to prevent the steam escaping: it must stew gently for an hour and a half; then take up the pheasant and keep it hot, and let the gravy stew till reduced to about a pint; strain it off, and put it into a saucepan, with a sweetbread, which must have been stewed with the bird, some liver of fowls, morels, truffles, artichoke bottoms, and the tops of asparagus, and let these simmer in the gravy; add two spoonfuls of red wine and of ketchup, and a piece of butter rolled in flour; let them stew for five or six minutes: lay the pheasant in the dish, pour the ragout over it, and lay forcemeat balls round it. _pheasant à l'italienne._ cut the liver small: and to one bird take but six oysters; parboil them, and put them into a stewpan with the liver, a piece of butter, some parsley, green onions, pepper and salt, sweet-herbs, and a little allspice; let them stand a little over the fire, and stuff the pheasant with them; then put it into a stewpan, with some oil, green onions, sweet basil, parsley, and lemon juice, for a few minutes; take them off, cover your pheasant with slices of bacon, and put it upon a spit, tying some paper round it while roasting. then take some oysters, and stew them in their own liquor a little, and put in your stewpan four yolks of eggs, half a lemon cut in dice, a little beaten pepper, scraped nutmeg, parsley cut small, an anchovy cut small, a rocambole, a little oil, a small glass of white wine, a little of ham cullis; put the sauce over the fire to thicken, then put in the oysters, and make the sauce relishing, and, when the pheasant is done, lay it in the dish, and pour the sauce over it. _pheasant, puré of._ chop the fleshy parts of a pheasant, the wings, breast, and legs, very fine, and pound them well in a mortar. warm a pint of veal jelly, and stew the bird in it. strain the whole through a sieve. mix it all to the consistency of mashed potatoes. serve in a dish with fried bread round it. _widgeon, to dress._ to eat widgeon in perfection, half roast the birds. when they come to table, slice the breast, strew on pepper and salt, pour on a little red wine, and squeeze the juice of an orange or lemon over; put some gravy to this; set the plate on a lamp; cut up the bird; let it remain over the lamp till enough done, turning it. a widgeon will take nearly twenty minutes to roast, to eat plain with good gravy only. _wild duck, to roast._ it will take full twenty minutes--gravy sauce to eat with it. _woodcocks and snipes, to roast._ twenty minutes will roast the woodcocks, and fifteen the snipes. put under either, while roasting, a toast to receive the trail, which lay under them in the dish. melted butter and good gravy for sauce. _woodcocks à la française._ pick them, then draw and truss them; let their breasts be larded with broad pieces of bacon; roast and serve them up on toasts dipped in verjuice. _woodcocks, to pot._ the same as you pot pigeons. sauces. _essence of anchovies._ take two pounds of anchovies, one ounce of bay salt, three pints of spring water, half a gill of red port, half a gill mushroom ketchup; put them into a saucepan until the anchovies are all dissolved; let them boil; strain off the liquor with a one hair sieve, and be careful not to cork it until it is quite cold. _anchovy pickle._ take two pounds of bay salt, three quarters of a pound of saltpetre, three pints of spring water, and a very little bole armeniac, to grate on the liquor to give it a colour; it must not be put to the anchovies until it is cold. if anchovies are quite dry, put them into a jar, with a layer of bay salt at the bottom, and a little on the top. _anchovy sauce._ take one or two anchovies; scale, split, and put them into a saucepan, with a little water, or good broth, a spoonful of vinegar, and a small round onion. when the anchovy is quite dissolved, strain off the liquor, and put into your melted butter to your taste. _to recover anchovies._ when anchovies have, through the loss of the pickle, become rusty or decayed, put two pounds of saltpetre to a gallon of water, and boil it till reduced to a fourth part, continuing to skim it as it rises; then add a quarter of an ounce of crystal tartar; mix these, and stir them well. take away the spoiled fish, put them together lightly, and pour in the new pickle, mixed with a pint of good old pickle, and stop them up close for twenty-four days. when you open them again, cover them with fine beaten bay salt; let them remain about four days; and, as you take them out for use, cover them carefully down. _bacchanalian sauce._ take a spoonful of sweet oil, a gill of good broth, and a pint of white wine vinegar, adding two glasses of strong white wine: boil them together till half is consumed; then put in some shalot, garden cresses, tarragon, chervil, parsley, and scallions, all shred very fine, with some large pepper. let the whole boil up, and serve it. a little cullis added will improve it. _bechamel, or white sauce._ no. . take half a quarter of a pound of butter, three pounds of veal, cut into small slices, a quarter of a pound of ham, some trimmings of mushrooms, truffles, and morels, two white onions, a bunch of parsley, and thyme, put the whole into a stewpan, and set it on the fire till the meat is made firm; then put in three spoonfuls of flour, moistened with boiling hot thin cream. keep this sauce rather thin, so that while you reduce it the ingredients may have time to be stewed thoroughly. season with a little salt and cayenne pepper, and strain it through a sieve. this is excellent for pouring over roast veal instead of butter, and is a good sauce for hashed veal, for any white meat, and for all sorts of vegetables. _bechamel._ no. . two pounds of lean veal, cut in square pieces, half an inch thick; half a pound of lean ham. melt in your stewpan two ounces of butter; simmer it until nearly ready to catch the stewpan, which must be avoided: add three table-spoonfuls of flour. when well mixed, add three pints of broth, or water, pouring in a little at a time that the thickening may be smooth. stir till it boils; set it on the corner of the hob to boil gently for two hours. season with an onion, twelve peppercorns, a few mushrooms, a faggot of parsley, a sprig of thyme, and a bay-leaf. let the sauce be reduced to a quart; skim off the fat; and strain through a tamis. _bechamel._ no. . proceed much in the same way as for the brown sauce, (see cullis) only it is not to be drawn down brown, but filled up and thickened with flour and water, some good cream added to it, and then strained. _sauce for beef bouilli._ four hard eggs well mixed up with half a table-spoonful of made mustard, eight capers, and one table spoonful of reading sauce. _sauce for boiled beef à la russe._ scrape a large stick of horseradish, tie it up in a cloth, and boil it with the beef; when boiled a little, put it into some melted butter; boil it some time, and send it up in the butter. some persons like to have it sent up in vinegar. _bread sauce._ no. . put into half a pint of water a good sized piece of bread-crumb, not new, with an onion, a blade of mace, a few peppercorns, in a bit of cloth; boil them a few minutes; take out the onion and spice, mash the bread smooth, add a little salt and a piece of butter. _bread sauce._ no. . take a french roll, or white bread crumb; set it on the fire, with some good broth or gravy, a small bag of peppercorns, and a small onion; add a little good cream, and a little pepper and salt; you may rub it through a sieve or not. _bread sauce._ no. . take the crumb of a french roll; put it into a saucepan, with two large onions, some white peppercorns, and about a pint of water. let it boil over a slow fire till the onions are very tender; then drain off the water; rub the bread and onions through a hair sieve; put the pulp into a stewpan, with a bit of butter, a little salt, and a gill of cream; and keep it stirring till it boils. _bread sauce._ no. . put bread crumbs into a stewpan with as much milk as will soak them; moisten with broth; add an onion and a few peppercorns. let it boil or simmer till it becomes stiff: then add two table-spoonfuls of cream, melted butter, or good broth. take out the onion and peppercorns when ready to serve. _bread sauce for pig._ to the sauce made as directed in no. add a few currants picked and washed, and boil them in it. _browning for made dishes._ beat four ounces of loaf sugar very fine: put it into an iron frying-pan, with an ounce of butter; set it over a clear fire, mixing it well all the time: when it begins to be frothy, the sugar is dissolving; hold it high over the fire. when the butter and sugar is of a deep brown, pour in a little white wine; stir it well; add a little more wine, stirring it all the time. put in the rind of a lemon, a little salt, three spoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, half an ounce of whole allspice, four shalots peeled; boil them slowly eight minutes, then pour into a basin, cover it close, and let it stand till next day. skim and bottle it. a pint of white wine is the proper quantity for these ingredients. _another._ take some brown sugar, put a little water to it, set it on the fire, and let it boil till it nearly comes to burning, but it must not quite burn, as it would then be bitter: put some water to it, and when cold strain it off, and put it in a bottle. when you want to give a higher colour to gravy or sauce, you will find this very useful. _butter, to burn._ put your butter into a frying-pan over a slow fire; when it is melted, dust in some flour, and keep stirring it till it is thick and brown: then thicken some with it. _butter, to clarify._ let it slowly melt and then stand a little; and when it is poured into pots, leave the milk, which will settle at the bottom. _another way._ melt the butter, and skim it well before it is poured upon any thing. _plain melted butter--very simple, but rarely well done._ keep either a plated or tin saucepan for the sole purpose of melting butter. put into it a little water and a dust of flour, and shake them together. cut the butter in slices; as it melts, shake it one way; let it boil up, and it will be smooth and thick. _another._ mix a little flour and water out of the dredger, that it may not be lumpy; then put in a piece of butter, set it over a quick fire; have it on and off every instant to shake it, and it will not oil, but will become thick and smooth. _to thicken butter for peas, &c._ put two or three spoonfuls of water in a saucepan, sufficient to cover the bottom. when it boils, put half a pound of butter; when it is melted, take off the saucepan, and shake it round a good while, till very smooth. _caper sauce._ chop half of the capers, and the rest put in whole; chop also a little parsley very fine, with a little bread grated very fine, and add salt: put these into smooth melted butter. _carp sauce._ one pint of lisbon wine, with a small quantity of mace, cloves, and cinnamon, three anchovies, a bit of bay-leaf, a little horseradish not scraped, and a slice or two of onion; let the whole boil about a quarter of an hour, and, when cold, mix as much flour with the sauce as will make it of a proper thickness. set it over the stove; keep it stirred till it boils. just before you serve up, put in a quarter of a pint of cream, more or less according to the thickness of your sauce. boil the carp in as much water as will cover them, with some wine, a little vinegar, and slices of lemon and onion. _another._ four large anchovies, eight spoonfuls of white wine, four of vinegar, two onions, whole, a nutmeg quartered, some mace, whole pepper, two or three cloves; boil it nearly half away, then strain it off, thicken it with butter and flour, and three spoonfuls of thick cream; the sauce should not be too thick. _light brown sauce for carp._ to the blood of the carp put thyme, parsley, onions, and anchovies; chop all these small, and put them together in a saucepan. add half a pint of white wine, a quarter of a pint of elder vinegar, and a little tarragon vinegar: mix all these together, set the pan on the fire, and boil till it is almost dry. mix some melted butter with the sauce, and pour it on the fish, being plain boiled. _sauce for carp and tench._ boil a pint of strong gravy drawn from beef, with three or four anchovies, a small bit of lemon-peel and horseradish, a little mushroom ketchup, and a great deal of black pepper. when boiled enough, strain it off, and when it is cold take off all the fat. then add nearly half a pound of butter, well mixed with flour, to make it of a proper thickness. when it boils, add a cupful of red wine and a little lemon-juice. _white sauce for carp._ boil half a pint of white wine, a quarter of a pint of elder vinegar, a little tarragon vinegar, half a pint of water, a bunch of sweet-herbs, an onion stuck with cloves, and some mace, till the goodness is out of the ingredients. thicken with melted butter, the yolk of an egg beat, and a quarter of a pint of good cream. _dutch sauce for carp or tench._ take six fine anchovies well washed and picked, put them in a stewpan, add to them four spoonfuls of vinegar, eight spoonfuls of water, one large onion sliced, two or three blades of mace, and four or five cloves. let them stand one hour before the sauce is wanted; set them on the stove, and give them a boil up; strain the liquor into a clean stewpan; then add the yolks of four eggs well beaten; put to it some good thick melted butter; add half a pint of very nice thick cream. mix all these well together; put it on a slow fire; stir it till it boils; season to your taste. _carp sauce, for fish._ put a little lean bacon and some slices of veal at the bottom of a stewpan, with three or four pieces of carp, four anchovies, an onion, two shalots, and tarragon, or any root to flavour to your taste. let it remain over a very slow fire for half an hour, and, when it begins to thicken, or to stick to the pan, moisten it with a large glass of white wine, two spoonfuls of cullis, and the same quantity of broth. skim and strain it through a sieve; it will want no salt. _cavechi, an indian pickle._ no. . this is excellent for sauce. into a pint of vinegar put two cloves of garlic, two spoonfuls of red pepper, two large spoonfuls of india soy, and four of walnut pickle, with as much cochineal as will colour it, two dozen large anchovies boned and dissolved in the juice of three lemons, and one spoonful of mustard. use it as an addition to fish and other sauce, or in any other way, according to your palate. _cavechi._ no. . take three cloves, four scruples of coriander seed, bruised ginger, and saffron, of each ten grains, three cloves of garlic, and one pint of white wine vinegar. infuse all together by the fireside for a fortnight. shake it every day; strain off the liquor, and bottle it for use. you may add to it a pinch of cayenne. _cavechi._ no. . one pint of vinegar, half an ounce of cayenne, two table-spoonfuls of soy, two of walnut pickle, two of ketchup, four cloves of garlic, and three shalots cut small; mix them well together. _celery sauce, white._ make some strong boiled gravy, with veal, a good deal of spice, and sweet-herbs; put these into a stewpan with celery cut into pieces of about two or three inches in length, ready boiled, and thicken it with three quarters of a pound of butter rolled in flour, and half a pint of cream. boil this up, and squeeze in some lemon-juice; pour some of it into the dish. this is an excellent sauce for boiled turkey, fowl, or veal. when the stuffing is made for turkey, make some of it into balls, and boil them. _celery sauce, brown._ put the celery, cut into pieces about an inch long, and the onions sliced, with a small lump of butter; stew them on a slow fire till quite tender; add two spoonfuls of flour, half a pint of veal or beef broth, salt, pepper, and a little milk or cream. boil it a quarter of an hour. _sauce for boiled chickens._ take the yolks of four eggs, three anchovies, a little of the middle of bacon, and the inside of half a lemon; chop them all very fine; add a little thyme and sweet marjoram; thicken them all well together with butter, and pour it over the chickens. _another._ shred some anchovies very fine, with the livers of the chickens and some hard eggs; take a little of the boiling water in which the chickens were boiled, to melt the butter. add some lemon juice, with a little of the peel cut small. _sauce for cold chicken or game._ chop a boned anchovy or two, some parsley, and a small onion; add pepper, oil, vinegar, mustard, and ketchup, and mix them all together. _white sauce for chickens._ half a pint of cream, with a little veal gravy, three tea-spoonfuls of the essence of anchovies, half a tea-spoonful of vinegar, one small onion, one dozen cloves: thicken it with flour and butter; rub it through a sieve, and add a table-spoonful of sherry. _consommé._ to make this foundation of all sauces, take knuckle of veal and some new ham. one pound of ham will be sufficient for six pounds of veal, with onions and roots of different sorts, and draw it down to a light colour: fill up with beef broth, if there is not enough. when the scum rises, skim it well, and let it simmer gently for three or four hours, keeping it well skimmed. strain it off for use. _cream sauce for white dishes._ put a bit of butter into a stewpan, with parsley, scallions, and shalots, the whole shred fine, and a clove of garlic entire; turn it a few times over the fire; shake in some flour, and moisten it with two or three spoonfuls of good cream. boil it a quarter of an hour, strain off the sauce, and, when you are ready to use it, put in a little good butter, with some parsley parboiled and chopped very fine, salt, and whole pepper, thickening it over the fire. _cullis, to thicken sauces._ take carrot, turnip, onion; put them in the bottom of a stewpan; slice some veal and ham, and lay over your carrot, with thyme, parsley, and seasoning; put this over a fire gently; when it sticks to the bottom, pour in some good stock, put in the crumb of some french rolls, boil them up together, strain it through a sieve, and rub the bread through; this will thicken any brown sauce. fish cullis must be as above, only with fish instead of meat. _brown cullis._ take two pounds of veal and half a pound of ham, with two or three onions; put a little bit of butter in the bottom of your stewpan, and lay in it the veal and ham cut small, with the onions in slices, a little of the spices of different sorts, and a small piece of bay leaf. let it stew gently over the stove until it comes to a fine colour; then fill it up with broth, but, if you have no broth, with water; then make some smooth flour and water, and put it to it, until you find it thick enough: let it boil gently half an hour; skim the grease from it, and strain it. _another._ put a piece of butter in a stewpan; set it over a fire with some flour to it; keep it stirring till it is of a good colour; then put some gravy to it; this cullis will thicken any sauce. _cullis à la reine, or queen's stock._ cut some veal into thin slices; beat them, and lay them in a stewpan, with some slices of ham; cut a couple of onions small, and put them in; cut to pieces half a dozen mushrooms and add them to the rest, with a bunch of parsley; and set them on a very gentle stove fire to stew. when they are quite done, and the liquor is rich and high tasted, take out all the meat, and put in some grated bread; boil up once, stirring them thoroughly. _turkey cullis._ roast a large turkey till it is brown; cut it in pieces; put it into a marble mortar, with some ham, parsley, chives, mushrooms, a handful of each, and a crust of bread; beat them up into a paste. take it out, and put it into a deep stewpan, with a pint of veal broth; stir it all well together; cover it, and set it over the stove; turn it constantly, adding more veal broth. when thoroughly dissolved, pass it through a hair sieve, and keep it for use. it will give any sauce a fine flavour; but cullises are generally used for the sorts of meat of which they are made. some of the above, for instance, would make an excellent sauce for a turkey, added to any other gravy; then put them over a slow fire to stew gently. take the flesh of a fine fowl, already roasted, from the bones; beat it in a marble mortar; add this to the cullis in the stewpan. stir it well together, but take great care that it does not boil; pound three dozen of sweet almonds blanched to a thin paste, in a marble mortar, with a little boiled milk; add it to the cullis, and, when the whole is dissolved, it is fit for use. this is good for all white sauces and white soups. _cullis of veal, or any other meat._ put some small pieces of veal into a stewpan, with the like quantity of ham, about a pound to a quarter of a pint of water. stew gently with onions and different herbs, till all the juice of the meat is extracted; then boil it quicker, till it begins to stick to the dish. take the meat and vegetables out of the pan; add a little butter and flour to the gravy; boil it till it becomes of a good colour; then add, if you like, some good broth; put the meat in again to simmer for two hours; skim it well; strain through a sieve, and keep it for use. _dandy sauce, for all sorts of poultry and game._ put a glass of white wine into a stewpan, with half a lemon cut in slices, a little rasped bread, two spoonfuls of oil, a bunch of parsley and scallions, a handful of mushrooms, a clove of garlic, a little tarragon, one clove, three spoonfuls of rich cullis, and a thin slice of fine smoked ham. let the whole boil together till it is of a fine rich consistency; pass it through the sieve; then give it another turn over the fire, and serve it up hot. _devonshire sauce._ cut any quantity of young walnuts into small pieces; sprinkle a little salt on them; next day, pound them in a mortar and squeeze the juice through a coarse thin cloth, such as is used for cheese. to a pint of juice add a pound of anchovies, and boil them slowly till the anchovies are dissolved. strain it; add half a pint of white wine vinegar, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of cloves, and forty peppercorns; boil it a quarter of an hour, and, when cold, rack it off and bottle it. a quarter of a pint of vinegar put to the dregs that have been strained off, and well boiled up, makes an excellent seasoning for the cook's use in hashes, fish sauce, &c. _sauce for ducks._ stew the giblets till the goodness is extracted, with a small piece of lean bacon, either dressed or not, a little sprig of lemon-thyme, some parsley, three or four sage leaves, a small onion quartered, a few peppercorns, and plenty of lemon-peel. stew all these well together; strain and put in a large spoonful of port wine, a little cayenne pepper and butter, and flour it to thicken. _dutch sauce._ put into a saucepan some vinegar and water with a piece of butter; thicken it with the yolks of two eggs; squeeze into it the juice of a lemon, and strain it through a sieve. _dutch sauce for fish._ slice a little horseradish, and put it into a quarter of a pint of water, with five or six anchovies, half a handful of white peppercorns, a small onion, half a bay-leaf, and a very little lemon peel, cut as thin as possible. let it boil a quarter of an hour; then strain and thicken with flour and butter and the yolk of an egg. add a little elder vinegar, and then squeeze it through a tamis. it must not boil after being strained, or it will curdle. _dutch sauce for meat or fish._ put two or three table-spoonfuls of water, as many of vinegar, and as many of broth, into a saucepan, with a piece of butter; thicken it with the yolks of two eggs. if for fish, add four anchovies; if not, leave them out. squeeze into it the juice of a lemon, and strain it through a sieve. _dutch sauce for trout._ put into a stewpan a tea-spoonful of floor, four of vinegar, a quarter of a pound of butter, the yolks of five eggs, and a little salt. set it on the fire, and keep continually stirring. when thick enough, work it well that you may refine it; pass it through a sieve; season with a little cayenne pepper, and serve up. _egg sauce._ take two or three eggs, or more if you like, and boil them hard; chop the whites first and then the yolks with them, and put them into melted butter. _the exquisite._ put a little cullis into a stewpan, with a piece of butter the size of a walnut rolled in twice as much flour, salt, and large pepper, the yolks of two eggs, three or four shalots cut small, and thicken it over the fire. this sauce, which should be very thick, is to be spread over meat or fish, which is afterwards covered with finely grated bread, and browned with a hot salamander. _fish sauce._ no. . one pound of anchovies, stripped from the salt, and rinsed in a little port wine, a quarter of an ounce of mace, twelve cloves, two races of ginger sliced, a small onion or shalot, a small sprig of thyme, and winter savory, put into a quart of port wine, and half a pint of vinegar. stew them over a slow fire covered close; strain the liquor through a hair sieve, cover it till cold, and put it in dry bottles. by adding a pint of port wine and the wine strained that the anchovies were rinsed in you may make an inferior sort. when used, shake it up: take two spoonfuls to a quarter of pound of butter; if not thick enough add a little flour. _fish sauce._ no. . take a pint of red wine, twelve anchovies, one onion, four cloves, a nutmeg sliced, as much beaten pepper as will lie upon a half-crown, a bit of horseradish sliced, a little thyme, and parsley, a blade of mace, a gill of vinegar, two bay-leaves. simmer these all together until the anchovies are dissolved; then strain it off, and, when cold, bottle it up close. shake the bottle up when you use it; take two table-spoonfuls to a quarter of a pound of butter, without flour and water, and let it boil. _fish sauce._ no. . take chili pods, bruise them well in a marble mortar, strain off the juice. to a pint bottle of juice add a table-spoonful of brandy and a spoonful of salt. the refuse put into vinegar makes good chili vinegar. this is an excellent relishing sauce. _fish sauce._ no. . take some gravy, an onion sliced, some anchovies washed, thyme, parsley, sliced horseradish, and seasoning; boil these together. strain off the liquor; put into it a bit of thickening and some butter. draw this up together, and squeeze in a lemon. you may add shrimps or oysters. if for lobster sauce, you must cut your lobster in slices, and beat the spawn in a mortar, with a bit of lobster, to colour your sauce. _fish sauce._ no. . a faggot of sweet-herbs, some onion, and anchovy, with a slice of lemon, boiled in small gravy or water; strain, and thicken it with butter and flour, adding a spoonful of soy, or more, if agreeable to your taste. _fish sauce._ no. . take some of the liquor in which you boil the fish; add to it mace, anchovies, lemon-peel, horseradish, thyme, a little vinegar, and white wine; thicken it up with butter, as much as will serve for the fish. if it is for salmon, put in oysters, shrimps, and cockles; take away the liquor, and boil the whole in vinegar. _fish sauce._ no. . take a quarter of a pint of vinegar, the same of white wine, a quarter of an ounce of mace, the same of cloves, pepper, and six large anchovies, a stick of horseradish, an onion, a sprig of thyme, and a bit of lemon-peel; boil all together over the fire; strain it off, and melt your butter for the sauce. _fish sauce._ no. . take half a pint of cream and half a pint of strong broth; thicken them with flour and butter, and when it boils put in it a little anchovy and lemon-juice, and put it over your fish. _fish sauce._ no. . to every pint of walnut liquor put one pound of anchovies; boil them till quite dissolved, and strain off the liquor. to a quart of the liquor put one pint of vinegar, a quarter of an ounce of a mixture of cloves, mace, allspice, and long pepper, and a dozen shalots. boil again till they are very tender; strain off the liquor, and bottle it for use. this is an excellent sauce. _fish sauce._ no. . boil a bit of horseradish and anchovy in gravy with a little lemon-peel and mace; add some cream; thicken it with flour and butter. if you have no gravy, ketchup is a good substitute; but a little always put in is good. _fish sauce._ no. . boil a piece or two of horseradish in gravy; put into it a bit of mace and lemon-peel; add a little anchovy, either before or after it has been boiled; thicken with cream, and add a spoonful of elderberry vinegar: let the acid be the last thing for fear of curdling it. if you have no gravy, ketchup and water is a good substitute. _fish sauce._ no. . take a quarter of a pint of gravy, well boiled with a bit of onion, lemon-peel, and horseradish, four or five cloves, a blade of mace, and a spoonful of ketchup; boil it till it is reduced to four or five spoonfuls; then strain it off, and put to it four or five spoonfuls of cream; thicken it with butter, and put in a spoonful of elder vinegar or lemon-juice: anchovies are sometimes added. _fish sauce._ no. . take two quarts of claret or port, a pint, or more, to your taste, of the best vinegar, which should be tart, one pound of anchovies unwashed, the pickle of them and all, half an ounce of mace, half a quarter of an ounce of cloves, six or eight races of ginger, a good piece of horseradish, a spoonful of cayenne pepper, half the peel of a lemon, a bunch of winter savory and thyme, and three or four onions, a piece of garlic, and one shalot. stew all these over a slow fire for an hour; then strain the liquor through a coarse sieve, and bottle it. you may stew the ingredients over again with more wine and vinegar for present use. when you use it, it must be put into the saucepan with the butter, instead of water, and melt it together. if you keep it close stopped, it will be good many years. _fish sauce._ no. . take twenty-four large anchovies, bones and all, ten or twelve shalots, a handful of horseradish, four blades of mace, one quart of rhenish, or any white wine, one pint of water, one lemon cut in slices, half a pint of anchovy liquor, one pint of claret, twelve cloves, half a tea-spoonful of cayenne pepper: boil them till reduced to a quart; strain off and bottle the liquor. two spoonfuls will be sufficient to one pound of butter. _fish sauce._ no. . a spoonful of red wine, and the same of anchovy liquor, put into melted butter. _an excellent white fish sauce._ an anchovy, a glass of white wine, a bit of horseradish, two or three blades of mace, an onion stuck with cloves, a piece of lemon-peel, two eggs, a quarter of a pint of good broth, two spoonfuls of cream, a large piece of butter, with some flour mixed well in it; keep stirring it till it boils; add a little ketchup, and a small dessert spoonful of the juice of a lemon, and stir it the whole time to prevent curdling. serve up hot. _another._ take eight spoonfuls of white wine, three of vinegar, one of soy or ketchup, three anchovies, one onion, a few sweet-herbs, a little mace, cloves, and white pepper; let it stew gently till it is reduced to six spoonfuls; then strain it off, and add half a pound of fresh butter rolled in a little flour, and six spoonfuls of cream. let it boil after the cream and butter are added. _white sauce, with capers and anchovies, for any white fish._ put a bit of butter, about the size of an egg, rolled in flour, into a stewpan; dilute it with a large wine glass of veal broth, two anchovies, cut fine, minced parsley, and two spoonfuls of cream. stew it slowly, till it is of the proper consistency. _fish stock._ put into a pot a scate, cut in pieces, with turnips, carrots, thyme, parsley, and onion. cut in pieces an eel or two, and some flounders; put them into a stewpan with a piece of butter; stew them down till they go to pieces; put them to your scate; boil the whole well, and strain it off. _forcemeat balls, for sauces._ to make forcemeat balls for soups, without grease, commonly called _quenelles_, soak the crumb of two penny rolls in milk for about half an hour; take it out, and squeeze out the milk; put the bread into a stewpan, with a little white sauce, made of veal jelly, a little butter, flour, and cream, seasoned, a spoonful of beef or mutton jelly, some parsley, shalots, and thyme, minced very fine. stew these herbs in a little butter, to take off their rawness. set them to reduce the panada of bread and milk, which you must keep constantly stirring with a wooden spoon, when the panada begins to get dry in the pan, which prevents its sticking; when quite firm, take it from the fire, and mix with it the yolks of two eggs. let it cool, and use when wanted. this panada must always be prepared beforehand, in order to have it cold, for it cannot be used warm; when cold, roll it into balls, but let them be small; pound the whole as large as possible in a mortar, for the more they are pounded the more delicate they are. then break two eggs, and pound them likewise; season with a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt, and spices, in powder. when the whole is well mixed together, try a small bit, rolling it with a little flour, then putting it into boiling water with a little salt; if it should not be firm enough, add another egg, without beating the white. when the whole is mixed once more, rub it through a sieve, roll it into balls, and serve up hot in sauces. _white sauce, for fowls._ some good veal gravy, boiled with an anchovy or onion, some lemon-peel, and a very little ketchup. put in it the yolk of hard egg to thicken it, and add what cream you think proper. _another._ take a pint of milk, the yolks of two eggs, well beaten, a spoonful of mushroom pickle, a little salt, nutmeg, a small piece of butter, rolled in flour; stir all together till thick. pour it over the fowls, and garnish with lemon or parsley. _white sauce, for boiled fowls._ have ready a sauce, made of one pint of veal jelly, half a quarter of a pound of butter, two small onions, and a bunch of parsley; then put three table-spoonfuls of flour, half a pint of boiling hot cream, the yolks of three eggs, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and the same of salt; boil all up together, till of a tolerable thickness; keep it hot, and take care that it does not curdle. make ready some slices of truffles, about thirty-four, the size and thickness of a shilling, boil them in a little meat jelly; strain them, and add the truffles to the sauce previously made. when ready to serve, pour the sauce and truffles over whatever meat they are destined for. _sauce, for roasted fowls of all kinds, or roasted mutton._ cut some large onions into square pieces; cut some fat bacon in the same manner, and a slice of lean ham; put them in a stewpan; shake them round constantly, to prevent their burning. when they are of a fine brown colour, put in some good cullis, more or less, according to the quantity you want to make. let them stew very gently, till the onions are tender; then put in two tea-spoonfuls of mustard, and one table-spoonful of vinegar. serve it hot. _a very good general sauce._ take some mint, balm, basil, thyme, parsley, and sage; pick them from the stalks, cut them very fine, slice two large onions very thin; then put all the ingredients into a marble mortar, and beat them till they are quite mixed; add some cayenne pepper and salt; beat all these well together, and mix them by degrees in some good cullis, till it is of the thickness of cream. put them in a stewpan, boil them up; strain the gravy from the herbs, pressing it from them very hard with the back of a spoon; add to the gravy half a glass of wine, half a spoonful of salad oil, the squeeze of a lemon, and a pinch of sugar. this sauce is excellent for most dishes. _genoese sauce for stewed fish._ this sauce is made by stewing fish. make marinade of carrots, parsley roots, onions, mushrooms, a bay-leaf, some thyme, a blade of mace, a few cloves, and some spices: fry the whole white in butter; pour in a pint of white wine, or less, according to the quantity of sauce required; put in the fish, and let it stew thoroughly to make the sauce. then take a little browned flour and butter, and mix it with the reserved liquor; add three or four spoonfuls of gravy from veal jelly; let these stew very gently on the corner of the stove; skim off the grease; put in a little salt and cayenne pepper, and add two spoonfuls of the essence of anchovy and a quarter of a pound of butter kneaded with flour. squeeze in the juice of a whole lemon, and cover the stewed fish with this sauce, which ought to be made thick and mellow. _german sauce._ put the same quantity of meat jelly and fresh made broth into a stewpan, with a little parsley parboiled and chopped, the livers of two roasted or boiled fowls, an anchovy, and some capers, the whole shred very fine, a bit of butter about the size of an egg, half a clove of garlic, salt, and a little cayenne pepper. thicken it over the fire. exceedingly good with poultry, pigeons, &c. _beef gravy._ cut in pieces some lean beef, according to the quantity of gravy you may want; put it into a stewpan, with an onion or two, sliced, and a little carrot; cover it close, set it over a gentle fire, and pour off the gravy as it draws from it. then let the meat brown; keep turning it to prevent its burning, pour over some boiling water, and add a few cloves, peppercorns, a bit of lemon, and a bunch of sweet-herbs. gently simmer it, and strain it with the gravy that was drawn from the meat, some salt, and a spoonful of ketchup. _beef gravy, to keep for use._ cover a piece of six or eight pounds with water; boil it for twenty minutes or half an hour: then take out the meat, beat it thoroughly, and cut it in pieces, to let out the gravy. put it again into the water, with a bunch of sweet-herbs, an onion stuck with cloves, a little salt, and some whole pepper. let it stew, but not boil, till the meat is quite consumed; pass it through a sieve, and let it stand in a cool place. it will keep for a week, if the weather is not very hot. if you want to use this for a hash of brown meat, put a little butter in your frying-pan, shake in a little flour as it boils, and add a glass of claret: if for a white sauce to fowls or veal, melt the butter in the gravy, with a glass of white wine, two spoonfuls of cream, and the yolks of four or six eggs, according to the quantity of sauce required. _brown gravy._ put a piece of butter, about the size of a hen's egg, into a saucepan; when it is melted, shake in a little flour, and let it brown; then by degrees stir in the following ingredients: half a pint of small beer, the same quantity of water, an onion, a piece of lemon-peel cut small, three cloves, a blade of mace, some whole pepper, a spoonful of mushroom-pickle, the same quantity of ketchup, and an anchovy. let the whole boil together a quarter of an hour; strain it off, and it will be a good sauce. _another._ take the glaze that remains at the bottom of the pot after you have stewed any thing à la braise, provided it be not tainted game; skim it, and strain it through a sieve; then put in a bit of butter about the size of a walnut, mixed with flour; thicken it over the fire, and add the juice of a lemon, and a little salt and cayenne pepper. _green sauce for green geese, or ducklings._ half a pint of the juice of sorrel, with a little grated nutmeg, some bread crumb, and a little white wine; boil it a quarter of an hour, and sweeten with sugar, adding scalded gooseberries and a piece of butter. _another._ pound a handful of spinach and another of sorrel together in a mortar; squeeze and put them into a saucepan; warm, but do not let it boil. _ham sauce._ when your ham is almost done, let the meat be picked clean from the bone, and mash it well; put it into a saucepan with three spoonfuls of gravy; set it over a slow fire, stirring it all the while, otherwise it will stick to the bottom. when it has been on for some time, add a small bundle of sweet-herbs, pepper, and half a pint of beef gravy; cover it up; stew it over a gentle fire, and when quite done strain off the gravy. this is very good for veal. _sauce for hare or venison._ in a little port wine and water melt some currant jelly, or send in the jelly only; or simmer port wine and sugar for twenty or thirty minutes. _harvey's sauce._ three table-spoonfuls of walnut ketchup, two of essence of anchovies, one tea-spoonful of soy, and one of cayenne pepper. mix these together; put them, with a clove of garlic, into a pint bottle, and fill it up with white wine vinegar. _sauce for hashes or fish, and good with any thing and every thing._ take two or more spoonfuls of good cullis, according to the quantity you intend to make, a glass of white wine, a shalot, a small onion, a few mushrooms, truffles, morels, and a bunch of sweet-herbs, with a little grated lemon-peel, a slice of ham, and the yolk of an egg. thicken it with a bit of butter rolled in flour, and let it stew till the ingredients are quite soft. _sauce for white hashes or chickens._ a pint of new milk, the yolk of two eggs, well beaten, two ounces of butter, well mixed with flour; mix it all together in a saucepan, and, when it boils, add two spoonfuls of mushroom ketchup; it must be stirred all the time, or it will not do. if used for cold veal or lamb, the meat must be cut as thin as possible, the sauce made first to boil, and then the meat put into it, till it is hot enough for table. _horseradish sauce._ a tea-spoonful of mustard, one table-spoonful of vinegar, three of thick cream, and a little salt; grate as much horseradish into it as will make it as thick as onion sauce. a little shalot may be added. _italian sauce._ put into a stewpan two spoonfuls of sweet oil, a handful of mushrooms cut small, a bunch of parsley, scallions, and half a laurel-leaf, two cloves, and a clove of garlic; turn the whole a few times over the fire, and shake in a little flour. moisten it with a glass of white wine and twice as much good cullis; let it boil half an hour; skim away the fat, allowing it to cool a little for that purpose; set it on again, and serve it; it will be found to eat well with any white meat. _ketchup._ put a pint of the best white wine vinegar into a wide-mouthed quart bottle; add twelve cloves of shalots, peeled and bruised; take a quarter of a pint of the strongest red wine and boil it a little; wash and bone about a dozen anchovies, let them dissolve in the wine, and, when cold, put them into the vinegar bottle, stopping it close with a cork, and shaking it well. into the same quantity of wine put a spoonful of pepper bruised, a few races of split ginger, half a spoonful of cloves bruised, and a few blades of large mace, and boil them till the strength of the spice is extracted. when the liquor is almost cold, cut in slices two large nutmegs, and when quite cold put into it some lemon-peel. put that into the bottle, and scrape thin a large, sound horseradish root, and put that also into the bottle; stop it down close; shake it well together every day for a fortnight, and you may then use it. _lemon sauce._ pare a lemon, and cut it in slices; pick out the seeds and chop them small: then boil the lemon and bruise it. mix these in a little gravy; and add it to some melted butter, with a little lemon-peel chopped fine. _liver sauce for boiled fowls._ boil the liver just enough to spread; add a little essence of anchovy and grated lemon-peel, the yolk of a hard egg, and the juice of a lemon: mix it well together, and stir it into some butter. _lobster sauce._ no. . pull the lobster to pieces with a fork; do not chop it; bruise the body and the spawn with the back of a spoon; break the shell; boil it in a little water to give it a colour; strain it off. melt some butter in it very smooth, with a little horseradish, and a little cayenne pepper; mix the body of the lobster well with the butter; then add the meat, and give it a boil, with a spoonful of ketchup and a spoonful of gravy. _lobster sauce._ no. . put the red spawn of a hen lobster in a mortar; add half an ounce of butter; pound it smooth, and run it through a hair sieve with the back of a spoon. cut the meat of the lobster into small pieces, and add as much melted butter to the spawn as will suffice; stir it till thoroughly mixed; then put to it the meat of the lobster, and warm it on the fire; but do not let it boil. _lobster sauce._ no. . take the spawn of one large lobster, and bruise it well in a mortar: take a sufficient quantity of strong veal gravy, the yolk of an egg, and a little cream, and thicken with flour and butter. _the marchioness's sauce._ put as much bread rasped very fine as you can take at two handfuls into a stewpan, with a bit of butter of the size of a walnut, a kitchen-spoonful of sweet oil, a shalot cut small, salt and large pepper, with a sufficient quantity of lemon-juice to lighten the whole. stir it over the fire till it thickens. this sauce may be served with all sorts of meat that require a sharp relishing sauce. _meat jelly for sauces._ every sort of dish requires good sauce, and for every sauce it is absolutely necessary to have a good meat jelly. the following may be depended upon as being excellent: a shin of beef, about eight pounds, rather more than less; a knuckle of veal, about nine pounds; a neck of mutton, about nine pounds; two fowls; four calves' feet: carefully cut off all fat whatever, and stew over a stove as slowly as possible, till the juice is entirely extracted. this will produce about seven quarts of jelly. no pepper, salt, or herbs of any kind. these should be added in using the jelly, whether for soups, broths, or sauces; but the pure jelly is the thing to have as the foundation for every species of cookery. _another._ three shanks, or two pounds, of mutton in two quarts of water; stew down to a pint and a half, with a carrot, and an onion. _a mixed sauce._ take parsley, scallions, mushrooms, and half a clove of garlic, the whole shred fine; turn it a few times over the fire with butter; shake in a little flour, and moisten it with good broth: when the sauce is consumed to half the original quantity, add two pickled gherkins cut small, and the yolks of three eggs beaten up with some more broth; a little salt and cayenne will complete the sauce. _mushroom ketchup._ no. . take a bushel of the large flaps of mushrooms, gathered dry, and bruise them with your hands. put some of them into an earthen pan; throw some salt over them; then put in more mushrooms, then more salt, till you have done. add half an ounce of beaten mace and cloves, and the same quantity of allspice; and let them stand five or six days, stirring them every day. tie a paper over and bake for four hours in a slow oven; strain out the liquor through a cloth, and let it stand to settle. pour it off clear from the sediment: to every gallon of liquor put a quart of red wine; if not salt enough, add a little more salt, with a race of ginger cut small, and half an ounce of cloves and mace, and boil till reduced nearly one third. strain it through a sieve into a pan; next day pour it from the settlings, and bottle it for use. _mushroom ketchup._ no. . mash your mushrooms with a great deal of salt; let them stand two days; strain them, and boil the liquor once or twice, observing to scum it well. then put in black pepper and allspice, a good deal of each, and boil them together. bottle the liquor, and put five or six cloves into each bottle. _mushroom ketchup._ no. . pick the mushrooms clean, but by no means wash them; put them into an earthen pipkin with salt, cover them close with a coarse paste, and put them in the oven for seven hours or thereabout. squeeze them a little, and pour off the liquor, which must be put upon fresh mushrooms, and bake these as long as the first. then pour off the liquor, after pressing, and boil it well with salt sufficient to keep. boil it half away till it appears clammy. when cold, bottle it up. _mushroom ketchup._ no. . into a quart of red wine put some flaps of mushrooms, half a pound of anchovies, some thyme, two onions sliced, parsley, cloves, and mace. let them stew gently on the fire; then strain off the liquor, a spoonful of which, with a little gravy, butter, and lemon, will make excellent fish sauce, and be always ready. _mushroom sauce._ mix a little flour with a good piece of butter; boil it up in some cream, shaking the saucepan; then throw in some mushrooms with a little salt and nutmeg: boil this up; or, if you like it better, put the mushrooms in butter melted with a little veal gravy, some salt, and grated nutmeg. _sauce for roasted mutton._ wash an anchovy clean; put to it a glass of red wine, some gravy, a shalot cut small, and a little lemon-juice. stew these together; strain them, and mix the liquor with the gravy that runs from the mutton. _onion sauce._ let the onions be peeled; boil them in milk and water, and put a turnip into the pot; change the water twice: pulp them through a colander, or chop them as you please; then put them into a saucepan, with butter, cream, a little flour, and some pepper and salt. _brown onion sauce._ peel and slice the onions, to which put an equal quantity of cucumber or celery, with an ounce of butter, and set them on a slow fire; turn the onions till they are highly browned; stir in half an ounce of flour; add a little broth, pepper, and salt; boil it up for a few minutes; add a spoonful of claret or port, and some mushroom ketchup. you may sharpen it with a little lemon-juice. rub through a tamis. _oyster sauce._ no. . take two score of oysters, put them, with their own liquor, a few peppercorns, and a blade of mace, into a saucepan, and let them simmer a little over the fire, just to plump them; then with a fork shake each in the liquor so as to take off all the grit; strain the liquor, add to it a little good gravy and two anchovies, and thicken it with flour and butter, nearly as thick as custard. _oyster sauce._ no. . wash the oysters from their liquor; strain it, and put that and the oysters into a little boiled gravy and just scald them: add a piece of butter mixed with flour, cream, and ketchup. shake all up; let it boil, but not much, lest the oysters grow hard and shrink; but be very careful they are enough done, as nothing is more disagreeable than the oysters tasting raw. _pepper-pot._ a good stock made with beef bones or mutton, one small carrot, one onion, three turnips, two heads of celery, a little thyme and sweet-herbs; season to your taste; boil these, and put them through a tamis; then add a little flour and butter; make up some flour and water in little balls, and boil them in the pepper-pot. _sauce for pike, or any other fresh-water fish._ take half a pint of good beef broth, three table-spoonfuls of cream, one onion sliced fine, a middling sized stick of horseradish scraped, seven or eight peppercorns, three or four cloves, two anchovies; boil well in a piece of butter as big as a walnut well rolled in flour. pike should be boiled with the scales on. _sauce piquante._ pound a table-spoonful of capers and one pound of minced parsley as fine as possible, add the yolks of three hard eggs; rub them together with a table-spoonful of mustard. bone six anchovies, pound them, and rub them through a hair sieve; mix with these two spoonfuls of oil, one of vinegar, one of shalot, and a few grains of cayenne pepper. rub all together in a mortar till thoroughly incorporated; then stir them into half a pound of good gravy, or melted butter, and pass the whole through a sieve. _sauce piquante, to serve hot._ put into a stewpan a bit of butter, with two onions sliced, a carrot, a parsnip, a little thyme, laurel, basil, two cloves, two shalots, a clove of garlic, parsley, and scallions; turn the whole over the fire till it is well coloured; then shake in some flour, and moisten it with some broth, a spoonful of white wine vinegar, and a squeeze of a lemon, and strain it through a sieve, adding a little cayenne and salt. it is good with every thing. _another._ simmer a gill of white wine with as much broth, and, when it is consumed to half, put in a shalot, a little garlic, and some salad herbs shred very fine; let it boil, and then add a bit of butter of the size of a walnut, mixed with flour, salt, and whole pepper, thickening the whole over the fire. _sauce piquante, to serve cold._ shred very fine all sorts of garden-herbs, thyme, sage, parsley, chervil, half a clove of garlic, and two shalots; dilute the whole with a small tea-spoonful of mustard, salad oil, a little vinegar, the squeeze of a lemon; add a little salt and cayenne. you may add an anchovy: this is excellent with cold partridge or game, or any hot or cold veal. _poivrade sauce._ boil half a pint of the best vinegar, half a pint of water, two large onions, half a handful of horseradish, and a little pounded white pepper, some salt and shalot, all together a quarter of an hour. if you would have it clear, strain and bottle it: if you chuse, add a little gravy when you use it. _poor man's sauce._ a handful of parsley leaves picked from the stalks, shred fine, and a little salt strewed over; shred six young green onions, put them to the parsley, with three table-spoonfuls of oil, and five of vinegar, some ground black pepper, and salt. pickled french beans or gherkins, cut fine, may be added, or a little grated horseradish. _quin's fish sauce._ a pint of old mushroom ketchup, a pint of old walnut pickle, six anchovies finely pounded, six cloves of garlic, three pounded, three not, and half a tea-spoonful of cayenne pepper. _ragout sauce._ one ounce of salt; half an ounce of mustard; a quarter of an ounce of allspice; black pepper ground, and lemon-peel grated, half an ounce each; of ginger and nutmeg grated, a quarter of an ounce each; cayenne pepper two drachms. pound all these, and pass them through a sieve, infused in a quart of vinegar or wine, and bottle them for use. spice in ragout is indispensable to give it a flavour, but not a predominating one. _sauce de ravigotte._ pick some parsley, sage, mint, thyme, basil, and balm, from the stalks, and cut them fine; slice two large onions very thin: put all these into a mortar, beat them thoroughly, and add pepper and salt, some rocambole, and two blades of mace cut fine. beat these well, and mix them by degrees with gravy till of the thickness of butter; put them into a stewpan, and boil them up. strain the gravy from the herbs; add to it a glass of wine and a spoonful of oil; beat these together, and pour it into a sauce-boat. _sauce ravigotte à la bourgeoise._ tie some parsley, sage, mint, thyme, and basil, in a bunch; put them into a saucepan of boiling water, and let them boil about a minute; take them out, squeeze the water from them, chop them very fine, and add a clove of garlic and two large onions minced very fine. put the whole into a stewpan, with half a pint of broth, some pepper, and salt; boil it up, and add a spoonful of vinegar. _relishing sauce._ put a wine glass of good stock jelly, made into broth, into a stewpan, half a spoonful of the best white wine vinegar, a little salt, a few whole peppercorns, and a bit of butter, the size of a walnut, mixed up with a little flour in balls, some tarragon, chervil, pimpernel, thyme, and shalot, with garden cresses; boil these herbs in water, having cut them very small; put them into the sauce, and thicken it to a thin creamy consistency over the fire. this sauce is good with any thing, fish, flesh, or fowl. _sauce à-la-remoulade._ no. . take two large spoonfuls of capers cut fine, as much parsley, two anchovies, washed and boned, two cloves of garlic, and a little shalot; cut them separately, and then mix them together; put a little rich gravy into a stewpan, with two spoonfuls of oil, one of mustard, and the juice of a large lemon. make it quite hot, and put in your other ingredients, with salt, pepper, and the leaves of a few sweet-herbs, picked from their stalks. stir it well together, and let it be four minutes over a brisk fire. _sauce à-la-remoulade._ no. . put into a stewpan a shalot, parsley, scallions, a little bit of garlic, two anchovies, some capers, the whole shred very fine. dilute it with a little mustard, oil, and vinegar, and two table-spoonfuls of good cullis. _sauce à-la-remoulade._ no. .--_for cold chicken, or lobster salad._ two yolks of eggs boiled hard must be bruised very fine, with a tea-spoonful of cold water; add a tea-spoonful of mustard, and two table-spoonfuls of salad oil. when these are well mixed, add a tea-spoonful of chopped parsley, one clove of shalot, and a little tarragon; these must be chopped very fine, and well mixed; then add three table-spoonfuls of vinegar and one of cream. the chicken or lobster should be cut in small thick pieces (not sliced) and placed, with small quarters of lettuces and hard eggs quartered, alternately, so as to fill the dish in a varied form. the sauce is then poured over it. _rice sauce._ steep a quarter of a pound of rice in a pint of milk, with onion, pepper, &c. when the rice is boiled quite tender, take out the spice, rub it through a sieve, and add to it a little milk or cream. this is a very delicate white sauce. _richmond sauce, for boiled chicken._ half a pint of cream, the liver of the chicken, a little parsley, an anchovy, some caper liquor, the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs, a little pepper, salt, nutmeg, and juice of lemon, with a piece of butter, about the size of a walnut, to thicken it. send it up hot, with the chicken. _sauce for any kind of roasted meat._ while the mutton, beef, hare, or turkey, is roasting, put a plate under it, with a little good broth, three spoonfuls of red wine, a slice of onion, a little grated cheese, an anchovy, washed and minced, and a bit of butter; let the meat drop into it. when it is taken up, put the sauce into a pan that has been rubbed with onion; give it a boil up; strain it through a sieve, and serve it up under your roast, or in a boat. _sauce robert._ melt an ounce of butter, and put to it half an ounce of onion, mixed fine; turn it with a wooden spoon till it takes a light brown colour; stir into it a table-spoonful of mushroom ketchup, and the same quantity of port wine. add half a pint of broth, a quarter of a tea-spoonful of pepper, and the same of salt; give them a boil; add a tea-spoonful of mustard, the juice of half a lemon, and one or two tea-spoonfuls of vinegar or tarragon. _another._ cut a few large onions and some fat bacon into square pieces; put these together into a saucepan over a fire, and shake them well to prevent their burning. when brown, put in some good veal gravy, with a little pepper and salt; let them stew gently till the onions are tender; then add a little salt, vinegar, and mustard, and serve up. _sauce for salad._ the yolk of one egg, one tea-spoonful of mustard, one tea-spoonful of tarragon vinegar, three table-spoonfuls of oil, one table-spoonful of common vinegar, chives, according to taste. _shalot sauce, for boiled mutton._ mince four shalots fine, put them into a stewpan, with about half a pint of the liquor in which the mutton is boiled; put in a table-spoonful of vinegar, a quarter of a tea-spoonful of pepper, a little salt, a bit of butter, of the size of a walnut, rolled in flour; shake them together, and boil. _spanish sauce._ put a cullis (that is always the stock or meat jelly,) in good quantity into a stewpan, with a glass of white wine, the same quantity of fresh made broth, a bunch of parsley, and shalots, one clove of garlic, half a laurel leaf, parsley, scallions, onions, any other root you please for the sake of flavour, such as celery or carrots. boil it two hours over a slow fire, take the fat off, and strain it through a sieve; and then add salt, large pepper, and the least sprinkle of sugar. this is very good with beef, mutton, and many sorts of game, venison and hare in particular; for which substitute a glass of red wine instead of white. _sauce for steaks._ a glass of small beer, two anchovies, a little thyme, parsley, an onion, some savory, nutmeg, and lemon-peel; cut all these together, and, when the steaks are ready, pour the fat out of the pan, and put in the small beer, with the other ingredients and a piece of butter rolled in flour: let it simmer, and strain it over the steaks. _sultana sauce._ put a pint of cullis into a stewpan with a glass of white wine, two slices of peeled lemons, two cloves, a clove of garlic, half a laurel-leaf, parsley, scallions, onions, and turnip. boil it an hour and a half over a slow fire, reducing it to a creamy consistency; strain it very carefully through a sieve, and then add a little salt, the yolk of an egg boiled hard and chopped, and a little boiled parsley shred fine. this sauce is very good with poultry. _tomata ketchup._ take a quart of tomata pulp and juice, three ounces of salt, one ounce of garlic pounded, half an ounce of powdered ginger, and a quarter of an ounce of cloves; add two ounces of anchovies or a wine-glassful of the essence, as sold in the shops. boil all in a tin saucepan half an hour; strain it through a fine hair sieve. to the strained liquor add a quarter of a pint of vinegar, half a pint of white wine, half a quarter of an ounce of mace, which is to be pounded, and a tea-spoonful of cayenne pepper. let the whole simmer together over a gentle fire twenty minutes; then strain it through fine lawn or muslin. when cold bottle it up, and be careful to keep it close corked. it is fit for use immediately. the best way to obtain the pulp and juice free from the skin and seeds is to rub it through a hair sieve. _tomata sauce._ no. . roast the tomatas before the fire till they are very tender; save all the liquor that runs from them while roasting; then with a spoon gently scoop out the pulp from the skins; avoid touching them with your fingers: add to the pulp a small quantity of shred ginger, and a few young onions cut very small. salt it well, and mix the whole together with vinegar, or the best common wine. put it into pint bottles, as it keeps best with only a bladder tied over. this is to mix with all other sauces in the small cruet for fish. _tomata sauce._ no. . take twelve or fifteen tomatas, ripe and red; cut them in half, and squeeze out all the water and seeds; add capsicums, and two or three table-spoonfuls of beef gravy; set them on a slow fire or stove, for an hour, till melted; rub them through a tamis into a clean stewpan, with a little white pepper and salt; then simmer for a few minutes. the french cooks add a little tarragon vinegar, or a shalot. _tomata sauce._ no. . when the fruit is ripe, bake it tender, skin, and rub the pulp through a sieve. to every pound of pulp add a quart of chili vinegar, one ounce of garlic, one of shalots, both sliced, half an ounce of salt, a little cayenne pepper, and the juice of three lemons. boil all together for twenty minutes. _savoury jelly for a turkey._ spread some slices of veal and ham in the bottom of a stewpan, with a carrot and turnip, and two or three onions. stew upon a slow fire till the liquor is of as deep a brown as you wish. add pepper, mace, a very little isinglass, and salt to your taste. boil ten minutes; strain through a french strainer; skim off all the fat; put in the whites of three eggs, and pass all through a strainer till it is quite clear. _sauce for turkey or chicken._ boil a spoonful of the best mace very tender, and also the liver of the turkey, but not too much, which would make it hard; pound the mace with a few drops of the liquor to a very fine pulp; then pound the liver, and put about half of it to the mace, with pepper, salt, and the yolk of an egg, boiled hard, and then dissolved; to this add by degrees the liquor that drains from the turkey, or some other good gravy. put these liquors to the pulp, and boil them some time; then take half a pint of oysters and boil them but a little, and lastly, put in white wine, and butter wrapped in a little flour. let it boil but a little, lest the wine make the oysters hard; and just at last scald four spoonfuls of good cream, and add, with a little lemon-juice, or pickled mushrooms will do better. _sauce for boiled turkey or fowl._ take an anchovy, boil it in a quarter of a pint of water; put to it a blade of mace and some peppercorns; strain it off; then put to it two spoonfuls of cream, with butter and flour. _venison sauce._ take vinegar, water, and claret, of each a glassful, an onion stuck with cloves, salt, anchovies, pepper and cloves, of each a spoonful; boil all these together, and strain through a sieve. _sweet venison sauce._ take a small stick of cinnamon, and boil it in half a pint of claret; then add as much finely grated bread-crumbs as will make a thick pap; and, after it has boiled thoroughly, sweeten it with the powder of the best sugar. _walnut ketchup._ no. . take walnuts when they are fit to pickle, beat them in a mortar, press out the juice through a piece of cloth, let it stand one night, then pour the liquor from the sediment, and to every pint put one pound of anchovies; let them boil together till the anchovies are dissolved; then skim, and to every pint of liquor add an eighth of an ounce of mace, the same of cloves and jamaica pepper, half a pint of common vinegar, half a pound of shalots, with a few heads of garlic, and a little cayenne. boil all together till the shalots are tender, and when cold bottle up for use. a spoonful of this ketchup put into good melted butter makes an excellent fish-sauce; it is equally fine in gravy for ducks or beef-steaks. _walnut ketchup._ no. . take half a bushel of green walnuts, before the shell is formed, and grind them in a crab-mill, or beat them in a marble mortar. squeeze out the juice, through a coarse cloth, wringing the cloth well to get out all the juice, and to every gallon put a quart of wine, a quarter of a pound of anchovies, the same quantity of bay salt, one ounce of allspice, half an ounce of cloves, two ounces of long pepper, half an ounce of mace, a little ginger, and horseradish, cut in slices. boil all together till reduced to half the quantity; pour it into a pan, when cold, and bottle it. cork it tight, and it will be fit for use in three months. if you have any pickle left in the jar after the walnuts are used, put to every gallon two heads of garlic, a quart of red wine, and of cloves, mace, long, black, and jamaica pepper, one ounce each; boil them all together till reduced to half the quantity; pour the liquor into a pan; bottle it the next day for use, and cork it tight. _walnut ketchup._ no. . pound one hundred walnuts very fine, put them in a glazed pan with a quart of vinegar; stir them daily for ten days; squeeze them very dry through a coarse cloth. boil the liquor, and skim it as long as any thing will rise; then add spice, ginger, anchovies instead of salt, and boil it up for use. _walnut ketchup._ no. . take one hundred walnuts, picked in dry weather, and bruise them well in a mortar. squeeze out the juice; add a large handful of salt; boil and skim it well; then put into the juice an equal quantity of white wine vinegar, or the vinegar in which pickled walnuts have been steeped, a little red wine, anchovies unwashed, four or five cloves of garlic, as many blades of mace, two dozen cloves, and a little whole pepper. boil it six or seven minutes, and when cold bottle it. if higher spiced the better. _walnut ketchup._ no. . pound your walnuts; strew some salt upon them, and let them stand a day or two; strain them; to every pint of juice put half a pound of anchovies, and boil them in it till they are dissolved. then strain the liquor, and to every pint add two drachms of mace, the same quantity of cloves, some black pepper, one ounce of dried shalots, and a little horseradish. _white sauce._ put some good veal or fowl cullis into a stewpan, with a piece of crumb of bread, about the size of a tea-cup, a bunch of parsley, thyme, scallions, a clove of garlic, a handful of butter, mushrooms, and a glass of white wine: let the whole boil till half the quantity is consumed. strain it through a coarse sieve, keeping the vegetables apart; then add to it the yolks of three eggs beaten up in three table-spoonfuls of cream, and thicken it over the fire, taking care to keep it continually stirred lest the eggs should curdle. you may either add your vegetables or not. this sauce may be used with all sorts of meat or fish that are done white. _another._ take some cream, a very little shalot, and a little salt; when warmed upon the fire add a piece of butter rolled in flour; stir it gently one way, and make it the consistency of cream. this sauce is excellent for celery, chickens, veal, &c. _white wine sweet sauce._ break a stick of cinnamon, and set it over the fire in a saucepan, with enough water to cover it; boil it up two or three times; add a quarter of a pint of wine and about two spoonfuls of powdered sugar, and break in two bay-leaves; boil all these together; strain off the liquor through a sieve; put it in a sauceboat or terrine, and serve up. confectionary. _almacks._ take plums, or apricots, baking pears, and apples, of each a pound; slice the pears and apples, and open the plums; put them in layers in an earthen mug, and set it in a slow oven. when the fruit is soft, squeeze it through a colander; add a pound of sugar; place it on the fire, and let it simmer, till it will leave the pan clear. then put it into an earthen mould to cut out for use, or drop it on a plate, and let it stand till it is so dry that paper will not stick to it, then put it by for use. you must stir it all the time it is on the fire, or it will burn. _almond butter._ put half a pound of blanched almonds, finely beaten, into a quart of cream and a pint of milk mixed well together. strain off the almonds, and set the cream over the fire to boil. take the yolks of twelve eggs and three whites well beaten; let it remain over the fire; keep stirring till it begins to curdle. put it into a cloth strainer and tie it up, letting it stand till the thin has drained off. when cold, break it with a spoon, and sweeten with sifted sugar. _almond cheesecakes._ take a quarter of a pound of jordan almonds and twelve or fourteen apricot or peach kernels; blanch them all in cold water, and beat them very fine with rose-water and a little sack. add a quarter of a pound of fine powder sugar, by degrees, and beat them very light: then put a quarter of a pound of the best butter just melted, with two or three spoonfuls of sweet thick cream; beat them well again. then, add four eggs, leaving out the whites, beaten as light as possible. when you have just done beating, put a little grated nutmeg. bake them in a nice short crust; and, when they are just going into the oven, grate over them a little fine sugar. _almond cream._ beat half a pound of fine almonds, blanched in cold water, very fine, with orange-flower water. take a quart of cream boiled, cooled, and sweetened; put the almonds into it by degrees, and when they are well mixed strain it through canvass, squeezing it very well. then stir it over the fire until it thickens; if you like it richly perfumed, add one grain of ambergris, and if you wish to give it the ratafia flavour, beat some apricot kernels with it. _unboiled almond cream._ take half a pound of almonds; blanch them, and cut out all their spots: then beat them very fine, in a clean stone or wooden mortar, with a little rose-water, and mix them with one quart of sweet cream. strain them as long as you can get any out. take as much fine sugar as will sweeten it, a nutmeg cut into quarters, some large mace, three spoonfuls of orange-flower water, as much rose-water, with musk or ambergris dissolved in it; put all these things into a glass churn; shake them continually up and down till the mass is as thick as butter; before it is broken, pour it all into a clean dish; take out the nutmeg and the mace; when it is settled smooth, scatter some comfits or scrape some hard sugar upon it. _almond paste, for shapes, &c._ blanch half a pound of almonds in cold water; let them lie twenty-four hours in cold water, then beat them in a mortar, till they are very fine, adding the whites of eggs as you beat them. put them in a stewpan over a stove fire, with half a pound of double-refined sugar, pounded and sifted through a lawn sieve; stir it while over the fire, till it becomes a little stiff; then take it out, and put it between two plates, till it is cold. put it in a pan, and keep it for use. it will keep a great while in a cool place. when you use it, pound it a little in a mortar, or mould it in your hands; then roll it out thin in whatever shape you choose, or make it up into walnuts or other moulds; press it down close that it may receive the impression of the nut, &c., and with a pin take it out of the mould and turn it out upon copper sheets, and so proceed till you have a sufficient quantity. the mould should be lightly touched with oil. bake them of a light brown; fill them with sweetmeats, &c. and such as should be closed, as nuts, &c. cement together with isinglass boiled down to a proper consistence. _almond puffs._ take one pound of fine sugar, and put water to it to make a wet candy: boil it till pretty thick; then put in a pound of beaten almonds, and mix them together, still keeping it stirred over a slow fire, but it must not boil, till it is as dry as paste. then beat it a little in a mortar; put in the peel of a lemon grated, and a pound of sifted sugar; rub them well together, and wet this with the froth of whites of eggs. _another way._ blanch and beat fine two ounces of sweet almonds, with orange-flower water, or brandy; beat the whites of three eggs to a very high froth, and then strew in a little sifted sugar till it is as stiff as paste. lay it in cakes, and bake it on paper in a cool oven. _angelica, to candy._ take the youngest shoots; scrape and boil them in water till tender, and put them on a cloth to drain. make a very strong syrup of sugar; put in the angelica while the syrup is hot, but not boiling. set it in a tin before the fire, or in the sun, for three or four days, to dry. _apples, to do._ scoop as many apples as you choose to do; dip them several times in syrup, and fill them with preserved raspberries or apricots; then roll them in paste, and when baked put on them either a white iceing, or with the white of an egg rub them over; sift on sugar, and glaze them with a hot salamander. _pippins, to candy._ take fine large pippins; pare and core them whole into an earthen platter: strew over them fine sugar; and sprinkle on the sugar a little rose-water. bake them in an oven as hot as for manchet, and stop it up close. let them remain there half an hour; then take them out of the dish, and lay them on the bottom of a sieve; leave them three or four days, till quite dry, when they will look clear as amber, and be finely candied. _pippins, to dry._ take two pounds of fine sugar and a pint of water; let it boil up and skim it; put in sixteen quarters of kentish pippins pared and cored, and let them boil fast till they are very clear. put in a pint of jelly of pippins, and boil it till it jellies; then put in the juice of a lemon; just let it boil up, and put them in bottles. you may put in the rind of an orange, first boiled in water, then cut in long thin pieces, and put it into the sugar at the same time with the pippins. _apples, to preserve green._ take green apples the size of a walnut, codlings are the best, with the stalks on; put them into spring water with vine leaves in a preserving pan, and cover them close; set them on a slow fire. when they are soft, take off the skins, and put them with vine leaves in the same water as before, and when quite cold put them over the fire till they are quite green. then put them into a dish without liquor; sift loaf sugar over them while they are hot; when dry, they make a good syrup. _golden pippins, to preserve._ into a pint of clear spring water put a pound of double-refined sugar, and set it on the fire. neatly pare and take out the stalks and eyes of a pound of pippins; put them into the sugar and water; cover them close, and boil them as fast as you can for half a quarter of an hour. take them off a little to cool; set them on again to boil as fast and as long as they did before. do this three or four times till they are very clear; then cover them close. _crabs, to preserve._ gently scald them two or three times in a thin syrup; when they have lain a fortnight, the syrup must be made rich enough to keep, and the crabs scalded in it. _siberian crabs, to preserve (transparent.)_ take out the core and blossom with a bodkin; make a syrup with half their weight of sugar; put in the apples, and keep them under the syrup with a spoon, and they will be done in ten minutes over a slow fire. when cold, tie them down with brandy paper. _another way._ to each pound of fruit add an equal quantity of sugar, which clarify with as little water as possible, and skim it thoroughly; then put in the fruit, and boil it gently till it begins to break. take out the apples, boil the syrup again till it grows thick, and then pour it over them. they are not to be pared; and half the stalk left on. _golden pippins, to stew._ cut the finest pippins, and pare them as thin as you can. as you do them, throw them into cold water to preserve their colour. make a middling thick syrup, of about half a pound of sugar to a pint of water, and when it boils up skim it, and throw in the pippins with a bit of lemon-peel. keep up a brisk fire; throw the syrup over the apples as they boil, to make them look clear. when they are done, add lemon-juice to your taste; and when you can run a straw through them they are done enough. put them, without the syrup, into a bowl; cover them close, and boil the syrup till you think it sufficiently thick: then take it off, and throw it hot upon the pippins, keeping them always under it. _apple cheese._ seven pounds of apples cored, one pound and three quarters of sugar, the juice and peel of two lemons; boil these in a stewpan till quite a thick jelly. bake the apple till soft; break it as smooth as possible; put it into pots, and tie down close. _conserve of apples._ take as many golden rennets as will fill the dish that is to go to table; pick them of a size; pare them, and take out the cores at the bottom, that they may appear whole at the top. with the cores and about half a glass of water make a syrup; when it is half done, put in your apples, and let them stew till they are done. be careful not to break them; place them in your dish; that your syrup may be fine, add the white of an egg well beaten; skim it, and it will be clarified. squeeze into it the juice of a lemon, with the peel cut in small shreds. this should boil a minute; then throw over the syrup, which should be quite a jelly. _apple demandon._ the whites of seven or eight very fresh eggs, put into a flat dish, with a very little finely sifted sugar, and beaten to a very thick froth. it will require to be beaten full half an hour before it becomes of a sufficient substance. it is then to be put over the apple and custard, and piled up to some height; after which place it in a very quick oven, and let it remain till it becomes partially of a light brown colour. it should be done immediately before it is sent up to table. _apple fraise._ pare six large apples, take out the cores, cut them in slices, and fry them on both sides with butter; put them on a sieve to drain; mix half a pint of milk and two eggs, with flour, to batter, not too stiff; put in a little lemon-peel, shred very fine, and a little beaten cinnamon. put some butter into a frying-pan, and make it hot; put in half the batter, and lay the apples on it; let it fry a little to set it; then put the remaining batter over it; fry it on one side; then turn it, and fry the other brown: put it into a dish; strew powder-sugar over it, and squeeze on it the juice of a seville orange. _apple fritters._ pare six large apples and cut out the cores; cut them in slices as thick as a half-crown piece. mix half a pint of cream and two eggs with flour into a stiff batter, put in a glass of wine or brandy, a little lemon-peel, shred very fine, two ounces of powder-sugar: mix it well up, and then put in the apples. have a pan of hog's lard boiling hot; put in every slice singly as fast as you can, and fry them quick, of a fine gold colour on both sides; then take them out, and put them on a sieve to drain; lay them on a dish, and sprinkle them with sugar. for fritters be careful that the fat in which you fry them is quite sweet and clean. _apple jelly._ no. . pare and slice pippins, or sharp apples, into a stewpan, with just as much water as will cover them; boil them as fast as possible till half the liquid is wasted; then strain them through a jelly-bag, and to every pint of juice put three quarters of a pound of sugar. boil it again till it becomes jelly; put lemon-juice and lemon-peel to the palate. some threads of lemon-peel should remain in the jelly. _apple jelly._ no. . take about a half sieve of john apples, or golden pippins; pare them, and put them in a clean bright copper pan; add as much river water as will cover them; set them over a charcoal fire, turning them now and then, till they are boiled tender. put a hair-sieve over a pan, and throw them on to drain; then put the apples in a large pan or mortar, and beat them into pulp. put them back into the copper pan, adding about half the water that came from them; then set them on the fire, and stir them till they boil two or three minutes. strain them into a flannel jelly-bag; it should run out quite slowly, and be thick like syrup; you should allow it six or eight hours to run or drop. then measure the jelly into a bright copper pan, and to each pint add one pound of treble-refined sugar; put it on a slow fire till the sugar is melted; then let the fire be made up, that it may boil; keep skimming it constantly. when you hold up the skimmer near the window, or in the cool, and you perceive it hangs about half an inch, with a drop at the end, then add the juice of half a lemon, if a small quantity. take it off the fire, and pour it into gallipots. the apples that are supposed to have the most jelly in them in this country are the john apple. the best time to make the jelly is the autumn; the riper they get, the less jelly. if the flannel bag is quite new, it should be washed in several clean warm waters, without soap. the jelly, if well made, should appear like clear water, about the substance of currant-jelly. _apple jelly._ no. . take apples, of a light green, without any spot or redness, and rather sour; cut them in quarters, taking out the cores, and put them into a quart of water; let them boil to a pulp, and strain it through a hair-sieve, or jelly-bag. to a pint of liquor take a pound of double-refined sugar; wet your sugar, and boil it to a thick syrup, with the white and shell of an egg: then strain your syrup, and put your liquor to it. let it boil again, and, as it boils, put in the juice of a lemon and the peel, pared extremely thin, and cut as fine as threads; when it jellies, which you may know by taking up some in your spoon, put it in moulds; when cold, turn it out into your dish; it should be so transparent as to let you see all the flowers of your china dish through it, and quite white. _crab jam or jelly._ pare and core the crabs; to fifteen pounds of crabs take ten pounds of sugar, moistened with a little water; boil them well, skimming the top. when boiled tender, and broke to the consistency of jam, pour it into your pans, and let it stand twenty-four hours. it is better the second year than the first. the crabs should be ripe. _pippin or codling-jelly._ slice a pound of pippins or codlings into a pint of clear spring water; let them boil till the water has extracted all the flavour of the fruit; strain it out, and to a pint of this liquor take a pound of double-refined sugar, boiled to sugar again; then put in your codling liquor; boil it a little together as fast as you can. put in your golden pippins; boil them up fast for a little while; just before the last boiling, squeeze in the juice of a lemon; boil it up quick once more, taking care the apples do not lose their colour; cut them, and put them in glasses with the jelly. it makes a very pretty middle or corner dish. _apples and pears, to dry._ take kirton pippins or royal russets, golden pippins or nonpareils; finely pare and quarter the russets, and pare and take out the core also of the smaller apples. take the clean tops of wicker baskets or hampers, and put the apples on the wickers in a cool oven. let them remain in till the oven is quite cold: then they must be turned as you find necessary, and the cool oven repeated till they are properly dry. they must stand some time before they are baked, and kept carefully from the damp air. the richer the pears the better; but they must not be over-ripe. _apricots in brandy._ the apricots must be gathered before they are quite ripe, and, as the fruit is usually riper on one side than the other, you must prick the unripe side with the point of a penknife, or a very large needle. put them into cold water, and give them a great deal of room in the preserving-pan; and proceed in the same manner as directed for peaches. if they are not well coloured, it is owing to an improper choice of the fruit, being too ripe or too high coloured, provided the brandy be of the right sort. _apricot chips._ cut apricots when ripe in small thin pieces; take double-refined sugar, pounded very small and sifted through a fine sieve, and strew a little at the bottom of a silver basin; then put in your chips, and more of your sugar. set them over a chaffing-dish of coals, shaking your basin, lest the chips should stick to the bottom, till you put in your sugar. when your sugar is all candied, lay them on glass plates; put them in a stove, and turn them out. _apricot burnt cream._ boil a pint of cream with some bitter almonds pounded, and strain it off. when the cream is cold, add to it the yolks of four eggs, with half a spoonful of flour, well mixed together; set it over the fire; keep stirring it till it is thick. add to it a little apricot jam; put it in your dish; sift powdered sugar over it, and brown it with your salamander. _apricots, to dry._ pare and stone a pound of apricots, and put to them three quarters of a pound of double-refined sugar, strewing some of the sugar over the apricots as you pare them, that they may not lose colour. when they are all pared put the remainder of the sugar on them; let them stand all night, and in the morning boil them on a quick fire till they are clear. then let them stand till next day covered with a sheet of white paper. set them on a gentle fire till scalding hot; let them stand three days in the syrup; lay them out on stone plates; put them into a stove, and turn them every day till they are dry. _apricot jam._ take two pounds of apricot paste in pulp and a pint of strong codling liquor; boil them very fast together till the liquor is almost wasted; then put to it one pound and a half of fine sugar pounded; boil it very fast till it jellies; put it into pots, and it will make clear cakes in the winter. _apricot and plum jam._ stone the fruit; set them over the fire with half a pint of water; when scalded, rub them through a sieve, and to every pound of pulp put a pound of sifted loaf-sugar. set it over a brisk fire in a preserving-pan; when it boils, skim it well, and throw in the kernels of the apricots and half an ounce of bitter almonds blanched; boil it together fast for a quarter of an hour, stirring it all the time. _apricot paste._ take ripe apricots, pare, stone, and quarter them, and put them into a skillet, setting them on embers, and stirring them till all the pieces are dissolved. then take three quarters of their weight in fine sugar, and boil it to a candy; put in the apricots, and stir it a little on the fire; then turn it out into glasses. set it in a warm stove; when it is dry on one side, turn the other. you may take apricots not fully ripe, and coddle them, and that will do also. _another._ pare and stone your apricots; to one pound of fruit put one pound of fine sugar, and boil all together till they break. then to five pounds of paste put three pounds of codling jelly, and make a candy of three pounds of fine sugar. put it in all together; just scald it, and put it in little pots to dry quickly. turn it out to dry on plates or glasses. _apricots, to preserve._ stone and pare four dozen of large apricots, and cover them with three pounds of fine sugar finely beaten; put in some of the sugar as you pare them. let them stand at least six or seven hours; then boil them on a slow fire till they are clear and tender. if any of them are clear before the rest, take them out and put them in again. when the rest are ready, let them stand closely covered with paper till next day. then make very strong codling jelly: to two pounds of jelly add two pounds of sugar, which boil till they jelly; and while boiling make your apricots scalding hot; put the jelly to the apricots, and boil them, but not too fast. when the apricots rise in the jelly and jelly well, put them in pots or glasses, and cover closely with brandy paper. _another way._ cut in half, and break in pieces, ripe apricots; put them in a preserving pan, simmer for a few minutes, and pass through a fine hair sieve: no water to be used. add three quarters of a pound of white powdered sugar to a pound of fruit; put in the kernels; mix all together, and boil for twenty minutes: well skim when it begins to boil. put it into pots; when cold, cover close with paper dipped in brandy, and tie down with an outer cover of paper. _apricots, to preserve whole._ gather the fruit before it is too ripe, and to one pound put three quarters of a pound of fine sugar. stone and pare the apricots as you put them into the pan; lay sugar under and over them, and let them stand till next day. set them on a quick fire, and let them just boil; skim well; cover them till cold, or till the following day; give them another boil; put them in pots, and strew a little sugar over them while coddling, to make them keep their colour. _apricots, to preserve in jelly._ to a pound of apricots, before they are stoned and pared, weigh a pound and a quarter of the best pounded sugar. stone and pare the fruit, and, as you pare, sprinkle some sugar under and over them. when the sugar is pretty well melted, set them on the fire and boil them. keep out some sugar to strew on them in the boiling, which assists to clear them. skim very clear, and turn the fruit with a ladle or a feather. when clear and tender, put them in glasses; add to the syrup a quarter of a pint of strong pippin liquor, and nearly the weight of it in sugar; let it boil awhile, and put it to the apricots. the fire should be brisk, as the sooner any sweetmeat is done the clearer and better it will be. let the liquor run through a jelly-bag, that it may clear before you put the syrup to it, or the syrup of the apricots to boil. _french bances._ take half a pint of water, a bit of lemon-peel, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, and a little orange-flower water; boil them gently three or four minutes; take out the lemon-peel, and add to it by degrees half a pint of flour: keep it boiling and stirring until it is a stiff paste; then take it off the fire, and put in six eggs, well beaten, leaving out three whites. beat all very well for at least half an hour, till it is a stiff light paste; then take two pounds of hog's-lard; put it in a stewpan; give it a boil up, and, if the bances are of a right lightness, fry them; keep stirring them all the time till they are of a proper brown. a large dish will take six or seven minutes boiling. when done, put them in a dish to drain; keep them by the fire; strew sugar over them; and, when you are going to fry them, drop them through the handle of a key. _barberries, to preserve._ tie up the finest maiden barberries in bunches; to one pound of them put two pounds and a quarter of sugar; boil the sugar to a thick syrup, and when thick enough stir it till it is almost cold. put in the barberries; set them on the fire, and keep them as much under the syrup as you can, shaking the pan frequently. let them just simmer till the syrup is hot through, but not boiling, which would wrinkle them. take them out of the syrup, and let them drain on a lawn sieve; put the syrup again into the pot, and boil it till it is thick. when half cold put in the barberries, and let them stand all night in the preserving-pan. if the syrup has become too thin, take out the fruit and boil it again, letting it stand all night: then put it into pots, and cover it with brandy paper. _biscuits._ take one pound of loaf sugar, finely beaten and sifted; then take eight eggs, whites and all; beat them in a wooden bowl for an hour; then take a quarter of a pound of blanched almonds, beat them very small with some rose-water; put them into the bowl, and beat them for an hour longer; then shake in five ounces of fine flour and a spoonful of coriander seed, and one of caraways. beat them half an hour; butter your plates, and bake them. _another way._ take one pound of flour; mix it stiff with water; then roll it very thin; cut out the biscuits with cutters, and bake them. _dutch biscuits._ take the whites of six eggs in fine sugar, and the whites of four in flour; then beat your eggs with the sugar and flour well with a whisk: butter your pans, and only half fill them; strew them over with sugar before you put them in the oven; grate lemon-peel over them. _ginger biscuits._ one pound of flour, half a pound of butter, half a pound of loaf sugar, rather more than one ounce of ginger powdered, all well mixed together. let it stand before the fire for half an hour; roll it into thin paste, and cut out with a coffee-cup or wine-glass: bake it for a few minutes. _lemon biscuits._ blanch half a pound of sweet almonds in cold water; beat them with the whites of six eggs, first whipped up to a froth; put in a little at a time as they rise; the almonds must be very fine. then add one pound of double-refined sugar, beaten and sifted; put in, by degrees, four ounces of fine flour, dried well and cold again; the yolks of six eggs well beaten; the peels of two large lemons finely grated: beat these all together about half an hour; put them in tin pans; sift on a little sugar. the oven must be pretty quick, though you keep the door open while you bake them. _another way._ take three pounds of fine sugar, and wet it with a spoonful and a half of gum-dragon, and put in the juice of lemons, but make the mass as stiff as you can: mix it well, and beat it up with white of eggs. when beaten very light, put in two grains of musk and a great deal of grated lemon; drop the paste into round papers, and bake it. _ratafia biscuits._ blanch two ounces of bitter almonds in cold water, and beat them extremely fine with orange-flower water and rose-water. put in by degrees the whites of five eggs, first beaten to a light froth. beat it extremely well; then mix it up with fine sifted sugar to a light paste, and lay the biscuits on tin plates with wafer paper. make the paste so light that you may take it up with a spoon. lay it in cakes, and bake them in a rather brisk oven. if you make them with sweet almonds only, they are almond puffs or cakes. _table biscuits._ flour, milk, and sugar, well mixed together. shape the biscuits with the top of a glass, and bake them on a tin. _blancmange._ no. . to one pint of calves' foot or hartshorn jelly add four ounces of almonds blanched and beaten very fine with rose and orange-flower water; let half an ounce of the almonds be bitter, but apricot kernels are better. put the almonds and jelly, mixed by degrees, into a skillet, with as much sugar as will sweeten it to your taste. give it two or three boils; then take it up and strain it into a bowl; add to it some thick cream: give it a boil after the cream is in, and keep it stirred while on the fire. when strained, put it into moulds. _blancmange._ no. . boil three ounces of isinglass in a quart of water till it is reduced to a pint; strain it through a sieve, and let it stand till cold. take off what has settled at the bottom: then take a pint of cream, two ounces of almonds, and a few bitter ones; sweeten to your taste. boil all together over the fire, and pour it into your moulds. a laurel leaf improves it greatly. _blancmange._ no. . take an ounce of isinglass dissolved over the fire in a quarter of a pint of water, strain it into a pint of new milk; boil it, and strain again; sweeten to your taste. add a spoonful of orange-flower water and one of mountain. stir it till it is nearly cold, and put it into moulds. beat a few bitter almonds in it. _blancmange._ no. . into two quarts of milk put an ounce of isinglass, an ounce of sugar, half the peel of a lemon, and a bit of cinnamon. keep stirring till it boils. _dutch blancmange._ steep an ounce of the best isinglass two hours in a pint of boiling water. take a pint of white wine, the yolks of eight eggs well beaten, the juice of four lemons and one seville orange, and the peel of one lemon; mix them together, and sweeten to your taste. set it on a clear fire; keep it stirred till it boils, and then strain it off into moulds. _bread._ forty pounds of flour, a handful of salt, one quart of yest, three quarts of water; stir the whole together in the kneading trough. strew over it a little flour, and let it stand covered for one hour. knead it and make it into loaves, and let them stand a quarter of an hour to rise, before you put them in the oven. _diet bread, which keeps moist._ three quarters of a pound of lump sugar, dissolved in a quarter of a pint of water, half a pound of the best flour, seven eggs, taking away the whites of two; mix the liquid sugar, when it has boiled, with the eggs: beat them up together in a basin with a whisk; then add by degrees the flour, beating all together for about ten minutes; put it into a quick oven. an hour bakes it. tin moulds are the best: the dimensions for this quantity are six inches in length and four in depth. _potato bread._ boil a quantity of potatoes; drain them well, strew over them a small quantity of salt, and let them remain in the vessel in which they were boiled, closely covered, for an hour, which makes them mealy: then peel and pound them as smooth as flour. add eight pounds of potatoes to twelve of wheaten flour; and make it into dough with yest, in the way that bread is generally made. let it stand three hours to rise. _rice bread._ boil a quarter of a pound of rice till it is quite soft; then put it on the back of a sieve to drain. when cold, mix it with three quarters of a pound of flour, a tea-cupful of milk, a proper quantity of yest, and salt. let it stand for three hours; then knead it very well, and roll it up in about a handful of flour, so as to make the outside dry enough to put into the oven. about an hour and a quarter will bake a loaf of this size. when baked, it will produce one pound fourteen ounces of very good bread; it is better when the loaves are not made larger than the above-mentioned quantity will produce, but you may make any quantity by allowing the same proportion for each loaf. this bread should not be cut till it is two days old. _rye bread._ take one peck of wheaten flour, six pounds of rye flour, a little salt, half a pint of good yest, and as much warm water as will make it into a stiff dough. let it stand three hours to rise before you put it into the oven. a large loaf will take three hours to bake. _scotch short bread._ melt a pound of butter, pour it on two pounds of flour, half a tea-cupful of yest, two ounces of caraway seeds, one ounce of scotch caraways; sweeten to your taste with lump sugar, then knead it well together and roll it out, not too thin; cut in quarters and pinch it round: prick it well with a fork. _buttered loaves._ take three quarts of new milk; put in as much runnet as will turn it; whey the curds very clean; break them small with your hands; put in nine yolks of eggs and one white, a handful of grated bread, half a handful of flour, and a little salt. mix these well together, working it well with your hands; roll it into small loaves, and bake them in a quick oven three quarters of an hour. then take half a pound of butter, four spoonfuls of clear water, half a nutmeg sliced very thin, and a little sugar. set it on a quick fire, stirring it quickly, and let it boil till thick. when the loaves are baked, cut out the top and stir up the crumb with a knife; then pour some of the butter into each of them, and cover them up again. strew a little sugar on them: before you set them in the oven, beat the yolk of an egg and a little beer together, and with a feather smear them over with it. _egg loaf._ soak crumb of bread in milk for three hours; strain it through a sieve; then put in a little salt, some candied citron and lemon-peel cut small, and sugar to your taste. put to your paste the yolks only of six or eight new-laid eggs, and beat it till the eggs are mixed. whip the whites of the eggs till they are frothed; add to the other ingredients, and mix them well. butter the pan or dish in which you bake your loaf. when baked, turn it out into your dish, scrape some fine sugar upon it, and glaze with a hot shovel. _buns._ no. . two pounds of flour, a quarter of a pound of butter; rub the butter in the flour like grated bread; set it to the fire to dry: put in one pound of currants and a quarter of a pound of moist sugar, with a few caraway seeds, and two spoonfuls of good yest; make the dough into small buns; set them to rise half an hour: you may put two or three eggs in if you like. _buns._ no. . one pound of fine flour, two pounds of currants, a few caraway seeds, a quarter of a pound of moist sugar, a pint of new milk, and two table-spoonfuls of yest; mix all well together in a stiff paste, and let it stand half an hour to rise; then roll them out, and put them in your tins; let them stand another half hour to rise before you bake them. the above receipt answers equally well for a cake baked in a tin. _buns._ no. . take flour, butter, and sugar, of each a quarter of a pound, four eggs, and a few caraway seeds. this quantity will make two dozen. bake them on tins. _bath buns._ take a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar finely powdered, the same quantity of butter, and nearly double of flour dried before the fire, a walnut-shell full of caraway-seeds just bruised, and one egg. work all these up together into a paste, the thickness of half-a-crown, and cut it with a tea-cup, flour a tin; lay the cakes upon it; take the white of an egg well beat and frothed; lay it on them with a feather, and then grate upon them a little fine sugar. _another way._ take one pound of fine flour, dry it well by the fire, sift it, and rub into it a pound of butter, the yolks of four eggs, the whites of two, both beaten light, three spoonfuls of cream, and the like quantity of white wine and ale yest. let this sponge stand by the fire to rise; then beat it up extremely well and light with your hand; grate in a nutmeg; continue beating till it is ready for the oven; then add a pound of rough caraway seeds, keeping a few out to strew on the top of the cakes before they are put into the oven. _plain buns._ take three pounds of flour, six ounces of butter, six ounces of sugar sifted fine, six eggs, both yolks and whites. beat your eggs till they will not slip off the spoon; melt the butter in a pint of new milk, with which mix half a pint of good yest; strain it into the flour, and throw in half an ounce of caraway seeds. work the whole up very light; set it before the fire to rise; then make it up into buns of the size of a penny roll, handling them as little as possible. twenty minutes will bake them sufficiently. _butter, to make without churning._ tie up cream in a fine napkin, and then in a coarse cloth, as you would a pudding: bury it two feet under ground; leave it there for twelve hours, and when you take it up it will be converted into butter. _black butter._ to one quart of black gooseberries put one pint of red currants, picked into an earthen jar. stop it very close, and set it in a pot of cold water over the fire to boil till the juice comes out. then strain it, and to every pint of liquor put a pound of sugar; boil and skim it till you think it done enough: put it in flat pots, and keep it in a dry place. it will either turn out or cut in slices. _spanish butter._ take two gallons of new milk, boil it, and, when you take it off the fire, put in a quart of cream, giving it a stir; then pour it through a sieve into an earthen pan: lay some sticks over your pan, and cover it with a cloth; if you let it stand thus two days, it will be the better. skim off the cream thick, and sweeten it to your taste; you may put in a little orange-flower water, and whip it well up. _cake._ five pounds of flour dried, six pounds of currants, a quart of boiled cream, a pound and a half of butter, twenty eggs, the whites of six only, a pint of ale yest, one ounce of cinnamon finely beaten, one ounce of cloves and mace also well beaten, a quarter of a pound of sugar, a little salt, half a pound of orange and citron. put in the cream and butter when it is just warm; mix all well together, and let it stand before the fire to rise. put it into your hoop, and leave it in the oven an hour and a quarter. the oven should be as hot as for a manchet. _an excellent cake._ beat half a pound of sifted sugar and the same quantity of fresh butter to a cream, in a basin made warm; mixing half a pound of flour well dried, six eggs, leaving out four whites, and one table-spoonful of brandy. the butter is to be beaten in first, then the flour, next the sugar, the eggs, and lastly, the brandy. currants or caraways may be added at pleasure. it must be beaten an hour, and put in the oven immediately. _a great cake._ take six quarts of fine flour dried in an oven, six pounds of currants, five pounds of butter, two pounds and a half of sugar, one pound of citron, three quarters of a pound of orange-peel, and any other sweetmeat you think proper; a pound of almonds ground very small, a few coriander seeds beat and sifted, half an ounce of mace, four nutmegs, sixteen eggs, six of the whites, half a pint of sack, and half a pint of ale yest. _light cake._ one pound of the finest flour, one ounce of powdered sugar, five ounces of butter, three table-spoonfuls of fresh yest. _a nice cake._ take nine eggs; beat the yolks and whites separately; the weight of eight eggs in sugar, and five in flour: whisk the eggs and the sugar together for half an hour; then put in the flour, just before the oven is ready to bake it. both the sugar and the flour must be sifted and dried. _a plain cake._ take a pound of flour, well dried and sifted; add to it one pound of sugar also dried and sifted; take one pound of butter, and work it in your hands till it is like cream; beat very light the yolks of ten eggs and six whites. mix all these by degrees, beating it very light, and a little sack and brandy. it must not stand to rise. if you choose fruit, add one pound of currants, washed, picked, and dried. _a very rich cake._ two pounds and a half of fresh butter, twenty-four eggs, three-pounds of flour, one pound and a half of sugar, one ounce of mixed spice, four pounds of currants, half a jar of raisins, half of sweet almonds, a quarter of a pound of citron, three quarters of orange and lemon, one gill of brandy, and one nutmeg. first work the butter to a cream; then beat the sugar well in; whisk the eggs half an hour; mix them with the butter and sugar; put in the spice and flour; and, when the oven is ready, mix in the brandy, fruit, and sweetmeats. it will take one hour and a half beating. let it bake three hours. _cake without butter._ beat up eight eggs for half an hour. have ready powdered and sifted one pound of loaf sugar; shake it in, and beat it half an hour longer. put to it a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds beat fine with orange-flower water; grate the rind of a lemon into the almonds, and squeeze in the juice. mix all together. just before you put it in the oven, add a quarter of a pound of dry flour; rub the hoop or tin with butter. an hour and a half will bake it. _another._ take ten eggs and the whites of five; whisk them well, and beat in one pound of finely sifted sugar, and three quarters of a pound of flour: the flour to be put in just before the cake is going to the oven. _almond cake._ take a pound of almonds; blanch them in cold water, and beat them as small as possible in a stone mortar with a wooden pestle, putting in, as you beat them, some orange-flower water. then take twelve eggs, leaving out half of the whites; beat them well; put them to your almonds, and beat them together, above an hour, till it becomes of a good thickness. as you beat it, sweeten it to your taste with double-refined sugar powdered, and when the eggs are put in add the peel of two large lemons finely rasped. when you beat the almonds in the mortar with orange-water, put in by degrees about four spoonfuls of citron water or ratafia of apricots, or, for want of these, brandy and sack mixed together, two spoonfuls of each. the cake must be baked in a tin pan; flour the pan before you put the cake into it. to try if it is done enough, thrust a straw through it, and if the cake sticks to the straw it is not baked enough; let it remain till the straw comes out clean. _another._ take twelve eggs, leaving out half the whites; beat the yolks by themselves till they look white; put to them by degrees one pound of fine sifted sugar; put in, by a spoonful at a time, three quarters of a pound of fine flour, well dried and sifted, with the whites of the eggs well beaten, and continue this till all the flour and the whites are in. then beat very fine half a pound of fine almonds, with sack and brandy, to prevent their oiling; stir them into the cake. bake it three quarters of an hour. ratafia cake is made in the same manner, only keep out two ounces of the almonds, and put in their stead two of apricot kernels; if you have none, use bitter almonds. _almond cakes._ take one pound of almonds, blanch them; then take one pound of double-refined sugar, beaten very small; crack the almonds, one by one, upon the tops; put them into the sugar; mix them, and then beat them well together till they will work like paste. make them into round cakes; take double-refined sugar, pounded and sifted, beat together with the white of an egg, and, when the cakes are hardened in the oven, take them out, and cover one side with sugar with a feather; then put them into the oven again, and, when one side is hardened, take them out and do the same on the other side. set them in again to harden, and afterwards lay them up for use. _clear almond cakes._ take the small sort of almonds; steep them in cold water till they will blanch, and as you blanch them throw them into water. wipe them dry, and beat them in a stone mortar, with a little rose-water, and as much double-refined sugar, sifted, as will make them into clear paste. roll them into any size you please; then dry them in an oven after bread has been drawn, so that they may be dry on both sides; when they are cold, make a candy of sugar; wet it a little with rose-water; set it on the fire; stir it till it boils, then take it off, and let it cool a little. with a feather spread it over the cakes on one side; lay them upon papers on a table; take the lid of a baking-pan, put some coals on it, and set it over the cakes to raise the candy quickly. when they are cold, turn the other side, and serve it in the same manner. _apple cake._ take one pound and a half of white sugar, two pounds of apples, pared and cut thin, and the rind of a large lemon; put a pint of water to the sugar, and boil it to a syrup; put the apples to it, and boil it quite thick. put it into a mould to cool, and send it cold to table, with a custard, or cream poured round it. _another._ one pound of apples cut and cored, one pound of sugar put to a quarter of a pint of water, so as to clarify the sugar, with the juice and peel of a lemon, and a little seville orange. boil it till it is quite stiff; put it in a mould; when cold it will turn out. you may put it into a little warm water to keep it from breaking when taken out. _apricot clear cakes._ make a strong apple jelly, strain it, and put apricots into it to boil. slit the apricots well, cover them with sugar, and boil them clear. strain them, and put them in the candy when it is almost boiled up; and then put in your jelly, and scald it. _biscuit cake._ take eggs according to the size of the cake, weigh them, shells and all; then take an equal weight of sugar, sifted very fine, and half the weight of fine flour, well dried and sifted. beat the whites of the eggs to snow; then put the yolks in another pan; beat them light, and add the sugar to them by degrees. beat them until very light; then put the snow, continuing to beat; and at last add by degrees the flour. season with lemon-peel grated, or any peel you like; bake it in a slow oven, but hot enough to make it rise. _bread cake._ take two pounds of flour, a quarter of a pound of butter, four eggs, one spoonful of good yest, half a pound of currants, half a pound of lisbon sugar, some grated lemon-peel, and nutmeg. melt the butter and sugar in a sufficient quantity of new milk to make it of a proper stiffness. set it to rise for two hours and a half before the fire, and bake it in an earthen pan or tin in a quick oven, of a light brown. caraway seeds may be added--two ounces to the above quantity. _breakfast cakes._ to a pound of fine flour take two ounces of fresh butter, which rub very well in with a little salt. beat an egg smooth, and mix a spoonful of light yest with a little warm milk. mix as much in the flour as will make a batter proper for fritters; then beat it with your hand till it leaves the bottom of the bowl in which it is made. cover it up for three or four hours; then add as much flour as will form a paste proper for rolling up; make your cakes half an hour before you put them into the oven; prick them in the middle with a skewer, and bake them in a quick oven a quarter of an hour. _excellent breakfast cakes._ water the yest well that it may not be bitter; change the water very often; put a very little sugar and water to it just as you are going to use it; this is done to lighten and set it fermenting. as soon as you perceive it to be light, mix up with it new milk warmed, as if for other bread; put no water to it; about one pound or more of butter to about sixteen or eighteen cakes, and a white of two of egg, beat very light; mix all these together as light as you can; then add flour to it, and beat it at least a quarter of an hour, until it is a tough light dough. put it to the fire and keep it warm, and warm the tins on which the cakes are to be baked. when the dough has risen, and is light, beat it down, and put it to the fire again to rise, and repeat this a second time; it will add much to the lightness of the cakes. make them of the size of a saucer, or thereabouts, and not too thick, and bake them in a slow oven. the dough, if made a little stiffer, will be very good for rolls; but they must be baked in a quicker oven. _bath breakfast cakes._ a pint of thin cream, two eggs, three spoonfuls of yest, and a little salt. mix all well together with half a pound of flour. let it stand to rise before you put it in the oven. the cakes must be baked on tins. _butter cake._ take four pounds of flour, one pound of currants, three pounds of butter, fourteen eggs, leaving out the whites, half an ounce of mace, one pound of sugar, half a pint of sack, a pint of ale yest, a quart of milk boiled. take it off, and let it cool. rub the butter well in the floor; put in the sugar and spice, with the rest of the ingredients; wet it with a ladle, and beat it well together. do not put the currants till the cake is ready to go into the oven. butter the dish, and heat the oven as hot as for wheaten bread. you must not wet it till the oven is ready. _caraway cake._ no. . melt two pounds of fresh butter in tin or silver; let it stand twenty-four hours; then rub into it four pounds of fine flour, dried. mix in eight eggs, and whip the whites to a froth, a pint of the best yest, and a pint of sack, or any fine strong sweet wine. put in two pounds of caraway seeds. mix all these ingredients thoroughly; put the paste into a buttered pan, and bake for two hours and a half. you may mix with it half an ounce of cloves and cinnamon. _caraway cake._ no. . take a quart of flour, a quarter of a pint of good ale yest, three quarters of a pound of fresh butter, one quarter of a pound of almonds, three quarters of a pound of caraway comfits, a handful of sugar, four eggs, leaving out two of the whites, new milk, boiled and set to cool, citron, orange, and lemon-peel, at your discretion, and two spoonfuls of sack. first rub your flour and yest together, then rub in the butter, and make it into a stiff batter with the milk, eggs, and sack; and, when you are ready to put it into the oven, add the other ingredients. butter your hoop and the paper that lies under. this cake will require about three quarters of an hour baking; if you make it larger, you must allow more time. _caraway cake._ no. . take four quarts of flour, well dried, and rub into it a pound and a quarter of butter. take a pound of almonds, ground with rose-water, sugar, and cream, half an ounce of mace, and a little cinnamon, beaten fine, half a pound of citron, six ounces of orange-peel, some dried apricots, twelve eggs, four of the whites only, half a pound of sugar, a pint of ale yest, a little sack, and a quart of thick cream, well boiled. when your cream is nearly cold, mix all these ingredients well together with the flour; set the paste before the fire to rise; put in three pounds of double-sugared caraways, and let it stand in the hoop an hour and a quarter before it is put into the oven. _small caraway cakes._ take one quart of fine flour, fourteen ounces of butter, five or six spoonfuls of ale yest, three yolks of eggs, and one white; mix all these together, with so much cream as will make it into a paste; lay it before the fire for half an hour; add to it a handful of sugar, and half a pound of caraway comfits; and when you have worked them into long cakes, wash them over with rose-water and sugar, and pick up the top pretty thick with the point of a knife. your oven must not be hotter than for manchet. _cocoa-nut cakes._ grate the cocoa-nut on a fine bread grater; boil an equal quantity of loaf-sugar, melted with six table-spoonfuls of rose-water; take off all the scum; throw in the grated cocoa-nut, and let it heat thoroughly in the syrup, and keep constantly stirring, to prevent its burning to the bottom of the pan. have ready beaten the yolks of eight eggs, with two table-spoonfuls of rose-water; throw in the cocoa-nut by degrees, and keep beating it with a wooden slice one hour; then fill your pans, and send them to the oven immediately, or they will be heavy. _currant clear cakes._ take the currants before they are very ripe, and put them into water, scarcely enough to cover them; when they have boiled a little while, strain them through a woollen bag; put a pound and a quarter of fine sugar, boiled to a candy; then put a pint of the jelly, and make it scalding hot: put the whole into pots to dry, and, when jellied, turn them on glasses. _egg cake._ beat eight eggs, leaving out half the whites, for half an hour; half a pound of lump-sugar, pounded and sifted, to be put in during that time; then, by degrees, mix in half a pound of flour. bake as soon after as possible. butter the tin. _enamelled cake._ beat one pound of almonds, with three quarters of a pound of fine sugar, to a paste; then put a little musk, and roll it out thin. cut it in what shape you please, and let it dry. then beat up isinglass with white of eggs, and cover it on both sides. _epsom cake._ half a pound of butter beat to a cream, half a pound of sugar, four eggs, whites and yolks beat separately, half a quartern of french roll dough, two ounces of caraway seeds, and one tea-spoonful of grated ginger: if for a plum-cake, a quarter of a pound of currants. _ginger cakes._ to a pound of sugar put half an ounce of ginger, the rind of a lemon, and four large spoonfuls of water. stir it well together, and boil it till it is a stiff candy; then drop it in small cakes on a wet table. _ginger or hunting cakes._ no. . take three pounds of flour, two pounds of sugar, one pound of butter, two ounces of ginger, pounded and sifted fine, and a nutmeg grated. rub these ingredients very fine in the flour, and wet it with a pint of cream, just warm, sufficiently to roll out into thin cakes. bake them in a slack oven. _ginger or hunting cakes._ no. . rub half a pound of butter into a pound of flour; add a quarter of a pound of powder-sugar, one ounce of ginger, beat and sifted, the yolks of three eggs, and one gill of cream. a slow fire does them best. _ginger or hunting cakes._ no. . one ounce of butter, one ounce of sugar, twelve grains of ginger, a quarter of a pound of flour, and treacle sufficient to make it into a paste; roll it out thin, and bake it. _gooseberry clear cakes._ take the gooseberries very green; just cover them with water, and, when they are boiled and mashed, strain them through a sieve or woollen bag, and squeeze it well. then boil up a candy of a pound and a quarter of fine sugar to a pint of the jelly; put it into pots to dry in a stove, and, when they jelly, turn them out on glasses. _jersey cake._ to a pound of flour take three quarters of a pound of fresh butter beaten to a cream, three quarters of a pound of lump sugar finely pounded, nine eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, nutmeg to your taste. add a glass of brandy. _jersey merveilles._ one pound of flour, two ounces of butter, the same of sugar, a spoonful of brandy, and five eggs. when well mixed, roll out and make into fancy shapes, and boil in hot lard. the jersey shape is a true-lover's knot. _london wigs._ take a quarter of a peck of flour; put to it half a pound of sugar, and as much caraways, smooth or rough, as you like; mix these, and set them to the fire to dry. then make a pound and half of butter hot over a gentle fire; stir it often, and add to it nearly a quart of milk or cream; when the butter is melted in the cream, pour it into the middle of the flour, and to it add a couple of wine-glasses of good white wine, and a full pint and half of very good ale yest; let it stand before the fire to rise, before you lay your cakes on the tin plates to bake. _onion cake._ slice onions thin; set them in butter till they are soft, and, when they are cold, put into a pan to a quart basin of these stewed onions three eggs, three spoonfuls of fine dried bread crumbs, salt, and three spoonfuls of cream. put common pie-crust in a tin; turn it up all round, like a cheesecake, and spread the onions over the cake; beat up an egg, and with a brush spread it in, and bake it of a fine yellow. _orange cakes._ put the seville oranges you intend to use into water for two days. pare them very thick, and boil the rind tender. mince it fine; squeeze in the juice; take out all the meat from the strings and put into it. then take one-fourth more than its weight in double-refined sugar; wet it with water, and boil it almost to sugar again. cool it a little; put in the orange, and let it scald till it looks clear and sinks in the syrup, but do not let it boil. put it into deep glass plates, and stove them till they are candied on the tops. turn them out, and shape them as you please with a knife. continue to turn them till they are dry; keep them so, and between papers. lemon cakes are made in the same way, only with half the juice. _another way._ take three large oranges; pare and rub them with salt; boil them tender and cut them in halves; take out the seeds; then beat your oranges, and rub them through a hair sieve till you have a pound; add one pound and a quarter of double-refined sugar, boiled till it comes to the consistency of sugar, and put in a pint of strong juice of pippins and juice of lemon; keep stirring it on the fire till the sugar is completely melted. _orange clove cake._ make a very strong jelly of apples, and to every pint of jelly put in the peel of an orange. set it on a quick fire, and boil it well; then run it through a jelly-bag and measure it. to every pint take a pound of fine sugar; set it on the fire, make it scalding hot, and strain it from the scum. take the orange-peel, boiled very tender, shred it very small, and put it into it; give it another scald, and serve it out. lemon clove cake may be done the same way, but you must scald the peel before the sugar is put in. _orange-flower cakes._ dip sugar in water, and let it boil over a quick fire till it is almost dry sugar again. to half a pound of sugar, when it is perfectly clear, add seven spoonfuls of water; then put in the orange-flowers: just give the mixture a boil up; drop it on china or silver plates, and set them in the sun till the cakes are dry enough to be taken off. _plum cake._ no. . take eight pounds and three quarters of fine flour well dried and sifted, one ounce of beaten mace, one pound and a half of sugar. mix them together, and take one quart of cream and six pounds of butter, put together, and set them over the fire till the butter is melted. then take thirty-three eggs, one quart of yest, and twelve spoonfuls of sack; put it into the flour, stir it well together, and, when well mixed, set it before the fire to rise for an hour. then take ten pounds of currants washed and dried, and set them to dry before the fire, one pound of citron minced, one pound of orange and lemon-peel together, sliced. when your oven is ready, stir your cake thoroughly; put in your sweetmeats and currants; mix them well in, and put into tin hoops. the quantity here given will make two large cakes, which will take two hours' baking. _plum cake._ no. . one pound of fine flour well dried and sifted, three quarters of a pound of fine sugar, also well dried and sifted. work one pound to a cream with a noggin of brandy; then add to it by degrees your sugar, continuing to beat it very light. beat the yolks of ten eggs extremely light; then put them into the butter and sugar, a spoonful at a time; beat the whites very light, and when you add the flour, which should be by degrees, put in the whites a spoonful at a time; add a grated nutmeg and a little beaten mace, and a good pound of currants, washed, dried, and picked, with a little of the flour rubbed about them. work them into the cake. cut in thin slices a quarter of a pound of blanched almonds, and two ounces of citron and candied orange-peel. between every layer of cake, as you put it into the hoop, put in the sweetmeats, and bake it two hours. _plum cake._ no. . rub one pound of butter into two pounds of flour; take one pound of sugar, one pound of currants, and mix them with four eggs; make them into little round cakes, and bake them on tins. half this quantity is sufficient to make at a time. _clear plum cake._ make apple jelly rather strong, and strain it through a woollen bag. put as many white pear plums as will give a flavour to the jelly; let it boil; strain it again through the bag, and boil up as many pounds of fine sugar for a candy as you had pints of jelly; and when your sugar is boiled very high, add your jelly; just scald it over the fire; put it in little pots, and let it stand with a constant fire. _portugal cakes._ put one pound of fine sugar, well beaten and sifted, one pound of fresh butter, five eggs, and a little beaten mace, into a flat pan: beat it up with your hand until it is very light; then put in by degrees one pound of fine flour well dried and sifted, half a pound of currants picked, washed, and well dried; beat them together till very light; bake them in heart pans in a slack oven. _potato cakes._ roast or bake mealy potatoes, as they are drier and lighter when done that way than boiled; peel them, and beat them in a mortar with a little cream or melted butter; add some yolks of eggs, a little sack, sugar, a little beaten mace, and nutmeg: work it into a light paste, then make it into cakes of what shape you please with moulds. fry them brown in the best fresh butter; serve them with sack and sugar. _pound cake._ take a pound of flour and a pound of butter; beat to a cream eight eggs, leaving out the whites of four, and beat them up with the butter. put the flour in by degrees, one pound of sugar, a few caraway seeds, and currants, if you like; half a pound will do. _another._ take half a pound of butter, and half a pound of powdered lump-sugar; beat them till they are like a cream. then take three eggs, leaving out the whites of two; beat them very well with a little brandy; then put the eggs to the butter and sugar; beat it again till it is come to a cream. shake over it half a pound of dried flour; beat it well with your hand; add half a nutmeg, half an ounce of caraway seeds, and what sweetmeat you please. butter the mould well. _pound davy._ beat up well ten eggs and half a pound of sugar with a little rose-water; mix in half a pound of flour, and bake it in a pan. _clear quince cakes._ take the apple quince, pare and core it; take as many apples as quinces; just cover them with water, and boil till they are broken. strain them through a sieve or woollen bag, and boil up to a candy as many pounds of sugar as you have of jelly, which put in your jelly; just let it scald over the fire, and put it into paste in a stove. the paste is made thus: scald quinces in water till they are tender; then pare and scrape them fine with a knife and put them into apple jelly; let it stand till you think the paste sufficiently thickened, then boil up to a candy as many pounds of sugar as you have of paste. _ratafia cakes._ bitter and sweet almonds, of each a quarter of a pound, blanched and well dried with a napkin, finely pounded with the white of an egg; three quarters of a pound of finely pounded sugar mixed with the almonds. have the whites of three eggs beat well, and mix up with the sugar and almonds; put the mixture with a tea-spoon on white paper, and bake it in a slow heat; when the cakes are cold, they come off easily from the paper. when almonds are pounded, they are generally sprinkled with a little water, otherwise they become oily. instead of water take to the above the white of an egg or a little more; to the whole of the above quantity the whites of four eggs are used. _rice cake._ ground rice, flour and loaf-sugar, of each six ounces, eight eggs, leaving out five of the whites, the peel of a lemon grated: beat all together half an hour, and bake it three quarters of an hour in a quick oven. _another._ take one pound of sifted rice flour, one pound of fine sugar finely beaten and sifted, and sixteen eggs, leaving out half the whites; beat them a quarter of an hour at least, separately; then add the sugar, and beat it with the eggs extremely well and light. when they are as light as possible, add by degrees the rice-flour; beat them all together for an hour as light as you can. put in a little orange-flower water, or brandy, and candied peel, if you like; the oven must not be too hot. _rock cakes._ one pound of flour, half a pound of clarified butter, half a pound of currants, half a pound of sugar; mix and pinch into small cakes. _royal cakes._ take three pounds of very fine flour, one pound and a half of butter, and as much currants, seven yolks and three whites of eggs, a nutmeg grated, a little rose-water, one pound and a half of sugar finely beaten; knead it well and light, and bake on tins. _savoy or sponge cake._ take twelve new-laid eggs, and their weight in double refined sugar; pound it fine, and sift it through a lawn sieve; beat the yolks very light, and add the sugar to them by degrees; beat the whole well together till it is extremely light. whisk the whites of the eggs to a strong froth; then mix all together by adding the yolks and the sugar to the whites. have ready the weight of seven eggs in fine flour very well dried and sifted; stir it in by degrees, and grate in the rind of a lemon. butter a mould well, and bake in a quick oven. about half an hour or forty minutes will do it. _another._ take one pound of jordan and two ounces of bitter almonds; blanch them in cold water, and beat them very fine in a mortar, adding orange-flower and rose-water as you beat them to prevent their oiling. then beat eighteen eggs, the whites separately to a froth, and the yolks extremely well, with a little brandy and sack. put the almonds when pounded into a dry, clean, wooden bowl, and beat them with your hand extremely light, with one pound of fine dried and sifted sugar; put the sugar in by degrees, and beat it very light, also the peels of two large lemons finely grated. put in by degrees the whites of the eggs as they rise to a froth, and in the same manner the yolks, continuing to beat it for an hour, or until it is as light as possible. an hour will bake it; it must be a quick oven; you must continue to beat the cake until the oven is ready for it. _seed cake._ no. . heat a wooden bowl, and work in three pounds of butter with your hands, till it is as thin as cream; then work in by degrees two pounds of fine sugar sifted, and eighteen eggs well beaten, leaving out four of the whites; put the eggs in by degrees. take three pounds of the finest flour, well dried and sifted, mixed with one ounce and a half of caraway seeds, one nutmeg, and a little mace; put them in the flour as you did the sugar, and beat it well up with your hands; put it in your hoop; and it will take two hours' baking. you may add sweetmeats if you like. the dough must be made by the fire, and kept constantly worked with the hands to mix it well together. if you have sweetmeats, put half a pound of citron, a quarter of a pound of lemon-peel, and put the dough lightly into the hoop, just before you send it to the oven, without smoothing it at top, for that makes it heavy. _seed cake._ no. . take a pound and a half of butter; beat it to a cream with your hand or a flat stick; beat twelve eggs, the yolks in one pan and the whites in another, as light as possible, and then beat them together, adding by degrees one pound and a half of well dried and sifted loaf-sugar, and a little sack and brandy. when the oven is nearly ready, mix all together, with one pound and a half of well dried and sifted flour, half a pound of sliced almonds, and some caraway seeds: beat it well with your hand before you put it into the hoop. _seed cake._ no. , _called borrow brack._ melt one pound and a half of butter in a quart of milk made warm. mix fourteen eggs in half a pint of yest. take half a peck of flour, and one pound of sugar, both dried and sifted, four ounces of caraway seeds, and two ounces of beaten ginger. mix all well together. first put the eggs and the yest to the flour, then add the butter and the milk. make it into a paste of the substance of that for french bread; if not flour enough add what is sufficient; and if too much, put some warm new milk. let it stand for above half an hour at the fire, before you make it up into what form you please. _shrewsbury cakes._ take three pounds and a half of fresh butter, work the whey and any salt that it may contain well out of it. take four pounds of fine flour well dried and sifted, one ounce of powdered cinnamon, five eggs well beaten, and two pounds of loaf-sugar well dried and sifted. put them all into the flour, and work them well together into a paste. make it into a roll; cut off pieces for cakes and work them well with your hands. this quantity will make above six dozen of the size of those sold at shrewsbury. they require great care in baking; a short time is sufficient, and the oven must not be very hot. _sponge cake._ take seven eggs, leaving out three whites; beat them well with a whisk; then take three quarters of a pound of lump-sugar beat fine: put to it a quarter of a pint of boiling water, and pour it to the eggs; then beat it half an hour or more; when you are just going to put it in the oven, add half a pint of flour well dried. you must not beat it after the flour is in. put a paper in the tin. a quick oven will bake this quantity in an hour. it must not be beaten with a spoon, as it will make it heavy. _another._ take twelve eggs, leaving out half the whites; beat them to froth; shake in one pound of lump-sugar, sifted through a fine sieve, and three quarters of a pound of flour well dried; put in the peel of two lemons grated and the juice of one; beat all well in with a fork. _sugar cakes._ take half a pound of sugar, half a pound of butter, two ounces of flour, two eggs, but the white of one only, a little beaten mace, and a little brandy. mix all together into a paste with your hands; make it into little cakes, and bake them on tins. you may put in six ounces of currants, if you like. _little sugar cakes._ take double-refined sugar and sift it very fine; beat the white of an egg to a froth; take gum-dragon that has been steeped in juice of lemon or orange-flower water, and some ambergris finely beaten with the sugar. mix all these together in a mortar, and beat it till it is very white; then roll it into small knobs, or make it into small loaves. lay them on paper well sugared, and set them into a very gentle oven. _sweet cakes._ take half a pound of butter, and beat it with a spoon till it is quite soft; add two eggs, well beaten, half a pound of currants, half a pound of powdered sugar, and a pound of flour, mixed by degrees with the butter. drop it on, and bake them. blanched almonds, powdered to paste, instead of currants, are excellent. _tea cakes._ take loaf sugar, finely powdered, and butter, of each a quarter of a pound, about half a pound of flour, dried before the fire, a walnut-shellful of caraway seeds, just bruised, and one egg. work all together into a paste, adding a spoonful of brandy. roll the paste out to the thickness of a half-crown, and cut it with a tea-cup. flour a tin, and lay the cakes upon it. take the white of an egg, well beaten and frothed, dip a feather in this, and wash them over, and then grate upon them a little fine sugar. put them into a slackish oven, till they are of a very pale brown. _dry tea cakes._ boil two ounces of butter in a pint of skimmed milk; let it stand till it is as cold as new milk; then put to it a spoonful of light yest, a little salt, and as much flour as will make it a stiff paste. work it as much, or more, than you would do brown bread; let it lie half an hour to rise; then roll it into thin cakes; prick them very well quite through, to prevent their blistering, and bake them on tin plates in a quick oven. to keep crisp, they must be hung up in the kitchen, or where there is a constant fire. _thousand cake._ one pound of flour, half a pound of butter, six ounces of sugar, five eggs, leaving out three whites; rub the flour, butter, and sugar, well together; pour the eggs into it; work it up well; roll it out thin, and cut them with a glass of what size you please. _tunbridge cakes._ one pound and a half of flour, one pound of butter; rub the butter into the flour; strew in a few caraways, and add the yolks of two eggs, first beaten, and as much water as will make it into a paste: roll it out thin, and prick it with a jagging iron; run the cakes into what shape you please, or cut them with a glass. just as you put them into the oven, sift sugar on them, and a very little when they come out. the oven must be as hot as for manchets. bake them on paper. _veal cake._ take thin slices of veal, and fat and lean slices of ham, and lay the bottom of a basin or mould with one slice of each in rows. chop some sweet-herbs very small, and fill the basin with alternate layers of veal and ham, sprinkling every layer with the herbs. season to your taste; and add some hard yolks of eggs. when the basin is full, pour in some gravy. put a plate on the top, and a weight on it to keep the meat close. bake it about an hour and a half, and do not turn it out till next day. _yorkshire cakes._ take two pounds of flour, three ounces of butter, the yolks of two eggs, three spoonfuls of yest that is not bitter; melt the butter in half a pint of milk; then mix them all well together; let it stand one hour by the fire to rise; then roll the dough into cakes pretty thin. set them a quarter of an hour longer to the fire to rise; bake them on tins in a moderate oven; toast and butter them as you do muffins. _calves' foot jelly._ no. . to two calves' feet put a gallon of water, and boil it to two quarts; run it through a sieve, and let it stand till it is cold; then take off all the fat, and put the jelly in a pan, with a pint of white wine, the juice of two lemons, sugar to your taste, and the whites of six eggs. stir these together near half an hour, then strain it through a jelly-bag; put a piece of lemon-peel in the bag; let it pass through the bag till it is clear. if you wish this jelly to be very clear and strong, add an ounce of isinglass. _calves' foot jelly._ no. . boil four calves' feet in three quarts of water for three or four hours, or till they will not hold together, now and then skimming off the fat. the liquor must be reduced to a quart. when you have quite cleared it from the fat, which must be done by papering it over, add to it nearly a bottle of white wine, sherry is the best, the juice of four or five lemons, the peel also pared very thin, so that no white is left on it, and sugar to your taste. then beat up six whites of eggs to a stiff froth, and with a whisk keep stirring it over the fire till it boils. then pour it into the jelly-bag, and keep changing it till it comes clear. this quantity will produce about a quart of jelly strong enough to turn out of moulds. _calves' foot jelly._ no. . take two feet to two quarts of water; reduce it to three pints of jelly. then add the juice and peel of four lemons, one ounce of isinglass, the shells and whites of four eggs, a little cinnamon, mace, and allspice, and a good half pint of madeira. _calves' foot jelly._ no. . stew a calf's foot slowly to a jelly. melt it with a little wine, sugar, and lemon-peel. _cheese, to make._ strain some milk into a cheese tub, as warm as you can from the cow; put into it a large quantity of strong runnet, about a spoonful to sixty quarts; stir it well with a fleeting dish; and cover it close with a wooden cover, made to fit your tub. about the middle of june, let it stand thus three quarters of an hour, in hotter weather less, in cold weather somewhat longer. when it is come, break it pretty small with a dish, and stir it gently till it is all come to a curd; then press it down gently with your dish and hand, so that the whey do not rise over it white; after the whey is pretty well drained and the curd become tolerably hard, break it into a vat very small, heaped up as high as possible, and press it down, at first gently and then harder, with your hands, till as much whey as possible can be got out that way, and yet the curd continues at least two inches above the vat; otherwise the cheese will not take press, that is, will be sour, and full of eyes and holes. then put the curd into one end of a good flaxen cloth, and cover it with the other end, tucking it in with a wooden cheese knife, so as to make it lie smooth and keep the curd quite in; then press it with a heavy weight or in a press, for five or six hours, when it will be fit to turn into a dry cloth, in which press it again for four hours. then take it out, salt it well over, or it will become maggoty, and put it into the vat again for twelve hours. take it out; salt it a second time; and leave it in a tub or on a dresser four days, turning it every day. this done, wash it with cold water, wipe it with a dry cloth, and store it up in your cheese-loft, turning and wiping it every day till it is quite dry. the reason of mouldiness, cracks, and rottenness within, is the not well pressing, turning, or curing, the curd and cheese. _the best cheese in the world._ to make a cheese in the style of stilton cheese, only much better, take the new milk of seven cows, with the cream from the milk of seven cows. heat a gallon of water scalding hot, and put into it three or four handfuls of marigolds bruised a little; strain it into the tub containing the milk and cream, and put to it some runnet, but not so much as to make it come very hard. put the curd into a sieve to drain; do not break it all, but, as the whey runs out, tie up the cloth, and let it stand half an hour or more. then cut the curd in pieces; pour upon it as much cold water as will cover it, and let it stand half an hour. put part of it into a vat or a hoop nearly six inches deep; break the top of it a little, just to make it join with the other, and strew on it a very little salt; then put in the other part, lay a fifty-pound weight upon it, and let it stand half an hour. turn it, and put it into the press. turn it into wet clean cloths every hour of the day. next morning salt it; and let it lie in the salt a night and a day. keep it swathed tight, till it begins to dry and coat, and keep it covered with a clean cloth for a long time. the month of august is the best time for making this cheese, which should be kept a year before it is cut. _cheese, to stew._ scrape some rich old cheese into a saucepan, with a small piece of butter and a spoonful of cream. let it stew till it is smooth; add the yolk of one egg; give it a boil all together. serve it up on a buttered toast, and brown it with a salamander. _cream cheese._ take a basin of thick cream, let it stand some time; then salt it, put a thin cloth over a hair-sieve, and pour the cream on it. shift the cloth every day, till it is proper; then wrap the cheese up to ripen in nettle or vine leaves. _another._ take a quart of new milk and a quart of cream; warm them together, and put to it a spoonful of runnet; let it stand three hours; then take it out with a skimming-dish; break the curd as little as possible; put it into a straw vat, which is just big enough to hold this quantity; let it stand in the vat two days; take it out, and sprinkle a little salt over it; turn it every day, and it will be ready in ten days. _princess amelia's cream cheese._ wash the soap out of a napkin; double it to the required size, and put it wet into a pewter soup-plate. put into it a pint of cream; cover it, and let it stand twenty-four hours unless the weather is very hot, in which case not so long. turn the cheese in the napkin: sprinkle a little salt over it, and let it stand twelve hours. then turn it into a very dry napkin out of which all soap has been washed, and salt the other side. it will be fit to eat in a day or two according to the weather. some keep it in nut leaves to ripen it. _irish cream cheese._ take a quart of very thick cream, and stir well into it two spoonfuls of salt. double a napkin in two, and lay it in a punch-bowl. pour the cream into it; turn the four corners over the cream, and let it stand for two days. put it into a dry cloth within a little wooden cheese-vat; turn it into dry cloths twice a day till it is quite dry, and it will be fit to eat in a few days. keep it in clean cloths in a cool place. _rush cheese._ take a quart of cream, put to it a gill of new milk; boil one half of it and put it to the other; then let it stand till it is of the warmth of new milk, after which put in a little earning, and, when sufficiently come, break it as little as you can; put it into a vat that has a rush bottom, lay it on a smooth board, and turn it every day till ripe. _winter cream cheese._ take twenty quarts of new milk warm from the cow; strain it into a tub; have ready four quarts of good cream boiled to put to it, and about a quart of spring water, boiling hot, and stir all well together; put in your earning, and stir it well in; keep it by the fire till it is well come. then take it gently into a sieve to whey it, and after that put it into a vat, either square or round, with a cheese-board upon it, of two pounds weight at first, which is to be increased by degrees to six pounds; turn it into dry cloths two or three times a day for a week or ten days, and salt it with dry salt, the third day. when you take it out of the vat, lay it upon a board, and turn and wipe it every other day till it is dry. it is best to be made as soon as the cows go into fog. the cheeses are fit to eat in lent, sometimes at christmas, according to the state of the ground. _to make cream cheese without cream._ take a quart of milk warm from the cow and two quarts of boiling water. when the curd is ready for the cheese-vat, put it in, without breaking it, by a dishful at a time, and fill it up as it drains off. it must not be pressed. the cheese-vat should have holes in it all over like a colander. take out the cheese when it will bear it, and ripen it upon rushes: it must be more than nine inches deep. _damson cheese._ take the damsons full ripe, and squeeze out the stones, which put into the preserving-pan, with as much water as will cover them: let them simmer till the stones are quite clear, and put your fruit into the liquor. take three pounds of good powder sugar to six pounds of fruit; boil it very fast till quite thick; then break the stones, and put the whole kernels into it, before you put it into moulds for use. _another._ boil up one pound of damsons with three quarters of a pound of sugar; when the fruit begins to break, take out the stones and the skins; or, what is a better way, pulp them through a colander. then peel and put in some of the kernels; boil it very high; it will turn out to the shape of any pots or moulds, and is very good. _french cheese._ boil two pints of milk and one of cream, with a blade of mace and a little cinnamon: put the yolks of three eggs and the whites of two, well beaten, into your milk, and set on the fire again, stirring it all the while till it boils. take it off, and stir it till it is a little cooled; then put in the juice of two lemons, and let it stand awhile with the lemons in it. put it in a linen strainer, and hang it up to drain out the whey. when it is drained dry, take it down, and put to it a spoonful or two of rose-water, and sweeten it to your taste: put it into your pan, which must be full of holes; let it stand a little; put it into your dish with cream, and stick some blanched almonds about it. _italian cheese._ one quart of cream, a pint of white wine, the juice of three lemons, a little lemon-peel, and sugar to your taste; beat it with a whisk a quarter of an hour; then pour it on a buttered cloth, over a sieve, to drain all night, and turn it out just before it is sent to table. strew comfits on the top, and garnish as you like. _lemon cheese--very good._ into a quart of thick sweet cream put the juice of three lemons, with the rind finely grated; sweeten it to your taste; beat it very well; then put it into a sieve, with some fine muslin underneath it, and let it stand all night. next day turn it out, and garnish with preserved orange or marmalade. half the above quantity makes a large cheese. do not beat it till it comes to butter, but only till it is near coming. it is a very pretty dish. _cheesecake._ no. . take four quarts of new milk and a pint of cream; put in a blade or two of mace, with a bag of ambergris; set it with as much runnet as will bring it to a tender curd. when it has come, break it as you would a cheese, and, when you have got what whey you can from it, put it in a cloth and lay it in a pan or cheese-hoop, placing on it a weight of five or six pounds, and, when you find it well pressed out, put it into an earthen dish, bruising it very small with a spoon. then take two ounces of almonds, blanch and beat them with rose-water and cream; mix these well together among your curd; sweeten them with loaf-sugar; put in something more than a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, with the yolks of six eggs mixed together. when you are ready to put it into crust, strew in half a pound of currants; let the butter boil that you make your crust with; roll out the cakes very thin. the oven must not be too hot, and great care must be taken in the baking. when they rise up to the top they are sufficiently done. _cheesecake._ no. . blanch half a pound of the best sweet almonds, and beat them very fine. add two spoonfuls of orange-flower or rose-water, half a pound of currants, half a pound of the finest sugar, beaten and sifted, and two quarts of thick cream, which must be kept stirred over a gentle fire. when almost cold, add eight eggs, leaving out half the whites, well beaten and strained, a little beaten mace and finely powdered cinnamon, with four well pounded cloves. mix them well into the rest of the ingredients, keeping it still over the fire as before. pour it well beaten into puff-paste for the oven, and if it be well heated they will be baked in a quarter of an hour. _cheesecake._ no. . take two quarts of milk, make it into curd with a little runnet; when it is drained as dry as possible, put to it a quarter of a pound of butter; rub both together in a marble mortar till smooth; then add one ounce of almonds blanched; beat two naples biscuits, and about as much crumb of roll; put seven yolks of eggs, but only one white; season it with mace and a little rose-water, and sweeten to your taste. _cheesecake._ no. . break one gallon of milk with runnet, and press it dry; then beat it in a mortar very small; put in half a pound of butter, and beat the whole over again until it is as smooth as butter. put to it six eggs, leaving out half the whites; beat them very light with sack and rose-water, half a nutmeg grated, half a quarter of a pound of almonds beaten fine with rose-water and a little brandy. sweeten to your taste; put in what currants you like, make a rich crust, and bake in a quick oven. _cheesecake._ no. . a quart of milk with eight eggs beat together; when it is come to a curd, put it into a sieve, and strain the whey out. beat a quarter of a pound of butter with the curd in a mortar, with three eggs and three spoonfuls of sugar; pound it together very light; add half a nutmeg and a very little salt. _cheesecake._ no. . take a pint of milk, four eggs well beaten, three ounces of butter, half a pound of sugar, the peel of a lemon grated; put all together into a kettle, and set it over a clear fire; keep stirring it till it begins to boil; then mix one spoonful of flour with as much milk as will just mix it, and put it into the kettle with the rest. when it begins to boil, take it off the fire, and put it into an earthen pan; let it stand till the next morning; then add a quarter of a pound of currants, a little nutmeg, and half a glass of brandy. _almond cheesecake._ blanch six ounces of sweet and half an ounce of bitter almonds; let them lie half an hour on a stove or before the fire; pound them very fine with two table-spoonfuls of rose or orange-flower water; put in the stewpan half a pound of fresh butter, add to this the almonds, six ounces of sifted loaf-sugar, a little grated lemon-peel, some good cream, and the yolks of four eggs; rub all well together with the pestle; cover the pattypans with puff paste, fill them with the mixture, and bake it half an hour in a brisk oven. _cocoa-nut cheesecakes._ take a cocoa-nut, which by many is thought far superior to almonds; grate it the long way; put to it some thick syrup, mixing it by degrees. boil it till it comes to the consistence of cheese; when half cold add to it two eggs; beat it up with rose-water till it is light: if too thick, add a little more rose-water. when beaten up as light as possible, pour it upon a fine crust in cheesecake pans, and, just before they are going into the oven, sift over some fine sugar, which will raise a nice crust and much improve their appearance. the addition of half a pound of butter just melted, and eight more eggs, leaving out half of the whites, makes an excellent pudding. _cream cheesecake._ two quarts of cream set on a slow fire, put into it twelve eggs very well beat and strained, stir it softly till it boils gently and breaks into whey and a fine soft curd; then take the curd as it rises off the whey, and put it into an earthen pan; then break four eggs more, and put to the whey; set it on the fire, and take off the curd as before, and put it to the rest: then add fourteen ounces of butter, half a pound of light naples biscuit grated fine, a quarter of a pound of almonds beat fine with rose-water, one pound of currants, well washed and picked, some nutmeg grated, and sugar to your taste: a short crust. _curd cheesecake._ just warm a quart of new milk; put into it a spoonful of runnet, and set it near the fire till it breaks. strain it through a sieve; put the curd into a pan, and beat it well with a spoon. melt a quarter of a pound of butter, put in the same quantity of moist sugar, a little grated nutmeg, two naples biscuits, grated fine, the yolks of four eggs beat well, and the whites of two, a glass of raisin wine, a few bitter almonds, with lemon or seville orange-peel cut fine, a quarter of a pound of currants plumped; mix all well together, and put it into the paste and pans for baking. _lemon cheesecake._ grate the rind of three to the juice of two lemons; mix them with three sponge biscuits, six ounces of fresh butter, four ounces of sifted sugar, half a gill of cream, and three eggs well beaten. work them well, and fill the pan, which must be lined with puff-paste; lay on the top some candied lemon-peel cut thin. _another._ boil the peel of two lemons till tender; pound it in a mortar very fine; blanch and pound a few almond kernels with the peel. mix a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar, a quarter of a pound of butter, the yolks of six eggs, all together in the mortar, and put it in the puff-paste for baking. this quantity will make twelve or fourteen cakes. _orange cheesecake._ take the peel of one orange and a half and one lemon grated; squeeze out the juice; add a quarter of a pound of sugar, and a quarter of a pound of melted butter, four eggs, leaving out the whites, a little naples biscuit grated, to thicken it, and a little white wine. put almonds in it if you like. _scotch cheesecake._ put one ounce of butter into a saucepan to clarify; add one ounce of powder sugar and two eggs; stir it over a slow fire until it almost boils, but not quite. line your pattypans with paste; bake the cakes of a nice brown, and serve them up between hot and cold. _cherries, to preserve._ no. . take either morella or carnation; stone the fruit; to morella cherries take the jelly of white currants, drawn with a little water, and run through a jelly-bag; to a pint and a half of jelly, add three pounds of fine sugar. set it on a quick fire; when it boils, skim it, and put in a pound of stoned cherries. let them not boil too fast at first; take them off at times; but when they are tender boil them very fast till they are very clear and jelly; then put them into pots or glasses. the carnation cherries must have red currant jelly; if you have not white currant jelly for the morella, codling jelly will do. _cherries, to preserve._ no. . to three quarters of a pound of cherries stoned take one pound and a quarter of sugar; leave out a quarter of a pound to strew on them as they boil. put in the preserving-pan a layer of cherries and a layer of sugar, till they are all in; boil them quick, keeping them closely covered with white paper, which take off frequently, and skim them; strew the sugar kept out over them; it will clear them very much. when they look clear they are done enough. take them out of the syrup quite clear from the skim; strain the syrup through a fine sieve; then put to it a quarter of a pint of the juice of white currants, put them into the pan again, and boil it till it is a hanging jelly. just before it is quite done put in the cherries; give them a boil, and put them into pots. there must be fourteen spoonfuls of water put in at first with the cherries. _cherries, to preserve._ no. . stone the cherries, and to twelve pounds of fruit put nine pounds of sugar; boil the sugar-candy high; stir it well; throw in the cherries; let them not boil too fast at first, stirring them often in the pan; afterwards boil them fast till they become tender. _morella cherries, to preserve._ when you have stalked and stoned your cherries, put to them an equal weight of sugar: make your syrup, skim it, and take it off the fire. skim it again well, and put in your cherries, shaking them with care in the pan. boil them, not on a quick fire, lest the fruit should crack; and take them off the fire several times. let them boil till done; put your cherries into pots; strain the syrup through muslin, and boil it again till thoroughly done. _morella cherries, to preserve in brandy._ take two pounds of morella cherries, when not too ripe, but finely coloured, weighed with their stalks and stones. put a quart of water and twelve ounces of double-refined sugar into a preserving-pan, and set it over a clear charcoal fire. let it boil a quarter of an hour; skim it clean, and set it by till cold. then take away the stalks and stones, and, when the syrup is quite cold, put the stoned cherries into the syrup, set them over a gentle fire, and let them barely simmer till their skins begin to rise. take them from the fire; pour them into a basin; cut a piece of paper round of the size of the basin; lay it close upon the cherries while hot, and let them stand so till next day. set a hair sieve in a pan, and pour the cherries into it; let them drain till the syrup is all drained out: boil the syrup till reduced to two-thirds, and set it aside till cold. put your cherries into a glass jar; put to them a spoonful of their own syrup and one of brandy, and continue to do so till the jar is filled within two inches of the top: then put over it a wet bladder, and a piece of leather over that; tie it down close, and keep it in a warm place. if you do not mind the stones, merely cut off the stalks of the cherries. _brandy cherries._ to each bottle of brandy add half a pound of white sugar-candy: let this dissolve; cut the large ripe morella cherries from the tree into a glass or earthen jar, leaving the stalks about half the original length. when the jar is full, pour upon the cherries the brandy as above. let the fruit be completely covered, and fill it up as the liquor settles. cork the jar, and tie a leather over the top. apricot kernels blanched and put in are an agreeable addition. _cherries, to dry._ stone the cherries, and to ten pounds when stoned put three pounds of sugar finely beaten. shake the cherries and sugar well together; when the sugar is quite dissolved, give them a boil or two over a slow fire, and put them in an earthen pot. next day scald them, lay them on a sieve, and dry them in the sun, or in a oven, not too hot. turn them till they are dry enough, then put them up; but put no paper. _liquor for dried cherries._ take some red currants, and boil them in water till it is very red; then put it to your cherries and sugar it; this makes them of a good colour. _cherry jam._ take twelve pounds of stoned cherries; boil and break them as they boil, and, when you have boiled all the juice away, and can see the bottom of the pan, put in three pounds of sugar finely beaten: stir it well in; give the fruit two or three boils, and put it in pots or glasses, and cover with brandy paper. _cocoa._ take three table-spoonfuls of cocoa and one dessert spoonful of flour; beat them well together, and boil in a pint and a half of spring water, upon a slow fire, for two or three hours, and then strain it for use. _cocoa-nut candy._ grate a cocoa-nut on a fine bread grater; weigh it, and add the same quantity of loaf-sugar: melt the sugar with rose-water, of which, for a small cocoa-nut, put six table-spoonfuls. when the syrup is clarified and boiling, throw in the cocoa-nut by degrees; keep stirring it all the time, whilst boiling, with a wooden slice, to prevent it burning to the bottom of the pan, which it is very apt to do, unless great care is taken. when the candy is sufficiently boiled, spread it on a pasteboard previously rubbed with a wet cloth, and cut it in whatever shape you please. to know when the candy is sufficiently boiled, drop a small quantity on the pasteboard, and if the syrup does not run from the cocoa-nut, it is done enough; when the candy is cold, put it on a dish, and keep it in a dry place. _coffee, to roast._ for this purpose you must have a roaster with a spit. put in no more coffee than will have room enough to work about well. set it down to a good fire; put in every now and then a little fresh butter, and mix it well with a spoon. it will take five or six hours to roast. when done, turn it out into a large dish or a dripping-pan, till it is quite dry. _another way._ take two pounds of coffee, and put it into a roaster. roast it one hour before a brisk fire; add two ounces of butter, and let it roast till it becomes of a fine brown. watch, that it does not burn. two hours and a half will do it. take half a pound for eight cups. _coffee to make the foreign way._ take demarara--bean dutch coffee--in preference to mocha coffee; wash it well. when it is very clean, put it in an earthen vessel, and cover it close, taking great care that no air gets to it; then grind it very thoroughly. put a good half pint of coffee into a large coffee-pot, that holds three quarts, with a large table-spoonful of mustard; then pour upon it boiling water. it is of great consequence that the water should boil; but do not fill the coffee-pot too full, for fear of its boiling over, and losing the aromatic oil. then pour the whole contents backwards and forwards several times into a clean cup or basin, wiping the basin or cup each time--this will clear it sufficiently. let it then stand ten minutes, after which, when cool, pour it clear off the grounds steadily, into clean bottles, and lay them down on their sides, well corked. do not throw away your coffee grounds, but add another table-spoonful of mustard to them, and fill up the vessel with boiling water, doing as before directed. be sure to cork the bottles well; lay them down on one side, and before you want to use them set them up for a couple of hours, in case any sediment should remain. let it come to the boil, always taking care that it is neither smoked nor boils over. all coffee should be kept on a lamp while you are using it. by following this receipt as much coffee will be obtained for threepence as you would otherwise get for a shilling; and it is the best possible coffee. _to make cream rise in cold weather._ dip each pan or bowl into a pail of boiling water before you strain the milk into it. put a close cover over each for about ten minutes: the hot steam causes the cream to rise thick and rich. _cream, to fry._ take two spoonfuls of fine flour and the yolks of four eggs; grate in the rind of one lemon; beat them well with the flour, and add a pint of cream. mix these very well together; sweeten to your taste, and add a bit of cinnamon. put the whole in a stewpan over a slow fire; continue to stir it until it is quite hot; but it must not boil. take out the cinnamon; beat two eggs very well, and put them into the cream; butter a pewter dish; pour the cream in it; put it into a warm oven to set, but not to colour it. when cold, cut it into pieces, and have ready a stewpan or frying-pan, with a good deal of lard; dredge the cream with flour; fry the pieces of a light brown, grate sugar over them, glaze with a salamander, and serve them very hot. _artificial cream and curd._ a pint of good new milk, nine whites of eggs beat up, and well stirred and mixed with the milk; put it on a slow fire to turn; then take it off, and drain it through a fine sieve, and set it into a basin or mould. to make the cream for it, take a pint of milk and the yolks of four eggs well beat, boil it with a bit of cinnamon over a slow fire; keep it constantly stirring; when it is as thick as rich cream, take it off, and stir it a little while afterwards. _cream of rice._ wash and well clean some very good rice; put it into a stewpan, with water, and boil it gently till quite soft, with a little cinnamon, if agreeable to the taste. when the rice is boiled quite soft, take out the cinnamon. then take a large dish, and set it on a table: have a clean tamis--a new one would be better--a tamis is only the piece of flannel commonly used in kitchens for passing sauces through--and give one end of the tamis to a person on the opposite side of the table to hold, while you hold the other end with your left hand. having a large wooden spoon in your right, you put two or three spoonfuls of boiled rice into this tamis, which is held over the large dish, and rub the rice upon it with the spoon till it passes through into the dish. whatever sticks to the tamis take off with a silver spoon and put into the dish. when you have passed the quantity you want, put it in a basin. it should be made fresh every day. warm it for use in a small silver or tin saucepan, adding a little sugar and madeira, according to your taste. _almond cream._ make this in the manner directed for pistachio cream, adding half a dozen bitter almonds to the sweet. _barley cream._ take half a pint of pearl barley, and two quarts of water. boil it half away, and then strain it out. put in some juice of lemons; sweeten it to your taste. steep two ounces of sweet almonds in rose-water; and blanch, stamp, and strain them through into the barley, till it is as white as milk. _french barley cream._ boil your barley in two or three waters, till it looks white and tender; pour the water clean from the barley, and put as much cream as will make it tolerably thick, and a blade or two of mace, and let it boil. to a pint and a half of cream put two ounces of almonds, blanched and ground with rose-water. strain them with cold cream; put the cream through the almonds two or three times, wringing it hard. sweeten to your taste; let it boil; and put it in a broad dish. _chocolate cream._ boil a quart of thick cream, scraping into it one ounce of chocolate. add about a quarter of a pound of sugar; when it is cold put nine whites of eggs; whisk it, and, as the froth rises, put it into glasses. _citron cream._ to a quarter of a pound of citron pounded put three gills of cream: mill it up with a chocolate-stick till the citron is mixed; put it in sugar if needful. _clotted cream._ set the milk in the usual way; when it has stood twelve hours, it is, without being skimmed, to be placed in a stove and scalded, of course not suffered to boil, and then left to stand again for twelve hours; then take off the cream which floats at the top in lumps, for which reason it is called clotted cream; it may be churned into butter; the skim milk makes cheese. _coffee cream._ take two ounces of whole coffee, one quart of cream, about four ounces of fine sugar, a small piece of the yellow rind of a lemon, with rather less than half an ounce of the best picked isinglass. boil these ingredients, stirring them now and then, till the cream is highly flavoured with the coffee. it might, perhaps, be better to flavour the cream first, and then dissolve the isinglass and put it to it. take it off the fire; have ready the yolks of six eggs beaten, which add to the cream, and continue to beat it till it is about lukewarm, lest the eggs should turn the cream. strain the whole through a fine sieve into the dish in which you mean to serve it, which must be first fixed into a stewpan of boiling water, that will hold it so commodiously, that the bottom only will touch the water, and not a drop of the water come to the cream. cover the cream with the lid of a stewpan, and in that lid put two or three bits of lighted charcoal, moving them from one part to another, that it may all set alike; it should only simmer. when it has done in this manner for a short time, take off the cover of the stewpan; if not done enough, cover it again, and put fresh charcoal; it should be done so as to form a weak jelly. take it off, and keep it in a cool place till you serve it. if you wish to turn it out in a mould, boil more isinglass in it. tea cream is made in the same manner. _eringo cream._ take a quarter of a pound of eringoes, and break them into short pieces; put to them a pint of milk; let it boil till the eringoes are very tender; then pour the milk from them; put in a pint of cream to the eringoes; let them boil; put in an egg, beaten well, to thicken, and dish it up. _fruit cream._ scald your fruit; when done, pulp it through a sieve; let it stand till almost cold; then sweeten it to your taste; put it into your cream, and make it of whatever thickness you please. _preserved fruit creams._ put half a pound of the pulp of any preserved fruit in a large pan: add to it the whites of three eggs, well beaten; beat these well together for an hour. take it off with a spoon, and lay it up high on the dish or glasses. raspberries will not do this way. _italian cream._ boil a pint of cream with half a pint of new milk; when it boils throw in the peel of an orange and a lemon, with a quarter of a pound of sugar, and a small pinch of salt. when the cream is impregnated with the flavour of the fruit, mix and beat it with the yolks of eight eggs; set it on the fire to be made equally thick; as soon as it is thick enough for the eggs to be done, put into it an ounce of dissolved isinglass; drain it well through a sieve: put some of the cream into a small mould, to see if it is thick enough: if not, add more isinglass. lay this preparation in a mould in some salt or ice; when it is quite stiff, and you wish to send it up, dip a napkin in hot water, and put it round the mould, which turn upside down in the dish. _another._ put two table-spoonfuls of sifted sugar, half of a gill of white wine, with a little brandy, a table-spoonful of lemon-juice, and the rind of a lemon, in a basin, with a pint of cream well whipped together; put thin muslin in the shape or mould, and set it in a cold place, or on ice, till wanted. _lemon cream._ no. . take five large lemons and rasp off all the outside; then squeeze the lemons, and put what you have rasped off into the juice; let it stand two or three hours, if all night the better. take eight whites of eggs and one yolk, and beat them well together; put to it a pint of spring water: then mix them all, and sweeten it with double-refined sugar according to your taste. set it over a chaffing-dish of coals, stirring it till it is of a proper thickness; then dish it out. be sure not to let it boil. _lemon cream._ no. . pare three smooth-skinned lemons; squeeze out the juice; cut the peel in small pieces, and put it to the juice. let it stand two or three hours closely covered, and, when it has acquired the flavour of the peel, add to it the whites of five eggs and the yolks of three. beat them well with two spoonfuls of orange-flower water; sweeten with double-refined sugar; strain it; set it over a slow fire, and stir it carefully till it is as thick as cream; then pour it into glasses. _lemon cream._ no. . set on the fire three pints of cream; when it is ready to boil, take it off, and squeeze a lemon into it. stir it up; hang it up in a cloth, till the whey has run out; sweeten it to your taste, and serve it up. _lemon cream._ no. . take the sweetest cream, and squeeze in juice of lemon to your taste: put it into a churn, and shake it till it rises or ferments. sweeten it to your taste, but be sure not to put any sugar before you churn it, for that will hinder the fermentation. _lemon cream._ no. . pare two lemons, and squeeze to them the juice of one larger or two smaller; let it remain some time, and then strain the juice to a pint of cream, and add the yolks of four eggs beaten and strained; sweeten it, and stir it over the fire till thick. you may add a little brandy, if agreeable. _lemon cream without cream._ squeeze three lemons, and put the parings into the juice; cover and let it remain three hours; beat the yolks of two eggs and the whites of four; sweeten this; add a little orange-flower water, and put it to the lemon-juice. set the whole over a slow fire till it becomes as thick as cream, and take particular care not to let it boil. _lemon cream frothed._ make a pint of cream very sweet, and add the paring of one lemon; let it just boil; put the juice of one large lemon into a glass or china dish, and, when the cream is nearly cold, pour it out of a tea-pot upon the juice, holding it as high as possible. serve it up. _orange cream._ squeeze the juice of four oranges to the rind of one; pat it over the fire with about a pint of cream, and take out the peel before the cream becomes bitter. boil the cream, and, when cold, put to it the yolks of four eggs and the whites of three, beaten and strained, and sugar to your taste. scald this, but keep stirring all the time, until of a proper thickness. _orange cream frothed._ proceed in the same way as with the lemon, but put no peel in the cream; merely steep a bit a short time in the juice. _imperial orange cream._ take a pint of thick sweet cream, and boil it with a little orange-peel. when it just boils, take it off the fire, and stir it till it is no hotter than milk from the cow. have ready the juice of four seville oranges and four lemons; strain the juice through a jelly-bag, and sweeten it well with fine sugar, and a small spoonful of orange-flower water. set your dish on the ground, and, your juice being in it, pour the cream from as great a height as you can, that it may bubble up on the top of the cream; then set it by for five or six hours before you use it, if the weather is hot, but in winter it may stand a whole night. _pistachio cream._ take a quarter of a pound of pistachio-nuts and blanch them; then beat them fine with rose-water; put them into a pint of cream; sweeten it, let it just boil, and put it into glasses. _raspberry cream._ to one pint of cream put six ounces of jam, and pulp it through a sieve, adding the juice of a lemon; whisk it fast at the edge of your dish; lay the froth on the sieve, and add a little more of the juice. when no more froth will rise, put your cream into a dish or cups; heap the froth well on. _ratafia cream._ boil three or four laurel-leaves in one pint of cream, and strain it; when cold, add the yolks of three eggs beaten and strained; then sweeten it; put in it a very little brandy; scald it till thick, and keep stirring it all the time. _rice cream._ boil a quart of milk with a laurel-leaf; pour it on five dessert spoonfuls of ground rice; let it stand two hours; then put it into a saucepan, and boil it till it is tender, with rather less than a quarter of a pound of sugar. beat the yolks of two eggs, and put them into it when it is almost cold; and then boil till it is as thick as a cream. when it is sent to table, put in a few ratafia biscuits. _runnet whey cream._ turn new milk from the cow with runnet; press the whey from it; beat the curd in a mortar till it is quite smooth; then mix it with thick cream, and froth it with a froth-stick; add a little powdered sugar. _snow cream._ sweeten the whites of four eggs, add a pint of thick sweet cream and a good spoonful of brandy. whisk this well together; take off the froth, and lay it upon a sieve; when all the froth that will rise is taken off, pour what has run through to the rest. stir it over a slow fire, and let it just boil; fill your glasses about three parts full, and lay on the froth. _strawberry cream._ exactly the same as raspberry. _sweetmeat cream._ slice preserved peaches, apricots, or plums, into good cream, sweetening it with fine sugar, or the syrup in which they were preserved. mix these well together, and put it into glasses. _whipt cream, to put upon cake._ sweeten a pint of cream to your taste; grate in the peel of a lemon, and steep it some hours before you make use of your cream. add the juice of two lemons; whip it together; and take off the top into a large piece of fine muslin, or gauze, laid within a sieve. let this be done the night before it is to be used. in summer it may be done in the morning of the same day; but the whipt cream must be drained from the curd before it is put upon the cake. _cucumbers, to preserve green._ take fine large green cucumbers; put them in salt and water till they are yellow; then green them over fresh salt and water in a little roch alum. cover them close with abundance of vine leaves, changing the leaves as they become yellow. put in some lemon-juice; and, when the cucumbers are of a fine green, take them off and scald them several times with hot water, or make a very thin syrup, changing it till the raw taste of the cucumbers is taken away. then make a syrup thus: to a pound of cucumbers take one pound and a half of double-refined sugar; leave out the half pound to add to them when boiled up again; put lemon-peel, ginger cut in slices, white orris root, and any thing else you like to flavour with; boil it well; when cool, put it to the cucumbers, and let them remain a few days. boil up the syrup with the remainder of the sugar; continue to heat the syrup till they look clear. just before you take the syrup off, add lemon-juice to your taste. _cream curd._ boil a pint of cream, with a little mace, cinnamon, and rose-water, and, when as cool as new milk, put in half a spoonful of good runnet. when it turns, serve it up in the cream dish. _lemon curd._ to a pint of cream, when it boils, put in the whites of six eggs, and one lemon and a half; stir it until it comes to a tender curd. then put it into a holland bag, and let it drain till all the whey is out of it; beat the curd in a mortar with a little sugar; put it in a basin to form; about two or three hours before you use it, turn it out, and pour thick cream and sugar over it. _paris curd._ put a pint of cream on the fire, with the juice of one lemon, and the whites of six eggs; stir it till it becomes a curd. hang it all night in a cloth to drain; then add to it two ounces of sweet almonds, with brandy and sugar to your taste. mix it well in a mortar, and put it into shapes. _currants, to bottle._ gather your fruit perfectly dry, and not too ripe; cut each currant from the stalk separately, taking care not to bruise them; fill your bottles quite full, cork them lightly, set them in a boiler with cold water, and let them simmer a quarter of an hour, or according to the nature and ripeness of the fruit. by this process the fruit will sink; pour on as much boiling water as will cover the surface and exclude air. should they mould, move it off when you use the fruit, and you will not find the fruit injured by it. cork your bottles quickly, after you take them out of the water; tie a bladder over, and put them in a dry place. this method answers equally well for gooseberries, cherries, greengages, and damsons. _another way._ gather the currants quite dry; clip them off the stalks; if they burst in pulling off they will not do. fill some dry common quart bottles with them, rosin the corks well over, and then tie a bladder well soaked over the cork, and upon the leather; all this is absolutely necessary to keep the air out, and corks in; place the bottles, with the corks downwards, in a boiler of cold water, and stuff hay between them to keep them steady. make a fire under them, and keep it up till the water boils; then rake it out immediately, and leave the bottles in the boiler till the water is quite cold. put them into the cellar in any vessel that will keep them steadily packed, the necks always downward. when a bottle is opened, the currants must be used at once. the bottles will not be above half full when taken out of the boiler, and they must not be shaken more than can be avoided. this process answers equally well for apricots, plums, and cherries. _currants or barberries, to dry in bunches._ when the currants, or barberries, (which should be maiden barberries) are stoned and tied up in bunches, take to one pound of them a pound and a half of sugar. to each pound of sugar put half a pint of water; boil the syrup well, and put the fruit into it. set it on the fire; let it just boil, and then take it off. cover it close with white paper; let it stand till next day; then make it scalding hot, and let it stand two or three days, covered close with paper. lay it in earthen plates; sprinkle over it fine sugar, put it on a stove to dry; lay it on sieves till one side is dry; then turn and sift sugar on it. when dry enough lay it between papers. _currants, to ice._ take the largest and finest bunches of currants you can get; beat the white of an egg to a froth; dip them into it; lay them, so as not to touch, upon a sieve: sift double-refined sugar over them very thick, and let them dry in a stove or oven. _white currants, to preserve._ take the largest white currants, but not the amber colour; strip them, and to two quarts of currants put a pint of water; boil them very fast, and run them through a jelly-bag to a pint of juice. put a pound and half of sugar, and half a pound of stoned currants; set them on a brisk fire, and let them boil very fast till the currants are clear and jelly very well; then put them into glasses or pots, stirring them as they cool, to make them mix well. paper them down when just cold. _red currants, to preserve._ mash the currants and strain them through a thin strainer; to a pint of juice take a pound and a half of sugar and six spoonfuls of water. boil it up and skim it well. put in half a pound of stoned currants; boil them as fast as you can, till the currants are clear and jelly well; then put them into pots or glasses, and, when cold, paper them as other sweetmeats. stir all small fruits as they cool, to mix them with the jelly. _another way._ take red and white currants; squeeze and drain them. boil two pints of juice with three pounds of fine sugar: skim it; then put in a pound of stoned currants; let them boil fast till they jelly, and put them into bottles. _currant jam._ to a pound of currants put three quarters of a pound of lump sugar. put the fruit first into the preserving-pan, and place the sugar carefully in the middle, so as not to touch the pan. let it boil gently on a clear fire for about half an hour. it must not be stirred. skim the jelly carefully from the top, and add a quarter of a pound of fruit to what remains from the jelly; stir it well, and boil it thoroughly. the proportion of fruit added for the jam must always be one quarter. in making jelly or jam, it is an improvement to add to every five pounds of currants one pound of raisins. _currant jam or jelly._ take two pounds of currants and half a pound of raspberries: to every pound of fruit add three quarters of a pound of good moist sugar. simmer them slowly; skim the jam very nicely; when boiled to a sufficient consistency, put it into jars, and, when cold, cover with brandy paper. _black or red currant jelly._ strip the fruit when full ripe; put it into a stone jar; put the jar, tied over with white paper, into a saucepan of cold water, and stew it to boiling on the stove. strain off the liquor, and to every pint of red currants weigh out a pound of loaf-sugar, if black, three quarters of a pound; mix the fruit and the sugar in lumps, and let it rest till the sugar is nearly dissolved. then put it in a preserving-pan, and simmer and skim it till it is quite clear. when it will jelly on a plate, it is done, and may be put in pots. _currant juice._ take currants, and squeeze the juice out of them; have some very dry quart bottles, and hold in each a couple of burning matches. cork them up, to keep the smoke confined in them for a few hours, till the juice is put in them. fill them to the neck with the currant juice; then scald them in a copper or pot with hay between. the water must be cold when the bottles are put in: let them have one boil. _another way._ boil a pint of currant juice with half a pint of clarified sugar; skim it; add a little lemon to taste, and mix with a quart of seed. _currant paste._ mash red and white currants; strain them through a linen bag; break in as much of the strained currants as will make the juice thick enough of seeds; add some gooseberries boiled in water. boil the whole till it jellies; let it stand to cool; then put a pound of sugar to every pint, and scald it. _custard._ no. . one quart of cream, twelve eggs, the whites of four, the rind of one lemon, boiled in the cream, with a small quantity of nutmeg, and a bay-leaf, bitter and sweet almonds one ounce each, a little ratafia and orange-flower water; sweeten to your taste. the cream must be quite cold before the eggs are added. when mixed, it must just be made to boil, and then fill your cups. _custard._ no. . take one pint of cream, boil in it a few laurel-leaves, a stick of cinnamon, and the rind of a lemon; when nearly cold, add the yolks of seven eggs, well beaten, and six ounces of lump sugar; let it nearly boil; keep stirring it all the while, and till nearly cold, and add a little brandy. _custard._ no. . a quart of cream, and the yolks of nine eggs, sugared to your taste; if eggs are scarce, take seven and three whites; it must not quite boil, or it will curdle; keep it stirred all the time over a slow fire. when it is nearly cold, add three table-spoonfuls of ratafia; stir till cold, otherwise it will turn. it is best without any white of eggs. _custard._ no. . take a pint of cream; blanch a few sweet almonds, and beat them fine; sweeten to your palate. beat up the yolks of five eggs, stir all together, one way, over the fire, till it is thick. add laurel-leaves, bitter almonds, or ratafia, to give it a flavour; then put it into cups. _custard._ no. . make some rice, nicely boiled, into a good wall round your trifle dish; strew the rice over with pink comfits; then pour good custard into the rice frame, and stripe it across with pink and blue comfits alternately. _almond custard._ blanch and pound fine, with half a gill of rose-water, six ounces of sweet and half an ounce of bitter almonds; boil a pint of milk; sweeten it with two ounces and a half of sugar; rub the almonds through a sieve, with a pint of cream; strain the milk to the yolks of eight eggs, well beaten--three whites if thought necessary--stir it over a fire till of a good thickness; when off the fire, stir it till nearly cold to prevent its curdling. _to bottle damsons._ take ripe fruit; wipe them dry, and pick off the stalks; fill your bottles with them. the bottles must be very clean and dry. put the corks lightly into them, to keep out the steam when simmering: then set them up to the necks in cold water, and let them simmer a quarter of an hour, but not boil, or the fruit will crack. take them out, and let them stand all night. next day, cork them tight, rosin the corks, and keep them in a dry place. _damsons, to dry._ pick out the finest damsons, and wipe them clean. to every pound of fruit take half a pound of sugar; wet the damsons with water; and put them into the sugar with the insides downward. set them on the fire till the sugar is melted; let them lie in the sugar till it has thoroughly penetrated them, heating them once a day. when you take them out, dip them in hot water, and lay them to dry. _damsons, to preserve without sugar._ when the damsons are quite ripe, wipe them separately, and put them into stone jars. set them in an oven four or five times after the bread is drawn. when the skins shrivel they are done enough; if they shrink much, you must fill up the jar with more fruit, and cover them at last with melted suet. _dripping, to clarify for crust._ boil beef dripping in water for a few minutes; let it stand till cold, when it will come off in a cake. it makes good crust for the kitchen. _dumplings._ take of stale bread, suet, and loaf-sugar, half a pound each; make the whole so fine as to go through a sieve. mix it with lemon-juice, and add the rind of a lemon finely grated. make it up into dumplings, and pour over them sweet sauce without wine. _currant dumplings._ a quarter of a pound of apple, a quarter of a pound of currants, three eggs, some sugar, bitter almonds, lemon or orange peel, and a little nutmeg. boil an hour and a half. _drop dumplings._ to a piece of fresh butter, of the size of an egg, take three spoonfuls of flour, and three yolks of eggs; stir the butter and eggs well together; add a little salt and nutmeg, and then put the flour to it. drop the batter with a small spoon into boiling water, and let it boil four or five minutes; pour the water from the dumplings, and eat them with a ragout, or as a dish by itself. _another way._ break two eggs into half a pint of milk, and beat them up; mix with flour, and put a little salt. set on the fire a saucepan with water, and, when it boils, drop the batter in with a large spoon, and boil them quick for five minutes. take them out carefully with a slice, lay them on a sieve for a minute to dry, put them into a dish, cut a piece of butter in thin slices, and stir among them. send them up as hot as you can. _kitchen hard dumplings._ mix flour and water with a little salt into a stiff paste. put in a few currants for change, and boil them for half an hour. it improves them much to boil them with beef or pork. _yest dumplings._ a table-spoonful of yest, three handfuls of flour, mix with water and a little salt. boil ten minutes in a deep pot, and cover with water when they rise. the dough to be made about the size of an apple. the quantity mentioned above will make a dozen of the proper size. _another way._ make nice light dough, by putting your flour into a platter; make a hollow in the middle of it, and pour in a little good small beer warmed, an egg well beaten, and some warm milk and water. strew salt upon the flour, but not upon the mixture in the middle, or it will not do well. then make it into as light a dough as you can, and set it before the fire, covered with a cloth, a couple of hours, to rise. make it into large dumplings, and set them before the fire six or seven minutes; then put them into boiling water with a little milk in it. a quarter of an hour will do them. _eggs._ eggs left till cold will reheat to the same degree as at first. for instance, an egg boiled three minutes and left till cold will reheat in the same time and not be harder. it may be useful to know this when fresh eggs are scarce. _whites of eggs._ beat up the whites of twelve eggs with rose-water, some fine grated lemon-peel, and nutmeg; sweeten to your taste, and well mix the whole. boil it in four bladders, tied up in the shape of an egg, till hard; they will take half an hour. when cold, lay them in a dish; mix half a pint of good cream, a gill of sack, and half the juice of a seville orange; sweeten and mix it well, and pour it over the eggs. _another way._ beat two whites in a plate in a cool place till quite stiff and they look like snow. lay it on the lid of a stewpan; put it in a cool oven, and bake it of a light brown for about ten minutes. _figs, to dry._ take figs when thoroughly ripe, pare them very thin, and slit them at the top. to one pound of fruit put three quarters of a pound of sugar, and to the sugar a pint of water; boil the syrup at first a little, skim it very clean, and set it over coals to keep it warm. have ready some warm water, and when it boils put in your figs; let them boil till tender; then take them up by the stalk, and drain them clean from water. put them into the syrup over the fire for two or three hours, turning them frequently; do the same morning and evening, keeping them warm, for nine days, till you find them begin to candy. then lay them out upon glasses. turn them often the first day, on the next twice only; they will quickly dry if they are well attended to. a little ambergris or musk gives the fruit a fine flavour. peaches and plums may be done the same way. _small flowers, to candy._ take as much fine sugar as you think likely to cover the flowers, and wet it for a candy. when boiled pretty thick, put in your flowers, and stir, but be careful not to bruise them. keep them over the fire, but do not let them boil till they are pretty dry; then rub the sugar off with your hands as soon as you can, and take them out. _flowers in sprigs, to candy._ dissolve gum arabic in water, and let it be pretty thin; wet the flowers in it, and put them in a cloth to dry. when nearly dry, dip them all over in finely sifted sugar, and hang them up before the fire, or, if it should be a fine sunshiny day, hang them in the sun till they are thoroughly dry, and then take them down. the same may be done to marjoram and mint. _dutch flummery._ steep two ounces of isinglass two hours in a pint of boiling water; take a pint of white wine, the yolks of eight eggs, well beaten, the juice of four lemons, with the rind of one. sweeten it to your taste; set it over the fire, and keep it stirring till it boils. _hartshorn flummery._ no. . take half a pound of hartshorn; boil it in four quarts of water, till reduced to one quarter or less; let it stand all night. blanch a quarter of a pound of almonds, and beat them small; melt the jelly, mix with it the almonds, strained through a thin strainer or hair sieve; then put a quarter of a pint of cream, a little cinnamon, and a blade of mace; boil these together, and sweeten it. put it into china cups, and, when you use it, turn it out of the cups, and eat it with cream. _hartshorn flummery._ no. . put one pound of hartshorn shavings to three quarts of spring water; boil it very gently over a slow fire till it is reduced to one quart, then strain it through a fine sieve into a basin; let it stand till cold; then just melt it, and put to it half a pint of white wine, a pint of good thick cream, and four spoonfuls of orange-flower water. scald the cream, and let it be cold before you mix it with the wine and jelly; sweeten it with double-refined sugar to your taste, and then beat it all one way for an hour and a half at least, for, if you are not careful in thus beating, it will neither mix nor even look to please you. dip the moulds first in water, that they may turn out well. keep the flummery in cups a day before you use it; when you serve it, stick it with blanched almonds, cut in thin slices. calves' feet may serve instead of hartshorn shavings. _hartshorn flummery._ no. . take one pound of hartshorn shavings, and put to it three quarts of water; boil it till it is half consumed; then strain and press out the hartshorn, and set it by to cool. blanch four ounces of almonds in cold water, and beat them very fine with a little rose and orange-flower water. make the jelly as warm as new milk, and sweeten it to your taste with the best sugar; put it by degrees to the almonds, and stir it very well until they are thoroughly mixed. then wring it through a cloth, put it into cups, and set it by to jelly. before you turn them out, dip the outside in a little warm water to loosen them; stick them with blanched almonds, cut in thin long pieces. three ounces of sweet almonds, and one of apricot or peach kernels, make ratafia flummery. if you have none of the latter, use bitter almonds. _fondues._ boil a quarter of a pound of crumb of bread in milk; beat it with a wooden spoon; grate half a pound of cheshire cheese, add the yolks of three eggs, and a quarter of a pound of butter; beat all well together. beat up three whites of eggs to a thick froth; put this in last, and beat the whole well together. bake in two paper cases or a dish, in a quick oven, for twenty minutes. _yorkshire fritters._ to two quarts of flour take two spoonfuls of yest, mixed with a little warm milk. let it rise. take nine eggs, leaving out four whites, and temper your dough to the consistence of paste. add currants or apples, and a little brandy or rose-water. roll the fritters thin, and fry them in lard. _fruit, to preserve._ strip the fruit, put it into a stone jar, set the jar in a saucepan of water, and stew it to boiling on the stove. strain off the liquor, and to every pint allow a pound of loaf sugar. mix the fruit and the sugar in lumps in a stone vessel, but not till the sugar is nearly dissolved: then put it in a preserving-pan, and simmer and strain it till it is quite clear. when it will jelly on a plate, it is done, and may be put into pots. _fruit, to preserve green._ take green pippins, pears, plums, apricots, or peaches; put them into a preserving-pan; cover them with vine-leaves, and then with clear spring water. put on the cover of the pan, and set them over a very clear fire; take them off as soon as they begin to simmer, and take them carefully out with a slice. then peel and preserve them as other fruit. _fruit of all sorts, to scald._ put your fruit into scalding water, sufficient nearly to cover it; set it over a slow fire, and keep it in a scald till tender, turning the fruit where the water does not cover. when it is very tender, lay paper close to it, and let it stand till it is cold. then, to a pound of fruit put half a pound of sugar, and let it boil, but not too fast, till it looks clear. all fruit must be done whole, excepting pippins, and they are best in halves or quarters, with a little orange-peel and the juice of lemon. _gingerbread._ no. . to a pound and a half of flour add one pound of treacle, almost as much sugar, an ounce of beaten ginger, two ounces of caraway seeds, four ounces of citron and lemon-peel candied, and the yolks of four eggs. cut your sweetmeats, mix all, and bake it in large cakes, or tin plates. _gingerbread._ no. . into one pound and a half of flour work three quarters of a pound of butter; add three quarters of a pound of treacle, two ounces of sugar, half an ounce of ginger, a little orange-peel beaten and sifted. some take a pound and a quarter of treacle and two ounces of ginger. _gingerbread._ no. . two pounds of flour, two ounces of caraway seeds, one tea-spoonful of powdered ginger, half a spoonful of allspice, and the same of pearl-ash, two ounces of preserved orange, the same of lemon-peel, and half a pound of butter; mix these ingredients well together, and make it into a stiff paste with treacle, as stiff as you would make paste for a tart; then put it before the fire to rise for one hour, after which you may roll it out, and cut it into cakes, or mould it, as you like. _gingerbread._ no. . take a pound of treacle and half a pound of butter; melt them together over a fire; have ready a pound and a half of flour well dried, into which put at least half an ounce of ginger well beaten and sifted, as many coriander seeds, half a pound of sugar, a little brandy, and some candied orange-peel; then mix the warm treacle and butter with the flour; make it into flat cakes, and bake it upon tins. _gingerbread._ no. . two pounds of flour well dried, one pound of treacle, one pound of sugar, one nutmeg, four ounces of sweetmeats, one ounce of beaten ginger, one pound of fresh butter, melted with the treacle, and poured hot upon the other ingredients; make it into a paste, and let it lie till quite cold; then roll it out, and bake it in a slow oven. _gingerbread._ no. . one pound of treacle, the same weight of flour, butter and sugar of each a quarter of a pound, ginger and candied lemon-peel of each half an ounce. rub the butter, ginger, and sugar, well together, before you put in the treacle. _thick gingerbread._ to a pound and a half of flour take one pound of treacle, almost as much sugar, an ounce of beaten ginger, two ounces of caraway seed, four ounces of citron and lemon-peel candied, and the yolks of four eggs. cut the sweetmeats; well mix the whole; and bake in large cakes on tin plates. _gingerbread cakes or nuts._ melt half a pound of butter, and put to it half a pound of treacle, two spoonfuls of brandy, and six ounces of coarse brown sugar. mix all these together in a saucepan, and let the whole be milk warm; then put it to a pound and a quarter of flour, half an ounce of ginger, some orange-peel finely grated, and as much candied orange as you like. _gingerbread nuts._ a quarter of a pound of treacle, the same of flour, one ounce of butter, a little brown sugar, and some ginger. mix all together, and bake the nuts on tins. sweetmeat is a great addition. _gooseberries, to bottle._ pick them in dry weather before they are too large; cut them at both ends with scissars, that they may not be broken; put them into very dry bottles, and fill them up to the neck with cold spring water. put the bottles up to their necks in water, in a large fish-kettle, set it on the fire, and scald them. take it off immediately when you perceive the gooseberries change colour. next day, if the bottles require filling, have ready some cold spring water which has been boiled, and fill half way up the neck of the bottles; then pour in a little sweet oil, just sufficient to cover the water at the top of the bottle, and tie them over with a bladder. _gooseberries in jelly._ make as much thick syrup as will cover the quantity of gooseberries you intend to do; boil and skim it clear: set it by till almost cold. have ready some green hairy gooseberries, not quite ripe, and the skins of which are still rather hard; cut off the remains of the flower at one end, leaving the little stalk on at the other; with a small penknife slit down the side, and with the point of the knife carefully remove the seeds, leaving the pulp. put the gooseberries into the syrup when lukewarm; set it on the fire, shake it frequently, but do not let it boil. take it off, and let the gooseberries stand all night: with a spoon push them under the syrup, or cover them with white paper. next day set them on the fire, scald them again, but they must not boil, and shake them as before. proceed in the same manner a third time. the jelly to put them in must be made thus: take three pints of the sharpest gooseberries you can get--they must be of the white sort--to one pint of water; and the quantity you make of this jelly must of course be proportioned to that of the fruit. boil them half an hour, till all the flavour of the fruit is extracted; strain off the liquor; let it settle, pour off the clear, and to each pint add one pound of double-refined sugar. boil it till it jellies, which you may see by putting a little into a spoon or cup. put a little of the jelly at the bottom of the pot to prevent the gooseberries from sinking to the bottom; when it is set, put in the rest of the gooseberries and jelly. when cold, cover with brandy paper. _gooseberries, to preserve._ pick the white gooseberries, stamp and strain them; then take the largest of them when they just begin to turn; stone them, and to half a pound of gooseberries put a pound of the finest sugar, and beat it very fine. take half a pound of the juice which you have strained; let it stand to settle clear; and set it, with six spoonfuls of water, on a quick fire; boil it as fast as you can; when you see the sugar, as it boils, look clear, they are enough; which will be in less than a quarter of an hour. put them in glasses or pots, and paper them close. next day, if they are not jellied hard enough, set them for a day or two in a hot stove, or in some warm place, but not in the sun; and, when jellied, put the papers close to them after being wetted and dried with a cloth. _another way._ stone your gooseberries, and as you stone them put them into water: then weigh them, and to eight ounces of gooseberries take twelve ounces of double-refined sugar. put as much water as will make it a pretty thick syrup, and when boiled and skimmed let it cool a little; then put the gooseberries into the syrup, and boil them quick, till they look clear. take them out one by one, and put them into glass bottles; then heat the syrup a little, strain it through muslin, pour it on the fruit, and it will jelly when cold. _gooseberry paste._ pick off the eyes of the gooseberries, and put them in water scarcely sufficient to cover them; let them boil, and rub them through a sieve. boil up a candy of sugar; put in your paste, and just scald it a little. add one pound of sugar to a pint of the paste, and put into pots to dry in the stove: when candied over, turn them out on glasses. _grapes, to dry._ scald bunches of grapes in water till they will peel; when they are peeled and stoned, put them into fresh cold water, cover them up close, and set them over the fire till they begin to green. then take them out of the water and put them to the syrup; after it has been well skimmed. cut a paper that will exactly fit the skillet, and let it rest upon the syrup. cover the skillet, and set it over a slow fire, till the grapes look green; put them into a thicker syrup, and, when they are as green as you wish them to be, take them out of the syrup, and let them dry in the stove in bunches. _grapes, to preserve._ stone your grapes, and peel off the skin; cover them and no more with codling jelly, and let them boil fast up: then take them off the fire, let them stand until they are cold, and boil them again till they become green. put a pound of sugar to a pint of the grapes, and let them boil fast till they jelly. _greengages, to preserve._ gather the plums before they are too ripe, and take as much pump water as will cover them. put to the water a quarter of a pound of double-refined sugar, boil it, and let it stand to be cold. prick the greengages with a large needle in four places to the stone; wrap each of them lightly in a vine-leaf, and set them over a slow fire to green. do so for three days running; on the last day, put in a spoonful of old verjuice or lemon-juice, and a small lump of alum. next day draw them, and, after taking off the vine-leaves, put them in a thick syrup, first boiled and cleared. finish them by degrees, by heating them a little every day till they look clear. _another way._ stone and split the fruit without taking off the skin. weigh an equal quantity of sugar and fruit, and strew part of the sugar over the greengages, having first laid them on dishes, with the hollow part uppermost. take the kernels from the stones, peel and blanch them. the next day, pour off the syrup from the fruit, and boil it very gently with the other sugar eight minutes. skim it, and add the fruit and kernels. simmer the whole till quite clear, taking off any scum that rises. put the fruit, one by one, into small pots, and pour the syrup and kernels to it. _hartshorn jelly._ boil one pound of hartshorn shavings over a very gentle fire, in two quarts of water, till it is reduced to one quart; let it settle, and strain it off. put to this liquor the whites of eight or nine eggs, and four or five of their shells, broken very fine, the whites well beaten, the juice of seven or eight lemons, or part oranges; sweeten with the best sugar, and add above a pint of rhenish or lisbon wine. mix all these well together, and boil over a quick fire, stirring all the time with a whisk. as soon as it boils up, strain it through a flannel bag, throwing it backward and forward till it is perfectly clear. boil lemon-peel in it to flavour it. the last time of passing it through the bag, let it drip into the moulds or glasses. _hedgehog._ blanch two quarts of the best almonds in cold water; beat them very fine in a mortar, with a little canary wine and orange-flower water; make them into a stiff paste; then beat in the yolks of twelve eggs, leaving out five whites; add a pint of good cream; sweeten to your taste, and put in half a pound of good butter melted. set it on a slow fire, and keep it constantly stirring till it is stiff enough. make it up into the form of a hedgehog; stick it full of blanched almonds, slit and stuck up like the bristles; put it in a dish, and make hartshorn jelly, and put to it, or cold cream, sweetened with a glass of white wine, and the juice of a seville orange; plump two currants for the eyes. _ice and cream._ mix a little cream and new milk together in a dish; put in runnet, as for cheesecakes; stir it together. pour in some canary wine and sugar. then put the whites of three eggs and a little rose-water to a pint of cream; whip it up to a froth with a whisk, and, as it rises, put it upon the runnet and milk. lay in here and there bunches of preserved barberries, raspberry jam, or any thing of that sort you please. whip up more froth, and put over the whole. _lemon ice._ grate the peel of two lemons on sugar, and put it into a bowl, with the juice of four lemons squeezed, and well stir it about; then sweeten it with clarified sugar to your taste, and add to it three spoonfuls of water. throw over a little salt on the ice; put the ice in the bottom of the pail; put the ice-pot on it, and cover it also with ice. turn the pot continually, and in about a minute or two open it, and continue to stir it till it is frozen enough; after this stir every now and then. _iceing for cakes._ beat the white of an egg to a strong froth; put in by degrees four ounces of fine sugar, beaten and sifted very fine, with as much gum as will lie on a sixpence. beat it up for half an hour, and lay it over your cakes the thickness of a straw. _another._ take the whites of four eggs and a pound of double-refined sugar, pounded and sifted; beat the eggs a little; put the sugar in, and whip it as fast as possible; then wash your cake with rose-water, and lay the iceing on; set it in the oven with the lid down till it is hard. _jaunemange._ steep two ounces of isinglass for an hour in a pint of boiling water; put to it three quarters of a pint of white wine, the juice of two oranges and one lemon, the peel of a lemon cut very fine, and the yolks of eight eggs. sweeten and boil it all together; strain it in a mould, and, when cold, turn it out. make it the day before you use it. _another way._ one ounce of isinglass, dissolved in a good half pint of water, the juice of two small lemons, the peel of half a lemon, the yolks of four eggs, well beaten, half a pound of sugar, half a pint of white wine: mix these carefully together, and stir them into the isinglass jelly over the fire. let it simmer a few minutes; when a little cool, pour it into your moulds, taking care to wet them first; turn it out the next day. _coloured jelly, to mix with or garnish other jelly._ pare four lemons as thin as possible; put the rinds into a pint and a half of water; let them lie twelve hours: then squeeze the lemons; put the water and juice together; add three quarters of a pound of the best sugar, but if the lemons are large, it will require more sugar. when the sugar is quite melted, beat up the whites of six new-laid eggs to a froth; mix all together, and strain it through a hair sieve into a saucepan; set it on a slow fire, and keep it stirred till it is near boiling and grows thick. then take it off, and keep stirring it the same way till it cools. the colouring is to be steeped in a cup of water, and then strained into the other ingredients. care must be taken to stir it always one way. the eggs are the last thing put in; the whole must be well mixed with a whisk till thoroughly incorporated. _gloucester jelly._ of rice, sago, pearl barley, candied eringo root, of each one ounce; add two quarts of water; simmer it over the fire till it is reduced to one quart; strain it. this will produce a strong jelly; a little to be dissolved in white wine or warm milk, and to be taken three or four times a day. _another way._ pearl barley, whole rice, sago, and candied eringo root, of each one ounce, and half an ounce of hartshorn shavings, put into two quarts of spring water; simmer very gently till reduced to one quart, and then rub it through a fine sieve. half a coffee-cup to be taken with an equal quantity of milk in a morning fasting, and lie an hour after it, and to be taken twice more in the day. you may then put a small quantity of wine or brandy instead of milk. _lemon jelly._ put the juice of four lemons, and the rind pared as thin as possible, into a pint of spring water, and let it stand for half an hour. take the whites of five eggs; sweeten, and strain through a flannel bag. set it over a slow fire, and stir it one way till it begins to thicken. you may then put it in glasses or dishes, and colour with turmeric. _nourishing jelly._ dissolve two ounces of isinglass in a quart of port wine, with some cinnamon and sugar: sweeten to your taste with the best white sugar. it must not be suffered to boil, and will take two or three hours to dissolve, as the fire must be very slow: stir it often to prevent its boiling. it must be taken cold. _orange jelly._ no. . squeeze the juice of nine or ten china oranges and one seville orange through a sieve into an earthen pan, adding a quarter of a pound of double-refined sugar. take an ounce and a half, good weight, of the best isinglass, the peel of seven of the oranges grated, and the bitter squeezed out through a towel; boil this peel in the isinglass, which must be put over the fire in about a pint of water just to melt it. stir it all the time it is on the fire; strain and pour it to the juice of the oranges, which boil together for about ten minutes. when you take it off, strain it again, and put it into moulds. _orange jelly._ no. . set on the fire one ounce of isinglass in a quarter of a pint of warm water till it is entirely dissolved. take the juice of nine oranges; strain off clear half a pint of mountain wine, sweetened with lump sugar to your taste, and colour it with a very little cochineal. boil all together for a few minutes, and strain it through a flannel bag, till it is quite clear: pour it to the peels, and let it stand till it is a stiff jelly. _orange jelly._ no. . one ounce of isinglass, dissolved in a pint of water, the juice of six china oranges, a bit of the rind, pared thin, sweetened to the taste, scalded, and strained. you may scoop the rind and fill the oranges, and, when cold, halve or quarter them. _restorative jelly._ take two pounds of knuckle of veal and a pound and a half of lean beef; set it over the fire with four pints of water; cover it close, and stew it till reduced to half. while stewing, put in half an ounce of fine isinglass, picked small, a little salt, and mace. strain it off clear, and when cold take off every particle of fat. warm it in hot water, and not in a pan. take a tea-cupful twice a day. _strawberry jelly._ boil two ounces of isinglass in a quarter of a pint of water over a gentle fire, and skim it well. mash a quart of scarlet strawberries in an earthen pan with a wooden spoon; then put in the isinglass, some powdered sugar, and the juice of a good lemon--this quantity is for six small moulds; if you do not find it enough, add a little more water; then run it through a tamis, changing it two or three times. _wine jelly._ on two ounces of isinglass and one ounce of hartshorn shavings pour one pint of boiling water; let it stand a quarter of an hour covered close; then add two quarts of water, and boil it well till the isinglass is dissolved; add a pint of dry wine, sugar to your taste, four lemons, and the whites of seven eggs well beaten. boil it quick, and keep it stirring all the time; then pour it through a jelly-bag, and strain it two or three times till quite clear. _lemons or seville oranges, to preserve._ take fine large lemons or seville oranges; rasp the outside skin very fine and thin; put them in cold water, and let them lie all night. put them in fresh water, and set them on the fire in plenty of water, and, when they have had two or three boils, take them off, and let them lie all night in cold water. then put them into fresh water, and let them boil till they are so tender that you can run a straw through them. if you think the bitterness not sufficiently out, put them again into cold water, and let them lie all night. lemons need not soak so long as oranges. to four oranges or lemons put two pounds of the best sugar and a pint of water; boil and skim it clear, and when it is cold put in the oranges, and let them lie four or five days in cold syrup; then give them a boil every day till they look clear. make some pippin or codlin jelly thus: to a pint of either put one pound of sugar, and let it boil till it jellies; then heat the oranges, and put them to the jelly and half their syrup; boil them very fast a quarter of an hour, and, just before you take them off the fire, put in the juice of two or three lemons; put them in pots or porringers, that will hold them single, and that will admit jelly enough. to four oranges or lemons, put a pound and a half of jelly and the same quantity of syrup, but boiled together, as directed for the oranges. malaga lemons are the best; they are done in the same manner as the oranges, only that they do not require so much soaking. _lemon caudle._ take a pint of water, the juice of two lemons, the rind of half a lemon pared as thin as possible from the white, a blade of mace, and some bread shred very small; sweeten to your taste. set the whole on the fire to boil; when boiled enough, which you will perceive by the bread being soft, beat three or four eggs well together till they are as thin as water; then take a little out of the skillet and put to the eggs, and so proceed till the eggs are hot; then put them to the rest, stirring well to prevent curdling. _lemon or chocolate drops._ take half a pound of fine-sifted double-refined sugar; grate into it the yellow rind of a fair large lemon; whip the white of an egg to a froth, with which wet the sugar till it is as stiff as good working paste. drop it as you like on paper, with a little sugar first sifted on it; bake in a very slow oven. for chocolate drops, grate about an ounce of chocolate as you did of lemon-peel, which must then be left out. _lemon puffs._ into half a pound of double-refined sugar, beat fine and sifted, grate the yellow rind of a large lemon. whip up the white of an egg to a froth, and wet it with the froth, till it is as stiff as a good working paste. lay the puffs on papers, and bake them in a very slow oven. _lemon tart._ a quarter of a pound of almonds blanched and beaten with a little sweet cream; put in half a pound of sugar, the yolks only of eight eggs, half a pound of butter, the peel of two lemons grated. beat all together fine in a mortar; lay puff paste about the dish; bake it half an hour. _lemon solid._ put the juice of a lemon, with the rind grated, into a dish: sweeten it to your taste; boil a quart of cream till it is reduced to three half pints; pour it upon the lemon, and let it stand to cool. it should be made the day before it is used. _syrup of lemons._ to three pounds of the best sugar finely beaten put one pint of lemon juice, set by to settle, and then poured off clear: put it in a silver tankard, and set that in a pot of boiling water. let this boil till the sugar is quite dissolved, and when cold bottle it; take care that in the boiling not the least water gets in. skim off any little scum that rises. _macaroons._ take half a pound of almonds, blanched and pounded, and half a pound of finely pounded lump sugar. beat up the whites of two eggs to a froth; mix the sugar and almonds together; add the eggs by degrees; and, when they are well mixed, drop a spoonful on wafer-paper. they must be baked as soon as made in a slow oven. _citron marmalade._ boil the citron very tender, cutting off all the yellow rind; beat the white very well in a wooden bowl; shred the rind, and to a pound of pulp and rind take a pound and a half of sugar, and half a pint of water. when it boils, put in the citron, and boil it very fast till it is clear; put in half a pint of pippin jelly, and boil it till it jellies very well; then add the lemon-juice, and put it into your pots or glasses. _cherry marmalade._ take eight pounds of cherries, not too ripe; stone them; take two pounds of sugar beaten, and the juice of four quarts of currants, red and white. put the cherries into a pan, with half a pound of the sugar, over a very hot fire; shake them frequently; when there is a good deal of liquor, put in the rest of the sugar, skimming it well and boiling it as fast as possible, till your syrup is almost wasted; then put in your currant juice, and let it boil quick till it jellies; keep stirring it with care; then put it in pots. _another way._ take five pounds of cherries stoned and two pounds of loaf sugar; shred your cherries, wet your sugar with the juice that runs from them, then put the cherries into the sugar, and boil them pretty fast, till they become a marmalade. when cold, put it into glasses for use. _orange marmalade._ no. . pare your oranges very thin, and lay them in water two or three days, changing the water twice a day; then take them out, and dry them with a linen cloth. take their weight in sugar beat fine; cut the oranges in halves, take out the pulp, pick out the seeds, and take off the skins carefully. boil the rinds very tender in a linen cloth; cut them in strips whilst hot, and lay them in the pan in which you design to boil the marmalade. put a layer of sugar, and a layer of orange rinds, alternately, till all are in; let them stand till the sugar is quite dissolved; add the juice of a lemon; set them on a stove, and let them boil fast till nearly done; then put in the pulp, and boil them again till quite done. take them off, and add the juice of a lemon; let them stand in pots for a few days, and they will be fit for eating. lemon marmalade may be done in the same way, only with a much greater quantity of sugar, or sugar mixed with sugar-candy. _orange marmalade._ no. . take six dozen seville oranges; pare thin three dozen, the other three rasp thin, and keep the parings and raspings separate. cut all the six dozen in halves; squeeze out the juice, but not too hard; scoop out the pulp with a tea-spoon; pick out the seeds, and keep the pulp. boil the skins, changing the water two or three times, to take off the bitterness, till they are tender enough for a straw to pierce them. when they are boiled, scoop out and throw away the stringy part; boil the parings three times in different waters; beat the boiled skins very fine in a marble mortar; beat the boiled rinds in the same manner. the pulp, skin, rinds, and juice, must be all weighed, but not yet mixed; for each pound in the whole take one pound of loaf sugar, which must first be mixed with a little water, boiled alone, well skimmed, and thoroughly cleared. the pulp, skins, and juice, must then be put into this syrup, well mixed, and boiled together for about half an hour; after which put in the rasped rinds, beaten as above directed, and boil all together for a short time. put the marmalade into small pots, and cover with brandy paper. _orange marmalade._ no. . take a dozen of seville oranges and their weight in sugar finely powdered. pare the oranges as thin as possible; the first peel is not used in marmalade; it is better to grate off the outer peel and put them in water. let them lie two or three days, changing the water every day; then cut the oranges in quarters, and take out all the pulp; boil the peels in several waters, till they are quite tender and not bitter. then put to the sugar half a pint of water, and boil it to a syrup, till it draws as fine as a hair; put in the peels sliced very thin, and boil them gently about a quarter of an hour. while the peels are boiling, pick out all the seeds and skins from the pulp; then put the pulp to the orange-peel; let it boil till it is clear; put a little in a saucer, and when it jellies it is done enough. _scotch orange marmalade._ weigh the oranges, and take an equal weight of sugar; wipe the fruit with a wet cloth; grate them, cut them across, and squeeze them through a hair sieve. boil the skins tender, so that the head of a pin will easily pierce them; take them off the fire, squeeze out the water, scrape the pulp from them, cut the skins into very thin chips, and let them boil until they are very transparent. then put in the juice and so much of the gratings as you choose; let it all boil together till it will jelly, which you will know by letting a little of it cool in a saucer. _red quince marmalade._ no. . take one pound and a half of quinces, two pounds of sugar, a pint of water, and a quarter of a pint of the juice of quinces; boil it tender, and skim it well. when done enough, put into it a quarter of a pint of the juice of barberries. skim it clear as long as any thing rises. _red quince marmalade._ no. . scald as many fine large quinces as you would use, and grate as many small ones as will make a quart of juice, or according to the quantity you want. let this settle; after you have pressed it through a coarse cloth, strain it through a jelly-bag, that what you use may be perfectly clear. to every pint of this liquor put a pound and a half of sugar, and a pound and a half of the scalded quinces, which must be pared and cored before they are weighed. set it at first on a pretty brisk fire; when it begins to boil, slacken the fire; and when it begins to turn red cover it close. as soon as it is of a fine bright red, take it off, as it turns of a blackish muddy colour in a moment if not carefully watched. a small bit of cochineal, tied up in a bit of rag and boiled with it, gives it a beautiful colour. before you have finished boiling, add barberry juice, to your judgment, which improves the flavour. _red quince marmalade._ no. . pare the quinces, quarter them, and cut out all the hard part; to a pound of quinces put a pound and a half of sugar and half a pound of the juice of barberries, boiled with water, as you do jelly or other fruit, boiling it very fast, and break it very small; when it is all to pieces and jellied, it is enough. if you wish the marmalade to be of a green colour, put a few black bullaces to the barberries when you make the jelly. _white quince marmalade._ pare and quarter the quinces, and put as much water as will cover them; boil them all to pieces to make jelly, and run it through a jelly-bag. take a pound of quinces, quarter them, and cut out all the hard parts; pare them, and to a pound of fruit put a pound and a half of finely beaten sugar and half a pint of water. let it boil till very clear; keep stirring it, and it will break as you wish it. when the sugar is boiled very thick, almost to a candy, put in half a pint of jelly, and let it boil very fast till it becomes a jelly. take it off the fire, and put in juice of lemon; skim it well, and put it into pots or glasses. _marchpane._ blanch one pound of almonds as white as you can; take three quarters of a pound of fine white sugar well pounded; beat them up together with a little rose-water, to prevent the almonds from oiling. take out the mixture, work it like paste, make it into cakes, lay them on wafers, and bake them. boil rose-water and sugar till it becomes a syrup; when the cakes are almost done, spread this syrup all over them, and strew them with comfits. _another way._ take a pound of almonds finely beaten, and a pound of fine sugar, sifted through a hair sieve; mix these together; then add the whites of four eggs, beaten up to a froth; mix the whole well together, and scald it over your fire, still keeping it well-stirred, to prevent burning. let it stand till cold; afterwards roll it on papers, and bake it. _marrow pasties._ make the pasties small, the length of a finger; put in large pieces of marrow, first dipped in egg, and seasoned with sugar, beaten cloves, mace, and nutmeg. strew a few currants on the marrow, and either bake or fry them. _melons or cucumbers, to preserve._ cut and pare a thoroughly ripe melon into thick slices; put them into water till they become mouldy; then put them into fresh water over the fire to coddle, not to boil. make a good syrup; when properly skimmed, and while boiling, put your melon in to boil for a short time. the syrup should be boiled every day for a fortnight; do not put it to the melon till a little cold: the last time you boil the syrup, put it into a muslin bag; add one ounce of ginger pounded and the juice and rind of two lemons; but, if a large melon, allow an additional ounce of ginger. _melon compote._ cut a good melon as for eating; peel it, carefully taking off the green part entirely, but not more. take out all the inside, and steep the slices for ten days in the best vinegar, keeping it well covered. take out the slices, and put them over the fire in fresh vinegar; let them stew till quite tender. then drain and dry them in a cloth; stick bits of cloves and cinnamon in them; lay them in a jar, and make a syrup, and pour over them. tie the jar close down. this kind of sweetmeat is eaten in geneva with roast meat, and is much better than currant jelly or apple sauce. the melon must be in good order, and within three or four days of being ripe enough to eat. _mince meat._ no. . one pound of beef, one pound and a half of suet, one pound of currants, half a pound of chopped raisins, one pound of sugar, if moist, half a pint of brandy, a pint of raisin wine, mace, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, pounded together. sweetmeats, candied lemon, and fresh peel, may be added, when used for baking. _mince meat._ no. . one pound of beef suet, one pound of apples peeled and cored, one pound of raisins stoned and chopped very fine, the same of currants well picked, half a pound of sugar made very fine, a glass of brandy, a glass of wine, half an ounce of allspice, the juice of two large lemons, the rind chopped as fine as possible: add sweetmeats to your taste. _mince meat._ no. . take one pound of beef and two pounds of suet shred fine, two pounds of currants, one pound of the best raisins stoned, but not chopped, three quarters of a pound of sugar, four fine pippins or russetings chopped fine, some grated lemon-peel, half an ounce of cinnamon, the same of nutmeg, a quarter of an ounce of mace, wine and brandy to your taste, and whatever sweetmeats you please. _mince meat without meat._ no. . twelve pounds of currants, very well washed, dried, and picked, six pounds of raisins stoned and chopped very small, a quarter of a pound of cloves, three ounces of mace, and two of nutmegs, pounded very fine, the rind of three large fresh lemons pared very thin and chopped fine, six pounds of powder sugar, a quart of sack, a quart of brandy, one hundred golden rennets, pared, cored, and chopped small: mix all well together, and let it stand two days, stirring it from the bottom twice or thrice a day. add three whole dried preserved oranges and an equal weight of dried citron. mix in the suet a day or two before you use it. add lemon-juice to your taste, and that only to the quantity you mean to bake at once. without suet these ingredients will keep for six months. _mince meat without meat._ no. . to make a mince meat that will keep for five or six years, take four pounds of raisins of the sun, stoned and chopped very fine, five pounds of currants, three pounds of beef suet shred very fine, the crumb of a half-quartern loaf, three pounds of loaf-sugar, the peel of four lemons grated, half an ounce of nutmeg, a quarter of an ounce of mace, the same of cloves, and one pint of good brandy. when you make your pies, add about one third of apple chopped fine; and to each pie put six or eight small slices of citron and preserved orange-peel, with a table-spoonful of sweet wine, ratafia, and a piece of a large lemon mixed together. _mince meat without meat._ no. . three pounds of suet, three pounds of apples, pared and cored, three pounds of currants washed, picked, and dried, one pound and a half of sugar powdered, three quarters of a pound of preserved orange-peel, six ounces of citron, the juice of six lemons, one pint of sack and one of brandy, a quarter of an ounce of mace, the same of nutmeg, and of cloves and cinnamon half a quarter of an ounce each. _lemon mince meat._ cut three large lemons, and squeeze out the juice; boil the peels together with the pulp till it will pound in a mortar; put to it one pound of beef suet, finely chopped, currants and lump sugar, one pound of each; mix it all well together; then add the juice with a glass of brandy. put sweetmeats to your taste. _mirangles._ put half a pint of syrup into a stewpan, and boil it to what is called blow; then take the whites of three eggs, put them in another copper pan, and whisk them very strong. when your sugar is boiled, rub it against the sides of the stewpan with a table-spoon; when you see the sugar change, quickly mix the whites of eggs with it, for if you are not quick your sugar will turn to powder. when you have mixed it as light as possible, put in the rind of one lemon; stir it as little as possible: take a board, about one foot wide and eighteen inches long, and put a sheet of paper on it. with your table-spoon drop your batter in the shape of half an egg: sift a little powdered sugar over them before you put them in the oven. let your oven be of a moderate heat; watch them attentively, and let them rise, and just let the outside be a little hard, but not the least brown; the inside must be moist. take them off with a knife, and just put about a tea-spoonful of jam in the middle of them; then put two of them together, and they will be in the shape of an egg; you must handle them very gently. _moss._ take as much white starch as sugar, and sift it; colour some of the sugar with turmeric, some with blue powder, some with chocolate, and some with the juice of spinach; and wet each by itself with a solution of gum-dragon. strain and rub it through a hair sieve, and let them dry before you touch them. _muffins._ mix flour in a pan, with warm new milk and water, yest and salt, according to your judgment. beat it up well with a wooden spoon till it is a stiff batter; then set it near the fire to rise, which will be in about an hour. it must then be well beaten down, and put to rise again, and, when very light, made into muffins, and baked in flat round irons made for the purpose. the iron must be made hot, and kept so with coals under it. take out the batter with a spoon, and drop it on a little flour sprinkled lightly on a table. then lay them on a trencher with a little flour; turn the trencher round to shape them, assisting with your hand if they need it. then bake them; when one side is done, turn them with a muffin knife, and bake the other. _oranges, to preserve._ make a hole at the stalk end; take out all the seeds, but no pulp; squeeze out the juice, which must be saved to put to them, taking great care you do not loosen the pulp. put them into an earthen pan, with water; boil them till the water is bitter, changing it three times, and, in the last water put a little salt, and boil them till they are very tender, but not to break. take them out and drain them; take two pounds of sugar and a quart of pippin jelly; boil it to a syrup, skim it very clear, and then put in your oranges. set them over a gentle fire till they boil very tender and clear; then put to them the juice that you took from them; prick them with a knife that the syrup may penetrate. if you cut them in halves, lay the skin side upwards, and put them up and cover them with the syrup. lemons and citrons may be done in the same way. _whole oranges, to preserve._ take six oranges, rasp them very thin, put them in water as you do them, and let them lie all night. in the morning boil them till they are tender, and then put them into clear water, and let them remain so two or three days. take the oranges, and cut a hole in the top, and pick out the seeds, but not the meat; then take three pounds of fine sugar, and make a thin syrup, and, when boiled and skimmed, put in your oranges, and let them boil till they are clear. take them out, and let them stand three or four days; then boil them again till the syrup is rather thick. put half a pound of sugar and half a pint of apple jelly to every orange, and let it boil until it jellies; put them into pots, and place any substance to keep down the orange in the pot till it cools. _seville oranges, to preserve._ put seville oranges in spring water, where let them remain three or four days, shifting the water every day. take them out, and grate off a little of the outside rind very carefully without touching the white, only to take away a little of the bitter; make a thin syrup, and, when it is sufficiently cleared and boiled, take it off, and, when it is only warm, put the oranges in and just simmer them over the fire. put them and the syrup into a pan, and in a day or two set them again on the fire, and just scald them. repeat this a day afterwards; then boil a thick syrup; take the oranges out of the thin one, and lay them on a cloth to drain, covered over with another; then put them to the thick syrup, as you before did to the thin one, putting them into it just hot, and giving them a simmer. repeat this in a few days if you think they are not sufficiently done. the insides must be left in. _butter orange._ take a pint of the juice of oranges and eight new-laid eggs beaten well together; mix and season them to your taste with loaf-sugar; then set it on the fire; keep stirring till it becomes thick; put in a bit of butter of the size of a walnut, stirring it while on the fire; then dish it up. _candied orange._ take twelve oranges, the palest you can get; take out the pulp, pick out the seeds and skins; let the outsides soak in water with a little salt all night: then boil them in a good quantity of spring water, till tender, which will be about nine or ten hours. drain and cut them in very thin slices; add them to the pulp, and to every pound take one pound and a half of sugar beaten fine. boil them together till clear, which will be in about three quarters of an hour. _orange cream._ grate the peels of four seville oranges into a pint of water, then squeeze the juice into the water. well beat the yolks of four eggs; put all together; and sweeten with double-refined sugar. press the whole hard through a strong strainer; set it on the fire, and stir it carefully one way, till it is as thick as cream. _orange jelly._ dissolve two ounces of isinglass in a pint of water; add a pint of the juice of four china oranges, two seville oranges, and two lemons. grate the peel of them all, and sweeten to your palate. _orange paste._ pick all the meat out of the oranges, and boil the rinds in water till they are very tender. cut off all the outside, and beat the pulp in a mortar till it is very fine. shred the outside in long thin bits, and mix it with the meat, when you have taken out all the seeds. to every pint of juice put half a pint of the pulp, and mix all together. then boil up a candy of sugar; put in your paste, and just scald it; add a good pound of sugar to a pint of the paste; put it into a broad earthen pan, set it on a stove, let it remain till it candies; skim it off with a spoon, drop it on glasses to dry, and as, often as it candies keep skimming it. _another way._ to six ounces of sugar put six ounces at least of fine flour, mixed with a little orange-flower water, but no eggs, as they would make it too dry. moisten with water, taking care that it is neither too hard nor too soft. rub the pan with a little fine oil. _orange puffs._ pare off the yellow peel of a large seville orange, but be careful not to touch the white; boil it in three several waters to take out the bitterness; it will require about three hours' boiling. beat it very fine in a marble mortar, with four ounces of fine lump sugar, four ounces of fresh butter, the yolks of six eggs, four good spoonfuls of sweet thick cream, and one spoonful of orange-flower water. beat all these ingredients so well together that you cannot discern a particle of the orange-peel. roll out your puff paste as thin as possible, lay it in pattypans, fill them with the ingredients, but do not cover them. bake them in an oven no hotter than for cheesecakes; but for frying you must make them with crust without butter, and fry them in lard. _another way._ take one pound of single-refined sugar sifted and the rind of an orange grated, a little gum-dragon, and beaten almonds rubbed through a sieve. mix all these well together; wet it into paste, and beat it in a mortar; add whites of eggs whipped to a frost. _orange sponge._ dissolve two ounces of isinglass in one pint of water; strain it through a sieve; add the juice of two china oranges and some lemon; sugar it to your taste. whisk it till it looks like a sponge; put it into a mould, and turn it out. _orange and lemon syrup._ to each pint of juice, which must be put into a large pan, throw a pound and a half of sugar, broken into small lumps, which must be stirred every day till dissolved, first carefully taking off the scum. let the peel of about six oranges be put into twelve quarts, but it must be taken out when the sugar is melted, and you are ready to bottle it. proceed in the same way with lemon, only taking two pounds of sugar to a pint of juice. _oranges for a tart._ pare some oranges as thin as possible; boil them till they are soft. cut and core double the number of good pippins, and boil them to pap, but so as that they do not lose their colour; strain the pulp, and add one pound of sugar to every pint. take out the orange-pulp, cut the peel, make it very soft by boiling, and bruise it in a mortar in the juice of lemons and oranges; then boil it to a proper consistence with the apple and orange-pulp and half a pint of rose-water. _orange tart._ take eight seville oranges; cut them in halves, pick out all the seeds; then pick out all the orange as free from the white skins as possible. take the seeds out of the cores, and boil them till tender and free from bitter. when done enough, dry them very well from the water, and beat five of the orange-peels in a marble mortar till quite smooth. then take the weight of the oranges in double-refined sugar, beaten fine, and sifted; mix it with the juice, and pound all well in the mortar; the peel that was left unbeaten you slice into your tart. you may keep out as much sugar as will ice the tart. make the crust for it with twelve ounces of flour, six ounces of butter, melted in water, and the yolks of two eggs, well beaten and mixed into your flour. be sure to prick the crust well before it goes into the oven. half this quantity makes a pretty-sized tart. _another way._ take as many oranges as you require. cut the peel extremely thin from the white, and shred it small. clear the oranges entirely from the white, and cut them in small pieces like an apple, taking out the seeds. sweeten as required, and bake in a nice paste. in winter, apples may be mixed. _panada._ take oatmeal, clean picked and well beaten; steep it in water all night; strain and boil it in a pipkin, with some currants, a blade or two of mace, and a little salt. when it is well boiled, take it off; and put in the yolks of two or three new-laid eggs, beaten with rose-water. set it on a gentle fire, and stir it that it may not curdle. sweeten with sugar, and put in a little nutmeg. _pancakes._ no. . mix a quart of milk with as much flour as will make it into a thin batter; break in six eggs; put in a little salt, a glass of raisin wine, a spoonful of beaten ginger; mix all well together; fry and sprinkle them with sugar. in making pancakes or fritters, always make your batter an hour before you begin frying, that the flour may have time to mix thoroughly. never fry them till they are wanted, or they will eat flat and insipid. add a little lemon-juice or peel. _pancakes._ no. . to a pint of cream put three spoonfuls of sack, half a pint of flour, six eggs, but only three whites; grate in some nutmeg, very little salt, a quarter of a pound of butter melted, and some sugar. after the first pancake, lay them on a dry pan, very thin, one upon another, till they are finished, before the fire; then lay a dish on the top, and turn them over, so that the brown side is uppermost. you may add or diminish the quantity in proportion. this is a pretty supper dish. _pancakes._ no. . break three eggs, put four ounces and a half of flour, and a little milk, beat it into a smooth batter; then add by degrees as much milk as will make it the thickness of good cream. make the frying-pan hot, and to each pancake put a bit of butter nearly the size of a walnut; when melted, pour in the batter to cover the bottom of the pan; make them of the thickness of half a crown. the above will do for apple fritters, by adding one spoonful more flour; peel and cut your apples in thick slices, take out the core, dip them in the batter, and fry them in hot lard; put them in a sieve to drain; grate some loaf sugar over them. _french pancakes._ beat the yolks of eight eggs, which sweeten to your taste, nearly a table-spoonful of flour, a little brandy, and half a pint of cream. they are not to be turned in the frying-pan. when half done, take the whites beaten to a strong froth, and put them over the pancakes. when these are done enough, roll them over, sugar them, and brown them with a salamander. _grillon's pancakes._ two soup-ladles of flour, three yolks of eggs, and four whole ones, two tea-spoonfuls of orange-flower water, six ratafia cakes, a pint of double cream; to be stirred together, and sugar to be shaken over every pancake, which is not to be turned--about thirty in number. _quire of paper pancakes._ take to a pint of cream eight eggs, leaving out two whites, three spoonfuls of fine flour, three of sack, one of orange-flower water, a little sugar, a grated nutmeg, a quarter of a pound of butter melted in the cream. mix a little of the cream with flour, and so proceed by degrees that it may be smooth: then beat all well together. butter the pan for the first pancake, and let them run as thin as possible to be whole. when one side is coloured, it is enough; take them carefully out of the pan, lay them as even on each other as possible; and keep them near the fire till they are all fried. the quantity here given makes twenty. _rice pancakes._ in a quart of milk mix by degrees three spoonfuls of flour of rice, and boil it till it is as thick as pap. as it boils, stir in half a pound of good butter and a nutmeg grated. pour it into a pan, and, when cold, put in by degrees three or four spoonfuls of flour, a little salt, some sugar, and nine eggs, well beaten up. mix them all together, and fry them in a small pan, with a little piece of butter. _paste._ take half a pound of good fresh butter, and work it to a cream in a basin. stir into it a quarter of a pound of fine sifted sugar, and beat it together: then work with it as much fine flour as will make a paste fit to roll out for tarts, cheesecakes, &c. _paste for baking or frying._ take a proper quantity of flour for the paste you wish to make, and mix it with equal quantities of powdered sugar and flour; melt some butter very smooth, with some grated lemon-peel and an egg, well beat; mix into a firm paste; bake or fry it. _paste for pies._ french roll dough, rolled out with less than half the quantity of butter generally used, makes a wholesome and excellent paste for pies. _paste for raised pies._ put four pounds of butter into a kettle of water; add three quarters of a pound of rendered beef suet; boil it two or three minutes; pour it on twelve pounds of flour, and work it into a good stiff paste. pull it into lumps to cool. raise the pie, using the same proportions for all raised pies according to the size required: bake in a hot oven. _another way._ take one pound of flour, and seven ounces of butter, put into boiling water till it dissolves: wet the flour lightly with it. roll your paste out thick and not too stiff; line your tins with it; put in the meat, and cover over the top of the tin with the same paste. this paste is best made over-night. _paste for tarts._ to half a pound of the best flour add the same quantity of butter, two spoonfuls of white sugar, the yolks of two eggs and one white; make it into a paste with cold water. _paste for tarts in pans._ take a pound of flour, the same of butter, with five yolks of eggs, the white of one, and as much water as will wet it into a pretty soft paste. roll it up, and put it into your pan. _paste for very small tartlets._ take an egg or more, and mix it with some flour; make a little ball as big as a tea-cup; work it with your hands till it is quite hard and stiff; then break off a little at a time as you want it, keeping the rest of the ball under cover of a basin, for fear of its hardening or drying too much. roll it out extremely thin; cut it out, and make it up in what shape you please, and harden them by the fire, or in an oven in a manner cold. it does for almonds or cocoa-nut boiled up in syrup rich, or any thing that is a dry mixture, or does not want baking. _potato paste._ take two thirds of potato and one of ground rice, as much butter rubbed in as will moisten it sufficiently to roll, which must be done with a little flour. the crust is best made thin and in small tarts. the potatoes should be well boiled and quite cold. _rice paste._ whole rice, boiled in new milk, with a reasonable quantity of butter, to such a consistency as to roll out when cold. the board must be floured while rolling. _another way._ beat up a quarter of a pound of rice-flour with two eggs; boil it till soft; then make it into a paste with very little butter, and bake it. _paste royal._ mix together one pound of flour, and two ounces of sifted sugar; rub into it half a pound of good butter, and make it into a paste not over stiff. roll it out for your pans. this paste is proper for any sweet tart or cheesecake. _short or puff paste._ no. . rub together six ounces of butter and eight of flour; mix it up with as little water as possible, so as to make a stiff paste. beat it well, and roll it thin. this is the best crust of all for tarts that are to be eaten cold and for preserved fruit. have a moderate oven. _short paste._ no. . half a pound of loaf-sugar, and the same quantity of butter, to be rubbed into a pound of flour; then make it into paste with two eggs. _short paste._ no. . to a pound and a quarter of sifted flour rub gently in half a pound of fresh butter, mixed up with half a pint of spring water, and set it by for a quarter of an hour; then roll it out thin; lay on it in small pieces three quarters of a pound more of butter; throw on it a little more flour, roll it out thin three times, and set it by for an hour in a cold place. _short paste._ no. . take one pound of flour, half a pound of fresh butter, and about four table-spoonfuls of pounded white sugar. knead the paste with the yolks of two eggs well beaten up instead of water. roll it very thin for biscuits or tarts. _short paste._ no. . three ounces of butter to something less than a pound of flour and the yolk of one egg; the butter to be thoroughly worked into the flour; if you use sugar, there is no occasion for an egg. _short paste._ no. . three quarters of a pound of butter, and the same of flour; mix the flour very stiff with a little water; put the butter in a clean cloth, and press it thoroughly to get from it all the water. then roll out all the flour and water paste, and lay the butter upon it, double over the paste, and beat it with a rolling-pin. double it up quite thick, lay it in a clean plate, and put it in a cool place for an hour. if it is not light when tried in the oven, it must be beaten again. _short paste._ no. . rub into your flour as much butter as possible, without its being greasy; rub it in very fine; put water to make it into a nice light paste; roll it out; stick bits of butter all over it; then flour and roll it up again. do this three times; it is excellent for meat-pies. _short paste, made with suet._ to one pound of flour take about half a pound of beef suet chopped very small; pour boiling water upon it; let it stand a little time; then mix the suet with the flour, taking as little of the water as possible, and roll it very thin; put a little sugar and white of egg over the crust before it is baked. _sugar paste._ take half a pound of flour, and the same quantity of sugar well pounded; work it together, with a little cream and about two ounces of butter, into a stiff paste; roll it very thin. when the tarts are made, rub the white of an egg, well beaten, over them with a feather; put them in a moderate oven, and sift sugar over them. _peaches, to preserve in brandy._ no. . the peaches should be gathered before they are too ripe; they should be of the hard kind--old newington or the magdalen peaches are the best. rub off the down with a flannel, and loosen the stone, which is done by cutting a quill and passing it carefully round the stone. prick them with a large needle in several places; put them into cold water; give them a great deal of room in the preserving-pan; scald them extremely gently: the longer you are scalding them the better, for if you do them hastily, or with too quick a fire, they may crack or break. turn them now and then with a feather: when they are tender to the feel, like a hard-boiled egg that has the shell taken off, remove them from the fire, carefully take them out, and cover them up close with a flannel. you must in all their progress observe to keep the fruit covered, and, whenever you take it from the scalding syrup, cover it up with a cloth or flannel, or the air will change the colour. then put to them a thin syrup cool. the next day, if you think the syrup too thin, drain it well from the peaches, and add a little more sugar; boil it up, and put it to them almost cold. to a pint of syrup put half a pint of the best pale brandy you can get, which sweeten with fine sugar. if the brandy is dark-coloured, it will spoil the look of the fruit. the peaches should be well chosen, and they should have sufficient room in the glass jars. when the liquor wastes, supply the deficiency by adding more syrup and brandy. cover them with a bladder, and every now and then turn them upside down, till the fruit is settled. _peaches, to preserve in brandy._ no. . scald some of the finest peaches of the white heart kind, free from spots, in a stewpan of water; take them out when soft, and put them into a large table-cloth, four or five times doubled. into a quart of white french brandy put ten ounces of powdered sugar; let it dissolve, and stir it well. put your peaches into a glass jar; pour the brandy on them; cover them very close with leather and bladder, and take care to keep your jar filled with brandy. you should mix your brandy and sugar before you scald the peaches. _peaches, to preserve in brandy._ no. . put newington peaches in boiling water: just give them a scald, but do not let them boil; then take them out, and throw them into cold water. dry them on a sieve, and put them in long wide-mouthed bottles. to half a dozen peaches take half a pound of sugar; just wet it, and make it a thick syrup. pour it over the peaches hot; when cold, fill the bottles with the finest pale brandy, and stop them very close. _pears, to pot._ put in your fruit scored; cover them with apple jelly, and let them boil till they break; then put them in a hair sieve, and rub them through with a spoon till you think it thick enough. boil up as many pounds of sugar to a candy as you have pints of paste, and when the sugar is put in the paste, just scald it, and put it into pots. _pears, to stew._ pare some barland pears; take out the core, and lay them close in a tin saucepan, with a cover fitting quite exact; add the rind of a lemon cut thin and half its juice, a small stick of cinnamon, twenty grains of allspice, and one pound of loaf-sugar, to a pint and a half of water. bake them six hours in a very slow oven. prepared cochineal is often used for colouring. _chicken pie._ parboil and neatly cut up your chickens; dry them, and set them over a slow fire for a few minutes; have ready some forcemeat, and with it some pieces of ham; lay these at the bottom of the dish, and place the chickens upon it; add some gravy well seasoned. it takes from an hour and a half to two hours. _giblet pie._ let the giblets be well cleaned, and put all into a saucepan excepting the liver, with a little water and an onion, some whole pepper, a bunch of sweet-herbs, and a little salt. cover them close, and let them stew till tender; then lay in your dish a puff paste, and upon that a rump-steak peppered and salted; put the seasoned giblets in with the liver, and add the liquor they were stewed in. close the pie; bake it two hours; and when done pour in the gravy. a dutch pie is made in the same way. _common goose pie._ quarter a goose and season it well. make a raised crust, and lay it in, with half a pound of butter at the top, cut into three pieces. put the lid on, and bake it gently. _rich goose pie._ after having boned your goose and fowl, season them well, and put your fowl into the goose, and into the fowl some forcemeat. then put both into a raised crust, filling the corners with the forcemeat. cut about half a pound of butter into three or four pieces, and lay on the top, and bake it well. _ham and chicken pie._ cut some thin slices from a boiled ham, lay them on a good puff paste at the bottom of your dish, and pepper them. cut a fowl into four quarters, and season it with a great deal of pepper, and but a little salt; and lay on the top some hard yolks of eggs, a few truffles and morels, and then cover the whole with slices of ham peppered: fill the dish with gravy, and cover it with a good thick paste. bake it well, and, when done, pour into it some rich gravy. if to be eaten cold, put no gravy. _hare pie._ cut the hare into pieces; season it with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and jug it with half a pound of butter. it must do above an hour, covered close in a pot of boiling water. make some forcemeat, and add bruised liver and a glass of red wine. let it be highly seasoned, and lay it round the inside of a raised crust; put the hare in when cool, and add the gravy that came from it, with some more rich gravy. put the lid on, and bake it two hours. _lumber pie._ take the best neat's tongue well boiled, three quarters of a pound of beef suet, the like quantity of currants, two good handfuls of spinach, thyme, and parsley, a little nutmeg, and mace; sweeten to your taste. add a french roll grated and six eggs. mix these all together, put them into your pie, then lay up the top. cut into long slices one candied orange, two pieces of citron, some sliced lemon, add a good deal of marrow, preserved cherries and barberries, an apple or two cut into eight pieces, and some butter. put in white wine, lemon, and sugar, and serve up. _olive pie._ two pounds of leg of veal, the lean, with the skin taken out, one pound of beef suet, both shred very small and beaten; then put them together; add half a pound of currants and half a pound of raisins stoned, half a pound of sugar, eight eggs and the whites of four, thyme, sweet marjoram, winter savory, and parsley, a handful of each. mix all these together, and make it up in balls. when you put them in the pie, put butter between the top and bottom. take as much suet as meat; when it is baked, put in a little white wine. _partridge pie._ truss the partridges the same way as you do a fowl for boiling; then beat in a mortar some shalots, parsley cut small, the livers of the birds, and double the quantity of bacon, seasoning them with pepper, salt, and two blades of mace. when well pounded, put in some fresh mushrooms. raise a crust for the pie; cover the bottom with the seasoning; put in the partridges, but no stuffing, and put in the remainder of the seasoning between the birds and on the sides; strew over a little mace, pepper and salt, shalots, fresh mushrooms, a little bacon beaten very fine; lay a layer of it over them, and put the lid on. two hours and a half will bake it, and, when done, take the lid off, skim off the fat, put a pint of veal gravy, and squeeze in the juice of an orange. _rich pigeon pie._ season the pigeons high; lay a puff paste at the bottom of the dish, stuffing the craws of the birds with forcemeat, and lay them in the dish with the breasts downward; fill all the spaces with forcemeat, hard-boiled yolks of eggs, artichoke bottoms cut in pieces, and asparagus tops. cover, and bake it; when drawn, pour in rich gravy. _high veal pie._ veal, forcemeat balls, yolks of eggs, oysters, a little nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt, with a little water put into the dish. _vegetable pie._ stew three pounds of gravy beef, with some white pepper, salt, and mace, a bundle of sweet-herbs, a few sweet almonds, onions, and carrots, till the gravy is of a good brown colour. strain it off; let it stand till cold; and take off all the fat. have some carrots, turnips, onions, potatoes, and celery, ready cut; boil all these together. boil some greens by themselves, and add them to the pie when served up. _a yorkshire christmas pie._ let the crust be made a good standing one; the wall and bottom must be very thick. take a turkey and bone it, a goose, a fowl, a partridge, and a pigeon, and season all well. take half an ounce of cloves, the same of black pepper, and two table-spoonfuls of salt, and beat them well together; let the fowls be slit down the back, and bone them; put the pigeon into the partridge, the partridge into the fowl, the fowl into the goose, and the goose into the turkey. season all well first, and lay them in the crust; joint a hare, and cut it into pieces; season it, and lay it close on one side; on the other side woodcocks, or any other sort of game; let them also be well seasoned and laid close. put four or five pounds of butter into the pie; cover it with a very rich paste, put it in a very hot oven, and four hours will bake it. a bushel of flour is about the quantity required for the paste. _pineapple, to preserve in slices._ pare the pines, and cut them in slices of about the same thickness as you would apples for fritters. take the weight of the fruit in the best sugar; sift it very fine, and put a layer of sugar, then a layer of pineapple; let it stand till the sugar is entirely dissolved. then drain off the syrup, and lay the pine in the pot in which you intend to keep it; boil the syrup, adding a little more sugar and water to make it rich; pour it, but not too hot, upon the fruit. repeat this in about ten days; look at it now and then, and, if the syrup ferments, boil it up again, skim it, and pour it warm upon the pine. the parings of the pineapple boil in the water you use for the syrup, and extract all the flavour from them. _pineapple chips._ pare the pineapples; pick out the thistle part: take half its weight of treble-refined sugar; part the apple in halves; slice it thin; put it in a basin, with sifted sugar between; in twelve hours the sugar will be melted. set it over a fire, and simmer the chips till clear. the less they boil the better. next day, heat them; scrape off the syrup; lay them in glasses, and dry them on a moderate stove or oven. _plums, to dry green._ take green amber plums; prick them with a pin all over; make some water boiling hot, and put in the plums; be sure to have so much water as not to be made cold when the plums are put in. cover them very close, and, when they are almost cold, set them on the fire again, but do not let them boil. do so three or four times. when you see the thin skin cracked, put in some alum finely beaten, and keep them in a scald till they begin to green; then give them a boil closely covered. when they are green, let them stand in fresh hot water all night; next day, have ready as much clarified sugar, made into syrup, as will cover them; drain the plums, put them into the syrup, and give them two or three boils. repeat this twice or three times, till they are very green. let them stand in the syrup a week; then lay them out to dry in a hot stove. you may put some of them in codling jelly, and use them as a wet sweetmeat. _green plum jam._ take the great white plums before they begin to turn, when they are at their full growth, and to every pound of plums allow three quarters of a pound of fine sugar. pare and throw the plums into water, to keep their colour; let your sugar be very finely pounded; cut your plums into slices, and strew the sugar over them. you must first take them out of the water, and put them over a moderate fire, and boil them till they are clear and will jelly. you may put in a few of the stones, if you like them. _great white plum, to preserve._ to one pound of plums put three quarters of a pound of fine sugar; dip the lumps of sugar in water just sufficient to wet it through; boil and skim it, till you think it enough. slit the plums down the seam; put them in the syrup with the slit downward, and let them stew over the fire for a quarter of an hour. skim them; take them off; when cold, turn them; cover them up for four or five days, turning them two or three times a day in the syrup; then put them in pots, not too many together. _posset._ take a quart of white wine and a quart of water; boil whole spice in them; then take twelve eggs, and put away half the whites; beat them very well, and take the wine from the fire; then put your eggs, being thoroughly beaten, to the wine. stir the whole together; then set it on a very slow fire, stirring it the whole time, till it is thick. sweeten it with sugar, and sprinkle on it beaten spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. _another way, richer._ take two quarts of cream, and boil it with whole spice; then take twelve eggs, well beaten and strained; take the cream from the fire, and stir in the eggs, and as much sugar as will sweeten it according to the taste of those who are to drink it; then a pint of wine, or more--sack, sherry, or lisbon. set it on the fire again, and let it stand awhile; then take a ladle, and raise it up gently from the bottom of the skillet you make it in, and break it as little as you can, and do so till you see that it is thick enough. then put it into a basin with a ladle gently. if you do it too much or too quickly it will whey, and that is not good. _sack posset._ to twelve eggs, beaten very much, put a pint of sack, or any other strong rich white wine. stir them well, that they may not curd; put to them three pints of cream and half a pound of fine sugar, stirring them well together. when hot over the fire, put the posset into a basin, and set it over a boiling pot of water until it is like a custard; then take it off, and, when it is cool enough to eat, serve it with beaten spice, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, strewed over it very thick. _sack posset, without milk._ take thirteen eggs; beat them very well, and, while they are beating, take a quart of sack, half a pound of fine sugar, and a pint of ale, and let them boil a very little while; then put the eggs to them, and stir them till they are hot. take it from the fire, and keep it stirring awhile; then put it into a fit basin, and cover it close with a dish. set it over the fire again till it rises to a curd; serve it with beaten spice. _sack posset, or jelly._ take three pints of good cream and three quarters of a pound of fine sugar pounded, twenty eggs, leaving out eight of the whites; beat them very well and light. add to them rather more than a pint of sack; beat them again well; then set it on a stove; make it so hot that you can just endure your finger at the bottom of the pan, and not hotter; stir it all one way; put the cream on the fire just to boil up, and be ready at the time the sack is so. boil in it a blade of mace, and put it boiling hot to the eggs and sack, which is to be only scalding hot. when the cream is put in, just stir it round twice; take it off the fire; cover it up close when it is put into the mould or dish you intend it for, and it will jelly. pour the cream to the eggs, holding it as high from them as possible. _puffs._ blanch a pound of almonds, and beat them with orange-flower water, or rose-water; boil a pound of sugar to a candy; put in the almonds, and stir them over the fire till they are stiff. keep them stirred till cold; then beat them in a mortar for a quarter of an hour. add a pound of sugar, and make it into a paste, with the whites of three eggs beaten to a froth, more or less, as you may judge necessary. bake the puffs in a cool oven. _cheese puffs._ scald green gooseberries, and pulp them through a colander. to six spoonfuls of this pulp add half a pound of butter beaten to a cream, half a pound of finely pounded and sifted sugar, put to the butter by degrees, ten eggs, half the whites, a little grated lemon-peel, and a little brandy or sack. beat all these ingredients as light as possible, and bake in a thin crust. _chocolate puffs._ take a pound of single-refined sugar, finely sifted, and grate as much chocolate as will colour it; add an ounce of beaten almonds; mix them well together; wet it with the froth of whites of eggs, and bake it. _german puffs._ take four spoonfuls of fine flour, four eggs, a pint of cream, four ounces of melted butter, and a very little salt; stir and beat them well together, and add some grated nutmeg. bake them in small cups: a quarter of an hour will be quite sufficient: and the oven should be so quick as to brown both top and bottom. if well baked, they will be more than as large again. for sauce--melted butter, sack, and sugar. the above quantity will make fourteen puffs. _spanish puffs._ take one pint of skim milk, and thicken it with flour; boil it very well till it is tough as paste, then let it cool, put it into a mortar, and beat it very well. put in three eggs, and beat it again, then three eggs more, keeping out one white. put in some grated nutmeg and a little salt. have your pan over the fire, with some good lard; drop the paste in; fry the puffs a light brown, and strew sugar over them when you send them up. _pudding._ boil one pint of milk; beat up the yolks of five eggs in a basin with a little sugar, and pour the milk upon them, stirring it all the time. prepare your mould by putting into it sifted sugar sufficient to cover it; melt it on the stove, and, when dissolved, take care that the syrup covers the whole mould. the flavour is improved by grating into the sugar a little lemon-peel. pour the pudding into your mould, and place it in a vessel of boiling water; it must boil two hours; it may then be turned out, and eaten hot or cold. _another way._ grate a penny loaf, and put to it a handful of currants, a little clarified butter, the yolk of an egg, a little nutmeg and salt; mix all together, and make it into little balls. boil them half an hour. serve with wine sauce. _a good pudding._ take a pint of cream, and six eggs, leaving out two of the whites. beat up the eggs well, and put them to the cream or milk, with two or three spoonfuls of flour, and a little nutmeg and sugar, if you please. _a very good pudding._ scald some green gooseberries, and pulp them through a colander; to six spoonfuls of this pulp add half a pound of butter beaten to a cream, half a pound of finely beaten and sifted sugar, put to the butter by degrees, ten eggs, half the whites, a little grated lemon-peel, a little brandy or sack: beat all these ingredients as light as possible; bake in a thin crust. _an excellent pudding._ cut french rolls in thin slices; boil a pint of milk, and poor over them. cover it with a plate and let it cool; then beat it quite fine. add six ounces of suet chopped fine, a quarter of a pound of currants, three eggs beat up, half a glass of brandy, and some moist sugar. bake it full two hours. _a plain pudding._ three spoonfuls of flour, a pint of new milk, three eggs, a very little salt. boil it for half an hour, in a small basin. _a scalded pudding._ take four spoonfuls of flour, and pour on it one pint of boiling milk. when cold, add four eggs, and boil it one hour. _a sweet pudding._ half a pound of ratafia, half a pint of boiling milk, more if required, stir it with a fork; three eggs, leaving out one white. butter the basin, or dish, and stick jar-raisins about the butter as close as you please; then pour in the pudding and bake it. _all three pudding._ chopped apples, currants, suet finely chopped, sugar and bread crumb, three ounces of each, three eggs, but only two of the whites; put all into a well floured bag, and boil it well two hours. serve it with wine sauce. _almond pudding._ no. . blanch half a pound of sweet almonds, with four bitter ones; pound them in a marble mortar, with two spoonfuls of orange-flower water, and two spoonfuls of rose-water; mix in four grated naples biscuits, and half a pound of melted butter. beat eight eggs, and mix them with a pint of cream boiled; grate in half a nutmeg, and a quarter of a pound of sugar. mix all well together, and bake it with a paste at the bottom of the dish. _almond pudding._ no. . take a pound of almonds, ground very small with a little rose-water and sugar, a pound of naples biscuits finely grated, the marrow of six bones broken into small pieces--if you have not marrow enough, put in beef suet finely shred--a quarter of a pound of orange-peel, a quarter of citron-peel, cut in thin slices, and some mace. take twenty eggs, only half as many whites; mix all these well together. boil some cream, let it stand till it is almost cold; then put in as much as will make your pudding tolerably thick. you may put in a very few caraway seeds and a little ambergris, if you like. _almond pudding._ no. . two small wine glasses of rose-water, one ounce of isinglass, twelve bitter almonds, blanched and shred; let it stand by the fire till the isinglass is dissolved; then put a pint of cream, and the yolks of six eggs, and sweeten to the taste. set it on the fire till it boils; strain it through a sieve; stir it till nearly cold; then pour it into a mould wetted with rose-water. _amber pudding._ half a pound of brown sugar, the same of butter, beat up as a cake, till it becomes a fine cream, six eggs very well beaten, and sweetmeats, if agreeable; mix all together. three quarters of an hour will bake it; add a little brandy, and lay puff paste round the dish. _princess amelia's pudding._ pare eight or ten fair large apples, cut them into thin slices, and stew them gently in a very little water till tender; then take of white bread grated the quantity of half a threepenny loaf, six yolks and four whites of eggs beat very light, half a pint of cream, one large spoonful of sack or brandy, four spoonfuls of clarified butter; mix these all well together, and beat them very light. sweeten to your taste, and bake in tea-cups: a little baking is sufficient. when baked, take them out of the cups, and serve them with sack, sugar, and melted butter, for sauce. _apple mignon._ pare and core golden pippins without breaking the apple; lay them in the dish in which they are to be baked. take of rice boiled tender in milk the quantity you judge sufficient; add to it half a pint of thick cream, with the yolks of five eggs; sweeten it to your taste, and grate in a little nutmeg; pour it over the apples in the dish; set it in a gentle oven. three quarters of an hour will bake it. glaze it over with sugar. _apple pudding._ no. . coddle six large codlings till they are very soft over a slow fire to prevent their bursting. rub the pulp through a sieve. put six eggs, leaving out two whites, six ounces of butter beaten well, three quarters of a pound of loaf sugar pounded fine, the juice of two lemons, two ounces of candied orange and lemon-peel, and the peel of one lemon shred very fine. you must not put in the peel till it is going to the oven. put puff paste round the dish; sift over a little sugar; an hour will bake it. _apple pudding._ no. . prepare apples as for sauce; when cold, beat in two whole eggs, a little nutmeg, bitter almonds pounded fine, and sugar, with orange or lemon peel, and a little juice of either. bake in a paste. _apple pudding._ no. . take six apples; stew them in as little water as you can; take out the pulped part; add to it four eggs, and not quite half a pound of butter; sweeten it to your taste. let your paste be good, and put it in a gentle oven. _arrow-root pudding._ boil a pint of milk with eight bitter almonds pounded, a piece of cinnamon, and lemon-peel, for some time; then take a large table-spoonful of arrow-root, and mix it with cold milk. mix this afterwards with the boiling milk. all these must become cold before you put in the eggs; then beat together three eggs, a little nutmeg and sugar, and the arrow-root, and strain through a sieve. butter your mould, and boil the pudding half an hour. the mould must be quite full; serve with wine sauce, butter a paper to put over it, and then tie over a cloth. _pearl barley pudding._ boil three table-spoonfuls of pearl barley in a pint and a half of new milk, with a few bitter almonds, and a little sugar, for three hours. strain it; when cold add two eggs; put some paste round the dish, and bake it. _batter pudding._ make a batter, rather stiffer than pancake batter; beat up six eggs, leaving out three of the whites, and put them to the batter, with a little salt and nutmeg. this quantity is for a pint basin, and will take one hour to boil. _another._ three table-spoonfuls of flour, two eggs, and about a tea-cupful of currants; beat up well with a pint of milk, and bake in a slow oven. _plain batter pudding, or with fruit._ put six large spoonfuls of flour into a pan, and mix it with a quart of milk, till it is smooth. beat up the yolks of six and the whites of three eggs, and put in; strain it through a sieve; then put in a tea-spoonful of salt, one of beaten ginger, and stir them well together. dip your cloth in boiling water; flour it, and pour in your pudding; tie it rather close, and boil it an hour. when sent to table, pour melted butter over it. you may put in ripe currants, apricots, small plums, damsons, or white bullace, when in season; but with fruit it will require boiling half an hour longer. _norfolk batter pudding._ yolks and whites of three eggs well beaten, three table-spoonfuls of flour, half a pint of milk, and a small quantity of salt; boil it half an hour. _green bean pudding._ boil and blanch old beans; beat them in a mortar, with very little pepper and salt, some cream, and the yolk of an egg. a little spinach-juice will give a fine colour; but it is good without. boil it for an hour in a basin that will just hold it, and pour over it parsley and butter. serve bacon to eat with it. _beef steak pudding._ cut rump-steaks, not too thick, into pieces about half the size of your hand, taking out all the skin and sinews. add an onion cut fine, also potatoes (if liked,) peeled and cut in slices a quarter of an inch thick; season with pepper and salt. lay a layer of steaks, and then one of potatoes, proceeding thus till full, occasionally throwing in part of the onion. add half a gill of water or veal broth. boil it two hours. you may put in, if you please, half a gill of mushroom ketchup, and a table-spoonful of lemon-pickle. _bread pudding._ cut off all the crust from a twopenny loaf; slice it thin in a quart of milk; set it over a chaffing-dish of charcoal, till the bread has completely soaked up the milk; then put in a piece of butter; stir it well round, and let it stand till cold. take the yolks of seven eggs and the whites of five, and beat them up with a quarter of a pound of sugar, with some nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, cloves, and lemon-peel, finely pounded. mix these well together, and boil it one hour. prepare a sauce of white wine, butter, and sugar; pour it over, and serve up hot. _another way._ boil together half a pint of milk, a quarter of a pound of butter, and the same of sugar, and pour it over a quarter of a pound of crumb of bread. beat up the yolks of four eggs and two whites; mix all well together; put the pudding in tea-cups, and bake in a moderate oven about an hour. serve in wine sauce. the above quantity makes five puddings. _rich bread pudding._ cut the inside of a rather stale twopenny loaf as fine as possible; pour over it boiled milk sufficient to allow of its being beaten, while warm, to the thickness of cream; put in a small piece of butter while hot; beat into it four almond macaroons; sweeten it to your taste. beat four eggs, leaving out two whites; and boil it three quarters of an hour. _bread and butter pudding._ cut a penny loaf or french roll into thin slices of bread and butter, as for tea; butter the bottom of the dish, and cover it with slices of bread and butter; sprinkle on them a few currants, well washed and picked; then lay another layer of bread and butter; then again sprinkle a few currants, and so on till you have put in all the bread and butter. beat up three eggs with a pint of milk, a little salt, grated nutmeg, or ginger, and a few bitter almonds, and pour it on the bread and butter. put a puff paste round the dish, and bake it half an hour. _raisin bread pudding._ boil your bread pudding in a basin; put the stoned raisins in a circle at the top, and from it stripes down, when ready to serve up. _buttermilk pudding._ take three quarts of new milk; boil and turn it with a quart of buttermilk: drain the whey from the curd through a hair sieve. when it is well drained, pound it in a marble mortar very fine; then put to it half a pound of fine beaten and sifted sugar. boil the rind of two lemons very tender; mince it fine; add the inside of a roll grated, a large tea-cupful of cream, a few almonds, pounded fine, with a noggin of white wine, a little brandy, and a quarter of a pound of melted butter. the boats or cups you bake in must be all buttered. turn the puddings out when they are baked, and serve them with a sauce of sack, butter, and sugar. _carrot pudding._ take two or three large carrots, and half boil them; grate the crumb of a penny loaf and the red part of the carrots; boil as much cream as will make the bread of a proper thickness; when cold, add the carrots, the yolks of four eggs, beat well, a little nutmeg, a glass of white wine, and sugar to your taste. butter the dish well, and lay a little paste round the edge. half an hour will bake it. _another way._ take raw carrots, scraped very clean, and grate them. to half a pound of grated carrot put a pound of grated bread. beat up eight eggs, leaving out the whites; mix the eggs with half a pint of cream, and then stir in the bread and carrots, with half a pound of fresh butter melted. _charlotte pudding._ cut as many thin slices of white bread as will cover the bottom and line the sides of a baking-dish, having first rubbed it thick with butter; put apples in thin slices into the dish in layers till full, strewing sugar and bits of butter between. in the mean time, soak as many thin slices of bread as will cover the whole in warm milk, over which lay a plate and a weight to keep the bread close on the apples. bake slowly three hours. to a middling-sized dish put half a pound of butter in the whole. _cheese pudding._ boil a thick piece of stale loaf in a pint of milk; grate half a pound of cheese; stir it into the bread and milk; beat up separately four yolks and four whites of eggs, and a little pepper and salt, and beat the whole together till very fine. butter the pan, and put into the oven about the time the first course is sent up. _another way._ half a pound of cheese--strong and mild mixed--four eggs and a little cream, well mixed. butter the pan, and bake it twenty minutes. to be sent up with the cheese, or, if you like, with the tart. _citron pudding._ one spoonful of fine flour, two ounces of sugar, a little nutmeg, and half a pint of cream; mix them well together with the yolks of three eggs. put it into tea-cups, and divide among them two ounces of citron, cut very thin. bake them in a pretty quick oven, and turn them out on a china dish. _cocoa-nut pudding._ take three quarters of a pound of sugar, one pound of cocoa-nut, a quarter of a pound of butter, eight yolks of eggs, four spoonfuls of rose-water, six naples biscuits soaked in the rose-water; beat half the sugar with the butter and half with the eggs, and, when beat enough, mix the cocoa-nut with the butter; then throw in the eggs, and beat all together. for the crust, the yolks of four eggs, two spoonfuls of rose-water, and two of water, mixed with flour till it comes to a paste. _college pudding._ no. . beat up four eggs, with two ounces of flour, half a nutmeg, a little ginger, and three ounces of sugar pounded, beaten to a smooth batter; then add six ounces of suet chopped fine, six of currants well washed and picked, and a glass of brandy, or white wine. these puddings are generally fried in butter or lard, but they are better baked in an oven in pattypans; twenty minutes will bake them; if fried, fry them till of a nice light brown, or roll them in a little flour. you may add an ounce of orange or citron minced very fine. when you bake them, add one more egg, or two spoonfuls of milk. _college pudding._ no. . take of bread crumb, suet, very finely chopped, currants, and moist sugar, half a pound of each, and four eggs, leaving out one white, well beaten. mix all well together, and add a quarter of a pint of white wine, leaving part of it for the sauce. add a little nutmeg and salt. boil it a full half hour in tea-cups; or you may fry it. this quantity will make six. pour over them melted butter, sugar, and wine. _college pudding._ no. . a quarter of a pound of biscuit powder, a quarter of a pound of beef suet, a quarter of a pound of currants, nicely picked and washed, nutmeg, a glass of raisin wine, a few bitter almonds pounded, lemon-peel, and a little juice. fry ten minutes in beef dripping, and send to table in wine sauce. half these ingredients will make eight puddings. _college pudding._ no. . a quarter of a pound of grated bread, the same quantity of currants, the same of suet shred fine, a small quantity of sugar, and some nutmeg: mix all well together. take two eggs, and make it with them into cakes; fry them of a light brown in butter. serve them with butter, sugar, and wine. _new college pudding._ grate a penny white loaf, and put to it a quarter of a pound of currants, nicely picked and washed, a quarter of a pound of beef suet, minced small, some nutmeg, salt, and as much cream and eggs as will make it almost as stiff as paste. then make it up in the form of eggs: put them into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of butter melted in the bottom; lay them in one by one; set them over a clear charcoal fire; and, when they are brown, turn them till they are brown all over. send them to table with wine sauce. lemon-peel and a little juice may be added to the pudding. _another way._ take one pound of suet, half a pound of the best raisins, one pound of currants, half a pound of sugar, half a pound of flour, one nutmeg, a tea-spoonful of salt, two table-spoonfuls of brandy, and six eggs. make them up the size of a turkey's egg; bake or fry them in butter. _cottage pudding._ two pounds of potatoes, boiled, peeled, and mashed, one pint of milk, three eggs, and two ounces of sugar. bake it three quarters of an hour. _currant pudding._ take one pound of flour, ten ounces of currants, five of moist sugar, a little grated ginger, nutmeg, and sliced lemon-peel. put the flour with the sugar on one side of the basin, and the currants on the other. melt a quarter of a pound of butter in half a pint of milk; let it stand till lukewarm; then add two yolks of eggs and one white only, well beaten, and three tea-spoonfuls of yest. to prevent bitterness, put a piece of red-hot charcoal, of the size of a walnut, into the milk; strain it through a sieve, and pour it over the currants, leaving the flour and the sugar on the other side of the basin. throw a little flour from the dredger over the milk; then cover it up, and leave it at the fire-side for half an hour to rise. then mix the whole together with a spoon; put it into the mould, and leave it again by the fire to rise for another half hour. _custard pudding._ no. . take three quarters of a pint of milk, three tea-spoonfuls of flour, and three eggs: mix the flour quite smooth with a little of the milk cold; boil the rest, and pour it to the mixed flour, stirring it well together. then well beat the eggs, and pour the milk and flour hot to them. butter a basin, pour in the pudding. tie it close in a cloth, and boil it half an hour. it may be made smaller or larger, by allowing one egg to one tea-spoonful of flour and a quarter of a pint of milk, and proportionately shortening the time of boiling. it may be prepared for boiling any time, or immediately before it is put into the saucepan, as maybe most convenient. the basin must be quite filled, or the water will get in. _custard pudding._ no. . set on the fire a pint of milk, sweetened to your taste, with a little cinnamon, a few cloves, and grated lemon-peel. boil it up, and pour it the moment it is taken off the fire upon the yolks of seven eggs and the whites of four, stirring it well, and pouring it in by degrees. boil it in a well buttered basin, which will hold a pint and a half. pour wine sauce over it. _custard pudding._ no. . boil a pint of milk and a quarter of a pint of good cream; thicken with flour and water perfectly smooth; break in the yolks of five eggs, sweetened with powdered loaf sugar, the peel of a lemon grated, and half a glass of brandy. line the dish with good puff paste, and bake for half an hour. _custard pudding._ no. . take six eggs, one table-spoonful of flour, and a sufficient quantity of milk to fill the pan. boil it three quarters of an hour. _fish pudding._ pound fillets of whiting with a quarter of a pound of butter; add the crumb of two penny rolls, soaked in cold milk, pepper and salt, with seasoning according to the taste. boil in a mould one hour and a quarter, and then turn it out, and serve up with sauce. _french pudding._ beat twelve eggs, leaving out half the whites, extremely well; take one pound of melted butter, and one pound of sifted sugar, one nutmeg grated, the peel of a small orange, the juice of two; the butter and sugar to be well beaten together; then add to them the eggs and other ingredients. beat all very light, and bake in a thin crust. _gooseberry pudding._ scald a quart of gooseberries, and pass them through a sieve, as you would for gooseberry fool; add three eggs, three table-spoonfuls of crumb of bread, three table-spoonfuls of flour, an ounce of butter, and sugar to your taste. bake it in a moderate oven. _another._ scald the gooseberries, and prepare them according to the preceding receipt; mix them with rice, prepared as for a rice pudding, and bake it. _hunter's pudding._ one pound of raisins, one pound of suet, chopped fine, four spoonfuls of flour, four of sugar, four of good milk, and four eggs, whites and all, two spoonfuls of brandy or sack, and some grated nutmeg. it must boil four hours complete, and should have good room in the bag, as it swells much in the boiling. _jug pudding._ beat the whites and yolks of three eggs; strain through a sieve; add gradually a quarter of a pint of milk; rub in a mortar two ounces of moist sugar and as much grated nutmeg as would cover a sixpence; then put in four ounces of flour, and beat it into a smooth batter by degrees; stir in seven ounces of suet and three ounces of bread crumb; mix all together half an hour before you put it into the pot. boil it three hours. _lemon pudding._ take two large lemons; peel them thin, and boil them in three waters till tender; then beat them in a mortar to a paste. grate a penny roll into the yolks and whites of four eggs well beaten, half a pint of milk, and a quarter of a pound of sugar; mix them all well together; put it into a basin well buttered, and boil it half an hour. _another way._ three lemons, six eggs, a quarter of a pound of butter, some crumb of bread grated, with some lemon-peel and grated sugar. _small lemon puddings._ one pint of cream, one spoonful of fine flour, two ounces of sugar, some nutmeg, and the yolks of three eggs; mix all well together; and stick in two ounces of citron. bake in tea-cups in a quick oven. _maccaroni pudding._ take three ounces of maccaroni, two ounces of butter, a pint and a half of milk boiled, four eggs, half a pound of currants. put paste round the dish, and bake it. _marrow pudding._ boil two quarts of cream with a little mace and nutmeg; beat very light ten eggs, leaving out half the whites; put the cream scalding to the eggs, and beat it well. butter lightly the dish you bake it in; then slice some french roll, and lay a layer at the bottom; put on it lumps of marrow; then sprinkle on some currants and fine chopped raisins, then another layer of thin sliced bread, then marrow again, with the currants and raisins as before. when the dish is thus filled, pour over the whole the cream and eggs, which must be sweetened a little. an oven that will bake a custard will be hot enough for this pudding. strew on the marrow a little powdered cinnamon. _another way._ boil up a pint of cream, then take it off; slice two penny loaves thin, and put them into the cream, with a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, stirring it till melted. then put into it a quarter of a pound of almonds beaten well and small, with rose-water, the marrow of three marrow-bones, and the whites of five eggs, and two yolks. season it with mace shred small, and sweeten with a quarter of a pound of sugar. make up your pudding. the marrow should first be laid in water to take out the blood. _nottingham pudding._ peel six apples; take out the core, but be sure to leave the apples whole, and fill up the place of the core with sugar. put them in a dish, and pour over them a nice light batter. bake it an hour in a moderate oven. _oatmeal pudding._ steep oatmeal all night in milk; in the morning pour away the milk, and put some cream, beaten spice, currants, a little sugar if you like it; if not, salt, and as many eggs as you think proper. stir it well together; boil it thoroughly, and serve with butter and sugar. _orange pudding._ no. . take the yolks of twelve eggs and the whites of two, six ounces of the best sugar, beat fine and sifted, and a quarter of a pound of orange marmalade: beat all well together; set it over a gentle fire to thicken; put to it half a pound of melted butter, and the juice of a seville orange. bake it in a thin light paste, and take great care not to scorch it in the oven. _orange pudding._ no. . grate off the rind of two large seville oranges as far as they are yellow; put them in fair water, and let them boil till they are tender, changing the water two or three times. when they are tender, cut them open, take away the seeds and strings, and beat them in a mortar, with half a pound of sugar finely sifted, until it is a fine light paste; then put in the yolks of ten eggs well beaten, five or six spoonfuls of thick cream, half a naples biscuit, and the juice of two more seville oranges. mix these well together, and melt a pound of the best butter, or beat it to a cream without melting: beat all light and well together, and bake it in a puff paste three quarters of an hour. _orange pudding._ no. . grate the peel of four china oranges and of one lemon; boil it in a pint of cream, with a little cinnamon and some sugar. scald crumb of white bread in a little milk; strain the boiled cream to the bread, and mix it together; add the yolks of six and the whites of three eggs; mix all well together. put it into a dish rubbed with a little butter, and bake it of a nice brown colour. serve with wine sauce. _orange pudding._ no. . melt half a pound of fresh butter, and when cold take away the top and bottom; then mix the yolks of nine eggs well beaten, and half a pound of double-refined sugar, beaten and seared; beat all well together; grate in the rind of a good seville orange, and stir well up. put it into a dish, and bake it. _orange pudding._ no. . simmer two ounces of isinglass in water; steep orange-peel in water all night; then add one pint of orange-juice, with the yolks of four eggs, and some white sugar. bake a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. _orange pudding._ no. . cut two large china oranges in quarters, and take out the seeds; beat them in a mortar, with two ounces of sugar, and the same quantity of butter; then add four eggs, well beat, and a little seville orange-juice. line the dish with puff paste, and bake it. _plain orange pudding._ make a bread pudding, and add a table-spoonful of ratafia, the juice of a seville orange and the rind, or that of a lemon cut small. bake with puff paste round it; turn it out of the tin when sent to table. _paradise pudding._ six apples pared and chopped very fine, six eggs, six ounces of bread grated very fine, six ounces of sugar, six ounces of currants, a little salt and nutmeg, some lemon-peel, and one glass of brandy. the whole to boil three hours. _pith pudding._ take the pith of an ox; wipe the blood clean from it; let it lie in water two days, changing the water very often. dry it in a cloth, and scrape it with a knife to separate the strings from it. then put it into a basin; beat it with two or three spoonfuls of rose-water till it is very fine, and strain it through a fine strainer. boil a quart of thick cream with a nutmeg, a blade of mace, and a little cinnamon. beat half a pound of almonds very fine with rose-water; put them in the cream and strain it: beat them again, and again strain till you have extracted all their goodness; then put to them twelve eggs, with four whites. mix all these together with the pith; add five or six spoonfuls of sack, half a pound of sugar, citron cut small, and the marrow of six bones; and then fill them. half an hour will boil them. _plum pudding._ no. . half a pound of raisins stoned, half a pound of suet, good weight, shred very fine, half a pint of milk, four eggs, two of the whites only. beat the eggs first, mix half the milk with them, stir in the flour and the rest of the milk by degrees, then the suet and raisins, and a small tea-cupful of moist sugar. mix the eggs, sugar, and milk, well together in the beginning, and stir all the ingredients well together. a plum pudding should never boil less than five hours; longer will not hurt it. this quantity makes a large plain pudding: half might do. _plum pudding._ no. . one pound of jar raisins stoned and cut in pieces, one pound of suet shred small, with a very little salt to it; six eggs, beat with a little brandy and sack, nearly a pint of milk, a nutmeg grated, a very little flour, not more than a spoonful, among the raisins, to separate them from each other, and as much grated bread as will make these ingredients of the proper consistence when they are all mixed together. _plum pudding._ no. . take half a pound of crumb of stale bread; cut it in pieces; boil half a pint of milk and pour over it; let it stand half an hour to soak. take half a pound of beef suet shred fine, half a pound of raisins, half a pound of currants beat up with a little salt; mix them well together with a handful of flour. butter the dish, and put the pudding in it to bake; but if boiled, flour the bag, or butter the mould, if you boil it in one. to this quantity put three eggs. _plum pudding._ no. . one pound of beef suet, one pound of raisins stoned, four table-spoonfuls of flour, six ounces of loaf-sugar, one tea-spoonful of salt, five eggs, and half a grated nutmeg. flour the cloth well, and boil it six hours. _plum pudding._ no. . take currants, raisins, suet, bread crumb, and sugar, half a pound of each, five eggs, two ounces of almonds blanched and shred very fine, citron and brandy to taste, and a spoonful of flour. _a rich plum pudding._ a pound and a quarter of sun raisins, stoned, six eggs, two spoonfuls of flour, a pound of suet, a little nutmeg, a glass of brandy: boil it five or six hours. _potato pudding._ no. . boil two pounds of white potatoes; peel them, and bruise them fine in a mortar, with half a pound of melted butter, and the yolks of four eggs. put it into a cloth, and boil it half an hour; then turn it into a dish; pour melted butter, with a glass of raisin wine, and the juice of a seville orange, mixed together as sauce, over it, and strew powdered sugar all over. _potato pudding._ no. . take four steamed potatoes; dry and rub them through a sieve; boil a quarter of a pint of milk, with spice, sugar, and butter; stir the potatoes in the milk, with the yolks of three eggs; beat the whites to a strong froth, and add them to the pudding. bake it in a quick oven. _potato pudding._ no. . boil three or four potatoes; mash and pass them through a sieve; beat them up with milk, and let it stand till cold. then add the yolks of four eggs and sugar; beat up the four whites to a strong froth, and stir it in very gently before you put the pudding into the mould. _potato pudding._ no. . one pound of potatoes, three quarters of a pound of butter, one pound of sugar, eight eggs, a little mace, and nutmeg. rub the potatoes through a sieve, to make them quite free from lumps. bake it. _potato pudding._ no. . mix twelve ounces of potatoes, boiled, skinned, and mashed, one ounce of suet, one ounce, or one-sixteenth of a pint, of milk, and one ounce of gloucester cheese--total, fifteen ounces--with as much boiling water as is necessary to bring them to a due consistence. bake in an earthen pan. _potato pudding._ no. . potatoes and suet as before, and one ounce of red herrings, pounded fine in a mortar, mixed, baked, &c. as before. _potato pudding._ no. . the same quantity of potatoes and suet, and one ounce of hung beef, grated fine with a grater, and mixed and baked as before. _pottinger's pudding._ three ounces of ground rice, and two ounces of sweet almonds, blanched and beaten fine; the rice must be boiled and beaten likewise. mix them well together, with two eggs, sugar and butter, to your taste. make as thin a puff paste as possible, and put it round some cups; when baked, turn them out, and pour wine sauce over them. this quantity will make four puddings. _prune pudding._ mix a pound of flour with a quart of milk; beat up six eggs, and mix with it a little salt, and a spoonful of beaten ginger. beat the whole well together till it is a fine stiff batter; put in a pound of prunes; tie the pudding in a cloth, and boil it an hour and a half. when sent to table, pour melted butter over it. _quaking pudding._ boil a quart of milk with a bit of cinnamon and mace; mix about a spoonful of butter with a large spoonful of flour, to which put the milk by degrees. add ten eggs, but only half the whites, and a nutmeg grated. butter your basin and the cloth you tie over it, which must be tied so tight and close as not to admit a drop of water. boil it an hour. sack and butter for sauce. _another way._ to three quarts of cream put the yolks of twelve eggs and three whites, and two spoonfuls of flour, half a nutmeg grated, and a quarter of a pound of sugar. mix them well together. put it into a bag, and boil it with a quick fire; but let the water boil before you put it in. half an hour will do it. _ratafia pudding._ a quarter of a pound of sweet and a quarter of an ounce of bitter almonds, butter and loaf sugar of each a quarter of a pound; beat them together in a marble mortar. add a pint of cream, four eggs, leaving out two whites, and a wine glassful of sherry. garnish the dish with puff paste, and bake half an hour. _rice pudding._ take a quarter of a pound of rice, a pint and a half of new milk, five eggs, with the whites of two. set the rice and the milk over the fire till it is just ready to boil; then pour it into a basin, and stir into it an ounce of butter till it is quite melted. when cold, the eggs to be well beaten and stirred in, and the whole sweetened to the taste: in general, a quarter of a pound of sugar is allowed to the above proportions. add about a table-spoonful of ratafia, and a little salt: a little cream improves it much. put it into a nice paste, and an hour is sufficient to bake it. the rice and milk, while over the fire, must be kept stirred all the time. _another._ boil five ounces of rice in a pint and a half of milk; when nearly cold, stir in two ounces of butter, two eggs, three ounces of sugar, spice or lemon, as you like. bake it an hour. _plain rice pudding._ take a quarter of a pound of whole rice, wash and pick it clean; put it into a saucepan, with a quart of new milk, a stick of cinnamon, and lemon-peel shred fine. boil it gently till the rice is tender and thick, and stir it often to keep it from burning. take out the cinnamon and lemon-peel; put the rice into an earthen pan to cool; beat up the yolks of four eggs and the whites of two. stir them into the rice; sweeten it to the palate with moist sugar; put in some lemon or seville orange-peel shred very fine, a few bitter almonds, and a little grated nutmeg and ginger. mix all well together; lay a puff paste round the dish, pour in the pudding, and bake it. _another way._ pour a quart of new milk, scalding hot, upon three ounces of whole rice. let it stand covered for an hour or two. scald the milk again, and pour it on as before, letting it stand all night. next day, when you are ready to make the pudding, set the rice and milk over the fire, give it a boil up, sweeten it with a little sugar, put into it a very little pounded cinnamon, stir it well together; butter the dish in which it is to be baked, pour it in, and put it into the oven. this pudding is not long in baking. _ground rice pudding._ boil three ounces of rice in a pint of milk, stirring it all well together the whole time of boiling. pour it into a pan, and stir in six ounces of butter, six ounces of sugar, eight eggs, but half of the whites only, and twenty almonds pounded, half of them bitter. put paste at the bottom of the dish. _rice hunting pudding._ to a pound of suet, half a pound of currants, a pound of jar raisins stoned, five eggs, leaving out two whites, half a pound of ground rice, a little spice, and as much milk as will make it a thick batter. boil it two hours and a half. _kitchen rice pudding._ half a pound of rice in two quarts of boiling water, a pint and a half of milk, and a quarter of a pound of beef or mutton suet, shred fine into it. bake an hour and a half. _rice plum pudding._ half a pound of rice boiled in milk till tender, but the milk must not run thin about it; then take half a pound of raisins, and the like quantity of currants, and suet, chopped fine, four eggs, leaving out half the whites, one table-spoonful of sugar, two of brandy, some lemon-peel, and spice. mix these well together, and take two table-spoonfuls of flour to make it up. it must boil five or six hours in a tin or basin. _small rice puddings._ set three ounces of flour of rice over the fire in three quarters of a pint of milk; stir it constantly; when stiff, take it off, pour it into an earthen pan, and stir in three ounces of butter, and a large tea-cupful of cream; sweeten it to your taste with lump sugar. when cold, beat five eggs and two whites; grate the peel of half a lemon; cut three ounces of blanched almonds small, and a few bitter ones with them. beat all well together; boil it half an hour in small basins, and serve with wine sauce. _swedish rice pudding._ wash one pound of rice six or eight times in warm water; put it into a stewpan upon a slow fire till it bursts; strain it through a sieve; add to the rice one pound of sugar, previously well clarified, and the juice of six or eight oranges, and of six lemons, and simmer it on the fire for half an hour. cover the bottom and the edges of a dish with paste, taking care that the flour of which the paste is made be first thoroughly dried. put in your rice, and decorate with candied orange-peel. _rice white pot._ boil one pound of rice, previously well washed in two quarts of new milk, till it is much reduced, quite tender, and thick; beat it in a mortar, with a quarter of a pound of almonds blanched, putting it to them by degrees as you beat them. boil two quarts of cream with two or three blades of mace; mix it light with nine eggs--only five whites--well beat, and a little rose-water; sweeten it to your taste. cut some candied orange and citron very thin, and lay it in. bake it in a slow oven. _sago pudding._ boil a quarter of a pound of sago in a pint of new milk, till it is very thick; stir in a large piece of butter; add sugar and nutmeg to your palate, and four eggs. boil it an hour. wine sauce. _spoonful pudding._ a table-spoonful of flour, a spoonful of cream or milk, some currants, an egg, a little sugar and brandy, or raisin wine. make them round and about the size of an egg, and tie them up in separate pudding-cloths. _plain suet pudding, baked._ four spoonfuls of flour, four spoonfuls of suet shred very fine, three eggs, mixed with a little salt, and a tea-cupful of milk. bake in a small pie-dish, and turn it out for table. _suet pudding, boiled._ shred a pound of beef suet very fine; mix it with a pound of flour, a little salt and ginger, six eggs, and as much milk as will make it into a stiff batter. put it in a cloth, and boil it two hours. when done, turn it into a dish, with plain melted butter. _tansy pudding._ beat sixteen eggs very well in a wooden bowl, leaving out six whites, with a little orange-flower water and brandy; then add to them by degrees half a pound of fine sifted sugar; grate in a nutmeg, and a quarter of a pound of naples biscuit; add a pint of the juice of spinach, and four spoonfuls of the juice of tansy; then put to it a pint of cream. stir it all well together, and put it in a skillet, with a piece of butter melted; keep it stirring till it becomes pretty thick; then put it in a dish, and bake it half an hour. when it comes out of the oven, stick it with blanched almonds cut very thin, and mix in some citron cut in the same manner. serve it with sack and sugar, and squeeze a seville orange over it. turn it out in the dish in which you serve it bottom upwards. _another way._ take five ounces of grated bread, a pint of milk, five eggs, a little nutmeg, the juice of tansy and spinach, to your taste, a quarter of a pound of butter, some sugar, and a little brandy; put it in a saucepan, and keep it stirring on a gentle fire till thick. then put it in a dish and bake it; when baked, turn it out, and dust sugar on it. _tapioca pudding._ take a small tea-cupful of tapioca, and rather more than half that quantity of whole rice; let it soak all night in water, just enough to cover it; then add a quart of milk: let it simmer over a slow fire, stirring it every five minutes till it looks clear. let it stand till quite cold; then add three eggs, well beaten with sugar, and grated lemon-peel, and bake it. it is equally good cold or hot. _neat's tongue pudding._ boil a neat's tongue very tender; when cold, peel and shred it very fine, after grating as much as will cover your hand. add to it some beef suet and marrow. take some oranges and citron, finely cut, some cloves, nutmeg, and mace, not forgetting salt to your taste, twenty-four eggs, half the whites only, some sack, a little rose-water, and as much boiled cream as will make the whole of proper thickness. then put in two pounds of currants, if your tongue be large. _quatre fruits._ take picked strawberries, black currants, raspberries, and the little black cherries, one pound of each, and two quarts of brandy. infuse the whole together, and sweeten to taste. when it has stood a sufficient time, filter through a jelly-bag till the liquor is quite clear. _quinces, to preserve._ put a third part of the clearest and largest quinces into cold water over the fire, and coddle till tender, but not so as to be broken. pare and cut them into quarters, taking out the core and the hard part, and then weigh them. the kernels must be taken out of the core, and tied up in a piece of muslin or gauze. the remaining two-thirds of the quinces must be grated, and the juice well squeezed out; and to a pound of the coddled quinces put a pint of juice; pound some cochineal, tie it up in muslin, and put it to the quinces and juice. they must be together all night; next day, put a pound of lump sugar to every pound of coddled quinces; let the sugar be broken into small lumps, and, with the quince juice, cochineal, and kernels, be boiled together until the quinces are clear and red, quite to the middle of each quarter. take out the quarters, and boil the syrup for half an hour: put the quarters in, and let them boil gently for near an hour: then put them in a jar, boil the syrup till it is a thick jelly, and put it boiling hot over them. _quinces, to preserve whole._ pare the quinces very thin, put them into a well-tinned saucepan; fill it with hard water, lay the parings over the fruit, and keep them down; cover close that the steam may not escape, and set them over a slow fire to stew till tender and of a fine red colour. take them carefully out, and weigh them to two pounds of quinces. take two pounds and a half of double-refined sugar; put it into a preserving-pan, with one quart of water. set it over a clear charcoal fire to boil; skim it clean, and, when it looks clear, put in the quinces. boil them twelve minutes; take them off, and set them by for four hours to cool. set them on the fire again, and let them boil three minutes; take them off, and let them stand two days; then boil them again ten minutes with the juice of two lemons, and set them by till cold. put them into jars; pour on the syrup, cover them with brandy paper, tie them close with leather or bladder, and set them in a dry cool place. _ramaquins._ no. . take two ounces of cheshire cheese grated, two ounces of white bread grated, two ounces of butter, half a pint of cream, and a little white pepper; boil all together; let it stand till cold; then take two yolks of eggs, beat the whole together, and put it into paper coffins. twenty minutes will bake them. _ramaquins._ no. . take very nearly half a pound of parmesan cheese, two ounces of mild gloucester, four yolks of eggs, about six ounces of the best butter, and a good tea-cupful of cream. beat the cheese first in a mortar; add by degrees the other ingredients, and in some measure be regulated by your taste, whether the proportion of any of them should be increased or diminished. a little while bakes them; the oven must not be too hot. they are baked in little paper cases, and served as hot as possible. _ramaquins._ no. . put to a little water just warm a little salt; stir in a quarter of a pound of butter; it must not boil. when well mixed, let it stand till cold: then stir in three eggs, one at a time, beating it well till it is quite smooth; then add three more eggs, beating it well, and half a pound of parmesan cheese. beat it well again, adding two yolks of eggs and a quarter of a pound of cold butter, and again beat it. just before it is going into the oven, beat six eggs to a froth, and beat the whole together. bake in paper moulds and in a quick oven. serve as hot as possible. _ramaquins._ no. . take a quarter of a pound of cheshire cheese, two eggs, and two ounces of butter; beat them fine in a mortar, and make them up in cakes that will cover a piece of bread of the size of a crown-piece. lay them on a dish, not touching one another; set them on a chaffing-dish of coals, and hold a salamander over them till they are quite brown. serve up hot. _raspberries, to preserve._ take the juice of red and white raspberries; if you have no white raspberries, put half codling jelly; put a pint and a half of juice to two pounds of sugar; let it boil, and skim it. then put in three quarters of a pound of large red raspberries; boil them very fast till they jelly and are very clear; do not take them off the fire, that would make them hard, and a quarter of an hour will do them. after they begin to boil fast, put the raspberries in pots or glasses; then strain the jelly from the seeds, and put it to them. when they begin to cool, stir them, that they may not lie at the top of the glasses; and, when cold, lay upon them papers wetted with brandy and dried with a cloth. _another way._ put three quarters of a pound of moist sugar to every quart of fruit, and let them boil gently till they jelly. _raspberries, to preserve in currant jelly._ strip the currants from the stalks; weigh one pound of sugar to one pound of fruit, and to every eight pounds of currants put one pound of raspberries, for which you are not to allow any sugar. wet the sugar, and let it boil till it is almost sugar again; then throw in the fruit, and, with a very smart fire, let it boil up all over. take it off, and strain it through a lawn sieve. you must not let it boil too much, for fear of the currants breaking, and the seeds coming through into the jelly. when it boils up in the middle, and the syrup diffuses itself generally, it is sufficiently done; then take it off instantly. this makes a very elegant, clear currant jelly, and may be kept and used as such. take some whole fine large raspberries; stalk them; put some of the jelly, made as above directed, in your preserving-pan; sprinkle in the raspberries, not too many at a time, for fear of bruising them. about ten minutes will do them. take them off, and put them in pots or glasses. if you choose to do more, you must put in the pan a fresh supply of jelly. let the jelly nearly boil up before you put in the raspberries. _raspberry jam._ no. .--_very good._ take to each pound of raspberries half a pint of juice of red and white currants, an equal quantity of each, in the whole half a pint, and a pound of double-refined sugar. stew or bake the currants in a pot, to get out the juice. let the sugar be finely beaten; then take half the raspberries and squeeze through a coarse cloth, to keep back the seeds; bruise the rest with the back of a wooden spoon; the half that is bruised must be of the best raspberries. mix the raspberries, juice, and sugar, together: set it over a good fire, and let it boil as fast as possible, till you see it will jelly, which you may try in a spoon. _raspberry jam._ no. . weigh equal quantities of sugar and of fruit; put the fruit into a preserving-pan: boil it very quickly; break it; and stir it constantly. when the juice is almost wasted, add the sugar, and simmer it half an hour. use a silver spoon. _raspberry jam._ no. . to six quarts of raspberries put three pounds of refined sugar finely pounded; strain half the raspberries from the seed; then boil the juice and the other half together. as it jellies, put it into pots. the sugar should first be boiled separately, before the raspberries are added. _raspberry paste._ break three parts of your raspberries red and white; strain them through linen; break the other part, and put into the juice; boil it till it jellies, and then let it stand till cold. to every pint put a pound of sugar, and make it scalding hot: add some codling jelly before you put in the seeds. _apple tart with rice crust._ pare and quarter six russet apples; stew them till soft; sweeten with lump-sugar; grate some lemon-peel; boil a tea-cupful of rice in milk till it becomes thick: sweeten it well with loaf-sugar. add a little cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg; lay the apple in the dish; cover it with rice; beat the whites of two eggs to a strong froth; lay it on the top; dust a little sugar over it, and brown it in the oven. _another way._ pare and core as many apples as your dish will conveniently bake; stew them with sugar, a bit of lemon-peel, and a little cinnamon. prepare your rice as for a rice pudding. fill your dish three parts full of apples, and cover it with the rice. _rolls._ take two pounds of flour; divide it; put one half into a deep pan; rub two ounces of butter into the flour; the whites of two eggs whisked to a high froth; add one table-spoonful of yest, four table-spoonfuls of cream, the yolk of one egg, a pint of milk, rather more than new milk warm. mix the above together into a lather; beat it for ten minutes; then cover it, and set it before the fire for two hours to rise. mix in the other half of the flour, and set it before the fire for a quarter of an hour. these rolls must be baked in earthenware cups, rubbed with a little butter, and not more than half filled with dough; they must be baked a quarter of an hour in a very hot oven. _another way._ take one quart of fine flour; wet it with warm milk, and six table-spoonfuls of small beer yest, a quarter of a pound of butter, and a little salt. do not make the dough too stiff at first, but let it rise awhile; then work in the flour to the proper consistency. set it to rise some time longer, then form your rolls of any size you please; bake them in a warmish oven; twenty minutes will bake the small and half an hour the large ones. _excellent rolls._ take three pounds of the finest flour, and mix up the yolks of three eggs with the yest. wet the flour with milk, first melting in the milk one ounce of butter, and add a little salt to the flour. _little rolls._ one pound of flour, two or three spoonfuls of yest, the yolks of two eggs, the white of one, a little salt, moistened with milk. this dough must be made softer than for bread, and beaten well with a spoon till it is quite light; let it stand some hours before it is baked; some persons make it over-night. the dutch oven, which must first be made warm, will bake the rolls, which must be turned to prevent their catching. _breakfast rolls._ rub exceedingly fine two ounces of good butter in a pound and three quarters of fine flour. mix a table-spoonful of yest in half a pint of warm milk; set a light sponge in the flour till it rises for an hour; beat up one or two eggs in half a spoonful of fine sugar, and intermix it with the sponge, adding to it a little less than half a pint of warm milk with a tea-spoonful of salt. mix all up to a light dough, and keep it warm, to rise again for another hour. then break it in pieces, and roll them to the thickness of your finger of the proper length; lay them on tin plates, and set them in a warm stove for an hour more. then touch them over with a little milk, and bake them in a slow oven with care. to take off the bitterness from the yest, mix one pint of it in two gallons of water, and let it stand for twenty-four hours; then throw off the water, and the yest is fit for use; if not, repeat it. _another way._ with two pounds of flour mix about half a pound of butter, till it is like crumbled bread; add two whole eggs, three spoonfuls of good yest, and a little salt. make it up into little rolls; set them before the fire for a short time to rise, but, if the yest is very good, this will not be necessary. _brentford rolls._ take two pounds of fine flour; put to it a little salt, and two spoonfuls of fine sugar sifted; rub in a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, the yolks of two eggs, two spoonfuls of yest, and about a pint of milk. work the whole into a dough, and set it to the fire to rise. make twelve rolls of it; lay them on buttered tins, let them stand to the fire to rise till they are very light, then bake them about half an hour. _dutch rolls._ into one pound of flour rub three ounces of butter; with a spoonful of yest, mixed up with warm milk, make it into light paste; set it before the fire to rise. when risen nearly half as big again, make it into rolls about the length of four inches, and the breadth of two fingers; set them again to rise before the fire, till risen very well; put them into the oven for a quarter of an hour. _french rolls._ no. . seven pounds of flour, four eggs leaving out two yolks--the whites of the eggs should be beaten to a snow--three quarters of a pint of ale yest. beat the eggs and yest together, adding warm milk; put it so beat into the flour, in which must be well rubbed four ounces of butter; wet the whole into a soft paste. keep beating it in the bowl with your hand for a quarter of an hour at least; let it stand by the fire half an hour, then make it into rolls, and put them into pans or dishes, first well floured, or, what is still better, iron moulds, which are made on purpose to bake rolls in. let them stand by the fire another half hour, and put them, bottom upwards, on tin plates, in the middle of a hot oven for three quarters of an hour or more: take them out, and rasp them. _french rolls._ no. . take two or three spoonfuls of good yest, as much warm water, two or three lumps of loaf-sugar, and the yolk of an egg. mix all together; let it stand to rise. meanwhile take a quartern of the finest flour, and rub in about an ounce of butter. then take a quart of new milk, and put into it a pint of boiling water, so as to make it rather warmer than new milk from the cow. mix together the milk and yest, and strain through a sieve into the flour, and, when you have made it into a light paste, flour a piece of clean linen cloth well, lay it upon a thick double flannel, put your paste into the cloth, wrap it up close, and put it in an earthen pan before the fire till it rises. make it up into ten rolls, and put them into a quick oven for a quarter of an hour. _french rolls._ no. . to half a peck of the best flour put six eggs, leaving out two whites, a little salt, a pint of good ale yest, and as much new milk, a little warmed, as will make it a thin light paste. stir it about with your hand, or with a large wooden spoon, but by no means knead it. set it in a pan before the fire for about an hour, or till it rises; then make it up into little rolls, and bake it in a quick oven. _milton rolls._ take one pound of fine rye flour, a little salt, the yolk of one egg, a small cupful of yest, and some warm new milk, with a bit of butter in it. mix all together; let it stand one hour to rise; and bake your rolls half an hour in a quick oven. _runnet._ take out the stomachs of fowls before you dress them; wash and cleanse them thoroughly; then string them, and hang them up to dry. when wanted for use, soak them in water, and boil them in milk; this makes the best and sweetest whey. _another way._ take the curd out of a calf's maw; wash and pick it clean from the hair and stones that are sometimes in it, and season it well with salt. wipe the maw, and salt it well, within and without, and put in the curd. let it lie in salt for three or four days, and then hang it up. _rusks._ take flour, water, or milk, yest, and brown sugar; work it just the same as for bread. make it up into a long loaf, and bake it. then let it be one day old before you cut it in slices: make your oven extremely hot, and dry them in it for about two minutes, watching them all the time. _another way._ put five pounds of fine flour in a large basin; add to it eight eggs unbeat, yolks and whites; dissolve half a pound of sugar over the fire, in a choppin (or a scotch quart) of new milk; add all this to the flour with half a mutchkin, (one english pint) of new yest; mix it well, and set it before a good fire covered with a cloth. let it stand half an hour, then work it up with a little more flour, and let it stand half an hour longer. then take it out of the basin, and make it up on a board into small round or square biscuits, place them upon sheets of white iron, and set them before the fire, covered with a cloth, till they rise, which will be in half an hour. put them into the oven, just when the bread is taken out; shut the oven till the biscuits turn brown on the top; then take them out, and cut them through. _rusks, and tops and bottoms._ well mix two pounds of sugar, dried and sifted, with twelve pounds of flour, also well dried and sifted. beat up eighteen eggs, leaving out eight whites, very light, with half a pint of new yest, and put it into the flour. melt two pounds of butter in three pints of new milk, and wet the paste with it to your liking. make it up in little cakes; lay them one on another; when baked, separate them, and return them to the oven to harden. _sally lunn._ to two pounds of fine flour put about two table-spoonfuls of fresh yest, mixed with a pint of new milk made warm. add the yolks of three eggs, well beat up. rub into the flour about a quarter of a pound of butter, with salt to your taste; put it to the fire to rise, as you do bread. make it into a cake, and put it on a tin over a chaffing-dish of slow coals, or on a hot hearth, till you see it rise; then put it into a quick oven, and, when the upper side is well baked, turn it. when done, rasp it all over and butter it; the top will take a pound of butter. _slip-cote._ a piece of runnet, the size of half-a-crown, put into a table-spoonful of boiling water over-night, and strained into a quart of new milk, lukewarm, an hour before it is eaten. _soufflé._ two table-spoonfuls of ground rice, half a pint of milk or cream, and the rind of a lemon, pared very thin, sugar, and a bay-leaf, to be stewed together for ten minutes; take out the peel, and let it stand till cold; then add the yolks of four eggs, which have been well beaten, with sifted sugar; the four whites to be beaten separately to a fine froth, and added to the above, which must be gently stirred all together, put into a tin mould, and baked in a quick oven for twenty minutes. _another way._ make a raised pie of any size you think proper. take some milk, a bay-leaf, a little cinnamon, sugar, and coriander seeds; boil it till it is quite thick. melt a piece of butter in another stewpan, with a handful of flour well stirred in; let it boil some time; strain the milk through, and put all together, adding four or five eggs, beaten up for a long time; these are to be added at the last, and then baked. _soufflé of apples and rice._ prepare some rice of a strong solid substance; dress it up all round a dish, the same height as a raised crust, that is, about three inches high. have some marmalade of apple ready made; mix with it six yolks of eggs, and a small piece of butter; warm it on the stove in order to do the eggs; then have eight whites of eggs well whipped, as for biscuits; mix them lightly with the apples, and put the whole into the middle of the rice. set it in a moderately hot oven, and, when the soufflé is raised sufficiently, send it up quickly to table, as it would soon fall and spoil. _strawberries, to preserve for eating with cream._ take the largest scarlet strawberries you can get, full red, but not too ripe, and their weight in double-refined sugar. take more strawberries of the same sort; put them in a pot, and set them in water over the fire to draw out the juice. to every pound of strawberries allow full half a pint of this juice, adding to it nearly a quarter of a pound more sugar. dip all the sugar in water; set it on the fire; and, when it is thoroughly melted, take it off, and stir it till it is almost cold. then put in the strawberries, and boil them over a quick fire; skim them; and, when they look clear, they are done enough. if you think the syrup too thin, take out the fruit, and boil it more; but you must stir it till it is cold before you put the strawberries in again. _strawberries, to preserve in currant jelly._ boil all the ordinary strawberries you can spare in the water in which you mean to put the sugar to make the syrup for the strawberries. take three quarters of a pound of the finest scarlet or pine strawberries; add to them one pound and a quarter of sugar, which dip in the above-mentioned strawberry liquor; then boil the strawberries quick, and skim them clear once. when cold, remove them out of the pan into a china bowl. if you touch them while hot, you break or bruise them. keep them closely covered with white paper till the currants are ripe, every now and then looking at them to see if they ferment or want heating up again. do it if required, and put on fresh papers. when the currants are ripe, boil up the strawberries; skim them well; let them stand till almost cold, and then take them out of the syrup very carefully. lay them on a lawn sieve, with a dish under them to catch the syrup; then strain the syrup through another lawn sieve, to clear it of all the bits and seeds; add to this syrup full half a pint of red and white currant juice, in equal quantities of each; then boil it quick about ten minutes, skimming it well. when it jellies, which you may know by trying it in a spoon, add the strawberries to it, and let them just simmer without boiling. put them carefully into the pots, but, for fear of the strawberries settling at the bottom, put in a little of the jelly first and let it set; then put in the strawberries and jelly; watch them a little till they are cold, and, as the strawberries rise above the syrup, with a tea-spoon gently force them down again under it. in a few days put on brandy papers--they will turn out in a firm jelly. _strawberries, to preserve in gooseberry jelly._ take a quart of the sharpest white gooseberries and a quart of water; let them come up to a boil, and then strain them through a lawn sieve. to a pint of the liquor put one pound of double-refined sugar; let it boil till it jellies; skim it very well, and take it off; when cool, put in the strawberries whole and picked. set them on the fire; let them come to a boil; take them off till cold; repeat this three or four times till they are clear; then take the strawberries out carefully, that they may not bruise or break, and boil the jelly till it is stiff. put a little first in the bottom of your pots or glasses; when set, put in the rest, first mixed with the strawberries, but not till nearly cold. _strawberry jam--very good._ to one pound of scarlet strawberries, which are by far the best for the purpose, put a pound of powdered sugar. take another half pound of strawberries, and squeeze all their juice through a cloth, taking care that none of the seeds come through to the jam. then boil the strawberries, juice, and sugar, over a quick fire; skim it very clean; set it by in a clean china bowl, covering it close with writing paper; when the currants are ripe, add to the strawberries full half a pint of red currant juice, and half a pound more of pounded sugar: boil it all together for about ten or twelve minutes over a quick fire, and skim it very well. _another way._ gather the strawberries very ripe; bruise them fine; put to them a little juice of strawberries; beat and sift their weight in sugar, and strew it over them. put the pulp into a preserving-pan; set it on a clear fire, and boil it three quarters of an hour, stirring it all the time. put it into pots, and keep it in a dry place, with brandy paper over it. _sugar, to clarify._ break into pieces two pounds of double-refined sugar; put it into a stewpan, with a pint of cold spring water; when dissolved, set it over a moderate fire; beat about half the white of an egg; put it to the sugar, before it gets warm, and stir it well together. when it boils, take off the scum; keep it boiling till no scum rises and it is perfectly clear. run it through a clean napkin; put it in a bottle well corked, and it will keep for months. _syllabub._ take a quart of cream with a slice or two of lemon-peel, to be laid to soak in the cream. take half a pint of sack and six spoonfuls of white wine, dividing it equally into your syllabub. set your cream over the fire, and make it something more than lukewarm; sweeten both sack and cream, and put the cream into a spouted pot, pouring it rather high from the pot into the vessel in which you intend to put it. let it be made about eight or nine hours before you want it for use. _another way._ mix a quart of cream, not too thick, with a pint of white wine, and the juice of two lemons; sweeten it to your taste; put it in a broad earthen pan; then whisk it up. as the froth rises, take it off with a spoon, and put it in your glasses, but do not make it long before you want them. _everlasting syllabub--very excellent._ take a quart and half a pint of cream, one pint of rhenish wine, half a pint of sack, the juice of three lemons, about a pound of double-refined sugar, beaten fine and sifted before you put it into the cream. grate off the rinds of the three lemons used, put it with the juice into the wine, and that to the cream. then beat all together with a whisk just half an hour; take it up with a spoon, and fill your glasses. it will keep good nine or ten days, and is best three or four days old. _solid syllabub._ half a pint of white wine, a wine-glass of brandy, the peel of a lemon grated and the juice, half a pound of powdered loaf-sugar, and a pint of cream. stir these ingredients well together; then dissolve one ounce of isinglass in half a pint of water; strain it; and when cool add it to the syllabub, stirring it well all the time; then put it in a mould. it is better made the day before you want it. _whipt syllabub._ boil a quart of cream with a bit of cinnamon; let it cool; take out the cinnamon, and sweeten to your taste. put in half a pint of white wine, or sack, and a piece of lemon-peel. whip it with a whisk to a froth; take it off with a spoon as it rises; lay it on the bottom of a sieve; put wine sweetened in the bottom of your glasses, and lay on the syllabub as high as you can. _taffy._ two pounds of moist sugar, an ounce of candied orange-peel, the same of citron, the juice of three lemons, the rind of two grated, and two ounces and a half of butter. keep stirring these on the fire until they attain the desired consistency. pour it on paper oiled to prevent its sticking. _trifle._ no. . take as many macaroons as the bottom of your dish will hold; peel off the wafers, and dip the cakes in madeira or mountain wine. make a very thick custard, with pounded apricot or peach kernels boiled in it; but if you have none, you may put some bitter almonds; pour the custard hot upon the maccaroons. when the custard is cold, or just before the trifle is sent to table, lay on it as much whipped syllabub as the dish can hold. the syllabub must be done with very good cream and wine, and put on a sieve to drain before you lay it on the custard. if you like it, put here and there on the whipped cream bunches of preserved barberries, or pieces of raspberry jam. _trifle._ no. . take a quart of sweet cream; boil it with a blade of mace and a little lemon-peel; sweeten it with sugar; keep stirring it till it is almost cold to prevent it from creaming at top; then put it into the dish you intend to serve it in, with a spoonful or less of runnet. let it stand till it becomes like cheese. you may perfume it, or add orange-flower water. _trifle._ no. . cover the bottom of your dish with maccaroons and ratafia cakes; just wet them all through with mountain wine or raisin wine; then make a boiled custard, not too thick, and when cold pour it over them. lay a whipped syllabub over that. you may garnish with currant jelly. _trotter jelly._ boil four sheep's trotters in a quart of water till reduced to a pint, and strain it through a fine sieve. _veal and ham patés._ chop six ounces of ready dressed lean veal and three ounces of ham very small; put it into a stewpan, with an ounce of butter rolled in flour, half a gill of cream, the same quantity of veal stock, a little lemon-peel, cayenne pepper and salt, to which add, if you like, a spoonful of essence of ham and some lemon-juice. _venison pasty._ bone a neck and breast of venison, and season them well with salt and pepper; put them into a pan, with part of a neck of mutton sliced and laid over them, and a glass of red wine. cover the whole with a coarse paste, and bake it an hour or two; but finish baking in a puff paste, adding a little more seasoning and the gravy from the meat. let the crust be half an inch thick at the bottom, and the top crust thicker. if the pasty is to be eaten hot, pour a rich gravy into it when it comes from the oven; but, if cold, there is no occasion for that. the breast and shoulder make a very good pasty. it may be done in raised crust. a middle-sized pasty will take three hours' baking. _vol-au-vent._ take a sufficient quantity of puff-paste, cut it to the shape of the dish, and make it as for an apple pie, only without a top. when baked, put it on a sheet of writing paper, near the fire, to drain the butter, till dinner time. then take two fowls, which have been previously boiled; cut them up as for a fricassee, but leave out the back. prepare a sauce, the white sauce as directed for boiled fowls. wash a table-spoonful of mushrooms in three or four cold waters; cut them in half, and add them also; then thoroughly heat up the sauce, and have the chicken also ready heated in a little boiling water, in which put a little soup jelly. strain the liquor from the chicken; pour a little of the sauce in the bottom of the paste, then lay the wings, &c. in the paste; pour the rest of the sauce over them, and serve it up hot. the paste should be well filled to the top, and if there is not sauce enough more must be added. _wafers._ take a pint of cream, melt in it half a pound of butter, and set it to cool. when cold, stir into it one pound of well dried and sifted flour by degrees, that it may be quite smooth and not lumpy, also six eggs well beaten, and one spoonful of ale yest. beat all these well together; set it before the fire, cover it, and let it stand to rise one hour, before you bake. some order it to be stirred a little while to keep it from being hard at top. sprinkle over a little powdered cinnamon and sugar, when done. _sugar wafers._ take some double-refined sugar, sifted; wet it with the juice of lemon pretty thin, and then scald it over the fire till it candies on the top. then put it on paper, and rub it about thin; when almost cold, pin up the paper across, and put the wafers in a stove to dry. wet the outside of the paper to take them off. you may make them red with clear gilliflowers boiled in water, yellow with saffron in water, and green with the juice of spinach. put sugar in, and scald it as though white, and, with a pin, mark your white ones before you pin them up. _walnuts, to preserve._ take fine large walnuts at the time proper for pickling; prick, with a large bodkin, seven or eight holes in each to let out the water; keep them in water till they change colour or no longer look green; then put them over a fire in cold water to boil, till they feel just soft, but not too soft. spread them on a coarse cloth to cool, and take away the water; stick in each walnut three or four cloves, three or four splinters of cinnamon, and the same of candied orange; then put them in pots or glasses. boil a syrup, but not thick, which, when cold, pour over the walnuts, and let it stand a day or two; then pour the syrup off; add some more sugar; boil it up once more, and pour it again over the walnuts. when cold, tie them up. _white walnuts._ take nuts that are neither too large nor too small; peel them to the white, taking off all the green with care, and throw them into pump water as you peel them; let them soak one night. boil them quick in fair water, throwing in a handful or two of alum in powder, according to the quantity, that they may be very white. when boiled, put them in fresh water, and take them out again in a minute; lay them on a dry cloth to dry, and lard them with preserved citron; then put them in the syrup you have made for the purpose, while they were larding, and let them soak two or three days before you boil them quite; the syrup must be very clear. one hundred walnuts make about three pounds of sweetmeats. _mustard whey._ take milk and water of each a pint, bruised mustard seed an ounce and a half; boil these together till the curd is perfectly separated: then strain the whey through a cloth, and add a little sugar, which makes it more palatable. _yest._ boil one ounce of hops in three quarts of water until reduced to about three pints. pour it upon one pound of flour; make it into a batter; strain it through a colander, and, when nearly cold, put to it one pint of home-brewed yest. put it into a bottle, and keep it for use. it should stand twenty-four or thirty hours before it is used. _excellent yest._ put a pint of well boiled milk into a hasty-pudding, and beat it till cold and there are few lumps remaining; then put to it two spoonfuls of yest and two of white powdered sugar, and stir it well. put it in a large bowl not far from the fire, and next morning you will find it risen and light. put it all to your flour, which must be mixed with as much warm milk and water as is necessary to make it into dough, and put it to rise in the common way. _potato yest._ boil rather more than a quarter of a peck of potatoes; bruise them through a colander; add half a pound of fine flour, and thin it with cold water till it is like a thick batter. add three table-spoonfuls of good yest; let it stand for an hour, and make your bread. this yest will always serve to make fresh from. _another way._ weigh four pounds of raw potatoes pared; boil them in five pints of water. wash and rub them through a sieve with the water in which they were boiled. add four table-spoonfuls of good brown sugar; when milk-warm, put to the mixture three pennyworth of fresh yest; stir it well, and let it work in an open vessel. it will be fit for use in about twelve or fourteen hours. about a pint and a half of this mixture will raise eighteen pounds of coarse flour; it may be put to rise over-night and will be ready to knead the first thing in the morning. it should be left to rise in the loaf four or five hours, before it is put in the oven. pickles. _general directions._ stone jars, well glazed, are best for all sorts of pickles, as earthen vessels will not resist the vinegar, which penetrates through them. never touch pickles with the hand, or any thing greasy; but always make use of a wooden spoon, and keep them closely tied down, in a cool, dry place. when you add vinegar to old pickles, let it boil, and stand till cold before you use it: on the contrary, when you make pickles, put it on the ingredients boiling and done with the usual spices. _green almonds._ boil a quantity of vinegar proportionate to that of the almonds to be pickled, skim it, and put into it salt, mace, ginger, jamaica and white pepper. put it into a jar, and let it stand till cold. throw your almonds into the liquor, which must cover them. _artichokes._ artichokes should be laid about six hours in a very strong brine of salt and water. then put them into a pot of boiling water, and boil them till you can draw the leaves from the bottom, which must be cut smooth and clean, and put into a pot, with whole black pepper, salt, cloves, mace, bay-leaves, and as much white wine vinegar as will cover them. lastly, pour upon them melted butter an inch thick, and cover them down close. when you take out any for use, put them into boiling water, with a piece of butter to plump them, and you may use them for whatever you please. _artichokes to boil in winter._ boil your artichokes for half a day in salt and water; put them into a pot of boiling water, allowing them to continue boiling until you can just draw off the leaves from the bottom; cut them very clean and smooth, and put them into the pot with cloves, mace, salt, pepper, two bay-leaves, and as much vinegar as will cover them. pour melted butter over to cover them about an inch thick; tie and keep them close down for use, with a piece of butter to plump them. you may use these for what you like. _asparagus._ scrape the asparagus, and cut off the prime part at the ends; wipe them, and lay them carefully in a jar or jelly-pot, pour vinegar over them, and let them lie in this about fourteen days. then boil fresh vinegar, and pour it on them hot; repeat this until they are of a good colour; add a little mace and nutmeg, and tie them down close. this does very well for a made dish when asparagus is not to be had. _barberries._ no. . gather the barberries when full ripe, picking out those that look bad. lay them in a deep pot. make two quarts of strong brine of salt and water; boil it with a pint of vinegar, a pound of white sugar, a few cloves, whole white pepper, and mace, tied in a bag; skim it, and when cold pour it on your barberries. barberries with stones will pickle; they must be without stones for preserving. _barberries._ no. . colour the water of the worst barberries, and add salt till the brine is strong enough to bear an egg. boil it for half an hour, skimming it, and when cold strain it over the barberries. lay something on them to keep them in the liquor: put them into a glass, and cover with leather. _barberries._ no. . boil a strong brine of salt and water, let it stand till quite cold, and pour it upon the barberries. _barberries._ no. . put into a jar some maiden barberries, with a good quantity of salt; tie on a bladder, and when the liquor scums change it. _beet-root._ beet-root must be boiled in strong salt and water, to which add a pint of vinegar and a little cochineal. when boiled enough, take it off the fire, and keep it in the liquor in which it has been boiled. it makes a pretty garnish for a dish of fish, and is not unpleasant to eat. _another._ boil the root till tender, peel it, and, if you think proper, cut it into shapes. pour over it a hot pickle of white wine vinegar, horseradish, a little ginger, and pepper. _beet-root and turnips._ boil your beet-root in salt and water, with a little cochineal and vinegar; when half boiled, put in your turnips pared; when they are done enough, take them off, and keep them in the same liquor in which they were boiled. _cabbage._ shave the cabbage into long slips, or, if you like, cut it in quarters. scald it in salt and water for about four minutes; then take it out, and let it cool. boil some vinegar, salt, ginger, whole pepper, and mace; after boiling and skimming it, let it get cold, and then put in your cabbage, which, if covered down presently, will keep white. _red cabbage._ no. . slice the cabbage very fine crosswise, put it on an earthen dish, sprinkle a handful of salt over it, cover it with another dish, and let it stand twenty-four hours. then put it in a colander to drain, and lay it in your jar; take white wine vinegar enough to cover it, a little cloves, mace, and allspice. put them in whole with one pennyworth of cochineal, bruised fine; boil it up, and put it over the cabbage, hot, or cold, which you like best. cover it close with a cloth till it is cold, and then tie it over with leather. _red cabbage._ no. . slice the cabbage into a colander, sprinkle each layer with salt, let it drain two days; then put it into wide-mouthed bottles, pour on it boiling vinegar, sufficient to cover it, and add a few slices of beet-root. cover the bottle with bladder. _red cabbage._ no. . take a firm cabbage cut in quarters; slice it; boil your vinegar with ginger and pepper; let it stand till cold; then pour it over your cabbage, and tie it down. it will be fit for use in three weeks. _capers._ capers are the produce of, a small shrub, but preserved in pickle, and are grown in some parts of england, but they come chiefly from the neighbourhood of toulon, the produce of which is considered the finest of any in europe. the buds are gathered from the blossom before they open, and then spread on the floor, where the sun cannot reach them, and there they are left till they begin to wither; they are then thrown into sharp vinegar, and in about three days bay salt is added in proper quantity, and when this is dissolved they are fit for packing for sale, and sent all over the world. _capsicum._ let the pods be gathered with the stalks on before they turn red, and with a penknife cut a slit down the side, and take out all the seed, but as little of the meat as possible. lay them in strong brine for three days, changing the brine every day. take them out, lay them on a cloth, and another over them. boil the liquor, put into it some mace and nutmeg beaten small; put the pods into a jar; when the liquor is cold, pour it over them, and tie down with a bladder and leather. _cauliflower._ cut from the closest and whitest heads pieces about the length of your finger, and boil them in a cloth with milk and water, but not till tender. take them out very carefully, and let them stand till cold. with the best white wine vinegar boil nutmeg, cut into quarters, mace, cloves, a little whole pepper, and a bay-leaf, and let it remain till cold. pour this into the jar to your cauliflower, and in three or four days it will be ready for use. _another way._ having cut the flower in bunches, throw them for a minute into boiling salt and water, and then into cold spring water. drain and dry them; cover with double-distilled vinegar; in a week put fresh vinegar, with a little mace and nutmeg, covering down close. _clove gilliflower, or any other flower, for salads._ put an equal weight of the flowers and of sugar, fill up with white wine vinegar, and to every pint of vinegar put a pound of sugar. _codlings._ the codlings should be the size of large walnuts; put vine leaves in the bottom of your pan, and lay in the codlings, covering with leaves and then with water; set them over a gentle fire till they may be peeled; then peel and put them into the water, with vine leaves at top and bottom, covering them close; set them over a slow fire till they become green, and, when they are cold, take off the end whole, cutting it round with a small knife; scoop out the core, fill the apple with garlic and mustard seed, put on the bit, and set that end uppermost in the pickle, which must be double-distilled vinegar cold, with mace and cloves. _cucumbers._ no. . gather young cucumbers, commonly called gherkins--the small long sort are considered the best--wipe them very clean with a cloth; boil some salt and water, and pour over them; keep them close covered. repeat this every day till they are green, putting fresh water every other day: let them stand near the fire, just to keep warm; the brine must be strong enough to bear an egg. when they are green, boil some white wine vinegar, pour it over them, put some mace in with them, and cover them with leather. it is better to put the salt and water to them once only, and they should be boiled up over the fire, in the vinegar, in a bell-metal kettle, with some vine leaves over, to green them. a brass kettle will not hurt, if very clean, and the cucumbers are turned out of it as soon as off the fire. _cucumbers._ no. . in a large earthen pan mix spring water and salt well together, taking two pounds of salt to every gallon of water. throw in your cucumbers, wash them well, and let them remain for twelve hours; then drain and wipe them very dry, and put them into a jar. put into a bell-metal pot a gallon of the best white wine vinegar, half an ounce of cloves and of mace, one ounce of allspice, one ounce of mustard-seed, a stick of horseradish sliced, six bay-leaves, a little dill, two or three races of ginger, a nutmeg cut in pieces, and a handful of salt. boil all together, and pour it over the cucumbers. cover them close down, and let them stand twenty-four hours, then pour off the vinegar from them, boil it, pour it over them again, and cover them close: repeat this process every day till they are green. then tie them down with bladder and leather; set them in a cool dry place, and they will keep for three or four years. beans may be pickled in the same manner. _cucumbers._ no. . wipe the cucumbers clean with a coarse cloth, and put them into a jar. take some vinegar, into which put pepper, ginger, cloves, and a handful of salt. pour it boiling hot over the cucumbers, and smother them with a flannel: let them stand a fortnight; then take off the pickle, and boil it again. pour it boiling on the cucumbers, and smother them as before. the pickle should be boiled in a bell-metal skillet. with two thousand cucumbers put into the pot about a pennyworth of roman vitriol. _large cucumbers, mango of._ take a cucumber, cut out a slip from the side, taking out the seeds, but be careful to let as much of the meat remain as you can. bruise mustard seed, a clove of garlic, some bits of horseradish, slices of ginger, and put in all these. tie the piece on again, and make a pickle of vinegar, whole pepper, salt, mace, and cloves: boil it, and pour it on the mangoes, and continue this for nine days together. when cold, cover them down with leather. _another._ scrape out the core and seed, filling them with whole pepper, a clove of garlic, and other spice. put them into salt and water, covered close up, for twenty-four hours; then drain and wipe them dry. boil as much vinegar with spice as will cover them, and pour it on them scalding hot. _cucumbers sliced._ take cucumbers not full grown, slice them into a pewter dish; to twelve cucumbers put three or four onions sliced, and as you do them strew salt on them; cover them with a pewter dish, and let them stand twenty-four hours. then take out the onions, strain the liquor from the cucumbers through a colander, and put them in a well glazed jar, with a pickle made of white wine vinegar, distilled in a cold still, with seasoning of mace, cloves, and pepper. the pickle must be poured boiling hot upon them, and then cover them down as close as possible. in four or five days take them out of the pickle, boil it, and pour it on as before, keeping the jar very close. repeat this three times; cover the jar with a bladder, and leather over it; the cucumbers will keep the whole year, and be of a fine sea-green, but perhaps not of so fine colour when first you open them; they will become so, however, if the vinegar is really fine. _cucumbers stuffed._ take six or eight middling-sized cucumbers, the smoothest you can procure; pare them, cut a small piece off the end, and scoop out all the seeds; blanch them for three or four minutes in boiling water on the fire; then put them into cold water to make the forcemeat. then take some veal off the leg, calf's udder, fat bacon, and a piece of suet, and put it in boiling water about four minutes; take it out, and chop all together; put some parsley, small green onions, and shalots, all finely chopped, some salt, pepper, and nutmeg, sufficient for seasoning it, some crumbs of bread that have been steeped in cream, the whites of two eggs, and four yolks beaten well in a mortar. stuff your cucumbers with this, and put the piece you cut off each upon it again. lay at the bottom of your stewpan some thin slices of bacon, with the skin of the veal, onions in slices, parsley, thyme, some cloves; put your cucumbers in your stewpan, and cover them with bacon, &c., as at the bottom, and then add some strong broth, just sufficient to cover them. set them over a slow fire covered, and let them stew slowly for an hour. make some brown gravy of a good colour, and well tasted; and, when your cucumbers are stewed, take them out, drain them well from all grease, and put them in your brown gravy; it must not be thick. set it over the stove for two minutes, and squeeze in the juice of a lemon. to make brown gravy, put into your stewpan a quarter of a pound of butter; set it over the fire, and, when melted, put in a spoonful of flour, and keep stirring it till it is as brown as you wish, but be careful not to let it burn; put some good gravy to it, and let it boil some time, with parsley, onions, thyme, and spices, and then strain it to your cucumbers. should any of the cucumbers be left at dinner, you may serve them up another way for supper; cut the cucumbers in two, lengthwise, or, if you like, in round slices; add yolks of eggs beaten, and dust them all well over with crumb of bread rubbed very fine; fry them very hot; make them of a good colour, and serve them in a dish, with fried parsley. _cucumbers, to preserve._ take some small cucumbers, and large ones that will cut in quarters, but let them be as green and as free from seeds as you can get them. put them into a narrow-mouthed jar, in strong salt and water, with a cabbage-leaf to keep them from rising; tie a paper over them, and set them in a warm place till they are yellow. then wash them out, and set them over the fire in fresh water, with a little salt and a fresh cabbage-leaf over them. cover the pan very close, but be sure you do not let them boil. if they are not of a fine green, change the water, which will help them; then make them hot, and cover them as before. when you find them of a good green, take them off the fire, and let them stand till they are cold: then cut the large ones into quarters; take out the seeds and soft parts, put them into cold water, and let them stand two days; but change the water twice each day, to take out the salt; put a pound of refined sugar to a pint of water, and set it over the fire; when you have skimmed it clear, put in the rind of a lemon and an ounce of ginger, scraping off the outside. take your syrup off as soon as it is pretty thick, and, when it is cold, wipe the cucumbers dry and put them into it. boil the syrup once in two or three days for three weeks, and strengthen the syrup if required, for the greatest danger of spoiling them is at first. when you put the syrup to the cucumbers, wait till it is quite cold. _french beans._ no. . gather them when very slender; string and parboil them in very strong salt and water; then take them out, and dry them between two linen cloths. when they are well drained, put them into a large earthen vessel, and, having boiled up the same kind of pickle as for cucumbers, pour as much upon your beans as will cover them well. strain the liquor from them three days successively; boil it up, and put your beans into the vinegar on the fire till they are warm through. after the third boiling, put them into jars for use, and tie them down. _french beans._ no. . take from the small slender beans their stalks, and let them remain fourteen days in salt and water; then wash and well cleanse them from the brine, and put them in a saucepan of water over a slow fire, covering them with vine-leaves. do not let them boil, but only stew, until they are tender, as for eating; strain them off, lay them on a coarse cloth to dry, and put them into pots; boil and skim alegar, and pour it over, covering them close; keep boiling in this manner for three or four days, or until they become green; add spice, as you would to other pickles, and, when cold, cover with leather. _french beans._ no. . put in a large jar a layer of beans, the younger the better, and a layer of salt, alternately, and tie it down close. when wanted for use, boil them in a quantity of boiling water: change the water two or three times, always adding the fresh water boiling; then put them into cold water to soak out the salt, and cut them when you want them for dressing for table. they must not be soaked before they are boiled. _herrings, to marinate._ take a quarter of a hundred of herrings; cut off their heads and tails; take out the roes, and clean them; then take half an ounce of jamaica and half an ounce of common pepper, an ounce of bay salt, and an ounce and a half of common salt; beat the pepper fine, mix it with the salt, and put some of this seasoning into the belly of each herring. lay them in rows, and between every row strew some of the seasoning, and lay a bunch or two of thyme, parsley, and sage, and three or four bay-leaves. cover your fish with good vinegar, and your pot with paste; put the pot into the oven after the household bread is drawn; let it remain all night; and, when it comes out of the oven, pour out all the liquor, take out the herbs; again boil up the liquor; add as much more vinegar as will cover the herrings, skim it clean, and strain it. when cold, pour it over your herrings. _herrings, red, trout fashion._ cut off their heads, cleanse them well, and lay a row at the bottom of an earthen pot, sprinkling them over with bay salt and saltpetre, mixed together. repeat this until your pan is full; then cover them, and bake them gently; when cold, they will be as red as anchovies, and the bones dissolved. _india pickle, called picolili._ no. . lay one pound of ginger in salt and water for a whole night; then scrape and cut it in thin slices, and lay them in the sun to dry; put them into a jar till the other ingredients are ready. peel two pounds of garlic, and cut it in thin slices; cover it with salt for three days; drain it well from the brine, and dry it as above directed. take young cabbages, cut them in quarters, salt them for three days, and dry them as above; do the same with cauliflowers, celery, and radishes, scraping the latter and leaving the tops of the celery on, french beans, and asparagus, which last two must be salted only two days, and dried in the same manner. take long pepper and salt it, but do not dry it too much, three ounces of turmeric, and a quarter of a pound of mustard seed finely bruised; put these into a stone jar, and pour on them a gallon of strong vinegar; look at it now and then, and if you see occasion add more vinegar. proceed in the same manner with plums, peaches, melons, apples, cucumbers; artichoke bottoms must be pared and cut raw; then salt them, and give them just one gentle boil, putting them into the water when hot. never do red cabbage or walnuts. the more every thing is dried, the plumper it will become in the vinegar. put in a pound or two of whole garlic prepared as above to act as a pickle. you need never empty the jar, as the pickle keeps; but as things come into season, do them and throw them in, observing that the vinegar always covers them. if the ingredients cannot be conveniently dried by the sun, you may do them by the fire, but the sun is best. _india pickle._ no. . select the closest and whitest cabbage you can get, take off the outside leaves, quarter and cut them into thin slices, and lay them upon a sieve; salt well between each layer of the cabbage, and let it drain till the next day; then dry it in a cloth, and spread it in dishes before the fire, or the sun, often turning it till dry. put it in a stone jar, with half a pint of white mustard seed, a little mace and cloves beat to a powder, as much cayenne as will lie on a shilling, a large head of garlic, and one pennyworth of turmeric in powder. pour on it three quarts of vinegar boiling hot; cover it close with a cloth, and let it stand a fortnight; then turn it all out into a saucepan. boil it, turning it often, about eight minutes, and put it up in your jar for use. it will be ready in a month. if other things are put in, they should lie in salt three days and then be dried; in this case, it will be necessary to make the pickle stronger, by adding ginger and horseradish, and it must be kept longer before used. _india pickle._ no. . boil one pound of salt, four ounces of ginger, eight ounces of shalots or garlic, a spoonful of cayenne pepper, two ounces of mustard seed, and six quarts of good vinegar. when cold, you may put in green fruit or any vegetable you choose, fresh as you pick them, only wiping off the dust. stop your jar close, and put in a little turmeric to colour it. _lemons._ no. . cut the lemons through the yellow rind only, into eight parts; then put them into a deep pan, a layer of salt and a layer of lemons, so as not to touch one another; set them in the chimney corner, and be sure to turn them every day, and to pack them up in the same manner as before. this you must continue doing fifteen or sixteen days; then take them out of the salt, lay them in a flat pan, and put them in the sun every day for a month; or, if there should be no sun, before the fire; then put them in the pickle; in about six months they will be fit to eat. make the pickle for them as follows: take two pounds of peeled garlic, eight pods of india pepper, when it is green; one pound and a half of ginger, one pound and a quarter of mustard seed, half an ounce of turmeric; each clove of the garlic must be split in half; the ginger must be cut in small slices, and, as no green ginger can be had in europe, you must cover the ginger with salt in a clean earthen vessel, until it is soft, which it will be in about three weeks, or something more, by which means you may cut it as you please; the mustard seed must be reduced, but not to powder, and the turmeric pounded fine: mix them well together, and add three ounces of oil of mustard seed. put these ingredients into a gallon of the best white wine vinegar boiled; then put the whole upon the lemons in a glazed jar, and tie them up close. they will not be fit in less than six months. when the vinegar is boiled, let it stand to be cold, or rather lukewarm, before you put it to the lemons, and if you use more than a gallon of vinegar, increase the quantity of each ingredient in proportion. strictly observe the direction first given, to let the lemons lie in salt fifteen or sixteen days, to turn them every day, and to let them be thoroughly dry before you put the pickle to them; it will be a month at least before they are sufficiently dry. _lemons._ no. . take twelve lemons pared so thin that not the least of the whites is to be seen; slit them across at each end, and work in as much salt as you can, rubbing them very well within and without. lay them in an earthen pan for three or four days, and strew a good deal of salt over them; then put in twelve cloves of garlic, and a large handful of horseradish; dry the lemons with the salt over them in a very slow oven, till the lemons have no moisture in them, but the garlic and the horseradish must not be dried so much. then take a gallon of vinegar, cloves, mace, and nutmegs, broken roughly, half an ounce of each, and the like quantity of cayenne pepper. give them a boil in the vinegar; and, when cold, stir in a quarter of a pound of flour of mustard, and pour it upon the lemons, garlic, &c. stir them every day, for a week together, or more. when the lemons are used in made dishes, shred them very small; and, when you use the liquor, shake it before you put it to the sauce, or in a cruet. when the lemons are dried, they must be as hard as a crust of bread, but not burned. _lemons._ no. . take two dozen lemons, cut off about an inch at one end, scoop out all the pulp, fill them with salt, and sew on the tops. let them continue over the mouth of an oven, or in any slow heat, for about three weeks, till they are quite dried. take out the salt; lay them in an earthen jar; put to them six quarts of the best vinegar which has been boiled; add some long pepper, mace, ginger, and cinnamon, a few bay-leaves, four cloves of garlic, and six ounces of the best flour of mustard. when quite cold, cover up the jar, and let it stand for three weeks or a month. then strain off the liquor, and bottle it. _lemons._ no. . quarter the lemons lengthwise, taking care not to cut them so low as to separate; put a table-spoonful of salt into each. set them on a pewter dish; dry them very slowly in a cool oven or in the sun; they will take two or three weeks to dry properly. for a dozen large lemons boil three quarts of vinegar, with two dozen peppercorns, two dozen allspices, and four races of ginger sliced. when the vinegar is cold, put it, with the lemons, the ingredients, and all the salt, into a jar; add a quarter of a pound of flour of mustard and two dozen cloves of garlic; the garlic must be peeled and softened in scalding water for a little while, then covered with salt for three days, and dried before it is put into the jar. let the whole remain for two months closely tied down and stirred every day; then squeeze the lemons well; strain and bottle the liquor. _lemons._ no. . select small thick-rinded lemons; rub them with a flannel; slit them in four parts, but not through to the pulp; stuff the slits full of salt, and set them upright in a pan. let them remain thus for five or six days, or longer if the salt should not be melted, turning them three times a day in their own liquor, until they become tender. then make a pickle of rape, vinegar, and the brine from the lemons, ginger, and jamaica pepper. boil and skim it, and when cold put it to the lemons, with three cloves of garlic, and two ounces of mustard seed. this is quite sufficient for six lemons. _lemons._ no. . boil them in water and afterwards in vinegar and sugar, and then cut them in slices. _lemons, or oranges._ select fruit free from spots; lay them gently in a barrel. take pure water, and make it so strong with bay-salt as that it would bear an egg; with this brine fill up the barrel, and close it tight. _mango cossundria, or pickle._ take of green mangoes two pounds, green ginger one pound, yellow mustard seed one pound; half dried chives, garlic, salt, mustard, oil, of each two ounces; fine vinegar, four bottles. cut the mangoes in slices lengthwise, and place them in the sun till half dried. slice the ginger also; put the whole in a jar well closed, and set it in the sun for a month. this pickle will keep for years, and improves by age. _melons._ scoop your melons clean from the pulp; fill them with scraped horseradish, ginger, nutmeg, sliced garlic, mace, pepper, mustard-seed, and tie them up. afterwards take the best white wine vinegar, a quartered nutmeg, a handful of salt, whole pepper, cloves, and mace, or a little ginger; let the vinegar and spice boil together, and when boiling hot pour it over the fruit, and tie them down very close for two or three days; but, if you wish to have them green, let them be put over a fire in their pickle in a metal pot, until they are scalding hot and green; then pour them into pots, and stop them close down, and, when cold, cover them with wet bladder and leather. _melons to imitate mangoes._ cut off the tops of the melons, so as that you may take out the seeds with a small spoon; lay them in salt and water, changing it every twenty-four hours for nine successive days: then take them out, wipe them dry, and put into each one clove of garlic or two small shalots, a slice or two of horseradish, a slice of ginger, and a tea-spoonful of mustard seed; this being done, tie up their tops again very fast with packthread, and boil them up in a sufficient quantity of white wine vinegar, bay-salt, and spices, as for cucumbers, skimming the pickle as it rises; put a piece of alum into your pickle, about the size of a walnut; and, after it has boiled a quarter of an hour, pour it, with the fruit, into your jar or pan, and cover it with a cloth. next day boil your pickle again, and pour it hot upon your melons. after this has been repeated three times, and the pickle and fruit are quite cold, stop them up as directed for mushrooms. these and all other pickles should be set in a dry place, and frequently inspected; and, if they grow mouldy, you must pour off the liquor and boil it up as at first. _melons or cucumbers, as mangoes._ pour over your melons or other vegetables boiling hot salt and water, and dry them the next day; cut a piece out of the side; scrape away the seed very clean; and fill them with scraped horseradish, garlic, and mustard seed; then put in the piece, and tie it close. pour boiling hot vinegar over them, and in about three days boil up the vinegar with cloves, pepper, and ginger: then throw in your mangoes, and boil them up quick for a few minutes; put them in jars, which should be of stone, and cover them close. the melons ought to be small and the cucumbers large. should they not turn out green enough, the vinegar must be boiled again. _mushrooms._ no. . gather your mushrooms in august or september, and peel off the uppermost skin; cut the large ones into quarters, and, as you do them, throw them into clear water, but be very careful not to have any worm-eaten ones. you may put the buttons in whole; the white are the best, and look better than the red. take them out, and wash them in another clear water; then put them into a dry skillet without water; and with a little salt set them on the fire to boil in their own liquor, till half is consumed and they are as tender as you wish them; as the scum rises, take it off. remove them from the fire: pour them into a colander, and drain off all the water. have ready pickle, boiled and become cold again, made of the best white wine vinegar; then add a little mace, ginger, cloves, and whole pepper: boil it; put your mushrooms in the pickle when cold, and tie them up close. _mushrooms._ no. . put your mushrooms into salt and water, and wash them clean with a flannel, throw them into water as you do them; then boil some salt and water: when it boils, put in your mushrooms, and let them boil one minute. take them out, and smother them between two flannels; when cold, put them into white wine vinegar, with what spice you choose. the vinegar must be boiled and stand till cold. keep them closely tied down with a bladder. a bit of alum is frequently put to keep them firm. the white mushrooms are done the same way, using milk and water instead of salt and water, distilled vinegar in the room of white wine vinegar, no spices except mace, and a lump of alum. _mushrooms._ no. . cut off the stalks of the small hard mushrooms, called buttons, and wash and rub them dry in a clean flannel. boil some water and salt, and while boiling put in the mushrooms. let them just boil, and strain them through a cloth. make a pickle of white wine vinegar, mace, and ginger, and put to them; then put them into pots, with a little oil over them, and stop them close. _mushrooms._ no. . put young mushrooms into milk and water; take them out, dry them well, and put them into a brine made of salt and spring water. boil the brine, and put in the mushrooms; boil them up for five minutes; drain them quick, covering them up between two cloths and drying them well. boil a pickle of double-distilled vinegar and mace; when it is cold, put in the buttons, and pour oil on the top. it is advisable to put them into small glass jars, as they do not keep after being opened. it is an excellent way to boil them in milk. _mushrooms._ no. . put your mushrooms into water; rub them very clean with a piece of flannel; put them into milk and water, and boil them till they are rather tender. then pour them into an earthen colander, and pump cold water on them till they are quite cold. have ready some salt and water; put them into it; let them lie twenty-four hours; then dry them in a cloth. then put them into a pickle made of the best white wine vinegar, mace, pepper, and nutmeg. if you choose to boil your pickle, it must be quite cold before you put in the mushrooms. _mushrooms._ no. . peel your mushrooms, and throw them into clean water; wash them in two or three waters, and boil them in a little water, with a bundle of sweet-herbs, a good quantity of salt, a little rosemary, and spice of all sorts. when well boiled, let them remain in the liquor for twenty-four hours; pour the liquor into a hot cloth, smothering them for a night and a day; then put in your pickle, which make of elder and white wine vinegar, with all kinds of spice, horseradish, ginger, and lemon-juice. put them into pots, cover with oiled paper, and keep them close for use. _mushrooms._ no. . clean them very well, and take out the gills; boil them tender with a little salt, and dry them with a cloth. make a strong brine; when it is cold, put in the mushrooms, and in about ten days or a fortnight change the brine, and put them into small bottles, pouring oil on the top. _brown mushrooms._ wipe them very clean, put them into a stewpan with mace, cloves, pepper, and salt, and to every quart of mushrooms put about two large spoonfuls of mushroom ketchup; stew them gently over a slow fire for about half an hour, then let them cool. put them into bottles. to each quart of mushrooms put a quarter of a pint of white wine vinegar boiled and cooled; stop the bottles close with rosin. _mushrooms, to dry._ cut off their stalks, and cut or scrape out the gills, and with a little salt put them into a saucepan. set them on the fire, and let them stew in their own liquor; then pour them into a sieve to drain. when dry, put them into a slack oven upon tin plates, and, when quite dry, put them into shallow boxes for use. the liquor will make ketchup. _mushroom liquor and powder._ take about a peck of mushrooms, wash them, and rub them with a piece of flannel, taking out the gills, but do not peel them. put to them half an ounce of beaten pepper, four bay-leaves, four cloves, twelve blades of mace, a handful of salt, eight onions, a bit of butter, and half a pint of vinegar; stew all these as quick as possible; keep stirring till the liquor is quite out of the mushrooms; then drain them, and bottle the liquor and spice when cold. dry the mushrooms in an oven, first on a flat or broad pan, then on sieves, until they can be beaten into powder. this quantity will make about seven ounces. stop the powder close in wide-mouthed bottles. _mustard pickle._ cut cabbages, cauliflowers, and onions, in small pieces or slices; salt them together, and let them stand in the salt for a few days. then take them up in a strainer that the brine may run off; put them in a jar that will hold three quarts; take enough vinegar to cover them; boil it up, pour it on them, and cover it till next day. pour the vinegar off, take the same quantity of fresh vinegar, of black pepper, ginger, and jamaica pepper, each one ounce; boil them up together, let the liquor stand till cold; then mix four tea-spoonfuls of turmeric, and six ounces of flour of mustard, which pour on them cold. cover the pickle up close; let it stand three weeks; and it will be fit for use. the spices must be put in whole. _nasturtiums._ the seed must be full grown and gathered on a dry day. let them lie two or three days in salt and water; take them out, well dry them, and put them into a jar. take as much white wine vinegar as will cover them, and boil it up with mace, sliced ginger, and a few bay leaves, for a quarter of an hour. pour the pickle upon the seeds boiling hot. this must be repeated three days, keeping them covered with a folded cloth. after the third time, take care to let them be quite cold before you stop them up, which you must do very close. _onions._ no. . take your onions when they are dry enough to lay up for winter, the smaller the better they look: put them in a pot, cover them with spring water, with a handful of salt, and let them boil up; then strain them off. take off three coats; lay them on a cloth, and let two persons take hold of it, one at each end, and rub them backwards and forwards till they are very dry. then put them in your jars or bottles, with some blades of mace, cloves, and nutmeg, cut into pieces; take some double-distilled white wine vinegar, boil it up with a little salt; let it stand till it is cold, and put it over the onions. cork them close, and tie a bladder and leather over them. _onions._ no. . take the smallest onions you can get; peel and put them into spring water and salt made very strong. shift them daily for six days; then boil them a very little; skim them well, and make a pickle as for cucumbers, only adding a little mustard seed. let the onions and the pickle both be cold, when you put them together. keep them stopped very close, or they will spoil. _onions._ no. . peel some small white onions, and boil them in water with salt; strain them, and let them remain till cool in a cloth. make the pickle as for mushrooms; when quite cold, put them in and cover them down. should the onions become mouldy, boil them again, carefully skimming off the impurities; then let them cool, and proceed as at first. cauliflowers are excellent done in this way. _onions._ no. . put your small onions, after peeling them, into salt and water, shifting them once a day for three or four days; set them over the fire in milk and water till ready to boil; dry them; and, when boiled and cold, pour over a pickle made of double-distilled vinegar, a bay-leaf or two, salt, and mace. _onions._ no. . parboil small white onions, and let them cool. make a pickle with half vinegar, half wine, into which put some salt, a little ginger, some mace, and sliced nutmeg. boil all this up together, skimming it well. let it stand till quite cold; then put in your onions, covering them down. should they become mouldy, boil the liquor again, but skim it well; let it stand till quite cold before the onions are again put in, and they will keep all the year. _onions._ no. . take the small white round onions; peel off the brown skin. have ready a stewpan of boiling water; throw in as many onions as will cover the top. as soon as they look clear on the outside, take them up quickly, lay them on a clean cloth, and cover them close with another cloth. _spanish onions, mango of._ having peeled your onions, cut out a small piece from the bottom, scoop out a little of the inside, and put them into salt and water for three or four days, changing the brine twice a day. then drain and stuff them, first putting in flour of mustard, then a little ginger cut small, mace, shalot cut small, then more mustard, and filling up with scraped horseradish. put on the bottom piece, and tie it on close. make a strong pickle of white wine vinegar, ginger, mace, sliced horseradish, nutmeg, and salt: put in your mangoes, and boil them up two or three times. take care not to boil them too much, otherwise they lose their firmness and will not keep. put them, with the pickle, into a jar. boil the pickle again next morning, and pour it over them. _orange and lemon peel._ boil the peels of the fruit in vinegar and sugar, and lay them in the pickle; but be careful to cut them in small long slices, about the length of half the peel of your lemon. it must be boiled in water previously to boiling in sugar and vinegar. _oysters._ no. . take a quantity of large oysters with their liquor; wash well all the grit from them, and to every three pints of clear water put half an ounce of bruised pepper, some salt, and a quarter of an ounce of mace. let these boil over a gentle fire, until a fourth part is consumed, skimming it; just scald the oysters, and put them into the liquor; put them into barrels or pots; stop them very close, and they will keep for a year in a cool place. _oysters._ no. . parboil some large oysters in their own liquor; make pickle of their liquor with vinegar, a pint of white wine, mace, salt and pepper; boil and skim it, and when cold put in the oysters, and keep them. _oysters._ no. . take whole pepper and mace, of each a quarter of an ounce, and half a pint of white wine vinegar. set the oysters on the fire, in their own liquor, with a little water, mace, pepper, and half a pound of salt; skim them well as they heat, and only allow them just to boil for fear of hardening them. take them out to dry, skim the liquor, and then put in the rest of the spice with the vinegar. should the vinegar be very strong, reduce it a little, and boil it up again for a short time. let both stand till cold: put your oysters into the pickle: in a day or two, taste your pickle, and, should it not be sharp enough, add a little more vinegar. _oysters._ no. . take the largest oysters you can get, and just plump them over the fire in their own liquor; then strain it from them, and cover the oysters close in a cloth. take an equal quantity of white wine and vinegar, and a little of the oyster liquor, with mace, white pepper, and lemon-peel, pared very thin, also salt, the quantity of each according to your judgment and taste, taking care that there be sufficient liquor to cover them. set it on the fire, and, when it boils, put in the oysters; just give them one boil up; put the pickle in a pot, and the oysters closely covered in a cloth till the pickle is quite cold. _oysters._ no. . simmer them, till done, in their own liquor; take them out one by one, strain the liquor from them, and boil them with one third of vinegar. put the oysters in a jar, in layers, with a little mace, whole and white pepper, between the layers; then pour over them the liquor hot. _oysters._ no. . take whole pepper and mace, of each a quarter of an ounce, and put to them half a pint of white wine vinegar. _peaches, mango of._ take some of the largest peaches, when full grown and just ripening, throw them into salt and water, and add a little bay-salt. let them lie two or three days, covering them with a board; take them out and dry them, and with a sharp knife cut them open and take out the stone; then cut some garlic very fine, scrape a great deal of horseradish, mix the same quantity of mustard seed, a few bruised cloves, and ginger sliced very thin, and with this fill the hollow of the peaches. tie them round, and lay them in a jar; throw in some broken cinnamon, cloves, mace, and a small quantity of cochineal, and pour over as much vinegar as will fill the jar. to every quart put a quarter of a pint of the best mustard, well made, some cloves, mace, nutmeg, two or three heads of garlic, and some sliced ginger. mix the pickle well together; pour it over the peaches, and tie them down close with either leather or a bladder. they will soon be fit for use. in the same manner you may do white plums. _purslain, samphire, broom buds, &c._ pick the dead leaves from the branches of purslain, and lay them in a pan. make some strong brine; boil and skim it clean, and, when boiled and cold, put in the purslain, and cover it; it will keep all the year. when wanted for use, boil it in fresh water, having the water boiling before you put it in. when boiled and turned green, cool it, take it out afterwards, put it into wide-mouth bottles, with strong white wine vinegar to it, and close it for use. _quinces._ cut in pieces half a dozen quinces; put them into an earthen pot, with a gallon of water and two pounds of honey. mix the whole together, and boil it leisurely in a kettle for half an hour. strain the liquor into an earthen pot: and, when cold, wipe the quinces clean, and lay them in it. cover them very close, and they will keep all the year. _radish pods._ make a pickle with cold spring water and bay salt, strong enough to bear an egg; put in your pods; lay a thin board on them to keep them under water, and let them stand ten days. drain them in a sieve, and lay them on a cloth to dry; then take as much white wine vinegar as you think will cover them, boil and put your pods in a jar, with ginger, mace, cloves, and jamaica pepper; put your vinegar boiling hot on them; cover them with a coarse cloth three or four times double, that the steam may come through a little, and let them stand two days; repeat this two or three times. when cold, put in a pint of mustard-seed and some horseradish, and cover them close. _salmon._ no. . cut off the head of the fish, take out the intestines, but do not slit the belly; cut your pieces across, about two or three inches in breadth; take the blood next to the back clean out: wash and scale it; then put salt and water over the fire, and a handful of bay leaves; put in the salmon, and, when it is boiled, take it off and skim it clear. take out the pieces with a skimmer as whole as you can; lay them on a table to drain; strain a handful of salt slightly over them; when they are cold, stick some cloves on each side of them. then take a cask, well washed, and seasoned with hot and cold water, three or four days before you use it; put in the pickle you boiled your salmon in hot, some time before you use it; then take broad mace, sliced nutmeg, white pepper, just bruised, and a little black; mix the pepper with salt, sufficient to season the salmon; strew some pepper, salt, and bay-leaves, at the bottom of the cask; then put in a layer of salmon, then spice, salt, bay-leaves, and pepper, as before, until the cask is full. put on the head, and bore a hole in the top of it; fill up the cask with good white wine vinegar, cork it, and, in two or three days, take out the cork and put more vinegar, and the fat will come out; do so three or four times; then cut off the cork, and pitch it; if it be for present use, put it in a jar, closely covered. _salmon._ no. . well scrape the salmon, take out the entrails, and well wash and dry it. cut it in pieces of such size as you think proper; take three parts of common vinegar and one of water, enough to cover the fish. put in a handful of salt, and stir it till dissolved. add some mace, whole pepper, cloves, sliced nutmeg, and boil all these till the salmon is sufficiently done. take it out of the liquor, and let it cool. put it into a barrel, and over every layer of salmon strew black pepper, mace, cloves, and pounded nutmeg; and, when the barrel is full, pour upon the salmon the liquor in which it was boiled, mixed with vinegar, in which a few bay-leaves have been boiled, and then left till cold. close up the barrel, and keep it for use. _salmon._ no. . cut your fish into small slices, and clean them well from the blood, by wiping and pressing them in a dry cloth; afterwards lay it in a kettle of boiling water, taking care not to break it, and, when nearly boiled, make a pickle as follows: two quarts of water, three quarts of rape vinegar; boil it with a little fennel and salt till it tastes strong; then skim it; let it cool; lay the fish in a kettle, and pour the pickle to it pretty warm. the same process will do for sturgeon, excepting the fennel, and putting a little more salt, or for any other fish. _salmon, to marinate._ cut your salmon in round slices about two inches thick, and tie it with matting, like sturgeon; season it with pepper, mace, and salt; then put it into a broad earthen pan, with an equal quantity of port wine and vinegar to cover it, and add three or four bay-leaves. the pickle also must be seasoned with the spices above-mentioned. the pan must be covered with a coarse cloth, and baked with household bread. _samphire._ pick and lay it in strong brine, cold; let it remain twenty-four hours, boil the brine once on a quick fire, and pour it immediately on the samphire. after standing twenty-four hours, just boil it again on a quick fire, and stand till cold. lay it in a pot, let the pickle settle, and cover the samphire with the clear portion of the pickle. set it in a dry place, and, should the pickle become mothery, boil it once a month, and, when cold, put the samphire into it. _smelts._ lay the smelts in a pot in rows, and lay upon them sliced lemon, mace, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, powdered bay-leaves, and salt. make pickle of red wine vinegar, saltpetre, and bruised cochineal; when cold, pour it on the smelts, and cover the pot close. _suckers, before the leaves are hard._ pare off all the hard ends of the leaves and stalks of the suckers, and scald them in salt and water, and, when cold, put them into glass bottles, with three blades of mace, and thin sliced nutmeg; fill them with distilled vinegar. _vinegar for pickling._ no. . take the middling sort of beer, but indifferently hopped, let it work as long as possible, and fine it down with isinglass; then draw it from the sediment, and put ten pounds weight of the husks of grapes to every ten gallons. mash them together, and let them stand in the sun, or, if not in summer, in a close room, heated by fire, and, in about three or four weeks, it will become an excellent vinegar. should you not have grape husks, you may take the pressing of sour apples, but the vinegar will not prove so good either in taste or body. cyder will make a decent sort of vinegar, and also unripe grapes, or plums, but foul white rhenish wines, set in a warm place, will fine, naturally, into good vinegar. _vinegar._ no. . to a pound and a half of the brownest sugar put a gallon of warm water; mix it well together; then spread a hot toast thick with yest, and let it work very well about twenty-four hours. skim off the toast and the yest, and pour off the clear liquor, and set it out in the sun. the cask must be full, and, if painted and hooped with iron hoops, it will endure the weather better. lay a tile over the bunghole. _vinegar._ no. . to every gallon of water put three pounds of malaga raisins; stop it up close, and let it stand in the cellar two years. _camp vinegar._ infuse a quarter of an ounce of cayenne, four heads of garlic, some shalots, half a drachm of cochineal, a quarter of a pint of ketchup, soy, walnut pickle, and an ounce of black, white, and long pepper, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg, all grossly bruised, a little mace, and cloves, in a quart of the best wine vinegar; cork it close, and put a leather and bladder over it. let it stand before the fire for a month, shaking it frequently. you must let it stand upon the ingredients, and fill up with vinegar as you take any out. this is not only an excellent sauce, but a powerful preservative against infectious disorders. _another._ half an ounce of cayenne pepper, a large head of garlic, half a drachm of cochineal, two spoonfuls of soy, the same of walnut pickle, and a pint of vinegar. _chili vinegar._ gather the pods of capsicum when full ripe; put them into a jar with a clove of garlic and a little cayenne pepper; boil the vinegar, and pour it on hot; fill up your jar: let it stand for a fortnight; pour it off clear, and it will be fit for use. _elder-flower vinegar._ no. . put two gallons of strong alegar to a peck of the pips of elder-flowers, set it in the sun in a stone jar for a fortnight, and then filter it through a flannel bag; when you draw it off, put it into small bottles, in which it will preserve its flavour better than in larger ones; when you mix the flowers and the alegar together, be careful not to drop any stalks amongst the pips. _elder-flower vinegar._ no. . take good vinegar, fill a cask three quarters full, and gather some elder-flowers, nearly or moderately blown, but in a dry day; pick off the small flowers and sprigs from the greater stalks, and air them well in the sun, that they may grow dry, but not so as to break or crumble. to every four gallons of vinegar put a pound of them, sewing them up in a fine rag. _elder-flower vinegar._ no. . pick the flowers before they are too much blown from the stalks, and dry them in the sun, but not when it is very hot. put a handful of them to a quart of the best white wine vinegar, and let it stand a fortnight. strain and draw it off, and put it into a cask, keeping out about a quart. make it very hot, and put it into your cask to produce fermentation. stop it very close, and draw it off when wanted. _elder-flower vinegar._ no. . gather the elder-flowers in dry weather, pick them clean from the stalks, and put two pints of them to a gallon of the best white wine vinegar. let them infuse for ten days, stirring them every day till the last day or two; then strain off the vinegar, and bottle it. _garlic vinegar._ take sixty cloves, two nutmegs sliced, and eight cloves of garlic, to a quart of vinegar. _gooseberry vinegar._ to every gallon of water take six pounds of full ripe gooseberries; bruise them, and put them into a vessel, pouring the water cold upon them. set the vessel in a hot place till the gooseberries come to the top, which they will do in about a fortnight; then draw off the liquor, and, when you have taken the gooseberries out of the vessel, measure the liquor into it again, and to every gallon put a pound of coarse sugar. it will work again, and, when it has done working, stop it down close, set it near the fire or in the sun: it will be fit for use in about six months. if the vessel is not full, it will be ready sooner. _plague, or four thieves' vinegar._ take rue, sage, mint, rosemary, wormwood, and lavender, of each a large handful; put them into a stone jar, with a gallon of the best vinegar; tie it down very close, and let it stand a fortnight in the sun, shaking the jar every day. bottle it, and to every bottle add a quarter of an ounce of camphor, beaten very fine. the best time to make it is in june or july. _raisin vinegar._ put four quarts of spring water to two pounds of malaga raisins, lay a stone or slate over the bung-hole, and set it in the sun till ready for use. if you put it into a stone jar or bottle, and let it stand in the chimney corner, for a proper time, it will answer the same purpose. _raspberry vinegar._ no. . fill a very large jug or jar with raspberries; then pour as much white wine vinegar upon them as it will hold; let it stand four days, stirring it three times every day. let it stand four days more, covered close up, stirring it once a day. strain it through a hair sieve, and afterwards through a flannel bag; and to every pint of liquor add one pound of loaf-sugar. simmer it over the fire, skimming it all the time, till quite clear. as soon as cold, bottle it. this is very good sauce for a plain batter pudding and pancakes. _raspberry vinegar._ no. . take two pounds of sugar; dissolve it in a pint of water; then clarify, and let it boil till it is a thick syrup. take the same quantity of raspberries, or currants, but not too ripe, and pour over them a quarter of a pint of vinegar, in which they must steep for twenty-four hours. pour the fruit and vinegar into the syrup, taking care not to bruise the fruit; then give it one boil, strain it, and cork it up close in bottles. the fruit must be carefully picked and cleaned, observing not to use any that is in the least decayed. to the syrup of currants a few raspberries may be added, to heighten the flavour. an earthen pipkin is the best to boil in. _raspberry vinegar._ no. . fill a jug with raspberries; add as much of the best vinegar as the jug will hold; let the fruit steep ten or twelve days; then strain the liquor through a fine sieve, without squeezing the raspberries; put three pounds of lump sugar to a quart of juice, and skim it. _walnuts, black._ no. . take large full grown walnuts before they are hard; lay them in salt and water for two days: then shift them into fresh water, and let them lie two days longer; change them again, and let them lie two days longer; take them out, and put them in your pickle pot; when the pot is half full, put in some shalots, and a head of garlic. to a hundred of walnuts add half an ounce of allspice, half an ounce of black pepper, six bay-leaves, and a stick of horseradish. then fill your pots, and pour boiling vinegar over them; cover them with a plate, and when cold tie them down. before you put the nuts into salt and water, prick them well with a pin. _walnuts._ no. . about midsummer take your walnuts, run a knitting-needle through them, and lay them in vinegar and salt, sufficiently strong to bear an egg. let them remain in this pickle for three weeks; then make some fresh pickle; shift them into it, and let them lie three weeks longer; take them out, and wipe them with a clean cloth; and tie up every nut in a clean vine-leaf. put them into fresh vinegar, seasoned with salt, mace, mustard, garlic, and horseradish; and to a hundred nuts put one ounce of ginger, one ounce of pepper, and of cloves and mace a quarter of an ounce each, two small nutmegs, and half a pint of mustard seed. all the pickles to be done in raw vinegar (that is, not boiled). it is always recommended to have the largest double nuts, being the best to pickle. _walnuts._ no. . take the large french nuts, wipe them clean, and wrap each in a vine-leaf; put them into a weak brine of salt and water for a fortnight, changing it every day, and lay a slate upon them, to keep them always under, or they will turn black. drain them, and make a stronger brine, that will bear an egg; let them lie in that a fortnight longer; then drain and wipe them very dry, and wrap them in fresh vine-leaves; put them in jars, and pour on them double-distilled vinegar, which must not be boiled. to six or eight hundred nuts put two pounds of shalots, one of garlic, and one of rocambole; a piece of assafotida, of the size of a pea, tied up in a bit of muslin, and put into each jar, of white, black, and long pepper, one pound each, half a pound of mace, a quarter of a pound of nutmegs, two ounces of cinnamon, two ounces of cloves, two pounds of allspice, one pound of ginger, two pounds of mustard-seed, some bay-leaves, and horseradish. the mustard-seed and spice must be a little bruised. mix all these ingredients together, and put in a layer of nuts and then a layer of this mixture; put the assafotida in the middle; and as the pickle wastes take care to keep the jar filled up with vinegar. _walnuts._ no. . take a hundred walnuts, at the beginning of july, before they are shelled; just scald them, that the skin may rub off, then put them into salt and water, for nine or ten days; shift them every day, and keep them covered from the air: dry them; make your pickle of two quarts of white wine vinegar, long pepper, black pepper, and ginger, of each half an ounce; beat the spice; add a large spoonful of mustard-seed; strew this between every layer of nuts. pour liquor, boiling hot, upon them, three or four times, or more, if required. be sure to keep them tied down close. _walnuts._ no. . put into a stone jar one hundred large double nuts. take one ounce of jamaica and four ounces of black pepper, two of ginger, one of cloves, and a pint of mustard-seed; bruise these, and boil them, with a head or two of garlic and four handfuls of salt, in a sufficient quantity of vinegar to cover the nuts. when cold, put it to them, and let them stand two days. then boil up the pickle, pour it over the nuts, and tie them down close. repeat this process for three days. _walnuts, green._ wipe and wrap them one by one in a vine-leaf: boil crab verjuice, and pour it boiling hot over the walnuts, tying them down close for fourteen days; then take them out of the leaves and liquor, wrap them in fresh leaves, and put them in your pots. over every layer of walnuts, strew pepper, mace, cloves, a little ginger, mustard seed, and garlic. make the pickle of the best white wine vinegar, boiling in the pickle the same sort of spices, with the addition of horseradish, and pour it boiling hot upon the walnuts. tie them close down; they will be ready to eat in a month, and will keep for three or four years. _walnut ketchup._ to three pints of the best white wine vinegar put nine seville oranges peeled, and let them remain four months. pound or bruise two hundred walnuts, just before they are fit for pickling; squeeze out two quarts of juice, and put it to the vinegar. tie a quarter of a pound of mace, the same of cloves, and a quarter of a pound of shalot, in a muslin rag or bag; put this into the liquor; in about three weeks boil it gently till reduced one half, and when quite cold bottle it. _another._ cut in slices about one hundred of the largest walnuts for pickling; cut through the middle a quarter of a pound of shalots, and beat them fine in a mortar, adding a pint and a half of the best vinegar and half a pound of salt. let them remain a week in an earthen vessel, stirring them every day. press them through a flannel bag; add a quarter of a pound of anchovies; boil up the liquor, scum it, and run it through a flannel bag. put into it two sliced nutmegs, whole pepper, and mace, and bottle it when cold. wines, cordials, liqueurs, &c. _ale, to drink in a week._ tun it into a vessel which will hold eight gallons, and, when it has done working and is ready to bottle, put in some ginger sliced, an orange stuck full of cloves, and cut here and there with a knife, and a pound and a half of sugar. with a stick stir it well together, and it will work afresh. when it has done working, bottle it: cork the bottles well; set them bottom upwards; and the ale will be fit to drink in a week. _very rare ale._ when your ale is tunned into a vessel that will hold eight or nine gallons, and has done working, and is ready to be stopped up, take a pound and a half of raisins of the best quality, stoned and cut into pieces, and two large oranges. pulp and pare them. slice it thin; add the rind of one lemon, a dozen cloves, and one ounce of coriander seeds bruised: put all these in a bag, hang them in the vessel, and stop it up close. fill the bottles but a little above the neck, to leave room for the liquor to play; and put into every one a large lump of fine sugar. stop the bottles close, and let the ale stand a month before you drink it. _orange ale._ boil twenty gallons of spring water for a quarter of an hour; when cool, put it into a tub over a bushel of malt, and let it stand one hour. pour it from the malt, put to it a handful of wheat bran, boil it very fast for another hour; then strain and put it into a clean tub. when cold, pour it off clear from the sediment; put yest to it, and let it work like all other ales. when it has worked enough, put it into the cask. then take the rind and juice of twenty seville oranges, but no seeds; cut them thin and small, put them into a mortar, and beat them as fine as possible, with two pounds of fine lump sugar; put them into a ten-gallon cask, with ten gallons of ale. keep filling up your cask again with ale, till it has done working; then stop it up close. when it has stood eight days, tap it for drink; if you bottle it, let it stand till it is clear before you bottle it, otherwise the bottles may burst. _aqua mirabilis, a very fine cordial._ three pints of sack, three pints of madeira, one quart of spirit of wine, one quart of juice of celandine leaves, of melilot flowers, cardamom seeds, cubebs, galingale, nutmeg, cloves, mace, ginger, two drachms of each; bruise them thoroughly in a mortar, and mix them with the wine and spirits. let it stand all night in the still, closely stopped with rye paste; next morning make a slow fire in the still, and while it is distilling keep a wet cloth about the neck of the still. put so much white sugar-candy as you think fit into the glass where it drops. _bitters._ one drachm of cardamom seed, two scruples of saffron, three ounces of green root, two scruples of cochineal, and four ounces of orange-peel. put these ingredients into a large bottle, and fill it with the very best french brandy, so that they are well covered; after it has stood for three days, take out the liquor, and put it into another large bottle; fill up the first before, and let it stand four or five days; then once more take out the liquor and fill up again, letting it stand ten or twelve days. then take it out again, put it all together, and it will be fit for use. _another way._ ginger and cardamom seed, of each three pennyworth, saffron, orange-peel, and cochineal, of each two pennyworth, put into one gallon of brandy. _cherry brandy._ four pounds of morella cherries, two quarts of brandy, and twelve cloves, to be sweetened with syrup of ginger made in the following manner: one ounce and a half of ginger boiled in a quart of water, till reduced to half a pint; then dissolve in it one pound and a half of sugar, and add it to the brandy. it will be fit for use by christmas. after the cordial is made, you can make a most delightful sweetmeat with the cherries, by dipping them into syrup, and drying them in a cool oven. _cordial cherry water._ nine pounds of the best red cherries, nine pints of claret, eight ounces of cinnamon, three ounces of nutmegs; bruise your spice, stone your cherries, and steep them in the wine; then add to them half a handful of rosemary, half a handful of balm, and one quarter of a handful of sweet marjoram. let them steep in an earthen pot twenty-four hours, and, as you put them into the alembic to distil them, bruise them with your hands; make a gentle fire under them, and distil by slow degrees. you may mix the waters at your pleasure when you have drawn them all. sweeten it with loaf sugar; then strain it into another glass vessel, and stop it close that the spirits may not escape. _a very fine cordial._ one ounce of syrup of gilliflowers, one dram of confection of alkermes, one ounce and a half of borage water, the like of mint water, as much of cinnamon water, well mixed together, bottled and corked. in nine days it will be ready for drinking. _cup._ take the juice of three lemons and the peel of one, cut very thin; add a pint, or rather more, of water, and about half a pound of white sugar, and stir the whole well; then add one bottle of sherry, two bottles of cyder, and about a quarter of a nutmeg grated down. let the cup be well mixed up, and add a few heads of borage, or balm if you have no borage; put in one wine glass of brandy, and then add about another quarter of a nutmeg. let it stand for about half an hour in ice before it is used. if you take champagne instead of cyder, so much the better. _elder-flower water._ to every gallon of water take four pounds of loaf sugar, boiled and clarified with eggs, according to the quantity, and thrown hot upon the elder-flowers, allowing a quart of flowers to each gallon. they must be gathered when the weather is quite dry, and when they are so ripe as to shake off without any of the green part. when nearly cold, add yest in proportion to the quantity of liquor; strain it in two or three days from the flowers, and put it into a cask, with two or three table-spoonfuls of lemon-juice to every two gallons. add, if you please, a small quantity of brandy, and, in ten months, bottle it. _elderberry syrup._ pick the elderberries when full ripe; put them into a stone jar, and set them in the oven, or in a kettle of boiling water, till the jar is hot through. take them out, and strain them through a coarse cloth, wringing the berries. put them into a clean kettle, with a pound of fine lisbon sugar to every quart of juice. let it boil, and skim it well. when clear and fine, put it into a jar. when cold, cover it down close, and, when you make raisin wine, put to every gallon of wine half a pint of elder syrup. _ginger beer._ no. . boil six gallons of water and six pounds of loaf sugar for an hour, with three ounces of ginger, bruised, and the juice and rind of two lemons. when almost cold, put in a toast spread with yest; let it ferment three days; then put it in a cask, with half a pint of brandy. when it has stood ten days, bottle it off, and it will be fit to drink in a fortnight, if warm weather. _ginger beer._ no. . four ounces of ground ginger, two ounces of cream of tartar, three large lemons, cut in slices and bruised, three pounds of loaf sugar. pour over them four gallons of boiling water; let it stand till it is milk warm; then add two table-spoonfuls of yest on a toast; let it stand twenty-four hours, strain it through a sieve, bottle it, and it will be fit for use in three days: the corks must be tied or wired, or they will fly. _ginger beer._ no. . to make ginger beer fit for drinking twenty-four hours after it is bottled, take two ounces of ground ginger, two ounces of cream of tartar, two lemons sliced, one pound and a half of lump sugar; put them into a pan, and pour upon them two gallons of boiling water. when nearly cold, strain it from the lees, add three table-spoonfuls of yest, and let it stand twelve hours. bottle it in stone bottles, well corked and tied down. _ginger beer._ no. . ten gallons of water, twelve pounds of loaf sugar, the whites of four eggs, well beaten; mix them together when cold, and set them on the fire: skim it as it boils. add half a pound of bruised ginger, and boil the whole together for twenty minutes. into a pint of the boiling liquor put an ounce of isinglass; when cold, add it to the rest, and put the whole, with two spoonfuls of yest, into a cask: next day, bung it down loosely. in ten days bottle it, and in a week it will be fit for use. _ginger beer._ no. . one gallon of cold water, one pound of lump sugar, two ounces of bruised ginger, the rind of two large lemons; let these simmer ten minutes. put in an ounce of cream of tartar the moment it boils, and immediately take it off the fire, stirring it well, and let it stand till cold. afterwards add the lemon-juice, straining out the pips and pulp, and put it into bottles, tying down the corks fast with string. this will be fit for use in three days. _imperial._ no. . the juice of two large lemons, rather more than an equal quantity of white wine, and an immoderate proportion of sugar, put into a deep round dish. boil some cream or good milk, and put it into a tea-pot; pour it upon the wine, and the higher you hold the pot the better appearance your imperial will have. _imperial._ no. . four or five quarts of boiling water poured to two ounces of cream of tartar, and the rinds of two lemons cut very thin, with half a pound of sugar. well mix the whole together: and, when cold, add the juice of the two lemons. _imperial._ no. . two ounces of cream of tartar, four ounces of sugar, six quarts of boiling water, poured upon it, the juice and peel of a lemon; to be kept close till cold. _lemonade._ no. . to two quarts of water take one dozen lemons; pare four or six of them very thin, add the juice to the water, and sweeten to your taste with double-refined sugar. boil a quart of milk and put into it; cover and let it stand all night, and strain it through a jelly-bag till it runs clear. leave the lemon-pips to go into the bag with the other ingredients. _lemonade._ no. . the peel of five lemons and two seville oranges pared very thin, so that none of the white is left with it; put them in a basin, with eight ounces of sugar and a quart of boiling water. let it stand all night, and in the morning squeeze the juice to the peels, and pick out the seeds; then put to it a quarter of a pint of white wine; stir all well together; add half a pint of boiling milk, and pour it on, holding it up high. let it stand half an hour without touching it; then run it through a jelly-bag. _lemonade._ no. . three quarts of spring water, the juice of seven lemons peeled very thin, the whites of four eggs well beaten, with as much loaf-sugar as you please: boil all together about half an hour with half the lemon-peel. pour it through a jelly-bag till clear. the peel of one seville orange gives it an agreeable colour. _clarified lemonade._ pare the rind of three lemons as thin as you can; put them into a jug, with the juice of six lemons, half a pound of sugar, half a pint of rich white wine, and a quart of boiling water. let it stand all night. in the morning, add half a pint of boiling milk: then run it through a jelly-bag till quite clear. _milk lemonade._ squeeze the juice of six lemons and two seville oranges into a pan, and pour over it a quart of boiling milk. put into another pan the peel of two lemons and one seville orange, with a pound of sugar; add a pint of boiling water; let it stand a sufficient time to dissolve the sugar; then mix it with the milk, and strain it through a fine jelly-bag. it should be made one day and strained off the next. _transparent lemonade._ take one pound and a half of pounded sugar of the finest quality, and the juice of six lemons and six oranges, over which pour two quarts of boiling water; let it stand twelve hours till cool. pour on the liquor a quart of boiling milk, and let it stand till it curdles; then run it through a cotton jelly-bag till it is quite clear. _lemon water._ take twelve of the largest lemons; slice and put them into a quart of white wine. add of cinnamon and galingale, one quarter of an ounce each, of red rose-leaves, borage and bugloss flowers, one handful each, and of yellow sanders one dram. steep all these together twelve hours; then distil them gently in a glass still. put into the glass vessel in which it drops three ounces of fine white sugar and one grain of ambergris. _mead._ no. . in six gallons of water dissolve fourteen pounds of honey; then add three or four eggs, with the whites; set it upon the fire, and let it boil half an hour. put into it balm, sweet marjoram, and sweet briar, of each ten sprigs, half an ounce of cinnamon, the same of mace, twenty cloves, and half a race of ginger sliced very thin: let it boil a quarter of an hour; then take it off the fire, pour it into a tub, and let it remain till nearly cold. take six ounces of syrup of citron, and one spoonful of ale yest; beat them well together, put it into the liquor, and let it stand till cold. take a sufficient quantity of coarse bread to cover the barrel, and bake it very hard; then take as much ale yest as will spread it over thin, put it into the liquor, and let it stand till it comes to a head. strain it out; put the liquor into a cask, and add to it a quart of the best rhenish wine. when it has done working, stop it up close, and let it stand a month; then draw it out into bottles; tie the corks down close; and let them stand a month. _mead._ no. . ten quarts of honey boiled one hour with thirty quarts of water; when cold, put it into a cask, and add to it one ounce of cinnamon, one of cloves, two of ginger, and two large nutmegs, to be pounded first, and suspended in a linen bag in the barrel from the bung-hole. the scum must be filtered through a flannel bag. _mead._ no. . take eight gallons of spring water, twelve pounds of honey, four pounds of powdered sugar; boil them for an hour, keeping it well skimmed. let it stand all night; the next day, put it into your vessel, keeping back the sediment; hang in your vessel two or three lemon-peels; then stop it up close; in the summer, bottle it in six weeks. _mithridate brandy._ take four gallons of brandy; infuse a bushel of poppies twenty-four hours; then strain it, and put two ounces of nutmegs, the same of liquorice, and of pepper and ginger, and one ounce each of cinnamon, aniseed, juniper-berries, cloves, fennel-seed, and cardamom seed, two drachms of saffron, two pounds of figs sliced, and one pound of the sun raisins stoned. all these must be put into an earthen pot, and set in the sun three weeks; then strain it, and mix with it two ounces of venice treacle, two ounces of mithridate, and four pounds of sugar. this is an approved remedy for the gout in the stomach. _nonpareil._ pare six lemons very thin, put the rinds and juice into two quarts of brandy; let it remain well corked four days. set on the fire three quarts of spring water and two pounds of sugar, and clarify it with two whites of eggs; let it boil a quarter of an hour; take the scum off, and let it stand till cold. put it to your brandy; add two quarts of white wine, and strain it through a flannel bag; fill the cask, and it will clarify itself. you may bottle it in a week. orange-peel greatly improves this liquor. _noyau._ to one gallon of the best white french brandy, or spirit diluted to the strength of brandy, put two pounds and a half of bitter almonds blanched, two pounds of white sugar-candy, half an ounce of mace, and two large nutmegs. to give it a red colour, add four pounds of black cherries. it must be well shaken every day for a fortnight; then let it stand for six weeks, and bottle it off: it improves much by longer keeping. _orange juice._ one pound of fine sugar to a pint of juice; run it through a jelly-bag, and boil it for a quarter of an hour; when cold, skim and bottle it. _spirit of oranges or lemons._ take the thickest rinded oranges or lemons; pare off the rinds very thin; put into a glass bottle as many of these chips as it will hold, and then as much malaga sack as it will hold besides. stop the bottle down close, and, when you use it, take about half a spoonful in a glass of sack. it is a fine spirit to mix in sauces for puddings or other sweet dishes. _cordial orange water._ take one dozen and a half of the highest coloured and thick-rinded oranges; slice them, and put them into two pints of malaga sack, and one pint of the best brandy. take cinnamon, nutmegs, ginger, cloves, and mace, of each one quarter of an ounce bruised, and of spearmint and balm one handful of each; put them into an ordinary still all night, pasted up with rye paste. the next day, draw them with a slow fire, and keep a wet cloth upon the neck of the still; put the loaf sugar into the glass in which it drops. _orgeat._ two quarts of new milk, one ounce of sweet almonds and eighteen bitter, a large piece of cinnamon, and fine sugar to your taste. boil these a quarter of an hour, and then strain. the almonds must be blanched, and then pounded fine with orange-flower water. _another way._ four ounces of sweet almonds finely pounded, two ounces of white sugar-candy, dissolved in spring-water, and a quart of cream; mix all together. put it into a bottle, and give it a gentle shake when going to be used. _excellent punch._ three pints of barley-water and a piece of lemon-peel; let it stand till cold; then add the juice of six lemons and about half a pint of the best brandy, and sweeten it to your taste, and put it in ice for four hours. put into it a little champagne or madeira. _milk punch._ to twenty quarts of the best rum or brandy put the peels of thirty seville oranges and thirty lemons, pared as thin as possible. let them steep twelve hours. strain the spirit from the rinds, and put to it thirty quarts of water, previously boiled and left to stand till cold. take fifteen pounds of double-refined sugar, and boil it in a proper proportion of the water to a fine clear syrup. as soon as it boils up, have ready beat to a froth the whites of six or eight eggs, and the shells crumbled fine; mix them with the syrup; let them boil together, and, when a cap of scum rises to the top, take off the pot, and skim it perfectly clear. then put it on again with some more of the beaten egg, and skim it again as before. do the same with the remainder of the egg until it is quite free from dirt; let it stand to be cool. strain it to the juice of the oranges and lemons; put it into a cask with the spirit; add a quart of new milk, made lukewarm; stir the whole well together, and bung up the cask. let it stand till very fine, which will be in about a month or six weeks--but it is better to stand for six months--then bottle it. the cask should hold fifteen gallons. this punch will keep for many years. many persons think this punch made with brandy much finer than that with rum. the best time for making it is in march, when the fruit is in the highest perfection. _another way._ take six quarts of good brandy, eight quarts of water, two pounds and a half of lump sugar, eighteen lemons, and one large wine-glassful of ratafia. mix these well together; then throw in two quarts of boiling skimmed milk; stir it well, and let it stand half an hour; strain it through a very thick flannel bag till quite fine; then bottle it for use. before you use this punch, soak for a night the rinds of eighteen lemons in some of the spirit; then take it out, and boil it in the milk, together with two large nutmegs sliced. _norfolk punch._ take four gallons of the best rum; pare a dozen lemons and a dozen oranges very thin; let the pulp of both steep in the rum twenty-four hours. put twelve pounds of double-refined sugar into six gallons of water, with the whites of a dozen eggs beat to a froth; boil and scum it well; when cold, put it into the vessel with the rum, together with six quarts of orange-juice, and that of the dozen of lemons, and two quarts of new milk. shake the vessel so as to mix it; stop it up very close, and let it stand two months before you bottle it. this quantity makes twelve gallons of the duke of norfolk's punch. it is best made in march, as the fruit is then in the greatest perfection. _roman punch._ the juice of ten lemons, and of two sweet oranges, the peel of an orange cut very thin, and two pounds of powdered loaf-sugar, mixed together. then take the white of ten eggs, beaten into froth. pass the first mixture through a sieve, and then mix it by degrees, always beating with the froth of the eggs; put the whole into an ice-lead; let it freeze a little; then add to it two bottles of champagne, or rum. turn it round with a ladle. the above is for twelve persons. _raspberry liqueur._ bruise some raspberries with the back of a spoon, strain them, and fill a bottle with the juice; stop it, but not very close. add to a pound of fruit nearly a pound of sugar dissolved into a syrup. let it stand four or five days; pour it from the fruit into a basin; add to it as much rich white wine as you think fit; bottle it, and in a month it will be fit to drink. _raspberry vinegar._ fill a jar with raspberries, gathered dry, and pour over them as much of the best white wine vinegar as will cover them. let them remain for two or three days, stirring them frequently, to break them; strain the liquor through a sieve, and to every pint of it put a pound and a quarter of double-refined sugar; boil it, and take off the scum as it rises. when cool, bottle and cork it up for use. a spoonful of this liquor is sufficient for a small tumbler of water. _ratafia brandy._ apricot or peach kernels, with four ounces of fine sugar to a quart of brandy. if you cannot get apricot kernels, two ounces of bitter almonds, bruised a little, to the same quantity of spirit, will make good ratafia. _shrub._ no. . to a gallon of rum put three pints of orange-juice and one pound of sugar, dissolving the sugar in the juice. then put all together in the cask. it will be fine and fit for use in a few weeks. if the rum be very strong, you may add another pint of juice and half a pound of sugar to the above. _shrub._ no. . take two quarts of the juice of oranges and lemons, and dissolve in it four pounds and a half of sugar. steep one-fourth part of the oranges and lemons in nine quarts of spirits for one night; after which mix the whole together; strain it off into a jug, which must be shaken two or three times a day for ten days; then let it stand to settle for a fortnight; after which draw it off very carefully, without disturbing the sediment. _shrub._ no. . one gallon of rum, one pound and two ounces of double-refined sugar, one quart of orange-juice, mixed and strained through a sieve. _currant shrub._ pick the currants from the stalks; bruise them in a marble mortar; run the juice through a flannel bag. then take two quarts of the clear juice; dissolve in it one pound of double-refined sugar, and add one gallon of rum. filter it through a flannel bag till quite fine. _spruce beer._ for one quarter cask of thirty gallons take ten or twelve ounces of essence of spruce and two gallons of the best molasses; mix them well together in five or six gallons of warm water, till it leaves a froth; then pour it into the cask, and fill it up with more water. add one pint of good yest or porter grounds; shake the cask well, and set it by for twenty-four hours to work. stop it down close. next day, draw it off into bottles, which should be closely corked and set by in a cool cellar for ten days, when it will be as fine spruce-beer as ever was drunk. the grounds will serve instead of yest for a second brewing. in a hot climate, cold water should be used instead of warm. _bittany wine._ take six gallons of water and twelve pounds of sugar; put your sugar and water together. let it boil two hours; then, after taking it off the fire, put in half a peck of sage, a peck and a half of bittany, and a small bunch of rosemary; cover, and let it remain till almost cold; then put six spoonfuls of ale yest; stir it well together, and let it stand two or three days, stirring two or three times each day. then put it in your cask, adding a quarter of a pint of lemon-juice; when it has done working, bung it close, and, when fine, bottle it. _sham champagne._ to every pound of ripe green gooseberries, when picked and bruised, put one quart of water; let it stand three days, stirring it twice every day. to every gallon of juice, when strained, put three pounds of the finest loaf sugar; put it into a barrel, and, to every twenty quarts of liquor add one quart of brandy and a little isinglass. let it stand half a year; then bottle it. the brandy and isinglass must be put in six weeks before it is bottled. _cherry wine._ pound morella cherries with the kernels over-night, and set them in a cool place. squeeze them through canvas, and to each quart of juice put one pound of powdered sugar, half an ounce of coarsely-pounded cinnamon, and half a quarter of an ounce of cloves. let it stand about a fortnight in the sun, shaking it twice or three times every day. _another way._ take twenty-four pounds of cherries, cleared from the stalks, and mash them in an earthen pan; then put the pulp into a flannel bag, and let them remain till the whole of the juice has drained from the pulp. put a pound of loaf sugar into the pan which receives the juice, and let it remain until the sugar is dissolved. bottle it, and, when it has done working, you may put into each bottle a small lump of sugar. _cowslip wine._ no. . to twenty gallons of water, wine measure, put fifty pounds of lump sugar; boil it, and skim it till it is very clear; then put it into a tub to cool, and, when just warm, put to it two tea-spoonfuls of ale yest. let it work for a short time; then put in fifteen pecks of cut cowslips, and the juice of twenty large lemons, likewise the outward rinds pared off as thin as possible. keep it in the tub two or three days, stirring it twice each day. then put it all together in a barrel, cleansed and dried. continue to stir twice a day for a week or more, till it has done working; then stop it up close for three months, and bottle it off for use. the cowslips should be gathered in one day, and the wine made as soon as possible after, as the fresh flowers make the wine of a finer colour than when they are withered; but they will not hurt by being kept for a few days if they are spread on a cloth, and moved every day. _cowslip wine._ no. . to a gallon of water put three pounds of lump sugar; boil them together for an hour, skimming all the while. pour it upon the cowslips, and, when milk warm, put into it a toast, with yest spread pretty thick upon it; let it stand all night, and then add two lemons and two seville oranges to each gallon. stir it well in a tub twice a day for two or three days; then turn it; stir it every day for a fortnight, and bung it up close. it will be fit for bottling in six weeks. to every gallon of water you must take a gallon of cowslips. they must be perfectly dry before they are used, and there should be as many gallons of cowslips as gallons of water; they should be measured as they are picked, and turned into the cask. dissolve an ounce of isinglass, and put to it when cold. the lemons must be peeled. _cowslip wine._ no. . take fourteen gallons of water and twenty-four pounds of sugar; boil the water and sugar one hour; skim it till it is clear. let it stand till nearly cold; then pour it on three bushels of picked cowslips, and put to it three or four spoonfuls of new yest; let it stand and work in your vessel till the next day; then put in the juice of thirty lemons and the peels of ten, pared thin. stir them well together; bung up the vessel close for a month; then bottle it. _currant wine._ no. . gather the currants dry, without picking them from the stalks; break them with your hands, and strain them. to every quart of juice put two quarts of cold water, and four pounds of loaf sugar to the gallon. it must stand three days, before it is put into the vessel. stir it every day, and skim it as long as any thing rises. to ten gallons of wine add one gallon of brandy, and one of raspberries, when you put it in the vessel. let it stand a day or two before you stop it; give it air fourteen days after; and let it stand six weeks before you tap it. _currant wine._ no. . to every gallon of ripe currants put a gallon of cold water. when well broken with the hands, let it stand twenty-four hours. then squeeze the currants well out; measure your juice, and to every gallon put four pounds of lump sugar. when the sugar is well melted, put the wine into a cask, stirring it every day, till it has done hissing; then put into it a quart of brandy to every five gallons of wine; close it well up; bottle it in three months. _currant wine._ no. . put into a tub a bushel of red currants and a peck of white; squeeze them well, and let them drain through a sieve upon twenty-eight pounds of powdered sugar. when quite dissolved, put into the barrel, and add three pints of raspberries, and a little brandy. _currant or elder wine._ after pressing the fruit with the hand or otherwise, to every gallon of juice add two gallons of water that has been boiled and stood to be cold. to each gallon of this mixture put five pounds of lisbon sugar. it may be fermented by putting into it a small piece of toasted bread rubbed over with good yest. when put into the cask, it should be left open till the fermentation has nearly subsided. _black currant wine._ ten pounds of fruit to a gallon of water; let it stand two or three days. when pressed off, put to every gallon of liquor four pounds and a half of sugar. _red currant wine._ gather the fruit dry; pick the leaves from it, and to every twenty-five pounds of currants put six quarts of water. break the currants well, before the water is put to them; then let them stand twenty-four hours, and strain the liquor, to every quart of which put a pound of sugar and as many raspberries as you please. _another way._ take twenty-four pounds of currants; bruise them, and add to that quantity three gallons of water. let it stand two days, stirring it twice a day; then strain the liquor from the fruit; and to every quart of liquor put one pound of sugar. let it stand three days, stirring it twice a day; then put it in your barrel, and put into it six-pennyworth of orris-root well bruised. the above quantities will make five gallons. _red or white currant wine._ take to every gallon of juice one gallon of water, to every gallon of water three pounds and a half of the best lisbon sugar. squeeze the currants through a sieve; let the juice stand till the sugar is dissolved; dip a bit of brown paper in brimstone, and burn in the cask. then tun the wine, and to every three gallons put a pint of brandy. when it has done hissing, stop it close; it will be fit to drink in six months, but it will be better for keeping ten or twelve. _white currant wine._ to each sieve of currants take twenty-five pounds of moist sugar, and to every gallon of juice two gallons of water. squeeze the fruit well with the hands into an earthen pan; then strain it through a sieve. throw the pulp into another pan, filling it with water, which must be taken from the quantity of water allowed for the whole, and to every ten gallons of wine put one bottle of brandy. in making the wine, dissolve the sugar in the water above-mentioned, and put it into the cask; then add the remaining juice and water, stirring it well up frequently. stir it well every morning for ten successive days, and as it works out fill up the cask again until it has done fermenting. then put in your brandy, and bung it quite close. in about eight months it will be fit to drink; but, if you leave it twelve, it will be better. _damson wine._ take four gallons of water, and put to every gallon four pounds of malaga raisins and half a peck of damsons. put the whole into a vessel without cover, having only a linen cloth laid over it. let them steep six days, stirring twice every day; then let them stand six days without stirring. draw the juice out of the vessel, and colour it with the infused juice of damsons, sweetened with sugar till it is like claret wine. put it into a wine vessel for a fortnight; then bottle it up; and it may be drunk in a month. all made wines are the better for brandy, and will not keep without it. the quantity must be regulated by the degree of strength you wish to give to your wine. _elder wine._ no. . take elderberries, when ripe; pick them clean from the stalk; press out the juice through a hair sieve or canvas-bag, and to every gallon of juice put three gallons of water on the husks from which the juice has been pressed. stir the husks well in the water, and press them over again; then mix the first and second liquor together, and boil it for about an hour, skimming it clean as long as the scum rises. to every gallon of liquor put two pounds of sugar, and skim it again very clean; then put to every gallon a blade of mace and as much lemon-peel, letting it boil an hour. after the sugar is put in, strain it into a tub, and, when quite cold, put it into a cask; bung it close down, and look frequently to see that the bung is not forced up. should your quantity be twelve gallons or more, you need not bottle it off till about april, but be sure to do so on a clear dry day, and to let your bottles be perfectly dry; but if you have not more than five or six gallons, you may bottle it by christmas on a clear fine day. _elder wine._ no. . to a gallon of water put a quarter of a peck of berries, and three pounds and a half of lisbon sugar. steep the berries in water forty hours; after boiling a quarter of an hour, strain the liquor from the fruit, and boil it with the sugar till the scum ceases to rise. work it in a tub like other wines, with a small quantity of yest. after some weeks, add a few raisins, a small quantity of brandy, and some cloves. the above makes a sweet mellow wine, but does not taste strong of the elder. _elder wine._ no. . take twenty-four pounds of raisins, of whatever sort you please; pick them clean, chop them small, put them into a tub, and cover them with three gallons of water that has been boiled and become cold. let it stand ten days, stirring it twice a day. then strain the liquor through a hair sieve, draining it all from the raisins, and put to it three pints of the juice of elderberries and a pound of loaf-sugar. put the whole into the cask, and let it stand close stopped, but not in too cold a cellar, for three or four months before you bottle it. the peg-hole must not be stopped till it has done working. the best way to draw the juice from the berries is to strip them into an earthen pan, and set it in the oven all night. _elder wine._ no. . mash eight gallons of picked elderberries to pieces, add as much spring water as will make the whole nine gallons, and boil slowly for three quarters of an hour. squeeze them through a cloth sieve; add twenty-eight pounds of moist sugar, and boil them together for half an hour. run the liquor through your cloth sieve again; let it stand till lukewarm; put into it a toast with a little yest upon it, and let it stand for seven or eight days, stirring it every day. then put it into a close tub, and let it remain without a bung till it has done hissing. before you bung up close, you may add one pint of brandy at pleasure. _elder wine._ no. . half a gallon of ripe berries to a gallon of water; boil it half an hour; strain it through a sieve. to every gallon of liquor put three pounds of sugar; boil them together three quarters of an hour; when cold, put some yest to it; work it a week, and put it in barrel. let it stand a year. to half a hogshead put one quart of brandy and three pounds of raisins. _elder-flower wine._ to six gallons of water put eighteen pounds of lump-sugar; boil it half an hour, skimming it all the time. put into a cask a quarter of a peck of elder-flowers picked clean from the stalks, the juice and rinds of six lemons pared very thin, and six pounds of raisins. when the water and sugar is about milk warm, pour it into the cask upon these ingredients; spread three or four spoonfuls of yest upon a piece of bread well toasted, and put it into the cask; stir it up for three or four days only; when it has done working, bung it up, and in six or eight months it will be fit for bottling. _sham frontiniac._ to three gallons of water put nine pounds of good loaf-sugar; boil it half an hour; when milk-warm, add to it nearly a peck of elder-flowers picked clear from the stalks, the juice and peel of three good-sized lemons, cut very thin, three pounds of stoned raisins, and two or three spoonfuls of yest; stir it often for four or five days. when it has quite done working, bung it up, and it will be fit for bottling in five days. _mixed fruit wine._ take currants, gooseberries, raspberries, and a few rose-leaves, three pints of fruit, mashed all together, to a quart of cold water. let it stand twenty-four hours; then drain it through a sieve. to every gallon of juice put three pounds and a half of lisbon sugar; let it ferment; put it into a cask, but do not bung it up for some time. put in some brandy, and bottle it for use. _ginger wine._ no. . with four gallons of water boil twelve pounds of loaf-sugar till it becomes clear. in a separate pan boil nine ounces of ginger, a little bruised, in two quarts of water; pour the whole into an earthen vessel, in which you must have two pounds of raisins shred fine, the juice and rind of ten lemons. when of about the warmth of new milk, put in four spoonfuls of fresh yest; let it ferment two days; then put it into a cask, with all the ginger, lemon-peel, and raisins, and half an ounce of isinglass dissolved in a little of the wine; in two or three days bung it up close. in three months it will be fit to bottle. put into each bottle a little brandy, and some sugar also, if not sweet enough. _ginger wine._ no. . twenty-six quarts of water, eighteen pounds of white lisbon sugar, six ounces of bruised ginger, the peel of six lemons pared very thin: boil half an hour, and let it stand till no more than blood warm. put it in your cask, with the juice of six lemons, five spoonfuls of yest, and three pounds of raisins. stir it six or seven times with a stick through the bung-hole, and put in half an ounce of isinglass and a pint of good brandy. close the bung, and in about six weeks it will be fit for bottle. let it stand about six months before you drink it. if you like, it may be drawn from the cask, and it will be fit for use in that way in about two months. _ginger wine._ no. . to ten gallons of water put eight pounds of loaf-sugar and three ounces of bruised ginger; boil all together for one hour, taking the scum off as it rises; then put it into a pan to cool. when it is cold, put it into a cask, with the rind and juice of ten lemons, one bottle of good brandy, and half a spoonful of yest. bung it up for a fortnight: then bottle it off, and in three weeks it will be fit to drink. the lemons must be pared very thin, and no part of the white must, on any account, be put in the cask. _ginger wine._ no. . to every gallon of water put one pound and a half of brown sugar and one ounce of bruised ginger, and to each gallon the white of an egg well beaten. stir all together, and boil it half an hour; skim it well while any thing rises, and, when milk-warm, stir in a little yest. when cold, to every five gallons, put two sliced lemons. bottle it in nine days; and it will be fit to drink in a week. _gooseberry wine._ no. . to every pound of white amber gooseberries, when heads and tails are picked off and well bruised in a mortar, add a quart of spring water, which must be previously boiled. let it stand till it is cold before it is put to the fruit. let them steep three days, stirring them twice a day; strain and press them through a sieve into a barrel, and to every gallon of liquor put three pounds of loaf-sugar, and to every five gallons a bottle of brandy. hang a small bag of isinglass in the barrel; bung it close, and, in six months, if the sweetness is sufficiently gone off, bottle it, and rosin the corks well over the top. the fruit must be fall grown, but quite green. _gooseberry wine._ no. . to three quarts of full grown gooseberries well crushed put one gallon of water well stirred together for a day or two. then strain and squeeze the pulp, and put the liquor immediately into the barrel, with three pounds and a half of common loaf-sugar; stir it every day until the fermentation ceases. reserve two or three gallons of the liquor to fill up the barrel, as it overflows through the fermentation. put a bottle of brandy into the cask, to season it, before the wine; this quantity will be sufficient for nine or ten gallons. be careful to let the fermentation cease, before you bung down the barrel. the plain white gooseberries, taken when not too ripe, but rather the contrary, are the best for this purpose. _gooseberry wine._ no. . a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit: melt the sugar, and bruise the gooseberries with an apple-beater, but do not beat them too small. strain them through a hair strainer, and put the juice into an earthen pot; keep it covered four or five days till it is clear: then add half a pint of the best brandy or more, according to the quantity of fruit, and draw it out into another vessel, letting it run into a hair sieve. stop it close, and let it stand one fortnight longer; then draw it off into quart bottles, and in a month it will be fit for drinking. _gooseberry wine._ no. . proceed as directed for white currant wine, but use loaf-sugar. large pearl gooseberries, not quite ripe, make excellent champagne. _grape wine._ pick and squeeze the grapes; strain them, and to each gallon of juice put two gallons of water. put the pulp into the measured water; squeeze it, and add three pounds and a half of loaf-sugar, or good west india, to a gallon. let it stand about six weeks; then add a quart of brandy and two eggs not broken to every ten gallons. bung it down close. _lemon wine._ to every gallon of water put three pounds and a half of loaf-sugar; boil it half an hour, and to every ten gallons, when cold, put a pint of yest. put it next day into a barrel, with the peels and juice of eight lemons; you must pare them very thin, and run the juice through a jelly-bag. put the rinds into a net with a stone in it, or it will rise to the top and spoil the wine. to every ten gallons add a pint of brandy. stop up the barrel, and in three months the wine, if fine, will be fit for bottling. the brandy must be put in when the wine is made. _sham madeira._ take thirty pounds of coarse sugar to ten gallons of water; boil it half an hour; skim it clean, and, when cool, put to every gallon one quart of ale, out of the vat; let it work well in the tub a day or two. then put it in the barrel, with one pound of sugar-candy, six pounds of raisins, one quart of brandy, and two ounces of isinglass. when it has done fermenting, bung it down close, and let it stand one year. _orange wine._ no. . take six gallons of water to twelve pounds of lump-sugar; put four whites of eggs, well beaten, into the sugar and water cold; boil it three quarters of an hour, skim while boiling, and when cold put to it six spoonfuls of yest, and six ounces of syrup of citron, well beaten together, and the juice and rinds of fifty seville oranges, but none of the white. let all these stand two days and nights covered close; then add two quarts of rhenish wine; bung it up close. twelve days afterwards bottle and cork it well. _orange wine._ no. . to make ten gallons of wine, pare one hundred oranges very thin, and put the peel into a tub. put in a copper ten gallons of water, with twenty-eight pounds of common brown sugar, and the whites of six eggs well beaten; boil it for three quarters of an hour; just as it begins to boil, skim it, and continue to do so all the time it is boiling; pour the boiling liquor on the peel: cover it well to keep in the steam, and, two hours afterwards, when blood warm, pour in the juice. put in a toast well spread with yest to make it work. stir it well, and, in five or six days, put it in your cask free from the peel; it will then work five or six days longer. then put in two quarts of brandy, and bung it close. let it remain twelve or eighteen months, and then bottle it. it will keep many years. _orange wine._ no. . to a gallon of wine put three pounds of lump sugar; clarify this with the white of an egg to every gallon. boil it an hour, and when the scum rises take it off; when almost cold, dip a toast into yest, put it into the liquor, and let it stand all night. then take out the toast, and put in the juice of twelve oranges to every gallon, adding about half the peel. run it through a sieve into the cask, and let it stand for several months. _sham port wine._ cover four bushels of blackberries with boiling hot water, squeeze them, and put them into a vessel to work. after working, draw or pour off the liquor into a cask; add a gallon of brandy and a quart of port wine; let it work again; then bung it up for six months, and bottle it. _raisin wine._ no. . take one hundred weight of raisins, of the smyrna sort, and put them into a tub with fourteen gallons of spring water. let them stand covered for twenty-one days, stirring them twice every day. strain the liquor through a hair-bag from the raisins, which must be well pressed to get out the juice; turn it into a vessel, and let it remain four months; then bung it up close, and make a vent-hole, which must be frequently opened, and left so for a day together. when it is of an agreeable sweetness, rack it off into a fresh cask, and put to it one gallon of british brandy, and, if you think it necessary, a little isinglass to fine it. let it then stand one month, and it will be fit to bottle; but the longer it remains in the cask the better it will be. _raisin wine._ no. . take four gallons of water, and boil it till reduced to three, four pounds of raisins of the sun, and four lemons sliced very thin; take off the peel of two of them; put the lemons and raisins into an earthen pot, with a pound of loaf-sugar. pour in your water very hot; cover it close for a day and a night; strain it through a flannel bag; then bottle it, and tie down the corks. set it in a cold place, and it will be ready to drink in a month. _raisin wine._ no. . to one hundred pound of raisins boil eighteen gallons of water, and let it stand till cold, with two ounces of hops. half chop your raisins; then put your water to them, and stir it up together twice a day for a fortnight. run it through a hair-sieve; squeeze the raisins well with your hands, and put the liquor into the barrel. bung it up close; let it stand till it is clear; then bottle it. _raisin wine._ no. . take a brandy cask, and to every gallon of water put five pounds of smyrna raisins with the stalks on, and fill the cask, bunging it close down. put it in a cool dry cellar; let it stand six months; then tap it with a strainer cock, and bottle it. add half a pint of brandy to every gallon of wine. the end. useful works, forming valuable presents, lately published. a new system of practical economy; formed from modern discoveries and the private communications of persons of experience. new edition, much improved and enlarged, with a series of estimates of household expenses, on economical principles, adapted to families of every description. in one thick volume, mo. price s. neatly bound. 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(first instance) changed to _raisin wine._ no. the following words were inconsitently spelled or hyphenated. a-la-mode / alamode bay-leaf / bay leaf bay-leaves / bay leaves beef-steaks / beef steaks beef-suet / beef suet beet-root / beet root bung-hole / bunghole black-pepper / black pepper bread-crumb / bread crumb bread-crumbs calf's-head / calf's head calf's-head / calf's head cocks'-combs / cocks-combs cod's-head / cod's head curry-powder / curry powder dessert-spoonful / dessert spoonful elder-berry / elderberry elder-flower / elder flower eschalot / shalot fire-side / fireside force-meat / forcemeat juniper-berries / juniper berries laurel-leaf / laurel leaf laurel-leaves / laurel leaves lemon-peel / lemon peel loaf-sugar / loaf sugar lump-sugar / lump sugar macaroni / maccaroni maccaroons / macaroons mackarel / mackerel mushroom-powder / mushroom powder mustard-seed / mustard seed olive-oil / olive oil orange-peel / orange peel orange-water / orange water pepper-pot / pepper pot plum-pudding / plum pudding potage / pottage puff-paste / puff paste rolling-pin / rollingpin rump-steaks / rump steaks sauce-boat / sauceboat saw-dust / sawdust scate / skate slip-cote / slipcote souffle / soufflé sweet-herbs / sweet herbs / sweetherbs table-spoonful / table spoonful tea-spoonfuls / teaspoonfuls wine-glass / wine glass wine-glasses / wine glasses wine-glassful / wine glassful distributed proofreaders the book of household management; comprising information for the mistress, housekeeper, cook, kitchen-maid, butler, footman, coachman, valet, upper and under house-maids, lady's-maid, maid-of-all-work, laundry-maid, nurse and nurse-maid, monthly, wet, and sick nurses, etc. etc. also, sanitary, medical, & legal memoranda; with a history of the origin, properties, and uses of all things connected with home life and comfort. by mrs. isabella beeton. nothing lovelier can be found in woman, than to study household good.--milton. published originally by s. o. beeton in monthly parts - . first published in a bound edition . preface. i must frankly own, that if i had known, beforehand, that this book would have cost me the labour which it has, i should never have been courageous enough to commence it. what moved me, in the first instance, to attempt a work like this, was the discomfort and suffering which i had seen brought upon men and women by household mismanagement. i have always thought that there is no more fruitful source of family discontent than a housewife's badly-cooked dinners and untidy ways. men are now so well served out of doors,--at their clubs, well-ordered taverns, and dining-houses, that in order to compete with the attractions of these places, a mistress must be thoroughly acquainted with the theory and practice of cookery, as well as be perfectly conversant with all the other arts of making and keeping a comfortable home. in this book i have attempted to give, under the chapters devoted to cookery, an intelligible arrangement to every recipe, a list of the _ingredients_, a plain statement of the _mode_ of preparing each dish, and a careful estimate of its _cost_, the _number of people_ for whom it is _sufficient_, and the time when it is _seasonable_. for the matter of the recipes, i am indebted, in some measure, to many correspondents of the "englishwoman's domestic magazine," who have obligingly placed at my disposal their formulas for many original preparations. a large private circle has also rendered me considerable service. a diligent study of the works of the best modern writers on cookery was also necessary to the faithful fulfilment of my task. friends in england, scotland, ireland, france, and germany, have also very materially aided me. i have paid great attention to those recipes which come under the head of "cold meat cookery." but in the department belonging to the cook i have striven, too, to make my work something more than a cookery book, and have, therefore, on the best authority that i could obtain, given an account of the natural history of the animals and vegetables which we use as food. i have followed the animal from his birth to his appearance on the table; have described the manner of feeding him, and of slaying him, the position of his various joints, and, after giving the recipes, have described the modes of carving meat, poultry, and game. skilful artists have designed the numerous drawings which appear in this work, and which illustrate, better than any description, many important and interesting items. the coloured plates are a novelty not without value. besides the great portion of the book which has especial reference to the cook's department, there are chapters devoted to those of the other servants of the household, who have all, i trust, their duties clearly assigned to them. towards the end of the work will be found valuable chapters on the "management of children"----"the doctor," the latter principally referring to accidents and emergencies, some of which are certain to occur in the experience of every one of us; and the last chapter contains "legal memoranda," which will be serviceable in cases of doubt as to the proper course to be adopted in the relations between landlord and tenant, tax-gatherer and tax-payer, and tradesman and customer. these chapters have been contributed by gentlemen fully entitled to confidence; those on medical subjects by an experienced surgeon, and the legal matter by a solicitor. i wish here to acknowledge the kind letters and congratulations i have received during the progress of this work, and have only further to add, that i trust the result of the four years' incessant labour which i have expended will not be altogether unacceptable to some of my countrymen and countrywomen. isabella beeton. general contents chap. i.--the mistress. .--the housekeeper. .--arrangement and economy of the kitchen. .--introduction to cookery. .--general directions for making soups. .--recipes. .--the natural history of fishes. .--recipes. .--sauces, pickles, gravies, and forcemeats.--general remarks. .--recipes. .--various modes of cooking meat. .--general observations on quadrupeds. .--recipes. .--general observations on the sheep and lamb. .--recipes. .--general observations on the common hog. .--recipes. .--general observations on the calf. .--recipes. .--general observations on birds. .--recipes. .--general observations on game. .--recipes. .--general observations on vegetables. .--recipes. .--general observations on puddings and pastry. .--recipes .--general observations on creams, jellies, soufflÉs, omelets, and sweet dishes. --recipes. .--general observations on preserves, confectionery, ices, and dessert dishes. .--recipes. .--general observations on milk, butter, cheese, and eggs. .--recipes. .--general observations on bread, biscuits, and cakes. .--recipes. .--general observations on beverages. .--recipes. .--invalid cookery. .--recipes. .--dinners and dining. .--domestic servants. .--the rearing and management of children, and diseases of infancy and childhood. .--the doctor .--legal memoranda analytical index. note.--where a "_p_" occurs before the number for reference, the _page_, and not the paragraph, is to be sought. accidents, injuries, &c. remarks on agreements - alexanders alkalis allium, the genus allspice almond, the bitter cake cheesecakes flowers icing for cakes paste, for second-course dishes pudding, baked puddings, small puffs soup tree , uses of the sweet almonds, and raisins husks of anchovy, the butter butter or paste paste sauce toast anchovies, fried potted animals, period between birth and maturity quality of the flesh of - saxon names of tails of tongues of apoplexy - apple, the charlotte charlotte aux pommes an easy method of making cheesecakes constituents of the custard, baked dumplings, baked boiled fritters ginger , jam jelly - clear or marmalade pudding, baked, rich more economical very good boiled iced rich, sweet sauce, brown for geese or pork snow snowballs soufflé soup tart, creamed or pie tourte or cake trifle universally popular uses of the - apples, à la portugaise and rice a pretty dish buttered compote of dish of flanc of - ginger ices in red jelly stewed, and custard to preserve in quarters (imitation of ginger) apprentices apricot, cream jam or marmalade pudding qualities of the tart apricots, compote of flanc of arrowroot, biscuits, or drops blancmange arrowroot, manufacture of , pudding, baked or boiled sauce for puddings to make what miss nightingale says of arsenic artichoke, composite or composite flowers of constituent properties of the jerusalem uses of the artichokes, a french mode of cooking a l'italienne fried jerusalem, boiled mashed soup with white sauce to boil asparagus, ancient notion of boiled island medicinal uses of peas pudding sauce soup - aspic, or ornamental savoury jelly attestation to wills bachelor's omelet pudding bacon, boiled broiled rashers of curing of and keeping it free from rust - in the devonshire way in the wiltshire way fried rashers of, and poached eggs bain-marie bakewell pudding, very rich plainer ball suppers _pp._ - bandoline, to make bantam, the barbel, the to dress barberries, in bunches barberry, description of the tart barley, gruel soup sugar water, to make baroness pudding basil baths and fomentations, remarks on cold heat of warm and hot bath batter pudding, baked with fruits boiled orange bay or laurel, varieties of consecrated by priests bean, haricot, the beans, boiled, broad or windsor french broad, à la poulette french mode of cooking haricots and minced onions blancs à la maitre d'hôtel blancs, or white haricots and lentils nutritive properties of origin and varieties of béchamel, or french white sauce maigre, or without meat sauce beef, aitchbone of, boiled to carve an _p._ a la mode - baked - baron of bones, broiled brisket of, à la flamande to carve a _p._ to stew broiled, and mushroom sauce oyster sauce cake carving _p._ collared collops minced curried different seasons for dripping, to clarify - fillet of roast, larded french frenchman's opinion of fricandeau of fried, salt fritters hashed - hung, to prepare hunter's kidney, to dress - marrow-bones boiled minced miriton of names of the several joints olives - palates, to dress pickle for potted - qualities of ragoût of rib bones of ribs of, boned and rolled, roast (joint for a small family) roast to carve _p._ rissoles roast rolled rolls round of, boiled miniature to carve a _p._ round of, to pickle part of a rump of, stewed steak sausages seasons for shin of, stewed sirloin of, roast to carve a _p._ sliced and broiled spiced (to serve cold) steak, a fried rump and kidney pudding oyster sauce broiled pie pudding, baked rolled, roasted, and stuffed stewed, and celery sauce with oysters with fried potatoes tea, baked savoury to make tongue, boiled pickle for to carve a _p._ to cure a - to pickle and dress a, to eat cold to salt dutch way beef-tea, dr. christison's miss nightingale's opinion of beer, table beetroot boiled pickled benton sauce bequests, legacies, &c. - beverages, general observations on , bills of fare, for january _pp._ - february - march - april - may - june - july - august - september - october - november - december - ball supper for persons _p._ ball supper, cold collation, for a summer entertainment for or persons _p._ breakfasts game dinner for persons _p._ luncheons and suppers _p._ menu, service à la russe _pp._ - picnic for persons suppers _p._ birds, general observations on - biscuit powder biscuits, arrowroot cocoa nut crisp dessert lemon macaroons ratafias remarks on - rice rock savoy seed simple, hard soda bites and stings, general remarks on of insects - of snakes of dogs blackcock, heathcock, &c. roast to carve a blancmange arrowroot. cheap lemon rice bleeding, from the nose operation of - blonde, to clean blood, spitting of boar's head, importance of the the westphalian bones, dislocation of fracture of bonnets books of account boots, polish for - bottled fresh fruit - with sugar boudin, à la reine brain, concussion of, stunning brandy, cherry lemon orange varieties of bread, and bread-making - and-butter fritters pudding crumbs, fried fried for borders indian-corn-flour making in spain origin of properties of pudding, baked boiled brown miniature very plain rice sauce - sippets of, fried soda bread, soup to make a peck of good to make good home-made to make yeast for breakfasts _p._ , _par_ - breath, shortness of, or difficult breathing bride-cake, rich bridles brill, the to carve a _pp._ - brilla soup brocoli, boiled broth, calf's-foot chicken eel mutton to make mutton to quickly make brown roux for thickening gravies browning, for sauces and gravies for stock bruises, lacerations, and cuts treatment of brushes, to wash brussels sprouts, boiled bubble-and-squeak bullock's heart, to dress a buns, light plain to make good plain victoria burns and scalds treatment of the first class of treatment of the second class treatment of the third class butler, care of plate and house duties of the, at breakfast, luncheon, dinner, and dessert - luncheon, in the drawing-room lights, attention to wine, bottling - wine, cellar - wine, fining butter, anchovy , antiquity of beurre noir, or brown butter (a french sauce) clarified colouring of curled easily digested fairy general observations on - how to keep how to keep fresh in haste maitre d'hôtel melted - melted (the french sauce blanche) melted made with milk moulds for moulding fresh butter thickened to keep and choose, fresh to preserve and to choose, salt what to do with rancid cabbage, the boiled colewort, or wild green kale, or borecole kohl-rabi, or turnip qualities of the red, pickled red, stewed savoy, and brussels sprouts savoy, description of the soup tribe and their origin turnip tops and greens cabinet, or chancellor's pudding plain, or boiled bread-and-butter pudding café au lait noir cake, almond breakfast, nice bride or christening christmas cocoa-nut economical good holiday honey lemon luncheon nice useful pavini plain plain for children plum, common plum, nice pound queen rice , saucer, for tea savoy , scrap seed, common seed, very good snow - soda sponge - sponge small, to make tea tea to toast tipsy tipsy an easy way of making yeast cakes, hints on making and baking - calf, the birth of the breeding of the fattening the feeding a general observations on the - in america names of the symbol of divine power the golden when it should be killed calf's feet, baked or stewed calf's feet, boiled with parsley and butter calf's feet, broth calf's feet, fricasseed jelly head, à la maitre d'hôtel boiled - collared club fricasseed hashed soup to carve a liver and bacon aux fines herbes larded and roasted udder, for french forcemeats calomel camp-vinegar canary-pudding candlesticks cannelons, or fried puffs caper-sauce, for boiled mutton for fish substitute for capercalzie, the capers capsicums, pickled carbonate of soda carp, the age of the baked stewed carpet sweeping carriages - carrot, the constituents of the jam, to imitate apricot preserve nutritive properties of the origin of the pudding, boiled or baked seed of the soup - varieties of the carrots, boiled sliced stewed to dress in the german way carving, beef _p._ aitchbone of _p._ brisket of _p._ ribs of _p._ round of _p._ sirloin of _p._ blackcock brill _pp._ - calf's head codfish _p._ duck wild fowl - goose grouse ham hare lamb - landrail mutton, haunch of leg of loin of mutton, saddle of shoulder of partridge pheasant pigeon plover pork leg of ptarmigan quail rabbit salmon _p._ snipe soles _p._ sucking-pig teal tongue _p._ turbot _p._ turkey veal breast of fillet of knuckle of loin of venison, haunch of widgeon woodcock cauliflower, description of the properties of the cauliflowers, à la sauce blanche boiled with parmesan cheese cayenne, varieties of vinegar or essence of cayenne celery, indigenous to britain origin of sauce for boiled turkey, poultry, &c. (a more simple recipe) soup stewed à la crême with white sauce - to dress various uses of , vinegar champagne cup chanticleer and his companions chantilly soup char, the charlotte apple, very simple aux pommes, an easy method of making - russe cheese cayenne cream damson decomposed fondue brillat savarin's general observations on - macaroni, as usually served with - mode of serving pork _paragraph_ pounded raisin ramakins, to serve with - sandwiches scotch rarebit smoking stilton toasted, or scotch rarebit welsh cheesecakes, almond apple lemon cherokee or store sauce cherries, dried morello, to preserve to preserve in syrup cherry, brandy jam sauce for sweet puddings tart tree in rome varieties of the chervil, peculiarities of chestnut sauce, brown for fowls or turkey spanish, soup uses of the chicken, boiled broth curried cutlets french fricasseed or fowl patties pie potted pox, or glass-pox - salad chickens, age and flavour of chili vinegar china chilo chocolate, box of cream history of soufflé to make cholera, and autumnal complaints christmas, cake plum-pudding, very good pudding, plain, for children christopher north's sauce for game or meat chub, the churning churns cleaning the cinnamon-tree, the citron, uses of the varieties of the claret cup varieties of cleanings, periodical - cleanliness, advantages of clothes, cleaning clove, derivation of the name tree coach-house and stables coach-house and stables, furniture of the harness-room heat of stables horse, the stalls ventilation of stables coachman, carriages - choosing horses driving duties of the pace of driving whip, the cock-a-leekie cocoa and chocolate, various uses of to make cocoa-nut, the cakes or biscuits soup cod, fecundity of the food of the habitat of the method of preserving season for fishing for the sounds tribe, the codfish, the a la béchamel créme a l'italienne a la maitre d'hôtel curried head and shoulders of to carve _p._ pie - preserving salt, (commonly called salt fish) sounds en poule to choose coffee, café au lait café noir essence of miss nightingale's opinion on nutritious plant simple method of making to make to roast cold-meat cookery:-- beef, baked - bones, broiled broiled, and mushroom sauce oyster sauce bubble-and-squeak cake curried fried salt fritters hashed - minced miriton of olives potted ragoût rissoles rolls sliced and broiled stewed, and celery sauce with oysters calf's head, a la maitre d'hôtel fricasseed hashed chicken, cutlets or fowl patties potted salad duck, hashed stewed and peas turnips wild, hashed ragoût of fish, and oyster pie cake cod, à la béchamel à la crême curried pie - salmon, curried scallop - turbot, à la crême au gratin fillets of, baked à l'italienne fowl, à la mayonnaise boudin, à la reine croquettes of - fricasseed fried - hashed indian fashion indian dish of minced à la béchamel or chicken, curried ragoût scollops sauté, with peas game, hashed goose, hashed hare, broiled hashed lamb, hashed, and broiled bladebone mutton, baked minced broiled and tomato sauce collops curried cutlets dormers haricot hashed hodge-podge pie ragoût of neck toad in hole pork, cheese cutlets hashed turkey, croquettes of fricasseed hashed veal, baked cake collops, scotch - curried fillet of, au béchamel loin of, au béchamel minced - olive pie patties, fried ragout of rissoles rolis tête de veau en tortue venison, hashed cold, to cure a on the chest college pudding collops, cooking scotch scotch white combs, to clean compote of, apples apricots damsons figs, green gooseberries greengages oranges peaches compotes, to make syrup for confectionary, general observations on consommé, or white stock for many sauces constructive notices convulsions or fits - cook, duties of the cook, kitchen, and scullery-maids early rising first duty of the general directions to the duties of the - cookery, cleanliness of utensils used in excellence in the art of explanation of french terms used in introduction to measures used in copper coriander plant, the corks, with wooden tops corrosive sublimate cow, cheese heel, fried stock for jellies pox, or vaccination - or variola cows, cost of keep for cowslip wine crab, hot sauce, for fish to dress tribe, the crape, to make old look like new crayfish, the crayfish, how preserved potted soup cream, à la valois apricot chocolate devonshire ginger italian lemon economical or custards very good noyeau orange, seville sweet peculiarities of raspberry sauce for fish or white dishes stone, of tous les mois swiss to make ice fruit vanilla whipped creams, general observations on croquettes of, fowl - rice croup symptoms of treatment of - crumpets crust, butter, for boiled puddings common, for raised pies dripping, for kitchen puddings and pies for fruit tarts, very good lard or flead pâté brisée, or french, for raised pies short, common good suet, for pies and puddings cucumber, antiquity of the , chate geographical distribution of the indigestible properties and uses of the sauce white soup vinegar (a very nice addition to salads) cucumbers, à la poulette fried for winter use pickled preserving (an excellent way) stewed with onions to dress curds and whey currant, dumplings fritters jam, black red jelly, black red white pudding, black or red boiled red, and raspberry tart currants, iced uses of zante, description of curry powder custard, apple, baked boiled creams, or lemon pudding, baked boiled sauce for sweet puddings or tarts tartlets, or fanchonnettes cutlets, chicken french invalid's lamb mutton italian of cold pheasant pork - salmon sauce for veal à la maintenon cygnet, the dace, the dairy, the butter, colouring of milk washing churning churns cleaning the churn, &c. cows, cost of keep for devonshire system hair sieve maid, charge of dairy produce duties of the milk, dishes general management of pails situation of the dampfnudeln, or german puddings damson, the a very nice preserve cheese jam pudding tart damsons, baked for winter use compote of to preserve, or any other kind of plums darioles, à la vanille date, the debts estate chargeable with decanters, to clean , deer, the fallow roebuck deer, stag delhi pudding dentition dessert, biscuits dishes general remarks on devonshire, cream junket diarrhoea - dilapidations dinners, and dining - a la russe - menu p. bills of fare for, from to persons, from january to december _pp._ - bills of fare for game, for persons _p_. bills of fare for plain family _pp._ , , , , , , , , , , , diseases of infancy and childhood - dishes, a hundred different domestics, general remarks on - dormers downs, the draught, for summer dress and dressing of infants - drink for warm weather, pleasant dripping, to clarify - driving - drowning, treatment after duck, the american mode of capturing the aylesbury bow-bill buenos ayres eggs of the , fattening hashed hatching man and dog, decoy roast to carve a rouen snares in lincolnshire stewed, and peas - and turnips to ragoût a whole varieties of the wild, the , , hashed ragoût of roast to carve a ducklings, cooping and feeding dumplings, baked apple boiled apple currant lemon marrow sussex, or hard yeast dusting dutch flummery sauce, for fish green, or hollandaise verte eel, broth haunts of the pie productiveness of the soup tenacity of life of the the common tribe, the voracity of the eels, à la tartare boiled collared en matelote fried stewed - egg, balls for soups and made dishes sauce for salt fish soup wine eggs, à la maitre d'hôtel a la tripe boiled for breakfast, salads, &c. buttered ducks' for hatching - fried general remarks on - liaison of, for thickening sauces oeufs au plat, or au miroir plovers' poached with cream primitive method of cooking quality of - scotch snow, or oeufs à la neige to choose keep fresh for several weeks pickle veneration for white of will crack if dropped in boiling water elderberry wine emetic, tartar empress pudding endive, à la française genus of plant stewed to dress entrée, beef or rump steak, stewed beef, minced collops boudin à la reine calf's head, fricasseed liver, larded and roasted chicken and rice croquettes - cutlets or fowl, fricasseed fowl, hashed sauté with peas lamb, cutlets sweetbreads and asparagus another way to dress lark pie lobster-curry entrée, lobster cutlets patties oyster patties sweetbreads, baked fried stewed veal cutlets à la maintenon broiled collops fricandeau of - tendons de veau - tête de veau vol au vent epaulettes of gold or silver epicurean sauce espagnole, or brown spanish sauce everton toffee exeter pudding eye, lime in the sore stye in the substances in the eyelids, inflammation of the fairy butter fanchonnettes, or custard tartlets fasting feathers fennel sauce for mackerel fig pudding figs, green, compote of fish, addendum and anecdote of _p_. and oyster pie as an article of human food - average prices cake general directions for carving _p._. - dressing - rule in choosing in season january to december _pp_. - kettle pie with tench and eels sauce , scallop - soup stock supply of, for the london market to smoke at home fishes, natural history of - fits apoplexy - and drunkenness, distinctions between epilepsy, distinctions between hysterics distinctions between poisoning by opium, distinctions between epilepsy fainting hysterics the consequence of dentition - fixtures fleece, the golden floorcloth, to clean flounder, the flounders, boiled fried flour, nutritious qualities of flowers, to preserve cut after packing flummery, dutch fomentations - fondue, brillat savarin's to make food for infants, and its preparation , footgear footman, boot-cleaning boot tops breakfast, laying cloth, &c. - brushing clothes decanters dinner - dinners à la russe dress and livery during dinner early rising furniture-rubbing general duties glass-washing - going out with the carriage knives lamp-trimming letters and messages luncheon, duties at management of work manners, modesty, &c. opening wine pantry patent leather boots politeness receptions and evening parties removal of dishes salt-cellars tea waiting at table where a valet is not kept forcemeat, balls for fish soups boiled calf's udder for french for baked pike cold savoury pies various kinds of fish veal, turkeys, fowls, hare, &c. french - or quenelles, for turtle soup, soyer's receipt for oyster fowl, à la mayonnaise and rice croquettes boiled à la béchamel to carve with oysters rice boudin à la reine broiled and mushroom sauce croquettes curried - fricasseed - fried - hashed an indian dish house, the stocking the indian dish of minced à la béchamel pillau poulet aux cressons à la marengo ragoût of roast stuffed to carve a sauté, with peas scallops to bone for fricassees fowls, à la marengo as food bantam feather-legged best to fatten way to fatten black spanish characteristics of health and power chip in cochin china common, or domestic diseases of, and how to cure dorking eggs for hatching feeding and cooping game guinea hatching moulting season, the obstruction of the crop pencilled hamburg poland scour, or dysentery in serai ta-ook, or fowls of the sultan sir john sebright's bantams sitting skin disease in space for speckled hamburg "turn" in various modes of fattening young freezing apparatus, method of working the french terms used in cookery fritters, apple beef bread-and-butter currant indian orange peach pineapple plain potato rice fruit, dish of mixed summer fresh to bottle - ice creams, to make in season, january to december _pp._ - spots, to remove to bottle with sugar turnovers water ices, to make fuel fungi, analysis of varieties of furniture cleaning , gloss, german polish - furs, feathers, and woollens game, general observations on - hashed in season, january to december _pp._ - garlic geneva wafers genevese sauce german pudding or dampfnudeln gherkins, or young cucumbers pickled giblet pie soup gilt frames, to brighten ginger, apples beer cream preserved pudding qualities of wine gingerbread, nuts, rich sweetmeat sunderland thick white glaize, cold joints to for covering cold hams, tongues, &c kettle godfrey's cordial golden fleece, order of the , pudding goose, brent description of the egyptian hashed roast to carve a stuffing for (soyer's) to dress a green wild gooseberries, compote of gooseberry, the fool indigenous to british isles jam - white or green jelly pudding, baked gooseberry pudding, boiled sauce for boiled mackerel tart trifle vinegar wine, effervescing grapes, qualities of grates , , gravy, a quickly-made beef, for poultry or game (good) brown without meat cheap, for minced veal hashes for roast meat venison general stock for jugged, excellent kettle made without meat, for fowls orange rich, for hashes and ragouts roux, for thickening brown white soup veal, for white sauces, fricassees greengage jam greengages, compote of to preserve dry in syrup green sauce greens, boiled, turnip turnip-tops, and cabbage groom, bridles cleaning fawn or yellow leather duties of the exercising the horses feeding the horses - harness cleaning old - paste shoeing watering horses , wheel-grease grouse, description of the - pie roast salad to carve a gruel, barley to make gudgeon, the habitat of the guinea-fowl, description of the roast guinea-pig, the gurnet, the to dress haddock, habitat of the finnan weight of the haddocks, baked boiled dried - hair-dressing - hair, pomade for - to promote growth of wash for ham, fried and eggs omelet potted - to bake a boil a carve a give it an excellent flavour glaize hams, curing of for curing to cure in the devonshire way sweet, in the westmoreland way pickle salt two smoke at home hare, broiled extreme timidity of the hashed jugged - potted roast soup to carve a the common haricot, beans, and minced onions blancs à la maître d'hôtel mutton - - to boil blancs, or white haricot beans harness, cleaning old - paste room, the heart, palpitation of the henbane, hemlock, nightshade, and foxglove herbs, to dry for winter use powder of, for flavouring sweet heradotus pudding herring, the red herrings, baked, white red, or yarmouth bleaters to choose hessian soup hidden mountain, the hodge-podge , hog, antiquity of the , fossil remains of the general observations on the common - in england not bacon universality of the wild and domestic holly leaves, to frost honey cake hooping cough , symptoms of treatment of - horse, the horses, choosing exercising horses feeding - watering , horseradish, the medical properties of the sauce vinegar hot spice housekeeper, daily duties of the - general duties of the knowledge of cookery necessary qualifications for a housemaid, bedroom, attention to , - bright grates candlestick and lamp-cleaning carpet-sweeping chips broken off furniture cleanings, periodical - dress of the dusting duties after dinner evening general - fire-lighting - furniture-cleaning , general directions to the - hartshorn, for plate-cleaning laying dinner-table - marble, to clean - needlework plate, to clean rags for daily use upper and under waiting at table recipe, brunswick black, to make cement for joining broken glass or china - decanters, to clean floorcloth, to clean furniture gloss, german paste polish - gilt frames, to brighten grates and fire irons, to preserve from rust polish for bright grates hunter's pudding husband and wife - hysterics ice, fruit creams, to make lemon-water to ice, or glaze pastry iced, apple pudding apples, or apple hedgehog currants oranges pudding ices, fruit-water, to make general observations on - icing, for cakes, almond sugar indian, chetney sauce corn-flour bread curry powder fritters mustard pickle trifle infant, the - ink-spots, to remove invalid cookery, rules to be observed in - invalid's cutlet, the jelly lemonade insurance - i. o. u., the irish stew - ironing , - isinglass italian, cream mutton cutlets rusks sauce, brown white jam, apple apricot, or marmalade carrot cherry currant, black red damson gooseberry - white or green greengage omelet plum raspberry rhubarb and orange roly pudding strawberry jaunemange jelly, apple - clear thick, or marmalade bag, how to make bottled, how to mould calf's foot cow-heel, stock for currant, black red white general observations on gooseberry invalid's isinglass or gelatine lemon liqueur moulded with fresh fruit with slices of orange of two colours open with whipped cream orange quince raspberry savoury, for meat pies stock for, and to clarify it strawberry to clarify syrup for jewels john dory, the to dress the joints, injuries to julienne, soup á la junket, devonshire kale brose kegeree ketchup, mushroom oyster walnut - kettles for fish kidney and beefsteak pudding omelet kidneys, broiled fried kitchen, distribution of a essential requirements of the fuel for the ranges - maid, duties of the necessity for cleanliness scullery maid, duties of the utensils, ancient and modern list of for the kitchens of the middle ages knives kohl rabi, or turnip-cabbage lace collars, to clean lady's maid, arranging the dressing room - attention to bonnets chausserie, or foot-gear dressing, remarks on - duties of the , - when from home evening epaulettes of gold or silver fashions, repairs, &c hairdressing lessons in ironing jewels linen, attention to packing rules of conduct recipe, bandoline, to make blonde, to clean brushes, to wash combs, to clean crape, to make old look like new essence of lemon, use of flowers, to preserve cut to revive after packing fruit-spots, to remove furs, feathers, and woollens grease-spots from cotton or woollen materials, to remove from silks or moires, to remove hair, a good pomade for the - hair, a good wash for the to promote the growth of lace collars, to clean moths, preservatives against the ravages of paint, to remove from silk cloth pomatum, an excellent ribbons or silk, to clean scorched linen to restore stains of syrup or preserved fruit, to remove to remove ink-spots wax, to remove lamb, as a sacrifice breast of, and green peas stewed carving chops cutlets and spinach fore quarter, to carve a to roast a fry general observations on the - hashed and broiled blade-bone of leg of, boiled roast loin of, braised saddle of shoulder of stuffed lamb's sweetbreads, larded another way to dress lambswool, or lamasool lamp-cleaning , lamprey, the landlord and tenant, relations of landrail or corn-crake roast to carve lard, to melt larding lark-pie larks, roast laundry, situation of, and necessary apparatus - maid, cleaning and washing utensils general duties of the ironing - mangling and ironing - rinsing soaking linen sorting linen starch, to make - starching washing - coloured muslins, &c flannels greasy cloths satin and silk ribbons silk handkerchiefs silks laurel, or bay law, general remarks on lead, and its preparations leamington sauce lease, breaks in the leases, general remarks on - leek, badge of the welsh soup legacies - bequests, &c - legal memoranda - lemon, anti venomous biscuits blancmange brandy cake cheesecakes cream (economical) creams or custards dumplings essence of fruit of the jelly juice of the mincemeat pudding, baked - boiled plain rind or peel sauce for boiled fowls for sweet puddings sponge syrup thyme to pickle with the peel on without the peel water ice white sauce for fowls or fricassees uses of the wine lemonade for invalids most harmless of acids nourishing lentil, the lettuce, corrective properties of the varieties of the lettuces, to dress leveret, to dress a liaison lightning, treatment after a person has been struck by linen, attention to scorched, to restore soaking sorting liqueur jelly liver, and lemon sauce for poultry and parsley sauce for poultry complaints and spasms lobster, the a la mode française ancient mode of cooking the celerity of the curry (an entrée) cutlets (an entrée) hot how it feeds local attachment of the patties (an entrée) potted salad sauce shell of the soup to boil to dress lumbago luncheon cake luncheons and suppers - lungs, respiration of - macaroni, as usually served with cheese course - manufacture of , pudding, sweet soup sweet dish of macaroons mace macedoine de fruits mackerel, the baked boiled broiled fillets of garum pickled to choose weight of the voracity of the maid-of-all-work, after breakfast dinner - bedrooms, attention to daily work in before retiring to bed breakfast, preparation for cleaning hall cooking dinner early morning duties general duties routine knife-cleaning laying dinner-cloth needlework, time for waiting at table - washing maigre, soup maître d'hôtel butter sauce (hot) maize cobbett a cultivator of or indian wheat, boiled malt wine manchester pudding mangling and ironing - mango chetney, bengal recipe for making manna kroup pudding qualities of mansfield pudding marble, to clean - marjoram, species of , marlborough pudding marmalade, and vermicelli pudding of apricots orange - an easy way of making made with honey quince marrow, bones boiled dumplings pudding, boiled or baked mayonnaise measles - meat, action of salt on bad baking good in season, january to december _pp_ - modes of cooking - pies, savoury jelly for to buy economically meats, preserved medical memoranda - melon, description of the introduced into england uses of the melons meringues military puddings milk, and cream, separation of to keep in hot weather and suckling - excellence of general observations on - or cream, substitute for qualities of soup millet, italian pannicled mince pies minced collops mincemeat, to make excellent lemon mint sauce vinegar mistress, after-dinner invitations charity and benevolence, duties of choice of acquaintances cleanliness indispensable to health conversation, trifling occurrences daily duties - departure of guests - dessert - dinner announced domestics, engaging giving characters to obtaining treatment of yearly wages, table of mistress, dress and fashion of the early rising etiquette of evening parties - the ball room evenings at home family dinner at home friendships should not be hastily formed good temper, cultivation of guests at dinner-table half-hour before dinner home virtues hospitality, excellence of household duties - house-hunting, locality, aspect, ventilation, rent housekeeping account-book introductions invitations for dinner letters of introduction - marketing morning calls and visits - purchasing of wearing apparel retiring for the night mock-turtle soup - morello cherries, to preserve moths, preservatives against muffins mulberries, preserved mulberry, description of the mullagatawny soup mullet, grey red muriatic acid mushroom, the cultivated growth of the how to distinguish the ketchup localities of the nature of the powder sauce, brown very rich and good white - varieties of the mushrooms, baked broiled pickled stewed in gravy to dry preserve procure mustard how to mix indian tartar mutton, baked minced breast of, boiled (excellent way to cook a) broiled, and tomato sauce broth, quickly made to make carving - china chilo mutton, chops, broiled collops curried cutlets, of cold italian with mashed potatoes dormers fillet of, braised haricot - hashed haunch of, roast to carve a hodge-podge irish stew - kidney, broiled fried leg of, boiled boned and stuffed braised roast to carve a loin of, to carve a roast rolled neck of, boiled ragoût of roast pie - pudding qualities of various saddle of, roast to carve a shoulder of, roast to carve a soup, good nasturtium, uses of the nasturtiums, pickled nature and art in nursing - navet, description of the nectar, welsh nectarines, preserved needlework negus, to make nesselrode pudding nitric acid normandy pippins, stewed notice to quit noxious trades noyeau cream homemade nurse, attention to children's dispositions carrying an infant convulsion fits croup dentition general duties of the - habits of cleanliness in children hooping-cough measles and scarlatina - miss nightingale's remarks on children - worms nursemaids, upper and under nurse, monthly, age of nurse, monthly, attention to cleanliness in the patient's room choice of a doctor's instructions must be observed general duties of the infant must not be exposed to light or cold too early nurse, sick, airing the bed attention to food bad smells must be removed cleanliness, necessity of diet suitable to the patient's taste duties of the necessity for pure air in the sick-room night air injurious, a fallacy opening of windows and doors - patient must not be waked quiet in the patient's room ventilation necessary in febrile cases nurse, wet, abstinence from improper food age of the diet of the general remarks on the - health and morality of the spirits, wines, and narcotics to be avoided nutmeg, the nuts, dish of hazel and filbert olive and olive oil omelet, au thon aux confitures, or jam omelet bachelor's ham kidney plain, sweet soufflé the cure's p. to make a plain onion before the christian era history of the origin of the properties of the sauce, brown or soubise, french white soup - onions, burnt, for gravies pickled - spanish, baked pickled stewed open jam tart opium and its preparations orange, and cloves brandy cream - fritters gravy in portugal, the jelly orange, jelly, moulded with slices of orange marmalade - an easy way of making made with honey pudding, baked salad seville tree, the first in france uses of the wine oranges, a pretty dish of compote of iced to preserve ox, the cheek, soup stewed feet, or cowheel, fried tail, broiled soup tails, stewed oxalic acid oyster, and scallop excellence of the english fishery forcemeat ketchup patties sauce season soup - the edible oysters, fried in batter pickled scalloped stewed to keep paint, to remove from silk cloth pan kail panada pancakes, french richer to make parsley, and butter fried how used by the ancients , juice (for colouring various dishes) to preserve through the winter parsnip, description of the , soup parsnips, to boil partridge, the , broiled hashed, or salmi de perdrix pie potted roast soup to carve a paste, almond common, for family pies french puff, or feuilletage paste, medium puff soyer's recipe for puff very good puff pastry, and puddings, general observations on - ramakins to serve with cheese course sandwiches to ice or glaze - patties, chicken or fowl fried lobster oyster pavini cake pea, origin of the soup green winter, yellow sweet and heath or wood varieties of the , peas, green à la française stewed peach, and nectarine description of the fritters peaches, compote of preserved in brandy pear bon chrétien pears, à l'allemande baked moulded preserved stewed pepper, black long plant, growth of the white perch, the boiled fried stewed with wine pestle and mortar petites bouches pheasant, the broiled cutlets height of excellence in the roast brillat savarin's recipe for soup to carve a pickle, an excellent beetroot, to capsicums, to cucumbers, to for tongues or beef gherkins, to indian (very superior) lemons, to with the peel on mixed mushrooms, to nasturtiums, to onions, to - spanish, to oysters, to red cabbage, to universal walnuts, to pickles of the greeks and romans keeping pie, apple, or tart beef-steak chicken or fowl eel fish and oyster giblet grouse lark mince mutton - partridge pigeon pork, raised little poultry or game, raised rabbit sole or cod tench and eel veal and ham raised olive pig, guinea how roast pig was discovered to silence a novel way of recovering a stolen sucking, to carve a roast to scald the learned pig's cheeks, to dry face, collared fry, to dress liver pettitocs pigs, austrian mode of herding english mode of hunting and indian sticking how pastured and fed formerly pigeon, the barb breeding carrier fantail house or dovecot, aspect of jacobin necessity of cleanliness in the nun owl pie pouter rock runt to carve a trumpeter tumbler turbit wood or wild pigeons, broiled roast stewed pike, the baked boiled pineapple , chips fritters in heathendom preserved for present use pippins, stewed, normandy plaice, the fried stewed plate-cleaning - plover, description of the to carve a dress a plovers' eggs plum, an excellent pudding cake, common nice jam pudding, baked pudding sauce tart plums french, box of stewed cultivation of origin of the names of preserved to preserve dry poisonous food mushrooms poisons calomel copper emetic tartar lead, and its preparations opium and its preparations symptoms of having inhaled strong fumes of smelling salts swallowed alkalis arsenic corrosive sublimate muriatic acid nitric acid oxalic acid prussic acid sulphuric acid syrup of poppies and godfrey's cordial treatment after taking henbane hemlock, nightshade, or foxglove polish tartlets pomatum, an excellent pork, carving cheese cutlets cutlets or chops - griskin of, roast hashed leg of, boiled roast to carve a loin of, roast pickled, to boil pies little, raised sausages, to make to pickle portable soup potato, the analysis of as an article of food bread fritters patty properties of the pudding qualities of the rissoles salad snow soup - - starch sugar uses of the varieties of the potatoes, à la maître d'hôtel baked fried, french fashion german way of cooking how to use cold mashed preserving purée de pommes de terre to boil in their jackets new to steam potted beef - chicken or fowl ham hare partridge shrimps veal poulet, à la marengo aux cressons poultry, in season, january to december _pp_. - pound cake pounded cheese prawn, the soup prawns or shrimps, buttered to boil to dress prescriptions, general remarks on blister, an ordinary clyster draught common black drugs, list of, necessary to carry out all instructions liniment lotion goulard opodeldoc mixtures, aperient fever pills compound iron myrrh and aloes poultice abernethy's plan for making a bread-and-water linseed meal mustard powders preserved, and dried greengages cherries in syrup damsons or any other kind of plums ginger greengages in syrup morello cherries mulberries nectarines oranges peaches in brandy pineapple plums pumpkin strawberries in wine whole preserves, general observations on , primitive ages, simplicity of the - prince of wales soup property law - prussic acid ptarmigan, or white grouse to carve a to dress a pudding, alma almond, baked small apple, baked, very good economical rich boiled iced rich sweet apricot, baked arrowroot, baked or boiled asparagus aunt nelly's bachelor's bakewell - baroness batter, baked with dried or fresh fruit boiled beefsteak and kidney baked bread, baked boiled brown bread, miniature very plain bread-and-butter, baked cabinet, or chancellor's plain, or boiled bread-and-butter canary carrot, baked or boiled christmas, for children, plain plum cold college currant, black or red boiled custard, baked boiled damson delhi empress exeter fig staffordshire recipe folkestone pudding pies german or dampfnudeln ginger golden gooseberry, baked boiled half-pay herodotus hunter's iced lemon, baked - boiled plain macaroni, sweet manchester manna kroup mansfield marlborough marmalade and vermicelli marrow, boiled or baked military monday's mutton nesselrode orange, baked batter paradise pease plum, an excellent baked fresh fruit potato pound, plum an unrivalled quickly made raisin, baked boiled rhubarb, boiled rice, baked more economical boiled with dried and fresh fruit - french, or gâteau de riz ground, boiled or baked iced miniature plain, boiled roly-poly jam royal coburg sago semolina, baked somersetshire suet, to serve with roast meat tapioca treacle, rolled toad-in-the-hole of cold meat vermicelli vicarage west indian yorkshire puddings and pastry, directions for making , general observations on - puits d'amour, or puff-paste rings pumpkin, preserved punch to make hot purchasing a house - quadrupeds, general observations on , quail, description of the to carve a to dress a queen-cakes quenelles à tortue veal quince, the jelly marmalade quin's sauce rabbit, à la minute angora boiled common wild curried fecundity of the fried habitat of the hare himalaya house hutch pie ragoût of, or hare roast or baked soup stewed in milk larded to carve a varieties of the rabbits, fancy radish, varieties of the raised pie, of poultry or game pork - veal and ham raisin, the raisins, cheese grape pudding, baked boiled ramakins, pastry to serve with cheese course raspberry, and currant salad tart cream jam jelly vinegar raspberries, red and white ratafias ravigotte, a french salad sauce reading sauce rearing by hand - rearing, management, and diseases of infancy and childhood - receipts regency soup rémoulade, or french salad dressing rent, recovery of - rhubarb, and orange jam description of jam pudding, boiled tart wine ribbons, or silk, to clean rice, and apples biscuits or cakes blancmange boiled for curries bread buttered cake casserole of, savoury sweet croquettes esteemed by the ancients fritters ground boiled iced indian, origin of milk paddy pudding, baked more economical boiled plain with dried or fresh fruit french, or gâteau de riz miniature qualities of snowballs soufflé soup - to boil for curries varieties of ringworm, cure for alterative powders for rinsing rissoles, beef roach, the roasting, age of memoranda in rock biscuits rolls, excellent fluted hot meat, or sausage roux, brown, for thickening sauces white, rusks, italian to make sage and onion stuffing sago, alimentary properties of how procured pudding sauce for sweet puddings soup salad, a poetic recipe for boiled chicken dressing - french grouse lobster orange potato scarcity of, in england summer winter salads salmi de perdrix, or hashed partridge salmon, à la genevese and caper sauce aversion of the boiled collared crimped curried cutlets growth of the habitat of the migratory habits of the pickled potted to carve _p._ choose cure tribe salsify, description of to dress salt, action of on meat common fish meat, soyer's recipe for preserving the gravy in sandwiches, of cheese pastry toast victoria sauce, à l'aurore a la matelote allemande, or german sauce anchovy, for fish sauce, apple, brown for geese or pork aristocratique arrowroot, for puddings asparagus béchamel, or french white sauce maigre benton beurre noir, or browned butter, a french sauce bread - browning for butter, melted - made with milk maitre d'hôtel thickened camp vinegar caper, for boiled mutton for fish a substitute for celery, for boiled turkey, poultry, &c. a more simple recipe cherry, for sweet puddings chestnut, brown for turkey or fowls chili vinegar christopher north's, for game or meat consommé, or white stock for crab, for fish cream, for fish or white dishes cucumber white custard, for sweet puddings or tart dutch, for fish green, or hollandaise verte egg, for salt fish epicurean espagnole, or brown spanish fennel, for mackerel fish for boiled puddings steaks wildfowl genevese, for salmon, trout, &c. gooseberry, for boiled mackerel green, for green geese or ducklings horseradish hot spice indian chetney italian, brown white leamington lemon, for boiled fowls for fowls and fricassees, white for sweet puddings liaison of eggs for thickening liver and lemon, for poultry parsley lobster maigre maître d'hôtel (hot) maître d'hôtel (hot) mango chetney (bengal recipe) mayonnaise melted butter - mint mushroom, a very rich and good brown ketchup white - onion, brown french, or soubise white oyster parsley and butter piquante plum-pudding quin's (an excellent fish-sauce) ravigotte reading robert sago, for sweet puddings shrimp soyer's, for plum-puddings store, or cherokee sweet, for puddings venison thickening for - tomato - tournée vanilla custard wine, excellent for puddings for puddings or brandy white - sauces and gravies, in the middle ages manufacture of pickles, gravies, and forcemeats, remarks on , saucer-cakes, for tea sausage, meat cakes meat stuffing or meat rolls sausages, beef pork, fried to make veal savory savoury jelly for meat pies savoy, the biscuits or cakes cake scarlatina, or scarlet fever - scotch, collops white eggs rarebit, or toasted cheese shortbread woodcock scrap cakes scratches sea-bream, the baked mr. yarrell's recipe kale, description of to boil seed, biscuits cake, common very good semolina, pudding, baked qualities of soup uses of shad, the to dress shalot, or eschalot sheep, the general observations on the , poets on the sheep's brains, en matelote feet, or trotters head, to dress singed shepherd, the ettrick the good shepherds and their flocks sherry pale shortbread, scotch shrimp, the sauce shrimps, or prawns, buttered to boil potted sick-rooms, caution in visiting sirloin, origin of the word skate, the boiled crimped small, fried species of to choose with caper sauce (à la française) smelt, the odour of the smelts, to bake to fry snipe, description of the snipes, to carve to dress snow cake - eggs, or oeufs à la neige snowballs, apple rice soda, biscuits bread cake carbonate of sole, the flavour of the or cod pie soles, a favourite dish of the ancient greeks baked boiled or fried, to carve _p._ filleted, à l'italienne fricasseed fried filleted how caught to choose with cream sauce mushrooms sorrel qualities of soufflé, apple chocolate omelette rice to make a soufflés, general observations on soup, à la cantatrice crecy flamande - julienne reine - solferino almond apple artichoke, jerusalem asparagus - baked barley bread brilla broth and bouillon, general remarks on - cabbage calf's head carrot - celery chantilly chemistry and economy of making , chestnut, spanish cock-a leekie cocoa-nut crayfish cucumber eel egg family, a good fish, stock general directions for making giblet gravy hare hessian hodge-podge in season, january to december _pp._ , kale brose leek lobster macaroni maigre making, the chemistry of - milk mock-turtle - mutton, good ox-cheek ox-tail oyster - pan kail parsnip partridge pea, green inexpensive winter, yellow pheasant portable potage printanier potato - prawn prince of wales rabbit regency rice - sago seasonings for semolina spanish chestnut spinach spring stew - of salt meat tapioca turkey turnip turtle useful for benevolent purposes vegetable - marrow vermicelli - white sow, berkshire chinese cumberland essex price of, in africa yorkshire soy soyer's recipe for goose stuffing spanish onions pickled spiced beef spinach, description of dressed with cream, à la française french mode of dressing green, for colouring dishes soup to boil, english mode varieties of , sponge cake small, to make lemon sprains sprat, the sprats dried fried in batter sprouts boiled, brussels to boil young greens, or stables and coach-house heat of stains of syrup, or preserved fruits, to remove stalls stammering cure for stamp duties starch, to make - starching stew soup - stilton cheese stock, browning for stock, cow-heel economical for gravies, general for jelly medium rich strong to clarify white stomach, digestion - stone cream store sauce, or cherokee strawberry, jam jelly name of, among the greeks origin of the name strawberries, and cream dish of to preserve whole in wine stuffing, for geese, ducks, pork, &c sausage meat for turkey soyer's recipe for sturgeon, the baked estimate of, by the ancients roast stye in the eye substitute for milk and cream sucking-pig, to carve to roast scald suffocation, apparent carbonic acid gas, choke-damp of mines sugar, and beetroot cane french icing for cakes introduction of potato qualities of to boil to caramel sulphuric acid sultana grape suppers - sweetbreads, baked fried stewed sweet dishes, general observations on - swine, flesh of, in hot climates swineherds of antiquity saxon swiss cream syllabub, to make whipped syrup, for compotes, to make lemon of poppies to clarify tails, strange tapioca pudding soup wholesomeness of , tart, apple creamed apricot barberry, cherry damson gooseberry plum raspberry and currant rhubarb strawberry, or any other kind of preserve, open tartlets polish tarragon taxes tea and coffee miss nightingale's opinion on the use of to make teacakes to toast teal, to carve to roast a teething - tenancy, by sufferance general remarks on tench, the and eel-pie matelote of singular quality in the stewed with wine terms used in cookery, french thrush and its treatment - thyme tipsy-cake an easy way of making toad-in-the-hole of cold meat toast, and water, to make sandwiches tea-cakes, to to make dry hot buttered toffee, everton, to make tomato, analysis of the extended cultivation of the immense importance in cookery sauce for keeping - stewed - uses of the , , tomatoes, baked, excellent tongue, boiled pickle for to cure - to pickle and dress to eat cold tongues of animals toothache, cure for the - tourte apple or cake treacle, or molasses, description of pudding, rolled trifle, apple gooseberry indian to make a tripe, to dress trout, the stewed truffle, the common impossibility of regular culture of the uses of the truffles, à l' italienne au naturel italian mode of dressing to dress with champagne where found turbot, the À la crême ancient romans' estimate of the au gratin boiled fillet of, baked a l'italienne garnish for, or other large fish to carve a _p_. to choose turkey, boiled croquettes of difficult to rear the disposition of the english feathers of the fricasseed habits of the hashed hunting native of america or fowl, to bone without opening - poults, roast roast stuffing for soup to carve a roast wild turnip greens boiled or the french navet qualities of the soup uses of the whence introduced turnips, boiled german mode of cooking in white sauce mashed turnovers, fruit turtle, mock - soup, cost of the green valet, cleaning clothes duties of the - , polish for boots - vanilla cream custard sauce vanille or vanilla veal, a la bourgeoise and ham pie baked breast of, roast stewed and peas to carve cake collops scotch veal, collops, scotch, white colour of curried cutlets à la maintenon broiled dinner, a very fillet of, au béchamel roast stewed to carve a frenchman's opinion of fricandeau of - knuckle of, ragoût stewed to carve a loin of au daube au béchamel roast to carve manner of cutting up minced - and macaroni neck of, braised roast olive pie patties, fried pie potted quenelles ragoût of, cold rissoles rolls sausages season and choice of shoulder of stewed tendons de veau - tète de veau en tortue vegetable, a variety of the goard fried marrow, a tropical plant boiled in white sauce soup , - vegetables, acetarious and herbs, various cut for soups general observations on , reduced to purée in season, january to december _pp_. - venison antiquity of, as food hashed haunch of, roast sauce for stewed the new to carve ventilation, necessity of, in rooms lighted with gas of stables vermicelli , pudding soup - vicarage pudding victoria sandwiches vinegar, camp. cayenne celery chili cucumber gooseberry horseradish mint raspberry use of, by the romans vol-au-vent, an entrée of fresh strawberries with whipped cream sweet, with fresh fruit wafers, geneva walnut, the ketchup - walnuts, pickled properties of the to have fresh throughout the season warts washing - coloured muslins, &c. flannels greasy cloths satin and silk ribbons silks water, rate souchy - supply of in rome warm what the ancients thought of wax, to remove welsh, nectar rarebit, or toasted cheese west-indian pudding wheat, diseases of egyptian or mummy polish and pomeranian red varieties of wheatear, the wheatears, to dress whipped, cream syllabubs whisky cordial whitebait to dress whiting, the au gratin, or baked aux fines herbes buckhorn boiled broiled fried pout and pollack to carve a _p_. choose whitlow, to cure a widgeon, to carve a roast will, attestation of a advice in making a witnesses to a , wills - form of - wine, cowslip elder ginger gooseberry, effervescing lemon malt orange rhubarb to mull wire-basket witnesses - woodcock, description of the scotch to carve a woodcock, to roast a woollen manufactures woollens worms wounds incised, or cuts , lacerated or torn , punctured or penetrating , yeast cake, nice dumplings kirkleatham to make, for bread yorkshire pudding engravings. almond and blossom puddings almonds and raisins anchovy apple, and blossom compote of jelly stuck with almonds apples, dish of arrowroot artichoke, cardoon jerusalem artichokes asparagus on toast tongs bacon, boiled for larding, and needles bain marie bantams, black feather-legged barbel barberry barley basil basin, pudding basket, wire bay, the bean, broad french haricot scarlet runner beef, aitchbone of brisket of, to carve a collared ribs of, to carve a round of, to carve a beef, side of, showing the several joints sirloin of " to carve a steak pie tongue " to carve a beetroot birds blackcock roast " to carve a blacking-brush box blancmange mould for , boar, westphalian bread, &c. loaf of, cottage tin brill, the brocoli boiled broom, carpet long hair brush, banister cornice crumb dusting furniture plate scrubbing staircase stove buns butler's tray and stand butter, dish dish of, rolled cabbage, seeding cake-moulds , , calf, side of, showing the several joints calf's-head half a to carve a calves sweetbreads of caper, the capercalzie, the capsicum, the carp, the carpet brooms carrots cauliflower, the boiled celery in glass char, the charlotte aux pommes cheese glass hot-water dish for stilton cherry chervil chestnut chocolate, box of milk christmas pudding, &c. chub, the cinnamon citron, the claret-cup clove, the coal, sections of cocoa-bean nut and blossom " palm cod, the cod's head and shoulders, to carve coffee colander, ancient modern coriander cork, with wooden top cow and bull, alderney galloway long-horn short-horn crab, the crayfish cream-mould crumpets cucumber, the , slice sliced currants zante custards, in glasses cygnet dace, the damson, the deer, the eland, bull and cow fallow, buck and doe roebuck the stag and hind dessert dishes dish, baking pie sussex pudding dripping-pan, ancient modern and basting-ladle duck, aylesbury bowbill buenos ayres call roast " to carve a rouen wild " roast " " to carve a eel, the egg poacher, tin stand for breakfast-table eggs, basket of comparative sizes of fried on bacon poached, on toast elder-berries endive ewe, heath leicester romney-marsh south-down fennel figs, compote of fish flounders flowers and fruit , , , fowl, black bantams black spanish boiled " to carve a cochin-china dorking feather-legged bantams game guinea pencilled hamburgs roast " to carve a sebright bantams spangled polands speckled hamburgs sultans fritter mould, star scroll fruit, dish of, mixed dish of, mixed summer game garlic gherkins ginger gingerbread glass measure, graduated goose, emden roast " to carve a toulouse gooseberry grape, raisin sultana gridiron, ancient modern revolving grouse, red roast " to carve a gudgeon, the gurnet, the haddock, the ham, boiled to carve hare, the common , roast " to carve a herring, the horseradish hotplate housemaid's box ice-pail and spattle ices, dish of jack-bottle jam-pot jar-potting jellies, &c jelly, bag mould , " oval moulded with cherries of two colours open with whipped cream john dory kettle, glaze fish gravy kidneys knife-cleaning machine lamb, fore-quarter of " " to carve a leg of loin of ribs of saddle of side of lamprey, the landrail, the leaf in puff paste pastry leeks lemon, the , cream mould dumplings lentil, the lettuce, the lobster, the macaroni macaroons mace mackerel, the maize, ear of plant marjoram marrow-bones milking cow millet, italian panicled mince pies mint mould, baked pudding or cake blancmange , boiled pudding - cake , , cream for christmas plum-pudding for an open tart iced pudding jelly , " oval lemon cream open , raised pie, closed and open raspberry cream vanilla cream muffins mulberry, the mullet, grey striped red mushroom, the mushrooms broiled mustard mutton, cutlets haunch of " to carve a leg of " to carve a loin of " to carve a neck of saddle of " to carve a side of, showing the several joints shoulder of " to carve a nasturtiums nutmeg, the nuts, dish of olive, the omelet pan onion, the orange, the oranges, compote of oyster, edible pail, house pancakes parsley parsnip, the partridge, the roast " to carve a baste, board and rolling-pin cutter and corner-cutter ornamental cutter pincers and jagger patty-pans, plain and fluted pea, the peach, the pear, bon chrétien pears, stewed peas, green pepper, black long perch, the pestle and mortar pheasant, the roast " to carve a pickle, indian pie, raised pig, guinea roast, sucking " " to carve a pig's face pigs pigeon, barb blue rock carrier fantail jacobin nun owl pouter roast runt to carve a trumpeter tumbler turbit wood pike, the pimento plaice, the plover, the plum, the pork, fore loin of griskin of hind loin of leg of, to carve a " roast side of, showing joints spare rib of pot, boiling potato, the pasty pan rissoles sweet potatoes, baked, served in napkin pound cake prawn, the ptarmigan, or white grouse pudding, boiled fruit cabinet punch-bowl and ladle quadrupeds quail, the quern, or grinding-mill quince, the rabbit, angora boiled " to carve a hare, the himalaya lop-eared roast " to carve a wild radish, long turnip raisin, grape ram, heath leicester romney-marsh and ewe south-down and ewe range, modern raspberry, the cream mould ratafias rhubarb rice, casserole of ears of roach, the rolls rusks sage sago palm salad, in bowl salmon, the to carve a _p._ salt-mine at northwich saucepan, ancient modern sauce tureen, boat, &c. sausages, fried sauté-pan ancient modern scales, ancient and modern screen, meat sea-bream, the sea-kale boiled shad, the shalot, the sheep heath ram " ewe romney-marsh ram and ewe south-down ram and ewe shortbread shrimp, the skate, thornback snipe, the roast " to carve a sole, the sorrel soufflé pan sow, and pigs berkshire chinese cumberland essex yorkshire spinach garnished with croûtons sponge cake sprat, the sprouts, brussels stewpan stock-pot, ancient bronze modern stove, gas family kitchener leamington , pompeiian strawberries, dish of sturgeon, the sugar-cane, the sultana grape, the swans tarragon tart, open open mould for a plum tartlets, dish of tazza and carrot leaves tea teacakes tench, the thyme, lemon tipsy cake tomato, the tomatoes, stewed trifle trout, the truffles turbot, the kettle to carve a tureen, soup turkey, boiled roast " to carve a turnip turnips turret on old abbey kitchen turtle, the urns, loysell's hydrostatic utensils for cooking, ancient and modern - vanilla cream mould veal, breast of " to carve a cutlets fillet of " to carve a knuckle of " to carve a loin of " to carve a vegetable, cutter strips of vegetable marrow in white sauce on toast vegetables cellular development of siliceous cuticles of venison, haunch of " roast " to carve a vermicelli vessels for beverages vol-au-vent small walnut, the wheat egyptian, or mummy polish red winter whitebait whiting, the window and flowers wirebasket woodcock, the roast scotch to carve a yorkshire pudding coloured plates. apples in custard beef, round of, boiled roast sirloin of calf's head, boiled charlotte aux pommes cod's head and shoulders crab, dressed duck, wild ducks, couple of, roast eggs, poached, and spinach fowl, boiled with cauliflower roast, with watercresses fruits, centre dish of various goose, roast grouse ham, cold glazed hare, roast jelly, two colours of lobsters, dressed mackerel, boiled mutton cutlets and mashed potatoes haunch of roast saddle of roast mutton, shoulder of roast oysters, scalloped partridge pheasant pie, raised pig, sucking, roast or baked pigeon plum-pudding, christmas, in mould rabbit, boiled or fowl, curried raspberry cream rissoles salmon, boiled snipe soles, dish of filleted spinach and poached eggs strawberries, au naturel, in ornamental flower-pot tongue, cold boiled trifle turbot, or brill, boiled turkey, roast veal, fricandeau of vol-au-vent whiting, dish of, fried woodcock the book of household management. chapter i. the mistress. "strength, and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. she openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. she looketh well to the ways of her household; and eateth not the bread of idleness. her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her."--_proverbs_, xxxi. - . i. as with the commander of an army, or the leader of any enterprise, so is it with the mistress of a house. her spirit will be seen through the whole establishment; and just in proportion as she performs her duties intelligently and thoroughly, so will her domestics follow in her path. of all those acquirements, which more particularly belong to the feminine character, there are none which take a higher rank, in our estimation, than such as enter into a knowledge of household duties; for on these are perpetually dependent the happiness, comfort, and well-being of a family. in this opinion we are borne out by the author of "the vicar of wakefield," who says: "the modest virgin, the prudent wife, and the careful matron, are much more serviceable in life than petticoated philosophers, blustering heroines, or virago queens. she who makes her husband and her children happy, who reclaims the one from vice and trains up the other to virtue, is a much greater character than ladies described in romances, whose whole occupation is to murder mankind with shafts from their quiver, or their eyes." . pursuing this picture, we may add, that to be a good housewife does not necessarily imply an abandonment of proper pleasures or amusing recreation; and we think it the more necessary to express this, as the performance of the duties of a mistress may, to some minds, perhaps seem to be incompatible with the enjoyment of life. let us, however, now proceed to describe some of those home qualities and virtues which are necessary to the proper management of a household, and then point out the plan which may be the most profitably pursued for the daily regulation of its affairs. . early rising is one of the most essential qualities which enter into good household management, as it is not only the parent of health, but of innumerable other advantages. indeed, when a mistress is an early riser, it is almost certain that her house will be orderly and well-managed. on the contrary, if she remain in bed till a late hour, then the domestics, who, as we have before observed, invariably partake somewhat of their mistress's character, will surely become sluggards. to self-indulgence all are more or less disposed, and it is not to be expected that servants are freer from this fault than the heads of houses. the great lord chatham thus gave his advice in reference to this subject:--"i would have inscribed on the curtains of your bed, and the walls of your chamber, 'if you do not rise early, you can make progress in nothing.'" . cleanliness is also indispensable to health, and must be studied both in regard to the person and the house, and all that it contains. cold or tepid baths should be employed every morning, unless, on account of illness or other circumstances, they should be deemed objectionable. the bathing of _children_ will be treated of under the head of "management of children." . frugality and economy are home virtues, without which no household can prosper. dr. johnson says: "frugality may be termed the daughter of prudence, the sister of temperance, and the parent of liberty. he that is extravagant will quickly become poor, and poverty will enforce dependence and invite corruption." the necessity of practising economy should be evident to every one, whether in the possession of an income no more than sufficient for a family's requirements, or of a large fortune, which puts financial adversity out of the question. we must always remember that it is a great merit in housekeeping to manage a little well. "he is a good waggoner," says bishop hall, "that can turn in a little room. to live well in abundance is the praise of the estate, not of the person. i will study more how to give a good account of my little, than how to make it more." in this there is true wisdom, and it may be added, that those who can manage a little well, are most likely to succeed in their management of larger matters. economy and frugality must never, however, be allowed to degenerate into parsimony and meanness. . the choice of acquaintances is very important to the happiness of a mistress and her family. a gossiping acquaintance, who indulges in the scandal and ridicule of her neighbours, should be avoided as a pestilence. it is likewise all-necessary to beware, as thomson sings, "the whisper'd tale, that, like the fabling nile, no fountain knows;-- fair-laced deceit, whose wily, conscious aye ne'er looks direct; the tongue that licks the dust but, when it safely dares, as prompt to sting." if the duties of a family do not sufficiently occupy the time of a mistress, society should be formed of such a kind as will tend to the mutual interchange of general and interesting information. . friendships should not be hastily formed, nor the heart given, at once, to every new-comer. there are ladies who uniformly smile at, and approve everything and everybody, and who possess neither the courage to reprehend vice, nor the generous warmth to defend virtue. the friendship of such persons is without attachment, and their love without affection or even preference. they imagine that every one who has any penetration is ill-natured, and look coldly on a discriminating judgment. it should be remembered, however, that this discernment does not always proceed from an uncharitable temper, but that those who possess a long experience and thorough knowledge of the world, scrutinize the conduct and dispositions of people before they trust themselves to the first fair appearances. addison, who was not deficient in a knowledge of mankind, observes that "a friendship, which makes the least noise, is very often the most useful; for which reason, i should prefer a prudent friend to a zealous one." and joanna baillie tells us that "friendship is no plant of hasty growth, though planted in esteem's deep-fixed soil, the gradual culture of kind intercourse must bring it to perfection." . hospitality is a most excellent virtue; but care must be taken that the love of company, for its own sake, does not become a prevailing passion; for then the habit is no longer hospitality, but dissipation. reality and truthfulness in this, as in all other duties of life, are the points to be studied; for, as washington irving well says, "there is an emanation from the heart in genuine hospitality, which cannot be described, but is immediately felt, and puts the stranger at once at his ease." with respect to the continuance of friendships, however, it may be found necessary, in some cases, for a mistress to relinquish, on assuming the responsibility of a household, many of those commenced in the earlier part of her life. this will be the more requisite, if the number still retained be quite equal to her means and opportunities. . in conversation, trifling occurrences, such as small disappointments, petty annoyances, and other every-day incidents, should never be mentioned to your friends. the extreme injudiciousness of repeating these will be at once apparent, when we reflect on the unsatisfactory discussions which they too frequently occasion, and on the load of advice which they are the cause of being tendered, and which is, too often, of a kind neither to be useful nor agreeable. greater events, whether of joy or sorrow, should be communicated to friends; and, on such occasions, their sympathy gratifies and comforts. if the mistress be a wife, never let an account of her husband's failings pass her lips; and in cultivating the power of conversation, she should keep the versified advice of cowper continually in her memory, that it "should flow like water after summer showers, not as if raised by mere mechanic powers." in reference to its style, dr. johnson, who was himself greatly distinguished for his colloquial abilities, says that "no style is more extensively acceptable than the narrative, because this does not carry an air of superiority over the rest of the company; and, therefore, is most likely to please them. for this purpose we should store our memory with short anecdotes and entertaining pieces of history. almost every one listens with eagerness to extemporary history. vanity often co-operates with curiosity; for he that is a hearer in one place wishes to qualify himself to be a principal speaker in some inferior company; and therefore more attention is given to narrations than anything else in conversation. it is true, indeed, that sallies of wit and quick replies are very pleasing in conversation; but they frequently tend to raise envy in some of the company: but the narrative way neither raises this, nor any other evil passion, but keeps all the company nearly upon an equality, and, if judiciously managed, will at once entertain and improve them all." . good temper should be cultivated by every mistress, as upon it the welfare of the household may be said to turn; indeed, its influence can hardly be over-estimated, as it has the effect of moulding the characters of those around her, and of acting most beneficially on the happiness of the domestic circle. every head of a household should strive to be cheerful, and should never fail to show a deep interest in all that appertains to the well-being of those who claim the protection of her roof. gentleness, not partial and temporary, but universal and regular, should pervade her conduct; for where such a spirit is habitually manifested, it not only delights her children, but makes her domestics attentive and respectful; her visitors are also pleased by it, and their happiness is increased. . on the important subject of dress and fashion we cannot do better than quote an opinion from the eighth volume of the "englishwoman's domestic magazine." the writer there says, "let people write, talk, lecture, satirize, as they may, it cannot be denied that, whatever is the prevailing mode in attire, let it intrinsically be ever so absurd, it will never _look_ as ridiculous as another, or as any other, which, however convenient, comfortable, or even becoming, is totally opposite in style to that generally worn." . in purchasing articles of wearing apparel, whether it be a silk dress, a bonnet, shawl, or riband, it is well for the buyer to consider three things: i. that it be not too expensive for her purse. ii. that its colour harmonize with her complexion, and its size and pattern with her figure. iii. that its tint allow of its being worn with the other garments she possesses. the quaint fuller observes, that the good wife is none of our dainty dames, who love to appear in a variety of suits every day new, as if a gown, like a stratagem in war, were to be used but once. but our good wife sets up a sail according to the keel of her husband's estate; and, if of high parentage, she doth not so remember what she was by birth, that she forgets what she is by match. to _brunettes_, or those ladies having dark complexions, silks of a grave hue are adapted. for _blondes_, or those having fair complexions, lighter colours are preferable, as the richer, deeper hues are too overpowering for the latter. the colours which go best together are green with violet; gold-colour with dark crimson or lilac; pale blue with scarlet; pink with black or white; and gray with scarlet or pink. a cold colour generally requires a warm tint to give life to it. gray and pale blue, for instance, do not combine well, both being cold colours. . the dress of the mistress should always be adapted to her circumstances, and be varied with different occasions. thus, at breakfast she should be attired in a very neat and simple manner, wearing no ornaments. if this dress should decidedly pertain only to the breakfast-hour, and be specially suited for such domestic occupations as usually follow that meal, then it would be well to exchange it before the time for receiving visitors, if the mistress be in the habit of doing so. it is still to be remembered, however, that, in changing the dress, jewellery and ornaments are not to be worn until the full dress for dinner is assumed. further information and hints on the subject of the toilet will appear under the department of the "lady's-maid." the advice of polonius to his son laertes, in shakspeare's tragedy of "hamlet," is most excellent; and although given to one of the male sex, will equally apply to a "fayre ladye:"-- "costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, but not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy; for the apparel oft proclaims the man." . charity and benevolence are duties which a mistress owes to herself as well as to her fellow-creatures; and there is scarcely any income so small, but something may be spared from it, even if it be but "the widow's mite." it is to be always remembered, however, that it is the _spirit_ of charity which imparts to the gift a value far beyond its actual amount, and is by far its better part. true charity, a plant divinely nursed, fed by the love from which it rose at first, thrives against hope, and, in the rudest scene, storms but enliven its unfading green; exub'rant is the shadow it supplies, its fruit on earth, its growth above the skies. visiting the houses of the poor is the only practical way really to understand the actual state of each family; and although there may be difficulties in following out this plan in the metropolis and other large cities, yet in country towns and rural districts these objections do not obtain. great advantages may result from visits paid to the poor; for there being, unfortunately, much ignorance, generally, amongst them with respect to all household knowledge, there will be opportunities for advising and instructing them, in a pleasant and unobtrusive manner, in cleanliness, industry, cookery, and good management. . in marketing, that the best articles are the cheapest, may be laid down as a rule; and it is desirable, unless an experienced and confidential housekeeper be kept, that the mistress should herself purchase all provisions and stores needed for the house. if the mistress be a young wife, and not accustomed to order "things for the house," a little practice and experience will soon teach her who are the best tradespeople to deal with, and what are the best provisions to buy. under each particular head of fish, meat, poultry, game, &c., will be described the proper means of ascertaining the quality of these comestibles. . a housekeeping account-book should invariably be kept, and kept punctually and precisely. the plan for keeping household accounts, which we should recommend, would be to make an entry, that is, write down into a daily diary every amount paid on that particular day, be it ever so small; then, at the end of the month, let these various payments be ranged under their specific heads of butcher, baker, &c.; and thus will be seen the proportions paid to each tradesman, and any one month's expenses may be contrasted with another. the housekeeping accounts should be balanced not less than once a month; so that you may see that the money you have in hand tallies with your account of it in your diary. judge haliburton never wrote truer words than when he said, "no man is rich whose expenditure exceeds his means, and no one is poor whose incomings exceed his outgoings." when, in a large establishment, a housekeeper is kept, it will be advisable for the mistress to examine her accounts regularly. then any increase of expenditure which may be apparent, can easily be explained, and the housekeeper will have the satisfaction of knowing whether her efforts to manage her department well and economically, have been successful. . engaging domestics is one of those duties in which the judgment of the mistress must be keenly exercised. there are some respectable registry-offices, where good servants may sometimes be hired; but the plan rather to be recommended is, for the mistress to make inquiry amongst her circle of friends and acquaintances, and her tradespeople. the latter generally know those in their neighbourhood, who are wanting situations, and will communicate with them, when a personal interview with some of them will enable the mistress to form some idea of the characters of the applicants, and to suit herself accordingly. we would here point out an error--and a grave one it is--into which some mistresses fall. they do not, when engaging a servant, expressly tell her all the duties which she will be expected to perform. this is an act of omission severely to be reprehended. every portion of work which the maid will have to do, should be plainly stated by the mistress, and understood by the servant. if this plan is not carefully adhered to, domestic contention is almost certain to ensue, and this may not be easily settled; so that a change of servants, which is so much to be deprecated, is continually occurring. . in obtaining a servant's character, it is not well to be guided by a written one from some unknown quarter; but it is better to have an interview, if at all possible, with the former mistress. by this means you will be assisted in your decision of the suitableness of the servant for your place, from the appearance of the lady and the state of her house. negligence and want of cleanliness in her and her household generally, will naturally lead you to the conclusion, that her servant has suffered from the influence of the bad example. the proper course to pursue in order to obtain a personal interview with the lady is this:--the servant in search of the situation must be desired to see her former mistress, and ask her to be kind enough to appoint a time, convenient to herself, when you may call on her; this proper observance of courtesy being necessary to prevent any unseasonable intrusion on the part of a stranger. your first questions should be relative to the honesty and general morality of her former servant; and if no objection is stated in that respect, her other qualifications are then to be ascertained. inquiries should be very minute, so that you may avoid disappointment and trouble, by knowing the weak points of your domestic. . the treatment of servants is of the highest possible moment, as well to the mistress as to the domestics themselves. on the head of the house the latter will naturally fix their attention; and if they perceive that the mistress's conduct is regulated by high and correct principles, they will not fail to respect her. if, also, a benevolent desire is shown to promote their comfort, at the same time that a steady performance of their duty is exacted, then their respect will not be unmingled with affection, and they will be still more solicitous to continue to deserve her favour. . in giving a character, it is scarcely necessary to say that the mistress should be guided by a sense of strict justice. it is not fair for one lady to recommend to another, a servant she would not keep herself. the benefit, too, to the servant herself is of small advantage; for the failings which she possesses will increase if suffered to be indulged with impunity. it is hardly necessary to remark, on the other hand, that no angry feelings on the part of a mistress towards her late servant, should ever be allowed, in the slightest degree, to influence her, so far as to induce her to disparage her maid's character. . the following table of the average yearly wages paid to domestics, with the various members of the household placed in the order in which they are usually ranked, will serve as a guide to regulate the expenditure of an establishment:-- when not found in when found in livery. livery. the house steward from £ to £ -- the valet " to from £ to £ the butler " to -- the cook " to -- the gardener " to -- the footman " to " to the under butler " to " to the coachman -- " to the groom " to " to the under footman -- " to the page or footboy " to " to the stableboy " to -- when no extra when an extra allowance is made for allowance is made for tea, sugar, and beer. tea, sugar, and beer. the housekeeper from £ to £ from £ to £ the lady's-maid " to " to the head nurse " to " to the cook " to " to the upper housemaid " to " to the upper laundry-maid " to " to the maid-of-all-work " to " - / to the under housemaid " to " - / to the still-room maid " to " to the nursemaid " to " to the under laundry-maid " to " to the kitchen-maid " to " to the scullery-maid " to " to these quotations of wages are those usually given in or near the metropolis; but, of course, there are many circumstances connected with locality, and also having reference to the long service on the one hand, or the inexperience on the other, of domestics, which may render the wages still higher or lower than those named above. all the domestics mentioned in the above table would enter into the establishment of a wealthy nobleman. the number of servants, of course, would become smaller in proportion to the lesser size of the establishment; and we may here enumerate a scale of servants suited to various incomes, commencing with-- about £ , a year--a cook, upper housemaid, nursemaid, under housemaid, and a man servant. about £ a year--a cook, housemaid, nursemaid, and footboy. about £ a year--a cook, housemaid, and nursemaid. about £ a year--a maid-of-all-work and nursemaid. about £ or £ a year--a maid-of-all-work (and girl occasionally). . having thus indicated some of the more general duties of the mistress, relative to the moral government of her household, we will now give a few specific instructions on matters having a more practical relation to the position which she is supposed to occupy in the eye of the world. to do this the more clearly, we will begin with her earliest duties, and take her completely through the occupations of a day. . having risen early, as we have already advised (_see_ ), and having given due attention to the bath, and made a careful toilet, it will be well at once to see that the children have received their proper ablutions, and are in every way clean and comfortable. the first meal of the day, breakfast, will then be served, at which all the family should be punctually present, unless illness, or other circumstances, prevent. . after breakfast is over, it will be well for the mistress to make a round of the kitchen and other offices, to see that all are in order, and that the morning's work has been properly performed by the various domestics. the orders for the day should then be given, and any questions which the domestics desire to ask, respecting their several departments, should be answered, and any special articles they may require, handed to them from the store-closet. in those establishments where there is a housekeeper, it will not be so necessary for the mistress, personally, to perform the above-named duties. . after this general superintendence of her servants, the mistress, if a mother of a young family, may devote herself to the instruction of some of its younger members, or to the examination of the state of their wardrobe, leaving the later portion of the morning for reading, or for some amusing recreation. "recreation," says bishop hall, "is intended to the mind as whetting is to the scythe, to sharpen the edge of it, which would otherwise grow dull and blunt. he, therefore, that spends his whole time in recreation is ever whetting, never mowing; his grass may grow and his steed starve; as, contrarily, he that always toils and never recreates, is ever mowing, never whetting, labouring much to little purpose. as good no scythe as no edge. then only doth the work go forward, when the scythe is so seasonably and moderately whetted that it may cut, and so cut, that it may have the help of sharpening." unless the means of the mistress be very circumscribed, and she be obliged to devote a great deal of her time to the making of her children's clothes, and other economical pursuits, it is right that she should give some time to the pleasures of literature, the innocent delights of the garden, and to the improvement of any special abilities for music, painting, and other elegant arts, which she may, happily, possess. . these duties and pleasures being performed and enjoyed, the hour of luncheon will have arrived. this is a very necessary meal between an early breakfast and a late dinner, as a healthy person, with good exercise, should have a fresh supply of food once in four hours. it should be a light meal; but its solidity must, of course, be, in some degree, proportionate to the time it is intended to enable you to wait for your dinner, and the amount of exercise you take in the mean time. at this time, also, the servants' dinner will be served. in those establishments where an early dinner is served, that will, of course, take the place of the luncheon. in many houses, where a nursery dinner is provided for the children and about one o'clock, the mistress and the elder portion of the family make their luncheon at the same time from the same joint, or whatever may be provided. a mistress will arrange, according to circumstances, the serving of the meal; but the more usual plan is for the lady of the house to have the joint brought to her table, and afterwards carried to the nursery. . after luncheon, morning calls and visits may be made and received. these may be divided under three heads: those of ceremony, friendship, and congratulation or condolence. visits of ceremony, or courtesy, which occasionally merge into those of friendship, are to be paid under various circumstances. thus, they are uniformly required after dining at a friend's house, or after a ball, picnic, or any other party. these visits should be short, a stay of from fifteen to twenty minutes being quite sufficient. a lady paying a visit may remove her boa or neckerchief; but neither her shawl nor bonnet. when other visitors are announced, it is well to retire as soon as possible, taking care to let it appear that their arrival is not the cause. when they are quietly seated, and the bustle of their entrance is over, rise from your chair, taking a kind leave of the hostess, and bowing politely to the guests. should you call at an inconvenient time, not having ascertained the luncheon hour, or from any other inadvertence, retire as soon as possible, without, however, showing that you feel yourself an intruder. it is not difficult for any well-bred or even good-tempered person, to know what to say on such an occasion, and, on politely withdrawing, a promise can be made to call again, if the lady you have called on, appear really disappointed. . in paying visits of friendship, it will not be so necessary to be guided by etiquette as in paying visits of ceremony; and if a lady be pressed by her friend to remove her shawl and bonnet, it can be done if it will not interfere with her subsequent arrangements. it is, however, requisite to call at suitable times, and to avoid staying too long, if your friend is engaged. the courtesies of society should ever be maintained, even in the domestic circle, and amongst the nearest friends. during these visits, the manners should be easy and cheerful, and the subjects of conversation such as may be readily terminated. serious discussions or arguments are to be altogether avoided, and there is much danger and impropriety in expressing opinions of those persons and characters with whom, perhaps, there is but a slight acquaintance. (_see_ , , and .) it is not advisable, at any time, to take favourite dogs into another lady's drawing-room, for many persons have an absolute dislike to such animals; and besides this, there is always a chance of a breakage of some article occurring, through their leaping and bounding here and there, sometimes very much to the fear and annoyance of the hostess. her children, also, unless they are particularly well-trained and orderly, and she is on exceedingly friendly terms with the hostess, should not accompany a lady in making morning calls. where a lady, however, pays her visits in a carriage, the children can be taken in the vehicle, and remain in it until the visit is over. . for morning calls, it is well to be neatly attired; for a costume very different to that you generally wear, or anything approaching an evening dress, will be very much out of place. as a general rule, it may be said, both in reference to this and all other occasions, it is better to be under-dressed than over-dressed. a strict account should be kept of ceremonial visits, and notice how soon your visits have been returned. an opinion may thus be formed as to whether your frequent visits are, or are not, desirable. there are, naturally, instances when the circumstances of old age or ill health will preclude any return of a call; but when this is the case, it must not interrupt the discharge of the duty. . in paying visits of condolence, it is to be remembered that they should be paid within a week after the event which occasions them. if the acquaintance, however, is but slight, then immediately after the family has appeared at public worship. a lady should send in her card, and if her friends be able to receive her, the visitor's manner and conversation should be subdued and in harmony with the character of her visit. courtesy would dictate that a mourning card should be used, and that visitors, in paying condoling visits, should be dressed in black, either silk or plain-coloured apparel. sympathy with the affliction of the family, is thus expressed, and these attentions are, in such cases, pleasing and soothing. in all these visits, if your acquaintance or friend be not at home, a card should be left. if in a carriage, the servant will answer your inquiry and receive your card; if paying your visits on foot, give your card to the servant in the hall, but leave to go in and rest should on no account be asked. the form of words, "not at home," may be understood in different senses; but the only courteous way is to receive them as being perfectly true. you may imagine that the lady of the house is really at home, and that she would make an exception in your favour, or you may think that your acquaintance is not desired; but, in either case, not the slightest word is to escape you, which would suggest, on your part, such an impression. . in receiving morning calls, the foregoing description of the etiquette to be observed in paying them, will be of considerable service. it is to be added, however, that the occupations of drawing, music, or reading should be suspended on the entrance of morning visitors. if a lady, however, be engaged with light needlework, and none other is appropriate in the drawing-room, it may not be, under some circumstances, inconsistent with good breeding to quietly continue it during conversation, particularly if the visit be protracted, or the visitors be gentlemen. formerly the custom was to accompany all visitors quitting the house to the door, and there take leave of them; but modern society, which has thrown off a great deal of this kind of ceremony, now merely requires that the lady of the house should rise from her seat, shake hands, or courtesy, in accordance with the intimacy she has with her guests, and ring the bell to summon the servant to attend them and open the door. in making a first call, either upon a newly-married couple, or persons newly arrived in the neighbourhood, a lady should leave her husband's card together with her own, at the same time, stating that the profession or business in which he is engaged has prevented him from having the pleasure of paying the visit, with her. it is a custom with many ladies, when on the eve of an absence from their neighbourhood, to leave or send their own and husband's cards, with the letters p. p. c. in the right-hand corner. these letters are the initials of the french words, "_pour prendre congé_," meaning, "to take leave." . the morning calls being paid or received, and their etiquette properly attended to, the next great event of the day in most establishments is "the dinner;" and we only propose here to make a few general remarks on this important topic, as, in future pages, the whole "art of dining" will be thoroughly considered, with reference to its economy, comfort, and enjoyment. . in giving or accepting an invitation for dinner, the following is the form of words generally made use of. they, however, can be varied in proportion to the intimacy or position of the hosts and guests:-- mr. and mrs. a---- present their compliments to mr. and mrs. b----, and request the honour, [or hope to have the pleasure] of their company to dinner on wednesday, the th of december next. a---- street, _november th, . r. s. v. p._ the letters in the corner imply "_répondez, s'il vous plaît;_" meaning, "an answer will oblige." the reply, accepting the invitation, is couched in the following terms:-- mr. and mrs. b---- present their compliments to mr. and mrs. a---, and will do themselves the honour of, [or will have much pleasure in] accepting their kind invitation to dinner on the th of december next. b---- square, _november th, ._ cards, or invitations for a dinner-party, should be issued a fortnight or three weeks (sometimes even a month) beforehand, and care should be taken by the hostess, in the selection of the invited guests, that they should be suited to each other. much also of the pleasure of a dinner-party will depend on the arrangement of the guests at table, so as to form a due admixture of talkers and listeners, the grave and the gay. if an invitation to dinner is accepted, the guests should be punctual, and the mistress ready in her drawing-room to receive them. at some periods it has been considered fashionable to come late to dinner, but lately _nous avons changé tout cela_. . the half-hour before dinner has always been considered as the great ordeal through which the mistress, in giving a dinner-party, will either pass with flying colours, or, lose many of her laurels. the anxiety to receive her guests,--her hope that all will be present in due time,--her trust in the skill of her cook, and the attention of the other domestics, all tend to make these few minutes a trying time. the mistress, however, must display no kind of agitation, but show her tact in suggesting light and cheerful subjects of conversation, which will be much aided by the introduction of any particular new book, curiosity of art, or article of vertu, which may pleasantly engage the attention of the company. "waiting for dinner," however, is a trying time, and there are few who have not felt-- "how sad it is to sit and pine, the long _half-hour_ before we dine! upon our watches oft to look, then wonder at the clock and cook, * * * * * "and strive to laugh in spite of fate! but laughter forced soon quits the room, and leaves it in its former gloom. but lo! the dinner now appears, the object of our hopes and fears, the end of all our pain!" in giving an entertainment of this kind, the mistress should remember that it is her duty to make her guests feel happy, comfortable, and quite at their ease; and the guests should also consider that they have come to the house of their hostess to be happy. thus an opportunity is given to all for innocent enjoyment and intellectual improvement, when also acquaintances may be formed that may prove invaluable through life, and information gained that will enlarge the mind. many celebrated men and women have been great talkers; and, amongst others, the genial sir walter scott, who spoke freely to every one, and a favourite remark of whom it was, that he never did so without learning something he didn't know before. . dinner being announced, the host offers his arm to, and places on his right hand at the dinner-table, the lady to whom he desires to pay most respect, either on account of her age, position, or from her being the greatest stranger in the party. if this lady be married and her husband present, the latter takes the hostess to her place at table, and seats himself at her right hand. the rest of the company follow in couples, as specified by the master and mistress of the house, arranging the party according to their rank and other circumstances which may be known to the host and hostess. it will be found of great assistance to the placing of a party at the dinner-table, to have the names of the guests neatly (and correctly) written on small cards, and placed at that part of the table where it is desired they should sit. with respect to the number of guests, it has often been said, that a private dinner-party should consist of not less than the number of the graces, or more than that of the muses. a party of ten or twelve is, perhaps, in a general way, sufficient to enjoy themselves and be enjoyed. white kid gloves are worn by ladies at dinner-parties, but should be taken off before the business of dining commences. . the guests being seated at the dinner-table, the lady begins to help the soup, which is handed round, commencing with the gentleman on her right and on her left, and continuing in the same order till all are served. it is generally established as a rule, not to ask for soup or fish twice, as, in so doing, part of the company may be kept waiting too long for the second course, when, perhaps, a little revenge is taken by looking at the awkward consumer of a second portion. this rule, however, may, under various circumstances, not be considered as binding. it is not usual, where taking wine is _en règle_, for a gentleman to ask a lady to take wine until the fish or soup is finished, and then the gentleman honoured by sitting on the right of the hostess, may politely inquire if she will do him the honour of taking wine with him. this will act as a signal to the rest of the company, the gentleman of the house most probably requesting the same pleasure of the ladies at his right and left. at many tables, however, the custom or fashion of drinking wine in this manner, is abolished, and the servant fills the glasses of the guests with the various wines suited to the course which is in progress. . when dinner is finished, the dessert is placed on the table, accompanied with finger-glasses. it is the custom of some gentlemen to wet a corner of the napkin; but the hostess, whose behaviour will set the tone to all the ladies present, will merely wet the tips of her fingers, which will serve all the purposes required. the french and other continentals have a habit of gargling the mouth; but it is a custom which no english gentlewoman should, in the slightest degree, imitate. . when fruit has been taken, and a glass or two of wine passed round, the time will have arrived when the hostess will rise, and thus give the signal for the ladies to leave the gentlemen, and retire to the drawing-room. the gentlemen of the party will rise at the same time, and he who is nearest the door, will open it for the ladies, all remaining courteously standing until the last lady has withdrawn. dr. johnson has a curious paragraph on the effects of a dinner on men. "before dinner," he says, "men meet with great inequality of understanding; and those who are conscious of their inferiority have the modesty not to talk. when they have drunk wine, every man feels himself happy, and loses that modesty, and grows impudent and vociferous; but he is not improved, he is only not sensible of his defects." this is rather severe, but there may be truth in it. in former times, when the bottle circulated freely amongst the guests, it was necessary for the ladies to retire earlier than they do at present, for the gentlemen of the company soon became unfit to conduct themselves with that decorum which is essential in the presence of ladies. thanks, however, to the improvements in modern society, and the high example shown to the nation by its most illustrious personages, temperance is, in these happy days, a striking feature in the character of a gentleman. delicacy of conduct towards the female sex has increased with the esteem in which they are now universally held, and thus, the very early withdrawing of the ladies from the dining-room is to be deprecated. a lull in the conversation will seasonably indicate the moment for the ladies' departure. . after-dinner invitations may be given; by which we wish to be understood, invitations for the evening. the time of the arrival of these visitors will vary according to their engagements, or sometimes will be varied in obedience to the caprices of fashion. guests invited for the evening are, however, generally considered at liberty to arrive whenever it will best suit themselves,--usually between nine and twelve, unless earlier hours are specifically named. by this arrangement, many fashionable people and others, who have numerous engagements to fulfil, often contrive to make their appearance at two or three parties in the course of one evening. . the etiquette of the dinner-party table being disposed of, let us now enter slightly into that of an evening party or ball. the invitations issued and accepted for either of these, will be written in the same style as those already described for a dinner-party. they should be sent out _at least_ three weeks before the day fixed for the event, and should be replied to within a week of their receipt. by attending to these courtesies, the guests will have time to consider their engagements and prepare their dresses, and the hostess will, also, know what will be the number of her party. if the entertainment is to be simply an evening party, this must be specified on the card or note of invitation. short or verbal invitations, except where persons are exceedingly intimate, or are very near relations, are very far from proper, although, of course, in this respect and in many other respects, very much always depends on the manner in which the invitation is given. true politeness, however, should be studied even amongst the nearest friends and relations; for the mechanical forms of good breeding are of great consequence, and too much familiarity may have, for its effect, the destruction of friendship. . as the ladies and gentlemen arrive, each should be shown to a room exclusively provided for their reception; and in that set apart for the ladies, attendants should be in waiting to assist in uncloaking, and helping to arrange the hair and toilet of those who require it. it will be found convenient, in those cases where the number of guests is large, to provide numbered tickets, so that they can be attached to the cloaks and shawls of each lady, a duplicate of which should be handed to the guest. coffee is sometimes provided in this, or an ante-room, for those who would like to partake of it. . as the visitors are announced by the servant, it is not necessary for the lady of the house to advance each time towards the door, but merely to rise from her seat to receive their courtesies and congratulations. if, indeed, the hostess wishes to show particular favour to some peculiarly honoured guests, she may introduce them to others, whose acquaintance she may imagine will be especially suitable and agreeable. it is very often the practice of the master of the house to introduce one gentleman to another, but occasionally the lady performs this office; when it will, of course, be polite for the persons thus introduced to take their seats together for the time being. the custom of non-introduction is very much in vogue in many houses, and guests are thus left to discover for themselves the position and qualities of the people around them. the servant, indeed, calls out the names of all the visitors as they arrive, but, in many instances, mispronounces them; so that it will not be well to follow this information, as if it were an unerring guide. in our opinion, it is a cheerless and depressing custom, although, in thus speaking, we do not allude to the large assemblies of the aristocracy, but to the smaller parties of the middle classes. . a separate room or convenient buffet should be appropriated for refreshments, and to which the dancers may retire; and cakes and biscuits, with wine negus, lemonade, and ices, handed round. a supper is also mostly provided at the private parties of the middle classes; and this requires, on the part of the hostess, a great deal of attention and supervision. it usually takes place between the first and second parts of the programme of the dances, of which there should be several prettily written or printed copies distributed about the ball-room. _in private parties_, a lady is not to refuse the invitation of a gentleman to dance, unless she be previously engaged. the hostess must be supposed to have asked to her house only those persons whom she knows to be perfectly respectable and of unblemished character, as well as pretty equal in position; and thus, to decline the offer of any gentleman present, would be a tacit reflection on the master and mistress of the house. it may be mentioned here, more especially for the young who will read this book, that introductions at balls or evening parties, cease with the occasion that calls them forth, no introduction, at these times, giving a gentleman a right to address, afterwards, a lady. she is, consequently, free, next morning, to pass her partner at a ball of the previous evening without the slightest recognition. . the ball is generally opened, that is, the first place in the first quadrille is occupied, by the lady of the house. when anything prevents this, the host will usually lead off the dance with the lady who is either the highest in rank, or the greatest stranger. it will be well for the hostess, even if she be very partial to the amusement, and a graceful dancer, not to participate in it to any great extent, lest her lady guests should have occasion to complain of her monopoly of the gentlemen, and other causes of neglect. a few dances will suffice to show her interest in the entertainment, without unduly trenching on the attention due to her guests. in all its parts a ball should be perfect,-- "the music, and the banquet, and the wine; the garlands, the rose-odours, and the flowers." the hostess or host, during the progress of a ball, will courteously accost and chat with their friends, and take care that the ladies are furnished with seats, and that those who wish to dance are provided with partners. a gentle hint from the hostess, conveyed in a quiet ladylike manner, that certain ladies have remained unengaged during several dances, is sure not to be neglected by any gentleman. thus will be studied the comfort and enjoyment of the guests, and no lady, in leaving the house, will be able to feel the chagrin and disappointment of not having been invited to "stand up" in a dance during the whole of the evening. . when any of the carriages of the guests are announced, or the time for their departure arrived, they should make a slight intimation to the hostess, without, however, exciting any observation, that they are about to depart. if this cannot be done, however, without creating too much bustle, it will be better for the visitors to retire quietly without taking their leave. during the course of the week, the hostess will expect to receive from every guest a call, where it is possible, or cards expressing the gratification experienced from her entertainment. this attention is due to every lady for the pains and trouble she has been at, and tends to promote social, kindly feelings. . having thus discoursed of parties of pleasure, it will be an interesting change to return to the more domestic business of the house, although all the details we have been giving of dinner-parties, balls, and the like, appertain to the department of the mistress. without a knowledge of the etiquette to be observed on these occasions, a mistress would be unable to enjoy and appreciate those friendly pleasant meetings which give, as it were, a fillip to life, and make the quiet happy home of an english gentlewoman appear the more delightful and enjoyable. in their proper places, all that is necessary to be known respecting the dishes and appearance of the breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper tables, will be set forth in this work. . a family dinner at home, compared with either giving or going to a dinner-party, is, of course, of much more frequent occurrence, and many will say, of much greater importance. both, however, have to be considered with a view to their nicety and enjoyment; and the latter more particularly with reference to economy. these points will be especially noted in the following pages on "household cookery." here we will only say, that for both mistress and servants, as well in large as small households, it will be found, by far, the better plan, to cook and serve the dinner, and to lay the tablecloth and the sideboard, with the same cleanliness, neatness, and scrupulous exactness, whether it be for the mistress herself alone, a small family, or for "company." if this rule be strictly adhered to, all will find themselves increase in managing skill; whilst a knowledge of their daily duties will become familiar, and enable them to meet difficult occasions with ease, and overcome any amount of obstacles. . of the manner of passing evenings at home, there is none pleasanter than in such recreative enjoyments as those which relax the mind from its severer duties, whilst they stimulate it with a gentle delight. where there are young people forming a part of the evening circle, interesting and agreeable pastime should especially be promoted. it is of incalculable benefit to them that their homes should possess all the attractions of healthful amusement, comfort, and happiness; for if they do not find pleasure there, they will seek it elsewhere. it ought, therefore, to enter into the domestic policy of every parent, to make her children feel that home is the happiest place in the world; that to imbue them with this delicious home-feeling is one of the choicest gifts a parent can bestow. light or fancy needlework often forms a portion of the evening's recreation for the ladies of the household, and this may be varied by an occasional game at chess or backgammon. it has often been remarked, too, that nothing is more delightful to the feminine members of a family, than the reading aloud of some good standard work or amusing publication. a knowledge of polite literature may be thus obtained by the whole family, especially if the reader is able and willing to explain the more difficult passages of the book, and expatiate on the wisdom and beauties it may contain. this plan, in a great measure, realizes the advice of lord bacon, who says, "read not to contradict and refute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider." . in retiring for the night, it is well to remember that early rising is almost impossible, if late going to bed be the order, or rather disorder, of the house. the younger members of a family should go early and at regular hours to their beds, and the domestics as soon as possible after a reasonably appointed hour. either the master or the mistress of a house should, after all have gone to their separate rooms, see that all is right with respect to the lights and fires below; and no servants should, on any account, be allowed to remain up after the heads of the house have retired. . having thus gone from early rising to early retiring, there remain only now to be considered a few special positions respecting which the mistress of the house will be glad to receive some specific information. . when a mistress takes a house in a new locality, it will be etiquette for her to wait until the older inhabitants of the neighbourhood call upon her; thus evincing a desire, on their part, to become acquainted with the new comer. it may be, that the mistress will desire an intimate acquaintance with but few of her neighbours; but it is to be specially borne in mind that all visits, whether of ceremony, friendship, or condolence, should be punctiliously returned. . you may perhaps have been favoured with letters of introduction from some of your friends, to persons living in the neighbourhood to which you have just come. in this case inclose the letter of introduction in an envelope with your card. then, if the person, to whom it is addressed, calls in the course of a few days, the visit should be returned by you within the week, if possible. any breach of etiquette, in this respect, will not readily be excused. in the event of your being invited to dinner under the above circumstances, nothing but necessity should prevent you from accepting the invitation. if, however, there is some distinct reason why you cannot accept, let it be stated frankly and plainly, for politeness and truthfulness should be ever allied. an opportunity should, also, be taken to call in the course of a day or two, in order to politely express your regret and disappointment at not having been able to avail yourself of their kindness. . in giving a letter of introduction, it should always be handed to your friend, unsealed. courtesy dictates this, as the person whom you are introducing would, perhaps, wish to know in what manner he or she was spoken of. should you _receive_ a letter from a friend, introducing to you any person known to and esteemed by the writer, the letter should be immediately acknowledged, and your willingness expressed to do all in your power to carry out his or her wishes. . such are the onerous duties which enter into the position of the mistress of a house, and such are, happily, with a slight but continued attention, of by no means difficult performance. she ought always to remember that she is the first and the last, the alpha and the omega in the government of her establishment; and that it is by her conduct that its whole internal policy is regulated. she is, therefore, a person of far more importance in a community than she usually thinks she is. on her pattern her daughters model themselves; by her counsels they are directed; through her virtues all are honoured;--"her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband, also, and he praiseth her." therefore, let each mistress always remember her responsible position, never approving a mean action, nor speaking an unrefined word. let her conduct be such that her inferiors may respect her, and such as an honourable and right-minded man may look for in his wife and the mother of his children. let her think of the many compliments and the sincere homage that have been paid to her sex by the greatest philosophers and writers, both in ancient and modern times. let her not forget that she has to show herself worthy of campbell's compliment when he said,-- "the world was sad! the garden was a wild! and man the hermit sigh'd, till _woman_ smiled." let her prove herself, then, the happy companion of man, and able to take unto herself the praises of the pious prelate, jeremy taylor, who says,--"a good wife is heaven's last best gift to man,--his angel and minister of graces innumerable,--his gem of many virtues,--his casket of jewels--her voice is sweet music--her smiles his brightest day;--her kiss, the guardian of his innocence;--her arms, the pale of his safety, the balm of his health, the balsam of his life;--her industry, his surest wealth;--her economy, his safest steward;--her lips, his faithful counsellors;--her bosom, the softest pillow of his cares; and her prayers, the ablest advocates of heaven's blessings on his head." cherishing, then, in her breast the respected utterances of the good and the great, let the mistress of every house rise to the responsibility of its management; so that, in doing her duty to all around her, she may receive the genuine reward of respect, love, and affection! _note_.--many mistresses have experienced the horrors of house-hunting, and it is well known that "three removes are as good (or bad, rather) as a fire." nevertheless, it being quite evident that we must, in these days at least, live in houses, and are sometimes obliged to change our residences, it is well to consider some of the conditions which will add to, or diminish, the convenience and comfort of our homes. although the choice of a house must be dependent on so many different circumstances with different people, that to give any specific directions on this head would be impossible and useless; yet it will be advantageous, perhaps, to many, if we point out some of those general features as to locality, soil, aspect, &c., to which the attention of all house-takers should be carefully directed. regarding the locality, we may say, speaking now more particularly of a town house, that it is very important to the health and comfort of a family, that the neighbourhood of all factories of any kind, producing unwholesome effluvia or smells, should be strictly avoided. neither is it well to take a house in the immediate vicinity of where a noisy trade is carried on, as it is unpleasant to the feelings, and tends to increase any existing irritation of the system. referring to soils; it is held as a rule, that a gravel soil is superior to any other, as the rain drains through it very quickly, and it is consequently drier and less damp than clay, upon which water rests a far longer time. a clay country, too, is not so pleasant for walking exercise as one in which gravel predominates. the aspect of the house should be well considered, and it should be borne in mind that the more sunlight that comes into the house, the healthier is the habitation. the close, fetid smell which assails one on entering a narrow court, or street, in towns, is to be assigned to the want of light, and, consequently, air. a house with a south or south-west aspect, is lighter, warmer, drier, and consequently more healthy, than one facing the north or north-east. great advances have been made, during the last few years, in the principles of sanitary knowledge, and one most essential point to be observed in reference to a house, is its "drainage," as it has been proved in an endless number of cases, that bad or defective drainage is as certain to destroy health as the taking of poisons. this arises from its injuriously affecting the atmosphere; thus rendering the air we breathe unwholesome and deleterious. let it be borne in mind, then, that unless a house is effectually drained, the health of its inhabitants is sure to suffer; and they will be susceptible of ague, rheumatism, diarrhoea, fevers, and cholera. we now come to an all-important point,--that of the water supply. the value of this necessary article has also been lately more and more recognized in connection with the question of health and life; and most houses are well supplied with every convenience connected with water. let it, however, be well understood, that no house, however suitable in other respects, can be desirable, if this grand means of health and comfort is, in the slightest degree, scarce or impure. no caution can be too great to see that it is pure and good, as well as plentiful; for, knowing, as we do, that not a single part of our daily food is prepared without it, the importance of its influence on the health of the inmates of a house cannot be over-rated. ventilation is another feature which must not be overlooked. in a general way, enough of air is admitted by the cracks round the doors and windows; but if this be not the case, the chimney will smoke; and other plans, such as the placing of a plate of finely-perforated zinc in the upper part of the window, must be used. cold air should never be admitted under the doors, or at the bottom of a room, unless it be close to the fire or stove; for it will flow along the floor towards the fireplace, and thus leave the foul air in the upper part of the room, unpurified, cooling, at the same time, unpleasantly and injuriously, the feet and legs of the inmates. the rent of a house, it has been said, should not exceed one-eighth of the whole income of its occupier; and, as a general rule, we are disposed to assent to this estimate, although there may be many circumstances which would not admit of its being considered infallible. [illustration] chapter ii. the housekeeper. . as second in command in the house, except in large establishments, where there is a house steward, the housekeeper must consider herself as the immediate representative of her mistress, and bring, to the management of the household, all those qualities of honesty, industry, and vigilance, in the same degree as if she were at the head of her _own_ family. constantly on the watch to detect any wrong-doing on the part of any of the domestics, she will overlook all that goes on in the house, and will see that every department is thoroughly attended to, and that the servants are comfortable, at the same time that their various duties are properly performed. cleanliness, punctuality, order, and method, are essentials in the character of a good housekeeper. without the first, no household can be said to be well managed. the second is equally all-important; for those who are under the housekeeper will take their "cue" from her; and in the same proportion as punctuality governs her movements, so will it theirs. order, again, is indispensable; for by it we wish to be understood that "there should be a place for everything, and everything in its place." method, too, is most necessary; for when the work is properly contrived, and each part arranged in regular succession, it will be done more quickly and more effectually. . a necessary qualification for a housekeeper is, that she should thoroughly understand accounts. she will have to write in her books an accurate registry of all sums paid for any and every purpose, all the current expenses of the house, tradesmen's bills, and other extraneous matter. as we have mentioned under the head of the mistress (_see_ ), a housekeeper's accounts should be periodically balanced, and examined by the head of the house. nothing tends more to the satisfaction of both employer and employed, than this arrangement. "short reckonings make long friends," stands good in this case, as in others. it will be found an excellent plan to take an account of every article which comes into the house connected with housekeeping, and is not paid for at the time. the book containing these entries can then be compared with the bills sent in by the various tradesmen, so that any discrepancy can be inquired into and set right. an intelligent housekeeper will, by this means, too, be better able to judge of the average consumption of each article by the household; and if that quantity be, at any time, exceeded, the cause may be discovered and rectified, if it proceed from waste or carelessness. . although in the department of the cook, the housekeeper does not generally much interfere, yet it is necessary that she should possess a good knowledge of the culinary art, as, in many instances, it may be requisite for her to take the superintendence of the kitchen. as a rule, it may be stated, that the housekeeper, in those establishments where there is no house steward or man cook, undertakes the preparation of the confectionary, attends to the preserving and pickling of fruits and vegetables; and, in a general way, to the more difficult branches of the art of cookery. much of these arrangements will depend, however, on the qualifications of the cook; for instance, if she be an able artiste, there will be but little necessity for the housekeeper to interfere, except in the already noticed articles of confectionary, &c. on the contrary, if the cook be not so clever an adept in her art, then it will be requisite for the housekeeper to give more of her attention to the business of the kitchen, than in the former case. it will be one of the duties of the housekeeper to attend to the marketing, in the absence of either a house steward or man cook. . the daily duties of a housekeeper are regulated, in a great measure, by the extent of the establishment she superintends. she should, however, rise early, and see that all the domestics are duly performing their work, and that everything is progressing satisfactorily for the preparation of the breakfast for the household and family. after breakfast, which, in large establishments, she will take in the "housekeeper's room" with the lady's-maid, butler, and valet, and where they will be waited on by the still-room maid, she will, on various days set apart for each purpose, carefully examine the household linen, with a view to its being repaired, or to a further quantity being put in hand to be made; she will also see that the furniture throughout the house is well rubbed and polished; and will, besides, attend to all the necessary details of marketing and ordering goods from the tradesmen. the housekeeper's room is generally made use of by the lady's-maid, butler, and valet, who take there their breakfast, tea, and supper. the lady's-maid will also use this apartment as a sitting-room, when not engaged with her lady, or with some other duties, which would call her elsewhere. in different establishments, according to their size and the rank of the family, different rules of course prevail. for instance, in the mansions of those of very high rank, and where there is a house steward, there are two distinct tables kept, one in the steward's room for the principal members of the household, the other in the servants' hall, for the other domestics. at the steward's dinner-table, the steward and housekeeper preside; and here, also, are present the lady's-maid, butler, valet, and head gardener. should any visitors be staying with the family, their servants, generally the valet and lady's-maid, will be admitted to the steward's table. . after dinner, the housekeeper, having seen that all the members of the establishment have regularly returned to their various duties, and that all the departments of the household are in proper working order, will have many important matters claiming her attention. she will, possibly, have to give the finishing touch to some article of confectionary, or be occupied with some of the more elaborate processes of the still-room. there may also be the dessert to arrange, ice-creams to make; and all these employments call for no ordinary degree of care, taste, and attention. the still-room was formerly much more in vogue than at present; for in days of "auld lang syne," the still was in constant requisition for the supply of sweet-flavoured waters for the purposes of cookery, scents and aromatic substances used in the preparation of the toilet, and cordials in cases of accidents and illness. there are some establishments, however, in which distillation is still carried on, and in these, the still-room maid has her old duties to perform. in a general way, however, this domestic is immediately concerned with the housekeeper. for the latter she lights the fire, dusts her room, prepares the breakfast-table, and waits at the different meals taken in the housekeeper's room (_see_ ). a still-room maid may learn a very great deal of useful knowledge from her intimate connection with the housekeeper, and if she be active and intelligent, may soon fit herself for a better position in the household. . in the evening, the housekeeper will often busy herself with the necessary preparations for the next day's duties. numberless small, but still important arrangements, will have to be made, so that everything may move smoothly. at times, perhaps, attention will have to be paid to the breaking of lump-sugar, the stoning of raisins, the washing, cleansing, and drying of currants, &c. the evening, too, is the best time for setting right her account of the expenditure, and duly writing a statement of moneys received and paid, and also for making memoranda of any articles she may require for her storeroom or other departments. periodically, at some convenient time,--for instance, quarterly or half-yearly, it is a good plan for the housekeeper to make an inventory of everything she has under her care, and compare this with the lists of a former period; she will then be able to furnish a statement, if necessary, of the articles which, on account of time, breakage, loss, or other causes, it has been necessary to replace or replenish. . in concluding these remarks on the duties of the housekeeper, we will briefly refer to the very great responsibility which attaches to her position. like "caesar's wife," she should be "above suspicion," and her honesty and sobriety unquestionable; for there are many temptations to which she is exposed. in a physical point of view, a housekeeper should be healthy and strong, and be particularly clean in her person, and her hands, although they may show a degree of roughness, from the nature of some of her employments, yet should have a nice inviting appearance. in her dealings with the various tradesmen, and in her behaviour to the domestics under her, the demeanour and conduct of the housekeeper should be such as, in neither case, to diminish, by an undue familiarity, her authority or influence. _note_.--it will be useful for the mistress and housekeeper to know the best seasons for various occupations connected with household management; and we, accordingly, subjoin a few hints which we think will prove valuable. as, in the winter months, servants have much more to do, in consequence of the necessity there is to attend to the number of fires throughout the household, not much more than the ordinary every-day work can be attempted. in the summer, and when the absence of fires gives the domestics more leisure, then any extra work that is required, can be more easily performed. the spring is the usual period set apart for house-cleaning, and removing all the dust and dirt, which will necessarily, with the best of housewives, accumulate during the winter months, from the smoke of the coal, oil, gas, &c. this season is also well adapted for washing and bleaching linen, &c., as, the weather, not being then too hot for the exertions necessary in washing counterpanes, blankets, and heavy things in general, the work is better and more easily done than in the intense heats of july, which month some recommend for these purposes. winter curtains should be taken down, and replaced by the summer white ones; and furs and woollen cloths also carefully laid by. the former should be well shaken and brushed, and then pinned upon paper or linen, with camphor to preserve them from the moths. furs, &c., will be preserved in the same way. included, under the general description of house-cleaning, must be understood, turning out all the nooks and corners of drawers, cupboards, lumber-rooms, lofts, &c., with a view of getting rid of all unnecessary articles, which only create dirt and attract vermin; sweeping of chimneys, taking up carpets, painting and whitewashing the kitchen and offices, papering rooms, when needed, and, generally speaking, the house putting on, with the approaching summer, a bright appearance, and a new face, in unison with nature. oranges now should be preserved, and orange wine made. the summer will be found, as we have mentioned above, in consequence of the diminution of labour for the domestics, the best period for examining and repairing household linen, and for "putting to rights" all those articles which have received a large share of wear and tear during the dark winter days. in direct reference to this matter, we may here remark, that sheets should be turned "sides to middle" before they are allowed to get very thin. otherwise, patching, which is uneconomical from the time it consumes, and is unsightly in point of appearance, will have to be resorted to. in june and july, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, strawberries, and other summer fruits, should be preserved, and jams and jellies made. in july, too, the making of walnut ketchup should be attended to, as the green walnuts will be approaching perfection for this purpose. mixed pickles may also be now made, and it will be found a good plan to have ready a jar of pickle-juice (for the making of which all information will be given in future pages), into which to put occasionally some young french beans, cauliflowers, &c. in the early autumn, plums of various kinds are to be bottled and preserved, and jams and jellies made. a little later, tomato sauce, a most useful article to have by you, may be prepared; a supply of apples laid in, if you have a place to keep them, as also a few keeping pears and filberts. endeavour to keep also a large vegetable marrow,--it will be found delicious in the winter. in october and november, it will be necessary to prepare for the cold weather, and get ready the winter clothing for the various members of the family. the white summer curtains will now be carefully put away, the fireplaces, grates, and chimneys looked to, and the house put in a thorough state of repair, so that no "loose tile" may, at a future day, interfere with your comfort, and extract something considerable from your pocket. in december, the principal household duty lies in preparing for the creature comforts of those near and dear to us, so as to meet old christmas with a happy face, a contented mind, and a full larder; and in stoning the plums, washing the currants, cutting the citron, beating the eggs, and mixing the pudding, a housewife is not unworthily greeting the genial season of all good things. [illustration] chapter iii. arrangement and economy of the kitchen. . "the distribution of a kitchen," says count rumford, the celebrated philosopher and physician, who wrote so learnedly on all subjects connected with domestic economy and architecture, "must always depend so much on local circumstances, that general rules can hardly be given respecting it; the principles, however, on which this distribution ought, in all cases, to be made, are simple and easy to be understood," and, in his estimation, these resolve themselves into symmetry of proportion in the building and convenience to the cook. the requisites of a good kitchen, however, demand something more special than is here pointed out. it must be remembered that it is the great laboratory of every household, and that much of the "weal or woe," as far as regards bodily health, depends upon the nature of the preparations concocted within its walls. a good kitchen, therefore, should be erected with a view to the following particulars. . convenience of distribution in its parts, with largeness of dimension. . excellence of light, height of ceiling, and good ventilation. . easiness of access, without passing through the house. . sufficiently remote from the principal apartments of the house, that the members, visitors, or guests of the family, may not perceive the odour incident to cooking, or hear the noise of culinary operations. . plenty of fuel and water, which, with the scullery, pantry, and storeroom, should be so near it, as to offer the smallest possible trouble in reaching them. [illustration: _fig_. .] the kitchens of the middle ages, in england, are said to have been constructed after the fashion of those of the romans. they were generally octagonal, with several fireplaces, but no chimneys; neither was there any wood admitted into the building. the accompanying cut, fig. , represents the turret which was erected on the top of the conical roof of the kitchen at glastonbury abbey, and which was perforated with holes to allow the smoke of the fire, as well as the steam from cooking, to escape. some kitchens had funnels or vents below the eaves to let out the steam, which was sometimes considerable, as the anglo-saxons used their meat chiefly in a boiled state. from this circumstance, some of their large kitchens had four ranges, comprising a boiling-place for small boiled meats, and a boiling-house for the great boiler. in private houses the culinary arrangements were no doubt different; for du cange mentions a little kitchen with a chamber, even in a solarium, or upper floor. . the simplicity of the primitive ages has frequently been an object of poetical admiration, and it delights the imagination to picture men living upon such fruits as spring spontaneously from the earth, and desiring no other beverages to slake their thirst, but such as fountains and rivers supply. thus we are told, that the ancient inhabitants of argos lived principally on pears; that the arcadians revelled in acorns, and the athenians in figs. this, of course, was in the golden age, before ploughing began, and when mankind enjoyed all kinds of plenty without having to earn their bread "by the sweat of their brow." this delightful period, however, could not last for ever, and the earth became barren, and continued unfruitful till ceres came and taught the art of sowing, with several other useful inventions. the first whom she taught to till the ground was triptolemus, who communicated his instructions to his countrymen the athenians. thence the art was carried into achaia, and thence into arcadia. barley was the first grain that was used, and the invention of bread-making is ascribed to pan. the use of fire, as an instrument of cookery, must have been coeval with this invention of bread, which, being the most necessary of all kinds of food, was frequently used in a sense so comprehensive as to include both meat and drink. it was, by the greeks, baked under the ashes. . in the primary ages it was deemed unlawful to eat flesh, and when mankind began to depart from their primitive habits, the flesh of swine was the first that was eaten. for several ages, it was pronounced unlawful to slaughter oxen, from an estimate of their great value in assisting men to cultivate the ground; nor was it usual to kill young animals, from a sentiment which considered it cruel to take away the life of those that had scarcely tasted the joys of existence. at this period no cooks were kept, and we know from homer that his ancient heroes prepared and dressed their victuals with their own hands. ulysses, for example, we are told, like a modern charwoman, excelled at lighting a fire, whilst achilles was an adept at turning a spit. subsequently, heralds, employed in civil and military affairs, filled the office of cooks, and managed marriage feasts; but this, no doubt, was after mankind had advanced in the art of living, a step further than _roasting_, which, in all places, was the ancient manner of dressing meat. . the age of roasting we may consider as that in which the use of the metals would be introduced as adjuncts to the culinary art; and amongst these, iron, the most useful of them all, would necessarily take a prominent place. this metal is easily oxidized, but to bring it to a state of fusibility, it requires a most intense heat. of all the metals, it is the widest diffused and most abundant; and few stones or mineral bodies are without an admixture of it. it possesses the valuable property of being welded by hammering; and hence its adaptation to the numerous purposes of civilized life. metallic grains of iron have been found in strawberries, and a twelfth of the weight of the wood of dried oak is said to consist of this metal. blood owes its colour of redness to the quantity of iron it contains, and rain and snow are seldom perfectly free from it. in the arts it is employed in three states,--as _cast_ iron, _wrought_ iron, and _steel_. in each of these it largely enters into the domestic economy, and stoves, grates, and the general implements of cookery, are usually composed of it. in antiquity, its employment was, comparatively speaking, equally universal. the excavations made at pompeii have proved this. the accompanying cuts present us with specimens of stoves, both ancient and modern. fig. is the remains of a kitchen stove found in the house of pansa, at pompeii, and would seem, in its perfect state, not to have been materially different from such as are in use at the present day. fig. is a self-acting, simple open range in modern use, and may be had of two qualities, ranging, according to their dimensions, from £ . s. and £ . s. respectively, up to £ . s. and £ . s. they are completely fitted up with oven, boiler, sliding cheek, wrought-iron bars, revolving shelves, and brass tap. fig. , is called the improved leamington kitchener, and is said to surpass any other range in use, for easy cooking by one fire. it has a hot plate, which is well calculated for an ironing-stove, and on which as many vessels as will stand upon it, may be kept boiling, without being either soiled or injured. besides, it has a perfectly ventilated and spacious wrought-iron roaster, with movable shelves, draw-out stand, double dripping-pan, and meat-stand. the roaster can be converted into an oven by closing the valves, when bread and pastry can be baked in it in a superior manner. it also has a large iron boiler with brass tap and steam-pipe, round and square gridirons for chops and steaks, ash-pan, open fire for roasting, and a set of ornamental covings with plate-warmer attached. it took a first-class prize and medal in the great exhibition of , and was also exhibited, with all the recent improvements, at the dublin exhibition in . fig. is another kitchener, adapted for large families. it has on the one side, a large ventilated oven; and on the other, the fire and roaster. the hot plate is over all, and there is a back boiler, made of wrought iron, with brass tap and steam-pipe. in other respects it resembles fig. , with which it possesses similar advantages of construction. either maybe had at varying prices, according to size, from £ . s. up to £ . s. they are supplied by messrs. richard & john slack , strand, london. [illustration: _fig_. .] [illustration: _fig_. .] [illustration: _fig_. .] [illustration: _fig_. .] . from kitchen ranges to the implements used in cookery is but a step. with these, every kitchen should be well supplied, otherwise the cook must not be expected to "perform her office" in a satisfactory manner. of the culinary utensils of the ancients, our knowledge is very limited; but as the art of living, in every civilized country, is pretty much the same, the instruments for cooking must, in a great degree, bear a striking resemblance to each other. on referring to classical antiquities, we find mentioned, among household utensils, leather bags, baskets constructed of twigs, reeds, and rushes; boxes, basins, and bellows; bread-moulds, brooms, and brushes; caldrons, colanders, cisterns, and chafing-dishes; cheese-rasps, knives, and ovens of the dutch kind; funnels and frying-pans; handmills, soup-ladles, milk-pails, and oil-jars; presses, scales, and sieves; spits of different sizes, but some of them large enough to roast an ox; spoons, fire-tongs, trays, trenchers, and drinking-vessels; with others for carrying food, preserving milk, and holding cheese. this enumeration, if it does nothing else, will, to some extent, indicate the state of the simpler kinds of mechanical arts among the ancients. [illustration: _fig_. .] [illustration: _fig_. .] [illustration: _fig_. .] in so far as regards the shape and construction of many of the kitchen utensils enumerated above, they bore a great resemblance to our own. this will be seen by the accompanying cuts. fig. is an ancient stock-pot in bronze, which seems to have been made to hang over the fire, and was found in the buried city of pompeii. fig. is one of modern make, and may be obtained either of copper or wrought iron, tinned inside. fig. is another of antiquity, with a large ladle and colander, with holes attached. it is taken from the column of trajan. the modern ones can be obtained at all prices, according to size, from s. d. up to £ . s. . in the manufacture of these utensils, bronze metal seems to have been much in favour with the ancients. it was chosen not only for their domestic vessels, but it was also much used for their public sculptures and medals. it is a compound, composed of from six to twelve parts of tin to one hundred of copper. it gives its name to figures and all pieces of sculpture made of it. brass was another favourite metal, which is composed of copper and zinc. it is more fusible than copper, and not so apt to tarnish. in a pure state it is not malleable, unless when hot, and after it has been melted twice it will not bear the hammer. to render it capable of being wrought, it requires lb. of lead to be put to cwt. of its own material. the corinthian brass of antiquity was a mixture of silver, gold, and copper. a fine kind of brass, supposed to be made by the cementation of copper plates with calamine, is, in germany, hammered out into leaves, and is called dutch metal in this country. it is employed in the same way as gold leaf. brass is much used for watchworks, as well as for wire. . the braziers, ladles, stewpans, saucepans, gridirons, and colanders of antiquity might generally pass for those of the english manufacture of the present day, in so far as shape is concerned. in proof of this we have placed together the following similar articles of ancient and modern pattern, in order that the reader may, at a single view, see wherein any difference that is between them, consists. [illustration: _fig_. . modern.] [illustration: _fig_. . ancient.] [illustration: _fig_. . modern.] [illustration: _fig_. . ancient.] [illustration: _fig_. . modern.] [illustration: _fig_. . ancient.] [illustration: _fig_. . modern.] [illustration: _fig_. . modern.] [illustration: _fig_. . ancient.] [illustration: _fig_. . ancient.] _figs_. and are flat sauce or _sauté_ pans, the ancient one being fluted in the handle, and having at the end a ram's head. figs. and are colanders, the handle of the ancient one being adorned, in the original, with carved representations of a cornucopia, a satyr, a goat, pigs, and other animals. any display of taste in the adornment of such utensils, might seem to be useless; but when we remember how much more natural it is for us all to be careful of the beautiful and costly, than of the plain and cheap, it may even become a question in the economy of a kitchen, whether it would not, in the long run, be cheaper to have articles which displayed some tasteful ingenuity in their manufacture, than such as are so perfectly plain as to have no attractions whatever beyond their mere suitableness to the purposes for which they are made. figs. and are saucepans, the ancient one being of bronze, originally copied from the cabinet of m. l'abbé charlet, and engraved in the antiquities of montfaucon. figs. and are gridirons, and and dripping-pans. in all these utensils the resemblance between such as were in use , years ago, and those in use at the present day, is strikingly manifest. . some of the ancient utensils represented in the above cuts, are copied from those found amid the ruins of herculaneum and pompeii. these roman cities were, in the first century, buried beneath the lava of an eruption of vesuvius, and continued to be lost to the world till the beginning of the last century, when a peasant, in digging for a well, gradually discovered a small temple with some statues. little notice, however, was taken of this circumstance till , when the king of naples, desiring to erect a palace at portici, caused extensive excavations to be made, when the city of herculaneum was slowly unfolded to view. pompeii was discovered about , and being easier cleared from the lava in which it had so long been entombed, disclosed itself as it existed immediately before the catastrophe which overwhelmed it, nearly two thousand years ago. it presented, to the modern world, the perfect picture of the form and structure of an ancient roman city. the interior of its habitations, shops, baths, theatres, and temples, were all disclosed, with many of the implements used by the workmen in their various trades, and the materials on which they were employed, when the doomed city was covered with the lavian stream. . amongst the most essential requirements of the kitchen are scales or weighing-machines for family use. these are found to have existed among the ancients, and must, at a very early age, have been both publicly and privately employed for the regulation of quantities. the modern english weights were adjusted by the th chapter of magna charta, or the great charter forced, by the barons, from king john at runnymede, in surrey. therein it is declared that the weights, all over england, shall be the same, although for different commodities there were two different kinds, troy and avoirdupois. the origin of both is taken from a grain of wheat gathered in the middle of an ear. the standard of measures was originally kept at winchester, and by a law of king edgar was ordained to be observed throughout the kingdom. [illustration: _fig_. .] [illustration: _fig_. .] fig. is an ancient pair of common scales, with two basins and a movable weight, which is made in the form of a head, covered with the pileus, because mercury had the weights and measures under his superintendence. it is engraved on a stone in the gallery of florence. fig. represents a modern weighing-machine, of great convenience, and generally in use in those establishments where a great deal of cooking is carried on. . accompanying the scales, or weighing-machines, there should be spice-boxes, and sugar and biscuit-canisters of either white or japanned tin. the covers of these should fit tightly, in order to exclude the air, and if necessary, be lettered in front, to distinguish them. the white metal of which they are usually composed, loses its colour when exposed to the air, but undergoes no further change. it enters largely into the composition of culinary utensils, many of them being entirely composed of tinned sheet-iron; the inside of copper and iron vessels also, being usually what is called _tinned_. this art consists of covering any metal with a thin coating of tin; and it requires the metal to be covered, to be perfectly clean and free from rust, and also that the tin, itself, be purely metallic, and entirely cleared from all ashes or refuse. copper boilers, saucepans, and other kitchen utensils, are tinned after they are manufactured, by being first made hot and the tin rubbed on with resin. in this process, nothing ought to be used but pure grain-tin. lead, however, is sometimes mixed with that metal, not only to make it lie more easily, but to adulterate it--a pernicious practice, which in every article connected with the cooking and preparation of food, cannot be too severely reprobated.--the following list, supplied by messrs. richard & john slack, , strand, will show the articles required for the kitchen of a family in the middle class of life, although it does not contain all the things that may be deemed necessary for some families, and may contain more than are required for others. as messrs. slack themselves, however, publish a useful illustrated catalogue, which may be had at their establishment _gratis_, and which it will be found advantageous to consult by those about to furnish, it supersedes the necessity of our enlarging that which we give:-- s. d. tea-kettle toasting-fork bread-grater pair of brass candlesticks teapot and tray bottle-jack spoons candlesticks candle-box knives and forks sets of skewers meat-chopper cinder-sifter coffee-pot colander block-tin saucepans iron saucepans ditto and steamer large boiling-pot iron stewpans dripping-pan and stand dustpan fish and egg-slice fish-kettles flour-box flat-irons frying-pans gridiron mustard-pot salt-cellar pepper-box pair of bellows jelly-moulds plate-basket cheese-toaster coal-shovel wood meat-screen the set £ . as not only health but life may be said to depend on the cleanliness of culinary utensils, great attention must be paid to their condition generally, but more especially to that of the saucepans, stewpans, and boilers. inside they should be kept perfectly clean, and where an open fire is used, the outside as clean as possible. with a leamington range, saucepans, stewpans, &c., can be kept entirely free from smoke and soot on the outside, which is an immense saving of labour to the cook or scullery-maid. care should be taken that the lids fit tight and close, so that soups or gravies may not be suffered to waste by evaporation. they should be made to keep the steam in and the smoke out, and should always be bright on the upper rim, where they do not immediately come in contact with the fire. soup-pots and kettles should be washed immediately after being used, and dried before the fire, and they should be kept in a dry place, in order that they may escape the deteriorating influence of rust, and, thereby, be destroyed. copper utensils should never be used in the kitchen unless tinned, and the utmost care should be taken, not to let the tin be rubbed off. if by chance this should occur, have it replaced before the vessel is again brought into use. neither soup nor gravy should, at any time, be suffered to remain in them longer than is absolutely necessary, as any fat or acid that is in them, may affect the metal, so as to impregnate with poison what is intended to be eaten. stone and earthenware vessels should be provided for soups and gravies not intended for immediate use, and, also, plenty of common dishes for the larder, that the table-set may not be used for such purposes. it is the nature of vegetables soon to turn sour, when they are apt to corrode glazed red-ware, and even metals, and frequently, thereby, to become impregnated with poisonous particles. the vinegar also in pickles, by its acidity, does the same. consideration, therefore, should be given to these facts, and great care also taken that all _sieves, jelly-bags,_ and tapes for collared articles, be well scalded and kept dry, or they will impart an unpleasant flavour when next used. to all these directions the cook should pay great attention, nor should they, by any means, be neglected by the _mistress of the household_, who ought to remember that cleanliness in the kitchen gives health and happiness to home, whilst economy will immeasurably assist in preserving them. . without fuel, a kitchen might be pronounced to be of little use; therefore, to discover and invent materials for supplying us with the means of domestic heat and comfort, has exercised the ingenuity of man. those now known have been divided into five classes; the first comprehending the fluid inflammable bodies; the second, peat or turf; the third, charcoal of wood; the fourth, pit-coal charred; and the fifth, wood or pit-coal in a crude state, with the capacity of yielding a copious and bright flame. the first may be said seldom to be employed for the purposes of cookery; but _peat_, especially amongst rural populations, has, in all ages, been regarded as an excellent fuel. it is one of the most important productions of an alluvial soil, and belongs to the vegetable rather than the mineral kingdom. it may be described as composed of wet, spongy black earth, held together by decayed vegetables. formerly it covered extensive tracts in england, but has greatly disappeared before the genius of agricultural improvement. _charcoal_ is a kind of artificial coal, used principally where a strong and clear fire is desired. it is a black, brittle, insoluble, inodorous, tasteless substance, and, when newly-made, possesses the remarkable property of absorbing certain quantities of the different gases. its dust, when used as a polishing powder, gives great brilliancy to metals. it consists of wood half-burned, and is manufactured by cutting pieces of timber into nearly the same size, then disposing them in heaps, and covering them with earth, so as to prevent communication with the air, except when necessary to make them burn. when they have been sufficiently charred, the fire is extinguished by stopping the vents through which the air is admitted. of _coal_ there are various species; as, pit, culm, slate, cannel, kilkenny, sulphurous, bovey, jet, &c. these have all their specific differences, and are employed for various purposes; but are all, more or less, used as fuel. the use of coal for burning purposes was not known to the romans. in britain it was discovered about fifty years before the birth of christ, in lancashire, not tar from where manchester now stands; but for ages after its discovery, so long as forests abounded, wood continued to be the fuel used for firing. the first public notice of coal is in the reign of henry iii., who, in , granted a charter to the town of newcastle, permitting the inhabitants to dig for coal. it took some centuries more, however, to bring it into common use, as this did not take place till about the first quarter of the seventeenth century, in the time of charles i. a few years after the restoration, we find that about , chaldrons were consumed in london. although several countries possess mines of coal, the quality of their mineral is, in general, greatly inferior to that of great britain, where it is found mostly in undulating districts abounding with valleys, and interspersed with plains of considerable extent. it lies usually between the _strata_ of other substances, and rarely in an horizontal position, but with a _dip_ or inclination to one side. our cut, fig. , represents a section of coal as it is found in the stratum. [illustration: _fig_. .] . to be acquainted with the periods when things are in season, is one of the most essential pieces of knowledge which enter into the "art of cookery." we have, therefore, compiled the following list, which will serve to show for every month in the year the times when things are in season. january. fish.--barbel, brill, carp, cod, crabs, crayfish, dace, eels, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lampreys, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sprats, sturgeon, tench, thornback, turbot, whitings. meat.--beef, house lamb, mutton, pork, veal, venison. poultry.--capons, fowls, tame pigeons, pullets, rabbits, turkeys. game.--grouse, hares, partridges, pheasants, snipe, wild-fowl, woodcock. vegetables.--beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, celery, chervil, cresses, cucumbers (forced), endive, lettuces, parsnips, potatoes, savoys, spinach, turnips,--various herbs. fruit.--apples, grapes, medlars, nuts, oranges, pears, walnuts, crystallized preserves (foreign), dried fruits, such as almonds and raisins; french and spanish plums; prunes, figs, dates. february. fish.--barbel, brill, carp, cod may be bought, but is not so good as in january, crabs, crayfish, dace, eels, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lampreys, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sprats, sturgeon, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting. meat.--beef, house lamb, mutton, pork, veal. poultry.--capons, chickens, ducklings, tame and wild pigeons, pullets with eggs, turkeys, wild-fowl, though now not in full season. game.--grouse, hares, partridges, pheasants, snipes, woodcock. vegetables.--beetroot, broccoli (purple and white), brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, celery, chervil, cresses, cucumbers (forced), endive, kidney-beans, lettuces, parsnips, potatoes, savoys, spinach, turnips,--various herbs. fruit.--apples (golden and dutch pippins), grapes, medlars, nuts, oranges, pears (bon chrétien), walnuts, dried fruits (foreign), such as almonds and raisins; french and spanish plums; prunes, figs, dates, crystallized preserves. march. fish.--barbel, brill, carp, crabs, crayfish, dace, eels, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lampreys, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sprats, sturgeon, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting. meat.--beef, house lamb, mutton, pork, veal. poultry.--capons, chickens, ducklings, tame and wild pigeons, pullets with eggs, turkeys, wild-fowl, though now not in full season. game.--grouse, hares, partridges, pheasants, snipes, woodcock. vegetables.--beetroot, broccoli (purple and white), brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, celery, chervil, cresses, cucumbers (forced), endive, kidney-beans, lettuces, parsnips, potatoes, savoys, sea-kale, spinach, turnips,--various herbs. fruit.--apples (golden and dutch pippins), grapes, medlars, nuts, oranges, pears (bon chrétien), walnuts, dried fruits (foreign), such as almonds and raisins; french and spanish plums; prunes, figs, dates, crystallized preserves. april. fish.--brill, carp, cockles, crabs, dory, flounders, ling, lobsters, red and gray mullet, mussels, oysters, perch, prawns, salmon (but rather scarce and expensive), shad, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, tench, turbot, whitings. meat.--beef, lamb, mutton, veal. poultry.--chickens, ducklings, fowls, leverets, pigeons, pullets, rabbits. game.--hares. vegetables.--broccoli, celery, lettuces, young onions, parsnips, radishes, small salad, sea-kale, spinach, sprouts,--various herbs. fruit.--apples, nuts, pears, forced cherries, &e. for tarts, rhubarb, dried fruits, crystallized preserves. may. fish.--carp, chub, crabs, crayfish, dory, herrings, lobsters, mackerel, red and gray mullet, prawns, salmon, shad, smelts, soles, trout, turbot. meat.--beef, lamb, mutton, veal. poultry.--chickens, ducklings, fowls, green geese, leverets, pullets, rabbits. vegetables.--asparagus, beans, early cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, creases, cucumbers, lettuces, pease, early potatoes, salads, sea-kale,--various herbs. fruit.--apples, green apricots, cherries, currants for tarts, gooseberries, melons, pears, rhubarb, strawberries. june. fish.--carp, crayfish, herrings, lobsters, mackerel, mullet, pike, prawns, salmon, soles, tench, trout, turbot. meat.--beef, lamb, mutton, veal, buck venison. poultry.--chickens, ducklings, fowls, green geese, leverets, plovers, pullets, rabbits, turkey poults, wheatears. vegetables.--artichokes, asparagus, beans, cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, lettuces, onions, parsnips, pease, potatoes, radishes, small salads, sea-kale, spinach,--various herbs. fruit.--apricots, cherries, currants, gooseberries, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapples, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries. july. fish.--carp, crayfish, dory, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lobsters, mackerel, mullet, pike, plaice, prawns, salmon, shrimps, soles, sturgeon, tench, thornback. meat.--beef, lamb, mutton, veal, buck venison. poultry.--chickens, ducklings, fowls, green geese, leverets, plovers, pullets, rabbits, turkey poults, wheatears, wild ducks (called flappers). vegetables.--artichokes, asparagus, beans, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, cresses, endive, lettuces, mushrooms, onions, pease, radishes, small salading, sea-kale, sprouts, turnips, vegetable marrow,--various herbs. fruit.--apricots, cherries, currants, figs, gooseberries, melons, nectarines, pears, pineapples, plums, raspberries, strawberries, walnuts in high season, and pickled. august. fish.--brill, carp, chub, crayfish, crabs, dory, eels, flounders, grigs, herrings, lobsters, mullet, pike, prawns, salmon, shrimps, skate, soles, sturgeon, thornback, trout, turbot. meat.--beef, lamb, mutton, veal, buck venison. poultry.--chickens, ducklings, fowls, green geese, pigeons, plovers, pullets, rabbits, turkey poults, wheatears, wild ducks. game.--leverets, grouse, blackcock. vegetables.--artichokes, asparagus, beans, carrots, cabbages, cauliflowers, celery, cresses, endive, lettuces, mushrooms, onions, pease, potatoes, radishes, sea-bale, small salading, sprouts, turnips, various kitchen herbs, vegetable marrows. fruit.--currants, figs, filberts, gooseberries, grapes, melons, mulberries, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, raspberries, walnuts. september. fish.--brill, carp, cod, eels, flounders, lobsters, mullet, oysters, plaice, prawns, skate, soles, turbot, whiting, whitebait. meat.--beef, lamb, mutton, pork, veal. poultry.--chickens, ducks, fowls, geese, larks, pigeons, pullets, rabbits, teal, turkeys. game.--blackcock, buck venison, grouse, hares, partridges, pheasants. vegetables.--artichokes, asparagus, beans, cabbage sprouts, carrots, celery, lettuces, mushrooms, onions, pease, potatoes, salading, sea-kale, sprouts, tomatoes, turnips, vegetable marrows,--various herbs. fruit.--bullaces, damsons, figs, filberts, grapes, melons, morella-cherries, mulberries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, quinces, walnuts. october. fish.--barbel, brill, cod, crabs, eels, flounders, gudgeons, haddocks, lobsters, mullet, oysters, plaice, prawns, skate, soles, tench, turbot, whiting. meat.--beef, mutton, pork, veal, venison. poultry.--chickens, fowls, geese, larks, pigeons, pullets, rabbits, teal, turkeys, widgeons, wild ducks. game.--blackcock, grouse, hares, partridges, pheasants, snipes, woodcocks, doe venison. vegetables.--artichokes, beets, cabbages, cauliflowers, carrots, celery, lettuces, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, sprouts, tomatoes, turnips, vegetable marrows,--various herbs. fruit.--apples, black and white bullaces, damsons, figs, filberts, grapes, pears, quinces, walnuts. november. fish.--brill, carp, cod, crabs, eels, gudgeons, haddocks, oysters, pike, soles, tench, turbot, whiting. meat.--beef, mutton, veal, doe venison. poultry.--chickens, fowls, geese, larks, pigeons, pullets, rabbits, teal, turkeys, widgeons, wild duck. game.--hares, partridges, pheasants, snipes, woodcocks. vegetables.--beetroot, cabbages, carrots, celery, lettuces, late cucumbers, onions, potatoes, salading, spinach, sprouts,--various herbs. fruit.--apples, bullaces, chestnuts, filberts, grapes, pears, walnuts. december. fish.--barbel, brill, carp, cod, crabs, eels, dace, gudgeons, haddocks, herrings, lobsters, oysters, porch, pike, shrimps, skate, sprats, soles, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting. meat.--beef, house lamb, mutton, pork, venison. poultry.--capons, chickens, fowls, geese, pigeons, pullets, rabbits, teal, turkeys, widgeons, wild ducks. game.--hares, partridges, pheasants, snipes, woodcocks. vegetables.--broccoli, cabbages, carrots, celery, leeks, onions, potatoes, parsnips, scotch kale, turnips, winter spinach. fruit.--apples, chestnuts, filberts, grapes, medlars, oranges, pears, walnuts, dried fruits, such as almonds and raisins, figs, dates, &c.,--crystallized preserves. . when fuel and food are procured, the next consideration is, how the latter may be best preserved, with a view to its being suitably dressed. more waste is often occasioned by the want of judgment, or of necessary care in this particular, than by any other cause. in the absence of proper places for keeping provisions, a hanging safe, suspended in an airy situation, is the best substitute. a well-ventilated larder, dry and shady, is better for meat and poultry, which require to be kept for some time; and the utmost skill in the culinary art will not compensate for the want of proper attention to this particular. though it is advisable that annual food should be hung up in the open air till its fibres have lost some degree of their toughness, yet, if it is kept till it loses its natural sweetness, its flavour has become deteriorated, and, as a wholesome comestible, it has lost many of its qualities conducive to health. as soon, therefore, as the slightest trace of putrescence is detected, it has reached its highest degree of tenderness, and should be dressed immediately. during the sultry summer months, it is difficult to procure meat that is not either tough or tainted. it should, therefore, be well examined when it comes in, and if flies have touched it, the part must be cut off, and the remainder well washed. in very cold weather, meat and vegetables touched by the frost, should be brought into the kitchen early in the morning, and soaked in cold water. in loins of meat, the long pipe that runs by the bone should be taken out, as it is apt to taint; as also the kernels of beef. rumps and edgebones of beef, when bruised, should not be purchased. all these things ought to enter into the consideration of every household manager, and great care should be taken that nothing is thrown away, or suffered to be wasted in the kitchen, which might, by proper management, be turned to a good account. the shank-bones of mutton, so little esteemed in general, give richness to soups or gravies, if well soaked and brushed before they are added to the boiling. they are also particularly nourishing for sick persons. roast-beef bones, or shank-bones of ham, make excellent stock for pea-soup.--when the whites of eggs are used for jelly, confectionary, or other purposes, a pudding or a custard should be made, that the yolks may be used. all things likely to be wanted should be in readiness: sugars of different sorts; currants washed, picked, and perfectly dry; spices pounded, and kept in very small bottles closely corked, or in canisters, as we have already directed ( ). not more of these should be purchased at a time than are likely to be used in the course of a month. much waste is always prevented by keeping every article in the place best suited to it. vegetables keep best on a stone floor, if the air be excluded; meat, in a cold dry place; as also salt, sugar, sweet-meats, candles, dried meats, and hams. rice, and all sorts of seed for puddings, should be closely covered to preserve them from insects; but even this will not prevent them from being affected by these destroyers, if they are long and carelessly kept. [illustration] chapter iv. introduction to cookery. . as in the fine arts, the progress of mankind from barbarism to civilization is marked by a gradual succession of triumphs over the rude materialities of nature, so in the art of cookery is the progress gradual from the earliest and simplest modes, to those of the most complicated and refined. plain or rudely-carved stones, tumuli, or mounds of earth, are the monuments by which barbarous tribes denote the events of their history, to be succeeded, only in the long course of a series of ages, by beautifully-proportioned columns, gracefully-sculptured statues, triumphal arches, coins, medals, and the higher efforts of the pencil and the pen, as man advances by culture and observation to the perfection of his facilities. so is it with the art of cookery. man, in his primitive state, lives upon roots and the fruits of the earth, until, by degrees, he is driven to seek for new means, by which his wants may be supplied and enlarged. he then becomes a hunter and a fisher. as his species increases, greater necessities come upon him, when he gradually abandons the roving life of the savage for the more stationary pursuits of the herdsman. these beget still more settled habits, when he begins the practice of agriculture, forms ideas of the rights of property, and has his own, both defined and secured. the forest, the stream, and the sea are now no longer his only resources for food. he sows and he reaps, pastures and breeds cattle, lives on the cultivated produce of his fields, and revels in the luxuries of the dairy; raises flocks for clothing, and assumes, to all intents and purposes, the habits of permanent life and the comfortable condition of a farmer. this is the fourth stage of social progress, up to which the useful or mechanical arts have been incidentally developing themselves, when trade and commerce begin. through these various phases, _only to live_ has been the great object of mankind; but, by-and-by, comforts are multiplied, and accumulating riches create new wants. the object, then, is not only to _live_, but to live economically, agreeably, tastefully, and well. accordingly, the art of cookery commences; and although the fruits of the earth, the fowls of the air, the beasts of the field, and the fish of the sea, are still the only food of mankind, yet these are so prepared, improved, and dressed by skill and ingenuity, that they are the means of immeasurably extending the boundaries of human enjoyments. everything that is edible, and passes under the hands of the cook, is more or less changed, and assumes new forms. hence the influence of that functionary is immense upon the happiness of a household. . in order that the duties of the cook may be properly performed, and that he may be able to reproduce esteemed dishes with certainty, all terms of indecision should be banished from his art. accordingly, what is known only to him, will, in these pages, be made known to others. in them all those indecisive terms expressed by a bit of this, some of that, a small piece of that, and a handful of the other, shall never be made use of, but all quantities be precisely and explicitly stated. with a desire, also, that all ignorance on this most essential part of the culinary art should disappear, and that a uniform system of weights and measures should be adopted, we give an account of the weights which answer to certain measures. a table-spoonful is frequently mentioned in a recipe, in the prescriptions of medical men, and also in medical, chemical, and gastronomical works. by it is generally meant and understood a measure or bulk equal to that which would be produced by _half an ounce_ of water. a dessert-spoonful is the half of a table-spoonful; that is to say, by it is meant a measure or bulk equal to a _quarter of an ounce_ of water. a tea-spoonful is equal in quantity to a _drachm_ of water. a drop.--this is the name of a vague kind of measure, and is so called on account of the liquid being _dropped_ from the mouth of a bottle. its quantity, however, will vary, either from the consistency of the liquid or the size and shape of the mouth of the bottle. the college of physicians determined the quantity of a drop to be _one grain_, drops making one fluid drachm. their drop, or sixtieth part of a fluid drachm, is called a _minim_. [illustration: _fig_. .] graduated class measures can be obtained at any chemist's, and they save much trouble. one of these, containing a wine pint, is divided into oz., and the oz, into drachms of water; by which, any certain weight mentioned in a recipe can be accurately measured out. home-made measures of this kind can readily be formed by weighing the water contained in any given measure, and marking on any tall glass the space it occupies. this mark can easily be made with a file. it will be interesting to many readers to know the basis on which the french found their system of weights and measures, for it certainly possesses the grandeur of simplicity. the metre, which is the basis of the whole system of french weights and measures, is the exact measurement of one forty-millionth part of a meridian of the earth. . excellence in the art of cookery, as in all other things, is only attainable by practice and experience. in proportion, therefore, to the opportunities which a cook has had of these, so will be his excellence in the art. it is in the large establishments of princes, noblemen, and very affluent families alone, that the man cook is found in this country. he, also, superintends the kitchens of large hotels, clubs, and public institutions, where he, usually, makes out the bills of fare, which are generally submitted to the principal for approval. to be able to do this, therefore, it is absolutely necessary that he should be a judge of the season of every dish, as well as know perfectly the state of every article he undertakes to prepare. he must also be a judge of every article he buys; for no skill, however great it may be, will enable him to, make that good which is really bad. on him rests the responsibility of the cooking generally, whilst a speciality of his department, is to prepare the rich soups, stews, ragouts, and such dishes as enter into the more refined and complicated portions of his art, and such as are not usually understood by ordinary professors. he, therefore, holds a high position in a household, being inferior in rank, as already shown ( ), only to the house steward, the valet, and the butler. in the luxurious ages of grecian antiquity, sicilian cooks were the most esteemed, and received high rewards for their services. among them, one called trimalcio was such an adept in his art, that he could impart to common fish both the form and flavour of the most esteemed of the piscatory tribes. a chief cook in the palmy days of roman voluptuousness had about £ a year, and antony rewarded the one that cooked the supper which pleased cleopatra, with the present of a city. with the fall of the empire, the culinary art sank into less consideration. in the middle ages, cooks laboured to acquire a reputation for their sauces, which they composed of strange combinations, for the sake of novelty, as well as singularity. . the duties of the cook, the kitchen and the scullery maids, are so intimately associated, that they can hardly be treated of separately. the cook, however, is at the head of the kitchen; and in proportion to her possession of the qualities of cleanliness, neatness, order, regularity, and celerity of action, so will her influence appear in the conduct of those who are under her; as it is upon her that the whole responsibility of the business of the kitchen rests, whilst the others must lend her, both a ready and a willing assistance, and be especially tidy in their appearance, and active, in their movements. in the larger establishments of the middle ages, cooks, with the authority of feudal chiefs, gave their orders from a high chair in which they ensconced themselves, and commanded a view of all that was going on throughout their several domains. each held a long wooden spoon, with which he tasted, without leaving his seat, the various comestibles that were cooking on the stoves, and which he frequently used as a rod of punishment on the backs of those whose idleness and gluttony too largely predominated over their diligence and temperance. . if, as we have said ( ), the quality of early rising be of the first importance to the mistress, what must it be to the servant! let it, therefore, be taken as a long-proved truism, that without it, in every domestic, the effect of all things else, so far as _work_ is concerned, may, in a great measure, be neutralized. in a cook, this quality is most essential; for an hour lost in the morning, will keep her toiling, absolutely toiling, all day, to overtake that which might otherwise have been achieved with ease. in large establishments, six is a good hour to rise in the summer, and seven in the winter. . her first duty, in large establishments and where it is requisite, should be to set her dough for the breakfast rolls, provided this has not been done on the previous night, and then to engage herself with those numerous little preliminary occupations which may not inappropriately be termed laying out her duties for the day. this will bring in the breakfast hour of eight, after which, directions must be given, and preparations made, for the different dinners of the household and family. . in those numerous households where a cook and housemaid are only kept, the general custom is, that the cook should have the charge of the dining-room. the hall, the lamps and the doorstep are also committed to her care, and any other work there may be on the outside of the house. in establishments of this kind, the cook will, after having lighted her kitchen fire, carefully brushed the range, and cleaned the hearth, proceed to prepare for breakfast. she will thoroughly rinse the kettle, and, filling it with fresh water, will put it on the fire to boil. she will then go to the breakfast-room, or parlour, and there make all things ready for the breakfast of the family. her attention will next be directed to the hall, which she will sweep and wipe; the kitchen stairs, if there be any, will now be swept; and the hall mats, which have been removed and shaken, will be again put in their places. the cleaning of the kitchen, pantry, passages, and kitchen stairs must always be over before breakfast, so that it may not interfere with the other business of the day. everything should be ready, and the whole house should wear a comfortable aspect when the heads of the house and members of the family make their appearance. nothing, it may be depended on, will so please the mistress of an establishment, as to notice that, although she has not been present to see that the work was done, attention to smaller matters has been carefully paid, with a view to giving her satisfaction and increasing her comfort. . by the time that the cook has performed the duties mentioned above, and well swept, brushed, and dusted her kitchen, the breakfast-bell will most likely summon her to the parlour, to "bring in" the breakfast. it is the cook's department, generally, in the smaller establishments, to wait at breakfast, as the housemaid, by this time, has gone up-stairs into the bedrooms, and has there applied herself to her various duties. the cook usually answers the bells and single knocks at the door in the early part of the morning, as the tradesmen, with whom it is her more special business to speak, call at these hours. . it is in her preparation of the dinner that the cook begins to feel the weight and responsibility of her situation, as she must take upon herself all the dressing and the serving of the principal dishes, which her skill and ingenuity have mostly prepared. whilst these, however, are cooking, she must be busy with her pastry, soups, gravies, ragouts, &c. stock, or what the french call _consommé_, being the basis of most made dishes, must be always at hand, in conjunction with her sweet herbs and spices for seasoning. "a place for everything, and everything in its place," must be her rule, in order that time may not be wasted in looking for things when they are wanted, and in order that the whole apparatus of cooking may move with the regularity and precision of a well-adjusted machine;--all must go on simultaneously. the vegetables and sauces must be ready with the dishes they are to accompany, and in order that they may be suitable, the smallest oversight must not be made in their preparation. when the dinner-hour has arrived, it is the duty of the cook to dish-up such dishes as may, without injury, stand, for some time, covered on the hot plate or in the hot closet; but such as are of a more important or _recherché_ kind, must be delayed until the order "to serve" is given from the drawing-room. then comes haste; but there must be no hurry,--all must work with order. the cook takes charge of the fish, soups, and poultry; and the kitchen-maid of the vegetables, sauces, and gravies. these she puts into their appropriate dishes, whilst the scullery-maid waits on and assists the cook. everything must be timed so as to prevent its getting cold, whilst great care should be taken, that, between the first and second courses, no more time is allowed to elapse than is necessary, for fear that the company in the dining-room lose all relish for what has yet to come of the dinner. when the dinner has been served, the most important feature in the daily life of the cook is at an end. she must, however, now begin to look to the contents of her larder, taking care to keep everything sweet and clean, so that no disagreeable smells may arise from the gravies, milk, or meat that may be there. these are the principal duties of a cook in a first-rate establishment. in smaller establishments, the housekeeper often conducts the higher department of cooking (_see_ , , ), and the cook, with the assistance of a scullery-maid, performs some of the subordinate duties of the kitchen-maid. when circumstances render it necessary, the cook engages to perform the whole of the work of the kitchen, and, in some places, a portion of the house-work also. . whilst the cook is engaged with her morning duties, the kitchen-maid is also occupied with hers. her first duty, after the fire is lighted, is to sweep and clean the kitchen, and the various offices belonging to it. this she does every morning, besides cleaning the stone steps at the entrance of the house, the halls, the passages, and the stairs which lead to the kitchen. her general duties, besides these, are to wash and scour all these places twice a week, with the tables, shelves, and cupboards. she has also to dress the nursery and servants'-hall dinners, to prepare all fish, poultry, and vegetables, trim meat joints and cutlets, and do all such duties as may be considered to enter into the cook's department in a subordinate degree. . the duties of the scullery-maid are to assist the cook; to keep the scullery clean, and all the metallic as well as earthenware kitchen utensils. the position of scullery-maid is not, of course, one of high rank, nor is the payment for her services large. but if she be fortunate enough to have over her a good kitchen-maid and clever cook, she may very soon learn to perform various little duties connected with cooking operations, which may be of considerable service in fitting her for a more responsible place. now, it will be doubtless thought by the majority of our readers, that the fascinations connected with the position of the scullery-maid, are not so great as to induce many people to leave a comfortable home in order to work in a scullery. but we are acquainted with one instance in which the desire, on the part of a young girl, was so strong to become connected with the kitchen and cookery, that she absolutely left her parents, and engaged herself as a scullery-maid in a gentleman's house. here she showed herself so active and intelligent, that she very quickly rose to the rank of kitchen-maid; and from this, so great was her gastronomical genius, she became, in a short space of time, one of the best women-cooks in england. after this, we think, it must be allowed, that a cook, like a poet, _nascitur, non fit_. . modern cookery stands so greatly indebted to the gastronomic propensities of our french neighbours, that many of their terms are adopted and applied by english artists to the same as well as similar preparations of their own. a vocabulary of these is, therefore, indispensable in a work of this kind. accordingly, the following will be found sufficiently complete for all ordinary purposes:-- explanation of french terms used in modern household cookery. aspic.--a savoury jelly, used as an exterior moulding for cold game, poultry, fish, &c. this, being of a transparent nature, allows the bird which it covers to be seen through it. this may also be used for decorating or garnishing. assiette (plate).--_assiettes_ are the small _entrées_ and _hors-d'oeuvres_, the quantity of which does not exceed what a plate will hold. at dessert, fruits, cheese, chestnuts, biscuits, &c., if served upon a plate, are termed _assiettes_.--assiette volante is a dish which a servant hands round to the guests, but is not placed upon the table. small cheese soufflés and different dishes, which ought to be served very hot, are frequently made _assielles volantes_. au-bleu.--fish dressed in such a manner as to have a _bluish_ appearance. bain-marie.--an open saucepan or kettle of nearly boiling water, in which a smaller vessel can be set for cooking and warming. this is very useful for keeping articles hot, without altering their quantity or quality. if you keep sauce, broth, or soup by the fireside, the soup reduces and becomes too strong, and the sauce thickens as well as reduces; but this is prevented by using the _bain-marie_, in which the water should be very hot, but not boiling. bÉchamel.--french white sauce, now frequently used in english cookery. blanch.--to whiten poultry, vegetables, fruit, &c., by plunging them into boiling water for a short time, and afterwards plunging them into cold water, there to remain until they are cold. blanquette.--a sort of fricassee. bouilli.--beef or other meat boiled; but, generally speaking, boiled beef is understood by the term. bouillie.--a french dish resembling hasty-pudding. bouillon.--a thin broth or soup. braise.--to stew meat with fat bacon until it is tender, it having previously been blanched. braisiÈre.--a saucepan having a lid with ledges, to put fire on the top. brider.--to pass a packthread through poultry, game, &c., to keep together their members. caramel (burnt sugar).--this is made with a piece of sugar, of the size of a nut, browned in the bottom of a saucepan; upon which a cupful of stock is gradually poured, stirring all the time a glass of broth, little by little. it may be used with the feather of a quill, to colour meats, such as the upper part of fricandeaux; and to impart colour to sauces. caramel made with water instead of stock may be used to colour _compôtes_ and other _entremets_. casserole.--a crust of rice, which, after having been moulded into the form of a pie, is baked, and then filled with a fricassee of white meat or a purée of game. compote.--a stew, as of fruit or pigeons. consommÉ.--rich stock, or gravy. croquette.--ball of fried rice or potatoes. croutons.--sippets of bread. daubiÈre.--an oval stewpan, in which _daubes_ are cooked; _daubes_ being meat or fowl stewed in sauce. dÉsosser.--to _bone_, or take out the bones from poultry, game, or fish. this is an operation requiring considerable experience. entrÉes.--small side or corner dishes, served with the first course. entremets.--small side or corner dishes, served with the second course. escalopes.--collops; small, round, thin pieces of tender meat, or of fish, beaten with the handle of a strong knife to make them tender. feuilletage.--puff-paste. flamber.--to singe fowl or game, after they have been picked. foncer.--to put in the bottom of a saucepan slices of ham, veal, or thin broad slices of bacon. galette.--a broad thin cake. gÂteau.--a cake, correctly speaking; but used sometimes to denote a pudding and a kind of tart. glacer.--to glaze, or spread upon hot meats, or larded fowl, a thick and rich sauce or gravy, called _glaze_. this is laid on with a feather or brush, and in confectionary the term means to ice fruits and pastry with sugar, which glistens on hardening. hors-d'oeuvres.--small dishes, or _assiettes volantes_ of sardines, anchovies, and other relishes of this kind, served to the guests during the first course. (_see_ assiettes volantes.) lit.--a bed or layer; articles in thin slices are placed in layers, other articles, or seasoning, being laid between them. maigre.--broth, soup, or gravy, made without meat. matelote.--a rich fish-stew, which is generally composed of carp, eels, trout, or barbel. it is made with wine. mayonnaise.--cold sauce, or salad dressing. menu.--the bill of fare. meringue.--a kind of icing, made of whites of eggs and sugar, well beaten. miroton.--larger slices of meat than collops; such as slices of beef for a vinaigrette, or ragout or stew of onions. mouiller.--to add water, broth, or other liquid, during the cooking. paner.--to cover over with very fine crumbs of bread, meats, or any other articles to be cooked on the gridiron, in the oven, or frying-pan. piquer.--to lard with strips of fat bacon, poultry, game, meat, &c. this should always be done according to the vein of the meat, so that in carving you slice the bacon across as well as the meat. poÊlÉe.--stock used instead of water for boiling turkeys, sweetbreads, fowls, and vegetables, to render them less insipid. this is rather an expensive preparation. purÉe.--vegetables, or meat reduced to a very smooth pulp, which is afterwards mixed with enough liquid to make it of the consistency of very thick soup. ragout.--stew or hash. remoulade.--salad dressing. rissoles.--pastry, made of light puff-paste, and cut into various forms, and fried. they may be filled with fish, meat, or sweets. roux.--brown and white; french thickening. salmi.--ragout of game previously roasted. sauce piquante.--a sharp sauce, in which somewhat of a vinegar flavour predominates. sauter.--to dress with sauce in a saucepan, repeatedly moving it about. tamis.--tammy, a sort of open cloth or sieve through which to strain broth and sauces, so as to rid them of small bones, froth, &c. tourte.--tart. fruit pie. trousser.--to truss a bird; to put together the body and tie the wings and thighs, in order to round it for roasting or boiling, each being tied then with packthread, to keep it in the required form. vol-au-vent.--a rich crust of very fine puff-paste, which may be filled with various delicate ragouts or fricassees, of fish, flesh, or fowl. fruit may also be inclosed in a _vol-au-vent_. [illustration] soups. chapter v. general directions for making soups. . lean, juicy beef, mutton, and veal, form the basis of all good soups; therefore it is advisable to procure those pieces which afford the richest succulence, and such as are fresh-killed. stale meat renders them bad, and fat is not so well adapted for making them. the principal art in composing good rich soup, is so to proportion the several ingredients that the flavour of one shall not predominate over another, and that all the articles of which it is composed, shall form an agreeable whole. to accomplish this, care must be taken that the roots and herbs are perfectly well cleaned, and that the water is proportioned to the quantity of meat and other ingredients. generally a quart of water may be allowed to a pound of meat for soups, and half the quantity for gravies. in making soups or gravies, gentle stewing or simmering is incomparably the best. it may be remarked, however, that a really good soup can never be made but in a well-closed vessel, although, perhaps, greater wholesomeness is obtained by an occasional exposure to the air. soups will, in general, take from three to six hours doing, and are much better prepared the day before they are wanted. when the soup is cold, the fat may be much more easily and completely removed; and when it is poured off, care must be taken not to disturb the settlings at the bottom of the vessel, which are so fine that they will escape through a sieve. a tamis is the best strainer, and if the soup is strained while it is hot, let the tamis or cloth be previously soaked in cold water. clear soups must be perfectly transparent, and thickened soups about the consistence of cream. to thicken and give body to soups and gravies, potato-mucilage, arrow-root, bread-raspings, isinglass, flour and butter, barley, rice, or oatmeal, in a little water rubbed well together, are used. a piece of boiled beef pounded to a pulp, with a bit of butter and flour, and rubbed through a sieve, and gradually incorporated with the soup, will be found an excellent addition. when the soup appears to be _too thin_ or _too weak_, the cover of the boiler should be taken off, and the contents allowed to boil till some of the watery parts have evaporated; or some of the thickening materials, above mentioned, should be added. when soups and gravies are kept from day to day in hot weather, they should be warmed up every day, and put into fresh scalded pans or tureens, and placed in a cool cellar. in temperate weather, every other day may be sufficient. . various herbs and vegetables are required for the purpose of making soups and gravies. of these the principal are,--scotch barley, pearl barley, wheat flour, oatmeal, bread-raspings, pease, beans, rice, vermicelli, macaroni, isinglass, potato-mucilage, mushroom or mushroom ketchup, champignons, parsnips, carrots, beetroot, turnips, garlic, shalots, and onions. sliced onions, fried with butter and flour till they are browned, and then rubbed through a sieve, are excellent to heighten the colour and flavour of brown soups and sauces, and form the basis of many of the fine relishes furnished by the cook. the older and drier the onion, the stronger will be its flavour. leeks, cucumber, or burnet vinegar; celery or celery-seed pounded. the latter, though equally strong, does not impart the delicate sweetness of the fresh vegetable; and when used as a substitute, its flavour should be corrected by the addition of a bit of sugar. cress-seed, parsley, common thyme, lemon thyme, orange thyme, knotted marjoram, sage, mint, winter savoury, and basil. as fresh green basil is seldom to be procured, and its fine flavour is soon lost, the best way of preserving the extract is by pouring wine on the fresh leaves. . for the seasoning of soups, bay-leaves, tomato, tarragon, chervil, burnet, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, mace, black and white pepper, essence of anchovy, lemon-peel, and juice, and seville orange-juice, are all taken. the latter imparts a finer flavour than the lemon, and the acid is much milder. these materials, with wine, mushroom ketchup, harvey's sauce, tomato sauce, combined in various proportions, are, with other ingredients, manipulated into an almost endless variety of excellent soups and gravies. soups, which are intended to constitute the principal part of a meal, certainly ought not to be flavoured like sauces, which are only designed to give a relish to some particular dish. soup, broth and bouillon. . it has been asserted, that english cookery is, nationally speaking, far from being the best in the world. more than this, we have been frequently told by brilliant foreign writers, half philosophers, half _chefs_, that we are the _worst_ cooks on the face of the earth, and that the proverb which alludes to the divine origin of food, and the precisely opposite origin of its preparers, is peculiarly applicable to us islanders. not, however, to the inhabitants of the whole island; for, it is stated in a work which treats of culinary operations, north of the tweed, that the "broth" of scotland claims, for excellence and wholesomeness, a very close second place to the _bouillon_, or common soup of france. "_three_ hot meals of broth and meat, for about the price of one roasting joint," our scottish brothers and sisters get, they say; and we hasten to assent to what we think is now a very well-ascertained fact. we are glad to note, however, that soups of vegetables, fish, meat, and game, are now very frequently found in the homes of the english middle classes, as well as in the mansions of the wealthier and more aristocratic; and we take this to be one evidence, that we are on the right road to an improvement in our system of cookery. one great cause of many of the spoilt dishes and badly-cooked meats which are brought to our tables, arises, we think, and most will agree with us, from a non-acquaintance with "common, every-day things." entertaining this view, we intend to preface the chapters of this work with a simple scientific _résumé_ of all those causes and circumstances which relate to the food we have to prepare, and the theory and chemistry of the various culinary operations. accordingly, this is the proper place to treat of the quality of the flesh of animals, and describe some of the circumstances which influence it for good or bad. we will, therefore, commence with the circumstance of _age_, and examine how far this affects the quality of meat. . during the period between the birth and maturity of animals, their flesh undergoes very considerable changes. for instance, when the animal is young, the fluids which the tissues of the muscles contain, possess a large proportion of what is called _albumen_. this albumen, which is also the chief component of the white of eggs, possesses the peculiarity of coagulating or hardening at a certain temperature, like the white of a boiled egg, into a soft, white fluid, no longer soluble, or capable of being dissolved in water. as animals grow older, this peculiar animal matter gradually decreases, in proportion to the other constituents of the juice of the flesh. thus, the reason why veal, lamb, and young pork are _white, and without gravy_ when cooked, is, that the large quantity of albumen they contain hardens, or becomes coagulated. on the other hand, the reason why beef and mutton are _brown, and have gravy_, is, that the proportion of albumen they contain, is small, in comparison with their greater quantity of fluid which is soluble, and not coagulable. . the quality of the flesh of an animal is considerably influenced by the nature of the _food on which it has been fed_; for the food supplies the material which produces the flesh. if the food be not suitable and good, the meat cannot be good either; just as the paper on which these words are printed, could not be good, if the rags from which it is made, were not of a fine quality. to the experienced in this matter, it is well known that the flesh of animals fed on farinaceous produce, such as corn, pulse, &c., is firm, well-flavoured, and also economical in the cooking; that the flesh of those fed on succulent and pulpy substances, such as roots, possesses these qualities in a somewhat less degree; whilst the flesh of those whose food contains fixed oil, as linseed, is greasy, high coloured, and gross in the fat, and if the food has been used in large quantities, possessed of a rank flavour. . it is indispensable to the good quality of meat, that the animal should be _perfectly healthy_ at the time of its slaughter. however slight the disease in an animal may be, inferiority in the quality of its flesh, as food, is certain to be produced. in most cases, indeed, as the flesh of diseased animals has a tendency to very rapid putrefaction, it becomes not only unwholesome, but absolutely poisonous, on account of the absorption of the _virus_ of the unsound meat into the systems of those who partake of it. the external indications of good and bad meat will be described under its own particular head, but we may here premise that the layer of all wholesome meat, when freshly killed, adheres firmly to the bone. . another circumstance greatly affecting the quality of meat, is the animal's treatment _before it is slaughtered_. this influences its value and wholesomeness in no inconsiderable degree. it will be easy to understand this, when we reflect on those leading principles by which the life of an animal is supported and maintained. these are, the digestion of its food, and the assimilation of that food into its substance. nature, in effecting this process, first reduces the food in the stomach to a state of pulp, under the name of chyme, which passes into the intestines, and is there divided into two principles, each distinct from the other. one, a milk-white fluid,--the nutritive portion,--is absorbed by innumerable vessels which open upon the mucous membrane, or inner coat of the intestines. these vessels, or absorbents, discharge the fluid into a common duct, or road, along which it is conveyed to the large veins in the neighbourhood of the heart. here it is mixed with the venous blood (which is black and impure) returning from every part of the body, and then it supplies the waste which is occasioned in the circulating stream by the arterial (or pure) blood having furnished matter for the substance of the animal. the blood of the animal having completed its course through all parts, and having had its waste recruited by the digested food, is now received into the heart, and by the action of that organ it is urged through the lungs, there to receive its purification from the air which the animal inhales. again returning to the heart, it is forced through the arteries, and thence distributed, by innumerable ramifications, called capillaries, bestowing to every part of the animal, life and nutriment. the other principle--the innutritive portion--passes from the intestines, and is thus got rid of. it will now be readily understood how flesh is affected for bad, if an animal is slaughtered when the circulation of its blood has been increased by over-driving, ill-usage, or other causes of excitement, to such a degree of rapidity as to be too great for the capillaries to perform their functions, and causing the blood to be congealed in its minuter vessels. where this has been the case, the meat will be dark-coloured, and become rapidly putrid; so that self-interest and humanity alike dictate kind and gentle treatment of all animals destined to serve as food for man. the chemistry and economy of soup-making. . stock being the basis of all meat soups, and, also, of all the principal sauces, it is essential to the success of these culinary operations, to know the most complete and economical method of extracting, from a certain quantity of meat, the best possible stock or broth. the theory and philosophy of this process we will, therefore, explain, and then proceed to show the practical course to be adopted. . as all meat is principally composed of fibres, fat, gelatine, osmazome, and albumen, it is requisite to know that the fibres are inseparable, constituting almost all that remains of the meat after it has undergone a long boiling. . fat is dissolved by boiling; but as it is contained in cells covered by a very fine membrane, which never dissolves, a portion of it always adheres to the fibres. the other portion rises to the surface of the stock, and is that which has escaped from the cells which were not whole, or which have burst by boiling. . gelatine is soluble: it is the basis and the nutritious portion of the stock. when there is an abundance of it, it causes the stock, when cold, to become a jelly. . osmazome is soluble even when cold, and is that part of the meat which gives flavour and perfume to the stock. the flesh of old animals contains more _osmazome_ than that of young ones. brown meats contain more than white, and the former make the stock more fragrant. by roasting meat, the osmazome appears to acquire higher properties; so, by putting the remains of roast meats into your stock-pot, you obtain a better flavour. . albumen is of the nature of the white of eggs; it can be dissolved in cold or tepid water, but coagulates when it is put into water not quite at the boiling-point. from this property in albumen, it is evident that if the meat is put into the stock-pot when the water boils, or after this is made to boil up quickly, the albumen, in both cases, hardens. in the first it rises to the surface, in the second it remains in the meat, but in both it prevents the gelatine and osmazome from dissolving; and hence a thin and tasteless stock will be obtained. it ought to be known, too, that the coagulation of the albumen in the meat, always takes place, more or less, according to the size of the piece, as the parts farthest from the surface always acquire _that degree_ of heat which congeals it before entirely dissolving it. . bones ought always to form a component part of the stock-pot. they are composed of an earthy substance,--to which they owe their solidity,--of gelatine, and a fatty fluid, something like marrow. _two ounces_ of them contain as much gelatine as _one pound_ of meat; but in them, this is so incased in the earthy substance, that boiling water can dissolve only the surface of whole bones. by breaking them, however, you can dissolve more, because you multiply their surfaces; and by reducing them to powder or paste, you can dissolve them entirely; but you must not grind them dry. we have said ( ) that gelatine forms the basis of stock; but this, though very nourishing, is entirely without taste; and to make the stock savoury, it must contain _osmazome_. of this, bones do not contain a particle; and that is the reason why stock made entirely of them, is not liked; but when you add meat to the broken or pulverized bones, the osmazome contained in it makes the stock sufficiently savoury. . in concluding this part of our subject, the following condensed hints and directions should be attended to in the economy of soup-making:-- i. beef makes the best stock; veal stock has less colour and taste; whilst mutton sometimes gives it a tallowy smell, far from agreeable, unless the meat has been previously roasted or broiled. fowls add very little to the flavour of stock, unless they be old and fat. pigeons, when they are old, add the most flavour to it; and a rabbit or partridge is also a great improvement. from the freshest meat the best stock is obtained. ii. if the meat be boiled solely to make stock, it must be cut up into the smallest possible pieces; but, generally speaking, if it is desired to have good stock and a piece of savoury meat as well, it is necessary to put a rather large piece into the stock-pot, say sufficient for two or three days, during which time the stock will keep well in all weathers. choose the freshest meat, and have it cut as thick as possible; for if it is a thin, flat piece, it will not look well, and will be very soon spoiled by the boiling. iii. never wash meat, as it deprives its surface of all its juices; separate it from the bones, and tie it round with tape, so that its shape may be preserved, then put it into the stock-pot, and for each pound of meat, let there be one pint of water; press it down with the hand, to allow the air, which it contains, to escape, and which often raises it to the top of the water. iv. put the stock-pot on a gentle fire, so that it may heat gradually. the albumen will first dissolve, afterwards coagulate; and as it is in this state lighter than the liquid, it will rise to the surface; bringing with it all its impurities. it is this which makes _the scum_. the rising of the hardened albumen has the same effect in clarifying stock as the white of eggs; and, as a rule, it may be said that the more scum there is, the clearer will be the stock. always take care that the fire is very regular. v. remove the scum when it rises thickly, and do not let the stock boil, because then one portion of the scum will be dissolved, and the other go to the bottom of the pot; thus rendering it very difficult to obtain a clear broth. if the fire is regular, it will not be necessary to add cold water in order to make the scum rise; but if the fire is too large at first, it will then be necessary to do so. vi. when the stock is well skimmed, and begins to boil, put in salt and vegetables, which may be two or three carrots, two turnips, one parsnip, a bunch of leeks and celery tied together. you can add, according to taste, a piece of cabbage, two or three cloves stuck in an onion, and a tomato. the latter gives a very agreeable flavour to the stock. if fried onion be added, it ought, according to the advice of a famous french _chef_, to be tied in a little bag: without this precaution, the colour of the stock is liable to be clouded. vii. by this time we will now suppose that you have chopped the bones which were separated from the meat, and those which were left from the roast meat of the day before. remember, as was before pointed out, that the more these are broken, the more gelatine you will have. the best way to break them up is to pound them roughly in an iron mortar, adding, from time to time, a little water, to prevent them getting heated. it is a great saving thus to make use of the bones of meat, which, in too many english families, we fear, are entirely wasted; for it is certain, as previously stated (no. ), that two ounces of bone contain as much gelatine (which is the nutritive portion of stock) as one pound of meat. in their broken state tie them up in a bag, and put them in the stock-pot; adding the gristly parts of cold meat, and trimmings, which can be used for no other purpose. if, to make up the weight, you have received from the butcher a piece of mutton or veal, broil it slightly over a clear fire before putting it in the stock-pot, and be very careful that it does not contract the least taste of being smoked or burnt. viii. add now the vegetables, which, to a certain extent, will stop the boiling of the stock. wait, therefore, till it simmers well up again, then draw it to the side of the fire, and keep it gently simmering till it is served, preserving, as before said, your fire always the same. cover the stock-pot well, to prevent evaporation; do not fill it up, even if you take out a little stock, unless the meat is exposed; in which case a little boiling water may be added, but only enough to cover it. after six hours' slow and gentle simmering, the stock is done; and it should not be continued on the fire, longer than is necessary, or it will tend to insipidity. _note_.--it is on a good stock, or first good broth and sauce, that excellence in cookery depends. if the preparation of this basis of the culinary art is intrusted to negligent or ignorant persons, and the stock is not well skimmed, but indifferent results will be obtained. the stock will never be clear; and when it is obliged to be clarified, it is deteriorated both in quality and flavour. in the proper management of the stock-pot an immense deal of trouble is saved, inasmuch as one stock, in a small dinner, serves for all purposes. above all things, the greatest economy, consistent with excellence, should be practised, and the price of everything which enters the kitchen correctly ascertained. the _theory_ of this part of household management may appear trifling; but its practice is extensive, and therefore it requires the best attention. [illustration] recipes. chapter vi. fruit and vegetable soups. [_it will be seen, by reference to the following recipes, that an entirely original and most intelligible system has been pursued in explaining the preparation of each dish. we would recommend the young housekeeper, cook, or whoever may be engaged in the important task of "getting ready" the dinner, or other meal, to follow precisely the order in which the recipes are given. thus, let them first place on their table all the ingredients necessary; then the modus operandi, or mode of preparation, will be easily managed. by a careful reading, too, of the recipes, there will not be the slightest difficulty in arranging a repast for any number of persons, and an accurate notion will be gained of the time the cooling of each dish will occupy, of the periods at which it is seasonable, as also of its_ average cost. _the addition of the natural history, and the description of the various properties of the edible articles in common use in every family, will be serviceable both in a practical and an educational point of view._ _speaking specially of the recipes for soups, it may be added, that by the employment of the_ best, medium, _or_ common stock, _the quality of the soups and their cost may be proportionately increased or lessened._] stocks for all kinds of soups. rich strong stock. . ingredients.-- lbs. of shin of beef, lbs. of knuckle of veal, / lb. of good lean ham; any poultry trimmings; small onions, small carrots, turnips (the latter should be omitted in summer, lest they ferment), head of celery, a few chopped mushrooms, when obtainable; tomato, a bunch of savoury herbs, not forgetting parsley; - / oz. of salt, white peppercorns, cloves, small blades of mace, quarts of water. _mode_.--line a delicately clean stewpan with the ham cut in thin broad slices, carefully trimming off all its rusty fat; cut up the beef and veal in pieces about inches square, and lay them on the ham; set it on the stove, and draw it down, and stir frequently. when the meat is equally browned, put in the beef and veal bones, the poultry trimmings, and pour in the cold water. skim well, and occasionally add a little cold water, to stop its boiling, until it becomes quite clear; then put in all the other ingredients, and simmer very slowly for hours. do not let it come to a brisk boil, that the stock be not wasted, and that its colour may be preserved. strain through a very fine hair sieve, or tammy, and it will be fit for use. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. medium stock. . ingredients.-- lbs. of shin of beef, or lbs. of knuckle of veal, or lbs. of each; any bones, trimmings of poultry, or fresh meat, / a lb. of lean bacon or ham, oz. of butter, large onions, each stuck with cloves; turnip, carrots, / a leek, head of celery, oz. of salt, / a teaspoonful of whole pepper, large blade of mace, small bunch of savoury herbs, quarts and / pint of cold water. _mode_.--cut up the meat and bacon or ham into pieces about inches square; rub the butter on the bottom of the stewpan; put in / a pint of water, the meat, and all the other ingredients. cover the stewpan, and place it on a sharp fire, occasionally stirring its contents. when the bottom of the pan becomes covered with a pale, jelly-like substance, add quarts of cold water, and simmer very gently for hours. as we have said before, do not let it boil quickly. skim off every particle of grease whilst it is doing, and strain it through a fine hair sieve. this is the basis of many of the soups afterwards mentioned, and will be found quite strong enough for ordinary purposes. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. economical stock. . ingredients.--the liquor in which a joint of meat has been boiled, say quarts; trimmings of fresh meat or poultry, shank-bones, &c., roast-beef bones, any pieces the larder may furnish; vegetables, spices, and the same seasoning as in the foregoing recipe. _mode_.--let all the ingredients simmer gently for hours, taking care to skim carefully at first. strain it off, and put by for use. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. white stock. (_to be used in the preparation of white soups_.) . ingredients.-- lbs. of knuckle of veal, any poultry trimmings, slices of lean ham, carrot, onions, head of celery, white peppercorns, oz. of salt, blade of mace, oz. butter, quarts of water. _mode_.--cut up the veal, and put it with the bones and trimmings of poultry, and the ham, into the stewpan, which has been rubbed with the butter. moisten with / a pint of water, and simmer till the gravy begins to flow. then add the quarts of water and the remainder of the ingredients; simmer for hours. after skimming and straining it carefully through a very fine hair sieve, it will be ready for use. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _note_.--when stronger stock is desired, double the quantity of veal, or put in an old fowl. the liquor in which a young turkey has been boiled, is an excellent addition to all white stock or soups. browning for stock. . ingredients.-- oz. of powdered sugar, and / a pint of water. _mode_.--place the sugar in a stewpan over a slow fire until it begins to melt, keeping it stirred with a wooden spoon until it becomes black, then add the water, and let it dissolve. cork closely, and use a few drops when required. _note_.--in france, burnt onions are made use of for the purpose of browning. as a general rule, the process of browning is to be discouraged, as apt to impart a slightly unpleasant flavour to the stock, and, consequently, all soups made from it. to clarify stock. . ingredients.--the whites of eggs, / pint of water, quarts of stock. _mode_.--supposing that by some accident the soup is not quite clear, and that its quantity is quarts, take the whites of eggs, carefully separated from their yolks, whisk them well together with the water, and add gradually the quarts of boiling stock, still whisking. place the soup on the fire, and when boiling and well skimmed, whisk the eggs with it till nearly boiling again; then draw it from the fire, and let it settle, until the whites of the eggs become separated. pass through a fine cloth, and the soup should be clear. _note_.--the rule is, that all clear soups should be of a light straw colour, and should not savour too strongly of the meat; and that all white or brown thick soups should have no more consistency than will enable them to adhere slightly to the spoon when hot. all _purées_ should be somewhat thicker. almond soup. . ingredients.-- lbs. of lean beef or veal, / a scrag of mutton, oz. of vermicelli, blades of mace, cloves, / lb. of sweet almonds, the yolks of eggs, gill of thick cream, rather more than quarts of water. _mode_.--boil the beef, or veal, and the mutton, gently in water that will cover them, till the gravy is very strong, and the meat very tender; then strain off the gravy, and set it on the fire with the specified quantities of vermicelli, mace, and cloves, to quarts. let it boil till it has the flavour of the spices. have ready the almonds, blanched and pounded very fine; the yolks of the eggs boiled hard; mixing the almonds, whilst pounding, with a little of the soup, lest the latter should grow oily. pound them till they are a mere pulp, and keep adding to them, by degrees, a little soup until they are thoroughly mixed together. let the soup be cool when mixing, and do it perfectly smooth. strain it through a sieve, set it on the fire, stir frequently, and serve hot. just before taking it up, add the cream. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_ per quart, s. d. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: almond & blossom.] the almond-tree.--this tree is indigenous to the northern parts of asia and africa, but it is now cultivated in europe, especially in the south of france, italy, and spain. it flowers in spring, and produces its fruit in august. although there are two kinds of almonds, the _sweet_ and the _bitter,_ they are considered as only varieties of the same species. the best sweet almonds brought to england, are called the syrian or jordan, and come from malaga; the inferior qualities are brought from valentia and italy. _bitter_ almonds come principally from magadore. anciently, the almond was much esteemed by the nations of the east. jacob included it among the presents which he designed for joseph. the greeks called it the greek or thasian nut, and the romans believed that by eating half a dozen of them, they were secured against drunkenness, however deeply they might imbibe. almonds, however, are considered as very indigestible. the _bitter_ contain, too, principles which produce two violent poisons,--prussic acid and a kind of volatile oil. it is consequently dangerous to eat them in large quantities. almonds pounded together with a little sugar and water, however, produce a milk similar to that which is yielded by animals. their oil is used for making fine soap, and their cake as a cosmetic. apple soup. . ingredients.-- lbs. of good boiling apples, / teaspoonful of white pepper, cloves, cayenne or ginger to taste, quarts of medium stock. _mode_.--peel and quarter the apples, taking out their cores; put them into the stock, stew them gently till tender. rub the whole through a strainer, add the seasoning, give it one boil up, and serve. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_ per quart, s. _seasonable_ from september to december. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: apple and blossom.] the apple.--this useful fruit is mentioned in holy writ; and homer describes it as valuable in his time. it was brought from the east by the romans, who held it in the highest estimation. indeed, some of the citizens of the "eternal city" distinguished certain favourite apples by their names. thus the manlians were called after manlius, the claudians after claudius, and the appians after appius. others were designated after the country whence they were brought; as the sidonians, the epirotes, and the greeks. the best varieties are natives of asia, and have, by grafting them upon others, been introduced into europe. the crab, found in our hedges, is the only variety indigenous to britain; therefore, for the introduction of other kinds we are, no doubt, indebted to the romans. in the time of the saxon heptarchy, both devon and somerset were distinguished as _the apple country_; and there are still existing in herefordshire some trees said to have been planted in the time of william the conqueror. from that time to this, the varieties of this precious fruit have gone on increasing, and are now said to number upwards of , . it is peculiar to the temperate zone, being found neither in lapland, nor within the tropics. the best baking apples for early use are the colvilles; the best for autumn are the rennets and pearmains; and the best for winter and spring are russets. the best table, or eating apples, are the margarets for early use; the kentish codlin and summer pearmain for summer; and for autumn, winter, or spring, the dowton, golden and other pippins, as the ribstone, with small russets. as a food, the apple cannot be considered to rank high, as more than the half of it consists of water, and the rest of its properties are not the most nourishing. it is, however, a useful adjunct to other kinds of food, and, when cooked, is esteemed as slightly laxative. artichoke (jerusalem) soup. (_a white soup_.) . ingredients.-- slices of lean bacon or ham, / a head of celery, turnip, onion, oz. of butter, lbs. of artichokes, pint of boiling milk, or / pint of boiling cream, salt and cayenne to taste, lumps of sugar, - / quarts of white stock. _mode_.--put the bacon and vegetables, which should be cut into thin slices, into the stewpan with the butter. braise these for / of an hour, keeping them well stirred. wash and pare the artichokes, and after cutting them into thin slices, add them, with a pint of stock, to the other ingredients. when these have gently stewed down to a smooth pulp, put in the remainder of the stock. stir it well, adding the seasoning, and when it has simmered for five minutes, pass it through a strainer. now pour it back into the stewpan, let it again simmer five minutes, taking care to skim it well, and stir it to the boiling milk or cream. serve with small sippets of bread fried in butter. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_ per quart, s. d. _seasonable_ from june to october. _sufficient_ for persons. asparagus soup. i. . ingredients.-- lbs. of lean beef, slices of bacon, / pint of pale ale, a few leaves of white beet, spinach, cabbage lettuce, a little mint, sorrel, and marjoram, a pint of asparagus-tops cut small, the crust of french roll, seasoning to taste, quarts of water. _mode_.--put the beef, cut in pieces and rolled in flour, into a stewpan, with the bacon at the bottom; cover it close, and set it on a slow fire, stirring it now and then till the gravy is drawn. put in the water and ale, and season to taste with pepper and salt, and let it stew gently for hours; then strain the liquor, and take off the fat, and add the white beet, spinach, cabbage lettuce, and mint, sorrel, and sweet marjoram, pounded. let these boil up in the liquor, then put in the asparagus-tops cut small, and allow them to boil till all is tender. serve hot, with the french roll in the dish. _time_.--altogether hours. _average cost_ per quart, s. d. _seasonable_ from may to august. _sufficient_ for persons. ii. . ingredients.-- - / pint of split peas, a teacupful of gravy, young onions, lettuce cut small, / a head of celery, / a pint of asparagus cut small, / a pint of cream, quarts of water: colour the soup with spinach juice. _mode_.--boil the peas, and rub them through a sieve; add the gravy, and then stew by themselves the celery, onions, lettuce, and asparagus, with the water. after this, stew altogether, and add the colouring and cream, and serve. _time_.--peas - / hours, vegetables hour; altogether hours. _average cost_ per quart, s. [illustration: asparagus.] asparagus.--the ancients called all the sprouts of young vegetables asparagus, whence the name, which is now limited to a particular species, embracing artichoke, alisander, asparagus, cardoon, rampion, and sea-kale. they are originally mostly wild seacoast plants; and, in this state, asparagus may still be found on the northern as well as southern shores of britain. it is often vulgarly called, in london, _sparrowgrass_; and, in it's cultivated form, hardly bears any resemblance to the original plant. immense quantities of it are raised for the london market, at mortlake and deptford; but it belongs rather to the classes of luxurious than necessary food. it is light and easily digested, but is not very nutritious. baked soup. . ingredients.-- lb. of any kind of meat, any trimmings or odd pieces; onions, carrots, oz. of rice, pint of split peas, pepper and salt to taste, quarts of water. _mode_.--cut the meat and vegetables in slices, add to them the rice and peas, season with pepper and salt. put the whole in a jar, fill up with the water, cover very closely, and bake for hours. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, - / d. per quart. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for or persons. _note_.--this will be found a very cheap and wholesome soup, and will be convenient in those cases where baking is more easily performed than boiling. barley soup. . ingredients.-- lbs. of shin of beef, / lb. of pearl barley, a large bunch of parsley, onions, potatoes, salt and pepper, quarts of water. _mode_.--put in all the ingredients, and simmer gently for hours. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, - / d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year, but more suitable for winter. [illustration: barley.] barley.--this, in the order of cereal grasses, is, in britain, the next plant to wheat in point of value, and exhibits several species and varieties. from what country it comes originally, is not known, but it was cultivated in the earliest ages of antiquity, as the egyptians were afflicted with the loss of it in the ear, in the time of moses. it was a favourite grain with the athenians, but it was esteemed as an ignominious food by the romans. notwithstanding this, however, it was much used by them, as it was in former times by the english, and still is, in the border counties, in cornwall, and also in wales. in other parts of england, it is used mostly for malting purposes. it is less nutritive than wheat; and in parts, has of starch , gluten , saccharine matter , husk . it is, however, a lighter and less stimulating food than wheat, which renders a decoction of it well adapted for invalids whose digestion is weak. bread soup. (_economical_.) . ingredients.-- lb. of bread crusts, oz. butter, quart of common stock. _mode_.--boil the bread crusts in the stock with the butter; beat the whole with a spoon, and keep it boiling till the bread and stock are well mixed. season with a little salt. _time_.--half an hour. _average cost_ per quart, d. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this is a cheap recipe, and will be found useful where extreme economy is an object. [illustration: quern, or grinding-mill.] bread.--the origin of bread is involved in the obscurity of distant ages. the greeks attributed its invention to pan; but before they, themselves, had an existence, it was, no doubt, in use among the primitive nations of mankind. the chaldeans and the egyptians were acquainted with it, and sarah, the companion of abraham, mixed flour and water together, kneaded it, and covered it with ashes on the hearth. the scriptures inform us that leavened bread was known to the israelites, but it is not known when the art of fermenting it was discovered. it is said that the romans learnt it during their wars with perseus, king of macedon, and that it was introduced to the "imperial city" about years before the birth of christ. with them it no doubt found its way into britain; but after their departure from the island, it probably ceased to be used. we know that king alfred allowed the unfermented cakes to burn in the neatherd's cottage; and that, even in the sixteenth century, unfermented cakes, kneaded by the women, were the only kind of bread known to the inhabitants of norway and sweden. the italians of this day consume the greater portion of their flour in the form of _polenta_, or soft pudding, vermicelli, and macaroni; and, in the remoter districts of scotland, much unfermented bread is still used. we give a cut of the _quern_ grinding-mill, which, towards the end of the last century, was in use in that country, and which is thus described by dr. johnson in his "journey to the hebrides:"--"it consists of two stones about a foot and half in diameter; the lower is a little convex, to which the concavity of the upper must be fitted. in the middle of the upper stone is a round hole, and on one side is a long handle. the grinder sheds the corn gradually into the hole with one hand, and works the handle round with the other. the corn slides down the convexity of the lower stone, and by the motion of the upper, is ground in its passage." such a primitive piece of machinery, it may safely be said, has entirely disappeared from this country.--in other parts of this work, we shall have opportunities of speaking of bread and bread-making, which, from its great and general use in the nourishment of mankind, has emphatically been called the "staff of life." the necessity, therefore, of having it both pure and good is of the first importance. cabbage soup. . ingredients.-- large cabbage, carrots, onions, or slices of lean bacon, salt and pepper to taste, quarts of medium stock no. . _mode_.--scald the cabbage, exit it up and drain it. line the stewpan with the bacon, put in the cabbage, carrots, and onions; moisten with skimmings from the stock, and simmer very gently, till the cabbage is tender; add the stock, stew softly for half an hour, and carefully skim off every particle of fat. season and serve. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: cabbage seeding.] the cabbage.--it is remarkable, that although there is no country in the world now more plentifully supplied with fruits and vegetables than great britain, yet the greater number of these had no existence in it before the time of henry viii. anderson, writing under the date of , says, "the english cultivated scarcely any vegetables before the last two centuries. at the commencement of the reign, of henry viii. neither salad, nor carrots, nor cabbages, nor radishes, nor any other comestibles of a like nature, were grown in any part of the kingdom; they came from holland and flanders." the original of all the cabbage tribe is the wild plant _sea-colewort_, which is to be found _wasting_ whatever sweetness it may have on the desert air, on many of the cliffs of the south coast of england. in this state, it scarcely weighs more than half an ounce, yet, in a cultivated state, to what dimensions can it be made to grow! however greatly the whole of the tribe is esteemed among the moderns, by the ancients they were held in yet higher estimation. the egyptians adored and raised altars to them, and the greeks and romans ascribed many of the most exalted virtues to them. cato affirmed, that the cabbage cured all diseases, and declared, that it was to its use that the romans were enabled to live in health and without the assistance of physicians for years. it was introduced by that people into germany, gaul, and, no doubt, britain; although, in this last, it may have been suffered to pass into desuetude for some centuries. the whole tribe is in general wholesome and nutritive, and forms a valuable adjunct to animal food. soup a la cantatrice. (_an excellent soup, very beneficial for the voice_.) . ingredients.-- oz. of sago, / pint of cream, the yolks of eggs, lump of sugar, and seasoning to taste, bay-leaf (if liked), quarts of medium stock no. . _mode_.--having washed the sago in boiling water, let it be gradually added to the nearly boiling stock. simmer for / an hour, when it should be well dissolved. beat up the yolks of the eggs, add to them the boiling cream; stir these quickly in the soup, and serve immediately. do not let the soup boil, or the eggs will curdle. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this is a soup, the principal ingredients of which, sago and eggs, have always been deemed very beneficial to the chest and throat. in various quantities, and in different preparations, these have been partaken of by the principal singers of the day, including the celebrated swedish nightingale, jenny lind, and, as they have always avowed, with considerable advantage to the voice, in singing. carrot soup. i. . ingredients.-- quarts of liquor in which a leg of mutton or beef has been boiled, a few beef-bones, large carrots, large onions, turnip; seasoning of salt and pepper to taste; cayenne. _mode_.--put the liquor, bones, onions, turnip, pepper, and salt, into a stewpan, and simmer for hours. scrape and cut the carrots thin, strain the soup on them, and stew them till soft enough to pulp through a hair sieve or coarse cloth; then boil the pulp with the soup, which should be of the consistency of pea-soup. add cayenne. pulp only the red part of the carrot, and make this soup the day before it is wanted. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_ per quart, - / d. _seasonable_ from october to march. _sufficient_ for persons. ii. . ingredients.-- lbs. of carrots, oz. of butter, seasoning to taste of salt and cayenne, quarts of stock or gravy soup. _mode_.--scrape and cut out all specks from the carrots, wash, and wipe them dry, and then reduce them into quarter-inch slices. put the butter into a large stewpan, and when it is melted, add lbs. of the sliced carrots, and let them stew gently for an hour without browning. add to them the soup, and allow them to simmer till tender,--say for nearly an hour. press them through a strainer with the soup, and add salt and cayenne if required. boil the whole gently for minutes, skim well, and serve as hot as possible. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_ per quart, s. d. [illustration: tazza and carrot leaves.] the carrot.--there is a wild carrot which grows in england; but it is white and small, and not much esteemed. the garden carrot in general use, was introduced in the reign of queen elizabeth, and was, at first, so highly esteemed, that the ladies wore leaves of it in their head-dresses. it is of great value in the culinary art, especially for soups and stews. it can be used also for beer instead of malt, and, in distillation, it yields a large quantity of spirit. the carrot is proportionably valuable as it has more of the red than the yellow part. there is a large red variety much used by the farmers for colouring butter. as a garden vegetable, it is what is called the orange-carrot that is usually cultivated. as a fattening food for cattle, it is excellent; but for man it is indigestible, on account of its fibrous matter. of , parts, consist of sugar, and of starch.--the accompanying cut represents a pretty winter ornament, obtained by placing a cut from the top of the carrot-root in a shallow vessel of water, when the young leaves spring forth with a charming freshness and fullness. celery soup. . ingredients.-- heads of celery, teaspoonful of salt, nutmeg to taste, lump of sugar, / pint of strong stock, a pint of cream, and quarts of boiling water. _mode_.--cut the celery into small pieces; throw it into the water, seasoned with the nutmeg, salt, and sugar. boil it till sufficiently tender; pass it through a sieve, add the stock, and simmer it for half an hour. now put in the cream, bring it to the boiling point, and serve immediately. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. per quart. _seasonable_ from september to march. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this soup can be made brown, instead of white, by omitting the cream, and colouring it a little. when celery cannot be procured, half a drachm of the seed, finely pounded, will give a flavour to the soup, if put in a quarter of an hour before it is done. a little of the essence of celery will answer the same purpose. celery.--this plant is indigenous to britain, and, in its wild state, grows by the side of ditches and along some parts of the seacoast. in this state it is called _smallaqe_, and, to some extent, is a dangerous narcotic. by cultivation, however, it has been brought to the fine flavour which the garden plant possesses. in the vicinity of manchester it is raised to an enormous size. when our natural observation is assisted by the accurate results ascertained by the light of science, how infinitely does it enhance our delight in contemplating the products of nature! to know, for example, that the endless variety of colour which we see in plants is developed only by the rays of the sun, is to know a truism sublime by its very comprehensiveness. the cause of the whiteness of celery is nothing more than the want of light in its vegetation, and in order that this effect may be produced, the plant is almost wholly covered with earth; the tops of the leaves alone being suffered to appear above the ground. chantilly soup. . ingredients.-- quart of young green peas, a small bunch of parsley, young onions, quarts of medium stock no. . _mode_.--boil the peas till quite tender, with the parsley and onions; then rub them through a sieve, and pour the stock to them. do not let it boil after the peas are added, or you will spoil the colour. serve very hot. _time_.--half an hour. _average_ cost, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ from june to the end of august. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--cold peas pounded in a mortar, with a little stock added to them, make a very good soup in haste. parsley.--among the greeks, in the classic ages, a crown of parsley was awarded, both in the nemaean and isthmian games, and the voluptuous anacreon pronounces this beautiful herb the emblem of joy and festivity. it has an elegant leaf, and is extensively used in the culinary art. when it was introduced to britain is not known. there are several varieties,--the _plain_-leaved and the _curled_-leaved, _celery_-parsley, _hamburg_ parsley, and _purslane_. the curled is the best, and, from the form of its leaf, has a beautiful appearance on a dish as a garnish. its flavour is, to many, very agreeable in soups; and although to rabbits, hares, and sheep it is a luxury, to parrots it is a poison. the celery-parsley is used as a celery, and the hamburg is cultivated only for its roots, which are used as parsnips or carrots, to eat with meat. the purslane is a native of south america, and is not now much in use. chestnut (spanish) soup. . ingredients.-- / lb. of spanish chestnuts, / pint of cream; seasoning to taste of salt, cayenne, and mace; quart of stock no. . _mode_.--take the outer rind from the chestnuts, and put them into a large pan of warm water. as soon as this becomes too hot for the fingers to remain in it, take out the chestnuts, peel them quickly, and immerse them in cold water, and wipe and weigh them. now cover them with good stock, and stew them gently for rather more than / of an hour, or until they break when touched with a fork; then drain, pound, and rub them through a fine sieve reversed; add sufficient stock, mace, cayenne, and salt, and stir it often until it boils, and put in the cream. the stock in which the chestnuts are boiled can be used for the soup, when its sweetness is not objected to, or it may, in part, be added to it; and the rule is, that / lb. of chestnuts should be given to each quart of soup. _time_.--rather more than hour. _average cost_ per quart, s. d. _seasonable_ from october to february. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: chestnut.] the chestnut.--this fruit is said, by some, to have originally come from sardis, in lydia; and by others, from castanea, a city of thessaly, from which it takes its name. by the ancients it was much used as a food, and is still common in france and italy, to which countries it is, by some, considered indigenous. in the southern part of the european continent, it is eaten both raw and roasted. the tree was introduced into britain by the romans; but it only flourishes in the warmer parts of the island, the fruit rarely arriving at maturity in scotland. it attains a great age, as well as an immense size. as a food, it is the least oily and most farinaceous of all the nuts, and, therefore, the easiest of digestion. the tree called the _horse chestnut_ is very different, although its fruit very much resembles that of the other. its "nuts," though eaten by horses and some other animals, are unsuitable for human food. cocoa-nut soup. . ingredients.-- oz. of grated cocoa-nut, oz. of rice flour, / a teaspoonful of mace; seasoning to taste of cayenne and salt; / of a pint of boiling cream, quarts of medium stock no. . _mode_.--take the dark rind from the cocoa-nut, and grate it down small on a clean grater; weigh it, and allow, for each quart of stock, oz. of the cocoa-nut. simmer it gently for hour in the stock, which should then be strained closely from it, and thickened for table. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_ per quart, s. d. _seasonable_ in autumn. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: cocoa-nut palm.] [illustration: nut & blossom.] the cocoa-nut.--this is the fruit of one of the palms, than which it is questionable if there is any other species of tree marking, in itself, so abundantly the goodness of providence, in making provision for the wants of man. it grows wild in the indian seas, and in the eastern parts of asia; and thence it has been introduced into every part of the tropical regions. to the natives of those climates, its bark supplies the material for creating their dwellings; its leaves, the means of roofing them; and the leaf-stalks, a kind of gauze for covering their windows, or protecting the baby in the cradle. it is also made into lanterns, masks to screen the face from the heat of the sun, baskets, wicker-work, and even a kind of paper for writing on. combs, brooms, torches, ropes, matting, and sailcloth are made of its fibers. with these, too, beds are made and cushions stuffed. oars are supplied by the leaves; drinking-cups, spoons, and other domestic utensils by the shells of the nuts; milk by its juice, of which, also, a kind of honey and sugar are prepared. when fermented, it furnishes the means of intoxication; and when the fibres are burned, their ashes supply an alkali for making soap. the buds of the tree bear a striking resemblance to cabbage when boiled; but when they are cropped, the tree dies. in a fresh state, the kernel is eaten raw, and its juice is a most agreeable and refreshing beverage. when the nut is imported to this country, its fruit is, in general, comparatively dry, and is considered indigestible. the tree is one of the least productive of the palm tribe. soup a la crecy. . ingredients.-- carrots, sliced onions, cut lettuce, and chervil; oz. butter, pint of lentils, the crumbs of french rolls, half a teacupful of rice, quarts of medium stock no. . _mode_.--put the vegetables with the butter in the stewpan, and let them simmer minutes; then add the lentils and pint of the stock, and stew gently for half an hour. now fill it up with the remainder of the stock, let it boil another hour, and put in the crumb of the rolls. when well soaked, rub all through a tammy. have ready the rice boiled; pour the soup over this, and serve. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: the lentil.] the lentil.--this belongs to the legumious or _pulse_ kind of vegetables, which rank next to the corn plants in their nutritive properties. the lentil is a variety of the bean tribe, but in england is not used as human food, although considered the best of all kinds for pigeons. on the continent it is cultivated for soups, as well as for other preparations for the table; and among the presents which david received from shobi, as recounted in the scriptures, were beans, lentils, and parched pulse. among the egyptians it was extensively used, and among the greeks, the stoics had a maxim, which declared, that "a wise man acts always with reason, and prepares his own lentils." among the romans it was not much esteemed, and from them the english may have inherited a prejudice against it, on account, it is said, of its rendering men indolent. it takes its name from _lentus_ 'slow,' and, according to pliny, produces mildness and moderation of temper. cucumber soup (french recipe). . ingredients.-- large cucumber, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, a little chervil and sorrel cut in large pieces, salt and pepper to taste, the yolks of eggs, gill of cream, quart of medium stock no. . _mode_.--pare the cucumber, quarter it, and take out the seeds; cut it in thin slices, put these on a plate with a little salt, to draw the water from them; drain, and put them in your stewpan, with the butter. when they are warmed through, without being browned, pour the stock on them. add the sorrel, chervil, and seasoning, and boil for minutes. mix the well-beaten yolks of the eggs with the cream, which add at the moment of serving. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ from june to september. _sufficient_ for persons. the cucumber.--the antiquity of this fruit is very great. in the sacred writings we find that the people of israel regretted it, whilst sojourning in the desert; and at the present time, the cucumber, and other fruits of its class, form a large portion of the food of the egyptian people. by the eastern nations generally, as well as by the greeks and romans, it was greatly esteemed. like the melon, it was originally brought from asia by the romans, and in the th century it was common in england, although, in the time of the wars of "the roses," it seems no longer to have been cultivated. it is a cold food, and of difficult digestion when eaten raw. as a preserved sweetmeat, however, it is esteemed one of the most agreeable. egg soup. . ingredients.--a tablespoonful of flour, eggs, small blades of finely-pounded mace, quarts of stock no. . _mode_.--beat up the flour smoothly in a teaspoonful of cold stock, and put in the eggs; throw them into boiling stock, stirring all the time. simmer for / of an hour. season and serve with a french roll in the tureen, or fried sippets of bread. _time_. / an hour. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. soup a la flamande (flemish). i. . ingredients.-- turnip, small carrot, / head of celery, green onions shred very fine, lettuce cut small, chervil, / pint of asparagus cut small, / pint of peas, oz. butter, the yolks of eggs, / pint of cream, salt to taste, lump of sugar, quarts of stock no. . _mode_.--put the vegetables in the butter to stew gently for an hour with a teacupful of stock; then add the remainder of the stock, and simmer for another hour. now beat the yolks of the eggs well, mix with the cream (previously boiled), and strain through a hair sieve. take the soup off the fire, put the eggs, &c. to it, and keep stirring it well. bring it to a boil, but do not leave off stirring, or the eggs will curdle. season with salt, and add the sugar. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ from may to august. _sufficient_ for persons. chervil.--although the roots of this plant are poisonous, its leaves are tender, and are used in salads. in antiquity it made a relishing dish, when prepared with oil, wine, and gravy. it is a native of various parts of europe; and the species cultivated in the gardens of paris, has beautifully frizzled leaves. ii. . ingredients.-- onions, heads of celery, moderate-sized potatoes, oz. butter, / pint of water, / pint of cream, quarts of stock no. . _mode_.--slice the onions, celery, and potatoes, and put them with the butter and water into a stewpan, and simmer for an hour. then fill up the stewpan with stock, and boil gently till the potatoes are done, which will be in about an hour. rub all through a tammy, and add the cream (previously boiled). do not let it boil after the cream is put in. _time_.-- - / hours. __average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ from september to may. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this soup can be made with water instead of stock. soup a la julienne. [illustration: strips of vegetable.] . ingredients.-- / pint of carrots, / pint of turnips, / pint of onions, or leeks, / head of celery, lettuce, a little sorrel and chervil, if liked, oz. of butter, quarts of stock no. . _mode_.--cut the vegetables into strips of about - / inch long, and be particular they are all the same size, or some will be hard whilst the others will be done to a pulp. cut the lettuce, sorrel, and chervil into larger pieces; fry the carrots in the butter, and pour the stock boiling to them. when this is done, add all the other vegetables, and herbs, and stew gently for at least an hour. skim off all the fat, pour the soup over thin slices of bread, cut round about the size of a shilling, and serve. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--in summer, green peas, asparagus-tops, french beans, &c. can be added. when the vegetables are very strong, instead of frying them in butter at first, they should be blanched, and afterwards simmered in the stock. sorrel.--this is one of the _spinaceous_ plants, which take their name from spinach, which is the chief among them. it is little used in english cookery, but a great deal in french, in which it is employed for soups, sauces, and salads. in english meadows it is usually left to grow wild; but in france, where it is cultivated, its flavour is greatly improved. kale brose (a scotch recipe). . ingredients.--half an ox-head or cow-heel, a teacupful of toasted oatmeal, salt to taste, handfuls of greens, quarts of water. _mode_.--make a broth of the ox-head or cow-heel, and boil it till oil floats on the top of the liquor, then boil the greens, shred, in it. put the oatmeal, with a little salt, into a basin, and mix with it quickly a teacupful of the fat broth: it should not run into one doughy mass, but form knots. stir it into the whole, give one boil, and serve very hot. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year, but more suitable in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. leek soup. i. . ingredients.--a sheep's head, quarts of water, leeks cut small, pepper and salt to taste, oatmeal to thicken. _mode_.--prepare the head, either by skinning or cleaning the skin very nicely; split it in two; take out the brains, and put it into boiling water; add the leeks and seasoning, and simmer very gently for hours. mix smoothly, with cold water, as much oatmeal as will make the soup tolerably thick; pour it into the soup; continue stirring till the whole is blended and well done, and serve. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. ii. commonly called cock-a-leekie. . ingredients.--a capon or large fowl (sometimes an old cock, from which the recipe takes its name, is used), which should be trussed as for boiling; or bunches of fine leeks, quarts of stock no. , pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--well wash the leeks (and, if old, scald them in boiling water for a few minutes), taking off the roots and part of the heads, and cut them into lengths of about an inch. put the fowl into the stock, with, at first, one half of the leeks, and allow it to simmer gently. in half an hour add the remaining leeks, and then it may simmer for or hours longer. it should be carefully skimmed, and can be seasoned to taste. in serving, take out the fowl, and carve it neatly, placing the pieces in a tureen, and pouring over them the soup, which should be very thick of leeks (a _purée_ of leeks the french would call it). _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart; or, with stock no. , s. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--without the fowl, the above, which would then be merely called leek soup, is very good, and also economical. cock-a-leekie was largely consumed at the burns centenary festival at the crystal palace, sydenham, in . [illustration: leeks.] the leek.--as in the case of the cucumber, this vegetable was bewailed by the israelites in their journey through the desert. it is one of the alliaceous tribe, which consists of the onion, garlic, chive, shallot, and leek. these, as articles of food, are perhaps more widely diffused over the face of the earth than any other _genus_ of edible plants. it is the national badge of the welsh, and tradition ascribes to st. david its introduction to that part of britain. the origin of the wearing of the leek on st. david's day, among that people, is thus given in "beeton's dictionary of universal information:"--"it probably originated from the custom of _cymhortha_, or the friendly aid, practised among farmers. in some districts of south wales, all the neighbours of a small farmer were wont to appoint a day when they attended to plough his land, and the like; and, at such time, it was the custom for each to bring his portion of leeks with him for making the broth or soup." (_see_ st. david.) others derive the origin of the custom from the battle of cressy. the plant, when grown in wales and scotland, is sharper than it is in england, and its flavour is preferred by many to that of the onion in broth. it is very wholesome, and, to prevent its tainting the breath, should be well boiled. macaroni soup. . ingredients.-- oz. of macaroni, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, salt to taste, quarts of clear stock no. . _mode_.--throw the macaroni and butter into boiling water, with a pinch of salt, and simmer for / an hour. when it is tender, drain and cut it into thin rings or lengths, and drop it into the boiling stock. stew gently for minutes, and serve grated parmesan cheese with it. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: macaroni.] macaroni.--this is the favourite food of italy, where, especially among the neapolitans, it may be regarded as the staff of life. "the crowd of london," says mr. forsyth, "is a double line in quick motion; it is the crowd of business. the crowd of naples consists in a general tide rolling up and down, and in the middle of this tide, a hundred eddies of men. you are stopped by a carpenter's bench, you are lost among shoemakers' stalls, and you dash among the _pots of a macaroni stall_." this article of food is nothing more than a thick paste, made of the best wheaten flour, with a small quantity of water. when it has been well worked, it is put into a hollow cylindrical vessel, pierced with holes of the size of tobacco-pipes at the bottom. through these holes the mass is forced by a powerful screw bearing on a piece of wood made exactly to fit the inside of the cylinder. whilst issuing from the holes, it is partially baked by a fire placed below the cylinder, and is, at the same time, drawn away and hung over rods placed about the room, in order to dry. in a few days it is fit for use. as it is both wholesome and nutritious, it ought to be much more used by all classes in england than it is. it generally accompanies parmesan cheese to the tables of the rich, but is also used for thickening soups and making puddings. soup maigre (i.e. without meat). . ingredients.-- oz. butter, onions sliced, heads of celery, lettuces, a small bunch of parsley, handfuls of spinach, pieces of bread-crust, blades of mace, salt and pepper to taste, the yolks of eggs, teaspoonfuls of vinegar, quarts of water. _mode_.--melt the butter in a stewpan, and put in the onions to stew gently for or minutes; then add the celery, spinach, lettuces, and parsley, cut small. stir the ingredients well for minutes. now put in the water, bread, seasoning, and mace. boil gently for - / hour, and, at the moment of serving, beat in the yolks of the eggs and the vinegar, but do not let it boil, or the eggs will curdle. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: lettuce.] the lettuce.--this is one of the acetarious vegetables, which comprise a large class, chiefly used as pickles, salads, and other condiments. the lettuce has in all antiquity been distinguished as a kitchen-garden plant. it was, without preparation, eaten by the hebrews with the paschal lamb; the greeks delighted in it, and the romans, in the time of domitian, had it prepared with eggs, and served in the first course at their tables, merely to excite their appetites. its botanical name is _lactuca_, so called from the milky juice it exudes when its stalks are cut. it possesses a narcotic virtue, noticed by ancient physicians; and even in our day a lettuce supper is deemed conducive to repose. its proper character, however, is that of a cooling summer vegetable, not very nutritive, but serving as a corrective, or diluent of animal food. milk soup (a nice dish for children). . ingredients.-- quarts of milk, saltspoonful of salt, teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, teaspoonfuls of pounded sugar, or more if liked, thin slices of bread, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--boil the milk with the salt, cinnamon, and sugar; lay the bread in a deep dish, pour over it a little of the milk, and keep it hot over a stove, without burning. beat up the yolks of the eggs, add them to the milk, and stir it over the fire till it thickens. do not let it curdle. pour it upon the bread, and serve. _time_.-- / of an hour. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for children. onion soup. . ingredients.-- large onions, oz. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, / pint of cream, quart of stock no. . _mode_.--chop the onions, put them in the butter, stir them occasionally, but do not let them brown. when tender, put the stock to them, and season; strain the soup, and add the boiling cream. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. cheap onion soup. . ingredients.-- middling-sized onions, oz. of butter, a tablespoonful of rice-flour, salt and pepper to taste, teaspoonful of powdered sugar, thickening of butter and flour, quarts of water. _mode_.--cut the onions small, put them in the stewpan with the butter, and fry them well; mix the rice-flour smoothly with the water, add the onions, seasoning, and sugar, and simmer till tender. thicken with butter and flour, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: onion.] the onion.--like the cabbage, this plant was erected into an object of worship by the idolatrous egyptians , years before the christian era, and it still forms a favourite food in the country of these people, as well as in other parts of africa. when it was first introduced to england, has not been ascertained; but it has long been in use, and esteemed as a favourite seasoning plant to various dishes. in warmer climates it is much milder in its flavour; and such as are grown in spain and portugal, are, comparatively speaking, very large, and are often eaten both in a boiled and roasted state. the strasburg is the most esteemed; and, although all the species have highly nutritive properties, they impart such a disagreeable odour to the breath, that they are often rejected even where they are liked. chewing a little raw parsley is said to remove this odour. pan kail. . ingredients.-- lbs. of cabbage, or savoy greens; / lb. of butter or dripping, salt and pepper to taste, oatmeal for thickening, quarts of water. _mode_.--chop the cabbage very fine, thicken the water with oatmeal, put in the cabbage and butter, or dripping; season and simmer for - / hour. it can be made sooner by blanching and mashing the greens, adding any good liquor that a joint has been boiled in, and then further thicken with bread or pounded biscuit. _time_-- - / hour. _average cost_, - / d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year, but more suitable in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. the savoy.--this is a close-hearted wrinkle-leaved cabbage, sweet and tender, especially the middle leaves, and in season from november to spring. the yellow species bears hard weather without injury, whilst the _dwarf_ kind are improved and rendered more tender by frost. parsnip soup. . ingredients.-- lb. of sliced parsnips, oz. of butter, salt and cayenne to taste, quart of stock no. . _mode_.--put the parsnips into the stewpan with the butter, which has been previously melted, and simmer them till quite tender. then add nearly a pint of stock, and boil together for half an hour. pass all through a fine strainer, and put to it the remainder of the stock. season, boil, and serve immediately. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ from october to april. _sufficient_ for persons. the parsnip.--this is a biennial plant, with a root like a carrot, which, in nutritive and saccharine matter, it nearly equals. it is a native of britain, and, in its wild state, may be found, in many parts, growing by the road-sides. it is also to be found, generally distributed over europe; and, in catholic countries, is mostly used with salt fish, in lent. in scotland it forms an excellent dish, when beat up with butter and potatoes; it is, also, excellent when fried. in ireland it is found to yield, in conjunction with the hop, a pleasant beverage; and it contains as much spirit as the carrot, and makes an excellent wine. its proportion of nutritive matter is parts in , ; being mucilage and sugar. pea soup (green). . ingredients.-- pints of green peas, / lb. of butter, or three thin slices of ham, onions sliced, shredded lettuces, the crumb of french rolls, handfuls of spinach, lump of sugar, quarts of common stock. _mode_.--put the butter, ham, quart of the peas, onions, and lettuces, to a pint of stock, and simmer for an hour; then add the remainder of the stock, with the crumb of the french rolls, and boil for another hour. now boil the spinach, and squeeze it very dry. rub the soup through a sieve, and the spinach with it, to colour it. have ready a pint of _young_ peas boiled; add them to the soup, put in the sugar, give one boil, and serve. if necessary, add salt. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ from june to the end of august. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--it will be well to add, if the peas are not quite young, a little sugar. where economy is essential, water may be used instead of stock for this soup, boiling in it likewise the pea-shells; but use a double quantity of vegetables. winter pea soup (yellow). . ingredients.-- quart of split peas, lbs. of shin of beef, trimmings of meat or poultry, a slice of bacon, large carrots, turnips, large onions, head of celery, seasoning to taste, quarts of soft water, any bones left from roast meat, quarts of common stock, or liquor in which a joint of meat has been boiled. _mode_.--put the peas to soak over-night in soft water, and float off such as rise to the top. boil them in the water till tender enough to pulp; then add the ingredients mentioned above, and simmer for hours, stirring it occasionally. pass the whole through a sieve, skim well, season, and serve with toasted bread cut in dice. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year round, but more suitable for cold weather. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: pea.] the pea.--it is supposed that the common gray pea, found wild in greece, and other parts of the levant, is the original of the common garden pea, and of all the domestic varieties belonging to it. the gray, or field pea, called _bisallie_ by the french, is less subject to run into varieties than the garden kinds, and is considered by some, perhaps on that account, to be the wild plant, retaining still a large proportion of its original habit. from the tendency of all other varieties "to run away" and become different to what they originally were, it is very difficult to determine the races to which they belong. the pea was well known to the romans, and, probably, was introduced to britain at an early period; for we find peas mentioned by lydgate, a poet of the th century, as being hawked in london. they seem, however, for a considerable time, to have fallen out of use; for, in the reign of queen elizabeth, fuller tells us they were brought from holland, and were accounted "fit dainties for ladies, they came so far and cost so dear." there are some varieties of peas which have no lining in their pods, which are eaten cooked in the same way as kidney-beans. they are called _sugar_ peas, and the best variety is the large crooked sugar, which is also very good, used in the common way, as a culinary vegetable. there is also a white sort, which readily splits when subjected to the action of millstones set wide apart, so as not to grind them. these are used largely for soups, and especially for sea-stores. from the quantity of farinaceous and saccharine matter contained in the pea, it is highly nutritious as an article of food. pea soup (inexpensive). . ingredients.-- / lb. of onions, / lb. of carrots, oz. of celery, / lb. of split peas, a little mint, shred fine; tablespoonful of coarse brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste, quarts of water, or liquor in which a joint of meat has been boiled. _mode_.--fry the vegetables for minutes in a little butter or dripping, previously cutting them up in small pieces; pour the water on them, and when boiling add the peas. let them simmer for nearly hours, or until the peas are thoroughly done. add the sugar, seasoning, and mint; boil for / of an hour, and serve. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, - / d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. potato soup. i. . ingredients.-- lbs. of mealy potatoes, boiled or steamed very dry, pepper and salt to taste, quarts of stock no. . _mode_.--when the potatoes are boiled, mash them smoothly, that no lumps remain, and gradually put them to the boiling stock; pass it through a sieve, season, and simmer for minutes. skim well, and serve with fried bread. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ from september to march. _sufficient_ for persons. ii. . ingredients.-- lb. of shin of beef, lb. of potatoes, onion, / a pint of peas, oz. of rice, heads of celery, pepper and salt to taste, quarts of water. _mode_.--cut the beef into thin slices, chop the potatoes and onion, and put them in a stewpan with the water, peas, and rice. stew gently till the gravy is drawn from the meat; strain it off, take out the beef, and pulp the other ingredients through a coarse sieve. put the pulp back in the soup, cut up the celery in it, and simmer till this is tender. season, and serve with fried bread cut into it. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ from september to march. _sufficient_ for persons. iii. (_very economical_.) . ingredients.-- middle-sized potatoes well pared, a thick slice of bread, leeks peeled and cut into thin slices as far as the white extends upwards from the roots, a teacupful of rice, a teaspoonful of salt, and half that of pepper, and quarts of water. _mode_.--the water must be completely boiling before anything is put into it; then add the whole of the ingredients at once, with the exception of the rice, the salt, and the pepper. cover, and let these come to a brisk boil; put in the others, and let the whole boil slowly for an hour, or till all the ingredients are thoroughly done, and their several juices extracted and mixed. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ in winter. [illustration: potatoes.] the potato.--humboldt doubted whether this root was a native of south america; but it has been found growing wild both in chili and buenos ayres. it was first brought to spain from the neighbourhood of quito, in the early part of the sixteenth century, first to england from virginia, in , and first planted by sir walter raleigh, on his estate of youghal, near cork, in ireland. thence it was brought and planted in lancashire, in england, and was, at first, recommended to be eaten as a delicate dish, and not as common food. this was in . _nutritious properties_.--of a thousand parts of the potato, sir h. davy found about a fourth nutritive; say, mucilage or starch, sugar, and gluten. prince of wales's soup. . ingredients.-- turnips, lump of sugar, spoonfuls of strong veal stock, salt and white pepper to taste, quarts of very bright stock, no. . _mode_.--peel the turnips, and with a cutter cut them in balls as round as possible, but very small. put them in the stock, which must be very bright, and simmer till tender. add the veal stock and seasoning. have little pieces of bread cut round, about the size of a shilling; moisten them with stock; put them into a tureen and pour the soup over without shaking, for fear of crumbling the bread, which would spoil the appearance of the soup, and make it look thick. _time_.-- hours. _seasonable_ in the winter. _sufficient_ for persons. the prince of wales.--this soup was invented by a philanthropic friend of the editress, to be distributed among the poor of a considerable village, when the prince of wales attained his majority, on the th november, . accompanying this fact, the following notice, which appears in "beeton's dictionary of universal information" may appropriately be introduced, premising that british princes attain their majority in their th year, whilst mortals of ordinary rank do not arrive at that period till their st.--"albert edward, prince of wales, and heir to the british throne, merits a place in this work on account of the high responsibilities which he is, in all probability, destined to fulfil as sovereign of the british empire. on the th of november, , he was gazetted as having been invested with the rank of a colonel in the army. speaking of this circumstance, the _times_ said,--'the significance of this event is, that it marks the period when the heir to the british throne is about to take rank among men, and to enter formally upon a career, which every loyal subject of the queen will pray may be a long and a happy one, for his own sake and for the sake of the vast empire which, in the course of nature, he will one day be called to govern. the best wish that we can offer for the young prince is, that in his own path he may ever keep before him the bright example of his royal mother, and show himself worthy of her name.' there are few in these realms who will not give a fervent response to these sentiments. b. november th, ." potage printanier, or spring soup. . ingredients.-- / a pint of green peas, if in season, a little chervil, shredded lettuces, onions, a very small bunch of parsley, oz. of butter, the yolks of eggs, pint of water, seasoning to taste, quarts of stock no. . _mode_.--put in a very clean stewpan the chervil, lettuces, onions, parsley, and butter, to pint of water, and let them simmer till tender. season with salt and pepper; when done, strain off the vegetables, and put two-thirds of the liquor they were boiled in to the stock. beat up the yolks of the eggs with the other third, give it a toss over the fire, and at the moment of serving, add this, with the vegetables which you strained off, to the soup. _time_.-- / of an hour. _average cost_, s. per quart. _seasonable_ from may to october. _sufficient_ for persons. rice soup. i. . ingredients.-- oz. of patna rice, salt, cayenne, and mace, quarts of white stock. _mode_.--throw the rice into boiling water, and let it remain minutes; then pour it into a sieve, and allow it to drain well. now add it to the stock boiling, and allow it to stew till it is quite tender; season to taste. serve quickly. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: ears of rice.] rice.--this is a plant of indian origin, and has formed the principal food of the indian and chinese people from the most remote antiquity. both pliny and dioscorides class it with the cereals, though galen places it among the vegetables. be this as it may, however, it was imported to greece, from india, about years before christ, and by the ancients it was esteemed both nutritious and fattening. there are three kinds of rice,--the hill rice, the patna, and the carolina, of the united states. of these, only the two latter are imported to this country, and the carolina is considered the best, as it is the dearest. the nourishing properties of rice are greatly inferior to those of wheat; but it is both a light and a wholesome food. in combination with other foods, its nutritive qualities are greatly increased; but from its having little stimulating power, it is apt, when taken in large quantities alone, to lie long on the stomach. ii. . ingredients.-- oz. of rice, the yolks of eggs, / a pint of cream, rather more than quarts of stock no. . _mode_.--boil the rice in the stock, and rub half of it through a tammy; put the stock in the stewpan, add all the rice, and simmer gently for minutes. beat the yolks of the eggs, mix them with the cream (previously boiled), and strain through a hair sieve; take the soup off the fire, add the eggs and cream, stirring frequently. heat it gradually, stirring all the time; but do not let it boil, or the eggs will curdle. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. sago soup. . ingredients.-- oz. of sago, quarts of stock no. . _mode_.--wash the sago in boiling water, and add it, by degrees, to the boiling stock, and simmer till the sago is entirely dissolved, and forms a sort of jelly. _time_.--nearly an hour. _average cost_, d. per quart. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ all the year. _note_.--the yolks of eggs, beaten up with a little cream, previously boiled, and added at the moment of serving, much improves this soup. [illustration: sago palm.] sago.--the farinaceous food of this name constitutes the pith of the sago tree (the _sagus farinifera_ of linnaeus), which grows spontaneously in the east indies and in the archipelago of the indian ocean. there it forms the principal farinaceous diet of the inhabitants. in order to procure it, the tree is felled and sawn in pieces. the pith is then taken out, and put in receptacles of cold water, where it is stirred until the flour separates from the filaments, and sinks to the bottom, where it is suffered to remain until the water is poured off, when it is taken out and spread on wicker frames to dry. to give it the round granular form in which we find it come to this country, it is passed through a colander, then rubbed into little balls, and dried. the tree is not fit for felling until it has attained a growth of seven years, when a single trunk will yield lbs. weight; and, as an acre of ground will grow of these trees, a large return of flour is the result. the best quality has a slightly reddish hue, and easily dissolves to a jelly, in hot water. as a restorative diet, it is much used. semolina soup. . ingredients.-- oz. of semolina, quarts of boiling stock, no. , or . _mode_.--drop the semolina into the boiling stock, and keep stirring, to prevent its burning. simmer gently for half an hour, and serve. _time_.-- / an hour. _average cost_, d. per quart, or d. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. semolina.--this is the heart of the _grano duro_ wheat of italy, which is imported for the purpose of making the best vermicelli. it has a coarse appearance, and may be purchased at the italian warehouses. it is also called _soojee;_ and _semoletta_ is another name for a finer sort. soup a la solferino (sardinian recipe). . ingredients.-- eggs, / pint of cream, oz. of fresh butter, salt and pepper to taste, a little flour to thicken, quarts of bouillon, no. . _mode_.--beat the eggs, put them into a stewpan, and add the cream, butter, and seasoning; stir in as much flour as will bring it to the consistency of dough; make it into balls, either round or egg-shaped, and fry them in butter; put them in the tureen, and pour the boiling bouillon over them. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this recipe was communicated to the editress by an english gentleman, who was present at the battle of solferino, on june , , and who was requested by some of victor emmanuel's troops, on the day before the battle, to partake of a portion of their _potage_. he willingly enough consented, and found that these clever campaigners had made a most palatable dish from very easily-procured materials. in sending the recipe for insertion in this work, he has, however, anglicised, and somewhat, he thinks, improved it. spinach soup (french recipe). . ingredients.--as much spinach as, when boiled, will half fill a vegetable-dish, quarts of very clear medium stock, no. . _mode_.--make the cooked spinach into balls the size of an egg, and slip them into the soup-tureen. this is a very elegant soup, the green of the spinach forming a pretty contrast to the brown gravy. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. per quart. _seasonable_ from october to june. [illustration: spinach.] spinach.--this plant was unknown by the ancients, although it was cultivated in the monastic gardens of the continent in the middle of the th century. some say, that it was originally brought from spain; but there is a wild species growing in england, and cultivated in lincolnshire, in preference to the other. there are three varieties in use; the round-leaved, the triangular-leaved, and flanders spinach, known by its large leaves. they all form a useful ingredient in soup; but the leaves are sometimes boiled alone, mashed, and eaten as greens. tapioca soup. . ingredients.-- oz. of tapioca, quarts of stock no. or . _mode_.--put the tapioca into cold stock, and bring it gradually to a boil. simmer gently till tender, and serve. _time_.--rather more than hour. average cost. s. or d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. tapioca.--this excellent farinaceous food is the produce of the pith of the cassava-tree, and is made in the east indies, and also in brazil. it is, by washing, procured as a starch from the tree, then dried, either in the sun or on plates of hot iron, and afterwards broken into grains, in which form it is imported into this country. its nutritive properties are large, and as a food for persons of delicate digestion, or for children, it is in great estimation. "no amylaceous substance," says dr. christison, "is so much relished by infants about the time of weaning; and in them it is less apt to become sour during digestion than any other farinaceous food, even arrowroot not excepted." turnip soup. . ingredients.-- oz. of butter, good-sized turnips, onions, quarts of stock no. , seasoning to taste. _mode_.--melt the butter in the stewpan, but do not let it boil; wash, drain, and slice the turnips and onions very thin; put them in the butter, with a teacupful of stock, and stew very gently for an hour. then add the remainder of the stock, and simmer another hour. rub it through a tammy, put it back into the stewpan, but do not let it boil. serve very hot. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ from october to march. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--by adding a little cream, this soup will be much improved. [illustration: turnip.] the turnip.--although turnips grow wild in england, they are not the original of the cultivated vegetable made use of in this country. in ancient times they were grown for cattle by the romans, and in germany and the low countries they have from time immemorial been raised for the same purpose. in their cultivated state, they are generally supposed to have been introduced to england from hanover, in the time of george i.; but this has been doubted, as george ii. caused a description of the norfolk system to be sent to his hanoverian subjects, for their enlightenment in the art of turnip culture. as a culinary vegetable, it is excellent, whether eaten alone, mashed, or mixed with soups und stews. its nutritious matter, however, is small, being only parts in , . vegetable-marrow soup. . ingredients.-- young vegetable marrows, or more, if very small, / pint of cream, salt and white pepper to taste, quarts of white stock, no. . _mode_.--pare and slice the marrows, and put them in the stock boiling. when done almost to a mash, press them through a sieve, and at the moment of serving, add the boiling cream and seasoning. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ in summer. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: vegetable marrow.] the vegetable marrow.--this is a variety of the gourd family, brought from persia by an east-india ship, and only recently introduced to britain. it is already cultivated to a considerable extent, and, by many, is highly esteemed when fried with butter. it is, however, dressed in different ways, either by stewing or boiling, and, besides, made into pies. vegetable soup. i. . ingredients.-- oz. of carrot, oz. of parsnip, oz. of potato, cut into thin slices; - / oz. of butter, teaspoonfuls of flour, a teaspoonful of made mustard, salt and pepper to taste, the yolks of eggs, rather more than quarts of water. _mode_.--boil the vegetables in the water - / hours; stir them often, and if the water boils away too quickly, add more, as there should be quarts of soup when done. mix up in a basin the butter and flour, mustard, salt, and pepper, with a teacupful of cold water; stir in the soup, and boil minutes. have ready the yolks of the eggs in the tureen; pour on, stir well, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. ii. . ingredients.--equal quantities of onions, carrots, turnips; / lb. of butter, a crust of toasted bread, head of celery, a faggot of herbs, salt and pepper to taste, teaspoonful of powdered sugar, quarts of common stock or boiling water. allow / lb. of vegetables to quarts of stock, no. . _mode_.--cut up the onions, carrots, and turnips; wash and drain them well, and put them in the stewpan with the butter and powdered sugar. toss the whole over a sharp fire for minutes, but do not let them brown, or you will spoil the flavour of the soup. when done, pour the stock or boiling water on them; add the bread, celery, herbs, and seasoning; stew for hours; skim well and strain it off. when ready to serve, add a little sliced carrot, celery, and turnip, and flavour with a spoonful of harvey's sauce, or a little ketchup. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. iii. (_good and cheap, made without meat_.) . ingredients.-- potatoes, turnips, or if very large; carrots, onions; if obtainable, mushrooms; head of celery, large slice of bread, small saltspoonful of salt, / saltspoonful of ground black pepper, teaspoonfuls of harvey's sauce, quarts of water. _mode_.--peel the vegetables, and cut them up into small pieces; toast the bread rather brown, and put all into a stewpan with the water and seasoning. simmer gently for hours, or until all is reduced to a pulp, and pass it through a sieve in the same way as pea-soup, which it should resemble in consistence; but it should be a dark brown colour. warm it up again when required; put in the harvey's sauce, and, if necessary, add to the flavouring. _time_.-- hours, or rather more. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this recipe was forwarded to the editress by a lady in the county of durham, by whom it was strongly recommended. vermicelli soup. i. . ingredients.-- - / lb. of bacon, stuck with cloves; / oz. of butter, worked up in flour; small fowl, trussed for boiling; oz. of vermicelli, quarts of white stock, no. . _mode_.--put the stock, bacon, butter, and fowl into the stewpan, and stew for / of an hour. take the vermicelli, add it to a little of the stock, and set it on the fire, till it is quite tender. when the soup is ready, take out the fowl and bacon, and put the bacon on a dish. skim the soup as clean as possible; pour it, with the vermicelli, over the fowl. cut some bread thin, put in the soup, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, exclusive of the fowl and bacon, d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: vermicelli.] vermicelli.--this is a preparation of italian origin, and is made in the same way as macaroni, only the yolks of eggs, sugar, saffron, and cheese, are added to the paste. ii. . ingredients.-- / lb. of vermicelli, quarts of clear gravy stock, no. . _mode_.--put the vermicelli in the soup, boiling; simmer very gently for / an hour, and stir frequently. _time_-- / an hour. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. white soup. . ingredients.-- / lb. of sweet almonds, / lb. of cold veal or poultry, a thick slice of stale bread, a piece of fresh lemon-peel, blade of mace, pounded, / pint of cream, the yolks of hard-boiled eggs, quarts of white stock, no. . _mode_.--reduce the almonds in a mortar to a paste, with a spoonful of water, and add to them the meat, which should be previously pounded with the bread. beat all together, and add the lemon-peel, very finely chopped, and the mace. pour the boiling stock on the whole, and simmer for an hour. rub the eggs in the cream, put in the soup, bring it to a boil, and serve immediately. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--a more economical white soup may be made by using common veal stock, and thickening with rice, flour, and milk. vermicelli should be served with it. _average cost_, d. per quart. useful soup for benevolent purposes. . ingredients.--an ox-cheek, any pieces of trimmings of beef, which may be bought very cheaply (say lbs.), a few bones, any pot-liquor the larder may furnish, / peck of onions, leeks, a large bunch of herbs, / lb. of celery (the outside pieces, or green tops, do very well); / lb. of carrots, / lb. of turnips, / lb. of coarse brown sugar, / a pint of beer, lbs. of common rice, or pearl barley; / lb. of salt, oz. of black pepper, a few raspings, gallons of water. _mode_.--cut up the meat in small pieces, break the bones, put them in a copper, with the gallons of water, and stew for / an hour. cut up the vegetables, put them in with the sugar and beer, and boil for hours. two hours before the soup is wanted, add the rice and raspings, and keep stirring till it is well mixed in the soup, which simmer gently. if the liquor reduces too much, fill up with water. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, - / d. per quart. _note_.--the above recipe was used in the winter of by the editress, who made, each week, in her copper, or gallons of this soup, for distribution amongst about a dozen families of the village near which she lives. the cost, as will be seen, was not great; but she has reason to believe that the soup was very much liked, and gave to the members of those families, a dish of warm, comforting food, in place of the cold meat and piece of bread which form, with too many cottagers, their usual meal, when, with a little more knowledge of the "cooking." art, they might have, for less expense, a warm dish, every day. meat, poultry, and game soups. brilla soup. . ingredients.-- lbs. of shin of beef, carrots, turnips, a large sprig of thyme, onions, head of celery, salt and pepper to taste, quarts water. _mode_.--take the beef, cut off all the meat from the bone, in nice square pieces, and boil the bone for hours. strain the liquor, let it cool, and take off the fat; then put the pieces of meat in the cold liquor; cut small the carrots, turnips, and celery; chop the onions, add them with the thyme and seasoning, and simmer till the meat is tender. if not brown enough, colour it with browning. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. thyme.--this sweet herb was known to the romans, who made use of it in culinary preparations, as well as in aromatic liqueurs. there are two species of it growing wild in britain, but the garden thyme is a native of the south of europe, and is more delicate in its perfume than the others. its young leaves give an agreeable flavour to soups and sauces; they are also used in stuffings. calf's-head soup. . ingredients.-- / a calf's head, onion stuck with cloves, a very small bunch of sweet herbs, blades of mace, salt and white pepper to taste, oz. of rice-flour, tablespoonfuls of ketchup, quarts of white stock, no. , or pot-liquor, or water. _mode_.--rub the head with salt, soak it for hours, and clean it thoroughly; put it in the stewpan, and cover it with the stock, or pot-liquor, or water, adding the onion and sweet herbs. when well skimmed and boiled for - / hour, take out the head, and skim and strain the soup. mix the rice-flour with the ketchup, thicken the soup with it, and simmer for minutes. now cut up the head into pieces about two inches long, and simmer them in the soup till the meat and fat are quite tender. season with white pepper and mace finely pounded, and serve very hot. when the calf's head is taken out of the soup, cover it up, or it will discolour. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart, with stock no. . _seasonable_ from may to october. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--force-meat balls can be added, and the soup may be flavoured with a little lemon-juice, or a glass of sherry or madeira. the bones from the head may be stewed down again, with a few fresh vegetables, and it will make a very good common stock. giblet soup. . ingredients.-- sets of goose or duck giblets, lbs. of shin of beef, a few bones, ox-tail, mutton-shanks, large onions, carrots, large faggot of herbs, salt and pepper to taste, / pint of cream, oz. of butter mixed with a dessert-spoonful of flour, quarts of water. _mode_.--scald the giblets, cut the gizzards in pieces, and put them in a stewpan with the beef, bones, ox-tail, mutton-shanks, onions, herbs, pepper, and salt; add the quarts of water, and simmer till the giblets are tender, taking care to skim well. when the giblets are done, take them out, put them in your tureen, strain the soup through a sieve, add the cream and butter, mixed with a dessert-spoonful of flour, boil it up a few minutes, and pour it over the giblets. it can be flavoured with port wine and a little mushroom ketchup, instead of cream. add salt to taste. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. gravy soup. . ingredients.-- lbs. of shin of beef, a knuckle of veal weighing lbs., a few pieces or trimmings, slices of nicely-flavoured lean, ham; / lb. of butter, onions, carrots, turnip, nearly a head of celery, blade of mace, cloves, a hunch of savoury herb with endive, seasoning of salt and pepper to taste, lumps of sugar, quarts of boiling soft water. it can be flavoured with ketchup, leamington sauce (_see_ sauces), harvey's sauce, and a little soy. _mode_.--slightly brown the meat and ham in the butter, but do not let them burn. when this is done, pour to it the water, and as the scum rises, take it off; when no more appears, add all the other ingredients, and let the soup simmer slowly by the fire for hours without stirring it any more from the bottom; take it off, and let it settle; skim off all the fat you can, and pass it through a tammy. when perfectly cold, you can remove all the fat, and leave the sediment untouched, which serves very nicely for thick gravies, hashes, &c. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. endive.--this plant belongs to the acetarious tribe of vegetables, and is supposed to have originally come from china and japan. it was known to the ancients; but was not introduced to england till about the middle of the th century. it is consumed in large quantities by the french, and in london,--in the neighbourhood of which it is grown in abundance;--it is greatly used as a winter salad, as well as in soups and stews. hare soup. i. . ingredients.--a hare fresh-killed, lb. of lean gravy-beef, a slice of ham, carrot, onions, a faggot of savoury herbs, / oz. of whole black pepper, a little browned flour, / pint of port wine, the crumb of two french rolls, salt and cayenne to taste, quarts of water. _mode_.--skin and paunch the hare, saving the liver and as much blood as possible. cut it in pieces, and put it in a stewpan with all the ingredients, and simmer gently for hours. this soup should be made the day before it is wanted. strain through a sieve, put the best parts of the hare in the soup, and serve. or, ii. proceed as above; but, instead of putting the joints of the hare in the soup, pick the meat from the bones, pound it in a mortar, and add it, with the crumb of two french rolls, to the soup. rub all through a sieve; heat slowly, but do not let it boil. send it to table immediately. _time_.- hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ from september to february. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: hare.] the common hare.--this little animal is found throughout europe, and, indeed, in most of the northern parts of the world; and as it is destitute of natural weapons of defence, providence has endowed it with an extraordinary amount of the passion of fear. as if to awaken the vigilance of this passion, too, he has furnished it with long and tubular ears, in order that it may catch the remotest sounds; and with full, prominent eyes, which enable it to see, at one and the same time, both before and behind it. the hare feeds in the evenings, and sleeps, in its form, during the day; and, as it generally lies on the ground, its feet, both below and above, are protected with a thick covering of hair. its flesh, though esteemed by the romans, was forbidden by the druids and by the earlier britons. it is now, though very dark and dry, and devoid of fat, much esteemed by europeans, on account of the peculiarity of its flavour. in purchasing this animal, it ought to be remembered that both hares and rabbits, when old, have their claws rugged and blunt, their haunches thick, and their ears dry and tough. the ears of a young hare easily tear, and it has a narrow cleft in the lip; whilst its claws are both smooth and sharp. hessian soup. . ingredients.--half an ox's head, pint of split peas, carrots, turnips, potatoes, onions, head of celery, bunch of savoury herbs, pepper and salt to taste, blades of mace, a little allspice, cloves, the crumb of a french roll, quarts of water. _mode_.--clean the head, rub it with salt and water, and soak it for hours in warm water. simmer it in the water till tender, put it into a pan and let it cool; skim off all the fat; take out the head, and add the vegetables cut up small, and the peas which have been previously soaked; simmer them without the meat, till they are done enough to pulp through a sieve. add the seasoning, with pieces of the meat cut up; give one boil, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--an excellent hash or _ragoût_ can be made by cutting up the nicest parts of the head, thickening and seasoning more highly a little of the soup, and adding a glass of port wine and tablespoonfuls of ketchup. mock turtle. i. . ingredients.-- / a calf's head, / lb. of butter, / lb. of lean ham, tablespoonfuls of minced parsley, a little minced lemon thyme, sweet marjoram, basil, onions, a few chopped mushrooms (when obtainable), shallots, tablespoonfuls of flour, / bottle of madeira or sherry, force-meat balls, cayenne, salt and mace to taste, the juice of lemon and seville orange, dessert-spoonful of pounded sugar, quarts of best stock, no. . _mode_.--scald the head with the skin on, remove the brain, tie the head up in a cloth, and let it boil for hour. then take the meat from the bones, cut it into small square pieces, and throw them into cold water. now take the meat, put it into a stewpan, and cover with stock; let it boil gently for an hour, or rather more, if not quite tender, and set it on one side. melt the butter in another stewpan, and add the ham, cut small, with the herbs, parsley, onions, shallots, mushrooms, and nearly a pint of stock; let these simmer slowly for hours, and then dredge in as much flour as will dry up the butter. fill up with the remainder of the stock, add the wine, let it stew gently for minutes, rub it through a tammy, and put it to the calf's head; season with cayenne, and, if required, a little salt; add the juice of the orange and lemon; and when liked, / teaspoonful of pounded mace, and the sugar. put in the force-meat balls, simmer minutes, and serve very hot. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart, or s. d. without wine or force-meat balls. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--the bones of the head should be well stewed in the liquor it was first boiled in, and will make good white stock, flavoured with vegetables, etc. ii. (_more economical_.) . ingredients.--a knuckle of veal weighing or lbs., cow-heels, large onions stuck with cloves, bunch of sweet herbs, blades of mace, salt to taste, peppercorns, glass of sherry, force-meat balls, a little lemon-juice, quarts of water. _mode_.--put all the ingredients, except the force-meat balls and lemon-juice, in an earthen jar, and stew for hours. do not open it till cold. when wanted for use, skim off all the fat, and strain carefully; place it on the fire, cut up the meat into inch-and-a-half squares, put it, with the force-meat balls and lemon-juice, into the soup, and serve. it can be flavoured with a tablespoonful of anchovy, or harvey's sauce. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. the calf--the flesh of this animal is called veal, and when young, that is, under two months old, yields a large quantity of soluble extract, and is, therefore, much employed for soups and broths. the essex farmers have obtained a celebrity for fattening calves better than any others in england, where they are plentifully supplied with milk, a thing impossible to be done in the immediate neighbourhood of london. marjoram.--there are several species of this plant; but that which is preferred for cookery is a native of portugal, and is called sweet or knotted marjoram. when its leaves are dried, they have an agreeable aromatic flavour; and hence are used for soups, stuffings, &c. basil.--this is a native of the east indies, and is highly aromatic, having a perfume greatly resembling that of cloves. it is not much employed in english cookery, but is a favourite with french cooks, by whom its leaves are used in soups and salads. mullagatawny soup. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of curry powder, onions, clove of garlic, oz. of pounded almonds, a little lemon-pickle, or mango-juice, to taste; fowl or rabbit, slices of lean bacon; quarts of medium stock, or, if wanted very good, best stock. _mode_.-=slice and fry the onions of a nice colour; line the stewpan with the bacon; cut up the rabbit or fowl into small joints, and slightly brown them; put in the fried onions, the garlic, and stock, and simmer gently till the meat is tender; skim very carefully, and when the meat is done, rub the curry powder to a smooth batter; add it to the soup with the almonds, which must be first pounded with a little of the stock. put in seasoning and lemon-pickle or mango-juice to taste, and serve boiled rice with it. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart, with stock no. . _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this soup can also be made with breast of veal, or calf's head. vegetable mullagatawny is made with veal stock, by boiling and pulping chopped vegetable marrow, cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes, and seasoning with curry powder and cayenne. nice pieces of meat, good curry powder, and strong stock, are necessary to make this soup good. [illustration: coriander.] coriander.--this plant, which largely enters into the composition of curry powder with turmeric, originally comes from the east; but it has long been cultivated in england, especially in essex, where it is reared for the use of confectioners and druggists. in private gardens, it is cultivated for the sake of its tender leaves, which are highly aromatic, and are employed in soups and salads. its seeds are used in large quantities for the purposes of distillation. a good mutton soup. . ingredients.--a neck of mutton about or lbs., carrots, turnips, onions, a large bunch of sweet herbs, including parsley; salt and pepper to taste; a little sherry, if liked; quarts of water. _mode_.--lay the ingredients in a covered pan before the fire, and let them remain there the whole day, stirring occasionally. the next day put the whole into a stewpan, and place it on a brisk fire. when it commences to boil, take the pan off the fire, and put it on one side to simmer until the meat is done. when ready for use, take out the meat, dish it up with carrots and turnips, and send it to table; strain the soup, let it cool, skim off all the fat, season and thicken it with a tablespoonful, or rather more, of arrowroot; flavour with a little sherry, simmer for minutes, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, including the meat, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for persons. the sheep.--this animal formed the principal riches of the patriarchs, in the days of old, and, no doubt, multiplied, until its species were spread over the greater part of western asia; but at what period it was introduced to britain is not known. it is now found in almost every part of the globe, although, as a domestic animal, it depends almost entirely upon man for its support. its value, however, amply repays him for whatever care and kindness he may bestow upon it; for, like the ox, there is scarcely a part of it that he cannot convert to some useful purpose. the fleece, which serves it for a covering, is appropriated by man, to serve the same end to himself, whilst its skin is also applied to various purposes in civilized life. its entrails are used as strings for musical instruments, and its bones are calcined, and employed as tests in the trade of the refiner. its milk, being thicker than that of the cow, yields a greater quantity of butter and cheese, and its flesh is among the most wholesome and nutritive that can be eaten. thomson has beautifully described the appearance of the sheep, when bound to undergo the operation of being shorn of its wool. "behold, where bound, and of its robe bereft by needy man, that all-depending lord, how meek, how patient, the mild creature lies! what softness in his melancholy face, what dumb complaining innocence appears!" ox-cheek soup. . ingredients.--an ox-cheek, oz. of butter, or slices of lean ham or bacon, parsnip, carrots, onions, heads of celery, blades of mace, cloves, a faggot of savoury herbs, bay-leaf, a teaspoonful of salt, half that of pepper, head of celery, browning, the crust of a french roll, quarts of water. _mode_.--lay the ham in the bottom of the stewpan, with the butter; break the bones of the cheek, wash it clean, and put it on the ham. cut the vegetables small, add them to the other ingredients, and set the whole over a slow fire for / of an hour. now put in the water, and simmer gently till it is reduced to quarts; take out the fleshy part of the cheek, and strain the soup into a clean stewpan; thicken with flour, put in a head of sliced celery, and simmer till the celery is tender. if not a good colour, use a little browning. cut the meat into small square pieces, pour the soup over, and serve with the crust of a french roll in the tureen. a glass of sherry much improves this soup. _time_.-- to hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. the ox.--of the quadrupedal animals, the flesh of those that feed upon herbs is the most wholesome and nutritious for human food. in the early ages, the ox was used as a religious sacrifice, and, in the eyes of the egyptians was deemed so sacred as to be worthy of exaltation to represent taurus, one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. to this day, the hindoos venerate the cow, whose flesh is forbidden to be eaten, and whose fat, supposed to have been employed to grease the cartridges of the indian army, was one of the proximate causes of the great sepoy rebellion of . there are no animals of greater use to man than the tribe to which the ox belongs. there is hardly a part of them that does not enter into some of the arts and purposes of civilized life. of their horns are made combs, knife-handles, boxes, spoons, and drinking-cups. they are also made into transparent plates for lanterns; an invention ascribed, in england, to king alfred. glue is made from their gristles, cartilages, and portions of their hides. their bones often form a substitute for ivory; their skins, when calves, are manufactured into vellum; their blood is the basis of prussian blue; their sinews furnish fine and strong threads, used by saddlers; their hair enters into various manufactures; their tallow is made into candles; their flesh is eaten, and the utility of the milk and cream of the cow is well known. ox-tail soup. . ingredients.-- ox-tails, slices of ham, oz. of butter, carrots, turnips, onions, leek, head of celery, bunch of savoury herbs, bay-leaf, whole peppercorns, cloves, a tablespoonful of salt, tablespoonfuls of ketchup, / glass of port wine, quarts of water. _mode_.--cut up the tails, separating them at the joints; wash them, and put them in a stewpan, with the butter. cut the vegetables in slices, and add them, with the peppercorns and herbs. put in / pint of water, and stir it over a sharp fire till the juices are drawn. fill up the stewpan with the water, and, when boiling, add the salt. skim well, and simmer very gently for hours, or until the tails are tender. take them out, skim and strain the soup, thicken with flour, and flavour with the ketchup and port wine. put back the tails, simmer for minutes, and serve. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. partridge soup. . ingredients.-- partridges, slices of lean ham, shred onions, head of celery, large carrot, and turnip cut into any fanciful shapes, small lump of sugar, oz. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, quarts of stock no. , or common, no. . _mode_.--cut the partridges into pieces, and braise them in the butter and ham until quite tender; then take out the legs, wings, and breast, and set them by. keep the backs and other trimmings in the braise, and add the onions and celery; any remains of cold game can be put in, and pints of stock. simmer slowly for hour, strain it, and skim the fat off as clean as possible; put in the pieces that were taken out, give it one boil, and skim again to have it quite clear, and add the sugar and seasoning. now simmer the cut carrot and turnip in pint of stock; when quite tender, put them to the partridges, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. or s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ from september to february. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--the meat of the partridges may be pounded with the crumb of a french roll, and worked with the soup through a sieve. serve with stewed celery cut in slices, and put in the tureen. the partridge.--this is a timorous bird, being easily taken. it became known to the greeks and romans, whose tables it helped to furnish with food. formerly, the red was scarce in italy, but its place was supplied by the white, which, at considerable expense, was frequently procured from the alps. the athenians trained this bird for fighting, and severus used to lighten the cares of royalty by witnessing the spirit of its combats. the greeks esteemed its leg most highly, and rejected the other portions as unfashionable to be eaten. the romans, however, ventured a little further, and ate the breast, whilst we consider the bird as wholly palatable. it is an inhabitant of all the temperate countries of europe, but, on account of the geniality of the climate, it abounds most in the ukraine. pheasant soup. . ingredients.-- pheasants, / lb. of butter, slices of ham, large onions sliced, / head of celery, the crumb of two french rolls, the yolks of eggs boiled hard, salt and cayenne to taste, a little pounded mace, if liked; quarts of stock no. . _mode_.--cut up the pheasants, flour and braise them in the butter and ham till they are of a nice brown, but not burnt. put them in a stewpan, with the onions, celery, and seasoning, and simmer for hours. strain the soup; pound the breasts with the crumb of the roll previously soaked, and the yolks of the eggs; put it to the soup, give one boil, and serve. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, s. d. per quart, or, if made with fragments of gold game, s. _seasonable_ from october to february. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--fragments, pieces and bones of cold game, may be used to great advantage in this soup, and then pheasant will suffice. portable soup. . ingredients.-- knuckles of veal, shins of beef, large faggot of herbs, bay-leaves, heads of celery, onions, carrots, blades of mace, cloves, a teaspoonful of salt, sufficient water to cover all the ingredients. _mode_.--take the marrow from the bones; put all the ingredients in a stock-pot, and simmer slowly for hours, or more, if the meat be not done to rags; strain it off, and put it in a very cool place; take off all the fat, reduce the liquor in a shallow pan, by setting it over a sharp fire, but be particular that it does not burn; boil it fast and uncovered for hours, and keep it stirred. put it into a deep dish, and set it by for a day. have ready a stewpan of boiling water, place the dish in it, and keep it boiling; stir occasionally, and when the soup is thick and ropy, it is done. form it into little cakes by pouring a small quantity on to the bottom of cups or basins; when cold, turn them out on a flannel to dry. keep them from the air in tin canisters. _average cost_ of this quantity, s. _note_.--soup can be made in minutes with this, by dissolving a small piece, about the size of a walnut, in a pint of warm water, and simmering for minutes. vermicelli, macaroni, or other italian pastes, may be added. the laurel or bay.--the leaves of this tree frequently enter into the recipes of cookery; but they ought not to be used without the greatest caution, and not at all unless the cook is perfectly aware of their effects. it ought to be known, that there are two kinds of bay-trees,--the classic laurel, whose leaves are comparatively harmless, and the cherry-laurel, which is the one whose leaves are employed in cookery. they have a kernel-like flavour, and are used in blanc-mange, puddings, custards &c.; but when acted upon by water, they develop prussic acid, and, therefore, but a small number of the leaves should be used at a time. rabbit soup. . ingredients.-- large rabbits, or small ones; a faggot of savoury herbs, / head of celery, carrots, onion, blade of mace, salt and white pepper to taste, a little pounded mace, / pint of cream, the yolks of eggs boiled hard, the crumb of a french roll, nearly quarts of water. _mode_.--make the soup with the legs and shoulders of the rabbit, and keep the nice pieces for a dish or _entrée_. put them into warm water, and draw the blood; when quite clean, put them in a stewpan, with a faggot of herbs, and a teacupful, or rather more, of veal stock or water. simmer slowly till done through, and add the quarts of water, and boil for an hour. take out the rabbet, pick the meat from the bones, covering it up to keep it white; put the bones back in the liquor, add the vegetables, and simmer for hours; skim and strain, and let it cool. now pound the meat in a mortar, with the yolks of the eggs, and the crumb of the roll previously soaked; rub it through a tammy, and gradually add it to the strained liquor, and simmer for minutes. mix arrowroot or rice-flour with the cream (say dessert-spoonfuls), and stir in the soup; bring it to a boil, and serve. this soup must be very white, and instead of thickening it with arrowroot or rice-flour, vermicelli or pearl barley can be boiled in a little stock, and put in minutes before serving. _time_.--nearly hours. _average cost_, s. per quart. _seasonable_ from september to march. _sufficient_ for persons. regency soup. . ingredients.--any bones and remains of any cold game, such as of pheasants, partridges, &c.; carrots, small onions, head of celery, turnip, / lb. of pearl barley, the yolks of eggs boiled hard, / pint of cream, salt to taste, quarts of stock no. , or common stock, no. . _mode_.--place the bones or remains of game in the stewpan, with the vegetables sliced; pour over the stock, and simmer for hours; skim off all the fat, and strain it. wash the barley, and boil it in or waters before putting it to the soup; finish simmering in the soup, and when the barley is done, take out half, and pound the other half with the yolks of the eggs. when you have finished pounding, rub it through a clean tammy, add the cream, and salt if necessary; give one boil, and serve very hot, putting in the barley that was taken out first. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, s. per quart, if made with medium stock, or d. per quart, with common stock. _seasonable_ from september to march. _sufficient_ for persons. soup a la reine. i. . ingredients.-- large fowl, oz. of sweet almonds, the crumb of / french roll, / pint of cream, salt to taste, small lump of sugar, quarts of good white veal stock, no. . _mode_.--boil the fowl gently in the stock till quite tender, which will be in about an hour, or rather more; take out the fowl, pull the meat from the bones, and put it into a mortar with the almonds, and pound very fine. when beaten enough, put the meat back in the stock, with the crumb of the rolls, and let it simmer for an hour; rub it through a tammy, add the sugar, / pint of cream that has boiled, and, if you prefer, cut the crust of the roll into small round pieces, and pour the soup over it, when you serve. _time_.-- hours, or rather more. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--all white soups should be warmed in a vessel placed in another of boiling water. (_see_ bain marie, no. .) ii. (economical.) . ingredients.--any remains of roast chickens, / teacupful of rice, salt and pepper to taste, quart of stock no. . _mode_.--take all the white meat and pound it with the rice, which has been slightly cooked, but not much. when it is all well pounded, dilute with the stock, and pass through a sieve. this soup should neither be too clear nor too thick. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--if stock is not at hand, put the chicken-bones in water, with an onion, carrot, a few sweet herbs, a blade of mace, pepper and salt, and stew for hours. stew soup of salt meat. . ingredients.--any pieces of salt beef or pork, say lbs.; carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, cabbage, oz. of oatmeal or ground rice, seasoning of salt and pepper, quarts of water. _mode_.--cut up the meat small, add the water, and let it simmer for / hours. now add the vegetables, cut in thin small slices; season, and boil for hour. thicken with the oatmeal, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart without the meat. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--if rice is used instead of oatmeal, put it in with the vegetables. stew soup. i. . ingredients.-- lbs. of beef, onions, turnips, / lb. of _rice_, a large bunch of parsley, a few sweet herbs, pepper and salt, quarts of water. _mode_.--cut the beef up in small pieces, add the other ingredients, and boil gently for / hours. oatmeal or potatoes would be a great improvement. _time_.- / hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. ii. . ingredients.-- / lb. of beef, mutton, or pork; / pint of split peas, turnips, potatoes, onions, oz. of oatmeal or oz. of rice, quarts of water. _mode_.--cut the meat in small pieces, as also the vegetables, and add them, with the peas, to the water. boil gently for hours; thicken with the oatmeal, boil for another / hour, stirring all the time, and season with pepper and salt. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this soup may be made of the liquor in which tripe has been boiled, by adding vegetables, seasoning, rice, &c. turkey soup (a seasonable dish at christmas). . ingredients.-- quarts of medium stock, no. , the remains of a cold roast turkey, oz. of rice-flour or arrowroot, salt and pepper to taste, tablespoonful of harvey's sauce or mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--cut up the turkey in small pieces, and put it in the stock; let it simmer slowly until the bones are quite clean. take the bones out, and work the soup through a sieve; when cool, skim well. mix the rice-flour or arrowroot to a batter with a little of the soup; add it with the seasoning and sauce, or ketchup. give one boil, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ at christmas. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--instead of thickening this soup, vermicelli or macaroni may be served in it. the turkey.--the common turkey is a native of north america, and was thence introduced to england, in the reign of henry viii. according to tusser's "five hundred points of good husbandry," about the year it begun to form a dish at our rural christmas feasts. "beef, mutton, and pork, shred pies of the best, pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkey well dress'd, cheese, apples, and nuts, jolly carols to hear, as then in the country is counted good cheer." it is one of the most difficult birds to rear, of any that we have; yet, in its wild state, is found in great abundance in the forests of canada, where, it might have been imagined that the severity of the climate would be unfavourable to its ever becoming plentiful. they are very fond of the seeds of nettles, and the seeds of the foxglove poison them. turtle soup (founded on m. ude's recipe). . ingredients.--a turtle, slices of ham, knuckles of veal, large bunch of sweet herbs, bay-leaves, parsley, green onions, onion, cloves, blades of mace, / lb. of fresh butter, bottle of madeira, lump of sugar. for the _quenelles à tortue_, lb. of veal, lb. of bread crumbs, milk, eggs, cayenne, salt, spices, chopped parsley, the juice of lemons. _mode_.--to make this soup with less difficulty, cut off the head of the turtle the preceding day. in the morning open the turtle by leaning heavily with a knife on the shell of the animal's back, whilst you cut this off all round. turn it upright on its end, that all the water, &c. may run out, when the flesh should be cut off along the spine, with the knife sloping towards the bones, for fear of touching the gall, which sometimes might escape the eye. when all the flesh about the members is obtained, wash these clean, and let them drain. have ready, on the fire, a large vessel full of boiling water, into which put the shells; and when you perceive that they come easily off, take them out of the water, and prick them all, with those of the back, belly, fins, head, &c. boil the back and belly till the bones can be taken off, without, however, allowing the softer parts to be sufficiently done, as they will be boiled again in the soup. when these latter come off easily, lay them on earthen dishes singly, for fear they should stick together, and put them to cool. keep the liquor in which you have blanched the softer parts, and let the bones stew thoroughly in it, as this liquor must be used to moisten all the sauces. all the flesh of the interior parts, the four legs and head, must be drawn down in the following manner:--lay the slices of ham on the bottom of a very large stewpan, over them the knuckles of veal, according to the size of the turtle; then the inside flesh of the turtle, and over the whole the members. now moisten with the water in which you are boiling the shell, and draw it down thoroughly. it may now be ascertained if it be thoroughly done by thrusting a knife into the fleshy part of the meat. if no blood appears, it is time to moisten it again with the liquor in which the bones, &c. have been boiling. put in a large bunch of all such sweet herbs as are used in the cooking of a turtle,--sweet basil, sweet marjoram, lemon thyme, winter savory, or bay-leaves, common thyme, a handful of parsley and green onions, and a large onion stuck with cloves. let the whole be thoroughly done. with respect to the members, probe them, to see whether they are done, and if so, drain and send them to the larder, as they are to make their appearance only when the soup is absolutely completed. when the flesh is also completely done, strain it through a silk sieve, and make a very thin white _roux;_ for turtle soup must not be much thickened. when the flour is sufficiently done on a slow fire, and has a good colour, moisten it with the liquor, keeping it over the fire till it boils. ascertain that the sauce is neither too thick nor too thin; then draw the stewpan on the side of the stove, to skim off the white scum, and all the fat and oil that rise to the surface of the sauce. by this time all the softer parts will be sufficiently cold; when they must be cut to about the size of one or two inches square, and thrown into the soup, which must now be left to simmer gently. when done, skim off all the fat and froth. take all the leaves of the herbs from the stock,--sweet basil, sweet marjoram, lemon thyme, winter savory, or bay-leaves, common thyme, a handful of parsley and green onions, and a large onion cut in four pieces, with a few blades of mace. put these in a stewpan, with about / lb. of fresh butter, and let it simmer on a slow fire till quite melted, when pour in bottle of good madeira, adding a small bit of sugar, and let it boil gently for hour. when done, rub it through a tammy, and add it to the soup. let this boil, till no white scum rises; then take with a skimmer all the bits of turtle out of the sauce, and put them in a clean stewpan: when you have all out, pour the soup over the bits of turtle, through a tammy, and proceed as follows:-- quenelles À tortue.--make some _quenelles à tortue_, which being substitutes for eggs, do not require to be very delicate. take out the fleshy part of a leg of veal, about lb., scrape off all the meat, without leaving any sinews or fat, and soak in milk about the same quantity of crumbs of bread. when the bread is well soaked, squeeze it, and put it into a mortar, with the veal, a small quantity of calf's udder, a little butter, the yolks of eggs, boiled hard, a little cayenne pepper, salt, and spices, and pound the whole very fine; then thicken the mixture with whole eggs, and the yolk of another. next try this _farce_ or stuffing in boiling-hot water, to ascertain its consistency: if it is too thin, add the yolk of an egg. when the _farce_ is perfected, take half of it, and put into it some chopped parsley. let the whole cool, in order to roll it of the size of the yolk of an egg; poach it in salt and boiling water, and when very hard, drain on a sieve, and put it into the turtle. before you send up, squeeze the juice of or lemons, with a little cayenne pepper, and pour that into the soup. the fins may be served as a _plat d'entrée_ with a little turtle sauce; if not, on the following day you may warm the turtle _au bain marie_, and serve the members entire, with a _matelote_ sauce, garnished with mushrooms, cocks' combs, _quenelles_, &c. when either lemon-juice or cayenne pepper has been introduced, no boiling must take place. _note_.--it is necessary to observe, that the turtle prepared a day before it is used, is generally preferable, the flavour being more uniform. be particular, when you dress a very large turtle, to preserve the green fat (be cautious not to study a very brown colour,--the natural green of the fish is preferred by every epicure and true connoisseur) in a separate stewpan, and likewise when the turtle is entirely done, to have as many tureens as you mean to serve each time. you cannot put the whole in a large vessel, for many reasons: first, it will be long in cooling; secondly, when you take some out, it will break all the rest into rags. if you warm in a _bain marie_, the turtle will always retain the same taste; but if you boil it often, it becomes strong, and loses the delicacy of its flavour. the cost of turtle soup.--this is the most expensive soup brought to table. it is sold by the quart,--one guinea being the standard price for that quantity. the price of live turtle ranges from d. to s. per lb., according to supply and demand. when live turtle is dear, many cooks use the tinned turtle, which is killed when caught, and preserved by being put in hermetically-sealed canisters, and so sent over to england. the cost of a tin, containing quarts, or lbs., is about £ , and for a small one, containing the green fat, s. d. from these about quarts of good soup may be made. [illustration: the turtle.] the green turtle.--this reptile is found in large numbers on the coasts of all the islands and continents within the tropics, in both the old and new worlds. their length is often five feet and upwards, and they range in weight from to or lbs. as turtles find a constant supply of food on the coasts which they frequent, they are not of a quarrelsome disposition, as the submarine meadows in which they pasture, yield plenty for them all. like other species of amphibia, too, they have the power of living many months without food; so that they live harmlessly and peaceably together, notwithstanding that they seem to have no common bond of association, but merely assemble in the same places as if entirely by accident. england is mostly supplied with them from the west indies, whence they are brought alive and in tolerable health. the green turtle is highly prized on account of the delicious quality of its flesh, the fat of the upper and lower shields of the animal being esteemed the richest and most delicate parts. the soup, however, is apt to disagree with weak stomachs. as an article of luxury, the turtle has only come into fashion within the last years, and some hundreds of tureens of turtle soup are served annually at the lord mayor's dinner in guildhall. a good family soup. . ingredients.--remains of a cold tongue, lbs. of shin of beef, any cold pieces of meat or beef-bones, turnips, carrots, onions, parsnip, head of celery, quarts of water, / teacupful of rice; salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--put all the ingredients in a stewpan, and simmer gently for hours, or until all the goodness is drawn from the meat. strain off the soup, and let it stand to get cold. the kernels and soft parts of the tongue must be saved. when the soup is wanted for use, skim off all the fat, put in the kernels and soft parts of the tongue, slice in a small quantity of fresh carrot, turnip, and onion; stew till the vegetables are tender, and serve with toasted bread. _time_.-- hours. __average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for persons. hodge-podge. . ingredients.-- lbs. of shin of beef, quarts of water, pint of table-beer, onions, carrots, turnips, head of celery; pepper and salt to taste; thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--put the meat, beer, and water in a stewpan; simmer for a few minutes, and skim carefully. add the vegetables and seasoning; stew gently till the meat is tender. thicken with the butter and flour, and serve with turnips and carrots, or spinach and celery. _time_.-- hours, or rather more. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for persons. table beer.--this is nothing more than a weak ale, and is not made so much with a view to strength, as to transparency of colour and an agreeable bitterness of taste. it is, or ought to be, manufactured by the london professional brewers, from the best pale malt, or amber and malt. six barrels are usually drawn from one quarter of malt, with which are mixed or lbs. of hops. as a beverage, it is agreeable when fresh; but it is not adapted to keep long. fish soups. fish stock. . ingredients.-- lbs. of beef or veal (these can be omitted), any kind of white fish trimmings, of fish which are to be dressed for table, onions, the rind of / a lemon, a bunch of sweet herbs, carrots, quarts of water. _mode_.--cut up the fish, and put it, with the other ingredients, into the water. simmer for hours; skim the liquor carefully, and strain it. when a richer stock is wanted, fry the vegetables and fish before adding the water. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, with meat, d. per quart; without, d. _note_.--do not make fish stock long before it is wanted, as it soon turns sour. crayfish soup. . ingredients.-- crayfish, / lb. of butter, anchovies, the crumb of french roll, a little lobster-spawn, seasoning to taste, quarts of medium stock, no. , or fish stock, no. . _mode_.--shell the crayfish, and put the fish between two plates until they are wanted; pound the shells in a mortar, with the butter and anchovies; when well beaten, add a pint of stock, and simmer for / of an hour. strain it through a hair sieve, put the remainder of the stock to it, with the crumb of the rolls; give it one boil, and rub it through a tammy, with the lobster-spawn. put in the fish, but do not let the soup boil, after it has been rubbed through the tammy. if necessary, add seasoning. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. or s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ from january to july. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: crayfish.] the crayfish.--this is one of those fishes that were highly esteemed by the ancients. the greeks preferred it when brought from alexandria, and the romans ate it boiled with cumin, and seasoned with pepper and other condiments. a recipe tells us, that crayfish can be preserved several days in baskets with fresh grass, such as the nettle, or in a bucket with about three-eighths of an inch of water. more water would kill them, because the large quantity of air they require necessitates the water in which they are kept, to be continually renewed. eel soup. . ingredients.-- lbs. of eels, onion, oz. of butter, blades of mace, bunch of sweet herbs, / oz. of peppercorns, salt to taste, tablespoonfuls of flour, / pint of cream, quarts of water. _mode_.--wash the eels, cut them into thin slices, and put them in the stewpan with the butter; let them simmer for a few minutes, then pour the water to them, and add the onion, cut in thin slices, the herbs, mace, and seasoning. simmer till the eels are tender, but do not break the fish. take them out carefully, mix the flour smoothly to a batter with the cream, bring it to a boil, pour over the eels, and serve. _time_.-- hour, or rather more. _average cost_, d. per quart. _seasonable_ from june to march. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this soup may be flavoured differently by omitting the cream, and adding a little ketchup or harvey's sauce. lobster soup. . ingredients.-- large lobsters, or small ones; the crumb of a french roll, anchovies, onion, small bunch of sweet herbs, strip of lemon-peel, oz. of butter, a little nutmeg, teaspoonful of flour, pint of cream, pint of milk; forcemeat balls, mace, salt and pepper to taste, bread crumbs, egg, quarts of water. _mode_.--pick the meat from the lobsters, and beat the fins, chine, and small claws in a mortar, previously taking away the brown fin and the bag in the head. put it in a stewpan, with the crumb of the roll, anchovies, onions, herbs, lemon-peel, and the water; simmer gently till all the goodness is extracted, and strain it off. pound the spawn in a mortar, with the butter, nutmeg, and flour, and mix with it the cream and milk. give one boil up, at the same time adding the tails cut in pieces. make the forcemeat balls with the remainder of the lobster, seasoned with mace, pepper, and salt, adding a little flour, and a few bread crumbs; moisten them with the egg, heat them in the soup, and serve. _time_.-- hours, or rather more. _average cost_, s d per quart. _seasonable_ from april to october. _sufficient_ for persons. oyster soup. i. . ingredients.-- dozen of oysters, quarts of white stock, / pint of cream, oz. of butter, - / oz. of flour; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste. _mode_.--scald the oysters in their own liquor; take them out, beard them, and put them in a tureen. take a pint of the stock, put in the beards and the liquor, which must be carefully strained, and simmer for / an hour. take it off the fire, strain it again, and add the remainder of the stock with the seasoning and mace. bring it to a boil, add the thickening of butter and flour, simmer for minutes, stir in the boiling cream, pour it over the oysters, and serve. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. d. per quart. _seasonable_ from september to april. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this soup can be made less rich by using milk instead of cream, and thickening with arrowroot instead of butter and flour. ii. . ingredients.-- quarts of good mutton broth, dozen oysters, oz. butter, oz. of flour. _mode_.--beard the oysters, and scald them in their own liquor; then add it, well strained, to the broth; thicken with the butter and flour, and simmer for / of an hour. put in the oysters, stir well, but do not let it boil, and serve very hot. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. per quart. _seasonable_ from september to april. _sufficient_ for persons. season of oysters.--from april and may to the end of july, oysters are said to be sick; but by the end of august they become healthy, having recovered from the effects of spawning. when they are not in season, the males have a black, and the females a milky substance in the gill. from some lines of oppian, it would appear that the ancients were ignorant that the oyster is generally found adhering to rocks. the starfish is one of the most deadly enemies of these bivalves. the poet says:-- the prickly star creeps on with full deceit to force the oyster from his close retreat. when gaping lids their widen'd void display, the watchful star thrusts in a pointed ray, of all its treasures spoils the rifled case, and empty shells the sandy hillock grace. prawn soup. . ingredients.-- quarts of fish stock or water, pints of prawns, the crumbs of a french roll, anchovy sauce or mushroom ketchup to taste, blade of mace, pint of vinegar, a little lemon-juice. _mode_.--pick out the tails of the prawns, put the bodies in a stewpan with blade of mace, / pint of vinegar, and the same quantity of water; stew them for / hour, and strain off the liquor. put the fish stock or water into a stewpan; add the strained liquor, pound the prawns with the crumb of a roll moistened with a little of the soup, rub them through a tammy, and mix them by degrees with the soup; add ketchup or anchovy sauce to taste, with a little lemon-juice. when it is well cooked, put in a few picked prawns; let them get thoroughly hot, and serve. if not thick enough, put in a little butter and flour. _time_.--hour. _average cost_, s. d. per quart, if made with water. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--this can be thickened with tomatoes, and vermicelli served in it, which makes it a very tasteful soup. [illustration: the prawn.] the prawn.--this little fish bears a striking resemblance to the shrimp, but is neither so common nor so small. it is to be found on most of the sandy shores of europe. the isle of wight is famous for shrimps, where they are potted; but both the prawns and the shrimps vended in london, are too much salted for the excellence of their natural flavour to be preserved. they are extremely lively little animals, as seen in their native retreats. [illustration] fish. chapter vii. the natural history of fishes. . in natural history, fishes form the fourth class in the system of linnaeus, and are described as having long under-jaws, eggs without white, organs of sense, fins for supporters, bodies covered with concave scales, gills to supply the place of lungs for respiration, and water for the natural element of their existence. had mankind no other knowledge of animals than of such as inhabit the land and breathe their own atmosphere, they would listen with incredulous wonder, if told that there were other kinds of beings which existed only in the waters, and which would die almost as soon as they were taken from them. however strongly these facts might be attested, they would hardly believe them, without the operation of their own senses, as they would recollect the effect produced on their own bodies when immersed in water, and the impossibility of their sustaining life in it for any lengthened period of time. experience, however, has taught them, that the "great deep" is crowded with inhabitants of various sizes, and of vastly different constructions, with modes of life entirely distinct from those which belong to the animals of the land, and with peculiarities of design, equally wonderful with those of any other works which have come from the hand of the creator. the history of these races, however, must remain for ever, more or less, in a state of darkness, since the depths in which they live, are beyond the power of human exploration, and since the illimitable expansion of their domain places them almost entirely out of the reach of human accessibility. . in studying the conformation of fishes, we naturally conclude that they are, in every respect, well adapted to the element in which they have their existence. their shape has a striking resemblance to the lower part of a ship; and there is no doubt that the form of the fish originally suggested the form of the ship. the body is in general slender, gradually diminishing towards each of its extremities, and flattened on each of its sides. this is precisely the form of the lower part of the hull of a ship; and it enables both the animal and the vessel, with comparative ease, to penetrate and divide the resisting medium for which they have been adapted. the velocity of a ship, however, in sailing before the wind, is by no means to be compared to that of a fish. it is well known that the largest fishes will, with the greatest ease, overtake a ship in full sail, play round it without effort, and shoot ahead of it at pleasure. this arises from their great flexibility, which, to compete with mocks the labours of art, and enables them to migrate thousands of miles in a season, without the slightest indications of languor or fatigue. . the principal instruments employed by fishes to accelerate their motion, are their air-bladder, fins, and tail. by means of the air-bladder they enlarge or diminish the specific gravity of their bodies. when they wish to sink, they compress the muscles of the abdomen, and eject the air contained in it; by which, their weight, compared with that of the water, is increased, and they consequently descend. on the other hand, when they wish to rise, they relax the compression of the abdominal muscles, when the air-bladder fills and distends, and the body immediately ascends to the surface. how simply, yet how wonderfully, has the supreme being adapted certain means to the attainment of certain ends! those fishes which are destitute of the air-bladder are heavy in the water, and have no great "alacrity" in rising. the larger proportion of them remain at the bottom, unless they are so formed as to be able to strike their native element downwards with sufficient force to enable them to ascend. when the air-bladder of a fish is burst, its power of ascending to the surface has for ever passed away. from a knowledge of this fact, the fishermen of cod are enabled to preserve them alive for a considerable time in their well-boats. the means they adopt to accomplish this, is to perforate the sound, or air-bladder, with a needle, which disengages the air, when the fishes immediately descend to the bottom of the well, into which they are thrown. without this operation, it would be impossible to keep the cod under water whilst they had life. in swimming, the _fins_ enable fishes to preserve their upright position, especially those of the belly, which act like two feet. without those, they would swim with their bellies upward, as it is in their backs that the centre of gravity lies. in ascending and descending, these are likewise of great assistance, as they contract and expand accordingly. the _tail_ is an instrument of great muscular force, and largely assists the fish in all its motions. in some instances it acts like the rudder of a ship, and enables it to turn sideways; and when moved from side to side with a quick vibratory motion, fishes are made, in the same manner as the "screw" propeller makes a steamship, to dart forward with a celerity proportioned to the muscular force with which it is employed. . the bodies of fishes are mostly covered with a kind of horny scales; but some are almost entirely without them, or have them so minute as to be almost invisible; as is the case with the eel. the object of these is to preserve them from injury by the pressure of the water, or the sudden contact with pebbles, rocks, or sea-weeds. others, again, are enveloped in a fatty, oleaginous substance, also intended as a defence against the friction of the water; and those in which the scales are small, are supplied with a larger quantity of slimy matter. . the respiration of fishes is effected by means of those comb-like organs which are placed on each side of the neck, and which are called gills. it is curious to watch the process of breathing as it is performed by the finny tribes. it seems to be so continuous, that it might almost pass for an illustration of the vexed problem which conceals the secret of perpetual motion. in performing it, they fill their mouths with water, which they drive backwards with a force so great as to open the large flap, to allow it to escape behind. in this operation all, or a great portion, of the air contained in the water, is left among the feather-like processes of the gills, and is carried into the body, there to perform its part in the animal economy. in proof of this, it has been ascertained that, if the water in which fishes are put, is, by any means, denuded of its air, they immediately seek the surface, and begin to gasp for it. hence, distilled water is to them what a vacuum made by an air-pump, is to most other animals. for this reason, when a fishpond, or other aqueous receptacle in which fishes are kept, is entirely frozen over, it is necessary to make holes in the ice, not so especially for the purpose of feeding them, as for that of giving them air to breathe. . the positions of the teeth of fishes are well calculated to excite our amazement; for, in some cases, these are situated in the jaws, sometimes on the tongue or palate, and sometimes even in the throat. they are in general sharp-pointed and immovable; but in the carp they are obtuse, and in the pike so easily moved as to seem to have no deeper hold than such as the mere skin can afford. in the herring, the tongue is set with teeth, to enable it the better, it is supposed, to retain its food. . although naturalists have divided fishes into two great tribes, the _osseous_ and the _cartilaginous_, yet the distinction is not very precise; for the first have a great deal of cartilage, and the second, at any rate, a portion of calcareous matter in their bones. it may, therefore, be said that the bones of fishes form a kind of intermediate substance between true bones and cartilages. the backbone extends through the whole length of the body, and consists of vertebrae, strong and thick towards the head, but weaker and more slender as it approaches the tail. each species has a determinate number of vertebrae, which are increased in size in proportion with the body. the ribs are attached to the processes of the vertebrae, and inclose the breast and abdomen. some kinds, as the rays, have no ribs; whilst others, as the sturgeon and eel, have very short ones. between the pointed processes of the vertebrae are situated the bones which support the dorsal (back) and the anal (below the tail) fins, which are connected with the processes by a ligament. at the breast are the sternum or breastbone, clavicles or collar-bones, and the scapulae or shoulder-blades, on which the pectoral or breast fins are placed. the bones which support the ventral or belly fins are called the _ossa pelvis_. besides these principal bones, there are often other smaller ones, placed between the muscles to assist their motion. . some of the organs of sense in fishes are supposed to be possessed by them in a high degree, and others much more imperfectly. of the latter kind are the senses of touch and taste, which are believed to be very slightly developed. on the other hand, those of hearing, seeing, and smelling, are ascertained to be acute, but the first in a lesser degree than both the second and third. their possession of an auditory organ was long doubted, and even denied by some physiologists; but it has been found placed on the sides of the skull, or in the cavity which contains the brain. it occupies a position entirely distinct and detached from the skull, and, in this respect, differs in the local disposition of the same sense in birds and quadrupeds. in some fishes, as in those of the ray kind, the organ is wholly encompassed by those parts which contain the cavity of the skull; whilst in the cod and salmon kind it is in the part within the skull. its structure is, in every way, much more simple than that of the same sense in those animals which live entirely in the air; but there is no doubt that they have the adaptation suitable to their condition. in some genera, as in the rays, the external orifice or ear is very small, and is placed in the upper surface of the head; whilst in others there is no visible external orifice whatever. however perfect the _sight_ of fishes may be, experience has shown that this sense is of much less use to them than that of smelling, in searching for their food. the optic nerves in fishes have this peculiarity,--that they are not confounded with one another in their middle progress between their origin and their orbit. the one passes over the other without any communication; so that the nerve which comes from the left side of the brain goes distinctly to the right eye, and that which comes from the right goes distinctly to the left. in the greater part of them, the eye is covered with the same transparent skin that covers the rest of the head. the object of this arrangement, perhaps, is to defend it from the action of the water, as there are no eyelids. the globe in front is somewhat depressed, and is furnished behind with a muscle, which serves to lengthen or flatten it, according to the necessities of the animal. the crystalline humour, which in quadrupeds is flattened, is, in fishes, nearly globular. the organ of _smelling_ in fishes is large, and is endued, at its entry, with a dilating and contracting power, which is employed as the wants of the animal may require. it is mostly by the acuteness of their smell that fishes are enabled to discover their food; for their tongue is not designed for nice sensation, being of too firm a cartilaginous substance for this purpose. . with respect to the food of fishes, this is almost universally found in their own element. they are mostly carnivorous, though they seize upon almost anything that comes in their way: they even devour their own offspring, and manifest a particular predilection for all living creatures. those, to which nature has meted out mouths of the greatest capacity, would seem to pursue everything with life, and frequently engage in fierce conflicts with their prey. the animal with the largest mouth is usually the victor; and he has no sooner conquered his foe than he devours him. innumerable shoals of one species pursue those of another, with a ferocity which draws them from the pole to the equator, through all the varying temperatures and depths of their boundless domain. in these pursuits a scene of universal violence is the result; and many species must have become extinct, had not nature accurately proportioned the means of escape, the production, and the numbers, to the extent and variety of the danger to which they are exposed. hence the smaller species are not only more numerous, but more productive than the larger; whilst their instinct leads them in search of food and safety near the shores, where, from the shallowness of the waters, many of their foes are unable to follow them. . the fecundity of fishes has been the wonder of every natural philosopher whose attention has been attracted to the subject. they are in general oviparous, or egg-producing; but there are a few, such as the eel and the blenny, which are viviparous, or produce their young alive. the males have the _milt_ and the females the _roe_; but some individuals, as the sturgeon and the cod tribes, are said to contain both. the greater number deposit their spawn in the sand or gravel; but some of those which dwell in the depths of the ocean attach their eggs to sea-weeds. in every instance, however, their fruitfulness far surpasses that of any other race of animals. according to lewenhoeck, the cod annually spawns upwards of nine millions of eggs, contained in a single roe. the flounder produces one million; the mackerel above five hundred thousand; a herring of a moderate size at least ten thousand; a carp fourteen inches in length, according to petit, contained two hundred and sixty-two thousand two hundred and twenty-four; a perch deposited three hundred and eighty thousand six hundred and forty; and a female sturgeon seven millions six hundred and fifty-three thousand two hundred. the viviparous species are by no means so prolific; yet the blenny brings forth two or three hundred at a time, which commence sporting together round their parent the moment they have come into existence. . in reference to the longevity of fishes, it is affirmed to surpass that of all other created beings; and it is supposed they are, to a great extent, exempted from the diseases to which the flesh of other animals is heir. in place of suffering from the rigidity of age, which is the cause of the natural decay of those that "live and move and have their being" on the land, their bodies continue to grow with each succeeding supply of food, and the conduits of life to perform their functions unimpaired. the age of fishes has not been properly ascertained, although it is believed that the most minute of the species has a longer lease of life than man. the mode in which they die has been noted by the rev. mr. white, the eminent naturalist of selbourne. as soon as the fish sickens, the head sinks lower and lower, till the animal, as it were, stands upon it. after this, as it becomes weaker, it loses its poise, till the tail turns over, when it comes to the surface, and floats with its belly upwards. the reason for its floating in this manner is on account of the body being no longer balanced by the fins of the belly, and the broad muscular back preponderating, by its own gravity, over the belly, from this latter being a cavity, and consequently lighter. . fishes are either solitary or gregarious, and some of them migrate to great distances, and into certain rivers, to deposit their spawn. of sea-fishes, the cod, herring, mackerel, and many others, assemble in immense shoals, and migrate through different tracts of the ocean; but, whether considered in their solitary or gregarious capacity, they are alike wonderful to all who look through nature up to nature's god, and consider, with due humility, yet exalted admiration, the sublime variety, beauty, power, and grandeur of his productions, as manifested in the creation. fish as an article of human food. . as the nutritive properties of fish are deemed inferior to those of what is called butchers' meat, it would appear, from all we can learn, that, in all ages, it has held only a secondary place in the estimation of those who have considered the science of gastronomy as a large element in the happiness of mankind. among the jews of old it was very little used, although it seems not to have been entirely interdicted, as moses prohibited only the use of such as had neither scales nor fins. the egyptians, however, made fish an article of diet, notwithstanding that it was rejected by their priests. egypt, however, is not a country favourable to the production of fish, although we read of the people, when hungry, eating it raw; of epicures among them having dried it in the sun; and of its being salted and preserved, to serve as a repast on days of great solemnity. the modern egyptians are, in general, extremely temperate in regard to food. even the richest among them take little pride, and, perhaps, experience as little delight, in the luxuries of the table. their dishes mostly consist of pilaus, soups, and stews, prepared principally of onions, cucumbers, and other cold vegetables, mixed with a little meat cut into small pieces. on special occasions, however, a whole sheep is placed on the festive board; but during several of the hottest months of the year, the richest restrict themselves entirely to a vegetable diet. the poor are contented with a little oil or sour milk, in which they may dip their bread. . passing from africa to europe, we come amongst a people who have, almost from time immemorial, occupied a high place in the estimation of every civilized country; yet the greeks, in their earlier ages, made very little use of fish as an article of diet. in the eyes of the heroes of homer it had little favour; for menelaus complained that "hunger pressed their digestive organs," and they had been obliged to live upon fish. subsequently, however, fish became one of the principal articles of diet amongst the hellenes; and both aristophanes and athenaeus allude to it, and even satirize their countrymen for their excessive partiality to the turbot and mullet. so infatuated were many of the greek gastronomes with the love of fish, that some of them would have preferred death from indigestion to the relinquishment of the precious dainties with which a few of the species supplied them. philoxenes of cythera was one of these. on being informed by his physician that he was going to die of indigestion, on account of the quantity he was consuming of a delicious fish, "be it so," he calmly observed; "but before i die, let me finish the remainder." . the geographical situation of greece was highly favourable for the development of a taste for the piscatory tribes; and the skill of the greek cooks was so great, that they could impart every variety of relish to the dish they were called upon to prepare. athenaeus has transmitted to posterity some very important precepts upon their ingenuity in seasoning with salt, oil, and aromatics. at the present day the food of the greeks, through the combined influence of poverty and the long fasts which their religion imposes upon them, is, to a large extent, composed of fish, accompanied with vegetables and fruit. caviare, prepared from the roes of sturgeons, is the national ragout, which, like all other fish dishes, they season with aromatic herbs. snails dressed in garlic are also a favourite dish. . as the romans, in a great measure, took their taste in the fine arts from the greeks, so did they, in some measure, their piscine appetites. the eel-pout and the lotas's liver were the favourite fish dishes of the roman epicures; whilst the red mullet was esteemed as one of the most delicate fishes that could be brought to the table. with all the elegance, taste, and refinement of roman luxury, it was sometimes promoted or accompanied by acts of great barbarity. in proof of this, the mention of the red mullet suggests the mode in which it was sometimes treated for the, to us, _horrible_ entertainment of the _fashionable_ in roman circles. it may be premised, that as england has, rome, in her palmy days, had, her fops, who had, no doubt, through the medium of their cooks, discovered that when the scales of the red mullet were removed, the flesh presented a fine pink-colour. having discovered this, it was further observed that at the death of the animal, this colour passed through a succession of beautiful shades, and, in order that these might be witnessed and enjoyed in their fullest perfection, the poor mullet was served alive in a glass vessel. . the love of fish among the ancient romans rose to a real mania. apicius offered a prize to any one who could invent a new brine compounded of the liver of red mullets; and lucullus had a canal cut through a mountain, in the neighbourhood of naples, that fish might be the more easily transported to the gardens of his villa. hortensius, the orator, wept over the death of a turbot which he had fed with his own hands; and the daughter of druses adorned one that she had, with rings of gold. these were, surely, instances of misplaced affection; but there is no accounting for tastes. it was but the other day that we read in the "_times_" of a wealthy _living_ english hermit, who delights in the companionship of rats! the modern romans are merged in the general name of italians, who, with the exception of macaroni, have no specially characteristic article of food. . from rome to gaul is, considering the means of modern locomotion, no great way; but the ancient sumptuary laws of that kingdom give us little information regarding the ichthyophagous propensities of its inhabitants. louis xii. engaged six fishmongers to furnish his board with fresh-water animals, and francis i. had twenty-two, whilst henry the great extended his requirements a little further, and had twenty-four. in the time of louis xiv. the cooks had attained to such a degree of perfection in their art, that they could convert the form and flesh of the trout, pike, or carp, into the very shape and flavour of the most delicious game. the french long enjoyed a european reputation for their skill and refinement in the preparing of food. in place of plain joints, french cookery delights in the marvels of what are called made dishes, ragouts, stews, and fricassees, in which no trace of the original materials of which they are compounded is to be found. . from gaul we cross to britain, where it has been asserted, by, at least, one authority, that the ancient inhabitants ate no fish. however this may be, we know that the british shores, particularly those of the north sea, have always been well supplied with the best kinds of fish, which we may reasonably infer was not unknown to the inhabitants, or likely to be lost upon them for the lack of knowledge as to how they tasted. by the time of edward ii., fish had, in england, become a dainty, especially the sturgeon, which was permitted to appear on no table but that of the king. in the fourteenth century, a decree of king john informs us that the people ate both seals and porpoises; whilst in the days of the troubadours, whales were fished for and caught in the mediterranean sea, for the purpose of being used as human food. whatever checks the ancient british may have had upon their piscatory appetites, there are happily none of any great consequence upon the modern, who delight in wholesome food of every kind. their taste is, perhaps, too much inclined to that which is accounted solid and substantial; but they really eat more moderately, even of animal food, than either the french or the germans. roast beef, or other viands cooked in the plainest manner, are, with them, a sufficient luxury; yet they delight in living _well_, whilst it is easy to prove how largely their affections are developed by even the prospect of a substantial cheer. in proof of this we will just observe, that if a great dinner is to be celebrated, it is not uncommon for the appointed stewards and committee to meet and have a preliminary dinner among themselves, in order to arrange the great one, and after that, to have another dinner to discharge the bill which the great one cost. this enjoyable disposition we take to form a very large item in the aggregate happiness of the nation. . the general use of fish, as an article of human food among civilized nations, we have thus sufficiently shown, and will conclude this portion of our subject with the following hints, which ought to be remembered by all those who are fond of occasionally varying their dietary with a piscine dish:-- i. fish shortly before they spawn are, in general, best in condition. when the spawning is just over, they are out of season, and unfit for human food. ii. when fish is out of season, it has a transparent, bluish tinge, however much it may be boiled; when it is in season, its muscles are firm, and boil white and curdy. iii. as food for invalids, white fish, such as the ling, cod, haddock, coal-fish, and whiting, are the best; flat fish, as soles, skate, turbot, and flounders, are also good. iv. salmon, mackerel, herrings, and trout soon spoil or decompose after they are killed; therefore, to be in perfection, they should be prepared for the table on the day they are caught. with flat fish, this is not of such consequence, as they will keep longer. the turbot, for example, is improved by being kept a day or two. general directions for dressing fish. . in dressing fish, of any kind, the first point to be attended to, is to see that it be perfectly clean. it is a common error to wash it too much; as by doing so the flavour is diminished. if the fish is to be boiled, a little salt and vinegar should be put into the water, to give it firmness, after it is cleaned. cod-fish, whiting, and haddock, are far better if a little salted, and kept a day; and if the weather be not very hot, they will be good for two days. . when fish is cheap and plentiful, and a larger quantity is purchased than is immediately wanted, the overplus of such as will bear it should be potted, or pickled, or salted, and hung up; or it may be fried, that it may serve for stewing the next day. fresh-water fish, having frequently a muddy smell and taste, should be soaked in strong salt and water, after it has been well cleaned. if of a sufficient size, it may be scalded in salt and water, and afterwards dried and dressed. . fish should be put into cold water, and set on the fire to do very gently, or the outside will break before the inner part is done. unless the fishes are small, they should never be put into warm water; nor should water, either hot or cold, be poured _on_ to the fish, as it is liable to break the skin: if it should be necessary to add a little water whilst the fish is cooking, it ought to be poured in gently at the side of the vessel. the fish-plate may be drawn up, to see if the fish be ready, which may be known by its easily separating from the bone. it should then be immediately taken out of the water, or it will become woolly. the fish-plate should be set crossways over the kettle, to keep hot for serving, and a clean cloth over the fish, to prevent its losing its colour. . in garnishing fish, great attention is required, and plenty of parsley, horseradish, and lemon should be used. if fried parsley be used, it must be washed and picked, and thrown into fresh water. when the lard or dripping boils, throw the parsley into it immediately from the water, and instantly it will be green and crisp, and must be taken up with a slice. when well done, and with very good sauce, fish is more appreciated than almost any other dish. the liver and roe, in some instances, should be placed on the dish, in order that they may be distributed in the course of serving; but to each recipe will be appended the proper mode of serving and garnishing. . if fish is to be fried or broiled, it must be dried in a nice soft cloth, after it is well cleaned and washed. if for frying, brush it over with egg, and sprinkle it with some fine crumbs of bread. if done a second time with the egg and bread, the fish will look so much the better. if required to be very nice, a sheet of white blotting-paper must be placed to receive it, that it may be free from all grease. it must also be of a beautiful colour, and all the crumbs appear distinct. butter gives a bad colour; lard and clarified dripping are most frequently used; but oil is the best, if the expense be no objection. the fish should be put into the lard when boiling, and there should be a sufficiency of this to cover it. . when fish is broiled, it must be seasoned, floured, and laid on a very clean gridiron, which, when hot, should be rubbed with a bit of suet, to prevent the fish from sticking. it must be broiled over a very clear fire, that it may not taste smoky; and not too near, that it may not be scorched. . in choosing fish, it is well to remember that it is possible it may be _fresh_, and yet not _good_. under the head of each particular fish in this work, are appended rules for its choice and the months when it is in season. nothing can be of greater consequence to a cook than to have the fish good; as if this important course in a dinner does not give satisfaction, it is rarely that the repast goes off well. recipes. chapter viii. fish. [_nothing is more difficult than to give the average prices of fish, inasmuch as a few hours of bad weather at sea will, in the space of one day, cause such a difference in its supply, that the same fish--a turbot for instance--which may be bought to-day for six or seven shillings, will, to-morrow, be, in the london markets, worth, perhaps, almost as many pounds. the average costs, therefore, which will be found appended to each recipe, must be understood as about the average price for the different kinds of fish, when the market is supplied upon an average, and when the various sorts are of an average size and quality._ general rule in choosing fish.--_a proof of freshness and goodness in most fishes, is their being covered with scales; for, if deficient in this respect, it is a sign of their being stale, or having been ill-used._] fried anchovies. . ingredients.-- tablespoonful of oil, / a glass of white wine, sufficient flour to thicken; anchovies. _mode_.--mix the oil and wine together, with sufficient flour to make them into a thickish paste; cleanse the anchovies, wipe them, dip them in the paste, and fry of a nice brown colour. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: the anchovy.] the anchovy.--in his book of "british fishes," mr. yarrell states that "the anchovy is a common fish in the mediterranean, from greece to gibraltar, and was well known to the greeks and romans, by whom the liquor prepared from it, called _garum_, was in great estimation. its extreme range is extended into the black sea. the fishing for them is carried on during the night, and lights are used with the nets. the anchovy is common on the coasts of portugal, spain, and france. it occurs, i have no doubt, at the channel islands, and has been taken on the hampshire coast, and in the bristol channel." other fish, of inferior quality, but resembling the real gorgona anchovy, are frequently sold for it, and passed off as genuine. anchovy butter or paste. . ingredients.-- dozen anchovies, / lb. of fresh butter. _mode_.--wash the anchovies thoroughly; bone and dry them, and pound them in a mortar to a paste. mix the butter gradually with them, and rub the whole through a sieve. put it by in small pots for use, and carefully exclude the air with a bladder, as it soon changes the colour of anchovies, besides spoiling them. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. potted anchovies. potted anchovies are made in the same way, by adding pounded mace, cayenne, and nutmeg to taste. anchovy toast. . ingredients.--toast or slices of bread, or, if wanted very savoury, fry them in clarified butter, and spread on them the paste, no. . made mustard, or a few grains of cayenne, may be added to the paste before laying it on the toast. anchovy paste.--"when some delicate zest," says a work just issued on the adulterations of trade, "is required to make the plain english breakfast more palatable, many people are in the habit of indulging in what they imagine to be anchovies. these fish are preserved in a kind of pickling-bottle, carefully corked down, and surrounded by a red-looking liquor, resembling in appearance diluted clay. the price is moderate, one shilling only being demanded for the luxury. when these anchovies are what is termed potted, it implies that the fish have been pounded into the consistency of a paste, and then placed in flat pots, somewhat similar in shape to those used for pomatum. this paste is usually eaten spread upon toast, and is said to form an excellent _bonne bouche_, which enables gentlemen at wine-parties to enjoy their port with redoubled gusto. unfortunately, in six cases out of ten, the only portion of these preserved delicacies, that contains anything indicative of anchovies, is the paper label pasted on the bottle or pot, on which the word itself is printed.... all the samples of anchovy paste, analyzed by different medical men, have been found to be highly and vividly coloured with very large quantities of bole armenian." the anchovy itself, when imported, is of a dark dead colour, and it is to make it a bright "handsome-looking sauce" that this red earth is used. barbel. . ingredients.-- / pint of port wine, a saltspoonful of salt, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, sliced onions, a faggot of sweet herbs, nutmeg and mace to taste, the juice of a lemon, anchovies; or barbels, according to size. _mode_--boil the barbels in salt and water till done; pour off some of the water, and, to the remainder, put the ingredients mentioned above. simmer gently for / hour, or rather more, and strain. put in the fish; heat it gradually; but do not let it boil, or it will be broken. _time_.--altogether hour. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from september to november. [illustration: the barbel.] the barbel,--this fish takes its name from the barbs or wattels at its mouth; and, in england, is esteemed as one of the worst of the fresh-water fish. it was, however, formerly, if not now, a favourite with the jews, excellent cookers of fish. others would boil with it a piece of bacon, that it might have a relish. it is to be met with from two to three or four feet long, and is said to live to a great age. from putney upwards, in the thames, some are found of large size; but they are valued only as affording sport to the brethren of the angle. brill. . ingredients.-- / lb. of salt to each gallon of water; a little vinegar. _mode_.--clean the brill, cut off the fins, and rub it over with a little lemon-juice, to preserve its whiteness. set the fish in sufficient cold water to cover it; throw in salt, in the above proportions, and a little vinegar, and bring it gradually to boil; simmer very gently till the fish is done, which will be in about minutes; but the time for boiling, of course, depends entirely on the size of the fish. serve it on a hot napkin, and garnish with cut lemon, parsley, horseradish, and a little lobster coral sprinkled over the fish. send lobster or shrimp sauce and plain melted butter to table with it. _time_.--after the water boils, a small brill, minutes; a large brill, to minutes. _average cost_, from s. to s. _seasonable_ from august to april. [illustration: the brill.] the brill.--this fish resembles the sole, but is broader, and when large, is esteemed by many in a scarcely less degree than the turbot, whilst it is much cheaper. it is a fine fish, and is abundant in the london market. to choose brill.--the flesh of this fish, like that of turbot, should be of a yellowish tint, and should be chosen on account of its thickness. if the flesh has a bluish tint, it is not good. codfish. . cod may be boiled whole; but a large head and shoulders are quite sufficient for a dish, and contain all that is usually helped, because, when the thick part is done, the tail is insipid and overdone. the latter, cut in slices, makes a very good dish for frying; or it may be salted down and served with egg sauce and parsnips. cod, when boiled quite fresh, is watery; salting a little, renders it firmer. [illustration: the cod.] the cod tribe.--the jugular, characterized by bony gills, and ventral fins before the pectoral ones, commences the second of the linnaean orders of fishes, and is a numerous tribe, inhabiting only the depths of the ocean, and seldom visiting the fresh waters. they have a smooth head, and the gill membrane has seven rays. the body is oblong, and covered with deciduous scales. the fins are all inclosed in skin, whilst their rays are unarmed. the ventral fins are slender, and terminate in a point. their habits are gregarious, and they feed on smaller fish and other marine animals. cod's head and shoulders. . ingredients.--sufficient water to cover the fish; oz. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--cleanse the fish thoroughly, and rub a little salt over the thick part and inside of the fish, or hours before dressing it, as this very much improves the flavour. lay it in the fish-kettle, with sufficient cold water to cover it. be very particular not to pour the water on the fish, as it is liable to break it, and only keep it just simmering. if the water should boil away, add a little by pouring it in at the side of the kettle, and not on the fish. add salt in the above proportion, and bring it gradually to a boil. skim very carefully, draw it to the side of the fire, and let it gently simmer till done. take it out and drain it; serve on a hot napkin, and garnish with cut lemon, horseradish, the roe and liver. (_see_ coloured plate c.) _time_.--according to size, / an hour, more or less. _average cost_, from s. to s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from november to march. _note_.--oyster sauce and plain melted butter should be served with this. to choose cod.--the cod should be chosen for the table when it is plump and round near the tail, when the hollow behind the head is deep, and when the sides are undulated as if they were ribbed. the glutinous parts about the head lose their delicate flavour, after the fish has been twenty-four hours out of the water. the great point by which the cod should be judged is the firmness of its flesh; and, although the cod is not firm when it is alive, its quality may be arrived at by pressing the finger into the flesh. if this rises immediately, the fish is good; if not, it is stale. another sign of its goodness is, if the fish, when it is cut, exhibits a bronze appearance, like the silver side of a round of beef. when this is the case, the flesh will be firm when cooked. stiffness in a cod, or in any other fish, is a sure sign of freshness, though not always of quality. sometimes, codfish, though exhibiting signs of rough usage, will eat much better than those with red gills, so strongly recommended by many cookery-books. this appearance is generally caused by the fish having been knocked about at sea, in the well-boats, in which they are conveyed from the fishing-grounds to market. salt cod, commonly called "salt-fish." . ingredients.--sufficient water to cover the fish. _mode_.--wash the fish, and lay it all night in water, with a / pint of vinegar. when thoroughly soaked, take it out, see that it is perfectly clean, and put it in the fish-kettle with sufficient cold water to cover it. heat it gradually, but do not let it boil much, or the fish will be hard. skim well, and when done, drain the fish and put it on a napkin garnished with hard-boiled eggs cut in rings. _time_.--about hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ in the spring. _sufficient_ for each person, / lb. _note_.--serve with egg sauce and parsnips. this is an especial dish on ash wednesday. preserving cod.--immediately as the cod are caught, their heads are cut off. they are then opened, cleaned, and salted, when they are stowed away in the hold of the vessel, in beds of five or six yards square, head to tail, with a layer of salt to each layer of fish. when they have lain in this state three or four days, in order that the water may drain from them, they are shifted into a different part of the vessel, and again salted. here they remain till the vessel is loaded, when they are sometimes cut into thick pieces and packed in barrels for the greater convenience of carriage. cod sounds. should be well soaked in salt and water, and thoroughly washed before dressing them. they are considered a great delicacy, and may either be broiled, fried, or boiled: if they are boiled, mix a little milk with the water. cod sounds, en poule. . ingredients.--for forcemeat, chopped oysters, chopped anchovies, / lb. of bread crumbs, oz. of butter, eggs; seasoning of salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mace to taste; cod sounds. _mode_.--make the forcemeat by mixing the ingredients well together. wash the sounds, and boil them in milk and water for / an hour; take them out and let them cool. cover each with a layer of forcemeat, roll them up in a nice form, and skewer them. rub over with lard, dredge with flour, and cook them gently before the fire in a dutch oven. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from november to march. _sufficient_ for persons. the sounds in codfish.--these are the air or swimming bladders, by means of which the fishes are enabled to ascend or descend in the water. in the newfoundland fishery they are taken out previous to incipient putrefaction, washed from their slime and salted for exportation. the tongues are also cured and packed up in barrels; whilst, from the livers, considerable quantities of oil are extracted, this oil having been found possessed of the most nourishing properties, and particularly beneficial in cases of pulmonary affections. cod pie. (_economical_.) i. . ingredients.--any remains of cold cod, oysters, sufficient melted butter to moisten it; mashed potatoes enough to fill up the dish. _mode_.--flake the fish from the bone, and carefully take away all the skin. lay it in a pie-dish, pour over the melted butter and oysters (or oyster sauce, if there is any left), and cover with mashed potatoes. bake for / an hour, and send to table of a nice brown colour. _time_.-- / hour. _seasonable_ from november to march. ii. . ingredients.-- slices of cod; pepper and salt to taste; / a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, large blade of pounded mace, oz. of butter, / pint of stock no. , a paste crust (_see_ pastry). for sauce, tablespoonful of stock, / pint of cream or milk, thickening of flour or butter; lemon-peel chopped very fine to taste; oysters. _mode_.--lay the cod in salt for hours, then wash it and place it in a dish; season, and add the butter and stock; cover with the crust, and bake for hour, or rather more. now make the sauce, by mixing the ingredients named above; give it one boil, and pour it into the pie by a hole made at the top of the crust, which can easily be covered by a small piece of pastry cut and baked in any fanciful shape--such as a leaf, or otherwise. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, with fresh fish, s. d. _seasonable_ from november to march. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--the remains of cold fish may be used for this pie. curried cod. . ingredients.-- slices of large cod, or the remains of any cold fish; oz. of butter, onion sliced, a teacupful of white stock, thickening of butter and flour, small teaspoonful of curry-powder, / pint of cream, salt and cayenne to taste. _mode_.--flake the fish, and fry it of a nice brown colour with the butter and onions; put this in a stewpan, add the stock and thickening, and simmer for minutes. stir the curry-powder into the cream; put it, with the seasoning, to the other ingredients; give one boil, and serve. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, with fresh fish, s. _seasonable_ from november to march. _sufficient_ for persons. the food of the cod.--this chiefly consists of the smaller species of the scaly tribes, shell-fish, crabs, and worms. their voracity is very great, and they will bite at any small body they see moved by the water, even stones and pebbles, which are frequently found in their stomachs. they sometimes attain a great size, but their usual weight is from to lbs. cod a la creme. . ingredients.-- large slice of cod, oz. of butter, chopped shalot, a little minced parsley, / teacupful of white stock, / pint of milk or cream, flour to thicken, cayenne and lemon-juice to taste, / teaspoonful of powdered sugar. _mode_.--boil the cod, and while hot, break it into flakes; put the butter, shalot, parsley, and stock into a stewpan, and let them boil for minutes. stir in sufficient flour to thicken, and pour to it the milk or cream. simmer for minutes, add the cayenne and sugar, and, when liked, a little lemon-juice. put the fish in the sauce to warm gradually, but do not let it boil. serve in a dish garnished with croûtons. _time_.--rather more than / hour. _average cost_, with cream, s. _seasonable_ from november to march. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--the remains of fish from the preceding day answer very well for this dish. cod a la bechamel. . ingredients.--any remains of cold cod, tablespoonfuls of béchamel (_see_ sauces), oz. butter; seasoning to taste of pepper and salt; fried bread, a few bread crumbs. _mode_.--flake the cod carefully, leaving out all skin and bone; put the béchamel in a stewpan with the butter, and stir it over the fire till the latter is melted; add seasoning, put in the fish, and mix it well with the sauce. make a border of fried bread round the dish, lay in the fish, sprinkle over with bread crumbs, and baste with butter. brown either before the fire or with a salamander, and garnish with toasted bread cut in fanciful shapes. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the fish, d. the habitat of the cod.--this fish is found only in the seas of the northern parts of the world, between the latitudes of ° and °. its great rendezvous are the sandbanks of newfoundland, nova scotia, cape breton, and new england. these places are its favourite resorts; for there it is able to obtain great quantities of worms, a food peculiarly grateful to it. another cause of its attachment to these places has been said to be on account of the vicinity to the polar seas, where it returns to spawn. few are taken north of iceland, and the shoals never reach so far south as the straits of gibraltar. many are taken on the coasts of norway, in the baltic, and off the orkneys, which, prior to the discovery of newfoundland, formed one of the principal fisheries. the london market is supplied by those taken between the dogger bank, the well bank, and cromer, on the east coast of england. cod a la maitre d'hotel. . ingredients.-- slices of cod, / lb. of butter, a little chopped shalot and parsley; pepper to taste, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, or rather less, when the flavour is not liked; the juice of / lemon. _mode_.--boil the cod, and either leave it whole, or, what is still better, flake it from the bone, and take off the skin. put it into a stewpan with the butter, parsley, shalot, pepper, and nutmeg. melt the butter gradually, and be very careful that it does not become like oil. when all is well mixed and thoroughly hot, add the lemon-juice, and serve. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d.; with remains of cold fish, d. _seasonable_ from november to march. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--cod that has been left will do for this. the season for fishing cod.--the best season for catching cod is from the beginning of february to the end of april; and although each fisherman engaged in taking them, catches no more than one at a time, an expert hand will sometimes take four hundred in a day. the employment is excessively fatiguing, from the weight of the fish as well as from the coldness of the climate. cod a l'italienne. . ingredients.-- slices of crimped cod, shalot, slice of ham minced very fine, / pint of white stock, no. ; when liked, / teacupful of cream; salt to taste; a few drops of garlic vinegar, a little lemon-juice, / teaspoonful of powdered sugar. _mode_.--chop the shalots, mince the ham very fine, pour on the stock, and simmer for minutes. if the colour should not be good, add cream in the above proportion, and strain it through a fine sieve; season it, and put in the vinegar, lemon-juice, and sugar. now boil the cod, take out the middle bone, and skin it; put it on the dish without breaking, and pour the sauce over it. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d., with fresh fish. _seasonable_ from november to march. _sufficient_ for persons. the fecundity of the cod.--in our preceding remarks on the natural history of fishes, we have spoken of the amazing fruitfulness of this fish; but in this we see one more instance of the wise provision which nature has made for supplying the wants of man. so extensive has been the consumption of this fish, that it is surprising that it has not long ago become extinct; which would certainly have been the case, had it not been for its wonderful powers of reproduction. "so early as ," says dr. cloquet, "the inhabitants of amsterdam had dispatched fishermen to the coast of sweden; and in the first quarter of , from the ports of france only, vessels went out to the cod-fisheries. every year, however, upwards of , vessels, of all nations, are employed in this trade, and bring into the commercial world more than , , of salted and dried cod. if we add to this immense number, the havoc made among the legions of cod by the larger scaly tribes of the great deep, and take into account the destruction to which the young are exposed by sea-fowls and other inhabitants of the seas, besides the myriads of their eggs destroyed by accident, it becomes a miracle to find that such mighty multitudes of them are still in existence, and ready to continue the exhaustless supply. yet it ceases to excite our wonder when we remember that the female can every year give birth to more than , , at a time." baked carp. . ingredients-- carp, forcemeat, bread crumbs, oz. butter, / pint of stock no. , / pint of port wine, anchovies, onions sliced, bay-leaf, a faggot of sweet herbs, flour to thicken, the juice of lemon; cayenne and salt to taste; / teaspoonful of powdered sugar. _mode_.--stuff the carp with a delicate forcemeat, after thoroughly cleansing it, and sew it up to prevent the stuffing from falling out. rub it over with an egg, and sprinkle it with bread crumbs, lay it in a deep earthen dish, and drop the butter, oiled, over the bread crumbs. add the stock, onions, bay-leaf, herbs, wine, and anchovies, and bake for hour. put oz. of butter into a stewpan, melt it, and dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up; put in the strained liquor from the carp, stir frequently, and when it has boiled, add the lemon-juice and seasoning. serve the carp on a dish garnished with parsley and cut lemon, and the sauce in a boat. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_. seldom bought. _seasonable_ from march to october. _sufficient_ for or persons. [illustration: the carp.] the carp.--this species of fish inhabit the fresh waters, where they feed on worms, insects, aquatic plants, small fish, clay, or mould. some of them are migratory. they have very small mouths and no teeth, and the gill membrane has three rays. the body is smooth, and generally whitish. the carp both grows and increases very fast, and is accounted the most valuable of all fish for the stocking of ponds. it has been pronounced the queen of river-fish, and was first introduced to this country about three hundred years ago. of its sound, or air-bladder, a kind of glue is made, and a green paint of its gall. stewed carp. . ingredients.-- carp, salt, stock no. , onions, cloves, peppercorns, blade of mace, / pint of port wine, the juice of / lemon, cayenne and salt to taste, a faggot of savoury herbs. _mode_.--scale the fish, clean it nicely, and, if very large, divide it; lay it in the stewpan, after having rubbed a little salt on it, and put in sufficient stock to cover it; add the herbs, onions, and spices, and stew gently for hour, or rather more, should it be very large. dish up the fish with great care, strain the liquor, and add to it the port wine, lemon-juice, and cayenne; give one boil, pour it over the fish, and serve. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_. seldom bought. _seasonable_ from march to october. _sufficient_ for or persons. _note_.--this fish can be boiled plain, and served with parsley and butter. chub and char may be cooked in the same manner as the above, as also dace and roach. the age of carp.--this fish has been found to live years. the pond in the garden of emmanuel college, cambridge, contained one that had lived there years, and gesner mentions an instance of one years old. they are, besides, capable of being tamed. dr. smith, in his "tour on the continent," says, in reference to the prince of condé's seat at chantilly, "the most pleasing things about it were the immense shoals of very large carp, silvered over with age, like silver-fish, and perfectly tame; so that, when any passengers approached their watery habitation, they used to come to the shore in such numbers as to heave each other out of the water, begging for bread, of which a quantity was always kept at hand, on purpose to feed them. they would even allow themselves to be handled." [illustration: the chub.] [illustration: the char.] the chub.--this fish takes its name from its head, not only in england, but in other countries. it is a river-fish, and resembles the carp, but is somewhat longer. its flesh is not in much esteem, being coarse, and, when out of season, full of small hairy bones. the head and throat are the best parts. the roe is also good. the char.--this is one of the most delicious of fish, being esteemed by some superior to the salmon. it is an inhabitant of the deep lakes of mountainous countries. its flesh is rich and red, and full of fat. the largest and best kind is found in the lakes of westmoreland, and, as it is considered a rarity, it is often potted and preserved. the dace, or dare.--this fish is gregarious, and is seldom above ten inches long; although, according to linnaeus, it grows a foot and a half in length. its haunts are in deep water, near piles of bridges, where the stream is gentle, over gravelly, sandy, or clayey bottoms; deep holes that are shaded, water-lily leaves, and under the foam caused by an eddy. in the warm months they are to be found in shoals on the shallows near to streams. they are in season about the end of april, and gradually improve till february, when they attain their highest condition. in that month, when just taken, scotched (crimped), and broiled, they are said to be more palatable than a fresh herring. the roach.--this fish is found throughout europe, and the western parts of asia, in deep still rivers, of which it is an inhabitant. it is rarely more than a pound and a half in weight, and is in season from september till march. it is plentiful in england, and the finest are caught in the thames. the proverb, "as sound as a roach," is derived from the french name of this fish being _roche_, which also means rock. [illustration: the dace.] [illustration: the roach.] to dress crab. . ingredients.-- crab, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, ditto of oil; salt, white pepper, and cayenne, to taste. _mode_.--empty the shells, and thoroughly mix the meat with the above ingredients, and put it in the large shell. garnish with slices of cut lemon and parsley. the quantity of oil may be increased when it is much liked. (see coloured plate i.) _average cost_, from d. to s. _seasonable_ all the year; but not so good in may, june, and july. _sufficient_ for persons. to choose crab.--the middle-sized crab is the best; and the crab, like the lobster, should be judged by its weight; for if light, it is watery. hot crab. . ingredients.-- crab, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, oz. of butter, / lb. of bread crumbs, tablespoonfuls of vinegar. _mode_.--after having boiled the crab, pick the meat out from the shells, and mix with it the nutmeg and seasoning. cut up the butter in small pieces, and add the bread crumbs and vinegar. mix altogether, put the whole in the large shell, and brown before the fire or with a salamander. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, from d. to s. _seasonable_ all the year; but not so good in may, june, and july. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: the crab.] the crab tribe.--the whole of this tribe of animals have the body covered with a hard and strong shell, and they live chiefly in the sea. some, however, inhabit fresh waters, and a few live upon land. they feed variously, on aquatic or marine plants, small fish, molluscae, or dead bodies. the _black-clawed_ species is found on the rocky coasts of both europe and india, and is the same that is introduced to our tables, being much more highly esteemed as a food than many others of the tribe. the most remarkable feature in their history, is the changing of their shells, and the reproduction of their broken claws. the former occurs once a year, usually between christmas and easter, when the crabs retire to cavities in the rocks, or conceal themselves under great stones. fishermen say that they will live confined in a pot or basket for several months together, without any other food than what is collected from the sea-water; and that, even in this situation, they will not decrease in weight. the _hermit_ crab is another of the species, and has the peculiarity of taking possession of the deserted shell of some other animal, as it has none of its own. this circumstance was known to the ancients, and is alluded to in the following lines from oppian:-- the hermit fish, unarm'd by nature, left helpless and weak, grow strong by harmless theft. fearful they stroll, and look with panting wish for the cast crust of some new-cover'd fish; or such as empty lie, and deck the shore, whose first and rightful owners are no more. they make glad seizure of the vacant room, and count the borrow'd shell their native home; screw their soft limbs to fit the winding case, and boldly herd with the crustaceous race. crayfish. . crayfish should be thrown into boiling water, to which has been added a good seasoning of salt and a little vinegar. when done, which will be in / hour, take them out and drain them. let them cool, arrange them on a napkin, and garnish with plenty of double parsley. _note_.--this fish is frequently used for garnishing boiled turkey, boiled fowl, calf's head, turbot, and all kinds of boiled fish. potted crayfish. . ingredients.-- crayfish; pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, oz. butter. _mode_.--boil the fish in salt and water; pick out all the meat and pound it in a mortar to a paste. whilst pounding, add the butter gradually, and mix in the spice and seasoning. put it in small pots, and pour over it clarified butter, carefully excluding the air. _time_.-- minutes to boil the crayfish. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ all the year. john dory. . ingredients.-- / lb. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--this fish, which is esteemed by most people a great delicacy, is dressed in the same way as a turbot, which it resembles in firmness, but not in richness. cleanse it thoroughly and cut off the fins; lay it in a fish-kettle, cover with cold water, and add salt in the above proportion. bring it gradually to a boil, and simmer gently for / hour, or rather longer, should the fish be very large. serve on a hot napkin, and garnish with cut lemon and parsley. lobster, anchovy, or shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter, should be sent to table with it. _time_.--after the water boils, / to / hour, according to size. _average cost_, s. to s. _seasonable_ all the year, but best from september to january. _note_.--small john dorie are very good, baked. [illustration: the john dory.] the doru, or john dory.--this fish is of a yellowish golden colour, and is, in general, rare, although it is sometimes taken in abundance on the devon and cornish coasts. it is highly esteemed for the table, and its flesh, when dressed, is of a beautiful clear white. when fresh caught, it is tough, and, being a ground fish, it is not the worse for being kept two, or even three days before it is cooked. boiled eels. . ingredients.-- small eels, sufficient water to cover them; a large bunch of parsley. _mode_.--choose small eels for boiling; put them in a stewpan with the parsley, and just sufficient water to cover them; simmer till tender. take them out, pour a little parsley and butter over them, and serve some in a tureen. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from june to march. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: the eel.] the eel tribe.--the apodal, or bony-gilled and ventral-finned fish, of which the eel forms the first linnaean tribe, in their general aspect and manners, approach, in some instances, very nearly to serpents. they have a smooth head and slippery skin, are in general naked, or covered with such small, soft, and distant scales, as are scarcely visible. their bodies are long and slender, and they are supposed to subsist entirely on animal substances. there are about nine species of them, mostly found in the seas. one of them frequents our fresh waters, and three of the others occasionally pay a visit to our shores. stewed eels. i. . ingredients.-- lbs. of eels, pint of rich strong stock, no. , onion, cloves, a piece of lemon-peel, glass of port or madeira, tablespoonfuls of cream; thickening of flour; cayenne and lemon-juice to taste. _mode_.--wash and skin the eels, and cut them into pieces about inches long; pepper and salt them, and lay them in a stewpan; pour over the stock, add the onion stuck with cloves, the lemon-peel, and the wine. stew gently for / hour, or rather more, and lift them carefully on a dish, which keep hot. strain the gravy, stir to the cream sufficient flour to thicken; mix altogether, boil for minutes, and add the cayenne and lemon-juice; pour over the eels and serve. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ from june to march. _sufficient_ for or persons. the common eel.--this fish is known frequently to quit its native element, and to set off on a wandering expedition in the night, or just about the close of clay, over the meadows, in search of snails and other prey. it also, sometimes, betakes itself to isolated ponds, apparently for no other pleasure than that which may be supposed to be found in a change of habitation. this, of course, accounts for eels being found in waters which were never suspected to contain them. this rambling disposition in the eel has been long known to naturalists, and, from the following lines, it seems to have been known to the ancients:-- "thus the mail'd tortoise, and the wand'ring; eel, oft to the neighbouring beach will silent steal." ii. . ingredients.-- lbs. of middling-sized eels, pint of medium stock, no. , / pint of port wine; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste; teaspoonful of essence of anchovy, the juice of / a lemon. _mode_.--skin, wash, and clean the eels thoroughly; cut them into pieces inches long, and put them into strong salt and water for hour; dry them well with a cloth, and fry them brown. put the stock on with the heads and tails of the eels, and simmer for / hour; strain it, and add all the other ingredients. put in the eels, and stew gently for / hour, when serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ from june to march. _sufficient_ for or persons. fried eels. . ingredients.-- lb. of eels, egg, a few bread crumbs, hot lard. _mode_.--wash the eels, cut them into pieces inches long, trim and wipe them very dry; dredge with flour, rub them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs; fry of a nice brown in hot lard. if the eels are small, curl them round, instead of cutting them up. garnish with fried parsley. _time_.-- minutes, or rather less. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from june to march. _note_.--garfish may be dressed like eels, and either broiled or baked. the productiveness of the eel.--"having occasion," says dr. anderson, in the _bee_, "to be once on a visit to a friend's house on dee-side, in aberdeenshire, i frequently delighted to walk by the banks of the river. i, one day, observed something like a black string moving along the edge of the water where it was quite shallow. upon closer inspection, i discovered that this was a shoal of young eels, so closely joined together as to appear, on a superficial view, on continued body, moving briskly up against the stream. to avoid the retardment they experienced from the force of the current, they kept close along the water's edge the whole of the way, following all the bendings and sinuosities of the river. where they were embayed, and in still water, the shoal dilated in breadth, so as to be sometimes nearly a foot broad; but when they turned a cape, where the current was strong, they were forced to occupy less space and press close to the shore, struggling very hard till they passed it. this shoal continued to move on, night and day without interruption for several weeks. their progress might be at the rate of about a mile an hour. it was easy to catch the animals, though they were very active and nimble. they were eels perfectly well formed in every respect, but not exceeding two inches in length. i conceive that the shoal did not contain, on an average, less than from twelve to twenty in breadth; so that the number that passed, on the whole, must have been very great. whence they came or whither they went, i know not; but the place where i saw this, was six miles from the sea." eel pie. . ingredients.-- lb. of eels, a little chopped parsley, shalot; grated nutmeg; pepper and salt to taste; the juice of / a lemon, small quantity of forcemeat, / pint of béchamel (see sauces); puff paste. _mode_.--skin and wash the eels, cut them into pieces inches long, and line the bottom of the pie-dish with forcemeat. put in the eels, and sprinkle them with the parsley, shalots, nutmeg, seasoning, and lemon-juice, and cover with puff-paste. bake for hour, or rather more; make the béchamel hot, and pour it into the pie. _time_.--rather more than hour. _seasonable_ from august to march. collared eel. . ingredients.-- large eel; pepper and salt to taste; blades of mace, cloves, a little allspice very finely pounded, leaves of sage, and a small bunch of herbs minced very small. _mode_.--bone the eel and skin it; split it, and sprinkle it over with the ingredients, taking care that the spices are very finely pounded, and the herbs chopped very small. roll it up and bind with a broad piece of tape, and boil it in water, mixed with a little salt and vinegar, till tender. it may either be served whole or cut in slices; and when cold, the eel should be kept in the liquor it was boiled in, but with a little more vinegar put to it. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from august to march. haunts of the eel.--these are usually in mud, among weeds, under roots or stumps of trees, or in holes in the banks or the bottoms of rivers. here they often grow to an enormous size, sometimes weighing as much as fifteen or sixteen pounds. they seldom come forth from their hiding-places except in the night; and, in winter, bury themselves deep in the mud, on account of their great susceptibility of cold. eels a la tartare. . ingredients.-- lbs. of eels, carrot, onion, a little flour, glass of sherry; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; bread crumbs, egg, tablespoonfuls of vinegar. _mode_.--rub the butter on the bottom of the stewpan; cut up the carrot and onion, and stir them over the fire for minutes; dredge in a little flour, add the wine and seasoning, and boil for / an hour. skin and wash the eels, cut them into pieces, put them to the other ingredients, and simmer till tender. when they are done, take them out, let them get cold, cover them with egg and bread crumbs, and fry them of a nice brown. put them on a dish, pour sauce piquante over, and serve them hot. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. d., exclusive of the sauce piquante. _seasonable_ from august to march. _sufficient_ for or persons. voracity of the eel.--we find in a note upon isaac walton, by sir john hawkins, that he knew of eels, when kept in ponds, frequently destroying ducks. from a canal near his house at twickenham he himself missed many young ducks; and on draining, in order to clean it, great numbers of large eels were caught in the mud. when some of these were opened, there were found in their stomachs the undigested heads of the quacking tribe which had become their victims. eels en matelote. . ingredients.-- or young onions, a few mushrooms, when obtainable; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; laurel-leaf, / pint of port wine, / pint of medium stock, no. ; butter and flour to thicken; lbs. of eels. _mode_.--rub the stewpan with butter, dredge in a little flour, add the onions cut very small, slightly brown them, and put in all the other ingredients. wash, and cut up the eels into pieces inches long; put them in the stewpan, and simmer for / hour. make round the dish, a border of croutons, or pieces of toasted bread; arrange the eels in a pyramid in the centre, and pour over the sauce. serve very hot. _time_.-- / hour. average cost, s. d. for this quantity. _seasonable_ from august to march. _sufficient_ for or persons. tenacity of life in the eel.--there is no fish so tenacious of life as this. after it is skinned and cut in pieces, the parts will continue to move for a considerable time, and no fish will live so long out of water. [illustration: the lamprey.] the lamprey.--with the romans, this fish occupied a respectable rank among the piscine tribes, and in britain it has at various periods stood high in public favour. it was the cause of the death of henry i. of england, who ate so much of them, that it brought on an attack of indigestion, which carried him off. it is an inhabitant of the sea, ascending rivers, principally about the end of winter, and, after passing a few months in fresh water, returning again to its oceanic residence. it is most in season in march, april, and may, but is, by some, regarded as an unwholesome food, although looked on by others as a great delicacy. they are dressed as eels. fish and oyster pie. . ingredients.--any remains of cold fish, such as cod or haddock; dozen oysters, pepper and salt to taste, bread crumbs sufficient for the quantity of fish; / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley. _mode_.--clear the fish from the bones, and put a layer of it in a pie-dish, which sprinkle with pepper and salt; then a layer of bread crumbs, oysters, nutmeg, and chopped parsley. repeat this till the dish is quite full. you may form a covering either of bread crumbs, which should be browned, or puff-paste, which should be cut into long strips, and laid in cross-bars over the fish, with a line of the paste first laid round the edge. before putting on the top, pour in some made melted butter, or a little thin white sauce, and the oyster-liquor, and bake. _time_.--if made of cooked fish, / hour; if made of fresh fish and puff-paste, / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ from september to april. _note_.--a nice little dish may be made by flaking any cold fish, adding a few oysters, seasoning with pepper and salt, and covering with mashed potatoes; / hour will bake it. fish cake. . ingredients.--the remains of any cold fish, onion, faggot of sweet herbs; salt and pepper to taste, pint of water, equal quantities of bread crumbs and cold potatoes, / teaspoonful of parsley, egg, bread crumbs. _mode_.--pick the meat from the bones of the fish, which latter put, with the head and fins, into a stewpan with the water; add pepper and salt, the onion and herbs, and stew slowly for gravy about hours; chop the fish fine, and mix it well with bread crumbs and cold potatoes, adding the parsley and seasoning; make the whole into a cake with the white of an egg, brush it over with egg, cover with bread crumbs, and fry of a light brown; strain the gravy, pour it over, and stew gently for / hour, stirring it carefully once or twice. serve hot, and garnish with slices of lemon and parsley. _time_-- / hour, after the gravy is made. boiled flounders. . ingredients.--sufficient water to cover the flounders, salt in the proportion of oz. to each gallon, a little vinegar. _mode_.--pat on a kettle with enough water to cover the flounders, lay in the fish, add salt and vinegar in the above proportions, and when it boils, simmer very gently for minutes. they must not boil fast, or they will break. serve with plain melted butter, or parsley and butter. _time_.--after the water boils, minutes. _average cost_, d. each. _seasonable_ from august to november. [illustration: flounders.] the flounder.--this comes under the tribe usually denominated flat-fish, and is generally held in the smallest estimation of any among them. it is an inhabitant of both the seas and the rivers, while it thrives in ponds. on the english coasts it is very abundant, and the london market consumes it in large quantities. it is considered easy of digestion, and the thames flounder is esteemed a delicate fish. fried flounders. . ingredients.--flounders, egg, and bread crumbs; boiling lard. _mode_.--cleanse the fish, and, two hours before they are wanted, rub them inside and out with salt, to render them firm; wash and wipe them very dry, dip them into egg, and sprinkle over with bread crumbs; fry them in boiling lard, dish on a hot napkin, and garnish with crisped parsley. _time_.--from to minutes, according to size. _average cost_, d. each. _seasonable_ from august to november. _sufficient_, for each person. gudgeons. . ingredients.--egg and bread crumbs sufficient for the quantity of fish; hot lard. _mode_.--do not scrape off the scales, but take out the gills and inside, and cleanse thoroughly; wipe them dry, flour and dip them into egg, and sprinkle over with bread crumbs. fry of a nice brown. _time_.-- or minutes. _average cost_. seldom bought. _seasonable_ from march to july. _sufficient_, for each person. [illustration: the gudgeon.] the gudgeon.--this is a fresh-water fish, belonging to the carp genus, and is found in placid streams and lakes. it was highly esteemed by the greeks, and was, at the beginning of supper, served fried at rome. it abounds both in france and germany; and is both excellent and numerous in some of the rivers of england. its flesh is firm, well-flavoured, and easily digested. gurnet, or gurnard. . ingredients.-- gurnet, oz. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--cleanse the fish thoroughly, and cut off the fins; have ready some boiling water, with salt in the above proportion; put the fish in, and simmer very gently for / hour. parsley and butter, or anchovy sauce, should be served with it. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_. seldom bought. _seasonable_ from october to march, but in perfection in october. _sufficient_, a middling sized one for persons. _note_.--this fish is frequently stuffed with forcemeat and baked. [illustration: the gurnet.] the gurnet.-"if i be not ashamed of my soldiers, i am a souced gurnet," says falstaff; which shows that this fish has been long known in england. it is very common on the british coasts, and is an excellent fish as food. baked haddocks. . ingredients.--a nice forcemeat (_see_ forcemeats), butter to taste, egg and bread crumbs. _mode_.--scale and clean the fish, without cutting it open much; put in a nice delicate forcemeat, and sew up the slit. brush it over with egg, sprinkle over bread crumbs, and baste frequently with butter. garnish with parsley and cut lemon, and serve with a nice brown gravy, plain melted butter, or anchovy sauce. the egg and bread crumbs can be omitted, and pieces of butter placed over the fish. _time_.--large haddock, / hour; moderate size, / hour. _seasonable_ from august to february. _average cost_, from d. upwards. _note_.--haddocks may be filleted, rubbed over with egg and bread crumbs, and fried a nice brown; garnish with crisped parsley. [illustration: the haddock.] the haddock.--this fish migrates in immense shoals, and arrives on the yorkshire coast about the middle of winter. it is an inhabitant of the northern seas of europe, but does not enter the baltic, and is not known in the mediterranean. on each side of the body, just beyond the gills, it has a dark spot, which superstition asserts to be the impressions of the finger and thumb of st. peter, when taking the tribute money out of a fish of this species. boiled haddock. . ingredients.--sufficient water to cover the fish; / lb. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--scrape the fish, take out the inside, wash it thoroughly, and lay it in a kettle, with enough water to cover it and salt in the above proportion. simmer gently from to minutes, or rather more, should the fish be very large. for small haddocks, fasten the tails in their mouths, and put them into boiling water. to minutes will cook them. serve with plain melted butter, or anchovy sauce. _time_.--large haddock, / hour; small, / hour, or rather less. _average cost_, from d. upwards. _seasonable_ from august to february. weight of the haddock.--the haddock seldom grows to any great size. in general, they do not weigh more than two or three pounds, or exceed ten or twelve inches in size. such are esteemed very delicate eating; but they have been caught three feet long, when their flesh is coarse. dried haddock. i. . dried haddock should be gradually warmed through, either before or over a nice clear fire. hub a little piece of butter over, just before sending it to table. ii. . ingredients.-- large thick haddock, bay-leaves, small bunch of savoury herbs, not forgetting parsley, a little butter and pepper; boiling water. _mode_.--cut up the haddock into square pieces, make a basin hot by means of hot water, which pour out. lay in the fish, with the bay-leaves and herbs; cover with boiling water; put a plate over to keep in the steam, and let it remain for minutes. take out the slices, put them in a hot dish, rub over with butter and pepper, and serve. _time_.-- minutes. _seasonable_ at any time, but best in winter. the finnan haddock.--this is the common haddock cured and dried, and takes its name from the fishing-village of findhorn, near aberdeen, in scotland, where the art has long attained to perfection. the haddocks are there hung up for a day or two in the smoke of peat, when they are ready for cooking, and are esteemed, by the scotch, a great delicacy. in london, an imitation of them is made by washing the fish over with pyroligneous acid, and hanging it up in a dry place for a few days. red herrings, or yarmouth bloaters. . the best way to cook these is to make incisions in the skin across the fish, because they do not then require to be so long on the fire, and will be far better than when cut open. the hard roe makes a nice relish by pounding it in a mortar, with a little anchovy, and spreading it on toast. if very dry, soak in warm water hour before dressing. the red herring.--_red_ herrings lie twenty-four hours in the brine, when they are taken out and hung up in a smoking-house formed to receive them. a brushwood fire is then kindled beneath them, and when they are sufficiently smoked and dried, they are put into barrels for carriage. baked white herrings. . ingredients.-- herrings, bay-leaves, cloves, allspice, small blades of mace, cayenne pepper and salt to taste, sufficient vinegar to fill up the dish. _mode_.--take the herrings, cut off the heads, and gut them. put them in a pie-dish, heads and tails alternately, and, between each layer, sprinkle over the above ingredients. cover the fish with the vinegar, and bake for / hour, but do not use it till quite cold. the herrings may be cut down the front, the backbone taken out, and closed again. sprats done in this way are very delicious. _time_.-- / an hour. _average cost_, d. each. to choose the herring.--the more scales this fish has, the surer the sign of its freshness. it should also have a bright and silvery look; but if red about the head, it is a sign that it has been dead for some time. [illustration: the herring.] the herring.--the herring tribe are found in the greatest abundance in the highest northern latitudes, where they find a quiet retreat, and security from their numerous enemies. here they multiply beyond expression, and, in shoals, come forth from their icy region to visit other portions of the great deep. in june they are found about shetland, whence they proceed down to the orkneys, where they divide, and surround the islands of great britain and ireland. the principal british herring-fisheries are off the scotch and norfolk coasts; and the fishing is always carried on by means of nets, which are usually laid at night; for, if stretched by day, they are supposed to frighten the fish away. the moment the herring is taken out of the water it dies. hence the origin of the common saying, "dead as a herring." kegeree. . ingredients.--any cold fish, teacupful of boiled rice, oz. of butter, teaspoonful of mustard, soft-boiled eggs, salt and cayenne to taste. _mode_.--pick the fish carefully from the bones, mix with the other ingredients, and serve very hot. the quantities may be varied according to the amount of fish used. _time_.-- / hour after the rice is boiled. _average cost_, d., exclusive of the fish. to boil lobsters. . ingredients.-- / lb. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--buy the lobsters alive, and choose those that are heavy and full of motion, which is an indication of their freshness. when the shell is incrusted, it is a sign they are old: medium-sized lobsters are the best. have ready a stewpan of boiling water, salted in the above proportion; put in the lobster, and keep it boiling quickly from minutes to / hour, according to its size, and do not forget to skim well. if it boils too long, the meat becomes thready, and if not done enough, the spawn is not red: this must be obviated by great attention. hub the shell over with a little butter or sweet oil, which wipe off again. _time_.--small lobster, minutes to / hour; large ditto, / to / hour. _average cost_, medium size, s. d. to s. d. _seasonable_ all the year, but best from march to october. to choose lobsters.--this shell-fish, if it has been cooked alive, as it ought to have been, will have a stiffness in the tail, which, if gently raised, will return with a spring. care, however, must be taken in thus proving it; for if the tail is pulled straight out, it will not return; when the fish might be pronounced inferior, which, in reality, may not be the case. in order to be good, lobsters should be weighty for their bulk; if light, they will be watery; and those of the medium size, are always the best. small-sized lobsters are cheapest, and answer very well for sauce. in boiling lobsters, the appearance of the shell will be much improved by rubbing over it a little butter or salad-oil on being immediately taken from the pot. [illustration: the lobster.] the lobster.--this is one of the crab tribe, and is found on most of the rocky coasts of great britain. some are caught with the hand, but the larger number in pots, which serve all the purposes of a trap, being made of osiers, and baited with garbage. they are shaped like a wire mousetrap; so that when the lobsters once enter them, they cannot get out again. they are fastened to a cord and sunk in the sea, and their place marked by a buoy. the fish is very prolific, and deposits of its eggs in the sand, where they are soon hatched. on the coast of norway, they are very abundant, and it is from there that the english metropolis is mostly supplied. they are rather indigestible, and, as a food, not so nurtritive as they are generally supposed to be. hot lobster. . ingredients.-- lobster, oz. of butter, grated nutmeg; salt, pepper, and pounded mace, to taste; bread crumbs, eggs. _mode_.--pound the meat of the lobster to a smooth paste with the butter and seasoning, and add a few bread crumbs. beat the eggs, and make the whole mixture into the form of a lobster; pound the spawn, and sprinkle over it. bake / hour, and just before serving, lay over it the tail and body shell, with the small claws underneath, to resemble a lobster. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for or persons. lobster salad. . ingredients.-- hen lobster, lettuces, endive, small salad (whatever is in season), a little chopped beetroot, hard-boiled eggs, a few slices of cucumber. for dressing, equal quantities of oil and vinegar, teaspoonful of made mustard, the yolks of eggs; cayenne and salt to taste; teaspoonful of anchovy sauce. these ingredients should be mixed perfectly smooth, and form a creamy-looking sauce. _mode_.--wash the salad, and thoroughly dry it by shaking it in a cloth. cut up the lettuces and endive, pour the dressing on them, and lightly throw in the small salad. mix all well together with the pickings from the body of the lobster; pick the meat from the shell, cut it up into nice square pieces, put half in the salad, the other half reserve for garnishing. separate the yolks from the whites of hard-boiled eggs; chop the whites very fine, and rub the yolks through a sieve, and afterwards the coral from the inside. arrange the salad lightly on a glass dish, and garnish, first with a row of sliced cucumber, then with the pieces of lobster, the yolks and whites of the eggs, coral, and beetroot placed alternately, and arranged in small separate bunches, so that the colours contrast nicely. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from april to october; may be had all the year, but salad is scarce and expensive in winter. _note_.--a few crayfish make a pretty garnishing to lobster salad. the shell of the lobster.--like the others of its tribe, the lobster annually casts its shell. previously to its throwing off the old one, it appears sick, languid, and restless, but in the course of a few days it is entirely invested in its new coat of armour. whilst it is in a defenceless state, however, it seeks some lonely place, where it may lie undisturbed, and escape the horrid fate of being devoured by some of its own species who have the advantage of still being encased in their mail. lobster (a la mode francaise). . ingredients.-- lobster, tablespoonfuls of white stock, tablespoonfuls of cream, pounded mace, and cayenne to taste; bread crumbs. _mode_.--pick the meat from the shell, and cut it up into small square pieces; put the stock, cream, and seasoning into a stewpan, add the lobster, and let it simmer gently for minutes. serve it in the shell, which must be nicely cleaned, and have a border of puff-paste; cover it with bread crumbs, place small pieces of butter over, and brown before the fire, or with a salamander. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. celerity of the lobster.--in its element, the lobster is able to run with great speed upon its legs, or small claws, and, if alarmed, to spring, tail foremost, to a considerable distance, "even," it is said, "with the swiftness of a bird flying." fishermen have seen some of them pass about thirty feet with a wonderful degree of swiftness. when frightened, they will take their spring, and, like a chamois of the alps, plant themselves upon the very spot upon which they designed to hold themselves. lobster curry (an entree). . ingredients.-- lobster, onions, oz. butter, tablespoonful of curry-powder, / pint of medium stock, no. , the juice of / lemon. _mode_.--pick the meat from the shell, and cut it into nice square pieces; fry the onions of a pale brown in the butter, stir in the curry-powder and stock, and simmer till it thickens, when put in the lobster; stew the whole slowly for / hour, and stir occasionally; and just before sending to table, put in the lemon-juice. serve boiled rice with it, the same as for other curries. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, s. _seasonable_ at any time. lobster cutlets (an entree). . ingredients.-- large hen lobster, oz. fresh butter, / saltspoonful of salt, pounded mace, grated nutmeg, cayenne and white pepper to taste, egg, and bread crumbs. _mode_.--pick the meat from the shell, and pound it in a mortar with the butter, and gradually add the mace and seasoning, well mixing the ingredients; beat all to a smooth paste, and add a little of the spawn; divide the mixture into pieces of an equal size, and shape them like cutlets. they should not be very thick. brush them over with egg, and sprinkle with bread crumbs, and stick a short piece of the small claw in the top of each; fry them of a nice brown in boiling lard, and drain them before the fire, on a sieve reversed; arrange them nicely on a dish, and pour béchamel in the middle, but not over the cutlets. _time_.--about minutes after the cutlets are made. _average cost_ for this dish, s. d. _seasonable_ all the year. _sufficient_ for or persons. ancient mode of cooking the lobster.--when this fish was to be served for the table, among the ancients, it was opened lengthwise, and filled with a gravy composed of coriander and pepper. it was then put on the gridiron and slowly cooked, whilst it was being basted with the same kind of gravy with which the flesh had become impregnated. to dress lobsters. . when the lobster is boiled, rub it over with a little salad-oil, which wipe off again; separate the body from the tail, break off the great claws, and crack them at the joints, without injuring the meat; split the tail in halves, and arrange all neatly in a dish, with the body upright in the middle, and garnish with parsley. (_see_ coloured plate, h.) lobster patties (an entree). . ingredients.--minced lobster, tablespoonfuls of béchamel, drops of anchovy sauce, lemon-juice, cayenne to taste. _mode_.--line the patty-pans with puff-paste, and put into each a small piece of bread: cover with paste, brush over with egg, and bake of a light colour. take as much lobster as is required, mince the meat very fine, and add the above ingredients; stir it over the fire for minutes; remove the lids of the patty-cases, take out the bread, fill with the mixture, and replace the covers. _seasonable_ at any time. local attachment of the lobster.--it is said that the attachment of this animal is strong to some particular parts of the sea, a circumstance celebrated in the following lines:-- "nought like their home the constant lobsters prize, and foreign shores and seas unknown despise. though cruel hands the banish'd wretch expel, and force the captive from his native cell, he will, if freed, return with anxious care, find the known rock, and to his home repair; no novel customs learns in different seas, but wonted food and home-taught manners please." potted lobster. . ingredients.-- lobsters; seasoning to taste, of nutmeg, pounded mace, white pepper, and salt; / lb. of butter, or bay-leaves. _mode_.--take out the meat carefully from the shell, but do not cut it up. put some butter at the bottom of a dish, lay in the lobster as evenly as possible, with the bay-leaves and seasoning between. cover with butter, and bake for / hour in a gentle oven. when done, drain the whole on a sieve, and lay the pieces in potting-jars, with the seasoning about them. when cold, pour over it clarified butter, and, if very highly seasoned, it will keep some time. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--potted lobster may be used cold, or as _fricassee_ with cream sauce. how the lobster feeds.--the pincers of the lobster's large claws are furnished with nobs, and those of the other, are always serrated. with the former, it keeps firm hold of the stalks of submarine plants, and with the latter, it cuts and minces its food with great dexterity. the knobbed, or numb claw, as it is called by fishermen, is sometimes on the right and sometimes on the left, indifferently. baked mackerel. . ingredients.-- middling-sized mackerel, a nice delicate forcemeat (_see_ forcemeats), oz. of butter; pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--clean the fish, take out the roes, and fill up with forcemeat, and sew up the slit. flour, and put them in a dish, heads and tails alternately, with the roes; and, between each layer, put some little pieces of butter, and pepper and salt. bake for / an hour, and either serve with plain melted butter or a _maître d'hôtel_ sauce. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ from april to july. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--baked mackerel may be dressed in the same way as baked herrings (_see_ no. ), and may also be stewed in wine. weight of the mackerel.--the greatest weight of this fish seldom exceeds lbs., whilst their ordinary length runs between and inches. they die almost immediately after they are taken from their element, and, for a short time, exhibit a phosphoric light. boiled mackerel. . ingredients.-- / lb. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--cleanse the inside of the fish thoroughly, and lay it in the kettle with sufficient water to cover it with salt as above; bring it gradually to boil, skim well, and simmer gently till done; dish them on a hot napkin, heads and tails alternately, and garnish with fennel. fennel sauce and plain melted butter are the usual accompaniments to boiled mackerel; but caper or anchovy sauce is sometimes served with it. (_see_ coloured plate, f.) _time_.--after the water boils, minutes; for large mackerel, allow more time. _average cost_, from d. _seasonable_ from april to july. _note_.--when variety is desired, fillet the mackerel, boil it, and pour over parsley and butter; send some of this, besides, in a tureen. broiled mackerel. . ingredients.--pepper and salt to taste, a small quantity of oil. _mode_.--mackerel should never be washed when intended to be broiled, but merely wiped very clean and dry, after taking out the gills and insides. open the back, and put in a little pepper, salt, and oil; broil it over a clear fire, turn it over on both sides, and also on the back. when sufficiently cooked, the flesh can be detached from the bone, which will be in about minutes for a small mackerel. chop a little parsley, work it up in the butter, with pepper and salt to taste, and a squeeze of lemon-juice, and put it in the back. serve before the butter is quite melted, with a _maître d'hôtel_ sauce in a tureen. _time_.--small mackerel minutes. _average cost_, from d. _seasonable_ from april to july. [illustration: the mackerel.] the mackerel.--this is not only one of the most elegantly-formed, but one of the most beautifully-coloured fishes, when taken out of the sea, that we have. death, in some degree, impairs the vivid splendour of its colours; but it does not entirely obliterate them. it visits the shores of great britain in countless shoals, appearing about march, off the land's end; in the bays of devonshire, about april; off brighton in the beginning of may; and on the coast of suffolk about the beginning of june. in the orkneys they are seen till august; but the greatest fishery is on the west coasts of england. to choose mackerel.--in choosing this fish, purchasers should, to a great extent, be regulated by the brightness of its appearance. if it have a transparent, silvery hue, the flesh is good; but if it be red about the head, it is stale. fillets of mackerel. . ingredients.-- large mackerel, oz. butter, small bunch of chopped herbs, tablespoonfuls of medium stock, no. , tablespoonfuls of béchamel (_see_ sauces); salt, cayenne, and lemon-juice to taste. _mode_.--clean the fish, and fillet it; scald the herbs, chop them fine, and put them with the butter and stock into a stewpan. lay in the mackerel, and simmer very gently for minutes; take them out, and put them on a hot dish. dredge in a little flour, add the other ingredients, give one boil, and pour it over the mackerel. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ from april to july. _sufficient_ for persons. _note_.--fillets of mackerel may be covered with egg and bread crumbs, and fried of a nice brown. serve with _maître d'hôtel_ sauce and plain melted butter. the voracity of the mackerel.--the voracity of this fish is very great, and, from their immense numbers, they are bold in attacking objects of which they might, otherwise, be expected to have a wholesome dread. pontoppidan relates an anecdote of a sailor belonging to a ship lying in one of the harbours on the coast of norway, who, having gone into the sea to bathe, was suddenly missed by his companions; in the course of a few minutes, however, he was seen on the surface, with great numbers of mackerel clinging to him by their mouths. his comrades hastened in a boat to his assistance; but when they had struck the fishes from him and got him up, they found he was so severely bitten, that he shortly afterward expired. pickled mackerel. . ingredients.-- peppercorns, bay-leaves, / pint of vinegar, mackerel. _mode_.--boil the mackerel as in the recipe no. , and lay them in a dish; take half the liquor they were boiled in; add as much vinegar, peppercorns, and bay-leaves; boil for minutes, and when cold, pour over the fish. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. mackerel garum.--this brine, so greatly esteemed by the ancients, was manufactured from various kinds of fishes. when mackerel was employed, a few of them were placed in a small vase, with a large quantity of salt, which was well stirred, and then left to settle for some hours. on the following day, this was put into an earthen pot, which was uncovered, and placed in a situation to get the rays of the sun. at the end of two or three months, it was hermetically sealed, after having had added to it a quantity of old wine, equal to one third of the mixture. grey mullet. . ingredients.-- / lb. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--if the fish be very large, it should be laid in cold water, and gradually brought to a boil; if small, put it in boiling water, salted in the above proportion. serve with anchovy sauce and plain melted butter. _time_.--according to size, / to / hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from july to october. [illustration: the grey mullet.] the grey mullet.--this is quite a different fish from the red mullet, is abundant on the sandy coasts of great britain, and ascends rivers for miles. on the south coast it is very plentiful, and is considered a fine fish. it improves more than any other salt-water fish when kept in ponds. red mullet. . ingredients.--oiled paper, thickening of butter and flour, / teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, glass of sherry; cayenne and salt to taste. _mode_.--clean the fish, take out the gills, but leave the inside, fold in oiled paper, and bake them gently. when done, take the liquor that flows from the fish, add a thickening of butter kneaded with flour; put in the other ingredients, and let it boil for minutes. serve the sauce in a tureen, and the fish, either with or without the paper cases. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, s. each. _seasonable_ at any time, but more plentiful in summer. _note_.--red mullet may be broiled, and should be folded in oiled paper, the same as in the preceding recipe, and seasoned with pepper and salt. they may be served without sauce; but if any is required, use melted _butter_, italian or anchovy sauce. they should never be plain boiled. [illustration: the striped red mullet.] the striped red mullet.--this fish was very highly esteemed by the ancients, especially by the romans, who gave the most extravagant prices for it. those of lbs. weight were valued at about £ each; those of lbs. at £ , and, in the reign of tiberius, three of them were sold for £ . to witness the changing loveliness of their colour during their dying agonies, was one of the principal reasons that such a high price was paid for one of these fishes. it frequents our cornish and sussex coasts, and is in high request, the flesh being firm, white, and well flavoured. fried oysters. . ingredients.-- dozen oysters, oz. butter, tablespoonful of ketchup, a little chopped lemon-peel, / teaspoonful of chopped parsley. _mode_.--boil the oysters for minute in their own liquor, and drain them; fry them with the butter, ketchup, lemon-peel, and parsley; lay them on a dish, and garnish with fried potatoes, toasted sippets, and parsley. this is a delicious delicacy, and is a favourite italian dish. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ from september to april. _sufficient_ for persons. [illustration: the edible oyster.] the edible oyster:--this shell-fish is almost universally distributed near the shores of seas in all latitudes, and they especially abound on the coasts of france and britain. the coasts most celebrated, in england, for them, are those of essex and suffolk. here they are dredged up by means of a net with an iron scraper at the mouth, that is dragged by a rope from a boat over the beds. as soon as taken from their native beds, they are stored in pits, formed for the purpose, furnished with sluices, through which, at the spring tides, the water is suffered to flow. this water, being stagnant, soon becomes green in warm weather; and, in a few days afterwards, the oysters acquire the same tinge, which increases their value in the market. they do not, however, attain their perfection and become fit for sale till the end of six or eight weeks. oysters are not considered proper for the table till they are about a year and a half old; so that the brood of one spring are not to be taken for sale, till, at least, the september twelvemonth afterwards. scalloped oysters. i. . ingredients.--oysters, say pint, oz. butter, flour, tablespoonfuls of white stock, tablespoonfuls of cream; pepper and salt to taste; bread crumbs, oiled butter. _mode_.--scald the oysters in their own liquor, take them out, beard them, and strain the liquor free from grit. put oz. of batter into a stewpan; when melted, dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up; add the stock, cream, and strained liquor, and give one boil. put in the oysters and seasoning; let them gradually heat through, but not boil. have ready the scallop-shells buttered; lay in the oysters, and as much of the liquid as they will hold; cover them over with bread crumbs, over which drop a little oiled butter. brown them in the oven, or before the fire, and serve quickly, and very hot. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. ii. prepare the oysters as in the preceding recipe, and put them in a scallop-shell or saucer, and between each layer sprinkle over a few bread crumbs, pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg; place small pieces of butter over, and bake before the fire in a dutch oven. put sufficient bread crumbs on the top to make a smooth surface, as the oysters should not be seen. _time_.--about / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ from september to april. stewed oysters. . ingredients.-- pint of oysters, oz. of butter, flour, / pint of cream; cayenne and salt to taste; blade of pounded mace. _mode_.--scald the oysters in their own liquor, take them out, beard them, and strain the liquor; put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up, add the oyster-liquor and mace, and stir it over a sharp fire with a wooden spoon; when it comes to a boil, add the cream, oysters, and seasoning. let all simmer for or minutes, but not longer, or the oysters would harden. serve on a hot dish, and garnish with croutons, or toasted sippets of bread. a small piece of lemon-peel boiled with the oyster-liquor, and taken out before the cream is added, will be found an improvement. _time_.--altogether minutes. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ from september to april. _sufficient_ for persons. the oyster and the scallop.--the oyster is described as a bivalve shell-fish, having the valves generally unequal. the hinge is without teeth, but furnished with a somewhat oval cavity, and mostly with lateral transverse grooves. from a similarity in the structure of the hinge, oysters and scallops have been classified as one tribe; but they differ very essentially both in their external appearance and their habits. oysters adhere to rocks, or, as in two or three species, to roots of trees on the shore; while the scallops are always detached, and usually lurk in the sand. oyster patties (an entree). . ingredients.-- dozen oysters, oz. butter, tablespoonfuls of cream, a little lemon-juice, blade of pounded mace; cayenne to taste. _mode_.--scald the oysters in their own liquor, beard them, and cut each one into pieces. put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up; add the strained oyster-liquor with the other ingredients; put in the oysters, and let them heat gradually, but not boil fast. make the patty-cases as directed for lobster patties, no. : fill with the oyster mixture, and replace the covers. _time_.-- minutes for the oysters to simmer in the mixture. _average cost_, exclusive of the patty-cases, s. d. _seasonable_ from september to april. the oyster fishery.--the oyster fishery in britain is esteemed of so much importance, that it is regulated by a court of admiralty. in the month of may, the fishermen are allowed to take the oysters, in order to separate the spawn from the cultch, the latter of which is thrown in again, to preserve the bed for the future. after this month, it is felony to carry away the cultch, and otherwise punishable to take any oyster, between the shells of which, when closed, a shilling will rattle. to keep oysters. . put them in a tub, and cover them with salt and water. let them remain for hours, when they are to be taken out, and allowed to stand for another hours without water. if left without water every alternate hours, they will be much better than if constantly kept in it. never put the same water twice to them. oysters fried in batter. . ingredients.-- / pint of oysters, eggs, / pint of milk, sufficient flour to make the batter; pepper and salt to taste; when liked, a little nutmeg; hot lard. _mode_.--scald the oysters in their own liquor, beard them, and lay them on a cloth, to drain thoroughly. break the eggs into a basin, mix the flour with them, add the milk gradually, with nutmeg and seasoning, and put the oysters in the batter. make some lard hot in a deep frying-pan, put in the oysters, one at a time; when done, take them up with a sharp-pointed skewer, and dish them on a napkin. fried oysters are frequently used for garnishing boiled fish, and then a few bread crumbs should be added to the flour. _time_.-- or minutes. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ from september to april. _sufficient_ for persons. excellence of the english oyster.--the french assert that the english oysters, which are esteemed the best in europe, were originally procured from cancalle bay, near st. malo; but they assign no proof for this. it is a fact, however, that the oysters eaten in ancient rome were nourished in the channel which then parted the isle of thanet from england, and which has since been filled up, and converted into meadows. boiled perch. . ingredients.-- / lb. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--scale the fish, take out the gills and clean it thoroughly; lay it in boiling water, salted as above, and simmer gently for minutes. if the fish is very large, longer time must be allowed. garnish with parsley, and serve with plain melted butter, or dutch sauce. perch do not preserve so good a flavour when stewed as when dressed in any other way. _time_.--middling-sized perch, / hour. _seasonable_ from september to november. _note_.--tench may be boiled the same way, and served with the same sauces. [illustration: the perch.] the perch.--this is one of the best, as it is one of the most common, of our fresh-water fishes, and is found in nearly all the lakes and rivers in britain and ireland, as well as through the whole of europe within the temperate zone. it is extremely voracious, and it has the peculiarity of being gregarious, which is contrary to the nature of all fresh-water fishes of prey. the best season to angle for it is from the beginning of may to the middle of july. large numbers of this fish are bred in the hampton court and bushy park ponds, all of which are well supplied with running water and with plenty of food; yet they rarely attain a large size. in the regent's park they are also very numerous; but are seldom heavier than three quarters of a pound. fried perch. . ingredients.--egg and bread crumbs, hot lard. _mode_.--scale and clean the fish, brush it over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs. have ready some boiling lard; put the fish in, and fry a nice brown. serve with plain melted butter or anchovy sauce. _time_.-- minutes. _seasonable_ from september to november. _note_.--fry tench in the same way. perch stewed with wine. . ingredients.--equal quantities of stock no. and sherry, bay-leaf, clove of garlic, a small bunch of parsley, cloves, salt to taste; thickening of butter and flour, pepper, grated nutmeg, / teaspoonful of anchovy sauce. _mode_.--scale the fish and take out the gills, and clean them thoroughly; lay them in a stewpan with sufficient stock and sherry just to cover them. put in the bay-leaf, garlic, parsley, cloves, and salt, and simmer till tender. when done, take out the fish, strain the liquor, add a thickening of butter and flour, the pepper, nutmeg, and the anchovy sauce, and stir it over the fire until somewhat reduced, when pour over the fish, and serve. _time_.--about minutes. _seasonable_ from september to november. boiled pike. . ingredients.-- / lb. of salt to each gallon of water; a little vinegar. _mode_.--scale and clean the pike, and fasten the tail in its mouth by means of a skewer. lay it in cold water, and when it boils, throw in the salt and vinegar. the time for boiling depends, of course, on the size of the fish; but a middling-sized pike will take about / an hour. serve with dutch or anchovy sauce, and plain melted butter. _time_.--according to size, / to hour.--_average cost_. seldom bought. _seasonable_ from september to march. [illustration: the pike.] the pike.--this fish is, on account of its voracity, termed the freshwater shark, and is abundant in most of the european lakes, especially those of the northern parts. it grows to an immense size, some attaining to the measure of eight feet, in lapland and russia. the smaller lakes, of this country and ireland, vary in the kinds of fish they produce; some affording trout, others pike; and so on. where these happen to be together, however, the trout soon becomes extinct. "within a short distance of castlebar," says a writer on sports, "there is a small bog-lake called derreens. ten years ago it was celebrated for its numerous well-sized trouts. accidentally pike effected a passage into the lake from the minola river, and now the trouts are extinct, or, at least, none of them are caught or seen. previous to the intrusion of the pikes, half a dozen trouts would be killed in an evening in derreens, whose collective weight often amounted to twenty pounds." as an eating fish, the pike is in general dry. baked pike. . ingredients.-- or pike, a nice delicate stuffing (_see_ forcemeats), egg, bread crumbs, / lb. butter. _mode_.--scale the fish, take out the gills, wash, and wipe it thoroughly dry; stuff it with forcemeat, sew it up, and fasten the tail in the mouth by means of a skewer; brush it over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and baste with butter, before putting it in the oven, which must be well heated. when the pike is of a nice brown colour, cover it with buttered paper, as the outside would become too dry. if are dressed, a little variety may be made by making one of them green with a little chopped parsley mixed with the bread crumbs. serve anchovy or dutch sauce, and plain melted butter with it. _time_.--according to size, hour, more or less. _average cost_.--seldom bought. _seasonable_ from september to march. _note_.--pike _à la génévese_ may be stewed in the same manner as salmon _à la génévese_. fried plaice. .--ingredients.--hot lard, or clarified dripping; egg and bread crumbs. _mode_.--this fish is fried in the same manner as soles. wash and wipe them thoroughly dry, and let them remain in a cloth until it is time to dress them. brush them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs mixed with a little flour. fry of a nice brown in hot dripping or lard, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon. send them to table with shrimp-sauce and plain melted butter. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, d. each. _seasonable_ from may to november. _sufficient_, plaice for persons. _note_.--plaice may be boiled plain, and served with melted butter. garnish with parsley and cut lemon. stewed plaice. . ingredients.-- or plaice, onions, / oz. ground ginger, pint of lemon-juice, / pint water, eggs; cayenne to taste. _mode_.--cut the fish into pieces about inches wide, salt them, and let them remain / hour. slice and fry the onions a light brown; put them in a stewpan, on the top of which put the fish without washing, and add the ginger, lemon-juice, and water. cook slowly for / hour, and do not let the fish boil, or it will break. take it out, and when the liquor is cool, add well-beaten eggs; simmer till it thickens, when pour over the fish, and serve. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ from may to november. _sufficient_ for persons; according to size. [illustration: the plaice.] the plaice.--this fish is found both in the baltic and the mediterranean, and is also abundant on the coast of england. it keeps well, and, like all ground-fish, is very tenacious of life. its flesh is inferior to that of the sole, and, as it is a low-priced fish, it is generally bought by the poor. the best brought to the london market are called _dowers plaice_, from their being caught in the dowers, or flats, between hastings and folkstone. to boil prawns or shrimps. . ingredients.-- / lb. salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--prawns should be very red, and have no spawn under the tail; much depends on their freshness and the way in which they are cooked. throw them into boiling water, salted as above, and keep them boiling for about or minutes. shrimps should be done in the same way; but less time must be allowed. it may easily be known when they are done by their changing colour. care should be taken that they are not over-boiled, as they then become tasteless and indigestible. _time_.--prawns, about minutes; shrimps, about minutes. _average cost_, prawns, s. per lb.; shrimps, d. per pint. _seasonable_ all the year. to dress prawns. . cover a dish with a large cup reversed, and over that lay a small white napkin. arrange the prawns on it in the form of a pyramid, and garnish with plenty of parsley. boiled salmon. . ingredients.-- oz. of salt to each gallon of water,--sufficient water to cover the fish. _mode_.--scale and clean the fish, and be particular that no blood is left inside; lay it in the fish-kettle with sufficient cold water to cover it, adding salt in the above proportion. bring it quickly to a boil, take off all the scum, and let it simmer gently till the fish is done, which will be when the meat separates easily from the bone. experience alone can teach the cook to fix the time for boiling fish; but it is especially to be remembered, that it should never be underdressed, as then nothing is more unwholesome. neither let it remain in the kettle after it is sufficiently cooked, as that would render it insipid, watery, and colourless. drain it, and if not wanted for a few minutes, keep it warm by means of warm cloths laid over it. serve on a hot napkin, garnish with cut lemon and parsley, and send lobster or shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter to table with it. a dish of dressed cucumber usually accompanies this fish. _time_.-- minutes to each lb. for large thick salmon; minutes for thin fish. _average cost_, in full season, s. d. per lb. _seasonable_ from april to august. _sufficient_, / lb., or rather less, for each person. _note_.--cut lemon should be put on the table with this fish; and a little of the juice squeezed over it is considered by many persons a most agreeable addition. boiled peas are also, by some connoisseurs, considered especially adapted to be served with salmon. to choose salmon.--to be good, the belly should be firm and thick, which may readily be ascertained by feeling it with the thumb and finger. the circumstance of this fish having red gills, though given as a standing rule in most cookery-books, as a sign of its goodness, is not at all to be relied on, as this quality can be easily given them by art. salmon and caper sauce. . ingredients.-- slices of salmon, / lb. batter, / teaspoonful of chopped parsley, shalot; salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste. _mode_.--lay the salmon in a baking-dish, place pieces of butter over it, and add the other ingredients, rubbing a little of the seasoning into the fish; baste it frequently; when done, take it out and drain for a minute or two; lay it in a dish, pour caper sauce over it, and serve. salmon dressed in this way, with tomato sauce, is very delicious. _time_.--about / hour. _average cost_, s. d. per lb. _seasonable_ from april to august. _sufficient_ for or persons. the migratory habits of the salmon.--the instinct with which the salmon revisits its native river, is one of the most curious circumstances in its natural history. as the swallow returns annually to its nest, so it returns to the same spot to deposit its ova. this fact would seem to have been repeatedly proved. m. de lande fastened a copper ring round a salmon's tail, and found that, for three successive seasons, it returned to the same place. dr. bloch states that gold and silver rings have been attached by eastern princes to salmon, to prove that a communication existed between the persian gulf and the caspian and northern seas, and that the experiment succeeded. collared salmon. . ingredients.--a piece of salmon, say lbs., a high seasoning of salt, pounded mace, and pepper; water and vinegar, bay-leaves. _mode_.--split the fish; scale, bone, and wash it thoroughly clean; wipe it, and rub in the seasoning inside and out; roll it up, and bind firmly; lay it in a kettle, cover it with vinegar and water ( / vinegar, in proportion to the water); add the bay-leaves and a good seasoning of salt and whole pepper, and simmer till done. do not remove the lid. serve with melted butter or anchovy sauce. for preserving the collared fish, boil up the liquor in which it was cooked, and add a little more vinegar. pour over when cold. _time_.-- / hour, or rather more. habitat of the salmon.--the salmon is styled by walton the "king of fresh-water fish," and is found distributed over the north of europe and asia, from britain to kamschatka, but is never found in warm latitudes, nor has it ever been caught even so far south as the mediterranean. it lives in fresh as well as in salt waters, depositing its spawn in the former, hundreds of miles from the mouths of some of those rivers to which it has been known to resort. in , great efforts were made to introduce this fish into the australian colonies; and it is believed that the attempt, after many difficulties, which were very skilfully overcome, has been successful. crimped salmon. . salmon is frequently dressed in this way at many fashionable tables, but must be very fresh, and cut into slices or inches thick. lay these in cold salt and water for hour; have ready some boiling water, salted, as in recipe no. , and well skimmed; put in the fish, and simmer gently for / hour, or rather more; should it be very thick, garnish the same as boiled salmon, and serve with the same sauces. _time_.-- / hour, more or less, according to size. _note_.--never use vinegar with salmon, as it spoils the taste and colour of the fish. [illustration: the salmon.] the salmon tribe.--this is the abdominal fish, forming the fourth of the orders of linnaeus. they are distinguished from the other fishes by having two dorsal fins, of which the hindmost is fleshy and without rays. they have teeth both on the tongue and in the jaws, whilst the body is covered with round and minutely striated scales. curried salmon. . ingredients.--any remains of boiled salmon, / pint of strong or medium stock (no. ), onion, tablespoonful of curry-powder, teaspoonful of harvey's sauce, teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, oz. of butter, the juice of / lemon, cayenne and salt to taste. _mode_.--cut up the onions into small pieces, and fry them of a pale brown in the butter; add all the ingredients but the salmon, and simmer gently till the onion is tender, occasionally stirring the contents; cut the salmon into small square pieces, carefully take away all skin and bone, lay it in the stewpan, and let it gradually heat through; but do not allow it to boil long. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold fish, d. growth of the salmon.--at the latter end of the year--some as soon as november--salmon begin to press up the rivers as far as they can reach, in order to deposit their spawn, which they do in the sand or gravel, about eighteen inches deep. here it lies buried till the spring, when, about the latter end of march, it begins to exclude the young, which gradually increase to four or five inches in length, and are then termed smelts or smouts. about the beginning of may, the river seems to be alive with them, and there is no forming an idea of their numbers without having seen them. a seasonable flood, however, comes, and hurries them to the "great deep;" whence, about the middle of june, they commence their return to the river again. by this time they are twelve or sixteen inches long, and progressively increase, both in number and size, till about the end of july, when they have become large enough to be denominated _grilse_. early in august they become fewer in numbers, but of greater size, haying advanced to a weight of from six to nine pounds. this rapidity of growth appears surprising, and realizes the remark of walton, that "the salmlet becomes a salmon in as short a time as a gosling becomes a goose." recent writers have, however, thrown considerable doubts on this quick growth of the salmon. salmon cutlets. . cut the slices inch thick, and season them with pepper and salt; butter a sheet of white paper, lay each slice on a separate piece, with their ends twisted; broil gently over a clear fire, and serve with anchovy or caper sauce. when higher seasoning is required, add a few chopped herbs and a little spice. _time_.-- to minutes. salmon a la genevese. . ingredients.-- slices of salmon, chopped shalots, a little parsley, a small bunch of herbs, bay-leaves, carrots, pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonfuls of madeira, / pint of white stock (no. ), thickening of butter and flour, teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, the juice of lemon, cayenne and salt to taste. _mode_.--rub the bottom of a stewpan over with butter, and put in the shalots, herbs, bay-leaves, carrots, mace, and seasoning; stir them for minutes over a clear fire, and add the madeira or sherry; simmer gently for / hour, and strain through a sieve over the fish, which stew in this gravy. as soon as the fish is sufficiently cooked, take away all the liquor, except a little to keep the salmon moist, and put it into another stewpan; add the stock, thicken with butter and flour, and put in the anchovies, lemon-juice, cayenne, and salt; lay the salmon on a hot dish, pour over it part of the sauce, and serve the remainder in a tureen. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. pickled salmon. . ingredients.--salmon, / oz. of whole pepper, / oz. of whole allspice, teaspoonful of salt, bay-leaves, equal quantities of vinegar and the liquor in which the fish was boiled. _mode_.--after the fish comes from table, lay it in a nice dish with a cover to it, as it should be excluded from the air, and take away the bone; boil the liquor and vinegar with the other ingredients for minutes, and let it stand to get cold; pour it over the salmon, and in hours this will be fit for the table. _time_.-- minutes. to cure salmon.--this process consists in splitting the fish, rubbing it with salt, and then putting it into pickle in tubs provided for the purpose. here it is kept for about six weeks, when it is taken out, pressed and packed in casks, with layers of salt. potted salmon. . ingredients.--salmon; pounded mace, cloves, and pepper to taste; bay-leaves, / lb. butter. _mode_.--skin the salmon, and clean it thoroughly by wiping with a cloth (water would spoil it); cut it into square pieces, which rub with salt; let them remain till thoroughly drained, then lay them in a dish with the other ingredients, and bake. when quite done, drain them from the gravy, press into pots for use, and, when cold, pour over it clarified butter. _time_.-- / hour. an aversion in the salmon.--the salmon is said to have an aversion to anything red; hence, fishermen engaged in catching it do not wear jackets or caps of that colour. pontoppidan also says, that it has an abhorrence of carrion, and if any happens to be thrown into the places it haunts, it immediately forsakes them. the remedy adopted for this in norway, is to throw into the polluted water a lighted torch. as food, salmon, when in perfection, is one of the most delicious and nutritive of our fish. baked sea-bream. . ingredients.-- bream. seasoning to taste of salt, pepper, and cayenne; / lb. of butter. _mode_.--well wash the bream, but do not remove the scales, and wipe away all moisture with a nice dry cloth. season it inside and out with salt, pepper, and cayenne, and lay it in a baking-dish. place the butter, in small pieces, upon the fish, and bake for rather more than / an hour. to stuff this fish before baking, will be found a great improvement. _time_.--rather more than / an hour. _seasonable_ in summer. [illustration: the sea-bream.] _note_.--this fish may be broiled over a nice clear fire, and served with a good brown gravy or white sauce, or it may be stewed in wine. the sea-bream.--this is an abundant fish in cornwall, and it is frequently found in the fish-market of hastings during the summer months, but it is not in much esteem. mr. yarrell's recipe. "when thoroughly cleansed, the fish should be wiped dry, but none of the scales should be taken off. in this state it should be broiled, turning it often, and if the skin cracks, flour it a little to keep the outer case entire. when on table, the whole skin and scales turn off without difficulty, and the muscle beneath, saturated in its own natural juices, which the outside covering has retained, will be of good flavour." to dress shad. . ingredients.-- shad, oil, pepper, and salt. _mode_.--scale, empty and wash the fish carefully, and make two or three incisions across the back. season it with pepper and salt, and let it remain in oil for / hour. broil it on both sides over a clear fire, and serve with caper sauce. this fish is much esteemed by the french, and by them is considered excellent. _time_.--nearly hour. _average cost_.--seldom bought. _seasonable_ from april to june. [illustration: the shad.] the shad.--this is a salt-water fish, but is held in little esteem. it enters our rivers to spawn in may, and great numbers of them are taken opposite the isle of dogs, in the thames. potted shrimps. . ingredients.-- pint of shelled shrimps, / lb. of fresh butter, blade of pounded mace, cayenne to taste; when liked, a little nutmeg. _mode_.--have ready a pint of picked shrimps, and put them, with the other ingredients, into a stewpan; let them heat gradually in the butter, but do not let it boil. pour into small pots, and when cold, cover with melted butter, and carefully exclude the air. _time_.-- / hour to soak in the butter. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. buttered prawns or shrimps. . ingredients.-- pint of picked prawns or shrimps, / pint of stock no. , thickening of butter and flour; salt, cayenne, and nutmeg to taste. _mode_.--pick the prawns or shrimps, and put them in a stewpan with the stock; add a thickening of butter and flour; season, and simmer gently for minutes. serve on a dish garnished with fried bread or toasted sippets. cream sauce may be substituted for the gravy. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. [illustration: the shrimp.] the shrimp.--this shell-fish is smaller than the prawn, and is greatly relished in london as a delicacy. it inhabits most of the sandy shores of europe, and the isle of wight is especially famous for them. boiled skate. . ingredients.-- / lb. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--cleanse and skin the skate, lay it in a fish-kettle, with sufficient water to cover it, salted in the above proportion. let it simmer very gently till done; then dish it on a hot napkin, and serve with shrimp, lobster, or caper sauce. _time_.--according to size, from / to hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from august to april. crimped skate. . ingredients.-- / lb. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--clean, skin, and cut the fish into slices, which roll and tie round with string. have ready some water highly salted, put in the fish, and boil till it is done. drain well, remove the string, dish on a hot napkin, and serve with the same sauces as above. skate should never be eaten out of season, as it is liable to produce diarrhoea and other diseases. it may be dished without a napkin, and the sauce poured over. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from august to april. to choose skate.--this fish should be chosen for its firmness, breadth, and thickness, and should have a creamy appearance. when crimped, it should not be kept longer than a day or two, as all kinds of crimped fish soon become sour. [illustration: thornback skate.] the skate.--this is one of the ray tribe, and is extremely abundant and cheap in the fishing towns of england. the flesh is white, thick, and nourishing; but, we suppose, from its being so plentiful, it is esteemed less than it ought to be on account of its nutritive properties, and the ease with which it is digested. it is much improved by crimping; in which state it is usually sold in london. the thornback differs from the true skate by having large spines in its back, of which the other is destitute. it is taken in great abundance during the spring and summer months, but its flesh is not so good as it is in november. it is, in regard to quality, inferior to that of the true skate. skate with caper sauce (a la francaise) . ingredients.-- or slices of skate, / pint of vinegar, oz. of salt, / teaspoonful of pepper, sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, bay-leaves, or sprigs of thyme, sufficient water to cover the fish. _mode_.--put in a fish-kettle all the above ingredients, and simmer the skate in them till tender. when it is done, skin it neatly, and pour over it some of the liquor in which it has been boiling. drain it, put it on a hot dish, pour over it caper sauce, and send some of the latter to table in a tureen. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from august to april. _note_.--skate may also be served with onion sauce, or parsley and butter. small skate fried. . ingredients.--skate, sufficient vinegar to cover them, salt and pepper to taste, sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, the juice of / lemon, hot dripping. _mode_.--cleanse the skate, lay them in a dish, with sufficient vinegar to cover them; add the salt, pepper, onion, parsley, and lemon-juice, and let the fish remain in this pickle for - / hour. then drain them well, flour them, and fry of a nice brown, in hot dripping. they may be served either with or without sauce. skate is not good if dressed too fresh, unless it is crimped; it should, therefore, be kept for a day, but not long enough to produce a disagreeable smell. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from august to april. other species of skate.--besides the true skate, there are several other species found in our seas. these are known as the _white_ skate, the long-nosed skate, and the homelyn ray, which are of inferior quality, though often crimped, and sold for true skate. to bake smelts. . ingredients.-- smelts, bread crumbs, / lb. of fresh butter, blades of pounded mace; salt and cayenne to taste. _mode_.--wash, and dry the fish thoroughly in a cloth, and arrange them nicely in a flat baking-dish. cover them with fine bread crumbs, and place little pieces of butter all over them. season and bake for minutes. just before serving, add a squeeze of lemon-juice, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. per dozen. _seasonable_ from october to may. _sufficient_ for persons. to choose smelts.--when good, this fish is of a fine silvery appearance, and when alive, their backs are of a dark brown shade, which, after death, fades to a light fawn. they ought to have a refreshing fragrance, resembling that of a cucumber. the odour of the smelt.--this peculiarity in the smelt has been compared, by some, to the fragrance of a cucumber, and by others, to that of a violet. it is a very elegant fish, and formerly abounded in the thames. the _atharine_, or sand smelt, is sometimes sold for the true one; but it is an inferior fish, being drier in the quality of its flesh. on the south coast of england, where the true smelt is rare, it is plentiful. to fry smelts. . ingredients.--egg and bread crumbs, a little flour; boiling lard. _mode_.--smelts should be very fresh, and not washed more than is necessary to clean them. dry them in a cloth, lightly flour, dip them in egg, and sprinkle over with very fine bread crumbs, and put them into boiling lard. fry of a nice pale brown, and be careful not to take off the light roughness of the crumbs, or their beauty will be spoiled. dry them before the fire on a drainer, and servo with plain melted butter. this fish is often used as a garnishing. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. per dozen. _seasonable_ from october to may. [illustration: the smelt.] the smelt.--this is a delicate little fish, and is in high esteem. mr. yarrell asserts that the true smelt is entirety confined to the western and eastern coasts of britain. it very rarely ventures far from the shore, and is plentiful in november, december, and january. baked soles. . ingredients.-- soles, / lb. of butter, egg, and bread crumbs, minced parsley, glass of sherry, lemon-juice; cayenne and salt to taste. _mode_.--clean, skin, and well wash the fish, and dry them thoroughly in a cloth. brush them over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley, lay them in a large flat baking-dish, white side uppermost; or if it will not hold the two soles, they may each be laid on a dish by itself; but they must not be put one on the top of the other. melt the butter, and pour it over the whole, and bake for minutes. take a portion of the gravy that flows from the fish, add the wine, lemon-juice, and seasoning, give it one boil, skim, pour it _under_ the fish, and serve. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. to s. per pair. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for or persons. to choose soles.--this fish should be both thick and firm. if the skin is difficult to be taken off, and the flesh looks grey, it is good. [illustration: the sole.] the sole.--this ranks next to the turbot in point of excellence among our flat fish. it is abundant on the british coasts, but those of the western shores are much superior in size to those taken on the northern. the finest are caught in torbay, and frequently weigh or lbs. per pair. its flesh being firm, white, and delicate, is greatly esteemed. boiled soles. . ingredients.-- / lb. salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--cleanse and wash the fish carefully, cut off the fins, but do not skin it. lay it in a fish-kettle, with sufficient cold water to cover it, salted in the above proportion. let it gradually come to a boil, and keep it simmering for a few minutes, according to the size of the fish. dish it on a hot napkin after well draining it, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon. shrimp, or lobster sauce, and plain melted butter, are usually sent to table with this dish. _time_.--after the water boils, minutes for a middling-sized sole. _average cost_, s. to s. per pair. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_,-- middling-sized sole for persons. sole or cod pie. . ingredients.--the remains of cold boiled sole or cod, seasoning to taste of pepper, salt, and pounded mace, dozen oysters to each lb. of fish, tablespoonfuls of white stock, teacupful of cream thickened with flour, puff paste. _mode_.--clear the fish from the bones, lay it in a pie-dish, and between each layer put a few oysters and a little seasoning; add the stock, and, when liked, a small quantity of butter; cover with puff paste, and bake for / hour. boil the cream with sufficient flour to thicken it; pour in the pie, and serve. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for persons. soles with cream sauce. . ingredients.-- soles; salt, cayenne, and pounded mace to taste; the juice of / lemon, salt and water, / pint of cream. _mode_.--skin, wash, and fillet the soles, and divide each fillet in pieces; lay them in cold salt and water, which bring gradually to a boil. when the water boils, take out the fish, lay it in a delicately clean stewpan, and cover with the cream. add the seasoning, simmer very gently for ten minutes, and, just before serving, put in the lemon-juice. the fillets may be rolled, and secured by means of a skewer; but this is not so economical a way of dressing them, as double the quantity of cream is required. _time_.-- minutes in the cream. _average cost_, from s. to s. per pair. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for or persons. this will be found a most delicate and delicious dish. the sole a favourite with the ancient greeks.--this fish was much sought after by the ancient greeks on account of its light and nourishing qualities. the brill, the flounder, the diamond and dutch plaice, which, with the sole, were known under the general name of _passeres_, were all equally esteemed, and had generally the same qualities attributed to them. filleted soles a l'italienne. . ingredients.-- soles; salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste; egg and bread crumbs, butter, the juice of lemon. _mode_.--skin, and carefully wash the soles, separate the meat from the bone, and divide each fillet in two pieces. brush them over with white of egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs and seasoning, and put them in a baking-dish. place small pieces of butter over the whole, and bake for / hour. when they are nearly done, squeeze the juice of a lemon over them, and serve on a dish, with italian sauce (see sauces) poured over. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, from s. to s. per pair. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for or persons. whiting may be dressed in the same manner, and will be found very delicious. the flavour of the sole.--this, as a matter of course, greatly depends on the nature of the ground and bait upon which the animal feeds. its natural food are small crabs and shell-fish. its colour also depends on the colour of the ground where it feeds; for if this be white, then the sole is called the white, or lemon sole; but if the bottom be muddy, then it is called the black sole. small-sized soles, caught in shallow water on the coasts, are the best in flavour. fricasseed soles. . ingredients.-- middling-sized soles, small one, / teaspoonful of chopped lemon-peel, teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a little grated bread; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; egg, oz. butter, / pint of good gravy, tablespoonfuls of port wine, cayenne and lemon-juice to taste. _mode_.--fry the soles of a nice brown, as directed in recipe no. , and drain them well from fat. take all the meat from the small sole, chop it fine, and mix with it the lemon-peel, parsley, bread, and seasoning; work altogether, with the yolk of an egg and the butter; make this into small balls, and fry them. thicken the gravy with a dessert-spoonful of flour, add the port wine, cayenne, and lemon-juice; lay in the soles and balls; let them simmer gently for minutes; serve hot, and garnish with cut lemon. _time_.-- minutes to fry the soles. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for or persons. how soles are caught.--the instrument usually employed is a trawl net, which is shaped like a pocket, of from sixty to eighty feet long, and open at the mouth from thirty-two to forty feet, and three deep. this is dragged along the ground by the vessel, and on the art of the fisherman in its employment, in a great measure depends the quality of the fish he catches. if, for example, he drags the net too quickly, all that are caught are swept rapidly to the end of the net, where they are smothered, and sometimes destroyed. a medium has to be observed, in order that as few as possible escape being caught in the net, and as many as possible preserved alive in it. fried filleted soles. . soles for filleting should be large, as the flesh can be more easily separated from the bones, and there is less waste. skin and wash the fish, and raise the meat carefully from the bones, and divide it into nice handsome pieces. the more usual way is to roll the fillets, after dividing each one in two pieces, and either bind them round with twine, or run a small skewer through them. brush over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs; fry them as directed in the foregoing recipe, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon. when a pretty dish is desired, this is by far the most elegant mode of dressing soles, as they look much better than when fried whole. (_see_ coloured plate a.) instead of rolling the fillets, they may be cut into square pieces, and arranged in the shape of a pyramid on the dish. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, from s. to s. per pair. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_,-- large soles for persons. fried soles. . ingredients.-- middling-sized soles, hot lard or clarified dripping, egg, and bread crumbs. _mode_.--skin and carefully wash the soles, and cut off the fins, wipe them very dry, and let them remain in the cloth until it is time to dress them. have ready some fine bread crumbs and beaten egg; dredge the soles with a little flour, brush them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs. put them in a deep pan, with plenty of clarified dripping or lard (when the expense is not objected to, oil is still better) heated, so that it may neither scorch the fish nor make them sodden. when they are sufficiently cooked on one side, turn them carefully, and brown them on the other: they may be considered ready when a thick smoke rises. lift them out carefully, and lay them before the fire on a reversed sieve and soft paper, to absorb the fat. particular attention should be paid to this, as nothing is more disagreeable than greasy fish: this may be always avoided by dressing them in good time, and allowing a few minutes for them to get thoroughly crisp, and free from greasy moisture. dish them on a hot napkin, garnish with cut lemon and fried parsley, and send them to table with shrimp sauce and plain melted butter. _time_.-- minutes for large soles; less time for small ones. _average cost_, from s. to s. per pair. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for or persons. soles with mushrooms. . ingredients.-- pint of milk, pint of water, oz. butter, oz. salt, a little lemon-juice, middling-sized soles. _mode_.--cleanse the soles, but do not skin them, and lay them in a fish-kettle, with the milk, water, butter, salt, and lemon-juice. bring them gradually to boil, and let them simmer very gently till done, which will be in about minutes. take them up, drain them well on a cloth, put them on a hot dish, and pour over them a good mushroom sauce. (_see_ sauces.) _time_.--after the water boils, minutes. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for persons. sprats. . sprats should be cooked very fresh, which can be ascertained by their bright and sparkling eyes. wipe them dry; fasten them in rows by a skewer run through the eyes; dredge with flour, and broil them on a gridiron over a nice clear fire. the gridiron should be rubbed with suet. serve very hot. _time_,-- or minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from november to march. to choose sprats.--choose these from their silvery appearance, as the brighter they are, so are they the fresher. sprats fried in batter. . ingredients.-- eggs, flour, bread crumbs; seasoning of salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--wipe the sprats, and dip them in a batter made of the above ingredients. fry of a nice brown, serve very hot, and garnish with fried parsley. sprats may be baked like herrings. (_see_ no. .) dried sprats. . dried sprats should be put into a basin, and boiling water poured over them; they may then be skinned and served, and this will be found a much better way than boiling them. [illustration: the sprat.] the sprat.--this migratory fish, is rarely found longer than four or five inches, and visits the shores of britain after the herring and other kinds of fish have taken their departure from them. on the coasts of suffolk, essex, and kent, they are very abundant, and from to boats are employed in catching them during the winter season. besides plentifully supplying the london market, they are frequently sold at sixpence a bushel to farmers for manuring purposes. they enter the thames about the beginning of november, and leave it in march. at yarmouth and gravesend they are cured like red herrings. baked sturgeon. . ingredients.-- small sturgeon, salt and pepper to taste, small bunch of herbs, the juice of / lemon, / lb. of butter, pint of white wine. _mode_,--cleanse the fish thoroughly, skin it, and split it along the belly without separating it; have ready a large baking-dish, in which lay the fish, sprinkle over the seasoning and herbs very finely minced, and moisten it with the lemon-juice and wine. place the butter in small pieces over the whole of the fish, put it in the oven, and baste frequently; brown it nicely, and serve with its own gravy. _time_.--nearly hour. _average cost_, s. to s. d. per lb. _seasonable_ from august to march. [illustration: the sturgeon.] the sturgeon.--this fish commences the sixth of linnaean order, and all the species are large, seldom measuring, when full-grown, less than three or four feet in length. its flesh is reckoned extremely delicious, and, in the time of the emperor severus, was so highly valued by the ancients, that it was brought to table by servants crowned with coronets, and preceded by a band of music. it is an inhabitant of the baltic, the mediterranean, the caspian, and the black sea, and of the danube, the volga, the don, and other large rivers. it is abundant in the rivers of north america, and is occasionally taken in the thames, as well as in the eske and the eden. it is one of those fishes considered as royal property. it is from its _roe_ that _caviare_, a favourite food of the russians, is prepared. its flesh is delicate, firm, and white, but is rare in the london market, where it sells for s. or s. d. per lb. the sterlet is a smaller species of sturgeon, found in the caspian sea and some russian rivers. it also is greatly prized on account of the delicacy of its flesh. roast sturgeon. . ingredients.--veal stuffing, buttered paper, the tail-end of a sturgeon. _mode_.--cleanse the fish, bone and skin it; make a nice veal stuffing (see forcemeats), and fill it with the part where the bones came from; roll it in buttered paper, bind it up firmly with tape, like a fillet of veal, and roast it in a dutch oven before a clear fire. serve with good brown gravy, or plain melted butter. _time_.--about hour. _average cost_, s. to s. d. per lb. _seasonable_ from august to march. _note_.--sturgeon may be plain-boiled, and served with dutch sauce. the fish is very firm, and requires long boiling. estimate of the sturgeon by the ancients.--by the ancients, the flesh of this fish was compared to the ambrosia of the immortals. the poet martial passes a high eulogium upon it, and assigns it a place on the luxurious tables of the palatine mount. if we may credit a modern traveller in china, the people of that country generally entirely abstain from it, and the sovereign of the celestial empire confines it to his own kitchen, or dispenses it to only a few of his greatest favourites. matelot of tench. . ingredients.-- / pint of stock no. , / pint of port wine, dozen button onions, a few mushrooms, a faggot of herbs, blades of mace, oz. of butter, teaspoonful of minced parsley, thyme, shalot, anchovies, teacupful of stock no. , flour, dozen oysters, the juice of / lemon; the number of tench, according to size. _mode_.--scale and clean the tench, cut them into pieces, and lay them in a stewpan; add the stock, wine, onions, mushrooms, herbs, and mace, and simmer gently for / hour. put into another stewpan all the remaining ingredients but the oysters and lemon-juice, and boil slowly for minutes, when add the strained liquor from the tench, and keep stirring it over the fire until somewhat reduced. rub it through a sieve, pour it over the tench with the oysters, which must be previously scalded in their own liquor, squeeze in the lemon-juice, and serve. garnish with croutons. _time_. / hour. _seasonable_ from october to june. [illustration: the tench.] the tench.--this fish is generally found in foul and weedy waters, and in such places as are well supplied with rushes. they thrive best in standing waters, and are more numerous in pools and ponds than in rivers. those taken in the latter, however, are preferable for the table. it does not often exceed four or five pounds in weight, and is in england esteemed as a delicious and wholesome food. as, however, they are sometimes found in waters where the mud is excessively fetid, their flavour, if cooked immediately on being caught, is often very unpleasant; but if they are transferred into clear water, they soon recover from the obnoxious taint. tench stewed with wine. . ingredients.-- / pint of stock no. , / pint of madeira or sherry, salt and pepper to taste, bay-leaf, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--clean and crimp the tench; carefully lay it in a stewpan with the stock, wine, salt and pepper, and bay-leaf; let it stew gently for / hour; then take it out, put it on a dish, and keep hot. strain the liquor, and thicken it with butter and flour kneaded together, and stew for minutes. if not perfectly smooth, squeeze it through a tammy, add a very little cayenne, and pour over the fish. garnish with balls of veal forcemeat. _time_.--rather more than / hour. _seasonable_ from october to june. a singular quality in the tench.--it is said that the tench is possessed of such healing properties among the finny tribes, that even the voracious pike spares it on this account. the pike, fell tyrant of the liquid plain, with ravenous waste devours his fellow train; yet howsoe'er with raging famine pined, the tench he spares, a medicinal kind; for when by wounds distress'd, or sore disease, he courts the salutary fish for ease; close to his scales the kind physician glides, and sweats a healing balsam from his sides. in our estimation, however, this self-denial in the pike may be attributed to a less poetical cause; namely, from the mud-loving disposition of the tench, it is enabled to keep itself so completely concealed at the bottom of its aqueous haunts, that it remains secure from the attacks of its predatory neighbour. stewed trout. . ingredients.-- middling-sized trout, / onion cut in thin slices, a little parsley, cloves, blade of mace, bay-leaves, a little thyme, salt and pepper to taste, pint of medium stock no. , glass of port wine, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--wash the fish very clean, and wipe it quite dry. lay it in a stewpan, with all the ingredients but the butter and flour, and simmer gently for / hour, or rather more, should not the fish be quite done. take it out, strain the gravy, add the thickening, and stir it over a sharp fire for minutes; pour it over the trout, and serve. _time_.--according to size, / hour or more. _average cost_.--seldom bought. _seasonable_ from may to september, and fatter from the middle to the end of august than at any other time. _sufficient_ for persons. trout may be served with anchovy or caper sauce, baked in buttered paper, or fried whole like smelts. trout dressed a la génévese is extremely delicate; for this proceed the same as with salmon, no. . [illustration: the trout.] the trout.--this fish, though esteemed by the moderns for its delicacy, was little regarded by the ancients. although it abounded in the lakes of the roman empire, it is generally mentioned by writers only on account of the beauty of its colours. about the end of september, they quit the deep water to which they had retired during the hot weather, for the purpose of spawning. this they always do on a gravelly bottom, or where gravel and sand are mixed among stones, towards the end or by the sides of streams. at this period they become black about the head and body, and become soft and unwholesome. they are never good when they are large with roe; but there are in all trout rivers some barren female fish, which continue good throughout the winter. in the common trout, the stomach is uncommonly strong and muscular, shell-fish forming a portion of the food of the animal; and it takes into its stomach gravel or small stones in order to assist in comminuting it. boiled turbot. . ingredients.-- oz. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_--choose a middling-sized turbot; for they are invariably the most valuable: if very large, the meat will be tough and thready. three or four hours before dressing, soak the fish in salt and water to take off the slime; then thoroughly cleanse it, and with a knife make an incision down the middle of the back, to prevent the skin of the belly from cracking. rub it over with lemon, and be particular not to cut off the fins. lay the fish in a very clean turbot-kettle, with sufficient cold water to cover it, and salt in the above proportion. let it gradually come to a boil, and skim very carefully; keep it gently simmering, and on no account let it boil fast, as the fish would have a very unsightly appearance. when the meat separates easily from the bone, it is done; then take it out, let it drain well, and dish it on a hot napkin. rub a little lobster spawn through a sieve, sprinkle it over the fish, and garnish with tufts of parsley and cut lemon. lobster or shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter, should be sent to table with it. (see coloured plate e.) _time_.--after the water boils, about / hour for a large turbot; middling size, about minutes. _average cost_,--large turbot, from s. to s.; middling size, from s. to s. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_, middling-sized turbot for persons. _note_.--an amusing anecdote is related, by miss edgeworth, of a bishop, who, descending to his kitchen to superintend the dressing of a turbot, and discovering that his cook had stupidly cut off the fins, immediately commenced sewing them on again with his own episcopal fingers. this dignitary knew the value of a turbot's gelatinous appendages. garnish for turbot or other large fish. . take the crumb of a stale loaf, cut it into small pyramids with flat tops, and on the top of each pyramid, put rather more than a tablespoonful of white of egg beaten to a stiff froth. over this, sprinkle finely-chopped parsley and fine raspings of a dark colour. arrange these on the napkin round the fish, one green and one brown alternately. to choose turbot.--see that it is thick, and of a yellowish white; for if of a bluish tint, it is not good. [illustration: the turbot.] the turbot.--this is the most esteemed of all our flat fish. the northern parts of the english coast, and some places off the coast of holland, produce turbot in great abundance, and in greater excellence than any other parts of the world. the london market is chiefly supplied by dutch fishermen, who bring to it nearly , a year. the flesh is firm, white, rich, and gelatinous, and is the better for being kept a day or two previous to cooking it. in many parts of the country, turbot and halibut are indiscriminately sold for each other. they are, however, perfectly distinct; the upper parts of the former being marked with large, unequal, and obtuse tubercles, while those of the other are quite smooth, and covered with oblong soft scales, which firmly adhere to the body. [illustration: turbot-kettle.] fish-kettles are made in an oblong form, and have two handles, with a movable bottom, pierced full of holes, on which the fish is laid, and on which it may be lifted from the water, by means of two long handles attached to each side of the movable bottom. this is to prevent the liability of breaking the fish, as it would necessarily be if it were cooked in a common saucepan. in the list of messrs. richard and john slack (see ), the price of two of these is set down at s. the turbot-kettle, as will be seen by our cut, is made differently from ordinary fish-kettles, it being less deep, whilst it is wider, and more pointed at the sides; thus exactly answering to the shape of the fish which it is intended should be boiled in it. it may be obtained from the same manufacturers, and its price is £ . baked fillets of turbot. . ingredients.--the remains of cold turbot, lobster sauce left from the preceding day, egg, and bread crumbs; cayenne and salt to taste; minced parsley, nutmeg, lemon-juice. _mode_.--after having cleared the fish from all skin and bone, divide it into square pieces of an equal size; brush them over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley and seasoning. lay the fillets in a baking-dish, with sufficient butter to baste with. bake for / hour, and do not forget to keep them well moistened with the butter. put a little lemon-juice and grated nutmeg to the cold lobster sauce; make it hot, and pour over the fish, which must be well drained from the butter. garnish with parsley and cut lemon. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--cold turbot thus warmed in the remains of lobster sauce will be found much nicer than putting the fish again in water. fillets of turbot a l'italienne. . ingredients.--the remains of cold turbot, italian sauce. (see sauces.) _mode_.--clear the fish carefully from the bone, and take away all skin, which gives an unpleasant flavour to the sauce. make the sauce hot, lay in the fish to warm through, but do not let it boil. garnish with croutons. _time_.-- minutes. _seasonable_ all the year. the ancient romans' estimate of turbot.--as this luxurious people compared soles to partridges, and sturgeons to peacocks, so they found a resemblance to the turbot in the pheasant. in the time of domitian, it is said one was taken of such dimensions as to require, in the imperial kitchen, a new stove to be erected, and a new dish to be made for it, in order that it might be cooked and served whole: not even imperial rome could furnish a stove or a dish large enough for the monstrous animal. where it was caught, we are not aware; but the turbot of the adriatic sea held a high rank in the "eternal city." turbot a la creme. . ingredients.--the remains of cold turbot. for sauce, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of cream; salt, cayenne, and pounded mace to taste. _mode_.--clear away all skin and bone from the flesh of the turbot, which should be done when it comes from table, as it causes less waste when trimmed hot. cut the flesh into nice square pieces, as equally as possible; put into a stewpan the butter, let it melt, and add the cream and seasoning; let it just simmer for one minute, but not boil. lay in the fish to warm, and serve it garnished with croutons or a paste border. _time_.-- minutes. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the remains of cold salmon may be dressed in this way, and the above mixture may be served in a _vol-au-vent_. turbot au gratin. . ingredients.--remains of cold turbot, béchamel (_see_ sauces), bread crumbs, butter. _mode_.--cut the flesh of the turbot into small dice, carefully freeing it from all skin and bone. put them into a stewpan, and moisten with or tablespoonfuls of béchamel. let it get thoroughly hot, but do not allow it to boil. spread the mixture on a dish, cover with finely-grated bread crumbs, and place small pieces of butter over the top. brown it in the oven, or with a salamander. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _seasonable_ at any time. boiled whiting. . ingredients.-- / lb. of salt to each gallon of water. _mode_.--cleanse the fish, but do not skin them; lay them in a fish-kettle, with sufficient cold water to cover them, and salt in the above proportion. bring them gradually to a boil, and simmer gently for about minutes, or rather more should the fish be very large. dish them on a hot napkin, and garnish with tufts of parsley. serve with anchovy or caper sauce, and plain melted butter. _time_.--after the water boils, minutes. _average cost_ for small whitings, d. each. _seasonable_ all the year, but best from october to march. _sufficient_, small whiting for each person. to choose whiting.--choose for the firmness of its flesh and the silvery hue of its appearance. [illustration: the whiting.] the whiting.--this fish forms a light, tender, and delicate food, easy of digestion. it appears in our seas in the spring, within three miles of the shores, where it arrives in large shoals to deposit its spawn. it is caught by line, and is usually between ten and twelve inches long, and seldom exceeding a pound and a half in weight. on the edge of the dogger bank, however, it has been caught so heavy as to weigh from three to seven or eight pounds. when less than six inches long, it is not allowed to be caught. broiled whiting. . ingredients.--salt and water, flour. _mode_.--wash the whiting in salt and water, wipe them thoroughly, and let them remain in the cloth to absorb all moisture. flour them well, and broil over a very clear fire. serve with _maître d'hôtel_ sauce, or plain melted butter (_see_ sauces). be careful to preserve the liver, as by some it is considered very delicate. _time_.-- minutes for a small whiting. _average cost_, d. each. _seasonable_ all the year, but best from october to march. _sufficient_, small whiting for each person. buckhorn.--whitings caught in cornwall are salted and dried, and in winter taken to the markets, and sold under the singular name of "buckhorn." fried whiting. . ingredients.--egg and bread crumbs, a little flour, hot lard or clarified dripping. _mode_.--take off the skin, clean, and thoroughly wipe the fish free from all moisture, as this is most essential, in order that the egg and bread crumbs may properly adhere. fasten the tail in the mouth by means of a small skewer, brush the fish over with egg, dredge with a little flour, and cover with bread crumbs. fry them in hot lard or clarified dripping of a nice colour, and serve them on a napkin, garnished with fried parsley. (see coloured plate d.) send them to table with shrimp sauce and plain melted butter. _time_.--about minutes. average cost, d. each. _seasonable_ all the year, but best from october to march. _sufficient_, small whiting for each person. _note_.--large whitings may be filleted, rolled, and served as fried filleted soles (_see_ coloured plato a). small fried whitings are frequently used for garnishing large boiled fish, such as turbot, cod, etc. whiting au gratin, or baked whiting. . ingredients.-- whiting, butter, tablespoonful of minced parsley, a few chopped mushrooms when obtainable; pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg to taste; butter, glasses of sherry or madeira, bread crumbs. _mode_.--grease the bottom of a baking-dish with butter, and over it, strew some minced parsley and mushrooms. scale, empty, and wash the whitings, and wipe them thoroughly dry, carefully preserving the livers. lay them in the dish, sprinkle them with bread crumbs and seasoning, adding a little grated nutmeg, and also a little more minced parsley and mushrooms. place small pieces of butter over the whiting, moisten with the wine, and bake for minutes in a hot oven. if there should be too much sauce, reduce it by boiling over a sharp fire for a few minutes, and pour under the fish. serve with a cut lemon, and no other sauce. _time_.--- minutes. _average cost_, d. each. _seasonable_ all the year, but best from october to march. _sufficient_.--this quantity for or persons. whiting aux fine herbes. . ingredients.- bunch of sweet herbs chopped very fine; butter. _mode_.--clean and skin the fish, fasten the tails in the mouths; and lay them in a baking-dish. mince the herbs very fine, strew them over the fish, and place small pieces of butter over; cover with another dish, and let them simmer in a dutch oven for / hour or minutes. turn the fish once or twice, and serve with the sauce poured over. _time_.-- / hour or minutes. _average cost_, d. each. _seasonable_ all the year, but best from october to march. _sufficient_, small whiting for each person. the whiting pout, and pollack.--about the mouth of the thames, and generally all round the english coasts, as well as in the northern seas, the pout is plentiful. it bears a striking resemblance to the whiting, and is esteemed as an excellent fish.--the _pollack_ is also taken all round our coasts, and likewise bears a striking resemblance to the whiting; indeed, it is sometimes mistaken by the inexperienced for that fish; its flesh being considered by many equally delicate. to dress whitebait. . ingredients.--a little flour, hot lard, seasoning of salt. _mode_.--this fish should be put into iced water as soon as bought, unless they are cooked immediately. drain them from the water in a colander, and have ready a nice clean dry cloth, over which put good handfuls of flour. toss in the whitebait, shake them lightly in the cloth, and put them in a wicker sieve to take away the superfluous flour. throw them into a pan of boiling lard, very few at a time, and let them fry till of a whitey-brown colour. directly they are done, they must he taken out, and laid before the fire for a minute or two on a sieve reversed, covered with blotting-paper to absorb the fat. dish them on a hot napkin, arrange the fish very high in the centre, and sprinkle a little salt over the whole. _time_.-- minutes. _seasonable _from april to august. [illustration: whitebait.] whitebait.--this highly-esteemed little fish appears in innumerable multitudes in the river thames, near greenwich and blackwall, during the month of july, when it forms, served with lemon and brown bread and butter, a tempting dish to vast numbers of londoners, who flock to the various taverns of these places, in order to gratify their appetites. the fish has been supposed be the fry of the shad, the sprat, the smelt, or the bleak. mr. yarrell, however, maintains that it is a species in itself, distinct from every other fish. when fried with flour, it is esteemed a great delicacy. the ministers of the crown have had a custom, for many years, of having a "whitebait dinner" just before the close of the session. it is invariably the precursor of the prorogation of parliament, and the repast is provided by the proprietor of the "trafalgar," greenwich. fish pie, with tench and eels. . ingredients.-- tench, eels, onions, a faggot of herbs, blades of mace, anchovies, pint of water, pepper and salt to taste, teaspoonful of chopped parsley, the yolks of hard-boiled eggs, puff paste. _mode_.--clean and bone the tench, skin and bone the eels, and cut them into pieces inches long, and leave the sides of the tench whole. put the bones into a stewpan with the onions, herbs, mace, anchovies, water, and seasoning, and let them simmer gently for hour. strain it off, put it to cool, and skim off all the fat. lay the tench and eels in a pie-dish, and between each layer put seasoning, chopped parsley, and hard-boiled eggs; pour in part of the strained liquor, cover in with puff paste, and bake for / hour or rather more. the oven should be rather quick, and when done, heat the remainder of the liquor, which pour into the pie. _time_.-- / hour to bake, or rather more if the oven is slow. fish scallop. i. . ingredients.--remains of cold fish of any sort, / pint of cream, / tablespoonful of anchovy sauce, / teaspoonful of made mustard, ditto of walnut ketchup, pepper and salt to taste (the above quantities are for / lb. of fish when picked); bread crumbs. _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a stewpan, carefully picking the fish from the bones; set it on the fire, let it remain till nearly hot, occasionally stir the contents, but do not allow it to boil. when done, put the fish into a deep dish or scallop shell, with a good quantity of bread crumbs; place small pieces of butter on the top, set in a dutch oven before the fire to brown, or use a salamander. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold fish, d. ii. . ingredients.--any cold fish, egg, milk, large blade of pounded mace, tablespoonful of flour, teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, pepper and salt to taste, bread crumbs, butter. _mode_.--pick the fish carefully from the bones, and moisten with milk and the egg; add the other ingredients, and place in a deep dish or scallop shells; cover with bread crumbs, butter the top, and brown before the fire; when quite hot, serve. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold fish, d. water souchy. . perch, tench, soles, eels, and flounders are considered the best fish for this dish. for the souchy, put some water into a stewpan with a bunch of chopped parsley, some roots, and sufficient salt to make it brackish. let these simmer for hour, and then stew the fish in this water. when they are done, take them out to drain, have ready some finely-chopped parsley, and a few roots cut into slices of about one inch thick and an inch in length. put the fish in a tureen or deep dish, strain the liquor over them, and add the minced parsley and roots. serve with brown bread and butter. . supply of fish to the london market.--from mr. mayhew's work on "london labour and the london poor," and other sources, we are enabled to give the following table of the total annual supply of fish to the london market:-- description of fish. number of weight of fish fish in lbs wet fish. salmon and salmon-trout( , boxes, fish per box) , , , turbot, from to lbs. , , , live cod, averaging lbs. each , , , soles, averaging / lbs. each , , , , brill and mullet, averaging lbs. each , , , , whiting, averaging oz. each , , , , haddock, averaging lbs. each , , , , plaice, averaging lb. each , , , , mackerel, averaging lb ach , , , , fresh herrings ( , barrels, fish per barrel) , , , , ditto in bulk , , , , , sprats -- , , eels (from holland principally) england and ireland , , , , flounders , , dabs , , dry fish. barrelled cod( , barrels, fish per barrel) , , , dried salt cod, lbs each , , , , smoked haddock( , barrels, fish per barrel) , , , , bloaters, , baskets( fish per basket) , , , , red herrings, , barrels( fish per barrel) , , , , dried sprats, , large bundles ( fish per bundle) , , shell fish. oysters , , lobsters, averaging lb each , , , , crabs, averaging lb each , , shrimps, to a pint , , whelks, to a half-bushel , , mussels, to ditto , , cockles, to ditto , , periwinkles, to ditto , , the whole of the above may be, in round numbers, reckoned to amount to the enormous number of , , , fish, with a weight of , tons. addendum and anecdote. it will be seen, from the number and variety of the recipes which we have been enabled to give under the head of fish, that there exists in the salt ocean, and fresh-water rivers, an abundance of aliment, which the present state of gastronomic art enables the cook to introduce to the table in the most agreeable forms, and oftentimes at a very moderate cost. less nutritious as a food than the flesh of animals, more succulent than vegetables, fish may be termed a middle dish, suited to all temperaments and constitutions; and one which those who are recovering from illness may partake of with safety and advantage. as to which is the best fish, there has been much discussion. the old latin proverb, however, _de gustibus non disputandum_, and the more modern spanish one, _sobre los gustos no hai disputa_, declare, with equal force, that where _taste_ is concerned, no decision can be arrived at. each person's palate may be differently affected--pleased or displeased; and there is no standard by which to judge why a red mullet, a sole, or a turbot, should be better or worse than a salmon, trout, pike, or a tiny tench. fish, as we have explained, is less nourishing than meat; for it is lighter in weight, size for size, and contains no ozmazome (_see_ no. ). shell-fish, oysters particularly, furnish but little nutriment; and this is the reason why so many of the latter can be eaten without injury to the system. in brillat savarin's [footnote: brillat savarin was a french lawyer and judge of considerable eminence and great talents, and wrote, under the above title, a book on gastronomy, full of instructive information, enlivened with a fund of pleasantly-told anecdote.] clever and amusing volume, "the physiology of taste," he says, that towards the end of the eighteenth century it was a most common thing for a well-arranged entertainment in paris to commence with oysters, and that many guests were not contented without swallowing twelve dozen. being anxious to know the weight of this advanced-guard, he ascertained that a dozen oysters, fluid included, weighed ounces,--thus, the twelve dozen would weigh about lbs.; and there can be no doubt, that the same persons who made no worse a dinner on account of having partaken of the oysters, would have been completely satisfied if they had eaten the same weight of chicken or mutton. an anecdote, perfectly well authenticated, is narrated of a french gentleman (m. laperte), residing at versailles, who was extravagantly fond of oysters, declaring he never had enough. savarin resolved to procure him the satisfaction, and gave him an invitation to dinner, which was duly accepted. the guest arrived, and his host kept company with him in swallowing the delicious bivalves up to the tenth dozen, when, exhausted, he gave up, and let m. laperte go on alone. this gentleman managed to eat thirty-two dozen within an hour, and would doubtless have got through more, but the person who opened them is described as not being very skilful. in the interim savarin was idle, and at length, tired with his painful state of inaction, he said to laperte, whilst the latter was still in full career, "mon cher, you will not eat as many oysters to-day as you meant; let us dine." they dined, and the insatiable oyster-eater acted at the repast as if he had fasted for a week. fish carving. general directions for carving fish. in carving fish, care should be taken to help it in perfect flakes, as, if these are broken, the beauty of the fish is lost. the carver should be acquainted, too, with the choicest parts and morsels; and to give each guest an equal share of these _titbits_ should be his maxim. steel knives and forks should on no account be used in helping fish, as these are liable to impart to it a very disagreeable flavour. where silver fish-carvers are considered too dear to be bought, good electro-plated ones answer very well, and are inexpensive. the prices set down for them by messrs. slack, of the strand, are from a guinea upwards. cod's head and shoulders. (for recipe, see no. ; and for mode of serving, coloured plate c.) [illustration] first run the knife along the centre of the side of the fish, namely, from _d_ to _b_, down to the bone; then carve it in unbroken slices downwards from _d_ to _e_, or upwards from _d_ to _c_, as shown in the engraving. the carver should ask the guests if they would like a portion of the roe and liver. _note_.--of this fish, the parts about the backbone and shoulders are the firmest, and most esteemed by connoisseurs. the sound, which lines the fish beneath the backbone, is considered a delicacy, as are also the gelatinous parts about the head and neck. salmon. (for recipe, see no. ; and for mode of dressing, coloured plate b.) [illustration] first run the knife quite down to the bone, along the side of the fish, from _a_ to _b_, and also from _c_ to _d_. then help the thick part lengthwise, that is, in the direction of the lines from _a_ to _b_; and the thin part breadthwise, that is, in the direction of the lines from _e_ to _f_, as shown in the engraving. a slice of the thick part should always be accompanied by a smaller piece of the thin from the belly, where lies the fat of the fish. _note_.--many persons, in carving salmon, make the mistake of slicing the thick part of this fish in the opposite direction to that we have stated; and thus, by the breaking of the flakes, the beauty of its appearance is destroyed. boiled or fried sole. (for recipes, see nos. and .) the usual way of helping this fish is to cut it quite through, bone and all, distributing it in nice and not too large pieces. a moderately-sized sole will be sufficient for three slices; namely, the head, middle, and tail. the guests should be asked which of these they prefer. a small one will only give two slices. if the sole is very large, the upper side may be raised from the bone, and then divided into pieces; and the under side afterwards served in the same way. in helping filleted soles, one fillet is given to each person. (for mode of serving, see coloured plate a.) turbot. (for recipe, see no. ; and for mode of serving, coloured plate e.) first run the fish-slice down the thickest part of the fish, quite through to the bone, from _a_ to _b_, and then cut handsome and regular slices in the direction of the lines downwards, from _c_ to _e_, and upwards from _c_ to _d_, as shown in the engraving. when the carver has removed all the meat from the upper side of the fish, the backbone should be raised, put on one side of the dish, and the under side helped as the upper. a brill and john dory are carved in the same manner as a turbot. [illustration] _note_.--the thick parts of the middle of the back are the best slices in a turbot; and the rich gelatinous skin covering the fish, as well as a little of the thick part of the fins, are dainty morsels, and should be placed on each plate. whiting, &c. whiting, pike, haddock, and other fish, when of a sufficiently large size, may be carved in the same manner as salmon. when small, they may be cut through, bone and all, and helped in nice pieces, a middling-sized whiting serving for two slices. _note_.--the thick part of the eel is reckoned the best; and this holds good of all flat fish. the tail of the lobster is the prime part, and next to that the claws. [illustration: fish carvers.] [illustration] sauces, pickles, gravies, and forcemeats. chapter ix. general remarks. . an anecdote is told of the prince de soubise, who, intending to give an entertainment, asked for the bill of fare. his _chef_ came, presenting a list adorned with vignettes, and the first article of which, that met the prince's eye, was "fifty hams." "bertrand," said the prince, "i think you must be extravagant; fifty hams! do you intend to feast my whole regiment?" "no, prince, there will be but one on the table, and the surplus i need for my espagnole, blondes, garnitures, &c." "bertrand, you are robbing me: this item will not do." "monseigneur," said the _artiste_, "you do not appreciate me. give me the order, and i will put those fifty hams in a crystal flask no longer than my thumb." the prince smiled, and the hams were passed. this was all very well for the prince de soubise; but as we do not write for princes and nobles alone, but that our british sisters may make the best dishes out of the least expensive ingredients, we will also pass the hams, and give a few general directions concerning sauces, &c. . the preparation and appearance of sauces and gravies are of the highest consequence, and in nothing does the talent and taste of the cook more display itself. their special adaptability to the various viands they are to accompany cannot be too much studied, in order that they may harmonize and blend with them as perfectly, so to speak, as does a pianoforte accompaniment with the voice of the singer. . the general basis of most gravies and some sauces is the same stock as that used for soups (_see_ nos. , , , and ); and, by the employment of these, with, perhaps, an additional slice of ham, a little spice, a few herbs, and a slight flavouring from some cold sauce or ketchup, very nice gravies may be made for a very small expenditure. a milt (either of a bullock or sheep), the shank-end of mutton that has already been dressed, and the necks and feet of poultry, may all be advantageously used for gravy, where much is not required. it may, then, be established as a rule, that there exists no necessity for good gravies to be expensive, and that there is no occasion, as many would have the world believe, to buy ever so many pounds of fresh meat, in order to furnish an ever so little quantity of gravy. . brown sauces, generally speaking, should scarcely be so thick as white sauces; and it is well to bear in mind, that all those which are intended to mask the various dishes of poultry or meat, should be of a sufficient consistency to slightly adhere to the fowls or joints over which they are poured. for browning and thickening sauces, &c., browned flour may be properly employed. . sauces should possess a decided character; and whether sharp or sweet, savoury or plain, they should carry out their names in a distinct manner, although, of course, not so much flavoured as to make them too piquant on the one hand, or too mawkish on the other. . gravies and sauces should be sent to table very hot; and there is all the more necessity for the cook to see to this point, as, from their being usually served in small quantities, they are more liable to cool quickly than if they were in a larger body. those sauces, of which cream or eggs form a component part, should be well stirred, as soon as these ingredients are added to them, and must never be allowed to boil; as, in that case, they would instantly curdle. . although pickles may be purchased at shops at as low a rate as they can usually be made for at home, or perhaps even for less, yet we would advise all housewives, who have sufficient time and convenience, to prepare their own. the only general rules, perhaps, worth stating here,--as in the recipes all necessary details will be explained, are, that the vegetables and fruits used should be sound, and not over ripe, and that the very best vinegar should be employed. . for forcemeats, special attention is necessary. the points which cooks should, in this branch of cookery, more particularly observe, are the thorough chopping of the suet, the complete mincing of the herbs, the careful grating of the bread-crumbs, and the perfect mixing of the whole. these are the three principal ingredients of forcemeats, and they can scarcely be cut too small, as nothing like a lump or fibre should be anywhere perceptible. to conclude, the flavour of no one spice or herb should be permitted to predominate. recipes. chapter x. sauces, pickles, gravies, and forcemeats. anchovy sauce for fish. . ingredients.-- anchovies, oz. of butter, / pint of melted butter, cayenne to taste. _mode_.--bone the anchovies, and pound them in a mortar to a paste, with oz. of butter. make the melted butter hot, stir in the pounded anchovies and cayenne; simmer for or minutes; and if liked, add a squeeze of lemon-juice. a more general and expeditious way of making this sauce is to stir in - / tablespoonfuls of anchovy essence to / pint of melted butter, and to add seasoning to taste. boil the whole up for minute, and serve hot. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. for / pint. _sufficient_, this quantity, for a brill, small turbot, or soles, &c. anchovy butter (_see_ no. ). [illustration: the capiscum.] cayenne.--this is the most acrid and stimulating spice with which we are acquainted. it is a powder prepared from several varieties of the capsicum annual east-india plants, of which there are three so far naturalized in this country as to be able to grow in the open air: these are the guinea, the cherry, and the bell pepper. all the pods of these are extremely pungent to the taste, and in the green state are used by us as a pickle. when ripe, they are ground into cayenne pepper, and sold as a condiment. the best of this, however, is made in the west indies, from what is called the _bird_ pepper, on account of hens and turkeys being extremely partial to it. it is imported ready for use. of the capiscum species of plants there are five; but the principal are,-- . _capsicum annuum_, the common long-podded capsicum, which is cultivated in our gardens, and of which there are two varieties, one with red, and another with yellow fruit. . _capsicum baccatum_, or bird pepper, which rises with a shrubby stalk four or five feet high, with its berries growing at the division of the branches: this is small, oval-shaped, and of a bright-red colour, from which, as we have said, the best cayenne is made. . _capsicum grossum_, the bell-pepper: the fruit of this is red, and is the only kind fit for pickling. apple sauce for geese, pork, &c. . ingredients.-- good-sized apples, sifted sugar to taste, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, water. _mode_.--pare, core, and quarter the apples, and throw them into cold water to preserve their whiteness. put them in a saucepan, with sufficient water to moisten them, and boil till soft enough to pulp. beat them up, adding sugar to taste, and a small piece of butter this quantity is sufficient for a good-sized tureen. _time_.--according to the apples, about / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_, this quantity, for a goose or couple of ducks. brown apple sauce. . ingredients.-- good-sized apples, / pint of brown gravy, cayenne to taste. _mode_. put the gravy in a stewpan, and add the apples, after having pared, cored, and quartered them. let them simmer gently till tender; beat them to a pulp, and season with cayenne. this sauce is preferred by many to the preceding. _time_.--according to the apples, about / hour. _average cost_, d. asparagus sauce. . ingredients.-- bunch of green asparagus, salt, oz. of fresh butter, small bunch of parsley, or green onions, large lump of sugar, tablespoonfuls of sauce tournée. _mode_.--break the asparagus in the tender part, wash well, and put them into boiling salt and water to render them green. when they are tender, take them out, and put them into cold water; drain them on a cloth till all moisture is absorbed from them. put the butter in a stewpan, with the parsley and onions; lay in the asparagus, and fry the whole over a sharp fire for minutes. add salt, the sugar and sauce tournée, and simmer for another minutes. rub all through a tammy, and if not a very good colour, use a little spinach green. this sauce should be rather sweet. _time_.--altogether minutes. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. aspic, or ornamental savoury jelly. . ingredients.-- lbs. of knuckle of veal, cow-heel, or slices of ham, any poultry trimmings, carrots, onion, faggot of savoury herbs, glass of sherry, quarts of water; seasoning to taste of salt and whole white pepper; eggs. _mode_.--lay the ham on the bottom of a stewpan, cut up the veal and cow-heel into small pieces, and lay them on the ham; add the poultry trimmings, vegetables, herbs, sherry, and water, and let the whole simmer very gently for hours, carefully taking away all scum that may rise to the surface; strain through a fine sieve, and pour into an earthen pan to get cold. have ready a clean stewpan, put in the jelly, and be particular to leave the sediment behind, or it will not be clear. add the whites of eggs, with salt and pepper, to clarify; keep stirring over the fire, till the whole becomes very white; then draw it to the side, and let it stand till clear. when this is the case, strain it through a cloth or jelly-bag, and use it for moulding poultry, etc. (see explanation of french terms, page .) tarragon vinegar may be added to give an additional flavour. _time_.--altogether - / hours. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. white pepper.--this is the produce of the same plant as that which produces the black pepper, from which it is manufactured by steeping this in lime and water, and rubbing it between the hands till the coats come off. the best berries only will bear this operation; hence the superior qualities of white pepper fetch a higher price than those of the other. it is less acrid than the black, and is much prized among the chinese. it is sometimes adulterated with rice-flour, as the black is with burnt bread. the berries of the pepper-plant grow in spikes of from twenty to thirty, and are, when ripe, of a bright-red colour. after being gathered, which is done when they are green, they are spread out in the sun, where they dry and become black and shrivelled, when they are ready for being prepared for the market. bechamel, or french white sauce. . ingredients.-- small bunch of parsley, cloves, / bay-leaf, small faggot of savoury herbs, salt to taste; or mushrooms, when obtainable; pints of white stock, pint of cream, tablespoonful of arrowroot. _mode_.--put the stock into a stewpan, with the parsley, cloves, bay-leaf, herbs, and mushrooms; add a seasoning of salt, but no pepper, as that would give the sauce a dusty appearance, and should be avoided. when it has boiled long enough to extract the flavour of the herbs, etc., strain it, and boil it up quickly again, until it is nearly half-reduced. now mix the arrowroot smoothly with the cream, and let it simmer very gently for minutes over a slow fire; pour to it the reduced stock, and continue to simmer slowly for minutes, if the sauce be thick. if, on the contrary, it be too thin, it must be stirred over a sharp fire till it thickens. this is the foundation of many kinds of sauces, especially white sauces. always make it thick, as you can easily thin it with cream, milk, or white stock. _time_.--altogether, hours. _average cost_, s. per pint. [illustration: the clove.] the clove.--the clove-tree is a native of the molucca islands, particularly amboyna, and attains the height of a laurel-tree, and no verdure is ever seen under it. from the extremities of the branches quantities of flowers grow, first white; then they become green, and next red and hard, when they have arrived at their clove state. when they become dry, they assume a yellowish hue, which subsequently changes into a dark brown. as an aromatic, the clove is highly stimulating, and yields an abundance of oil. there are several varieties of the clove; the best is called the _royal clove_, which is scarce, and which is blacker and smaller than the other kinds. it is a curious fact, that the flowers, when fully developed, are quite inodorous, and that the real fruit is not in the least aromatic. the form is that of a nail, having a globular head, formed of the four petals of the corolla, and four leaves of the calyx not expanded, with a nearly cylindrical germen, scarcely an inch in length, situate below. bechamel maigre, or without meat. . ingredients.-- onions, blade of mace, mushroom trimmings, a small bunch of parsley, oz. of butter, flour, / pint of water, pint of milk, salt, the juice of lemon, eggs. _mode_.--put in a stewpan the milk, and / pint of water, with the onions, mace, mushrooms, parsley, and salt. let these simmer gently for minutes. in the mean time, rub on a plate oz. of flour and butter; put it to the liquor, and stir it well till it boils up; then place it by the side of the fire, and continue stirring until it is perfectly smooth. now strain it through a sieve into a basin, after which put it back in the stewpan, and add the lemon-juice. beat up the yolks of the eggs with about dessertspoonfuls of milk; strain this to the sauce, keep stirring it over the fire, but do not let it boil, lest it curdle. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, d. per pint. this is a good sauce to pour over boiled fowls when they are a bad colour. pickled beetroot. . ingredients.--sufficient vinegar to cover the beets, oz. of whole pepper, oz. of allspice to each gallon of vinegar. _mode_.--wash the beets free from dirt, and be very careful not to prick the outside skin, or they would lose their beautiful colour. put them into boiling water, let them simmer gently, and when about three parts done, which will be in - / hour, take them out and let them cool. boil the vinegar with pepper and allspice, in the above proportion, for ten minutes, and when cold, pour it on the beets, which must be peeled and cut into slices about / inch thick. cover with bladder to exclude the air, and in a week they will be fit for use. _average cost_, s. per gallon. [illustration: black pepper.] black pepper.--this well-known aromatic spice is the fruit of a species of climbing vine, and is a native of the east indies, and is extensively cultivated in malabar and the eastern islands of borneo, sumatra, and java, and others in the same latitude. it was formerly confined to these countries, but it has now been introduced to cayenne. it is generally employed as a condiment; but it should never be forgotten, that, even in small quantities, it produces detrimental effects on inflammatory constitutions. dr. paris, in his work on diet, says, "foreign spices were not intended by nature for the inhabitants of temperate climes; they are heating, and highly stimulant. i am, however, not anxious to give more weight to this objection than it deserves. man is no longer the child of nature, nor the passive inhabitant of any particular region. he ranges over every part of the globe, and elicits nourishment from the productions of every climate. nature is very kind in favouring the growth of those productions which are most likely to answer our local wants. those climates, for instance, which engender endemic diseases, are, in general, congenial to the growth of plants that operate as antidotes to them. but if we go to the east for tea, there is no reason why we should not go to the west for sugar. the dyspeptic invalid, however, should be cautious in their use; they may afford temporary benefit, at the expense of permanent mischief. it has been well said, that the best quality of spices is to stimulate the appetite, and their worst to destroy, by insensible degrees, the tone of the stomach. the intrinsic goodness of meats should always be suspected when they require spicy seasonings to compensate for their natural want of sapidity." the quality of pepper is known by rubbing it between the hands: that which withstands this operation is good, that which is reduced to powder by it is bad. the quantity of pepper imported into europe is very great. benton sauce (to serve with hot or cold roast beef). . ingredients.-- tablespoonful of scraped horseradish, teaspoonful of made mustard, teaspoonful of pounded sugar, tablespoonfuls of vinegar. _mode_.--grate or scrape the horseradish very fine, and mix it with the other ingredients, which must be all well blended together; serve in a tureen. with cold meat, this sauce is a very good substitute for pickles. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. bread sauce (to serve with roast turkey, fowl, game, &c.). i. . ingredients.-- pint of milk, / of the crumb of a stale loaf, onion; pounded mace, cayenne, and salt to taste; oz. of butter. _mode_.--peel and quarter the onion, and simmer it in the milk till perfectly tender. break the bread, which should be stale, into small pieces, carefully picking out any hard outside pieces; put it in a very clean saucepan, strain the milk over it, cover it up, and let it remain for an hour to soak. now beat it up with a fork very smoothly, add a seasoning of pounded mace, cayenne, and salt, with oz. of butter; give the whole one boil, and serve. to enrich this sauce, a small quantity of cream may be added just before sending it to table. _time_.--altogether, - / hour. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. _sufficient_ to serve with a turkey, pair of fowls, or brace of partridges. [illustration: mace.] mace.--this is the membrane which surrounds the shell of the nutmeg. its general qualities are the same as those of the nutmeg, producing an agreeable aromatic odour, with a hot and acrid taste. it is of an oleaginous nature, is yellowish in its hue, and is used largely as a condiment. in "beeton's dictionary" we find that the four largest of the banda islands produce , lbs. of it annually, which, with nutmegs, are their principal articles of export. ii. . ingredients.--giblets of poultry, / lb. of the crumb of a stale loaf, onion, whole peppers, blade of mace, salt to taste, tablespoonfuls of cream or melted butter, pint of water. _mode_.--put the giblets, with the head, neck, legs, &c., into a stewpan; add the onion, pepper, mace, salt, and rather more than pint of water. let this simmer for an hour, when strain the liquor over the bread, which should be previously grated or broken into small pieces. cover up the saucepan, and leave it for an hour by the side of the fire; then beat the sauce up with a fork until no lumps remain, and the whole is nice and smooth. let it boil for or minutes; keep stirring it until it is rather thick; when add tablespoonfuls of good melted butter or cream, and serve very hot. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. browning for gravies and sauces. . the browning for soups (_see_ no. ) answers equally well for sauces and gravies, when it is absolutely necessary to colour them in this manner; but where they can be made to look brown by using ketchup, wine, browned flour, tomatoes, or any colour sauce, it is far preferable. as, however, in cooking, so much depends on appearance, perhaps it would be as well for the inexperienced cook to use the artificial means (no. ). when no browning is at hand, and you wish to heighten the colour of your gravy, dissolve a lump of sugar in an iron spoon over a sharp fire; when it is in a liquid state, drop it into the sauce or gravy quite hot. care, however, must be taken not to put in too much, as it would impart a very disagreeable flavour. beurre noir, or browned butter (a french sauce). . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, tablespoonful of minced parsley, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--put the butter into a fryingpan over a nice clear fire, and when it smokes, throw in the parsley, and add the vinegar and seasoning. let the whole simmer for a minute or two, when it is ready to serve. this is a very good sauce for skate. _time_.-- / hour. clarified butter. . put the butter in a basin before the fire, and when it melts, stir it round once or twice, and let it settle. do not strain it unless absolutely necessary, as it causes so much waste. pour it gently off into a clean dry jar, carefully leaving all sediment behind. let it cool, and carefully exclude the air by means of a bladder, or piece of wash-leather, tied over. if the butter is salt, it may be washed before melting, when it is to be used for sweet dishes. melted butter. i. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, a dessertspoonful of flour, wineglassful of water, salt to taste. _mode_.--cut the butter up into small pieces, put it in a saucepan, dredge over the flour, and add the water and a seasoning of salt; stir it _one way_ constantly till the whole of the ingredients are melted and thoroughly blended. let it just boil, when it is ready to serve. if the butter is to be melted with cream, use the same quantity as of water, but omit the flour; keep stirring it, but do not allow it to boil. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. ii. _(more economical.)_ . ingredients.-- oz. of butter, dessertspoonful of flour, salt to taste, / pint of water. _mode_.--mix the flour and water to a smooth batter, which put into a saucepan. add the butter and a seasoning of salt, keep stirring _one way_ till all the ingredients are melted and perfectly smooth; let the whole boil for a minute or two, and serve. _time_.-- minutes to simmer. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. melted butter (the french sauce blanche). . ingredients.-- / lb. of fresh butter, tablespoonful of flour, salt to taste, / gill of water, / spoonful of white vinegar, a very little grated nutmeg. _mode_.--mix the flour and water to a smooth batter, carefully rubbing down with the back of a spoon any lumps that may appear. put it in a saucepan with all the other ingredients, and let it thicken on the fire, but do not allow it to boil, lest it should taste of the flour. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _average cost_, d. for this quantity. [illustration: the nutmeg.] nutmeg.--this is a native of the moluccas, and was long kept from being spread in other places by the monopolizing spirit of the dutch, who endeavoured to keep it wholly to themselves by eradicating it from every other island. we find it stated in "beeton's dictionary of universal information," under the article "banda islands," that the four largest are appropriated to the cultivation of nutmegs, of which about , lbs. are annually produced. the plant, through the enterprise of the british, has now found its way into penang and bencooleu, where it flourishes and produces well. it has also been tried to be naturalized in the west indies, and it bears fruit all the year round. there are two kinds of nutmeg,--one wild, and long and oval-shaped, the other cultivated, and nearly round. the best is firm and hard, and has a strong aromatic odour, with a hot and acrid taste. it ought to be used with caution by those who are of paralytic or apoplectic habits. thickened butter. .--ingredients.-- / pint of melted butter, no. , the yolks of eggs, a little lemon-juice. _mode_.--make the butter quite hot, and be careful not to colour it. well whisk the yolks of the eggs, pour them to the butter, beating them all the while. make the sauce hot over the fire, but do not let it boil; add a squeeze of lemon-juice. melted butter made with milk. . ingredients.-- teaspoonful of flour, oz. butter, / pint of milk, a few grains of salt. _mode_.--mix the butter and flour smoothly together on a plate, put it into a lined saucepan, and pour in the milk. keep stirring it _one way_ over a sharp fire; let it boil quickly for a minute or two, and it is ready to serve. this is a very good foundation for onion, lobster, or oyster sauce: using milk instead of water makes it look so much whiter and more delicate. _time_.--altogether, minutes. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. camp vinegar. . ingredients.-- head of garlic, / oz. cayenne, teaspoonfuls of soy, ditto walnut ketchup, pint of vinegar, cochineal to colour. _mode_.--slice the garlic, and put it, with all the above ingredients, into a clean bottle. let it stand to infuse for a month, when strain it off quite clear, and it will be fit for use. keep it in small bottles well sealed, to exclude the air. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. caper sauce for boiled mutton. . ingredients.-- / pint of melted butter (no. ), tablespoonfuls of capers or nasturtiums, tablespoonful of their liquor. _mode_.--chop the capers twice or thrice, and add them, with their liquor, to / pint of melted butter, made very smoothly; keep stirring well; let the sauce just simmer, and serve in a tureen. pickled nasturtium-pods are fine-flavoured, and by many are eaten in preference to capers. they make an excellent sauce. _time_.-- minutes to simmer. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. _sufficient_ to serve with a leg of mutton. caper sauce for fish. . ingredients.-- / pint of melted butter no. , dessertspoonfuls of capers, dessertspoonful of their liquor, a small piece of glaze, if at hand (this may be dispensed with), / teaspoonful of salt, ditto of pepper, tablespoonful of anchovy essence. _mode_.--cut the capers across once or twice, but do not chop them fine; put them in a saucepan with / pint of good melted butter, and add all the other ingredients. keep stirring the whole until it just simmers, when it is ready to serve. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. _sufficient_ to serve with a skate, or or slices of salmon. [illustration: the caper.] capers.--these are the unopened buds of a low trailing shrub, which grows wild among the crevices of the rocks of greece, as well as in northern africa: the plant, however, has come to be cultivated in the south of europe. after being pickled in vinegar and salt, they are imported from sicily, italy, and the south of france. the best are from toulon. a substitute for caper sauce. . ingredients.-- / pint of melted butter, no. , tablespoonfuls of cut parsley, / teaspoonful of salt, tablespoonful of vinegar. _mode_.--boil the parsley slowly to let it become a bad colour; cut, but do not chop it fine. add it to / pint of smoothly-made melted butter, with salt and vinegar in the above proportions. boil up and serve. _time_.-- minutes to simmer. average cost for this quantity, d. pickled capsicums. . ingredients.--vinegar, / oz. of pounded mace, and / oz. of grated nutmeg, to each quart; brine. _mode_.--gather the pods with the stalks on, before they turn red; slit them down the side with a small-pointed knife, and remove the seeds only; put them in a strong brine for days, changing it every morning; then take them out, lay them on a cloth, with another one over them, until they are perfectly free from moisture. boil sufficient vinegar to cover them, with mace and nutmeg in the above proportions; put the pods in a jar, pour over the vinegar when cold, and exclude them from the air by means of a wet bladder tied over. cayenne vinegar, or essence of cayenne. . ingredients.-- / oz. of cayenne pepper, / pint of strong spirit, or pint of vinegar. _mode_.--put the vinegar, or spirit, into a bottle, with the above proportion of cayenne, and let it steep for a month, when strain off and bottle for use. this is excellent seasoning for soups or sauces, but must be used very sparingly. celery sauce, for boiled turkey, poultry, &c. . ingredients.-- heads of celery, pint of white stock, no. , blades of mace, small bunch of savoury herbs; thickening of butter and flour, or arrowroot, / pint of cream, lemon-juice. _mode_.--boil the celery in salt and water, until tender, and cut it into pieces inches long. put the stock into a stewpan with the mace and herbs, and let it simmer for / hour to extract their flavour. then strain the liquor, add the celery and a thickening of butter kneaded with flour, or, what is still better, with arrowroot; just before serving, put in the cream, boil it up and squeeze in a little lemon-juice. if necessary, add a seasoning of salt and white pepper. _time_.-- minutes to boil the celery. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_, this quantity, for a boiled turkey. this sauce may be made brown by using gravy instead of white stock, and flavouring it with mushroom ketchup or harvey's sauce. [illustration: arrowroot.] arrowroot.--this nutritious fecula is obtained from the roots of a plant which is cultivated in both the east and west indies. when the roots are about a year old, they are dug up, and, after being well washed, are beaten to a pulp, which is afterwards, by means of water, separated from the fibrous part. after being passed through a sieve, once more washed, and then suffered to settle, the sediment is dried in the sun, when it has become arrowroot. the best is obtained from the west indies, but a large quantity of what is sold in london is adulterated with potato-starch. as a means of knowing arrowroot when it is good, it may be as well to state, that the genuine article, when formed into a jelly, will remain firm for three or four days, whilst the adulterated will become as thin as milk in the course of twelve hours. celery sauce (a more simple recipe). . ingredients.-- heads of celery, / pint of melted butter, made with milk (no. ), blade of pounded mace; salt and white pepper to taste. _mode_.--wash the celery, boil it in salt and water till tender, and cut it into pieces inches long; make / pint melted butter by recipe no. ; put in the celery, pounded mace, and seasoning; simmer for three minutes, when the sauce will be ready to serve. _time_.-- minutes to boil the celery. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_, this quantity, for a boiled fowl. celery vinegar. . ingredients.-- / oz. of celery-seed, pint of vinegar. _mode_.--crush the seed by pounding it in a mortar; boil the vinegar, and when cold, pour it to the seed; let it infuse for a fortnight, when strain and bottle off for use. this is frequently used in salads. chestnut sauce for fowls or turkey. . ingredients.-- / lb. of chestnuts, / pint of white stock, strips of lemon-peel, cayenne to taste, / pint of cream or milk. _mode_.--peel off the outside skin of the chestnuts, and put them into boiling water for a few minutes; take off the thin inside peel, and put them into a saucepan, with the white stock and lemon-peel, and let them simmer for - / hour, or until the chestnuts are quite tender. rub the whole through a hair-sieve with a wooden spoon; add seasoning and the cream; let it just simmer, but not boil, and keep stirring all the time. serve very hot; and quickly. if milk is used instead of cream, a very small quantity of thickening may be required: that, of course, the cook will determine. _time_.--altogether nearly two hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_, this quantity, for a turkey. brown chestnut sauce. . ingredients.-- / lb. of chestnuts, / pint of stock no. , lumps of sugar, tablespoonfuls of spanish sauce (_see_ sauces). _mode_.--prepare the chestnuts as in the foregoing recipe, by scalding and peeling them; put them in a stewpan with the stock and sugar, and simmer them till tender. when done, add spanish sauce in the above proportion, and rub the whole through a tammy. keep this sauce rather liquid, as it is liable to thicken. _time_.-- - / hour to simmer the chestnuts. _average cost_, d. bengal recipe for making mango chetney. . ingredients.-- - / lbs. of moist sugar, / lb. of salt, / lb. of garlic, / lb. of onions, / lb. of powdered ginger, / lb. of dried chilies, / lb. of mustard-seed, / lb. of stoned raisins, bottles of best vinegar, large unripe sour apples. _mode_.--the sugar must be made into syrup; the garlic, onions, and ginger be finely pounded in a mortar; the mustard-seed be washed in cold vinegar, and dried in the sun; the apples be peeled, cored, and sliced, and boiled in a bottle and a half of the vinegar. when all this is done, and the apples are quite cold, put them into a large pan, and gradually mix the whole of the rest of the ingredients, including the remaining half-bottle of vinegar. it must be well stirred until the whole is thoroughly blended, and then put into bottles for use. tie a piece of wet bladder over the mouths of the bottles, after they are well corked. this chetney is very superior to any which can be bought, and one trial will prove it to be delicious. _note_.--this recipe was given by a native to an english lady, who had long been a resident in india, and who, since her return to her native country, has become quite celebrated amongst her friends for the excellence of this eastern relish. [illustration: garlic.] garlic.--the smell of this plant is generally considered offensive, and it is the most acrimonious in its taste of the whole of the alliaceous tribe. in it was introduced to england from the shores of the mediterranean, where it is abundant, and in sicily it grows naturally. it was in greater repute with our ancestors than it is with ourselves, although it is still used as a seasoning herb. on the continent, especially in italy, it is much used, and the french consider it an essential in many made dishes. chili vinegar. . ingredients.-- fresh red english chilies, pint of vinegar. _mode_.--pound or cut the chilies in half, and infuse them in the vinegar for a fortnight, when it will be fit for use. this will be found an agreeable relish to fish, as many people cannot eat it without the addition of an acid and cayenne pepper. christopher north's sauce for meat or game. . ingredients.- glass of port wine, tablespoonfuls of harvey's sauce, dessertspoonful of mushroom ketchup, ditto of pounded white sugar, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, / teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, ditto of salt. _mode_.--mix all the ingredients thoroughly together, and heat the sauce gradually, by placing the vessel in which it is made in a saucepan of boiling water. do not allow it to boil, and serve directly it is ready. this sauce, if bottled immediately, will keep good for a fortnight, and will be found excellent. consomme, or white stock for many sauces. . consommé is made precisely in the same manner as stock no. , and, for ordinary purposes, will be found quite good enough. when, however, a stronger stock is desired, either put in half the quantity of water, or double that of the meat. this is a very good foundation for all white sauces. crab sauce for fish (equal to lobster sauce). . ingredients.-- crab; salt, pounded mace, and cayenne to taste; / pint of melted butter made with milk (_see_ no. ). _mode_.--choose a nice fresh crab, pick all the meat away from the shell, and cut it into small square pieces. make / pint of melted butter by recipe no. , put in the fish and seasoning; let it gradually warm through, and simmer for minutes. it should not boil. _average cost_, s. d. cream sauce for fish or white dishes. . ingredients.-- / pint of cream, oz. of butter, teaspoonful of flour, salt and cayenne to taste; when liked, a small quantity of pounded mace or lemon-juice. _mode_.--put the butter in a very clean saucepan, dredge in the flour, and keep shaking round till the butter is melted. add the seasoning and cream, and stir the whole till it boils; let it just simmer for minutes, when add either pounded mace or lemon-juice to taste, to give it a flavour. _time_.-- minutes to simmer. _average cost_ for this quantity, d. this sauce may be flavoured with very finely-shredded shalot. cucumber sauce. . ingredients.-- or cucumbers, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of brown gravy. _mode_.--peel the cucumbers, quarter them, and take out the seeds; cut them into small pieces; put them in a cloth, and rub them well, to take out the water which hangs about them. put the butter in a saucepan, add the cucumbers, and shake them over a sharp fire until they are of a good colour. then pour over it the gravy, mix this with the cucumbers, and simmer gently for minutes, when it will be ready to serve. _time_.--altogether, / hour. pickled cucumbers. . ingredients.-- oz. of whole pepper, oz. of bruised ginger; sufficient vinegar to cover the cucumbers. _mode_.--cut the cucumbers in thick slices, sprinkle salt over them, and let them remain for hours. the next day, drain them well for hours, put them into a jar, pour boiling vinegar over them, and keep them in a warm place. in a short time, boil up the vinegar again, add pepper and ginger in the above proportion, and instantly cover them up. tie them down with bladder, and in a few days they will be fit for use. [illustration: long pepper.] long pepper.--this is the produce of a different plant from that which produces the black, it consisting of the half-ripe flower-heads of what naturalists call _piper longum_ and _chaba_. it is the growth, however, of the same countries; indeed, all the spices are the produce of tropical climates only. originally, the most valuable of these were found in the spice islands, or moluccas, of the indian ocean, and were highly prized by the nations of antiquity. the romans indulged in them to a most extravagant degree. the long pepper is less aromatic than the black, but its oil is more pungent. cucumber sauce, white. . ingredients.-- or four cucumbers, / pint of white stock, no. , cayenne and salt to taste, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--cut the cucumbers into small pieces, after peeling them and taking out the seeds. put them in a stewpan with the white stock and seasoning; simmer gently till the cucumbers are tender, which will be in about / hour. then add the yolks of the eggs well beaten; stir them to the sauce, but do not allow it to boil, and serve very hot. _time_.--altogether, / hour. cucumber vinegar (a very nice addition to salads). . ingredients.-- large cucumbers, or smaller ones, quart of vinegar, onions, shalots, tablespoonful of salt, tablespoonfuls of pepper, / teaspoonful of cayenne. _mode_.--pare and slice the cucumbers, put them in a stone jar or wide-mouthed bottle, with the vinegar; slice the onions and shalots, and add them, with all the other ingredients, to the cucumbers. let it stand or days, boil it all up, and when cold, strain the liquor through a piece of muslin, and store it away in small bottles well sealed. this vinegar is a very nice addition to gravies, hashes, &e., as well as a great improvement to salads, or to eat with cold meat. german method of keeping cucumbers for winter use. . ingredients.--cucumbers, salt. _mode_.--pare and slice the cucumbers (as for the table), sprinkle well with salt, and let them remain for hours; strain off the liquor, pack in jars, a thick layer of cucumbers and salt alternately; tie down closely, and, when wanted for use, take out the quantity required. now wash them well in fresh water, and dress as usual with pepper, vinegar, and oil. [illustration: the cucumber.] the cucumber.--though the melon is far superior in point of flavour to this fruit, yet it is allied to the cucumber, which is known to naturalists as _cucumia sativus_. the modern egyptians, as did their forefathers, still eat it, and others of its class. cucumbers were observed, too, by bishop heber, beyond the ganges, in india; and burckhardt noticed them in palestine. (see no. .) an excellent way of preserving cucumbers. . ingredients.--salt and water; lb. of lump sugar, the rind of lemon, oz. of ginger, cucumbers. _mode_.--choose the greenest cucumbers, and those that are most free from seeds; put them in strong salt and water, with a cabbage-leaf to keep them down; tie a paper over them, and put them in a warm place till they are yellow; then wash them and set them over the fire in fresh water, with a very little salt, and another cabbage-leaf over them; cover very closely, but take care they do not boil. if they are not a fine green, change the water again, cover them as before, and make them hot. when they are a good colour, take them off the fire and let them cool; cut them in quarters, take out the seeds and pulp, and put them into cold water. let them remain for days, changing the water twice each day, to draw out the salt. put the sugar, with / pint of water, in a saucepan over the fire; remove the scum as it rises, and add the lemon-peel and ginger with the outside scraped off; when the syrup is tolerably thick, take it off the fire, and when _cold_, wipe the cucumbers _dry_, and put them in. boil the syrup once in or days for weeks; strengthen it if required, and let it be quite cold before the cucumbers are put in. great attention must be paid to the directions in the commencement of this recipe, as, if these are not properly carried out, the result will be far from satisfactory. _seasonable_.--this recipe should be used in june, july, or august. [illustration: salt-mine at northwich.] common salt.--by this we mean salt used for cooking purposes, which is found in great abundance both on land and in the waters of the ocean. sea or salt water, as it is often called, contains, it has been discovered, about three per cent, of salt on an average. solid rocks of salt are also found in various parts of the world, and the county of chester contains many of these mines, and it is from there that much of our salt comes. some springs are so highly impregnated with salt, as to have received the name of "brine" springs, and are supposed to have become so by passing through the salt rocks below ground, and thus dissolving a portion of this mineral substance. we here give an engraving of a salt-mine at northwich, cheshire, where both salt-mines and brine-springs are exceedingly productive, and are believed to have been wrought so far back as during the occupation of britain by the romans. custard sauce for sweet puddings or tarts. . ingredients.-- pint of milk, eggs, oz. of pounded sugar, tablespoonful of brandy. _mode_.--put the milk in a very clean saucepan, and let it boil. beat the eggs, stir to them the milk and pounded sugar, and put the mixture into a jug. place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water; keep stirring well until it thickens, but do not allow it to boil, or it will curdle. serve the sauce in a tureen, stir in the brandy, and grate a little nutmeg over the top. this sauce may be made very much nicer by using cream instead of milk; but the above recipe will be found quite good enough for ordinary purposes. _average cost_, d. per pint. _sufficient_, this quantity, for fruit tarts, or pudding. dutch sauce for fish. . ingredients.-- / teaspoonful of flour, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, the yolks of eggs, the juice of / lemon; salt to taste. _mode_.--put all the ingredients, except the lemon-juice, into a stew-pan; set it over the fire, and keep continually stirring. when it is sufficiently thick, take it off, as it should not boil. if, however, it happens to curdle, strain the sauce through a tammy, add the lemon-juice, and serve. tarragon vinegar may be used instead of plain, and, by many, is considered far preferable. _average cost_, d. note.--this sauce may be poured hot over salad, and left to get quite cold, when it should be thick, smooth, and somewhat stiff. excellent salads may be made of hard eggs, or the remains of salt fish flaked nicely from the bone, by pouring over a little of the above mixture when hot, and allowing it to cool. [illustration: the lemon.] the lemon.--this fruit is a native of asia, and is mentioned by virgil as an antidote to poison. it is hardier than the orange, and, as one of the citron tribe, was brought into europe by the arabians. the lemon was first cultivated in england in the beginning of the th century, and is now often to be found in our green-houses. the kind commonly sold, however, is imported from portugal, spain, and the azores. some also come from st. helena; but those from spain are esteemed the best. its juice is now an essential for culinary purposes; but as an antiscorbutic its value is still greater. this juice, which is called _citric acid_, may be preserved in bottles for a considerable time, by covering it with a thin stratum of oil. _shrub_ is made from it with rum and sugar. green dutch sauce, or hollandaise verte. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of béchamel, no. , seasoning to taste of salt and cayenne, a little parsley-green to colour, the juice of / a lemon. _mode_.--put the béchamel into a saucepan with the seasoning, and bring it to a boil. make a green colouring by pounding some parsley in a mortar, and squeezing all the juice from it. let this just simmer, when add it to the sauce. a moment before serving, put in the lemon-juice, but not before; for otherwise the sauce would turn yellow, and its appearance be thus spoiled. _average cost_, d. bÉchamel sauce--this sauce takes its name from a monsieur béchamel, a rich french financier, who, according to borne authorities, invented it; whilst others affirm he only patronized it. be this as it may, it is one of the most pleasant sauces which come to table, and should be most carefully and intelligently prepared. it is frequently used, as in the above recipe, as a principal ingredient and basis for other sauces. to pickle eggs. . ingredients.-- eggs, quart of vinegar, / oz. of black pepper, / oz. of jamaica pepper, / oz. of ginger. _mode_.--boil the eggs for minutes, then dip them into cold water, and take off the shells. put the vinegar, with the pepper and ginger, into a stewpan, and let it simmer for minutes. now place the eggs in a jar, pour over them the vinegar, &c., boiling hot, and, when cold, tie them down with bladder to exclude the air. this pickle will be ready for use in a month. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_.--this should be made about easter, as at this time eggs are plentiful and cheap. a store of pickled eggs will be found very useful and ornamental in serving with many first and second course dishes. [illustration: ginger.] the ginger-plant, known to naturalists as _zingiber officinale_, is a native, of the east and west indies. it grows somewhat like the lily of the valley, but its height is about three feet. in jamaica it flowers about august or september, fading about the end of the year. the fleshy creeping roots, which form the ginger of commerce, are in a proper state to be dug when the stalks are entirely withered. this operation is usually performed in january and february; and when the roots are taken out of the earth, each one is picked, scraped, separately washed, and afterwards very carefully dried. ginger is generally considered as less pungent and heating to the system than might he expected from its effects on the organs of taste, and it is frequently used, with considerable effect, as an anti-spasmodic and carminative. egg balls for soups and made dishes. . ingredients.-- eggs, a little flour; seasoning to taste of salt. _mode_.--boil eggs for minutes, strip off the shells, take the yolks and pound them in a mortar. beat the yolks of the other eggs; add them, with a little flour and salt, to those pounded; mix all well together, and roll into balls. boil them before they are put into the soup or other dish they may be intended for. _time_.-- minutes to boil the eggs. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _sufficient_, dozen balls for tureen of soup. egg sauce for salt fish. . ingredients.-- eggs, / pint of melted butter, no. ; when liked, a very little lemon-juice. _mode_.--boil the eggs until quite hard, which will be in about minutes, and put them into cold water for / hour. strip off the shells, chop the eggs into small pieces, not, however, too fine. make the melted butter very smoothly, by recipe no. , and, when boiling, stir in the eggs, and serve very hot. lemon-juice may be added at pleasure. _time_.-- minutes to boil the eggs. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_.--this quantity for or lbs. of fish. _note_.--when a thicker sauce is required, use one or two more eggs to the same quantity of melted butter. epicurean sauce for steaks, chops, gravies, or fish. . ingredients.-- / pint of walnut ketchup, / pint of mushroom ditto, tablespoonfuls of indian soy, tablespoonfuls of port wine; / oz. of white pepper, oz. of shalots, / oz. of cayenne, / oz. of cloves, / pint of vinegar. _mode_.--put the whole of the ingredients into a bottle, and let it remain for a fortnight in a warm place, occasionally shaking up the contents. strain, and bottle off for use. this sauce will be found an agreeable addition to gravies, hashes, stews, &c. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. d. [illustration: shalot.] shalot, or eschalot.--this plant is supposed to have been introduced to england by the crusaders, who found it growing wild in the vicinity of ascalon. it is a bulbous root, and when full grown, its leaves wither in july. they ought to be taken up in the autumn, and when dried in the house, will keep till spring. it is called by old authors the "barren onion," and is used in sauces and pickles, soups and made dishes, and as an accompaniment to chops and steaks. espagnole, or brown spanish sauce. . ingredients.-- slices of lean ham, lb. of veal, - / pint of white stock, no. ; or sprigs of parsley, / a bay-leaf, or sprigs of savoury herbs, green onions, shalots, cloves, blade of mace, glasses of sherry or madeira, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--cut up the ham and veal into small square pieces, and put them into a stewpan. moisten these with / pint of the stock no. , and simmer till the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a nicely-coloured glaze, when put in a few more spoonfuls to detach it. add the remainder of the stock, with the spices, herbs, shalots, and onions, and simmer very gently for hour. strain and skim off every particle of fat, and when required for use, thicken with butter and flour, or with a little roux. add the wine, and, if necessary, a seasoning of cayenne; when it will be ready to serve. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. per pint. _note_.--the wine in this sauce may be omitted, and an onion sliced and fried of a nice brown substituted for it. this sauce or gravy is used for many dishes, and with most people is a general favourite. fennel sauce for mackerel. . ingredients.-- / pint of melted butter, no. , rather more than tablespoonful of chopped fennel. _mode_.--make the melted butter very smoothly, by recipe no. ; chop the fennel rather small, carefully cleansing it from any grit or dirt, and put it to the butter when this is on the point of boiling. simmer for a minute or two, and serve in a tureen. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to serve with or mackerel. [illustration: fennel.] fennel.--this elegantly-growing plant, of which the latin name is _anethum foeniculum_, grows best in chalky soils, where, indeed, it is often found wild. it is very generally cultivated in gardens, and has much improved on its original form. various dishes are frequently ornamented and garnished with its graceful leaves, and these are sometimes boiled in soups, although it is more usually confined, in english cookery, to the mackerel sauce as here given. fish sauce. . ingredients.-- - / oz. of cayenne, tablespoonfuls of walnut ketchup, tablespoonfuls of soy, a few shreds of garlic and shalot, quart of vinegar. _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a large bottle, and shake well every day for a fortnight. keep it in small bottles well sealed, and in a few days it will be fit for use. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. forcemeat balls for fish soups. . ingredients.-- middling-sized lobster, / an anchovy, head of boiled celery, the yolk of a hard-boiled egg; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste; tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs, oz. of butter, eggs. _mode_.--pick the meat from the shell of the lobster, and pound it, with the soft parts, in a mortar; add the celery, the yolk of the hard-boiled egg, seasoning, and bread crumbs. continue pounding till the whole is nicely amalgamated. warm the butter till it is in a liquid state; well whisk the eggs, and work these up with the pounded lobster-meat. make into balls of about an inch in diameter, and fry of a nice pale brown. _sufficient_, from to balls for tureen of soup. forcemeat for cold savoury pies. . ingredients.-- lb. of veal, lb. of fat bacon; salt, cayenne, pepper, and pounded mace to taste; a very little nutmeg, the same of chopped lemon-peel, / teaspoonful of chopped parsley, / teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs, or eggs. _mode_.--chop the veal and bacon together, and put them in a mortar with the other ingredients mentioned above. pound well, and bind with or eggs which have been previously beaten and strained. work the whole well together, and the forcemeat will be ready for use. if the pie is not to be eaten immediately, omit the herbs and parsley, as these would prevent it from keeping. mushrooms or truffles may be added. _sufficient_ for small pies. [illustration: marjoram.] marjoram.--although there are several species of marjoram, that which is known as the sweet or knotted marjoram, is the one usually preferred in cookery. it is a native of portugal, and when its leaves are used as a seasoning herb, they have an agreeable aromatic flavour. the winter sweet marjoram used for the same purposes, is a native of greece, and the pot-marjoram is another variety brought from sicily. all of them are favourite ingredients in soups, stuffings, &c. forcemeat for pike, carp, haddock, and various kinds of fish. . ingredients.-- oz. of fresh butter, oz. of suet, oz. of fat bacon, small teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs, including parsley; a little onion, when liked, shredded very fine; salt, nutmeg, and cayenne to taste; oz. of bread crumbs, egg. _mode_.--mix all the ingredients well together, carefully mincing them very finely; beat up the egg, moisten with it, and work the whole very smoothly together. oysters or anchovies may be added to this forcemeat, and will be found a great improvement. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for a moderate-sized haddock or pike. forcemeat for veal, turkeys, fowls, hare, &c. . ingredients.-- oz. of ham or lean bacon, / lb. of suet, the rind of half a lemon, teaspoonful of minced parsley, teaspoonful of minced sweet herbs; salt, cayenne, and pounded mace to taste; oz. of bread crumbs, eggs. _mode_.--shred the ham or bacon, chop the suet, lemon-peel, and herbs, taking particular care that all be very finely minced; add a seasoning to taste, of salt, cayenne, and mace, and blend all thoroughly together with the bread crumbs, before wetting. now beat and strain the eggs, work these up with the other ingredients, and the forcemeat will be ready for use. when it is made into balls, fry of a nice brown, in boiling lard, or put them on a tin and bake for / hour in a moderate oven. as we have stated before, no one flavour should predominate greatly, and the forcemeat should be of sufficient body to cut with a knife, and yet not dry and heavy. for very delicate forcemeat, it is advisable to pound the ingredients together before binding with the egg; but for ordinary cooking, mincing very finely answers the purpose. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for a turkey, a moderate-sized fillet of veal, or a hare. _note_.--in forcemeat for hare, the liver of the animal is sometimes added. boil for minutes, mince it very small, and mix it with the other ingredients. if it should be in an unsound state, it must be on no account made use of. [illustration: basil.] sweet herbs.--those most usually employed for purposes of cooking, such as the flavouring of soups, sauces, forcemeats, &c., are thyme, sage, mint, marjoram, savory, and basil. other sweet herbs are cultivated for purposes of medicine and perfumery: they are most grateful both to the organs of taste and smelling; and to the aroma derived from them is due, in a great measure, the sweet and exhilarating fragrance of our "flowery meads." in town, sweet herbs have to be procured at the greengrocers' or herbalists', whilst, in the country, the garden should furnish all that are wanted, the cook taking great care to have some dried in the autumn for her use throughout the winter months. forcemeat for baked pike. . ingredients.-- oz. of bread crumbs, teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs, oysters, anchovies (these may be dispensed with), oz. of suet; salt, pepper, and pounded mace to taste; tablespoonfuls of cream or milk, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--beard and mince the oysters, prepare and mix the other ingredients by recipe no. , and blend the whole thoroughly together. moisten with the cream and eggs, put all into a stewpan, and stir it over the fire till it thickens, when put it into the fish, which should have previously been cut open, and sew it up. _time_.-- or minutes to thicken. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for a moderate-sized pike. french forcemeat. . it will be well to state, in the beginning of this recipe, that french forcemeat, or quenelles, consist of the blending of three separate processes; namely, panada, udder, and whatever meat you intend using. panada. . ingredients.--the crumb of penny rolls, tablespoonfuls of white stock, no. , oz. of butter, slice of ham, bay-leaf, a little minced parsley, shalots, clove, blades of mace, a few mushrooms (when obtainable), butter, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--soak the crumb of the rolls in milk for about / hour, then take it out, and squeeze so as to press the milk from it; put the soaked bread into a stewpan with the above quantity of white stock, and set it on one side; then put into a separate stewpan oz. of butter, a slice of lean ham cut small, with a bay-leaf, herbs, mushrooms, spices, &c., in the above proportions, and fry them gently over a slow fire. when done, moisten with teacupfuls of white stock, boil for minutes, and strain the whole through a sieve over the panada in the other stewpan. place it over the fire, keep constantly stirring, to prevent its burning, and when quite dry, put in a small piece of butter. let this again dry up by stirring over the fire; then add the yolks of eggs, mix well, put the panada to cool on a clean plate, and use it when required. panada should always be well flavoured, as the forcemeat receives no taste from any of the other ingredients used in its preparation. boiled calf's udder for french forcemeats. . put the udder into a stewpan with sufficient water to cover it; let it stew gently till quite done, when take it out to cool. trim all the upper parts, cut it into small pieces, and pound well in a mortar, till it can be rubbed through a sieve. that portion which passes through the strainer is one of the three ingredients of which french forcemeats are generally composed; but many cooks substitute butter for this, being a less troublesome and more expeditious mode of preparation. [illustration: pestle and mortar.] pestle and mortar.--no cookery can be perfectly performed without the aid of the useful instruments shown in the engraving. for pounding things sufficiently fine, they are invaluable, and the use of them will save a good deal of time, besides increasing the excellence of the preparations. they are made of iron, and, in that material, can be bought cheap; but as these are not available, for all purposes, we should recommend, as more economical in the end, those made of wedgwood, although these are considerably more expensive than the former. veal quenelles. . ingredients.--equal quantities of veal, panada (no. ), and calf's udder (no. ), eggs; seasoning to taste of pepper, salt, and pounded mace, or grated nutmeg; a little flour. _mode_.--take the fleshy part of veal, scrape it with a knife, till all the meat is separated from the sinews, and allow about / lb. for an entrée. chop the meat, and pound it in a mortar till reduced to a paste; then roll it into a ball; make another of panada (no. ), the same size, and another of udder (no. ), taking care that these three balls be of the same _size_. it is to be remembered, that equality of _size_, and not of weight, is here necessary. when the three ingredients are properly prepared, pound them altogether in a mortar for some time; for the more quenelles are pounded, the more delicate they are. now moisten with the eggs, whites and yolks, and continue pounding, adding a seasoning of pepper, spices, &c. when the whole is well blended together, mould it into balls, or whatever shape is intended, roll them in flour, and poach in boiling water, to which a little salt should have been added. if the quenelles are not firm enough, add the yolk of another egg, but omit the white, which only makes them hollow and puffy inside. in the preparation of this recipe, it would be well to bear in mind that the ingredients are to be well pounded and seasoned, and must be made hard or soft according to the dishes they are intended for. for brown or white ragoûts they should be firm, and when the quenelles are used very small, extreme delicacy will be necessary in their preparation. their flavour may be varied by using the flesh of rabbit, fowl, hare, pheasant, grouse, or an extra quantity of mushroom, parsley, &c. _time_,--about / hour to poach in boiling water. _sufficient_, / lb. of veal or other meat, with other ingredients in proportion, for entrée. _note_.--the french are noted for their skill in making forcemeats; one of the principal causes of their superiority in this respect being, that they pound all the ingredients so diligently and thoroughly. any one with the slightest pretensions to refined cookery, must, in this particular, implicitly follow the example of our friends across the channel. forcemeat, or quenelles, for turtle soup. (_see no_. .) . soyer's recipe for forcemeats.--take a pound and a half of lean veal from the fillet, and cut it in long thin slices; scrape with a knife till nothing but the fibre remains; put it in a mortar, pound it minutes, or until in a purée; pass it through a wire sieve (use the remainder in stock); then take pound of good fresh beef suet, which skin, shred, and chop very fine; put it in a mortar and pound it; then add oz. of panada (that is, bread soaked in milk and boiled till nearly dry) with the suet; pound them well together, and add the veal; season with a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter one of pepper, half that of nutmeg; work all well together; then add four eggs by degrees, continually pounding the contents of the mortar. when well mixed, take a small piece in a spoon, and poach it in some boiling water; and if it is delicate, firm, and of a good flavour, it is ready for use. fried bread crumbs. . cut the bread into thin slices, place them in a cool oven overnight, and when thoroughly dry and crisp, roll them down into fine crumbs. put some lard, or clarified dripping, into a frying-pan; bring it to the boiling-point, throw in the crumbs, and fry them very quickly. directly they are done, lift them out with a slice, and drain them before the fire from all greasy moisture. when quite crisp, they are ready for use. the fat they are fried in should be clear, and the crumbs should not have the slightest appearance or taste of having been, in the least degree, burnt. fried sippets of bread (for garnishing many dishes). . cut the bread into thin slices, and stamp them out in whatever shape you like,--rings, crosses, diamonds, &c. &c. fry them in the same manner as the bread crumbs, in clear boiling lard, or clarified dripping, and drain them until thoroughly crisp before the fire. when variety is desired, fry some of a pale colour, and others of a darker hue. fried bread for borders. . proceed as above, by frying some slices of bread cut in any fanciful shape. when quite crisp, dip one side of the sippet into the beaten white of an egg mixed with a little flour, and place it on the edge of the dish. continue in this manner till the border is completed, arranging the sippets a pale and a dark one alternately. genevese sauce for salmon, trout, &c. . ingredients.-- small carrot, a small faggot of sweet herbs, including parsley, onion, or mushrooms (when obtainable), bay-leaf, cloves, blade of mace, oz. of butter, glass of sherry, - / pint of white stock, no. , thickening of butter and flour, the juice of half a lemon. _mode_.--cut up the onion and carrot into small rings, and put them into a stewpan with the herbs, mushrooms, bay-leaf, cloves, and mace; add the butter, and simmer the whole very gently over a slow fire until the onion is quite tender. pour in the stock and sherry, and stew slowly for hour, when strain it off into a clean saucepan. now make a thickening of butter and flour, put it to the sauce, stir it over the fire until perfectly smooth and mellow, add the lemon-juice, give one boil, when it will be ready for table. _time_.--altogether hours. _average cost_, s. d per pint. _sufficient_, half this quantity for two slices of salmon. [illustration: sage.] sage.--this was originally a native of the south of europe, but it has long been cultivated in the english garden. there are several kinds of it, known as the green, the red, the small-leaved, and the broad-leaved balsamic. in cookery, its principal use is for stuffings and sauces, for which purpose the red is the most agreeable, and the green the next. the others are used for medical purposes. pickled gherkins. . ingredients.--salt and water, oz. of bruised ginger, / oz. of whole black pepper, / oz. of whole allspice, cloves, blades of mace, a little horseradish. this proportion of pepper, spices, &c., for quart of vinegar. _mode_.--let the gherkins remain in salt and water for or days, when take them out, wipe perfectly dry, and put them into a stone jar. boil sufficient vinegar to cover them, with spices and pepper, &c., in the above proportion, for minutes; pour it, quite boiling, over the gherkins, cover the jar with vine-leaves, and put over them a plate, setting them near the fire, where they must remain all night. next day drain off the vinegar, boil it up again, and pour it hot over them. cover up with fresh leaves, and let the whole remain till quite cold. now tie down closely with bladder to exclude the air, and in a month or two, they will be fit for use. _time_.-- days. _seasonable_ from the middle of july to the end of august. [illustration: gherkins.] gherkins.--gherkins are young cucumbers; and the only way in which they are used for cooking purposes is pickling them, as by the recipe here given. not having arrived at maturity, they have not, of course, so strongly a developed flavour as cucumbers, and, as a pickle, they are very general favourites. gooseberry sauce for boiled mackerel. . ingredients.-- pint of green gooseberries, tablespoonfuls of béchamel, no. (veal gravy may be substituted for this), oz. of fresh butter; seasoning to taste of salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. _mode_.--boil the gooseberries in water until quite tender; strain them, and rub them through a sieve. put into a saucepan the béchamel or gravy, with the butter and seasoning; add the pulp from the gooseberries, mix all well together, and heat gradually through. a little pounded sugar added to this sauce is by many persons considered an improvement, as the saccharine matter takes off the extreme acidity of the unripe fruit. _time_.--boil the gooseberries from minutes to / hour. _sufficient_, this quantity, for a large dish of mackerel. _seasonable_ from may to july. [illustration: the gooseberry.] the gooseberry.--this useful and wholesome fruit (_ribes grossularia_) is thought to be indigenous to the british isles, and may be occasionally found in a wild state in some of the eastern counties, although, when uncultivated, it is but a very small and inferior berry. the high state of perfection to which it has been here brought, is due to the skill of the english gardeners; for in no other country does it attain the same size and flavour. the humidity of the british climate, however, has doubtless something to do with the result; and it is said that gooseberries produced in scotland as far north as inverness, are of a very superior character. malic and citric acid blended with sugar, produce the pleasant flavour of the gooseberry; and upon the proper development of these properties depends the success of all cooking operations with which they are connected. glaze for covering cold hams, tongues, &c. . ingredients.--stock no. or , doubling the quantity of meat in each. _mode_.--we may remark at the outset, that unless glaze is wanted in very large quantities, it is seldom made expressly. either of the stocks mentioned above, boiled down and reduced very considerably, will be found to produce a very good glaze. put the stock into a stewpan, over a nice clear fire; let it boil till it becomes somewhat stiff, when keep stirring, to prevent its burning. the moment it is sufficiently reduced, and comes to a glaze, turn it out into the glaze-pot, of which we have here given an engraving. as, however, this is not to be found in every establishment, a white earthenware jar would answer the purpose; and this may be placed in a vessel of boiling water, to melt the glaze when required. it should never be warmed in a saucepan, except on the principle of the bain marie, lest it should reduce too much, and become black and bitter. if the glaze is wanted of a pale colour, more veal than beef should be used in making the stock; and it is as well to omit turnips and celery, as these impart a disagreeable bitter flavour. to glaze cold joints, &c.--melt the glaze by placing the vessel which contains it, into the bain marie or saucepan of boiling water; brush it over the meat with a paste-brush, and if in places it is not quite covered, repeat the operation. the glaze should not be too dark a colour. (_see_ coloured cut of glazed ham, p.) [illustration: glaze-kettle.] [illustration: the bain marie.] glaze-kettle.--this is a kettle used for keeping the strong stock boiled down to a jelly, which is known by the name of glaze. it is composed of two tin vessels, as shown in the cut, one of which, the upper,--containing the glaze, is inserted into one of larger diameter and containing boiling water. a brush is put in the small hole at the top of the lid, and is employed for putting the glaze on anything that may require it. the bain marie.--so long ago as the time when emperors ruled in rome, and the yellow tiber passed through a populous and wealthy city, this utensil was extensively employed; and it is frequently mentioned by that profound culinary chemist of the ancients, apicius. it is an open kind of vessel (as shown in the engraving and explained in our paragraph no. , on the french terms used in modern cookery), filled with boiling or nearly boiling water; and into this water should be put all the stewpans containing those ingredients which it is desired to keep hot. the quantity and quality of the contents of these vessels are not at all affected; and if the hour of dinner is uncertain in any establishment, by reason of the nature of the master's business, nothing is so certain a means of preserving the flavour of all dishes as the employment of the bain marie. green sauce for green geese or ducklings. . ingredients.-- / pint of sorrel-juice, glass of sherry, / pint of green gooseberries, teaspoonful of pounded sugar, oz. of fresh butter. _mode_.--boil the gooseberries in water until they are quite tender; mash them and press them through a sieve; put the pulp into a saucepan with the above ingredients; simmer for or minutes, and serve very hot. _time_.-- or minutes. _note_.--we have given this recipe as a sauce for green geese, thinking that some of our readers might sometimes require it; but, at the generality of fashionable tables, it is now seldom or never served. [illustration: sorrel.] sorrel.--we gather from the pages of pliny and apicius, that sorrel was cultivated by the romans in order to give it more strength and flavour, and that they also partook of it sometimes stewed with mustard, being seasoned with a little oil and vinegar. at the present day, english cookery is not much indebted to this plant (_rumex acetosa_), although the french make use of it to a considerable extent. it is found in most parts of great britain, and also on the continent, growing wild in the grass meadows, and, in a few gardens, it is cultivated. the acid of sorrel is very _prononcé_, and is what chemists term a binoxalate of potash; that is, a combination of oxalic acid with potash. general stock for gravies. . either of the stocks, nos. , , or , will be found to answer very well for the basis of many gravies, unless these are wanted very rich indeed. by the addition of various store sauces, thickening and flavouring, the stocks here referred to may be converted into very good gravies. it should be borne in mind, however, that the goodness and strength of spices, wines, flavourings, &c., evaporate, and that they lose a great deal of their fragrance, if added to the gravy a long time before they are wanted. if this point is attended to, a saving of one half the quantity of these ingredients will be effected, as, with long boiling, the flavour almost entirely passes away. the shank-bones of mutton, previously well soaked, will be found a great assistance in enriching gravies; a kidney or melt, beef skirt, trimmings of meat, &c. &c., answer very well when only a small quantity is wanted, and, as we have before observed, a good gravy need not necessarily be so very expensive; for economically-prepared dishes are oftentimes found as savoury and wholesome as dearer ones. the cook should also remember that the fragrance of gravies should not be overpowered by too much spice, or any strong essences, and that they should always be warmed in a _bain marie_, after they are flavoured, or else in a jar or jug placed in a saucepan full of boiling water. the remains of roast-meat gravy should always be saved; as, when no meat is at hand, a very nice gravy in haste may be made from it, and when added to hashes, ragoûts, &c., is a great improvement. [illustration: gravy-kettle.] gravy-kettle.--this is a utensil which will not be found in every kitchen; but it is a useful one where it is necessary to keep gravies hot for the purpose of pouring over various dishes as they are cooking. it is made of copper, and should, consequently, be heated over the hot plate, if there be one, or a charcoal stove. the price at which it can be purchased is set down by messrs. slack at s. gravy for roast meat. . ingredients.--gravy, salt. _mode_.--put a common dish with a small quantity of salt in it under the meat, about a quarter of an hour before it is removed from the fire. when the dish is full, take it away, baste the meat, and pour the gravy into the dish on which the joint is to be served. sauces and gravies in the middle ages.--neither poultry, butcher's meat, nor roast game were eaten dry in the middle ages, any more than fried fish is now. different sauces, each having its own peculiar flavour, were served with all these dishes, and even with the various _parts_ of each animal. strange and grotesque sauces, as, for example, "eggs cooked on the spit," "butter fried and roasted," were invented by the cooks of those days; but these preparations had hardly any other merit than that of being surprising and difficult to make. a quickly-made gravy. . ingredients.-- / lb. of shin of beef, / onion, / carrot, or sprigs of parsley and savoury herbs, a piece of butter about the size of a walnut; cayenne and mace to taste, / pint of water. _mode_.--cut up the meat into very small pieces, slice the onion and carrot, and put them into a small saucepan with the butter. keep stirring over a sharp fire until they have taken a little colour, when add the water and the remaining ingredients. simmer for / hour, skim well, strain, and flavour, when it will be ready for use. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. a hundred different dishes.--modern housewives know pretty well how much care, and attention, and foresight are necessary in order to serve well a little dinner for six or eight persons,--a dinner which will give credit to the _ménage_, and satisfaction and pleasure to the guests. a quickly-made gravy, under some circumstances that we have known occur, will be useful to many housekeepers when they have not much time for preparation. but, talking of speed, and time, and preparation, what a combination of all these must have been necessary for the feast at the wedding of charles vi. of france. on that occasion, as froissart the chronicler tells us, the art of cooking, with its innumerable paraphernalia of sauces, with gravy, pepper, cinnamon, garlic, scallion, brains, gravy soups, milk _potage_, and ragoûts, had a signal triumph. the skilful _chef-de-cuisine_ of the royal household covered the great marble table of the regal palace with no less than a hundred different dishes, prepared in a hundred different ways. a good beef gravy for poultry, game, &c. . ingredients.-- / lb. of lean beef, / pint of cold water, shalot or small onion, / a teaspoonful of salt, a little pepper, tablespoonful of harvey's sauce or mushroom ketchup, / a teaspoonful of arrowroot. _mode_.--cut up the beef into small pieces, and put it, with the water, into a stewpan. add the shalot and seasoning, and simmer gently for hours, taking care that it does not boil fast. a short time before it is required, take the arrowroot, and having mixed it with a little cold water, pour it into the gravy, which keep stirring, adding the harvey's sauce, and just letting it boil. strain off the gravy in a tureen, and serve very hot. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per pint. brown gravy. . ingredients.-- oz. of butter, large onions, lbs. of shin of beef, small slices of lean bacon (if at hand), salt and whole pepper to taste, cloves, quarts of water. for thickening, oz. of butter, oz. of flour. _mode_.--put the butter into a stewpan; set this on the fire, throw in the onions cut in rings, and fry them a light brown; then add the beef and bacon, which should be cut into small square pieces; season, and pour in a teacupful of water; let it boil for about ten minutes, or until it is of a nice brown colour, occasionally stirring the contents. now fill up with water in the above proportion; let it boil up, when draw it to the side of the fire to simmer very gently for - / hour; strain, and when cold, take off all the fat. in thickening this gravy, melt oz. of butter in a stewpan, add oz. of flour, and stir till of a light-brown colour; when cold, add it to the strained gravy, and boil it up quickly. this thickening may be made in larger quantities, and kept in a stone jar for use when wanted. _time_.--altogether, hours. _average cost_, d. per pint. cloves.--this very agreeable spice is the unexpanded flower-buds of the _caryophyllus aromaticus_, a handsome, branching tree, a native of the malacca islands. they take their name from the latin word _clavus_, or the french _clou_, both meaning a nail, and to which the clove has a considerable resemblance. cloves were but little known to the ancients, and pliny appears to be the only writer who mentions them; and he says, vaguely enough, that some were brought to rome, very similar to grains of pepper, but somewhat longer; that they were only to be found in india, in a wood consecrated to the gods; and that they served in the manufacture of perfumes. the dutch, as in the case of the nutmeg (_see_ ), endeavoured, when they gained possession of the spice islands, to secure a monopoly of cloves, and, so that the cultivation of the tree might be confined to amboyna, their chief island, bribed the surrounding chiefs to cut down all trees found elsewhere. the amboyna, or royal clove, is said to be the best, and is rare; but other kinds, nearly equally good, are produced in other parts of the world, and they come to europe from mauritius, bourbon, cayenne, and martinique, as also from st. kitts, st. vincent's, and trinidad. the clove contains about per cent. of volatile aromatic oil, to which it owes its peculiar pungent flavour, its other parts being composed of woody fibre, water, gum, and resin. brown gravy without meat. . ingredients.-- large onions, large carrot, oz. of butter, pints of boiling water, bunch of savoury herbs, a wineglassful of good beer; salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--slice, flour, and fry the onions and carrots in the butter until of a nice light-brown colour; then add the boiling water and the remaining ingredients; let the whole stew gently for about an hour; then strain, and when cold, skim off all the fat. thicken it in the same manner as recipe no. , and, if thought necessary, add a few drops of colouring no. . _time_.-- hour. average cost, d. per pint. _note_.--the addition of a small quantity of mushroom ketchup or harvey's sauce very much improves the flavour of this gravy. rich gravy for hashes, ragouts, &c. . ingredients.-- lbs. of shin of beef, large onion or a few shalots, a little flour, a bunch of savoury herbs, blades of mace, or cloves, whole allspice, / teaspoonful of whole pepper, slice of lean ham or bacon, / a head of celery (when at hand), pints of boiling water; salt and cayenne to taste. _mode_.--cut the beef into thin slices, as also the onions, dredge them with flour, and fry of a pale brown, but do not allow them to get black; pour in the boiling water, let it boil up; and skim. add the remaining ingredients, and simmer the whole very gently for hours, or until all the juices are extracted from the meat; put it by to get cold, when take off all the fat. this gravy may be flavoured with ketchup, store sauces, wine, or, in fact, anything that may give additional and suitable relish to the dish it is intended for. _time_.--rather more than hours. _average cost_, d. per pint. [illustration: pimento.] allspice.--this is the popular name given to pimento, or jamaica pepper, known to naturalists as _eugenia pimenta_, and belonging to the order of myrtaceae. it is the berry of a fine tree in the west indies and south america, which attains a height of from fifteen to twenty feet: the berries are not allowed to ripen, but, being gathered green, are then dried in the sun, and then become black. it is an inexpensive spice, and is considered more mild and innocent than most other spices; consequently, it is much used for domestic purposes, combining a very agreeable variety of flavours. gravy made without meat for fowls. . ingredients.--the necks, feet, livers, and gizzards of the fowls, slice of toasted bread, / onion, faggot of savoury herbs, salt and pepper to taste, / pint of water, thickening of butter and flour, dessertspoonful of ketchup. _mode_.--wash the feet of the fowls thoroughly clean, and cut them and the neck into small pieces. put these into a stewpan with the bread, onion, herbs, seasoning, livers, and gizzards; pour the water over them and simmer gently for hour. now take out the liver, pound it, and strain the liquor to it. add a thickening of butter and flour, and a flavouring of mushroom ketchup; boil it up and serve. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, d. per pint. a cheap gravy for hashes, &c. . ingredients.--bones and trimmings of the cooked joint intended for hashing, / teaspoonful of salt, / teaspoonful of whole pepper, / teaspoonful of whole allspice, a small faggot of savoury herbs, / head of celery, onion, oz. of butter, thickening, sufficient boiling water to cover the bones. _mode_.--chop the bones in small pieces, and put them in a stewpan, with the trimmings, salt, pepper, spice, herbs, and celery. cover with boiling water, and let the whole simmer gently for - / or hours. slice and fry the onion in the butter till it is of a pale brown, and mix it gradually with the gravy made from the bones; boil for / hour, and strain into a basin; now put it back into the stewpan; flavour with walnut pickle or ketchup, pickled-onion liquor, or any store sauce that may be preferred. thicken with a little butter and flour, kneaded together on a plate, and the gravy will be ready for use. after the thickening is added, the gravy should just boil, to take off the rawness of the flour. _time_.-- hours, or rather more. _average cost_, d., exclusive of the bones and trimmings. jugged gravy (excellent). . ingredients.-- lbs. of shin of beef, / lb. of lean ham, onion or a few shalots, pints of water, salt and whole pepper to taste, blade of mace, a faggot of savoury herbs, / a large carrot, / a head of celery. _mode_.--cut up the beef and ham into small pieces, and slice the vegetables; take a jar, capable of holding two pints of water, and arrange therein, in layers, the ham, meat, vegetables, and seasoning, alternately, filling up with the above quantity of water; tie down the jar, or put a plate over the top, so that the steam may not escape; place it in the oven, and let it remain there from to hours; should, however, the oven be very hot, less time will be required. when sufficiently cooked, strain the gravy, and when cold, remove the fat. it may be flavoured with ketchup, wines, or any other store sauce that may be preferred. it is a good plan to put the jar in a cool oven over-night, to draw the gravy; and then it will not require so long baking the following day. _time_.--from to hours, according to the oven. _average cost_, d. per pint. [illustration: celery.] celery.--as in the above recipe, the roots of celery are principally used in england for flavouring soups, sauces, and gravies, and for serving with cheese at the termination of a dinner, and as an ingredient for salad. in italy, however, the green leaves and stems are also employed for stews and soups, and the seeds are also more frequently made use of on the continent than in our own islands. in germany, celery is very highly esteemed; and it is there boiled and served up as a dish by itself, as well as used in the composition of mixed dishes. we ourselves think that this mild aromatic plant might oftener be cooked than it is; for there are very few nicer vegetable preparations brought to table than a well-dressed plate of stewed celery. veal gravy for white sauces, fricassees, &c. . ingredients.-- slices of nicely flavoured lean ham, any poultry trimmings, lbs. of lean veal, a faggot of savoury herbs, including parsley, a few green onions (or large onion may be substituted for these), a few mushrooms, when obtainable; blade of mace, salt to taste, pints of water. _mode_.--cut up the ham and veal into small square pieces, put these in a stewpan, moistening them with a small quantity of water; place them over the fire to draw down. when the bottom of the stewpan becomes covered with a white glaze, fill up with water in the above proportion; add the remaining ingredients, stew very slowly for or hours, and do not forget to skim well the moment it boils. put it by, and, when cold, take off all the fat. this may be used for béchamel, sauce tournée, and many other white sauces. _time_.-- or hours. _average cost_, d. per pint. cheap gravy for minced veal. . ingredients.--bones and trimmings of cold roast or boiled veal, - / pint of water, onion, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, / teaspoonful of salt, blade of pounded mace, the juice of / lemon; thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a stewpan, except the thickening and lemon-juice, and let them simmer very gently for rather more than hour, or until the liquor is reduced to a pint, when strain through a hair-sieve. add a thickening of butter and flour, and the lemon-juice; set it on the fire, and let it just boil up, when it will be ready for use. it may be flavoured with a little tomato sauce, and, where a rather dark-coloured gravy is not objected to, ketchup, or harvey's sauce, may be added at pleasure. _time_.--rather more than hour. _average cost_, d. gravy for venison. . ingredients.--trimmings of venison, or mutton shank-bones, salt to taste, pint of water, teaspoonfuls of walnut ketchup. _mode_.--brown the trimmings over a nice clear fire, and put them in a stewpan with the shank-bones and water; simmer gently for hours, strain and skim, and add the walnut ketchup and a seasoning of salt. let it just boil, when it is ready to serve. _time_.-- hours. [illustration: the deer.] venison.--far, far away in ages past, our fathers loved the chase, and what it brought; and it is usually imagined that when isaac ordered his son esau to go out with his weapons, his quiver and his bow, and to prepare for him savoury meat, such as he loved, that it was venison he desired. the wise solomon, too, delighted in this kind of fare; for we learn that, at his table, every day were served the wild ox, the roebuck, and the stag. xenophon informs us, in his history, that cyrus, king of persia, ordered that venison should never be wanting at his repasts; and of the effeminate greeks it was the delight. the romans, also, were devoted admirers of the flesh of the deer; and our own kings and princes, from the great alfred down to the prince consort, have hunted, although, it must be confessed, under vastly different circumstances, the swift buck, and relished their "haunch" all the more keenly, that they had borne themselves bravely in the pursuit of the animal. to dry herbs for winter use. . on a very dry day, gather the herbs, just before they begin to flower. if this is done when the weather is damp, the herbs will not be so good a colour. (it is very necessary to be particular in little matters like this, for trifles constitute perfection, and herbs nicely dried will be found very acceptable when frost and snow are on the ground. it is hardly necessary, however, to state that the flavour and fragrance of fresh herbs are incomparably finer.) they should be perfectly freed from dirt and dust, and be divided into small bunches, with their roots cut off. dry them quickly in a very hot oven, or before the fire, as by this means most of their flavour will be preserved, and be careful not to burn them; tie them up in paper bags, and keep in a dry place. this is a very general way of preserving dried herbs; but we would recommend the plan described in a former recipe. _seasonable_.--from the month of july to the end of september is the proper time for storing herbs for winter use. herb powder for flavouring, when fresh herbs are not obtainable. . ingredients.-- oz. of dried lemon-thyme, oz. of dried winter savory, oz. of dried sweet marjoram and basil, oz. of dried parsley, oz. of dried lemon-peel. _mode_.--prepare and dry the herbs by recipe no. ; pick the leaves from the stalks, pound them, and sift them through a hair-sieve; mix in the above proportions, and keep in glass bottles, carefully excluding the air. this, we think, a far better method of keeping herbs, as the flavour and fragrance do not evaporate so much as when they are merely put in paper bags. preparing them in this way, you have them ready for use at a moment's notice. mint, sage, parsley, &c., dried, pounded, and each put into separate bottles, will be found very useful in winter. [illustration: cork with wooden top.] corks with wooden tops.--these are the best corks to use when it is indispensable that the air should not be admitted to the ingredients contained in bottles which are in constant use. the top, which, as will be seen by the accompanying little cut, is larger than the cork, is made of wood; and, besides effectually covering the whole top of the bottle, can be easily removed and again used, as no corkscrew is necessary to pull it out. savory.--this we find described by columella, a voluminous roman writer on agriculture, as an odoriferous herb, which, "in the brave days of old," entered into the seasoning of nearly every dish. verily, there are but few new things under the sun, and we don't find that we have made many discoveries in gastronomy, at least beyond what was known to the ancient inhabitants of italy. we possess two varieties of this aromatic herb, known to naturalists as _satureja_. they are called summer and winter savory, according to the time of the year when they are fit for gathering. both sorts are in general cultivation throughout england. horseradish sauce, to serve with roast beef. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of grated horseradish, teaspoonful of pounded sugar, teaspoonful of salt, / teaspoonful of pepper, teaspoonfuls of made mustard; vinegar. _mode_.--grate the horseradish, and mix it well with the sugar, salt, pepper, and mustard; moisten it with sufficient vinegar to give it the consistency of cream, and serve in a tureen: or tablespoonfuls of cream added to the above, very much improve the appearance and flavour of this sauce. to heat it to serve with hot roast beef, put it in a bain marie or a jar, which place in a saucepan of boiling water; make it hot, but do not allow it to boil, or it will curdle. _note_.--this sauce is a great improvement on the old-fashioned way of serving cold-scraped horseradish with hot roast beef. the mixing of the cold vinegar with the warm gravy cools and spoils everything on the plate. of course, with cold meat, the sauce should be served cold. [illustration: the horseradish.] the horseradish.--this has been, for many years, a favourite accompaniment of roast beef, and is a native of england. it grows wild in wet ground, but has long been cultivated in the garden, and is, occasionally, used in winter salads and in sauces. on account of the great volatility of its oil, it should never be preserved by drying, but should be kept moist by being buried in sand. so rapidly does its volatile oil evaporate, that even when scraped for the table, it almost immediately spoils by exposure to the air. horseradish vinegar. . ingredients.-- / lb. of scraped horseradish, oz. of minced shalot, drachm of cayenne, quart of vinegar. _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a bottle, which shake well every day for a fortnight. when it is thoroughly steeped, strain and bottle, and it will be fit for use immediately. this will be found an agreeable relish to cold beef, &c. _seasonable_.--this vinegar should be made either in october or november, as horseradish is then in its highest perfection. indian curry-powder, founded on dr. kitchener's recipe. . ingredients.-- / lb. of coriander-seed, / lb. of turmeric, oz. of cinnamon-seed, / oz. of cayenne, oz. of mustard, oz. of ground ginger, / ounce of allspice, oz. of fenugreek-seed. _mode_.--put all the ingredients in a cool oven, where they should remain one night; then pound them in a mortar, rub them through a sieve, and mix thoroughly together; keep the powder in a bottle, from which the air should be completely excluded. _note_.--we have given this recipe for curry-powder, as some persons prefer to make it at home; but that purchased at any respectable shop is, generally speaking, far superior, and, taking all things into consideration, very frequently more economical. indian mustard, an excellent relish to bread and butter, or any cold meat. . ingredients.-- / lb. of the best mustard, / lb. of flour, / oz. of salt, shalots, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, tablespoonfuls of ketchup, / bottle of anchovy sauce. _mode_.--put the mustard, flour, and salt into a basin, and make them into a stiff paste with boiling water. boil the shalots with the vinegar, ketchup, and anchovy sauce, for minutes, and pour the whole, _boiling_, over the mixture in the basin; stir well, and reduce it to a proper thickness; put it into a bottle, with a bruised shalot at the bottom, and store away for use. this makes an excellent relish, and if properly prepared will keep for years. [illustration: mustard.] mustard.--before the year , mustard was not known at english tables. about that time an old woman, of the name of clements, residing in durham, began to grind the seed in a mill, and to pass the flour through several processes necessary to free the seed from its husks. she kept her secret for many years to herself, during which she sold large quantities of mustard throughout the country, but especially in london. here it was introduced to the royal table, when it received the approval of george i. from the circumstance of mrs. clements being a resident at durham, it obtained the name of durham mustard. in the county of that name it is still principally cultivated, and the plant is remarkable for the rapidity of its growth. it is the best stimulant employed to impart strength to the digestive organs, and even in its previously coarsely-pounded state, had a high reputation with our ancestors. indian pickle (very superior). . ingredients.--to each gallon of vinegar allow cloves of garlic, shalots, sticks of sliced horseradish, / lb. of bruised ginger, oz. of whole black pepper, oz. of long pepper, oz. of allspice, cloves, / oz. of cayenne, oz. of mustard-seed, / lb. of mustard, oz. of turmeric; a white cabbage, cauliflowers, radish-pods, french beans, gherkins, small round pickling-onions, nasturtiums, capsicums, chilies, &c. _mode_.--cut the cabbage, which must be hard and white, into slices, and the cauliflowers into small branches; sprinkle salt over them in a large dish, and let them remain two days; then dry them, and put them into a very large jar, with garlic, shalots, horseradish, ginger, pepper, allspice, and cloves, in the above proportions. boil sufficient vinegar to cover them, which pour over, and, when cold, cover up to keep them free from dust. as the other things for the pickle ripen at different times, they may be added as they are ready: these will be radish-pods, french beans, gherkins, small onions, nasturtiums, capsicums, chilies, &c. &c. as these are procured, they must, first of all, be washed in a little cold vinegar, wiped, and then simply added to the other ingredients in the large jar, only taking care that they are _covered_ by the vinegar. if more vinegar should be wanted to add to the pickle, do not omit first to boil it before adding it to the rest. when you have collected all the things you require, turn all out in a large pan, and thoroughly mix them. now put the mixed vegetables into smaller jars, without any of the vinegar; then boil the vinegar again, adding as much more as will be required to fill the different jars, and also cayenne, mustard-seed, turmeric, and mustard, which must be well mixed with a little cold vinegar, allowing the quantities named above to each gallon of vinegar. pour the vinegar, boiling hot, over the pickle, and when cold, tie down with a bladder. if the pickle is wanted for immediate use, the vinegar should be boiled twice more, but the better way is to make it during one season for use during the next. it will keep for years, if care is taken that the vegetables are quite covered by the vinegar. this recipe was taken from the directions of a lady whose pickle was always pronounced excellent by all who tasted it, and who has, for many years, exactly followed the recipe given above. __note_.--for small families, perhaps the above quantity of pickle will be considered too large; but this may be decreased at pleasure, taking care to properly proportion the various ingredients. [illustration: india pickle.] keeping pickles.--nothing shows more, perhaps, the difference between a tidy thrifty housewife and a lady to whom these desirable epithets may not honestly be applied, than the appearance of their respective store-closets. the former is able, the moment anything; is wanted, to put her hand on it at once; no time is lost, no vexation incurred, no dish spoilt for the want of "just little something,"--the latter, on the contrary, hunts all over her cupboard for the ketchup the cook requires, or the pickle the husband thinks he should like a little of with his cold roast beef or mutton-chop, and vainly seeks for the embden groats, or arrowroot, to make one of her little boys some gruel. one plan, then, we strenuously advise all who do not follow, to begin at once, and that is, to label all their various pickles and store sauces, in the same way as the cut here shows. it will occupy a little time at first, but there will be economy of it in the long run. vinegar.--this term is derived from the two french words _vin aigre_, 'sour wine,' and should, therefore, be strictly applied to that which is made only from wine. as the acid is the same, however it is procured, that made from ale also takes the same name. nearly all ancient nations were acquainted with the use of vinegar. we learn in _ruth_, that the reapers in the east soaked their bread in it to freshen it. the romans kept large quantities of it in their cellars, using it, to a great extent, in their seasonings and sauces. this people attributed very beneficial qualities to it, as it was supposed to be digestive, antibilious, and antiscorbutic, as well as refreshing. spartianus, a latin historian, tells us that, mixed with water, it was the drink of the soldiers, and that, thanks to this beverage, the veterans of the roman army braved, by its use, the inclemency and variety of all the different seasons and climates of europe, asia, and africa. it is said, the spanish peasantry, and other inhabitants of the southern parts of europe, still follow this practice, and add to a gallon of water about a gill of wine vinegar, with a little salt; and that this drink, with a little bread, enables them, under the heat of their burning sun, to sustain the labours of the field. indian chetney sauce. . ingredients.-- oz. of sharp, sour apples, pared and cored; oz. of tomatoes, oz. of salt, oz. of brown, sugar, oz. of stoned raisins, oz. of cayenne, oz. of powdered ginger, oz. of garlic, oz. of shalots, quarts of vinegar, quart of lemon-juice. _mode_.--chop the apples in small square pieces, and add to them the other ingredients. mix the whole well together, and put in a well-covered jar. keep this in a warm place, and stir every day for a month, taking care to put on the lid after this operation; strain, but do not squeeze it dry; store it away in clean jars or bottles for use, and the liquor will serve as an excellent sauce for meat or fish. _seasonable_.--make this sauce when tomatoes are in full season, that is, from the beginning of september to the end of october. pickles.--the ancient greeks and romans held their pickles in high estimation. they consisted of flowers, herbs, roots, and vegetables, preserved in vinegar, and which were kept, for a long time, in cylindrical vases with wide mouths. their cooks prepared pickles with the greatest care, and the various ingredients were macerated in oil, brine, and vinegar, with which they were often impregnated drop by drop. meat, also, after having been cut into very small pieces, was treated in the same manner. italian sauce (brown). . ingredients.--a few chopped mushrooms and shalots, / pint of stock, no. , / glass of madeira, the juice of / lemon, / teaspoonful of pounded sugar, teaspoonful of chopped parsley. _mode_.--put the stock into a stewpan with the mushrooms, shalots, and madeira, and stew gently for / hour, then add the remaining ingredients, and let them just boil. when the sauce is done enough, put it in another stewpan, and warm it in a _bain marie_. (_see_ no. .) the mushrooms should not be chopped long before they are wanted, as they will then become black. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _sufficient_ for a small dish. italian sauce (white). . ingredients.-- / pint of white stock, no. ; tablespoonfuls of chopped mushrooms, dessertspoonful of chopped shalots, slice of ham, minced very fine; / pint of béchamel, no. ; salt to taste, a few drops of garlic vinegar, / teaspoonful of pounded sugar, a squeeze of lemon-juice. _mode_.--put the shalots and mushrooms into a stewpan with the stock and ham, and simmer very gently for / hour, when add the béchamel. let it just boil up, and then strain it through a tammy; season with the above ingredients, and serve very hot. if this sauce should not have retained a nice white colour, a little cream may be added. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _sufficient_ for a moderate-sized dish. _note_.--to preserve the colour of the mushrooms after pickling, throw them into water to which a little lemon-juice has been added. to pickle lemons with the peel on. . ingredients.-- lemons, quarts of boiling water; to each quart of vinegar allow / oz. of cloves, / oz. of white pepper, oz. of bruised ginger, / oz. of mace and chilies, oz. of mustard-seed, / stick of sliced horseradish, a few cloves of garlic. _mode_.--put the lemons into a brine that will bear an egg; let them remain in it days, stirring them every day; have ready quarts of boiling water, put in the lemons, and allow them to boil for / hour; take them out, and let them lie in a cloth until perfectly dry and cold. boil up sufficient vinegar to cover the lemons, with all the above ingredients, allowing the same proportion as stated to each quart of vinegar. pack the lemons in a jar, pour over the vinegar, &c. boiling hot, and tie down with a bladder. they will be fit for use in about months, or rather sooner. _seasonable_.--this should be made from november to april. the lemon.--in the earlier ages of the world, the lemon does not appear to have been at all known, and the romans only became acquainted with it at a very late period, and then only used it to keep moths from their garments. its acidity would seem to have been unpleasant to them; and in pliny's time, at the commencement of the christian era, this fruit was hardly accepted, otherwise than as an excellent antidote against the effects of poison. many anecdotes have been related concerning the anti-venomous properties of the lemon; athenaeus, a latin writer, telling us, that on one occasion, two men felt no effects from the bites of dangerous serpents, because they had previously eaten of this fruit. to pickle lemons without the peel. . ingredients.-- lemons, lb. of fine salt; to each quart of vinegar, the same ingredients as no. . _mode_.--peel the lemons, slit each one down times, so as not to divide them, and rub the salt well into the divisions; place them in a pan, where they must remain for a week, turning them every other day; then put them in a dutch oven before a clear fire until the salt has become perfectly dry; then arrange them in a jar. pour over sufficient boiling vinegar to cover them, to which have been added the ingredients mentioned in the foregoing recipe; tie down closely, and in about months they will be fit for use. _seasonable_.--the best time to make this is from november to april. _note_.--after this pickle has been made from to months, the liquor may be strained and bottled, and will be found an excellent lemon ketchup. lemon-juice.--citric acid is the principal component part of lemon-juice, which, in addition to the agreeableness of its flavour, is also particularly cooling and grateful. it is likewise an antiscorbutic; and this quality enhances its value. in order to combat the fatal effects of scurvy amongst the crews of ships at sea, a regular allowance of lemon-juice is served out to the men; and by this practice, the disease has almost entirely disappeared. by putting the juice into bottles, and pouring on the top sufficient oil to cover it, it may be preserved for a considerable time. italy and turkey export great quantities of it in this manner. lemon sauce for boiled fowls. . ingredients.-- small lemon, / pint of melted butter, no. . _mode_.--cut the lemon into very thin slices, and these again into very small dice. have ready / pint of melted butter, made by recipe no. ; put in the lemon; let it just simmer, but not boil, and pour it over the fowls. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for a pair of large fowls. lemon white sauce, for fowls, fricassees, &c. . ingredients.-- / pint of cream, the rind and juice of lemon, / teaspoonful of whole white pepper, sprig of lemon thyme, oz. of butter, dessertspoonful of flour, teacupful of white stock; salt to taste. _mode_.--put the cream into a very clean saucepan (a lined one is best), with the lemon-peel, pepper, and thyme, and let these infuse for / hour, when simmer gently for a few minutes, or until there is a nice flavour of lemon. strain it, and add a thickening of butter and flour in the above proportions; stir this well in, and put in the lemon-juice at the moment of serving; mix the stock with the cream, and add a little salt. this sauce should not boil after the cream and stock are mixed together. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_, this quantity, for a pair of large boiled fowls. _note_.--where the expense of the cream is objected to, milk may be substituted for it. in this case, an additional dessertspoonful, or rather more, of flour must be added. [illustration: lemon thyme.] lemon thyme.--two or three tufts of this species of thyme, _thymus citriodorus_, usually find a place in the herb compartment of the kitchen-garden. it is a trailing evergreen, is of smaller growth than the common kind (_see_ no. ), and is remarkable for its smell, which closely resembles that of the rind of a lemon. hence its distinctive name. it is used for some particular dishes, in which the fragrance of the lemon is desired to slightly predominate. leamington sauce (an excellent sauce for flavouring gravies, hashes, soups, &c.). _(author's recipe.)_ . ingredients.--walnuts. to each quart of walnut-juice allow quarts of vinegar, pint of indian soy, oz. of cayenne, oz. of shalots, / oz. of garlic, / pint of port wine. _mode_.--be very particular in choosing the walnuts as soon as they appear in the market; for they are more easily bruised before they become hard and shelled. pound them in a mortar to a pulp, strew some salt over them, and let them remain thus for two or three days, occasionally stirring and moving them about. press out the juice, and to _each quart_ of walnut-liquor allow the above proportion of vinegar, soy, cayenne, shalots, garlic, and port wine. pound each ingredient separately in a mortar, then mix them well together, and store away for use in small bottles. the corks should be well sealed. _seasonable_.--this sauce should be made as soon as walnuts are obtainable, from the beginning to the middle of july. lemon brandy. . ingredients.-- pint of brandy, the rind of two small lemons, oz. of loaf-sugar, / pint of water. _mode_.--peel the lemons rather thin, taking care to have none of the white pith. put the rinds into a bottle with the brandy, and let them infuse for hours, when they should be strained. now boil the sugar with the water for a few minutes, skim it, and, when cold, add it to the brandy. a dessertspoonful of this will be found an excellent flavouring for boiled custards. lemon rind or peel.--this contains an essential oil of a very high flavour and fragrance, and is consequently esteemed both a wholesome and agreeable stomachic. it is used, as will be seen by many recipes in this book, as an ingredient for flavouring a number of various dishes. under the name of candied lemon-peel, it is cleared of the pulp and preserved by sugar, when it becomes an excellent sweetmeat. by the ancient medical philosopher galen, and others, it may be added, that dried lemon-peel was considered as one of the best digestives, and recommended to weak and delicate persons. liaison of eggs for thickening sauces. . ingredients.--the yolks of eggs, tablespoonfuls of milk or cream. _mode_.--beat up the yolks of the eggs, to which add the milk, and strain the whole through a hair-sieve. when the liaison is being added to the sauce it is intended to thicken, care must be exercised to keep stirring it during the whole time, or, otherwise, the eggs will curdle. it should only just simmer, but not boil. liver and lemon sauce for poultry. . ingredients.--the liver of a fowl, one lemon, salt to taste, / pint of melted butter. no. . _mode_.--wash the liver, and let it boil for a few minutes; peel the lemon very thin, remove the white part and pips, and cut it into very small dice; mince the liver and a small quantity of the lemon rind very fine; add these ingredients to / pint of smoothly-made melted butter; season with a little salt, put in the cut lemon, heat it gradually, but do not allow it to boil, lest the butter should oil. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _sufficient_ to serve with a pair of small fowls. liver and parsley sauce for poultry. . ingredients.--the liver of a fowl, one tablespoonful of minced parsley, / pint of melted butter, no. . _mode_.--wash and score the liver, boil it for a few minutes, and mince it very fine; blanch or scald a small bunch of parsley, of which there should be sufficient when chopped to fill a tablespoon; add this, with the minced liver, to / pint of smoothly-made melted butter; let it just boil; when serve. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _sufficient_ for a pair of small fowls. lobster sauce, to serve with turbot, salmon, brill, &c. (_very good_.) . ingredients.-- middling-sized hen lobster, / pint of melted butter, no. ; tablespoonful of anchovy sauce, / oz. of butter, salt and cayenne to taste, a little pounded mace when liked, or tablespoonfuls of cream. _mode_.--choose a hen lobster, as this is indispensable, in order to render this sauce as good as it ought to be. pick the meat from the shells, and cut it into small square pieces; put the spawn, which will be found under the tail of the lobster, into a mortar with / oz. of butter, and pound it quite smooth; rub it through a hair-sieve, and cover up till wanted. make / pint of melted butter by recipe no. ; put in all the ingredients except the lobster-meat, and well mix the sauce before the lobster is added to it, as it should retain its square form, and not come to table shredded and ragged. put in the meat, let it get thoroughly hot, but do not allow it to boil, as the colour would immediately be spoiled; for it should be remembered that this sauce should always have a bright red appearance. if it is intended to be served with turbot or brill, a little of the spawn (dried and rubbed through a sieve without butter) should be saved to garnish with; but as the goodness, flavour, and appearance of the sauce so much depend on having a proper quantity of spawn, the less used for garnishing the better. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ to serve with a small turbot, a brill, or salmon for persons. _note_.--melted butter made with milk, no. , will be found to answer very well for lobster sauce, as by employing it a nice white colour will be obtained. less quantity than the above may be made by using a very small lobster, to which add only / pint of melted butter, and season as above. where economy is desired, the cream may be dispensed with, and the remains of a cold lobster left from table, may, with a little care, be converted into a very good sauce. maitre d'hotel butter, for putting into broiled fish just before it is sent to table. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, dessertspoonfuls of minced parsley, salt and pepper to taste, the juice of large lemon. _mode_.--work the above ingredients well together, and let them be thoroughly mixed with a wooden spoon. if this is used as a sauce, it may be poured either under or over the meat or fish it is intended to be served with. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. note.-- tablespoonfuls of béchamel, no. , do. of white stock, no. , with oz. of the above maître d'hôtel butter stirred into it, and just allowed to simmer for minute, will be found an excellent hot maître d'hôtel sauce. the maÎtre d'hÔtel.--the house-steward of england is synonymous with the maître d'hôtel of france; and, in ancient times, amongst the latins, he was called procurator, or major-domo. in rome, the slaves, after they had procured the various articles necessary for the repasts of the day, would return to the spacious kitchen laden with meat, game, sea-fish, vegetables, fruit, &c. each one would then lay his basket at the feet of the major-domo, who would examine its contents and register them on his tablets, placing in the pantry contiguous to the dining-room, those of the provisions which need no preparation, and consigning the others to the more immediate care of the cooks. maitre d'hotel sauce (hot), to serve with calf's head, boiled eels, and different fish. . ingredients.-- slice of minced ham, a few poultry-trimmings, shalots, clove of garlic, bay-leaf, / pint of water, oz. of butter, dessertspoonful of flour, heaped tablespoonful of chopped parsley; salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste; the juice of / large lemon, / teaspoonful of pounded sugar. _mode_.--put at the bottom of a stewpan the minced ham, and over it the poultry-trimmings (if these are not at hand, veal should be substituted), with the shalots, garlic, and bay-leaf. pour in the water, and let the whole simmer gently for hour, or until the liquor is reduced to a full / pint. then strain this gravy, put it in another saucepan, make a thickening of butter and flour in the above proportions, and stir it to the gravy over a nice clear fire, until it is perfectly smooth and rather thick, care being taken that the butter does not float on the surface. skim well, add the remaining ingredients, let the sauce gradually heat, but do not allow it to boil. if this sauce is intended for an entrée, it is necessary to make it of a sufficient thickness, so that it may adhere to what it is meant to cover. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. per pint. _sufficient_ for re-warming the remains of / calf's head, or a small dish of cold flaked turbot, cod, &c. maigre maitre d'hotel sauce (hot). (made without meat.) . ingredients.-- / pint of melted butter, no. ; heaped tablespoonful of chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste, the juice of / large lemon; when liked, minced shalots. _mode_.--make / pint of melted butter, by recipe no. ; stir in the above ingredients, and let them just boil; when it is ready to serve. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _average cost_, d. per pint. mayonnaise, a sauce or salad-dressing for cold chicken, meat, and other cold dishes. . ingredients.--the yolks of eggs, tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, salt and white pepper to taste, tablespoonful of white stock, no. , tablespoonfuls of cream. _mode_.--put the yolks of the eggs into a basin, with a seasoning of pepper and salt; have ready the above quantities of oil and vinegar, in separate vessels; add them _very gradually_ to the eggs; continue stirring and rubbing the mixture with a wooden spoon, as herein consists the secret of having a nice smooth sauce. it cannot be stirred too frequently, and it should be made in a very cool place, or, if ice is at hand, it should be mixed over it. when the vinegar and oil are well incorporated with the eggs, add the stock and cream, stirring all the time, and it will then be ready for use. for a fish mayonnaise, this sauce may be coloured with lobster-spawn, pounded; and for poultry or meat, where variety is desired, a little parsley-juice may be used to add to its appearance. cucumber, tarragon, or any other flavoured vinegar, may be substituted for plain, where they are liked. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _sufficient_ for a small salad. _note_.--in mixing the oil and vinegar with the eggs, put in first a few drops of oil, and then a few drops of vinegar, never adding a large quantity of either at one time. by this means, you can be more certain of the sauce not curdling. patience and practice, let us add, are two essentials for making this sauce good. mint sauce, to serve with roast lamb. . ingredients.-- dessertspoonfuls of chopped mint, dessertspoonfuls of pounded white sugar, / pint of vinegar. _mode_.--wash the mint, which should be young and fresh-gathered, free from grit; pick the leaves from the stalks, mince them very fine, and put them into a tureen; add the sugar and vinegar, and stir till the former is dissolved. this sauce is better by being made or hours before wanted for table, as the vinegar then becomes impregnated with the flavour of the mint. by many persons, the above proportion of sugar would not be considered sufficient; but as tastes vary, we have given the quantity which we have found to suit the general palate. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to serve with a middling-sized joint of lamb. _note_.--where green mint is scarce and not obtainable, mint vinegar may be substituted for it, and will be found very acceptable in early spring. [illustration: mint.] mint.--the common mint cultivated in our gardens is known as the _mentha viridis_, and is employed in different culinary processes, being sometimes boiled with certain dishes, and afterwards withdrawn. it has an agreeable aromatic flavour, and forms an ingredient in soups, and sometimes is used in spring salads. it is valuable as a stomachic and antispasmodic; on which account it is generally served at table with pea-soup. several of its species grow wild in low situations in the country. mint vinegar. . ingredients.--vinegar, mint. _mode_.--procure some nice fresh mint, pick the leaves from the stalks, and fill a bottle or jar with them. add vinegar to them until the bottle is full; _cover closely_ to exclude the air, and let it infuse for a fortnight. then strain the liquor, and put it into small bottles for use, of which the corks should be sealed. _seasonable_.--this should be made in june, july, or august. mixed pickle. (_very good_.) . ingredients.--to each gallon of vinegar allow / lb. of bruised ginger, / lb. of mustard, / lb. of salt, oz. of mustard-seed, - / oz. of turmeric, oz. of ground black pepper, / oz. of cayenne, cauliflowers, onions, celery, sliced cucumbers, gherkins, french beans, nasturtiums, capsicums. _mode_.--have a large jar, with a tightly-fitting lid, in which put as much vinegar as required, reserving a little to mix the various powders to a smooth paste. put into a basin the mustard, turmeric, pepper, and cayenne; mix them with vinegar, and stir well until no lumps remain; add all the ingredients to the vinegar, and mix well. keep this liquor in a warm place, and thoroughly stir every morning for a month with a wooden spoon, when it will be ready for the different vegetables to be added to it. as these come into season, have them gathered on a dry day, and, after merely wiping them with a cloth, to free them from moisture, put them into the pickle. the cauliflowers, it may be said, must be divided into small bunches. put all these into the pickle raw, and at the end of the season, when there have been added as many of the vegetables as could be procured, store it away in jars, and tie over with bladder. as none of the ingredients are boiled, this pickle will not be fit to eat till months have elapsed. whilst the pickle is being made, keep a wooden spoon tied to the jar; and its contents, it may be repeated, must be stirred every morning. _seasonable_.--make the pickle-liquor in may or june, as the season arrives for the various vegetables to be picked. mushroom ketchup. . ingredients.--to each peck of mushrooms / lb. of salt; to each quart of mushroom-liquor / oz. of cayenne, / oz. of allspice, / oz. of ginger, blades of pounded mace. _mode_.--choose full-grown mushroom-flaps, and take care they are perfectly _fresh-gathered_ when the weather is tolerably dry; for, if they are picked during very heavy rain, the ketchup from which they are made is liable to get musty, and will not keep long. put a layer of them in a deep pan, sprinkle salt over them, and then another layer of mushrooms, and so on alternately. let them remain for a few hours, when break them up with the hand; put them in a nice cool place for days, occasionally stirring and mashing them well, to extract from them as much juice as possible. now measure the quantity of liquor without straining, and to each quart allow the above proportion of spices, &c. put all into a stone jar, cover it up very closely, put it in a saucepan of boiling water, set it over the fire, and let it boil for hours. have ready a nice clean stewpan; turn into it the contents of the jar, and let the whole simmer very gently for / hour; pour it into a jug, where it should stand in a cool place till the next day; then pour it off into another jug, and strain it into very dry clean bottles, and do not squeeze the mushrooms. to each pint of ketchup add a few drops of brandy. be careful not to shake the contents, but leave all the sediment behind in the jug; cork well, and either seal or rosin the cork, so as perfectly to exclude the air. when a very clear bright ketchup is wanted, the liquor must be strained through a very fine hair-sieve, or flannel bag, _after_ it has been very gently poured off; if the operation is not successful, it must be repeated until you have quite a clear liquor. it should be examined occasionally, and if it is spoiling, should be reboiled with a few peppercorns. _seasonable_ from the beginning of september to the middle of october, when this ketchup should be made. _note_.--this flavouring ingredient, if genuine and well prepared, is one of the most useful store sauces to the experienced cook, and no trouble should be spared in its preparation. double ketchup is made by reducing the liquor to half the quantity; for example, quart must be boiled down to pint. this goes farther than ordinary ketchup, as so little is required to flavour a good quantity of gravy. the sediment may also be bottled for immediate use, and will be found to answer for flavouring thick soups or gravies. how to distinguish mushrooms from toadstools.--the cultivated mushroom, known as _agaricus campestris_, may be distinguished from other poisonous kinds of fungi by its having pink or flesh-coloured gills, or under-side, and by its invariably having an agreeable smell, which the toadstool has not. when young, mushrooms are like a small round button, both the stalk and head being white. as they grow larger, they expand their heads by degrees into a flat form, the gills underneath being at first of a pale flesh-colour, but becoming, as they stand longer, dark brown or blackish. nearly all the poisonous kinds are brown, and have in general a rank and putrid smell. edible mushrooms are found in closely-fed pastures, but seldom grow in woods, where most of the poisonous sorts are to be found. to dry mushrooms. . _mode_.--wipe them clean, take away the brown part, and peel off the skin; lay them on sheets of paper to dry, in a cool oven, when they will shrivel considerably. keep them in paper bags, which hang in a dry place. when wanted for use, put them into cold gravy, bring them gradually to simmer, and it will be found that they will regain nearly their usual size. [illustration: the mushroom.] the mushroom.--the cultivated or garden mushroom is a species of fungus, which, in england, is considered the best, and is there usually eaten. the tribe, however, is numerous, and a large proportion of them are poisonous; hence it is always dangerous to make use of mushrooms gathered in their wild state. in some parts of europe, as in germany, russia, and poland, many species grow wild, and are used as food; but in britain, two only are generally eaten. these are mostly employed for the flavouring of dishes, and are also dried and pickled. catsup, or ketchup, is made from them by mixing spices and salt with their juice. the young, called buttons, are the best for pickling when in the globular form. brown mushroom sauce, to serve with roast meat, &c. . ingredients.-- / pint of button mushrooms, / pint of good beef gravy, no. , tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup (if at hand), thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--put the gravy into a saucepan, thicken it, and stir over the fire until it boils. prepare the mushrooms by cutting off the stalks and wiping them free from grit and dirt; the large flap mushrooms cut into small pieces will answer for a brown sauce, when the buttons are not obtainable; put them into the gravy, and let them simmer very gently for about minutes; then add the ketchup, and serve. _time_.--rather more than minutes. _seasonable_ from august to october. _note_.--when fresh mushrooms are not obtainable, the powder no. may be used as a substitute for brown sauce. white mushroom sauce, to serve with boiled fowls, cutlets, &c. i. . ingredients.--rather more than / pint of button mushrooms, lemon-juice and water, oz. of butter, / pint of béchamel, no. , / teaspoonful of pounded sugar. _mode_.--turn the mushrooms white by putting them into lemon-juice and water, having previously cut off the stalks and wiped them perfectly free from grit. chop them, and put them in a stewpan with the butter. when the mushrooms are softened, add the béchamel, and simmer for about minutes; should they, however, not be done enough, allow rather more time. they should not boil longer than necessary, as they would then lose their colour and flavour. rub the whole through a tammy, and serve very hot. after this, it should be warmed in a bain marie. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, s. _seasonable_ from august to october. ii. _a more simple method_. . ingredients.-- / pint of melted butter, made with milk, no. ; / pint of button mushrooms, dessertspoonful of mushroom ketchup, if at hand; cayenne and salt to taste. _mode_.--make the melted butter by recipe no. , and add to it the mushrooms, which must be nicely cleaned, and free from grit, and the stalks cut off. let them simmer gently for about minutes, or until they are quite tender. put in the seasoning and ketchup; let it just boil, when serve. _time_.--rather more than minutes. _average cost_, d. _seasonable_ from august to october. growth of the mushroom and other fungi.--the quick growth of the mushroom and other fungi is no less wonderful than the length of time they live, and the numerous dangers they resist while they continue in the dormant state. to spring up "like a mushroom in a night" is a scriptural mode of expressing celerity; and this completely accords with all the observations which have been made concerning this curious class of plants. mr. sowerby remarks--"i have often placed specimens of the _phallus caninus_ by a window over-night, while in the egg-form, and they have been fully grown by the morning." mushroom powder (a valuable addition to sauces and gravies, when fresh mushrooms are not obtainable). . ingredients.-- / peck of large mushrooms, onions, cloves, / oz. of pounded mace, teaspoonfuls of white pepper. _mode_.--peel the mushrooms, wipe them perfectly free from grit and dirt, remove the black fur, and reject all those that are at all worm-eaten; put them into a stewpan with the above ingredients, but without water; shake them over a clear fire, till all the liquor is dried up, and be careful not to let them burn; arrange them on tins, and dry them in a slow oven; pound them to a fine powder, which put into small _dry_ bottles; cork well, seal the corks, and keep it in a dry place. in using this powder, add it to the gravy just before serving, when it will merely require one boil-up. the flavour imparted by this means to the gravy, ought to be exceedingly good. _seasonable_.--this should be made in september, or at the beginning of october. _note_.--if the bottles in which it is stored away are not perfectly dry, as, also the mushroom powder, it will keep good but a very short time. pickled mushrooms. . ingredients.--sufficient vinegar to cover the mushrooms; to each quart of mushrooms, blades of pounded mace, oz. of ground pepper, salt to taste. _mode_.--choose some nice young button mushrooms for pickling, and rub off the skin with a piece of flannel and salt, and cut off the stalks; if very large, take out the red inside, and reject the black ones, as they are too old. put them in a stewpan, sprinkle salt over them, with pounded mace and pepper in the above proportion; shake them well over a clear fire until the liquor flows, and keep them there until it is all dried up again; then add as much vinegar as will cover them; just let it simmer for minute, and store it away in stone jars for use. when cold, tie down with bladder and keep in a dry place; they will remain good for a length of time, and are generally considered delicious. _seasonable_.--make this the same time as ketchup, from the beginning of september to the middle of october. nature of the mushroom.--locality has evidently a considerable influence on the nature of the juices of the mushroom; for it has been discovered, after fatal experience, that some species, which are perfectly harmless when raised in open meadows and pasturelands, become virulently poisonous when they happen to grow in contact with stagnant water or putrescent animal and vegetable substances. what the precise nature of the poison in fungi may be, has not been accurately ascertained. a very rich and good mushroom sauce, to serve with fowls or rabbits. . ingredients.-- pint of mushroom-buttons, salt to taste, a little grated nutmeg, blade of pounded mace, pint of cream, oz. of butter, flour to thicken. _mode_.--rub the buttons with a piece of flannel and salt, to take off the skin; cut off the stalks, and put them in a stewpan with the above ingredients, previously kneading together the butter and flour; boil the whole for about ten minutes, stirring all the time. pour some of the sauce over the fowls, and the remainder serve in a tureen. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ to serve with a pair of fowls. _seasonable_ from august to october. how to mix mustard. . ingredients.--mustard, salt, and water. _mode_.--mustard should be mixed with water that has been boiled and allowed to cool; hot water destroys its essential properties, and raw cold water might cause it to ferment. put the mustard in a cup, with a small pinch of salt, and mix with it very gradually sufficient boiled water to make it drop from the spoon without being watery. stir and mix well, and rub the lumps well down with the back of a spoon, as well-mixed mustard should be perfectly free from these. the mustard-pot should not be more than half full, or rather less if it will not be used in a day or two, as it is so much better when freshly mixed. tartar mustard. . ingredients.--horseradish vinegar, cayenne, / a teacupful of mustard. _mode_.--have ready sufficient horseradish vinegar to mix with the above proportion of mustard; put the mustard in a cup, with a slight seasoning of cayenne; mix it perfectly smooth with the vinegar, adding this a little at a time; rub down with the back of a spoon any lumps that may appear, and do not let it be too thin. mustard may be flavoured in various ways, with tarragon, shalot, celery, and many other vinegars, herbs, spices, &c.; but this is more customary in france than in england, as there it is merely considered a "vehicle of flavours," as it has been termed. pickled nasturtiums (a very good substitute for capers) . ingredients.--to each pint of vinegar, oz. of salt, peppercorns, nasturtiums. _mode_.--gather the nasturtium-pods on a dry day, and wipe them clean with a cloth; put them in a dry glass bottle, with vinegar, salt, and pepper in the above proportion. if you cannot find enough ripe to fill a bottle, cork up what you have got until you have some more fit: they may be added from day to day. bung up the bottles, and seal or rosin the tops. they will be fit for use in or months; and the best way is to make them one season for the next. _seasonable_.--look for nasturtium-pods from the end of july to the end of august. [illustration: nasturtiums.] nasturtiums.--the elegant nasturtium-plant, called by naturalists _tropoeolum_, and which sometimes goes by the name of indian cress, came originally from peru, but was easily made to grow in these islands. its young leaves and flowers are of a slightly hot nature, and many consider them a good adjunct to salads, to which they certainly add a pretty appearance. when the beautiful blossoms, which may be employed with great effect in garnishing dishes, are off, then the fruit is used as described in the above recipe. french onion sauce, or soubise. . ingredients.-- / pint of béchamel, no. , bay-leaf, seasoning to taste of pounded mace and cayenne, onions, a small piece of ham. _mode_.--peel the onions and cut them in halves; put them in a stewpan, with just sufficient water to cover them, and add the bay-leaf, ham, cayenne, and mace; be careful to keep the lid closely shut, and simmer them until tender. take them out and drain thoroughly; rub them through a tammy or sieve (an old one does for the purpose) with a wooden spoon, and put them to / pint of béchamel; keep stirring over the fire until it boils, when serve. if it should require any more seasoning, add it to taste. _time_.-- / hour to boil the onions. _average cost_, d. for this quantity. _sufficient_ for a moderate-sized dish. white onion sauce, for boiled rabbits, roast shoulder of mutton, &c. . ingredients.-- large onions, or middling-sized ones, pint of melted butter made with milk (no. ), / teaspoonful of salt, or rather more. _mode_.--peel the onions and put them into water to which a little salt has been added, to preserve their whiteness, and let them remain for / hour. then put them in a stewpan, cover them with water, and let them boil until tender, and, if the onions should be very strong, change the water after they have been boiling for / hour. drain them thoroughly, chop them, and rub them through a tammy or sieve. make pint of melted butter, by recipe no. , and when that boils, put in the onions, with a seasoning of salt; stir it till it simmers, when it will be ready to serve. if these directions are carefully attended to, this onion sauce will be delicious. _time_.--from / to hour, to boil the onions. _average cost_, d. per pint. _sufficient_ to serve with a roast shoulder of mutton, or boiled rabbit. _seasonable_ from august to march. _note_.--to make this sauce very mild and delicate, use spanish onions, which can be procured from the beginning of september to christmas. or tablespoonfuls of cream added just before serving, will be found to improve its appearance very much. small onions, when very young, may be cooked whole, and served in melted butter. a sieve or tammy should be kept expressly for onions: an old one answers the purpose, as it is liable to retain the flavour and smell, which of course would be excessively disagreeable in delicate preparations. brown onion sauce. . ingredients.-- large onions, rather more than / pint of good gravy, oz. of butter, salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--slice and fry the onions of a pale brown in a stewpan, with the above quantity of butter, keeping them well stirred, that they do not get black. when a nice colour, pour over the gravy, and let them simmer gently until tender. now skim off every particle of fat, add the seasoning, and rub the whole through a tammy or sieve; put it back in the saucepan to warm, and when it boils, serve. _time_.--altogether hour. _seasonable_ from august to march. _note_.--where a very high flavouring is liked, add tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, or a small quantity of port wine. history of the onion.--it is not supposed that any variety of the onion is indigenous to britain, as when the large and mild roots imported from warmer climates, have been cultivated in these islands a few years, they deteriorate both in size and sweetness. it is therefore most likely that this plant was first introduced into england from continental europe, and that it originally was produced in a southern climate, and has gradually become acclimatized to a colder atmosphere. (_see_ no. .) pickled onions (a very simple method, and exceedingly good). . ingredients.--pickling onions; to each quart of vinegar, teaspoonfuls of allspice, teaspoonfuls of whole black pepper. _mode_.--have the onions gathered when quite dry and ripe, and, with the fingers, take off the thin outside skin; then, with a silver knife (steel should not be used, as it spoils the colour of the onions), remove one more skin, when the onion will look quite clear. have ready some very dry bottles or jars, and as fast as they are peeled, put them in. pour over sufficient cold vinegar to cover them, with pepper and allspice in the above proportions, taking care that each jar has its share of the latter ingredients. tie down with bladder, and put them in a dry place, and in a fortnight they will be fit for use. this is a most simple recipe and very delicious, the onions being nice and crisp. they should be eaten within or months after being done, as the onions are liable to become soft. _seasonable_ from the middle of july to the end of august. pickled onions. . ingredients.-- gallon of pickling onions, salt and water, milk; to each / gallon of vinegar, oz. of bruised ginger, / teaspoonful of cayenne, oz. of allspice, oz. of whole black pepper, / oz. of whole nutmeg bruised, cloves, / oz. of mace. _mode_.--gather the onions, which should not be too small, when they are quite dry and ripe; wipe off the dirt, but do not pare them; make a strong solution of salt and water, into which put the onions, and change this, morning and night, for days, and save the _last_ brine they were put in. then take the outside skin off, and put them into a tin saucepan capable of holding them all, as they are always better done together. now take equal quantities of milk and the last salt and water the onions were in, and pour this to them; to this add large spoonfuls of salt, put them over the fire, and watch them very attentively. keep constantly turning the onions about with a wooden skimmer, those at the bottom to the top, and _vice versâ_; and let the milk and water run through the holes of the skimmer. remember, the onions must never boil, or, if they do, they will be good for nothing; and they should be quite transparent. keep the onions stirred for a few minutes, and, in stirring them, be particular not to break them. then have ready a pan with a colander, into which turn the onions to drain, covering them with a cloth to keep in the steam. place on a table an old cloth, or times double; put the onions on it when quite hot, and over them an old piece of blanket; cover this closely over them, to keep in the steam. let them remain till the next day, when they will be quite cold, and look yellow and shrivelled; take off the shrivelled skins, when they should be as white as snow. put them in a pan, make a pickle of vinegar and the remaining ingredients, boil all these up, and pour hot over the onions in the pan. cover very closely to keep in all the steam, and let them stand till the following day, when they will be quite cold. put them into jars or bottles well bunged, and a tablespoonful of the best olive-oil on the top of each jar or bottle. tie them down with bladder, and let them stand in a cool place for a month or six weeks, when they will be fit for use. they should be beautifully white, and eat crisp, without the least softness, and will keep good many months. _seasonable_ from the middle of july to the end of august. orange gravy, for wildfowl, widgeon, teal, &c. . ingredients.-- / pint of white stock, no. , small onion, or strips of lemon or orange peel, a few leaves of basil, if at hand, the juice of a seville orange or lemon, salt and pepper to taste, glass of port wine. _mode_.--put the onion, cut in slices, into a stewpan with the stock, orange-peel, and basil, and let them simmer very gently for / hour or rather longer, should the gravy not taste sufficiently of the peel. strain it off, and add to the gravy the remaining ingredients; let the whole heat through, and, when on the point of boiling, serve very hot in a tureen which should have a cover to it. _time_.--altogether / hour. _sufficient_ for a small tureen. oyster forcemeat, for roast or boiled turkey. . ingredients.-- / pint of bread crumbs, - / oz. of chopped suet or butter, faggot of savoury herbs, / saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, eggs, oysters. _mode_.--grate the bread very fine, and be careful that no large lumps remain; put it into a basin with the suet, which must be very finely minced, or, when butter is used, that must be cut up into small pieces. add the herbs, also chopped as small as possible, and seasoning; mix all these well together, until the ingredients are thoroughly mingled. open and beard the oysters, chop them, but not too small, and add them to the other ingredients. beat up the eggs, and, with the hand, work altogether, until it is smoothly mixed. the turkey should not be stuffed too full: if there should be too much forcemeat, roll it into balls, fry them, and use them as a garnish. _sufficient_ for turkey. oyster ketchup. . ingredients.--sufficient oysters to fill a pint measure, pint of sherry, oz. of salt, drachm of cayenne, drachms of pounded mace. _mode_.--procure the oysters very fresh, and open sufficient to fill a pint measure; save the liquor, and scald the oysters in it with the sherry; strain the oysters, and put them in a mortar with the salt, cayenne, and mace; pound the whole until reduced to a pulp, then add it to the liquor in which they were scalded; boil it again five minutes, and skim well; rub the whole through a sieve, and, when cold, bottle and cork closely. the corks should be sealed. _seasonable_ from september to april. _note_.--cider may be substituted for the sherry. pickled oysters. . ingredients.-- oysters; to each / pint of vinegar, blade of pounded mace, strip of lemon-peel, black peppercorns. _mode_.--get the oysters in good condition, open them, place them in a saucepan, and let them simmer in their own liquor for about minutes, very gently; then take them out, one by one, and place them in a jar, and cover them, when cold, with a pickle made as follows:--measure the oyster-liquor; add to it the same quantity of vinegar, with mace, lemon-peel, and pepper in the above proportion, and boil it for minutes; when cold, pour over the oysters, and tie them down very closely, as contact with the air spoils them. _seasonable_ from september to april. _note_.--put this pickle away in small jars; because directly one is opened, its contents should immediately be eaten, as they soon spoil. the pickle should not be kept more than or months. oyster sauce, to serve with fish, boiled poultry, &c. . ingredients.-- dozen oysters, / pint of melted butter, made with milk, no. . _mode_.--open the oysters carefully, and save their liquor; strain it into a clean saucepan (a lined one is best), put in the oysters, and let them just come to the boiling-point, when they should look plump. take them off the fire immediately, and put the whole into a basin. strain the liquor from them, mix with it sufficient milk to make / pint altogether, and follow the directions of no. . when the melted butter is ready and very smooth, put in the oysters, which should be previously bearded, if you wish the sauce to be really nice. set it by the side of the fire to get thoroughly hot, _but do not allow it to boil_, or the oysters will immediately harden. using cream instead of milk makes this sauce extremely delicious. when liked, add a seasoning of cayenne, or anchovy sauce; but, as we have before stated, a plain sauce _should_ be plain, and not be overpowered by highly-flavoured essences; therefore we recommend that the above directions be implicitly followed, and no seasoning added. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. _sufficient_ for persons. never allow fewer than oysters to person, unless the party is very large. _seasonable_ from september to april. a more economical sauce may be made by using a smaller quantity of oysters, and not bearding them before they are added to the sauce: this may answer the purpose, but we cannot undertake to recommend it as a mode of making this delicious adjunct to fish, &c. parsley and butter, to serve with calf's head. boiled fowls, &c. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of minced parsley, / pint of melted butter, no. . _mode_.--put into a saucepan a small quantity of water, slightly salted, and when it boils, throw in a good bunch of parsley which has been previously washed and tied together in a bunch; let it boil for minutes, drain it, mince the leaves very fine, and put the above quantity in a tureen; pour over it / pint of smoothly-made melted butter; stir once, that the ingredients may be thoroughly mixed, and serve. _time_.-- minutes to boil the parsley. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for large fowl; allow rather more for a pair. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--sometimes, in the middle of winter, parsley-leaves are not to be had, when the following will be found an excellent substitute:--tie up a little parsley-seed in a small piece of muslin, and boil it for minutes in a small quantity of water; use this water to make the melted butter with, and throw into it a little boiled spinach, minced rather fine, which will have an appearance similar to that of parsley. [illustration: parsley.] parsley.--if there be nothing new under the sun, there are, at any rate, different uses found for the same thing; for this pretty aromatic herb was used in ancient times, as we learn from mythological narrative, to adorn the head of a hero, no less than hercules; and now--was ever fall so great?--we moderns use it in connection with the head of--a calf. according to homer's "iliad," warriors fed their chariot-steeds on parsley; and pliny acquaints us with the fact that, as a symbol of mourning, it was admitted to furnish the funeral tables of the romans. egypt, some say, first produced this herb; thence it was introduced, by some unknown voyager, into sardinia, where the carthaginians found it, and made it known to the inhabitants of marseilles. (see no. .) fried parsley, for garnishing. . ingredients.--parsley, hot lard or clarified dripping. _mode_.--gather some young parsley; wash, pick, and dry it thoroughly in a cloth; put it into the wire basket of which we have given an engraving, and hold it in boiling lard or dripping for a minute or two. directly it is done, lift out the basket, and let it stand before the fire, that the parsley may become thoroughly crisp; and the quicker it is fried the better. should the kitchen not be furnished with the above article, throw the parsley into the frying-pan, and when crisp, lift it out with a slice, dry it before the fire, and when thoroughly crisp, it will be ready for use. [illustration: wire basket.] wire basket.--for this recipe, a wire basket, as shown in the annexed engraving, will be found very useful. it is very light and handy, and may be used for other similar purposes besides that described above. parsley juice, for colouring various dishes. . procure some nice young parsley; wash it and dry it thoroughly in a cloth; pound the leaves in a mortar till all the juice is extracted, and put the juice in a teacup or small jar; place this in a saucepan of boiling water, and warm it on the _bain marie_ principle just long enough to take off its rawness; let it drain, and it will be ready for colouring. to preserve parsley through the winter. . use freshly-gathered parsley for keeping, and wash it perfectly free from grit and dirt; put it into boiling water which has been slightly salted and well skimmed, and then let it boil for or minutes; take it out, let it drain, and lay it on a sieve in front of the fire, when it should be dried as expeditiously as possible. store it away in a very dry place in bottles, and when wanted for use, pour over it a little warm water, and let it stand for about minutes. _seasonable_.--this may be done at any time between june and october. an excellent pickle. . ingredients.--equal quantities of medium-sized onions, cucumbers, and sauce-apples; - / teaspoonful of salt, / teaspoonful of cayenne, wineglassful of soy, wineglassful of sherry; vinegar. _mode_.--slice sufficient cucumbers, onions, and apples to fill a pint stone jar, taking care to cut the slices very thin; arrange them in alternate layers, shaking in as you proceed salt and cayenne in the above proportion; pour in the soy and wine, and fill up with vinegar. it will be fit for use the day it is made. _seasonable_ in august and september. [this recipe was forwarded to the editress of this work by a subscriber to the "englishwoman's domestic magazine." mrs. beeton, not having tested it, cannot vouch for its excellence; but the contributor spoke very highly in its favour.] soy.--this is a sauce frequently made use of for fish, and comes from japan, where it is prepared from the seeds of a plant called _dolichos soja_. the chinese also manufacture it; but that made by the japanese is said to be the best. all sorts of statements have been made respecting the very general adulteration of this article in england, and we fear that many of them are too true. when genuine, it is of an agreeable flavour, thick, and of a clear brown colour. pickled red cabbage. . ingredients.--red cabbages, salt and water; to each quart of vinegar, / oz. of ginger well bruised, oz. of whole black pepper, and, when liked, a little cayenne. _mode_.--take off the outside decayed leaves of a nice red cabbage, cut it in quarters, remove the stalks, and cut it across in very thin slices. lay these on a dish, and strew them plentifully with salt, covering them with another dish. let them remain for hours, turn into a colander to drain, and, if necessary, wipe lightly with a clean soft cloth. put them in a jar; boil up the vinegar with spices in the above proportion, and, when cold, pour it over the cabbage. it will be fit for use in a week or two, and, if kept for a very long time, the cabbage is liable get soft and to discolour. to be really nice and crisp, and of a good red colour, it should be eaten almost immediately after it is made. a little bruised cochineal boiled with the vinegar adds much to the appearance of this pickle. tie down with bladder, and keep in a dry place. _seasonable_ in july and august, but the pickle will be much more crisp if the frost has just touched the leaves. red cabbage.--this plant, in its growth, is similar in form to that of the white, but is of a bluish-purple colour, which, however, turns red on the application of acid, as is the case with all vegetable blues. it is principally from the white vegetable that the germans make their _sauer kraut_; a dish held in such high estimation with the inhabitants of vaderland, but which requires, generally speaking, with strangers, a long acquaintance in order to become sufficiently impressed with its numerous merits. the large red dutch is the kind generally recommended for pickling. plum-pudding sauce. . ingredients.-- wineglassful of brandy, oz. of very fresh butter, glass of madeira, pounded sugar to taste. _mode_.--put the pounded sugar in a basin, with part of the brandy and the butter; let it stand by the side of the fire until it is warm and the sugar and butter are dissolved; then add the rest of the brandy, with the madeira. either pour it over the pudding, or serve in a tureen. this is a very rich and excellent sauce. _average cost_, s. d. for this quantity. _sufficient_ for a pudding made for persons. quin's sauce, an excellent fish sauce. . ingredients.-- / pint of walnut pickle, / pint of port wine, pint of mushroom ketchup, dozen anchovies, dozen shalots, / pint of soy, / teaspoonful of cayenne. _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a saucepan, having previously chopped the shalots and anchovies very small; simmer for minutes, strain, and, when cold, bottle off for use: the corks should be well sealed to exclude the air. _time_.-- / hour. _seasonable_ at any time. ravigotte, a french salad sauce. _mons. ude's recipe_. . ingredients.-- teaspoonful of mushroom ketchup, teaspoonful of cavice, teaspoonful of chili vinegar, teaspoonful of reading sauce, a piece of butter the size of an egg, tablespoonfuls of thick béchamel, no. , tablespoonful of minced parsley, tablespoonfuls of cream; salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--scald the parsley, mince the leaves very fine, and add it to all the other ingredients; after mixing the whole together thoroughly, the sauce will be ready for use. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _seasonable_ at any time. reading sauce. . ingredients.-- - / pints of walnut pickle, - / oz. of shalots, quart of spring water, / pint of indian soy, / oz. of bruised ginger, / oz. of long pepper, oz. of mustard-seed, anchovy, / oz. of cayenne, / oz. of dried sweet bay-leaves. _mode_.--bruise the shalots in a mortar, and put them in a stone jar with the walnut-liquor; place it before the fire, and let it boil until reduced to pints. then, into another jar, put all the ingredients except the bay-leaves, taking care that they are well bruised, so that the flavour may be thoroughly extracted; put this also before the fire, and let it boil for hour, or rather more. when the contents of both jars are sufficiently cooked, mix them together, stirring them well as you mix them, and submit them to a slow boiling for / hour; cover closely, and let them stand hours in a cool place; then open the jar and add the bay-leaves; let it stand a week longer closed down, when strain through a flannel bag, and it will be ready for use. the above quantities will make / gallon. _time_.--altogether, hours. _seasonable_.--this sauce may be made at any time. remoulade, or french salad-dressing. . ingredients.-- eggs, / tablespoonful of made mustard, salt and cayenne to taste, tablespoonfuls of olive-oil, tablespoonful of tarragon or plain vinegar. _mode_.--boil eggs quite hard for about / hour, put them into cold water, and let them remain in it for a few minutes; strip off the shells, put the yolks in a mortar, and pound them very smoothly; add to them, very gradually, the mustard, seasoning, and vinegar, keeping all well stirred and rubbed down with the back of a wooden spoon. put in the oil drop by drop, and when this is thoroughly mixed with the other ingredients, add the yolk of a raw egg, and stir well, when it will be ready for use. this sauce should not be curdled; and to prevent this, the only way is to mix a little of everything at a time, and not to cease stirring. the quantities of oil and vinegar may be increased or diminished according to taste, as many persons would prefer a smaller proportion of the former ingredient. green remoulade is made by using tarragon vinegar instead of plain, and colouring with a little parsley-juice, no. . harvey's sauce, or chili vinegar, may be added at pleasure. _time_.-- / hour to boil the eggs. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _sufficient_ for a salad made for or persons. [illustration: tarragon.] tarragon.--the leaves of this plant, known to naturalists as _artemisia dracunculus_, are much used in france as a flavouring ingredient for salads. from it also is made the vinegar known as tarragon vinegar, which is employed by the french in mixing their mustard. it originally comes from tartary, and does not seed in france. sage-and-onion stuffing, for geese, ducks, and pork. . ingredients.-- large onions, sage-leaves, / lb. of bread crumbs, - / oz. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, egg. _mode_.--peel the onions, put them into boiling water, let them simmer for minutes or rather longer, and, just before they are taken out, put in the sage-leaves for a minute or two to take off their rawness. chop both these very fine, add the bread, seasoning, and butter, and work the whole together with the yolk of an egg, when the stuffing will be ready for use. it should be rather highly seasoned, and the sage-leaves should be very finely chopped. many cooks do not parboil the onions in the manner just stated, but merely use them raw. the stuffing then, however, is not nearly so mild, and, to many tastes, its strong flavour would be very objectionable. when made for goose, a portion of the liver of the bird, simmered for a few minutes and very finely minced, is frequently added to this stuffing; and where economy is studied, the egg may be dispensed with. _time_.--rather more than minutes to simmer the onions. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _sufficient_ for goose, or a pair of ducks. . soyer's recipe for goose stuffing.--take apples, peeled and cored, onions, leaves of sage, and leaves of lemon thyme not broken, and boil them in a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them; when done, pulp them through a sieve, removing the sage and thyme; then add sufficient pulp of mealy potatoes to cause it to be sufficiently dry without sticking to the hand; add pepper and salt, and stuff the bird. salad dressing (excellent). i. . ingredients.-- teaspoonful of mixed mustard, teaspoonful of pounded sugar, tablespoonfuls of salad oil, tablespoonfuls of milk, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, cayenne and salt to taste. _mode_.--put the mixed mustard into a salad-bowl with the sugar, and add the oil drop by drop, carefully stirring and mixing all these ingredients well together. proceed in this manner with the milk and vinegar, which must be added very _gradually_, or the sauce will curdle. put in the seasoning, when the mixture will be ready for use. if this dressing is properly made, it will have a soft creamy appearance, and will be found very delicious with crab, or cold fried fish (the latter cut into dice), as well as with salads. in mixing salad dressings, the ingredients cannot be added _too gradually_, or _stirred too much_. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _sufficient_ for a small salad. this recipe can be confidently recommended by the editress, to whom it was given by an intimate friend noted for her salads. scarcity of salads in england.--three centuries ago, very few vegetables were cultivated in england, and an author writing of the period of henry viii.'s reign, tells us that neither salad, nor carrots, nor cabbages, nor radishes, nor any other comestibles of a like nature, were grown in any part of the kingdom: they came from holland and flanders. we further learn, that queen catharine herself, with all her royalty, could not procure a salad of english growth for her dinner. the king was obliged to mend this sad state of affairs, and send to holland for a gardener in order to cultivate those pot-herbs, in the growth of which england is now, perhaps, not behind any other country in europe. [illustration: the olive.] the olive and olive oil.--this tree assumes a high degree of interest from the historical circumstances with which it is connected. a leaf of it was brought into the ark by the dove, when that vessel was still floating on the waters of the great deep, and gave the first token that the deluge was subsiding. among the greeks, the prize of the victor in the olympic games was a wreath of wild olive; and the "mount of olives" is rendered familiar to our ears by its being mentioned in the scriptures as near to jerusalem. the tree is indigenous in the north of africa, syria, and greece; and the romans introduced it to italy. in spain and the south of france it is now cultivated; and although it grows in england, its fruit does not ripen in the open air. both in greece and portugal the fruit is eaten in its ripe state; but its taste is not agreeable to many palates. to the italian shepherd, bread and olives, with a little wine, form a nourishing diet; but in england, olives are usually only introduced by way of dessert, to destroy the taste of the viands which have been previously eaten, that the flavour of the wine may be the better enjoyed. there are three kinds of olives imported to london,--the french, spanish, and italian: the first are from provence, and are generally accounted excellent; the second are larger, but more bitter; and the last are from lucca, and are esteemed the best. the oil extracted from olives, called olive oil, or salad oil, is, with the continentals, in continual request, more dishes being prepared with than without it, we should imagine. with us, it is principally used in mixing a salad, and when thus employed, it tends to prevent fermentation, and is an antidote against flatulency. ii. . ingredients.-- eggs, teaspoonful of mixed mustard, / teaspoonful of white pepper, half that quantity of cayenne, salt to taste, tablespoonfuls of cream, vinegar. _mode_.--boil the eggs until hard, which will be in about / hour or minutes; put them into cold water, take off the shells, and pound the yolks in a mortar to a smooth paste. then add all the other ingredients, except the vinegar, and stir them well until the whole are thoroughly incorporated one with the other. pour in sufficient vinegar to make it of the consistency of cream, taking care to add but little at a time. the mixture will then be ready for use. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _sufficient_ for a moderate-sized salad. _note_.--the whites of the eggs, cut into rings, will serve very well as a garnishing to the salad. iii. . ingredients.-- egg, teaspoonful of salad oil, teaspoonful of mixed mustard, / teaspoonful of salt, / teaspoonful of pounded sugar, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, tablespoonfuls of cream. _mode_.--prepare and mix the ingredients by the preceding recipe, and be very particular that the whole is well stirred. _note_.--in making salads, the vegetables, &c., should never be added to the sauce very long before they are wanted for table; the dressing, however, may always be prepared some hours before required. where salads are much in request, it is a good plan to bottle off sufficient dressing for a few days' consumption, as, thereby, much time and trouble are saved. if kept in a cool place, it will remain good for or days. poetic recipe for salad.--the rev. sydney smith, the witty canon of st. paul's, who thought that an enjoyment of the good things of this earth was compatible with aspirations for things higher, wrote the following excellent recipe for salad, which we should advise our readers not to pass by without a trial, when the hot weather invites to a dish of cold lamb. may they find the flavour equal to the rhyme.-- "two large potatoes, pass'd through kitchen sieve, smoothness and softness to the salad give: of mordent mustard add a single spoon, distrust the condiment that bites too soon; but deem it not, thou man of herbs, a fault. to add a double quantity of salt: four times the spoon with oil of lucca crown, and twice with vinegar procured from 'town; true flavour needs it, and your poet begs, the pounded yellow of two well-boil'd eggs. let onion's atoms lurk within the bowl, and, scarce suspected, animate the whole; and, lastly, in the flavour'd compound toss a magic spoonful of anchovy sauce. oh! great and glorious, and herbaceous treat, 'twould tempt the dying anchorite to eat. back to the world he'd turn his weary soul, and plunge his fingers in the salad-bowl." sauce allemande, or german sauce. . ingredients.-- / pint of sauce tournée (no. ), the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--put the sauce into a stewpan, heat it, and stir to it the beaten yolks of eggs, which have been previously strained. let it just simmer, but not boil, or the eggs will curdle; and after they are added to the sauce, it must be stirred without ceasing. this sauce is a general favourite, and is used for many made dishes. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _average cost_, d. sauce aristocratique (a store sauce). . ingredients.--green walnuts. to every pint of juice, lb. of anchovies, drachm of cloves, drachm of mace, drachm of jamaica ginger bruised, shalots. to every pint of the boiled liquor, / pint of vinegar, / pint of port wine, tablespoonfuls of soy. _mode_.--pound the walnuts in a mortar, squeeze out the juice through a strainer, and let it stand to settle. pour off the clear juice, and to every pint of it, add anchovies, spices, and cloves in the above proportion. boil all these together till the anchovies are dissolved, then strain the juice again, put in the shalots ( to every pint), and boil again. to every pint of the boiled liquor add vinegar, wine, and soy, in the above quantities, and bottle off for use. cork well, and seal the corks. _seasonable_.--make this sauce from the beginning to the middle of july, when walnuts are in perfection for sauces and pickling. _average cost_, s. d. for a quart. manufacture of sauces.--in france, during the reign of louis xii., at the latter end of the th century, there was formed a company of sauce-manufacturers, who obtained, in those days of monopolies, the exclusive privilege of making sauces. the statutes drawn up by this company inform us that the famous sauce à la cameline, sold by them, was to be composed or "good cinnamon, good ginger, good cloves, good grains of paradise, good bread, and good vinegar." the sauce tence, was to be made of "good sound almonds, good ginger, good wine, and good verjuice." may we respectfully express a hope--not that we desire to doubt it in the least--that the english sauce-manufacturers of the th century are equally considerate and careful in choosing their ingredients for their various well-known preparations. sauce a l'aurore, for trout, soles, &c. . ingredients.--the spawn of lobster, oz. of butter, / pint of béchamel (no. ), the juice of / lemon, a high seasoning of salt and cayenne. _mode_.--take the spawn and pound it in a mortar with the butter, until quite smooth, and work it through a hair sieve. put the béchamel into a stewpan, add the pounded spawn, the lemon-juice, which must be strained, and a plentiful seasoning of cayenne and salt; let it just simmer, but do not allow it to boil, or the beautiful red colour of the sauce will be spoiled. a small spoonful of anchovy essence may be added at pleasure. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. _sufficient_ for a pair of large soles. _seasonable_ at any time. sauce a la matelote, for fish. . ingredients.-- / pint of espagnole (no. ), onions, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, / glass of port wine, a bunch of sweet herbs, / bay-leaf, salt and pepper to taste, clove, berries of allspice, a little liquor in which the fish has been boiled, lemon-juice, and anchovy sauce. _mode_.--slice and fry the onions of a nice brown colour, and put them into a stewpan with the espagnole, ketchup, wine, and a little liquor in which the fish has been boiled. add the seasoning, herbs, and spices, and simmer gently for minutes, stirring well the whole time; strain it through a fine hair sieve, put in the lemon-juice and anchovy sauce, and pour it over the fish. this sauce may be very much enriched by adding a few small quenelles, or forcemeat balls made of fish, and also glazed onions or mushrooms. these, however, should not be added to the matelote till it is dished. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--this sauce originally took its name as being similar to that which the french sailor (_matelot_) employed as a relish to the fish he caught and ate. in some cases, cider and perry were substituted for the wine. the norman _matelotes_ were very celebrated. [illustration: the bay.] the bay.--we have already described (see no. ) the difference between the cherry-laurel (_prunus laurus cerasus_) and the classic laurel (_laurus nobilis_), the former only being used for culinary purposes. the latter beautiful evergreen was consecrated by the ancients to priests and heroes, and used in their sacrifices. "a crown of bay" was the earnestly-desired reward for great enterprises, and for the display of uncommon genius in oratory or writing. it was more particularly sacred to apollo, because, according to the fable, the nymph daphne was changed into a laurel-tree. the ancients believed, too, that the laurel had the power of communicating the gift of prophecy, as well as poetic genius; and, when they wished to procure pleasant dreams, would place a sprig under the pillow of their bed. it was the symbol, too, of victory, and it was thought that the laurel could never be struck by lightning. from this word comes that of "laureate;" alfred tennyson being the present poet laureate, crowned with laurel as the first of living bards. sauce piquante, for cutlets, roast meat, &c. . ingredients.-- oz. of butter, small carrot, shalots, small bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley, / a bay-leaf, slices of lean ham, cloves, peppercorns, blade of mace, whole allspice, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, / pint of stock (no. or ), small lump of sugar, / saltspoonful of cayenne, salt to taste. _mode_.--put into a stewpan the butter, with the carrot and shalots, both of which must be cut into small slices; add the herbs, bay-leaf, spices, and ham (which must be minced rather finely), and let these ingredients simmer over a slow fire, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a brown glaze. keep stirring with a wooden spoon, and put in the remaining ingredients. simmer very gently for / hour, skim off every particle of fat, strain the sauce through a sieve, and serve very hot. care must be taken that this sauce be not made too acid, although it should possess a sharpness indicated by its name. of course the above quantity of vinegar may be increased or diminished at pleasure, according to taste. _time_.--altogether / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for a medium-sized dish of cutlets. _seasonable_ at any time. a good sauce for various boiled puddings. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, / lb. of pounded sugar, a wineglassful of brandy or rum. _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream, until no lumps remain; add the pounded sugar, and brandy or rum; stir once or twice until the whole is thoroughly mixed, and serve. this sauce may either be poured round the pudding or served in a tureen, according to the taste or fancy of the cook or mistress. _average cost_, d. for this quantity. _sufficient_ for a pudding. sauce robert, for steaks, &c. . ingredients.-- oz. of butter, onions, teaspoonful of flour, tablespoonfuls of gravy, or stock no. , salt and pepper to taste, teaspoonful of made mustard, teaspoonful of vinegar, the juice of / lemon. _mode_.--put the butter into a stewpan, set it on the fire, and, when browning, throw in the onions, which must be cut into small slices. fry them brown, but do not burn them; add the flour, shake the onions in it, and give the whole another fry. put in the gravy and seasoning, and boil it gently for minutes; skim off the fat, add the mustard, vinegar, and lemon-juice; give it one boil, and pour round the steaks, or whatever dish the sauce has been prepared for. _time_.---altogether / hour. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _seasonable_ at any time. _sufficient_ for about lbs. of steak. _note_.--this sauce will be found an excellent accompaniment to roast goose, pork, mutton cutlets, and various other dishes. a good sauce for steaks. . ingredients.-- oz. of whole black pepper, / oz. of allspice, oz. of salt, / oz. grated horseradish, / oz. of pickled shalots, pint of mushroom ketchup or walnut pickle. _mode_.--pound all the ingredients finely in a mortar, and put them into the ketchup or walnut-liquor. let them stand for a fortnight, when strain off the liquor and bottle for use. either pour a little of the sauce over the steaks or mix it in the gravy. _seasonable_.--this can be made at any time. _note_.--in using a jar of pickled walnuts, there is frequently left a large quantity of liquor; this should be converted into a sauce like the above, and will be found a very useful relish. the growth of the pepper-plant.--our readers will see at nos. and , a description, with engravings, of the qualities of black and long pepper, and an account of where these spices are found. we will here say something of the manner of the growth of the pepper-plant. like the vine, it requires support, and it is usual to plant a thorny tree by its side, to which it may cling. in malabar, the chief pepper district of india, the jacca-tree (_artocarpus integrifolia_) is made thus to yield its assistance, the same soil being adapted to the growth of both plants. the stem of the pepper-plant entwines round its support to a considerable height; the flexile branches then droop downwards, bearing at their extremities, as well as at other parts, spikes of green flowers, which are followed by the pungent berries. these hang in large bunches, resembling in shape those of grapes; but the fruit grows distinct, each on a little stalk, like currants. each berry contains a single seed, of a globular form and brownish colour, but which changes to a nearly black when dried; and this is the pepper of commerce. the leaves are not unlike those of the ivy, but are larger and of rather lighter colour; they partake strongly of the peculiar smell and pungent taste of the berry. sauce tournee. . ingredients.-- pint of white stock (no. ), thickening of flour and butter, or white roux (no. ), a faggot of savoury herbs, including parsley, chopped mushrooms, green onions. _mode_.--put the stock into a stewpan with the herbs, onions, and mushrooms, and let it simmer very gently for about / hour; stir in sufficient thickening to make it of a proper consistency; let it boil for a few minutes, then skim off all the fat, strain and serve. this sauce, with the addition of a little cream, is now frequently called velouté. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. _note_.--if poultry trimmings are at hand, the stock should be made of these; and the above sauce should not be made too thick, as it does not then admit of the fat being nicely removed. sweet sauce, for venison. . ingredients.--a small jar of red-currant jelly, glass of port wine. _mode_.--put the above ingredients into a stewpan, set them over the fire, and, when melted, pour in a tureen and serve. it should not be allowed to boil. _time_.-- minutes to melt the jelly. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. sauce for wildfowl. . ingredients.-- glass of port wine, tablespoonful of leamington sauce (no. ), tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, slice of lemon-peel, large shalot cut in slices, blade of mace, cayenne to taste. _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a stewpan, set it over the fire, and let it simmer for about minutes; then strain and serve the sauce in a tureen. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, for this quantity, d. sausage-meat stuffing, for turkey. . ingredients.-- oz. of lean pork, oz. of fat pork, both weighed after being chopped (beef suet may be substituted for the latter), oz. of bread crumbs, small tablespoonful of minced sage, blade of pounded mace, salt and pepper to taste, egg. _mode_.--chop the meat and fat very finely, mix with them the other ingredients, taking care that the whole is thoroughly incorporated. moisten with the egg, and the stuffing will be ready for use. equal quantities of this stuffing and forcemeat, no. , will be found to answer very well, as the herbs, lemon-peel, &c. in the latter, impart a very delicious flavour to the sausage-meat. as preparations, however, like stuffings and forcemeats, are matters to be decided by individual tastes, they must be left, to a great extent, to the discrimination of the cook, who should study her employer's taste in this, as in every other respect. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for a small turkey. savoury jelly for meat pies. . ingredients.-- lbs. of shin of beef, calf's-foot, lbs. of knuckle of veal, poultry trimmings (if for game pies, any game trimmings), onions stuck with cloves, carrots, shalots, a bunch of savoury herbs, bay-leaves; when liked, blades of mace and a little spice; slices of lean ham, rather more than quarts of water. _mode_.--cut up the meat and put it into a stewpan with all the ingredients except the water; set it over a slow fire to draw down, and, when the gravy ceases to flow from the meat, pour in the water. let it boil up, then carefully take away all scum from the top. cover the stewpan closely, and let the stock simmer very gently for hours: if rapidly boiled, the jelly will not be clear. when done, strain it through a fine sieve or flannel bag; and when cold, the jelly should be quite transparent. if this is not the case, clarify it with the whites of eggs, as described in recipe no. . _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. shrimp sauce, for various kinds of fish. . ingredients.-- / pint of melted butter (no. ), / pint of picked shrimps, cayenne to taste. _mode_.--make the melted butter very smoothly by recipe no. , shell the shrimps (sufficient to make / pint when picked), and put them into the butter; season with cayenne, and let the sauce just simmer, but do not allow it to boil. when liked, a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce may be added. _time_.-- minute to simmer. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. spinach green for colouring various dishes. . ingredients.-- handfuls of spinach. _mode_.--pick and wash the spinach free from dirt, and pound the leaves in a mortar to extract the juice; then press it through a hair sieve, and put the juice into a small stewpan or jar. place this in a bain marie, or saucepan of boiling water, and let it set. watch it closely, as it should not boil; and, as soon as it is done, lay it in a sieve, so that all the water may drain from it, and the green will then be ready for colouring. if made according to this recipe, the spinach-green will be found far superior to that boiled in the ordinary way. hot spice, a delicious adjunct to chops, steaks, gravies, &c. . ingredients.-- drachms each of ginger, black pepper, and cinnamon, cloves, / oz. mace, / oz. of cayenne, oz. grated nutmeg, - / oz. white pepper. _mode_.--pound the ingredients, and mix them thoroughly together, taking care that everything is well blended. put the spice in a very dry glass bottle for use. the quantity of cayenne may be increased, should the above not be enough to suit the palate. [illustration: cinnamon.] cinnamon.--the cinnamon-tree (_laurus cinnamomum_) is a valuable and beautiful species of the laurel family, and grows to the height of or feet. the trunk is short and straight, with wide-spreading branches, and it has a smooth ash-like bark. the leaves are upon short stalks, and are of an oval shape, and to inches long. the flowers are in panicles, with six small petals, and the fruit is about the size of an olive, soft, insipid, and of a deep blue. this incloses a nut, the kernel of which germinates soon after it falls. the wood of the tree is white and not very solid, and its root is thick and branching, exuding a great quantity of camphor. the inner bark of the tree forms the cinnamon of commerce. ceylon was thought to be its native island; but it has been found in malabar, cochin-china, sumatra, and the eastern islands; also in the brazils, the mauritius, jamaica, and other tropical localities. brown roux, a french thickening for gravies and sauces. . ingredients.-- oz. of butter, oz. of flour. _mode_.--melt the butter in a stewpan over a slow fire, and dredge in, very gradually, the flour; stir it till of a light-brown colour--to obtain this do it very slowly, otherwise the flour will burn and impart a bitter taste to the sauce it is mixed with. pour it in a jar, and keep it for use: it will remain good some time. _time_.--about / hour. _average cost_, d. white roux, for thickening white sauces. . allow the same proportions of butter and flour as in the preceding recipe, and proceed in the same manner as for brown roux, but do not keep it on the fire too long, and take care not to let it colour. this is used for thickening white sauce. pour it into a jar to use when wanted. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_,--a dessertspoonful will thicken a pint of gravy. _note_.--besides the above, sauces may be thickened with potato flour, ground rice, baked flour, arrowroot, &c.: the latter will be found far preferable to the ordinary flour for white sauces. a slice of bread, toasted and added to gravies, answers the two purposes of thickening and colouring them. spanish onions--pickled. . ingredients.--onions, vinegar; salt and cayenne to taste. _mode_.--cut the onions in thin slices; put a layer of them in the bottom of a jar; sprinkle with salt and cayenne; then add another layer of onions, and season as before. proceeding in this manner till the jar is full, pour in sufficient vinegar to cover the whole, and the pickle will be fit for use in a month. _seasonable_.--may be had in england from september to february. store sauce, or cherokee. . ingredients.-- / oz. of cayenne pepper, cloves of garlic, tablespoonfuls of soy, tablespoonful of walnut ketchup, pint of vinegar. _mode_.--boil all the ingredients _gently_ for about / hour; strain the liquor, and bottle off for use. _time_.-- / hour. _seasonable_.--this sauce can be made at any time. tomato sauce--hot, to serve with cutlets, roast meats, &c. . ingredients.-- tomatoes, shalots, clove, blade of mace, salt and cayenne to taste, / pint of gravy, no. , or stock no. . _mode_.--cut the tomatoes in two, and squeeze the juice and seeds out; put them in a stewpan with all the ingredients, and let them simmer _gently_ until the tomatoes are tender enough to pulp; rub the whole through a sieve, boil it for a few minutes, and serve. the shalots and spices may be omitted when their flavour is objected to. _time_.-- hour, or rather more, to simmer the tomatoes. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. _in full season_ in september and october. [illustration: the tomato.] tomato, or love-apple.--the plant which bears this fruit is a native of south america, and takes its name from a portuguese word. the tomato fruit is about the size of a small potato, and is chiefly used in soups, sauces, and gravies. it is sometimes served to table roasted or boiled, and when green, makes a good ketchup or pickle. in its unripe state, it is esteemed as excellent sauce for roast goose or pork, and when quite ripe, a good store sauce may be prepared from it. tomato sauce for keeping (excellent). i. . ingredients.--to every quart of tomato-pulp allow pint of cayenne vinegar (no. ), / oz. of shalots, / oz. of garlic, peeled and cut in slices; salt to taste. to every six quarts of liquor, pint of soy, pint of anchovy sauce. _mode_.--gather the tomatoes quite ripe; bake them in a slow oven till tender; rub them through a sieve, and to every quart of pulp add cayenne vinegar, shalots, garlic, and salt, in the above proportion; boil the whole together till the garlic and shalots are quite soft; then rub it through a sieve, put it again into a saucepan, and, to every six quarts of the liquor, add pint of soy and the same quantity of anchovy sauce, and boil altogether for about minutes; bottle off for use, and carefully seal or rosin the corks. this will keep good for or years, but will be fit for use in a week. a useful and less expensive sauce may be made by omitting the anchovy and soy. _time_.--altogether hour. _seasonable_.--make this from the middle of september to the end of october. ii. . ingredients.-- dozen tomatoes, teaspoonfuls of the best powdered ginger, dessertspoonful of salt, head of garlic chopped fine, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, dessertspoonful of chili vinegar (a small quantity of cayenne may be substituted for this). _mode_.--choose ripe tomatoes, put them into a stone jar, and stand them in a cool oven until quite tender; when cold, take the skins and stalks from them, mix the pulp with the liquor which is in the jar, but do not strain it; add all the other ingredients, mix well together, and put it into well-sealed bottles. stored away in a cool dry place, it will keep good for years. it is ready for use as soon as made, but the flavour is better after a week or two. should it not appear to keep, turn it out, and boil it up with a little additional ginger and cayenne. for immediate use, the skins should be put into a wide-mouthed bottle with a little of the different ingredients, and they will be found very nice for hashes or stews. _time_.-- or hours in a cool oven. _seasonable_ from the middle of september to the end of october. iii. . ingredients.-- dozen tomatoes; to every pound of tomato-pulp allow pint of chili vinegar, oz. of garlic, oz. of shalot, oz. of salt, large green capsicum, / teaspoonful of cayenne, pickled gherkins, pickled onions, pint of common vinegar, and the juice of lemons. _mode_.--choose the tomatoes when quite ripe and red; put them in a jar with a cover to it, and bake them till tender. the better way is to put them in the oven overnight, when it will not be too hot, and examine them in the morning to see if they are tender. do not allow them to remain in the oven long enough to break them; but they should be sufficiently soft to skin nicely and rub through the sieve. measure the pulp, and to each pound of pulp, add the above proportion of vinegar and other ingredients, taking care to chop very fine the garlic, shalot, capsicum, onion, and gherkins. boil the whole together till everything is tender; then again rub it through a sieve, and add the lemon-juice. now boil the whole again till it becomes as thick as cream, and keep continually stirring; bottle it when quite cold, cork well, and seal the corks. if the flavour of garlic and shalot is very much disliked, diminish the quantities. _time_.--bake the tomatoes in a cool oven all night. _seasonable_ from the middle of september to the end of october. _note_.--a quantity of liquor will flow from the tomatoes, which must be put through the sieve with the rest. keep it well stirred while on the fire, and use a wooden spoon. universal pickle. . ingredients.--to quarts of vinegar allow lb. of salt, / lb. of ginger, oz. of mace, / lb. of shalots, tablespoonful of cayenne, oz. of mustard-seed, - / oz. of turmeric. _mode_.--boil all the ingredients together for about minutes; when cold, put them into a jar with whatever vegetables you choose, such as radish-pods, french beans, cauliflowers, gherkins, &c. &c., as these come into season; put them in fresh as you gather them, having previously wiped them perfectly free from moisture and grit. this pickle will be fit for use in about or months. _time_.-- minutes. _seasonable_.--make the pickle in may or june, to be ready for the various vegetables. _note_.--as this pickle takes or months to make,--that is to say, nearly that time will elapse before all the different vegetables are added,--care must be taken to keep the jar which contains the pickle well covered, either with a closely-fitting lid, or a piece of bladder securely tied over, so as perfectly to exclude the air. pickled walnuts (very good). . ingredients.-- walnuts, salt and water. to each quart of vinegar allow oz. of whole black pepper, oz. of allspice, oz. of bruised ginger. _mode_.--procure the walnuts while young; be careful they are not woody, and prick them well with a fork; prepare a strong brine of salt and water ( lbs. of salt to each gallon of water), into which put the walnuts, letting them remain days, and changing the brine every third day; drain them off, put them on a dish, place it in the sun until they become perfectly black, which will be in or days; have ready dry jars, into which place the walnuts, and do not quite fill the jars. boil sufficient vinegar to cover them, for minutes, with spices in the above proportion, and pour it hot over the walnuts, which must be quite covered with the pickle; tie down with bladder, and keep in a dry place. they will be fit for use in a month, and will keep good or years. _time_.-- minutes. _seasonable_.--make this from the beginning to the middle of july, before the walnuts harden. _note_.--when liked, a few shalots may be added to the vinegar, and boiled with it. walnut ketchup. i. . ingredients.-- walnuts, handful of salt, quart of vinegar, / oz. of mace, / oz. of nutmeg, / oz. of cloves, / oz. of ginger, / oz. of whole black pepper, a small piece of horseradish, shalots, / lb. of anchovies, pint of port wine. _mode_.--procure the walnuts at the time you can run a pin through them, slightly bruise, and put them into a jar with the salt and vinegar, let them stand days, stirring every day; then drain the liquor from them, and boil it, with the above ingredients, for about / hour. it may be strained or not, as preferred, and, if required, a little more vinegar or wine can be added, according to taste. when bottled well, seal the corks. _time_.-- / hour. _seasonable_.--make this from the beginning to the middle of july, when walnuts are in perfection for pickling purposes. ii. . ingredients.-- / sieve of walnut-shells, quarts of water, salt, / lb. of shalots, oz. of cloves, oz. of mace, oz. of whole pepper, oz. of garlic. _mode_.--put the walnut-shells into a pan, with the water, and a large quantity of salt; let them stand for days, then break the shells up in the water, and let it drain through a sieve, putting a heavy weight on the top to express the juice; place it on the fire, and remove all scum that may arise. now boil the liquor with the shalots, cloves, mace, pepper, and garlic, and let all simmer till the shalots sink; then put the liquor into a pan, and, when cold, bottle, and cork closely. it should stand months before using: should it ferment during that time, it must be again boiled and skimmed. _time_.--about / hour. _seasonable_ in september, when the walnut-shells are obtainable. [illustration: the walnut.] the walnut.--this nut is a native of persia, and was introduced into england from france. as a pickle, it is much used in the green state; and grated walnuts in spain are much employed, both in tarts and other dishes. on the continent it is occasionally employed as a substitute for olive oil in cooking; but it is apt, under such circumstances, to become rancid. the matter which remains after the oil is extracted is considered highly nutritious for poultry. it is called _mare_, and in switzerland is eaten under the name of _pain amer_ by the poor. the oil is frequently manufactured into a kind of soap, and the leaves and green husks yield an extract, which, as a brown dye, is used to stain hair, wool, and wood. white sauce (good). . ingredients.-- / pint of white stock (no. ), / pint of cream, dessertspoonful of flour, salt to taste. _mode_.--have ready a delicately-clean saucepan, into which put the stock, which should be well flavoured with vegetables, and rather savoury; mix the flour smoothly with the cream, add it to the stock, season with a little salt, and boil all these ingredients very gently for about minutes, keeping them well stirred the whole time, as this sauce is very liable to burn. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for a pair of fowls. _seasonable_ at any time. white sauce, made without meat. . ingredients.-- oz. of butter, small onions, carrot, / a small teacupful of flour, pint of new milk, salt and cayenne to taste. _mode_.--cut up the onions and carrot very small, and put them into a stewpan with the butter; simmer them till the butter is nearly dried up; then stir in the flour, and add the milk; boil the whole gently until it thickens, strain it, season with salt and cayenne, and it will be ready to serve. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for a pair of fowls. _seasonable_ at any time. white sauce (a very simple and inexpensive method). . ingredients.-- - / pint of milk, - / oz. of rice, strip of lemon-peel, small blade of pounded mace, salt and cayenne to taste. _mode_.--boil the milk with the lemon-peel and rice until the latter is perfectly tender, then take out the lemon-peel and pound the milk and rice together; put it back into the stewpan to warm, add the mace and seasoning, give it one boil, and serve. this sauce should be of the consistency of thick cream. _time_.--about - / hour to boil the rice. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for a pair of fowls. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: the leamington stove, or kitchener.] various modes of cooking meat. chapter xi. general remarks. . in our "introduction to cookery" (_see_ no. ) we have described the gradual progress of mankind in the art of cookery, the probability being, that the human race, for a long period, lived wholly on fruits. man's means of attacking animals, even if he had the desire of slaughtering them, were very limited, until he acquired the use of arms. he, however, made weapons for himself, and, impelled by a carnivorous instinct, made prey of the animals that surrounded him. it is natural that man should seek to feed on flesh; he has too small a stomach to be supported alone by fruit, which has not sufficient nourishment to renovate him. it is possible he might subsist on vegetables; but their preparation needs the knowledge of art, only to be obtained after the lapse of many centuries. man's first weapons were the branches of trees, which were succeeded by bows and arrows, and it is worthy of remark, that these latter weapons have been found with the natives of all climates and latitudes. it is singular how this idea presented itself to individuals so differently placed. . brillat savarin says, that raw flesh has but one inconvenience,--from its viscousness it attaches itself to the teeth. he goes on to say, that it is not, however, disagreeable; but, when seasoned with salt, that it is easily digested. he tells a story of a croat captain, whom he invited to dinner in , during the occupation of paris by the allied troops. this officer was amazed at his host's preparations, and said, "when we are campaigning, and get hungry, we knock over the first animal we find, cut off a steak, powder it with salt, which we always have in the sabretasche, put it under the saddle, gallop over it for half a mile, and then dine like princes." again, of the huntsmen of dauphiny it is said, that when they are out shooting in september, they take with them both pepper and salt. if they kill a very fat bird, they pluck and season it, and, after carrying it some time in their caps, eat it. this, they declare, is the best way of serving it up. . subsequently to the croat mode, which, doubtless, was in fashion in the earlier ages of the world, fire was discovered. this was an accident; for fire is not, although we are accustomed to call it so, an element, or spontaneous. many savage nations have been found utterly ignorant of it, and many races had no other way of dressing their food than by exposing it to the rays of the sun. . the inhabitants of the marian islands, which were discovered in , had no idea of fire. never was astonishment greater than theirs when they first saw it, on the descent of magellan, the navigator, on one of their isles. at first they thought it a kind of animal, that fixed itself to and fed upon wood. some of them, who approached too near, being burnt, the rest were terrified, and durst only look upon it at a distance. they were afraid, they said, of being bit, or lest that dreadful animal should wound with his violent respiration and dreadful breath; for these were the first notions they formed of the heat and flame. such, too, probably, were the notions the greeks originally formed of them. . fire having been discovered, mankind endeavoured to make use of it for drying, and afterwards for cooking their meat; but they were a considerable time before they hit upon proper and commodious methods of employing it in the preparation of their food. . meat, then, placed on burning fuel was found better than when raw: it had more firmness, was eaten with less difficulty, and the ozmazome being condensed by the carbonization, gave it a pleasing perfume and flavour. still, however, the meat cooked on the coal would become somewhat befouled, certain portions of the fuel adhering to it. this disadvantage was remedied by passing spits through it, and placing it at a suitable height above the burning fuel. thus grilling was invented; and it is well known that, simple as is this mode of cookery, yet all meat cooked in this way is richly and pleasantly flavoured. in homer's time, the, art of cookery had not advanced much beyond this; for we read in the "iliad," how the great achilles and his friend patroclus regaled the three grecian leaders on bread, wine, and broiled meat. it is noticeable, too, that homer does not speak of boiled meat anywhere in his poems. later, however, the jews, coming out of their captivity in egypt, had made much greater progress. they undoubtedly possessed kettles; and in one of these, esau's mess of pottage, for which he sold his birthright, must have been prepared. . having thus briefly traced a history of gastronomical progresses, we will now proceed to describe the various methods of cooking meat, and make a few observations on the chemical changes which occur in each of the operations. . in this country, plain boiling, roasting, and baking are the usual methods of cooking animal food. to explain the philosophy of these simple culinary operations, we must advert to the effects that are produced by heat on the principal constituents of flesh. when finely-chopped mutton or beef is steeped for some time in a small quantity of clean water, and then subjected to slight pressure, the juice of the meat is extracted, and there is left a white tasteless residue, consisting chiefly of muscular fibres. when this residue is heated to between ° and ° fahrenheit, the fibres shrink together, and become hard and horny. the influence of an elevated temperature on the soluble extract of flesh is not less remarkable. when the watery infusion, which contains all the savoury constituents of the meat, is gradually heated, it soon becomes turbid; and, when the temperature reaches °, flakes of whitish matter separate. these flakes are _albumen_, a substance precisely similar, in all its properties, to the white of egg (see no. ). when the temperature of the watery extract is raised to °, the colouring matter of the blood coagulates, and the liquid, which was originally tinged red by this substance, is left perfectly clear, and almost colourless. when evaporated, even at a gentle heat, this residual liquid gradually becomes brown, and acquires the flavour of roast meat. . these interesting facts, discovered in the laboratory, throw a flood of light upon the mysteries of the kitchen. the fibres of meat are surrounded by a liquid which contains albumen in its soluble state, just as it exists in the unboiled egg. during the operation of boiling or roasting, this substance coagulates, and thereby prevents the contraction and hardening of the fibres. the tenderness of well-cooked meat is consequently proportioned to the amount of albumen deposited in its substance. meat is underdone when it has been heated throughout only to the temperature of coagulating albumen: it is thoroughly done when it has been heated through its whole mass to the temperature at which the colouring matter of the blood coagulates: it is overdone when the heat has been continued long enough to harden the fibres. . the juice of flesh is water, holding in solution many substances besides albumen, which are of the highest possible value as articles of food. in preparing meat for the table, great care should be taken to prevent the escape of this precious juice, as the succulence and sapidity of the meat depend on its retention. the meat to be cooked should be exposed at first to a quick heat, which immediately coagulates the albumen on and near the surface. a kind of shell is thus formed, which effectually retains the whole of the juice within the meat. . during the operations of boiling, boasting, and baking, fresh beef and mutton, when moderately fat, lose, according to johnston, on an average about-- in boiling. in baking. in roasting. lbs. of beef lose lb. lb. oz. lb. oz. lbs. of mutton lose oz. lb. oz. lb. oz. baking. [illustration: baking dish.] . the difference between roasting meat and baking it, may be generally described as consisting in the fact, that, in baking it, the fumes caused by the operation are not carried off in the same way as occurs in roasting. much, however, of this disadvantage is obviated by the improved construction of modern ovens, and of especially those in connection with the leamington kitchener, of which we give an engraving here, and a full description of which will be seen at paragraph no. , with the prices at which they can be purchased of messrs. r. and j. slack, of the strand. with meat baked in the generality of ovens, however, which do not possess ventilators on the principle of this kitchener, there is undoubtedly a peculiar taste, which does not at all equal the flavour developed by roasting meat. the chemistry of baking may be said to be the same as that described in roasting. . should the oven be very brisk, it will be found necessary to cover the joint with a piece of white paper, to prevent the meat from being scorched and blackened outside, before the heat can penetrate into the inside. this paper should be removed half an hour before the time of serving dinner, so that the joint may take a good colour. . by means of a jar, many dishes, which will be enumerated under their special heads, may be economically prepared in the oven. the principal of these are soup, gravies, jugged hare, beef tea; and this mode of cooking may be advantageously adopted with a ham, which has previously been covered with a common crust of flour and water. . all dishes prepared for baking should be more highly seasoned than when intended to be roasted. there are some dishes which, it may be said, are at least equally well cooked in the oven as by the roaster; thus, a shoulder of mutton and baked potatoes, a fillet or breast of veal, a sucking pig, a hare, well basted, will be received by connoisseurs as well, when baked, as if they had been roasted. indeed, the baker's oven, or the family oven, may often, as has been said, be substituted for the cook and the spit with greater economy and convenience. . a baking-dish, of which we give an engraving, should not be less than or inches deep; so that the meat, which of course cannot be basted, can stew in its own juices. in the recipe for each dish, full explanations concerning any special points in relation to it will be given. boiling. . boiling, or the preparation of meat by hot water, though one of the easiest processes in cookery, requires skilful management. boiled meat should be tender, savoury, and full of its own juice, or natural gravy; but, through the carelessness and ignorance of cooks, it is too often sent to table hard, tasteless, and innutritious. to insure a successful result in boiling flesh, the heat of the fire must be judiciously regulated, the proper quantity of water must be kept up in the pot, and the scum which rises to the surface must be carefully removed. . many writers on cookery assert that the meat to be boiled should be put into cold water, and that the pot should be heated gradually; but liebig, the highest authority on all matters connected with the chemistry of food, has shown that meat so treated loses some of its most nutritious constituents. "if the flesh," says the great chemist, "be introduced into the boiler when the water is in a state of brisk ebullition, and if the boiling be kept up for a few minutes, and the pot then placed in a warm place, so that the temperature of the water is kept at ° to °, we have the united conditions for giving to the flesh the qualities which best fit it for being eaten." when a piece of meat is plunged into boiling water, the albumen which is near the surface immediately coagulates, forming an envelope, which prevents the escape of the internal juice, and most effectually excludes the water, which, by mixing with this juice, would render the meat insipid. meat treated thus is juicy and well-flavoured, when cooked, as it retains most of its savoury constituents. on the other hand, if the piece of meat be set on the fire with cold water, and this slowly heated to boiling, the flesh undergoes a loss of soluble and nutritious substances, while, as a matter of course, the soup becomes richer in these matters. the albumen is gradually dissolved from the surface to the centre; the fibre loses, more or less, its quality of shortness or tenderness, and becomes hard and tough: the thinner the piece of meat is, the greater is its loss of savoury constituents. in order to obtain well-flavoured and eatable meat, we must relinquish the idea of making good soup from it, as that mode of boiling which yields the best soup gives the driest, toughest, and most vapid meat. slow boiling whitens the meat; and, we suspect, that it is on this account that it is in such favour with the cooks. the wholesomeness of food is, however, a matter of much greater moment than the appearance it presents on the table. it should be borne in mind, that the whiteness of meat that has been boiled slowly, is produced by the loss of some important alimentary properties. . the objections we have raised to the practice of putting meat on the fire in cold water, apply with equal force to the practice of soaking meat before cooking it, which is so strongly recommended by some cooks. fresh meat ought never to be soaked, as all its most nutritive constituents are soluble in water. soaking, however, is an operation that cannot be entirely dispensed with in the preparation of animal food. salted and dried meats require to be soaked for some time in water before they are cooked. . for boiling meat, the softer the water is, the better. when spring water is boiled, the chalk which gives to it the quality of hardness, is precipitated. this chalk stains the meat, and communicates to it an unpleasant earthy taste. when nothing but hard water can be procured, it should be softened by boiling it for an hour or two before it is used for culinary purposes. . the fire must be watched with great attention during the operation of boiling, so that its heat may be properly regulated. as a rule, the pot should be kept in a simmering state; a result which cannot be attained without vigilance. . the temperature at which water boils, under usual circumstances, is ° fahr. water does not become hotter after it has begun to boil, however long or with whatever violence the boiling is continued. this fact is of great importance in cookery, and attention to it will save much fuel. water made to boil in a gentle way by the application of a moderate heat is just as hot as when it is made to boil on a strong fire with the greatest possible violence. when once water has been brought to the boiling point, the fire may be considerably reduced, as a very gentle heat will suffice to keep the water at its highest temperature. . the scum which rises to the surface of the pot during the operation of boiling must be carefully removed, otherwise it will attach itself to the meat, and thereby spoil its appearance. the cook must not neglect to skim during the whole process, though by far the greater part of the scum rises at first. the practice of wrapping meat in a cloth may be dispensed with if the skimming be skillfully managed. if the scum be removed as fast as it rises, the meat will be cooked clean and pure, and come out of the vessel in which it was boiled, much more delicate and firm than when cooked in a cloth. . when taken from the pot, the meat must be wiped with a clean cloth, or, what will be found more convenient, a sponge previously dipped in water and wrung dry. the meat should not be allowed to stand a moment longer than necessary, as boiled meat, as well as roasted, cannot be eaten too hot. . the time allowed for the operation of boiling must be regulated according to the size and quality of the meat. as a general rule, twenty minutes, reckoning from the moment when the boiling commences, may be allowed for every pound of meat. all the best authorities, however, agree in this, that the longer the boiling the more perfect the operation. . a few observations on the nutritive value of salted meat may be properly introduced in this place. every housewife knows that dry salt in contact with fresh meat gradually becomes fluid brine. the application of salt causes the fibres of the meat to contract, and the juice to flow out from its pores: as much as one-third of the juice of the meat is often forced out in this manner. now, as this juice is pure extract of meat, containing albumen, osmazome, and other valuable principles, it follows that meat which has been preserved by the action of salt can never have the nutritive properties of fresh meat. . the vessels used for boiling should be made of cast-iron, well tinned within, and provided with closely-fitting lids. they must be kept scrupulously clean, otherwise they will render the meat cooked in them unsightly and unwholesome. copper pans, if used at all, should be reserved for operations that are performed with rapidity; as, by long contact with copper, food may become dangerously contaminated. the kettle in which a joint is dressed should be large enough to allow room for a good supply of water; if the meat be cramped and be surrounded with but little water, it will be stewed, not boiled. . in stewing, it is not requisite to have so great a heat as in boiling. a gentle simmering in a small quantity of water, so that the meat is stewed almost in its own juices, is all that is necessary. it is a method much used on the continent, and is wholesome and economical. [illustration: boiling-pot.] [illustration: stewpan.] two useful culinary vessels are represented above. one is a boiling-pot, in which large joints may be boiled; the other is a stewpan, with a closely-fitting lid, to which is attached a long handle; so that the cover can be removed without scalding the fingers. [illustration: hot-plate.] . the hot-plate is a modern improvement on the old kitchen ranges, being used for boiling and stewing. it is a plate of cast iron, having a closed fire burning beneath it, by which it is thoroughly well heated. on this plate are set the various saucepans, stewpans, &c.; and, by this convenient and economical method, a number of dishes may be prepared at one time. the culinary processes of braising and stewing are, in this manner, rendered more gradual, and consequently the substance acted on becomes more tender, and the gravy is not so much reduced. broiling. [illustration: revolving gridiron.] . generally speaking, small dishes only are prepared by this mode of cooking; amongst these, the beef-steak and mutton chop of the solitary english diner may be mentioned as celebrated all the world over. our beef-steak, indeed, has long crossed the channel; and, with a view of pleasing the britons, there is in every _carte_ at every french restaurant, by the side of _à la marengo_, and _à la mayonnaise,--bifteck d'angleterre_. in order to succeed in a broil, the cook must have a bright, clear fire; so that the surface of the meat may be quickly heated. the result of this is the same as that obtained in roasting; namely, that a crust, so to speak, is formed outside, and thus the juices of the meat are retained. the appetite of an invalid, so difficult to minister to, is often pleased with a broiled dish, as the flavour and sapidity of the meat are so well preserved. . the utensils used for broiling need but little description. the common gridiron, for which see engraving at no. , is the same as it has been for ages past, although some little variety has been introduced into its manufacture, by the addition of grooves to the bars, by means of which the liquid fat is carried into a small trough. one point it is well to bear in mind, viz., that the gridiron should be kept in a direction slanting towards the cook, so that as little fat as possible may fall into the fire. it has been observed, that broiling is the most difficult manual office the general cook has to perform, and one that requires the most unremitting attention; for she may turn her back upon the stewpan or the spit, but the gridiron can never be left with impunity. the revolving gridiron, shown in the engraving, possesses some advantages of convenience, which will be at once apparent. frying. [illustration: sautÉ pan.] . this very favourite mode of cooking may be accurately described as boiling in fat or oil. substances dressed in this way are generally well received, for they introduce an agreeable variety, possessing, as they do, a peculiar flavour. by means of frying, cooks can soon satisfy many requisitions made on them, it being a very expeditious mode of preparing dishes for the table, and one which can be employed when the fire is not sufficiently large for the purposes of roasting and boiling. the great point to be borne in mind in frying, is that the liquid must be hot enough to act instantaneously, as all the merit of this culinary operation lies in the invasion of the boiling liquid, which carbonizes or burns, at the very instant of the immersion of the body placed in it. it may be ascertained if the fat is heated to the proper degree, by cutting a piece of bread and dipping it in the frying-pan for five or six seconds; and if it be firm and of a dark brown when taken out, put in immediately what you wish to prepare; if it be not, let the fat be heated until of the right temperature. this having been effected, moderate the fire, so that the action may not be too hurried, and that by a continuous heat the juices of the substance may be preserved, and its flavour enhanced. . the philosophy of frying consists in this, that liquids subjected to the action of fire do not all receive the same quantity of heat. being differently constituted in their nature, they possess different "capacities for caloric." thus, you may, with impunity, dip your finger in boiling spirits of wine; you would take it very quickly from boiling brandy, yet more rapidly from water; whilst the effects of the most rapid immersion in boiling oil need not be told. as a consequence of this, heated fluids act differently on the sapid bodies presented to them. those put in water, dissolve, and are reduced to a soft mass; the result being _bouillon_, stock, &c. (_see_ no. ). those substances, on the contrary, treated with oil, harden, assume a more or less deep colour, and are finally carbonized. the reason of these different results is, that, in the first instance, water dissolves and extracts the interior juices of the alimentary substances placed in it; whilst, in the second, the juices are preserved; for they are insoluble in oil. . it is to be especially remembered, in connection with frying, that all dishes fried in fat should be placed before the fire on a piece of blotting-paper, or sieve reversed, and there left for a few minutes, so that any superfluous greasy moisture may be removed. . the utensils used for the purposes of frying are confined to frying-pans, although these are of various sizes; and, for small and delicate dishes, such as collops, fritters, pancakes, &c., the _sauté_ pan, of which we give an engraving, is used. cooking by gas. [illustration: gas stove.] . gas-cooking can scarcely now be considered a novelty,--many establishments, both small and large, have been fitted with apparatus for cooking by this mode, which undoubtedly exhibits some advantages. thus the heat may be more regularly supplied to the substance cooking, and the operation is essentially a clean one, because there can be no cinders or other dirt to be provided for. some labour and attention necessary, too, with a coal fire or close stove, may be saved; and, besides this, it may, perhaps, be said that culinary operations are reduced, by this means, to something like a certainty. . there are, however, we think, many objections to this mode of cooking, more especially when applied to small domestic establishments. for instance, the ingenious machinery necessary for carrying it out, requires cooks perfectly conversant with its use; and if the gas, when the cooking operations are finished, be not turned off, there will be a large increase in the cost of cooking, instead of the economy which it has been supposed to bring. for large establishments, such as some of the immense london warehouses, where a large number of young men have to be catered for daily, it may be well adapted, as it is just possible that a slight increase in the supply of gas necessary for a couple of joints, may serve equally to cook a dozen dishes. roasting. . of the various methods of preparing meat, roasting is that which most effectually preserves its nutritive qualities. meat is roasted by being exposed to the direct influence of the fire. this is done by placing the meat before an open grate, and keeping it in motion to prevent the scorching on any particular part. when meat is properly roasted, the outer layer of its albumen is coagulated, and thus presents a barrier to the exit of the juice. in roasting meat, the heat must be strongest at first, and it should then be much reduced. to have a good juicy roast, therefore, the fire must be red and vigorous at the very commencement of the operation. in the most careful roasting, some of the juice is squeezed out of the meat: this evaporates on the surface of the meat, and gives it a dark brown colour, a rich lustre, and a strong aromatic taste. besides these effects on the albumen and the expelled juice, roasting converts the cellular tissue of the meat into gelatine, and melts the fat out of the fat-cells. . if a spit is used to support the meat before the fire, it should be kept quite bright. sand and water ought to be used to scour it with, for brickdust and oil may give a disagreeable taste to the meat. when well scoured, it must be wiped quite dry with a clean cloth; and, in spitting the meat, the prime parts should be left untouched, so as to avoid any great escape of its juices. . kitchens in large establishments are usually fitted with what are termed "smoke-jacks." by means of these, several spits, if required, may be turned at the same time. this not being, of course, necessary in smaller establishments, a roasting apparatus, more economical in its consumption of coal, is more frequently in use. [illustration: bottle-jack, with wheel and hook.] . the bottle-jack, of which we here give an illustration, with the wheel and hook, and showing the precise manner of using it, is now commonly used in many kitchens. this consists of a spring inclosed in a brass cylinder, and requires winding up before it is used, and sometimes, also, during the operation of roasting. the joint is fixed to an iron hook, which is suspended by a chain connected with a wheel, and which, in its turn, is connected with the bottle-jack. beneath it stands the dripping-pan, which we have also engraved, together with the basting-ladle, the use of which latter should not be spared; as there can be no good roast without good basting. "spare the rod, and spoil the child," might easily be paraphrased into "spare the basting, and spoil the meat." if the joint is small and light, and so turns unsteadily, this may be remedied by fixing to the wheel one of the kitchen weights. sometimes this jack is fixed inside a screen; but there is this objection to this apparatus,--that the meat cooked in it resembles the flavour of baked meat. this is derived from its being so completely surrounded with the tin, that no sufficient current of air gets to it. it will be found preferable to make use of a common meat-screen, such as is shown in the woodcut. this contains shelves for warming plates and dishes; and with this, the reflection not being so powerful, and more air being admitted to the joint, the roast may be very excellently cooked. [illustration: dripping-pan and basting-ladle.] . in stirring the fire, or putting fresh coals on it, the dripping-pan should always be drawn back, so that there may be no danger of the coal, cinders, or ashes falling down into it. . under each particular recipe there is stated the time required for roasting each joint; but, as a general rule, it may be here given, that for every pound of meat, in ordinary-sized joints, a quarter of an hour may be allotted. [illustration: heat-screen.] . white meats, and the meat of young animals, require to be very well roasted, both to be pleasant to the palate and easy of digestion. thus veal, pork, and lamb, should be thoroughly done to the centre. . mutton and beef, on the other hand, do not, generally speaking, require to be so thoroughly done, and they should be dressed to the point, that, in carving them, the gravy should just run, but not too freely. of course in this, as in most other dishes, the tastes of individuals vary; and there are many who cannot partake, with satisfaction, of any joint unless it is what others would call overdressed. [illustration] [illustration] quadrupeds. chapter xii. general observations on quadrupeds. . by the general assent of mankind, the empire of nature has been divided into three kingdoms; the first consisting of minerals, the second of vegetables, and the third of animals. the mineral kingdom comprises all substances which are without those organs necessary to locomotion, and the due performance of the functions of life. they are composed of the accidental aggregation of particles, which, under certain circumstances, take a constant and regular figure, but which are more frequently found without any definite conformation. they also occupy the interior parts of the earth, as well as compose those huge masses by which we see the land in some parts guarded against the encroachments of the sea. the vegetable kingdom covers and beautifies the earth with an endless variety of form and colour. it consists of organized bodies, but destitute of the power of locomotion. they are nourished by means of roots; they breathe by means of leaves; and propagate by means of seed, dispersed within certain limits. the animal kingdom consists of sentient beings, that enliven the external parts of the earth. they possess the powers of voluntary motion, respire air, and are forced into action by the cravings of hunger or the parching of thirst, by the instincts of animal passion, or by pain. like the vegetable kingdom, they are limited within the boundaries of certain countries by the conditions of climate and soil; and some of the species prey upon each other. linnaeus has divided them into six classes;--mammalia, birds, fishes, amphibious animals, insects, and worms. the three latter do not come within the limits of our domain; of fishes we have already treated, of birds we shall treat, and of mammalia we will now treat. . this class of animals embraces all those that nourish their young by means of lacteal glands, or teats, and are so constituted as to have a warm or red blood. in it the whale is placed,--an order which, from external habits, has usually been classed with the fishes; but, although this animal exclusively inhabits the water, and is supplied with fins, it nevertheless exhibits a striking alliance to quadrupeds. it has warm blood, and produces its young alive; it nourishes them with milk, and, for that purpose, is furnished with teats. it is also supplied with lungs, and two auricles and two ventricles to the heart; all of which bring it still closer into an alliance with the quadrupedal species of the animal kingdom. . the general characteristics of the mammalia have been frequently noticed. the bodies of nearly the whole species are covered with hair, a kind of clothing which is both soft and warm, little liable to injury, and bestowed in proportion to the necessities of the animal and the nature of the climate it inhabits. in all the higher orders of animals, the head is the principal seat of the organs of sense. it is there that the eyes, the ears, the nose, and the mouth are placed. through the last they receive their nourishment. in it are the _teeth_, which, in most of the mammalia, are used not only for the mastication of food, but as weapons of offence. they are inserted into two movable bones called jaws, and the front teeth are so placed that their sharp edges may easily be brought in contact with their food, in order that its fibres may readily be separated. next to these, on each side, are situated the canine teeth, or tusks, which are longer than the other teeth, and, being pointed, are used to tear the food. in the back jaws are placed another form of teeth, called grinders. these are for masticating the food; and in those animals that live on vegetables, they are flattened at the top; but, in carnivora, their upper surfaces are furnished with sharp-pointed protuberances. from the numbers, form, and disposition of the teeth, the various genera of quadrupeds have been arranged. the _nose_ is a cartilaginous body, pierced with two holes, which are called nostrils. through these the animal is affected by the sense of smell; and in some it is prominent, whilst in others it is flat, compressed, turned upwards, or bent downwards. in beasts of prey, it is frequently longer than the lips; and in some other animals it is elongated into a movable trunk or proboscis, whilst, in the rhinoceros tribe, it is armed with a horn. the _eyes_ of quadrupeds are generally defended by movable lids, on the outer margins of which are fringes of hair, called eyelashes. the opening of the pupil is in general circular; but to some species, as in those of the cat and hare, it is contracted into a perpendicular line, whilst in the horse, the ox, and a few others, it forms a transverse bar. the _ears_ are openings, generally accompanied with a cartilage which defends and covers them, called the external ears. in water-animals the latter are wanting; sound, in them, being transmitted merely through orifices in the head, which have the name of auditory-holes. the most defenceless animals are extremely delicate in the sense of hearing, as are likewise most beasts of prey. most of the mammiferous animals _walk_ on four feet, which, at the extremities, are usually divided into toes or fingers. in some, however, the feet end in a single corneous substance called a hoof. the toes of a few end in broad, flat nails, and of most others, in pointed claws. some, again, have the toes connected by a membrane, which is adapted to those that are destined to pass a considerable portion of their lives in water. others, again, as in the bat, have the digitations of the anterior feet greatly elongated, the intervening space being filled by a membrane, which extends round the hinder legs and tail, and by means of which they are enabled to rise into the air. in man, the hand alone comprises fingers, separate, free, and flexible; but apes, and some other kinds of animals, have fingers both to the hands and feet. these, therefore, are the only animals that can hold movable objects in a single hand. others, such as rats and squirrels, have the fingers sufficiently small and flexible to enable them to pick up objects; but they are compelled to hold them in both hands. others, again, have the toes shorter, and must rest on the fore-feet, as is the case with dogs and cats when they wish to hold a substance firmly on the ground with their paws. there are still others that have their toes united and drawn under the skin, or enveloped in corneous hoofs, and are thereby enabled to exercise no prehensile power whatever. . according to the design and end of nature, mammiferous animals are calculated, when arrived at maturity, to subsist on various kinds of food,--some to live wholly upon flesh, others upon grain, herbs, or fruits; but in their infant state, milk is the appropriate food of the whole. that this food may never fail them, it is universally ordained, that the young should no sooner come into the world, than the milk should flow in abundance into the members with which the mother is supplied for the secretion of that nutritious fluid. by a wonderful instinct of nature, too, the young animal, almost as soon as it has come into life, searches for the teat, and knows perfectly, at the first, how, by the process of suction, it will be able to extract the fluid necessary to its existence. . in the general economy of nature, this class of animals seems destined to preserve a constant equilibrium in the number of animated beings that hold their existence on the surface of the earth. to man they are immediately useful in various ways. some of their bodies afford him food, their skin shoes, and their fleece clothes. some of them unite with him in participating the dangers of combat with an enemy, and others assist him in the chase, in exterminating wilder sorts, or banishing them from the haunts of civilization. many, indeed, are injurious to him; but most of them, in some shape or other, he turns to his service. of these there is none he has made more subservient to his purposes than the common ox, of which there is scarcely a part that he has not been able to convert into some useful purpose. of the horns he makes drinking-vessels, knife-handles, combs, and boxes; and when they are softened by means of boiling water, he fashions them into transparent plates for lanterns. this invention is ascribed to king alfred, who is said to have been the first to use them to preserve his candle time-measures from the wind. glue is made of the cartilages, gristles, and the finer pieces of the parings and cuttings of the hides. their bone is a cheap substitute for ivory. the thinnest of the calf-skins are manufactured into vellum. their blood is made the basis of prussian blue, and saddlers use a fine sort of thread prepared from their sinews. the hair is used in various valuable manufactures; the suet, fat, and tallow, are moulded into candles; and the milk and cream of the cow yield butter and cheese. thus is every part of this animal valuable to man, who has spared no pains to bring it to the highest state of perfection. [illustration: short-horn cow.] [illustration: short-horn bull.] . among the various breeds of the ox, upon which man has bestowed his highest powers of culture, there is now none takes a higher place than that known by the name of short-horns. from the earliest ages, great britain has been distinguished for the excellence of her native breeds of cattle, and there are none in england that have obtained greater celebrity than those which have this name, and which originated, about seventy years ago, on the banks of the tees. thence they have spread into the valleys of the tweed; thence to the lothians, in scotland; and southward, into the fine pastures of england. they are now esteemed the most profitable breed of cattle, as there is no animal which attains sooner to maturity, and none that supplies meat of a superior quality. the value of some of the improved breeds is something enormous. at the sale of mr. charles colling, a breeder in yorkshire, in , his bull "comet" sold for , guineas. at the sale of earl spencer's herd in , cows, heifers, and calves, with nineteen bulls, fetched £ , . s.; being an average of £ . s. apiece. the value of such animals is scarcely to be estimated by those who are unacquainted with the care with which they are tended, and with the anxious attention which is paid to the purity of their breed. a modern writer, well acquainted with this subject, says, "there are now, at least, five hundred herds, large and small, in this kingdom, and from six to seven thousand head registered every alternate year in the herd-book." the necessity for thus recording the breeds is greater than might, at first sight, be imagined, as it tends directly to preserve the character of the cattle, while it sometimes adds to the value and reputation of the animal thus entered. besides, many of the americans, and large purchasers for the foreign market, will not look at an animal without the breeder has taken care to qualify him for such reference. of short-horned stock, there is annually sold from £ , to £ , worth by public auction, independent of the vast numbers disposed of by private contract. the brood is highly prized in belgium, prussia, france, italy, and russia; it is imported into most of the british colonies, and is greatly esteemed both for its meat and its dairy produce, wherever it is known. the quickness with which it takes on flesh, and the weight which it frequently makes, are well known; but we may mention that it is not uncommon to tee steers of from four to five years old realize a weight of from to , lbs. such animals command from the butcher from £ to £ per head, according to the quality; whilst others, of two or three years old, and, of course, of less weight, bring as much as £ apiece. [illustration: long-horn bull.] [illustration: long-horn cow.] . long-horns.--this is the prevailing breed in our midland counties and in ireland; but they are greatly inferior to the short-horns, and are fast being supplanted by them. even where they have been cultivated with the nicest care and brought to the greatest perfection, they are inferior to the others, and must ultimately be driven from the farm. [illustration: alderney cow.] [illustration: alderney bull.] . the alderney.--among the dairy breeds of england, the alderney takes a prominent place, not on account of the quantity of milk which it yields, but on account of the excellent quality of the cream and butter which are produced from it. its docility is marvellous, and in appearance it greatly resembles the ayrshire breed of scotland, the excellence of which is supposed to be, in some degree, derived from a mixture of the alderney blood with that breed. the distinction between them, however, lies both in the quantity and quality of the milk which they severally produce; that of the alderney being rich in quality, and that of the ayrshire abundant in quantity. the merit of the former, however, ends with its milk, for as a grazer it is worthless. [illustration: galloway bull.] [illustration: galloway cow.] . scottish breeds.--of these the kyloe, which belongs to the highlands of scotland; the galloway, which has been called the kyloe without horns; and the ayrshire, are the breeds most celebrated. the first has kept his place, and on account of the compactness of his form, and the excellent quality of his flesh, he is a great favourite with butchers who have a select family trade. it is alike unsuitable for the dairy and the arable farm; but in its native highlands it attains to great perfection, thriving upon the scanty and coarse herbage which it gathers on the sides of the mountains. the galloway has a larger frame, and when fattened makes excellent beef. but it has given place to the short-horns in its native district, where turnip-husbandry is pursued with advantage. the ayrshire is peculiarly adapted for the dairy, and for the abundance of its milk cannot be surpassed in its native district. in this it stands unrivalled, and there is no other breed capable of converting the produce of a poor soil into such fine butter and cheese. it is difficult to fatten, however, and its beef is of a coarse quality. we have chosen these as among the principal representative breeds of the ox species; but there are other breeds which, at all events, have a local if not a general celebrity. [illustration: side of beef, showing the several joints.] . the general mode of slaughtering oxen in this country is by striking them a smart blow with a hammer or poleaxe on the head, a little above the eyes. by this means, when the blow is skilfully given, the beast is brought down at one blow, and, to prevent recovery, a cane is generally inserted, by which the spinal cord is perforated, which instantly deprives the ox of all sensation of pain. in spain, and some other countries on the continent, it is also usual to deprive oxen of life by the operation of pithing or dividing the spinal cord in the neck, close to the back part of the head. this is, in effect, the same mode as is practised in the celebrated spanish bull-fights by the matador, and it is instantaneous in depriving the animal of sensation, if the operator be skilful. we hope and believe that those men whose disagreeable duty it is to slaughter the "beasts of the field" to provide meat for mankind, inflict as little punishment and cause as little suffering as possible. . the manner in which a side of beef is cut up in london, is shown in the engraving on this page. in the metropolis, on account of the large number of its population possessing the means to indulge in the "best of everything," the demand for the most delicate joints of meat is great, the price, at the same time, being much higher for these than for the other parts. the consequence is, that in london the carcass is there divided so as to obtain the greatest quantity of meat on the most esteemed joints. in many places, however, where, from a greater equality in the social condition and habits of the inhabitants, the demand and prices for the different parts of the carcasses are more equalized, there is not the same reason for the butcher to cut the best joints so large. . the meat on those parts of the animal in which the muscles are least called into action, is most tender and succulent; as, for instance, along the back, from the rump to the hinder part of the shoulder; whilst the limbs, shoulder, and neck, are the toughest, driest, and least-esteemed. . the names of the several joints in the hind and fore quarters of a side of beef, and the purposes for which they are used, are as follows:-- hind quarter. . sirloin.--the two sirloins, cut together in one joint, form a baron; this, when roasted, is the famous national dish of englishmen, at entertainments, on occasion of rejoicing. . rump,--the finest part for steaks. . aitch-bone,--boiling piece. . buttock,--prime boiling piece. . mouse-round,--boiling or stewing. . hock,--stewing. . thick flank, cut with the udder-fat,--primest boiling piece. . thin flank,--boiling. fore quarter. . five ribs, called the fore-rib.--this is considered the primest roasting piece. . four ribs, called the middle-rib,--greatly esteemed by housekeepers as the most economical joint for roasting. . two ribs, called the chuck-rib,--used for second quality of steaks. . leg-of-mutton piece,--the muscles of the shoulder dissected from the breast. . brisket, or breast,--used for boiling, after being salted. . neck, clod, and sticking-piece,--used for soups, gravies, stocks, pies, and mincing for sausages. . shin,--stewing. the following is a classification of the qualities of meat, according to the several joints of beef, when cut up in the london manner. _first class_.--includes the sirloin, with the kidney suet ( ), the rump-steak piece ( ), the fore-rib ( ). _second class_.--the buttock ( ), the thick flank ( ), the middle-rib ( ). _third class_.--the aitch-bone ( ), the mouse-round ( ), the thin flank ( ), the chuck ( ), the leg-of-mutton piece ( ), the brisket ( ). _fourth class_.--the neck, clod, and sticking-piece ( ). _fifth class_.--the hock ( ), the shin ( ). recipes. chapter xiii. baked beef (cold meat cookery). i. . ingredients.--about lbs. of cold roast beef, small onions, large carrot or two small ones, turnip, a small bunch of savoury herbs, salt and pepper to taste, tablespoonfuls of gravy, tablespoonfuls of ale, crust or mashed potatoes. _mode_.--cut the beef in slices, allowing a small amount of fat to each slice; place a layer of this in the bottom of a pie-dish, with a portion of the onions, carrots, and turnips, which must be sliced; mince the herbs, strew them over the meat, and season with pepper and salt. then put another layer of meat, vegetables, and seasoning; and proceed in this manner until all the ingredients are used. pour in the gravy and ale (water may be substituted for the former, but it is not so nice), cover with a crust or mashed potatoes, and bake for / hour, or rather longer. _time_.--rather more than / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--it is as well to parboil the carrots and turnips before adding them to the meat, and to use some of the liquor in which they were boiled as a substitute for gravy; that is to say, when there is no gravy at hand. be particular to cut the onions in very _thin_ slices. ii. . ingredients.--slices of cold roast beef, salt and pepper to taste, sliced onion, teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs, or tablespoonfuls of gravy or sauce of any kind, mashed potatoes. _mode_.--butter the sides of a deep dish, and spread mashed potatoes over the bottom of it; on this place layers of beef in thin slices (this may be minced if there is not sufficient beef to cut into slices), well seasoned with pepper and salt, and a very little onion end herbs, which should be previously fried of a nice brown; then put another layer of mashed potatoes, and beef, and other ingredients, as before; pour in the gravy or sauce, cover the whole with another layer of potatoes, and bake for / hour. this may be served in the dish, or turned out. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold beef, d. _sufficient_.--a large pie-dish full for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. beef.--the quality of beef depends on various circumstances; such as the age, the sex, the breed of the animal, and also on the food upon which it has been raised. bull beef is, in general, dry and tough, and by no means possessed of an agreeable flavour; whilst the flesh of the ox is not only highly nourishing and digestible, but, if not too old, extremely agreeable. the flesh of the cow is, also, nourishing, but it is not so agreeable as that of the ox, although that of a heifer is held in high estimation. the flesh of the smaller breeds is much sweeter than that of the larger, which is best when the animal is about seven years old. that of the smaller breeds is best at about five years, and that of the cow can hardly be eaten too young. baked beef-steak pudding. . ingredients.-- oz. of flour, eggs, not quite pint of milk, salt to taste, - / lb. of rump-steaks, kidney, pepper and salt. _mode_.--cut the steaks into nice square pieces, with a small quantity of fat, and the kidney divide into small pieces. make a batter of flour, eggs, and milk in the above proportion; lay a little of it at the bottom of a pie-dish; then put in the steaks and kidney, which should be well seasoned with pepper and salt, and pour over the remainder of the batter, and bake for - / hour in a brisk but not fierce oven. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. beef a la mode. (_economical_.) . ingredients.--about lbs. of clod or sticking of beef, oz. of clarified dripping, large onion, flour, quarts of water, berries of allspice, bay-leaves, / teaspoonful of whole black pepper, salt to taste. _mode_.--cut the beef into small pieces, and roll them in flour; put the dripping into a stewpan with the onion, which should be sliced thin. let it get quite hot; lay in the pieces of beef, and stir them well about. when nicely browned all over, add _by degrees_ boiling water in the above proportion, and, as the water is added, keep the whole well stirred. put in the spice, bay-leaves, and seasoning, cover the stewpan closely, and set it by the side of the fire to stew very _gently_, till the meat becomes quite tender, which will be in about hours, when it will be ready to serve. remove the bay-leaves before it is sent to table. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. beef a la mode. . ingredients.-- or lbs. of the thick flank of beef, a few slices of fat bacon, teacupful of vinegar, black pepper, allspice, cloves well mixed and finely pounded, making altogether heaped teaspoonful; salt to taste, bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley, all finely minced and well mixed; onions, large carrots, turnip, head of celery, - / pint of water, glass of port wine. _mode_.--slice and fry the onions of a pale brown, and cut up the other vegetables in small pieces, and prepare the beef for stewing in the following manner:--choose a fine piece of beef, cut the bacon into long slices, about an inch in thickness, dip them into vinegar, and then into a little of the above seasoning of spice, &c., mixed with the same quantity of minced herbs. with a sharp knife make holes deep enough to let in the bacon; then rub the beef over with the remainder of the seasoning and herbs, and bind it up in a nice shape with tape. have ready a well-tinned stewpan (it should not be much larger than the piece of meat you are cooking), into which put the beef, with the vegetables, vinegar, and water. let it simmer _very gently_ for hours, or rather longer, should the meat not be extremely tender, and turn it once or twice. when ready to serve, take out the beef, remove the tape, and put it on a hot dish. skim off every particle of fat from the gravy, add the port wine, just let it boil, pour it over the beef, and it is ready to serve. great care must be taken that this does not boil fast, or the meat will be tough and tasteless; it should only just bubble. when convenient, all kinds of stews, &c., should be cooked on a hot-plate, as the process is so much more gradual than on an open fire. _time_.-- hours, or rather more. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but more suitable for a winter dish. good meat.--the lyer of meat when freshly killed, and the animal, when slaughtered, being in a state of perfect health, adheres firmly to the bones. beef of the best quality is of a deep-red colour; and when the animal has approached maturity, and been well fed, the lean is intermixed with fat, giving it the mottled appearance which is so much esteemed. it is also full of juice, which resembles in colour claret wine. the fat of the best beef is of a firm and waxy consistency, of a colour resembling that of the finest grass butter; bright in appearance, neither greasy nor friable to the touch, but moderately unctuous, in a medium degree between the last-mentioned properties. beef-steaks and oyster sauce. . ingredients.-- dozen oysters, ingredients for oyster sauce (see no. ), lbs. of rump-steak, seasoning to taste of pepper and salt. _mode_.--make the oyster sauce by recipe no. , and when that is ready, put it by the side of the fire, but do not let it keep boiling. have the steaks cut of an equal thickness, broil them over a very clear fire, turning them often, that the gravy may not escape. in about minutes they will be done, then put them on a very hot dish; smother with the oyster sauce, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. serve quickly. _time_.--about to minutes, according to the thickness of the steak. _average cost_, s. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from september to april. beef-steak pie. . ingredients.-- lbs. of rump-steak, seasoning to taste of salt, cayenne, and black pepper, crust, water, the yolk of an egg. _mode_.--have the steaks cut from a rump that has hung a few days, that they may be tender, and be particular that every portion is perfectly sweet. cut the steaks into pieces about inches long and wide, allowing a _small_ piece of fat to each piece of lean, and arrange the meat in layers in a pie-dish. between each layer sprinkle a seasoning of salt, pepper, and, when liked, a few grains of cayenne. fill the dish sufficiently with meat to support the crust, and to give it a nice raised appearance when baked, and not to look flat and hollow. pour in sufficient water to half fill the dish, and border it with paste (see pastry); brush it over with a little water, and put on the cover; slightly press down the edges with the thumb, and trim off close to the dish. ornament the pie with leaves, or pieces of paste cut in any shape that fancy may direct, brush it over with the beaten yolk of an egg; make a hole in the top of the crust, and bake in a hot oven for about - / hour. _time_.--in a hot oven, - / hour. _average cost_, for this size, s d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. note.--beef-steak pies may be flavoured in various ways, with oysters and their liquor, mushrooms, minced onions, &c. for family pies, suet may be used instead of butter or lard for the crust, and clarified beef-dripping answers very well where economy is an object. pieces of underdone roast or boiled meat may in pies be used very advantageously; but always remove the bone from pie-meat, unless it be chicken or game. we have directed that the meat shall be cut smaller than is usually the case; for on trial we have found it much more tender, more easily helped, and with more gravy, than when put into the dish in one or two large steaks. [illustration: sherry pudding dish.] beef-steak and kidney pudding. . ingredients.-- lbs. of rump-steak, kidneys, seasoning to taste of salt and black pepper, suet crust made with milk (see pastry), in the proportion of oz. of suet to each lb. of flour. _mode_.--procure some tender rump steak (that which has been hung a little time), and divide it into pieces about an inch square, and cut each kidney into pieces. line the dish (of which we have given an engraving) with crust made with suet and flour in the above proportion, leaving a small piece of crust to overlap the edge. then cover the bottom with a portion of the steak and a few pieces of kidney; season with salt and pepper (some add a little flour to thicken the gravy, but it is not necessary), and then add another layer of steak, kidney, and seasoning. proceed in this manner till the dish is full, when pour in sufficient water to come within inches of the top of the basin. moisten the edges of the crust, cover the pudding over, press the two crusts together, that the gravy may not escape, and turn up the overhanging paste. wring out a cloth in hot water, flour it, and tie up the pudding; put it into boiling water, and let it boil for at least hours. if the water diminishes, always replenish with some, hot in a jug, as the pudding should be kept covered all the time, and not allowed to stop boiling. when the cloth is removed, cut out a round piece in the top of the crust, to prevent the pudding bursting, and send it to table in the basin, either in an ornamental dish, or with a napkin pinned round it. serve quickly. _time_.--for a pudding with lbs. of steak and kidneys allow hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but more suitable in winter. note.--beef-steak pudding may be very much enriched by adding a few oysters or mushrooms. the above recipe was contributed to this work by a sussex lady, in which county the inhabitants are noted for their savoury puddings. it differs from the general way of making them, as the meat is cut up into very small pieces and the basin is differently shaped: on trial, this pudding will be found far nicer, and more full of gravy, than when laid in large pieces in the dish. bad meat. in the flesh of animals slaughtered whilst suffering acute inflammation or fever, the hollow fibres, or capillaries, as they are called, which form the substance of the lyer, are filled with congested and unassimilated animal fluid, which, from its impurity, gives the lyer a dark colour, and produces a tendency to rapid putrefaction. in a more advanced stage of such disease, serous, and sometimes purulent matter, is formed in the cellular tissues between the muscles of the flesh; and when such is the case, nothing can be more poisonous than such abominable carrion. in the flesh of animals killed whilst under the influence of any disease of an emaciating effect, the lyer adheres but slightly to the bones, with its fibres contracted and dry; and the little fat that there may be is friable, and shrunk within its integuments. the flesh of animals slaughtered whilst under considerable depression of vital energy (as from previous bleeding) has a diminished tendency to stiffen after death, the feebleness of this tendency being in proportion to the degree of depression. it presents, also, an unnatural blue or pallid appearance, has a faint and slightly sour smell, and soon becomes putrid. when an animal has died otherwise than by slaughtering, its flesh is flaccid and clammy, emits a peculiar faint and disagreeable smell, and, it need scarcely be added, spontaneous decomposition proceeds very rapidly. beef-steaks with fried potatoes, or biftek aux pommes-de-terre (a la mode francaise). . ingredients.-- lbs. of steak, potatoes, / lb. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, teaspoonful of minced herbs. _mode_.--put the butter into a frying or _sauté_ pan, set it over the fire, and let it get very hot; peel, and cut the potatoes into long thin slices; put them into the hot butter, and fry them till of a nice brown colour. now broil the steaks over a bright clear fire, turning them frequently, that every part may be equally done: as they should not be thick, minutes will broil them. put the herbs and seasoning in the butter the potatoes were fried in, pour it under the steak, and place the fried potatoes round, as a garnish. to have this dish in perfection, a portion of the fillet of the sirloin should be used, as the meat is generally so much more tender than that of the rump, and the steaks should be cut about / of an inch in thickness. _time_.-- minutes to broil the steaks, and about the same time to fry the potatoes. _average cost_, s. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ all the year; but not so good in warm weather, as the meat cannot hang to get tender. [illustration: aitch-bone of beef.] boiled aitch-bone of beef. . ingredients.--beef, water. _mode_.--after this joint has been in salt or days, it will be ready for use, and will not take so long boiling: as a round, for it is not so solid. wash the meat, and, if too salt, soak it for a few hours, changing the water once or twice, till the required freshness is obtained. put into a saucepan, or boiling-pot, sufficient water to cover the meat; set it over the fire, and when it boils, plunge in the joint (see no. ), and let it boil up quickly. now draw the pot to the side of the fire, and let the process be very gradual, as the water must only simmer, or the meat will be hard and tough. carefully remove the scum from the surface of the water, and continue doing this for a few minutes after it first boils. carrots and turnips are served with this dish, and sometimes suet dumplings, which may be boiled with the beef. garnish with a few of the carrots and turnips, and serve the remainder in a vegetable-dish. _time_.--an aitch-bone of lbs., - / hours after the water boils; one of lbs., hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_.-- lbs. for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but best from september to march. _note_.--the liquor in which the meat has been boiled may be easily converted into a very excellent pea-soup. it will require very few vegetables, as it will be impregnated with the flavour of those boiled with the meat. the action of salt on meat.--the manner in which salt acts in preserving meat is not difficult to understand. by its strong affinity, it, in the first place, extracts the juices from the substance of meat in sufficient quantity to form a saturated solution with the water contained in the juice, and the meat then absorbs the saturated brine in place of the juice extracted by the salt. in this way, matter incapable of putrefaction takes the places of that portion in the meat which is most perishable. such, however, is not the only office of salt as a means of preserving meat; it acts also by its astringency in contracting the fibres of the muscles, and so excludes the action of air on the interior of the substance of the meat. the last-mentioned operation of salt as an antiseptic is evinced by the diminution of the volume of meat to which it is applied. the astringent action of _saltpetre_ on meat is much greater than that of salt, and thereby renders meat to which it is applied very hard; but, in small quantities, it considerably assists the antiseptic action of salt, and also prevents the destruction of the florid colour of meat, which is caused by the application of salt. thus, it will be perceived, from the foregoing statement, that the application of salt and saltpetre diminishes, in a considerable degree, the nutritive, and, to some extent, the wholesome qualities of meat; and, therefore, in their use, the quantity applied should be as small as possible, consistent with the perfect preservation of the meat. boiled round of beef. . ingredients.--beef, water. _mode_.--as a whole round of beef, generally speaking, is too large for small families, and very seldom required, we here give the recipe for dressing a portion of the silver side of the round. take from to lbs., after it has been in salt about days; just wash off the salt, skewer it up in a nice round-looking form, and bind it with tape to keep the skewers in their places. put it in a saucepan of boiling water, as in the preceding recipe, set it upon a good fire, and when it begins to boil, carefully remove all scum from the surface, as, if this is not attended to, it sinks on to the meat, and when brought to table, presents a very unsightly appearance. when it is well skimmed, draw the pot to the corner of the fire, and let it simmer very gently until done. remove the tape and skewers, which should be replaced by a silver one; pour over a little of the pot-liquor, and garnish with carrots. (_see_ coloured plate .) carrots, turnips, parsnips, and sometimes suet dumplings, accompany this dish; and these may all be boiled with the beef. the pot-liquor should be saved, and converted into pea-soup; and the outside slices, which are generally hard, and of an uninviting appearance, may be out off before being sent to table, and potted. these make an excellent relish for the breakfast or luncheon table. _time_.--part of a round of beef weighing lbs., about hours after the water boils. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but more suitable for winter. . soyer's recipe for preserving the gravy in salt meat, when it is to be served cold.--fill two tubs with cold water, into which throw a few pounds of rough ice; and when the meat is done, put it into one of the tubs of ice-water; let it remain minute, when take out, and put it into the other tub. fill the first tub again with water, and continue this process for about minutes; then set it upon a dish, and let it remain until quite cold. when cut, the fat will be as white as possible, besides having saved the whole, of the gravy. if there is no ice, spring water will answer the same purpose, but will require to be more frequently changed. _note_.--the brisket and rump may be boiled by the above recipe; of course allowing more or less time, according to the size of the joint. beef cake. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast beef; to each pound of cold meat allow / lb. of bacon or ham; seasoning to taste of pepper and salt, small bunch of minced savoury herbs, or eggs. _mode_.--mince the beef very finely (if underdone it will be better), add to it the bacon, which must also be chopped very small, and mix well together. season, stir in the herbs, and bind with an egg, or should not be sufficient. make it into small square cakes, about / inch thick, fry them in hot dripping, and serve in a dish with good gravy poured round them. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. broiled beef-steaks or rump-steaks. . ingredients.--steaks, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, salt to taste, tablespoonful of good mushroom ketchup or harvey's sauce. _mode_.--as the success of a good broil so much depends on the state of the fire, see that it is bright and clear, and perfectly free from smoke, and do not add any fresh fuel just before you require to use the gridiron. sprinkle a little salt over the fire, put on the gridiron for a few minutes, to get thoroughly hot through; rub it with a piece of fresh, suet, to prevent the meat from sticking, and lay on the steaks, which should be cut of an equal thickness, about / of an inch, or rather thinner, and level them by beating them as _little_ as possible with a rolling-pin. turn them frequently with steak-tongs (if these are not at hand, stick a fork in the edge of the fat, that no gravy escapes), and in from to minutes they will be done. have ready a very hot dish, into which put the ketchup, and, when liked, a little minced shalot; dish up the steaks, rub them over with butter, and season with pepper and salt. the exact time for broiling steaks must be determined by taste, whether they are liked underdone or well done; more than from to minutes for a steak / inch in thickness, we think, would spoil and dry up the juices of the meat. great expedition is necessary in sending broiled steaks to table; and, to have them in perfection, they should not be cooked till everything else prepared for dinner has been dished up, as their excellence entirely depends on their being served very hot. garnish with scraped horseradish, or slices of cucumber. oyster, tomato, onion, and many other sauces, are frequent accompaniments to rump-steak, but true lovers of this english dish generally reject all additions but pepper and salt. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. per lb. _sufficient_.--allow / lb. to each person; if the party consist entirely of gentlemen, / lb. will not be too much. _seasonable_ all the year, but not good in the height of summer, as the meat cannot hang long enough to be tender. different seasons for beef.--we have already stated (see no. ) that the scots breed of oxen, like the south-down in mutton, stands first in excellence. it should be borne in mind, however, that each county has its particular season, and that the london and other large markets are always supplied by those counties whose meat, from local circumstances, is in the best condition at the time. thus, the season in norfolk, from which the scots come (these being the principal oxen bred by the norfolk and suffolk graziers), commences about christmas and terminates about june, when this breed begins to fall off, their place being taken by grass-fed oxen. a large quantity of most excellent meat is sent to the "dead markets" from scotland, and some of the best london butchers are supplied from this source. broiled beef and mushroom sauce. (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.-- or dozen small button mushrooms, oz. of butter, salt and cayenne to taste, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, mashed potatoes, slices of cold roast beef. _mode_.--wipe the mushrooms free from grit with a piece of flannel, and salt; put them in a stewpan with the butter, seasoning, and ketchup; stir over the fire until the mushrooms are quite done, when pour it in the middle of mashed potatoes, browned. then place round the potatoes slices of cold roast beef, nicely broiled, over a clear fire. in making the mushroom sauce, the ketchup may be dispensed with, if there is sufficient gravy. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ from august to october. broiled beef and oyster sauce (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.-- dozen oysters, cloves, blade of mace, oz. of butter, / teaspoonful of flour, cayenne and salt to taste, mashed potatoes, a few slices of cold roast beef. _mode_.--put the oysters in a stewpan, with their liquor strained; add the cloves, mace, butter, flour, and seasoning, and let them simmer gently for minutes. have ready in the centre of a dish round walls of mashed potatoes, browned; into the middle pour the oyster sauce, quite hot, and round the potatoes place, in layers, slices of the beef, which should be previously broiled over a nice clear fire. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s, d., exclusive of the cold meat. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to april. broiled beef-bones. . ingredients.--the bones of ribs or sirloin; salt, pepper, and cayenne. _mode_.--separate the bones, taking care that the meat on them is not too thick in any part; sprinkle them well with the above seasoning, and broil over a very clear fire. when nicely browned they are done; but do not allow them to blacken. to dress a bullock's heart. . ingredients.-- heart, stuffing of veal forcemeat, no. . _mode_.--put the heart into warm water to soak for hours; then wipe it well with a cloth, and, after cutting off the lobes, stuff the inside with a highly-seasoned forcemeat (no. ). fasten it in, by means of a needle and coarse thread; tie the heart up in paper, and set it before a good fire, being very particular to keep it well basted, or it will eat dry, there being very little of its own fat. two or three minutes before serving, remove the paper, baste well, and serve with good gravy and red-currant jelly or melted butter. if the heart is very large, it will require hours, and, covered with a caul, may be baked as well as roasted. _time_.--large heart, hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year. _note_.--this is an excellent family dish, is very savoury, and, though not seen at many good tables, may be recommended for its cheapness and economy. bubble-and-squeak (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--a few thin slices of cold boiled beef; butter, cabbage, sliced onion, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--fry the slices of beef gently in a little butter, taking care not to dry them up. lay them on a flat dish, and cover with fried greens. the greens may be prepared from cabbage sprouts or green savoys. they should be boiled till tender, well drained, minced, and placed, till quite hot, in a frying-pan, with butter, a sliced onion, and seasoning of pepper and salt. when the onion is done, it is ready to serve. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold beef, d. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: collared beef.] collared beef. . ingredients.-- lbs. of the thin end of the flank of beef, oz. of coarse sugar, oz. of salt, oz, of saltpetre, large handful of parsley minced, dessertspoonful of minced sage, a bunch of savoury herbs, / teaspoonful of pounded allspice; salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--choose fine tender beef, but not too fat; lay it in a dish; rub in the sugar, salt, and saltpetre, and let it remain in the pickle for a week or ten days, turning and rubbing it every day. then bone it, remove all the gristle and the coarse skin of the inside part, and sprinkle it thickly with parsley, herbs, spice, and seasoning in the above proportion, taking care that the former are finely minced, and the latter well pounded. roll the meat up in a cloth as tightly as possible, in the same shape as shown in the engraving; bind it firmly with broad tape, and boil it gently for hours. immediately on taking it out of the pot, put it under a good weight, without undoing it, and let it remain until cold. this dish is a very nice addition to the breakfast-table. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--during the time the beef is in pickle, it should be kept cool, and regularly rubbed and turned every day. beef-collops. . ingredients.-- lbs. of rump-steak, / lb. of butter, pint of gravy (water may be substituted for this), salt and pepper to taste, shalot finely minced, / pickled walnut, teaspoonful of capers. _mode_.--have the steak cut thin, and divide it in pieces about inches long; beat these with the blade of a knife, and dredge with flour. put them in a frying-pan with the butter, and let them fry for about minutes; then lay them in a small stewpan, and pour over them the gravy. add a piece of butter, kneaded with a little flour, put in the seasoning and all the other ingredients, and let the whole simmer, but not boil, for minutes. serve in a hot covered dish. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. minced collops (an entree). . ingredients.-- lb. of rump-steak, salt and pepper to taste, oz. of butter, onion minced, / pint of water, tablespoonful of harvey's sauce, or lemon-juice, or mushroom ketchup; small bunch of savoury herbs. _mode_.--mince the beef and onion very small, and fry the latter in butter until of a pale brown. put all the ingredients together in a stewpan, and boil gently for about minutes; garnish with sippets of toasted bread, and serve very hot. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. curried beef (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--a few slices of tolerably lean cold roast or boiled beef, oz. of butter, onions, wineglassful of beer, dessertspoonful of curry powder. _mode_.--cut up the beef into pieces about inch square, put the butter into a stewpan with the onions sliced, and fry them of a lightly-brown colour. add all the other ingredients, and stir gently over a brisk fire for about minutes. should this be thought too dry, more beer, or a spoonful or two of gravy or water, may be added; but a good curry should not be very thin. place it in a deep dish, with an edging of dry boiled rice, in the same manner as for other curries. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ in winter. to clarify beef dripping. i. . good and fresh dripping answers very well for basting everything except game and poultry, and, when well clarified, serves for frying nearly as well as lard; it should be kept in a cool place, and will remain good some time. to clarify it, put the dripping into a basin, pour over it boiling water, and keep stirring the whole to wash away the impurities. let it stand to cool, when the water and dirty sediment will settle at the bottom of the basin. remove the dripping, and put it away in jars or basins for use. another way. . put the dripping into a clean saucepan, and let it boil for a few minutes over a slow fire, and be careful to skim it well. let it stand to cool a little, then strain it through a piece of muslin into jars for use. beef dripping is preferable to any other for cooking purposes, as, with mutton dripping, there is liable to be a tallowy taste and smell. roast fillet of beef (larded). . ingredients.--about lbs. of the inside fillet of the sirloin, onion, a small bunch of parsley, salt and pepper to taste, sufficient vinegar to cover the meat, glaze, spanish sauce, no. . _mode_.--lard the beef with bacon, and put it into a pan with sufficient vinegar to cover it, with an onion sliced, parsley, and seasoning, and let it remain in this pickle for hours. roast it before a nice clear fire for about - / hour, and, when done, glaze it. pour some spanish sauce round the beef, and the remainder serve in a tureen. it may be garnished with spanish onions boiled and glazed. _time_.-- - / hour. average cost, exclusive of the sauce, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. fricandeau of beef. . ingredients.--about lbs. of the inside fillet of the sirloin (a piece of the rump may be substituted for this), pepper and salt to taste, cloves, blades of mace, whole allspice, pint of stock no. , or water, glass of sherry, bunch of savoury herbs, shalots, bacon. _mode_.--cut some bacon into thin strips, and sprinkle over them a seasoning of pepper and salt, mixed with cloves, mace, and allspice, well pounded. lard the beef with these, put it into a stewpan with the stock or water, sherry, herbs, shalots, cloves, and more pepper and salt. stew the meat gently until tender, when take it out, cover it closely, skim off all the fat from the gravy, and strain it. set it on the fire, and boil, till it becomes a glaze. glaze the larded side of the beef with this, and serve on sorrel sauce, which is made as follows:--wash and pick some sorrel, and put it into a stewpan with only the water that hangs about it. keep stirring, to prevent its burning, and when done, lay it in a sieve to drain. chop it, and stew it with a small piece of butter and or tablespoonfuls of good gravy, for an hour, and rub it through a tammy. if too acid, add a little sugar; and a little cabbage-lettuce boiled with the sorrel will be found an improvement. _time_.-- hours to gently stew the meat. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. fried salt beef (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--a few slices of cold salt beef, pepper to taste, / lb. of butter, mashed potatoes. _mode_.--cut any part of cold salt beef into thin slices, fry them gently in butter, and season with a little pepper. have ready some very hot mashed potatoes, lay the slices of beef on them, and garnish with or pickled gherkins. cold salt beef, warmed in a little liquor from mixed pickle, drained, and served as above, will be found good. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. fried rump-steak. . ingredients.--steaks, butter or clarified dripping. _mode_. although broiling is a far superior method of cooking steaks to frying them, yet, when the cook is not very expert, the latter mode may be adopted; and, when properly done, the dish may really look very inviting, and the flavour be good. the steaks should be cut rather thinner than for broiling, and with a small quantity of fat to each. put some butter or clarified dripping into a frying-pan; let it get quite hot, then lay in the steaks. turn them frequently until done, which will be in about minutes, or rather more, should the steaks be very thick. serve on a very hot dish, in which put a small piece of butter and a tablespoonful of ketchup, and season with pepper and salt. they should be sent to table quickly, as, when cold, the steaks are entirely spoiled. _time_.-- minutes for a medium-sized steak, rather longer for a very thick one. _average cost_, s. per lb. _seasonable all the year, but not good in summer, as the meat cannot hang to get tender._ _note_.--where much gravy is liked, make it in the following manner:--as soon as the steaks are done, dish them, pour a little boiling water into the frying-pan, add a seasoning of pepper and salt, a small piece of butter, and a tablespoonful of harvey's sauce or mushroom ketchup. hold the pan over the fire for a minute or two, just let the gravy simmer, then pour on the steak, and serve. a frenchman's opinion of beef. the following is translated from a celebrated modern french work, the production of one who in paris enjoys a great reputation as cook and chemist:--the flesh of the ox, to be in the best condition, should be taken from an animal of from four to six years old, and neither too fat nor too lean. this meat, which possesses in the highest degree the most nutritive qualities, is generally easily digested; stock is made from it, and it is eaten boiled, broiled, roasted, stewed, braised, and in a hundred other different ways. beef is the foundation of stock, gravies, braises, &c.; its nutritious and succulent gravy gives body and flavour to numberless ragoûts. it is an exhaustless mine in the hands of a skilful artist, and is truly the king of the kitchen. without it, no soup, no gravy; and its absence would produce almost a famine in the civilized world! beef fritters (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast beef, pepper and salt to taste, / lb. of flour, / pint of water, oz. of butter, the whites of eggs. _mode_.--mix very smoothly, and by degrees, the flour with the above proportion of water; stir in oz. of butter, which must be melted, but not oiled, and, just before it is to be used, add the whites of two well-whisked eggs. should the batter be too thick, more water must be added. pare down the cold beef into thin shreds, season with pepper and salt, and mix it with the batter. drop a small quantity at a time into a pan of boiling lard, and fry from to minutes, according to the size. when done on one side, turn and brown them on the other. let them dry for a minute or two before the fire, and serve on a folded napkin. a small quantity of finely-minced onions, mixed with the batter, is an improvement. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. hashed beef (cold meat cookery). i. . ingredients.--gravy saved from the meat, teaspoonful of tomato sauce, teaspoonful of harvey's sauce, teaspoonful of good mushroom ketchup, / glass of port wine or strong ale, pepper and salt to taste, a little flour to thicken, onion finely minced, a few slices of cold roast beef. _mode_.--put all the ingredients but the beef into a stewpan with whatever gravy may have been saved from the meat the day it was roasted; let these simmer gently for minutes, then take the stewpan off the fire; let the gravy cool, and skim off the fat. cut the beef into thin slices, dredge them with flour, and lay them in the gravy; let the whole simmer gently for minutes, but not boil, or the meat will be tough and hard. serve very hot, and garnish with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. ii. . ingredients.--the remains of ribs or sirloin of beef, onions, carrot, bunch of savoury herbs, pepper and salt to taste, / blade of pounded mace, thickening of flour, rather more than pint of water. _mode_.--take off all the meat from the bones of ribs or sirloin of beef; remove the outside brown and gristle; place the meat on one side, and well stew the bones and pieces, with the above ingredients, for about hours, till it becomes a strong gravy, and is reduced to rather more than / pint; strain this, thicken with a teaspoonful of flour, and let the gravy cool; skim off all the fat; lay in the meat, let it get hot through, but do not allow it to boil, and garnish with sippets of toasted bread. the gravy may be flavoured as in the preceding recipe. _time_.--rather more than hours. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--either of the above recipes may be served in walls of mashed potatoes browned; in which case the sippets should be omitted. be careful that hashed meat does not boil, or it will become tough. to prepare hung beef. . this is preserved by salting and drying, either with or without smoke. hang up the beef or days, till it becomes tender, but take care it does not begin to spoil; then salt it in the usual way, either by dry-salting or by brine, with bay-salt, brown sugar, saltpetre, and a little pepper and allspice; afterwards roll it tight in a cloth, and hang it up in a warm, but not hot place, for a fortnight or more, till it is sufficiently hard. if required to have a little of the smoky flavour, it may be hung for some time in a chimney-corner, or smoked in any other way: it will keep a long time. hunter's beef. . ingredients.--for a round of beef weighing lbs. allow oz. of saltpetre, oz. of coarse sugar, oz. of cloves, grated nutmeg, / oz. of allspice, lb. of salt, / lb. bay-salt. _mode_.--let the beef hang for or days, and remove the bone. pound spices, salt, &c. in the above proportion, and let them be reduced to the finest powder. put the beef into a pan, rub all the ingredients well into it, and turn and rub it every day for rather more than a fortnight. when it has been sufficiently long in pickle, wash the meat, bind it up securely with tape, and put it into a pan with / pint of water at the bottom; mince some suet, cover the top of the meat with it, and over the pan put a common crust of flour and water; bake for hours, and, when cold, remove the paste. save the gravy that flows from it, as it adds greatly to the flavour of hashes, stews, &c. the beef may be glazed and garnished with meat jelly. _time_.-- hours. _seasonable_ all the year. _note_.--in salting or pickling beef or pork for family consumption, it not being generally required to be kept for a great length of time, a less quantity of salt and a larger quantity of other matters more adapted to retain mellowness in meat, may be employed, which could not be adopted by the curer of the immense quantities of meat required to be preserved for victualling the shipping of this maritime country. sugar, which is well known to possess the preserving principle in a very great degree, without the pungency and astringency of salt, may be, and is, very generally used in the preserving of meat for family consumption. although it acts without corrugating or contracting the fibres of meat, as is the case in the action of salt, and, therefore, does not impair its mellowness, yet its use in sufficient quantities for preservative effect, without the addition of other antiseptics, would impart a flavour not agreeable to the taste of many persons. it may be used, however, together with salt, with the greatest advantage in imparting mildness and mellowness to cured meat, in a proportion of about one part by weight to four of the mixture; and, perhaps, now that sugar is so much lower in price than it was in former years, one of the obstructions to its more frequent use is removed. to dress beef kidney. i. . ingredients.-- kidney, clarified butter, pepper and salt to taste, a small quantity of highly-seasoned gravy, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, / teaspoonful of powdered sugar. _mode_.--cut the kidneys into neat slices, put them into warm water to soak for hours, and change the water or times; then put them on a clean cloth to dry the water from them, and lay them in a frying-pan with some clarified butter, and fry them of a nice brown; season each side with pepper and salt, put them round the dish, and the gravy in the middle. before pouring the gravy in the dish, add the lemon-juice and sugar. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, d. each. _seasonable_ at any time. ii. . ingredients.-- kidney, dessertspoonful of minced parsley, teaspoonful of minced shalot, salt and pepper to taste, / pint of gravy, no. , tablespoonfuls of sherry. _mode_.--take off a little of the kidney fat, mince it very fine, and put it in a frying-pan; slice the kidney, sprinkle over it parsley and shalots in the above proportion, add a seasoning of pepper and salt, and fry it of a nice brown. when it is done enough, dredge over a little flour, and pour in the gravy and sherry. let it just simmer, but not boil any more, or the kidney would harden; serve very hot, and garnish with croûtons. where the flavour of the shalot is disliked, it may be omitted, and a small quantity of savoury herbs substituted for it. _time_.--from to minutes, according to the thickness of the slices. _average cost_, d. each. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. iii. _a more simple method_. . cut the kidney into thin slices, flour them, and fry of a nice brown. when done, make a gravy in the pan by pouring away the fat, putting in a small piece of butter, / pint of boiling water, pepper and salt, and a tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup. let the gravy just boil up, pour over the kidney, and serve. boiled marrow-bones. . ingredients.--bones, a small piece of common paste, a floured cloth. _mode_.--have the bones neatly sawed into convenient sizes, and cover the ends with a small piece of common crust, made with flour and water. over this tie a floured cloth, and place them upright in a saucepan of boiling water, taking care there is sufficient to cover the bones. boil them for hours, remove the cloth and paste, and serve them upright on a napkin with dry toast. many persons clear the marrow from the bones after they are cooked, spread it over a slice of toast and add a seasoning of pepper; when served in this manner, it must be very expeditiously sent to table, as it so soon gets cold. _time_.-- hours. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--marrow-bones may be baked after preparing them as in the preceding recipe; they should be laid in a deep dish, and baked for hours. [illustration: marrow-bones.] marrow-bones.--bones are formed of a dense cellular tissue of membranous matter, made stiff and rigid by insoluble earthy salts; of which, phosphate of lime is the most abundant. in a large bone, the insoluble matter is generally deposited in such a manner as to leave a cavity, into which a fatty substance, distinguished by the name of marrow, is thrown. hollow cylindrical bones possess the qualities of strength and lightness in a remarkable degree. if bones were entirely solid, they would be unnecessarily heavy; and if their materials were brought into smaller compass, they would be weaker, because the strength of a bone is in proportion to the distance at which its fibres are from the centre. some animals, it must, however, be observed, have no cavities in the centre of their bones; such as the whale tribe, skate, and turtles. minced beef (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.-- oz. of butter, small onion, tablespoonfuls of gravy left from the meat, tablespoonful of strong ale, / a teaspoonful of flour, salt and pepper to taste, a few slices of lean roast beef. _mode_.--put into a stewpan the butter with an onion chopped fine; add the gravy, ale, and / a teaspoonful of flour to thicken; season with pepper and salt, and stir these ingredients over the fire until the onion is a rich brown. cut, but do not chop the meat _very fine_, add it to the gravy, stir till quite hot, and serve. garnish with sippets of toasted bread. be careful in not allowing the gravy to boil after the meat is added, as it would render it hard and tough. _time_.--about / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. miroton of beef. . ingredients.--a few slices of cold roast beef, oz. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, onions, / pint of gravy. _mode_.--slice the onions and put them into a frying-pan with the cold beef and butter; place it over the fire, and keep turning and stirring the ingredients to prevent them burning. when of a pale brown, add the gravy and seasoning; let it simmer for a few minutes, and serve very hot. this dish is excellent and economical. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. stewed ox-cheek. . ingredients.-- cheek, salt and water, or onions, butter and flour, cloves, turnips, carrots, bay-leaf, head of celery, bunch of savoury herbs, cayenne, black pepper and salt to taste, oz. of butter, dessertspoonfuls of flour, tablespoonfuls of chili vinegar, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, tablespoonfuls of port wine, tablespoonfuls of harvey's sauce. _mode_.--have the cheek boned, and prepare it the day before it is to be eaten, by cleaning and putting it to soak all night in salt and water. the next day, wipe it dry and clean, and put it into a stewpan. just cover it with water, skim well when it boils, and let it gently simmer till the meat is quite tender. slice and fry onions in a little butter and flour, and put them into the gravy; add whole onions, each stuck with cloves, turnips quartered, carrots sliced, a bay-leaf, head of celery, a bunch of herbs, and seasoning to taste of cayenne, black pepper, and salt. let these stew till perfectly tender; then take out the cheek, divide into pieces fit to help at table, skim and strain the gravy, and thicken - / pint of it with butter and flour in the above proportions. add the vinegar, ketchup, and port wine; put in the pieces of cheek; let the whole boil up, and serve quite hot. send it to table in a ragout-dish. if the colour of the gravy should not be very good, add a tablespoonful of the browning, no. . _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. fried ox-feet, or cow-heel. . ingredients.--ox-feet, the yolk of egg, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and cayenne to taste, boiling butter. _mode_.--wash, scald, and thoroughly clean the feet, and cut them into pieces about inches long; have ready some fine bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley, cayenne, and salt; dip the pieces of heel into the yolk of egg, sprinkle them with the bread crumbs, and fry them until of a nice brown in boiling butter. _time_.- hour. _average cost_, d. each. _seasonable_ at any time. note.--ox-feet may be dressed in various ways, stowed in gravy or plainly boiled and served with melted butter. when plainly boiled, the liquor will answer for making sweet or relishing jellies, and also to give richness to soups or gravies. stewed ox-tails. . ingredients.-- ox-tails, onion, cloves, blade of mace, teaspoonful of whole black pepper, teaspoonful of allspice, / a teaspoonful of salt, a small bunch of savoury herbs, thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--divide the tails at the joints, wash, and put them into a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them, and set them on the fire; when the water boils, remove the scum, and add the onion cut into rings, the spice, seasoning, and herbs. cover the stewpan closely, and let the tails simmer very gently until tender, which will be in about - / hours. take them out, make a thickening of butter and flour, add it to the gravy, and let it boil for / hour. strain it through a sieve into a saucepan, put back the tails, add the lemon-juice and ketchup; let the whole just boil up, and serve. garnish with croûtons or sippets of toasted bread. _time_.-- - / hours to stew the tails. _average cost_, d. to s. d., according to the season. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ all the year. the tails of animals.--in the class mammalia, the vertebral column or backbone presents only slight modifications, and everywhere shows the same characteristics as in man, who stands at the head of this division of the animal kingdom. the length of this column, however, varies much, and the number of vertebrae of which it is composed is far from being uniform. these numerical differences principally depend on the unequal development of the caudal portion, or tail-end, of the column. thus, the tail-forming vertebrae sometimes do not exist at all,--amongst certain bats for example; in other instances we reckon forty, fifty, and even upwards of sixty of these bones. among the greater number of mammals, the tail is of little use for locomotion, except that it acts in many cases as does the rudder of a ship, steadying the animal in his rapid movements, and enabling him to turn more easily and quickly. among some animals, it becomes a very powerful instrument of progression. thus, in the kangaroos and jerboas, the tail forms, with the hind feet, a kind of tripod from which the animal makes its spring. with most of the american monkeys it is prehensile, and serves the animal as a fifth hand to suspend itself from the branches of trees; and, lastly, among the whales, it grows to an enormous size, and becomes the principal instrument for swimming. a pickle for tongues or beef (newmarket recipe). . ingredients.-- gallon of soft water, lbs. of coarse salt, oz. of coarse brown sugar, / oz. of saltpetre. _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a saucepan, and let them boil for / hour, clear off the scum as it rises, and when done pour the pickle into a pickling-pan. let it get cold, then put in the meat, and allow it to remain in the pickle from to days, according to the size. it will keep good for months if well boiled once a fortnight. tongues will take month or weeks to be properly cured; and, in salting meat, beef and tongues should always be put in separate vessels. _time_.--a moderate-sized tongue should remain in the pickle about a month, and be turned every day. [illustration: potting-jar.] potted beef. i. . ingredients.-- lbs. of lean beef, tablespoonful of water, / lb. of butter, a seasoning to taste of salt, cayenne, pounded mace, and black pepper. _mode_.--procure a nice piece of lean beef, as free as possible from gristle, skin, &c., and put it into a jar (if at hand, one with a lid) with tablespoonful of water. cover it _closely_, and put the jar into a saucepan of boiling water, letting the water come within inches of the top of the jar. boil gently for - / hours, then take the beef, chop it very small with a chopping-knife, and pound it thoroughly in a mortar. mix with it by degrees all, or a portion, of the gravy that will have run from it, and a little clarified butter; add the seasoning, put it in small pots for use, and cover with a little butter just warmed and poured over. if much gravy is added to it, it will keep but a short time; on the contrary, if a large proportion of butter is used, it may be preserved for some time. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. potted beef (cold meat cookery). ii. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast or boiled beef, / lb. of butter, cayenne to taste, blades of pounded mace. _mode_.--as we have stated in recipe no. , the outside slices of boiled beef may, with a little trouble, be converted into a very nice addition to the breakfast-table. cut up the meat into small pieces and pound it well, with a little butter, in a mortar; add a seasoning of cayenne and mace, and be very particular that the latter ingredient is reduced to the finest powder. when all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, put it into glass or earthen potting-pots, and pour on the top a coating of clarified butter. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--if cold roast beef is used, remove all pieces of gristle and dry outside pieces, as these do not pound well. preserved meats.--when an organic substance, like the flesh of animals, is heated to the boiling-point, it loses the property of passing into a state of fermentation and decay. fresh animal milk, as is well known, coagulates, after having been kept for two or three days, into a gelatinous mass; but it may be preserved for an indefinite period, as a perfectly sweet liquid, if it be heated daily to the boiling-point. the knowledge of this effect of an elevated temperature has given rise to a most important branch of industry,--namely, the preparation of preserved meats for the use of the navy and merchant service. at leith, in the neighbourhood of edinburgh, at aberdeen, at bordeaux, at marseilles, and in many parts of germany, establishments of enormous magnitude exist, in which soup, vegetables, and viands of every description are prepared, in such a manner that they retain their freshness for years. the prepared aliments are inclosed in canisters of tinned iron plate, the covers are soldered air-tight, and the canisters exposed to the temperature of boiling water for three or four hours. the aliments thus acquire a stability, which one may almost say is eternal; and when a canister is opened, after the lapse of several years, its contents are found to be unaltered in taste, colour, and smell. we are indebted to the french philosopher gay-lussac for this beautiful practical application of the discovery that boiling checks fermentation. an exclusive salt-meat diet is extremely injurious to the health; and, in former times, thousands of mariners lost their lives for the want of fresh aliments during long voyages. we are sorry to say that the preserved meats are sometimes carelessly prepared, and, though the statement seems incredible, sometimes adulterated. dr. lankester, who has done so much to expose the frauds of trade, that he ought to be regarded as a public benefactor, says that he has seen things which were utterly unfit for food, shipped as preserved meats. surely, as he observes, there ought to be some superintendent to examine the so-called articles of food that are taken on board ship, so that the poor men who have been fighting our battles abroad may run no risk of being starved or poisoned on their way home. rib of beef bones. (_a pretty dish_.) . ingredients.--rib of beef bones, onion chopped fine, a few slices of carrot and turnip, / pint of gravy. _mode_.--the bones for this dish should have left on them a slight covering of meat; saw them into pieces inches long; season them with pepper and salt, and put them into a stewpan with the remaining ingredients. stew gently, until the vegetables are tender, and serve on a flat dish within walls of mashed potatoes. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the bones, d. _seasonable_ at any time. beef rissoles (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast beef; to each pound of meat allow / lb. of bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste, a few chopped savoury herbs, / a teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, or eggs, according to the quantity of meat. _mode_.--mince the beef very fine, which should be rather lean, and mix with this bread crumbs, herbs, seasoning, and lemon-peel, in the above proportion, to each pound of meat. make all into a thick paste with or eggs; divide into balls or cones, and fry a rich brown. garnish the dish with fried parsley, and send with them to table some good brown gravy in a tureen. instead of garnishing with fried parsley, gravy may be poured in the dish, round the rissoles: in this case, it will not be necessary to send any in a tureen. _time_.--from to minutes, according to size. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. rolled beef, to eat like hare. . ingredients.--about lbs. of the inside of the sirloin, glasses of port wine, glasses of vinegar, a small quantity of forcemeat (no. ), teaspoonful of pounded allspice. _mode_.--take the inside of a large sirloin, soak it in glass of port wine and glass of vinegar, mixed, and let it remain for days. make a forcemeat by recipe no. , lay it on the meat, and bind it up securely. roast it before a nice clear fire, and baste it with glass each of port wine and vinegar, with which mix a teaspoonful of pounded allspice. serve, with a good gravy in the dish, and send red-currant jelly to table with it. _time_.--a piece of lbs. about - / hour before a brisk fire. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. beef rolls (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast or boiled beef, seasoning to taste of salt, pepper, and minced herbs; puff paste. _mode_.--mince the beef tolerably fine with a small amount of its own fat; add a seasoning of pepper, salt, and chopped herbs; put the whole into a roll of puff paste, and bake for / hour, or rather longer, should the roll be very large. beef patties may be made of cold meat, by mincing and seasoning beef as directed above, and baking in a rich puff paste in patty-tins. _time_,-- / hour. _seasonable_ at any time. miniature round of beef. (_an excellent dish for a small family_.) . ingredients.--from to lbs. of rib of beef, sufficient brine to cover the meat. _mode_.--choose a fine rib, have the bone removed, rub some salt over the inside, and skewer the meat up into a nice round form, and bind it with tape. put it into sufficient brine to cover it (the brine should be made by recipe no. ), and let it remain for days, turning the meat every day. when required to be dressed, drain from the pickle, and put the meat into very hot water; let it boil rapidly for a few minutes, when draw the pot to the side of the fire, and let it simmer very gently until done. remove the skewer, and replace it by a plated or silver one. carrots and turnips should be served with this dish, and may be boiled with the meat. _time_.--a small round of lbs., about hours after the water boils; one of lbs., about hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--should the joint be very small, or days will be sufficient time to salt it. brisket of beef, a la flamande. . ingredients.--about or lbs. of the brisket of beef, or slices of bacon, carrots, onion, a bunch of savoury herbs, salt and pepper to taste, cloves, whole allspice, blades of mace. _mode_.--choose that portion of the brisket which contains the gristle, trim it, and put it into a stewpan with the slices of bacon, which should be put under and over the meat. add the vegetables, herbs, spices, and seasoning, and cover with a little weak stock or water; close the stewpan as hermetically as possible, and simmer very gently for hours. strain the liquor, reserve a portion of it for sauce, and the remainder boil quickly over a sharp fire until reduced to a glaze, with which glaze the meat. garnish the dish with scooped carrots and turnips, and when liked, a little cabbage; all of which must be cooked separately. thicken and flavour the liquor that was saved for sauce, pour it round the meat, and serve. the beef may also be garnished with glazed onions, artichoke-bottoms, &c. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. french beef.--it has been all but universally admitted, that the beef of france is greatly inferior in quality to that of england, owing to inferiority of pasturage. m. curmer, however, one of the latest writers on the culinary art, tells us that this is a vulgar error, and that french beef is far superior to that of england. this is mere vaunting on the part of our neighbours, who seem to want _la gloire_ in everything; and we should not deign to notice it, if it had occurred in a work of small pretensions; but m. curmer's book professes to be a complete exposition of the scientific principles of cookery, and holds a high rank in the didactic literature of france. we half suspect that m. curmer obtained his knowledge of english beef in the same way as did the poor frenchman, whom the late mr. mathews, the comedian, so humorously described. mr. lewis, in his "physiology of common life," has thus revived the story of the beef-eating son of france:--"a frenchman was one day blandly remonstrating against the supercilious scorn expressed by englishmen for the beef of france, which he, for his part, did not find so inferior to that of england. 'i have been two times in england,' he remarked, but i nevère find the bif so supérieur to ours. i find it vary conveenient that they bring it you on leetle pieces of stick, for one penny: but i do not find the bif supérieur.' on hearing this, the englishman, red with astonishment, exclaimed, 'good heavens, sir! you have been eating cat's meat.'" no, m. curmer, we are ready to acknowledge the superiority of your cookery, but we have long since made up our minds as to the inferiority of your raw material. beef olives. i. . ingredients.-- lbs. of rump-steak, egg, tablespoonful of minced savoury herbs, pepper and salt to taste, pint of stock, no. , or slices of bacon, tablespoonfuls of any store sauce, a slight thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--have the steaks cut rather thin, slightly beat them to make them level, cut them into or pieces, brush over with egg, and sprinkle with herbs, which should be very finely minced; season with pepper and salt, and roll up the pieces tightly, and fasten with a small skewer. put the stock in a stewpan that will exactly hold them, for by being pressed together, they will keep their shape better; lay in the rolls of meat, cover them with the bacon, cut in thin slices, and over that put a piece of paper. stew them very _gently_ for full hours; for the slower they are done the better. take them out, remove the skewers, thicken the gravy with butter and flour, and flavour with any store sauce that may be preferred. give one boil, pour over the meat, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. per pound. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. ii. (_economical_.) . ingredients.--the remains of underdone cold roast beef, bread crumbs, shalot finely minced, pepper and salt to taste, gravy made from the beef bones, thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--cut some slices of underdone roast beef about half an inch thick; sprinkle over them some bread crumbs, minced shalot, and a little of the fat and seasoning; roll them, and fasten with a small skewer. have ready some gravy made from the beef bones; put in the pieces of meat, and stew them till tender, which will be in about - / hour, or rather longer. arrange the meat in a dish, thicken and flavour the gravy, and pour it over the meat, when it is ready to serve. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the beef, d. _seasonable_ at any time. broiled ox-tail (an entree). . ingredients.-- tails, - / pint of stock, no. , salt and cayenne to taste, bread crumbs, egg. _mode_.--joint and cut up the tails into convenient-sized pieces, and put them into a stewpan, with the stock, cayenne, and salt, and, if liked very savoury, a bunch of sweet herbs. let them simmer gently for about - / hours; then take them out, drain them, and let them cool. beat an egg upon a plate; dip in each piece of tail, and, afterwards, throw them into a dish of bread crumbs; broil them over a clear fire, until of a brownish colour on both sides, and serve with a good gravy, or any sauce that may be preferred. _time_.--about - / hours. _average cost_, from d. to s. d., according to the season. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--these may be more easily prepared by putting the tails in a brisk oven, after they have been dipped in egg and bread-crumb; and, when brown, they are done. they must be boiled the same time as for broiling. strange tails.--naturalists cannot explain the uses of some of the strange tails borne by animals. in the egyptian and syrian sheep, for instance, the tail grows so large, that it is not infrequently supported upon a sort of little cart, in order to prevent inconvenience to the animal. thin monstrous appendage sometimes attains a weight of seventy, eighty, or even a hundred pounds. to dress beef palates (an entree). . ingredients.-- palates, sufficient gravy to cover them (no. ), cayenne to taste, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, tablespoonful of pickled-onion liquor, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--wash the palates, and put them into a stewpan, with sufficient water to cover them, and let them boil until perfectly tender, or until the upper skin may be easily peeled off. have ready sufficient gravy (no. ) to cover them; add a good seasoning of cayenne, and thicken with roux, no. , or a little butter kneaded with flour; let it boil up, and skim. cut the palates into square pieces, put them in the gravy, and let them simmer gently for / hour; add ketchup and onion-liquor, give one boil, and serve. _time_.--from to hours to boil the palates. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--palates may be dressed in various ways with sauce tournée, good onion sauce, tomato sauce, and also served in a vol-au-vent; but the above will be found a more simple method of dressing them. beef pickle, which may also be used for any kind of meat, tongues, or hams. . ingredients.-- lbs. of salt, lbs. of fine sugar, oz. of powdered saltpetre, gallons of spring water. _mode_.--boil all the ingredients gently together, so long as any scum or impurity arises, which carefully remove; when quite cold, pour it over the meat, every part of which must be covered with the brine. this may be used for pickling any kind of meat, and may be kept for some time, if boiled up occasionally with an addition of the ingredients. _time_.--a ham should be kept in the pickle for a fortnight; a piece of beef weighing lbs., or days; a tongue, days or a fortnight. _note_.--for salting and pickling meat, it is a good plan to rub in only half the quantity of salt directed, and to let it remain for a day or two to disgorge and effectually to get rid of the blood and slime; then rub in the remainder of the salt and other ingredients, and proceed as above. this rule may be applied to all the recipes we have given for salting and pickling meat. to pickle part of a round of beef for hanging. . ingredients.--for lbs. of a round of beef allow - / lb. of salt, / oz. of powdered saltpetre; or, lb. of salt, / lb. of sugar, oz. of powdered saltpetre. _mode_.--rub in, and sprinkle either of the above mixtures on lbs. of meat. keep it in an earthenware pan, or a deep wooden tray, and turn twice a week during weeks; then bind up the beef tightly with coarse linen tape, and hang it in a kitchen in which a fire is constantly kept, for weeks. pork, hams, and bacon may be cured in a similar way, but will require double the quantity of the salting mixture; and, if not smoke-dried, they should be taken down from hanging after or weeks, and afterwards kept in boxes or tubs, amongst dry oat-husks. _time_.-- or weeks to remain in the brine; to be hung weeks. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the meat may be boiled fresh from this pickle, instead of smoking it. beep ragout (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--about lbs. of cold roast beef, onions, pepper, salt, and mixed spices to taste; / pint of boiling water, tablespoonfuls of gravy. _mode_.--cut the beef into rather large pieces, and put them into a stewpan with the onions, which must be sliced. season well with pepper, salt, and mixed spices, and pour over about / pint of boiling water, and gravy in the above proportion (gravy saved from the meat answers the purpose); let the whole stew very gently for about hours, and serve with pickled walnuts, gherkins, or capers, just warmed in the gravy. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. roast ribs of beef. . ingredients.--beef, a little salt. _mode_.---the fore-rib is considered the primest roasting piece, but the middle-rib is considered the most economical. let the meat be well hung (should the weather permit), and cut off the thin ends of the bones, which should be salted for a few days, and then boiled. put the meat down to a nice clear fire, put some clean dripping into the pan, dredge the joint with a little flour, and keep continually basting the whole time. sprinkle some fine salt over it (this must never be done until the joint is dished, as it draws the juices from the meat); pour the dripping from the pan, put in a little boiling: water slightly salted, and _strain_ the gravy over the meat. garnish with tufts of scraped horseradish, and send horseradish sauce to table with it (_see_ no. ). a yorkshire pudding (_see_ puddings) sometimes accompanies this dish, and, if lightly made and well cooked, will be found a very agreeable addition. _time_.-- lbs. of beef, - / hours; to lbs., from - / to hours. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_.--a joint of lbs. sufficient for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. memoranda in roasting.--the management of the fire is a point of primary importance in roasting. a radiant fire throughout the operation is absolutely necessary to insure a good result. when the article to be dressed is thin and delicate, the fire may be small; but when the joint is large, the fire must fill the grate. meat must never be put down before a hollow or exhausted fire, which may soon want recruiting; on the other hand, if the heat of the fire becomes too fierce, the meat must be removed to a considerable distance till it is somewhat abated. some cooks always fail in their roasts, though they succeed in nearly everything else. a french writer on the culinary art says that anybody can learn how to cook, but one must be born a roaster. according to liebig, beef or mutton cannot be said to be sufficiently roasted until it has acquired, throughout the whole mass, a temperature of °; but poultry may be well cooked when the inner parts have attained a temperature of from ° to °. this depends on the greater amount of blood which beef and mutton contain, the colouring matter of blood not being coagulable under °. roast ribs of beef, boned and rolled (a very convenient joint for a small family). . ingredients.-- or ribs of beef. _mode_.--choose a fine rib of beef, and have it cut according to the weight you require, either wide or narrow. bone and roll the meat round, secure it with wooden skewers, and, if necessary, bind it round with a piece of tape. spit the beef firmly, or, if a bottle-jack is used, put the joint on the hook, and place it _near_ a nice clear fire. let it remain so till the outside of the meat is set, when draw it to a distance, and keep continually basting until the meat is done, which can be ascertained by the steam from it drawing towards the fire. as this joint is solid, rather more than / hour must be allowed for each lb. remove the skewers, put in a plated or silver one, and send the joint to table with gravy in the dish, and garnish with tufts of horseradish. horseradish sauce, no. , is a great improvement to roast beef. _time_.--for lbs. of the rolled ribs, hours (as the joint is very solid, we have allowed an extra / hour); for lbs., - / hour. average cost, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_.--a joint of lbs. for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year. _note_.--when the weight exceeds lbs., we would not advise the above method of boning and rolling; only in the case of or ribs, when the joint cannot stand upright in the dish, and would look awkward. the bones should be put in with a few vegetables and herbs, and made into stock. roast beef has long been a national dish in england. in most of our patriotic songs it is contrasted with the fricasseed frogs, popularly supposed to be the exclusive diet of frenchmen. "o the roast beef of old england, and o the old english roast beef." this national chorus is appealed to whenever a song-writer wishes to account for the valour displayed by englishmen at sea or on land. roast sirloin of beef. . ingredients.--beef, a little salt. _mode_.--as a joint cannot be well roasted without a good fire, see that it is well made up about / hour before it is required, so that when the joint is put down, it is clear and bright. choose a nice sirloin, the weight of which should not exceed lbs., as the outside would be too much done, whilst the inside would not be done enough. spit it or hook it on to the jack firmly, dredge it slightly with flour, and place it near the fire at first, as directed in the preceding recipe. then draw it to a distance, and keep continually basting until the meat is done. sprinkle a small quantity of salt over it, empty the dripping-pan of all the dripping, pour in some boiling water slightly salted, stir it about, and _strain_ over the meat. garnish with tufts of horseradish, and send horseradish sauce and yorkshire pudding to table with it. for carving, _see_ p. . _time_.--a sirloin of lbs., - / hours; to lbs., about or - / hours. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_.--a joint of lbs. for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. the rump, round, and other pieces of beef are roasted in the same manner, allowing for solid joints; / hour to every lb. _note_.---the above is the usual method of roasting moat; but to have it in perfection and the juices kept in, the meat should at first be laid close to the fire, and when the outside is set and firm, drawn away to a good distance, and then left to roast very slowly; where economy is studied, this plan would not answer, as the meat requires to be at the fire double the time of the ordinary way of cooking; consequently, double the quantity of fuel would be consumed. origin of the word "sirloin."--the loin of beef is said to have been knighted by king charles ii., at friday hall, chingford. the "merry monarch" returned to this hospitable mansion for epping forest literally "as hungry as a hunter," and beheld, with delight, a huge loin of beef steaming upon the table. "a noble joint!" exclaimed the king. "by st. george, it shall have a title!" then drawing his sword, he raised it above the meat, and cried, with mock dignity, "loin, we dub thee knight; henceforward be sir loin!" this anecdote is doubtless apocryphal, although the oak table upon which the joint was supposed to have received its knighthood, might have been seen by any one who visited friday-hill house, a few years ago. it is, perhaps, a pity to spoil so noble a story; but the interests of truth demand that we declare that _sirloin_ is probably a corruption of _surloin_, which signifies the upper part of a loin, the prefix _sur_ being equivalent to _over_ or _above_. in french we find this joint called _surlonge_, which so closely resembles our _sirloin_, that we may safely refer the two words to a common origin. to salt beef. . ingredients.-- / round of beef, oz. of sugar, oz. of powdered saltpetre, oz. of black pepper, / lb. of bay-salt, / lb. of common salt. _mode_.--rub the meat well with salt, and let it remain for a day, to disgorge and clear it from slime. the next day, rub it well with the above ingredients on every side, and let it remain in the pickle for about a fortnight, turning it every day. it may be boiled fresh from the pickle, or smoked. _time_.-- / round of beef to remain in pickle about a fortnight. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the aitch-bone, flank, or brisket may be salted and pickled by any of the recipes we have given for salting beef, allowing less time for small joints to remain in the pickle; for instance, a joint of or lbs. will be sufficiently salt in about a week. the dutch way to salt beef. . ingredients.-- lbs. of lean beef, lb. of treacle, oz. of saltpetre, lb. of common salt. _mode_.--rub the beef well with the treacle, and let it remain for days, turning and rubbing it often; then wipe it, pound the salt and saltpetre very fine, rub these well in, and turn it every day for days. roll it up tightly in a coarse cloth, and press it under a large weight; have it smoked, and turn it upside down every day. boil it, and, on taking it out of the pot, put a heavy weight on it to press it. _time_.-- days. _seasonable_ at any time. beef sausages. . ingredients.--to every lb. of suet allow lbs. of lean beef; seasoning to taste of salt, pepper, and mixed spices. _mode_.--clear the suet from skin, and chop that and the beef as finely as possible; season with pepper, salt, and spices, and mix the whole well together. make it into flat cakes, and fry of a nice brown. many persons pound the meat in a mortar after it is chopped ( but this is not necessary when the meat is minced finely.) _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. beef-steak, rolled, roasted, and stuffed. . ingredients.-- lbs. of rump-steak, forcemeat no. , pepper and salt to taste, clarified butter. _mode_.--have the steaks cut rather thick from a well-hung rump of beef, and sprinkle over them a seasoning of pepper and salt. make a forcemeat by recipe no. ; spread it over _half_ of the steak; roll it up, bind and skewer it firmly, that the forcemeat may not escape, and roast it before a nice clear fire for about - / hour, or rather longer, should the roll be very large and thick. keep it constantly basted with butter, and serve with brown gravy, some of which must be poured round the steak, and the remainder sent to table in a tureen. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but best in winter. sliced and broiled beef--a pretty dish (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--a few slices of cold roast beef, or potatoes, a thin batter, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--pare the potatoes as you would peel an apple; fry the parings in a thin batter seasoned with salt and pepper, until they are of a light brown colour, and place them on a dish over some slices of beef, which should be nicely seasoned and broiled. _time_.-- minutes to broil the meat. _seasonable_ at any time. spiced beef (to serve cold). . ingredients.-- lbs. of the thick flank or rump of beef, / lb. of coarse sugar, oz. of saltpetre, / lb. of pounded allspice, lb. of common salt. _mode_.--rub the sugar well into the beef, and let it lay for hours; then rub the saltpetre and allspice, both of which should be pounded, over the meat, and let it remain for another hours; then rub in the salt. turn daily in the liquor for a fortnight, soak it for a few hours in water, dry with a cloth, cover with a coarse paste, put a little water at the bottom of the pan, and bake in a moderate oven for hours. if it is not covered with a paste, be careful to put the beef into a deep vessel, and cover with a plate, or it will be too crisp. during the time the meat is in the oven it should be turned once or twice. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ at any time. baking meat.--baking exerts some unexplained influence on meat, rendering it less savoury and less agreeable than meat which has been roasted. "those who have travelled in germany and france," writes mr. lewis, one of our most popular scientific authors, "must have repeatedly marvelled at the singular uniformity in the flavour, or want of flavour, of the various 'roasts' served up at the _table-d'hôte_." the general explanation is, that the german and french meat is greatly inferior in quality to that of england and holland, owing to the inferiority of pasturage; and doubtless this is one cause, but it is not the chief cause. the meat is inferior, but the cooking is mainly at fault. the meat is scarcely ever _roasted_, because there is no coal, and firewood is expensive. the meat is therefore _baked;_ and the consequence of this baking is, that no meat is eatable or eaten, with its own gravy, but is always accompanied by some sauce more or less piquant. the germans generally believe that in england we eat our beef and mutton almost raw; they shudder at our gravy, as if it were so much blood. stewed beef or rump steak (an entree). . ingredients.--about lbs. of beef or rump steak, onions, turnips, carrots, or oz. of butter, / pint of water, teaspoonful of salt, / do. of pepper, tablespoonful of ketchup, tablespoonful of flour. _mode_.--have the steaks cut tolerably thick and rather lean; divide them into convenient-sized pieces, and fry them in the butter a nice brown on both sides. cleanse and pare the vegetables, cut the onions and carrots into thin slices, and the turnips into dice, and fry these in the same fat that the steaks were done in. put all into a saucepan, add / pint of water, or rather more should it be necessary, and simmer very gently for - / or hours; when nearly done, skim well, add salt, pepper, and ketchup in the above proportions, and thicken with a tablespoonful of flour mixed with of cold water. let it boil up for a minute or two after the thickening is added, and serve. when a vegetable-scoop is at hand, use it to cut the vegetables in fanciful shapes, and tomato, harvey's sauce, or walnut-liquor may be used to flavour the gravy. it is less rich if stewed the previous day, so that the fat may be taken off when cold; when wanted for table, it will merely require warming through. _time_.-- hours. average cost, s. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. stewed beef and celery sauce (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.-- roots of celery, pint of gravy, no. , onions sliced, lbs. of cold roast or boiled beef. _mode_.--cut the celery into -inch pieces, put them in a stew-pan, with the gravy and onions, simmer gently until the celery is tender, when add the beef cut into rather thick pieces; stew gently for minutes, and serve with fried potatoes. _time_.--from to minutes to stew the celery. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ from september to january. stewed beef with oysters (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--a few thick steaks of cold ribs or sirloin of beef, oz. of butter, onion sliced, pepper and salt to taste, / glass of port wine, a little flour to thicken, or dozen oysters, rather more than / pint of water. _mode_.--cut the steaks rather thick, from cold sirloin or ribs of beef; brown them lightly in a stewpan, with the butter and a little water; add / pint of water, the onion, pepper, and salt, and cover the stewpan closely, and let it simmer very gently for / hour; then mix about a teaspoonful of flour smoothly with a little of the liquor; add the port wine and oysters, their liquor having been previously strained and put into the stewpan; stir till the oysters plump, and serve. it should not boil after the oysters are added, or they will harden. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, s. d. _seasonable_ from september to april. stewed brisket of beef. . ingredients.-- lbs. of a brisket of beef, vinegar and salt, carrots, turnips, small onions, blade of pounded mace, whole allspice pounded, thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonfuls of ketchup; stock, or water. _mode_.--about an hour before dressing it, rub the meat over with vinegar and salt; put it into a stewpan, with sufficient stock to cover it (when this is not at hand, water may be substituted for it), and be particular that the stewpan is not much larger than the meat. skim well, and when it has simmered very gently for hour, put in the vegetables, and continue simmering till the meat is perfectly tender. draw out the bones, dish the meat, and garnish either with tufts of cauliflower or braised cabbage cut in quarters. thicken as much gravy as required, with a little butter and flour; add spices and ketchup in the above proportion, give one boil, pour some of it over the meat, and the remainder send in a tureen. _time_.--rather more than hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the remainder of the liquor in which the beef was boiled may be served as a soup, or it may be sent to table with the meat in a tureen. stewed rump of beef. . ingredients.-- / rump of beef, sufficient stock to cover it (no. ), tablespoonfuls of vinegar, tablespoonfuls of ketchup, large bunch of savoury herbs, onions, cloves, pepper and salt to taste, thickening of butter and flour, glass of port wine. _mode_.--cut out the bone, sprinkle the meat with a little cayenne (this must be sparingly used), and bind and tie it firmly up with tape; put it into a stewpan with sufficient stock to cover it, and add vinegar, ketchup, herbs, onions, cloves, and seasoning in the above proportion, and simmer very gently for or hours, or until the meat is perfectly tender, which may be ascertained by piercing it with a thin skewer. when done, remove the tape, lay it into a deep dish, which keep hot; strain and skim the gravy, thicken it with butter and flour, add a glass of port wine and any flavouring to make the gravy rich and palatable; let it boil up, pour over the meat, and serve. this dish may be very much enriched by garnishing with forcemeat balls, or filling up the space whence the bone is taken with a good forcemeat; sliced carrots, turnips, and onions boiled with the meat, are also a great improvement, and, where expense is not objected to, it may be glazed. this, however, is not necessary where a good gravy is poured round and over the meat. _time_.-- / rump stewed gently from to hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--a stock or gravy in which to boil the meat, may be made of the bone and trimmings, by boiling them with water, and adding carrots, onions, turnips, and a bunch of sweet herbs. to make this dish richer and more savoury, half-roast the rump, and afterwards stew it in strong stock and a little madeira. this is an expensive method, and is not, after all, much better than a plainer-dressed joint. the baron of beef.--this noble joint, which consisted of two sirloins not cut asunder, was a favourite dish of our ancestors. it is rarely seen nowadays; indeed, it seems out of place on a modern table, as it requires the grim boar's head and christmas pie as supporters. sir walter scott has described a feast at which the baron of beef would have appeared to great advantage. we will quote a few lines to remind us of those days when "england was merry england," and when hospitality was thought to be the highest virtue. "the fire, with well-dried logs supplied, went roaring up the chimney wide; the huge hall-table's oaken face, scrubb'd till it shone, the day to grace, bore then, upon its massive board, no mark to part the squire and lord. then was brought in the lusty brawn, by old blue-coated serving-man; then the grim boar's head frown'd on high, crested with bays and rosemary. well can the green-garb'd ranger tell how, when, and where the monster fell; what dogs before his death he tore, and all the baiting of the boar; while round the merry wassel bowl, garnish'd with ribbons, blithe did trowl. there the huge sirloin reek'd; hard by plum-porridge stood, and christmas pie; nor fail'd old scotland to produce, at such high tide, her savoury goose." when a lord's son came of age, in the olden time, the baron of beef was too small a joint, by many degrees, to satisfy the retainers who would flock to the hall; a whole ox was therefore generally roasted over a fire built up of huge logs. we may here mention, that an ox was roasted entire on the frozen thames, in the early part of the present century. stewed shin of beef. . ingredients.--a shin of beef, head of celery, onion, a faggot of savoury herbs, / teaspoonful of allspice, / teaspoonful of whole black pepper, carrots, button onions, turnips, thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, tablespoonfuls of port wine; pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--have the bone sawn into or pieces, cover with hot water, bring it to a boil, and remove any scum that may rise to the surface. put in the celery, onion, herbs, spice, and seasoning, and simmer very gently until the meat is tender. peel the vegetables, cut them into any shape fancy may dictate, and boil them with the onions until tender; lift out the beef, put it on a dish, which keep hot, and thicken with butter and flour as much of the liquor as will be wanted for gravy; keep stirring till it boils, then strain and skim. put the gravy back in the stewpan, add the seasoning, port wine, and ketchup, give one boil, and pour it over the beef; garnish with the boiled carrots, turnips, and onions. _time_.--the meat to be stewed about hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. with bone. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. toad-in-the-hole (a homely but savoury dish). . ingredients.-- - / lb. of rump-steak, sheep's kidney, pepper and salt to taste. for the batter, eggs, pint of milk, tablespoonfuls of flour, / saltspoonful of salt. _mode_.--cut up the steak and kidney into convenient-sized pieces, and put them into a pie-dish, with a good seasoning of salt and pepper; mix the flour with a small quantity of milk at first, to prevent its being lumpy; add the remainder, and the eggs, which should be well beaten; put in the salt, stir the batter for about minutes, and pour it over the steak. place it in a tolerably brisk oven immediately, and bake for - / hour. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the remains of cold beef, rather underdone, may be substituted for the steak, and, when liked, the smallest possible quantity of minced onion or shalot may be added. boiled tongue. . ingredients.-- tongue, a bunch of savoury herbs, water. _mode_.--in choosing a tongue, ascertain how long it has been dried or pickled, and select one with a smooth skin, which denotes its being young and tender. if a dried one, and rather hard, soak it at least for hours previous to cooking it; if, however, it is fresh from the pickle, or hours will be sufficient for it to remain in sock. put the tongue in a stewpan with plenty of cold water and a bunch of savoury herbs; let it gradually come to a boil, skim well and simmer very gently until tender. peel off the skin, garnish with tufts of cauliflowers or brussels sprouts, and serve. boiled tongue is frequently sent to table with boiled poultry, instead of ham, and is, by many persons, preferred. if to serve cold, peel it, fasten it down to a piece of board by sticking a fork through the root, and another through the top, to straighten it. when cold, glaze it, and put a paper ruche round the root, and garnish with tufts of parsley. _time_.--a large smoked tongue, to - / hours; a small one, - / to hours. a large unsmoked tongue, to - / hours; a small one, to - / hours. _average cost_, for a moderate sized tongue, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. to cure tongues. i. . ingredients.--for a tongue of lbs., oz. of saltpetre, / oz. of black pepper, oz. of sugar, oz. of juniper berries, oz. of salt. _mode_.--rub the above ingredients well into the tongue, and let it remain in the pickle for days or a fortnight; then drain it, tie it up in brown paper, and have it smoked for about days over a wood fire; or it may be boiled out of this pickle. _time_.--from to days to remain in the pickle; to be smoked days. _average cost_, for a medium-sized uncured tongue, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--if not wanted immediately, the tongue will keep or weeks without being too salt; then it must not be rubbed, but only turned in the pickle. ii. . ingredients.-- lbs. of salt, oz. of sugar, oz. of powdered saltpetre. _mode_.--rub the above ingredients well into the tongues, and keep them in this curing mixture for months, turning them every day. drain them from the pickle, cover with brown paper, and have them smoked for about weeks. _time_.--the tongues to remain in pickle months; to be smoked weeks. _sufficient_.--the above quantity of brine sufficient for tongues, of lbs. each. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: beef tongue.] the tongues of animals.--the tongue, whether in the ox or in man, is the seat of the sense of taste. this sense warns the animal against swallowing deleterious substances. dr. carpenter says, that, among the lower animals, the instinctive perceptions connected with this sense, are much more remarkable than our own; thus, an omnivorous monkey will seldom touch fruits of a poisonous character, although their taste may be agreeable. however this may be, man's instinct has decided that ox-tongue is better than horse-tongue; nevertheless, the latter is frequently substituted by dishonest dealers for the former. the horse's tongue may be readily distinguished by a spoon-like expansion at its end. to pickle and dress a tongue to eat cold. . ingredients.-- oz. of salt, oz. of bay-salt, oz. of saltpetre, oz. of coarse sugar; cloves, mace, and allspice to taste; butter, common crust of flour and water. _mode_.--lay the tongue for a fortnight in the above pickle, turn it every day, and be particular that the spices are well pounded; put it into a small pan just large enough to hold it, place some pieces of butter on it, and cover with a common crust. bake in a slow oven until so tender that a straw would penetrate it; take off the skin, fasten it down to a piece of board by running a fork through the root and another through the tip, at the same time straightening it and putting it into shape. when cold, glaze it, put a paper ruche round the root, which is generally very unsightly, and garnish with tufts of parsley. _time_.--from or hours in a slow oven, according to size. _average cost_, for a medium-sized uncured tongue, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. to dress tripe. . ingredients.--tripe, onion sauce, no. , milk and water. _mode_.--ascertain that the tripe is quite fresh, and have it cleaned and dressed. cut away the coarsest fat, and boil it in equal proportions of milk and water for / hour. should the tripe be entirely undressed, more than double that time should be allowed for it. have ready some onion sauce made by recipe no. s , dish the tripe, smother it with the sauce, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. _time_.-- hour: for undressed tripe, from - / to hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--tripe may be dressed in a variety of ways: it may be cut in pieces and fried in batter, stewed in gravy with mushrooms, or cut into collops, sprinkled with minced onion and savoury herbs, and fried a nice brown in clarified butter. beef carving. aitchbone of beef. a boiled aitch-bone of beef is not a difficult joint to carve, as will be seen on reference to the accompanying engraving. by following with the knife the direction of the line from to , nice slices will be easily cut. it may be necessary, as in a round of beef, to cut a thick slice off the outside before commencing to serve. [illustration] brisket of beef. there is but little description necessary to add, to show the carving of a boiled brisket of beef, beyond the engraving here inserted. the only point to be observed is, that the joint should be cut evenly and firmly quite across the bones, so that, on its reappearance at table, it should not have a jagged and untidy look. [illustration] ribs of beef. this dish resembles the sirloin, except that it has no fillet or undercut. as explained in the recipes, the end piece is often cut off, salted and boiled. the mode of carving is similar to that of the sirloin, viz., in the direction of the dotted line from to . this joint will be the more easily cut if the plan be pursued which is suggested in carving the sirloin; namely, the inserting of the knife immediately between the bone and the moat, before commencing to cut it into slices. all joints of roast beef should be cut in even and thin slices. horseradish, finely scraped, may be served as a garnish; but horseradish sauce is preferable for eating with the beef. [illustration] sirloin of beef. this dish is served differently at various tables, some preferring it to come to table with the fillet, or, as it is usually called, the undercut, uppermost. the reverse way, as shown in the cut, is that most usually adopted. still the undercut is best eaten when hot; consequently, the carver himself may raise the joint, and cut some slices from the under side, in the direction of from to , as the fillet is very much preferred by some eaters. the upper part of the sirloin should be cut in the direction of the line from to , and care should be taken to carve it evenly and in thin slices. it will be found a great assistance, in carving this joint well, if the knife be first inserted just above the bone at the bottom, and run sharply along between the bone and meat, and also to divide the meat from the bone in the same way at the side of the joint. the slices will then come away more readily. [illustration] some carvers cut the upper side of the sirloin across, as shown by the line from to ; but this is a wasteful plan, and one not to be recommended. with the sirloin, very finely-scraped horseradish is usually served, and a little given, when liked, to each guest. horseradish sauce is preferable, however, for serving on the plate, although the scraped horseradish may still be used as a garnish. [illustration] a round of beef. a round of beef is not so easily carved as many other joints of beef, and to manage it properly, a thin-bladed and very sharp knife is necessary. off the outside of the joint, at its top, a thick slice should first be cut, so as to leave the surface smooth; then thin and even slices should be cleverly carved in the direction of the line to ; and with each slice of the lean a delicate morsel of the fat should be served. [illustration] beef tongue. passing the knife down in the direction of from to , a not too thin slice should be helped; and the carving of a tongue may be continued in this way until the best portions of the upper side are served. the fat which lies about the root of the tongue can be served by turning the tongue, and cutting in the direction of from to . [illustration] [illustration] chapter xiv. general observations on the sheep and lamb. . of all wild or domesticated animals, the sheep is, without exception, the most useful to man as a food, and the most necessary to his health and comfort; for it not only supplies him with the lightest and most nutritious of meats, but, in the absence of the cow, its udder yields him milk, cream, and a sound though inferior cheese; while from its fat he obtains light, and from its fleece broadcloth, kerseymere, blankets, gloves, and hose. its bones when burnt make an animal charcoal--ivory black--to polish his boots, and when powdered, a manure for the cultivation of his wheat; the skin, either split or whole, is made into a mat for his carriage, a housing for his horse, or a lining for his hat, and many other useful purposes besides, being extensively employed in the manufacture of parchment; and finally, when oppressed by care and sorrow, the harmonious strains that carry such soothing contentment to the heart, are elicited from the musical strings, prepared almost exclusively from the intestines of the sheep. . this valuable animal, of which england is estimated to maintain an average stock of , , , belongs to the class already indicated under the ox,--the _mammalia_; to the order of _rumenantia_, or cud-chewing animal; to the tribe of _capridae_, or horned quadrupeds; and the genus _ovis_, or the "sheep." the sheep may be either with or without horns; when present, however, they have always this peculiarity, that they spring from a triangular base, are spiral in form, and lateral, at the side of the head, in situation. the fleece of the sheep is of two sorts, either short and harsh, or soft and woolly; the wool always preponderating in an exact ratio to the care, attention, and amount of domestication bestowed on the animal. the generic peculiarities of the sheep are the triangular and spiral form of the horns, always larger in the male when present, but absent in the most cultivated species; having sinuses at the base of all the toes of the four feet, with two rudimentary hoofs on the fore legs, two inguinal teats to the udder, with a short tail in the wild breed, but of varying length in the domesticated; have no incisor teeth in the upper jaw, but in their place a hard elastic cushion along the margin of the gum, on which the animal nips and breaks the herbage on which it feeds; in the lower jaw there are eight incisor teeth and six molars on each side of both jaws, making in all teeth. the fleece consists of two coats, one to keep the animal warm, the other to carry off the water without wetting the skin. the first is of wool, the weight and fineness of which depend on the quality of the pasture and the care bestowed on the flock; the other of hair, that pierces the wool and overlaps it, and is in excess in exact proportion to the badness of the keep and inattention with which the animal is treated. . the great object of the grazier is to procure an animal that will yield the greatest pecuniary return in the shortest time; or, in other words, soonest convert grass and turnips into good mutton and fine fleece. all sheep will not do this alike; some, like men, are so restless and irritable, that no system of feeding, however good, will develop their frames or make them fat. the system adopted by the breeder to obtain a valuable animal for the butcher, is to enlarge the capacity and functions of the digestive organs, and reduce those of the head and chest, or the mental and respiratory organs. in the first place, the mind should be tranquillized, and those spaces that can never produce animal fibre curtailed, and greater room afforded, as in the abdomen, for those that can. and as nothing militates against the fattening process so much as restlessness, the chief wish of the grazier is to find a dull, indolent sheep, one who, instead of frisking himself, leaping his wattles, or even condescending to notice the butting gambols of his silly companions, silently fills his paunch with pasture, and then seeking a shady nook, indolently and luxuriously chows his cud with closed eyes and blissful satisfaction, only rising when his delicious repast is ended, to proceed silently and without emotion to repeat the pleasing process of laying in more provender, and then returning to his dreamy siesta to renew the delightful task of rumination. such animals are said to have a _lymphatic_ temperament, and are of so kindly a nature, that on good pasturage they may be said to grow daily. the leicestershire breed is the best example of this lymphatic and contented animal, and the active orkney, who is half goat in his habits, of the restless and unprofitable. the rich pasture of our midland counties would take years in making the wiry orkney fat and profitable, while one day's fatigue in climbing rocks after a coarse and scanty herbage would probably cause the actual death of the pampered and short-winded leicester. . the more removed from the nature of the animal is the food on which it lives, the more difficult is the process of assimilation, and the more complex the chain of digestive organs; for it must be evident to all, that the same apparatus that converts _flesh_ into _flesh_, is hardly calculated to transmute _grass_ into flesh. as the process of digestion in carnivorous animals is extremely simple, these organs are found to be remarkably short, seldom exceeding the length of the animal's body; while, where digestion is more difficult, from the unassimilating nature of the aliment, as in the ruminant order, the alimentary canal, as is the case with the sheep, is _twenty-seven times the length of the body._ the digestive organ in all ruminant animals consists of _four stomachs_, or, rather, a capacious pouch, divided by doorways and valves into four compartments, called, in their order of position, the paunch, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum. when the sheep nibbles the grass, and is ignorantly supposed to be eating, he is, in fact, only preparing the raw material of his meal, in reality only mowing the pasture, which, as he collects, is swallowed instantly, passing into the first receptacle, the _paunch_, where it is surrounded by a quantity of warm saliva, in which the herbage undergoes a process of maceration or softening, till the animal having filled this compartment, the contents pass through a valve into the second or smaller bag,--the _reticulum_, where, having again filled the paunch with a reserve, the sheep lies down and commences that singular process of chewing the cud, or, in other words, masticating the food he has collected. by the operation of a certain set of muscles, a small quantity of this softened food from the _reticulum_, or second bag, is passed into the mouth, which it now becomes the pleasure of the sheep to grind under his molar teeth into a soft smooth pulp, the operation being further assisted by a flow of saliva, answering the double purpose of increasing the flavour of the aliment and promoting the solvency of the mass. having completely comminuted and blended this mouthful, it is swallowed a second time; but instead of returning to the paunch or reticulum, it passes through another valve into a side cavity,--the _omasum_, where, after a maceration in more saliva for some hours, it glides by the same contrivance into the fourth pouch,--the _abomasum_, an apartment in all respects analogous to the ordinary stomach of animals, and where the process of digestion, begun and carried on in the previous three, is here consummated, and the nutrient principle, by means of the bile, eliminated from the digested aliment. such is the process of digestion in sheep and oxen. . no other animal, even of the same order, possesses in so remarkable a degree the power of converting pasture into flesh as the leicestershire sheep; the south down and cheviot, the two next breeds in quality, are, in consequence of the greater vivacity of the animal's nature, not equal to it in that respect, though in both the brain and chest are kept subservient to the greater capacity of the organs of digestion. besides the advantage of increased bulk and finer fleeces, the breeder seeks to obtain an augmented deposit of tissue in those parts of the carcase most esteemed as food, or, what are called in the trade "prime joints;" and so far has this been effected, that the comparative weight of the hind quarters over the fore has become a test of quality in the breed, the butchers in some markets charging twopence a pound more for that portion of the sheep. indeed, so superior are the hind quarters of mutton now regarded, that very many of the west-end butchers never deal in any other part of the sheep. . the difference in the quality of the flesh in various breeds is a well-established fact, not alone in flavour, but also in tenderness; and that the nature of the pasture on which the sheep is fed influences the flavour of the meat, is equally certain, and shown in the estimation in which those flocks are held which have grazed on the thymy heath of bamstead in sussex. it is also a well-established truth, that the _larger_ the frame of the animal, the _coarser_ is the meat, and that _small bones_ are both guarantees for the fineness of the breed and the delicacy of the flesh. the sex too has much to do in determining the quality of the meat; in the males, the lean is closer in fibre, deeper in colour, harder in texture, less juicy, and freer from fat, than in the female, and is consequently tougher and more difficult of digestion; but probably age, and the character of the pasturage on which they are reared, has, more than any other cause, an influence on the quality and tenderness of the meat. . the numerous varieties of sheep inhabiting the different regions of the earth have been reduced by cuvier to three, or at most four, species: the _ovis amman_, or the argali, the presumed parent stock of all the rest; the _ovis tragelaphus_, the bearded sheep of africa; the _ovis musmon_, the musmon of southern europe; and the _ovis montana_, the mouflon of america; though it is believed by many naturalists that this last is so nearly identical with the indian argali as to be undeserving a separate place. it is still a controversy to which of these three we are indebted for the many breeds of modern domestication; the argali, however, by general belief, has been considered as the most _probable_ progenitor of the present varieties. . the effects produced by change of climate, accident, and other causes, must have been great to accomplish so complete a physical alteration as the primitive argali must have undergone before the musmon, or mouflon of corsica, the _immediate_ progenitor of all our european breeds, assumed his present appearance. the argali is about a fifth larger in size than the ordinary english sheep, and being a native of a tropical clime, his fleece is of hair instead of wool, and of a warm reddish brown, approaching to yellow; a thick mane of darker hair, about seven inches long, commences from two long tufts at the angle of the jaws, and, running _under_ the throat and neck, descends down the chest, dividing, at the fore fork, into two parts, one running down the front of each leg, as low as the shank. the horns, unlike the character of the order generally, have a quadrangular base, and, sweeping inwards, terminate in a sharp point. the tail, about seven inches long, ends in a tuft of stiff hairs. from this remarkable muffler-looking beard, the french have given the species the name of _mouflon à manchettes_. from the primitive stock _eleven_ varieties have been reared in this country, of the domesticated sheep, each supposed by their advocates to possess some one or more special qualities. these eleven, embracing the shetland or orkney; the dun-woolled; black-faced, or heath-bred; the moorland, or devonshire; the cheviot; the horned, of norfolk the ryeland; south-down; the merino; the old leicester, and the teeswater, or new leicester, have of late years been epitomized; and, for all useful and practical purposes, reduced to the following four orders:-- . the south-down, the leicester, the black-faced, and the cheviot. [illustration: south-down ram.] [illustration: south-down ewe.] . south-downs.--it appears, as far as our investigation can trace the fact, that from the very earliest epoch of agricultural history in england, the breezy range of light chalky hills running through the south-west and south of sussex and hampshire, and known as the south-downs, has been famous for a superior race of sheep; and we find the romans early established mills and a cloth-factory at winchester, where they may be said to terminate, which rose to such estimation, from the fineness of the wool and texture of the cloth, that the produce was kept as only worthy to clothe emperors. from this, it may be inferred that sheep have always been indigenous to this hilly tract. though boasting so remote a reputation, it is comparatively within late years that the improvement and present state of perfection of this breed has been effected, the south-down new ranking, for symmetry of shape, constitution, and early maturity, with any stock in the kingdom. the south-down has no horns, is covered with a fine wool from two to three inches long, has a small head, and legs and face of a grey colour. it is, however, considered deficient in depth and breadth of chest. a marked peculiarity of this breed is that its hind quarters stand higher than the fore, the quarters weighing from fifteen to eighteen pounds. [illustration: leicester ram.] [illustration: leicester ewe.] . the leicester.--it was not till the year that mr. robert bakewell directed his attention to the improvement of his stock of sheep, and ultimately effected that change in the character of his flock which has brought the breed to hold so prominent a place. the leicester is regarded as the largest example of the improved breeds, very productive, and yielding a good fleece. he has a small head, covered with short white hairs, a clean muzzle, an open countenance, full eye, long thin ear, tapering neck, well-arched ribs, and straight back. the meat is indifferent, its flavour not being so good as that of the south-down, and there is a very large proportion of fat. average weight of carcase from to lbs. [illustration: heath ram.] [illustration: heath ewe.] . black-faced, on heath-bred sheep.--this is the most hardy of all our native breeds, and originally came from ettrick forest. the face and legs are black, or sometimes mottled, the horns spiral, and on the top of the forehead it has a small round tuft of lighter-coloured wool than on the face; has the muzzle and lips of the same light hue, and what shepherds call a mealy mouth; the eye is full of vivacity and fire, and well open; the body long, round, and firm, and the limbs robust. the wool is thin, coarse, and light. weight of the quarter, from to lbs. . the cheviot.--from the earliest traditions, these hills in the north, like the chalk-ridges in the south, have possessed a race of large-carcased sheep, producing a valuable fleece. to these physical advantages, they added a sound constitution, remarkable vigour, and capability to endure great privation. both sexes are destitute of horns, face white, legs long and clean, carries the head erect, has the throat and neck well covered, the cars long and open, and the face animated. the cheviot is a small-boned sheep, and well covered with wool to the hough; the only defect in this breed, is in a want of depth in the chest. weight of the quarter, from to lbs. [illustration: romney-marsh ram.] [illustration: romney-marsh ewe.] . though the romney marshes, that wide tract of morass and lowland moor extending from the weald (or ancient forest) of kent into sussex, has rather been regarded as a general feeding-ground for any kind of sheep to be pastured on, it has yet, from the earliest date, been famous for a breed of animals almost peculiar to the locality, and especially for size, length, thickness, and quantity of wool, and what is called thickness of stocking; and on this account for ages held pre-eminence over every other breed in the kingdom. so satisfied were the kentish men with the superiority of their sheep, that they long resisted any crossing in the breed. at length, however, this was effected, and from the old romney and new leicester a stock was produced that proved, in an eminent degree, the advantage of the cross; and though the breed was actually smaller than the original, it was found that the new stock did not consume so much food, the stocking was increased, they were ready for the market a _year_ sooner; that the fat formed more on the exterior of the carcase, where it was of most advantage to the grazier, rather than as formerly in the interior, where it went to the butcher as offal; and though the wool was shorter and lighter, it was of a better colour, finer, and possessed of superior felting properties. . the romney marsh breed is a large animal, deep, close, and compact, with white face and legs, and yields a heavy fleece of a good staple quality. the general structure is, however, considered defective, the chest being narrow and the extremities coarse; nevertheless its tendency to fatten, and its early maturity, are universally admitted. the romney marsh, therefore, though not ranking as a first class in respect of perfection and symmetry of breed, is a highly useful, profitable, and generally advantageous variety of the english domestic sheep. . different names have been given to sheep by their breeders, according to their age and sex. the male is called a ram, or tup; after weaning, he is said to be a hog, or hogget, or a lamb-hog, tup-hog, or teg; later he is a wether, or wether-hog; after the first shearing, a shearing, or dinmont; and after each succeeding shearing, a two, three, or four-shear ram, tup, or wether, according to circumstances. the female is called a ewe, or gimmer-lamb, till weaned, when she becomes, according to the shepherd's nomenclature, a gimmer-ewe, hog, or teg; after shearing, a gimmer or shearing-ewe, or theave; and in future a two, three, or four-shear ewe, or theave. . the mode of slaughtering sheep is perhaps as humane and expeditious a process as could be adopted to attain the objects sought: the animal being laid on its side in a sort of concave stool, the butcher, while pressing the body with his knee, transfixes the throat near the angle of the jaw, passing his knife between the windpipe and bones of the neck; thus dividing the jugulars, carotids, and large vessels, the death being very rapid from such a hemorrhage. [illustration: side of mutton, showing the several joints.] . almost every large city has a particular manner of cutting up, or, as it is called, dressing the carcase. in london this process is very simple, and as our butchers have found that much skewering back, doubling one part over another, or scoring the inner cuticle or fell, tends to spoil the meat and shorten the time it would otherwise keep, they avoid all such treatment entirely. the carcase when flayed (which operation is performed while yet warm), the sheep when hung up and the head removed, presents the profile shown in our cut; the small numerals indicating the parts or joints into which one half of the animal is cut. after separating the hind from the fore quarters, with eleven ribs to the latter, the quarters are usually subdivided in the manner shown in the sketch, in which the several joins are defined by the intervening lines and figures. _hind quarter_: no. , the leg; , the loin--the two, when cut in one piece, being called the saddle. _fore quarter_: no. , the shoulder; and the neck; no. being called, for distinction, the scrag, which is generally afterwards separated from , the lower and better joint; no. , the breast. the haunch of mutton, so often served at public dinners and special entertainments, comprises all the leg and so much of the loin, short of the ribs or lap, as is indicated on the upper part of the carcase by a dotted line. . the gentle and timid disposition of the sheep, and its defenceless condition, must very early have attached it to man for motives less selfish than either its fleece or its flesh; for it has been proved beyond a doubt that, obtuse as we generally regard it, it is susceptible of a high degree of domesticity, obedience, and affection. in many parts of europe, where the flocks are guided by the shepherd's voice alone, it is no unusual thing for a sheep to quit the herd when called by its name, and follow the keeper like a dog. in the mountains of scotland, when a flock is invaded by a savage dog, the rams have been known to form the herd into a circle, and placing themselves on the outside line, keep the enemy at bay, or charging on him in a troop, have despatched him with their horns. . the value of the sheep seems to have been early understood by adam in his fallen state; his skin not only affording him protection for his body, but a covering for his tent; and accordingly, we find abel intrusted with this portion of his father's stock; for the bible tells us that "abel was a keeper of sheep." what other animals were domesticated at that time we can only conjecture, or at what exact period the flesh of the sheep was first eaten for food by man, is equally, if not uncertain, open to controversy. for though some authorities maintain the contrary, it is but natural to suppose that when abel brought firstlings of his flock, "and the fat thereof," as a sacrifice, the less dainty portions, not being oblations, were hardly likely to have been flung away as refuse. indeed, without supposing adam and his descendants to have eaten animal food, we cannot reconcile the fact of jubal cain, cain's son, and his family, living in tents, as they are reported to have done, knowing that both their own garments and the coverings of the tents, were made from the hides and skins of the animals they bred; for the number of sheep and oxen slain for oblations only, would not have supplied sufficient material for two such necessary purposes. the opposite opinion is, that animal food was not eaten till after the flood, when the lord renewed his covenant with noah. from scriptural authority we learn many interesting facts as regards the sheep: the first, that mutton fat was considered the most delicious portion of any meat, and the tail and adjacent part the most exquisite morsel in the whole body; consequently, such were regarded as especially fit for the offer of sacrifice. from this fact we may reasonably infer that the animal still so often met with in palestine and syria, and known as the fat-tailed sheep, was in use in the days of the patriarchs, though probably not then of the size and weight it now attains to; a supposition that gains greater strength, when it is remembered that the ram abraham found in the bush, when he went to offer up isaac, was a horned animal, being entangled in the brake by his curved horns; so far proving that it belonged to the tribe of the capridae, the fat-tailed sheep appertaining to the same family. lambs. . though the lambing season in this country usually commences in march, under the artificial system, so much pursued now to please the appetite of luxury, lambs can be procured at all seasons. when, however, the sheep lambs in mid-winter, or the inclemency of the weather would endanger the lives of mother and young, if exposed to its influence, it is customary to rear the lambs within-doors, and under the shelter of stables or barns, where, foddered on soft hay, and part fed on cow's milk, the little creatures thrive rapidly: to such it is customary to give the name of house lamb, to distinguish it from that reared in the open air, or grass-fed. the ewe goes five months with her young, about days, or close on weeks. the weaning season commences on poor lands, about the end of the third month, but on rich pasture not till the close of the fourth--sometimes longer. . from the large proportion of moisture or fluids contained in the tissues of all young animals, the flesh of lamb and veal is much more prone, in close, damp weather, to become tainted and spoil than the flesh of the more mature, drier, and closer-textured beef and mutton. among epicures, the most delicious sorts of lamb are those of the south-down breed, known by their black feet; and of these, those which have been exclusively suckled on the milk of the parent ewe, are considered the finest. next to these in estimation are those fed on the milk of several dams, and last of all, though the fattest, the grass-fed lamb; this, however, implies an age much greater than either of the others. [illustration: side of lamb.] . lamb, in the early part of the season, however reared, is in london, and indeed generally, sold in quarters, divided with eleven ribs to the forequarter; but, as the season advances, these are subdivided into two, and the hind-quarter in the same manner; the first consisting of the shoulder, and the neck and breast; the latter, of the leg and the loin,--as shown in the cut illustrative of mutton. as lamb, from the juicy nature of its flesh, is especially liable to spoil in unfavourable weather, it should be frequently wiped, so as to remove any moisture that may form on it. . in the purchasing of lamb for the table, there are certain signs by which the experienced judgment is able to form an accurate opinion whether the animal has been lately slaughtered, and whether the joints possess that condition of fibre indicative of good and wholesome meat. the first of these doubts may be solved satisfactorily by the bright and dilated appearance of the eye; the quality of the fore-quarter can always be guaranteed by the blue or healthy ruddiness of the jugular, or vein of the neck; while the rigidity of the knuckle, and the firm, compact feel of the kidney, will answer in an equally positive manner for the integrity of the hind-quarter. . mode of cutting up a side of lamb in london.-- , . ribs; . breast; . shoulder; . loin; . leg; , , . fore quarter. recipes. chapter xv. baked minced mutton (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of any joint of cold roast mutton, or onions, bunch of savoury herbs, pepper and salt to taste, blades of pounded mace or nutmeg, tablespoonfuls of gravy, mashed potatoes. _mode_.--mince an onion rather fine, and fry it a light-brown colour; add the herbs and mutton, both of which should be also finely minced and well mixed; season with pepper and salt, and a little pounded mace or nutmeg, and moisten with the above proportion of gravy. put a layer of mashed potatoes at the bottom of a dish, then the mutton, and then another layer of potatoes, and bake for about / hour. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--if there should be a large quantity of meat, use onions instead of . boiled breast of mutton and caper sauce. . ingredients.--breast of mutton, bread crumbs, tablespoonfuls of minced savoury herbs (put a large proportion of parsley), pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--cut off the superfluous fat; bone it; sprinkle over a layer of bread crumbs, minced herbs, and seasoning; roll, and bind it up firmly. boil _gently_ for hours, remove the tape, and serve with caper sauce, no. , a little of which should be poured over the meat. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year. boiled leg of mutton. . ingredients.--mutton, water, salt. _mode_.--a. leg of mutton for boiling should not hang too long, as it will not look a good colour when dressed. cut off the shank-bone, trim the knuckle, and wash and wipe it very clean; plunge it into sufficient boiling water to cover it; let it boil up, then draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, where it should remain till the finger can be borne in the water. then place it sufficiently near the fire, that the water may gently simmer, and be very careful that it does not boil fast, or the meat will be hard. skim well, add a little salt, and in about - / hours after the water begins to simmer, a moderate-sized leg of mutton will be done. serve with carrots and mashed turnips, which may be boiled with the meat, and send caper sauce (no. ) to table with it in a tureen. _time_.--a moderate-sized leg of mutton of lbs., - / hours after the water boils; one of lbs., hours. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_.--a moderate-sized leg of mutton for or persons. _seasonable_ nearly all the year, but not so good in june, july, and august. _note_.--when meat is liked very _thoroughly_ cooked, allow more time than stated above. the liquor this joint was boiled in should be converted into soup. the good shepherd.--the sheep's complete dependence upon the shepherd for protection from its numerous enemies is frequently referred to in the bible; thus the psalmist likens himself to a lost sheep, and prays the almighty to seek his servant; and our saviour, when despatching his twelve chosen disciples to preach the gospel amongst their unbelieving brethren, compares them to lambs going amongst wolves. the shepherd of the east, by kind treatment, calls forth from his sheep unmistakable signs of affection. the sheep obey his voice and recognize the names by which he calls them, and they follow him in and out of the fold. the beautiful figure of the "good shepherd," which so often occurs in the new testament, expresses the tenderness of the saviour for mankind. "the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."--_john_, x. . "i am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known by mine."--_john_, x. . "and other sheep i have which are not of this fold: them also i must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and there shall be one fold and one shepherd."--_john_, x. . boned leg of mutton stuffed. . ingredients.--a small leg of mutton, weighing or lbs., forcemeat, no. , shalots finely minced. _mode_.--make a forcemeat by recipe no. , to which add finely-minced shalots. bone the leg of mutton, without spoiling the skin, and cut off a great deal of the fat. fill the hole up whence the bone was taken, with the forcemeat, and sew it up underneath, to prevent its falling out. bind and tie it up compactly, and roast it before a nice clear fire for about - / hours or rather longer; remove the tape and send it to table with a good gravy. it may be glazed or not, as preferred. _time_.-- - / hours, or rather longer. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. braised fillet of mutton, with french beans. . ingredients.--the chump end of a loin of mutton, buttered paper, french beans, a little glaze, pint of gravy. _mode_.--roll up the mutton in a piece of buttered paper, roast it for hours, and do not allow it to acquire the least colour. have ready some french beans, boiled, and drained on a sieve; remove the paper from the mutton, glaze it; just heat up the beans in the gravy, and lay them on the dish with the meat over them. the remainder of the gravy may be strained, and sent to table in a tureen. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. various qualities of mutton--mutton is, undoubtedly, the meat most generally used in families; and, both by connoisseurs and medical men, it stands first in favour, whether its the favour, digestible qualifications, or general wholesomeness, be considered. of all mutton, that furnished by south-down sheep is the most highly esteemed; it is also the dearest, on account of its scarcity, and the great demand of it. therefore, if the housekeeper is told by the butcher that he has not any in his shop, it should not occasion disappointment to the purchaser. the london and other markets are chiefly supplied with sheep called half-breeds, which are a cross between the down and lincoln or leicester. these half-breeds make a greater weight of mutton than the true south-downs, and, for this very desirable qualification, they are preferred by the great sheep-masters. the legs of this mutton range from to lbs. in weight; the shoulders, necks, or loins, about to lbs.; and if care is taken not to purchase it; the shoulders, necks, or loins, about to lbs.; and it cure is taken not to purchase it too fat, it will be found the most satisfactory and economical mutton that can be bought. braised leg of mutton. . ingredients.-- small leg of mutton, carrots, onions, faggot of savoury herbs, a bunch of parsley, seasoning to taste of pepper and salt, a few slices of bacon, a few veal trimmings, / pint of gravy or water. _mode_.--line the bottom of a braising-pan with a few slices of bacon, put in the carrots, onions, herbs, parsley, and seasoning, and over these place the mutton. cover the whole with a few more slices of bacon and the veal trimmings, pour in the gravy or water, and stew very gently for hours. strain the gravy, reduce it to a glaze over a sharp fire, glaze the mutton with it, and send it to table, placed on a dish of white haricot beans boiled tender, or garnished with glazed onions. _time_.-- hours. average cost, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. the order of the golden fleece.--this order of knighthood was founded by philip the good, duke of burgundy, in , on the day of his marriage with the princess isabella of portugal. the number of the members was originally fixed at thirty-one, including the sovereign, as the head and chief of the institution. in , pope leo x. consented to increase the number to fifty-two, including the head. in the german emperor charles vi. and king philip of spain both laid claim to the order. the former, however, on leaving spain, which he could not maintain by force of arms, took with him, to vienna, the archives of the order, the inauguration of which he solemnized there in , with great magnificence; but philip v. of spain declared himself grand master, and formally protested, at the congress of cambrai ( ), against the pretensions of the emperor. the dispute, though subsequently settled by the intercession of france, england, and holland, was frequently renewed, until the order was tacitly introduced into both countries, and it now passes by the respective names of the spanish or austrian "order of the golden fleece," according to the country where it is issued. an excellent way to cook a breast of mutton. . ingredients.--breast of mutton, onions, salt and pepper to taste, flour, a bunch of savoury herbs, green peas. _mode_.--cut the mutton into pieces about inches square, and let it be tolerably lean; put it into a stewpan, with a little fat or butter, and fry it of a nice brown; then dredge in a little flour, slice the onions, and put it with the herbs in the stewpan; pour in sufficient water _just_ to cover the meat, and simmer the whole gently until the mutton is tender. take out the meat, strain, and skim off all the fat from the gravy, and put both the meat and gravy back into the stewpan; add about a quart of young green peas, and let them boil gently until done. or slices of bacon added and stewed with the mutton give additional flavour; and, to insure the peas being a beautiful green colour, they may be boiled in water separately, and added to the stew at the moment of serving. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from june to august. names of animals saxon, and of their flesh norman.--the names of all our domestic animals are of saxon origin; but it is curious to observe that norman names have been given to the different sorts of flesh which these animals yield. how beautifully this illustrates the relative position of saxon and norman after the conquest. the saxon hind had the charge of tending and feeding the domestic animals, but only that they might appear on the table of his norman lord. thus 'ox,' 'steer,' 'cow,' are saxon, but 'beef' is norman; 'calf' is saxon, but 'veal' norman; 'sheep' is saxon, but 'mutton' norman; so it is severally with 'deer' and 'venison,' 'swine' and 'pork,' 'fowl' and 'pullet.' 'bacon,' the only flesh which, perhaps, ever came within his reach, is the single exception. broiled mutton and tomato sauce (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--a few slices of cold mutton, tomato sauce, no. . _mode_.--cut some nice slices from a cold leg or shoulder of mutton; season them with pepper and salt, and broil over a clear fire. make some tomato sauce by recipe no. , pour it over the mutton, and serve. this makes an excellent dish, and must be served very hot. _time_.--about minutes to broil the mutton. _seasonable_ in september and october, when tomatoes are plentiful and seasonable. shepherds and their flocks.--the shepherd's crook is older than either the husbandman's plough or the warrior's sword. we are told that abel was a keeper of sheep. many passages in holy writ enable us to appreciate the pastoral riches of the first eastern nations; and we can form an idea of the number of their flocks, when we read that jacob gave the children of hamor a hundred sheep for the price of a field, and that the king of israel received a hundred thousand every year from the king of moab, his tributary, and a like number of rams covered with their fleece. the tendency which most sheep have to ramble, renders it necessary for them to be attended by a shepherd. to keep a flock within bounds, is no easy task; but the watchful shepherd manages to accomplish it without harassing the sheep. in the highlands of scotland, where the herbage is scanty, the sheep-farm requires to be very large, and to be watched over by many shepherds. the farms of some of the great scottish landowners are of enormous extent. "how many sheep have you on your estate?" asked prince esterhazy of the duke of argyll. "i have not the most remote idea," replied the duke; "but i know the shepherds number several thousands." broiled mutton chops. . ingredients.--loin of mutton, pepper and salt, a small piece of butter. _mode_.--cut the chops from a well-hung tender loin of mutton, remove a portion of the fat, and trim them into a nice shape; slightly beat and level them; place the gridiron over a bright clear fire, rub the bars with a little fat, and lay on the chops. whilst broiling, frequently turn them, and in about minutes they will be done. season with pepper and salt, dish them on a very hot dish, rub a small piece of butter on each chop, and serve very hot and expeditiously. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_.--allow chop to each person. _seasonable_ at any time. china chilo. . ingredients.-- - / lb. of leg, loin, or neck of mutton, onions, lettuces, pint of green peas, teaspoonful of salt, teaspoonful of pepper, / pint of water, / lb. of clarified butter; when liked, a little cayenne. _mode_.--mince the above quantity of undressed leg, loin, or neck of mutton, adding a little of the fat, also minced; put it into a stewpan with the remaining ingredients, previously shredding the lettuce and onion rather fine; closely cover the stewpan, after the ingredients have been well stirred, and simmer gently for rather more than hours. serve in a dish, with a border of rice round, the same as for curry. _time_.--rather more than hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from june to august. curried mutton (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of any joint of cold mutton, onions, / lb. of butter, dessertspoonful of curry powder, dessertspoonful of flour, salt to taste, / pint of stock or water. _mode_.--slice the onions in thin rings, and put them into a stewpan with the butter, and fry of a light brown; stir in the curry powder, flour, and salt, and mix all well together. cut the meat into nice thin slices (if there is not sufficient to do this, it may be minced), and add it to the other ingredients; when well browned, add the stock or gravy, and stew gently for about / hour. serve in a dish with a border of boiled rice, the same as for other curries. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ in winter. cutlets of cold mutton (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold loin or neck of mutton, egg, bread crumbs, brown gravy (no. ), or tomato sauce (no. ). _mode_.--cut the remains of cold loin or neck of mutton into cutlets, trim them, and take away a portion of the fat, should there be too much; dip them in beaten egg, and sprinkle with bread crumbs, and fry them a nice brown in hot dripping. arrange them on a dish, and pour round them either a good gravy or hot tomato sauce. _time_.--about minutes. _seasonable_.--tomatoes to be had most reasonably in september and october. dormers. . ingredients.-- / lb. of cold mutton, oz. of beef suet, pepper and salt to taste, oz. of boiled rice, egg, bread crumbs, made gravy. _mode_.--chop the meat, suet, and rice finely; mix well together, and add a high seasoning of pepper and salt, and roll into sausages; cover them with egg and bread crumbs, and fry in hot dripping of a nice brown. serve in a dish with made gravy poured round them, and a little in a tureen. _time_.-- / hour to fry the sausages. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. the golden fleece.--the ancient fable of the golden fleece may be thus briefly told:--phryxus, a son of athamus, king of thebes, to escape the persecutions of his stepmother ino, paid a visit to his friend aeetes, king of colchis. a ram, whose fleece was of pure gold, carried the youth through the air in a most obliging manner to the court of his friend. when safe at colchis, phryxus offered the ram on the altars of mars, and pocketed the fleece. the king received him with great kindness, and gave him his daughter chalciope in marriage; but, some time after, he murdered him in order to obtain possession of the precious fleece. the murder of phryxus was amply revenged by the greeks. it gave rise to the famous argonautic expedition, undertaken by jason and fifty of the most celebrated heroes of greece. the argonauts recovered the fleece by the help of the celebrated sorceress medea, daughter of aeetes, who fell desperately in love with the gallant but faithless jason. in the story of the voyage of the argo, a substratum of truth probably exists, though overlaid by a mass of fiction. the ram which carried phryxus to colchis is by some supposed to have been the name of the ship in which he embarked. the fleece of gold is thought to represent the immense treasures he bore away from thebes. the alchemists of the fifteenth century were firmly convinced that the golden fleece was a treatise on the transmutation of metals, written on sheepskin. haricot mutton. i. . ingredients.-- lbs. of the middle or best end of the neck of mutton, carrots, turnips, onions, popper and salt to taste, tablespoonful of ketchup or harvey's sauce. _mode_.--trim off some of the fat, cut the mutton into rather thin chops, and put them into a frying-pan with the fat trimmings. fry of a pale brown, but do not cook them enough for eating. cut the carrots and turnips into dice, and the onions into slices, and slightly fry them in the same fat that the mutton was browned in, but do not allow them to take any colour. now lay the mutton at the bottom of a stewpan, then the vegetables, and pour over them just sufficient boiling water to cover the whole. give one boil, skim well, and then set the pan on the side of the fire to simmer gently until the meat is tender. skim off every particle of fat, add a seasoning of pepper and salt, and a little ketchup, and serve. this dish is very much better if made the day before it is wanted for table, as the fat can be so much more easily removed when the gravy is cold. this should be particularly attended to, as it is apt to be rather rich and greasy if eaten the same day it is made. it should be served in rather a deep dish. _time_.-- - / hours to simmer gently. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. ii. . ingredients.--breast or scrag of mutton, flour, pepper and salt to taste, large onion, cloves, a bunch of savoury herbs, blade of mace, carrots and turnips, sugar. _mode_.--cut the mutton into square pieces, and fry them a nice colour; then dredge over them a little flour and a seasoning of pepper and salt. put all into a stewpan, and moisten with boiling water, adding the onion, stuck with cloves, the mace, and herbs. simmer gently till the meat is nearly done, skim off all the fat, and then add the carrots and turnips, which should previously be cut in dice and fried in a little sugar to colour them. let the whole simmer again for minutes; take out the onion and bunch of herbs, and serve. _time_.--about hours to simmer. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. haricot mutton (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold neck or loin of mutton, oz. of butter, onions, dessertspoonful of flour, / pint of good gravy, pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonfuls of port wine, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, carrots, turnips, head of celery. _mode_.--cut the cold mutton into moderate-sized chops, and take off the fat; slice the onions, and fry them with the chops, in a little butter, of a nice brown colour; stir in the flour, add the gravy, and let it stew gently nearly an hour. in the mean time boil the vegetables until _nearly_ tender, slice them, and add them to the mutton about / hour before it is to be served. season with pepper and salt, add the ketchup and port wine, give one boil, and serve. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. hashed mutton. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast shoulder or leg of mutton, whole peppers, whole allspice, a faggot of savoury herbs, / head of celery, onion, oz. of butter, flour. _mode_.--cut the meat in nice even slices from the bones, trimming off all superfluous fat and gristle; chop the bones and fragments of the joint, put them into a stewpan with the pepper, spice, herbs, and celery; cover with water, and simmer for hour. slice and fry the onion of a nice pale-brown colour, dredge in a little flour to make it thick, and add this to the bones, &c. stew for / hour, strain the gravy, and let it cool; then skim off every particle of fat, and put it, with the meat, into a stewpan. flavour with ketchup, harvey's sauce; tomato sauce, or any flavouring that may be preferred, and let the meat gradually warm through, but not boil, or it will harden. to hash meat properly, it should be laid in cold gravy, and only left on the fire just long enough to warm through. _time_.-- - / hour to simmer the gravy. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. hashed mutton.--many persons express a decided aversion to hashed mutton; and, doubtless, this dislike has arisen from the fact that they have unfortunately never been properly served with this dish. if properly done, however, the meat tender (it ought to be as tender as when first roasted), the gravy abundant and well flavoured, and the sippets nicely toasted, and the whole served neatly; then, hashed mutton is by no means to be despised, and is infinitely more wholesome and appetizing than the cold leg or shoulder, of which fathers and husbands, and their bachelor friends, stand in such natural awe. hodge-podge (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--about lb. of underdone cold mutton, lettuces, pint of green peas, or green onions, oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste, / teacupful of water. _mode_.--mince the mutton, and cut up the lettuces and onions in slices. put these in a stewpan, with all the ingredients except the peas, and let these simmer very gently for / hour, keeping them well stirred. boil the peas separately, mix these with the mutton, and serve very hot. _time_.-- / hour. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from the end of may to august. irish stew. i. . ingredients.-- lbs. of the loin or neck of mutton, lbs. of potatoes, large onions, pepper and salt to taste, rather more than pint of water. _mode_.--trim off some of the fat of the above quantity of loin or neck of mutton, and cut it into chops of a moderate thickness. pare and halve the potatoes, and cut the onions into thick slices. put a layer of potatoes at the bottom of a stewpan, then a layer of mutton and onions, and season with pepper and salt; proceed in this manner until the stewpan is full, taking care to have plenty of vegetables at the top. pour in the water, and let it stew very gently for - / hours, keeping the lid of the stewpan closely shut the _whole_ time, and occasionally shaking it to prevent its burning. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--more suitable for a winter dish. ii. . ingredients.-- or lbs. of the breast of mutton, - / pint of water, salt and pepper to taste, lbs. of potatoes, large onions. _mode_.--put the mutton into a stewpan with the water and a little salt, and let it stew gently for an hour; cut the meat into small pieces, skim the fat from the gravy, and pare and slice the potatoes and onions. put all the ingredients into the stewpan in layers, first a layer of vegetables, then one of meat, and sprinkle seasoning of pepper and salt between each layer; cover closely, and let the whole stew very gently for hour of rather more, shaking it frequently to prevent its burning. _time_.--rather more than hours. _average cost_, s, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--suitable for a winter dish. _note_.--irish stew may be prepared in the same manner as above, but baked in a jar instead of boiled. about hours or rather more in a moderate oven will be sufficient time to bake it. italian mutton cutlets. . ingredients.--about lbs. of the neck of mutton, clarified butter, the yolk of egg, tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs, tablespoonful of minced savoury herbs, tablespoonful of minced parsley, teaspoonful of minced shalot, saltspoonful of finely-chopped lemon-peel; pepper, salt, and pounded mace to taste; flour, / pint of hot broth or water, teaspoonfuls of harvey's sauce, teaspoonful of soy, teaspoonfuls of tarragon vinegar, tablespoonful of port wine. _mode_.--cut the mutton into nicely-shaped cutlets, flatten them, and trim off some of the fat, dip them in clarified butter, and then, into the beaten yolk of an egg. mix well together bread crumbs, herbs, parsley, shalot, lemon-peel, and seasoning in the above proportion, and cover the cutlets with these ingredients. melt some butter in a frying-pan, lay in the cutlets, and fry them a nice brown; take them, out, and keep them hot before the fire. dredge some flour into the pan, and if there is not sufficient butter, add a little more; stir till it looks brown, then pour in the hot broth or water, and the remaining ingredients; give one boil, and pour round the cutlets. if the gravy should not be thick enough, add a little more flour. mushrooms, when obtainable, are a great improvement to this dish, and when not in season, mushroom-powder may be substituted for them. _time_.-- minutes;--rather longer, should the cutlets be very thick. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. the downs.--the well-known substance chalk, which the chemist regards as a nearly pure carbonate of lime, and the microscopist as an aggregation of inconceivably minute shells and corals, forms the sub-soil of the hilly districts of the south-east of england. the chalk-hills known as the south downs start from the bold promontory of beachy head, traverse the county of sussex from east to west, and pass through hampshire into surrey. the north downs extend from godalming, by godstone, into kent, and terminate in the line of cliffs which stretches from dover to ramsgate. the downs are clothed with short verdant turf; but the layer of soil which rests upon the chalk is too thin to support trees and shrubs. the hills have rounded summits, and their smooth, undulated outlines are unbroken save by the sepulchral monuments of the early inhabitants of the country. the coombes and furrows, which ramify and extend into deep valleys, appear like dried-up channels of streams and rivulets. from time immemorial, immense flocks of sheep have been reared on these downs. the herbage of these hills is remarkably nutritious; and whilst the natural healthiness of the climate, consequent on the dryness of the air and the moderate elevation of the land, is eminently favourable to rearing a superior race of sheep, the arable land in the immediate neighbourhood of the downs affords the means of a supply of other food, when the natural produce of the hills fails. the mutton of the south-down breed of sheep is highly valued for its delicate flavour, and the wool for its fineness; but the best specimens of this breed, when imported from england into the west indies, become miserably lean in the course of a year or two, and their woolly fleece gives place to a covering of short, crisp, brownish hair. broiled kidneys (a breakfast or supper dish). . ingredients.--sheep kidneys, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--ascertain that the kidneys are fresh, and cut them open very evenly, lengthwise, down to the root, for should one half be thicker than the other, one would be underdone whilst the other would be dried, but do not separate them; skin them, and pass a skewer under the white part of each half to keep them flat, and broil over a nice clear fire, placing the inside downwards; turn them when done enough on one side, and cook them on the other. remove the skewers, place the kidneys on a very hot dish, season with pepper and salt, and put a tiny piece of butter in the middle of each; serve very hot and quickly, and send very hot plates to table. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, - / d. each. _sufficient_.--allow for each person. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--a prettier dish than the above may be made by serving the kidneys each on a piece of buttered toast out in any fanciful shape. in this case a little lemon-juice will be found an improvement. [illustration: kidneys.] fried kidneys. . ingredients.--kidneys, butter, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--cut the kidneys open without quite dividing them, remove the skin, and put a small piece of butter in the frying-pan. when the butter is melted, lay in the kidneys the flat side downwards, and fry them for or minutes, turning them when they are half-done. serve on a piece of dry toast, season with pepper and salt, and put a small piece of butter in each kidney; pour the gravy from the pan over them, and serve very hot. _time_.-- or minutes. _average cost_, - / d. each. _sufficient_.--allow kidney to each person. _seasonable_ at any time. roast haunch of mutton. [illustration: haunch of mutton.] . ingredients.--haunch of mutton, a little salt, flour. _mode_.--let this joint hang as long as possible without becoming tainted, and while hanging dust flour over it, which keeps off the flies, and prevents the air from getting to it. if not well hung, the joint, when it comes to table, will neither do credit to the butcher or the cook, as it will not be tender. wash the outside well, lest it should have a bad flavour from keeping; then flour it and put it down to a nice brisk fire, at some distance, so that it may gradually warm through. keep continually basting, and about / hour before it is served, draw it nearer to the fire to get nicely brown. sprinkle a little fine salt over the meat, pour off the dripping, add a little boiling water slightly salted, and strain this over the joint. place a paper ruche on the bone, and send red-currant jelly and gravy in a tureen to table with it. _time_.--about hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for to persons. _seasonable_.--in best season from september to march. how to buy meat economically.--if the housekeeper is not very particular as to the precise joints to cook for dinner, there is oftentimes an opportunity for her to save as much money in her purchases of meat as will pay for the bread to eat with it. it often occurs, for instance, that the butcher may have a superfluity of certain joints, and these he would be glad to get rid of at a reduction of sometimes as much as d. or - / d. per lb., and thus, in a joint of or lbs., will be saved enough to buy quartern loaves. it frequently happens with many butchers, that, in consequence of a demand for legs and loins of mutton, they have only shoulders left, and these they will be glad to sell at a reduction. roast leg of mutton. [illustration: leg of mutton.] . ingredients.--leg of mutton, a little salt. _mode_.--as mutton, when freshly killed, is never tender, hang it almost as long as it will keep; flour it, and put it in a cool airy place for a few days, if the weather will permit. wash off the flour, wipe it very dry, and cut off the shank-bone; put it down to a brisk clear fire, dredge with flour, and keep continually basting the whole time it is cooking. about minutes before serving, draw it near the fire to get nicely brown; sprinkle over it a little salt, dish the meat, pour off the dripping, add some boiling water slightly salted, strain it over the joint, and serve. _time_.--a leg of mutton weighing lbs., about - / or - / hours; one of lbs., about hours, or rather less. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_.--a moderate-sized leg of mutton sufficient for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time, but not so good in june, july, and august. roast loin of mutton. . ingredients.--loin of mutton, a little salt. _mode_.--cut and trim off the superfluous fat, and see that the butcher joints the meat properly, as thereby much annoyance is saved to the carver, when it comes to table. have ready a nice clear fire (it need not be a very wide large one), put down the meat, dredge with flour, and baste well until it is done. make the gravy as for roast leg of mutton, and serve very hot. [illustration: loin of mutton.] _time_.--a loin of mutton weighing lbs., - / hour, or rather longer. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. rolled loin of mutton (very excellent). . ingredients.--about lbs. of a loin of mutton, / teaspoonful of pepper, / teaspoonful of pounded allspice, / teaspoonful of mace, / teaspoonful of nutmeg, cloves, forcemeat no. , glass of port wine, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--hang the mutton till tender, bone it, and sprinkle over it pepper, mace, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg in the above proportion, all of which must be pounded very fine. let it remain for a day, then make a forcemeat by recipe no. , cover the meat with it, and roll and bind it up firmly. half bake it in a slow oven, let it grow cold, take off the fat, and put the gravy into a stewpan; flour the meat, put it in the gravy, and stew it till perfectly tender. now take out the meat, unbind it, add to the gravy wine and ketchup as above, give one boil, and pour over the meat. serve with red-currant jelly; and, if obtainable, a few mushrooms stewed for a few minutes in the gravy, will be found a great improvement. _time_.-- - / hour to bake the meat, - / hour to stew gently. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--this joint will be found very nice if rolled and stuffed, as here directed, and plainly roasted. it should be well basted, and served with a good gravy and currant jelly. boiled neck of mutton. . ingredients.-- lbs. of the middle, or best end of the neck of mutton; a little salt. _mode_.--trim off a portion of the fat, should there be too much, and if it is to look particularly nice, the chine-bone should be sawn down, the ribs stripped halfway down, and the ends of the bones chopped off; this is, however, not necessary. put the meat into sufficient _boiling_ water to cover it; when it boils, add a little salt and remove all the scum. draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, and let the water get so cool that the finger may be borne in it; then simmer very _slowly_ and gently until the meat is done, which will be in about - / hour, or rather more, reckoning from the time that it begins to simmer. serve with turnips and caper sauce, no. , and pour a little of it over the meat. the turnips should be boiled with the mutton; and, when at hand, a few carrots will also be found an improvement. these, however, if very large and thick, must be cut into long thinnish pieces, or they will not be sufficiently done by the time the mutton is ready. garnish the dish with carrots and turnips placed alternately round the mutton. _time_.-- lbs. of the neck of mutton, about - / hour. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. the poets on sheep.--the keeping of flocks seems to have been the first employment of mankind; and the most ancient sort of poetry was probably pastoral. the poem known as the pastoral gives a picture of the life of the simple shepherds of the golden age, who are supposed to have beguiled their time in singing. in all pastorals, repeated allusions are made to the "fleecy flocks," the "milk-white lambs," and "the tender ewes;" indeed, the sheep occupy a position in these poems inferior only to that of the shepherds who tend them. the "nibbling sheep" has ever been a favourite of the poets, and has supplied them with figures and similes without end. shakspere frequently compares men to sheep. when gloster rudely drives the lieutenant from the side of henry vi., the poor king thus touchingly speaks of his helplessness;-- "so flies the reckless shepherd from the wolf: so first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleece, and next his throat, unto the butcher's knife." in the "two gentlemen of verona," we meet with the following humorous comparison:-- "_proteus_. the sheep for fodder follow the shepherd, the shepherd for food follows not the sheep: thou for wages followest thy master, thy master for wages follows not thee; therefore, thou art a sheep. "_speed_. such another proof will make me cry _baa_." the descriptive poets give us some charming pictures of sheep. every one is familiar with the sheep-shearing scene in thomson's "seasons:"-- "heavy and dripping, to the breezy brow slow move the harmless race; where, as they spread their dwelling treasures to the sunny ray, inly disturb'd, and wond'ring what this wild outrageous tumult means, their loud complaints the country fill; and, toss'd from rock to rock, incessant bleatings run around the hills." what an exquisite idea of stillness is conveyed in the oft-quoted line from gray's "elegy:"-- "and drowsy tinklings lull the distant fold." from dyer's quaint poem of "the fleece" we could cull a hundred passages relating to sheep; but we have already exceeded our space. we cannot, however, close this brief notice of the allusions that have been made to sheep by our poets, without quoting a couple of verses from robert burns's "elegy on poor mailie," his only "pet _yowe_:"-- "thro' a' the town she troll'd by him; a lang half-mile she could descry him; wi' kindly bleat, when she did spy him. she ran wi' speed; a friend mair faithfu' ne'er cam' nigh him than mailie dead. "i wat she was a sheep o' sense. an' could behave hersel' wi' mense; i'll say't, she never brak a fence, thro' thievish greed. our bardie, lanely, keeps the spence, sin' mailie's dead." mutton collops (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--a few slices of a cold leg or loin of mutton, salt and pepper to taste, blade of pounded mace, small bunch of savoury herbs minced very fine, or shalots, or oz. of butter, dessertspoonful of flour, / pint of gravy, tablespoonful of lemon-juice. _mode_.--cut some very thin slices from a leg or the chump end of a loin of mutton; sprinkle them with pepper, salt, pounded mace, minced savoury herbs, and minced shalot; fry them in butter, stir in a dessertspoonful of flour, add the gravy and lemon-juice, simmer very gently about or minutes, and serve immediately. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: mutton cutlets.] mutton cutlets with mashed potatoes. . ingredients.--about lbs. of the best end of the neck of mutton, salt and pepper to taste, mashed potatoes. _mode_.--procure a well-hung neck of mutton, saw off about inches of the top of the bones, and cut the cutlets of a moderate thickness. shape them by chopping off the thick part of the chine-bone; beat them flat with a cutlet-chopper, and scrape quite clean, a portion of the top of the bone. broil them over a nice clear fire for about or minutes, and turn them frequently. have ready some smoothly-mashed white potatoes; place these in the middle of the dish; when the cutlets are done, season with pepper and salt; arrange them round the potatoes, with the thick end of the cutlets downwards, and serve very hot and quickly. (see coloured plate.) _time_.-- or minutes. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--cutlets may be served in various ways; with peas, tomatoes, onions, sauce piquante, &c. mutton pie (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of a cold leg, loin, or neck of mutton, pepper and salt to taste, blades of pounded mace, dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs; when liked, a little minced onion or shalot; or potatoes, teacupful of gravy; crust. _mode_.--cold mutton may be made into very good pies if well seasoned and mixed with a few herbs; if the leg is used, cut it into very thin slices; if the loin or neck, into thin cutlets. place some at the bottom of the dish; season well with pepper, salt, mace, parsley, and herbs; then put a layer of potatoes sliced, then more mutton, and so on till the dish is full; add the gravy, cover with a crust, and bake for hour. _time_.-- hour. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the remains of an underdone leg of mutton may be converted into a very good family pudding, by cutting the meat into slices, and putting them into a basin lined with a suet crust. it should be seasoned well with pepper, salt, and minced shalot, covered with a crust, and boiled for about hours. mutton pie. . ingredients.-- lbs. of the neck or loin of mutton, weighed after being boned; kidneys, pepper and salt to taste, teacupfuls of gravy or water, tablespoonfuls of minced parsley; when liked, a little minced onion or shalot; puff crust. _mode_.--bone the mutton, and cut the meat into steaks all of the same thickness, and leave but very little fat. cut up the kidneys, and arrange these with the meat neatly in a pie-dish; sprinkle over them the minced parsley and a seasoning of pepper and salt; pour in the gravy, and cover with a tolerably good puff crust. bake for - / hour, or rather longer, should the pie be very large, and let the oven be rather brisk. a well-made suet crust may be used instead of puff crust, and will be found exceedingly good. _time_.-- - / hour, or rather longer. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. mutton pudding. . ingredients.--about lbs. of the chump end of the loin of mutton, weighed after being boned; pepper and salt to taste, suet crust made with milk (see pastry), in the proportion of oz. of suet to each pound of flour; a very small quantity of minced onion (this may be omitted when the flavour is not liked). _mode_.--cut the meat into rather thin slices, and season them with pepper and salt; line the pudding-dish with crust; lay in the meat, and nearly, but do not quite, fill it up with water; when the flavour is liked, add a small quantity of minced onion; cover with crust, and proceed in the same manner as directed in recipe no. , using the same kind of pudding-dish as there mentioned. _time_.--about hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but more suitable in winter. ragout of cold neck of mutton (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of a cold neck or loin of mutton, oz. of butter, a little flour, onions sliced, / pint of water, small carrots, turnips, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--cut the mutton into small chops, and trim off the greater portion of the fat; put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in a little flour, add the sliced onions, and keep stirring till brown; then put in the meat. when this is quite brown, add the water, and the carrots and turnips, which should be cut into very thin slices; season with pepper and salt, and stew till quite tender, which will be in about / hour. when in season, green peas may be substituted for the carrots and turnips: they should be piled in the centre of the dish, and the chops laid round. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_, with peas, from june to august. roast neck of mutton. [illustration: neck of mutton - . _best end_. - . _scrag_.] . ingredients.--neck of mutton; a little salt. _mode_.--for roasting, choose the middle, or the best end, of the neck of mutton, and if there is a very large proportion of fat, trim off some of it, and save it for making into suet puddings, which will be found exceedingly good. let the bones be cut short and see that it is properly jointed before it is laid down to the fire, as they will be more easily separated when they come to table. place the joint at a nice brisk fire, dredge it with flour, and keep continually basting until done. a few minutes before serving, draw it nearer the the fire to acquire a nice colour, sprinkle over it a little salt, pour off the dripping, add a little boiling water slightly salted, strain this over the meat and serve. red-currant jelly may be sent to table with it. _time_.-- lbs. of the neck of mutton, rather more than hour. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. woollen manufactures.--the distinction between hair and wool is rather arbitrary than natural, consisting in the greater or less degrees of fineness, softness and pliability of the fibres. when the fibres possess these properties so far as to admit of their being spun and woven into a texture sufficiently pliable to be used as an article of dress, they are called wool. the sheep, llama, angora goat, and the goat of thibet, are the animals from which most of the wool used in manufactures is obtained. the finest of all wools is that from the goat of thibet, of which the cashmere shawls are made. of european wools, the finest is that yielded by the merino sheep, the spanish and saxon breeds taking the precedence. the merino sheep, as now naturalized in australia, furnishes an excellent fleece; but all varieties of sheep-wool, reared either in europe or australia are inferior in softness of feel to that grown in india, and to that of the llama of the andes. the best of our british wools are inferior in fineness to any of the above-mentioned, being nearly twelve times the thickness of the finest spanish merino; but for the ordinary purposes of the manufacturer, they are unrivalled. roast saddle of mutton. [illustration: saddle of mutton.] . ingredients.--saddle of mutton; a little salt. _mode_.--to insure this joint being tender, let it hang for ten days or a fortnight, if the weather permits. cut off the tail and flaps and trim away every part that has not indisputable pretensions to be eaten, and have the skin taken off and skewered on again. put it down to a bright, clear fire, and, when the joint has been cooking for an hour, remove the skin and dredge it with flour. it should not be placed too near the fire, as the fat should not be in the slightest degree burnt. keep constantly basting, both before and after the skin is removed; sprinkle some salt over the joint. make a little gravy in the dripping-pan; pour it over the meat, which send to table with a tureen of made gravy and red-currant jelly. _time_.--a saddle of mutton weighing lbs., - / hours; lbs., - / hours. when liked underdone, allow rather less time. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_.--a moderate-sized saddle of lbs. for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year; not so good when lamb is in full season. roast shoulder of mutton. . ingredients.--shoulder of mutton; a little salt. _mode_.--put the joint down to a bright, clear fire; flour it well, and keep continually basting. about / hour before serving, draw it near the fire, that the outside may acquire a nice brown colour, but not sufficiently near to blacken the fat. sprinkle a little fine salt over the meat, empty the dripping-pan of its contents, pour in a little boiling water slightly salted, and strain this over the joint. onion sauce, or stewed spanish onions, are usually sent to table with this dish, and sometimes baked potatoes. _time_.--a shoulder of mutton weighing or lbs., - / hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--shoulder of mutton may be dressed in a variety of ways; boiled, and served with onion sauce; boned, and stuffed with a good veal forcemeat; or baked, with sliced potatoes in the dripping-pan. the ettrick shepherd.--james hogg was perhaps the most remarkable man that ever wore the _maud_ of a shepherd. under the garb, aspect, and bearing of a rude peasant (and rude enough he was in most of these things, even after no inconsiderable experience of society), the world soon discovered a true poet. he taught himself to write, by copying the letters of a printed book as he lay watching his flock on the hillside, and believed that he had reached the utmost pitch of his ambition when he first found that his artless rhymes could touch the heart of the ewe-milker who partook the shelter of his mantle during the passing storm. if "the shepherd" of professor wilson's "noctes ambrosianae" may be taken as a true portrait of james hogg, we must admit that, for quaintness of humour, the poet of ettrick forest had few rivals. sir walter scott said that hogg's thousand little touches of absurdity afforded him more entertainment than the best comedy that ever set the pit in a roar. among the written productions of the shepherd-poet, is an account of his own experiences in sheep-tending, called "the shepherd's calender." this work contains a vast amount of useful information upon sheep, their diseases, habits, and management. the ettrick shepherd died in . sheep's brains, en matelote (an entree). . ingredients.-- sheep's brains, vinegar, salt, a few slices of bacon, small onion, cloves, a small bunch of parsley, sufficient stock or weak broth to cover the brains, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, matelote sauce, no. . _mode_.--detach the brains from the heads without breaking them, and put them into a pan of warm water; remove the skin, and let them remain for two hours. have ready a saucepan of boiling water, add a little vinegar and salt, and put in the brains. when they are quite firm, take them out and put them into very cold water. place or slices of bacon in a stewpan, put in the brains, the onion stuck with cloves, the parsley, and a good seasoning of pepper and salt; cover with stock, or weak broth, and boil them gently for about minutes. have ready some croûtons; arrange these in the dish alternately with the brains, and cover with a matelote sauce, no. , to which has been added the above proportion of lemon-juice. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. sheep's feet or trotters (soyer's recipe). . ingredients.-- feet, / lb. of beef or mutton suet, onions, carrot, bay-leaves, sprigs of thyme, oz. of salt, / oz. of pepper, tablespoonfuls of flour, - / quarts of water, / lb. of fresh butter, teaspoonful of salt, teaspoonful of flour, / teaspoonful of pepper, a little grated nutmeg, the juice of lemon, gill of milk, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--have the feet cleaned, and the long bone extracted from them. put the suet into a stewpan, with the onions and carrot sliced, the bay-leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper, and let these simmer for minutes. add tablespoonfuls of flour and the water, and keep stirring till it boils; then put in the feet. let these simmer for hours, or until perfectly tender, and take them and lay them on a sieve. mix together, on a plate, with the back of a spoon, butter, salt, flour ( teaspoonful), pepper, nutmeg, and lemon-juice as above, and put the feet, with a gill of milk, into a stewpan. when very hot, add the butter, &c., and stir continually till melted. now mix the yolks of eggs with tablespoonfuls of milk; stir this to the other ingredients, keep moving the pan over the fire continually for a minute or two, but do not allow it to boil after the eggs are added. serve in a very hot dish, and garnish with croûtons, or sippets of toasted bread. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. to dress a sheep's head. . ingredients.-- sheep's head, sufficient water to cover it, carrots, turnips, or parsnips, onions, a small bunch of parsley, teaspoonful of pepper, teaspoonfuls of salt, / lb. of scotch oatmeal. _mode_.--clean the head well, and let it soak in warm water for hours, to get rid of the blood; put it into a saucepan, with sufficient cold water to cover it, and when it boils, add the vegetables, peeled and sliced, and the remaining ingredients; before adding the oatmeal, mix it to a smooth batter with a little of the liquor. keep stirring till it boils up; then shut the saucepan closely, and let it stew gently for - / or hours. it may be thickened with rice or barley, but oatmeal is preferable. _time_.-- - / or hours. _average cost_, d. each. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. singed sheep's head.--the village of dudingston, which stands "within a mile of edinburgh town," was formerly celebrated for this ancient and homely scottish dish. in the summer months, many opulent citizens used to resort to this place to solace themselves over singed sheep's heads, boiled or baked. the sheep fed upon the neighbouring hills were slaughtered at this village, and the carcases were sent to town; but the heads were left to be consumed in the place. we are not aware whether the custom of eating sheep's heads at dudingston is still kept up by the good folks of edinburgh. toad-in-the-hole (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.-- oz. of flour, pint of milk, eggs, butter, a few slices of cold mutton, pepper and salt to taste, kidneys. _mode_.--make a smooth batter of flour, milk, and eggs in the above proportion; butter a baking-dish, and pour in the batter. into this place a few slices of cold mutton, previously well seasoned, and the kidneys, which should be cut into rather small pieces; bake about hour, or rather longer, and send it to table in the dish it was baked in. oysters or mushrooms may be substituted for the kidneys, and will be found exceedingly good. _time_.--rather more than hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, d. _seasonable_ at any time. breast of lamb and green peas. . ingredients.-- breast of lamb, a few slices of bacon, / pint of stock no. , lemon, onion, bunch of savoury herbs, green peas. _mode_.--remove the skin from a breast of lamb, put it into a saucepan of boiling water, and let it simmer for minutes. take it out and lay it in cold water. line the bottom of a stewpan with a few thin slices of bacon; lay the lamb on these; peel the lemon, cut it into slices, and put these on the meat, to keep it white and make it tender; cover with or more slices of bacon; add the stock, onion, and herbs, and set it on a slow fire to simmer very gently until tender. have ready some green peas, put these on a dish, and place the lamb on the top of these. the appearance of this dish may be much improved by glazing the lamb, and spinach may be substituted for the peas when variety is desired. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_,--grass lamb, from easter to michaelmas. the lamb as a sacrifice.--the number of lambs consumed in sacrifices by the hebrews must have been very considerable. two lambs "of the first year" were appointed to be sacrificed daily for the morning and evening sacrifice; and a lamb served as a substitute for the first-born of unclean animals, such as the ass, which could not be accepted as an offering to the lord. every year, also, on the anniversary of the deliverance of the children of israel from the bondage of egypt, every family was ordered to sacrifice a lamb or kid, and to sprinkle some of its blood upon the door-posts, in commemoration of the judgment of god upon the egyptians. it was to be eaten roasted, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, in haste, with the loins girded, the shoes on the feet, and the staff in the hand; and whatever remained until the morning was to be burnt. the sheep was also used in the numerous special, individual, and national sacrifices ordered by the jewish law. on extraordinary occasions, vast quantities of sheep were sacrificed at once; thus solomon, on the completion of the temple, offered "sheep and oxen that could not be told nor numbered for multitude." stewed breast of lamb. . ingredients.-- breast of lamb, pepper and salt to taste, sufficient stock, no. , to cover it, glass of sherry, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--skin the lamb, cut it into pieces, and season them with pepper and salt; lay these in a stewpan, pour in sufficient stock or gravy to cover them, and stew very gently until tender, which will be in about - / hour. just before serving, thicken the sauce with a little butter and flour; add the sherry, give one boil, and pour it over the meat. green peas, or stewed mushrooms, may be strewed over the meat, and will be found a very great improvement. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_,--grass lamb, from easter to michaelmas. lamb chops. . ingredients.--loin of lamb, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--trim off the flap from a fine loin of lamb, aid cut it into chops about / inch in thickness. have ready a bright clear fire; lay the chops on a gridiron, and broil them of a nice pale brown, turning them when required. season them with pepper and salt; serve very hot and quickly, and garnish with crisped parsley, or place them on mashed potatoes. asparagus, spinach, or peas are the favourite accompaniments to lamb chops. _time_.--about or minutes. _average cost_, s. per lb. _sufficient_.--allow chops to each person. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. lamb cutlets and spinach (an entree). . ingredients.-- cutlets, egg and bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste, a little clarified butter. _mode_.--cut the cutlets from a neck of lamb, and shape them by cutting off the thick part of the chine-bone. trim off most of the fat and all the skin, and scrape the top part of the bones quite clean. brush the cutlets over with egg, sprinkle them with bread crumbs, and season with pepper and salt. now dip them into clarified butter, sprinkle over a few more bread crumbs, and fry them over a sharp fire, turning them when required. lay them before the fire to drain, and arrange them on a dish with spinach in the centre, which should be previously well boiled, drained, chopped, and seasoned. _time_.--about or minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. _note_.--peas, asparagus, or french beans, may be substituted for the spinach; or lamb cutlets may be served with stewed cucumbers, soubise sauce, &c. &c. lamb's fry. . ingredients.-- lb. of lamb's fry, pints of water, egg and bread crumbs, teaspoonful of chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--boil the fry for / hour in the above proportion of water, take it out and dry it in a cloth; grate some bread down finely, mix with it a teaspoonful of chopped parsley and a high seasoning of pepper and salt. brush the fry lightly over with the yolk of an egg, sprinkle over the bread crumbs, and fry for minutes. serve very hot on a napkin in a dish, and garnish with plenty of crisped parsley. _time_.- hour to simmer the fry, minutes to fry it. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. hashed lamb and broiled blade-bone. . ingredients.--the remains of a cold shoulder of lamb, pepper and salt to taste, oz. of butter, about / pint of stock or gravy, tablespoonful of shalot vinegar, or pickled gherkins. _mode_.--take the blade-bone from the shoulder, and cut the meat into collops as neatly as possible. season the bone with pepper and salt, pour a little oiled butter over it, and place it in the oven to warm through. put the stock into a stewpan, add the ketchup and shalot vinegar, and lay in the pieces of lamb. let these heat gradually through, but do not allow them to boil. take the blade-bone out of the oven, and place it on a gridiron over a sharp fire to brown. slice the gherkins, put them into the hash, and dish it with the blade-bone in the centre. it may be garnished with croutons or sippets of toasted bread. _time_.--altogether / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_,--house lamb, from christmas to march; grass lamb, from easter to michaelmas. [illustration: fore-quarter of lamb.] roast fore-quarter of lamb. . ingredients.--lamb, a little salt. _mode_.--to obtain the flavour of lamb in perfection, it should not be long kept; time to cool is all that it requires; and though the meat may be somewhat thready, the juices and flavour will be infinitely superior to that of lamb that has been killed or days. make up the fire in good time, that it may be clear and brisk when the joint is put down. place it at a sufficient distance to prevent the fat from burning, and baste it constantly till the moment of serving. lamb should be very _thoroughly_ done without being dried up, and not the slightest appearance of red gravy should be visible, as in roast mutton: this rule is applicable to all young white meats. serve with a little gravy made in the dripping-pan, the same as for other roasts, and send to table with it a tureen of mint sauce, no. , and a fresh salad. a cut lemon, a small piece of fresh butter, and a little cayenne, should also be placed on the table, so that when the carver separates the shoulder from the ribs, they may be ready for his use; if, however, he should not be very expert, we would recommend that the cook should divide these joints nicely before coming to table. _time_.--fore-quarter of lamb weighing lbs., - / to hours. _average cost_, d. to s. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_,--grass lamb, from easter to michaelmas. boiled leg of lamb a la bechamel. . ingredients.--leg of lamb, béchamel sauce, no. . _mode_.--do not choose a very large joint, but one weighing about lbs. have ready a saucepan of boiling water, into which plunge the lamb, and when it boils up again, draw it to the side of the fire, and let the water cool a little. then stew very gently for about - / hour, reckoning from the time that the water begins to simmer. make some béchamel by recipe no. , dish the lamb, pour the sauce over it, and garnish with tufts of boiled cauliflower or carrots. when liked, melted butter may be substituted for the béchamel: this is a more simple method, but not nearly so nice. send to table with it some of the sauce in a tureen, and boiled cauliflowers or spinach, with whichever vegetable the dish is garnished. _time_.-- - / hour after the water simmers. _average cost_, d. to s. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. roast leg of lamb. . ingredients.--lamb, a little salt. [illustration: leg of lamb.] _mode_.--place the joint at a good distance from the fire at first, and baste well the whole time it is cooking. when nearly done, draw it nearer the fire to acquire a nice brown colour. sprinkle a little fine salt over the meat, empty the dripping-pan of its contents; pour in a little boiling water, and strain this over the meat. serve with mint sauce and a fresh salad, and for vegetables send peas, spinach, or cauliflowers to table with it. _time_.--a leg of lamb weighing lbs., - / hour. _average cost_, d. to s. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. braised loin of lamb. [illustration: loin of lamb.] . ingredients.-- loin of lamb, a few slices of bacon, bunch of green onions, or young carrots, a bunch of savoury herbs, blades of pounded mace, pint of stock, salt to taste. _mode_.--bone a loin of lamb, and line the bottom of a stewpan just capable of holding it, with a few thin slices of fat bacon; add the remaining ingredients, cover the meat with a few more slices of bacon, pour in the stock, and simmer very _gently_ for hours; take it up, dry it, strain and reduce the gravy to a glaze, with which glaze the meat, and serve it either on stewed peas, spinach, or stewed cucumbers. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient for_ or persons. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. [illustration: saddle of lamb. ribs of lamb.] roast saddle of lamb. . ingredients.--lamb; a little salt. _mode_.--this joint is now very much in vogue, and is generally considered a nice one for a small party. have ready a clear brisk fire; put down the joint at a little distance, to prevent the fat from scorching, and keep it well basted all the time it is cooking. serve with mint sauce and a fresh salad, and send to table with it, either peas, cauliflowers, or spinach. _time_.--a small saddle, - / hour; a large one, hours. _average cost_, d. to s. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. _note_.--loin and ribs of lamb are roasted in the same manner, and served with the same sauces as the above. a loin will take about - / hour; ribs, from to - / hour. roast shoulder of lamb. . ingredients.--lamb; a little salt. _mode_.--have ready a clear brisk fire, and put down the joint at a sufficient distance from it, that the fat may not burn. keep constantly basting until done, and serve with a little gravy made in the dripping-pan, and send mint sauce to table with it. peas, spinach, or cauliflowers are the usual vegetables served with lamb, and also a fresh salad. _time_.--a shoulder of lamb rather more than hour. _average cost_, s. to s. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. shoulder of lamb stuffed. . ingredients.--shoulder of lamb, forcemeat no. , trimmings of veal or beef, onions, / head of celery, faggot of savoury herbs, a few slices of fat bacon, quart of stock no. . _mode_.--take the blade-bone out of a shoulder of lamb, fill up its place with forcemeat, and sew it up with coarse thread. put it into a stewpan with a few slices of bacon under and over the lamb, and add the remaining ingredients. stew very gently for rather more than hours. reduce the gravy, with which glaze the meat, and serve with peas, stewed cucumbers, or sorrel sauce. _time_.--rather more than hours. _average cost_, d. to s. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. lamb's sweetbreads, larded, and asparagus (an entree). . ingredients.-- or sweetbreads, / pint of veal stock, white pepper and salt to taste, a small bunch of green onions, blade of pounded mace, thickening of butter and flour, eggs, nearly / pint of cream, teaspoonful of minced parsley, a very little grated nutmeg. _mode_.--soak the sweetbreads in lukewarm water, and put them into a saucepan with sufficient boiling water to cover them, and let them simmer for minutes; then take them out and put them into cold water. now lard them, lay them in a stewpan, add the stock, seasoning, onions, mace, and a thickening of butter and flour, and stew gently for / hour or minutes. beat up the egg with the cream, to which add the minced parsley and a very little grated nutmeg. put this to the other ingredients; stir it well till quite hot, but do not let it boil after the cream is added, or it will curdle. have ready some asparagus-tops, boiled; add these to the sweetbreads, and serve. _time_.--altogether / hour. _average cost_, s. d. to s. d. each. _sufficient_-- sweetbreads for entrée. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. another way to dress sweetbreads (an entree). . ingredients.--sweetbreads, egg and bread crumbs, / pint of gravy, no. , / glass of sherry. _mode_.--soak the sweetbreads in water for an hour, and throw them into boiling water to render them firm. let them stew gently for about / hour, take them out and put them into a cloth to drain all the water from them. brush them over with egg, sprinkle them with bread crumbs, and either brown them in the oven or before the fire. have ready the above quantity of gravy, to which add / glass of sherry; dish the sweetbreads, pour the gravy under them, and garnish with water-cresses. _time_.--rather more than / hour. _average cost_, s. d. to s. d. each. _sufficient_-- sweetbreads for entrée. _seasonable_ from easter to michaelmas. mutton and lamb carving. haunch of mutton. [illustration: haunch of mutton.] . a deep cut should, in the first place, be made quite down to the bone, across the knuckle-end of the joint, along the line to . this will let the gravy escape; and then it should be carved, in not too thick slices, along the whole length of the haunch, in the direction of the line from to . [illustration: leg of mutton.] leg of mutton. . this homely, but capital english joint, is almost invariably served at table as shown in the engraving. the carving of it is not very difficult: the knife should be carried sharply down in the direction of the line from to , and slices taken from either side, as the guests may desire, some liking the knuckle-end, as well done, and others preferring the more underdone part. the fat should be sought near the line to . some connoisseurs are fond of having this joint dished with the under-side uppermost, so as to get at the finely-grained meat lying under that part of the meat, known as the pope's eye; but this is an extravagant fashion, and one that will hardly find favour in the eyes of many economical british housewives and housekeepers. loin of mutton. [illustration: loin of mutton.] . there is one point in connection with carving a loin of mutton which includes every other; that is, that the joint should be thoroughly well jointed by the butcher before it is cooked. this knack of jointing requires practice and the proper tools; and no one but the butcher is supposed to have these. if the bones be not well jointed, the carving of a loin of mutton is not a gracious business; whereas, if that has been attended to, it is an easy and untroublesome task. the knife should be inserted at fig. , and after feeling your way between the bones, it should be carried sharply in the direction of the line to . as there are some people who prefer the outside cut, while others do not like it, the question as to their choice of this should be asked. saddle of mutton. [illustration: saddle of mutton.] . although we have heard, at various intervals, growlings expressed at the inevitable "saddle of mutton" at the dinner-parties of our middle classes, yet we doubt whether any other joint is better liked, when it has been well hung and artistically cooked. there is a diversity of opinion respecting the mode of sending this joint to table; but it has only reference to whether or no there shall be any portion of the tail, or, if so, how many joints of the tail. we ourselves prefer the mode as shown in our coloured illustration "o;" but others may, upon equally good grounds, like the way shown in the engraving on this page. some trim the tail with a paper frill. the carving is not difficult: it is usually cut in the direction of the line from to , quite down to the bones, in evenly-sliced pieces. a fashion, however, patronized by some, is to carve it obliquely, in the direction of the line from to ; in which case the joint would be turned round the other way, having the tail end on the right of the carver. shoulder of mutton. [illustration: shoulder of mutton.] . this is a joint not difficult to carve. the knife should be drawn from the outer edge of the shoulder in the direction of the line from to , until the bone of the shoulder is reached. as many slices as can be carved in this manner should be taken, and afterwards the meat lying on either side of the blade-bone should be served, by carving in the direction of to and to . the uppermost side of the shoulder being now finished, the joint should be turned, and slices taken off along its whole length. there are some who prefer this under-side of the shoulder for its juicy flesh, although the grain of the meat is not so fine as that on the other side. fore-quarter of lamb. [illustration: fore-quarter of lamb.] . we always think that a good and practised carver delights in the manipulation of this joint, for there is a little field for his judgment and dexterity which does not always occur. the separation of the shoulder from the breast is the first point to be attended to; this is done by passing the knife lightly round the dotted line, as shown by the figures , , , , and , so as to cut through the skin, and then, by raising with a little force the shoulder, into which the fork should be firmly fixed, it will come away with just a little more exercise of the knife. in dividing the shoulder and breast, the carver should take care not to cut away too much of the meat from the latter, as that would rather spoil its appearance when the shoulder is removed. the breast and shoulder being separated, it is usual to lay a small piece of butter, and sprinkle a little cayenne, lemon-juice, and salt between them; and when this is melted and incorporated with the meat and gravy, the shoulder may, as more convenient, be removed into another dish. the, next operation is to separate the ribs from the brisket, by cutting through the meat on the line to . the joint is then ready to be served to the guests; the ribs being carved in the direction of the lines from to , and the brisket from to . the carver should ask those at the table what parts they prefer-ribs, brisket, or a piece of the shoulder. leg of lamb, loin of lamb, saddle of lamb, shoulder of lamb, are carved in the same manner as the corresponding joints of mutton. (_see_ nos. , , , .) [illustration] chapter xvi. general observations on the common hog. . the hog belongs to the order _mammalia_, the genus _sus scrofa_, and the species _pachydermata_, or thick-skinned; and its generic characters are, a small head, with long flexible snout truncated; teeth, divided into upper incisors, converging, lower incisors, projecting, upper and lower canine, or tusks,--the former short, the latter projecting, formidable, and sharp, and molars in each jaw; cloven feet furnished with toes, and tail, small, short, and twisted; while, in some varieties, this appendage is altogether wanting. . from the number and position of the teeth, physiologists are enabled to define the nature and functions of the animal; and from those of the _sus_, or hog, it is evident that he is as much a _grinder_ as a _biter_, or can live as well on vegetable as on animal food; though a mixture of both is plainly indicated as the character of food most conducive to the integrity and health of its physical system. . thus the pig tribe, though not a ruminating mammal, as might be inferred from the number of its molar teeth, is yet a link between the _herbivorous_ and the _carnivorous_ tribes, and is consequently what is known as an _omnivorous_ quadruped; or, in other words, capable of converting any kind of aliment into nutriment. . though the hoof in the hog is, as a general rule, cloven, there are several remarkable exceptions, as in the species native to norway, illyria, sardinia, and _formerly_ to the berkshire variety of the british domesticated pig, in which the hoof is entire and _un_cleft. . whatever difference in its physical nature, climate and soil may produce in this animal, his functional characteristics are the same in whatever part of the world he may be found; and whether in the trackless forests of south america, the coral isles of polynesia, the jungles of india, or the spicy brakes of sumatra, he is everywhere known for his gluttony, laziness, and indifference to the character and quality of his food. and though he occasionally shows an epicure's relish for a succulent plant or a luscious carrot, which he will discuss with all his salivary organs keenly excited, he will, the next moment, turn with equal gusto to some carrion offal that might excite the forbearance of the unscrupulous cormorant. it is this coarse and repulsive mode of feeding that has, in every country and language, obtained for him the opprobrium of being "an unclean animal." . in the mosaical law, the pig is condemned as an unclean beast, and consequently interdicted to the israelites, as unfit for human food. "and the swine, though he divideth the hoof and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud. he is unclean to you."--lev. xi. . strict, however, as the law was respecting the cud-chewing and hoof-divided animals, the jews, with their usual perversity and violation of the divine commands, seem afterwards to have ignored the prohibition; for, unless they ate pork, it is difficult to conceive for what purpose they kept troves of swine, as from the circumstance recorded in matthew xviii. , when jesus was in galilee, and the devils, cast out of the two men, were permitted to enter the herd of swine that were feeding on the hills in the neighbourhood of the sea of tiberias, it is very evident they did. there is only one interpretation by which we can account for a prohibition that debarred the jews from so many foods which we regard as nutritious luxuries, that, being fat and the texture more hard of digestion than other meats, they were likely, in a hot dry climate, where vigorous exercise could seldom be taken, to produce disease, and especially cutaneous affections; indeed, in this light, as a code of sanitary ethics, the book of leviticus is the most admirable system of moral government ever conceived for man's benefit. . setting his coarse feeding and slovenly habits out of the question, there is no domestic animal so profitable or so useful to man as the much-maligned pig, or any that yields him a more varied or more luxurious repast. the prolific powers of the pig are extraordinary, even under the restraint of domestication; but when left to run wild in favourable situations, as in the islands of the south pacific, the result, in a few years, from two animals put on shore and left undisturbed, is truly surprising; for they breed so fast, and have such numerous litters, that unless killed off in vast numbers both for the use of the inhabitants and as fresh provisions for ships' crews, they would degenerate into vermin. in this country the pig has usually two litters, or farrows, in a year, the breeding seasons being april and october; and the period the female goes with her young is about four months,-- weeks or days. the number produced at each litter depends upon the character of the breed; being the average number in the small variety, and in the large; in the mixed breeds, however, the average is between and , and in some instances has reached as many as . but however few, or however many, young pigs there may be to the farrow, there is always one who is the dwarf of the family circle, a poor, little, shrivelled, half-starved anatomy, with a small melancholy voice, a staggering gait, a woe-begone countenance, and a thread of a tail, whose existence the complacent mother ignores, his plethoric brothers and sisters repudiate, and for whose emaciated jaws there is never a spare or supplemental teat, till one of the favoured gormandizers, overtaken by momentary oblivion, drops the lacteal fountain, and gives the little squeaking straggler the chance of a momentary mouthful. this miserable little object, which may be seen bringing up the rear of every litter, is called the tony pig, or the _anthony_; so named, it is presumed, from being the one always assigned to the church, when tithe was taken in kind; and as st. anthony was the patron of husbandry, his name was given in a sort of bitter derision to the starveling that constituted his dues; for whether there are ten or fifteen farrows to the litter, the anthony is always the last of the family to come into the world. . from the grossness of his feeding, the large amount of aliment he consumes, his gluttonous way of eating it, from his slothful habits, laziness, and indulgence in sleep, the pig is particularly liable to disease, and especially indigestion, heartburn, and affections of the skin. . to counteract the consequence of a violation of the physical laws, a powerful monitor in the brain of the pig teaches him to seek for relief and medicine. to open the pores of his skin, blocked up with mud, and excite perspiration, he resorts to a tree, a stump, or his trough--anything rough and angular, and using it as a curry-comb to his body, obtains the luxury of a scratch and the benefit of cuticular evaporation; he next proceeds with his long supple snout to grub up antiscorbutic roots, cooling salads of mallow and dandelion, and, greatest treat of all, he stumbles on a piece of chalk or a mouthful of delicious cinder, which, he knows by instinct, is the most sovereign remedy in the world for that hot, unpleasant sensation he has had all the morning at his stomach. . it is a remarkable fact that, though every one who keeps a pig knows how prone he is to disease, how that disease injures the quality of the meat, and how eagerly he pounces on a bit of coal or cinder, or any coarse dry substance that will adulterate the rich food on which he lives, and by affording soda to his system, correct the vitiated fluids of his body,--yet very few have the judgment to act on what they see, and by supplying the pig with a few shovelfuls of cinders in his sty, save the necessity of his rooting for what is so needful to his health. instead of this, however, and without supplying the animal with what its instinct craves for, his nostril is bored with a red-hot iron, and a ring clinched in his nose to prevent rooting for what he feels to be absolutely necessary for his health; and ignoring the fact that, in a domestic state at least, the pig lives on the richest of all food,--scraps of cooked animal substances, boiled vegetables, bread, and other items, given in that concentrated essence of aliment for a quadruped called wash, and that he eats to repletion, takes no exercise, and finally sleeps all the twenty-four hours he is not eating, and then, when the animal at last seeks for those medicinal aids which would obviate the evil of such a forcing diet, his keeper, instead of meeting his animal instinct by human reason, and giving him what he seeks, has the inhumanity to torture him by a ring, that, keeping up a perpetual "raw" in the pig's snout, prevents his digging for those corrective drugs which would remove the evils of his artificial existence. . though subject to so many diseases, no domestic animal is more easily kept in health, cleanliness, and comfort, and this without the necessity of "ringing," or any excessive desire of the hog to roam, break through his sty, or plough up his _pound_. whatever the kind of food may be on which the pig is being fed or fattened, a teaspoonful or more of salt should always be given in his mess of food, and a little heap of well-burnt cinders, with occasional bits of chalk, should always be kept by the side of his trough, as well as a vessel of clean water: his pound, or the front part of his sty, should be totally free from straw, the brick flooring being every day swept out and sprinkled with a layer of sand. his lair, or sleeping apartment, should be well sheltered by roof and sides from cold, wet, and all changes of weather, and the bed made up of a good supply of clean straw, sufficiently deep to enable the pig to burrow his unprotected body beneath it. all the refuse of the garden, in the shape of roots, leaves, and stalks, should be placed in a corner of his pound or feeding-chamber, for the delectation of his leisure moments; and once a week, on the family washing-day, a pail of warm soap-suds should be taken into his sty, and, by means of a scrubbing-brush and soap, his back, shoulders, and flanks should be well cleaned, a pail of clean warm water being thrown over his body at the conclusion, before he is allowed to retreat to his clean straw to dry himself. by this means, the excessive nutrition of his aliment will be corrected, a more perfect digestion insured, and, by opening the pores of the skin, a more vigorous state of health acquired than could have been obtained under any other system. . we have already said that no other animal yields man so _many_ kinds and varieties of luxurious food as is supplied to him by the flesh of the hog differently prepared; for almost every part of the animal, either fresh, salted, or dried, is used for food; and even those viscera not so employed are of the utmost utility in a domestic point of view. . though destitute of the hide, horns, and hoofs, constituting the offal of most domestic animals, the pig is not behind the other mammalia in its usefulness to man. its skin, especially that of the boar, from its extreme closeness of texture, when tanned, is employed for the seats of saddles, to cover powder, shot, and drinking-flasks; and the hair, according to its colour, flexibility, and stubbornness, is manufactured into tooth, nail, and hairbrushes,--others into hat, clothes, and shoe-brushes; while the longer and finer qualities are made into long and short brooms and painters' brushes; and a still more rigid description, under the name of "bristles," are used by the shoemaker as needles for the passage of his wax-end. besides so many benefits and useful services conferred on man by this valuable animal, his fat, in a commercial sense, is quite as important as his flesh, and brings a price equal to the best joints in the carcase. this fat is rendered, or melted out of the caul, or membrane in which it is contained, by boiling water, and, while liquid, run into prepared bladders, when, under the name of _lard_, it becomes an article of extensive trade and value. . of the numerous varieties of the domesticated hog, the following list of breeds may be accepted as the best, presenting severally all those qualities aimed at in the rearing of domestic stock, as affecting both the breeder and the consumer. _native_--berkshire, essex, york, and cumberland; _foreign_--the chinese. before, however, proceeding with the consideration of the different orders, in the series we have placed them, it will be necessary to make a few remarks relative to the pig generally. in the first place, the _black pig_ is regarded by breeders as the best and most eligible animal, not only from the fineness and delicacy of the skin, but because it is less affected by the heat in summer, and far less subject to cuticular disease than either the white or brindled hog, but more particularly from its kindlier nature and greater aptitude to fatten. . the great quality first sought for in a hog is a capacious stomach, and next, a healthy power of digestion; for the greater the quantity he can eat, and the more rapidly he can digest what he has eaten, the more quickly will he fatten; and the faster he can be made to increase in flesh, without a material increase of bone, the better is the breed considered, and the more valuable the animal. in the usual order of nature, the development of flesh and enlargement of bone proceed together; but here the object is to outstrip the growth of the bones by the quicker development of their fleshy covering. . the chief points sought for in the choice of a hog are breadth of chest, depth of carcase, width of loin, chine, and ribs, compactness of form, docility, cheerfulness, and general beauty of appearance. the head in a well-bred hog must not be too long, the forehead narrow and convex, cheeks full, snout fine, mouth small, eyes small and quick, ears short, thin, and sharp, pendulous, and pointing forwards; neck full and broad, particularly on the top, where it should join very broad shoulders; the ribs, loin, and haunch should be in a uniform line, and the tail well set, neither too high nor too low; at the same time the back is to be straight or slightly curved, the chest deep, broad, and prominent, the legs short and thick; the belly, when well fattened, should nearly touch the ground, the hair be long, thin, fine, and having few bristles, and whatever the colour, uniform, either white, black, or blue; but not spotted, speckled, brindled, or sandy. such are the features and requisites that, among breeders and judges, constitute the _beau idéal_ of a perfect pig. [illustration: berkshire sow.] . the berkshire pig is the best known and most esteemed of all our english domestic breeds, and so highly is it regarded, that even the varieties of the stock are in as great estimation as the parent breed itself. the characteristics of the berkshire hog are that it has a tawny colour, spotted with black, large ears hanging over the eyes, a thick, close, and well-made body, legs short and small in the bone; feeds up to a great weight, fattens quickly, and is good either for pork or bacon. the new or improved berkshire possesses all the above qualities, but is infinitely more prone to fatten, while the objectionable colour has been entirely done away with, being now either all white or completely black. [illustration: essex sow.] . next to the former, the essex takes place in public estimation, always competing, and often successfully, with the berkshire. the peculiar characters of the essex breed are that it is tip-eared, has a long sharp head, is roach-backed, with a long flat body, standing high on the legs; is rather bare of hair, is a quick feeder, has an enormous capacity of stomach and belly, and an appetite to match its receiving capability. its colour is white, or else black and white, and it has a restless habit and an unquiet disposition. the present valuable stock has sprung from a cross between the common native animal and either the white chinese or black neapolitan breeds. [illustration: yorkshire sow.] . the yorkshire, called also the old lincolnshire, was at one time the largest stock of the pig family in england, and perhaps, at that time, the worst. it was long-legged, weak in the loins, with coarse white curly hair, and flabby flesh. now, however, it has undergone as great a change as any breed in the kingdom, and by judicious crossing has become the most valuable we possess, being a very well-formed pig throughout, with a good head, a pleasant docile countenance, with moderate-sized drooping ears, a broad back, slightly curved, large chine and loins, with deep sides, full chest, and well covered with long thickly-set white hairs. besides these qualities of form, he is a quick grower, feeds fast, and will easily make from to stone before completing his first year. the quality of the meat is also uncommonly good, the fat and lean being laid on in almost equal proportions. so capable is this species of development, both in flesh and stature, that examples of the yorkshire breed have been exhibited weighing as much as a scotch ox. [illustration: cumberland sow.] . though almost every country in england can boast some local variety or other of this useful animal, obtained from the native stock by crossing with some of the foreign kinds, cumberland and the north-west parts of the kingdom have been celebrated for a small breed of white pigs, with a thick, compact, and well-made body, short in the legs, the head and back well formed, ears slouching and a little downwards, and on the whole, a hardy, profitable animal, and one well disposed to fatten. . there is no variety of this useful animal that presents such peculiar features as the species known to us as the chinese pig; and as it is the general belief that to this animal and the neapolitan hog we are indebted for that remarkable improvement which has taken place in the breeds of the english pig, it is necessary to be minute in the description of this, in all respects, singular animal. the chinese, in the first place, consists of many varieties, and presents as many forms of body as differences of colour; the best kind, however, has a beautiful white skin of singular thinness and delicacy; the hair too is perfectly white, and thinly set over the body, with here and there a few bristles. he has a broad snout, short head, eyes bright and fiery, very small fine pink ears, wide cheeks, high chine, with a neck of such immense thickness, that when the animal is fat it looks like an elongated carcase,--a mass of fat, without shape or form, like a feather pillow. the belly is dependent, and almost trailing on the ground, the legs very short, and the tail so small as to be little more than a rudiment. it has a ravenous appetite, and will eat anything that the wonderful assimilating powers of its stomach can digest; and to that capability, there seems no limit in the whole range of animal or vegetable nature. the consequence of this perfect and singularly rapid digestion is an unprecedented proneness to obesity, a process of fattening that, once commenced, goes on with such rapid development, that, in a short time, it loses all form, depositing such an amount of fat, that it in fact ceases to have any refuse part or offal, and, beyond the hair on its back and the callous extremity of the snout, _the whole carcase is eatable_. [illustration: chinese sow.] . when judiciously fed on vegetable diet, and this obese tendency checked, the flesh of the chinese pig is extremely delicate and delicious; but when left to gorge almost exclusively on animal food, it becomes oily, coarse, and unpleasant. perhaps there is no other instance in nature where the effect of rapid and perfect digestion is so well shown as in this animal, which thrives on _everything_, and turns to the benefit of its physical economy, food of the most _opposite nature_, and of the most unwholesome and _offensive_ character. when fully fattened, the thin cuticle, that is one of its characteristics, cracks, from the adipose distension beneath, exposing the fatty mass, which discharges a liquid oil from the adjacent tissues. the great fault in this breed is the remarkably small quantity of lean laid down, to the immense proportion of fat. some idea of the growth of this species may be inferred from the fact of their attaining to stone before two years, and when further advanced, as much as stone. in its pure state, except for roasters, the chinese pig is too disproportionate for the english market; but when crossed with some of our lean stock, the breed becomes almost invaluable. [illustration: westphalian boar.] . the wild boar is a much more cleanly and sagacious animal than the domesticated hog; he is longer in the snout, has his ears shorter and his tusks considerably longer, very frequently measuring as much as inches. they are extremely sharp, and are bent in an upward circle. unlike his domestic brother, who roots up here and there, or wherever his fancy takes, the wild boar ploughs the ground in continuous lines or furrows. the boar, when selected as the parent of a stock, should have a small head, be deep and broad in the chest; the chine should be arched, the ribs and barrel well rounded, with the haunches falling full down nearly to the hock; and he should always be more compact and smaller than the female. the colour of the wild boar is always of a uniform hue, and generally of an iron grey; shading off into a black. the hair of the boar is of considerable length, especially about the head and mane; he stands, in general, from to inches in height at the shoulders, though instances have occurred where he has reached inches. the young are of a pale yellowish tint, irregularly brindled with light brown. the boar of germany is a large and formidable animal, and the hunting of him, with a small species of mastiff, is still a national sport. from living almost exclusively on acorns and nuts, his flesh is held in great esteem, and in westphalia his legs are made into hams by a process which, it is said, enhances the flavour and quality of the meat in a remarkable degree. . there are two points to be taken into consideration by all breeders of pigs--to what ultimate use is the flesh to be put; for, if meant to be eaten fresh, or simply salted, the _small_ breed of pigs is host suited for the purpose; if for hams or bacon, the large variety of the animal is necessary. pigs are usually weaned between six and eight weeks after birth, after which they are fed on soft food, such as mashed potatoes in skimmed or butter-milk. the general period at which the small hogs are killed for the market is from to weeks; from to mouths, they are called store pigs, and are turned out to graze till the animal has acquired its full stature. as soon as this point has been reached, the pig should be forced to maturity as quickly as possible; he should therefore be taken from the fields and farm-yard, and shut up on boiled potatoes, buttermilk, and peas-meal, after a time to be followed by grains, oil-cake, wash, barley, and indian meal; supplying his sty at the same time with plenty of water, cinders, and a quantity of salt in every mess of food presented to him. . the estimated number of pigs in great britain is supposed to exceed millions; and, considering the third of the number as worth £ apiece, and the remaining two-thirds as of the relative value of _ s_. each, would give a marketable estimate of over £ , , for this animal alone. . the best and most humane mode of killing all large hogs is to strike them down like a bullock, with the pointed end of a poleaxe, on the forehead, which has the effect of killing the animal at once; all the butcher has then to do, is to open the aorta and great arteries, and laying the animal's neck over a trough, let out the blood as quickly as possible. the carcase is then to be scalded, either on a board or by immersion in a tub of very hot water, and all the hair and dirt rapidly scraped off, till the skin is made perfectly white, when it is hung up, opened, and dressed, as it is called, in the usual way. it is then allowed to cool, a sheet being thrown around the carcase, to prevent the air from discolouring the newly-cleaned skin. when meant for bacon, the hair is singed instead of being scalded off. . in the country, where for ordinary consumption the pork killed for sale is usually both larger and fatter than that supplied to the london consumer, it is customary to remove the skin and fat down to the lean, and, salting that, roast what remains of the joint. pork goes further, and is consequently a more economical food than other meats, simply because the texture is closer, and there is less waste in the cooking, either in roasting or boiling. . in fresh pork, the leg is the most economical family joint, and the loin the richest. . comparatively speaking, very little difference exists between the weight of the live and dead pig, and this, simply because there is neither the head nor the hide to be removed. it has been proved that pork loses in cooking - / , per cent. of its weight. a salted hand weighing lbs. oz. lost in the cooking oz.; after cooking, the meat weighing only lbs. oz., and the bone oz. the original cost was - / d. a pound; but by this deduction, the cost rose to d. per pound with the bone, and - / d. without it. . pork, to be preserved, is cured in several ways,--either by covering it with salt, or immersing it in ready-made brine, where it is kept till required; or it is only partially salted, and then hung up to dry, when the meat is called white bacon; or, after salting, it is hung in wood smoke till the flesh is impregnated with the aroma from the wood. the wiltshire bacon, which is regarded as the finest in the kingdom, is prepared by laying the sides of a hog in large wooden troughs, and then rubbing into the flesh quantities of powdered bay-salt, made hot in a frying-pan. this process is repeated for four days; they are then left for three weeks, merely turning the flitches every other day. after that time they are hung up to dry. the hogs usually killed for purposes of bacon in england average from to stone; on the other hand, the hogs killed in the country for farm-house purposes, seldom weigh less than stone. the legs of boars, hogs, and, in germany, those of bears, are prepared differently, and called hams. . the practice in vogue formerly in this country was to cut out the hams and cure them separately; then to remove the ribs, which were roasted as "spare-ribs," and, curing the remainder of the side, call it a "gammon of bacon." small pork to cut for table in joints, is cut up, in most places throughout the kingdom, as represented in the engraving. the sale is divided with nine ribs to the fore quarter; and the following is an enumeration of the joints in the two respective quarters:-- . the leg. hind quarter . the loin. . the spring, or belly. . the hand. fore quarter . the fore-loin. . the cheek. [illustration: side of a pig, showing the several joints.] the weight of the several joints of a good pork pig of four stone may be as follows; viz.:-- the leg lbs. the loin and spring lbs. the hand lbs. the chine lbs. the cheek from to lbs. of a bacon pig, the legs are reserved for curing, and when cured are called hams: when the meat is separated from the shoulder-blade and bones and cured, it is called bacon. the bones, with part of the meat left on them, are divided into spare-ribs, griskins, and chines. chapter xvii. pork cutlets (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast loin of pork, oz. of butter, onions, dessertspoonful of flour, / pint of gravy, pepper and salt to taste, teaspoonful of vinegar and mustard. _mode_.--cut the pork into nice-sized cutlets, trim off most of the fat, and chop the onions. put the butter into a stewpan, lay in the cutlets and chopped onions, and fry a light brown; then add the remaining ingredients, simmer gently for or minutes, and serve. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ from october to march. austrian method of herding pigs.--in the austrian empire there are great numbers of wild swine, while, among the wandering tribes peopling the interior of hungary, and spreading over the vast steppes of that country, droves of swine form a great portion of the wealth of the people, who chiefly live on a coarse bread and wind-dried bacon. in german switzerland, the tyrol, and other mountainous districts of continental europe, though the inhabitants, almost everywhere, as in england, keep one or more pigs, they are at little or no trouble in feeding them, one or more men being employed by one or several villages as swine-herds; who, at a certain hour, every morning, call for the pig or pigs, and driving them to their feeding-grounds on the mountain-side and in the wood, take custody of the herd till, on the approach of night, they are collected into a compact body and driven home for a night's repose in their several sties. the amount of intelligence and docility displayed by the pigs in these mountain regions, is much more considerable than that usually allowed to this animal, and the manner in which these immense herds of swine are collected, and again distributed, without an accident or mistake, is a sight both curious and interesting; for it is all done without the assistance of a dog, or the aid even of the human voice, and solely by the crack of the long-lashed and heavily-loaded whip, which the swine-herd carries, and cracks much after the fashion of the french postilion; and which, though he frequently cracks, waking a hundred sharp echoes from the woods and rocks, he seldom has to use correctionally; the animal soon acquiring a thorough knowledge of the meaning of each crack; and once having felt its leaded thong, a lasting remembrance of its power. at early dawn, the swine-herd takes his stand at the outskirts of the first village, and begins flourishing through the misty air his immensely long lash, keeping a sort of rude time with the crack, crack, crack, crack, crack, crack of his whip. the nearest pigs, hearing the well-remembered sound, rouse from their straw, and rush from their sties into the road, followed by all their litters. as soon as a sufficient number are collected, the drove is set in motion, receiving, right and left, as they advance, fresh numbers; whole communities, or solitary individuals, streaming in from all quarters, and taking their place, without distinction, in the general herd; and, as if conscious where their breakfast lay, without wasting a moment on idle investigation, all eagerly push on to the mountains. in this manner village after village is collected, till the drove not unfrequently consists of several thousands. the feeding-ground has, of course, often to be changed, and the drove have sometimes to be driven many miles, and to a considerable height up the mountain, before the whip gives the signal for the dispersion of the body and the order to feed, when the herdsman proceeds to form himself a shelter, and look after his own comfort for the rest of the day. as soon as twilight sets in, the whip is again heard echoing the signal for muster; and in the same order in which they were collected, the swine are driven back, each group tailing off to its respective sty, as the herd approaches the villages, till the last grunter, having found his home, the drover seeks his cottage and repose. pork cutlets or chops. i. . ingredients.--loin of pork, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--cut the cutlets from a delicate loin of pork, bone and trim them neatly, and cut away the greater portion of the fat. season them with pepper; place the gridiron on the fire; when quite hot, lay on the chops and broil them for about / hour, turning them or times; and be particular that they are _thoroughly_ done, but not dry. dish them, sprinkle over a little fine salt, and serve plain, or with tomato sauce, sauce piquante, or pickled gherkins, a few of which should be laid round the dish as a garnish. _time_.--about / hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. for chops. _sufficient_.--allow for persons. _seasonable_ from october to march. ii. (_another way_.) . ingredients.--loin or fore-loin, of pork, egg and bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste; to every tablespoonful of bread crumbs allow / teaspoonful of minced sage; clarified butter. _mode_.--cut the cutlets from a loin, or fore-loin, of pork; trim them the same as mutton cutlets, and scrape the top part of the bone. brush them over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs, with which have been mixed minced sage and a seasoning of pepper and salt; drop a little clarified butter on them, and press the crumbs well down. put the frying-pan on the fire, put in some lard; when this is hot, lay in the cutlets, and fry them a light brown on both sides. take them out, put them before the fire to dry the greasy moisture from them, and dish them on mashed potatoes. serve with them any sauce that may be preferred; such as tomato sauce, sauce piquante, sauce robert, or pickled gherkins. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. for chops. _sufficient_.--allow cutlets for persons. _seasonable_ from october to march. _note_.--the remains of roast loin of pork may be dressed in the same manner. pork cheese (an excellent breakfast dish). . ingredients.-- lbs. of cold roast pork, pepper and salt to taste, dessertspoonful of minced parsley, leaves of sage, a very small bunch of savoury herbs, blades of pounded mace, a little nutmeg, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel; good strong gravy, sufficient to fill the mould. _mode_.--cut, but do not chop, the pork into fine pieces, and allow / lb. of fat to each pound of lean. season with pepper and salt; pound well the spices, and chop finely the parsley, sage, herbs, and lemon-peel, and mix the whole nicely together. put it into a mould, fill up with good strong well-flavoured gravy, and bake rather more than one hour. when cold, turn it out of the mould. _time_.--rather more than hour. _seasonable_ from october to march. roast leg of pork. [illustration: roast leg of pork.] . ingredients.--leg of pork, a little oil for stuffing. (see recipe no. .) _mode_.--choose a small leg of pork, and score the skin across in narrow strips, about / inch apart. cut a slit in the knuckle, loosen the skin, and fill it with a sage-and-onion stuffing, made by recipe no. . brush the joint over with a little salad-oil (this makes the crackling crisper, and a better colour), and put it down to a bright, clear fire, not too near, as that would cause the skin to blister. baste it well, and serve with a little gravy made in the dripping-pan, and do not omit to send to table with it a tureen of well-made apple-sauce. (sec no. .) _time_.--a leg of pork weighing lbs., about hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to march. english mode of hunting, and indian pig-sticking.--the hunting of the wild boar has been in all times, and in all countries, a pastime of the highest interest and excitement, and from the age of nimrod, has only been considered second to the more dangerous sport of lion-hunting. the buried treasures of nineveh, restored to us by mr. layard, show us, on their sculptured annals, the kings of assyria in their royal pastime of boar-hunting. that the greeks were passionately attached to this sport, we know both from history and the romantic fables of the poets. marc antony, at one of his breakfasts with cleopatra, had _eight wild boars_ roasted whole; and though the romans do not appear to have been addicted to hunting, wild-boar fights formed part of their gladiatorial shows in the amphitheatre. in france, germany, and britain, from the earliest time, the boar-hunt formed one of the most exciting of sports; but it was only in this country that the sport was conducted without dogs,--a real hand-to-hand contest of man and beast; the hunter, armed only with a boar-spear, a weapon about four feet long, the ash staff, guarded by plates of steel, and terminating in a long, narrow, and very sharp blade: this, with a hunting-knife, or hanger, completed his offensive arms. thus equipped, the hunter would either encounter his enemy face to face, confront his desperate charge, as with erect tail, depressed head, and flaming eyes, he rushed with his foamy tusks full against him, who either sought to pierce his vitals through his counter, or driving his spear through his chine, transfix his heart; or failing those more difficult aims, plunge it into his flank, and, without withdrawing the weapon, strike his ready hanger into his throat. but expert as the hunter might be, it was not often the formidable brute was so quickly dispatched; for he would sometimes seize the spear in his powerful teeth, and nip it off like a reed, or, coming full tilt on his enemy, by his momentum and weight bear him to the earth, ripping up, with a horrid gash, his leg or side, and before the writhing hunter could draw his knife, the infuriated beast would plunge his snout in the wound, and rip, with savage teeth, the bowels of his victim. at other times, he would suddenly swerve from his charge, and doubling on his opponent, attack the hunter in the rear. from his speed, great weight, and savage disposition, the wild boar is always a dangerous antagonist, and requires great courage, coolness, and agility on the part of the hunter. the continental sportsman rides to the chase in a cavalcade, with music and dogs,--a kind of small hound or mastiff, and leaving all the honorary part of the contest to them, when the boar is becoming weary, and while beset by the dogs, rides up, and drives his lance home in the beast's back or side. boar-hunting has been for some centuries obsolete in england, the animal no longer existing in a wild state among us; but in our indian empire, and especially in bengal, the pastime is pursued by our countrymen with all the daring of the national character; and as the animal which inhabits the cane-brakes and jungles is a formidable foe, the sport is attended with great excitement. the hunters, mounted on small, active horses, and armed only with long lances, ride, at early daylight, to the skirts of the jungle, and having sent in their attendants to beat the cover, wait till the tusked monster comes crashing from among the canes, when chase is immediately given, till he is come up with, and transfixed by the first weapon. instead of flight, however, he often turns to bay, and by more than one dead horse and wounded hunter, shows how formidable he is, and what those polished tusks, sharp as pitch-forks, can effect, when the enraged animal defends his life. to glaze ham.--(see recipe no. .) hashed pork. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast pork, onions, teaspoonful of flour, blades of pounded mace, cloves, tablespoonful of vinegar, / pint of gravy, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--chop the onions and fry them of a nice brown, cut the pork into thin slices, season them with pepper and salt, and add these to the remaining ingredients. stew gently for about / hour, and serve garnished with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ from october to march. fried rashers of bacon and poached eggs. . ingredients.--bacon; eggs. _mode_.--cut the bacon into thin slices, trim away the rusty parts, and cut off the rind. put it into a cold frying-pan, that is to say, do not place the pan on the fire before the bacon is in it. turn it or times, and dish it on a very hot dish. poach the eggs and slip them on to the bacon, without breaking the yolks, and serve quickly. _time_.-- or minutes. _average cost_, d. to s. per lb. for the primest parts. _sufficient_.--allow eggs for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--fried rashers of bacon, curled, serve as a pretty garnish to many dishes; and, for small families, answer very well as a substitute for boiled bacon, to serve with a small dish of poultry, &c. broiled rashers of bacon (a breakfast dish). . before purchasing bacon, ascertain that it is perfectly free from rust, which may easily be detected by its yellow colour; and for broiling, the streaked part of the thick flank, is generally the most esteemed. cut it into _thin_ slices, take off the rind, and broil over a nice clear fire; turn it or times, and serve very hot. should there be any cold bacon left from the previous day, it answers very well for breakfast, cut into slices, and broiled or fried. _time_.-- or minutes. _average cost_, d. to s. per lb. for the primest parts. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--when the bacon is cut very thin, the slices may be curled round and fastened by means of small skewers, and fried or toasted before the fire. boiled bacon. . ingredients.--bacon; water. [illustration: boiled bacon.] _mode_.--as bacon is frequently excessively salt, let it be soaked in warm water for an hour or two previous to dressing it; then pare off the rusty parts, and scrape the under-side and rind as clean as possible. put it into a saucepan of _cold_ water, let it come gradually to a boil, and as fast as the scum rises to the surface of the water, remove it. let it simmer very gently until it is _thoroughly_ done; then take it up, strip off the skin, and sprinkle over the bacon a few bread raspings, and garnish with tufts of cauliflower or brussels sprouts. when served alone, young and tender broad beans or green peas are the usual accompaniments. _time_.-- lb. of bacon, / hour; lbs., - / hour. _average cost_, d. to s. per lb. for the primest parts. _sufficient_.-- lbs., when served with poultry or veal, sufficient for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. to cure bacon in the wiltshire way. . ingredients.-- - / lb. of coarse sugar, - / lb. of bay-salt, oz. of saltpetre, lb. of common salt. _mode_.--sprinkle each flitch with salt, and let the blood drain off for hours; then pound and mix the above ingredients well together and rub it well into the meat, which should be turned every day for a month; then hang it to dry, and afterwards smoke it for days. _time_.--to remain in the pickle month, to be smoked days. _sufficient_.--the above quantity of salt for pig. how pigs were formerly pastured and fed.--though unquestionably far greater numbers of swine are now kept in england than formerly, every peasant having one or more of that useful animal, in feudal times immense droves of pigs were kept by the franklings and barons; in those days the swine-herds being a regular part of the domestic service of every feudal household, their duty consisted in daily driving the herd of swine from the castle-yard, or outlying farm, to the nearest woods, chase, or forest, where the frankling or vavasour had, either by right or grant, what was called _free warren_, or the liberty to feed his hogs off the acorns, beech, and chestnuts that lay in such abundance on the earth, and far exceeded the power of the royal or privileged game to consume. indeed, it was the license granted the nobles of free warren, especially for their swine, that kept up the iniquitous forest laws to so late a date, and covered so large a portion of the land with such immense tracts of wood and brake, to the injury of agriculture and the misery of the people. some idea of the extent to which swine were grazed in the feudal times, may be formed by observing the number of pigs still fed in epping forest, the forest of dean, and the new forest, in hampshire, where, for several months of the year, the beech-nuts and acorns yield them so plentiful a diet. in germany, where the chestnut is so largely cultivated, the amount of food shed every autumn is enormous; and consequently the pig, both wild and domestic, has, for a considerable portion of the year, an unfailing supply of admirable nourishment. impressed with the value of this fruit for the food of pigs, the prince consort has, with great judgment, of late encouraged the collection of chestnuts in windsor park, and by giving a small reward to old people and children for every bushel collected, has not only found an occupation for many of the unemployed poor, but, by providing a gratuitous food for their pig, encouraged a feeling of providence and economy. for curing bacon, and keeping it free from rust (cobbett's recipe). . the two sides that remain, and which are called flitches, are to be cured for bacon. they are first rubbed with salt on their insides, or flesh sides, then placed one on the other, the flesh sides uppermost, in a salting-trough which has a gutter round its edges to drain away the brine; for, to have sweet and fine bacon, the flitches must not be sopping in brine, which gives it the sort of vile taste that barrel and sea pork have. every one knows how different is the taste of fresh dry salt from that of salt in a dissolved state; therefore change the salt often,--once in or days; let it melt and sink in, but not lie too long; twice change the flitches, put that at bottom which was first on the top: this mode will cost you a great deal more in salt than the sopping mode, but without it your bacon will not be so sweet and fine, nor keep so well. as for the time required in making your flitches sufficiently salt, it depends on circumstances. it takes a longer time for a thick than a thin flitch, and longer in dry than in damp weather, or in a dry than in a damp place; but for the flitches of a hog of five score, in weather not very dry or damp, about weeks may do; and as yours is to be fat, which receives little injury from over-salting, give time enough, for you are to have bacon until christmas comes again. . the place for salting should, like a dairy, always be cool, but well ventilated; confined air, though cool, will taint meat sooner than the midday day sun accompanied by a breeze. with regard to smoking the bacon, two precautions are necessary: first, to hang the flitches where no rain comes down upon them; and next, that the smoke must proceed from wood, not peat, turf, or coal. as to the time required to smoke a flitch, it depends a good deal upon whether there be a constant fire beneath; and whether the fire be large or small: a month will do, if the fire be pretty constant and rich, as a farmhouse fire usually is; but over-smoking, or rather too long hanging in the air, makes the bacon rust; great attention should therefore be paid to this matter. the flitch ought not to be dried up to the hardness of a board, and yet it ought to be perfectly dry. before you hang it up, lay it on the floor, scatter the flesh side pretty thickly over with bran, or with some fine sawdust, not of deal or fir; rub it on the flesh, or pat it well down upon it: this keeps the smoke from getting into the little openings, and makes a sort of crust to be dried on. . to keep the bacon sweet and good, and free from hoppers, sift fine some clean and dry wood ashes. put some at the bottom of a box or chest long enough to hold a flitch of bacon; lay in one flitch, and then put in more ashes, then another flitch, and cover this with six or eight inches of the ashes. the place where the box or chest is kept ought to be dry, and should the ashes become damp, they should be put in the fireplace to dry, and when cold, put back again. with these precautions, the bacon will be as good at the end of the year as on the first day. . for simple general rules; these may be safely taken as a guide; and those who implicitly follow the directions given, will possess at the expiration of from weeks to months well-flavoured and well-cured bacon. hog not bacon. anecdote of lord bacon.--as lord bacon, on one occasion, was about to pass sentence of death upon a man of the name of hogg, who had just been tried for a long career of crime, the prisoner suddenly claimed to be heard in arrest of judgment, saying, with an expression of arch confidence as he addressed the bench, "i claim indulgence, my lord, on the plea of relationship; for i am convinced your lordship will never be unnatural enough to hang one of your own family." "indeed, replied the judge, with some amazement," i was not aware that i had the honour of your alliance; perhaps you will be good enough to name the degree of our mutual affinity." "i am sorry, my lord," returned the impudent thief, "i cannot trace the links of consanguinity; but the moral evidence is sufficiently pertinent. my name, my lord, is hogg, your lordship's is bacon; and all the world will allow that bacon and hog are very closely allied." "i am sorry," replied his lordship, "i cannot admit the truth of your instance: hog cannot be bacon till it is hanged; and so, before i can admit your plea, or acknowledge the family compact, hogg must be hanged to-morrow morning." to bake a ham. . ingredients.--ham; a common crust. mode.--as a ham for baking should be well soaked, let it remain in water for at least hours. wipe it dry, trim away any rusty places underneath, and cover it with a common crust, taking care that this is of sufficient thickness all over to keep the gravy in. place it in a moderately-heated oven, and bake for nearly hours. take off the crust, and skin, and cover with raspings, the same as for boiled ham, and garnish the knuckle with a paper frill. this method of cooking a ham is, by many persons, considered far superior to boiling it, as it cuts fuller of gravy and has a finer flavour, besides keeping a much longer time good. _time_.--a medium-sized ham, hours. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. by the whole ham. _seasonable_ all the year. to boil a ham. [illustration: boiled ham.] . ingredients.--ham, water, glaze or raspings. _mode_.--in choosing a ham, ascertain that it is perfectly sweet, by running a sharp knife into it, close to the bone; and if, when the knife is withdrawn, it has an agreeable smell, the ham is good; if, on the contrary, the blade has a greasy appearance and offensive smell, the ham is bad. if it has been long hung, and is very dry and salt, let it remain in soak for hours, changing the water frequently. this length of time is only necessary in the case of its being very hard; from to hours would be sufficient for a yorkshire or westmoreland ham. wash it thoroughly clean, and trim away from the under-side, all the rusty and smoked parts, which would spoil the appearance. put it into a boiling-pot, with sufficient cold water to cover it; bring it gradually to boil, and as the scum rises, carefully remove it. keep it simmering very gently until tender, and be careful that it does not stop boiling, nor boil too quickly. when done, take it out of the pot, strip off the skin, and sprinkle over it a few fine bread-raspings, put a frill of cut paper round the knuckle, and serve. if to be eaten cold, let the ham remain in the water until nearly cold: by this method the juices are kept in, and it will be found infinitely superior to one taken out of the water hot; it should, however, be borne in mind that the ham must _not_ remain in the saucepan _all_ night. when the skin is removed, sprinkle over bread-raspings, or, if wanted particularly nice, glaze it. place a paper frill round the knuckle, and garnish with parsley or cut vegetable flowers. (_see_ coloured plate p.) _time_.--a ham weighing lbs., hours to _simmer gently_; lbs., hours; a very large one, about hours. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. by the whole ham. _seasonable_ all the year. how to boil a ham to give it an excellent flavour. . ingredients.--vinegar and water, heads of celery, turnips, onions, a large bunch of savoury herbs. _mode_.--prepare the ham as in the preceding recipe, and let it soak for a few hours in vinegar and water. put it on in cold water, and when it boils, add the vegetables and herbs. simmer very gently until tender, take it out, strip off the skin, cover with bread-raspings, and put a paper ruche or frill round the knuckle. _time_.--a ham weighing lbs., hours. _average cost_, d. to d. per lb. by the whole ham. _seasonable_ at any time. how to silence a pig. anecdote of charles v.--when the emperor charles v. was one day walking in the neighbourhood of vienna, full of pious considerations, engendered by the thoughts of the dominican cloister he was about to visit, he was much annoyed by the noise of a pig, which a country youth was carrying a little way before him. at length, irritated by the unmitigated noise, "have you not learned how to quiet a pig" demanded the imperial traveller, tartly. "noa," replied the ingenuous peasant, ignorant of the quality of his interrogator;--"noa; and i should very much like to know how to do it," changing the position of his burthen, and giving his load a surreptitious pinch of the ear, which immediately altered the tone and volume of his complaining. "why, take the pig by the tail," said the emperor, "and you will see how quiet he will become." struck by the novelty of the suggestion, the countryman at once dangled his noisy companion by the tail, and soon discovered that, under the partial congestion caused by its inverted position, the pig had indeed become silent; when, looking with admiration on his august adviser, he exclaimed,-- "ah, you must have learned the trade much longer than i, for you understand it a great deal better." fried ham and eggs (a breakfast dish). . ingredients.--ham; eggs. _mode_.--cut the ham into slices, and take care that they are of the same thickness in every part. cut off the rind, and if the ham should be particularly hard and salt, it will be found an improvement to soak it for about minutes in hot water, and then dry it in a cloth. put it into a cold frying-pan, set it over the fire, and turn the slices or times whilst they are cooking. when done, place them on a dish, which should be kept hot in front of the fire during the time the eggs are being poached. poach the eggs, slip them on to the slices of ham, and serve quickly. _time_.-- or minutes to broil the ham. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. by the whole ham. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--ham may also be toasted or broiled; but, with the latter method, to insure its being well cooked, the fire must be beautifully clear, or it will have a smoky flavour far from agreeable. potted ham, that will keep good for some time. i. . ingredients.--to lbs. of lean ham allow lb. of fat, teaspoonfuls of pounded mace, / nutmeg grated, rather more than / teaspoonful of cayenne, clarified lard. _mode_.--mince the ham, fat and lean together in the above proportion, and pound it well in a mortar, seasoning it with cayenne pepper, pounded mace, and nutmeg; put the mixture into a deep baking-dish, and bake for / hour; then press it well into a stone jar, fill up the jar with clarified lard, cover it closely, and paste over it a piece of thick paper. if well seasoned, it will keep a long time in winter, and will be found very convenient for sandwiches, &c. _time_.-- / hour. _seasonable_ at any time. ii. (_a nice addition to the breakfast or luncheon table_.) . ingredients.--to lbs. of lean ham allow / lb. of fat, teaspoonful of pounded mace, / teaspoonful of pounded allspice, / nutmeg, pepper to taste, clarified butter. _mode_.--cut some slices from the remains of a cold ham, mince them small, and to every lbs. of lean, allow the above proportion of fat. pound the ham in a mortar to a fine paste, with the fat, gradually add the seasoning and spices, and be very particular that all the ingredients are well mixed and the spices well pounded. press the mixture into potting-pots, pour over clarified butter, and keep it in a cool place. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. importance of the boar's head, scottish feuds, &c.--the boar's head, in ancient times, formed the most important dish on the table, and was invariably the first placed on the board upon christmas-day, being preceded by a body of servitors, a flourish of trumpets, and other marks of distinction and reverence, and carried into the hall by the individual of next rank to the lord of the feast. at some of our colleges and inns of court, the serving of the boar's head on a silver platter on christmas-day is a custom still followed; and till very lately, a bore's head was competed for at christmas time by the young men of a rural parish in essex. indeed, so highly was the grizzly boar's head regarded in former times, that it passed into a cognizance of some of the noblest families in the realm: thus it was not only the crest of the nevills and warwicks, with their collateral houses, but it was the cognizance of richard iii., that-- "wretched, bloody, and usurping boar, that spoil'd your summer fields and fruitful vines, swills your warm blood like wash, and makes his trough in your embowell'd bosoms,"-- and whose nature it was supposed to typify; and was universally used as a _sign_ to taverns. the boar's head in eastcheap, which, till within the last twenty-five years still stood in all its primitive quaintness, though removed to make way for the london-bridge approaches, will live vividly in the mind of every reader of shakspeare, as the resort of the prince of wales, poins, and his companions, and the residence of falstaff and his coney-catching knaves, bardolph, pistol, and nym; and whose sign was a boar's head, carved in stone over the door, and a smaller one in wood on each side of the doorway. the traditions and deeds of savage vengeance recorded in connection with this grim trophy of the chase are numerous in all parts of europe. but the most remarkable connected with the subject in this country, were two events that occurred in scotland, about the th and th centuries. a border family having been dispossessed of their castle and lands by a more powerful chief, were reduced for many years to great indigence, the expelled owner only living in the hope of wreaking a terrible vengeance, which, agreeably to the motto of his house, he was content to "bide his time" for. the usurper having invited a large number of his kindred to a grand hunt in his new domains, and a feast after in the great hall, returned from the chase, and discovering the feast not spread, vented his wrath in no measured terms on the heads of the tardy servitors. at length a menial approached, followed by a line of servants, and placing the boar's head on the table, the guests rushed forward to begin the meal; when, to their horror, they discovered, not a boar's but a bull's head,--a sign of death. the doors were immediately closed, and the false servants, who were the adherents of the dispossessed chief, threw off their disguise, and falling on the usurper and his friends, butchered them and every soul in the castle belonging to the rival faction. a tribe of caterans, or mountain robbers, in the western highlands, having been greatly persecuted by a powerful chief of the district, waylaid him and his retinue, put them all to the sword, and cutting off the chief's head, repaired to his castle, where they ordered the terrified wife to supply them with food and drink. to appease their savage humour, the lady gave order for their entertainment, and on returning to the hall to see her orders were complied with, discovered, in place of the boar's head that should have graced the board, her husband's bleeding head; the savage caterans, in rude derision, as a substitute for the apple or lemon usually placed between the jaws, having thrust a slice of bread in the dead man's mouth. for curing hams (mons. ude's recipe). . ingredients.--for hams weighing about or lbs. each, allow lb. of moist sugar, lb. of common salt, oz. of saltpetre, quart of good vinegar. _mode_.--as soon as the pig is cold enough to be cut up, take the hams and rub them well with common salt, and leave them in a large pan for days. when the salt has drawn out all the blood, drain the hams, and throw the brine away. mix sugar, salt, and saltpetre together in the above proportion, rub the hams well with these, and put them into a vessel large enough to hold them, always keeping the salt over them. let them remain for days, then pour over them a quart of good vinegar. turn them in the brine every day for a month, then drain them well, and rub them with bran. have them smoked over a wood fire, and be particular that the hams are hung as high up as possible from the fire; otherwise the fat will melt, and they will become dry and hard. _time_.--to be pickled month; to be smoked month. _sufficient_ for hams of lbs. each. _seasonable_ from october to march. the price of a sow in africa.--in one of the native states of africa, a pig one day stole a piece of food from a child as it was in the act of conveying the morsel to its mouth; upon which the robbed child cried so loud that the mother rushed out of her hovel to ascertain the cause; and seeing the purloining pig make off munching his booty, the woman in her heat struck the grunter so smart a blow, that the surly rascal took it into his head to go home very much indisposed, and after a certain time resolved to die,--a resolution that he accordingly put into practice; upon which the owner instituted judicial proceedings before the star chamber court of his tribe, against the husband and family of the woman whose rash act had led to such results; and as the pig happened to be a _sow_, in the very flower of her age, the prospective loss to the owner in unnumbered teems of pigs, with the expenses attending so high a tribunal, swelled the damages and costs to such a sum, that it was found impossible to pay them. and as, in the barbarous justice existing among these rude people, every member of a family is equally liable as the individual who committed the wrong, the father, mother, children, relatives,--an entire community, to the number of _thirty-two souls_, were sold as slaves, and a fearful sum of human misery perpetrated, to pay the value of a thieving old sow. to salt two hams, about or lbs. each. . ingredients.-- lbs. of treacle, / lb. of saltpetre, lb. of bay-salt, pounds of common salt. _mode_.--two days before they are put into pickle, rub the hams well with salt, to draw away all slime and blood. throw what comes from them away, and then rub them with treacle, saltpetre, and salt. lay them in a deep pan, and let them remain one day; boil the above proportion of treacle, saltpetre, bay-salt, and common salt for / hour, and pour this pickle boiling hot over the hams: there should be sufficient of it to cover them. for a day or two rub them well with it; afterwards they will only require turning. they ought to remain in this pickle for weeks or a month, and then be sent to be smoked, which will take nearly or quite a month to do. an ox-tongue pickled in this way is most excellent, to be eaten either green or smoked. _time_.--to remain in the pickle weeks or a month; to be smoked about a month. _seasonable_ from october to march. to cure sweet hams in the westmoreland way. . ingredients.-- lbs. of common salt, lbs. of coarse sugar, lb. of bay-salt, quarts of strong beer. _mode_.--before the hams are put into pickle, rub them the preceding day well with salt, and drain the brine well from them. put the above ingredients into a saucepan, and boil for / hour; pour over the hams, and let them remain a month in the pickle. rub and turn them every day, but do not take them out of the pickling-pan; and have them smoked for a month. _time_.--to be pickled month; to be smoked month. _seasonable_ from october to march. to pickle hams (suffolk recipe). . ingredients.--to a ham from to lbs., allow lb. of coarse sugar, / lb. of salt, oz. of saltpetre, / a teacupful of vinegar. _mode_.--rub the hams well with common salt, and leave them for a day or two to drain; then rub well in, the above proportion of sugar, salt, saltpetre, and vinegar, and turn them every other day. keep them in the pickle month, drain them, and send them to be smoked over a wood fire for weeks or a month. _time_.--to remain in the pickle month. to be smoked weeks or month. _sufficient_.--the above proportion of pickle sufficient for ham. _seasonable_.--hams should be pickled from october to march. novel way of recovering a stolen pig.--it is a well-known fact, that in ireland the pig is, in every respect, a domesticated animal, sharing often both the bed and board of the family, and making an outer ring to the domestic circle, as, seated round the pot of potatoes, they partake of the midday meal called dinner. an irishman upon one occasion having lost an interesting member of his household, in the form of a promising young porker, consulted his priest on the occasion, and having hinted at the person he suspected of purloining the "illegant slip of a pig" he was advised to take no further notice of the matter, but leave the issue to his spiritual adviser. next sunday his reverence, after mass, came to the front of the altar-rails, and looking very hard at the supposed culprit, exclaimed, "who stole pat doolan's pig?" to this inquiry there was of course no answer;--the priest did not expect there would be any. the following sunday the same query was propounded a little stronger--"who of you was it, i say, who stole poor pat doolan's pig?" it now became evident that the culprit was a hardened sinner; so on the third sunday, instead of repeating the unsatisfactory inquiry, the priest, after, as usual, eyeing the obdurate offender, said, in a tone of pious sorrow, "mike regan, mike regan, you treat me with contempt!" that night, when the family was all asleep, the latch of the door was noiselessly lifted, and the "illegant slip of a pig" cautiously slipped into the cabin. to smoke hams and fish at home. . take an old hogshead, stop up all the crevices, and fix a place to put a cross-stick near the bottom, to hang the articles to be smoked on. next, in the side, cut a hole near the top, to introduce an iron pan filled with sawdust and small pieces of green wood. having turned the tub upside down, hang the articles upon the cross-stick, introduce the iron pan in the opening, and place a piece of red-hot iron in the pan, cover it with sawdust, and all will be complete. let a large ham remain hours, and keep up a good smoke. to cure bacon or hams in the devonshire way. . ingredients.--to every lbs. of meat, allow oz. of saltpetre, oz. of salt prunella, lb. of common salt. for the pickle, gallons of water, lbs. of common salt, lbs. of coarse sugar, lbs. of bay-salt. _mode_.--weigh the sides, hams, and cheeks, and to every lbs. allow the above proportion of saltpetre, salt prunella, and common salt. pound and mix these together, and rub well into the meat; lay it in a stone trough or tub, rubbing it thoroughly, and turning it daily for successive days. at the end of the second day, pour on it a pickle made as follows:--put the above ingredients into a saucepan, set it on the fire, and stir frequently; remove all the scum, allow it to boil for / hour, and pour it hot over the meat. let the hams, &c., be well rubbed and turned daily; if the meat is small, a fortnight will be sufficient for the sides and shoulders to remain in the pickle, and the hams weeks; if from lbs. and upwards, weeks will be required for the sides, &c., and from to weeks for the hams. on taking the pieces out, let them drain for an hour, cover with dry sawdust, and smoke from a fortnight to weeks. boil and carefully skim the pickle after using, and it will keep good, closely corked, for years. when boiling it for use, add about lbs. of common salt, and the same of treacle, to allow for waste. tongues are excellent put into this pickle cold, having been first rubbed well with saltpetre and salt, and allowed to remain hours, not forgetting to make a deep incision under the thick part of the tongue, so as to allow the pickle to penetrate more readily. a fortnight or weeks, according to the size of the tongue, will be sufficient. _time_--small meat to remain in the pickle a fortnight, hams weeks; to be smoked from a fortnight to weeks. the following is from morton's "cyclopaedia of agriculture," and will be found fully worthy of the high character of that publication. curing of hams and bacon. . the carcass of the hog, after hanging over-night to cool, is laid on a strong bench or stool, and the head is separated from the body at the neck, close behind the ears; the feet and also the internal fat are removed. the carcass is next divided into two sides in the following manner:--the ribs are divided about an inch from the spine on each side, and the spine, with the ends of the ribs attached, together with the internal flesh between it and the kidneys, and also the flesh above it, throughout the whole length of the sides, are removed. the portion of the carcass thus cut out is in the form of a wedge--the breadth of the interior consisting of the breadth of the spine, and about an inch of the ribs on each side, being diminished to about half an inch at the exterior or skin along the back. the breast-bone, and also the first anterior rib, are also dissected from the side. sometimes the whole of the ribs are removed; but this, for reasons afterwards to be noticed, is a very bad practice. when the hams are cured separately from the sides, which is generally the case, they are cut out so as to include the hock-bone, in a similar manner to the london mode of cutting a haunch of mutton. the carcass of the hog thus cut up is ready for being salted, which process, in large caring establishments, is generally as follows. the skin side of the pork is rubbed over with a mixture of fifty parts by weight of salt, and one part of saltpetre in powder, and the incised parts of the ham or flitch, and the inside of the flitch covered with the same. the salted bacon, in pairs of flitches with the insides to each other, is piled one pair of flitches above another on benches slightly inclined, and furnished with spouts or troughs to convey the brine to receivers in the floor of the salting-house, to be afterwards used for pickling pork for navy purposes. in this state the bacon remains a fortnight, which is sufficient for flitches cut from nogs of a carcass weight less than stone ( lbs. to the stone). flitches of a larger size, at the expiration of that time, are wiped dry and reversed in their place in the pile, having, at the same time, about half the first quantity of fresh, dry, common salt sprinkled over the inside and incised parts; after which they remain on the benches for another week. hams being thicker than flitches, will require, when less than lbs. weight, weeks; and when above that weight, weeks to remain under the above-described process. the next and last process in the preparation of bacon and hams, previous to being sent to market, is drying. this is effected by hanging the flitches and hams for or weeks in a room heated by stoves, or in a smoke-house, in which they are exposed for the same length of time to the smoke arising from the slow combustion of the sawdust of oak or other hard wood. the latter mode of completing the curing process has some advantages over the other, as by it the meat is subject to the action of _creosote_, a volatile oil produced by the combustion of the sawdust, which is powerfully antiseptic. the process also furnishing a thin covering of a resinous varnish, excludes the air not only from the muscle but also from the fat; thus effectually preventing the meat from becoming rusted; and the principal reasons for condemning the practice of removing the ribs from the flitches of pork are, that by so doing the meat becomes unpleasantly hard and pungent in the process of salting, and by being more opposed to the action of the air, becomes sooner and more extensively rusted. notwithstanding its superior efficacy in completing the process of curing, the flavour which smoke-drying imparts to meat is disliked by many persons, and it is therefore by no means the most general mode of drying adopted by mercantile curers. a very impure variety of _pyroligneous_ acid, or vinegar made from the destructive distillation of wood, is sometimes used, on account of the highly preservative power of the creosote which it contains, and also to impart the smoke-flavour; in which latter object, however, the coarse flavour of tar is given, rather than that derived from the smoke from combustion of wood. a considerable portion of the bacon and hams salted in ireland is exported from that country packed amongst salt, in bales, immediately from the salting process, without having been in any degree dried. in the process of salting above described, pork loses from eight to ten per cent. of its weight, according to the size and quality of the meat; and a further diminution of weight, to the extent of five to six per cent., takes place in drying during the first fortnight after being taken out of salt; so that the total loss in weight occasioned by the preparation of bacon and hams in a proper state for market, is not less on an average than fifteen per cent. on the weight of the fresh pork. collared pig's face (a breakfast or luncheon dish). . ingredients.-- pig's face; salt. for brine, gallon of spring water, lb. of common salt, / handful of chopped juniper-berries, bruised cloves, bay-leaves, a few sprigs of thyme, basil, sage, / oz. of saltpetre. for forcemeat, / lb. of ham, / lb. bacon, teaspoonful of mixed spices, pepper to taste, / lb. of lard, tablespoonful of minced parsley, young onions. [illustration: pig's face.] _mode_.--singe the head carefully, bone it without breaking the skin, and rub it well with salt. make the brine by boiling the above ingredients for / hour, and letting it stand to cool. when cold, pour it over the head, and let it steep in this for days, turning and rubbing it often. then wipe, drain, and dry it. for the forcemeat, pound the ham and bacon very finely, and mix with these the remaining ingredients, taking care that the whole is thoroughly incorporated. spread this equally over the head, roll it tightly in a cloth, and bind it securely with broad tape. put it into a saucepan with a few meat trimmings, and cover it with stock; let it simmer gently for hours, and be particular that it does not stop boiling the whole time. when quite tender, take it up, put it between dishes with a heavy weight on the top, and when cold, remove the cloth and tape. it should be sent to table on a napkin, or garnished with a piece of deep white paper with a ruche at the top. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, from s. to s. d. _seasonable_ from october to march. the wild and domestic hog.--the domestic hog is the descendant of a race long since banished from this island; and it is remarkable, that while the tamed animal has been and is kept under surveillance, the wild type whence this race sprung, has maintained itself in its ancient freedom, the fierce denizen of the forest, and one of the renowned beasts of the chase. whatever doubt may exist as to the true origin of the dog, the horse, the ox, and others, or as to whether their original race is yet extant or not, these doubts do not apply to the domestic hog. its wild source still exists, and is universally recognized: like the wolf, however, it has been expelled from our island; but, like that animal, it still roams through the vast wooded tracts of europe and asia. to dress pig's fry (a savoury dish). . ingredients.-- - / lb. of pig's fry, onions, a few sage-leaves, lbs. of potatoes, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--put the lean fry at the bottom of a pie-dish, sprinkle over it some minced sage and onion, and a seasoning of pepper and salt; slice the potatoes; put a layer of these on the seasoning, then the fat fry, then more seasoning, and a layer of potatoes at the top. fill the dish with boiling water, and bake for hours, or rather longer. _time_.--rather more than hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from october to march. to melt lard. . melt the inner fat of the pig, by putting it in a stone jar, and placing this in a saucepan of boiling water, previously stripping off the skin. let it simmer gently over a bright fire, and as it melts, pour it carefully from the sediment. put it into small jars or bladders for use, and keep it in a cool place. the flead or inside fat of the pig, before it is melted, makes exceedingly light crust, and is particularly wholesome. it may be preserved a length of time by salting it well, and occasionally changing the brine. when wanted for use, wash and wipe it, and it will answer for making into paste as well as fresh lard. _average cost_, d. per lb. boiled leg of pork. . ingredients.--leg of pork; salt. _mode_.--for boiling, choose a small, compact, well-filled leg, and rub it well with salt; let it remain in pickle for a week or ten days, turning and rubbing it every day. an hour before dressing it, put it into cold water for an hour, which improves the colour. if the pork is purchased ready salted, ascertain how long the meat has been in pickle, and soak it accordingly. put it into a boiling-pot, with sufficient cold water to cover it; let it gradually come to a boil, and remove the scum as it rises. simmer it very gently until tender, and do not allow it to boil fast, or the knuckle will fall to pieces before the middle of the leg is done. carrots, turnips, or parsnips may be boiled with the pork, some of which should be laid round the dish as a garnish, and a well-made pease-pudding is an indispensable accompaniment. _time_.--a leg of pork weighing lbs., hours after the water boils, and to be simmered very gently. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to march. _note_.--the liquor in which a leg of pork has been boiled, makes excellent pea-soup. antiquity of the hog.--the hog has survived changes which have swept multitudes of pachydermatous animals from the surface of our earth. it still presents the same characteristics, both physical and moral, which the earliest writers, whether sacred or profane, have faithfully delineated. although the domestic has been more or less modified by long culture, yet the wild species remains unaltered, insomuch that the fossil relics may be identified with the bones of their existing descendants. roast griskin of pork. . ingredients.--pork; a little powdered sage. [illustration: spare-rib of pork.] [illustration: griskin of pork.] _mode_.--as this joint frequently comes to table hard and dry, particular care should be taken that it is well basted. put it down to a bright fire, and flour it. about minutes before taking it up, sprinkle over some powdered sage; make a little gravy in the dripping-pan, strain it over the meat, and serve with a tureen of apple sauce. this joint will be done in far less time than when the skin is left on, consequently, should have the greatest attention that it be not dried up. _time_.--griskin of pork weighing lbs., - / hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to march. _note_.--a spare-rib of pork is roasted in the same manner as above, and would take - / hour for one weighing about lbs. [illustration: bacon for larding, and larding-needle.] larding. . ingredients.--bacon and larding-needle. _mode_.--bacon for larding should be firm and fat, and ought to be cured without any saltpetre, as this reddens white meats. lay it on a table, the rinds downwards; trim off any rusty part, and cut it into slices of an equal thickness. place the slices one on the top of another, and cut them evenly into narrow strips, so arranging it that every piece of bacon is of the same size. bacon for fricandeau, poultry, and game, should be about inches in length, and rather more than one-eighth of an inch in width. if for larding fillets of beef or loin of veal, the pieces of bacon must be thicker. the following recipe of soyer is, we think, very explicit; and any cook, by following the directions here given, may be able to lard, if not well, sufficiently for general use. "have the fricandeau trimmed, lay it, lengthwise, upon a clean napkin across your hand, forming a kind of bridge with your thumb at the part you are about to commence at; then with the point of the larding-needle make three distinct lines across, / inch apart; run the needle into the third line, at the further side of the fricandeau, and bring it out at the first, placing one of the lardoons in it; draw the needle through, leaving out / inch of the bacon at each line; proceed thus to the end of the row; then make another line, / inch distant, stick in another row of lardoons, bringing them out at the second line, leaving the ends of the bacon out all the same length; make the next row again at the same distance, bringing the ends out between the lardoons of the first row, proceeding in this manner until the whole surface is larded in chequered rows. everything else is larded in a similar way; and, in the case of poultry, hold the breast over a charcoal fire for one minute, or dip it into boiling water, in order to make the flesh firm." roast loin of pork. . ingredients.--pork; a little salt. [illustration: fore loin of pork.] [illustration: hind loin of pork.] _mode_.--score the skin in strips rather more than / inch apart, and place the joint at a good distance from the fire, on account of the crackling, which would harden before the meat would be heated through, were it placed too near. if very lean, it should be rubbed over with a little salad oil, and kept well basted all the time it is at the fire. pork should be very thoroughly cooked, but not dry; and be careful never to send it to table the least underdone, as nothing is more unwholesome and disagreeable than underdressed white meats. serve with apple sauce, no. , and a little gravy made in the dripping-pan. a stuffing of sage and onion may be made separately, and baked in a flat dish: this method is better than putting it in the meat, as many persons have so great an objection to the flavour. _time_.--a loin of pork weighing lbs., about hours: allow more time should it be very fat. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to march. fossil remains of the hog.--in british strata, the oldest fossil remains of the hog which professor owen states that he has examined, were from fissures in the red crag (probably miocene) of newbourne, near woodbridge, suffolk. "they were associated with teeth of an extinct _felis_ about the size of a leopard, with those of a bear, and with remains of a large cervus. these mammalian remains were found with the ordinary fossils of the red crag: they had undergone the same process of trituration, and were impregnated with the same colouring matter as the associated bones and teeth of fishes acknowledged to be derived from the regular strata of the red crag. these mammaliferous beds have been proved by mr. lyell to be older than the fluvio-marine, or norwich crag, in which remains of the mastodon, rhinoceros, and horse have been discovered; and still older than the fresh-water pleistocene deposits, from which the remains of the mammoth, rhinoceros, &c. are obtained in such abundance. i have met," says the professor, in addition, "with some satisfactory instances of the association of fossil remains of a species of hog with those of the mammoth, in the newer pliocene freshwater formations of england." to dry pigs' cheeks. . ingredients.--salt, oz. of saltpetre, oz. of bay-salt, oz. of coarse sugar. _mode_.--cut out the snout, remove the brains, and split the head, taking off the upper bone to make the jowl a good shape; rub it well with salt; next day take away the brine, and salt it again the following day; cover the head with saltpetre, bay-salt, and coarse sugar, in the above proportion, adding a little common salt. let the head be often turned, and when it has been in the pickle for days, smoke it for a week or rather longer. _time_.--to remain in the pickle days; to be smoked week. _seasonable_.--should be made from september to march. _note_.--a pig's check, or bath chap, will take about hours after the water boils. pig's liver (a savoury and economical dish). . ingredients.--the liver and lights of a pig, or slices of bacon, potatoes, large bunch of parsley, onions, sage-leaves, pepper and salt to taste, a little broth or water. _mode_.--slice the liver and lights, and wash these perfectly clean, and parboil the potatoes; mince the parsley and sage, and chop the onion rather small. put the meat, potatoes, and bacon into a deep tin dish, in alternate layers, with a sprinkling of the herbs, and a seasoning of pepper and salt between each; pour on a little water or broth, and bake in a moderately-heated oven for hours. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to march. pig's pettitoes. . ingredients.--a thin slice of bacon, onion, blade of mace, peppercorns, or sprigs of thyme, pint of gravy, pepper and salt to taste, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--put the liver, heart, and pettitoes into a stewpan with the bacon, mace, peppercorns, thyme, onion, and gravy, and simmer these gently for / hour; then take out the heart and liver, and mince them very fine. keep stewing the feet until quite tender, which will be in from minutes to / hour, reckoning from the time that they boiled up first; then put back the minced liver, thicken the gravy with a little butter and flour, season with pepper and salt, and simmer over a gentle fire for minutes, occasionally stirring the contents. dish the mince, split the feet, and arrange them round alternately with sippets of toasted bread, and pour the gravy in the middle. _time_.--altogether minutes. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to march. to pickle pork. . ingredients.-- / lb. of saltpetre; salt. _mode_.--as pork does not keep long without being salted, cut it into pieces of a suitable size as soon as the pig is cold. rub the pieces of pork well with salt, and put them into a pan with a sprinkling of it between each piece: as it melts on the top, strew on more. lay a coarse cloth over the pan, a board over that, and a weight on the board, to keep the pork down in the brine. if excluded from the air, it will continue good for nearly years. _average cost_, d. per lb. for the prime parts. _seasonable_.--the best time for pickling meat is late in the autumn. the universality of the hog.--a singular circumstance in the domestic history of the hog, is the extent of its distribution over the surface of the earth; being found even in insulated places, where the inhabitants are semi-barbarous, and where the wild species is entirely unknown. the south-sea islands, for example, were found on their discovery to be well stocked with a small black hog; and the traditionary belief of the people was that these animals were coeval with the origin of themselves. yet they possessed no knowledge of the wild boar, or any other animal of the hog kind, from which the domestic breed might be supposed to be derived. in these islands the hog is the principal quadruped, and the fruit of the bread-tree is its principal food, although it is also fed with yams, eddoes, and other vegetables. this nutritious diet, which it has in great abundance, is, according to foster, the reason of its flesh being so delicious, so full of juice, and so rich in fat, which is not less delicate to the taste than the finest butter. to boil pickled pork. . ingredients.--pork; water. _mode_.--should the pork be very salt, let it remain in water about hours before it is dressed; put it into a saucepan with sufficient cold water to cover it, let it gradually come to a boil, then gently simmer until quite tender. allow ample time for it to cook, as nothing is more disagreeable than underdone pork, and when boiled fast, the meat becomes hard. this is sometimes served with boiled poultry and roast veal, instead of bacon: when tender, and not over salt, it will be found equally good. _time_.--a piece of pickled pork weighing lbs., - / hour; lbs., rather more than hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. for the primest parts. _seasonable_ at any time. the antiquity of the hog.--by what nation and in what period the hog was reclaimed, is involved in the deepest obscurity. so far back as we have any records of history, we find notices of this animal, and of its flesh being used as the food of man. by some nations, however, its flesh was denounced as unclean, and therefore prohibited to be used, whilst by others it was esteemed as a great delicacy. by the mosaic law it was forbidden to be eaten by the jews, and the mahometans hold it in utter abhorrence. dr. kitto, however, says that there does not appear to be any reason in the law of moses why the hog should be held in such peculiar abomination. there seems nothing to have prevented the jews, if they had been so inclined, to rear pigs for sale, or for the use of the land. in the talmud there are some indications that this was actually done; and it was, probably, for such purposes that the herds of swine mentioned in the new testament were kept, although it is usual to consider that they were kept by the foreign settlers in the land. indeed, the story which accounts for the peculiar aversion of the hebrews to the hog, assumes that it did not originate until about years before christ, and that, previously, some jews were in the habit of rearing hogs for the purposes indicated. pork pies (warwickshire recipe). . ingredients.--for the crust, lbs. of lard to lbs. of flour, milk, and water. for filling the pies, to every lbs. of meat allow oz. of salt, - / oz. of pepper, a small quantity of cayenne, pint of water. _mode_.--rub into the flour a portion of the lard; the remainder put with sufficient milk and water to mix the crust, and boil this gently for / hour. pour it boiling on the flour, and knead and beat it till perfectly smooth. now raise the crust in either a round or oval form, cut up the pork into pieces the size of a nut, season it in the above proportion, and press it compactly into the pie, in alternate layers of fat and lean, and pour in a small quantity of water; lay on the lid, cut the edges smoothly round, and pinch them together. bake in a brick oven, which should be slow, as the meat is very solid. very frequently, the inexperienced cook finds much difficulty in raising the crust. she should bear in mind that it must not be allowed to get cold, or it will fall immediately: to prevent this, the operation should be performed as near the fire as possible. as considerable dexterity and expertness are necessary to raise the crust with the hand only, a glass bottle or small jar may be placed in the middle of the paste, and the crust moulded on this; but be particular that it is kept warm the whole time. _sufficient_.--the proportions for pie are lb. of flour and lbs. of meat. _seasonable_ from september to march. the flesh of swine in hot climates.--it is observed by m. sonini, that the flesh of swine, in hot climates, is considered unwholesome, and therefore may account for its proscription by the legislators and priests of the east. in egypt, syria, and even the southern parts of greece, although both white and delicate, it is so flabby and surcharged with fat, that it disagrees with the strongest stomachs. abstinence from it in general was, therefore, indispensable to health under the burning suns of egypt and arabia. the egyptians were permitted to eat it only once a year,--on the feast of the moon; and then they sacrificed a number of these animals to that planet. at other seasons, should any one even touch a hog, he was obliged immediately to plunge into the river nile, as he stood, with his clothes on, in order to purify himself from the supposed contamination he had contracted by the touch. little raised pork pies. . ingredients.-- lbs. of flour, / lb. of butter, / lb. of mutton suet, salt and white pepper to taste, lbs. of the neck of pork, dessertspoonful of powdered sage. _mode_.--well dry the flour, mince the suet, and put these with the butter into a saucepan, to be made hot, and add a little salt. when melted, mix it up into a stiff paste, and put it before the fire with a cloth over it until ready to make up; chop the pork into small pieces, season it with white pepper, salt, and powdered sage; divide the paste into rather small pieces, raise it in a round or oval form, fill with the meat, and bake in a brick oven. these pies will require a fiercer oven than those in the preceding recipe, as they are made so much smaller, and consequently do not require so soaking a heat. _time_.--if made small, about - / hour. _seasonable_ from september to march. swineherds of antiquity.--from the prejudice against the hog among the ancients, those who tended them formed an isolated class, and were esteemed as the outcasts of society. however much the flesh of the animal was esteemed by the greeks and romans, yet the swineherd is not mentioned by either the classic writers or the poets who, in ancient greece and rome, painted rural life. we have no descriptions of gods or heroes descending to the occupation of keeping swine. the swineherd is never introduced into the idyls of theocritus, nor has virgil admitted him into his eclogues. the eumaeus of homer is the only exception that we have of a swineherd meeting with favour in the eyes of a poet of antiquity. this may be accounted for, on the supposition that the prejudices of the egyptians relative to this class of men, extended to both greece and italy, and imparted a bias to popular opinion. to make sausages. (_author's oxford recipe_.) . ingredients.-- lb. of pork, fat and lean, without skin or gristle; lb. of lean veal, lb. of beef suet, / lb. of bread crumbs, the rind of / lemon, small nutmeg, sage-leaves, teaspoonful of pepper, teaspoonfuls of salt, / teaspoonful of savory, / teaspoonful of marjoram. _mode_.--chop the pork, veal, and suet finely together, add the bread crumbs, lemon-peel (which should be well minced), and a small nutmeg grated. wash and chop the sage-leaves very finely; add these with the remaining ingredients to the sausage-meat, and when thoroughly mixed, either put the meat into skins, or, when wanted for table, form it into little cakes, which should be floured and fried. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. d. _sufficient_ for about moderate-sized sausages. _seasonable_ from october to march. the hog in england.--from time immemorial, in england, this animal has been esteemed as of the highest importance. in the anglo-saxon period, vast herds of swine were tended by men, who watched over their safety, and who collected them under shelter at night. at that time, the flesh of the animal was the staple article of consumption in every family, and a large portion of the wealth of the rich freemen of the country consisted of these animals. hence it was common to make bequests of swine, with lands for their support; and to these were attached rights and privileges in connection with their feeding, and the extent of woodland to be occupied by a given number was granted in accordance with established rules. this is proved by an ancient saxon grant, quoted by sharon turner, in his "history of the anglo-saxons," where the right of pasturage is conveyed in a deed by the following words:--"i give food for seventy swine in that woody allotment which the countrymen call wolferdinlegh." fried sausages. [illustration: fried sausages.] . ingredients.--sausages; a small piece of butter. _mode_.--prick the sausages with a fork (this prevents them from bursting), and put them into a frying-pan with a small piece of butter. keep moving the pan about, and turn the sausages or times. in from to minutes they will be sufficiently cooked, unless they are _very large_, when a little more time should be allowed for them. dish them with or without a piece of toast under them, and serve very hot. in some counties, sausages are boiled and served on toast. they should be plunged into boiling water, and simmered for about or minutes. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_.--good from september to march. _note_.--sometimes, in close warm weather, sausages very soon turn sour; to prevent this, put them in the oven for a few minutes with a small piece of butter to keep them moist. when wanted for table, they will not require so long frying as uncooked sausages. the saxon swineherd.--the men employed in herding swine during the anglo-saxon period of our history were, in general, thralls or born slaves of the soil, who were assisted by powerful dogs, capable even of singly contending with the wolf until his master came with his spear to the rescue. in the "ivanhoe" of sir walter scott, we have an admirable picture, in the character of gurth, an anglo-saxon swineherd, as we also have of his master, a large landed proprietor, a great portion of whose wealth consisted of swine, and whose rude but plentiful board was liberally supplied with the flesh. sausage-meat cakes. . ingredients.--to every lb. of lean pork, add / lb. of fat bacon, / oz. of salt, saltspoonful of pepper, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, teaspoonful of minced parsley. _mode_.--remove from the pork all skin, gristle, and bone, and chop it finely with the bacon; add the remaining ingredients, and carefully mix altogether. pound it well in a mortar, make it into convenient-sized cakes, flour these, and fry them a nice brown for about minutes. this is a very simple method of making sausage-meat, and on trial will prove very good, its great recommendation being, that it is so easily made. _time_.-- minutes. _seasonable_ from september to march. to scald a sucking-pig. . put the pig into cold water directly it is killed; let it remain for a few minutes, then immerse it in a large pan of boiling water for minutes. take it out, lay it on a table, and pull off the hair as quickly as possible. when the skin looks clean, make a slit down the belly, take out the entrails, well clean the nostrils and ears, wash the pig in cold water, and wipe it thoroughly dry. take off the feet at the first joint, and loosen and leave sufficient skin to turn neatly over. if not to be dressed immediately, fold it in a wet cloth to keep it from the air. the learned pig.--that the pig is capable of education, is a fact long known to the world; and though, like the ass, naturally stubborn and obstinate, that he is equally amenable with other animals to caresses and kindness, has been shown from very remote time; the best modern evidence of his docility, however, is the instance of the learned pig, first exhibited about a century since, but which has been continued down to our own time by repeated instances of an animal who will put together all the letters or figures that compose the day, month, hour, and date of the exhibition, besides many other unquestioned evidences of memory. the instance already given of breaking a sow into a pointer, till she became more stanch even than the dog itself, though surprising, is far less wonderful than that evidence of education where so generally obtuse an animal may be taught not only to spell, but couple figures and give dates correctly. roast sucking-pig. . ingredients.--pig, oz. of bread crumbs, sage-leaves, pepper and salt to taste, a piece of butter the size of an egg, salad oil or butter to baste with, about / pint of gravy, tablespoonful of lemon-juice. [illustration: roast sucking-pig.] _mode_.--a sucking-pig, to be eaten in perfection, should not be more than three weeks old, and should be dressed the same day that it is killed. after preparing the pig for cooking, as in the preceding recipe, stuff it with finely-grated bread crumbs, minced sage, pepper, salt, and a piece of butter the size of an egg, all of which should be well mixed together, and put into the body of the pig. sew up the slit neatly, and truss the legs back, to allow the inside to be roasted, and the under part to be crisp. put the pig down to a bright clear fire, not too near, and let it lay till thoroughly dry; then have ready some butter tied up in a piece of thin cloth, and rub the pig with this in every part. keep it well rubbed with the butter the whole of the time it is roasting, and do not allow the crackling to become blistered or burnt. when half-done, hang a pig-iron before the middle part (if this is not obtainable, use a flat iron), to prevent its being scorched and dried up before the ends are done. before it is taken from the fire, cut off the head, and part that and the body down the middle. chop the brains and mix them with the stuffing; add / pint of good gravy, a tablespoonful of lemon-juice, and the gravy that flowed from the pig; put a little of this on the dish with the pig, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. place the pig back to back in the dish, with one half of the head on each side, and one of the ears at each end, and send it to table as hot as possible. instead of butter, many cooks take salad oil for basting, which makes the crackling crisp; and as this is one of the principal things to be considered, perhaps it is desirable to use it; but be particular that it is very pure, or it will impart an unpleasant flavour to the meat. the brains and stuffing may be stirred into a tureen of melted butter instead of gravy, when the latter is not liked. apple sauce and the old-fashioned currant sauce are not yet quite obsolete as an accompaniment to roast pig. _time_.-- - / to hours for a small pig. _average cost_, s. to s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to february. how roast pig was discovered.--charles lamb, who, in the early part of this century, delighted the reading public by his quaint prose sketches, written under the title of "essays of elia," has, in his own quiet humorous way, devoted one paper to the subject of _roast pig_, and more especially to that luxurious and toothsome dainty known as "crackling;" and shows, in a manner peculiarly his own, _how crackling first came into the world._ according to this erudite authority, man in the golden age, or at all events the primitive age, eat his pork and bacon raw, as, indeed, he did his beef and mutton; unless, as hudibras tells us, he was an epicure, when he used to make a saddle of his saddle of mutton, and after spreading it on his horse's back, and riding on it for a few hours till thoroughly warmed, he sat down to the luxury of a dish cooked to a turn. at the epoch of the story, however, a citizen of some scythian community had the misfortune to have his hut, or that portion of it containing his live stock of pigs, burnt down. in going over the _débris_ on the following day, and picking out all the available salvage, the proprietor touched something unusually or unexpectedly hot, which caused him to shake his hand with great energy, and clap the tips of his suffering fingers to his mouth. the act was simple and natural, but the result was wonderful. he rolled his eyes in ecstatic pleasure, his frame distended, and, conscious of a celestial odour, his nostrils widened, and, while drawing in deep inspirations of the ravishing perfume, he sucked his fingers with a gusto he had never, in his most hungry moments, conceived. clearing away the rubbish from beneath him, he at last brought to view the carcase of one of his pigs, _roasted to death_. stooping down to examine this curious object, and touching its body, a fragment of the burnt skin was detached, which, with a sort of superstitious dread, he at length, and in a spirit of philosophical inquiry, put into his mouth. ye gods! the felicity he then enjoyed, no pen can chronicle! then it was that he--the world--first tasted _crackling_. like a miser with his gold, the scythian hid his treasure from the prying eyes of the world, and feasted, in secret, more sumptuously than the gods. when he had eaten up all his pig, the poor man fell into a melancholy; he refused the most tempting steak, though cooked on the horse's back, and turned every half-hour after his own favourite recipe; he fell, in fact, from his appetite, and was reduced to a shadow, till, unable longer to endure the torments of memory he hourly suffered, he rose one night and secretly set fire to his hut, and once more was restored to flesh and manhood. finding it impossible to live in future without roast-pig, he set fire to his house every time his larder became empty; till at last his neighbours, scandalized by the frequency of these incendiary acts, brought his conduct before the supreme council of the nation. to avert the penalty that awaited him, he brought his judges to the smouldering ruins, and discovering the secret, invited them to eat; which having done, with tears of gratitude, the august synod embraced him, and, with an overflowing feeling of ecstasy, dedicated a statue to the memory of the man who first _instituted roast pork_. pork carving. sucking-pig. [illustration: sucking-pig.] . a sucking-pig seems, at first sight, rather an elaborate dish, or rather animal, to carve; but by carefully mastering the details of the business, every difficulty will vanish; and if a partial failure be at first made, yet all embarrassment will quickly disappear on a second trial. a sucking-pig is usually sent to table in the manner shown in the engraving (and also in coloured plate s), and the first point to be attended to is to separate the shoulder from the carcase, by carrying the knife quickly and neatly round the circular line, as shown by the figures , , ;--the shoulder will then easily come away. the next step is to take off the leg; and this is done in the same way, by cutting round this joint in the direction shown by the figures , , , in the same way as the shoulder. the ribs then stand fairly open to the knife, which should be carried down in the direction of the line to ; and two or three helpings will dispose of these. the other half of the pig is served, of course, in the same manner. different parts of the pig are variously esteemed; some preferring the flesh of the neck; others, the ribs; and others, again, the shoulders. the truth is, the whole of a sucking-pig is delicious, delicate eating; but, in carving it, the host should consult the various tastes and fancies of his guests, keeping the larger joints, generally, for the gentlemen of the party. ham. [illustration: ham.] . in cutting a ham, the carver must be guided according as he desires to practise economy, or have, at once, fine slices out of the prime part. under the first supposition, he will commence at the knuckle end, and cut off thin slices towards the thick part of the ham. to reach the choicer portion, the knife, which must be very sharp and thin, should be carried quite down to the bone, in the direction of the line to . the slices should be thin and even, and always cut down to the bone. there are some who like to carve a ham by cutting a hole at the top, and then slicing pieces off inside the hole, gradually enlarging the circle; but we think this a plan not to be recommended. a ham, when hot, is usually sent to table with a paper ruffle round the knuckle; when cold, it is served in the manner shown by coloured plate p. leg of pork. [illustration: leg of pork.] . this joint, which is such a favourite one with many people, is easy to carve. the knife should be carried sharply down to the bone, clean through the crackling, in the direction of the line to . sago and onion and apple sauce are usually sent to table with this dish,--sometimes the leg of pork is stuffed,--and the guests should be asked if they will have either or both. a frequent plan, and we think a good one, is now pursued, of sending sage and onion to table separately from the joint, as it is not everybody to whom the flavour of this stuffing is agreeable. _note_.--the other dishes of pork do not call for any special remarks as to their carving or helping. chapter xviii. general observations on the calf. . any remarks made on the calf or the lamb must naturally be in a measure supplementary to the more copious observations made on the parent stock of either. as the calf, at least as far as it is identified with veal, is destined to die young,--to be, indeed, cut off in its comparative infancy,--it may, at first sight, appear of little or no consequence to inquire to what particular variety, or breed of the general stock, his sire or dam may belong. the great art, however, in the modern science of husbandry has been to obtain an animal that shall not only have the utmost beauty of form of which the species is capable, but, at the same time, a constitution free from all taint, a frame that shall rapidly attain bulk and stature, and a disposition so kindly that every _quantum_ of food it takes shall, without drawback or procrastination, be eliminated into fat and muscle. the breed, then, is of very considerable consequence in determining, not only the quality of the meat to the consumer, but its commercial value to the breeder and butcher. . under the artificial system adopted in the rearing of domestic cattle, and stock in general, to gratify the arbitrary mandates of luxury and fashion, we can have veal, like lamb, at all seasons in the market, though the usual time in the metropolis for veal to make its appearance is about the beginning of february. . the cow goes with young for nine months, and the affection and solicitude she evinces for her offspring is more human in its tenderness mid intensity than is displayed by any other animal; and her distress when she hears its bleating, and is not allowed to reach it with her distended udders, is often painful to witness, and when the calf has died, or been accidentally killed, her grief frequently makes her refuse to give down her milk. at such times, the breeder has adopted the expedient of flaying the dead carcase, and, distending the skin with hay, lays the effigy before her, and then taking advantage of her solicitude, milks her while she is caressing the skin with her tongue. . in a state of nature, the cow, like the deer, hides her young in the tall ferns and brakes, and the most secret places; and only at stated times, twice or thrice a day, quits the herd, and, hastening to the secret cover, gives suck to her calf, and with the same, circumspection returns to the community. . in some countries, to please the epicurean taste of vitiated appetites, it is the custom to kill the calf for food almost immediately after birth, and any accident that forestalls that event, is considered to enhance its value. we are happy to say, however, that in this country, as far as england and scotland are concerned, the taste for very young veal has entirely gone out, and "staggering bob," as the poor little animal was called in the language of the shambles, is no longer to be met with in such a place. . the weaning of calves is a process that requires a great amount of care and judgment; for though they are in reality not weaned till between the eighth and the twelfth week, the process of rearing them by hand commences in fact from the birth, the calf never being allowed to suck its dam. as the rearing of calves for the market is a very important and lucrative business, the breeder generally arranges his stock so that ten or a dozen of his cows shall calve about the same time; and then, by setting aside one or two, to find food for the entire family, gets the remaining eight or ten with their full fountains of milk, to carry on the operations of his dairy. some people have an idea that skimmed milk, if given in sufficient quantity, is good enough for the weaning period of calf-feeding; but this is a very serious mistake, for the cream, of which it has been deprived, contained nearly all the oleaginous principles, and the azote or nitrogen, on which the vivifying properties of that fluid depends. indeed, so remarkably correct has this fact proved to be, that a calf reared on one part of new milk mixed with five of water, will thrive and look well; while another, treated with unlimited skimmed milk, will be poor, thin, and miserable. . it is sometimes a matter of considerable trouble to induce the blundering calf--whose instinct only teaches him to suck, and that he will do at anything and with anything--acquire the knowledge of imbibition, that for the first few days it is often necessary to fill a bottle with milk, and, opening his mouth, pour the contents down his throat. the manner, however, by which he is finally educated into the mystery of suction, is by putting his allowance of milk into a large wooden bowl; the nurse then puts her hand into the milk, and, by bending her fingers upwards, makes a rude teat for the calf to grasp in his lips, when the vacuum caused by his suction of the fingers, causes the milk to rise along them into his mouth. in this manner one by one the whole family are to be fed three times a day; care being taken, that new-born calves are not, at first, fed on milk from a cow who has some days calved. . as the calf progresses towards his tenth week, his diet requires to be increased in quantity and quality; for these objects, his milk can be thickened with flour or meal, and small pieces of softened oil-cake are to be slipped into his mouth after sucking, that they may dissolve there, till he grows familiar with, and to like the taste, when it may be softened and scraped down into his milk-and-water. after a time, sliced turnips softened by steam are to be given to him in tolerable quantities; then succulent grasses; and finally, hay may be added to the others. some farmers, desirous of rendering their calves fat for the butcher in as short a time as possible, forget both the natural weakness of the digestive powers, and the contracted volume of the stomach, and allow the animals either to suck _ad libitum_, or give them, if brought up at the pail or by hand, a larger quantity of milk than they can digest. the idea of overloading the stomach never suggests itself to their minds. they suppose that the more food the young creature consumes, the sooner it will be fat, and they allow it no exercise whatever, for fear it should denude its very bones of their flesh. under such circumstances, the stomach soon becomes deranged; its functions are no longer capable of acting; the milk, subjected to the acid of the stomach, coagulates, and forms a hardened mass of curd, when the muscles become affected with spasms, and death frequently ensues. . there was no species of slaughtering practised in this country so inhuman and disgraceful as that, till very lately, employed in killing this poor animal; when, under the plea of making the flesh _white_, the calf was bled day by day, till, when the final hour came, the animal was unable to stand. this inhumanity is, we believe, now everywhere abolished, and the calf is at once killed, and with the least amount of pain; a sharp-pointed knife is run through the neck, severing all the large veins and arteries up to the vertebrae. the skin is then taken off to the knee, which is disjointed, and to the head, which is removed; it is then reflected backwards, and the carcase having been opened and dressed, is kept apart by stretchers, and the thin membrane, the caul, extended over the organs left in the carcase, as the kidneys and sweet-bread; some melted fat is then scattered suddenly over the whole interior, giving that white and frosted appearance to the meat, that is thought to add to its beauty; the whole is then hung up to cool and harden. . the manner of cutting up veal for the english market is to divide the carcase into four quarters, with eleven ribs to each fore quarter; which are again subdivided into joints as exemplified on the cut. [illustration: side of a calf, showing the several joints.] _hind quarter_:-- . the loin. . the chump, consisting of the rump and hock-bone. . the fillet. . the hock, or hind knuckle. _fore quarter_:-- . the shoulder. . the neck. . the breast. . the fore knuckle. . the several parts of a moderately-sized well-fed calf, about eight weeks old, are nearly of the following weights:--loin and chump lbs., fillet - / lbs., hind knuckle - / lbs., shoulder lbs, neck lbs., breast lbs., and fore knuckle lbs.; making a total of lbs. weight. the london mode of cutting the carcase is considered better than that pursued in edinburgh, as giving three roasting joints, and one boiling, in each quarter; besides the pieces being more equally divided, as regards flesh, and from the handsomer appearance they make on the table. recipes. chapter xix. baked veal (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.-- / lb. of cold roast veal, a few slices of bacon, pint of bread crumbs, / pint of good veal gravy, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, blade of pounded mace, cayenne and salt to taste, eggs. _mode_.--mince finely the veal and bacon; add the bread crumbs, gravy, and seasoning, and stir these ingredients well together. beat up the eggs thoroughly; add these, mix the whole well together, put into a dish, and bake from / to hour. when liked, a little good gravy may be served in a tureen as an accompaniment. _time_.--from / to hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. roast breast of veal. [illustration: breast of veal.] . ingredients.--veal; a little flour. _mode_.--wash the veal, well wipe it, and dredge it with flour; put it down to a bright fire, not too near, as it should not be scorched. baste it plentifully until done; dish it, pour over the meat some good melted butter, and send to table with it a piece of boiled bacon and a cut lemon. _time_.--from - / to hours. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. stewed breast of veal and peas. . ingredients.--breast of veal, oz. of butter, a bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley; blades of pounded mace, cloves, or young onions, strip of lemon-peel, allspice, / teaspoonful of pepper, teaspoonful of salt, thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonfuls of sherry, tablespoonfuls of tomato sauce, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, green peas. _mode_.--cut the breast in half, after removing the bone underneath, and divide the meat into convenient-sized pieces. put the butter into a frying-pan, lay in the pieces of veal, and fry until of a nice brown colour. now place these in a stewpan with the herbs, mace, cloves, onions, lemon-peel, allspice, and seasoning; pour over them just sufficient boiling water to cover the meat; well close the lid, and let the whole simmer very gently for about hours. strain off as much gravy as is required, thicken it with butter and flour, add the remaining ingredients, skim well, let it simmer for about minutes, then pour it over the meat. have ready some green peas, boiled separately; sprinkle these over the veal, and serve. it may be garnished with forcemeat balls, or rashers of bacon curled and fried. instead of cutting up the meat, many persons prefer it dressed whole;--in that case it should be half-roasted before the water, &c. are put to it. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. breeding of calves.--the forwarding of calves to maturity, whether intended to be reared for stock, or brought to an early market as veal, is always a subject of great importance, and requires a considerable amount of intelligence in the selection of the best course, to adopt for either end. when meant to be reared as stock, the breeding should be so arranged that the cow shall calve about the middle of may. as our subject, however, has more immediate reference to the calf as _meat_ than as _stock_, we shall confine our remarks to the mode of procedure adopted in the former case; and here, the first process adopted is that of weaning; which consists in separating the calf _entirely_ from the cow, but, at the same time, rearing it on the mother's milk. as the business of the dairy would be suspended if every cow were allowed to rear its young, and butter, cheese, and cream become _desiderata_,--things to be desired, but not possessed, a system of economical husbandry becomes necessary, so as to retain our dairy produce, and yet, for some weeks at least, nourish the calf on its mother's milk, but without allowing the animal to draw that supply for itself: this, with the proper substituted food on which to rear the young animal, is called weaning. veal cake (a convenient dish for a picnic). . ingredients.--a few slices of cold roast veal, a few slices of cold ham, hard-boiled eggs, tablespoonfuls of minced parsley, a little pepper, good gravy. _mode_.--cut off all the brown outside from the veal, and cut the eggs into slices. procure a pretty mould; lay veal, ham, eggs, and parsley in layers, with a little pepper between each, and when the mould is full, get some _strong_ stock, and fill up the shape. bake for / hour, and when cold, turn it out. _time_.-- / hour. _seasonable_ at any time. boiled calf's feet and parsley and butter. . ingredients.-- calf's feet, slices of bacon, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, salt and whole pepper to taste, onion, a bunch of savoury herbs, cloves, blade of mace, water, parsley and butter no. . _mode_.--procure white calf's feet; bone them as far as the first joint, and put them into warm water to soak for hours. then put the bacon, butter, lemon-juice, onion, herbs, spices, and seasoning into a stewpan; lay in the feet, and pour in just sufficient water to cover the whole. stew gently for about hours; take out the feet, dish them, and cover with parsley and butter, made by recipe no. . the liquor they were boiled in should be strained and put by in a clean basin for use: it will be found very good as an addition to gravies, &c. &c. _time_.--rather more than hours. _average cost_, in full season, d. each. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. when a calf should be killed.--the age at which a calf ought to be killed should not be under four weeks: before that time the flesh is certainly not wholesome, wanting firmness, due development of muscular fibre, and those animal juices on which the flavour and nutritive properties of the flesh depend, whatever the unhealthy palate of epicures may deem to the contrary. in france, a law exists to prevent the slaughtering of calves under _six weeks_ of age. the calf is considered in prime condition at ten weeks, when he will weigh from sixteen to eighteen stone, and sometimes even twenty. fricasseed calf's feet. . ingredients.--a set of calf's feet; for the batter allow for each egg tablespoonful of flour, tablespoonful of bread crumbs, hot lard or clarified dripping, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--if the feet are purchased uncleaned, dip them into warm water repeatedly, and scrape off the hair, first one foot and then the other, until the skin looks perfectly clean, a saucepan of water being kept by the fire until they are finished. after washing and soaking in cold water, boil them in just sufficient water to cover them, until the bones come easily away. then pick them out, and after straining the liquor into a clean vessel, put the meat into a pie-dish until the next day. now cut it down in slices about / inch thick, lay on them a stiff batter made of egg, flour, and bread crumbs in the above proportion; season with pepper and salt, and plunge them into a pan of boiling lard. fry the slices a nice brown, dry them before the fire for a minute or two, dish them on a napkin, and garnish with tufts of parsley. this should be eaten with melted butter, mustard, and vinegar. be careful to have the lard boiling to set the batter, or the pieces of feet will run about the pan. the liquor they were boiled in should be saved, and will be found useful for enriching gravies, making jellies, &e. &e. _time_.--about hours to stew the feet, or minutes to fry them. _average cost_, in full season, d. each. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. _note_.--this dish can be highly recommended to delicate persons. colour of veal.--as whiteness of flesh is considered a great advantage in veal, butchers, in the selection of their calves, are in the habit of examining the inside of its mouth, and noting the colour of the calf's eyes; alleging that, from the signs they there see, they can prognosticate whether the veal will be white or florid. collared calf's head. . ingredients.--a calf's head, tablespoonfuls of minced parsley, blades of pounded mace, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, white pepper to taste, a few thick slices of ham, the yolks of eggs boiled hard. _mode_.--scald the head for a few minutes; take it out of the water, and with a blunt knife scrape off all the hair. clean it nicely, divide the head and remove the brains. boil it tender enough to take out the bones, which will be in about hours. when the head is boned, flatten it on the table, sprinkle over it a thick layer of parsley, then a layer of ham, and then the yolks of the eggs cut into thin rings and put a seasoning of pounded mace, nutmeg, and white pepper between each layer; roll the head up in a cloth, and tie it up as tightly as possible. boil it for hours, and when it is taken out of the pot, place a heavy weight on the top, the same as for other collars. let it remain till cold; then remove the cloth and binding, and it will be ready to serve. _time_.--altogether hours. _average cost_, s. to s. each. _seasonable_ from march to october. feeding a calf.--the amount of milk necessary for a calf for some time, will be about four quarts a day, though, after the first fortnight, that quantity should be gradually increased, according to its development of body, when, if fed exclusively on milk, as much as three gallons a day will be requisite for the due health and requirements of the animal. if the weather is fine and genial, it should be turned into an orchard or small paddock for a few hours each day, to give it an opportunity to acquire a relish for the fresh pasture, which, by the tenth or twelfth week, it will begin to nibble and enjoy. after a certain time, the quantity of milk may be diminished, and its place supplied by water thickened with meal. hay-tea and linseed-jelly are also highly nutritious substances, and may be used either as adjuncts or substitutes. fricasseed calf's head (an entree). . ingredients.--the remains of a boiled calf's head, - / pint of the liquor in which the head was boiled, blade of pounded mace, onion minced, a bunch of savoury herbs, salt and white pepper to taste, thickening of butter and flour, the yolks of eggs, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, forcemeat balls. _mode_.--remove all the bones from the head, and cut the meat into nice square pieces. put - / pint of the liquor it was boiled in into a saucepan, with mace, onion, herbs, and seasoning in the above proportion; let this simmer gently for / hour, then strain it and put in the meat. when quite hot through, thicken the gravy with a little butter rolled in flour, and, just before dishing the fricassee, put in the beaten yolks of eggs and lemon-juice; but be particular, after these two latter ingredients are added, that the sauce does not boil, or it will curdle. garnish with forcemeat balls and curled slices of broiled bacon. to insure the sauce being smooth, it is a good plan to dish the meat first, and then to add the eggs to the gravy: when these are set, the sauce may be poured over the meat. _time_.--altogether, - / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. calf's head a la maitre d'hotel. . ingredients.--the remains of a cold calf's head, rather more than / pint of maitre d'hôtel sauce no. . _mode_.--make the sauce by recipe no. , and have it sufficiently thick that it may nicely cover the meat; remove the bones from the head, and cut the meat into neat slices. when the sauce is ready, lay in the meat; let it _gradually_ warm through, and, after it boils up, let it simmer very gently for minutes, and serve. _time_.--rather more than - / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, s. d. _seasonable_ from march to october. the calf in america.--in america, the calf is left with the mother for three or four days, when it is removed, and at once fed on barley and oats ground together and made into a gruel, quart of the meal being boiled for half an hour in quarts of water. one quart of this certainly nutritious gruel, is to be given, lukewarm, morning and evening. in ten days, a bundle of soft hay is put beside the calf, which he soon begins to eat, and, at the same time, some of the dry meal is placed in his manger for him to lick. this process, gradually increasing the quantity of gruel twice a day, is continued for two months, till the calf is fit to go to grass, and, as it is said, with the best possible success. but, in this country, the mode pointed out in no. has received the sanction of the best experience. curried veal (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast veal, onions, apples sliced, tablespoonful of curry-powder, dessertspoonful of flour, / pint of broth or water, tablespoonful of lemon-juice. _mode_.--slice the onions and apples, and fry them in a little butter; then take them out, cut the meat into neat cutlets, and fry these of a pale brown; add the curry-powder and flour, put in the onion, apples, and a little broth or water, and stew gently till quite tender; add the lemon-juice, and serve with an edging of boiled rice. the curry may be ornamented with pickles, capsicums, and gherkins arranged prettily on the top. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ from march to october. veal cutlets (an entree). . ingredients.--about lbs. of the prime part of the leg of veal, egg and bread crumbs, tablespoonfuls of minced savoury herbs, salt and popper to taste, a small piece of butter. [illustration: veal cutlets.] _mode_.--have the veal cut into slices about / of an inch in thickness, and, if not cut perfectly even, level the meat with a cutlet-bat or rolling-pin. shape and trim the cutlets, and brush them over with egg. sprinkle with bread crumbs, with which have been mixed minced herbs and a seasoning of pepper and salt, and press the crumbs down. fry them of a delicate brown in fresh lard or butter, and be careful not to burn them. they should be very thoroughly done, but not dry. if the cutlets be thick, keep the pan covered for a few minutes at a good distance from the fire, after they have acquired a good colour: by this means, the meat will be done through. lay the cutlets in a dish, keep them hot, and make a gravy in the pan as follows: dredge in a little flour, add a piece of butter the size of a walnut, brown it, then pour as much boiling water as is required over it, season with pepper and salt, add a little lemon-juice, give one boil, and pour it over the cutlets. they should be garnished with slices of broiled bacon, and a few forcemeat balls will be found a very excellent addition to this dish. _time_.--for cutlets of a moderate thickness, about minutes; if very thick, allow more time. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. _note_.--veal cutlets may be merely floured and fried of a nice brown; the gravy and garnishing should be the same as in the preceding recipe. they may also be cut from the loin or neck, as shown in the engraving. broiled veal cutlets a l'italienne (an entree). . ingredients.--neck of veal, salt and pepper to taste, the yolk of egg, bread crumbs, / pint of italian sauce no. . _mode_.--cut the veal into cutlets, flatten and trim them nicely; powder over them a little salt and pepper; brush them over with the yolk of an egg, dip them into bread crumbs, then into clarified butter, and, afterwards, in the bread crumbs again; broil or fry them over a clear fire, that they may acquire a good brown colour. arrange them in the dish alternately with rashers of broiled ham, and pour the sauce, made by recipe no. , in the middle. _time_.-- to minutes, according to the thickness of the cutlets. _average cost_, d. per lb. _seasonable_ from march to october. the calf's-head club.--when the restoration of charles ii. took the strait waistcoat off the minds and morose religion of the commonwealth period, and gave a loose rein to the long-compressed spirits of the people, there still remained a large section of society wedded to the former state of things. the elders of this party retired from public sight, where, unoffended by the reigning saturnalia, they might dream in seclusion over their departed utopia. the young bloods of this school, however, who were compelled to mingle in the world, yet detesting the politics which had become the fashion, adopted a novel expedient to keep alive their republican sentiments, and mark their contempt of the reigning family. they accordingly met, in considerable numbers, at some convenient inn, on the th of january in each year,--the anniversary of charles's death, and dined together off a feast prepared from _calves' heads_, dressed in every possible variety of way, and with an abundance of wine drank toasts of defiance and hatred to the house of stuart, and glory to the memory of old holl cromwell; and having lighted a large bonfire in the yard, the club of fast young puritans, with their white handkerchiefs stained _red_ in wine, and one of the party in a mask, bearing an axe, followed by the chairman, carrying a _calf's head_ pinned up in a napkin, marched in mock procession to the bonfire, into which, with great shouts and uproar, they flung the enveloped head. this odd custom was continued for some time, and even down to the early part of this century it was customary for men of republican politics always to dine off calf's head on the th of january. veal cutlets a la maintenon (an entree). . ingredients.-- or lbs. of veal cutlets, egg and bread crumbs, tablespoonfuls of minced savoury herbs, salt and pepper to taste, a little grated nutmeg. _mode_.--cut the cutlets about / inch in thickness, flatten them, and brush them over with the yolk of an egg; dip them into bread crumbs and minced herbs, season with pepper and salt and grated nutmeg, and fold each cutlet in a piece of buttered paper. broil them, and send them to table with melted butter or a good gravy. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. veal a la bourgeoise. (_excellent_.) . ingredients.-- to lbs. of the loin or neck of veal, or young carrots, a bunch of green onions, slices of lean bacon, blades of pounded mace, bunch of savoury herbs, pepper and salt to taste, a few new potatoes, pint of green peas. _mode_.--cut the veal into cutlets, trim them, and put the trimmings into a stewpan with a little butter; lay in the cutlets and fry them a nice brown colour on both sides. add the bacon, carrots, onions, spice, herbs, and seasoning; pour in about a pint of boiling water, and stew gently for hours on a very slow fire. when done, skim off the fat, take out the herbs, and flavour the gravy with a little tomato sauce and ketchup. have ready the peas and potatoes, boiled _separately_; put them with the veal, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from june to august with peas;--rather earlier when these are omitted. scotch collops (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast veal, a little butter, flour, / pint of water, onion, blade of pounded mace, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, / teaspoonful of finely-minced lemon-peel, tablespoonfuls of sherry, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--cut the veal the same thickness as for cutlets, rather larger than a crown-piece; flour the meat well, and fry a light brown in butter; dredge again with flour, and add / pint of water, pouring it in by degrees; set it on the fire, and when it boils, add the onion and mace, and let it simmer very gently about / hour; flavour the gravy with lemon-juice, peel, wine, and ketchup, in the above proportion; give one boil, and serve. _time_.-- / hour. _seasonable_ from march to october. scotch collops, white (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast veal, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, blades of pounded mace, cayenne and salt to taste, a little butter, dessertspoonful of flour, / pint of water, teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, teaspoonful of lemon-peel, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, tablespoonfuls of cream, tablespoonful of sherry. _mode_.--cut the veal into thin slices about inches in width; hack them with a knife, and grate on them the nutmeg, mace, cayenne, and salt, and fry them in a little butter. dish them, and make a gravy in the pan by putting in the remaining ingredients. give one boil, and pour it over the collops; garnish with lemon and slices of toasted bacon, rolled. forcemeat balls may be added to this dish. if cream is not at hand, substitute the yolk of an egg beaten up well with a little milk. _time_.--about or minutes. _seasonable_ from may to october. cooking collops.--dean ramsay, who tells us, in his "reminiscences of scottish life and character," a number of famous stories of the strong-headed, warm-hearted, and plain-spoken old dames of the north, gives, amongst them, the following:--a strong-minded lady of this class was inquiring the character of a cook she was about to hire. the lady who was giving the character entered a little upon the cook's moral qualifications, and described her as a very decent woman; to which the astounding reply--this was years ago, and a dean tells the story--"oh, d--n her decency; can she make good collops?" roast fillet of veal. . ingredients.--veal, forcemeat no. , melted butter. _mode_.--have the fillet cut according to the size required; take out the bone, and after raising the skin from the meat, put under the flap a nice forcemeat, made by recipe no. . prepare sufficient of this, as there should be some left to eat cold, and to season and flavour a mince if required. skewer and bind the veal up in a round form; dredge well with flour, put it down at some distance from the fire at first, and baste continually. about / hour before serving, draw it nearer the fire, that it may acquire more colour, as the outside should be of a rich brown, but not burnt. dish it, remove the skewers, which replace by a silver one; pour over the joint some good melted butter, and serve with either boiled ham, bacon, or pickled pork. never omit to send a cut lemon to table with roast veal. [illustration: fillet of veal.] _time_.--a fillet of veal weighing lbs., about hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. stewed fillet of veal. . ingredients.--a small fillet of veal, forcemeat no. , thickening of butter and flour, a few mushrooms, white pepper to taste, tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, blades of pounded mace, / glass of sherry. _mode_.--if the whole of the leg is purchased, take off the knuckle to stew, and also the square end, which will serve for cutlets or pies. remove the bone, and fill the space with a forcemeat no. . roll and skewer it up firmly; place a few skewers at the bottom of a stewpan to prevent the meat from sticking, and cover the veal with a little weak stock. let it simmer very _gently_ until tender, as the more slowly veal is stewed, the better. strain and thicken the sauce, flavour it with lemon-juice, mace, sherry, and white pepper; give one boil, and pour it over the meat. the skewers should be removed, and replaced by a silver one, and the dish garnished with slices of cut lemon. _time_.--a. fillet of veal weighing lbs., hours' very gentle stewing. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. the golden calf.--we are told in the book of genesis, that aaron, in the lengthened absence of moses, was constrained by the impatient people to make them an image to worship; and that aaron, instead of using his delegated power to curb this sinful expression of the tribes, and appease the discontented jews, at once complied with their demand, and, telling them to bring to him their rings and trinkets, fashioned out of their willing contributions a calf of gold, before which the multitude fell down and worshipped. whether this image was a solid figure of gold, or a wooden effigy merely, coated with metal, is uncertain. to suppose the former,--knowing the size of the image made from such trifling articles as rings, we must presuppose the israelites to have spoiled the egyptians most unmercifully: the figure, however, is of more consequence than the weight or size of the idol. that the israelite brought away more from goshen than the plunder of the egyptians, and that they were deeply imbued with egyptian superstition, the golden calf is only one, out of many instances of proof; for a gilded ox, covered with a pall, was in that country an emblem of osiris, one of the gods of the egyptian trinity. besides having a sacred cow, and many varieties of the holy bull, this priest-ridden people worshipped the ox as a symbol of the sun, and offered to it divine honours, as the emblem of frugality, industry, and husbandry. it is therefore probable that, in borrowing so familiar a type, the israelites, in their calf-worship, meant, under a well-understood cherubic symbol, to acknowledge the full force of those virtues, under an emblem of divine power and goodness. the prophet hosea is full of denunciations against calf-worship in israel, and alludes to the custom of kissing these idols, hosea, viii, - . fricandeau of veal (an entree). . ingredients.--a piece of the fat side of a leg of veal (about lbs.), lardoons, carrots, large onions, a faggot of savoury herbs, blades of pounded mace, whole allspice, bay-leaves, pepper to taste, a few slices of fat bacon, pint of stock no. . [illustration: fricandeau of veal.] _mode_.--the veal for a fricandeau should be of the best quality, or it will not be good. it may be known by the meat being white and not thready. take off the skin, flatten the veal on the table, then at one stroke of the knife, cut off as much as is required, for a fricandeau with an uneven surface never looks well. trim it, and with a sharp knife make two or three slits in the middle, that it may taste more of the seasoning. now lard it thickly with fat bacon, as lean gives a red colour to the fricandeau. slice the vegetables, and put these, with the herbs and spices, in the _middle_ of a stewpan, with a few slices of bacon at the top: these should form a sort of mound in the centre for the veal to rest upon. lay the fricandeau over the bacon, sprinkle over it a little salt, and pour in just sufficient stock to cover the bacon, &c., without touching the veal. let it gradually come to a boil; then put it over a slow and equal fire, and let it _simmer very_ gently for about - / hours, or longer should it be very large. baste it frequently with the liquor, and a short time before serving, put it into a brisk oven, to make the bacon firm, which otherwise would break when it was glazed. dish the fricandeau, keep it hot, skim off the fat from the liquor, and reduce it quickly to a glaze, with which glaze the fricandeau, and serve with a purée of whatever vegetable happens to be in season--spinach, sorrel, asparagus, cucumbers, peas, &c. _time_.-- - / hours. if very large, allow more time. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for an entrée. _seasonable_ from march to october. fricandeau of veal (_more economical_.) . ingredients.--the best end of a neck of veal (about - / lbs.), lardoons, carrots, onions, a faggot of savoury herbs, blades of mace, bay-leaves, a little whole white pepper, a few slices of fat bacon. _mode_.--cut away the lean part of the best end of a neck of veal with a sharp knife, scooping it from the bones. put the bones in with a little water, which will serve to moisten the fricandeau: they should stew about - / hour. lard the veal, proceed in the same way as in the preceding recipe, and be careful that the gravy does not touch the fricandeau. stew very gently for hours; glaze, and serve it on sorrel, spinach, or with a little gravy in the dish. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for an entrée. _seasonable_ from march to october. _note_.--when the prime part of the leg is cut off, it spoils the whole; consequently, to use this for a fricandeau is rather extravagant. the best end of the neck answers the purpose nearly or quite as well. boiled calf's head (with the skin on). . ingredients.--calf's head, boiling water, bread crumbs, large bunch of parsley, butter, white pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonfuls of melted butter, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, or grains of cayenne. _mode_.--put the head into boiling water, and let it remain by the side of the fire for or minutes; take it out, hold it by the ear, and with the back of a knife, scrape off the hair (should it not come off easily, dip the head again into boiling water). when perfectly clean, take the eyes out, cut off the ears, and remove the brain, which soak for an hour in warm water. put the head into hot water to soak for a few minutes, to make it look white, and then have ready a stewpan, into which lay the head; cover it with cold water, and bring it gradually to boil. remove the scum, and add a little salt, which assists to throw it up. simmer it very gently from - / to hours, and when nearly done, boil the brains for / hour; skin and chop them, not too finely, and add a tablespoonful of minced parsley which has been previously scalded. season with pepper and salt, and stir the brains, parsley, &c., into about tablespoonfuls of melted butter; add the lemon-juice and cayenne, and keep these hot by the side of the fire. take up the head, cut out the tongue, skin it, put it on a small dish with the brains round it; sprinkle over the head a few bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley; brown these before the fire, and serve with a tureen of parsley and butter, and either boiled bacon, ham, or pickled pork as an accompaniment. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, according to the season, from s. to s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. boiled calf's head (without the skin). . ingredients.--calf's head, water, a little salt, tablespoonfuls of melted butter, tablespoonful of minced parsley, pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonful of lemon-juice. [illustration: calf's head.] [illustration: half a calf's head.] _mode_.--after the head has been thoroughly cleaned, and the brains removed, soak it in warm water to blanch it. lay the brains also into warm water to soak, and let them remain for about an hour. put the head into a stewpan, with sufficient cold water to cover it, and when it boils, add a little salt; take off every particle of scum as it rises, and boil the head until perfectly tender. boil the brains, chop them, and mix with them melted butter, minced parsley, pepper, salt, and lemon-juice in the above proportion. take up the head, skin the tongue, and put it on a small dish with the brains round it. have ready some parsley and butter, smother the head with it, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. bacon, ham, pickled pork, or a pig's cheek, are indispensable with calf's head. the brains are sometimes chopped with hard-boiled eggs, and mixed with a little béchamel or white sauce. _time_.--from - / to - / hours. _average cost_, according to the season, from s. to s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. _note_.--the liquor in which the head was boiled should be saved: it makes excellent soup, and will be found a nice addition to gravies, &c. half a calf's head is as frequently served as a whole one, it being a more convenient-sized joint for a small family. it is cooked in the same manner, and served with the same sauces, as in the preceding recipe. hashed calf's head (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of a cold boiled calf's head, quart of the liquor in which it was boiled, a faggot of savoury herbs, onion, carrot, a strip of lemon-peel, blades of pounded mace, salt and white pepper to taste, a very little cayenne, rather more than tablespoonfuls of sherry, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, forcemeat balls. _mode_.--cut the meat into neat slices, and put the bones and trimmings into a stewpan with the above proportion of liquor that the head was boiled in. add a bunch of savoury herbs, onion, carrot, a strip of lemon-peel, and blades of pounded mace, and let these boil for hour, or until the gravy is reduced nearly half. strain it into a clean stewpan, thicken it with a little butter and flour, and add a flavouring of sherry, lemon-juice, and ketchup, in the above proportion; season with pepper, salt, and a little cayenne; put in the meat, let it _gradually_ warm through, but not boil more than _two_ or _three_ minutes. garnish the dish with forcemeat balls and pieces of bacon rolled and toasted, placed alternately, and send it to table very hot. _time_.--altogether - / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the remains of the head, d. _seasonable_ from march to october. veal collops (an entree). . ingredients.--about lbs. of the prime part of the leg of veal, a few slices of bacon, forcemeat no. , cayenne to taste, egg and bread crumbs, gravy. _mode_.--cut the veal into long thin collops, flatten them, and lay on each a piece of thin bacon of the same size; have ready some forcemeat, made by recipe no. , which spread over the bacon, sprinkle over all a little cayenne, roll them up tightly, and do not let them be more than inches long. skewer each one firmly, egg and bread crumb them, and fry them a nice brown in a little butter, turning them occasionally, and shaking the pan about. when done, place them on a dish before the fire; put a small piece of butter in the pan, dredge in a little flour, add / pint of water, tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, a seasoning of salt, pepper, and pounded mace; let the whole boil up, and pour it over the collops. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. calf's liver aux fines herbes & sauce piquante. . ingredients.--a calf's liver, flour, a bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley; when liked, minced shalots; teaspoonful of flour, tablespoonful of vinegar, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, pepper and salt to taste, / pint water. _mode_.--procure a calf's liver as white as possible, and cut it into slices of a good and equal shape. dip them in flour, and fry them of a good colour in a little butter. when they are done, put them on a dish, which keep hot before the fire. mince the herbs very fine, put them in the frying-pan with a little more butter; add the remaining ingredients, simmer gently until the herbs are done, and pour over the liver. _time_.--according to the thickness of the slices, from to minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. calf's liver and bacon. . ingredients.-- or lbs. of liver, bacon, pepper and salt to taste, a small piece of butter, flour, tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, / pint of water. _mode_.--cut the liver in thin slices, and cut as many slices of bacon as there are of liver; fry the bacon first, and put that on a hot dish before the fire. fry the liver in the fat which comes from the bacon, after seasoning it with pepper and salt and dredging over it a very little flour. turn the liver occasionally to prevent its burning, and when done, lay it round the dish with a piece of bacon between each. pour away the bacon fat, put in a small piece of butter, dredge in a little flour, add the lemon-juice and water, give one boil, and pour it in the _middle_ of the dish. it may be garnished with slices of cut lemon, or forcemeat balls. _time_.--according to the thickness of the slices, from to minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. calf's liver larded and roasted (an entree). . ingredients.--a calf's liver, vinegar, onion, or sprigs of parsley and thyme, salt and pepper to taste, bay-leaf, lardoons, brown gravy. _mode_.--take a fine white liver, and lard it the same as a fricandeau; put it into vinegar with an onion cut in slices, parsley, thyme, bay-leaf, and seasoning in the above proportion. let it remain in this pickle for hours, then roast and baste it frequently with the vinegar, &c.; glaze it, serve under it a good brown gravy, or sauce piquante, and send it to table very hot. _time_.--rather more than hour. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. _note_.--calf's liver stuffed with forcemeat no. , to which has been added a little fat bacon, will be found a very savoury dish. it should be larded or wrapped in buttered paper, and roasted before a clear fire. brown gravy and currant jelly should be served with it. fillet of veal au bechamel (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--a small fillet of veal, pint of béchamel sauce no. , a few bread crumbs, clarified butter. _mode_.--a fillet of real that has been roasted the preceding day will answer very well for this dish. cut the middle out rather deep, leaving a good margin round, from which to cut nice slices, and if there should be any cracks in the veal, fill them up with forcemeat. mince finely the meat that was taken out, mixing with it a little of the forcemeat to flavour, and stir to it sufficient béchamel to make it of a proper consistency. warm the veal in the oven for about an hour, taking care to baste it well, that it may not be dry; put the mince in the place where the meat was taken out, sprinkle a few bread crumbs over it, and drop a little clarified butter on the bread crumbs; put it into the oven for / hour to brown, and pour béchamel round the sides of the dish. _time_.--altogether - / hour. _seasonable_ from march to october. to ragout a knuckle of veal. . ingredients.--knuckle of veal, pepper and salt to taste, flour, onion, head of celery, or a little celery-seed, a faggot of savoury herbs, blades of pounded mace, thickening of butter and flour, a few young carrots, tablespoonful of ketchup, tablespoonful of tomato sauce, tablespoonfuls of sherry, the juice of / lemon. _mode_.--cut the meat from a knuckle of veal into neat slices, season with pepper and salt, and dredge them with flour. fry them in a little butter of a pale brown, and put them into a stewpan with the bone (which should be chopped in several places); add the celery, herbs, mace, and carrots; pour over all about pint of hot water, and let it simmer very gently for hours, over a slow but clear fire. take out the slices of meat and carrots, strain and thicken the gravy with a little butter rolled in flour; add the remaining ingredients, give one boil, put back the meat and carrots, let these get hot through, and serve. when in season, a few green peas, _boiled separately_, and added to this dish at the moment of serving, would be found a very agreeable addition. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. to d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. stewed knuckle of veal and rice. . ingredients.--knuckle of veal, onion, blades of mace, teaspoonful of salt, / lb. of rice. [illustration: knuckle of veal.] _mode_.--have the knuckle cut small, or cut some cutlets from it, that it may be just large enough to be eaten the same day it is dressed, as cold boiled veal is not a particularly tempting dish. break the shank-bone, wash it clean, and put the meat into a stewpan with sufficient water to cover it. let it gradually come to a boil, put in the salt, and remove the scum as fast as it rises. when it has simmered gently for about / hour, add the remaining ingredients, and stew the whole gently for - / hours. put the meat into a deep dish, pour over it the rice, &c., and send boiled bacon, and a tureen of parsley and butter to table with it. _time_.--a knuckle of veal weighing lbs., hours' gentle stewing. _average cost_, d. to d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. _note_.--macaroni, instead of rice, boiled with the veal, will be found good; or the rice and macaroni may be omitted, and the veal sent to table smothered in parsley and butter. roast loin of veal. [illustration: loin of veal.] . ingredients.--veal; melted butter. _mode_.--paper the kidney fat; roll in and skewer the flap, which makes the joint a good shape; dredge it well with flour, and put it down to a bright fire. should the loin be very large, skewer the kidney back for a time to roast thoroughly. keep it well basted, and a short time before serving, remove the paper from the kidney, and allow it to acquire a nice brown colour, but it should not be burnt. have ready some melted butter, put it into the dripping-pan after it is emptied of its contents, pour it over the veal, and serve. garnish the dish with slices of lemon and forcemeat balls, and send to table with it, boiled bacon, ham, pickled pork, or pig's cheek. _time_.--a large loin, hours. _average cost_, - / d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. _note_.--a piece of toast should be placed under the kidney when the veal is dished. loin of veal au bechamel (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--loin of veal, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, rather more than / pint of béchamel or white sauce. _mode_.--a loin of veal which has come from table with very little taken off, answers very well for this dish. cut off the meat from the inside, mince it, and mix with it some minced lemon-peel; put it into sufficient béchamel to warm through. in the mean time, wrap the joint in buttered paper, and place it in the oven to warm. when thoroughly hot, dish the mince, place the loin above it, and pour over the remainder of the béchamel. _time_.-- - / hour to warm the meat in the oven. _seasonable_ from march to october. loin of veal, a la daube. . ingredients.--the chump end of a loin of veal, forcemeat no. , a few slices of bacon, a bunch of savoury herbs, blades of mace, / teaspoonful of whole white pepper, pint of veal stock or water, or green onions. _mode_.--cut off the chump from a loin of veal, and take out the bone; fill the cavity with forcemeat no. , tie it up tightly, and lay it in a stewpan with the bones and trimmings, and cover the veal with a few slices of bacon. add the herbs, mace, pepper, and onions, and stock or water; cover the pan with a closely-fitting lid, and simmer for hours, shaking the stewpan occasionally. take out the bacon, herbs, and onions; reduce the gravy, if not already thick enough, to a glaze, with which glaze the meat, and serve with tomato, mushroom, or sorrel sauce. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. minced veal, with béchamel sauce (cold meat cookery). (_very good_.) . ingredients.--the remains of a fillet of veal, pint of béchamel sauce no. , / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, forcemeat balls. _mode_.--cut--but do not _chop_--a few slices of cold roast veal as finely as possible, sufficient to make rather more than lb., weighed after being minced. make the above proportion of béchamel, by recipe no. ; add the lemon-peel, put in the veal, and let the whole gradually warm through. when it is at the point of simmering, dish it, and garnish with forcemeat balls and fried sippets of bread. _time_.--to simmer minute. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. minced veal. (_more economical_.) . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fillet or loin of veal, rather more than pint of water, onion, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, salt and white pepper to taste, blade of pounded mace, or young carrots, a faggot of sweet herbs, thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, tablespoonfuls of cream or milk. _mode_.--take about lb. of veal, and should there be any bones, dredge them with flour, and put them into a stewpan with the brown outside, and a few meat trimmings; add rather more than a pint of water, the onion cut in slices, lemon-peel, seasoning, mace, carrots, and herbs; simmer these well for rather more than hour, and strain the liquor. rub a little flour into some butter; add this to the gravy, set it on the fire, and, when it boils, skim well. mince the veal finely by _cutting_, and not chopping it; put it in the gravy; let it get warmed through gradually; add the lemon-juice and cream, and, when it is on the point of boiling, serve. garnish the dish with sippets of toasted bread and slices of bacon rolled and toasted. forcemeat balls may also be added. if more lemon-peel is liked than is stated above, put a little very finely minced to the veal, after it is warmed in the gravy. _time_.-- hour to make the gravy. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, d. _seasonable_ from march to october. the calf a symbol of divine power.--a singular symbolical ceremony existed among the hebrews, in which the calf performed a most important part. the calf being a type or symbol of divine power, or what was called the _elohim_,--the almighty intelligence that brought them out of egypt,--was looked upon much in the same light by the jews, as the cross subsequently was by the christians, a mystical emblem of the divine passion and goodness. consequently, an oath taken on either the calf or the cross was considered equally solemn and sacred by jew or nazarene, and the breaking of it a soul-staining perjury on themselves, and an insult and profanation directly offered to the almighty. to render the oath more impressive and solemn, it was customary to slaughter a dedicated calf in the temple, when, the priests having divided the carcase into a certain number of parts, and with intervening spaces, arranged the severed limbs on the marble pavement, the one, or all the party, if there were many individuals, to be bound by the oath, repeating the words of the compact, threaded their way in and out through the different spaces, till they had taken the circuit of each portion of the divided calf, when the ceremony was concluded. to avert the anger of the lord, when jerusalem was threatened by nebuchadnezzar and his babylonian host, the jews had made a solemn to god, ratified by the ceremony of the calf, if he released them from their dreaded foe, to cancel the servitude of their hebrew brethren. after investing the city for some time, and reducing the inhabitants to dreadful suffering and privation, the babylonians, hearing that pharaoh, whom the jews had solicited for aid, was rapidly approaching with a powerful army, hastily raised the siege, and, removing to a distance, took up a position where they could intercept the egyptians, and still cover the city. no sooner did the jews behold the retreat of the enemy, than they believed all danger was past, and, with their usual turpitude, they repudiated their oath, and refused to liberate their oppressed countrymen. for this violation of their covenant with the lord, they were given over to all the horrors of the sword, pestilence, and famine--jeremiah, xxxiv. - . minced veal and macaroni. (_a pretty side or corner dish_.) . ingredients.-- / lb. of minced cold roast veal, oz. of ham, tablespoonful of gravy, pepper and salt to taste, teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, / lb. of bread crumbs, / lb. of macaroni, or eggs to bind, a small piece of butter. _mode_.--cut some nice slices from a cold fillet of veal, trim off the brown outside, and mince the meat finely with the above proportion of ham: should the meat be very dry, add a spoonful of good gravy. season highly with pepper and salt, add the grated nutmeg and bread crumbs, and mix these ingredients with or eggs well beaten, which should bind the mixture and make it like forcemeat. in the mean time, boil the macaroni in salt and water, and drain it; butter a mould, put some of the macaroni at the bottom and sides of it, in whatever form is liked; mix the remainder with the forcemeat, fill the mould up to the top, put a plate or small dish on it, and steam for / hour. turn it out carefully, and serve with good gravy poured round, but not over, the meat. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, d. _seasonable_ from march to october. _note_.--to make a variety, boil some carrots and turnips separately in a little salt and water; when done, cut them into pieces about / inch in thickness; butter an oval mould, and place these in it, in white and red stripes alternately, at the bottom and sides. proceed as in the foregoing recipe, and be very careful in turning it out of the mould. moulded minced veal (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.-- / lb. of cold roast veal, a small slice of bacon, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, / onion chopped fine, salt, pepper, and pounded mace to taste, a slice of toast soaked in milk, egg. _mode_.--mince the meat very fine, after removing from it all skin and outside pieces, and chop the bacon; mix these well together, adding the lemon-peel, onion, seasoning, mace, and toast. when all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, heat up an egg, with which bind the mixture. butter a shape, put in the meat, and hake for / hour; turn it out of the mould carefully, and pour round it a good brown gravy. a sheep's head dressed in this manner is an economical and savoury dish. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the meat, d. _seasonable_ from march to october. braised neck of veal. . ingredients.--the best end of the neck of veal (from to lbs.), bacon, tablespoonful of minced parsley, salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste; onion, carrots, a little celery (when this is not obtainable, use the seed), / glass of sherry, thickening of butter and flour, lemon-juice, blade of pounded mace. _mode_.--prepare the bacon for larding, and roll it in minced parsley, salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg; lard the veal, put it into a stewpan with a few slices of lean bacon or ham, an onion, carrots, and celery; and do not quite cover it with water. stew it gently for hours, or until it is quite tender; strain off the liquor; stir together over the fire, in a stewpan, a little flour and butter until brown; lay the veal in this, the upper side to the bottom of the pan, and let it remain till of a nice brown colour. place it in the dish; pour into the stewpan as much gravy as is required, boil it up, skim well, add the wine, pounded mace, and lemon-juice; simmer for minutes, pour it over the meat, and serve. _time_.--rather more than hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. birth of calves.--the cow seldom produces more than a single calf; sometimes, twins, and, very rarely, three. a french newspaper, however,--the "nouveau bulletin des sciences,"--gave a trustworthy but extraordinary account of a cow which produced nine calves in all, at three successive births, in three successive years. the first year, four cow calves; the second year, three calves, two of them females; the third year, two calves, both females. with the exception of two belonging to the first birth, all were suckled by the mother. roast neck of veal. . ingredients.--veal, melted butter, forcemeat balls. _mode_.--have the veal cut from the best end of the neck; dredge it with flour, and put it down to a bright clear fire; keep it well basted; dish it, pour over it some melted butter, and garnish the dish with fried forcemeat balls; send to table with a cut lemon. the scrag may be boiled or stewed in various ways, with rice, onion-sauce, or parsley and butter. _time_.--about hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_.-- or lbs. for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. veal olive pie (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--a few thin slices of cold fillet of veal, a few thin slices of bacon, forcemeat no. , a cupful of gravy, tablespoonfuls of cream, puff-crust. _mode_.--cut thin slices from a fillet of veal, place on them thin slices of bacon, and over them a layer of forcemeat, made by recipe no. , with an additional seasoning of shalot and cayenne; roll them tightly, and fill up a pie-dish with them; add the gravy and cream, cover with a puff-crust, and bake for to - / hour: should the pie be very large, allow hours. the pieces of rolled veal should be about inches in length, and about inches round. _time_.--moderate-sized pie, to - / hour. _seasonable_ from march to october. fried patties (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--cold roast veal, a few slices of cold ham, egg boiled hard, pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, gravy, cream, teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, good puff-paste. _mode_.--mince a little cold veal and ham, allowing one-third ham to two-thirds veal; add an egg boiled hard and chopped, and a seasoning of pounded mace, salt, pepper, and lemon-peel; moisten with a little gravy and cream. make a good puff-paste; roll rather thin, and cut it into round or square pieces; put the mince between two of them, pinch the edges to keep in the gravy, and fry a light brown. they may be also baked in patty-pans: in that case, they should be brushed over with the yolk of an egg before they are put in the oven. to make a variety, oysters may be substituted for the ham. _time_.-- minutes to fry the patties. _seasonable_ from march to october. veal pie. . ingredients.-- lbs. of veal cutlets, or slices of lean bacon or ham, pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonfuls of minced savoury herbs, blades of pounded mace, crust, teacupful of gravy. _mode_.--cut the cutlets into square pieces, and season them with pepper, salt, and pounded mace; put them in a pie-dish with the savoury herbs sprinkled over, and or slices of lean bacon or ham placed at the top: if possible, this should be previously cooked, as undressed bacon makes the veal red, and spoils its appearance. pour in a little water, cover with crust, ornament it in any way that is approved; brush it over with the yolk of an egg, and bake in a well-heated oven for about - / hour. pour in a good gravy after baking, which is done by removing the top ornament, and replacing it after the gravy is added. _time_.--about - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. a very veal dinner.--at a dinner given by lord polkemmet, a scotch nobleman and judge, his guests saw, when the covers were removed, that the fare consisted of veal broth, a roasted fillet of veal, veal cutlets, a veal pie, a calf's head, and calf's-foot jelly. the judge, observing the surprise of his guests, volunteered an explanation.--"oh, ay, it's a' cauf; when we kill a beast, we just eat up ae side, and doun the tither." veal and ham pie. . ingredients.-- lbs. of veal cutlets, / lb. of boiled ham, tablespoonfuls of minced savoury herbs, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, blades of pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, a strip of lemon-peel finely minced, the yolks of hard-boiled eggs, / pint of water, nearly / pint of good strong gravy, puff-crust. _mode_.--cut the veal into nice square pieces, and put a layer of them at the bottom of a pie-dish; sprinkle over these a portion of the herbs, spices, seasoning, lemon-peel, and the yolks of the eggs cut in slices; cut the ham very thin, and put a layer of this in. proceed in this manner until the dish is full, so arranging it that the ham comes at the top. lay a puff-paste on the edge of the dish, and pour in about / pint of water; cover with crust, ornament it with leaves, brush it over with the yolk of an egg, and bake in a well-heated oven for to - / hour, or longer, should the pie be very large. when it is taken out of the oven, pour in at the top, through a funnel, nearly / pint of strong gravy: this should be made sufficiently good that, when cold, it may cut in a firm jelly. this pie may be very much enriched by adding a few mushrooms, oysters, or sweetbreads; but it will be found very good without any of the last-named additions. _time_.-- - / hour, or longer, should the pie be very large. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. potted veal (for breakfast). . ingredients.--to every lb. of veal allow / lb. of ham, cayenne and pounded mace to taste, oz. of fresh butter; clarified butter. _mode_.--mince the veal and ham together as finely as possible, and pound well in a mortar, with cayenne, pounded mace, and fresh butter in the above proportion. when reduced to a perfectly smooth paste, press it into potting-pots, and cover with clarified butter. if kept in a cool place, it will remain good some days. _seasonable_ from march to october. names of calves, &c.--during the time the young male calf is suckled by his mother, he is called a bull-or ox-calf; when turned a year old, he is called a stirk, stot, or yearling; on the completion of his second year, he is called a two-year-old bull or steer (and in some counties a twinter); then, a three-year-old steer; and at four, an ox or a bullock, which latter names are retained till death. it may be here remarked, that the term ox is used as a general or common appellation for neat cattle, in a specific sense, and irrespective of sex; as the british ox, the indian ox. the female is termed cow, but while sucking the mother, a cow-calf; at the age of a year, she is called a yearling quey; in another year, a heifer, or twinter; then, a three-year-old quey or twinter; and, at four years old, a cow. other names, to be regarded as provincialisms, may exist in different districts. ragout of cold veal (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold veal, oz. of butter, / pint of gravy, thickening of butter and flour, pepper and salt to taste, blade of pounded mace, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, tablespoonful of sherry, dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, forcemeat balls. _mode_.--any part of veal will make this dish. cut the meat into nice-looking pieces, put them in a stewpan with oz. of butter, and fry a light brown; add the gravy (hot water may be substituted for this), thicken with a little butter and flour, and stew gently about / hour; season with pepper, salt, and pounded mace; add the ketchup, sherry, and lemon-juice; give one boil, and serve. garnish the dish with forcemeat balls and fried rashers of bacon. _time_.--altogether / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, d. _seasonable_ from march to october. _note_.--the above recipe may be varied, by adding vegetables, such as peas, cucumbers, lettuces, green onions cut in slices, a dozen or two of green gooseberries (not seedy), all of which should be fried a little with the meat, and then stewed in the gravy. veal rissoles (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--a few slices of cold roast veal, a few slices of ham or bacon, tablespoonful of minced parsley, tablespoonful of minced savoury herbs, blade of pounded mace, a very little grated nutmeg, cayenne and salt to taste, eggs well beaten, bread crumbs. _mode_.--mince the veal very finely with a little ham or bacon; add the parsley, herbs, spices, and seasoning; mix into a paste with an egg; form into balls or cones; brush these over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and fry a rich brown. serve with brown gravy, and garnish the dish with fried parsley. _time_.--about minutes to fry the rissoles. _seasonable_ from march to october. veal rolls (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of a cold fillet of veal, egg and bread crumbs, a few slices of fat bacon, forcemeat no. . _mode_.--cut a few slices from a cold fillet of veal / inch thick; rub them over with egg; lay a thin slice of fat bacon over each piece of veal; brush these with the egg, and over this spread the forcemeat thinly; roll up each piece tightly, egg and bread crumb them, and fry them a rich brown. serve with mushroom sauce or brown gravy. _time_.-- to minutes to fry the rolls. _seasonable_ from march to october. shoulder of veal, stuffed and stewed. . ingredients.--a shoulder of veal, a few slices of ham or bacon, forcemeat no. , carrots, onions, salt and pepper to taste, a faggot of savoury herbs, blades of pounded mace, water, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--bone the joint by carefully detaching the meat from the blade-bone on one side, and then on the other, being particular not to pierce the skin; then cut the bone from the knuckle, and take it out. fill the cavity whence the bone was taken with a forcemeat made by recipe no. . roll and bind the veal up tightly; put it into a stew-pan with the carrots, onions, seasoning, herbs, and mace; pour in just sufficient water to cover it, and let it stew _very gently_ for about hours. before taking it up, try if it is properly done by thrusting a larding-needle in it: if it penetrates easily, it is sufficiently cooked. strain and skim the gravy, thicken with butter and flour, give one boil, and pour it round the meat. a few young carrots may be boiled and placed round the dish as a garnish, and, when in season, green peas should always be served with this dish. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to october. the fattening of calves.--the fattening of calves for the market is an important business in lanarkshire or clydesdale, and numbers of newly-dropped calves are regularly carried there from the farmers of the adjacent districts, in order to be prepared for the butcher. the mode of feeding them is very simple; milk is the chief article of their diet, and of this the calves require a sufficient supply from first to last. added to this, they must be kept in a well-aired place, neither too hot nor too cold, and freely supplied with dry litter. it is usual to exclude the light,--at all events to a great degree, and to put within their reach a lump of chalk, which they are very fond of licking. thus fed, calves, at the end of or weeks, often attain a very large size; viz., to stone, exclusive of the offal. far heavier weights have occurred, and without any deterioration in the delicacy and richness of the flesh. this mode of feeding upon milk alone at first appears to be very expensive, but it is not so, when all things are taken into consideration; for at the age of or weeks a calf, originally purchased for shillings, will realize nearly the same number of pounds. for , or even weeks, the milk of one cow is sufficient,--indeed half that quantity is enough for the first fortnight; but after the th or th week it will consume the greater portion of the milk of two moderate cows; but then it requires neither oil-cake nor linseed, nor any other food. usually, however, the calves are not kept beyond the age of weeks, and will then sell for or pounds each: the milk of the cow is then ready for a successor. in this manner a relay of calves may be prepared for the markets from early spring to the end of summer, a plan more advantageous than that of overfeeding one to a useless degree of corpulency. veal sausages. . ingredients.--equal quantities of fat bacon and lean veal; to every lb. of meat, allow teaspoonful of minced sage, salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--chop the meat and bacon finely, and to every lb. allow the above proportion of very finely-minced sage; add a seasoning of pepper and salt, mix the whole well together, make it into flat cakes, and fry a nice brown. _seasonable_ from march to october. stewed veal, with peas, young carrots, and new potatoes. . ingredients.-- or lbs. of the loin or neck of veal, young carrots, a few green onions, pint of green peas, new potatoes, a bunch of savoury herbs, pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, tablespoonfuls of tomato sauce, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--dredge the meat with flour, and roast or bake it for about / hour: it should acquire a nice brown colour. put the meat into a stewpan with the carrots, onions, potatoes, herbs, pepper, and salt; pour over it sufficient boiling water to cover it, and stew gently for hours. take out the meat and herbs, put it in a deep dish, skim off all the fat from the gravy, and flavour it with lemon-juice, tomato sauce, and mushroom ketchup in the above proportion. have ready a pint of green peas boiled; put these with the meat, pour over it the gravy, and serve. the dish may be garnished with a few forcemeat balls. the meat, when preferred, may be cut into chops, and floured and fried instead of being roasted; and any part of veal dressed in this way will be found extremely savoury and good. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_, with peas, from june to august. baked sweetbreads (an entree). . ingredients.-- sweetbreads, egg and bread crumbs, oiled butter, slices of toast, brown gravy. [illustration: sweetbreads.] _mode_.--choose large white sweetbreads; put them into warm water to draw out the blood, and to improve their colour; let them remain for rather more than hour; then put them into boiling water, and allow them to simmer for about minutes, which renders them firm. take them up, drain them, brush over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs; dip them in egg again, and then into more bread crumbs. drop on them a little oiled butter, and put the sweetbreads into a moderately-heated oven, and let them bake for nearly / hour. make pieces of toast; place the sweetbreads on the toast, and pour round, but not over them, a good brown gravy. _time_.--to soak hour, to be boiled minutes, baked minutes. _average cost_, s. to s. _sufficient_ for an entrée. _seasonable_.--in full season from may to august. fried sweetbreads a la maitre d'hotel (an entree). . ingredients.-- sweetbreads, egg and bread crumbs, / lb. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, rather more than / pint of maître d'hôtel sauce no. . _mode_.--soak the sweetbreads in warm water for an hour; then boil them for minutes; cut them in slices, egg and bread crumb them, season with pepper and salt, and put them into a frying-pan, with the above proportion of butter. keep turning them until done, which will be in about minutes; dish them, and pour over them a maître d'hôtel sauce, made by recipe no. . the dish may be garnished with slices of cut lemon. _time_.--to soak hour, to be broiled minutes, to be fried about minutes. _average cost_, s. to s., according to the season. _sufficient_ for an entrée. _seasonable_.--in full season from may to august. _note_.--the egg and bread crumb may be omitted, and the slices of sweetbread dredged with a little flour instead, and a good gravy may be substituted for the _maitre d'hôtel_ sauce. this is a very simple method of dressing them. stewed sweetbreads (an entree). . ingredients.-- sweetbreads, pint of white stock no. , thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonfuls of cream, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, blade of pounded mace, white pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--soak the sweetbreads in warm water for hour, and boil them for minutes; take them out, put them into cold water for a few minutes; lay them in a stewpan with the stock, and simmer them gently for rather more than / hour. dish them; thicken the gravy with a little butter and flour; let it boil up, add the remaining ingredients, allow the sauce to get quite _hot_, but _not boil_, and pour it over the sweetbreads. _time_.--to soak hour, to be boiled minutes, stewed rather more than / hour. _average cost_, from s. to s., according to the season. _sufficient_ for an entrée. _seasonable_.--in full season from may to august. _note_.--a few mushrooms added to this dish, and stewed with the sweetbreads, will be found an improvement. season and choice of veal.--veal, like all other meats, has its season of plenty. the best veal, and the largest supply, are to be had from march to the end of july. it comes principally from the western counties, and is generally of the alderney breed. in purchasing veal, its whiteness and fineness of grain should be considered, the colour being especially of the utmost consequence. veal may be bought at all times of the year and of excellent quality, but is generally very dear, except in the months of plenty. stewed tendrons de veau (an entree). . ingredients.--the gristles from breasts of veal, stock no. , faggot of savoury herbs, blades of pounded mace, cloves, carrots, onions, a strip of lemon-peel. _mode_.--the _tendrons_ or gristles, which are found round the front of a breast of veal, are now very frequently served as an entrée, and when well dressed, make a nice and favourite dish. detach the gristles from the bone, and cut them neatly out, so as not to spoil the joint for roasting or stewing. put them into a stewpan, with sufficient stock, no. , to cover them; add the herbs, mace, cloves, carrots, onions, and lemon, and simmer these for nearly, or quite, hours. they should be stewed until a fork will enter the meat easily. take them up, drain them, strain the gravy, boil it down to a glaze, with which glaze the meat. dish the _tendrons_ in a circle, with croûtons fried of a nice colour placed between each; and put mushroom sauce, or a purée of green peas or tomatoes, in the middle. _time_.-- hours. _sufficient_ for one entrée. _seasonable_.--with peas, from june to august. cow-pox, or variola.--it is to dr. jenner, of berkeley, gloucestershire, who died in , that we owe the practice of vaccination, as a preservative from the attack of that destructive scourge of the human race, the small-pox. the experiments of this philosophic man were begun in , and published the next year. he had observed that cows were subject to a certain infectious eruption of the teats, and that those persons who became affected by it, while milking the cattle, escaped the small-pox raging around them. this fact, known to farmers from time immemorial, led him to a course of experiments, the result of which all are acquainted with. tendrons de veau (an entree). . ingredients.--the gristles from breasts of veal, stock no. , faggot of savoury herbs, blade of pounded mace, cloves, carrots, onions, a strip of lemon-peel, egg and bread crumbs, tablespoonfuls of chopped mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste, tablespoonfuls of sherry, the yolk of egg, tablespoonfuls of cream. _mode_.--after removing the gristles from a breast of veal, stew them for hours, as in the preceding recipe, with stock, herbs, mace, cloves, carrots, onions, and lemon-peel. when perfectly tender, lift them out and remove any bones or hard parts remaining. put them between two dishes, with a weight on the top, and when cold, cut them into slices. brush these over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and fry a pale brown. take / pint of the gravy they were boiled in, add tablespoonfuls of chopped mushrooms, a seasoning of salt and pepper, the sherry, and the yolk of an egg beaten with tablespoonfuls of cream. stir the sauce over the fire until it thickens; when it is on the _point of boiling_, dish the tendrons in a circle, and pour the sauce in the middle. tendrons are dressed in a variety of ways,--with sauce à l'espagnole, vegetables of all kinds: when they are served with a purée, they should always be glazed. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_.--usually bought with breast of veal. _sufficient_ for an entrée. _seasonable_ from march to october. tete de veau en tortue (an entree). . ingredients.--half a calf's head, or the remains of a cold boiled one; rather more than pint of good white stock, no. , glass of sherry or madeira, cayenne and salt to taste, about mushroom-buttons (when obtainable), hard-boiled eggs, gherkins, quenelles or forcemeat balls, no. or , crayfish, croûtons. _mode_.--half a calf's head is sufficient to make a good entrée, and if there are any remains of a cold one left from the preceding day, it will answer very well for this dish. after boiling the head until tender, remove the bones, and cut the meat into neat pieces; put the stock into a stewpan, add the wine, and a seasoning of salt and cayenne; fry the mushrooms in butter for or minutes, and add these to the gravy. boil this quickly until somewhat reduced; then put in the yolks of the hard-boiled eggs _whole_, the whites cut in small pieces, and the gherkins chopped. have ready a few veal quenelles, made by recipe no. or ; add these, with the slices of head, to the other ingredients, and let the whole get thoroughly hot, _without boiling_. arrange the pieces of head as high in the centre of the dish as possible; pour over them the ragout, and garnish with the crayfish and croûtons placed alternately. a little of the gravy should also be served in a tureen. _time_.--about / hour to reduce the stock. _sufficient_ for or persons. _average cost_, exclusive of the calf's head, s. d. _seasonable_ from march to october. a frenchman's opinion of veal.--a great authority in his native paris tells us, that veal, as a meat, is but little nourishing, is relaxing, and sufficiently difficult of digestion. lending itself, as it does, he says, in all the flowery imagery of the french tongue and manner, "to so many metamorphoses, it may be called, without exaggeration, the chameleon of the kitchen. who has not eaten calf's head _au naturel_, simply boiled with the skin on, its flavour heightened by sauce just a little sharp? it is a dish as wholesome as it is agreeable, and one that the most inexperienced cook may serve with success. calf's feet _à la poulette_, _au gratin_, fried, &c.; _les cervelles_, served in the same manner, and under the same names; sweetbreads _en fricandeau_, _piqués en fin_,--all these offer most satisfactory entrées, which the art of the cook, more or less, varies for the gratification of his glory and the well-being of our appetites. we have not spoken, in the above catalogue, either of the liver, or of the _fraise_, or of the ears, which also share the honour of appearing at our tables. where is the man not acquainted with calf's liver _à la bourgeoise_, the most frequent and convenient dish at unpretentious tables? the _fraise_, cooked in water, and eaten with vinegar, is a wholesome and agreeable dish, and contains a mucilage well adapted for delicate persons. calf's ears have, in common with the feet and _cervelles_, the advantage of being able to be eaten either fried or _à la poulette_; and besides, can be made into a _farce_, with the addition of peas, onions, cheese, &c. neither is it confined to the calf's tongue, or even the eyes, that these shall dispute alone the glory of awakening the taste of man; thus, the _fressure_ (which, as is known, comprises the heart, the _mou_, and the _rate_), although not a very recherché dish, lends itself to all the caprices of an expert artist, and may, under various marvellous disguises, deceive, and please, and even awaken our appetite."--verily, we might say, after this rhapsody of our neighbour, that his country's weal will not suffer in him as an able and eloquent exponent and admirer. veal carving. breast of veal. [illustration: breast of veal.] . the carving of a breast of veal is not dissimilar to that of a fore-quarter of lamb, when the shoulder has been taken off. the breast of veal consists of two parts,--the rib-bones and the gristly brisket. these two parts should first be separated by sharply passing the knife in the direction of the lines , ; when they are entirely divided, the rib-bones should be carved in the direction of the lines to ; and the brisket can be helped by cutting pieces in the direction to . the carver should ask the guests whether they have a preference for the brisket or ribs; and if there be a sweetbread served with the dish, as it often is with roast breast of veal, each person should receive a piece. calf's head. [illustration: calf's head.] . this is not altogether the most easy-looking dish to cut when it is put before a carver for the first time; there is not much real difficulty in the operation, however, when the head has been attentively examined, and, after the manner of a phrenologist, you get to know its bumps, good and bad. in the first place, inserting the knife quite down to the bone, cut slices in the direction of the line to ; with each of these should be helped a piece of what is called the throat sweetbread, cut in the direction of from to . the eye, and the flesh round, are favourite morsels with many, and should be given to those at the table who are known to be the greatest connoisseurs. the jawbone being removed, there will then be found some nice lean; and the palate, which is reckoned by some a tit-bit, lies under the head. on a separate dish there is always served the tongue and brains, and each guest should be asked to take some of these. fillet of veal. [illustration: fillet of veal.] . the carving of this joint is similar to that of a round of beef. slices, not too thick, in the direction of the line to are cut; and the only point to be careful about is, that the veal be _evenly_ carved. between the flap and the meat the stuffing is inserted, and a small portion of this should be served to every guest. the persons whom the host wishes most to honour should be asked if they like the delicious brown outside slice, as this, by many, is exceedingly relished. knuckle of veal. [illustration: knuckle of veal.] . the engraving, showing the dotted line from to , sufficiently indicates the direction which should be given to the knife in carving this dish. the best slices are those from the thickest part of the knuckle, that is, outside the line to . loin of veal. [illustration: loin of veal.] . as is the case with a loin of mutton, the careful jointing of a loin of veal is more than half the battle in carving it. if the butcher be negligent in this matter, he should be admonished; for there is nothing more annoying or irritating to an inexperienced carver than to be obliged to turn his knife in all directions to find the exact place where it should be inserted in order to divide the bones. when the jointing is properly performed, there is little difficulty in carrying the knife down in the direction of the line to . to each guest should be given a piece of the kidney and kidney fat, which lie underneath, and are considered great delicacies. [illustration] [illustration] chapter xx. general observations on birds. "birds, the free tenants of land, air, and ocean, their forms all symmetry, their motions grace; in plumage delicate and beautiful; thick without burthen, close as fishes' scales, or loose as full-blown poppies to the breeze." _the pelican island_. . the divisions of birds are founded principally on their habits of life, and the natural resemblance which their external parts, especially their bills, bear to each other. according to mr. vigors, there are five orders, each of which occupies its peculiar place on the surface of the globe; so that the air, the forest, the land, the marsh, and the water, has each its appropriate kind of inhabitants. these are respectively designated as birds of prey, perchers, walkers, waders, and swimmers; and, in contemplating their variety, lightness, beauty, and wonderful adaptation to the regions they severally inhabit, and the functions they are destined to perform in the grand scheme of creation, our hearts are lifted with admiration at the exhaustless ingenuity, power, and wisdom of him who has, in producing them, so strikingly "manifested his handiwork." not only these, however, but all classes of animals, have their peculiar ends to fulfil; and, in order that this may be effectually performed, they are constructed in such a manner as will enable them to carry out their conditions. thus the quadrupeds, that are formed to tread the earth in common with man, are muscular and vigorous; and, whether they have passed into the servitude of man, or are permitted to range the forest or the field, they still retain, in a high degree, the energies with which they were originally endowed. birds, on the contrary, are generally feeble, and, therefore, timid. accordingly, wings have been given them to enable them to fly through the air, and thus elude the force which, by nature, they are unable to resist. notwithstanding the natural tendency of all bodies towards the centre of the earth, birds, when raised in the atmosphere, glide through it with the greatest ease, rapidity, and vigour. there, they are in their natural element, and can vary their course with the greatest promptitude--can mount or descend with the utmost facility, and can light on any spot with the most perfect exactness, and without the slightest injury to themselves. . the mechanism which enables birds to wing their course through the air, is both singular and instructive. their bodies are covered with feathers, which are much lighter than coverings of hair, with which quadrupeds are usually clothed. the feathers are so placed as to overlap each other, like the slates or the tiles on the roof of a house. they are also arranged from the fore-part backwards; by which the animals are enabled the more conveniently to cut their way through the air. their bones are tubular or hollow, and extremely light compared with those of terrestrial animals. this greatly facilitates their rising from the earth, whilst their heads, being comparatively small, their bills shaped like a wedge, their bodies slender, sharp below, and round above,--all these present a union of conditions, favourable, in the last degree, to cutting their way through the aërial element to which they are considered as more peculiarly to belong. with all these conditions, however, birds could not fly without wings. these, therefore, are the instruments by which they have the power of rapid locomotion, and are constructed in such a manner as to be capable of great expansion when struck in a downward direction. if we except, in this action, the slight hollow which takes place on the under-side, they become almost two planes. in order that the downward action may be accomplished to the necessary extent, the muscles which move the wings have been made exceedingly large; so large, indeed, that, in some instances, they have been estimated at not less than a sixth of the weight of the whole body. therefore, when a bird is on the ground and intends to fly, it takes a leap, and immediately stretching its wings, strikes them out with great force. by this act these are brought into an oblique direction, being turned partly upwards and partly horizontally forwards. that part of the force which has the upward tendency is neutralized by the weight of the bird, whilst the horizontal force serves to carry it forward. the stroke being completed, it moves upon its wings, which, being contracted and having their edges turned upwards, obviate, in a great measure, the resistance of the air. when it is sufficiently elevated, it makes a second stroke downwards, and the impulse of the air again moves it forward. these successive strokes may be regarded as so many leaps taken in the air. when the bird desires to direct its course to the right or the left, it strikes strongly with the opposite wing, which impels it to the proper side. in the motions of the animal, too, the tail takes a prominent part, and acts like the rudder of a ship, except that, instead of sideways, it moves upwards and downwards. if the bird wishes to rise, it raises its tail; and if to fall, it depresses it; and, whilst in a horizontal position, it keeps it steady. there are few who have not observed a pigeon or a crow preserve, for some time, a horizontal flight without any apparent motion of the wings. this is accomplished by the bird having already acquired sufficient velocity, and its wings being parallel to the horizon, meeting with but small resistance from the atmosphere. if it begins to fall, it can easily steer itself upward by means of its tail, till the motion it had acquired is nearly spent, when it must be renewed by a few more strokes of the wings. on alighting, a bird expands its wings and tail fully against the air, as a ship, in tacking round, backs her sails, in order that they may meet with all the resistance possible. . in the construction of the eyes of birds, there is a peculiarity necessary to their condition. as they pass a great portion of their lives among thickets and hedges, they are provided for the defence of their eyes from external injuries, as well as from the effects of the light, when flying in opposition to the rays of the sun, with a nictating or winking membrane, which can, at pleasure, be drawn over the whole eye like a curtain. this covering is neither opaque nor wholly pellucid, but is somewhat transparent; and it is by its means that the eagle is said to be able to gaze at the sun. "in birds," says a writer on this subject, "we find that the sight is much more piercing, extensive, and exact, than in the other orders of animals. the eye is much larger in proportion to the bulk of the head, than in any of these. this is a superiority conferred upon them not without a corresponding utility: it seems even indispensable to their safety and subsistence. were this organ in birds dull, or in the least degree opaque, they would be in danger, from the rapidity of their motion, of striking against various objects in their flight. in this case their celerity, instead of being an advantage, would become an evil, and their flight be restrained by the danger resulting from it. indeed we may consider the velocity with which an animal moves, as a sure indication of the perfection of its vision. among the quadrupeds, the sloth has its sight greatly limited; whilst the hawk, as it hovers in the air, can espy a lark sitting on a clod, perhaps at twenty times the distance at which a man or a dog could perceive it." . amongst the many peculiarities in the construction of birds, not the least is the mode by which their respiration is accomplished. this is effected by means of air-vessels, which extend throughout the body, and adhere to the under-surface of the bones. these, by their motion, force the air through the true lungs, which are very small, and placed in the uppermost part of the chest, and closely braced down to the back and ribs. the lungs, which are never expanded by air, are destined to the sole purpose of oxidizing the blood. in the experiments made by mr. john hunter, to discover the use of this general diffusion of air through the bodies of birds, he found that it prevents their respiration from being stopped or interrupted by the rapidity of their motion through a resisting medium. it is well known that, in proportion to celerity of motion, the air becomes resistive; and were it possible for a man to move with the swiftness of a swallow, as he is not provided with an internal construction similar to that of birds, the resistance of the air would soon suffocate him. . birds are distributed over every part of the globe, being found in the coldest as well as the hottest regions, although some species are restricted to particular countries, whilst others are widely dispersed. at certain seasons of the year, many of them change their abodes, and migrate to climates better adapted to their temperaments or modes of life, for a time, than those which they leave. many of the birds of britain, directed by an unerring instinct, take their departure from the island before the commencement of winter, and proceed to the more congenial warmth of africa, to return with the next spring. the causes assigned by naturalists for this peculiarity are, either a deficiency of food, or the want of a secure asylum for the incubation and nourishment of their young. their migrations are generally performed in large companies, and, in the day, they follow a leader, which is occasionally changed. during the night, many of the tribes send forth a continual cry, to keep themselves together; although one would think that the noise which must accompany their flight would be sufficient for that purpose. the flight of birds across the mediterranean was noticed three thousand years ago, as we find it said in the book of numbers, in the scriptures, that "there went forth a wind from the lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall upon the camp, and a day's journey round about it, to the height of two cubits above the earth." . if the beauty of birds were not a recommendation to their being universally admired, their general liveliness, gaiety, and song would endear them to mankind. it appears, however, from accurate observations founded upon experiment, that the notes peculiar to different kinds of birds are altogether acquired, and that they are not innate, any more than language is to man. the attempt of a nestling bird to sing has been compared to the endeavour of a child to talk. the first attempts do not seem to possess the slightest rudiments of the future song; but, as the bird grows older and becomes stronger, it is easily perceived to be aiming at acquiring the art of giving utterance to song. whilst the scholar is thus endeavouring to form his notes, when he is once sure of a passage, he usually raises his tone, but drops it again when he finds himself unequal to the voluntary task he has undertaken. "many well-authenticated facts," says an ingenious writer, "seem decisively to prove that birds have no innate notes, but that, like mankind, the language of those to whose care they have been committed at their birth, will be their language in after-life." it would appear, however, somewhat unaccountable why, in a wild state, they adhere so steadily to the song of their own species only, when the notes of so many others are to be heard around them. this is said to arise from the attention paid by the nestling bird to the instructions of its own parent only, generally disregarding the notes of all the rest. persons; however, who have an accurate ear, and who have given their attention to the songs of birds, can frequently distinguish some which have their notes mixed with those of another species; but this is in general so trifling, that it can hardly be considered as more than the mere varieties of provincial dialects. . in reference to the food of birds, we find that it varies, as it does in quadrupeds, according to the species. some are altogether carnivorous; others, as so many of the web-footed tribes, subsist on fish; others, again, on insects and worms; and others on grain and fruit. the extraordinary powers of the gizzard of the granivorous tribes, in comminuting their food so as to prepare it for digestion, would, were they not supported by incontrovertible facts founded on experiment, appear to exceed all credibility. tin tubes, full of grain, have been forced into the stomachs of turkeys, and in twenty-four hours have been found broken, compressed, and distorted into every shape. twelve small lancets, very sharp both at the point and edges, have been fixed in a ball of lead, covered with a case of paper, and given to a turkey-cock, and left in its stomach for eight hours. after that time the stomach was opened, when nothing appeared except the naked ball. the twelve lancets were broken to pieces, whilst the stomach remained perfectly sound and entire. from these facts, it is concluded that the stones, so frequently found in the stomachs of the feathered tribes, are highly useful in assisting the gastric juices to grind down the grain and other hard substances which constitute their food. the stones, themselves, being also ground down and separated by the powerful action of the gizzard, are mixed with the food, and, no doubt, contribute very greatly to the health, as well as to the nourishment of the animals. . all birds being oviparous, the eggs which they produce after the process of incubation, or sitting for a certain length of time, are, in the various species, different both in figure and colour, as well as in point of number. they contain the elements of the future young, for the perfecting of which in the incubation a bubble of air is always placed at the large end, between the shell and the inside skin. it is supposed that from the heat communicated by the sitting bird to this confined air, its spring is increased beyond its natural tenor, and, at the same time, its parts are put into motion by the gentle rarefaction. by this means, pressure and motion are communicated to the parts of the egg, which, in some inscrutable way, gradually promote the formation and growth of the young, till the time comes for its escaping from the shell. to preserve an egg perfectly fresh, and even fit for incubation, for or months after it has been laid, réaumur, the french naturalist, has shown that it is only necessary to stop up its pores with a slight coating of varnish or mutton-suet. . birds however, do not lay eggs before they have some place to put them; accordingly, they construct nests for themselves with astonishing art. as builders, they exhibit a degree of architectural skill, niceness, and propriety, that would seem even to mock the imitative talents of man, however greatly these are marked by his own high intelligence and ingenuity. "each circumstance most artfully contrived to favour warmth. here read the reason of the vaulted roof; how providence compensates, ever kind, the enormous disproportion that subsists between the mother and the numerous brood which her small bulk must quicken into life." in building their nests, the male and female generally assist each other, and they contrive to make the outside of their tenement bear as great a resemblance as possible to the surrounding foliage or branches; so that it cannot very easily be discovered even by those who are in search of it. this art of nidification is one of the most wonderful contrivances which the wide field of nature can show, and which, of itself, ought to be sufficient to compel mankind to the belief, that they and every other part of the creation, are constantly under the protecting power of a superintending being, whose benign dispensations seem as exhaustless as they are unlimited. [illustration] recipes. chapter xxi. chicken cutlets (an entree). . ingredients.-- chickens; seasoning to taste of salt, white pepper, and cayenne; blades of pounded mace, egg and bread crumbs, clarified butter, strip of lemon-rind, carrots, onion, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, thickening of butter and flour, egg. _mode_.--remove the breast and leg bones of the chickens; cut the meat into neat pieces after having skinned it, and season the cutlets with pepper, salt, pounded mace, and cayenne. put the bones, trimmings, &c., into a stewpan with pint of water, adding carrots, onions, and lemon-peel in the above proportion; stew gently for - / hour, and strain the gravy. thicken it with butter and flour, add the ketchup and egg well beaten; stir it over the fire, and bring it to the simmering-point, but do not allow it to boil. in the mean time, egg and bread-crumb the cutlets, and give them a few drops of clarified butter; fry them a delicate brown, occasionally turning them; arrange them pyramidically on the dish, and pour over them the sauce. _time_.-- minutes to fry the cutlets. _average cost_, s. each. _sufficient_ for an entrée. _seasonable_ from april to july. fowls as food.--brillat savarin, pre-eminent in gastronomic taste, says that he believes the whole gallinaceous family was made to enrich our larders and furnish our tables; for, from the quail to the turkey, he avers their flesh is a light aliment, full of flavour, and fitted equally well for the invalid as for the man of robust health. the fine flavour, however, which nature has given to all birds coming under the definition of poultry, man has not been satisfied with, and has used many means--such as keeping them in solitude and darkness, and forcing them to eat--to give them an unnatural state of fatness or fat. this fat, thus artificially produced, is doubtless delicious, and the taste and succulence of the boiled and roasted bird draw forth the praise of the guests around the table. well-fattened and tender, a fowl is to the cook what the canvas is to the painter; for do we not see it served boiled, roasted, fried, fricasseed, hashed, hot, cold, whole, dismembered, boned, broiled, stuffed, on dishes, and in pies,--always handy and ever acceptable? the common or domestic fowl.--from time immemorial, the common or domestic fowl has been domesticated in england, and is supposed to be originally the offspring of some wild species which abound in the forests of india. it is divided into a variety of breeds, but the most esteemed are, the poland or black, the dorking, the bantam, the game fowl, and the malay or chittagong. the common, or barn-door fowl, is one of the most delicate of the varieties; and at dorking, in surrey, the breed is brought to great perfection. till they are four months old, the term chicken is applied to the young female; after that age they are called pullets, till they begin to lay, when they are called hens. the english counties most productive in poultry are surrey, sussex, norfolk, herts, devon, and somerset. french chicken cutlets (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast or boiled fowl, fried bread, clarified butter, the yolk of egg, bread crumbs, / teaspoonful of finely-minced lemon-peel; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste. for sauce,-- oz. of butter, minced shalots, a few slices of carrot, a small bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley, blade of pounded mace, peppercorns, / pint of gravy. _mode_.--cut the fowls into as many nice cutlets as possible; take a corresponding number of sippets about the same size, all cut one shape; fry them a pale brown, put them before the fire, then dip the cutlets into clarified butter mixed with the yolk of an egg, cover with bread crumbs seasoned in the above proportion, with lemon-peel, mace, salt, and cayenne; fry them for about minutes, put each piece on one of the sippets, pile them high in the dish, and serve with the following sauce, which should be made ready for the cutlets. put the butter into a stewpan, add the shalots, carrot, herbs, mace, and peppercorns; fry for minutes or rather longer; pour in / pint of good gravy, made of the chicken bones, stew gently for minutes, strain it, and serve. _time_.-- minutes to fry the cutlets; minutes to make the gravy. _average cost_, exclusive of the chicken, d. _seasonable_ from april to july. eggs for hatching.--eggs intended for hatching should be removed as soon as laid, and placed in bran in a dry, cool place. choose those that are near of a size; and, as a rule, avoid those that are equally thick at both ends,--such, probably, contain a double yolk, and will come to no good. eggs intended for hatching should never be stored longer than a month, as much less the better. nine eggs may be placed under a bantam hen, and as many as fifteen under a dorking. the odd number is considered preferable, as more easily packed. it will be as well to mark the eggs you give the hen to sit on, so that you may know if she lays any more: if she does, you must remove them; for, if hatched at all, they would be too late for the brood. if during incubation an egg should be broken, remove it, and take out the remainder, and cleanse them in luke-warm water, or it is probable the sticky nature of the contents of the broken egg will make the others cling to the hen's feathers; and they, too, may be fractured. hens sitting.--some hens are very capricious as regards sitting; they will make a great fuss, and keep pining for the nest, and, when they are permitted to take to it, they will sit just long enough to addle the eggs, and then they're off again. the safest way to guard against such annoyance, is to supply the hen with some hard-boiled eggs; if she sits on them a reasonable time, and seems steadily inclined, like a good matron, you may then give her proper eggs, and let her set about the business in earnest. chicken or fowl patties. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast chicken or fowl; to every / lb. of meat allow oz. of ham, tablespoonfuls of cream, tablespoonfuls of veal gravy, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel; cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste; tablespoonful of lemon-juice, oz. of butter rolled in flour; puff paste. _mode_.--mince very small the white meat from a cold roast fowl, after removing all the skin; weigh it, and to every / lb. of meat allow the above proportion of minced ham. put these into a stewpan with the remaining ingredients, stir over the fire for minutes or / hour, taking care that the mixture does not burn. roll out some puff paste about / inch in thickness; line the patty-pans with this, put upon each a small piece of bread, and cover with another layer of paste; brush over with the yolk of an egg, and bake in a brisk oven for about / hour. when done, cut a round piece out of the top, and, with a small spoon, take out the bread (be particular in not breaking the outside border of the crust), and fill the patties with the mixture. _time_.-- / hour to prepare the meat; not quite / hour to bake the crust. _seasonable_ at any time. hatching.--sometimes the chick within the shell is unable to break away from its prison; for the white of the egg will occasionally harden in the air to the consistence of joiners' clue, when the poor chick is in a terrible fix. an able writer says, "assistance in hatching must not be rendered prematurely, and thence unnecessarily, but only in the case of the chick being plainly unable to release itself; then, indeed, an addition may probably be made to the brood, as great numbers are always lost in this way. the chick makes a circular fracture at the big end of the egg, and a section of about one-third of the length of the shell being separated, delivers the prisoner, provided there is no obstruction from adhesion of the body to the membrane which lines the shell. between the body of the chick and the membrane of the shell there exists a viscous fluid, the white of the egg thickened with the intense heat of incubation, until it becomes a positive glue. when this happens, the feathers stick fast to the shell, and the chicks remain confined, and must perish, if not released." the method of assistance to be rendered to chicks which have a difficulty in releasing themselves from the shell, is to take the egg in the hand, and dipping the finger or a piece of linen rag in warm water, to apply it to the fastened parts until they are loosened by the gluey substance becoming dissolved and separated from the feathers. the chick, then, being returned to the nest, will extricate itself,--a mode generally to be observed, since, if violence were used, it would prove fatal. nevertheless, breaking the shell may sometimes be necessary; and separating with the fingers, as gently as may be, the membrane from the feathers, which are still to be moistened as mentioned above, to facilitate the operation. the points of small scissors may be useful, and when there is much resistance, as also apparent pain to the bird, the process must be conducted in the gentlest manner, and the shell separated into a number of small pieces. the signs of a need of assistance are the egg being partly pecked and chipped, and the cluck discontinuing its efforts for five of six hours. weakness from cold may disable the chicken from commencing the operation of pecking the shell, which must then be artificially performed with a circular fracture, such as is made by the bird itself. chicken or fowl pie. . ingredients.-- small fowls or large one, white pepper and salt to taste, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, / teaspoonful of pounded mace, forcemeat no. , a few slices of ham, hard-boiled eggs, / pint of water, puff crust. _mode_.--skin and cut up the fowls into joints, and put the neck, leg, and backbones in a stewpan, with a little water, an onion, a bunch of savoury herbs, and a blade of mace; let these stew for about an hour, and, when done, strain off the liquor: this is for gravy. put a layer of fowl at the bottom of a pie-dish, then a layer of ham, then one of forcemeat and hard-boiled eggs cut in rings; between the layers put a seasoning of pounded mace, nutmeg, pepper, and salt. proceed in this manner until the dish is full, and pour in about / pint of water; border the edge of the dish with puff crust, put on the cover, ornament the top, and glaze it by brushing over it the yolk of an egg. bake from - / to - / hour, should the pie be very large, and, when done, pour in, at the top, the gravy made from the bones. if to be eaten cold, and wished particularly nice, the joints of the fowls should be boned, and placed in the dish with alternate layers of forcemeat; sausage-meat may also be substituted for the forcemeat, and is now very much used. when the chickens are boned, and mixed with sausage-meat, the pie will take about hours to bake. it should be covered with a piece of paper when about half-done, to prevent the paste from being dried up or scorched. _time_.--for a pie with unboned meat, - / to - / hour; with boned meat and sausage or forcemeat, - / to hours. _average cost_, with fowls, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. the young chicks.--the chicks that are hatched first should be taken from underneath the hen, lest she might think her task at an end, and leave the remaining eggs to spoil. as soon as the young birds are taken from the mother, they must be placed in a basket lined with soft wool, flannel, or hay, and stood in the sunlight if it be summer time, or by the fire if the weather be cold. it is a common practice to cram young chicks with food as soon as they are born. this is quite unnecessary. they will, so long as they are kept warm, come to no harm if they take no food for twenty-four hours following their birth. should the whole of the brood not be hatched by that time, those that are born may be fed with bread soaked in milk, and the yolk of a hard-boiled egg. potted chicken or fowl (a luncheon or breakfast dish). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast chicken; to every lb. of meat allow / lb. of fresh butter, salt and cayenne to taste, teaspoonful of pounded mace, / small nutmeg. _mode_.--strip the meat from the bones of cold roast fowl; when it is freed from gristle and skin, weigh it, and, to every lb. of meat, allow the above proportion of butter, seasoning, and spices. cut the meat into small pieces, pound it well with the fresh butter, sprinkle in the spices gradually, and keep pounding until reduced to a perfectly smooth paste. put it into potting-pots for use, and cover it with clarified butter, about / inch in thickness, and, if to be kept for some time, tie over a bladder: or slices of ham, minced and pounded with the above ingredients, will be found an improvement. it should be kept in a dry place. _seasonable_ at any time. feeding and cooping the chicks.--when all the chicks are hatched, they should be placed along with the mother under a coop in a warm dry spot. if two hens happen to have their broods at the same time, their respective chicks should be carefully kept separate; as, if they get mixed, and so go under the wrong coop, the hens will probably maim and destroy those who have mistaken their dwelling. after being kept snug beneath the coop for a week (the coop should be placed under cover at nightfall), the chicks may be turned loose for an hour or so in the warmest part of the day. they should be gradually weaned from the soaked bread and chopped egg, instead of which grits or boiled barley should be given; in or days their stomachs will be strong enough to receive bruised barley, and at the end of weeks, if your chicks be healthy, they will be able to take care of themselves. it will be well, however, to keep your eye on them a week or so longer, as the elder chickens may drive them from their food. great care should be taken that the very young chicks do not run about the wet ground or on damp grass, as this is the most prominent and fatal cause of disease. while under the coop with their mother, a shallow pan or plate of water should be supplied to the chicks, as in a deeper vessel they are liable to drench themselves and take cold, or possibly to get drowned. chicken or fowl salad. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast or boiled chicken, lettuces, a little endive, cucumber, a few slices of boiled beetroot, salad-dressing no. . _mode_.--trim neatly the remains of the chicken; wash, dry, and slice the lettuces, and place in the middle of a dish; put the pieces of fowl on the top, and pour the salad-dressing over them. garnish the edge of the salad with hard-boiled eggs cut in rings, sliced cucumber, and boiled beetroot cut in slices. instead of cutting the eggs in rings, the yolks may be rubbed through a hair sieve, and the whites chopped very finely, and arranged on the salad in small bunches, yellow and white alternately. this should not be made long before it is wanted for table. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold chicken, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. age and flavour of chickens.--it has been the opinion of the medical faculty of all ages and all countries, that the flesh of the young chicken is the must delicate and easy to digest of all animal food. it is less alkalescent than the flesh of any other animal, and its entire freedom from any irritating quality renders it a fit dish for the ailing, or those whose stomachs are naturally weak. in no animal, however, does age work such a change, in regard to the quality of its flesh, as it does in domestic fowls. in their infancy, cocks and hens are equally tender and toothsome; but as time overtakes them it is the cock whose flesh toughens first. a year-old cock, indeed, is fit for little else than to be converted into soup, while a hen at the same age, although sufficiently substantial, is not callous to the insinuations of a carving-knife. as regards capons, however, the rule respecting age does not hold good. there is scarcely to be found a more delicious animal than a well-fed, well-dressed capon. age does not dry up his juices; indeed, like wine, he seems but to mellow. at three years old, even, he is as tender as a chick, with the additional advantage of his proper chicken flavour being fully developed. the above remarks, however, concerning the capon, only apply to such as are _naturally_ fed, and not crammed. the latter process may produce a handsome-looking bird, and it may weigh enough to satisfy the whim or avarice of its stuffer; but, when before the fire, it will reveal the cruel treatment to which it has been subjected, and will weep a drippingpan-ful of fat tears. you will never find heart enough to place such a grief-worn guest at the head of your table. it should be borne in mind as a rule, that small-boned and short-legged poultry are likely to excel the contrary sort in delicacy of colour, flavour, and fineness of flesh. hashed duck (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast duck, rather more than pint of weak stock or water, onion, oz. of butter, thickening of butter and flour, salt and cayenne to taste, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, / glass of port wine. _mode_.--cut the duck into nice joints, and put the trimmings into a stewpan; slice and fry the onion in a little butter; add these to the trimmings, pour in the above proportion of weak stock or water, and stew gently for hour. strain the liquor, thicken it with butter and flour, season with salt and cayenne, and add the remaining ingredients; boil it up and skim well; lay in the pieces of duck, and let them get thoroughly hot through by the side of the fire, but do not allow them to boil: they should soak in the gravy for about / hour. garnish with sippets of toasted bread. the hash may be made richer by using a stronger and more highly-flavoured gravy; a little spice or pounded mace may also be added, when their flavour is liked. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold duck, d. _seasonable_ from november to february; ducklings from may to august. the duck.--this bird belongs to the order of _natatores_, or swimmers; the most familiar tribes of which are ducks, swans, geese, auks, penguins, petrels, pelicans, guillemots, gulls, and terns. they mostly live in the water, feeding on fish, worms, and aquatic plants. they are generally polygamous, and make their nests among reeds, or in moist places. the flesh of many of the species is eatable, but that of some is extremely rank and oily. the duck is a native of britain, but is found on the margins of most of the european lakes. it is excessively greedy, and by no means a nice feeder. it requires a mixture of vegetable and animal food; but aquatic insects, corn, and vegetables, are its proper food. its flesh, however, is savoury, being not so gross as that of the goose, and of easier digestion. in the green-pea season it is usually found on an english table; but, according to ude, "november is its proper season, when it is plump and fat." to ragout a duck whole. . ingredients.-- large duck, pepper and salt to taste, good beef gravy, onions sliced, sage-leaves, a few leaves of lemon thyme, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--after having emptied and singed the duck, season it inside with pepper and salt, and truss it. roast it before a clear fire for about minutes, and let it acquire a nice brown colour. put it into a stewpan with sufficient well-seasoned beef gravy to cover it; slice and fry the onions, and add these, with the sage-leaves and lemon thyme, both of which should be finely minced, to the stock. simmer gently until the duck is tender; strain, skim, and thicken the gravy with a little butter and flour; boil it up, pour over the duck, and serve. when in season, about, - / pint of young green peas, boiled separately, and put in the ragoût, very much improve this dish. _time_.-- minutes to roast the duck; minutes to stew it. _average cost_, from s. d. to s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from november to february; ducklings from april to august. [illustration: buenos ayres ducks.] the buenos ayres duck.--the buenos ayres duck is of east-indian birth, and is chiefly valuable as an ornament; for we suppose one would as soon think of picking a chinese teal for luncheon, or a gold fish for breakfast, as to consign the handsome buenos ayres to the spit. the prevailing colour of this bird is black, with a metallic lustre, and a gleaming of blue steel about its breast and wings. varieties of ducks.--naturalists count nearly a hundred different species of ducks; and there is no doubt that the intending keeper of these harmless and profitable birds may easily take his choice from amongst twenty different sorts. there is, however, so little difference in the various members of the family, either as regards hardiness, laying, or hatching, that the most incompetent fancier or breeder may indulge his taste without danger of making a bad bargain. in connection with their value for table, light-coloured ducks are always of milder flavour than those that are dark-coloured, the white aylesbury's being general favourites. ducks reared exclusively on vegetable diet will have a whiter and more delicate flesh than those allowed to feed on animal offal; while the flesh of birds fattened on the latter food, will be firmer than that of those which have only partaken of food of a vegetable nature. roast ducks. . ingredients.--a couple of ducks; sage-and-onion stuffing no. ; a little flour. _choosing and trussing_.--choose ducks with plump bellies, and with thick and yellowish feet. they should be trussed with the feet on, which should be scalded, and the skin peeled off, and then turned up close to the legs. run a skewer through the middle of each leg, after having drawn them as close as possible to the body, to plump up the breast, passing the same quite through the body. cut off the heads and necks, and the pinions at the first joint; bring these close to the sides, twist the feet round, and truss them at the back of the bird. after the duck is stuffed, both ends should be secured with string, so as to keep in the seasoning. [illustration: roast duck.] _mode_.--to insure ducks being tender, never dress them the same day they are killed; and if the weather permits, they should hang a day or two. make a stuffing of sage and onion sufficient for one duck, and leave the other unseasoned, as the flavour is not liked by everybody. put them down to a brisk clear fire, and keep them well basted the whole of the time they are cooking. a few minutes before serving, dredge them lightly with flour, to make them froth and look plump; and when the steam draws towards the fire, send them to table hot and quickly, with a good brown gravy poured _round_, but not _over_ the ducks, and a little of the same in a tureen. when in season, green peas should invariably accompany this dish. _time_.--full-grown ducks from / to hour; ducklings from to minutes. _average cost_, from s. d. to s. d. each. _sufficient_.--a. couple of ducks for or persons. _seasonable_.--ducklings from april to august; ducks from november to february. _note_.--ducklings are trussed and roasted in the same manner, and served with the same sauces and accompaniments. when in season, serve apple sauce. [illustration: rouen ducks.] the rouen duck.--the rouen, or rhone duck, is a large and handsome variety, of french extraction. the plumage of the rouen duck is somewhat sombre; its flesh is also much darker, and, though of higher flavour, not near so delicate as that of our own aylesbury. it is with this latter breed that the rouen duck is generally mated; and the result is said to be increase of size and strength. in normandy and brittany these ducks, as well as other sorts, greatly abound; and the "duck-liver _pâtés_" are there almost as popular as the _pâté de foie gras_ of strasburg. in order to bring the livers of the wretched duck to the fashionable and unnatural size, the same diabolical cruelty is resorted to as in the case of the strasburg goose. the poor birds are _nailed_ by the feet to a board placed close to a fire, and, in that position, plentifully supplied with food and water. in a few days, the carcase is reduced to a mere shadow, while the liver has grown monstrously. we would rather abstain from the acquaintance of a man who ate _pâté de foie gras_, knowing its component parts. duck's eggs.--the ancient notion that ducks whose beaks have a tendency to curve upwards, are better layers than those whose beaks do not thus point, is, we need hardly say, simply absurd: all ducks are good layers, if they are carefully fed and tended. ducks generally lay at night, or early in the morning. while they are in perfect health, they will do this; and one of the surest signs of indisposition, among birds of this class, is irregularity in laying. the eggs laid will approach nearly the colour of the layer,--light-coloured ducks laying white eggs, and brown ducks greenish-blue eggs; dark-coloured birds laying the largest eggs. one time of day the notion was prevalent that a duck would hatch no other eggs than her own; and although this is not true, it will be, nevertheless, as well to match the duck's own eggs as closely as possible; for we have known instances wherein the duck has turned out of the nest and destroyed eggs differing from her own in size and colour. ducks.--the mallard, or wild duck, from which is derived the domestic species, is prevalent throughout europe, asia, and america. the mallard's most remarkable characteristic is one which sets at defiance the speculations of the most profound ornithologist. the female bird is extremely plain, but the male's plumage is a splendour of greens and browns, and browns and blues. in the spring, however, the plumage of the male begins to fade, and in two months, every vestige of his finery has departed, and he is not to be distinguished from his soberly-garbed wife. then the greens, and the blues, and the browns begin to bud out again, and by october he is once more a gorgeous drake. it is to be regretted that domestication has seriously deteriorated the moral character of the duck. in a wild state, he is a faithful husband, desiring but one wife, and devoting himself to her; but no sooner is he domesticated than he becomes polygamous, and makes nothing of owning ten or a dozen wives at a time. as regards the females, they are much more solicitous for the welfare of their progeny in a wild state than a tame. should a tame duck's duckling get into mortal trouble, its mother will just signify her sorrow by an extra "quack," or so, and a flapping of her wings; but touch a wild duck's little one if you dare! she will buffet you with her broad wings, and dash boldly at your face with her stout beak. if you search for her nest amongst the long grass, she will try no end of manoeuvres to lure you from it, her favourite _ruse_ being to pretend lameness, to delude you into the notion that you have only to pursue _her_ vigorously, and her capture is certain; so you persevere for half a mile or so, and then she is up and away, leaving you to find your way back to the nest if you can. among the ancients, opinion was at variance respecting the wholesomeness and digestibility of goose flesh, but concerning the excellence of the duck all parties were agreed; indeed, they not only assigned to duck-meat the palm for exquisite flavour and delicacy, they even attributed to it medicinal powers of the highest order. not only the roman medical writers of the time make mention of it, but likewise the philosophers of the period. plutarch assures us that cato preserved his whole household in health, in a season when plague and disease were rife, through dieting them on roast duck. stewed duck and peas (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast duck, oz. of butter, or slices of lean ham or bacon, tablespoonful of flour, pints of thin gravy, , or a small bunch of green onions, sprigs of parsley, cloves, pint of young green peas, cayenne and salt to taste, teaspoonful of pounded sugar. _mode_.--put the butter into a stewpan; cut up the duck into joints, lay them in with the slices of lean ham or bacon; make it brown, then dredge in a tablespoonful of flour, and stir this well in before adding the gravy. put in the onion, parsley, cloves, and gravy, and when it has simmered for / hour, add a pint of young green peas, and stew gently for about / hour. season with cayenne, salt, and sugar; take out the duck, place it round the dish, and the peas in the middle. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold duck, s. _seasonable_ from june to august. ducks hatching.--concerning incubation by ducks, a practised writer says, "the duck requires a secret and safe place, rather than any attendance, and will, at nature's call, cover her eggs and seek her food. on hatching, there is not often a necessity for taking away any of the brood; and, having hatched, let the mother retain her young ones upon the nest her own time. on her moving with her brood, let a coop be prepared upon the short grass, if the weather be fine, and under shelter, if otherwise." cooping and feeding ducklings.--brood ducks should be cooped at some distance from any other. a wide and flat dish of water, to be often renewed, should stand just outside the coop, and barley, or any other meal, be the first food of the ducklings. it will be needful, if it be wet weather, to clip their tails, lest these draggle, and so weaken the bird. the period of the duck's confinement to the coop will depend on the weather, and on the strength of the ducklings. a fortnight is usually the extent of time necessary, and they may even be sometimes permitted to enjoy the luxury of a swim at the end of a week. they should not, however, be allowed to stay too long in the water at first; for they will then become ill, their feathers get rough, and looseness of the bowels ensue. in the latter case, let them be closely cooped for a few days, and bean-meal or oatmeal be mixed with their ordinary food. [illustration: aylesbury ducks.] the aylesbury duck.--the white aylesbury duck is, and deservedly, a universal favourite. its snowy plumage and comfortable comportment make it a credit to the poultry-yard, while its broad and deep breast, and its ample back, convey the assurance that your satisfaction will not cease at its death. in parts of buckinghamshire, this member of the duck family is bred on an extensive scale; not on plains and commons, however, as might be naturally imagined, but in the abodes of the cottagers. round the walls of the living-rooms, and of the bedroom even, are fixed rows of wooden boxes, lined with hay; and it is the business of the wife and children to nurse and comfort the feathered lodgers, to feed the little ducklings, and to take the old ones out for an airing. sometimes the "stock" ducks are the cottager's own property, but it more frequently happens that they are intrusted to his care by a wholesale breeder, who pays him so much _per_ score for all ducklings properly raised. to be perfect, the aylesbury duck should be plump, pure white, with yellow feet, and a flesh-coloured beak. stewed duck and peas (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast duck, / pint of good gravy, cayenne and salt to taste, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, teaspoonful of pounded sugar, oz, of butter rolled in flour, - / pint of green peas. _mode_.--cut up the duck into joints, lay it in the gravy, and add a seasoning of cayenne, salt, and minced lemon-peel; let tins gradually warm through, but not boil. throw the peas into boiling water slightly salted, and boil them rapidly until tender. drain them, stir in the pounded sugar, and the butter rolled in flour; shake them over the fire for two or three minutes, and serve in the centre of the dish, with the duck laid round. _time_.-- minutes to boil the peas, when they are full grown. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold duck, d. _seasonable_ from june to august. fattening ducks.--many duck-keepers give their birds nothing in the shape of food, letting them wander about and pick up a living for themselves; and they will seem to get fat even upon this precarious feeding. unless, however, ducks are supplied with, besides chance food, a liberal feed of solid corn, or grain, morning and evening, their flesh will become flabby and insipid. the simple way to fatten ducks is to let them have as much, substantial food as they will eat, bruised oats and pea-meal being the standard fattening food for them. no cramming is required, as with the turkey and some other poultry: they will cram themselves to the very verge of suffocation. at the same time, plenty of exercise and clean water should be at their service. american mode of capturing ducks.--on the american rivers, the modes of capture are various. sometimes half a dozen artificial birds are fastened to a little raft, and which is so weighted that the sham birds squat naturally on the water. this is quite sufficient to attract the notice of a passing flock, who descend to cultivate the acquaintance of the isolated few when the concealed hunter, with his fowling-piece, scatters a deadly leaden shower amongst them. in the winter, when the water is covered with rubble ice, the fowler of the delaware paints his canoe entirely white, lies flat in the bottom of it, and floats with the broken ice; from which the aquatic inhabitants fail to distinguish it. so floats the canoe till he within it understands, by the quacking, and fluttering, and whirring of wings, that he is in the midst of a flock, when he is up in a moment with the murderous piece, and dying quacks and lamentations rend the still air. [illustration: bow-bill ducks.] bow-bill ducks, &c.--every one knows how awkward are the _anatidae_, waddling along on their unelastic webbed toes, and their short legs, which, being placed considerably backward, make the fore part of the body preponderate. some, however, are formed more adapted to terrestrial habits than others, and notably amongst these may be named _dendronessa sponsa_, the summer duck of america. this beautiful bird rears her young in the holes of trees, generally overhanging the water. when strong enough, the young scramble to the mouth of the hole, launch into the air with their little wings and feet spread out, and drop into their favourite element. whenever their birthplace is at some distance from the water, the mother carries them to it, one by one, in her bill, holding them so as not to injure their yet tender frame. on several occasions, however, when the hole was , , or more yards from a piece of water, audubon observed that the mother suffered the young to fall on the grass and dried leaves beneath the tree, and afterwards led them directly to the nearest edge of the next pool or creek. there are some curious varieties of the domestic duck, which only appear interesting from their singularity, for there does not seem to be anything of use or value in the unusual characteristics which distinguish them; thus, the bow-bill duck, as shown in the engraving, called by some writers the hook-bill, is remarkable for the peculiarly strange distortion of its beak, and the tuft on the top of its head. the penguin duck, again, waddles in an upright position, like the penguin, on account of the unnatural situation of its legs. these odd peculiarities add nothing of value to the various breeds, and may be set down as only the result of accidental malformation, transmitted from generation to generation. stewed duck and turnips (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast duck, / pint of good gravy, shalots, a few slices of carrot, a small bunch of savoury herbs, blade of pounded mace, lb. of turnips, weighed after being peeled, oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--cut up the duck into joints, fry the shalots, carrots, and herbs, and put them, with the duck, into the gravy; add the pounded mace, and stew gently for minutes or / hour. cut about lb. of turnips, weighed after being peeled, into / -inch squares, put the butter into a stewpan, and stew them till quite tender, which will be in about / hour, or rather more; season with pepper and salt, and serve in the centre of the dish, with the duck, &c. laid round. _time_.--rather more than / hour to stew the turnips. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold duck, s. _seasonable_ from november to february. the wild duck.--in many parts of england the wild duck is to be found, especially in those desolate fenny parts where water abounds. in lincolnshire they are plentiful, and are annually taken in the decoys, which consist of ponds situate in the marshes, and surrounded with wood or reeds to prevent the birds which frequent them from, being disturbed. in these the birds sleep during the day; and as soon as evening sets in, the _decoy rises_, and the wild fowl feed during the night. now is the time for the decoy ducks to entrap the others. from the ponds diverge, in different directions, certain canals, at the end of which funnel nets are placed; along these the _decoy ducks_, trained for the purpose, lead the others in search of food. after they have got a certain length, a decoy-man appears, and drives them further on, until they are finally taken in the nets. it is from these decoys, in lincolnshire, that the london market is mostly supplied. the chinese have a singular mode of catching these ducks. a person wades in the water up to the chin, and, having his head covered with an empty calabash, approaches the place where the ducks are. as the birds have no suspicion of the nature of the object which is concealed under the calabash, they suffer its approach, and allow it to move at will among their flock. the man, accordingly, walks about in the midst of his game, and, whenever he pleases, pulls them by the legs under the water, and fixes them to his belt, until he has secured as many as he requires, and then moves off as he went amongst them, without exciting the slightest suspicion of the trick he has been playing them. this singular mode of duck-hunting is also practised on the ganges, the earthen vessels of the hindoos being used instead of calabashes. these vessels, being those in which the inhabitants boil their rice, are considered, after once being used, as defiled, and are accordingly thrown into the river. the duck-takers, finding them suitable for their purpose, put them on their heads; and as the ducks, from seeing them constantly floating down the stream, are familiar with their appearance, they regard them as objects from which no danger is to be expected. [illustration: call-ducks.] duck-snares in the lincolnshire fens.--the following interesting account of how duck-snaring used to be managed in the lincolnshire fens, was published some years ago, in a work entitled the "feathered tribes."--"in the lakes to which they resorted, their favourite haunts were observed, and in the most sequestered part of a haunt, a pipe or ditch was cut across the entrance, decreasing gradually in width from the entrance to the further end, which was not more than two feet wide. the ditch was of a circular form, but did not bend much for the first ten yards. the banks of the lake on each side of the ditch were kept clear of weeds and close herbage, in order that the ducks might get on them to sit and dress themselves. along the ditch, poles were driven into the ground close to the edge on each side, and the tops were bent over across the ditch and tied together. the poles then bent forward at the entrance to the ditch, and formed an arch, the top of which was tea feet distant from the surface of the water; the arch was made to decrease in height as the ditch decreased in width, so that the remote end was not more than eighteen inches in height. the poles were placed about six feet from each other, and connected by poles laid lengthwise across the arch, and tied together. over the whole was thrown a net, which was made fast to a reed fence at the entrance and nine or ten yards up the ditch, and afterwards strongly pegged to the ground. at the end of the ditch furthest from the entrance, was fixed what was called a tunnel-net, of about four yards in length, of a round form, and kept open by a number of hoops about eighteen inches in diameter, placed at a small distance from each other to keep it distended. supposing the circular bend of the ditch to be to the right, when one stands with his back to the lake, then on the left-hand side, a number of reed fences were constructed, called shootings, for the purpose of screening the decoy-man from observation, and, in such a manner, that the fowl in the decoy would not be alarmed while he was driving those that were in the pipe. these shootings, which were ten in number, were about four yards in length and about six feet high. from the end of the last shooting a person could not see the lake, owing to the bend of the ditch; and there was then no further occasion for shelter. were it not for these shootings, the fowl that remained about the mouth of the ditch would have been alarmed, if the person driving the fowl already under the net should have been exposed, and would have become so shy as entirely to forsake the place." the decoy man, dog, and ducks.--"the first thing the decoy-man did, on approaching the ditch, was to take a piece of lighted peat or turf, and to hold it near his mouth, to prevent the birds from smelling him. he was attended by a dog trained to render him assistance. he walked very silently about halfway up the shootings, where a small piece of wood was thrust through the reed fence, which made an aperture just large enough to enable him to see if there were any fowl within; if not, he walked to see if any were about the entrance to the ditch. if there were, he stopped, made a motion to his dog, and gave him a piece of cheese to eat, when the dog went directly to a hole through the reed fence, and the birds immediately flew off the back into the water. the dog returned along the bank between the reed fences, and came out to his master at another hole. the man then gave the dog something more to encourage him, and the dog repeated his rounds, till the birds were attracted by his motions, and followed him into the mouth of the ditch--an operation which was called 'working them.' the man now retreated further back, working the dog at different holes, until the ducks were sufficiently under the net. he then commanded his dog to lie down under the fence, and going himself forward to the end of the ditch next the lake, he took off his hat, and gave it a wave between the shootings. all the birds that were under the net could then see him, but none that were in the lake could. the former flew forward, and the man then ran to the next shooting, and waved his hat, and so on, driving them along until they came into the tunnel-net, into which they crept. when they were all in, the man gave the net a twist, so as to prevent them getting back. he then took the net off from the end of the ditch, and taking out, one by one, the ducks that were in it, dislocated their necks." boiled fowls or chickens. [illustration: boiled fowl.] . ingredients.--a pair of fowls; water. _choosing and trussing_.--in choosing fowls for boiling, it should be borne in mind that those that are not black-legged are generally much whiter when dressed. pick, draw, singe, wash, and truss them in the following manner, without the livers in the wings; and, in drawing, be careful not to break the gall-bladder:--cut off the neck, leaving sufficient skin to skewer back. cut the feet off to the first joint, tuck the stumps into a slit made on each side of the belly, twist the wings over the back of the fowl, and secure the top of the leg and the bottom of the wing together by running a skewer through them and the body. the other side must be done in the same manner. should the fowl be very large and old, draw the sinews of the legs before tucking them in. make a slit in the apron of the fowl, large enough to admit the parson's nose, and tie a string on the tops of the legs to keep them in their proper place. _mode_.--when, they are firmly trussed, put them into a stewpan with plenty of hot water; bring it to boil, and carefully remove all the scum as it rises. _simmer very gently_ until the fowl is tender, and bear in mind that the slower it boils, the plumper and whiter will the fowl be. many cooks wrap them in a floured cloth to preserve the colour, and to prevent the scum from clinging to them; in this case, a few slices of lemon should be placed on the breasts; over these a sheet of buttered paper, and then the cloth; cooking them in this manner renders the flesh very white. boiled ham, bacon, boiled tongue, or pickled pork, are the usual accompaniments to boiled fowls, and they may be served with béchamel, white sauce, parsley and butter, oyster, lemon, liver, celery, or mushroom sauce. a little should be poured over the fowls, after the skewers are removed, and the remainder sent in a tureen to table. _time_.--large fowl, hour; moderate-sized one, / hour; chicken, from minutes to / hour. _average cost_, in full season, s. the pair. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but scarce in early spring. [illustration: game-fowls.] the game fowl.--respecting the period at which this well-known member of the _gallus_ family became domesticated, history is silent. there is little doubt, however, that, like the dog, it has been attached to mankind ever since mankind were attached to civilization. although the social position of this bird is, at the present time, highly respectable, it is nothing to what it was when rome was mistress of the world. writing at that period, pliny says, respecting the domestic cock, "the gait of the cock is proud and commanding; he walks with head erect and elevated crest; alone, of all birds, he habitually looks up to the sky, raising, at the same time, his curved and scythe-formed tail, and inspiring terror in the lion himself, that most intrepid of animals.----they regulate the conduct of our magistrates, and open or close to them their own houses. they prescribe rest or movement to the roman fasces: they command or prohibit battles. in a word, they lord it over the masters of the world." as well among the ancient greeks as the romans, was the cock regarded with respect, and even awe. the former people practised divinations by means of this bird. supposing there to be a doubt in the camp as to the fittest day to fight a battle, the letter of every day in the week would be placed face downwards, and a grain of corn placed on each; then the sacred cock would be let loose, and, according to the letters he pecked his corn from, so would the battle-time be regulated. on one momentous occasion, however, a person inimical to priestly interest officiously examined the grain, and found that those lying on the letters not wanted were made of wax, and the birds, preferring the true grain, left these untouched. it is needless to add that, after this, divination through the medium of cocks and grain fell out of fashion. whether or no the learned fowl above alluded to were of the "game" breed, is unknown; but that the birds were bred for the inhuman sport of fighting many hundred years before the christian era, there can be no doubt. themistocles, the athenian king, who flourished more than two thousand years ago, took advantage of the sight of a pitched battle between two cocks to harangue his soldiers on courage. "observe," said he, "with what intrepid valour they fight, inspired by no other motive than lore of victory; whereas you have to contend for your religion and your liberty, for your wives and children, and for the tombs of your ancestors." and to this day his courage has not degenerated. he still preserves his bold and elegant gait, his sparkling eye, while his wedge-shaped beak and cruel spurs are ever ready to support his defiant crow. it is no wonder that the breed is not plentiful--first, on account of the few eggs laid by the hen; and, secondly, from the incurable pugnacity of the chicks. half fledged broods may be found blind as bats from fighting, and only waiting for the least glimmer of sight to be at it again. without doubt, the flesh of game fowls is every way superior to that of every chicken of the family. broiled fowl and mushroom sauce. . ingredients.--a large fowl, seasoning, to taste, of pepper and salt, handfuls of button mushrooms, slice of lean ham, / pint of thickened gravy, teaspoonful of lemon-juice, / teaspoonful of pounded sugar. _mode_.--cut the fowl into quarters, roast it until three-parts done, and keep it well basted whilst at the fire. take the fowl up, broil it for a few minutes over a clear fire, and season it with pepper and salt. have ready some mushroom sauce made in the following manner. put the mushrooms into a stewpan with a small piece of butter, the ham, a seasoning of pepper and salt, and the gravy; simmer these gently for / hour, add the lemon-juice and sugar, dish the fowl, and pour the sauce round them. _time_.--to roast the fowl, minutes; to broil it, to minutes. _average cost_, in full season, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--in full season from may to january. [illustration: black bantams.] the bantam.--no one will dispute that for beauty, animation, plumage, and courage the bantam is entitled to rank next to the game fowl. as its name undoubtedly implies, the bird is of asiatic origin. the choicest sorts are the buff-coloured, and those that are entirely black. a year-old bantam cock of pure breed will not weigh more than sixteen ounces. despite its small size, however, it is marvellously bold, especially in defence of its progeny. a friend of the writer's, residing at kensington, possessed a pair of thorough-bred bantams, that were allowed the range of a yard where a fierce bull-terrier was kennelled. the hen had chicks; and, when about three weeks old, one of them strayed into the dog-kennel. the grim beast within took no notice of the tiny fledgling; but, when the anxious mother ventured in to fetch out the truant, with a growl the dog woke, and nearly snapped her asunder in his great jaws. the cock bird saw the tragic fate of its partner; but, nothing daunted, flew at the dog with a fierce cry, and pecked savagely at its face. the odds, however, were too great; and, when the terrier had sufficiently recovered from the astonishment caused by the sudden and unexpected attack, he seized the audacious bantam, and shook him to death; and, in five minutes, the devoted couple were entombed in _pincher's_ capacious maw. boiled fowl and rice. . ingredients.-- fowl, mutton broth, onions, small blades of pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, / pint of rice, parsley and butter. _mode_.--truss the fowl as for boiling, and put it into a stewpan with sufficient clear well-skimmed mutton broth to cover it; add the onion, mace, and a seasoning of pepper and salt; stew very gently for about hour, should the fowl be large, and about / hour before it is ready put in the rice, which should be well washed and soaked. when the latter is tender, strain it from the liquor, and put it on a sieve reversed to dry before the fire, and, in the mean time, keep the fowl hot. dish it, put the rice round as a border, pour a little parsley and butter over the fowl, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. _time_.--a large fowl, hour. _average cost_, in full season, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but scarce in early spring. [illustration: dorkings.] the dorking.--this bird takes its name from that of a town in surrey, where the breed is to be found in greater numbers, and certainly in greater perfection, than elsewhere. it is generally believed that this particular branch of poultry was found in the town above mentioned as long ago as the roman era. the dorking's chief characteristic is that he has five claws on each foot; the extra claw, however, is never of sufficient length to encumber the foot, or to cause it to "drag" its nest, or scratch out the eggs. the colour of the true dorking is pure white; long in the body, short in the legs, and a prolific layer. thirty years ago, there was much controversy respecting the origin of the dorking. the men of sussex declared that the bird belonged to them, and brought birds indigenous to their weald, and possessing all the dorking fine points and peculiarities, in proof of the declaration. others inclined to the belief that the poland bird was the father of the dorking, and not without at least a show of reason, as the former bird much resembles the latter in shape; and, despite its sombre hue, it is well known that the poland cock will occasionally beget thorough white stock from white english hens. the commotion has, however, long ago subsided, and dorking still retains its fair reputation for fowl. curried fowl. . ingredients.-- fowl, oz. of butter, onions sliced, pint of white veal gravy, tablespoonful of curry-powder, tablespoonful of flour, apple, tablespoonfuls of cream, tablespoonful of lemon-juice. _mode_.--put the butter into a stewpan, with the onions sliced, the fowl cut into small joints, and the apple peeled, cored, and minced. fry of a pale brown, add the stock, and stew gently for minutes; rub down the curry-powder and flour with a little of the gravy, quite smoothly, and stir this to the other ingredients; simmer for rather more than / hour, and just before serving, add the above proportion of hot cream and lemon-juice. serve with boiled rice, which may either be heaped lightly on a dish by itself, or put round the curry as a border. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in the winter. _note_.--this curry may be made of cold chicken, but undressed meat will be found far superior. the poland.--this bird, a native of holland, is a great favourite with fowl-keepers, especially those who have on eye to profit rather than to amusement. those varieties known as the "silver spangled" and the "gold spangled" are handsome enough to please the most fastidious; but the common black breed, with the bushy crown of white feathers, is but a plain bird. the chief value of the common poland lies in the great number of eggs they produce; indeed, in many parts, they are as well known as "everlasting layers" as by their proper name. however, the experienced breeder would take good care to send the eggs of his everlasting layers to market, and not use them for home consumption, as, although they may be as large as those laid by other hens, the amount of nutriment contained in them is not nearly so great. mr. mowbray once kept an account of the number of eggs produced by this prolific bird, with the following result:--from the th of october to the th of the following september five hens laid eggs; the average weight of each egg was one ounce five drachms, and the total weight of the whole, exclusive of the shells, - / pounds. taking the weight of the birds at the fair average of five pounds each, we thus see them producing within a year double their weight of egg alone; and, supposing every egg to contain a chick, and allowing the chick to, grow, in less than eighteen months from the laying of the first egg, _two thousand five hundred pounds_ of chicken-meat would be the result. the poland is easily fattened, and its flesh is generally considered juicier and of richer flavour than most others. [illustration: spangled polands.] curried fowl or chicken (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowls, large onions, apple, oz. of butter, dessertspoonful of curry-powder, teaspoonful of flour, / pint of gravy, tablespoonful of lemon-juice. _mode_.--slice the onions, peel, core, and chop the apple, and cut the fowl into neat joints; fry these in the butter of a nice brown; then add the curry-powder, flour, and gravy, and stew for about minutes. put in the lemon-juice, and serve with boiled rice, either placed in a ridge round the dish or separately. two or three shallots or a little garlic may be added, if approved. _time_.--altogether / hour. _av. cost_, exclusive of the cold fowl, d. _seasonable_ in the winter. [illustration: cochin-chinas.] the cochin-china.--about fifteen years ago, the arrival of this distinguished asiatic created in england as great a sensation as might be expected from the landing of an invading host. the first pair that ever made their appearance here were natives of shanghai, and were presented to the queen, who exhibited them at the dublin poultry-show of . then began the "cochin" _furor_. as soon as it was discovered, despite the most strenuous endeavours to keep the tremendous secret, that a certain dealer was possessed of a pair of these birds, straightway the avenues to that dealer's shop were blocked by broughams, and chariots, and hack cabs, until the shy poulterer had been tempted by a sufficiently high sum to part with his treasure. bank-notes were exchanged for cochin chicks, and cochin eggs were in as great demand as though they had been laid by the fabled golden goose. the reign of the cochin china was, however, of inconsiderable duration. the bird that, in , would fetch thirty guineas, is now counted but ordinary chicken-meat, and its price is regulated according to its weight when ready for the spit. as for the precious buff eggs, against which, one time of day, guineas were weighed,--send for sixpenn'orth at the cheesemonger's, and you will get at least five; which is just as it should be. for elegance of shape or quality of flesh, the cochin cannot for a moment stand comparison with our handsome dunghill; neither can the indescribable mixture of growling and braying, peculiar to the former, vie with the musical trumpeting of our own morning herald: yet our poultry-breeders have been immense gainers by the introduction of the ungainly celestial, inasmuch as _new blood_ has been infused into the english chicken family. of this incalculable advantage we may be sure; while, as to the cochin's defects, they are certain to be lost in the process of "cross and cross" breeding. boiled fowls a la bechamel. . ingredients.--a pair of fowls, pint of béchamel, no, , a few bunches of boiled brocoli or cauliflower. _mode_.--truss and boil the fowls by recipe no. ; make a pint of béchamel sauce by recipe no. ; pour some of this over the fowls, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. garnish the dish with bunches of boiled cauliflowers or brocoli, and serve very hot. the sauce should be made sufficiently thick to adhere to the fowls; that for the tureen should be thinned by adding a spoonful or two of stock. _time_.--from / to hour, according to size. _average cost_, in full season, s. a pair. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but scarce in early spring. space for fowls.--we are no advocates for converting the domestic fowl into a cage-bird. we have known amateur fowl-keepers--worthy souls, who would butter the very barley they gave their pets, if they thought they would the more enjoy it--coop up a male bird and three or four hens in an ordinary egg-chest placed on its side, and with the front closely barred with iron hooping! this system will not do. every animal, from man himself to the guinea-pig, must have what is vulgarly, but truly, known as "elbow-room;" and it must be self-evident how emphatically this rule applies to winged animals. it may be urged, in the case of domestic fowls, that from constant disuse, and from clipping and plucking, and other sorts of maltreatment, their wings can hardly be regarded as instruments of flight; we maintain, however, that you may pluck a fowl's wing-joints as bare as a pumpkin, but you will not erase from his memory that he is a fowl, and that his proper sphere is the open air. if he likewise reflects that he is an ill-used fowl--a prison-bird--he will then come to the conclusion, that there is not the least use, under such circumstances, for his existence; and you must admit that the decision is only logical and natural. boiled fowl, with oysters. (_excellent_.) . ingredients.-- young fowl, dozen oysters, the yolks of eggs, / pint of cream. _mode_.--truss a young fowl as for boiling; fill the inside with oysters which have been bearded and washed in their own liquor; secure the ends of the fowl, put it into a jar, and plunge the jar into a saucepan of boiling water. keep it boiling for - / hour, or rather longer; then take the gravy that has flowed from the oysters and fowl, of which there will be a good quantity; stir in the cream and yolks of eggs, add a few oysters scalded in their liquor; let the sauce get quite _hot_, but do not allow it to _boil;_ pour some of it over the fowl, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. a blade of pounded mace added to the sauce, with the cream and eggs, will be found an improvement. _time_.-- - / hour. average cost, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to april. the fowl-house.--in building a fowl-house, take care that it be, if possible, built against a wall or fence that faces the _south_, and thus insure its inmates against many cold winds, driving rains, and sleets they will otherwise suffer. let the floor of the house slope half an inch to the foot from back to front, so as to insure drainage; let it also be close, hard, and perfectly smooth; so that it may be cleanly swept out. a capital plan is to mix a few bushels of chalk and dry earth, spread it over the floor, and pay a paviour's labourer a trifle to hammer it level with his rammer. the fowl-house should be seven feet high, and furnished with perches at least two feet apart. the perches must be level, and not one above the other, or unpleasant consequences may ensue to the undermost row. the perches should be ledged (not fixed--just dropped into sockets, that they may be easily taken out and cleaned) not lower than five feet from the ground, convenient slips of wood being driven into the wall, to render the ascent as easy as possible. the front of the fowl-house should be latticed, taking care that the interstices be not wide enough even to tempt a chick to crawl through. nesting-boxes, containing soft hay, and fitted against the walls, so as to be easily reached by the perch-ladder, should be supplied. it will be as well to keep by you a few portable doors, so that you may hang one before the entrance to a nesting-box, when the hen goes in to sit. this will prevent other hens from intruding, a habit to which some are much addicted. fricasseed fowl or chicken (an entree). . ingredients.-- small fowls or large one, oz. of butter, a bunch of parsley and green onions, clove, blades of mace, shalot, bay-leaf, salt and white pepper to taste, / pint of cream, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--choose a couple of fat plump chickens, and, after drawing, singeing, and washing them, skin, and carve them into joints; blanch these in boiling water for or minutes; take them out, and immerse them in cold water to render them white. put the trimmings, with the necks and legs, into a stewpan; add the parsley, onions, clove, mace, shalot, bay-leaf, and a seasoning of pepper and salt; pour to these the water that the chickens were blanched in, and simmer gently for rather more than hour. have ready another stewpan; put in the joints of fowl, with the above proportion of butter; dredge them with flour, let them get hot, but do not brown them much; then moisten the fricassee with the gravy made from the trimmings, &c., and stew very gently for / hour. lift the fowl into another stewpan, skim the sauce, reduce it quickly over the fire, by letting it boil fast, and strain it over them. add the cream, and a seasoning of pounded mace and cayenne; let it boil up, and when ready to serve, stir to it the well-beaten yolks of eggs: these should not be put in till the last moment, and the sauce should be made _hot_, but must _not boil_, or it will instantly curdle. a few button-mushrooms stewed with the fowl are by many persons considered an improvement. _time_.-- hour to make the gravy, / hour to simmer the fowl. _average cost_, s. the pair. _sufficient_.-- large fowl for one entrée. _seasonable_ at any time. stocking the fowl-house.--take care that the birds with which you stock your house are _young_. the surest indications of old age are fading of the comb and gills from brilliant red to a dingy brick-colour, general paleness of plumage, brittleness of the feathers, length and size of the claws, and the scales of the legs and feet assuming a ragged and _corny_ appearance. your cock and hens should be as near two years old as possible. hens will lay at a year old, but the eggs are always insignificant in size, and the layers giddy and unsteady sitters. the hen-bird is in her prime for breeding at three years old, and will continue so, under favourable circumstances, for two years longer; after which she will decline. crowing hens, and those that have large combs, are generally looked on with mistrust; but this is mere silliness and superstition--though it is possible that a spruce young cock would as much object to a spouse with such peculiar addictions, as a young fellow of our own species would to a damsel who whistled and who wore whiskers. fowls with yellow legs should be avoided; they are generally of a tender constitution, loose-fleshed, and of indifferent flavour. fricasseed fowl (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowl, strip of lemon-peel, blade of pounded mace, bunch of savoury herbs, onion, popper and salt to taste, pint of water, teaspoonful of flour, / pint of cream, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--carve the fowls into nice joints; make gravy of the trimmings and legs, by stewing them with the lemon-peel, mace, herbs, onion, seasoning, and water, until reduced to / pint; then strain, and put in the fowl. warm it through, and thicken with a teaspoonful of flour; stir the yolks of the eggs into the cream; add these to the sauce, let it get thoroughly hot, but do not allow it to boil, or it will curdle. _time_.-- hour to make the gravy, / hour to warm the fowl. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold chicken, d. _seasonable_ at any time. characteristics of health and power.--the chief characteristics of health in a fowl are brightness and dryness of eye and nostrils, the comb and wattles firm and ruddy, the feathers elastic and glossy. the most useful cock is generally the greatest tyrant, who struts among his hens despotically, with his head erect and his eyes ever watchful. there is likely to be handsomer and stronger chicks in a house where a bold, active--even savage--bird reigns, than where the lord of the hen-house is a weak, meek creature, who bears the abuse and peckings of his wives without a remonstrance. i much prefer dark-coloured cock-birds to those of light plumage. a cock, to be handsome, should be of middling size; his bill should be short, comb bright-red, wattles large, breast broad, and wings strong. his head should be rather small than otherwise, his legs short and sturdy, and his spurs well-formed; his feathers should be short and close, and the more frequently and heartily he crows, the better father he is likely to become. the common error of choosing hens _above_ the ordinary stature of their respective varieties should be avoided, as the best breeding-hens are those of medium size. fried fowls (cold meat cookery). i. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowls, vinegar, salt and cayenne to taste, or minced shalots. for the batter,-- / lb. of flour, / pint of hot water, oz. of butter, the whites of eggs. _mode_.--cut the fowl into nice joints; steep them for an hour in a little vinegar, with salt, cayenne, and minced shalots. make the batter by mixing the flour and water smoothly together; melt in it the butter, and add the whites of egg beaten to a froth; take out the pieces of fowl, dip them in the batter, and fry, in boiling lard, a nice brown. pile them high in the dish, and garnish with fried parsley or rolled bacon. when approved, a sauce or gravy may be served with them. _time_.-- minutes to fry the fowl. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold fowl, d. _seasonable_ at any time. chanticleer and his companions.--on bringing the male and female birds together for the first time, it will be necessary to watch the former closely, as it is a very common occurrence with him to conceive a sudden and violent dislike for one or more of his wives, and not allow the obnoxious ones to approach within some distance of the others; indeed, i know many cases where the capricious tyrant has set upon the innocent cause of his resentment and killed her outright. in all such cases, the hen objected to should be removed and replaced by another. if the cock should, by any accident, get killed, considerable delicacy is required in introducing a new one. the hens may mope, and refuse to associate with their new husband, clustering in corners, and making odious comparisons between him and the departed; or the cock may have his own peculiar notions as to what a wife should be, and be by no means satisfied with those you have provided him. the plan is, to keep him by himself nearly the whole day, supplying him plentifully with exhilarating food, then to turn him loose among the hens, and to continue this practice, allowing him more of the society of his wives each day, until you suffer him to abide with them altogether. ii. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowl, vinegar, salt and cayenne to taste, minced shalots, yolk of egg; to every teacupful of bread crumbs allow blade of pounded mace, teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, saltspoonful of salt, a few grains of cayenne. _mode_.--steep the pieces of fowl as in the preceding recipe, then dip them into the yolk of an egg or clarified butter; sprinkle over bread crumbs with which have been mixed salt, mace, cayenne, and lemon-peel in the above proportion. fry a light brown, and serve with or without gravy, as may be preferred. _time_.-- minutes to fry the fowl. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold fowl, d. _seasonable_ at any time. various modes of fattening fowls.--it would, i think, be a difficult matter to find, among the entire fraternity of fowl-keepers, a dozen whose mode of fattening "stock" is the same. some say that the grand f secret is to give them abundance of saccharine food; others say nothing beats heavy corn steeped in milk; while another breeder, celebrated in his day, and the recipient of a gold medal from a learned society, says, "the best method is as follows:-the chickens are to be taken from the hen the night after they are hatched, and fed with eggs hard-boiled, chopped, and mixed with crumbs of bread, as larks and other small birds are fed, for the first fortnight; after which give them oatmeal and treacle mixed so as to crumble, of which the chickens are very fond, and thrive so fast that, at the end of two months, they will be as large as full-grown fowls." others there are who insist that nothing beats oleaginous diet, and cram their birds with ground oats and suet. but, whatever the course of diet favoured, on one point they seem agreed; and that is, that, while fattening, the fowls _should be kept in the dark_. supposing the reader to be a dealer--a breeder of gross chicken meat for the market (against which supposition the chances are , to ), and beset with as few scruples as generally trouble the huckster, the advice is valuable. "laugh and grow fat" is a good maxim enough; but "sleep and grow fat" is, as is well known to folks of porcine attributes, a better. the poor birds, immured in their dark dungeons, ignorant that there is life and sunshine abroad, tuck their heads under their wings and make a long night of it; while their digestive organs, having no harder work than to pile up fat, have an easy time enough. but, unless we are mistaken, he who breeds poultry for his own eating, bargains for a more substantial reward than the questionable pleasure of burying his carving-knife in chicken grease. tender, delicate, and nutritious flesh is the great aim; and these qualities, i can affirm without fear of contradiction, were never attained by a dungeon-fatted chicken: perpetual gloom and darkness is as incompatible with chicken life as it is with human. if you wish to be convinced of the absurdity of endeavouring to thwart nature's laws, plant a tuft of grass, or a cabbage-plant, in the darkest corner of your coal-cellar. the plant or the tuft may increase in length and breadth, but its colour will be as wan and pale, almost, as would be your own face under the circumstances. poulet a la marengo. . ingredients.-- large fowl, tablespoonfuls of salad oil, tablespoonful of flour, pint of stock no. , or water, about mushroom-buttons, salt and pepper to taste, teaspoonful of powdered sugar, a very small piece of garlic. _mode_.--cut the fowl into or pieces; put them with the oil into a stewpan, and brown them over a moderate fire; dredge in the above proportion of flour; when that is browned, pour in the stock or water; let it simmer very slowly for rather more than / hour, and skim off the fat as it rises to the top; add the mushrooms; season with salt, pepper, garlic, and sugar; take out the fowl, which arrange pyramidically on the dish, with the inferior joints at the bottom. reduce the sauce by boiling it quickly over the fire, keeping it stirred until sufficiently thick to adhere to the back of a spoon; pour over the fowl, and serve. _time_.--altogether minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. a fowl À la marengo.--the following is the origin of the well-known dish poulet à la marengo:--on the evening of the battle the first consul was very hungry after the agitation of the day, and a fowl was ordered with all expedition. the fowl was procured, but there was no butter at hand, and unluckily none could be found in the neighbourhood. there was oil in abundance, however; and the cook having poured a certain quantity into his skillet, put in the fowl, with a clove of garlic and other seasoning, with a little white wine, the best the country afforded; he then garnished it with mushrooms, and served it up hot. this dish proved the second conquest of the day, as the first consul found it most agreeable to his palate, and expressed his satisfaction. ever since, a fowl à la marengo is a favourite dish with all lovers of good cheer. minced fowl a la bechamel. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowl, tablespoonfuls of béchamel sauce no. , tablespoonfuls of white stock no. , the white of egg, bread crumbs, clarified butter. _mode_.--take the remains of roast fowls, mince the white meat very small, and put it into a stewpan with the béchamel and stock; stir it well over the fire, and just let it boil up. pour the mince into a dish, beat up the white of egg, spread it over, and strew on it a few grated bread crumbs; pour a very little clarified butter on the whole, and brown either before the fire or with a salamander. this should be served in a silver dish, if at hand. _time_.-- or minutes to simmer in the sauce. _seasonable_ at any time. the best way to fatten fowls.--the barn-door fowl is in itself a complete refutation of the cramming and dungeon policy of feeding practised by some. this fowl, which has the common run of the farm-yard, living on dairy-scraps and offal from the stable, begins to grow fat at threshing-time. he has his fill of the finest corn; he has his fill of fresh air and natural exercise, and at last he comes smoking to the table,--a dish for the gods. in the matter of unnaturally stuffing and confining fowls, mowbray is exactly of our opinion. he says: "the london chicken-butchers, as they are termed, are said to be, of all others, the most expeditious and dexterous feeders, putting up a coop of fowls, and making them thoroughly fat within the space of a fortnight, using much grease, and that perhaps not of the most delicate kind, in the food. in this way i have no boasts to make, having always found it necessary to allow a considerable number of weeks for the purpose of making fowls fat in coops. in the common way this business is often badly managed, fowls being huddled together in a small coop, tearing each other to pieces, instead of enjoying that repose which alone can insure, the wished-for object--irregularly fed and cleaned, until they become so stenched and poisoned in their own excrement, that their flesh actually smells and tastes when smoking upon the table." sussex produces the fattest and largest poultry of any county in england, and the fatting process there most common is to give them a gruel made of pot-liquor and bruised oats, with which are mixed hog's grease, sugar, and milk. the fowls are kept very warm, and crammed morning and night. they are put into the coop, and kept there two or three days before the cramming begins, and then it is continued for a fortnight, and the birds are sent to market. ragout of fowl. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowls, shalots, blades of mace, a faggot of savoury herbs, or three slices of lean ham, pint of stock or water, pepper and salt to taste, onion, dessertspoonful of flour, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, / teaspoonful of pounded sugar, oz. of butter. _mode_.--cut the fowls up into neat pieces, the same as for a fricassee; put the trimmings into a stewpan with the shalots, mace, herbs, ham, onion, and stock (water may be substituted for this). boil it slowly for hour, strain the liquor, and put a small piece of butter into a stewpan; when melted, dredge in sufficient flour to dry up the butter, and stir it over the fire. put in the strained liquor, boil for a few minutes, and strain it again over the pieces of fowl. squeeze in the lemon-juice, add the sugar and a seasoning of pepper and salt, make it hot, but do not allow it to boil; lay the fowl neatly on the dish, and garnish with croûtons. _time_.--altogether - / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold fowl, d. _seasonable_ at any time. the best fowls to fatten, &c.--the chicks most likely to fatten well are those first hatched in the brood, and those with the shortest legs. long-legged fowls, as a rule, are by far the most difficult to fatten. the most delicate sort are those which are put up to fatten as soon as the hen forsakes them; for, as says an old writer, "then they will be in fine condition, and full of flesh, which flesh is afterwards expended in the exercise of foraging for food, and in the increase of stature; and it may be a work of some weeks to recover it,--especially with young cocks." but whether you take them in hand as chicks, or not till they are older, the three prime rules to be observed are, sound and various food, warmth, and cleanliness. there is nothing that a fatting fowl grows so fastidious about as his water. if water any way foul be offered him, he will not drink it, but sulk with his food, and pine, and you all the while wondering the reason why. keep them separate, allowing to each bird as much space as you can spare. spread the ground with sharp sandy gravel; take care that they are not disturbed. in addition to their regular diet of good corn, make them a cake of ground oats or beans, brown sugar, milk, and mutton suet. let the cake lie till it is stale, then crumble it, and give each bird a gill-measureful morning and evening. no entire grain should be given to fowls during the time they are fattening; indeed, the secret of success lies in supplying them with the most nutritious food without stint, and in such a form that their digestive mills shall find no difficulty in grinding it. [illustration: roast fowl.] roast fowls. . ingredients.--a pair of fowls; a little flour. _mode_.--fowls to be tender should be killed a couple of days before they are dressed; when the feathers come out easily, then let them be picked and cooked. in drawing them, be careful not to break the gall-bag, as, wherever it touches, it would impart a very bitter taste; the liver and gizzard should also be preserved. truss them in the following manner:--after having carefully picked them, cut off the head, and skewer the skin of the neck down over the back. cut off the claws; dip the legs in boiling water, and scrape them; turn the pinions under, run a skewer through them and the middle of the legs, which should be passed through the body to the pinion and leg on the other side, one skewer securing the limbs on both sides. the liver and gizzard should be placed in the wings, the liver on one side and the gizzard on the other. tie the legs together by passing a trussing-needle, threaded with twine, through the backbone, and secure it on the other side. if trussed like a capon, the legs are placed more apart. when firmly trussed, singe them all over; put them down to a bright clear fire, paper the breasts with a sheet of buttered paper, and keep the fowls well basted. roast them for / hour, more or less, according to the size, and minutes before serving, remove the paper, dredge the fowls with a little fine flour, put a piece of butter into the basting-ladle, and as it melts, baste the fowls with it; when nicely frothed and of a rich colour, serve with good brown gravy, a little of which should be poured over the fowls, and a tureen of well-made bread sauce, no. . mushroom, oyster, or egg sauce are very suitable accompaniments to roast fowl.--chicken is roasted in the same manner. _time_.--a very large fowl, quite hour, medium-sized one / hour, chicken / hour, or rather longer. _average cost_, in full season, s. a pair; when scarce, s. d. the pair. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but scarce in early spring. the diseases of fowls, and how to cure them.--the diseases to which _gallus domesticus_ is chiefly liable, are roup, pip, scouring, and chip. the first-mentioned is the most common of all, and results from cold. the ordinary symptoms,--swollen eyes, running at the nostrils, and the purple colour of the wattles. part birds so affected from the healthy ones, as, when the disease is at its height it is as contagious as glanders among horses. wash out the nostrils with warm water, give daily a peppercorn inclosed in dough; bathe the eyes and nostrils with warm milk and water. if the head is much swollen, bathe with warm brandy and water. when the bird is getting well, put half a spoonful of sulphur in his drinking-water. some fanciers prescribe for this disease half a spoonful of table salt, dissolved in half a gill of water, in which rue has been steeped; others, pills composed of ground rice and fresh butter: but the remedy first mentioned will be found far the best. as there is a doubt respecting the wholesomeness of the eggs laid by roupy hens, it will be as well to throw them away. the pip is a white horny skin growing on the tip of the bird's tongue. it should be removed with the point of a penknife, and the place rubbed with salt. fowl and rice croquettes (an entree). . ingredients.-- / lb. of rice, quart of stock or broth, oz. of butter, minced fowl, egg, and bread crumbs. _mode_.--put the rice into the above proportion of cold stock or broth, and let it boil very gently for / hour; then add the butter, and simmer it till quite dry and soft when cold, make it into balls, hollow out the inside, and fill with minced fowl made by recipe no. . the mince should be rather thick. cover over with rice, dip the balls into egg, sprinkle them with bread crumbs, and fry a nice brown. dish them, and garnish with fried parsley. oysters, white sauce, or a little cream, may be stirred into the rice before it cools. _time_.-- / hour to boil the rice, minutes to fry the croquettes. _average cost_, exclusive of the fowl, d. _seasonable_ at any time. chip.--if the birds are allowed to puddle about on wet soil, or to be much out in the rain, they will get "chip." young chicks are especially liable to this complaint. they will sit shivering in out-of-the-way corners, perpetually uttering a dolorous "chip, chip;" seemingly frozen with cold, though, on handling them, they are found to be in high fever. a wholesale breeder would take no pains to attempt the cure of fowls so afflicted; but they who keep chickens for the pleasure, and not for the profit they yield, will be inclined to recover them if possible. give them none but warm food, half a peppercorn rolled in a morsel of dough every night, and a little nitre in their water. above all, keep them warm; a corner in the kitchen fender, for a day or two, will do more to effect a cure than the run of a druggist's warehouse. croquettes of fowl (an entree). . ingredients.-- or shalots, oz. of butter, teaspoonful of flour, white sauce; pepper, salt, and pounded mace to taste; / teaspoonful of pounded sugar, the remains of cold roast fowls, the yolks of eggs, egg, and bread crumbs. _mode_.--mince the fowl, carefully removing all skin and bone, and fry the shalots in the butter; add the minced fowl, dredge in the flour, put in the pepper, salt, mace, pounded sugar, and sufficient white sauce to moisten it; stir to it the yolks of well-beaten eggs, and set it by to cool. then make the mixture up into balls, egg and bread-crumb them, and fry a nice brown. they may be served on a border of mashed potatoes, with gravy or sauce in the centre. _time_.-- minutes to fry the balls. _seasonable_ at any time. the turn.--what is termed "turrling" with song-birds, is known, as regard fowls, as the "turn." its origin is the same in both cases,--over-feeing and want of exercise. without a moment's warning, a fowl so afflicted will totter and fall from its perch, and unless assistance be at hand, speedily give up the ghost. the veins of the palate should be opened, and a few drops of mixture composed of six parts of sweet nitre and one of ammonia, poured down its throat. i have seen ignorant keepers plunge a bird, stricken with the "turn," into cold water; but i never saw it taken out again alive; and for a good reason: the sudden chill has the effect of driving the blood to the head,--of aggravating the disease indeed, instead of relieving it. hashed fowl--an entree (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowl, pint of water, onion, or three small carrots, blade of pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, small bunch of savoury herbs, thickening of butter and flour, - / tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--cut off the best joints from the fowl, and the remainder make into gravy, by adding to the bones and trimmings a pint of water, an onion sliced and fried of a nice brown, the carrots, mace, seasoning, and herbs. let these stew gently for - / hour, strain the liquor, and thicken with a little flour and butter. lay in the fowl, thoroughly warm it through, add the ketchup, and garnish with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.--altogether - / hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold fowl, d. _seasonable_ at any time. skin-disease in fowls.--skin-disease is, nine times out of ten, caused by the feathers being swarmed by parasites. poor feeding will induce this, even if cleanliness be observed; uncleanliness, however liberal the bill of fare, will be taken as an invitation by the little biting pests, and heartily responded to. mix half a teaspoonful of hydro-oxalic acid with twelve teaspoonfuls of water,--apply to the itching parts with an old shaving-brush. obstruction of the crop.--obstruction of the crop is occasioned by weakness or greediness. you may know when a bird is so afflicted by his crop being distended almost to bursting. mowbray tells of a hen of his in this predicament; when the crop was opened, a quantity of new beans were discovered in a state of vegetation. the crop should be slit from the _bottom_ to the _top_ with a sharp pair of scissors, the contents taken out, and the slit sewed up again with line white thread. minced fowl--an entree (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowl, hard-boiled eggs, salt, cayenne, and pounded mace, onion, faggot of savoury herbs, tablespoonfuls of cream, oz. of butter, two teaspoonfuls of flour, / teaspoonful of finely-minced lemon-peel, tablespoonful of lemon-juice. _mode_.--cut out from the fowl all the white meat, and mince it finely without any skin or bone; put the bones, skin, and trimmings into a stewpan with an onion, a bunch of savoury herbs, a blade of mace, and nearly a pint of water; let this stew for an hour, then strain the liquor. chop the eggs small; mix them with the fowl; add salt, cayenne, and pounded mace, put in the gravy and remaining ingredients; let the whole just boil, and serve with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.--rather more than hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the fowl, d. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--another way to make this is to mince the fowl, and warm it in white sauce or béchamel. when dressed like this, or poached eggs may be placed on the top: oysters, or chopped mushrooms, or balls of oyster forcemeat, may be laid round the dish. the moulting season.--during the moulting season beginning properly at the end of september, the fowls will require a little extra attention. keep them dry and warm, and feed them liberally on warm and satisfying food. if in any fowl the moult should seem protracted, examine it for broken feather-stumps still beaded in the skin: if you find any, extract them carefully with a pair of tweezers. if a fowl is hearty and strong, six weeks will see him out of his trouble; if he is weakly, or should take cold during the time, he will not thoroughly recover in less than three months. it is seldom or ever that hens will lay during the moult; while the cock, during the same period, will give so little of his consideration to the frivolities of love, that you may as well, nay, much better, keep him by himself till he perfectly recovers. a moulting chicken makes but a sorry dish. hashed fowl, indian fashion (an entree). .--ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowl, or sliced onions, apple, oz. of butter, pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonful of curry-powder, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, tablespoonful of flour, teaspoonful of pounded sugar, pint of gravy. _mode_.--cut the onions into slices, mince the apple, and fry these in the butter; add pounded mace, pepper, salt, curry-powder, vinegar, flour, and sugar in the above proportions; when the onion is brown, put it the gravy, which should be previously made from the bones and trimmings of the fowls, and stew for / hour; add the fowl cut into nice-sized joints, let it warm through, and when quite tender, serve. the dish should be garnished with au edging of boiled rice. _time_.-- hour. average cost, exclusive of the fowl, d. _seasonable_ at any time. the scour or dysentery.--the scour, or dysentery, or diarrhoea, is induced variously. a sudden alteration in diet will cause it, as will a superabundance of green food. the best remedy is a piece of toasted biscuit sopped in ale. if the disease has too tight a hold on the bird to be quelled by this, give six drops of syrup of white poppies and six drops of castor-oil, mixed with a little oatmeal or ground rice. restrict the bird's diet, for a few days, to dry food,--crushed beans or oats, stale bread-crumbs, &c. fowl scollops (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast or boiled fowl, / pint of béchamel, no. , or white sauce, no. or . _mode_.--strip off the skin from the fowl; cut the meat into thin slices, and warm them in about / pint, or rather more, of béchamel, or white sauce. when quite hot, serve, and garnish the dish with rolled ham or bacon toasted. _time_.-- minute to simmer the slices of fowl. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: the feather legged bantam.] the feather legged bantam.--since the introduction of the bantam into europe, it has ramified into many varieties, none of which are destitute of elegance, and some, indeed, remarkable for their beauty. all are, or ought to be, of small size, but lively and vigorous, exhibiting in their movements both grace and stateliness. the variety shown in the engraving is remarkable for the _tarsi_, or beams of the legs, being plumed to the toes, with stiff, long feathers, which brush the ground. owing, possibly, to the little care taken to preserve this variety from admixture, it is now not frequently seen. another variety is often red, with a black breast and single dentated comb. the _tarsi_ are smooth, and of a dusky blue. when this sort of bantam is pure, it yields in courage and spirit to none, and is, in fact, a game-fowl in miniature, being as beautiful and graceful as it is spirited. a pure white bantam, possessing all the qualifications just named, is also bred in the royal aviary at windsor. an indian dish of fowl (an entree). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowl, or sliced onions, tablespoonful of curry-powder, salt to taste. _mode_.--divide the fowl into joints; slice and fry the onions in a little butter, taking care not to burn them; sprinkle over the fowl a little curry-powder and salt; fry these nicely, pile them high in the centre of the dish, cover with the onion, and serve with a cut lemon on a plate. care must be taken that the onions are not greasy: they should be quite dry, but not burnt. _time_.-- minutes to fry the onions, minutes to fry the fowl. _average cost_, exclusive of the fowl, d. _seasonable_ during the winter month. [illustration: speckled hamburgs.] the speckled hamburg.--of the speckled, or spangled hamburg which is a favourite breed with many persons, there are two varieties,--the golden-speckled and the silver-speckled. the general colour of the former is golden, or orange-yellow, each feather having a glossy dark brown or black tip, particularly remarkable on the hackles of the cock and the wing-coverts, and also on the darker feathers of the breast. the female is yellow, or orange-brown, the feathers in like manner being margined with black. the silver-speckled variety is distinguished by the ground-colour of the plumage being of a silver-white, with perhaps a tinge of straw-yellow, every leather being margined with a semi-lunar mark of glossy black. both of these varieties are extremely beautiful, the hens laying freely. first-rate birds command a high price. fowl saute with peas (an entree). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowl, oz. of butter, pepper, salt, and pounded mace to taste, dessertspoonful of flour, / pint of weak stock, pint of green peas, teaspoonful of pounded sugar. _mode_.--cut the fowl into nice pieces; put the butter into a stew-pan; sautez or fry the fowl a nice brown colour, previously sprinkling it with pepper, salt, and pounded mace. dredge in the flour, shake the ingredients well round, then add the stock and peas, and stew till the latter are tender, which will be in about minutes; put in the pounded sugar, and serve, placing the chicken round, and the peas in the middle of the dish. when liked, mushrooms may be substituted for the peas. _time_.--altogether minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the fowl, d. _seasonable_ from june to august. boudin a la reine (an entree). (m. ude's recipe.) . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast fowls, pint of béchamel no. , salt and cayenne to taste, egg and bread crumbs. _mode_.--take the breasts and nice white meat from the fowls; cut it into small dice of an equal size, and throw them into some good béchamel, made by recipe no. ; season with salt and cayenne, and put the mixture into a dish to cool. when this preparation is quite cold, cut it into equal parts, which should be made into _boudins_ of a long shape, the size of the dish they are intended to be served on; roll them in flour, egg and bread-crumb them, and be careful that the ends are well covered with the crumbs, otherwise they would break in the frying-pan; fry them a nice colour, put them before the fire to drain the greasy moisture from them, and serve with the remainder of the béchamel poured round: this should be thinned with a little stock. _time_.-- minutes to fry the boudins. _average cost_, exclusive of the fowl, s. d. _sufficient_ for entrée. [illustration: sebright bantams.] sir john sebright's bantams.--above all bantams is placed, the celebrated and beautiful breed called sir john sebright's silver bantams. this breed, which sir john brought to perfection after years of careful trials, is very small, with un-feathered legs, and a rose comb and short hackles. the plumage is gold or silver, spangled, every feather being of a golden orange, or of a silver white, with a glossy jet-black margin; the cocks have the tail folded like that of a hen, with the sickle feathers shortened straight, or nearly so, and broader than usual. the term _hen-cocks_ is, in consequence, often applied to them; but although the sickle feathers are thus modified, no bird possesses higher courage, or a more gallant carriage. the attitude of the cock is, indeed, singularly proud; and he is often seen to bear himself so haughtily, that his head, thrown back as if in disdain, nearly touches the two upper feathers--sickles they can scarcely be called--of his tail. half-bred birds of this kind are not uncommon, but birds of the pure breed are not to be obtained without trouble and expense; indeed, some time ago, it was almost impossible to procure either a fowl or an egg. "the finest," says the writer whom we have consulted as to this breed, "we have ever seen, were in sir john's poultry-yard, adjacent to turnham-green common, in the byroad leading to acton." fowl a la mayonnaise. . ingredients.--a cold roast fowl, mayonnaise sauce no. , or young lettuces, hard-boiled eggs, a few water-cresses, endive. _mode_.--cut the fowl into neat joints, lay them in a deep dish, piling them high in the centre, sauce the fowl with mayonnaise made by recipe no. , and garnish the dish with young lettuces cut in halves, water-cresses, endive, and hard-boiled eggs: these may be sliced in rings, or laid on the dish whole, cutting off at the bottom a piece of the white, to make the egg stand. all kinds of cold meat and solid fish may be dressed à la mayonnaise, and make excellent luncheon or supper dishes. the sauce should not be poured over the fowls until the moment of serving. should a very large mayonnaise be required, use fowls instead of , with an equal proportion of the remaining ingredients. _average cost_, with one fowl, s. d. _sufficient_ for a moderate-sized dish. _seasonable_ from april to september. [illustration: black spanish.] black spanish.--the real spanish fowl is recognized by its uniformly black colour burnished with tints of green; its peculiar white face, and the large development of its comb and wattle. the hens are excellent layers, and their eggs are of a very large size. they are, however, bad nurses; consequently, their eggs should be laid in the nest of other varieties to be hatched. "in purchasing spanish," says an authority, "blue legs, the entire absence of white or coloured feathers in the plumage, and a large, white face, with a very large high comb, which should be erect in the cock, though pendent in the hens, should be insisted on." the flesh of this fowl is esteemed; but, from the smallness of its body when compared with that of the dorking, it is not placed on an equality with it for the table. otherwise, however, they are profitable birds, and their handsome carriage, and striking contrast of colour in the comb, face, and plumage, are a high recommendation to them as kept fowls. for a town fowl, they are perhaps better adapted than any other variety. fowl pillau, based on m. soyer's recipe (an indian dish). . ingredients.-- lb. of rice, oz. of butter, a fowl, quarts of stock or good broth, cardamum-seeds, / oz. of coriander-seed, / oz. of cloves, / oz. of allspice, / oz. of mace, / oz. of cinnamon, / oz. of peppercorns, onions, thin slices of bacon, hard-boiled eggs. _mode_.--well wash lb. of the best patna rice, put it into a frying-pan with the butter, which keep moving over a slow fire until the rice is lightly browned. truss the fowl as for boiling, put it into a stewpan with the stock or broth; pound the spices and seeds thoroughly in a mortar, tie them in a piece of muslin, and put them in with the fowl. let it boil slowly until it is nearly done; then add the rice, which should stew until quite tender and almost dry; cut the onions into slices, sprinkle them with flour, and fry, without breaking them, of a nice brown colour. have ready the slices of bacon curled and grilled, and the eggs boiled hard. lay the fowl in the form of a pyramid upon a dish, smother with the rice, garnish with the bacon, fried onions, and the hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters, and serve very hot. before taking the rice out, remove the spices. _time_.-- / hour to stew the fowl without the rice; / hour with it. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: sultans.] the serai ta-ook, or fowls of the sultan.--this fowl is the size of our english polands, and is the latest species introduced to england. they have a white and flowing plumage, a full-sized, compact poland tuft on the head, are muffed, have a full flowing tail, short legs well feathered, and five toes upon each foot. their comb consists merely of two little points, and their wattles are very small: their colour is that of a pure white. in january, , they arrived in this country from constantinople; and they take their name from _sarai_, the turkish word for sultan's palace, and _ta-ook_, the turkish for fowl. they are thus called the "fowls of the sultan," a name which has the twofold advantage of being the nearest to be found to that by which they have been known in their own country, and of designating the country whence they come. their habits are described as being generally brisk and happy-tempered, but not so easily kept in as cochin-chinas. they are excellent layers; but they are non-sitters and small eaters: their eggs are large and white. brahmas or cochins will clear the crop of a grass-run long before they will, and, with scattered food, they soon satisfy themselves and walk away. poulet aux cressons. . ingredients.--a fowl, a large bunch of water-cresses, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, / pint of gravy. _mode_.--truss and roast a fowl by recipe no. , taking care that it is nicely frothed and brown. wash and dry the water-cresses, pick them nicely, and arrange them in a flat layer on a dish. sprinkle over a little salt and the above proportion of vinegar; place over these the fowl, and pour over it the gravy. a little gravy should be served in a tureen. when not liked, the vinegar may be omitted. _time_.--from / to hour, according to size. _average cost_, in full season, s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. roast fowl, stuffed. . ingredients.--a large fowl, forcemeat no. , a little flour. _mode_.--select a large plump fowl, fill the breast with forcemeat, made by recipe no. , truss it firmly, the same as for a plain roast fowl, dredge it with flour, and put it down to a bright fire. roast it for nearly or quite an hour, should it be very large; remove the skewers, and serve with a good brown gravy and a tureen of bread sauce. _time_.--large fowl, nearly or quite hour. _average cost_, in full season, s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but scarce in early spring. _note_.--sausage-meat stuffing may be substituted for the above: this is now a very general mode of serving fowl. [illustration: pencilled hamburg.] pencilled hamburg.--this variety of the hamburg fowl is of two colours, golden and silver, and is very minutely marked. the hens of both should have the body clearly pencilled across with several bars of black, and the hackle in both, sexes should be perfectly free from dark marks. the cocks do not exhibit the pencillings, but are white or brown in the golden or silver birds respectively. their form is compact, and their attitudes graceful and sprightly. the hens do not sit, but lay extremely well; hence one of their common names, that of dutch every-day layers. they are also known in different parts of the country, as chitteprats, creoles, or corals, bolton bays and grays, and, in some parts of yorkshire, by the wrong name of corsican fowls. they are imported in large numbers from holland, but those bred in this country are greatly superior in size. giblet pie. . ingredients.--a set of duck or goose giblets, lb. of rump-steak, onion, / teaspoonful of whole black pepper, a bunch of savoury herbs, plain crust. _mode_.--clean, and put the giblets into a stewpan with an onion, whole pepper, and a bunch of savoury herbs; add rather more than a pint of water, and simmer gently for about - / hour. take them out, let them cool, and cut them into pieces; line the bottom of a pie-dish with a few pieces of rump-steak; add a layer of giblets and a few more pieces of steak; season with pepper and salt, and pour in the gravy (which should be strained), that the giblets were stewed in; cover with a plain crust, and bake for rather more than - / hour in a brisk oven. cover a piece of paper over the pie, to prevent the crust taking too much colour. _time_.-- - / hour to stew the giblets, about hour to bake the pie. _average cost_, exclusive of the giblets, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. the brent goose.--this is the smallest and most numerous species of the geese which visit the british islands. it makes its appearance in winter, and ranges over the whole of the coasts and estuaries frequented by other migrant geese. mr. selby states that a very large body of these birds annually resort to the extensive sandy and muddy flats which lie between the mainland and holy island, on the northumbrian coast, and which are covered by every flow of the tide. this part of the coast appears to have been a favourite resort of these birds from time immemorial, where they have always received the name of ware geese, no doubt from their continually feeding on marine vegetables. their flesh is very agreeable. hashed goose. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast goose, onions, oz. of butter, pint of boiling water, dessertspoonful of flour, pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonful of port wine, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--cut up the goose into pieces of the size required; the inferior joints, trimmings, &c., put into a stewpan to make the gravy; slice and fry the onions in the butter of a very pale brown; add these to the trimmings, and pour over about a pint of boiling water; stew these gently for / hour, then skim and strain the liquor. thicken it with flour, and flavour with port wine and ketchup, in the above proportion; add a seasoning of pepper and salt, and put in the pieces of goose; let these get thoroughly hot through, but do not allow them to boil, and serve with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.--altogether, rather more than hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold goose, d. _seasonable_ from september to march. the wild goose.--this bird is sometimes called the "gray-lag" and is the original of the domestic goose. it is, according to pennant, the only species which the britons could take young, and familiarize. "the gray-lag," says mr. gould, "is known to persia, and we believe it is generally dispersed over asia minor." it is the bird that saved the capitol by its vigilance, and by the romans was cherished accordingly. roast goose. . ingredients.--goose, large onions, sage-leaves, / lb. of bread crumbs, - / oz. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, egg. _choosing and trussing_.--select a goose with a clean white skin, plump breast, and yellow feet: if these latter are red, the bird is old. should the weather permit, let it hang for a few days: by so doing, the flavour will be very much improved. pluck, singe, draw, and carefully wash and wipe the goose; cut off the neck close to the back, leaving the skin long enough to turn over; cut off the feet at the first joint, and separate the pinions at the first joint. beat the breast-bone flat with a rolling-pin, put a skewer through the under part of each wing, and having drawn up the legs closely, put a skewer into the middle of each, and pass the same quite through the body. insert another skewer into the small of the leg, bring it close down to the side bone, run it through, and do the same to the other side. now cut off the end of the vent, and make a hole in the skin sufficiently large for the passage of the rump, in order to keep in the seasoning. [illustration: roast goose.] _mode_.--make a sage-and-onion stuffing of the above ingredients, by recipe no. ; put it into the body of the goose, and secure it firmly at both ends, by passing the rump through the hole made in the skin, and the other end by tying the skin of the neck to the back; by this means the seasoning will not escape. put it down to a brisk fire, keep it well basted, and roast from - / to hours, according to the size. remove the skewers, and serve with a tureen of good gravy, and one of well-made apple-sauce. should a very highly-flavoured seasoning be preferred, the onions should not be parboiled, but minced raw: of the two methods, the mild seasoning is far superior. a ragoût, or pie, should be made of the giblets, or they may be stewed down to make gravy. be careful to serve the goose before the breast falls, or its appearance will be spoiled by coming flattened to table. as this is rather a troublesome joint to carve, a _large_ quantity of gravy should not be poured round the goose, but sent in a tureen. _time_.--a large goose, - / hour; a moderate-sized one, - / to - / hour. _seasonable_ from september to march; but in perfection from michaelmas to christmas. _average cost_, s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _note_.--a teaspoonful of made mustard, a saltspoonful of salt, a few grains of cayenne, mixed with a glass of port wine, are sometimes poured into the goose by a slit made in the apron. this sauce is, by many persons, considered an improvement. [illustration: emden goose.] the goose.--this bird is pretty generally distributed over the face of the globe, being met with in north america, lapland, iceland, arabia, and persia. its varieties are numerous; but in england there is only one species, which is supposed to be a native breed. the best geese are found on the borders of suffolk, and in norfolk and berkshire; but the largest flocks are reared in the fens of lincolnshire and cambridge. they thrive best where they have an easy access to water, and large herds of them are sent every year to london, to be fattened by the metropolitan poulterers. "a michaelmas goose," says dr. kitchener, "is as famous in the mouths of the million as the minced-pie at christmas; yet for those who eat with delicacy, it is, at that time, too full-grown. the true period when the goose is in the highest perfection is when it has just acquired its full growth, and not begun to harden; if the march goose is insipid, the michaelmas goose is rank. the fine time is between both; from the second week in june to the first in september." it is said that the michaelmas goose is indebted to queen elizabeth for its origin on the table at that season. her majesty happened to dine on one at the table of an english baronet, when she received the news of the discomfiture of the spanish armada. in commemoration of this event, she commanded the goose to make its appearance at table on every michaelmas. we here give an engraving of the emden goose. to dress a green goose. . ingredients.--goose, oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--geese are called green till they are about four months old, and should not be stuffed. after it has been singed and trussed, the same as in the preceding recipe, put into the body a seasoning of pepper and salt, and the butter to moisten it inside. roast before a clear fire for about / hour, froth and brown it nicely, and serve with a brown gravy, and, when liked, gooseberry-sauce. this dish should be garnished with water-cresses. _time_.--about / hour. _average cost_, s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in june, july, and august. [illustration: toulouse goose.] the egyptian goose.--especial attention has been directed to this bird by herodotus, who says it was held sacred by the ancient egyptians, which has been partially confirmed by modern travellers. mr. salt remarks, "horus apollo says the old geese stay with their young in the most imminent danger, at the risk of their own lives, which i have myself frequently witnessed. vielpanser is the goose of the nile, and wherever this goose is represented on the walls of the temples in colours, the resemblance may be clearly traced." the goose is also said to have been a bird under the care of isis. it has been placed by mr. gould amongst the birds of europe; not from the number of half-reclaimed individuals which are annually shot in britain, but from the circumstance of its occasionally visiting the southern parts of the continent from its native country, africa. the toulouse goose, of which we give an engraving, is a well-known bird. roast guinea-fowl, larded. . ingredients.--a guinea-fowl, lardoons, flour, and salt. _mode_.--when this bird is larded, it should be trussed the same as a pheasant; if plainly roasted, truss it like a turkey. after larding and trussing it, put it down to roast at a brisk fire; keep it well basted, and a short time before serving, dredge it with a little flour, and let it froth nicely. serve with a little gravy in the dish, and a tureen of the same, and one of well-made bread-sauce. _time_.--guinea-fowl, larded, - / hour; plainly roasted, about hour. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ in winter. _note_.--the breast, if larded, should be covered with a piece of paper, and removed about minutes before serving. [illustration: guinea-fowls.] the guinea-fowl.--the bird takes its name from guinea, in africa, where it is found--wild, and in great abundance. it is gregarious in its habits, associating in flocks of two or three hundred, delighting in marshy grounds, and at night perching upon trees, or on high situations. its size is about the same as that of a common hen, but it stands higher on its legs. though domesticated, it retains much of its wild nature, and is apt to wander. the hens lay abundantly, and the eggs are excellent. in their flesh, however, they are not so white as the common fowl, but more inclined to the colour of the pheasant, for which it frequently makes a good substitute at table. the flesh is both savoury and easy of digestion, and is in season when game is out of season. lark pie (an entree). . ingredients.--a few thin slices of beef, the same of bacon, larks, flour; for stuffing, teacupful of bread crumbs, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, teaspoonful of minced parsley, egg, salt and pepper to taste, teaspoonful of chopped shalot, / pint of weak stock or water, puff-paste. _mode_.--make a stuffing of bread crumbs, minced lemon-peel, parsley, and the yolk of an egg, all of which should be well mixed together; roll the larks in flour, and stuff them. line the bottom of a pie-dish with a few slices of beef and bacon; over these place the larks, and season with salt, pepper, minced parsley, and chopped shalot, in the above proportion. pour in the stock or water, cover with crust, and bake for an hour in a moderate oven. during the time the pie is baking, shake it or times, to assist in thickening the gravy, and serve very hot. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. d. a dozen. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--in full season in november. roast larks. . ingredients.--larks, egg and bread crumbs, fresh butter. _mode_.--these birds are by many persons esteemed a great delicacy, and may be either roasted or broiled. pick, gut, and clean them; when they are trussed, brush them over with the yolk of an egg; sprinkle with bread crumbs, and roast them before a quick fire; baste them continually with fresh butter, and keep sprinkling with the bread crumbs until the birds are well covered. dish them on bread crumbs fried in clarified butter, and garnish the dish with slices of lemon. broiled larks are also very excellent: they should be cooked over a clear fire, and would take about minutes or / hour. _time_.-- / hour to roast; minutes to broil. _seasonable_.--in full season in november. _note_.--larks may also be plainly roasted, without covering them with egg and bread crumbs; they should be dished on fried crumbs. broiled pigeons. . ingredients.--pigeons, oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--take care that the pigeons are quite fresh, and carefully pluck, draw, and wash them; split the backs, rub the birds over with butter, season them with pepper and salt, and broil them over a moderate fire for / hour or minutes. serve very hot, with either mushroom-sauce or a good gravy. pigeons may also be plainly boiled, and served with parsley and butter; they should be trussed like boiled fowls, and take from / hour to minutes to boil. _time_.--to broil a pigeon, from / hour to minutes; to boil one, the same time. _average cost_, from d. to d. each. _seasonable_ from april to september, but in the greatest perfection from midsummer to michaelmas. the pouter pigeon.--this is a very favourite pigeon, and, without doubt, the most curious of his species. he is a tail strong bird, as he had need be to carry about his great inflated crop, frequently as large and as round as a middling-sized turnip. a perfect pouter, seen on a windy day, is certainly a ludicrous sight: his feathered legs have the appearance of white trousers; his tapering tail looks like a swallow-tailed coat; his head is entirely concealed by his immense windy protuberance; and, altogether, he reminds you of a little "swell" of a past century, staggering under a bale of linen. the most common pouters are the blues, buffs, and whites, or an intermixture of all these various colours. the pouter is not a prolific breeder, is a bad nurse, and more likely to degenerate, if not repeatedly crossed and re-crossed with irish stock, than any other pigeon: nevertheless, it is a useful bird to keep if you are founding a new colony, as it is much attached to its home, and little apt to stray; consequently it is calculated to induce more restless birds to fettle down and make themselves comfortable. if you wish to breed pouters, you cannot do worse than intrust them with the care of their own eggs. roast pigeons. . ingredients.--pigeons, oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. _trussing_.--pigeons, to be good, should be eaten fresh (if kept a little, the flavour goes off), and they should be drawn as soon as killed. cut off the heads and necks, truss the wings over the backs, and cut off the toes at the first joint: previous to trussing, they should be carefully cleaned, as no bird requires so much washing. [illustration: roast pigeon.] _mode_.--wipe the birds very dry, season them inside with pepper and salt, and put about / oz. of butter into the body of each: this makes them moist. put them down to a bright fire, and baste them well the whole of the time they are cooking (they will be done enough in from to minutes); garnish with fried parsley, and serve with a tureen of parsley and butter. bread-sauce and gravy, the same as for roast fowl, are exceedingly nice accompaniments to roast pigeons, as also egg-sauce. _time_.--from minutes to / hour. _average cost_, d. to d. each. _seasonable_ from april to september; but in the greatest perfection from midsummer to michaelmas. the pigeon--the pigeon tribe forms a connecting ling between the passerine birds and poultry. they are widely distributed over the world, some of the species being found even in the arctic regions. their chief food is grain, and they drink much; not at intervals, like other birds, but by a continuous draught, like quadrupeds. the wild pigeon, or stockdove, is the parent whence all the varieties of the domestic pigeon are derived. in the wild state it is still found in many parts of this island, making its nest in the holes of rocks, in the hollows of trees, or in old towers, but never, like the ringdove, on branches. the blue house-pigeon is the variety principally reared for the table in this country, and is produced from our farmyards in great numbers. when young, and still fed by their parents, they are most preferable for the table, and are called _squabs_; under six months they are denominated _squeakers_, and at six months they begin to breed. their flesh is accounted savoury, delicate, and stimulating, and the dark-coloured birds are considered to have the highest flavour, whilst the light are esteemed to have the more delicate flesh. the pigeon-house, or dovecot.--the first thing to be done towards keeping pigeons is to provide a commodious place for their reception; and the next is, to provide the pigeons themselves. the situation or size of the dovecot will necessarily depend on convenience; but there is one point which must invariably be observed, and that is, that every pair of pigeons has two holes or rooms to nest in. this is indispensable, as, without it, there will be no security, but the constant prospect of confusion, breaking of eggs, and the destruction of young. the proper place for the pigeon-house is the poultry-yard; but it does very well near dwellings, stables, brewhouses, bakehouses, or such offices. some persons keep pigeons in rooms, and have them making their nests on the floor. the object is to escape the danger of the young falling out; but in such cases, there is a great risk of rats or other vermin getting at the pigeons. aspect of the pigeon-house.--the front of the pigeon-house should have a southwest aspect, and, if a room be selected for the purpose, it is usual to break a hole in the roof of the building for the passage of the pigeons, but which can be closed at convenience. a platform ought to be laid at the entrance for the pigeons to perch upon, with some kind of defence against strange cats, which will frequently depopulate a whole dovecot. yet, although cats are dangerous neighbours for the birds, they are necessary to defend them from the approach of rats and mice, which will not only suck the eggs, but destroy the birds. the platform should be painted white, and renewed as the paint wears off, white being a favourite colour with pigeons, and also most conspicuous as a mark to enable them to find their house. the boxes ought also to be similarly painted, and renewed when necessary, for which purpose lime and water will do very well. the necessity of cleanliness.--as cleanliness in human habitations is of the first importance, so is it in the pigeon-house. there the want of it will soon render the place a nuisance not to be approached, and the birds, both young and old, will be so covered with vermin and filth, that they will neither enjoy health nor comforts, whilst early mortality amongst them will be almost certain. in some cases, the pigeon-house is cleaned daily; but it should always be done, at any rate, once a week, and the floor covered with sifted gravel, frequently renewed. pigeons being exceedingly fond of water, and having a prescience of the coming of rain, they may be seen upon the house-tops waiting upon it until late in the evening, and then spreading their wings to receive the luxury of the refreshing shower. when they are confined in a room, therefore, they should be allowed a wide pan of water, to be often renewed. this serves them for a bath, which cools, refreshes, and assists them to keep their bodies clear of vermin. breeding pigeons.--in breeding pigeons, it is necessary to match a cock and hen, and shut them up together, or place them near to each other, and in the course of a day or two there is little doubt of their mating. various rules have been laid down for the purpose of assisting to distinguish the cock from the hen pigeon; but the masculine forwardness and action of the cock is generally so remarkable, that he is easily ascertained. the pigeon being monogamous, the male attaches and confines himself to one female, and the attachment is reciprocal, and the fidelity of the dove to its mate is proverbial. at the age of six months, young pigeons are termed squeakers, and then begin to breed, when properly managed. their courtship, and the well-known tone of voice in the cock, just then acquired and commencing, are indications of their approaching union. nestlings, while fed by cock and hen, are termed squabs, and are, at that age, sold and used for the table. the dove-house pigeon is said to breed monthly, when well supplied with food. at all events, it may be depended on, that pigeons of almost any healthy and well-established variety will breed eight or nine times in the year; whence it may readily be conceived how vast are the numbers that may be raised. [illustration: carrier pigeons.] the carrier pigeon.--without doubt the carrier is entitled to rank first in the pigeon family, with the exception, perhaps, of the blue-rock pigeons. no domestic fowl can be traced to so remote an antiquity. when greece was in its glory, carrier pigeons were used to convey to distant parts the names of the victors at the olympian games. during the holy war, when acre was besieged by king richard, saladin habitually corresponded with the besieged by means of carrier pigeons. a shaft from an english crossbow, however, happened to bring one of those feathered messengers to the ground, and the stratagem was discovered, the design of the saracens revealed, and so turned against the designers, that acre was in the hands of the christians before the wily saladin dreamt of such a thing. pigeon pie (epsom grand-stand recipe). . ingredients.-- - / lb. of rump-steak, or pigeons, slices of ham, pepper and salt to taste, oz. of butter, eggs, puff crust. _mode_.--cut the steak into pieces about inches square, and with it line the bottom of a pie-dish, seasoning it well with pepper and salt. clean the pigeons, rub them with pepper and salt inside and out, and put into the body of each rather more than / oz. of butter; lay them on the steak, and a piece of ham on each pigeon. add the yolks of eggs, and half fill the dish with stock; place a border of puff paste round the edge of the dish, put on the cover, and ornament it in any way that may be preferred. clean three of the feet, and place them in a hole made in the crust at the top: this shows what kind of pie it is. glaze the crust,--that is to say, brush it over with the yolk of an egg,--and bake it in a well-heated oven for about - / hour. when liked, a seasoning of pounded mace may be added. _time_.-- - / hour, or rather less. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: tumbler pigeons.] tumbler pigeons.--the smaller the size of this variety, the greater its value. the head should be round and smooth, the neck thin, and the tail similar to that of the turbit. highly-bred birds of this variety will attain an elevation in their flight beyond that of any other pigeons; and it is in seeing these little birds wing themselves so far into the skies that the fanciers take such delight. for four or five hours tumblers have been known to keep on the wing; and it is when they are almost lost to the power of human vision that they exhibit those pantomimic feats which give them their name, and which are marked by a tumbling over-and-over process, which suggests the idea of their having suddenly become giddy, been deprived of their self-control, or overtaken by some calamity. this acrobatic propensity in these pigeons has been ascribed by some to the absence of a proper power in the tail; but is nothing more than a natural habit, for which no adequate reason can be assigned. of this variety, the almond tumbler is the most beautiful; and the greater the variation of the colour in the flight and tail, the greater their value. [illustration: runt pigeons.] the runt pigeon.--this is generally esteemed among the largest of the pigeon varieties, and being possessed of proportionate strength, with a strong propensity to exercise it, they keep the dovecot in a state of almost continual commotion by domineering over the weaker inmates. they breed tolerably well, however, and are valuable for the table. there is both the leghorn and the spanish runt, variously plumaged; but when red, white, or black mottled, are most highly esteemed. one of the great advantages connected with the runt is, that he is not likely to fly away from home. being heavy birds, they find it difficult, when well fed, to mount even to a low housetop. again, they require no loft, or special dwelling-place, but, if properly tended, will be perfectly satisfied, and thrive as well, in a rabbit-hutch as any where. their flavour is very good; and it is not an uncommon thing for a squeaker runt to exceed a pound and a quarter in weight. [illustration: nun pigeons.] the nun pigeon.--the tumbler bears a strong resemblance to this variety, which is characterized by a tuft of feathers rising from the back of the head, and which, on the whole, is an extremely pretty little bird. according to the colour of the head, it is called the red, black, or yellow-headed nun. to be a perfect bird, it should have a small head and beak; and the larger the tuft at the back of his head, the handsomer the bird is esteemed, and proportionately valuable in the eyes of pigeon-fanciers. [illustration: trumpeter pigeons.] the trumpeter pigeon.--from the circumstance of this bird imitating the sound of a trumpet, instead of cooing, like other pigeons, it has received its designation. it is of the middle size, having its legs and feet covered with feathers, and its plumage generally of a mottled black-and-white. it has a tuft springing from the root of its beak, and the larger this topknot is, the higher the estimation in which the breed is held. in their powers of trumpeting some are more expert than others; and whether this has any effect in influencing their own estimate of themselves, we cannot say; but they are rather select in the choice of their company. if two of them are put in a pigeon-house with other doves, it will be found that they confine their association almost entirely to each other. as much as two guineas have been paid for a well-trained docile bird of this kind. [illustration: wood-pigeon.] the wood, or wild pigeon.--buffon enumerates upwards of thirty varieties of the pigeon, which he derives from one root,--viz. the stockdove, or common wild pigeon. all the varieties of colour and form which we witness, he attributes to human contrivance and fancy. nevertheless, there exist essentially specific differences in these birds, which would appear to be attributable rather to the nature of the region, soil, and climate to which they are indigenous, than to the art and ingenuity of man. the stockdove, in its wild state, is still found in some parts of britain, forming its nest in the holes of rocks, old towers, and in the hollows of trees; it never, however, like the ringdove, nestles in the branches. multitudes of wild pigeons still visit our shores in the winter, coming from their more northerly retreats, making their appearance about november, and retiring again in the spring. when forests of beechwood covered large tracts of the ground of this country, these birds used to haunt them in myriads, frequently covering a mile of ground in extent when they went out in the morning to feed. stewed pigeons. . ingredients.-- pigeons, a few slices of bacon, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of minced parsley, sufficient stock no. to cover the pigeons, thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, tablespoonful of port wine. _mode_.--empty and clean the pigeons thoroughly, mince the livers, add to these the parsley and butter, and put it into the insides of the birds. truss them with the legs inward, and put them into a stewpan, with a few slices of bacon placed under and over them; add the stock, and stew gently for rather more than / hour. dish the pigeons, strain the gravy, thicken it with butter and flour, add the ketchup and port wine, give one boil, pour over the pigeons, and serve. _time_.--rather more than / hour. _average cost_, d. to d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from april to september. [illustration: fantail pigeons.] the fantail pigeon.--this curious variety is inferior in point of size to most of the other varieties, and is characterized by having a short, slender bill, pendent wings, and naked legs and feet. it has the power of erecting its tail in the manner of a turkey-cock; during which action, especially when paying court to it's mate, it trembles or shakes, like the peacock when moving about with his train expanded and in full display. this power of erecting and spreading the tail is not confined to the male bird alone: the female possesses the same power to an equal extent, and otherwise resembles the male in every respect. it is not very prolific, and seldom succeeds so well in the aviary or pigeon-house as most of the other kinds. [illustration: jacobin pigeons.] the jacobin pigeon.--this variety, having the power to transmit to posterity a form precisely similar, with all its peculiar characters undiminished, is, among pigeon-fanciers, designated as of a pure or permanent race. it is distinguished by a remarkable ruff or frill of raised feathers, which, commencing behind the head and proceeding down the neck and breast, forms a kind of hood, not unlike that worn by a monk. from this circumstance, it has obtained its gallic name of _nonnain capuchin_. in size it is one of the smallest of the domestic pigeons, and its form is light and elegant. it is a very productive species, and, having its flight considerably impeded by the size and form of its hooded frill, keeps much at home, and is well adapted for the aviary or other buildings where pigeons are confined. [illustration: turbit pigeons.] the turbit pigeon.--this variety bears a strong resemblance to the jacobin, having a kind of frill in the fore part of its neck, occasioned by the breast-feathers lying contrariwise and standing straight out. the species is classed in accordance with the colour of the shoulders, similarly as the nuns are by the colour of their heads. their characteristics of excellence are a full frill, short bill, and small round head. in germany it is called the ruffle pigeon, in allusion to the feathers on its breast; and it has rarely any feathers on its feet. there is a peculiarity connected with this bird, which somewhat lowers it in the estimation of fanciers: it seldom rears more than one at a time, which, therefore, marks it as a bird rather for amusement than profit. [illustration: barb pigeons.] the barb pigeon.--the name of this variety is a contraction of barbary, from which country it originally comes. it is both prolific and has excellent qualities as a nurse. the kind most esteemed is that of one uniform colour, that of blue-black being preferable to any other. speckled or mottled barbs are esteemed the most common of all pigeons. it is not unlike the carrier pigeon, and, at a small distance, might easily be mistaken for the latter. it has a short beak and a small wattle. a spongy, pinky skin round the eyes is its chief characteristic, however, and this increases in size till the bird is three or four years old. this peculiarity is hardly distinguishable in very young birds. [illustration: blue rock-pigeon.] the rock pigeon.--this variety, in its wild state, is found upon the rocky parts of the west of scotland, and the bold shores of the western isles, more abundant than in any other parts of the british islands. as the shores of the mainland are exposed to the muds of the atlantic, and the comparatively small islands are surrounded by that ocean, the low grounds exposed to the west are seldom covered with snow for any length of time, and thus the birds easily find a supply of food. the numbers which there congregate are often very great, and the din of their united cry is sometimes very loud and even alarming. the love of home and the certainty of returning to it is very conspicuous in the rock-pigeon or _biset_, as it is called by the french. flocks from different parts of the coasts often meet on the feeding-grounds; but when the time of returning to rest comes round, each one keeps to its own party. [illustration: owl pigeons.] the owl pigeon.--this pigeon does not seem to be so well known as it formerly was, if we may judge from the fact that few modern writers mention it. like the turbit pigeon, the owl has a remarkable tuft of feathers on the breast, it having been compared by some to the frill of a shirt, and by others to a full-blown white rose. in size, it is not quite so large a pigeon as the jacobin. it is said to be preferred in france, above other varieties, as a bird to rear and kill for the table. in england it is very far from being common; indeed, we have applied to several keepers of pigeons, who have fancied themselves acquainted with all the varieties of this bird, and they have been able to tell us nothing of it. mr. harrison weir, our artist, however, has made his portrait from the life. boiled rabbit. [illustration: boiled rabbit.] . ingredients.--rabbit; water. _mode_.--for boiling, choose rabbits with smooth and sharp claws, as that denotes they are young: should these be blunt and rugged, the ears dry and tough, the animal is old. after emptying and skinning it, wash it well in cold water, and let it soak for about / hour in warm water, to draw out the blood. bring the head round to the side, and fasten it there by means of a skewer run through that and the body. put the rabbit into sufficient hot water to cover it, let it boil very gently until tender, which will be in from / to / hour, according to its size and age. dish it, and smother it either with onion, mushroom, or liver sauce, or parsley-and-butter; the former is, however, generally preferred to any of the last-named sauces. when liver-sauce is preferred, the liver should be boiled for a few minutes, and minced very finely, or rubbed through a sieve before it is added to the sauce. _time_.--a very young rabbit, / hour; a large one, / hour; an old one, hour or longer. _average cost_, from s. to s. d. each. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from september to february. the rabbit.--though this animal is an inhabitant of most temperate climates, it does not reach so far north as the hare. the wild rabbit is a native of great britain, and is found in large numbers in the sandy districts of norfolk and cambridgeshire. its flesh is, by some, considered to have a higher flavour than that of the tame rabbit, although it is neither so white nor so delicate. the animal, however, becomes larger and fatter in the tame than in the wild state; but it is not desirable to have it so fat as it can be made. curried rabbit. . ingredients.-- rabbit, oz. of butter, onions, pint of stock no. , tablespoonful of curry powder, tablespoonful of flour, teaspoonful of mushroom powder, the juice of / lemon, / lb. of rice. _mode_.--empty, skin, and wash the rabbit thoroughly, and cut it neatly into joints. put it into a stewpan with the butter and sliced onions, and let them acquire a nice brown colour, but do not allow them to blacken. pour in the stock, which should be boiling; mix the curry powder and flour smoothly with a little water, add it to the stock, with the mushroom powder, and simmer gently for rather more than / hour; squeeze in the lemon-juice, and serve in the centre of a dish, with an edging of boiled rice all round. where economy is studied, water may be substituted for the stock; in this case, the meat and onions must be very nicely browned. a little sour apple and rasped cocoa-nut stewed with the curry will be found a great improvement. _time_.--altogether / hour. _average cost_, from s. to s. d. each. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ in winter. [illustration: wild rabbits.] the common or wild rabbit.--warrens, or inclosures, are frequently made in favourable localities, and some of them are so large as to comprise , acres. the common wild rabbit is of a grey colour, and is esteemed the best for the purposes of food. its skin is valuable as an article of commerce, being used for the making of hats. another variety of the rabbit, however, called the "silver-grey," has been lately introduced to this country, and is still more valuable. its colour is a black ground, thickly interspersed with grey hairs; and its powers as a destroyer and consumer of vegetable food are well known to be enormous, especially by those who have gardens in the vicinity of a rabbit-warren. fried rabbit. . ingredients.-- rabbit, flour, dripping, oz. of butter, teaspoonful of minced shalot, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--cut the rabbit into neat joints, and flour them well; make the dripping boiling in a fryingpan, put in the rabbit, and fry it a nice brown. have ready a very hot dish, put in the butter, shalot, and ketchup; arrange the rabbit pyramidically on this, and serve as quickly as possible. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, from s. to s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to february. _note_.--the rabbit may be brushed over with egg, and sprinkled with bread crumbs, and fried as above. when cooked in this manner, make a gravy in the pan by recipe no. , and pour it round, but not over, the pieces of rabbit. varieties in rabbits.--almost everybody knows that a rabbit is a furry animal, that lives on plants, and burrows in the ground; that it has its varieties as well as other animals, and that it is frequently an especial favourite with boys. among its varieties, the short-legged, with width and substance of loin, is the most hardy, and fattens the most expeditiously. it has, besides, the soundest liver, rabbits generally being subject to defects of that part. it is also the smallest variety. there is a very large species of the hare-colour, having much bone, length and depth of carcase, large and long ears, with full eyes, resembling those of the hare: it might readily be taken for a hybrid or mule, but for the objection to its breeding. its flesh is high-coloured, substantial, and more savoury than that of the common rabbit; and, cooked like the hare, it makes a good dish. the large white, and yellow and white species, have whiter and more delicate flesh, and, cooked in the same way, will rival the turkey. rabbits are divided into four kinds, distinguished as warreners, parkers, hedgehogs, and sweethearts. the warrener, as his name implies, is a member of a subterranean community, and is less effeminate than his kindred who dwell _upon_ the earth and have "the world at their will," and his fur is the most esteemed. after him, comes the parker, whose favourite resort is a gentleman's pleasure-ground, where he usually breeds in great numbers, and from which he frequently drives away the hares. the hedgehog is a sort of vagabond rabbit, that, tinker like, roams about the country, and would have a much better coat on his back if he was more settled in his habits, and remained more at home. the sweetheart is a tame rabbit, with its fur so sleek, soft, and silky, that it is also used to some extent in the important branch of hat-making. rabbit a la minute. . ingredients.-- rabbit, / lb. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, blades of pounded mace, dried mushrooms, tablespoonfuls of minced parsley, teaspoonfuls of flour, glasses of sherry, pint of water. _mode_.--empty, skin, and wash the rabbit thoroughly, and cut it into joints. put the butter into a stewpan with the pieces of rabbit; add salt, pepper, and pounded mace, and let it cook until three parts done; then put in the remaining ingredients, and boil for about minutes: it will then be ready to serve. fowls or hare may be dressed in the same manner. _time_.--altogether, minutes. _average cost_, from s. to s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to february. rabbit pie. . ingredients.-- rabbit, a few slices of ham, salt and white pepper to taste, blades of pounded mace, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, a few forcemeat balls, hard-boiled eggs, / pint of gravy, puff crust. _mode_.--cut up the rabbit (which should be young), remove the breastbone, and bone the legs. put the rabbit, slices of ham, forcemeat balls, and hard eggs, by turns, in layers, and season each layer with pepper, salt, pounded mace, and grated nutmeg. pour in about / pint of water, cover with crust, and bake in a well-heated oven for about - / hour. should the crust acquire too much colour, place a piece of paper over it to prevent its burning. when done, pour in at the top, by means of the hole in the middle of the crust, a little good gravy, which may be made of the breast- and leg-bones of the rabbit and or shank-bones, flavoured with onion, herbs, and spices. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, from s. to s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to february. note.--the liver of the rabbit may be boiled, minced, and mixed with the forcemeat balls, when the flavour is liked. fecundity of the rabbit.--the fruitfulness of this animal has been the subject of wonder to all naturalists. it breeds seven times in the year, and generally begets seven or eight young ones at a time. if we suppose this to happen regularly for a period of four years, the progeny that would spring from a single pair would amount to more than a million. as the rabbit, however, has many enemies, it can never be permitted to increase in numbers to such an extent as to prove injurious to mankind; for it not only furnishes man with an article of food, but is, by carnivorous animals of every description, mercilessly sacrificed. notwithstanding this, however, in the time of the roman power, they once infested the balearic islands to such an extent, that the inhabitants were obliged to implore the assistance of a military force from augustus to exterminate them. ragout of rabbit or hare. . ingredients.-- rabbit, teaspoonfuls of flour, sliced onions, oz. of butter, a few thin slices of bacon, pepper and salt to taste, slices of lemon, bay-leaf, glass of port wine. _mode_.--slice the onions, and put them into a stewpan with the flour and butter; place the pan near the fire, stir well as the butter melts, till the onions become a rich brown colour, and add, by degrees, a little water or gravy till the mixture is of the consistency of cream. cut some thin slices of bacon; lay in these with the rabbit, cut into neat joints; add a seasoning of pepper and salt, the lemon and bay-leaf, and let the whole simmer until tender. pour in the port wine, give one boil, and serve. _time_.--about / hour to simmer the rabbit. _average cost_, from s. to s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to february. the rabbit-house.--rabbit-keeping is generally practised by a few individuals in almost every town, and by a few in almost every part of the country. forty years ago, there were in the metropolis one or two considerable feeders, who, according to report, kept from , to , breeding does. these large establishments, however, have ceased to exist, and london receives the supply of tame as well as wild rabbits chiefly from the country. where they are kept, however, the rabbit-house should be placed upon a dry foundation, and be well ventilated. exposure to rain, whether externally or internally, is fatal to rabbits, which, like sheep, are liable to the rot, springing from the same causes. thorough ventilation and good air are indispensable where many rabbits are kept, or they will neither prosper nor remain healthy for any length of time. a thorough draught or passage for the air is, therefore, absolutely necessary, and should be so contrived as to be checked in cold or wet weather by the closing or shutting of opposite doors or windows. roast or baked rabbit. . ingredients.-- rabbit, forcemeat no. , buttered paper, sausage-meat. [illustration: roast rabbit.] _mode_.--empty, skin, and thoroughly wash the rabbit; wipe it dry, line the inside with sausage-meat and forcemeat made by recipe no. , and to which has been added the minced liver. sew the stuffing inside, skewer back the head between the shoulders, cut off the fore-joints of the shoulders and legs, bring: them close to the body, and secure them by means of a skewer. wrap the rabbit in buttered paper, and put it down to a bright clear fire; keep it well basted, and a few minutes before it is done remove the paper, flour and froth it, and let it acquire a nice brown colour. take out the skewers, and serve with brown gravy and red-currant jelly. to bake the rabbit, proceed in the same manner as above; in a good oven, it will take about the same time as roasting. _time_.--a young rabbit, minutes; a large one, about / hour. _average cost_, from s. to s. d. each. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from september to february. the hutch.--hutches are generally placed one above another to the height required by the number of rabbits and the extent of the room. where a large stock is kept, to make the most of room, the hutches may be placed in rows, with a sufficient interval between for feeding and cleaning, instead of being, in the usual way, joined to the wall. it is preferable to rest the hutches upon stands, about a foot above the ground, for the convenience of cleaning under them. each of the hutches intended for breeding should have two rooms,--a feeding and a bed-room. those are single for the use of the weaned rabbits, or for the bucks, which are always kept separate. the floors should be planed smooth, that wet may run off, and a common hoe, with a short handle, and a short broom, are most convenient implements for cleaning these houses. stewed rabbit. . ingredients.-- rabbit, large onions, cloves, small teaspoonful of chopped lemon-peel, a few forcemeat balls, thickening of butter and flour, large tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--cut the rabbit into small joints; put them into a stewpan, add the onions sliced, the cloves, and minced lemon-peel. pour in sufficient water to cover the meat, and, when the rabbit is nearly done, drop in a few forcemeat balls, to which has been added the liver, finely chopped. thicken the gravy with flour and butter, put in the ketchup, give one boil, and serve. _time_.--rather more than / hour. _average cost_, s. to s. d each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to february. [illustration: lop-eared rabbit.] fancy rabbits.--the graceful fall of the ears is the first thing that is looked to by the fancier; next, the dewlap, if the animal is in its prime; then the colours and marked points, and, lastly, the shape and general appearance. the ears of a fine rabbit should extend not less than seven inches, measured from tip to tip in a line across the skull; but even should they exceed this length, they are admitted with reluctance into a fancy stock, unless they have a uniform and graceful droop. the dewlap, which is a fold of skin under the neck and throat, is only seen in fancy rabbits, after they have attained their full growth: it commences immediately under the jaw, and adds greatly to the beauty of their appearance. it goes down the throat and between the fore legs, and is so broad that it projects beyond the chin. the difference between the fancy and common rabbit in the back, independent of the ears, is sufficient to strike the common observer. fancy rabbits fetch a very high price; so much as five and ten guineas, and even more, is sometimes given for a first-rate doe. if young ones are first procured from a good family, the foundation of an excellent stock can be procured for a much smaller sum. sometimes the ears, instead of drooping down, slope backwards: a rabbit with this characteristic is scarcely admitted into a fancy lot, and is not considered worth more than the common variety. the next position is when one ear lops outwards, and the other stands erect: rabbits of this kind possess but little value, however fine the shape and beautiful the colour, although they sometimes breed as good specimens as finer ones. the forward or horn-lop is one degree nearer perfection than the half-lop: the ears, in this case, slope forward and down over the forehead. rabbits with this peculiarity are often perfect in other respects, with the exception of the droop of the ears, and often become the parents of perfect young ones: does of this kind often have the power of lifting an ear erect. in the ear-lop, the ears spread out in an horizontal position, like the wings of a bird in flight, or the arms of a man swimming. a great many excellent does have this characteristic, and some of the best-bred bucks in the fancy are entirely so. sometimes a rabbit drops one ear completely, but raises the other so neatly horizontally as to constitute an ear-lop: this is superior to all others, except the perfect fall, which is so rarely to be met with, that those which are merely ear-lopped are considered as valuable rabbits, if well bred and with other good qualities. "the real lop has ears that hang down by the side of the cheek, slanting somewhat outward in their descent, with the open part of the ear inward, and sometimes either backwards or forwards instead of perpendicular: when the animals stand in an easy position, the tips of the ears touch the ground. the hollows of the ears, in a fancy rabbit of a first-rate kind, should be turned so completely backwards that only the outer part of them should remain in front: they should match exactly in their descent, and should slant outwards as little as possible." the same authority asserts that perfect lops are so rare, that a breeder possessing twenty of the handsomest and most perfect does would consider himself lucky if, in the course of a year, he managed to raise twelve full-lopped rabbits out of them all. as regards variety and purity of colour an experienced breeder says:-- "the fur of fancy rabbits may be blue, or rather lead-colour, and white, or black and white, or tawny and white, that is, tortoiseshell-coloured. but it is not of so much importance what colours the coat of a rabbit displays, as it is that those colours shall be arranged in a particular manner, forming imaginary figures or fancied resemblances to certain objects. hence the peculiarities of their markings have been denoted by distinctive designations. what is termed 'the blue butterfly smut' was, for some time, considered the most valuable of fancy rabbits. it is thus named on account of having bluish or lead-coloured spots on either side of the nose, having some resemblance to the spread wings of a butterfly, what may be termed the groundwork of the rabbit's face being white. a black and white rabbit may also have the face marked in a similar manner, constituting a 'black butterfly smut.' "but a good fancy rabbit must likewise have other marks, without which it cannot be considered a perfect model of its kind. there should be a black or blue patch on its back, called the saddle; the tail must be of the same colour with the back and snout; while the legs should be all white; and there ought to be dark stripes on both sides of the body in front, passing backwards to meet the saddle, and uniting on the top of the shoulders at the part called the withers in a horse. these stripes form what is termed the 'chain' having somewhat the appearance of a chain or collar hanging round the neck." "among thorough-bred fancy rabbits, perhaps not one in a hundred will have all these markings clearly and exactly displayed on the coat; but the more nearly the figures on the coat of a rabbit approach to the pattern described, the greater will be its value, so far, at least, as relates to colour. the beauty and consequent worth of a fancy rabbit, however, depends a good deal on its shape, or what is styled its carriage. a rabbit is said to have a good carriage when its back is finely arched, rising full two inches above the top of its head, which must be held so low as for the muzzle and the points of the ears to reach almost to the ground." stewed rabbit, larded. . ingredients.-- rabbit, a few strips of bacon, rather more than pint of good broth or stock, a bunch of savoury herbs, salt and pepper to taste, thickening of butter and flour, glass of sherry. _mode_.--well wash the rabbit, cut it into quarters, lard them with blips of bacon, and fry them; then put them into a stewpan with the broth, herbs, and a seasoning of pepper and salt; simmer gently until the rabbit is tender, then strain the gravy, thicken it with butter and flour, add the sherry, give one boil, pour it over the rabbit, and serve. garnish with slices of cut lemon. _time_.--rather more than / hour. _average cost_, s. to s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to february. [illustration: the hare-rabbit.] the hare-rabbit.--there has been lately introduced to french tables an animal called the "hare-rabbit," partaking of the nature, characteristics, and qualifications of both the hare and the rabbit. it is highly spoken of, both as regards flesh and flavour; and it is said to be the only hybrid which is able to perpetuate its race. we hope that some enterprising individual will soon secure for english, tables what would seem to be a really valuable addition to our other game and poultry dishes; although it will be rather difficult to exactly assign its proper position, as within or without the meaning of "game," as by law established. only a few specimens have been seen in england at present, but there is no reason to doubt that our rabbit-fanciers will prove equal to the occasion, and cope successfully with our neighbours across the channel in introducing a new animal serviceable in the kitchen. [illustration: angora rabbit.] the angora rabbit.--this is one of the handsomest of all rabbits. it takes its name from being an inhabitant of angora, a city and district of asia minor. like the well-known angora goat and cat, both of which are valuable on account of the fineness of their wool and fur, this rabbit is prized for its long, waved, silky fur, which, as an article of commerce is highly esteemed. we are not aware whether it is eaten by the inhabitants, and but few specimens have been introduced into england, where, doubtless, the beauty of its coat would materially suffer from the more humid and less genial character of the climate. to the rabbits of the ancient and mountainous district of angora the words of the wise man would seem most to apply, "the conies are but feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks." [illustration: himalaya rabbits.] the himalaya rabbit.--amidst the mighty himalaya mountains, whose peaks are the highest on the globe, the pretty rabbit here portrayed is found; and his colour seems to be like the snow, which, above the altitude of from , to , feet, perpetually crowns the summits of these monarchs of the world. it is, at present, a very rare animal in england, but will, doubtless, be more extensively known in the course of a few years. from the earth-tunnelling powers of this little animal, martial declares that mankind learned the art of fortification, mining, and covered roads. boiled turkey. . ingredients.--turkey; forcemeat no. . _choosing and trussing_.--hen turkeys are preferable for boiling, on account of their whiteness and tenderness, and one of moderate size should be selected, as a large one is not suitable for this mode of cooking. they should not be dressed until they have been killed or days, as they will neither look white, nor will they be tender. pluck the bird, carefully draw, and singe it with a piece of white paper, wash it inside and out, and wipe it thoroughly dry with a cloth. cut off the head and neck, draw the strings or sinews of the thighs, and cut off the legs at the first joint; draw the legs into the body, fill the breast with forcemeat made by recipe no. ; run a skewer through the wing and the middle joint of the leg, quite into the leg and wing on the opposite side; break the breastbone, and make the bird look as round and as compact as possible. [illustration: boiled turkey.] _mode_.--put the turkey into sufficient _hot_ water to cover it; let it come to a boil, then carefully remove all the scum: if this is attended to, there is no occasion to boil the bird in a floured cloth; but it should be well covered with the water. let it simmer very gently for about - / hour to - / hour, according to the size, and serve with either white, celery, oyster, or mushroom sauce, or parsley-and-butter, a little of which should be poured over the turkey. boiled ham, bacon, tongue, or pickled pork, should always accompany this dish; and when oyster sauce is served, the turkey should be stuffed with oyster forcemeat. _time_.--a small turkey, - / hour; a large one, - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. to s. d. each, but more expensive at christmas, on account of the great demand. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from december to february. the turkey.--the turkey, for which fine bird we are indebted to america, is certainly one of the most glorious presents made by the new world to the old. some, indeed, assert that this bird was known to the ancients, and that it was served at the wedding-feast of charlemagne. this opinion, however, has been controverted by first-rate authorities, who declare that the french name of the bird, _dindon_, proves its origin; that the form of the bird is altogether foreign, and that it is found in america alone in a wild state. there is but little doubt, from the information which has been gained at considerable trouble, that it appeared, generally, in europe about the end of the th century; that it was first imported into france by jesuits, who had been sent out missionaries to the west; and that from france it spread over europe. to this day, in many localities in france, a turkey is called a jesuit. on the farms of n. america, where turkeys are very common, they are raised either from eggs which have been found, or from young ones caught in the woods: they thus preserve almost entirely their original plumage. the turkey only became gradually acclimated, both on the continent and in england: in the middle of the th century, scarcely out of young turkeys lived; now, generally speaking, out of the same number arrive at maturity. croquettes of turkey (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold turkey; to every / lb. of meat allow oz. of ham or bacon, shalots, oz. of butter, tablespoonful of flour, the yolks of eggs, egg and bread crumbs. _mode_.--the smaller pieces, that will not do for a fricassée or hash, answer very well for this dish. mince the meat finely with ham or bacon in the above proportion; make a gravy of the bones and trimmings, well seasoning it; mince the shalots, put them into a stewpan with the butter, add the flour; mix well, then put in the mince, and about / pint of the gravy made from the bones. (the proportion of the butter must be increased or diminished according to the quantity of mince.) when just boiled, add the yolks of eggs; put the mixture out to cool, and then shape it in a wineglass. cover the croquettes with egg and bread crumbs, and fry them a delicate brown. put small pieces of parsley-stems for stalks, and serve with, rolled bacon cut very thin. _time_.-- minutes to fry the croquettes. _seasonable_ from december to february. the wild turkey.--in its wild state, the turkey is gregarious, going together in extensive flocks, numbering as many as five hundred. these frequent the great swamps of america, where they roost; but, at sunrise, leave these situations to repair to the dry woods, in search of berries and acorns. they perch on the boughs of trees, and, by rising from branch to branch, attain the height they desire. they usually mount to the highest tops, apparently from an instinctive conception that the loftier they are the further they are out of danger. they fly awkwardly, but run with great swiftness, and, about the month of march become so fat as not to be able to take a flight beyond three or four hundred yards, and are then, also, easily run down by a horseman. now, however, it rarely happens that wild turkeys are seen in the inhabited parts of america. it is only in the distant and more unfrequented parts that they are found in great numbers. fricasseed turkey (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast or boiled turkey; a strip of lemon-peel, a bunch of savoury herbs, onion, pepper and salt to taste, pint of water, tablespoonfuls of cream, the yolk of an egg. _mode_.--cut some nice slices from the remains of a cold turkey, and put the bones and trimmings into a stewpan, with the lemon-peel, herbs, onion, pepper, salt, add the water; stew for an hour, strain the gravy, and lay in the pieces of turkey. when warm through, add the cream and the yolk of an egg; stir it well round, and, when getting thick, take out the pieces, lay them on a hot dish, and pour the sauce over. garnish the fricassée with sippets of toasted bread. celery or cucumbers, cut into small pieces, may be put into the sauce; if the former, it must be boiled first. _time_.-- hour to make the gravy. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold turkey, d. _seasonable_ from december to february. the turkey.--this is one of the gallinaceous birds, the principal genera of which are pheasants, turkeys, peacocks, bustards, pintatoes, and grouse. they live mostly on the ground, scraping the earth with their feet, and feeding on seeds and grains, which, previous to digestion, are macerated in their crops. they usually associate in families, consisting of one male and several females. turkeys are particularly fond of the seeds of nettles, whilst the seeds of the foxglove will poison them. the common turkey is a native of north america, and, in the reign of henry viii., was introduced into england. according to tusser's "five hundred points of good husbandry," it began about the year to form a dish at our rural christmas feasts:-- "beefe, mutton, and pork, shred pies of the best, pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkey well drest; cheese, apples, and nuts, jolly carols to hear, as then in the country is counted good cheer." the turkey is one of the most difficult birds to rear, and its flesh is much esteemed. the disposition of the turkey.--among themselves, turkeys are extremely furious, whilst amongst other animals they are usually both weak and cowardly. the domestic cock frequently makes them keep at a distance, whilst they will rarely attack him but in a united body, when the cock is rather crushed by their weight than defeated by their prowess. the disposition of the female is in general much more gentle than that of the male. when leading forth her young to collect their food, though so large and apparently so powerful a bird, she gives them very slight protection from the attacks of any rapacious animal which may appear against them. she rather warns them of their danger than offers to defend them; yet she is extremely affectionate to her young. hashed turkey. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast turkey, onion, pepper and salt to taste, rather more than pint of water, carrot, turnip, blade of mace, a bunch of savoury herbs, tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, tablespoonful of port wine, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--cut the turkey into neat joints; the best pieces reserve for the hash, the inferior joints and trimmings put into a stewpan with an onion cut in slices, pepper and salt, a carrot, turnip, mace, herbs, and water in the above proportion; simmer these for an hour, then strain the gravy, thicken it with butter and flour, flavour with ketchup and port wine, and lay in the pieces of turkey to warm through; if there is any stuffing left, put that in also, as it so much improves the flavour of the gravy. when it boils, serve, and garnish the dish with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.-- hour to make the gravy. _seasonable_ from december to february. hunting turkeys.--formerly, in canada, hunting turkeys was one of the principal diversions of the natives of that country. when they discovered the retreat of the birds, which was generally near a field of nettles, or where grain of any kind was plentiful, they would send a well-trained dog into the midst of the flock. the turkeys no sooner perceived their enemy than they would run off at full speed, and with such swiftness that they would leave the dog far behind. he, however, would follow in their wake, and as they could not, for a great length of time, continue at their speed, they were at last forced to seek shelter in the trees. there they would sit, spent with fatigue, till the hunters would approach, and, with long poles, knock them down one after the other. roast turkey. . ingredients.--turkey; forcemeat no. . _choosing and trussing_.--choose cock turkeys by their short spurs and black legs, in which case they are young; if the spurs are long, and the legs pale and rough, they are old. if the bird has been long killed, the eyes will appear sunk and the feet very dry; but, if fresh, the contrary will be the case. middling-sized fleshy turkeys are by many persons considered superior to those of an immense growth, as they are, generally speaking, much more tender. they should never be dressed the same day they are killed; but, in cold weather, should hang at least days; if the weather is mild, or days will be found sufficient. carefully pluck the bird, singe it with white paper, and wipe it thoroughly with a cloth; draw it, preserve the liver and gizzard, and be particular not to break the gall-bag, as no washing will remove the bitter taste it imparts where it once touches. wash it _inside_ well, and wipe it thoroughly dry with a cloth; the _outside_ merely requires nicely wiping, as we have just stated. cut off the neck close to the back, but leave enough of the crop-skin to turn over; break the leg-bone close below the knee, draw out the strings from the thighs, and flatten the breastbone to make it look plump. have ready a forcemeat made by recipe no. ; fill the breast with this, and, if a trussing-needle is used, sew the neck over to the back; if a needle is not at hand, a skewer will answer the purpose. run a skewer through the pinion and thigh into the body to the pinion and thigh on the other side, and press the legs as much as possible between the breast and the side bones, and put the liver under one pinion and the gizzard under the other. pass a string across the back of the bird, catch it over the points of the skewer, tie it in the centre of the back, and be particular that the turkey is very firmly trussed. this may be more easily accomplished with a needle and twine than with skewers. [illustration: roast turkey.] _mode_.--fasten a sheet of buttered paper on to the breast of the bird, put it down to a bright fire, at some little distance _at first_ (afterwards draw it nearer), and keep it well basted the whole of the time it is cooking. about / hour before serving, remove the paper, dredge the turkey lightly with flour, and put a piece of butter into the basting-ladle; as the butter melts, baste the bird with it. when of a nice brown and well frothed, serve with a tureen of good brown gravy and one of bread sauce. fried sausages are a favourite addition to roast turkey; they make a pretty garnish, besides adding very much to the flavour. when these are not at hand, a few forcemeat balls should be placed round the dish as a garnish. turkey may also be stuffed with sausage-meat, and a chestnut forcemeat with the same sauce is, by many persons, much esteemed as an accompaniment to this favourite dish.--see coloured plate, a . _time_.--small turkey, - / hour; moderate-sized one, about lbs., hours; large turkey, - / hours, or longer. _average cost_, from s. to s., but expensive at christmas, on account of the great demand. _sufficient_.--a moderate-sized turkey for or persons. _seasonable_ from december to february. english turkeys.--these are reared in great numbers in suffolk, norfolk, and several other counties, whence they were wont to be driven to the london market in flocks of several hundreds; the improvements in our modes of travelling now, however, enable them to be brought by railway. their drivers used to manage them with great facility, by means of a bit of red rag tied to the end of a long stick, which, from the antipathy these birds have to that colour, effectually answered the purpose of a scourge. there are three varieties of the turkey in this country,--the black, the white, and the speckled, or copper-coloured. the black approaches nearest to the original stock, and is esteemed the best. its flesh is white and tender, delicate, nourishing, and of excellent flavour; it greatly deteriorates with age, however, and is then good for little but stewing. roast turkey poults. . ingredients.--turkey poult; butter. _choosing and trussing_.--choose a plump bird, and truss it in the following manner:--after it has been carefully plucked, drawn, and singed, skin the neck, and fasten the head under the wing; turn the legs at the first joint, and bring the feet close to the thighs, as a woodcock should be trussed, _and do not stuff it_. _mode_.--put it down to a bright fire, keep it well basted, and at first place a piece of paper on the breast to prevent its taking too much colour. about minutes before serving, dredge it lightly with flour, and baste well; when nicely frothed, send it to table immediately, with a little gravy in the dish, and some in a tureen. if at hand, a few water-cresses may be placed round the turkey as a garnish, or it may be larded. _time_.--about hour. _average cost_, s. to s. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--in full season from june to october. the future of the turkey.--human ingenuity subjects almost every material to the purposes of ornament or use and the feathers of turkeys have been found adapted for more ends than one. the american indians convert then into an elegant clothing, and, by twisting the inner ribs into a strong double string, with hemp or the inner bark of the mulberry tree, work it like matting. this fabric has a very rich and glossy appearance and is as fine as silk shag. the natives of louisiana used to make fans of the tail; and four of that appendage joined together was formerly constructed into a parasol by the french. to bone a turkey or fowl without opening it. (_miss acton's recipe_.) . after the fowl has been drawn and singed, wipe it inside and out with a clean cloth, but do not wash it. take off the head, cut through the skin all round the first joint of the legs, and pull them from the fowl, to draw out the large tendons. raise the flesh first from the lower part of the backbone, and a little also from the end of the breastbone, if necessary; work the knife gradually to the socket of the thigh; with the point of the knife detach the joint from it, take the end of the bone firmly in the fingers, and cut the flesh clean from it down to the next joint, round which pass the point of the knife carefully, and when the skin is loosened from it in every part, cut round the next bone, keeping; the edge of the knife close to it, until the whole of the leg is done. remove the bones of the other leg in the same manner; then detach the flesh from the back--and breast-bone sufficiently to enable you to reach the upper joints of the wings; proceed with these as with the legs, but be especially careful not to pierce the skin of the second joint: it is usual to leave the pinions unboned, in order to give more easily its natural form to the fowl when it is dressed. the merrythought and neck-bones may now easily be cut away, the back-and side-bones taken out without being divided, and the breastbone separated carefully from the flesh (which, as the work progresses, must be turned back from the bones upon the fowl, until it is completely inside out). after the one remaining bone is removed, draw the wings and legs back to their proper form, and turn the fowl right side outwards. . a turkey is boned exactly in the same manner; but as it requires a very large proportion of forcemeat to fill it entirely, the logs and wings are sometimes drawn into the body, to diminish the expense of this. if very securely trussed, and sewn, the bird may be either boiled, or stewed in rich gravy, as well as roasted, after being boned and forced; but it must be most gently cooled, or it may burst. another mode of boning a turkey or fowl. (_miss acton's recipe_.) . cut through the skin down the centre of the back, and raise the flesh carefully on either side with the point of a sharp knife, until the sockets of the wings and thighs are reached. till a little practice has been gained, it will perhaps be bettor to bone these joints before proceeding further; but after they are once detached from it, the whole of the body may easily be separated from the flesh and taken out entire: only the neck-bones and merrythought will then remain to be removed. the bird thus prepared may either be restored to its original form, by filling the legs and wings with forcemeat, and the body with the livers of two or three fowls, mixed with alternate layers of parboiled tongue freed from the rind, fine sausage-meat, or veal forcemeat, or thin slices of the nicest bacon, or aught else of good flavour, which will give a marbled appearance to the fowl when it is carved; and then be sewn up and trussed as usual; or the legs and wings may be drawn inside the body, and the bird being first flattened on a table, may be covered with sausage-meat, and the various other ingredients we have named, so placed that it shall be of equal thickness in every part; then tightly rolled, bound firmly together with a fillet of broad tape, wrapped in a thin pudding-cloth, closely tied at both ends, and dressed as follows:--put it into a braising-pan, stewpan, or thick iron saucepan, bright in the inside, and fitted as nearly as may be to its size; add all the chicken-bones, a bunch of sweet herbs, two carrots, two bay-leaves, a large blade of mace, twenty-four white peppercorns, and any trimmings or bones of undressed veal which may be at hand; cover the whole with good veal broth, add salt, if needed, and stew it very softly, from an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half; let it cool in the liquor in which it was stewed; and after it is lifted out, boil down the gravy to a jelly and strain it; let it become cold, clear off the fat, and serve it cut into large dice or roughed, and laid round the fowl, which is to be served cold. if restored to its form, instead of being rolled, it must be stewed gently for an hour, and may then be sent to table hot, covered with mushroom, or any other good sauce that may be preferred; or it may be left until the following day, and served garnished with the jelly, which should be firm, and very clear and well-flavoured: the liquor in which a calf's foot has been boiled down, added to the broth, will give it the necessary degree of consistence. to bone fowls for fricassees, curries, & pies. . first carve them entirely into joints, then remove the bones, beginning with the legs and wings, at the head of the largest bone; hold this with the fingers, and work the knife as directed in the recipe above. the remainder of the birds is too easily done to require any instructions. to dress wheatears. . ingredients.--wheatears; fresh butter. _mode_.--after the birds are picked, gutted, and cleaned, truss them like larks, put them down to a quick fire, and baste them well with fresh butter. when done, which will be in about minutes, dish them on fried bread crumbs, and garnish the dish with slices of lemon. _time_.-- minutes. _seasonable_ from july to october. the wheatear.--the wheatear is an annual visitor of england: it arrives about the middle of march and leaves in september. the females come about a fortnight before the males, and continue to arrive till the middle of may. they are in season from july to october, and are taken in large numbers on the south downs, in the neighbourhood of eastbourne, brighton, and other parts of sussex. they are taken by means of snares and nets, and numbers of them are eaten on the spot by the inhabitants. the larger ones are sent to london and potted, where they are by many as much esteemed as the ortolans of the continent. mr. pennant assigns as the reason of their abounding on the downs about eastbourne, the existence of a species of fly which forms their favourite food, and which feeds on the wild thyme on the adjacent hills. [illustration: the guinea-pig.] . the guinea-pig.--this common hutch-companion of the rabbit, although originally a native of brazil, propagates freely in england and other european countries. were it not that they suffer cruelly from cats, and numerous other enemies, and that it is the habit of the males to devour their own offspring, their numbers would soon become overwhelming. rats, however, it is said, carefully avoid them; and for this reason they are frequently bred by rabbit-fanciers, by way of protection for their young stock against those troublesome vermin. the lower tier of a rabbit-hutch is esteemed excellent quarters by the guinea-pig: here, as he runs loose, he will devour the waste food of his more admired companion. home naturalists assert that the guinea-pig will breed at two months old, the litter varying from four to twelve at a time. it is varied in colour,--white, fawn, and black, and a mixture of the three colours, forming a tortoiseshell, which is the more generally admired hue. occasionally, the white ones have red eyes, like those of the ferret and the white rabbit. their flesh, although eatable, is decidedly unfit for food; they have been tasted, however, we presume by some enthusiast eager to advance the cause of science, or by some eccentric epicure in search of a new pleasure for his palate. unless it has been that they deter rats from intruding within the rabbit-hutch, they are as useless as they are harmless. the usual ornament of an animal's hind quarters is denied them; and were it not for this fact, and also for their difference in colour, the shaksperean locution, "a rat without a tail," would designate them very properly. [illustration: the cygnet.] . the cygnet.--the cygnet, or the young swan, was formerly much esteemed; but it has "fallen from its high estate," and is now rarely seen upon the table. we are not sure that it is not still fattened in norwich for the corporation of that place. persons who have property on the river there, take the young birds, and send them to some one who is employed by the corporation, to be fed; and for this trouble he is paid, or was wont to be paid, about half a guinea a bird. it is as the future bird of elegance and grace that the young swan is mostly admired; when it has become old enough to grace the waters, then it is that all admire her, when she with "archèd neck, between her white wings mantling, proudly rows her state with oary feet." poultry carving. roast duck. [illustration: roast duck.] . no dishes require so much knowledge and skill in their carving as do game and poultry; for it is necessary to be well acquainted with the anatomy of the bird and animal in order to place the knife at exactly the proper point. a tough fowl and an old goose are sad triers of a carver's powers and temper, and, indeed, sometimes of the good humour of those in the neighbourhood of the carver; for a sudden tilt of the dish may eventuate in the placing a quantity of the gravy in the lap of the right or left-hand supporter of the host. we will endeavour to assist those who are unacquainted with the "gentle art of carving," and also those who are but slightly acquainted with it, by simply describing the rules to follow, and referring to the distinctly-marked illustrations of each dish, which will further help to bring light to the minds of the uninitiated. if the bird be a young duckling, it may be carved like a fowl, viz., by first taking off the leg and the wing on either side, as described at no. ; but in cases where the duckling is very small, it will be as well not to separate the leg from the wing, as they will not then form too large a portion for a single serving. after the legs and wings are disposed of, the remainder of the duck will be also carved in the same manner as a fowl; and not much difficulty will be experienced, as ducklings are tender, and the joints are easily broken by a little gentle forcing, or penetrated by the knife. in cases where the duck is a large bird, the better plan to pursue is then to carve it like a goose, that is, by cutting pieces from the breast in the direction indicated by the lines marked from to , commencing to carve the slices close to the wing, and then proceeding upwards from that to the breastbone. if more should be wanted than can be obtained from both sides of the breast, then the legs and wings must be attacked, in the same way as is described in connection with carving a fowl. it may be here remarked, that as the legs of a duck are placed far more backward than those of a fowl, their position causing the waddling motion of the bird, the thigh-bones will be found considerably nearer towards the backbone than in a chicken: this is the only difference worth mentioning. the carver should ask each guest if a portion of stuffing would be agreeable; and in order to get at this, a cut should be made below the breast, as shown by the line from to , at the part called the "apron," and the spoon inserted. (as described in the recipe, it is an excellent plan, when a couple of ducks are served, to have one with, and the other without stuffing.) as to the prime parts of a duck, it has been said that "the wing of a flier and the leg of a swimmer" are severally the best portions. some persons are fond of the feet of the duck; and, in trussing, these should never be taken off. the leg, wing, and neckbone are here shown; so that it will be easy to see the shape they should be when cut off. [illustration: leg, wing, and neckbone of duck.] boiled fowl. [illustration: boiled fowl.] [illustration: leg, wing, and neckbone of fowl.] . this will not be found a very difficult member of the poultry family to carve, unless, as may happen, a very old farmyard occupant, useless for egg-laying purposes, has, by some unlucky mischance, been introduced info the kitchen as a "fine young chicken." skill, however, and the application of a small amount of strength, combined with a fine keeping of the temper, will even get over that difficulty. fixing the fork firmly in the breast, let the knife be sharply passed along the line shown from to ; then cut downwards from that line to fig. ; and the wing, it will be found, can be easily withdrawn. the shape of the wing should be like the accompanying engraving. let the fork be placed inside the leg, which should be gently forced away from the body of the fowl; and the joint, being thus discovered, the carver can readily cut through it, and the leg can be served. when the leg is displaced, it should be of the same shape as that shown in the annexed woodcut. the legs and wings on either side having been taken off, the carver should draw his knife through the flesh in the direction of the line to : by this means the knife can be slipped underneath the merrythought, which, being lifted up and pressed backward, will immediately come off. the collar--or neck-bones are the next to consider: these lie on each side of the merrythought, close under the upper part of the wings; and, in order to free these from the fowl, they must also be raised by the knife at their broad end, and turned from the body towards the breastbone, until the shorter piece of the bone, as shown in the cut, breaks off. there will now be left only the breast, with the ribs. the breast can be, without difficulty, disengaged from the ribs by cutting through the latter, which will offer little impediment. the side-bones are now to be taken off; and to do this, the lower end of the back should be turned from the carver, who should press the point of the knife through the top of the backbone, near the centre, bringing it down towards the end of the back completely through the bone. if the knife is now turned in the opposite direction, the joint will be easily separated from the vertebra. the backbone being now uppermost, the fork should be pressed firmly down on it, whilst at the same time the knife should be employed in raising up the lower small end of the fowl towards the fork, and thus the back will be dislocated about its middle. the wings, breast, and merrythought are esteemed the prime parts of a fowl, and are usually served to the ladies of the company, to whom legs, except as a matter of paramount necessity, should not be given. byron gave it as one reason why he did not like dining with ladies, that they always had the wings of the fowls, which he himself preferred. we heard a gentleman who, when he might have had a wing, declare his partiality for a leg, saying that he had been obliged to eat legs for so long a time, that he had at last come to like them better than the other more prized parts. if the fowl is, capon-like, very large, slices maybe carved from its breast in the same manner as from a turkey's. roast fowl. [illustration: roast fowl.] . generally speaking, it is not necessary so completely to cut up a fowl as we have described in the preceding paragraphs, unless, indeed, a large family party is assembled, and there are a number of "little mouths" to be filled, or some other such circumstances prevail. a roast fowl is carved in the same manner as a boiled fowl, no. ; viz., by cutting along the line from. to , and then round the leg between it and the wing. the markings and detached pieces, as shown in the engravings under the heading of "boiled fowl," supersede the necessity of our lengthily again describing the operation. it may be added, that the liver, being considered a delicacy, should be divided, and one half served with each wing. in the case of a fowl being shifted, it will be proper to give each guest a portion, unless it be not agreeable to some one of the party. roast goose. [illustration: roast goose.] [illustration: leg, wing, and neck-bone of goose.] . it would not be fair to say that this dish bodes a great deal of happiness to an inexperienced carver, especially if there is a large party to serve, and the slices off the breast should not suffice to satisfy the desires and cravings of many wholesome appetites, produced, may be, by the various sports in vogue at michaelmas and christmas. the beginning of the task, however, is not in any way difficult. evenly-cut slices, not too thick or too thin, should be carved from the breast in the direction of the line from to ; after the first slice has been cut, a hole should be made with the knife in the part called the apron, passing it round the line, as indicated by the figures , , : here the stuffing is located, and some of this should be served on each plate, unless it is discovered that it is not agreeable to the taste of some one guest. if the carver manages cleverly, he will be able to cut a very large number of fine slices off the breast, and the more so if he commences close down by the wing, and carves upwards towards the ridge of the breastbone. as many slices as can be taken from the breast being carved, the wings should be cut off; and the same process as described in carving boiled fowl, is made use of in this instance, only more dexterity and greater force will most probably be required: the shape of the leg, when disengaged from the body of the goose, should be like that shown in the accompanying engraving. it will be necessary, perhaps, in taking off the leg, to turn the goose on its side, and then, pressing down the small end of the leg, the knife should be passed under it from the top quite down to the joint; the leg being now turned back by the fork, the knife must cut through the joint, loosening the thigh-bone from its socket. the merrythought, which in a goose is not so large as might be expected, is disengaged in the same way as that of a fowl--by passing the knife under it, and pressing it backwards towards the neck. the neck-bones, of which we give a cut, are freed by the same process as are those of a fowl; and the same may be said of all the other parts of this bird. the breast of a goose is the part most esteemed; all parts, however, are good, and full of juicy flavour. pigeon. [illustration: pigeon.] . a very straightforward plan is adopted in carving a pigeon: the knife is carried sharply in the direction of the line as shown from to , entirely through the bird, cutting it into two precisely equal and similar parts. if it is necessary to make three pieces of it, a small wing should be cut off with the leg on either side, thus serving two guests; and, by this means, there will be sufficient meat left on the breast to send to the third guest. rabbits. [illustration: boiled rabbit.] . in carving a boiled rabbit, let the knife be drawn on each side of the backbone, the whole length of the rabbit, as shown by the dotted line to : thus the rabbit will be in three parts. now let the back be divided into two equal parts in the direction of the line from to ; then let the leg be taken off, as shown by the line to , and the shoulder, as shown by the line to . this, in our opinion, is the best plan to carve a rabbit, although there are other modes which are preferred by some. [illustration: roast rabbit.] a roast rabbit is rather differently trussed from one that is meant to be boiled; but the carving is nearly similar, as will be seen by the cut. the back should be divided into as many pieces as it will give, and the legs and shoulders can then be disengaged in the same manner as those of the boiled animal. roast turkey. [illustration: roast turkey.] . a noble dish is a turkey, roast or boiled. a christmas dinner, with the middle classes of this empire, would scarcely be a christmas dinner without its turkey; and we can hardly imagine an object of greater envy than is presented by a respected portly pater-familias carving, at the season devoted to good cheer and genial charity, his own fat turkey, and carving it well. the only art consists, as in the carving of a goose, in getting from the breast as many fine slices as possible; and all must have remarked the very great difference in the large number of people whom a good carver will find slices for, and the comparatively few that a bad carver will succeed in serving. as we have stated in both the carving of a duck and goose, the carver should commence cutting slices close to the wing from, to , and then proceed upwards towards the ridge of the breastbone: this is not the usual plan, but, in practice, will be found the best. the breast is the only part which is looked on as fine in a turkey, the legs being very seldom cut off and eaten at table: they are usually removed to the kitchen, where they are taken off, as here marked, to appear only in a form which seems to have a special attraction at a bachelor's supper-table,--we mean devilled: served in this way, they are especially liked and relished. a boiled turkey is carved in the same manner as when roasted. [illustration] chapter xxii. general observations on game. . the common law of england has a maxim, that goods, in which no person can claim any property, belong, by his or her prerogative, to the king or queen. accordingly, those animals, those _ferae naturae_, which come under the denomination of game, are, in our laws, styled his or her majesty's, and may therefore, as a matter of course, be granted by the sovereign to another; in consequence of which another may prescribe to possess the same within a certain precinct or lordship. from this circumstance arose the right of lords of manors or others to the game within their respective liberties; and to protect these species of animals, the game laws were originated, and still remain in force. there are innumerable acts of parliament inflicting penalties on persons who may illegally kill game, and some of them are very severe; but they cannot be said to answer their end, nor can it be expected that they ever will, whilst there are so many persons of great wealth who have not otherwise the means of procuring game, except by purchase, and who will have it. these must necessarily encourage poaching, which, to a very large extent, must continue to render all game laws nugatory as to their intended effects upon the rustic population. . the object of these laws, however, is not wholly confined to the restraining of the illegal sportsman. even qualified or privileged persons must not kill game at all seasons. during the day, the hours allowed for sporting are from one hour before sunrise till one hour after sunset; whilst the time of killing certain species is also restricted to certain seasons. for example, the season for bustard-shooting is from december to march ; for grouse, or red grouse, from august to december ; heath-fowl, or black-game, from august to december ; partridges from september to february ; pheasants from october to february ; widgeons, wild ducks, wild geese, wild fowls, at any time but in june, july, august, and september. hares may be killed at any time of the year, under certain restrictions defined by an act of parliament of the th of george iii. . the exercise or diversion of pursuing four-footed beasts of game is called hunting, which, to this day, is followed in the field and the forest, with gun and greyhound. birds, on the contrary, are not hunted, but shot in the air, or taken with nets and other devices, which is called fowling; or they are pursued and taken by birds of prey, which is called hawking, a species of sport now fallen almost entirely into desuetude in england, although, in some parts, showing signs of being revived. . in pursuing four-footed beasts, such as deer, boars, and hares, properly termed hunting, mankind were, from the earliest ages, engaged. it was the rudest and the most obvious manner of acquiring human support before the agricultural arts had in any degree advanced. it is an employment, however, requiring both art and contrivance, as well as a certain fearlessness of character, combined with the power of considerable physical endurance. without these, success could not be very great; but, at best, the occupation is usually accompanied with rude and turbulent habits; and, when combined with these, it constitutes what is termed the savage state of man. as culture advances, and as the soil proportionably becomes devoted to the plough or to the sustenance of the tamer or more domesticated animals, the range of the huntsman is proportionably limited; so that when a country has attained to a high state of cultivation, hunting becomes little else than an amusement of the opulent. in the case of fur-bearing animals, however, it is somewhat different; for these continue to supply the wants of civilization with one of its most valuable materials of commerce. . the themes which form the minstrelsy of the earliest ages, either relate to the spoils of the chase or the dangers of the battle-field. even the sacred writings introduce us to nimrod, the first mighty hunter before the lord, and tell us that ishmael, in the solitudes of arabia, became a skilful bow-man; and that david, when yet young, was not afraid to join in combat with the lion or the bear. the greek mythology teems with hunting exploits. hercules overthrows the nemaean lion, the erymanthean boar, and the hydra of lerna; diana descends to the earth, and pursues the stag; whilst aesculapius, nestor, theseus, ulysses, and achilles are all followers of the chase. aristotle, sage as he was, advises young men to apply themselves early to it; and plato finds in it something divine. horace exalts it as a preparative exercise for the path of glory, and several of the heroes of homer are its ardent votaries. the romans followed the hunting customs of the greeks, and the ancient britons were hunters before julius caesar invaded their shores. . although the ancient britons followed hunting, however, they did not confine themselves solely to its pursuit. they bred cattle and tilled the ground, and, to some extent, indicated the rudimentary state of a pastoral and agricultural life; but, in every social change, the sports of the field maintained their place. after the expulsion of the danes, and during the brief restoration of the saxon monarchy, these were still followed: even edward the confessor, who would join in no other secular amusements, took the greatest delight, says william of malmesbury, "to follow a pack of swift hounds in pursuit of game, and to cheer them with his voice." . nor was edward the only english sovereign who delighted in the pleasures of the chase. william the norman, and his two sons who succeeded him, were passionately fond of the sport, and greatly circumscribed the liberties of their subjects in reference to the killing of game. the privilege of hunting in the royal forests was confined to the king and his favourites; and in order that these umbrageous retreats might be made more extensive, whole villages were depopulated, places of worship levelled with the ground, and every means adopted that might give a sufficient amplitude of space, in accordance with the royal pleasure, for the beasts of the chase. king john was likewise especially attached to the sports of the field; whilst edward iii. was so enamoured of the exercise, that even during his absence at the wars in france, he took with him sixty couples of stag-hounds and as many hare-hounds, and every day amused himself either with hunting or hawking. great in wisdom as the scotch solomon, james i., conceited himself to be, he was much addicted to the amusements of hunting, hawking, and shooting. yea, it is oven asserted that his precious time was divided between hunting, the bottle, and his standish: to the first he gave his fair weather, to the second his dull, and to the third his cloudy. from his days down to the present, the sports of the field have continued to hold their high reputation, not only for the promotion of health, but for helping to form that manliness of character which enters so largely into the composition of the sons of the british soil. that it largely helps to do this there can be no doubt. the late duke of grafton, when hunting, was, on one occasion, thrown into a ditch. a young curate, engaged in the same chase, cried out, "lie still, my lord!" leapt over him, and pursued his sport. such an apparent want of feeling might be expected to have been resented by the duke; but not so. on his being helped up by his attendant, he said, "that man shall have the first good living that falls to my disposal: had he stopped to have given me his sympathy, i never would have given him anything." such was the manly sentiment of the duke, who delighted in the exemplification of a spirit similarly ardent as his own in the sport, and above the baseness of an assumed sorrow. . that hunting has in many instances been carried to an excess is well known, and the match given by the prince esterhazy, regent of hungary, on the signing of the treaty of peace with france, is not the least extraordinary upon record. on that occasion, there were killed deer, wild boars, hares, and foxes: this was the achievement of one day. enormous, however, as this slaughter may appear, it is greatly inferior to that made by the contemporary king of naples on a hunting expedition. that sovereign had a larger extent of ground at his command, and a longer period for the exercise of his talents; consequently, his sport, if it can so be called, was proportionably greater. it was pursued during his journey to vienna, in austria, bohemia, and moravia; when he killed bears, , boars, , deer, , does, , roebucks, , rabbits, wolves, badgers, , hares, and foxes. in birds, during the same expedition, he killed , pheasants and , partridges. such an amount of destruction can hardly be called sport; it resembles more the indiscriminate slaughter of a battle-field, where the scientific engines of civilized warfare are brought to bear upon defenceless savages. . deer and hares may be esteemed as the only four-footed animals now hunted in britain for the table; and even those are not followed with the same ardour as they were wont to be. still, there is no country in the world where the sport of hunting on horseback is carried to such an extent as in great britain, and where the pleasures of the chase are so well understood, and conducted on such purely scientific principles. the fox, of all "the beasts of the field," is now considered to afford the best sport. for this, it is infinitely superior to the stag; for the real sportsman can only enjoy that chase when the deer is sought for and found like other game which are pursued with hounds. in the case of finding an outlying fallow-deer, which is unharboured, in this manner, great sport is frequently obtained; but this is now rarely to be met with in britain. in reference to hare-hunting, it is much followed in many parts of this and the sister island; but, by the true foxhunter, it is considered as a sport only fit to be pursued by women and old men. although it is less dangerous and exciting than the fox-chase, however, it has great charms for those who do not care for the hard riding which the other requires. . the art of taking or killing birds is called "fowling," and is either practised as an amusement by persons of rank or property, or for a livelihood by persons who use nets and other apparatus. when practised as an amusement, it principally consists of killing them with a light firearm called a "fowling-piece," and the sport is secured to those who pursue it by the game laws. the other means by which birds are taken, consist in imitating their voices, or leading them, by other artifices, into situations where they become entrapped by nets, birdlime, or otherwise. for taking large numbers of birds, the pipe or call is the most common means employed; and this is done during the months of september and october. we will here briefly give a description of the _modus operandi_ pursued in this sport. a thin wood is usually the spot chosen, and, under a tree at a little distance from the others, a cabin is erected, and there are only such branches left on the tree as are necessary for the placing of the birdlime, and which are covered with it. around the cabin are placed avenues with twisted perches, also covered with birdlime. having thus prepared all that is necessary, the birdcatcher places himself in the cabin, and, at sunrise and sunset, imitates the cry of a small bird calling the others to its assistance. supposing that the cry of the owl is imitated, immediately different kinds of birds will flock together at the cry of their common enemy, when, at every instant, they will be seen falling to the ground, their wings being of no use to them, from their having come in contact with the birdlime. the cries of those which are thus situated now attract others, and thus are large numbers taken in a short space of time. if owls were themselves desired to be taken, it is only during the night that this can be done, by counterfeiting the squeak of the mouse. larks, other birds, and water-fowl, are sometimes taken by nets; but to describe fully the manner in which this is done, would here occupy too much space. . feathered game have from time immemorial given gratification to the palate of man. with the exception of birds of prey, and some other species, moses permitted his people to eat them; and the egyptians made offerings to their priests of their most delicate birds. the ancient greeks commenced their repasts with little roasted birds; and feathered game, amongst the romans, was served as the second course. indeed, several of the ancient _gourmands_ of the "imperial city" were so fond of game, that they brought themselves to ruin by eating flamingoes and pheasants. "some modern nations, the french among others," says monsieur soyer, "formerly ate the heron, crane, crow, stork, swan, cormorant, and bittern. the first three especially were highly esteemed; and laillevant, cook of charles vii., teaches us how to prepare these meagre, tough birds. belon says, that in spite of its revolting taste when unaccustomed to it, the bittern is, however, among the delicious treats of the french. this writer also asserts, that a falcon or a vulture, either roasted or boiled, is excellent eating; and that if one of these birds happened to kill itself in flying after game, the falconer instantly cooked it. lebaut calls the heron a royal viand." . the heron was hunted by the hawk, and the sport of hawking is usually placed at the head of those amusements that can only be practised in the country. this precedency it probably obtained from its being a pastime to generally followed by the nobility, not in great britain only, but likewise on the continent. in former times, persons of high rank rarely appeared in public without their dogs and their hawks: the latter they carried with them when they journeyed from one country to another, and sometimes even took them to battle with them, and would not part with them when taken prisoners, even to obtain their own liberty. such birds were esteemed as the ensigns of nobility, and no action was reckoned more dishonourable in a man of rank than that of giving up his hawk. we have already alluded to the hunting propensities of our own edward iii., and we may also allude to his being equally addicted to hawking. according to froissart, when this sovereign invaded france, he took with him thirty falconers on horseback, who had charge of his hawks, and every day, as his royal fancy inclined him, he either hunted, or went to the river for the purpose of hawking. in the great and powerful, the pursuit of game as a sport is allowable, but in those who have to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, it is to be condemned. in burton's "anatomy of melancholy" we find a humorous story, told by poggius, the florentine, who reprobates this folly in such persons. it is this. a physician of milan, that cured madmen, had a pit of water in his house, in which he kept his patients, some up to the knees, some to the girdle, some to the chin, _pro modo insaniae_, as they were more or less affected. one of them by chance, that was well recovered, stood in the door, and seeing a gallant pass by with a hawk on his fist, well mounted, with his spaniels after him, would needs know to what use all this preparation served. he made answer, to kill certain fowl. the patient demanded again, what his fowl might be worth which he killed in a year? he replied, five or ten crowns; and when he urged him further, what his dogs, horse, and hawks stood him in, he told him four hundred crowns. with that the patient bade him begone, as he loved his life and welfare; "for if our master come and find thee here, he will put thee in the pit, amongst the madmen, up to the chin." thus reproving the madness of such men as will spend themselves in those vain sports, to the neglect of their business and necessary affairs. . as the inevitable result of social progress is, at least to limit, if not entirely to suppress, such sports as we have here been treating of, much of the romance of country life has passed away. this is more especially the case with falconry, which had its origin about the middle of the fourth century, although, lately, some attempts have been rather successfully made to institute a revival of the "gentle art" of hawking. julius firmicus, who lived about that time, is, so far as we can find, the first latin author who speaks of falconers, and the art of teaching one species of birds to fly after and catch others. the occupation of these functionaries has now, however, all but ceased. new and nobler efforts characterize the aims of mankind in the development of their civilization, and the sports of the field have, to a large extent, been superseded by other exercises, it may be less healthful and invigorating, but certainly more elegant, intellectual, and humanizing. [illustration] recipes. chapter xxiii. roast black-cock. . ingredients.--black-cock, butter, toast. [illustration: roast black-cock.] _mode_.--let these birds hang for a few days, or they will be tough and tasteless, if not well kept. pluck and draw them, and wipe the insides and outsides with a damp cloth, as washing spoils the flavour. cut off the heads, and truss them, the same as a roast fowl, cutting off the toes, and scalding and peeling the feet. trussing them with the head on, as shown in the engraving, is still practised by many cooks, but the former method is now considered the best. put them down to a brisk fire, well baste them with butter, and serve with a piece of toast under, and a good gravy and bread sauce. after trussing, some cooks cover the breast with vine-leaves and slices of bacon, and then roast them. they should be served in the same manner and with the same accompaniments as with the plainly-roasted birds. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, from s. to s. the brace; but seldom bought. _sufficient_,-- or for a dish. _seasonable_ from the middle of august to the end of december. [illustration: the black-cock.] the black-cock, heath-cock, moor-fowl, or heath-poult.--this bird sometimes weighs as much as four pounds, and the hen about two. it is at present confined to the more northern parts of britain, culture and extending population having united in driving it into more desolate regions, except, perhaps, in a few of the more wild and less-frequented portions of england. it may still be found in the new forest, in hampshire, dartmoor, and sedgmoor, in devonshire, and among the hills of somersetshire, contiguous to the latter. it may also be found in staffordshire, in north wales, and again in the north of england; but nowhere so plentiful as in some parts of the highlands of scotland. the males are hardly distinguishable from the females until they are about half-grown, when the black feathers begin to appear, first about the sides and breast. their food consists of the tops of birch and heath, except when the mountain berries are ripe, at which period they eagerly and even voraciously pick the bilberries and cranberries from the bushes. large numbers of these birds are found in norway, almost rivalling the turkey in point of size. some of them have begun to be imported into london, where they are vended in the shops; but the flavour of their flesh is not equal to that of the scotch bird. hashed wild duck. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast wild duck, pint of good brown gravy, tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs, glass of claret, salt, cayenne, and mixed spices to taste; tablespoonful of lemon or seville orange-juice. _mode_.--cut the remains of the duck into neat joints, put them into a stewpan, with all the above ingredients; let them get gradually hot by the side of the fire, and occasionally stir the contents; when on the point of boiling, serve, and garnish the dish with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.--about / hour. _seasonable_ from november to february. ragout of wild duck. . ingredients.-- wild ducks, shalots, pint of stock no. , glass of port wine, oz. of butter, a little flour, the juice of / lemon, cayenne and salt to taste. _mode_.--ducks that have been dressed and left from the preceding day will answer for this dish. cut them into joints, reserve the legs, wings, and breasts until wanted; put the trimmings into a stewpan with the shalots and stock, and let them simmer for about / hour, and strain the gravy. put the butter into a stewpan; when melted, dredge in a little flour, and pour in the gravy made from the bones; give it one boil, and strain it again; add the wine, lemon-juice, and cayenne; lay in the pieces of duck, and let the whole gradually warm through, but do not allow it to boil, or the duck will be hard. the gravy should not be too thick, and should be very highly seasoned. the squeeze of a seville orange is a great improvement to this dish. _time_.--about / hour to make the gravy; / hour for the duck gradually to warm through. _seasonable_ from november to february. roast wild duck. . ingredients.--wild duck, flour, butter. [illustration: roast wild duck.] _mode_.--carefully pluck and draw them; cut off the heads close to the necks, leaving sufficient skin to turn over, and do not cut off the feet; some twist each leg at the knuckle, and rest the claws on each side of the breast; others truss them as shown in our illustration. roast the birds before a quick fire, and, when they are first put down, let them remain for minutes without basting (this will keep the gravy in); afterwards baste plentifully with butter, and a few minutes before serving dredge them lightly with flour; baste well, and send them to table nicely frothed, and full of gravy. if overdone, the birds will lose their flavour. serve with a good gravy in the dish, or orange gravy, no. ; and send to table with them a cut lemon. to take off the fishy taste which wild fowl sometimes have, baste them for a few minutes with hot water to which have been added an onion and a little salt; then take away the pan, and baste with butter.--see coloured plate, g . _time_.--when liked underdressed, to minutes; well done, to minutes. _average cost_, s. to s. the couple. _sufficient_,-- for a dish. _seasonable_ from november to february. [illustration: the wild duck.] the wild duck.--the male of the wild dock is called a mallard; and the young ones are called flappers. the time to try to find a brood of these is about the month of july, among the rushes of the deepest and most retired parts of some brook or stream, where, if the old bird is sprung, it may be taken as a certainty that its brood is not far off. when once found, flappers are easily killed, as they attain their full growth before their wings are fledged. consequently, the sport is more like hunting water-rats than shooting birds. when the flappers take wing, they assume the name of wild ducks, and about the month of august repair to the corn-fields, where they remain until they are disturbed by the harvest-people. they then frequent the rivers pretty early in the evening, and give excellent sport to those who have patience to wait for them. in order to know a wild duck, it is necessary only to look at the claws, which should be black. hashed game (cold meat cookery). . ingredients.--the remains of cold game, onion stuck with cloves, a few whole peppers, a strip of lemon-peel, salt to taste, thickening of butter and flour, glass of port wine, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, tablespoonful of ketchup, pint of water or weak stock. _mode_.--cut the remains of cold game into joints, reserve the best pieces, and the inferior ones and trimmings put into a stewpan with the onion, pepper, lemon-peel, salt, and water or weak stock; stew these for about an hour, and strain the gravy; thicken it with butter and flour; add the wine, lemon-juice, and ketchup; lay in the pieces of game, and let them gradually warm through by the side of the fire; do not allow it to boil, or the game will be hard. when on the point of simmering, serve, and garnish the dish with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.--altogether - / hour. _seasonable_ from august to march. _note_.--any kind of game may be hashed by the above recipe, and the flavour may be varied by adding flavoured vinegars, curvy powder, &c.; but we cannot recommend these latter ingredients, as a dish of game should really have a gamy taste; and if too many sauces, essences, &c., are added to the gravy, they quite overpower and destroy the flavour the dish should possess. grouse pie. . ingredients.--grouse; cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste; lb. of rump-steak, / pint of well-seasoned broth, puff paste. _mode_.--line the bottom of a pie-dish with the rump-steak cut into neat pieces, and, should the grouse be large, cut them into joints; but, if small, they may be laid in the pie whole; season highly with salt, cayenne, and black pepper; pour in the broth, and cover with a puff paste; brush the crust over with the yolk of an egg, and bake from / to hour. if the grouse is cut into joints, the backbones and trimmings will make the gravy, by stewing them with an onion, a little sherry, a bunch of herbs, and a blade of mace: this should be poured in after the pie is baked. _time_.-- / to hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the grouse, which are seldom bought, s. d. _seasonable_ from the th of august to the beginning of december. roast grouse. [illustration: roast grouse.] . ingredients.--grouse, butter, a thick slice of toasted bread. _mode_.--let the birds hang as long as possible; pluck and draw them; wipe, but do not wash them, inside and out, and truss them without the head, the same as for a roast fowl. many persons still continue to truss them with the head under the wing, but the former is now considered the most approved method. put them down to a sharp clear fire; keep them well basted the whole of the time they are cooking, and serve them on a buttered toast, soaked in the dripping-pan, with a little melted butter poured over them, or with bread-sauce and gravy.--see coloured plate, l . _time_.-- / hour; if liked very thoroughly done, minutes. _average cost_, s. to s. d. the brace; but seldom bought. _sufficient_,-- for a dish. _seasonable_ from the th of august to the beginning of december. [illustration: red grouse.] grouse.--these birds are divided into wood grouse, black grouse, red grouse, and white grouse. the wood grouse is further distinguished as the cock of the wood, or capercalzie, and is as large as the turkey, being about two feet nine inches in length, and weighing from twelve to fifteen pounds. the female is considerably less than the male, and, in the colour of her feathers, differs widely from the other. this beautiful species is found principally in lofty, mountainous regions, and is very rare in great britain; but in the pine forests of russia, sweden, and other northern countries, it is very common. in these it has its habitat, feeding on the cones of the trees, and the fruits of various kinds of plants, especially the berry of the jumper. black grouse is also distinguished as black-game, or the black-cock. it is not larger than the common hen, and weighs only about four pounds. the female is about one-third less than the male, and also differs considerably from him in point of colour. like the former, they are found chiefly in high situations, and are common in russia, siberia, and other northern countries. they are also found in the northern parts of great britain, feeding in winter on the various berries and fruits belonging to mountainous countries, and, in summer, frequently descending to the lower lands, to feed upon corn. the red grouse, gorcock, or moor-cock, weighs about nineteen ounces, and the female somewhat less. in the wild heathy tracts of the northern counties of england it is plentiful, also in wales and the highlands of scotland. mr. pennant considered it peculiar to britain, those found in the mountainous parts of spain, france, and italy, being only varieties of the same bird. white grouse, white game, or ptarmigan, is nearly the same size as the red grouse, and is found in lofty situations, where it supports itself in the severest weather. it is to be met with in most of the northern countries of europe, and appears even in greenland. in the hebrides, orkneys, and the highlands of scotland, it is also found; and sometimes, though rarely, among the fells of northumberland and cumberland. in winter they fly in flocks, and are so little familiar with the sight of man, that they are easily shot, and even snared. they feed on the wild produce of the hills, which sometimes imparts to their flesh a bitter but not unpalatable taste. according to buffon, it is dark-coloured, and somewhat flavoured like the hare. grouse salad. (_soyer's recipe_.) . ingredients.-- eggs, butter, fresh salad, or grouse; for the sauce, teaspoonful of minced shalot, teaspoonful of pounded sugar, the yolk of egg, teaspoonful of minced parsley, / oz. of salt, tablespoonfuls of oil, tablespoonfuls of chili vinegar, gill of cream. _mode_.--boil the eggs hard, shell them, throw them into cold water cut a thin slice off the bottom to facilitate the proper placing of them in the dish, cut each one into four lengthwise, and make a very thin flat border of butter, about one inch from the edge of the dish the salad is to be served on; fix the pieces of egg upright close to each other, the yolk outside, or the yolk and white alternately; lay in the centre a fresh salad of whatever is in season, and, having previously roasted the grouse rather underdone, cut it into eight or ten pieces, and prepare the sauce as follows:--put the shalots into a basin, with the sugar, the yolk of an egg, the parsley, and salt, and mix in by degrees the oil and vinegar; when these ingredients are well mixed, put the sauce on ice or in a cool place. when ready to serve, whip the cream rather thick, which lightly mix with it; then lay the inferior parts of the grouse on the salad, sauce over so as to cover each piece, then lay over the salad and the remainder of the grouse, pour the rest of the sauce over, and serve. the eggs may be ornamented with a little dot of radishes or beetroot on the point. anchovy and gherkin, cut into small diamonds, may be placed between, or cut gherkins in slices, and a border of them laid round. tarragon or chervil-leaves are also a pretty addition. the remains of cold black-game, pheasant, or partridge may be used in the above manner, and will make a very delicate dish. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ from the th of august to the beginning of december. [illustration: the capercalzie.] the capercalzie.--this bird was to be met with formerly both in ireland and scotland, but is now extinct. the male lives separate from the females, except in the breeding season. its manners and habits are very like those of black grouse, except that it seems to be wholly confined to forests of pine, on the tender shoots of which it feeds. it is by no means uncommon in the woods of norway, whence we received it. it is also found abundant in russia, siberia, italy, and in some portions of the alps. it was, in , last seen in scotland, in the woods of strathglass. recent attempts have been made to re-introduce it into that country, but without success; principally owing, as we should imagine, to the want of sufficient food suitable for its sustenance. grouse.--under this general term are included several species of game birds, called black, red, woodland, and white grouse. the black is larger than the red (see no. ), and is not so common, and therefore held in higher estimation. the red, however, is a bird of exquisite flavour, and is a native of the mountainous districts of scotland and the north of england. it feeds on the tops of the heath and the berries that grow amongst them: its colour is a rich chestnut, striped with black. the woodland, or cock of the wood, is the largest among the bird tribes which pass under the denomination of game. it is smaller than the turkey, and was originally common in our mountains; but it is now to be found only in the mountains of scotland, though it still abounds in the north of europe, germany, and in the alps. it is esteemed as delicious eating, and its plumage is extremely beautiful. the white grouse, or ptarmigan, is not a plentiful bird in britain; but it is still found in the islands, and weighs about half a pound. the london market is supplied by norway and scotland; those from the former country being esteemed the best. when young, it is held in high estimation, being considered as little different from common grouse. roast hare. . ingredients.--hare, forcemeat no. , a little milk, butter. _choosing and trussing_.--choose a young hare; which may be known by its smooth and sharp claws, and by the cleft in the lip not being much spread. to be eaten in perfection, it must hang for some time; and, if properly taken care of, it may be kept for several days. it is better to hang without being paunched; but should it be previously emptied, wipe the inside every day, and sprinkle over it a little pepper and ginger, to prevent the musty taste which long keeping in the damp occasions, and which also affects the stuffing. after it is skinned, wash it well, and soak for an hour in warm water to draw out the blood; if old, let it lie in vinegar for a short time, but wash it well afterwards in several waters. make a forcemeat by recipe no. , wipe the hare dry, fill the belly with it, and sew it up. bring the hind and fore legs close to the body towards the head, run a skewer through each, fix the head between the shoulders by means of another skewer, and be careful to leave the ears on. pat a string round the body from skewer to skewer, and tie it above the back. [illustration: roast hare.] _mode_.--the hare should be kept at a distance from the fire when it is first laid down, or the outside will become dry and hard before the inside is done. baste it well with milk for a short time, and afterwards with butter; and particular attention must be paid to the basting, so as to preserve the meat on the back juicy and nutritive. when it is almost roasted enough, flour the hare, and baste well with butter. when nicely frothed, dish it, remove the skewers, and send it to table with a little gravy in the dish, and a tureen of the same. red-currant jelly must also not be forgotten, as this is an indispensable accompaniment to roast hare. for economy, good beef dripping may be substituted for the milk and butter to baste with; but the basting, as we have before stated, must be continued without intermission. if the liver is good, it maybe parboiled, minced, and mixed with the stuffing; but it should not be used unless quite fresh.--see coloured plate, e . _time_.--a middling-sized hare, - / hour; a large hare, - / to hours. _average cost_, from s. to s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to the end of february. the hare.--this little animal is found generally distributed over europe, and, indeed, in most parts of the northern world. its extreme timidity is the endowment which providence has bestowed upon it as a means of defence; it is therefore attentive to every sound, and is supplied with ears both long and tubular, with which it can hear with great acuteness. its eyes, also, are so constructed, and placed so prominent in its head, that it can see both before and behind it. it lives entirely upon vegetables, but its flesh is considered dry, notwithstanding that it is deemed, in many respects, superior to that of the rabbit, being more savoury, and of a much higher flavour. its general time of feeding is the evening; but during the day, if not disturbed, it adheres closely to its _form_. [illustration: the hare.] potted hare (a luncheon or breakfast dish). . ingredients.-- hare, a few slices of bacon, a large bunch of savoury herbs, cloves, / teaspoonful of whole allspice, carrots, onions, salt and pepper to taste, pint of water, glasses of sherry. _mode_.--skin, empty, and wash the hare; cut it down the middle, and put it into a stewpan, with a few slices of bacon under and over it; add the remaining ingredients, and stew very gently until the hare is tender, and the flesh will separate easily from the bones. when done enough, take it up, remove the bones, and pound the meat, _with the bacon_, in a mortar, until reduced to a perfectly smooth paste. should it not be sufficiently seasoned, add a little cayenne, salt, and pounded mace, but be careful that these are well mixed with the other ingredients. press the meat into potting-pots, pour over clarified butter, and keep in a dry place. the liquor that the hare was stewed in, should be saved for hashes, soups, &c. &c. _time_.--about / hours to stew the hare. _seasonable_ from september to the end of february. broiled hare (a supper or luncheon dish). . ingredients.--the leg and shoulders of a roast hare, cayenne and salt to taste, a little butter. _mode_.--cut the legs and shoulders of a roast hare, season them highly with salt and cayenne, and broil them over a very clear fire for minutes. dish them on a hot dish, rub over them a little cold butter, and send to table very quickly. _time_.-- minutes. _seasonable_ from september to the end of february. hashed hare. . ingredients.--the remains of cold roast hare, blade of pounded mace, or allspice, pepper and salt to taste, onion, a bunch of savoury herbs, tablespoonfuls of port wine, thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup. _mode_.--cut the cold hare into neat slices, and put the head, bones, and trimmings into a stewpan, with / pint of water; add the mace, allspice, seasoning, onion, and herbs, and stew for nearly an hour, and strain the gravy; thicken it with butter and flour, add the wine and ketchup, and lay in the pieces of hare, with any stuffing that may be left. let the whole gradually heat by the side of the fire, and, when it has simmered for about minutes, serve, and garnish the dish with sippets of toasted bread. send red-currant jelly to table with it. _time_.--rather more than hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the cold hare, d. _seasonable_ from september to the end of february. jugged hare. (_very good_.) . ingredients.-- hare, - / lb. of gravy beef, / lb. of butter, onion, lemon, cloves; pepper, cayenne, and salt to taste; / pint of port wine. _mode_.--skin, paunch, and wash the hare, cut it into pieces, dredge them with flour, and fry in boiling butter. have ready - / pint of gravy, made from the above proportion of beef, and thickened with a little flour. put this into a jar; add the pieces of fried hare, an onion stuck with six cloves, a lemon peeled and cut in half, and a good seasoning of pepper, cayenne, and salt; cover the jar down tightly, put it up to the neck into a stewpan of boiling water, and let it stew until the hare is quite tender, taking care to keep the water boiling. when nearly done, pour in the wine, and add a few forcemeat balls, made by recipe no. : these must be fried or baked in the oven for a few minutes before they are put to the gravy. serve with red-currant jelly. _time_,-- - / to hours. if the hare is very old, allow - / hours. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to the end of february. ii. (_a quicker and more economical way_.) . ingredients.-- hare, a bunch of sweet herbs, onions, each stuck with cloves, whole allspice, / teaspoonful of black pepper, a strip of lemon-peel, thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, / pint of port wine. _mode._--wash the hare nicely, cut it up into joints (not too large), and flour and brown them as in the preceding recipe; then put them into a stewpan with the herbs, onions, cloves, allspice, pepper, and lemon-peel; cover with hot water, and when it boils, carefully remove all the scum, and let it simmer gently till tender, which will be in about - / hour, or longer, should the hare be very old. take out the pieces of hare, thicken the gravy with flour and butter, add the ketchup and port wine, let it boil for about minutes, strain it through a sieve over the hare, and serve. a few fried forcemeat balls should be added at the moment of serving, or instead of frying them, they may be stewed in the gravy, about minutes before the hare is wanted for table. do not omit to serve red-currant jelly with it. _time_.--altogether hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to the end of february. _note_.--should there be any left, rewarm it the next day by putting the hare, &c. into a covered jar, and placing this jar in a saucepan of boiling water: this method prevents a great deal of waste. roast landrail, or corn-crake. . ingredients.-- or birds, butter, fried bread crumbs. [illustration: landrails.] _mode_.--pluck and draw the birds, wipe them inside and out with damp cloths, and truss them in the following manner:--bring the head round under the wing, and the thighs close to the sides; pass a skewer through them and the body, and keep the legs straight. roast them before a clear fire, keep them well basted, and serve on fried bread crumbs, with a tureen of brown gravy. when liked, bread-sauce may also be sent to table with them. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_,--seldom bought. _sufficient_.--allow-- for a dish. _seasonable_ from august th to the middle of september. [illustration: the landrail.] the landrail, or corn-crake.--this bird is migratory in its habits, yet from its formation, it seems ill adapted for long aërial passages, its wings being short, and placed so forward out of the centre of gravity, that it flies in an extremely heavy and embarrassed manner, and with its legs hanging down. when it alights, it can hardly be sprung a second time, as it runs very fast, and seems to depend for its safety more on the swiftness of its feet than the celerity of its wings. it makes its appearance in england about the same time as the quail, that is, in the months of april and may, and frequents the same places. its singular cry is first heard when the grass becomes long enough to shelter it, and it continues to be heard until the grass is cut. the bird, however, is seldom seen, for it constantly skulks among the thickest portions of the herbage, and runs so nimbly through it, doubling and winding in every direction, that it is difficult to get near it. it leaves this island before the winter, and repairs to other countries in search of its food, which principally consists of slugs, large numbers of which it destroys. it is very common in ireland, and, whilst migrating to this country, is seen in great numbers in the island of anglesea. on its first arrival in england, it is so lean as scarcely to weigh above five or six ounces; before its departure, however, it has been known to exceed eight ounces, and is then most delicious eating. to dress a leveret. . ingredients.-- leverets, butter, flour. _mode_.--leverets should be trussed in the same manner as a hare, but they do not require stuffing. roast them before a clear fire, and keep them well basted all the time they are cooking. a few minutes before serving, dredge them lightly with flour, and froth them nicely. serve with plain gravy in the dish, and send to table red-currant jelly with them. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, in full season, s. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from may to august, but cheapest in july and august. broiled partridge (a luncheon, breakfast, or supper dish). . ingredients.-- partridges, salt and cayenne to taste, a small piece of butter, brown gravy or mushroom sauce. _mode_.--pluck, draw, and cut the partridges in half, and wipe the inside thoroughly with a damp cloth. season them with salt and cayenne, broil them over a very clear fire, and dish them on a hot dish; rub a small piece of butter over each half, and send them to table with brown gravy or mushroom sauce. _time_.--about / hour. _average cost_, s. d. to s. a brace. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from the st of september to the beginning of february. partridge pie. . ingredients.-- partridges, pepper and salt to taste, teaspoonful of minced parsley (when obtainable, a few mushrooms), / lb. of veal cutlet, a slice of ham, / pint of stock, puff paste. _mode_.--line a pie-dish with a veal cutlet; over that place a slice of ham and a seasoning of pepper and salt. pluck, draw, and wipe the partridges; cut off the legs at the first joint, and season them inside with pepper, salt, minced parsley, and a small piece of butter; place them in the dish, and pour over the stock; line the edges of the dish with puff paste, cover with the same, brush it over with the yolk of an egg, and bake for / to hour. _time_.-- / to hour. _average cost_, s. d. to s. a brace. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from the st of september to the beginning of february. note.--should the partridges be very large, split them in half; they will then lie in the dish more compactly. when at hand, a few mushrooms should always be added. potted partridge. . ingredients.--partridges; seasoning to taste of mace, allspice white pepper, and salt; butter, coarse paste. _mode_.--pluck and draw the birds, and wipe them inside with a damp cloth. pound well some mace, allspice, white pepper, and salt; mix together, and rub every part of the partridges with this. pack the birds as closely as possible in a baking-pan, with plenty of butter over them, and cover with a coarse flour and water crust. tie a paper over this, and bake for rather more than - / hour; let the birds get cold, then cut them into pieces for keeping, pack them closely into a large potting-pot, and cover with clarified butter. this should be kept in a cool dry place. the butter used for potted things will answer for basting, or for paste for meat pies.--see coloured plate, d . _time_.-- - / hour. _seasonable_ from the st of september to the beginning of february. salmi de perdrix, or hashed partridges. . ingredients.-- young partridges, shalots, a slice of lean ham, carrot, or mushrooms, a bunch of savoury herbs, cloves, whole peppers, / pint of stock, glass of sherry or madeira, a small lump of sugar. _mode_.--after the partridges are plucked and drawn, roast them rather underdone, and cover them with paper, as they should not be browned; cut them into joints, take off the skin from the wings, legs, and breasts; put these into a stewpan, cover them up, and set by until the gravy is ready. cut a slice of ham into small pieces, and put them, with the carrots sliced, the shalots, mushrooms, herbs, cloves, and pepper, into a stewpan; fry them lightly in a little butter, pour in the stock, add the bones and trimming from the partridges, and simmer for / hour. strain the gravy, let it cool, and skim off every particle of fat; put it to the legs, wings, and breasts, add a glass of sherry or madeira and a small lump of sugar, let all gradually warm through by the side of the fire, and when on the point of boiling, serve, and garnish the dish with croûtons. the remains of roast partridge answer very well dressed in this way, although not so good as when the birds are in the first instance only half-roasted. this recipe is equally suitable for pheasants, moor-game, &c.; but care must be taken always to skin the joints. _time_.--altogether hour. _sufficient_.-- or partridges for an entrée. _seasonable_ from the st of september to the beginning of february. roast partridge. . ingredients.--partridge; butter. _choosing and trussing_.--choose young birds, with dark-coloured bills and yellowish legs, and let them hang a few days, or there will be no flavour to the flesh, nor will it be tender. the time they should be kept, entirely depends on the taste of those for whom they are intended, as what some persons would consider delicious, would be to others disgusting and offensive. they may be trussed with or without the head, the latter mode being now considered the most fashionable. pluck, draw, and wipe the partridge carefully inside and out; cut off the head, leaving sufficient skin on the neck to skewer back; bring the legs close to the breast, between it and the side-bones, and pass a skewer through the pinions and the thick part of the thighs. when the head is left on, it should be brought round and fixed on to the point of the skewer. [illustration: roast partridge.] _mode_.--when the bird is firmly and plumply trussed, roast it before a nice bright fire; keep it well basted, and a few minutes before serving, flour and froth it well. dish it, and serve with gravy and bread sauce, and send to table hot and quickly. a little of the gravy should be poured over the bird.--see coloured plate, d . _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, is s. d. to s. a brace. _sufficient_,-- for a dish. _seasonable_ from the st of september to the beginning of february. [illustration: partridges.] the partridge.--this bird is to be found in nearly all the temperate countries of europe, but is most abundant in the ukraine, although it is unable to bear the extremes of climate, whether hot or cold. it was formerly very common in france, and is considered a table luxury in england. the instinct of this bird is frequently exemplified in a remarkable manner, for the preservation of its young. "i have seen it often," says a very celebrated writer, and an accurate observer of nature, "and once in particular, i saw an extraordinary instance of an old bird's solicitude to save its brood. as i was hunting with a young pointer, the dog ran on a brood of very small partridges; the old bird cried, fluttered, and ran tumbling along just before the dog's nose, till she had drawn him to a considerable distance, when she took wing, and flew still further off, but not out of the field; on this the dog returned to me, near the place where the young ones lay concealed in the grass, which the old bird no sooner perceived than she flew back to us, settled just before the dog's nose again, and by rolling and tumbling about, drew off his attention from her young, and thus preserved her brood a second time. i have also seen, when a kite has been hovering over a covey of young partridges, the old birds fly up at the bird of prey, screaming and fighting with all their might to preserve their brood." partridges should be chosen young; if old, they are valueless. the young ones are generally known by their yellow legs and dark-coloured bills. pheasant cutlets. . ingredients.-- or pheasants, egg and bread crumbs, cayenne and salt to taste, brown gravy. _mode_.--procure young pheasants that have been hung a few days; pluck, draw, and wipe them inside; cut them into joints; remove the bones from the best of these; and the backbones, trimmings, &c., put into a stewpan, with a little stock, herbs, vegetables, seasoning, &c., to make the gravy. flatten and trim the cutlets of a good shape, egg and bread crumb them, broil them over a clear fire, pile them high in the dish, and pour under them the gravy made from the bones, which should be strained, flavoured, and thickened. one of the small bones should be stuck on the point of each cutlet. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. d. to s. each. _sufficient_ for entrées. _seasonable_ from the st of october to the beginning of february. roast pheasant. . ingredients.--pheasant, flour, butter. _choosing and trussing_.--old pheasants may be known by the length and sharpness of their spurs; in young ones they are short and blunt. the cock bird is generally reckoned the best, except when the hen is with egg. they should hang some time before they are dressed, as, if they are cooked fresh, the flesh will be exceedingly dry and tasteless. after the bird is plucked and drawn, wipe the inside with a damp cloth, and truss it in the same manner as partridge, no. . if the head is left on, as shown in the engraving, bring it round under the wing, and fix it on to the point of the skewer. [illustration: roast pheasant.] _mode_.--roast it before a brisk fire, keep it well basted, and flour and froth it nicely. serve with brown gravy, a little of which should be poured round the bird, and a tureen of bread sauce. or of the pheasant's best tail-feathers are sometimes stuck in the tail as an ornament; but the fashion is not much to be commended.--see coloured plate, f . _time_.-- / to hour, according to the size. _average cost_, s. d. to s. each. _sufficient_,-- for a dish. _seasonable_ from the st of october to the beginning of february. [illustration: the pheasant.] the pheasant.--this beautiful bird is said to have been discovered by the argonauts on the banks of the phasis, near mount ararat, in their expedition to colchis. it is common, however, in almost all the southern parts of the european continent, and has been long naturalized in the warmest and most woody counties of england. it is very common in france; indeed, so common as to be esteemed a nuisance by the farmers. although it has been domesticated, this is not easily accomplished, nor is its flesh so palatable then as it is in the wild state. mr. ude says--"it is not often that pheasants are met with possessing that exquisite taste which is acquired only by long keeping, as the damp of this climate prevents their being kept as long as they are in other countries. the hens, in general, are the most delicate. the cocks show their age by their spurs. they are only fit to be eaten when the blood begins to run from the bill, which is commonly six days or a week after they have been killed. the flesh is white, tender, and has a good flavour, if you keep it long enough; if not, it is not much different from that of a common fowl or hen." brillat savarin's recipe for roast pheasant, a la sainte alliance. . when the pheasant is in good condition to be cooked (_see_ no. ), it should be plucked, and not before. the bird should then be stuffed in the following manner:--take two snipes, and draw them, putting the bodies on one plate, and the livers, &c., on another. take off the flesh, and mince it finely with a little beef, lard, a few truffles, pepper and salt to taste, and stuff the pheasant carefully with this. cut a slice of bread, larger considerably than the bird, and cover it with the liver, &c., and a few truffles: an anchovy and a little fresh butter added to these will do no harm. put the bread, &c., into the dripping-pan, and, when the bird is roasted, place it on the preparation, and surround it with florida oranges. do not be uneasy, savarin adds, about your dinner; for a pheasant served in this way is fit for beings better than men. the pheasant itself is a very good bird; and, imbibing the dressing and the flavour of the truffle and snipe, it becomes thrice better. broiled pheasant (a breakfast or luncheon dish). . ingredients.-- pheasant, a little lard, egg and bread crumbs, salt and cayenne to taste. _mode_.--cut the legs off at the first joint, and the remainder of the bird into neat pieces; put them into a fryingpan with a little lard, and when browned on both sides, and about half done, take them out and drain them; brush the pieces over with egg, and sprinkle with bread crumbs with which has been mixed a good seasoning of cayenne and salt. broil them over a moderate fire for about minutes, or rather longer, and serve with mushroom-sauce, sauce piquante, or brown gravy, in which a few game-bones and trimmings have been stewed. _time_.--altogether / hour. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from the st of october to the beginning of february. the height of excellence in a pheasant.--things edible have their degrees of excellence under various circumstances: thus, asparagus, capers, peas, and partridges are best when young. perfection in others is only reached when they attain maturity: let us say, for example, melons and nearly all fruits (we must except, perhaps, the medlar), with the majority of those animals whose flesh we eat. but others, again, are not good until decomposition is about to set in; and here we may mention particularly the snipe and the pheasant. if the latter bird be eaten so soon as three days after it has been killed, it then has no peculiarity of flavour; a pullet would be more relished, and a quail would surpass it in aroma. kept, however, a proper length of time,--and this can be ascertained by a slight smell and change of colour,--then it becomes a highly, flavoured dish, occupying, so to speak, the middle distance between chicken and venison. it is difficult to define any exact time to "hang" a pheasant; but any one possessed of the instincts of gastronomical science, can at once detect the right moment when a pheasant should be taken down, in the same way as a good cook knows whether a bird should be removed from the spit, or have a turn or two more. to dress plovers. . ingredients.-- plovers, butter, flour, toasted bread. _choosing and trussing_.--choose those that feel hard at the vent, as that shows their fatness. there are three sorts,--the grey, green, and bastard plover, or lapwing. they will keep good for some time, but if very stale, the feet will be very dry. plovers are scarcely fit for anything but roasting; they are, however, sometimes stewed, or made into a ragoût, but this mode of cooking is not to be recommended. _mode_.--pluck off the feathers, wipe the outside of the birds with a damp cloth, and do not draw them; truss with the head under the wing, put them down to a clear fire, and lay slices of moistened toast in the dripping-pan, to catch the trail. keep them _well basted_, dredge them lightly with flour a few minutes before they are done, and let them be nicely frothed. dish them on the toasts, over which the _trail_ should be equally spread. pour round the toast a little good gravy, and send some to table in a tureen. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _average cost_, s. d. the brace, if plentiful. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_.--in perfection from the beginning of september to the end of january. the plover.--there are two species of this bird, the grey and the green, the former being larger than the other, and somewhat less than the woodcock. it has generally been classed with those birds which chiefly live in the water; but it would seem only to seek its food there, for many of the species breed upon the loftiest mountains. immense flights of these birds are to be seen in the hebrides, and other parts of scotland; and, in the winter, large numbers are sent to the london market, which is sometimes so much glutted with them that they are sold very cheap. previous to dressing, they are kept till they have a game flavour; and although their flesh is a favourite with many, it is not universally relished. the green is preferred to the grey, but both are inferior to the woodcock. their eggs are esteemed as a great delicacy. birds of this kind are migratory. they arrive in england in april, live with us all the spring and summer, and at the beginning of autumn prepare to take leave by getting together in flocks. it is supposed that they then retire to spain, and frequent the sheep-walks with which that country abounds. [illustration: the plover.] to dress the ptarmigan. . ingredients.-- or birds; butter, flour, fried bread crumbs. _mode_.--the ptarmigan, or white grouse, when young and tender, are exceedingly fine eating, and should be kept as long as possible, to be good. pluck, draw, and truss them in the same manner as grouse, no. , and roast them before a brisk fire. flour and froth them nicely, and serve on buttered toast, with a tureen of brown gravy. bread sauce, when liked, may be sent to table with them, and fried bread crumbs substituted for the toasted bread. _time_.--about / hour. _sufficient_,-- for a dish. _seasonable_ from the beginning of february to the end of april. the ptarmigan, or white grouse.--this bird is nearly the same size as red grouse, and is fond of lofty situations, where it braves the severest weather, and is found in most parts of europe, as well as in greenland. at hudson's bay they appear in such multitudes that so many as sixty or seventy are frequently taken at once in a net. as they are as tame as chickens, this is done without difficulty. buffon says that the ptarmigan avoids the solar heat, and prefers the frosts of the summits of the mountains; for, as the snow melts on the sides of the mountains, it ascends till it gains the top, where it makes a hole, and burrows in the snow. in winter, it flies in flocks, and feeds on the wild vegetation of the hills, which imparts to its flesh a bitter, but not altogether an unpalatable taste. it is dark-coloured, and has something of the flavour of the hare, and is greatly relished, and much sought after by some sportsmen. [illustration: the ptarmigan.] to dress quails. . ingredients.--quails, butter, toast. _mode_.--these birds keep good several days, and should be roasted without drawing. truss them in the same manner as woodcocks, no. ; roast them before a clear fire, keep them well basted, and serve on toast. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_.--seldom bought. _sufficient_ for a dish. _seasonable_ from october to december. [illustration: the quail.] the quail.--quails are almost universally diffused over europe, asia, and africa. being birds of passage, they are seen in immense flocks, traversing the mediterranean sea from europe to africa, in the autumn, and returning again in the spring, frequently alighting in their passage on many of the islands of the archipelago, which, with their vast numbers, they almost completely cover. on the western coasts of the kingdom of naples, they have appeared in such prodigious numbers, that, within the compass of four or five miles, as many as a hundred thousand have been taken in a day. "from these circumstances," says a writer on natural history, "it appears highly probable that the quails which supplied the israelites with food during their journey through the wilderness, were sent thither, on their passage to the north, by a wind from the south-west, sweeping over egypt and ethiopia towards the shores of the red sea." in england they are not very numerous, although they breed in it; and many of them are said to remain throughout the year, changing their quarters from the interior parts of the country for the seacoast. to dress snipes. . ingredients.--snipes, butter, flour, toast. _mode_.--these, like woodcocks, should be dressed without being drawn. pluck, and wipe them outside, and truss them with the head under the wing, having previously skinned that and the neck. twist the legs at the first joint, press the feet upon the thighs, and pass a skewer through these and the body. place four on a skewer, tie them on to the jack or spit, and roast before a clear fire for about / hour. put some pieces of buttered toast into the dripping-pan to catch the trails; flour and froth the birds nicely, dish the pieces of toast with the snipes on them, and pour round, but not over them, a little good brown gravy. they should be sent to table very hot and expeditiously, or they will not be worth eating.--see coloured plate m . [illustration: roast snipe.] _time_.--about / hour. _average cost_, s. d. to s. the brace. _sufficient_,-- for a dish. _seasonable_ from november to february. _note_.--ortolans are trussed and dressed in the same manner. [illustration: the snipe.] the snipe.--this is a migratory bird, and is generally distributed over europe. it is found in most parts of england, in the high as well as the low lands, depending much on the weather. in very wet seasons it resorts to the hills, but at other times frequents marshes, where it can penetrate the earth with its bill, hunting for worms, which form its principal food. in the hebrides and the orkneys snipes are plentiful, and they are fattest in frosty weather. in the breeding season the snipe changes its note entirely from that which it has in the winter. the male will keep on wing for an hour together, mounting like a lark, and uttering a shrill piping noise; then, with a bleating sound, not unlike that made by an old goat, it will descend with great velocity, especially if the female be sitting in her nest, from which it will not wander far. roast teal. . ingredients.--teal, butter, a little flour. _mode_.--choose fat plump birds, after the frost has set in, as they are generally better flavoured; truss them in the same manner as wild duck, no. ; roast them before a brisk fire, and keep them well basted. serve with brown or orange gravy, water-cresses, and a cut lemon. the remains of teal make excellent hash. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, s. each; but seldom bought. _sufficient_,-- for a dish. _seasonable_ from october to february. roast haunch of venison. . ingredients.--venison, coarse flour-and-water paste, a little flour. _mode_.--choose a haunch with clear, bright, and thick fat, and the cleft of the hoof smooth and close; the greater quantity of fat there is, the better quality will the meat be. as many people object to venison when it has too much _haut goût_, ascertain how long it has been kept, by running a sharp skewer into the meat close to the bone; when this is withdrawn, its sweetness can be judged of. with care and attention, it will keep good a fortnight, unless the weather is very mild. keep it perfectly dry by wiping it with clean cloths till not the least damp remains, and sprinkle over powdered ginger or pepper, as a preventative against the fly. when required for use, wash it in warm water, and _dry_ it _well_ with a cloth; butter a sheet of white paper, put it over the fat, lay a coarse paste, about / inch in thickness, over this, and then a sheet or two of strong paper. tie the whole firmly on to the haunch with twine, and put the joint down to a strong close fire; baste the venison immediately, to prevent the paper and string from burning, and continue this operation, without intermission, the whole of the time it is cooking. about minutes before it is done, carefully remove the paste and paper, dredge the joint with flour, and baste well with _butter_ until it is nicely frothed, and of a nice pale-brown colour; garnish the knuckle-bone with a frill of white paper, and serve with a good, strong, but unflavoured gravy, in a tureen, and currant jelly; or melt the jelly with a little port wine, and serve that also in a tureen. as the principal object in roasting venison is to preserve the fat, the above is the best mode of doing so where expense is not objected to; but, in ordinary cases, the paste may be dispensed with, and a double paper placed over the roast instead: it will not require so long cooking without the paste. do not omit to send very hot plates to table, as the venison fat so soon freezes: to be thoroughly enjoyed by epicures, it should be eaten on hot-water plates. the neck and shoulder may be roasted in the same manner. [illustration: roast haunch of venison.] _time_.--a large haunch of buck venison, with the paste, to hours; haunch of doe venison, - / to - / hours. allow less time without the paste. _average cost_, s. d. to s. d. per lb. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_.--buck venison in greatest perfection from june to michaelmas; doe venison from november to the end of january. the deer.--this active tribe of animals principally inhabit wild and woody regions. in their contentions, both with each other and the rest of the brute creation, these animals not only use their horns, but strike very furiously with their fore feet. some of the species are employed as beasts of draught, whilst the flesh of the whole is wholesome, and that of some of the kinds, under the name of "venison," is considered very delicious. persons fond of hunting have invented peculiar terms by which the objects of their pursuit are characterized: thus the stag is called, the first year, a _calf_, or _hind-calf_; the second, a _knobber_; the third, a _brock_; the fourth, a _staggard_; the fifth, a _stag_; and the sixth, a _hart_. the female is, the first year, called a _calf_; the second, a _hearse_; and the third, a _hind_. in britain, the stag has become scarcer than it formerly was; but, in the highlands of scotland, herds of four or five hundred may still be seen, ranging over the vast mountains of the north; and some of the stags of a great size. in former times, the great feudal chieftains used to hunt with all the pomp of eastern sovereigns, assembling some thousands of their clans, who drove the deer into the toils, or to such stations as were occupied by their chiefs. as this sport, however, was occasionally used as a means for collecting their vassals together for the purpose of concocting rebellion, an act was passed prohibitory of such assemblages. in the "waverley" of sir walter scott, a deer-hunting scene of this kind is admirably described. venison.--this is the name given to the flesh of some kinds of deer, and is esteemed as very delicious. different species of deer are found in warm as well as cold climates, and are in several instances invaluable to man. this is especially the case with the laplander, whose reindeer constitutes a large proportion of his wealth. there-- "the reindeer unharness'd in freedom can play, and safely o'er odin's steep precipice stray, whilst the wolf to the forest recesses may fly, and howl to the moon as she glides through the sky." in that country it is the substitute for the horse, the cow, the goat, and the sheep. from its milk is produced cheese; from its skin, clothing; from its tendons, bowstrings and thread; from its horns, glue; from its bones, spoons; and its flesh furnishes food. in england we have the stag, an animal of great beauty, and much admired. he is a native of many parts of europe, and is supposed to have been originally introduced into this country from france. about a century back he was to be found wild in some of the rough and mountainous parts of wales, as well as in the forests of exmoor, in devonshire, and the woods on the banks of the tamar. in the middle ages the deer formed food for the not over abstemious monks, as represented by friar tuck's larder, in the admirable fiction of "ivanhoe;" and at a later period it was a deer-stealing adventure that drove the "ingenious" william shakspeare to london, to become a common player, and the greatest dramatist that ever lived. hashed venison. . ingredients.--the remains of roast venison, its own or mutton gravy, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--cut the meat from the bones in neat slices, and, if there is sufficient of its own gravy left, put the meat into this, as it is preferable to any other. should there not be enough, put the bones and trimmings into a stewpan, with about a pint of mutton gravy; let them stew gently for an hour, and strain the gravy. put a little flour and butter into the stewpan, keep stirring until brown, then add the strained gravy, and give it a boil up; skim and strain again, and, when a little cool, put in the slices of venison. place the stewpan by the side of the fire, and, when on the point of simmering, serve: do not allow it to boil, or the meat will be hard. send red-currant jelly to table with it. _time_.--altogether, - / hour. _seasonable_.--buck venison, from june to michaelmas; doe venison, from november to the end of january. _note_.--a small quantity of harvey's sauce, ketchup, or port wine, may be added to enrich the gravy: these ingredients must, however, be used very sparingly, or they will overpower the flavour of the venison. [illustration: fallow-deer (buck). fallow-deer (doe).] the fallow-deer.--this is the domestic or park deer; and no two animals can make a nearer approach to each other than the stag and it, and yet no two animals keep more distinct, or avoid each other with a more inveterate animosity. they never herd or intermix together, and consequently never give rise to an intermediate race; it is even rare, unless they have been transported thither, to find fellow-deer in a country where stags are numerous. he is very easily tamed, and feeds upon many things which the stag refuses: he also browzes closer than the stag, and preserves his venison better. the doe produces one fawn, sometimes two, but rarely three. in short, they resemble the stag in all his natural habits, and the greatest difference between them is the duration of their lives: the stag, it is said, lives to the age of thirty-five or forty years, and the fallow-deer does not live more than twenty. as they are smaller than the stag, it is probable that their growth is sooner completed. stewed venison. . ingredients.--a shoulder of venison, a few slices of mutton fat, glasses of port wine, pepper and allspice to taste, - / pint of weak stock or gravy, / teaspoonful of whole pepper, / teaspoonful of whole allspice. _mode_.--hang the venison till tender; take out the bone, flatten the meat with a rolling-pin, and place over it a few slices of mutton fat, which have been previously soaked for or hours in port wine; sprinkle these with a little fine allspice and pepper, roll the meat up, and bind and tie it securely. put it into a stewpan with the bone and the above proportion of weak stock or gravy, whole allspice, black pepper, and port wine; cover the lid down closely, and simmer, very gently, from - / to hours. when quite tender, take off the tape, and dish the meat; strain the gravy over it, and send it to table with red-currant jelly. unless the joint is very fat, the above is the best mode of cooking it. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, s. d. to s. d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--buck venison, from june to michaelmas; doe venison, from november to the end of january. [illustration: the roebuck.] the roebuck.--this is the _certuscapreolus_, or common roe, and is of a reddish-brown colour. it is an inhabitant of asia, as well as of europe. it has great grace in its movements, and stands about two feet seven inches high, and has a length of about three feet nine. the extent of its horns is from six to eight inches. [illustration: the stag. the hind.] the stag.--the stag, or hart, is the male of the red deer, and the hind is the female. he is much larger than the fallow-deer, and his age is indicated by his horns, which are round instead of being palmated, like those of the fallow-deer. during the first year he has no horns, but a horny excrescence, which is short and rough, and covered with a thin hairy skin. the next year, the horns are single and straight; and in the third they have two antlers, three the fourth, four the fifth, and five the sixth year; although this number is not always certain, for sometimes they are more, and often less. after the sixth year, the antlers do not always increase; and, although in number they may amount to six or seven on each side, yet the animal's age is then estimated rather by the size of the antlers and the thickness of the branch which sustains them, than by their variety. large as these horns seem, however, they are shed every year, and their place supplied by new ones. this usually takes place in the spring. when the old horns have fallen off, the new ones do not make their appearance immediately; but the bones of the skull ore seen covered with a transparent periosteum, or skin, which enwraps the bones of all animals. after a short time, however, the skin begins to swell, and to form a sort of tumour. from this, by-and-by, rising from the head, shoot forth the antlers from each side; and, in a short time, in proportion as the animal is in condition, the entire horns are completed. the solidity of the extremities, however, is not perfect until the horns have arrived at their full growth. old stags usually shed their horns first, which generally happens towards the latter end of february or the beginning of march. such as are between five and six years old shed them about the middle or latter end of march; those still younger in the month of april; and the youngest of all not till the middle or latter end of may. these rules, though generally true, are subject to variations; for a severe winter will retard the shedding of the horns.--the hind has no horns, and is less fitted for being hunted than the male. she takes the greatest care of her young, and secretes them in the most obscure thickets, lest they become a prey to their numerous enemies. all the rapacious family of the cat kind, with the wolf, the dog, the eagle, and the falcon, are continually endeavouring to find her retreat, whilst the stag himself is the foe of his own offspring. when she has young, therefore, it would seem that the courage of the male is transferred to the female, for she defends them with the most resolute bravery. if pursued by the hunter, she will fly before the hounds for half the day, and then return to her young, whose life she has thus preserved at the hazard of her own. [illustration: eland (bull). eland (cow).] the new venison.--the deer population of our splendid english parks was, until a few years since, limited to two species, the fallow and the red. but as the fallow-deer itself was an acclimated animal, of comparatively recent introduction, it came to be a question why might not the proprietor of any deer-park in england have the luxury of at least half a dozen species of deer and antelopes, to adorn the hills, dales, ferny brakes, and rich pastures of his domain? the temperate regions of the whole world might be made to yield specimens of the noble ruminant, valuable either for their individual beauty, or for their availability to gastronomic purposes. during the last four or live years a few spirited english noblemen have made the experiment of breeding foreign deer in their parks, and have obtained such a decided success, that it may be hoped their example will induce others to follow in a course which will eventually give to england's rural scenery a new element of beauty, and to english tables a fresh viand of the choicest character. a practical solution of this interesting question was made by viscount hill, at hawkestone park, salop, in january, . on that occasion a magnificent eland, an acclimated scion of the species whose native home is the south african wilderness, was killed for the table. the noble beast was thus described:--"he weighed , lbs. as he dropped; huge as a short-horn, but with bone not half the size; active as a deer, stately in all his paces, perfect in form, bright in colour, with a vast dewlap, and strong sculptured horn. this eland in his lifetime strode majestic on the hill-side, where he dwelt with his mates and their progeny, all english-born, like himself." three pairs of the same species of deer were left to roam at large on the picturesque elopes throughout the day, and to return to their home at pleasure. "here, during winter, they are assisted with roots and hay, but in summer they have nothing but the pasture of the park; so that, in point of expense, they cost no more than cattle of the best description." travellers and sportsmen say that the male eland is unapproached in the quality of his flesh by any ruminant in south africa; that it grows to an enormous size, and lays on fat with as great facility as a true short-horn; while in texture and flavour it is infinitely superior. the lean is remarkably fine, the fat firm and delicate. it was tried in every fashion,--braised brisket, roasted ribs, broiled steaks, filet sauté, boiled aitchbone, &c.,--and in all, gave evidence of the fact, that a new meat of surpassing value had been added to the products of the english park. when we hear such a gratifying account of the eland, it is pleasing to record that lord hastings has a herd of the canadian wapiti, a herd of indian nylghaus, and another of the small indian hog-deer; that the earl of ducie has been successful in breeding the magnificent persian deer. the eland was first acclimated in england by the late earl of derby, between the years - , at his menagerie at knowsley. on his death, in , he bequeathed to the zoological society his breed of elands, consisting of two males and three females. here the animals have been treated with the greatest success, and from the year to the present time, the females have regularly reproduced, without the loss of a single calf. roast widgeon. . ingredients.--widgeons, a little flour, butter. _mode_.--these are trussed in the same manner as wild duck, no. , but must not be kept so long before they are dressed. put them down to a brisk fire; flour, and baste them continually with butter, and, when browned and nicely frothed, send them to table hot and quickly. serve with brown gravy, or orange gravy, no. , and a cut lemon. _time_.-- / hour; if liked well done, minutes. _average cost_, s. each; but seldom bought. _sufficient_,-- for a dish. _seasonable_ from october to february. [illustration: roast woodcock.] roast woodcock. . ingredients.--woodcocks; butter, flour, toast. _mode_.--woodcocks should not be drawn, as the trails are, by epicures, considered a great delicacy. pluck, and wipe them well outside; truss them with the legs close to the body, and the feet pressing upon the thighs; skin the neck and head, and bring the beak round under the wing. place some slices of toast in the dripping-pan to catch the trails, allowing a piece of toast for each bird. roast before a clear fire from to minutes; keep them well basted, and flour and froth them nicely. when done, dish the pieces of toast with the birds upon them, and pour round a very little gravy; send some more to table in a tureen. these are most delicious birds when well cooked, but they should not be kept too long: when the feathers drop, or easily come out, they are fit for table.--see coloured plate, i . _time_.---when liked underdone, to minutes; if liked well done, allow an extra minutes. _average cost_.--seldom bought. _sufficient_,-- for a dish. _seasonable_ from november to february. [illustration: the woodcock.] the woodcock.--this bird being migratory in its habits, has, consequently, no settled habitation; it cannot be considered as the property of any one, and is, therefore, not game by law. it breeds in high northern latitudes, and the time of its appearance and disappearance in sweden coincides exactly with that of its arrival in and return from great britain. on the coast of suffolk its vernal and autumnal visits have been accurately observed. in the first week of october it makes its appearance in small numbers, but in november and december it appears in larger numbers, and always after sunset, and most gregariously. in the same manner as woodcocks take their leave of us, they quit france, germany, and italy, making the northern and colder climates their summer rendezvous. they visit burgundy in the latter part of october, but continue there only a few weeks, the country being hard, and unable to supply them with such sustenance as they require. in the winter, they are found as far south as smyrna and aleppo, and, during the same season, in barbary, where the africans name them "the ass of the partridge." it has been asserted that they have been seen as far south as egypt, which is the most remote region to which they can be traced on that side of the eastern world; on the other side, they are common in japan. those which resort to the countries of the levant are supposed to come from the mountains of armenia, or the deserts of tartary or siberia. the flesh of the woodcock is held in high estimation; hence the bird is eagerly sought after by the sportsman. game carving. blackcock. [illustration: blackcock.] . skilful carving of game undoubtedly adds to the pleasure of the guests at a dinner-table; for game seems pre-eminently to be composed of such delicate limbs and tender flesh that an inapt practitioner appears to more disadvantage when mauling these pretty and favourite dishes, than larger and more robust _pièces de résistance_. as described at recipe no. , this bird is variously served with or without the head on; and although we do not personally object to the appearance of the head as shown in the woodcut, yet it seems to be more in vogue to serve it without. the carving is not difficult, but should be elegantly and deftly done. slices from the breast, cut in the direction of the dotted line from to , should be taken off, the merrythought displaced and the leg and wing removed by running the knife along from to , and following the directions given under the head of boiled fowl, no. , reserving the thigh, which is considered a great delicacy, for the most honoured guests, some of whom may also esteem the brains of this bird. wild duck. [illustration: wild duck.] . as game is almost universally served as a dainty, and not as a dish to stand the assaults of an altogether fresh appetite, these dishes are not usually cut up entirely, but only those parts are served of each, which are considered the best-flavoured and the primest. of wild-fowl, the breast alone is considered by epicures worth eating, and slices are cut from this, in the direction indicated by the lines, from to ; if necessary, the leg and wing can be taken off by passing the knife from to , and by generally following the directions described for carving boiled fowl, no. . roast hare. [illustration: roast hare.] . the "grand carver" of olden times, a functionary of no ordinary dignity, was pleased when he had a hare to manipulate, for his skill and grace had an opportunity of display. _diners à la russe_ may possibly, erewhile, save modern gentlemen the necessity of learning the art which was in auld lang syne one of the necessary accomplishments of the youthful squire; but, until side-tables become universal, or till we see the office of "grand carver" once more instituted, it will be well for all to learn how to assist at the carving of this dish, which, if not the most elegant in appearance, is a very general favourite. the hare, having its head to the left, as shown in the woodcut, should be first served by cutting slices from each side of the backbone, in the direction of the lines from to . after these prime parts are disposed of, the leg should next be disengaged by cutting round the line indicated by the figures to . the shoulders will then be taken off by passing the knife round from to . the back of the hare should now be divided by cutting quite through its spine, as shown by the line to , taking care to feel with the point of the knife for a joint where the back may be readily penetrated. it is the usual plan not to serve any bone in helping hare; and thus the flesh should be sliced from the legs and placed alone on the plate. in large establishments, and where men-cooks are kept, it is often the case that the backbone of the hare, especially in old animals, is taken out, and then the process of carving is, of course, considerably facilitated. a great point to be remembered in connection with carving hare is, that plenty of gravy should accompany each helping; otherwise this dish, which is naturally dry, will lose half its flavour, and so become a failure. stuffing is also served with it; and the ears, which should be nicely crisp, and the brains of the hare, are esteemed as delicacies by many connoisseurs. partridges. [illustration: roast partridges.] . there are several ways of carving this most familiar game bird. the more usual and summary mode is to carry the knife sharply along the top of the breastbone of the bird, and cut it quite through, thus dividing it into two precisely equal and similar parts, in the same manner as carving a pigeon, no. . another plan is to cut it into three pieces; viz., by severing a small wing and leg on either side from the body, by following the line to in the upper woodcut; thus making helpings, when the breast will remain for a third plate. the most elegant manner is that of thrusting back the body from the legs, and then cutting through the breast in the direction shown by the line to : this plan will give or more small helpings. a little bread-sauce should be served to each guest. grouse. [illustration] . grouse may be carved in the way first described in carving partridge. the backbone of the grouse is highly esteemed by many, and this part of many game birds is considered the finest flavoured. pheasant. [illustration: roast pheasant.] . fixing the fork in the breast, let the carver cut slices from it in the direction of the lines from to : these are the prime pieces. if there be more guests to satisfy than these slices will serve, then let the legs and wings be disengaged in the same manner as described in carving boiled fowl, no. , the point where the wing joins the neckbone being carefully found. the merrythought will come off in the same way as that of a fowl. the most valued parts are the same as those which are most considered in a fowl. snipe. [illustration: snipe.] . one of these small but delicious birds may be given, whole, to a gentleman; but, in helping a lady, it will be better to cut them quite through the centre, from to , completely dividing them into equal and like portions, and put only one half on the plate. haunch of venison. [illustration: haunch of venison.] . here is a grand dish for a knight of the carving-knife to exercise his skill upon, and, what will be pleasant for many to know, there is but little difficulty in the performance. an incision being made completely down to the bone, in the direction of the line to , the gravy will then be able easily to flow; when slices, not too thick, should be cut along the haunch, as indicated by the line to ; that end of the joint marked having been turned towards the carver, so that he may have a more complete command over the joint. although some epicures affect to believe that some parts of the haunch are superior to others, yet we doubt if there is any difference between the slices cut above and below the line. it should be borne in mind to serve each guest with a portion of fat; and the most expeditious carver will be the best carver, as, like mutton, venison soon begins to chill, when it loses much of its charm. woodcock. [illustration: woodcock.] . this bird, like a partridge, may be carved by cutting it exactly into two like portions, or made into three helpings, as described in carving partridge (no. ). the backbone is considered the tit-bit of a woodcock, and by many the thigh is also thought a great delicacy. this bird is served in the manner advised by brillat savarin, in connection with the pheasant, viz., on toast which has received its drippings whilst roasting; and a piece of this toast should invariably accompany each plate. landrail. . landrail, being trussed like snipe, with the exception of its being drawn, may be carved in the same manner.--see no. . ptarmigan. . ptarmigan, being of much the same size, and trussed in the same manner, as the red-bird, may be carved in the manner described in partridge and grouse carving, nos. and . quails. . quails, being trussed and served like woodcock, may be similarly carved.--see no. . plovers. . plovers may be carved like quails or woodcock, being trussed and served in the same way as those birds.--see no. . teal. . teal, being of the same character as widgeon and wild duck, may be treated, in carving, in the same style. widgeon. . widgeon may be carved in the same way as described in regard to wild duck, at no. . [illustration] [illustration] chapter xxiv. general observations on vegetables. "strange there should be found who, self-imprison'd in their proud saloons, renounce the odours of the open field for the unscented fictions of the loom; who, satisfied with only pencilled scenes, prefer to the performance of a god, th' inferior wonders of an artist's hand! lovely, indeed, the mimic works of art, but nature's works far lovelier."--cowper. . "the animal and vegetable kingdoms," says hogg, in his natural history of the vegetable kingdom, "may be aptly compared to the primary colours of the prismatic spectrum, which are so gradually and intimately blended, that we fail to discover where the one terminates and where the other begins. if we had to deal with yellow and blue only, the eye would easily distinguish the one from the other; but when the two are blended, and form green, we cannot tell where the blue ends and the yellow begins. and so it is in the animal and vegetable kingdoms. if our powers of observation were limited to the highest orders of animals and plants, if there were only mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes, and insects in the one, and trees, shrubs, and herbs in the other, we should then be able with facility to define the bounds of the two kingdoms; but as we descend the scale of each, and arrive at the lowest forms of animals and plants, we there meet with bodies of the simplest structure, sometimes a mere cell, whose organization, modes of development and reproduction, are so anomalous, and partake so much of the character of both, that we cannot distinguish whether they are plants or whether they are animals." . whilst it is difficult to determine where the animal begins and the vegetable ends, it is as difficult to account for many of the singularities by which numbers of plants are characterized. this, however, can hardly be regarded as a matter of surprise, when we recollect that, so far as it is at present known, the vegetable kingdom is composed of upwards of , species of plants. of this amazing number the lichens and the mosses are of the simplest and hardiest kinds. these, indeed, may be considered as the very creators of the soil: they thrive in the coldest and most sterile regions, many of them commencing the operations of nature in the growth of vegetables on the barest rocks, and receiving no other nourishment than such as may be supplied to them by the simple elements of air and rain. when they have exhausted their period in such situations as have been assigned them, they pass into a state of decay, and become changed into a very fine mould, which, in the active spontaneity of nature, immediately begins to produce other species, which in their turn become food for various mosses, and also rot. this process of growth and decay, being, from time to time, continued, by-and-by forms a soil sufficient for the maintenance of larger plants, which also die and decay, and so increase the soil, until it becomes deep enough to sustain an oak, or even the weight of a tropical forest. to create soil amongst rocks, however, must not be considered as the only end of the lichen; different kinds of it minister to the elegant arts, in the form of beautiful dyes; thus the _lichen rocella_ is used to communicate to silk and wool, various shades of purple and crimson, which greatly enhance the value of these materials. this species is chiefly imported from the canary islands, and, when scarce, as an article of commerce has brought as much as £ per ton. . in the vicinity of lichens, the musci, or mosses, are generally to be found. indeed, wherever vegetation can be sustained, there they are, affording protection to the roots and seeds of more delicate vegetables, and, by their spongy texture, retaining a moisture which preserves other plants from the withering drought of summer. but even in winter we find them enlivening, by their verdure, the cold bosom of nature. we see them abounding in our pastures and our woods, attaching themselves to the living, and still more abundantly to the dead, trunks and branches of trees. in marshy places they also abound, and become the medium of their conversion into fruitful fields. this is exemplified by the manner in which peat-mosses are formed: on the surface of these we find them in a state of great life and vigour; immediately below we discover them, more or less, in a state of decomposition; and, still deeper, we find their stems and branches consolidated into a light brown peat. thus are extensive tracts formed, ultimately to be brought into a state of cultivation, and rendered subservient to the wants of man. . when nature has found a soil, her next care is to perfect the growth of her seeds, and then to disperse them. whilst the seed remains confined in its capsule, it cannot answer its purpose; hence, when it is sufficiently ripe, the pericardium opens, and lets it out. what must strike every observer with surprise is, how nuts and shells, which we can hardly crack with our teeth, or even with a hammer, will divide of themselves, and make way for the little tender sprout which proceeds from the kernel. there are instances, it is said, such as in the touch-me-not (_impatiens_), and the cuckoo-flower (_cardamine_), in which the seed-vessels, by an elastic jerk at the moment of their explosion, cast the seeds to a distance. we are all aware, however, that many seeds--those of the most composite flowers, as of the thistle and dandelion--are endowed with, what have not been inappropriately called, wings. these consist of a beautiful silk-looking down, by which they are enabled to float in the air, and to be transported, sometimes, to considerable distances from the parent plant that produced them. the swelling of this downy tuft within the seed-vessel is the means by which the seed is enabled to overcome the resistance of its coats, and to force for itself a passage by which it escapes from its little prison-house. [illustration: beeton's book of household management edited by mrs. isabella beeton] [illustration: "the free, fair homes of england."] . birds, as well as quadrupeds, are likewise the means of dispersing the seeds of plants, and placing them in situations where they ultimately grow. amongst the latter is the squirrel, which is an extensive planter of oaks; nay, it may be regarded as having, in some measure, been one of the creators of the british navy. we have read of a gentleman who was walking one day in some woods belonging to the duke of beaufort, near troy house, in monmouthshire, when his attention was arrested by a squirrel, sitting very composedly upon the ground. he stopped to observe its motions, when, in a short time, the little animal suddenly quitted its position, and darted to the top of the tree beneath which it had been sitting. in an instant it returned with an acorn in its mouth, and with its paws began to burrow in the earth. after digging a small hole, it therein deposited an acorn, which it hastily covered, and then darted up the tree again. in a moment it was down with another, which it buried in the same manner; and so continued its labour, gathering and burying, as long as the gentleman had patience to watch it. this industry in the squirrel is an instinct which directs it to lay up a store of provision for the winter; and as it is probable that its memory is not sufficiently retentive to enable it to recollect all the spots in which it deposits its acorns, it no doubt makes some slips in the course of the season, and loses some of them. these few spring up, and are, in time, destined to supply the place of the parent tree. thus may the sons of britain, in some degree, consider themselves to be indebted to the industry and defective memory of this little animal for the production of some of those "wooden walls" which have, for centuries, been the national pride, and which have so long "braved the battle and the breeze" on the broad bosom of the great deep, in every quarter of the civilized globe. as with the squirrel, so with jays and pies, which plant among the grass and moss, horse-beans, and probably forget where they have secreted them. mr. white, the naturalist, says, that both horse-beans and peas sprang up in his field-walks in the autumn; and he attributes the sowing of them to birds. bees, he also observes, are much the best setters of cucumbers. if they do not happen to take kindly to the frames, the best way is to tempt them by a little honey put on the male and female bloom. when they are once induced to haunt the frames, they set all the fruit, and will hover with impatience round the lights in a morning till the glasses are opened. . some of the acorns planted by the squirrel of monmouthshire may be now in a fair way to become, at the end of some centuries, venerable trees; for not the least remarkable quality of oaks is the strong principle of life with which they are endued. in major rooke's "sketch of the forest of sherwood" we find it stated that, on some timber cut down in berkland and bilhaugh, letters were found stamped in the bodies of the trees, denoting the king's reign in which they were marked. the bark appears to have been cut off, and then the letters to have been cut in, and the next year's wood to have grown over them without adhering to where the bark had been cut out. the ciphers were found to be of james i., william and mary, and one of king john. one of the ciphers of james was about one foot within the tree, and one foot from the centre. it was cut down in . the tree must have been two feet in diameter, or two yards in circumference, when the mark was cut. a tree of this size is generally estimated at years' growth; which number being subtracted from the middle year of the reign of james, would carry the year back to , which would be about the period of its being planted. the tree with the cipher of william and mary displayed its mark about nine inches within the tree, and three feet three inches from the centre. this tree was felled in . the cipher of john was eighteen inches within the tree, and rather more than a foot from the centre. the middle year of the reign of that monarch was . by subtracting from this , the number of years requisite for a tree's growth to arrive at the diameter of two feet, the date of its being planted would seem to have been , or about twenty years after the conquest. [illustration: cellular development.] . considering the great endurance of these trees, we are necessarily led to inquire into the means by which they are enabled to arrive at such strength and maturity; and whether it may be considered as a humiliation we will not determine, but, with all the ingenious mechanical contrivances of man, we are still unable to define the limits of the animal and vegetable kingdoms. "plants have been described by naturalists, who would determine the limits of the two kingdoms, as organized living bodies, without volition or locomotion, destitute of a mouth or intestinal cavity, which, when detached from their place of growth, die, and, in decay, ferment, but do not putrefy, and which, on being subjected to analysis, furnish an excess of carbon and no nitrogen. the powers of chemistry, and of the microscope, however, instead of confirming these views, tend more and more to show that a still closer affinity exists between plants and animals; for it is now ascertained that nitrogen, which was believed to be present only in animals, enters largely into the composition of plants also. when the microscope is brought to aid our powers of observation, we find that there are organized bodies belonging to the vegetable kingdom which possess very evident powers of locomotion, and which change about in so very remarkable a manner, that no other cause than that of volition can be assigned to it." thus it would seem that, in this particular at least, some vegetables bear a very close resemblance to animal life; and when we consider the manner in which they are supplied with nourishment, and perform the functions of their existence, the resemblance would seem still closer. if, for example, we take a thin transverse slice of the stem of any plant, or a slice cut across its stem, and immerse it in a little pure water, and place it under a microscope, we will find that it consists principally of cells, more or less regular, and resembling those of a honeycomb or a network of cobweb. the size of these varies in different plants, as it does in different parts of the same plant, and they are sometimes so minute as to require a million to cover a square inch of surface. this singular structure, besides containing water and air, is the repository or storehouse of various secretions. through it, the sap, when produced, is diffused sideways through the plant, and by it numerous changes are effected in the juices which fill its cells. the forms of the cells are various; they are also subject to various transformations. sometimes a number of cylindrical cells are laid end to end, and, by the absorption of the transverse partitions, form a continuous tube, as in the sap-vessels of plants, or in muscular and nervous fibre; and when cells are thus woven together, they are called cellular tissue, which, in the human body, forms a fine net-like membrane, enveloping or connecting most of its structures. in pulpy fruits, the cells may be easily separated one from the other; and within the cells are smaller cells, commonly known as pulp. among the cell-contents of some plants are beautiful crystals, called _raphides_. the term is derived from [greek: rhaphis] a _needle_, on account of the resemblance of the crystal to a needle. they are composed of the phosphate and oxalate of lime; but there is great difference of opinion as to their use in the economy of the plant, and one of the french philosophers endeavoured to prove that crystals are the possible transition of the inorganic to organic matter. the differences, however, between the highest form of crystal and the lowest form of organic life known, viz., a simple reproductive cell, are so manifold and striking, that the attempt to make crystals the bridge over which inorganic matter passes into organic, is almost totally regarded as futile. in a layer of an onion, a fig, a section of garden rhubarb, in some species of aloe, in the bark of many trees, and in portions of the cuticle of the medicinal squill, bundles of these needle-shaped crystals are to be found. some of them are as large as - th of an inch, others are as small as the - th. they are found in all parts of the plant,--in the stem, bark, leaves, stipules, petals, fruit, roots, and even in the pollen, with some few exceptions, and they are always situated in the interior of cells. some plants, as many of the _cactus_ tribe, are made up almost entirely of these needle-crystals; in some instances, every cell of the cuticle contains a stellate mass of crystals; in others, the whole interior is full of them, rendering the plant so exceedingly brittle, that the least touch will occasion a fracture; so much so, that some specimens of _cactus senilis_, said to be a thousand years old, which were sent a few years since to kew, from south america, were obliged to be packed in cotton, with all the care of the most delicate jewellery, to preserve them during transport. [illustration: siliceous cuticle from under-side of leaf of deutzia scabra.] [illustration: siliceous cuticle of grass.] . besides the cellular tissue, there is what is called a vascular system, which consists of another set of small vessels. if, for example, we, early in the spring, cut a branch transversely, we will perceive the sap oozing out from numerous points over the whole of the divided surface, except on that part occupied by the pith and the bark; and if a twig, on which the leaves are already unfolded, be cut from the tree, and placed with its cut end in a watery solution of brazil-wood, the colouring matter will be found to ascend into the leaves and to the top of the twig. in both these cases, a close examination with a powerful microscope, will discover the sap perspiring from the divided portion of the stem, and the colouring matter rising through real tubes to the top of the twig: these are the sap or conducting vessels of the plant. if, however, we examine a transverse section of the vine, or of any other tree, at a later period of the season, we find that the wood is apparently dry, whilst the bark, particularly that part next the wood, is swelled with fluid. this is contained in vessels of a different kind from those in which the sap rises. they are found in the _bark_ only in trees, and may be called returning vessels, from their carrying the sap downwards after its preparation in the leaf. it is believed that the passage of the sap in plants is conducted in a manner precisely similar to that of the blood in man, from the regular contraction and expansion of the vessels; but, on account of their extreme minuteness, it is almost an impossibility to be certain upon this point. numerous observations made with the microscope show that their diameter seldom exceeds a th part of a line, or a , th part of an inch. leuwenhoeck reckoned , vessels in a morsel of oak about one nineteenth of an inch square. . in the vascular system of a plant, we at once see the great analogy which it bears to the veins and arteries in the human system; but neither it, nor the cellular tissue combined, is all that is required to perfect the production of a vegetable. there is, besides, a tracheal system, which is composed of very minute elastic spiral tubes, designed for the purpose of conveying air both to and from the plant. there are also fibres, which consist of collections of these cells and vessels closely united together. these form the root and the stem. if we attempt to cut them transversely, we meet with difficulty, because we have to force our way across the tubes, and break them; but if we slit the wood lengthwise, the vessels are separated without breaking. the layers of wood, which appear in the stem or branch of a tree cut transversely, consist of different zones of fibres, each the produce of one year's growth, and separated by a coat of cellular tissue, without which they could not be well distinguished. besides all these, there is the cuticle, which extends over every part of the plant, and covers the bark with three distinct coats. the _liber_, or inner bark, is said to be formed of hollow tubes, which convey the sap downwards to increase the solid diameter of the tree. . the root and the stem now demand a slight notice. the former is designed, not only to support the plant by fixing it in the soil, but also to fulfil the functions of a channel for the conveyance of nourishment: it is therefore furnished with pores, or spongioles, as they are called, from their resemblance to a sponge, to suck up whatever comes within its reach. it is found in a variety of forms, and hence its adaptation to a great diversity of soils and circumstances. we have heard of a willow-tree being dug up and its head planted where its roots were, and these suffered to spread out in the air like naked branches. in course of time, the roots became branches, and the branches roots, or rather, roots rose from the branches beneath the ground, and branches shot from the roots above. some roots last one year, others two, and others, like the shrubs and trees which they produce, have an indefinite period of existence; but they all consist of a collection of fibres, composed of vascular and cellular tissue, without tracheae, or breathing-vessels. the stem is the grand distributor of the nourishment taken up by the roots, to the several parts of the plant. the seat of its vitality is said to be in the point or spot called the neck, which separates the stem from the root. if the root of a young plant be cut off, it will shoot out afresh; if even the stem be taken away, it will be renewed; but if this part be injured, the plant will assuredly die. . in accordance with the plan of this work, special notices of culinary vegetables will accompany the various recipes in which they are spoken of; but here we cannot resist the opportunity of declaring it as our conviction, that he or she who introduces a useful or an ornamental plant into our island, ought justly to be considered, to a large extent, a benefactor to the country. no one can calculate the benefits which may spring from this very vegetable, after its qualities have become thoroughly known. if viewed in no other light, it is pleasing to consider it as bestowing upon us a share of the blessings of other climates, and enabling us to participate in the luxury which a more genial sun has produced. recipes. chapter xxv. boiled artichokes. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water, allow heaped tablespoonful of salt, a piece of soda the size of a shilling; artichokes. [illustration: artichokes.] _mode_.--wash the artichokes well in several waters; see that no insects remain about them, and trim away the leaves at the bottom. cut off the stems and put them into _boiling_ water, to which have been added salt and soda in the above proportion. keep the saucepan uncovered, and let them boil quickly until tender; ascertain when they are done by thrusting a fork in them, or by trying if the leaves can be easily removed. take them out, let them drain for a minute or two, and serve in a napkin, or with a little white sauce poured over. a tureen of melted butter should accompany them. this vegetable, unlike any other, is considered better for being gathered two or three days; but they must be well soaked and washed previous to dressing. _time_.-- to minutes, after the water boils. _sufficient_,--a dish of or for persons. _seasonable_ from july to the beginning of september. [illustration: cardoon artichoke.] the compositae, or composite flowers.--this family is so extensive, as to contain nearly a twelfth part of the whole of the vegetable kingdom. it embraces about , species, distributed over almost every country; and new discoveries are constantly being made and added to the number. towards the poles their numbers diminish, and slightly, also, towards the equator; but they abound in the tropical and sub-tropical islands, and in the tracts of continent not far from the sea-shore. among esculent vegetables, the lettuce, salsify, scorzonera, cardoon, and artichoke belong to the family. fried artichokes. (entremets, or small dish, to be served with the second course.) . ingredients.-- or artichokes, salt and water: for the batter,-- / lb. of flour, a little salt, the yolk of egg, milk. _mode_.--trim and boil the artichokes by recipe no. , and rub them over with lemon-juice, to keep them white. when they are quite tender, take them up, remove the chokes, and divide the bottoms; dip each piece into batter, fry them in hot lard or dripping, and garnish the dish with crisped parsley. serve with plain melted butter. _time_.-- minutes to boil the artichokes, to minutes to fry them. _sufficient_,-- or for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to the beginning of september. a french mode of cooking artichokes. . ingredients.-- or artichokes; to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt, / teaspoonful of pepper, bunch of savoury herbs, oz. of butter. _mode_.--cut the ends of the leaves, as also the stems; put the artichokes into boiling water, with the above proportion of salt, pepper, herbs, and butter; let them boil quickly until tender, keeping the lid of the saucepan off, and when the leaves come out easily, they are cooked enough. to keep them a beautiful green, put a large piece of cinder into a muslin bag, and let it boil with them. serve with plain melted butter. _time_.-- to minutes. _sufficient_,-- or sufficient for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to the beginning of september. artichokes a l'italienne. . ingredients.-- or artichokes, salt and butter, about / pint of good gravy. _mode_.--trim and cut the artichokes into quarters, and boil them until tender in water mixed with a little salt and butter. when done, drain them well, and lay them all round the dish, with the leaves outside. have ready some good gravy, highly flavoured with mushrooms; reduce it until quite thick, and pour it round the artichokes, and serve. _time_.-- to minutes to boil the artichokes. _sufficient_ for one side-dish. _seasonable_ from july to the beginning of september. constituent properties of the artichoke.--according to the analysis of braconnet, the constituent elements of an artichoke are,--starch , albumen , uncrystallizable sugar , gum , fixed oil , woody fibre , inorganic matter , and water . boiled jerusalem artichokes. . ingredients.--to each gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt; artichokes. _mode_.--wash, peel, and shape the artichokes in a round or oval form, and put them into a saucepan with sufficient cold water to cover them, salted in the above proportion. let them boil gently until tender; take them up, drain them, and serve them in a napkin, or plain, whichever mode is preferred; send to table with them a tureen of melted butter or cream sauce, a little of which may be poured over the artichokes when they are _not_ served in a napkin. [illustration: jerusalem artichokes.] _time_.--about minutes after the water boils. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_,-- for a dish for persons. _seasonable_ from september to june. uses of the jerusalem artichoke.--this being a tuberous-rooted plant, with leafy stems from four to six feet high, it is alleged that its tops will afford as much fodder per acre as a crop of oats, or more, and its roots half as many tubers as an ordinary crop of potatoes. the tubers, being abundant in the market-gardens, are to be had at little more than the price of potatoes. the fibres of the stems may be separated by maceration, and manufactured into cordage or cloth; and this is said to be done in some parts of the north and west of france, as about hagenau, where this plant, on the poor sandy soils, is an object of field culture. mashed jerusalem artichokes. . ingredients.--to each gallon of water allow oz. of salt; or artichokes, oz. butter, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--boil the artichokes as in the preceding recipe until tender; drain and press the water from them, and beat them up with a fork. when thoroughly mashed and free from lumps, put them into a saucepan with the butter and a seasoning of white pepper and salt; keep stirring over the fire until the artichokes are quite hot, and serve. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to june. jerusalem artichokes with white sauce. (entremets, or to be served with the second course as a side-dish.) . ingredients.-- to artichokes, to brussels sprouts, / pint of white sauce, no. . _mode_.--peel and cut the artichokes in the shape of a pear; cut a piece off the bottom of each, that they may stand upright in the dish, and boil them in salt and water until tender. have ready / pint of white sauce, made by recipe no. ; dish the artichokes, pour over them the sauce, and place between each a fine brussels sprout: these should be boiled separately, and not with the artichokes. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, d. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to june. the jerusalem artichoke.--this plant is well known, being, for its tubers, cultivated not only as a garden vegetable, but also as an agricultural crop. by many it is much esteemed as an esculent, when cooked in various ways; and the domesticated animals eat both the fresh foliage, and the tubers with great relish. by some, they are not only considered nourishing, but even fattening. boiled asparagus. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt; asparagus. [illustration: asparagus on toast. asparagus tongs.] _mode_.--asparagus should be dressed as soon as possible after it is cut, although it may be kept for a day or two by putting the stalks into cold water; yet, to be good, like every other vegetable, it cannot be cooked too fresh. scrape the white part of the stems, _beginning_ from the _head_, and throw them into cold water; then tie them into bundles of about each, keeping the heads all one way, and cut the stalks evenly, that they may all be the same length; put them into _boiling_ water, with salt in the above proportion; keep them boiling quickly until tender, with the saucepan uncovered. when the asparagus is done, dish it upon toast, which should be dipped in the water it was cooked in, and leave the white ends outwards each war, with the points meeting in the middle. serve with a tureen of melted butter. _time_.-- to minutes after the water boils. _average cost_, in full season, s. d. the heads. _sufficient_.--allow about heads for or persons. _seasonable_.--may be had, forced, from january but cheapest in may, june, and july. [illustration: asparagus.] asparagus.--this plant belongs to the variously-featured family of the order _liliaceae_, which, in the temperate regions of both hemispheres, are most abundant, and, between the tropics, gigantic in size and arborescent in form. asparagus is a native of great britain, and is found on various parts of the seacoast, and in the fens of lincolnshire. at kynarve cove, in cornwall, there is an island called "asparagus island," from the abundance in which it is there found. the uses to which the young shoots are applied, and the manure in which they are cultivated in order to bring them to the highest state of excellence, have been a study with many kitchen-gardeners. asparagus peas. (entremets, or to be served as a side-dish with the second course.) . ingredients.-- heads of asparagus, oz. of butter, a small bunch of parsley, or green onions, flour, lump of sugar, the yolks of eggs, tablespoonfuls of cream, salt. _mode_.--carefully scrape the asparagus, cut it into pieces of an equal size, avoiding that which is in the least hard or tough, and throw them into cold water. then boil the asparagus in salt and water until three-parts done; take it out, drain, and place it on a cloth to dry the moisture away from it. put it into a stewpan with the butter, parsley, and onions, and shake over a brisk fire for minutes. dredge in a little flour, add the sugar, and moisten with boiling water. when boiled a short time and reduced, take out the parsley and onions, thicken with the yolks of eggs beaten with the cream; add a seasoning of salt, and, when the whole is on the point of simmering, serve. make the sauce sufficiently thick to adhere to the vegetable. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, s. d. a pint. _seasonable_ in may, june, and july. medicinal uses of asparagus.--this plant not only acts as a wholesome and nutritious vegetable, but also as a diuretic, aperient, and deobstruent. the chemical analysis of its juice discovers its composition to be a peculiar crystallizable principle, called asparagin, albumen, mannite, malic acid, and some salts. thours says, the cellular tissue contains a substance similar to sage. the berries are capable of undergoing vinous fermentation, and affording alcohol by distillation. in their unripe state they possess the same properties as the roots, and probably in a much higher degree. asparagus pudding. (a delicious dish, to be served with the second course.) . ingredients.-- / pint of asparagus peas, eggs, tablespoonfuls of flour, tablespoonful of _very finely_ minced ham, oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste, milk. _mode_.--cut up the nice green tender parts of asparagus, about the size of peas; put them into a basin with the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the flour, ham, butter, pepper, and salt. mix all these ingredients well together, and moisten with sufficient milk to make the pudding of the consistency of thick batter; put it into a pint buttered mould, tie it down tightly with a floured cloth, place it in _boiling water_, and let it boil for hours; turn it out of the mould on to a hot dish, and pour plain melted butter _round_, but not over, the pudding. green peas pudding may be made in exactly the same manner, substituting peas for the asparagus. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. per pint. _seasonable_ in may, june, and july. boiled french beans. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt, a very small piece of soda. [illustration: scarlet runner.] _mode_.--this vegetable should always be eaten young, as, when allowed to grow too long, it tastes stringy and tough when cooked. cut off the heads and tails, and a thin strip on each side of the beans, to remove the strings. then divide each bean into or pieces, according to size, cutting them lengthways in a slanting direction, and, as they are cut, put them into cold water, with a small quantity of salt dissolved in it. have ready a saucepan of boiling water, with salt and soda in the above proportion; put in the beans, keep them boiling quickly, with the lid uncovered, and be careful that they do not get smoked. when tender, which may be ascertained by their sinking to the bottom of the saucepan, take them up, throw them into a colander; and when drained, dish and serve with plain melted butter. when very young, beans are sometimes served whole: when they are thus dressed, their colour and flavour are much better preserved; but the more general way of dressing them is to cut them into thin strips. _time_.--very young beans, to minutes; moderate size, to minutes, after the water boils. _average cost_, in full season, s. d. a peck; but, when forced, very expensive. _sufficient_.--allow / peck for or persons. _seasonable_ from the middle of july to the end of september; but may be had, forced, from february to the beginning of june. french mode of cooking french beans. . ingredients.--a quart of french beans, oz. of fresh butter, pepper and salt to taste, the juice of / lemon. _mode_.--cut and boil the beans by the preceding recipe, and when tender, put them into a stewpan, and shake over the fire, to dry away the moisture from the beans. when quite dry and hot, add the butter, pepper, salt, and lemon-juice; keep moving the stewpan, without using a spoon, as that would break the beans; and when the butter is melted, and all is thoroughly hot, serve. if the butter should not mix well, add a tablespoonful of gravy, and serve very quickly. _time_.--about / hour to boil the beans; minutes to shake them over the fire. _average cost_, in full season, about s. d. a peck. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from the middle of july to the end of september. boiled broad or windsor beans. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water, allow heaped tablespoonful of salt; beans. [illustration: broad bean.] _mode_.--this is a favourite vegetable with many persons, but to be nice, should be young and freshly gathered. after shelling the beans, put them into _boiling_ water, salted in the above proportion, and let them boil rapidly until tender. drain them well in a colander; dish, and serve with them separately a tureen of parsley and butter. boiled bacon should always accompany this vegetable, but the beans should be cooked separately. it is usually served with the beans laid round, and the parsley and butter in a tureen. beans also make an excellent garnish to a ham, and when used for this purpose, if very old, should have their skins removed. _time_.--very young beans, minutes; when of a moderate size, to minutes, or longer. _average cost_, unshelled, d. per peck. _sufficient_.--allow one peck for or persons. _seasonable_ in july and august. nutritive properties of the bean.--the produce of beans in meal is, like that of peas, more in proportion to the grain than in any of the cereal grasses. a bushel of beans is supposed to yield fourteen pounds more of flour than a bushel of oats; and a bushel of peas eighteen pounds more, or, according to some, twenty pounds. a thousand parts of bean flour were found by sir ii. davy to yield parts of nutritive matter, of which were mucilage or starch, gluten, and extract, or matter rendered insoluble during the process. broad beans a la poulette. . ingredients.-- pints of broad beans, / pint of stock or broth, a small bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley, a small lump of sugar, the yolk of egg, / pint of cream, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--procure some young and freshly-gathered beans, and shell sufficient to make pints; boil them, as in the preceding recipe, until nearly done; then drain them and put them into a stewpan, with the stock, finely-minced herbs, and sugar. stew the beans until perfectly tender, and the liquor has dried away a little; then beat up the yolk of an egg with the cream, add this to the beans, let the whole get thoroughly hot, and when on the point of simmering, serve. should the beans be very large, the skin should be removed previously to boiling them. _time_.-- minutes to boil the beans, minutes to stew them in the stock. _average cost_, unshelled, d. per peck. _seasonable_ in july and august. origin and varieties of the bean.--this valuable plant is said to be a native of egypt, but, like other plants which have been domesticated, its origin is uncertain. it has been cultivated in europe and asia from time immemorial, and has been long known in britain. its varieties may be included under two general heads,--the white, or garden beans, and the grey, or field beans, of the former, sown in the fields, the mazagan and long-pod are almost the only sorts; of the latter, those known as the horse-bean, the small or ticks, and the prolific of heligoland, are the principal sorts. new varieties are procured in the same manner as in other plants. boiled beetroot. . ingredients,--beetroot; boiling water. _mode_.--when large, young, and juicy, this vegetable makes a very excellent addition to winter salads, and may easily be converted into an economical and quickly-made pickle. (_see_ no. .) beetroot is more frequently served cold than hot: when the latter mode is preferred, melted butter should be sent to table with it. it may also be stewed with button onions, or boiled and served with roasted onions. wash the beets thoroughly; but do not prick or break the skin before they are cooked, or they would lose their beautiful colour in boiling. put them into boiling water, and let them boil until tender, keeping them well covered. if to be served hot, remove the peel quickly, cut the beetroot into thick slices, and send to table melted butter. for salads, pickle, &c., let the root cool, then peel, and cut it into slices. _time_.--small beetroot, - / to hours; large, - / to hours. _average cost_, in full season, d. each. _seasonable_.--may be had at any time. [illustration: beetroot.] beetroot.--the geographical distribution of the order saltworts (_salxolaceae_), to which beetroot belongs, is most common in extra-tropical and temperate regions, where they are common weeds, frequenting waste places, among rubbish, and on marshes by the seashore. in the tropics they are rare. they are characterized by the large quantities of mucilage, sugar, starch, and alkaline salts which are found in them. many of them are used as potherbs, and some are emetic and vermifuge in their medicinal properties. the _root_ of _garden_ or red beet is exceedingly wholesome and nutritious, and dr. lyon playfair has recommended that a good brown bread may be made by rasping down this root with an equal quantity of flour. he says that the average quality of flour contains about per cent. of azotized principles adapted for the formation of flesh, and the average quality of beet contains about per cent. of the same materials. boiled brocoli. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt; brocoli. [illustration: boiled brocoli.] _mode_.--strip off the dead outside leaves, and the inside ones cut off level with the flower; cut off the stalk close at the bottom, and put the brocoli into cold salt and water, with the heads downwards. when they have remained in this for about / hour, and they are _perfectly_ free from insects, put them into a saucepan of _boiling_ water, salted in the above proportion, and keep them boiling quickly over a brisk fire, with the saucepan uncovered. take them up with a slice the moment they are done; drain them well, and serve with a tureen of melted butter, a _little_ of which should be poured over the brocoli. if left in the water after it is done, it will break, its colour will be spoiled, and its crispness gone. _time_.--small brocoli, to minutes; large one, to minutes. _average cost_, d. each. _sufficient_,-- for or persons. _seasonable_ from october to march; plentiful in february and march. [illustration: brocoli.] the kohl-rabi, or turnip-cabbage.--this variety presents a singular development, inasmuch as the stem swells out like a large turnip on the surface of the ground, the leaves shooting from it all round, and the top being surmounted by a cluster of leaves issuing from it. although not generally grown as a garden vegetable, if used when young and tender, it is wholesome, nutritious, and very palatable. boiled brussels sprouts. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt; a _very small_ piece of soda. _mode_.--clean the sprouts from insects, nicely wash them, and pick off any dead or discoloured leaves from the outsides; put them into a saucepan of _boiling_ water, with salt and soda in the above proportion; keep the pan uncovered, and let them boil quickly over a brisk fire until tender; drain, dish, and serve with a tureen of melted butter, or with a maître d'hôtel sauce poured over them. another mode of serving is, when they are dished, to stir in about - / oz. of butter and a seasoning of pepper and salt. they must, however, be sent to table very quickly, as, being so very small, this vegetable soon cools. where the cook is very expeditious, this vegetable, when cooked, may be arranged on the dish in the form of a pineapple, and, so served, has a very pretty appearance. _time_.--from to minutes after the water boils. _average cost_, s. d. per peck. _sufficient_.--allow between and for or persons. _seasonable_ from november to march. savoys and brussels sprouts.--when the green kale, or borecole, has been advanced a step further in the path of improvement, it assumes the headed or hearting character, with blistered leaves; it is then known by the name of savoys and brussels sprouts. another of its headed forms, but with smooth glaucous leaves, is the cultivated cabbage of our gardens (the _borecole oleracea capitula_ of science); and all its varieties of green, red, dwarf, tall, early, late, round, conical, flat, and all the forms into which it is possible to put it. to boil young greens or sprouts. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt; a _very small_ piece of soda. [illustration: brussels sprouts.] _mode_.--pick away all the dead leaves, and wash the greens well in cold water; drain them in a colander, and put them into fast-boiling water, with salt and soda in the above proportion. keep them boiling quickly, with the lid uncovered, until tender; and the moment they are done, take them up, or their colour will be spoiled; when well drained, serve. the great art in cooking greens properly, and to have them a good colour, is to put them into _plenty_ of _fast-boiling_ water, to let them boil very quickly, and to take them up the moment they become tender. _time_.--brocoli sprouts, to minutes; young greens, to minutes; sprouts, minutes, after the water boils. _seasonable_.--sprouts of various kinds may be had all the year. green kale, or borecole.--when colewort, or wild cabbage, is brought into a state of cultivation, its character becomes greatly improved, although it still retains the loose open leaves, and in this form it is called green kale, or borecole. the scientific name is _borecole oleracea acephala_, and of it there are many varieties, both as regards the form and colour of the leaves, as well as the height which the plants attain. we may observe, that among them, are included the thousand-headed, and the cow or tree cabbage. boiled cabbage. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt; a _very small_ piece of soda. _mode_.--pick off all the dead outside leaves, cut off as much of the stalk as possible, and cut the cabbages across twice, at the stalk end; if they should be very large, quarter them. wash them well in cold water, place them in a colander, and drain; then put them into _plenty_ of _fast-boiling_ water, to which have been added salt and soda in the above proportions. stir them down once or twice in the water, keep the pan uncovered, and let them boil quickly until tender. the instant they are done, take them up into a colander, place a plate over them, let them thoroughly drain, dish, and serve. _time_.--large cabbages, or savoys, / to / hour, young summer cabbage, to minutes, after the water boils. _average cost_, d. each in full season. _sufficient_,-- large ones for or persons. _seasonable_.--cabbages and sprouts of various kinds at any time. the cabbage tribe: their origin.--of all the tribes of the _cruciferae_ this is by far the most important. its scientific name is _brassiceae_, and it contains a collection of plants which, both in themselves and their products, occupy a prominent position in agriculture, commerce, and domestic economy. on the cliffs of dover, and in many places on the coasts of dorsetshire, cornwall, and yorkshire, there grows a wild plant, with variously-indented, much-waved, and loose spreading leaves, of a sea-green colour, and large yellow flowers. in spring, the leaves of this plant are collected by the inhabitants, who, after boiling them in two waters, to remove the saltness, use them as a vegetable along with their meat. this is the _brassica oleracea_ of science, the wild cabbage, or colewort, from which have originated all the varieties of cabbage, cauliflower, greens, and brocoli. stewed red cabbage. . ingredients.-- red cabbage, a small slice of ham, / oz. of fresh butter, pint of weak stock or broth, gill of vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, tablespoonful of pounded sugar. _mode_.--cut the cabbage into very thin slices, put it into a stewpan, with the ham cut in dice, the butter, / pint of stock, and the vinegar; cover the pan closely, and let it stew for hour. when it is very tender, add the remainder of the stock, a seasoning of salt and pepper, and the pounded sugar; mix all well together, stir over the fire until nearly all the liquor is dried away, and serve. fried sausages are usually sent to table with this dish: they should be laid round and on the cabbage, as a garnish. _time_.--rather more than hour. _average cost_, d. each. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from september to january. the wild cabbage, or colewort.--this plant, as it is found on the sea-cliffs of england, presents us with the origin of the cabbage tribe in its simplest and normal form. in this state it is the true collet, or colewort, although the name is now applied to any young cabbage which has a loose and open heart. boiled carrots. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water, allow heaped tablespoonful of salt; carrots. _mode_.--cut off the green tops, wash and scrape the carrots, and should there be any black specks, remove them. if very large, cut them in halves, divide them lengthwise into four pieces, and put them into boiling water, salted in the above proportion; let them boil until tender, which may be ascertained by thrusting a fork into them: dish, and serve very hot. this vegetable is an indispensable accompaniment to boiled beef. when thus served, it is usually boiled with the beef; a few carrots are placed round the dish as a garnish, and the remainder sent to table in a vegetable-dish. young carrots do not require nearly so much boiling, nor should they be divided: these make a nice addition to stewed veal, &c. _time_.--large carrots, - / to - / hours; young ones, about / hour. _average cost_, d. to d, per bunch of . _sufficient_,-- large carrots for or persons. _seasonable_.--young carrots from april to june, old ones at any time. [illustration: carrots.] origin of the carrot.--in its wild state, this vegetable is found plentifully in britain, both in cultivated lands and by waysides, and is known by the name of birds-nest, from its umbels of fruit becoming incurved from a hollow cup, like a birds-nest. in this state its root is whitish, slender, and hard, with an acrid, disagreeable taste, and a strong aromatic smell, and was formerly used as an aperient. when cultivated, it is reddish, thick, fleshy, with a pleasant odour, and a peculiar, sweet, mucilaginous taste. the carrot is said by naturalists not to contain much nourishing matter, and, generally speaking, is somewhat difficult of digestion. to dress carrots in the german way. . ingredients.-- large carrots, oz. of butter, salt to taste, a very little grated nutmeg, tablespoonful of finely-minced parsley, dessertspoonful of minced onion, rather more than pint of weak stock or broth, tablespoonful of flour. _mode_.--wash and scrape the carrots, and cut them into rings of about / inch in thickness. put the butter into a stewpan; when it is melted, lay in the carrots, with salt, nutmeg, parsley, and onion in the above proportions. toss the stewpan over the fire for a few minutes, and when the carrots are well saturated with the butter, pour in the stock, and simmer gently until they are nearly tender. then put into another stewpan a small piece of butter; dredge in about a tablespoonful of flour; stir this over the fire, and when of a nice brown colour, add the liquor that the carrots have been boiling in; let this just boil up, pour it over the carrots in the other stewpan, and let them finish simmering until quite tender. serve very hot. this vegetable, dressed as above, is a favourite accompaniment of roast pork, sausages, &c. &c. _time_.--about / hour. average cost, d. to d. per bunch of . _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--young carrots from april to june, old ones at any time. constituents of the carrot.--these are crystallizable and uncrystallizable sugar, a little starch, extractive, gluten, albumen, volatile oil, vegetable jelly, or pectin, saline matter, malic acid, and a peculiar crystallizable ruby-red neuter principle, without odour or taste, called carotin. this vegetable jelly, or pectin, so named from its singular property of gelatinizing, is considered by some as another form of gum or mucilage, combined with vegetable acid. it exists more or less in all vegetables, and is especially abundant in those roots and fruits from which jellies are prepared. stewed carrots. . ingredients.-- or large carrots, teacupful of broth, pepper and salt to taste, / teacupful of cream, thickening of butter and flour. _mode_.--scrape the carrots nicely; half-boil, and slice them into a stewpan; add the broth, pepper and salt, and cream; simmer till tender, and be careful the carrots are not broken. a few minutes before serving, mix a little flour with about oz. of butter; thicken the gravy with this; let it just boil up, and serve. _time_.--about / hour to parboil the carrots, about minutes to cook them after they are sliced. _average cost_, d. to d. per bunch of . _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--young carrots from april to june, old ones at any time. nutritive properties of the carrot.--sir h. davy ascertained the nutritive matter of the carrot to amount to ninety-eight parts in one thousand; of which ninety-five are sugar and three are starch. it is used in winter and spring in the dairy to give colour and flavour to butter; and it is excellent in stews, haricots, soups, and, when boiled whole, with salt beef. in the distillery, owing to the great proportion of sugar in its composition, it yields more spirit than the potato. the usual quantity is twelve gallons per ton. sliced carrots. (entremets, or to be served with the second course, as a side-dish.) . ingredients.-- or large carrots, a large lump of sugar, pint of weak stock, oz. of fresh butter, salt to taste. _mode_.--scrape and wash the carrots, cut them into slices of an equal size, and boil them in salt and water, until half done; drain them well, put them into a stewpan with the sugar and stock, and let them boil over a brisk fire. when reduced to a glaze, add the fresh butter and a seasoning of salt; shake the stewpan about well, and when the butter is well mixed with the carrots, serve. there should be no sauce in the dish when it comes to table, but it should all adhere to the carrots. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, d. to d. per bunch of . _sufficient_ for dish. _seasonable_.--young carrots from april to june, old ones at any time. the seed of the carrot.--in order to save the seed of carrots, the plan is, to select annually the most perfect and best-shaped roots in the taking-up season, and either preserve them in sand in a cellar till spring, or plant them immediately in an open airy part of the garden, protecting them with litter during severe frost, or earthing them over, and uncovering them in march following. the seed is in no danger from being injured by any other plant. in august it is fit to gather, and is best preserved on the stalks till wanted. boiled cauliflowers. [illustration: boiled cauliflower.] [illustration: cauliflower.] . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt. _mode_.--choose cauliflowers that are close and white; trim off the decayed outside leaves, and cut the stalk off flat at the bottom. open the flower a little in places to remove the insects, which generally are found about the stalk, and let the cauliflowers lie in salt and water for an hour previous to dressing them, with their heads downwards: this will effectually draw out all the vermin. then put them into fast-boiling water, with the addition of salt in the above proportion, and let them boil briskly over a good fire, keeping the saucepan uncovered. the water should be well skimmed; and, when the cauliflowers are tender, take them up with a slice; let them drain, and, if large enough, place them upright in the dish. serve with plain melted butter, a little of which may be poured over the flower. _time_.--small cauliflower, to minutes, large one, to minutes, after the water boils. _average cost_, for large cauliflowers, d. each. _sufficient_.--allow large cauliflower for persons. _seasonable_ from the beginning of june to the end of september. cauliflowers a la sauce blanche. (entremets, or side-dish, to be served with the second course.) . ingredients.-- cauliflowers, / pint of sauce blanche, or french melted butter, no. ; oz. of butter; salt and water. _mode_.--cleanse the cauliflowers as in the preceding recipe, and cut the stalks off flat at the bottom; boil them until tender in salt and water, to which the above proportion of butter has been added, and be careful to take them up the moment they are done, or they will break, and the appearance of the dish will be spoiled. drain them well, and dish them in the shape of a large cauliflower. have ready / pint of sauce, made by recipe no. , pour it over the flowers, and serve hot and quickly. _time_.--small cauliflowers, to minutes, large ones, to minutes, after the water boils. _average cost_,--large cauliflowers, in full season, d. each. _sufficient_,-- large cauliflower for or persons. _seasonable_ from the beginning of june to the end of september. cauliflower and brocoli.--these are only forms of the wild cabbage in its cultivated state. they are both well known; but we may observe, that the purple and white brocoli are only varieties of the cauliflower. cauliflowers with parmesan cheese. (entremets, or side-dish, to be served with the second course.) . ingredients.-- or cauliflowers, rather more than / pint of white sauce no. , tablespoonfuls of grated parmesan cheese, oz. of fresh butter, tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs. _mode_.--cleanse and boil the cauliflowers by recipe no. , and drain them and dish them with the flowers standing upright. have ready the above proportion of white sauce; pour sufficient of it over the cauliflowers just to cover the top; sprinkle over this some rasped parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, and drop on these the butter, which should be melted, but not oiled. brown with a salamander, or before the fire, and pour round, but not over, the flowers the remainder of the sauce, with which should be mixed a small quantity of grated parmesan cheese. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, for large cauliflowers, d. each. _sufficient_,-- small cauliflowers for dish. _seasonable_ from the beginning of june to the end of september. celery. [illustration: celery in glass.] . with a good heart, and nicely blanched, this vegetable is generally eaten raw, and is usually served with the cheese. let the roots be washed free from dirt, all the decayed and outside leaves being cut off, preserving as much of the stalk as possible, and all specks or blemishes being carefully removed. should the celery be large, divide it lengthwise into quarters, and place it, root downwards, in a celery-glass, which should be rather more than half filled with water. the top leaves may be curled, by shredding them in narrow strips with the point of a clean skewer, at a distance of about inches from the top. _average cost_, d. per head. _sufficient_.--allow heads for or persons. _seasonable_ from october to april. _note_.--this vegetable is exceedingly useful for flavouring soups, sauces, &c., and makes a very nice addition to winter salad. stewed celery a la creme. . ingredients.-- heads of celery; to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt, blade of pounded mace, / pint of cream. _mode_.--wash the celery thoroughly; trim, and boil it in salt and water until tender. put the cream and pounded mace into a stewpan; shake it over the fire until the cream thickens, dish the celery, pour over the sauce, and serve. _time_.--large heads of celery, minutes; small ones, to minutes. _average cost_. d. per head. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from october to april. alexanders.--this plant is the _smyrnium olustratum_ of science, and is used in this country in the same way in which celery is. it is a native of great britain, and is found in its wild state near the seacoast. it received its name from the italian "herba alexandrina," and is supposed to have been originally brought from alexandria; but, be this as it may, its cultivation is now almost entirely abandoned. stewed celery (with white sauce). i. . ingredients.-- heads of celery, oz. of butter; to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt, / pint of white sauce, no. or . _mode_.--have ready sufficient boiling water just to cover the celery, with salt and butter in the above proportion. wash the celery well; cut off the decayed outside leaves, trim away the green tops, and shape the root into a point; put it into the boiling water; let it boil rapidly until tender; then take it out, drain well, place it upon a dish, and pour over about / pint of white sauce, made by either of the recipes no. or . it may also be plainly boiled as above, placed on toast, and melted butter poured over, the same as asparagus is dished. _time_.--large heads of celery, minutes, small ones, to minutes, after the water boils. _average cost_, d. per head. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from october to april. origin of celery.--in the marshes and ditches of this country there is to be found a very common plant, known by the name of smallage. this is the wild form of celery; but, by being subjected to cultivation, it loses its acrid nature, and becomes mild and sweet. in its natural state, it has a peculiar rank, coarse taste and smell, and its root was reckoned by the ancients as one of the "five greater aperient roots." there is a variety of this in which the root becomes turnip-shaped and large. it is called _celeriae_, and is extensively used by the germans, and preferred by them to celery. in a raw state, this plant does not suit weak stomachs; cooked, it is less difficult of digestion, although a large quantity should not he taken. [illustration: celery.]. ii. . ingredients.-- heads of celery, / pint of white stock or weak broth, tablespoonfuls of cream, thickening of butter and flour, blade of pounded mace, a _very little_ grated nutmeg; pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--wash the celery, strip off the outer leaves, and cut it into lengths of about inches. put these into a saucepan, with the broth, and stew till tender, which will be in from to minutes; then add the remaining ingredients, simmer altogether for or minutes, pour into a dish, and serve. it may be garnished with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, d. per head. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from october to april. _note_.--by cutting the celery into smaller pieces, by stewing it a little longer, and, when done, by pressing it through a sieve, the above stew may be converted into a puree of celery. to dress cucumbers. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, salt and pepper to taste; cucumber. _mode_.--pare the cucumber, cut it equally into _very thin_ slices, and _commence_ cutting from the _thick end_; if commenced at the stalk, the cucumber will most likely have an exceedingly bitter taste, far from agreeable. put the slices into a dish, sprinkle over salt and pepper, and pour over oil and vinegar in the above proportion; turn the cucumber about, and it is ready to serve. this is a favourite accompaniment to boiled salmon, is a nice addition to all descriptions of salads, and makes a pretty garnish to lobster salad. [illustration: sliced cucumbers.] [illustration: cucumber.] _average cost_, when scarce, s. to s. d.; when cheapest, may be had for d. each. _seasonable_.--forced from the beginning of march to the end of june; in full season in july, august, and september. geographical distribution of the cucumbers.--this family is not known in the frigid zone, is somewhat rare in the temperate, but in the tropical and warmer regions throughout the world they are abundant. they are most plentiful in the continent of hindostan; but in america are not near so plentiful. many of the kinds supply useful articles of consumption for food, and others are actively medicinal in their virtues. generally speaking, delicate stomachs should avoid this plant, for it is cold and indigestible. cucumbers a la poulette. . ingredients.-- or cucumbers, salt and vinegar, oz. of butter, flour, / pint of broth, teaspoonful of minced parsley, a lump of sugar, the yolks of eggs, salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--pare and cut the cucumbers into slices of an equal thickness, and let them remain in a pickle of salt and vinegar for / hour; then drain them in a cloth, and put them into a stewpan with the butter. fry them over a brisk fire, but do not brown them, and then dredge over them a little flour; add the broth, skim off all the fat, which will rise to the surface, and boil gently until the gravy is somewhat reduced; but the cucumber should not be broken. stir in the yolks of the eggs, add the parsley, sugar, and a seasoning of pepper and salt; bring the whole to the point of boiling, and serve. _time_.--altogether, hour. _average cost_, when cheapest, d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in july, august, and september; but may be had, forced, from the beginning of march. fried cucumbers. . ingredients.-- or cucumbers, pepper and salt to taste, flour, oil or butter. _mode_.--pare the cucumbers and cut them into slices of an equal thickness, commencing to slice from the thick, and not the stalk end of the cucumber. wipe the slices dry with a cloth, dredge them with flour, and put them into a pan of boiling oil or butter; keep turning them about until brown; lift them out of the pan, let them drain, and serve, piled lightly in a dish. these will be found a great improvement to rump-steak: they should be placed on a dish with the steak on the top. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, when cheapest, d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--forced from the beginning of march to the end of june; in full season in july and august. properties and uses of the cucurbits.--the common cucumber is the c. sativus of science, and although the whole of the family have a similar action in the animal economy, yet there are some which present us with great anomalies. the roots of those which are perennial contain, besides fecula, which is their base, a resinous, acrid, and bitter principle. the fruits of this family, however, have in general a sugary taste, and are more or less dissolving and perfumed, as we find in the melons, gourds, cucumbers, vegetable-marrows, and squashes. but these are slightly laxative if partaken of largely. in tropical countries, this order furnishes the inhabitants with a large portion of their food, which, even in the most arid deserts and most barren islands, is of the finest quality. in china, cashmere, and persia, they are cultivated on the lakes on the floating collections of weeds common in these localities. in india they are everywhere abundant, either in a cultivated or wild state, and the seeds of all the family are sweet and mucilaginous. stewed cucumbers. . ingredients.-- large cucumbers, flour, butter, rather more than / pint of good brown gravy. _mode_.--cut the cucumbers lengthwise the size of the dish they are intended to be served in; empty them of the seeds, and put them into boiling water with a little salt, and let them simmer for minutes; then take them out, place them in another stewpan, with the gravy, and let them boil over a brisk fire until the cucumbers are tender. should these be bitter, add a lump of sugar; carefully dish them, skim the sauce, pour over the cucumbers, and serve. _time_.--altogether, minutes. _average cost_, when cheapest, d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in june, july, and august; but may be had, forced, from the beginning of march. the chate.--this cucumber is a native of egypt and arabia, and produces a fruit of almost the same substance as that of the melon. in egypt it is esteemed by the upper class natives, as well as by europeans, as the most pleasant fruit they have. stewed cucumbers with onions. . ingredients.-- cucumbers, moderate-sized onions, not quite pint of white stock, cayenne and salt to taste, the yolks of eggs, a very little grated nutmeg. _mode_.--pare and slice the cucumbers, take out the seeds, and cut the onions into thin slices; put these both into a stewpan, with the stock, and let them boil for / hour or longer, should the cucumbers be very large. beat up the yolks of eggs; stir these into the sauce; add the cayenne, salt, and grated nutmeg; bring it to the point of boiling, and serve. do not allow the sauce to boil, or it will curdle. this is a favourite dish with lamb or mutton chops, rump-steaks, &c. _time_.--altogether, minutes. _average cost_, when cheapest, d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in july, august, and september; but may be had, forced, from the beginning of march. the melon.--this is another species of the cucumber, and is highly esteemed for its rich and delicious fruit. it was introduced to this country from jamaica, in ; since which period it has continued to be cultivated. it was formerly called the musk melon. endive. [illustration: endive.] . this vegetable, so beautiful in appearance, makes an excellent addition to winter salad, when lettuces and other salad herbs are not obtainable. it is usually placed in the centre of the dish, and looks remarkably pretty with slices of beetroot, hard-boiled eggs, and curled celery placed round it, so that the colours contrast nicely. in preparing it, carefully wash and cleanse it free from insects, which are generally found near the heart; remove any decayed or dead leaves, and dry it thoroughly by shaking in a cloth. this vegetable may also be served hot, stewed in cream, brown gravy, or butter; but when dressed thus, the sauce it is stewed in should not be very highly seasoned, as that would destroy and overpower the flavour of the vegetable. _average cost_, d. per head. _sufficient_,-- head for a salad for persons. _seasonable_ from november to march. endive.--this is the _c. endivium_ of science, and is much used as a salad. it belongs to the family of the _compositae_, with chicory, common goats-beard, and others of the same genus. withering states, that before the stems of the common goats-beard shoot up the roots, boiled like asparagus, have the same flavour, and are nearly as nutritious. we are also informed by villars that the children in dauphiné universally eat the stems and leaves of the young plant before the flowers appear, with great avidity. the fresh juice of these tender herbs is said to be the best solvent of bile. stewed endive. . ingredients.-- heads of endive, salt and water, pint of broth, thickening of butter and flour, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, a small lump of sugar. _mode_.--wash and free the endive thoroughly from insects, remove the green part of the leaves, and put it into boiling water, slightly salted. let it remain for minutes; then take it out, drain it till there is no water remaining, and chop it very fine. put it into a stewpan with the broth; add a little salt and a lump of sugar, and boil until the endive is perfectly tender. when done, which may be ascertained by squeezing a piece between the thumb and finger, add a thickening of butter and flour and the lemon-juice: let the sauce boil up, and serve. _time_.-- minutes to boil, minutes to simmer in the broth. _average cost_, d. per head. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from november to march. endive a la francaise. . ingredients.-- heads of endive, pint of broth, oz. of fresh butter; salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste. _mode_.--wash and boil the endive as in the preceding recipe; chop it rather fine, and put into a stewpan with the broth; boil over a brisk fire until the sauce is all reduced; then put in the butter, pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg (the latter must be very sparingly used); mix all well together, bring it to the boiling point, and serve very hot. _time_,-- minutes to boil, minutes to simmer in the broth. _average cost_, d. per head. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from november to march. to boil haricots blancs, or white haricot beans. . ingredients.-- quart of white haricot beans, quarts of soft water, oz. of butter, heaped tablespoonful of salt. _mode_.--put the beans into cold water, and let them soak from to hours, according to their age; then put them into cold water, salted in the above proportion, bring them to boil, and let them simmer very slowly until tender; pour the water away from them, let them stand by the side of the fire, with the lid of the saucepan partially off, to allow the beans to dry; then add oz. of butter and a seasoning of pepper and salt. shake the beans about for a minute or two, and serve: do not stir them with a spoon, for fear of breaking them to pieces. _time_.--after the water boils, from to - / hours. _average cost_, d. per quart. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter, when other vegetables are scarce. _note_.--haricots blancs, when new and fresh, should be put into boiling water, and do not require any soaking previous to dressing. haricots and lentils.--although these vegetables are not much used in this country, yet in france, and other catholic countries, from their peculiar constituent properties, they form an excellent substitute for animal food during lent and _maigre_ days. at the time of the prevalence of the roman religion in this country, they were probably much more generally used than at present. as reformations are often carried beyond necessity, possibly lentils may have fallen into disuse, as an article of diet amongst protestants, for fear the use of them might be considered a sign of popery. haricots blancs a la maitre d'hotel. . ingredients.-- quart of white haricot beans, / lb. of fresh butter, tablespoonful of minced parsley, pepper and salt to taste, the juice of / lemon. [illustration: haricot beans.] _mode_.--should the beans be very dry, soak them for an hour or two in cold water, and boil them until perfectly tender, as in the preceding recipe. if the water should boil away, replenish it with a little more cold, which makes the skin of the beans tender. let them be very thoroughly done; drain them well; then add to them the butter, minced parsley, and a seasoning of pepper and salt. keep moving the stewpan over the fire without using a spoon, as this would break the beans; and, when the various ingredients are well mixed with them, squeeze in the lemon-juice, and serve very hot. _time_.--from to - / hours to boil the beans. _average cost_, d. per quart. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter. haricot beans.--this is the _haricot blanc_ of the french, and is a native of india. it ripens readily, in dry summers, in most parts of britain, but its culture has hitherto been confined to gardens in england; but in germany and switzerland it is grown in fields. it is usually harvested by pulling up the plants, which, being dried, are stacked and thrashed. the haulm is both of little bulk and little use, but the seed is used in making the esteemed french dish called haricot, with which it were well if the working classes of this country were acquainted. there is, perhaps, no other vegetable dish so cheap and easily cooked, and, at the same time, so agreeable and nourishing. the beans are boiled, and then mixed with a little fat or salt butter, and a little milk or water and flour. from , parts of kidney-bean einholff obtained , parts of matter analogous to starch, of vegeto-animal matter, and parts of mucilage. haricot beans and minced onions. . ingredients.-- quart of white haricot beans, middling-sized onions, / pint of good brown gravy, pepper and salt to taste, a little flour. _mode_.--peel and mince the onions not too finely, and fry them in butter of a light brown colour; dredge over them a little flour, and add the gravy and a seasoning of pepper and salt. have ready a pint of haricot beans well boiled and drained; put them with the onions and gravy, mix all well together, and serve very hot. _time_.--from to - / hours to boil the beans; minutes to fry the onions. _average cost_, d. per quart. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter. horseradish. . this root, scraped, is always served with hot roast beef, and is used for garnishing many kinds of boiled fish. let the horseradish remain in cold water for an hour; wash it well, and with a sharp knife scrape it into very thin shreds, commencing from the thick end of the root. arrange some of it lightly in a small glass dish, and the remainder use for garnishing the joint: it should be placed in tufts round the border of the dish, with or bunches on the meat. _average cost_, d. per stick. _seasonable_ from october to june. [illustration: horseradish.] the horseradish.--this belongs to the tribe _alyssidae_, and is highly stimulant and exciting to the stomach. it has been recommended in chronic rheumatism, palsy, dropsical complaints, and in cases of enfeebled digestion. its principal use, however, is as a condiment to promote appetite and excite the digestive organs. the horseradish contains sulphur to the extent of thirty per cent, in the number of its elements; and it is to the presence of this quality that the metal vessels in which the radish is sometimes distilled, are turned into a black colour. it is one of the most powerful excitants and antiscorbutics we have, and forms the basis of several medical preparations, in the form of wines, tinctures, and syrups. lettuces. . these form one of the principal ingredients to summer salads; should be nicely blanched, and be eaten young. they are seldom served in any other way, but may be stewed and sent to table in a good brown gravy flavoured with lemon-juice. in preparing them for a salad, carefully wash them free from dirt, pick off all the decayed and outer leaves, and dry them thoroughly by shaking them in a cloth. cut off the stalks, and either halve or cut the lettuces into small pieces. the manner of cutting them up entirely depends on the salad for which they are intended. in france the lettuces are sometimes merely wiped with a cloth and not washed, the cooks there declaring that the act of washing them injuriously affects the pleasant crispness of the plant: in this case scrupulous attention must be paid to each leaf, and the grit thoroughly wiped away. _average cost_, when cheapest, d. each. _sufficient_.--allow lettuces for or persons. _seasonable_ from march to the end of august, but may be had all the year. [illustration: lettuce.] the lettuce.--all the varieties of the garden lettuce have originated from the _lactuca sativa_ of science, which has never yet been found in a wild state. hence it may be concluded that it is merely another form of some species, changed through the effects of cultivation. in its young state, the lettuce forms a well-known and wholesome salad, containing a bland pellucid juice, with little taste or smell, and having a cooling and soothing influence on the system. this arises from the large quantities of water and mucilage it contains, and not from any narcotic principle which it is supposed to possess. during the period of flowering, it abounds in a peculiar milky juice, which flows from the stem when wounded, and which has been found to be possessed of decided medicinal properties. baked mushrooms. (a breakfast, luncheon, or supper dish.) . ingredients.-- to mushroom-flaps, butter, pepper to taste. _mode_.--for this mode of cooking, the mushroom flaps are better than the buttons, and should not be too large. cut off a portion of the stalk, peel the top, and wipe the mushrooms carefully with a piece of flannel and a little fine salt. put them into a tin baking-dish, with a very small piece of butter placed on each mushroom; sprinkle over a little pepper, and let them bake for about minutes, or longer should the mushrooms be very large. have ready a _very hot_ dish, pile the mushrooms high in the centre, pour the gravy round, and send them to table quickly, with very _hot_ plates. _time_.-- minutes; large mushrooms, / hour. _average cost_, d. each for large mushroom-flaps. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--meadow mushrooms in september and october; cultivated mushrooms may be had at any time. fungi.--these are common parasitical plants, originating in the production of copious filamentous threads, called the mycelium, or spawn. rounded tubers appear on the mycelium; some of these enlarge rapidly, burst an outer covering, which is left at the base, and protrude a thick stalk, bearing at its summit a rounded body, which in a short time expands into the pileus or cap. the gills, which occupy its lower surface, consist of parallel plates, bearing naked sporules over their whole surface. some of the cells, which are visible by the microscope, produce four small cells at their free summit, apparently by germination and constriction. these are the sporules, and this is the development of the agarics. broiled mushrooms. (a breakfast, luncheon, or supper dish.) . ingredients.--mushroom-flaps, pepper and salt to taste, butter, lemon-juice. [illustration: broiled mushrooms.] _mode_.--cleanse the mushrooms by wiping them with a piece of flannel and a little salt; cut off a portion of the stalk, and peel the tops: broil them over a clear fire, turning them once, and arrange them on a very hot dish. put a small piece of butter on each mushroom, season with pepper and salt, and squeeze over them a few drops of lemon-juice. place the dish before the fire, and when the butter is melted, serve very hot and quickly. moderate-sized flaps are better suited to this mode of cooking than the buttons: the latter are better in stews. _time_.-- minutes for medium-sized mushrooms. _average cost_, d. each for large mushrooms. _sufficient_.--allow or mushrooms to each person. _seasonable_.--meadow mushrooms in september and october; cultivated mushrooms may be had at any time. [illustration: mushrooms.] varieties of the mushroom.--the common mushroom found in our pastures is the _agaricus campestris_ of science, and another edible british species is _a. georgii;_ but _a. primulus_ is affirmed to be the most delicious mushroom. the morel is _morchella esculenta_, and _tuber cibarium_ is the common truffle. there is in new zealand a long fungus, which grows from the head of a caterpillar, and which forms a horn, as it were, and is called _sphaeria robertsii_. to preserve mushrooms. . ingredients.--to each quart of mushrooms, allow oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste, the juice of lemon, clarified butter. _mode_.--peel the mushrooms, put them into cold water, with a little lemon-juice; take them out and _dry_ them very carefully in a cloth. put the butter into a stewpan capable of holding the mushrooms; when it is melted, add the mushrooms, lemon-juice, and a seasoning of pepper and salt; draw them down over a slow fire, and let them remain until their liquor is boiled away, and they have become quite dry, but be careful in not allowing them to stick to the bottom of the stewpan. when done, put them into pots, and pour over the top clarified butter. if wanted for immediate use, they will keep good a few days without being covered over. to re-warm them, put the mushrooms into a stewpan, strain the butter from them, and they will be ready for use. _average cost_, d. each. _seasonable_.--meadow mushrooms in september and october; cultivated mushrooms may be had at any time. localities of the mushroom.--mushrooms are to be met with in pastures, woods, and marshes, but are very capricious and uncertain in their places of growth, multitudes being obtained in one season where few or none were to be found in the preceding. they sometimes grow solitary, but more frequently they are gregarious, and rise in a regular circular form. many species are employed by man as food; but, generally speaking, they are difficult of digestion, and by no means very nourishing. many of them are also of suspicious qualities. little reliance can be placed either on their taste, smell, or colour, as much depends on the situation in which they vegetate; and even the same plant, it is affirmed, may be innocent when young, but become noxious when advanced in age. stewed mushrooms. . ingredients.-- pint mushroom-buttons, oz. of fresh butter, white pepper and salt to taste, lemon-juice, teaspoonful of flour, cream or milk, teaspoonful of grated nutmeg. _mode_.--cut off the ends of the stalks, and pare neatly a pint of mushroom-buttons; put them into a basin of water, with a little lemon-juice, as they are done. when all are prepared, take them from the water with the hands, to avoid the sediment, and put them into a stewpan with the fresh butter, white pepper, salt, and the juice of / lemon; cover the pan closely, and let the mushrooms stew gently from to minutes; then thicken the butter with the above proportion of flour, add gradually sufficient cream, or cream and milk, to make the sauce of a proper consistency, and put in the grated nutmeg. if the mushrooms are not perfectly tender, stew them for minutes longer, remove every particle of butter which may be floating on the top, and serve. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, from d. to s. per pint. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--meadow mushrooms in september and october. to procure mushrooms.--in order to obtain mushrooms at all seasons, several methods of propagation have been had recourse to. it is said that, in some parts of italy, a species of stone is used for this purpose, which is described as being of two different kinds; the one is found in the chalk hills near naples, and has a white, porous, stalactical appearance; the other is a hardened turf from some volcanic mountains near florence. these stones are kept in cellars, and occasionally moistened with water which has been used in the washing of mushrooms, and are thus supplied with their minute seeds. in this country, gardeners provide themselves with what is called _spawn_, either from the old manure of cucumber-beds, or purchase it from those whose business it is to propagate it. when thus procured, it is usually made up for sale in quadrils, consisting of numerous white fibrous roots, having a strong smell of mushrooms. this is planted in rows, in a dry situation, and carefully attended to for five or six weeks, when the bed begins to produce, and continues to do so for several months. stewed mushrooms in gravy. . ingredients.-- pint of mushroom-buttons, pint of brown gravy no. , / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, cayenne and salt to taste. _mode_.--make a pint of brown gravy by recipe ; cut nearly all the stalks away from the mushrooms and peel the tops; put them into a stewpan, with the gravy, and simmer them gently from minutes to / hour. add the nutmeg and a seasoning of cayenne and salt, and serve very hot. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _average cost_, d. to s. per pint. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--meadow mushrooms in september and october. analysis of fungi.--the fungi have been examined chemically with much care, both by mm. bracannot and vauquelin, who designate the insoluble spongy matter by the name of fungin, and the soluble portion is found to contain the bolotic and the fungic acids. baked spanish onions. . ingredients.-- or spanish onions, salt, and water. _mode_.--put the onions, with their skins on, into a saucepan of boiling water slightly salted, and let them boil quickly for an hour. then take them out, wipe them thoroughly, wrap each one in a piece of paper separately, and bake them in a moderate oven for hours, or longer, should the onions be very large. they may be served in their skins, and eaten with a piece of cold butter and a seasoning of pepper and salt; or they may be peeled, and a good brown gravy poured over them. _time_.-- hour to boil, hours to bake. _average cost_, medium-sized, d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to january. [illustration: onion.] the genus allium.--the onion, like the leek, garlic, and shalot, belongs to the genus _allium_, which is a numerous species of vegetable; and every one of them possesses, more or less, a volatile and acrid penetrating principle, pricking the thin transparent membrane of the eyelids; and all are very similar in their properties. in the whole of them the bulb is the most active part, and any one of them may supply the place of the other; for they are all irritant, excitant, and vesicant. with many, the onion is a very great favourite, and is considered an extremely nutritive vegetable. the spanish kind is frequently taken for supper, it being simply boiled, and then seasoned with salt, pepper, and butter. some dredge on a little flour, but many prefer it without this. burnt onions for gravies. . ingredients.-- / lb. of onions, / pint of water, / lb. of moist sugar, / pint of vinegar. _mode_.--peel and chop the onions fine, and put them into a stewpan (not tinned), with the water; let them boil for minutes, then add the sugar, and simmer gently until the mixture becomes nearly black and throws out bubbles of smoke. have ready the above proportion of boiling vinegar, strain the liquor gradually to it, and keep stirring with a wooden spoon until it is well incorporated. when cold, bottle for use. _time_.--altogether, hour. properties of the onion.--the onion is possessed of a white, acrid, volatile oil, holding sulphur in solution, albumen, a good deal of uncrystallizable sugar and mucilage; phosphoric acid, both free and combined with lime; acetic acid, citrate of lime, and lignine. of all the species of allium, the onion has the volatile principle in the greatest degree; and hence it is impossible to separate the scales of the root without the eyes being affected. the juice is sensibly acid, and is capable of being, by fermentation, converted into vinegar, and, mixed with water or the dregs of beer, yields, by distillation, an alcoholic liquor. although used as a common esculent, onions are not suited to all stomachs; there are some who cannot eat them either fried or roasted, whilst others prefer them boiled, which is the best way of using them, as, by the process they then undergo, they are deprived of their essential oil. the pulp of roasted onions, with oil, forms an excellent anodyne and emollient poultice to suppurating tumours. stewed spanish onions. --ingredients.-- or spanish onions, pint of good broth or gravy. _mode_.--peel the onions, taking care not to cut away too much of the tops or tails, or they would then fall to pieces; put them into a stewpan capable of holding them at the bottom without piling them one on the top of another; add the broth or gravy, and simmer _very gently_ until the onions are perfectly tender. dish them, pour the gravy round, and serve. instead of using broth, spanish onions may be stewed with a large piece of butter: they must be done very gradually over a slow fire or hot-plate, and will produce plenty of gravy. _time_.--to stew in gravy, hours, or longer if very large. _average cost_.--medium-sized, d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to january. _note_.--stewed spanish onions are a favourite accompaniment to roast shoulder of mutton. origin of the onion.--this vegetable is thought to have originally come from india, through egypt, where it became an object of worship. thence it was transmitted to greece, thence to italy, and ultimately it was distributed throughout europe, in almost every part of which it has, from time immemorial, been cultivated. in warm climates it is found to be less acrid and much sweeter than in colder latitudes; and in spain it is not at all unusual to see a peasant munching an onion, as an englishman would an apple. spanish onions, which are imported to this country during the winter months, are, when properly roasted, perfectly sweet, and equal to many preserves. boiled parsnips. . ingredients.--parsnips; to each gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt. _mode_.--wash the parsnips, scrape them thoroughly, and, with the point of the knife, remove any black specks about them, and, should they be very large, cut the thick part into quarters. put them into a saucepan of boiling water salted in the above proportion, boil them rapidly until tender, which may be ascertained by thrusting a fork in them; take them up, drain them, and serve in a vegetable-dish. this vegetable is usually served with salt fish, boiled pork, or boiled beef: when sent to table with the latter, a few should be placed alternately with carrots round the dish, as a garnish. _time_.--large parsnips, to - / hour; small ones, / to hour. _average cost_, d. each. _sufficient_.--allow for each person. _seasonable_ from october to may. [illustration: the parsnip.] the parsnip.--this vegetable is found wild in meadows all over europe, and, in england, is met with very frequently on dry banks in a chalky soil. in its wild state, the root is white, mucilaginous, aromatic, and sweet, with some degree of acrimony: when old, it has been known to cause vertigo. willis relates that a whole family fell into delirium from having eaten of its roots, and cattle never touch it in its wild state. in domestic economy the parsnip is much used, and is found to be a highly nutritious vegetable. in times of scarcity, an excellent bread has been made from the roots, and they also furnish an excellent wine, resembling the malmsey of madeira and the canaries: a spirit is also obtained from them in as great quantities as from carrots. the composition of the parsnip-root has been found to be . of water, . starch and fibre, . gum, . sugar, and . of albumen. boiled green peas. . ingredients.--green peas; to each / gallon of water allow _small_ teaspoonful of moist sugar, heaped tablespoonful of salt. _mode_.--this delicious vegetable, to be eaten in perfection, should be young, and not _gathered_ or _shelled_ long before it is dressed. shell the peas, wash them well in cold water, and drain them; then put them into a saucepan with plenty of _fast-boiling_ water, to which salt and _moist sugar_ have been added in the above proportion; let them boil quickly over a brisk fire, with the lid of the saucepan uncovered, and be careful that the smoke does not draw in. when tender, pour them into a colander; put them into a hot vegetable-dish, and quite in the centre of the peas place a piece of butter, the size of a walnut. many cooks boil a small bunch of mint _with_ the _peas_, or garnish them with it, by boiling a few sprigs in a saucepan by themselves. should the peas be very old, and difficult to boil a good colour, a very tiny piece of soda may be thrown in the water previous to putting them in; but this must be very sparingly used, as it causes the peas, when boiled, to have a smashed and broken appearance. with young peas, there is not the slightest occasion to use it. _time_.--young peas, to minutes; the large sorts, such as marrowfats, &c., to minutes; old peas, / hour. _average cost_, when cheapest, d. per peck; when first in season, s. to s. d. per peck. _sufficient_.--allow peck of unshelled peas for or persons. _seasonable_ from june to the end of august. origin of the pea.--all the varieties of garden peas which are cultivated have originated from the _pisum sativum_, a native of the south of europe; and field peas are varieties of _pisum arvense_. the everlasting pea is _lathyrus latifolius_, an old favourite in flower-gardens. it is said to yield an abundance of honey to bees, which are remarkably fond of it. in this country the pea has been grown from time immemorial; but its culture seems to have diminished since the more general introduction of herbage, plants, and roots. green peas a la francaise. . ingredients.-- quarts of green peas, oz. of fresh butter, a bunch of parsley, green onions, flour, a small lump of sugar, / teaspoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of flour. _mode_.--shell sufficient fresh-gathered peas to fill quarts; put them into cold water, with the above proportion of butter, and stir them about until they are well covered with the butter; drain them in a colander, and put them in a stewpan, with the parsley and onions; dredge over them a little flour, stir the peas well, and moisten them with boiling water; boil them quickly over a large fire for minutes, or until there is no liquor remaining. dip a small lump of sugar into some water, that it may soon melt; put it with the peas, to which add / teaspoonful of salt. take a piece of butter the size of a walnut, work it together with a teaspoonful of flour; and add this to the peas, which should be boiling when it is put in. keep shaking the stewpan, and, when the peas are nicely thickened, dress them high in the dish, and serve. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, d. per peck. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from june to the end of august. varieties of the pea.--the varieties of the pea are numerous; but they may be divided into two classes--those grown for the ripened seed, and those grown for gathering in a green state. the culture of the latter is chiefly confined to the neighbourhoods of large towns, and may be considered as in part rather to belong to the operations of the gardener than to those of the agriculturist. the grey varieties are the early grey, the late grey, and the purple grey; to which some add the marlborough grey and the horn grey. the white varieties grown in fields are the pearl, early charlton, golden hotspur, the common white, or suffolk, and other suffolk varieties. stewed green peas. . ingredients.-- quart of peas, lettuce, onion, oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste, egg, / teaspoonful of powdered sugar. _mode_.--shell the peas, and cut the onion and lettuce into slices; put these into a stewpan, with the butter, pepper, and salt, but with no more water than that which hangs round the lettuce from washing. stew the whole very gently for rather more than hour; then stir to it a well-beaten egg, and about / teaspoonful of powdered sugar. when the peas, &c., are nicely thickened, serve but, after the egg is added, do not allow them to boil. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, d. per peck. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from june to the end of august. [illustration: green pea.] the sweet-pea and the heath or wood-pea.--the well-known sweet-pea forms a fine covering to a trellis, or lattice-work in a flower-garden. its gay and fragrant flowers, with its rambling habit, render it peculiarly adapted for such a purpose. the wood-pea, or heath-pea, is found in the heaths of scotland, and the highlanders of that country are extremely partial to them, and dry and chew them to give a greater relish to their whiskey. they also regard them as good against chest complaints, and say that by the use of them they are enabled to withstand hunger and thirst for a long time. the peas have a sweet taste, somewhat like the root of liquorice, and, when boiled, have an agreeable flavour, and are nutritive. in times of scarcity they have served as an article of food. when well boiled, a fork will pass through them; and, slightly dried, they are roasted, and in holland and flanders served up like chestnuts. baked potatoes. . ingredients.--potatoes. [illustration: baked potatoes served in napkin.] _mode_.--choose large potatoes, as much of a size as possible; wash them in lukewarm water, and scrub them well, for the browned skin of a baked potato is by many persons considered the better part of it. put them into a moderate oven, and bake them for about hours, turning them three or four times whilst they are cooking. serve them in a napkin immediately they are done, as, if kept a long time in the oven, they have a shrivelled appearance. potatoes may also be roasted before the fire, in an american oven; but when thus cooked, they must be done very slowly. do not forget to send to table with them a piece of cold butter. _time_.--large potatoes, in a hot oven - / hour to hours; in a cool oven, to - / hours. _average cost_, s. per bushel. _sufficient_.--allow to each person. _seasonable_ all the year, but not good just before and whilst new potatoes are in season. potato-sugar.--this sugary substance, found in the tubers of potatoes, is obtained in the form of syrup or treacle, and has not yet been crystallized. it resembles the sugar of grapes, has a very sweet taste, and may be used for making sweetmeats, and as a substitute for honey. sixty pounds of potatoes, yielding eight pounds of dry starch, will produce seven and a half pounds of sugar. in russia it is extensively made, as good, though of less consistency than the treacle obtained from cane-sugar. a spirit is also distilled from the tubers, which resembles brandy, but is milder, and has a flavour as if it were charged with the odour of violets or raspberries. in france this manufacture is carried on pretty extensively, and five hundred pounds of the tubers will produce twelve quarts of spirit, the pulp being given to cattle. to boil potatoes. . ingredients.-- or potatoes; to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt. _mode_.--choose potatoes of an equal size, pare them, take out all the eyes and specks, and as they are peeled, throw them into cold water. put them into a saucepan, with sufficient cold water to cover them, with salt in the above proportion, and let them boil gently until tender. ascertain when they are done by thrusting a fork in them, and take them up the moment they feel soft through; for if they are left in the water afterwards, they become waxy or watery. drain away the water, put the saucepan by the side of the fire, with the lid partially uncovered, to allow the steam to escape, and let the potatoes get thoroughly dry, and do not allow them to get burnt. their superfluous moisture will evaporate, and the potatoes, if a good sort, should be perfectly mealy and dry. potatoes vary so much in quality and size, that it is difficult to give the exact time for boiling; they should be attentively watched, and probed with a fork, to ascertain when they are cooked. send them to table quickly, and very hot, and with an opening in the cover of the dish, that a portion of the steam may evaporate, and not fall back on the potatoes. _time_.--moderate-sized old potatoes, to minutes after the water boils; large ones, / hour to minutes. _average cost_, s. per bushel. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but not good just before and whilst new potatoes are in season. _note_.--to keep potatoes hot, after draining the water from them, put a folded cloth or flannel (kept for the purpose) on the top of them, keeping the saucepan-lid partially uncovered. this will absorb the moisture, and keep them hot some time without spoiling. the potato.--the potato belongs to the family of the _solanaceae_, the greater number of which inhabit the tropics, and the remainder are distributed over the temperate regions of both hemispheres, but do not extend to the arctic and antarctic zones. the whole of the family are suspicious; a great number are narcotic, and many are deleterious. the roots partake of the properties of the plants, and are sometimes even more active. the tubercles of such as produce them, are amylaceous and nutritive, as in those of the potato. the leaves are generally narcotic; but they lose this principle in boiling, as is the case with the _solanum nigrum_, which are used as a vegetable when cooked. to boil potatoes in their jackets. . ingredients.-- or potatoes; to each / gallon of water, allow heaped tablespoonful of salt. _mode_.--to obtain this wholesome and delicious vegetable cooked in perfection, it should be boiled and sent to table with the skin on. in ireland, where, perhaps, the cooking of potatoes is better understood than in any country, they are always served so. wash the potatoes well, and if necessary, use a clean scrubbing-brush to remove the dirt from them; and if possible, choose the potatoes so that they may all be as nearly the same size as possible. when thoroughly cleansed, fill the saucepan half full with them, and just cover the potatoes with cold water, salted in the above proportion: they are more quickly boiled with a small quantity of water, and, besides, are more savoury than when drowned in it. bring them to boil, then draw the pan to the side of the fire, and let them simmer gently until tender. ascertain when they are done by probing them with a fork; then pour off the water, uncover the saucepan, and let the potatoes dry by the side of the fire, taking care not to let them burn. peel them quickly, put them in a very hot vegetable-dish, either with or without a napkin, and serve very quickly. after potatoes are cooked, they should never be entirely covered up, as the steam, instead of escaping, falls down on them, and makes them watery and insipid. in ireland they are usually served up with the skins on, and a small plate is placed by the side of each guest. _time_.--moderate-sized potatoes, with their skins on, to minutes after the water boils; large potatoes, minutes to / hour, or longer; minutes to dry them. _average cost_, s. per bushel. sufficient for persons. _seasonable_ all the year, but not good just before and whilst new potatoes are in season. analysis of the potato.--next to the cereals, the potato is the most valuable plant for the production of human food. its tubers, according to analysis conducted by mr. fromberg, in the laboratory of the agricultural chemical association in scotland, contain the following ingredients:-- . per cent. of water, . starch, o. dextrine, . of impure saccharine matter, and . of fibre with coagulated albumen. in a dried state the tuber contains . per cent, of starch, . of dextrine, . of impure saccharine matter, . of caseine, gluten, and albumen, of fatty matter, and . of fibre with coagulated albumen. to boil new potatoes. . ingredients.--potatoes; to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt. _mode_.--do not have the potatoes dug long before they are dressed, as they are never good when they have been out of the ground some time. well wash them, rub off the skins with a coarse cloth, and put them into _boiling_ water salted in the above proportion. let them boil until tender; try them with a fork, and when done, pour the water away from them; let them stand by the side of the fire with the lid of the saucepan partially uncovered, and when the potatoes are thoroughly dry, put them into a hot vegetable-dish, with a piece of butter the size of a walnut; pile the potatoes over this, and serve. if the potatoes are too old to have the skins rubbed off, boil them in their jackets; drain, peel, and serve them as above, with a piece of butter placed in the midst of them. _time_.-- / to / hour, according to the size. _average cost_, in full season, d. per lb. _sufficient_.--allow lbs. for or persons. _seasonable_ in may and june, but may be had, forced, in march. potato starch.--this fecula has a beautiful white crystalline appearance, and is inodorous, soft to the touch, insoluble in cold, but readily soluble in boiling water. it is on this starch that the nutritive properties of the tubers depend. as an aliment, it is well adapted for invalids and persons of delicate constitution. it may be used in the form of arrow-root, and eaten with milk or sugar. for pastry of all kinds it is more light and easier of digestion than that made with flour of wheat. in confectionery it serves to form creams and jellies, and in cookery may be used to thicken soups and sauces. it accommodates itself to the chest and stomach of children, for whom it is well adapted; and it is an aliment that cannot be too generally used, as much on account of its wholesomeness as its cheapness, and the ease with which it is kept, which are equal, if not superior, to all the much-vaunted exotic feculae; as, salep, tapioca, sago, and arrow-root. to steam potatoes. . ingredients.--potatoes; boiling water. _mode_.--this mode of cooking potatoes is now much in vogue, particularly where they are wanted on a large scale, it being so very convenient. pare the potatoes, throw them into cold water as they are peeled, then put them into a steamer. place the steamer over a saucepan of boiling water, and steam the potatoes from to minutes, according to the size and sort. when a fork goes easily through them, they are done; then take them up, dish, and serve very quickly. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. per bushel. _sufficient_.--allow large potatoes to each person. _seasonable_ all the year, but not so good whilst new potatoes are in season. uses of the potato.--potatoes boiled and beaten along with sour milk form a sort of cheese, which is made in saxony; and, when kept in close vessels, may be preserved for several years. it is generally supposed that the water in which potatoes are boiled is injurious; and as instances are recorded where cattle having drunk it were seriously affected, it may be well to err on the safe side, and avoid its use for any alimentary purpose. potatoes which have been exposed to the air and become green, are very unwholesome. cadet de vaux asserts that potatoes will clean linen as well as soap; and it is well known that the berries of the _s. saponaceum_ are used in peru for the same purpose. how to use cold potatoes. . ingredients.--the remains of cold potatoes; to every lb. allow tablespoonfuls of flour, ditto of minced onions, oz. of butter, milk. _mode_.--mash the potatoes with a fork until perfectly free from lumps; stir in the other ingredients, and add sufficient milk to moisten them well; press the potatoes into a mould, and bake in a moderate oven until nicely brown, which will be in from minutes to / hour. turn them out of the mould, and serve. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _seasonable_ at any time. potato bread.--the manner in which this is made is very simple. the adhesive tendency of the flour of the potato acts against its being baked or kneaded without being mixed with wheaten flour or meal; it may, however, be made into cakes in the following manner:--a small wooden frame, nearly square, is laid on a pan like a frying-pan and is grooved, and so constructed that, by means of a presser or lid introduced into the groove, the cake is at once fashioned, according to the dimensions of the mould. the frame containing the farina may be almost immediately withdrawn after the mould is formed upon the pan; because, from the consistency imparted to the incipient cake by the heat, it will speedily admit of being safely handled: it must not, however, be fried too hastily. it will then eat very palatably, and might from time to time be soaked for puddings, like tapioca, or might be used like the cassada-cake, for, when well buttered and toasted, it will be found an excellent accompaniment to breakfast. in scotland, cold boiled potatoes are frequently squeezed up and mixed with flour or oatmeal, and an excellent cake, or _scon_, obtained. fried potatoes (french fashion). . ingredients.--potatoes, hot butter or clarified dripping, salt. _mode_.--peel and cut the potatoes into thin slices, as nearly the same size as possible; make some butter or dripping quite hot in a frying-pan; put in the potatoes, and fry them on both sides of a nice brown. when they are crisp and done, take them up, place them on a cloth before the fire to drain the grease from them, and serve very hot, after sprinkling them with salt. these are delicious with rump-steak, and, in france, are frequently served thus as a breakfast dish. the remains of cold potatoes may also be sliced and fried by the above recipe, but the slices must be cut a little thicker. _time_.--sliced raw potatoes, minutes; cooked potatoes, minutes. _average cost_, s. per bushel. _sufficient_,-- sliced potatoes for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. a german method of cooking potatoes. . ingredients.-- to middling-sized potatoes, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of flour, / pint of broth, tablespoonfuls of vinegar. _mode_.--put the butter and flour into a stewpan; stir over the fire until the butter is of a nice brown colour, and add the broth and vinegar; peel and cut the potatoes into long thin slices, lay them in the gravy, and let them simmer gently until tender, which will be in from to minutes, and serve very hot. a laurel-leaf simmered with the potatoes is an improvement. _time_.-- to minutes. _seasonable_ at any time. preserving potatoes.--in general, potatoes are stored or preserved in pits, cellars, pies, or camps; but, whatever mode is adopted, it is essential that the tubers be perfectly dry; otherwise, they will surely rot; and a few rotten potatoes will contaminate a whole mass. the pie, as it is called, consists of a trench, lined and covered with straw; the potatoes in it being piled in the shape of a house roof, to the height of about three feet. the camps are shallow pits, filled and ridged up in a similar manner, covered up with the excavated mould of the pit. in russia and canada, the potato is preserved in boxes, in houses or cellars, heated, when necessary, to a temperature one or two degrees above the freezing-point, by stoves. to keep potatoes for a considerable time, the best way is to place them in thin layers on a platform suspended in an ice-cellar: there, the temperature being always below that of active vegetation, they will not sprout; while, not being above one or two degrees below the freezing-point, the tubers will not be frostbitten. another mode is to scoop out the eyes with a very small scoop, and keep the roots buried in earth; a third mode is to destroy the vital principle, by kiln-drying, steaming, or scalding; a fourth is to bury them so deep in dry soil, that no change of temperature will reach them; and thus, being without air, they will remain upwards of a year without vegetating. potatoes a la maitre d'hotel. . ingredients.--potatoes, salt and water; to every potatoes allow tablespoonful of minced parsley, oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonfuls of gravy, tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice. _mode_.--wash the potatoes clean, and boil them in salt and water by recipe no. ; when they are done, drain them, let them cool; then peel and cut the potatoes into thick slices: if these are too thin, they would break in the sauce. put the butter into a stewpan with the pepper, salt, gravy, and parsley; mix these ingredients well together, put in the potatoes, shake them two or three times, that they may be well covered with the sauce, and, when quite hot through, squeeze in the lemon-juice, and serve. _time_.-- / to / hour to boil the potatoes; minutes for them to heat in the sauce. _average cost_, s. per bushel. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ all the year. mashed potatoes. . ingredients.--potatoes; to every lb. of mashed potatoes allow oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of milk, salt to taste. _mode_.--boil the potatoes in their skins; when done, drain them, and let them get thoroughly dry by the side of the fire; then peel them, and, as they are peeled, put them into a clean saucepan, and with a large fork beat them to a light paste; add butter, milk, and salt in the above proportion, and stir all the ingredients well over the fire. when thoroughly hot, dish them lightly, and draw the fork backwards over the potatoes to make the surface rough, and serve. when dressed in this manner, they may be browned at the top with a salamander, or before the fire. some cooks press the potatoes into moulds, then turn them out, and brown them in the oven: this is a pretty mode of serving, but it makes them heavy. in whatever way they are sent to table, care must be taken to have them quite free from lumps. _time_.--from / to / hour to boil the potatoes. _average cost_, s. per bushel. _sufficient_,-- lb. of mashed potatoes for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. puree de pommes de terre, or, very thin-mashed potatoes. . ingredients.--to every lb. of mashed potatoes allow / pint of good broth or stock, oz. of butter. _mode_.--boil the potatoes, well drain them, and pound them smoothly in a mortar, or beat them up with a fork; add the stock or broth, and rub the potatoes through a sieve. put the puree into a very clean saucepan with the butter; stir it well over the fire until thoroughly hot, and it will then be ready to serve. a puree should be rather thinner than mashed potatoes, and is a delicious accompaniment to delicately broiled mutton cutlets. cream or milk may be substituted for the broth when the latter is not at hand. a casserole of potatoes, which is often used for ragoûts instead of rice, is made by mashing potatoes rather thickly, placing them on a dish, and making an opening in the centre. after having browned the potatoes in the oven, the dish should be wiped clean, and the ragout or fricassée poured in. _time_.--about / hour to boil the potatoes; or minutes to warm the purée. _average cost_, s. per bushel. _sufficient_.--allow lb. of cooked potatoes for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: sweet potato.] varieties of the potato.--these are very numerous. "they differ," says an authority, "in their leaves and bulk of haulm; in the colour of the skin of the tubers; in the colour of the interior, compared with that of the skin; in the time of ripening; in being farinaceous, glutinous, or watery; in tasting agreeably or disagreeably; in cooking readily or tediously; in the length of the subterraneous _stolones_ to which the tubers are attached; in blossoming or not blossoming; and finally, in the soil which they prefer." the earliest varieties grown in fields are,--the early kidney, the nonsuch, the early shaw, and the early champion. this last is the most generally cultivated round london: it is both mealy and hardy. the sweet potato is but rarely eaten in britain; but in america it is often served at table, and is there very highly esteemed. potato rissoles. . ingredients.--mashed potatoes, salt and pepper to taste; when liked, a very little minced parsley, egg, and bread crumbs. [illustration: potato rissoles.] _mode_.--boil and mash the potatoes by recipe no. ; add a seasoning of pepper and salt, and, when liked, a little minced parsley. roll the potatoes into small balls, cover them with egg and bread crumbs, and fry in hot lard for about minutes; let them drain before the fire, dish them on a napkin, and serve. _time_,-- minutes to fry the rissoles. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the flavour of these rissoles may be very much increased by adding finely-minced tongue or ham, or even chopped onions, when these are liked. qualities of potatoes.--in making a choice from the many varieties of potatoes which are everywhere found, the best way is to get a sample and taste them, and then fix upon the kind which best pleases your palate. the shaw is one of the most esteemed of the early potatoes for field culture; and the kidney and bread-fruit are also good sorts. the lancashire pink is also a good potato, and is much cultivated in the neighbourhood of liverpool. as late or long-keeping potatoes, the tartan or red-apple stands very high in favour. potato snow. . ingredients.--potatoes, salt, and water. _mode_.--choose large white potatoes, as free from spots as possible; boil them in their skins in salt and water until perfectly tender; drain and _dry them thoroughly_ by the side of the fire, and peel them. put a hot dish before the fire, rub the potatoes through a coarse sieve on to this dish; do not touch them afterwards, or the flakes will fall, and serve as hot as possible. _time_.-- / to / hour to boil the potatoes. _average cost_, s. per bushel. _sufficient_,-- potatoes for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. the potato as an article of human food.--this valuable esculent, next to wheat, is of the greatest importance in the eye of the political economist. from no other crop that can be cultivated does the public derive so much benefit; and it has been demonstrated that an acre of potatoes will feed double the number of people that can be fed from an acre of wheat. to dress salsify. . ingredients.--salsify; to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice. _mode_.--scrape the roots gently, so as to strip them only of their outside peel; cut them into pieces about inches long, and, as they are peeled, throw them into water with which has been mixed a little lemon-juice, to prevent their discolouring. put them into boiling water, with salt, butter, and lemon-juice in the above proportion, and let them boil rapidly until tender; try them with a fork; and, when it penetrates easily, they are done. drain the salsify, and serve with a good white sauce or french melted butter. _time_.-- to minutes. _seasonable_ in winter. _note_.--this vegetable may be also boiled, sliced, and fried in batter of a nice brown. when crisp and a good colour, they should be served with fried parsley in the centre of the dish, and a little fine salt sprinkled over the salsify. salsify.--this esculent is, for the sake of its roots, cultivated in gardens. it belongs to the composite class of flowers, which is the most extensive family in the vegetable kingdom. this family is not only one of the most natural and most uniform in structure, but there is also a great similarity existing in the properties of the plants of which it is composed. generally speaking, all composite flowers are tonic or stimulant in their medical virtues. boiled sea-kale. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt. [illustration: boiled sea-kale.] _mode_.--well wash the kale, cut away any wormeaten pieces, and tie it into small bunches; put it into _boiling_ water, salted in the above proportion, and let it boil quickly until tender. take it out, drain, untie the bunches, and serve with plain melted butter or white sauce, a little of which may be poured over the kale. sea-kale may also be parboiled and stewed in good brown gravy: it will then take about / hour altogether. _time_.-- minutes; when liked very thoroughly done, allow an extra minutes. _average cost_, in full season, d. per basket. _sufficient_.--allow heads for or persons. _seasonable_ from february to june. [illustration: sea-kale.] sea-kale.--this plant belongs to the asparagus tribe, and grows on seashores, especially in the west of england, and in the neighbourhood of dublin. although it is now in very general use, it did not come into repute till . it is easily cultivated, and is esteemed as one of the most valuable esculents indigenous to britain. as a vegetable, it is stimulating to the appetite, easily digestible, and nutritious. it is so light that the most delicate organizations may readily eat it. the flowers form a favourite resort for bees, as their petals contain a great amount of saccharine matter. boiled salad. . ingredients.-- heads of celery, pint of french beans, lettuce, and endive. [illustration: french beans.] [illustration: chervil.] _mode_.--boil the celery and beans separately until tender, and cut the celery into pieces about inches long. put these into a salad-bowl or dish; pour over either of the sauces no. , , or , and garnish the dish with a little lettuce finely chopped, blanched endive, or a few tufts of boiled cauliflower. this composition, if less agreeable than vegetables in their raw state, is more wholesome; for salads, however they may be compounded, when eaten uncooked, prove to some people indigestible. tarragon, chervil, burnet, and boiled onion, may be added to the above salad with advantage, as also slices of cold meat, poultry, or fish. _seasonable_ from july to october. acetarious vegetables.--by the term acetarious vegetables, is expressed a numerous class of plants, of various culture and habit, which are principally used as salads, pickles, and condiments. they are to be considered rather as articles of comparative luxury than as ordinary food, and are more desirable for their coolness, or their agreeable flavour, than for their nutritive powers. cauliflower.--the cauliflower is less indigestible than the cabbage; it possesses a most agreeable flavour, and is sufficiently delicate to be served at the tables of the wealthy. it is a wholesome vegetable, but should be eaten moderately, as it induces flatulence. persons of weak constitutions and delicate stomachs should abstain from cauliflower as much as possible. they may be prepared in a variety of ways; and, in selecting them, the whitest should be chosen; those tinged with green or yellow being of indifferent quality. summer salad. . ingredients.-- lettuces, handfuls of mustard-and-cress, young radishes, a few slices of cucumber. [illustration: salad in bowl.] _mode_.--let the herbs be as fresh as possible for a salad, and, if at all stale or dead-looking, let them lie in water for an hour or two, which will very much refresh them. wash and carefully pick them over, remove any decayed or wormeaten leaves, and drain them thoroughly by swinging them gently in a clean cloth. with a silver knife, cut the lettuces into small pieces, and the radishes and cucumbers into thin slices; arrange all these ingredients lightly on a dish, with the mustard-and-cress, and pour under, but not over the salad, either of the sauces no. , , or , and do not stir it up until it is to be eaten. it may be garnished with hard-boiled eggs, cut in slices, sliced cucumbers, nasturtiums, cut vegetable-flowers, and many other things that taste will always suggest to make a pretty and elegant dish. in making a good salad, care must be taken to have the herbs freshly gathered, and _thoroughly drained_ before the sauce is added to them, or it will be watery and thin. young spring onions, cut small, are by many persons considered an improvement to salads; but, before these are added, the cook should always consult the taste of her employer. slices of cold meat or poultry added to a salad make a convenient and quickly-made summer luncheon-dish; or cold fish, flaked, will also be found exceedingly nice, mixed with it. _average cost_, d. for a salad for or persons; but more expensive when the herbs are forced. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from may to september. cucumbers.--the cucumber is refreshing, but neither nutritious nor digestible, and should be excluded from the regimen of the delicate. there are various modes of preparing cucumbers. when gathered young, they are called gherkins: these, pickled, are much used in seasonings. [illustration: cucumber-slice.] radishes.--this is the common name given to the root of the _raphanus satious_, one of the varieties of the cultivated horseradish. there are red and white radishes; and the french have also what they call violet and black ones, of which the black are the larger. radishes are composed of nearly the same constituents as turnips, that is to say, mostly fibre and nitrogen; and, being generally eaten raw, it is on the last of these that their flavour depends. they do not agree with people, except those who are in good health, and have active digestive powers; for they are difficult of digestion, and cause flatulency and wind, and are the cause of headaches when eaten to excess. besides being eaten raw, they are sometimes, but rarely, boiled; and they also serve as a pretty garnish for salads. in china, the radish may be found growing naturally, without cultivation; and may be occasionally met with in england as a weed, in similar places to where the wild turnip grows; it, however, thrives best in the garden, and the ground it likes best is a deep open loam, or a well-manured sandy soil. [illustration: turnip radishes.] [illustration: long radishes.] winter salad. . ingredients.--endive, mustard-and-cress, boiled beetroot, or hard-boiled eggs, celery. _mode_.--the above ingredients form the principal constituents of a winter salad, and may be converted into a very pretty dish, by nicely contrasting the various colours, and by tastefully garnishing it. shred the celery into thin pieces, after having carefully washed and cut away all wormeaten pieces; cleanse the endive and mustard-and-cress free from grit, and arrange these high in the centre of a salad-bowl or dish; garnish with the hard-boiled eggs and beetroot, both of which should be cut in slices; and pour into the dish, but not over the salad, either of the sauces no. , , or . never dress a salad long before it is required for table, as, by standing, it loses its freshness and pretty crisp and light appearance; the sauce, however, may always be prepared a few hours beforehand, and when required for use, the herbs laid lightly over it. _average cost_, d. for a salad for or persons. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from the end of september to march. salads.--salads are raw vegetables, of which, among us, the lettuce is the most generally used; several others, however, such as cresses, celery, onions, beetroot, &c., are occasionally employed. as vegetables eaten in a raw state are apt to ferment on the stomach, and as they have very little stimulative power upon that organ, they are usually dressed with some condiments, such as pepper, vinegar, salt, mustard, and oil. respecting the use of these, medical men disagree, especially in reference to oil, which is condemned by some and recommended by others. potato salad. . ingredients.-- or cold boiled potatoes, tablespoonfuls of tarragon or plain vinegar, tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, pepper and salt to taste, teaspoonful of minced parsley. _mode_.--cut the potatoes into slices about / inch in thickness; put these into a salad-bowl with oil and vinegar in the above proportion; season with pepper, salt, and a teaspoonful of minced parsley; stir the salad well, that all the ingredients may be thoroughly incorporated, and it is ready to serve. this should be made two or three hours before it is wanted for table. anchovies, olives, or pickles may be added to this salad, as also slices of cold beef, fowl, or turkey. _seasonable_ at any time. chicken salad.--(see no. .) grouse salad.--(see no. .) lobster salad.--(see no. .) to boil spinach (english mode). . ingredients.-- pailfuls of spinach, heaped tablespoonfuls of salt, oz. of butter, pepper to taste. [illustration: spinach garnished with croÛtons.] _mode_.--pick the spinach carefully, and see that no stalks or weeds are left amongst it; wash it in several waters, and, to prevent it being gritty, act in the following manner:--have ready two large pans or tubs filled with water; put the spinach into one of these, and thoroughly wash it; then, _with the hands_, take out the spinach, and put it into the _other tub_ of water (by this means all the grit will be left at the bottom of the tub); wash it again, and, should it not be perfectly free from dirt, repeat the process. put it into a very large saucepan, with about / pint of water, just sufficient to keep the spinach from burning, and the above proportion of salt. press it down frequently with a wooden spoon, that it may be done equally; and when it has boiled for rather more than minutes, or until it is perfectly tender, drain it in a colander, squeeze it quite dry, and chop it finely. put the spinach into a clean stewpan, with the butter and a seasoning of pepper; stir the whole over the fire until quite hot; then put it on a hot dish, and garnish with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.-- to minutes to boil the spinach, minutes to warm with the butter. _average cost_ for the above quantity, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--spring spinach from march to july; winter spinach from november to march. _note_.--grated nutmeg, pounded mace, or lemon-juice may also be added to enrich the flavour; and poached eggs are also frequently served with spinach: they should be placed on the top of it, and it should be garnished with sippets of toasted bread.--see coloured plate u. varieties of spinach.--these comprise the strawberry spinach, which, under that name, was wont to be grown in our flower-gardens; the good king harry, the garden oracle, the prickly, and the round, are the varieties commonly used. the oracle is a hardy sort, much esteemed in france, and is a native of tartary, introduced in . the common spinach has its leaves round, and is softer and more succulent than any of the brassica tribe. spinach dressed with cream, a la francaise. . ingredients.-- pailfuls of spinach, tablespoonfuls of salt, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of cream, small teaspoonful of pounded sugar, a very little grated nutmeg. _mode_.--boil and drain the spinach as in recipe no. ; chop it finely, and put it into a stewpan with the butter; stir over a gentle fire, and, when the butter has dried away, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for about minutes. previously to adding the cream, boil it first, in case it should curdle. serve on a hot dish, and garnish either with sippets of toasted bread or leaves of puff-paste. _time_.-- to minutes to boil the spinach; minutes to stew with the cream. _average cost_ for the above quantity, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--spring spinach from march to july; winter spinach from november to march. [illustration: spinach.] spinach.--this is a persian plant. it has been cultivated in our gardens about two hundred years, and is the most wholesome of vegetables. it is not very nutritious, but is very easily digested. it is very light and laxative. wonderful properties have been ascribed to spinach. it is an excellent vegetable, and very beneficial to health. plainly dressed, it is a resource for the poor; prepared luxuriantly, it is a choice dish for the rich. spinach.--this vegetable belongs to a sub-order of the _salsolaceae_, or saltworts, and is classified under the head of _spirolobeae_, with leaves shaped like worms, and of a succulent kind. in its geographical distribution it is commonly found in extratropical and temperate regions, where they grow as weeds in waste places, and among rubbish, and in marshes by the seashore. in the tropics the order is rarely found. many of them are used as potherbs, and some of them are emetic and vermifuge in their medicinal properties. french mode of dressing spinach. . ingredients.-- pailfuls of spinach, tablespoonfuls of salt, oz. of butter, teaspoonful of flour, tablespoonfuls of good gravy; when liked, a very little grated nutmeg. _mode_.--pick, wash, and boil the spinach, as in recipe no. , and when quite tender, drain and squeeze it perfectly dry from the water that hangs about it. chop it very fine, put the butter into a stewpan, and lay the spinach over that; stir it over a gentle fire, and dredge in the flour. add the gravy, and let it boil _quickly_ for a few minutes, that it may not discolour. when the flavour of nutmeg is liked, grate some to the spinach, and when thoroughly hot, and the gravy has dried away a little, serve. garnish the dish with sippets of toasted bread. _time_.-- to minutes to boil the spinach; minutes to simmer in the gravy. _average cost_ for the above quantity, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--spring spinach from march to july; winter spinach from october to february. _note_.--for an entremets or second-course dish, spinach, dressed by the above recipe may be pressed into a hot mould; it should then be turned out quickly, and served very hot. baked tomatoes. (_excellent_.) . ingredients.-- or tomatoes, pepper and salt to taste, oz. of butter, bread crumbs. _mode_.--take off the stalks from the tomatoes; cut them into thick slices, and put them into a deep baking-dish; add a plentiful seasoning of pepper and salt, and butter in the above proportion; cover the whole with bread crumbs; drop over these a little clarified butter; bake in a moderate oven from minutes to / hour, and serve very hot. this vegetable, dressed as above, is an exceedingly nice accompaniment to all kinds of roast meat. the tomatoes, instead of being cut in slices, may be baked whole; but they will take rather longer time to cook. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _average cost_, in full season, d. per basket. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in august, september, and october; but may be had, forced, much earlier. [illustration: the tomato.] tomatoes.--the tomato is a native of tropical countries, but is now cultivated considerably both in france and england. its skin is of a brilliant red, and its flavour, which is somewhat sour, has become of immense importance in the culinary art. it is used both fresh and preserved. when eaten fresh, it is served as an _entremets_; but its principal use is in sauce and gravy; its flavour stimulates the appetite, and is almost universally approved. the tomato is a wholesome fruit, and digests easily. from july to september, they gather the tomatoes green in france, not breaking them away from the stalk; they are then hung, head downwards, in a dry and not too cold place; and there they ripen. hot tomato sauce, or puree of tomatoes. (see no. .) [illustration: stewed tomatoes.] stewed tomatoes. i. . ingredients.-- tomatoes, pepper and salt to taste, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of vinegar. _mode_.--slice the tomatoes into a _lined_ saucepan; season them with pepper and salt, and place small pieces of butter on them. cover the lid down closely, and stew from to minutes, or until the tomatoes are perfectly tender; add the vinegar, stir two or three times, and serve with any kind of roast meat, with which they will be found a delicious accompaniment. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, in full season, d. per basket. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from august to october; but may be had, forced, much earlier. analysis of the tomato.--the fruit of the love-apple is the only part used as an esculent, and it has been found to contain a particular acid, a volatile oil, a brown, very fragrant extracto-resinous matter, a vegeto-mineral matter, muco-saccharine, some salts, and, in all probability, an alkaloid. the whole plant has a disagreeable odour, and its juice, subjected to the action of the fire, emits a vapour so powerful as to cause vertigo and vomiting. ii. . ingredients.-- tomatoes, about / pint of good gravy, thickening of butter and flour, cayenne and salt to taste. _mode_.--take out the stalks of the tomatoes; put them into a wide stewpan, pour over them the above proportion of good brown gravy, and stew gently until they are tender, occasionally _carefully_ turning them, that they may be equally done. thicken the gravy with a little butter and flour worked together on a plate; let it just boil up after the thickening is added, and serve. if it be at hand, these should be served on a silver or plated vegetable-dish. _time_.-- to minutes, very gentle stewing. _average cost_, in full season, d. per basket. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in august, september, and october; but maybe had, forced, much earlier. the tomato, or love-apple.--this vegetable is a native of mexico and south america, but is also found in the east indies, where it is supposed to have been introduced by the spaniards. in this country it is much more cultivated than it formerly was; and the more the community becomes acquainted with the many agreeable forms in which the fruit can be prepared, the more widely will its cultivation be extended. for ketchup, soups, and sauces, it is equally applicable, and the unripe fruit makes one of the best pickles. truffles au naturel. . ingredients.--truffles, buttered paper. _mode_.--select some fine truffles; cleanse them, by washing them in several waters with a brush, until not a particle of sand or grit remains on them; wrap each truffle in buttered paper, and bake in a hot oven for quite an hour; take off the paper, wipe the truffles, and serve them in a hot napkin. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_.--not often bought in this country. _seasonable_ from november to march. [illustration: truffles.] the common truffle.--this is the _tuber cibarium_ of science, and belongs to that numerous class of esculent fungi distinguished from other vegetables not only by the singularity of their forms, but by their chemical composition. upon analysis, they are found not only to contain the usual components of the vegetable kingdom, such as carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, but likewise a large proportion of nitrogen; from which they approach more nearly to the nature of animal flesh. it was long ago observed by dr. darwin, that all the mushrooms cooked at our tables, as well as those used for ketchup, possessed an animal flavour; and soup enriched by mushrooms only has sometimes been supposed to contain meat. to dress truffles with champagne. . ingredients.-- fine black truffles, a few slices of fat bacon, carrot, turnip, onions, a bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley, bay-leaf, cloves, blade of pounded mace, glasses of champagne, / pint of stock. _mode_.--carefully select the truffles, reject those that have a musty smell, and wash them well with a brush, in cold water only, until perfectly clean. put the bacon into a stewpan, with the truffles and the remaining ingredients; simmer these gently for an hour, and let the whole cool in the stewpan. when to be served, rewarm them, and drain them on a clean cloth; then arrange them on a delicately white napkin, that it may contrast as strongly as possible with the truffles, and serve. the trimmings of truffles are used to flavour gravies, stock, sauces, &c.; and are an excellent addition to ragouts, made dishes of fowl, &c. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_.--not often bought in this country. _seasonable_ from november to march. the truffle.--the truffle belongs to the family of the mushroom. it is certain that the truffle must possess, equally with other plants, organs of reproduction; yet, notwithstanding all the efforts of art and science, it has been impossible to subject it to a regular culture. truffles grow at a considerable depth under the earth, never appearing on the surface. they are found in many parts of france: those of périgord magny are the most esteemed for their odour. there are three varieties of the species,--the black, the red, and the white: the latter are of little value. the red are very rare, and their use is restricted. the black has the highest repute, and its consumption is enormous. when the peasantry go to gather truffles, they take a pig with them to scent out the spot where they grow. when that is found, the pig turns up the surface with his snout, and the men then dig until they find the truffles. good truffles are easily distinguished by their agreeable perfume; they should be light in proportion to their size, and elastic when pressed by the finger. to have them in perfection, they should be quite fresh, as their aroma is considerably diminished by any conserving process. truffles are stimulating and beating. weak stomachs digest them with difficulty. some of the culinary uses to which they are subjected render them more digestible; but they should always be eaten sparingly. their chief use is in seasoning and garnitures. in short, a professor has said, "meats with truffles are the most distinguished dishes that opulence can offer to the epicure." the truffle grows in clusters, some inches below the surface of the soil, and is of an irregular globular form. those which grow wild in england are about the size of a hen's egg, and have no roots. as there is nothing to indicate the places where they are, dogs have been trained to discriminate their scent, by which they are discovered. hogs are very fond of them, and frequently lead to their being found, from their rutting up the ground in search of them. italian mode of dressing truffles. . ingredients.-- truffles, / pint of salad-oil, pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonful of minced parsley, a very little finely-minced garlic, blades of pounded mace, tablespoonful of lemon-juice. _mode_.--after cleansing and brushing the truffles, cut them into thin slices, and put them in a baking-dish, on a seasoning of oil, pepper, salt, parsley, garlic, and mace in the above proportion. bake them for nearly an hour, and, just before serving, add the lemon-juice, and send them to table very hot. _time_.--nearly hour. _average cost_.--not often bought in this country. _seasonable_ from november to march. where truffles are found.--in this country, the common truffle is found on the downs of hampshire, wiltshire, and kent; and they abound in dry light soils, and more especially in oak and chestnut forests. in france they are plentiful, and many are imported from the south of that country and italy, where they are much larger and in greater perfection: they lose, however, much of their flavour by drying. truffles have in england been tried to be propagated artificially, but without success. truffles a l'italienne. . ingredients.-- truffles, tablespoonful of minced parsley, minced shalot, salt and pepper to taste, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of good brown gravy, the juice of / lemon, cayenne to taste. _mode_.--wash the truffles and cut them into slices about the size of a penny-piece; put them into a sauté pan, with the parsley, shalot, salt, pepper, and oz. of butter; stir them over the fire, that they may all be equally done, which will be in about minutes, and drain off some of the butter; then add a little more fresh butter, tablespoonfuls of good gravy, the juice of / lemon, and a little cayenne; stir over the fire until the whole is on the point of boiling, when serve. _time_.--altogether, minutes. _average cost_.--not often bought in this country. _seasonable_ from november to march. uses of the truffle.--like the morel, truffles are seldom eaten alone, but are much used in gravies, soups, and ragoûts. they are likewise dried for the winter months, and, when reduced to powder, form a useful culinary ingredient; they, however, have many virtues attributed to them which they do not possess. their wholesomeness is, perhaps, questionable, and they should be eaten with moderation. boiled turnips. . ingredients.--turnips; to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt. _mode_.--pare the turnips, and, should they be very large, divide them into quarters; but, unless this is the case, let them be cooked whole. put them into a saucepan of boiling water, salted in the above proportion, and let them boil gently until tender. try them with a fork, and, when done, take them up in a colander; let them thoroughly drain, and serve. boiled turnips are usually sent to table with boiled mutton, but are infinitely nicer when mashed than served whole: unless nice and young, they are scarcely worth the trouble of dressing plainly as above. _time_.--old turnips, / to - / hour; young ones, about to minutes. _average cost_, d. per bunch. _sufficient_.--allow a bunch of turnips for or persons. _seasonable_.--may be had all the year; but in spring only useful for flavouring gravies, &c. [illustration: turnips.] the turnip.--this vegetable is the _brassica rapa_ of science, and grows wild in england, but cannot be brought exactly to resemble what it becomes in a cultivated state. it is said to have been originally introduced from hanover, and forms an excellent culinary vegetable, much used all over europe, where it is either eaten alone or mashed and cooked in soups and stews. they do not thrive in a hot climate; for in india they, and many more of our garden vegetables, lose their flavour and become comparatively tasteless. the swede is the largest variety, but it is too coarse for the table. mashed turnips. . ingredients.-- or large turnips; to each / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt, oz. of butter, cayenne or white pepper to taste. _mode_.--pare the turnips, quarter them, and put them into boiling water, salted in the above proportion; boil them until tender; then drain them in a colander, and squeeze them as dry as possible by pressing them with the back of a large plate. when quite free from water, rub the turnips with a wooden spoon through the colander, and put them into a very clean saucepan; add the butter, white pepper, or cayenne, and, if necessary, a little salt. keep stirring them over the fire until the butter is well mixed with them, and the turnips are thoroughly hot; dish, and serve. a little cream or milk added after the turnips are pressed through the colander, is an improvement to both the colour and flavour of this vegetable. _time_.--from / to / hour to boil the turnips; minutes to warm them through. _average cost_, d. per bunch. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--may be had all the year; but in spring only good for flavouring gravies. vegetables reduced to purÉe.--persons in the flower of youth, having healthy stomachs, and leading active lives, may eat all sorts of vegetables, without inconvenience, save, of course, in excess. the digestive functions possess great energy during the period of youth: the body, to develop itself, needs nourishment. physical exercise gives an appetite, which it is necessary to satisfy, and vegetables cannot resist the vigorous action of the gastric organs. as old proverb says, "at twenty one can digest iron." but for aged persons, the sedentary, or the delicate, it is quite otherwise. then the gastric power has considerably diminished, the digestive organs have lost their energy, the process of digestion is consequently slower, and the least excess at table is followed by derangement of the stomach for several days. those who generally digest vegetables with difficulty, should eat them reduced to a pulp or purée, that is to say, with their skins and tough fibres removed. subjected to this process, vegetables which, when entire, would create flatulence and wind, are then comparatively harmless. experience has established the rule, that nourishment is not complete without the alliance of meat with vegetables. we would also add, that the regime most favourable to health is found in variety: variety pleases the senses, monotony is disagreeable. the eye is fatigued by looking always on one object, the ear by listening to one sound, and the palate by tasting one flavour. it is the same with the stomach: consequently, variety of food is one of the essentials for securing good digestion. german mode of cooking turnips. . ingredients.-- large turnips, oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste, rather more than / pint of weak stock or broth, tablespoonful of flour. _mode_.--make the butter hot in a stewpan, lay in the turnips, after having pared and cut them into dice, and season them with pepper and salt. toss them over the fire for a few minutes, then add the broth, and simmer the whole gently till the turnips are tender. brown the above proportion of flour with a little butter; add this to the turnips, let them simmer another minutes, and serve. boiled mutton is usually sent to table with this vegetable, and may be cooked with the turnips by placing it in the midst of them: the meat would then be very delicious, as, there being so little liquid with the turnips, it would almost be steamed, and consequently very tender. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. per bunch. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_.--may be had all the year. turnips.--good turnips are delicate in texture, firm, and sweet. the best sorts contain a sweet juicy mucilage, uniting with the aroma a slightly acid quality, which is completely neutralized in cooking. the turnip is prepared in a variety of ways. ducks stuffed with turnips have been highly appreciated. it is useful in the regimen of persons afflicted with chronic visceral irritations. the turnip only creates flatulency when it is soft, porous, and stringy. it is then, consequently, bad. turnips in white sauce. (an entremets, or to be served with the second course as a side-dish.) . ingredients.-- or turnips, oz. of butter, / pint of white sauce, no. or . _mode_.--peel and cut the turnips in the shape of pears or marbles; boil them in salt and water, to which has been added a little butter, until tender; then take them out, drain, arrange them on a dish, and pour over the white sauce made by recipe no. or , and to which has been added a small lump of sugar. in winter, when other vegetables are scarce, this will be found a very good and pretty-looking dish: when approved, a little mustard may be added to the sauce. _time_.--about / hour to boil the turnips. _average cost_, d. per bunch. _sufficient_ for side-dish. _seasonable_ in winter. the french navet.--this is a variety of the turnip; but, instead of being globular, has more the shape of the carrot. its flavour being excellent, it is much esteemed on the continent for soups and made dishes. two or three of them will impart as much flavour as a dozen of the common turnips will. accordingly, when stewed in gravy, they are greatly relished. this flavour resides in the rind, which is not cut off, but scraped. this variety was once grown in england, but now it is rarely found in our gardens, though highly deserving of a place there. it is of a yellowish-white colour, and is sometimes imported to the london market. boiled turnip greens. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water, allow heaped tablespoonful of salt; turnip-greens. _mode_.--wash the greens well in two or three waters, and pick off all the decayed and dead leaves; tie them in small bunches, and put them into plenty of boiling water, salted in the above proportion. keep them boiling quickly, with the lid of the saucepan uncovered, and when tender, pour them into a colander; let them drain, arrange them in a vegetable-dish, remove the string that the greens were tied with, and serve. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, d. for a dish for persons. _seasonable_ in march, april, and may. cabbage, turnip-tops, and greens.--all the cabbage tribe, which comprises coleworts, brocoli, cauliflower, sprouts, and turnip-tops, in order to be delicate, should be dressed young, when they have a rapid growth; but, if they have stood the summer, in order to be tender, they should be allowed to have a touch of frost. the cabbage contains much vegetable albumen, and several parts sulphur and nitrate of potass. cabbage is heavy, and a long time digesting, which has led to a belief that it is very nourishing. it is only fit food for robust and active persons; the sedentary or delicate should carefully avoid it. cabbage may be prepared in a variety of ways: it serves as a garniture to several recherché dishes,--partridge and cabbage for example. bacon and cabbage is a very favourite dish; but only a good stomach can digest it. boiled vegetable marrow. . ingredients.--to each / gallon of water, allow heaped tablespoonful of salt; vegetable marrows. [illustration: vegetable marrow on toast.] _mode_.--have ready a saucepan of boiling water, salted in the above proportion; put in the marrows after peeling them, and boil them until quite tender. take them up with a slice, halve, and, should they be very large, quarter them. dish them on toast, and send to table with them a tureen of melted butter, or, in lieu of this, a small pat of salt butter. large vegetable marrows may be preserved throughout the winter by storing them in a dry place; when wanted for use, a few slices should be cut and boiled in the same manner as above; but, when once begun, the marrow must be eaten quickly, as it keeps but a short time after it is cut. vegetable marrows are also very delicious mashed: they should be boiled, then drained, and mashed smoothly with a wooden spoon. heat them in a saucepan, add a seasoning of salt and pepper, and a small piece of butter, and dish with a few sippets of toasted bread placed round as a garnish. _time_.--young vegetable marrows to minutes; old ones, / to / hour. _average cost_, in full season, s. per dozen. _sufficient_.--allow moderate-sized marrow for each person. _seasonable_ in july, august, and september; but may be preserved all the winter. fried vegetable marrow. . ingredients.-- medium-sized vegetable marrows, egg and bread crumbs, hot lard. _mode_.--peel, and boil the marrows until tender in salt and water; then drain them and cut them in quarters, and take out the seeds. when thoroughly drained, brush the marrows over with egg, and sprinkle with bread crumbs; have ready some hot lard, fry the marrow in this, and, when of a nice brown, dish; sprinkle over a little salt and pepper, and serve. _time_.--about / hour to boil the marrow, minutes to fry it. _average cost_, in full season, s. per dozen. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ in july, august, and september. [illustration: vegetable marrow.] the vegetable marrow.--this vegetable is now extensively used, and belongs to the cucurbits. it is the _c. ovifera_ of science, and, like the melon, gourd, cucumber, and squash, is widely diffused in the tropical or warmer regions of the globe. of the nature of this family we have already spoken when treating of the cucumber. cut vegetables for soups, &c. [illustration: vegetable-cutter.] . the annexed engraving represents a cutter for shaping vegetables for soups, ragouts, stews, &c.; carrots and turnips being the usual vegetables for which this utensil is used. cut the vegetables into slices about / inch in thickness, stamp them out with the cutter, and boil them for a few minutes in salt and water, until tender. turnips should be cut in rather thicker slices than carrots, on account of the former boiling more quickly to a pulp than the latter. carrots.--several species of carrots are cultivated,--the red, the yellow, and the which. those known as the crecy carrots are considered the best, and are very sweet. the carrot has been classed by hygienists among flatulent vegetables, and as difficult of digestion. when the root becomes old, it is almost as hard as wood; but the young carrot, which has not reached its full growth, is tender, relishing, nutritious, and digests well when properly cooked. vegetable marrows in white sauce. . ingredients.-- or moderate-sized marrows, / pint of white sauce, no. . [illustration: vegetable marrow in white sauce.] _mode_.--pare the marrows; cut them in halves, and shape each half at the top in a point, leaving the bottom end flat for it to stand upright in the dish. boil the marrows in salt and water until tender; take them up very carefully, and arrange them on a hot dish. have ready / pint of white sauce, made by recipe no. ; pour this over the marrows, and serve. _time_.--from to minutes to boil the marrows. _average cost_, in full season, s. per dozen. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in july, august, and september. boiled indian wheat or maize. . ingredients.--the ears of young and green indian wheat; to every / gallon of water allow heaped tablespoonful of salt. _mode_.--this vegetable, which makes one of the most delicious dishes brought to table, is unfortunately very rarely seen in britain; and we wonder that, in the gardens of the wealthy, it is not invariably cultivated. our sun, it is true, possesses hardly power sufficient to ripen maize; but, with well-prepared ground, and in a favourable position, it might be sufficiently advanced by the beginning of autumn to serve as a vegetable. the outside sheath being taken off and the waving fibres removed, let the ears be placed in boiling water, where they should remain for about minutes (a longer time may be necessary for larger ears than ordinary); and, when sufficiently boiled and well drained, they may be sent to table whole, and with a piece of toast underneath them. melted butter should be served with them. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_.--seldom bought. _sufficient_,-- ear for each person. _seasonable_ in autumn. _note_.--william cobbett, the english radical writer and politician, was a great cultivator and admirer of maize, and constantly ate it as a vegetable, boiled. we believe he printed a special recipe for it, but we have been unable to lay our hands on it. mr. buchanan, the present president of the united states, was in the habit, when ambassador here, of receiving a supply of indian corn from america in hermetically-sealed cases; and the publisher of this work remembers, with considerable satisfaction, his introduction to a dish of this vegetable, when in america. he found it to combine the excellences of the young green pea and the finest asparagus; but he felt at first slightly awkward in holding the large ear with one hand, whilst the other had to be employed in cutting off with a knife the delicate green grains. [illustration] [illustration] chapter xxvi. general observations on puddings and pastry. . puddings and pastry, familiar as they may be, and unimportant as they may be held in the estimation of some, are yet intimately connected with the development of agricultural resources in reference to the cereal grasses. when they began to be made is uncertain; but we may safely presume, that a simple form of pudding was amongst the first dishes made after discovering a mode of grinding wheat into flour. traditional history enables us to trace man back to the time of the deluge. after that event he seems to have recovered himself in the central parts of asia, and to have first risen to eminence in the arts of civilization on the banks of the nile. from this region, greece, carthage, and some other parts along the shores of the mediterranean sea, were colonized. in process of time, greece gave to the romans the arts which she had thus received from egypt, and these subsequently diffused them over europe. how these were carried to or developed in india and china, is not so well ascertained; and in america their ancient existence rests only on very indistinct traditions. as to who was the real discoverer of the use of corn, we have no authentic knowledge. the traditions of different countries ascribe it to various fabulous personages, whose names it is here unnecessary to introduce. in egypt, however, corn must have grown abundantly; for abraham, and after him jacob, had recourse to that country for supplies during times of famine. . the habits of a people, to a great extent, are formed by the climate in which they live, and by the native or cultivated productions in which their country abounds. thus we find that the agricultural produce of the ancient egyptians is pretty much the same as that of the present day, and the habits of the people are not materially altered. in greece, the products cultivated in antiquity were the same kinds of grains and legumes as are cultivated at present, with the vine, the fig, the olive, the apple, and other fruits. so with the romans, and so with other nations. as to the different modes of artificially preparing those to please the taste, it is only necessary to say that they arise from the universal desire of novelty, characteristic of man in the development of his social conditions. thus has arisen the whole science of cookery, and thus arose the art of making puddings. the porridge of the scotch is nothing more than a species of hasty pudding, composed of oatmeal, salt, and water; and the "red pottage" for which esau sold his birthright, must have been something similar. the barley-gruel of the lacedaemonians, of the athenian gladiators and common people, was the same, with the exception of the slight seasoning it had beyond the simplicity of scottish fare. here is the ancient recipe for the athenian national dish:--"dry near the fire, in the oven, twenty pounds of barley-flour; then parch it; add three pounds of linseed-meal, half a pound of coriander-seed, two ounces of salt, and the quantity of water necessary." to this sometimes a little millet was added, in order to give the paste greater cohesion and delicacy. . oatmeal amongst the greeks and romans was highly esteemed, as was also rice, which they considered as beneficial to the chest. they also held in high repute the irion, or indian wheat of the moderns. the flour of this cereal was made into a kind of hasty pudding, and, parched or roasted, as eaten with a little salt. the spelt, or red wheat, was likewise esteemed, and its flour formed the basis of the carthaginian pudding, for which we here give the scientific recipe:--"put a pound of red-wheat flour into water, and when it has steeped some time, transfer it to a wooden bowl. add three pounds of cream cheese, half a pound of honey, and one egg. beat the whole together, and cook it on a slow fire in a stewpan." should this be considered unpalatable, another form has been recommended. "sift the flour, and, with some water, put it into a wooden vessel, and, for ten days, renew the water twice each day. at the end of that period, press out the water and place the paste in another vessel. it is now to be reduced to the consistence of thick lees, and passed through a piece of new linen. repeat this last operation, then dry the mass in the sun and boil it in milk. season according to taste." these are specimens of the puddings of antiquity, and this last recipe was held in especial favour by the romans. . however great may have been the qualifications of the ancients, however, in the art of pudding-making, we apprehend that such preparations as gave gratification to their palates, would have generally found little favour amongst the insulated inhabitants of great britain. here, from the simple suet dumpling up to the most complicated christmas production, the grand feature of substantiality is primarily attended to. variety in the ingredients, we think, is held only of secondary consideration with the great body of the people, provided that the whole is agreeable and of sufficient abundance. . although from puddings to pastry is but a step, it requires a higher degree of art to make the one than to make the other. indeed, pastry is one of the most important branches of the culinary science. it unceasingly occupies itself with ministering pleasure to the sight as well as to the taste; with erecting graceful monuments, miniature fortresses, and all kinds of architectural imitations, composed of the sweetest and most agreeable products of all climates and countries. at a very early period, the orientals were acquainted with the art of manipulating in pastry; but they by no means attained to the taste, variety, and splendour of design, by which it is characterized amongst the moderns. at first it generally consisted of certain mixtures of flour, oil, and honey, to which it was confined for centuries, even among the southern nations of the european continent. at the commencement of the middle ages, a change began to take place in the art of mixing it. eggs, butter, and salt came into repute in the making of paste, which was forthwith used as an inclosure for meat, seasoned with spices. this advance attained, the next step was to inclose cream, fruit, and marmalades; and the next, to build pyramids and castles; when the summit of the art of the pastry-cook may be supposed to have been achieved. directions in connection with the making of puddings and pastry. . a few general remarks respecting the various ingredients of which puddings and pastry are composed, may be acceptable as preliminary to the recipes in this department of household management. . _flour_ should be of the best quality, and perfectly dry, and sifted before being used; if in the least damp, the paste made from it will certainly be heavy. . _butter_, unless fresh is used, should be washed from the salt, and well squeezed and wrung in a cloth, to get out all the water and buttermilk, which, if left in, assists to make the paste heavy. . _lard_ should be perfectly sweet, which may be ascertained by cutting the bladder through, and, if the knife smells sweet, the lard is good. . _suet_ should be finely chopped, perfectly free from skin, and quite sweet; during the process of chopping, it should be lightly dredged with flour, which prevents the pieces from sticking together. beef suet is considered the best; but veal suet, or the outside fat of a loin or neck of mutton, makes good crusts; as also the skimmings in which a joint of mutton has been boiled, but _without_ vegetables. . _clarified beef dripping_, directions for which will be found in recipes nos. and , answers very well for kitchen pies, puddings, cakes, or for family use. a very good short crust may be made by mixing with it a small quantity of moist sugar; but care must be taken to use the dripping sparingly, or a very disagreeable flavour will be imparted to the paste. . strict cleanliness must be observed in pastry-making; all the utensils used should be perfectly free from dust and dirt, and the things required for pastry, kept entirely for that purpose. [illustration: paste-board and rolling-pin.] . in mixing paste, add the water very gradually, work the whole together with the knife-blade, and knead it until perfectly smooth. those who are inexperienced in pastry-making, should work the butter in by breaking it in small pieces and covering the paste rolled out. it should then be dredged with flour, and the ends folded over and rolled out very thin again: this process must be repeated until all the butter is used. [illustration: paste-pincers and jagger, for ornamenting the edges of pie-crusts.] . the art of making paste requires much practice, dexterity, and skill: it should be touched as lightly as possible, made with cool hands and in a cool place (a marble slab is better than a board for the purpose), and the coolest part of the house should be selected for the process during warm weather. . to insure rich paste being light, great expedition must be used in the making and baking; for if it stand long before it is put in the oven, it becomes flat and heavy. [illustration: paste-cutter and corner-cutter.] [illustration: ornamental-paste cutter.] . _puff-paste_ requires a brisk oven, but not too hot, or it would blacken the crust; on the other hand, if the oven be too slack, the paste will be soddened, and will not rise, nor will it have any colour. tart-tins, cake-moulds, dishes for baked puddings, pattypans, &c., should all be buttered before the article intended to be baked is put in them: things to be baked on sheets should be placed on buttered paper. raised-pie paste should have a soaking heat, and paste glazed must have rather a slack oven, that the icing be not scorched. it is better to ice tarts, &c. when they are three-parts baked. [illustration: patty-pans, plain and fluted.] [illustration: pie-dish.] [illustration: raised-pie mould.] [illustration: raised-pie mould, open.] . to ascertain when the oven is heated to the proper degree for puff-paste, put a small piece of the paste in previous to baking the whole, and then the heat can thus be judged of. . the freshness of all pudding ingredients is of much importance, as one bad article will taint the whole mixture. . when the _freshness_ of eggs is _doubtful_, break each one separately in a cup, before mixing them altogether. should there be a bad one amongst them, it can be thrown away; whereas, if mixed with the good ones, the entire quantity would be spoiled. the yolks and whites beaten separately make the articles they are put into much lighter. . raisins and dried fruits for puddings should be carefully picked, and, in many cases, stoned. currants should be well washed, pressed in a cloth, and placed on a dish before the fire to get thoroughly dry; they should then be picked carefully over, and _every piece of grit or stone_ removed from amongst them. to plump them, some cooks pour boiling water over them, and then dry them before the fire. . batter pudding should be smoothly mixed and free from lumps. to insure this, first mix the flour with a very small proportion of milk, and add the remainder by degrees. should the pudding be very lumpy, it may be strained through a hair sieve. . _all boiled puddings_ should be put on in _boiling water_, which must not be allowed to stop simmering, and the pudding must always be covered with the water; if requisite, the saucepan should be kept filled up. [illustration: boiled-pudding mould.] . to prevent a pudding boiled in a cloth from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan, place a small plate or saucer underneath it, and set the pan _on a trivet_ over the fire. if a mould is used, this precaution is not necessary; but care must be taken to keep the pudding well covered with water. . for dishing a boiled pudding as soon as it comes out of the pot, dip it into a basin of cold water, and the cloth will then not adhere to it. great expedition is necessary in sending puddings to table, as, by standing, they quickly become heavy, batter puddings particularly. [illustration: boiled-pudding mould.] . for baked or boiled puddings, the moulds, cups, or basins, should be always buttered before the mixture is put in them, and they should be put into the saucepan directly they are filled. . scrupulous attention should be paid to the cleanliness of pudding-cloths, as, from neglect in this particular, the outsides of boiled puddings frequently taste very disagreeably. as soon as possible after it is taken off the pudding, it should be soaked in water, and then well washed, without soap, unless it be very greasy. it should be dried out of doors, then folded up and kept in a dry place. when wanted for use, dip it in boiling water, and dredge it slightly with flour. [illustration: pudding-basin.] . the _dry ingredients_ for puddings are better for being mixed some time before they are wanted; the liquid portion should only be added just before the pudding is put into the saucepan. . a pinch of salt is an improvement to the generality of puddings; but this ingredient should be added very sparingly, as the flavour should not be detected. . when baked puddings are sufficiently solid, turn them out of the dish they were baked in, bottom uppermost, and strew over them fine sifted sugar. . when pastry or baked puddings are not done through, and yet the outside is sufficiently brown, cover them over with a piece of white paper until thoroughly cooked: this prevents them from getting burnt. [illustration] recipes. chapter xxvii. very good puff-paste. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow lb. of butter, and not quite / pint of water. _mode_.--carefully weigh the flour and butter, and have the exact proportion; squeeze the butter well, to extract the water from it, and afterwards wring it in a clean cloth, that no moisture may remain. sift the flour; see that it is perfectly dry, and proceed in the following manner to make the paste, using a very _clean_ paste-board and rolling-pin:--supposing the quantity to be lb. of flour, work the whole into a smooth paste, with not quite / pint of water, using a knife to mix it with: the proportion of this latter ingredient must be regulated by the discretion of the cook; if too much be added, the paste, when baked, will be tough. roll it out until it is of an equal thickness of about an inch; break oz. of the butter into small pieces; place these on the paste, sift over it a little flour, fold it over, roll out again, and put another oz. of butter. repeat the rolling and buttering until the paste has been rolled out times, or equal quantities of flour and butter have been used. do not omit, every time the paste is rolled out, to dredge a little flour over that and the rolling-pin, to prevent both from sticking. handle the paste as lightly as possible, and do not press heavily upon it with the rolling-pin. the next thing to be considered is the oven, as the baking of pastry requires particular attention. do not put it into the oven until it is sufficiently hot to raise the paste; for the best-prepared paste, if not properly baked, will be good for nothing. brushing the paste as often as rolled out, and the pieces of butter placed thereon, with the white of an egg, assists it to rise in _leaves_ or _flakes_. as this is the great beauty of puff-paste, it is as well to try this method. _average cost_, s. d. per lb. butter.--about the second century of the christian era, butter was placed by galen amongst the useful medical agents; and about a century before him, dioscorides mentioned that he had noticed that fresh butter, made of ewes' and goats' milk, was served at meals instead of oil, and that it took the place of fat in making pastry. thus we have undoubted authority that, eighteen hundred years ago, there existed a knowledge of the useful qualities of butter. the romans seem to have set about making it much as we do; for pliny tells us, "butter is made from milk; and the use of this element, so much sought after by barbarous nations, distinguished the rich from the common people. it is obtained principally from cows' milk; that from ewes is the fattest; goats also supply some. it is produced by agitating the milk in long vessels with narrow openings: a little water is added." medium puff-paste. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow oz. of butter, oz. of lard, not quite / pint of water. _mode_.--this paste may be made by the directions in the preceding recipe, only using less butter and substituting lard for a portion of it. mix the flour to a smooth paste with not quite / pint of water; then roll it out times, the first time covering the paste with butter, the second with lard, and the third with butter. keep the rolling-pin and paste slightly dredged with flour, to prevent them from sticking, and it will be ready for use. _average cost_, s. per lb. butter in haste.--in his "history of food," soyer says that to obtain butter instantly, it is only necessary, in summer, to put new milk into a bottle, some hours after it has been taken from the cow, and shake it briskly. the clots which are thus formed should be thrown into a sieve, washed and pressed together, and they constitute the finest and most delicate butter that can possibly be made. common paste, for family pies. . ingredients.-- - / lb. of flour, / lb. of butter, rather more than / pint of water. _mode_.--rub the butter lightly into the flour, and mix it to a smooth paste with the water; roll it out or times, and it will be ready for use. this paste may be converted into an excellent short crust for sweet tart, by adding to the flour, after the butter is rubbed in, tablespoonfuls of fine-sifted sugar. _average cost_, d. per lb. to keep butter fresh.--one of the best means to preserve butter fresh is, first to completely press out all the buttermilk, then to keep it under water, renewing the water frequently, and to remove it from the influence of heat and air, by wrapping it in a wet cloth. french puff-paste, or feuilletage. (founded on m. ude's recipe.) . ingredients.--equal quantities of flour and butter--say lb. of each; / saltspoonful of salt, the yolks of eggs, rather more than / pint of water. _mode_.--weigh the flour; ascertain that it is perfectly _dry_, and sift it; squeeze all the water from the butter, and wring it in a clean cloth till there is no moisture remaining. put the flour on the paste-board, work lightly into it oz. of the butter, and then make a hole in the centre; into this well put the yolks of eggs, the salt, and about / pint of water (the quantity of this latter ingredient must be regulated by the cook, as it is impossible to give the exact proportion of it); knead up the paste quickly and lightly, and, when quite smooth, roll it out square to the thickness of about / inch. presuming that the butter is perfectly free from moisture, and _as cool_ as possible, roll it into a ball, and place this ball of butter on the paste; fold the paste over the butter all round, and secure it by wrapping it well all over. flatten the paste by rolling it lightly with the rolling-pin until it is quite thin, but not thin enough to allow the butter to break through, and keep the board and paste dredged lightly with flour during the process of making it. this rolling gives it the _first_ turn. now fold the paste in three, and roll out again, and, should the weather be very warm, put it in a cold place on the ground to cool between the several turns; for, unless this is particularly attended to, the paste will be spoiled. roll out the paste again _twice_, put it by to cool, then roll it out _twice_ more, which will make _turnings_ in all. now fold the paste in two, and it will be ready for use. if properly baked and well made, this crust will be delicious, and should rise in the oven about or inches. the paste should be made rather firm in the first instance, as the ball of butter is liable to break through. great attention must also be paid to keeping the butter very cool, as, if this is in a liquid and soft state, the paste will not answer at all. should the cook be dexterous enough to succeed in making this, the paste will have a much better appearance than that made by the process of dividing the butter into parts, and placing it over the rolled-out paste; but, until experience has been acquired, we recommend puff-paste made by recipe no. . the above paste is used for vols-au-vent, small articles of pastry, and, in fact, everything that requires very light crust. _average cost_, s. d. per lb. what to do with rancid butter.--when butter has become very rancid, it should be melted several times by a moderate heat, with or without the addition of water, and as soon as it has been well kneaded, after the cooling, in order to extract any water it may have retained, it should be put into brown freestone pots, sheltered from the contact of the air. the french often add to it, after it has been melted, a piece of toasted bread, which helps to destroy the tendency of the batter to rancidity. soyer's recipe for puff-paste. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow the yolk of egg, the juice of lemon, / saltspoonful of salt, cold water, lb. of fresh butter. _mode_.--put the flour on to the paste-board; make a hole in the centre, into which put the yolk of the egg, the lemon-juice, and salt; mix the whole with cold water (this should be iced in summer, if convenient) into a soft flexible paste, with the right hand, and handle it as little as possible; then squeeze all the buttermilk from the butter, wring it in a cloth, and roll out the paste; place the butter on this, and fold the edges of the paste over, so as to hide it; roll it out again to the thickness of / inch; fold over one third, over which again pass the rolling-pin; then fold over the other third, thus forming a square; place it with the ends, top, and bottom before you, shaking a little flour both under and over, and repeat the rolls and turns twice again, as before. flour a baking-sheet, put the paste on this, and let it remain on ice or in some cool place for / hour; then roll twice more, turning it as before; place it again upon the ice for / hour, give it more rolls, making in all, and it is ready for use when required. _average cost_, s. d. per lb. very good short crust for fruit tarts. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow / lb. of butter, tablespoonful of sifted sugar, / pint of water. _mode_.--rub the butter into the flour, after having ascertained that the latter is perfectly dry; add the sugar, and mix the whole into a stiff paste, with about / pint of water. roll it out two or three times, folding the paste over each time, and it will be ready for use. _average cost_, s. d. per lb. another good short crust. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow oz. of butter, the yolks of eggs, oz. of sifted sugar, about / pint of milk. _mode_.--rub the butter into the flour, add the sugar, and mix the whole as lightly as possible to a smooth paste, with the yolks of eggs well beaten, and the milk. the proportion of the latter ingredient must be judged of by the size of the eggs: if these are large, so much will not be required, and more if the eggs are smaller. _average cost_, s. per lb. sugar and beetroot.--there are two sorts of beet,--white and red; occasionally, in the south, a yellow variety is met with. beetroot contains twenty parts sugar. everybody knows that the beet has competed with the sugar-cane, and a great part of the french sugar is manufactured from beet. beetroot has a refreshing, composing, and slightly purgative quality. the young leaves, when cooked, are a substitute for spinach; they are also useful for mixing with sorrel, to lessen its acidity. the large ribs of the leaves are serviceable in various culinary preparations; the root also may be prepared in several ways, but its most general use is in salad. some writers upon the subject have expressed their opinion that beetroot is easily digested, but those who have taken pains to carefully analyze its qualities make quite a contrary statement. youth, of course, can digest it; but to persons of a certain age beet is very indigestible, or rather, it does not digest at all. it is not the sugary pulp which is indigestible, but its fibrous network that resists the action of the gastric organs. thus, when the root is reduced to a puree, almost any person may eat it. french sugar.--it had long been thought that tropical heat was not necessary to form sugar, and, about , it was discovered that many plants of the temperate zone, and amongst others the beet, contained it. towards the beginning of the th century, circumstances having, in france, made sugar scarce, and consequently dear, the government caused inquiries to be instituted as to the possibility of finding a substitute for it. accordingly, it was ascertained that sugar exists in the whole vegetable kingdom; that it is to be found in the grape, chestnut, potato; but that, far above all, the beet contains it in a large proportion. thus the beet became an object of the most careful culture; and many experiments went to prove that in this respect the old world was independent of the new. many manufactories came into existence in all parts of france, and the making of sugar became naturalized in that country. common short crust. . ingredients.--to every pound of flour allow oz. of sifted sugar, oz. of butter, about / pint of boiling milk. _mode_.--crumble the butter into the flour as finely as possible, add the sugar, and work the whole up to a smooth paste with the boiling milk. roll it out thin, and bake in a moderate oven. _average cost_, d. per lb. qualities of sugar.--sugars obtained from various plants are in fact, of the same nature, and have no intrinsic difference when they have become equally purified by the same processes. taste, crystallization, colour, weight, are absolutely identical; and the most accurate observer cannot distinguish the one from the other. butter crust, for boiled puddings. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow oz. of butter, / pint of water. _mode_.--with a knife, work the flour to a smooth paste with / pint of water; roll the crust out rather thin; place the butter over it in small pieces; dredge lightly over it some flour, and fold the paste over; repeat the rolling once more, and the crust will be ready for use. it may be enriched by adding another oz. of butter; but, for ordinary purposes, the above quantity will be found quite sufficient. _average cost_, d. per lb. dripping crust, for kitchen puddings, pies, &c. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow oz. of clarified beef dripping, / pint of water. _mode_.--after having clarified the dripping, by either of the recipes no. or , weigh it, and to every lb. of flour allow the above proportion of dripping. with a knife, work the flour into a smooth paste with the water, rolling it out times, each time placing on the crust oz. of the dripping, broken into small pieces. if this paste is lightly made, if good dripping is used, and _not too much_ of it, it will be found good; and by the addition of two tablespoonfuls of fine moist sugar, it may be converted into a common short crust for fruit pies. _average cost_, d. per pound. water:--what the ancients thought of it.--all the nations of antiquity possessed great veneration for water: thus, the egyptians offered prayers and homage to water, and the nile was an especial object of their adoration; the persians would not wash their hands; the scythians honoured the danube; the greeks and romans erected altars to the fountains and rivers; and some of the architectural embellishments executed for fountains in greece were remarkable for their beauty and delicacy. the purity of the water was a great object of the care of the ancients; and we learn that the athenians appointed four officers to keep watch and ward over the water in their city. these men had to keep the fountains in order and clean the reservoirs, so that the water might be preserved pure and limpid. like officers were appointed in other greek cities. suet crust, for pies or puddings. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow or oz. of beef suet, / pint of water. _mode_.--free the suet from skin and shreds; chop it extremely fine, and rub it well into the flour; work the whole to a smooth paste with the above proportion of water; roll it out, and it is ready for use. this crust is quite rich enough for ordinary purposes, but when a better one is desired, use from / to / lb. of suet to every lb. of flour. some cooks, for rich crusts, pound the suet in a mortar, with a small quantity of butter. it should then be laid on the paste in small pieces, the same as for puff-crust, and will be found exceedingly nice for hot tarts. oz. of suet to every lb. of flour will make a very good crust; and even / lb. will answer very well for children, or where the crust is wanted very plain. _average cost_, d. per lb. pate brisee, or french crust, for raised pies. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow / saltspoonful of salt, eggs, / pint of water, oz. of butter. _mode_.--spread the flour, which should be sifted and thoroughly dry, on the paste-board; make a hole in the centre, into which put the butter; work it lightly into the flour, and when quite fine, add the salt; work the whole into a smooth paste with the eggs (yolks and whites) and water, and make it very firm. knead the paste well, and let it be rather stiff, that the sides of the pie may be easily raised, and that they do not afterwards tumble or shrink. _average cost_, s. per lb. _note_.--this paste may be very much enriched by making it with equal quantities of flour and butter; but then it is not so easily raised as when made plainer. water supply in rome.--nothing in italy is more extraordinary than the remains of the ancient aqueducts. at first, the romans were contented with the water from the tiber. ancus martius was the first to commence the building of aqueducts destined to convey the water of the fountain of piconia from tibur to rome, a distance of some , paces. appius claudius continued the good work, and to him is due the completion of the celebrated appian way. in time, the gigantic waterways greatly multiplied, and, by the reign of nero, there were constructed nine principal aqueducts, the pipes of which were of bricks, baked tiles, stone, lead, or wood. according to the calculation of vigenerus, half a million hogsheads of water were conveyed into rome every day, by upwards of , small pipes not one-third of an inch in diameter. the water was received in large closed basins, above which rose splendid monuments: these basins supplied other subterranean conduits, connected with various quarters of the city, and these conveyed water to small reservoirs furnished with taps for the exclusive use of certain streets. the water which was not drinkable ran out, by means of large pipes, into extensive inclosures, where it served to water cattle. at these places the people wished their linen; and here, too, was a supply of the necessary element in case of fire. common crust for raised pies. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow / pint of water, - / oz. of butter, - / oz. of lard, / saltspoonful of salt. _mode_.--put into a saucepan the water; when it boils, add the butter and lard; and when these are melted, make a hole in the middle of the flour; pour in the water gradually; beat it well with a wooden spoon, and be particular in not making the paste too soft. when it is well mixed, knead it with the hands until quite stiff, dredging a little flour over the paste and board, to prevent them from sticking. when it is well kneaded, place it before the fire, with a cloth covered over it, for a few minutes; it will then be more easily worked into shape. this paste does not taste so nicely as the preceding one, but is worked with greater facility, and answers just as well for raised pies, for the crust is seldom eaten. _average cost_, d, per lb. lard or flead crust. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow / lb. of lard or flead, / pint of water, / saltspoonful of salt. _mode_.--clear the flead free from skin, and slice it into thin flakes; rub it into the flour, add the salt, and work the whole into a smooth paste, with the above proportion of water; fold the paste over two or three times, beat it well with the rolling-pin, roll it out, and it will be ready for use. the crust made from this will be found extremely light, and may be made into cakes or tarts; it may also be very much enriched by adding more flead to the same proportion of flour. _average cost_, d. per lb. nutritious qualities of flour.--the gluten of grain and the albumen of vegetable juices are identical in composition with the albumen of blood. vegetable caseine has also the composition of animal caseine. the finest wheat flour contains more starch than the coarser; the bran of wheat is proportionably richer in gluten. rye and rye-bread contain a substance resembling starch-gum (or dextrine, as it is called) in its properties, which is very easily converted into sugar. the starch of barley approaches in many properties to cellulose, and is, therefore, less digestible. oats are particularly rich in plastic substances; scotch oats are richer than those grown in england or in germany. this kind of grain contains in its ashes, after deduction of the silica of the husks, very nearly the same ingredients as are found in the ashes of the juice of flesh. fine american flour is one of the varieties which is richest in gluten, and is consequently one of the most nutritious. almond cheesecakes. . ingredients.-- / lb. of sweet almonds, bitter ones, eggs, oz. of butter, the rind of / lemon, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, oz. of sugar. _mode_.--blanch and pound the almonds smoothly in a mortar, with a little rose- or spring-water; stir in the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the butter, which should be warmed; add the grated lemon-peel and -juice, sweeten, and stir well until the whole is thoroughly mixed. line some pattypans with puff-paste, put in the mixture, and bake for minutes, or rather less in a quick oven. _time_.-- minutes, or rather less. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for about cheesecakes. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: almond and blossom.] almonds.--almonds are the fruit of the _amygdalus commenis_, and are cultivated throughout the whole of the south of europe, syria, persia, and northern africa; but england is mostly supplied with those which are grown in spain and the south of france. they are distinguished into sweet and bitter, the produce of different varieties. of the sweet, there are two varieties, distinguished in commerce by the names of jordan and valentia almonds. the former are imported from malaga, and are longer, narrower, more pointed, and more highly esteemed than the latter, which are imported from valentia. bitter almonds are principally obtained from morocco, and are exported from mogador. almond paste, for second-course dishes. . ingredients.-- lb. of sweet almonds, bitter ones, lb. of very finely sifted sugar, the whites of eggs. _mode_.--blanch the almonds, and dry them thoroughly; put them into a mortar, and pound them well, wetting them gradually with the whites of eggs. when well pounded, put them into a small preserving-pan, add the sugar, and place the pan on a small but clear fire (a hot-plate is better); keep stirring until the paste is dry, then take it out of the pan, put it between two dishes, and, when cold, make it into any shape that fancy may dictate. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. for the above quantity. _sufficient_ for small dishes of pastry. _seasonable_ at any time. bitter almonds.--the bitter almond is a variety of the common almond, and is injurious to animal life, on account of the great quantity of hydrocyanic acid it contains, and is consequently seldom used in domestic economy, unless it be to give flavour to confectionery; and even then it should he used with great caution. a single drop of the essential oil of bitter almonds is sufficient to destroy a bird, and four drops have caused the death of a middle-sized dog. baked almond pudding. (_very rich_.) . ingredients.-- / lb. of almonds, bitter ditto, glass of sherry, eggs, the rind and juice of / lemon, oz. of butter, pint of cream, tablespoonfuls of sugar. _mode_.--blanch and pound the almonds to a smooth paste with the water; mix these with the butter, which should be melted; beat up the eggs, grate the lemon-rind, and strain the juice; add these, with the cream, sugar, and wine, to the other ingredients, and stir them well together. when well mixed, put it into a pie-dish lined with puff-paste, and bake for / hour. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--to make this pudding more economically, substitute milk for the cream; but then add rather more than oz. of finely grated bread. uses of the sweet almond.--the kernels of the sweet almond are used either in a green or ripe state, and as an article in the dessert. into cookery, confectionery, perfumery, and medicine, they largely enter, and in domestic economy, should always be used in preference to bitter almonds. the reason for advising this, is because the kernels do not contain any hydrocyanic or prussic acid, although it is found in the leaves, flowers, and bark of the tree. when young and green, they are preserved in sugar, like green apricots. they furnish the almond-oil; and the farinaceous matter which is left after the oil is expressed, forms the _pâte d'amandes_ of perfumers. in the arts, the oil is employed for the same purposes as the olive-oil, and forms the basis of kalydor, macassar oil, gowland's lotion, and many other articles of that kind vended by perfumers. in medicine, it is considered a nutritive, laxative, and an emollient. small almond puddings. . ingredients.-- / lb. of sweet almonds, bitter ones, / lb. of butter, eggs, tablespoonfuls of sifted sugar, tablespoonfuls of cream, tablespoonful of brandy. [illustration: almond puddings.] _mode_.--blanch and pound the almonds to a smooth paste with a spoonful of water; warm the butter, mix the almonds with this, and add the other ingredients, leaving out the whites of eggs, and be particular that these are well beaten. mix well, butter some cups, half fill them, and bake the puddings from minutes to / hour. turn them out on a dish, and serve with sweet sauce. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. the husks of almonds.--in the environs of alicante, the husks of almonds are ground to a powder, and enter into the composition of common soap, the large quantity of alkaline principle they contain rendering them suitable for this purpose. it is said that in some parts of the south of france, where they are extensively grown, horses and mules are fed on the green and dry husks; but, to prevent any evil consequences arising from this practice, they are mixed with chopped straw or oats. almond puffs. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of flour, oz. of butter, oz. of pounded sugar, oz. of sweet almonds, bitter almonds. _mode_.--blanch and pound the almonds in a mortar to a smooth paste; melt the butter, dredge in the flour, and add the sugar and pounded almonds. beat the mixture well, and put it into cups or very tiny jelly-pots, which should be well buttered, and bake in a moderate oven for about minutes, or longer should the puffs be large. turn them out on a dish, the bottom of the puff upper-most, and serve. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. aunt nelly's pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of flour, / lb. of treacle, / lb. of suet, the rind and juice of lemon, a few strips of candied lemon-peel, tablespoonfuls of cream, eggs. _mode_.--chop the suet finely; mix with it the flour, treacle, lemon-peel minced, and candied lemon-peel; add the cream, lemon-juice, and well-beaten eggs; beat the pudding well, put it into a buttered basin, tie it down with a cloth, and boil from - / to hours. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time, but more suitable for a winter pudding. treacle, or molasses.--treacle is the uncrystallizable part of the saccharine juice drained from the muscovado sugar, and is either naturally so or rendered uncrystallizable through some defect in the process of boiling. as it contains a large quantity of sweet or saccharine principle and is cheap, it is of great use as an article of domestic economy. children are especially fond of it; and it is accounted wholesome. it is also useful for making beer, rum, and the very dark syrups. baked apple dumplings (a plain family dish). . ingredients.-- apples, / lb.. of suet-crust no. , sugar to taste. _mode_.--pare and take out the cores of the apples without dividing them, and make / lb. of suet-crust by recipe no. ; roll the apples in the crust, previously sweetening them with moist sugar, and taking care to join the paste nicely. when they are formed into round balls, put them on a tin, and bake them for about / hour, or longer should the apples be very large; arrange them pyramidically on a dish, and sift over them some pounded white sugar. these may be made richer by using one of the puff-pastes instead of suet. _time_.--from / to / hour, or longer. _average cost_, - / d. each. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from august to march, but flavourless after the end of january. uses of the apple.--it is well known that this fruit forms a very important article of food, in the form of pies and puddings, and furnishes several delicacies, such as sauces, marmalades, and jellies, and is much esteemed as a dessert fruit. when flattened in the form of round cakes, and baked in ovens, they are called beefings; and large quantities are annually dried in the sun in america, as well as in normandy, and stored for use during winter, when they may be stewed or made into pies. in a roasted state they are remarkably wholesome, and, it is said, strengthening to a weak stomach. in putrid and malignant fevers, when used with the juice of lemons and currants, they are considered highly efficacious. apple cheesecakes. . ingredients.-- / lb. of apple pulp, / lb. of sifted sugar, / lb. of butter, eggs, the rind and juice of lemon. _mode_.--pare, core, and boil sufficient apples to make / lb. when cooked; add to these the sugar, the butter, which should be melted; the eggs, leaving out of the whites, and take grated rind and juice of lemon; stir the mixture well; line some patty-pans with puff-paste, put in the mixture, and bake about minutes. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, for the above quantity, with the paste, s. d. _sufficient_ for about or cheesecakes. _seasonable_ from august to march. [illustration: apple and blossom.] the apple.--the most useful of all the british fruits is the apple, which is a native of britain, and may be found in woods and hedges, in the form of the common wild crab, of which all our best apples are merely seminal varieties, produced by culture or particular circumstances. in most temperate climates it is very extensively cultivated, and in england, both as regards variety and quantity, it is excellent and abundant. immense supplies are also imported from the united states and from france. the apples grown in the vicinity of new york are universally admitted to be the finest of any; but unless selected and packed with great care, they are apt to spoil before reaching england. boiled apple dumplings. . ingredients.-- apples, / lb. of suet-crust no. , sugar to taste. _mode_.--pare and take out the cores of the apples without dividing them; sweeten, and roll each apple in a piece of crust, made by recipe no. ; be particular that the paste is nicely joined; put the dumplings into floured cloths, tie them securely, and put them into boiling water. keep them boiling from / to / hour; remove the cloths, and send them hot and quickly to table. dumplings boiled in knitted cloths have a very pretty appearance when they come to table. the cloths should be made square, just large enough to hold one dumpling, and should be knitted in plain knitting, with _very coarse_ cotton. _time_.-- / to hour, or longer should the dumplings be very large. _average cost_, / d. each. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ from august to march, but flavourless after the end of january. lambswool, or lamasool.--this old english beverage is composed of apples mixed with ale, and seasoned with sugar and spice. it takes its name from _lamaes abhal_, which, in ancient british, signifies the day of apple fruit, from being drunk on the apple feast in autumn. in france, a beverage, called by the parisians _raisinée_, is made by boiling any given quantity of new wine, skimming it as often as fresh scum rises, and, when it is boiled to half its bulk, straining it. to this apples, pared and cut into quarters, are added; the whole is then allowed to simmer gently, stirring it all the time with a long wooden spoon, till the apples are thoroughly mixed with the liquor, and the whole forms a species of marmalade, which is extremely agreeable to the taste, having a slight flavour of acidity, like lemon mixed with honey. rich baked apple pudding. i. . ingredients.-- / lb. of the pulp of apples, / lb. of loaf sugar, oz. of butter, the rind of lemon, eggs, puff-paste. _mode_.--peel, core, and cut the apples, as for sauce; put them into a stewpan, with only just sufficient water to prevent them from burning, and let them stew until reduced to a pulp. weigh the pulp, and to every / lb. add sifted sugar, grated lemon-rind, and well-beaten eggs. beat these ingredients well together; then melt the butter, stir it to the other things, put a border of puff-paste round the dish, and bake for rather more than / hour. the butter should not be added until the pudding is ready for the oven. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from august to march. ii. (_more economical_.) . ingredients.-- large apples, oz. of moist sugar, / lb. of butter, eggs, pint of bread crumbs. _mode_.--pare, core, and cut the apples, as for sauce, and boil them until reduced to a pulp; then add the butter, melted, and the eggs, which should be well whisked. beat up the pudding for or minutes; butter a pie-dish; put in a layer of bread crumbs, then the apple, and then another layer of bread crumbs; flake over these a few tiny pieces of butter, and bake for about / hour. _time_.--about / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from august to march. _note_.--a very good economical pudding may be made merely with apples, boiled and sweetened, with the addition of a few strips of lemon-peel. a layer of bread crumbs should be placed above and below the apples, and the pudding baked for / hour. constituents of the apple.--all apples contain sugar, malic acid, or the acid of apples; mucilage, or gum; woody fibre, and water; together with some aroma, on which their peculiar flavour depends. the hard acid kinds are unwholesome if eaten raw; but by the process of cooking, a great deal of this acid is decomposed and converted into sugar. the sweet and mellow kinds form a valuable addition to the dessert. a great part of the acid juice is converted into sugar as the fruit ripens, and even after it is gathered, by natural process, termed maturation; but, when apples decay, the sugar is changed into a bitter principle, and the mucilage becomes mouldy and offensive. old cheese has a remarkable effect in meliorating the apple when eaten; probably from the volatile alkali or ammonia of the cheese neutralizing its acid. rich sweet apple pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of bread crumbs, / lb. of suet, / lb. of currants, / lb. of apples, / lb. of moist sugar, eggs, sweet almonds, / saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, wineglassful of brandy. _mode_.--chop the suet very fine; wash the currants, dry them, and pick away the stalks and pieces of grit; pare, core, and chop the apple, and grate the bread into fine crumbs, and mince the almonds. mix all these ingredients together, adding the sugar and nutmeg; beat up the eggs, omitting the whites of three; stir these to the pudding, and when all is well mixed, add the brandy, and put the pudding into a buttered mould; tie down with a cloth, put it into boiling water, and let it boil for hours. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from august to march. to preserve apples.--the best mode of preserving apples is to carry them at once to the fruit-room, where they should be put upon shelves, covered with white paper, after gently wiping each of the fruit. the room should be dry, and well aired, but should not admit the sun. the finer and larger kinds of fruit should not be allowed to touch each other, but should be kept separate. for this purpose, a number of shallow trays should be provided, supported by racks or stands above each other. in very cold frosty weather, means should be adopted for warming the room. baked apple pudding. (_very good_.) . ingredients.-- moderate-sized apples, tablespoonfuls of finely-chopped suet, eggs, tablespoonfuls of flour, pint of milk, a little grated nutmeg. _mode_.--mix the flour to a smooth batter with the milk; add the eggs, which should be well whisked, and put this batter into a well-buttered pie-dish. wipe the apples clean, but do not pare them; cut them in halves, and take out the cores; lay them in the batter, rind uppermost; shake the suet on the top, over which, also grate a little nutmeg; bake in a moderate oven for an hour, and cover, when served, with sifted loaf sugar. this pudding is also very good with the apples pared, sliced, and mixed with the batter. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. boiled apple pudding. . ingredients.--crust no. , apples, sugar to taste, small teaspoonful of finely-minced lemon-peel, tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice. _mode_.--make a butter-crust by recipe no. , or a suet one by recipe no. , using for a moderate-sized pudding from / to lb. of flour, with the other ingredients in proportion. butter a basin; line it with some of the paste; pare, core, and cut the apples into slices, and fill the basin with these; add the sugar, the lemon-peel and juice, and cover with crust; pinch the edges together, flour the cloth, place it over the pudding, tie it securely, and put it into plenty of fast-boiling water. let it boil from - / to - / hours, according to the size; then turn it out of the basin and send to table quickly. apple puddings may also be boiled in a cloth without a basin; but, when made in this way, must be served without the least delay, as the crust so soon becomes heavy. apple pudding is a very convenient dish to have when the dinner-hour is rather uncertain, as it does not spoil by being boiled an extra hour; care, however, must be taken to keep it well covered with the water all the time, and not to allow it to stop boiling. _time_.--from - / to - / hours, according to the size of the pudding and the quality of the apples. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_, made with lb. of flour, for or persons. _seasonable_ from august to march; but the apples become flavourless and scarce after february. apple tart or pie. . ingredients.--puff-paste no. or , apples; to every lb. of unpared apples allow oz. of moist sugar, / teaspoonful of finely-minced lemon-peel, tablespoonful of lemon-juice. _mode_.--make / lb. of puff-paste by either of the above-named recipes, place a border of it round the edge of a pie-dish, and fill it with apples pared, cored, and cut into slices; sweeten with moist sugar, add the lemon-peel and juice, and or tablespoonfuls of water; cover with crust, cut it evenly round close to the edge of the pie-dish, and bake in a hot oven from / to / hour, or rather longer, should the pie be very large. when it is three-parts done, take it out of the oven, put the white of an egg on a plate, and, with the blade of a knife, whisk it to a froth; brush the pie over with this, then sprinkle upon it some sifted sugar, and then a few drops of water. put the pie back into the oven, and finish baking, and be particularly careful that it does not catch or burn, which it is very liable to do after the crust is iced. if made with a plain crust, the icing may be omitted. _time_.-- / hour before the crust is iced; to minutes afterwards. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_.--allow lbs. of apples for a tart for persons. _seasonable_ from august to march; but the apples become flavourless after february. _note_.--many things are suggested for the flavouring of apple pie; some say or tablespoonfuls of beer, others the same quantity of sherry, which very much improve the taste; whilst the old-fashioned addition of a few cloves is, by many persons, preferred to anything else, as also a few slices of quince. [illustration: quince.] quinces.--the environs of corinth originally produced the most beautiful quinces, but the plant was subsequently introduced into gaul with the most perfect success. the ancients preserved the fruit by placing it, with its branches and leaves, in a vessel filled with honey or sweet wine, which was reduced to half the quantity by ebullition. quinces may be profitably cultivated in this country as a variety with other fruit-trees, and may be planted in espaliers or as standards. a very fine-flavoured marmalade may be prepared from quinces, and a small portion of quince in apple pie much improves its flavour. the french use quinces for flavouring many sauces. this fruit has the remarkable peculiarity of exhaling an agreeable odour, taken singly; but when in any quantity, or when they are stowed away in a drawer or close room, the pleasant aroma becomes an intolerable stench, although the fruit may be perfectly sound; it is therefore desirable that, as but a few quinces are required for keeping, they should be kept in a high and dry loft, and out of the way of the rooms used by the family. creamed apple tart. . ingredients.--puff-crust no. or , apples; to every lb. of pared and cored apples, allow oz. of moist sugar, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, tablespoonful of lemon-juice, / pint of boiled custard. _mode_.--make an apple tart by the preceding recipe, with the exception of omitting the icing. when the tart is baked, cut out the middle of the lid or crust, leaving a border all round the dish. fill up with a nicely-made boiled custard, grate a little nutmeg over the top, and the pie is ready for table. this tart is usually eaten cold; is rather an old-fashioned dish, but, at the same time, extremely nice. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from august to march. apple snowballs. . ingredients.-- teacupfuls of rice, apples, moist sugar, cloves. _mode_.--boil the rice in milk until three-parts done; then strain it off, and pare and core the apples without dividing them. put a small quantity of sugar and a clove into each apple, put the rice round them, and tie each ball separately in a cloth. boil until the apples are tender; then take them up, remove the cloths, and serve. _time_.-- / hour to boil the rice separately; / to hour with the apple. _seasonable_ from august to march. apple tourte or cake. (_german recipe_.) . ingredients.-- or apples, sugar to taste, the rind of small lemon, eggs, / pint of cream or milk, / lb. of butter, / lb. of good short crust no. , oz. of sweet almonds. _mode_.--pare, core, and cut the apples into small pieces; put sufficient moist sugar to sweeten them into a basin; add the lemon-peel, which should be finely minced, and the cream; stir these ingredients well, whisk the eggs, and melt the butter; mix altogether, add the sliced apple, and let these be well stirred into the mixture. line a large round plate with the paste, place a narrow rim of the same round the outer edge, and lay the apples thickly in the middle. blanch the almonds, cut them into long shreds, and strew over the top of the apples, and bake from / to / hour, taking care that the almonds do not get burnt: when done, strew some sifted sugar over the top, and serve. this tourte may be eaten either hot or cold, and is sufficient to fill large-sized plates. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for large-sized tourtes. _seasonable_ from august to march. apples.--no fruit is so universally popular as the apple. it is grown extensively for cider, but many sorts are cultivated for the table. the apple, uncooked, is less digestible than the pear; the degree of digestibility varying according to the firmness of its texture and flavour. very wholesome and delicious jellies, marmalades, and sweetmeats are prepared from it. entremets of apples are made in great variety. apples, when peeled, cored, and well cooked, are a most grateful food for the dyspeptic. alma pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of fresh butter, / lb. of powdered sugar, / lb. of flour, / lb. of currants, eggs. _mode_.--beat the butter to a thick cream, strew in, by degrees, the sugar, and mix both these well together; then dredge the flour in gradually, add the currants, and moisten with the eggs, which should be well beaten. when all the ingredients are well stirred and mixed, butter a mould that will hold the mixture exactly, tie it down with a cloth, put the pudding into boiling water, and boil for hours; when turned out, strew some powdered sugar over it, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. baked apricot pudding. . ingredients.-- large apricots, / pint of bread crumbs, pint of milk, oz. of pounded sugar, the yolks of eggs, glass of sherry. _mode_.--make the milk boiling hot, and pour it on to the bread crumbs; when half cold, add the sugar, the well-whisked yolks of the eggs, and the sherry. divide the apricots in half, scald them until they are soft, and break them up with a spoon, adding a few of the kernels, which should be well pounded in a mortar; then mix the fruit and other ingredients together, put a border of paste round the dish, fill with the mixture, and bake the pudding from / to / hour. _time_.-- / to / hour. average cost, in full season, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in august, september, and october. apricot tart. . ingredients.-- or apricots, sugar to taste, puff-paste or short crust. _mode_.--break the apricots in half, take out the stones, and put them into a pie-dish, in the centre of which place a very small cup or jar, bottom uppermost; sweeten with good moist sugar, but add no water. line the edge of the dish with paste, put on the cover, and ornament the pie in any of the usual modes. bake from / to / hour, according to size; and if puff-paste is used, glaze it about minutes before the pie is done, and put it into the oven again to set the glaze. short crust merely requires a little sifted sugar sprinkled over it before being sent to table. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, in full season, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in august, september, and october; green ones rather earlier. _note_.--green apricots make very good tarts, but they should be boiled with a little sugar and water before they are covered with the crust. apricots.--the apricot is indigenous to the plains of armenia, but is now cultivated in almost every climate, temperate or tropical. there are several varieties. the skin of this fruit has a perfumed flavour, highly esteemed. a good apricot, when perfectly ripe, is an excellent fruit. it has been somewhat condemned for its laxative qualities, but this has possibly arisen from the fruit having been eaten unripe, or in too great excess. delicate persons should not eat the apricot uncooked, without a liberal allowance of powdered sugar. the apricot makes excellent jam and marmalade, and there are several foreign preparations of it which are considered great luxuries. baked or boiled arrowroot pudding. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of arrowroot, - / pint of milk, oz. of butter, the rind of / lemon, heaped tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, a little grated nutmeg. _mode_.--mix the arrowroot with as much cold milk as will make it into a smooth batter, moderately thick; put the remainder of the milk into a stewpan with the lemon-peel, and let it infuse for about / hour; when it boils, strain it gently to the batter, stirring it all the time to keep it smooth; then add the butter; beat this well in until thoroughly mixed, and sweeten with moist sugar. put the mixture into a pie-dish, round which has been placed a border of paste, grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake the pudding from to - / hour, in a moderate oven, or boil it the same length of time in a well-buttered basin. to enrich this pudding, stir to the other ingredients, just before it is put in the oven, well-whisked eggs, and add a tablespoonful of brandy. for a nursery pudding, the addition of the latter ingredients will be found quite superfluous, as also the paste round the edge of the dish. _time_.-- to - / hour, baked or boiled. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _arrowroot_.--in india, and in the colonies, by the process of rasping, they extract from a vegetable (_maranta arundinacea_) a sediment nearly resembling tapioca. the grated pulp is sifted into a quantity of water, from which it is afterwards strained and dried, and the sediment thus produced is called arrowroot. its qualities closely resemble those of tapioca. a bachelor's pudding. . ingredients.-- oz. of grated bread, oz. of currants, oz. of apples, oz. of sugar, eggs, a few drops of essence of lemon, a little grated nutmeg. _mode_.--pare, core, and mince the apples very finely, sufficient, when minced, to make oz.; add to these the currants, which should be well washed, the grated bread, and sugar; whisk the eggs, beat these up with the remaining ingredients, and, when all is thoroughly mixed, put the pudding into a buttered basin, tie it down with a cloth, and boil for hours. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from august to march. bakewell pudding. (_very rich_.) i. . ingredients.-- / lb. of puff-paste, eggs, oz. of sugar, / lb. of butter, oz. of almonds, jam. _mode_.--cover a dish with thin paste, and put over this a layer of any kind of jam, / inch thick; put the yolks of eggs into a basin with the white of , and beat these well; add the sifted sugar, the butter, which should be melted, and the almonds, which should be well pounded; beat all together until well mixed, then pour it into the dish over the jam, and bake for an hour in a moderate oven. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. ii. . ingredients.-- / pint of bread crumbs, pint of milk, eggs, oz. of sugar, oz. of butter, oz. of pounded almonds, jam. _mode_.--put the bread crumbs at the bottom of a pie-dish, then over them a layer of jam of any kind that may be preferred; mix the milk and eggs together; add the sugar, butter, and pounded almonds; beat fill well together; pour it into the dish, and bake in a moderate oven for hour. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_. s. d. to s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. baroness pudding. (_author's recipe_.) . ingredients.-- / lb. of suet, / lb. of raisins weighed after being stoned, / lb. of flour, / pint of milk, / saltspoonful of salt. _mode_.--prepare the suet, by carefully freeing it from skin, and chop it finely; stone the raisins, and cut them in halves, and mix both these ingredients with the salt and flour; moisten the whole with the above proportion of milk, stir the mixture well, and tie the pudding in a floured cloth, which has been previously wrung out in boiling water. put the pudding into a saucepan of boiling water, and let it boil, without ceasing, - / hours. serve merely with plain sifted sugar, a little of which may be sprinkled over the pudding. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter, when fresh fruit is not obtainable. _note_.--this pudding the editress cannot too highly recommend. the recipe was kindly given to her family by a lady who bore the title here prefixed to it; and with all who have partaken of it, it is an especial favourite. nothing is of greater consequence, in the above directions, than attention to the time of boiling, which should never be _less_ than that mentioned. barberry tart. . ingredients.--to every lb. of barberries allow / lb. of lump sugar; paste. [illustration: leaf in puff-paste.] _mode_.--pick the barberries from the stalks, and put the fruit into a stone jar; place this jar in boiling water, and let it simmer very slowly until the fruit is soft; then put it into a preserving-pan with the sugar, and boil gently for minutes; line a tartlet-pan with paste, bake it, and, when the paste is cold, fill with the barberries, and ornament the tart with a few baked leaves of paste, cut out, as shown in the engraving. _time_.-- / hour to bake the tart. _average cost_, d. per pint. _seasonable_ in autumn. [illustration: barberry.] barberries (_berberris vulgaris_.)--a fruit of such great acidity, that even birds refuse to eat it. in this respect, it nearly approaches the tamarind. when boiled with sugar, it makes a very agreeable preserve or jelly, according to the different modes of preparing it. barberries are also used as a dry sweetmeat, and in sugarplums or comfits; are pickled with vinegar, and are used for various culinary purposes. they are well calculated to allay heat and thirst in persons afflicted with fevers. the berries, arranged on bunches of nice curled parsley, make an exceedingly pretty garnish for supper-dishes, particularly for white meats, like boiled fowl à la béchamel, the three colours, scarlet, green, and white, contrasting so well, and producing a very good effect. baked batter pudding. . ingredients.-- - / pint of milk, tablespoonfuls of flour, oz. of butter, eggs, a little salt. _mode_.--mix the flour with a small quantity of cold milk; make the remainder hot, and pour it on to the flour, keeping the mixture well stirred; add the butter, eggs, and salt; beat the whole well, and put the pudding into a buttered pie-dish; bake for / hour, and serve with sweet sauce, wine sauce, or stewed fruit. baked in small cups, this makes very pretty little puddings, and should be eaten with the same accompaniments as above. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. baked batter pudding, with dried or fresh fruit. . ingredients.-- - / pint of milk, tablespoonfuls of flour, eggs, oz. of finely-shredded suet, / lb. of currants, a pinch of salt. _mode_.--mix the milk, flour, and eggs to a smooth batter; add a little salt, the suet, and the currants, which should be well washed, picked, and dried; put the mixture into a buttered pie-dish, and bake in a moderate oven for - / hour. when fresh fruits are in season, this pudding is exceedingly nice, with damsons, plums, red currants, gooseberries, or apples; when made with these, the pudding must be thickly sprinkled over with sifted sugar. boiled batter pudding, with fruit, is made in the same manner, by putting the fruit into a buttered basin, and filling it up with batter made in the above proportion, but omitting the suet. it must be sent quickly to table, and covered plentifully with sifted sugar. _time_.--baked batter pudding, with fruit, - / to - / hour; boiled ditto, - / to - / hour, allowing that both are made with the above proportion of batter. smaller puddings will be done enough in / or hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time, with dried fruits. boiled batter pudding. . ingredients.-- eggs, oz. of butter, pint of milk, tablespoonfuls of flour, a little salt. _mode_.--put the flour into a basin, and add sufficient milk to moisten it; carefully rub down all the lumps with a spoon, then pour in the remainder of the milk, and stir in the butter, which should be previously melted; keep beating the mixture, add the eggs and a pinch of salt, and when the batter is quite smooth, put it into a well-buttered basin, tie it down very tightly, and put it into boiling water; move the basin about for a few minutes after it is put into the water, to prevent the flour settling in any part, and boil for - / hour. this pudding may also be boiled in a floured cloth that has been wetted in hot water; it will then take a few minutes less than when boiled in a basin. send these puddings very quickly to table, and serve with sweet sauce, wine sauce, stewed fruit, or jam of any kind: when the latter is used, a little of it may be placed round the dish in small quantities, as a garnish. _time_.-- - / hour in a basin, hour in a cloth. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. orange batter pudding. . ingredients.-- eggs, pint of milk, - / oz. of loaf sugar, tablespoonfuls of flour. _mode_.--make the batter with the above ingredients, put it into a well-buttered basin, tie it down with a cloth, and boil for hour. as soon as it is turned out of the basin, put a small jar of orange marmalade all over the top, and send the pudding very quickly to table. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, with the marmalade, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time; but more suitable for a winter pudding. baked bread pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of grated bread, pint of milk, eggs, oz. of butter, oz. of moist sugar, oz. of candied peel, bitter almonds, tablespoonful of brandy. _mode_.--put the milk into a stewpan, with the bitter almonds; let it infuse for / hour; bring it to the boiling point; strain it on to the bread crumbs, and let these remain till cold; then add the eggs, which should be well whisked, the butter, sugar, and brandy, and beat the pudding well until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed; line the bottom of a pie-dish with the candied peel sliced thin, put in the mixture, and bake for nearly / hour. _time_.--nearly / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--a few currants may be substituted for the candied peel, and will be found an excellent addition to this pudding: they should be beaten in with the mixture, and not laid at the bottom of the pie-dish. very plain bread pudding. . ingredients.--odd pieces of crust or crumb of bread; to every quart allow / teaspoonful of salt, teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, oz. of moist sugar, / lb. of currants, - / oz. of butter. _mode_.--break the bread into small pieces, and pour on them as much boiling water as will soak them well. let these stand till the water is cool; then press it out, and mash the bread with a fork until it is quite free from lumps. measure this pulp, and to every quart stir in salt, nutmeg, sugar, and currants in the above proportion; mix all well together, and put it into a well-buttered pie-dish. smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the butter in small pieces over the top; bake in a moderate oven for - / hour, and serve very hot. boiling milk substituted for the boiling water would very much improve this pudding. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, d., exclusive of the bread. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. boiled bread pudding. . ingredients.-- - / pint of milk, / pint of bread crumbs, sugar to taste, eggs, oz. of butter, oz. of currants, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg. _mode_.--make the milk boiling, and pour it on the bread crumbs; let these remain till cold; then add the other ingredients, taking care that the eggs are well beaten and the currants well washed, picked, and dried. beat the pudding well, and put it into a buttered basin; tie it down tightly with a cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and boil for - / hour; turn it out of the basin, and serve with sifted sugar. any odd pieces or scraps of bread answer for this pudding; but they should be soaked overnight, and, when wanted for use, should have the water well squeezed from them. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. bread.--bread contains, in its composition, in the form of vegetable albumen and vegetable fibrine, two of the chief constituents of flesh, and, in its incombustible constituents, the salts which are indispensable for sanguification, of the same quality and in the same proportion as flesh. but flesh contains, besides these, a number of substances which are entirely wanting in vegetable food; and on these peculiar constituents of flesh depend certain effects, by which it is essentially distinguished from other articles of food. brown-bread pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of brown-bread crumbs, / lb. of currants, / lb. of suet, / lb. of moist sugar, eggs, tablespoonfuls of brandy, tablespoonfuls of cream, grated nutmeg to taste. _mode_.--grate / lb. of crumbs from a stale brown loaf; add to these the currants and suet, and be particular that the latter is finely chopped. put in the remaining ingredients; beat the pudding well for a few minutes; put it into a buttered basin or mould; tie it down tightly, and boil for nearly hours. send sweet sauce to table with it. _time_.--nearly hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time; but more suitable for a winter pudding. miniature bread puddings. . ingredients.-- pint of milk, / lb. of bread crumbs, eggs, oz. of butter, sugar to taste, tablespoonfuls of brandy, teaspoonful of finely-minced lemon-peel. _mode_.--make the milk boiling, pour it on to the bread crumbs, and let them soak for about / hour. beat the eggs, mix these with the bread crumbs, add the remaining ingredients, and stir well until all is thoroughly mixed. butter some small cups; rather more than half fill them with the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven from minutes to / hour, and serve with sweet sauce. a few currants may be added to these puddings: about oz. will be found sufficient for the above quantity. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or small puddings. _seasonable_ at any time. baked bread-and-butter pudding. . ingredients.-- thin slices of bread and butter, - / pint of milk, eggs, sugar to taste, / lb. of currants, flavouring of vanilla, grated lemon-peel or nutmeg. _mode_.--cut slices of bread and butter not very thick, and put them into a pie-dish, with currants between each layer and on the top. sweeten and flavour the milk, either by infusing a little lemon-peel in it, or by adding a few drops of essence of vanilla; well whisk the eggs, and stir these to the milk. _strain_ this over the bread and butter, and bake in a moderate oven for hour, or rather longer. this pudding may be very much enriched by adding cream, candied peel, or more eggs than stated above. it should not be turned out, but sent to table in the pie-dish, and is better for being made about hours before it is baked. _time_.-- hour, or rather longer. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. butter.--butter is indispensable in almost all culinary preparations. good fresh butter, used in moderation, is easily digested; it is softening, nutritious, and fattening, and is far more easily digested than any other of the oleaginous substances sometimes used in its place. cabinet or chancellor's pudding. . ingredients.-- - / oz. of candied peel, oz. of currants, dozen sultanas, a few slices of savoy cake, sponge cake, a french roll, eggs, pint of milk, grated lemon-rind, / nutmeg, table-spoonfuls of sugar. [illustration: cabinet pudding.] _mode_.--melt some butter to a paste, and with it, well grease the mould or basin in which the pudding is to be boiled, taking care that it is buttered in every part. cut the peel into thin slices, and place these in a fanciful device at the bottom of the mould, and fill in the spaces between with currants and sultanas; then add a few slices of sponge cake or french roll; drop a few drops of melted butter on these, and between each layer sprinkle a few currants. proceed in this manner until the mould is nearly full; then flavour the milk with nutmeg and grated lemon-rind; add the sugar, and stir to this the eggs, which should be well beaten. beat this mixture for a few minutes; then strain it into the mould, which should be quite full; tie a piece of buttered paper over it, and let it stand for hours; then tie it down with a cloth, put it into boiling water, and let it boil slowly for hour. in taking it up, let it stand for a minute or two before the cloth is removed; then quickly turn it out of the mould or basin, and serve with sweet sauce separately. the flavouring of this pudding may be varied by substituting for the lemon-rind essence of vanilla or bitter almonds; and it may be made much richer by using cream; but this is not at all necessary. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. a plain cabinet or boiled bread-and-butter pudding. . ingredients.-- oz. of raisins, a few thin slices of bread and butter, eggs, pint of milk, sugar to taste, / nutmeg. _mode_.--butter a pudding-basin, and line the inside with a layer of raisins that have been previously stoned; then nearly fill the basin with slices of bread and butter with the crust cut off, and, in another basin, beat the eggs; add to them the milk, sugar, and grated nutmeg; mix all well together, and pour the whole on to the bread and butter; let it stand / hour, then tie a floured cloth over it; boil for hour, and serve with sweet sauce. care must be taken that the basin is quite full before the cloth is tied over. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. canary pudding. . ingredients.--the weight of eggs in sugar and butter, the weight of eggs in flour, the rind of small lemon, eggs. _mode_.--melt the butter to a liquid state, but do not allow it to oil; stir to this the sugar and finely-minced lemon-peel, and gradually dredge in the flour, keeping the mixture well stirred; whisk the eggs; add these to the pudding; beat all the ingredients until thoroughly blended, and put them into a buttered mould or basin; boil for hours, and serve with sweet sauce. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. baked or boiled carrot pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of bread crumbs, oz. of suet, / lb. of stoned raisins, / lb. of carrot, / lb. of currants, oz. of sugar, eggs, milk, / nutmeg. _mode_.--boil the carrots until tender enough to mash to a pulp; add the remaining ingredients, and moisten with sufficient milk to make the pudding of the consistency of thick batter. if to be boiled, put the mixture into a buttered basin, tie it down with a cloth, and boil for - / hours: if to be baked, put it into a pie-dish, and bake for nearly an hour; turn it out of the dish, strew sifted sugar over it, and serve. _time_.-- - / hours to boil; hour to bake. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to march. carrots, says liebig, contain the same kind of sugar as the juice of the sugar-cane. royal coburg pudding. . ingredients.-- pint of new milk, oz. of flour, oz. of sugar, oz. of butter, oz. of currants, eggs, brandy and grated nutmeg to taste. _mode_.--mix the flour to a smooth batter with the milk, add the remaining ingredients _gradually_, and when well mixed, put it into four basins or moulds half full; bake for / hour, turn the puddings out on a dish, and serve with wine sauce. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. cherry tart. . ingredients.-- - / lb. of cherries, small tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, / lb. of short crust, no. or . _mode_.--pick the stalks from the cherries, put them, with the sugar, into a _deep_ pie-dish just capable of holding them, with a small cup placed upside down in the midst of them. make a short crust with / lb. of flour, by either of the recipes or ; lay a border round the edge of the dish; put on the cover, and ornament the edges; bake in a brisk oven from / hour to minutes; strew finely-sifted sugar over, and serve hot or cold, although the latter is the more usual mode. it is more economical to make two or three tarts at one time, as the trimmings from one tart answer for lining the edges of the dish for another, and so much paste is not required as when they are made singly. unless for family use, never make fruit pies in very _large_ dishes; select them, however, as deep as possible. _time_.-- / hour to minutes. _average cost_, in full season, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in june, july, and august. _note_.--a few currants added to the cherries will be found to impart a nice piquant taste to them. [illustration: cherry.] cherries.--according to lucullus, the cherry-tree was known in asia in the year of rome . seventy different species of cherries, wild and cultivated, exist, which are distinguishable from each other by the difference of their form, size, and colour. the french distil from cherries a liqueur darned _kirsch-waser_ (_eau de cérises_); the italians prepare, from a cherry called marusca, the liqueur named _marasquin_, sweeter and more agreeable than the former. the most wholesome cherries have a tender and delicate skin; those with a hard skin should be very carefully masticated. sweetmeats, syrups, tarts, entremets, &c., of cherries, are universally approved. cold pudding. . ingredients.-- eggs, pint of milk, sugar to taste, a little grated lemon-rind, oz. of raisins, tablespoonfuls of marmalade, a few slices of sponge cake. _mode_.--sweeten the milk with lump sugar, add a little grated lemon-rind, and stir to this the eggs, which should be well whisked; line a buttered mould with the raisins, stoned and cut in half; spread the slices of cake with the marmalade, and place them in the mould; then pour in the custard, tie the pudding down with paper and a cloth, and boil gently for hour: when cold, turn it out, and serve. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. college puddings. . ingredients.-- pint of bread crumbs, oz. of finely-chopped suet, / lb. of currants, a few thin slices of candied peel, oz. of sugar, / nutmeg, eggs, tablespoonfuls of brandy. _mode_.--put the bread crumbs into a basin; add the suet, currants, candied peel, sugar, and nutmeg, grated, and stir these ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed. beat up the eggs, moisten the pudding with these, and put in the brandy; beat well for a few minutes, then form the mixture into round balls or egg-shaped pieces; fry these in hot butter or lard, letting them stew in it until thoroughly done, and turn them two or three times, till of a fine light brown; drain them on a piece of blotting-paper before the fire; dish, and serve with wine sauce. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or puddings. _seasonable_ at any time. currant dumplings. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, oz. of suet, / lb. of currants, rather more than / pint of water. _mode_.--chop the suet finely, mix it with the flour, and add the currants, which should be nicely washed, picked, and dried; mix the whole to a limp paste with the water (if wanted very nice, use milk); divide it into or dumplings; tie them in cloths, and boil for - / hour. they may be boiled without a cloth: they should then be made into round balls, and dropped into boiling water, and should be moved about at first, to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. serve with a cut lemon, cold butter, and sifted sugar. _time_.--in a cloth, - / hour; without, / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: zante currants.] zante currants.--the dried fruit which goes by the name of currants in grocers' shops is not a currant really, but a small kind of grape, chiefly cultivated in the morea and the ionian islands, corfu, zante, &c. those of zante are cultivated in an immense plain, under the shelter of mountains, on the shore of the island, where the sun has great power, and brings them to maturity. when gathered and dried by the sun and air, on mats, they are conveyed to magazines, heaped together, and left to cake, until ready for shipping. they are then dug out by iron crowbars, trodden into casks, and exported. the fertile vale of "zante the woody" produces about , , lbs. of currants annually. in cakes and puddings this delicious little grape is most extensively used; in fact, we could not make a plum pudding without the currant. boiled currant pudding. (_plain and economical_.) . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of suet, / lb. of currants, milk. _mode_.--wash the currants, dry them thoroughly, and pick away any stalks or grit; chop the suet finely; mix all the ingredients together, and moisten with sufficient milk to make the pudding into a stiff batter; tie it up in a floured cloth, put it into boiling water, and boil for - / hours; serve with a cut lemon, cold butter, and sifted sugar. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. black or red currant pudding. . ingredients.-- quart of red or black currants, measured with the stalks, / lb. of moist sugar, suet crust no. , or butter crust no. . _mode_.--make, with / lb. of flour, either a suet crust or butter crust (the former is usually made); butter a basin, and line it with part of the crust; put in the currants, which should be stripped from the stalks, and sprinkle the sugar over them; put the cover of the pudding on; make the edges very secure, that the juice does not escape; tie it down with a floured cloth, put it into boiling water, and boil from - / to hours. boiled without a basin, allow / hour less. we have allowed rather a large proportion of sugar; but we find fruit puddings are so much more juicy and palatable when _well sweetened_ before they are boiled, besides being more economical. a few raspberries added to red-currant pudding are a very nice addition: about / pint would be sufficient for the above quantity of fruit. fruit puddings are very delicious if, when they are turned out of the basin, the crust is browned with a salamander, or put into a very hot oven for a few minutes to colour it: this makes it crisp on the surface. _time_.-- - / to hours; without a basin, to - / hours. _average cost_, in full season, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in june, july, and august. [illustration: currants.] currants.--the utility of currants, red, black, or white, has long been established in domestic economy. the juice of the red species, if boiled with an equal weight of loaf sugar, forms an agreeable substance called _currant jelly_, much employed in sauces, and very valuable in the cure of sore throats and colds. the french mix it with sugar and water, and thus form an agreeable beverage. the juice of currants is a valuable remedy in obstructions of the bowels; and, in febrile complaints, it is useful on account of its readily quenching thirst, and for its cooling effect on the stomach. white and flesh-coloured currants have, with the exception of the fullness of flavour, in every respect, the same qualities as the red species. both white and red currants are pleasant additions to the dessert, but the black variety is mostly used for culinary and medicinal purposes, especially in the form of jelly for quinsies. the leaves of the black currant make a pleasant tea. red-currant and raspberry tart. . ingredients.-- - / pint of picked currants, / pint of raspberries, heaped tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, / lb. of short crust. _mode_.--strip the currants from the stalks, and put them into a deep pie-dish, with a small cup placed in the midst, bottom upwards; add the raspberries and sugar; place a border of paste round the edge of the dish, cover with crust, ornament the edges, and bake from / to / hour: strew some sifted sugar over before being sent to table. this tart is more generally served cold than hot. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in june, july, and august. [illustration: raspberry.] raspberries.--there are two sorts of raspberries, the red and the white. both the scent and flavour of this fruit are very refreshing, and the berry itself is exceedingly wholesome, and invaluable to people of a nervous or bilious temperament. we are not aware, however, of its being cultivated with the same amount of care which is bestowed upon some other of the berry tribe, although it is far from improbable that a more careful cultivation would not be repaid by a considerable improvement in the size and flavour of the berry; neither, as an eating fruit, is it so universally esteemed as the strawberry, with whose lusciousness and peculiarly agreeable flavour it can bear no comparison. in scotland, it is found in large quantities, growing wild, and is eagerly sought after, in the woods, by children. its juice is rich and abundant, and to many, extremely agreeable. baked custard pudding. . ingredients.-- - / pint of milk, the rind of / lemon, / lb. of moist sugar, eggs. _mode_.--put the milk into a saucepan with the sugar and lemon-rind, and let this infuse for about hour, or until the milk is well flavoured; whisk the eggs, yolks and whites; pour the milk to them, stirring all the while; then have ready a pie-dish, lined at the edge with paste ready baked; strain the custard into the dish, grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake in a _very slow_ oven for about / hour, or rather longer. the flavour of this pudding may be varied by substituting bitter almonds for the lemon-rind; and it may be very much enriched by using half cream and half milk, and doubling the quantity of eggs. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--this pudding is usually served cold with fruit tarts. boiled custard pudding. . ingredients.-- pint of milk, tablespoonful of flour, eggs, flavouring to taste. _mode_.--flavour the milk by infusing in it a little lemon-rind or cinnamon; whisk the eggs, stir the flour gradually to these, and pour over them the milk, and stir the mixture well. butter a basin that will exactly hold it; put in the custard, and tie a floured cloth over; plunge it into boiling water, and turn it about for a few minutes, to prevent the flour from settling in one part. boil it slowly for / hour; turn it out of the basin, and serve. the pudding may be garnished with red-currant jelly, and sweet sauce may be sent to table with it. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. damson tart. . ingredients.-- - / pint of damsons, / lb. of moist sugar, / lb. of short or puff crust. _mode_.--put the damsons, with the sugar between them, into a deep pie-dish, in the midst of which, place a small cup or jar turned upside down; pile the fruit high in the middle, line the edges of the dish with short or puff crust, whichever may be preferred; put on the cover, ornament the edges, and bake from / to / hour in a good oven. if puff-crust is used, about minutes before the pie is done, take it out of the oven, brush it over with the white of an egg beaten to a froth with the blade of a knife; strew some sifted sugar over, and a few drops of water, and put the tart back to finish baking: with short crust, a little plain sifted sugar, sprinkled over, is all that will be required. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in september and october. [illustration: damsons.] damsons.--whether for jam, jelly, pie, pudding, water, ice, wine, dried fruit or preserved, the damson, or _damascene_ (for it was originally brought from damascus, whence its name), is invaluable. it combines sugary and acid qualities in happy proportions, when full ripe. it is a fruit easily cultivated; and, if budded nine inches from the ground on vigorous stocks, it will grow several feet high in the first year, and make fine standards the year following. amongst the list of the best sorts of baking plums, the damson stands first, not only on account of the abundance of its juice, but also on account of its soon softening. because of the roughness of its flavour, it requires a large quantity of sugar. damson pudding. . ingredients.-- - / pint of damsons, / lb. of moist sugar, / lb. of suet or butter crust. _mode_.--make a suet crust with / lb. of flour by recipe no. ; line a buttered pudding-basin with a portion of it; fill the basin with the damsons, sweeten them, and put on the lid; pinch the edges of the crust together, that the juice does not escape; tie over a floured cloth, put the pudding into boiling water, and boil from - / to hours. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in september and october. delhi pudding. . ingredients.-- large apples, a little grated nutmeg, teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, large tablespoonfuls of sugar, oz. of currants, / lb. of suet crust no. . _mode_.--pare, core, and cut the apples into slices; put them into a saucepan, with the nutmeg, lemon-peel, and sugar; stir them over the fire until soft; then have ready the above proportion of crust, roll it out thin, spread the apples over the paste, sprinkle over the currants, roll the pudding up, closing the ends properly, tie it in a floured cloth, and boil for hours. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from august to march. empress pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of rice, oz. of butter, eggs, jam, sufficient milk to soften the rice. _mode_.--boil the rice in the milk until very soft; then add the butter boil it for a few minutes after the latter ingredient is put in, and set it by to cool. well beat the eggs, stir these in, and line a dish with puff-paste; put over this a layer of rice, then a thin layer of any kind of jam, then another layer of rice, and proceed in this manner until the dish is full; and bake in a moderate oven for / hour. this pudding may be eaten hot or cold; if the latter, it will be much improved by having a boiled custard poured over it. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. exeter pudding. (_very rich_.) . ingredients.-- oz. of bread crumbs, oz. of sago, oz. of finely-chopped suet, oz. of moist sugar, the rind of / lemon, / pint of rum, eggs, tablespoonfuls of cream, small sponge cakes, oz. of ratafias, / lb. of jam. _mode_.--put the bread crumbs into a basin with the sago, suet, sugar, minced lemon-peel, rum, and eggs; stir these ingredients well together, then add more eggs and the cream, and let the mixture be well beaten. then butter a mould, strew in a few bread crumbs, and cover the bottom with a layer of ratafias; then put in a layer of the mixture, then a layer of sliced sponge cake spread thickly with any kind of jam; then add some ratafias, then some of the mixture and sponge cake, and so on until the mould is full, taking care that a layer of the mixture is on the top of the pudding. bake in a good oven from / to hour, and serve with the following sauce:--put tablespoonfuls of black-currant jelly into a stewpan, add glasses of sherry, and, when warm, turn the pudding out of the mould, pour the sauce over it, and serve hot. _time_.--from to - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. fig pudding. i. . ingredients.-- lbs. of figs, lb. of suet, / lb. of flour, / lb. of bread crumbs, eggs, milk. _mode_.--cut the figs into small pieces, grate the bread finely, and chop the suet very small; mix these well together, add the flour, the eggs, which should be well beaten, and sufficient milk to form the whole into a stiff paste; butter a mould or basin, press the pudding into it very closely, tie it down with a cloth, and boil for hours, or rather longer; turn it out of the mould, and serve with melted butter, wine-sauce, or cream. _time_.-- hours, or longer. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--suitable for a winter pudding. ii. (_staffordshire recipe_.) . ingredients.-- lb. of figs, oz. of suet, / lb. of flour, milk. _mode_.--chop the suet finely, mix with it the flour, and make these into a smooth paste with milk; roll it out to the thickness of about / inch, cut the figs in small pieces, and strew them over the paste; roll it up, make the ends secure, tie the pudding in a cloth, and boil it from - / to hours. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. folkestone pudding-pies. . ingredients.-- pint of milk, oz. of ground rice, oz. of butter, / lb. of sugar, flavouring of lemon-peel or bay-leaf, eggs, puff-paste, currants. _mode_.--infuse laurel or bay leaves, or the rind of / lemon, in the milk, and when it is well flavoured, strain it, and add the rice; boil these for / hour, stirring all the time; then take them off the fire, stir in the butter, sugar, and eggs, and let these latter be well beaten before they are added to the other ingredients; when nearly cold, line some patty-pans with puff-paste, fill with the custard, strew over each a few currants, and bake from to minutes in a moderate oven. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill a dozen patty-pans. _seasonable_ at any time. fruit turnovers (suitable for pic-nics). . ingredients.--puff-paste no. , any kind of fruit, sugar to taste. _mode_.--make some puff-paste by recipe no. ; roll it out to the thickness of about / inch, and cut it out in pieces of a circular form; pile the fruit on half of the paste, sprinkle over some sugar, wet the edges and turn the paste over. press the edges together, ornament them, and brush the turnovers over with the white of an egg; sprinkle over sifted sugar, and bake on tins, in a brisk oven, for about minutes. instead of putting the fruit in raw, it may be boiled down with a little sugar first, and then inclosed in the crust; or jam, of any kind, may be substituted for fresh fruit. _time_.-- minutes. _sufficient_-- / lb. of puff-paste will make a dozen turnovers. _seasonable_ at any time. german pudding. . ingredients.-- teaspoonfuls of flour, teaspoonful of arrowroot, pint of milk, oz. of butter, sugar to taste, the rind of / lemon, eggs, tablespoonfuls of brandy. _mode_.--boil the milk with the lemon-rind until well flavoured; then strain it, and mix with it the flour, arrowroot, butter, and sugar. boil these ingredients for a few minutes, keeping them well stirred; then take them off the fire and mix with them the eggs, yolks and whites, beaten separately and added separately. boil some sugar to candy; line a mould with this, put in the brandy, then the mixture; tie down with a cloth, and boil for rather more than hour. when turned out, the brandy and sugar make a nice sauce. _time_.--rather more than hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. dampfnudeln, or german puddings. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of butter, eggs, small tablespoonfuls of yeast, tablespoonfuls of finely-pounded sugar, milk, a very little salt. _mode_.--put the flour into a basin, make a hole in the centre, into which put the yeast, and rather more than / pint of warm milk; make this into a batter with the middle of the flour, and let the sponge rise in a warm temperature. when sufficiently risen, mix the eggs, butter, sugar, and salt with a little more warm milk, and knead the whole well together with the hands, beating the dough until it is perfectly smooth, and it drops from the fingers. then cover the basin with a cloth, put it in a warm place, and when the dough has nicely risen, knead it into small balls; butter the bottom of a deep sauté-pan, strew over some pounded sugar, and let the dampfnudeln be laid in, but do not let them touch one another; then pour over sufficient milk to cover them, put on the lid, and let them rise to twice their original size by the side of the fire. now place them in the oven for a few minutes, to acquire a nice brown colour, and serve them on a napkin, with custard sauce flavoured with vanilla, or a _compôte_ of any fruit that may be preferred. _time_.-- / to / hour for the sponge to rise; to minutes for the puddings to rise; minutes to bake them in a brisk oven. _sufficient_ for or dampfnudeln. _seasonable_ at any time. ginger pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of flour, / lb. of suet, / lb. of moist sugar, large teaspoonfuls of grated ginger. _mode_.--shred the suet very fine, mix it with the flour, sugar, and ginger; stir all well together; butter a basin, and put the mixture in _dry_; tie a cloth over, and boil for hours. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. golden pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of bread crumbs, / lb. of suet, / lb. of marmalade, / lb. of sugar, eggs. _mode_.--put the bread crumbs into a basin; mix with them the suet, which should be finely minced, the marmalade, and the sugar; stir all these ingredients well together, beat the eggs to a froth, moisten the pudding with these, and when well mixed, put it into a mould or buttered basin; tie down with a floured cloth, and boil for hours. when turned out, strew a little fine-sifted sugar over the top, and serve. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the mould may be ornamented with stoned raisins, arranged in any fanciful pattern, before the mixture is poured in, which would add very much to the appearance of the pudding. for a plainer pudding, double the quantities of the bread crumbs, and if the eggs do not moisten it sufficiently, use a little milk. baked gooseberry pudding. . ingredients.--gooseberries, eggs, - / oz. of butter, / pint of bread crumbs, sugar to taste. _mode_.--put the gooseberries into a jar, previously cutting off the tops and tails; place this jar in boiling water, and let it boil until the gooseberries are soft enough to pulp; then beat them through a coarse sieve, and to every pint of pulp add well-whisked eggs, - / oz. of butter, / pint of bread crumbs, and sugar to taste; beat the mixture well, put a border of puff-paste round the edge of a pie-dish, put in the pudding, bake for about minutes, strew sifted sugar over, and serve. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from may to july. boiled gooseberry pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of suet crust no. , - / pint of green gooseberries, / lb. of moist sugar. _mode_.--line a pudding-basin with suet crust no. , rolled out to about / inch in thickness, and, with a pair of scissors, cut off the tops and tails of the gooseberries; fill the basin with the fruit, put in the sugar, and cover with crust. pinch the edges of the pudding together, tie over it a floured cloth, put it into boiling water, and boil from - / to hours; turn it out of the basin, and serve with a jug of cream. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from may to july. gooseberry tart. . ingredients.-- - / pint of gooseberries, / lb. of short crust no. , / lb. of moist sugar. _mode_.--with a pair of scissors cut off the tops and tails of the gooseberries; put them into a deep pie-dish, pile the fruit high in the centre, and put in the sugar; line the edge of the dish with short crust, put on the cover, and ornament the edges of the tart; bake in a good oven for about / hour, and before being sent to table, strew over it some fine-sifted sugar. a jug of cream, or a dish of boiled or baked custards, should always accompany this dish. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from may to july. [illustration: gooseberry.] gooseberries.--the red and the white are the two principal varieties of gooseberries. the red are rather the more acid; but, when covered with white sugar, are most wholesome, because the sugar neutralizes their acidity. red gooseberries make an excellent jelly, which is light and refreshing, but not very nourishing. it is good for bilious and plethoric persons, and to invalids generally who need light and digestible food. it is a fruit from which many dishes might be made. all sorts of gooseberries are agreeable when stewed, and, in this country especially, there is no fruit so universally in favour. in scotland, there is scarcely a cottage-garden without its gooseberry-bush. several of the species are cultivated with the nicest care. half-pay pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of suet, / lb. of currants, / lb. of raisins, / lb. of flour, / lb. of bread crumbs, tablespoonfuls of treacle, / pint of milk. _mode_.--chop the suet finely; mix with it the currants, which should be nicely washed and dried, the raisins, which should be stoned, the flour, bread crumbs, and treacle; moisten with the milk, beat up the ingredients until all are thoroughly mixed, put them into a buttered basin, and boil the pudding for - / hours. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. herodotus pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of bread crumbs, / lb. of good figs, oz. of suet, oz. of moist sugar, / saltspoonful of salt, eggs, nutmeg to taste. _mode_.--mince the suet and figs very finely; add the remaining ingredients, taking care that the eggs are well whisked; beat the mixture for a few minutes, put it into a buttered mould, tie it down with a floured cloth, and boil the pudding for hours. serve with wine sauce. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. hunter's pudding. . ingredients.-- lb. of raisins, lb. of currants, lb. of suet, lb. of bread crumbs, lb. of moist sugar, eggs, tablespoonful of flour, lb. of mixed candied peel, glass of brandy, drops of essence of lemon, drops of essence of almonds, / nutmeg, blades of mace, cloves. _mode_.--stone and shred the raisins rather small, chop the suet finely, and rub the bread until all lumps are well broken; pound the spice to powder, cut the candied peel into thin shreds, and mix all these ingredients well together, adding the sugar. beat the eggs to a strong froth, and as they are beaten, drop into them the essence of lemon and essence of almonds; stir these to the dry ingredients, mix well, and add the brandy. tie the pudding firmly in a cloth, and boil it for hours at the least: or hours would be still better for it. serve with boiled custard, or red-currant jelly, or brandy sauce. _time_.-- to hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter. iced pudding. (_parisian recipe_.) [illustration: iced-pudding mould.] . ingredients.-- / lb. of sweet almonds, oz. of bitter ones, / lb. of sugar, eggs, - / pint of milk. _mode_.--blanch and dry the almonds thoroughly in a cloth, then pound them in a mortar until reduced to a smooth paste; add to these the well-beaten eggs, the sugar, and milk; stir these ingredients over the fire until they thicken, but do not allow them to boil; then strain and put the mixture into the freezing-pot; surround it with ice, and freeze it as directed in recipe . when quite frozen, fill an iced-pudding mould, put on the lid, and keep the pudding in ice until required for table; then turn it out on the dish, and garnish it with a _compôte_ of any fruit that may be preferred, pouring a little over the top of the pudding. this pudding may be flavoured with vanilla, curaçoa, or maraschino. _time_.-- / hour to freeze the mixture. _seasonable_.--served all the year round. iced apple pudding. (_french recipe, after carême_.) . ingredients.-- dozen apples, a small pot of apricot-jam, / lb. of sugar, seville orange, / pint of preserved cherries, / lb. of raisins, oz. of citron, oz. of almonds, gill of curaçoa, gill of maraschino, pint of cream. _mode_.--peel, core, and cut the apples into quarters, and simmer them over the fire until soft; then mix with them the apricot-jam and the sugar, on which the rind of the orange should be previously rubbed; work all these ingredients through a sieve, and put them into the freezing-pot. stone the raisins, and simmer them in a little syrup for a few minutes; add these, with the sliced citron, the almonds cut in dice, and the cherries drained from their syrup, to the ingredients in the freezing-pot; put in the curaçoa and maraschino, and freeze again; add as much whipped cream as will be required, freeze again, and fill the mould. put the lid on, and plunge the mould into the ice-pot; cover it with a wet cloth and pounded ice and saltpetre, where it should remain until wanted for table. turn the pudding out of the mould on to a clean and neatly-folded napkin, and serve, as sauce, a little iced whipped cream, in a sauce-tureen or glass dish. [illustration: ice-spattle.] [illustration: ice-freezing pail.] _time_.-- / hour to freeze the mixture. _seasonable_ from august to march. _method of working the freezing apparatus_.--put into the outer pail some pounded ice, upon which strew some saltpetre; then fix the pewter freezing-pot upon this, and surround it entirely with ice and saltpetre. wipe the cover and edges of the pot, pour in the preparation, and close the lid; a quarter of an hour after, begin turning the freezing-pan from right to left, and when the mixture begins to be firm round the sides of the pot, stir it about with the slice or spattle, that the preparation may be equally congealed. close the lid again, keep working from right to left, and, from time to time, remove the mixture from the sides, that it may be smooth; and when perfectly frozen, it is ready to put in the mould; the mould should then be placed in the ice again, where it should remain until wanted for table. roly-poly jam pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb of suet-crust no. , / lb. of any kind of jam. _mode_.--make a nice light suet-crust by recipe no. , and roll it out to the thickness of about / inch. spread the jam equally over it, leaving a small margin of paste without any, where the pudding joins. roll it up, fasten the ends securely, and tie it in a floured cloth; put the pudding into boiling water, and boil for hours. mincemeat or marmalade may be substituted for the jam, and makes excellent puddings. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--suitable for winter puddings, when fresh fruit is not obtainable. lemon cheesecakes. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, lb. of loaf sugar, eggs, the rind of lemons and the juice of . _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a stewpan, carefully grating the lemon-rind and straining the juice. keep stirring the mixture over the fire until the sugar is dissolved, and it begins to thicken: when of the consistency of honey, it is done; then put it into small jars, and keep in a dry place. this mixture will remain good or months. when made into cheesecakes, add a few pounded almonds, or candied peel, or grated sweet biscuit; line some patty-pans with good puff-paste, rather more than half fill them with the mixture, and bake for about / hour in a good brisk oven. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for cheesecakes. _seasonable_ at any time. lemon mincemeat. . ingredients.-- large lemons, large apples, / lb. of suet, lb. of currants, / lb. of sugar, oz. of candied lemon-peel, oz. of citron, mixed spice to taste. _mode_.--pare the lemons, squeeze them, and boil the peel until tender enough to mash. add to the mashed lemon-peel the apples, which should be pared, cored, and minced; the chopped suet, currants, sugar, sliced peel, and spice. strain the lemon-juice to these ingredients, stir the mixture well, and put it in a jar with a closely-fitting lid. stir occasionally, and in a week or days the mincemeat will be ready for use. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for large or small pies. _seasonable_.--make this about the beginning of december. lemon dumplings. . ingredients.-- / lb. of grated bread, / lb. of chopped suet, / lb. of moist sugar, eggs, large lemon. [illustration: lemon dumplings.] _mode_.--mix the bread, suet, and moist sugar well together, adding the lemon-peel, which should be very finely minced. moisten with the eggs and strained lemon-juice; stir well, and put the mixture into small buttered cups. tie them down and boil for / hour. turn them out on a dish, strew sifted sugar over them, and serve with wine sauce. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for dumplings. _seasonable_ at any time. baked lemon pudding. i. . ingredients.--the yolks of eggs, oz. of pounded sugar, lemon, / lb. of butter, puff-crust. _mode_.--beat the eggs to a froth; mix with them the sugar and warmed butter; stir these ingredients well together, putting in the grated rind and strained juice of the lemon-peel. line a shallow dish with puff-paste; put in the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven for minutes; turn the pudding out of the dish, strew over it sifted sugar, and serve. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. ii. . ingredients.-- oz. of bread crumbs, pints of milk, oz. of butter, lemon, / lb. of pounded sugar, eggs, tablespoonful of brandy. _mode_.--bring the milk to the boiling point, stir in the butter, and pour these hot over the bread crumbs; add the sugar and very finely-minced lemon-peel; beat the eggs, and stir these in with the brandy to the other ingredients; put a paste round the dish, and bake for / hour. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: lemon.] lemon.--the lemon is a variety of the citron. the juice of this fruit makes one of our most popular and refreshing beverages--lemonade, which is gently stimulating and cooling, and soon quenches the thirst. it may he freely partaken by bilious and sanguine temperaments; but persons with irritable stomachs should avoid it, on account of its acid qualities. the fresh rind of the lemon is a gentle tonic, and, when dried and grated, is used in flavouring a variety of culinary preparations. lemons appear in company with the orange in most orange-growing countries. they were only known to the romans at a very late period, and, at first, were used only to keep the moths from their garments: their acidity was unpleasant to them. in the time of pliny, the lemon was hardly known otherwise than as an excellent counter-poison. iii. (_very rich_.) . ingredients.--the rind and juice of large lemons, / lb. of loaf sugar, / pint of cream, the yolks of eggs, oz. of almonds, / lb. of butter, melted. _mode_.--mix the pounded sugar with the cream, and add the yolks of eggs and the butter, which should be previously warmed. blanch and pound the almonds, and put these, with the grated rind and strained juice of the lemons, to the other ingredients. stir all well together; line a dish with puff-paste, put in the mixture, and bake for hour. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. boiled lemon pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of chopped suet, / lb. of bread crumbs, small lemons, oz. of moist sugar, / lb. of flour, eggs, milk. _mode_.--mix the suet, bread crumbs, sugar, and flour well together, adding the lemon-peel, which should be very finely minced, and the juice, which should be strained. when these ingredients are well mixed, moisten with the eggs and sufficient milk to make the pudding of the consistency of thick batter; put it into a well-buttered mould, and boil for - / hours; turn it out, strew sifted sugar over, and serve with wine sauce, or not, at pleasure. _time_.-- - / hours. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--this pudding may also be baked, and will be found very good. it will take about hours. plain lemon pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of flour, oz. of lard or dripping, the juice of large lemon, teaspoonful of flour, sugar. _mode_.--make the above proportions of flour and lard into a smooth paste, and roll it out to the thickness of about / inch. squeeze the lemon-juice, strain it into a cup, stir the flour into it, and as much moist sugar as will make it into a stiff and thick paste; spread this mixture over the paste, roll it up, secure the ends, and tie the pudding in a floured cloth. boil for hours. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. manchester pudding (to eat cold). . ingredients.-- oz. of grated bread, / pint of milk, a strip of lemon-peel, eggs, oz. of butter, sugar to taste, puff-paste, jam, tablespoonfuls of brandy. _mode_.--flavour the milk with lemon-peel, by infusing it in the milk for / hour; then strain it on to the bread crumbs, and boil it for or minutes; add the eggs, leaving out the whites of , the butter, sugar, and brandy; stir all these ingredients well together; cover a pie-dish with puff-paste, and at the bottom put a thick layer of any kind of jam; pour the above mixture, cold, on the jam, and bake the pudding for an hour. serve cold, with a little sifted sugar sprinkled over. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. sweet macaroni pudding. . ingredients.-- - / oz. of macaroni, pints of milk, the rind of / lemon, eggs, sugar and grated nutmeg to taste, tablespoonfuls of brandy. _mode_.--put the macaroni, with a pint of the milk, into a saucepan with the lemon-peel, and let it simmer gently until the macaroni is tender; then put it into a pie-dish without the peel; mix the other pint of milk with the eggs; stir these well together, adding the sugar and brandy, and pour the mixture over the macaroni. grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake in a moderate oven for / hour. to make this pudding look nice, a paste should be laid round the edges of the dish, and, for variety, a layer of preserve or marmalade may be placed on the macaroni: in this case omit the brandy. _time_.-- / hour to simmer the macaroni; / hour to bake the pudding. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. macaroni is composed of wheaten flour, flavoured with other articles, and worked up with water into a paste, to which, by a peculiar process, a tubular or pipe form is given, in order that it may cook more readily in hot water. that of smaller diameter than macaroni (which is about the thickness of a goose-quill) is called _vermicelli_; and when smaller still, _fidelini_. the finest is made from the flour of the hard-grained black-sea wheat. macaroni is the principal article of food in many parts of italy, particularly naples, where the best is manufactured, and from whence, also, it is exported in considerable quantities. in this country, macaroni and vermicelli are frequently used in soups. [illustration: macaroni.] manna kroup pudding. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of manna kroup, bitter almonds, pint of milk, sugar to taste, eggs. _mode_.--blanch and pound the almonds in a mortar; mix them with the manna kroup; pour over these a pint of boiling milk, and let them steep for about / hour. when nearly cold, add sugar and the well-beaten eggs; mix all well together; put the pudding into a buttered dish, and bake for / hour. _time_.-- / hour. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. manna kroup, semora, or semolina, are three names given to a flour made from ground wheat and rice. the preparation is white when it is made only of these materials; the yellow colour which it usually has, is produced by a portion of saffron and yolks of eggs. next to vermicelli, this preparation is the most useful for thickening either meat or vegetable soups. as a food, it is light, nutritious, wholesome, and easily digested. the best preparation is brought from arabia, and, next to that, from italy. mansfield pudding. . ingredients.--the crumb of rolls, pint of milk, sugar to taste, eggs, tablespoonfuls of brandy, oz. of chopped suet, tablespoonfuls of flour, / lb. of currants, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, tablespoonfuls of cream. _mode_.--slice the roll very thin, and pour upon it a pint of boiling milk; let it remain covered close for / hour, then beat it up with a fork, and sweeten with moist sugar; stir in the chopped suet, flour, currants, and nutmeg. mix these ingredients well together, moisten with the eggs, brandy, and cream; beat the mixture for or minutes, put it into a buttered dish or mould, and bake in a moderate oven for - / hour. turn it out, strew sifted sugar over, and serve. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. marlborough pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, / lb. of powdered lump sugar, eggs, puff-paste, a layer of any kind of jam. _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream, stir in the powdered sugar, whisk the eggs, and add these to the other ingredients. when these are well mixed, line a dish with puff-paste, spread over a layer of any kind of jam that may be preferred, pour in the mixture, and bake the pudding for rather more than / hour. _time_.--rather more than / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. marmalade and vermicelli pudding. . ingredients.-- breakfastcupful of vermicelli, tablespoonfuls of marmalade, / lb. of raisins, sugar to taste, eggs, milk. _mode_.--pour some boiling milk on the vermicelli, and let it remain covered for minutes; then mix with it the marmalade, stoned raisins, sugar, and beaten eggs. stir all well together, put the mixture into a buttered mould, boil for - / hour, and serve with custard sauce. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_. s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. marrow dumplings, to serve with roast meat, in soup, with salad, &c. (_german recipe_.) . ingredients.-- oz. of beef marrow, oz. of butter, eggs, penny rolls, teaspoonful of minced onion, teaspoonful of minced parsley, salt and grated nutmeg to taste. _mode_.--beat the marrow and butter together to a cream; well whisk the eggs, and add these to the other ingredients. when they are well stirred, put in the rolls, which should previously be well soaked in boiling milk, strained, and beaten up with a fork. add the remaining ingredients, omitting the minced onion where the flavour is very much disliked, and form the mixture into small round dumplings. drop these into boiling broth, and let them simmer for about minutes or / hour. they may be served in soup, with roast meat, or with salad, as in germany, where they are more frequently sent to table than in this country. they are very good. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or dumplings. _seasonable_ at any time. baked ob boiled marrow pudding. . ingredients.-- / pint of bread crumbs, - / pint of milk, oz. of marrow, eggs, / lb. of raisins or currants, or oz. of each; sugar and grated nutmeg to taste. _mode_.--make the milk boiling, pour it hot on to the bread crumbs, and let these remain covered for about / hour; shred the marrow, beat up the eggs, and mix these with the bread crumbs; add the remaining ingredients, beat the mixture well, and either put it into a buttered mould and boil it for - / hours, or put it into a pie-dish edged with puff-paste, and bake for rather more than / hour. before sending it to table, sift a little pounded sugar over, after being turned out of the mould or basin. _time_.-- - / hours to boil, / hour to bake. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. military puddings. . ingredients.-- / lb. of suet, / lb. of bread crumbs, / lb. of moist sugar, the rind and juice of large lemon. _mode_.--chop the suet finely, mix it with the bread crumbs and sugar, and mince the lemon-rind and strain the juice; stir these into the other ingredients, mix well, and put the mixture into small buttered cups, and bake for rather more than / hour; turn them out on the dish, and serve with lemon-sauce. the above ingredients may be made into small balls, and boiled for about / hour; they should then be served with the same sauce as when baked. _time_.--rather more than / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to fill or moderate-sized cups. _seasonable_ at any time. mincemeat. . ingredients.-- lbs. of raisins, lbs. of currants, - / lb. of lean beef, lbs. of beef suet, lbs. of moist sugar, oz. of citron, oz. of candied lemon-peel, oz. of candied orange-peel, small nutmeg, pottle of apples, the rind of lemons, the juice of , / pint of brandy. _mode_.--stone and _cut_ the raisins once or twice across, but do not chop them; wash, dry, and pick the currants free from stalks and grit, and mince the beef and suet, taking care that the latter is chopped very fine; slice the citron and candied peel, grate the nutmeg, and pare, core, and mince the apples; mince the lemon-peel, strain the juice, and when all the ingredients are thus prepared, mix them well together, adding the brandy when the other things are well blended; press the whole into a jar, carefully exclude the air, and the mincemeat will be ready for use in a fortnight. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. _seasonable_.--make this about the beginning of december. excellent mincemeat. . ingredients.-- large lemons, large apples, lb. of stoned raisins, lb. of currants, lb. of suet, lbs. of moist sugar, oz. of sliced candied citron, oz. of sliced candied orange-peel, and the same quantity of lemon-peel, teacupful of brandy, tablespoonfuls of orange marmalade. _mode_.--grate the rinds of the lemons; squeeze out the juice, strain it, and boil the remainder of the lemons until tender enough to pulp or chop very finely. then add to this pulp the apples, which should be baked, and their skins and cores removed; put in the remaining ingredients one by one, and, as they are added, mix everything very thoroughly together. put the mincemeat into a stone jar with a closely-fitting lid, and in a fortnight it will be ready for use. _seasonable_.--this should be made the first or second week in december. mince pies. . ingredients.--good puff-paste no. , mincemeat no. . [illustration: mince pies.] _mode_.--make some good puff-paste by recipe no. ; roll it out to the thickness of about / inch, and line some good-sized pattypans with it; fill them with mincemeat, cover with the paste, and cut it off all round close to the edge of the tin. put the pies into a brisk oven, to draw the paste up, and bake for minutes, or longer, should the pies be very large; brush them over with the white of an egg, beaten with the blade of a knife to a stiff froth; sprinkle over pounded sugar, and put them into the oven for a minute or two, to dry the egg; dish the pies on a white d'oyley, and serve hot. they may be merely sprinkled with pounded sugar instead of being glazed, when that mode is preferred. to re-warm them, put the pies on the pattypans, and let them remain in the oven for minutes or / hour, and they will be almost as good as if freshly made. _time_.-- to minutes; minutes to re-warm them. _average cost_, d. each. _sufficient_-- / lb. of paste for pies. _seasonable_ at christmas time. monday's pudding. . ingredients.--the remains of cold plum-pudding, brandy, custard made with eggs to every pint of milk. _mode_.--cut the remains of a _good_ cold plum-pudding into finger-pieces, soak them in a little brandy, and lay them cross-barred in a mould until full. make a custard with the above proportion of milk and eggs, flavouring it with nutmeg or lemon-rind; fill up the mould with it; tie it down with a cloth, and boil or steam it for an hour. serve with a little of the custard poured over, to which has been added a tablespoonful of brandy. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, exclusive of the pudding, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. nesselrode pudding. (_a fashionable iced pudding--carême's recipe_.) . ingredients.-- chestnuts, lb. of sugar, flavouring of vanilla, pint of cream, the yolks of eggs, glass of maraschino, oz. of candied citron, oz. of currants, oz. of stoned raisins, / pint of whipped cream, eggs. _mode_.--blanch the chestnuts in boiling water, remove the husks, and pound them in a mortar until perfectly smooth, adding a few spoonfuls of syrup. then rub them through a fine sieve, and mix them in a basin with a pint of syrup made from lb. of sugar, clarified, and flavoured with vanilla, pint of cream, and the yolks of eggs. set this mixture over a slow fire, stirring it _without ceasing_, and just as it begins to boil, take it off and pass it through a tammy. when it is cold, put it into a freezing-pot, adding the maraschino, and make the mixture set; then add the sliced citron, the currants, and stoned raisins (these two latter should be soaked the day previously in maraschino and sugar pounded with vanilla); the whole thus mingled, add a plateful of whipped cream mixed with the whites of eggs, beaten to a froth with a little syrup. when the pudding is perfectly frozen, put it into a pineapple-shaped mould; close the lid, place it again in the freezing-pan, covered over with pounded ice and saltpetre, and let it remain until required for table; then turn the pudding out, and serve. _time_.-- / hour to freeze the mixture. _seasonable_ from october to february. baked orange pudding. . ingredients.-- oz. of stale sponge cake or bruised ratafias, oranges, pint of milk, eggs, / lb. of sugar. _mode_.--bruise the sponge cake or ratafias into fine crumbs, and pour upon them the milk, which should be boiling. rub the rinds of of the oranges on sugar, and add this, with the juice of the remainder, to the other ingredients. beat up the eggs, stir them in, sweeten to taste, and put the mixture into a pie-dish previously lined with puff-paste. bake for rather more than / hour; turn it out of the dish, strew sifted sugar over, and serve. _time_.--rather more than hour. _average cost_, s, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from november to may. [illustration: orange.] orange (_citrus aurantium_).--the principal varieties are the sweet, or china orange, and the bitter, or seville orange; the maltese is also worthy of notice, from its red blood-like pulp. the orange is extensively cultivated in the south of europe, and in devonshire, on walls with a south aspect, it bears an abundance of fruit. so great is the increase in the demand for the orange, and so ample the supply, that it promises to rival the apple in its popularity. the orange-tree is considered young at the age of a hundred years. the pulp of the orange consists of a collection of oblong vesicles filled with a sugary and refreshing juice. the orange blossom is proverbially chosen for the bridal wreath, and, from the same flower, an essential oil is extracted hardly less esteemed than the celebrated ottar of roses. of all marmalades, that made from the seville orange is the best. the peel and juice of the orange are much used in culinary preparations. from oranges are made preserves, comfitures, jellies, glacés, sherbet, liqueurs, and syrups. the juice of the orange in a glass _d'eau sucrée_ makes a refreshing and wholesome drink. from the clarified pulp of the orange the french make a delicious jelly, which they serve in small pots, and call _crême_. the rasped peel of the orange is used in several sweet _entremets_, to which it communicates its perfume. the confectioner manufactures a variety of dainties from all parts of the orange. confections of orange-peel are excellent tonics and stomachics. persons with delicate stomachs should abstain from oranges at dessert, because their acidity is likely to derange the digestive organs. small dishes of pastry for entremets, supper-dishes, &c. fanchonnettes, or custard tartlets. . ingredients.--for the custard, eggs, / pint of milk, oz. of butter, oz. of pounded sugar, dessertspoonfuls of flour, flavouring to taste; the whites of eggs, oz. of pounded sugar. _mode_.--well beat the eggs; stir to them the milk, the butter, which should be beaten to a cream, the sugar, and flour; mix these ingredients well together, put them into a very clean saucepan, and bring them to the simmering point, but do not allow them to boil. flavour with essence of vanilla, bitter almonds, lemon, grated chocolate, or any flavouring ingredient that may be preferred. line some round tartlet-pans with good puff-paste; fill them with the custard, and bake in a moderate oven for about minutes; then take them out of the pans; let them cool, and in the mean time whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth; stir into this the pounded sugar, and spread smoothly over the tartlets a little of this mixture. put them in the oven again to set the icing, but be particular that they do not scorch: when the icing looks crisp, they are done. arrange them, piled high in the centre, on a white napkin, and garnish the dish, and in between the tartlets, with strips of bright jelly, or very firmly-made preserve. _time_.-- minutes to bake the tartlets; minutes after being iced. _average cost_, exclusive of the paste, s. _sufficient_ to fill or tartlets. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the icing may be omitted on the top of the tartlets, and a spoonful of any kind of preserve put at the bottom of the custard instead: this varies both the flavour and appearance of this dish. almond flowers. . ingredients.--puff-paste no. ; to every / lb. of paste allow oz. of almonds, sifted sugar, the white of an egg. _mode_.--roll the paste out to the thickness of / inch, and, with a round fluted cutter, stamp out as many pieces as may be required. work the paste up again, roll it out, and, with a smaller cutter, stamp out some pieces the size of a shilling. brush the larger pieces over with the white of an egg, and place one of the smaller pieces on each. blanch and cut the almonds into strips lengthwise; press them slanting into the paste closely round the rings; and when they are all completed, sift over some pounded sugar, and bake for about / hour or minutes. garnish between the almonds with strips of apple jelly, and place in the centre of the ring a small quantity of strawberry jam; pile them high on the dish, and serve. _time_.-- / hour or minutes. _sufficient_.-- or for a dish. _seasonable_ at any time. fluted rolls. . ingredients.--puff-paste, the white of an egg, sifted sugar, jelly or preserve. _mode_.--make some good puff-paste by recipe no. (trimmings answer very well for little dishes of this sort); roll it out to the thickness of / inch, and, with a round fluted paste-cutter, stamp out as many round pieces as may be required; brush over the upper side with the white of an egg; roll up the pieces, pressing the paste lightly together where it joins; place the rolls on a baking-sheet, and bake for about / hour. a few minutes before they are done, brush them over with the white of an egg; strew over sifted sugar, put them back in the oven; and when the icing is firm and of a pale brown colour, they are done. place a strip of jelly or preserve across each roll, dish them high on a napkin, and serve cold. _time_.-- / hour before being iced; to minutes after. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_.-- / lb. of puff-paste for dishes. _seasonable_ at any time. pastry sandwiches. . ingredients.--puff-paste, jam of any kind, the white of an egg, sifted sugar. _mode_.--roll the paste out thin; put half of it on a baking-sheet or tin, and spread equally over it apricot, greengage, or any preserve that may be preferred. lay over this preserve another thin paste; press the edges together all round; and mark the paste in lines with a knife on the surface, to show where to cut it when baked. bake from minutes to / hour; and, a short time before being done, take the pastry out of the oven, brush it over with the white of an egg, sift over pounded sugar, and put it back in the oven to colour. when cold, cut it into strips; pile these on a dish pyramidically, and serve. these strips, cut about inches long, piled in circular rows, and a plateful of flavoured whipped cream poured in the middle, make a very pretty dish. _time_.-- minutes to hour. _average cost_, with / lb. of paste, s. _sufficient_.-- / lb. of paste will make dishes of sandwiches. _seasonable_ at any time. petites bouchees. . ingredients.-- oz. of sweet almonds, / lb. of sifted sugar, the rind of / lemon, the white of egg, puff-paste. _mode_.--blanch the almonds, and chop them fine; rub the sugar on the lemon-rind, and pound it in a mortar; mix this with the almonds and the white of the egg. roll some puff-paste out; cut it in any shape that may be preferred, such as diamonds, rings, ovals, &c., and spread the above mixture over the paste. bake the bouchées in an oven, not too hot, and serve cold. _time_.-- / hour, or rather more. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for / lb. of puff-paste. _seasonable_ at any time. polish tartlets. . ingredients.--puff-paste, the white of an egg, pounded sugar. _mode_.--roll some good puff-paste out thin, and cut it into - / -inch squares; brush each square over with the white of an egg, then fold down the corners, so that they all meet in the middle of each piece of paste; slightly press the two pieces together, brush them over with the egg, sift over sugar, and bake in a nice quick oven for about / hour. when they are done, make a little hole in the middle of the paste, and fill it up with apricot jam, marmalade, or red-currant jelly. pile them high in the centre of a dish, on a napkin, and garnish with the same preserve the tartlets are filled with. _time_.-- / hour or minutes. _average cost_, with / lb. of puff-paste, s. _sufficient_ for dishes of pastry. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--it should be borne in mind, that, for all dishes of small pastry, such as the preceding, trimmings of puff-pasty, left from larger tarts, answer as well as making the paste expressly. puits d'amour, or puff-paste rings. . ingredients.--puff-paste no. , the white of an egg, sifted loaf sugar. _mode_.--make some good puff-paste by recipe no. ; roll it out to the thickness of about / inch, and, with a round fluted paste-cutter, stamp out as many pieces as may be required; then work the paste up again, and roll it out to the same thickness, and with a smaller cutter, stamp out sufficient pieces to correspond with the larger ones. again stamp out the centre of these smaller rings; brush over the others with the white of an egg, place a small ring on the top of every large circular piece of paste, egg over the tops, and bake from to minutes. sift over sugar, put them back in the oven to colour them; then fill the rings with preserve of any bright colour. dish them high on a napkin, and serve. so many pretty dishes of pastry may be made by stamping puff-paste out with fancy cutters, and filling the pieces, when baked, with jelly or preserve, that our space will not allow us to give a separate recipe for each of them; but, as they are all made from one paste, and only the shape and garnishing varied, perhaps it is not necessary, and by exercising a little ingenuity, variety may always be obtained. half-moons, leaves, diamonds, stars, shamrocks, rings, etc., are the most appropriate shapes for fancy pastry. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, with / lb. of paste, s. _sufficient_ for dishes of pastry. _seasonable_ at any time. paradise pudding. . ingredients.-- eggs, apples, / lb. of bread crumbs, oz. of sugar, oz. of currants, salt and grated nutmeg to taste, the rind of / lemon, / wineglassful of brandy. _mode_.--pare, core, and mince the apples into small pieces, and mix them with the other dry ingredients; beat up the eggs, moisten the mixture with these, and beat it well; stir in the brandy, and put the pudding into a buttered mould; tie it down with a cloth, boil for - / hour, and serve with sweet sauce. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. pease pudding. . ingredients.-- - / pint of split peas, oz. of butter, eggs, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--put the peas to soak over-night, in rain-water, and float off any that are wormeaten or discoloured. tie them loosely in a clean cloth, leaving a little room for them to swell, and put them on to boil in cold rain-water, allowing - / hours after the water has simmered up. when the peas are tender, take them up and drain; rub them through a colander with a wooden spoon; add the butter, eggs, pepper, and salt; beat all well together for a few minutes, until the ingredients are well incorporated; then tie them tightly in a floured cloth; boil the pudding for another hour, turn it on to the dish, and serve very hot. this pudding should always be sent to table with boiled leg of pork, and is an exceedingly nice accompaniment to boiled beef. _time_.-- - / hours to boil the peas, tied loosely in the cloth; hour for the pudding. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to march. baked plum-pudding. . ingredients.-- lbs. of flour, lb. of currants, lb. of raisins, lb. of suet, eggs, pint of milk, a few slices of candied peel. _mode_.--chop the suet finely; mix with it the flour, currants, stoned raisins, and candied peel; moisten with the well-beaten eggs, and add sufficient milk to make the pudding of the consistency of very thick batter. put it into a buttered dish, and bake in a good oven from - / to - / hours; turn it out, strew sifted sugar over, and serve. for a very plain pudding, use only half the quantity of fruit, omit the eggs, and substitute milk or water for them. the above ingredients make a large family pudding; for a small one, half the quantity would be found ample; but it must be baked quite - / hour. _time_.--large pudding, - / to - / hours; half the size, - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter. [illustration: raisin-grape.] raisin grape.--all the kinds of raisins have much the same virtues; they are nutritive and balsamic, but they are very subject to fermentation with juices of any kind; and hence, when eaten immoderately, they often bring on colics. there are many varieties of grape used for raisins; the fruit of valencia is that mostly dried for culinary purposes, whilst most of the table kinds are grown in malaga, and called muscatels. the finest of all table raisins come from provence or italy; the most esteemed of all are those of roquevaire; they are very large and very sweet. this sort is rarely eaten by any but the most wealthy. the dried malaga, or muscatel raisins, which come to this country packed in small boxes, and nicely preserved in bunches, are variable in their quality, but mostly of a rich flavour, when new, juicy, and of a deep purple hue. an excellent plum-pudding, made without eggs. . ingredients.-- / lb. of flour, oz. of raisins, oz. of currants, / lb. of chopped suet, / lb. of brown sugar, / lb. of mashed carrot, / lb. of mashed potatoes, tablespoonful of treacle, oz. of candied lemon-peel, oz. of candied citron. _mode_.--mix the flour, currants, suet, and sugar well together; have ready the above proportions of mashed carrot and potato, which stir into the other ingredients; add the treacle and lemon-peel; but put no liquid in the mixture, or it will be spoiled. tie it loosely in a cloth, or, if put in a basin, do not quite fill it, as the pudding should have room to swell, and boil it for hours. serve with brandy-sauce. this pudding is better for being mixed over-night. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter. an unrivalled plum-pudding. . ingredients.-- - / lb. of muscatel raisins, - / lb. of currants, lb. of sultana raisins, lbs. of the finest moist sugar, lbs. of bread crumbs, eggs, lbs. of finely-chopped suet, oz. of mixed candied peel, the rind of lemons, oz. of ground nutmeg, oz. of ground cinnamon, / oz. of pounded bitter almonds, / pint of brandy. _mode_.--stone and cut up the raisins, but do not chop them; wash and dry the currants, and cut the candied peel into thin slices. mix all the dry ingredients well together, and moisten with the eggs, which should be well beaten and strained, to the pudding; stir in the brandy, and, when all is thoroughly mixed, well butter and flour a stout new pudding-cloth; put in the pudding, tie it down very tightly and closely, boil from to hours, and serve with brandy-sauce. a few sweet almonds, blanched and cut in strips, and stuck on the pudding, ornament it prettily. this quantity may be divided and boiled in buttered moulds. for small families this is the most desirable way, as the above will be found to make a pudding of rather large dimensions. _time_.-- to hours. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ in winter. _sufficient_ for or persons. _note_.--the muscatel raisins can be purchased at a cheap rate loose (not in bunches): they are then scarcely higher in price than the ordinary raisins, and impart a much richer flavour to the pudding. [illustration: sultana grape.] sultana grape.--we have elsewhere stated that the small black grape grown in corinth and the ionian isles is, when dried, the common currant of the grocers' shops; the white or yellow grape, grown in the same places, is somewhat larger than the black variety, and is that which produces the sultana raisin. it has been called sultana from its delicate qualities and unique growth: the finest are those of smyrna. they have not sufficient flavour and sugary properties to serve alone for puddings and cakes, but they are peculiarly valuable for mixing, that is to say, for introducing in company with the richer sorts of valencias or muscatels. in white puddings, or cakes, too, where the whiteness must be preserved, the sultana raisin should be used. but the greatest value of this fruit in the _cuisine_ is that of its saving labour; for it has no stones. half muscatels and half sultanas are an admirable mixture for general purposes. a plain christmas pudding for children. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, lb. of bread crumbs, / lb. of stoned raisins, / lb. of currants, / lb. of suet, or eggs, milk, oz. of candied peel, teaspoonful of powdered allspice, / saltspoonful of salt. _mode_.--let the suet be finely chopped, the raisins stoned, and the currants well washed, picked, and dried. mix these with the other dry ingredients, and stir all well together; beat and strain the eggs to the pudding, stir these in, and add just sufficient milk to make it mix properly. tie it up in a well-floured cloth, put it into boiling water, and boil for at least hours. serve with a sprig of holly placed in the middle of the pudding, and a little pounded sugar sprinkled over it. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or children. _seasonable_ at christmas. raisins.--raisins are grapes, prepared by suffering them to remain on the vine until they are perfectly ripe, and then drying them in the sun or by the heat of an oven. the sun-dried grapes are sweet, the oven-dried of an acid flavour. the common way of drying grapes for raisins is to tie two or three bunches of them together, whilst yet on the vine, and dip them into a hot lixivium of wood-ashes mixed with a little of the oil of olives: this disposes them to shrink and wrinkle, after which they are left on the vine three or four days, separated, on sticks in a horizontal situation, and then dried in the sun at leisure, after being cut from the tree. christmas plum-pudding. (_very good_.) . ingredients.-- - / lb. of raisins, / lb. of currants, / lb. of mixed peel, / lb. of bread crumbs, / lb. of suet, eggs, wineglassful of brandy. [illustration: christmas plum-pudding in mould.] _mode_.--stone and cut the raisins in halves, but do not chop them; wash, pick, and dry the currants, and mince the suet finely; cut the candied peel into thin slices, and grate down the bread into fine crumbs. when all these dry ingredients are prepared, mix them well together; then moisten the mixture with the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the brandy; stir well, that everything may be very thoroughly blended, and _press_ the pudding into a buttered mould; tie it down tightly with a floured cloth, and boil for or hours. it may be boiled in a cloth without a mould, and will require the same time allowed for cooking. as christmas puddings are usually made a few days before they are required for table, when the pudding is taken out of the pot, hang it up immediately, and put a plate or saucer underneath to catch the water that may drain from it. the day it is to be eaten, plunge it into boiling water, and keep it boiling for at least hours; then turn it out of the mould, and serve with brandy-sauce. on christmas-day a sprig of holly is usually placed in the middle of the pudding, and about a wineglassful of brandy poured round it, which, at the moment of serving, is lighted, and the pudding thus brought to table encircled in flame. _time_.-- or hours the first time of boiling; hours the day it is to be served. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for a quart mould for or persons. _seasonable_ on the th of december, and on various festive occasions till march. _note_.--five or six of these puddings should be made at one time, as they will keep good for many weeks, and in cases where unexpected guests arrive, will be found an acceptable, and, as it only requires warming through, a quickly-prepared dish. moulds of every shape and size are manufactured for these puddings, and may be purchased of messrs. r. & j. slack, , strand. brandy is the alcoholic or spirituous portion of wine, separated from the aqueous part, the colouring matter, &c., by distillation. the word is of german origin, and in its german form, _brantuein_, signifies burnt wine, or wine that has undergone the action of fire; brandies, so called, however, have been made from potatoes, carrots, beetroot, pears, and other vegetable substances; but they are all inferior to true brandy. brandy is prepared in most wine countries, but that of france is the most esteemed. it is procured not only by distilling the wine itself, but also by fermenting and distilling the _marc_, or residue of the pressings of the grape. it is procured indifferently from red or white wine, and different wines yield very different proportions of it, the strongest, of course, giving the largest quantity. brandy obtained from marc has a more acrid taste than that from wine. the celebrated brandy of cognac, a town in the department of charente, and that brought from andraye, seem to owe their excellence from being made from white wine. like other spirit, brandy is colourless when recently distilled; by mere keeping, however, owing, probably, to some change in the soluble matter contained in it, it acquires a slight colour, which is much increased by keeping in casks, and is made of the required intensity by the addition of burnt sugar or other colouring matter. what is called _british brandy_ is not, in fact, brandy, which is the name, as we have said, of a spirit distilled from _wine;_ but is a spirit made chiefly from malt spirit, with the addition of mineral acids and various flavouring ingredients, the exact composition being kept secret. it is distilled somewhat extensively in this country; real brandy scarcely at all. the brandies imported into england are chiefly from bordeaux, rochelle, and cognac. a pound plum-pudding. . ingredients.-- lb. of suet, lb. of currants, lb. of stoned raisins, eggs, / grated nutmeg, oz. of sliced candied peel, teaspoonful of ground ginger, / lb. of bread crumbs, / lb. of flour, / pint of milk. [illustration: baked pudding or cake-mould.] _mode_.--chop the suet finely; mix with it the dry ingredients; stir these well together, and add the well-beaten eggs and milk to moisten with. beat up the mixture well, and should the above proportion of milk not be found sufficient to make it of the proper consistency, a little more should be added. press the pudding into a mould, tie it in a floured cloth, and boil for hours, or rather longer, and serve with brandy-sauce. _time_.-- hours, or longer. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter. _note_.--the above pudding may be baked instead of boiled; it should be put into a buttered mould or tin, and baked for about hours; a smaller one would take about - / hour. citron.--the fruit of the citron-tree (_citrus medica_) is acidulous, antiseptic, and antiscorbutic: it excites the appetite, and stops vomiting, and, like lemon-juice, has been greatly extolled in chronic rheumatism, gout, and scurvy. mixed with cordials, it is used as an antidote to the _machineel poison_. the candied peel is prepared in the same manner as orange or lemon-peel; that is to say, the peel is boiled in water until quite soft, and then suspended in concentrated syrup (in the cold), after which it is either dried in a current of warm air, or in a stove, at a heat not exceeding ° fahrenheit. the syrup must be kept fully saturated with sugar by reboiling it once or twice during the process. it may be dusted with powdered lump sugar, if necessary. the citron is supposed to be the median, assyrian, or persian apple of the greeks. it is described by risso as having a majestic appearance, its shining leaves and rosy flowers being succeeded by fruit whose beauty and size astonish the observer, whilst their odour gratifies his senses. in china there is an enormous variety, but the citron is cultivated in all orange-growing countries. plum-pudding of fresh fruit. . ingredients.-- / lb. of suet crust no. - / pint of orleans or any other kind of plum, / lb. of moist sugar. _mode_.--line a pudding-basin with suet crust rolled out to the thickness of about / inch; fill the basin with the fruit, put in the sugar, and cover with crust. fold the edges over, and pinch them together, to prevent the juice escaping. tie over a floured cloth, put the pudding into boiling water, and boil from to - / hours. turn it out of the basin, and serve quickly. _time_.-- to - / hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_, with various kinds of plums, from the beginning of august to the beginning of october. [illustration: plum.] plums.--almost all the varieties of the cultivated plum are agreeable and refreshing: it is not a nourishing fruit, and if indulged in to excess, when unripe, is almost certain to cause diarrhoea and cholera. weak and delicate persons had better abstain from plums altogether. the modes of preparing plums are as numerous as the varieties of the fruit. the objections raised against raw plums do not apply to the cooked fruit, which even the invalid may eat in moderation. plum tart. . ingredients.-- / lb. of good short crust no. , - / pint of plums, / lb. of moist sugar. [illustration: plum tart.] _mode_.--line the edges of a deep tart-dish with crust made by recipe no. ; fill the dish with plums, and place a small cup or jar, upside down, in the midst of them. put in the sugar, cover the pie with crust, ornament the edges, and bake in a good oven from / to / hour. when puff-crust is preferred to short crust, use that made by recipe no. , and glaze the top by brushing it over with the white of an egg beaten to a stiff froth with a knife; sprinkle over a little sifted sugar, and put the pie in the oven to set the glaze. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_, with various kinds of plums, from the beginning of august to the beginning of october. potato pasty. . ingredients.-- - / lb. of rump-steak or mutton cutlets, pepper and salt to taste, / pint of weak broth or gravy, oz. of butter, mashed potatoes. [illustration: potato-pasty pan.] _mode_.--place the meat, cut in small pieces, at the bottom of the pan; season it with pepper and salt, and add the gravy and butter broken, into small pieces. put on the perforated plate, with its valve-pipe screwed on, and fill up the whole space to the top of the tube with nicely-mashed potatoes mixed with a little milk, and finish the surface of them in any ornamental manner. if carefully baked, the potatoes will be covered with a delicate brown crust, retaining all the savoury steam rising from the meat. send it to table as it comes from the oven, with a napkin folded round it. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. potato pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of mashed potatoes, oz. of butter, eggs, / pint of milk, tablespoonfuls of sherry, / saltspoonful of salt, the juice and rind of small lemon, oz. of sugar. _mode_.--boil sufficient potatoes to make / lb. when mashed; add to these the butter, eggs, milk, sherry, lemon-juice, and sugar; mince the lemon-peel very finely, and beat all the ingredients well together. put the pudding into a buttered pie-dish, and bake for rather more than / hour. to enrich it, add a few pounded almonds, and increase the quantity of eggs and butter. _time_.-- / hour, or rather longer. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. to ice or glaze pastry. . to glaze pastry, which is the usual method adopted for meat or raised pies, break an egg, separate the yolk from the white, and beat the former for a short time. then, when the pastry is nearly baked, take it out of the oven, brush it over with this beaten yolk of egg, and put it back in the oven to set the glaze. . to ice pastry, which is the usual method adopted for fruit tarts and sweet dishes of pastry, put the white of an egg on a plate, and with the blade of a knife beat it to a stiff froth. when the pastry is nearly baked, brush it over with this, and sift over some pounded sugar; put it back into the oven to set the glaze, and, in a few minutes, it will be done. great care should be taken that the paste does not catch or burn in the oven, which it is very liable to do after the icing is laid on. _sufficient_--allow egg and - / oz. of sugar to glaze tarts. [illustration: sugar canes.] sugar has been happily called "the honey of reeds." the sugar-cane appears to be originally a native of the east indies. the chinese have cultivated it for , years. the egyptians, phoenicians, and jews knew nothing about it. the greek physicians are the first who speak of it. it was not till the year that a venetian discovered the method of purifying brown sugar and making loaf sugar. he gained an immense fortune by this discovery. our supplies are now obtained from barbadoes, jamaica, mauritius, ceylon, the east and west indies generally, and the united states; but the largest supplies come from cuba. sugar is divided into the following classes:--refined sugar, white clayed, brown clayed, brown raw, and molasses. the sugarcane grows to the height of six, twelve, or even sometimes twenty feet. it is propagated from cuttings, requires much hoeing and weeding, giving employment to thousands upon thousands of slaves in the slave countries, and attains maturity in twelve or thirteen months. when ripe, it is cut down close to the stole, the stems are divided into lengths of about three feet, which are made up into bundles, and carried to the mill, to be crushed between rollers. in the process of crushing, the juice runs down into a reservoir, from which, after a while, it is drawn through a siphon; that is to say, the clear fluid is taken from the scum. this fluid undergoes several processes of drying and refining; the methods varying in different manufactories. there are some large establishments engaged in sugar-refining in the neighbourhoods of blackwall and bethnal green, london. the process is mostly in the hands of german workmen. sugar is adulterated with fine sand and sawdust. pure sugar is highly nutritious, adding to the fatty tissue of the body; but it is not easy of digestion. baked raisin pudding. (_plain and economical_.) . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of stoned raisins, / lb. of suet, a pinch of salt, oz. of sugar, a little grated nutmeg, milk. _mode_.--chop the suet finely; stone the raisins and cut them in halves; mix these with the suet, add the salt, sugar, and grated nutmeg, and moisten the whole with sufficient milk to make it of the consistency of thick batter. put the pudding into a buttered pie-dish, and bake for - / hour, or rather longer. turn it out of the dish, strew sifted sugar over, and serve. this is a very plain recipe, and suitable where there is a family of children. it, of course, can be much improved by the addition of candied peel, currants, and rather a larger proportion of suet: a few eggs would also make the pudding richer. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter. introduction of sugar.--sugar was first known as a drug, and used by the apothecaries, and with them was a most important article. at its first appearance, some said it was heating; others, that it injured the chest; others, that it disposed persons to apoplexy; the truth, however, soon conquered these fancies, and the use of sugar has increased every day, and there is no household in the civilized world which can do without it. boiled raisin pudding. (_plain and economical_.) . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of stoned raisins, / lb. of chopped suet, / saltspoonful of salt, milk. _mode_.--after having stoned the raisins and chopped the suet finely, mix them with the flour, add the salt, and when these dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, moisten the pudding with sufficient milk to make it into rather a stiff paste. tie it up in a floured cloth, put it into boiling water, and boil for hours: serve with sifted sugar. this pudding may, also, be made in a long shape, the same as a rolled jam-pudding, and will then not require so long boiling;-- - / hours would then be quite sufficient. _time_.--made round, hours; in a long shape, - / hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter. boiled rhubarb pudding. . ingredients.-- or sticks of fine rhubarb, / lb. of moist sugar, / lb. of suet-crust no. . _mode_.--make a suet-crust with / lb. of flour, by recipe no. , and line a buttered basin with it. wash and wipe the rhubarb, and, if old, string it--that is to say, pare off the outside skin. cut it into inch lengths, fill the basin with it, put in the sugar, and cover with crust. pinch the edges of the pudding together, tie over it a floured cloth, put it into boiling water, and boil from to - / hours. turn it out of the basin, and serve with a jug of cream and sifted sugar. _time_.-- to - / hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in spring. rhubarb tart. . ingredients.-- / lb. of puff-paste no. , about sticks of large rhubarb, / lb. of moist sugar. _mode_.--make a puff-crust by recipe no. ; line the edges of a deep pie-dish with it, and wash, wipe, and cut the rhubarb into pieces about inch long. should it be old and tough, string it, that is to say, pare off the outside skin. pile the fruit high in the dish, as it shrinks very much in the cooking; put in the sugar, cover with crust, ornament the edges, and bake the tart in a well-heated oven from / to / hour. if wanted very nice, brush it over with the white of an egg beaten to a stiff froth, then sprinkle on it some sifted sugar, and put it in the oven just to set the glaze: this should be done when the tart is nearly baked. a small quantity of lemon-juice, and a little of the peel minced, are by many persons considered an improvement to the flavour of rhubarb tart. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in spring. [illustration: rhubarb.] rhubarb.--this is one of the most useful of all garden productions that are put into pies and puddings. it was comparatively little known till within the last twenty or thirty years, but it is now cultivated in almost every british garden. the part used is the footstalks of the leaves, which, peeled and cut into small pieces, are put into tarts, either mixed with apples or alone. when quite young, they are much better not peeled. rhubarb comes in season when apples are going out. the common rhubarb is a native of asia; the scarlet variety has the finest flavour. turkey rhubarb, the well-known medicinal drug, is the root of a very elegant plant (_rheum palmatum_), coming to greatest perfection in tartary. for culinary purposes, all kinds of rhubarb are the better for being blanched. raised pie of poultry or game. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow / lb. of butter, / pint of water, the yolks of eggs, / teaspoonful of salt (these are for the crust); large fowl or pheasant, a few slices of veal cutlet, a few slices of dressed ham, forcemeat, seasoning of nutmeg, allspice, pepper and salt, gravy. [illustration: raised pie.] _mode_.--make a stiff short crust with the above proportion of butter, flour, water, and eggs, and work it up very smoothly; butter a raised-pie mould, as shown in no. , and line it with the paste. previously to making the crust, bone the fowl, or whatever bird is intended to be used, lay it, breast downwards, upon a cloth, and season the inside well with pounded mace, allspice, pepper, and salt; then spread over it a layer of forcemeat, then a layer of seasoned veal, and then one of ham, and then another layer of forcemeat, and roll the fowl over, making the skin meet at the back. line the pie with forcemeat, put in the fowl, and fill up the cavities with slices of seasoned veal and ham and forcemeat; wet the edges of the pie, put on the cover, pinch the edges together with the paste-pincers, and decorate it with leaves; brush it over with beaten yolk of egg, and bake in a moderate oven for hours. in the mean time, make a good strong gravy from the bones, pour it through a funnel into the hole at the top; cover this hole with a small leaf, and the pie, when cold, will be ready for use. let it be remembered that the gravy must be considerably reduced before it is poured into the pie, as, when cold, it should form a firm jelly, and not be the least degree in a liquid state. this recipe is suitable for all kinds of poultry or game, using one or more birds, according to the size of the pie intended to be made; but the birds must always be boned. truffles, mushrooms, &c., added to this pie, make it much nicer; and, to enrich it, lard the fleshy parts of the poultry or game with thin strips of bacon. this method of forming raised pies in a mould is generally called a _timbale_, and has the advantage of being more easily made than one where the paste is raised by the hands; the crust, besides, being eatable. (_see_ coloured plate n .) _time_.--large pie, hours. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_, with poultry, all the year; with game, from september to march. raised pie of veal and ham. . ingredients.-- or lbs. of veal cutlets, a few slices of bacon or ham, seasoning of pepper, salt, nutmeg, and allspice, forcemeat no. , lbs. of hot-water paste no. , / pint of good strong gravy. _mode_.--to raise the crust for a pie with the hands is a very difficult task, and can only be accomplished by skilled and experienced cooks. the process should be seen to be satisfactorily learnt, and plenty of practice given to the making of raised pies, as by that means only will success be insured. make a hot-water paste by recipe no. , and from the mass raise the pie with the hands; if this cannot be accomplished, cut out pieces for the top and bottom, and a long piece for the sides; fasten the bottom and side-piece together by means of egg, and pinch the edges well together; then line the pie with forcemeat made by recipe no. , put in a layer of veal, and a plentiful seasoning of salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice, as, let it be remembered, these pies taste very insipid unless highly seasoned. over the seasoning place a layer of sliced bacon or cooked ham, and then a layer of forcemeat, veal seasoning, and bacon, and so on until the meat rises to about an inch above the paste; taking care to finish with a layer of forcemeat, to fill all the cavities of the pie, and to lay in the meat firmly and compactly. brush the top edge of the pie with beaten egg, put on the cover, press the edges, and pinch them round with paste-pincers. make a hole in the middle of the lid, and ornament the pie with leaves, which should be stuck on with the white of an egg; then brush it all over with the beaten yolk of an egg, and bake the pie in an oven with a soaking heat from to hours. to ascertain when it is done, run a sharp-pointed knife or skewer through the hole at the top into the middle of the pie, and if the meat feels tender, it is sufficiently baked. have ready about / pint of very strong gravy, pour it through a funnel into the hole at the top, stop up the hole with a small leaf of baked paste, and put the pie away until wanted for use. should it acquire too much colour in the baking, cover it with white paper, as the crust should not in the least degree be burnt. mushrooms, truffles, and many other ingredients, may be added to enrich the flavour of these pies, and the very fleshy parts of the meat may be larded. these pies are more frequently served cold than hot, and form excellent dishes for cold suppers or breakfasts. the cover of the pie is sometimes carefully removed, leaving the perfect edges, and the top decorated with square pieces of very bright aspic jelly: this has an exceedingly pretty effect. _time_.--about hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for a very large pie. _seasonable_ from march to october. baked rice pudding. i. . ingredients.-- small teacupful of rice, eggs, pint of milk, oz. of fresh butter, oz. of beef marrow, / lb. of currants, tablespoonfuls of brandy, nutmeg, / lb. of sugar, the rind of / lemon. _mode_.--put the lemon-rind and milk into a stewpan, and let it infuse till the milk is well flavoured with the lemon; in the mean time, boil the rice until tender in water, with a very small quantity of salt, and, when done, let it be thoroughly drained. beat the eggs, stir to them the milk, which should be strained, the butter, marrow, currants, and remaining ingredients; add the rice, and mix all well together. line the edges of the dish with puff-paste, put in the pudding, and bake for about / hour in a slow oven. slices of candied-peel may be added at pleasure, or sultana raisins may be substituted for the currants. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--suitable for a winter pudding, when fresh fruits are not obtainable. rice, with proper management in cooking it, forms a very valuable and cheap addition to our farinaceous food, and, in years of scarcity, has been found eminently useful in lessening the consumption of flour. when boiled, it should be so managed that the grains, though soft, should be as little broken and as dry as possible. the water in which it is dressed should only simmer, and not boil hard. very little water should be used, as the grains absorb a great deal, and, consequently, swell much; and if they take up too much at first, it is difficult to get rid of it. baking it in puddings is the best mode of preparing it. ii. (_plain and economical; a nice pudding for children_.) . ingredients.-- teacupful of rice, tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, quart of milk, / oz. of butter or small tablespoonfuls of chopped suet, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg. _mode_.--wash the rice, put it into a pie-dish with the sugar, pour in the milk, and stir these ingredients well together; then add the butter cut up into very small pieces, or, instead of this, the above proportion of finely-minced suet; grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake the pudding, in a moderate oven, from - / to hours. as the rice is not previously cooked, care must be taken that the pudding be very slowly baked, to give plenty of time for the rice to swell, and for it to be very thoroughly done. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or children. _seasonable_ at any time. plain boiled rice pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of rice. _mode_.--wash the rice, tie it in a pudding-cloth, allowing room for the rice to swell, and put it into a saucepan of cold water; boil it gently for hours, and if, after a time, the cloth seems tied too loosely, take the rice up and tighten the cloth. serve with sweet melted butter, or cold butter and sugar, or stewed fruit, jam, or marmalade; any of which accompaniments are suitable for plain boiled rice. _time_.-- hours after the water boils. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. boiled rice pudding. i. . ingredients.-- / lb. of rice, - / pint of new milk, oz. of butter, eggs, / saltspoonful of salt, large tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, flavouring to taste. _mode_.--stew the rice very gently in the above proportion of new milk, and, when it is tender, pour it into a basin; stir in the butter, and let it stand to cool; then beat the eggs, add these to the rice with the sugar, salt, and any flavouring that may be approved, such as nutmeg, powdered cinnamon, grated lemon-peel, essence of bitter almonds, or vanilla. when all is well stirred, put the pudding into a buttered basin, tie it down with a cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and boil for - / hour. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. varieties of rice.--of the varieties of rice brought to our market, that from bengal is chiefly of the species denominated _cargo_ rice, and is of a coarse reddish-brown cast, but peculiarly sweet and large-grained; it does not readily separate from the husk, but it is preferred by the natives to all the others. _patua_ rice is more esteemed in europe, and is of very superior qualify; it is small-grained, rather long and wiry, and is remarkably white. the _carolina_ rice is considered as the best, and is likewise the dearest in london. ii. (_with dried or fresh fruit; a nice dish for the nursery_.) . ingredients.-- / lb. of rice, pint of any kind of fresh fruit that may be preferred, or / lb. of raisins or currants. _mode_.--wash the rice, tie it in a cloth, allowing room for it to swell, and put it into a saucepan of cold water; let it boil for an hour, then take it up, untie the cloth, stir in the fruit, and tie it up again tolerably tight, and put it into the water for the remainder of the time. boil for another hour, or rather longer, and serve with sweet sauce, if made with dried fruit, and with plain sifted sugar and a little cream or milk, if made with fresh fruit. _time_.-- hour to boil the rice without the fruit; hour, or longer, afterwards. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or children. _seasonable_ at any time. note.--this pudding is very good made with apples: they should be pared cored, and cut into thin slices. boiled rice for curries, &c. . ingredients.-- / lb. of rice, water, salt. _mode_.--pick, wash, and soak the rice in plenty of cold water; then have ready a saucepan of boiling water, drop the rice into it, and keep it boiling quickly, with the lid uncovered, until it is tender, but not soft. take it up, drain it, and put it on a dish before the fire to dry: do not handle it much with a spoon, but shake it about a little with two forks, that it may all be equally dried, and strew over a little salt. it is now ready to serve, and may be heaped lightly on a dish by itself, or be laid round the dish as a border, with a curry or fricassee in the centre. some cooks smooth the rice with the back of a spoon, and then brush it over with the yolk of an egg, and set it in the oven to colour; but the rice well boiled, white, dry, and with every grain distinct, is by far the more preferable mode of dressing it. during the process of boiling, the rice should be attentively watched, that it be not overdone, as, if this is the case, it will have a mashed and soft appearance. _time_.-- to minutes, according to the quality of the rice. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for a large dish of curry. _seasonable_ at any time. rice, in the native rough state, with the husk on, is called _paddy_, both in india and america, and it will keep better, and for a much longer time, in this state, than after the husk has been removed; besides which, prepared rice is apt to become dirty from rubbing about in the voyage on board ship, and in the warehouses. it is sometimes brought to england in the shape of paddy, and the husk detached here. paddy pays less duty than shelled rice. to boil rice for curries, &c. (_soyer's recipe_.) . ingredients.-- lb. of the best carolina rice, quarts of water, - / oz. of butter, a little salt. _mode_.--wash the rice well in two waters; make quarts of water boiling, and throw the rice into it; boil it until three-parts done, then drain it on a sieve. butter the bottom and sides of a stewpan, put in the rice, place the lid on tightly, and set it by the side of the fire until the rice is perfectly tender, occasionally shaking the pan to prevent its sticking. prepared thus, every grain should be separate and white. either dish it separately, or place it round the curry as a border. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for moderate-sized curries. _seasonable_ at any time. buttered rice. . ingredients.-- / lb. of rice, - / pint of milk, oz. of butter, sugar to taste, grated nutmeg or pounded cinnamon. _mode_.--wash and pick the rice, drain and put it into a saucepan with the milk; let it swell gradually, and, when tender, pour off the milk; stir in the butter, sugar, and nutmeg or cinnamon, and, when the butter is thoroughly melted, and the whole is quite hot, serve. after the milk is poured off, be particular that the rice does not burn: to prevent this, do not cease stirring it. _time_.--about / hour to swell the rice. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. rice was held in great esteem by the ancients: they considered it as a very beneficial food for the chest; therefore it was recommended in cases of consumption, and to persons subject to spitting of blood. savoury casserole of rice. or rice border, for ragouts, fricassees, &c. (an entree). . ingredients.-- - / lb. of rice, pints of weak stock or broth, slices of fat ham, teaspoonful of salt. [illustration: casserole of rice.] _mode_.--a casserole of rice, when made in a mould, is not such a difficult operation as when it is moulded by the hand. it is an elegant and inexpensive entrée, as the remains of cold fish, flesh, or fowl may be served as ragoûts, fricassees, &c., inclosed in the casserole. it requires great nicety in its preparation, the principal thing to attend to being the boiling of the rice, as, if this is not sufficiently cooked, the casserole, when moulded, will have a rough appearance, which would entirely spoil it. after having washed the rice in two or three waters, drain it well, and put it into a stewpan with the stock, ham, and salt; cover the pan closely, and let the rice gradually swell over a slow fire, occasionally stirring, to prevent its sticking. when it is quite soft, strain it, pick out the pieces of ham, and, with the back of a large wooden spoon, mash the rice to a perfectly smooth paste. then well grease a mould (moulds are made purposely for rice borders), and turn it upside down for a minute or two, to drain away the fat, should there be too much; put some rice all round the bottom and sides of it; place a piece of soft bread in the middle, and cover it with rice; press it in equally with the spoon, and let it cool. then dip the mould into hot water, turn the casserole carefully on to a dish, mark where the lid is to be formed on the top, by making an incision with the point of a knife about an inch from the edge all round, and put it into a _very hot_ oven. brush it over with a little clarified butter, and bake about / hour, or rather longer; then carefully remove the lid, which will be formed by the incision having been made all round, and remove the bread, in small pieces, with the point of a penknife, being careful not to injure the casserole. fill the centre with the ragoût or fricassee, which should be made thick; put on the cover, glaze it, place it in the oven to set the glaze, and serve as hot as possible. the casserole should not be emptied too much, as it is liable to crack from the weight of whatever is put in; and in baking it, let the oven be very hot, or the casserole will probably break. _time_.--about / hour to swell the rice. _sufficient_ for moderate-sized casseroles. _seasonable_ at any time. sweet casserole of rice (an entremets). . ingredients.-- - / lb. of rice, pints of milk, sugar to taste, flavouring of bitter almonds, oz. of butter, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--this is made in precisely the same manner as a savoury casserole, only substituting the milk and sugar for the stock and salt. put the milk into a stewpan, with sufficient essence of bitter almonds to flavour it well; then add the rice, which should be washed, picked, and drained, and let it swell gradually in the milk over a slow fire. when it is tender, stir in the sugar, butter, and yolks of eggs; butter a mould, press in the rice, and proceed in exactly the same manner as in recipe no. . when the casserole is ready, fill it with a compôte of any fruit that may be preferred, or with melted apricot-jam, and serve. _time_.--from / to hour to swell the rice, / to / hour to bake the casserole. _average cost_, exclusive of the compôte or jam, s. d. _sufficient_ for casseroles. _seasonable_ at any time. french rice pudding, or gateau de riz. . ingredients.--to every / lb. of rice allow quart of milk, the rind of lemon, / teaspoonful of salt, sugar to taste, oz. of butter, eggs, bread crumbs. _mode_.--put the milk into a stewpan with the lemon-rind, and let it infuse for / hour, or until the former is well flavoured; then take out the peel; have ready the rice washed, picked, and drained; put it into the milk, and let it gradually swell over a very slow fire. stir in the butter, salt, and sugar, and when properly sweetened, add the yolks of the eggs, and then the whites, both of which should be well beaten, and added separately to the rice. butter a mould, strew in some fine bread crumbs, and let them be spread equally over it; then carefully pour in the rice, and bake the pudding in a _slow_ oven for hour. turn it out of the mould, and garnish the dish with preserved cherries, or any bright-coloured jelly or jam. this pudding would be exceedingly nice, flavoured with essence of vanilla. _time_.-- / to hour for the rice to swell; to be baked hour in a slow oven. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. baked or boiled ground rice pudding. . ingredients.-- pints of milk, tablespoonfuls of ground rice, sugar to taste, eggs, flavouring of lemon-rind, nutmeg, bitter almonds or bay-leaf. _mode_.--put - / pint of the milk into a stewpan, with any of the above flavourings, and bring it to the boiling-point, and, with the other / pint of milk, mix the ground rice to a smooth batter; strain the boiling milk to this, and stir over the fire until the mixture is tolerably thick; then pour it into a basin, leave it uncovered, and when nearly or quite cold, sweeten it to taste, and add the eggs, which should be previously well beaten, with a little salt. put the pudding into a well-buttered basin, tie it down with a cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and boil for - / hour. for a baked pudding, proceed in precisely the same manner, only using half the above proportion of ground rice, with the same quantity of all the other ingredients: an hour will bake the pudding in a moderate oven. stewed fruit, or preserves, or marmalade, may be served with either the boiled or baked pudding, and will be found an improvement. _time_.-- - / hour to boil, hour to bake. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. iced rice pudding. . ingredients.-- oz. of rice, quart of milk, / lb. of sugar, the yolks of eggs, small teaspoonful of essence of vanilla. _mode_.--put the rice into a stewpan, with the milk and sugar, and let these simmer over a gentle fire until the rice is sufficiently soft to break up into a smooth mass, and should the milk dry away too much, a little more may be added. stir the rice occasionally, to prevent its burning, then beat it to a smooth mixture; add the yolks of the eggs, which should be well whisked, and the vanilla (should this flavouring not be liked, essence of bitter almonds may be substituted for it); put this rice custard into the freezing-pot, and proceed as directed in recipe no. . when wanted for table, turn the pudding out of the mould, and pour over the top, and round it, a _compôte_ of oranges, or any other fruit that may be preferred, taking care that the flavouring in the pudding harmonizes well with the fruit that is served with it. _time_.-- / hour to freeze the mixture. _average cost_, s. d.; exclusive of the _compôte_, s. d. _seasonable_.--served all the year round. miniature rice puddings. . ingredients.-- / lb. of rice, - / pint of milk, oz. of fresh butter, eggs, sugar to taste; flavouring of lemon-peel, bitter almonds, or vanilla; a few strips of candied peel. _mode_.--let the rice swell in pint of the milk over a slow fire, putting with it a strip of lemon-peel; stir to it the butter and the other / pint of milk, and let the mixture cool. then add the well-beaten eggs, and a few drops of essence of almonds or essence of vanilla, whichever may be preferred; butter well some small cups or moulds, line them with a few pieces of candied peel sliced very thin, fill them three parts full, and bake for about minutes; turn them out of the cups on to a white d'oyley, and serve with sweet sauce. the flavouring and candied peel might be omitted, and stewed fruit or preserve served instead, with these puddings. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for puddings. _seasonable_ at any time. arrowroot sauce for puddings. . ingredients.-- small teaspoonfuls of arrowroot, dessert-spoonfuls of pounded sugar, the juice of lemon, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, / pint of water. _mode_.--mix the arrowroot smoothly with the water; put this into a stewpan; add the sugar, strained lemon-juice, and grated nutmeg. stir these ingredients over the fire until they boil, when the sauce is ready for use. a small quantity of wine, or any liqueur, would very much improve the flavour of this sauce: it is usually served with bread, rice, custard, or any dry pudding that is not very rich. _time_.--altogether, minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. cherry sauce for sweet puddings. (_german recipe_.) . ingredients.-- lb. of cherries, tablespoonful of flour, oz. of butter, / pint of water, wineglassful of port wine, a little grated lemon-rind, pounded cloves, tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, sugar to taste. _mode_.--stone the cherries, and pound the kernels in a mortar to a smooth paste; put the butter and flour into a saucepan; stir them over the fire until of a pale brown; then add the cherries, the pounded kernels, the wine, and the water. simmer these gently for / hour, or until the cherries are quite cooked, and rub the whole through a hair sieve; add the remaining ingredients, let the sauce boil for another minutes, and serve. this is a delicious sauce to serve with boiled batter pudding, and when thus used, should be sent to table poured over the pudding. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in june, july, and august. lemon sauce for sweet puddings. . ingredients.--the rind and juice of lemon, tablespoonful of flour, oz. of butter, large wineglassful of sherry, wineglassful of water, sugar to taste, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--rub the rind of the lemon on to some lumps of sugar; squeeze out the juice, and strain it; put the butter and flour into a saucepan, stir them over the fire, and when of a pale brown, add the wine, water, and strained lemon-juice. crush the lumps of sugar that were rubbed on the lemon; stir these into the sauce, which should be very sweet. when these ingredients are well mixed, and the sugar is melted, put in the beaten yolks of eggs; keep stirring the sauce until it thickens, when serve. do not, on any account, allow it to boil, or it will curdle, and be entirely spoiled. _time_.--altogether, minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. soyer's sauce for plum-pudding. . ingredients.--the yolks of eggs, tablespoonful of powdered sugar, gill of milk, a very little grated lemon-rind, small wineglassfuls of brandy. _mode_.--separate the yolks from the whites of eggs, and put the former into a stewpan; add the sugar, milk, and grated lemon-rind, and stir over the fire until the mixture thickens; but do _not_ allow it to _boil_. put in the brandy; let the sauce stand by the side of the fire, to get quite hot; keep stirring it, and serve in a boat or tureen separately, or pour it over the pudding. _time_.--altogether, minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. sweet sauce for puddings. . ingredients.-- / pint of melted butter made with milk, heaped teaspoonfuls of pounded sugar, flavouring; of grated lemon-rind, or nutmeg, or cinnamon. _mode_.--make / pint of melted butter by recipe no. , omitting the salt; stir in the sugar, add a little grated lemon-rind, nutmeg, or powdered cinnamon, and serve. previously to making the melted butter, the milk can be flavoured with bitter almonds, by infusing about half a dozen of them in it for about / hour; the milk should then be strained before it is added to the other ingredients. this simple sauce may be served for children with rice, batter, or bread pudding. _time_.--altogether, minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. vanilla custard sauce, to serve with puddings. . ingredients.-- / pint of milk, eggs, oz. of sugar, drops of essence of vanilla. _mode_.--beat the eggs, sweeten the milk; stir these ingredients well together, and flavour them with essence of vanilla, regulating the proportion of this latter ingredient by the strength of the essence, the size of the eggs, &c. put the mixture into a small jug, place this jug in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir the sauce _one way_ until it thickens; but do not allow it to boil, or it will instantly curdle. serve in a boat or tureen separately, with plum, bread, or any kind of dry pudding. essence of bitter almonds or lemon-rind may be substituted for the vanilla, when they are more in accordance with the flavouring of the pudding with which the sauce is intended to be served. _time_.--to be stirred in the jug from to minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. an excellent wine sauce for puddings. . ingredients.--the yolks of eggs, teaspoonful of flour, oz. of pounded sugar, oz. of fresh butter, / saltspoonful of salt, / pint of sherry or madeira. _mode_.--put the butter and flour into a saucepan, and stir them over the fire until the former thickens; then add the sugar, salt, and wine, and mix these ingredients well together. separate the yolks from the whites of eggs; beat up the former, and stir them briskly to the sauce; let it remain over the fire until it is on the point of simmering; but do not allow it to boil, or it will instantly curdle. this sauce is delicious with plum, marrow, or bread puddings; but should be served separately, and not poured over the pudding. _time_.--from to minutes to thicken the butter; about minutes to stir the sauce over the fire. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. wine or brandy sauce for puddings. . ingredients.-- / pint of melted butter no. , heaped teaspoonfuls of pounded sugar; _large_ wineglassful of port or sherry, or / of a _small_ glassful of brandy. _mode_.--make / pint of melted butter by recipe no. , omitting the salt; then stir in the sugar and wine or spirit in the above proportion, and bring the sauce to the point of boiling. serve in a boat or tureen separately, and, if liked, pour a little of it over the pudding. to convert this into punch sauce, add to the sherry and brandy a small wineglassful of rum and the juice and grated rind of / lemon. liqueurs, such as maraschino or curaçoa substituted for the brandy, make excellent sauces. _time_.--altogether, minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. wine sauce for puddings. . ingredients.-- / pint of sherry, / pint of water, the yolks of eggs, oz. of pounded sugar, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, a few pieces of candied citron cut thin. _mode_.--separate the yolks from the whites of eggs; beat them, and put them into a very clean saucepan (if at hand, a lined one is best); add all the other ingredients, place them over a sharp fire, and keep stirring until the sauce begins to thicken; then take it off and serve. if it is allowed to boil, it will be spoiled, as it will immediately curdle. _time_.--to be stirred over the fire or minutes; but it must not boil. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for a large pudding; allow half this quantity for a moderate-sized one. _seasonable_ at any time. open tart of strawberry or any other kind of preserve. [illustration: open tart.] [illustration: open-tart mould.] . ingredients.--trimmings of puff-paste, any kind of jam. _mode_.--butter a tart-pan of the shape shown in the engraving, roll out the paste to the thickness of / an inch, and line the pan with it; prick a few holes at the bottom with a fork, and bake the tart in a brisk oven from to minutes. let the paste cool a little; then fill it with preserve, place a few stars or leaves on it, which have been previously cut out of the paste and baked, and the tart is ready for table. by making it in this manner, both the flavour and colour of the jam are preserved, which would otherwise be lost, were it baked in the oven on the paste; and, besides, so much jam is not required. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_.-- tart for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. strawberry.--the name of this favourite fruit is said to be derived from an ancient custom of putting straw beneath the fruit when it began to ripen, which is very useful to keep it moist and clean. the strawberry belongs to temperate and rather cold climates; and no fruit of these latitudes, that ripens without the aid of artificial heat, is at all comparable with it in point of flavour. the strawberry is widely diffused, being found in most parts of the world, particularly in europe and america. quickly-made puddings. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, / lb. of sifted sugar, / lb. of flour, pint of milk, eggs, a little grated lemon-rind. _mode_.--make the milk hot; stir in the butter, and let it cool before the other ingredients are added to it; then stir in the sugar, flour, and eggs, which should be well whisked, and omit the whites of ; flavour with a little grated lemon-rind, and beat the mixture well. butter some small cups, rather more than half fill them; bake from minutes to / hour, according to the size of the puddings, and serve with fruit, custard, or wine sauce, a little of which may be poured over them. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for puddings. _seasonable_ at any time. sago pudding. . ingredients.-- - / pint of milk, tablespoonfuls of sago, the rind of / lemon, oz. of sugar, eggs, - / oz. of butter, grated nutmeg, puff-paste. _mode_.--put the milk and lemon-rind into a stewpan, place it by the side of the fire, and let it remain until the milk is well flavoured with the lemon; then strain it, mix with it the sago and sugar, and simmer gently for about minutes. let the mixture cool a little, and stir to it the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the butter. line the edges of a pie-dish with puff-paste, pour in the pudding, grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake from / to hour. _time_.-- / to hour, or longer if the oven is very slow. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the above pudding may be boiled instead of baked; but then allow extra tablespoonfuls of sago, and boil the pudding in a buttered basin from - / to - / hour. sago.--sago is the pith of a species of palm (_cycas circinalis_). its form is that of a small round grain. there are two sorts of sago,--the white and the yellow; but their properties are the same. sago absorbs the liquid in which it is cooked, becomes transparent and soft, and retains its original shape. its alimentary properties are the same as those of tapioca and arrowroot. sago sauce for sweet puddings. . ingredients.-- tablespoonful of sago, / pint of water, / pint of port or sherry, the rind and juice of small lemon, sugar to taste; when the flavour is liked, a little pounded cinnamon. _mode_.--wash the sago in two or three waters; then put it into a saucepan, with the water and lemon-peel; let it simmer gently by the side of the fire for minutes; then take out the lemon-peel, add the remaining ingredients, give one boil, and serve. be particular to strain the lemon-juice before adding it to the sauce. this, on trial, will be found a delicious accompaniment to various boiled puddings, such as those made of bread, raisins, rice, &c. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. baked semolina pudding. . ingredients.-- oz. of semolina, - / pint of milk, / lb. of sugar, bitter almonds, oz. of butter, eggs. _mode_.--flavour the milk with the bitter almonds, by infusing them in it by the side of the fire for about / hour; then strain it, and mix with it the semolina, sugar, and butter. stir these ingredients over the fire for a few minutes; then take them off, and gradually mix in the eggs, which should be well beaten. butter a pie-dish, line the edges with puff-paste, put in the pudding, and bake in rather a slow oven from to minutes. serve with custard sauce or stewed fruit, a little of which may be poured over the pudding. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. semolina.--after vermicelli, semolina is the most useful ingredient that can be used for thickening soups, meat or vegetable, of rich or simple quality. semolina is softening, light, wholesome, easy of digestion, and adapted to the infant, the aged, and the invalid. that of a clear yellow colour, well dried and newly made, is the fittest for use. tapioca pudding. . ingredients.-- oz. of tapioca, quart of milk, oz. of butter, / lb. of sugar, eggs, flavouring of vanilla, grated lemon-rind, or bitter almonds. _mode_.--wash the tapioca, and let it stew gently in the milk by the side of the fire for / hour, occasionally stirring it; then let it cool a little; mix with it the butter, sugar, and eggs, which should be well beaten, and flavour with either of the above ingredients, putting in about drops of the essence of almonds or vanilla, whichever is preferred. butter a pie-dish, and line the edges with puff-paste; put in the pudding, and bake in a moderate oven for an hour. if the pudding is boiled, add a little more tapioca, and boil it in a buttered basin - / hour. _time_.-- hour to bake, - / hour to boil. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. tapioca.--tapioca is recommended to the convalescent, as being easy of digestion. it may be used in soup or broth, or mixed with milk or water, and butter. it is excellent food for either the healthy or sick, for the reason that it is so quickly digested without fatigue to the stomach. tartlets. . ingredients.--trimmings of puff-paste, any jam or marmalade that may be preferred. [illustration: dish of tartlets.] _mode_.--roll out the paste to the thickness of about / inch; butter some small round patty-pans, line them with it, and cut off the superfluous paste close to the edge of the pan. put a small piece of bread into each tartlet (this is to keep them in shape), and bake in a brisk oven for about minutes, or rather longer. when they are done, and are of a nice colour, take the pieces of bread out carefully, and replace them by a spoonful of jam or marmalade. dish them high on a white d'oyley, piled high in the centre, and serve. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, d. each. _sufficient_.-- lb. of paste will make dishes of tartlets. _seasonable_ at any time. rolled treacle pudding. . ingredients.-- lb. of suet crust no. , lb. of treacle, / teaspoonful of grated ginger. _mode_.--make, with lb. of flour, a suet crust by recipe no. ; roll it out to the thickness of / inch, and spread the treacle equally over it, leaving a small margin where the paste joins; close the ends securely, tie the pudding in a floured cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and boil for hours. we have inserted this pudding, being economical, and a favourite one with children; it is, of course, only suitable for a nursery, or very plain family dinner. made with a lard instead of a suet crust, it would be very nice baked, and would be sufficiently done in from - / to hours. _time_.--boiled pudding, hours; baked pudding, - / to hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. meat or sausage rolls. . ingredients.-- lb. of puff-paste no. , sausage-meat no. , the yolk of egg. _mode_.--make lb. of puff-paste by recipe no. ; roll it out to the thickness of about / inch, or rather less, and divide it into , , or squares, according to the size the rolls are intended to be. place some sausage-meat on one-half of each square, wet the edges of the paste, and fold it over the meat; slightly press the edges together, and trim them neatly with a knife. brush the rolls over with the yolk of an egg, and bake them in a well-heated oven for about / hour, or longer should they be very large. the remains of cold chicken and ham, minced and seasoned, as also cold veal or beef, make very good rolls. _time_.-- / hour, or longer if the rolls are large. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_.-- lb. of paste for or rolls. _seasonable_, with sausage-meat, from september to march or april. somersetshire puddings. . ingredients.-- eggs, their weight in flour, pounded sugar and butter, flavouring of grated lemon-rind, bitter almonds, or essence of vanilla. _mode_.--carefully weigh the various ingredients, by placing on one side of the scales the eggs, and on the other the flour; then the sugar, and then the butter. warm the butter, and with the hands beat it to a cream; gradually dredge in the flour and pounded sugar, and keep stirring and beating the mixture without ceasing until it is perfectly smooth. then add the eggs, which should be well whisked, and either of the above flavourings that may be preferred; butter some small cups, rather more than half-fill them, and bake in a brisk oven for about / hour. turn them out, dish them on a napkin, and serve custard or wine-sauce with them. a pretty little supper-dish may be made of these puddings cold, by cutting out a portion of the inside with the point of a knife, and putting into the cavity a little whipped cream or delicate preserve, such as apricot, greengage, or very bright marmalade. the paste for these puddings requires a great deal of mixing, as the more it is beaten, the better will the puddings be. when served cold, they are usually called _gâteaux à la madeleine_. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or puddings. _seasonable_ at any time. suet pudding, to serve with roast meat. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, oz. of finely-chopped suet, / saltspoonful of salt, / saltspoonful of pepper, / pint of milk or water. _mode_.--chop the suet very finely, after freeing it from skin, and mix it well with the flour; add the salt and pepper (this latter ingredient may be omitted if the flavour is not liked), and make the whole into a smooth paste with the above proportion of milk or water. tie the pudding in a floured cloth, or put it into a buttered basin, and boil from - / to hours. to enrich it, substitute beaten eggs for some of the milk or water, and increase the proportion of suet. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--when there is a joint roasting or baking, this pudding may be boiled in a long shape, and then cut into slices a few minutes before dinner is served: these slices should be laid in the dripping-pan for a minute or two, and then browned before the fire. most children like this accompaniment to roast meat. where there is a large family of children, and the means of keeping them are limited, it is a most economical plan to serve up the pudding before the meat: as, in this case, the consumption of the latter article will be much smaller than it otherwise would be. sussex, or hard dumplings. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / pint of water, / saltspoonful of salt. _mode_.--mix the flour and water together to a smooth paste, previously adding a small quantity of salt. form this into small round dumplings; drop them into boiling water, and boil from / to / hour. they may be served with roast or boiled meat; in the latter case they may be cooked with the meat, but should be dropped into the water when it is quite boiling. _time_.-- / to / hour. _sufficient_ for or dumplings. _seasonable_ at any time. vermicelli pudding. . ingredients.-- oz. of vermicelli, - / pint of milk, / pint of cream, oz. of butter, oz. of sugar, eggs. _mode_.--boil the vermicelli in the milk until it is tender; then stir in the remaining ingredients, omitting the cream, if not obtainable. flavour the mixture with grated lemon-rind, essence of bitter almonds, or vanilla; butter a pie-dish; line the edges with puff-paste, put in the pudding, and bake in a moderate oven for about / hour. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. without cream. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. vermicelli.--the finest vermicelli comes from marseilles, nimes, and montpellier. it is a nourishing food, and owes its name to its peculiar thread-like form. vermicelli means, little worms. vicarage pudding. . ingredients.-- / lb. of flour, / lb. of chopped suet, / lb. of currants, / lb. of raisins, tablespoonful of moist sugar, / teaspoonful of ground ginger, / saltspoonful of salt. _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a basin, having previously stoned the raisins, and washed, picked, and dried the currants; mix well with a clean knife; dip the pudding-cloth into boiling water, wring it out, and put in the mixture. have ready a saucepan of boiling water, plunge in the pudding, and boil for hours. turn it out on the dish, and serve with sifted sugar. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--suitable for a winter pudding. vol-au-vent (an entree). . ingredients.-- / to lb. of puff-paste no. , fricasseed chickens, rabbits, ragouts, or the remains of cold fish, flaked and warmed in thick white sauce. [illustration: vol-au-vent.] _mode_.--make from / to lb. of puff-paste, by recipe no. , taking care that it is very evenly rolled out each time, to insure its rising properly; and if the paste is not extremely light, and put into a good hot oven, this cannot be accomplished, and the _vol-au-vent_ will look very badly. roll out the paste to the thickness of about - / inch, and, with a fluted cutter, stamp it out to the desired shape, either round or oval, and, with the point of a small knife, make a slight incision in the paste all round the top, about an inch from the edge, which, when baked, forms the lid. put the _vol-au-vent_ into a good brisk oven, and keep the door shut for a few minutes after it is put in. particular attention should he paid to the heating of the oven, for the paste _cannot_ rise without a tolerable degree of heat when of a nice colour, without being scorched, withdraw it from the oven, instantly remove the cover where it was marked, and detach all the soft crumb from the centre: in doing this, be careful not to break the edges of the _vol-au-vent_; but should they look thin in places, stop them with small flakes of the inside paste, stuck on with the white of an egg. this precaution is necessary to prevent the fricassee or ragoût from bursting the case, and so spoiling the appearance of the dish. fill the _vol-au-vent_ with a rich mince, or fricassee, or ragoût, or the remains of cold fish flaked and warmed in a good white sauce, and do not make them very liquid, for fear of the gravy bursting the crust: replace the lid, and serve. to improve the appearance of the crust, brush it over with the yolk of an egg after it has risen properly.--see coloured plate o . _time_.-- / hour to bake the _vol-au-vent_. _average cost_, exclusive of interior, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: small vol-au-vents.] _note_.--small _vol-au-vents_ may be made like those shown in the engraving, and filled with minced veal, chicken, &c. they should be made of the same paste as the larger ones, and stamped out with a small fluted cutter. sweet vol-au-vent of plums, apples, or any other fresh fruit. . ingredients.-- / lb. of puff-paste no. , about pint of fruit compôte. _mode_.--make / lb. of puff-paste by recipe no. , taking care to bake it in a good brisk oven, to draw it up nicely and make it look light. have ready sufficient stewed fruit, the syrup of which must be boiled down until very thick; fill the _vol-au-vent_ with this, and pile it high in the centre; powder a little sugar over it, and put it back in the oven to glaze, or use a salamander for the purpose: the _vol-au-vent_ is then ready to serve. they may be made with any fruit that is in season, such as rhubarb, oranges, gooseberries, currants, cherries, apples, &c.; but care must be taken not to have the syrup too thin, for fear of its breaking through the crust. _time_.-- / hour to minutes to bake the _vol-au-vent_. _average cost_, exclusive of the compôte, s. d. _sufficient_ for entremets. vol-au-vent of fresh strawberries with whipped cream. . ingredients.-- / lb. of puff-paste no. , pint of freshly-gathered strawberries, sugar to taste, a plateful of whipped cream. _mode_.--make a _vol-au-vent_ case by recipe no. , only not quite so large nor so high as for a savoury one. when nearly done, brush the paste over with the white of an egg, then sprinkle on it some pounded sugar, and put it back in the oven to set the glaze. remove the interior, or soft crumb, and, at the moment of serving, fill it with the strawberries, which should be picked, and broken up with sufficient sugar to sweeten them nicely. place a few spoonfuls of whipped cream on the top, and serve. _time_.-- / hour to minutes to bake the _vol-au-vent_. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for _vol-au-vent_. _seasonable_ in june and july. strawberry.--among the greeks, the name of the strawberry indicated its tenuity, this fruit forming hardly a mouthful. with the latins, the name reminded one of the delicious perfume of this plant. both nations were equally fond of it, and applied the same care to its cultivation. virgil appears to place it in the same rank with flowers; and ovid gives it a tender epithet, which delicate palates would not disavow. neither does this luxurious poet forget the wild strawberry, which disappears beneath its modest foliage, but whose presence the scented air reveals. west-indian pudding. . ingredients.-- pint of cream, / lb. of loaf-sugar, / lb. of savoy or sponge-cakes, eggs, oz. of preserved green ginger. _mode_.--crumble down the cakes, put them into a basin, and pour over them the cream, which should be previously sweetened and brought to the boiling-point; cover the basin, well beat the eggs, and when the cream is soaked up, stir them in. butter a mould, arrange the ginger round it, pour in the pudding carefully, and tie it down with a cloth; steam or boil it slowly for - / hour, and serve with the syrup from the ginger, which should be warmed, and poured over the pudding. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, s. d. sufficient for or persons. seasonable at any time. yeast dumplings. . ingredients.-- / quartern of dough, boiling water. mode.--make a very light dough as for bread, using to mix it, milk, instead of water; divide it into or dumplings; plunge them into boiling water, and boil them for minutes. serve the instant they are taken up, as they spoil directly, by falling and becoming heavy; and in eating them do not touch them with a knife, but tear them apart with two forks. they may be eaten with meat gravy, or cold butter and sugar, and if not convenient to make the dough at home, a little from the baker's answers as well, only it must be placed for a few minutes near the fire, in a basin with a cloth over it, to let it rise again before it is made into dumplings. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. yeast consists principally of a substance very similar in composition, and in many of its sensible properties, to gluten; and, when new or fresh, it is inflated and rendered frothy by a large quantity of carbonic acid. when mixed with wort, this substance acts upon the saccharine matter; the temperature rises, carbonic acid is disengaged, and the result is _ale_, which always contains a considerable proportion of alcohol, or spirit. the quantity of yeast employed in brewing ale being small, the saccharine matter is but imperfectly decomposed: hence a considerable portion of it remains in the liquor, and gives it that viscid quality and body for which it is remarkable. the fermenting property of yeast is weakened by boiling for ten minutes, and is entirely destroyed by continuing the boiling. alcohol poured upon it likewise renders it inert; on which account its power lessens as the alcohol is formed during fermentation. yorkshire pudding, to serve with hot roast beef. . ingredients.-- - / pint of milk, _large_ tablespoonfuls of flour, eggs, saltspoonful of salt. [illustration: yorkshire pudding.] _mode_.--put the flour into a basin with the salt, and stir gradually to this enough milk to make it into a stiff batter. when this is perfectly smooth, and all the lumps are well rubbed down, add the remainder of the milk and the eggs, which should be well beaten. beat the mixture for a few minutes, and pour it into a shallow tin, which has been previously well rubbed with beef dripping. put the pudding into the oven, and bake it for an hour; then, for another / hour, place it under the meat, to catch a little of the gravy that flows from it. cut the pudding into small square pieces, put them on a hot dish, and serve. if the meat is baked, the pudding may at once be placed under it, resting the former on a small three-cornered stand. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration] [illustration] chapter xxviii. general observations on creams, jellies, soufflÉs, omelets, & sweet dishes. . creams.--the yellowish-white, opaque fluid, smooth and unctuous to the touch, which separates itself from new milk, and forms a layer on its surface, when removed by skimming, is employed in a variety of culinary preparations. the analyses of the contents of cream have been decided to be, in parts--butter, . ; curd, or matter of cheese, . ; whey, . . that cream contains an oil, is evinced by its staining clothes in the manner of oil; and when boiled for some time, a little oil floats upon the surface. the thick animal oil which it contains, the well-known _butter_, is separated only by agitation, as in the common process of _churning_, and the cheesy matter remains blended with the whey in the state of _buttermilk_. of the several kinds of cream, the principal are the devonshire and dutch clotted creams, the costorphin cream, and the scotch sour cream. the devonshire cream is produced by nearly boiling the milk in shallow tin vessels over a charcoal fire, and kept in that state until the whole of the cream is thrown up. it is used for eating with fruits and tarts. the cream from costorphin, a village of that name near edinburgh, is accelerated in its separation from three or four days' old milk, by a certain degree of heat; and the dutch clotted cream--a coagulated mass in which a spoon will stand upright--is manufactured from fresh-drawn milk, which is put into a pan, and stirred with a spoon two or three times a day, to prevent the cream from separating from the milk. the scotch "sour cream" is a misnomer; for it is a material produced without cream. a small tub filled with skimmed milk is put into a larger one, containing hot water, and after remaining there all night, the thin milk (called _wigg_) is drawn off, and the remainder of the contents of the smaller vessel is "sour cream." . jellies are not the nourishing food they were at one time considered to be, and many eminent physicians are of opinion that they are less digestible than the flesh, or muscular part of animals; still, when acidulated with lemon-juice and flavoured with wine, they are very suitable for some convalescents. vegetable jelly is a distinct principle, existing in fruits, which possesses the property of gelatinizing when boiled and cooled; but it is a principle entirely different from the gelatine of animal bodies, although the name of jelly, common to both, sometimes leads to an erroneous idea on that subject. animal jelly, or gelatine, is glue, whereas vegetable jelly is rather analogous to gum. liebig places gelatine very low indeed in the scale of usefulness. he says, "gelatine, which by itself is tasteless, and when eaten, excites nausea, possesses no nutritive value; that, even when accompanied by the savoury constituents of flesh, it is not capable of supporting the vital process, and when added to the usual diet as a substitute for plastic matter, does not increase, but, on the contrary, diminishes the nutritive value of the food, which it renders insufficient in quantity and inferior in quality." it is this substance which is most frequently employed in the manufacture of the jellies supplied by the confectioner; but those prepared at home from calves' feet do possess some nutrition, and are the only sort that should be given to invalids. isinglass is the purest variety of gelatine, and is prepared from the sounds or swimming-bladders of certain fish, chiefly the sturgeon. from its whiteness it is mostly used for making blanc-mange and similar dishes. . the white of eggs is perhaps the best substance that can be employed in clarifying jelly, as well as some other fluids, for the reason that when albumen (and the white of eggs is nearly pure albumen) is put into a liquid that is muddy, from substances suspended in it, on boiling the liquid, the albumen coagulates in a flocculent manner, and, entangling with it the impurities, rises with them to the surface as a scum, or sinks to the bottom, according to their weight. . souffles, omelets, and sweet dishes, in which eggs form the principal ingredient, demand, for their successful manufacture, an experienced cook. they are the prettiest, but most difficult of all entremets. the most essential thing to insure success is to secure the best ingredients from an honest tradesman. the entremets coming within the above classification, are healthy, nourishing, and pleasant to the taste, and may be eaten with safety by persons of the most delicate stomachs. recipes. chapter xxix. baked apple custard. . ingredients.-- dozen large apples, moist sugar to taste, small teacupful of cold water, the grated rind of one lemon, pint of milk, eggs, oz. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--peel, cut, and core the apples; put them into a lined saucepan with the cold water, and as they heat, bruise them to a pulp; sweeten with moist sugar, and add the grated lemon-rind. when cold, put the fruit at the bottom of a pie-dish, and pour over it a custard, made with the above proportion of milk, eggs, and sugar; grate a little nutmeg over the top, place the dish in a moderate oven, and bake from to minutes. the above proportions will make rather a large dish. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. buttered apples (sweet entremets). . ingredients.--apple marmalade no. , or good boiling apples, / pint of water, oz. of sugar, oz. of butter, a little apricot jam. _mode_.--pare the apples, and take out the cores without dividing them; boil up the sugar and water for a few minutes; then lay in the apples, and simmer them very gently until tender, taking care not to let them break. have ready sufficient marmalade made by recipe no. , and flavoured with lemon, to cover the bottom of the dish; arrange the apples on this with a piece of butter placed in each, and in between them a few spoonfuls of apricot jam or marmalade; place the dish in the oven for minutes, then sprinkle over the top sifted sugar; either brown it before the fire or with a salamander, and serve hot. _time_.--from to minutes to stew the apples very gently, minutes in the oven. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for entremets. _note_.--the syrup that the apples were boiled in should be saved for another occasion. flanc of apples, or apples in a raised crust. _(sweet entremets.)_ . ingredients.-- / lb. of short crust no. or , moderate-sized apples, the rind and juice of / lemon, / lb. of white sugar, / pint of water, a few strips of candied citron. _mode_.--make a short crust by either of the above recipes; roll it out to the thickness of / inch, and butter an oval mould; line it with the crust, and press it carefully all round the sides, to obtain the form of the mould, but be particular not to break the paste. pinch the part that just rises above the mould with the paste-pincers, and fill the case with flour; bake it for about / hour; then take it out of the oven, remove the flour, put the case back in the oven for another / hour, and do not allow it to get scorched. it is now ready for the apples, which should be prepared in the following manner: peel, and take out the cores with a small knife, or a cutter for the purpose, without dividing the apples; put them into a small lined saucepan, just capable of holding them, with sugar, water, lemon juice and rind, in the above proportion. let them simmer very gently until tender; then take out the apples, let them cool, arrange them in the flanc or case, and boil down the syrup until reduced to a thick jelly; pour it over the apples, and garnish them with a few slices of candied citron. . a more simple flanc may be made by rolling out the paste, cutting the bottom of a round or oval shape, and then a narrow strip for the sides: these should be stuck on with the white of an egg, to the bottom piece, and the flanc then filled with raw fruit, with sufficient sugar to sweeten it nicely. it will not require so long baking as in a mould; but the crust must be made everywhere of an equal thickness, and so perfectly joined, that the juice does not escape. this dish may also be served hot, and should be garnished in the same manner, or a little melted apricot jam may be poured over the apples, which very much improves their flavour. _time_.--altogether, hour to bake the flanc from to minutes to stew the apples very gently. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for entremets or side-dish. _seasonable_ from july to march. apple fritters. . ingredients.--for the batter, / lb. of flour, / oz. of butter, / saltspoonful of salt, eggs, milk, apples, hot lard or clarified beef-dripping. _mode_.--break the eggs; separate the whites from the yolks, and beat them separately. put the flour into a basin, stir in the butter, which should be melted to a cream; add the salt, and moisten with sufficient warm milk to make it of a proper consistency, that is to say, a batter that will drop from the spoon. stir this well, rub down any lumps that may be seen, and add the whites of the eggs, which have been previously well whisked; beat up the batter for a few minutes, and it is ready for use. now peel and cut the apples into rather thick whole slices, without dividing them, and stamp out the middle of each slice, where the core is, with a cutter. throw the slices into the batter; have ready a pan of boiling lard or clarified dripping; take out the pieces of apple one by one, put them into the hot lard, and fry a nice brown, turning them--when required. when done, lay them on a piece of blotting-paper before the fire, to absorb the greasy moisture; then dish on a white d'oyley, piled one above the other; strew over them some pounded sugar, and serve very hot. the flavour of the fritters would be very much improved by soaking the pieces of apple in a little wine, mixed with sugar and lemon-juice, for or hours before wanted for table; the batter, also, is better for being mixed some hours before the fritters are made. _time_.--about minutes to fry them; minutes to drain them. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. iced apples, or apple hedgehog. . ingredients.--about dozen good boiling apples, / lb. of sugar, / pint of water, the rind of / lemon minced very fine, the whites of eggs, tablespoonfuls of pounded sugar, a few sweet almonds. _mode_.--peel and core a dozen of the apples without dividing them, and stew them very gently in a lined saucepan with / lb. of sugar and / pint of water, and when tender, lift them carefully on to a dish. have ready the remainder of the apples pared, cored, and cut into thin slices; put them into the same syrup with the lemon-peel, and boil gently until they are reduced to a marmalade: they must be kept stirred, to prevent them from burning. cover the bottom of a dish with some of the marmalade, and over that a layer of the stewed apples, in the insides of which, and between each, place some of the marmalade; then place another layer of apples, and fill up the cavities with marmalade as before, forming the whole into a raised oval shape. whip the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, mix with them the pounded sugar, and cover the apples very smoothly all over with the icing; blanch and cut each almond into or strips; place these strips at equal distances over the icing sticking up; strew over a little rough pounded sugar, and place the dish in a very slow oven, to colour the almonds, and for the apples to get warm through. this entremets may also be served cold, and makes a pretty supper-dish. _time_.--from to minutes to stew the apples. _average cost_, s. d. to s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. thick apple jelly or marmalade, for entremets or dessert dishes. . ingredients.--apples; to every lb. of pulp allow / lb. of sugar, / teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel. [illustration: apple jelly stuck with almonds.] _mode_.--peel, core, and boil the apples with only sufficient water to prevent them from burning; beat them to a pulp, and to every lb. of pulp allow the above proportion of sugar in lumps. dip the lumps into water; put these into a saucepan, and boil till the syrup is thick and can be well skimmed; then add this syrup to the apple pulp, with the minced lemon-peel, and stir it over a quick fire for about minutes, or until the apples cease to stick to the bottom of the pan. the jelly is then done, and may be poured into moulds which have been previously dipped in water, when it will turn out nicely for dessert or a side-dish; for the latter a little custard should be poured round, and it should be garnished with strips of citron or stuck with blanched almonds. _time_.--from / to / hour to reduce the apples to a pulp; minutes to boil after the sugar is added. _sufficient._-- - / lb. of apples sufficient for a small mould. _seasonable_ from july to march; but is best in september, october or november. clear apple jelly. . ingredients.-- dozen apples, - / pint of spring-water; to every pint of juice allow / lb. of loaf sugar, / oz. of isinglass, the rind of / lemon. _mode_.--pare, core, and cut the apples into quarters, and boil them, with the lemon-peel, until tender; then strain off the apples, and run the juice through a jelly-bag; put the strained juice, with the sugar and isinglass, which has been previously boiled in / pint of water, into a lined saucepan or preserving-pan; boil all together for about / hour, and put the jelly into moulds. when this jelly is nice and clear, and turned out well, it makes a pretty addition to the supper-table, with a little custard or whipped cream round it: the addition of a little lemon-juice improves the flavour, but it is apt to render the jelly muddy and thick. if required to be kept any length of time, rather a larger proportion of sugar must be used. _time_.--from to - / hour to boil the apples; / hour the jelly. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for a - / -pint mould. _seasonable_ from july to march. a pretty dish of apples and rice. . ingredients.-- oz. of rice, quart of milk, the rind of / lemon, sugar to taste, / saltspoonful of salt, apples, / lb. of sugar, / pint of water, / pint of boiled custard no. . _mode_.--flavour the milk with lemon-rind, by boiling them together for a few minutes; then take out the peel, and put in the rice, with sufficient sugar to sweeten it nicely, and boil gently until the rice is quite soft; then let it cool. in the mean time pare, quarter, and core the apples, and boil them until tender in a syrup made with sugar and water in the above proportion; and, when soft, lift them out on a sieve to drain. now put a middling-sized gallipot in the centre of a dish; lay the rice all round till the top of the gallipot is reached; smooth the rice with the back of a spoon, and stick the apples into it in rows, one row sloping to the right and the next to the left. set it in the oven to colour the apples; then, when required for table, remove the gallipot, garnish the rice with preserved fruits, and pour in the middle sufficient custard, made by recipe no. , to be level with the top of the rice, and serve hot. _time_.--from to minutes to stew the apples; / hour to simmer the rice; / hour to bake. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. apples a la portugaise. . ingredients.-- good boiling apples, / pint of water, oz. of sugar, a layer of apple marmalade no. , preserved cherries, garnishing of apricot jam. _mode_.--peel the apples, and, with a vegetable-cutter, push out the cores; boil them in the above proportion of sugar and water, without being too much done, and take care they do not break. have ready a white apple marmalade, made by recipe no. ; cover the bottom of the dish with this, level it, and lay the apples in a sieve to drain, pile them neatly on the marmalade, making them high in the centre, and place a preserved cherry in the middle of each. garnish with strips of candied citron or apricot jam, and the dish is ready for table. _time_.--from to so minutes to stew the apples. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for entremets. _seasonable_ from july to march. apples in red jelly. (_a pretty supper dish_.) . ingredients.-- good-sized apples, cloves, pounded sugar, lemon, teacupfuls of water, tablespoonful of gelatine, a few drops of prepared cochineal. _mode_.--choose rather large apples; peel them and take out the cores, either with a scoop or a small silver knife, and put into each apple cloves and as much sifted sugar as they will hold. place them, without touching each other, in a large pie-dish; add more white sugar, the juice of lemon, and teacupfuls of water. bake in the oven, with a dish over them, until they are done. look at them frequently, and, as each apple is cooked, place it in a glass dish. they must not be left in the oven after they are done, or they will break, and so would spoil the appearance of the dish. when the apples are neatly arranged in the dish without touching each other, strain the liquor in which they have been stewing, into a lined saucepan; add to it the rind of the lemon, and a tablespoonful of gelatine which has been previously dissolved in cold water, and, if not sweet, a little more sugar, and cloves. boil till quite clear; colour with a few drops of prepared cochineal, and strain the jelly through a double muslin into a jug; let it cool _a little_; then pour it into the dish round the apples. when quite cold, garnish the tops of the apples with a bright-coloured marmalade, a jelly, or the white of an egg, beaten to a strong froth, with a little sifted sugar. _time_.--from to minutes to bake the apples. _average cost_, s., with the garnishing. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. apples and rice. _(a plain dish.)_ . ingredients.-- good sized apples, oz. of butter, the rind of / lemon minced very fine, oz. of rice, - / pint of milk, sugar to taste, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, tablespoonfuls of apricot jam. _mode_.--peel the apples, halve them, and take out the cores; put them into a stewpan with the butter, and strew sufficient sifted sugar over to sweeten them nicely, and add the minced lemon-peel. stew the apples very gently until tender, taking care they do not break. boil the rice, with the milk, sugar, and nutmeg, until soft, and, when thoroughly done, dish it, piled high in the centre; arrange the apples on it, warm the apricot jam, pour it over the whole, and serve hot. _time_.--about minutes to stew the apples very gently; about / hour to cook the rice. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. apple snow. (_a pretty supper dish_.) . ingredients.-- good-sized apples, the whites of eggs, the rind of lemon, / lb. of pounded sugar. _mode_.--peel, core, and cut the apples into quarters, and put them into a saucepan with the lemon-peel and sufficient water to prevent them from burning,--rather less than / pint. when they are tender, take out the peel, beat them to a pulp, let them cool, and stir them to the whites of the eggs, which should be previously beaten to a strong froth. add the sifted sugar, and continue the whisking until the mixture becomes quite stiff; and either heap it on a glass dish, or serve it in small glasses. the dish may be garnished with preserved barberries, or strips of bright-coloured jelly; and a dish of custards should be served with it, or a jug of cream. _time_.--from to minutes to stew the apples. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill a moderate-sized glass dish. _seasonable_ from july to march. apple souffle. . ingredients.-- oz. of rice, quart of milk, the rind of / lemon, sugar to taste, the yolks of eggs, the whites of , - / oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of apple marmalade no. . _mode_.--boil the milk with the lemon-peel until the former is well flavoured; then strain it, put in the rice, and let it gradually swell over a slow fire, adding sufficient sugar to sweeten it nicely. then crush the rice to a smooth pulp with the back of a wooden spoon; line the bottom and sides of a round cake-tin with it, and put it into the oven to set; turn it out of the tin carefully, and be careful that the border of rice is firm in every part. mix with the marmalade the beaten yolks of eggs and the butter, and stir these over the fire until the mixture thickens. take it off the fire; to this add the whites of the eggs, which should be previously beaten to a strong froth; stir all together, and put it into the rice border. bake in a moderate oven for about / hour, or until the soufflé rises very light. it should be watched, and served instantly, or it will immediately fall after it is taken from the oven. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. stewed apples and custard. (_a pretty dish for a juvenile supper_.) . ingredients.-- good-sized apples, the rind of / lemon or cloves, / lb. of sugar, / pint of water, / pint of custard no. . _mode_.--pare and take out the cores of the apples, without dividing them, and, if possible, leave the stalks on; boil the sugar and water together for minutes; then put in the apples with the lemon-rind or cloves, whichever flavour may be preferred, and simmer gently until they are tender, taking care not to let them break. dish them neatly on a glass dish, reduce the syrup by boiling it quickly for a few minutes, let it cool a little; then pour it over the apples. have ready quite / pint of custard made by recipe no. ; pour it round, but not over, the apples when they are quite cold, and the dish is ready for table. a few almonds blanched and cut into strips, and stuck in the apples, would improve their appearance.--see coloured plate q . _time_.--from to minutes to stew the apples. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ to fill a large glass dish. _seasonable_ from july to march. apple trifle. (_a supper dish_.) . ingredients.-- good-sized apples, the rind of / lemon, oz. of pounded sugar, / pint of milk, / pint of cream, eggs, whipped cream. _mode_.--peel, core, and cut the apples into thin slices, and put them into a saucepan with tablespoonfuls of water, the sugar, and minced lemon-rind. boil all together until quite tender, and pulp the apples through a sieve; if they should not be quite sweet enough, add a little more sugar, and put them at the bottom of the dish to form a thick layer. stir together the milk, cream, and eggs, with a little sugar, over the fire, and let the mixture thicken, but do not allow it to reach the boiling-point. when thick, take it off the fire; let it cool a little, then pour it over the apples. whip some cream with sugar, lemon-peel, &c., the same as for other trifles; heap it high over the custard, and the dish is ready for table. it may be garnished as fancy dictates, with strips of bright apple jelly, slices of citron, &c. _time_.--from to minutes to stew the apples; minutes to stir the custard over the fire. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for a moderate-sized trifle. _seasonable_ from july to march. apricot cream. . ingredients.-- to ripe apricots, / lb. of sugar, - / pint of milk, the yolks of eggs, oz. of isinglass. _mode_.--divide the apricots, take out the stones, and boil them in a syrup made with / lb. of sugar and / pint of water, until they form a thin marmalade, which rub through a sieve. boil the milk with the other / lb. of sugar, let it cool a little, then mix with it the yolks of eggs which have been previously well beaten; put this mixture into a jug, place this jug in boiling water, and stir it one way over the fire until it thickens; but on no account let it boil. strain through a sieve, add the isinglass, previously boiled with a small quantity of water, and keep stirring it till nearly cold; then mix the cream with the apricots; stir well, put it into an oiled mould, and, if convenient, set it on ice; at any rate, in a very cool place. it should turn out on the dish without any difficulty. _time_.--from to minutes to boil the apricots. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ in august, september, and october. _note_.--in winter-time, when fresh apricots are not obtainable, a little jam may be substituted for them. flanc of apricots, or compote of apricots in a raised crust. _(sweet entremets.)_ . ingredients.-- / lb. of short crust no. , from to good-sized apricots, / pint of water, / lb. of sugar. _mode_.--make a short crust by recipe no. , and line a mould with it as directed in recipe no. . boil the sugar and water together for minutes; halve the apricots, take out the stones, and simmer them in the syrup until tender; watch them carefully, and take them up the moment they are done, for fear they break. arrange them neatly in the flanc or case; boil the syrup until reduced to a jelly, pour it over the fruit, and serve either hot or cold. greengages, plums of all kinds, peaches, &c., may be done in the same manner, as also currants, raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries, &c.; but with the last-named fruits, a little currant-juice added to them will be found an improvement. _time_.--altogether, hour to bake the flanc, about minutes to simmer the apricots. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for entremets or side-dish. _seasonable_ in july, august, and september. arrowroot blanc-mange. (_an inexpensive supper dish_.) . ingredients.-- heaped tablespoonfuls of arrowroot, - / pint of milk, laurel-leaves or the rind of / lemon, sugar to taste. _mode_.--mix to a smooth batter the arrowroot with / pint of the milk; put the other pint on the fire, with laurel-leaves or lemon-peel, whichever may be preferred, and let the milk steep until it is well flavoured. then strain the milk, and add it, boiling, to the mixed arrowroot; sweeten it with sifted sugar, and let it boil, stirring it all the time, till it thickens sufficiently to come from the saucepan. grease a mould with pure salad-oil, pour in the blanc-mange, and when quite set, turn it out on a dish, and pour round it a compôte of any kind of fruit, or garnish it with jam. a tablespoonful of brandy, stirred in just before the blanc-mange is moulded, very much improves the flavour of this sweet dish. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, d. without the garnishing. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. blanc-mange. (_a supper dish_.) . ingredients.-- pint of new milk, - / oz. of isinglass, the rind of / lemon, / lb. of loaf sugar, bitter almonds, / oz. of sweet almonds, pint of cream. [illustration: blanc-mange mould.] _mode_.--put the milk into a saucepan, with the isinglass, lemon-rind, and sugar, and let these ingredients stand by the side of the fire until the milk is well flavoured; add the almonds, which should be blanched and pounded in a mortar to a paste, and let the milk just boil up; strain it through a fine sieve or muslin into a jug, add the cream, and stir the mixture occasionally until nearly cold. let it stand for a few minutes, then pour it into the mould, which should be previously oiled with the purest salad-oil, or dipped in cold water. there will be a sediment at the bottom of the jug, which must not be poured into the mould, as, when turned out, it would very much disfigure the appearance of the blanc-mange. this blanc-mange may be made very much richer by using - / pint of cream, and melting the isinglass in / pint of boiling water. the flavour may also be very much varied by adding bay-leaves, laurel-leaves, or essence of vanilla, instead of the lemon-rind and almonds. noyeau, maraschino, curaçoa, or any favourite liqueur, added in small proportions, very much enhances the flavour of this always favourite dish. in turning it out, just loosen the edges of the blanc-mange from the mould, place a dish on it, and turn it quickly over; it should come out easily, and the blanc-mange have a smooth glossy appearance when the mould is oiled, which it frequently has not when it is only dipped in water. it may be garnished as fancy dictates. _time_.--about - / hour to steep the lemon-rind and almonds in the milk. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ at any time. cheap blanc-mange. . ingredients.-- / lb. of sugar, quart of milk, - / oz. of isinglass, the rind of / lemon, laurel-leaves. [illustration: blanc-mange.] _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a lined saucepan, and boil gently until the isinglass is dissolved; taste it occasionally, to ascertain when it is sufficiently flavoured with the laurel-leaves; then take them out, and keep stirring the mixture over the fire for about minutes. strain it through a fine sieve into a jug, and, when nearly cold, pour it into a well-oiled mould, omitting the sediment at the bottom. turn it out carefully on a dish, and garnish with preserves, bright jelly, or a compote of fruit. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ at any time. bread-and-butter fritters. . ingredients.--batter, slices of bread and butter, or tablespoonfuls of jam. _mode_.--make a batter, the same as for apple fritters no. ; cut some slices of bread and butter, not very thick; spread half of them with any jam that may he preferred, and cover with the other slices; slightly press them together, and cut them out in square, long, or round pieces. dip them in the batter, and fry in boiling lard for about minutes; drain them before the fire on a piece of blotting-paper or cloth. dish them, sprinkle over sifted sugar, and serve. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. to make the stock for jelly, and to clarify it. . ingredients.-- calf's feet, pints of water. [illustration: jelly-mould.] [illustration: jelly-bag.] _mode_.--the stock for jellies should always be made the day before it is required for use, as the liquor has time to cool, and the fat can be so much more easily and effectually removed when thoroughly set. procure from the butcher's nice calf's feet: scald them, to take off the hair; slit them in two, remove the fat from between the claws, and wash the feet well in warm water; put them into a stewpan, with the above proportion of cold water, bring it gradually to boil, and remove every particle of scum as it rises. when it is well skimmed, boil it very gently for or hours, or until the liquor is reduced rather more than half; then strain it through a sieve into a basin, and put it in a cool place to set. as the liquor is strained, measure it, to ascertain the proportion for the jelly, allowing something for the sediment and fat at the top. to clarify it, carefully remove all the fat from the top, pour over a little warm water, to wash away any that may remain, and wipe the jelly with a clean cloth; remove the jelly from the sediment, put it into a saucepan, and, supposing the quantity to be a quart, add to it oz. of loaf sugar, the shells and well-whisked whites of eggs, and stir these ingredients together cold; set the saucepan on the fire, but _do not stir the jelly after it begins to warm_. let it boil about minutes after it rises to a head, then throw in a teacupful of cold water; let it boil minutes longer, then take the saucepan off, cover it closely, and let it remain / hour near the fire. dip the jelly-bag into hot water, wring it out quite dry, and fasten it on to a stand or the back of a chair, which must be placed near the fire, to prevent the jelly from setting before it has run through the bag. place a basin underneath to receive the jelly; then pour it into the bag, and should it not be clear the first time, run it through the bag again. this stock is the foundation of all _really good_ jellies, which may be varied in innumerable ways, by colouring and flavouring with liqueurs, and by moulding it with fresh and preserved fruits. to insure the jelly being firm when turned out, / oz. of isinglass clarified might be added to the above proportion of stock. substitutes for calf's feet are now frequently used in making jellies, which lessen the expense and trouble in preparing this favourite dish; isinglass and gelatine being two of the principal materials employed; but, although they may _look_ as nicely as jellies made from good stock, they are never so delicate, having very often an unpleasant flavour, somewhat resembling glue, particularly when made with gelatine. _time_.--about hours to boil the feet for the stock; to clarify it,-- / hour to boil, / hour to stand in the saucepan covered. _average cost_.--calf's feet may be purchased for d. each when veal is in full season, but more expensive when it is scarce. _sufficient_.-- calf's feet should make quart of stock. _seasonable_ from march to october, but may be had all the year. how to make a jelly-bag.--the very stout flannel called double-mill, used for ironing-blankets, is the best material for a jelly-bag: those of home manufacture are the only ones to be relied on for thoroughly clearing the jelly. care should be taken that the seam of the bag be stitched twice, to secure it against unequal filtration. the most convenient mode of using the big is to tie it upon a hoop the exact size of the outside of its mouth; and, to do this, strings should be sewn round it at equal distances. the jelly-bag may, of coarse, be made any size; but one of twelve or fourteen inches deep, and seven or eight across the mouth, will be sufficient for ordinary use. the form of a jelly-bag is the fool's cap. cow-heel stock for jellies. (more economical than calf's feet.) . ingredients.-- cow-heels, quarts of water. _mode_.--procure heels that have only been scalded, and not boiled; split them in two, and remove the fat between the claws; wash them well in warm water, and put them into a saucepan with the above proportion of cold water; bring it gradually to boil, remove all the scum as it rises, and simmer the heels gently from to hours, or until the liquor is reduced one-half; then strain it into a basin, measuring the quantity, and put it in a cool place. clarify it in the same manner as calf's-feet stock no. , using, with the other ingredients, about / oz. of isinglass to each quart. this stock should be made the day before it is required for use. two dozen shank-bones of mutton, boiled for or hours, yield a quart of strong firm stock. they should be put on in quarts of water, which should be reduced one-half. make this also the day before it is required. _time_.-- to hours to boil the cow-heels, to hours to boil the shank-bones. _average cost_, from d. to d. each. _sufficient_.-- cow-heels should make pints of stock. _seasonable_ at any time. isinglass or gelatine jelly. (_substitutes for calf's feet_.) . ingredients.-- oz. of isinglass or gelatine, quarts of water. _mode_.--put the isinglass or gelatine into a saucepan with the above proportion of cold water; bring it quickly to boil, and let it boil very fast, until the liquor is reduced one-half. carefully remove the scum as it rises, then strain it through a jelly-bag, and it will be ready for use. if not required very clear, it may be merely strained through a fine sieve, instead of being run through a bag. rather more than / oz. of isinglass is about the proper quantity to use for a quart of strong calf's-feet stock, and rather more than oz. for the same quantity of fruit juice. as isinglass varies so much in quality and strength, it is difficult to give the exact proportions. the larger the mould, the stiffer should be the jelly; and where there is no ice, more isinglass must be used than if the mixture were frozen. this forms a stock for all kinds of jellies, which may be flavoured in many ways. _time_.-- - / hour. _sufficient_, with wine, syrup, fruit, &c., to fill two moderate-sized moulds. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--the above, when boiled, should be perfectly clear, and may be mixed warm with wine, flavourings, fruits, &c., and then run through the bag. isinglass.--the best isinglass is brought from russia; some of an inferior kind is brought from north and south america and the east indies: the several varieties may be had from the wholesale dealers in isinglass in london. in choosing isinglass for domestic use, select that which is whitest, has no unpleasant odour, and which dissolves most readily in water. the inferior kinds are used for fining beer, and similar purposes. isinglass is much adulterated: to test its purity, take a few threads of the substance, drop some into boiling water, some into cold water, and some into vinegar. in the boiling water the isinglass will dissolve, in cold water it will become white and "cloudy," and in vinegar it will swell and become jelly-like. if the isinglass is adulterated with gelatine (that is to say, the commoner sorts of gelatine,--for isinglass is classed amongst gelatines, of all which varieties it is the very purest and best), in boiling water the gelatine will not so completely dissolve as the isinglass; in cold water it becomes clear and jelly-like; and in vinegar it will harden. how to mould bottled jellies. . uncork the bottle; place it in a saucepan of hot water until the jelly is reduced to a liquid state; taste it, to ascertain whether it is sufficiently flavoured, and if not, add a little wine. pour the jelly into moulds which have been soaked in water; let it set, and turn it out by placing the mould in hot water for a minute; then wipe the outside, put a dish on the top, and turn it over quickly. the jelly should then slip easily away from the mould, and be quite firm. it may be garnished as taste dictates. to clarify syrup for jellies. . ingredients.--to every quart of water allow lbs. of loaf sugar; the white of egg. _mode_.--put the sugar and water into a stewpan; set it on the fire, and, when the sugar is dissolved, add the white of the egg, whipped up with a little water. whisk the whole well together, and simmer very gently until it has thrown up all the scum. take this off as it rises, strain the syrup through a fine sieve or cloth into a basin, and keep it for use. calf's-feet jelly. . ingredients.-- quart of calf's-feet stock no. , / lb. of sugar, / pint of sherry, glass of brandy, the shells and whites of eggs, the rind and juice of lemons, / oz. of isinglass. _mode_.--prepare the stock as directed in recipe no. , taking care to leave the sediment, and to remove all the fat from the surface. put it into a saucepan, cold, without clarifying it; add the remaining ingredients, and stir them well together before the saucepan is placed on the fire. then simmer the mixture gently for / hour, _but do not stir it after it begins to warm_. throw in a teacupful of cold water, boil for another minutes, and keep the saucepan covered by the side of the fire for about / hour, but do not let it boil again. in simmering, the head or scum may be carefully removed as it rises; but particular attention must be given to the jelly, that it be not stirred in the slightest degree after it is heated. the isinglass should be added when the jelly begins to boil: this assists to clear it, and makes it firmer for turning out. wring out a jelly-bag in hot water; fasten it on to a stand, or the back of a chair; place it near the fire with a basin underneath it, and run the jelly through it. should it not be perfectly clear the first time, repeat the process until the desired brilliancy is obtained. soak the moulds in water, drain them for half a second, pour in the jelly, and put it in a cool place to set. if ice is at hand, surround the moulds with it, and the jelly will set sooner, and be firmer when turned out. in summer it is necessary to have ice in which to put the moulds, or the cook will be, very likely, disappointed, by her jellies being in too liquid a state to turn out properly, unless a great deal of isinglass is used. when wanted for table, dip the moulds in hot water for a minute, wipe the outside with a cloth, lay a dish on the top of the mould, turn it quickly over, and the jelly should slip out easily. it is sometimes served broken into square lumps, and piled high in glasses. earthenware moulds are preferable to those of pewter or tin, for red jellies, the colour and transparency of the composition being often spoiled by using the latter. [illustration: jelly-mould.] to make this jelly more economically, raisin wine may be substituted for the sherry and brandy, and the stock made from cow-heels, instead of calf's feet. _time_.-- minutes to simmer the jelly, / hour to stand covered. _average cost_, reckoning the feet at d. each, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill two - / -pint moulds. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--as lemon-juice, unless carefully strained, is liable to make the jelly muddy, see that it is clear before it is added to the other ingredients. omit the brandy when the flavour is objected to. sherry.--there are several kinds of sherry, as pale and brown, and there are various degrees of each. sherry is, in general, of an amber-colour, and, when good, has a fine aromatic odour, with something of the agreeable bitterness of the peach kernel. when new, it is harsh and fiery, and requires to be mellowed in the wood for four or five years. sherry has of late got much into fashion in england, from the idea that it is more free from acid than other wines; but some careful experiments on wines do not fully confirm this opinion. cannelons, or fried puffs. (_sweet entremets_.) . ingredients.-- / lb. of puff-paste no. ; apricot, or any kind of preserve that may be preferred; hot lard. _mode_.--cannelons which are made of puff-paste rolled very thin, with jam inclosed, and cut out in long narrow rolls or puffs, make a very pretty and elegant dish. make some good puff-paste, by recipe no. ; roll it out very thin, and cut it into pieces of an equal size, about inches wide and inches long; place upon each piece a spoonful of jam, wet the edges with the white of egg, and fold the paste over _twice;_ slightly press the edges together, that the jam may not escape in the frying; and when all are prepared, fry them in boiling lard until of a nice brown, letting them remain by the side of the fire after they are coloured, that the paste may be thoroughly done. drain them before the fire, dish on a d'oyley, sprinkle over them sifted sugar, and serve. these cannelons are very delicious made with fresh instead of preserved fruit, such as strawberries, raspberries, or currants: it should be laid in the paste, plenty of pounded sugar sprinkled over, and folded and fried in the same manner as stated above. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_,-- / lb. of paste for a moderate-sized dish of cannelons. _seasonable_, with jam, at any time. charlotte-aux-pommes. . ingredients.--a few slices of rather stale bread / inch thick, clarified butter, apple marmalade made by recipe no. , with about dozen apples, / glass of sherry. [illustration: charlotte-aux-pommes.] _mode_.--cut a slice of bread the same shape as the bottom of a plain round mould, which has been well buttered, and a few strips the height of the mould, and about - / inch wide; dip the bread in clarified butter (or spread it with cold butter, if not wanted quite so rich); place the round piece at the bottom of the mould, and set the narrow strips up the sides of it, overlapping each other a little, that no juice from the apples may escape, and that they may hold firmly to the mould. brush the _interior_ over with white of egg (this will assist to make the case firmer); fill it with apple marmalade made by recipe no. , with the addition of a little sherry, and cover them with a round piece of bread, also brushed over with egg, the same as the bottom; slightly press the bread down, to make it adhere to the other pieces; put a plate on the top, and bake the _charlotte_ in a brisk oven, of a light colour. turn it out on the dish, strew sifted sugar over the top, and pour round it a little melted apricot jam. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. an easy method of making a charlotte-aux-pommes. . ingredients.-- / lb. of flour, / lb. of butter, / lb. of powdered sugar, / teaspoonful of baking-powder, egg, milk, glass of raisin-wine, apple marmalade no. , / pint of cream, dessertspoonfuls of pounded sugar, tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice. _mode_.--make a cake with the flour, butter, sugar, and baking-powder; moisten with the egg and sufficient milk to make it the proper consistency, and bake it in a round tin. when cold, scoop out the middle, leaving a good thickness all round the sides, to prevent them breaking; take some of the scooped-out pieces, which should be trimmed into neat slices; lay them in the cake, and pour over sufficient raisin-wine, with the addition of a little brandy, if approved, to soak them well. have ready some apple marmalade, made by recipe no. ; place a layer of this over the soaked cake, then a layer of cake and a layer of apples; whip the cream to a froth, mixing with it the sugar and lemon-juice; pile it on the top of the _charlotte_, and garnish it with pieces of clear apple jelly. this dish is served cold, but may be eaten hot, by omitting the cream, and merely garnishing the top with bright jelly just before it is sent to table. _time_.-- hour to bake the cake. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. a very simple apple charlotte. . ingredients.-- slices of bread and butter, about good-sized apples, tablespoonful of minced lemon-peel, tablespoonfuls of juice, moist sugar to taste. _mode_.--butter a pie-dish; place a layer of bread and butter, without the crust, at the bottom; then a layer of apples, pared, cored, and cut into thin slices; sprinkle over these a portion of the lemon-peel and juice, and sweeten with moist sugar. place another layer of bread and butter, and then one of apples, proceeding in this manner until the dish is full; then cover it up with the peel of the apples, to preserve the top from browning or burning; bake in a brisk oven for rather more than / hour; torn the charlotte on a dish, sprinkle sifted sugar over, and serve. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. charlotte russe. (_an elegant sweet entremets_.) . ingredients.--about savoy biscuits, / pint of cream, flavouring of vanilla, liqueurs, or wine, tablespoonful of pounded sugar, / oz. of isinglass. _mode_.--procure about savoy biscuits, or ladies'-fingers, as they are sometimes called; brush the edges of them with the white of an egg, and line the bottom of a plain round mould, placing them like a star or rosette. stand them upright all round the edge; carefully put them so closely together that the white of the egg connects them firmly, and place this case in the oven for about minutes, just to dry the egg. whisk the cream to a stiff froth, with the sugar, flavouring, and melted isinglass; fill the charlotte with it, cover with a slice of sponge-cake cut in the shape of the mould; place it in ice, where let it remain till ready for table; then turn it on a dish, remove the mould, and serve. tablespoonful of liqueur of any kind, or tablespoonfuls of wine, would nicely flavour the above proportion of cream. for arranging the biscuits in the mould, cut them to the shape required, so that they fit in nicely, and level them with the mould at the top, that, when turned out, there may be something firm to rest upon. great care and attention is required in the turning out of this dish, that the cream does not burst the case; and the edges of the biscuits must have the smallest quantity of egg brushed over them, or it would stick to the mould, and so prevent the charlotte from coming away properly. _time_.-- minutes in the oven. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, s. _sufficient_ for charlotte. _seasonable_ at any time. cream a la valois. . ingredients.-- sponge-cakes, jam, / pint of cream, sugar to taste, the juice of / lemon, / glass of sherry, - / oz. of isinglass. _mode_.--cut the sponge-cakes into thin slices; place two together, with preserve between them, and pour over them a small quantity of sherry mixed with a little brandy. sweeten and flavour the cream with the lemon-juice and sherry; add the isinglass, which should be dissolved in a little water, and beat up the cream well. place a little in an oiled mould; arrange the pieces of cake in the cream; then fill the mould with the remainder; let it cool, and turn it out on a dish. by oiling the mould, the cream will have a much smoother appearance, and will turn out more easily than when merely dipped in cold water. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill a - / pint mould. _seasonable_ at any time. boiled custards. . ingredients.-- pint of milk, eggs, oz. of loaf sugar, laurel-leaves, or the rind of lemon, or a few drops of essence of vanilla, tablespoonful of brandy. [illustration: custards in glasses.] _mode_.--put the milk into a lined saucepan, with the sugar, and whichever of the above flavourings may be preferred (the lemon-rind flavours custards most deliciously), and let the milk steep by the side of the fire until it is well flavoured. bring it to the point of boiling, then strain it into a basin; whisk the eggs well, and, when the milk has cooled a little, stir in the eggs, and _strain_ this mixture into a jug. place this jug in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire; keep stirring the custard _one way_ until it thickens; but on no account allow it to reach the boiling-point, as it will instantly curdle and be full of lumps. take it off the fire, stir in the brandy, and, when this is well mixed with the custard, pour it into glasses, which should be rather more than three-parts full; grate a little nutmeg over the top, and the dish is ready for table. to make custards look and eat better, ducks' eggs should be used, when obtainable; they add very much to the flavour and richness, and so many are not required as of the ordinary eggs, ducks' eggs to the pint of milk making a delicious custard. when desired extremely rich and good, cream should be substituted for the milk, and double the quantity of eggs used, to those mentioned, omitting the whites. _time_. / hour to infuse the lemon-rind, about minutes to stir the custard. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to fill custard-glasses. _seasonable_ at any time. ginger apples. (_a pretty supper or dessert dish_.) . ingredients.-- - / oz. of whole ginger, / pint of whiskey, lbs. of apples, lbs. of white sugar, the juice of lemons. _mode_.--bruise the ginger, put it into a small jar, pour over sufficient whiskey to cover it, and let it remain for days; then cut the apples into thin slices, after paring and coring them; add the sugar and the lemon-juice, which should he strained; and simmer all together _very gently_ until the apples are transparent, but not broken. serve cold, and garnish the dish with slices of candied lemon-peel or preserved ginger. _time_.-- days to soak the ginger; about / hour to simmer the apples very gently. _average cost_, s, d. _sufficient_ for dishes. _seasonable_ from july to march. french pancakes. . ingredients.-- eggs, oz. of butter, oz. of sifted sugar, oz. of flour, / pint of new milk. _mode_.--beat the eggs thoroughly, and put them into a basin with the butter, which should be beaten to a cream; stir in the sugar and flour, and when these ingredients are well mixed, add the milk; keep stirring and beating the mixture for a few minutes; put it on buttered plates, and bake in a quick oven for minutes. serve with a cut lemon and sifted sugar, or pile the pancakes high on a dish, with a layer of preserve or marmalade between each. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. dutch flummery. . ingredients.-- - / oz. of isinglass, the rind and juice of lemon, pint of water, eggs, pint of sherry, madeira, or raisin-wine; sifted sugar to taste. _mode_.--put the water, isinglass, and lemon-rind into a lined saucepan, and simmer gently until the isinglass is dissolved; strain this into a basin, stir in the eggs, which should be well beaten, the lemon-juice, which should be strained, and the wine; sweeten to taste with pounded sugar, mix all well together, pour it into a jug, set this jug in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire, and keep stirring it one way until it thickens; but _take care that it does not boil_. strain it into a mould that has been oiled or laid in water for a short time, and put it in a cool place to set. a tablespoonful of brandy stirred in just before it is poured into the mould, improves the flavour of this dish: it is better if made the day before it is required for table. _time_.-- / hour to simmer the isinglass; about / hour to stir the mixture over the fire. _average cost_, s. d., if made with sherry; less with raisin-wine. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ at any time. pale sherries are made from the same grapes as brown. the latter are coloured by an addition of some cheap must, or wine which has been boiled till it has acquired a deep-brown tint. pale sherries were, some time ago, preferred in england, being supposed most pure; but the brown are preferred by many people. the inferior sherries exported to england are often mixed with a cheap and light wine called moguer, and are strengthened in the making by brandy; but too frequently they are adulterated by the london dealers. chocolate souffle. . ingredients.-- eggs, teaspoonfuls of pounded sugar, teaspoonful of flour, oz. of the best chocolate. _mode_.--break the eggs, separating the whites from the yolks, and put them into different basins; add to the yolks the sugar, flour, and chocolate, which should be very finely grated, and stir these ingredients for minutes. then well whisk the whites of the eggs in the other basin, until they are stiff, and, when firm, mix lightly with the yolks, till the whole forms a smooth and light substance; butter a round cake-tin, put in the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven from to minutes. pin a white napkin round the tin, strew sifted sugar over the top of the soufflé, and send it immediately to table. the proper appearance of this dish depends entirely on the expedition with which it is served, and some cooks, to preserve its lightness, hold a salamander over the soufflé until it is placed on the table. if allowed to stand after it comes from the oven, it will be entirely spoiled, as it falls almost immediately. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for a moderate-sized soufflé. _seasonable_ at any time. darioles a la vanille. (_sweet entremets_.) . ingredients.-- / pint of milk, / pint of cream, oz. of flour, oz. of pounded sugar, eggs, oz. of butter, puff-paste, flavouring of essence of vanilla. _mode_.--mix the flour to a smooth batter, with the milk; stir in the cream, sugar, the eggs, which should be well whisked, and the butter, which should be beaten to a cream. put in some essence of vanilla, drop by drop, until the mixture is well flavoured; line some dariole-moulds with puff-paste, three-parts fill them with the batter, and bake in a good oven from to minutes. turn them out of the moulds on a dish, without breaking them; strew over sifted sugar, and serve. the flavouring of the darioles may be varied by substituting lemon, cinnamon, or almonds, for the vanilla. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill or dariole-moulds. _seasonable_ at any time. currant fritters. . ingredients.-- / pint of milk, tablespoonfuls of flour, eggs, tablespoonfuls of boiled rice, tablespoonfuls of currants, sugar to taste, a very little grated nutmeg, hot lard or clarified dripping. _mode_.--put the milk into a basin with the flour, which should previously be rubbed to a smooth batter with a little cold milk; stir these ingredients together; add the well-whisked eggs, the rice, currants, sugar, and nutmeg. beat the mixture for a few minutes, and, if not sufficiently thick, add a little more boiled rice; drop it, in small quantities, into a pan of boiling lard or clarified dripping; fry the fritters a nice brown, and, when done, drain them on a piece of blotting-paper, before the fire. pile them on a white d'oyley, strew over sifted sugar, and serve them very hot. send a cut lemon to table with them. _time_.--from to minutes to fry the fritters. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. chocolate cream. . ingredients.-- oz. of grated chocolate, / lb. of sugar, - / pint of cream, / oz. of clarified isinglass, the yolks of eggs. [illustration: cream-mould.] _mode_.--beat the yolks of the eggs well; put them into a basin with the grated chocolate, the sugar, and pint of the cream; stir these ingredients well together, pour them into a jug, and set this jug in a saucepan of boiling water; stir it one way until the mixture thickens, but _do not allow it to boil_, or it will curdle. strain the cream through a sieve into a basin; stir in the isinglass and the other / pint of cream, which should be well whipped; mix all well together, and pour it into a mould which has been previously oiled with the purest salad-oil, and, if at hand, set it in ice until wanted for table. _time_.--about minutes to stir the mixture over the fire. _average cost_, s. d, with cream at s. per pint. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ at any time. geneva wafers. . ingredients.-- eggs, oz. of butter, oz. of flour, oz. of pounded sugar. _mode_.--well whisk the eggs; put them into a basin, and stir to them the butter, which should be beaten to a cream; add the flour and sifted sugar gradually, and then mix all well together. butter a baking-sheet, and drop on it a teaspoonful of the mixture at a time, leaving a space between each. bake in a cool oven; watch the pieces of paste, and, when half done, roll them up like wafers, and put in a small wedge of bread or piece of wood, to keep them in shape. return them to the oven until crisp. before serving, remove the bread, put a spoonful of preserve in the widest end, and fill up with whipped cream. this is a very pretty and ornamental dish for the supper-table, and is very nice and very easily made. _time_.--altogether to minutes. _average cost_, exclusive of the preserve and cream, d. _sufficient_ for a nice-sized dish. _seasonable_ at any time. ginger cream. . ingredients.--the yolks of eggs, pint of cream, oz. of preserved ginger, dessertspoonfuls of syrup, sifted sugar to taste, oz. of isinglass. _mode_.--slice the ginger finely; put it into a basin with the syrup, the well-beaten yolks of eggs, and the cream; mix these ingredients well together, and stir them over the fire for about minutes, or until the mixture thickens; then take it off the fire, whisk till nearly cold, sweeten to taste, add the isinglass, which should be melted and strained, and serve the cream in a glass dish. it may be garnished with slices of preserved ginger or candied citron. _time_.--about minutes to stir the cream over the fire. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, s. d. _sufficient_ for a good-sized dish. _seasonable_ at any time. preserved ginger comes to us from the west indies. it is made by scalding the roots when they are green and full of sap, then peeling them in cold water, and putting them into jars, with a rich syrup; in which state we receive them. it should be chosen of a bright-yellow colour, with a little transparency: what is dark-coloured, fibrous, and stringy, is not good. ginger roots, fit for preserving, and in size equal to west indian, have been produced in the royal agricultural garden in edinburgh. to make gooseberry fool. . ingredients.--green gooseberries; to every pint of pulp add pint of milk, or / pint of cream and / pint of milk; sugar to taste. _mode_.--cut the tops and tails off the gooseberries; put them into a jar, with tablespoonfuls of water and a little good moist sugar; set this jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and let it boil until the fruit is soft enough to mash. when done enough, beat it to a pulp, work this pulp through a colander, and stir to every pint the above proportion of milk, or equal quantities of milk and cream. ascertain if the mixture is sweet enough, and put in plenty of sugar, or it will not be eatable; and in mixing the milk and gooseberries, add the former very gradually to these: serve in a glass dish, or in small glasses. this, although a very old-fashioned and homely dish, is, when well made, very delicious, and, if properly sweetened, a very suitable preparation for children. _time_.--from / to hour. _average cost_, d. per pint, with milk. _sufficient_.--a pint of milk and a pint of gooseberry pulp for or children. _seasonable_ in may and june. gooseberry trifle. . ingredients.-- quart of gooseberries, sugar to taste, pint of custard no. , a plateful of whipped cream. _mode_.--put the gooseberries into a jar, with sufficient moist sugar to sweeten them, and boil them until reduced to a pulp. put this pulp at the bottom of a trifle-dish; pour over it a pint of custard made by recipe no. , and, when cold, cover with whipped cream. the cream should be whipped the day before it is wanted for table, as it will then be so much firmer and more solid. the dish may be garnished as fancy dictates. _time_.--about / hour to boil the gooseberries. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for trifle. _seasonable_ in may and june. indian fritters. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of flour, boiling water, the yolks of eggs, the whites of , hot lard or clarified dripping, jam. _mode_.--put the flour into a basin, and pour over it sufficient _boiling_ water to make it into a stiff paste, taking care to stir and beat it well, to prevent it getting lumpy. leave it a little time to cool, and then break into it (_without beating them at first_) the yolks of eggs and the whites of , and stir and beat all well together. have ready some boiling lard or butter; drop a dessertspoonful of batter in at a time, and fry the fritters of a light brown. they should rise so much as to be almost like balls. serve on a dish, with a spoonful of preserve or marmalade dropped in between each fritter. this is an excellent dish for a hasty addition to dinner, if a guest unexpectedly arrives, it being so easily and quickly made, and it is always a great favourite. _time_.--from to minutes to fry the fritters. _average cost_, exclusive of the jam, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. indian trifle. . ingredients.-- quart of milk, the rind of / large lemon, sugar to taste, heaped tablespoonfuls of rice-flour, oz. of sweet almonds, / pint of custard. _mode_.--boil the milk and lemon-rind together until the former is well flavoured; take out the lemon-rind and stir in the rice-flour, which should first be moistened with cold milk, and add sufficient loaf sugar to sweeten it nicely. boil gently for about minutes, and keep the mixture stirred; take it off the fire, let it cool _a little_, and pour it into a glass dish. when cold, cut the rice out in the form of a star, or any other shape that may be preferred; take out the spare rice, and fill the space with boiled custard. blanch and cut the almonds into strips; stick them over the trifle, and garnish it with pieces of brightly-coloured jelly, or preserved fruits, or candied citron. _time_.-- / hour to simmer the milk, minutes after the rice is added. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for trifle. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: the citron.] the citron.--the citron belongs to the same species as the lemon, being considered only as a variety, the distinction between them not being very great. it is larger, and is less succulent, but more acid: with a little artificial heat, the citron comes to as great perfection in england as in spain and italy. the fruit is oblong and about five or six inches in length. the tree is thorny. the juice forms an excellent lemonade with sugar and water; its uses in punch, negus, and in medicine, are well known. the rind is very thick, and, when candied with sugar, forms an excellent sweetmeat. there are several varieties cultivated in england, one of which is termed the forbidden fruit. italian cream. . ingredients.-- pint of milk, pint of cream, sugar to taste, oz. of isinglass, lemon, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--put the cream and milk into a saucepan, with sugar to sweeten, and the lemon-rind. boil until the milk is well flavoured then strain it into a basin, and add the beaten yolks of eggs. put this mixture into a jug; place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire, and stir the contents until they thicken, but do not allow them to boil. take the cream off the fire, stir in the lemon-juice and isinglass, which should be melted, and whip well; fill a mould, place it in ice if at hand, and, when set, turn it out on a dish, and garnish as taste may dictate. the mixture may be whipped and drained, and then put into small glasses, when this mode of serving is preferred. _time_.--from to minutes to stir the mixture in the jug. _average cost_, with the best isinglass, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill - / -pint mould. _seasonable_ at any time. the hidden mountain. (_a pretty supper dish_.) . ingredients.-- eggs, a few slices of citron, sugar to taste, / pint of cream, a layer of any kind of jam. _mode_.--beat the whites and yolks of the eggs separately; then mix them and beat well again, adding a few thin slices of citron, the cream, and sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten it nicely. when the mixture is well beaten, put it into a buttered pan, and fry the same as a pancake; but it should be three times the thickness of an ordinary pancake. cover it with jam, and garnish with slices of citron and holly-leaves. this dish is served cold. _time_.--about minutes to fry the mixture. _average cost_, with the jam, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. jaunemange. . ingredients.-- oz. of isinglass, pint of water, / pint of white wine, the rind and juice of large lemon, sugar to taste, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--put the isinglass, water, and lemon-rind into a saucepan, and boil gently until the former is dissolved; then add the strained lemon-juice, the wine, and sufficient white sugar to sweeten the whole nicely. boil for or minutes, strain the mixture into a jug, and add the yolks of the eggs, which should be well beaten; place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water; keep stirring the mixture _one way_ until it thickens, _but do not allow it to boil_; then take it off the fire, and keep stirring until nearly cold. pour it into a mould, omitting the sediment at the bottom of the jug, and let it remain until quite firm. _time_.-- / hour to boil the isinglass and water; about minutes to stir the mixture in the jug. _average cost_, with the best isinglass, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ at any time. jelly moulded with fresh fruit, or macedoine de fruits. . ingredients.--rather more than - / pint of jelly, a few nice strawberries, or red or white currants, or raspberries, or any fresh fruit that may be in season. _mode_.--have ready the above proportion of jelly, which must be very clear and rather sweet, the raw fruit requiring an additional quantity of sugar. select ripe, nice-looking fruit; pick off the stalks, unless currants are used, when they are laid in the jelly as they come from the tree. begin by putting a little jelly at the bottom of the mould, which must harden; then arrange the fruit round the sides of the mould, recollecting; that _it will be reversed when turned out;_ then pour in some more jelly to make the fruit adhere, and, when that layer is set, put another row of fruit and jelly until the mould is full. if convenient, put it in ice until required for table, then wring a cloth in boiling water, wrap it round the mould for a minute, and turn the jelly carefully out. peaches, apricots, plums, apples, &c., are better for being boiled in a little clear syrup before they are laid in the jelly; strawberries, raspberries, grapes, cherries, and currants are put in raw. in winter, when fresh fruits are not obtainable, a very pretty jelly may be made with preserved fruits or brandy cherries: these, in a bright and clear jelly, have a very pretty effect; of course, unless the jelly be _very clear_, the beauty of the dish will be spoiled. it may be garnished with the same fruit as is laid in the jelly; for instance, an open jelly with strawberries might have, piled in the centre, a few of the same fruit prettily arranged, or a little whipped cream might be substituted for the fruit. [illustration: jelly moulded with cherries.] _time_.--one layer of jelly should remain hours in a very cool place, before another layer is added. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_, with fruit, to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_, with fresh fruit, from june to october; with dried, at any time. jelly of two colours. . ingredients.-- - / pint of calf's-feet jelly no. , a few drops of prepared cochineal. [illustration: jelly of two colours.] _mode_.--make - / pint of jelly by recipe no. , or, if wished more economical, of clarified syrup and gelatine, flavouring it in any way that may be preferred. colour one-half of the jelly with a few drops of prepared cochineal, and the other half leave as pale as possible. have ready a mould well wetted in every part; pour in a small quantity of the red jelly, and let this set; when quite firm, pour on it the same quantity of the pale jelly, and let this set; then proceed in this manner until the mould is full, always taking care to let one jelly set before the other is poured in, or the colours would run one into the other. when turned out, the jelly should have a striped appearance. for variety, half the mould may be filled at once with one of the jellies, and, when firm, filled up with the other: this, also, has a very pretty effect, and is more expeditiously prepared than when the jelly is poured in small quantities into the mould. blancmange and red jelly, or blancmange and raspberry cream, moulded in the above manner, look very well. the layers of blancmange and jelly should be about an inch in depth, and each layer should be perfectly hardened before another is added. half a mould of blancmange and half a mould of jelly are frequently served in the same manner. a few pretty dishes may be made, in this way, of jellies or blancmanges left from the preceding day, by melting them separately in a jug placed in a saucepan of boiling water, and then moulding them by the foregoing directions. (see coloured plate s .) _time_.-- / hour to make the jelly. _average cost_, with calf's-feet jelly, s.; with gelatine and syrup, more economical. _sufficient_ to fill - / pint mould. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--in making the jelly, use for flavouring a very pale sherry, or the colour will be too dark to contrast nicely with the red jelly. lemon blancmange. . ingredients.-- quart of milk, the yolks of eggs, oz. of ground rice, oz. of pounded sugar, - / oz. of fresh butter, the rind of lemon, the juice of , / oz. of gelatine. [illustration: blancmange mould.] _mode_.--make a custard with the yolks of the eggs and / pint of the milk, and, when done, put it into a basin: put half the remainder of the milk into a saucepan with the ground rice, fresh butter, lemon-rind, and oz. of the sugar, and let these ingredients boil until the mixture is stiff, stirring them continually; when done, pour it into the bowl where the custard is, mixing both well together. put the gelatine with the rest of the milk into a saucepan, and let it stand by the side of the fire to dissolve; boil for a minute or two, stir carefully into the basin, adding oz. more of pounded sugar. when cold, stir in the lemon-juice, which should be carefully strained, and pour the mixture into a well-oiled mould, leaving out the lemon-peel, and set the mould in a pan of cold water until wanted for table. use eggs that have rich-looking yolks; and, should the weather be very warm, rather a larger proportion of gelatine must be allowed. _time_.--altogether, hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill small moulds. _seasonable_ at any time. lemon cream. . ingredients.-- pint of cream, the yolks of eggs, / lb. of white sugar, large lemon, oz. of isinglass. [illustration: lemon-cream mould.] _mode_.--put the cream into a _lined_ saucepan with the sugar, lemon-peel, and isinglass, and simmer these over a gentle fire for about minutes, stirring them all the time. strain the cream into a jug, add the yolks of eggs, which should be well beaten, and put the jug into a saucepan of boiling water; stir the mixture one way until it thickens, _but do not allow it to boil_; take it off the fire, and keep stirring it until nearly cold. strain the lemon-juice into a basin, gradually pour on it the cream, and _stir it well_ until the juice is well mixed with it. have ready a well-oiled mould, pour the cream into it, and let it remain until perfectly set. when required for table, loosen the edges with a small blunt knife, put a dish on the top of the mould, turn it over quickly, and the cream should easily slip away. _time_.-- minutes to boil the cream; about minutes to stir it over the fire in the jug. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, and the best isinglass, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill - / -pint mould. _seasonable_ at any time. economical lemon cream. . ingredients.-- quart of milk, bitter almonds, oz. of gelatine, large lemons, / lb. of lump sugar, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--put the milk into a lined saucepan with the almonds, which should be well pounded in a mortar, the gelatine, lemon-rind, and lump sugar, and boil these ingredients for about minutes. beat up the yolks of the eggs, strain the milk into a jug, add the eggs, and pour the mixture backwards and forwards a few times, until nearly cold; then stir briskly to it the lemon-juice, which should be strained, and keep stirring until the cream is almost cold: put it into an oiled mould, and let it remain until perfectly set. the lemon-juice must not be added to the cream when it is warm, and should be well stirred after it is put in. _time_.-- minutes to boil the milk. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill two - / -pint moulds. _seasonable_ at any time. lemon creams. (_very good_.) . ingredients.-- pint of cream, dozen sweet almonds, glasses of sherry, the rind and juice of lemons, sugar to taste. _mode_.--blanch and chop the almonds, and put them into a jug with the cream; in another jug put the sherry, lemon-rind, strained juice, and sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten the whole nicely. pour rapidly from one jug to the other till the mixture is well frothed; then, pour it into jelly-glasses, omitting the lemon-rind. this is a very cool and delicious sweet for summer, and may be made less rich by omitting the almonds and substituting orange or raisin wine for the sherry. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, s. _sufficient_ to fill glasses. _seasonable_ at any time. lemon creams of custards. . ingredients.-- oz. of loaf sugar, pints of boiling water, the rind of lemon and the juice of , the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--make a quart of lemonade in the following manner:--dissolve the sugar in the boiling water, having previously, with part of the sugar, rubbed off the lemon-rind, and add the strained juice. strain the lemonade into a saucepan, and add the yolks of the eggs, which should be well beaten; stir this _one way_ over the fire until the mixture thickens, but do not allow it to boil, and serve in custard-glasses, or on a glass dish. after the boiling water is poured on the sugar and lemon, it should stand covered for about / hour before the eggs are added to it, that the flavour of the rind may be extracted. _time_.-- / hour to make the lemonade; about minutes to stir the custard over the fire. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ to fill to custard-glasses. _seasonable_ at any time. lemon jelly. . ingredients.-- lemons, / lb. of lump sugar, pint of water, - / oz. of isinglass, / pint of sherry. _mode_.--peel of the lemons, pour / pint of boiling water on the rind, and let it infuse for / hour; put the sugar, isinglass, and / pint of water into a lined saucepan, and boil these ingredients for minutes; then put in the strained lemon-juice, the strained infusion of the rind, and bring the whole to the point of boiling; skim well, add the wine, and run the jelly through a bag; pour it into a mould that has been wetted or soaked in water; put it in ice, if convenient, where let it remain until required for table. previously to adding the lemon-juice to the other ingredients, ascertain that it is very nicely strained, as, if this is not properly attended to, it is liable to make the jelly thick and muddy. as this jelly is very pale, and almost colourless, it answers very well for moulding with a jelly of any bright hue; for instance, half a jelly bright red, and the other half made of the above, would have a very good effect. lemon jelly may also be made with calf's-feet stock, allowing the juice of lemons to every pint of stock. _time_.--altogether, hour. _average cost_, with the best isinglass, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill - / -pint mould. _seasonable_ at any time. lemon sponge. . ingredients.-- oz. of isinglass, - / pint of water, / lb. of pounded sugar, the juice of lemons, the rind of , the whites of eggs. _mode_.--dissolve the isinglass in the water, strain it into a saucepan, and add the sugar, lemon-rind, and juice. boil the whole from to minutes; strain it again, and let it stand till it is cold and begins to stiffen. beat the whites of the eggs, put them to it, and whisk the mixture till it is quite white; put it into a mould which has been previously wetted, and let it remain until perfectly set; then turn it out, and garnish it according to taste. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, with the best isinglass, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ at any time. liqueur jelly. . ingredients.-- lb. of lump sugar, oz. of isinglass, - / pint of water, the juice of lemons, / pint of liqueur. [illustration: oval jelly-mould.] _mode_.--put the sugar, with pint of the water, into a stewpan, and boil them gently by the side of the fire until there is no scum remaining, which must be carefully removed as fast as it rises. boil the isinglass with the other / pint of water, and skim it carefully in the same manner. strain the lemon-juice, and add it, with the clarified isinglass, to the syrup; put in the liqueur, and bring the whole to the boiling-point. let the saucepan remain covered by the side of the fire for a few minutes; then pour the jelly through a bag, put it into a mould, and set the mould in ice until required for table. dip the mould in hot water, wipe the outside, loosen the jelly by passing a knife round the edges, and turn it out carefully on a dish. noyeau, maraschino, curaçoa, brandy, or any kind of liqueur, answers for this jelly; and, when made with isinglass, liqueur jellies are usually prepared as directed above. _time_.-- minutes to boil the sugar and water. _average cost_, with the best isinglass, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ at any time. a sweet dish of macaroni. . ingredients.-- / lb. of macaroni, - / pint of milk, the rind of / lemon, oz. of lump sugar, / pint of custard no. . _mode_.--put the milk into a saucepan, with the lemon-peel and sugar; bring it to the boiling-point, drop in the macaroni, and let it gradually swell over a gentle fire, but do not allow the pipes to break. the form should be entirely preserved; and, though tender, should be firm, and not soft, with no part beginning to melt. should the milk dry away before the macaroni is sufficiently swelled, add a little more. make a custard by recipe no. ; place the macaroni on a dish, and pour the custard over the hot macaroni; grate over it a little nutmeg, and, when cold, garnish the dish with slices of candied citron. _time_.--from to minutes to swell the macaroni. _average cost_, with the custard, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. meringues. . ingredients.-- / lb. of pounded sugar, the whites of eggs. [illustration: meringues.] _mode_.--whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and, with a wooden spoon, stir in _quickly_ the pounded sugar; and have some boards thick enough to put in the oven to prevent the bottom of the meringues from acquiring too much colour. cut some strips of paper about inches wide; place this paper on the board, and drop a tablespoonful at a time of the mixture on the paper, taking care to let all the meringues be the same size. in dropping it from the spoon, give the mixture the form of an egg, and keep the meringues about inches apart from each other on the paper. strew over them some sifted sugar, and bake in a moderate oven for / hour. as soon as they begin to colour, remove them from the oven; take each slip of paper by the two ends, and turn it gently on the table, and, with a small spoon, take out the soft part of each meringue. spread some clean paper on the board, turn the meringues upside down, and put them into the oven to harden and brown on the other side. when required for table, fill them with whipped cream, flavoured with liqueur or vanilla, and sweetened with pounded sugar. join two of the meringues together, and pile them high in the dish, as shown in the annexed drawing. to vary their appearance, finely-chopped almonds or currants may be strewn over them before the sugar is sprinkled over; and they may be garnished with any bright-coloured preserve. great expedition is necessary in making this sweet dish; as, if the meringues are not put into the oven as soon as the sugar and eggs are mixed, the former melts, and the mixture would run on the paper, instead of keeping its egg-shape. the sweeter the meringues are made, the crisper will they be; but, if there is not sufficient sugar mixed with them, they will most likely be tough. they are sometimes coloured with cochineal; and, if kept well covered in a dry place, will remain good for a month or six weeks. _time_.--altogether, about / hour. _average cost_, with the cream and flavouring, s. _sufficient_ to make dozen meringues. _seasonable_ at any time. noyeau cream. . ingredients.-- - / oz. of isinglass, the juice of lemons, noyeau and pounded sugar to taste, - / pint of cream. _mode_.--dissolve the isinglass in a little boiling water, add the lemon-juice, and strain this to the cream, putting in sufficient noyeau and sugar to flavour and sweeten the mixture nicely; whisk the cream well, put it into an oiled mould, and set the mould in ice or in a cool place; turn it out, and garnish the dish to taste. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint and the best isinglass, s. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ at any time. open jelly with whipped cream. (_a very pretty dish_.) . ingredients.-- - / pint of jelly, / pint of cream, glass of sherry, sugar to taste. [illustration: open jelly with whipped cream.] _mode_.--make the above proportion of calf's-feet or isinglass jelly, colouring and flavouring it in any way that may be preferred; soak a mould, open in the centre, for about / hour in cold water; fill it with the jelly, and let it remain in a cool place until perfectly set; then turn it out on a dish; fill the centre with whipped cream, flavoured with sherry and sweetened with pounded sugar; pile this cream high in the centre, and serve. the jelly should be made of rather a dark colour, to contrast nicely with the cream. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill - / -pint mould. _seasonable_ at any time. orange jelly. . ingredients.-- pint of water, - / to oz. of isinglass, / lb. of loaf sugar, seville orange, lemon, about china oranges. [illustration: open mould.] _mode_.--put the water into a saucepan, with the isinglass, sugar, and the rind of orange, and the same of / lemon, and stir these over the fire until the isinglass is dissolved, and remove the scum; then add to this the juice of the seville orange, the juice of the lemon, and sufficient juice of china oranges to make in all pint; from to oranges will yield the desired quantity. stir all together over the fire until it is just on the point of boiling; skim well; then strain the jelly through a very fine sieve or jelly-bag, and when nearly cold, put it into a mould previously wetted, and, when quite set, turn it out on a dish, and garnish it to taste. to insure this jelly being clear, the orange-and lemon-juice should be well strained, and the isinglass clarified, before they are added to the other ingredients, and, to heighten the colour, a few drops of prepared cochineal may be added. _time_.-- minutes to boil without the juice; minute after it is added. _average cost_, with the best isinglass, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ from november to may. orange jelly moulded with slices of orange. . ingredients.-- - / pint of orange jelly no. , oranges, pint of clarified syrup. _mode_.--boil / lb. of loaf sugar with / pint of water until there is no scum left (which must be carefully removed as fast as it rises), and carefully peel the oranges; divide them into thin slices, without breaking the thin skin, and put these pieces of orange into the syrup, where let them remain for about minutes; then take them out, and use the syrup for the jelly, which should be made by recipe no. . when the oranges are well drained, and the jelly is nearly cold, pour a little of the latter into the bottom of the mould; then lay in a few pieces of orange; over these pour a little jelly, and when this is set, place another layer of oranges, proceeding in this manner until the mould is full. put it in ice, or in a cool place, and, before turning it out, wrap a cloth round the mould for a minute or two, which has been wrung out in boiling water. _time_.-- minutes to simmer the oranges. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_, with the slices of orange, to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ from november to may. to make a plain omelet. . ingredients.-- eggs, saltspoonful of salt, / saltspoonful of pepper, / lb. of butter. [illustration: omelet.] _mode_.--break the eggs into a basin, omitting the whites of , and beat them up with the salt and pepper until extremely light; then add oz. of the butter broken into small pieces, and stir this into the mixture. put the other oz. of butter into a frying-pan, make it quite hot, and, as soon as it begins to bubble, whisk the eggs, &c. very briskly for a minute or two, and pour them into the pan; stir the omelet with a spoon one way until the mixture thickens and becomes firm, and when the whole is set, fold the edges over, so that the omelet assumes an oval form; and when it is nicely brown on one side, and quite firm, it is done. to take off the rawness on the upper side, hold the pan before the fire for a minute or two, and brown it with a salamander or hot shovel. serve very expeditiously on a very hot dish, and never cook it until it is just wanted. the flavour of this omelet may be very much enhanced by adding minced parsley, minced onion or eschalot, or grated cheese, allowing tablespoonful of the former, and half the quantity of the latter, to the above proportion of eggs. shrimps or oysters may also be added: the latter should be scalded in their liquor, and then bearded and cut into small pieces. in making an omelet, be particularly careful that it is not too thin, and, to avoid this, do not make it in too large a frying-pan, as the mixture would then spread too much, and taste of the outside. it should also not be greasy, burnt, or too much done, and should be cooked over a gentle fire, that the whole of the substance may be heated without drying up the outside. omelets are sometimes served with gravy; but _this should never be poured over them_, but served in a tureen, as the liquid causes the omelet to become heavy and flat, instead of eating light and soft. in making the gravy, the flavour should not overpower that of the omelet, and should be thickened with arrowroot or rice flour. _time_.--with eggs, in a frying-pan or inches round, to minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. ham omelet (_a delicious breakfast dish_.) . ingredients.-- eggs, oz. of butter, / saltspoonful of pepper, tablespoonfuls of minced ham. _mode_.--mince the ham very finely, without any fat, and fry it for minutes in a little butter; then make the batter for the omelet, stir in the ham, and proceed as directed in recipe no. . do not add any salt to the batter, as the ham is usually sufficiently salt to impart a flavour to the omelet. good lean bacon, or tongue, answers equally well for this dish; but they must also be slightly cooked previously to mixing them with the batter. serve very hot and quickly, without gravy. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. kidney omelet (_a favourite french dish_.) . ingredients.-- eggs, saltspoonful of salt, / saltspoonful of pepper, sheep's kidneys, or tablespoonfuls of minced veal kidney, oz. of butter. _mode_.--skin the kidneys, cut them into small dice, and toss them in a frying-pan, in oz. of butter, over the fire for or minutes. mix the ingredients for the omelet the same as in recipe no. , and when the eggs are well whisked, stir in the pieces of kidney. make the butter hot in the frying-pan, and when it bubbles, pour in the omelet, and fry it over a gentle fire from to minutes. when the eggs are set, fold the edges over, so that the omelet assumes an oval form, and be careful that it is not too much done: to brown the top, hold the pan before the fire for a minute or two, or use a salamander until the desired colour is obtained, but never turn an omelet in the pan. slip it carefully on to a _very hot_ dish, or, what is a much safer method, put a dish on the omelet, and turn the pan quickly over. it should be served the instant it comes from the fire. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. to make a plain sweet omelet. . ingredients.-- eggs, oz. of butter, oz. of sifted sugar. _mode_.--break the eggs into a basin, omitting the whites of ; whisk them well, adding the sugar and oz. of the butter, which should be broken into small pieces, and stir all these ingredients well together. make the remainder of the butter quite hot in a small frying-pan, and when it commences to bubble, pour in the eggs, &c. keep stirring them until they begin to set; then turn the edges of the omelet over, to make it an oval shape, and finish cooking it. to brown the top, hold the pan before the fire, or use a salamander, and turn it carefully on to a _very hot_ dish: sprinkle sifted sugar over, and serve. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. omelette aux confitures, or jam omelet. . ingredients.-- eggs, oz. of butter, tablespoonfuls of apricot, strawberry, or any jam that may be preferred. _mode_.--make the omelet by recipe no. , only instead of doubling it over, leave it flat in the pan. when quite firm, and nicely brown on one side, turn it carefully on to a hot dish, spread over the middle of it the jam, and fold the omelet over on each side; sprinkle sifted sugar over, and serve very quickly. a pretty dish of small omelets may be made by dividing the batter into or portions, and frying them separately; they should then be spread each one with a different kind of preserve, and the omelets rolled over. always sprinkle sweet omelets with sifted sugar before being sent to table. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. omelette soufflÉ. . ingredients.-- eggs, oz. of pounded sugar, flavouring of vanilla, orange-flower water, or lemon-rind, oz. of butter, dessert-spoonful of rice-flour. _mode_.--separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs, add to the former the sugar, the rice-flour, and either of the above flavourings that may be preferred, and stir these ingredients well together. whip the whites of the eggs, mix them lightly with the batter, and put the butter into a small frying-pan. as soon as it begins to bubble, pour the batter into it, and set the pan over a bright but gentle fire; and when the omelet is set, turn the edges over to make it an oval shape, and slip it on to a silver dish, which has been previously well buttered. put it in the oven, and bake from to minutes; sprinkle finely-powdered sugar over the soufflé, and _serve it immediately_. _time_.--about minutes in the pan; to bake, from to minutes. _average cost_. s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. bachelor's omelet. . ingredients.-- or eggs, oz. of butter, teaspoonful of flour, / teacupful of milk. _mode_.--make a thin cream of the flour and milk; then beat up the eggs, mix all together, and add a pinch of salt and a few grains of cayenne. melt the butter in a small frying-pan, and, when very hot, pour in the batter. let the pan remain for a few minutes over a clear fire; then sprinkle upon the omelet some chopped herbs and a few shreds of onion; double the omelet dexterously, and shake it out of the pan on to a hot dish. a simple sweet omelet can be made by the same process, substituting sugar or preserve for the chopped herbs. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. orange cream. . ingredients.-- oz. of isinglass, large oranges, lemon, sugar to taste, water, / pint of good cream. [illustration: open mould.] _mode_.--squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemon; strain it, and put it into a saucepan with the isinglass, and sufficient water to make in all - / pint. rub the sugar on the orange and lemon-rind, add it to the other ingredients, and boil all together for about minutes. strain through a muslin bag, and, when cold, beat up with it / pint of thick cream. wet a mould, or soak it in cold water; pour in the cream, and put it in a cool place to set. if the weather is very cold, oz. of isinglass will be found sufficient for the above proportion of ingredients. _time_.-- minutes to boil the juice and water. _average cost_, with the best isinglass, s. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ from november to may. orange creams. . ingredients.-- seville orange, tablespoonful of brandy, / lb. of loaf sugar, the yolks of eggs, pint of cream. _mode_.--boil the rind of the seville orange until tender, and beat it in a mortar to a pulp; add to it the brandy, the strained juice of the orange, and the sugar, and beat all together for about minutes, adding the well-beaten yolks of eggs. bring the cream to the boiling-point, and pour it very gradually to the other ingredients, and beat the mixture till nearly cold; put it into custard-cups, place the cups in a deep dish of boiling water, where let them remain till quite cold. take the cups out of the water, wipe them, and garnish the tops of the creams with candied orange-peel or preserved chips. _time_.--altogether, / hour. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, s. d. _sufficient_ to make or creams. _seasonable_ from november to may. _note_.--to render this dish more economical, substitute milk for the cream, but add a small pinch of isinglass to make the creams firm. seville orange (_citrus vulgaris_).--this variety, called also _bitter orange_, is of the same species as the sweet orange, and grows in great abundance on the banks of the guadalquiver, in andalusia, whence this fruit is chiefly obtained. in that part of spain there are very extensive orchards of these oranges, which form the chief wealth of the monasteries. the pulp of the bitter orange is not eaten raw. in the yellow rind, separated from the white spongy substance immediately below it, is contained an essential oil, which is an agreeable warm aromatic, much superior for many purposes to that of the common orange. the best marmalade and the richest wine are made from this orange; and from its flowers the best orange-flower water is distilled. seville oranges are also preserved whole as a sweetmeat. orange fritters. . ingredients.--for the batter, / lb. of flour, / oz. of butter, / saltspoonful of salt, eggs, milk, oranges, hot lard or clarified dripping. _mode_.--make a nice light batter with the above proportion of flour, butter, salt, eggs, and sufficient milk to make it the proper consistency; peel the oranges, remove as much of the white skin as possible, and divide each orange into eight pieces, without breaking the thin skin, unless it be to remove the pips; dip each piece of orange in the batter. have ready a pan of boiling lard or clarified dripping; drop in the oranges, and fry them a delicate brown from to minutes. when done, lay them on a piece of blotting-paper before the fire, to drain away the greasy moisture, and dish them on a white d'oyley; sprinkle over them plenty of pounded sugar, and serve quickly. _time_.-- to minutes to fry the fritters; minutes to drain them. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from november to may. a pretty dish of oranges. . ingredients.-- large oranges, / lb. of loaf sugar, / pint of water, / pint of cream, tablespoonfuls of any kind of liqueur, sugar to taste. _mode_.--put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and boil them until the sugar becomes brittle, which may be ascertained by taking up a small quantity in a spoon, and dipping it in cold water; if the sugar is sufficiently boiled, it will easily snap. peel the oranges, remove as much of the white pith as possible, and divide them into nice-sized slices, without breaking the thin white skin which surrounds the juicy pulp. place the pieces of orange on small skewers, dip them into the hot sugar, and arrange them in layers round a plain mould, which should be well oiled with the purest salad-oil. the sides of the mould only should be lined with the oranges, and the centre left open for the cream. let the sugar become firm by cooling; turn the oranges carefully out on a dish, and fill the centre with whipped cream, flavoured with any kind of liqueur, and sweetened with pounded sugar. this is an exceedingly ornamental and nice dish for the supper-table. _time_.-- minutes to boil the sugar. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for mould. _seasonable_ from november to may. to make pancakes. . ingredients.--eggs, flour, milk; to every egg allow oz. of flour, about gill of milk, / saltspoonful of salt. [illustration: pancakes.] _mode_.--ascertain that the eggs are fresh; break each one separately in a cup; whisk them well, put them into a basin, with the flour, salt, and a few drops of milk, and beat the whole to a perfectly _smooth_ batter; then add by degrees the remainder of the milk. the proportion of this latter ingredient must be regulated by the size of the eggs, &c. &c.; but the batter, when ready for frying, should be of the consistency of thick cream. place a small frying-pan on the fire to get hot; let it be delicately clean, or the pancakes will stick, and, when quite hot, put into it a small piece of butter, allowing about / oz. to each pancake. when it is melted, pour in the batter, about / teacupful to a pan inches in diameter, and fry it for about minutes, or until it is nicely brown on one side. by only pouring in a small quantity of batter, and so making the pancakes thin, the necessity of turning them (an operation rather difficult to unskilful cooks) is obviated. when the pancake is done, sprinkle over it some pounded sugar, roll it up in the pan, and take it out with a large slice, and place it on a dish before the fire. proceed in this manner until sufficient are cooked for a dish; then send them quickly to table, and continue to send in a further quantity, as pancakes are never good unless eaten almost immediately they come from the frying-pan. the batter may be flavoured with a little grated lemon-rind, or the pancakes may have preserve rolled in them instead of sugar. send sifted sugar and a cut lemon to table with them. to render the pancakes very light, the yolks and whites of the eggs should be beaten separately, and the whites added the last thing to the batter before frying. _time_.--from to minutes for a pancake that does not require turning; from to minutes for a thicker one. _average cost_, for persons, d. _sufficient._--allow eggs, with the other ingredients in proportion, for persons. _seasonable_ at any time, but specially served on shrove tuesday. richer pancakes. . ingredients.-- eggs, pint of cream, / lb. of loaf sugar, glass of sherry, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, flour. _mode_.--ascertain that the eggs are extremely fresh, beat them well, strain and mix with them the cream, pounded sugar, wine, nutmeg, and as much flour as will make the batter nearly as thick as that for ordinary pancakes. make the frying-pan hot, wipe it with a clean cloth, pour in sufficient batter to make a thin pancake, and fry it for about minutes. dish the pancakes piled one above the other, strew sifted sugar between each, and serve. _time_.--about minutes. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, s. d. _sufficient_ to make pancakes. _seasonable_ at any time, but specially served on shrove tuesday. peach fritters. . ingredients.--for the batter: / lb. of flour, / oz. of butter, / saltspoonful of salt, eggs, milk;--peaches, hot lard or clarified dripping. _mode_.--make a nice smooth, batter in the same manner as directed in recipe no. , and skin, halve, and stone the peaches, which should be quite ripe; dip them in the batter, and fry the pieces in hot lard or clarified dripping, which should be brought to the boiling-point before the peaches are put in. from to minutes will be required to fry them, and, when done, drain them before the fire, and dish them on a white d'oyley. strew over plenty of pounded sugar, and serve. _time_.--from to minutes to fry the fritters, minutes to drain them. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in july, august, and september. [illustration: peach.] peach.--the peach and nectarine are amongst the most delicious of our fruits, and are considered as varieties of the same species produced by cultivation. the former is characterized by a very delicate down, while the latter is smooth; but, as a proof of their identity as to species, trees have borne peaches in one part and nectarines in another; and even a single fruit has had down on one side and the other smooth. the trees are almost exactly alike, as well as the blossoms. pliny states that the peach was originally brought from persia, where it grows naturally, from which the name of persica was bestowed upon it by the romans; and some modern botanists apply this as the generic name, separating them from _amygdalus_, or almond, to which linnaeus had united them. although they are not tropical, they require a great deal of warmth to bring them to perfection: hence they seldom ripen in this country, in ordinary seasons, without the use of walls or glass; consequently, they bear a high price. in a good peach, the flesh is firm, the skin thin, of a deep bright colour next the sun and of a yellowish green next to the wall; the pulp is yellowish, full of highly-flavoured juice, the fleshy part thick, and the stone small. too much down is a sign of inferior quality. this fruit is much used at the dessert, and makes a delicious preserve. pears a l'allemande. . ingredients.-- to pears, water, sugar, oz. of butter, the yolk of an egg, / oz. of gelatine. _mode_.--peel and cut the pears into any form that may be preferred, and steep them in cold water to prevent them turning black; put them into a saucepan with sufficient cold water to cover them, and boil them with the butter and enough sugar to sweeten them nicely, until tender; then brush the pears over with the yolk of an egg, sprinkle them with sifted sugar, and arrange them on a dish. add the gelatine to the syrup, boil it up quickly for about minutes, strain it over the pears, and let it remain until set. the syrup may be coloured with a little prepared cochineal, which would very much improve the appearance of the dish. _time_.--from minutes to / hour to stew the pears; minutes to boil the syrup. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for a large dish. _seasonable_ from august to february. moulded pears. . ingredients.-- large pears or small ones, cloves, sugar to taste, water, a small piece of cinnamon, / pint of raisin wine, a strip of lemon-peel, the juice of / lemon, / oz. of gelatine. _mode_.--peel and cut the pears into quarters; put them into a jar with / pint of water, cloves, cinnamon, and sufficient sugar to sweeten the whole nicely; cover down the top of the jar, and bake the pears in a gentle oven until perfectly tender, but do not allow them to break. when done, lay the pears in a plain mould, which should be well wetted, and boil / pint of the liquor the pears were baked in with the wine, lemon-peel, strained juice, and gelatine. let these ingredients boil quickly for minutes, then strain the liquid warm over the pears; put the mould in a cool place, and when the jelly is firm, turn it out on a glass dish. _time_.-- hours to bake the pears in a cool oven. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for a quart mould. _seasonable_ from august to february pineapple fritters. (_an elegant dish_.) . ingredients.--a small pineapple, a small wineglassful of brandy or liqueur, oz. of sifted sugar; batter as for apple fritters no. . _mode_.--this elegant dish, although it may appear extravagant, is really not so if made when pineapples are plentiful. we receive them now in such large quantities from the west indies, that at times they may be purchased at an exceedingly low rate: it would not, of course, be economical to use the pines which are grown in our english pineries for the purposes of fritters. pare the pine with as little waste as possible, cut it into rather thin slices, and soak these slices in the above proportion of brandy or liqueur and pounded sugar for hours; then make a batter the same as for apple fritters, substituting cream for the milk, and using a smaller quantity of flour; and, when this is ready, dip in the pieces of pine, and fry them in boiling lard from to minutes; turn them when sufficiently brown on one side, and, when done, drain them from the lard before the fire, dish them on a white d'oyley, strew over them sifted sugar, and serve quickly. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, when cheap and plentiful, s. d. for the pine. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in july and august. pineapple.--the pineapple has not been known in europe above two hundred years, and has not been cultivated in england much above a century. it is stated that the first pineapples raised in europe were by m. la cour, of leyden, about the middle of the th century; and it is said to have been first cultivated in england by sir matthew decker, of richmond. in kensington palace, there is a picture in which charles ii. is represented as receiving a pineapple from his gardener rose, who is presenting it on his knees. plain fritters. . ingredients.-- oz. of flour, eggs, / pint of milk. [illustration: star fritter-mould.] _mode_.--mix the flour to a smooth batter with a small quantity of the milk; stir in the eggs, which should be well whisked, and then the remainder of the milk; boat the whole to a perfectly smooth batter, and should it be found not quite thin enough, add two or three tablespoonfuls more milk. have ready a frying-pan, with plenty of boiling lard in it; drop in rather more than a tablespoonful at a time of the batter, and fry the fritters a nice brown, turning them when sufficiently cooked on one side. drain them well from the greasy moisture by placing them upon a piece of blotting-paper before the fire; dish them on a white d'oyley, sprinkle over them sifted sugar, and send to table with them a cut lemon and plenty of pounded sugar. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. potato fritters. . ingredients.-- large potatoes, eggs, tablespoonfuls of cream, ditto of raisin or sweet wine, dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, hot lard. [illustration: scroll fritter-mould.] _mode_.--boil the potatoes, and beat them up lightly with a fork, but do not use a spoon, as that would make them heavy. beat the eggs well, leaving out one of the whites; add the other ingredients, and beat all together for at least minutes, or until the batter is extremely light. put plenty of good lard into a frying-pan, and drop a tablespoonful of the batter at a time into it, and fry the fritters a nice brown. serve them with the following sauce:--a glass of sherry mixed with the strained juice of a lemon, and sufficient white sugar to sweeten the whole nicely. warm these ingredients, and serve the sauce separately in a tureen. the fritters should be neatly dished on a white d'oyley, and pounded sugar sprinkled over them; and they should be well drained on a piece of blotting-paper before the fire previously to being dished. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. raspberry cream. . ingredients.-- / pint of milk, / pint of cream, - / oz. of isinglass, raspberry jelly, sugar to taste, tablespoonfuls of brandy. [illustration: raspberry cream mould.] _mode_.--boil the milk, cream, and isinglass together for / hour, or until the latter is melted, and strain it through a hair sieve into a basin. let it cool a little; then add to it sufficient raspberry jelly, which, when melted, would make / pint, and stir well till the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. if not sufficiently sweet, add a little pounded sugar with the brandy; whisk the mixture well until nearly cold, put it into a well-oiled mould, and set it in a cool place till perfectly set. raspberry jam may be substituted for the jelly, but must be melted, and rubbed through a sieve, to free it from seeds: in summer, the juice of the fresh fruit may be used, by slightly mashing it with a wooden spoon, and sprinkling sugar over it; the juice that flows from the fruit should then be used for mixing with the cream. if the colour should not be very good, a few drops of prepared cochineal may be added to improve its appearance. (_see_ coloured plate t .) _time_.-- / hour to boil the cream and isinglass. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, and the best isinglass, s. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_, with jelly, at any time. _note_.--strawberry cream may be made in precisely the same manner, substituting strawberry jam or jelly for the raspberry. rice blancmange. . ingredients.-- / lb. of ground rice, oz. of loaf sugar, oz. of fresh butter, quart of milk, flavouring of lemon-peel, essence of almonds or vanilla, or laurel-leaves. _mode_.--mix the rice to a smooth batter with about / pint of the milk, and the remainder put into a saucepan, with the sugar, butter, and whichever of the above flavourings may be preferred; bring the milk to the boiling-point, quickly stir in the rice, and let it boil for about minutes, or until it comes easily away from the saucepan, keeping it well stirred the whole time. grease a mould with pure salad-oil; pour in the rice, and let it get perfectly set, when it should turn out quite easily; garnish it with jam, or pour round a compôte of any kind of fruit, just before it is sent to table. this blancmange is better for being made the day before it is wanted, as it then has time to become firm. if laurel-leaves are used for flavouring, steep of them in the milk, and take them out before the rice is added: about drops of essence of almonds, or from to drops of essence of vanilla, would be required to flavour the above proportion of milk. _time_.--from to minutes to boil the rice. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ at any time. rice croquettes. . ingredients.-- / lb. of rice, quart of milk, oz. of pounded sugar, flavouring of vanilla, lemon-peel, or bitter almonds, egg and bread crumbs, hot lard. _mode_.--put the rice, milk, and sugar into a saucepan, and let the former gradually swell over a gentle fire until all the milk is dried up; and just before the rice is done, stir in a few drops of essence of any of the above flavourings. let the rice get cold; then form it into small round balls, dip them into yolk of egg, sprinkle them with bread crumbs, and fry them in boiling lard for about minutes, turning them about, that they may get equally browned. drain the greasy moisture from them, by placing them on a cloth in front of the fire for a minute or two; pile them on a white d'oyley, and send them quickly to table. a small piece of jam is sometimes introduced into the middle of each croquette, which adds very much to the flavour of this favourite dish. _time_.--from / to hour to swell the rice; about minutes to fry the croquettes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to make or croquettes. _seasonable_ at any time. rice fritters. . ingredients.-- oz. of rice, quart of milk, oz. of sugar, oz. of fresh butter oz. of orange marmalade, eggs. _mode_.--swell the rice in the milk, with the sugar and butter, over a slow fire until it is perfectly tender, which will be in about / hour. when the rice is done, strain away the milk, should there be any left, and mix with it the marmalade and well-beaten eggs; stir the whole over the fire until the eggs are set; then spread the mixture on a dish to the thickness of about / inch, or rather thicker. when it is perfectly cold, cut it into long strips, dip them in a batter the same as for apple fritters, and fry them a nice brown. dish them on a white d'oyley, strew sifted sugar over, and serve quickly. _time_.--about / hour to swell the rice; from to minutes to fry the fritters. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to make or fritters. _seasonable_ at any time. rice snowballs. (_a pretty dish for juvenile suppers_.) . ingredients.-- oz. of rice, quart of milk, flavouring of essence of almonds, sugar to taste, pint of custard made by recipe no. . _mode_.--boil the rice in the milk, with sugar and a flavouring of essence of almonds, until the former is tender, adding, if necessary, a little more milk, should it dry away too much. when the rice is quite soft, put it into teacups, or _small_ round jars, and let it remain until cold; then turn the rice out on a deep glass dish, pour over a custard made by recipe no. , and, on the top of each ball place a small piece of bright-coloured preserve or jelly. lemon-peel or vanilla may be boiled with the rice instead of the essence of almonds, when either of these is preferred; but the flavouring of the custard must correspond with that of the rice. _time_.--about / hour to swell the rice in the milk. _average cost_, with the custard, s. d. _sufficient_ for or children. _seasonable_ at any time. rice souffle. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of ground rice, pint of milk, eggs, pounded sugar to taste, flavouring of lemon-rind, vanilla, coffee, chocolate, or anything that may be preferred, a piece of butter the size of a walnut. _mode_.--mix the ground rice with tablespoonfuls of the milk quite smoothly, and put it into a saucepan with the remainder of the milk and butter, and keep stirring it over the fire for about / hour, or until the mixture thickens. separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs, beat the former in a basin, and stir to them the rice and sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten the soufflé; but add this latter ingredient as sparingly as possible, as, the less sugar there is used, the lighter will be the soufflé. now whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth or snow; mix them with the other preparation, and pour the whole into a soufflé-dish, and put it instantly into the oven; bake it about / hour in a moderate oven; take it out, hold a salamander or hot shovel over the top, sprinkle sifted sugar over it, and send the soufflé to table in the dish it was baked in, either with a napkin pinned round, or inclosed in a more ornamental dish. the excellence of this fashionable dish entirely depends on the proper whisking of the whites of the eggs, the manner of baking, and the expedition with which it is sent to table. soufflés should be served _instantly_ from the oven, or they will sink, and be nothing more than an ordinary pudding. _time_.--about / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. to make a souffle. . ingredients.-- heaped tablespoonfuls of potato-flour, rice-flour, arrowroot, or tapioca, pint of milk, eggs, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, sifted sugar to taste, / saltspoonful of salt flavouring. _mode_.--mix the potato-flour, or whichever one of the above ingredients is used, with a little of the milk; put it into a saucepan, with the remainder of the milk, the butter, salt, and sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten the whole nicely. stir these ingredients over the fire until the mixture thickens; then take it off the fire, and let it cool a little. separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs, beat the latter, and stir them into the soufflé batter. now whisk the whites of the eggs to the firmest possible froth, for on this depends the excellence of the dish; stir them to the other ingredients, and add a few drops of essence of any flavouring that may be preferred; such as vanilla, lemon, orange, ginger, &c. &c. pour the batter into a soufflé-dish, put it immediately into the oven, and bake for about / hour; then take it out, put the dish into another more ornamental one, such as is made for the purpose; hold a salamander or hot shovel over the soufflé, strew it with sifted sugar, and send it instantly to table. the secret of making a soufflé well, is to have the eggs well whisked, but particularly the whites, the oven not too hot, and to send it to table the moment it comes from the oven. if the soufflé be ever so well made, and it is allowed to stand before being sent to table, its appearance and goodness will be entirely spoiled. soufflés may be flavoured in various ways, but must be named accordingly. vanilla is one of the most delicate and recherché flavourings that can be used for this very fashionable dish. _time_.--about / hour in the oven; or minutes to hold the salamander over. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. snow eggs, or oeufs a la neige. (_a very pretty supper dish_.) . ingredients.-- eggs, / pint of milk, pounded sugar to taste, flavouring of vanilla, lemon-rind, or orange-flower water. _mode_.--put the milk into a saucepan with sufficient sugar to sweeten it nicely, and the rind of / lemon. let this steep by the side of the fire for / hour, when take out the peel; separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs, and whisk the former to a perfectly stiff froth, or until there is no liquid remaining; bring the milk to the boiling-point, and drop in the snow a tablespoonful at a time, and keep turning the eggs until sufficiently cooked. then place them on a glass dish, beat up the yolks of the eggs, stir to them the milk, add a little more sugar, and strain this mixture into a jug; place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir it one way until the mixture thickens, but do not allow it to boil, or it will curdle. pour this custard over the eggs, when they should rise to the surface. they make an exceedingly pretty addition to a supper, and should be put in a cold place after being made. when they are flavoured with vanilla or orange-flower water, it is not necessary to steep the milk. a few drops of the essence of either may be poured in the milk just before the whites are poached. in making the custard, a little more flavouring and sugar should always be added. _time_.--about minutes to poach the whites; minutes to stir the custard. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. stone cream of tous les mois. . ingredients.-- / lb. of preserve, pint of milk, oz. of lump sugar, heaped tablespoonful of tous les mois, drops of essence of cloves, drops of almond-flavouring. _mode_.--place the preserve at the bottom of a glass dish; put the milk into a lined saucepan, with the sugar, and make it boil. mix to a smooth batter the tous les mois, with a very little cold milk; stir it briskly into the boiling milk, add the flavouring, and simmer for minutes. when rather cool, but before turning solid, pour the cream over the jam, and ornament it with strips of red-currant jelly or preserved fruit. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. strawberry jelly. . ingredients.--strawberries, pounded sugar; to every pint of juice allow - / oz. of isinglass. _mode_.--pick the strawberries, put them into a pan, squeeze them well with a wooden spoon, add sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten them nicely, and let them remain for hour, that the juice may be extracted; then add / pint of water to every pint of juice. strain the strawberry-juice and water through a bag; measure it, and to every pint allow - / oz. of isinglass, melted and clarified in / pint of water. mix this with the juice; put the jelly into a mould, and set the mould in ice. a little lemon-juice added to the strawberry-juice improves the flavour of the jelly, if the fruit is very ripe; but it must be well strained before it is put to the other ingredients, or it will make the jelly muddy. _time_.-- hour to draw the juice. _average cost_, with the best isinglass, s. _sufficient_.--allow - / pint of jelly for or persons. _seasonable_ in june, july, and august. swiss cream. . ingredients.-- / lb. of macaroons or small sponge-cakes, sherry, pint of cream, oz. of lump sugar, large tablespoonfuls of arrowroot, the rind of lemon, the juice of / lemon, tablespoonfuls of milk. _mode_.--lay the macaroons or sponge-cakes in a glass dish, and pour over them as much sherry as will cover them, or sufficient to soak them well. put the cream into a lined saucepan, with the sugar and lemon-rind, and let it remain by the side of the fire until the cream is well flavoured, when take out the lemon-rind. mix the arrowroot smoothly with the cold milk; add this to the cream, and let it boil gently for about minutes, keeping it well stirred. take it off the fire, stir till nearly cold, when add the lemon-juice, and pour the whole over the cakes. garnish the cream with strips of angelica, or candied citron cut thin, or bright-coloured jelly or preserve. this cream is exceedingly delicious, flavoured with vanilla instead of lemon: when this flavouring is used, the sherry may be omitted, and the mixture poured over the _dry_ cakes. _time_.--about / hour to infuse the lemon-rind; minutes to boil the cream. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. to make syllabub. . ingredients.-- pint of sherry or white wine, / grated nutmeg, sugar to taste, - / pint of milk. _mode_.--put the wine into a bowl, with the grated nutmeg and plenty of pounded sugar, and milk into it the above proportion of milk frothed up. clouted cream may be laid on the top, with pounded cinnamon or nutmeg and sugar; and a little brandy may be added to the wine before the milk is put in. in some counties, cider is substituted for the wine: when this is used, brandy must always be added. warm milk may be poured on from a spouted jug or teapot; but it must be held very high. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. tipsy cake. . ingredients.-- moulded sponge-or savoy-cake, sufficient sweet wine or sherry to soak it, tablespoonfuls of brandy, oz. of sweet almonds, pint of rich custard. [illustration: tipsy cake.] _mode_.--procure a cake that is three or four days old,--either sponge, savoy, or rice answering for the purpose of a tipsy cake. cut the bottom of the cake level, to make it stand firm in the dish; make a small hole in the centre, and pour in and over the cake sufficient sweet wine or sherry, mixed with the above proportion of brandy, to soak it nicely. when the cake is well soaked, blanch and cut the almonds into strips, stick them all over the cake, and pour round it a good custard, made by recipe no. , allowing eggs instead of to the pint of milk. the cakes are sometimes crumbled and soaked, and a whipped cream heaped over them, the same as for trifles. _time_.--about hours to soak the cake. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for dish. _seasonable_ at any time. almond.--the almond-tree is a native of warmer climates than britain, and is indigenous to the northern parts of africa and asia; but it is now commonly cultivated in italy, spain, and the south of france. it is not usually grown in britain, and the fruit seldom ripens in this country: it is much admired for the beauty of its blossoms. in the form of its leaves and blossoms it strongly resembles the peach-tree, and is included in the same genus by botanists; but the fruit, instead of presenting a delicious pulp like the peach, shrivels up as it ripens, and becomes only a tough coriaceous covering to the stone inclosing the eatable kernel, which is surrounded by a thin bitter skin. it flowers early in the spring, and produces fruit in august. there are two sorts of almonds,--sweet and bitter; but they are considered to be only varieties of the species; and though the qualities of the kernels are very different, they are not distinguishable by their appearance. an easy way of making a tipsy cake. . ingredients.-- stale small sponge-cakes, raisin wine, / lb. of jam, pint of custard no. . _mode_.--soak the sponge-cakes, which should be stale (on this account they should be cheaper), in a little raisin wine; arrange them on a deep glass dish in four layers, putting a layer of jam between each, and pour round them a pint of custard, made by recipe no. , decorating the top with cut preserved fruit. _time_.-- hours to soak the cakes. average cost, s. d. _sufficient_ for dish. _seasonable_ at any time. to make a trifle. . ingredients.--for the whip, pint of cream, oz. of pounded sugar, the whites of eggs, a small glass of sherry or raisin wine. for the trifle, pint of custard, made with eggs to a pint of milk; small sponge-cakes, or slices of sponge-cake; macaroons, dozen ratafias, oz. of sweet almonds, the grated rind of lemon, a layer of raspberry or strawberry jam, / pint of sherry or sweet wine, tablespoonfuls of brandy. [illustration: trifle.] _mode_.--the whip to lay over the top of the trifle should be made the day before it is required for table, as the flavour is better, and it is much more solid than when prepared the same day. put into a large bowl the pounded sugar, the whites of the eggs, which should be beaten to a stiff froth, a glass of sherry or sweet wine, and the cream. whisk these ingredients well in a cool place, and take off the froth with a skimmer as fast as it rises, and put it on a sieve to drain; continue the whisking till there is sufficient of the whip, which must be put away in a cool place to drain. the next day, place the sponge-cakes, macaroons, and ratafias at the bottom of a trifle-dish; pour over them / pint of sherry or sweet wine, mixed with tablespoonfuls of brandy, and, should this proportion of wine not be found quite sufficient, add a little more, as the cakes should be well soaked. over the cakes put the grated lemon-rind, the sweet almonds, blanched and cut into strips, and a layer of raspberry or strawberry jam. make a good custard by recipe no. , using instead of eggs to the pint of milk, and let this cool a little; then pour it over the cakes, &c. the whip being made the day previously, and the trifle prepared, there remains nothing to do now but heap the whip lightly over the top: this should stand as high as possible, and it may be garnished with strips of bright currant jelly, crystallized sweetmeats, or flowers; the small coloured comfits are sometimes used for the purpose of garnishing a trifle, but they are now considered rather old-fashioned. (see coloured plate, v .) _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, s. d. _sufficient_ for trifle. _seasonable_ at any time. vanilla cream. . ingredients.-- pint of milk, the yolks of eggs, oz. of sugar, oz. of isinglass, flavouring to taste of essence of vanilla. [illustration: vanilla-cream mould.] _mode_.--put the milk and sugar into a saucepan, and let it get hot over a slow fire; beat up the yolks of the eggs, to which add gradually the sweetened milk; flavour the whole with essence of vanilla, put the mixture into a jug, and place this jug in a saucepan of boiling water. stir the contents with a wooden spoon one way until the mixture thickens, but do not allow it to boil, or it will be full of lumps. take it off the fire; stir in the isinglass, which should be previously dissolved in about / pint of water, and boiled for or minutes; pour the cream into an oiled mould, put it in a cool place to set, and turn it out carefully on a dish. instead of using the essence of vanilla, a pod may be boiled in the milk instead, until the flavour is well extracted. a pod, or a pod and a half, will be found sufficient for the above proportion of ingredients. _time_.--about minutes to stir the mixture. _average cost_, with the best isinglass, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _seasonable_ at any time. vanille or vanilla, is the fruit of the vanillier, a parasitical herbaceous plant, which flourishes in brazil, mexico, and peru. the fruit is a long capsule, thick and fleshy. certain species of this fruit contain a pulp with a delicious perfume and flavour. vanilla is principally imported from mexico. the capsules for export are always picked at perfect maturity. the essence is the form in which it is used generally and most conveniently. its properties are stimulating and exciting. it is in daily use for ices, chocolates, and flavouring confections generally. victoria sandwiches. . ingredients.-- eggs; their weight in pounded sugar, butter, and flour; / saltspoonful of salt, a layer of any kind of jam or marmalade. _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour and pounded sugar; stir these ingredients well together, and add the eggs, which should be previously thoroughly whisked. when the mixture has been well beaten for about minutes, butter a yorkshire-pudding tin, pour in the batter, and bake it in a moderate oven for minutes. let it cool, spread one half of the cake with a layer of nice preserve, place over it the other half of the cake, press the pieces slightly together, and then cut it into long finger-pieces; pile them in crossbars on a glass dish, and serve. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. whipped cream, for putting on trifles, serving in glasses, &c. . ingredients.--to every pint of cream allow oz. of pounded sugar, glass of sherry or any kind of sweet white wine, the rind of / lemon, the white of egg. [illustration: pastry leaf.] _mode_.--rub the sugar on the lemon-rind, and pound it in a mortar until quite fine, and beat up the white of the egg until quite stiff; put the cream into a large bowl, with the sugar, wine, and beaten egg, and whip it to a froth; as fast as the froth rises, take it off with a skimmer, and put it on a sieve to drain, in a cool place. this should be made the day before it is wanted, as the whip is then so much firmer. the cream should be whipped in a cool place, and in summer, over ice, if it is obtainable. a plain whipped cream may be served on a glass dish, and garnished with strips of angelica, or pastry leaves, or pieces of bright-coloured jelly: it makes a very pretty addition to the supper-table. _time_.--about hour to whip the cream. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, s. d. _sufficient_ for dish or trifle. _seasonable_ at any time. whipped syllabubs. . ingredients.-- / pint of cream, / pint of sherry, half that quantity of brandy, the juice of / lemon, a little grated nutmeg, oz. of pounded sugar, whipped cream the same as for trifle no. . _mode_.--mix all the ingredients together, put the syllabub into glasses, and over the top of them heap a little whipped cream, made in the same manner as for trifle no. . solid syllabub is made by whisking or milling the mixture to a stiff froth, and putting it in the glasses, without the whipped cream at the top. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to fill or glasses. _seasonable_ at any time. the cure's omelet. "every one knows," says brillat savarin, in his "physiology of taste," "that for twenty years madame récamier was the most beautiful woman in paris. it is also well known that she was exceedingly charitable, and took a great interest in every benevolent work. wishing to consult the curé of ---- respecting the working of an institution, she went to his house at five o'clock in the afternoon, and was much astonished at finding him already at his dinner-table. "madame récamier wished to retire, but the curé would not hear of it. a neat white cloth covered the table; some good old wine sparkled in a crystal decanter; the porcelain was of the best; the plates had heaters of boiling water beneath them; a neatly-costumed maid-servant was in attendance. the repast was a compromise between frugality and luxury. the crawfish-soup had just been removed, and there was on the table a salmon-trout, an omelet, and a salad. "'my dinner will tell you,' said the worthy curé, with a smile, 'that it is fast-day, according to our church's regulations.' madame récamier and her host attacked the trout, the sauce served with which betrayed a skilful hand, the countenance of the curé the while showing satisfaction. "and now they fell upon the omelet, which was round, sufficiently thick, and cooked, so to speak, to a hair's-breadth. "as the spoon entered the omelet, a thick rich juice issued from it, pleasant to the eye as well as to the smell; the dish became full of it; and our fair friend owns that, between the perfume and the sight, it made her mouth water. "'it is an _omelette au thon_' (that is to say, a tunny omelet), said the curé, noticing, with the greatest delight, the emotion of madame récamier, 'and few people taste it without lavishing praises on it.' "'it surprises me not at all,' returned the beauty; 'never has so enticing an omelet met my gaze at any of our lay tables.' "'my cook understands them well, i think.' "'yes,' added madame, 'i never ate anything so delightful.'" then came the salad, which savarin recommends to all who place confidence in him. it refreshes without exciting; and he has a theory that it makes people younger. amidst pleasant converse the dessert arrived. it consisted of three apples, cheese, and a plate of preserves; and then upon a little round table was served the mocha coffee, for which france has been, and is, so justly famous. "'i never,' said the curé, 'take spirits; i always offer liqueurs to my guests but reserve the use of them, myself, to my old age, if it should please providence to grant me that.' "finally, the charming madame récamier took her leave, and told all her friends of the delicious omelet which she had seen and partaken of." and brillat savarin, in his capacity as the layard of the concealed treasures of gastronomia, has succeeded in withdrawing from obscurity the details of the preparation of which so much had been said, and which he imagines to be as wholesome as it was agreeable. here follows the recipe:-- omelette au thon. . take, for persons, the roes of carp; [footnote: an american writer says he has followed this recipe, substituting pike, shad, &c., in the place of carp, and can recommend all these also, with a quiet conscience. any fish, indeed, may be used with success.] bleach them, by putting them, for minutes, in boiling water slightly salted. take a piece of fresh tunny about the size of a hen's egg, to which add a small shalot already chopped; hash up together the roe and the tunny, so as to mix them well, and throw the whole into a saucepan, with a sufficient quantity of very good butter: whip it up until the butter is melted! this constitutes the specialty of the omelet. take a second piece of butter, _à discrétion_, mix it with parsley and herbs, place it in a long-shaped dish destined to receive the omelet; squeeze the juice of a lemon over it, and place it on hot embers. beat up eggs (the fresher the better); throw up the sauté of roe and tunny, stirring it so as to mix all well together; then make your omelet in the usual manner, endeavouring to turn it out long, thick, and soft. spread it carefully on the dish prepared for it, and serve at once. this dish ought to be reserved for recherché déjeûners, or for assemblies where amateurs meet who know how to eat well; washed down with a good old wine, it will work wonders. _note_.--the roe and the tunny must be beaten up (sauté) without allowing them to boil, to prevent their hardening, which would prevent them mixing well with the eggs. your dish should be hollowed towards the centre, to allow the gravy to concentrate, that it may be helped with a spoon. the dish ought to be slightly heated, otherwise the cold china will extract all the heat from the omelet. [illustration] [illustration] chapter xxx. general observations on preserves, confectionary, ices, and dessert dishes. preserves. . from the nature of vegetable substances, and chiefly from their not passing so rapidly into the putrescent state as animal bodies, the mode of preserving them is somewhat different, although the general principles are the same. all the means of preservation are put in practice occasionally for fruits and the various parts of vegetables, according to the nature of the species, the climate, the uses to which they are applied, &c. some are dried, as nuts, raisins, sweet herbs, &c.; others are preserved by means of sugar, such as many fruits whose delicate juices would be lost by drying; some are preserved by means of vinegar, and chiefly used as condiments or pickles; a few also by salting, as french beans; while others are preserved in spirits. we have, however, in this place to treat of the best methods of preserving fruits. fruit is a most important item in the economy of health; the epicurean can scarcely be said to have any luxuries without it; therefore, as it is so invaluable, when we cannot have it fresh, we must have it preserved. it has long been a desideratum to preserve fruits by some cheap method, yet by such as would keep them fit for the various culinary purposes, as making tarts and other similar dishes. the expense of preserving them with sugar is a serious objection; for, except the sugar is used in considerable quantities, the success is very uncertain. sugar also overpowers and destroys the sub-acid taste so desirable in many fruits: these which are preserved in this manner are chiefly intended for the dessert. fruits intended for preservation should be gathered in the morning, in dry weather, with the morning sun upon them, if possible; they will then have their fullest flavour, and keep in good condition longer than when gathered at any other time. until fruit can be used, it should be placed in the dairy, an ice-house, or a refrigerator. in an icehouse it will remain fresh and plump for several days. fruit gathered in wet or foggy weather will soon be mildewed, and be of no service for preserves. . having secured the first and most important contribution to the manufacture of preserves,--the fruit, the next consideration is the preparation of the syrup in which the fruit is to be suspended; and this requires much care. in the confectioner's art there is a great nicety in proportioning the degree of concentration of the syrup very exactly to each particular case; and they know this by signs, and express it by certain technical terms. but to distinguish these properly requires very great attention and considerable experience. the principal thing to be acquainted with is the fact, that, in proportion as the syrup is longer boiled, its water will become evaporated, and its consistency will be thicker. great care must be taken in the management of the fire, that the syrup does not boil over, and that the boiling is not carried to such an extent as to burn the sugar. . the first degree of consistency is called _the thread_, which is subdivided into the little and great thread. if you dip the finger into the syrup and apply it to the thumb, the tenacity of the syrup will, on separating the finger and thumb, afford a thread, which shortly breaks: this is the little thread. if the thread, from the greater tenacity, and, consequently, greater strength of the syrup, admits of a greater extension of the finger and thumb, it is called the great thread. there are half a dozen other terms and experiments for testing the various thickness of the boiling sugar towards the consistency called _caramel_; but that degree of sugar-boiling belongs to the confectioner. a solution of sugar prepared by dissolving two parts of double-refined sugar (the best sugar is the most economical for preserves) in one of water, and boiling this a little, affords a syrup of the right degree of strength, and which neither ferments nor crystallizes. this appears to be the degree called _smooth_ by the confectioners, and is proper to be used for the purposes of preserves. the syrup employed should sometimes be clarified, which is done in the following manner:--dissolve lbs. of loaf sugar in a pint of water; add to this solution the white of an egg, and beat it well. put the preserving-pan upon the fire with the solution; stir it with a wooden spatula, and, when it begins to swell and boil up, throw in some cold water or a little oil, to damp the boiling; for, as it rises suddenly, if it should boil over, it would take fire, being of a very inflammable nature. let it boil up again; then take it off, and remove carefully the scum that has risen. boil the solution again, throw in a little more cold water, remove the scum, and so on for three or four times successively; then strain it. it is considered to be sufficiently boiled when some taken up in a spoon pours out like oil. . although sugar passes so easily into the state of fermentation, and is, in fact, the only substance capable of undergoing the vinous stage of that process, yet it will not ferment at all if the quantity be sufficient to constitute a very strong syrup: hence, syrups are used to preserve fruits and other vegetable substances from the changes they would undergo if left to themselves. before sugar was in use, honey was employed to preserve many vegetable productions, though this substance has now given way to the juice of the sugar-cane. . the fruits that are the most fit for preservation in syrup are, apricots, peaches, nectarines, apples, greengages, plums of all kinds, and pears. as an example, take some apricots not too ripe, make a small slit at the stem end, and push out the stone; simmer them in water till they are softened and about half done, and afterwards throw them into cold water. when they have cooled, take them out and drain them. put the apricots into the pie-serving-pan with sufficient syrup to cover them; let them boil up three or four times, and then skim them; remove them from the fire, pour them into an earthen pan, and let them cool till next day. boil them up three days successively, skimming each time, and they will then be finished and in a state fit to be put into pots for use. after each bailing, it is proper to examine into the state of the syrup when cold; if too thin, it will bear additional boiling; if too thick, it may be lowered with more syrup of the usual standard. the reason why the fruit is emptied out of the preserving-pan into an earthen pan is, that the acid of the fruit acts upon the copper, of which the preserving-pans are usually made. from this example the process of preserving fruits by syrup will be easily comprehended. the first object is to soften the fruit by blanching or boiling it in water, in order that the syrup by which it is preserved may penetrate through its substance. . many fruits, when preserved by boiling, lose much of their peculiar and delicate flavour, as, for instance, pine-apples; and this inconvenience may, in some instances, be remedied by preserving them without heat. cut the fruit in slices about one fifth of an inch thick, strew powdered loaf sugar an eighth of an inch thick on the bottom of a jar, and put the slices on it. put more sugar on this, and then another layer of the slices, and so on till the jar is full. place the jar with the fruit up to the neck in boiling water, and keep it there till the sugar is completely dissolved, which may take half an hour, removing the scum as it rises. lastly, tie a wet bladder over the mouth of the jar, or cork and wax it. . any of the fruits that have been preserved in syrup may be converted into dry preserves, by first draining them from the syrup, and then drying them in a stove or very moderate oven, adding to them a quantity of powdered loaf sugar, which will gradually penetrate the fruit, while the fluid parts of the syrup gently evaporate. they should be dried in the stove or oven on a sieve, and turned every six or eight hours, fresh powdered sugar being sifted over them every time they are turned. afterwards, they are to be kept in a dry situation, in drawers or boxes. currants and cherries preserved whole in this manner, in bunches, are extremely elegant, and have a fine flavour. in this way it is, also, that orange and lemon chips are preserved. . marmalades, jams, and fruit pastes are of the same nature, and are now in very general request. they are prepared without difficulty, by attending to a very few directions; they are somewhat expensive, but may be kept without spoiling for a considerable time. marmalades and jams differ little from each other: they are preserves of a half-liquid consistency, made by boiling the pulp of fruits, and sometimes part of the rinds, with sugar. the appellation of marmalade is applied to those confitures which are composed of the firmer fruits, as pineapples or the rinds of oranges; whereas jams are made of the more juicy berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, currants, mulberries, &c. fruit pastes are a kind of marmalades, consisting of the pulp of fruits, first evaporated to a proper consistency, and afterwards boiled with sugar. the mixture is then poured into a mould, or spread on sheets of tin, and subsequently dried in the oven or stove till it has acquired the state of a paste. from a sheet of this paste, strips may be cut and formed into any shape that may be desired, as knots, rings, &c. jams require the same care and attention in the boiling as marmalade; the slightest degree of burning communicates a disagreeable empyreumatic taste, and if they are not boiled sufficiently, they will not keep. that they may keep, it is necessary not to be sparing of sugar. . in all the operations for preserve-making, when the preserving-pan is used, it should not be placed on the fire, but on a trivet, unless the jam is made on a hot plate, when this is not necessary. if the pan is placed close on to the fire, the preserve is very liable to burn, and the colour and flavour be consequently spoiled. . fruit jellies are compounds of the juices of fruits combined with sugar, concentrated, by boiling, to such a consistency that the liquid, upon cooling, assumes the form of a tremulous jelly. . before fruits are candied, they must first be boiled in syrup, after which they are taken out and dried on a stove, or before the fire; the syrup is then to be concentrated, or boiled to a candy height, and the fruit dipped in it, and again laid on the stove to dry and candy: they are then to be put into boxes, and kept dry. . conserves consist of fresh vegetable matters beat into a uniform mass with refined sugar, and they are intended to preserve the virtues and properties of recent flowers, leaves, roots, peels, or fruits, unaltered, and as near as possible to what they were when fresh gathered, and to give them an agreeable taste. . the last-mentioned, but not the least-important preparation of fruit, is the _compôte,_ a confiture made at the moment of need, and with much less sugar than would be ordinarily put to preserves. they are most wholesome things, suitable to most stomachs which cannot accommodate themselves to raw fruit or a large portion of sugar: they are the happy medium, and far better than ordinary stewed fruit. confectionary. . in speaking of confectionary, it should be remarked that all the various preparations above named come, strictly speaking, under that head; for the various fruits, flowers, herbs, roots, and juices, which, when boiled with sugar, were formerly employed in pharmacy as well as for sweetmeats, were called _confections_, from the latin word _conficere_, 'to make up;' but the term confectionary embraces a very large class indeed of sweet food, many kinds of which should not be attempted in the ordinary cuisine. the thousand and one ornamental dishes that adorn the tables of the wealthy should be purchased from the confectioner: they cannot profitably be made at home. apart from these, cakes, biscuits, and tarts, &c., the class of sweetmeats called confections may be thus classified:-- . liquid confects, or fruits either whole or in pieces, preserved by being immersed in a fluid transparent syrup; as the liquid confects of apricots, green citrons, and many foreign fruits. . dry confects are those which, after having been boiled in the syrup, are taken out and put to dry in an oven, as citron and orange-peel, &c. . marmalade, jams, and pastes, a kind of soft compounds made of the pulp of fruits or other vegetable substances, beat up with sugar or honey; such as oranges, apricots, pears, &c. . jellies are the juices of fruits boiled with sugar to a pretty thick consistency, so as, upon cooling, to form a trembling jelly; as currant, gooseberry, apple jelly, &c. . conserves are a kind of dry confects, made by beating up flowers, fruits, &c., with sugar, not dissolved. . candies are fruits candied over with sugar after having been boiled in the syrup. dessert dishes. . with moderns the dessert is not so profuse, nor does it hold the same relationship to the dinner that it held with the ancients,--the romans more especially. on ivory tables they would spread hundreds of different kinds of raw, cooked, and preserved fruits, tarts and cakes, as substitutes for the more substantial comestibles with which the guests were satiated. however, as late as the reigns of our two last georges, fabulous sums were often expended upon fanciful desserts. the dessert certainly repays, in its general effect, the expenditure upon it of much pains; and it may be said, that if there be any poetry at all in meals, or the process of feeding, there is poetry in the dessert, the materials for which should be selected with taste, and, of course, must depend, in a great measure, upon the season. pines, melons, grapes, peaches, nectarines, plums, strawberries, apples, pears, oranges, almonds, raisins, figs, walnuts, filberts, medlars, cherries, &c. &c., all kinds of dried fruits, and choice and delicately-flavoured cakes and biscuits, make up the dessert, together with the most costly and _recherché_ wines. the shape of the dishes varies at different periods, the prevailing fashion at present being oval and circular dishes on stems. the patterns and colours are also subject to changes of fashion; some persons selecting china, chaste in pattern and colour; others, elegantly-shaped glass dishes on stems, with gilt edges. the beauty of the dessert services at the tables of the wealthy tends to enhance the splendour of the plate. the general mode of putting a dessert on table, now the elegant tazzas are fashionable, is, to place them down the middle of the table, a tall and short dish alternately; the fresh fruits being arranged on the tall dishes, and dried fruits, bon-bons, &c., on small round or oval glass plates. the garnishing needs especial attention, as the contrast of the brilliant-coloured fruits with nicely-arranged foliage is very charming. the garnish _par excellence_ for dessert is the ice-plant; its crystallized dewdrops producing a marvellous effect in the height of summer, giving a most inviting sense of coolness to the fruit it encircles. the double-edged mallow, strawberry, and vine leaves have a pleasing effect; and for winter desserts, the bay, cuba, and laurel are sometimes used. in town, the expense and difficulty of obtaining natural foliage is great, but paper and composite leaves are to be purchased at an almost nominal price. mixed fruits of the larger sort are now frequently served on one dish. this mode admits of the display of much taste in the arrangement of the fruit: for instance, a pine in the centre of the dish, surrounded with large plums of various sorts and colours, mixed with pears, rosy-cheeked apples, all arranged with a due regard to colour, have a very good effect. again, apples and pears look well mingled with plums and grapes, hanging from the border of the dish in a _négligé_ sort of manner, with a large bunch of the same fruit lying on the top of the apples. a dessert would not now be considered complete without candied and preserved fruits and confections. the candied fruits may be purchased at a less cost than they can be manufactured at home. they are preserved abroad in most ornamental and elegant forms. and since, from the facilities of travel, we have become so familiar with the tables of the french, chocolate in different forms is indispensable to our desserts. ices. . ices are composed, it is scarcely necessary to say, of congealed cream or water, combined sometimes with liqueurs or other flavouring ingredients, or more generally with the juices of fruits. at desserts, or at some evening parties, ices are scarcely to be dispensed with. the principal utensils required for making ice-creams are ice-tubs, freezing-pots, spaddles, and a cellaret. the tub must be large enough to contain about a bushel of ice, pounded small, when brought out of the ice-house, and mixed very carefully with either _salt, nitre,_ or _soda._ the freezing-pot is best made of pewter. if it be of tin, as is sometimes the case, the congelation goes on too rapidly in it for the thorough intermingling of its contents, on which the excellence of the ice greatly depends. the spaddle is generally made of copper, kept bright and clean. the cellaret is a tin vessel, in which ices are kept for a short time from dissolving. the method to be pursued in the freezing process must be attended to. when the ice-tub is prepared with fresh-pounded ice and salt, the freezing-pot is put into it up to its cover. the articles to be congealed are then poured into it and covered over; but to prevent the ingredients from separating and the heaviest of them from falling to the bottom of the mould, it is requisite to turn the freezing-pot round and round by the handle, so as to keep its contents moving until the congelation commences. as soon as this is perceived (the cover of the pot being occasionally taken off for the purpose of noticing when freezing takes place), the cover is immediately closed over it, ice is put upon it, and it is left in this state till it is served. the use of the spaddle is to stir up and remove from the sides of the freezing pot the cream, which in the shaking may have washed against it, and by stirring it in with the rest, to prevent waste of it occurring. any negligence in stirring the contents of the freezing-pot before congelation takes place, will destroy the whole: either the sugar sinks to the bottom and leaves the ice insufficiently sweetened, or lumps are formed, which disfigure and discolour it. . the aged, the delicate, and children should abstain from ices or iced beverages; even the strong and healthy should partake of them in moderation. they should be taken immediately after the repast, or some hours after, because the taking these substances _during_ the process of digestion is apt to provoke indisposition. it is necessary, then, that this function should have scarcely commenced, or that it should be completely finished, before partaking of ices. it is also necessary to abstain from them when persons are very warm, or immediately after taking violent exercise, as in some cases they have produced illnesses which have ended fatally. [do ladies know to whom they are indebted for the introduction of ices, which all the fair sex are passionately fond of?--to catherine de' medici. will not this fact cover a multitude of sins committed by the instigator of st. bartholomew ?] recipes. chapter xxxi. to make syrup for compotes, &c. . ingredients.--to every lb. of sugar allow - / pint of water. _mode_.--boil the sugar and water together for / hour, carefully removing the scum as it rises: the syrup is then ready for the fruit. the articles boiled in this syrup will not keep for any length of time, it being suitable only for dishes intended to be eaten immediately. a larger proportion of sugar must be added for a syrup intended to keep. _time_.-- / hour. to clarify sugar or syrup. . ingredients.--to every lb. of sugar allow / pint of water and / the white of an egg. _mode_.--put the sugar, water, and the white of the egg, which should, be well beaten, into a preserving-pan or lined saucepan; and do not put it on the fire till the sugar is dissolved. then place it on the fire, and when it boils, throw in a teacupful of cold water, and do not stir the sugar after this is added. bring it to the boiling-point again, and then place the pan by the side of the fire, for the preparation to settle. remove all the scum, and the sugar will be ready for use. the scum should be placed on a sieve, so that what syrup runs from it may be boiled up again: this must also be well skimmed. _time_.-- minutes for the sugar to dissolve; minutes to boil. _note_.--the above two recipes are those used in the preparation of dishes usually made at home. there are many degrees of boiling sugar, which process requires great care, attention, and experience. caramel sugar, which makes an elegant cover for sweetmeats, is difficult to prepare, and is best left to an experienced confectioner. we give the recipe, for those of our readers who care to attempt the operation. to boil sugar to caramel. . ingredients.--to every lb. of lump sugar allow gill of spring water. _mode_.--boil the sugar and water together very quickly over a clear fire, skimming it very carefully as soon as it boils. keep it boiling until the sugar snaps when a little of it is dropped in a pan of cold water. if it remains hard, the sugar has attained the right degree; then squeeze in a little lemon-juice, and let it remain an instant on the fire. set the pan into another of cold water, and the caramel is then ready for use. the insides of well-oiled moulds are often ornamented with this sugar, which with a fork should be spread over them in fine threads or network. a dish of light pastry, tastefully arranged, looks very prettily with this sugar spun lightly over it. the sugar must be carefully watched, and taken up the instant it is done. unless the cook is very experienced and thoroughly understands her business, it is scarcely worth while to attempt to make this elaborate ornament, as it may be purchased quite as economically at a confectioner's, if the failures in the preparation are taken into consideration. compote of apples. _(soyer's recipe,--a dessert dish.)_ . ingredients.-- ripe apples, lemon, / lb. of lump sugar, / pint of water. [illustration: compÔte of apples.] _mode_.--select the apples of a moderate size, peel them, cut them in halves, remove the cores, and rub each piece over with a little lemon. put the sugar and water together into a lined saucepan, and let them boil until forming a thickish syrup, when lay in the apples with the rind of the lemon cut thin, and the juice of the same. let the apples simmer till tender; then take them out very carefully, drain them on a sieve, and reduce the syrup by boiling it quickly for a few minutes. when both are cold, arrange the apples neatly on a glass dish, pour over the syrup, and garnish with strips of green angelica or candied citron. smaller apples may be dressed in the same manner: they should not be divided in half, but peeled and the cores pushed out with a vegetable-cutter. _time_.-- minutes to boil the sugar and water together; from to minutes to simmer the apples. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from july to march. apple ginger. (_a dessert dish_.) ingredients.-- lbs. of any kind of hard apples, lbs. of loaf sugar, - / pint of water, oz. of tincture of ginger. _mode_.--boil the sugar and water until they form a rich syrup, adding the ginger when it boils up. pare, core, and cut the apples into pieces; dip them in cold water to preserve the colour, and boil them in the syrup until transparent; but be careful not to let them break. put the pieces of apple into jars, pour over the syrup, and carefully exclude the air, by well covering them. it will remain good some time, if kept in a dry place. _time_.--from to minutes to boil the syrup; about / hour to simmer the apples. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_.--make this in september, october, or november. apple jam. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit weighed after being pared, cored, and sliced, allow / lb. of preserving-sugar, the grated rind of lemon, the juice of / lemon. _mode_.--peel the apples, core and slice them very thin, and be particular that they are all the same sort. put them into a jar, stand this in a saucepan of boiling water, and let the apples stew until quite tender. previously to putting the fruit into the jar, weigh it, to ascertain the proportion of sugar that may be required. put the apples into a preserving-pan, crush the sugar to small lumps, and add it, with the grated lemon-rind and juice, to the apples. simmer these over the fire for / hour, reckoning from the time the jam begins to simmer properly; remove the scum as it rises, and when the jam is done, put it into pots for use. place a piece of oiled paper over the jam, and to exclude the air, cover the pots with tissue-paper dipped in the white of an egg, and stretched over the top. this jam will keep good for a long time. _time_.--about hours to stew in the jar; / hour to boil after the jam begins to simmer. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. _sufficient._-- or lbs. of apples for pots of jam. _seasonable_.--make this in september, october, or november. apple jelly. i. . ingredients.--to lbs. of apples allow pints of water; to every quart of juice allow lbs. of loaf sugar;--the juice of / lemon. _mode_.--pare, core, and cut the apples into slices, and put them into a jar, with water in the above proportion. place them in a cool oven, with the jar well covered, and when the juice is thoroughly drawn and the apples are quite soft, strain them through a jelly-bag. to every quart of juice allow lbs. of loaf sugar, which should be crushed to small lumps, and put into a preserving-pan with the juice. boil these together for rather more than / hour, remove the scum as it rises, add the lemon-juice just before it is done, and put the jelly into pots for use. this preparation is useful for garnishing sweet dishes, and may be turned out for dessert. _time_.--the apples to be put in the oven over-night, and left till morning; rather more than / hour to boil the jelly. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. _sufficient_ for small pots of jelly. _seasonable_,--this should be made in september, october, or november. ii. . ingredients.--apples, water: to every pint of syrup allow / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--pare and cut the apples into pieces, remove the cores, and put them in a preserving-pan with sufficient cold water to cover them. let them boil for an hour; then drain the syrup from them through a hair sieve or jelly-bag, and measure the juice; to every pint allow / lb. of loaf sugar, and boil these together for / hour, removing every particle of scum as it rises, and keeping the jelly well stirred, that it may not burn. a little lemon-rind may be boiled with the apples, and a small quantity of strained lemon-juice may be put in the jelly just before it is done, when the flavour is liked. this jelly may be ornamented with preserved greengages, or any other preserved fruit, and will turn out very prettily for dessert. it should be stored away in small pots. _time_.-- hour to boil the fruit and water; / hour to boil the juice with the sugar. _average cost_, for lbs. of apples, with the other ingredients in proportion, s. _sufficient_ for small pots of jelly. _seasonable_.--make this in september, october, or november. to preserve apples in quarters, in imitation of ginger. . ingredients.--to every lb. of apples allow / lb. of sugar, - / oz. of the best white ginger; oz. of ginger to every / pint of water. _mode_.--peel, core, and quarter the apples, and put the fruit, sugar, and ginger in layers into a wide-mouthed jar, and let them remain for days; then infuse oz. of ginger in / pint of boiling water, and cover it closely, and let it remain for day: this quantity of ginger and water is for lbs. of apples, with the other ingredients in proportion. put the apples, &c., into a preserving-pan with the water strained from the ginger, and boil till the apples look clear and the syrup is rich, which will be in about an hour. the rind of a lemon may be added just before the apples have finished boiling; and great care must be taken not to break the pieces of apple in putting them into the jars. serve on glass dishes for dessert. _time_.-- days for the apples to remain in the jar with sugar, &c.; day to infuse the ginger; about hour to boil the apples. _average cost_, for lbs. of apples, with the other ingredients in proportion, s. d. _sufficient._-- lbs. should fill moderate-sized jars. _seasonable_.--this should be made in september, october, or november. compote of apricots. (_an elegant dish_.) . ingredients.-- / pint of syrup no. , green apricots. _mode_.--make the syrup by recipe no. , and when it is ready, put in the apricots whilst the syrup is boiling. simmer them very gently until tender, taking care not to let them break; take them out carefully, arrange them on a glass dish, let the syrup cool a little, pour it over the apricots, and, when cold, serve. _time_.--from to minutes to simmer the apricots. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in june and july, with green apricots. apricot jam or marmalade. . ingredients.--to every lb. of ripe apricots, weighed after being skinned and stoned, allow lb. of sugar. _mode_.--pare the apricots, which should be ripe, as thinly as possible, break them in half, and remove the stones. weigh the fruit, and to every lb. allow the same proportion of loaf sugar. pound the sugar very finely in a mortar, strew it over the apricots, which should be placed on dishes, and let them remain for hours. break the stones, blanch the kernels, and put them with the sugar and fruit into a preserving-pan. let these simmer very gently until clear; take out the pieces of apricot singly as they become so, and, as fast as the scum rises, carefully remove it. put the apricots into small jars, pour over them the syrup and kernels, cover the jam with pieces of paper dipped in the purest salad-oil, and stretch over the top of the jars tissue-paper, cut about inches larger and brushed over with the white of an egg: when dry, it will be perfectly hard and air-tight. _time_.-- hours sprinkled with sugar; about / hour to boil the jam. _average cost_.--when cheap, apricots may be purchased for preserving at about s. d. per gallon. _sufficient_,-- lbs. of fruit for pots of jam. _seasonable_.--make this in august or september. barberries in bunches. . ingredients.-- pint of syrup no. , barberries. _mode_.--prepare some small pieces of clean white wood, inches long and / inch wide, and tie the fruit on to these in nice bunches. have ready some clear syrup, made by recipe no. ; put in the barberries, and simmer them in it for successive days, boiling them for nearly / hour each day, and covering them each time with the syrup when cold. when the fruit looks perfectly clear, it is sufficiently done, and should be stored away in pots, with the syrup poured over, or the fruit may be candied. _time_.-- / hour to simmer each day. _seasonable_ in autumn. _note_.--the berries in their natural state make a very pretty garnishing for dishes, and may even be used for the same purpose, preserved as above, and look exceedingly nice on sweet dishes. to make barley-sugar. . ingredients.--to every lb. of sugar allow / pint of water, / the white of an egg. _mode_.--put the sugar into a well-tinned saucepan, with the water, and, when the former is dissolved, set it over a moderate fire, adding the well-beaten egg before the mixture gets warm, and stir it well together. when it boils, remove the scum as it rises, and keep it boiling until no more appears, and the syrup looks perfectly clear; then strain it through a fine sieve or muslin bag, and put it back into the saucepan. boil it again like caramel, until it is brittle, when a little is dropped in a basin of cold water: it is then sufficiently boiled. add a little lemon-juice and a few drops of essence of lemon, and let it stand for a minute or two. have ready a marble slab or large dish, rubbed over with salad-oil; pour on it the sugar, and cut it into strips with a pair of scissors: these strips should then be twisted, and the barley-sugar stored away in a very dry place. it may be formed into lozenges or drops, by dropping the sugar in a very small quantity at a time on to the oiled slab or dish. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or sticks. carrot jam to imitate apricot preserve. . ingredients.--carrots; to every lb. of carrot pulp allow lb. of pounded sugar, the grated rind of lemon, the strained juice of , chopped bitter almonds, tablespoonfuls of brandy. _mode_.--select young carrots; wash and scrape them clean, cut them into round pieces, put them into a saucepan with sufficient water to cover them, and let them simmer until perfectly soft; then beat them through a sieve. weigh the pulp, and to every lb. allow the above ingredients. put the pulp into a preserving-pan with the sugar, and let this boil for minutes, stirring and skimming all the time. when cold, add the lemon-rind and juice, almonds and brandy; mix these well with the jam; then put it into pots, which must be well covered and kept in a dry place. the brandy may be omitted, but the preserve will then not keep: with the brandy it will remain good for months. _time_.--about / hour to boil the carrots; minutes to simmer the pulp. _average cost_, s. d. for lb. of pulp, with the other ingredients in proportion. _sufficient_ to fill pots. _seasonable_ from july to december. to make cherry brandy. . ingredients.--morella cherries, good brandy; to every lb. of cherries allow oz. of pounded sugar. _mode_.--have ready some glass bottles, which must be perfectly dry. ascertain that the cherries are not too ripe and are freshly gathered, and cut off about half of the stalks. put them into the bottles, with the above proportion of sugar to every lb. of fruit; strew this in between the cherries, and, when the bottles are nearly full, pour in sufficient brandy to reach just below the cork. a few peach or apricot kernels will add much to their flavour, or a few blanched bitter almonds. put corks or bungs into the bottles, tie over them a piece of bladder, and store away in a dry place. the cherries will be fit to eat in or months, and will remain good for years. they are liable to shrivel and become tough if too much sugar be added to them. _average cost_, s. to s. d. per lb. _sufficient_.-- lb. of cherries and about / pint of brandy for a quart bottle. _seasonable_ in august and september. dried cherries. . cherries may be put in a slow oven and thoroughly dried before they begin to change colour. they should then be taken out of the oven, tied in bunches, and stored away in a dry place. in the winter, they may be cooked with sugar for dessert, the same as normandy pippins. particular care must be taken that the oven be not too hot. another method of drying cherries is to stone them, and to put them into a preserving-pan, with plenty of loaf sugar strewed amongst them. they should be simmered till the fruit shrivels, when they should be strained from the juice. the cherries should then be placed in an oven, cool enough to dry without baking them. about oz. of sugar would be required for lb. of cherries, and the same syrup may be used again to do another quantity of fruit. cherry jam. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit, weighed before stoning, allow / lb. of sugar; to every lbs. of fruit allow pint of red-currant juice, and to every pint of juice lb. of sugar. _mode_.--weigh the fruit before stoning, and allow half the weight of sugar; stone the cherries, and boil them in a preserving-pan until nearly all the juice is dried up; then add the sugar, which should be crushed to powder, and the currant-juice, allowing pint to every lbs. of cherries (original weight), and lb. of sugar to every pint of juice. boil all together until it jellies, which will be in from minutes to / hour; skim the jam well, keep it well stirred, and, a few minutes before it is done, crack some of the stones, and add the kernels: these impart a very delicious flavour to the jam. _time_.--according to the quality of the cherries, from / to hour to boil them; minutes to / hour with the sugar. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _sufficient_.-- pint of fruit for a lb. pot of jam. _seasonable_.--make this in july or august. to preserve cherries in syrup. (_very delicious_.) . ingredients.-- lbs. of cherries, lbs. of sugar, pint of white-currant juice. _mode_.--let the cherries be as clear and as transparent as possible, and perfectly ripe; pick off the stalks, and remove the stones, damaging the fruit as little as you can. make a syrup with the above proportion of sugar, by recipe no. ; mix the cherries with it, and boil them for about minutes, carefully skimming them; turn them gently into a pan, and let them remain till the next day; then drain the cherries on a sieve, and put the syrup and white-currant juice into the preserving-pan again. boil these together until the syrup is somewhat reduced and rather thick; then put in the cherries, and let them boil for about minutes; take them off the fire, skim the syrup, put the cherries into small pots or wide-mouthed bottles; pour the syrup over, and when quite cold, tie them down carefully, so that the air is quite excluded. _time_.-- minutes to boil the cherries in the syrup; minutes to boil the syrup and currant-juice; minutes to boil the cherries the second time. _average cost_ for this quantity, s. d. _seasonable_.--make this in july or august. black-currant jam. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit, weighed before being stripped from the stalks, allow / lb. of loaf sugar, gill of water. _mode_.--let the fruit be very ripe, and gathered on a dry day. strip it from the stalks, and put it into a preserving-pan, with a gill of water to each lb. of fruit; boil these together for minutes; then add the sugar, and boil the jam again for minutes, reckoning from the time when the jam simmers equally all over, or longer, should it not appear to set nicely when a little is poured on to a plate. keep stirring it to prevent it from burning, carefully remove all the scum, and when done, pour it into pots. let it cool, cover the top of the jam with oiled paper, and the top of the jars with a piece of tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg: this, when cold, forms a hard stiff cover, and perfectly excludes the air. great attention must be paid to the stirring of this jam, as it is very liable to burn, on account of the thickness of the juice. _time_.-- minutes to boil the fruit and water; minutes with the sugar, or longer. _average cost_, from d. to d. for a pot capable of holding lb. _sufficient_.--allow from to quarts of currants to make dozen pots of jam, each pot to hold lb. _seasonable_.--make this in july. black-currant jelly. . ingredients.--black currants; to every pint of juice allow / pint of water, lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--strip the currants from the stalks, which may be done in an expeditious manner, by holding the bunch in one hand, and passing a small silver fork down the currants: they will then readily fall from the stalks. put them into a jar, place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and simmer them until their juice is extracted; then strain them, and to every pint of juice allow the above proportion of sugar and water; stir these ingredients together cold until the sugar is dissolved; place the preserving-pan on the fire, and boil the jelly for about / hour, reckoning from the time it commences to boil all over, and carefully remove the scum as it rises. if the jelly becomes firm when a little is put on a plate, it is done; it should then be put into _small_ pots, and covered the same as the jam in the preceding recipe. if the jelly is wanted very clear, the fruit should not be squeezed dry; but, of course, so much juice will not be obtained. if the fruit is not much squeezed, it may be converted into a jam for immediate eating, by boiling it with a little common sugar: this answers very well for a nursery preserve. _time_.--about / hour to extract the juice; / hour to boil the jelly. _average cost_, from d. to d. per / -lb. pot. _sufficient_.--from pints to quarts of fruit should yield a pint of juice. _seasonable_.--make this in july. red-currant jam. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit allow / lb. of loaf sugar. [illustration: jam-pot.] _mode_.--let the fruit be gathered on a fine day; weigh it, and then strip the currants from the stalks; put them into a preserving-pan with sugar in the above proportion; stir them, and boil them for about / hour. carefully remove the scum as it rises. put the jam into pots, and, when cold, cover with oiled papers; over these put a piece of tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg; press the paper round the top of the pot, and, when dry, the covering will be quite hard and air-tight. _time_.-- / to / hour, reckoning from the time the jam boils all over. _average cost_, for a lb. pot, from d. to d. _sufficient_.--allow from to quarts of currants to make -lb, pots of jam. _seasonable_.--make this in july. red-currant jelly. . ingredients.--red currants; to every pint of juice allow / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--have the fruit gathered in fine weather; pick it from the stalks, put it into a jar, and place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire, and let it simmer gently until the juice is well drawn from the currants; then strain them through a jelly-bag or fine cloth, and, if the jelly is wished very clear, do not squeeze them _too much_, as the skin and pulp from the fruit will be pressed through with the juice, and so make the jelly muddy. measure the juice, and to each pint allow / lb. of loaf sugar; put these into a preserving-pan, set it over the fire, and keep stirring the jelly until it is done, carefully removing every particle of scum as it rises, using a wooden or silver spoon for the purpose, as metal or iron ones would spoil the colour of the jelly when it has boiled from minutes to / hour, put a little of the jelly on a plate, and if firm when cool, it is done. take it off the fire, pour it into small gallipots, cover each of the pots with an oiled paper, and then with a piece of tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. label the pots, adding the year when the jelly was made, and store it away in a dry place. a jam may be made with the currants, if they are not squeezed too dry, by adding a few fresh raspberries, and boiling all together, with sufficient sugar to sweeten it nicely. as this preserve is not worth storing away, but is only for immediate eating, a smaller proportion of sugar than usual will be found enough: it answers very well for children's puddings, or for a nursery preserve. _time_.--from / to hour to extract the juice; minutes to / hour to boil the jelly. _average cost_, from d. to d. per / -lb. pot. _sufficient_.-- quarts of currants will make from to pots of jelly. _seasonable_.--make this in july. _note_.--should the above proportion of sugar not be found sufficient for some tastes, add an extra / lb. to every pint of juice, making altogether lb. white-currant jelly. . ingredients.--white currants; to every pint of juice allow / lb. of good loaf sugar. _mode_.--pick the currants from the stalks, and put them into a jar; place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and simmer until the juice is well drawn from the fruit, which will be in from / to hour. then strain the currants through a fine cloth or jelly-bag; do not squeeze them too much, or the jelly will not be clear, and put the juice into a very clean preserving-pan, with the sugar. let this simmer gently over a clear fire until it is firm, and keep stirring and skimming until it is done; then pour it into small pots, cover them, and store away in a dry place. _time_.-- / hour to draw the juice; / hour to boil the jelly. _average cost_, from d. to d. per / -lb. pot. _sufficient._--from pints to quarts of fruit should yield pint of juice. _seasonable_ in july and august. baked damsons for winter use. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit allow oz. of pounded sugar; melted mutton suet. _mode_.--choose sound fruit, not too ripe; pick off the stalks, weigh it, and to every lb. allow the above proportion of pounded sugar. put the fruit into large dry stone jars, sprinkling the sugar amongst it; cover the jars with saucers, place them in a rather cool oven, and bake the fruit until it is quite tender. when cold, cover the top of the fruit with a piece of white paper cut to the size of the jar; pour over this melted mutton suet about an inch thick, and cover the tops of the jars with thick brown paper, well tied down. keep the jars in a cool dry place, and the fruit will remain good till the following christmas, but not much longer. _time_.--from to hours to bake the damsons, in a very cool oven. _seasonable_ in september and october. damson cheese. . ingredients.--damsons; to every lb. of fruit pulp allow / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--pick the stalks from the damsons, and put them into a preserving-pan; simmer them over the fire until they are soft, occasionally stirring them; then beat them through a coarse sieve, and put the pulp and juice into the preserving-pan, with sugar in the above proportion, having previously carefully weighed them. stir the sugar well in, and simmer the damsons slowly for hours. skim well; then boil the preserve quickly for / hour, or until it looks firm and hard in the spoon; put it quickly into shallow pots, or very tiny earthenware moulds, and, when cold, cover it with oiled papers, and the jars with tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. a few of the stones may be cracked, and the kernels boiled with the damsons, which very much improves the flavour of the cheese. _time_.-- hour to boil the damsons without the sugar; hours to simmer them slowly, / hour quickly. _average cost_, from d. to d. per / lb. pot. _sufficient_.-- pint of damsons to make a _very small_ pot of cheese. _seasonable_.--make this in september or october. compote of damsons. . ingredients.-- quart of damsons, pint of syrup no. . _mode_.--procure sound ripe damsons; pick the stalks from them, and put them into boiling syrup, made by recipe no. . simmer them gently until the fruit is tender, but not sufficiently soft to break; take them up, boil the syrup for minutes; pour it over the damsons, and serve. this should be sent to table in a glass dish. _time_.--about / hour to simmer the damsons; minutes to boil the syrup. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in september and october. damson jam. . ingredients.--damsons; to every lb. of fruit allow / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--have the fruit gathered in dry weather; pick it over, and reject any that is at all blemished. stone the damsons, weigh them, and to every lb. allow / lb. of loaf sugar. put the fruit and sugar into a preserving-pan; keep stirring them gently until the sugar is dissolved, and carefully remove the scum as it rises. boil the jam for about an hour, reckoning from the time it commences to simmer all over alike: it must be well stirred all the time, or it will be liable to burn and stick to the pan, which will cause the jam to have a very disagreeable flavour. when the jam looks firm, and the juice appears to set, it is done. then take it off the fire, put into pots, cover it down, when quite cold, with oiled and egged papers, the same as in recipe no. , and store it away in a dry place. _time_.-- hour after the jam simmers all over. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _sufficient_.-- - / pint of damsons for a lb. pot. _seasonable_.--make this in september or october. a very nice preserve of damsons. . ingredients.--to every quart of damsons allow / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--put the damsons (which should be picked from the stalks and quite free from blemishes) into a jar, with pounded sugar sprinkled amongst them in the above proportion; tie the jar closely down, set it in a saucepan of cold water; bring it gradually to boil, and simmer gently until the damsons are soft, without being broken. let them stand till cold; then strain the juice from them, boil it up well, strain it through a jelly-bag, and pour it over the fruit. let it cool, cover with oiled papers, and the jars with tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg, and store away in a dry cool place. _time_.--about / hour to simmer the fruit after the water boils; / hour to boil the juice. _seasonable_.--make this in september or october. to preserve damsons, or any kind of plums. (_useful in winter_.) . ingredients.--damsons or plums; boiling water. _mode_.--pick the fruit into clean dry stone jars, taking care to leave out all that are broken or blemished. when full, pour boiling water on the plums, until it stands one inch above the fruit; cut a piece of paper to fit the inside of the jar, over which pour melted mutton-suet; cover down with brown paper, and keep the jars in a dry cool place. when used, the suet should be removed, the water poured off, and the jelly at the bottom of the jar used and mixed with the fruit. _seasonable_ in september and october. compote of green figs. [illustration: compÔte of figs.] . ingredients.-- pint of syrup no. , - / pint of green figs, the rind of / lemon. _mode_.--make a syrup by recipe no. , boiling with it the lemon-rind, and carefully remove all the scum as it rises. put in the figs, and simmer them very slowly until tender; dish them on a glass dish; reduce the syrup by boiling it quickly for minutes; take out the lemon-peel, pour the syrup over the figs, and the compote, when cold, will be ready for table. a little port wine, or lemon-juice, added just before the figs are done, will be found an improvement. _time_.-- to hours to stew the figs. _average cost_, figs, s. to s. per dozen. _seasonable_ in august and september. to bottle fresh fruit. (_very useful in winter_.) i. . ingredients.--fresh fruits, such as currants, raspberries, cherries, gooseberries, plums of all kinds, damsons, &c.; wide-mouthed glass bottles, new corks to fit them tightly. _mode_.--let the fruit be full grown, but not too ripe, and gathered in dry weather. pick it off the stalks without bruising or breaking the skin, and reject any that is at all blemished: if gathered in the damp, or if the skins are cut at all, the fruit will mould. have ready some _perfectly dry_ glass bottles, and some nice new soft corks or bungs; burn a match in each bottle, to exhaust the air, and quickly place the fruit in to be preserved; gently cork the bottles, and put them into a very cool oven, where let them remain until the fruit has shrunk away a fourth part. then take the bottles out; _do not open them,_ but immediately beat the corks in tight, cut off the tops, and cover them with melted resin. if kept in a dry place, the fruit will remain good for months; and on this principally depends the success of the preparation; for if stored away in a place that is in the least damp, the fruit will soon spoil. _time_.--from to hours in a very slow oven. ii. . ingredients.--any kind of fresh fruit, such as currants, cherries, gooseberries, all kinds of plums, &c.; wide-mouthed glass bottles, new corks to fit them tightly. _mode_.--the fruit must be full-grown, not too ripe, and gathered on a fine day. let it be carefully picked and put into the bottles, which must be clean and perfectly dry. tie over the tops of the bottles pieces of bladder; stand the bottles in a large pot, copper, or boiler, with cold water to reach to their necks; kindle a fire under, let the water boil, and as the bladders begin to rise and puff, prick them. as soon as the water boils, extinguish the fire, and let the bottles remain where they are, to become cold. the next day remove the bladders, and strew over the fruit a thick layer of pounded sugar; fit the bottles with corks, and let each cork lie close at hand to its own bottle. hold for a few moments, in the neck of the bottle, two or three lighted matches, and when they have filled the bottle neck with gas, and before they go out, remove them very quickly; instantly cork the bottle closely, and dip it in bottle cement. _time_.--altogether about hours. to bottle fresh fruit with sugar. (_very useful in winter_.) . ingredients.--any kind of fresh fruit; to each quart bottle allow / lb. of pounded sugar. _mode_.--let the fruit be gathered in dry weather. pick it carefully, and drop it into _clean_ and _very dry_ quart glass bottles, sprinkling over it the above proportion of pounded sugar to each quart. put the corks in the bottles, and place them in a copper of cold water up to their necks, with small hay-wisps round them, to prevent the bottles from knocking together. light the fire under, bring the water gradually to boil, and let it simmer gently until the fruit in the bottles is reduced nearly one third. extinguish the fire, _and let the bottles remain in the water until it is perfectly cold;_ then take them out, make the corks secure, and cover them with melted resin or wax. _time_.--about hour from the time the water commences to boil. to frost holly-leaves, for garnishing and decorating dessert and supper dishes. .--ingredients.--sprigs of holly, oiled butter, coarsely-powdered sugar. _mode_.--procure some nice sprigs of holly; pick the leaves from the stalks, and wipe them with a clean cloth free from all moisture; then place them on a dish near the fire, to get thoroughly dry, but not too near to shrivel the leaves; dip them into oiled butter, sprinkle over them some coarsely-powdered sugar, and dry them before the fire. they should be kept in a dry place, as the least damp would spoil their appearance. _time_.--about minutes to dry before the fire. _seasonable_.--these may be made at any time; but are more suitable for winter garnishes, when fresh flowers are not easily obtained. compote of gooseberries. . ingredients.--syrup made by recipe no. ; to pint of syrup allow nearly a quart of gooseberries. _mode_.--top and tail the gooseberries, which should not be very ripe, and pour over them some boiling water; then take them out, and plunge them into cold water, with which has been mixed a tablespoonful of vinegar, which will assist to keep the fruit a good colour. make a pint of syrup by recipe no. , and when it boils, drain the gooseberries and put them in; simmer them gently until the fruit is nicely pulped and tender, without being broken; then dish the gooseberries on a glass dish, boil the syrup for or minutes, pour over the gooseberries, and serve cold. _time_.--about minutes to boil the gooseberries in the syrup; minutes to reduce the syrup. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_,--a quart of gooseberries for or persons. _seasonable_ in june. gooseberry jam. i. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit allow / lb. of loaf sugar; currant-juice. _mode_.--select red hairy gooseberries; have them gathered in dry weather, when quite ripe, without being too soft. weigh them; with a pair of scissors, cut off the tops and tails, and to every lbs. of fruit have ready / pint of red-currant juice, drawn as for jelly. put the gooseberries and currant-juice into a preserving-pan; let them boil tolerably quickly, keeping them well stirred; when they begin to break, add to them the sugar, and keep simmering until the jam becomes firm, carefully skimming: and stirring it, that it does not burn at the bottom. it should be boiled rather a long time, or it will not keep. put it into pots (not too large); let it get perfectly cold; then cover the pots down with oiled and egged papers, as directed for red-currant jelly no. . _time_.--about hour to boil the gooseberries in the currant-juice; from / to / hour with the sugar. _average cost_, per lb. pot, from d. to d. _sufficient_.--allow - / pint of fruit for a lb. pot. _seasonable_.--make this in june or july. ii. . ingredients.--to every lbs. of red, rough, ripe gooseberries allow quart of red-currant juice, lbs. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--have the fruit gathered in dry weather, and cut off the tops and tails. prepare quart of red-currant juice, the same as for red-currant jelly no. ; put it into a preserving-pan with the sugar, and keep stirring until the latter is dissolved. keep it boiling for about minutes; skim well; then put in the gooseberries, and let them boil from / to / hour; then turn the whole into an earthen pan, and let it remain for days. boil the jam up again until it looks clear; put it into pots, and when cold, cover with oiled paper, and over the jars put tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg, and store away in a dry place. care must be taken, in making this, to keep the jam well stirred and well skimmed, to prevent it burning at the bottom of the pan, and to have it very clear. _time_.-- minutes to boil the currant-juice and sugar after the latter is dissolved; from / to / hour to simmer the gooseberries the first time, / hour the second time of boiling. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _sufficient_.--allow - / pint of fruit for a lb. pot. _seasonable_.--make this in june or july. white or green gooseberry jam. . ingredients.--equal weight of fruit and sugar. _mode_.--select the gooseberries not very ripe, either white or green, and top and tail them. boil the sugar with water (allowing / pint to every lb.) for about / hour, carefully removing the scum as it rises; then put in the gooseberries, and simmer gently till clear and firm: try a little of the jam on a plate; if it jellies when cold, it is done, and should then be poured into pots. when cold, cover with oiled paper, and tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the unbeaten white of an egg, and store away in a dry place. _time_.-- / hour to boil the sugar and water, / hour the jam. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _sufficient_.--allow - / pint of fruit for a lb. pot. _seasonable_.--make this in june. gooseberry jelly. . ingredients.--gooseberries; to every pint of juice allow / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--put the gooseberries, after cutting off the tops and tails, into a preserving-pan, and stir them over the fire until they are quite soft; then strain them through a sieve, and to every pint of juice allow / lb. of sugar. boil the juice and sugar together for nearly / hour, stirring and skimming all the time; and if the jelly appears firm when a little of it is poured on to a plate, it is done, and should then be taken up and put into small pots. cover the pots with oiled and egged papers, the same as for currant jelly no. , and store away in a dry place. _time_.-- / hour to simmer the gooseberries without the sugar; / hour to boil the juice. _average cost_, from d. to d. per / -lb. pot. _seasonable_ in july. compote of greengages. . ingredients.-- pint of syrup made by recipe no. , quart of greengages. _mode_.--make a syrup by recipe no. , skim it well, and put in the greengages when the syrup is boiling, having previously removed the stalks and stones from the fruit. boil gently for / hour, or until the fruit is tender; but take care not to let it break, as the appearance of the dish would be spoiled were the fruit reduced to a pulp. take the greengages carefully out, place them on a glass dish, boil the syrup for another minutes, let it cool a little, pour over the fruit, and, when cold, it will be ready for use. _time_.-- / hour to simmer the fruit, minutes the syrup. _average cost_, in full season, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in july, august, and september. greengage jam. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit, weighed before being stoned, allow / lb. of lump sugar. _mode_.--divide the greengages, take out the stones, and put them into a preserving-pan. bring the fruit to a boil, then add the sugar, and keep stirring it over a gentle fire until it is melted. remove all the scum as it rises, and, just before the jam is done, boil it rapidly for minutes. to ascertain when it is sufficiently boiled, pour a little on a plate, and if the syrup thickens and appears firm, it is done. have ready half the kernels blanched; put them into the jam, give them one boil, and pour the preserve into pots. when cold, cover down with oiled papers, and, over these, tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. _time_.-- / hour after the sugar is added. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _sufficient._--allow about - / pint of fruit for every lb. pot of jam. _seasonable_.--make this in august or september. to preserve and dry greengages. . ingredients.--to every lb. of sugar allow lb. of fruit, / pint of water. _mode_.--for this purpose, the fruit must be used before it is quite ripe, and part of the stalk must be left on. weigh the fruit, rejecting all that is in the least degree blemished, and put it into a lined saucepan with the sugar and water, which should have been previously boiled together to a rich syrup. boil the fruit in this for minutes, remove it from the fire, and drain the greengages. the next day, boil up the syrup and put in the fruit again, and let it simmer for minutes, and drain the syrup away. continue this process for or days, and the last time place the greengages, when drained, on a hair sieve, and put them in an oven or warm spot to dry; keep them in a box, with paper between each layer, in a place free from damp. _time_.-- minutes the first time of boiling. _seasonable_.--make this in august or september. preserved greengages in syrup. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit allow lb. of loaf sugar / pint of water. _mode_.--boil the sugar and water together for about minutes; divide the greengages, take out the stones, put the fruit into the syrup, and let it simmer gently until nearly tender. take it off the fire, put it into a large pan, and, the next day, boil it up again for about minutes with the kernels from the stones, which should be blanched. put the fruit carefully into jars, pour over it the syrup, and, when cold, cover down, so that the air is quite excluded. let the syrup be well skimmed both the first and second day of boiling, otherwise it will not be clear. _time_.-- minutes to boil the syrup; / hour to simmer the fruit the first day, minutes the second day. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _sufficient._--allow about pint of fruit to fill a -lb. pot. _seasonable_.--make this in august or september. to make fruit ice-creams. . ingredients.--to every pint of fruit-juice allow pint of cream; sugar to taste. _mode_.--let the fruit be well ripened; pick it off the stalks, and put it into a large earthen pan. stir it about with a wooden spoon, breaking it until it is well mashed; then, with the back of the spoon, rub it through a hair sieve. sweeten it nicely with pounded sugar; whip the cream for a few minutes, add it to the fruit, and whisk the whole again for another minutes. put the mixture into the freezing-pot, and freeze in the same manner as directed for ice pudding, no. , taking care to stir the cream, &c., two or three times, and to remove it from the sides of the vessel, that the mixture may be equally frozen and smooth. ices are usually served in glasses, but if moulded, as they sometimes are for dessert, must have a small quantity of melted isinglass added to them, to enable them to keep their shape. raspberry, strawberry, currant, and all fruit ice-creams, are made in the same manner. a little pounded sugar sprinkled over the fruit before it is mashed assists to extract the juice. in winter, when fresh fruit is not obtainable, a little jam may be substituted for it: it should be melted and worked through a sieve before being added to the whipped cream; and if the colour should not be good, a little prepared cochineal or beetroot may be put in to improve its appearance. _time_.-- / hour to freeze the mixture. _average cost_, with cream at s. per pint, d. each ice. _seasonable_, with fresh fruit, in june, july, and august. to make fruit-water ices. . ingredients.--to every pint of fruit-juice allow pint of syrup made by recipe no. . [illustration: dish of ices.] _mode_.--select nice ripe fruit; pick off the stalks, and put it into a large earthen pan, with a little pounded sugar strewed over; stir it about with a wooden spoon until it is well broken, then rub it through a hair sieve. make the syrup by recipe no. , omitting the white of the egg; let it cool, add the fruit-juice, mix well together, and put the mixture into the freezing-pot. proceed as directed for ice puddings, no. , and when the mixture is equally frozen, put it into small glasses. raspberry, strawberry, currant, and other fresh-fruit-water ices, are made in the same manner. _time_.-- / hour to freeze the mixture. _average cost_, d. to d. each. _seasonable_, with fresh fruit, in june, july, and august. lemon-water ice. . ingredients.--to every pint of syrup, made by recipe no. , allow / pint of lemon-juice; the rind of lemons. _mode_.--rub the sugar on the rinds of the lemons, and with it make the syrup by recipe no. , omitting the white of egg. strain the lemon-juice, add it to the other ingredients, stir well, and put the mixture into a freezing-pot. freeze as directed for ice pudding, no. , and, when the mixture is thoroughly and equally frozen, put it into ice-glasses. _time_.-- / hour to freeze the mixture. _average cost_, d. to d. each. _seasonable_ at any time. iced currants, for dessert. . ingredients.-- / pint of water, the whites of eggs, currants, pounded sugar. _mode_.--select very fine bunches of red or white currants, and well beat the whites of the eggs. mix these with the water; then take the currants, a bunch at a time, and dip them in; let them drain for a minute or two, and roll them in very fine pounded sugar. lay them to dry on paper, when the sugar will crystallize round each currant, and have a very pretty effect. all fresh fruit may be prepared in the same manner; and a mixture of various fruits iced in this manner, and arranged on one dish, looks very well for a summer dessert. _time_.-- / day to dry the fruit. _average cost_, d. for a pint of iced currants. _seasonable_ in summer. melons. .--this fruit is rarely preserved or cooked in any way, and should be sent to table on a dish garnished with leaves or flowers, as fancy dictates. a border of any other kind of small fruit, arranged round the melon, has a pretty effect, the colour the former contrasting nicely with the melon. plenty of pounded sugar should be served with it; and the fruit should be cut lengthwise, in moderate-sized slices. in america, it is frequently eaten with pepper and salt. _average cost_,--english, in full season, s. d. to s. each; when scarce, s. to s.; _seasonable_, june to august. french, s. to s. d. each; _seasonable_, june and july. dutch, d. to s. each; _seasonable_, july and august. melon.--the melon is a most delicious fruit, succulent, cool, and high-flavoured. with us, it is used only at the dessert, and is generally eaten with sugar, ginger, or pepper; but, in france, it is likewise served up at dinner as a sauce for boiled meats. it grows wild in tartary, and has been lately found in abundance on the sandy plains of jeypoor. it was brought originally from asia by the romans, and is said to have been common in england in the time of edward iii., though it is supposed that it was lost again, as well as the cucumber, during the wars of york and lancaster. the best kind, called the _cantaloupe_, from the name of a place near rome where it was first cultivated in europe, is a native of armenia, where it grows so plentifully that a horse-load may be bought for a crown. preserved mulberries. . ingredients.--to lbs. of fruit and pint of juice allow - / lbs. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--put some of the fruit into a preserving-pan, and simmer it gently until the juice is well drawn. strain it through a bag, measure it, and to every pint allow the above proportion of sugar and fruit. put the sugar into the preserving-pan, moisten it with the juice, boil it up, skim well, and then add the mulberries, which should be ripe, but not soft enough to break to a pulp. let them stand in the syrup till warm through, then set them on the fire to boil gently; when half done, turn them carefully into an earthen pan, and let them remain till the next day; then boil them as before, and when the syrup is thick, and becomes firm when cold, put the preserve into pots. in making this, care should be taken not to break the mulberries: this may be avoided by very gentle stirring, and by simmering the fruit very slowly. _time_.-- / hour to extract the juice; / hour to boil the mulberries the first time, / hour the second time. _seasonable_ in august and september. [illustration: mulberry.] mulberry.--mulberries are esteemed for their highly aromatic flavour, and their sub-acid nature. they are considered as cooling, laxative, and generally wholesome. this fruit was very highly esteemed by the romans, who appear to have preferred it to every other. the mulberry-tree is stated to have been introduced into this country in , being first planted at sion house, where the original trees still thrive. the planting of them was much encouraged by king james i. about ; and considerable attempts were made at that time to rear silkworms on a large scale for the purpose of making silk; but these endeavours have always failed, the climate being scarcely warm enough. to preserve morello cherries. . ingredients.--to every lb. of cherries allow - / lb. of sugar, gill of water. _mode_.--select ripe cherries; pick off the stalks, and reject all that have any blemishes. boil the sugar and water together for minutes; put in the cherries, and boil them for minutes, removing the scum as it rises. then turn the fruit, &c. into a pan, and let it remain until the next day, when boil it all again for another minutes, and, if necessary, skim well. put the cherries into small pots; pour over them the syrup, and, when cold, cover down with oiled papers, and the tops of the jars with tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg, and keep in a dry place. _time_.--altogether, minutes to boil. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _seasonable_.--make this in july or august. the cherry-tree in rome.--the cherry-tree was introduced into rome by lucullus about seventy years before the christian era; but the capital of the world knew not at first how to appreciate this present as it deserved; for the cherry-tree was propagated so slowly in italy, that more than a century after its introduction it was far from being generally cultivated. the romans distinguished three principal species of cherries--the _apronian_, of a bright red, with a firm and delicate pulp; the _lutatian_, very black and sweet; the _caecilian_, round and stubby, and much esteemed. the cherry embellished the third course in rome and the second at athens. preserved nectarines. . ingredients.--to every lb. of sugar allow / pint of water; nectarines. _mode_.--divide the nectarines in two, take out the stones, and make a strong syrup with sugar and water in the above proportion. put in the nectarines, and boil them until they have thoroughly imbibed the sugar. keep the fruit as whole as possible, and turn it carefully into a pan. the next day boil it again for a few minutes, take out the nectarines, put them into jars, boil the syrup quickly for minutes, pour it over the fruit, and, when cold, cover the preserve down. the syrup and preserve must be carefully skimmed, or it will not be clear. _time_.-- minutes to boil the sugar and water; minutes to boil the fruit the first time, minutes the second time; minutes to boil the syrup. _seasonable_ in august and september, but cheapest in september. stewed normandy pippins. . ingredients.-- lb. of normandy pippins, quart of water, / teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, / teaspoonful of ground ginger, lb. of moist sugar, lemon. _mode_.--well wash the pippins, and put them into quart of water with the above proportion of cinnamon and ginger, and let them stand hours; then put these all together into a stewpan, with the lemon sliced thinly, and half the moist sugar. let them boil slowly until the pippins are half done; then add the remainder of the sugar, and simmer until they are quite tender. serve on glass dishes for dessert. _time_.-- to hours. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_.--suitable for a winter dish. iced oranges. . ingredients.--oranges; to every lb. of pounded loaf sugar allow the whites of eggs. _mode_.--whisk the whites of the eggs well, stir in the sugar, and beat this mixture for / hour. skin the oranges, remove as much of the white pith as possible without injuring the pulp of the fruit; pass a thread through the centre of each orange, dip them into the sugar, and tie them to a stick. place this stick across the oven, and let the oranges remain until dry, when they will have the appearance of balls of ice. they make a pretty dessert or supper dish. care must be taken not to have the oven too fierce, or the oranges would scorch and acquire a brown colour, which would entirely spoil their appearance. _time_.--from / to hour to dry in a moderate oven. _average cost_, - / d. each. _sufficient_.-- / lb. of sugar to ice oranges. _seasonable_ from november to may. the first orange-tree in france.--the first orange-tree cultivated in the centre of france was to be seen a few years ago at fontainebleau. it was called _le connétable_ (the constable), because it had belonged to the connétable de bourbon, and had been confiscated, together with all property belonging to that prince, after his revolt against his sovereign. compote of oranges. . ingredients.-- pint of syrup no. , oranges. _mode_.--peel the oranges, remove as much of the white pith as possible, and divide them into small pieces without breaking the thin skin with which they are surrounded. make the syrup by recipe no. , adding the rind of the orange cut into thin narrow strips. when the syrup has been well skimmed, and is quite clear, put in the pieces of orange, and simmer them for minutes. take them out carefully with a spoon without breaking them, and arrange them on a glass dish. reduce the syrup by boiling it quickly until thick; let it cool a little, pour it over the oranges, and, when cold, they will be ready for table. [illustration: compÔte of oranges.] _time_.-- minutes to boil the syrup; minutes to simmer the oranges; minutes to reduce the syrup. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from november to may. the orange in portugal.--the orange known under the name of "portugal orange" comes originally from china. not more than two centuries ago, the portuguese brought thence the first scion, which has multiplied so prodigiously that we now see entire forests of orange-trees in portugal. orange and cloves.--it appears to have been the custom formerly, in england, to make new year's presents with oranges stuck full with cloves. we read in one of ben jonson's pieces,--the "christmas masque,"--"he has an orange and rosemary, but not a clove to stick in it." orange marmalade. i. . ingredients.--equal weight of fine loaf sugar and seville oranges; to oranges allow pint of water. _mode_.--let there be an equal weight of loaf sugar and seville oranges, and allow the above proportion of water to every dozen oranges. peel them carefully, remove a little of the white pith, and boil the rinds in water hours, changing the water three times to take off a little of the bitter taste. break the pulp into small pieces, take out all the pips, and cut the boiled rind into chips. make a syrup with the sugar and water; boil this well, skim it, and, when clear, put in the pulp and chips. boil all together from minutes to / hour; pour it into pots, and, when cold, cover down with bladders or tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. the juice and grated rind of lemons to every dozen of oranges, added with the pulp and chips to the syrup, are a very great improvement to this marmalade. _time_.-- hours to boil the orange-rinds; minutes to boil the syrup; minutes to / hour to boil the marmalade. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _seasonable_.--this should be made in march or april, as seville oranges are then in perfection. ii. . ingredients.--equal weight of seville oranges and sugar; to every lb. of sugar allow / pint of water. _mode_.--weigh the sugar and oranges, score the skin across, and take it off in quarters. boil these quarters in a muslin bag in water until they are quite soft, and they can be pierced easily with the head of a pin; then cut them into chips about inch long, and as thin as possible. should there be a great deal of white stringy pulp, remove it before cutting the rind into chips. split open the oranges, scrape out the best part of the pulp, with the juice, rejecting the white pith and pips. make a syrup with the sugar and water; boil it until clear; then put in the chips, pulp, and juice, and boil the marmalade from minutes to / hour, removing all the scum as it rises. in boiling the syrup, clear it carefully from scum before the oranges are added to it. _time_.-- hours to boil the rinds, minutes the syrup, minutes to / hour the marmalade. _average cost_, d. to d. per lb. pot. _seasonable_.--make this in march or april, when seville oranges are in perfection. an easy way of making orange marmalade. . ingredients.--to every lb. of pulp allow - / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--choose some fine seville oranges; put them whole into a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them, and stew them until they become perfectly tender, changing the water or times; drain them, take off the rind, remove the pips from the pulp, weigh it, and to every lb. allow - / of loaf sugar and / pint of the water the oranges were last boiled in. boil the sugar and water together for minutes; put in the pulp, boil for another minutes; then add the peel cut into strips, and boil the marmalade for another minutes, which completes the process. pour it into jars; let it cool; then cover down with bladders, or tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. _time_.-- hours to boil the oranges; altogether / hour to boil the marmalade. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _seasonable_--make this in march or april. orange marmalade made with honey. . ingredients.--to quart of the juice and pulp of seville oranges allow lbs. of honey, lb. of the rind. _mode_.--peel the oranges and boil the rind in water until tender, and cut it into strips. take away the pips from the juice and pulp, and put it with the honey and chips into a preserving-pan; boil all together for about / hour, or until the marmalade is of the proper consistency; put it into pots, and, when cold, cover down with bladders. _time_.-- hours to boil the rind, / hour the marmalade. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _seasonable_.--make this in march or april. to preserve oranges. . ingredients.--oranges; to every lb. of juice and pulp allow lbs. of loaf sugar; to every pint of water / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--wholly grate or peel the oranges, taking off only the thin outside portion of the rind. make a small incision where the stalk is taken out, squeeze out as much of the juice as can be obtained, and preserve it in a basin with the pulp that accompanies it. put the oranges into cold water; let them stand for days, changing the water twice; then boil them in fresh water till they are very tender, and put them to drain. make a syrup with the above proportion of sugar and water, sufficient to cover the oranges; let them stand in it for or days; then drain them well. weigh the juice and pulp, allow double their weight of sugar, and boil them together until the scum ceases to rise, which must all be carefully removed; put in the oranges, boil them for minutes, place them in jars, pour over them the syrup, and, when cold, cover down. they will be fit for use in a week. _time_.-- days for the oranges to remain in water, days in the syrup; / hour to boil the pulp, minutes the oranges. _seasonable_.--this preserve should be made in february or march, when oranges are plentiful. orange salad. . ingredients.-- oranges, / lb. of muscatel raisins, oz. of pounded sugar, tablespoonfuls of brandy. _mode_.--peel of the oranges; divide them into slices without breaking the pulp, and arrange them on a glass dish. stone the raisins, mix them with the sugar and brandy, and mingle them with the oranges. squeeze the juice of the other orange over the whole, and the dish is ready for table. a little pounded spice may be put in when the flavour is liked; but this ingredient must be added very sparingly. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from november to may. compote of peaches. . ingredients.-- pint of syrup no. , about small peaches. _mode_.--peaches that are not very large, and that would not look well for dessert, answer very nicely for a compôte. divide the peaches, take out the stones, and pare the fruit; make a syrup by recipe no. , put in the peaches, and stew them gently for about minutes. take them out without breaking, arrange them on a glass dish, boil the syrup for or minutes, let it cool, pour it over the fruit, and, when cold, it will be ready for table. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in august and september. peach and nectarine.--the peach and nectarine, which are among the most delicious of our fruits, are considered as varieties of the same species, produced by cultivation. the former is characterized by a very delicate down, while the latter is smooth; but, as a proof of their identity as to species, trees have borne peaches on one part and nectarines on another; and even a single fruit has had down on one side, and on the other none; the trees are almost exactly alike, as well as the blossoms. pliny states that the peach was originally brought from persia, where it grows naturally. at montreuil, a village near paris, almost the whole population is employed in the cultivation of peaches; and this occupation has maintained the inhabitants for ages, and, in consequence, they raise better peaches than anywhere else in france. in maryland and virginia, peaches grow nearly wild in orchards resembling forests; but the fruit is of little value for the table, being employed only in fattening hogs and for the distillation of peach brandy. on the east side of the andes, peaches grow wild among the cornfields and in the mountains, and are dried as an article of food. the young leaves of the peach are sometimes used in cookery, from their agreeable flavour; and a liqueur resembling the fine noyeau of martinique may be made by steeping them in brandy sweetened with sugar and fined with milk: gin may also be flavoured in the same manner. the kernels of the fruit have the same flavour. the nectarine is said to have received its name from nectar, the particular drink of the gods. though it is considered as the same species as the peach, it is not known which of the varieties come from the other; the nectarine, is by some considered as the superior fruit. peaches preserved in brandy. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit weighed before being stoned, allow / lb. of finely-pounded loaf sugar; brandy. _mode_.--let the fruit be gathered in dry weather; wipe and weigh it, and remove the stones as carefully as possible, without injuring the peaches much. put them into a jar, sprinkle amongst them pounded loaf sugar in the above proportion, and pour brandy over the fruit. cover the jar down closely, place it in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire, and bring the brandy to the simmering-point, but do not allow it to boil. take the fruit out carefully, without breaking it; put it into small jars, pour over it the brandy, and, when cold, exclude the air by covering the jars with bladders, or tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. apricots may be done in the same manner, and, if properly prepared, will be found delicious. _time_.--from to minutes to bring the brandy to the simmering-point. _seasonable_ in august and september. baked pears. . ingredients.-- pears, the rind of lemon, cloves, whole allspice; to every pint of water allow / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--pare and cut the pears into halves, and, should they be very large, into quarters; leave the stalks on, and carefully remove the cores. place them in a clean baking-jar, with a closely-fitting lid; add to them the lemon-rind cut in strips, the juice of / lemon, the cloves, pounded allspice, and sufficient water just to cover the whole, with sugar in the above proportion. cover the jar down closely, put it into a very cool oven, and bake the pears from to hours, but be very careful that the oven is not too hot. to improve the colour of the fruit, a few drops of prepared cochineal may be added; but this will not be found necessary if the pears are very gently baked. _time_.--large pears, to hours, in a very slow oven. _average cost_, d. to d. each. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to january. pear.--the pear, like the apple, is indigenous to this country; but the wild pear is a very unsatisfactory fruit. the best varieties were brought from the east by the romans, who cultivated them with care, and probably introduced some of their best sorts into this island, to which others were added by the inhabitants of the monasteries. the dutch and flemings, as well as the french, have excelled in the cultivation of the pear, and most of the late varieties introduced are from france and flanders. the pear is a hardy tree, and a longer liver than the apple: it has been known to exist for centuries. there are now about varieties of this fruit. though perfectly wholesome when ripe, the pear is not so when green; but in this state it is fit for stewing. an agreeable beverage, called perry, is made from pears, and the varieties which are least fit for eating make the best perry. preserved pears. . ingredients.--jargonelle pears; to every lb. of sugar allow / pint of water. _mode_.--procure some jargonelle pears, not too ripe; put them into a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them, and simmer them till rather tender, but do not allow them to break; then put them into cold water. boil the sugar and water together for minutes, skim well, put in the pears, and simmer them gently for minutes. repeat the simmering for successive days, taking care not to let the fruit break. the last time of boiling, the syrup should be made rather richer, and the fruit boiled for minutes. when the pears are done, drain them from the syrup, and dry them in the sun, or in a cool oven; or they may be kept in the syrup, and dried as they are wanted. _time_.-- / hour to simmer the pears in water, minutes in the syrup. _average cost_, d. to d. each. _seasonable_.--most plentiful in september and october. stewed pears. [illustration: stewed pears.] . ingredients.-- large pears, oz. of loaf sugar, cloves, whole allspice, / pint of water, / pint of port wine, a few drops of prepared cochineal. _mode_.--pare the pears, halve them, remove the cores, and leave the stalks on; put them into a _lined_ saucepan with the above ingredients, and let them simmer very gently until tender, which will be in from to hours, according to the quality of the pears. they should be watched, and, when done, carefully lifted out on to a glass dish without breaking them. boil up the syrup quickly for or minutes; allow it to cool a little, pour it over the pears, and let them get perfectly cold. to improve the colour of the fruit, a few drops of prepared cochineal may be added, which rather enhances the beauty of this dish. the fruit must not be boiled fast, but only simmered, and watched that it be not too much done. _time_.-- to hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ from september to january. the bon chretien pear.--the valuable variety of pear called _bon chrétien_, which comes to our tables in winter, either raw or cooked, received its name through the following incident:--louis xi., king of france, had sent for saint francois de paule from the lower part of calabria, in the hopes of recovering his health through his intercession. the saint brought with him the seeds of this pear; and, as he was called at court le bon chrétien, this fruit obtained the name of him to whom france owed its introduction. pineapple chips. . ingredients.--pineapples; sugar to taste. _mode_.--pare and slice the fruit thinly, put it on dishes, and strew over it plenty of pounded sugar. keep it in a hot closet, or very slow oven, or days, and turn the fruit every day until dry; then put the pieces of pine on tins, and place them in a quick oven for minutes. let them cool, and store them away in dry boxes, with paper between each layer. _time_.-- to days. _seasonable_.--foreign pines, in july and august. preserved pineapple. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit, weighed after being pared, allow lb. of loaf sugar; / pint of water. _mode_.--the pines for making this preserve should be perfectly sound but ripe. cut them into rather thick slices, as the fruit shrinks very much in the boiling. pare off the rind carefully, that none of the pine be wasted; and, in doing so, notch it in and out, as the edge cannot be smoothly cut without great waste. dissolve a portion of the sugar in a preserving-pan with / pint of water; when this is melted, gradually add the remainder of the sugar, and boil it until it forms a clear syrup, skimming well. as soon as this is the case, put in the pieces of pine, and boil well for at least / hour, or until it looks nearly transparent. put it into pots, cover down when cold, and store away in a dry place. _time_.-- / hour to boil the fruit. _average cost_, d. to s. per lb. pot. _seasonable_.--foreign pines, in july and august. the pineapple in heathendom.--heathen nations invented protective divinities for their orchards (such as pomona, vertumnus, priapus, &c.), and benevolent patrons for their fruits: thus, the olive-tree grew under the auspices of minerva; the muses cherished the palm-tree, bacchus the fig and grape, _and the pine and its cone were consecrated to the great cyble_. preserved pineapple, for present use. . ingredients.--pineapple, sugar, water. _mode_.--cut the pine into slices / inch in thickness; peel them, and remove the hard part from the middle. put the parings and hard pieces into a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them, and boil for / hour. strain the liquor, and put in the slices of pine. stew them for minutes, add sufficient sugar to sweeten the whole nicely, and boil again for another / hour; skim well, and the preserve will be ready for use. it must be eaten soon, as it will keep but a very short time. _time_.-- / hour to boil the parings in water; minutes to boil the pine without sugar, / hour with sugar. _average cost_.--foreign pines, s. to s. each; english, from s. to s. per lb. _seasonable_.--foreign, in july and august; english, all the year. plum jam. . ingredients.--to every lb. of plums, weighed before being stoned, allow / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--in making plum jam, the quantity of sugar for each lb. of fruit must be regulated by the quality and size of the fruit, some plums requiring much more sugar than others. divide the plums, take out the stones, and put them on to large dishes, with roughly-pounded sugar sprinkled over them in the above proportion, and let them remain for one day; then put them into a preserving-pan, stand them by the side of the fire to simmer gently for about / hour, and then boil them rapidly for another minutes. the scum must be carefully removed as it rises, and the jam must be well stirred all the time, or it will burn at the bottom of the pan, and so spoil the colour and flavour of the preserve. some of the stones may be cracked, and a few kernels added to the jam just before it is done: these impart a very delicious flavour to the plums. the above proportion of sugar would answer for orleans plums; the impératrice magnum-bonum, and winesour would not require quite so much. _time_.-- / hour to simmer gently, / hour to boil rapidly. _best plums for preserving_.--violets, mussels, orleans, impératrice magnum-bonum, and winesour. _seasonable_ from the end of july to the beginning of october. plums.--the damson, or damascene plum, takes its name from damascus, where it grows in great quantities, and whence it was brought into italy about b.c. the orleans plum is from france. the greengage is called after the gage family, who first brought it into england from the monastery of the chartreuse, at paris, where it still bears the name of reine claude. the magnum-bonum is our largest plum, and greatly esteemed for preserves and culinary purposes. the best sorts of plums are agreeable at the dessert, and, when perfectly ripe, are wholesome; but some are too astringent. they lose much of their bad qualities by baking, and are extensively used, from their cheapness, when in full season, in tarts and preserves; but they are not a very wholesome fruit, and should be eaten in moderation. preserved plums. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit allow / lb. of loaf sugar; for the thin syrup, / lb. of sugar to each pint of water. _mode_.--select large ripe plums; slightly prick them, to prevent them from bursting, and simmer them very gently in a syrup made with the above proportion of sugar and water. put them carefully into a pan, let the syrup cool, pour it over the plums, and allow them to remain for two days. having previously weighed the other sugar, dip the lumps quickly into water, and put them into a preserving-pan with no more water than hangs about them; and boil the sugar to a syrup, carefully skimming it. drain the plums from the first syrup; put them into the fresh syrup, and simmer them very gently until they are clear; lift them out singly into pots, pour the syrup over, and when cold, cover down to exclude the air. this preserve will remain good some time, if kept in a dry place, and makes a very nice addition to a dessert. the magnum-bonum plums answer for this preserve better than any other kind of plum. greengages are also very delicious done in this manner. _time_.-- / hour to minutes to simmer the plums in the first syrup; minutes to / hour very gentle simmering in the second. _seasonable_ from august to october. to preserve plums dry. . ingredients.--to every lb. of sugar allow / pint of water. _mode_.--gather the plums when they are full-grown and just turning colour; prick them, put them into a saucepan of cold water, and set them on the fire until the water is on the point of boiling. then take them out, drain them, and boil them gently in syrup made with the above proportion of sugar and water; and if the plums shrink, and will not take the sugar, prick them as they lie in the pan; give them another boil, skim, and set them by. the next day add some more sugar, boiled almost to candy, to the fruit and syrup; put all together into a wide-mouthed jar, and place them in a cool oven for nights; then drain the plums from the syrup, sprinkle a little powdered sugar over, and dry them in a cool oven. _time_.-- to minutes to boil the plums in the syrup. _seasonable_ from august to october. plums.--the wild sloe is the parent of the plum, but the acclimated kinds come from the east. the cultivation of this fruit was probably attended to very early in england, as gerrard informs us that, in , he had in his garden, in holborn, threescore sorts. the sloe is a shrub common in our hedgerows, and belongs to the natural order _amygdaleae_; the fruit is about the size of a large pea, of a black colour, and covered with a bloom of a bright blue. it is one of the few indigenous to our island. the juice is extremely sharp and astringent, and was formerly employed as a medicine, where astringents were necessary. it now assists in the manufacture of a red wine made to imitate port, and also for adulteration. the leaves have been used to adulterate tea; the fruit, when ripe, makes a good preserve. stewed french plums. (_a dessert dish_.) . ingredients.-- - / lb. of french plums, / pint of syrup no. , glass of port wine, the rind and juice of lemon. _mode_.--stew the plums gently in water for hour; strain the water, and with it make the syrup. when it is clear, put in the plums with the port wine, lemon-juice, and rind, and simmer very gently for - / hour. arrange the plums on a glass dish, take out the lemon-rind, pour the syrup over the plums, and, when cold, they will be ready for table. a little allspice stewed with the fruit is by many persons considered an improvement. _time_.-- hour to stew the plums in water, - / hour in the syrup. _average cost_,--plums sufficiently good for stewing, s. per lb. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ in winter. preserved pumpkin. . ingredients.--to each lb. of pumpkin allow lb. of roughly pounded loaf sugar, gill of lemon-juice. _mode_.--obtain a good sweet pumpkin; halve it, take out the seeds, and pare off the rind; cut it into neat slices, or into pieces about the size of a five-shilling piece. weigh the pumpkin, put the slices in a pan or deep dish in layers, with the sugar sprinkled between them; pour the lemon-juice over the top, and let the whole remain for or days. boil altogether, adding / pint of water to every lbs. of sugar used until the pumpkin becomes tender; then turn the whole into a pan, where let it remain for a week; then drain off the syrup, boil it until it is quite thick; skim, and pour it, boiling, over the pumpkin. a little bruised ginger and lemon-rind, thinly pared, may be boiled in the syrup to flavour the pumpkin. _time_.--from / to / hour to boil the pumpkin tender. _average cost_, d. to d. per lb. pot. _seasonable_ in september and october; but better when made in the latter month, as the pumpkin is then quite ripe. _note_.--vegetable marrows are very good prepared in the same manner, but are not quite so rich. quince jelly. . ingredients.--to every pint of juice allow lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--pare and slice the quinces, and put them into a preserving-pan with sufficient water to float them. boil them until tender, and the fruit is reduced to a pulp; strain off the clear juice, and to each pint allow the above proportion of loaf sugar. boil the juice and sugar together for about / hour; remove all the scum as it rises, and, when the jelly appears firm when a little is poured on a plate, it is done. the residue left on the sieve will answer to make a common marmalade, for immediate use, by boiling it with / lb. of common sugar to every lb. of pulp. _time_.-- hours to boil the quinces in water; / hour to boil the jelly. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _seasonable_ from august to october. quince marmalade. . ingredients.--to every lb. of quince pulp allow / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--slice the quinces into a preserving-pan, adding sufficient water for them to float; place them on the fire to stew, until reduced to a pulp, keeping them stirred occasionally from the bottom, to prevent their burning; then pass the pulp through a hair sieve, to keep back the skin and seeds. weigh the pulp, and to each lb. add lump sugar in the above proportion, broken very small. place the whole on the fire, and keep it well stirred from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until reduced to a marmalade, which may be known by dropping a little on a cold plate, when, if it jellies, it is done. put it into jars whilst hot; let it cool, and cover with pieces of oiled paper cut to the size of the mouths of the jars. the tops of them may be afterwards covered with pieces of bladder, or tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. _time_.-- hours to boil the quinces without the sugar; / hour to boil the pulp with the sugar. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _sufficient_.--allow pint of sliced quinces for a lb. pot. _seasonable_ in august, september, and october. raisin cheese. . ingredients.--to every lb. of raisins allow a lb. of loaf sugar; pounded cinnamon and cloves to taste. _mode_.--stone the raisins; put them into a stewpan with the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves, and let them boil for - / hour, stirring all the time. let the preparation cool a little, pour it into a glass dish, and garnish with strips of candied lemon-peel and citron. this will remain good some time, if kept in a dry place. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_.-- lb. for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. raspberry jam. . ingredients.--to every lb. of raspberries allow lb. of sugar, / pint of red-currant juice. _mode_.--let the fruit for this preserve be gathered in fine weather, and used as soon after it is picked as possible. take off the stalks, put the raspberries into a preserving-pan, break them well with a wooden spoon, and let them boil for / hour, keeping them well stirred. then add the currant-juice and sugar, and boil again for / hour. skim the jam well after the sugar is added, or the preserve will not be clear. the addition of the currant juice is a very great improvement to this preserve, as it gives it a piquant taste, which the flavour of the raspberries seems to require. _time_.-- / hour to simmer the fruit without the sugar; / hour after it is added. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _sufficient_.--allow about pint of fruit to fill a -lb. pot. _seasonable_ in july and august. raspberry jelly. . ingredients.--to each pint of juice allow / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--let the raspberries be freshly gathered, quite ripe, and picked from the stalks; put them into a large jar, after breaking the fruit a little with a wooden spoon, and place this jar, covered, in a saucepan of boiling water. when the juice is well drawn, which will be in from / to hour, strain the fruit through a fine hair sieve or cloth; measure the juice, and to every pint allow the above proportion of loaf sugar. put the juice and sugar into a preserving-pan, place it over the fire, and boil gently until the jelly thickens when a little is poured on a plate; carefully remove all the scum as it rises, pour the jelly into small pots, cover down, and keep in a dry place. this jelly answers for making raspberry cream, and for flavouring various sweet dishes, when, in winter, the fresh fruit is not obtainable. _time_.-- / to hour to draw the juice. _average cost_, from d. to s. per lb. pot. _sufficient._--from pints to quarts of fruit should yield pint of juice. _seasonable_.--this should be made in july or august. rhubarb jam. . ingredients.--to every lb. of rhubarb allow lb. of loaf sugar, the rind of / lemon. _mode_.--wipe the rhubarb perfectly dry, take off the string or peel, and weigh it; put it into a preserving-pan, with sugar in the above proportion; mince the lemon-rind very finely, add it to the other ingredients, and place the preserving-pan by the side of the fire; keep stirring to prevent the rhubarb from burning, and when the sugar is well dissolved, put the pan more over the fire, and let the jam boil until it is done, taking care to keep it well skimmed and stirred with a wooden or silver spoon. pour it into pots, and cover down with oiled and egged papers. _time_.--if the rhubarb is young and tender, / hour, reckoning from the time it simmers equally; old rhubarb, - / to - / hour. _average cost_, d. to d. per lb. pot. _sufficient_.--about pint of sliced rhubarb to fill a lb. pot. _seasonable_ from february to april. rhubarb and orange jam, to resemble scotch marmalade. . ingredients.-- quart of finely-cut rhubarb, oranges, - / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--peel the oranges; remove as much of the white pith as possible, divide them, and take out the pips; slice the pulp into a preserving-pan, add the rind of half the oranges cut into thin strips, and the loaf sugar, which should be broken small. peel the rhubarb, cut it into thin pieces, put it to the oranges, and stir altogether over a gentle fire until the jam is done. remove all the scum as it rises, put the preserve into pots, and, when cold, cover down. should the rhubarb be very old, stew it alone for / hour before the other ingredients are added. _time_.-- / to hour. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _seasonable_ from february to april. raspberry and currant, or any fresh fruit salad. (_a dessert dish_.) . _mode_.--fruit salads are made by stripping the fruit from the stalks, piling it on a dish, and sprinkling over it finely-pounded sugar. they may be made of strawberries, raspberries, currants, or any of these fruits mixed; peaches also make a very good salad. after the sugar is sprinkled over, about large tablespoonfuls of wine or brandy, or tablespoonfuls of liqueur, should be poured in the middle of the fruit; and, when the flavour is liked, a little pounded cinnamon may be added. in helping the fruit, it should be lightly stirred, that the wine and sugar may be equally distributed. _sufficient._-- - / pint of fruit, with oz. of pounded sugar, for or persons. _seasonable_ in summer. strawberries and cream. . ingredients.--to every pint of picked strawberries allow / pint of cream, oz. of finely-pounded sugar. _mode_.--pick the stalks from the fruit, place it on a glass dish, sprinkle over it pounded sugar, and slightly stir the strawberries, that they may all be equally sweetened; pour the cream over the top, and serve. devonshire cream, when it can be obtained, is exceedingly delicious for this dish; and, if very thick indeed, may be diluted with a little thin cream or milk. _average cost_ for this quantity, with cream at s. per pint, s. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ in june and july. strawberry jam. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit allow / pint of red-currant juice, - / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--strip the currants from the stalks, put them into a jar; place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and simmer until the juice is well drawn from the fruit; strain the currants, measure the juice, put it into a preserving-pan, and add the sugar. select well-ripened but sound strawberries; pick them from the stalks, and when the sugar is dissolved in the currant juice, put in the fruit. simmer the whole over a moderate fire, from / to / hour, carefully removing the scum as it rises. stir the jam only enough to prevent it from burning at the bottom of the pan, as the fruit should be preserved as whole as possible. put the jam into jars, and when cold, cover down. _time_.-- / to / hour, reckoning from the time the jam simmers all over. _average cost_, from d. to d. per lb. pot. _sufficient._-- pints of strawberries will make lb. pots of jam. _seasonable_ in june and july. preserved strawberries in wine. . ingredients.--to every quart bottle allow / lb. of finely-pounded loaf sugar; sherry or madeira. _mode_.--let the fruit be gathered in fine weather, and used as soon as picked. have ready some perfectly dry glass bottles, and some nice soft corks or bungs. pick the stalks from the strawberries, drop them into the bottles, sprinkling amongst them pounded sugar in the above proportion, and when the fruit reaches to the neck of the bottle, fill up with sherry or madeira. cork the bottles down with new corks, and dip them into melted resin. _seasonable_.--make this in june or july. to preserve strawberries whole. . ingredients.--to every lb. of fruit allow - / lb. of good loaf sugar, pint of red-currant juice. _mode_.--choose the strawberries not too ripe, of a fine large sort and of a good colour. pick off the stalks, lay the strawberries in a dish, and sprinkle over them half the quantity of sugar, which must be finely pounded. shake the dish gently, that the sugar may be equally distributed and touch the under-side of the fruit, and let it remain for day. then have ready the currant-juice, drawn as for red-currant jelly no. ; boil it with the remainder of the sugar until it forms a thin syrup, and in this simmer the strawberries and sugar, until the whole is sufficiently jellied. great care must be taken not to stir the fruit roughly, as it should be preserved as whole as possible. strawberries prepared in this manner are very good served in glasses and mixed with thin cream. _time_.-- / hour to minutes to simmer the strawberries in the syrup. _seasonable_ in june and july. to make everton toffee. . ingredients.-- lb. of powdered loaf sugar, teacupful of water, / lb. of butter, drops of essence of lemon. _mode_.--put the water and sugar into a brass pan, and beat the butter to a cream. when the sugar is dissolved, add the butter, and keep stirring the mixture over the fire until it sets, when a little is poured on to a buttered dish; and just before the toffee is done, add the essence of lemon. butter a dish or tin, pour on it the mixture, and when cool, it will easily separate from the dish. butter-scotch, an excellent thing for coughs, is made with brown, instead of white sugar, omitting the water, and flavoured with / oz. of powdered ginger. it is made in the same manner as toffee. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to make a lb. of toffee. dessert dishes. [illustration: dish of nuts.] [illustration: box of french plums.] [illustration: dish of mixed fruit.] . the tazza, or dish with stem, the same as that shown in our illustrations, is now the favourite shape for dessert-dishes. the fruit can be arranged and shown to better advantage on these tall high dishes than on the short flat ones. all the dishes are now usually placed down the centre of the table, dried and fresh fruit alternately, the former being arranged on small round or oval glass plates, and the latter on the dishes with stems. the fruit should always be gathered on the same day that it is required for table, and should be tastefully arranged on the dishes, with leaves between and round it. by purchasing fruits that are in season, a dessert can be supplied at a very moderate cost. these, with a few fancy biscuits, crystallized fruit, bon-bons, &c., are sufficient for an ordinary dessert. when fresh fruit cannot be obtained, dried and foreign fruits, compotes, baked pears, stewed normandy pippins, &c. &c., must supply its place, with the addition of preserves, bon-bons, cakes, biscuits, &c. at fashionable tables, forced fruit is served growing in pots, these pots being hidden in more ornamental ones, and arranged with the other dishes.--(see coloured plate w .) a few vases of fresh flowers, tastefully arranged, add very much to the appearance of the dessert; and, when these are not obtainable, a few paper ones, mixed with green leaves, answer very well as a substitute. in decorating a table, whether for luncheon, dessert, or supper, a vase or two of flowers should never be forgotten, as they add so much to the elegance of the _tout ensemble_. in summer and autumn, ladies residing in the country can always manage to have a few freshly-gathered flowers on their tables, and should never be without this inexpensive luxury. on the continent, vases or epergnes filled with flowers are invariably placed down the centre of the dinner-table at regular distances. ices for dessert are usually moulded: when this is not the case, they are handed round in glasses with wafers to accompany them. preserved ginger is frequently handed round after ices, to prepare the palate for the delicious dessert wines. a basin or glass of finely-pounded lump sugar must never be omitted at a dessert, as also a glass jug of fresh cold water (iced, if possible), and two goblets by its side. grape-scissors, a melon-knife and fork, and nutcrackers, should always be put on table, if there are dishes of fruit requiring them. zests are sometimes served at the close of the dessert; such as anchovy toasts or biscuits. the french often serve plain or grated cheese with a dessert of fresh or dried fruit. at some tables, finger-glasses are placed at the right of each person, nearly half filled with cold spring water, and in winter with tepid water. these precede the dessert. at other tables, a glass or vase is simply handed round, filled with perfumed water, into which each guest dips the corner of his napkin, and, when needful, refreshes his lips and the tips of his fingers. [illustration: box of chocolate.] [illustration: dish of apples.] [illustration: almonds and raisins.] [illustration: dish of strawberries.] after the dishes are placed, and every one is provided with plates, glasses, spoons, &c., the wine should be put at each end of the table, cooled or otherwise, according to the season. if the party be small, the wine may be placed only at the top of the table, near the host. dish of nuts. . these are merely arranged piled high in the centre of the dish, as shown in the engraving, with or without leaves round the edge. filberts should always be served with the outer skin or husk on them; and walnuts should be well wiped with a damp cloth, and then--with a dry one, to remove the unpleasant sticky feeling the shells frequently have. _seasonable_.--filberts from september to march, good; may be had after that time, but are generally shrivelled and dry. walnuts from september to january. hazel nut and filbert.--the common hazel is the wild, and the filbert the cultivated state of the same tree. the hazel is found wild, not only in forests and hedges, in dingles and ravines, but occurs in extensive tracts in the more northern and mountainous parts of the country. it was formerly one of the most abundant of those trees which are indigenous in this island. it is seldom cultivated as a fruit-tree, though perhaps its nuts are superior in flavour to the others. the spanish nuts imported are a superior kind, but they are somewhat oily and rather indigestible. filberts, both the red and the white, and the cob-nut, are supposed to be merely varieties of the common hazel, which have been produced, partly by the superiority of soil and climate, and partly by culture. they were originally brought out of greece to italy, whence they have found their way to holland, and from that country to england. it is supposed that, within a few miles of maidstone, in kent, there are more filberts grown than in all england besides; and it is from that place that the london market is supplied. the filbert is longer than the common nut, though of the same thickness, and has a larger kernel. the cob-nut is a still larger variety, and is roundish. filberts are more esteemed at the dessert than common nuts, and are generally eaten with salt. they are very free from oil, and disagree with few persons. walnuts.--the walnut is a native of persia, the caucasus, and china, but was introduced to this kingdom from france. the ripe kernel is brought to the dessert on account of its agreeable flavour; and the fruit is also much used in the green state, but before the stone hardens, as a pickle. in spain, grated walnuts are employed in tarts and other dishes. the walnut abounds in oil which is expressed and which, being of a highly drying nature, and very limpid, is much employed for delicate painting. this, on the continent, is sometimes used as a substitute for olive-oil in cooking, but is very apt to turn rancid. it is also manufactured into a kind of soap. the mare, or refuse matter after the oil is extracted, proves very nutritious for poultry or other domestic animals. in switzerland, this is eaten by poor people under the name of _pain amer._ box of french plums. . if the box which contains them is exceedingly ornamental, it may be placed on the table; if small, on a glass dish; if large, without one, french plums may also be arranged on a glass plate, and garnished with bright-coloured sweetmeats, which make a very good effect. all fancy boxes of preserved and crystallized fruit may be put on the table or not, at pleasure. these little matters of detail must, of course, be left to individual taste. _seasonable_.--may be purchased all the year; but are in greater perfection in the winter, and are more suitable for that season, as fresh fruit cannot be obtained. dish of mixed fruit. . for a centre dish, a mixture of various fresh fruits has a remarkably good effect, particularly if a pine be added to the list. a high raised appearance should be given to the fruit, which is done in the following manner. place a tumbler in the centre of the dish, and, in this tumbler, the pine, crown uppermost; round the tumbler put a thick layer of moss, and, over this, apples, pears, plums, peaches, and such fruit as is simultaneously in season. by putting a layer of moss underneath, so much fruit is not required, besides giving a better shape to the dish. grapes should be placed on the top of the fruit, a portion of some of the bunches hanging over the sides of the dish in a négligé kind of manner, which takes off the formal look of the dish. in arranging the plums, apples, &c., let the colours contrast well. _seasonable_.--suitable for a dessert in september or october. grapes.--france produces about a thousand varieties of the grape, which is cultivated more extensively in that country than in any other. hygienists agree in pronouncing grapes as among the best of fruits. the grape possesses several rare qualities: it is nourishing and fattening, and its prolonged use has often overcome the most obstinate cases of constipation. the skins and pips of grapes should not be eaten. box of chocolate. . this is served in an ornamental box, placed on a glass plate or dish. _seasonable_.--may be purchased at any time. dish of apples. . the apples should be nicely wiped with a dry cloth, and arranged on a dish, piled high in the centre, with evergreen leaves between each layer. the inferior apples should form the bottom layer, with the bright-coloured large ones at the top. the leaves of the laurel, bay, holly, or any shrub green in winter, are suitable for garnishing dessert dishes. oranges may be arranged in the same manner; they should also be wiped with a dry cloth before being sent to table. dish of mixed summer fruit. . this dish consists of cherries, raspberries, currants, and strawberries, piled in different layers, with plenty of leaves between each layer; so that each fruit is well separated. the fruit should be arranged with a due regard to colour, so that they contrast nicely one with the other. our engraving shows a layer of white cherries at the bottom, then one of red raspberries; over that a layer of white currants, and at the top some fine scarlet strawberries. _seasonable_ in june, july, and august. almonds and raisins. . these are usually served on glass dishes, the fruit piled high in the centre, and the almonds blanched, and strewn over. to blanch the almonds, put them into a small mug or teacup, pour over them boiling water, let them remain for or minutes, and the skins may then be easily removed. figs, dates, french plums, &c., are all served on small glass plates or oval dishes, but without the almonds. _seasonable_ at any time, but more suitable in winter, when fresh fruit is not obtainable. dates.--dates are imported into britain, in a dried state, from barbary and egypt, and, when in good condition, they are much esteemed. an inferior kind has lately become common, which are dried hard, and have little or no flavour. they should be chosen large, softish, not much wrinkled, of a reddish-yellow colour on the outside, with a whitish membrane between the fruit and the stone. dish of strawberries. . fine strawberries, arranged in the manner shown in the engraving, look exceedingly well. the inferior ones should be placed at the bottom of the dish, and the others put in rows pyramidically, with the stalks downwards; so that when the whole is completed, nothing but the red part of the fruit is visible. the fruit should be gathered with rather long stalks, as there is then something to support it, and it can be placed more upright in each layer. a few of the finest should be reserved to crown the top. to have walnuts fresh throughout the season. . ingredients.--to every pint of water allow teaspoonful of salt. _mode_.--place the walnuts in the salt and water for hours at least; then take them out, and rub them dry. old nuts may be freshened in this manner; or walnuts, when first picked, may be put into an earthen pan with salt sprinkled amongst them, and with damped hay placed on the top of them, and then covered down with a lid. they must be well wiped before they are put on table. _seasonable_.--should be stored away in september or october. [illustration] [illustration] chapter xxxii. general observations on milk, butter, cheese, and eggs. milk. . milk is obtained only from the class of animals called mammalia, and is intended by nature for the nourishment of their young. the milk of each animal is distinguished by some peculiarities; but as that of the cow is by far the most useful to us in this part of the world, our observations will be confined to that variety. . milk, when drawn from the cow, is of a yellowish-white colour, and is the most yellow at the beginning of the period of lactation. its taste is agreeable, and rather saccharine. the viscidity and specific gravity of milk are somewhat greater than that of water; but these properties vary somewhat in the milk procured from different individuals. on an average, the specific gravity of milk is . , water being . the small cows of the alderney breed afford the richest milk. . milk which is carried to a considerable distance, so as to be much agitated, and cooled before it is put into pans to settle for cream, never throws up so much, nor such rich cream, as if the same milk had been put into pans directly after it was milked. . milk, considered as an aliment, is of such importance in domestic economy as to render all the improvements in its production extremely valuable. to enlarge upon the antiquity of its use is unnecessary; it has always been a favourite food in britain. "lacte et carno vivunt," says caesar, in his commentaries; the english of which is, "the inhabitants subsist upon flesh and milk." the breed of the cow has received great improvement in modern times, as regards the quantity and quality of the milk which she affords; the form of milch-cows, their mode of nourishment, and progress, are also manifest in the management of the dairy. . although milk in its natural state be a fluid, yet, considered as an aliment, it is both solid and fluid: for no sooner does it enter the stomach, than it is coagulated by the gastric juice, and separated into curd and whey, the first of these being extremely nutritive. . milk of the _human subject_ is much thinner than cow's milk; _ass's milk_ comes the nearest to human milk of any other; _goat's milk_ is something thicker and richer than cow's milk; _ewe's milk_ has the appearance of cow's milk, and affords a larger quantity of cream; _mare's milk_ contains more sugar than that of the ewe; _camel's milk_ is used only in africa; _buffalo's milk_ is employed in india. . from no other substance, solid or fluid, can so great a number of distinct kinds of aliment be prepared as from milk; some forming food, others drink; some of them delicious, and deserving the name of luxuries; all of them wholesome, and some medicinal: indeed, the variety of aliments that seems capable of being produced from milk, appears to be quite endless. in every age this must have been a subject for experiment, and every nation has added to the number by the invention of some peculiarity of its own. butter. . beckman, in his "history of inventions," states that butter was not used either by the greeks or romans in cooking, nor was it brought upon their tables at certain meals, as is the custom at present. in england it has been made from time immemorial, though the art of making cheese is said not to have been known to the ancient britons, and to have been learned from their conquerors. . the taste of butter is peculiar, and very unlike any other fatty substance. it is extremely agreeable when of the best quality; but its flavour depends much upon the food given to the cows: to be good, it should not adhere to the knife. . butter, with regard to its dietetic properties, may be regarded nearly in the light of vegetable oils and animal fats; but it becomes sooner rancid than most other fat oils. when fresh, it cannot but be considered as very wholesome; but it should be quite free from rancidity. if slightly salted when it is fresh, its wholesomeness is probably not at all impaired; but should it begin to turn rancid, salting will not correct its unwholesomeness. when salt butter is put into casks, the upper part next the air is very apt to become rancid, and this rancidity is also liable to affect the whole cask. . _epping butter_ is the kind most esteemed in london. _fresh butter_ comes to london from buckinghamshire, suffolk, oxfordshire, yorkshire, devonshire, &c. _cambridge butter_ is esteemed next to fresh; _devonshire butter_ is nearly similar in quality to the latter; _irish butter_ sold in london is all salted, but is generally good. the number of firkins exported annually from ireland amounts to , , equal to a million of money. _dutch butter_ is in good repute all over europe, america, and even india; and no country in the world is so successful in the manufacture of this article, holland supplying more butter to the rest of the world than any country whatever. . there are two methods pursued in the manufacture of butter. in one, the cream is separated from the milk, and in that state it is converted into butter by churning, as is the practice about epping; in the other, milk is subjected to the same process, which is the method usually followed in cheshire. the first method is generally said to give the richest butter, and the latter the largest quantity, though some are of opinion that there is little difference either in quality or quantity. cheese. . cheese is the curd formed from milk by artificial coagulation, pressed and dried for use. curd, called also casein and caseous matter, or the basis of cheese, exists in the milk, and not in the cream, and requires only to be separated by coagulation. the coagulation, however, supposes some alteration of the curd. by means of the substance employed to coagulate it, it is rendered insoluble in water. when the curd is freed from the whey, kneaded and pressed to expel it entirely, it becomes cheese. this assumes a degree of transparency, and possesses many of the properties of coagulated albumen. if it be well dried, it does not change by exposure to the air; but if it contain moisture, it soon putrefies. it therefore requires some salt to preserve it, and this acts likewise as a kind of seasoning. all our cheese is coloured more or less, except that made from skim milk. the colouring substances employed are arnatto, turmeric, or marigold, all perfectly harmless unless they are adulterated; and it is said that arnatto sometimes contains red lead. . cheese varies in quality and richness according to the materials of which it is composed. it is made-- . of entire milk, as in cheshire; . of milk and cream, as at stilton; . of new milk mixed with skimmed milk, as in gloucestershire; . of skimmed milk only, as in suffolk, holland, and italy. . the principal varieties of cheese used in england are the following:--_cheshire cheese_, famed all over europe for its rich quality and fine piquant flavour. it is made of entire new milk, the cream not being taken off. _gloucester cheese_ is much milder in its taste than the cheshire. there are two kinds of gloucester cheese,--single and double. _single gloucester_ is made of skimmed milk, or of the milk deprived of half the cream; _double gloucester_ is a cheese that pleases almost every palate: it is made of the whole milk and cream. _stilton cheese_ is made by adding the cream of one day to the entire milk of the next: it was first made at stilton, in leicestershire. _sage cheese_ is so called from the practice of colouring some curd with bruised sage, marigold-leaves, and parsley, and mixing this with some uncoloured curd. with the romans, and during the middle ages, this practice was extensively adopted. _cheddar cheese_ much resembles parmesan. it has a very agreeable taste and flavour, and has a spongy appearance. _brickbat cheese_ has nothing remarkable except its form. it is made by turning with rennet a mixture of cream and new milk. the curd is put into a wooden vessel the shape of a brick, and is then pressed and dried in the usual way. _dunlop cheese_ has a peculiarly mild and rich taste: the best is made entirely from new milk. _new cheese_ (as it is called in london) is made chiefly in lincolnshire, and is either made of all cream, or, like stilton. by adding the cream of one day's milking to the milk that comes immediately from the cow: they are extremely thin, and are compressed gently two or three times, turned for a few days, and then eaten new with radishes, salad, &c. _skimmed milk cheese_ is made for sea voyages principally. _parmesan cheese_ is made in parma and piacenza. it is the most celebrated of all cheese: it is made entirely of skimmed cow's milk. the high flavour which it has, is supposed to be owing to the rich herbage of the meadows of the po, where the cows are pastured. the best parmesan is kept for three or four years, and none is carried to market till it is at least six months old. _dutch cheese_ derives its peculiar pungent taste from the practice adopted in holland of coagulating the milk with muriatic acid instead of rennet. _swiss cheeses_ in their several varieties are all remarkable for their fine flavour. that from _gruyère_, a bailiwick in the canton of fribourg, is best known in england. it is flavoured by the dried herb of _melilotos officinalis_ in powder. cheese from milk and potatoes is manufactured in thuringia and saxony. _cream cheese_, although so called, is not properly cheese, but is nothing more than cream dried sufficiently to be cut with a knife. eggs. . there is only one opinion as to the nutritive properties of eggs, although the qualities of those belonging to different birds vary somewhat. those of the common hen are most esteemed as delicate food, particularly when "new-laid." the quality of eggs depends much upon the food given to the hen. eggs in general are considered most easily digestible when little subjected to the art of cookery. the lightest way of dressing them is by poaching, which is effected by putting them for a minute or two into brisk boiling water: this coagulates the external white, without doing the inner part too much. eggs are much better when new-laid than a day or two afterwards. the usual time allotted for boiling eggs in the shell is to - / minutes: less time than that in boiling water will not be sufficient to solidify the white, and more will make the yolk hard and less digestible: it is very difficult to _guess_ accurately as to the time. great care should be employed in putting them into the water, to prevent cracking the shell, which inevitably causes a portion of the white to exude, and lets water into the egg. eggs are often beaten up raw in nutritive beverages. . eggs are employed in a very great many articles of cookery, entrées, and entremets, and they form an essential ingredient in pastry, creams, flip, &c. it is particularly necessary that they should be quite fresh, as nothing is worse than stale eggs. cobbett justly says, stale, or even preserved eggs, are things to be run from, not after. . the metropolis is supplied with eggs from all parts of the kingdom, and they are likewise largely imported from various places on the continent; as france, holland, belgium, guernsey, and jersey. it appears from official statements mentioned in mcculloch's "commercial dictionary," that the number imported from france alone amounts to about , , a year; and supposing them on an average to cost fourpence a dozen, it follows that we pay our continental neighbours above £ , a year for eggs. . the eggs of different birds vary much in size and colour. those of the ostrich are the largest: one laid in the menagerie in paris weighed lbs. oz., held a pint, and was six inches deep: this is about the usual size of those brought from africa. travellers describe _ostrich eggs_ as of an agreeable taste: they keep longer than hen's eggs. drinking-cups are often made of the shell, which is very strong. the eggs of the _turkey_ are almost as mild as those of the hen; the egg of the _goose_ is large, but well-tasted. _duck's eggs_ have a rich flavour; the albumen is slightly transparent, or bluish, when set or coagulated by boiling, which requires less time than hen's eggs. _guinea-fowl eggs_ are smaller and more delicate than those of the hen. eggs of _wild fowl_ are generally coloured, often spotted; and the taste generally partakes somewhat of the flavour of the bird they belong to. those of land birds that are eaten, as the _plover, lapwing, ruff_, &c., are in general much esteemed; but those of _sea-fowl_ have, more or less, a strong fishy taste. the eggs of the _turtle_ are very numerous: they consist of yolk only, without shell, and are delicious. recipes. chapter xxxiii. separation of milk and cream. . if it be desired that the milk should be freed entirely from cream, it should be poured into a very shallow broad pan or dish, not more than - / inch deep, as cream cannot rise through a great depth of milk. in cold and wet weather, milk is not so rich as it is in summer and warm weather, and the morning's milk is always richer than the evening's. the last-drawn milk of each milking, at all times and seasons, is richer than the first-drawn, and on that account should be set apart for cream. milk should be shaken as little as possible when carried from the cow to the dairy, and should be poured into the pans very gently. persons not keeping cows, may always have a little cream, provided the milk they purchase be pure and unadulterated. as soon as it comes in, it should be poured into very shallow open pie-dishes, and set by in a very cool place, and in or hours a nice cream should have risen to the surface. milk is one of the most complete of all articles of food: that is to say, it contains a very large number of the elements which enter into the composition of the human body. it "disagrees" with fat, heavy, languid people, of slow circulation; and, at first, with many people of sedentary habits, and stomachs weakened by stimulants of different kinds. but, if exercise can be taken and a little patience shown, while the system accommodates itself to a new regimen, this bland and soothing article of diet is excellent for the majority of thin, nervous people; especially for those who have suffered much from emotional disturbances, or have relaxed their stomachs by too much tea or coffee, taken too hot. milk is, in fact, a nutrient and a sedative at once. stomachs, however, have their idiosyncrasies, and it sometimes proves an unwelcome and ill-digested article of food. as milk, when good, contains a good deal of respiratory material (fat),--material which _must_ either be burnt off, or derange the liver, and be rejected in other ways, it may disagree because the lungs are not sufficiently used in the open air. but it is very probable that there are really "constitutions" which cannot take to it; and _they_ should not be forced. to keep milk and cream in hot weather. . when the weather is very warm, and it is very difficult to prevent milk from turning sour and spoiling the cream, it should be scalded, and it will then remain good for a few hours. it must on no account be allowed to boil, or there will be a skin instead of a cream upon the milk; and the slower the process, the safer will it be. a very good plan to scald milk, is to put the pan that contains it into a saucepan or wide kettle of boiling water. when the surface looks thick, the milk is sufficiently scalded, and it should then be put away in a cool place in the same vessel that it was scalded in. cream may be kept for hours, if scalded without sugar; and by the addition of the latter ingredient, it will remain good double the time, if kept in a cool place. all pans, jugs, and vessels intended for milk, should be kept beautifully clean, and well scalded before the milk is put in, as any negligence in this respect may cause large quantities of it to be spoiled; and milk should never be kept in vessels of zinc or copper. milk may be preserved good in hot weather, for a few hours, by placing the jug which contains it in ice, or very cold water; or a pinch of bicarbonate of soda may be introduced into the liquid. milk, when of good quality, is of an opaque white colour: the cream always comes to the top; the well-known milky odour is strong; it will boil without altering its appearance, in these respects; the little bladders which arise on the surface will renew themselves if broken by the spoon. to boil milk is, in fact, the simplest way of testing its quality. the commonest adulterations of milk are not of a hurtful character. it is a good deal thinned with water, and sometimes thickened with a little starch, or colored with yolk of egg, or even saffron; but these processes have nothing murderous in them. curds and whey. . ingredients.--a very small piece of rennet, / gallon of milk. _mode_.--procure from the butcher's a small piece of rennet, which is the stomach of the calf, taken as soon as it is killed, scoured, and well rubbed with salt, and stretched on sticks to dry. pour some boiling water on the rennet, and let it remain for hours; then use the liquor to turn the milk. the milk should be warm and fresh from the cow: if allowed to cool, it must be heated till it is of a degree quite equal to new milk; but do not let it be too hot. about a tablespoonful or rather more, would be sufficient to turn the above proportion of milk into curds and whey; and whilst the milk is turning, let it be kept in rather a warm place. _time_.--from to hours to turn the milk. _seasonable_ at any time. devonshire cream. . the milk should stand hours in the winter, half that time when the weather is very warm. the milkpan is then set on a stove, and should there remain until the milk is quite hot; but it must not boil, or there will be a thick skin on the surface. when it is sufficiently done, the undulations on the surface look thick, and small rings appear. the time required for scalding cream depends on the size of the pan and the heat of the fire; but the slower it is done, the better. the pan should be placed in the dairy when the cream is sufficiently scalded, and skimmed the following day. this cream is so much esteemed that it is sent to the london markets in small square tins, and is exceedingly delicious eaten with fresh fruit. in devonshire, butter is made from this cream, and is usually very firm. devonshire junket. . ingredients.--to every pint of new milk allow dessertspoonfuls of brandy, dessertspoonful of sugar, and - / dessertspoonful of prepared rennet; thick cream, pounded cinnamon, or grated nutmeg. _mode_.--make the milk blood-warm; put it into a deep dish with the brandy, sugar, and rennet; stir it altogether, and cover it over until it is set. then spread some thick or clotted cream over the top, grate some nutmeg, and strew some sugar over, and the dish will be ready to serve. _time_.--about hours to set the milk. _seasonable_ at any time. to keep and choose fresh butter. . fresh butter should be kept in a dark, cool place, and in as large a mass as possible. mould as much only as is required, as the more surface is exposed, the more liability there will be to spoil; and the outside very soon becomes rancid. fresh butter should be kept covered with white paper. for small larders, butter-coolers of red brick are now very much used for keeping fresh butter in warm weather. these coolers are made with a large bell-shaped cover, into the top of which a little cold water should be poured, and in summer time very frequently changed; and the butter must be kept covered. these coolers keep butter remarkably firm in hot weather, and are extremely convenient for those whose larder accommodation is limited. [illustration: butter-dish.] in choosing fresh butter, remember it should smell deliciously, and be of an equal colour all through: if it smells sour, it has not been sufficiently washed from the buttermilk; and if veiny and open, it has probably been worked with a staler or an inferior sort. to preserve and to choose salt butter. . in large families, where salt butter is purchased a tub at a time, the first thing to be done is to turn the whole of the butter out, and, with a clean knife, to scrape the outside; the tub should then be wiped with a clean cloth, and sprinkled all round with salt, the butter replaced, and the lid kept on to exclude the air. it is necessary to take these precautions, as sometimes a want of proper cleanliness in the dairymaid causes the outside of the butter to become rancid, and if the scraping be neglected, the whole mass would soon become spoiled. to choose salt butter, plunge a knife into it, and if, when drawn out, the blade smells rancid or unpleasant, the butter is bad. the layers in tubs will vary greatly, the butter being made at different times; so, to try if the whole tub be good, the cask should be unhooped, and the butter tried between the staves. it is not necessary to state that butter is extracted from cream, or from unskimmed milk, by the churn. of course it partakes of the qualities of the milk, and winter butter is said not to be so good as spring butter. a word of caution is necessary about _rancid_ butter. nobody eats it on bread, but it is sometimes used in cooking, in forms in which the acidity can be more or less disguised. so much the worse; it is almost poisonous, disguise it as you may. never, under any exigency whatever, be tempted into allowing butter with even a _soupçon_ of "turning" to enter into the composition of any dish that appears on your table. and, in general, the more you can do without the employment of butter that has been subjected to the influence of heat, the better. the woman of modern times is not a "leech;" but she might often keep the "leech" from the door, if she would give herself the trouble to invent _innocent_ sauces. butter-moulds, for moulding fresh butter. [illustration: dish of rolled butter.] . butter-moulds, or wooden stamps for moulding fresh butter, are much used, and are made in a variety of forms and shapes. in using them, let them be kept scrupulously clean, and before the butter is pressed in, the interior should be well wetted with cold water; the butter must then be pressed in, the mould opened, and the perfect shape taken out. the butter may be then dished, and garnished with a wreath of parsley, if for a cheese course; if for breakfast, put it into an ornamental butter-dish, with a little water at the bottom, should the weather be very warm. curled butter. . tie a strong cloth by two of the corners to an iron hook in the wall; make a knot with the other two ends, so that a stick might pass through. put the butter into the cloth; twist it tightly over a dish, into which the butter will fall through the knot, so forming small and pretty little strings. the butter may then be garnished with parsley, if to serve with a cheese course; or it may be sent to table plain for breakfast, in an ornamental dish. squirted butter for garnishing hams, salads, eggs, &c., is made by forming a piece of stiff paper in the shape of a cornet, and squeezing the butter in fine strings from the hole at the bottom. scooped butter is made by dipping a teaspoon or scooper in warm water, and then scooping the butter quickly and thin. in warm weather, it would not be necessary to heat the spoon. butter may be kept fresh for ten or twelve days by a very simple process. knead it well in cold water till the buttermilk is extracted; then put it in a glazed jar, which invert in another, putting into the latter a sufficient quantity of water to exclude the air. renew the water every day. fairy butter. . ingredients.--the yolks of hard-boiled eggs, tablespoonful of orange-flower water, tablespoonfuls of pounded sugar, / lb. of good fresh butter. _mode_.--beat the yolks of the eggs smoothly in a mortar, with the orange-flower water and the sugar, until the whole is reduced to a fine paste; add the butter, and force all through an old but clean cloth by wringing the cloth and squeezing the butter very hard. the butter will then drop on the plate in large and small pieces, according to the holes in the cloth. plain butter may be done in the same manner, and is very quickly prepared, besides having a very good effect. butter.--white-coloured butter is said not to be so good as the yellow; but the yellow colour is often artificially produced, by the introduction of colouring matter into the churn. anchovy butter. . ingredients.--to every lb. of butter allow anchovies, small bunch of parsley. _mode_.--wash, bone, and pound the anchovies well in a mortar; scald the parsley, chop it, and rub through a sieve; then pound all the ingredients together, mix well, and make the butter into pats immediately. this makes a pretty dish, if fancifully moulded, for breakfast or supper, and should be garnished with parsley. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to make dishes, with pats each. _seasonable_ at any time. cheese. . in families where much cheese is consumed, and it is bought in large quantities, a piece from the whole cheese should be cut, the larger quantity spread with a thickly-buttered sheet of white paper, and the outside occasionally wiped. to keep cheeses moist that are in daily use, when they come from table a damp cloth should be wrapped round them, and the cheese put into a pan with a cover to it, in a cool but not very dry place. to ripen cheeses, and bring them forward, put them into a damp cellar; and, to check too large a production of mites, spirits may be poured into the parts affected. pieces of cheese which are too near the rind, or too dry to put on table, may be made into welsh rare-bits, or grated down and mixed with macaroni. cheeses may be preserved in a perfect state for years, by covering them with parchment made pliable by soaking in water, or by rubbing them over with a coating of melted fat. the cheeses selected should be free from cracks or bruises of any kind. cheese.--it is well known that some persons like cheese in a state of decay, and even "alive." there is no accounting for tastes, and it maybe hard to show why mould, which is vegetation, should not be eaten as well as salad, or maggots as well as eels. but, generally speaking, decomposing bodies are not wholesome eating, and the line must be drawn somewhere. stilton cheese. [illustration: stilton cheese.] . stilton cheese, or british parmesan, as it is sometimes called, is generally preferred to all other cheeses by those whose authority few will dispute. those made in may or june are usually served at christmas; or, to be in prime order, should be kept from to months, or even longer. an artificial ripeness in stilton cheese is sometimes produced by inserting a small piece of decayed cheshire into an aperture at the top. from weeks to a month is sufficient time to ripen the cheese. an additional flavour may also be obtained by scooping out a piece from the top, and pouring therein port, sherry, madeira, or old ale, and letting the cheese absorb these for or weeks. but that cheese is the finest which is ripened without any artificial aid, is the opinion of those who are judges in these matters. in serving a stilton cheese, the top of it should be cut off to form a lid, and a napkin or piece of white paper, with a frill at the top, pinned round. when the cheese goes from table, the lid should be replaced. mode of serving cheese. [illustration: cheese-glass.] . the usual mode of serving cheese at good tables is to cut a small quantity of it into neat square pieces, and to put them into a glass cheese-dish, this dish being handed round. should the cheese crumble much, of course this method is rather wasteful, and it may then be put on the table in the piece, and the host may cut from it. when served thus, the cheese must always be carefully scraped, and laid on a white d'oyley or napkin, neatly folded. cream cheese is often served in a cheese course, and, sometimes, grated parmesan: the latter should he put into a covered glass dish. rusks, cheese-biscuits, pats or slices of butter, and salad, cucumber, or water-cresses, should always form part of a cheese course. smoking cheeses.--the romans smoked their cheeses, to give them a sharp taste. they possessed public places expressly for this use, and subject to police regulations which no one could evade. a celebrated gourmand remarked that a dinner without cheese is like a woman with one eye. cheese sandwiches. . ingredients.--slices of brown bread-and-butter, thin slices of cheese. _mode_.--cut from a nice fat cheshire, or any good rich cheese, some slices about / inch thick, and place them between some slices of brown bread-and-butter, like sandwiches. place them on a plate in the oven, and, when the bread is toasted, serve on a napkin very hot and very quickly. _time_.-- minutes in a brisk oven. _average cost_, - / d. each sandwich. _sufficient_.--allow a sandwich for each person. _seasonable_ at any time. cheese.--one of the most important products of coagulated milk is cheese. unfermented, or cream-cheese, when quite fresh, is good for subjects with whom milk does not disagree; but cheese, in its commonest shape, is only fit for sedentary people as an after-dinner stimulant, and in very small quantity. bread and cheese, as a meal, is only fit for soldiers on march or labourers in the open air, who like it because it "holds the stomach a long time." cayenne cheeses. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, / lb. of flour, / lb. of grated cheese, / teaspoonful of cayenne, / teaspoonful of salt; water. _mode_.--rub the butter in the flour; add the grated cheese, cayenne. and salt; and mix these ingredients well together. moisten with sufficient water to make the whole into a paste; roll out, and cut into fingers about inches in length. bake them in a moderate oven a very light colour, and serve very hot. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. to make a fondue. . ingredients.-- eggs, the weight of in parmesan or good cheshire cheese, the weight of in butter; pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs; beat the former in a basin, and grate the cheese, or cut it into _very thin_ flakes. parmesan or cheshire cheese may be used, whichever is the most convenient, although the former is considered more suitable for this dish; or an equal quantity of each may be used. break the butter into small pieces, add it to the other ingredients, with sufficient pepper and salt to season nicely, and beat the mixture thoroughly. well whisk the whites of the eggs, stir them lightly in, and either bake the fondue in a soufflé-dish or small round cake-tin. fill the dish only half full, as the fondue should rise very much. pin a napkin round the tin or dish, and serve very hot and very quickly. if allowed to stand after it is withdrawn from the oven, the beauty and lightness of this preparation will be entirely spoiled. _time_.--from to minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. brillat savarin's fondue. (_an excellent recipe_.) . ingredients.--eggs, cheese, butter, pepper and salt. _mode_.--take the same number of eggs as there are guests; weigh the eggs in the shell, allow a third of their weight in gruyère cheese, and a piece of butter one-sixth of the weight of the cheese. break the eggs into a basin, beat them well; add the cheese, which should be grated, and the butter, which should be broken into small pieces. stir these ingredients together with a wooden spoon; put the mixture into a lined saucepan, place it over the fire, and stir until the substance is thick and soft. put in a little salt, according to the age of the cheese, and a good sprinkling of pepper, and serve the fondue on a very hot silver or metal plate. do not allow the fondue to remain on the fire after the mixture is set, as, if it boils, it will be entirely spoiled. brillat savarin recommends that some choice burgundy should he handed round with this dish. we have given this recipe exactly as he recommends it to be made; but we have tried it with good cheshire cheese, and found it answer remarkably well. _time_.--about minutes to set the mixture. _average cost_ for persons, d. _sufficient_.--allow egg, with the other ingredients in proportion, for one person. _seasonable_ at any time. macaroni, as usually served with the cheese course. i. . ingredients.-- / lb. of pipe macaroni, / lb. of butter, oz. of parmesan or cheshire cheese, pepper and salt to taste, pint of milk, pints of water, bread crumbs. _mode_.--put the milk and water into a saucepan with sufficient salt to flavour it; place it on the fire, and, when it boils quickly, drop in the macaroni. keep the water boiling until it is quite tender; drain the macaroni, and put it into a deep dish. have ready the grated cheese, either parmesan or cheshire; sprinkle it amongst the macaroni and some of the butter cut into small pieces, reserving some of the cheese for the top layer. season with a little pepper, and cover the top layer of cheese with some very fine bread crumbs. warm, without oiling, the remainder of the butter, and pour it gently over the bread crumbs. place the dish before a bright fire to brown the crumbs; turn it once or twice, that it may be equally coloured, and serve very hot. the top of the macaroni may be browned with a salamander, which is even better than placing it before the fire, as the process is more expeditious; but it should never be browned in the oven, as the butter would oil, and so impart a very disagreeable flavour to the dish. in boiling the macaroni, let it be perfectly tender but firm, no part beginning to melt, and the form entirely preserved. it may be boiled in plain water, with a little salt instead of using milk, but should then have a small piece of butter mixed with it. _time_.-- - / to - / hour to boil the macaroni, minutes to brown it before the fire. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--riband macaroni may be dressed in the same manner, but does not require boiling so long a time. ii. . ingredients.-- / lb. of pipe or riband macaroni, / pint of milk, / pint of veal or beef gravy, the yolks of eggs, tablespoonfuls of cream, oz. of grated parmesan or cheshire cheese, oz. of butter. _mode_.--wash the macaroni, and boil it in the gravy and milk until quite tender, without being broken. drain it, and put it into rather a deep dish. beat the yolks of the eggs with the cream and tablespoonfuls of the liquor the macaroni was boiled in; make this sufficiently hot to thicken, but do not allow it to boil; pour it over the macaroni, over which sprinkle the grated cheese and the butter broken into small pieces; brown with a salamander, or before the fire, and serve. _time_.-- - / to - / hour to boil the macaroni, minutes to thicken the eggs and cream, minutes to brown. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. iii. . ingredients.-- / lb. of pipe macaroni, / pint of brown gravy no. , oz. of grated parmesan cheese. _mode_.--wash the macaroni, and boil it in salt and water until quite tender; drain it, and put it into rather a deep dish. have ready a pint of good brown gravy, pour it hot over the macaroni, and send it to table with grated parmesan served on a separate dish. when the flavour is liked, a little pounded mace may be added to the water in which the macaroni is boiled; but this must always be sparingly added, as it will impart a very strong flavour. _time_.-- - / to - / hour to boil the macaroni. _average cost_, with the gravy and cheese, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. pounded cheese. . ingredients.--to every lb. of cheese allow oz. of fresh butter. _mode_.--to pound cheese is an economical way of using it, if it has become dry; it is exceedingly good spread on bread, and is the best way of eating it for those whose digestion is weak. cut up the cheese into small pieces, and pound it smoothly in a mortar, adding butter in the above proportion. press it down into a jar, cover with clarified butter, and it will keep for several days. the flavour may be very much increased by adding mixed mustard (about a teaspoonful to every lb.), or cayenne, or pounded mace. curry-powder is also not unfrequently mixed with it. ramakins, to serve with the cheese course. . ingredients.-- / lb. of cheshire cheese, / lb. of parmesan cheese, / lb. of fresh butter, eggs, the crumb of a small roll; pepper, salt, and pounded mace to taste. _mode_.--boil the crumb of the roll in milk for minutes; strain, and put it into a mortar; add the cheese, which should be finely scraped, the butter, the yolks of the eggs, and seasoning, and pound these ingredients well together. whisk the whites of the eggs, mix them with the paste, and put it into small pans or saucers, which should not be more than half filled. bake them from to minutes, and serve them very hot and very quickly. this batter answers equally well for macaroni after it is boiled tender. _time_-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. pastry ramakins, to serve with the cheese course. . ingredients.--any pieces of very good light puff-paste cheshire, parmesan, or stilton cheese. _mode_.--the remains or odd pieces of paste left from large tarts, &c. answer for making these little dishes. gather up the pieces of paste, roll it out evenly, and sprinkle it with grated cheese of a nice flavour. fold the paste in three, roll it out again, and sprinkle more cheese over; fold the paste, roll it out, and with a paste-cutter shape it in any way that may be desired. bake the ramakins in a brisk oven from to minutes, dish them on a hot napkin, and serve quickly. the appearance of this dish may be very much improved by brushing the ramakins over with yolk of egg before they are placed in the oven. where expense is not objected to, parmesan is the best kind of cheese to use for making this dish. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, with / lb. of paste, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. toasted cheese, or scotch rare-bit. . ingredients.--a few slices of rich cheese, toast, mustard, and pepper. [illustration: hot-water cheese-dish.] _mode_.--cut some nice rich sound cheese into rather thin slices; melt it in a cheese-toaster on a hot plate, or over steam, and, when melted, add a small quantity of mixed mustard and a seasoning of pepper; stir the cheese until it is completely dissolved, then brown it before the fire, or with a salamander. fill the bottom of the cheese-toaster with hot water, and serve with dry or buttered toasts, whichever may be preferred. our engraving illustrates a cheese-toaster with hot-water reservoir: the cheese is melted in the upper tin, which is placed in another vessel of boiling water, so keeping the preparation beautifully hot. a small quantity of porter, or port wine, is sometimes mixed with the cheese; and, if it be not very rich, a few pieces of butter may be mixed with it to great advantage. sometimes the melted cheese is spread on the toasts, and then laid in the cheese-dish at the top of the hot water. whichever way it is served, it is highly necessary that the mixture be very hot, and very quickly sent to table, or it will be worthless. _time_.--about minutes to melt the cheese. _average cost_, - / d. per slice. _sufficient_.--allow a slice to each person. _seasonable_ at any time. toasted cheese, or welsh rare-bit. . ingredients.--slices of bread, butter, cheshire or gloucester cheese, mustard, and pepper. _mode_.--cut the bread into slices about / inch in thickness; pare off the crust, toast the bread slightly without hardening or burning it, and spread it with butter. cut some slices, not quite so large as the bread, from a good rich fat cheese; lay them on the toasted bread in a cheese-toaster; be careful that the cheese does not burn, and let it be equally melted. spread over the top a little made mustard and a seasoning of pepper, and serve very hot, with very hot plates. to facilitate the melting of the cheese, it may be cut into thin flakes or toasted on one side before it is laid on the bread. as it is so essential to send this dish hot to table, it is a good plan to melt the cheese in small round silver or metal pans, and to send these pans to table, allowing one for each guest. slices of dry or buttered toast should always accompany them, with mustard, pepper, and salt. _time_.--about minutes to melt the cheese. _average cost_, - / d. each slice. _sufficient_.--allow a slice to each person. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--should the cheese be dry, a little butter mixed with it will be an improvement. "cow cheese."--it was only fifty years after aristotle--the fourth century before christ--that butter began to be noticed as an aliment. the greeks, in imitation of the parthians and scythians, who used to send it to them, had it served upon their tables, and called it at first "oil of milk," and later, _bouturos_, "cow cheese." scotch woodcock. . ingredients.--a few slices of hot buttered toast; allow anchovy to each slice. for the sauce,-- / pint of cream, the yolks of eggs. _mode_.--separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs; beat the former, stir to them the cream, and bring the sauce to the boiling-point, but do not allow it to boil, or it will curdle. have ready some hot buttered toast, spread with anchovies pounded to a paste; pour a little of the hot sauce on the top, and serve very hot and very quickly. _time_.-- minutes to make the sauce hot. _sufficient_.--allow / slice to each person. _seasonable_ at any time. to choose eggs. . in choosing eggs, apply the tongue to the large end of the egg, and, if it feels warm, it is new, and may be relied on as a fresh egg. another mode of ascertaining their freshness is to hold them before a lighted candle, or to the light, and if the egg looks clear, it will be tolerably good; if thick, it is stale; and if there is a black spot attached to the shell, it is worthless. no egg should be used for culinary purposes with the slightest taint in it, as it will render perfectly useless those with which it has been mixed. eggs that are purchased, and that cannot be relied on, should always be broken in a cup, and then put into a basin: by this means stale or bad eggs may be easily rejected, without wasting the others. eggs contain, for their volume, a greater quantity of nutriment than any other article of food. but it does not follow that they are always good for weak stomachs; quite the contrary; for it is often a great object to give the stomach a large surface to work upon, a considerable volume of _ingesta_, over which the nutritive matter is diffused, and so exposed to the action of the gastric juice at many points. there are many persons who cannot digest eggs, however cooked. it is said, however, that their digestibility decreases in proportion to the degree in which they are hardened by boiling. to keep eggs fresh for several weeks. . have ready a large saucepan, capable of holding or quarts, full of boiling water. put the eggs into a cabbage-net, say at a time, and hold them in the water (which must be kept boiling) _for_ _seconds_. proceed in this manner till you have done as many eggs as you wish to preserve; then pack them away in sawdust. we have tried this method of preserving eggs, and can vouch for its excellence: they will be found, at the end of or months, quite good enough for culinary purposes; and although the white may be a little tougher than that of a new-laid egg, the yolk will be nearly the same. many persons keep eggs for a long time by smearing the shells with butter or sweet oil: they should then be packed in plenty of bran or sawdust, and the eggs not allowed to touch each other. eggs for storing should be collected in fine weather, and should not be more than hours old when they are packed away, or their flavour, when used, cannot be relied on. another simple way of preserving eggs is to immerse them in lime-water soon after they have been laid, and then to put the vessel containing the lime-water in a cellar or cool outhouse. _seasonable_.--the best time for preserving eggs is from july to september. eggs.--the quality of eggs is said to be very much affected by the food of the fowls who lay them. herbs and grain together make a better food than grain only. when the hens eat too many insects, the eggs have a disagreeable flavour. to boil eggs for breakfast, salads, &c. [illustration: egg-stand for the breakfast-table.] . eggs for boiling cannot be too fresh, or boiled too soon after they are laid; but rather a longer time should be allowed for boiling a new-laid egg than for one that is three or four days old. have ready a saucepan of boiling water; put the eggs into it gently with a spoon, letting the spoon touch the bottom of the saucepan before it is withdrawn, that the egg may not fall, and consequently crack. for those who like eggs lightly boiled, minutes will be found sufficient; - / to minutes will be ample time to set the white nicely; and, if liked hard, to minutes will not be found too long. should the eggs be unusually large, as those of black spanish fowls sometimes are, allow an extra / minute for them. eggs for salads should be boiled from minutes to / hour, and should be placed in a basin of cold water for a few minutes; they should then be rolled on the table with the hand, and the shell will peel off easily. _time_.--to boil eggs lightly, for invalids or children, minutes; to boil eggs to suit the generality of tastes, - / to minutes; to boil eggs hard, to minutes; for salads, to minutes. _note_.--silver or plated egg-dishes, like that shown in our engraving, are now very much used. the price of the one illustrated is £ . s., and may be purchased of messrs. r. & j. slack, , strand. eggs.--when fresh eggs are dropped into a vessel _full_ of boiling water, they crack, because the eggs being well filled, the shells give way to the efforts of the interior fluids, dilated by heat. if the volume of hot water be small, the shells do not crack, because its temperature is reduced by the eggs before the interior dilation can take place. stale eggs, again, do not crack, because the air inside is easily compressed. buttered eggs. . ingredients.-- new-laid eggs, oz. of butter. _mode_.--procure the eggs new-laid if possible; break them into a basin, and beat them well; put the butter into another basin, which place in boiling water, and stir till the butter is melted. pour that and the eggs into a lined saucepan; hold it over a gentle fire, and, as the mixture begins to warm, pour it two or three times into the basin, and back again, that the two ingredients may be well incorporated. keep stirring the eggs and butter one way until they are hot, _without boiling_, and serve on hot buttered toast. if the mixture is allowed to boil, it will curdle, and so be entirely spoiled. _time_.--about minutes to make the eggs hot. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_.--allow a slice to each person. _seasonable_ at any time. ducks' eggs. . ducks' eggs are usually so strongly flavoured that, plainly boiled, they are not good for eating; they answer, however, very well for various culinary preparations where eggs are required; such as custards, &c. &c. being so large and highly-flavoured, duck's egg will go as far as small hen's eggs; besides making whatever they are mixed with exceedingly rich. they also are admirable when used in puddings. primitive method of cooking eggs.--the shepherds of egypt had a singular manner of cooking eggs without the aid of fire. they placed them in a sling, which they turned so rapidly that the friction of the air heated them to the exact point required for use. fried eggs. . ingredients.-- eggs, / lb. of lard, butter or clarified dripping. [illustration: fried eggs on bacon.] _mode_.--place a delicately-clean frying-pan over a gentle fire; put in the fat, and allow it to come to the boiling-point. break the eggs into cups, slip them into the boiling fat, and let them remain until the whites are delicately set; and, whilst they are frying, ladle a little of the fat over them. take them up with a slice, drain them for a minute from their greasy moisture, trim them neatly, and serve on slices of fried bacon or ham; or the eggs may be placed in the middle of the dish, with the bacon put round as a garnish. _time_.-- to minutes. average cost, d. each; d. when scarce. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. veneration for eggs.--many of the most learned philosophers held eggs in a kind of respect, approaching to veneration, because they saw in them the emblem of the world and the four elements. the shell, they said, represented the earth; the white, water; the yolk, fire; and air was found under the shell at one end of the egg. eggs a la maitre d'hotel. . ingredients.-- / lb. of fresh butter, tablespoonful of flour, / pint of milk, pepper and salt to taste, tablespoonful of minced parsley, the juice of / lemon, eggs. _mode_.--put the flour and half the butter into a stewpan; stir them over the fire until the mixture thickens; pour in the milk, which should be boiling; add a seasoning of pepper and salt, and simmer the whole for minutes. put the remainder of the butter into the sauce, and add the minced parsley; then boil the eggs hard, strip off the shells, cut the eggs into quarters, and put them on a dish. bring the sauce to the boiling-point, add the lemon-juice, pour over the eggs, and serve. _time_.-- minutes to boil the sauce; the eggs, to minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. oeufs au plat, or au miroir, served on the dish in which they are cooked. . ingredients.-- eggs, oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--butter a dish rather thickly with good fresh butter; melt it, break the eggs into it the same as for poaching, sprinkle them with white pepper and fine salt, and put the remainder of the butter, cut into very small pieces, on the top of them. put the dish on a hot plate, or in the oven, or before the fire, and let it remain until the whites become set, but not hard, when serve immediately, placing the dish they were cooked in on another. to hasten the cooking of the eggs, a salamander may be held over them for a minute; but great care must be taken that they are not too much done. this is an exceedingly nice dish, and one very easily prepared for breakfast. _time_.-- minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. plovers' eggs. . plovers' eggs are usually served boiled hard, and sent to table in a napkin, either hot or cold. they may also be shelled, and served the same as eggs à la tripe, with a good béchamel sauce, or brown gravy, poured over them. they are also used for decorating salads, the beautiful colour of the white being generally so much admired. poached eggs. [illustration: eggs poached on toast.] [illustration: tin egg-poacher.] . ingredients.--eggs, water. to every pint of water allow tablespoonful of vinegar. _mode_.--eggs for poaching should be perfectly fresh, but not quite new-laid; those that are about hours old are the best for the purpose. if quite new-laid, the white is so milky it is almost impossible to set it; and, on the other hand, if the egg be at all stale, it is equally difficult to poach it nicely. strain some boiling water into a deep clean frying-pan; break the egg into a cup without damaging the yolk, and, when the water boils, remove the pan to the side of the fire, and gently slip the egg into it. place the pan over a gentle fire, and keep the water simmering until the white looks nicely set, when the egg is ready. take it up gently with a slice, cut away the ragged edges of the white, and serve either on toasted bread or on slices of ham or bacon, or on spinach, &c. a poached egg should not be overdone, as its appearance and taste will be quite spoiled if the yolk be allowed to harden. when the egg is slipped into the water, the white should be gathered together, to keep it a little in form, or the cup should be turned over it for minute. to poach an egg to perfection is rather a difficult operation; so, for inexperienced cooks, a tin egg-poacher may be purchased, which greatly facilitates this manner of dressing ecgs. our illustration clearly shows what it is: it consists of a tin plate with a handle, with a space for three perforated cups. an egg should be broken into each cup, and the machine then placed in a stewpan of boiling water, which has been previously strained. when the whites of the eggs appear set, they are done, and should then be carefully slipped on to the toast or spinach, or with whatever they are served. in poaching eggs in a frying-pan, never do more than four at a time; and, when a little vinegar is liked mixed with the water in which the eggs are done, use the above proportion. _time_.-- - / to - / minutes, according to the size of the egg. _sufficient_.--allow eggs to each person. _seasonable_ at any time, but less plentiful in winter. poached eggs, with cream. . ingredients.-- pint of water, teaspoonful of salt, teaspoonfuls of vinegar, fresh eggs, / gill of cream, salt, pepper, and pounded sugar to taste, oz. of butter. _mode_.--put the water, vinegar, and salt into a frying-pan, and break each egg into a separate cup; bring the water, &c. to boil, and slip the eggs gently into it without breaking the yolks. simmer them from to minutes, but not longer, and, with a slice, lift them out on to a hot dish, and trim the edges. empty the pan of its contents, put in the cream, add a seasoning to taste of pepper, salt, and pounded sugar; bring the whole to the boiling-point; then add the butter, broken into small pieces; toss the pan round and round till the butter is melted; pour it over the eggs, and serve. to insure the eggs not being spoiled whilst the cream, &c., is preparing, it is a good plan to warm the cream with the butter, &c., before the eggs are poached, so that it may be poured over them immediately after they are dished. _time_.-- to minutes to poach the eggs, minutes to warm the cream. _average cost_ for the above quantity, d. _sufficient_ for persons. _seasonable_ at any time. . comparative sizes of eggs. [illustration: swan's egg. turkey's egg. duck's egg. plover's egg.] scotch eggs. . ingredients.-- eggs, tablespoonfuls of forcemeat no. , hot lard, / pint of good brown gravy. _mode_.--boil the eggs for minutes; strip them from the shells, and cover them with forcemeat made by recipe no. ; or substitute pounded anchovies for the ham. fry the eggs a nice brown in boiling lard, drain them before the fire from their greasy moisture, dish them, and pour round from / to / pint of good brown gravy. to enhance the appearance of the eggs, they may be rolled in beaten egg and sprinkled with bread crumbs; but this is scarcely necessary if they are carefully fried. the flavour of the ham or anchovy in the forcemeat must preponderate, as it should be very relishing. _time_.-- minutes to boil the eggs, to minutes to fry them. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. eggs a la tripe. . ingredients.-- eggs, / pint of béchamel sauce no. , dessertspoonful of finely-minced parsley. _mode_.--boil the eggs hard; put them into cold water, peel them, take out the yolks whole, and shred the whites. make / pint of béchamel sauce by recipe no. ; add the parsley, and, when the sauce is quite hot, put the yolks of the eggs into the middle of the dish, and the shred whites round them; pour over the sauce, and garnish with leaves of puff-paste or fried croûtons. there is no necessity for putting the eggs into the saucepan with the béchamel; the sauce, being quite hot, will warm the eggs sufficiently. _time_.-- minutes to boil the eggs. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration] [illustration] chapter xxxiv. general observations on bread, biscuits, and cakes. bread and bread-making. . among the numerous vegetable products yielding articles of food for man, the cereals hold the first place. by means of skilful cultivation, mankind have transformed the original forms of these growths, poor and ill-flavoured as they perhaps were, into various fruitful and agreeable species, which yield an abundant and pleasant supply. classified according to their respective richness in alimentary elements, the cereals stand thus:--wheat, and its varieties, rye, barley, oats, rice, indian corn. everybody knows it is wheat flour which yields the best bread. rye-bread is viscous, hard, less easily soluble by the gastric juice, and not so rich in nutritive power. flour produced from barley, indian corn, or rice, is not so readily made into bread; and the article, when made, is heavy and indigestible. . on examining a grain of corn from any of the numerous cereals [footnote: _cereal,_ a corn-producing plant; from ceres, the goddess of agriculture.] used in the preparation of flour, such as wheat, maize, rye, barley, &c., it will be found to consist of two parts,--the husk, or exterior covering, which is generally of a dark colour, and the inner, or albuminous part, which is more or less white. in grinding, these two portions are separated, and the husk being blown away in the process of winnowing, the flour remains in the form of a light brown powder, consisting principally of starch and gluten. in order to render it white, it undergoes a process called "bolting." it is passed through a series of fine sieves, which separate the coarser parts, leaving behind fine white flour,--the "fine firsts" of the corn-dealer. the process of bolting, as just described, tends to deprive flour of its gluten, the coarser and darker portion containing much of that substance; while the lighter part is peculiarly rich in starch. bran contains a large proportion of gluten; hence it will be seen why brown broad is so much more nutritious than white; in fact, we may lay it down as a general rule, that the whiter the bread the less nourishment it contains. majendie proved this by feeding a dog for forty days with white wheaten bread, at the end of which time he died; while another dog, fed on brown bread made with flour mixed with bran, lived without any disturbance of his health. the "bolting" process, then, is rather injurious than beneficial in its result; and is one of the numerous instances where fashion has chosen a wrong standard to go by. in ancient times, down to the emperors, no bolted flour was known. in many parts of germany the entire meal is used; and in no part of the world are the digestive organs of the people in a better condition. in years of famine, when corn is scarce, the use of bolted flour is most culpable, for from to per cent, is lost in bran. brown bread has, of late years, become very popular; and many physicians have recommended it to invalids with weak digestions with great success. this rage for white bread has introduced adulterations of a very serious character, affecting the health of the whole community. potatoes are added for this purpose; but this is a comparatively harmless cheat, only reducing the nutritive property of the bread; but bone-dust and alum are also put in, which are far from harmless. . bread-making is a very ancient art indeed. the assyrians, egyptians, and greeks, used to make bread, in which oil, with aniseed and other spices, was an element; but this was unleavened. every family used to prepare the bread for its own consumption, the _trade_ of baking not having yet taken shape. it is said, that somewhere about the beginning of the thirtieth olympiad, the slave of an archon, at athens, made leavened bread by accident. he had left some wheaten dough in an earthen pan, and forgotten it; some days afterwards, he lighted upon it again, and found it turning sour. his first thought was to throw it away; but, his master coming up, he mixed this now acescent dough with some fresh dough, which he was working at. the bread thus produced, by the introduction of dough in which alcoholic fermentation had begun, was found delicious by the archon and his friends; and the slave, being summoned and catechised, told the secret. it spread all over athens; and everybody wanting leavened bread at once, certain persons set up as bread-makers, or bakers. in a short time bread-baking became quite an art, and "athenian bread" was quoted all over greece as the best bread, just as the honey of hyamettus was celebrated as the best honey. . in our own times, and among civilized peoples, bread has become an article of food of the first necessity; and properly so, for it constitutes of itself a complete life-sustainer, the gluten, starch, and sugar, which it contains, representing azotized and hydro-carbonated nutrients, and combining the sustaining powers of the animal and vegetable kingdoms in one product. . wheaten bread.--the finest, wholesomest, and most savoury bread is made from wheaten flour. there are, of wheat, three leading qualities,-- the soft, the medium, and the hard wheat; the last of which yields a kind of bread that is not so white as that made from soft wheat, but is richer in gluten, and, consequently, more nutritive. . rye bread.--this comes next to wheaten bread: it is not so rich in gluten, but is said to keep fresh longer, and to have some laxative qualities. . barley bread, indian-corn bread, &c.--bread made from barley, maize, oats, rice, potatoes, &c. "rises" badly, because the grains in question contain but little gluten, which makes the bread heavy, close in texture, and difficult of digestion; in fact, corn-flour has to be added before panification can take place. in countries where wheat is scarce and maize abundant, the people make the latter a chief article of sustenance, when prepared in different forms. bread-making. . panification, or bread-making, consists of the following processes, in the case of wheaten flour. fifty or sixty per cent. of water is added to the flour, with the addition of some leavening matter, and, preferably, of yeast from malt and hops. all kinds of leavening matter have, however, been, and are still used in different parts of the world: in the east indies, "toddy," which is a liquor that flows from the wounded cocoa-nut tree; and, in the west indies, "dunder," or the refuse of the distillation of rum. the dough then undergoes the well-known process called _kneading_. the yeast produces fermentation, a process which may be thus described:--the dough reacting upon the leavening matter introduced, the starch of the flour is transformed into saccharine matter, the saccharine matter being afterwards changed into alcohol and carbonic acid. the dough must be well "bound," and yet allow the escape of the little bubbles of carbonic acid which accompany the fermentation, and which, in their passage, cause the numerous little holes which are seen in light bread. . the yeast must be good and fresh, if the bread is to be digestible and nice. stale yeast produces, instead of vinous fermentation, an acetous fermentation, which flavours the bread and makes it disagreeable. a poor thin yeast produces an imperfect fermentation, the result being a heavy unwholesome loaf. . when the dough is well kneaded, it is left to stand for some time, and then, as soon as it begins to swell, it is divided into loaves; after which it is again left to stand, when it once more swells up, and manifests, for the last time, the symptoms of fermentation. it is then put into the oven, where the water contained in the dough is partly evaporated, and the loaves swell up again, while a yellow crust begins to form upon the surface. when the bread is sufficiently baked, the bottom crust is hard and resonant if struck with the finger, while the crumb is elastic, and rises again after being pressed down with the finger. the bread is, in all probability, baked sufficiently if, on opening the door of the oven, you are met by a cloud of steam which quickly passes away. . one word as to the unwholesomeness of new bread and hot rolls. when bread is taken out of the oven, it is full of moisture; the starch is held together in masses, and the bread, instead of being crusted so as to expose each grain of starch to the saliva, actually prevents their digestion by being formed by the teeth into leathery poreless masses, which lie on the stomach like so many bullets. bread should always be at least a day old before it is eaten; and, if properly made, and kept in a _cool dry_ place, ought to be perfectly soft and palatable at the end of three or four days. hot rolls, swimming in melted butter, and new bread, ought to be carefully shunned by everybody who has the slightest respect for that much-injured individual--the stomach. . aerated bread.--it is not unknown to some of our readers that dr. dauglish, of malvern, has recently patented a process for making bread "light" without the use of leaven. the ordinary process of bread-making by fermentation is tedious, and much labour of human hands is requisite in the kneading, in order that the dough may be thoroughly interpenetrated with the leaven. the new process impregnates the bread, by the application of machinery, with carbonic acid gas, or fixed air. different opinions are expressed about the bread; but it is curious to note, that, as corn is now reaped by machinery, and dough is baked by machinery, the whole process of bread-making is probably in course of undergoing changes which will emancipate both the housewife and the professional baker from a large amount of labour. . in the production of aërated bread, wheaten flour, water, salt, and carbonic acid gas (generated by proper machinery), are the only materials employed. we need not inform our readers that carbonic acid gas is the source of the effervescence, whether in common water coming from a depth, or in lemonade, or any aërated drink. its action, in the new bread, takes the place of fermentation in the old. . in the patent process, the dough is mixed in a great iron ball, inside which is a system of paddles, perpetually turning, and doing the kneading part of the business. into this globe the flour is dropped till it is full, and then the common atmospheric air is pumped out, and the pure gas turned on. the gas is followed by the water, which has been aërated for the purpose, and then begins the churning or kneading part of the business. . of course, it is not long before we have the dough, and very "light" and nice it looks. this is caught in tins, and passed on to the floor of the oven, which is an endless floor, moving slowly through the fire. done to a turn, the loaves emerge at the other end of the apartment,--and the aërated bread is made. . it may be added, that it is a good plan to change one's baker from time to time, and so secure a change in the quality of the bread that is eaten. . mixed breads.--rye bread is hard of digestion, and requires longer and slower baking than wheaten bread. it is better when made with leaven of wheaten flour rather than yeast, and turns out lighter. it should not be eaten till two days old. it will keep a long time. . a good bread may be made by mixing rye-flour, wheat-flour, and rice-paste in equal proportions; also by mixing rye, wheat, and barley. in norway, it is said that they only bake their barley broad once a year, such is its "keeping" quality. . indian-corn flour mixed with wheat-flour (half with half) makes a nice bread; but it is not considered very digestible, though it keeps well. . rice cannot be made into bread, nor can potatoes; but one-third potato flour to three-fourths wheaten flour makes a tolerably good loaf. . a very good bread, better than the ordinary sort, and of a delicious flavour, is said to be produced by adopting the following recipe:--take ten parts of wheat-flour, five parts of potato-flour, one part of rice-paste; knead together, add the yeast, and bake as usual. this is, of course, cheaper than wheaten bread. . flour, when freshly ground, is too glutinous to make good bread, and should therefore not be used immediately, but should be kept dry for a few weeks, and stirred occasionally, until it becomes dry, and crumbles easily between the fingers. . flour should be perfectly dry before being used for bread or cakes; if at all damp, the preparation is sure to be heavy. before mixing it with the other ingredients, it is a good plan to place it for an hour or two before the fire, until it feels warm and dry. . yeast from home-brewed beer is generally preferred to any other: it is very bitter, and, on that account, should be well washed, and put away until the thick mass settles. if it still continues bitter, the process should be repeated; and, before being used, all the water floating at the top must be poured off. german yeast is now very much used, and should be moistened, and thoroughly mixed with the milk or water with which the bread is to be made. . the following observations are extracted from a valuable work on bread-making, [footnote: "the english bread-book." by eliza acton. london: longman.] and will be found very useful to our readers:-- . the first thing required for making wholesome bread is the utmost cleanliness; the next is the soundness and sweetness of all the ingredients used for it; and, in addition to these, there must be attention and care through the whole process. . an almost certain way of spoiling dough is to leave it half-made, and to allow it to become cold before it is finished. the other most common causes of failure are using yeast which is no longer sweet, or which has been frozen, or has had hot liquid poured over it. . too small a proportion of yeast, or insufficient time allowed for the dough to rise, will cause the bread to be heavy. . heavy bread will also most likely be the result of making the dough very hard, and letting it become quite, cold, particularly in winter. . if either the sponge or the dough be permitted to overwork itself, that is to say, if the mixing and kneading be neglected when it has reached the proper point for either, sour bread will probably be the consequence in warm weather, and bad bread in any. the goodness will also be endangered by placing it so near a fire as to make any part of it hot, instead of maintaining the gentle and equal degree of heat required for its due fermentation. . milk or butter.--milk which is not perfectly sweet will not only injure the flavour of the bread, but, in sultry weather, will often cause it to be quite uneatable; yet either of them, if fresh and good, will materially improve its quality. . to keep bread sweet and fresh, as soon as it is cold it should be put into a clean earthen pan, with a cover to it: this pan should be placed at a little distance from the ground, to allow a current of air to pass underneath. some persons prefer keeping bread on clean wooden shelves, without being covered, that the crust may not soften. stale bread may be freshened by warming it through in a gentle oven. stale pastry, cakes, &c., may also be improved by this method. . the utensils required for making bread, on a moderate scale, are a kneading-trough or pan, sufficiently large that the dough may be kneaded freely without throwing the flour over the edges, and also to allow for its rising; a hair sieve for straining yeast, and one or two strong spoons. . yeast must always be good of its kind, and in a fitting state to produce ready and proper fermentation. yeast of strong beer or ale produces more effect than that of milder kinds; and the fresher the yeast, the smaller the quantity will be required to raise the dough. . as a general rule, the oven for baking bread should be rather quick, and the heat so regulated as to penetrate the dough without hardening the outside. the oven door should not be opened after the bread is put in until the dough is set, or has become firm, as the cool air admitted will have an unfavourable effect on it. . brick ovens are generally considered the best adapted for baking bread: these should be heated with wood faggots, and then swept and mopped out, to cleanse them for the reception of the bread. iron ovens are more difficult to manage, being apt to burn the surface of the bread before the middle is baked. to remedy this, a few clean bricks should be set at the bottom of the oven, close together, to receive the tins of bread. in many modern stoves the ovens are so much improved that they bake admirably; and they can always be brought to the required temperature, when it is higher than is needed, by leaving the door open for a time. a few hints respecting the making and baking of cakes. . _eggs_ should always be broken into a cup, the whites and yolks separated, and they should always be strained. breaking the eggs thus, the bad ones may be easily rejected without spoiling the others, and so cause no waste. as eggs are used instead of yeast, they should be very thoroughly whisked; they are generally sufficiently beaten when thick enough to carry the drop that falls from the whisk. . _loaf sugar_ should be well pounded, and then sifted through a fine sieve. . _currants_ should be nicely washed, picked, dried in a cloth, and then carefully examined, that no pieces of grit or stone may be left amongst them. they should then be laid on a dish before the fire, to become thoroughly dry; as, if added damp to the other ingredients, cakes will be liable to be heavy. . _good butter_ should always be used in the manufacture of cakes; and if beaten to a cream, it saves much time and labour to warm, but not melt, it before beating. . less butter and eggs are required for cakes when yeast is mixed with the other ingredients. . the heat of the oven is of great importance, especially for large cakes. if the heat be not tolerably fierce, the batter will not rise. if the oven is too quick, and there is any danger of the cake burning or catching, put a sheet of clean paper over the top. newspaper, or paper that has been printed on, should never be used for this purpose. . to know when a cake is sufficiently baked, plunge a clean knife into the middle of it; draw it quickly out, and if it looks in the least sticky, put the cake back, and close the oven door until the cake is done. . cakes should be kept in closed tin canisters or jars, and in a dry place. those made with yeast do not keep so long as those made without it. biscuits. . since the establishment of the large modern biscuit manufactories, biscuits have been produced both cheap and wholesome, in, comparatively speaking, endless variety. their actual component parts are, perhaps, known only to the various makers; but there are several kinds of biscuits which have long been in use, that may here be advantageously described. . biscuits belong to the class of unfermented bread, and are, perhaps, the most wholesome of that class. in cases where fermented bread does not agree with the human stomach, they may be recommended: in many instances they are considered lighter, and less liable to create acidity and flatulence. the name is derived from the french _bis cuit_, "twice-baked," because, originally, that was the mode of entirely depriving them of all moisture, to insure their keeping; but, although that process is no longer employed, the name is retained. the use of this kind of bread on land is pretty general, and some varieties are luxuries; but, at sea, biscuits are articles of the first necessity. . sea, or ship biscuits, are made of wheat-flour from which only the coarsest bran has been separated. the dough is made up as stiff as it can be worked, and is then formed into shapes, and baked in an oven; after which, the biscuits are exposed in lofts over the oven until perfectly dry, to prevent them from becoming mouldy when stored. . captains' biscuits are made in a similar manner, only of fine flour. recipes. chapter xxxv. to make yeast for bread. . ingredients.-- - / oz. of hops, quarts of water, lb. of bruised malt, / pint of yeast. _mode_.--boil the hops in the water for minutes; let it stand for about minutes, then add it to lb. of bruised malt prepared as for brewing. let the mixture stand covered till about lukewarm; then put in not quite / pint of yeast; keep it warm, and let it work or hours; then put it into small / -pint bottles (ginger-beer bottles are the best for the purpose), cork them well, and tie them down. the yeast is now ready for use; it will keep good for a few weeks, and bottle will be found sufficient for lbs. of flour. when required for use, boil lbs. of potatoes without salt, mash them in the same water in which they were boiled, and rub them through a colander. stir in about / lb. of flour; then put in the yeast, pour it in the middle of the flour, and let it stand warm on the hearth all night, and in the morning let it be quite warm when it is kneaded. the bottles of yeast require very careful opening, as it is generally exceedingly ripe. _time_.-- minutes to boil the hops and water, the yeast to work or hours. _sufficient._-- / pint sufficient for lbs. of flour. kirkleatham yeast. . ingredients.-- oz. of hops, quarts of water, / lb. of flour, / pint of yeast. _mode_.--boil the hops and water for minutes; strain, and mix with the liquid / lb. of flour and not quite / pint of yeast. bottle it up, and tie the corks down. when wanted for use, boil potatoes according to the quantity of bread to be made (about lbs. are sufficient for about a peck of flour); mash them, add to them / lb. of flour, and mix about / pint of the yeast with them; let this mixture stand all day, and lay the bread to rise the night before it is wanted. _time_.-- minutes to boil the hops and water. _sufficient_.-- / pint of this yeast sufficient for a peck of flour, or rather more. to make good home-made bread. (_miss acton's recipe_.) . ingredients.-- quartern of flour, large tablespoonful of solid brewer's yeast, or nearly oz. of fresh german yeast, - / to - / pint of warm milk-and-water. [illustration: cottage loaf.] [illustration: tin bread.] _mode_.--put the flour into a large earthenware bowl or deep pan; then, with a strong metal or wooden spoon, hollow out the middle; but do not clear it entirely away from the bottom of the pan, as, in that case, the sponge (or leaven, as it was formerly termed) would stick to it, which it ought not to do. next take either a large tablespoonful of brewer's yeast which has been rendered solid by mixing it with plenty of cold water, and letting it afterwards stand to settle for a day and night; or nearly an ounce of german yeast; put it into a large basin, and proceed to mix it, so that it shall be as smooth as cream, with / pint of warm milk-and-water, or with water only; though even a very little milk will much improve the bread. pour the yeast into the hole made in the flour, and stir into it as much of that which lies round it as will make a thick batter, in which there must be no lumps. strew plenty of flour on the top; throw a thick clean cloth over, and set it where the air is warm; but do not place it upon the kitchen fender, for it will become too much heated there. look at it from time to time: when it has been laid for nearly an hour, and when the yeast has risen and broken through the flour, so that bubbles appear in it, you will know that it is ready to be made up into dough. then place the pan on a strong chair, or dresser, or table, of convenient height; pour into the sponge the remainder of the warm milk-and-water; stir into it as much of the flour as you can with the spoon; then wipe it out clean with your fingers, and lay it aside. next take plenty of the remaining flour, throw it on the top of the leaven, and begin, with the knuckles of both hands, to knead it well. when the flour is nearly all kneaded in, begin to draw the edges of the dough towards the middle, in order to mix the whole thoroughly; and when it is free from flour and lumps and crumbs, and does not stick to the hands when touched, it will be done, and may again be covered with the cloth, and left to rise a second time. in / hour look at it, and should it have swollen very much, and begin to crack, it will be light enough to bake. turn it then on to a paste-board or very clean dresser, and with a large sharp knife divide it in two; make it up quickly into loaves, and dispatch it to the oven: make one or two incisions across the tops of the loaves, as they will rise more easily if this be done. if baked in tins or pans, rub them with a tiny piece of butter laid on a piece of clean paper, to prevent the dough from sticking to them. all bread should be turned upside down, or on its side, as soon as it is drawn from the oven: if this be neglected, the under part of the loaves will become wet and blistered from the steam, which cannot then escape from them. _to make the dough without setting a sponge_, merely mix the yeast with the greater part of the warm milk-and-water, and wet up the whole of the flour at once after a little salt has been stirred in, proceeding exactly, in every other respect, as in the directions just given. as the dough will _soften_ in the rising, it should be made quite firm at first, or it will be too lithe by the time it is ready for the oven. [illustration: italian millet.] _time_.--to be left to rise an hour the first time, / hour the second time; to be baked from to - / hour, or baked in one loaf from - / to hours. italian millet, or great indian millet, is cultivated in egypt and nubia, where it is called _dhourra_, and is used as human food, as well as for the fermentation of beer. it will grow on poor soils, and is extremely productive. it has been introduced into italy, where they make a coarse bread from it; and it is also employed in pastry and puddings: they also use it for feeding horses and domestic fowls. it is the largest variety, growing to the height of six feet; but it requires a warm climate, and will not ripen in this country. a yellow variety, called golden millet, is sold in the grocers' shops, for making puddings, and is very delicate and wholesome. to make a peck of good bread. . ingredients.-- lbs. of potatoes, pints of cold water, / pint of good yeast, a peck of flour, oz. of salt. _mode_.--peel and boil the potatoes; beat them to a cream while warm; then add pint of cold water, strain through a colander, and add to it / pint of good yeast, which should have been put in water over-night, to take off its bitterness. stir all well together with a wooden spoon, and pour the mixture into the centre of the flour; mix it to the substance of cream, cover it over closely, and let it remain near the fire for an hour; then add the pints of water, milk-warm, with oz. of salt; pour this in, and mix the whole to a nice light dough. let it remain for about hours; then make it into loaves, and bake for about - / hour in a good oven. when baked, the bread should weigh nearly lbs. _time_.--about - / hour. the red varieties of wheat are generally hardier and more easily grown than the white sorts, and, although of less value to the miller, they are fully more profitable to the grower, in consequence of the better crops which they produce. another advantage the red wheats possess is their comparative immunity from the attacks of mildew and fly. the best english wheat comes from the counties of kent and essex; the qualities under these heads always bearing a higher price than others, as will be seen by the periodical lists in the journals. rice bread. . ingredients.--to every lb. of rice allow lbs. of wheat flour, nearly tablespoonfuls of yeast, / oz. of salt. _mode_.--boil the rice in water until it is quite tender; pour off the water, and put the rice, before it is cold, to the flour. mix these well together with the yeast, salt, and sufficient warm water to make the whole into a smooth dough; let it rise by the side of the fire, then form it into loaves, and bake them from - / to hours, according to their size. if the rice is boiled in milk instead of water, it makes very delicious bread or cakes. when boiled in this manner, it may be mixed with the flour without straining the liquid from it. _time_.-- - / to hours. indian-corn-flour bread. . ingredients.--to lbs. of flour allow lbs. of indian-corn flour, tablespoonfuls of yeast, pints of warm water, / oz. of salt. _mode_.--mix the two flours well together, with the salt; make a hole in the centre, and stir the yeast up well with / pint of the warm water; put this into the middle of the flour, and mix enough of it with the yeast to make a thin batter; throw a little flour over the surface of this batter, cover the whole with a thick cloth, and set it to rise in a warm place. when the batter has nicely risen, work the whole to a nice smooth dough, adding the water as required; knead it well, and mould the dough into loaves; let them rise for nearly / hour, then put them into a well-heated oven. if made into loaves, they will require from - / to hours baking. _time_.-- - / to hours. [illustration: maize plant.] [illustration: ear of maize.] maize.--next to wheat and rice, maize is the grain most used in the nourishment of man. in asia, africa, and america, it is the principal daily food of a large portion of the population, especially of the colonists. in some of the provinces of france, too, it is consumed in large quantities. there are eight varieties of the maize; the most productive is the maize of cusco. the flour of maize is yellow, and it contains an oily matter, which, when fresh, gives it an agreeable flavour and odour; but the action of the air on it soon develops rancidity. if carried any distance, it should be stored away in air-tight vessels. an excellent soup is prepared with meat and maize-flour. the inhabitants of some countries, where wheat is scarce, make, with maize and water, or milk and salt, a kind of biscuit, which is pleasant in taste, but indigestible. some of the preparations of maize-flour are very good, and, when partaken in moderation, suitable food for almost everybody. soda bread. . ingredients.--to every lbs. of flour allow teaspoonful of tartaric acid, teaspoonful of salt, teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, breakfast-cupfuls of cold milk. _mode_.--let the tartaric acid and salt be reduced to the finest possible powder; then mix them well with the flour. dissolve the soda in the milk, and pour it several times from one basin to another, before adding it to the flour. work the whole quickly into a light dough, divide it into loaves, and put them into a well-heated oven immediately, and bake for an hour. sour milk or buttermilk may be used, but then a little less acid will be needed. _time_.-- hour. polish and pomeranian wheat are accounted by authorities most excellent. large raft-like barges convey this grain down the rivers, from the interior of the country to the seaports. this corn is described as being white, hard, and thin-skinned; and it yields a large quantity of flour, having a small proportion of bran. excellent rolls. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow oz. of butter, / pint of milk, large teaspoonful of yeast, a little salt. [illustration: rolls.] _mode_.--warm the butter in the milk, add to it the yeast and salt, and mix these ingredients well together. put the flour into a pan, stir in the above ingredients, and let the dough rise, covered in a warm place. knead it well, make it into rolls, let them rise again for a few minutes, and bake in a quick oven. richer rolls may be made by adding or eggs and a larger proportion of butter, and their appearance improved by brushing the tops over with yolk of egg or a little milk. _time_-- lb. of flour, divided into rolls, from to minutes. hot rolls. . this dish, although very unwholesome and indigestible, is nevertheless a great favourite, and eaten by many persons. as soon as the rolls come from the baker's, they should be put into the oven, which, in the early part of the morning, is sure not to be very hot; and the rolls must not be buttered until wanted. when they are quite hot, divide them lengthwise into three; put some thin flakes of good butter between the slices, press the rolls together, and put them in the oven for a minute or two, but not longer, or the butter would oil; take them out of the oven, spread the butter equally over, divide the rolls in half, and put them on to a very hot clean dish, and send them instantly to table. to make dry toast. . to make dry toast properly, a great deal of attention is required; much more, indeed, than people generally suppose. never use new bread for making any kind of toast, as it eats heavy, and, besides, is very extravagant. procure a loaf of household bread about two days old; cut off as many slices as may be required, not quite / inch in thickness; trim off the crusts and ragged edges, put the bread on a toasting-fork, and hold it before a very clear fire. move it backwards and forwards until the bread is nicely coloured; then turn it and toast the other side, and do not place it so near the fire that it blackens. dry toast should be more gradually made than buttered toast, as its great beauty consists in its crispness, and this cannot be attained unless the process is slow and the bread is allowed gradually to colour. it should never be made long before it is wanted, as it soon becomes tough, unless placed on the fender in front of the fire. as soon as each piece is ready, it should be put into a rack, or stood upon its edges, and sent quickly to table. to make hot buttered toast. . a loaf of household bread about two days old answers for making toast better than cottage bread, the latter not being a good shape, and too crusty for the purpose. cut as many nice even slices as may be required, rather more than / inch in thickness, and toast them before a very bright fire, without allowing the bread to blacken, which spoils the appearance and flavour of all toast. when of a nice colour on both sides, put it on a hot plate; divide some good butter into small pieces, place them on the toast, set this before the fire, and when the butter is just beginning to melt, spread it lightly over the toast. trim off the crust and ragged edges, divide each round into pieces, and send the toast quickly to table. some persons cut the slices of toast across from corner to corner, so making the pieces of a three-cornered shape. soyer recommends that each slice should be cut into pieces as soon as it is buttered, and when all are ready, that they should be piled lightly on the dish they are intended to be served on. he says that by cutting through or slices at a time, all the butter is squeezed out of the upper ones, while the bottom one is swimming in fat liquid. it is highly essential to use good butter for making this dish. muffins. . ingredients.--to every quart of milk allow - / oz. of german yeast, a little salt; flour. [illustration: muffins.] _mode_.--warm the milk, add to it the yeast, and mix these well together; put them into a pan, and stir in sufficient flour to make the whole into a dough of rather a soft consistence; cover it over with a cloth, and place it in a warm place to rise, and, when light and nicely risen, divide the dough into pieces, and round them to the proper shape with the hands; place them, in a layer of flour about two inches thick, on wooden trays, and let them rise again; when this is effected, they each will exhibit a semi-globular shape. then place them carefully on a hot-plate or stove, and bake them until they are slightly browned, turning them when they are done on one side. muffins are not easily made, and are more generally purchased than manufactured at home. _to toast them_, divide the edge of the muffin all round, by pulling it open, to the depth of about an inch, with the fingers. put it on a toasting-fork, and hold it before a very clear fire until one side is nicely browned, but not burnt; turn, and toast it on the other. do not toast them too quickly, as, if this is done, the middle of the muffin will not be warmed through. when done, divide them by pulling them open; butter them slightly on both sides, put them together again, and cut them into halves: when sufficient are toasted and buttered, pile them on a very hot dish, and send them very quickly to table. _time_.--from minutes to / hour to bake them. _sufficient_.--allow muffin to each person. crumpets. [illustration: crumpets.] . these are made in the same manner as muffins; only, in making the mixture, let it be more like batter than dough. let it rise for about / hour; pour it into iron rings, which should be ready on a hot-plate; bake them, and when one side appears done, turn them quickly on the other. _to toast them_, have ready a very _bright clear_ fire; put the crumpet on a toasting-fork, and hold it before the fire, _not too close_, until it is nicely brown on one side, but do not allow it to blacken. turn it, and brown the other side; then spread it with good butter, cut it in half, and, when all are done, pile them on a hot dish, and send them quickly to table. muffins and crumpets should always be served on separate dishes, and both toasted and served as expeditiously as possible. _time_.--from to minutes to bake them. _sufficient_.--allow crumpets to each person. plain buns. . ingredients.--to every lbs. of flour allow oz. of moist sugar, / gill of yeast, / pint of milk, / lb. of butter, warm milk. _mode_.--put the flour into a basin, mix the sugar well with it, make a hole in the centre, and stir in the yeast and milk (which should be lukewarm), with enough of the flour to make it the thickness of cream. cover the basin over with a cloth, and let the sponge rise in a warm place, which will be accomplished in about - / hour. melt the butter, but do not allow it to oil; stir it into the other ingredients, with enough warm milk to make the whole into a soft dough; then mould it into buns about the size of an egg; lay them in rows quite inches apart; set them again in a warm place, until they have risen to double their size; then put them into a good brisk oven, and just before they are done, wash them over with a little milk. from to minutes will be required to bake them nicely. these buns may be varied by adding a few currants, candied peel, or caraway seeds to the other ingredients; and the above mixture answers for hot cross buns, by putting in a little ground allspice; and by pressing a tin mould in the form of a cross in the centre of the bun. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, d. each. _sufficient_ to make buns. to make good plain buns. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, oz. of good butter, / lb. of sugar, egg, nearly / pint of milk, small teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, a few drops of essence of lemon. _mode_.--warm the butter, without oiling it; beat it with a wooden spoon; stir the flour in gradually with the sugar, and mix these ingredients well together. make the milk lukewarm, beat up with it the yolk of the egg and the essence of lemon, and stir these to the flour, &c. add the baking-powder, beat the dough well for about minutes, divide it into pieces, put them into buttered tins or cups, and bake in a brisk oven from to minutes. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ to make buns. _seasonable_ at any time. light buns. [illustration: buns.] . ingredients.-- / teaspoonful of tartaric acid, / teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda, lb. of flour, oz. of butter, oz. of loaf sugar, / lb. of currants or raisins,--when liked, a few caraway seeds, / pint of cold new milk, egg. _mode_.--rub the tartaric acid, soda, and flour all together through a hair sieve; work the butter into the flour; add the sugar, currants, and caraway seeds, when the flavour of them latter is liked. mix all these ingredients well together; make a hole in the middle of the flour, and pour in the milk, mixed with the egg, which should be well beaten; mix quickly, and set the dough, with a fork, on baking-tins, and bake the buns for about minutes. this mixture makes a very good cake, and if put into a tin, should be baked - / hour. the same quantity of flour, soda, and tartaric acid, with / pint of milk and a little salt, will make either bread or teacakes, if wanted quickly. _time_.-- minutes for the buns; if made into a cake, - / hour. _sufficient_ to make about buns. victoria buns. . ingredients.-- oz. of pounded loaf sugar, egg, - / oz. of ground rice, oz. of butter, - / oz. of currants, a few thin slices of candied peel; flour. _mode_.--whisk the egg, stir in the sugar, and beat these ingredients well together; beat the butter to a cream, stir in the ground rice, currants, and candied peel, and as much flour as will make it of such a consistency that it may be rolled into or balls. put these on to a buttered tin, and bake them from / to / hour. they should be put into the oven immediately, or they will become heavy; and the oven should be tolerably brisk. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to make or buns. _seasonable_ at any time. italian rusks. . a stale savoy or lemon cake may be converted into very good rusks in the following manner. cut the cake into slices, divide each slice in two; put them on a baking-sheet, in a slow oven, and when they are of a nice brown and quite hard, they are done. they should be kept in a closed tin canister in a dry place, to preserve their crispness. [illustration: pannicled millet.] pannicled millet.--this is the smallest-seeded of the corn-plants, being a true grass; but the number of the seeds in each ear makes up for their size. it grows in sandy soils that will not do for the cultivation of many other kinds of grain, and forms the chief sustenance in the arid districts of arabia, syria, nubia, and parts of india. it is not cultivated in england, being principally confined to the east. the nations who make use of it grind it, in the primitive manner, between two stones, and make it into a diet which, cannot be properly called bread, but rather a kind of soft thin cake half-baked. when we take into account that the arabians are fond of lizards and locusts as articles of food, their _cuisine_, altogether, is scarcely a tempting one. to make rusks. (_suffolk recipe_.) . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow oz. of butter, / pint of milk, oz. of loaf sugar, eggs, tablespoonful of yeast. [illustration: rusks.] _mode_.--put the milk and butter into a saucepan, and keep shaking it round until the latter is melted. put the flour into a basin with the sugar, mix these well together, and beat the eggs. stir them with the yeast to the milk and butter, and with this liquid work the flour into a smooth dough. cover a cloth over the basin, and leave the dough to rise by the side of the fire; then knead it, and divide it into pieces; place them in a brisk oven, and bake for about minutes. take the rusks out, break them in half, and then set them in the oven to get crisp on the other side. when cold, they should be put into tin canisters to keep them dry; and, if intended for the cheese course, the sifted sugar should be omitted. _time_.-- minutes to bake the rusks; minutes to render them crisp after being divided. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to make dozen rusks. _seasonable_ at any time. almond icing for cakes. . ingredients.--to every lb. of finely-pounded loaf sugar allow lb. of sweet almonds, the whites of eggs, a little rose-water. _mode_.--blanch the almonds, and pound them (a few at a time) in a mortar to a paste, adding a little rose-water to facilitate the operation. whisk the whites of the eggs to a strong froth; mix them with the pounded almonds, stir in the sugar, and beat altogether. when the cake is sufficiently baked, lay on the almond icing, and put it into the oven to dry. before laying this preparation on the cake, great care must be taken that it is nice and smooth, which is easily accomplished by well beating the mixture. sugar icing for cakes. . ingredients.--to every lb. of loaf sugar allow the whites of eggs, oz. of fine starch. _mode_.--beat the eggs to a strong froth, and gradually sift in the sugar, which should be reduced to the finest possible powder, and gradually add the starch, also finely powdered. beat the mixture well until the sugar is smooth; then with a spoon or broad knife lay the icing equally over the cakes. these should then be placed in a very cool oven, and the icing allowed to dry and harden, but not to colour. the icing may be coloured with strawberry or currant-juice, or with prepared cochineal. if it be put on the cakes as soon as they are withdrawn from the oven, it will become firm and hard by the time the cakes are cold. on very rich cakes, such as wedding, christening cakes, &c., a layer of almond icing, no. , is usually spread over the top, and over that the white icing as described. all iced cakes should be kept in a very dry place. biscuit powder, generally used for infants' food. . this powder may be purchased in tin canisters, and may also be prepared at home. dry the biscuits well in a slow oven; roll them and grind them with a rolling-pin on a clean board, until they are reduced to powder; sift it through a close hair sieve, and it is fit for use. it should be kept in well-covered tins, and in a dry place. arrowroot biscuits or drops. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, eggs, / lb. of flour, oz. of arrowroot, / lb. of pounded loaf sugar. _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream; whisk the eggs to a strong froth, add them to the butter, stir in the flour a little at a time, and beat the mixture well. break down all the lumps from the arrowroot, and add that with the sugar to the other ingredients. mix all well together, drop the dough on a buttered tin, in pieces the size of a shilling, and bake the biscuits about / hour in a slow oven. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to make from to dozen biscuits. _seasonable_ at any time. nice breakfast cakes. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / teaspoonful of tartaric acid, / teaspoonful of salt, / teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, - / breakfast-cupful of milk, oz. of sifted loaf sugar, eggs. _mode_.--these cakes are made in the same manner as the soda bread no. , with the addition of eggs and sugar. mix the flour, tartaric acid, and salt well together, taking care that the two latter ingredients are reduced to the finest powder, and stir in the sifted sugar, which should also be very fine. dissolve the soda in the milk, add the eggs, which should be well whisked, and with this liquid work the flour, &c. into a light dough. divide it into small cakes, put them into the oven immediately, and bake for about minutes. _time_.-- minutes. cocoa-nut biscuits or cakes. . ingredients.-- oz. of sifted sugar, eggs, oz. of grated cocoa-nut. _mode_.--whisk the eggs until they are very light; add the sugar gradually; then stir in the cocoa-nut. roll a tablespoonful of the paste at a time in your hands in the form of a pyramid; place the pyramids on paper, put the paper on tins, and bake the biscuits in rather a cool oven until they are just coloured a light brown. _time_.--about / hour. _seasonable_ at any time. crisp biscuits. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, the yolk of egg, milk. _mode_.--mix the flour and the yolk of the egg with sufficient milk to make the whole into a very stiff paste; beat it well, and knead it until it is perfectly smooth. roll the paste out very thin; with a round cutter shape it into small biscuits, and bake them a nice brown in a slow oven from to minutes. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, d. _seasonable_ at any time. dessert biscuits, which may be flavoured with ground ginger, cinnamon, &c. &c. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of butter, / lb. of sifted sugar, the yolks of eggs, flavouring to taste. _mode_.--put the butter into a basin; warm it, but do not allow it to oil; then with the hand beat it to a cream. add the flour by degrees, then the sugar and flavouring, and moisten the whole with the yolks of the eggs, which should previously be well beaten. when all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, drop the mixture from a spoon on to a buttered paper, leaving a distance between each cake, as they spread as soon as they begin to get warm. bake in rather a slow oven from to minutes, and do not let the biscuits acquire too much colour. in making the above quantity, half may be flavoured with ground ginger and the other half with essence of lemon or currants, to make a variety. with whatever the preparation is flavoured, so are the biscuits called; and an endless variety may be made in this manner. _time_.-- to minutes, or rather longer, in a very slow oven. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to make from to dozen cakes. _seasonable_ at any time. lemon biscuits. --ingredients.-- - / lb. of flour, / lb. of loaf sugar, oz. of fresh butter, eggs, oz. of lemon-peel, dessertspoonfuls of lemon-juice. _mode_.--rub the flour into the butter; stir in the pounded sugar and very finely-minced lemon-peel, and when these ingredients are thoroughly mixed, add the eggs, which should be previously well whisked, and the lemon-juice. beat the mixture well for a minute or two, then drop it from a spoon on to a buttered tin, about inches apart, as the cakes will spread when they get warm; place the tin in the oven, and bake the cakes of a pale brown from to minutes. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. macaroons. . ingredients.-- / lb. of sweet almonds, / lb. of sifted loaf sugar, the whites of eggs, wafer-paper. [illustration: macaroons.] _mode_.--blanch, skin, and dry the almonds, and pound them well with a little orange-flower water or plain water; then add to them the sifted sugar and the whites of the eggs, which should be beaten to a stiff froth, and mix all the ingredients well together. when the paste looks soft, drop it at equal distances from a biscuit-syringe on to sheets of wafer-paper; put a strip of almond on the top of each; strew some sugar over, and bake the macaroons in rather a slow oven, of a light brown colour when hard and set, they are done, and must not be allowed to get very brown, as that would spoil their appearance. if the cakes, when baked, appear heavy, add a little more white of egg, but let this always be well whisked before it is added to the other ingredients. we have given a recipe for making these cakes, but we think it almost or quite as economical to purchase such articles as these at a good confectioner's. _time_.--from to minutes, in a slow oven. _average cost_, s. d. per lb. ratafias. [illustration: ratafias.] . ingredients.-- / lb. of sweet almonds, / lb. of bitter ones, / lb. of sifted loaf sugar, the whites of eggs. _mode_.--blanch, skin, and dry the almonds, and pound them in a mortar with the white of an egg; stir in the sugar, and gradually add the remaining whites of eggs, taking care that they are very thoroughly whisked. drop the mixture through a small biscuit-syringe on to cartridge paper, and bake the cakes from to minutes in rather a quicker oven than for macaroons. a very small quantity should be dropped on the paper to form one cake, as, when baked, the ratafias should be about the size of a large button. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. per lb. rice biscuits or cakes. . ingredients.--to every / lb. of rice-flour allow / lb. of pounded lump sugar, / lb. of butter, eggs. _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream, stir in the rice-flour and pounded sugar, and moisten the whole with the eggs, which should be previously well beaten. roll out the paste, shape it with a round paste-cutter into small cakes, and bake them from to minutes in a very slow oven. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to make about cakes. _seasonable_ at any time. ground rice, or rice-flour, is used for making several kinds of cakes, also for thickening soups, and for mixing with wheaten flour in producing manna kroup. the americans make rice-bread, and prepare the flour for it in the following manner:--when the rice is thoroughly cleansed, the water is drawn off, and the rice, while damp, bruised in a mortar: it is then dried, and passed through a hair sieve. rock biscuits. . ingredients.-- eggs, lb. of sifted sugar, / lb. of flour, a few currants. _mode_.--break the eggs into a basin, beat them well until very light, add the pounded sugar, and when this is well mixed with the eggs, dredge in the flour gradually, and add the currants. mix all well together, and put the dough, with a fork, on the tins, making it look as rough as possible. bake the cakes in a moderate oven from minutes to / hour; when they are done, allow them to get cool, and store them away in a tin canister, in a dry place. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. savoy biscuits or cakes. . ingredients.-- eggs, oz. of pounded sugar, the rind of lemon, oz. of flour. _mode_.--break the eggs into a basin, separating the whites from the yolks; beat the yolks well, mix with them the pounded sugar and grated lemon-rind, and beat these ingredients together for / hour. then dredge in the flour gradually, and when the whites of the eggs have been whisked to a solid froth, stir them to the flour, &c.; beat the mixture well for another minutes, then draw it along in strips upon thick cartridge paper to the proper size of the biscuit, and bake them in rather a hot oven; but let them be carefully watched, as they are soon done, and a few seconds over the proper time will scorch and spoil them. these biscuits, or ladies'-fingers, as they are called, are used for making charlotte russes, and for a variety of fancy sweet dishes. _time_.-- to minutes, in a quick oven. _average cost_, s. d. per lb., or / d. each. seed biscuits. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of sifted sugar, / lb. of butter, / oz. of caraway seeds, eggs. _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream; stir in the flour, sugar, and caraway seeds; and when these ingredients are well mixed, add the eggs, which should be well whisked. roll out the paste, with a round cutter shape out the biscuits, and bake them in a moderate oven from to minutes. the tops of the biscuits may be brushed over with a little milk or the white of an egg, and then a little sugar strewn over. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ to make dozen biscuits. _seasonable_ at any time. simple hard biscuits. . ingredients.--to every lb. of flour allow oz. of butter, about / pint of skimmed milk. _mode_.--warm the butter in the milk until the former is dissolved, and then mix it with the flour into a very stiff paste; beat it with a rolling-pin until the dough looks perfectly smooth. roll it out thin; cut it with the top of a glass into round biscuits; prick them well, and bake them from to minutes. the above is the proportion of milk which we think would convert the flour into a stiff paste; but should it be found too much, an extra spoonful or two of flour must be put in. these biscuits are very nice for the cheese course. _time_.-- to minutes. _seasonable_ at any time. soda biscuits. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of pounded loaf sugar, / lb. of fresh butter, eggs, small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. _mode_.--put the flour (which should be perfectly dry) into a basin; rub in the butter, add the sugar, and mix these ingredients well together. whisk the eggs, stir them into the mixture, and beat it well, until everything is well incorporated. quickly stir in the soda, roll the paste out until it is about / inch thick, cut it into small round cakes with a tin cutter, and bake them from to minutes in rather a brisk oven. after the soda is added, great expedition is necessary in rolling and cutting out the paste, and in putting the biscuits _immediately_ into the oven, or they will be heavy. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ to make about dozen cakes. _seasonable_ at any time. almond cake. . ingredients.-- / lb. of sweet almonds, oz. of bitter almonds, eggs, tablespoonfuls of sifted sugar, tablespoonfuls of fine flour, the grated rind of lemon, oz. of butter. _mode_.--blanch and pound the almonds to a paste; separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs; beat the latter, and add them to the almonds. stir in the sugar, flour, and lemon-rind; add the butter, which should be beaten to a cream; and when all these ingredients are well mixed, put in the whites of the eggs, which should be whisked to a stiff froth. butter a cake-mould, put in the mixture, and bake in a good oven from - / to - / hour. _time_.-- - / to - / hour. _average cost_, s. _seasonable_ at any time. rich bride or christening cake. . ingredients.-- lbs. of the finest flour, lbs. of fresh butter, lbs. of currants, lbs. of sifted loaf sugar, nutmegs, / oz. of mace, half / oz. of cloves, eggs, lb. of sweet almonds, / lb. of candied citron, / lb. each of candied orange and lemon peel, gill of wine, gill of brandy. _mode_.--let the flour be as fine as possible, and well dried and sifted; the currants washed, picked, and dried before the fire; the sugar well pounded and sifted; the nutmegs grated, the spices pounded; the eggs thoroughly whisked, whites and yolks separately; the almonds pounded with a little orange-flower water, and the candied peel cut in neat slices. when all these ingredients are prepared, mix them in the following manner. begin working the butter with the hand till it becomes of a cream-like consistency; stir in the sugar, and when the whites of the eggs are whisked to a solid froth, mix them with the butter and sugar; next, well beat up the yolks for minutes, and, adding them to the flour, nutmegs, mace, and cloves, continue beating the whole together for / hour or longer, till wanted for the oven. then mix in lightly the currants, almonds, and candied peel with the wine and brandy; and having lined a hoop with buttered paper, fill it with the mixture, and bake the cake in a tolerably quick oven, taking care, however, not to burn it: to prevent this, the top of it may be covered with a sheet of paper. to ascertain whether the cake is done, plunge a clean knife into the middle of it, withdraw it directly, and if the blade is not sticky, and looks bright, the cake is sufficiently baked. these cakes are usually spread with a thick layer of almond icing, and over that another layer of sugar icing, and afterwards ornamented. in baking a large cake like this, great attention must be paid to the heat of the oven; it should not be too fierce, but have a good soaking heat. _time_.-- to hours. _average cost_, s. per lb. christmas cake. . ingredients.-- teacupfuls of flour, teacupful of melted butter, teacupful of cream, teacupful of treacle, teacupful of moist sugar, eggs, / oz. of powdered ginger, / lb. of raisins, teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, tablespoonful of vinegar. _mode_.--make the butter sufficiently warm to melt it, but do not allow it to oil; put the flour into a basin; add to it the sugar, ginger, and raisins, which should be stoned and cut into small pieces. when these dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, stir in the butter, cream, treacle, and well-whisked eggs, and beat the mixture for a few minutes. dissolve the soda in the vinegar, add it to the dough, and be particular that these latter ingredients are well incorporated with the others; put the cake into a buttered mould or tin, place it in a moderate oven immediately, and bake it from - / to - / hours. _time_.-- - / to - / hours. _average cost_, s. d. common cake, suitable for sending to children at school. . ingredients.-- lbs. of flour, oz. of butter or clarified dripping, / oz. of caraway seeds, / oz. of allspice, / lb. of pounded sugar, lb. of currants, pint of milk, tablespoonfuls of fresh yeast. _mode_.--rub the butter lightly into the flour; add all the dry ingredients, and mix these well together. make the milk warm, but not hot; stir in the yeast, and with this liquid make the whole into a light dough; knead it well, and line the cake-tins with strips of buttered paper; this paper should be about inches higher than the top of the tin. put in the dough; stand it in a warm place to rise for more than an hour; then bake the cakes in a well-heated oven. if this quantity be divided in two, they will take from - / to hours' baking. _time_.-- - / to - / hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to make moderate-sized cakes. economical cake. [illustration: cake-mould.] . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of sugar, / lb. of butter or lard, / lb. of currants, teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, the whites of eggs, / pint of milk. _mode_,--in making many sweet dishes, the whites of eggs are not required, and if well beaten and added to the above ingredients, make an excellent cake, with or without currants. beat the butter to a cream, well whisk the whites of the eggs, and stir all the ingredients together but the soda, which must not be added until all is well mixed, and the cake is ready to be put into the oven. when the mixture has been well beaten, stir in the soda, put the cake into a buttered mould, and bake it in a moderate oven for - / hour. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. a nice useful cake. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, oz. of currants, / lb. of sugar lb. of dried flour, teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, eggs, teacupful of milk, oz. of sweet almonds, oz. of candied peel. _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream; wash, pick, and dry the currants; whisk the eggs; blanch and chop the almonds, and cut the peel into neat slices. when all these are ready, mix the dry ingredients together; then add the butter, milk, and eggs, and beat the mixture well for a few minutes. put the cake into a buttered mould or tin, and bake it for rather more than - / hour. the currants and candied peel may be omitted, and a little lemon or almond flavouring substituted for them: made in this manner, the cake will be found very good. _time_.--rather more than - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. honey cake. . ingredients.-- / breakfast-cupful of sugar, breakfast-cupful of rich sour cream, breakfast-cupfuls of flour, / teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, honey to taste. _mode_.--mix the sugar and cream together; dredge in the flour, with as much honey as will flavour the mixture nicely; stir it well, that all the ingredients may be thoroughly mixed; add the carbonate of soda, and beat the cake well for another minutes; put it into a buttered tin, bake it from / to / hour, and let it be eaten warm. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for or persons. _seasonable_ at any time. rich sweetmeat gingerbread nuts. . ingredients.-- lb. of treacle, / lb. of clarified butter, lb. of coarse brown sugar, oz. of ground ginger, oz. of candied orange-peel, oz. of candied angelica, / oz. of candied lemon-peel, / oz. of coriander seeds, / oz. of caraway seeds, egg; flour. _mode_.--put the treacle into a basin, and pour over it the butter, melted so as not to oil, the sugar, and ginger. stir these ingredients well together, and whilst mixing, add the candied peel, which should be cut into very small pieces, but not bruised, and the caraway and coriander seeds, which should be pounded. having mixed all thoroughly together, break in an egg, and work the whole up with as much fine flour as may be necessary to form a paste. make this into nuts of any size, put them on a tin plate, and bake in a slow oven from / to / hour. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, from s. to s. d. per lb. _seasonable_ at any time. thick gingerbread. . ingredients.-- lb. of treacle, / lb. of butter, / lb. of coarse brown sugar, - / lb. of flour, oz. of ginger, / oz. of ground allspice, teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, / pint of warm milk, eggs. [illustration: gingerbread.] _mode_.--put the flour into a basin, with the sugar, ginger, and allspice; mix these together; warm the butter, and add it, with the treacle, to the other ingredients. stir well; make the milk just warm, dissolve the carbonate of soda in it, and mix the whole into a nice smooth dough with the eggs, which should be previously well whisked; pour the mixture into a buttered tin, and bake it from / to hour, or longer, should the gingerbread be very thick. just before it is done, brush the top over with the yolk of an egg beaten up with a little milk, and put it back in the oven to finish baking. _time_.-- / to hour. _average cost_, s. per square. _seasonable_ at any time. sunderland gingerbread nuts. (_an excellent recipe_.) . ingredients.-- - / lb. treacle, lb. of moist sugar, lb. of butter, - / lbs. of flour, - / oz. of ground ginger, - / oz. of allspice, - / oz. of coriander seeds. _mode_.--let the allspice, coriander seeds, and ginger be freshly ground; put them into a basin, with the flour and sugar, and mix these ingredients well together; warm the treacle and butter together; then with a spoon work it into the flour, &c., until the whole forms a nice smooth paste. drop the mixture from the spoon on to a piece of buttered paper, and bake in rather a slow oven from minutes to / hour. a little candied lemon-peel mixed with the above is an improvement, and a great authority in culinary matters suggests the addition of a little cayenne pepper in gingerbread. whether it be advisable to use this latter ingredient or not, we leave our readers to decide. _time_.-- minutes to / hour. _average cost_, s. to s. d. per lb. _seasonable_ at any time. white gingerbread. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of butter, / lb. of loaf sugar, the rind of lemon, oz. of ground ginger, nutmeg grated, / teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, gill of milk. _mode_.--rub the butter into the flour; add the sugar, which should be finely pounded and sifted, and the minced lemon-rind, ginger, and nutmeg. mix these well together; make the milk just warm, stir in the soda, and work the whole into a nice smooth paste; roll it out, cut it into cakes, and bake in a moderate oven from to minutes. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. good holiday cake. . ingredients.-- - / d. worth of borwick's german baking-powder, lbs. of flour, oz. of butter, / lb. of lard, lb. of currants, / lb. of stoned and cut raisins, / lb. of mixed candied peel, / lb. of moist sugar, eggs, / pint of cold milk. _mode_.--mix the baking-powder with the flour; then rub in the butter and lard; have ready the currants, washed, picked, and dried the raisins stoned and cut into small pieces (not chopped), and the peel cut into neat slices. add these with the sugar to the flour, &c., and mix all the dry ingredients well together. whisk the eggs, stir to them the milk, and with this liquid moisten the cake; beat it up well, that all may be very thoroughly mixed; line a cake-tin with buttered paper, put in the cake, and bake it from - / to - / hours in a good oven. to ascertain when it is done, plunge a clean knife into the middle of it, and if, on withdrawing it, the knife looks clean, and not sticky, the cake is done. to prevent its burning at the top, a piece of clean paper may be put over whilst the cake is soaking, or being thoroughly cooked in the middle. a steamer, such as is used for steaming potatoes, makes a very good cake-tin, if it be lined at the bottom and sides with buttered paper. _time_.-- - / to - / hours. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. lemon cake. . ingredients.-- eggs, tablespoonfuls of orange-flower water, / lb. of pounded loaf sugar, lemon, / lb. of flour. [illustration: cake-mould.] _mode_.--separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs whisk the former to a stiff froth; add the orange-flower water, the sugar, grated lemon-rind, and mix these ingredients well together. then beat the yolks of the eggs, and add them, with the lemon-juice, to the whites, &c.; dredge in the flour gradually; keep beating the mixture well; put it into a buttered mould, and bake the cake about an hour, or rather longer. the addition of a little butter, beaten to a cream, we think, would improve this cake. _time_.--about hour. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. luncheon cake. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, lb. of flour, / oz. of caraway seeds, / lb. of currants, oz. of moist sugar, oz. of candied peel, eggs, / pint of milk, small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. _mode_.--rub the butter into the flour until it is quite fine; add the caraway seeds, currants (which should be nicely washed, picked, and dried), sugar, and candied peel cut into thin slices; mix these well together, and moisten with the eggs, which should be well whisked. boil the milk, and add to it, whilst boiling, the carbonate of soda, which must be well stirred into it, and, with the milk, mix the other ingredients. butter a tin, pour the cake into it, and bake it in a moderate oven from / to hour. _time_.-- to hour. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. carbonate of soda--soda was called the mineral alkali, because it was originally dug up out of the ground in africa and other countries: this state of carbonate of soda is called _natron._ but carbonate of soda is likewise procured from the combustion of marine plants, or such as grow on the sea-shore. pure carbonate of soda is employed for making effervescing draughts, with lemon-juice, citric acid, or tartaric acid. the chief constituent of soda, the alkali, has been used in france from time immemorial in the manufacture of soap and glass, two chemical productions which employ and keep in circulation an immense amount of capital. a small pinch of carbonate of soda will give an extraordinary lightness to puff pastes; and, introduced into the teapot, will extract the full strength of the tea. but its qualities have a powerful effect upon delicate constitutions, and it is not to be used incautiously in any preparation. a nice plain cake. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, teaspoonful of borwick's baking-powder, / lb. of good dripping, teacupful of moist sugar, eggs, breakfast-cupful of milk, oz. of caraway seeds, / lb. of currants. _mode_.--put the flour and baking-powder into a basin; stir those together; then rub in the dripping, add the sugar, caraway seeds, and currants; whisk the eggs with the milk, and beat all together very thoroughly until the ingredients are well mixed. butter a tin, put in the cake, and bake it from / to hours. let the dripping be quite clean before using: to insure this, it is a good plan to clarify it. beef dripping is better than any other for cakes, &c., as mutton dripping frequently has a very unpleasant flavour, which would be imparted to the preparation. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, s. _seasonable_ at any time. a nice plain cake for children. . ingredients.-- quartern of dough, / lb. of moist sugar, / lb. of butter or good beef dripping, / pint of warm milk, / grated nutmeg or / oz. of caraway seeds. _mode_.--if you are not in the habit of making bread at home, procure the dough from the baker's, and, as soon as it comes in, put it into a basin near the fire; cover the basin with a thick cloth, and let the dough remain a little while to rise. in the mean time, beat the butter to a cream, and make the milk warm; and when the dough has risen, mix with it thoroughly all the above ingredients, and knead the cake well for a few minutes. butter some cake-tins, half fill them, and stand them in a warm place, to allow the dough to rise again. when the tins are three parts full, put the cakes into a good oven, and bake them from / to hours. a few currants might be substituted for the caraway seeds when the flavour of the latter is disliked. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, _ s. d._ _seasonable_ at any time. common plum cake. . ingredients.-- lbs. of flour, oz. of butter or good dripping, oz. of moist sugar, oz. of currants, oz. of pounded allspice, tablespoonfuls of fresh yeast, pint of new milk. _mode_.--rub the butter into the flour; add the sugar, currants, and allspice; warm the milk, stir to it the yeast, and mix the whole into a dough; knead it well, and put it into buttered tins; place them near the fire for nearly an hour for the dough to rise, then bake the cakes in a good oven from to / hour. to ascertain when they are done, plunge a clean knife into the middle, and if on withdrawal it comes out clean, the cakes are done. _time_.-- to - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to make small cakes. a nice plum cake. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of butter, / lb. of sugar, / lb. of currants, oz. of candied lemon-peel, / pint of milk, teaspoonful of ammonia or carbonate of soda. _mode_.--put the flour into a basin with the sugar, currants, and sliced candied peel; beat the butter to a cream, and mix all these ingredients together with the milk. stir the ammonia into tablespoonfuls of milk and add it to the dough, and beat the whole well, until everything is thoroughly mixed. put the dough into a buttered tin, and bake the cake from - / to hours. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. pound cake. [illustration: pound cake.] . ingredients.-- lb. of butter, - / lb. of flour, lb. of pounded loaf sugar, lb. of currants, eggs, oz. of candied peel, / oz. of citron, / oz. of sweet almonds; when liked, a little pounded mace. _mode_.--work the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour; add the sugar, currants, candied peel, which should be cut into neat slices, and the almonds, which should be blanched and chopped, and mix all these well together; whisk the eggs, and let them be thoroughly blended with the dry ingredients. beat the cake well for minutes, and put it into a round tin, lined at the bottom and sides with a strip of white buttered paper. bake it from - / to hours, and let the oven be well heated when the cake is first put in, as, if this is not the case, the currants will all sink to the bottom of it. to make this preparation light, the yolks and whites of the eggs should be beaten separately, and added separately to the other ingredients. a glass of wine is sometimes added to the mixture; but this is scarcely necessary, as the cake will be found quite rich enough without it. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient._--the above quantity divided in two will make two nice-sized cakes. _seasonable_ at any time. a pavini cake. . ingredients.-- / lb. of flour, / lb. of ground rice, / lb. of raisins stoned and cut into small pieces, / lb. of currants, / lb. of butter, oz. of sweet almonds, / lb. of sifted loaf sugar, / nutmeg grated, pint of milk, teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. _mode_.--stone and cut the raisins into small pieces; wash, pick, and dry the currants; melt the butter to a cream, but without oiling it; blanch and chop the almonds, and grate the nutmeg. when all these ingredients are thus prepared, mix them well together; make the milk warm, stir in the soda, and with this liquid make the whole into a paste. butter a mould, rather more than half fill it with the dough, and bake the cake in a moderate oven from - / to hours, or less time should it be made into cakes. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: cake-mould.] rice cake. . ingredients.-- / lb. of ground rice, / lb. of flour, / lb. of loaf sugar, eggs, drops of essence of lemon, or the rind of lemon, / lb. of butter. _mode_.--separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs; whisk them both well, and add to the latter the butter beaten to a cream. stir in the flour, rice, and lemon (if the rind is used, it must be very finely minced), and beat the mixture well; then add the whites of the eggs, beat the cake again for some time, put it into a buttered mould or tin, and bake it for nearly - / hour. it may be flavoured with essence of almonds, when this is preferred. _time_.--nearly - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. queen-cakes. . ingredients.-- lb. of flour, / lb. of butter, / lb. of pounded loaf sugar, eggs, teacupful of cream, / lb. of currants, teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, essence of lemon, or almonds to taste. _mode_.--work the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour, add the sugar and currants, and mix the ingredients well together. whisk the eggs, mix them with the cream and flavouring, and stir these to the flour; add the carbonate of soda, beat the paste well for minutes, put it into small buttered pans, and bake the cake from / to / hour. grated lemon-rind may be substituted for the lemon and almond flavouring, which will make the cakes equally nice. _time_. / to / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. saucer-cake for tea. . ingredients.-- / lb. of flour, / lb. of _tous-les-mois_, / lb. of pounded white sugar, / lb. of butter, eggs, oz. of candied orange or lemon-peel. _mode_.--mix the flour and _tous-les-mois_ together; add the sugar, the candied peel cut into thin slices, the butter beaten to a cream, and the eggs well whisked. beat the mixture for minutes, put it into a buttered cake-tin or mould, or, if this is not obtainable, a soup-plate answers the purpose, lined with a piece of buttered paper. bake the cake in a moderate oven from to - / hour, and when cold, put it away in a covered canister. it will remain good some weeks, even if it be cut into slices. _time_.-- to - / hour. _average cost_, s. _seasonable_ at any time. common seed-cake. . ingredients.-- / quartern of dough, / lb. of good dripping, oz. of moist sugar, / oz. of caraway seeds, egg. _mode_.--if the dough is sent in from the baker's, put it in a basin covered with a cloth, and set it in a warm place to rise. then with a wooden spoon beat the dripping to a liquid; add it, with the other ingredients, to the dough, and beat it until everything is very thoroughly mixed. put it into a buttered tin, and bake the cake for rather more than hours. _time_.--rather more than hours. _average cost_, d. _seasonable_ at any time. a very good seed-cake. . ingredients.-- lb. of butter, eggs, / lb. of sifted sugar, pounded mace and grated nutmeg to taste, lb. of flour, / oz. of caraway seeds, wineglassful of brandy. _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour; add the sugar, mace, nutmeg, and caraway seeds, and mix these ingredients well together. whisk the eggs, stir to them the brandy, and beat the cake again for minutes. put it into a tin lined with buttered paper, and bake it from - / to hours. this cake would be equally nice made with currants, and omitting the caraway seeds. _time_.-- - / to hours. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. bread-making in spain.--the bread in the south of spain is delicious: it is white as snow, close as cake, and yet very light; the flavour is most admirable, for the wheat is good and pure, and the bread well kneaded. the way they make this bread is as follows:--from large round panniers filled with wheat they take out a handful at a time, sorting it most carefully and expeditiously, and throwing every defective grain into another basket. this done, the wheat is ground between two circular stones, as it was ground in egypt , years ago (see no. ), the requisite rotary motion being given by a blindfolded mule, which paces round and round with untiring patience, a bell being attached to his neck, which, as long as he is in movement, tinkles on; and when it stops, he is urged to his duty by the shout of "_arre, mula_," from some one within hearing. when ground, the wheat is sifted through three sieves, the last of these being so fine that only the pure flour can pass through it: this is of a pale apricot-colour. the bread is made in the evening. it is mixed with only sufficient water, with a little salt in it, to make it into dough: a very small quantity of leaven, or fermenting mixture is added. the scripture says, "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump;" but in england, to avoid the trouble of kneading, many put as much leaven or yeast in one batch of household bread as in spain would last them a week for the six or eight donkey-loads of bread they send every night from their oven. the dough made, it is put into sacks, and carried on the donkeys' backs to the oven in the centre of the village, so as to bake it immediately it is kneaded. on arriving there, the dough is divided into portions weighing lbs. each. two long narrow wooden tables on trestles are then placed down the room; and now a curious sight may be seen. about twenty men (bakers) come in and range themselves on one side of the tables. a lump of dough is handed to the nearest, which he commences kneading and knocking about with all his might for about or minutes, and then passes it on to his neighbour, who does the same; and so on successively until all have kneaded it, when it becomes as soft as new putty, and ready for the oven. of course, as soon as the first baker has handed the first lump to his neighbour, another is given to him, and so on till the whole quantity of dough is successively kneaded by them all. the bakers' wives and daughters shape the loaves for the oven, and some of them are very small, and they are baked immediately. the ovens are very large, and not heated by fires _under_ them; but a quantity of twigs of the herbs of sweet marjoram and thyme, which cover the hills in great profusion, are put in the oven and ignited. they heat the oven to any extent required; and, as the bread gets baked, the oven gets gradually colder; so the bread is never burned. they knead the bread in spain with such force, that the palm of the hand and the second joints of the fingers of the bakers are covered with corns; and it so affects the chest, that they cannot work more than two hours at a time. snow-cake. . ingredients.-- / lb. of _tous-les-mois_, / lb. of white pounded sugar, / lb. of fresh or washed salt butter, egg, the juice of lemon. _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream; then add the egg, previously well beaten, and then the other ingredients; if the mixture is not light, add another egg, and beat for / hour, until it turns white and light. line a flat tin, with raised edges, with a sheet of buttered paper; pour in the cake, and put it into the oven. it must be rather slow, and the cake not allowed to brown at all. if the oven is properly heated, to - / hour will be found long enough to bake it. let it cool a few minutes, then with a clean sharp knife cut it into small square pieces, which should be gently removed to a large flat dish to cool before putting away. this will keep for several weeks. _time_.-- to - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _seasonable_ at any time. snow-cake. (_a genuine scotch recipe_.) . ingredients.-- lb. of arrowroot, / lb. of pounded white sugar, / lb. of butter, the whites of eggs; flavouring to taste, of essence of almonds, or vanilla, or lemon. _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream; stir in the sugar and arrowroot gradually, at the same time beating the mixture. whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, add them to the other ingredients, and beat well for minutes. put in whichever of the above flavourings may be preferred; pour the cake into a buttered mould or tin and bake it in a moderate oven from to - / hour. _time_.-- to - / hour. _average cost_, with the best bermuda arrowroot, s. d.; with st. vincent ditto, s. d. _sufficient_ to make a moderate-sized cake. _seasonable_ at any time. scrap-cakes. . ingredients.-- lbs. of leaf, or the inside fat of a pig; - / lb. of flour, / lb. of moist sugar, / lb. of currants, oz. of candied lemon-peel, ground allspice to taste. _mode_.--cut the leaf, or flead, as it is sometimes called, into small pieces; put it into a large dish, which place in a quick oven; be careful that it does not burn, and in a short time it will be reduced to oil, with the small pieces of leaf floating on the surface; and it is of these that the cakes should be made. gather all the scraps together, put them into a basin with the flour, and rub them well together. add the currants, sugar, candied peel, cut into thin slices, and the ground allspice. when all these ingredients are well mixed, moisten with sufficient cold water to make the whole into a nice paste; roll it out thin, cut it into shapes, and bake the cakes in a quick oven from to minutes. these are very economical and wholesome cakes for children, and the lard, melted at home, produced from the flead, is generally better than that you purchase. to prevent the lard from burning, and to insure its being a good colour, it is better to melt it in a jar placed in a saucepan of boiling water; by doing it in this manner, there will be no chance of its discolouring. _time_.-- to minutes. _sufficient_ to make or dozen cakes. _seasonable_ from september to march. [illustration: wheat.] wheat is liable to several diseases, which affect the flour made from it, and render it unfit for good bread. the principal of these are the blight, mildew, and smut, which are occasioned by microscopic fungi, which sow themselves and grow upon the stems and ears, destroying the nutritive principles, and introducing matter of a deleterious kind. the farmer is at the utmost pains to keep away these intruders. wheat, as well as all kinds of corn, is also very liable to be injured by being stacked before it is quite dry; in which case it will heat, and become musty in the ricks. in wet harvests it is sometimes impossible to get it sufficiently dried, and a great deal of corn is thus often spoiled. it is generally reckoned that the sweetest bread is made from wheat threshed out before it is stacked; which shows the importance of studying the best modes of preserving it. the erudite are not agreed as to the aboriginal country of corn: some say it is egypt, others tartary; and the learned bailly, as well as the traveller pallas, affirms that it grows spontaneously in siberia. be that as it may, the phocians brought it to marseilles before the romans had penetrated into gaul. the gauls ate the corn cooked or bruised in a mortar: they did not know, for a long time, how to make fermented bread. scotch shortbread. . ingredients.-- lbs. of flour, lb. of butter, / lb. of pounded loaf sugar, / oz. of caraway seeds, oz. of sweet almonds, a few strips of candied orange-peel. [illustration: shortbread.] _mode_.--beat the butter to a cream, gradually dredge in the flour, and add the sugar, caraway seeds, and sweet almonds, which should be blanched and cut into small pieces. work the paste until it is quite smooth, and divide it into six pieces. put each cake on a separate piece of paper, roll the paste out square to the thickness of about an inch, and pinch it upon all sides. prick it well, and ornament with one or two strips of candied orange-peel. put the cakes into a good oven, and bake them from to minutes. _time_.-- to minutes. _average cost_, for this quantity, s. _sufficient_ to make cakes. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--where the flavour of the caraway seeds is disliked, omit them, and add rather a larger proportion of candied peel. soda-cake. . ingredients.-- / lb. of butter, lb. of flour, / lb. of currants, / lb. of moist sugar, teacupful of milk, eggs, teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. _mode_.--rub the butter into the flour, add the currants and sugar, and mix these ingredients well together. whisk the eggs well, stir them to the flour, &c., with the milk, in which the soda should be previously dissolved, and beat the whole up together with a wooden spoon or beater. divide the dough into two pieces, put them into buttered moulds or cake-tins, and bake in a moderate oven for nearly an hour. the mixture must be extremely well beaten up, and not allowed to stand after the soda is added to it, but must be placed in the oven immediately. great care must also be taken that the cakes are quite done through, which may be ascertained by thrusting a knife into the middle of them: if the blade looks bright when withdrawn, they are done. if the tops acquire too much colour before the inside is sufficiently baked, cover them over with a piece of clean white paper, to prevent them from burning. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to make small cakes. _seasonable_ at any time. savoy cake. . ingredients.--the weight of eggs in pounded loaf sugar, the weight of in flour, a little grated lemon-rind, or essence of almonds, or orange-flower water. _mode_.--break the eggs, putting the yolks into one basin and the whites into another. whisk the former, and mix with them the sugar, the grated lemon-rind, or any other flavouring to taste; beat them well together, and add the whites of the eggs, whisked to a froth. put in the flour by degrees, continuing to beat the mixture for / hour, butter a mould, pour in the cake, and bake it from - / to - / hour. this is a very nice cake for dessert, and may be iced for a supper-table, or cut into slices and spread with jam, which converts it into sandwiches. _time_.-- - / to - / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ for cake. _seasonable_ at any time. sponge-cake. i. [illustration: sponge-cake.] . ingredients.--the weight of eggs in pounded loaf sugar, the weight of in flour, the rind of lemon, tablespoonful of brandy. _mode_.--put the eggs into one side of the scale, and take the weight of in pounded loaf sugar, and the weight of in good _dry_ flour. separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs; beat the former, put them into a saucepan with the sugar, and let them remain over the fire until _milk-warm,_ keeping them well stirred. then put them into a basin, add the grated lemon-rind mixed with the brandy, and stir these well together, dredging in the flour very gradually. whisk the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth, stir them to the flour, &c., and beat the cake well for / hour. put it into a buttered mould strewn with a little fine sifted sugar, and bake the cake in a quick oven for - / hour. care must be taken that it is put into the oven immediately, or it will not be light. the flavouring of this cake may be varied by adding a few drops of essence of almonds instead of the grated lemon-rind. _time_.-- - / hour. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ for cake. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration: egyptian wheat.] the egyptian, or mummy wheat, is not grown to any great extent, owing to its inferior quality; but it is notable for its large produce, and is often cultivated on allotment grounds and on small farms, where quantity rather than quality is desired. at wix, in essex, the seed of this wheat has produced, without artificial assistance, four thousandfold; some of the ears have had eleven offshoots, and have contained, altogether, eleven grains in one ear. ii. . ingredients.-- / lb. of loaf sugar, not quite / pint of water, eggs, lemon, / lb. of flour, / teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. _mode_.--boil the sugar and water together until they form a thick syrup; let it cool a little, then pour it to the eggs, which should be previously well whisked; and after the eggs and syrup are mixed together, continue beating them for a few minutes. grate the lemon-rind, mix the carbonate of soda with the flour, and stir these lightly to the other ingredients; then add the lemon-juice, and, when the whole is thoroughly mixed, pour it into a buttered mould, and bake in rather a quick oven for rather more than hour. the remains of sponge or savoy cakes answer very well for trifles, light puddings, &c.; and a very stale one (if not mouldy) makes an excellent tipsy-cake. _time_.--rather more than hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to make cake. _seasonable_ at any time. to make small sponge-cakes. . ingredients.--the weight of eggs in flour, the weight of in pounded loaf sugar; flavouring to taste. _mode_.--let the flour be perfectly dry, and the sugar well pounded and sifted. separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs, and beat the latter up with the sugar; then whisk the whites until they become rather stiff, and mix them with the yolks, but do not stir them more than is just necessary to mingle the ingredients well together. dredge in the flour by degrees, add the flavouring; batter the tins well, pour in the batter, sift a little sugar over the cakes, and bake them in rather a quick oven, but do not allow them to take too much colour, as they should be rather pale. remove them from the tins before they get cold, and turn them on their faces, where let them remain until quite cold, when store them away in a closed tin canister or wide-mouthed glass bottle. _time_.-- to minutes in a quick oven. _average cost_, d. each. _seasonable_ at any time. tea-cakes. . ingredients.-- lbs. of flour, / teaspoonful of salt, / lb. of butter or lard, egg, a piece of german yeast the size of a walnut, warm milk. _mode_.--put the flour (which should be perfectly dry) into a basin mix with it the salt, and rub in the butter or lard; then beat the egg well, stir to it the yeast, and add these to the flour with as much warm milk as will make the whole into a smooth paste, and knead it well. let it rise near the fire, and, when well risen, form it into cakes; place them on tins, let them rise again for a few minutes before putting them into the oven, and bake from / to / hour in a moderate oven. these are very nice with a few currants and a little sugar added to the other ingredients: they should be put in after the butter is rubbed in. these cakes should be buttered, and eaten hot as soon as baked; but, when stale, they are very nice split and toasted; or, if dipped in milk, or even water, and covered with a basin in the oven till hot, they will be almost equal to new. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to make tea-cakes. _seasonable_ at any time. to toast tea-cakes. [illustration: tea-cakes.] . cut each tea-cake into three or four slices, according to its thickness; toast them on both sides before a nice clear fire, and as each slice is done, spread it with butter on both sides. when a cake is toasted, pile the slices one on the top of the other, cut them into quarters, put them on a very hot plate, and send the cakes immediately to table. as they are wanted, send them in hot, one or two at a time, as, if allowed to stand, they spoil, unless kept in a muffin-plate over a basin of boiling water. a nice yeast-cake. . ingredients.-- - / lb. of flour, / lb. of butter, / pint of milk, - / tablespoonful of good yeast, eggs, / lb. of currants, / lb. of white moist sugar, oz. of candied peel. _mode_.--put the milk and butter into a saucepan, and shake it round over a fire until the butter is melted, but do not allow the milk to get very hot. put the flour into a basin, stir to it the milk and butter, the yeast, and eggs, which should be well beaten, and form the whole into a smooth dough. let it stand in a warm place, covered with a cloth, to rise, and, when sufficiently risen, add the currants, sugar, and candied peel cut into thin slices. when all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, line moderate-sized cake-tins with buttered paper, which should be about six inches higher than the tin; pour in the mixture, let it stand to rise again for another / hour, and then bake the cakes in a brisk oven for about - / hour. if the tops of them become too brown, cover them with paper until they are done through. a few drops of essence of lemon, or a little grated nutmeg, may be added when the flavour is liked. _time_.--from - / to - / hour. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ to make moderate-sized cakes. _seasonable_ at any time. [illustration] [illustration] chapter xxxvi. general observations on beverages. . beverages are innumerable in their variety; but the ordinary beverages drunk in the british isles, may be divided into three classes:-- . beverages of the simplest kind not fermented. . beverages, consisting of water, containing a considerable quantity of carbonic acid. . beverages composed partly of fermented liquors. of the first class may be mentioned,--water, toast-and-water, barley-water, eau sucré, lait sucré, cheese and milk whey, milk-and-water, lemonade, orangeade, sherbet, apple and pear juice, capillaire, vinegar-and-water, raspberry vinegar and water. . of the common class of beverages, consisting of water impregnated with carbonic acid gas, we may name soda-water, single and double, ordinary effervescing draughts, and ginger-beer. . the beverages composed partly of fermented liquors, are hot spiced wines, bishop, egg-flip, egg-hot, ale posset, sack posset, punch, and spirits-and-water. . we will, however, forthwith treat on the most popular of our beverages, beginning with the one which makes "the cup that cheers but not inebriates." . the beverage called tea has now become almost a necessary of life. previous to the middle of the th century it was not used in england, and it was wholly unknown to the greeks and romans. pepys says, in his diary,--"september th, .--i sent for a cup of tea (a china drink), of which i had never drunk before." two years later it was so rare a commodity in england, that the english east-india company bought lbs. oz. of it, as a present for his majesty. in it was sold in london for sixty shillings a pound. from that date the consumption has gone on increasing from , lbs. to , , lbs. . linnaeus was induced to think that there were two species of tea-plant, one of which produced the black, and the other the green teas; but later observations do not confirm this. when the leaves of black and green tea are expanded by hot water, and examined by the botanist, though a difference of character is perceived, yet this is not sufficient to authorize considering them as distinct species. the tea-tree flourishes best in temperate regions; in china it is indigenous. the part of china where the best tea is cultivated, is called by us the "tea country." the cultivation of the plant requires great care. it is raised chiefly on the sides of hills; and, in order to increase the quantity and improve the quality of the leaves, the shrub is pruned, so as not to exceed the height of from two to three feet, much in the same manner as the vine is treated in france. they pluck the leaves, one selecting them according to the kinds of tea required; and, notwithstanding the tediousness of the operation, each labourer is able to gather from four to ten or fifteen pounds a day. when the trees attain to six or seven years of age, the produce becomes so inferior that they are removed to make room for a fresh succession, or they are cut down to allow of numerous young shoots. teas of the finest flavour consist of the youngest leaves; and as these are gathered at four different periods of the year, the younger the leaves the higher flavoured the tea, and the scarcer, and consequently the dearer, the article. . the various names by which teas are sold in the british market are corruptions of chinese words. there are about a dozen different kinds; but the principal are bohea, congou, and souchong, and signify, respectively, inferior, middling, and superior. teas are often perfumed and flavoured with the leaves of different kinds of plants grown on purpose. different tea-farms in china produce teas of various qualities, raised by skilful cultivation on various soils. . tea, when chemically analyzed, is found to contain woody fibre, mucilage, a considerable quantity of the astringent principle, or tannin, a narcotic principle, which is, perhaps, connected with a peculiar aroma. the tannin is shown by its striking a black colour with sulphate of iron, and is the cause of the dark stain which is always formed when tea is spilt upon buff-coloured cottons dyed with iron. a constituent called _theine_ has also been discovered in tea, supposed to be identical with _caffeine_, one of the constituents of coffee. liebig says, "theine yields, in certain processes of decomposition, a series of most remarkable products, which have much analogy with those derived from uric acid in similar circumstances. the infusion of tea differs from that of coffee, by containing iron and manganese. we have in tea, of many kinds, a beverage which contains the active constituents of the most powerful mineral springs, and, however small the amount of iron may be which we daily take in this form, it cannot be destitute of influence on the vital processes." . chinese tea has frequently been adulterated in this country, by the admixture of the dried leaves of certain plants. the leaves of the sloe, white thorn, ash, elder, and some others, have been employed for this purpose; such as the leaves of the speedwell, wild germander, black currants, syringa, purple-spiked willow-herb, sweet-brier, and cherry-tree. some of these are harmless, others are to a certain degree poisonous; as, for example, are the leaves of all the varieties of the plum and cherry tribe, to which the sloe belongs. adulteration by means of these leaves is by no means a new species of fraud; and several acts of parliament, from the time of george ii., have been passed, specifying severe penalties against those guilty of the offence, which, notwithstanding numerous convictions, continues to the present time. . in the purchase of tea, that should be chosen which possesses an agreeable odour and is as whole as possible, in order that the leaf may be easily examined. the greatest care should be taken that it has not been exposed to the air, which destroys its flavour. . it would be impossible, in the space at our command, to enumerate the various modes adopted in different countries for "making coffee;" that is, the phrase commonly understood to mean the complete preparation of this delicious beverage for drinking. for performing this operation, such recipes or methods as we have found most practical will be inserted in their proper place; but the following facts connected with coffee will be found highly interesting. . the introduction of coffee into this country is comparatively of recent date. we are assured by bruce that the coffee-tree is a native of abyssinia, and it is said to have been cultivated in that country from time immemorial. . it appears that coffee was first introduced into england by daniel edwards, a turkey merchant, whose servant, pasqua, a greek, understood the manner of roasting it. this servant, under the patronage of edwards, established the first coffee-house in london, in george yard, lombard street. coffee was then sold at four or five guineas a pound, and a duty was soon afterwards laid upon it of fourpence a gallon, when made into a beverage. in the course of two centuries, however, this berry, unknown originally as an article of food, except to some savage tribes on the confines of abyssinia, has made its way through the whole of the civilized world. mahommedans of all ranks drink coffee twice a day; it is in universal request in france; and the demand for it throughout the british isles is daily increasing, the more especially since so much attention has been given to mechanical contrivances for roasting and grinding the berry and preparing the beverage. . of the various kinds of coffee the arabian is considered the best. it is grown chiefly in the districts of aden and mocha; whence the name of our mocha coffee. mocha coffee has a smaller and rounder bean than any other, and likewise a more agreeable smell and taste. the next in reputation and quality is the java and ceylon coffee, and then the coffees of bourbon and martinique, and that of berbice, a district of the colony of british guiana. the jamaica and st. domingo coffees are less esteemed. . a considerable change takes place in the arrangement of the constituents of coffee by the application of heat in roasting it. independently of one of the objects of roasting, namely, that of destroying its toughness and rendering it easily ground, its tannin and other principles are rendered partly soluble in water; and it is to the tannin that the brown colour of the decoction of coffee is owing. an aromatic flavour is likewise developed during torrefaction, which is not perceived in the raw berry, and which is not produced in the greatest perfection until the heat has arrived at a certain degree of temperature; but, if the heat be increased beyond this, the flavour is again dissipated, and little remains but a bitter and astringent matter with carbon. . the roasting of coffee in the best manner requires great nicety, and much of the qualities of the beverage depends upon the operation. the roasting of coffee for the dealers in london and paris has now become a separate branch of business, and some of the roasters perform the operation on a great scale, with considerable skill. roasted coffee loses from to per cent, by sufficient roasting, and the powder suffers much by exposure to the air; but, while raw, it not only does not lose its flavour for a year or two, but improves by keeping. if a cup of the best coffee be placed upon a table boiling hot, it will fill the room with its fragrance; but the coffee, when warmed again after being cold, will be found to have lost most of its flavour. . to have coffee in perfection, it should be roasted and ground just before it is used, and more should not be ground at a time than is wanted for immediate use, or, if it be necessary to grind more, it should be kept closed from the air. coffee readily imbibes exhalations from other substances, and thus often acquires a bad flavour: brown sugar placed near it will communicate a disagreeable flavour. it is stated that the coffee in the west indies has often been injured by being laid in rooms near the sugar-works, or where rum is distilled; and the same effect has been produced by bringing over coffee in the same ships with rum and sugar. dr. moseley mentions that a few bags of pepper, on board a ship from india, spoiled a whole cargo of coffee. . with respect to the quantity of coffee used in making the decoction, much depends upon the taste of the consumer. the greatest and most common fault in english coffee is the too small quantity of the ingredient. count rumford says that to make good coffee for drinking after dinner, a pound of good mocha coffee, which, when roasted and ground, weighs only thirteen ounces, serves to make fifty-six full cups, or a little less than a quarter of an ounce to a coffee-cup of moderate size. recipes. chapter xxxvii. to make chocolate. . ingredients.--allow / oz. of chocolate to each person; to every oz. allow / pint of water, / pint of milk. _mode_.--make the milk-and-water hot; scrape the chocolate into it, and stir the mixture constantly and quickly until the chocolate is dissolved; bring it to the boiling-point, stir it well, and serve directly with white sugar. chocolate prepared with in a mill, as shown in the engraving, is made by putting in the scraped chocolate, pouring over it the boiling milk-and-water, and milling it over the fire until hot and frothy. _sufficient_.--allow / oz. of cake chocolate to each person. [illustration: mill.] chocolate and cocoa.--both these preparations are made from the seeds or beans of the cacao-tree, which grows in the west indies and south america. the spanish, and the proper name, is cacao, not cocoa, as it is generally spelt. from this mistake, the tree from which the beverage is procured has been often confounded with the palm that produces the edible cocoa-nuts, which are the produce of the cocoa-tree (_cocos nucifera_), whereas the tree from which chocolate is procured is very different (the _theobroma cacao_). the cocoa-tree was cultivated by the aboriginal inhabitants of south america, particularly in mexico, where, according to humboldt, it was reared by montezuma. it was transplanted thence into other dependencies of the spanish monarchy in ; and it was so highly esteemed by linnaeus receive from him the name now conferred upon it, of theobroma, a term derived from the greek, and signifying "_food for gods_." chocolate has always been a favourite beverage among the spaniards and creoles, and was considered here as a great luxury when first introduced, after the discovery of america; but the high duties laid upon it, confined it long almost entirely to the wealthier classes. before it was subjected to duty, mr. bryan edwards stated that cocoa plantations were numerous in jamaica, but that the duty caused their almost entire ruin. the removal of this duty has increased their cultivation. (for engraving of cocoa-bean, _see_ no. .) to make essence of coffee. . ingredients.--to every / lb. of ground coffee allow small teaspoonful of powdered chicory, small teacupfuls, or pint, of water. _mode_.--let the coffee be freshly ground, and, if possible, freshly roasted; put it into a percolater, or filter, with the chicory, and pour _slowly_ over it the above proportion of boiling water. when it has all filtered through, warm the coffee sufficiently to bring it to the simmering-point, but do not allow it to boil; then filter it a second time, put it into a clean and dry bottle, cork it well, and it will remain good for several days. two tablespoonfuls of this essence are quite sufficient for a breakfast-cupful of hot milk. this essence will be found particularly useful to those persons who have to rise extremely early; and having only the milk to make boiling, is very easily and quickly prepared. when the essence is bottled, pour another tea-cupfuls of _boiling_ water slowly on the grounds, which, when filtered through, will be a very weak coffee. the next time there is essence to be prepared, make this weak coffee boiling, and pour it on the ground coffee instead of plain water: by this means a better coffee will be obtained. never throw away the grounds without having made use of them in this manner; and always cork the bottle well that contains this preparation, until the day that it is wanted for making the fresh essence. _time_.--to be filtered once, then brought to the boiling-point, and filtered again. _average cost_, with coffee at s. d. per lb., d. _sufficient'_-allow tablespoonfuls for a breakfast-cupful of hot milk. to roast coffee. (_a french recipe_.) . it being an acknowledged fact that french coffee is decidedly superior to that made in england, and as the roasting of the berry is of great importance to the flavour of the preparation, it will be useful and interesting to know how they manage these things in france. in paris, there are two houses justly celebrated for the flavour of their coffee,--_la maison corcellet_ and _la maison royer de chartres_; and to obtain this flavour, before roasting they add to every lbs. of coffee a piece of butter the size of a nut, and a dessert-spoonful of powdered sugar: it is then roasted in the usual manner. the addition of the butter and sugar develops the flavour and aroma of the berry; but it must be borne in mind, that the quality of the butter must be of the very best description. to make coffee. . ingredients.--allow oz., or tablespoonful, of ground coffee to each person; to every oz. of coffee allow / pint of water. _mode_.--to make coffee good, _it should never be boiled_, but the boiling water merely poured on it, the same as for tea. the coffee should always be purchased in the berry,--if possible, freshly roasted; and it should never be ground long before it is wanted for use. there are very many new kinds of coffee-pots, but the method of making the coffee is nearly always the same; namely, pouring the boiling water on the powder, and allowing it to filter through. our illustration shows one of loysel's hydrostatic urns, which are admirably adapted for making good and clear coffee, which should be made in the following, manner:--warm the urn with boiling water, remove the lid and movable filter, and place the ground coffee at the bottom of the urn. put the movable filter over this, and screw the lid, inverted, tightly on the end of the centre pipe. pour into the inverted lid the above proportion of boiling water, and when all the water so poured has disappeared from the funnel, and made its way down the centre pipe and up again through the ground coffee by _hydrostatic pressure_, unscrew screw the lid and cover the urn. pour back direct into the urn, _not through the funnel_, one, two, or three cups, according to the size of the percolater, in order to make the infusion of uniform strength; the contents will then be ready for use, and should run from the tap strong, hot, and clear. the coffee made in these urns generally turns out very good, and there is but one objection to them,--the coffee runs rather slowly from the tap. this is of no consequence where there is a small party, but tedious where there are many persons to provide for. a remedy for this objection may be suggested; namely, to make the coffee very strong, so that not more than / of a cup would be required, as the rest would be filled up with milk. making coffee in filters or percolaters does away with the necessity of using isinglass, white of egg, and various other preparations to clear it. coffee should always be served very hot, and, if possible, in the same vessel in which it is made, as pouring it from one pot to another cools, and consequently spoils it. many persons may think that the proportion of water we have given for each oz. of coffee is rather small; it is so, and the coffee produced from it will be very strong; / of a cup will be found quite sufficient, which should be filled with nice hot milk, or milk and cream mixed. this is the 'cafe au lait' for which our neighbours over the channel are so justly celebrated. should the ordinary method of making coffee be preferred, use double the quantity of water, and, in pouring it into the cups, put in more coffee and less milk. [illustration: loysel's hydrostatic urn.] _sufficient_.--for very good coffee, allow / oz., or tablespoonful, to each person. a very simple method of making coffee. . ingredients.--allow / oz., or tablespoonful, of coffee to each person; to every oz. allow pint of water. _mode_.--have a small iron ring made to fit the top of the coffee-pot inside, and to this ring sew a small muslin bag (the muslin for the purpose must not be too thin). fit the bag into the pot, pour some boiling water in it, and, when the pot is well warmed, put the ground coffee into the bag; pour over as much boiling water as is required, close the lid, and, when all the water has filtered through, remove the bag, and send the coffee to table. making it in this manner prevents the necessity of pouring the coffee from one vessel to another, which cools and spoils it. the water should be poured on the coffee gradually, so that the infusion may be stronger; and the bag must be well made, that none of the grounds may escape through the seams, and so make the coffee thick and muddy. _sufficient_.--allow tablespoonful, or / oz., to each person. [illustration: coffee.] the coffee plant grows to the height of about twelve or fifteen feet, with leaves not unlike those of the common laurel, although more pointed, and not so dry and thick. the blossoms are white, much like those of jasmine, and issue from the angles of the leaf-stalks. when the flowers fade, they are succeeded by the coffee-bean, or seed, which is inclosed in a berry of a red colour, when ripe resembling a cherry. the coffee-beans are prepared by exposing them to the sun for a few days, that the pulp may ferment and throw off a strong acidulous moisture. they are then gradually dried for about three weeks, and put into a mill to separate the husk from the seed. cafe au lait. . this is merely very strong coffee added to a large proportion of good hot milk; about tablespoonfuls of strong coffee being quite sufficient for a breakfast-cupful of milk. of the essence no. , which answers admirably for 'cafe an lait', so much would not be required. this preparation is infinitely superior to the weak watery coffee so often served at english tables. a little cream mixed with the milk, if the latter cannot be depended on for richness, improves the taste of the coffee, as also the richness of the beverage. _sufficient_.-- tablespoonfuls of strong coffee, or tablespoonfuls of the essence, to a breakfast-cupful of milk. tea and coffee.--it is true, says liebig, that thousands have lived without a knowledge of tea and coffee; and daily experience teaches us that, under certain circumstances, they may be dispensed with without disadvantage to the merely animal functions; but it is an error, certainly, to conclude from this that they may be altogether dispensed with in reference to their effects; and it is a question whether, if we had no tea and no coffee, the popular instinct would not seek for and discover the means of replacing them. science, which accuses us of so much in these respects, will have, in the first place, to ascertain whether it depends on sensual and sinful inclinations merely, that every people of the globe have appropriated some such means of acting on the nervous life, from the shore of the pacific, where the indian retires from life for days in order to enjoy the bliss of intoxication with koko, to the arctic regions, where kamtschatdales and koriakes prepare an intoxicating beverage from a poisonous mushroom. we think it, on the contrary, highly probable, not to say certain, that the instinct of man, feeling certain blanks, certain wants of the intensified life of our times, which cannot be satisfied or filled up by mere quantity, has discovered, in these products of vegetable life the true means of giving to his food the desired and necessary quality. cafe noir. . this is usually handed round after dinner, and should be drunk well sweetened, with the addition of a little brandy or liqueurs, which may be added or not at pleasure. the coffee should be made very strong, and served in very small cups, but never mixed with milk or cream. cafe noir may be made of the essence of coffee no. , by pouring a tablespoonful into each cup, and filling it up with boiling water. this is a very simple and expeditious manner of preparing coffee for a large party, but the essence for it must be made very good, and kept well corked until required for use. to make tea. . there is very little art in making good tea; if the water is boiling, and there is no sparing of the fragrant leaf, the beverage will almost invariably be good. the old-fashioned plan of allowing a teaspoonful to each person, and one over, is still practised. warm the teapot with boiling water; let it remain for two or three minutes for the vessel to become thoroughly hot, then pour it away. put in the tea, pour in from / to / pint of boiling water, close the lid, and let it stand for the tea to draw from to minutes; then fill up the pot with water. the tea will be quite spoiled unless made with water that is actually 'boiling', as the leaves will not open, and the flavour not be extracted from them; the beverage will consequently be colourless and tasteless,--in fact, nothing but tepid water. where there is a very large party to make tea for, it is a good plan to have two teapots instead of putting a large quantity of tea into one pot; the tea, besides, will go farther. when the infusion has been once completed, the addition of fresh tea adds very little to the strength; so, when more is required, have the pot emptied of the old leaves, scalded, and fresh tea made in the usual manner. economists say that a few grains of carbonate of soda, added before the boiling water is poured on the tea, assist to draw out the goodness: if the water is very hard, perhaps it is a good plan, as the soda softens it; but care must be taken to use this ingredient sparingly, as it is liable to give the tea a soapy taste if added in too large a quantity. for mixed tea, the usual proportion is four spoonfuls of black to one of green; more of the latter when the flavour is very much liked; but strong green tea is highly pernicious, and should never be partaken of too freely. _time_.-- minutes to warm the teapot, to minutes to draw the strength from the tea. _sufficient_.--allow teaspoonful to each person, and one over. tea.--the tea-tree or shrub belongs to the class and order of monadelphia polyandria in the linnaean system, and to the natural order of aurantiaceae in the system of jussieu. lately it has been made into a new order, the theasia, which includes the camellia and some other plants. it commonly grows to the height of from three to six feet; but it is said, that, in its wild or native state, it reaches twenty feet or more. in china it is cultivated in numerous small plantations. in its general appearance, and the form of its leaf, it resembles the myrtle. the blossoms are white and fragrant, not unlike those of the wild rose, but smaller; and they are succeeded by soft green capsules, containing each from one to three white seeds. these capsules are crushed for oil, which is in general use in china. [illustration: tea.] an excellent substitute for milk or cream in tea or coffee. . ingredients.--allow new-laid egg to every large breakfast-cupful of tea or coffee. _mode_.--beat up the whole of the egg in a basin, put it into a cup (or a portion of it, if the cup be small), and pour over it the tea or coffee very hot. these should be added very gradually, and stirred all the time, to prevent the egg from curdling. in point of nourishment, both these beverages are much improved by this addition. _sufficient_.--allow egg to every large breakfast-cupful of tea or coffee. to make cocoa. . ingredients.--allow teaspoonfuls of the prepared cocoa to breakfast-cup; boiling milk and boiling water. [illustration: cocoa-bean.] _mode_.--put the cocoa into a breakfast-cup, pour over it sufficient cold milk to make it into a smooth paste; then add equal quantities of boiling milk and boiling water, and stir all well together. care must be taken not to allow the milk to get burnt, as it will entirely spoil the flavour of the preparation. the above directions are usually given for making the prepared cocoa. the rock cocoa, or that bought in a solid piece, should be scraped, and made in the same manner, taking care to rub down all the lumps before the boiling liquid is added. _sufficient_-- teaspoonfuls of prepared cocoa for breakfast-cup, or / oz. of the rock cocoa for the same quantity. cowslip wine. . ingredients.--to every gallon of water allow lbs. of lump sugar, the rind of lemons, the juice of , the rind and juice of seville orange, gallon of cowslip pips. to every - / gallons of wine allow bottle of brandy. _mode_.--boil the sugar and water together for / hour, carefully removing all the scum as it rises. pour this boiling liquor on the orange and lemon-rinds, and the juice, which should be strained; when milk-warm, add the cowslip pips or flowers, picked from the stalks and seeds; and to gallons of wine tablespoonfuls of good fresh brewers' yeast. let it ferment or days; then put all together in a cask with the brandy, and let it remain for months, when bottle it off for use. _time_.--to be boiled / hour; to ferment or days; to remain in the cask months. _average cost_, exclusive of the cowslips, which may be picked in the fields, s. d. per gallon. _seasonable_.--make this in april or may. elder wine. . ingredients.--to every gallons of water allow peck of elderberries; to every gallon of juice allow lbs. of sugar, / oz. of ground ginger, cloves, lb. of good turkey raisins; / pint of brandy to every gallon of wine. to every gallons of wine or tablespoonfuls of fresh brewer's yeast. _mode_.--pour the water, quite boiling, on the elderberries, which should be picked from the stalks, and let these stand covered for hours; then strain the whole through a sieve or bag, breaking the fruit to express all the juice from it. measure the liquor, and to every gallon allow the above proportion of sugar. boil the juice and sugar with the ginger, cloves, and raisins for hour, skimming the liquor the whole time; let it stand until milk-warm, then put it into a clean dry cask, with or tablespoonfuls of good fresh yeast to every gallons of wine. let it ferment for about a fortnight; then add the brandy, bung up the cask, and let it stand some months before it is bottled, when it will be found excellent. a bunch of hops suspended to a string from the bung, some persons say, will preserve the wine good for several years. elder wine is usually mulled, and served with sippets of toasted bread and a little grated nutmeg. _time_.--to stand covered hours; to be boiled hour. _average cost_, when made at home, s. d. per gallon. _seasonable_.--make this in september. [illustration: elder-berries.] elder-berry wine.--the elder-berry is well adapted for the production of wine; its juice contains a considerable portion of the principle necessary for a vigorous fermentation, and its beautiful colour communicates a rich tint to the wine made from it. it is, however, deficient in sweetness, and therefore demands an addition of sugar. it is one of the very best of the genuine old english wines; and a cup of it mulled, just previous to retiring to bed on a winter night, is a thing to be "run for," as cobbett would say: it is not, however, agreeable to every taste. ginger wine. . ingredients.--to gallons of water allow lbs. of loaf sugar, lemons, oz. of bruised ginger, tablespoonfuls of yeast, lbs. of raisins stoned and chopped, pint of brandy. _mode_.--boil together for hour in a copper (let it previously be well scoured and beautifully clean) the water, sugar, _lemon-rinds_, and bruised ginger; remove every particle of scum as it rises, and when the liquor is sufficiently boiled, put it into a large tub or pan, as it must not remain in the copper. when nearly cold, add the yeast, which must be thick and very fresh, and, the next day, put all in a dry cask with the strained lemon-juice and chopped raisins. stir the wine every day for a fortnight; then add the brandy, stop the cask down by degrees, and in a few weeks it will be fit to bottle. _average cost_, s. per gallon. _sufficient_ to make gallons of wine. _seasonable_.--the best time for making this wine is either in march or september. _note_.--wine made early in march will be fit to bottle in june. gooseberry vinegar. (_an excellent recipe_.) . ingredients.-- pecks of crystal gooseberries, gallons of water, lbs. of foots sugar of the coarsest brown quality. _mode_.--mash the gooseberries (which should be quite ripe) in a tub with a mallet; put to them the water nearly milk-warm; let this stand hours; then strain it through a sieve, and put the sugar to it; mix it well, and tun it. these proportions are for a -gallon cask; and if it be not quite full, more water must be added. let the mixture be stirred from the bottom of the cask two or three times daily for three or four days, to assist the melting of the sugar; then paste a piece of linen cloth over the bunghole, and set the cask in a warm place, _but not in the sun_; any corner of a warm kitchen is the best situation for it. the following spring it should be drawn off into stone bottles, and the vinegar will be fit for use twelve months after it is made. this will be found a most excellent preparation, greatly superior to much that is sold under the name of the best white wine vinegar. many years' experience has proved that pickle made with this vinegar will keep, when bought vinegar will not preserve the ingredients. the cost per gallon is merely nominal, especially to those who reside in the country and grow their own gooseberries; the coarse sugar is then the only ingredient to be purchased. _time_.--to remain in the cask months. _average cost_, when the gooseberries have to be purchased, s. per gallon; when they are grown at home, d. per gallon. _seasonable_.--this should be made the end of june or the beginning of july, when gooseberries are ripe and plentiful. effervescing gooseberry wine. . ingredients.--to every gallon of water allow lbs. of green gooseberries, lbs. of lump sugar. _mode_.--this wine should be prepared from unripe gooseberries, in order to avoid the flavour which the fruit would give to the wine when in a mature state. its briskness depends more upon the time of bottling than upon the unripe state of the fruit, for effervescing wine can be made from fruit that is ripe as well as that which is unripe. the fruit should be selected when it has nearly attained its full growth, and consequently before it shows any tendency to ripen. any bruised or decayed berries, and those that are very small, should be rejected. the blossom and stalk ends should be removed, and the fruit well bruised in a tub or pan, in such quantities as to insure each berry being broken without crushing the seeds. pour the water (which should be warm) on the fruit, squeeze and stir it with the hand until all the pulp is removed from the skin and seeds, and cover the whole closely for hours; after which, strain it through a coarse bag, and press it with as much force as can be conveniently applied, to extract the whole of the juice and liquor the fruit may contain. to every or lbs. of fruit one gallon more of hot water may be passed through the marc, or husks, in order to obtain any soluble matter that may remain, and be again pressed. the juice should be put into a tub or pan of sufficient size to contain all of it, and the sugar added to it. let it be well stirred until the sugar is dissolved, and place the pan in a warm situation; keep it closely covered, and let it ferment for a day or two. it must then be drawn off into clean casks, placed a little on one side for the scum that arises to be thrown out, and the casks kept filled with the remaining "must," that should be reserved for that purpose. when the active fermentation has ceased, the casks should be plugged upright, again filled, if necessary, the bungs be put in loosely, and, after a few days, when the fermentation is a little more languid (which may be known, by the hissing noise ceasing), the bungs should be driven in tight, and a spile-hole made, to give vent if necessary. about november or december, on a clear fine day, the wine should he racked from its lees into clean casks, which may be rinsed with brandy. after a month, it should be examined to see if it is sufficiently clear for bottling; if not, it must be fined with isinglass, which may be dissolved in some of the wine: oz. will be sufficient for gallons. in march or april, or when the gooseberry bushes begin to blossom, the wine must be bottled, in order to insure its being effervescing. _seasonable_.--make this the end of may or beginning of june, before the berries ripen. lemon syrup. . ingredients.-- lbs. of loaf sugar, pints of water, oz. of citric acid, drachm of essence of lemon. _mode_.--boil the sugar and water together for / hour, and put it into a basin, where let it remain till cold. beat the citric acid to a powder, mix the essence of lemon with it, then add these two ingredients to the syrup; mix well, and bottle for use. two tablespoonfuls of the syrup are sufficient for a tumbler of cold water, and will be found a very refreshing summer drink. _sufficient_-- tablespoonfuls of syrup to a tumbler-ful of cold water. lemon wine. . ingredients.--to - / gallons of water allow the pulp of lemons, the rind of , lbs. of loaf sugar,-- / oz. of isinglass, bottle of brandy. _mode_.--peel and slice the lemons, but use only the rind of of them, and put them into the cold water. let it stand or days, squeezing the lemons well every day; then strain the water off and put it into a cask with the sugar. let it work some time, and when it has ceased working, put in the isinglass. stop the cask down; in about six months put in the brandy and bottle the wine off. _seasonable_.--the best time to make this is in january or february, when lemons are best and cheapest. malt wine. . ingredients.-- gallons of water, lbs. of sugar, quarts of sweet-wort, quarts of tun, lbs. of raisins, / lb. of candy, pint of brandy. _mode_.--boil the sugar and water together for minutes; skim it well, and put the liquor into a convenient-sized pan or tub. allow it to cool; then mix it with the sweet-wort and tun. let it stand for days, then put it into a barrel; here it will work or ferment for another three days or more; then bung up the cask, and keep it undisturbed for or months. after this, add the raisins (whole), the candy, and brandy, and, in months' time, bottle the wine off. those who do not brew, may procure the sweet-wort and tun from any brewer. sweet-wort is the liquor that leaves the mash of malt before it is boiled with the hops; tun is the new beer after the whole of the brewing operation has been completed. _time_.--to be boiled minutes; to stand days after mixing; to ferment days; to remain in the cask mouths before the raisins are added; bottle months after. _seasonable_.--make this in march or october. home-made noyeau. . ingredients.-- oz. of bitter almonds, oz. of sweet ditto, lb. of loaf sugar, the rinds of lemons, quart of irish whiskey or gin, tablespoonful of clarified honey, pint of new milk. _mode_.--blanch and pound the almonds, and mix with them the sugar, which should also be pounded. boil the milk; let it stand till quite cold; then mix all the ingredients together, and let them remain for days, shaking them every day. filter the mixture through blotting-paper, bottle off for use in small bottles, and seal the corks down. this will be found useful for flavouring many sweet dishes. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to make about pints of noyeau. _seasonable_.--may be made at any time. orange brandy. (_excellent_.) . ingredients.--to every gallon of brandy allow / pint of seville orange-juice, - / lb. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--to bring out the full flavour of the orange-peel, rub a few lumps of the sugar on or unpared oranges, and put these lumps to the rest. mix the brandy with the orange-juice, strained, the rinds of of the oranges pared very thin, and the sugar. let all stand in a closely-covered jar for about days, stirring it or times a day. when clear, it should be bottled and closely corked for a year; it will then be ready for use, but will keep any length of time. this is a most excellent stomachic when taken pure in small quantities; or, as the strength of the brandy is very little deteriorated by the other ingredients, it may be diluted with water. _time_.--to be stirred every day for days. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ to make quarts. _seasonable_.--make this in march. a very simple and easy method of making a very superior orange wine. . ingredients.-- seville oranges, lbs. of lump sugar, water. _mode_.--break up the sugar into small pieces, and put it into a dry, sweet -gallon cask, placed in a cellar or other storehouse, where it is intended to be kept. have ready close to the cask two large pans or wooden keelers, into one of which put the peel of the oranges pared quite thin, and into the other the pulp after the juice has been squeezed from it. strain the juice through a piece of double muslin, and put it into the cask with the sugar. then pour about - / gallon of cold spring water on both the peels and pulp; let it stand for hours, and then strain it into the cask; add more water to the peels and pulp when this is done, and repeat the same process every day for a week: it should take about a week to fill up the cask. be careful to apportion the quantity as nearly as possible to the seven days, and to stir the contents of the cask each day. on the ''third' day after the cask is full,--that is, the 'tenth' day after the commencement of making,--the cask may be securely bunged down. this is a very simple and easy method, and the wine made according to it will be pronounced to be most excellent. there is no troublesome boiling, and all fermentation takes place in the cask. when the above directions are attended to, the wine cannot fail to be good. it should be bottled in or months, and will be fit for use in a twelve month after the time of making. ginger wine may be made in precisely the same manner, only, with the -gallon cask for ginger wine, lbs. of the best whole ginger, 'bruised', must be put with the sugar. it will be found convenient to tie the ginger loosely in a muslin bag. _time_.--altogether, days to make it. _average cost_, s. d. per gallon. _sufficient_ for gallons. _seasonable_.--make this in march, and bottle it the following january. raspberry vinegar. . ingredients.--to every pints of the best vinegar allow - / pints of freshly-gathered raspberries; to each pint of liquor allow lb. of pounded loaf sugar, wineglassful of brandy. _mode_.--let the raspberries be freshly gathered; pick them from the stalks, and put - / pint of them into a stone jar; pour pints of the best vinegar over them, and let them remain for hours; then strain the liquor over another - / pint of fresh raspberries. let them remain another hours, and the following day repeat the process for the third time; then drain off the liquor without pressing, and pass it through a jelly-bag (previously wetted with plain vinegar), into a stone jar. add to every pint of the liquor lb. of pounded loaf sugar; stir them together, and, when the sugar is dissolved, cover the jar; set it upon the fire in a saucepan of boiling water, and let it boil for an hour, removing the scum as fast as it rises; add to each pint a glass of brandy, bottle it, and seal the corks. this is an excellent drink in cases of fevers and colds: it should be diluted with cold water, according to the taste or requirement of the patient. _time_.--to be boiled hour. average cost, s. per pint. _sufficient_ to make quarts. _seasonable_.--make this in july or august, when raspberries are most plentiful. rhubarb wine. . ingredients.--to every lbs. of rhubarb pulp allow gallon of cold spring water; to every gallon of liquor allow lbs. of loaf sugar, / oz. of isinglass, the rind of lemon. _mode_.--gather the rhubarb about the middle of may; wipe it with a wet cloth, and, with a mallet, bruise it in a large wooden tub or other convenient means. when reduced to a pulp, weigh it, and to every lbs. add gallon of cold spring water; let these remain for days, stirring or times a day; and, on the fourth day, press the pulp through a hair sieve; put the liquor into a tub, and to every gallon put lbs. of loaf sugar; stir in the sugar until it is quite dissolved, and add the lemon-rind; let the liquor remain, and, in , , or days, the fermentation will begin to subside, and a crust or head will be formed, which should be skimmed off, or the liquor drawn from it, when the crust begins to crack or separate. put the wine into a cask, and if, after that, it ferments, rack it off into another cask, and in a fortnight stop it down. if the wine should have lost any of its original sweetness, add a little more loaf sugar, taking care that the cask is full. bottle it off in february or march, and in the summer it should be fit to drink. it will improve greatly by keeping; and, should a very brilliant colour be desired, add a little currant-juice. _seasonable_.--make this about the middle of may. welsh nectar. . ingredients.-- lb. of raisins, lemons, lbs. of loaf sugar, gallons of boiling water. _mode_.--cut the peel of the lemons very thin, pour upon it the boiling water, and, when cool, add the strained juice of the lemons, the sugar, and the raisins, stoned and chopped very fine. let it stand or days, stirring it every day; then strain it through a jelly-bag, and bottle it for present use. _time_.-- or days. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to make gallons. claret-cup. [illustration: claret cup.] . ingredients.-- bottle of claret, bottle of soda-water, about / lb. of pounded ice, tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, / teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, liqueur-glass of maraschino, a sprig of green borage. _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a silver cup, regulating the proportion of ice by the state of the weather: if very warm, a larger quantity would be necessary. hand the cup round with a clean napkin passed through one of the handles, that the edge of the cup may be wiped after each guest has partaken of the contents thereof. _seasonable_ in summer. clarets.--all those wines called in england clarets are the produce of the country round bordeaux, or the bordelais; but it is remarkable that there is no pure wine in france known by the name of claret, which is a corruption of _clairet_, a term that is applied there to any red or rose-coloured wine. round bordeaux are produced a number of wines of the first quality, which pass under the name simply of _vins de bordeaux_, or have the designation of the particular district where they are made; as lafitte, latour, &c. the clarets brought to the english market are frequently prepared for it by the wine-growers by mixing together several bordeaux wines, or by adding to them a portion of some other wines; but in france the pure wines are carefully preserved distinct. the genuine wines of bordeaux are of great variety, that part being one of the most distinguished in france; and the principal vineyards are those of medoc, palus, graves, and blanche, the product of each having characters considerably different. champagne-cup. . ingredients.-- quart bottle of champagne, bottles of soda-water, liqueur-glass of brandy or curaçoa, tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, lb. of pounded ice, a sprig of green borage. _mode_.--put all the ingredients into a silver cup; stir them together, and serve the same as claret-cup no. . should the above proportion of sugar not be found sufficient to suit some tastes, increase the quantity. when borage is not easily obtainable, substitute for it a few slices of cucumber-rind. _seasonable_.--suitable for pic-nics, balls, weddings, and other festive occasions. champagne.--this, the most celebrated of french wines, is the produce chiefly of the province of that name, and is generally understood in england to be a brisk, effervescing, or sparkling white wine, of a very fine flavour; but this is only one of the varieties of this class. there is both red and white champagne, and each of these may be either still or brisk. there are the sparkling wines (mousseux), and the still wines (non-mousseux). the brisk are in general the most highly esteemed, or, at least, are the most popular in this country, on account of their delicate flavour and the agreeable pungency which they derive from the carbonic acid they contain, and to which they owe their briskness. ginger beer. . ingredients.-- - / lbs. of loaf sugar, - / oz. of bruised ginger, oz. of cream of tartar, the rind and juice of lemons, gallons of boiling water, large tablespoonfuls of thick and fresh brewer's yeast. _mode_.--peel the lemons, squeeze the juice, strain it, and put the peel and juice into a large earthen pan, with the bruised ginger, cream of tartar, and loaf sugar. pour over these ingredients gallons of boiling water; let it stand until just warm, when add the yeast, which should be thick and perfectly fresh. stir the contents of the pan well, and let them remain near the fire all night, covering the pan over with a cloth. the next day skim off the yeast, and pour the liquor carefully into another vessel, leaving the sediment; then bottle immediately, and tie the corks down, and in days the ginger beer will be fit for use. for some tastes, the above proportion of sugar may be found rather too large, when it may be diminished; but the beer will not keep so long good. _average cost_ for this quantity, s.; or / d. per bottle. _sufficient_ to fill dozen ginger-beer bottles. _seasonable_.--this should be made during the summer months. lemonade. . ingredients--the rind of lemons, the juice of large or small ones, lb. of loaf sugar, quart of boiling water. _mode_.--rub some of the sugar, in lumps, on of the lemons until they have imbibed all the oil from them, and put it with the remainder of the sugar into a jug; add the lemon-juice (but no pips), and pour over the whole a quart of boiling water. when the sugar is dissolved, strain the lemonade through a fine sieve or piece of muslin, and, when cool, it will be ready for use. the lemonade will be much improved by having the white of an egg beaten up in it; a little sherry mixed with it, also, makes this beverage much nicer. _average cost_, d. per quart. lemonade--"there is a current opinion among women" says brillat savarin "which every year causes the death of many young women,--that acids, especially vinegar, are preventives of obesity. beyond all doubt, acids have the effect of destroying obesity; but they also destroy health and freshness. lemonade is, of all acids, the most harmless; but few stomachs can resist it long. i knew, in , at dijon, a young lady of great beauty, to whom i was attached by bonds of friendship, great, almost as those of love. one day, when she had for some time gradually grown pale and thin (previously she had a slight embonpoint), she told me in confidence, that as her young friends had ridiculed her for being fat, she had, to counteract the tendency, been in the habit every day of drinking a large glass of vinaigre. she died at eighteen years of age, from the effects of these potions." to make negus. . ingredients.--to every pint of port wine allow quart of boiling water, / lb. of sugar, lemon, grated nutmeg to taste. _mode_.--as this beverage is more usually drunk at children's parties than at any other, the wine need not be very old or expensive for the purpose, a new fruity wine answering very well for it. put the wine into a jug, rub some lumps of sugar (equal to / lb.) on the lemon-rind until all the yellow part of the skin is absorbed, then squeeze the juice, and strain it. add the sugar and lemon-juice to the port wine, with the grated nutmeg; pour over it the boiling water, cover the jug, and, when the beverage has cooled a little, it will be fit for use. negus may also be made of sherry, or any other sweet white wine, but is more usually made of port than of any other beverage. _sufficient_--allow pint of wine, with the other ingredients in proportion, for a party of or children. a pleasant drink for warm weather. . ingredients.--to every - / pint of good ale allow bottle of ginger beer. _mode_.--for this beverage the ginger beer must be in an effervescing state, and the beer not in the least turned or sour. mix them together, and drink immediately. the draught is refreshing and wholesome, as the ginger corrects the action of the beer. it does not deteriorate by standing a little, but, of course, is better when taken fresh. for a summer draught. . ingredients.--the juice of lemon, a tumbler-ful of cold water, pounded sugar to taste, small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. _mode_.--squeeze the juice from the lemon; strain, and add it to the water, with sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten the whole nicely. when well mixed, put in the soda, stir well, and drink while the mixture is in an effervescing state. to mull wine. . ingredients.--to every pint of wine allow large cupful of water, sugar and spice to taste. _mode_.--in making preparations like the above, it is very difficult to give the exact proportions of ingredients like sugar and spice, as what quantity might suit one person would be to another quite distasteful. boil the spice in the water until the flavour is extracted, then add the wine and sugar, and bring the whole to the boiling-point, when serve with strips of crisp dry toast, or with biscuits. the spices usually used for mulled wine are cloves, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon or mace. any kind of wine may be mulled, but port and claret are those usually selected for the purpose; and the latter requires a very large proportion of sugar. the vessel that the wine is boiled in must be delicately clean, and should be kept exclusively for the purpose. small tin warmers may be purchased for a trifle, which are more suitable than saucepans, as, if the latter are not scrupulously clean, they will spoil the wine, by imparting to it a very disagreeable flavour. these warmers should be used for no other purposes. to make hot punch. . ingredients.-- / pint of rum, / pint of brandy, / lb. of sugar, large lemon, / teaspoonful of nutmeg, pint of boiling water. [illustration: punch-bowl and ladle.] _mode_.--rub the sugar over the lemon until it has absorbed all the yellow part of the skin, then put the sugar into a punchbowl; add the lemon-juice (free from pips), and mix these two ingredients well together. pour over them the boiling water, stir well together, add the rum, brandy, and nutmeg; mix thoroughly, and the punch will be ready to serve. it is very important in making good punch that all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated; and, to insure success, the processes of mixing must be diligently attended to. _sufficient_.--allow a quart for persons; but this information must be taken _cum grano salis_; for the capacities of persons for this kind of beverage are generally supposed to vary considerably. punch is a beverage made of various spirituous liquors or wine, hot water, the acid juice of fruits, and sugar. it is considered to be very intoxicating; but this is probably because the spirit, being partly sheathed by the mucilaginous juice and the sugar, its strength does not appear to the taste so great as it really is. punch, which was almost universally drunk among the middle classes about fifty or sixty years ago, has almost disappeared from our domestic tables, being superseded by wine. there are many different varieties of punch. it is sometimes kept cold in bottles, and makes a most agreeable summer drink. in scotland, instead of the madeira or sherry generally used in its manufacture, whiskey is substituted, and then its insidious properties are more than usually felt. where fresh lemons cannot be had for punch or similar beverages, crystallized citric acid and a few drops of the essence of lemon will be very nearly the same thing. in the composition of "regent's punch," champagne, brandy, and _veritable martinique_ are required; "norfolk punch" requires seville oranges; "milk punch" may be extemporized by adding a little hot milk to lemonade, and then straining it through a jelly-bag. then there are "wine punch," "tea punch," and "french punch," made with lemons, spirits, and wine, in fantastic proportions. but of all the compounds of these materials, perhaps, for a _summer_ drink, the north-american "mint julep" is the most inviting. captain marryat gives the following recipe for its preparation:--"put into a tumbler about a dozen sprigs of the tender shoots of mint; upon them put a spoonful of white sugar, and equal proportions of peach and common brandy, so as to fill up one third, or, perhaps, a little less; then take rasped or pounded ice, and fill up the tumbler. epicures rub the lips of the tumbler with a piece of fresh pineapple; and the tumbler itself is very often encrusted outside with stalactites of ice. as the ice melts, you drink." the virginians, say captain marryat, claim the merit of having invented this superb compound; but, from a passage in the "comus" of milton, he claims it for his own country. whiskey cordial. . ingredients.-- lb. of ripe white currants, the rind of lemons, / oz. of grated ginger, quart of whiskey, lb. of lump sugar. _mode_.--strip the currants from the stalks; put them into a large jug; add the lemon-rind, ginger, and whiskey; cover the jug closely, and let it remain covered for hours. strain through a hair sieve, add the lump sugar, and let it stand hours longer; then bottle, and cork well. _time_.--to stand hours before being strained; hours after the sugar is added. _seasonable_.--make this in july. [illustration] invalid cookery. chapter xxxviii. a few rules to be observed in cooking for invalids. . let all the kitchen utensils used in the preparation of invalids' cookery be delicately and 'scrupulously clean;' if this is not the case, a disagreeable flavour may be imparted to the preparation, which flavour may disgust, and prevent the patient from partaking of the refreshment when brought to him or her. . for invalids, never make a large quantity of one thing, as they seldom require much at a time; and it is desirable that variety be provided for them. . always have something in readiness; a little beef tea, nicely made and nicely skimmed, a few spoonfuls of jelly, &c. &c., that it may be administered as soon almost as the invalid wishes for it. if obliged to wait a long time, the patient loses the desire to eat, and often turns against the food when brought to him or her. . in sending dishes or preparations up to invalids, let everything look as tempting as possible. have a clean tray-cloth laid smoothly over the tray; let the spoons, tumblers, cups and saucers, &c., be very clean and bright. gruel served in a tumbler is more appetizing than when served in a basin or cup and saucer. . as milk is an important article of food for the sick, in warm weather let it be kept on ice, to prevent its turning sour. many other delicacies may also be preserved good in the same manner for some little time. . if the patient be allowed to eat vegetables, never send them up undercooked, or half raw; and let a small quantity only be temptingly arranged on a dish. this rule will apply to every preparation, as an invalid is much more likely to enjoy his food if small delicate pieces are served to him. . never leave food about a sick room; if the patient cannot eat it when brought to him, take it away, and bring it to him in an hour or two's time. miss nightingale says, "to leave the patient's untasted food by his side, from meal to meal, in hopes that he will eat it in the interval, is simply to prevent him from taking any food at all." she says, "i have known patients literally incapacitated from taking one article of food after another by this piece of ignorance. let the food come at the right time, and be taken away, eaten or uneaten, at the right time, but never let a patient have 'something always standing' by him, if you don't wish to disgust him of everything." . never serve beef tea or broth with the _smallest particle_ of fat or grease on the surface. it is better, after making either of these, to allow them to get perfectly cold, when _all the fat_ may be easily removed; then warm up as much as may be required. two or three pieces of clean whity-brown paper laid on the broth will absorb any greasy particles that may be floating at the top, as the grease will cling to the paper. . roast mutton, chickens, rabbits, calves' feet or head, game, fish (simply dressed), and simple puddings, are all light food, and easily digested. of course, these things are only partaken of, supposing the patient is recovering. . a mutton chop, nicely cut, trimmed, and broiled to a turn, is a dish to be recommended for invalids; but it must not be served _with all the fat_ at the end, nor must it be too thickly cut. let it be cooked over a fire free from smoke, and sent up with the gravy in it, between two very hot plates. nothing is more disagreeable to an invalid than _smoked_ food. . in making toast-and-water, never blacken the bread, but toast it only a nice brown. never leave toast-and-water to make until the moment it is required, as it cannot then be properly prepared,--at least, the patient will be obliged to drink it warm, which is anything but agreeable. . in boiling eggs for invalids, let the white be just set; if boiled hard, they will be likely to disagree with the patient. . in miss nightingale's admirable "notes on nursing," a book that no mother or nurse should be without, she says,--"you cannot be too careful as to quality in sick diet. a nurse should never put before a patient milk that is sour, meat or soup that is turned, an egg that is bad, or vegetables underdone." yet often, she says, she has seen these things brought in to the sick, in a state perfectly perceptible to every nose or eye except the nurse's. it is here that the clever nurse appears,--she will not bring in the peccant article; but, not to disappoint the patient, she will whip up something else in a few minutes. remember, that sick cookery should half do the work of your poor patient's weak digestion. . she goes on to caution nurses, by saying,--"take care not to spill into your patient's saucer; in other words, take care that the outside bottom rim of his cup shall be quite dry and clean. if, every time he lifts his cup to his lips, he has to carry the saucer with it, or else to drop the liquid upon and to soil his sheet, or bedgown, or pillow, or, if he is sitting up, his dress, you have no idea what a difference this minute want of care on your part makes to his comfort, and even to his willingness for food." recipes. chapter xxxix. to make arrowroot. . ingredients.--two teaspoonfuls of arrowroot, tablespoonfuls of cold water, / pint of boiling water. _mode_.--mix the arrowroot smoothly in a basin with the cold water, then pour on it the _boiling_ water, _stirring_ all the time. the water must be _boiling_ at the time it is poured on the mixture, or it will not thicken; if mixed with hot water only, it must be put into a clean saucepan, and boiled until it thickens; but this is more trouble, and quite unnecessary if the water is boiling at first. put the arrowroot into a tumbler, sweeten it with lump sugar, and flavour it with grated nutmeg or cinnamon, or a piece of lemon-peel, or, when allowed, tablespoonfuls of port or sherry. as arrowroot is in itself flavourless and insipid, it is almost necessary to add the wine to make it palatable. arrowroot made with milk instead of water is far nicer, but is not so easily digested. it should be mixed in the same manner, with tablespoonfuls of cold water, the boiling milk then poured on it, and well stirred. when made in this manner, no wine should be added, but merely sugar, and a little grated nutmeg or lemon-peel. _time_.--if obliged to be boiled, minutes. _average cost_, d. per pint. _sufficient_ to make / pint of arrowroot. miss nightingale says, in her "notes on nursing," that arrowroot is a grand dependence of the nurse. as a vehicle for wine, and as a restorative quickly prepared, it is all very well, but it is nothing but starch and water; flour is both more nutritive and less liable to ferment, and is preferable wherever it can be used. barley gruel. . ingredients.-- oz. of scotch or pearl barley, / pint of port wine, the rind of lemon, quart and / pint of water, sugar to taste. _mode_.--after well washing the barley, boil it in / pint of water for / hour; then pour this water away; put to the barley the quart of fresh boiling water, and let it boil until the liquid is reduced to half; then strain it off. add the wine, sugar, and lemon-peel; simmer for minutes, and put it away in a clean jug. it can be warmed from time to time, as required. _time_.--to be boiled until reduced to half. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ with the wine to make - / pint of gruel. to make barley-water. . ingredients.-- oz. of pearl barley, quarts of boiling water, pint of cold water. _mode_.--wash the barley in cold water; put it into a saucepan with the above proportion of cold water, and when it has boiled for about / hour, strain off the water, and add the quarts of fresh boiling water. boil it until the liquid is reduced one half; strain it, and it will be ready for use. it may be flavoured with lemon-peel, after being sweetened, or a small piece may be simmered with the barley. when the invalid may take it, a little lemon-juice gives this pleasant drink in illness a very nice flavour. _time_.--to boil until the liquid is reduced one half. _sufficient_ to make quart of barley-water. to make beef tea. . ingredients.-- lb. of lean gravy-beef, quart of water, saltspoonful of salt. _mode_.--have the meat cut without fat and bone, and choose a nice fleshy piece. cut it into small pieces about the size of dice, and put it into a clean saucepan. add the water _cold_ to it; put it on the fire, and bring it to the boiling-point; then skim well. put in the salt when the water boils, and _simmer_ the beef tea _gently_ from / to / hour, removing any more scum should it appear on the surface. strain the tea through a hair sieve, and set it by in a cool place. when wanted for use, remove every particle of fat from the top; warm up as much as may be required, adding, if necessary, a little more salt. this preparation is simple beef tea, and is to be administered to those invalids to whom flavourings and seasonings are not allowed. when the patient is very low, use double the quantity of meat to the same proportion of water. should the invalid be able to take the tea prepared in a more palatable manner, it is easy to make it so by following the directions in the next recipe, which is an admirable one for making savoury beef tea. beef tea is always better when made the day before it is wanted, and then warmed up. it is a good plan to put the tea into a small cup or basin, and to place this basin in a saucepan of boiling water. when the tea is warm, it is ready to serve. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, d. per pint. _sufficient_.--allow lb. of meat for a pint of good beef tea. miss nightingale says, one of the most common errors among nurses, with respect to sick diet, is the belief that beef tea is the most nutritive of all article. she says, "just try and boil down a lb. of beef into beef tea; evaporate your beef tea, and see what is left of your beef: you will find that there is barely a teaspoonful of solid nourishment to / pint of water in beef tea. nevertheless, there is a certain reparative quality in it,--we do not know what,--as there is in tea; but it maybe safely given in almost any inflammatory disease, and is as little to be depended upon with the healthy or convalescent, where much nourishment is required." savoury beef tea. (_soyer's recipe_.) . ingredients.-- lb. of solid beef, oz. of butter, clove, button onions or / a large one, saltspoonful of salt, quart of water. _mode_.--cut the beef into very small dice; put it into a stewpan with the butter, clove, onion, and salt; stir the meat round over the fire for a few minutes, until it produces a thin gravy; then add the water, and let it simmer gently from / to / hour, skimming off every particle of fat. when done, strain it through a sieve, and put it by in a cool place until required. the same, if wanted quite plain, is done by merely omitting the vegetables, salt, and clove; the butter cannot be objectionable, as it is taken out in skimming. _time_.-- / to / hour. _average cost_, d. per pint. _sufficient_.--allow lb. of beef to make pint of good beef tea. _note_.--the meat loft from beef tea may be boiled a little longer, and pounded, with spices, &c., for potting. it makes a very nice breakfast dish. dr. christison says that "every one will be struck with the readiness with which certain classes of patients will often take diluted meat juice, or beef tea repeatedly, when they refuse all other kinds of food." this is particularly remarkable in case of gastric fever, in which, he says, little or nothing else besides beef tea, or diluted meat juice, has been taken for weeks, or even months; and yet a pint of beef tea contains scarcely / oz. of anything but water. the result is so striking, that he asks, "what is its mode of action? not simple nutriment; / oz. of the most nutritive material cannot nearly replace the daily wear and tear of the tissue in any circumstances." possibly, he says, it belongs to a new denomination of remedies. baked beef tea. . ingredients.-- lb. of fleshy beef, - / pint of water, / saltspoonful of salt. _mode_.--cut the beef into small square pieces, after trimming off all the fat, and put it into a baking-jar, with the above proportion of water and salt; cover the jar well, place it in a warm, but not hot oven, and bake for or hours. when the oven is very fierce in the daytime, it is a good plan to put the jar in at night, and let it remain till the next morning, when the tea will be done. it should be strained, and put by in a cool place until wanted. it may also be flavoured with an onion, a clove, and a few sweet herbs, &c., when the stomach is sufficiently strong to take those. _time_.-- or hours, or to be left in the oven all night. _average cost_, d. per pint. _sufficient_.--allow lb. of meat for pint of good beef tea. baked or stewed calf's foot. . ingredients.-- calf's foot, pint of milk, pint of water, blade of mace, the rind of / lemon, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--well clean the foot, and either stew or bake it in the milk-and-water with the other ingredients from to hours. to enhance the flavour, an onion and a small quantity of celery may be added, if approved; / a teacupful of cream, stirred in just before serving, is also a great improvement to this dish. _time_.-- to hours. _average cost_, in full season, d. each. _sufficient_ for person. _seasonable_ from march to october. calf's-foot broth. . ingredients.-- calf's foot, pints of water, small lump of sugar, nutmeg to taste, the yolk of egg, a piece of butter the size of a nut. _mode_.--stew the foot in the water, with the lemon-peel, very gently, until the liquid is half wasted, removing any scum, should it rise to the surface. set it by in a basin until quite cold, then take off every particle of fat. warm up about / pint of the broth, adding the butter, sugar, and a very small quantity of grated nutmeg; take it off the fire for a minute or two, then add the beaten yolk of the egg; keep stirring over the fire until the mixture thickens, but do not allow it to boil again after the egg is added, or it will curdle, and the broth will be spoiled. _time_.--to be boiled until the liquid is reduced one half. _average cost_, in full season, d. each. _sufficient_ to make - / pint of broth. _seasonable_ from march to october. chicken broth. . ingredients.-- / fowl, or the inferior joints of a whole one; quart of water, blade of mace, / onion, a small bunch of sweet herbs, salt to taste, peppercorns. _mode_.--an old fowl not suitable for eating may be converted into very good broth, or, if a young one be used, the inferior joints may be put in the broth, and the best pieces reserved for dressing in some other manner. put the fowl into a saucepan, with all the ingredients, and simmer gently for - / hour, carefully skimming the broth well. when done, strain, and put by in a cool place until wanted; then take all the fat off the top, warm up as much as may be required, and serve. this broth is, of course, only for those invalids whose stomachs are strong enough to digest it, with a flavouring of herbs, &c. it may be made in the same manner as beef tea, with water and salt only; but the preparation will be but tasteless and insipid. when the invalid cannot digest this chicken broth with the flavouring, we would recommend plain beef tea in preference to plain chicken tea, which it would be without the addition of herbs, onions, &c. _time_.-- - / hour. _sufficient_ to make rather more than pint of broth. nutritious coffee. . ingredients.-- / oz. of ground coffee, pint of milk. _mode_.--let the coffee be freshly ground; put it into a saucepan, with the milk, which should be made nearly boiling before the coffee is put in, and boil both together for minutes; clear it by pouring some of it into a cup, and then back again, and leave it on the hob for a few minutes to settle thoroughly. this coffee may be made still more nutritious by the addition of an egg well beaten, and put into the coffee-cup. _time_.-- minutes to boil, minutes to settle. _sufficient_ to make large breakfast-cupful of coffee. our great nurse miss nightingale remarks, that "a great deal too much against tea is said by wise people, and a great deal too much of tea is given to the sick by foolish people. when you see the natural and almost universal craving in english sick for their 'tea,' you cannot but feel that nature knows what she is about. but a little tea or coffee restores them quite as much as a great deal; and a great deal of tea, and especially of coffee, impairs the little power of digestion they have. yet a nurse, because she sees how one or two cups of tea or coffee restore her patient, thinks that three or four cups will do twice as much. this is not the case at all; it is, however, certain that there is nothing yet discovered which is a substitute to the english patient for his cup of tea; he can take it when he can take nothing else, and he often can't take anything else, if he has it not. coffee is a better restorative than tea, but a greater impairer of the digestion. in making coffee, it is absolutely necessary to buy it in the berry, and grind it at home; otherwise, you may reckon upon its containing a certain amount of chicory, at least. this is not a question of the taste, or of the wholesomeness of chicory; it is, that chicory has nothing at all of the properties for which you give coffee, and, therefore, you may as well not give it." the invalid's cutlet. . ingredients.-- nice cutlet from a loin or neck of mutton, teacupfuls of water, very small stick of celery, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--have the cutlet cut from a very nice loin or neck of mutton; take off all the fat; put it into a stewpan, with the other ingredients; stew _very gently_ indeed for nearly hours, and skim off every particle of fat that may rise to the surface from time to time. the celery should be cut into thin slices before it is added to the meat, and care must be taken not to put in too much of this ingredient, or the dish will not be good. if the water is allowed to boil fast, the cutlet will be hard. _time_.-- hours' very gentle stewing. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ for person. _seasonable_ at any time. eel broth. . ingredients.-- / lb. of eels, a small bunch of sweet herbs, including parsley; / onion, peppercorns, pints of water, cloves, salt and pepper to taste. _mode_.--after having cleaned and skinned the eel, cut it into small pieces, and put it into a stewpan, with the other ingredients; simmer gently until the liquid is reduced nearly half, carefully removing the scum as it rises. strain it through a hair sieve; put it by in a cool place, and, when wanted, take off all the fat from the top, warm up as much as is required, and serve with sippets of toasted bread. this is a very nutritious broth, and easy of digestion. _time_.--to be simmered until the liquor is reduced to half. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to make - / pint of broth. _seasonable_ from june to march. egg wine. . ingredients.-- egg, tablespoonful and / glass of cold water, glass of sherry, sugar and grated nutmeg to taste. _mode_.--beat the egg, mixing with it a tablespoonful of cold water; make the wine-and-water hot, but not boiling; pour it on the egg, stirring all the time. add sufficient lump sugar to sweeten the mixture, and a little grated nutmeg; put all into a very clean saucepan, set it on a gentle fire, and stir the contents one way until they thicken, but _do not allow them to boil_. serve in a glass with sippets of toasted bread or plain crisp biscuits. when the egg is not warmed, the mixture will be found easier of digestion, but it is not so pleasant a drink. _sufficient_ for person. to make gruel. . ingredients.-- tablespoonful of robinson's patent groats, tablespoonfuls of cold water, pint of boiling water. _mode_.--mix the prepared groats smoothly with the cold water in a basin; pour over them the boiling water, stirring it all the time. put it into a very clean saucepan; boil the gruel for minutes, keeping it well stirred; sweeten to taste, and serve. it may be flavoured with a small piece of lemon-peel, by boiling it in the gruel, or a little grated nutmeg may be put in; but in these matters the taste of the patient should be consulted. pour the gruel in a tumbler and serve. when wine is allowed to the invalid, tablespoonfuls of sherry or port make this preparation very nice. in cases of colds, the same quantity of spirits is sometimes added instead of wine. _time_.-- minutes. _sufficient_ to make a pint of gruel. invalid's jelly. . ingredients.-- shanks of mutton, quarts of water, a bunch of sweet herbs, pepper and salt to taste, blades of mace, onion, lb. of lean beef, a crust of bread toasted brown. _mode_.--soak the shanks in plenty of water for some hours, and scrub them well; put them, with the beef and other ingredients, into a saucepan with the water, and let them simmer very gently for hours. strain the broth, and, when cold, take off all the fat. it may be eaten either warmed up or cold as a jelly. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, s. _sufficient_ to make from - / to pints of jelly. _seasonable_ at any time. lemonade for invalids. . ingredients.-- / lemon, lump sugar to taste, pint of boiling water. _mode_.--pare off the rind of the lemon thinly; cut the lemon into or thick slices, and remove as much as possible of the white outside pith, and all the pips. put the slices of lemon, the peel, and lump sugar into a jug; pour over the boiling water; cover it closely, and in hours it will be fit to drink. it should either be strained or poured off from the sediment. _time_.-- hours. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to make pint of lemonade. _seasonable_ at any time. nourishing lemonade. . ingredients.-- - / pint of boiling water, the juice of lemons, the rinds of , / pint of sherry, eggs, oz. of loaf sugar. _mode_.--pare off the lemon-rind thinly, put it into a jug with the sugar, and pour over the boiling water. let it cool, then strain it; add the wine, lemon-juice, and eggs, previously well beaten, and also strained, and the beverage will be ready for use. if thought desirable, the quantity of sherry and water could be lessened, and milk substituted for them. to obtain the flavour of the lemon-rind properly, a few lumps of the sugar should be rubbed over it, until some of the yellow is absorbed. _time_.--altogether hour to make it. _average cost_, s. d. _sufficient_ to make - / pints of lemonade. _seasonable_ at any time. to make mutton broth. . ingredients.-- lb. of the scrag end of the neck of mutton, onion, a bunch of sweet herbs, turnip, / pints of water, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--put the mutton into a stewpan; pour over the water cold and add the other ingredients. when it boils, skim it very carefully, cover the pan closely, and let it simmer very gently for an hour; strain it, let it cool, take off all the fat from the surface, and warm up as much as may be required, adding, if the patient be allowed to take it, a teaspoonful of minced parsley which has been previously scalded. pearl barley or rice are very nice additions to mutton broth, and should be boiled as long as the other ingredients. when either of these is added, the broth must not be strained, but merely thoroughly skimmed. plain mutton broth without seasoning is made by merely boiling the mutton, water, and salt together, straining it, letting the broth cool, skimming all the fat off, and warming up as much as is required. this preparation would be very tasteless and insipid, but likely to agree with very delicate stomachs, whereas the least addition of other ingredients would have the contrary effect. _time_.-- hour. _average cost_, _ d._ _sufficient_ to make from - / to pints of broth. _seasonable_ at any time. _note_.--veal broth may be made in the same manner; the knuckle of a leg or shoulder is the part usually used for this purpose. it is very good with the addition of the inferior joints of a fowl, or a few shank-bones. mutton broth, quickly made. . ingredients.-- or chops from a neck of mutton, pint of water, a small bunch of sweet herbs, / of an onion, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--cut the meat into small pieces, put it into a saucepan with the bones, but no skin or fat; add the other ingredients; cover the saucepan, and bring the water quickly to boil. take the lid off, and continue the rapid boiling for minutes, skimming it well during the process; strain the broth into a basin; if there should be any fat left on the surface, remove it by laying a piece of thin paper on the top: the greasy particles will adhere to the paper, and so free the preparation from them. to an invalid nothing is more disagreeable than broth served with a quantity of fat floating on the top; to avoid this, it is always better to allow it to get thoroughly cool, the fat can then be so easily removed. _time_.-- minutes after the water boils. _average cost_, d. _sufficient_ to make / pint of broth. _seasonable_ at any time. stewed rabbits in milk. . ingredients.-- very young rabbits, not nearly half grown; - / pint of milk, blade of mace, dessertspoonful of flour, a little salt and cayenne. _mode_.--mix the flour very smoothly with tablespoonfuls of the milk, and when this is well mixed, add the remainder. cut up the rabbits into joints, put them into a stewpan, with the milk and other ingredients, and simmer them _very gently_ until quite tender. stir the contents from time to time, to keep the milk smooth and prevent it from burning. / hour will be sufficient for the cooking of this dish. _time_.-- / hour. _average cost_, from s. to s. d. each. _sufficient_ for or meals. _seasonable_ from september to february. rice-milk. . ingredients.-- tablespoonfuls of rice, quart of milk, sugar to taste; when liked, a little grated nutmeg. _mode_.--well wash the rice, put it into a saucepan with the milk, and simmer gently until the rice is tender, stirring it from time to time to prevent the milk from burning; sweeten it, add a little grated nutmeg, and serve. this dish is also very suitable and wholesome for children; it may be flavoured with a little lemon-peel, and a little finely-minced suet may be boiled with it, which renders it more strengthening and more wholesome. tapioca, semolina, vermicelli, and macaroni, may all be dressed in the same manner. _time_.--from / to hour. _seasonable_ at any time. to make toast-and-water. . ingredients.--a slice of bread, quart of boiling water. _mode_.--cut a slice from a stale loaf (a piece of hard crust is better than anything else for the purpose), toast it of a nice brown on every side, but _do not allow it to burn or blacken_. put it into a jug, pour the boiling water over it, cover it closely, and let it remain until cold. when strained, it will be ready for use. toast-and-water should always be made a short time before it is required, to enable it to get cold: if drunk in a tepid or lukewarm state, it is an exceedingly disagreeable beverage. if, as is sometimes the case, this drink is wanted in a hurry, put the toasted bread into a jug, and only just cover it with the boiling water; when this is cool, cold water may be added in the proportion required,--the toast-and-water strained; it will then be ready for use, and is more expeditiously prepared than by the above method. toast sandwiches. . ingredients.--thin cold toast, thin slices of bread-and-butter, pepper and salt to taste. _mode_.--place a very thin piece of cold toast between slices of thin bread-and-butter in the form of a sandwich, adding a seasoning of pepper and salt. this sandwich may be varied by adding a little pulled meat, or very fine slices of cold meat, to the toast, and in any of these forms will be found very tempting to the appetite of an invalid. . besides the recipes contained in this chapter, there are, in the previous chapters on cookery, many others suitable for invalids, which it would be useless to repeat here. recipes for fish simply dressed, light soups, plain roast meat, well-dressed vegetables, poultry, simple puddings, jelly, stewed fruits, &c. &c., all of which dishes may be partaken of by invalids and convalescents, will be found in preceding chapters. dinners and dining. chapter xl. . man, it has been said, is a dining animal. creatures of the inferior races eat and drink; man only dines. it has also been said that he is a cooking animal; but some races eat food without cooking it. a croat captain said to m. brillat savarin, "when, in campaign, we feel hungry, we knock over the first animal we find, cut off a steak, powder it with salt, put it under the saddle, gallop over it for half a mile, and then eat it." huntsmen in dauphiny, when out shooting, have been known to kill a bird, pluck it, salt and pepper it, and cook it by carrying it some time in their caps. it is equally true that some races of men do not dine any more than the tiger or the vulture. it is not a _dinner_ at which sits the aboriginal australian, who gnaws his bone half bare and then flings it behind to his squaw. and the native of terra-del-fuego does not dine when he gets his morsel of red clay. dining is the privilege of civilization. the rank which a people occupy in the grand scale may be measured by their way of taking their meals, as well as by their way of treating their women. the nation which knows how to dine has learnt the leading lesson of progress. it implies both the will and the skill to reduce to order, and surround with idealisms and graces, the more material conditions of human existence; and wherever that will and that skill exist, life cannot be wholly ignoble. . dinner, being the grand solid meal of the day, is a matter of considerable importance; and a well-served table is a striking index of human, ingenuity and resource. "their table," says lord byron, in describing a dinner-party given by lord and lady amundevillo at norman abbey,-- "their table was a board to tempt even ghosts to pass the styx for more substantial feasts. i will not dwell upon ragouts or roasts, albeit all human history attests that happiness for man--the hungry sinner!-- since eve ate apples, much depends on dinner." and then he goes on to observe upon the curious complexity of the results produced by human cleverness and application catering for the modifications which occur in civilized life, one of the simplest of the primal instincts:-- "the mind is lost in mighty contemplation of intellect expended on two courses; and indigestion's grand multiplication requires arithmetic beyond my forces. who would suppose, from adam's simple ration, that cookery could have call'd forth such resources, as form a science and a nomenclature from out the commonest demands of nature?" and we may well say, who, indeed, would suppose it? the gulf between the croat, with a steak under his saddle, and alexis soyer getting up a great dinner at the reform-club, or even thackeray's mrs. raymond gray giving "a little dinner" to mr. snob (with one of those famous "roly-poly puddings" of hers),--what a gulf it is! . that adam's "ration," however, was "simple," is a matter on which we have contrary judgments given by the poets. when raphael paid that memorable visit to paradise,--which we are expressly told by milton he did exactly at dinner-time,--eve seems to have prepared "a little dinner" not wholly destitute of complexity, and to have added ice-creams and perfumes. nothing can be clearer than the testimony of the poet on these points:-- "and eve within, due at her home prepared for dinner savoury fruits, of taste to please true appetite, and not disrelish thirst of nectarous draughts between.... .... with dispatchful looks in haste she turns, on hospitable thoughts intent, what choice to choose for delicacy best, what order so contrived as not to mix tastes not well join'd, inelegant, but bring taste after taste, upheld with kindliest change-- * * * * * "she _tempers dulcet creams_.... .... _then strews the ground with rose and odours._" it may be observed, in passing, that the poets, though they have more to say about wine than solid food, because the former more directly stimulates the intellect and the feelings, do not flinch from the subject of eating and drinking. there is infinite zest in the above passage from milton, and even more in the famous description of a dainty supper, given by keats in his "eve of saint agnes." could queen mab herself desire to sit down to anything nicer, both as to its appointments and serving, and as to its quality, than the collation served by porphyro in the lady's bedroom while she slept?-- "there by the bedside, where the faded moon made a dim silver twilight, soft he set a table, and, half-anguish'd, threw thereor a cloth of woven crimson, gold, and jet. * * * * * "while he, from forth the closet, brought a heap of candied apple, quince, and plum, and gourd; with jellies smoother than the creamy curd, and lucent syrups tinct with cinnamon; manna and dates, in argosy transferr'd from fez; and spiced dainties, every one, from silken samarcand to cedar'd lebanon." but tennyson has ventured beyond dates, and quinces, and syrups, which may be thought easy to be brought in by a poet. in his idyl of "audley court" he gives a most appetizing description of a pasty at a pic-nic:-- "there, on a slope of orchard, francis laid a damask napkin wrought with horse and hound; brought out a dusky loaf that smelt of home, and, half cut down, a pasty costly made, where quail and pigeon, lark and leveret, lay like fossils of the rock, with golden yolks imbedded and injellied." we gladly quote passages like these, to show how eating and drinking may be surrounded with poetical associations, and how man, using his privilege to turn any and every repast into a "feast of reason," with a warm and plentiful "flow of soul," may really count it as not the least of his legitimate prides, that he is "a dining animal." . it has been said, indeed, that great men, in general, are great diners. this, however, can scarcely be true of any great men but men of action; and, in that case, it would simply imply that persons of vigorous constitution, who work hard, eat heartily; for, of course, a life of action _requires_ a vigorous constitution, even though there may be much illness, as in such cases as william iii. and our brave general napier. of men of thought, it can scarcely be true that they eat so much, in a general way, though even they eat more than they are apt to suppose they do; for, as mr. lewes observes, "nerve-tissue is very expensive." leaving great men of all kinds, however, to get their own dinners, let us, who are not great, look after ours. dine we must, and we may as well dine elegantly as well as wholesomely. . there are plenty of elegant dinners in modern days, and they were not wanting in ancient times. it is well known that the dinner-party, or symposium, was a not unimportant, and not unpoetical, feature in the life of the sociable, talkative, tasteful greek. douglas jerrold said that such is the british humour for dining and giving of dinners, that if london were to be destroyed by an earthquake, the londoners would meet at a public dinner to consider the subject. the greeks, too, were great diners: their social and religious polity gave them many chances of being merry and making others merry on good eating and drinking. any public or even domestic sacrifice to one of the gods, was sure to be followed by a dinner-party, the remains of the slaughtered "offering" being served up on the occasion as a pious _pièce de résistance;_ and as the different gods, goddesses, and demigods, worshipped by the community in general, or by individuals, were very numerous indeed, and some very religious people never let a day pass without offering up something or other, the dinner-parties were countless. a birthday, too, was an excuse for a dinner; a birthday, that is, of any person long dead and buried, as well as of a living person, being a member of the family, or otherwise esteemed. dinners were, of course, eaten on all occasions of public rejoicing. then, among the young people, subscription dinners, very much after the manner of modern times, were always being got up; only that they would be eaten not at an hotel, but probably at the house of one of the _heterae_. a greek dinner-party was a handsome, well-regulated affair. the guests came in elegantly dressed and crowned with flowers. a slave, approaching each person as he entered, took off his sandals and washed his feet. during the repast, the guests reclined on couches with pillows, among and along which were set small tables. after the solid meal came the "symposium" proper, a scene of music, merriment, and dancing, the two latter being supplied chiefly by young girls. there was a chairman, or symposiarch, appointed by the company to regulate the drinking; and it was his duty to mix the wine in the "mighty bowl." from this bowl the attendants ladled the liquor into goblets, and, with the goblets, went round and round the tables, filling the cups of the guests. . the elegance with which a dinner is served is a matter which depends, of course, partly upon the means, but still more upon the taste of the master and mistress of the house. it may be observed, in general, that there should always be flowers on the table, and as they form no item of expense, there is no reason why they should not be employed every day. . the variety in the dishes which furnish forth a modern dinner-table, does not necessarily imply anything unwholesome, or anything capricious. food that is not well relished cannot be well digested; and the appetite of the over-worked man of business, or statesman, or of any dweller in towns, whose occupations are exciting and exhausting, is jaded, and requires stimulation. men and women who are in rude health, and who have plenty of air and exercise, eat the simplest food with relish, and consequently digest it well; but those conditions are out of the reach of many men. they must suit their mode of dining to their mode of living, if they cannot choose the latter. it is in serving up food that is at once appetizing and wholesome that the skill of the modern housewife is severely tasked; and she has scarcely a more important duty to fulfil. it is, in fact, her particular vocation, in virtue of which she may be said to hold the health of the family, and of the friends of the family, in her hands from day to day. it has been said that "the destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they are fed;" and a great gastronomist exclaims, "tell me what kind of food you eat, and i will tell you what kind of man you are." the same writer has some sentences of the same kind, which are rather hyperbolical, but worth quoting:--"the pleasures of the table belong to all ages, to all conditions, to all countries, and to all eras; they mingle with all other pleasures, and remain, at last, to console us for their departure. the discovery of a new dish confers more happiness upon humanity than the discovery of a new star." . the gastronomist from whom we have already quoted, has some aphorisms and short directions in relation to dinner-parties, which are well deserving of notice:--"let the number of your guests never exceed twelve, so that the conversation may be general. [footnote: we have seen this varied by saying that the number should never exceed that of the muses or fall below that of the graces.] let the temperature of the dining-room be about °. let the dishes be few in number in the first course, but proportionally good. the order of food is from the most substantial to the lightest. the order of drinking wine is from the mildest to the most foamy and most perfumed. to invite a person to your house is to take charge of his happiness so long as he is beneath your roof. the mistress of the house should always be certain that the coffee be excellent; whilst the master should be answerable for the quality of his wines and liqueurs." bills of fare. january. .--dinner for persons. _first course._ mock turtle soup, removed by cod's head and shoulders. stewed eels. vase of red mullet. flowers. clear oxtail soup, removed by fried filleted soles. _entrées._ riz de veau aux tomates. ragoût of vase of cotelettes de pore lobster. flowers. à la roberts. poulet à la marengo. _second course._ roast turkey. pigeon pie. boiled turkey and vase of boiled ham. celery sauce. flowers. tongue, garnished. saddle of mutton. _third course._ charlotte pheasants, apricot jam à la parisienne. removed by tartlets. plum-pudding. jelly. cream. vase of cream. flowers. jelly. snipes, removed by pommes à la condé. we have given above the plan of placing the various dishes of the st course, entrées, nd course, and rd course. following this will be found bills of fare for smaller parties; and it will be readily seen, by studying the above arrangement of dishes, how to place a less number for the more limited company. several _menus_ for dinners _à la russe,_ are also included in the present chapter. .--dinner for persons (january). first course. carrot soup à la crécy. oxtail soup. turbot and lobster sauce. fried smelts, with dutch sauce. entrees. mutton cutlets, with soubise sauce. sweetbreads. oyster patties. fillets of rabbits. second course. roast turkey. stewed rump of beef à la jardinière. boiled ham, garnished with brussels sprouts. boiled chickens and celery sauce. third course. roast hare. teal. eggs à la neige. vol-au-vent of preserved fruit. jelly. cream. potatoes à la maître d'hôtel. grilled mushrooms. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (january). first course. soup à la reine. whitings au gratin. crimped cod and oyster sauce. entrees. tendrons de veau. curried fowl and boiled rice. second course. turkey, stuffed with chestnuts, and chestnut sauce. boiled leg of mutton, english fashion, with capers sauce and mashed turnips. third course. woodcocks or partridges. widgeon. charlotte à la vanille. cabinet pudding. orange jelly. blancmange. artichoke bottoms. macaroni, with parmesan cheese. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (january). first course. mulligatawny soup. brill and shrimp sauce. fried whitings. entrees. fricasseed chicken. pork cutlets, with tomato sauce. second course. haunch of mutton. boiled turkey and celery sauce. boiled tongue, garnished with brussels sprouts. third course. roast pheasants. meringues à la crême. compôte of apples. orange jelly. cheesecakes. soufflé of rice. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (january).--i. first course. julienne soup. soles à la normandie. entrees. sweetbreads, with sauce piquante. mutton cutlets, with mashed potatoes. second course. haunch of venison. boiled fowls and bacon, garnished with brussels sprouts. third course. plum-pudding. custards in glasses. apple tart. fondue à la brillat savarin. dessert. .--dinner for persons (january).--ii. first course. vermicelli soup. fried slices of codfish and anchovy sauce. john dory. entrees. stewed rump-steak à la jardinière rissoles. oyster patties. second course. leg of mutton. curried rabbit and boiled rice. third course. partridges. apple fritters. tartlets of greengage jam. orange jelly. plum-pudding. dessert. .--dinner for persons (january).--iii. first course. pea-soup. baked haddock. soles à la crême. entrees. mutton cutlets and tomato sauce. fricasseed rabbit. second course. roast pork and apple sauce. breast of veal, rolled and stuffed. vegetables. third course. jugged hare. whipped cream, blancmange. mince pies. cabinet pudding. .--dinner for persons (january).--iv. first course. palestine soup. fried smelts. stewed eels. entrees. ragoût of lobster. broiled mushrooms. vol-au-vent of chicken. second course. sirloin of beef. boiled fowls and celery sauce. tongue, garnished with brussels sprouts. third course. wild ducks. charlotte aux pommes. cheesecakes. transparent jelly, inlaid with brandy cherries. blancmange. nesselrode pudding. plain family dinners for january. . _sunday._-- , boiled turbot and oyster sauce, potatoes. . roast leg or griskin of pork, apple sauce, brocoli, potatoes. . cabinet pudding, and damson tart made with preserved damsons. . _monday._-- . the remains of turbot warmed in oyster sauce, potatoes. . cold pork, stewed steak. . open jam tart, which should have been made with the pieces of paste left from the damson tart; baked arrowroot pudding. . _tuesday._-- . boiled neck of mutton, carrots, mashed turnips, suet dumplings, and caper sauce: the broth should be served first, and a little rice or pearl barley should be boiled with it along with the meat. . rolled jam pudding. . _wednesday._-- . roast rolled ribs of beef, greens, potatoes, and horseradish sauce. . bread-and-butter pudding, cheesecakes. . _thursday._-- . vegetable soup (the bones from the ribs of beef should be boiled down with this soup), cold beef, mashed potatoes. . pheasants, gravy, bread sauce. . macaroni. . _friday._-- . fried whitings or soles. . boiled rabbit and onion sauce, minced beef, potatoes. . currant dumplings. . _saturday._-- . rump-steak pudding or pie, greens, and potatoes. . baked custard pudding and stewed apples. * * * * * . _sunday._-- . codfish and oyster sauce, potatoes. . joint of roast mutton, either leg, haunch, or saddle; brocoli and potatoes, red-currant jelly. . apple tart and custards, cheese. . _monday._-- . the remains of codfish picked from the bone, and warmed through in the oyster sauce; if there is no sauce left, order a few oysters and make a little fresh; and do not let the fish boil, or it will be watery. . curried rabbit, with boiled rice served separately, cold mutton, mashed potatoes. . somersetshire dumplings with wine sauce. . _tuesday._-- . boiled fowls, parsley-and-butter; bacon garnished with brussels sprouts, minced or hashed mutton. . baroness pudding. . _wednesday._-- . the remains of the fowls cut up into joints and fricasseed; joint of roast pork and apple sauce, and, if liked, sage-and-onion, served on a dish by itself; turnips and potatoes. . lemon pudding, either baked or boiled. . _thursday._-- . cold pork and jugged hare, red-currant jelly, mashed potatoes. . apple pudding. . _friday._-- . boiled beef, either the aitchbone or the silver side of the round; carrots, turnips, suet dumplings, and potatoes: if there is a marrowbone, serve the marrow on toast at the same time. . rice snowballs. . _saturday._-- . pea-soup made from liquor in which beef was boiled; cold beef, mashed potatoes. . baked batter fruit pudding. february. .--dinner for persons. _first course._ hare soup, removed by turbot and oyster sauce. fried eels. vase of fried whitings. flowers. oyster soup, removed by crimped cod à la maître d'hôtel. _entrées._ lark pudding. lobster patties. vase of filets de perdrix. flowers. fricasseed chicken. _second course._ braised capon. boiled ham, garnished. roast fowls, garnished vase of boiled fowls and with water-cresses. flowers. white sauce. pâté chaud. haunch of mutton. _third course_ ducklings, removed by ice pudding. meringues. coffee cream. cheesecakes. orange jelly. vase of clear jelly. flowers. victoria blancmange. gâteau de sandwiches. pommes. partridges, removed by cabinet pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (february). first course. soup a la reine. clear gravy soup. brill and lobster sauce. fried smelts. entrees. lobster rissoles. beef palates. pork cutlets à la soubise. grilled mushrooms. second course. braised turkey. haunch of mutton. boiled capon and oysters. tongue, garnished with tufts of brocoli. vegetables and salads. third course. wild ducks. plovers. orange jelly. clear jelly. charlotte russe. nesselrode pudding. gâteau de riz. sea-kale. maids of honour. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (february). first course. palestine soup. john dory, with dutch sauce. red mullet, with sauce génoise. entrees. sweetbread cutlets, with poivrade sauce. fowl au béchamel. second course. roast saddle of mutton. boiled capon and oysters. boiled tongue, garnished with brussels sprouts. third course. guinea-fowls. ducklings. pain de rhubarb. orange jelly. strawberry cream. cheesecakes. almond pudding. fig pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (february). first course. mock turtle soup. fillets of turbot a la crême. fried filleted soles and anchovy sauce. entrees. larded fillets of rabbits. tendrons de veau with purée of tomatoes. second course. stewed rump of beef à la jardinière. roast fowls. boiled ham. third course. roast pigeons or larks. rhubarb tartlets. meringues. clear jelly. cream. ice pudding. soufflé. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (february)--i. first course. rice soup. red mullet, with génoise sauce. fried smelts. entrees. fowl pudding. sweetbreads. second course. roast turkey and sausages. boiled leg of pork. pease pudding. third course. lemon jelly. charlotte à la vanille. maids of honour. plum-pudding, removed by ice pudding. dessert. .--dinner for persons (february).--ii. first course. spring soup. boiled turbot and lobster sauce. entrees. fricasseed rabbit. oyster patties. second course. boiled round of beef and marrow-bones. roast fowls, garnished with water-cresses and rolled bacon. vegetables. third course. marrow pudding. cheesecakes. tartlets of greengage jam. lemon cream. rhubarb tart. dessert. .--dinner for persons (february).--iii. first course. vermicelli soup. fried whitings. stewed eels. entrees. poulet à la marengo. breast of veal stuffed and rolled. second course. roast leg of pork and apple sauce. boiled capon and oysters. tongue, garnished with tufts of brocoli. third course. wild ducks. lobster salad. charlotte aux pommes. pain de rhubarb. vanilla cream. orange jelly. dessert. .--dinner for persons (february).--iv. first course. ox-tail soup. cod à la crême. fried soles. entrees. lark pudding. fowl scollops. second course. roast leg of mutton. boiled turkey and celery sauce. pigeon pie. small ham, boiled and garnished. vegetables. third course. game, when liked. tartlets of raspberry jam. vol-au-vent of rhubarb. swiss cream. cabinet pudding. brocoli and sea-kale. dessert. plain family dinners for february. . _sunday_.-- . ox-tail soup. roast beef, yorkshire pudding, brocoli, and potatoes. . plum-pudding, apple tart. cheese. . _monday_.-- . fried soles, plain melted butter, and potatoes. . cold roast beef, mashed potatoes. . the remains of plum-pudding cut in slices, warmed, and served with sifted sugar sprinkled over it. cheese. . _tuesday_.-- . the remains of ox-tail soup from sunday. . pork cutlets with tomato sauce; hashed beef. . boiled jam pudding. cheese. . _wednesday_.-- . boiled haddock and plain melted butter. . rump-steak pudding, potatoes, greens. . arrowroot, blancmange, garnished with jam. . _thursday_.-- . boiled leg of pork, greens, potatoes, pease pudding. . apple fritters, sweet macaroni. . _friday_.-- . pea-soup made with liquor that the pork was boiled in. . cold pork, mashed potatoes. . baked rice pudding. . _saturday_.-- . broiled herrings and mustard sauce. . haricot mutton. . macaroni, either served as a sweet pudding or with cheese. * * * * * . _sunday_.-- . carrot soup. . boiled leg of mutton and caper sauce, mashed turnips, roast fowls, and bacon. . damson tart made with bottled fruit, ratafia pudding. . _monday_.-- . the remainder of fowl curried and served with rice; rump-steaks and oyster sauce, cold mutton. . rolled jam pudding. . _tuesday_.-- . vegetable soup made with liquor that the mutton was boiled in on sunday. . roast sirloin of beef, yorkshire pudding, brocoli, and potatoes. . cheese. . _wednesday_.-- . fried soles, melted butter. . cold beef and mashed potatoes: if there is any cold boiled mutton left, cut it into neat slices and warm it in a little caper sauce. . apple tart. . _thursday_.-- . boiled rabbit and onion sauce, stewed beef and vegetables, made with the remains of cold beef and bones. . macaroni. . _friday_.-- . roast leg of pork, sage and onions and apple sauce; greens and potatoes. . spinach and poached eggs instead of pudding. cheese and water-cresses. . _saturday_.-- . rump-steak-and-kidney pudding, cold pork and mashed potatoes. . baked rice pudding. march. .--dinner for persons. _first course._ turtle or mock turtle soup, removed by salmon and dressed cucumber. red mullet. vase of filets of whitings. flowers. spring soup, removed by boiled turbot and lobster sauce. _entrées_ fricasseed chicken. vol-au-vent. vase of compôte of pigeons. flowers. larded sweetbreads. _second course._ fore-quarter of lamb. braised capon. boiled tongue, vase of ham. garnished. flowers. roast fowls. rump of beef à la jardinière. _third course._ guinea-fowls, larded, removed by cabinet pudding. apricot wine jelly. rhubarb tartlets. tart. custards. vase of jelly in flowers. glasses. italian cream. damson tart. ducklings, cheesecakes. removed by nesselrode pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (march). first course. white soup. clear gravy soup. boiled salmon, shrimp sauce, and dressed cucumber. baked mullets in paper cases. entrees. filet de boeuf and spanish sauce. larded sweetbreads. rissoles. chicken patties. second course. roast fillet of veal and béchamel sauce. boiled leg of lamb. roast fowls, garnished with water-cresses. boiled ham, garnished with carrots and mashed turnips. vegetables--sea-kale, spinach, or brocoli. third course. two ducklings. guinea-fowl, larded. orange jelly. charlotte russe. coffee cream. ice pudding. macaroni with parmesan cheese. spinach, garnished with croutons. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (march). first course. macaroni soup. boiled turbot and lobster sauce. salmon cutlets. entrees. compôte of pigeons. mutton cutlets and tomato sauce. second course. roast lamb. boiled half calf's head, tongue, and brains. boiled bacon-cheek, garnished with spoonfuls of spinach. vegetables. third course. ducklings. plum-pudding. ginger cream. trifle. rhubarb tart. cheesecakes. fondues, in cases. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (march). first course. calf's-head soup. brill and shrimp sauce. broiled mackerel à la maître d'hôtel. entrees. lobster cutlets. calf's liver and bacon, aux fines herbes. second course. roast loin of veal. two boiled fowls à la béchamel. boiled knuckle of ham. vegetables--spinach or brocoli. third course. wild ducks. apple custards. blancmange. lemon jelly. jam sandwiches. ice pudding. potatoes à la maître d'hôtel. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (march).--i. first course. vermicelli soup. soles à la crême. entrees. veal cutlets. small vols-au-vent. second course. small saddle of mutton. half calf's head. boiled bacon-cheek, garnished with brussels sprouts. third course. cabinet pudding. orange jelly. custards, in glasses. rhubarb tart. lobster salad. dessert. .--dinner for persons (march).--ii. first course. julienne soup. baked mullets. entrees. chicken cutlets. oyster patties. second course. roast lamb and mint sauce. boiled leg of pork. pease pudding. vegetables. third course. ducklings. swiss cream. lemon jelly. cheesecakes. rhubarb tart. macaroni. dessert. .--dinner for persons (march).--iii. first course. oyster soup. boiled salmon and dressed cucumber. entrees. rissoles. fricasseed chicken. second course. boiled leg of mutton, caper sauce. roast fowls, garnished with water-cresses. vegetables. third course. charlotte aux pommes. orange jelly. lemon cream. soufflé of arrowroot. sea-kale. dessert. .--dinner for persons (march).--iv. first course. ox-tail soup. boiled mackerel. entrees. stewed mutton kidneys. minced veal and oysters. second course. stewed shoulder of veal. roast ribs of beef and horseradish sauce. vegetables. third course. ducklings. tartlets of strawberry jam. cheesecakes. gateau de riz. carrot pudding. sea-kale. dessert. plain family dinners for march. . _sunday_.-- . boiled / calf's head, pickled pork, the tongue on a small dish with the brains round it; mutton cutlets and mashed potatoes. . plum tart made with bottled fruit, baked custard pudding, baroness pudding. . _monday_.-- . roast shoulder of mutton and onion sauce, brocoli, baked potatoes. . slices of baroness pudding warmed, and served with sugar sprinkled over. cheesecakes. . _tuesday_.-- . mock turtle soup, made with liquor that calf's head was boiled in, and the pieces of head. . hashed mutton, rump-steaks and oyster sauce. . boiled plum-pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . fried whitings, melted butter, potatoes. . boiled beef, suet dumplings, carrots, potatoes, marrow-bones. . arrowroot blancmange, and stewed rhubarb. . _thursday_.-- . pea-soup made from liquor that beef was boiled in. . stewed rump-steak, cold beef, mashed potatoes. . rolled jam pudding. . _friday_.-- . fried soles, melted butter, potatoes. . roast loin of mutton, brocoli, potatoes, bubble-and-squeak. . rice pudding. . _saturday_.-- .--rump-steak pie, haricot mutton made with remains of cold loin. . pancakes, ratafia pudding. * * * * * . _sunday_.-- . roast fillet of veal, boiled ham, spinach and potatoes. . rhubarb tart, custards in glasses, bread-and-butter pudding. . _monday_.-- . baked soles, potatoes. . minced veal and rump-steak pie. . somersetshire dumplings with the remains of custards poured round them; marmalade tartlets. . _tuesday_.-- . gravy soup. . boiled leg of mutton, mashed turnips, suet dumplings, caper sauce, potatoes, veal rissoles made with remains of fillet of veal. . cheese. . _wednesday_.-- . stewed mullets. . roast fowls, bacon, gravy, and bread sauce, mutton pudding, made with a few slices of the cold meat and the addition of two kidneys. . baked lemon pudding. . _thursday_.-- . vegetable soup made with liquor that the mutton was boiled in, and mixed with the remains of gravy soup. . roast ribs of beef, yorkshire pudding, horseradish sauce, brocoli and potatoes. . apple pudding or macaroni. . _friday_.-- . stewed eels, pork cutlets and tomato sauce. . cold beef, mashed potatoes. . plum tart made with bottled fruit. . _saturday_.-- . rump-steak-and-kidney pudding, broiled beef-bones, greens and potatoes. . jam tartlets made with pieces of paste from plum tart, baked custard pudding. april. .--dinner for persons. _first course._ spring soup, removed by salmon and lobster sauce. fillet of mackerel. vase of fried smelts. flowers. soles a la crême. _entrées._ lamb cutlets and asparagus peas. curried lobster. vase of oyster patties. flowers. grenadines de veau. _second course._ roast ribs of lamb. larded capon. stewed beef a la vase of boiled ham. jardinière. flowers. spring chickens. braised turkey. _third course._ ducklings, removed by cabinet pudding. clear jelly. charlotte a la parisienne. orange jelly. raspberry jam turtles. vase of cheese-cakes. victoria sandwiches. flowers. rhubarb tart. raspberry cream. nesselrode pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (april). first course. soup à la reine. julienne soup. turbot and lobster sauce. slices of salmon a la genévése. entrees. croquettes of leveret. fricandeau de veau. vol-au-vent. stewed mushrooms. second course. fore-quarter of lamb. saddle of mutton. boiled chickens and asparagus peas. boiled tongue garnished with tufts of brocoli. vegetables. third course. ducklings. larded guinea-fowls. charlotte a la parisienne. orange jelly. meringues. ratafia ice pudding. lobster salad. sea-kale. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (april). first course gravy soup. salmon and dressed cucumber. shrimp sauce. fillets of whitings. entrees. lobster cutlets. chicken patties. second course. roast fillet of veal. boiled leg of lamb. ham, garnished with brocoli. vegetables. third course. ducklings. compôte of rhubarb. custards. vanilla cream. orange jelly. cabinet pudding. ice pudding. dessert. .--dinner for persons (april). first course. spring soup. slices of salmon and caper sauce. fried filleted soles. entrees. chicken vol-au-vent. mutton cutlets and tomato sauce. second course. roast loin of veal. boiled fowls à la béchamel. tongue. vegetables. third course. guinea-fowl. sea-kale. artichoke bottoms. cabinet pudding. blancmange. apricot tartlets. rice fritters. macaroni and parmesan cheese. dessert. .--dinner for persons (april). first course. tapioca soup. boiled salmon and lobster sauce. entrees. sweetbreads. oyster patties. second course. haunch of mutton. boiled capon and white sauce. tongue. vegetables. third course. soufflé of rice. lemon cream. charlotte & la parisienne. rhubarb tart. dessert. .--dinner for persons (april).--ii. first course. julienne soup. fried whitings. red mullet. entrees. lamb cutlets and cucumbers. rissoles. second course. roast ribs of beef. neck of veal à la béchamel. vegetables. third course. ducklings. lemon pudding. rhubarb tart. custards. cheesecakes. dessert. .--dinner for persons (april).--iii. first course. vermicelli soup. brill and shrimp sauce. entrees. fricandeau of veal. lobster cutlets. second course. roast fore-quarter of lamb. boiled chickens. tongue. vegetables. third course. goslings. sea-kale. plum-pudding. whipped cream. compôte of rhubarb. cheesecakes. dessert. .--dinner for persons (april).--iv. first course. ox-tail soup. crimped salmon. entrees. croquettes of chicken. mutton cutlets and soubise sauce. second course. roast fillet of veal. boiled bacon-cheek garnished with sprouts. boiled capon. vegetables. third course. sea-kale. lobster salad. cabinet pudding. ginger cream. raspberry jam tartlets. rhubarb tart. macaroni. dessert. plain family dinners for april. . _sunday._-- . clear gravy soup. . roast haunch of mutton, sea-kale, potatoes. . rhubarb tart, custards in glasses. . _monday._-- . crimped skate and caper sauce. . boiled knuckle of veal and rice, cold mutton, mashed potatoes. . baked plum-pudding. . _tuesday._-- . vegetable soup. . toad-in-the-hole, made from remains of cold mutton. . stewed rhubarb and baked custard pudding. . _wednesday._-- . fried soles, anchovy sauce. . boiled beef, carrots, suet dumplings. . lemon pudding. . _thursday._-- . pea-soup made with liquor that beef was boiled in. . cold beef, mashed potatoes, mutton cutlets and tomato sauce. . macaroni. . _friday._-- . bubble-and-squeak, made with remains of cold beef. roast shoulder of veal stuffed, spinach, potatoes. . boiled batter pudding and sweet sauce. . _saturday._-- . stewed veal with vegetables, made from the remains of the shoulder. broiled rump-steaks and oyster sauce. . yeast-dumplings. * * * * * . _sunday._-- . boiled salmon and dressed cucumber, anchovy sauce . roast fore-quarter of lamb, spinach, potatoes, mint sauce. . rhubarb tart, cheesecakes. . _monday._-- . curried salmon, made with remains of salmon, dish of boiled rice. . cold lamb, rump-steak-and-kidney pudding, potatoes. . spinach and poached eggs. . _tuesday._-- . scotch mutton broth with pearl barley. . boiled neck of mutton, caper sauce, suet dumplings, carrots. . baked rice-pudding. . _wednesday._-- . boiled mackerel and melted butter or fennel sauce, potatoes. . roast fillet of veal, bacon, and greens. . fig pudding. . _thursday._-- . flemish soup. . roast loin of mutton, brocoli, potatoes; veal rolls made from remains of cold veal. . boiled rhubarb pudding. . _friday._-- . irish stew or haricot, made from cold mutton, minced veal. . half-pay pudding. . _saturday._-- . rump-steak pie, broiled mutton-chops. . baked arrowroot pudding. may. .--dinner for persons. _first course._ asparagus soup, removed by salmon and lobster sauce. fried filleted vase of fillets of mackerel, soles flowers. à la maître d'hôtel. oxtail soup, removed by brill & shrimp sauce. _entrées._ lamb cutlets and cucumbers. lobster pudding. vase of curried fowl. flowers. veal ragoût. _second course._ saddle of lamb. raised pie. roast fowls. vase of boiled capon flowers. and white sauce. braised ham. roast veal. _third course._ almond goslings, lobster salad. cheesecake removed by college puddings. noyeau jelly. italian vase of charlotte à la cream. flowers. parisienne. inlaid jelly. plovers' ducklings, eggs. removed by tartlets. nesselrode pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (may). first course. white soup. asparagus soup. salmon cutlets. boiled turbot and lobster sauce. entrees. chicken vol-au-vent. lamb cutlets and cucumbers. fricandeau of veal. stewed mushrooms. second course. roast lamb. haunch of mutton. boiled and roast fowls. vegetables. third course. ducklings. goslings. charlotte russe. vanilla cream. gooseberry tart. custards. cheesecakes. cabinet pudding and iced pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (may). first course. spring soup. salmon à la genévése. red mullet. entrees. chicken vol-au-vent. calf's liver and bacon aux fines herbes. second course. saddle of mutton. half calf's head, tongue, and brains. braised ham. asparagus. third course. roast pigeons. ducklings. sponge-cake pudding. charlotte à la vanille. gooseberry tart. cream. cheesecakes. apricot-jam tart. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (may). first course. julienne soup. brill and lobster sauce. fried fillets of mackerel. entrees lamb cutlets and cucumbers. lobster patties. second course. roast fillet of veal. boiled leg of lamb. asparagus. third course. ducklings. gooseberry tart. custards. fancy pastry. soufflé. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (may).--i. first course. vermicelli soup. boiled salmon and anchovy sauce. entrees. fillets of beef and tomato sauce. sweetbreads. second course. roast lamb. boiled capon. asparagus. third course. ducklings. cabinet pudding. compôte of gooseberries. custards in glasses. blancmange. lemon tartlets. fondue. dessert. .--dinner for persons (may).--ii. first course. macaroni soup. boiled mackerel à la maitre d'hôtel. fried smelts. entrees. scollops of fowl. lobster pudding. second course. boiled leg of lamb and spinach. roast sirloin of beef and horseradish sauce. vegetables. third course. roast leveret. salad. soufflé of rice. ramekins. strawberry-jam tartlets. orange jelly. dessert. .--dinner for persons (may).--iii. first course. julienne soup. trout with dutch sauce. salmon cutlets. entrees. lamb cutlets and mushrooms. vol-au-vent of chicken. second course. roast lamb. calf's head à la tortue. vegetables. third course. spring chickens. iced pudding. vanilla cream. clear jelly. tartlets. cheesecakes. dessert. .--dinner for persons (may).--iv. first course. soup à la reine. crimped trout and lobster sauce. baked whitings aux fines herbes. entrees. braised mutton cutlets and cucumbers. stewed pigeons. second course. roast fillet of veal. bacon-cheek and greens. fillet of beef à la jardinière. third course. ducklings. soufflé à la vanille. compôte of oranges. meringues. gooseberry tart. fondue. dessert. plain family dinners for may. . _sunday_.-- . vegetable soup. . saddle of mutton, asparagus and potatoes. . gooseberry tart, custards. . _monday_.-- . fried whitings, anchovy sauce. . cold mutton, mashed potatoes, stewed veal. . fig pudding. . _tuesday_.-- . haricot mutton, made from remains of cold mutton, rump-steak pie. . macaroni. . _wednesday_.-- . roast loin of veal and spinach, boiled bacon, mutton cutlets and tomato sauce. . gooseberry pudding and cream. . _thursday_.-- . spring soup. . roast leg of lamb, mint sauce, spinach, curried veal and rice. . lemon pudding. . _friday_.-- . boiled mackerel and parsley-and-butter. . stewed rump-steak, cold lamb and salad. . baked gooseberry pudding. . _saturday_.-- . vermicelli. . rump-steak pudding, lamb cutlets, and cucumbers. . macaroni. * * * * * . _sunday_.-- . boiled salmon and lobster or caper sauce. . roast lamb, mint sauce, asparagus, potatoes. . plum-pudding, gooseberry tart. . _monday_.-- . salmon warmed in remains of lobster sauce and garnished with croûtons. . stewed knuckle of veal and rice, cold lamb and dressed cucumber. . slices of pudding warmed, and served with sugar sprinkled over. baked rice pudding. . _tuesday_.-- . roast ribs of beef, horseradish sauce, yorkshire pudding, spinach and potatoes. . boiled lemon pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . fried soles, melted butter. . cold beef and dressed cucumber or salad, veal cutlets and bacon. . baked plum-pudding. . _thursday_.-- . spring soup. . calf's liver and bacon, broiled beef-bones, spinach and potatoes. . gooseberry tart. . _friday_.-- . roast shoulder of mutton, baked potatoes, onion sauce, spinach. . currant dumplings. . _saturday_.-- . broiled mackerel, fennel sauce or plain melted butter. . rump-steak pie, hashed mutton, vegetables. . baked arrowroot pudding. june. .--dinner for persons. _first course_. asparagus soup, removed by crimped salmon. fillets of garnets. vase of soles aux fines herbes. flowers. vermicelli soup, removed by whitebait. _entrées_. lamb cutlets and peas. lobster patties. vase of tendrons de veau flowers. à la jardinière. larded sweetbreads. _second course_. saddle of lamb. tongue. roast spring vase of boiled capon. chickens. flowers. ham. boiled calf's head. _third course_. prawns. leveret, tartlets. removed by ice pudding. wine jelly. vol-au-vent of straw- vase of custards in berries and cream. flowers. glasses. blancmange. goslings, removed by cheesecake fondues, in cases. plover's eggs. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (june). first course. green-pea soup. rice soup. salmon and lobster sauce. trout à la genévése. whitebait. entrees. lamb cutlets and cucumbers. fricasseed chicken. lobster rissoles. stewed veal and peas. second course. roast quarter of lamb and spinach. filet de boeuf à la jardinière. boiled fowls. braised shoulder of lamb. tongue. vegetables. third course. goslings. ducklings. nesselrode pudding. charlotte à la parisienne. gooseberry tartlets. strawberry cream. raspberry-and-currant tart. custards. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (june). first course. julienne soup. salmon trout and parsley-and-butter. red mullet. entrees. stewed breast of veal and peas. mutton cutlets à la maintenon. second course. roast fillet of veal. boiled leg of lamb, garnished with young carrots. boiled bacon-cheek. vegetables. third course. roast ducks. leveret. gooseberry tart. strawberry cream. strawberry tartlets, meringues. cabinet pudding. iced pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (june). first course. vermicelli soup. trout à la genévése salmon cutlets. entrees. lamb cutlets and peas. fricasseed chicken. second course. roast ribs of beef. half calf's head, tongue, and brains. boiled ham. vegetables. third course. roast ducks. compôte of gooseberries. strawberry jelly. pastry. iced pudding. cauliflower with cream sauce. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (june).--i. first course. spring soup. boiled salmon and lobster sauce. entrees. veal cutlets and endive. ragoût of duck and green peas. second course. roast loin of veal. boiled leg of lamb and white sauce. tongue, garnished. vegetables. third course. strawberry cream. gooseberry tartlets. almond pudding. lobster salad. dessert. .--dinner for persons (june).--ii. first course. calf's-head soup. mackerel à la maître d'hôtel. whitebait. entrees. chicken cutlets. curried lobster. second course. fore-quarter of lamb and salad. stewed beef à la jardinière. vegetables. third course. goslings. green-currant tart. custards, in glasses. strawberry blancmange. soufflé of rice. dessert. .--dinner for persons (june).--iii. first course. green-pea soup. baked soles aux fines herbes. stewed trout. entrees. calf's liver and bacon. rissoles. second course. roast saddle of lamb and salad. calf's head à la tortue. vegetables. third course. roast ducks. vol-au-vent of strawberries and cream. strawberry tartlets. lemon blancmange. baked gooseberry pudding. dessert. .--dinner for persons (june).--iv. first course. spinach soup. soles à la crême. red mullet. entrees. roast fillet of veal. braised ham and spinach. second course. boiled fowls and white sauce. vegetables. third course. leveret. strawberry jelly. swiss cream. cheesecakes. iced pudding. dessert. plain family dinners for june. . _sunday_.-- . salmon trout and parsley-and-butter, new potatoes. . roast fillet of veal, boiled bacon-cheek and spinach, vegetables. . gooseberry tart, custards. . _monday_.-- . light gravy soup. . small meat pie, minced veal, garnished with rolled bacon, spinach and potatoes. . raspberry-and-currant tart. . _tuesday_.-- . baked mackerel, potatoes. . boiled leg of lamb, garnished with young carrots. . lemon pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . vegetable soup. . calf's liver and bacon, peas, hashed lamb from remains of cold joint. . baked gooseberry pudding. . _thursday_-- . roast ribs of beef, yorkshire pudding, peas, potatoes. . stewed rhubarb and boiled rice. . _friday_.-- . cold beef and salad, lamb cutlets and peas. . boiled gooseberry pudding and baked custard pudding. . _saturday_.-- . rump-steak pudding, broiled beef-bones and cucumber, vegetables. . bread pudding. * * * * * . _sunday_.-- . roast fore-quarter of lamb, mint sauce, peas, and new potatoes. . gooseberry pudding, strawberry tartlets. fondue. . _monday_.-- . cold lamb and salad, stewed neck of veal and peas, young carrots, and new potatoes. . almond pudding. . _tuesday_.-- . green-pea soup. . roast ducks stuffed, gravy, peas and new potatoes. . baked ratafia pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . roast leg of mutton, summer cabbage, potatoes. . gooseberry and rice pudding. . _thursday_.-- . fried soles, melted butter, potatoes. . sweetbreads, hashed mutton, vegetables. . bread-and-butter pudding. . _friday_.-- . asparagus soup. . boiled beef, young carrots and new potatoes, suet dumplings. . college puddings. . _saturday_.-- . cold boiled beef and salad, lamb cutlets and green peas. . boiled gooseberry pudding and plain cream. july. .--dinner for persons. _first course_. green-pea soup, removed by salmon and dressed cucumber. whitebait. vase of stewed trout flowers. soup à la reine, removed by mackerel à la maitre d'hôtel. _entrées_ lamb cutlets and peas. lobster curry vase of scollops of en casserole. flowers. chickens. chicken patties. _second course_. haunch of venison. pigeon pie. boiled capons. vase of spring chickens. flowers. braised ham. saddle of lamb. _third course_. prawns. roast ducks, custards. removed by vanilla soufflé. raspberry cream. cherry tart. vase of raspberry-and- flowers. currant tart. strawberry cream. green goose, removed by creams. iced pudding. tartlets. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (july). first course. soup à la jardinière. chicken soup. crimped salmon and parsley-and-butter. trout aux fines herbes, in cases. entrees. tendrons de veau and peas. lamb cutlets and cucumbers. second course. loin of veal à la béchamel. roast fore-quarter of lamb. salad. braised ham, garnished with broad beans. vegetables. third course. roast ducks. turkey poult. stewed peas à la francaise. lobster salad. cherry tart. raspberry-and-currant tart. custards, in glasses. lemon creams. nesselrode pudding. marrow pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (july) first course. green-pea soup. salmon and lobster sauce. crimped perch and dutch sauce. entrees. stewed veal and peas. lamb cutlets and cucumbers. second course. haunch of venison. boiled fowls à la béchamel. braised ham. vegetables. third course. roast ducks. peas à la française. lobster salad. strawberry cream. blancmange. cherry tart. cheesecakes. iced pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (july).--i. first course. soup à la jardinière. salmon trout and parsley-and-butter. fillets of mackerel à la maître d'hôtel. entrees. lobster cutlets. beef palates à la italienne. second course. roast lamb. boiled capon and white sauce. boiled tongue, garnished with small vegetable marrows. bacon and beans. third course. goslings. whipped strawberry cream. raspberry-and-currant tart. meringues. cherry tartlets. iced pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (july).--ii. first course. julienne soup. crimped salmon and caper sauce. whitebait. entrees. croquettes à la reine. curried lobster. second course. roast lamb. rump of beef à la jardinière. third course. larded turkey poult. raspberry cream. cherry tart. custards, in glasses. gâteaux à la genévése. nesselrode pudding. dessert. plain family dinners for july. . _sunday_.-- . salmon trout and parsley-and-butter. . roast fillet of real, boiled bacon-cheek, peas, potatoes. . raspberry-and-currant tart, baked custard pudding. . _monday_.-- . green-pea soup. . roast fowls garnished with water-cresses; gravy, bread sauce; cold veal and salad. . cherry tart. . _tuesday_.-- . john dory and lobster sauce. . curried fowl with remains of cold fowls, dish of rice, veal rolls with remains of cold fillet. . strawberry cream. . _wednesday_.-- . roast leg of mutton, vegetable marrow, and potatoes, melted butter. . black-currant pudding. . _thursday_.-- . fried soles, anchovy sauce. . mutton cutlets and tomato sauce, bashed mutton, peas, potatoes. . lemon dumplings. . _friday_.-- . boiled brisket of beef, carrots, turnips, suet dumplings, peas, potatoes. . baked semolina pudding. . _saturday_.-- . cold beef and salad, lamb cutlets and peas. . rolled jam pudding. * * * * * . _sunday_.-- . julienne soup. . roast lamb, half calf's head, tongue and brains, boiled ham, peas and potatoes. . cherry tart, custards. . _monday_.-- . hashed calf's head, cold lamb and salad. . vegetable marrow and white sauce, instead of pudding. . _tuesday_.-- . stewed veal, with peas, young carrots, and potatoes. small meat pie. . raspberry-and-currant pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . roast ducks stuffed, gravy, peas, and potatoes; the remains of stewed veal rechauffé. . macaroni served as a sweet pudding. . _thursday_.-- . slices of salmon and caper sauce. . boiled knuckle of veal, parsley-and-butter, vegetable marrow and potatoes. . black-currant pudding. . _friday_.-- . roast shoulder of mutton, onion sauce, peas and potatoes. . cherry tart, baked custard pudding. . _saturday_.-- . minced mutton, rump-steak-and-kidney pudding. . baked lemon pudding. august. .--dinner for persons. _first course._ mock-turtle soup, removed by broiled salmon and caper sauce. red mullet. vase of perch. flowers. soup à la julienne, removed by brill and shrimp sauce. _entrées._ fricandeau de veau à la jardinière. curried lobster. vase of lamb cutlets à la purée flowers. de pommes de terre. fillets of ducks and peas. _second course._ haunch of venison. ham, garnished. capon à la vase of roast fowl. financière flowers. leveret pie. saddle of mutton. _third course._ grouse, removed by cabinet pudding. lobster salad. fruit jelly. cheesecakes. charlotte à la vase of custards. vanille. flowers. raspberry vol-au-vent prawns. tartlets. of pears. larded peahen, removed by iced pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (august) first course. vermicelli soup. soup à la reine. boiled salmon. fried flounders. trout en matelot. entrees. stewed pigeons. sweetbreads. ragoût of ducks. fillets of chickens and mushrooms. second course. quarter of lamb. cotelette de boeuf à la jardinière. roast fowls and boiled tongue. bacon and beans. third course. grouse. wheatears. greengage tart. whipped cream. vol-au-vent of plums. fruit jelly. iced pudding. cabinet pudding. desserts and ices. .--dinner for persons (august). first course. julienne soup. fillets of turbot and dutch sauce. red mullet. entrees. riz de veau aux tomates. fillets of ducks and peas. second course. haunch of venison. boiled capon and oysters. ham, garnished. vegetables. third course. leveret. fruit jelly. compote of greengages. plum tart. custards, in glasses. omelette soufflé. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (august).--i. first course. macaroni soup. crimped salmon and sauce hollandaise. fried fillets of trout. entrees. tendrons de veau and stewed peas. salmi of grouse. second course. roast loin of veal. boiled bacon, garnished with french beans. stewed beef à la jardinière. vegetables. third course. turkey poult. plum tart. custard pudding. vol-au-vent of pears. strawberry cream. ratafia soufflé. dessert. .--dinner for persons (august).--ii. first course. vegetable-marrow soup. stowed mullet. fillets of salmon and ravigotte sauce. entrees. curried lobster. fricandeau de veau à la jardinière. second course. roast saddle of mutton. stewed shoulder of veal, garnished with forcemeat balls. vegetables. third course. roast grouse and bread sauce. vol-au-vent of greengages. fruit jolly. raspberry cream. custards. fig pudding. dessert. plain family dinners for august. . _sunday_.-- . vegetable-marrow soup. . roast quarter of lamb, mint sauce, french beans and potatoes. . raspberry-and-currant tart, custard pudding. . _monday_.-- . cold lamb and salad, small meat pie, vegetable marrow and white sauce. . lemon dumplings. . _tuesday_.-- . boiled mackerel. . stewed loin of veal, french beans and potatoes. . baked raspberry pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . vegetable soup. . lamb cutlets and french beans; the remains of stewed shoulder of veal, mashed vegetable marrow. . black-currant pudding. . _thursday_.-- . roast ribs of beef, yorkshire pudding, french beans and potatoes. . bread-and-butter pudding. . _friday_.-- . fried soles and melted butter. . cold beef and salad, lamb cutlets and mashed potatoes. . cauliflowers and white sauce instead of pudding. . _saturday_.-- . stewed beef and vegetables, with remains of cold beef; mutton pudding. . macaroni and cheese. * * * * * . _sunday_.-- . salmon pudding. . roast fillet of veal, boiled bacon-cheek garnished with tufts of cauliflowers, french beans and potatoes. . plum tart, boiled custard pudding. . _monday_.-- . baked soles. . cold veal and bacon, salad, mutton cutlets and tomato sauce. . boiled currant pudding. . _tuesday_.-- . rice soup. . roast fowls and water-cresses, boiled knuckle of ham, minced veal garnished with croutons; vegetables. . college puddings. . _wednesday_.-- . curried fowl with remains of cold fowl; dish of rice, stewed rump-steak and vegetables. . plum tart. . _thursday_.-- . boiled brisket of beef, carrots, turnips, suet dumplings, and potatoes. . baked bread pudding. . _friday_.-- . vegetable soup, made from liquor that beef was boiled in. . cold beef and dressed cucumber, veal cutlets and tomato sauce. . fondue. . _saturday_.-- . bubble-and-squeak, made from remains of cold beef; cold veal-and-ham pie, salad. . baked raspberry pudding. september. .--dinner for persons. _first course_. julienne soup, removed by brill and shrimp sauce. red mullet & vase of fried eels. italian sauce. flowers. giblet soup, removed by salmon and lobster sauce. _entrées_. lamb cutlets and french beans. fillets of chicken vase of oysters au gratin. and truffles. flowers. sweetbreads and tomata sauce. _second course_. saddle of mutton. veal-and-ham pie. chickens à la vase of braised goose. béchamel. flowers. broiled ham, garnished with cauliflowers. filet of veal. _third course_. custards. partridges, apple tart. removed by plum-pudding. compôte of greengages. noyeau jelly. vase of lemon cream. flowers. pastry sandwiches. grouse & bread sauce, removed by plum tart. nesselrode pudding. custards. desserts and ices. .--dinner for persons (september). first course. mock-turtle soup. soup à la jardinière salmon and lobster sauce. fried whitings. stewed eels. entrees. veal cutlets. scalloped oysters. curried fowl. grilled mushrooms. second course. haunch of mutton. boiled calf's head à la béchamel. braised ham. roast fowls aux cressons. third course. leveret. grouse. cabinet pudding. iced pudding. compôte of plumbs. damson tart. cream. fruit jelly. prawns. lobster salad. desserts and ices. .--dinner for persons (september). first course. flemish soup. turbot, garnished with fried smelts. red mullet and italian sauce. entrees. tendrons de veau and truffles. lamb cutlets and sauce piquante. second course. loin of veal à la béchamel. roast haunch of venison. braised ham. grouse pie. vegetables. third course. roast hare. plum tart. whipped cream. punch jelly. compôte of damsons. marrow pudding. dessert. .--dinner for persons (september). first course. game soup. crimped skate. slices of salmon a la genévése. entrees. fricasseed sweetbreads. savoury rissoles. second course. sirloin of beef and horseradish sauce. boiled leg of mutton and caper sauce. vegetables. third course. roast partridges. charlotte russe. apricots and rice. fruit jelly. cabinet pudding. dessert. .--dinner for persons (september).--ii. first course. thick gravy soup. fillets of turbot à la crême. stewed eels. entrees. vol-au-vent of lobster. salmi of grouse. second course. haunch of venison. rump of beef à la jardinière. hare, boned and larded, with mushrooms. third course. roast grouse. apricot blancmange. compôte of peaches. plum tart. custards. plum-pudding. dessert. plain family dinners for september. . _sunday_.-- . julienne soup. . roast ribs of beef, yorkshire pudding, horseradish sauce, french beans, and potatoes. . greengage pudding, vanilla cream. . _monday_.-- . crimped skate and crab sauce. . cold beef and salad; small veal-and-ham pie. . vegetable marrow and white sauce. . _tuesday_.-- . fried solos, melted butter. . boiled fowls, parsley-and-butter; bacon-check, garnished with french beans; beef rissoles, made from remains of cold beef. . plum tart and cream. . _wednesday_.-- . boiled round of beef, carrots, turnips, and suet dumplings; marrow on toast. . baked damsons and rice. . _thursday_.-- . vegetable soup, made from liquor that beef was boiled in. . lamb cutlets and cucumbers, cold beef and salad. . apple pudding. . _friday_.-- . baked soles. . bubble-and-squeak, made from cold beef; veal cutlets and rolled bacon. . damson tart. . _saturday_.-- . irish stew, rump-steaks and oyster sauce. . somersetshire dumplings. * * * * * . _sunday_.-- . fried filleted soles and anchovy sauce. . roast leg of mutton, brown onion sauce, french beans, and potatoes; half calf's head, tongue, and brains. . plum tart; custards, in glasses. . _monday_.-- . vegetable-marrow soup. . calf's head à la maitre d'hôtel, from remains of cold head; boiled brisket of beef and vegetables. . stewed fruit and baked rice pudding. . _tuesday_.-- . roast fowls and water-cresses; boiled bacon, garnished with tufts of cauliflower; hashed mutton, from remains of mutton of sunday. . baked plum-pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . boiled knuckle of veal and rice, turnips, potatoes; small ham, garnished with french beans. . baked apple pudding. . _thursday_.-- . brill and shrimp sauce. . roast hare, gravy, and red-currant jelly; mutton cutlets and mashed potatoes. . scalloped oysters, instead of pudding. . _friday_.-- . small roast loin of mutton; the remains of hare, jugged; vegetable marrow and potatoes. . damson pudding. . _saturday_.-- . rump-steaks, broiled, and oyster sauce, mashed potatoes; veal-and-ham pie,--the ham may be cut from that boiled on wednesday, if not all eaten cold for breakfast. , lemon pudding. october. .--dinner for persons. _first course_ mock-turtle soup, removed by crimped cod and oyster sauce. soles à la vase of red mullet. normandie. flowers. julienne soup, removed by john dory and dutch sauce. _entrées_ sweetbreads and tomata sauce. oyster patties. vase of stewed mushrooms. flowers. fricandeau de veau and celery sauce. _second course._ roast saddle of mutton. grouse pie. roast goose. vase of boiled fowls and flowers. oyster sauce. ham. larded turkey. _third course._ custards. pheasants, prawns. removed by cabinet pudding. italian cream. gâteau de vase of compôte of pommes. flowers. plums. peach jelly. roast hare, removed by lobster salad. iced pudding. apple tart. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (october). first course. carrot soup à la créci. soup à la reine. baked cod. stewed eels. entrees. riz de veau and tomata sauce. vol-au-vent of chicken. pork cutlets and sauce robert. grilled mushrooms. second course. rump of beef à la jardinière. roast goose. boiled fowls and celery sauce. tongue, garnished. vegetables. third course. grouse. pheasants. quince jelly. lemon cream. apple tart. compote of peaches. nesselrode pudding. cabinet pudding. scalloped oysters. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (october). first course. calf's-head soup. crimped cod and oyster sauce. stewed eels. entrees. stewed mutton kidneys. curried sweetbreads. second course. boiled leg of mutton, garnished with carrots and turnips. roast goose. third course. partridges. fruit jelly. italian cream. vol-au-vent of pears. apple tart. cabinet pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (october).--i. first course. hare soup. broiled cod à la maître d'hôtel. haddocks and egg sauce. entrees. veal cutlets, garnished with french beans. haricot mutton. second course. roast haunch of mutton. boiled capon and rice. vegetables. third course. pheasants. punch jelly. blancmange. apples à la portugaise. charlotte à la vanille. marrow pudding. dessert. .--dinner for persons (october).--ii. first course. mock-turtle soup. brill and lobster sauce. fried whitings. entrees. fowl à la béchamel. oyster patties. second course. roast sucking-pig. stewed hump of beef à la jardinière. vegetables. third course. grouse. charlotte aux pommes. coffee cream. cheesecakes. apricot tart. iced pudding. dessert. plain family dinners for october. . _sunday_.-- . roast sucking-pig, tomata sauce and brain sauce; small boiled leg of mutton, caper sauce, turnips, and carrots. . damson tart, boiled batter pudding. . _monday_.-- . vegetable soup, made from liquor that mutton was boiled in. . sucking-pig en blanquette, small meat pie, french beans, and potatoes. . pudding, pies. . _tuesday_.-- . roast partridges, bread sauce, and gravy; slices of mutton warmed in caper sauce; vegetables. . baked plum-pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . roast ribs of beef, yorkshire pudding, vegetable marrow, and potatoes. . damson pudding. . _thursday_.-- . fried soles, melted butter. . cold beef and salad; mutton cutlets and tomata sauce. . macaroni. . _friday_.-- . carrot soup. . boiled fowls and celery sauce; bacon-check, garnished with greens; beef rissoles, from remains of cold beef. . baroness pudding. . _saturday_.-- . curried fowl, from remains of cold ditto; dish of rice, rump-steak-and-kidney pudding, vegetables. . stewed pears and sponge cakes. * * * * * . _sunday_.-- . crimped cod and oyster sauce. . roast haunch of mutton, brown onion sauce, and vegetables. . bullace pudding, baked custards in cups. . _monday_.-- . the remains of codfish, flaked, and warmed in a maître d'hôtel sauce. . cold mutton and salad, veal cutlets and rolled bacon, french beans and potatoes. . arrowroot blancmange and stewed damsons. . _tuesday_.-- . roast hare, gravy, and red-currant jelly; hashed mutton, vegetables. . currant dumplings. . _wednesday_.-- . jugged hare, from remains of roast ditto; boiled knuckle of veal and rice; boiled bacon-cheek. . apple pudding. . _thursday_.-- . roast leg of pork, apple sauce, greens, and potatoes. . rice snowballs. . _friday_.-- . slices of pork, broiled, and tomata sauce, mashed potatoes; roast pheasants, bread sauce, and gravy. . baked apple pudding. . _saturday_.-- . rump-steak pie, sweetbreads. . ginger pudding. november. .--dinner for persons. _first course._ thick grouse soup, removed by crimped cod and oyster sauce. baked whitings. vase of fried smelts. flowers. clear ox-tail soup, removed by fillets of turbot à la crême. _entrées._ poulet à la marengo. fillets of leveret. vase of ragoût of lobster. flowers. mushrooms sautés. _second course._ haunch of mutton. cold game pie. lark pudding. vase of roast fowls. flowers. boiled ham. boiled turkey and celery sauce. _third course._ apple tart. partridges, shell-fish. removed by plum-pudding. wine jelly. pommes à la vase of vol-au-vent condé. flowers. of pears. snipes, removed by prawns. charlotte glacée. apricot tartlets. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (november). first course. hare soup. julienne soup. baked cod. soles à la normandie. entrees. riz de veau aux tomates. lobster patties. mutton cutlets and soubise sauce. croûtades of marrow aux fines herbes. second course. roast sirloin of beef. braised goose. boiled fowls and celery sauce. bacon-cheek, garnished with sprouts. third course. wild ducks. partridges. apples à la portugaise. bavarian cream. apricot-jam sandwiches. cheesecakes. charlotte à la vanille. plum-pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (november). first course. mulligatawny soup. fried slices of codfish and oyster sauce. eels en matelote. entrees. broiled pork cutlets and tomata sauce. tendrons de veau à la jardinière. second course. boiled leg of mutton and vegetables. roast goose. cold game pie. third course. snipes. teal. apple soufflé. iced charlotte. tartlets. champagne jelly. coffee cream. mince pies. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (november). first course. oyster soup. crimped cod and oyster sauce. fried perch and dutch sauce. entrees. pigs' feet à la béchamel. curried rabbit. second course. roast sucking-pig. boiled fowls and oyster sauce. vegetables. third course. jugged hare. meringues à la crême. apple custard. vol-au-vent of pears. whipped cream. cabinet pudding. dessert. .--dinner for persons (november).--ii. first course. game soup. slices of codfish and dutch sauce. fried eels. entrees. kidneys à la maître d'hôtel. oyster patties. second course. saddle of mutton. boiled capon and rice. small ham. lark pudding. third course. roast hare. apple tart. pineapple cream. clear jelly. cheesecakes. marrow pudding. nesselrode pudding. dessert. plain family dinners for november. . _sunday_.-- . white soup. . roast haunch of mutton, haricot beans, potatoes. . apple tart, ginger pudding. . _monday._-- . stewed eels. . veal cutlets garnished with rolled bacon; cold mutton and winter salad. . baked rice pudding. . _tuesday_.-- . roast fowls, garnished with water-cresses; boiled bacon-cheek; hashed mutton from remains of haunch. . apple pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . boiled leg of pork, carrots, parsnips, and pease-pudding; fowl croquettes made with remainder of cold fowl. . baroness pudding. . _thursday_.-- . cold pork and mashed potatoes; roast partridges, bread sauce and gravy. . the remainder of pudding cut into neat slices, and warmed through, and served with sifted sugar sprinkled over; apple fritters. . _friday_.-- . roast hare, gravy, and currant jelly; rump-steak and oyster sauce; vegetables. . macaroni. . _saturday_.-- . jugged hare; small mutton pudding. . fig pudding. * * * * * . _sunday_.-- . crimped cod and oyster sauce. . roast fowls, small boiled ham, vegetables; rump-steak pie. . baked apple pudding, open jam tart. . _monday_.-- . the remainder of cod warmed in maître d'hôtel sauce. . boiled aitchbone of beef, carrots, parsnips, suet dumplings. . baked bread-and-butter pudding. . _tuesday_.-- . pea-soup, made from liquor in which beef was boiled. . cold beef, mashed potatoes; mutton cutlets and tomata sauce. . carrot pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . fried soles and melted butter. . roast leg of pork, apple sauce, vegetables. . macaroni with parmesan cheese. . _thursday_.-- . bubble-and-squeak from remains of cold beef; curried pork. . baked semolina pudding. . _friday_.-- . roast leg of mutton, stewed spanish onions, potatoes. . apple tart. . _saturday_.-- . hashed mutton; boiled rabbit and onion sauce; vegetables. . damson pudding made with bottled fruit. december. .--dinner for persons. _first course_. mock-turtle soup, removed by cod's head and shoulders and oyster sauce. stewed eels. vase of fried whitings. flowers. julienne soup, removed by soles aux fines herbes. _entrées_. fillets of grouse and sauce piquante. curried lobster. vase of mutton cutlets and flowers. soubise sauce. sweetbreads. _second course_. haunch of mutton. ham and brussels sprouts. roast goose. vase of stewed beef à la flowers. jardinière. game pie. boiled turkey and celery sauce. _third course_. apricot torte. pheasants, victoria removed by sandwiches. plum-pudding. vanilla cream. lemon jelly. vase of champagne jelly. flowers. blancmange. wild ducks, removed by tipsy cake. iced pudding. mince pies. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (december). first course. game soup. clear vermicelli soup. codfish au gratin. fillets of whitings à la maître d'hôtel. entrees. filet de boeuf and sauce piquante. fricasseed chicken. oyster patties. curried rabbit. second course. roast turkey and sausages. boiled leg of pork and vegetables. roast goose. stewed beef à la jardinière. third course. widgeon. partridges. charlotte aux pommes. mince pies. orange jelly. lemon cream. apple tart. cabinet pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (december). first course. mulligatawny soup. fried slices of codfish. soles à la crême. entrees. croquettes of fowl. pork cutlets and tomata sauce. second course. roast ribs of beef. boiled turkey and celery sauce. tongue, garnished. lark pudding. vegetables. third course. roast hare. grouse. plum-pudding. mince pies. charlotte à la parisienne. cheesecakes. apple tart. nesselrode pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (december). first course. carrot soup. crimped cod and oyster sauce. baked soles. entrees. mutton kidneys à la française. oyster patties. second course. boiled beef and vegetables. marrow-bones. roast fowls and water-cresses tongue, garnished. game pie. third course. partridges. blancmange. compôte of apples. vol-au-vent of pears. almond cheesecakes. lemon pudding. dessert and ices. .--dinner for persons (december).--i. first course. rabbit soup. brill and shrimp sauce. entrees. curried fowl. oyster patties. second course. roast turkey and sausages. boiled leg of pork. vegetables. third course. hunters' pudding. lemon cheesecakes. apple tart. custards, in glasses. raspberry cream. dessert. .--dinner for, persons (december).--ii. first course. ox-tail soup. crimped cod and oyster sauce. entrees. savoury rissoles. fowl scollops à la béchamel. second course. haunch of mutton. boiled chickens and celery sauce. bacon-cheek, garnished with brussels sprouts. vegetables. third course. snipes. orange jelly. cheesecakes. apples à la portugaise. apricot-jam tartlets. soufflé of rice. dessert. .--dinner for persons (december).--iii. first course. vermicelli soup. soles à la maître d'hôtel. fried eels. entrees. pork cutlets and tomato sauce. ragoût of mutton à la jardinière. second course. roast goose. boiled leg of mutton and vegetables. third course. pheasants. whipped cream. meringues. compôte of normandy pippins. mince pies. plum-pudding. dessert. .--dinner for persons (december).--iv. first course. carrot soup. baked cod. fried smelts. entrees. stewed rump-steak à la jardinière. fricasseed chicken. second course. roast leg of mutton, boned and stuffed. boiled turkey and oyster sauce. vegetables. third course. wild ducks. fancy pastry. lemon cream. damson tart, with bottled fruit. custards, in glasses. cabinet pudding. dessert. plain family dinners for december. . _sunday_.-- . carrot soup. . roast beef, horseradish sauce, vegetables. . plum-pudding, mince pies. . _monday._-- . fried whitings, melted butter. . rabbit pie, cold beef, mashed potatoes. . plum-pudding cut in slices and warmed; apple tart. . _tuesday_.-- . hashed beef and broiled bones, pork cutlets and tomata sauce; vegetables. . baked lemon pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . boiled neck of mutton and vegetables; the broth served first with a little pearl barley or rice boiled in it . bakewell pudding. . _thursday_.-- . roast leg of pork, apple sauce, vegetables. . rice snowballs. . _friday_.-- . soles à la crime. . cold pork and mashed potatoes, broiled rump-steaks and oyster sauce. . rolled jam pudding. . _saturday_.-- . the remains of cold pork curried, dish of rice, mutton cutlets, and mashed potatoes. . baked apple dumplings. * * * * * . _sunday_.-- . roast turkey and sausages, boiled leg of pork, pease pudding, vegetables. . baked apple pudding, mince pies. . _monday_.-- . hashed turkey, cold pork, mashed potatoes. . mince-meat pudding. . _tuesday_.-- . pea-soup made from liquor in which pork was boiled. . boiled fowls and celery sauce, vegetables. . baked rice pudding. . _wednesday_.-- . roast leg of mutton, stewed spanish onions, potatoes. . baked rolled jam pudding. . _thursday_.-- . baked cod's head. . cold mutton, roast hare, gravy and red-currant jelly. . macaroni. . _friday_.-- . hare soup, made with stock and remains of roast hare. . hashed mutton, pork cutlets, and mashed potatoes. . open tarts, rice blancmange. . _saturday_.-- . rump-steak-and-kidney pudding, vegetables. . mince pies, baked apple dumplings. .--bill of fare for a game dinner for persons (november). _first course_. hare soup. purée of grouse. vase of pheasant soup. flowers. soup á la reine. _entrées_. salmi of fillets of hare salmi of widgeon. en chevereuil. woodcock. perdrixaux choux. lark pudding. vase of game patties. flowers. curried rabbit. salmi of fillet of pheasant salmi of woodcock. and truffles. widgeon. _second course_. larded pheasants. leveret, larded and stuffed. cold pheasant pie vase of hot raised pie of á la périgord. flowers. mixed game. grouse. larded partridges. _third course_. snipes. pintails. ortolans. quails. golden vase of widgeon. plovers. flowers. teal. wild duck. woodcock. snipes. _entremets and removes_. apricot boudin à la nesselrode. maids of tart. honour. dantzic jelly. vol-au-vent vase of gâteau. of pears. flowers. génoise glacé. charlotte russe. maids of plum pudding. compôte of honour. apples. _dessert._ olives. strawberry-ice figs. cream. preserved pineapples. dried cherries. fruit. grapes. filberts. pears. walnuts. wafers. biscuits. ginger-ice cream. vase of orange-water ice. flowers. apples. dried grapes. preserved fruit. cherries. pears. figs. lemon-water ice. olives. menu. .--service a la russe (july). julienne soup. vermicelli soup. boiled salmon. turbot and lobster sauce. soles-water souchy. perch-water souchy. matelote d'anguilles à la toulouse. filets de soles à la normandie. red mullet. trout. lobster rissoles. whitebait. riz de veau à la banquière. filets de poulets aux coucombres. canards à la rouennaise. mutton cutlets à la jardinière. braised beef à la flamande. spring chickens. roast quarter of lamb. roast saddle of mutton. tongue. ham and peas. quails, larded. roast ducks. turkey poult, larded. mayonnaise of chicken. tomatas. green peas à la française. suédoise of strawberries. charlotte russe. compôte of cherries. neapolitan cakes. pastry. madeira wine jelly. iced pudding à la nesselrode. dessert and ices. _note._--dinners à la russe differ from ordinary dinners in the mode of serving the various dishes. in a dinner à la russe, the dishes are cut up on a sideboard, and handed round to the guests, and each dish may be considered a course. the table for a dinner à la russe should be laid with flowers and plants in fancy flowerpots down the middle, together with some of the dessert dishes. a menu or bill of fare should be laid by the side of each guest. menu. .--service a la russe (november). ox-tail soup. soup à la jardinière. turbot and lobster sauce. crimped cod and oyster sauce. stewed eels. soles à la normandie. pike and cream sauce. fried filleted soles. filets de boeuf à la jardinière. croquettes of game aux champignons. chicken cutlets. mutton cutlets and tomata sauce. lobster rissoles. oyster patties. partridges aux fines herbes. larded sweetbreads. roast beef. poulets aux cressons. haunch of mutton. roast turkey. boiled turkey and celery sauce. ham. grouse. pheasants. hare. salad. artichokes. stewed celery. italian cream. charlotte aux pommes. compôte of pears. croûtes madrées aux fruits. pastry. punch jelly. iced pudding. dessert and ices. _note._--dinners à la russe are scarcely suitable for small establishments; a large number of servants being required to carve; and to help the guests; besides there being a necessity for more plates, dishes, knives, forks, and spoons, than are usually to be found in any other than a very large establishment. where, however, a service à la russe is practicable, there it, perhaps, no mode of serving a dinner so enjoyable as this. suppers. . much may be done in the arrangement of a supper-table, at a very small expense, provided _taste_ and _ingenuity_ are exercised. the colours and flavours of the various dishes should contrast nicely; there should be plenty of fruit and flowers on the table, and the room should be well lighted. we have endeavoured to show how the various dishes may be placed; but of course these little matters entirely depend on the length and width of the table used, on individual taste, whether the tables are arranged round the room, whether down the centre, with a cross one at the top, or whether the supper is laid in two separate rooms, &c. &c. the garnishing of the dishes has also much to do with the appearance of a supper-table. hams and tongues should be ornamented with cut vegetable flowers, raised pies with aspic jelly cut in dice, and all the dishes garnished sufficiently to be in good taste without looking absurd. the eye, in fact, should be as much gratified as the palate. hot soup is now often served at suppers, but is not placed on the table. the servants fill the plates from a tureen on the buffet, and then hand them to the guests: when these plates are removed, the business of supper commences. . where small rooms and large parties necessitate having a standing supper, many things enumerated in the following bill of fare may be placed on the buffet. dishes for these suppers should be selected which may be eaten standing without any trouble. the following list may, perhaps, assist our readers in the arrangement of a buffet for a standing supper. . beef, ham, and tongue sandwiches, lobster and oyster patties, sausage rolls, meat rolls, lobster salad, dishes of fowls, the latter _all cut up_; dishes of sliced ham, sliced tongue, sliced beef, and galantine of veal; various jellies, blancmanges, and creams; custards in glasses, compôtes of fruit, tartlets of jam, and several dishes of small fancy pastry; dishes of fresh fruit, bonbons, sweetmeats, two or three sponge cakes, a few plates of biscuits, and the buffet ornamented with vases of fresh or artificial flowers. the above dishes are quite sufficient for a standing supper; where more are desired, a supper must then be laid and arranged in the usual manner. .--bill of fare for a ball supper for persons (for winter) boar's head, garnished with aspic jelly. lobster salad lobster salad. fruited jelly. mayonnaise of fowl. charlotte russe. small ham, garnished. small pastry. iced savoy cake. biscuits. vanilla cream epergne, with fruit. fruited jelly. two roast fowls, cut up. two roast fowls, cut up. prawns two boiled fowls, with béchamel prawns sauce. biscuits small pastry tongue, ornamented. custards, trifle, ornamented. custards, in glasses. in glasses. raised chicken pie. tipsy cake lobster salad. lobster salad. fruited jelly. swiss cream. roast pheasant. meringues. epergne, with fruit. meringues. raspberry cream. galantine of veal. fruited jelly. tipsy cake. small pastry. biscuits. raised game pie. custards, trifle, ornamented custards, in glasses. in glasses. two roast fowls, cut up. two roast fowls, cut up. tongue, ornamented. prawns. prawns. two boiled fowls, with béchamel sauce. biscuits. small pastry. epergne, with fruit. lobster salad. lobster salad. fruited jelly. iced savoy cake. blancmange. small ham, garnished. mayonnaise of fowl. charlotte russe. fruited jelly. larded capon. _note:_ when soup is served from the buffet, mock turtle and julienne may be selected. besides the articles enumerated above, ices, wafers, biscuits, tea, coffee, wines and liqueurs will be required. punch a la romaine may also be added to the list of beverages. .--bill of fare for a ball supper, or a cold collation for a summer entertainment, or wedding or christening breakfast for or persons (july). [illustration: containing the following--] [columns and ] blancmanges, to be placed down the table. jellies, to be placed down the table. dishes of small pastry. fruit tarts. cheesecakes. compotes of fruit. english pines. small dishes of various summer fruits. [column ] dish of lobster, cut up. charlotte russe à la vanille. lobster salad pigeon pie. lobster salad. dish of lobster, cut up. larded capon. lobster salad. pigeon pie. dish of lobster, cut up. savoy cake. lobster salad. [column ] tongue. ribs of lamb. two roast fowls. mayonnaise of salmon. epergne, with flowers. mayonnaise of trout. tongue, garnished. boiled fowls and béchamel sauce. collared eel. ham. raised pie. two roast fowls. shoulder of lamb, stuffed. mayonnaise of salmon. epergne, with flowers. mayonnaise of trout. tongue. boiled fowls and béchamel sauce. raised pie. ham, decorated. shoulder of lamb, stuffed. two roast fowls. mayonnaise of salmon. epergne, with flowers. mayonnaise of trout. tongue, garnished. boiled fowls and béchamel sauce. collared eel. [column ] veal-and-ham pie. lobster salad. savoy cake. dish of lobster, cut up. lobster salad. boar's head. pigeon pie. lobster salad. dish of lobster, cut up. lobster salad. charlotte russe à la vanille. veal and ham pie. dish of lobster, cut up. _note_.--the length of the page will not admit of our giving the dishes as they should be placed on the table; they should be arranged with the large and high dishes down the centre, and the spaces filled up with the smaller dishes, fruit, and flowers, taking care that the flavours and colours contrast nicely, and that no two dishes of a sort come together. this bill of fare may be made to answer three or four purposes, placing a wedding cake or christening cake in the centre on a high stand, if required for either of these occasions. a few dishes of fowls, lobster salads, &c. &c., should be kept in reserve to replenish those that are most likely to be eaten first. a joint of cold roast and boiled beef should be placed on the buffet, as being something substantial for the gentlemen of the party to partake of. besides the articles enumerated in the bill of fare, biscuits and wafers will be required, cream-and-water ices, tea, coffee, wines, liqueurs, soda-water, ginger-beer, and lemonade. breakfasts. . it will not be necessary to give here a long bill of fare of cold joints, &c., which may be placed on the side-board, and do duty at the breakfast-table. suffice it to say, that any cold meat the larder may furnish, should be nicely garnished, and be placed on the buffet. collared and potted meats or fish, cold game or poultry, veal-and-ham pies, game-and-rump-steak pies, are all suitable dishes for the breakfast-table; as also cold ham, tongue, &c. &c. . the following list of hot dishes may perhaps assist our readers in knowing what to provide for the comfortable meal called breakfast. broiled fish, such as mackerel, whiting, herrings, dried haddocks, &c.; mutton chops and rump-steaks, broiled sheep's kidneys, kidneys à la maître d'hôtel, sausages, plain rashers of bacon, bacon and poached eggs, ham and poached eggs, omelets, plain boiled eggs, oeufs-au-plat, poached eggs on toast, muffins, toast, marmalade, butter, &c. &c. . in the summer, and when they are obtainable, always have a vase of freshly-gathered flowers on the breakfast-table, and, when convenient, a nicely-arranged dish of fruit: when strawberries are in season, these are particularly refreshing; as also grapes, or even currants. luncheons and suppers. . the remains of cold joints, nicely garnished, a few sweets, or a little hashed meat, poultry or game, are the usual articles placed on the table for luncheon, with bread and cheese, biscuits, butter, &c. if a substantial meal is desired, rump-steaks or mutton chops may he served, as also veal cutlets, kidneys, or any dish of that kind. in families where there is a nursery, the mistress of the house often partakes of the meal with the children, and makes it her luncheon. in the summer, a few dishes of fresh fruit should be added to the luncheon, or, instead of this, a compote of fruit or fruit tart, or pudding. . of suppers we have little to say, as we have already given two bills of fare for a large party, which will answer very well for a smaller number, by reducing the quantity of dishes and by omitting a few. hot suppers are now very little in request, as people now generally dine at an hour which precludes the possibility of requiring supper; at all events, not one of a substantial kind. should, however, a bill of fare be required, one of those under the head of dinners, with slight alterations, will be found to answer for a hot supper. bill of fare for a picnic for persons. . a joint of cold roast beef, a joint of cold boiled beef, ribs of lamb, shoulders of lamb, roast fowls, roast ducks, ham, tongue, veal-and-ham pies, pigeon pies, medium-sized lobsters, piece of collared calf's head, lettuces, baskets of salad, cucumbers. . stewed fruit well sweetened, and put into glass bottles well corked; or dozen plain pastry biscuits to eat with the stewed fruit, dozen fruit turnovers, dozen cheesecakes, cold cabinet puddings in moulds, blancmanges in moulds, a few jam puffs, large cold plum-pudding (this must be good), a few baskets of fresh fruit, dozen plain biscuits, a piece of cheese, lbs. of butter (this, of course, includes the butter for tea), quartern loaves of household broad, dozen rolls, loaves of tin bread (for tea), plain plum cakes, pound cakes, sponge cakes, a tin of mixed biscuits, / lb, of tea. coffee is not suitable for a picnic, being difficult to make. things not to be forgotten at a picnic. . a stick of horseradish, a bottle of mint-sauce well corked, a bottle of salad dressing, a bottle of vinegar, made mustard, pepper, salt, good oil, and pounded sugar. if it can be managed, take a little ice. it is scarcely necessary to say that plates, tumblers, wine-glasses, knives, forks, and spoons, must not be forgotten; as also teacups and saucers, or teapots, some lump sugar, and milk, if this last-named article cannot be obtained in the neighbourhood. take corkscrews. . _beverages_.-- dozen quart bottles of ale, packed in hampers; ginger-beer, soda-water, and lemonade, of each dozen bottles; bottles of sherry, bottles of claret, champagne à discrétion, and any other light wine that may be preferred, and bottles of brandy. water can usually be obtained so it is useless to take it. domestic servants. chapter xli. . it is the custom of "society" to abuse its servants,--_a façon de parler_, such as leads their lords and masters to talk of the weather, and, when rurally inclined, of the crops,--leads matronly ladies, and ladies just entering on their probation in that honoured and honourable state, to talk of servants, and, as we are told, wax eloquent over the greatest plague in life while taking a quiet cup of tea. young men at their clubs, also, we are told, like to abuse their "fellows," perhaps not without a certain pride and pleasure at the opportunity of intimating that they enjoy such appendages to their state. it is another conviction of "society" that the race of good servants has died out, at least in england, although they do order these things better in france; that there is neither honesty, conscientiousness, nor the careful and industrious habits which distinguished the servants of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers; that domestics no longer know their place; that the introduction of cheap silks and cottons, and, still more recently, those ambiguous "materials" and tweeds, have removed the landmarks between the mistress and her maid, between the master and his man. . when the distinction really depends on things so insignificant, this is very probably the case; when the lady of fashion chooses her footman without any other consideration than his height, shape, and _tournure_ of his calf, it is not surprising that she should find a domestic who has no attachment for the family, who considers the figure he cuts behind her carriage, and the late hours he is compelled to keep, a full compensation for the wages he exacts, for the food he wastes, and for the perquisites he can lay his hands on. nor should the fast young man, who chooses his groom for his knowingness in the ways of the turf and in the tricks of low horse-dealers, be surprised if he is sometimes the victim of these learned ways. but these are the exceptional cases, which prove the existence of a better state of things. the great masses of society among us are not thus deserted; there are few families of respectability, from the shopkeeper in the next street to the nobleman whose mansion dignifies the next square, which do not contain among their dependents attached and useful servants; and where these are absent altogether, there are good reasons for it. the sensible master and the kind mistress know, that if servants depend on them for their means of living, in their turn they are dependent on their servants for very many of the comforts of life; and that, with a proper amount of care in choosing servants, and treating them like reasonable beings, and making slight excuses for the shortcomings of human nature, they will, save in some exceptional case, be tolerably well served, and, in most instances, surround themselves with attached domestics. . this remark, which is applicable to all domestics, is especially so to men-servants. families accustomed to such attendants have always about them humble dependents, whose children have no other prospect than domestic service to look forward to; to them it presents no degradation, but the reverse, to be so employed; they are initiated step by step into the mysteries of the household, with the prospect of rising in the service, if it is a house admitting of promotion,--to the respectable position of butler or house-steward. in families of humbler pretensions, where they must look for promotion elsewhere, they know that can only be attained by acquiring the goodwill of their employers. can there be any stronger security for their good conduct,--any doubt that, in the mass of domestic servants, good conduct is the rule, the reverse the exception? . the number of the male domestics in a family varies according to the wealth and position of the master, from the owner of the ducal mansion, with a retinue of attendants, at the head of which is the chamberlain and house-steward, to the occupier of the humbler house, where a single footman, or even the odd man-of-all-work, is the only male retainer. the majority of gentlemen's establishments probably comprise a servant out of livery, or butler, a footman, and coachman, or coachman and groom, where the horses exceed two or three. duties of the butler. . the domestic duties of the butler are to bring in the eatables at breakfast, and wait upon the family at that meal, assisted by the footman, and see to the cleanliness of everything at table. on taking away, he removes the tray with the china and plate, for which he is responsible. at luncheon, he arranges the meal, and waits unassisted, the footman being now engaged in other duties. at dinner, he places the silver and plated articles on the table, sees that everything is in its place, and rectifies what is wrong. he carries in the first dish, and announces in the drawing-room that dinner is on the table, and respectfully stands by the door until the company are seated, when he takes his place behind his master's chair on the left, to remove the covers, handing them to the other attendants to carry out. after the first course of plates is supplied, his place is at the sideboard to serve the wines, but only when called on. . the first course ended, he rings the cook's bell, and hands the dishes from the table to the other servants to carry away, receiving from them the second course, which he places on the table, removing the covers as before, and again taking his place at the sideboard. . at dessert, the slips being removed, the butler receives the dessert from the other servants, and arranges it on the table, with plates and glasses, and then takes his place behind his master's chair to hand the wines and ices, while the footman stands behind his mistress for the same purpose, the other attendants leaving the room. where the old-fashioned practice of having the dessert on the polished table, without any cloth, is still adhered to, the butler should rub off any marks made by the hot dishes before arranging the dessert. . before dinner, he has satisfied himself that the lamps, candles, or gas-burners are in perfect order, if not lighted, which will usually be the case. having served every one with their share of the dessert, put the fires in order (when these are used), and seen the lights are all right, at a signal from his master, he and the footman leave the room. . he now proceeds to the drawing-room, arranges the fireplace, and sees to the lights; he then returns to his pantry, prepared to answer the bell, and attend to the company, while the footman is clearing away and cleaning the plate and glasses. . at tea he again attends. at bedtime he appears with the candles; he locks up the plate, secures doors and windows, and sees that all the fires are safe. . in addition to these duties, the butler, where only one footman is kept, will be required to perform some of the duties of the valet, to pay bills, and superintend the other servants. but the real duties of the butler are in the wine-cellar; there he should be competent to advise his master as to the price and quality of the wine to be laid in; "fine," bottle, cork, and seal it, and place it in the binns. brewing, racking, and bottling malt liquors, belong to his office, as well as their distribution. these and other drinkables are brought from the cellar every day by his own hands, except where an under-butler is kept; and a careful entry of every bottle used, entered in the cellar-book; so that the book should always show the contents of the cellar. . the office of butler is thus one of very great trust in a household. here, as elsewhere, honesty is the best policy: the butler should make it his business to understand the proper treatment of the different wines under his charge, which he can easily do from the wine-merchant, and faithfully attend to it; his own reputation will soon compensate for the absence of bribes from unprincipled wine-merchants, if he serves a generous and hospitable master. nothing spreads more rapidly in society than the reputation of a good wine-cellar, and all that is required is wines well chosen and well cared for; and this a little knowledge, carefully applied, will soon supply. . the butler, we have said, has charge of the contents of the cellars, and it is his duty to keep them in a proper condition, to fine down wine in wood, bottle it off, and store it away in places suited to the sorts. where wine comes into the cellar ready bottled, it is usual to return the same number of empty bottles; the butler has not, in this case, the same inducements to keep the bottles of the different sorts separated; but where the wine is bottled in the house, he will find his account, not only in keeping them separate, but in rinsing them well, and even washing them with clean water as soon as they are empty. . there are various modes of fining wine: isinglass, gelatine, and gum arabic are all used for the purpose. whichever of these articles is used, the process is always the same. supposing eggs (the cheapest) to be used,--draw a gallon or so of the wine, and mix one quart of it with the whites of four eggs, by stirring it with a whisk; afterwards, when thoroughly mixed, pour it back into the cask through the bunghole, and stir up the whole cask, in a rotatory direction, with a clean split stick inserted through the bunghole. having stirred it sufficiently, pour in the remainder of the wine drawn off, until the cask is full; then stir again, skimming off the bubbles that rise to the surface. when thoroughly mixed by stirring, close the bunghole, and leave it to stand for three or four days. this quantity of clarified wine will fine thirteen dozen of port or sherry. the other clearing ingredients are applied in the same manner, the material being cut into small pieces, and dissolved in the quart of wine, and the cask stirred in the same manner. . _to bottle wine_.--having thoroughly washed and dried the bottles, supposing they have been before used for the same kind of wine, provide corks, which will be improved by being slightly boiled, or at least steeped in hot water,--a wooden hammer or mallet, a bottling-boot, and a squeezer for the corks. bore a hole in the lower part of the cask with a gimlet, receiving the liquid stream which follows in the bottle and filterer, which is placed in a tub or basin. this operation is best performed by two persons, one to draw the wine, the other to cork the bottles. the drawer is to see that the bottles are up to the mark, but not too full, the bottle being placed in a clean tub to prevent waste. the corking-boot is buckled by a strap to the knee, the bottle placed in it, and the cork, after being squeezed in the press, driven in by a flat wooden mallet. . as the wine draws near to the bottom of the cask, a thick piece of muslin is placed in the strainer, to prevent the viscous grounds from passing into the bottle. . having carefully counted the bottles, they are stored away in their respective binns, a layer of sand or sawdust being placed under the first tier, and another over it; a second tier is laid over this, protected by a lath, the head of the second being laid to the bottom of the first; over this another bed of sawdust is laid, not too thick, another lath; and so on till the binn is filled. . wine so laid in will be ready for use according to its quality and age. port wine, old in the wood, will be ready to drink in five or six months; but if it is a fruity wine, it will improve every year. sherry, if of good quality, will be fit to drink as soon as the "sickness" (as its first condition after bottling is called) ceases, and will also improve; but the cellar must be kept at a perfectly steady temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, but about ° or °, and absolutely free from draughts of cold air. duties of the footman. . where a single footman, or odd man, is the only male servant, then, whatever his ostensible position, he is required to make himself generally useful. he has to clean the knives and shoes, the furniture, the plate; answer the visitors who call, the drawing-room and parlour bells; and do all the errands. his life is no sinecure; and a methodical arrangement of his time will be necessary, in order to perform his many duties with any satisfaction to himself or his master. . the footman only finds himself in stockings, shoes, and washing. where silk stockings, or other extra articles of linen are worn, they are found by the family, as well as his livery, a working dress, consisting of a pair of overalls, a waistcoat, a fustian jacket, with a white or jean one for times when he is liable to be called to answer the door or wait at breakfast; and, on quitting his service, he is expected to leave behind him any livery had within six months. . the footman is expected to rise early, in order to get through all his dirty work before the family are stirring. boots and shoes, and knives and forks, should be cleaned, lamps in use trimmed, his master's clothes brushed, the furniture rubbed over; so that he may put aside his working dress, tidy himself, and appear in a clean jean jacket to lay the cloth and prepare breakfast for the family. . we need hardly dwell on the boot-cleaning process: three good brushes and good blacking must be provided; one of the brushes hard, to brush off the mud; the other soft, to lay on the blacking; the third of a medium hardness, for polishing; and each should be kept for its particular use. the blacking should be kept corked up, except when in use, and applied to the brush with a sponge tied to a stick, which, when put away, rests in a notch cut in the cork. when boots come in very muddy, it is a good practice to wash off the mud, and wipe them dry with a sponge; then leave them to dry very gradually on their sides, taking care they are not placed near the fire, or scorched. much delicacy of treatment is required in cleaning ladies' boots, so as to make the leather look well-polished, and the upper part retain a fresh appearance, with the lining free from hand-marks, which are very offensive to a lady of refined tastes. . patent leather boots require to be wiped with a wet sponge, and afterwards with a soft dry cloth, and occasionally with a soft cloth and sweet oil, blacking and polishing the edge of the soles in the usual way, but so as not to cover the patent polish with blacking. a little milk may also be used with very good effect for patent leather boots. . top boots are still occasionally worn by gentlemen. while cleaning the lower part in the usual manner, protect the tops, by inserting a cloth or brown paper under the edges and bringing it over them. in cleaning the tops, let the covering fall down over the boot; wash the tops clean with soap and flannel, and rub out any spots with pumice-stone. if the tops are to be whiter, dissolve an ounce of oxalic acid and half an ounce of pumice-stone in a pint of soft water; if a brown colour is intended, mix an ounce of muriatic acid, half an ounce of alum, half an ounce of gum arabic, and half an ounce of spirit of lavender, in a pint and a half of skimmed milk "turned." these mixtures apply by means of a sponge, and polish, when dry, with a rubber made of soft flannel. . knives are now generally cleaned by means of kent's or masters's machine, which gives very little trouble, and is very effective; before, however, putting the knives into the machine, it is highly necessary that they be first washed in a little warm (not hot) water, and then thoroughly wiped: if put into the machine with any grease on them, it adheres to the brushes, and consequently renders them unfit to use for the next knives that may be put in. when this precaution is not taken, the machine must come to pieces, so causing an immense amount of trouble, which may all be avoided by having the knives thoroughly free from grease before using the machine. brushes are also used for cleaning forks, which facilitate the operation. when knives are so cleaned, see that they are carefully polished, wiped, and with a good edge, the ferules and prongs free from dirt, and place them in the basket with the handles all one way. . lamp-trimming requires a thorough acquaintance with the mechanism; after that, constant attention to cleanliness, and an occasional entire clearing out with hot water: when this is done, all the parts should be carefully dried before filling again with oil. when lacquered, wipe the lacquered parts with a soft brush and cloth, and wash occasionally with weak soapsuds, wiping carefully afterwards. brass lamps may be cleaned with oil and rottenstone every day when trimmed. with bronze, and other ornamental lamps, more care will be required, and soft flannel and oil only used, to prevent the removal of the bronze or enamel. brass-work, or any metal-work not lacquered, is cleaned by a little oil and rottenstone made into a paste, or with fine emery-powder and oil mixed in the same manner. a small portion of sal ammoniac, beat into a fine powder and moistened with soft water, rubbed over brass ornaments, and heated over a charcoal fire, and rubbed dry with bran or whitening, will give to brass-work the brilliancy of gold. in trimming moderator lamps, let the wick be cut evenly all round; as, if left higher in one place than it is in another, it will cause it to smoke and burn badly. the lamp should then be filled with oil from a feeder, and afterwards well wiped with a cloth or rag kept for the purpose. if it can be avoided, never wash the chimneys of a lamp, as it causes them to crack when they become hot. small sticks, covered with wash-leather pads, are the best things to use for cleaning the glasses inside, and a clean duster for polishing the outside. the globe of a moderator lamp should be occasionally washed in warm soap-and-water, then well rinsed in cold water, and either wiped dry or left to drain. where candle-lamps are used, take out the springs occasionally, and free them well from the grease that adheres to them. . french polish, so universally applied to furniture, is easily kept in condition by dusting and rubbing with a soft cloth, or a rubber of old silk; but dining-tables can only be kept in order by hard rubbing, or rather by quick rubbing, which warms the wood and removes all spots. . brushing clothes is a very simple but very necessary operation. fine cloths require to be brushed lightly, and with rather a soft brush, except where mud is to be removed, when a hard one is necessary, being previously beaten lightly to dislodge the dirt. lay the garment on a table, and brush it in the direction of the nap. having brushed it properly, turn the sleeves back to the collar, so that the folds may come at the elbow-joints; next turn the lappels or sides back over the folded sleeves; then lay the skirts over level with the collar, so that the crease may fall about the centre, and double one half over the other, so as the fold comes in the centre of the back. . having got through his dirty work, the single footman has now to clean himself and prepare the breakfast. he lays the cloth on the table; over it the breakfast-cloth, and sets the breakfast things in order, and then proceeds to wait upon his master, if he has any of the duties of a valet to perform. . where a valet is not kept, a portion of his duties falls to the footman's share,--brushing the clothes among others. when the hat is silk, it requires brushing every day with a soft brush; after rain, it requires wiping the way of the nap before drying, and, when nearly dry, brushing with the soft brush and with the hat-stick in it. if the footman is required to perform any part of a valet's duties, he will have to see that the housemaid lights a fire in the dressing-room in due time; that the room is dusted and cleaned; that the washhand-ewer is filled with soft water; and that the bath, whether hot or cold, is ready when required; that towels are at hand; that hair-brushes and combs are properly cleansed, and in their places; that hot water is ready at the hour ordered; the dressing-gown and slippers in their place, the clean linen aired, and the clothes to be worn for the day in their proper places. after the master has dressed, it will be the footman's duty to restore everything to its place properly cleansed and dry, and the whole restored to order. . at breakfast, when there is no butler, the footman carries up the tea-urn, and, assisted by the housemaid, he waits during breakfast. breakfast over, he removes the tray and other things off the table, folds up the breakfast-cloth, and sets the room in order, by sweeping up all crumbs, shaking the cloth, and laying it on the table again, making up the fire, and sweeping up the hearth. . at luncheon-time nearly the same routine is observed, except where the footman is either out with the carriage or away on other business, when, in the absence of any butler, the housemaid must assist. . for dinner, the footman lays the cloth, taking care that the table is not too near the fire, if there is one, and that passage-room is left. a tablecloth should be laid without a wrinkle; and this requires two persons: over this the slips are laid, which are usually removed preparatory to placing dessert on the table. he prepares knives, forks, and glasses, with five or six plates for each person. this done, he places chairs enough for the party, distributing them equally on each side of the table, and opposite to each a napkin neatly folded, within it a piece of bread or small roll, and a knife on the right side of each plate, a fork on the left, and a carving-knife and fork at the top and bottom of the table, outside the others, with the rests opposite to them, and a gravy-spoon beside the knife. the fish-slice should be at the top, where the lady of the house, with the assistance of the gentleman next to her, divides the fish, and the soup-ladle at the bottom: it is sometimes usual to add a dessert-knife and fork; at the same time, on the right side also of each plate, put a wine-glass for as many kinds of wine as it is intended to hand round, and a finger-glass or glass-cooler about four inches from the edge. the latter are frequently put on the table with the dessert. . about half an hour before dinner, he rings the dinner-bell, where that is the practice, and occupies himself with carrying up everything he is likely to require. at the expiration of the time, having communicated with the cook, he rings the real dinner-bell, and proceeds to take it up with such assistance as he can obtain. having ascertained that all is in order, that his own dress is clean and presentable, and his white cotton gloves are without a stain, he announces in the drawing-room that dinner is served, and stands respectfully by the door until the company are seated: he places himself on the left, behind his master, who is to distribute the soup; where soup and fish are served together, his place will be at his mistress's left hand; but he must be on the alert to see that whoever is assisting him, whether male or female, are at their posts. if any of the guests has brought his own servant with him, his place is behind his master's chair, rendering such assistance to others as he can, while attending to his master's wants throughout the dinner, so that every guest has what he requires. this necessitates both activity and intelligence, and should be done without bustle, without asking any questions, except where it is the custom of the house to hand round dishes or wine, when it will be necessary to mention, in a quiet and unobtrusive manner, the dish or wine you present. . salt-cellars should be placed on the table in number sufficient for the guests, so that each may help themselves, or, at least, their immediate neighbours. dinners À la russe. . in some houses the table is laid out with plate and glass, and ornamented with flowers, the dessert only being placed on the table, the dinner itself being placed on the sideboard, and handed round in succession, in courses of soup, fish, entries, meat, game, and sweets. this is not only elegant but economical, as fewer dishes are required, the symmetry of the table being made up with the ornaments and dessert. the various dishes are also handed round when hot; but it involves additional and superior attendance, as the wines are also handed round; and unless the servants are very active and intelligent, many blunders are likely to be made. (see p. .) general observations. . while attentive to all, the footman should be obtrusive to none; he should give nothing but on a waiter, and always hand it with the left hand and on the left side of the person he serves, and hold it so that the guest may take it with ease. in lifting dishes from the table, he should use both hands, and remove them with care, so that nothing is spilt on the table-cloth or on the dresses of the guests. . masters as well as servants sometimes make mistakes; but it is not expected that a servant will correct any omissions, even if he should have time to notice them, although with the best intentions: thus it would not be correct, for instance, if he observed that his master took wine with the ladies all round, as some gentlemen still continue to do, but stopped at some one:--to nudge him on the shoulder and say, as was done by the servant of a scottish gentleman, "what ails you at her in the green gown?" it will be better to leave the lady unnoticed than for the servant thus to turn his master into ridicule. . during dinner each person's knife, fork, plate, and spoon should be changed as soon as he has done with it; the vegetables and sauces belonging to the different dishes presented without remark to the guests; and the footman should tread lightly in moving round, and, if possible, should bear in mind, if there is a wit or humorist of the party, whose good things keep the table in a roar, that they are not expected to reach his ears. . in opening wine, let it be done quietly, and without shaking the bottle; if crusted, let it be inclined to the crusted side, and decanted while in that position. in opening champagne, it is not necessary to discharge it with a pop; properly cooled, the cork is easily extracted without an explosion; when the cork is out, the mouth of the bottle should be wiped with the napkin over the footman's arm. . at the end of the first course, notice is conveyed to the cook, who is waiting to send up the second, which is introduced in the same way as before; the attendants who remove the fragments, carrying the dishes from the kitchen, and handing them to the footman or butler, whose duty it is to arrange them on the table. after dinner, the dessert-glasses and wines are placed on the table by the footman, who places himself behind his master's chair, to supply wine and hand round the ices and other refreshments, all other servants leaving the room. . as soon as the drawing-room bell rings for tea, the footman enters with the tray, which has been previously prepared; hands the tray round to the company, with cream and sugar, the tea and coffee being generally poured out, while another attendant hands cakes, toast, or biscuits. if it is an ordinary family party, where this social meal is prepared by the mistress, he carries the urn or kettle, as the case may be; hands round the toast, or such other eatable as may be required, removing the whole in the same manner when tea is over. . after each meal, the footman's place is in his pantry: here perfect order should prevail--a place for everything and everything in its place. a sink, with hot and cold water laid on, is very desirable,--cold absolutely necessary. wooden bowls or tubs of sufficient capacity are required, one for hot and another for cold water. have the bowl three parts full of clean hot water; in this wash all plate and plated articles which are greasy, wiping them before cleaning with the brush. . the footman in small families, where only one man is kept, has many of the duties of the upper servants to perform as well as his own, and more constant occupation; he will also have the arrangement of his time more immediately under his own control, and he will do well to reduce it to a methodical division. all his rough work should be done before breakfast is ready, when he must appear clean, and in a presentable state. after breakfast, when everything belonging to his pantry is cleaned and put in its place, the furniture in the dining and drawing rooms requires rubbing. towards noon, the parlour luncheon is to be prepared; and he must be at his mistress's disposal to go out with the carriage, or follow her if she walks out. . glass is a beautiful and most fragile article: hence it requires great care in washing. a perfectly clean wooden bowl is best for this operation, one for moderately hot and another for cold water. wash the glasses well in the first and rinse them in the second, and turn them down on a linen cloth folded two or three times, to drain for a few minutes. when sufficiently drained, wipe them with a cloth and polish with a finer one, doing so tenderly and carefully. accidents will happen; but nothing discredits a servant in the drawing-room more than continual reports of breakages, which, of course, must reach that region. . decanters and water-jugs require still more tender treatment in cleaning, inasmuch as they are more costly to replace. fill them about two-thirds with hot but not boiling water, and put in a few pieces of well-soaped brown paper; leave them thus for two or three hours; then shake the water up and down in the decanters; empty this out, rinse them well with clean cold water, and put them in a rack to drain. when dry, polish them outside and inside, as far as possible, with a fine cloth. to remove the crust of port or other wines, add a little muriatic acid to the water, and let it remain for some time. . when required to go out with the carriage, it is the footman's duty to see that it has come to the door perfectly clean, and that the glasses, and sashes, and linings, are free from dust. in receiving messages at the carriage door, he should turn his ear to the speaker, so as to comprehend what is said, in order that he may give his directions to the coachman clearly. when the house he is to call at is reached, he should knock, and return to the carriage for orders. in closing the door upon the family, he should see that the handle is securely turned, and that no part of the ladies' dress is shut in. . it is the footman's duty to carry messages or letters for his master or mistress to their friends, to the post, or to the tradespeople; and nothing is more important than dispatch and exactness in doing so, although writing even the simplest message is now the ordinary and very proper practice. dean swift, among his other quaint directions, all of which are to be read by contraries, recommends a perusal of all such epistles, in order that you may be the more able to fulfil your duty to your master. an old lady of forfarshire had one of those odd old caleb balderston sort of servants, who construed the dean of st. patrick more literally. on one occasion, when dispatch was of some importance, knowing his inquiring nature, she called her scotch paul pry to her, opened the note, and read it to him herself, saying, "now, andrew, you ken a' aboot it, and needna' stop to open and read it, but just take it at once." probably most of the notes you are expected to carry might, with equal harmlessness, be communicated to you; but it will be better not to take so lively an interest in your mistress's affairs. . politeness and civility to visitors is one of the things masters and mistresses have a right to expect, and should exact rigorously. when visitors present themselves, the servant charged with the duty of opening the door will open it promptly, and answer, without hesitation, if the family are "not at home," or "engaged;" which generally means the same thing, and might be oftener used with advantage to morals. on the contrary, if he has no such orders, he will answer affirmatively, open the door wide to admit them, and precede them to open the door of the drawing-room. if the family are not there, he will place chairs for them, open the blinds (if the room is too dark), and intimate civilly that he goes to inform his mistress. if the lady is in her drawing-room, he announces the name of the visitors, having previously acquainted himself with it. in this part of his duty it is necessary to be very careful to repeat the names correctly; mispronouncing names is very apt to give offence, and leads sometimes to other disagreeables. the writer was once initiated into some of the secrets on the "other side" of a legal affair in which he took an interest, before he could correct a mistake made by the servant in announcing him. when the visitor is departing, the servant should be at hand, ready, when rung for, to open the door; he should open it with a respectful manner, and close it gently when the visitors are fairly beyond the threshold. when several visitors arrive together, he should take care not to mix up the different names together, where they belong to the same family, as mr., mrs., and miss; if they are strangers, he should announce each as distinctly as possible. . _receptions and evening parties_.--the drawing-rooms being prepared, the card-tables laid out with cards and counters, and such other arrangements as are necessary made for the reception of the company, the rooms should be lighted up as the hour appointed approaches. attendants in the drawing-room, even more than in the dining-room, should move about actively but noiselessly; no creaking of shoes, which is an abomination; watching the lights from time to time, so as to keep up their brilliancy. but even if the attendant likes a game of cribbage or whist himself, he must not interfere in his master or mistress's game, nor even seem to take an interest in it. we once knew a lady who had a footman, and both were fond of a game of cribbage,--john in the kitchen, the lady in her drawing-room. the lady was a giver of evening parties, where she frequently enjoyed her favourite amusement. while handing about the tea and toast, john could not always suppress his disgust at her mistakes. "there is more in that hand, ma'am," he has been known to say; or, "ma'am, you forgot to count his nob;" in fact, he identified himself with his mistress's game, and would have lost twenty places rather than witness a miscount. it is not necessary to adopt his example on this point, although john had many qualities a good servant might copy with advantage. the coachhouse and stables. . the horse is the noblest of quadrupeds, whether we view him in his strength, his sagacity, or his beauty. he is also the most useful to man of all the animal creation; but his delicacy is equal to his power and usefulness. no other animal, probably, is so dependent on man in the state of domestication to which he has been reduced, or deteriorates so rapidly under exposure, bad feeding, or bad grooming. it is, therefore, a point of humanity, not to speak of its obvious impolicy, for the owner of horses to overlook any neglect in their feeding or grooming. his interest dictates that so valuable an animal should be well housed, well fed, and well groomed; and he will do well to acquire so much of stable lore as will enable him to judge of these points himself. in a general way, where a horse's coat is habitually rough and untidy, there is a sad want of elbow-grease in the stable. when a horse of tolerable breeding is dull and spiritless, he is getting ill or badly fed; and where he is observed to perspire much in the stables, is overfed, and probably eats his litter in addition to his regular supply of food. . _stables_.--the architectural form of the stables will be subject to other influences than ours; we confine ourselves, therefore, to their internal arrangements. they should be roomy in proportion to the number of stalls; warm, with good ventilation, and perfectly free from cold draughts; the stalls roomy, without excess, with good and well-trapped drainage, so as to exclude bad smells; a sound ceiling to prevent the entrance of dust from the hayloft, which is usually above them; and there should be plenty of light, coming, however, either from above or behind, so as not to glare in the horse's eye. . _heat_.--the first of these objects is attained, if the stables are kept within a degree or two of ° in winter, and ° in summer; although some grooms insist on a much higher temperature, in the interests of their own labour. . _ventilation_ is usually attained by the insertion of one or more tubes or boxes of wood or iron through the ceiling and the roof, with a sloping covering over the opening, to keep out rain, and valves or ventilators below to regulate the atmosphere, with openings in the walls for the admission of fresh air: this is still a difficulty, however; for the effluvium of the stable is difficult to dispel, and draughts must be avoided. this is sometimes accomplished by means of hollow walls with gratings at the bottom outside, for the exit of bad air, which is carried down through the hollow walls and discharged at the bottom, while, for the admission of fresh air, the reverse takes place: the fresh by this means gets diffused and heated before it is discharged into the stable. . _the stalls_ should be divided by partitions of wood-work eight or nine feet high at the head and six at the heels, and nine feet deep, so as to separate each horse from its neighbour. a hay-rack placed within easy reach of the horse, of wood or iron, occupies either a corner or the whole breadth of the stall, which should be about six feet for on ordinary-sized horse. a manger, formerly of wood, but of late years more generally of iron lined with enamel, occupies a corner of the stall. the pavement of the stall should be nearly level, with a slight incline towards the gutter, to keep the bed dry, paved with hard dutch brick laid on edge, or asphalte, or smithy clinkers, or rubble-stones, laid in strong cement. in the centre, about five feet from the wall, a grating should be firmly fixed in the pavement, and in communication with a well-trapped drain to carry off the water; the gutter outside the stall should also communicate with the drains by trapped openings. the passage between the stall and the hall should be from five to six feet broad at least; on the wall, opposite to each stall, pegs should be placed for receiving the harness and other things in daily use. . _a harness-room_ is indispensable to every stable. it should be dry and airy, and furnished with a fireplace and boiler, both for the protection of the harness and to prepare mashes for the horses when required. the partition-wall should be boarded where the harness goes, with pegs to hang the various pieces of harness on, with saddle-trees to rest the saddles on, a cupboard for the brushes, sponges, and leathers, and a lock-up corn-bin. . _the furniture_ of a stable with coachhouse, consists of coach-mops, jacks for raising the wheels, horse-brushes, spoke-brushes, water-brushes, crest and bit-brushes, dandy-brushes, currycombs, birch and heath brooms, trimming-combs, scissors and pickers, oil-cans and brushes, harness-brushes of three sorts, leathers, sponges for horse and carriage, stable-forks, dung-baskets or wheelbarrow, corn-sieves and measures, horse-cloths and stable pails, horn or glass lanterns. over the stables there should be accommodation for the coachman or groom to sleep. accidents sometimes occur, and he should be at hand to interfere. duties of the coachman, groom, and stable-boy. . _the establishment_ we have in view will consist of coachman, groom, and stable-boy, who are capable of keeping in perfect order four horses, and perhaps the pony. of this establishment the coachman is chief. besides skill in driving, he should possess a good general knowledge of horses; he has usually to purchase provender, to see that the horses are regularly fed and properly groomed, watch over their condition, apply simple remedies to trifling ailments in the animals under his charge, and report where he observes symptoms of more serious ones which he does not understand. he has either to clean the carriage himself, or see that the stable-boy does it properly. . _the groom's_ first duties are to keep his horses in condition; but he is sometimes expected to perform the duties of a valet, to ride out with his master, on occasions, to wait at table, and otherwise assist in the house: in these cases, he should have the means of dressing himself, and keeping his clothes entirely away from the stables. in the morning, about six o'clock, or rather before, the stables should be opened and cleaned out, and the horses fed, first by cleaning the rack and throwing in fresh hay, putting it lightly in the rack, that the horses may get it out easily; a short time afterwards their usual morning feed of oats should be put into the manger. while this is going on, the stable-boy has been removing the stable-dung, and sweeping and washing out the stables, both of which should be done every day, and every corner carefully swept, in order to keep the stable sweet and clean. the real duties of the groom follow: where the horses are not taken out for early exercise, the work of grooming immediately commences. "having tied up the head," to use the excellent description of the process given by old barrett, "take a currycomb and curry him all over the body, to raise the dust, beginning first at the neck, holding the left cheek of the headstall in the left hand, and curry him from the setting-on of his head all over the body to the buttocks, down to the point of the hock; then change your hands, and curry him before, on his breast, and, laying your right arm over his back, join your right side to his left, and curry him all under the belly near the fore-bowels, and so all over from the knees and back upwards; after that, go to the far side and do that likewise. then take a dead horse's tail, or, failing that, a cotton dusting-cloth, and strike that away which the currycomb hath raised. then take a round brush made of bristles, with a leathern handle, and dress him all over, both head, body, and legs, to the very fetlocks, always cleansing the brush from the dust by rubbing it with the currycomb. in the curry-combing process, as well as brushing, it must be applied with mildness, especially with fine-skinned horses; otherwise the tickling irritates them much. the brushing is succeeded by a hair-cloth, with which rub him all over again very hard, both to take away loose hairs and lay his coat; then wash your hands in fair water, and rub him all over while they are wet, as well over the head as the body. lastly, take a clean cloth, and rub him all over again till he be dry; then take another hair-cloth, and rub all his legs exceeding well from the knees and hocks downwards to his hoofs, picking and dressing them very carefully about the fetlocks, so as to remove all gravel and dust which will sometimes lie in the bending of the joints." in addition to the practice of this old writer, modern grooms add wisping, which usually follows brushing. the best wisp is made from a hayband, untwisted, and again doubled up after being moistened with water: this is applied to every part of the body, as the brushing had been, by changing the hands, taking care in all these operations to carry the hand in the direction of the coat. stains on the hair are removed by sponging, or, when the coat is very dirty, by the water-brush; the whole being finished off by a linen or flannel cloth. the horsecloth should now be put on by taking the cloth in both hands, with the outside next you, and, with your right hand to the off side, throw it over his back, placing it no farther back than will leave it straight and level, which will be about a foot from the tail. put the roller round, and the pad-piece under it, about six or eight inches from the fore legs. the horse's head is now loosened; he is turned about in his stall to have his head and ears rubbed and brushed over every part, including throat, with the dusting-cloth, finishing by "pulling his ears," which all horses seem to enjoy very much. this done, the mane and foretop should be combed out, passing a wet sponge over them, sponging the mane on both sides, by throwing it back to the midriff, to make it lie smooth. the horse is now returned to his headstall, his tail combed out, cleaning it of stains with a wet brush or sponge, trimming both tail and mane, and forelock when necessary, smoothing them down with a brush on which a little oil has been dropped. . watering usually follows dressing; but some horses refuse their food until they have drunk: the groom should not, therefore, lay down exclusive rules on this subject, but study the temper and habits of his horse. . _exercise_.--all horses not in work require at least two hours' exercise daily; and in exercising them a good groom will put them through the paces to which they have been trained. in the case of saddle-horses he will walk, trot, canter, and gallop them, in order to keep them up to their work. with draught horses they ought to be kept up to a smart walk and trot. . _feeding_ must depend on their work, but they require feeding three times a day, with more or less corn each time, according to their work. in the fast coaching days it was a saying among proprietors, that "his belly was the measure of his food;" but the horse's appetite is not to be taken as a criterion of the quantity of food under any circumstances. horses have been known to consume lbs. of hay in twenty-four hours, whereas lbs. to lbs. is the utmost which should have been given. mr. croall, an extensive coach proprietor in scotland, limited his horses to - / lbs. cut straw, lbs. bruised oats, and - / lbs. bruised beans, in the morning and noon, giving them at night lbs. of the following; viz., lbs. steamed potatoes, lbs. barley-dust, lbs. cut straw, and lbs. salt, mixed up together: under this the horses did their work well. the ordinary measure given a horse is a peck of oats, about lbs. to the bushel, twice a day, a third feed and a rack-full of hay, which may be about lbs. or lbs., when he is in full work. . you cannot take up a paper without having the question put, "do you bruise your oats?" well, that depends on circumstances: a fresh young horse can bruise its own oats when it can get them; but aged horses, after a time, lose the power of masticating and bruising them, and bolt them whole; thus much impeding the work of digestion. for an old horse, then, bruise the oats; for a young one it does no harm and little good. oats should be bright and dry, and not too new. where they are new, sprinkle them with salt and water; otherwise, they overload the horse's stomach. chopped straw mixed with oats, in the proportion of a third of straw or hay, is a good food for horses in full work; and carrots, of which horses are remarkably fond, have a perceptible effect in a short time on the gloss of the coat. . the water given to a horse merits some attention; it should not be too cold; hard water is not to be recommended; stagnant or muddy water is positively injurious; river water is the best for all purposes; and anything is preferable to spring water, which should be exposed to the sun in summer for an hour or two, and stirred up before using it; a handful of oatmeal thrown into the pail will much improve its quality. . _shoeing_.--a horse should not be sent on a journey or any other hard work immediately after new shoeing;--the stiffness incidental to new shoes is not unlikely to bring him down. a day's rest, with reasonable exercise, will not be thrown away after this operation. on reaching home very hot, the groom should walk him about for a few minutes; this done, he should take off the moisture with the scraper, and afterwards wisp him over with a handful of straw and a flannel cloth: if the cloth is dipped in some spirit, all the better. he should wash, pick, and wipe dry the legs and feet, take off the bridle and crupper, and fasten it to the rack, then the girths, and put a wisp of straw under the saddle. when sufficiently cool, the horse should have some hay given him, and then a feed of oats: if he refuse the latter, offer him a little wet bran, or a handful of oatmeal in tepid water. when he has been fed, he should be thoroughly cleaned, and his body-clothes put on, and, if very much harassed with fatigue, a little good ale or wine will be well bestowed on a valuable horse, adding plenty of fresh litter under the belly. . _bridles_.--every time a horse is unbridled, the bit should be carefully washed and dried, and the leather wiped, to keep them sweet, as well as the girths and saddle, the latter being carefully dried and beaten with a switch before it is again put on. in washing a horse's feet after a day's work, the master should insist upon the legs and feet being washed thoroughly with a sponge until the water flows over them, and then rubbed with a brush till quite dry. . _harness_, if not carefully preserved, very soon gets a shabby tarnished appearance. where the coachman has a proper harness-room and sufficient assistance, this is inexcusable and easily prevented. the harness-room should have a wooden lining all round, and be perfectly dry and well ventilated. around the walls, hooks and pegs should be placed, for the several pieces of harness, at such a height as to prevent their touching the ground; and every part of the harness should have its peg or hook,--one for the halters, another for the reins, and others for snaffles and other bits and metal-work; and either a wooden horse or saddle-trees for the saddles and pads. all these parts should be dry, clean, and shining. this is only to be done by careful cleaning and polishing, and the use of several requisite pastes. the metallic parts, when white, should be cleaned by a soft brush and plate-powder; the copper and brass parts burnished with rottenstone-powder and oil,--steel with emery-powder; both made into a paste with a little oil. . an excellent paste for polishing harness and the leather-work of carriages, is made by melting lbs. of yellow wax, stirring it till completely dissolved. into this pour lb. of litharge of the shops, which has been pounded up with water, and dried and sifted through a sieve, leaving the two, when mixed, to simmer on the fire, stirring them continually till all is melted. when it is a little cool, mix this with - / lb. of good ivory-black; place this again on the fire, and stir till it boils anew, and suffer it to cool. when cooled a little, add distilled turpentine till it has the consistence of a thickish paste, scenting it with any essence at hand, thinning it when necessary from time to time, by adding distilled turpentine. . when the leather is old and greasy, it should be cleaned before applying this polish, with a brush wetted in a weak solution of potass and water, washing afterwards with soft river water, and drying thoroughly. if the leather is not black, one or two coats of black ink may be given before applying the polish. when quite dry, the varnish should be laid on with a soft shoe-brush, using also a soft brush to polish the leather. . when the leather is very old, it may be softened with fish-oil, and, after putting on the ink, a sponge charged with distilled turpentine passed over, to scour the surface of the leather, which should be polished as above. . _for fawn or yellow-coloured leather_, take a quart of skimmed milk, pour into it oz. of sulphuric acid, and, when cold, add to it oz. of hydrochloric acid, shaking the bottle gently until it ceases to emit white vapours; separate the coagulated from the liquid part, by straining through a sieve, and store it away till required. in applying it, clean the leather by a weak solution of oxalic acid, washing it off immediately, and apply the composition when dry with a sponge. . _wheel-grease_ is usually purchased at the shops; but a good paste is made as follows:--melt parts of grease, and stir into it, mixing it thoroughly and smoothly, parts of fine black-lead in powder, and store away in a tin box for use. this grease is used in the mint at paris, and is highly approved. . _carriages_ in an endless variety of shapes and names are continually making their appearance; but the hackney cab or clarence seems most in request for light carriages; the family carriage of the day being a modified form of the clarence adapted for family use. the carriage is a valuable piece of furniture, requiring all the care of the most delicate upholstery, with the additional disadvantage of continual exposure to the weather and to the muddy streets. . it requires, therefore, to be carefully cleaned before putting away, and a coach-house perfectly dry and well ventilated, for the wood-work swells with moisture; it shrinks also with heat, unless the timber has undergone a long course of seasoning: it should also have a dry floor, a boarded one being recommended. it must be removed from the ammoniacal influence of the stables, from open drains and cesspools, and other gaseous influences likely to affect the paint and varnish. when the carriage returns home, it should be carefully washed and dried, and that, if possible, before the mud has time to dry on it. this is done by first well slushing it with clean water, so as to wash away all particles of sand, having first closed the sashes to avoid wetting the linings. the body is then gone carefully over with a soft mop, using plenty of clean water, and penetrating into every corner of the carved work, so that not an atom of dirt remains; the body of the carriage is then raised by placing the jack under the axletree and raising it so that the wheel turns freely; this is now thoroughly washed with the mop until the dirt is removed, using a water-brush for corners where the mop does not penetrate. every particle of mud and sand removed by the mop, and afterwards with a wet sponge, the carriage is wiped dry, and, as soon after as possible, the varnish is carefully polished with soft leather, using a little sweet oil for the leather parts, and even for the panels, so as to check any tendency of the varnish to crack. stains are removed by rubbing them with the leather and sweet oil; if that fails, a little tripoli powder mixed with the oil will be more successful. . in preparing the carriage for use, the whole body should be rubbed over with a clean leather and carefully polished, the iron-work and joints oiled, the plated and brass-work occasionally cleaned,--the one with plate-powder, or with well-washed whiting mixed with sweet oil, and leather kept for the purpose,--the other with rottenstone mixed with a little oil, and applied without too much rubbing, until the paste is removed; but, if rubbed every day with the leather, little more will be required to keep it untarnished. the linings require careful brushing every day, the cushions being taken out and beaten, and the glass sashes should always be bright and clean. the wheel-tires and axletree are carefully seen to, and greased when required, the bolts and nuts tightened, and all the parts likely to get out of order overhauled. . these duties, however, are only incidental to the coachman's office, which is to drive; and much of the enjoyment of those in the carriage depends on his proficiency in his art,--much also of the wear of the carriage and horses. he should have sufficient knowledge of the construction of the carriage to know when it is out of order,--to know, also, the pace at which he can go over the road he has under him, without risking the springs, and without shaking those he is driving too much. . having, with or without the help of the groom or stable-boy, put his horses to the carriage, and satisfied himself, by walking round them, that everything is properly arranged, the coachman proceeds to the off-side of the carriage, takes the reins from the back of the horses, where they were thrown, buckles them together, and, placing his foot on the step, ascends to his box, having his horses now entirely under control. in ordinary circumstances, he is not expected to descend, for where no footman accompanies the carriage, the doors are usually so arranged that even a lady may let herself out, if she wishes it, from the inside. the coachman's duties are to avoid everything approaching an accident, and all his attention is required to guide his horses. . the pace at which he drives will depend upon his orders,--in all probability a moderate pace of seven or eight miles an hour; less speed is injurious to the horses, getting them into lazy and sluggish habits; for it is wonderful how soon these are acquired by some horses. the writer was once employed to purchase a horse for a country friend, and he picked a very handsome gelding out of collins's stables, which seemed to answer to his friend's wants. it was duly committed to the coachman who was to drive it, after some very successful trials in harness and out of it, and seemed likely to give great satisfaction. after a time, the friend got tired of his carriage, and gave it up; as the easiest mode of getting rid of the horse, it was sent up to the writer's stables,--a present. only twelve months had elapsed; the horse was as handsome as ever, with plenty of flesh, and a sleek glossy coat, and he was thankfully enough received; but, on trial, it was found that a stupid coachman, who was imbued with one of their old maxims, that "it's the pace that kills," had driven the horse, capable of doing his nine miles an hour with ease, at a jog-trot of four miles, or four and a half; and now, no persuasion of the whip could get more out of him. after many unsuccessful efforts to bring him back to his pace, in one of which a break-down occurred, under the hands of a professional trainer, he was sent to the hammer, and sold for a sum that did not pay for the attempt to break him in. this maxim, therefore, "that it's the pace that kills," is altogether fallacious in the moderate sense in which we are viewing it. in the old coaching days, indeed, when the shrewsbury "wonder" drove into the inn yard while the clock was striking, week after week and mouth after month, with unerring regularity, twenty-seven hours to a hundred and sixty-two miles; when the "quicksilver" mail was timed to eleven miles an hour between london and plymouth, with a fine of £ to the driver if behind time; when the brighton "age," "tool'd" and horsed by the late mr. stevenson, used to dash round the square as the fifth hour was striking, having stopped at the half-way house while his servant handed a sandwich and a glass of sherry to his passengers,--then the pace was indeed "killing." but the truth is, horses that are driven at a jog-trot pace lose that _élan_ with which a good driver can inspire them, and they are left to do their work by mere weight and muscle; therefore, unless he has contrary orders, a good driver will choose a smart pace, but not enough to make his horses perspire: on level roads this should never be seen. . in choosing his horses, every master will see that they are properly paired,--that their paces are about equal. when their habits differ, it is the coachman's duty to discover how he can, with least annoyance to the horses, get that pace out of them. some horses have been accustomed to be driven on the check, and the curb irritates them; others, with harder mouths, cannot be controlled with the slight leverage this affords; he must, therefore, accommodate the horses as he best can. the reins should always be held so that the horses are "in hand;" but he is a very bad driver who always drives with a tight rein; the pain to the horse is intolerable, and causes him to rear and plunge, and finally break sway, if he can. he is also a bad driver when the reins are always slack; the horse then feels abandoned to himself; he is neither directed nor supported, and if no accident occurs, it is great good luck. . the true coachman's hands are so delicate and gentle, that the mere weight of the reins is felt on the bit, and the directions are indicated by a turn of the wrist rather than by a pull; the horses are guided and encouraged, and only pulled up when they exceed their intended pace, or in the event of a stumble; for there is a strong though gentle hand on the reins. . _the whip_, in the hands of a good driver, and with well-bred cattle, is there, more as a precaution than a "tool" for frequent use; if he uses it, it is to encourage, by stroking the flanks; except, indeed, he has to punish some waywardness of temper, and then he does it effectually, taking care, however, that it is done on the flank, where there is no very tender part, never on the crupper. in driving, the coachman should never give way to temper. how often do we see horses stumble from being conducted, or at least "allowed," to go over bad ground by some careless driver, who immediately wreaks that vengeance on the poor horse which might, with much more justice, be applied to his own brutal shoulders. the whip is of course useful, and even necessary, but should be rarely used, except to encourage and excite the horses. duties of the valet. . _attendants on the person_.-"no man is a hero to his valet," saith the proverb; and the corollary may run, "no lady is a heroine to her maid." the infirmities of humanity are, perhaps, too numerous and too equally distributed to stand the severe microscopic tests which attendants on the person have opportunities of applying. the valet and waiting-maid are placed near the persons of the master and mistress, receiving orders only from them, dressing them, accompanying them in all their journeys, the confidants and agents of their most unguarded moments, of their most secret habits, and of course subject to their commands,--even to their caprices; they themselves being subject to erring judgment, aggravated by an imperfect education. all that can be expected from such servants is polite manners, modest demeanour, and a respectful reserve, which are indispensable. to these, good sense, good temper, some self-denial, and consideration for the feelings of others, whether above or below them in the social scale, will be useful qualifications. their duty leads them to wait on those who are, from sheer wealth, station, and education, more polished, and consequently more susceptible of annoyance; and any vulgar familiarity of manner is opposed to all their notions of self-respect. quiet unobtrusive manners, therefore, and a delicate reserve in speaking of their employers, either in praise or blame, is as essential in their absence, as good manners and respectful conduct in their presence. . some of the duties of the valet we have just hinted at in treating of the duties of the footman in a small family. his day commences by seeing that his master's dressing-room is in order; that the housemaid has swept and dusted it properly; that the fire is lighted and burns cheerfully; and some time before his master is expected, he will do well to throw up the sash to admit fresh air, closing it, however, in time to recover the temperature which he knows his master prefers. it is now his duty to place the body-linen on the horse before the fire, to be aired properly; to lay the trousers intended to be worn, carefully brushed and cleaned, on the back of his master's chair; while the coat and waistcoat, carefully brushed and folded, and the collar cleaned, are laid in their place ready to put on when required. all the articles of the toilet should be in their places, the razors properly set and stropped, and hot water ready for use. . gentlemen generally prefer performing the operation of shaving themselves, but a valet should be prepared to do it if required; and he should, besides, be a good hairdresser. shaving over, he has to brush the hair, beard, and moustache, where that appendage is encouraged, arranging the whole simply and gracefully, according to the age and style of countenance. every fortnight, or three weeks at the utmost, the hair should be cut, and the points of the whiskers trimmed as often as required. a good valet will now present the various articles of the toilet as they are wanted; afterwards, the body-linen, neck-tie, which he will put on, if required, and, afterwards, waistcoat, coat, and boots, in suitable order, and carefully brushed and polished. . having thus seen his master dressed, if he is about to go out, the valet will hand him his cane, gloves, and hat, the latter well brushed on the outside with a soft brush, and wiped inside with a clean handkerchief, respectfully attend him to the door, and open it for him, and receive his last orders for the day. . he now proceeds to put everything in order in the dressing-room, cleans the combs and brushes, and brushes and folds up any clothes that may be left about the room, and puts them away in the drawers. . gentlemen are sometimes indifferent as to their clothes and appearance; it is the valet's duty, in this case, where his master permits it, to select from the wardrobe such things as are suitable for the occasion, so that he may appear with scrupulous neatness and cleanliness; that his linen and neck-tie, where that is white or coloured, are unsoiled; and where he is not accustomed to change them every day, that the cravat is turned, and even ironed, to remove the crease of the previous fold. the coat collar,--which where the hair is oily and worn long, is apt to get greasy--should also be examined; a careful valet will correct this by removing the spots day by day as they appear, first by moistening the grease-spots with a little rectified spirits of wine or spirits of hartshorn, which has a renovating effect, and the smell of which soon disappears. the grease is dissolved and removed by gentle scraping. the grease removed, add a little more of the spirit, and rub with a piece of clean cloth; finish by adding a few drops more; rub it with the palm of the hand, in the direction of the grain of the cloth, and it will be clean and glossy as the rest of the garment. . polish for the boots is an important matter to the valet, and not always to be obtained good by purchase; never so good, perhaps, as he can make for himself after the following recipes:--take of ivory-black and treacle each oz., sulphuric acid oz., best olive-oil spoonfuls, best white-wine vinegar half-pints: mix the ivory-black and treacle well in an earthen jar; then add the sulphuric acid, continuing to stir the mixture; next pour in the oil; and, lastly, add the vinegar, stirring it in by degrees, until thoroughly incorporated. . another polish is made by mixing oz. each of pounded galls and logwood-chips, and lbs. of red french vine (ordinaire). boil together till the liquid is reduced to half the quantity, and pour it off through a strainer. now take / lb. each of pounded gum-arabic and lump-sugar, oz. of green copperas, and lbs. of brandy. dissolve the gum-arabic in the preceding decoction, and add the sugar and copperas: when all is dissolved and mixed together, stir in the brandy, mixing it smoothly. this mixture will yield or lbs. of a very superior polishing paste for boots and shoes. . it is, perhaps, unnecessary to add, that having discharged all the commissions intrusted to him by his master, such as conveying notes or messages to friends, or the tradesmen, all of which he should punctually and promptly attend to, it is his duty to be in waiting when his master returns home to dress for dinner, or for any other occasion, and to have all things prepared for this second dressing. previous to this, he brings under his notice the cards of visitors who may have called, delivers the messages be may have received for him, and otherwise acquits himself of the morning's commissions, and receives his orders for the remainder of the day. the routine of his evening duty is to have the dressing-room and study, where there is a separate one, arranged comfortably for his master, the fires lighted, candles prepared, dressing-gown and slippers in their place, and aired, and everything in order that is required for his master's comforts. female domestics. duties of the lady's-maid. . the duties of a lady's-maid are more numerous, and perhaps more onerous, than those of the valet; for while the latter is aided by the tailor, the hatter, the linen-draper, and the perfumer, the lady's-maid has to originate many parts of the mistress's dress herself: she should, indeed, be a tolerably expert milliner and dressmaker, a good hairdresser, and possess some chemical knowledge of the cosmetics with which the toilet-table is supplied, in order to use them with safety and effect. her first duty in the morning, after having performed her own toilet, is to examine the clothes put off by her mistress the evening before, either to put them away, or to see that they are all in order to put on again. during the winter, and in wet weather, the dresses should be carefully examined, and the mud removed. dresses of tweed, and other woollen materials, may be laid out on a table and brushed all over; but in general, even in woollen fabrics, the lightness of the tissues renders brushing unsuitable to dresses, and it is better to remove the dust from the folds by beating them lightly with a handkerchief or thin cloth. silk dresses should never be brushed, but rubbed with a piece of merino, or other soft material, of a similar colour, kept for the purpose. summer dresses of barège, muslin, mohair, and other light materials, simply require shaking; but if the muslin be tumbled, it must be ironed afterwards. if the dresses require slight repair, it should be done at once: "a stitch in time saves nine." . the bonnet should be dusted with a light feather plume, in order to remove every particle of dust; but this has probably been done, as it ought to have been, the night before. velvet bonnets, and other velvet articles of dress, should be cleaned with a soft brush. if the flowers with which the bonnet is decorated have been crushed or displaced, or the leaves tumbled, they should be raised and readjusted by means of flower-pliers. if feathers have suffered from damp, they should be held near the fire for a few minutes, and restored to their natural state by the hand or a soft brush. . _the chausserie_, or foot-gear of a lady, is one of the few things left to mark her station, and requires special care. satin boots or shoes should be dusted with a soft brush, or wiped with a cloth. kid or varnished leather should have the mud wiped off with a sponge charged with milk, which preserves its softness and polish. the following is also an excellent polish for applying to ladies' boots, instead of blacking them:--mix equal proportions of sweet-oil, vinegar, and treacle, with oz. of lamp-black. when all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, rub the mixture on the boots with the palm of the hand, and put them in a cool place to dry. ladies' blacking, which may be purchased in d, and s. bottles, is also very much used for patent leather and kid boots, particularly when they are a little worn. this blacking is merely applied with a piece of sponge, and the boots should not be put on until the blacking is dry und hardened. . these various preliminary offices performed, the lady's-maid should prepare for dressing her mistress, arranging her dressing-room, toilet-table, and linen, according to her mistress's wishes and habits. the details of dressing we need not touch upon,--every lady has her own mode of doing so; but the maid should move about quietly, perform any offices about her mistress's person, as lacing stays, gently, and adjust her linen smoothly. . having prepared the dressing-room by lighting the fire, sweeping the hearth, and made everything ready for dressing her mistress, placed her linen before the fire to air, and laid out the various articles of dress she is to wear, which will probably have been arranged the previous evening, the lady's-maid is prepared for the morning's duties. . _hairdressing_ is the most important part of the lady's-maid's office. if ringlets are worn, remove the curl-papers, and, after thoroughly brushing the back hair both above and below, dress it according to the prevailing fashion. if bandeaux are worn, the hair is thoroughly brushed and frizzed outside and inside, folding the hair back round the head, brushing it perfectly smooth, giving it a glossy appearance by the use of pomades, or oil, applied by the palm of the hand, smoothing it down with a small brush dipped in bandoline. double bandeaux are formed by bringing most of the hair forward, and rolling it over frizettes made of hair the same colour as that of the wearer: it is finished behind by plaiting the hair, and arranging it in such a manner as to look well with the head-dress. . lessons in hairdressing may be obtained, and at not an unreasonable charge. if a lady's-maid can afford it, we would advise her to initiate herself in the mysteries of hairdressing before entering on her duties. if a mistress finds her maid handy, and willing to learn, she will not mind the expense of a few lessons, which are almost necessary, as the fashion and mode of dressing the hair is so continually changing. brushes and combs should be kept scrupulously clean, by washing them about twice a week: to do this oftener spoils the brushes, as very frequent washing makes them so very soft. to wash brushes. . dissolve a piece of soda in some hot water, allowing a piece the size of a walnut to a quart of water. put the water into a basin, and, after combing out the hair from the brushes, dip them, bristles downwards, into the water and out again, keeping the backs and handles as free from the water as possible. repeat this until the bristles look clean; then rinse the brushes in a little cold water; shake them well, and wipe the handles and backs with a towel, _but not the bristles_, and set the brushes to dry in the sun, or near the fire; but take care not to put them too close to it. wiping the bristles of a brush makes them soft, as does also the use of soap. to clean combs. . if it can be avoided, never wash combs, as the water often makes the teeth split, and the tortoiseshell or horn of which they are made, rough. small brushes, manufactured purposely for cleaning combs, may be purchased at a trifling cost: with this the comb should be well brushed, and afterwards wiped with a cloth or towel. a good wash for the hair. . ingredients.-- pennyworth of borax, / pint of olive-oil, pint of boiling water. _mode_.--pour the boiling water over the borax and oil; let it cool; then put the mixture into a bottle. shake it before using, and apply it with a flannel. camphor and borax, dissolved in boiling water and left to cool, make a very good wash for the hair; as also does rosemary-water mixed with a little borax. after using any of these washes, when the hair becomes thoroughly dry, a little pomatum or oil should be rubbed in, to make it smooth and glossy. to make pomade for the hair. . ingredients.-- / lb. of lard, pennyworth of castor-oil; scent. _mode_.--let the lard be unsalted; beat it up well; then add the castor-oil, and mix thoroughly together with a knife, adding a few drops of any scent that may be preferred. put the pomatum into pots, which keep well covered to prevent it turning rancid. another recipe for pomatum. . ingredients.-- oz. of olive-oil, oz. of spermaceti, pennyworth of essential oil of almonds, pennyworth of essence of lemon. _mode_.--mix these ingredients together, and store away in jars for use. to make bandoline. . ingredients.-- oz. of gum-tragacanth, / pint of cold water, pennyworth of essence of almonds, teaspoonfuls of old rum. _mode_.--put the gum-tragacanth into a wide-mouthed bottle with the cold water; let it stand till dissolved, then stir into it the essence of almonds; let it remain for an hour or two, when pour the rum on the top. this should make the stock bottle, and when any is required for use, it is merely necessary to dilute it with a little cold water until the desired consistency is obtained, and to keep it in a small bottle, well corked, for use. this bandoline, instead of injuring the hair, as many other kinds often do, improves it, by increasing its growth, and making it always smooth and glossy. an excellent pomatum. . ingredients.-- - / lb. of lard, / pint of olive-oil, / pint of castor-oil, oz. of spermaceti, bergamot, or any other scent; elder-flower water. _mode_.--wash the lard well in the elder-flower water; drain, and beat it to a cream. mix the two oils together, and heat them sufficiently to dissolve the spermaceti, which should be beaten fine in a mortar. mix all these ingredients together with the brandy and whatever kind of scent may be preferred; and whilst warm pour into glass bottles for use, keeping them well corked. the best way to liquefy the pomatum is to set the bottle in a saucepan of warm water. it will remain good for many months. to promote the growth of hair. . ingredients.--equal quantities of olive-oil and spirit of rosemary; a few drops of oil of nutmeg. _mode_.--mix the ingredients together, rub the roots of the hair every night with a little of this liniment, and the growth of it will very soon sensibly increase. . our further remarks on dressing must be confined to some general advice. in putting on a band, see that it is laid quite flat, and is drawn tightly round the waist before it is pinned in front; that the pin is a strong one, and that it is secured to the stays, so as not to slip up or down, or crease in the folds. arrange the folds of the dress over the crinoline petticoats; if the dress fastens behind, put a small pin in the slit to prevent it from opening. see that the sleeves fall well over the arms. if it is finished with a jacket, or other upper dress, see that it fits smoothly under the arms; pull out the flounces, and spread out the petticoat at the bottom with the hands, so that it falls in graceful folds. in arranging the petticoat itself, a careful lady's-maid will see that this is firmly fastened round the waist. . where sashes are worn, pin the bows securely on the inside with a pin, so as not to be visible; then raise the bow with the fingers. the collar is arranged and carefully adjusted with brooch or bow in the centre. . having dressed her mistress for breakfast, and breakfasted herself, the further duties of the lady's-maid will depend altogether upon the habits of the family, in which hardly two will probably agree. where the duties are entirely confined to attendance on her mistress, it is probable that the bedroom and dressing-room will be committed to her care; that, the housemaid will rarely enter, except for the weekly or other periodical cleaning; she will, therefore, have to make her mistress's bed, and keep it in order; and as her duties are light and easy, there can be no allowance made for the slightest approach to uncleanliness or want of order. every morning, immediately after her mistress has left it, and while breakfast is on, she should throw the bed open, by taking off the clothes; open the windows (except in rainy weather), and leave the room to air for half an hour. after breakfast, except her attendance on her mistress prevents it, if the rooms are carpeted, she should sweep them carefully, having previously strewed the room with moist tea-leaves, dusting every table and chair, taking care to penetrate to every corner, and moving every article of furniture that is portable. this done satisfactorily, and having cleaned the dressing-glass, polished up the furniture and the ornaments, and made the glass jug and basin clean and bright, emptied all slops, emptied the water-jugs and filled them with fresh water, and arranged the rooms, the dressing-room is ready for the mistress when she thinks proper to appear. . the dressing-room thoroughly in order, the same thing is to be done in the bedroom, in which she will probably be assisted by the housemaid to make the bed and empty the slops. in making the bed, she will study her lady's wishes, whether it is to be hard or soft, sloping or straight, and see that it is done accordingly. . having swept the bedroom with equal care, dusted the tables and chairs, chimney-ornaments, and put away all articles of dress left from yesterday, and cleaned and put away any articles of jewellery, her next care is to see, before her mistress goes out, what requires replacing in her department, and furnish her with a list of them, that she may use her discretion about ordering them. all this done, she may settle herself down to any work on which she is engaged. this will consist chiefly in mending; which is first to be seen to; everything, except stockings, being mended before washing. plain work will probably be one of the lady's-maid's chief employments. . a waiting-maid, who wishes to make herself useful, will study the fashion-books with attention, so as to be able to aid her mistress's judgment in dressing, according to the prevailing fashion, with such modifications as her style of countenance requires. she will also, if she has her mistress's interest at heart, employ her spare time in repairing and making up dresses which have served one purpose, to serve another also, or turning many things, unfitted for her mistress to use, for the younger branches of the family. the lady's-maid may thus render herself invaluable to her mistress, and increase her own happiness in so doing. the exigencies of fashion and luxury are such, that all ladies, except those of the very highest rank, will consider themselves fortunate in having about them a thoughtful person, capable of diverting their finery to a useful purpose. . among other duties, the lady's-maid should understand the various processes for washing, and cleaning, and repairing laces; edging of collars; removing stains and grease-spots from dresses, and similar processes, for which the following recipes will be found very useful. in washing-- . _blonde_, fine toilet-soap is used; the blonde is soaped over very slightly, and washed in water in which a little fig-blue is dissolved, rubbing it very gently; when clean, dry it. dip it afterwards in very thin gum-water, dry it again in linen, spread it out as flat as it will lie, and iron it. where the blonde is of better quality, and wider, it may be stretched on a hoop to dry after washing in the blue-water, applying the gum with a sponge; or it may be washed finally in water in which a lump of sugar has been dissolved, which gives it more the appearance of new blonde. . lace collars soil very quickly when in contact with the neck; they are cleaned by beating the edge of the collar between the folds of a fine linen cloth, then washing the edges as directed above, and spreading it out on an ironing-board, pinning it at each corner with fine pins; then going carefully over it with a sponge charged with water in which some gum-dragon and fig-blue have been dissolved, to give it a proper consistence. to give the collar the same tint throughout, the whole collar should be sponged with the same water, taking care not to touch the flowers. . a multiplicity of accidents occur to soil and spot dresses, which should be removed at once. to remove-- . _grease-spots_ from cotton or woollen materials of fast colours, absorbent pastes, purified bullock's-blood, and even common soap, are used, applied to the spot when dry. when the colours are not fast, use fuller's-earth or pulverized potter's-clay, laid in a layer over the spot, and press it with a very hot iron. . for silks, moires, and plain or brocaded satins, begin by pouring over the spot two drops of rectified spirits of wine; cover it over with a linen cloth, and press it with a hot iron, changing the linen instantly. the spot will look tarnished, for a portion of the grease still remains: this will be removed entirely by a little sulphuric ether dropped on the spot, and a very little rubbing. if neatly done, no perceptible mark or circle will remain; nor will the lustre of the richest silk be changed, the union of the two liquids operating with no injurious effects from rubbing. . _fruit-spots_ are removed from white and fast-coloured cottons by the use of chloride of soda. commence by cold-soaping the article, then touch the spot with a hair-pencil or feather dipped in the chloride, dipping it immediately into cold water, to prevent the texture of the article being injured. . _ink-spots_ are removed, when fresh applied to the spot, by a few drops of hot water being poured on immediately afterwards. by the same process, iron-mould in linen or calico may be removed, dipping immediately in cold water to prevent injury to the fabric. . _wax_ dropped on a shawl, table-cover, or cloth dress, is easily discharged by applying spirits of wine. . _syrups or preserved fruits_, by washing in lukewarm water with a dry cloth, and pressing the spot between two folds of clean linen. . _essence of lemon_ will remove grease, but will make a spot itself in a few days. to clean silk or ribbons. . ingredients.-- / pint of gin, / lb. of honey, / lb. of soft soap, / pint of water. _mode_.--mix the above ingredients together; then lay each breadth of silk upon a clean kitchen table or dresser, and scrub it well on the soiled side with the mixture. have ready three vessels of cold water; take each piece of silk at two corners, and dip it up and down in each vessel, but do not wring it; and take care that each breadth has one vessel of quite clean water for the last dip. hang it up dripping for a minute or two, then dab it in a cloth, and iron it quickly with a very hot iron. to remove paint-spots from silk cloth. . if the fabric will bear it, sharp rubbing will frequently entirely discharge a newly-made paint-stain; but, if this is not successful, apply spirit of turpentine with a quill till the stains disappear. to make old crape look nearly equal to new. . place a little water in a teakettle, and let it boil until there is plenty of steam from the spout; then, holding the crape in both hands, pass it to and fro several times through the steam, and it will to clean and look nearly equal to new. . linen.--before sending linen to wash, the lady's-maid should see that everything under her charge is properly mended; for her own sake she should take care that it is sent out in an orderly manner, each class of garments by themselves, with a proper list, of which she retains a copy. on its return, it is still more necessary to examine every piece separately, so that all missing buttons be supplied, and only the articles properly washed and in perfect repair passed into the wardrobe. . ladies who keep a waiting-maid for their own persons are in the habit of paying visits to their friends, in which it is not unusual for the maid to accompany them; at all events, it is her duty to pack the trunks; and this requires not only knowledge but some practice, although the improved trunks and portmanteaus now made, in which there is a place for nearly everything, render this more simple than formerly. before packing, let the trunks be thoroughly well cleaned, and, if necessary, lined with paper, and everything intended for packing laid out on the bed or chairs, so that it may be seen what is to be stowed away; the nicer articles of dress neatly folded in clean calico wrappers. having satisfied herself that everything wanted is laid out, and that it is in perfect order, the packing is commenced by disposing of the most bulky articles, the dressing-case and work-box, skirts, and other articles requiring room, leaving the smaller articles to fill up; finally, having satisfied herself that all is included, she should lock and cover up the trunk in its canvas case, and then pack her own box, if she is to accompany her mistress. . on reaching the house, the lady's-maid will be shown her lady's apartment; and her duties here are what they were at home; she will arrange her mistress's things, and learn which is her bell, in order to go to her when she rings. her meals will be taken in the housekeeper's room; and here she must be discreet and guarded in her talk to any one of her mistress or her concerns. her only occupation here will be attending in her lady's room, keeping her things in order, and making her rooms comfortable for her. . the evening duties of a lady's-maid are pretty nearly a repetition of those of the morning. she is in attendance when her mistress retires; she assists her to undress if required, brushes her hair, and renders such other assistance as is demanded; removes all slops; takes care that the fire, if any, is safe, before she retires to rest herself. . ironing is a part of the duties of a lady's-maid, and she should be able to do it in the most perfect manner when it becomes necessary. ironing is often badly done from inattention to a few very simple requirements. cleanliness is the first essential: the ironing-board, the fire, the iron, and the ironing-blanket should all be perfectly clean. it will not be necessary here to enter into details on ironing, as full directions are given in the "duties of the laundry-maid." a lady's-maid will have a great deal of "ironing-out" to do; such as light evening dresses, muslin dresses, &c., which are not dirty enough to be washed, but merely require smoothing out to remove the creases. in summer, particularly, an iron will be constantly required, as also a skirt-board, which should be covered with a nice clean piece of flannel. to keep muslin dresses in order, they almost require smoothing out every time they are worn, particularly if made with many flounces. the lady's-maid may often have to perform little services for her mistress which require care; such as restoring the colour to scorched linen, &c. &c. the following recipe is, we believe, a very good one. to restore whiteness to scorched linen. . ingredients.-- / pint of vinegar, oz. of fuller's-earth, oz. of dried fowls' dung, / oz. of soap, the juice of large onions. _mode._--boil all these ingredients together to the consistency of paste; spread the composition thickly over the damaged part, and if the threads be not actually consumed, after it has been allowed to dry on, and the place has subsequently been washed once or twice, every trace of scorching will disappear. . _furs, feathers, and woollens_ require the constant care of the waiting-maid. furs and feathers not in constant use should be wrapped up in linen washed in lye. from may to september they are subject to being made the depositary of the moth-eggs. they should be looked too, and shaken and beaten, from time to time, in case some of the eggs should have been lodged in them, in spite of every precaution; laying them up again, or rather folding them up as before, wrapping them in brown paper, which is itself a preservative. shawls and cloaks, which would be damaged by such close folds, must be looked to, and aired and beaten, putting them away dry before the evening. preservatives against the ravages of moths. . place pieces of camphor, cedar-wood, russia leather, tobacco-leaves, bog-myrtle, or anything else strongly aromatic, in the drawers or boxes where furs or other things to be preserved from moths are kept, and they will never take harm. . _jewels_ are generally wrapped up in cotton, and kept in their cases; but they are subject to tarnish from exposure to the air, and require cleaning. this is done by preparing clean soap-suds, using fine toilet-soap. dip any article of gold, silver, gilt, or precious stones into this lye, and dry them by brushing with a brush of soft badgers' hair, or a fine sponge; afterwards with a piece of fine cloth, and, lastly, with a soft leather. . _epaulettes_ of gold or silver, and, in general, all articles of jewellery, may be dressed by dipping them in spirits of wine warmed in a _bain marie,_ or shallow kettle, placed over a slow fire or hot-plate. . the valet and lady's-maid, from their supposed influence with their master and mistress, are exposed to some temptations to which other servants are less subjected. they are probably in communication with the tradespeople who supply articles for the toilet; such as batters, tailors, dressmakers, and perfumers. the conduct of waiting-maid and valet to these people should be civil but independent, making reasonable allowance for want of exact punctuality, if any such can be made: they should represent any inconvenience respectfully, and if an excuse seems unreasonable, put the matter fairly to master or mistress, leaving it to them to notice it further, if they think it necessary. no expectations of a personal character should influence them one way or the other. it would be acting unreasonably to any domestic to make them refuse such presents as tradespeople choose to give them; the utmost that can be expected is that they should not influence their judgment in the articles supplied--that they should represent them truly to master or mistress, without fear and without favour. civility to all, servility to none, is a good maxim for every one. deference to a master and mistress, and to their friends and visitors, is one of the implied terms of their engagement; and this deference must apply even to what may be considered their whims. a servant is not to be seated, or wear a hat in the house, in his master's or mistress's presence; nor offer any opinion, unless asked for it; nor even to say "good night," or "good morning," except in reply to that salutation. to preserve cut flowers. . a bouquet of freshly-cut flowers may be preserved alive for a long time by placing them in a glass or vase with fresh water, in which a little charcoal has been steeped, or a small piece of camphor dissolved. the vase should be set upon a plate or dish, and covered with a bell-glass, around the edges of which, when it comes in contact with the plate, a little water should be poured to exclude the air. to revive cut flowers after packing. . plunge the stems into boiling water, and by the time the water is cold, the flowers will have revived. then cut afresh the ends of the stems, and keep them in fresh cold water. upper and under housemaids. . housemaids, in large establishments, have usually one or more assistants; in this case they are upper and under housemaids. dividing the work between them, the upper housemaid will probably reserve for herself the task of dusting the ornaments and cleaning the furniture of the principal apartments, but it is her duty to see that every department is properly attended to. the number of assistants depends on the number in the family, as well as on the style in which the establishment is kept up. in wealthy families it is not unusual for every grown-up daughter to have her waiting-maid, whose duty it is to keep her mistress's apartments in order, thus abridging the housemaid's duties. in others, perhaps, one waiting-maid attends on two or three, when the housemaid's assistance will be more requisite. in fact, every establishment has some customs peculiar to itself, on which we need not dwell; the general duties are the _same in all_, perfect cleanliness and order being the object. duties of the housemaid. . "cleanliness is next to godliness," saith the proverb, and "order" is in the next degree; the housemaid, then, may be said to be the handmaiden to two of the most prominent virtues. her duties are very numerous, and many of the comforts of the family depend on their performance; but they are simple and easy to a person naturally clean and orderly, and desirous of giving satisfaction. in all families, whatever the habits of the master and mistress, servants will find it advantageous to rise early; their daily work will thus come easy to them. if they rise late, there is a struggle to overtake it, which throws an air of haste and hurry over the whole establishment. where the master's time is regulated by early business or professional engagements, this will, of course, regulate the hours of the servants; but even where that is not the case, servants will find great personal convenience in rising early and getting through their work in an orderly and methodical manner. the housemaid who studies her own ease will certainly be at her work by six o'clock in the summer, and, probably, half-past six or seven in the winter months, having spent a reasonable time in her own chamber in dressing. earlier than this would, probably, be an unnecessary waste of coals and candle in winter. . the first duty of the housemaid in winter is to open the shutters of all the lower rooms in the house, and take up the hearth-rugs of those rooms which she is going to "do" before breakfast. in some families, where there is only a cook and housemaid kept, and where the drawing-rooms are large, the cook has the care of the dining-room, and the housemaid that of the breakfast-room, library, and drawing-rooms. after the shutters are all opened, she sweeps the breakfast-room, sweeping the dust towards the fire-place, of course previously removing the fonder. she should then lay a cloth (generally made of coarse wrappering) over the carpet in front of the stove, and on this should place her housemaid's box, containing black-lead brushes, leathers, emery-paper, cloth, black lead, and all utensils necessary for cleaning a grate, with the cinder-pail on the other side. [illustration: carpet-brooms.] . she now sweeps up the ashes, and deposits them in her cinder-pail, which is a japanned tin pail, with a wire-sifter inside, and a closely-fitting top. in this pail the cinders are sifted, and reserved for use in the kitchen or under the copper, the ashes only being thrown away. the cinders disposed of, she proceeds to black-lead the grate, producing the black lead, the soft brush for laying it on, her blacking and polishing brushes, from the box which contains her tools. this housemaid's box should be kept well stocked. having blackened, brushed, and polished every part, and made all clean and bright, she now proceeds to lay the fire. sometimes it is very difficult to get a proper polish to black grates, particularly if they have been neglected, and allowed to rust at all. brunswick black, which is an excellent varnish for grates, may be prepared in the following manner:-- [illustration: stove brushes.] [illustration: housemaid's box.] . ingredients.-- lb. of common asphaltum, / pint of linseed oil, quart of oil of turpentine. _mode._--melt the asphaltum, and add gradually to it the other two ingredients. apply this with a small painter's brush, and leave it to become perfectly dry. the grate will need no other cleaning, but will merely require dusting every day, and occasionally brushing with a dry black-lead brush. this is, of course, when no fires are used. when they are required, the bars, cheeks, and back of the grate will need black-leading in the usual manner. . _fire-lighting,_ however simple, is an operation requiring some skill; a fire is readily made by laying a few cinders at the bottom in open order; over this a few pieces of paper, and over that again eight or ten pieces of dry wood; over the wood, a course of moderate-sized pieces of coal, taking care to leave hollow spaces between for air at the centre; and taking care to lay the whole well back in the grate, so that the smoke may go up the chimney, and not into the room. this done, fire the paper with a match from below, and, if properly laid, it will soon burn up; the stream of flame from the wood and paper soon communicating to the coals and cinders, provided there is plenty of air at the centre. . a new method of lighting a fire is sometimes practised with advantage, the fire lighting from the top and burning down, in place of being lighted and burning up from below. this is arranged by laying the coals at the bottom, mixed with a few good-sized cinders, and the wood at the top, with another layer of coals and some paper over it; the paper is lighted in the usual way, and soon burns down to a good fire, with some economy of fuel, as is said. . bright grates require unceasing attention to keep them in perfect order. a day should never pass without the housemaid rubbing with a dry leather the polished parts of a grate, as also the fender and fire-irons. a careful and attentive housemaid should have no occasion ever to use emery-paper for any part but the bars, which, of course, become blackened by the fire. (some mistresses, to save labour, have a double set of bars, one set bright for the summer, and another black set to use when fires are in requisition.) when bright grates are once neglected, small rust-spots begin to show themselves, which a plain leather will not remove; the following method of cleaning them must then be resorted to:--first, thoroughly clean with emery-paper; then take a large smooth pebble from the road, sufficiently large to hold comfortably in the hand, with which rub the steel backwards and forwards one way, until the desired polish is obtained. it may appear at first to scratch, but continue rubbing, and the result will be success. the following is also an excellent polish for bright stoves and steel articles:-- . ingredients.-- tablespoonful of turpentine, ditto of sweet oil, emery powder. _mode._--mix the turpentine and sweet oil together, stirring in sufficient emery powder to make the mixture of the thickness of cream. put it on the article with a piece of soft flannel, rub off quickly with another piece, then polish with a little dry emery powder and clean leather. . the several fires lighted, the housemaid proceeds with her dusting, and polishing the several pieces of furniture in the breakfast-parlour, leaving no corner unvisited. before sweeping the carpet, it is a good practice to sprinkle it all over with tea-leaves, which not only lay all dust, but give a slightly fragrant smell to the room. it is now in order for the reception of the family; and where there is neither footman nor parlour-maid, she now proceeds to the dressing-room, and lights her mistress's fire, if she is in the habit of having one to dress by. her mistress is called, hot water placed in the dressing-room for her use, her clothes--as far as they are under the house-maid's charge--put before the fire to air, hanging a fire-guard on the bars where there is one, while she proceeds to prepare the breakfast. . in summer the housemaid's work is considerably abridged: she throws open the windows of the several rooms not occupied as bedrooms, that they may receive the fresh morning air before they are occupied; she prepares the breakfast-room by sweeping the carpet, rubbing tables and chairs, dusting mantel-shelf and picture-frames with a light brush, dusting the furniture, and beating and sweeping the rug; she cleans the grate when necessary, and replaces the white paper or arranges the shavings with which it is filled, leaving everything clean and tidy for breakfast. it is not enough, however, in cleaning furniture, just to pass lightly over the surface; the rims and legs of tables, and the backs and legs of chairs and sofas, should be rubbed vigorously daily; if there is a book-case, every corner of every pane and ledge requires to be carefully wiped, so that not a speck of dust can be found in the room. . after the breakfast-room is finished, the housemaid should proceed to sweep down the stairs, commencing at the top, whilst the cook has the charge of the hall, door-step, and passages. after this she should go into the drawing-room, cover up every article of furniture that is likely to spoil, with large dusting-sheets, and put the chairs together, by turning them seat to seat, and, in fact, make as much room as possible, by placing all the loose furniture in the middle of the room, whilst she sweeps the corners and sides. when this is accomplished, the furniture can then be put back in its place, and the middle of the room swept, sweeping the dirt, as before said, towards the fireplace. the same rules should be observed in cleaning the drawing-room grates as we have just stated, putting down the cloth, before commencing, to prevent the carpet from getting soiled. in the country, a room would not require sweeping thoroughly like this more than twice a week; but the housemaid should go over it every morning with a dust-pan and broom, taking up every crumb and piece she may see. after the sweeping she should leave the room, shut the door, and proceed to lay the breakfast. where there is neither footman nor parlour-maid kept, the duty of laying the breakfast-cloth rests on the housemaid. [illustration: banister-broom.] [illustration: staircase-broom.] . before laying the cloth for breakfast, the heater of the tea-urn is to be placed in the hottest part of the kitchen fire; or, where the kettle is used, boiled on the kitchen fire, and then removed to the parlour, where it is kept hot. having washed herself free from the dust arising from the morning's work, the housemaid collects the breakfast-things on her tray, takes the breakfast-cloth from the napkin press, and carries them all on the tray into the parlour; arranges them on the table, placing a sufficiency of knives, forks, and salt-cellars for the family, and takes the tray back to the pantry; gets a supply of milk, cream, and bread; fills the butter-dish, taking care that the salt is plentiful, and soft and dry, and that hot plates and egg-cups are ready where warm meat or eggs are served, and that butter-knife and bread-knife are in their places. and now she should give the signal for breakfast, holding herself ready to fill the urn with hot water, or hand the kettle, and take in the rolls, toast, and other eatables, with which the cook supplies her, when the breakfast-room bell rings; bearing in mind that she is never to enter the parlour with dirty hands or with a dirty apron, and that everything is to be handed on a tray; that she is to hand everything she may be required to supply, on the left hand of the person she is serving, and that all is done quietly and without bustle or hurry. in some families, where there is a large number to attend on, the cook waits at breakfast whilst the housemaid is busy upstairs in the bedrooms, or sweeping, dusting, and putting the drawing-room in order. . breakfast served, the housemaid proceeds to the bed-chambers, throws up the sashes, if not already done, pulls up the blinds, throwing back curtains at the same time, and opens the beds, by removing the clothes, placing them over a horse, or, failing that, over the backs of chairs. she now proceeds to empty the slops. in doing this, everything is emptied into the slop-pail, leaving a little scalding-hot water for a minute in such vessels as require it; adding a drop of turpentine to the water, when that is not sufficient to cleanse them. the basin is emptied, well rinsed with clean water, and carefully wiped; the ewers emptied and washed; finally, the water-jugs themselves emptied out and rinsed, and wiped dry. as soon as this is done, she should remove and empty the pails, taking care that they also are well washed, scalded, and wiped as soon as they are empty. . next follows bedmaking, at which the cook or kitchen-maid, where one is kept, usually assists; but, before beginning, velvet chairs, or other things injured by dust, should be removed to another room. in bedmaking, the fancy of its occupant should be consulted; some like beds sloping from the top towards the feet, swelling slightly in the middle; others, perfectly flat: a good housemaid will accommodate each bed to the taste of the sleeper, taking care to shake, beat, and turn it well in the process. some persons prefer sleeping on the mattress; in which case a feather bed is usually beneath, resting on a second mattress, and a straw paillasse at the bottom. in this case, the mattresses should change places daily; the feather bed placed on the mattress shaken, beaten, taken up and opened several times, so as thoroughly to separate the feathers: if too large to be thus handled, the maid should shake and beat one end first, and then the other, smoothing it afterwards equally all over into the required shape, and place the mattress gently over it. any feathers which escape in this process a tidy servant will put back through the seam of the tick; she will also be careful to sew up any stitch that gives way the moment it is discovered. the bedclothes are laid on, beginning with an under blanket and sheet, which are tucked under the mattress at the bottom. the bolster is then beaten and shaken, and put on, the top of the sheet rolled round it, and the sheet tucked in all round. the pillows and other bedclothes follow, and the counterpane over all, which should fall in graceful folds, and at equal distance from the ground all round. the curtains are drawn to the head and folded neatly across the bed, and the whole finished in a smooth and graceful manner. where spring-mattresses are used, care should be taken that the top one is turned every day. the housemaid should now take up in a dustpan any pieces that may be on the carpet; she should dust the room, shut the door, and proceed to another room. when all the bedrooms are finished, she should dust the stairs, and polish the handrail of the banisters, and see that all ledges, window-sills, &c., are quite free from dust. it will be necessary for the housemaid to divide her work, so that she may not have too much to do on certain days, and not sufficient to fill up her time on other days. in the country, bedrooms should be swept and thoroughly cleaned once a week; and to be methodical and regular in her work, the housemaid should have certain days for doing certain rooms thoroughly. for instance, the drawing-room on monday, two bedrooms on tuesday, two on wednesday, and so on, reserving a day for thoroughly cleaning the plate, bedroom candlesticks, &c. &c., which she will have to do where there is no parlour-maid or footman kept. by this means the work will be divided, and there will be no unnecessary bustling and hurrying, as is the case where the work is done any time, without rule or regulation. [illustration: scrubbing-brush.] . once a week, when a bedroom is to be thoroughly cleaned, the house-maid should commence by brushing the mattresses of the bed before it is made; she should then make it, shake the curtains, lay them smoothly on the bed, and pin or tuck up the bottom valance, so that she may be able to sweep under the bed. she should then unloop the window-curtains, shake them, and pin them high up out of the way. after clearing the dressing-table, and the room altogether of little articles of china, &c. &c., she should shake the toilet-covers, fold them up, and lay them on the bed, over which a large dusting-sheet should be thrown. she should then sweep the room; first of all sprinkling the carpet with well-squeezed tea-leaves, or a little freshly-pulled grass, when this is obtainable. after the carpet is swept, and the grate cleaned, she should wash with soap and water, with a little soda in it, the washing-table apparatus, removing all marks or fur round the jugs, caused by the water. the water-bottles and tumblers must also have her attention, as well as the top of the washing-stand, which should be cleaned with soap and flannel if it be marble: if of polished mahogany, no soap must be used. when these are all clean and arranged in their places, the housemaid should scrub the floor where it is not covered with carpet, under the beds, and round the wainscot. she should use as little soap and soda as possible, as too free a use of these articles is liable to give the boards a black appearance. in the country, cold soft water, a clean scrubbing-brush, and a willing arm, are all that are required to make bedroom floors look white. in winter it is not advisable to scrub rooms too often, as it is difficult to dry them thoroughly at that season of the year, and nothing is more dangerous than to allow persons to sleep in a damp room. the housemaid should now dust the furniture, blinds, ornaments, &c.; polish the looking-glass; arrange the toilet-cover and muslin; remove the cover from the bed, and straighten and arrange the curtains and counterpane. a bedroom should be cleaned like this every week. there are times, however, when it is necessary to have the carpet up; this should be done once a year in the country, and twice a year in large cities. the best time for these arrangements is spring and autumn, when the bed-furniture requires changing to suit the seasons of the year. after arranging the furniture, it should all be well rubbed and polished; and for this purpose the housemaid should provide herself with an old silk pocket-handkerchief, to finish the polishing. [illustration: long hair-broom.] . as modern furniture is now nearly always french-polished, it should often be rubbed with an old silk rubber, or a fine cloth or duster, to keep it free from smears. three or four times a year any of the following polishes may be applied with very great success, as any of them make french-polished furniture look very well. one precaution must be taken,--not to put too much of the polish on at one time, and _to rub, not smear_ it over the articles. furniture polish. . ingredients.-- / pint of linseed-oil, / pint of vinegar, oz. of spirits of salts, / oz. of muriatic antimony. _mode_.--mix all well together, and shake before using. furniture polish. . ingredients.--equal proportions of linseed-oil, turpentine, vinegar, and spirits of wine. _mode_.--when used, shake the mixture well, and rub on the furniture with a piece of linen rag, and polish with a clean duster. vinegar and oil, rubbed in with flannel, and the furniture rubbed with a clean duster, produce a very good polish. furniture paste. . ingredients.-- oz. of common beeswax, oz. of white wax, oz. of curd soap, pint of turpentine, pint of boiled water. [illustration: furniture brush.] _mode_.--mix the ingredients together, adding the water when cold; shake the mixture frequently in the bottle, and do not use it for hours after it is made. it should be applied with a piece of flannel, the furniture polished with a duster, and then with an old silk rubber. . the chambers are finished, the chamber candlesticks brought down and cleaned, the parlour lamps trimmed;--and here the housemaid's utmost care is required. in cleaning candlesticks, as in every other cleaning, she should have cloths and brushes kept for that purpose alone; the knife used to scrape them should be applied to no other purpose; the tallow-grease should be thrown into a box kept for the purpose; the same with everything connected with the lamp-trimming; the best mode of doing which she will do well to learn from the tradesman who supplies the oil; always bearing in mind, however, that without perfect cleanliness, which involves occasional scalding, no lamp can be kept in order. . the drawing and dining-room, inasmuch as everything there is more costly and valuable, require even more care. when the carpets are of the kind known as velvet-pile, they require to be swept firmly by a hard whisk brush, made of cocoanut fibre. . the furniture must be carefully gone over in every corner with a soft cloth, that it may be left perfectly free from dust; or where that is beyond reach, with a brush made of long feathers, or a goose's wing. the sofas are swept in the same manner, slightly beaten, the cushions shaken and smoothed, the picture-frames swept, and everything arranged in its proper place. this, of course, applies to dining as well as drawing-room and morning-room. and now the housemaid may dress herself for the day, and prepare for the family dinner, at which she must attend. . we need not repeat the long instructions already given for laying the dinner-table. at the family dinner, even where no footman waits, the routine will be the same. in most families the cloth is laid with the slips on each side, with napkins, knives, forks, spoons, and wine and finger glasses on all occasions. [illustration: butler's tray and stand.] . she should ascertain that her plate is in order, glasses free from smears, water-bottles and decanters the same, and everything ready on her tray, that she may be able to lay her cloth properly. few things add more to the neat and comfortable appearance of a dinner-table than well-polished plate; indeed, the state of the plate is a certain indication of a well-managed or ill-managed household. nothing is easier than to keep plate in good order, and yet many servants, from stupidity and ignorance, make it the greatest trouble of all things under their care. it should be remembered, that it is utterly impossible to make greasy silver take a polish; and that as spoons and forks in daily use are continually in contact with grease, they must require good washing in soap-and-water to remove it. silver should be washed with a soapy flannel in one water, rinsed in another, and then wiped dry with a dry cloth. the plate so washed may be polished with the plate-rags, as in the following directions:--once a week all the plate should receive a thorough cleaning with the hartshorn powder, as directed in the first recipe for cleaning plate; and where the housemaid can find time, rubbed every day with the plate-rags. . hartshorn, we may observe, is one of the best possible ingredients for plate-powder in daily use. it leaves on the silver a deep, dark polish, and at the same time does less injury than anything else. it has also the advantage of being very cheap; almost all the ordinary powders sold in boxes containing more or less of quicksilver, in some form or another; and this in process of time is sure to make the plate brittle. if any one wishes to be convinced of the effect of quicksilver on plate, he has only to rub a little of it on one place for some time,--on the handle of a silver teaspoon for instance, and he will find it break in that spot with very little pressure. to clean plate. _a very excellent method._ [illustration: plate-brush.] . wash the plate well to remove all grease, in a strong lather of common yellow soap and boiling water, and wipe it quite dry; then mix as much hartshorn powder as will be required, into a thick paste, with cold water or spirits of wine; smear this lightly over the plate with a piece of soft rag, and leave it for some little time to dry. when perfectly dry, brush it off quite clean with a soft plate-brush, and polish the plate with a dry leather. if the plate be very dirty, or much tarnished, spirits of wine will be found to answer better than the water for mixing the paste. plate-rags for daily use. . boil soft rags (nothing is better for the purpose than the tops of old cotton stockings) in a mixture of new milk and hartshorn powder, in the proportion of oz. of powder to a pint of milk; boil them for minutes; wring them as soon as they are taken out, for a moment, in cold water, and dry them before the fire. with these rags rub the plate briskly as soon as it has been well washed and dried after daily use. a most beautiful deep polish will be produced, and the plate will require nothing more than merely to be dusted with a leather or a dry soft cloth, before it is again put on the table. . for waiting at table, the housemaid should be neatly and cleanly dressed, and, if possible, her dress made with closed sleeves, the large open ones dipping and falling into everything on the table, and being very much in the way. she should not wear creaking boots, and should move about the room as noiselessly as possible, anticipating people's wants by handing them things without being asked for them, and altogether be as quiet as possible. it will be needless here to repeat what we have already said respecting waiting at table, in the duties of the butler and footman: rules that are good to be observed by them, are equally good for the parlour-maid or housemaid. . the housemaid having announced that dinner is on the table, will hand the soup, fish, meat, or side-dishes to the different members of the family; but in families who do not spend much of the day together, they will probably prefer being alone at dinner and breakfast; the housemaid will be required, after all are helped, if her master does not wish her to stay in the room, to go on with her work of cleaning up in the pantry, and answer the bell when rung. in this case she will place a pile of plates on the table or a dumbwaiter, within reach of her master and mistress, and leave the room. [illustration: crumb-brush]. . dinner over, the housemaid removes the plates and dishes on the tray, places the dirty knives and forks in the basket prepared for them, folds up the napkins in the ring which indicates by which member of the family it has been used, brushes off the crumbs on the hand-tray kept for the purpose, folds up the table-cloth in the folds already made, and places it in the linen-press to be smoothed out. after every meal the table should be rubbed, all marks from hot plates removed, and the table-cover thrown over, and the room restored to its usual order. if the family retire to the drawing-room, or any other room, it is a good practice to throw up the sash to admit fresh air and ventilate the room. . the housemaid's evening service consists in washing up the dinner-things, the plate, plated articles, and glasses, restoring everything to its place; cleaning up her pantry, and putting away everything for use when next required; lastly, preparing for tea, as the time approaches, by setting the things out on the tray, getting the urn or kettle ready, with cream and other things usually partaken of at that meal. . in summer-time the windows of all the bedrooms, which have been closed during the heat of the day, should be thrown open for an hour or so after sunset, in order to air them. before dark they should be closed, the bedclothes turned down, and the night-clothes laid in order for use when required. during winter, where fires are required in the dressing-rooms, they should be lighted an hour before the usual time of retiring, placing a fire-guard before each fire. at the same time, the night-things on the horse should be placed before it to be aired, with a tin can of hot water, if the mistress is in the habit of washing before going to bed. we may add, that there is no greater preservative of beauty than washing the face every night in hot water. the housemaid will probably be required to assist her mistress to undress and put her dress in order for the morrow; in which case her duties are very much those of the lady's-maid. . and now the fire is made up for the night, the fireguard replaced, and everything in the room in order for the night, the housemaid taking care to leave the night-candle and matches together in a convenient place, should they be required. it is usual in summer to remove all highly fragrant flowers from sleeping-rooms, the impression being that their scent is injurious in a close chamber. . on leisure days, the housemaid should be able to do some needlework for her mistress,--such as turning and mending sheets and darning the house linen, or assist her in anything she may think fit to give her to do. for this reason it is almost essential that a housemaid, in a small family, should be an expert needlewoman; as, if she be a good manager and an active girl, she will have time on her hands to get through plenty of work. . _periodical cleanings_.--besides the daily routine which we have described, there are portions of every house which can only be thoroughly cleaned occasionally; at which time the whole house usually undergoes a more thorough cleaning than is permitted in the general way. on these occasions it is usual to begin at the top of the house and clean downwards; moving everything out of the room; washing the wainscoting or paint with soft soap and water; pulling down the beds and thoroughly cleansing all the joints; "scrubbing" the floor; beating feather beds, mattress, and paillasse, and thoroughly purifying every article of furniture before it is put back in its place. . this general cleaning usually takes place in the spring or early summer, when the warm curtains of winter are replaced by the light and cheerful muslin curtains. carpets are at the same time taken up and beaten, except where the mistress of the house has been worried into an experiment by the often-reiterated question, "why beat your carpets?" in this case she will probably have made up her mind to try the cleaning process, and arranged with the company to send for them on the morning when cleaning commenced. it is hardly necessary to repeat, that on this occasion every article is to be gone over, the french-polished furniture well rubbed and polished. the same thorough system of cleaning should be done throughout the house; the walls cleaned where painted, and swept down with a soft broom or feather brush where papered; the window and bed curtains, which have been replaced with muslin ones, carefully brushed, or, if they require it, cleaned; lamps not likely to be required, washed out with hot water, dried, and cleaned. the several grates are now to be furnished with their summer ornaments; and we know none prettier than the following, which the housemaid may provide at a small expense to her mistress:--purchase two yards and a half of crinoline muslin, and tear it into small strips, the selvage way of the material, about an inch wide; strip this thread by thread on each side, leaving the four centre threads; this gives about six-and-thirty pieces, fringed on each side, which are tied together at one end, and fastened to the trap of the register, while the threads, unravelled, are spread gracefully about the grate, the lower part of which is filled with paper shavings. this makes a very elegant and very cheap ornament, which is much stronger, besides, than those usually purchased. [illustration: cornice-brush.] [illustration: house-pail.] [illustration: dusting-brush.] . as winter approaches, this house-cleaning will have to be repeated, and the warm bed and window curtains replaced. the process of scouring and cleaning is again necessary, and must be gone through, beginning at the top, and going through the house, down to the kitchens. . independently of these daily and periodical cleanings, other occupations will present themselves from time to time, which the housemaid will have to perform. when spots show on polished furniture, they can generally be restored by soap-and-water and a sponge, the polish being brought out by using a little polish, and then well rubbing it. again, drawers which draw out stiffly may be made to move more easily if the spot where they press is rubbed over with a little soap. . chips broken off any of the furniture should be collected and replaced, by means of a little glue applied to it. liquid glue, which is sold prepared in bottles, is very useful to have in the house, as it requires no melting; and anything broken can be so quickly repaired. . breaking glass and china is about the most disagreeable thing that can happen in a family, and it is, probably, a greater annoyance to a right-minded servant than to the mistress. a neat-handed housemaid may sometimes repair these breakages, where they are not broken in very conspicuous places, by joining the pieces very neatly together with a cement made as follows:--dissolve an ounce of gum mastic in a quantity of highly-rectified spirits of wine; then soften an ounce of isinglass in warm water, and, finally, dissolve it in rum or brandy, till it forms a thick jelly. mix the isinglass and gum mastic together, adding a quarter of an ounce of finely-powdered gum ammoniac; put the whole into an earthen pipkin, and in a warm place, till they are thoroughly incorporated together; pour it into a small phial, and cork it down for use. . in using it, dissolve a small piece of the cement in a silver teaspoon over a lighted candle. the broken pieces of glass or china being warmed, and touched with the now liquid cement, join the parts neatly together, and hold in their places till the cement has set; then wipe away the cement adhering to the edge of the joint, and leave it for twelve hours without touching it: the joint will be as strong as the china itself, and if neatly done, it will show no joining. it is essential that neither of the pieces be wetted either with hot or cold water. useful recipes for housemaids. to clean marble. . mix with / pint of soap lees, / gill of turpentine, sufficient pipe-clay and bullock's gall to make the whole into rather a thick paste. apply it to the marble with a soft brush, and after a day or two, when quite dry, rub it off with a soft rag. apply this a second or third time till the marble is quite clean. another method. . take two parts of soda, one of pumice-stone, and one of finely-powdered chalk. sift these through a fine sieve, and mix them into a paste with water. rub this well all over the marble, and the stains will be removed; then wash it with soap-and-water, and a beautiful bright polish will be produced. to clean floorcloth. . after having washed the floorcloth in the usual manner with a damp flannel, wet it all over with milk and rub it well with a dry cloth, when a most beautiful polish will be brought out. some persons use for rubbing a well-waxed flannel; but this in general produces an unpleasant slipperiness, which is not the case with the milk. to clean decanters. . roll up in small pieces some soft brown or blotting paper; wet them, and soap them well. put them into the decanters about one quarter full of warm water; shake them well for a few minutes, then rinse with clear cold water; wipe the outsides with a nice dry cloth, put the decanters to drain, and when dry they will be almost as bright as new ones. to brighten gilt frames. . take sufficient flour of sulphur to give a golden tinge to about - / pint of water, and in this boil or bruised onions, or garlic, which will answer the same purpose. strain off the liquid, and with it, when cold, wash, with a soft brush, any gilding which requires restoring, and when dry it will come out as bright as new work. to preserve bright grates or fire-irons from rust. . make a strong paste of fresh lime and water, and with a fine brush smear it as thickly as possible over all the polished surface requiring preservation. by this simple means, all the grates and fire-irons in an empty house may be kept for months free from harm, without further care or attention. german furniture-gloss. . ingredients.-- / lb. yellow wax, oz. black rosin, oz. of oil of turpentine. _mode_.--cut the wax into small pieces, and melt it in a pipkin, with the rosin pounded very fine. stir in gradually, while these two ingredients are quite warm, the oil of turpentine. keep this composition well covered for use in a tin or earthen pot. a little of this gloss should be spread on a piece of coarse woollen cloth, and the furniture well rubbed with it; afterwards it should be polished with a fine cloth. duties of the maid-of-all-work. . the general servant, or maid-of-all-work, is perhaps the only one of her class deserving of commiseration: her life is a solitary one, and in, some places, her work is never done. she is also subject to rougher treatment than either the house or kitchen-maid, especially in her earlier career: she starts in life, probably a girl of thirteen, with some small tradesman's wife as her mistress, just a step above her in the social scale; and although the class contains among them many excellent, kind-hearted women, it also contains some very rough specimens of the feminine gender, and to some of these it occasionally falls to give our maid-of-all-work her first lessons in her multifarious occupations: the mistress's commands are the measure of the maid-of-all-work's duties. by the time she has become a tolerable servant, she is probably engaged in some respectable tradesman's house, where she has to rise with the lark, for she has to do in her own person all the work which in larger establishments is performed by cook, kitchen-maid, and housemaid, and occasionally the part of a footman's duty, which consists in carrying messages. . the general servant's duties commence by opening the shutters (and windows, if the weather permits) of all the lower apartments in the house; she should then brush up her kitchen-range, light the fire, clear away the ashes, clean the hearth, and polish with a leather the bright parts of the range, doing all as rapidly and as vigorously as possible, that no more time be wasted than is necessary. after putting on the kettle, she should then proceed to the dining-room or parlour to get it in order for breakfast. she should first roll up the rug, take up the fender, shake and fold up the table-cloth, then sweep the room, carrying the dirt towards the fireplace; a coarse cloth should then be laid down over the carpet, and she should proceed to clean the grate, having all her utensils close to her. when the grate is finished, the ashes cleared away, the hearth cleaned, and the fender put back in its place, she must dust the furniture, not omitting the legs of the tables and chairs; and if there are any ornaments or things on the sideboard, she must not dust round them, but lift them up on to another place, dust well where they have been standing, and then replace the things. nothing annoys a particular mistress so much as to find, when she comes down stairs, different articles of furniture looking as if they had never been dusted. if the servant is at all methodical, and gets into a habit of _doing_ a room in a certain way, she will scarcely ever leave her duties neglected. after the rug is put down, the table-cloth arranged, and everything in order, she should lay the cloth for breakfast, and then shut the dining-room door. . the hall must now be swept, the mats shaken, the door-step cleaned, and any brass knockers or handles polished up with the leather. if the family breakfast very early, the tidying of the hall must then be deferred till after that meal. after cleaning the boots that are absolutely required, the servant should now wash her hands and face, put on a clean white apron, and be ready for her mistress when she comes down stairs. in families where there is much work to do before breakfast, the master of the house frequently has two pairs of boots in wear, so that they may be properly cleaned when the servant has more time to do them, in the daytime. this arrangement is, perhaps, scarcely necessary in the summer-time, when there are no grates to clean every morning; but in the dark days of winter it is only kind and thoughtful to lighten a servant-of-all-work's duties as much as possible. [illustration: blacking-brush box.] . she will now carry the urn into the dining-room, where her mistress will make the tea or coffee, and sometimes will boil the eggs, to insure them being done to her liking. in the mean time the servant cooks, if required, the bacon, kidneys, fish, &c.;--if cold meat is to be served, she must always send it to table on a clean dish, and nicely garnished with tufts of parsley, if this is obtainable. . after she has had her own breakfast, and whilst the family are finishing theirs, she should go upstairs into the bedrooms, open all the windows, strip the clothes off the beds, and leave them to air whilst she is clearing away the breakfast things. she should then take up the crumbs in a dustpan from under the table, put the chairs in their places, and sweep up the hearth. . the breakfast things washed up, the kitchen should be tidied, so that it may be neat when her mistress comes in to give the orders for the day: after receiving these orders, the servant should go upstairs again, with a jug of boiling water, the slop-pail, and two cloths. after emptying the slops, and scalding the vessels with the boiling water, and wiping them thoroughly dry, she should wipe the top of the wash-table and arrange it all in order. she then proceeds to make the beds, in which occupation she is generally assisted by the mistress, or, if she have any daughters, by one of them. before commencing to make the bed, the servant should put on a large bed-apron, kept for this purpose only, which should be made very wide, to button round the waist and meet behind, while it should be made as long as the dress. by adopting this plan, the blacks and dirt on servants' dresses (which at all times it is impossible to help) will not rub off on to the bed-clothes, mattresses, and bed furniture. when the beds are made, the rooms should be dusted, the stairs lightly swept down, hall furniture, closets, &c., dusted. the lady of the house, where there is but one servant kept, frequently takes charge of the drawing-room herself, that is to say, dusting it; the servant sweeping, cleaning windows, looking-glasses, grates, and rough work of that sort. if there are many ornaments and knick-knacks about the room, it is certainly better for the mistress to dust these herself, as a maid-of-all-work's hands are not always in a condition to handle delicate ornaments. . now she has gone the rounds of the house and seen that all is in order, the servant goes to her kitchen to see about the cooking of the dinner, in which very often her mistress will assist her. she should put on a coarse apron with a bib to do her dirty work in, which may be easily replaced by a white one if required. . half an hour before dinner is ready, she should lay the cloth, that everything may be in readiness when she is dishing up the dinner, and take all into the dining-room that is likely to be required, in the way of knives, forks, spoons, bread, salt, water, &c. &c. by exercising a little forethought, much confusion and trouble may be saved both to mistress and servant, by getting everything ready for the dinner in good time. . after taking in the dinner, when every one is seated, she removes the covers, hands the plates round, and pours out the beer; and should be careful to hand everything on the left side of the person she is waiting on. . we need scarcely say that a maid-of-all-work cannot stay in the dining-room during the whole of dinner-time, as she must dish up her pudding, or whatever is served after the first course. when she sees every one helped, she should leave the room to make her preparations for the next course; and anything that is required, such as bread, &c., people may assist themselves to in the absence of the servant. . when the dinner things are cleared away, the servant should sweep up the crumbs in the dining-room, sweep the hearth, and lightly dust the furniture, then sit down to her own dinner. [illustration: knife-cleaning machine] . after this, she washes up and puts away the dinner things, sweeps the kitchen, dusts and tidies it, and puts on the kettle for tea. she should now, before dressing herself for the afternoon, clean her knives, boots, and shoes, and do any other dirty work in the scullery that may be necessary. knife-cleaning machines are rapidly taking the place, in most households, of the old knife-board. the saving of labour by the knife-cleaner is very great, and its performance of the work is very satisfactory. small and large machines are manufactured, some cleaning only four knives, whilst others clean as many as twelve at once. nothing can be more simple than the process of machine knife-cleaning; and although, in a very limited household, the substitution of the machine for the board may not be necessary, yet we should advise all housekeepers, to whom the outlay is not a difficulty, to avail themselves of the services of a machine. we have already spoken of its management in the "duties of the footman," no. . . when the servant is dressed, she takes in the tea, and after tea turns down the beds, sees that the water-jugs and bottles are full, closes the windows, and draws down the blinds. if the weather is very warm, these are usually left open until the last thing at night, to cool the rooms. . the routine of a general servant's duties depends upon the kind of situation she occupies; but a systematic maid-of-all-work should so contrive to divide her work, that every day in the week may have its proper share. by this means she is able to keep the house clean with less fatigue to herself than if she left all the cleaning to do at the end of the week. supposing there are five bedrooms in the house, two sitting-rooms, kitchen, scullery, and the usual domestic offices:--on monday she should thoroughly clean the drawing-room; on tuesday, two of the bedrooms; on wednesday, two more; on thursday, the other bedroom and stairs; on friday morning she should sweep the dining-room very thoroughly, clean the hall, and in the afternoon her kitchen tins and bright utensils. by arranging her work in this manner, no undue proportion will fall to saturday's share, and she will then have this day for cleaning plate, cleaning her kitchen, and arranging everything in nice order. the regular work must, of course, be performed in the usual manner, as we have endeavoured to describe. . before retiring to bed, she will do well to clean up glasses, plates, &c. which have been used for the evening meal, and prepare for her morning's work by placing her wood near the fire, on the hob, to dry, taking care there is no danger of it igniting, before she leaves the kitchen for the night. before retiring, she will have to lock and bolt the doors, unless the master undertakes this office himself. . if the washing, or even a portion of it, is done at home, it will be impossible for the maid-of-all-work to do her household duties thoroughly, during the time it is about, unless she have some assistance. usually, if all the washing is done at home, the mistress hires some one to assist at the wash-tub, and sees to little matters herself, in the way of dusting, clearing away breakfast things, folding, starching, and ironing the fine things. with a little management much can be accomplished, provided the mistress be industrious, energetic, and willing to lend a helping hand. let washing-week be not the excuse for having everything in a muddle; and although "things" cannot be cleaned so thoroughly, and so much time spent upon them, as ordinarily, yet the house may be kept tidy and clear from litter without a great deal of exertion either on the part of the mistress or servant. we will conclude our remarks with an extract from an admirably-written book, called "home truths for home peace." the authoress says, with respect to the great wash--"amongst all the occasions in which it is most difficult and glorious to keep muddle out of a family, 'the great wash' stands pre-eminent; and as very little money is now saved by having _everything_ done at home, many ladies, with the option of taking another servant or putting out the chief part of the washing, have thankfully adopted the latter course." she goes on to say--"when a gentleman who dines at home can't bear washing in the house, but gladly pays for its being done elsewhere, the lady should gratefully submit to his wishes, and put out anything in her whole establishment rather than put out a good and generous husband." . a bustling and active girl will always find time to do a little needlework for herself, if she lives with consistent and reasonable people. in the summer evenings she should manage to sit down for two or three hours, and for a short time in the afternoon in leisure days. a general servant's duties are so multifarious, that unless she be quick and active, she will not be able to accomplish this. to discharge these various duties properly is a difficult task, and sometimes a thankless office; but it must be remembered that a good maid-of-all-work will make a good servant in any capacity, and may be safely taken not only without fear of failure, but with every probability of giving satisfaction to her employer. duties of the dairy-maid. . the duties of the dairy-maid differ considerably in different districts. in scotland, wales, and some of the northern counties, women milk the cows. on some of the large dairy farms in other parts of england, she takes her share in the milking, but in private families the milking is generally performed by the cowkeeper, and the dairy-maid only receives the milkpails from him morning and night, and empties and cleans them preparatory to the next milking; her duty being to supply the family with milk, cream, and butter, and other luxuries depending on the "milky mothers" of the herd. . _the dairy._--the object with which gentlemen keep cows is to procure milk unadulterated, and sweet butter, for themselves and families: in order to obtain this, however, great cleanliness is required, and as visitors, as well as the mistress of the house, sometimes visit the dairy, some efforts are usually made to render it ornamental and picturesque. the locality is usually fixed near to the house; it should neither be exposed to the fierce heat of the summer's sun nor to the equally unfavourable frosts of winter--it must be both sheltered and shaded. if it is a building apart from the house and other offices, the walls should be tolerably thick, and if hollow, the temperature will be more equable. the walls inside are usually covered with dutch glazed tiles; the flooring also of glazed tiles set in asphalte, to resist water; and the ceiling, lath and plaster, or closely-jointed woodwork, painted. its architecture will be a matter of fancy: it should have a northern aspect, and a thatched roof is considered most suitable, from the shade and shelter it affords; and it should contain at least two apartments, besides a cool place for storing away butter. one of the apartments, in which the milk is placed to deposit cream, or to ripen for churning, is usually surrounded by shelves of marble or slate, on which the milk-dishes rest; but it will be found a better plan to have a large square or round table of stone in the centre, with a water-tight ledge all round it, in which water may remain in hot weather, or, if some attempt at the picturesque is desired, a small fountain might occupy the centre, which would keep the apartment cool and fresh. round this table the milk-dishes should be ranged; one shelf, or dresser, of slate or marble, being kept for the various occupations of the dairy-maid: it will be found a better plan than putting them on shelves and corners against the wall. there should be a funnel or ventilator in the ceiling, communicating with the open air, made to open and shut as required. double windows are recommended, but of the lattice kind, so that they may open, and with wire-gauze blinds fitted into the opening, and calico blinds, which may be wetted when additional coolness is required. the other apartment will be used for churning, washing, and scrubbing--in fact, the scullery of the dairy, with a boiler for hot water, and a sink with cold water laid on, which should be plentiful and good. in some dairies a third apartment, or, at least, a cool airy pantry, is required for storing away butter, with shelves of marble or slate, to hold the cream-jars while it is ripening; and where cheeses are made, a fourth becomes necessary. the dairy utensils are not numerous,--_churns_, _milk-pails_ for each cow, _hair-sieves_, _slices of tin_, milk-pans, marble dishes for cream for family use, scales and weights, a portable rack for drying the utensils, _wooden bowls_, butter-moulds and butter-patters, and _wooden tubs_ for washing the utensils, comprising pretty nearly everything. . _pails_ are made of maple-wood or elm, and hooped, or of tin, more or less ornamented. one is required for each cow. . the _hair-sieve_ is made of closely-twisted horse-hair, with a rim, through which the milk is strained to remove any hairs which may have dropped from the cow in milking. . _milk-dishes_ are shallow basins of glass, of glazed earthenware, or tin, about inches in diameter at top, and at the bottom, and or inches deep, holding about to quarts each when full. . _churns_ are of all sorts and sizes, from that which churns or gallons by means of a strap from the engine, to the square box in which a pound of butter is made. the churn used for families is a square box, inches by or , and deep, bevelled below to the plane of the _dashers_, with a loose lid or cover. the dasher consists of an axis of wood, to which the four beaters or fanners are attached; these fans are simply four pieces of elm strongly dovetailed together, forming an oblong square, with a space left open, two of the openings being left broader than the others; attached to an axle, they form an axis with four projecting blades; the axle fits into supports at the centre of the box; a handle is fitted to it, and the act of churning is done by turning the handle. . such is the temple in which the dairy-maid presides: it should be removed both from stable and cowhouse, and larder; no animal smells should come near it, and the drainage should be perfect. . the dairy-maid receives the milk from the cowkeeper, each pail being strained through the hair-sieve into one of the milk-basins. this is left in the basins from twenty-four to thirty-six hours in the summer, according to the weather; after which it is skimmed off by means of the slicer, and poured into glazed earthenware jars to "turn" for churning. some persons prefer making up a separate churning for the milk of each cow; in which there is some advantage. in this case the basins of each cow, for two days, would either be kept together or labelled. as soon as emptied, the pails should be scalded and every particle of milk washed out, and placed away in a dry place till next required; and all milk spilt on the floor, or on the table or dresser, cleaned up with a cloth and hot water. where very great attention is paid to the dairy, the milk-coolers are used larger in winter, when it is desirable to retard the cooling down and increase the creamy deposit, and smaller in summer, to hasten it; the temperature required being from ° to °, in summer it is sometimes expedient, in very sultry weather, to keep the dairy fresh and cool by suspending cloths dipped in chloride of lime across the room. . in some dairies it is usual to churn twice, and in others three times a week: the former produces the best butter, the other the greatest quantity. with three cows, the produce should be to quarts a day. the dairy-maid should churn every day when very hot, if they are in full milk, and every second day in more temperate weather; besides supplying the milk and cream required for a large establishment. the churning should always be done in the morning: the dairy-maid will find it advantageous in being at work on churning mornings by five o'clock. the operation occupies from minutes to half an hour in summer, and considerably longer in winter. a steady uniform motion is necessary to produce sweet butter; neither too quick nor too slow. rapid motion causes the cream to heave and swell, from too much air being forced into it: the result is a tedious churning, and soft, bad-coloured butter. . in spring and summer, when the cow has her natural food, no artificial colour is required; but in winter, under stall-feeding, the colour is white and tallowy, and some persons prefer a higher colour. this is communicated by mixing a little finely-powdered arnotto with the cream before putting it into the churn; a still more, natural and delicate colour is communicated by scraping a red carrot into a clean piece of linen cloth, dipping it into water, and squeezing it into the cream. . as soon as the butter comes, the milk is poured off, and the butter put into a shallow wooden tub or bowl, full of pure spring water, in which it is washed and kneaded, pouring off the water, and renewing it until it comes away perfectly free from milk. imperfect washing is the frequent cause of bad butter, and in nothing is the skill of the dairy-maid tested more than in this process; moreover, it is one in which cleanliness of habits and person are most necessary. in this operation we want the aid of phyllis's neat, soft, and perfectly clean hand; for no mechanical operation can so well squeeze out the sour particles of milk or curd. . the operations of churning and butter-making over, the butter-milk is disposed of: usually, in england, it goes to the pigs; but it is a, very wholesome beverage when fresh, and some persons like it; the disposal, therefore, will rest with the mistress: the dairy-maid's duty is to get rid of it. she must then scald with boiling water and scrub out every utensil she has used; brush out the churn, clean out the cream-jars, which will probably require the use of a little common soda to purify; wipe all dry, and place them in a position where the sun can reach them for a short time, to sweeten them. . in devonshire, celebrated for its dairy system, the milk is always scalded. the milk-pans, which are of tin, and contain from to quarts, after standing or hours, are placed on a hot plate of iron, over a stove, until the cream has formed on the surface, which is indicated by the air-bubbles rising through the milk, and producing blisters on the surface-coating of cream. this indicates its approach to the boiling point: and the vessel is now removed to cool. when sufficiently, that is, quite cool, the cream is skimmed off with the slice: it is now the clouted cream for which devonshire is so famous. it is now placed in the churn, and churned until the butter comes, which it generally does in a much shorter time than by the other process. the butter so made contains more _caseine_ than butter made in the usual way, but does not keep so long. . it is a question frequently discussed, how far it is economical for families to keep cows and make their own butter. it is calculated that a good cow costs from may to october , when well but economically kept, £ . s. d; and from october to april , £ . s. d. during that time she should produce lbs. of butter, besides the skimmed milk. of course, if new milk and cream are required, that will diminish the quantity of butter. . besides churning and keeping her dairy in order, the dairy-maid has charge of the whole produce, handing it over to the cook, butler, or housemaid as required; and she will do well to keep an exact account both of what she receives and how and when she disposes of it. duties of the laundry-maid. . the laundry-maid is charged with the duty of washing and getting-up the family linen,--a situation of great importance where the washing is all done at home; but in large towns, where there is little convenience for bleaching and drying, it is chiefly done by professional laundresses and companies, who apply mechanical and chemical processes to the purpose. these processes, however, are supposed to injure the fabric of the linen; and in many families the fine linen, cottons, and muslins, are washed and got-up at home, even where the bulk of the washing is given out. in country and suburban houses, where greater conveniences exist, washing at home is more common,--in country places universal. . the laundry establishment consists of a washing-house, an ironing and drying-room, and sometimes a drying-closet heated by furnaces. the washing-house will probably be attached to the kitchen; but it is better that it should be completely detached from it, and of one story, with a funnel or shaft to carry off the steam. it will be of a size proportioned to the extent of the washing to be done. a range of tubs, either round or oblong, opposite to, and sloping towards, the light, narrower at the bottom than the top, for convenience in stooping over, and fixed at a height suited to the convenience of the women using them; each tub having a tap for hot and cold water, and another in the bottom, communicating with the drains, for drawing off foul water. a boiler and furnace, proportioned in size to the wants of the family, should also be fixed. the flooring should be york stone, laid on brick piers, with good drainage, or asphalte, sloping gently towards a gutter connected with the drain. . adjoining the bleaching-house, a second room, about the same size, is required for ironing, drying, and mangling. the contents of this room should comprise an ironing-board, opposite to the light; a strong white deal table, about twelve or fourteen feet long, and about three and a half feet broad, with drawers for ironing-blankets; a mangle in one corner, and clothes-horses for drying and airing; cupboards for holding the various irons, starch, and other articles used in ironing; a hot-plate built in the chimney, with furnace beneath it for heating the irons; sometimes arranged with a flue for carrying the hot air round the room for drying. where this is the case, however, there should be a funnel in the ceiling for ventilation and carrying off steam; but a better arrangement is to have a hot-air closet adjoining, heated by hot-air pipes, and lined with iron, with proper arrangements for carrying off steam, and clothes-horses on castors running in grooves, to run into it for drying purposes. this leaves the laundry free from unwholesome vapour. . the laundry-maid should commence her labours on monday morning by a careful examination of the articles committed to her care, and enter them in the washing-book; separating the white linen and collars, sheets and body-linen, into one heap, fine muslins into another, coloured cotton and linen fabrics into a third, woollens into a fourth, and the coarser kitchen and other greasy cloths into a fifth. every article should be examined for ink- or grease-spots, or for fruit- or wine-stains. ink-spots are removed by dipping the part into hot water, and then spreading it smoothly on the hand or on the back of a spoon, pouring a few drops of oxalic acid or salts of sorel over the ink-spot, rubbing and rinsing it in cold water till removed; grease-spots, by rubbing over with yellow soap, and rinsing in hot water; fruit- and wine-spots, by dipping in a solution of sal ammonia or spirits of wine, and rinsing. . every article having been examined and assorted, the sheets and fine linen should be placed in one of the tubs and just covered with lukewarm water, in which a little soda has been dissolved and mixed, and left there to soak till the morning. the greasy cloths and dirtier things should be laid to soak in another tub, in a liquor composed of / lb. of unslaked lime to every quarts of water which has been boiled for two hours, then left to settle, and strained off when clear. each article should be rinsed in this liquor to wet it thoroughly, and left to soak till the morning, just covered by it when the things are pressed together. coppers and boilers should now be filled, and the fires laid ready to light. . early on the following morning the fires should be lighted, and as soon as hot water can be procured, washing commenced; the sheets and body-linen being wanted to whiten in the morning, should be taken first; each article being removed in succession from the lye in which it has been soaking, rinsed, rubbed, and wrung, and laid aside until the tub is empty, when the foul water is drawn off. the tub should be again filled with luke-warm water, about °, in which the articles should again be plunged, and each gone over carefully with soap, and rubbed. novices in the art sometimes rub the linen against the skin; more experienced washerwomen rub one linen surface against the other, which saves their hands, and enables them to continue their labour much longer, besides economizing time, two parts being thus cleaned at once. . after this first washing, the linen should be put into a second water as hot as the hand can bear, and again rubbed over in every part, examining every part for spots not yet moved, which require to be again soaped over and rubbed till thoroughly clean; then rinsed and wrung, the larger and stronger articles by two of the women; the smaller and more delicate articles requiring gentler treatment. . in order to remove every particle of soap, and produce a good colour, they should now be placed, and boiled for about an hour and a half in the copper, in which soda, in the proportion of a teaspoonful to every two gallons of water, has been dissolved. some very careful laundresses put the linen into a canvas bag to protect it from the scum and the sides of the copper. when taken out, it should again be rinsed, first in clean hot water, and then in abundance of cold water slightly tinged with fig-blue, and again wrung dry. it should now be removed from the washing-house and hung up to dry or spread out to bleach, if there are conveniences for it; and the earlier in the day this is done, the clearer and whiter will be the linen. . coloured muslins, cottons, and linens, require a milder treatment; any application of soda will discharge the colour, and soaking all night, even in pure water, deteriorates the more delicate tints. when ready for washing, if not too dirty, they should be put into cold water and washed very speedily, using the common yellow soap, which should be rinsed off immediately. one article should be washed at a time, and rinsed out immediately before any others are wetted. when washed thoroughly, they should be rinsed in succession in soft water, in which common salt has been dissolved, in the proportion of a handful to three or four gallons, and afterwards wrung gently, as soon as rinsed, with as little twisting as possible, and then hung out to dry. delicate-coloured articles should not be exposed to the sun, but dried in the shade, using clean lines and wooden pegs. . woollen articles are liable to shrink, unless the flannel has been well shrunk before making up. this liability is increased where very hot water is used: cold water would thus be the best to wash woollens in; but, as this would not remove the dirt, lukewarm water, about °, and yellow soap, are recommended. when thoroughly washed in this, they require a good deal of rinsing in cold water, to remove the soap. . greasy cloths, which have soaked all night in the liquid described, should be now washed out with soap-and-water as hot as the hands can bear, first in one water, and rinsed out in a second; and afterwards boiled for two hours in water in which a little soda is dissolved. when taken out, they should be rinsed in cold water, and laid out or hung up to dry. . silk handkerchiefs require to be washed alone. when they contain snuff, they should be soaked by themselves in lukewarm water two or three hours; they should be rinsed out and put to soak with the others in cold water for an hour or two; then washed in lukewarm water, being soaped as they are washed. if this does not remove all stains, they should be washed a second time in similar water, and, when finished, rinsed in soft water in which a handful of common salt has been dissolved. in washing stuff or woollen dresses, the band at the waist and the lining at the bottom should be removed, and wherever it is gathered into folds; and, in furniture, the hems and gatherings. a black silk dress, if very dirty, must be washed; but, if only soiled, soaking for four-and-twenty hours will do; if old and rusty, a pint of common spirits should be mixed with each gallon of water, which is an improvement under any circumstances. whether soaked or washed, it should be hung up to drain, and dried without wringing. . satin and silk ribbons, both white and coloured, may be cleaned in the same manner. . silks, when washed, should be dried in the shade, on a linen-horse, taking care that they are kept smooth and unwrinkled. if black or blue, they will be improved if laid again on the table, when dry, and sponged with gin, or whiskey, or other white spirit. . the operations should be concluded by rinsing the tubs, cleaning the coppers, scrubbing the floors of the washing-house, and restoring everything to order and cleanliness. . thursday and friday, in a laundry in full employ, are usually devoted to mangling, starching, and ironing. . linen, cotton, and other fabrics, after being washed and dried, are made smooth and glossy by mangling and by ironing. the mangling process, which is simply passing them between rollers subjected to a very considerable pressure, produced by weight, is confined to sheets, towels, table-linen, and similar articles, which are without folds or plaits. ironing is necessary to smooth body-linen, and made-up articles of delicate texture or gathered into folds. the mangle is too well known to need description. . _ironing_.--the irons consist of the common flat-iron, which is of different sizes, varying from to inches in length, triangular in form, and from - / to - / inches in width at the broad end; the oval iron, which is used for more delicate articles; and the box-iron, which is hollow, and heated by a red-hot iron inserted into the box. the italian iron is a hollow tube, smooth on the outside, and raised on a slender pedestal with a footstalk. into the hollow cylinder a red-hot iron is pushed, which heats it; and the smooth outside of the latter is used, on which articles such as frills, and plaited articles, are drawn. crimping- and gauffering-machines are used for a kind of plaiting where much regularity is required, the articles being passed through two iron rollers fluted so as to represent the kind of plait or fold required. . starching is a process by which stiffness is communicated to certain parts of linen, as the collar and front of shirts, by dipping them in a paste made of starch boiled in water, mixed with a little gum arabic, where extra stiffness is required. to make starch. . ingredients.--allow / pint of cold water and quart of boiling water to every tablespoonfuls of starch. _mode_.--put the starch into a tolerably large basin; pour over it the cold water, and stir the mixture well with a wooden spoon until it is perfectly free from lumps, and quite smooth. then take the basin to the fire, and whilst the water is _actually boiling_ in the kettle or boiler, pour it over the starch, stirring it the whole time. if made properly in this manner, the starch will require no further boiling; but should the water not be boiling when added to the starch, it will not thicken, and must be put into a clean saucepan, and stirred over the fire until it boils. take it off the fire, strain it into a clean basin, cover it up to prevent a skin forming on the top, and, when sufficiently cool that the hand may be borne in it, starch the things. many persons, to give a shiny and smooth appearance to the linen when ironed, stir round two or three times in the starch a piece of wax candle, which also prevents the iron from sticking. . when the "things to be starched" are washed, dried, and taken off the lines, they should be dipped into the hot starch made as directed, squeezed out of it, and then just dipped into cold water, and immediately squeezed dry. if fine things be wrung, or roughly used, they are very liable to tear; so too much care cannot be exercised in this respect. if the article is lace, clap it between the hands a few times, which will assist to clear it; then have ready laid out on the table a large clean towel or cloth; shake out the starched things, lay them on the cloth, and roll it up tightly, and let it remain for three or fours, when the things will be ready to iron. . to be able to iron properly requires much practice and experience. strict cleanliness with all the ironing utensils must be observed, as, if this is not the case, not the most expert ironer will be able to make her things look clear and free from smears, &c. after wiping down her ironing table, the laundry-maid should place a coarse cloth on it, and over that the ironing-blanket, with her stand and iron-rubber; and having ascertained that her irons are quite clean and of the right heat, she proceeds with her work. . it is a good plan to try the heat of the iron on a coarse cloth or apron before ironing anything fine: there is then no danger of scorching. for ironing fine things, such as collars, cuffs, muslins, and laces, there is nothing so clean and nice to use as the box-iron; the bottom being bright, and never placed near the fire, it is always perfectly clean; it should, however, be kept in a dry place, for fear of its rusting. gauffering-tongs or irons must be placed in a clear fire for a minute, then withdrawn, wiped with a coarse rubber, and the heat of them tried on a piece of paper, as, unless great care is taken, these will very soon scorch. . the skirts of muslin dresses should be ironed on a skirt-board covered with flannel, and the fronts of shirts on a smaller board, also covered with flannel; this board being placed between the back and front. . after things are mangled, they should also be ironed in the folds and gathers; dinner-napkins smoothed over, as also table-cloths, pillow-cases, and sometimes sheets. the bands of flannel petticoats, and shoulder-straps to flannel waistcoats, must also undergo the same process. upper and under nursemaids. . the nursery is of great importance in every family, and in families of distinction, where there are several young children, it is an establishment kept apart from the rest of the family, under the charge of an upper nurse, assisted by under nursery-maids proportioned to the work to be done. the responsible duties of upper nursemaid commence with the weaning of the child: it must now be separated from the mother or wet-nurse, at least for a time, and the cares of the nursemaid, which have hitherto been only occasionally put in requisition, are now to be entirely devoted to the infant. she washes, dresses, and feeds it; walks out with it, and regulates all its little wants; and, even at this early age, many good qualities are required to do so in a satisfactory manner. patience and good temper are indispensable qualities; truthfulness, purity of manners, minute cleanliness, and docility and obedience, almost equally so. she ought also to be acquainted with the art of ironing and trimming little caps, and be handy with her needle. . there is a considerable art in carrying an infant comfortably for itself and for the nursemaid. if she carry it always seated upright on her arm, and presses it too closely against her chest, the stomach of the child is apt to get compressed, and the back fatigued. for her own comfort, a good nurse will frequently vary this position, by changing from one arm to the other, and sometimes by laying it across both, raising the head a little. when teaching it to walk, and guiding it by the hand, she should change the hand from time to time, so as to avoid raising one shoulder higher than the other. this is the only way in which a child should be taught to walk; leading-strings and other foolish inventions, which force an infant to make efforts, with its shoulders and head forward, before it knows how to use its limbs, will only render it feeble, and retard its progress. . most children have some bad habit, of which they must be broken; but this is never accomplished by harshness without developing worse evils: kindness, perseverance, and patience in the nurse, are here of the utmost importance. when finger-sucking is one of these habits, the fingers are sometimes rubbed with bitter aloes, or some equally disagreeable substance. others have dirty habits, which are only to be changed by patience, perseverance, and, above all, by regularity in the nurse. she should never be permitted to inflict punishment on these occasions, or, indeed, on any occasion. but, if punishment is to be avoided, it is still more necessary that all kinds of indulgences and flattery be equally forbidden. yielding to all the whims of a child,--picking up its toys when thrown away in mere wantonness, would be intolerable. a child should never be led to think others inferior to it, to beat a dog, or even the stone against which it falls, as some children are taught to do by silly nurses. neither should the nurse affect or show alarm at any of the little accidents which must inevitably happen: if it falls, treat it as a trifle; otherwise she encourages a spirit of cowardice and timidity. but she will take care that such accidents are not of frequent occurrence, or the result of neglect. . the nurse should keep the child as clean as possible, and particularly she should train it to habits of cleanliness, so that it should feel uncomfortable when otherwise; watching especially that it does not soil itself in eating. at the same time, vanity in its personal appearance is not to be encouraged by over-care in this respect, or by too tight lacing or buttoning of dresses, nor a small foot cultivated by the use of tight shoes. . nursemaids would do well to repeat to the parents faithfully and truly the defects they observe in the dispositions of very young children. if properly checked in time, evil propensities may be eradicated; but this should not extend to anything but serious defects; otherwise, the intuitive perceptions which all children possess will construe the act into "spying" and "informing," which should never be resorted to in the case of children, nor, indeed, in any case. . such are the cares which devolve upon the nursemaid, and it is her duty to fulfil them personally. in large establishments she will have assistants proportioned to the number of children of which she has the care. the under nursemaid lights the fires, sweeps, scours, and dusts the rooms, and makes the beds; empties slops, and carries up water; brings up and removes the nursery meals; washes and dresses all the children, except the infant, and assists in mending. where there is a nursery girl to assist, she does the rougher part of the cleaning; and all take their meals in the nursery together, after the children of the family have done. . in smaller families, where there is only one nursemaid kept, she is assisted by the housemaid, or servant-of-all-work, who will do the rougher part of the work, and carry up the nursery meals. in such circumstances she will be more immediately under the eye of her mistress, who will probably relieve her from some of the cares of the infant. in higher families, the upper nurse is usually permitted to sup or dine occasionally at the housekeeper's table by way of relaxation, when the children are all well, and her subordinates trustworthy. . where the nurse has the entire charge of the nursery, and the mother is too much occupied to do more than pay a daily visit to it, it is desirable that she be a person of observation, and possess some acquaintance with the diseases incident to childhood, as also with such simple remedies as may be useful before a medical attendant can be procured, or where such attendance is not considered necessary. all these little ailments are preceded by symptoms so minute as to be only perceptible to close observation; such as twitching of the brows, restless sleep, grinding the gums, and, in some inflammatory diseases, even to the child abstaining from crying, from fear of the increased pain produced by the movement. dentition, or cutting the teeth, is attended with many of these symptoms. measles, thrush, scarlatina, croup, hooping-cough, and other childish complaints, are all preceded by well-known symptoms, which may be alleviated and rendered less virulent by simple remedies instantaneously applied. . _dentition_ is usually the first serious trouble, bringing many other disorders in its train. the symptoms are most perceptible to the mother: the child sucks feebly, and with gums hot, inflamed, and swollen. in this case, relief is yielded by rubbing them from time to time with a little of mrs. johnson's soothing syrup, a valuable and perfectly safe medicine. selfish and thoughtless nurses, and mothers too, sometimes give cordials and sleeping-draughts, whose effects are too well known. . _convulsion fits_ sometimes follow the feverish restlessness produced by these causes; in which case a hot bath should be administered without delay, and the lower parts of the body rubbed, the bath being as hot as it can be without scalding the tender skin; at the same time, the doctor should be sent for immediately, for no nurse should administer medicine in this case, unless the fits have been repeated and the doctor has left directions with her how to act. . _croup_ is one of the most alarming diseases of childhood; it is accompanied with a hoarse, croaking, ringing cough, and comes on very suddenly, and most so in strong, robust children. a very hot bath should be instantly administered, followed by an emetic, either in the form of tartar-emetic, croup-powder, or a teaspoonful of ipecacuanha, wrapping the body warmly up in flannel after the bath. the slightest delay in administering the bath, or the emetic, may be fatal; hence, the importance of nurses about very young children being acquainted with the symptoms. . _hooping-cough_ is generally preceded by the moaning noise during sleep, which even adults threatened with the disorder cannot avoid: it is followed by violent fits of coughing, which little can be done to relieve. a child attacked by this disorder should be kept as much as possible in the fresh, pure air, but out of draughts, and kept warm, and supplied with plenty of nourishing food. many fatal diseases flow from this scourge of childhood, and a change to purer air, if possible, should follow convalescence. . _worms_ are the torment of some children: the symptoms are, an unnatural craving for food, even after a full meal; costiveness, suddenly followed by the reverse; fetid breath, a livid circle under the eyes, enlarged abdomen, and picking the nose; for which the remedies must be prescribed by the doctor. . _measles_ and _scarlatina_ much resemble each other in their early stages: headache, restlessness, and fretfulness are the symptoms of both. shivering fits, succeeded by a hot skin; pains in the back and limbs, accompanied by sickness, and, in severe cases, sore throat; pain about the jaws, difficulty in swallowing, running at the eyes, which become red and inflamed, while the face is hot and flushed, often distinguish scarlatina and scarlet fever, of which it is only a mild form. . while the case is doubtful, a dessert-spoonful of spirit of nitre diluted in water, given at bedtime, will throw the child into a gentle perspiration, and will bring out the rash in either case. in measles, this appears first on the face; in scarlatina, on the chest; and in both cases a doctor should be called in. in scarlatina, tartar-emetic powder or ipecacuanha may be administered in the mean time. . in all cases, cleanliness, fresh air, clean utensils, and frequent washing of the person, both of nurse and children, are even more necessary in the nursery than in either drawing-room or sick-room, inasmuch as the delicate organs of childhood are more susceptible of injury from smells and vapours than adults. . it may not be out of place if we conclude this brief notice of the duties of a nursemaid, by an extract from florence nightingale's admirable "notes on nursing." referring to children, she says:-- . "they are much more susceptible than grown people to all noxious influences. they are affected by the same things, but much more quickly and seriously; by want of fresh air, of proper warmth; want of cleanliness in house, clothes, bedding, or body; by improper food, want of punctuality, by dulness, by want of light, by too much or too little covering in bed or when up." and all this in health; and then she quotes a passage from a lecture on sudden deaths in infancy, to show the importance of careful nursing of children:--"in the great majority of instances, when death suddenly befalls the infant or young child, it is an _accident_; it is not a necessary, inevitable result of any disease. that which is known to injure children most seriously is foul air; keeping the rooms where they sleep closely shut up is destruction to them; and, if the child's breathing be disordered by disease, a few hours only of such foul air may endanger its life, even where no inconvenience is felt by grown-up persons in the room." . persons moving in the beat society will see, after perusing miss nightingale's book, that this "foul air," "want of light," "too much or too little clothing," and improper food, is not confined to crown street or st. giles's; that belgravia and the squares have their north room, where the rays of the sun never reach. "a wooden bedstead, two or three mattresses piled up to above the height of the table, a vallance attached to the frame,--nothing but a miracle could ever thoroughly dry or air such a bed and bedding,"--is the ordinary bed of a private house, than which nothing can be more unwholesome. "don't treat your children like sick," she sums up; "don't dose them with tea. let them eat meat and drink milk, or half a glass of light beer. give them fresh, light, sunny, and open rooms, cool bedrooms, plenty of outdoor exercise, facing even the cold, and wind, and weather, in sufficiently warm clothes, and with sufficient exercise, plenty of amusements and play; more liberty, and less schooling, and cramming, and training; more attention to food and less to physic." duties of the sick-nurse. . all women are likely, at some period of their lives, to be called on to perform the duties of a sick-nurse, and should prepare themselves as much as possible, by observation and reading, for the occasion when they may be required to perform the office. the main requirements are good temper, compassion for suffering, sympathy with sufferers, which most women worthy of the name possess, neat-handedness, quiet manners, love of order, and cleanliness. with these qualifications there will be very little to be wished for; the desire to relieve suffering will inspire a thousand little attentions, and surmount the disgusts which some of the offices attending the sick-room are apt to create. where serious illness visits a household, and protracted nursing is likely to become necessary, a professional nurse will probably be engaged, who has been trained to its duties; but in some families, and those not a few let us hope, the ladies of the family would oppose such an arrangement as a failure of duty on their part. there is, besides, even when a professional nurse is ultimately called in, a period of doubt and hesitation, while disease has not yet developed itself, when the patient must be attended to; and, in these cases, some of the female servants of the establishment must give their attendance in the sick-room. there are, also, slight attacks of cold, influenza, and accidents in a thousand forms, to which all are subject, where domestic nursing becomes a necessity; where disease, though unattended with danger, is nevertheless accompanied by the nervous irritation incident to illness, and when all the attention of the domestic nurse becomes necessary. . in the first stage of sickness, while doubt and a little perplexity hang over the household as to the nature of the sickness, there are some things about which no doubt can exist: the patient's room must be kept in a perfectly pure state, and arrangements made for proper attendance; for the first canon of nursing, according to florence nightingale, its apostle, is to "keep the air the patient breathes as pure as the external air, without chilling him." this can be done without any preparation which might alarm the patient; with proper windows, open fireplaces, and a supply of fuel, the room may be as fresh as it is outside, and kept at a temperature suitable for the patient's state. . windows, however, must be opened from above, and not from below, and draughts avoided; cool air admitted beneath the patient's head chills the lower strata and the floor. the careful nurse will keep the door shut when the window is open; she will also take care that the patient is not placed between the door and the open window, nor between the open fireplace and the window. if confined to bed, she will see that the bed is placed in a thoroughly ventilated part of the room, but out of the current of air which is produced by the momentary opening of doors, as well as out of the line of draught between the window and the open chimney, and that the temperature of the room is kept about °. where it is necessary to admit air by the door, the windows should be closed; but there are few circumstances in which good air can be obtained through the chamber-door; through it, on the contrary, the gases generated in the lower parts of the house are likely to be drawn into the invalid chamber. . these precautions taken, and plain nourishing diet, such as the patient desires, furnished, probably little more can be done, unless more serious symptoms present themselves; in which case medical advice will be sought. . under no circumstances is ventilation of the sick-room so essential as in cases of febrile diseases, usually considered infectious; such as typhus and puerperal fevers, influenza, hooping-cough, small- and chicken-pox, scarlet fever, measles, and erysipelas: all these are considered communicable through the air; but there is little danger of infection being thus communicated, provided the room is kept thoroughly ventilated. on the contrary, if this essential be neglected, the power of infection is greatly increased and concentrated in the confined and impure air; it settles upon the clothes of the attendants and visitors, especially where they are of wool, and is frequently communicated to other families in this manner. . under all circumstances, therefore, the sick-room should be kept as fresh and sweet as the open air, while the temperature is kept up by artificial heat, taking care that the fire burns clear, and gives out no smoke into the room; that the room is perfectly clean, wiped over with a damp cloth every day, if boarded; and swept, after sprinkling with damp tea-leaves, or other aromatic leaves, if carpeted; that all utensils are emptied and cleaned as soon as used, and not once in four-and-twenty hours, as is sometimes done. "a slop-pail," miss nightingale says, "should never enter a sick-room; everything should be carried direct to the water-closet, emptied there, and brought up clean; in the best hospitals the slop-pail is unknown." "i do not approve," says miss nightingale, "of making housemaids of nurses,--that would be waste of means; but i have seen surgical sisters, women whose hands were worth to them two or three guineas a week, down on their knees, scouring a room or hut, because they thought it was not fit for their patients: these women had the true nurse spirit." . bad smells are sometimes met by sprinkling a little liquid chloride of lime on the floor; fumigation by burning pastiles is also a common expedient for the purification of the sick-room. they are useful, but only in the sense hinted at by the medical lecturer, who commenced his lecture thus:--"fumigations, gentlemen, are of essential importance; they make so abominable a smell, that they compel you to open the windows and admit fresh air." in this sense they are useful, but ineffectual unless the cause be removed, and fresh air admitted. . the sick-room should be quiet; no talking, no gossiping, and, above all, no whispering,--this is absolute cruelty to the patient; he thinks his complaint the subject, and strains his ear painfully to catch the sound. no rustling of dresses, nor creaking shoes either; where the carpets are taken up, the nurse should wear list shoes, or some other noiseless material, and her dress should be of soft material that does not rustle. miss nightingale denounces crinoline, and quotes lord melbourne on the subject of women in the sick-room, who said, "i would rather have men about me, when ill, than women; it requires very strong health to put up with women." ungrateful man! but absolute quiet is necessary in the sick-room. . never let the patient be waked out of his first sleep by noise, never roused by anything like a surprise. always sit in the apartment, so that the patient has you in view, and that it is not necessary for him to turn in speaking to you. never keep a patient standing; never speak to one while moving. never lean on the sick-bed. above all, be calm and decisive with the patient, and prevent all noises over-head. . a careful nurse, when a patient leaves his bed, will open the sheets wide, and throw the clothes back so as thoroughly to air the bed; she will avoid drying or airing anything damp in the sick-room. . "it is another fallacy," says florence nightingale, "to suppose that night air is injurious; a great authority told me that, in london, the air is never so good as after ten o'clock, when smoke has diminished; but then it must be air from without, not within, and not air vitiated by gaseous airs." "a great fallacy prevails also," she says, in another section, "about flowers poisoning the air of the sick-room: no one ever saw them over-crowding the sick-room; but, if they did, they actually absorb carbonic acid and give off oxygen." cut flowers also decompose water, and produce oxygen gas. lilies, and some other very odorous plants, may perhaps give out smells unsuited to a close room, while the atmosphere of the sick-room should always be fresh and natural. . "patients," says miss nightingale, "are sometimes starved in the midst of plenty, from want of attention to the ways which alone make it possible for them to take food. a spoonful of beef-tea, or arrowroot and wine, or some other light nourishing diet, should be given every hour, for the patient's stomach will reject large supplies. in very weak patients there is often a nervous difficulty in swallowing, which is much increased if food is not ready and presented at the moment when it is wanted: the nurse should be able to discriminate, and know when this moment is approaching." . diet suitable for patients will depend, in some degree, on their natural likes and dislikes, which the nurse will do well to acquaint herself with. beef-tea is useful and relishing, but possesses little nourishment; when evaporated, it presents a teaspoonful of solid meat to a pint of water. eggs are not equivalent to the same weight of meat. arrowroot is less nourishing than flour. butter is the lightest and most digestible kind of fat. cream, in some diseases, cannot be replaced. but, to sum up with some of miss nightingale's useful maxims:--observation is the nurse's best guide, and the patient's appetite the rule. half a pint of milk is equal to a quarter of a pound of meat. beef-tea is the least nourishing food administered to the sick; and tea and coffee, she thinks, are both too much excluded from the sick-room. the monthly nurse. . the choice of a monthly nurse is of the utmost importance; and in the case of a young mother with her first child, it would be well for her to seek advice and counsel from her more experienced relatives in this matter. in the first place, the engaging a monthly nurse in good time is of the utmost importance, as, if she be competent and clever, her services will be sought months beforehand; a good nurse having seldom much of her time disengaged. there are some qualifications which it is evident the nurse should possess: she should be scrupulously clean and tidy in her person; honest, sober, and noiseless in her movements; should possess a natural love for children, and have a strong nerve in case of emergencies. snuff-taking and spirit-drinking must not be included in her habits; but these are happily much less frequent than they were in former days. . receiving, as she often will, instructions from the doctor, she should bear these in mind, and carefully carry them out. in those instances where she does not feel herself sufficiently informed, she should ask advice from the medical man, and not take upon herself to administer medicines, &c., without his knowledge. . a monthly nurse should be between and years of age, sufficiently old to have had a little experience, and yet not too old or infirm to be able to perform various duties requiring strength and bodily vigour. she should be able to wake the moment she is called,--at any hour of the night, that the mother or child may have their wants immediately attended to. good temper, united to a kind and gentle disposition, is indispensable; and, although the nurse will frequently have much to endure from the whims and caprices of the invalid, she should make allowances for these, and command her temper, at the same time exerting her authority when it is necessary. . what the nurse has to do in the way of cleaning and dusting her lady's room, depends entirely on the establishment that is kept. where there are plenty of servants, the nurse, of course, has nothing whatever to do but attend on her patient, and ring the bell for anything she may require. where the number of domestics is limited, she should not mind keeping her room in order; that is to say, sweeping and dusting it every morning. if fires be necessary, the housemaid should always clean the grate, and do all that is wanted in that way, as this, being rather dirty work, would soil the nurse's dress, and unfit her to approach the bed, or take the infant without soiling its clothes. in small establishments, too, the nurse should herself fetch things she may require, and not ring every time she wants anything; and she must, of course, not leave her invalid unless she sees everything is comfortable; and then only for a few minutes. when down stairs, and in company with the other servants, the nurse should not repeat what she may have heard in her lady's room, as much mischief may be done by a gossiping nurse. as in most houses the monthly nurse is usually sent for a few days before her services may be required, she should see that all is in readiness; that there be no bustle and hurry at the time the confinement takes place. she should keep two pairs of sheets thoroughly aired, as well as night-dresses, flannels, &c. &c. all the things which will be required to dress the baby the first time should be laid in the basket in readiness, in the order in which they are to be put on; as well as scissors, thread, a few pieces of soft linen rag, and two or three flannel squares. if a berceaunette is to be used immediately, the nurse should ascertain that the mattresses, pillow, &c. are all well aired; and if not already done before she arrives, she should assist in covering and trimming it, ready for the little occupant. a monthly nurse should be handy at her needle, as, if she is in the house some time before the baby is born, she will require some work of this sort; to occupy her time. she should also understand the making-up of little caps, although we can scarcely say this is one of the nurse's duties. as most children wear no caps, except out of doors, her powers in this way will not be much taxed. . a nurse should endeavour to make her room as cheerful as possible, and always keep it clean and tidy. she should empty the chamber utensils as soon as used, and on no account put things under the bed. soiled baby's napkins should be rolled up and put into a pan, when they should be washed out every morning, and hung out to dry: they are then in a fit state to send to the laundress; and should, on no account, be left dirty, but done every morning in this way. the bedroom should be kept rather dark, particularly for the first week or ten days; of a regular temperature, and as free as possible from draughts, at the same time well ventilated and free from unpleasant smells. . the infant during the month must not be exposed to strong light, or much air; and in carrying it about the passages, stairs, &c., the nurse should always have its head-flannel on, to protect the eyes and ears from the currents of air. for the management of children, we must refer our readers to the following chapters; and we need only say, in conclusion, that a good nurse should understand the symptoms of various ills incident to this period, as, in all cases, prevention is better than cure. as young mothers with their first baby are very often much troubled at first with their breasts, the nurse should understand the art of emptying them by suction, or some other contrivance. if the breasts are kept well drawn, there will be but little danger of inflammation; and as the infant at first cannot take all that is necessary, something must be done to keep the inflammation down. this is one of the greatest difficulties a nurse has to contend with, and we can only advise her to be very persevering, to rub the breasts well, and to let the infant suck as soon and as often as possible, until they get in proper order. the wet-nurse. . we are aware that, according to the opinion of some ladies, there is no domestic theme, during a certain period of their married lives, more fraught with vexation and disquietude than that ever-fruitful source of annoyance, "the nurse;" but, as we believe, there are thousands of excellent wives and mothers who pass through life without even a temporary embroglio in the kitchen, or suffering a state of moral hectic the whole time of a nurse's empire in the nursery or bedroom. our own experience goes to prove, that although many unqualified persons palm themselves off on ladies as fully competent for the duties they so rashly and dishonestly undertake to perform, and thus expose themselves to ill-will and merited censure, there are still very many fully equal to the legitimate exercise of what they undertake; and if they do not in every case give entire satisfaction, some of the fault,--and sometimes a great deal of it,--may be honestly placed to the account of the ladies themselves, who, in many instances, are so impressed with the propriety of their own method of performing everything, as to insist upon the adoption of _their_ system in preference to that of the nurse, whose plan is probably based on a comprehensive forethought, and rendered perfect in all its details by an ample experience. . in all our remarks on this subject, we should remember with gentleness the order of society from which our nurses are drawn; and that those who make their duty a study, and are termed professional nurses, have much to endure from the caprice and egotism of their employers; while others are driven to the occupation from the laudable motive of feeding their own children, and who, in fulfilling that object, are too often both selfish and sensual, performing, without further interest than is consistent with their own advantage, the routine of customary duties. . properly speaking, there are two nurses,--the nurse for the mother and the nurse for the child, or, the monthly and the wet nurse. of the former we have already spoken, and will now proceed to describe the duties of the latter, and add some suggestions as to her age, physical health, and moral conduct, subjects of the utmost importance as far as the charge intrusted to her is concerned, and therefore demanding some special remarks. . when from illness, suppression of the milk, accident, or some natural process, the mother is deprived of the pleasure of rearing her infant, it becomes necessary at once to look around for a fitting substitute, so that the child may not suffer, by any needless delay, a physical loss by the deprivation of its natural food. the first consideration should be as regards age, state of health, and temper. . the age, if possible, should not be less than twenty nor exceed thirty years, with the health sound in every respect, and the body free from all eruptive disease or local blemish. the best evidence of a sound state of health will be found in the woman's clear open countenance, the ruddy tone of the skin, the full, round, and elastic state of the breasts, and especially in the erectile, firm condition of the nipple, which, in all unhealthy states of the body, is pendulous, flabby, and relaxed; in which case, the milk is sure to be imperfect in its organization, and, consequently, deficient in its nutrient qualities. appetite is another indication of health in the suckling nurse or mother; for it is impossible a woman can feed her child without having a corresponding appetite; and though inordinate craving for food is neither desirable nor necessary, a natural vigour should be experienced at meal-times, and the food taken should be anticipated and enjoyed. . besides her health, the moral state of the nurse is to be taken into account, or that mental discipline or principle of conduct which would deter the nurse from at any time gratifying her own pleasures and appetites at the cost or suffering of her infant charge. . the conscientiousness and good faith that would prevent a nurse so acting are, unfortunately, very rare; and many nurses, rather than forego the enjoyment of a favourite dish, though morally certain of the effect it will have on the child, will, on the first opportunity, feed with avidity on fried meats, cabbage, cucumbers, pickles, or other crude and injurious aliments, in defiance of all orders given, or confidence reposed in their word, good sense, and humanity. and when the infant is afterwards racked with pain, and a night of disquiet alarms the mother, the doctor is sent for, and the nurse, covering her dereliction by a falsehood, the consequence of her gluttony is treated as a disease, and the poor infant is dosed for some days with medicines, that can do it but little if any good, and, in all probability, materially retard its physical development. the selfish nurse, in her ignorance, believes, too, that as long as she experiences no admonitory symptoms herself, the child cannot suffer; and satisfied that, whatever is the cause of its screams and plunges, neither she, nor what she had eaten, had anything to do with it, with this flattering assurance at her heart, she watches her opportunity, and has another luxurious feast off the proscribed dainties, till the increasing disturbance in the child's health, or treachery from the kitchen, opens the eyes of mother and doctor to the nurse's unprincipled conduct. in all such cases the infant should be spared the infliction of medicine, and, as a wholesome corrective to herself, and relief to her charge, a good sound dose administered to the nurse. . respecting the diet of the wet-nurse, the first point of importance is to fix early and definite hours for every meal; and the mother should see that no cause is ever allowed to interfere with their punctuality. the food itself should be light, easy of digestion, and simple. boiled or roast meat, with bread and potatoes, with occasionally a piece of sago, rice, or tapioca pudding, should constitute the dinner, the only meal that requires special comment; broths, green vegetables, and all acid or salt foods, must be avoided. fresh fish, once or twice a week, may be taken; but it is hardly sufficiently nutritious to be often used as a meal. if the dinner is taken early,--at one o'clock,--there will be no occasion for luncheon, which too often, to the injury of the child, is made the cover for a first dinner. half a pint of stout, with a reading biscuit, at eleven o'clock, will be abundantly sufficient between breakfast at eight and a good dinner, with a pint of porter at one o'clock. about eight o'clock in the evening, half a pint of stout, with another biscuit, may be taken; and for supper, at ten or half-past, a pint of porter, with a slice of toast or a small amount of bread and cheese, may conclude the feeding for the day. . animal food once in twenty-four hours is quite sufficient. all spirits, unless in extreme cases, should be avoided; and wine is still more seldom needed. with a due quantity of plain digestible food, and the proportion of stout and porter ordered, with early hours and regularity, the nurse will not only be strong and healthy herself, but fully capable of rearing a child in health and strength. there are two points all mothers, who are obliged to employ wet-nurses, should remember, and be on their guard against. the first is, never to allow a nurse to give medicine to the infant on her own authority: many have such an infatuated idea of the _healing excellence_ of castor-oil, that they would administer a dose of this disgusting grease twice a week, and think they had done a meritorious service to the child. the next point is, to watch carefully, lest, to insure a night's sleep for herself, she does not dose the infant with godfrey's cordial, syrup of poppies, or some narcotic potion, to insure tranquillity to the one and give the opportunity of sleep to the other. the fact that scores of nurses keep secret bottles of these deadly syrups, for the purpose of stilling their charges, is notorious; and that many use them to a fearful extent, is sufficiently patent to all. . it therefore behoves the mother, while obliged to trust to a nurse, to use her best discretion to guard her child from the unprincipled treatment of the person she must, to a certain extent, depend upon and trust; and to remember, in all cases, rather than resort to castor-oil or sedatives, to consult a medical man for her infant in preference to following the counsel of her nurse. the rearing, management, and diseases of infancy and childhood. chapter xlii. physiology of life, as illustrated by respiration, circulation, and digestion. . the infantine management of children, like the mother's love for her offspring, seems to be born with the child, and to be a direct intelligence of nature. it may thus, at first sight, appear as inconsistent and presumptuous to tell a woman how to rear her infant as to instruct her in the manner of loving it. yet, though nature is unquestionably the best nurse, art makes so admirable a foster-mother, that no sensible woman, in her novitiate of parent, would refuse the admonitions of art, or the teachings of experience, to consummate her duties of nurse. it is true that, in a civilized state of society, few young wives reach the epoch that makes them mothers without some insight, traditional or practical, into the management of infants: consequently, the cases wherein a woman is left to her own unaided intelligence, or what, in such a case, may be called instinct, and obliged to trust to the promptings of nature alone for the well-being of her child, are very rare indeed. again, every woman is not gifted with the same physical ability for the harassing duties of a mother; and though nature, as a general rule, has endowed all female creation with the attributes necessary to that most beautiful and, at the same time, holiest function,--the healthy rearing of their offspring,--the cases are sufficiently numerous to establish the exception, where the mother is either physically or socially incapacitated from undertaking these most pleasing duties herself, and where, consequently, she is compelled to trust to adventitious aid for those natural benefits which are at once the mother's pride and delight to render to her child. . in these cases, when obliged to call in the services of hired assistance, she must trust the dearest obligation of her life to one who, from her social sphere, has probably notions of rearing children diametrically opposed to the preconceived ideas of the mother, and at enmity with all her sentiments of right and prejudices of position. . it has justly been said--we think by hood--that the children of the poor are not brought up, but _dragged up_. however facetious this remark may seem, there is much truth in it; and that children, reared in the reeking dens of squalor and poverty, live at all, is an apparent anomaly in the course of things, that, at first sight, would seem to set the laws of sanitary provision at defiance, and make it appear a perfect waste of time to insist on pure air and exercise as indispensable necessaries of life, and especially so as regards infantine existence. . we see elaborate care bestowed on a family of children, everything studied that can tend to their personal comfort,--pure air, pure water, regular ablution, a dietary prescribed by art, and every precaution adopted that medical judgment and maternal love can dictate, for the well-being of the parents' hope; and find, in despite of all this care and vigilance, disease and death invading the guarded treasure. we turn to the foetor and darkness that, in some obscure court, attend the robust brood who, coated in dirt, and with mud and refuse for playthings, live and thrive, and grow into manhood, and, in contrast to the pale face and flabby flesh of the aristocratic child, exhibit strength, vigour, and well-developed frames, and our belief in the potency of the life-giving elements of air, light, and cleanliness receives a shock that, at first sight, would appear fatal to the implied benefits of these, in reality, all-sufficient attributes of health and life. . but as we must enter more largely on this subject hereafter, we shall leave its consideration for the present, and return to what we were about to say respecting trusting to others' aid in the rearing of children. here it is that the young and probably inexperienced mother may find our remarks not only an assistance but a comfort to her, in as far as, knowing the simplest and best system to adopt, she may be able to instruct another, and see that her directions are fully carried out. . the human body, materially considered, is a beautiful piece of mechanism, consisting of many parts, each one being the centre of a system, and performing its own vital function irrespectively of the others, and yet dependent for its vitality upon the harmony and health of the whole. it is, in fact, to a certain extent, like a watch, which, when once wound up and set in motion, will continue its function of recording true time only so long as every wheel, spring, and lever performs its allotted duty, and at its allotted time; or till the limit that man's ingenuity has placed to its existence as a moving automaton has been reached, or, in other words, till it has run down. . what the key is to the mechanical watch, air is to the physical man. once admit air into the mouth and nostrils, and the lungs expand, the heart beats, the blood rushes to the remotest part of the body, the mouth secretes saliva, to soften and macerate the food; the liver forms its bile, to separate the nutriment from the digested aliment; the kidneys perform their office; the eye elaborates its tears, to facilitate motion and impart that glistening to the orb on which depends so much of its beauty; and a dewy moisture exudes from the skin, protecting the body from the extremes of heat and cold, and sharpening the perception of touch and feeling. at the same instant, and in every part, the arteries, like innumerable bees, are everywhere laying down layers of muscle, bones, teeth, and, in fact, like the coral zoophyte, building up a continent of life and matter; while the veins, equally busy, are carrying away the _débris_ and refuse collected from where the zoophyte arteries are building,--this refuse, in its turn, being conveyed to the liver, there to be converted into bile. . all these--and they are but a few of the vital actions constantly taking place--are the instant result of one gasp of life-giving air. no subject can be fraught with greater interest than watching the first spark of life, as it courses with electric speed "through all the gates and alleys" of the soft, insensate body of the infant. the effect of air on the new-born child is as remarkable in its results as it is wonderful in its consequence; but to understand this more intelligibly, it must first be remembered that life consists of the performance of _three_ vital functions--respiration, circulation, and digestion. the lungs digest the air, taking from it its most nutritious element, the _oxygen_, to give to the impoverished blood that circulates through them. the stomach digests the food, and separates the nutriment--_chyle_--from the aliment, which it gives to the blood for the development of the frame; and the blood, which is understood by the term circulation, digests in its passage through the lungs the nutriment--_chyle_--to give it quantity and quality, and the _oxygen_ from the air to give it vitality. hence it will be seen, that, speaking generally, the three vital functions resolve themselves into one,--digestion; and that the lungs are the primary and the most important of the vital organs; and respiration, the first in fact, as we all know it is the last in deed, of all the functions performed by the living body. the lungs.--respiration. . the first effect of air on the infant is a slight tremor about the lips and angles of the mouth, increasing to twitchings, and finally to a convulsive contraction of the lips and cheeks, the consequence of sudden cold to the nerves of the face. this spasmodic action produces a gasp, causing the air to rush through the mouth and nostrils, and enter the windpipe and upper portion of the flat and contracted lungs, which, like a sponge partly immersed in water, immediately expand. this is succeeded by a few faint sobs or pants, by which larger volumes of air are drawn into the chest, till, after a few seconds, and when a greater bulk of the lungs has become inflated, the breast-bone and ribs rise, the chest expands, and, with a sudden start, the infant gives utterance to a succession of loud, sharp cries, which have the effect of filling every cell of the entire organ with air and life. to the anxious mother, the first voice of her child is, doubtless, the sweetest music she ever heard; and the more loudly it peals, the greater should be her joy, as it is an indication of health and strength, and not only shows the perfect expansion of the lungs, but that the process of life has set in with vigour. having welcomed in its own existence, like the morning bird, with a shrill note of gladness, the infant ceases its cry, and, after a few short sobs, usually subsides into sleep or quietude. . at the same instant that the air rushes into the lungs, the valve, or door between the two sides of the heart-and through which the blood had previously passed-is closed and hermetically sealed, and the blood taking a new course, bounds into the lungs, now expanded with air, and which we have likened to a wetted sponge, to which they bear a not unapt affinity, air being substituted for water. it here receives the _oxygen_ from the atmosphere, and the _chyle_, or white blood, from the digested food, and becomes, in an instant, arterial blood, a vital principle, from which every solid and fluid of the body is constructed. besides the lungs, nature has provided another respiratory organ, a sort of supplemental lung, that, as well as being a covering to the body, _in_spires air and _ex_pires moisture;--this is the cuticle, or skin; and so intimate is the connection between the skin and lungs, that whatever injures the first, is certain to affect the latter. . _hence the difficulty of breathing experienced after scalds or burns on the cuticle, the cough that follows the absorption of cold or damp by the skin, the oppressed and laborious breathing experienced by children in all eruptive diseases, while the rash is coming to the surface, and the hot, dry skin that always attends congestion of the lungs, and fever._ . the great practical advantage derivable from this fact is, the knowledge that whatever relieves the one benefits the other. hence, too, the great utility of hot baths in all affections of the lungs or diseases of the skin; and the reason why exposure to cold or wet is, in nearly all cases, followed by tightness of the chest, sore throat, difficulty of breathing, and cough. these symptoms are the consequence of a larger quantity of blood than is natural remaining in the lungs, and the cough is a mere effort of nature to throw off the obstruction caused by the presence of too much blood in the organ of respiration. the hot bath, by causing a larger amount of blood to rush suddenly to the skin, has the effect of relieving the lungs of their excess of blood, and by equalizing the circulation, and promoting perspiration from the cuticle, affords immediate and direct benefit, both to the lungs and the system at large. the stomach--digestion. . the organs that either directly or indirectly contribute to the process of digestion are, the mouth, teeth, tongue, and gullet, the stomach, small intestines, the pancreas, the salivary glands, and the liver. next to respiration, digestion is the chief function in the economy of life, as, without the nutritious fluid digested from the aliment, there would be nothing to supply the immense and constantly recurring waste of the system, caused by the activity with which the arteries at all periods, but especially during infancy and youth, are building up the frame and developing the body. in infancy (the period of which our present subject treats), the series of parts engaged in the process of digestion may be reduced simply to the stomach and liver, or rather its secretion,--the bile. the stomach is a thick muscular bag, connected above with the gullet, and, at its lower extremity, with the commencement of the small intestines. the duty or function of the stomach is to secrete from the arteries spread over its inner surface, a sharp acid liquid called the _gastric_ juice; this, with a due mixture of saliva, softens, dissolves, and gradually digests the food or contents of the stomach, reducing the whole into a soft pulpy mass, which then passes into the first part of the small intestines, where it comes in contact with the bile from the gall-bladder, which immediately separates the digested food into two parts, one is a white creamy fluid called chyle, and the absolute concentration of all nourishment, which is taken up by proper vessels, and, as we have before said, carried directly to the heart, to be made blood of, and vitalized in the lungs, and thus provide for the wear and tear of the system. it must be here observed that the stomach can only digest solids, for fluids, being incapable of that process, can only be _absorbed_; and without the result of digestion, animal, at least human life, could not exist. now, as nature has ordained that infantine life shall be supported on liquid aliment, and as, without a digestion the body would perish, some provision was necessary to meet this difficulty, and that provision was found in the nature of the liquid itself, or in other words, the milk. the process of making cheese, or fresh curds and whey, is familiar to most persons; but as it is necessary to the elucidation of our subject, we will briefly repeat it. the internal membrane, or the lining coat of a calf's stomach, having been removed from the organ, is hung up, like a bladder, to dry; when required, a piece is cut off, put in a jug, a little warm water poured upon it, and after a few hours it is fit for use; the liquid so made being called _rennet_. a little of this rennet, poured into a basin of warm milk, at once coagulates the greater part, and separates from it a quantity of thin liquor, called _whey_. this is precisely the action that takes place in the infant's stomach after every supply from the breast. the cause is the same in both cases, the acid of the gastric juice in the infant's stomach immediately converting the milk into a soft cheese. it is gastric juice, adhering to the calf's stomach, and drawn out by the water, forming rennet, that makes the curds in the basin. the cheesy substance being a solid, at once undergoes the process of digestion, is separated into _chyle_ by the bile, and, in a few hours, finds its way to the infant's heart, to become blood, and commence the architecture of its little frame. this is the simple process of a baby's digestion:-milk converted into cheese, cheese into _chyle_, chyle into blood, and blood into flesh, bone, and tegument-how simple is the cause, but how sublime and wonderful are the effects! . we have described the most important of the three functions that take place in the infant's body-respiration and digestion; the third, namely, circulation, we hardly think it necessary to enter on, not being called for by the requirements of the nurse and mother; so we shall omit its notice, and proceed from theoretical to more practical considerations. children of weakly constitutions are just as likely to be born of robust parents, and those who earn their bread by toil, as the offspring of luxury and affluence; and, indeed, it is against the ordinary providence of nature to suppose the children of the hardworking and necessitous to be hardier and more vigorous than those of parents blessed with ease and competence. . all children come into the world in the same imploring helplessness, with the same general organization and wants, and demanding either from the newly-awakened mother's love, or from the memory of motherly feeling in the nurse, or the common appeals of humanity in those who undertake the earliest duties of an infant, the same assistance and protection, and the same fostering care. the infant. . we have already described the phenomena produced on the new-born child by the contact of air, which, after a succession of muscular twitchings, becomes endowed with voice, and heralds its advent by a loud but brief succession of cries. but though this is the general rule, it sometimes happens (from causes it is unnecessary here to explain) that the infant does not cry, or give utterance to any audible sounds, or if it does, they are so faint as scarcely to be distinguished as human accents, plainly indicating that life, as yet, to the new visitor, is neither a boon nor a blessing; the infant being, in fact, in a state of suspended or imperfect vitality,--a state of _quasi_ existence, closely approximating the condition of a _still-birth_. . as soon as this state of things is discovered, the child should be turned on its right side, and the whole length of the spine, from the head downwards, rubbed with all the fingers of the right hand, sharply and quickly, without intermission, till the quick action has not only evoked heat, but electricity in the part, and till the loud and sharp cries of the child have thoroughly expanded the lungs, and satisfactorily established its life. the operation will seldom require above a minute to effect, and less frequently demands a repetition. if there is brandy at hand, the fingers before rubbing may be dipped into that, or any other spirit. . there-is another condition of what we may call "mute births," where the child only makes short ineffectual gasps, and those at intervals of a minute or two apart, when the lips, eyelids, and fingers become of a deep purple or slate colour, sometimes half the body remaining white, while the other half, which was at first swarthy, deepens to a livid hue. this condition of the infant is owing to the valve between the two sides of the heart remaining open, and allowing the unvitalized venous blood to enter the arteries and get into the circulation. . the object in this case, as in the previous one, is to dilate the lungs as quickly as possible, so that, by the sudden effect of a vigorous inspiration, the valve may be firmly closed, and the impure blood, losing this means of egress, be sent directly to the lungs. the same treatment is therefore necessary as in the previous case, with the addition, if the friction along the spine has failed, of a warm bath at a temperature of about °, in which the child is to be plunged up to the neck, first cleansing the mouth and nostrils of the mucus that might interfere with the free passage of air. . while in the bath, the friction along the spine is to be continued, and if the lungs still remain unexpended, while one person retains the child in an inclined position in the water, another should insert the pipe of a small pair of bellows into one nostril, and while the month is closed and the other nostril compressed on the pipe with the hand of the assistant, the lungs are to be slowly inflated by steady puffs of air from the bellows, the hand being removed from the mouth and nose after each inflation, and placed on the pit of the stomach, and by a steady pressure expelling it out again by the mouth. this process is to be continued, steadily inflating and expelling the air from the lungs, till, with a sort of tremulous leap, nature takes up the process, and the infant begins to gasp, and finally to cry, at first low and faint, but with every gulp of air increasing in length and strength of volume, when it is to be removed from the water, and instantly wrapped (all but the face and mouth) in a flannel. sometimes, however, all these means will fail in effecting an utterance from the child, which will lie, with livid lips and a flaccid body, every few minutes opening its mouth with a short gasping pant, and then subsiding into a state of pulseless inaction, lingering probably some hours, till the spasmodic pantings growing further apart, it ceases to exist. . the time that this state of negative vitality will linger in the frame of an infant is remarkable; and even when all the previous operations, though long-continued, have proved ineffectual, the child will often rally from the simplest of means--the application of dry heat. when removed from the bath, place three or four hot bricks or tiles on the hearth, and lay the child, loosely folded in a flannel, on its back along them, taking care that there is but one fold of flannel between the spine and heated bricks or tiles. when neither of these articles can be procured, put a few clear pieces of red cinder in a warming-pan, and extend the child in the same manner along the closed lid. as the heat gradually diffuses itself over the spinal marrow, the child that was dying, or seemingly dead, will frequently give a sudden and energetic cry, succeeded in another minute by a long and vigorous peal, making up, in volume and force, for the previous delay, and instantly confirming its existence by every effort in its nature. . with these two exceptions,--restored by the means we have pointed out to the functions of life,--we will proceed to the consideration of the child healthily born. here the first thing that meets us on the threshold of inquiry, and what is often between mother and nurse not only a vexed question, but one of vexatious import, is the _crying_ of the child; the mother, in her natural anxiety, maintaining that her infant _must be ill_ to cause it to cry so much or so often, and the nurse insisting that _all_ children cry, and that nothing is the matter with it, and that crying does good, and is, indeed, an especial benefit to infancy. the anxious and unfamiliar mother, though not convinced by these abstract sayings of the truth or wisdom of the explanation, takes both for granted; and, giving the nurse credit for more knowledge and experience on this head than she can have, contentedly resigns herself to the infliction, as a thing necessary to be endured for the good of the baby, but thinking it, at the same time, an extraordinary instance of the imperfectibility of nature as regards the human infant; for her mind wanders to what she has observed in her childhood with puppies and kittens, who, except when rudely torn from their nurse, seldom give utterance to any complaining. . we, undoubtedly, believe that crying, to a certain extent, is not only conducive to health, but positively necessary to the full development and physical economy of the infant's being. but though holding this opinion, we are far from believing that a child does not very often cry from pain, thirst, want of food, and attention to its personal comfort; but there is as much difference in the tone and expression of a child's cry as in the notes of an adult's voice; and the mother's ear will not be long in discriminating between the sharp peevish whine of irritation and fever, and the louder intermitting cry that characterizes the want of warmth and sleep. all these shades of expression in the child's inarticulate voice every nurse _should_ understand, and every mother will soon teach herself to interpret them with an accuracy equal to language. . there is no part of a woman's duty to her child that a young mother should so soon make it her business to study, as the voice of her infant, and the language conveyed in its cry. the study is neither hard nor difficult; a close attention to its tone, and the expression of the baby's features, are the two most important points demanding attention. the key to both the mother will find in her own heart, and the knowledge of her success in the comfort and smile of her infant. we have two reasons--both strong ones--for urging on mothers the imperative necessity of early making themselves acquainted with the nature and wants of their child: the first, that when left to the entire, responsibility of the baby, after the departure of the nurse, she may be able to undertake her new duties with more confidence than if left to her own resources and mother's instinct, without a clue to guide her through the mysteries of those calls that vibrate through every nerve of her nature; and, secondly, that she may be able to guard her child from the nefarious practices of unprincipled nurses, who, while calming the mother's mind with false statements as to the character of the baby's cries, rather than lose their rest, or devote that time which would remove the cause of suffering, administer, behind the curtains, those deadly narcotics which, while stupefying nature into sleep, insure for herself a night of many unbroken hours. such nurses as have not the hardihood to dose their infant charges, are often full of other schemes to still that constant and reproachful cry. the most frequent means employed for this purpose is giving it something to suck,--something easily hid from the mother,--or, when that is impossible, under the plea of keeping it warm, the nurse covers it in her lap with a shawl, and, under this blind, surreptitiously inserts a finger between the parched lips, which possibly moan for drink; and, under this inhuman cheat and delusion, the infant is pacified, till nature, balked of its desires, drops into a troubled sleep. these are two of our reasons for impressing upon mothers the early, the immediate necessity of putting themselves sympathetically in communication with their child, by at once learning its hidden language as a delightful task. . we must strenuously warn all mothers on no account to allow the nurse to sleep with the baby, never herself to lay down with it by her side for a night's rest, never to let it sleep in the parents' bed, and on no account keep it, longer than absolutely necessary, confined in on atmosphere loaded with the breath of many adults. . the amount of _oxygen_ required by an infant is so large, and the quantity consumed by mid-life and age, and the proportion of carbonic acid thrown off from both, so considerable, that an infant breathing the same air cannot possibly carry on its healthy existence while deriving its vitality from so corrupted a medium. this objection, always in force, is still more objectionable at night-time, when doors and windows are closed, and amounts to a condition of poison, when placed between two adults in sleep, and shut in by bed-curtains; and when, in addition to the impurities expired from the lungs, we remember, in quiescence and sleep, how large a portion of mephitic gas is given off from the skin. . mothers, in the fullness of their affection, believe there is no harbour, sleeping or awake, where their infants can be so secure from all possible or probable danger as in their own arms; yet we should astound our readers if we told them the statistical number of infants who, in despite of their motherly solicitude and love, are annually killed, unwittingly, by such parents themselves, and this from the persistency in the practice we are so strenuously condemning. the mother frequently, on awaking, discovers the baby's face closely impacted between her bosom and her arm, and its body rigid and lifeless; or else so enveloped in the "head-blanket" and superincumbent bedclothes, as to render breathing a matter of physical impossibility. in such cases the jury in general returns a verdict of "_accidentally overlaid_" but one of "careless suffocation" would be more in accordance with truth and justice. the only possible excuse that can be urged, either by nurse or mother, for this culpable practice, is the plea of imparting warmth to the infant. but this can always be effected by an extra blanket in the child's crib, or, if the weather is particularly cold, by a bottle of hot water enveloped in flannel and placed at the child's feet; while all the objections already urged--as derivable from animal heat imparted by actual contact--are entirely obviated. there is another evil attending the sleeping together of the mother and infant, which, as far as regards the latter, we consider quite as formidable, though not so immediate as the others, and is always followed by more or less of mischief to the mother. the evil we now allude to is that most injurious practice of letting the child _suck_ after the mother has _fallen asleep_, a custom that naturally results from the former, and which, as we hare already said, is injurious to both mother and child. it is injurious to the infant by allowing it, without control, to imbibe to distension a fluid sluggishly secreted and deficient in those vital principles which the want of mental energy, and of the sympathetic appeals of the child on the mother, so powerfully produce on the secreted nutriment, while the mother wakes in a state of clammy exhaustion, with giddiness, dimness of sight, nausea, loss of appetite, and a dull aching pain through the back and between the shoulders. in fact, she wakes languid and unrefreshed from her sleep, with febrile symptoms and hectic flushes, caused by her baby vampire, who, while dragging from her her health and strength, has excited in itself a set of symptoms directly opposite, but fraught with the same injurious consequences--"functional derangement." the milk. . as nature has placed in the bosom of the mother the natural food of her offspring, it must be self-evident to every reflecting woman, that it becomes her duty to study, as far as lies in her power, to keep that reservoir of nourishment in as pure and invigorating a condition as possible; for she must remember that the _quantity_ is no proof of the _quality_ of this aliment. . the mother, while suckling, as a general rule, should avoid all sedentary occupations, take regular exercise, keep her mind as lively and pleasingly occupied as possible, especially by music and singing. her diet should be light and nutritious, with a proper sufficiency of animal food, and of that kind which yields the largest amount of nourishment; and, unless the digestion is naturally strong, vegetables and fruit should form a very small proportion of the general dietary, and such preparations as broths, gruels, arrowroot, &c., still less. tapioca, or ground-rice pudding, made with several eggs, may be taken freely; but all slops and thin potations, such as that delusion called chicken-broth, should be avoided, as yielding a very small amount of nutriment, and a large proportion of flatulence. all purely stimulants should be avoided as much as possible, especially spirits, unless taken for some special object, and that medicinally; but as a part of the dietary they should be carefully shunned. lactation is always an exhausting process, and as the child increases in size and strength, the drain upon the mother becomes great and depressing. then something more even than an abundant diet is required to keep the mind and body up to a standard sufficiently healthy to admit of a constant and nutritious secretion being performed without detriment to the physical integrity of the mother, or injury to the child who imbibes it; and as stimulants are inadmissible, if not positively injurious, the substitute required is to be found in _malt liquor_. to the lady accustomed to her madeira and sherry, this may appear a very vulgar potation for a delicate young mother to take instead of the more subtle and condensed elegance of wine; but as we are writing from experience, and with the avowed object of imparting useful facts and beneficial remedies to our readers, we allow no social distinctions to interfere with our legitimate object. . we have already said that the suckling mother should avoid stimulants, especially spirituous ones; and though something of this sort is absolutely necessary to support her strength during the exhausting process, it should be rather of a _tonic_ than of a stimulating character; and as all wines contain a large percentage of brandy, they are on that account less beneficial than the pure juice of the fermented grape might be. but there is another consideration to be taken into account on this subject; the mother has not only to think of herself, but also of her infant. now wines, especially port wine, very often--indeed, most frequently--affect the baby's bowels, and what might have been grateful to the mother becomes thus a source of pain and irritation to the child afterwards. sherry is less open to this objection than other wines, yet still _it_ very frequently does influence the second participator, or the child whose mother has taken it. . the nine or twelve months a woman usually suckles must be, to some extent, to most mothers, a period of privation and penance, and unless she is deaf to the cries of her baby, and insensible to its kicks and plunges, and will not see in such muscular evidences the griping pains that rack her child, she will avoid every article that can remotely affect the little being who draws its sustenance from her. she will see that the babe is acutely affected by all that in any way influences her, and willingly curtail her own enjoyments, rather than see her infant rendered feverish, irritable, and uncomfortable. as the best tonic, then, and the most efficacious indirect stimulant that a mother can take at such times, there is no potation equal to _porter_ and _stout_, or, what is better still, an equal part of porter and stout. ale, except for a few constitutions, is too subtle and too sweet, generally causing acidity or heartburn, and stout alone is too potent to admit of a full draught, from its proneness to affect the head; and quantity, as well as moderate strength, is required to make the draught effectual; the equal mixture, therefore, of stout and porter yields all the properties desired or desirable as a medicinal agent for this purpose. . independently of its invigorating influence on the constitution, _porter exerts a marked and specific effect on the secretion of milk; more powerful in exciting an abundant supply of that fluid than any other article within the range of the physician's art;_ and, in cases of deficient quantity, is the most certain, speedy, and the healthiest means that can be employed to insure a quick and abundant flow. in cases where malt liquor produces flatulency, a few grains of the "carbonate of soda" may advantageously be added to each glass immediately before drinking, which will have the effect of neutralizing any acidity that may be in the porter at the time, and will also prevent its after-disagreement with the stomach. the quantity to be taken must depend upon the natural strength of the mother, the age and demand made by the infant on the parent, and other causes; but the amount should vary from _one_ to _two_ pints a day, never taking less than half a pint at a time, which should be repeated three or four times a day. . we have said that the period of suckling is a season of penance to the mother, but this is not invariably the case; and, as so much must depend upon the natural strength of the stomach, and its power of assimilating all kinds of food into healthy _chyle_, it is impossible to define exceptions. where a woman feels she can eat any kind of food, without inconvenience or detriment, she should live during her suckling as she did before; but, as a general rule, we are bound to advise all mothers to abstain from such articles as pickles, fruits, cucumbers, and all acid and slowly digestible foods, unless they wish for restless nights and crying infants. . as regards exercise and amusement, we would certainly neither prohibit a mother's dancing, going to a theatre, nor even from attending an assembly. the first, however, is the best indoor recreation she can take, and a young mother will do well to often amuse herself in the nursery with this most excellent means of healthful circulation. the only precaution necessary is to avoid letting the child suck the milk that has lain long in the breast, or is heated by excessive action. . every mother who can, should be provided with a breast-pump, or glass tube, to draw off the superabundance that has been accumulating in her absence from the child, or the first gush excited by undue exertion: the subsequent supply of milk will be secreted under the invigorating influence of a previous healthy stimulus. . as the first milk that is secreted contains a large amount of the saline elements, and is thin and innutritious, it is most admirably adapted for the purpose nature designed it to fulfil,--that of an aperient; but which, unfortunately, it is seldom permitted, in our artificial mode of living, to perform. . so opposed are we to the objectionable plan of physicking new-born children, that, unless for positive illness, we would much rather advise that medicine should be administered _through_ the mother for the first eight or ten weeks of its existence. this practice, which few mothers will object to, is easily effected by the parent, when such a course is necessary for the child, taking either a dose of castor-oil, half an ounce of tasteless salts (the phosphate of soda), one or two teaspoonfuls of magnesia, a dose of lenitive electuary, manna, or any mild and simple aperient, which, almost before it can have taken effect on herself, will exhibit its action on her child. . one of the most common errors that mothers fall into while suckling their children, is that of fancying they are always hungry, and consequently overfeeding them; and with this, the great mistake of applying the child to the breast on every occasion of its crying, without investigating the cause of its complaint, and, under the belief that it wants food, putting the nipple into its crying mouth, until the infant turns in revulsion and petulance from what it should accept with eagerness and joy. at such times, a few teaspoonfuls of water, slightly chilled, will often instantly pacify a crying and restless child, who has turned in loathing from the offered breast; or, after imbibing a few drops, and finding it not what nature craved, throws back its head in disgust, and cries more petulantly than before. in such a case as this, the young mother, grieved at her baby's rejection of the tempting present, and distressed at its cries, and in terror of some injury, over and over ransacks its clothes, believing some insecure pin can alone be the cause of such sharp complaining, an accident that, from her own care in dressing, however, is seldom or ever the case. . these abrupt cries of the child, if they do not proceed from thirst, which a little water will relieve, not unfrequently occur from some unequal pressure, a fold or twist in the "roller," or some constriction round the tender body. if this is suspected, the mother must not be content with merely slackening the strings; the child should be undressed, and the creases and folds of the hot skin, especially those about the thighs and groins, examined, to see that no powder has caked, and, becoming hard, irritated the parts. the violet powder should be dusted freely over all, to cool the skin, and everything put on fresh and smooth. if such precautions have not afforded relief, and, in addition to the crying, the child plunges or draws up its legs, the mother may be assured some cause of irritation exists in the stomach or bowels,--either acidity in the latter or distension from overfeeding in the former; but, from whichever cause, the child should be "opened" before the fire, and a heated napkin applied all over the abdomen, the infant being occasionally elevated to a sitting position, and while gently jolted on the knee, the back should be lightly patted with the hand. . should the mother have any reason to apprehend that the _cause_ of inconvenience proceeds from the bladder--a not unfrequent source of pain,--the napkin is to be dipped in hot water, squeezed out, and immediately applied over the part, and repeated every eight or ten minutes, for several times in succession, either till the natural relief is afforded, or a cessation of pain allows of its discontinuance. the pain that young infants often suffer, and the crying that results from it, is, as we have already said, frequently caused by the mother inconsiderately overfeeding her child, and is produced by the pain of distension, and the mechanical pressure of a larger quantity of fluid in the stomach than the gastric juice can convert into cheese and digest. . some children are stronger in the enduring power of the stomach than others, and get rid of the excess by vomiting, concluding every process of suckling by an emission of milk and curd. such children are called by nurses "thriving children;" and generally they are so, simply because their digestion is good, and they have the power of expelling with impunity that superabundance of aliment which in others is a source of distension, flatulence, and pain. . the length of time an infant should be suckled must depend much on the health and strength of the child, and the health of the mother, and the quantity and quality of her milk; though, when all circumstances are favourable, it should never be less than _nine_, nor exceed _fifteen_ months; but perhaps the true time will be found in the medium between both. but of this we may be sure, that nature never ordained a child to live on suction after having endowed it with teeth to bite and to grind; and nothing is more out of place and unseemly than to hear a child, with a set of twenty teeth, ask for "the breast." . the practice of protracted wet-nursing is hurtful to the mother, by keeping up an uncalled-for, and, after the proper time, an unhealthy drain on her system, while the child either derives no benefit from what it no longer requires, or it produces a positive injury on its constitution. after the period when nature has ordained the child shall live by other means, the secretion of milk becomes thin and deteriorated, showing in the flabby flesh and puny features of the child both its loss of nutritious properties and the want of more stimulating aliment. . though we have said that twelve months is about the medium time a baby should be suckled, we by no means wish to imply that a child should be fed exclusively on milk for its first year; quite the reverse; the infant can hardly be too soon made independent of the mother. thus, should illness assail her, her milk fail, or any domestic cause abruptly cut off the natural supply, the child having been annealed to an artificial diet, its life might be safely carried on without seeking for a wet-nurse, and without the slightest danger to its system. . the advantage to the mother of early accustoming the child to artificial food is as considerable to herself as beneficial to her infant; the demand on her physical strength in the first instance will be less severe and exhausting, the child will sleep longer on a less rapidly digestible aliment, and yield to both more quiet nights, and the mother will be more at liberty to go out for business or pleasure, another means of sustenance being at hand till her return. besides these advantages, by a judicious blending of the two systems of feeding, the infant will acquire greater constitutional strength, so that, if attacked by sickness or disease, it will have a much greater chance of resisting its virulence than if dependent alone on the mother, whose milk, affected by fatigue and the natural anxiety of the parent for her offspring, is at such a time neither good in its properties nor likely to be beneficial to the patient. . all that we have further to say on suckling is an advice to mothers, that if they wish to keep a sound and unchapped nipple, and possibly avoid what is called a "broken breast," never to put it up with a wet nipple, but always to have a soft handkerchief in readiness, and the moment that delicate part is drawn from the child's mouth, to dry it carefully of the milk and saliva that moisten it; and, further, to make a practice of suckling from each breast alternately. dress and dressing, washing, &c. . as respects the dress and dressing of a new-born infant, or of a child in arms, during any stage of its nursing, there are few women who will require us to give them guidance or directions for their instruction; and though a few hints on the subject may not be out of place here, yet most women intuitively "take to a baby," and, with a small amount of experience, are able to perform all the little offices necessary to its comfort and cleanliness with ease and completeness. we shall, therefore, on this delicate subject hold our peace; and only, from afar, _hint_ "at what we would," leaving our suggestions to be approved or rejected, according as they chime with the judgment and the apprehension of our motherly readers. . in these days of intelligence, there are few ladies who have not, in all probability, seen the manner in which the indian squaw, the aborigines of polynesia, and even the lapp and esquimaux, strap down their baby on a board, and by means of a loop suspend it to the bough of a tree, hang it up to the rafters of the hut, or on travel, dangle it on their backs, outside the domestic implements, which, as the slave of her master, man, the wronged but uncomplaining woman carries, in order that her lord may march in unhampered freedom. cruel and confining as this system of "backboard" dressing may seem to our modern notions of freedom and exercise, it is positively less irksome, less confining, and infinitely less prejudicial to health, than the mummying of children by our grandmothers a hundred, ay, fifty years ago: for what with chin-stays, back-stays, body-stays, forehead-cloths, rollers, bandages, &c., an infant had as many girths and strings, to keep head, limbs, and body in one exact position, as a ship has halyards. . much of this--indeed we may say all--has been abolished; but still the child is far from being dressed loosely enough; and we shall never be satisfied till the abominable use of the _pin_ is avoided _in toto_ in an infant's dressing, and a texture made for all the under garments of a child of a cool and elastic material. . the manner in which an infant is encircled in a bandage called the "roller," as if it had fractured ribs, compressing those organs--that, living on suction, must be, for the health of the child, to a certain degree distended, to obtain sufficient aliment from the fluid imbibed--is perfectly preposterous. our humanity, as well as our duty, calls upon us at once to abrogate and discountenance by every means in our power. instead of the process of washing and dressing being made, as with the adult, a refreshment and comfort, it is, by the dawdling manner in which it is performed, the multiplicity of things used, and the perpetual change of position of the infant to adjust its complicated clothing, rendered an operation of positive irritation and annoyance. we, therefore, entreat all mothers to regard this subject in its true light, and study to the utmost, simplicity in dress, and dispatch in the process. . children do not so much cry from the washing as from the irritation caused by the frequent change of position in which they are placed, the number of times they are turned on their face, on their back, and on their side, by the manipulations demanded by the multiplicity of articles to be fitted, tacked, and carefully adjusted on their bodies. what mother ever found her girl of six or seven stand quiet while she was curling her hair? how many times nightly has she not to reprove her for not standing still during the process! it is the same with the unconscious infant, who cannot bear to be moved about, and who has no sooner grown reconciled to one position than it is forced reluctantly into another. it is true, in one instance the child has intelligence to guide it, and in the other not; but the _motitory nerves_, in both instances, resent coercion, and a child cannot be too little handled. . on this account alone, and, for the moment, setting health and comfort out of the question, we beg mothers to simplify their baby's dress as much as possible; and not only to put on as little as is absolutely necessary, but to make that as simple in its contrivance and adjustment as it will admit of; to avoid belly-bands, rollers, girths, and everything that can impede or confine the natural expansion of the digestive organs, on the due performance of whose functions the child lives, thrives, and develops its physical being. rearing by hand. articles necessary, and how to use them,--preparation of foods.-- baths.--advantages of rearing by hand. . as we do not for a moment wish to be thought an advocate for an artificial, in preference to the natural course of rearing children, we beg our renders to understand us perfectly on this head; all we desire to prove is the fact that a child _can_ be brought up as well on a spoon dietary as the best example to be found of those reared on the breast; having more strength, indeed, from the more nutritious food on which it lives. it will be thus less liable to infectious diseases, and more capable of resisting the virulence of any danger that may attack it; and without in any way depreciating the nutriment of its natural food, we wish to impress on the mother's mind that there are many cases of infantine debility which might eventuate in rickets, curvature of the spine, or mesenteric disease, where the addition to, or total substitution of, an artificial and more stimulating aliment, would not only give tone and strength to the constitution, but at the same time render the employment of mechanical means totally unnecessary. and, finally, though we would never--where the mother had the strength to suckle her child--supersede the breast, we would insist on making it a rule to accustom the child as early as possible to the use of an artificial diet, not only that it may acquire more vigour to help it over the ills of childhood, but that, in the absence of the mother, it might not miss the maternal sustenance; and also for the parent's sake, that, should the milk, from any cause, become vitiated, or suddenly cease, the child can be made over to the bottle and the spoon without the slightest apprehension of hurtful consequences. . to those persons unacquainted with the system, or who may have been erroneously informed on the matter, the rearing of a child by hand may seem surrounded by innumerable difficulties, and a large amount of personal trouble and anxiety to the nurse or mother who undertakes the duty. this, however, is a fallacy in every respect, except as regards the fact of preparing the food; but even this extra amount of work, by adopting the course we shall lay down, may be reduced to a very small sum of inconvenience; and as respects anxiety, the only thing calling for care is the display of judgment in the preparation of the food. the articles required for the purpose of feeding an infant are a night-lamp, with its pan and lid, to keep the food warm; a nursing-bottle, with a prepared teat; and a small pap saucepan, for use by day. of the lamp we need hardly speak, most mothers being acquainted with its operation: but to those to whom it is unknown we may observe, that the flame from the floating rushlight heats the water in the reservoir above, in which the covered pan that contains the food floats, keeping it at such a heat that, when thinned by milk, it will be of a temperature suitable for immediate use. though many kinds of nursing-bottles have been lately invented, and some mounted with india-rubber nipples, the common glass bottle, with the calf's teat, is equal in cleanliness and utility to any; besides, the nipple put into the child's mouth is so white and natural in appearance, that no child taken from the breast will refuse it. the black artificial ones of caoutchouc or gutta-percha are unnatural. the prepared teats can be obtained at any chemist's, and as they are kept in spirits, they will require a little soaking in warm water, and gentle washing, before being tied securely, by means of fine twine, round the neck of the bottle, just sufficient being left projecting for the child to grasp freely in its lips; for if left the full length, or over long, it will be drawn too far into the mouth, and possibly make the infant heave. when once properly adjusted, the nipple need never be removed till replaced by a new one, which will hardly be necessary oftener than once a fortnight, though with care one will last for several weeks. the nursing-bottle should be thoroughly washed and cleaned every day, and always rinsed out before and after using it, the warm water being squeezed through the nipple, to wash out any particles of food that might lodge in the aperture, and become sour. the teat can always be kept white and soft by turning the end of the bottle, when not in use, into a narrow jug containing water, taking care to dry it first, and then to warm it by drawing the food through before putting it into the child's mouth. food, and its preparation. . the articles generally employed as food for infants consist of arrowroot, bread, flour, baked flour, prepared groats, farinaceous food, biscuit-powder, biscuits, tops-and-bottoms, and semolina, or manna croup, as it is otherwise called, which, like tapioca, is the prepared pith of certain vegetable substances. of this list the least efficacious, though, perhaps, the most believed in, is arrowroot, which only as a mere agent, for change, and then only for a very short time, should ever be employed as a means of diet to infancy or childhood. it is a thin, flatulent, and innutritious food, and incapable of supporting infantine life with energy. bread, though the universal _régime_ with the labouring poor, where the infant's stomach and digestive powers are a reflex, in miniature, of the father's, should never be given to an infant under three months, and, even then, however finely beaten up and smoothly made, is a very questionable diet. flour, when well boiled, though infinitely better than arrowroot, is still only a kind of fermentative paste, that counteracts its own good by after-acidity and flatulence. . baked flour, when cooked into a pale brown mass, and finely powdered, makes a far superior food to the others, and may be considered as a very useful diet, especially for a change. prepared groats may be classed with arrowroot and raw flour, as being innutritious. the articles that now follow in our list are all good, and such as we could, with conscience and safety, trust to for the health and development of any child whatever. . we may observe in this place, that an occasional change in the character of the food is highly desirable, both as regards the health and benefit of the child; and though the interruption should only last for a day, the change will be advantageous. . the packets sold as farinaceous food are unquestionably the best aliment that can be given from the first to a baby, and may be continued, with the exception of an occasional change, without alteration of the material, till the child is able to take its regular meals of animal and vegetable food. some infants are so constituted as to require a frequent and total change in their system of living, seeming to thrive for a certain time on any food given to them, but if persevered in too long, declining in bulk and appearance as rapidly as they had previously progressed. in such cases the food should be immediately changed, and when that which appeared to agree best with the child is resumed, it should be altered in its quality, and perhaps in its consistency. . for the farinaceous food there are directions with each packet, containing instructions for the making; but, whatever the food employed is, enough should be made at once to last the day and night; at first, about a pint basinful, but, as the child advances, a quart will hardly be too much. in all cases, let the food boil a sufficient time, constantly stirring, and taking every precaution that it does not get burnt, in which case it is on no account to be used. . the food should always be made with water, the whole sweetened at once, and of such a consistency that, when poured out, and it has had time to cool, it will cut with the firmness of a pudding or custard. one or two spoonfuls are to be put into the pap saucepan and stood on the hob till the heat has softened it, when enough milk is to be added, and carefully mixed with the food, till the whole has the consistency of ordinary cream; it is then to be poured into the nursing-bottle, and the food having been drawn through to warm the nipple, it is to be placed in the child's mouth. for the first month or more, half a bottleful will be quite enough to give the infant at one time; but, as the child grows, it will be necessary not only to increase the quantity given at each time, but also gradually to make its food more consistent, and, after the third month, to add an egg to every pint basin of food made. at night the mother puts the food into the covered pan of her lamp, instead of the saucepan--that is, enough for one supply, and, having lighted the rush, she will find, on the waking of her child, the food sufficiently hot to bear the cooling addition of the milk. but, whether night or day, the same food should never be heated twice, and what the child leaves should be thrown away. . the biscuit powder is used in the same manner as the farinaceous food, and both prepared much after the fashion of making starch. but when tops-and-bottoms, or the whole biscuit, are employed, they require soaking in cold water for some time previous to boiling. the biscuit or biscuits are then to be slowly boiled in as much water as will, when thoroughly soft, allow of their being beaten by a three-pronged fork into a fine, smooth, and even pulp, and which, when poured into a basin and become cold, will cut out like a custard. if two large biscuits have been so treated, and the child is six or seven months old, beat up two eggs, sufficient sugar to properly sweeten it, and about a pint of skim milk. pour this on the beaten biscuit in the saucepan, stirring constantly; boil for about five minutes, pour into a basin, and use, when cold, in the same manner as the other. . this makes an admirable food, at once nutritious and strengthening. when tops-and-bottoms or rusks are used, the quantity of the egg may be reduced, or altogether omitted. . semolina, or manna croup, being in little hard grains, like a fine millet-seed, must be boiled for some time, and the milk, sugar, and egg added to it on the fire, and boiled for a few minutes longer, and, when cold, used as the other preparations. . many persons entertain a belief that cow's milk is hurtful to infants, and, consequently, refrain from giving it; but this is a very great mistake, for both sugar and milk should form a large portion of every meal an infant takes. teething and convulsions. fits, &c., the consequence of dentition, and how to be treated.--the number and order of the teeth, and manner in which they are cut.--first and second set. . about three months after birth, the infant's troubles may be said to begin; teeth commence forming in the gums, causing pain and irritation in the mouth, and which, but for the saliva it causes to flow so abundantly, would be attended with very serious consequences. at the same time the mother frequently relaxes in the punctuality of the regimen imposed on her, and, taking some unusual or different food, excites diarrhoea or irritation in her child's stomach, which not unfrequently results in a rash on the skin, or slight febrile symptoms, which, if not subdued in their outset, superinduce some more serious form of infantine disease. but, as a general rule, the teeth are the primary cause of much of the child's sufferings, in consequence of the state of nervous and functional irritation into which the system is thrown by their formation and progress out of the jaw and through the gums. we propose beginning this branch of our subject with that most fertile source of an infant's suffering-- teething. . that this subject may he better understood by the nurse and mother, and the reason of the constitutional disturbance that, to a greater or less degree, is experienced by all infants, may be made intelligible to those who have the care of children, we shall commence by giving a brief account of the formation of the teeth, the age at which they appear in the mouth, and the order in which they pierce the gums. the organs of mastication in the adult consist of distinct teeth, in either jaw; being, in fact, a double set. the teeth are divided into incisors, canine, first and second grinders, and molars; but in childhood the complement or first set consists of only twenty, and these only make their appearance as the development of the frame indicates the requirement of a different kind of food for the support of the system. at birth some of the first-cut teeth are found in the cavities of the jaw, in a very small and rudimentary form; but this is by no means universal. about the third month, the jaws, which are hollow and divided into separate cells, begin to expand, making room for the slowly developing teeth, which, arranged for beauty and economy of space lengthwise, gradually turn their tops upwards, piercing the gum by their edges, which, being sharp, assist in cutting a passage through the soft parts. there is no particular period at which children cut their teeth, some being remarkably early, and others equally late. the earliest age that we have ever ourselves known as a reliable fact was, _six weeks_. such peculiarities are generally hereditary, and, as in this case, common to a whole family. the two extremes are probably represented by six and sixteen months. pain and drivelling are the usual, but by no means the general, indications of teething. . about the sixth month the gums become tense and swollen, presenting a red, shiny appearance, while the salivary glands pour out an unusual quantity of saliva. after a time, a white line or round spot is observed on the top of one part of the gums, and the sharp edge of the tooth may be felt beneath if the finger is gently pressed on the part. through these white spots the teeth burst their way in the following order:-- . two incisors in the lower jaw are first cut, though, in general, some weeks elapse between the appearance of the first and the advent of the second. the next teeth cut are the four incisors of the upper jaw. the next in order are the remaining two incisors of the bottom, one on each side, then two top and two bottom on each side, but not joining the incisors; and lastly, about the eighteenth or twentieth month, the four eye teeth, filling up the space left between the side teeth and the incisors; thus completing the infant's set of sixteen. sometimes at the same period, but more frequently some months later, four more double teeth slowly make their appearance, one on each side of each jaw, completing the entire series of the child's first set of twenty teeth. it is asserted that a child, while cutting its teeth, should either dribble excessively, vomit after every meal, or be greatly relaxed. though one or other, or all of these at once, may attend a case of teething, it by no means follows that any one of them should accompany this process of nature, though there can be no doubt that where the pain consequent on the unyielding state of the gums, and the firmness of the skin that covers the tooth, is severe, a copious discharge of saliva acts beneficially in saving the head, and also in guarding the child from those dangerous attacks of fits to which many children in their teething are liable. . _the symptoms_ that generally indicate the cutting of teeth, in addition to the inflamed and swollen state of the gums, and increased flow of saliva, are the restless and peevish state of the child, the hands being thrust into the mouth, and the evident pleasure imparted by rubbing the finger or nail gently along the gum; the lips are often excoriated, and the functions of the stomach or bowels are out of order. in severe cases, occurring in unhealthy or scrofulous children, there are, from the first, considerable fever, disturbed sleep, fretfulness, diarrhoea, rolling of the eyes, convulsive startings, laborious breathing, coma, or unnatural sleep, ending, unless the head is quickly relieved, in death. . the _treatment_ in all cases of painful teething is remarkably simple, and consists in keeping the body cool by mild aperient medicines, allaying the irritation in the gums by friction with a rough ivory ring or a stale crust of broad, and when the head, lungs, or any organ is overloaded or unduly excited, to use the hot bath, and by throwing the body into a perspiration, equalize the circulation, and relieve the system from the danger of a fatal termination. . besides these, there is another means, but that must be employed by a medical man; namely, scarifying the gums--an operation always safe, and which, when judiciously performed, and at a critical opportunity, will often snatch the child from the grasp of death. . there are few subjects on which mothers have often formed such strong and mistaken opinions as on that of lancing an infant's gums, some rather seeing their child go into fits--and by the unrelieved irritation endangering inflammation of the brain, water on the head, rickets, and other lingering affections--than permit the surgeon to afford instant relief by cutting through the hard skin, which, like a bladder over the stopper of a bottle, effectually confines the tooth to the socket, and prevents it piercing the soft, spongy substance of the gum. this prejudice is a great error, as we shall presently show; for, so far from hurting the child, there is nothing that will so soon convert an infant's tears into smiles as scarifying the gums in painful teething; that is, if effectually done, and the skin of the tooth be divided. . though teething is a natural function, and to an infant in perfect health should be unproductive of pain, yet in general it is not only a fertile cause of suffering, but often a source of alarm and danger; the former, from irritation in the stomach and bowels, deranging the whole economy of the system, and the latter, from coma and fits, that may excite alarm in severe cases; and the danger, that eventuates in some instances, from organic disease of the head or spinal marrow. . we shall say nothing in this place of "rickets," or "water on the head," which are frequent results of dental irritation, but proceed to finish our remarks on the treatment of teething. though strongly advocating the lancing of the gums in teething, and when there are any severe head-symptoms, yet it should never be needlessly done, or before being satisfied that the tooth is fully formed, and is out of the socket, and under the gum. when assured on these points, the gum should be cut lengthwise, and from the top of the gum downwards to the tooth, in an horizontal direction, thus----, and for about half an inch in length. the operation is then to be repeated in a transverse direction, cutting across the gum, in the centre of the first incision, and forming a cross, thus +. the object of this double incision is to insure a retraction of the cut parts, and leave an open way for the tooth to start from--an advantage not to be obtained when only one incision is made; for unless the tooth immediately follows the lancing, the opening reunites, and the operation has to be repeated. that this operation is very little or not at all painful, is evidenced by the suddenness with which the infant falls asleep after the lancing, and awakes in apparently perfect health, though immediately before the use of the gum-lancet, the child may have been shrieking or in convulsions. convulsions, or infantine fits. . from their birth till after teething, infants are more or less subject or liable to sudden fits, which often, without any assignable cause, will attack the child in a moment, and while in the mother's arms; and which, according to their frequency, and the age and strength of the infant, are either slight or dangerous. . whatever may have been the remote cause, the immediate one is some irritation of the nervous system, causing convulsions, or an effusion to the head, inducing coma. in the first instance, the infant cries out with a quick, short scream, rolls up its eyes, arches its body backwards, its arms become bent and fixed, and the fingers parted; the lips and eyelids assume a dusky leaden colour, while the face remains pale, and the eyes open, glassy, or staring. this condition may or may not be attended with muscular twitchings of the mouth, and convulsive plunges of the arms. the fit generally lasts from one to three minutes, when the child recovers with a sigh, and the relaxation of the body. in the other case, the infant is attacked at once with total insensibility and relaxation of the limbs, coldness of the body and suppressed breathing; the eyes, when open, being dilated, and presenting a dim glistening appearance; the infant appearing, for the moment, to be dead. . _treatment._-the first step in either case is, to immerse the child in a hot bath up to the chin; or if sufficient hot water cannot be procured to cover the body, make a hip-bath of what can be obtained; and, while the left hand supports the child in a sitting or recumbent position, with the right scoop up the water, and run it over the chest of the patient. when sufficient water can be obtained, the spine should be briskly rubbed while in the bath; when this cannot be done, lay the child on the knees, and with the fingers dipped in brandy, rub the whole length of the spine vigorously for two or three minutes, and when restored to consciousness, give occasionally a teaspoonful of weak brandy and water or wine and water. . an hour after the bath, it may be necessary to give an aperient powder, possibly also to repeat the dose for once or twice every three hours; in which case the following prescription is to be employed. take of powdered scammony grains. grey powder grains. antimonial powder grains. lump sugar grains. mix thoroughly, and divide into three powders, which are to be taken as advised for an infant one year old; for younger or weakly infants, divide into four powders, and give as the other. for thirst and febrile symptoms, give drinks of barley-water, or cold water, and every three hours put ten to fifteen drops of spirits of sweet nitre in a dessert-spoonful of either beverage. thrush, and its treatment. . this is a disease to which infants are peculiarly subject, and in whom alone it may be said to be a disease; for when thrush shows itself in adult or advanced life, it is not as a disease proper, but only as a symptom, or accessory, of some other ailment, generally of a chronic character, and should no more be classed as a separate affection than the petechae, or dark-coloured spots that appear in malignant measles, may be considered a distinct affection. . thrush is a disease of the follicles of the mucous membrane of the alimentary canal, whereby there are formed small vesicles, or bladders, filled with a thick mucous secretion, which, bursting, discharge their contents, and form minute ulcers in the centre of each vessel. to make this formal but unavoidable description intelligible, we must beg the reader's patience while we briefly explain terms that may appear to many so unmeaning, and make the pathology of thrush fully familiar. . the whole digestive canal, of which the stomach and bowels are only a part, is covered, from the lips, eyes, and ears downwards, with a thin glairy tissue, like the skin that lines the inside of an egg, called the mucous membrane; this membrane is dotted all over, in a state of health, by imperceptible points, called follicles, through which the saliva, or mucous secreted by the membrane, is poured out. . these follicles, or little glands, then, becoming enlarged, and filled with a congealed fluid, constitute thrush in its first stage; and when the child's lips and mouth appear a mass of small pearls, then, as these break and discharge, the second stage, or that of ulceration, sets in. . _symptoms._--thrush is generally preceded by considerable irritation, by the child crying and fretting, showing more than ordinary redness of the lips and nostrils, hot fetid breath, with relaxed bowels, and dark feculent evacuations; the water is scanty and high-coloured; whilst considerable difficulty in swallowing, and much thirst, are the other symptoms, which a careful observation of the little patient makes manifest. . the situation and character of thrush show at once that the cause is some irritation of the mucous membrane, and can proceed only from the nature and quality of the food. before weaning, this must be looked for in the mother, and the condition of the milk; after that time, in the crude and indigestible nature of the food given. in either case, this exciting cause of the disease must be at once stopped. when it proceeds from the mother, it is always best to begin by physicking the infant through the parent; that is to say, let the parent first take the medicine, which will sufficiently affect the child through the milk: this plan has the double object of benefiting the patient and, at the same time, correcting the state of the mother, and improving the condition of her milk. in the other case, when the child is being fed by hand, then proceed by totally altering the style of aliment given, and substituting farinaceous food, custards, blanc-mange, and ground-rice puddings. . as an aperient medicine for the mother, the best thing she can take is a dessert-spoonful of carbonate of magnesia once or twice a day, in a cup of cold water; and every second day, for two or three times, an aperient pill. . as the thrush extends all over the mouth, throat, stomach, and bowels, the irritation to the child from such an extent of diseased surface is proportionately great, and before attempting to act on such a tender surface by opening medicine, the better plan is to soothe by an emollient mixture; and, for that purpose, let the following be prepared. take of castor oil drachms. sugar drachm. mucilage, or powdered gum arabic half a drachm. triturate till the oil is incorporated, then add slowly-- mint-water one ounce and a half laudanum ten drops half a teaspoonful three times a day, to an infant from one to two years old; a teaspoonful from two to three years old; and a dessertspoonful at any age over that time. after two days' use of the mixture, one of the following powders should be given twice a day, accompanied with one dose daily of the mixture:-- grey powder grains. powdered rhubarb grains. scammony grains. mix. divide into twelve powders, for one year; eight powders, from one to two; and six powders, from two to six years old. after that age, double the strength, by giving the quantity of two powders at once. . it is sometimes customary to apply borax and honey to the mouth for thrush; but it is always better to treat the disease constitutionally rather than locally. the first steps, therefore, to be adopted are, to remove or correct the exciting cause--the mother's milk or food; allay irritation by a warm bath and the castor-oil mixture, followed by and conjoined with the powders. . to those, however, who wish to try the honey process, the best preparation to use is the following:-rub down one ounce of honey with two drachms of tincture of myrrh, and apply it to the lips and mouth every four or six hours. . it is a popular belief, and one most devoutly cherished by many nurses and elderly persons, that everybody must, at some time of their life, between birth and death, have an attack of thrush, and if not in infancy, or prime of life, it will surely attack them on their death-bed, in a form more malignant than if the patient had been affected with the malady earlier; the black thrush with which they are then reported to be affected being, in all probability, the petechae or purple spots that characterize the worst form, and often the last stage, of typhoid fever. . in general, very little medicine is needed in this disease of the thrush--an alterative powder, or a little magnesia, given once or twice, being all, with the warm bath, that, in the great majority of cases, is needed to restore the mucous membrane to health. as thrush is caused by an excess of heat, or over-action in the lining membrane of the stomach and bowels, whatever will counteract this state, by throwing the heat on the surface, must materially benefit, if not cure, the disease: and that means every mother has at hand, in the form of a _warm bath_. after the application of this, a little magnesia to correct the acidity existing along the surface of the mucous membrane, is often all that is needed to throw the system into such a state as will effect its own cure. this favourable state is indicated by an excessive flow of saliva, or what is called "dribbling," and by a considerable amount of relaxation of the bowels-a condition that must not be mistaken for diarrhoea, and checked as if a disease, but rather, for the day or two it continues, encouraged as a critical evacuant. . should there be much debility in the convalescence, half a teaspoonful of stee wine, given twice a day in a little barley-water, will be found sufficient for all the purposes of a tonic. this, with the precaution of changing the child's food, or, when it lives on the mother, of correcting the quality of the milk by changing her own diet, and, by means of an antacid or aperient, improving the state of the secretion. such is all the treatment that this disease in general requires. . the class of diseases we are now approaching are the most important, both in their pathological features and in their consequences on the constitution, of any group or individual disease that assails the human body; and though more frequently attacking the undeveloped frame of childhood, are yet by no means confined to that period. these are called eruptive fevers, and embrace chicken-pox, cow-pox, small-pox, scarlet fever, measles, milary fever, and erysipelas, or st. anthony's fire. . the general character of all these is, that they are contagious, and, as a general rule, attack a person only once in his lifetime; that their chain of diseased actions always begins with fever, and that, after an interval of from one to four days, the fever is followed by an eruption of the skin. chicken-pox, or glass-pox; and cow-pox, or vaccination. . chicken-pox, or glass-pox, may, in strict propriety, be classed as a mild variety of small-pox, presenting all the mitigated symptoms of that formidable disease. among many physicians it is, indeed, classed as small-pox, and not a separate disease; but as this is not the place to discuss such questions, and as we profess to give only facts, the result of our own practical experience, we shall treat this affection of glass-pox or chicken-pox, as we ourselves have found it, as a distinct and separate disease. . chicken-pox is marked by all the febrile symptoms presented by small-pox, with this difference, that, in the case of chicken-pox, each symptom is particularly slight. the heat of body is much less acute, and the principal symptoms are difficulty of breathing, headache, coated tongue, and nausea, which sometimes amounts to vomiting. after a term of general irritability, heat, and restlessness, about the fourth day, or between the third and fourth, an eruption makes its appearance over the face, neck, and body, in its first two stages closely resembling small-pox, with this especial difference, that whereas the pustules in small-pox have _flat_ and _depressed_ centres--an infallible characteristic of small-pox--the pustules in chicken-pox remain _globular_, while the fluid in them changes from a transparent white to a straw-coloured liquid, which begins to exude and disappear about the eighth or ninth day, and, in mild cases, by the twelfth desquamates, or peels off entirely. . there can be no doubt that chicken-pox, like small-pox, is contagious, and under certain states of the atmosphere becomes endemic. parents should, therefore, avoid exposing young children to the danger of infection by taking them where it is known to exist, as chicken-pox, in weakly constitutions, or in very young children, may superinduce small-pox, the one disease either running concurrently with the other, or discovering itself as the other declines. this, of course, is a condition that renders the case very hazardous, as the child has to struggle against two diseases at once, or before it has recruited strength from the attack of the first. . _treatment_.--in all ordinary cases of chicken-pox--and it is very seldom it assumes any complexity--the whole treatment resolves itself into the use of the warm bath, and a course of gentle aperients. the bath should be used when the oppression of the lungs renders the breathing difficult, or the heat and dryness of the skin, with the undeveloped rash beneath the surface, shows the necessity for its use. . as the pustules in chicken-pox very rarely run to the state of suppuration, as in the other disease, there is no fear of _pitting_ or disfigurement, except in very severe forms, which, however, happen so seldom as not to merit apprehension. when the eruption subsides, however, the face may be washed with elder-flower water, and the routine followed which is prescribed in the convalescent state of small-pox. . cow-pox, properly speaking, is an artificial disease, established in a healthy body as a prophylactic, or preventive agent, against the more serious attack of small-pox, and is merely that chain of slight febrile symptoms and local irritation, consequent on the specific action of the lymph of the vaccination, in its action on the circulating system of the body. this is not the place to speak of the benefits conferred on mankind by the discovery of vaccination, not only as the preserver of the human features from a most loathsome disfigurement, but as a sanitary agent in the prolongation of life. . fortunately the state has now made it imperative on all parents to have their children vaccinated before, or by the end of, the twelfth week; thus doing away, as far as possible, with the danger to public health proceeding from the ignorance or prejudice of those parents whose want of information on the subject makes them object to the employment of this specific preventive; for though vaccination has been proved _not_ to be _always_ an infallible guard against small-pox, the attack is always much lighter, should it occur, and is seldom, if indeed _ever_, fatal after the precaution of vaccination. the best time to vaccinate a child is after the sixth and before the twelfth week, if it is in perfect health, but still earlier if small-pox is prevalent, and any danger exists of the infant taking the disease. it is customary, and always advisable, to give the child a mild aperient powder one or two days before inserting the lymph in the arm; and should measles, scarlet fever, or any other disease arise during the progress of the pustule, the child, when recovered, should be _re-vaccinated_, and the lymph taken from its arm on no account used for vaccinating purposes. . the disease of cow-pox generally takes twenty days to complete its course; in other words, the maturity and declension of the pustule takes that time to fulfil its several changes. the mode of vaccination is either to insert the matter, or lymph, taken from a healthy child, under the cuticle in several places on both arms, or, which is still better, to make three slight scratches, or abrasions, with a lancet on one arm in this manner, ,,",, and work into the irritated parts the lymph, allowing the arm to dry thoroughly before putting down the infant's sleeve; by this means absorption is insured, and the unnecessary pain of several pustules on both arms avoided. no apparent change is observable by the eye for several days; indeed, not till the fourth, in many cases, is there any evidence of a vesicle; about the fifth day, however, a pink areola, or circle, is observed round one or all of the places, surrounding a small pearly vesicle or bladder. this goes on deepening in hue till the seventh or eighth day, when the vesicle is about an inch in diameter, with a depressed centre; on the ninth the edges are elevated, and the surrounding part hard and inflamed. the disease is now at its height, and the pustule should be opened, if not for the purpose of vaccinating other children, to allow the escape of the lymph, and subdue the inflammatory action. after the twelfth day the centre is covered by a brown scab, and the colour of the swelling becomes darker, gradually declining in hardness and colour till the twentieth, when the scab falls, off, leaving a small pit, or cicatrix, to mark the seat of the disease, and for life prove a certificate of successful vaccination. . in some children the inflammation and swelling of the arm is excessive, and extremely painful, and the fever, about the ninth or tenth day, very high; the pustule, therefore, at that time, should sometimes be opened, the arm fomented every two hours with a warm bread poultice, and an aperient powder given to the infant. measles and scarlet fever, with the treatment of both. measles. . this much-dreaded disease, which forms the next subject in our series of infantine diseases, and which entails more evils on the health of childhood than any other description of physical suffering to which that age of life is subject, may be considered more an affection of the venous circulation, tending to general and local congestion, attended with a diseased condition of the blood, than either as a fever or an inflammation; and though generally classed before or after scarlet fever, is, in its pathology and treatment, irrespective of its after-consequences, as distinct and opposite as one disease can well be from another. . as we have already observed, measles are always characterized by the running at the nose and eyes, and great oppression of breathing; so, in the mode of treatment, two objects are to be held especially in view; first, to unload the congested state of the lungs,--the cause of the oppressed breathing; and, secondly, to act vigorously, both during the disease and afterwards, on the bowels. at the same time it cannot be too strongly borne in mind, that though the patient in measles should on no account be kept unduly hot, more care than in most infantine complaints should be taken to guard the body from _cold_, or any abrupt changes of temperature. with these special observations, we shall proceed to give a description of the disease, as recognized by its usual-- . _symptoms_, which commence with cold chills and flushes, lassitude, heaviness, pain in the head, and drowsiness, cough, hoarseness, and extreme difficulty of breathing, frequent sneezing, deduction or running at the eyes and nose, nausea, sometimes vomiting, thirst, a furred tongue; the pulse throughout is quick, and sometimes full and soft, at others hard and small, with other indications of an inflammatory nature. . on the third day, small red points make their appearance, first on the face and neck, gradually extending over the upper and lower part of the body. on the fifth day, the vivid red of the eruption changes into a brownish hue; and, in two or three days more, the rash entirely disappears, leaving a loose powdery desquamation on the skin, which rubs off like dandriff. at this stage of the disease a diarrhoea frequently comes on, which, being what is called "critical," should never be checked, unless seriously severe. measles sometimes assume a typhoid or malignant character, in which form the symptoms are all greatly exaggerated, and the case from the first becomes both doubtful and dangerous. in this condition the eruption comes out sooner, and only in patches; and often, after showing for a few hours, suddenly recedes, presenting, instead of the usual florid red, a dark purple or blackish hue; a dark brown fur forms on the gums and mouth, the breathing becomes laborious, delirium supervenes, and, if unrelieved, is followed by coma; a fetid diarrhoea takes place, and the patient sinks under the congested state of the lungs and the oppressed functions of the brain. . the unfavourable symptoms in measles are a high degree of fever, the excessive heat and dryness of the skin, hurried and short breathing, and a particularly hard pulse. the sequels, or after-consequences, of measles are, croup, bronchitis, mesenteric disease, abscesses behind the ear, ophthalmia, and glandular swellings in other parts of the body. . _treatment_.--in the first place, the patient should be kept in a cool room, the temperature of which must be regulated to suit the child's feelings of comfort, and the diet adapted to the strictest principles of abstinence. when the inflammatory symptoms are severe, bleeding, in some form, is often necessary, though, when adopted, it must be in the _first stage_ of the disease; and, if the lungs are the apprehended seat of the inflammation, two or more leeches, according to the age and strength of the patient, must be applied to the upper part of the chest, followed by a small blister; or the blister may be substituted for the leeches, the attendant bearing in mind, that the benefit effected by the blister can always be considerably augmented by plunging the feet into very hot water about a couple of hours after applying the blister, and kept in the water for about two minutes. and let it further be remembered, that this immersion of the feet in hot water may be adopted at any time or stage of the disease; and that, whenever the _head_ or _lungs_ are oppressed, relief will _always_ accrue from its sudden and brief employment. when the symptoms commence with much shivering, and the skin early assumes a hot, dry character, the appearance of the rash will be facilitated, and all the other symptoms rendered milder, if the patient is put into a warm bath, and kept in the water for about three minutes. or, where that is not convenient, the following process, which will answer quite as well, can be substituted:--stand the child, naked, in a tub, and, having first prepared several jugs of sufficiently warm water, empty them, in quick succession, over the patient's shoulders and body; immediately wrap in a hot blanket, and put the child to bed till it rouses from the sleep that always follows the effusion or bath. this agent, by lowering the temperature of the skin, and opening the pores, producing a natural perspiration, and unloading the congested state of the lungs, in most cases does away entirely with the necessity both for leeches and a blister. whether any of these external means have been employed or not, the first internal remedies should commence with a series of aperient powders and a saline mixture, as prescribed in the following formularies; at the same time, as a beverage to quench the thirst, let a quantity of barley-water be made, slightly acidulated by the juice of an orange, and partially sweetened by some sugar-candy; and of which, when properly made and cold, let the patient drink as often as thirst, or the dryness of the mouth, renders necessary. . _aperient powders_.--take of scammony and jalap, each grains; grey powder and powdered antimony, each grains. mix and divide into powders, if for a child between two and four years of age; into powders, if for a child between four and eight years of ago; and into powders for between eight and twelve years. one powder to be given, in a little jelly or sugar-and-water, every three or four hours, according to the severity of the symptoms. . _saline mixture_.--take of mint-water, ounces; powdered nitre, grains; antimonial wine, drachms; spirits of nitre, drachms; syrup of saffron, drachms. mix. to children under three years, give a teaspoonful every two hours; from that age to six, a dessertspoonful at the same times; and a tablespoonful every three or four hours to children between six and twelve. . the object of these aperient powders is to keep up a steady but gentle action on the bowels; but, whenever it seems necessary to administer a stronger dose, and effect a brisk action on the digestive organs,--a course particularly imperative towards the close of the disease,--two of these powders given at once, according to the age, will be found to produce that effect; that is, two of the twelve for a child under four years, and two of the eight, and two of the six, according to the age of the patient. . when the difficulty of breathing becomes oppressive, as it generally does towards night, a hot bran poultice, laid on the chest, will be always found highly beneficial. the diet throughout must be light, and consist of farinaceous food, such as rice and sago puddings, beef-tea and toast; and not till convalescence sets in should hard or animal food be given. . when measles assume the malignant form, the advice just given must be broken through; food of a nutritious and stimulating character should be at once substituted, and administered in conjunction with wine, and even spirits, and the disease regarded and treated as a case of typhus. but, as this form of measles is not frequent, and, if occurring, hardly likely to be treated without assistance, it is unnecessary to enter on the minutiae of its practice here. what we have prescribed, in almost all cases, will be found sufficient to meet every emergency, without resorting to a multiplicity of agents. . the great point to remember in measles is, not to give up the treatment with the apparent subsidence of the disease, as the _after-consequences_ of measles are too often more serious, and to be more dreaded, than the measles themselves. to guard against this danger, and thoroughly purify the system, after the subsidence of all the symptoms of the disease, a corrective course of medicine, and a regimen of exercise, should be adopted for some weeks after the cure of the disease. to effect this, an active aperient powder should be given every three or four clays, with a daily dose of the subjoined tonic mixture, with as much exercise, by walking, running after a hoop, or other bodily exertion, as the strength of the child and the state of the atmosphere will admit, the patient being, wherever possible, removed to a purer air as soon as convalescence warrants the change. . _tonic mixture_.--take of infusion of rose-leaves, ounces; quinine, grains; diluted sulphuric acid, drops. mix. dose, from half a teaspoonful up to a dessertspoonful, once a day, according to the ago of the patient. scarlatina, or scarlet fever. . though professional accuracy has divided this disease into several forms, we shall keep to the one disease most generally mot with, the common or simple scarlet fever, which, in all cases, is characterized by an excessive heat on the skin, sore throat, and a peculiar speckled appearance of the tongue. . _symptoms_.--cold chills, shivering, nausea, thirst, hot skin, quick pulse, with difficulty of swallowing; the tongue is coated, presenting through its fur innumerable specks, the elevated papillae of the tongue, which gives it the speckled character, that, if not the invariable sign of scarlet fever, is only met with in cases closely analogous to that disease. between the _second_ and __third_ day, but most frequently on the _third_, a bright red efflorescence breaks out in patches on the face, neck, and back, from which it extends over the trunk and extremities, always showing thicker and deeper in colour wherever there is any pressure, such as the elbows, back, and hips; when the eruption is well out, the skin presents the appearance of a boiled lobster-shell. at first, the skin is smooth, but, as the disease advances, perceptible roughness is apparent, from the elevation of the rash, or, more properly, the pores of the skin. on the _fifth_ and _sixth_ days the eruption begins to decline, and by the _eighth_ has generally entirely disappeared. during the whole of this period, there is, more or less, constant sore throat. . the _treatment_ of scarlet fever is, in general, very simple. where the heat is great, and the eruption comes out with difficulty, or recedes as soon as it appears, the body should be sponged with cold vinegar-and-water, or tepid water, as in measles, poured over the chest and body, the patient being, as in that disease, wrapped in a blanket and put to bed, and the same powders and mixture ordered in measles administered, with the addition of a constant hot bran poultice round the throat, which should be continued from the first symptom till a day or two after the declension of the rash. the same low diet and cooling drink, with the same general instructions, are to be obeyed in this as in the former disease. . when the fever runs high in the first stage, and there is much nausea, before employing the effusions of water, give the patient an emetic, of equal, parts of ipecacuanha and antimonial wine, in doses of from a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful, according to age. by these means, nine out of every ten cases of scarlatina may be safely and expeditiously cured, especially if the temperature of the patient's room is kept at an even standard of about sixty degrees. hooping-cough, croup, and diarrhoea, with their mode of treatment. hooping-cough. . this is purely a spasmodic disease, and is only infectious through the faculty of imitation, a habit that all children are remarkably apt to fall into; and even where adults have contracted hooping-cough, it has been from the same cause, and is as readily accounted for, on the principle of imitation, as that the gaping of one person will excite or predispose a whole party to follow the same spasmodic example. if any one associates for a few days with a person who stammers badly, he will find, when released from his company, that the sequence of his articulation and the fluency of his speech are, for a time, gone; and it will be a matter of constant vigilance, and some difficulty, to overcome the evil of so short an association. the manner in which a number of school-girls will, one after another, fall into a fit on beholding one of their number attacked with epilepsy, must be familiar to many. these several facts lead us to a juster notion of how to treat this spasmodic disease. every effort should, therefore, be directed, mentally and physically, to break the chain of nervous action, on which the continuance of the cough depends. . _symptoms._--hooping-cough comes on with a slight oppression of breathing, thirst, quick pulse, hoarseness, and a hard, dry cough. this state may exist without any change from one to two or three weeks before the peculiar feature of the disease-the _hoop_-sets in. as the characteristics of this cough are known to all, it is unnecessary to enter here, physiologically, on the subject. we shall, therefore, merely remark that the frequent vomiting and bleeding at the mouth or nose are favourable signs, and proceed to the . _treatment_, which should consist in keeping up a state of nausea and vomiting. for this purpose, give the child doses of ipecacuanha and antimonial wines, in equal parts, and quantities varying from half to one and a half teaspoonful once a day, or, when the expectoration is hard and difficult of expulsion, giving the following cough mixture every four hours. take of syrup of squills / ounce. antimonial wine ounce. laudanum drops. syrup of toulou drachms. water - / ounce. mix. the dose is from half a spoonful to a dessertspoonful. when the cough is urgent, the warm bath is to be used, and either one or two leeches applied over the breastbone, or else a small blister laid on the lower part of the throat. . such is the medical treatment of hooping-cough; but there is a moral regimen, based on the nature of the disease, which should never be omitted. and, on the principle that a sudden start or diversion of the mind will arrest a person in the act of sneezing or gaping, so the like means should be adopted with the hooping-cough patient; and, in the first stage, before the _hooping_ has been added, the parent should endeavour to break the paroxysm of the cough by abruptly attracting the patient's attention, and thus, if possible, preventing the cough from reaching that height when the ingulp of air gives the hoop or crow that marks the disease; but when once that symptom has set in, it becomes still more necessary to endeavour, by even measures of intimidation, to break the spasmodic chain of the cough. exercise in the open air, when dry, is also requisite, and charge of scene and air in all cases is of absolute necessity, and may be adopted at any stage of the disease. croup. . this is by far the most formidable and fatal of all the diseases to which infancy and childhood are liable, and is purely an inflammatory affection, attacking that portion of the mucous membrane lining the windpipe and bronchial tubes, and from the effect of which a false or loose membrane is formed along the windpipe, resembling in appearance the finger of a glove suspended in the passage, and, consequently, terminating the life of the patient by suffocation; for, as the lower end grows together and becomes closed, no air can enter the lungs, and the child dies choked. all dull, fat, and heavy children are peculiarly predisposed to this disease, and those with short necks and who make a wheezing noise in their natural breathing. croup is always sudden in its attack, and rapid in its career, usually proving fatal within three days; most frequently commences in the night, and generally attacking children between the ages of three and ten years. mothers should, therefore, be on their guard who have children predisposed to this disease, and immediately resort to the means hereafter advised. . _symptoms_.--languor and restlessness, hoarseness, wheezing, and short, dry cough, with occasional rattling in the throat during sleep, the child often plucking at its throat with its fingers; difficulty of breathing, which quickly becomes hard and laboured, causing great anxiety of the countenance, and the veins of the neck to swell and become knotted; the voice in speaking acquires a sharp, crowing, or croupy sound, while the inspirations have a harsh, metallic intonation. after a few hours, a quantity of thick, ropy mucus is thrown out, hanging about the mouth, and causing suffocating fits of coughing to expel. . treatment.--place the child immediately in a hot bath up to the throat; and, on removal from the water, give an emetic of the antimonial or ipecacuanha wine, and, when the vomiting has subsided, lay a long blister down the front of the throat, and administer one of the following powders every twenty minutes to a child from three to six years of age. . take of calomel, grains; tartar emetic, grains; lump sugar, grains. mix accurately, and divide into powders. for a child from six to twelve years, divide into powders, and give one every half-hour. . should the symptoms remain unabated after a few hours, apply one or two leeches to the throat, and put mustard poultices to the foot and thighs, retaining them about eight minutes; and, in extreme cases, a mustard poultice to the spine between the shoulders, and at the same time rub mercurial ointment into the armpits and the angles of the jaws. . such is a vigorous and reliable system of treatment in severe cases of croup; but, in the milder and more general form, the following abridgment will, in all probability, be all that will be required:--first, the hot bath; second, the emetic; third, a mustard plaster round the throat for five minutes; fourth, the powders; fifth, another emetic in six hours, if needed, and the powders continued without intermission while the urgency of the symptoms continues. when relief has been obtained, these are to be discontinued, and a dose of senna tea given to act on the bowels. diarrhoea. . the diarrhoea with which children are so frequently affected, especially in infancy, should demand the nurse's immediate attention, and when the secretion, from its clayey colour, indicates an absence of bile, a powder composed of grains of grey powder and grain of rhubarb, should be given twice, with an interval of four hours between each dose, to a child from one to two years, and, a day or two afterwards, an aperient powder containing the same ingredients and quantities, with the addition of or grains of scammony. for the relaxation consequent on an overloaded stomach, or acidity in the bowels, a little magnesia dissolved in milk should be employed two or three times a day. . when much griping and pain attend the diarrhoea, half a teaspoonful of dalby's carminative (the best of all patent medicines) should be given, either with or without a small quantity of castor oil to carry off the exciting cause. . for any form of diarrhoea that, by excessive action, demands a speedy correction, the most efficacious remedy that can be employed in all ages and conditions of childhood is the tincture of kino, of which from to drops, mixed with a little sugar and water in a spoon, are to be given every two or three hours till the undue action has been checked. often the change of diet to rice, milk, eggs, or the substitution of animal for vegetable food, or _vice versa_, will correct an unpleasant and almost chronic state of diarrhoea. . a very excellent carminative powder for flatulent infants may be kept in the house, and employed with advantage, whenever the child is in pain or griped, by dropping grains of oil of aniseed and of peppermint on half an ounce of lump sugar, and rubbing it in a mortar, with a drachm of magnesia, into a fine powder. a small quantity of this may be given in a little water at any time, and always with benefit. the doctor. chapter xliii. . "time," according to the old proverb, "is money;" and it may also, in many cases, and with equal truthfulness, be said to be life; for a few moments, in great emergencies, often turn the balance between recovery and death. this applies more especially to all kinds of poisoning, fits, submersion in water, or exposure to noxious gases; and many accidents. if people knew how to act during the interval that must necessarily elapse from the moment that a medical man is sent for until he arrives, many lives might be saved, which now, unhappily, are lost. generally speaking, however, nothing is done--all is confusion and fright; and the surgeon, on his arrival, finds that death has already seized its victim, who, had his friends but known a few rough rules for their guidance, might have been rescued. we shall, therefore, in a series of papers, give such information as to the means to be employed in event of accidents, injuries, &c., as, by the aid of a gentleman of large professional experience, we are warranted in recommending. list of drugs, &c., necessary to carry out all instructions. . we append at once a list of drugs, &c., and a few prescriptions necessary to carry out all the instructions given in this series of articles. it will be seen that they are few--they are not expensive; and by laying in a little stock of them, our instructions will be of instant value in all cases of accident, &c.--the drugs are--antimonial wine. antimonial powder. blister compound. blue pill. calomel. carbonate of potash. compound iron pills. compound extract of colocynth. compound tincture of camphor. epsom salts. goulard's extract. jalap in powder. linseed oil. myrrh and aloes pills. nitre. oil of turpentine. opium, powdered, and laudanum. sal ammoniac. senna leaves. soap liniment, opodeldoc. sweet spirits of nitre. turner's cerate.--to which should be added: common adhesive plaster. isinglass plaster. lint. a pair of small scales with weights. an ounce and a drachm measure-glass. a lancet. a probe. a pair of forceps, and some curved needles. . the following prescriptions may be made up for a few shillings; and, by keeping them properly labelled, and by referring to the remarks on the treatment of any particular case, much suffering, and, perhaps, some lives, may be saved. . _draught_.--twenty grains of sulphate of zinc in an ounce and a half of water. this draught is to be repeated in a quarter of an hour if vomiting does not take place. . _clyster_.--two tablespoonfuls of oil of turpentine in a pint of warm gruel. . _liniments_.-- . equal parts of lime-water and linseed-oil well mixed together. [lime-water is made thus: pour pints of boiling water upon / lb. of lime; mix well together, and when cool, strain the liquid from off the lime which has fallen to the bottom, taking care to get it as clear as possible.] . compound camphor liniment. . _lotions_.-- . mix a dessert-spoonful of goulard's extract and tablespoonfuls of vinegar in a pint of water.-- . mix / oz. of sal-ammoniac, tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and the same quantity of gin or whisky, in half a pint of water. . _goulard lotion_.-- drachm of sugar of lead, pints of rain-water, teaspoonfuls of spirits of wine. for inflammation of the eyes or elsewhere:--the better way of making goulard lotion, if for the eyes, is to add to oz. of distilled water, or water that has been well boiled, drachm of the extract of lead. . _opodeldoc_.--this lotion being a valuable application for sprains, lumbago, weakness of joints, &c., and it being difficult to procure either pure or freshly made, we give a recipe for its preparation. dissolve oz. of camphor in a pint of rectified spirits of wine; then dissolve oz. of hard white spanish soap, scraped thin, in oz. of oil of rosemary, and mix them together. . _the common black draught_.--infusion of senna drachms; epsom salts drachms; tincture of senna, compound tincture of cardamums, compound spirit of lavender, of each drachm. families who make black draught in quantity, and wish to preserve it for some time without spoiling, should add about drachms of spirits of hartshorn to each pint of the strained mixture, the use of this drug being to prevent its becoming mouldy or decomposed. a simpler and equally efficacious form of black draught is made by infusing / oz. of alexandrian senna, oz. of epsom salts, and drachms of bruised ginger and coriander-seeds, for several hours in a pint of boiling water, straining the liquor, and adding either drachms of sal-volatile or spirits of hartshorn to the whole, and giving tablespoonfuls for a dose to an adult. . _mixtures_-- . _aperient_.--dissolve an ounce of epsom salts in half a pint of senna tea: take a quarter of the mixture as a dose, and repeat it in three or four hours if necessary. . . _fever mixture_.--mix a drachm of powdered nitre, drachms of carbonate of potash, teaspoonfuls of antimonial wine, and a tablespoonful of sweet spirits of nitre, in half a pint of water. . . _myrrh and aloes pills_.--ten grains made into two pills are the dose for a full-grown person. . . _compound iron pills_.--dose for a full-grown person: grains made into two pills. . _pills_.-- . mix grains of calomel and the same quantity of antimonial powder with a little bread-crumb, and make into two pills. dose for a full-grown person: two pills.-- . mix grains of blue pill and the same quantity of compound extract of colocynth together, and make into two pills, the dose for a full-grown person. . _powders_.--mix a grain of calomel and grains of powdered jalap together. . in all cases, the dose of medicines given is to be regulated by the age of the patient. . _abernethy's plan for making a bread-and-water poultice_.--first scald out a basin; then having put in some boiling water, throw in coarsely-crumbled bread, and cover it with a plate. when the bread has soaked up as much water as it will imbibe, drain off the remaining water, and there will be left a light pulp. spread it a third of an inch thick on folded linen, and apply it when of the temperature of a warm bath. to preserve it moist, occasionally drop warm water on it. . _linseed-meal poultice_.--"scald your basin, by pouring a little hot water into it; then put a small quantity of finely-ground linseed-meal into the basin, pour a little hot water on it, and stir it round briskly until you have well incorporated them; add a little more meal and a little more water; then stir it again. do not let any lumps remain in the basin, but stir the poultice well, and do not be sparing of your trouble. what you do next, is to take as much of it out of the basin as you may require, lay it on a piece of soft linen, and let it be about a quarter of an inch thick."--_abernethy_. . _mustard poultice_.--mix equal parts of dry mustard and linseed-meal in warm vinegar. when the poultice is wanted weak, warm water may be used for the vinegar; and when it is required very strong, mustard alone, without any linseed-meal, is to be mixed with warm vinegar. . _an ordinary blister_.--spread a little blister compound on a piece of common adhesive plaster with the right thumb. it should be put on just thickly enough to conceal the appearance of the plaster beneath. the part from which a blister has been taken should be covered till it heals over with soft linen rags smeared with lard. baths and fomentations. . all fluid applications to the body are exhibited either in a hot or cold form; and the object for which they are administered is to produce a stimulating effect over the entire, or a part, of the system; for the effect, though differently obtained, and varying in degree, is the same in principle, whether procured by hot or cold water. . _heat_.--there are three forms in which heat is universally applied to the body,--that of the tepid, warm, and vapour bath; but as the first is too inert to be worth notice, and the last dangerous and inapplicable, except in public institutions, we shall confine our remarks to the really efficacious and always attainable one--the . _warm and hot bath_.--these baths are used whenever there is congestion, or accumulation of blood in the internal organs, causing pain, difficulty of breathing, or stupor, and are employed, by their stimulating property, to cause a rush of blood to the surface, and, by unloading the great organs, produce a temporary inflammation in the skin, and so equalize the circulation. the effect of the hot bath is to increase the fulness of the pulse, accelerate respiration, and excite perspiration. in all inflammations of the stomach and bowels, the hot bath is of the utmost consequence; the temperature of the warm bath varies from ° to °, and may be obtained by those who have no thermometer to test the exact heat, by mixing one measure of boiling with two of cold water. . _fomentations_ are generally used to effect, in a part, the benefit produced on the whole body by the bath; to which a sedative action is occasionally given by the use of roots, herbs, or other ingredients; the object being to relieve the internal organ, as the throat, or muscles round a joint, by exciting a greater flow of blood to the skin _over_ the affected part. as the real agent of relief is heat, the fomentation should always be as hot as it can comfortably be borne, and, to insure effect, should be repeated every half-hour. warm fluids are applied in order to render the swelling which accompanies inflammation less painful, by the greater readiness with which the skin yields, than when it is harsh and dry. they are of various kinds; but the most simple, and oftentimes the most useful, that can be employed, is "warm water." another kind of fomentation is composed of dried poppyheads, oz. break them to pieces, empty out the seeds, put them into pints of water, boil for a quarter of an hour, then strain through a cloth or sieve, and keep the water for use. or, chamomile flowers, hemlock, and many other plants, may be boiled, and the part fomented with the hot liquor, by means of flannels wetted with the decoction. . _cold_, when applied in excess to the body, drives the blood from the surface to the centre, reduces the pulse, makes the breathing hard and difficult, produces coma, and, if long continued, death. but when medicinally used, it excites a reaction on the surface equivalent to a stimulating effect; as in some cases of fever, when the body has been sponged with cold water, it excites, by reaction, increased circulation on the skin. cold is sometimes used to keep up a repellent action, as, when local inflammation takes place, a remedy is applied, which, by its benumbing and astringent effect, causes the blood, or the excess of it in the part, to recede, and, by contracting the vessels, prevents the return of any undue quantity, till the affected part recovers its tone. such remedies are called _lotions_, and should, when used, be applied with the same persistency as the fomentation; for, as the latter should be renewed as often as the heat passes off, so the former should be applied as often as the heat from the skin deprives the application of its cold. . _poultices_ are only another form of fomentation, though chiefly used for abscesses. the ingredient best suited for a poultice is that which retains heat the longest; of these ingredients, the best are linseed--meal, bran, and bread. bran sewed into a bag, as it can be reheated, will be found the cleanest and most useful; especially for sore throats. how to bleed. . in cases of great emergency, such as the strong kind of apoplexy, and when a surgeon cannot possibly be obtained for some considerable time, the life of the patient depends almost entirely upon the fact of his being bled or not. we therefore give instructions how the operation of bleeding is to be performed, but caution the reader only to attempt it in cases of the greatest emergency. place a handkerchief or piece of tape rather but not too tightly round the arm, about three or four inches above the elbow. this will cause the veins below to swell and become very evident. if this is not sufficient, the hand should be constantly and quickly opened and shut for the same purpose. there will now be seen, passing up the middle of the fore-arm, a vein which, just below the bend of the elbow, sends a branch inwards and outwards, each branch shortly joining another large vein. it is from the _outer_ branch--that the person is to be bled. the right arm is the one mostly operated on. the operator should take the lancet in his right hand, between the thumb and first finger, place the thumb of his left hand on the vein below the part where he is going to bleed from, and then gently thrust the tip of the lancet into the vein, and, taking care not to push it too deeply, cut in a gently curved direction, thus and bring it out, point upwards, at about half an inch from the part of the vein into which he had thrust it. the vein must be cut lengthways, and not across. when sufficient blood has been taken away, remove the bandage from above the elbow, and place the thumb of the left hand firmly over the cut, until all the bleeding ceases. a small pad of lint is then to be put over the cut, with a larger pad over it, and the two kept in their places by means of a handkerchief or linen roller bound pretty tightly over them and round the arm. . when a person is bled, he should always be in the standing, or at any rate in the sitting, position; for if, as is often the case, he should happen to faint, he can, in, most eases at least, easily be brought to again by the operator placing him flat on his back, and stopping the bleeding. _this is of the greatest importance._ it has been recommended, for what supposed advantages we don't know, to bleed people when they are lying down. should a person, under these circumstances, faint, what could be done to bring him to again? the great treatment of lowering the body of the patient to the flat position cannot be followed here. it is in that position already, and cannot be placed lower than it at present is--except, as is most likely to be the case, under the ground. . bleeding from the nose.--many children, especially those of a sanguineous temperament, are subject to sudden discharges of blood from some part of the body; and as all such fluxes are in general the result of an effort of nature to relieve the system from some overload or pressure, such discharges, unless in excess, and when likely to produce debility, should not be rashly or too abruptly checked. in general, these discharges are confined to the summer or spring months of the year, and follow pains in the head, a sense of drowsiness, languor, or oppression; and, as such symptoms are relieved by the loss of blood, the hemorrhage should, to a certain extent, be encouraged. when, however, the bleeding is excessive, or returns too frequently, it becomes necessary to apply means to subdue or mitigate the amount. for this purpose the sudden and unexpected application of cold is itself sufficient, in most cases, to arrest the most active hemorrhage. a wet towel laid suddenly on the back, between the shoulders, and placing the child in a recumbent posture, is often sufficient to effect the object; where, however, the effusion resists such simple means, napkins wrung out of cold water must be laid across the forehead and nose, the hands dipped in cold water, and a bottle of hot water applied to the feet. if, in spite of these means, the bleeding continues, a little fine wool or a few folds of lint, tied together by a piece of thread, must be pushed up the nostril from which the blood flows, to act as a plug and pressure on the bleeding vessel. when the discharge has entirely ceased, the plug is to be pulled out by means of the thread. to prevent a repetition of the hemorrhage, the body should be sponged every morning with cold water, and the child put under a course of steel wine, have open-air exercise, and, if possible, salt-water bathing. for children, a key suddenly dropped down the back between the skin and clothes, will often immediately arrest a copious bleeding. . spitting of blood, or hemorrhage from the lungs, is generally known from blood from the stomach by its being of a brighter colour, and in less quantities than that, which is always grumous and mixed with the half-digested food. in either case, rest should be immediately enjoined, total abstinence from stimulants, and a low, poor diet, accompanied with the horizontal position, and bottles of boiling water to the feet. at the same time the patient should suck through a quill, every hour, half a wine-glass of water in which or drops of the elixir of vitriol has been mixed, and, till further advice has been procured, keep a towel wrung out of cold water on the chest or stomach, according to the seat of the hemorrhage. bites and stings. . bites and stings may be divided into three kinds:-- . those of insects. . those of snakes. . those of dogs and other animals. . . _the bites or stings of insects_, such as gnats, bees, wasps, &c., need cause very little alarm, and are, generally speaking, easily cured. they are very serious, however, when they take place on some delicate part of the body, such as near the eye, or in the throat. _the treatment_ is very simple in most cases; and consists in taking out the sting, if it is left behind, with a needle, and applying to the part a liniment made of finely-scraped chalk and olive-oil, mixed together to about the thickness of cream. . bathing the part bitten with warm turpentine or warm vinegar is also of great use. if the person feels faint, he should lie quietly on his back, and take a little brandy-and-water, or sal-volatile and water. when the inside of the throat is the part stung, there is great danger of violent inflammation taking place. in this case, from eight to twelve leeches should be immediately put to the outside of the throat, and when they drop off, the part to which they had been applied should be well fomented with warm water. the inside of the throat is to be constantly gargled with salt and water. bits of ice are to be sucked. rubbing the face and hands well over with plain olive-oil, before going to bed, will often keep gnats and musquitoes from biting during the night. strong scent, such as eau-de-cologne, will have the same effect. . . _bites of snakes_.--these are much more dangerous than the preceding, and require more powerful remedies. the bites of the different kinds of snakes do not all act alike, but affect people in different ways.--_treatment of the part bitten_. the great thing is to prevent the poison getting into the blood; and, if possible, to remove the whole of it at once from the body. a pocket-handkerchief, a piece of tape or cord, or, in fact, of anything that is at hand, should be tied tightly round the part of the body bitten; if it be the leg or arm, immediately _above_ the bite, and between it and the heart. the bite should then be sucked several times by any one who is near. there is no danger in this, provided the person who does it has not got the skin taken off any part of his mouth. what has been sucked into the mouth should be immediately spit out again. but if those who are near have sufficient nerve for the operation, and a suitable instrument, they should cut out the central part bitten, and then bathe the wound for some time with warm water, to make it bleed freely. the wound should afterwards be rubbed with a stick of lunar caustic, or, what is better, a solution of this-- grains of lunar caustic dissolved in an ounce of water--should be dropped into it. the band should be kept on the part during the whole of the time that these means are being adopted. the wound should afterwards be covered with lint dipped in cold water. the best plan, however, to be adopted, if it can be managed, is the following:--take a common wine-glass, and, holding it upside down, put a lighted candle or a spirit-lamp into it for a minute or two. this will take out the air. then clap the glass suddenly over the bitten part, and it will become attached, and hold on to the flesh. the glass being nearly empty, the blood containing the poison will, in consequence, flow into it from the wound of its own accord. this process should be repeated three or four times, and the wound sucked, or washed with warm water, before each application of the glass. as a matter of course, when the glass is removed, all the blood should be washed out of it before it is applied again.--_constitutional treatment_. there is mostly at first great depression of strength in these cases, and it is therefore requisite to give some stimulant; a glass of hot brandy-and-water, or twenty drops of sal-volatile, is the best that can be given. when the strength has returned, and if the patient has not already been sick, a little mustard in hot water should be given, to make him so. if, on the other hand, as is often the case, the vomiting is excessive, a large mustard poultice should be placed over the stomach, and a grain of solid opium swallowed in the form of a pill, for the purpose of stopping it. only one of these pills should be given by a non-professional person. in all cases of bites from snakes, send for a surgeon as quickly as possible, and act according to the above directions until he arrives. if he is within any reasonable distance, content yourself by putting on the band, sucking the wound, applying the glass, and, if necessary, giving a little brandy-and-water. . . _bites of dogs_.--for obvious reasons, these kinds of bites are more frequently met with than those of snakes. _the treatment_ is the same as that for snake-bites, more especially that of the bitten part. the majority of writers on the subject are in favour of keeping the wound open as long as possible. this may be done by putting a few beans on it, and then by applying a large linseed-meal poultice over them. injuries and accidents to bones. . _dislocation of bones_.--when the end of a bone is pushed out of its natural position, it is said to be dislocated. this may be caused by violence, disease, or natural weakness of the parts about a joint.--_symptoms_. deformity about the joint, with unnatural prominence at one part, and depression at another. the limb may be shorter or longer than usual, and is stiff and unable to be moved, differing in these last two respects from a broken limb, which is mostly shorter, never longer, than usual, and which is always more movable.--_treatment_. so much practical science and tact are requisite in order to bring a dislocated bone into its proper position again, that we strongly advise the reader never to interfere in these cases; unless, indeed, it is altogether impossible to obtain the services of a surgeon. but because any one of us may very possibly be placed in that emergency, we give a few rough rules for the reader's guidance. in the first place make the joint, from which the bone has been displaced, perfectly steady, either by fixing it to some firm object or else by holding it with the hands; then pull the dislocated bone in a direction towards the place from which it has been thrust, so that, if it moves at all from its unnatural position, it may have the best chance of returning to its proper place. do not, however, pull or press against the parts too violently, as you may, perhaps, by doing so, rupture blood-vessels, and produce most serious consequences. when you _do_ attempt to reduce a dislocated bone, do it as quickly as possible after the accident has taken place, every hour making the operation more difficult. when the patient is very strong, he may be put into a warm bath until he feels faint, or have sixty drops of antimonial wine given him every ten minutes until he feels sickish. these two means are of great use in relaxing the muscles. if the bone has been brought back again to its proper place, keep it there by means of bandages; and if there is much pain about the joint, apply a cold lotion to it, and keep it perfectly at rest. the lotion should be, a dessert-spoonful of goulard's extract, and two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, mixed in a pint of water. leeches are sometimes necessary. unless the local pain, or general feverish symptoms, are great, the patient's diet should be the same as usual. dislocations may be reduced a week, or even a fortnight, after they have taken place. as, therefore, although the sooner a bone is reduced the better, there is no very great emergency, and as the most serious consequences may follow improper or too violent treatment, it is always better for people in these cases to do too little than too much; inasmuch as the good which has not yet may still be done, whereas the evil that _has_ been done cannot so easily be undone. . fractures of bones.--_symptoms_. . deformity of the part. . unnatural looseness. . a grating sound when the two ends of the broken bone are rubbed together. . loss of natural motion and power. in some cases there is also shortening of the limb.--fracture takes place from several causes, as a fall, a blow, a squeeze, and sometimes from the violent action of muscles.--_treatment_. in cases where a surgeon cannot be procured immediately after the accident, the following general rules are offered for the reader's guidance:--the broken limb should be placed and kept as nearly as possible in its natural position. this is to be done by first pulling the two portions of the bone in opposite directions, until the limb becomes as long as the opposite one, and then by applying a splint, and binding it to the part by means of a roller. when there is no deformity, the pulling is of course unnecessary. if there is much swelling about the broken part, a cold lotion is to be applied. this lotion (_which we will call lotion no. _) may be thus made:--mix a dessert-spoonful of goulard's extract and two tablespoonfuls of vinegar in a pint of water. when the leg or arm is broken, always, if possible, get it to the same length and form as the opposite limb. the broken part should be kept perfectly quiet. when a broken limb is deformed, and a particular muscle is on the stretch, place the limb in such a position as will relax it. this will in most cases cure the deformity. brandy-and-water, or sal-volatile and water, are to be given when the patient is faint. surgical aid should, of course, be procured as soon as possible. . joints, injuries to.--all kinds of injuries to joints, of whatever description, require particular attention, in consequence of the violent inflammations which are so liable to take place in these parts of the body, and which do so much mischief in a little time. the joint injured should always be kept perfectly at rest; and when it is very painful, and the skin about it red, swollen, hot, and shining, at the same time that the patient has general feverish symptoms, such as great thirst and headache--leeches, and when they drop off, warm poppy fomentations, are to be applied; the no. pills above-mentioned are to be given (two are a dose for a grown person) with a black draught three hours afterwards. give also two tablespoonfuls of the fever-mixture every four hours, and keep the patient on low diet. when the injury and swelling are not very great, warm applications, with rest, low diet, and a dose of aperient medicine, will be sufficient. when a joint has received a penetrating wound, it will require the most powerful treatment, and can only be properly attended to by a surgeon. the patient's friends will have to use their own judgment to a great extent in these and in many other cases, as to when leeches, fever-mixture, &c., are necessary. a universal rule, however, without a single exception, _is always to rest a joint well_ after it has been injured in any way whatever, to purge the patient, and to keep him on low diet, without beer, unless he has been a very great drinker indeed, in which case he may still be allowed to take a little; for if the stimulant that a person has been accustomed to in excess be all taken away at once, he is very likely to have an attack of delirium tremens. the quantity given should not, however, be much--say a pint, or, at the most, a pint and a half a day. rubbing the joint with opodeldoc, or the application of a blister to it, is of great service in taking away the thickenings, which often remain after all heat, pain, and redness have left an injured joint. great care should be observed in not using a joint too quickly after it has been injured. when the shoulder-joint is the one injured, the arm should be bound tightly to the body by means of a linen or flannel roller, and the elbow raised; when the elbow, it should be kept raised in the straight position, on a pillow; when the wrist, it should be raised on the chest, and suspended in a sling; when the knee, it should be kept in the straight position; and, lastly, when the ankle, it should be a little raised on a pillow. . bruises, lacerations, and cuts.--wherever the bruise may be, or however swollen or discoloured the skin may become, two or three applications of the _extract of lead_, kept to the part by means of lint, will, in an hour or little more, remove all pain, swelling, and tenderness. simple or clean cuts only require the edges of the wound to be placed in their exact situation, drawn close together, and secured there by one or two slips of adhesive plaster. when the wound, however, is jagged, or the flesh or cuticle lacerated, the parts are to be laid as smooth and regular as possible, and a piece of lint, wetted in the _extract of lead_, laid upon the wound, and a piece of greased lint placed above it to prevent the dressing sticking; the whole covered over to protect from injury, and the part dressed in the same manner once a day till the cure is effected. . bruises and their treatment.--the best application for a bruise, be it large or small, is moist warmth; therefore, a warm bread-and-water poultice in hot moist flannels should be put on, as they supple the skin. if the bruise be very severe, and in the neighbourhood of a joint, it will be well to apply ten or a dozen leeches over the whole bruised part, and afterwards a poultice. but leeches should not be put on young children. if the bruised part be the knee or the ankle, walking should not be attempted till it can be performed without pain. inattention to this point often lays the foundation for serious mischief in these joints, especially in the case of scrofulous persons. in all conditions of bruises occurring in children, whether swellings or abrasions, no remedy is so quick or certain of effecting a cure as the pure extract of lead applied to the part. burns and scalds. . burns and scalds being essentially the same in all particulars, and differing only in the manner of their production, may be spoken of together. as a general rule, scalds are less severe than burns, because the heat of water, by which scalds are mostly produced, is not, even when it is boiling, so intense as that of flame; oil, however, and other liquids, whose boiling-point is high, produce scalds of a very severe nature. burns and scalds have been divided into three classes. the first class comprises those where the burn is altogether superficial, and merely reddens the skin; the second, where the injury is greater, and we get little bladders containing a fluid (called serum) dotted over the affected part; in the third class we get, in the case of burns, a charring, and in that of scalds, a softening or pulpiness, perhaps a complete and immediate separation of the part. this may occur at once, or in the course of a little time. the pain from the second kind of burns is much more severe than that in the other two, although the danger, as a general rule, is less than it is in the third class. these injuries are much more dangerous when they take place on the trunk than when they happen on the arms or legs. the danger arises more from the extent of surface that is burnt than from the depth to which the burn goes. this rule, of course, has certain exceptions; because a small burn on the chest or belly penetrating deeply is more dangerous than a more extensive but superficial one on the arm or leg. when a person's clothes are in flames, the best way of extinguishing them is to wind a rug, or some thick material, tightly round the whole of the body. . _treatment of the first class of burns and scalds_.--_of the part affected_.--cover it immediately with a good coating of common flour, or cotton-wool with flour dredged well into it. the great thing is to keep the affected surface of the skin from the contact of the air. the part will shortly get well, and the skin may or may not peel off.--_constitutional treatment_. if the burn or scald is not extensive, and there is no prostration of strength, this is very simple, and consists in simply giving a little aperient medicine--pills (no. ), as follows:--mix grains of blue pill and the same quantity of compound extract of colocynth, and make into two pills--the dose for a full-grown person. three hours after the pills give a black draught. if there are general symptoms of fever, such as hot skin, thirst, headache, &c. &c., two tablespoonfuls of fever-mixture are to be given every four hours. the fever-mixture, we remind our readers, is made thus:-mix a drachm of powdered nitro, drachms of carbonate of potash, teaspoonfuls of antimonial wine, and a tablespoonful of sweet spirits of nitro, in half a pint of water. . _second class. local treatment_.--as the symptoms of these kinds of burns are more severe than those of the first class, so the remedies appropriate to them are more powerful. having, as carefully as possible, removed the clothes from the burnt surface, and taking care not to break the bladders, spread the following liniment (no. ) on a piece of linen or lint--not the _fluffy_ side--and apply it to the part: the liniment should be equal parts of lime-water and linseed-oil, well mixed. if the burn is on the trunk of the body, it is better to use a warm linseed-meal poultice. after a few days dress the wound with turner's cerate. if the burn is at the bend of the elbow, place the arm in the _straight_ position; for if it is _bent_, the skin, when healed, will be contracted, and the arm, in all probability, always remain in the same un natural position. this, indeed, applies to all parts of the body; therefore, always place the part affected in the most _stretched_ position possible.--_constitutional treatment_. the same kind of treatment is to be used as for the first class, only it must be more powerful. stimulants are move often necessary, but must be given with great caution. if, as is often the case, there is great irritability and restlessness, a dose of opium (paregoric, in doses of from sixty to a hundred drops, according to age, is best) is of great service. the feverish symptoms will require aperient medicines and the fever mixture. a drink made of about a tablespoonful of cream of tartar and a little lemon-juice, in a quart of warm water, allowed to cool, is a very nice one in these cases. the diet throughout should not be too low, especially if there is much discharge from the wound. after a few days it is often necessary to give wine, ammonia, and strong beef-tea. these should be had recourse to when the tongue gets dry and dark, and the pulse weak and frequent. if there should be, after the lapse of a week or two, pain over one particular part of the belly, a blister should be put on it, and a powder of mercury and chalk-grey powder, and dover's powder (two grains of the former and five of the latter) given three times a day. affections of the head and chest also frequently occur as a consequence of these kinds of burns, but no one who is not a medical man can treat them. . _third class_.--these are so severe as to make it impossible for a non-professional person to be of much service in attending to them. when they occur, a surgeon should always be sent for. until he arrives, however, the following treatment should be adopted:--place the patient full-length on his back, and keep him warm. apply fomentations of flannels wrung out of boiling water and sprinkled with spirits of turpentine to the part, and give wine and sal-volatile in such quantities as the prostration of strength requires; always bearing in mind the great fact that you have to steer between two quicksands--death from present prostration and death from future excitement, which will always be increased in proportion to the amount of stimulants given. give, therefore, only just as much as is absolutely necessary to keep life in the body. . concussion of brain--stunning.--this may be caused by a blow or a fall.--_symptoms_. cold skin; weak pulse; almost total insensibility; slow, weak breathing; pupil of eye sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller, than natural; inability to move; unwillingness to answer when spoken to. these symptoms come on directly after the accident.--_treatment_. place the patient quietly on a warm bed, send for a surgeon, _and do nothing else for the first four or six hours_. after this time the skin will become hot, the pulse full, and the patient feverish altogether. if the surgeon has not arrived by the time these symptoms have set in, shave the patient's head, and apply the following lotion (no. ): mix half an ounce of sal-ammoniac, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and the same quantity of gin or whisky, in half a pint of water. then give this pill (no. ); mix five grains of calomel and the same quantity of antimonial powder with a little bread-crumb, and make into two pills. give a black draught three hours after the pill, and two tablespoonfuls of the above-mentioned fever-mixture every four hours. keep on low diet. leeches are sometimes to be applied to the head. these cases are often followed by violent inflammation of the brain. they can, therefore, only be attended to properly throughout by a surgeon. the great thing for people to do in these cases is--nothing; contenting themselves with putting the patient to bed, and waiting the arrival of a surgeon. . the cholera and autumnal complaints.--to oppose cholera, there seems no surer or better means than cleanliness, sobriety, and judicious ventilation. where there is dirt, that is the place for cholera; where windows and doors are kept most jealously shut, there cholera will find easiest entrance; and people who indulge in intemperate diet during the hot days of autumn are actually courting death. to repeat it, cleanliness, sobriety, and free ventilation almost always defy the pestilence; but, in case of attack, immediate recourse should be had to a physician. the faculty say that a large number of lives have been lost, in many seasons, solely from delay in seeking medical assistance. they even assert that, taken early, the cholera is by no means a fatal disorder. the copious use of salt is recommended on very excellent authority. other autumnal complaints there are, of which diarrhoea is the worst example. they come on with pain, flatulence, sickness, with or without vomiting, followed by loss of appetite, general lassitude, and weakness. if attended to at the first appearance, they may soon be conquered; for which purpose it is necessary to assist nature in throwing off the contents of the bowels, which may be one by means of the following prescription:--take of calomel grains, rhubarb grains; mix and take it in a little honey or jelly, and repeat the dose three times, at the intervals of four or five hours. the next purpose to be answered is the defence of the lining membrane of the intestines from their acrid contents, which will be best effected by drinking copiously of linseed tea, or of a drink made by pouring boiling water on quince-seeds, which are of a very mucilaginous nature; or, what is still better, full draughts of whey. if the complaint continue after these means have been employed, some astringent or binding medicine will be required, as the subjoined:--take of prepared chalk drachms, cinnamon-water oz., syrup of poppies oz.; mix, and take tablespoonfuls every four hours. should this fail to complete the cure, / oz. of tincture of catechu, or of kino, may be added to it, and then it will seldom fail; or a teaspoonful of the tincture of kino alone, with a little water, every three hours, till the diarrhoea is checked. while any symptoms of derangement are present, particular attention must be paid to the diet, which should be of a soothing, lubricating, and light nature, as instanced in veal or chicken broth, which should contain but little salt. rice, batter, and bread puddings will be generally relished, and be eaten with advantage; but the stomach is too much impaired to digest food of a more solid nature. indeed, we should give that organ, together with the bowels, as little trouble as possible, while they are so incapable of acting in their accustomed manner. much mischief is frequently produced by the absurd practice of taking tincture of rhubarb, which is almost certain of aggravating that species of disorder of which we have now treated; for it is a spirit as strong as brandy, and cannot fail of producing harm upon a surface which is rendered tender by the formation and contact of vitiated bile. but our last advice is, upon the first appearance of such symptoms as are above detailed, have _immediate_ recourse to a doctor, where possible. . to cure a cold.--put a large teacupful of linseed, with / lb. of sun raisins and oz. of stick liquorice, into quarts of soft water, and let it simmer over a slow fire till reduced to one quart; add to it / lb. of pounded sugar-candy, a tablespoonful of old rum, and a tablespoonful of the best white-wine vinegar, or lemon-juice. the rum and vinegar should be added as the decoction is taken; for, if they are put in at first, the whole soon becomes flat and less efficacious. the dose is half a pint, made warm, on going to bed; and a little may be taken whenever the cough is troublesome. the worst cold is generally cured by this remedy in two or three days; and, if taken in time, is considered infallible. . cold on the chest.--a flannel dipped in boiling water, and sprinkled with turpentine, laid on the chest as quickly as possible, will relieve the most severe cold or hoarseness. . substances in the eye.--to remove fine particles of gravel, lime, &c., the eye should be syringed with lukewarm water till free from them. be particular not to worry the eye, under the impression that the substance is still there, which the enlargement of some of the minute vessels makes the patient believe is actually the case. . sore eyes.--incorporate thoroughly, in a glass mortar or vessel, one part of strong citron ointment with three parts of spermaceti ointment. use the mixture night and morning, by placing a piece of the size of a pea in the corner of the eye affected, only to be used in cases of chronic or long-standing inflammation of the organ, or its lids. . lime in the eye.--bathe the eye with a little weak vinegar-and-water, and carefully remove any little piece of lime which may be seen, with a feather. if any lime has got entangled in the eyelashes, carefully clear it away with a bit of soft linen soaked in vinegar-and-water. violent inflammation is sure to follow; a smart purge must be therefore administered, and in all probability a blister must be applied on the temple, behind the ear, or nape of the neck. . stye in the eye.--styes are little abscesses which form between the roots of the eyelashes, and are rarely larger than a small pea. the best way to manage them is to bathe them frequently with warm water, or in warm poppy-water, if very painful. when they have burst, use an ointment composed of one part of citron ointment and four of spermaceti, well rubbed together, and smear along the edge of the eyelid. give a grain or two of calomel with or grains of rhubarb, according to the age of the child, twice a week. the old-fashioned and apparently absurd practice of rubbing the stye with a ring, is as good and speedy a cure as that by any process of medicinal application; though the number of times it is rubbed, or the quality of the ring and direction of the strokes, has nothing to do with its success. the pressure and the friction excite the vessels of the part, and cause an absorption of the effused matter under the eyelash. the edge of the nail will answer as well as a ring. . inflammation of the eyelids.--the following ointment has been found very beneficial in inflammations of the eyeball and edges of the eyelids:--take of prepared calomel, scruple; spermaceti ointment, / oz. mix them well together in a glass mortar; apply a small quantity to each corner of the eye every night and morning, and also to the edges of the lids, if they are affected. if this should not eventually remove the inflammation, elder-flower water may be applied three or four times a day, by means of an eye-cup. the bowels should be kept in a laxative state, by taking occasionally a quarter of an ounce of the cheltenham or epsom salts. . fasting.--it is said by many able physicians that fasting is a means of removing incipient disease, and of restoring the body to its customary healthy sensations. howard, the celebrated philanthropist (says a writer), used to fast one day in every week. napoleon, when he felt his system unstrung, suspended his wonted repast, and took his exercise on horseback. fits. . fits come on so suddenly, often without even the slightest warning, and may prove fatal so quickly, that all people should be acquainted at least with their leading symptoms and treatment, as a few moments, more or less, will often decide the question between life and death. the treatment, in very many cases at least, to be of the slightest use, should be _immediate_, as a person in a fit (of apoplexy for instance) may die while a surgeon is being fetched from only the next street. we shall give, as far as the fact of our editing a work for non-professional readers will permit, the peculiar and distinctive symptoms of all kind of fits, and the immediate treatment to be adopted in each case. . apoplexy.--these fits may be divided into two kinds--the _strong_ and the _weak_. . . _the strong kind_.--these cases mostly occur in stout, strong, short-necked, bloated-faced people, who are in the habit of living well.--_symptoms_. the patient may or may not have had headache, sparks before his eyes, with confusion of ideas and giddiness, for a day or two before the attack. when it takes place, he falls down insensible; the body becomes paralyzed, generally more so on one side than the other; the face and head are hot, and the blood-vessels about them swollen; the pupils of the eyes are larger than natural, and the eyes themselves are fixed; the mouth is mostly drawn down at one corner; the breathing is like loud snoring; the pulse full and hard.--_treatment_. place the patient immediately in bed, with his head well raised; take off everything that he has round his neck, and bleed freely and at once from the arm. if you have not got a lancet, use a penknife or anything suitable that may be at hand. apply warm mustard poultices to the soles of the feet and the insides of the thighs and legs; put two drops of castor oil, mixed up with eight grains of calomel, on the top of the tongue, as far back as possible; a most important part of the treatment being to open the bowels as quickly and freely as possible. the patient cannot swallow; but these medicines, especially the oil, will be absorbed into the stomach altogether independent of any voluntary action. if possible, throw up a warm turpentine clyster (two tablespoonfuls of oil of turpentine in a pint of warm gruel), or, if this cannot be obtained, one composed of about a quart of warm salt-and-water and soap. cut off the hair, and apply rags dipped in weak vinegar-and-water, or weak gin-and-water, or even simple cold water, to the head. if the blood-vessels about the head and neck are much swollen, put from eight to ten leeches on the temple opposite to the paralyzed side of the body. always send for a surgeon immediately, and act according to the above rules, doing more or less, according to the means at hand, and the length of time that must necessarily elapse until he arrives. a pint, or even a quart of blood in a very strong person, may be taken away. when the patient is able to swallow, give him the no. pills, and the no. mixture directly. [the no. pills are made as follows:--mix grains of calomel and the same quantity of antimonial powder with a little bread-crumb: make into two pills, the dose for a full-grown person. for the no. mixture, dissolve on ounce of epsom salts in half a pint of senna tea: take a quarter of the mixture as a dose] repeat these remedies if the bowels are not well opened. keep the patient's head well raised, and cool as above. give very low diet indeed: gruel, arrowroot, and the like. when a person is recovering, he should have blisters applied to the nape of the neck, his bowels should be kept well open, light diet given, and fatigue, worry, and excess of all kinds avoided. . . _the weak kind_.--_symptoms_. these attacks are more frequently preceded by warning symptoms than the first kind. the face is pale, the pulse weak, and the body, especially the hands and legs, cold. after a little while, these symptoms sometimes alter to those of the first class in a mild degree.--_treatment._ at first, if the pulse is _very feeble indeed_, a little brandy-and-water or sal-volatile must be given. mustard poultices are to be put, as before, to the soles of the foot and the insides of the thighs and legs. warm bricks, or bottles filled with warm water, are also to be placed under the armpits. when the strength has returned, the body become warmer, and the pulse fuller and harder, the head should be shaved, and wet rags applied to it, as before described. leeches should be put, as before, to the temple opposite the side paralyzed; and the bowels should be opened as freely and as quickly as possible. bleeding from the arm is often necessary in these cases, but a non-professional person should never have recourse to it. blisters may be applied to the nape of the neck at once. the diet in those cases should not be so low as in the former--indeed, it is often necessary, in a day or so after one of these attacks, to give wine, strong beef-tea, &c., according to the condition of the patient's strength. . _distinctions between apoplexy and epilepsy_.-- . apoplexy mostly happens in people over _thirty_, whereas epilepsy generally occurs under that ago; at any rate for the first time. a person who has epileptic fits over thirty, has generally suffered from them for some years. . again, _in apoplexy_, the body is paralyzed; and, therefore, has not _the convulsions which take place in epilepsy_. . the peculiar _snoring_ will also distinguish apoplexy from epilepsy. . _distinctions between apoplexy and drunkeness_.-- . the known habits of the person. . the fact of a person who was perfectly sober and sensible a little time before, being found in a state of insensibility. . the absence, in apoplexy, of the _smell of drink_ on applying the nose to the mouth. . a person in a fit of apoplexy cannot be roused at all; in drunkenness he mostly can, to a certain extent. . _distinction between apoplexy and hysteria_.--hysterics mostly happen in young, nervous, unmarried women; and are attended with convulsions, sobbing, laughter, throwing about of the body, &c. &c. . _distinction between apoplexy and poisoning by opium_.--it is exceedingly difficult to distinguish between these two cases. in poisoning by opium, however, we find the particular smell of the drug in the patient's breath. we should also, in forming our opinion, take into consideration the person's previous conduct--whether he has been low and desponding for some time before, or has ever talked about committing suicide. . epilepsy.--_falling sickness_.--those fits mostly happen, at any rate for the first time, to young people, and are more common in boys than girls. they are produced by numerous causes.--_symptoms_. the fit may be preceded by pains in the head, palpitations, &c. &c.; but it mostly happens that the person falls down insensible suddenly, and without any warning whatever. the eyes are distorted, so that only their whites can be seen; there is mostly foaming from the mouth; the fingers are clinched; and the body, especially on one side, is much agitated; the tongue is often thrust out of the mouth. when the fit goes off, the patient feels drowsy and faint, and often sleeps soundly for some time.--_treatment_. during the fit, keep the patient flat on his back, with his head slightly raised, and prevent him from doing any harm to himself; dash cold water into his face, and apply smelling-salts to his nose; loosen his shirt collar, &c.; hold a piece of wood about as thick as a finger--the handle of a tooth-brush or knife will do as well--between the two rows of teeth, at the back part of the mouth. this will prevent the tongue from being injured. a teaspoonful of common salt thrust into the patient's mouth, during the fit, is of much service. the after-treatment of these fits is various, and depends entirely upon their causes. a good general rule, however, is always to keep the bowels well open, and the patient quiet, and free from fatigue, worry, and excess of all kinds. . _fainting fits_ are sometimes very dangerous, and at others perfectly harmless; the question of danger depending altogether upon the causes which have produced them, and which are exceedingly various. for instance, fainting produced by disease of the heart is a very serious symptom indeed; whereas, that arising from some slight cause, such as the sight of blood, &c., need cause no alarm whatever. the symptoms of simple fainting are so well known that it would be quite superfluous to enumerate them here. the _treatment_ consists in laying the patient at full length upon his back, with his head upon a level with the rest of his body, loosening everything about the neck, dashing cold water into the face, and sprinkling vinegar and water about the mouth; applying smelling-salts to the nose; and, when the patient is able to swallow, in giving a little warm brandy-and-water, or about drops of sal-volatile in water. . _hysterics_.--these fits take place, for the most part, in young, nervous, unmarried women. they happen much less often in married women; and even (in some rare cases indeed) in men. young women, who are subject to these fits, are apt to think that they are suffering from "all the ills that flesh is heir to;" and the false symptoms of disease which they show are so like the true ones, that it is often exceedingly difficult to detect the difference. the fits themselves are mostly preceded by great depression of spirits, shedding of tears, sickness, palpitation of the heart, &c. a pain, as if a nail were being driven in, is also often felt at one particular part of the head. in almost all cases, when a fit is coming on, pain is felt on the left side. this pain rises gradually until it reaches the throat, and then gives the patient a sensation as if she had a pellet there, which prevents her from breathing properly, and, in fact, seems to threaten actual suffocation. the patient now generally becomes insensible, and faints; the body is thrown about in all directions, froth issues from the mouth, incoherent expressions are uttered, and fits of laughter, crying, or screaming, take place. when the fit is going off, the patient mostly cries bitterly, sometimes knowing all, and at others nothing, of what has taken place, and feeling general soreness all over the body. _treatment during the fit_. place the body in the same position as for simple fainting, and treat, in other respects, as directed in the article on epilepsy. _always well loosen the patient's stays_; and, when she is recovering, and able to swallow, give drops of sal volatile in a little water. the _after-treatment_ of these cases is very various. if the patient is of a strong constitution, she should live on plain diet, take plenty of exercise, and take occasional doses of castor oil, or an aperient mixture, such as that described as "no. ," in previous numbers. if, as is mostly the case, the patient is weak and delicate, she will require a different mode of treatment altogether. good nourishing diet, gentle exercise, cold baths, occasionally a dose of no. myrrh and aloes pills at night, and a dose of compound iron pills twice a day. [as to the myrrh and aloes pills (no. ), grains made into two pills are a dose for a full-grown person. of the compound iron pills (no. ), the dose for a full grown person is also grains, made into two pills.] in every case, amusing the mind, and avoiding all causes of over-excitement, are of great service in bringing about a permanent cure. . liver complaint and spasms.--a very obliging correspondent recommends the following, from personal experience:--take oz. of dried dandelion root, oz. of the best ginger, / oz. of columba root; braise and boil all together in pints of water till it is reduced to a quart: strain, and take a wine-glassful every four hours. our correspondent says it is a "safe and simple medicine for both liver complaint and spasms." . lumbago.--a "new and successful mode" of treating lumbago, advocated by dr. day, is a form of counter-irritation, said to have been introduced into this country by the late sir anthony carlisle, and which consists in the instantaneous application of a flat iron button, gently heated in a spirit-lamp, to the skin. dr. corrigan published, about three years ago, an account of some cases very successfully treated by nearly similar means. dr. corrigan's plan was, however, to touch the surface of the part affected, at intervals of half an inch, as lightly and rapidly as possible. dr. day has found greater advantages to result from drawing the flat surface of the heated button lightly over the affected part, so as to act on a greater extent of surface. the doctor speaks so enthusiastically of the benefit to be derived from this practice, that it is evidently highly deserving attention. . palpitation of the heart.--where palpitation occurs as symptomatic of indigestion, the treatment must be directed to remedy that disorder; when it is consequent on a plethoric state, purgatives will be effectual. in this case the patient should abstain from every kind of diet likely to produce a plethoric condition of body. animal food and fermented liquor must be particularly avoided. too much indulgence in sleep will also prove injurious. when the attacks arise from nervous irritability, the excitement must be allayed by change of air and a tonic diet. should the palpitation originate from organic derangement, it must be, of course, beyond domestic management. luxurious living, indolence, and tight-lacing often produce this affection: such cases are to be conquered with a little resolution. . poisons shall be the next subject for remark; and we anticipate more detailed instructions for the treatment of persons poisoned, by giving a simple list of the principal poisons, with their antidotes or remedies. oil of vitriol ...............\ aquafortis ................... magnesia, chalk, soap-and-water. spirit of salt .............../ emetic tartar................. oily drinks, solution of oak-bark. salt of lemons, or............ chalk, whiting, lime or magnesia and acid of sugar................. water. sometimes an emetic draught. pump on back, smelling-salts to nose, prussic acid................... artificial breathing, chloride of lime to nose. pearlash ......................\ soap-lees...................... \ smelling-salts................. \ nitre.......................... lemon-juice and vinegar-and-water hartshorn...................... / sal-volatile.................../ arsenic........................\ fly-powder, or................. emetics, lime-water, soap-and-water, white arsenic.................. sugar and water, oily drinks. kings yellow, or............... / yellow arsenic................./ mercury........................\ corrosive sublimate............ whites of eggs, soap-and-water. calomel......................../ opium.......................... emetic draught, vinegar-and-water, laudanum....................... dashing cold water on chest and face, walking up and down two or three hours. lead...........................\ white lead..................... epsom salts, castor oil, emetics. sugar of lead................../ goulard's extract............./ copper blue-stone .................... whites of eggs, sugar-and-water, verdigris...................... castor oil, gruel. zinc .......................... lime-water, chalk-and-water, soap-and-water. iron .......................... magnesia, warm water. henbane........................\ hemlock........................ emetics and castor oil; nightshade..................... brandy-and-water, if necessary. foxglove......................./ poisonous food................. emetics and castor oil. . the symptoms of poisoning may be known for the most part from those of some diseases, which they are very like, from the fact of their coming on _immediately_ after eating or drinking something; whereas those of disease come on, in most cases at least, by degrees, and with warnings. in most cases where poison is known, or suspected, to have been taken, the first thing to be done is to empty the stomach, well and immediately, by means of mustard mixed in warm water, or plain warm salt-and-water, or, better, this draught, which we call no. :--twenty grains of sulphate of zinc in an ounce and a half of water. this draught to be repeated in a quarter of an hour if vomiting does not ensue. the back part of the throat should be well tickled with a feather, or two of the fingers thrust down it, to induce vomiting. the cases where vomiting must not be used are those where the skin has been taken off, and the parts touched irritated and inflamed by the poison taken, and where the action of vomiting would increase the evil. full instructions are given in the article on each particular poison as to where emetics are or are not to be given. the best and safest way of emptying the stomach is by means of the stomach-pump, as in certain cases the action of vomiting is likely to increase the danger arising from the swollen and congested condition of the blood-vessels of the head, which often takes place. in the hands, however, of any one else than a surgeon, it would be not only useless, but harmful, as a great deal of dexterity, caution, and experience are required to use it properly. after having made these brief introductory remarks, we shall now proceed to particulars. . _sulphuric acid, or oil of vitriol_ (a clear, colourless liquid, of an oily appearance).--_symptoms in those who have swallowed it_. when much is taken, these come on immediately. there is great burning pain, extending from the mouth to the stomach; vomiting of a liquid of a dark coffee-colour, often mixed with shreds of flesh and streaks of blood; the skin inside the mouth is taken off; and the exposed surface is at first white, and after a time becomes brownish. there are sometimes spots of a brown colour round the lips and on the neck, caused by drops of the acid falling on these parts. there is great difficulty of breathing, owing to the swelling at the back part of the mouth. after a time there is much depression of strength, with a quick, weak pulse, and cold, clammy skin. the face is pale, and has a very anxious look. when the acid swallowed has been greatly diluted in water, the same kind of symptoms occur, only in a milder degree.--_treatment_. give a mixture of magnesia in milk-and-water, or, if this cannot be obtained, of finely powdered chalk, or whiting, or even of the plaster torn down from the walls or ceiling, in milk-and-water. the mixture should be nearly as thick as cream, and plenty of it given. as well as this, simple gruel, milk, or thick flour-and-water, are very useful, and should be given in large quantities. violent inflammation of the parts touched by the acid is most likely to take place in the coarse of a little time, and can only be properly attended to by a surgeon; but if one cannot be obtained, leeches, the fever-mixtures (the recipe for which appears repeatedly in previous paragraphs), thick drinks, such as barley-water, gruel, arrowroot, &c., must be had recourse to, according to the symptoms of each particular case and the means at hand. the inflamed condition of the back part of the mouth requires particular attention. when the breathing is very laboured and difficult in consequence, from fifteen to twenty leeches are to be immediately applied to the outside of the throat, and when they drop off, warm poppy fomentations constantly kept to the part. when the pain over the stomach is very great, the same local treatment is necessary; but if it is only slight, a good mustard poultice will be sufficient without the leeches. in all these cases, two tablespoonfuls of the fever-mixture should be given every four hours, and only gruel or arrowroot allowed to be eaten for some days. . _nitric acid_, commonly known as _aqua fortis_, or _red spirit of nitre_ (a straw-coloured fluid, of the consistence of water, and which gives off dense white fumes on exposure to the air).--_symptoms produced in those who have swallowed it._ much the same as in the case of sulphuric acid. in this case, however, the surface touched by the acid becomes _yellowish_. the tongue is mostly much swollen.--_treatment_. the same as for sulphuric acid. . _muriatic acid, spirit of salt_ (a thin yellow fluid, emitting dense white fumes on exposure to the air).--this is not often taken as a poison. the _symptoms_ and _treatment_ are much the same as those of _nitric acid_. n.b.--_in no case of poisoning by these three acids should emetics ever be given_. . _oxalic acid_, commonly called _salt of lemons_.--this poison may be taken by mistake for epsom salts, which it is a good deal like. it may be distinguished from them by its very acid taste and its shape, which is that of needle-formed crystals, each of which, if put into a drop of ink, will turn it to a reddish brown, whereas epsom salts will not change its colour at all. when a large dose of this poison has been taken, death takes place very quickly indeed.--_symptoms produced in those who have swallowed it_. a hot, burning, acid taste is felt in the act of swallowing, and vomiting of a _greenish-brown_ fluid is produced, sooner or later, according to the quantity and strength of the poison taken. there is great tenderness felt over the stomach, followed by clammy perspirations and convulsions; the legs are often drawn up, and there is generally stupor, from which the patient, however, can easily be roused, and always great prostration of strength. the pulse is small and weak, and the breathing faint.--_treatment_. chalk or magnesia, made into a cream with water, should be given in large quantities, and afterwards the emetic draught above prescribed, or some mustard-and-water, if the draught cannot be got. the back part of the throat to be tickled with a feather, to induce vomiting. arrowroot, gruel, and the like drinks, are to be taken. when the prostration of strength is very great and the body cold, warmth is to be applied to it, and a little brandy-and-water, or sal-volatile and water, given. . _prussic acid_ (a thin, transparent, and colourless liquid, with a peculiar smell, which greatly resembles that of bitter almonds).--_symptoms produced in those who have swallowed it_. these come on _immediately_ after the poison has been taken, and may be produced by merely _smelling_ it. the patient becomes perfectly insensible, and falls down in convulsions--his eyes are fixed and staring, the pupils being bigger than natural, the skin is cold and clammy, the pulse scarcely perceptible, and the breathing slow and gasping.--_treatment_. very little can be done in these cases, as death takes place so quickly after the poison has been swallowed, when it takes place at all. the best treatment--which should always be adopted in all cases, even though the patient appears quite dead-is to dash quantities of cold water on the back, from the top of the neck downwards. placing the patient under a pump, and pumping on him, is the best way of doing this. smelling-salts are also to be applied to the nose, and the chest well rubbed with a camphor liniment. . alkalis: _potash, soda_, and _ammonia_, or common _smelling-salts_, with their principal preparations--_pearlash, soap lees, liquor potassae, nitre, sal prunella, hartshorn_, and _sal--volatile._--alkalis are seldom taken or given with the view of destroying life. they may, however, be swallowed by mistake.--_symptoms produced in those who have swallowed them_. there is at first a burning, acrid taste in, and a sensation of tightness round, the throat, like that of strangling; the skin touched is destroyed; retching mostly followed by actual vomiting, then sets in; the vomited matters often containing blood of a dark brown colour, with little shreds of flesh here and there, and always changing vegetable blue colours green. there is now great tenderness over the whole of the belly. after a little while, great weakness, with cold, clammy sweats, a quick weak pulse, and purging of bloody matters, takes place. the brain, too, mostly becomes affected.--_treatment_. give two tablespoonfuls of vinegar or lemon-juice in a glassful of water every few minutes until the burning sensation is relieved. any kind of oil or milk may also be given, and will form soap when mixed with the poison in the stomach. barley-water, gruel, arrowroot, linseed-tea, &c., are also very useful, and should be taken constantly, and in large quantities. if inflammation should take place, it is to be treated by applying leeches and warm poppy fomentations to the part where the pain is most felt, and giving two tablespoonfuls of the fever mixture every four hours. the diet in all these cases should only consist of arrowroot or gruel for the first few days, and then of weak broth or beef-tea for some time after. . when very strong fumes of smelling-salts have in any way been inhaled, there is great difficulty of breathing, and alarming pain in the mouth and nostrils. in this case let the patient inhale the steam of warm vinegar, and treat the feverish symptoms as before. . _arsenic_.--mostly seen under the form of white arsenic, or fly-powder, and yellow arsenic, or king's yellow.--_symptoms produced in those who have swallowed it_. these vary very much, according to the form and dose in which the poison has been taken. there is faintness, depression, and sickness, with an intense burning pain in the region of the stomach, which gets worse and worse, and is increased by pressure. there is also vomiting of dark brown matter, sometimes mixed with blood; and mostly great thirst, with a feeling of tightness round, and of burning in, the throat. purging also takes place, the matters brought away being mixed with blood. the pulse is small and irregular, and the skin sometimes cold and clammy, and at others hot. the breathing is painful. convulsions and spasms often occur.--_treatment_. give a couple of teaspoonfuls of mustard in a glass of water, to bring on or assist vomiting, and also use the other means elsewhere recommended for the purpose. a solution, half of lime-water and half of linseed-oil, well mixed, may be given, as well as plenty of arrowroot, gruel, or linseed-tea. simple milk is also useful. a little castor-oil should be given, to cleanse the intestines of all the poison, and the after-symptoms treated on general principles. . _corrosive sublimate_.--mostly seen in the form of little heavy crystalline masses, which melt in water, and have a metallic taste. it is sometimes seen in powder. this is a most powerful poison.--_symptoms_. these mostly come on immediately after the poison has been taken. there is a coppery taste experienced in the act of swallowing, with a burning heat, extending from the top of the throat down to the stomach; and also a feeling of great tightness round the throat. in a few minutes great pain is felt over the region of the stomach, and frequent vomiting of long, stringy white masses, mixed with blood, takes place. there is also mostly great purging. the countenance is generally pale and anxious; the pulse always small and frequent; the skin cold and clammy, and the breathing difficult. convulsions and insensibility often occur, and are very bad symptoms indeed. the inside of the mouth is more or less swollen.--_treatment_. mix the whites of a dozen eggs in two pints of cold water, and give a glassful of the mixture every three or four minutes, until the stomach can contain no more. if vomiting does not now come on naturally, and supposing the mouth is not very sore or much swollen, an emetic draught, no. , may be given, and vomiting induced. (the no. draught, we remind our readers, is thus made:--twenty grains of sulphate of zinc in an ounce and a half of water; the draught to be repeated if vomiting does not take place in a quarter of an hour.) after the stomach has been well cleaned out, milk, flour-and-water, linseed-tea, or barley-water, should be taken in large quantities. if eggs cannot be obtained, milk, or flour-and-water, should be given as a substitute for them at once. when the depression of strength is very great indeed, a little warm brandy-and-water must be given. in the course of an hour or two the patient should take two tablespoonfuls of castor-oil, and if inflammation comes on, it is to be treated as directed in the article on acids and alkalis. the diet should also be the same. if the patient recovers, great soreness of the gums is almost certain to take place. the simplest, and at the same time one of the best modes of treatment, is to wash them well three or four times a day with brandy-and-water. . _calomel_.--a heavy white powder, without taste, and insoluble in water. it has been occasionally known to destroy life.--_symptoms_. much the same as in the case of corrosive sublimate.--_treatment_. the same as for corrosive sublimate. if the gums are sore, wash them, as recommended in the case of corrosive sublimate, with brandy-and-water three or four times a day, and keep the patient on _fluids_, such as arrowroot, gruel, broth, or beef-tea, according to the other symptoms. eating hard substances would make the gums more sore and tender. . _copper_.--the preparations of this metal which are most likely to be the ones producing poisonous symptoms, are _blue-stone_ and _verdigris_. people are often taken ill after eating food that has been cooked in copper saucepans. when anything has been cooked in one of these vessels, _it should never be allowed to cool in it_.--_symptoms_. headache, pain in the stomach, and purging; vomiting of green or blue matters, convulsions, and spasms.--_treatment_. give whites of eggs, sugar-and-water, castor-oil, and drinks, such as arrowroot and gruel. . _emetic tartar_.--seen in the form of a white powder, or crystals, with a slightly metallic taste. it has not often been known to destroy life.--_symptoms_. a strong metallic taste in the act of swallowing, followed by a burning pain in the region of the stomach, vomiting, and great purging. the pulse is small and rapid, the skin cold and clammy, the breathing difficult and painful, and the limbs often much cramped. there is also great prostration of strength.--_treatment_. promote the vomiting by giving plenty of warm water, or warm arrowroot and water. strong tea, in large quantities, should be drunk; or, if it can be obtained, a decoction of oak bark. the after-treatment is the same as that for acids and alkalis; the principal object in all these cases being to keep down the inflammation of the parts touched by the poison by means of leeches, warm poppy fomentations, fever-mixtures, and very low diet. . _lead_, and its preparations, _sugar of lead, goulard's extract, white lead._--lead is by no means an active poison, although it is popularly considered to be so. it mostly affects people by being taken into the system slowly, as in the case of painters and glaziers. a newly-painted house, too, often affects those living in it.--_symptoms produced when taken in a large dose_. there is at first a burning, pricking sensation in the throat, to which thirst, giddiness, and vomiting follow. the belly is tight, swollen, and painful; _the pain being relieved by pressure_. the bowels are mostly bound. there is great depression of strength, and a cold skin.--treatment. give an emetic draught (no. , see above) at once, and shortly afterwards a solution of epsom salts in large quantities. a little brandy-and-water must be taken if the depression of strength is very great indeed. milk, whites of eggs, and arrowroot are also useful. after two or three hours, cleanse the stomach and intestines well out with two tablespoonfuls of castor-oil, and treat the symptoms which follow according to the rules laid down in other parts of these articles.--_symptoms when it is taken into the body slowly_. headache, pain about the navel, loss of appetite and flesh, offensive breath, a blueness of the edges of the gums; the belly is tight, hard, and knotty, and the pulse slow and languid. there is also sometimes a difficulty in swallowing.--_treatment_. give five grains of calomel and half a grain of opium directly, in the form of a pill, and half an ounce of epsom salts in two hours, and repeat this treatment until the bowels are well opened. put the patient into a warm bath, and throw up a clyster of warmish water when he is in it. fomentations of warm oil of turpentine, if they can be obtained, should be put over the whole of the belly. the great object is to open the bowels as freely and as quickly as possible. when this has been done, a grain of pure opium may be given. arrowroot or gruel should be taken in good large quantities. the after-treatment must depend altogether upon the symptoms of each particular case. . _opium_, and its preparations, _laudanum, &c_.--solid opium is mostly seen in the form of rich brown flattish cakes, with little pieces of leaves sticking on them here and there, and a bitter and slightly warm taste. the most common form in which it is taken as a poison, is that of laudanum.--_symptoms_. these consist at first in giddiness and stupor, followed by insensibility, the patient, however, being roused to consciousness by a great noise, so as to be able to answer a question, but becoming insensible again almost immediately. the pulse is now quick and small, the breathing hurried, and the skin warm and covered with perspiration. after a little time, these symptoms change; the person becomes _perfectly insensible_, the breathing slow and _snoring_, as in apoplexy, the skin cold, and the pulse slow and full. the pupil of the eye is mostly smaller than natural. on applying his nose to the patient's mouth, a person may smell the poison very distinctly.--_treatment_. give an emetic draught (no. , see above) directly, with large quantities of warm mustard-and-water, warm salt-and-water, or simple warm water. tickle the top of the throat with a feather, or put two fingers down it to bring on vomiting, which rarely takes place of itself. dash cold water on the head, chest, and spine, and flap these parts well with the ends of wet towels. give strong coffee or tea. walk the patient up and down in the open air for two or three hours; the great thing being to keep him from sleeping. electricity is of much service. when the patient is recovering, mustard poultices should be applied to the soles of the feet and the insides of the thighs and legs. the head should be kept cool and raised. . the following preparations, which are constantly given to children by their nurses and mothers, for the purpose of making them sleep, often prove fatal:--_syrup of poppies_, and _godfrey's cordial_. the author would most earnestly urge all people caring for their children's lives, never to allow any of these preparations to be given, unless ordered by a surgeon. . the treatment in the case of poisoning by _henbane_, _hemlock_, _nightshade_, and _foxglove_, is much the same as that for opium. vomiting should be brought on in all of them. . _poisonous food_.--it sometimes happens that things which are in daily use, and mostly perfectly harmless, give rise, under certain unknown circumstances, and in certain individuals, to the symptoms of poisoning. the most common articles of food of this description are _mussels_, _salmon_, and certain kinds of _cheese_ and _bacon_. the general symptoms are thirst, weight about the stomach, difficulty of breathing, vomiting, purging, spasms, prostration of strength, and, in the case of mussels more particularly, an eruption on the body, like that of nettle-rash.--_treatment_. empty the stomach well with no. draught and warm water, and give two tablespoonfuls of castor-oil immediately after. let the patient take plenty of arrowroot, gruel, and the like drinks, and if there is much depression of strength, give a little warm brandy-and-water. should symptoms of fever or inflammation follow, they must be treated as directed in the articles on other kinds of poisoning. . _mushrooms_, and similar kinds of vegetables, often produce poisonous effects. the symptoms are various, sometimes giddiness and stupor, and at others pain in and swelling of the belly, with vomiting and purging, being the leading ones. when the symptoms come on quickly after taking the poison, it is generally the head that is affected.--the treatment consists in bringing on vomiting in the usual manner, as quickly and as freely as possible. the other symptoms are to be treated on general principles; if they are those of depression, by brandy-and-water or sal-volatile; if those of inflammation, by leeches, fomentations, fever-mixtures, &c. &c. . for cure of ringworm.--take of subcarbonate of soda drachm, which dissolve in / pint of vinegar. wash the head every morning with soft soap, and apply the lotion night and morning. one teaspoonful of sulphur and treacle should also be given occasionally night and morning. the hair should be cut close, and round the spot it should be shaved off, and the part, night and morning, bathed with a lotion made by dissolving a drachm of white vitriol in oz. of water. a small piece of either of the two subjoined ointments rubbed into the part when the lotion has dried in. no, .--take of citron ointment drachm; sulphur and tar ointment, of each / oz.: mix thoroughly, and apply twice a day. no. .--take of simple cerate oz.; creosote drachm; calomel grains: mix and use in the same manner as the first. concurrent with these external remedies, the child should take an alterative powder every morning, or, if they act too much on the bowels, only every second day. the following will be found to answer all the intentions desired. . alterative powders for ringworm.--take of sulphuret of antimony, precipitated . grains. grey powder . . . . . grains. calomel . . . . . . grains. jalap powder . . . . . grains. mix carefully, and divide into powders for a child from to years old; into powders for a child from to years; and into powders for a child from to years. where the patient is older, the strength may be increased by enlarging the quantities of the drugs ordered, or by giving one and a half or two powders for one dose. the ointment is to be well washed off every morning with soap-and-water, and the part bathed with the lotion before re-applying the ointment. an imperative fact must be remembered by mother or nurse,--never to use the same comb employed for the child with ringworm, for the healthy children, or let the affected little one sleep with those free from the disease; and, for fear of any contact by hands or otherwise, to keep the child's head enveloped in a nightcap, till this eruption is completely cured. . scratches.--trifling as scratches often seem, they ought never to be neglected, but should be covered and protected, and kept clean and dry until they have completely healed. if there is the least appearance of inflammation, no time should be lost in applying a large bread-and-water poultice, or hot flannels repeatedly applied, or even leeches in good numbers may be put on at some distance from each other. . for shortness of breath, or difficult breathing.--vitriolated spirits of ether oz., camphor grains: make a solution, of which take a teaspoonful during the paroxysm. this is found to afford instantaneous relief in difficulty of breathing, depending on internal diseases and other causes, where the patient, from a very quick and laborious breathing, is obliged to be in an erect posture. . sprains.--a sprain is a stretching of the leaders or ligaments of a part through some violence, such as slipping, falling on the hands, pulling a limb, &c. &c. the most common are those of the ankle and wrist. these accidents are more serious than people generally suppose, and often more difficult to cure than a broken log or arm. the first thing to be done is to place the sprained part in the straight position, and to raise it a little as well. some recommend the application of cold lotions at first. the editress, however, is quite convinced that warm applications are, in most cases, the best for for the first three or four days. these fomentations are to be applied in the following manner:--dip a good-sized piece of flannel into a pail or basin full of hot water or hot poppy fomentation,--six poppy heads boiled in one quart of water for about a quarter of an hour; wring it almost dry, and apply it, as hot as the patient can bear, right round the sprained part. then place another piece of flannel, quite dry, over it, in order that the steam and warmth may not escape. this process should be repeated as often as the patient feels that the flannel next to his skin is getting cold--the oftener the better. the bowels should be opened with a black draught, and the patient kept on low diet. if he has been a great drinker, he may be allowed to take a little beer; but it is better not to do so. a little of the cream of tartar drink, ordered in the case of burns, may be taken occasionally if there is much thirst. when the swelling and tenderness about the joint are very great, from eight to twelve leeches may be applied. when the knee is the joint affected, the greatest pain is felt at the inside, and therefore the greater quantity of the leeches should be applied to that part. when the shoulder is sprained, the arm should be kept close to the body by means of a linen roller, which is to be taken four or five times round the whole of the chest. it should also be brought two or three times underneath the elbow, in order to raise the shoulder. this is the best treatment for these accidents during the first three or four days. after that time, supposing that no unfavourable symptoms have taken place, a cold lotion, composed of a tablespoonful of sal-ammoniac to a quart of water, or vinegar-and-water, should be constantly applied. this lotion will strengthen the part, and also help in taking away any thickening that may have formed about the joint. in the course of two or three weeks, according to circumstances, the joint is to be rubbed twice a day with flannel dipped in opodeldoc, a flannel bandage rolled tightly round the joint, the pressure being greatest at the lowest part, and the patient allowed to walk about with the assistance of a crutch or stick. he should also occasionally, when sitting or lying down, quietly bend the joint backwards and forwards, to cause its natural motion to return, and to prevent stiffness from taking place. when the swelling is very great immediately after the accident has occurred, from the breaking of the blood-vessels, it is best to apply cold applications at first. if it can be procured, oil-silk may be put over the warm-fomentation flannel, instead of the dry piece of flannel. old flannel is better than new. . cure for stammering.--where there is no malformation of the organs of articulation, stammering may be remedied by reading aloud with the teeth closed. this should be practised for two hours a day, for three or four months. the advocate of this simple remedy says, "i can speak with certainty of its utility." . stammering.--at a recent meeting of the boston society of natural history, dr. warren stated, "a simple, easy, and effectual cure of stammering." it is, simply, at every syllable pronounced, to tap at the same time with the finger; by so doing, "the most inveterate stammerer will be surprised to find that he can pronounce quite fluently, and, by long and constant practice, he will pronounce perfectly well." . suffocation, apparent.--suffocation may arise from many different causes. anything which prevents the air getting into the lungs will produce it. we shall give the principal causes, and the treatment to be followed in each case. . . _carbonic acid gas. choke-damp of mines_.--this poisonous gas is met with in rooms where charcoal is burnt, and where there is not sufficient draught to allow it to escape; in coalpits, near limekilns, in breweries, and in rooms and houses where a great many people live huddled together in wretchedness and filth, and where the air in consequence becomes poisoned. this gas gives out no smell, so that we cannot know of its presence. a candle will not burn in a room which contains much of it.--_effects_. at first there is giddiness, and a great wish to sleep; after a little time, or where there is much of it present, a person feels great weight in the head, and stupid; gets by degrees quite unable to move, and snores as if in a deep sleep. the limbs may or may not be stiff. the heat of the body remains much the same at first.--_treatment_. remove the person affected into the open air, and, even though it is cold weather, take off his clothes. then lay him on his back, with his head slightly raised. having done this, dash vinegar-and-water over the whole of the body, and rub it hard, especially the face and chest, with towels dipped in the same mixture. the hands and feet also should be rubbed with a hard brush. apply smelling-salts to the nose, which may be tickled with a feather. dashing cold water down the middle of the back is of great service. if the person can swallow, give him a little lemon-water, or vinegar-and-water to drink. the principal means, however, to be employed in this, as, in fact, in most cases of apparent suffocation, is what is called _artificial breathing_. this operation should be performed by three persons, and in the following manner:--the first person should put the nozzle of a common pair of bellows into one of the patient's nostrils; the second should push down, and then thrust back, that part of the throat called "adam's apple;" and the third should first raise and then depress the chest, one hand being placed over each side of the ribs. these three actions should be performed in the following order:--first of all, the throat should be drawn down and thrust back; then the chest should be raised, and the bellows gently blown into the nostril. directly this is done, the chest should be depressed, so as to imitate common breathing. this process should be repeated about eighteen times a minute. the mouth and the other nostril should be closed while the bellows are being blown. persevere, if necessary, with this treatment for seven or eight hours--in fact, till absolute signs of death are visible. many lives are lost by giving it up too quickly. when the patient becomes roused, he is to be put into a warm bed, and a little brandy-and-water, or twenty drops of sal-volatile, given cautiously now and then. this treatment is to be adopted in all cases where people are affected from breathing bad air, smells, &c. &c. . . _drowning_.--this is one of the most frequent causes of death by suffocation.--treatment. many methods have been adopted, and as some of them are not only useless, but hurtful, we will mention them here, merely in order that they may be avoided. in the first place, then, never hang a person up by his heels, as it is an error to suppose that water gets into the lungs. hanging a person up by his heels would be quite as bad as hanging him up by his neck. it is also a mistake to suppose that rubbing the body with salt and water is of service.--_proper treatment_. directly a person has been taken out of the water, he should be wiped dry and wrapped in blankets; but if these cannot be obtained, the clothes of the bystanders must be used for the purpose. his head being slightly raised, and any water, weeds, or froth that may happen to be in his mouth, having been removed, he should be carried as quickly as possible to the nearest house. he should now be put into a warm bath, about as hot as the hand can pleasantly bear, and kept there for about ten minutes, artificial breathing being had recourse to while he is in it. having been taken out of the bath, he should be placed flat on his back, with his head slightly raised, upon a warm bed in a warm room, wiped perfectly dry, and then rubbed constantly all over the body with warm flannels. at the same time, mustard poultices should be put to the soles of the feet, the palms of the hands, and the inner surface of the thighs and legs. warm bricks, or bottles filled with warm water, should be placed under the armpits. the nose should be tickled with a feather, and smelling-salts applied to it. this treatment should be adopted while the bath is being got ready, as well as when the body has been taken out of it. the bath is not absolutely necessary; constantly rubbing the body with flannels in a warm room having been found sufficient for resuscitation. sir b. brodie says that warm air is quite as good as warm water. when symptoms of returning consciousness begin to show themselves, give a little wine, brandy, or twenty drops of sal-volatile and water. in some cases it is necessary, in about twelve or twenty-four hours after the patient has revived, to bleed him, for peculiar head-symptoms which now and then occur. bleeding, however, even in the hands of professional men themselves, should be very cautiously used--non-professional ones should never think of it. the best thing to do in these cases is to keep the head well raised, and cool with a lotion such as that recommended above for sprains; to administer an aperient draught, and to abstain from giving anything that stimulates, such as wine, brandy, sal-volatile, &c. &c. as a general rule, a person dies in three minutes and a half after he has been under water. it is difficult, however, to tell how long he has actually been _under_ it, although we may know well exactly how long he has been _in_ it. this being the case, always persevere in your attempts at resuscitation until actual signs of death have shown themselves, even for six, eight, or ten hours. dr. douglas, of glasgow, resuscitated a person who had been under water for fourteen minutes, by simply rubbing the whole of his body with warm flannels, in a warm room, for eight hours and a half, at the end of which time the person began to show the _first_ symptoms of returning animation. should the accident occur at a great distance from any house, this treatment should be adopted as closely as the circumstances will permit of. breathing through any tube, such as a piece of card or paper rolled into the form of a pipe, will do as a substitute for the bellows. to recapitulate: rub the body dry; take matters out of mouth; cover with blankets or clothes; slightly raise the head, and place the body in a warm bath, or on a bed in a warm room; apply smelling-salts to nose; employ artificial breathing; rub well with warm flannels; put mustard poultices to feet, hands, and insides of thighs and legs, with warm bricks or bottles to armpits. _don't bleed_. give wine, brandy, or sal-volatile when recovering, and _persevere till actual signs of death are seen._ . briefly to conclude what we have to say of suffocation, let us treat of _lightning_. when a person has been struck by lightning, there is a general paleness of the whole body, with the exception of the part struck, which is often blackened, or even scorched.--_treatment_. same as for drowning. it is not, however, of much use; for when death takes place at all, it is generally instantaneous. . cure for the toothache.--take a piece of sheet zinc, about the size of a sixpence, and a piece of silver, say a shilling; place them together, and hold the defective tooth between them or contiguous to them; in a few minutes the pain will be gone, as if by magic. the zinc and silver, acting as a galvanic battery, will produce on the nerves of the tooth sufficient electricity to establish a current, and consequently to relieve the pain. or smoke a pipe of tobacco and caraway-seeds. again-- . a small piece of the pellitory root will, by the flow of saliva it causes, afford relief. creosote, or a few drops of tincture of myrrh, or friar's balsam, on cotton, put on the tooth, will often subdue the pain. a small piece of camphor, however, retained in the mouth, is the most reliable and likely means of conquering the paroxysms of this dreaded enemy. . warts.--eisenberg says, in his "advice on the hand," that the hydrochlorate of lime is the most certain means of destroying warts; the process, however, is very slow, and demands perseverance, for, if discontinued before the proper time, no advantage is gained. the following is a simple cure:--on breaking the stalk of the crowfoot plant in two, a drop of milky juice will be observed to hang on the upper part of the stem; if this be allowed to drop on a wart, so that it be well saturated with the juice, in about three or four dressings the warts will die, and may be taken off with the fingers. they may be removed by the above means from the teats of cows, where they are sometimes very troublesome, and prevent them standing quiet to be milked. the wart touched lightly every second day with lunar caustic, or rubbed every night with blue-stone, for a few weeks, will destroy the largest wart, wherever situated. . to cure a whitlow.--as soon as the whitlow has risen distinctly, a pretty large piece should be snipped out, so that the watery matter may readily escape, and continue to flow out as fast as produced. a bread-and-water poultice should be put on for a few days, when the wound should be bound up lightly with some mild ointment, when a cure will be speedily completed. constant poulticing both before and after the opening of the whitlow, is the only practice needed; but as the matter lies deep, when it is necessary to open the abscess, the incision must be made _deep_ to reach the suppuration. . wounds.--there are several kinds of wounds, which are called by different names, according to their appearance, or the manner in which they are produced. as, however, it would be useless, and even hurtful, to bother the reader's head with too many nice professional distinctions, we shall content ourselves with dividing wounds into three classes. . . _incised wounds or cuts_--those produced by a knife, or some sharp instrument. . . _lacerated, or torn wounds_--those produced by the claws of an animal, the bite of a dog, running quickly against some projecting blunt object, such as a nail, &c. . . _punctured or penetrating wounds_--those produced by anything running deeply into the flesh; such as a sword, a sharp nail, a spike, the point of a bayonet, &c. . class . _incised wounds or cuts_.--the danger arising from these accidents is owing more to their position than to their extent. thus, a cut of half an inch long, which goes through an artery, is more serious than a cut of two inches long, which is not near one. again, a small cut on the head is more often followed by dangerous symptoms than a much larger one on the legs.--_treatment_. if the cut is not a very large one, and no artery or vein is wounded, this is very simple. if there are any foreign substances left in the wound, they must be taken out, and the bleeding must be quite stopped before the wound is strapped up. if the bleeding is not very great, it may easily be stopped by raising the cut part, and applying rags dipped in cold water to it. all clots of blood must be carefully removed; for, if they are left behind, they prevent the wound from healing. when the bleeding has been stopped, and the wound perfectly cleaned, its two edges are to be brought closely together by thin straps of common adhesive plaster, which should remain on, if there is not great pain or heat about the part, for two or three days, without being removed. the cut part should be kept raised and cool. when the strips of plaster are to be taken off, they should first be well bathed with lukewarm water. this will cause them to come away easily, and without opening the lips of the wound; which accident is very likely to take place, if they are pulled off without having been first moistened with the warm water. if the wound is not healed when the strips of plaster are taken off, fresh ones must be applied. great care is required in treating cuts of the head, as they are often followed by erysipelas taking place round them. they should be strapped with isinglass plaster, which is much less irritating than the ordinary adhesive plaster. only use as many strips as are actually requisite to keep the two edges of the wound together; keep the patient quite quiet, on low diet, for a week or so, according to his symptoms. purge him well with the no. pills (five grains of blue pill mixed with the same quantity of compound extract of colocynth; make into two pills, the dose for an adult). if the patient is feverish, give him two tablespoonfuls of the fever-mixture three times a day. (the fever-mixture, we remind our readers, is thus made: mix a drachm of powdered nitre, drachms of carbonate of potash, teaspoonfuls of antimonial wine, and a tablespoonful of sweet spirits of nitre in half a pint of water.) a person should be very careful of himself for a month or two after having had a bad cut on the head. his bowels should be kept constantly open, and all excitement and excess avoided. when a vein or artery is wounded, the danger is, of course, much greater. those accidents, therefore, should always be attended to by a surgeon, if he can possibly be procured. before he arrives, however, or in case his assistance cannot be obtained at all, the following treatment should be adopted:--raise the cut part, and press rags dipped in cold water firmly against it. this will often be sufficient to stop the bleeding, if the divided artery or vein is not dangerous. when an artery is divided, the blood is of a bright red colour, and comes away in jets. in this case, and supposing the leg or arm to be the cut part, a handkerchief is to be tied tightly round the limb _above_ the cut; and, if possible, the two bleeding ends of the artery should each be tied with a piece of silk. if the bleeding is from a vein, the blood is much darker, and does not come away in jets. in this case, the handkerchief is to be tied _below_ the cut, and a pad of lint or linen pressed firmly against the divided ends of the vein. let every bad cut, especially where there is much bleeding, and even although it may to all appearance have been stopped, be attended to by a surgeon, if one can by any means be obtained. . class . _lacerated or torn wounds_.--there is not so much bleeding in these cases as in clean cuts, because the blood-vessels are torn across in a zigzag manner, and not divided straight across. in other respects, however, they are more serious than ordinary cuts, being often followed by inflammation, mortification, fever, and in some cases by locked-jaw. foreign substances are also more likely to remain in them.--_treatment_. stop the bleeding, if there is any, in the manner directed for cuts; remove all substances that may be in the wound; keep the patient quite quiet, and on low diet--gruel, arrowroot, and the like; purge with the no. pills and the no. mixture. (the no. pill: mix grains of calomel and the same quantity of antimonial powder, with a little bread-crumb, and make into two pills, which is the dose for an adult. the no. mixture: dissolve an ounce of epsom salts in half a pint of senna tea. a quarter of the mixture is a dose.) if there are feverish symptoms, give two tablespoonfuls of fever-mixture (see above) every four hours. if possible, bring the two edges of the wound together, _but do not strain the parts to do this_. if they cannot be brought together, on account of a piece of flesh being taken clean out, or the raggedness of their edges, put lint dipped in cold water over the wound, and cover it with oiled silk. it will then fill up from the bottom. if the wound, after being well washed, should still contain any sand, or grit of any kind, or if it should get red and hot from inflammation, a large warm bread poultice will be the best thing to apply until it becomes quite clean, or the inflammation goes down. when the wound is a very large one, the application of warm poppy fomentations is better than that of the lint dipped in cold water. if the redness and pain about the part, and the general feverish symptoms, are great, from eight to twelve leeches are to be applied round the wound, and a warm poppy fomentation or warm bread poultice applied after they drop off. . class . _punctured or penetrating wounds_.--these, for many reasons, are the most serious of all kinds of wounds.--_treatment_. the same as that for lacerated wounds. pus (matter) often forms at the bottom of these wounds, which should, therefore, be kept open at the top, by separating their edges every morning with a bodkin, and applying a warm bread poultice immediately afterwards. they will then, in all probability, heal up from the bottom, and any matter which may form will find its own way out into the poultice. sometimes, however, in spite of all precautions, collections of matter (abscesses) will form at the bottom or sides of the wound. those are to be opened with a lancet, and the matter thus let out. when matter is forming, the patient has cold shiverings, throbbing pain in the part, and flushes on the face, which come and go. a swelling of the part is also often seen. the matter in the abscesses may be felt to move backwards and forwards, when pressure is made from one side of the swelling to the other with the first and second fingers (the middle and that next the thumb) of each hand. medical memoranda. . advantages of cleanliness.--health and strength cannot be long continued unless the skin--_all_ the skin--is washed frequently with a sponge or other means. every morning is best; after which the skin should be rubbed very well with a rough cloth. this is the most certain way of preventing cold, and a little substitute for exercise, as it brings blood to the surface, and causes it to circulate well through the fine capillary vessels. labour produces this circulation naturally. the insensible perspiration cannot escape well if the skin is not clean, as the pores get choked up. it is said that in health about half the aliment we take passes out through the skin. . the tomato medicinal.--to many persons there is something unpleasant, not to say offensive, in the flavour of this excellent fruit. it has, however, long been used for culinary purposes in various countries of europe. dr. bennett, a professor of some celebrity, considers it an invaluable article of diet, and ascribes to it very important medicinal properties. he declares:-- . that the tomato is one of the most powerful deobstruents of the _materia medica_; and that, in all those affections of the liver and other organs where calomel is indicated, it is probably the most effective and least harmful remedial agent known in the profession. . that a chemical extract can be obtained from it, which will altogether supersede the use of calomel in the cure of diseases. . that he has successfully treated diarrhoea with this article alone. . that when used as an article of diet, it is almost a sovereign remedy for dyspepsia and indigestion. . warm water.--warm water is preferable to cold water, as a drink, to persons who are subject to dyspeptic and bilious complaints, and it may be taken more freely than cold water, and consequently answers better as a diluent for carrying off bile, and removing obstructions in the urinary secretion, in cases of stone and gravel. when water of a temperature equal to that of the human body is used for drink, it proves considerably stimulant, and is particularly suited to dyspeptic, bilious, gouty, and chlorotic subjects. . cautions in visiting sick-rooms.--never venture into a sick-room if you are in a violent perspiration (if circumstances require your continuance there), for the moment your body becomes cold, it is in a state likely to absorb the infection, and give you the disease. nor visit a sick person (especially if the complaint be of a contagious nature) with _an empty stomach_; as this disposes the system more readily to receive the contagion. in attending a sick person, place yourself where the air passes from the door or window to the bed of the diseased, not betwixt the diseased person and any fire that is in the room, as the heat of the fire will draw the infectious vapour in that direction, and you would run much danger from breathing it. . necessity of good ventilation in rooms lighted with gas.--in dwelling-houses lighted by gas, the frequent renewal of the air is of great importance. a single gas-burner will consume more oxygen, and produce more carbonic acid to deteriorate the atmosphere of a room, than six or eight candles. if, therefore, when several burners are used, no provision is made for the escape of the corrupted air and for the introduction of pure air from without, the health will necessarily suffer. legal memoranda. chapter xliv. . humorists tell us there is no act of our lives which can be performed without breaking through some one of the many meshes of the law by which our rights are so carefully guarded; and those learned in the law, when they do give advice without the usual fee, and in the confidence of friendship, generally say, "pay, pay anything rather than go to law;" while those having experience in the courts of themis have a wholesome dread of its pitfalls. there are a few exceptions, however, to this fear of the law's uncertainties; and we hear of those to whom a lawsuit is on agreeable relaxation, a gentle excitement. one of this class, when remonstrated with, retorted, that while one friend kept dogs, and another horses, he, as he had a right to do, kept a lawyer; and no one had a right to dispute his taste. we cannot pretend, in these few pages, to lay down even the principles of law, not to speak of its contrary exposition in different courts; but there are a few acts of legal import which all men--and women too--must perform; and to these acts we may be useful in giving a right direction. there is a house to be leased or purchased, servants to be engaged, a will to be made, or property settled, in all families; and much of the welfare of its members depends on these things being done in proper legal form. . purchasing a house.--few men will venture to purchase a freehold, or even a leasehold property, by private contract, without making themselves acquainted with the locality, and employing a solicitor to examine the titles,; but many do walk into an auction-room, and bid for a property upon the representations of the auctioneer. the conditions, whatever they are, will bind him; for by one of the legal fictions of which we have still so many, the auctioneer, who is in reality the agent for the vendor, becomes also the agent for the buyer, and by putting down the names of bidders and the biddings, he binds him to whom the lot is knocked down to the sale and the conditions,--the falling of the auctioneer's hammer is the acceptance of the offer, which completes the agreement to purchase. in any such transaction you can only look at the written or printed particulars; any verbal statement of the auctioneer, made at the time of the sale, cannot contradict them, and they are implemented by the agreement, which the auctioneer calls on the purchaser to sign after the sale. you should sign no such contract without having a duplicate of it signed by the auctioneer, and delivered to you. it is, perhaps, unnecessary to add, that no trustee or assignee can purchase property for himself included in the trust, even at auction; nor is it safe to pay the purchase money to an agent of the vendor, unless he give a written authority to the agent to receive it, besides handing over the requisite deeds and receipts. . the laws of purchase and sale of property are so complicated that lord st. leonards devotes five chapters of his book on property law to the subject. the only circumstances strong enough to vitiate a purchase, which has been reduced to a written contract, is proof of fraudulent representation as to an encumbrance of which the buyer was ignorant, or a defect in title; but every circumstance which the purchaser might have learned by careful investigation, the law presumes that he did know. thus, in buying a leasehold estate or house, all the covenants of the original lease are presumed to be known. "it is not unusual," says lord st. leonards, "to stipulate, in conditions of sale of leasehold property, that the production of a receipt for the last year's rent shall be accepted as proof that all the lessor's covenants were performed up to that period. never bid for one clogged with such a condition. there are some acts against which no relief can be obtained; for example, the tenant's right to insure, or his insuring in an office or in names not authorized in the lease. and you should not rely upon the mere fact of the insurance being correct at the time of sale: there may have been a prior breach of covenant, and the landlord may not have waived his right of entry for the forfeiture." and where any doubt of this kind exists, the landlord should be appealed to. . interest on a purchase is due from the day fixed upon for completing: where it cannot be completed, the loss rests with the party with whom the delay rests; but it appears, when the delay rests with the seller, and the money is lying idle, notice of that is to be given to the seller to make him liable to the loss of interest. in law, the property belongs to the purchaser from the date of the contract; he is entitled to any benefit, and must bear any loss; the seller may suffer the insurance to drop without giving notice; and should a fire take place, the loss falls on the buyer. in agreeing to buy a house, therefore, provide at the same time for its insurance. common fixtures pass with the house, where nothing is said about them. . there are some well-recognized laws, of what may be called good-neighbourhood, which affect all properties. if you purchase a field or house, the seller retaining another field between yours and the highway, he must of necessity grant you a right of way. where the owner of more than one house sells one of them, the purchaser is entitled to benefit by all drains leading from his house into other drains, and will be subject to all necessary drains for the adjoining houses, although there is no express reservation as to drains. thus, if his happens to be a leading drain, other necessary drains may be opened into it. in purchasing land for building on, you should expressly reserve a right to make an opening into any sewer or watercourse on the vendor's land for drainage purposes. . constructions.--among the cautions which purchasers of houses, land, or leaseholds, should keep in view, is a not inconsiderable array of _constructive_ notices, which are equally binding with actual ones. notice to your attorney or agent is notice to you; and when the same attorney is employed by both parties, and he is aware of an encumbrance of which you are ignorant, you are bound by it; even where the vendor is guilty of a fraud to which your agent is privy, you are responsible, and cannot be released from the consequences. . the relations of landlord and tenant are most important to both parties, and each should clearly understand his position. the proprietor of a house, or house and land, agrees to let it either to a tenant-at-will, a yearly tenancy, or under lease. a tenancy-at-will may be created by parol or by agreement; and as the tenant may be turned out when his landlord pleases, so he may leave when he himself thinks proper; but this kind of tenancy is extremely inconvenient to both parties. where an annual rent is attached to the tenancy, in construction of law, a lease or agreement without limitation to any certain period is a lease from year to year, and both landlord and tenant are entitled to notice before the tenancy can be determined by the other. this notice must be given at least six months before the expiration of the current year of the tenancy, and it can only terminate at the end of any whole year from the time at which it began; so that the tenant entering into possession at midsummer, the notice must be given to or by him, so as to terminate at the same term. when once he is in possession, he has a right to remain for a whole year; and if no notice be given at the end of the first half-year of his tenancy, he will have to remain two years, and so on for any number of years. . tenancy by sufferance.--this is a tenancy, not very uncommon, arising out of the unwillingness of either party to take the initiative in a more decided course at the expiry of a lease or agreement. the tenant remains in possession, and continues to pay rent as before, and becomes, from sufferance, a tenant from year to year, which can only be terminated by one party or the other giving the necessary six months' notice to quit at the term corresponding with the commencement of the original tenancy. this tenancy at sufferance applies also to an under-tenant, who remains in possession and pays rent to the reversioner or head landlord. a six months' notice will be insufficient for this tenancy. a notice was given (in right v. darby, i.t.r. ) to quit a house held by plaintiff as tenant from year to year, on the th june, , requiring him "to quit the premises on the th october following, or such other day as his said tenancy might expire." the tenancy had commenced on the th october in a former year, but it was held that this was not a good notice for the year ending october , . a tenant from year to year gave his landlord notice to quit, ending the tenancy at a time within the half-year; the landlord acquiesced at first, but afterwards refused to accept the notice. the tenant quitted the premises; the landlord entered, and even made some repairs, but it was afterwards held that the tenancy was not determined. a notice to quit must be such as the tenant may safely act on at the time of receiving it; therefore it can only be given by an agent properly authorized at the time, and cannot be made good by the landlord adopting it afterwards. an unqualified notice, given at the proper time, should conclude with "on failure whereof, i shall require you to pay me double the former rent for so long as you retain possession." . leases.--a lease is an instrument in writing, by which one person grants to another the occupation and use of lands or tenements for a term of years for a consideration, the lessor granting the lease, and the lessee accepting it with all its conditions. a lessor may grant the lease for any term less than his own interest. a tenant for life in an estate can only grant a lease for his own life. a tenant for life, having power to grant a lease, should grant it only in the terms of the power, otherwise the lease is void, and his estate may be made to pay heavy penalties under the covenant, usually the only one onerous on the lessor, for quiet enjoyment. the proprietor of a freehold--that is, of the possession in perpetuity of lands or tenements--may grant a lease for years, for years, or for years. in the latter case, the lease may be either verbal or in writing, no particular form and no stamps being necessary, except the usual stamp on agreements; so long as the intention of the parties is clearly expressed, and the covenants definite, and well understood by each party, the agreement is complete, and the law satisfied. in the case of settled estates, the court of chancery is empowered to authorize leases under the & vict. c. , and & vict. c. , as follows:-- years for agriculture or occupation. years for water-power. years for building-leases. years for repairing-leases. . a lessor may also grant an under-lease for a term less than his own: to grant the whole of his term would be an assignment. leases are frequently burdened with a covenant not to underlet without the consent of the landlord: this is a covenant sometimes very onerous, and to be avoided, where it is possible, by a prudent lessee. . a lease for any term beyond three years, whether an actual lease or an agreement for one, must be in the form of a deed; that is, it must be "under seal;" and all assignments and surrenders of leases must be in the same form, or they are _void at law_. thus an agreement made by letter, or by a memorandum of agreement, which would be binding in most cases, would be valueless when it was for a lease, unless witnessed, and given under hand and seal. the last statute, & vict. c. , under which these precautions became necessary, has led to serious difficulties. "the judges," says lord st. leonards, "feel the difficulty of holding a lease in writing, but not by deed, to be altogether void, and consequently decided, that although such a lease is void under the statute, yet it so far regulates the holding, that it creates a tenancy from year to year, terminable by half a year's notice; and if the tenure endure for the term attempted to be created by the void lease, the tenant may be evicted at the end of the term without any notice to quit." an agreement for a lease not by deed has been construed to be a lease for a term of years, and consequently void under the statute; "and yet," says lord st. leonards, "a court of equity has held that it may be specifically enforced as an agreement upon the terms stated." the law on this point is one of glorious uncertainty; in making any such agreement, therefore, we should be careful to express that it is an agreement, and not a lease; and that it is witnessed and under seal. . agreements.--it is usual, where the lease is a repairing one, to agree for a lease to be granted on completion of repairs according to specification. this agreement should contain the names and designation of the parties, a description of the property, and the term of the intended lease, and all the covenants which are to be inserted, as no verbal agreement can be made to a written agreement. it should also declare that the instrument is an agreement for a lease, and not the lease itself. the points to be settled in such an agreement are, the rent, term, and especially covenants for insuring and rebuilding in the event of a fire; and if it is intended that the lessor's consent is to be obtained before assigning or underleasing, a covenant to that effect is required in the agreement. in building-leases, usually granted for years, the tenant is to insure the property; and even where the agreement is silent on that point, the law decides it so. it is otherwise with ordinary tenements, when the tenant pays a full, or what the law terms rack-rent; the landlord is then to insure, unless it is otherwise arranged by the agreement. . it is important for lessee, and lessor, also, that the latter does not exceed his powers. a lease granted by a tenant for life before he is properly in possession, is void in law; for, although a court of equity, according to lord st. leonards, will, "by force of its own jurisdiction, support a _bonâ fide_ lease, granted under a power which is merely erroneous in form or ceremonies," and the & vict. c. , and & vict. c. , compel a new lease to be granted with the necessary variations, while the lessor has no power to compel him to accept such a lease, except when the person in remainder is competent and willing to confirm the original lease without variations, yet all these difficulties involve both delay, costs, and anxieties. . in husbandry leases, a covenant to cultivate the land in a husbandlike manner, and according to the custom of the district, is always implied; but it is more usual to prescribe the course of tillage which is to be pursued. in the case of houses for occupation, the tenant would have to keep the house in a tenantable state of repair during the term, and deliver it up in like condition. this is not the case with the tenant at will, or from year to year, where the landlord has to keep the house in tenantable repair, and the tenant is only liable for waste beyond reasonable wear and tear. . insurance.--every lease, or agreement for a lease, should covenant not only who is to pay insurance, but how the tenement is to be rebuilt in the event of a fire; for if the house were burnt down, and no provision made for insurance, the tenant, supposing there was the ordinary covenant to repair in the lease, would not only have to rebuild, but to pay rent while it was being rebuilt. more than this, supposing, under the same lease, the landlord had taken the precaution of insuring, he is not compelled to lay out the money recovered in rebuilding the premises. sir john leach lays it down, that "the tenant's situation could not be changed by a precaution, on the part of the landlord, with which he had nothing to do." this decision lord campbell confirmed in a more recent case, in which an action was brought against a lessee who was not bound to repair, and neither he nor the landlord bound to insure; admitting an equitable defence, the court affirmed sir john leach's decision, holding that the tenant was bound to pay the rent, and could not require the landlord to lay out the insurance money in rebuilding. this is opposed to the opinion of lord st. leonards, who admits, however, that the decision of the court must overrule his _dictum_. such being the state of the law, it is very important that insurance should be provided for, and that the payment of rent should be made to depend upon rebuilding the house in the event of a fire. care must be taken, however, that this is made a covenant of the lease, as well as in the agreement, otherwise the tenant must rebuild the house. . the law declares that a tenant is not bound to repair damages by tempest, lightning, or other natural casualty, unless there is a special covenant to that effect in the lease; but if there is a general covenant to repair, the repair will fall upon the tenant. lord kenyon lays it down, in the case of a bridge destroyed by a flood, the tenant being under a general covenant to repair, that, "where a party, by his own contract, creates a duty or charge upon himself, he is bound to make it good, because he might have guarded against it in the contract." the same principle of law has been applied to a house destroyed by lightning. it is, therefore, important to have this settled in the insurance clause. . lord st. leonards asserts that "his policies against fire are not so framed as to render the company _legally_ liable." generally the property is inaccurately described with reference to the conditions under which you insure. they are framed by companies who, probably, are not unwilling to have a legal defence against any claim, as they intend to pay what they deem just claim without taking advantage of any technical objection, and intending to make use of their defence only against what they believe to be a fraud, although they may not be able to prove it. "but," says his lordship, "do not rely upon the moral feelings of the directors. ascertain that your house falls strictly within the conditions. even having the surveyor of the company to look over your house before the insurance will not save you, unless your policy is correct." this is true; but probably his lordship's legal jealousy overshoots the mark here. assurance companies only require an honest statement of the facts, and that no concealment is practised with their surveyor; and the case of his own, which he quotes, in which a glass door led into a conservatory, rendering it, according to the view of the company, "hazardous," and consequently voiding the policy, when a fire did occur, the company paid, rather than try the question; but even after the fire they demurred, when called upon, to make the description correct and indorse on the policy the fact that the drawing-room opened through a glass door into conservatories. one of two inferences is obvious here; either his lordship has overcoloured the statement, or the company could not be the respectable one represented. the practice with all reputable offices is to survey the premises before insurance, and to describe them as they appear; but no concealment of stoves, or other dangerous accessories or inflammable goods, should be practised. this certainly binds the office so long as no change takes place; but the addition of any stove, opening, or door through a party wall, the introduction of gunpowder, saltpetre, or other inflammable articles into the premises without notice, very properly "voids the policy." the usual course is to give notice of all alterations, and have them indorse on the policy, as additions to the description of the property: there is little fear, where this is honestly done, that any company would adopt the sharp practice hinted at in lord st. leonards' excellent handy book. . breaks in the lease.--where a lease is for seven, fourteen, or twenty-one years, the option to determine it at the end of the first term is in the tenant, unless it is distinctly agreed that the option shall be mutual, according to lord st. leonards. . noxious trades.--a clause is usually introduced prohibiting the carrying on of any trade in some houses, and of noxious or particular trades in others. this clause should be jealously inspected, otherwise great annoyance may be produced. it has been held that a general clause of this description prohibited a tenant from keeping a school, for which he had taken it, although a lunatic asylum and public-house have been found admissible; the keeping an asylum not being deemed a trade, which is defined as "conducted by buying and selling." it is better to have the trades, or class of trades objected to, defined in the lease. . fixtures.--in houses held under lease, it has been the practice with landlords to lease the bare walls of the tenement only, leaving the lessee to put in the stoves, cupboards, and such other conveniences as he requires, at his own option. those, except under particular circumstances, are the property of the lessee, and may either be sold to an incoming tenant, or removed at the end of his term. the articles which may not be removed are subject to considerable doubt, and are a fruitful source of dispute. mr. commissioner fonblanque has defined as tenants' property all goods and chattels; ndly, all articles "slightly connected one with another, and with the freehold, but capable of being separated without materially injuring the freehold;" rdly, articles fixed to the freehold by nails and screws, bolts or pegs, are also tenants' goods and chattels; but when sunk in the soil, or built on it, they are integral parts of the freehold, and cannot be removed. thus, a greenhouse or conservatory attached to the house by the tenant is not removable; but the furnace and hot-water pipes by which it is heated, may be removed or sold to the in-coming tenant. a brick flue does not come under the same category, but remains. window-blinds, grates, stoves, coffee-mills, and, in a general sense, everything he has placed which can be removed without injury to the freehold, he may remove, if they are separated from the tenement during his term, and the place made good. it is not unusual to leave the fixtures in their place, with an undertaking from the landlord that, when again let, the in-coming tenant shall pay for them, or permit their removal. in a recent case, however, a tenant having held over beyond his term and not removed his fixtures, the landlord let the premises to a new tenant, who entered into possession, and would not allow the fixtures to be removed--it was held by the courts, on trial, that he was justified. a similar case occurred to the writer: he left his fixtures in the house, taking a letter from the landlord, undertaking that the in-coming tenant should pay for them by valuation, or permit their removal. the house was let; the landlord died. his executors, on being applied to, pleaded ignorance, as did the tenant, and on being furnished with a copy of the letter, the executors told applicant that if he was aggrieved, he knew his remedy; namely, an action at law. he thought the first loss the least, and has not altered his opinion. . taxes.--land-tax, sewers-rate, and property-tax, are landlord's taxes; but by geo. ii. c. , the occupier is required to pay all rates levied, and deduct from the rent such taxes as belong to the landlord. many landlords now insert a covenant, stipulating that land-tax and sewers-rate are to be paid by the tenants, and not deducted: this does not apply to the property-tax. all other taxes and rates are payable by the occupier. . water-rate, of course, is paid by the tenant. the water-companies, as well as gas-companies, have the power of cutting off the supply; and most of them have also the right of distraining, in the same manner as landlords have for rent. . notice to quit.--in the case of leasing for a term, no notice is necessary; the tenant quits, as a matter of course, at its termination; or if, by tacit consent, he remains paying rent as heretofore, he becomes a tenant at sufferance, or from year to year. half a year's notice now becomes necessary, as we have already seen, to terminate the tenancy; except in london, and the rent is under forty shillings, when a quarter's notice is sufficient. either of these notices may be given verbally, if it can be proved that the notice was definite, and given at the right time. form of notice is quite immaterial, provided it is definite and clear in its purport. . tenancy for less than a year may be terminated according to the taking. thus, when taken for three months, a three months' notice is required; when monthly, a month's notice; and when weekly, a week's notice; but weekly tenancy is changed to a quarterly tenure if the rent is allowed to stand over for three months. when taken for a definite time, as a month, a week, or a quarter, no notice is necessary on either side. . dilapidations.--at the termination of a lease, supposing he has not done so before, a landlord can, and usually does, send a surveyor to report upon the condition of the tenement, and it becomes his duty to ferret out every defect. a litigious landlord may drag the outgoing tenant into an expensive lawsuit, which he has no power to prevent. he may even compel him to pay for repairing improvements which he has effected in the tenement itself, if dilapidations exist. when the lessor covenants to do all repairs, and fails to do so, the lessee may repair, and deduct the cost from the rent. . recovery of rent.--the remedies placed in the hands of landlords are very stringent. the day after rent falls due, he may proceed to recover it, by action at law, by distress on the premises, or by action of ejectment, if the rent is half a year in arrear. distress is the remedy usually applied, the landlord being authorized to enter the premises, seize the goods and chattels of his tenant, and sell them, on the fifth day, to reimburse himself for all arrears of rent and the charges of the distress. there are a few exceptions; but, generally, all goods found on the premises may be seized. the exceptions are--dogs, rabbits, poultry, fish, tools and implements of a man's trade actually in use, the books of a scholar, the axe of a carpenter, wearing apparel on the person, a horse at the plough, or a horse he may be riding, a watch in the pocket, loose money, deeds, writings, the cattle at a smithy forge, corn sent to a mill for grinding, cattle and goods of a guest at an inn; but, curiously enough, carriages and horses standing at livery at the same inn may be taken. distress can only be levied in the daytime, and if made after the tender of arrears, it is illegal. if tender is made after the distress, but before it is _impounded_, the landlord must abandon the distress and bear the cost himself. nothing of a perishable nature, which cannot be restored in the same condition--as milk, fruit, and the like, must be taken. . the law does not regard a day as consisting of portions. the popular notion that a notice to quit should be served before noon is an error. although distraint is one of the remedies, it is seldom advisable in a landlord to resort to distraining for the recovery of rent. if a tenant cannot pay his rent, the sooner he leaves the premises the better. if he be a rogue and won't pay, he will probably know that nine out of ten distresses are illegal, through the carelessness, ignorance, or extortion of the brokers who execute them. many, if not most, of the respectable brokers will not execute distresses, and the business falls into the hands of persons whom it is by no means desirable to employ. . powers to relieve landlords of premises, by giving them legal possession, are given by & vict., cap. , to the county courts, in cases where the rent does not exceed £ per annum, and under the circumstances hereinafter mentioned; i.e.:-- . where the term has expired, or been determined by notice to quit. . where there is one half-year's rent in arrear, and _the landlord shall have right by law to enter for the nonpayment thereof_. as proof of this power is required, the importance of including such a power in the agreement for tenancy will be obvious. in the county courts the amount of rent due may be claimed, as well as the possession of the premises, in one summons. . when a tenant deserts premises, leaving one half-year's rent in arrear, possession may be recovered by means of the police-court. the rent must not exceed £ per annum, and must be at least three-fourths of the value of the premises. in cases in which the tenant has not deserted the premises, and where notice to quit has been given and has expired, the landlord must give notice to the tenant of his intended application. the annual rent in this case, also, must not exceed £ . . the i. o. u.--the law is not particular as to orthography; in fact, it distinctly refuses to recognize the existence of that delightful science. you may bring your action against mr. jacob phillips, under the fanciful denomination of jaycobb fillipse, if you like, and the law won't care, because the law goes by ear; and, although it insists upon having everything written, things written are only supposed in law to have any meaning when read, which is, after all, a common-sense rule enough. so, instead of "i owe you," persons of a cheerful disposition, so frequently found connected with debt, used to write facetiously i. o. u., and the law approved of their so doing. an i. o. u. is nothing more than a written admission of a debt, and may run thus:-- th october, . to mr. w. brown. i. o. u. ten pounds for coals. £ . john jones. if to this you add the time of payment, as "payable in one month from this date," your i. o. u. is worthless and illegal; for it thus ceases to be a mere acknowledgment, and becomes a promissory note. now a promissory note requires a stamp, which an i. o. u. does not. many persons, nevertheless, stick penny stamps upon them, probably for ornamental effect, or to make them look serious and authoritative. if for the former purpose, the postage-stamp looks better than the receipt stamp upon blue paper. if you are w. brown, and you didn't see the i. o. u. signed, and can't find anybody who knows jones's autograph, and jones won't pay, the i. o. u. will be of no use to you in the county court, except to make the judge laugh. he will, however, allow you to prove the consideration, and as, of course, you won't be prepared to do anything of the sort, he will, if you ask him politely, adjourn the hearing for a week, when you can produce the coalheavers who delivered the article, and thus gain a glorious victory. . apprentices.--by the statute eliz. cap. , it is enacted that, in cases of ill-usage by masters towards apprentices, or of neglect of duty by apprentices, the complaining party may apply to a justice of the peace, who may make such order as equity may require. if, for want of conformity on the part of the master, this cannot be done, then the master may be bound to appear at the next sessions. authority is given by the act to the justices in sessions to discharge the apprentice from his indentures. they are also empowered, on proof of misbehaviour of the apprentice, to order him to be corrected or imprisoned with hard labour. . husband and wife.--contrary to the vulgar opinion, second cousins, as well as first, may legally marry. when married, a husband is liable for his wife's debts contracted before marriage. a creditor desirous of suing for such a claim should proceed against both. it will, however, be sufficient if the husband be served with process, the names of both appearing therein, thus:--john jones and ann his wife. a married woman, if sued alone, may plead her marriage, or, as it is called in law, coverture. the husband is liable for debts of his wife contracted for necessaries while living with him. if she voluntarily leaves his protection, this liability ceases. he is also liable for any debts contracted by her with his authority. if the husband have abjured the realm, or been transported by a sentence of law, the wife is liable during his absence, as if she were a single woman, for debts contracted by her. . in civil cases, a wife may now give evidence on behalf of her husband in criminal cases she can neither be a witness for or against her husband. the case of assault by him upon her forms an exception to this rule. . the law does not at this day admit the ancient principle of allowing moderate correction by a husband upon the person of his wife. although this is said to have been anciently limited to the use of "a stick not bigger than the thumb," this barbarity is now altogether exploded. he may, notwithstanding, as has been recently shown in the famous agapemone case, keep her under restraint, to prevent her leaving him, provided this be effected without cruelty. . by the divorce and matrimonial causes act, , a wife deserted by her husband may apply to a magistrate, or to the petty sessions, for an order to protect her lawful earnings or property acquired by her after such desertion, from her husband and his creditors. in this case it is indispensable that such order shall, within ten days, be entered at the county court of the district within which she resides. it will be seen that the basis of an application for such an order is _desertion_. consequently, where the parties have separated by common consent, such an order cannot be obtained, any previous cruelty or misconduct on the husband's part notwithstanding. . when a husband allows his wife to invest money in her own name in a savings-bank, and he survives her, it is sometimes the rule of such establishments to compel him to take out administration in order to receive such money, although it is questionable whether such rule is legally justifiable. widows and widowers pay no legacy-duty for property coming to them through their deceased partners. . receipts for sums above £ should now be given upon penny stamps. a bill of exchange may nevertheless be discharged by an indorsement stating that it has been paid, and this will not be liable to the stamp. a receipt is not, as commonly supposed, conclusive evidence as to a payment. it is only what the law terms _primâ facie_ evidence; that is, good until contradicted or explained. thus, if a sends wares or merchandise to b, with a receipt, as a hint that the transaction is intended to be for ready money, and b detain the receipt without paying the cash, a will be at liberty to prove the circumstances and to recover his claim. the evidence to rebut the receipt must, however, be clear and indubitable, as, after all, written evidence is of a stronger nature than oral testimony. . books of account.--a tradesman's books of account cannot be received as evidence in his own behalf, unless the entries therein be proved to have been brought under the notice of, and admitted to be correct by the other party, as is commonly the case with the "pass-books" employed backwards and forwards between bakers, butchers, and the like domestic traders, and their customers. the defendant may, however, compel the tradesman to produce his books to show entries adverse to his own claim. . wills.--the last proof of affection which we can give to those left behind, is to leave their worldly affairs in such a state as to excite neither jealousy, nor anger, nor heartrendings of any kind, at least for the immediate future. this can only be done by a just, clear, and intelligible disposal of whatever there is to leave. without being advocates for every man being his own lawyer, it is not to be denied that the most elaborately prepared wills have been the most fruitful sources of litigation, and it has even happened that learned judges left wills behind them which could not be carried out. except in cases where the property is in land or in leases of complicated tenure, very elaborate details are unnecessary; and we counsel no man to use words in making his will of which he does not perfectly understand the meaning and import. . all men over twenty-one years of age, and of sound mind, and all unmarried women of like age and sanity, may by will bequeath their property to whom they please. infants, that is, all persons under twenty-one years of age, and married women, except where they have an estate to their "own separate use," are incapacitated, without the concurrence of the husband; the law taking the disposal of any property they die possessed of. a person born deaf and dumb cannot make a will, unless there is evidence that he could read and comprehend its contents. a person convicted of felony cannot make a will, unless subsequently pardoned; neither can persons outlawed; but the wife of a felon transported for life may make a will, and act in all respects as if she were unmarried. a suicide may bequeath real estate, but personal property is forfeited to the crown. . except in the case of soldiers on actual service, and sailors at sea, every will must be made in writing. it must be signed by the testator, or by some other person in his presence, and at his request, and the signature must be made or acknowledged in the presence of two or more witnesses, who are required to be present at the same time, who declare by signing that the will was signed by the testator, or acknowledged in their presence, and that they signed as witnesses in testator's presence. . by the act of it was enacted that no will shall be valid unless signed at the foot or end thereof by the testator, or by some person in his presence, and by his direction; but a subsequent act proceeds to say that every will shall, as far only as regards the position of the signature of the testator, or of the person signing for him, be deemed valid if the signature shall be so placed at, or after, or following, or under, or beside, or opposite to the end of the will, that it shall be apparent on the face of it that the testator intended to give it effect by such signature. under this clause, a will of several sheets, all of which were duly signed, except the last one, has been refused probate; while, on the other hand, a similar document has been admitted to probate where the last sheet only, and none of the other sheets, was signed. in order to be perfectly formal, however, each separate sheet should be numbered, signed, and witnessed, and attested on the last sheet. this witnessing is an important act: the witnesses must subscribe it in the presence of the testator and of each other; and by their signature they testify to having witnessed the signature of the testator, he being in sound mind at the time. wills made under any kind of coercion, or even importunity may become void, being contrary to the wishes of the testator. fraud or imposition also renders a will void, and where two wills made by the same person happen to exist, neither of them dated, the maker of the wills is declared to have died intestate. . a will may always be revoked and annulled, but only by burning or entirely destroying the writing, or by adding a codicil, or making a subsequent will duly attested; but as the alteration of a will is only a revocation to the extent of the alteration, if it is intended to revoke the original will entirely, such intention should be declared,--no merely verbal directions can revoke a written will; and the act of running the pen through the signatures, or down the page, is not sufficient to cancel it, without a written declaration to that effect signed and witnessed. . a will made before marriage is revoked thereby. . a codicil is a supplement or addition to a will, either explaining or altering former dispositions; it may be written on the same or separate paper, and is to be witnessed and attested in the same manner as the original document. . witnesses.--any persons are qualified to witness a will who can write their names; but such witness cannot be benefitted by the will. if a legacy is granted to the persons witnessing, it is void. the same rule applies to the husband or wife of a witness; a bequest made to either of these is void. . form of wills.--form is unimportant, provided the testator's intention is clear. it should commence with his designation; that is, his name and surname, place of abode, profession, or occupation. the legatees should also be clearly described. in leaving a legacy to a married woman, if no trustees are appointed over it, and no specific directions given, "that it is for her sole and separate use, free from the control, debts, and incumbrances of her husband," the husband will be entitled to the legacy. in the same manner a legacy to an unmarried woman will vest in her husband after marriage, unless a settlement of it is made on her before marriage. . in sudden emergencies a form may be useful, and the following has been considered a good one for a death-bed will, where the assistance of a solicitor could not be obtained; indeed, few solicitors can prepare a will on the spur of the moment: they require time and legal forms, which are by no means necessary, before they can act. i, a.b., of no. , ----, street, in the city of ---- [gentleman, builder, or grocer, as the case may be,] being of sound mind, thus publish and declare my last will and testament. revoking and annulling all former dispositions of my property, i give and bequeath as follows:--to my son j.b., of ----, i give and bequeath the sum of ---; to my daughter m., the wife of j., of ----, i give and bequeath the sum of ---- [if intended for her own use, add "to her sole and separate use, free from the control, debts, and incumbrances of her husband"], both in addition to any sum or sums of money or other property they have before had from me. all the remaining property i die possessed of i leave to my dear wife m. b., for her sole and separate use during her natural life, together with my house and furniture, situate at no. , ---- street, aforesaid. at her death, i desire that the said house shall be sold, with all the goods and chattels therein [or, i give and bequeath the said house, with all the goods and chattels therein, to ----], and the money realized from the sale, together with that in which my said wife had a life-interest, i give and bequeath in equal moieties to my son and daughter before named. i appoint my dear friend t.s., of ----, and t.b., of ----, together with my wife m.b., as executors to this my last will and testament. signed by a.b., this th day of october, , in our presence, both being present together, and both having signed as witnesses, in the presence of the testator:--a.b. t.s., witness. f.m., witness. it is to be observed that the signature of the testator after this attestation has been signed by the witnesses, is not a compliance with the act; he must sign first. . stamp-duties.--in the case of persons dying intestate, when their effects are administered to by their family, the stamp-duty is half as much more as it would have been under a will. freehold and copyhold estates are now subject to a special impost on passing, by the stamp act of . . the legacy-duty only commences when it amounts to £ and upwards; and where it is not directed otherwise, the duty is deducted from the legacy. . you cannot compound for past absence of charity by bequeathing land or tenements, or money to purchase such, to any charitable use, by your last will and testament; but you may devise them to the british museum, to either of the two universities of oxford and cambridge, to eton, winchester, and westminster; and you may, if so inclined, leave it for the augmentation of queen anne's bounty. you may, however, order your executors to sell land and hand over the money received to any charitable institution. . in making provision for a wife, state whether it is in lieu of, or in addition to, dower. . if you have advanced money to any child, and taken an acknowledgment for it, or entered it in any book of account, you should declare whether any legacy left by will is in addition to such advance, or whether it is to be deducted from the legacy. . a legacy left by will to any one would be cancelled by your leaving another legacy by a codicil to the same person, unless it is stated to be in addition to the former bequest. . your entire estate is chargeable with your debts, except where the real estate is settled. let it be distinctly stated out of which property, the real or personal, they are paid, where it consists of both. . whatever is _devised_, let the intention be clearly expressed, and without any condition, if you intend it to take effect. . attestation is not necessary to a will, as the act of witnessing is all the law requires, and the will itself declares the testator to be of sound mind in his own estimation; but, wherever there are erasures or interlineations, one becomes necessary. no particular form is prescribed; but it should state that the testator either signed it himself, or that another signed it by his request, or that he acknowledged the signature to be his in their presence, both being present together, and signed as witnesses in his presence. when there are erasures, the attestation must declare that--the words interlined in the third line of page , and the erasure in the fifth line of page , having been first made. these are the acts necessary to make a properly executed will; and, being simple in themselves and easily performed, they should be strictly complied with, and always attested. . a witness may, on being requested, sign for testator; and he may also sign for his fellow-witness, supposing he can only make his mark, declaring that he does so; but a husband cannot sign for his wife, either as testator or witness, nor can a wife for her husband. proofreading team. scans from biblioteca de la universitat de barcelona _english_ housewifry exemplified in above four hundred and fifty receipts, giving directions in most parts of cookery; and how to prepare various sorts of soops, cakes, made-dishes, creams, pastes, jellies, pickles, made-wines, &c. with cuts for the orderly placing the dishes and courses; also bills of fare for every month in the year; and an alphabetical index to the whole. a book necessary for mistresses of families, higher and lower women servants, and confined to things useful, substantial and splendid, and calculated for the preservation of health, and upon the measures of _frugality_, being the result of thirty years _practice_ and _experience_. by elizabeth moxon. with an appendix containing, upwards of sixty receipts, of the most valuable kind, communicated to the publisher by several gentlewomen in the neighbourhood, distinguished by their extraordinary skill in housewifry. the returns of spiritual comfort and grief, in a devout soul. represented by an intercourse of letters to the right honourable lady letice, countess of falkland, in her life time. publish'd for the benefit and ease of all who labour under spiritual afflictions. . the preface it is not doubted but the candid reader will find the following book in correspondence with the title, which will supersede the necessity of any other recommendation that might be given it. as the complier of it engaged in the undertaking at the instance and importunity of many persons of eminent account and distinction, so she can truly assure them, and the world, that she has acquitted herself with the utmost care and fidelity. and she entertains the greater hopes that her performance will meet with the kinder acceptance, because of the good opinion she has been held in by those, her ever honour'd friends, who first excited her to the publication of her book, and who have been long eye-witnesses of her skill and behaviour in the business of her calling. she has nothing to add, but her humblest thanks to them, and to all others with whom she has received favour and encouragement. _english_ housewifry. . _to make_ vermicelly soop. take a neck of beef, or any other piece; cut off some slices, and fry them with butter 'till they are very brown; wash your pan out every time with a little of the gravy; you may broil a few slices of the beef upon a grid-iron: put all together into a pot, with a large onion, a little salt, and a little whole pepper; let it stew 'till the meat is tender, and skim off the fat in the boiling; them strain it into your dish, and boil four ounces of vermicelly in a little of the gravy 'till it is soft: add a little stew'd spinage; then put all together into a dish, with toasts of bread; laying a little vermicelly upon the toast. garnish your dish with creed rice and boil'd spinage, or carrots slic'd thin. . cucumber soop. take a houghil of beef, break it small and put it into a stew-pan, with part of a neck of mutton, a little whole pepper, an onion, and a little salt; cover it with water, and let it stand in the oven all night, then strain it and take off the fat; pare six or eight middle-siz'd cucumbers, and slice them not very thin, stew them in a little butter and a little whole pepper; take them out of the butter and put 'em in the gravy. garnish your dish with raspings of bread, and serve it up with toasts of bread or _french_ roll. . _to make_ hare soop. cut the hare into small pieces, wash it and put it into a stew-pan, with a knuckle of veal; put in it a gallon of water, a little salt, and a handful of sweet herbs; let it stew 'till the gravy be good; fry a little of the hare to brown the soop; you may put in it some crusts of write bread among the meat to thicken the soop; put it into a dish, with a little stew'd spinage, crisp'd bread, and a few forc'd-meat balls. garnish your dish with boil'd spinage and turnips, cut it in thin square slices. . _to make green_ pease soop. take a neck of mutton, and a knuckle of veal, make of them a little good gravy; then take half a peck of the greenest young peas, boil and beat them to a pulp in a marble mortar; then put to them a little of the gravy; strain them through a hair sieve to take out all the pulp; put all together, with a little salt and whole pepper; then boil it a little, and if you think the soop not green enough, boil a handful of spinage very tender, rub it through a hair-sieve, and put into the soop with one spoonful of wheat-flour, to keep it from running: you must not let it boil after the spinage is put in, it will discolour it; then cut white bread in little diamonds, fry them in butter while crisp, and put it into a dish, with a few whole peas. garnish your dish with creed rice, and red beet-root. you may make asparagus-soop the same way, only add tops of asparagus, instead of whole pease. . _to make_ onion soop. take four or five large onions, pill and boil them in milk and water whilst tender, (shifting them two or three times in the boiling) beat 'em in a marble mortar to a pulp, and rub them thro' a hair-sieve, and put them into a little sweet gravy; then fry a few slices of veal, and two or three slices of lean bacon; beat them in a marble mortar as small as forc'd-meat; put it into your stew-pan with the gravy and onions, and boil them; mix a spoonful of wheat-flour with a little water, and put it into the soop to keep it from running; strain all through a cullender, season it to your taste; then put into the dish a little spinage stew'd in butter, and a little crisp bread; so serve it up. . _common_ pease soop _in winter_. take a quart of good boiling pease which put into a pot with a gallon of soft water whilst cold; add thereto a little beef or mutton, a little hung beef or bacon, and two or three large onions; boil all together while your soop is thick; salt it to your taste, and thicken it with a little wheat-flour; strain it thro' a cullender, boil a little sellery, cut it in small pieces, with a little crisp bread, and crisp a little spinage, as you would do parsley, then put it in a dish, and serve it up. garnish your dish with raspings of bread. . _to make_ pease soop _in lent_. take a quart of pease, put them into a pot with a gallon of water, two or three large onions, half a dozen anchovies, a little whole pepper and salt; boil all together whilst your soop is thick; strain it into a stew-pan through a cullender, and put six ounces of butter (work'd in flour) into the soop to thicken it; also put in a little boil'd sellery, stew'd spinage, crisp bread, and a little dry'd mint powdered; so serve it up. . craw-fish soop. take a knuckle of veal, and part of a neck of mutton to make white gravy, putting in an onion, a little whole pepper and salt to your taste; then take twenty crawfish, boil and beat them in a marble mortar, adding thereto alittlee of the gravy; strain them and put them into the gravy; also two or three pieces of white bread to thicken the soop; boil twelve or fourteen of the smallest craw-fish, and put them whole into the dish, with a few toasts, or _french_ roll, which you please; so serve it up. you may make lobster soop the same way, only add into the soop the seeds of the lobster. . _to make_ scotch soop. take a houghil of beef, cut it in pieces, with part of a neck of mutton, and a pound of _french_ barley; put them all into your pot, with six quarts of water; let it boil 'till the barley be soft, then put in a fowl; as soon as 'tis enough put in a handful of red beet leaves or brocoli, a handful of the blades of onions, a handful of spinage, washed and shred very small; only let them have a little boil, else it will spoil the greenness. serve it up with the fowl in a dish, garnish'd with raspings of bread. . _to make_ soop _without water_. take a small leg of mutton, cut it in slices, season it with a little pepper and salt; cut three middling turnips in round pieces, and three small carrots scrap'd and cut in pieces, a handful of spinage, a little parsley, a bunch of sweet herbs, and two or three cabbage lettice; cut the herbs pretty small, lay a row of meat and a row of herbs; put the turnips and carrots at the bottom of the pot, with an onion, lay at the top half a pound of sweet butter, and close up the pot with coarse paste; them put the pot into boiling water, and let it boil for four hours; or in a slow oven, and let it stand all night; when it is enough drain the gravy from the meat, skim off the fat, then put it into your dish with some toasts of bread, and a little stew'd spinage; to serve it up. . _to stew a_ brisket _of_ beef. take the thin part of a brisket of beef, score the skin at the top; cross and take off the under skin, then take out the bones, season it highly with mace, a little salt, and a little whole pepper, rub it on both sides, let it lay all night, make broth of the bones, skim the fat clean off, put in as much water as will cover it well, let it stew over a slow fire four or five hours, with a bunch of sweet herbs and an onion cut in quarters; turn the beef over every hour, and when you find it tender take it out of the broth and drain it very well, having made a little good strong gravy. a ragoo with sweet-breads cut into pieces, pullets tenderly boil'd and cut in long pieces; take truffles and morels, if you have any mushrooms, with a little claret, and throw in your beef, let it stew a quarter of an hour in the ragoo, turning it over sometimes, then take out your beef, and thicken your ragoo with a lump of butter and a little flour. garnish your dish with horse-radish and pickles, lay the ragoo round your beef, and a little upon the top; so serve it up. . _to stew a_ rump _of_ beef. take a fat rump of young beef and cut off the fag end, lard the low part with fat bacon, and stuff the other part with shred parsley; put it into your pan with two or three quarts of water, a quart of claret, two or three anchovies, an onion, two or three blades of mace, a little whole pepper, and a bunch of sweet herbs; stew it over a slow fire five or six hours, turning it several times in the stewing, and keep it close cover'd; when your beef is enough take from it the gravy, thicken part of it with a lump of butter and flour, and put it upon the dish with the beef. garnish the dish with horse-radish and red-beet root. there must be no salt upon the beef, only salt the gravy to your taste. you may stew part of a brisket, or an ox cheek the same way. . _to make_ olives _of_ beef. take some slices of a rump (or any other tender piece) of beef, and beat them with a paste pin, season them with nutmeg, pepper and salt, and rub them over with the yolk of an egg; make a little forc'd-meat of veal, beef-suet, a few bread crumbs, sweet-herbs, a little shred mace, pepper, salt, and two eggs, mixed all together; take two or three slices of the beef, according as they are in bigness, and a lump of forc'd-meat the size of an egg; lay your beef round it, and roll it in part of a kell of veal, put it into an earthen dish, with a little water, a glass of claret, and a little onion shred small; lay upon them a little butter, and bake them in an oven about an hour; when they come out take off the fat, and thicken the gravy with a little butter and flour; six of them is enough for a side dish. garnish the dish with horseradish and pickles. you may make olives of veal the same way. . _to fry_ beef-steaks. take your beef steaks and beat them with the back of a knife, fry them in butter over a quick fire, that they may be brown before they be too much done; when they are enough put them into an earthen pot whilst you have fry'd them all; pour out the fat, and put them into your pan with a little gravy, an onion shred very small, a spoonful of catchup and a little salt; thicken it with a little butter and flour, the thickness of cream. garnish your dish with pickles. beef-steaks are proper for a side-dish. . beef-steaks _another way_. take your beef-steaks and beat them with the back of a knife, strow them over with a little pepper and salt, lay them on a grid-iron over a clear fire, turning 'em whilst enough; set your dish over a chafing-dish of coals, with a little brown gravy; chop an onion or shalot as small as pulp, and put it amongst the gravy; (if your steaks be not over much done, gravy will come therefrom;) put it on a dish and shake it all together. garnish your dish with shalots and pickles. . _a_ shoulder _of_ mutton _forc'd_. take a pint of oysters and chop them, put in a few bread-crumbs, a little pepper, shred mace, and an onion, mix them all together, and stuff your mutton on both sides, then roast it at a slow fire, and baste it with nothing but butter; put into the dripping-pan a little water, two or three spoonfuls of the pickle of oysters, a glass of claret, an onion shred small, and an anchovy; if your liquor waste before your mutton is enough, put in a little more water; when the meat is enough, take up the gravy, skim off the fat, and thicken it with flour and butter; then serve it up. garnish your dish with horse-radish and pickles. . _to stew a_ fillet _of_ mutton. take a fillet of mutton, stuff it the same as for a shoulder, half roast it, and put it into a stew pan with a little gravy, a jill of claret, an anchovy, and a shred onion; you may put in a little horse-radish and some mushrooms; stew it over a slow fire while the mutton is enough; take the gravy, skim off the fat, and thicken it with flour and butter; lay forc'd-meat-balls round the mutton. garnish your dish with horse-radish and mushrooms. it is proper either for a side-dish or bottom dish; if you have it for a bottom-dish, cut your mutton into two fillets. . _to collar a breast of_ mutton. take a breast of mutton, bone it, and season it with nutmeg, pepper and salt, rub it over with the yolk of an egg; make a little forc'd-meat of veal or mutton, chop it with a little beef-suet, a few bread-crumbs, sweet herbs, an onion, pepper and salt, a little nutmeg, two eggs, and a spoonful or two of cream; mix all together and lay it over the mutton, roll it up and bind it about with course inkle; put it into an earthen dish with a little water, dridge it over with flour, and lay upon it a little butter; it will require two hours to bake it. when it is enough take up the gravy, skim off the fat, put in an anchovy and a spoonful of catchup, thicken it with flour and butter; take the inkle from the mutton and cut it into three or four rolls; pour the sauce upon the dish, and lay about it forc'd-meat-balls. garnish your dish with pickles. . _to collar a breast of_ mutton _another way_. take a breast of mutton, bone it, and season it with nutmeg, pepper and salt; roll it up tight with coarse incle and roast it upon a spit; when it is enough lay it whole upon the dish. then take four or six cucumbers, pare them and cut them in slices, not very thin; likewise cut three or four in quarters length way, stew them in a little brown gravy and a little whole pepper; when they are enough thicken them with flour and butter the thickness of cream; so serve it up. garnish your dish with horse-radish. . _to carbonade a breast of_ mutton. take a breast of mutton, half bone it, nick it cross, season it with pepper and salt; then broil it before the fire whilst it be enough, strinkling it over with bread-crumbs; let the sauce be a little gravy and butter, and a few shred capers; put it upon the dish with the mutton. garnish it with horse-radish and pickles. this is proper for a side-dish at noon, or a bottom-dish at night. . _a chine of_ mutton _roasted, with stew'd_ sellery. take a loyn of mutton, cut off the thin part and both ends, take off the skin, and score it in the roasting as you would do pork; then take a little sellery, boil it, and cut it in pieces about an inch long, put to it a little good gravy, while pepper and salt, two or three spoonfuls of cream and a lump of butter, so thicken it up, and pour it upon your dish with your mutton.--this is proper for a side-dish. . mutton-chops. take a leg of mutton half-roasted, when it is cold cut it in thin pieces as you would do any other meat for hashing, put it into a stew-pan with a little water or small gravy, two or three spoonfuls of claret, two or three shalots shred, or onions, and two or three spoonfuls of oyster pickle; thicken it up with a little flour, and so serve it up. garnish your dish with horse-radish and pickles. you may do a shoulder of mutton the same way, only boil the blade-bone, and lie in the middle. . _a forc'd_ leg _of_ mutton. take a leg of mutton, loose the skin from the meat, be careful you do not cut the skin as you loosen it; then cut the meat from the bone, and let the bone and skin hang together, chop the meat small, with a little beef-suet, as you would do sausages; season it with nutmeg, pepper and salt, a few bread-crumbs, two or three eggs, a little dry'd sage, shred parsley and lemon-peel; then fill up the skin with forc'd-meat, and lay it upon an earthen dish; lay upon the meat a little flour and butter, and a little water in the dish; it will take an hour and a half baking; when you dish it up lay about it either mutton or veal chollops, with brown gravy sauce. garnish your dish with horse-radish and lemon. you may make a forc'd leg of lamb the same way. . _to make_ french cutlets _of_ mutton. take a neck of mutton, cut it in joints, cut off the ends of the long bones, then scrape the meat clean off the bones about an inch, take a little of the inpart of the meat of the cutlets, and make it into forc'd-meat; season it with nutmeg, pepper, and salt; then lay it upon your cutlets, rub over them the yolk of an egg to make it stick; chop a few sweet herbs, and put to them a few bread-crumbs, a little pepper and salt, and strew it over the cutlets, and wrap them in double writing-paper; either broil them before the fire or in an oven, half an hour will do them; when you dish them up, take off the out-paper, and set in the midst of the dish a little brown gravy in a china-bason; you may broil them without paper if you please. . _to fry_ mutton steaks. take a loyn of mutton, cut off the thin part, then cut the rest into steaks, and flat them with a bill, season them with a little pepper and salt, fry them in butter over a quick fire; as you fry them put them into a stew-pan or earthen-pot, whilst you have fried them all; then pour the fat out of the pan, put in a little gravy, and the gravy that comes from the steaks, with a spoonful of claret, an anchovy, and an onion or a shalot shred; shake up the steaks in the gravy, and thicken it with a little flour; so serve them up. garnish your dish with horse radish and shalots. . _to make artificial_ venison _of_ mutton. take a large shoulder of mutton, or a middling fore quarter, bone it, lay it in an earthen dish, put upon it a pint of claret, and let it lie all night; when you put it into your pasty-pan or dish, pour on the claret that it lay in, with a little water and butter; before you put it into your pasty-pan, season it with pepper and salt; when you make the pasty lie no paste in the bottom of the dish. . _how to brown ragoo a_ breast _of_ veal. take a breast of veal, cut off both the ends, and half roast it; then put it into a stew-pan, with a quart of brown gravy, a spoonful of mushroom-powder, a blade or two of mace, and lemon-peel; so let it stew over a slow fire whilst your veal is enough; then put in two or three shred mushrooms or oysters, two or three spoonfuls of white wine; thicken up your sauce with flour and butter; you may lay round your veal some stew'd morels and truffles; if you have none, some pallets stew'd in gravy, with artichoke-bottoms cut in quarters, dipt in eggs and fry'd, and some forc'd-meat-balls; you may fry the sweet-bread cut in pieces, and lay over the veal, or fry'd oysters; when you fry your oysters you must dip them in egg and flour mixed. garnish your dish with lemon and pickles. . _a herico of a_ breast _of_ veal, french _way_. take a breast of veal, half roast it, then put it into a stew-pan, with three pints of brown gravy; season your veal with nutmeg, pepper and salt; when your veal is stew'd enough, you may put in a pint of green peas boil'd. take six middling cucumbers, pare and cut them in quarters long way, also two cabbage-lettices, and stew them in brown gravy; so lay them round your veal when you dish it up, with a few forc'd-meat-balls and some slices of bacon. garnish your dish with pickles, mushrooms, oysters and lemons. . _to roll a_ breast _of_ veal. take a breast of veal, and bone it, season it with nutmeg, pepper and salt, rub it over with the yolk of an egg, and strew it over with sweet herbs shred small, and some slices of bacon, cut thin to lie upon it, roll it up very tight, bind it with coarse inkle, put it into an earthen dish with a little water, and lay it upon some lumps of butter; strew a little seasoning on the outside of your veal, it will take two hours baking; when it is baked take off the inkle and cut it in four rolls, lay it upon the dish with a good brown gravy-sauce: lay about your veal the sweet-bread fry'd, some forc'd-meat-balls, a little crisp bacon, and a few fry'd oysters if you have any; so serve it up. garnish your dish with pickles and lemon. . _a stew'd_ breast _of_ veal. take the fattest and whitest breast of veal you can get, cut off both ends and boil them for a little gravy; take the veal and raise up the thin part, make a forc'd-meat of the sweet-bread boil'd, a few bread-crumbs, a little beef-suet, two eggs, pepper and salt, a spoonful or two of cream, and a little nutmeg, mix'd all together; so stuff the veal, skewer the skin close down, dridge it over with flour, tie it up in a cloth, and boil it in milk and water about an hour. for the sauce take a little gravy, about a jill of oysters, a few mushrooms shred, a little lemon shred fine, and a little juice of lemon; so thicken it up with flour and butter; when you dish it up pour the same over it; lay over it a sweet-bread or two cut in slices and fry'd, and fry'd oysters. garnish your dish with lemon, pickles and mushrooms. this is proper for a top dish either at noon or night. . _to stew a_ fillet _of_ veal. take a leg of the best whye veal, cut off the dug and the knuckle, cut the rest into two fillets, and take the fat part and cut it in pieces the thickness of your finger; you must stuff the veal with the fat; make the hole with a penknife, draw it thro' and skewer it round; season it with pepper, salt, nutmeg, and shred parsley; then put it into your stew-pan, with half a pound of butter, (without water) and set it on your stove; let it boil very slow and cover it close up, turning it very often; it will take about two hours in stewing; when it is enough pour the gravy from it, take off the fat, put into the gravy a pint of oysters and a few capers, a little lemon-peel, a spoonful or two of white wine, and a little juice of lemon; thicken it with butter and flour the thickness of cream; lay round it forc'd-meat-balls and oysters fry'd, and so serve it up. garnish your dish with a few capers and slic'd lemon. . _to make_ scotch collops. take a leg of veal, take off the thick part and cut in thin slices for collops, beat them with a paste-pin 'till they be very thin; season them with mace, pepper and salt; fry them over a quick fire, not over brown; when they are fried put them into a stew-pan with a little gravy, two or three spoonfuls of white wine, two spoonfuls of oyster-pickle if you have it, and a little lemon-peel; then shake them over a stove in a stew-pan, but don't let them boil over much, it only hardens your collops; take the fat part of your veal, stuff it with forc'd-meat, and boil it; when it is boiled lay it in the middle of your dish with the collops; lay about your collops slices of crisp bacon, and forc'd-meat-balls. garnish your dish with slices of lemon and oysters, or mushrooms. . _to make_ veal cutlets. take a neck of veal, cut it in joints, and flatten them with a bill; cut off the ends of the bones, and lard the thick part of the cutlets with four or five bits of bacon; season it with nutmeg, pepper and salt; strew over them a few bread crumbs, and sweet herbs shred fine; first dip the cutlets in egg to make the crumbs stick, then broil them before the fire, put to them a little brown gravy sauce, so serve it up. garnish your dish with lemon. . veal cutlets _another way_. take a neck of veal, cut it in joints, and flat them as before, and cut off the ends of the long bones; season them with a little pepper, salt and nutmeg, broil them on a gridiron, over a slow fire; when they are enough, serve them up with brown gravy sauce and forc'd-meat-balls. garnish your dish with lemon. . veal cutlets _another way_. take a neck of veal and cut it in slices, flatten them as before, and cut off the ends of the long bones; season the cutlets with pepper and salt, and dridge over them some flour; fry them in butter over a quick fire; when they are enough put from them the fat they were fried in, and put to them a little small gravy, a spoonful of catchup, a spoonful of white wine or juice of lemon, and grate in some nutmeg; thicken them with flour and butter, so serve them up. garnish your dish as before. . _to collar a_ calf's head _to eat hot_. take a large fat head, and lay it in water to take out the blood; boil it whilst the bones will come out; season it with nutmeg, pepper and salt; then wrap it up round with a large lump of forc'd-meat made of veal; after which wrap it up tight in a veal kell before it is cold, and take great care that you don't let the head break in two pieces; then bind it up with a coarse inkle, lay it upon an earthen dish, dridge it over with flour, and lay over it a little butter, with a little water in the dish; an hour and a half will bake it; when it is enough take off the inkle, cut it in two length ways, laying the skin-side uppermost; when you lay it upon your dish you must lay round it stew'd pallets and artichoke-bottoms fry'd with forc'd-meat-balls; put to it brown gravy-sauce; you may brown your sauce with a few truffles or morels, and lay them about your veal. garnish your dish with lemon and pickle. . _to collar a_ calf's head _to eat cold_. you must be a calf's head with the skin on, split it and lay it in water, take out the tongue and eyes, cut off the groin ends, then tie it up in a cloth and boil it whilst the bones come out; when it is enough lay it on a table with the skin-side uppermost, and pour upon it a little cold water; then take off the hair and cut off the ears; mind you do not break the head in two, turn it over and take out the bones; salt it very well and wrap it round in a cloth very tight, pin it with pins, and tie it at both ends, so bind it up with broad inkle, then hang it up by one end, and when it is cold take it out; you must make for it brown pickle, and it will keep half a year; when you cut it, cut it at the neck. it is proper for a side or middle dish, either for noon or night. . _to make a_ calf's head _hash_. take a calf's head and boil it, when it is cold take one half of the head and cut off the meat in thin slices, put it into a stew pan with a little brown gravy, put to it a spoonful or two of walnut pickle, a spoonful of catchup, a little claret, a little shred mace, a few capers shred, or a little mango; boil it over a stove, and thicken it with butter and flour; take the other part of the head, cut off the bone ends and score it with a knife, season it with a little pepper and salt, rub it over with the yolk of an egg, and strew over a few bread crumbs, and a little parsley; then set it before the fire to broil whilst it is brown; and when you dish up the other part lay this in the midst; lay about your hash-brain-cakes, forc'd-meat-balls and crisp bacon. _to make brain-cakes_; take a handful of bread-crumbs, a little shred lemon-peel, pepper, salt, nutmeg, sweet-marjorum, parsley shred fine, and the yolks of three eggs; take the brains and skin them, boil and chop them small, so mix them all together; take a little butter in your pan when you fry them, and drop them in as you do fritters, and if they run in your pan put in a handful more of bread-crumbs. . _to hash a_ calf's head _white_. take a calf's head and boil it as much as you would do for eating, when it is cold cut in thin slices, and put it into a stew-pan with a white gravy; then put to it a little shred mace, salt, a pint of oysters, a few shred mushrooms, lemon-peel, three spoonful of white wine, and some juice of lemon, shake all together, and boil it over the stove, thicken it up with a little flour and butter; when you put it on your dish, you must put a boil'd fowl in the midst, and few slices of crisp bacon. garnish your dish with pickles and lemon. . _a ragoo of a_ calf's head. take two calves' head and boil them as you do for eating, when they are cold cut off all the lantern part from the flesh in pieces about an inch long, and about the breadth of your little finger; put it into your stew-pan with a little white gravy; twenty oysters cut in two or three pieces, a few shred mushrooms, and a little juice of lemon; season it with shred mace and salt, let them all boil together over a stove; take two or three spoonfuls of cream, the yolks of two or three eggs, and a little shred parsley, then put it into a stew-pan; after you have put the cream in you may shake it all the while; if you let it boil it will crudle, so serve it up. garnish your dish with sippets, lemon, and a few pickled mushrooms. . _to roast a_ calf's head _to eat like pig_. take a calf's head, wash it well, lay it in an earthen dish, and cut out the tongue lay it loose under the head in the dish with the brains, and a little sage and parsley; rub the head over with the yolk of an egg, then strew over them a few bread-crumbs and shred parsley, lay all over it lumps of butter and a little salt, then set it in the oven; it will take about an hour and a half baking; when it is enough take the brains, sage and parsley; and chop them together, put to them the gravy that is in the dish, a little butter and a spoonful of vinegar, so boil it up and put it in cups, and set them round the head upon the dish, take the tongue and blanch it, cut it in two, and lay it on each side the head, and some slices of crisp bacon over the head, so serve it up. . sauce _for a_ neck _of_ veal. fry your veal, and when fried put in a little water, an anchovy, a few sweet herbs, a little onion, nutmeg, a little lemon-peel shred small, and a little white wine or ale, then shake it up with a little butter and flour, with some cockles and capers. . _to boil a_ leg _of_ lamb, _with the_ loyn _fry'd about it_. when your lamb is boil'd lay it in the dish, and pour upon it a little parsley, butter and green gooseberries coddled, then lay your fried lamb round it; take some small asparagus and cut it small like peas, and boil it green; when it is boil'd drain it in a cullender, and lay it round your lamb in spoonfuls. garnish your dish with gooseberries, and heads of asparagus in lumps. this is proper for a bottom dish. . _a_ leg _of_ lamb _boil'd with_ chickens _round it_. when your lamb is boil'd pour over it parsley and butter, with coddled gooseberries, so lay the chickens round your lamb, and pour over the chickens a little white fricassy sauce. garnish your dish with sippets and lemon. this is proper for a top dish. . _a fricassy of_ lamb _white_. take a leg of lamb, half roast it, when it is cold cut it in slices, put it into a stew-pan with a little white gravy, a shalot shred fine, a little nutmeg, salt, and a few shred capers; let it boil over the stove whilst the lamb is enough; to thicken your sauce, take three spoonfuls of cream, the yolks of two eggs, a little shred parsley, and beat them well together, then put it into your stew-pan and shake it whilst it is thick, but don't let it boil; if this do not make it thick, put in a little flour and butter, so serve it up. garnish your dish with mushrooms, oysters and lemon. . _a brown fricassy of_ lamb. take a leg of lamb, cut it in thin slices and season it with pepper and salt, then fry it brown with butter, when it is fried put it into your stew-pan, with a little brown gravy, an anchovy, a spoonful or two of white wine or claret, grate in a little nutmeg, and set it over the stove; thicken your sauce with flour and butter. garnish your dish with mushrooms, oysters and lemon. . _to make_ pig _eat like_ lamb _in winter_. take a pig about a month old and dress it, lay it down to the fire, when the skin begins to harden you must take it off by pieces, and when you have taken all the skin off, draw it and when it is cold cut it in quarters and lard it with parsley; then roast it for use. . _how to stew a_ hare. take a young hare, wash and wipe it well, cut the legs into two or three pieces, and all the other parts the same bigness, beat them all flat with a paste-pin, season it with nutmeg and salt, then flour it over, and fry it in butter over a quick fire; when you have fried it put into a stew-pan, with about a pint of gravy, two or three spoonfuls of claret and a small anchovy, so shake it up with butter and flour, (you must not let it boil in the stew-pan, for it will make it cut hard) then serve it up. garnish your dish with crisp parsley. . _how to jug a_ hare. take a young hare, cut her in pieces as you did for stewing, and beat it well, season it with the same seasoning you did before, put it into a pitcher or any other close pot, with half a pound of butter, set it in a pot of boiling water, stop up the pitcher close with a cloth, and lay upon it some weight for fear it should fall on one side; it will take about two hours in stewing; mind your pot be full of water, and keep it boiling all the time; when it is enough take the gravy from it, clear off the fat, and put her into your gravy in a stew-pan, with a spoonful or two of white wine, a little juice of lemon, shred lemon-peel and mace; you must thicken it up as you would a white fricassy. garnish your dish with sippets and lemon. . _to roast a_ hare _with a pudding in the belly_. when you have wash'd the hare, nick the legs thro' the joints, and skewer them on both sides, which will keep her from drying in the roasting; when you have skewer'd her, put the pudding into her belly, baste her with nothing but butter: put a little in the dripping pan; you must not baste it with the water at all: when your hare is enough, take the gravy out of the dripping pan, and thicken it up with a little flour and butter for the sauce. _how to make a_ pudding _for the_ hare. take the liver, a little beef-suet, sweet-marjoram and parsley shred small, with bread-crumbs and two eggs; season it with nutmeg, pepper and salt to your taste, mix all together and if it be too stiff put in a spoonful or two of cream: you must not boil the liver. . _to make a brown fricassy of_ rabbets. take a rabbet, cut the legs in three pieces, and the remainder of the rabbet the same bigness, beat them thin and fry them in butter over a quick fire; when they are fried put them into a stew-pan with a little gravy, a spoonful of catchup, and a little nutmeg; then shake it up with a little flour and butter. garnish your dish with crisp parsley. . _a white fricassy of_ rabbets. take a couple of young rabbets and half roast them; when they are cold take off the skin, and cut the rabbets in small pieces, (only take the white part) when you have cut it in pieces, put it into a stew-pan with white gravy, a small anchovy, a little onion, shred mace and lemon-peel, set it over a stove, and let it have one boil, then take a little cream, the yolks of two eggs, a lump of butter, a little juice of lemon and shred parsley; put them all together into a stew-pan, and shake them over the fire whilst they be as white as cream; you must not let it boil, if you do it will curdle. garnish your dish with shred lemon and pickles. . _how to make pulled_ rabbets. take two young rabbets, boil them very tender, and take off all the white meat, and pull off the skin, then pull it all in shives, and put it into your stew-pan with a little white gravy, a spoonful of white wine, a little nutmeg and salt to your taste; thicken it up as you would a white fricassy, but put in no parsley; when you serve it up lay the heads in the middle. garnish your dish with shred lemon and pickles. . _to dress rabbets to look like_ moor-game. take a young rabbet, when it is cased cut off the wings and the head; leave the neck of your rabbet as long as you can; when you case it you must leave on the feet, pull off the skin, leave on the claws, so double your rabbet and skewer it like a fowl; put a skewer at the bottom through the legs and neck, and tie it with a string, it will prevent its flying open; when you dish it up make the same sauce as you would do for partridges. three are enough for one dish. . _to make white scotch_ collops. take about four pounds of a fillet of veal, cut it in small pieces as thin as you can, then take a stew-pan, butter it well over, and shake a little flour over it, then lay your meat in piece by piece, whilst all your pan be covered; take two or three blades of mace, and a little nutmeg, set your stew-pan over the fire, toss it up together 'till all your meat be white, then take half a pint of strong veal broth, which must be ready made, a quarter of a pint of cream, and the yolks of two eggs, mix all these together, put it to your meat, keeping it tossing all the time 'till they just boil up, then they are enough; the last thing you do squeeze in a little lemon: you may put in oysters, mushrooms, or what you will to make it rich. . _to boil_ ducks _with_ onion sauce. take two fat ducks, and season them with a little pepper and salt, and skewer them up at both ends, and boil them whilst they are tender; take four or five large onions and boil them in milk and water, change the water two or three times in the boiling, when they are enough chop them very small, and rub them through a hair-sieve with the back of a spoon, 'till you have rubb'd them quite through, then melt a little butter, put in your onions and a little salt, and pour it upon your ducks. garnish your dish with onions and sippets. . _to stew_ ducks _either wild or tame_. take two ducks and half-roast them, cut them up as you would do for eating, then put them into a stew-pan with a little brown gravy, a glass of claret, two anchovies, a small onion shred very fine, and a little salt; thicken it up with flour and butter, so serve it up. garnish you dish with a little raw onion and sippets. . _to make a white fricassy of_ chickens. take two or more chickens, half-roast them, cut them up as you would do for eating, and skin them; put them into a stew-pan with a little white gravy, juice of lemon, two anchovies, shred mace and nutmeg, then boil it; take the yolks of three eggs, a little sweet cream and shred parsley, put them into your stew-pan with a lump of butter and a little salt; shake them all the while they are over the stove, and be sure you do not let them boil lest they should curdle. garnish your dish with sippets and lemon. . _how to make a brown fricassy of_ chickens. take two or more chickens, as you would have your dish in bigness, cut them up as you do for eating, and flat them a little with a paste-pin; fry them a light-brown, and put them into your stew-pan with a little gravy, a spoonful or two of white wine, a little nutmeg and salt; thicken it up with flour and butter. garnish your dish with sippets and crisp parsley. . chickens surprise. take half a pound of rice, set it over a fire in soft water, when it is half-boiled put in two or three small chickens truss'd, with two or three blades of mace, and a little salt; take a piece of bacon about three inches square, and boil it in water whilst almost enough, then take it out, pare off the outsides, and put it into the chickens and rice to boil a little together; (you must not let the broth be over thick with rice) then take up your chickens, lay them on a dish, pour over them the rice, cut your bacon in thin slices to lay round your chickens, and upon the breast of each a slice. this is proper for a side-dish. . _to boil_ chickens. take four or five small chickens, as you would have your dish in bigness; if they be small ones you may scald them, it will make them whiter; draw them, and take out the breast-bone before you scald them; when you have dress'd them, put them into milk and water, and wash them, truss them, and cut off the heads and necks; if you dress them the night before you use them, dip a cloth in milk and wrap them in it, which will make them white; you must boil them in milk and water, with a little salt; half an hour or less will boil them. _to make sauce for the_ chickens. take the necks, gizzards and livers, boil them in water, when they are enough strain off the gravy, and put to it a spoonful of oyster-pickle; take the livers, break them small, mix a little gravy, and rub them through a hair-sieve with the back of a spoon, then put to it a spoonful of cream, a little lemon and lemon-peel grated; thicken it up with butter and flour. let your sauce be no thicker than cream, which pour upon your chickens. garnish your dish with sippets, mushrooms, and slices of lemon. they are proper for a side-dish or a top-dish either at noon or night. . _how to boil a_ turkey. when your turkey is dress'd and drawn, truss her, cut off her feet, take down the breast-bone with a knife, and sew up the skin again; stuff the breast with a white stuffing. _how to make the_ stuffing. take the sweet-bread of veal, boil it, shred it fine, with a little beef-suet, a handful of bread-crumbs, a little lemon-peel, part of the liver, a spoonful or two of cream, with nutmeg, pepper, salt, and two eggs, mix all together, and stuff your turkey with part of the stuffing, (the rest you may either boil or fry to lay round it) dridge it with a little flour, tie it up in a cloth, and boil it with milk and water: if it be a young turkey an hour will boil it. _how to make sauce for the_ turkey. take a little small white gravy, a pint of oysters, two or three spoonfuls of cream, a little juice of lemon, and salt to your taste, thicken it up with flour and butter, then pour it over your turkey, and serve it up; lay round your turkey fry'd oysters, and the forc'd-meat. garnish your dish with oysters, mushrooms, and slices of lemon. . _how to make another sauce for a_ turkey. take a little strong white gravy, with some of the whitest sellery you can get, cut it about an inch long, boil it whilst it be tender, and put it into the gravy, with two anchovies, a little lemon-peel shred, two or three spoonfuls of cream, a little shred mace, and a spoonful of white wine; thicken it up with flour and butter; if you dislike the sellery you may put in the liver as you did for chickens. . _how to roast a_ turkey. take a turkey, dress and truss it, then take down the breast-bone. _to make stuffing for the breast_. take beef-suet, the liver shred fine, and bread-crumbs, a little lemon-peel, nutmeg, pepper and salt to your taste, a little shred parsley, a spoonful or two of cream, and two eggs. put her on a spit and roast her before a slow fire; you may lard your turkey with fat bacon; if the turkey be young, an hour and a quarter will roast it. for the sauce, take a little white gravy, an onion, a few bread-crumbs, and a little whole pepper, let them boil well together, put to them a little flour and a lump of butter, which pour upon the turkey; you may lay round your turkey forc'd-meat-balls. garnish your dish with slices of lemon. . _to make a rich_ turkey pie. take a young turkey and bone her, only leave in the thigh bones and short pinions; take a large fowl and bone it, a little shred mace, nutmeg, pepper and salt, and season the turkey and fowl in the inside; lay the fowl in the inside of the low part of the turkey, and stuff the breast with a little white stuffing, (the same white stuffing as you made for the boiled turkey,) take a deep dish, lay a paste over it, and leave no paste in the bottom; lay in the turkey, and lay round it a few forc'd-meat-balls, put in half a pound of butter, and a jill of water, then close up the pie, an hour and a half will bake it; when it comes from the oven take off the lid, put in a pint of stew'd oysters, and the yolks of six or eight eggs, lay them at an equal distance round the turkey; you must not stew your oysters in gravy but in water, and pour them upon your turkey's breast; lay round six or eight artichoke-bottoms fry'd, so serve it up without the lid; you must take the fat out of the pie before you put in the oysters. . _to make a_ turkey _a-la-daube_. take a large turkey and truss it; take down the breast-bone, and stuff it in the breast with some stuffing, as you did the roast turkey, lard it with bacon, then rub the skin of the turkey with the yolk of an egg, and strow over it a little nutmeg, pepper, salt, and a few bread-crumbs, then put it into a copper-dish and fend it to the oven; when you dish it up make for the turkey brown gravy-sauce; shred into your sauce a few oysters and mushrooms; lay round artichoke-bottoms fry'd, stew'd pallets, forc'd-meat-balls, and a little crisp bacon. garnish your dish with pickled mushrooms, and slices of lemon. this is a proper dish for a remove. . potted turkey. take a turkey, bone her as you did for the pie, and season it very well in the inside and outside with mace, nutmeg, pepper and salt, then put it into a pot that you design to keep it in, put over it a pound of butter, when it is baked draw from it the gravy, and take off the fat, then squeeze it down very tight in the pot; and to keep it down lay upon it a weight; when it's cold take part of the butter that came from it, and clarify a little more with it to cover your turkey, and keep it in a cool place for use; you may put a fowl in the belly if you please. ducks or geese are potted the same way. . _how to jugg_ pigeons. take six or eight pigeons and truss them, season them with nutmeg, pepper and salt. _to make the stuffing_. take the livers and shred them with beef-suet, bread-crumbs, parsley, sweet-marjoram, and two eggs, mix all together, then stuff your pigeons sowing them up at both ends, and put them into your jugg with the breast downwards, with half a pound of butter; stop up the jugg close with a cloth that no steam can get out, then set them in a pot of water to boil; they will take above two hours stewing; mind you keep your pot full of water, and boiling all the time; when they are enough clear from them the gravy, and take the fat clean off; put to your gravy a spoonful of cream, a little lemon-peel, an anchovy shred, a few mushrooms, and a little white wine, thicken it with a little flour and butter, then dish up your pigeons, and pour over them the sauce. garnish the dish with mushrooms and slices of lemon. this is proper for a side dish. . mirranaded pigeons. take six pigeons, and truss them as you would do for baking, break the breast-bones, season and stuff them as you did for jugging, put them into a little deep dish and lay over them half a pound of butter; put into your dish a little water. take half a pound of rice, cree it soft as you would do for eating, and pour it upon the back of a sieve, let it stand while it is cold, then take a spoon and flat it like paste on your hand, and lay on the breast of every pigeon a cake; lay round your dish some puff-paste not over thin, and send them to the oven; about half an hour will bake them. this is proper at noon for a side-dish. . _to stew_ pigeons. take your pigeons, season and stuff them, flat the breast-bone, and truss them up as you would do for baking, dredge them over with a little flour, and fry them in butter, turning them round till all sides be brown, then put them into a stew-pan with as much brown gravy as will cover them, and let them stew whilst your pigeons be enough; then take part of the gravy, an anchovy shred, a little catchup, a small onion, or a shalot, and a little juice of lemon for sauce, pour it over your pigeons, and lay round them forc'd-meat-balls and crisp bacon. garnish your dish with crisp parsley and lemon. . _to broil_ pigeons _whole_. take your pigeons, season and stuff them with the same stuffing you did jugg'd pigeons, broil them either before a fire or in an oven; when they are enough take the gravy from them, and take off the fat, then put to the gravy two or three spoonfuls of water, a little boil'd parsley shred, and thicken your sauce. garnish your dish with crisp parsley. . _boiled_ pigeons _with fricassy sauce_. take your pigeons, and when you have drawn and truss'd them up, break the breast bone, and lay them in milk and water to make them white, tie them in a cloth and boil them in milk and water; when you dish them up put to them white fricassy sauce, only adding a few shred mushrooms. garnish with crisp parsley and sippets. . _to pot_ pigeons. take your pigeons and skewer them with their feet cross over the breast, to stand up; season them with pepper and salt, and roast them; so put them into your pot, setting the feet up; when they are cold cover them up with clarified butter. . _to stew_ pallets. take three or four large beast pallets and boil them very tender, blanch and cut them in long pieces the length of your finger, then in small bits the cross way; shake them up with a little good gravy and a lump of butter; season them with a little nutmeg and salt, put in a spoonful of white wine, and thicken it with the yolks of eggs as you do, a white fricassy. . _to make a fricassy of_ pig's ears. take three or four pig's ears as large as you would have your dish in bigness, clean and boil them very tender, cut them in small pieces the length of your finger, and fry them with butter till they be brown; so put them into a stew-pan with a little brown gravy, a lump of butter, a spoonful of vinegar, and a little mustard and salt, thicken'd with flour; take two or three pig's feet and boil them very tender, fit for eating, then cut them in two and take out the large bones, dip them in egg, and strew over them a few bread-crumbs, season them with pepper and salt; you may either fry or broil them, and lay them in the middle of your dish with the pig's ears. they are proper for a side-dish. . _to make a fricassy of_ tripes. take the whitest seam tripes you can get and cut them in long pieces, put them into a stew-pan with a little good gravy, a few bread-crumbs, a lump of butter, a little vinegar to your taste, and a little mustard if you like it; shake it up altogether with a little shred parsley. garnish your dish with sippets. this is proper for a side-dish. . _to make a fricassy of_ veal-sweet-breads. take five or six veal-sweet-breads, according as you would have your dish in bigness, and boil them in water, cut them in thin slices the length-way, dip them in egg, season them with pepper and salt, fry them a light brown; then put them into a stew-pan with a little brown gravy, a spoonful of white wine or juice of lemon, whether you please; thicken it up with flour and butter; and serve it up. garnish your dish with crisp parsley. . _to make a white fricassy of_ tripes, _to eat like_ chickens. take the whitest and the thickest seam tripe you can get, cut the white part in thin slices, put it into a stew-pan with a little white gravy, juice of lemon and lemon-peel shred, also a spoonful of white wine; take the yolks of two or three eggs and beat them very well, put to them a little thick cream, shred parsley, and two or three chives if you have any; shake altogether over the stove while it be as thick as cream, but don't let it boil for fear it curdle. garnish your dish with sippets, slic'd lemon or mushrooms, and serve it up. . _to make a brown fricassy of_ eggs. take eight or ten eggs, according to the bigness you design your dish, boil them hard, put them in water, take off the shell, fry them in butter whilst they be a deep brown, put them into a stew-pan with a little brown gravy, and a lump of butter, so thicken it up with flour; take two or three eggs, lay them in the middle of the dish, then take the other, cut them in two, and set them with the small ends upwards round the dish; fry some sippets and lay round them. garnish your dish with crisp parsley. this is proper for a side-dish in lent or any other time. . _to make a white fricassy of_ eggs. take ten or twelve eggs, boil them hard and pill them, put them in a stew-pan with a little white gravy; take the yolks of two or three eggs, beat them very well, and put to them two or three spoonfuls of cream, a spoonful of white wine, a little juice of lemon, shred parsley, and salt to your taste; shake altogether over the stove till it be as thick as cream, but don't let it boil; take your eggs and lay one part whole on the dish, the rest cut in halves and quarters, and lay them round your dish; you must not cut them till you lay them on the dish. garnish your dish with sippets, and serve it up. . _to stew_ eggs _in_ gravy. take a little gravy, pour it into a little pewter dish, and set it over a stove, when it is hot break in as many eggs as will cover the dish bottom, keep pouring the gravy over them with a spoon 'till they are white at the top, when they are enough strow over them a little salt; fry some square sippets of bread in butter, prick them with the small ends upward, and serve them up. . _how to collar a_ piece _of_ beef _to eat cold_. take a flank of beef or pale-board, which you can get, bone them and take off the inner skin; nick your beef about an inch distance, but mind you don't cut thro' the skin of the outside; then take two ounces of saltpetre, and beat it small, and take a large handful of common salt and mix them together, first sprinkling your beef over with a little water, and lay it in an earthen dish, then strinkle over your salt, so let it stand, four or five days, then take a pretty large quantity of all sorts of mild sweet herbs, pick and shred them very small, take some bacon and cut it in long pieces the thickness of your finger, then take your beef and lay one layer of bacon in every nick; and another of the greens; when you have done season your beef with a little beat mace, pepper, salt and nutmeg; you may add a little neat's tongue, and an anchovy in some of the nicks; so roll it up tight, bind it in a cloth with coarse inkle round it, put it into a large stew-pot and cover it with water; let the beef lie with the end downwards, put to the pickle that was in the beef when it lay in salt, set it in a slow oven all the night, then take it out and bind it tight, and tie up both ends, the next day take it out of the cloth, and put it into pickle; you must take off the fat and boil the pickle, put in a handful of salt, a few bay leaves, a little whole jamaica and black pepper, a quart of stale strong beer, a little vinegar and alegar; if you make the pickle very good, it will keep five or six months very well; if your beef be not too much baked it will cut all in diamonds. . _to roll a_ breast of veal _to eat cold_. take a large breast of veal, fat and white, bone it and cut it in two, season it with mace, nutmeg, pepper and salt, in one part you may strinkle a few sweet herbs shred fine, roll them tight up, bind them will with coarse ickle, so boil it an hour and a half; you may make the same pickle as you did for the beef, excepting the strong beer; when it is enough to take it up, and bind it as you did the beef, so hang it up whilst it be cold. . _to pot_ tongues. take your tongues and salt them with saltpetre, common salt and bay salt, let them lie ten days, then take them out and boil them whilst they will blanch, cut off the lower part of the tongues, then season them with mace, pepper, nutmeg and salt, put them into a pot and send them to the oven, and the low part of your tongues that you cut off lay upon your tongues, and one pound of butter, then let them bake whilst they are tender, then take them out of the pot, throw over them a little more seasoning, put them into the pot you design to keep them in, press them down very tight, lay over them a weight, and let them stand all night, then cover them with clarified butter: you must not salt your tongues as you do for hanging. . _how to pot_ venison. take your venison and cut it in thin pieces, season it with pepper and salt, put it into your pot, lay over it some butter and a little beef-suet, let it stand all night in the oven; when it is baked beat them in a marble mortar or wooden-bowl, put in part of the gravy, and all the fat you take from it; when you have beat it put into your pot, then take the fat lap of a shoulder of mutton, take off the out-skin, and roast it, when it is roasted and cold, cut it in long pieces the thickness of your finger; when you put the venison into the pot, put it in at three times, betwixt every one lay the mutton cross your pot, at an equal distance; if you cut it the right way it will cut all in diamonds; leave some of the venison to lay on the top, and cover it with clarified butter; to keep it for use. . _to pot all sorts of_ wild-fowl. when the wild-fowl are dressed take a paste-pin, and beat them on the breast 'till they are flat; before you roast them season them with mace, nutmeg, pepper and salt; you must not roast them over much; when you dreaw them season them on the out-side, and set them on one end to drain out the gravy, and put them into your pot; you may put in two layers; if you press them very flat, cover them with clarified butter when they are cold. . _how to pot_ beef. take two pounds of the slice or buttock, season it with about two ounces of saltpetre and a little common salt, let it lie two or three days, send it to the oven, and season it with a little pepper, salt and mace; lay over your beef half a pound of butter or beef suet, and let it stand all night in the oven to stew; take from it the gravy and the butter, and beat them (with the beef) in a bowl, then take a quarter of a pound of anchovies, bone them, and beat them too with a little of the gravy; if it be not seasoned enough to your taste, put to it a little more seasoning; put is close down in a pot, and when it is cold cover it up with butter, and keep it for use. . _to ragoo a_ rump _of_ beef. take a rump of beef, lard it with bacon and spices, betwixt the larding, stuff it with forced meat, made of a pound of veal, three quarters of a pound of beef-suet, a quarter of a pound of fat bacon boiled and shred well by itself, a good quantity of parsley, winter savoury, thyme, sweet-marjoram, and an onion, mix all this together, season it with mace cloves, cinnamon, salt, jamaica and black pepper, and some grated bread, work the forc'd-meat up with three whites and two yolks of eggs, then stuff it, and lay some rough suet in a stew pan with your beef upon it, let it fry till it be brown then put in some water, a bunch of sweet herbs, a large onion stuffed with cloves, sliced turnips, carrots cut as large as the yolk of an egg, some whole pepper and salt, half a pint of claret, cover it close, and let it stew six or seven hours over a gentle fire, turning it very often. . _how to make a_ sauce _for it_. take truffles, morels, sweet-breads, diced pallets boiled tender, three anchovies, and some lemon-peel, put these into some brown gravy and stew them; if you do not think it thick enough, dredge in a little flour, and just before you pour it on your beef put in a little white wine and vinegar, and serve it up hot. . _sauce for boiled_ rabbets. take a few onions, boil them thoroughly, shifting them in water often, mix them well together with a little melted butter and water. some add a little pulp of apple and mustard. . _to salt a_ leg _of_ mutton _to eat like_ ham. take a leg of mutton, an ounce of saltpetre, two ounces of bay-salt, rub it in very well, take a quarter of a pound of coarse sugar, mix it with two or three handfuls of common salt, then take and salt it very well, and let it lie a week, so hang it up, and keep it for use, after it is dry use it, the sooner the better; it won't keep so long as ham. . _how to salt_ ham _or_ tongues. take a middling ham, two ounces of saltpetre, a quarter of a pound of bay-salt, beat them together, and rub them on your ham very well, before you salt it on the inside, set your salt before the fire to warm; to every ham take half a pound of coarse sugar, mix to it a little of the salt, and rub it in very well, let it lie for a week or ten days, then salt it again very well, and let it lie another week or ten days, then hang it to dry, not very near the fire, nor over much in the air. take your tongues and clean them, and cut off the root, then take two ounces of saltpetre, a quarter of a pound of bay-salt well beaten, three or four tongues, according as they are in bigness, lay them on a thing by themselves, for if you lay them under your bacon it flats your tongues, and spoils them; salt them very well, and let them lie as long as the hams with the skin side downwards: you may do a rump of beef the same way, only leave out the sugar. [note: the text for the next three recipes-- , and --was missing from our scans. only the last part of recipe number is available.] . . . ... bacon, you may put in two or three slices when you send them to the oven. . _how to make a_ hare-pie. parboil the hare, take out the bones, and beat the meat in a mortar with some fat pork or new bacon, then soak it in claret all night, the next day take it out, season it with pepper, salt and nutmeg, then lay the back bone into the middle of the pie, put the meat about it with about three quarters of a pound of butter, and bake it in a puff-paste, but lay no paste in the bottom of the dish. . _to make a_ hare-pie _another way_. take the flesh of a hare after it is skined, and string it: take a pound of beef-suet or marrow shred small, with sweet-marjoram, parsley and shalots, take the hare, cut it in pieces, season it with mace, pepper, salt and nutmeg, then bake it either in cold or hot paste, and when it is baked, open it and put to it some melted butter. . _to make_ pig _royal_. take a pig and roast it the same way as you did for lamb, when you draw it you must not cut it up, when it is cold you must lard it with bacon, cut not your layers too small, if you do they will melt away, cut them about an inch and a quarter long; you must put one row down the back, and one on either side, then strinkle it over with a few breadcrumbs and a little salt, and set it in the oven, an hour will bake it, but mind your oven be not too hot; you must take another pig of a less size, roast it, cut it up, and lie it on each side: the sauce you make for a roast pig will serve for both. this is proper for a bottom dish at a grand entertainment. . _to roast_ veal _a savoury way_. when you have stuffed your veal, strow some of the ingredients over it; when it is roasted make your sauce of what drops from the meat, put an anchovy in water, and when dissolved pour it into the dripping-pan with a large lump of butter and oysters: toss it up with flour to thicken it. . _to make a_ ham pie. cut the ham round, and lay it in water all night, boil it tender as you would do for eating, take off the skin, strew over it a little pepper, and bake it in a deep dish, put to it a pint of water, and half a pound of butter; you must bake it in puff-paste; but lay no paste in the bottom of the dish; when you send it to the table send it without a lid. it is proper for a top or bottom dish either summer or winter. . _to make a_ neat's tongue pie. take two or three tongues, (according as you would have your pie in bigness) cut off the roots and low parts, take two ounces of saltpetre, a little bay salt, rub them very well, lay them on an earthen dish with the skin side downwards, let them lie for a week or ten days, whilst they be very red, then boil them as tender as you would have them for eating blanch and season with a little pepper and salt, flat them as much as you can, bake them in puff paste in a deep dish, but lay no paste in the bottom, put to them a little gravy, and half a pound of butter; lay your tongues with the wrong side upwards, when they are baked turn them, and serve it up without a lid. . _to broil_ sheep or hog's tongues. boil, blanch, and split your tongues, season them with a little pepper and salt, then dip them in egg, strow over them a few bread-crumbs, and broil them whilst they be brown; serve them up with a little gravy and butter. . _to pickle_ pork. cut off the leg, shoulder pieces, the bloody neck and the spare-rib as bare as you can, then cut the middle pieces as large as they can lie in the tub, salt them with saltpetre, bay-salt, and white salt; your saltpetre must be beat small, and mix'd with the other salts; half a peck of white salt, a quart of bay-salt, and half a pound of saltpetre, is enough for a large hog; you must rub the pork very well with your salt, then lay a thick layer of salt all over the tub, then a piece of pork, and do so till all your pork is in; lay the skin side downwards, fill up all the hollows and sides of the tub with little pieces that are not bloody press all down as close as possible, and lay on a good layer of salt on the top, then lay on the legs and shoulder pieces, which must be used first, the rest will keep two years if not pulled up, nor the pickle poured from it. you must observe to see it covered with pickle. . _to fricassy_ calf's feet _white_. dress the calf's feet, boil them as you would do for eating, take out the long bones, cut them in two, and put them into a stew-pan with a little white gravy, and a spoonful or two of white wine; take the yolks of two or three eggs, two or three spoonfuls of cream, grate in a little nutmeg and salt, and shake all together with a lump of butter. garnish your dish with slices of lemon and currans, and so serve them up. . _to roll a_ pig's _head to eat like brawn_. take a large pig's head, cut off the groin ends, crack the bones and put it in water, shift it once or twice, cut off the ears, then boil it so tender that the bones will slip out, nick it with a knife in the thick part of the head, throw over it a pretty large handful of salt; take half a dozen of large neat's feet, boil them while they be soft, split them, and take out all the bones and black bits; take a strong coarse cloth, and lay the feet with the skin side downwards, with all the loose pieces in the inside; press them with your hand to make them of an equal thickness, lay them at that length that they will reach round the head, and throw over them a handful of salt, then lay the head across, one thick part one way and the other another, that the fat may appear alike at both ends; leave one foot out to lay at the top to make a lantern to reach round, bind it with filleting as you would do brawn, and tie it very close at both ends; you may take it out of the cloth the next day, take off the filleting and wash it, wrap it about again very tight, and keep it in brawn-pickle. this has been often taken for real brawn. . _how to fry_ calf's feet _in butter_. take four calf's feet and blanch them, boil them as you would do for eating, take out the large bones and cut them in two, beat a spoonful of wheat flour and four eggs together, put to it a little nutmeg, pepper and salt, dip in your calf's feet, and fry them in butter a light brown, and lay them upon your dish with a little melted butter over them. garnish with slices of lemon and serve them up. . _how to make_ savoury pattees. take the kidney of a loyn of veal before it be roasted, cut it in thin slices, season it with mace, pepper and salt, and make your pattees; lay in every patty a slice, and either bake or fry them. you may make marrow pattees the same way. . _to make_ egg pies. take and boil half a dozen eggs, half a dozen apples, a pound and a half of beef-suet, a pound of currans, and shred them, so season it with mace, nutmeg and sugar to your taste, a spoonful or two of brandy, and sweet meats, if you please. . _to make a sweet_ chicken pie. break the chicken bones, cut them in little bits, season them lightly with mace and salt, take the yolks of four eggs boiled hard and quartered, five artichoke-bottoms, half a pound of sun raisins stoned, half a pound of citron, half a pound of lemon, half a pound of marrow, a few forc'd-meat-balls, and half a pound of currans well cleaned, so make a light puff-paste, but put no paste in the bottom; when it is baked take a little white wine, a little juice of either orange or lemon, the yolk of an egg well beat, and mix them together, make it hot and put it into your pie; when you serve it up take the same ingredients you use for a lamb or veal pie, only leave out the artichokes. . _to roast_ tongues. cut off the roots of two tongues, take three ounces of saltpetre, a little bay-salt and common salt, rub them very well, let them lie a week or ten days to make them red, but not salt, so boil them tender as they will blanch, strow over them a few bread crumbs, set them before the fire to brown on every side. _to make_ sauce _for the_ tongues. take a few bread crumbs, and as much water as will wet them, then put in claret till they be red, and a little beat cinnamon, sweeten it to your taste, put a little gravy on the dish with your tongues, and the sweet sauce in two basons, set them on each side, so serve them up. . _to fry_ calf's feet _in eggs_. boil your calf's feet as you would do for eating, take out the long bones and split them in two, when they are cold season 'em with a little pepper, salt and nutmeg; take three eggs, put to them a spoonful of flour, so dip the feet in it and fry them in butter; you must have a little gravy and butter for sauce. garnish with currans, so serve them up. . _to make a_ minc'd pie _of calf's feet_. take two or three calf's feet, and boil them as you would do for eating, take out the long bones, shred them very fine, put to them double their weight of beef-suet shred fine, and about a pound of currans well cleaned, a quarter of a pound of candid orange and citron cut in small pieces, half a pound of sugar, a little salt, a quarter of an ounce of mace and a large nutmeg, beat them together, put in a little juice of lemon or verjuice to your taste, a glass of mountain wine or sack, which you please, so mix all together; bake them in puff-paste. . _to roast a_ woodcock. when you have dress'd your woodcock, and drawn it under the leg, take out the bitter bit, put in the trales again; whilst the woodcock is roasting set under it an earthen dish with either water in or small gravy, let the woodcock drop into it, take the gravy and put to it a little butter, and thicken it with flour; your woodcock will take about ten minutes roasting if you have a brisk fire; when you dish it up lay round it wheat bread toasts, and pour the sauce over the toasts, and serve it up. you may roast a partridge the same way, only add crumb sauce in a bason. . _to make a_ calf's head pie. take a calf's head and clean it, boil it as you would do for hashing, when it is cold cut it in thin slices, and season it with a little black pepper, nutmeg, salt, a few shred capers, a few oysters and cockles, two or three mushrooms, and green lemon-peel, mix them all well together, put them into your pie; it must be a standing pie baked in a flat pewter dish, with a rim of puff-paste round the edge; when you have filled the pie with the meat, lay on forc'd-meat-balls, and the yolks of some hard eggs, put in a little small gravy and butter; when it comes from the oven take off the lid, put into it a little white wine to your taste, and shake up the pie, so serve it up without lid. . _to make a_ calf's foot pie. take two or three calf's feet, according as you would have your pie in bigness, boil and bone them as you would do for eating, and when cold cut them in thin slices; take about three quarters of a pound of beef-suet shred fine, half a pound of raisins stoned, half a pound of cleaned currans, a little mace and nutmeg, green lemon-peel, salt, sugar, and candid lemon or orange, mix altogether, and put them in a dish, make a good puff-paste, but let there be no paste in the bottom of the dish; when it is baked, take off the lid, and squeeze in a little lemon or verjuice, cut the lid in sippets and lay round. . _to make a_ woodcock pie. take three or four brace of woodcocks, according as you would have the pie in bigness, dress and skewer them as you would do for roasting, draw them, and season the inside with a little pepper, salt and mace, but don't wash them, put the trales into the belly again, but nothing else, for there is something in them that gives them a more bitterish taste in the baking than in the roasting, when you put them into the dish lay them with the breast downwards, beat them upon the breast as flat as you can; you must season them on the outside as you do the inside; bake them in puff-paste, but lay none in the bottom of the dish, put to them a jill of gravy and a little butter; you must be very careful your pie be not too much baked; when you serve it up take off the lid and turn the woodcocks with the breast upwards. you may bake partridge the same way. . _to pickle_ pigeons. take your pigeons and bone them; you must begin to bone them at the neck and turn the skin downwards, when they are boned season them with pepper, salt and nutmeg, sew up both ends, and boil them in water and white wine vinegar, a few bay leaves, a little whole pepper and salt; when they are enough take them out of the pickle, and boil it down with a little more salt, when it is cold put in the pigeons and keep them for use. . _to make a sweet_ veal pie. take a loin of veal, cut off the thin part length ways, cut the rest in thin slices, as much as you have occasion for, flat it with your bill, and cut off the bone ends next the chine, season it with nutmeg and salt; take half a pound of raisins stoned, and half a pound of currans well clean'd, mix all together, and lay a few of them at the bottom of the dish, lay a layer of meat; and betwixt every layer lay on your fruit, but leave some for the top; you must make a puff-paste; but lay none in the bottom of the dish; when you have filled your pie, put in a jill of water and a little butter, when it is baked have a caudle to put into it. to make the caudle, see in receipt . . minc'd pies _another way_. take a pound of the finest seam tripes you can get, a pound and a half of currans well cleaned, two, three or four apples pared and shred very fine, a little green lemon-peel and mace shred, a large nutmeg, a glass of sack or brandy, (which you please) half a pound of sugar, and a little salt, so mix them well together, and fill your patty-pans, then stick five or six bits of candid lemon or orange in every petty-pan, cover them, and when baked they are fit for use. . _to make a savoury_ chicken pie. take half a dozen small chickens, season them with mace, pepper and salt, both inside and out; then take three or four veal sweet-breads, season them with the same, and lay round them a few forc'd-meat-balls, put in a little water and butter; take a little white sweet gravy not over strong, shred a few oysters if you have any, and a little lemon-peel, squeeze in a little lemon juice, not to make it sour; if you have no oysters take the whitest of your sweet breads and boil them, cut them small, and put them in your gravy, thicken it with a little butter and flour; when you open the pie, if there is any fat, skim it off, and pour the sauce over the chicken breasts; so serve it up without lid. . _to roast a_ hanch _of_ venison. take a hanch of venison and spit it, then take a little bread meal, knead and roll it very thin, lay it over the fat part of your venison with a paper over it, tye it round your venison, with a pack-thread; if it be a large hanch it will take four hours roasting, and a midling hanch three hours; keep it basting all the time you roast it; when you dish it up put a little gravy in the dish and sweet sauce in a bason; half an hour before you draw your venison take off the paste, baste it, and let it be a light brown. . _to make sweet_ pattees. take the kidney of a loin of veal with the fat, when roasted shred it very fine, put to it a little shred mace, nutmeg and salt, about half a pound of currans, the juice of a lemon, and sugar to your taste, then bake them in puff-paste; you may either fry or bake them. they are proper for a side-dish. . _to make_ beef-rolls. cut your beef thin as for scotch collops, beat it very well, and season it with salt, jamaica and white pepper, mace, nutmeg, sweet marjoram, parsley, thyme, and a little onion shred small, rub them on the collops on one side, then take long bits of beef-suet and roll in them, tying them up with a thread; flour them well, and fry them in butter very brown; then have ready some good gravy and stew them an hour and half, stirring them often, and keep them covered, when they are enough take off the threads, and put in a little flour, with a good lump of butter, and squeeze in some lemon, then they are ready for use. . _to make a_ herring-pie _of_ white salt herrings. take five or six salt herrings, wash them very well, lay them in a pretty quantity of water all night to take out the saltness, season them with a little black pepper, three or four middling onions pill'd and shred very fine lay one part of them at the bottom of the pie, and the other at the top; to five or six herrings put in half a pound of butter, then lay in your herrings whole, only take off the heads; make them into a standing pie with a thin crust. . _how to_ collar pig. take a large pig that is fat, about a month old, kill and dress it, cut off the head, cut it in two down the back and bone it, then cut it in three or four pieces, wash it in a little water to take out the blood: take a little milk and water just warm, put in your pig, let it lie about a day and a night, shift it two or three times in that time to make it white, then take it out and wipe it very well with a dry cloth, and season it with mace, nutmeg, pepper and salt; take a little shred of parsley and strinkle over two of the quarters, so roll them up in a fine soft cloth, tie it up at both ends, bind it tight with a little filletting or coarse inkle, and boil it in milk and water with a little salt; it will take about an hour and a half boiling; when it is enough bind it up tight in your cloth again, hang it up whilst it be cold. for the pickle boil a little milk and water, a few bay leaves and a little salt; when it is cold take your pig out of the cloths and put it into the pickle; you must shift it out of your pickle two or three times to make it white, the last pickle make strong, and put in a little whole pepper, a pretty large handful of salt, a few bay leaves, and so keep it for use. . _to_ collar salmon. take the side of a middling salmon, and cut off the head, take out all the bones and the outside, season it with mace, nutmeg, pepper and salt, roll it tight up in a cloth, boil it, and bind it up with pickle; it will take about an hour boiling; when it is boiled bind it tight again, when cold take it very carefully out of the cloth and bind it about with filleting; you must not take off the filleting but as it is eaten. _to make_ pickle _to keep it in_. take two or three quarts of water, a jill of vinegar, a little jamaica pepper and whole pepper, a large handful of salt, boil them altogether, and when it is cold put in your salmon, so keep it for use: if your pickle don't keep you must renew it. you may collar pike the same way. . _to make an_ oyster pie. take a pint of the largest oysters you can get, clean them very well in their own liquor, if you have not liquor enough, add to them three or four spoonfuls of water; take the kidney of a loin of veal, cut it in thin slices, and season it with a little pepper and salt, lay the slices in the bottom of the dish, (but there must be no paste in the bottom of the dish) cover them with the oysters, strow over a little of the seasoning as you did for the veal; take the marrow of one or two bones, lay it over your oysters and cover them with puff-paste; when it is baked take off the lid, put into it a spoonful or two of white wine, shake it up altogether, and serve it up. it is proper for a side dish, either for noon or night. . _to butter_ crab _and_ lobster. dress all the meat out of the belly and claws of your lobster, put it into a stew-pan, with two or three spoonfuls of water, a spoonful or two of white wine vinegar, a little pepper, shred mace, and a lump of butter, shake it over the stove till it be very hot, but do not let it boil, if you do it will oil; put it into your dish, and lay round it your small claws:--it is as proper to put it in scallop shells as on a dish. . _to roast a_ lobster. if your lobster be alive tie it to the spit, roast and baste it for half an hour; if it be boiled you must put it in boiling water, and let it have one boil, then lie it in a dripping-pan and baste it; when you lay it upon the dish split the tail, and lay it on each side, so serve it up with melted butter in a china cup. . _to make a_ quaking pudding. take eight eggs and beat them very well, put to them three spoonfuls of london flour, a little salt, three jills of cream, and boil it with a stick of cinnamon and a blade of mace; when it is cold mix it to your eggs and flour, butter your cloth, and do not give it over much room in your cloth; about half an hour will boil it; you must turn it in the boiling or the flour will settle, so serve it up with a little melted butter. . _a_ hunting pudding. take a pound of fine flour, a pound of beef-suet shred fine, three quarters of a pound of currans well cleaned, a quartern of raisins stoned and shred, five eggs, a little lemon-peel shred fine, half a nutmeg grated, a jill of cream, a little salt, about two spoonfuls of sugar, and a little brandy, so mix all well together, and tie it up right in your cloth; it will take two hours boiling; you must have a little white wine and butter for your sauce. . _a_ calf's-foot pudding. take two calf's feet, when they are clean'd boil them as you would for eating; take out all the bones; when they are cold shred them in a wooden bowl as small as bread crumbs; then take the crumbs of a penny loaf, three quarters of a pound of beef suet shred fine, grate in half a nutmeg, take half a pound of currans well washed, half a pound of raisins stoned and shred, half a pound of sugar, six eggs, and a little salt, mix them all together very well, with as much cream as will wet them, so butter your cloth and tie it up tight; it will take two hours boiling; you may if you please stick it with a little orange, and serve it up. . _a_ sagoo pudding. take three or four ounces of sagoo, and wash it in two or three waters, set it on to boil in a pint of water, when you think it is enough take it up, set it to cool, and take half of a candid lemon shred fine, grate in half of a nutmeg, mix two ounces of jordan almonds blanched, grate in three ounces of bisket if you have it, if not a few bread-crumbs grated, a little rose-water and half a pint of cream; then take six eggs, leave out two of the whites, beat them with a spoonful or two of sack, put them to your sagoo, with about half a pound of clarified butter, mix them all together, and sweeten it with fine sugar, put in a little salt, and bake it in a dish with a little puff-paste about the dish edge, when you serve it up you may stick a little citron or candid orange, or any sweetmeats you please. . _a_ marrow pudding. take a penny loaf, take off the outside, then cut one half in thin slices; take the marrow of two bones, half a pound of currans well cleaned, shred your marrow, and strinkle a little marrow and currans over the dish; if you have not marrow enough you may add to it a little beef-suet shred fine; take five eggs and beat them very well, put to them three jills of milk, grate in half a nutmeg, sweeten it to your taste, mix all together, pour it over your pudding, and save a little marrow to strinkle over the top of your pudding; when you send it to the oven lye a puff-paste around the dish edge. . _a_ carrot pudding. take three or four clear red carrots, boil and peel them, take the red part of the carrot, beat it very fine in a marble mortar, put to it the crumbs of a penny loaf, six eggs, half a pound of clarified butter, two or three spoonfuls of rose water, a little lemon-peel shred, grate in a little nutmeg, mix them well together, bake it with a puff-paste round your dish, and have a little white wine, butter and sugar, for the sauce. . _a_ ground rice pudding. take half a pound of ground rice, half cree it in a quart of milk, when it is cold put to it five eggs well beat, a jill of cream, a little lemon-peel shred fine, half a nutmeg grated, half a pound of butter, and half a pound of sugar, mix them well together, put them into your dish with a little salt, and bake it with a puff-paste round your dish; have a little rose-water, butter and sugar to pour over it, you may prick in it candid lemon or citron if you please. half of the above quantity will make a pudding for a side-dish. . _a_ potatoe pudding. take three or four large potatoes, boil them as you would do for eating, beat them with a little rose-water and a glass of sack in a marble mortar, put to them half a pound of sugar, six eggs, half a pound of melted butter, half a pound of currans well cleaned, a little shred lemon-peel, and candid orange, mix altogether and serve it up. . _an_ apple pudding. take half a dozen large codlins, or pippens, roast them and take out the pulp; take eight eggs, (leave out six of the whites) half a pound of fine powder sugar, beat your eggs and sugar well together, and put to them the pulp of your apples, half a pound of clarified butter, a little lemon-peel shred fine, a handful of bread crumbs or bisket, four ounces of candid orange or citron, and bake it with a thin paste under it. . _an_ orange pudding. take three large seville oranges, the clearest kind you can get, grate off the out-rhine; take eight eggs, (leave out six of the whites) half a pound of double refin'd sugar, beat and put it to your eggs, then beat them both together for half an hour; take three ounces of sweet almonds blanch'd, beat them with a spoonful or two of fair water to keep them from oiling, half a pound of butter, melt it without water, and the juice of two oranges, then put in the rasping of your oranges, and mix all together; lay a thin paste over your dish and bake it, but not in too hot an oven. . _an_ orange pudding _another way_. take half a pound of candid orange, cut them in thin slices, and beat them in a marble mortar to a pulp; take six eggs, (leave out half of the whites) half a pound of butter, and the juice of one orange; mix them together, and sweeten it with fine powder sugar, then bake it with thin paste under it. . _an_ orange pudding _another way_. take three or four seville oranges, the clearest skins you can get, pare them very thin, boil the peel in a pretty quantity of water, shift them two or three times in the boiling to take out the bitter taste; when it is boiled you must beat it very fine in a marble mortar; take ten eggs, (leave out six of the whites) three quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, beat it and put it to your eggs, beat them together for half an hour, put to them half a pound of melter butter, and the juice of two or three oranges, as they are of goodness, mix all together, and bake it with a thin paste over your dish. this will make cheese-cakes as well as a pudding. . _an_ orange pudding _another way_. take five or six seville oranges, grate them and make a hole in the top, take out all the meat, and boil the skin very tender, shifting them in the boiling to take off the bitter taste; take half a round of long bisket, slice and scald them with a little cream, beat six eggs and put to your bisket; take half a pound of currans, wash them clean, grate in half a nutmeg, put in a little salt and a glass of sack, beat all together, then put it into your orange skin, tie them tight in a piece of fine cloth, every one separate; about three quarters of an hour will boil them: you must have a little white wine, butter and sugar for sauce. . _to make an_ orange pie. take half a dozen seville oranges, chip them very fine as you would do for preserving, make a little hole in the top, and scope out all the meat, as you would do an apple, you must boil them whilst they are tender, and shift them two or three times to take off the bitter taste; take six or eight apples, according as they are in bigness, pare and slice them, and put to them part of the pulp of your oranges, and pick out the strings and pippens, put to them half a pound of fine powder sugar, so boil it up over a slow fire, as you would do for puffs, and fill your oranges with it; they must be baked in a deep delf dish with no paste under them; when you put them into your dish put under them three quarters of a pound of fine powder sugar, put in as much water as will wet your sugar, and put your oranges with the open side uppermost; it will take about an hour and half baking in a slow oven; lie over them a light puff-paste; when you dish it up take off the lid, and turn the oranges in the pie, cut the lid in sippets, and set them at an equal distance, to serve it up. . _to make a quaking_ pudding _another way_. take a pint of cream, boil it with one stick of cinnamon, take out the spice when it is boiled, then take the yolks of eight eggs, and four whites, beat them very well with some sack, and mix your eggs with the cream, a little sugar and salt, half a penny wheat loaf, a spoonful of flour, a quarter of a pound of almonds blanch'd and beat fine, beat them altogether, wet a thick cloth, flour it, and put it in when the pot boils; it must boil an hour at least; melted butter, sack and sugar is sauce for it; stick blanch'd almonds and candid orange-peel on the top, so serve it up. . _to make_ plumb porridge. take two shanks of beef, and ten quarts of water, let it boil over a slow fire till it be tender, and when the broth is strong, strain it out, wipe the pot and put in the broth again, slice in two penny loaves thin, cutting off the top and bottom, put some of the liquor to it, cover it up and let it stand for a quarter of an hour, so put it into the pot again, and let it boil a quarter of an hour, then put in four pounds of currans, and let them boil a little; then put in two pounds of raisins, and two pounds of prunes, let them boil till they swell; then put in a quarter of an ounce of mace, a few cloves beat fine, mix it with a little water, and put it into your pot; also a pound of sugar, a little salt, a quart or better of claret, and the juice of two or three lemons or verjuice; thicken it with sagoo instead of bread; so put it in earthen pots, and keep it for use. . _to make a_ palpatoon _of_ pigeons. take mushrooms, pallets, oysters and sweet-breads, fry them in butter, put all these in a strong gravy, heat them over the fire, and thicken them up with an egg and a little butter; then take six or eight pigeons, truss them as you would for baking, season them with pepper and salt, and lay on them a crust of forc'd-meat as follows, _viz._ a pound of veal cut in little bits, and a pound and a half of marrow, beat it together in a stone mortar, after it is beat very fine, season it with mace, pepper and salt, put in the yolks of four eggs, and two raw eggs, mix altogether with a few bread crumbs to a paste: make the sides and lid of your pie with it, then put your ragoo into your dish, and lay in your pigeons with butter; an hour and a half will bake it. . _to fry_ cucumbers _for mutton sauce_. you must brown some butter in a pan, and cut six middling cucumbers, pare and slice them, but not over thin, drain them from the water, then put them into the pan, when they are fried brown put to them a little pepper and salt, a lump of butter, a spoonful of vinegar, a little shred onion, and a little gravy, not to make it too thin, so shake them well together with a little flour. you may lay them round your mutton, or they are proper for a side-dish. . _to force a_ fowl. take a good fowl, pull and draw it, then slit the skin down the back, take the flesh from the bones, and mince it very well, mix it with a little beef-suet, shred a jill of large oysters, chop a shalot, a little grated bread, and some sweet herbs, mix all together, season it with nutmeg, pepper and salt, make it up with yolks of eggs, put it on the bones and draw the skin over it, sew up the back, cut off the legs, and put the bones as you do a fowl for boiling, tie the fowl up in a cloth; an hour will boil it. for sauce take a few oysters, shred them, and put them into a little gravy, with a lump of butter, a little lemon-peel shred and a little juice, thicken it up with a little flour, lie the fowl on the dish, and pour the sauce upon it; you may fry a little of the forc'd-meat to lay round. garnish your dish with lemon; you may set it in the oven if you have convenience, only rub over it the yolk of an egg and a few bread crumbs. . _to make_ strawberry _and_ rasberry fool. take a pint of rasberries, squeeze and strain the juice, with a spoonful of orange water, put to the juice six ounces of fine sugar, and boil it over the fire; then take a pint of cream and boil it, mix them all well together, and heat them over the fire, but not to boil, if it do it will curdle; stir it till it be cold, put it into your bason and keep it for use. . _to make a_ posset _with_ almonds. blanch and beat three quarters of a pound of almonds, so fine that they will spread betwixt your fingers like butter, put in water as you beat them to keep them for oiling; take a pint of sack, cherry or gooseberry wine, and sweeten it to your taste with double refin'd sugar, make it boiling hot; take the almonds, put to them a little water, and boil the wine and almonds together; take the yolks of four eggs, and beat them very well, put to them three or four spoonfuls of wine, then put it into your pan by degrees, stirring it all the while; when it begins to thicken take it off, and stir it a little, put it into a china dish, and serve it up. . _to make_ dutch-beef. take the lean part of a buttock of beef raw, rub it well with brown sugar all over, and let it lie in a pan or tray two or three hours, turning it three or four times, then salt it with common salt, and two ounces of saltpetre; let it lie a fortnight, turning it every day, then roll it very straight, and put it into a cheese press day and night, then take off the cloth and hang it up to dry in the chimney; when you boil it let it be boiled very well, it will cut in shivers like dutch beef. you may do a leg of mutton the same way. . _to make_ pullony sausages. take part of a leg of pork or veal, pick it clean from the skin or fat, put to every pound of lean meat a pound of beef-suet, pick'd from the skins, shred the meat and suet separate and very fine, mix them well together, add a large handful of green sage shred very small; season it with pepper and salt, mix it well, press it down hard in an earthen pot, and keep it for use.--when you use them roll them up with as much egg as will make them roll smooth; in rolling them up make them about the length of your fingers, and as thick as two fingers; fry them in butter, which must be boiled before you can put them in, and keep them rolling about in the pan; when they are fried through they are enough. . _to make an_ amblet _of_ cockles. take four whites and two yolks of eggs, a pint of cream, a little flour, a nutmeg grated, a little salt, and a jill of cockles, mix all together, and fry it brown. this is proper for a side-dish either for noon or night. . _to make a common quaking_ pudding. take five eggs, beat them well with a little salt, put in three spoonfuls of fine flour, take a pint of new milk and beat them well together, then take a cloth, butter and flour it, but do not give it over much room in the cloth; an hour will boil it, give it a turn every now and then at the first putting in, or else the meal will settle to the bottom; have a little plain butter for sauce, and serve it up. . _to make a boil'd_ tansey. take an old penny loaf, cut off the out crust, slice it thin, put to it as much hot cream as will wet it, six eggs well beaten, a little shred lemon-peel, grate in a little nutmeg, and a little salt; green it as you did your baked tansey, so tie it up in a cloth and boil it; it will take an hour and a quarter boiling; when you dish it up stick it with candid orange and lay a seville orange cut in quarters round the dish; serve it up with melted butter. . _a_ tansey _another way_. take an old penny loaf, cut off the out crust, slice it very thin, and put to it as much hot milk as will wet it; take six eggs, beat them very well, grate in half a nutmeg, a little shred lemon-peel, half a pound of clarified butter, half a pound of sugar, and a little salt; mix them well together. _to green your tansey_, take a handful or two of spinage, a handful of tansey, and a handful or sorrel, clean them and beat them in a marble mortar, or grind it as you would do greensauce, strain it through a linen cloth into a bason, and put into your tansey as much of the juice as will green it, pour over the sauce a little white wine, butter and sugar; lay a rim of paste round your dish and bake it; when you serve it up cut a seville orange in quarters, and lay it round the edge of the dish. . _to make_ rice pancakes. take half a pound of rice, wash and pick it clean, cree it in fair water till it be a jelly, when it is cold take a pint of cream and the yolks of four eggs, beat them very well together, and put them into the rice, with grated nutmeg and some salt, then put in half a pound of butter, and as much flour as will make it thick enough to fry, with as little butter as you can. . _to make_ fruit fritters. take a penny loaf, cut off the out crust, slice it, put to it as much hot milk as will wet it, beat five or six eggs, put to them a quarter of a pound of currans well cleaned, and a little candid orange shred fine, so mix them well together, drop them with a spoon into a stew-pan in clarified butter; have a little white wine, butter and sugar for your sauce, put it into a china bason, lay your fritters round, grate a little sugar over them, and serve them up. . _to make_ white puddings _in skins_. take half a pound of rice, cree it in milk while it be soft, when it is creed put it into a cullinder to drain; take a penny loaf, cut off the out crust, then cut it in thin slices, scald it in a little milk, but do not make it over wet; take six eggs and beat them very well, a pound of currans well cleaned, a pound of beef-suet shred fine, two or three spoonfuls of rose-water, half a pound of powder sugar, a little salt, a quarter of an ounce of mace, a large nutmeg grated, and a small stick of cinnamon; beat them together, mix them very well, and put them into the skins; if you find it be too thick put to it a little cream; you may boil them near half an hour, it will make them keep the better. . _to make_ black puddings. take two quarts of whole oatmeal, pick it and half boil it, give it room in your cloth, (you must do it the day before you use it) put it into the blood while it is warm, with a handful of salt, stir it very well, beat eight or nine eggs in about a pint of cream, and a quart of bread-crumbs, a handful or two of maslin meal dress'd through a hair-sieve, if you have it, if not put in wheat flour; to this quantity you may put an ounce of jamaica pepper, and ounce of black pepper, a large nutmeg, and a little more salt, sweet-marjoram and thyme, if they be green shred them fine, if dry rub them to powder, mix them well together, and if it be too thick put to it a little milk; take four pounds of beef-suet, and four pounds of lard, skin and cut it it think pieces, put it into your blood by handfuls, as you fill your puddings; when they are filled and tied prick them with a pin, it will keep them from bursting in the boiling; (you must boil them twice) cover them close and it will make them black. . _an_ orange pudding _another way_. take two seville oranges, the largest and cleanest you can get, grate off the outer skin with a clean grater; take eight eggs, (leave out two of the whites) half a pound of loaf sugar, beat it very fine, put it to your eggs, and beat them for an hour, put to them half a pound of clarified butter, and four ounces of almonds blanch'd, and heat them with a little rose-water; put in the juice of the oranges, but mind you don't put in the pippens, and mix together; bake it with a thin paste over the bottom of the dish. it must be baked in a slow oven. . _to make_ apple fritters. take four eggs and beat them very well, put to them four spoonfuls of fine flour, a little milk, about a quarter of a pound of sugar, a little nutmeg and salt, so beat them very well together; you must not make it very thin, if you do it will not stick to the apple; take a middling apple and pare it, cut out the core, and cut the rest in round slices about the thickness of a shilling; (you may take out the core after you have cut it with your thimble) have ready a little lard in a stew-pan, or any other deep pan; then take your apple every slice single, and dip it into your bladder, let your lard be very hot, so drop them in; you must keep them turning whilst enough, and mind that they be not over brown; as you take them out lay them on a pewter dish before the fire whilst you have done; have a little white wine, butter and sugar for the sauce; grate over them a little loaf sugar, and serve them up. . _to make an_ herb pudding. take a good quantity of spinage and parsley, a little sorrel and mild thyme, put to them a handful of great oatmeal creed, shred them together till they be very small, put to them a pound of currans, well washed and cleaned, four eggs well beaten in a jill of good cream; if you wou'd have it sweet, put in a quarter of a pound of sugar, a little nutmeg, a little salt, and a handful of grated bread; then meal your cloth and tie it close before you put it in to boil; it will take as much boiling as a piece of beef. . _to make a_ pudding _for a_ hare. take the liver and chop it small with some thyme, parsley, suet, crumbs of bread mixt, with grated nutmeg, pepper, salt, an egg, a little fat bacon and lemon-peel; you must make the composition very stiff, lest it should dissolve, and you lose your pudding. . _to make a_ bread pudding. take three jills of milk, when boiled, take a penny loaf sliced thin, cut off the out crust, put on the boiling milk, let it stand close covered till it be cold, and beat it very well till all the lumps be broke; take five eggs beat very well, grate in a little nutmeg, shred some lemon-peel, and a quarter of a pound of butter or beef-suet, with as much sugar as will sweeten it; and currans as many as you please; let them be well cleaned; so put them into your dish, and bake or boil it. . _to make_ clare pancakes. take five or six eggs, and beat them very well with a little salt, put to them two or three spoonfuls of cream, a spoonful of fine flour, mix it with a little cream; take your clare and wash it very clean, wipe it with a cloth, put your eggs into a pan, just to cover your pan bottom, lay the clare in leaf by leaf, whilst you have covered your pan all over; take a spoon, and pour over every leaf till they are all covered; when it is done lay the brown side upwards, and serve it up. . _to make a_ liver pudding. take a pound of grated bread, a pound of currans, a pound and a half of marrow and suet together cut small, three quarters of a pound of sugar, half an ounce of cinnamon, a quarter of an ounce of mace, a pint of grated liver, and some salt, mix all together; take twelve eggs, (leave out half of the whites) beat them well, put to them a pint of cream, make the eggs and cream warm, then put it to the pudding, stuff and stir it well together, so fill them in skins; put to them a few blanch'd almonds shred fine, and a spoonful or two of rose-water, so keep them for use. . _to make_ oatmeal fritters. boil a quart of new milk, steep a pint of fine flour or oatmeal in it ten or twelve hours, then beat four eggs in a little milk, so much as will make like thick blatter, drop them in by spoonfuls into fresh butter, a spoonful of butter in a cake, and grate sugar over them; have sack, butter and sugar for sauce. . _to make_ apple dumplings. take half a dozen codlins, or any other good apples, pare and core them, make a little cold butter paste, and roll it up about the thickness of your finger, so lap around every apple, and tie them single in a fine cloth, boil them in a little salt and water, and let the water boil before you put them in; half an hour will boil them; you must have for sauce a little white wine and butter; grate some sugar round the dish, and serve them up. . _to make_ herb dumplings. take a penny loaf, cut off the out crust, and the rest in slices, put to it as much hot milk as will just wet it, take the yolks and whites of six eggs, beat them with two spoonfuls of powder sugar, half a nutmeg, and a little salt, so put it to your bread; take half a pound of currans well cleaned, put them to your eggs, then take a handful of the mildest herbs you can get, gather them so equal that the taste of one be not above the other, wash and chop them very small, put as many of them in as will make a deep green, (don't put any parsley among them, nor any other strong herb) so mix them all together, and boil them in a cloth, make them about the bigness of middling apples; about half an hour will boil them; put them into your dish, and have a little candid orange, white wine, butter and sugar for sauce, so serve them up. . _to make_ marrow tarts. to a quart of cream put the yolks of twelve eggs, half a pound of sugar, some beaten mace and cinnamon, a little salt and some sack, set it on the fire with half a pound of biskets, as much marrow, a little orange-peel and lemon-peel; stir it on the fire till it becomes thick, and when it is cold put it into a dish with puff-paste, then bake it gently in a slow oven. . _to make_ plain fruit dumplings. take as much flour as you would have dumplings in quantity, put it to a spoonful of sugar, a little salt, a little nutmeg, a spoonful of light yeast, and half a pound of currans well washed and cleaned, so knead them the stiffness you do a common dumpling, you must have white wine, sugar and butter for sauce; you may boil them either in a cloth or without; so serve them up. . _to make_ oyster loaves. take half a dozen french loaves, rasp them and make a hole at the top, take out all the crumbs and fry them in butter till they be crisp; when your oysters are stewed, put them into your loaves, cover them up before the fire to keep hot whilst you want them; so serve them up. they are proper either for a side-dish or mid-dish. you may make cockle loaves or mushroom-loaves the same way. . _to make a_ gooseberry pudding. take a quart of green gooseberries, pick, coddle, bruise and rub them through a hair-sieve to take out the pulp; take six spoonfuls of the pulp, six eggs, three quarters of a pound of sugar, half a pound of clarified butter, a little lemon-peel shred fine, a handful of bread-crumbs or bisket, a spoonful of rose-water or orange-flower water; mix these well together, and bake it with paste round the dish; you may add sweetmeats if you please. . _to make an_ eel pie. case and clean the eels, season them with a little nutmeg, pepper and salt, cut them in long pieces; you must make your pie with hot butter paste, let it be oval with a thin crust; lay in your eels length way, putting over them a little fresh butter; so bake them. eel pies are good, and eat very well with currans, but if you put in currans you must not use any black pepper, but a little jamaica pepper. . _to make a_ turbot-head pie. take a middling turbot-head, pretty well cut off, wash it clean, take out the gills, season it pretty well with mace, pepper and salt, so put it into a deep dish with half a pound of butter, cover it with a light puff-paste, but lay none in the bottom; when it is baked take out the liquor and the butter that it was baked in, put it into a sauce-pan with a lump of fresh butter and flour to thicken it, with an anchovy and a glass of white wine, so pour it into your pie again over the fish; you may lie round half a dozen yolks of eggs at an equal distance; when you have cut off the lid, lie it in sippets round your disk, and serve it up. . _to make a caudle for a sweet_ veal pie. take about a jill of white wine and verjuice mixed, make it very hot, beat the yolk of an egg very well, and then mix them together as you would do mull'd ale; you must sweeten it very well, because there is no sugar in the pie. this caudle will do for any other sort of pie that is sweet. . _to make_ sweet-meat tarts. make a little shell-paste, roll it, and line your tins, prick them in the inside, and so bake them; when you serve 'em up put in any sort of sweet-meats, what you please. you may have a different sort every day, do but keep your shells bak'd by you. . _to make_ orange tarts. take two or three seville oranges and boil them, shift them in the boiling to take out the bitter, cut them in two, take out the pippens, and cut them in slices; they must be baked in crisp paste; when you fill the petty-pans, lay in a layer of oranges and a layer of sugar, (a pound will sweeten a dozen of small tins, if you do not put in too much orange) bake them in a slow oven, and ice them over. . _to make a_ tansey _another way_. take a pint of cream, some biskets without seeds, two or three spoonfuls of fine flour, nine eggs, leaving out two of the whites, some nutmeg, and orange-flower water, a little juice of tansey and spinage, put it into a pan till it be pretty thick, then fry or bake it, if fried take care that you do not let it be over-brown. garnish with orange and sugar, so serve it up. . _a good_ paste _for_ tarts. take a pint of flour, and rub a quarter of a pound of butter into it, beat two eggs with a spoonful of double-refin'd sugar, and two or three spoonfuls of cream to make it into paste; work it as little as you can, roll it out thin; butter your tins, dust on some flour, then lay in your paste, and do not fill them too full. . _to make_ transparent tarts. take a pound of flour well dried, beat one egg till it be very thin, then melt almost three quarters of a pound of butter without salt, and let it be cold enough to mix with an egg, then put it into the flour and make your paste, roll it very thin, when you are setting them into the oven wet them over with a little fair water, and grate a little sugar; if you bake them rightly they will be very nice. . _to make a_ shell paste. take half a pound of fine flour, and a quarter of a pound of butter, the yolks of two eggs and one white, two ounces of sugar finely sifted, mix all these together with a little water, and roll it very thin whilst you can see through it; when you lid your tarts prick them to keep them from blistering; make sure to roll them even, and when you bake them ice them. . _to make_ paste _for_ tarts. take the yolks of five or six eggs, just as you would have paste in quantity; to the yolks of eggs put a pound of butter, work the butter with your hands whilst it take up all the eggs, then take some london flour and work it with your butter whilst it comes to a paste, put in about two spoonfuls of loaf sugar beat and sifted, and about half a jill of water; when you have wrought it well together it is fit for use. this is a paste that seldom runs if it be even roll'd; roll it thin but let your lids be thiner than your bottoms; when you have made your tarts, prick them over with a pin to keep it from blistering; when you are going to put them into the oven, wet them over with a feather dipt in fair water, and grate over them a little double-refined loaf sugar, it will ice them; but don't let them be bak'd in a hot oven. . _a short_ paste _for_ tarts. take a pound of wheat-flour, and rub it very small, three quarters of a pound of butter, rub it as small as the flour, put to it three spoonfuls of loaf sugar beat and sifted; take the yolks of four eggs, and beat them very well; put to them a spoonful or two of rose-water, and work them into a paste, then roll them thin, and ice them as you did the other if you please, and bake 'em in a slow oven. . _to make a_ light paste _for a_ venison pasty, _or other_ pie. take a quarter of a peck of fine flour, or as much as you think you have occasion for, and to every quartern of flour put a pound and a quarter of butter, break the third part of your butter into the flour; then take the whites of three or four eggs, beat them very well to a froth, and put to them as much water as will knead the meal; do not knead it over stiff, so then roll it in the rest of your butter; you must roll it five or six times over at least, and strinkle a little flour over your butter every time you roll it up, lap it up the cross way, and it will be fit for use. . _to make a paste for a_ standing pie. take a quartern of flour or more if you have occasion, and to every quartern of flour put a pound of butter, and a little salt, knead it with boiling water, then work it very well, and let it lie whilst it is cold. this paste is good enough for a goose pie, or any other standing-pie. . _a light paste for a_ dish pie. take a quartern of flour, and break into it a pound of butter in large pieces, knead it very stiff, handle it as lightly as you can, and roll it once or twice, then it is fit for use. . _to make_ cheese cakes. take a gallon of new milk, make of it a tender curd, wring the whey from it, put it into a bason, and break three quarters of a pound of butter into the curd, then with a clean hand work the butter and curd together till all the butter be melted, and rub it in a hair-sieve with the back of spoon till all be through; then take six eggs, beat them with a few spoonfuls of rose-water or sack, put it into your curd with half a pound of fine sugar and a nutmeg grated; mix them all together with a little salt, some currans and almonds; then make up your paste of fine flour, with cold butter and a little sugar; roll your paste very thin, fill your tins with the curd, and set them in an oven, when they are almost enough take them out, then take a quarter of a pound of butter, with a little rose-water, and part of a half pound of sugar, let it stand on the coals till the butter be melted, then pour into each cake some of it, set them in the oven again till they be brown, so keep them for use. . _to make_ goofer wafers. take a pound of fine flour and six eggs, beat them very well, put to them about a jill of milk, mix it well with the flour, put in half a pound of clarified butter, half a pound of powder sugar, half of a nutmeg, and a little salt; you may add to it two or three spoonfuls of cream; then take your goofer-irons and put them into the fire to heat, when they are hot rub them over the first time with a little butter in a cloth, put your batter into one side of your goofer-irons, put them into the fire, and keep turning the irons every now and then; (if your irons be too hot they burn soon) make them a day or two before you use them, only set them down before the fire on a pewter dish before you serve them up; have a little white wine and butter for your sauce, grating some sugar over them. . _to make common_ curd cheese cakes. take a pennyworth of curds, mix them with a little cream, beat four eggs, put to them six ounces of clarified butter, a quarter of a pound of sugar, half a pound of currans well wash'd, and a little lemon-peel shred, a little nutmeg, a spoonful of rose-water or brandy, whether you please, and a little salt, mix altogether, and bake them in small petty pans. . cheese cakes _without_ currans. take five quarts of new milk, run it to a tender curd, then hang it in a cloth to drain, rub into them a pound of butter that is well washed in rose-water, put to it the yolks of seven or eight eggs, and two of the whites; season it with cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. . _to make a_ curd pudding. take three quarts of new milk, put to it a little erning, as much as will break it when it is scumm'd break it down with your hand, and when it is drained grind it with a mustard ball in a bowl, or beat it in a marble-mortar; then take half a pound of butter and six eggs, leaving out three of the whites; beat the eggs well, and put them into the curds and butter, grate in half a nutmeg, a little lemon-peel shred fine, and salt, sweeten it to your taste, beat them all together, and bake them in little petty-pans with fast bottoms; a quarter of an hour will bake them; you must butter the tins very well before you put them in; when you dish them up you must lay them the wrong side upwards on the dish, and stick them with either blanch'd almonds, candid orange, or citron cut in long bits, and grate a little loaf sugar over them. . _to make a_ slipcoat cheese. take five quarts of new-milk, a quart of cream, and a quart of water, boil your water, then put your cream to it; when your milk is new-milk warm put in your erning, take your curd into the strainer, break it as little as you can, and let it drain, then put it into your vat, press it by degrees, and lay it in grass. . _to make_ cream cheese. take three quarts of new-milk, one quart of cream, and a spoonful of erning, put them together, let it stand till it come to the hardness of a strong jelly, then put it into the mould, shifting it often into dry cloths, lay the weight of three pounds upon it, and about two hours after you may lay six or seven pounds upon it; turn it often into dry cloths till night, then take the weight off, and let it lie in the mould without weight and cloth till morning, and when it is so dry that it doth not wet a cloth, keep it in greens till fit for use; if you please you may put a little salt into it. . _to make_ pike _eat like_ sturgeon. take the thick part of a large pike and scale it, set on two quarts of water to boil it in, put in a jill of vinegar, a large handful of salt, and when it boils put in your pike, but first bind it about with coarse inkle; when it is boiled you must not take off the inkle or baising, but let it be on all the time it is in eating; it must be kept in the same pickle it was boiled in, and if you think it be not strong enough you must add a little more salt and vinegar, so when it is cold put it upon your pike, and keep it for use; before you boil the pike take out the bone. you may do scate the same way, and in my opinion it eats more like sturgeon. . _to collar_ eels. take the largest eels you can get, skin and split them down the belly, take out the bones, season them with a little mace, nutmeg and salt; begin at the tail and roll them up very tight, so bind them up in a little coarse inkle, boil it in salt and water, a few bay leaves, a little whole pepper, and a little alegar or vinegar; it will take an hour boiling, according as your roll is in bigness; when it is boiled you must tie it and hang it up whilst it be cold, then put it into the liquor that it was boiled in, and keep it for use. if your eels be small you may robe two or three of them together. . _to pot_ smelts. take the freshest and largest smelts you can get, wipe them very well with a clean cloth, take out the guts with a skewer, (but you must not take out the milt and roan) season them with a little mace, nutmeg and salt, so lie them in a flat pot; if you have two score you must lay over them five ounces of butter; lie over them a paper, and set them in a slow oven; if it be over hot it will burn them, and make them look black; an hour will bake them; when they are baked you must take them out and lay them on a dish to drain, and when they are drained you must put them in long pots about the length of your smelts; when you lay them in you must put betwixt every layer the same seasoning as you did before, to make them keep; when they are cold cover them over with clarified butter, so keep them for use. . _to pickle_ smelts. take the best and largest smelts you can get; gut, wash and wipe them, lie them in a flat pot, cover them with a little white wine vinegar, two or three blades of mace and a little pepper and salt; bake them in a slow oven, and keep them for use. . _to stew a_ pike. take a large pike, scale and clean it, season it in the belly with a little mace and salt; skewer it round, put it into a deep stew-pan, with a pint of small gravy and a pint of claret, two or thee blades of mace, set it over a stove with a slow fire, and cover it up close; when it is enough take part of the liquor, put to it two anchovies, a little lemon-peel shred fine, and thicken the sauce with flour and butter; before you lie the pike on the dish turn it with the back upwards, take off the skin, and serve it up. garnish your dish with lemon and pickle. . sauce _for a_ pike. take a little of the liquor that comes from the pike when you take it out of the oven, put to it two or three anchovies, a little lemon-peel shred, a spoonful or two of white wine, or a little juice of lemon, which you please, put to it some butter and flour, make your sauce about the thickness of cream, put it into a bason or silver-boat, and set in your dish with your pike, you may lay round your pike any sort of fried fish, or broiled, if you have it; you may have the same sauce for a broiled pike, only add a little good gravy, a few shred capers, a little parsley, and a spoonful or two of oyster and cockle pickle if you have it. . _how to roast a_ pike _with a pudding in the belly_. take a large pike, scale and clean it, draw it at the gills.--_to make a pudding for the pike_. take a large handful of bread-crumbs, as much beef-suet shred fine, two eggs, a little pepper and salt, a little grated nutmeg, a little parsley, sweet-marjoram and lemon-peel shred fine; so mix altogether, put it into the belly of your pike, skewer it round and lie it in an earthen dish with a lump of butter over it, a little salt and flour, so set it in the oven; an hour will roast it. . _to dress a_ cod's head. take a cod's head, wash and clean it, take out the gills, cut it open, and make it to lie flat; (if you have no conveniency of boiling it you may do it in an oven, and it will be as well or better) put it into a copper-dish or earthen one, lie upon it a littler butter, salt, and flour, and when it is enough take off the skin. sauce _for the_ cod's head. take a little white gravy, about a pint of oysters or cockles, a little shred lemon-peel, two or three spoonfuls of white wine, and about half a pound of butter thicken'd with flour, and put it into your boat or bason. _another_ sauce _for a_ cod's head. take a pint of good gravy, a lobster or crab, which you can get, dress and put it into your gravy with a little butter, juice of lemon, shred lemon-peel, and a few shrimps if you have them; thicken it with a little flour, and put it into your bason, set the oysters on one side of the dish and this on the other; lay round the head boiled whitings, or any fried fish; pour over the head a little melted butter. garnish your dish with horse-radish, slices of lemon and pickles. . _to stew_ carp _or_ tench. take your carp or tench and wash them, scale the carp but not the tench, when you have cleaned them wipe them with a cloth, and fry them in a frying pan with a little butter to harden the skin; before you put them into the stew-pan, put to them a little good gravy, the quantity will be according to the largeness of your fish, with a jill of claret, three or four anchovies at least, a little shred lemon-peel, a blade or two of mace, let all stew together, till your carp be enough, over a slow fire; when it is enough take part of the liquor, put to it half a pound of butter, and thicken it with a little flour; so serve them up. garnish your dish with crisp parsley, slices of lemon and pickles. if you have not the convenience of stewing them, you may broil them before a fire, only adding the same sauce. . _how to make_ sauce _for a boiled_ salmon _or_ turbot. take a little mild white gravy, two or three anchovies, a spoonful of oyster or cockle pickle, a little shred lemon-peel, half a pound of butter, a little parsley and fennel shred small, and a little juice of lemon, but not too much, for fear it should take off the sweetness. . _to make_ sauce _for_ haddock _or_ cod, _either broiled or boiled_. take a little gravy, a few cockles, oysters or mushrooms, put to them a little of the gravy that comes from the fish, either broiled or boiled, it will do very well if you have no other gravy, a little catchup and a lump of butter; if you have neither oysters nor cockles you may put in an anchovy or two, and thicken with flour; you may put in a few shred capers, or a little mango, if you have it. . _to stew_ eels. take your eels, case, clean and skewer them round, put them into a stew-pan with a little good gravy, a little claret to redden the gravy, a blade or two of mace, an anchovy, and a little lemon-peel; when they are enough thicken them with a little flour and butter. garnish your dish with parsley. . _to pitch-cock_ eels. take your eels, case and clean them, season them with nutmeg, pepper and salt, skewer them round, broil them before the fire, and baste them with a little butter; when they are almost enough strinkle them over with a little shred parsley, and make your sauce of a little gravy, butter, anchovy, and a little oyster pickle if you have it; don't pour the sauce over your eels, put it into a china bason, and set it in the middle of your dish. garnish with crisp parsley, and serve them up. . _to boil_ herrings. take your herring, scale and wash them, take out the milt and roan, skewer them round, and tie them with a string or else they will come loose in the boiling and be spoil'd; set on a pretty broad stew-pan, with as much water as will cover them, put to it a little salt, lie in you herrings with the backs downwards boil with them the milt and roans to lie round them; they will boil in half a quarter of an hour over a slow fire; when they are boiled take them up with an egg slice, so turn them over and set them to drain. make your sauce of a little gravy and butter, an anchovy and a little boiled parsley shred; put it into the bason, set it in the middle of the dish, lie the herrings round with their tails towards the bason, and lie the milts and roans between every herring. garnish with crisp parsley and lemon; so serve them up. . _to fry_ herrings. scale and wash your herrings clean, strew over them a little flour and salt; let your butter be very hot before you put your herrings into the pan, then shake them to keep them stirring, and fry them over a brisk fire; when they are fried cut off the heads and bruise them, put to them a jill of ale, (but the ale must not be bitter) add a little pepper and salt, a small onion or shalot, if you have them, and boil them altogether; when they are boiled, strain them, and put them into your sauce-pan again, thicken them with a little flour and butter, put it into a bason, and set it in the middle of your dish; fry the milts and roans together, and lay round your herrings. garnish your dish with crisp parsley, and serve it up. . _to pickle_ herrings. scale and clean your herrings, take out the milts and roans, and skewer them round, season them with a little pepper and salt, put them in a deep pot, cover them with alegar, put to them a little whole jamaica pepper, and two or three bay leaves; bake them and keep them for use. . _to stew_ oysters. take a score or two of oysters, according as you have occasion, put them into a small stew-pan, with a few bread-crumbs, a little water, shred mace and pepper, a lump of butter, and a spoonful of vinegar, (not to make it four) boil them altogether but not over much, if you do it makes them hard. garnish with bread fippets, and serve them up. . _to fry_ oysters. take a score or two of the largest oysters you can get, and the yolks of four or five eggs, beat them very well, put to them a little nutmeg, pepper and salt, a spoonful of fine flour, and a little raw parsley shred, so dip in your oysters, and fry them in butter a light brown. they are very proper to lie about either stew'd oysters, or any other fish, or made dishes. . oysters _in_ scallop shells. take half a dozen small scallop shells, lay in the bottom of every shell a lump of butter, a few bread crumbs, and then your oysters; laying over them again a few more bread crumbs, a little butter, and a little beat pepper, so set them to crisp, either in the oven or before the fire, and serve them up. they are proper for either a side-dish or middle-dish. _to keep_ herrings _all the year_. take fresh herrings, cut off their heads, open and wash them very clean, season them with salt, black pepper, and jamaica pepper, put them into a pot, cover them with white wine vinegar and water, of each an equal quantity, and set them in a slow oven to bake; tie the pot up close and they will keep a year in the pickle. . _to make artificial_ sturgeon _another way_. take out the bones of a turbot or britt, lay it in salt twenty four hours, boil it with good store of salt; make your pickle of white wine vinegar and three quarts of water, boil them, and put in a little vinegar in the boiling; don't boil it over much, if you do it will make it soft; when 'tis enough take it out till it be cold, put the same pickle to it, and keep it for use. . _to stew_ mushrooms. take mushrooms, and clean them, the buttons you may wash, but the flaps you must pill both inside and out; when you have cleaned them, pick out the little ones for pickling, and cut the rest in pieces for stewing; wash them and put them into a little water, give them a boil and it will take off the faintness, so drain from them all the water, then put them into a pan with a lump of butter, a little shred mace, pepper and salt to your taste (putting them to a little water) hang them over a slow fire for half an hour, when they are enough thicken them with a little flour; serve them up with sippets. . _to make_ almond puffs. take a pound of almonds blanch'd, and beat them with orange-flower water, then take a pound of sugar, and boil them almost to a candy height, put in your almonds and stir them on the fire, keep them stirring till they be stiff, then take them off the fire and stir them till they be cold; beat them a quarter of an hour in a mortar, putting to them a pound of sugar sifted, and a little lemon-peel grated, make it into a paste with the whites of three eggs, and beat it into a froth more or less as you think proper; bake them in an oven almost cold, and keep them for use. . _to pot_ mushrooms. take the largest mushrooms, scrape and clean them, put them into your pan with a lump of butter, and a little salt, let then stew over a slow fire whilst they are enough, put to them a little mace and whole pepper, then dry them with a cloth, and put them down into a pot as close as you can, and as you lie them down strinkle in a little salt and mace, when they are cold cover them over with butter; when you use them toss them up with gravy, a few bread-crumbs and butter; do not make your pot over large, but rather put them into two pots; they will keep the better if you take the gravy from them when they are stewed. they are good for fish-sauce, or any other whilst they are fresh. . _to fry_ trout, _or any other sort of fish_. take two or three eggs, more or less according as you have fish to fry, take the fish and cut it in thin slices, lie it upon a board, rub the eggs over it with a feather, and strow on a little flour and salt, fry it in fine drippings or butter, let the drippings be very hot before you put in the fish, but do not let it burn, if you do it will make the fish black; when the fish is in the pan, you may do the other side with the egg, and as you fry it lay it to drain before the fire till all be fried, then it is ready for use. . _to make_ sauce _for_ salmon _or_ turbot. boil your turbot or salmon, and set it to drain; take the gravy that drains from the salmon or turbot, an anchovy or two, a little lemon-peel shred, a spoonful of catchup, and a little butter, thicken it with flour the thickness of cream, put to it a little shred parsley and fennel; but do not put in your parsley and fennel till you be just going to send it up, for it will take off the green. the gravy of all sorts of fish is a great addition to your sauce, if the fish be sweet. . _to dress_ cod's zoons. lie them in water all night, and then boil them, if they be salt shift them once in the boiling, when they are tender cut them in long pieces, dress them up with eggs as you do salt fish, take one or two of them and cut into square pieces, dip them in egg and fry them to lay round your dish. it is proper to lie about any other dish. . _to make_ solomon gundy _to eat in lent_ take five or six white herrings, lay them in water all night, boil them as soft as you would do for eating, and shift them in the boiling to take out the saltness; when they are boiled take the fish from the bone, and mind you don't break the bone in pieces, leaving on the head and tail; take the white part of the herrings, a quarter of a pound of anchovies, a large apple, a little onion shred fine, or shalot, and a little lemon-peel, shred them all together, and lie them over the bones on both sides, in the shape of a herring; then take off the peel of a lemon very very thin, and cut it in long bits, just as it will reach over the herrings; you must lie this peel over every herring pretty thick. garnish your dish with a few pickled oysters, capers, and mushrooms, if you have any; so serve them up. . soloman gundy _another way_. take the white part of a turkey, or other fowl, if you have neither, take a little white veal and mince it pretty small; take a little hang beef or tongues, scrape them very fine, a few shred capers, and the yolks of four or five eggs shred small; take a delf dish and lie a delf plate in the dish with the wrong side up, so lie on your meat and other ingredients, all single in quarters, one to answer another; set in the middle a large lemon or mango, so lie round your dish anchovies in lumps, picked oysters or cockles, and a few pickled mushrooms, slices of lemon and capers; so serve it up. this is proper for a side-dish either at noon or night. . _to make_ lemon cheese cakes. blanch half a pound of almonds, and beat them in a stone mortar very fine, with a little rose-water; put in eight eggs, leaving out five of the whites; take three quarters of a pound of sugar, and three quarters of a pound of melted butter, beat all together, then take three lemon-skins, boiled tender, the rind and all, beat them very well, and mix them with the rest, then put them into your paste. you may make a lemon-pudding the same way, only add the juice of half a lemon: before you set them in the oven, grate over them a little fine loaf sugar. . _to make white_ ginger bread. take a little gum-dragon, lay it in rose-water all night, then take a pound of jordan almonds blanch'd with a little of the gum-water, a pound of double-refined sugar beat and sifted, an ounce of cinnamon beat with a little rose-water, work it into a paste and print it, then set it in a stove to dry. . _to make red_ ginger bread. take a quart and a jill of red wine, a jill and a half of brandy, seven or eight manshets, according to the size the bread is, grate them, (the crust must be dried, beat and sifted) three pounds and a half of sugar beat and sifted, two ounces of cinnamon, and two ounces of ginger beat and sifted, a pound of almonds blanched and beat with rose-water, put the bread into the liquor by degrees, stirring it all the time, when the bread is all well mix'd take it off the fire; you must put the sugar, spices, and almonds into it, when it is cold print it; keep some of the spice to dust the prints with. . _to make a_ great cake. take five pounds of fine flour, (let it be dried very well before the fire) and six pounds of currans well dress'd and rub'd in cloths after they are wash'd, set them in a sieve before the fire; you must weigh your currans after they are cleaned, then take three quarters of an ounce of mace, two large nutmegs beaten and mix'd amongst the flour, and pound of powder sugar, and pound of citron, and a pound of candid orange, (cut your citron and orange in pretty large pieces) and a pound of almonds cut in three or four pieces long way; then take sixteen eggs, leaving out half of the whites, beat your sugar and eggs for half an hour with a little salt; take three jills of cream, and three pounds and a half of butter, melt your butter with part of the cream for fear it should be too hot, put in between a jack and a jill of good brandy, a quart of light yeast, and the rest of the cream, mix all your liquors together about blood-warm, make a hole in the middle of your flour, and put in the liquids, cover it half an hour and let it stand to rise, then put in your currans and mix all together; butter your hoop, tie a paper three fold, and put it at the bottom in your hoop; just when they are ready to set in the oven, put the cake into your hoop at three times; when you have laid a little paste at the bottom, lay in part of your sweet-meats and almonds, then put in a little paste over them again, and the rest of your sweet-meats and almonds, and set it in a quick oven; two hours will bake it. . _to make_ iceing _for this_ cake. take two pounds of double-refined sugar, beat it, and sift it through a fine sieve; put to it a spoonful of fine starch, a pennyworth of gum-arabic, beat them all well together; take the whites of four or five eggs, beat them well, and put to them a spoonful of rose-water, or orange-flower water, a spoonful of the juice of lemon, beat them with the whites of your eggs, and put in a little to your sugar till you wet it, then beat them for two hours whilst your cake is baking; if you make it over thin it will run; when you lie it on your cake you must lie it on with a knife; if you would have the iceing very thick, you must add a little more sugar; wipe off the loose currans before you put on the iceing, and put it into the oven to harden the iceing. . _to make a_ plumb cake. take five pounds of flour dried and cold, mix to it an ounce of mace, half an ounce of cinnamon, a quarter of an ounce of nutmegs, half a quarter of an ounce of lemon-peel grated, and a pound of fine sugar; take fifteen eggs, leaving out seven of the whites, beat your eggs with half a jill of brandy or sack, a little orange-flower water, or rose water; then put to your eggs near a quart of light yeast, set it on the fire with a quart of cream, and three pounds of butter, let your butter melt in the cream, so let it stand till new milk warm, then skim off all the butter and most of the milk, and mix it to your eggs and yeast; make a hole in the middle of your flour, and put in your yeast, strinkle at the tip a little flour, then mix to it a little salt, six pounds of currans well wash'd clean'd, dry'd, pick'd, and plump'd by the fire, a pound of the best raisins stoned, and beat them altogether whilst they leave the bowl; put in a pound of candid orange, and half a pound of citron cut in long pieces; then butter the garth and fill it full; bake it in a quick oven, against it be enough have an iceing ready. . _to make a_ carraway cake. take eighteen eggs, leave out half of the whites, and beat them; take two pounds of butter, wash the butter clear from milk and salt, put to it a little rose-water, and wash your butter very well with your hands till it take up all the eggs, then mix them in half a jack of brandy and sack; grate into your eggs a lemon rind; put in by degrees (a spoonful at a time) two pounds of fine flour, a pound and a half of loaf sugar, that is sifted and dry; when you have mixed them very well with your hands, take a thible and beat it very well for half an hour, till it look very white, then mix to it a few seeds, six ounces of carraway comfits, and half a pound of citron and candid orange; then beat it well, butter your garth, and put it in a quick oven. . _to make_ cakes _to keep all the year_. have in readiness a pound and four ounces of flour well dried, take a pound of butter unsalted, work it with a pound of white sugar till it cream, three spoonfuls of sack, and the rind of an orange, boil it till it is not bitter, and beat it with sugar, work these together, then clean your hands, and grate a nutmeg into your flour, put in three eggs and two whites, mix them well, then with a paste-pin or thible stir in your flour to the butter, make them up into little cakes, wet the top with sack and strow on fine sugar; bake them on buttered papers, well floured, but not too much; you may add a pound of currans washed and warmed. . _to make_ shrewsberry cakes. take two pounds of fine flour, put to it a pound and a quarter of butter (rub them very well) a pound and a quarter of fine sugar sifted, grate in a nutmeg, beat in three whites of eggs and two yolks, with a little rose-water, and so knead your paste with it, let it lay an hour, then make it up into cakes, prick them and lay them on papers, wet them with a feather dipt in rose-water, and grate over them a little fine sugar; bake them in a slow oven, either on tins or paper. . _to make a fine_ cake. take five pounds of fine flour dried, and keep it warm; four pounds of loaf sugar pounded, sifted and warmed; five pounds of currans well cleaned and warmed before the fire; a pound and a half of almonds blanch'd beat, dried, slit and kept warm; five pounds of good butter well wash'd and beat from the water; then work it an hour and a half till it comes to a fine cream; put to the butter all the sugar, work it up, and then the flour, put in a pint of brandy, then all the whites and yolks of the eggs, mix all the currans and almonds with the rest. there must be four pounds of eggs in weight in the shells, the yolks and the whites beat and separated, the whites beat to a froth; you must not cease beating till they are beat to a curd, to prevent oiling; to the quantity of a cake put a pound and a half of orange-peel and citron shred, without plumbs, and half a pound of carraway seeds, it will require four hours baking, and the oven must be as hot as for bread, but let it be well slaked when it has remained an hour in the oven, and stop it close; you may ice it if you please. . _to make a_ seed cake. take one quartern of fine flour well dried before the fire, when it is cold rub in a pound of butter; take three quarters of a pound of carraway comfits, six spoonfuls of new yeast, six spoonfuls of cream, the yolks of six eggs and two whites, and a little sack; mix all of these together in a very light paste, set it before the fire till it rise, and so bake it in a tin. . _to make an ordinary_ plumb cake. take a pound of flour well dried before the fire, a pound of currans, two penny-worth of mace and cloves, two eggs, four spoonfuls of good new yeast, half a pound of butter, half a pint of cream, melt the butter, warm the cream, and mix altogether in a very light paste, butter your tin before you put it in; an hour will bake it. . _to make an_ angelica cake. take the stalks of angelica boil and green them very well, put to every pound of pulp a pound of loaf sugar beaten very well, and when you think it is beaten enough, lay them in what fashion you please on glasses, and as they candy turn them. . _to make_ king cakes. take a pound of flour, three quarters of a pound of butter, half a pound of sugar and half a pound of currans, well cleaned; rub your butter well into your flour, and put in as many yolks of eggs as will lithe them, then put in your sugar, currans, and some mace, shred in as much as will give them a taste, so make them up in little round cakes, and butter the papers you lie them on. . _to make_ breakfast cakes. take a pound of currans well washed, (rub them in a cloth till dry) a pound of flour dried before a fire, take three eggs, leave out one of the whites, four spoonfuls of new yeast, and four spoonfuls of sack or two of brandy, beat the yeast and eggs well together; then take a jill of cream, and something above a quarter of a pound of butter, set them on a fire, and stir them till the butter be melted, (but do not let them boil) grate a large nutmeg into the flour, with currans and five spoonfuls of sugar; mix all together, beat it with your hand till it leave the bowl, then flour the tins you put the paste in, and let them stand a little to rise, then bake them an hour and a quarter. . _to make_ maccaroons. take a pound of blanched almonds and beat them, put some rose-water in while beating; (they must not be beaten too small) mix them with the whites of five eggs, a pound of sugar finely beaten and sifted, and a handful of flour, mix all these very well together, lay them on wafers, and bake them in a very temperate oven, (it must not be so hot as for manchet) then they are fit for use. . _to make_ whiggs. take two pounds of flour, a pound of butter, a pint of cream, four eggs, (leaving out two of the whites) and two spoonfuls of yeast, set them to rise a little; when they are mixed add half a pound of sugar, and half a pound of carraway comfits, make them up with sugar and bake them in a dripping pan. . _to make_ rasberry cream. take rasberries, bruise them, put 'em in a pan on a quick fire whilst the juice be dried up, then take the same weight of sugar as you have rasberries, and set them on a slow fire, let them boil whilst they are pretty stiff; make them into cakes, and dry them near the fire or in the sun. . _to make_ queen cakes. take a pound of london flour dry'd well before the fire, nine eggs, a pound of loaf sugar beaten and sifted, put one half to your eggs and the other to your butter; take a pound of butter and melt it without water put it into a stone bowl, when it is almost cold put in your sugar and a spoonful or two of rose water, beat it very quick, for half an hour, till it be as white as cream; beat the eggs and sugar as long and very quick, whilst they be white; when they are well beat mix them all together; then take half a pound of currans cleaned well, and a little shred of mace, so you may fill one part of your tins before you put in your currans; you may put a quarter of a pound of almonds shred (if you please) into them that is without currans; you may ice them if you please, but do not let the iceing be thicker than you may lie on with a little brush. . _to make a_ bisket cake. take a pound of london flour dry'd before the fire, a pound of loaf sugar beaten and sifted, beat nine eggs and a spoonful or two of rose water with the sugar for two hours, then put them to your flour and mix them well together; put in an ounce of carraway seeds, then put it into your tin and bake it an hour and a half in a pretty quick oven. . _to make_ cracknels. take half a pound of fine flour, half a pound of sugar, two ounces of butter, two eggs, and a few carraway seeds; (you must beat and sift the sugar) then put it to your flour and work it to paste; roll them as thin as you can, and cut them out with queen cake tins, lie them on papers and bake them in a slow oven. they are proper to eat with chocolate. . _to make_ portugal cakes. take a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of currans well cleaned, and a nutmeg grated; take half of the flour and mix it with sugar and nutmeg, melt the butter and put it into the yolks of eight eggs very well beat, and only four of the whites, and as the froth rises put it into the flour, and do so till all is in; then beat it together, still strowing some of the other half of the flour, and then beat it till all the flour be in, then butter the pans and fill them, but do not bake them too much; you may ice them if you please, or you may strow carraway comfits of all sorts on them when they go into the oven. the currans must be plump'd in warm water, and dried before the fire, then put them into your cakes. . _to make_ plumb-cakes _another way_. take two pounds of butter, beat it with a little rose water and orange-flower water till it be like cream, two pounds of flour dried before the fire, a quarter of an ounce of mace, a nutmeg, half a pound of loaf sugar, beat and sifted, fifteen eggs (beat the whites by themselves and yolks with your sugar) a jack of brandy and as much sack, two pounds of currans very well cleaned, and half a pound of almonds blanch'd and cut in two or three pieces length-way, so mix all together, and put it into your hoop of tin; you may put in half a pound of candid orange and citron if you please; about an hour will bake it in a quick oven; if you have a mind to have it iced a pound of sugar will ice it. . _to make a_ ginger bread-cake. take two pounds of treacle, two pounds and a quartern of flour, and ounce of beat ginger, three quarters of a pound of sugar, two ounces of coriander seeds, two eggs, a pennyworth of new ale with the yeast on it, a glass of brandy, and two ounces of lemon-peel, mix all these together in a bowl, and set it to rise for half an hour, then put it into a tin to bake, and wet it with a little treacle and water; if you have a quick oven an hour and a half will bake it. . _to make_ chocolate cream. take four ounces of chocolate, more or less, according as you would have your dish in bigness, grate it and boil it in a pint of cream, then mill it very well with a chocolate stick; take the yolks of two eggs and beat them very well, leaving out the strain, put to them three or four spoonfuls of cream, mix them all together, set it on the fire, and keep stirring it till it thicken, but do not let it boil; you must sweeten it to your taste, and keep stirring it till it be cold, so put it into your glasses or china dishes, which you please. . _to make white_ lemon cream. take a jill of spring water and a pound of fine sugar, set it over a fire till the sugar and water be dissolv'd, then put the juice of four good lemons to your sugar and water, the whites of four eggs well beat, set it on the fire again, and keep it stirring one way till it just simmers and does not boil, strain it thro' a fine cloth, then put it on the fire again, adding to it a spoonful of orange-flower water, stir it till it thickens on a slow fire, then strain into basons or glasses for your use; do not let it boil, if you do it will curdle. . _to make_ cream curds. take a gallon of water, put to it a quart of new milk, a little salt, a pint of sweet cream and eight eggs, leaving out half the whites and strains, beat them very well, put to them a pint of sour cream, mix them very well together, and when your pan is just at boiling (but is must not boil) put in the sour cream and your eggs, stir it about and keep it from settling to the bottom; let it stand whilst it begins to rise up, then have a little fair water, and as they rise keep putting it in whilst they be well risen, then take them off the fire, and let them stand a little to sadden; have ready a sieve with a clean cloth over it, and take up the curds with a laddle or egg-slicer, whether you have; you must always make them the night before you use them; this quantity will make a large dish if your cream be good; if you think your curds be too thick, mix tho them two or three spoonfuls of good cream, lie them upon a china dish in lumps, so serve them up. . _to make_ apple cream. take half a dozen large apples, (coslings or any other apples that will be soft) and coddle them; when they are cold take out the pulp; then take the whites of four or five eggs, (leaving out the strains) three quarters of a pound of double-refined sugar beat and sifted, a spoonful or two of rose-water and grate in a little lemon-peel, so beat all together for an hour, whilst it be white, then lay it on a china dish, to serve it up. . _to fry_ cream _to eat hot_. take a pint of cream and boil it, three spoonfuls of london flour, mix'd with a little milk, put in three eggs, and beat them very well with the flour, a little salt, a spoonful or two of fine powder sugar, mix them very well; then put your cream to them on the fire and boil it; then beat two eggs more very well, and when you take your pan off the fire stir them in, and pour them into a large pewter dish, about half an inch thick; when it is quite cold cut it out in square bits, and fry it in butter, a light brown; as you fry them set them before the fire to keep hot and crisp, so dish them up with a little white wine, butter and sugar for your sauce, in a china cup, set it in the midst, and grate over some loaf sugar. . _to make_ rice _or_ almond cream. take two quarts of cream, boil it with what seasoning you please, then take it from the fire and sweeten it, pick out the seasoning and divide it into two parts, take a quarter of a pound of blanch'd almonds well beat with orange-flower water, set that on the fire, and put to it the yolks of four eggs well beat and strained, keep it stirring all the time it is on the fire, when it rises to boil take it off, stir it a little, then put it into your bason, the other half set on the fire, and thicken it with flour of rice; when you take it off put to it the juice of a lemon, orange-flower water or sack, and stir it till it be cold, then serve it up. . _to make_ calf's foot jelly. take four calf's feet and dress them, boil them in six quarts of water over a slow fire, whilst all the bones will come out, and half the water be boiled away, strain it into a stone-bowl, then put to them two or three quarts more water, and let it boil away to one: if you want a large quantity of flummery or jelly at one time; take two calf's feet more, it will make your stock the stronger; you must make your stock the day before you use it, and before you put your stock into the pan take off the fat, and put it into your pan to melt, take the whites of eight or ten eggs, just as you have jelly in quantity, (for the more whites you have makes your jelly the finer) beat your whites to a froth, and put to them five or six lemons, according as they are of goodness, a little white wine or rhenish, mix them well together (but let not your stock be too hot when you put them in) and sweeten it to your taste; keep it stirring all the time whilst it boil; take your bag and dip it in hot water, and wring it well out, then put in your jelly, and keep it shifting whilst it comes clear; throw a lemon-peel or two into your bag as the jelly is coming off, and put in some bits of peel into your glasses. you may make hartshorn jelly the same way. . _to make_ orange cream. take two seville oranges and peel them very thin, put the peel into a pint of fair water, and let it lie for an hour or two; take four eggs, and beat them very well, put to them the juice of three or four oranges, according as they are in goodness, and sweeten them with double refin'd sugar to your taste, mix the water and sugar together, and strain them thro' a fine cloth into your tankard, and set it over the fire as you did the lemon cream, and put it into your glasses for use. . _to make yellow_ lemon cream. take two or three lemons, according as they are in bigness, take off the peel as thin as you can from the white, put it into a pint of clear water, and let it lie three or four hours; take the yolks of three or four eggs, beat them very well, about eight ounces of double refin'd sugar, put it into your water to dissolve, and a spoonful or two of rose-water or orange-flower water, which you can get, mix all together with the juice of two of your lemons, and if your lemons prove not good, put in the juice of three, so strain them through a fine cloth into a silver tankard, and set it over a stove or chafing dish, stirring it all the time, and when it begins to be as thick as cream take it off, but don't let it boil, if you do it will curdle, stir it whilst it be cold and put it into glasses for use. . _to make white_ lemon cream _another way_. take a pint of spring water, and the whites of six eggs, beat them very well to a froth, put them to your water, adding to it half a pound of double refin'd sugar, a spoonful of orange-flower water, and the juice of three lemons, so mix all together, and strain them through a fine close into your silver tankard, set it over a slow fire in a chafing dish, and keep stirring it all the time; as you see it thickens take it off, it will soon curdle then be yellow, stir it whilst it be cold, and put it in small jelly glasses for use. . _to make_ sagoo custards. take two ounces of sagoo, wash it in a little water, set it on to cree in a pint of milk, and let it cree till it be tender, when it is cold put to it three jills of cream, boil it altogether with a blade or two of mace, or a stick of cinnamon; take six eggs, leave out the strains, beat them very well, mix a little of your cream amongst your eggs, then mix altogether, keep stirring it as you put it in, so set it over a slow fire, and stir it about whilst it be the thickness of a good cream; you must not let it boil; when you take it off the fire put in a tea cupfull of brandy, and sweeten it to your taste, then put it into pots or glasses for use. you may have half the quantity if you please. . _to make_ almond custards. boil two quarts of sweet cream with a stick of cinnamon; take eight eggs, leaving out all the whites but two, beat them very well; take six ounces of jordan almonds, blanch and beat them with a little rose-water, so give them a boil in your cream; put in half a pound of powder sugar, and a little of your cream amongst your eggs, mix altogether, and set them over a slow fire, stir it all the time whilst it be as thick as cream, but don't let it boil; when you take it off put in a little brandy to your taste, so put it into your cups for use. you may make rice-custard the same way. . _to make a_ sack posset. take a quart of cream, boil it with two or three blades of mace, and grate in a long bisket; take eight eggs, leave out half the whites, beat them very well, and a pint of gooseberry wine, make it hot, so mix it well with your eggs, set it over a slow fire, and stir it about whilst it be as thick as custard; set a dish that is deep over a stove, put in your sack and eggs, when your cream is boiling hot, put it to your sack by degrees, and stir it all the time it stands over your stove, whilst it be thoroughly hot, but don't let it boil; you must make it about half an hour before you want it; set it upon a hot harth, and then it will be as thick as custard; make a little froth of cream, to lay over the posset; when you dish it up sweeten it to your taste; you may make it without bisket if you please, and don't lay on your froth till you serve it up. . _to make a_ lemon posset. take a pint of good thick cream, grate into it the outermost skin of two lemons, and squeeze the juice into a jack of white wine, and sweeten it to your taste; take the whites of two eggs without the strains, beat them to a froth, so whisk them altogether in a stone bowl for half an hour, then put them into glasses for use. . _to make whipt_ sillabubs. take two porringers of cream and one of white wine, grate in the skin of a lemon, take the whites of three eggs, sweeten it to your taste, then whip it with a whisk, take off the froth as it rises, and put it into your sillabub-glasses or pots, whether you have, then they are fit for use. . _to make_ almond butter. take a quart of cream, and half a pound of almonds, beat them with the cream, then strain it, and boil it with twelve yolks of eggs and two whites, till it curdle, hang it up in a cloth till morning and then sweeten it; you may rub it through a sieve with the back of a spoon, or strain it through a coarse cloth. . _to make_ black caps. take a dozen of middling pippens and cut them in two, take out the cores and black ends, lay them with the flat side downwards, set them in the oven, and when they are about half roasted take them out, wet them over with a little rose water, and grate over them loaf sugar, pretty thick, set them into the oven again, and let them stand till they are black; when you serve them up, put them either into cream or custard, with the black side upwards, and set them at an equal distance. . _to make_ sauce _for tame_ ducks. take the necks and gizzards of your ducks, a scrag of mutton if you have it, and make a little sweet gravy, put to it a few bread-crumbs, a small onion, and a little whole pepper, boil them for half a quarter of an hour, put to them a lump of butter, and if it is not thick enough a little flour, so salt it to your taste. . _to make_ sauce _for a_ green-goose. take a little good gravy, a little butter, and a few scalded gooseberries, mix all together, and put it on the disk with your goose. . _to make another_ sauce _for a_ green-goose. take the juice of sorrel, a little butter, and a few scalded gooseberries, mix them together, and sweeten it to your taste; you must not let it boil after you put in the sorrel, if you do it will take off the green. you must put this sauce into a bason. . _to make_ almond flummery. take a pint of stiff jelly made of calf's feet, put to it a jill or better of good cream, and four ounces of almonds, blanch and beat them fine with a little rose-water, then put them to your cream and jelly, let them boil together for half a quarter of an hour, and sweeten it to your taste; strain it through a fine cloth, and keep it stirring till it be quite cold, put it in cups and let it stand all night, loosen it in warm water and turn it out into your dish; so serve it up, and prick it with blanch'd almonds. . _to make_ calf's foot flummery. take two calf's feet, when they are dress'd, put two quarts of water to them, boil them over a slow fire till half or better be consumed; when your stock is cold, if it be too stiff, you may put to it as much cream as jelly, boil them together with a blade or two of mace, sweeten it to your taste with loaf sugar, strain it through a fine cloth, stir it whilst it be cold, and turn it out, but first loosen it in warm water, and put it into your dish as you did the other flummery. . _to stew_ spinage _with_ poached eggs. take two or three handfuls of young spinage, pick it from the stalks, wash and drain it very clean, put it into a pan with a lump of butter, and a little salt, keep stirring it all the time whilst it be enough, then take it out and squeeze out the water, chop it and stir in a little more butter, lie it in your dish in quarters, and betwixt every quarter a poached egg, and lie one in the middle; fry some sippets of white bread and prick them in your spinage, to serve them up. this is proper for a side-dish either for noon or night. . _to make_ ratifie drops. take half a pound of the best jordan almonds, and four ounces of bitter almonds, blanch and set them before the fire to dry, beat them in a marble mortar with a little white of an egg, then put to the half a pound of powder sugar, and beat them altogether to a pretty stiff paste; you may beat your white of egg very well before you put it in, so take it out, roll it with your hand upon a board with a little sugar, then cut them in pieces, and lie them on sheets of tin or on paper, at an equal distance, that they don't touch one another, and set them in a slow oven to bake. . _to fry_ artichoke bottoms. take artichoke bottoms when they are at the full growth, and boil them as you would do for eating, pull off the leaves, and take out the choke, cut off the stalks as close as you can from the bottom; take two or three eggs, beat them very well, so dip your artichokes in them, and strow over them a little pepper and salt; fry them in butter, some whole and some in halves; serve them up with a little butter in a china cup, set it in the middle of your dish, lie your artichokes round, and serve them up. they are proper for a side dish either noon or night. . _to fricassy_ artichokes. take artichokes, and order them the same way as you did for frying, have ready in a stew-pan a few morels and truffles, stewed in brown gravy, so put in your artichokes, and give them a shake altogether in your stew-pan, and serve them up hot, with sippets round them. . _to dry_ artichoke bottoms. take the largest artichokes you can get, when they are at their full growth, boil them as you would do for eating, pull off the leaves and take out the choke; cut off the stalk as close as you can, lie them on a tin dripping-pan, or an earthen dish, set them in a slow oven, for if your oven be too hot it will brown them; you may dry them before the fire if you have conveniency; when they are dry put them in paper bags, and keep them for use. . _to stew_ apples. take a pound of double refin'd sugar, with a pint of water, boil and skim it, and put into it a pound of the largest and clearest pippens, pared and cut in halves; if little, let them be whole; core them and boil them with a continual froth, till they be as tender and clear as you would have them, put in the juice of two lemons, but first take out the apples, a little peel cut like threads, boil down your syrrup as thick as you would have it, then pour it over your apples; when you dish them, stick them with long bits of candid orange, and some with almonds cut in long bits, to serve them up. you must stew them the day before you use them. . _to stew_ apples _another way_. take kentish pippens or john apples, pare and slice them into fair water, set them on a clear fire, and when they are boiled to mash, let the liquor run through a hair-sieve; boil as many apples thus as will make the quantity of liquor you would have; to a pint of this liquor you must have a pound of double refin'd loaf sugar in great lumps, wet the lumps of sugar with the pippen liquor, and set it over a gentle fire, let it boil, and skim it well: whilst you are making the jelly, you must have your whole pippens boiling at the same time; (they must be the fairest and best pippens you can get) scope out the cores, and pare them neatly, put them into fair water as you do them; you must likewise make a syrrup ready to put them into, the quantity as you think will boil them in a clear; make the syrrup with double refin'd sugar and water. tie up your whole pippens in a piece of fine cloth or muslin severally, when your sugar and water boils put them in, let them boil very fast, so fast that the syrrup always boils over them; sometimes take them off, and then set them on again, let them boil till they be clear and tender; then take off the muslin they were tied up in, and put them into glasses that will hold but one in a glass; then see if your jelly of apple-johns be boiled to jelly enough, if it be, squeeze in the juice of two lemons, and let it have a boil; then strain it through a jelly bag into the glasses your pippens were in; you must be sure that your pippens be well drained from the syrrup they were boiled in; before you put them into the glasses, you may, if you please, boil little pieces of lemon-peel in water till they be tender, and then boil them in the syrrup your pippens were boiled in; then take them out and lay them upon the pippens before the jelly is put in, and when they are cold paper them up. . _to make_ plumb gruel. take half a pound of pearl barley, set it on to cree; put to it three quarts of water; when it has boiled a while, shift it into another fresh water, and put to it three or four blades of mace, a little lemon-peel cut in long pieces, so let it boil whilst the barley be very soft; if it be too thick you may add a little more water; take half a pound of currans, wash them well and plump them, and put to them your barley, half a pound of raisins and stone them; let them boil in the gruel whilst they are plump, when they are enough put to them a little white wine, a little juice of lemon, grate in half a nutmeg, and sweeten it to your taste, so serve them up. . _to make_ rice gruel. boil half a pound of rice in two quarts of soft water, as soft as you would have it for rice milk, with some slices of lemon-peel, and a stick of cinnamon; add to it a little white wine and juice of lemon to your taste, put in a little candid orange sliced thin, and sweeten it with fine powder sugar; don't let it boil after you put in your wine and lemon, put it in a china dish, with five or six slices of lemon, so serve it up. . _to make_ scotch custard, _to eat hot for supper_. boil a quart of cream with a stick of cinnamon, and a blade of mace; take six eggs, both yolks and whites (leave out the strains) and beat them very well, grate a long bisket into your cream, give it a boil before you put in your eggs, mix a little of your cream amongst your eggs before you put 'em in, so set it over a slow fire, stirring it about whilst it be thick, but don't let it boil; take half a pound of currans, wash them very well, and plump them, then put them to your custard; you must let your custard be as thick as will bear the currans that they don't sink to the bottom; when you are going to dish it up, put in a large glass of sack, stir it very well, and serve it up in a china bason. . _to make a dish of_ mull'd milk. boil a quart of new milk with a stick of cinnamon, then put to it a pint of cream, and let them have one boil together, take eight eggs, (leave out half of the whites and all the strains) beat them very well, put to them a jill of milk, mix all together, and set it over a slow fire, stir it whilst it begins to thicken like custard, sweeten it to your taste, and grate in half a nutmeg; then put it into your dish with a toast of white bread. this is proper for a supper. . _to make_ leatch. take two ounces of isinglass and break it into bits, put it into hot water, then put half a pint of new milk into the pan with the isinglass, set it on the fire to boil, and put into it three or four sticks of good cinnamon, two blades of mace, a nutmeg quartered, and two or three cloves, boil it till the isinglass be dissolved, run it through a hair-sieve into a large pan, then put to it a quart of cream sweetened to your taste with loaf sugar, and boil them a while together; take a quarter of a pound of blanch'd almonds beaten in a rose-water, and strain out all the juice of them into the cream on the fire, and warm it, then take it off and stir it well together; when it has cooled a little take a broad shallow dish and put it into it through a hair-sieve, when it is cold cut it in long pieces, and lay it across whilst you have a pretty large dish; so serve it up. sometimes a less quantity of isinglass will do, according to the goodness; let it be the whitest and clearest you can get. you must make it the day before you want it for use. . _to make_ scotch oysters. take two pounds of the thick part of a leg of veal, cut it in little bits clear from the skins, and put it in a marble mortar, then shred a pound of beef suet and put to it, and beat them well together till they be as fine as paste; put to it a handful of bread-crumbs and two or three eggs, season it with mace, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and work it well together; take one part of your forc'd-meat and wrap it in the kell, about the bigness of a pigeon, the rest make into little flat cakes and fry them; the rolls you may either broil in a dripping-pan, or set them in an oven; three is enough in a dish, set them in the middle of the dish and lay the cakes round; then take some strong gravy, shred in a few capers, and two or three mushrooms or oysters if you have any, so thicken it up with a lump of butter, and serve it up hot. garnish your dish with pickles. . _to boil_ brocoli. take brocoli when it is seeded, or at any other time; take off all the low leaves of your stalks and tie them up in bunches as you do asparagus, cut them the same length you peel your stalks; cut them in little pieces, and boil them in salt and water by themselves; you must let your water boil before you put them in; boil the heads in salt and water, and let the water boil before you put in the brocoli; put in a little butter; it takes very little boiling, and if it boil too quick it will take off all the heads; you must drain your brocoli through a sieve as you do asparagus; lie stalks in the middle, and the bunches round it, as you would do asparagus. this is proper for either a side-dish or a middle-dish. . _to boil_ savoy sprouts. if your savoys be cabbag'd, dress off the out leaves and cut them in quarters; take off a little of the hard ends, and boil them in a large quantity of water with a little salt; when boiled drain them, lie them round your meat, and pour over them a little butter. any thing will boil greener in a large quantity of water than otherwise. . _to boil_ cabbage sprouts. take your sprouts, cut off the leaf and the hard ends, shred and boil them as you do other greens, not forgetting a little butter. . _to fry_ parsnips _to look like_ trout. take a middling sort of parsnips, not over thick, boil them as soft as you would do for eating, peel and cut them in two the long way; you must only fry the small ends, not the thick ones; beat three or four eggs, put to them a spoonful of flour, dip in your parsnips, and fry them in butter a light brown have for your sauce a little vinegar and butter; fry some slices to lie round about the dish, and to serve them up. . _to make_ tansey _another way_. take an old penny loaf and cut off the crust, slice it thin, put to it as much hot cream as will wet it, then put to it six eggs well beaten, a little shred lemon-peel, a little nutmeg and salt, and sweeten it to your taste; green it as you did your baked tansey; so tie it up in a cloth and boil it; (it will take an hour and a quarter boiling) when you dish it up stick it with a candid orange, and lie a sevile orange cut in quarters round your dish; serve it up with a little plain butter. . _to make_ gooseberry cream. take a quart of gooseberries, pick, coddle, and bruise them very well in a marble mortar or wooden bowl, and rub them with the back of a spoon through a hair sieve, till you take out all the pulp from the seeds; take a pint of thick cream, mix it well among your pulp grate in some lemon-peel, and sweeten it to your taste; serve it up either in a china dish or an earthen one. . _to fry_ parsnips _another way_. boil your parsnips, cut them in square long pieces about the length of your finger, dip them in egg and a little flour, and fry them a light brown; when they are fried dish them up, and grate over them a little sugar: you must have for the sauce a little white wine, butter, and sugar in a bason, and set in the middle of your dish. . _to make_ apricock pudding. take ten apricocks, pare, stone, and cut them in two, put them into a pan with a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar, boil them pretty quick whilst they look clear, so let them stand whilst they are cold; then take six eggs, (leave out half of the whites) beat them very well, add to them a pint of cream, mix the cream and eggs well together with a spoonful of rose-water, then put in your apricocks, and beat them very well together, with four ounces of clarified butter, then put it into your dish with a thin paste under it; half an hour will bake it. . _to make_ apricock custard. take a pint of cream, boil it with a stick of cinnamon and six eggs, (leave out four of the whites) when your cream is a little cold, mix your eggs and cream together, with a quarter of a pound of fine sugar, set it over a slow fire, stir it all one way whilst it begin to be thick, then take it off and stir it whilst it be a little cold, and pour it into your dish; take six apricocks, as you did for your pudding, rather a little higher; when they are cold lie them upon your custard at an equal distance; if it be at the time when you have no ripe apricocks, you may lie preserv'd apricocks. . _to make_ jumballs _another way_. take a pound of meal and dry it, a pound of sugar finely beat, and mix these together; then take the yolks of five or six eggs, half a jill of thick cream, as much as will make it up to a paste, and some coriander seeds, lay them on tins and prick them; bake them in a quick oven; before you set them in the oven wet them with a little rose-water and double refin'd sugar to ice them. . _to make_ apricock chips _or_ peaches. take a pound of chips to a pound of sugar, let not your apricocks be too ripe, pare them and cut them into large chips; take three quarters of a pound of fine sugar, strow most of it upon the chips, and let them stand till they be dissolv'd, set them on the fire, and boil them till they are tender and clear, strowing the remainder of the sugar on as they boil, skim them clear, and lay them in glasses or pots single, with some syrrup, cover them with double refin'd sugar, set them in a stove, and when they are crisp on one side turn the other on glasses and parch them, then set them into the stove again; when they are pretty dry, pour them on hair-sieves till they are dry enough to put up. . _to make_ sagoo gruel. take four ounces of sagoo and wash it, set it over a slow fire to cree, in two quarts of spring water, let it boil whilst it be thickish and soft, put in a blade or two of mace, and a stick of cinnamon, let it boil in a while, and then put in a little more water; take it off, put to it a pint of claret wine, and a little candid orange; shift them, then put in the juice of a lemon, and sweeten it to your taste; so serve them up. . _to make_ spinage toasts. take a handful or two of young spinage and wash it, drain it from the water, put it into a pan with a lump of butter, and a little salt, let it stew whilst it be tender, only turn it in the boiling, then take it up and squeeze out the water, put in another lump of butter and chop it small, put to it a handful of currans plump'd, and a little nutmeg; have three toasts cut from a penny loaf well buttered, then lie on your spinage. this is proper for a side-dish either for noon or night. . _to roast a_ beast kidney. take a beast kidney with a little fat on, and stuff it all around, season it with a little pepper and salt, wrap it in a kell, and put it upon the spit with a little water in the dripping-pan; what drops from your kidney thicken with a lump of butter and flour for your sauce. _to fry your_ stuffing. take a handful of sweet herbs, a few breadcrumbs, a little beef-suet shred fine, and two eggs, (leave out the whites) mix altogether with a little nutmeg, pepper and salt; stuff your kidney with one part of the stuffing, and fry the other part in little cakes; so serve it up. . _to stew_ cucumbers. take middling cucumbers and cut them in slices, but not too thin, strow over them a little salt to bring out the water, put them into a stew-pan or sauce-pan, with a little gravy, some whole pepper, a lump of butter, and a spoonful or two of vinegar to your taste; let them boil all together; thicken them with flour, and serve them up with sippets. . _to make an_ oatmeal pudding. take three or four large spoonfuls of oatmeal done through a hair-sieve, and a pint of milk, put it into a pan and let it boil a little whilst it be thick, add to it half a pound of butter, a spoonful of rose-water, a little lemon-peel shred, a little nutmeg, or beaten cinnamon, and a little salt; take six eggs, (leave out two of the whites) and put to them a quarter of a pound of sugar or better, beat them very well, so mix them all together; put it into your dish with a paste round your dish edge; have a little rose-water, butter and sugar for sauce. . _to make a_ calf's head pie _another way_. half boil your calf's head, when it is cold cut it in slices, rather thicker than you would do for hashing, season it with a little mace, nutmeg, pepper and salt, lie part of your meat in the bottom of your pie, a layer of one and a layer of another; then put in half a pound of butter and a little gravy; when your pie comes from the oven, have ready the yolks of six or eight eggs boiled hard, and lie them round your pie; put in a little melted butter, and a spoonful or two of white wine, and give them a shake together before you lie in your eggs; your pie must be a standing pie baked upon a dish, with a puff-paste round the edge of the dish, but leave no paste in the bottom of your pie; when it is baked serve it up without a lid. this is proper for either top or bottom dish. . _to make_ elder wine. take twenty pounds of malaga raisins, pick and chop them, then put them into a tub with twenty quarts of water, let the water be boiled and stand till it be cold again before you put in your raisins, let them remain together ten days, stirring it twice a day, then strain the liquor very well from the raisins, through a canvas strainer or hair-sieve; add to it six quarts of elder juice, five pounds of loaf sugar, and a little juice of sloes to make it acid, just as you please; put it into a vessel, and let it stand in a pretty warm place three months, then bottle it; the vessel must not be stopp'd up till it has done working; if your raisins be very good you may leave out the sugar. . _to make_ gooseberry wine _of ripe_ gooseberries. pick, clean and beat your gooseberries in a marble mortar or wooden bowl, measure them in quarts up-heap'd, add two quarts of spring water, and let them stand all night or twelve hours, then rub or press out the husks very well, strain them through a wide strainer, and to every gallon put three pounds of sugar, and a jill of brandy, then put all into a sweet vessel, not very full, and keep it very close for four months, then decant it off till it comes clear, pour out the grounds, and wash the vessel clean with a little of the wine; add to every gallon a pound more sugar, let it stand a month in a vessel again, drop the grounds thro' a flannel bag, and put it to the other in the vessel; the tap hole must not be over near the bottom of the cask, for fear of letting out the grounds. the same receipt will serve for curran wine the same way; let them be red currans. . _to make_ balm wine. take a peck of balm leaves, put them in a tub or large pot, heat four gallons of water scalding hot, ready to boil, then pour it upon the leaves, so let it stand all night, then strain them thro' a hair-sieve; put to every gallon of water two pounds of fine sugar, and stir it very well; take the whites of four or five eggs, beat them very well, put them into a pan, and whisk it very well before it be over hot, when the skim begins to rise take it off, and keep it skimming all the while it is boiling, let it boil three quarters of an hour, then put it into the tub, when it is cold put a little new yeast upon it, and beat it in every two hours, that it may head the better, so work it for two days, then put it into a sweet rundlet, bung it up close, and when it is fine bottle it. . _to make_ raisin wine. take ten gallons of water, and fifty pounds of malaga raisins, pick out the large stalks and boil them in your water, when your water is boiled, put it into a tub; take the raisins and chop them very small, when your water is blood warm, put in your raisins, and rub them very well with your hand; when you put them into the water, let them work for ten days, stirring them twice a day, then strain out the raisins in a hair-sieve, and put them into a clean harden bag, and squeeze it in the press to take out the liquor, so put it into your barrel; don't let it be over full, bung it up close, and let it stand whilst it is fine; when you tap your wine you must not tap it too near the bottom, for fear of the grounds; when it is drawn off, take the grounds out of the barrel, and wash it out with a little of your wine, then put your wine into the barrel again, draw your grounds thro' a flannel bag, and put them into the barrel to the rest; add to it two pounds of loaf sugar, then bung it up, and let it stand a week or ten days; if it be very sweet to your taste, let it stand some time longer, and bottle it. . _to make_ birch wine. take your birch water and boil it, clear it with whites of eggs; to every gallon of water take two pounds and a half of fine sugar, boil it three quarters of an hour, and when it is almost cold, put in a little yeast, work it two or three days, then put it into the barrel, and to every five gallons put in a quart of brandy, and half a pound of ston'd raisins; before you put up your wine burn a brimstone match in the barrel. . _to make_ white curran wine. take the largest white currans you can get, strip and break them in your hand, whilst you break all the berries; to every quart of pulp take a quart of water, let the water be boiled and cold again, mix them well together, let them stand all night in your tub, then strain them thro' a hair-sieve, and to every gallon put two pounds and a half of six-penny sugar; when your sugar is dissolved, put it into your barrel, dissolve a little isinglass, whisk it with whites of eggs, and put it in; to every four gallons put in a quart of mountain wine, so bung up your barrel; when it is fine draw it off, and take off the grounds, (but don't tap the barrel over low at the bottom) wash out the barrel with a little of your wine, and drop the grounds thro' a bag, then put it to the rest of your wine, and put it all into your barrel again, to every gallon add half a pound more sugar, and let it stand another week or two; if it be too sweet let it stand a little longer, then bottle it, and it will keep two or three years. . _to make_ orange ale. take forty seville oranges, pare and cut them in slices, the best coloured seville you can get, put them all with the juice and seeds into half a hogshead of ale; when it is tunned up and working, put in the oranges, and at the same time a pound and a half of raisins of the sun stoned; when it has done working close up the bung, and it will be ready to drink in a month. . _to make_ orange brandy. take a quart of brandy, the peels of eight oranges thin pared, keep them in the brandy forty-eight hours in a close pitcher, then take three pints of water, put into it three quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, boil it till half be consumed, and let it stand till cold, then mix it with the brandy. . _to make_ orange wine. take six gallons of water and fifteen pounds of powder sugar, the whites of six eggs well beaten, boil them three quarters of an hour, and skim them while any skim will rise; when it is cold enough for working, put to it six ounces of the syrrup of citron or lemons, and six spoonfuls of yeast, beat the syrrup and yeast well together, and put in the peel and juice of fifty oranges, work it two days and a night, then tun it up into a barrel, so bottle it at three or four months old. . _to make_ cowslip wine. take ten gallons of water, when it is almost at boiling, add to it twenty one pounds of fine powder sugar, let it boil half an hour, and skim it very clean; when it is boiled put it in a tub, let it stand till you think it cold to set on the yeast; take a poringer of new yeast off the fat, and put to it a few cowslips; when you put on the yeast, put in a few every time it is stirred, till all the cowslips be in, which must be six pecks, and let it work three or four days; add to it six lemons, cut off the peel, and the insides put into your barrel, then add to it a pint of brandy; when you think it has done working, close up your vessel, let it stand a month, and then bottle it; you may let your cowslips lie a week or ten days to dry before you make your wine, for it makes it much finer; you may put in a pint of white wine that is good, instead of the brandy. . _to make_ orange wine _another way_. take six gallons of water, and fifteen pounds of sugar, put your sugar into the water on the fire, the whites of six eggs, well beaten, and whisk them into the water, when it is cold skim it very well whilst any skim rises, and let it boil for half an hour; take fifty oranges, pare them very thin, put them into your tub, pour the water boiling hot upon your oranges, and when it is bloodwarm put on the yeast, then put in your juice, let it work two days, and so tun it into your barrel; at six weeks or two months old bottle it; you may put to it in the barrel a quart of brandy. . _to make_ birch wine _another way_. to a gallon of birch water put two pounds of loaf or very fine lump sugar, when you put it into the pan whisk the whites of four eggs; (four whites will serve for four gallons) whisk them very well together before it be boiled, when it is cold put on a little yeast, let it work a night and a day in the tub, before you put it into your barrel put in a brimstone match burning; take two pounds of isinglass cut in little bits, put to it a little of your wine, let it stand within the air of the fire all night; takes the whites of two eggs, beat it with your isinglass, put them into your barrel and stir them about with a stick; this quantity will do for four gallons; to four gallons you must have two pounds of raisins shred, put them into your barrel, close it up, but not too close at the first, when it is fine, bottle it. . _to make_ apricock wine. take twelve pounds of apricocks when full ripe, stone and pare them, put the paring into three gallons of water, with six pounds of powder sugar, boil them together half an hour, skim them well, and when it is blood-warm put it on the fruit; it must be well bruised, cover it close, and let it stand three days; skim it every day as the skim rises, and put it thro' a hair sieve, adding a pound of loaf sugar; when you put it into the vessel close it up, and when it is fine bottle it. . _to make_ orange shrub. take seville oranges when they are full ripe, to three dozen of oranges put half a dozen of large lemons, pare them very thin, the thinner the better, squeeze the lemons and oranges together, strain the juice thro' a hair sieve, to a quart of the juice put a pound and a quarter of loaf sugar; about three dozen of oranges (if they be good) will make a quart of juice, to every quart of juice, put a gallon of brandy, put it into a little barrel with an open bung with all the chippings of your oranges, and bung it up close; when it is fine bottle it. this is a pleasant dram, and ready for punch all the year. . _to make_ strong mead. take twelve gallons of water, eight pounds of sugar, two quarts of honey, and a few cloves, when your pan boils take the whites of eight or ten eggs, beat them very well, put them into your water before it be hot, and whisk them very well together; do not let it boil but skim it as it rises till it has done rising, then put it into your tub; when it is about blood warm put to it three spoonfuls of new yeast; take eight or nine lemons, pare them and squeeze out the juice, put them both together into your tub, and let them work two or three days, then put it into your barrel, but it must not be too full; take two or three pennyworth of isinglass, cut as small as you can, beat it in a mortar about a quarter of an hour, it will not make it small; but that it may dissolve sooner, draw out a little of the mead into a quart mug, and let it stand within the air of the fire all night; take the whites of three eggs, beat them very well, mix them with your isinglas, whisk them together, and put them into your barrel, bung it up, and when it is fine bottle it. you may order isinglass this way to put into any sort of made wine. . _to make_ mead _another way_. take a quart of honey, three quarts of water, put your honey into the water, when it is dissolved, take the whites of four or five eggs, whisk and beat them very well together and put them into your pan; boil it while the skim rises, and skim it very clean; put it into your tub, when it is warm put in two or three spoonfuls of light yeast, according to the quantity of your mead, and let it work two nights and a day. to every gallon put in a large lemon, pare and strain it, put the juice and peel into your tub, and when it is wrought put it into your barrel; let it work for three or four days, stir twice a day with a thible, so bung it up, and let it stand two or three months, according to the hotness of the weather. you must try your mead two or three times in the above time, and if you find the sweetness going off, you must take it sooner. . _to make_ cyder. draw off the cyder when it hath been a fortnight in the barrel, put it into the same barrel again when you have cleaned it from the grounds, and if your apples were sharp, and that you find your cyder hard, put into every gallon of cyder a pound and half of sixpenny or five-penny sugar; to twelve gallons of this take half an ounce of isinglass, and put to it a quart of cyder; when your isinglass is dissolved, put to it three whites of eggs, whisk them altogether, and put them into your barrel; keep it close for two months and then bottle it. . _to make_ cowslip wine. take two pecks of peeps, and four gallons of water, put to every gallon of water two pounds and a quarter of sugar, boil the water and sugar together a quarter of an hour, then put it into a tub to cool, put in the skins of four lemons, when it is cold bruise your peeps, and put into your liquor, add to it a jill of yeast, and the juice of four lemons, let them be in the tub a night and a day, then put it into your barrel, and keep it four days stirring, then clay it up close for three weeks and bottle it. put a lump of sugar in every bottle. . _to make_ red curran wine. let your currans be the best and ripest you can get, pick and bruise them; to every gallon of juice add five pints of water, put it to your berries in a stand for two nights and a day, then strain your liquor through a hair sieve; to every gallon of liquor put two pounds of sugar, stir it till it be well dissolved, put it into a rundlet, and let it stand four days, then draw it off clean, put in a pound and a half of sugar, stirring it well, wash out the rundlet with some of the liquor, so tun it up close; if you put two or three quarts of rasps bruised among your berries, it makes it taste the better. you may make white curran wine the same way, only leave out the rasps. . _to make_ cherry wine. take eight pounds of cherries and stone them, four quarts of water, and two pounds of sugar, skim and boil the water and sugar, then put in the cherries, let them have one boil, put them into an earthen pot till the next day, and set them to drain thro' a sieve, then put your wine into a spigot pot, clay it up close, and look at it every two or three days after; if it does not work, throw into it a handful of fresh cherries, so let it stand six or eight days, then if it be clear, bottle it up. . _to make_ cherry wine _another way_. take the ripest and largest kentish cherries you can get, bruise them very well, stones and stalks altogether, put them into a tub, having a tap to it, let them stand fourteen days, then pull out the tap, let the juice run from them and put it into a barrel, let it work three or four days, then stop it up close three or four weeks and bottle it off. the wine will keep many years and be exceeding rich. . _to make_ lemon drops. take a pound of loaf sugar, beat and sift it very fine, grate the rind of a lemon and put into your sugar; take the whites of three eggs and wisk them to a froth, squeeze in some lemon to your taste, beat them for half an hour, and drop them on white paper; be sure you let the paper be very dry, and sift a little fine sugar on the paper before you drop them. if you would have them yellow, take a pennyworth of gumbouge, steep it in some rose-water, mix to it some whites of eggs and a little sugar, so drop them, and bake them in a slow oven. . _to make_ gooseberry wine _another way_. take twelve quarts of good ripe gooseberries, stamp them, and put to them twelve quarts of water, let them stand three days, stir them twice every day, strain them, and put to your liquor fourteen pounds of sugar; when it is dissolved strain it through a flannel bag, and put it into a barrel, with half an ounce of isinglass; you must cut the isinglass in pieces, and beat it whilst it be soft, put to it a pint of your wine, and let it stand within the air of the fire; take the whites of four eggs and beat them very well to a froth, put in the isinglass, and whisk the wine and it together; put them into the barrel, clay it close, and let it stand whilst fine, then bottle it for use. . _to make_ red curran wine _another way_. take five quarts of red currans, full ripe, bruise them, and take from them all the stalks, to every five quarts of fruit put a gallon of water; when you have your quantity, strain them thro' a hair-sieve, and to every gallon of liquor put two pounds and three quarters of sugar; when your sugar is dissolved tun it into your cask, and let it stand three weeks, then draw it off, and put to every gallon a quarter of a pound of sugar; wash your barrel with cold water, tun it up, and let it stand about a week; to every ten gallons put an ounce of isinglass, dissolve it in some of the wine, when it is dissolved put to it a quart of your wine, and beat them with a whisk, then put it into the cask, and stop it up close; when it is fine bottle it. if you would have it taste of rasps, put to every gallon of wine a quart of rasps; if there be any grounds in the bottom of the cask, when you draw off your wine, drop them thro' a flannel bag, and then put it into your cask. . _to make_ mulberry wine. gather your mulberries when they are full ripe, beat them in a marble mortar, and to every quart of berries put a quart of water; when you put 'em into the tub rub them very well with your hands, and let them stand all night, then strain 'em thro' a sieve; to every gallon of water put three pounds of sugar, and when the sugar is dissolved put it into your barrel; take two pennyworth of isinglass and clip it in pieces, put to it a little wine, and let it stand all night within the air of the fire; take the whites of two or three eggs, beat them very well, then put them to the isinglass, mix them well together, and put them into your barrel, stirring it about when it is put in; you must not let it be over full, nor bung it close up at first; set it in a cool place and bottle it when fine. . _to make_ blackberry wine. take blackberries when they are full ripe, and squeeze them the same way as you did the mulberries. if you add a few mulberries, it will make your wine have a much better taste. . _to make_ syrrup of mulberries. take mulberries when they are full ripe, break them very well with your hand, and drop them through a flannel bag; to every pound of juice take a pound of loaf sugar; beat it small, put to it your juice, so boil and skim it very well; you must skim it all the time it is boiling; when the skim has done rising it is enough; when it is cold bottle it and keep it for use. you may make rasberry syrrup the same way. . _to make_ rasberry brandy. take a gallon of the best brandy you can get, and gather your rasberries when they are full ripe, and put them whole into your brandy; to every gallon of brandy take three quarts of rasps, let them stand close covered for a month, then clear it from rasps, and put to it a pound of loaf sugar; when your sugar is dissolved and a little settled, boil it and keep it for use. . _to make black_ cherry brandy. take a gallon of the best brandy, and eight pounds of black cherries, stone and put 'em into your brandy in an earthen pot; bruise the stones in a mortar, then put them into your brandy, and cover them up close, let them steep for a month or six weeks, so drain it and keep it for use. you may distil the ingredients if you please. . _to make_ ratifie brandy. take a quart of the best brandy, and about a jill of apricock kernels, blanch and bruise them in a mortar, with a spoonful or two of brandy, so put them into a large bottle with your brandy; put to it four ounces of loaf sugar, let it stand till you think it has got the taste of the kernels, then pour it out and put in a little more brandy if you please. . _to make_ cowslip syrrup. take a quartern of fresh pick'd cowslips, put to 'em a quart of boiling water, let 'em stand all night, and the next morning drain it from the cowslips; to every pint of water put a pound of fine powder sugar, and boil it over a slow fire; skim it all the time in the boiling whilst the skim has done rising; then take it off, and when it is cold put it into a bottle, and keep it for use. . _to make_ lemon brandy. take a gallon of brandy, chip twenty-five lemons, (let them steep twenty-four hours) the juice of sixteen lemons, a quarter of a pound of almonds blanched and beat, drop it thro' a jelly bag twice, and when it is fine bottle it; sweeten it to your taste with double refined sugar before you put it into your jelly bag. you must make it with the best brandy you can get. . _to make_ cordial water _of_ cowslips. take two quarts of cowslip peeps, a slip of balm, two sprigs of rosemary, a stick of cinnamon, half an orange peel, half a lemon peel, a pint of brandy, and a pint of ale; lay all these to steep twelve hours, then distil them on a cold still. . _to make_ milk punch. take two quarts of old milk, a quart of good brandy, the juice of six lemons or oranges, whether you please, and about six ounces of loaf sugar, mix them altogether and drop them thro' a jelly bag; take off the peel of two of the lemons or oranges, and put it into your bag, when it is run off bottle it; 'twill keep as long as you please. . _to make_ milk punch _another way_. take three jills of water, a jill of old milk, and a jill of brandy, sweeten it to your taste; you must not put any acid into this for it will make it curdle. this is a cooling punch to drink in a morning. . _to make_ punch _another way_. take five pints of boiling water and one quart of brandy, add to it the juice of four lemons or oranges, and about six ounces of loaf sugar; when you have mixed it together strain it thro' a hair sieve or cloth, and put into your bowl the peel of a lemon or orange. . _to make_ acid _for_ punch. take gooseberries at their full growth, pick and beat them in a marble mortar, and squeeze them in a harden bag thro' a press, when you have done run it thro' a flannel bag, and then bottle it in small bottles; put a little oil on every bottle, so keep it for use. . _to bottle_ gooseberries. gather your gooseberries when they are young, pick and bottle them, put in the cork loose, set them in a pan of water, with a little hay in the bottom, put them into the pan when the water is cold, let it stand on a slow fire, and mind when they are coddled; don't let the pan boil, if you do it will break the bottles: when they are cold fasten the cork, and put on a little rosin, so keep them for use. . _to bottle_ damsins. take your damsins before they are full ripe, and gather them when the dew is off, pick of the stalks, and put them into dry bottles; don't fill your bottles over full, and cork them as close as you would do for ale, keep them in a cellar, and cover them over with sand. . _to preserve orange chips to put in glasses_. take a seville orange with a clear skin, pare it very thin from the white, then take a pair of scissars and clip it very thin, and boil it in water, shifting it two or three times in the boiling to take out the bitter; then take half a pound of double refined sugar, boil it and skim it, then put in your orange, so let it boil over a slow fire whilst your syrrup be thick, and your orange look clear, then put it into glasses, and cover it with papers dipt in brandy; if you have a quantity of peel you must have the larger quantity of sugar. . _to preserve_ oranges _or_ lemons. take seville oranges, the largest and roughest you can get, clear of spots, chip them very fine, and put them into water for two days, shifting them twice or three times a day, then boil them whilst they are soft: take and cut them into quarters, and take out all the pippens with a penknife, so weigh them, and to every pound of orange, take a pound and half of loaf sugar; put your sugar into a pan, and to every pound of sugar a pint of water, set it over the fire to melt, and when it boils skim it very well, then put in your oranges; if you would have any of them whole, make a little hole at the top, and take out the meat with a tea spoon, set your oranges over a slow fire to boil, and keep them skimming all the while; keep your oranges as much as you can with the skin downwards; you may cover them with a delf-plate, to bear them down in the boiling; let them boil for three quarters of an hour, then put them into a pot or bason, and let them stand two days covered, then boil them again whilst they look clear, and the syrrup be thick, so put them into a pot, and lie close over them a paper dip'd in brandy, and tie a double paper at the top, set them in a cool place, and keep them for use. if you would have your oranges that are whole to look pale and clear, to put in glasses, you must make a syrrup of pippen jelly; then take ten or a dozen pippens, as they are of bigness, pare and slice them, and boil them in as much water as will cover them till they be thoroughly tender, so strain your water from the pippens through a hair sieve, then strain it through a flannel bag; and to every pint of jelly take a pound of double refined sugar, set it over a fire to boil, and skim it, let it boil whilst it be thick, then put it into a pot and cover it, but they will keep best if they be put every one in different pots. . _to make_ jelly _of_ currans. take a quartern of the largest and best currans you can get, strip them from the stalks, and put them in a pot, stop them close up, and boil them in a pot of water over the fire, till they be thoroughly coddled and begin to look pale, then put them in a clear hair sieve to drain, and run the liquor thro' a flannel bag, to every pint of your liquor put in a pound of your double refin'd sugar; you must beat the sugar fine, and put it in by degrees, set it over the fire, and boil it whilst any skim will rise, then put it into glasses for ale; the next day clip a paper round, and dip it in brandy to lie on your jelly; if you would have your jelly a light red, put in half of white currans, and in my opinion it looks much better. . _to preserve_ apricocks. take apricocks before they be full ripe, stone and pare 'em; then weigh 'em, and to every pound of apricocks take a pound of double refined sugar, beat it very small, lie one part of your sugar under the apricocks, and the other part at the top, let them stand all night, the next day put them in a stew-pan or brass pan; don't do over many at once in your pan, for fear of breaking, let them boil over a slow fire, skim them very well, and turn them two or three times in the boiling; you must but about half do 'em at the first, and let them stand whilst they be cool, then let them boil whilst your apricocks look clear, and the syrrup thick, put them into your pots or glasses, when they are cold cover them with a paper dipt in brandy, then tie another paper close over your pot to keep out the air. . _to make_ marmalade _of_ apricocks. take what quantity of apricocks you shall think proper, stone them and put them immediately into a skellet of boiling water, keep them under water on the fire till they be soft, then take them out of the water and wipe them with a cloth, weigh your sugar with your apricocks, weight for weight, then dissolve your sugar in water, and boil it to a candy height, then put in your apricocks, being a little bruised, let them boil but a quarter of a hour, then glass them up. . _to know when your_ sugar _is at_ candy height. take some sugar and clarify it till it comes to a candy-height, and keep it still boiling 'till it becomes thick, then stir it with a stick from you, and when it is at candy-height it will fly from your stick like flakes of snow, or feathers flying in the air, and till it comes to that height it will not fly, then you may use it as you please. . _to make_ marmalade _of_ quinces _white_. take your quinces and coddle them as you do apples, when they are soft pare them and cut them in pieces, as if you would cut them for apple pies, then put your cores, parings, and the waste of your quinces in some water, and boil them fast for fear of turning red until it be a strong jelly; when you see the jelly pretty strong strain it, and be sure you boil them uncovered; add as much sugar as the weight of your quinces into your jelly, till it be boiled to a height, then put in your coddled quinces, and boil them uncovered till they be enough, and set them near the fire to harden. . _to make_ quiddeny _of_ red curranberries. put your berries into a pot, with a spoonful or two of water, cover it close, and boil 'em in some water, when you think they are enough strain them, and put to every pint of juice a pound of loaf sugar, boil it up jelly height, and put them into glasses for use. . _to preserve_ gooseberries. to a pound of ston'd gooseberries put a pound and a quarter of fine sugar, wet the sugar with the gooseberry jelly; take a quart of gooseberries, and two or three spoonfuls of water, boil them very quick, let your sugar be melted, and then put in your gooseberries; boil them till clear, which will be very quickly. . _to make little_ almond cakes. take a pound of sugar and eight eggs, beat them well an hour, then put them into a pound of flour, beat them together, blanch a quarter of a pound of almonds, and beat them with rose-water to keep 'em from oiling, mix all together, butter your tins, and bake them half an hour. half an hour is rather too long for them to stand in the oven. . _to preserve_ red gooseberries. take a pound of sixpenny sugar, and a little juice of currans, put to it a pound and a half of gooseberries, and let them boil quick a quarter of an hour; but if they be for jam they must boil better than half an hour. they are very proper for tarts, or to eat as sweet-meats. . _to bottle_ berries _another way_. gather your berries when they are full grown, pick and bottle them, tie a paper over them, prick it with a pin, and set it in the oven; after you have drawn, and when they are coddled, take them out and when they are cold cork them up; rosin the cork over, and keep them for use. . _to keep_ barberries _for_ tarts _all the year_. take barberries when they are full ripe, and pick 'em from the stalk, put them into dry bottles, cork 'em up very close and keep 'em for use. you may do cranberries the same way. . _to preserve_ barberries _for_ tarts. take barberries when full ripe, strip them, take their weight in sugar, and as much water as will wet your sugar, give it a boil and skim it; then put in your berries, let them boil whilst they look clear and your syrrup thick, so put them into a pot, and when they are cold cover them up with a paper dip'd in brandy. . _to preserve_ damsins. take damsins before they are full ripe, and pick them, take their weight in sugar, and as much water as will wet your sugar, give it a boil and skim it, then put in your damsins, let them have one scald, and set them by whilst cold, then scald them again, and continue scalding them twice a day whilst your syrrup looks thick, and the damsins clear; you must never let them boil; do 'em in a brass pan, and do not take them out in the doing; when they are enough put them into a pot, and cover them up with a paper dip'd in brandy. . _how to keep_ damsins _for_ tarts. take damsins before they are full ripe, to every quart of damsins put a pound of powder sugar, put them into a pretty broad pot, a layer of sugar and a layer of damsins, tie them close up, set them in a slow oven, and let them have a heat every day whilst the syrrup be thick, and the damsins enough; render a little sheep suet and pour over them, to keep them for use. . _to keep_ damsins _another way_. take damsins before they be quite ripe, pick off the stalks, and put them into dry bottles; cork them as you would do ale, and keep them in a cool place for use. . _to make_ mango _of_ codlins. take codlins when they are at their full growth, and of the greenest sort, take a little out of the end with the stalk, and then take out the core; lie them in a strong salt and water, let them lie ten days or more, and fill them with the same ingredients as you do other mango, only scald them oftner. . _to pickle_ curranberries. take currans either red or white before they are thoroughly ripe; you must not take them from the stalk, make a pickle of salt and water and a little vinegar, so keep them for use. they are proper for garnishing. . _to make_ barberries _instead of preserving_. take barberries and lie them in a pot, a layer of barberries and a layer of sugar, pick the seeds out before for garnishing sweet meats, if for sauces put some vinegar to them. . _to keep_ asparagus _or_ green pease _a year_. take green pease, green them as you do cucumbers, and scald them as you do other pickles made of salt and water; let it be always new pickle, and when you would use them boil them in fresh water. . _to make white paste of_ pippens. take some pippens, pare and cut them in halves, and take out the cores, then boil 'em very tender in fair water, and strain them thro' a sieve, then clarify two pounds of sugar with two whites of eggs, and boil it to a candy height, put two pounds and a half of the pulp of your pippens into it, let it stand over a slow fire drying, keeping it stirring till it comes clear from the bottom of your pan, them lie them upon plates or boards to dry. . _to make green paste of_ pippens. take green pippens, put them into a pot and cover them, let them stand infusing over a slow fire five or six hours, to draw the redness or sappiness from them and then strain them thro' a hair sieve; take two pounds of sugar, boil it to a candy height, put to it two pounds of the pulp of your pippens, keep it stirring over the fire till it comes clean from the bottom of your pan, then lay it on plates or boards, and set it in an oven or stove to dry. . _to make red paste of_ pippens. take two pounds of sugar, clarify it, then take rosset and temper it very well with fair water, put it into your syrrup, let it boil till your syrrup is pretty red colour'd with it, then drain your syrrup thro' a fine cloth, and boil it till it be at candy-height, then put to it two pounds and a half of the pulp of pippens, keeping it stirring over the fire till it comes clean from the bottom of the pan, then lie it on plates or boards, so dry them. . _to preserve_ fruit _green_. take your fruit when they are green, and some fair water, set it on the fire, and when it is hot put in the apples, cover them close, but they must not boil, so let them stand till thye be soft, and there will be a thin skin on them, peel it off, and set them to cool, then put them in again, let them boil till they be very green, and keep them whole as you can; when you think them ready to take up, make your syrrup for them; take their weight in sugar, and when your syrrup is ready put the apples into it, and boil them very well in it; they will keep all the year near some fire. you may do green plumbs or other fruit. . _to make_ orange marmalade. take three or four seville oranges, grate them, take out the meat, and boil the rinds whilst they are tender; shift them three or four times in the boiling to take out the bitter, and beat them very fine in a marble mortar; to the weight of your pulp take a pound of loaf sugar, and to a pound of sugar you may add a pint of water, boil and skim it before you put in your oranges, let it boil half an hour very quick, then put in your meat, and to a pint take a pound and a half of sugar, let it boil quick half an hour, stir it all the time, and when it is boiled to a jelly, put it into pots or glasses; cover it with a paper dipp'd in brandy. . _to make_ quinces white _another way_. coddle your quinces, cut them in small pieces, and to a pound of quinces take three quarters of a pound of sugar, boil it to a candy height, having ready a quarter of a pint of quince liquor boil'd and skim'd, put the quinces and liquor to your sugar, boil them till it looks clear, which will be very quickly, then close your quince, and when cold cover it with jelly of pippens to keep the colour. . _to make_ gooseberry vinegar. to every gallon of water take six pounds of ripe gooseberries, bruise them, and pour the water boiling hot upon your berries, cover it close, and set it in a warm place to foment, till all the berries come to the top, then draw it off, and to every gallon of liquor put a pound and a half of sugar, then tun it into a cask, set it in a warm place, and in six months it will be fit for use. . _to make_ gooseberry wine _another way_. take three pounds of ripe gooseberries to a quart of water, and a pound of sugar, stamp your berries and throw them into your water as you stamp them, it will make them strain the better; when it is strained put in your sugar, beat it well with a dish for half an hour, then strain it thro' a finer strainer than before into your vessel, leaving it some room to work, and when it is clear bottle it; your berries must be clean pick'd before your use them, and let them be at their full growth when you use them, rather changing colour. . _to make_ jam of cherries. take ten pounds of cherries, stone and boil them till the juice be wasted, then add to it three pounds of sugar, and give it three or four good boils, then put it into your pots. . _to preserve_ cherries. to a pound of cherries take a pound of sugar finely sifted, with which strow the bottom of your pan, having stoned the cherries, lay a layer of cherries and a layer of sugar, strowing the sugar very well over all, boil them over a quick fire a good while, keeping them clean skim'd till they look clear, and the syrrup is thick and both of one colour; when you think them half done, take them off the fire for an hour, after which set them on again, and to every pound of fruit put in a quarter of a pint of the juice of cherries and red currans, so boil them till enough, and the syrrup is jellied, then put them in a pot, and keep them close from the air. . _to preserve_ cherries _for drying_. take two pounds of cherries and stone them, put to them a pound of sugar, and as much water as will wet the sugar, then set them on the fire, let them boil till they look clear, then take them off the fire, and let them stand a while in the syrrup, and then take them up and lay them on papers to dry. . _to preserve_ fruit _green all the year_. gather your fruit when they are three parts ripe, on a very dry day, when the sun shines on them, then take earthen pots and put them in, cover the pots with cork, or bung them that no air can get into them, dig a place in the earth a yard deep, set the pots therein and cover them with the earth very close, and keep them for use. when you take any out, cover them up again, as at the first. . _how to keep_ kidney beans _all winter_. take kidney beans when they are young, leave on both the ends, lay a layer of salt at the bottom of your pot, and then a layer of beans, and so on till your pot be full, cover them close at the top that they get no air, and set them in a cool place; before you boil them lay them in water all night, let your water boil when you put them in, (without salt) and put into it a lump of butter about the bigness of a walnut. . _to candy_ angelica. take angelica when it is young and tender take off all the leaves from the stalks, boil it in the pan with some of the leaves under, and some at the top, till it be so tender that you can peel off all the skin, then put it into some water again, cover it over with some of the leaves, let it simmer over a slow fire till it be green, when it is green drain the water from it, and then weigh it; to a pound of angelica take a pound of loaf sugar, put a pint of water to every pound of sugar, boil and skim it, and then put in your angelica; it will take a great deal of boiling in the sugar, the longer you boil it and the greener it will be, boil it whilst your sugar be candy height by the side of your pan; if you would have it nice and white, you must have a pound of sugar boiled candy height in a copper-dish or stew pan, set it over a chafing dish, and put it into your angelica, let it have a boil, and it will candy as you take it out. . _to dry_ pears. take half a peck of good baking pears, (or as many as you please) pare and put them in a pot, and to a peck of pears put in two pounds of sugar; you must put in no water but lie the parings on the top of your pears, tie them up close, and set them in a brown bread oven; when they are baked lay them in a dripping pan, and flat them a little in your pan; set them in a slow oven, and turn them every day whilst they be through y dry; so keep them for use. you may dry pippens the same way, only as your turn them grate over them a little sugar. . _to preserve_ currans _in bunches_. boil your sugar to the fourth degree of boiling, tie your currans up in bunches, then place them in order in the sugar, and give them several covered boilings, skim them quick, and let them not have above two or three seethings, then skim them again, and set them into the stove in the preserving pan, the next day drain them, and dress them in bunches, strow them with sugar, and dry them in a stove or in the sun. . _to dry_ apricocks. to a pound of apricocks put three quarter of a pound of sugar, pare and stone them, to a layer of fruit lie a layer of sugar, let them stand till the next day, then boil them again till they be clear, when cold take them out of the syrrup, and lay them upon glasses or china, and sift them over with double refined sugar, so set them on a stove to dry, next day if they be dry enough turn them and sift the other side with sugar; let the stones be broke and the kernels blanch'd, and give them a boil in the syrrup, then put them into the apricocks; you must not do too many at a time, for fear of breaking them in the syrrup; do a great many, and the more you do in it, the better they will taste. . _to make_ jumbalis _another way_. take a pound of meal dry, a pound of sugar finely beat, mix them together; then take the yolks of five or six eggs, as much thick cream as will make it up to a paste, and some corriander seeds; roll them and lay them on tins, prick and bake them in a quick oven; before you set them in the oven wet them with a little rose-water and double refin'd sugar, and it will ice them. . _to preserve_ oranges _whole_. take what quantity of oranges you have a mind to preserve, chip off the rind, the thiner and better, put them into water twenty-four hours, in that time shift them in the water (to take off the bitter) three times; you must shift them with boiling water, cold water makes them hard; put double the weight of sugar for oranges, dissolve your sugar in water, skim it, and clarify it with the white of an egg; before you put in your oranges, boil them in syrrup three or four times, three or four days betwixt each time; you must take out the inmeat of the oranges very clean, for fear of mudding the syrup. . _to make_ jam _of_ damsins. take damsins when they are ripe, and to two pounds of damsins take a pound of sugar, put your sugar into a pan with a jill of water, when you have boiled it put in your damsins, let them boil pretty quick, skim them all the time they are boiling, when your syrrup looks thick they are enough put them into your pots, and when they are cold cover them with a paper dip'd in brandy, tie them up close, and keep them for use. . _to make clear_ cakes _of_ gooseberries. take a pint of jelly, a pound and a quarter of sugar, make your jelly with three or four spoonfuls of water, and put your sugar and jelly together, set it over the fire to heat, but don't let it boil, then put it into the cake pots, and set it in a slow oven till iced over. . _to make_ bullies cheese. take half a peck or a quartern of bullies, whether you please, pick off the stalks, put them in a pot, and stop them up very close, set them in a pot of water to boil for two hours, and be sure your pot be full of water, and boil them whilst they be enough, then put them in a hair-sieve to drain the liquor from the bullies; and to every quart of liquor put a pound and a quarter of sugar, boil it over a slow fire, keeping it stirring all the time: you may know when it is boiled high enough by the parting from the pan, and cover it with papers dip'd in brandy, so tie it up close, and keep it for use. . _to make_ jam _of_ bullies. take the bullies that remained in the sieve, to every quart of it take a pound of sugar, and put it to your jam, boil it over a slow fire, put it in pots, and keep it for use. . _to make_ syrrup _of_ gilliflowers. take five pints of clipt gilliflowers, two pints of boiling water and put to them, then put them in an earthen pot to infuse a night and a day, take a strainer and strain them out; to a quart of your liquor put a pound and half of loaf sugar, boil it over a slow fire, and skim it whilst any skim rises; so when it is cold bottle it for use. . _to pickle_ gilliflowers. take clove gilliflowers, when they are at full growth, clip them and put them into a pot, put them pretty sad down, and put to them some white wine vinegar, as much as will cover them; sweeten them with fine powder sugar, or common loaf; when you put in your sugar stir them up that your sugar may go down to the bottom; they must be very sweet; let them stand two or three days, and then put in a little more vinegar; so tie them up for use. . _to pickle_ cucumbers _sliced_. pare thirty large cucumbers, slice them into a pewter dish, take six onions, slice and strow on them some salt, so cover them and let them stand to drain twenty four hours; make your pickle of white wine vinegar, nutmeg, pepper, cloves and mace, boil the spices in the pickle, drain the liquor clean from the cucumbers, put them into a deep pot, pour the liquor upon them boiling hot, and cover them very close; when they are cold drain the liquor from them, give it another boil, and when it is cold pour it on them again; so keep them for use. . _to make_ cupid hedge-hog's. take a quarter of a pound of jordan almonds, and half a pound of loaf sugar, put it into a pan with as much water as will just wet it, let it boil whilst it be so thick as will stick to your almonds, then put in your almonds and let them boil in it; have ready a quarter of a pound of small coloured comfits; take your almonds out of the syrrup one by one, and turn them round whilst they covered over, so lie them on a pewter dish as you do them, and set them before the fire, whilst you have done them all. they are pretty to put in glasses, or to set in a desert. . _to make_ almond hedge-hogs. take half a pound of the best almonds, and blanch them, beat them with two or three spoonfuls of rose-water in a marble-mortar very small, then take six eggs, (leave out two of the whites) beat your eggs very well, take half a pound of loaf sugar beaten, and four ounces of clarified butter, mix them all well together, put them into a pan, set them over the fire, and keep it stirring whilst it be stiff, then put it into a china-dish, and when it is cold put it up into the shape of an hedge hog, put currans for eyes, and a bit of candid orange for tongue; you may leave out part of the almonds unbeaten; take them and split them in two, then cut them in long bits to stick into your hedge hog all over, then rake two pints of cream custard to pour over your hedge hog, according to the bigness of your dish; lie round your dish edge slices of candid or preserved orange, which you have, so serve it up. . _to pot_ salmon _to keep half a year_. take a side of fresh salmon, take out the bone, cut off the head and scald it; you must not wash it but wipe it with a dry cloth; cut it in three pieces, season it with mace, pepper, salt and nutmeg, put it into a flat pot with the skin side downward, lie over it a pound of butter, tie a paper over it, and send it to the oven, about an hour and a half will bake it; if you have more salmon in your pot than three pieces it will take more baking, and you must put in more butter; when it is baked take it out of your pot, and lie it on a dish plate to drain, and take off the skin, so season it over again, for if it be not well seasoned it will not keep; put it into your pot piece by piece; it will keep best in little pots, when you put it into your pots, press it well down with the back of your hand, and when it is cold cover it with clarified butter, and set it in a cool place; so keep it for use. . _to make a_ coddlin pie. take coddlins before they are over old, hang them over a slow fire to coddle, when they are soft peel off the skin, so put them into the water again, then cover 'em up with vine leaves, and let them hang over the fire whilst they be green; be sure you don't let them boil; lie them whole in the dish, and bake them in puff-paste, but leave no paste in the bottom of the dish; put to 'em a little shred lemon-peel, a spoonful of verjuice or juice of lemon, and as much sugar as you think proper, according to the largeness of your pie. . _to make a_ colliflower pudding. boil the flowers in milk, take the tops and lay then in a dish, then take three jills of cream, the yolks of eight eggs, and the whites of two, season it with nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, sugar, sack or orange-flower water, beat all well together, then pour it over the colliflower, put it into the oven, bake it as you would a custard, and grate sugar over it when it comes from the oven. take sugar, sack and butter for sauce. . _to make stock for_ hartshorn jelly. take five or six ounces of hartshorn, put it into a gallon of water, hang it over a slow fire, cover it close, and let it boil three or four hours, so strain it; make it the day before you use it, and then you may have it ready for your jellies. . _to make_ syrrup of violets. take violets and pick them; to every pound of violets put a pint of water, when the water is just ready to boil put it to your violets, and stir them well together, let them infuse twenty four hours and strain them; to every pound of syrrup, take almost two pounds of sugar, beat the sugar very well and put it into your syrrup, stir it that the sugar may dissolve, let it stand a day or two, stirring it two or three times, then set it on the fire, let be but warm and it will be thick enough. you may make your syrrup either of violets or gilliflowers, only take the weight of sugar, let it stand on the fire till it be very hot, and the syrrup of violets must be only warm. . _to pickle_ cockles. take cockles at a full moon and wash 'em, then put them in a pan, and cover them with a wet cloth, when they are enough put them into a stone bowl, take them out of the shells and wash them very well in their own pickle; let the pickle settle every time you wash them then clear it off; when you have cleaned 'em, put the pickle into a pan, with a spoonful or two of white wine and a little white wine vinegar, to you taste, put in a little jamaica and whole pepper, boil it very well in the pickle, then put in you cockles, let 'em have a boil and skim 'em, when they are cold put them in a bottle with a little oil over them, set 'em in a cool place and keep 'em for use. . _to preserve quinces whole or in quarters_. take the largest quinces when they are at full growth, pare them and throw them into water, when you have pared them cut them into quarters, and take out the cores; if you would have any whole you must take out the cores with a scope; save all the cores and parings, and put them in a pot or pan to coddle your quinces in, with as much water as will cover them, so put in your quinces in the middle of your paring into the pan, (be sure you cover them close up at the top) so let them hang over a slow fire whilst they be thoroughly tender, then take them out and weigh them; to every pound of quince take a pound of loaf sugar, and to every pound of sugar take a pint of the same water you coddled your quinces in, set your water and sugar over the fire, boil it and skim it, then put in your quinces, and cover it close up, set it over a slow fire, and let it boil whilst your quinces be red and the syrrup thick, then put them in pots for use, dipping a paper in brandy to lie over them. . _to pickle_ shrimps. take the largest shrimps you can get, pick them out of the shells, boil them in a jill of water, or as much water as will cover them according as you have a quantity of shrimps, strain them thro' a hair-sieve, then put to the liquor a little spice, mace, cloves, whole pepper, white wine, white wine vinegar, and a little salt to your taste; boil them very well together, when it is cold put in your shrimps, they are fit for use. . _to pickle_ muscles. wash your muscles, put them into a pan as you do your cockles, pick them out of the shells, and wash them in the liquor; be sure you take off the beards, so boil them in the liquor with spices, as you do your cockles, only put to them a little more vinegar than you do to cockles. . _to pickle_ walnuts _green_. gather walnuts when they are as you can run a pin through them, pare them and put them in water, and let them lie four or five days, stirring it twice a day to take out the bitter, then put them in strong salt and water, let them lie a week or ten days, stirring it once or twice a day, then put them in fresh salt and water, and hang them over a fire, put to them a little allum, and cover them up close with vine leaves, let them hang over a slow fire whilst they be green, but be sure don't let them boil, when they are green pat them into a sieve to drain the water from them. . _to make_ pickle _for them_. take a little good alegar, put to it a little long pepper and jamaica pepper, a few bay leaves, a little horse-radish, a handful or two of mustard-seed, a little salt and a little rockambol if you have any, if not a few shalots; boil them altogether in the alegar, which put to your walnuts and let it stand three or four days, giving them a scald once a day, then tie them up for use. a spoonful of this pickle is good for fish-sauce, or a calf's head ash. . _to pickle_ walnuts _black_. gather walnuts when they are so tender that you can run a pin thro' them, prick them all with a pin very well, lie them in fresh water, and let them lie for a week, shifting them once a day; make for them a strong salt and water, and let them lie whilst they be yellow, stirring them once a day, then take 'em out of the salt and water, and boil it, put it on the top of your walnuts, and let your pot stand in the corner end, scald them once or twice a day whilst they be black. you may make the same pickle for those, as you did for the green ones. . _to pickle_ oysters. take the largest oysters you can get, pick them whole out of the shell, and take off the beards, wash them very well in their own pickle, so let the pickle settle, and clear it off, put it into a stew-pan, put to it two or three spoonfuls of white wine, and a little white wine vinegar; don't put in any water, for if there be not pickle enough of their own get a little cockle-pickle and put to it, a little jamaica pepper, white pepper and mace, boil and skim them very well; you must skim it before you put in your spices, then put in your oysters, and boil them in the pickle, when they are cold put them into a large bottle with a little oil on the top, set them in a cool place and keep them for use. . _to pickle large_ cucumbers. take cucumbers and put them in a strong salt and water, let them lie whilst they be throughly yellow, then scald them in the same salt and water they lie in, set them on the fire, and scald them once a day whilst they are green; take the best alegar you can get, put to it a little jamaica pepper and black pepper, some horse-radish in slices, a few bay leaves, and a little dill and salt, so scald your cucumbers twice or thrice in this pickle; then put them up for use. . _to pickle_ onions. take the smallest onions you can get, peel and put them into a large quantity of fair water, let them lie two days and shift them twice a day; then drain them from the water, take a little distill'd vinegar, put to 'em two or three blades of mace, and a little white pepper and salt, boil it, and pour it upon your onions, let them stand three days, so put them into little glasses, and tie a bladder over them; they are very good done with alegar; for common use, only put in jamaica pepper instead of mace. . _to pickle_ elder buds. take elder buds when they are the bigness of small walnuts, lie them in a strong salt and water for ten days, and then scald them in fresh salt and water, put in a lump of allum, let them stand in the corner end close cover'd up, and scalded once a day whilst green. you may do radish cods or brown buds the same way. . _to make the_ pickle. take a little alegar or white wine vinegar, and put to it two or three blades of mace, with a little whole pepper and jamaica pepper, a few bay leaves and salt, put to your buds, and scald them two or three times, then they are fit for use. . _to pickle_ mushrooms. take mushrooms when fresh gather'd, sort the large ones from the buttons, cut off the stalks, wash them in water with a flannel, have a pan of water ready on the fire to boil 'em in, for the less they lie in the water the better; let them have two or three boils over the fire, then put them into a sieve, and when you have drained the water from them put them into a pot, throw over them a handful of salt, stop them up close with a cloth, and let them stand two or three hours on the hot hearth or range end, giving your pot a shake now and then; then drain the pickle from them, and lie them in a cloth for an hour or two, so put into them as much distill'd vinegar as will cover them, let them lie a week or ten days, then take them out, and put them in dry bottles; put to them a little white pepper, salt and ginger sliced, fill them up with distill'd vinegar, put over 'em a little sweet oil, and cork them up close; if your vinegar be good they will keep two or three years; i know it by experience. you must be sure not to fill your bottles above three parts full, if you do they will not keep. . _to pickle_ mushrooms _another way_. take mushrooms and wash them with a flannel, throw them into water as you wash them, only pick the small from the large, put them into a pot, throw over them a little salt, stop up your pot close with a cloth, boil them in a pot of water as you do currans when you make a jelly, give them a shake now and then; you may guess when they are enough by the quantity of liquor that comes from them; when you think they are enough strain from them the liquor, put in a little white wine vinegar, and boil it in a little mace, white pepper, jamaica pepper, and slic'd ginger; then it is cold put it to the mushrooms, bottle 'em and keep 'em for use. they will keep this way very well, and have more of the taste of mushrooms, but they will not be altogether so white. . _to pickle_ potatoe crabs. gather your crabs when they are young, and about the bigness of a large cherry, lie them in a strong salt and water as you do other pickles, let them stand for a week or ten days, then scald them in the same water they lie in twice a day whilst green; make the same pickle for them as you do for cucumbers; be sure you scald them twice or thrice in the pickle and they will keep the better. . _to pickle large_ buttons. take your buttons, clean 'em and cut 'em in three or four pieces, put them into a large sauce-pan to stew in their own liquor, put to them a little jamaica and whole pepper, a blade or two of mace, and a little salt, cover it up, let it stew over a slow fire whilst you think they are enough, then strain from them their liquor, and put to it a little white wine vinegar or alegar, which you please, give it a boil together, and when it is cold put it to your mushrooms, and keep them for use. you may pickle flaps the same way. . _to make_ catchup. take large mushrooms when they are fresh gathered, cut off the dirty ends, break them small in your hands, put them in a stone-bowl with a handful or two of salt, and let them stand all night; if you don't get mushrooms enough at once, with a little salt they will keep a day or two whilst you get more, so put 'em in a stew-pot, and set them in an oven with household bread; when they are enough strain from 'em the liquor, and let it stand to settle, then boil it with a little mace, jamaica and whole black pepper, two or three shalots, boil it over a slow fire for an hour, when it is boiled let it stand to settle, and when it is cold bottle it; if you boil it well it will keep a year or two; you must put in spices according to the quantity of your catchup; you must not wash them, nor put to them any water. . _to make_ mango _of_ cucumbers _or_ small melons. gather cucumbers when they are green, cut a bit off the end and take out all the meat; lie them in a strong salt and water, let them lie for a week or ten days whilst they be yellow, then scald them in the same salt and water they lie in whilst green, then drain from them the water; take a little mustard-seed, a little horse-radish, some scraped and some shred fine, a handful of shalots, a claw or two of garlick if you like the taste, and a little shred mace; take six or eight cucumbers shred fine, mix them amongst the rest of the ingredients, then fill your melons or cucumbers with the meat, and put in the bits at the ends, tie them on with a string, so as will well cover them, and put into it a little jamaica and whole pepper, a little horse-radish and a handful or two of mustard-seed, then boil it, and pour it upon your mango; let it stand in the corner end two or three days, scald them once a day, and then tie them up for use. . _to pickle_ garkins. take garkins of the first growth, pick 'em clean, put 'em in a strong salt and water, let 'em lie a week or ten days whilst they be throughly yellow, then scald them in the same salt and water they lie in, scald them once a day, and let them lie whilst they are green, the set them in the corner end close cover'd. . _to make_ pickle _for your_ cucumbers. take a little alegar, (the quantity must be equal to the quantity of your cucumbers, and so must your seasoning) a little pepper, a little jamaica and long pepper, two or three shalots, a little horse-radish scraped or sliced, and little salt and a bit of allum, boil them altogether, and scald your cucumbers two or three times with your pickle, so tie them up for use. . _to pickle_ colliflower _white_. take the whitest colliflower you can get, break it in pieces the bigness of a mushroom; take as much distill'd vinegar as will cover it, and put to it a little white pepper, two or three blades of mace, and a little salt, then boil it and pour it on your colliflowers three times, let it be cold, then put it into your glasses or pots, and wet a bladder to tie over it to keep out the air. . _to pickle_ red cabbage. take a red cabbage, chuse it a purple red, for the light red never proves a good colour; so take your cabbage and shred it in very thin slices, season it with pepper and salt very well, let it lie all night upon a broad tin, or a dripping-pan; take a little alegar, put to it a little jamaica pepper, and two or three rases of ginger, boil them together, and when it is cold pour it upon your cabbage, and in two or three days time it will be fit for use. you may throw a little colliflower among it, and it will turn red. . _to pickle_ colliflower _another way_. take the colliflower and break it in pieces the bigness of a mushroom, but leave on a short stalk with the head; take some white wine vinegar, into a quart of vinegar, put six-pennyworth of cochineal beat well, also a little jamaica and whole pepper, and a little salt, boil them in vinegar, pour it over the colliflower hot, and let it stand two or three days close covered up; you may scald it once in three days whilst it be red, when it is red take it out of pickle, and wash the cochineal off in the pickle, so strain it through a hair sieve, and let it stand a little to settle, then put it to your colliflower again, and tie it up for use; the longer it lies in the pickle the redder it will be. . _to pickle_ walnuts _white_. take walnuts when they are at full growth and can thrust a pin through them, the largest sort you can get, pare them, and cut a bit off one end whilst you see the white, so you must pare off all the green, if you cut through the white to the kernel they will be spotted, and put them in water as you pare them; you must boil them in salt and water as you do mushrooms, and will take no more boiling than a mushroom; when they are boiled lay them on a dry cloth to drain out of the water, then put them into a pot, and put to them as much distill'd vinegar as will cover them, let them lie two or three days; then take a little more vinegar, put to it a few blades of mace, a little white pepper and salt, boil 'em together, when it is cold take your walnuts out of the other pickle and put into that, let them lie two or three days, pour it from them, give it another boil and skim it, when it is cold put to it your walnuts again, put them into a bottle, and put over them a little sweet oil, cork them up, and set them in a cool place; if your vinegar be good they will keep as long as the mushrooms. . _to pickle_ barberries. take barberries when full ripe, put them into a pot, boil a strong salt and water, then pour it on them boiling hot. . _to make_ barley-sugar. boil barley in water, strain it through a hair-sieve, then put the decoction into clarified sugar brought to a candy height, or the last degree of boiling, then take it off the fire, and let the boiling settle, then pour it upon a marble stone rubb'd with the oil of olives, when it cools and begins to grow hard, cut it into pieces, and rub it into lengths as you please. . _to pickle_ purslain. take the thickest stalks of purslain, lay them in salt and water six weeks, then take them out, put them into boiling water, and cover them well; let them hang over a slow fire till they be very green, when they are cold put them into pot, and cover them well with beer vinegar, and keep them covered close. . _to make_ punch _another way_. take a quart or two of sherbet before you put in your brandy, and the whites of four or five eggs, beat them very well, and set it over the fire, let it have a boil, then put it into a jelly bag, so mix the rest of your acid and brandy together, (the quantity you design to make) heat it and run it all through your jelly bag, change it in the running off whilst it look fine; let the peel of one or two lemons lie in the bag; you may make it the day before you use it, and bottle it. . _to make new_ college puddings. grate an old penny loaf, put to it a like quantity of suet shred, a nutmeg grated, a little salt and some currans, then beat some eggs in a little sack and sugar, mix all together, and knead it as stiff as for manchet, and make it up in the form and size of a turkey's egg, but a little flatter; take a pound of butter, put it in a dish or stew-pan, and set it over a clear fire in a chafing-dish, and rub your butter about the dish till it is melted, then put your puddings in, and cover the dish, but often turn your puddings till they are brown alike, and when they are enough grate some sugar over them, and serve them up hot. for a side-dish you must let the paste lie for a quarter of an hour before you make up your puddings. . _to make a_ custard pudding. take a pint of cream, mix it with six eggs well beat, two spoonfuls of flour, half a nutmeg grated, a little salt and sugar to your taste; butter your cloth, put it in when the pan boils, baste it just half an hour, and melt butter for the sauce. . _to make_ fryed toasts. chip a manchet very well, and cut it round ways in toasts, then take cream and eight eggs seasoned with sack, sugar, and nutmeg, and let these toasts steep in it about an hour, then fry them in sweet butter, serve them up with plain melted butter, or with butter, sack and sugar as you please. . _to make_ sauce _for_ fish or flesh. take a quart of vinegar or alegar, put it into a jug, then take jamaica pepper whole, some sliced ginger and mace; a few cloves, some lemon-peel, horse radish sliced, sweet herbs, six shalots peeled, eight anchovies, and two or three spoonfuls of shred capers, put all those in a linen bag, and put the bag into your alegar or vinegar, stop the jug close, and keep it for use. a spoonful cold is an addition to sauce for either fish or flesh. . _to make a_ savoury dish of veal. cut large collops of a leg of veal, spread them abroad on a dresser, hack them with the back of a knife, and dip them in the yolks of eggs, season them with nutmeg, mace, pepper and salt, then make forc'd-meat with some of your veal, beef-suit, oysters chop'd, and sweet herbs shred fine, and the above spice, strow all these over your collops, roll and tie them up, put them on skewers, tie them to a spit and roast them; and to the rest of your forc'd-meat add the yolk of an egg or two, and make it up in balls and fry them, put them in a dish with your meat when roasted, put a little water in the dish under them, and when they are enough put to it an anchovy, a little gravy, a spoonful of white wine, and thicken it up with a little flour and butter, so fry your balls and lie round the dish, and serve it up. this is proper for a side-dish either at noon or night. . _to make_ french bread. take half a peck of fine flour, the yolks of six eggs and four whites, a little salt, a pint of ale yeast, and as much new milk made warm as will make it a thin light paste, stir it about with your hand, but be sure you don't knead them; have ready six wooden quarts or pint dishes, fill them with the paste, (not over full) let them stand a quarter of an hour to rise, then turn them out into the oven, and when they are baked rasp them. the oven must be quick. . _to make_ ginger-bread _another way_. take three pounds of fine flour, and the rind of a lemon dried and beaten to powder, half a pound of sugar, or more if you like it, a little butter, and an ounce and a half of beaten ginger, mix all these together and wet it pretty stiff with nothing but treacle; make it into rolls or cakes which you please; if you please you may add candid orange peel and citron; butter your paper to bake it on, and let it be baked hard. . _to make_ quince cream. take quinces when they are full ripe, cut them in quarters, scald them till they be soft, pare them, and mash the clear part of them, and the pulp, and put it through a sieve, take an equal weight of quince and double refin'd sugar beaten and sifted; and the whites of eggs beat till it is as white as snow, then put it into dishes. you may do apple cream the same way. . _to make_ cream _of any preserved fruit_. take half a pound of the pulp of any preserved fruit, put it in a large pan, put to it the whites of two or three eggs, beat them well together for an hour, then with a spoon take off, and lay it heaped up high on the dish and salver without cream, or put it in the middle bason. rasberries will not do this way. . _to dry_ pears _or_ pippens _without sugar_. take pears or apples and wipe them clean, take a bodkin and run it in at the head, and out at the stalk, put them in a flat earthen pot and bake them, but not too much; you must put a quart of strong new ale to half a peck of pears, tie twice papers over the pots that they are baked in, let them stand till cold then drain them, squeeze the pears flat, and the apples, the eye to the stalk, and lay 'em on sieves with wide holes to dry, either in a stove or an oven not too hot. . _to preserve_ mulberries _whole_. set some mulberries over the fire in a skellet or preserving pan, draw from them a pint of juice when it is strain'd; then take three pounds of sugar beaten very fine, wet the sugar with the pint of juice, boil up your sugar and skim it, put in two pounds of ripe mulberries, and let them stand in the syrrup till they are throughly warm, then set them on the fire, and let them boil very gently; do them but half enough, so put them by in the syrrup till next day, then boil them gently again; when the syrrup is pretty thick and well stand in round drops when it is cold, they are enough, so put all in a gally-pot for use. . _to make_ orange cakes. cut your oranges, pick out the meat and juice free from the strings and seeds, set it by, then boil it, and shift the water till your peels are tender, dry them with a cloth, mince them small, and put them to the juice; to a pound of that weigh a pound and a half of double refin'd sugar; dip your lumps of sugar in water, and boil it to a candy height, take it off the fire and put in your juice and peel, stir it well, when it is almost cold put it into a bason, and set it in a stove, then lay it thin on earthen plates to dry, and as it candies fashion it with a knife, and lay them on glasses; when your plate is empty, put more out of your bason. . _to dry_ apricocks _like_ prunellos. take a pound of apricocks before they be full ripe, cut them in halves or quarters, let them boil till they be very tender in a thin syrrup, and let them stand a day or two in the stove, then take them out of the syrrup, lay them to dry till they be as dry as prunellos, then box 'em, if you please you may pare them. you may make your syrrup red with the juice of red plumbs. . _to preserve great white_ plumbs. to a pound of white plumbs take three quarters of a pound of double refin'd sugar in lumps, dip your sugar in water, boil and skim it very well, slit your plumbs down the seam; and put them into the syrrup with the slit downwards; let them stew over the fire a quarter of an hour, skim them very well, then take them off, and when cold cover them up; turn them in the syrrup two or three times a day for four or five days, then put them into pots and keep them for use. . _to make_ gooseberry wine _another way_. take gooseberries when they are full ripe, pick and beat them in a marble mortar; to every quart of berries put a quart of water, and put them into a tub and let them stand all night, then strain them through a hair-sieve, and press them very well with your hand; to every gallon of juice put three pounds of four-penny sugar; when your sugar is melted put it into the barrel, and to as many gallons of juice as you have, take as many pounds of malaga raisins, chop them in a bowl, and put them in the barrel with the wine; be sure let not your barrel be over full, so close it up, let it stand three months in the barrel, and when it is fine bottle it, but not before. . _to pickle_ nasturtium buds. gather your little nobs quickly after the blossoms are off, put them in cold water and salt three days, shifting them once a day; then make a pickle for them (but don't boil them at all) of some white wine, and some white wine vinegar, shalot, horse-radish, whole pepper and salt, and a blade or two of mace; then put in your seeds, and stop 'em close up. they are to be eaten as capers. . _to make_ elder-flower wine. take three or four handfuls of dry'd elder-flowers, and ten gallons of spring water, boil the water, and pour in scalding hot upon the flowers, the next day put to every gallon of water five pounds of malaga raisins, the stalks being first pick'd off, but not wash'd, chop them grosly with a chopping knife, then put them into your boiled water, stir the water, raisins and flowers well together, and do so twice a day for twelve days, then press out the juice clear as long as you can get any liquor; put it into a barrel fit for it, stop it up two or three days till it works, and in a few days stop it up close, and let it stand two or three months, then bottle it. . _to make_ pearl barley pudding. take half a pound of pearl barley, cree it in soft water, and shift it once or twice in the boiling till it be soft; take five eggs, put to them a pint of good cream, and half a pound of powder sugar, grate in half a nutmeg, a little salt, a spoonful or two of rose-water, and half a pound of clarified butter; when your barley is cold mix them altogether, so bake it with a puff-paste round your dish-edge. serve it up with a little rose-water, sugar and butter for your sauce. . _to make_ gooseberry vinegar _another way_. take gooseberries when they are full ripe, bruise them in a marble mortar or wooden bowl, and to every upheap'd half peck of berries take a gallon of water, put it to them in the barrel, let it stand in a warm place for two weeks, put a paper on the top of your barrel, then draw it off, wash out the barrel, put it in again, and to every gallon add a pound of coarse sugar; set it in a warm place by the fire, and let it stand whilst christmas. . _to preserve_ apricocks _green_. take apricocks when they are young and tender, coddle them a little, rub them with a coarse cloth to take off the skin, and throw them into water as you do them, and put them in the same water they were coddled in, cover them with vine leaves, a white paper, or something more at the top, the closer you keep them the sooner they are green; be sure you don't let them boil; when they are green weigh them, and to every pound of apricocks take a pound of loaf sugar, put it into a pan, and to every pound of sugar a jill of water, boil your sugar and water a little, and skim it, then put in your apricocks, let them boil together whilst your apricocks look clear, and your syrrup thick, skim it all the time it is boiling, and put them into a pot covered with a paper dip'd in brandy. . _to make_ orange chips _another way_. pare your oranges, not over thin but narrow, throw the rinds into fair water as you pare them off, then boil them therein very fast till they be tender, filling up the pan with boiling water as it wastes away, then make a thin syrrup with part of the water they are boiled in, put in the rinds, and just let them boil, then take them off, and let them lie in the syrrup three or four days, then boil them again till you find the syrrup begin to draw between your fingers, take them off from the fire and let them drain thro' your cullinder, take out but a few at a time, because if they cool too fast it will be difficult to get the syrrup from them, which must be done by passing every piece of peel through your fingers, and lying them single on a sieve with the rind uppermost, the sieve may be set in a stove, or before the fire; but in summer the sun is hot enough to dry them. three quarters of a pound of sugar will make syrrup to do the peels of twenty-five oranges. . _to make_ mushroom powder. take about half a peck of large buttons or slaps, clean them and set them in an earthen dish or dripping pan one by one, let them stand in a slow oven to dry whilst they will beat to powder, and when they are powdered sift them through a sieve; take half a quarter of a ounce of mace, and a nutmeg, beat them very fine, and mix them with your mushroom powder, then put it into a bottle, and it will be fit for use. you must not wash your mushrooms. . _to preserve_ apricocks _another way_. take your apricocks before they are full ripe, pare them and stone them, and to every pound of apricocks take a pound of lump loaf sugar, put it into your pan with as much water as will wet it; to four pounds of sugar take the whites of two eggs beat them well to a froth, mix them well with your sugar whilst it be cold, then set it over the fire and let it have a boil, take it off the fire, and put in a spoonful or two of water, then take off the skim, and do so three or four times whilst any skim rises, then put in your apricocks, and let them have a quick boil over the fire, then take them off and turn them over, let them stand a little while covered, and then set them on again, let them have another boil and skim them, then take them out one by one; set on your syrrup again to boil down, and skim it, then put in your apricocks again, and let them boil whilst they look clear, put them in pots, when they are cold cover them over with a paper dipt in brandy, and tie another paper at the top, set them in a cool place, and keep them for use. . _to pickle_ mushrooms _another way_. when you have cleaned your mushrooms put them into a pot, and throw over them a handful of salt, and stop them very close with a cloth, and set them in a pan of water to boil about an hour, give them a shake now and then in the boiling, then take them out and drain the liquor from them, wipe them dry with a cloth, and put them up either in white wine vinegar or distill'd vinegar, with spices, and put a little oil on the top. they don't look so white this way, but they have more the taste of mushrooms. . _how to fry_ mushrooms. take the largest and freshest flaps you can get, skin them and take out the gills, boil them in a little salt and water, then wipe them dry with a cloth; take two eggs and beat them very well, half a spoonful of wheat-flour, and a little pepper and salt, then dip in your mushrooms and fry them in butter. they are proper to lie about stew'd mushrooms or any made dish. . _how to make an_ ale posset. take a quart of good milk, set it on the fire to boil, put in a handful or two of breadcrumbs, grate in a little nutmeg, and sweeten it to your taste; take three jills of ale and give it a boil; take the yolks of four eggs, beat them very well, then put to them a little of your ale, and mix all your ale and eggs together; then set it on the fire to heat, keep stirring it all the time, but don't let it boil, if you do it will curdle; then put it into your dish, heat the milk and put it in by degrees; so serve it up. you may make it of any sort of made wine; make it half an hour before you use it, and keep it hot before the fire. . _to make_ minc'd pies _another way_. take half a pound of jordan almonds, blanch and beat them with a little rose-water, but not over small; take a pound of beef-suet shred very fine, half a pound of apples shred small, a pound of currans well cleaned, half a pound of powder sugar, a little mace shred fine, about a quarter of a pound of candid orange cut in small pieces, a spoonful or two of brandy, and a little salt, so mix them well together, and bake it in a puff-paste. . _to make_ sack posset _another way_. take a quart of good cream, and boil it with a blade or two of mace, put in about a quarter of a pound of fine powder sugar; take a pint of sack or better, set it over the fire to heat, but don't let it boil, then grate in a little nutmeg, and about a quarter of a pound of powder sugar; take nine eggs, (leave out six of the whites and strains) beat 'em very well, then put to them a little of your sack mix the sack and eggs very well together, then put to 'em the rest of your sack, stir it all the time you are pouring it in, set it over a slow fire to thicken, and stir it till it be as thick as custard; be sure you don't let it boil, if you do it will curdle, then pour it into your dish or bason; take your cream boiling hot, and pour to your sack by degrees, stirring it all the time you are pouring it in, then set it on a hot-hearth-stone; you must make it half an hour before you use it; before you set on the hearth cover it close with a pewter dish. _to make a_ froth _for them_. take a pint of the thickest cream you can get, and beat the whites of two eggs very well together, take off the cream by spoonfuls, and lie it in a sieve to drain; when you dish up the posset lie over it the froth. . _to dry_ cherries _another way_. take cherries when full ripe, stone them, and break 'em as little as you can in the stoning; to six pounds of cherries take three pounds of loaf sugar, beat it, lie one part of your sugar under your cherries, and the other at the top, let them stand all night, then put them into your pan, and boil them pretty quick whilst your cherries change and look clear, then let them stand in the syrrup all night, pour the syrrup from them, and put them into a pretty large sieve, and set them either in the sun or before the fire; let them stand to dry a little, then lay them on white papers one by one, let them stand in the sun whilst they be thoroughly dry, in the drying turn them over, then put them into a little box; betwixt every layer of cherries lie a paper, and so do till all are in, then lie a paper at the top, and keep them for use. you must not boil them over long in the syrrup, for if it be over thick it will keep them from drying; you may boil two or three pounds more cherries in the syrrup after. . _how to order_ sturgeon. if your sturgeon be alive, keep it a night and a day before you use it; then cut off the head and tail, split it down the back, and cut it into as many pieces as you please; salt it with bay salt and common salt, as you would do beef for hanging, and let it lie hours; then tie it up very tight, and boil it in salt and water whilst it is tender; (you must not boil it over much) when it is boiled throw over it a little salt, and set it by till it be cold. take the head and split it in two and tye it up very tight; you must boil it by itself, not so much as you did the rest, but salt it after the same manner. . _to make the_ pickle. take a gallon of soft water, and make it into a strong brine; take a gallon of stale beer, and a gallon of the best vinegar, and let it boil together, with a few spices; when it is cold put in your sturgeon; you may keep it (if close covered) three or four months before you need to renew the pickle. . _to make_ hotch-potch. take five or six pounds of fresh beef, put it in a kettle with six quarts of soft water, and an onion; set it on a slow fire, and let it boil til your beef is almost enough; then put in the scrag of a neck of mutton, and let them boil together till the broth be very good; put in two or three handfuls of breadcrumbs, two or three carrots and turnips cut small, (but boil the carrots in water before you put them in, else they will give your broth a taste) with half a peck of shill'd pease, but take up the meat before you put them in, when you put in the pease take the other part of your mutton and cut it in chops, (for it will take no more boiling than the pease) and put it in with a few sweet herbs shred very small, and salt to your taste. you must send up the mutton chops in the dish with the hotch-potch. when there are no pease to be had, you may put in the heads of asparagus, and if there be neither of these to be had, you may shred in a green savoy cabbage. this is a proper dish instead of soop. . _to make_ minc'd collops. take two or three pounds of any tender parts of beef, (according as you would have the dish in bigness) cut it small as you would do minc'd veal; take an onion, shred it small, and fry it a light brown, in butter seasoned with nutmeg, pepper and salt, and put it into your pan with your onion, and fry it a little whilst it be a light brown; then put to it a jill of good gravy, and a spoonful of walnut pickle, or a little catchup; put in a few shred capers or mushrooms, thicken it up with a little flour and butter; if you please you may put in a little juice of lemon; when you dish it up, garnish your dish with pickle; and a few forc'd-meat-balls. it is proper for either side-dish or top-dish. . _to make white_ scotch collops _another way_. take two pounds of the solid part of a leg of veal, cut it in pretty thin slices, and season it with a little shred mace and salt, put it into your stew-pan with a lump of butter, set it over the fire, keep it stirring all the time, but don't let it boil; when you are going to dish up the collops, put to them the yolks of two or three eggs, three spoonfuls of cream, a spoonful or two of white wine, and a little juice of lemon, shake it over the fire whilst it be so thick that the sauce sticks to the meat, be sure you don't let it boil. garnish your dish with lemon and sippets, and serve it up hot. this is proper for either side-dish or top-dish, noon or night. . _to make_ vinegar _another way_. take as many gallons of water as you please, and to every gallon of water put in a pound of four-penny sugar, boil it for half an hour and skim it all the time; when it is about blood warm put to it about three or four spoonfuls of light yeast, let it work in the tub a night and a day, put it into your vessel, close up the top with a paper, and set it as near the fire as you have convenience, and in two or three days it will be good vinegar. . _to preserve_ quinces _another way_. take quinces, pare and put them into water, save all the parings and cores, let 'em lie in the water with the quinces, set them over the fire with the parings and cores to coddle, cover them close up at the top with the parings, and lie over them either a dishcover or pewter dish, and cover them close; let them hang over a very slow fire whilst they be tender; but don't let them boil; when they are soft take them out of the water, and weigh your quinces, and to every pound put a pint of the same water they were coddled in (when strained) and put to your quinces, and to every pound of quinces put a pound of sugar; put them into a pot or pewter flagon, the pewter makes them a much better colour; close them up with a little coarse paste, and set them in a bread oven all night; if the syrrup be too thin boil it down, put it to your quinces, and keep it for use. you may either do it with powder sugar or loaf sugar. . _to make_ almond cheesecakes _another way_. take the peel of two or three lemons pared thick, boil them pretty soft, and change the water two or three times in the boiling; when they are boiled beat them very fine with a little loaf sugar, then take eight eggs, (leaving out six of the whites) half a pound of loaf or powder sugar, beat the eggs and sugar for half an hour, or better; take a quarter of a pound of the best almonds, blanch and beat them with three or four spoonfuls of rose-water, but not over small; take ten ounces of fresh butter, melt it without water, and clear off from it the butter-milk, then mix them altogether very well, and bake them in a slow oven in a puff-paste; before you put them into the tins, put in the juice of half a lemon. when you put them in the oven grate over them a little loaf sugar. you may make them without almonds, if you please. you may make a pudding of the same, only leave out the almonds. _finis_. english housewifry _improved_; or, a supplement to moxon's cookery. containing, upwards of sixty modern and valuable receipts in pastry made dishes preserving made wines, &c. &c. collected by a person of judgment. supplement to moxon's cookery. . _a_ granade. take the caul of a leg of veal, lie it into a round pot; put a layer of the flitch part of bacon at the bottom, then a layer of forc'd-meat, and a layer of the leg part of veal cut as for collops, 'till the pot is fill'd up; which done, take the part of the caul that lies over the edge of the pot, close it up, tie a paper over, and send it to the oven; when baked, turn it out into your dish.--_sauce_. a good light-brown gravy, with a few mushrooms, morels, or truffles; serve it up hot. . _the fine brown_ jelly. boil four calf's feet in six quarts of water 'till it is reduced to three pints, tale off the feet and let the stock cool, then melt it, and have ready in a stew-pan, a spoonful of butter hot, add to it a spoonful of fine flour, stir it with a wood spoon over a stove-fire, 'till it is very brown, but not burnt, then put the jelly out, and let it boil; when cold take off the fat, melt the jelly again and put to it half a pint of red port, the juice and peel of half a lemon, white pepper, mace, a little jamaica pepper, and a little salt; then have ready the whites of four eggs, well froth'd, and put them into the jelly, (take care the jelly be not too hot when the whites are put in) stir it well together, and boil it over a quick fire one minute, run it thro' a flannel bag and turn it back till it is clear, and what form you would have it, have that ready, pour a little of the jelly in the bottom, it will soon starken; then place what you please in it, either pigeon or small chicken, sweet-bread larded, or pickled smelt or trout, place them in order, and pour on the remainder of the jelly. you may send it up in this form, or turn it into another dish, with holding it over hot water; but not till it is thoroughly hardened. . _to make a_ mellon. make the leanest forc'd-meat that you can, green it as near the colour of mellon as possible with the juice of spinage, as little of the juice as you can; put several herbs in it, especially parsley, shred fine, for that will help to green it; roll it an inch and a half thick, lay one half in a large mellon mould, well buttered and flowered, with the other half the full size of the mould, sides and all; then put into it as many stew'd oysters as near fills it with liquor sufficient to keep them moist, and close the forc'd-meat well together; close the melon and boil it till you think it is enough; then make a small hole (if possible not to be perceived) pour in a little more of the liquor that the oysters were stew'd in hot, and serve it up with hot sauce in the dish. it must be boiled in a cloth, and is either for a first or second course. . _hot_ chicken pie. order the chickens as for fricassy, and form the pie deep, lay in the bottom a mince-meat made of the chicken's livers, ham, parsley and yolks of eggs; season with white pepper, mace, and a little salt; moisten with butter, then lay the chicken above the minc'd meat, and a little more butter; cover the pie and bake it two hours; when baked take off the fat, and add to it white gravy, with a little juice of lemon. serve this up hot. . sheep's rumps _with_ rice. stew the rumps very tender, then take 'em out to cool, dip them in egg and bread-crumbs, and fry them a light brown; have ready half a pound of rice, well wash'd and pick'd, and half a pound of butter; let it stew ten minutes in a little pot; then add a pint of good gravy to the rice and butter, and let it stew half an hour longer; have ready six onions boil'd very tender, and six yolks of boil'd eggs, stick them with cloves; then place the sheep rumps on the dish, and put round them the rice as neatly as you can; place the onions and eggs over the rice, so serve it up hot. . sheep's tongues _broil'd_. the tongues being boil'd, put a lump of butter in a stew-pan, with parsley and green onions cut small; then split the tongues, but do not part them, and put them in the pan, season them with pepper, herbs, mace, and nutmeg; set them a moment on the fire, and strow crumbs of bread on them; let them be broil'd and dish them up, with a high gravy sauce. . _to lard_ oysters. make a strong essence of ham and veal, with a little mace; then lard the large oysters with a fine larding pin; put them, with as much essence as will cover them, into a stew-pan; let them stew and hour, or more, over a slow fire. they are used for garnishing, but when you make a dish of them, squeeze in a seville orange. . veal couley. take a little lean bacon and veal, onion, and the yellow part of a carrot, put it into a stew-pan; set it over a slow fire, and let it simmer till the gravy is quite brown, then put in small gravy, or boiling water; boil it a quarter of an hour, and then it is ready for use. take two necks of mutton, bone them, lard one with bacon, the other with parsley; when larded, put a little couley over a slow stove, with a slice of lemon whilst the mutton is set, then skewer it up like a couple of rabbits, put it on the spit and roast it as you would any other mutton; then serve it up with ragoo'd cucumbers. this will do for first course; bottom dish. . _the_ mock turtle. take a fine large calf's head, cleans'd well and stew'd very tender, a leg of veal twelve pounds weight, leave out three pounds of the finest part of it; then take three fine large fowls, (bone them, but leave the meat as whole as possible,) and four pounds of the finest ham sliced; then boil the veal, fowls bones, and the ham in six quarts of water, till it is reduced to two quarts, put in the fowl and the three pounds of veal, and let them boil half an hour; take it off the fire and strain the gravy from it; add to the gravy three pints of the best white wine, boil it up and thicken it; then put in the calf's-head; have in readiness twelve large forc'd-meat-balls, as large as an egg, and twelve yolks of eggs boil'd hard. dish it up hot in a terreen. . _to dress_ ox lips. take three or four ox lips, boil them as tender as possible, dress them clean the day before they are used; then make a rich forc'd-meat of chicken or half-roasted rabbits, and stuff the lips with it; they will naturally turn round; tie them up with pack-thread and put them into gravy to stew; they must stew while the forc'd-meat be enough. serve them up with truffles, morels, mushrooms, cockscombs, forc'd-meat balls, and a little lemon to your taste. this is a top-dish for second, or side dish for first course. . _to make_ poverade. take a pint of good gravy, half a jill of elder vinegar, six shalots, a little pepper and salt, boil all these together a few minutes, and strain it off. this is a proper sauce for turkey, or any other sort of white fowls. . _to pot_ partridges. take the partridges and season them well with mace, salt and a little pepper; lie 'em in the pot with the breast downwards, to every partridge put three quarters of a pound of butter, send them to the oven, when baked, drain them from the butter and gravy, and add a little more seasoning, then put them close in the pot with the breasts upwards, and when cold, cover them well with the butter, suit the pot to the number of the partridges to have it full. you may pot any sort of moor game the same way. . _to pot_ partridges _another way_. put a little thyme and parsley in the inside of the partridges, season them with mace, pepper and salt; put them in the pot, and cover them with butter; when baked, take out the partridges, and pick all the meat from the bones, lie the meat in a pot (without beating) skim all the butter from the gravy, and cover the pot well with the butter. . _to pot_ chare. scrape and gut them, wash and dry them clean, season them with pepper, salt, mace, and nutmeg; let the two last seasonings be higher than the other; put a little butter at the bottom of the pot, then lie in the dish, and put butter at the top, three pounds of butter to four pounds of chare; when they are baked (before they are cold) pour off the gravy and butter, put two or three spoonfuls of butter into the pot you keep them in, then lie in the dish, scum the butter clean from the gravy, and put the butter over the dish, so keep it for use. . salmon _en_ maigre. cut some slices of fresh salmon the thickness of your thumb, put them in a stew-pan with a little onion, white pepper and mace, and a bunch of sweet herbs, pour over it half a pint of white wine, half a jill of water, and four ounces of butter (to a pound and half of salmon;) cover the stew-pot close, and stew it half an hour; then take out the salmon, and place it on the dish; strain off the liquor, and have ready craw-fish, pick'd from the shell, or lobster cut in small pieces; pound the shells of the craw-fish, or the seeds of the lobster, and give it a turn in the liquor; thicken it, and serve it up hot with the craw-fish, or lobster, over the salmon. trouts may be done the same way, only cut off their heads. . lobster a'l'italienne. cut the tail of the lobster in square pieces, take the meat out of the claws, bruise the red part of the lobster very fine, stir it in a pan with a little butter, put some gravy to it; strain it off while hot, then put in the lobster with a little salt; make it hot, and send it up with sippets round your dish. . _to do_ chickens, _or any_ fowl's feet. scald the feet till the skin will come off, then cut off the nails; stew them in a pot close cover'd set in water, and some pieces of fat meat till they are very tender; when you set them on the fire, put to them some whole pepper, onion, salt, and some sweet herbs; when they are taken out, wet them over with the yolk of an egg, and dridge them well with bread-crumbs; so fry them crisp. . larks _done in_ jelly. boil a knuckle of veal in a gallon of water till it is reduced to three pints, (it must not be covered but done over a clear fire) scum it well and clarify it, then season the larks with pepper and salt, put them in a pot with butter, and send them to the oven; when baked take them out of the butter whilst hot, take the jelly and season it to your taste with pepper and salt; then put the jelly and larks into a pan together, and give them a scald over the fire; so lie them in pots and cover them well with jelly. when you use them, turn them out of the pots, and serve them up. . _the fine_ catchup. take three quarts of red port, a pint of vinegar, one pound of anchovies unwash'd, pickle and altogether, half an ounce of mace, ten cloves, eight races of ginger, one spoonful of black pepper, eight ounces of horseradish, half a lemon-peel, a bunch of winter-savory, and four shalots; stew these in a pot, within a kettle of water, one full hour, then strain it thro' a close sieve, and when it is cold bottle it; shake it well before you bottle it, that the sediment may mix. you may stew all the ingredients over again, in a quart of wine for present use. . walnut catchup. take the walnuts when they are ready for pickling, beat them in a mortar, and strain the juice thro' a flannel bag; put to a quart of juice a jill of white wine, a jill of vinegar, twelve shalots sliced, a quarter of an ounce of mace, two nutmegs sliced, one ounce of black pepper, twenty four cloves, and the peels of two seville oranges, pared so thin that no white appears, boil it over a slow fire very well, and scum it as it boils; let it stand a week or ten days cover'd very close, then pour it thro' the bag, and bottle it. . _a very good_ white _or_ almond soop. take veal, fowl, or any white meat, boiled down with a little mace, (or other spice to your taste) let these boil to mash, then strain off the gravy; take some of the white fleshy part of the meat and rub it thro' a cullender; have ready two ounces of almonds beat fine, rub these thro' the cullender, then put all into the gravy, set it on the fire to thicken a little, and stir in it two or three spoonfuls of cream, and a little butter work'd in flour; then have ready a french roll crisp'd for the middle, and slips of bread cut long like savoy biskets. serve it up hot. . almond pudding. take one pound of almonds, blanch'd and beat fine, one pint of cream, the yolks of twelve eggs, two ounces of grated bread, half a pound of suet, marrow, or melted butter, three quarters of a pound of fine sugar, a little lemon-peel and cinnamon; bake it in a slow oven, in a dish, or little tins. the above are very good put in skins. . almond pudding _another way_. boil a quart of cream, when cold, mix in the whites of seven eggs well beat; blanch five ounces of almonds, beat them with rose or orange-flower water, mix in the eggs and cream; sweeten it to your taste with fine powder sugar, then mix in a little citron or orange, put a thin paste at the bottom, and a thicker round the edge of the dish. bake in a slow oven.--sauce. wine and sugar. . almond cheesecakes _another way_. six ounces of almonds, blanch'd and beat with rose-water; six ounces of butter beat to cream; half a pound of fine sugar; six eggs well beat, and a little mace. bake these in little tins, in cold butter paste. . _a_ lemon pudding _another way_. take a quarter of a pound of almonds, three quarters of a pound of sugar, beat and searc'd, half a pound of butter; beat the almonds with a little rose-water, grate the rinds of two lemons, beat eleven eggs, leave out two whites, melt the butter an stir it in; when the oven is ready mix all these well together, with the juice of one or two lemons to your taste; put a thin paste at the bottom, and a thicker round the edge of the dish. sauce. wine and sugar. . potatoe pudding _another way_. take three quarters of a pound of potatoes, when boil'd and peel'd, beat them in a mortar with a quarter of a pound of suet or butter, (if butter, melt it) a quarter of a pound of powder sugar, five eggs well beat, a pint of good milk, one spoonful of flour, a little mace or cinnamon, and three spoonfuls of wine or brandy; mix all these well together, and bake it in a pretty quick oven. sauce. wine and butter. . carrot pudding _another way_. take half a pound of carrots, when boil'd and peel'd, beat them in a mortar, two ounces of grated bread, a pint of cream, half a pound of suet or marrow, a glass of sack, a little cinnamon, half a pound of sugar, six eggs well beat, leaving out three of the whites, and a quarter of a pound of macaroons; mix all well together; puff-paste round the dish-edge. sauce. wine and sugar. . white pott _another way_. a layer of white bread cut thin at the bottom of the dish, a layer of apples cut thin, a layer of marrow or suet, currans, raisins, sugar and nutmeg, then the bread, and so on, as above, till the dish is fill'd up; beat four eggs, and mix them with a pint of good milk, a little sugar and nutmeg, and pour it over the top. this should be made three or four hours before it is baked. sauce. wine and butter. . hunting pudding _another way_. take a pound of grated bread, a pound of suet and a pound of currans, eight eggs, a glass of brandy, a little sugar, and a little beat cinnamon; mix these well together, and boil it two hours at the least. . almond biskets. blanch a pound of almonds, lie them in water for three or four hours, dry them with a cloth, and beat them fine with eight spoonfuls of rose or orange-flower water; then boil a pound of fine sugar to wire-height, and stir in the almonds, mix them well over the fire; but do not let them boil; pour them into a bason, and beat them with a spoon 'till quite cold; then beat six whites of eggs, a quarter of a pound of starch, beat and searc'd, beat the eggs and starch together, 'till thick; stir in the almonds, and put them in queen-cake tins, half full, dust them over with a little searc'd sugar; bake 'em in a slow oven, and keep them dry. . _to make_ almond butter _another way_. take a quart of cream, six eggs well beat, mix them and strain them into a pan, keep it stirring on the fire whilst it be ready to boil; then add a jack of sack, keeping it stirring till it comes to a curd; wrap it close in a cloth till the whey be run from it; then put the curd into a mortar, and beat it very fine, together with a quarter of a pound of blanch'd almonds, beaten with rose-water, and half a pound of loaf sugar; when all these are well beaten together, put it into glasses. this will keep a fortnight. . apricock jumballs. take ripe apricocks, pare, stone, and beat them small, then boil them till they are thick, and the moisture dry'd up, then take them off the fire, and beat them up with searc'd sugar, to make them into pretty stiff paste, roll them, without sugar, the thickness of a straw; make them up in little knots in what form you please; dry them in a stove or in the sun. you may make jumballs of any sort of fruit the same way. . burnt cream. boil a stick of cinnamon in a pint of cream, four eggs well beat, leaving out two whites, boil the cream and thicken it with the eggs as for a custard; then put it in your dish, and put over it half a pound of loaf sugar beat and searc'd; heat a fire-shovel red-hot, and hold it over the top till the sugar be brown. so serve it up. . _little_ plumb cakes. take two pounds of flour dry'd, three pounds of currans well wash'd, pick'd and dry'd, four eggs beaten with two spoonfuls of sack, half a jack of cream, and one spoonful of orange-flower or rose-water; two nutmegs grated, one pound of butter wash'd in rose-water and rub'd into the flour, and one pound of loaf sugar searc'd, mix all well together, and put in the currans; butter the tins and bake them in a quick oven; half an hour will bake it. . york ginger-bread _another way_. take two pounds and a half of stale bread grated fine, (but not dry'd) two pound of fine powder sugar, an ounce of cinnamon, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of ginger, a quarter of an ounce of saunders, and a quarter of a pound of almonds; boil the sugar, saunders, ginger, and mace in half a pint of red wine; then put in three spoonfuls of brandy, cinnamon, and a quarter of an ounce of cloves; stir in half the bread on the fire, but do not let it boil; pour it out, and work in the rest of the bread with the almonds; then smother it close half an hour; print it with cinnamon and sugar search'd, and keep it dry. . ginger-bread _in little tins_. to three quarters of a pound of flour, put half a pound of treacle, one pound of sugar, and a quarter of a pound of butter; mace, cloves, and nutmeg, in all a quarter of an ounce; a little ginger, and a few carraway seeds; melt the butter in a glass of brandy, mix altogether with one egg; then butter the tins, and bake them in a pretty quick oven. . oat-meal cakes. take a peck of fine flour, half a peck of oat-meal, and mix it well together; put to it seven eggs well beat, three quarts of new milk, a little warm water, a pint of sack, and a pint of new yeast; mix all these well together, and let it stand to rise; then bake them. butter the stone every time you lie on the cakes, and make them rather thicker than a pan-cake. . bath cakes. take two pounds of flour, a pound of sugar, and a pound of butter; wash the butter in orange-flower water, and dry the flour; rub the butter into the flour as for puff-paste, beat three eggs fine in three spoonfuls of cream, and a little mace and salt, mix these well together with your hand, and make them into little cakes; rub them over with white of egg, and grate sugar upon them; a quarter of an hour will bake them in a slow oven. . _a rich white_ plumb-cake. take four pounds of flour dry'd, two pounds of butter, one pound and a half of double refin'd sugar beat and searc'd, beat the butter to cream, then put in the sugar and beat it well together; sixteen eggs leaving out four yolks; a pint of new yeast; five jills of good cream, and one ounce of mace shred; beat the eggs well and mix them with the butter and sugar; put the mace in the flour; warm the cream, mix it with the yeast, and run it thro' a hair sieve, mix all these into a paste; then add one pound of almonds blanch'd and cut small, and six pounds of currans well wash'd, pick'd and dry'd; when the oven is ready, stir in the currans, with one pound of citron, lemon or orange; then butter the hoop and put it in. this cake will require two hours and a half baking in a quick oven. . _an_ ising _for the_ cake. one pound and a half of double-refin'd sugar, beat and searc'd; the whites of four eggs, the bigness of a walnut of gum-dragon, steep'd in rose or orange-flower water; two ounces of starch, beat fine with a little powder-blue (which adds to the whiteness) while the cake is baking beat the ising and lie it on with a knife as soon as the cake is brought from the oven. . lemon brandy. pour a gallon of brandy into an earthen pot, put to it the yellow peel of two dozen lemons, let it stand two days and two nights, then pour two quarts of spring water into a pan and dissolve in it two pounds of refin'd loaf sugar, boil it a quarter of an hour, and put it to the brandy; then boil and scum three jills of blue milk, and mix all together, let it stand two days more, then run it thro' a flannel bag, or a paper within a tunnel, and bottle it. . _to make_ ratifee _another way_. take a hundred apricocks stones, break them, and bruise the kernels, then put them in a quart of the best brandy; let them stand a fortnight; shake them every day; put to them six ounces of white sugar-candy, and let them stand a week longer; then put the liquor thro' a jelly bag, and bottle it for use. . _to preserve_ grapes _all winter_. pull them when dry, dip the stalks about an an inch of boiling water, and seal the end with wax; chop wheat straw and put a little at the bottom of the barrel, then a layer of grapes, and a layer of straw, 'till the barrel is fill'd up; do not lie the bunches too near one another; stop the barrel close, and set it in a dry place; but not any way in the sun. . _to preserve_ grapes _another way_. take ripe grapes and stone them; to every pound of grapes take a pound of double-refined sugar; let them stand till the sugar is dissolved; boil them pretty quick till clear; then strain out the grapes, and add half a pound of pippen jelly, and half a pound more sugar; boil and skim it till a jelly; put in the grapes to heat; afterwards strain them out, and give the jelly a boil; put it to the grapes and stir it till near cold; then glass it. . barberry cakes. draw off the juice as for curran jelly, take the weight of the jelly in sugar, boil the sugar to sugar again; then put in the jelly, and keep stirring till the sugar is dissolved; let it be hot, but not boil; then pour it out, and stir it three or four times; when it is near cold drop it on glasses in little cakes, and set them in the stove. if you would have them in the form of jumballs, boil the sugar to a high candy, but not to sugar again, and pour it on a pie plate; when it will part from the plate cut it, and turn them into what form you please. . barberry drops. when the barberries are full ripe, pull 'em off the stalk, put them in a pot, and boil them in a pan of water till they are soft, then pulp them thro' a hair-sieve, beat and searce the sugar, and mix as much of the searc'd sugar with the pulp, as will make it of the consistance of a light paste; then drop them with a pen-knife on paper (glaz'd with a slight stone) and set them within the air of the fire for an hour, then take them off the paper and keep them dry. . _to candy_ oranges _whole another way_. take the seville oranges, pare off the red as thin as you can, then tie them in a thin cloth (with a lead weight to keep the cloth down) put 'em in a lead or cistern of river water, let them lie five or six days, stirring 'em about every day, then boil them while they are very tender, that you may put a straw thro' them; mark them at the top with a thimble, cut it out, and take out all the inside very carefully, then wash the skins clean in warm water, and set them to drain with the tops downwards; fine the sugar very well, and when it is cold put in the oranges; drain the syrrup from the oranges, and boil it every day till it be very thick, then once a month; one orange will take a pound of sugar. . _to candy_ ginger. take the thickest races of ginger, put them them in an earthen pot, and cover them with river water; put fresh water to them every day for a fortnight; then tie the ginger in a cloth, and boil it an hour in a large pan of water; scrape off the brown rind, and cut the inside of the races as broad and thin as you can, one pound of ginger will take three pounds of loaf sugar; beat and searce the sugar, and put a layer of the thin-slic'd ginger, and a layer of searc'd sugar into an earthen bowl, having sugar at the top; stir it well every other day for a fortnight, then boil it over a little charcoal; when it is candy-height take it out of the pan as quick as you can with a spoon, and lie it in cakes on a board; when near cold take them off and keep them dry. . _to preserve_ wine-sours. take wine-sours and loaf sugar an equal weight, wet the sugar with water; the white of one egg will fine four pounds of sugar, and as the scum rises throw on a little water; then take off the pan, let it stand a little to settle and skim it; boil it again while any scum rises; when it is clear and a thick syrrup, take it off, and let it stand till near cold; then nick the plumbs down the seam, and let them have a gentle heat over the fire; take the plumbs and syrrup and let them stand a day or two, but don't cover them; then give them another gentle heat; let them stand a day longer, and heat them again; take the plumbs out out and drain them, boil the syrrup and skim it well, then put the syrrup on the winesours, and when cold, put them into bottles or pots, tie a bladder close over the top, so keep them for use. . curran jelly. take eight pounds of ripe, pick'd fruit, put these into three pounds of sugar boil'd candy height, and so let these simmer till the jelly will set; then run it off clear thro' a flannel bag, and glass it up for use. this never looks blue, nor skims half so much, as the other way. . _to preserve red or white_ currans _whole_. pick two pounds of currans from the stalks, then take a pound and a half of loaf sugar, and wet it in half a pint of curran juice, put in the berries, and boil them over a slow fire till they are clear; when cold put them in small berry bottles, with a little mutton suet over them. . syrrup of poppies. take two pounds of poppy flowers, two ounces of raisins, shred them, and to every pound of poppies put a quart of boiling water, half an ounce of sliced liquorice, and a quarter of an ounce of anniseeds; let these stand twelve hours to infuse, then strain off the liquor, and put it upon the same quantity of poppies, raisins, liquorice, and anniseeds as before, and let this stand twelve hours to infuse, which must be in a pitcher, set within a pot or pan of hot water; then strain it, and take the weight in sugar, and boil it to a syrrup: when it is cold, bottle it. . _to make_ black paper _for drawing patterns_. take a quarter of a pound of mutton suet, and one ounce of bees wax, melt both together and put in as much lamp black as will colour it dark enough, then spread it over your paper with a rag, and hold it to the fire to make it smooth. . gooseberry vinegar _another way_. to every gallon of water, put six pounds of ripe gooseberries; boil the water and let it be cold, squeeze the berries, and then pour on the water; let it stand cover'd three days pretty warm to work, stirring it once a day; then strain it off, and to every six gallons put three pounds of coarse sugar, let it stand till it has done working, then bung it up, and keep it moderately warm, in nine months it will be ready for use. . _to make bad ale into good strong beer_. draw off the ale into a clean vessel, (supposing half a hogshead) only leave out eight or ten quarts, to which put four pounds of good hops, boil this near an hour; when quite cold, put the ale and hops into the hogshead, with eight pounds of treacle, mix'd well with four or five quarts of boil'd ale; stir it well together, and bung it up close: let it stand six months, then bottle it for use. . _green_ gooseberry wine. to every quart of gooseberries, take a quart of spring water, bruise them in a mortar, put the water to them and let them stand two or three days, then strain it off, and to every gallon of liquor put three pounds and a half of sugar, then put it into the barrel, and it will of itself rise to a froth, which take off, and keep the barrel full; when the froth is all work'd off, bung it up for six weeks, then rack it off, and when the lees are clean taken out, put the wine into the same barrel; and to every gallon put half a pound of sugar, made in syrrup, and when cold mix with wine; to every five gallons, have an ounce of isinglass, dissolv'd in a little of the wine, and put in with the syrrup, so bung it up; when fine, you may either bottle it or draw it out of the vessel. lisbon sugar is thought the best. this wine drinks like sack. . ginger wine. take fourteen quarts of water, three pounds of loaf sugar, and one ounce of ginger sliced thin, boil these together half an hour, fine it with the whites of two eggs; when new milk warm put in three lemons, a quart of brandy, and a white bread toast, covered on both sides with yeast; put all these together into a stand, and work it in one day; then tun it: it will be ready to bottle in five days, and be ready to drink in a week after it is bottled. . cowslip wine _another way_. to five gallons of water, put two pecks of cowslip peeps, and thirteen pounds of loaf sugar; boil the sugar and water with the rinds of two lemons, half an hour, and fine it with the whites of two eggs; when it is near cold put in the cowslips, and set on six spoonfuls of new yeast, work it two days, stirring it twice a day; when you squeeze out the peeps to tun it, put in the juice of six lemons, and when it has done working in the vessel, put in the quarter of an ounce of isinglass, dissolv'd in the little of the wine till it is a jelly; add a pint of brandy, bung it close up two months, then bottle it. this is right good. . strong mead _another way_. to thirty quarts of water, put ten quarts of honey, let the water be pretty warm, then break in the honey, stirring it till it be all dissolv'd, boil it a full half hour, when clean scum'd that no more will rise, put in half an ounce of hops, pick'd clean from the stalks; a quarter of an ounce of ginger sliced (only put in half the ginger) and boil it a quarter of an hour longer; then lade it out into the stand thro' a hair-tems, and put the remainder of the ginger in, when it is cold tun it into the vessel, which must be full; but not clay'd up till near a month: make it the latter end of _september_, and keep it a year in the vessel after it is clay'd up. . french bread. to half a peck of flour, put a full jill of new yeast, and a little salt, make it with new milk (warmer than from the cow) first put the flour and barm together, then pour in the milk, make it a little stiffer than a seed-cake, dust it and your hands well with flour, pull it in little pieces, and mould it with flour very quick; put it in the dishes, and cover them with a warm cloth (if the weather requires it) and let them rise till they are half up, then set them in the oven, (not in the dishes, but turn them with tops down upon the peel;) when baked rasp them. . _the fine_ rush cheese. take one quart of cream, and put to it a gallon of new milk, pretty warm, adding a good spoonful of earning; stir in a little salt, and set it before the fire till it be cum'd; then put it into a vat in a cloth; after a day and night turn it out of the vat into a rush box nine inches in length and five in breadth. the rushes must be wash'd every time the cheese is turn'd. finis. a bill of fare for every season of the year. for _january_. _first course_. at the top gravy soop. remove fish. at the bottom a ham. in the middle stew'd oysters or brawn. for the four corners. a fricassy of rabbits, scotch collops, boil'd chickens, calf foot pie, or oyster loaves. _second course_. at the top wild ducks. at the bottom a turkey. in the middle jellies or lemon posset. for the four corners. lobster and tarts, cream curds, stew'd pears or preserv'd quinces. for _february_. _first course_. at the top a soop remove. at the bottom salmon or stew'd breast of veal. for the four corners. a couple of fowls with oyster sauce, pudding, mutton cutlets, a fricassy of pig's ears. _second course_. at the top partridges. at the bottom a couple of ducks. for the four corners. stew'd apples, preserv'd quinces, custards, almond cheese cakes. in the middle jellies. for _march_. _first course_. at the top a boil'd turkey, with oyster sauce. at the bottom a couple of roast tongues or roast beef. in the middle pickles. two side-dishes, a pigeon pie and calf head hash. for the four corners. stew'd crab or oysters, hunters pudding, a brown fricassy, stew'd eels, or broil'd whitings. _second course_. at the top woodcocks or wild ducks. at the bottom pig or hare. in the middle jellies or sweetmeats. for the four corners. raspberry cream, tarts, stew'd apples, and preserv'd apricocks. for _april_. _first course_. at the top stew'd fillet of veal. at the bottom a roast leg of mutton. two side-dishes, salt fish and beef-steaks. in the middle a hunters pudding. _second course_. at the top roast chickens and asparagus. at the bottom ducks. in the middle preserv'd oranges. for the four corners. damasin pie, cream curds, lobster, and cold pot. for _may_. _first course_. at the top stew'd carp or tench. at the bottom a stew'd rump of beef. in the middle a sallet. for the four corners a fricassy of tripes, boil'd chickens, a pudding, olives of veal. _second course_. at the top rabbits or turkey pouts. at the bottom green goose or young ducks. for the four corners. lemon cream, quince cream, tarts, almond custards. in the middle jellies. for _june_. _first course_. at the top roast pike. at the bottom scotch collops. in the middle stew'd crab. for the four corners. boil'd chickens, quaking pudding, roast tongue, with venison sauce, beans and bacon. _second course_. at the top a turkey. at the bottom ducks or rabbits. in the middle strawberries. two side dishes, roast lobster and pease. for the four corners. green codlings, apricock custard, sweetmeat tarts, preserv'd damsins, or flummery. for _july_. _first course_. at the top green pease soop, remove stew'd breast of veal white. at the bottom a haunch of venison. in the middle a pudding. two side-dishes, a dish of fish, and a fricassy of rabbits. _second course_. at the top partridges or pheasants. at the bottom ducks or turkey. in the middle a dish of fruit. for the four corners. solomon gundie, lobster, tarts, chocolate cream. for _august_. _first course_. at the top fish. at the bottom venison pasty. in the middle herb dumplings. for the four corners. fricassy of rabbits, stew'd pigeons, boil'd chickens, fricassy of veal sweetbreads with artichoke bottoms. _second course_. at the top pheasants or partridges. at the bottom wild ducks or teal. in the middle jellies or syllabubs. for the four corners. preserv'd apricocks, almond cheese-cakes, custards, and sturgeon. for _september_. _first course_. at the top collar'd calf head, with stew'd pallets and veal sweetbreads, and forc'd meat-balls. at the bottom udder and tongue or a haunch of venison in the middle an ambler of cockles, or roast lobster. two side dishes, pigeon pie and boiled chickens. _second course_. at the top a roast pheasant. at the bottom a turkey. for the four corners. partridges, artichoke-bottoms fry'd, oyster loaves, and teal. for _october_. _first course_. at the top stew'd tench and cod's head. at the bottom roast pork or a goose. two side-dishes, roast fish, and boil'd fowl and bacon. for the four corners. jugg'd pigeons, mutton collops, beef rolls, and veal sweetbreads fricassy'd. in the middle minc'd pies or oyster loaves. _second course_. at the top wild fowl. at the bottom a hare. in the middle jellies. two side-dishes, roasted lobster and fry'd cream. for the four corners. preserv'd quinces, or stew'd pears, sturgeon, cold tongue, and orange cheese cakes. for _november_. _first course_. at the top a dish of fish. at the bottom a turkey pie. two side-dishes, scotch collops, and boil'd tongue with sprouts. in the middle scallop'd oysters. _second course_. at the top a dish of wild fowl. at the bottom roast lobster. in the middle lemon cream. for the four corners. tarts, curds, apricocks, and solomon gundie. for _december_. _first course_. at the bottom boil'd fowls. two side dishes, bacon and greens, and a dish of scotch collops. in the middle minc'd pies or pudding. _second course_. at the top a turkey. in the middle hot apple pie. for the four corners. custard, raspberry cream, cold pot and crabs. a supper for _january_. at the top a dish of plumb gruel. remove, boil'd fowls. at the bottom a dish of scotch collops. in the middle jellies. for the four corners. lobster, solomon-gundie, custard, tarts. for _february_. at the top a dish of fish. remove, a couple of roasted fowls. at the bottom wild ducks. for the four corners. collar'd pig, cheese cakes, stew'd apples and curds. in the middle hot minc'd pies. for _march_. at the top a sack posset. remove, a couple of ducks. at the bottom a boil'd turkey, with oyster sauce. in the middle lemon posset. two side-dishes, roasted lobster, oyster pie. for the four corners. almond custards, flummery, cheese-cakes, and stew'd apples. for _april_. at the top boiled chickens. at the bottom a breast of veal. in the middle jellies. for the four corners. orange pudding, custards, tarts, and stew'd oysters. for _may_. at the top a dish of fish. at the bottom lamb steakes or mutton. in the middle lemon cream or jellies. two side-dishes, tarts, raspberry cream. for the four corners. veal sweetbreads, stew'd spinage, with potched eggs and bacon, oysters in scallop'd shells, boiled chickens. for _june_. at the top boil'd chickens. at the bottom a tongue. in the middle lemon posset. for the four corners. cream curds or custards, potted ducks, tarts, lobsters, artichokes or pease. for _july_. at the top scotch collops. at the bottom roast chickens. in the middle stew'd mushrooms. for the four corners. custards, lobsters, split tongue, and solomon gundie. for _august_. at the top stewed breast of veal. at the bottom roast turkey. in the middle pickles or fruit. for the four corners. cheese cakes and flummery, preserved apricocks, preserved quinces. for _september_. at the top boil'd chickens. at the bottom a carbonated breast of mutton, with caper sauce. in the middle oysters in scallop shells, or stew'd oysters. two side dishes, hot apple pie and custard. for _october_. at the top rice gruel. remove, a couple of ducks. at the bottom a boil'd turkey with oyster sauce. in the middle jellies. for the four corners. lobster or crab, black caps, custard or cream, tarts or collar'd pig. for _november_. at the top fish. at the bottom ducks or teal. in the middle oyster loaves. remove, a dish of fruit. two side dishes, minc'd pies, mutton steaks, with mushrooms and balls. for _december_. at the top boil'd chickens. at the bottom a dish of scotch collops or veal cutlets. in the middle brawn. remove, tarts for the four corners. boil'd whitings or fry'd soles, new college puddings, tullouy sausages, scotch custard. [illustration: _a_ supper in _summer_. . boil'd chickens. . preserv'd oranges or apricocks. . flummery. . asparagus. . lemon posset. . roast lobster. . stew'd apples. . almond cheese cakes. . lamb.] [illustration: _a_ dinner in _summer_. . cod's head or salmon. . boil'd chickens. . a fine pudding or roasted lobster. . beans and bacon. . stew'd breast of veal.] [illustration: second course. . two young turkeys or ducklings. . stew'd apples. . custards. . jellies or lemon posset. . tarts. . preserv'd oysters. . green geese or young rabbits.] [illustration: _a_ dinner in _winter_. . a soop. . scotch collops. . boil'd chickens. . stew'd oysters or roasted lobster. . a hunters pudding. . roasted tongue. . a ham or roast beef. remove. fish.] [illustration: second course . a turkey. . almond cheesecakes. . sturgeon. . partridges. . jellies. . a hare or woodcocks. . collar'd cream. . cream curds. . ducks or pig.] [illustration: _a_ supper in _winter_. . gruel or sack posset. . tarts. . lobster. . jellies or lemon cream. . solomon gundie. . custards. . boil'd turkey with oyster sauce. remove. . wild duck.] [illustration: _a_ dinner in _summer_. . craw fish soop. . moor game. . a granade. . apples stew'd green. . boil'd partridge. . cherries. . stew'd sweetbreads, and pallets. . jellies or pine-apples. . roast teal. . apricocks. . artichokes. . sweet-meat tarts. . fry'd soals. . turkey pout roasted and larded. . a haunch of venison.] [illustration: _a_ grand table in _winter_. . vermicelly soop. . sweet patties. . a fricassy of beast patties. . stew'd crab. . olives of veal. . preserv'd damsins. . preserv'd oranges. . marinaded pigeons. . a boil'd turkey with oyster sauce. . cream curds. . a pyramid of dry'd sweetmeats. . flummery. . a ham. . a white fricassy of chickens. . preserv'd apricocks. . preserv'd quinces. . a brown fricassy of rabbits. . a fricassy of veal sweetmeats. . minc'd pies. . oyster loaves. . haunce of venison, or roast beef. remove. . carp with pheasant. remove. . grapes. remove. . collar'd beef. remove. . cheese-cakes. remove. . quails. remove. . teal. remove. . two roasted lobsters. remove. . woodcocks or partridges. remove. . artichokes or young peas. remove. . snipes. remove. . tarts. remove. . collar'd pig. remove. . fruit. remove. . wild ducks.] index. those mark'd [thus +] are in the supplement. _a almond posset to make ----cakes, do. ----cheese cakes do. + ----do another way ----puffs do. ----butter do. + ----do. another way ----flummery do + ----biskets amblet of cockles, do. apple dumplins, do. ----to stew ----another way artichoke bottoms to fry ----to fricassy + ----to dry apricock pudding to make + ----jumballs do. ----custard do. ----chips or peaches do. ----to preserve ----to make marmalade ----to dry ----do like prunella's ----to preserve green ----do. another way ale orange to make + ----bad into strong beer ----posset, to make asparagus, or green pease to keep. angelico, to candy b beef, brisket to stew ----rump, do. beef olives, to make ----rolls, do. ----rump, to ragoo ----collar'd to eat cold ----dutch to make ----to pot ----steaks to fry ----do. another way berries to bottle brain cakes to make black caps, to make brandy orange to make + ----lemon do. + lemon do. another way ----black cherry, do. ----raspberry, do. ----ratisie, do. + ----do. another way brockly, to boil beast kidneys, to roast beans kidneys to keep buttons mushrooms, to pickle barberries to keep instead of preserving + ----cakes + ----drops ----preserving ----to pickle ----to preserve for tarts ----to keep all the year barley sugar, to make + black paper to make for drawing patterns c cabbage, to pickle cake caraway to make + ----rich white plumb cake + cake + cake, ising for ----great, do. ----ising for it ----bisket, to make ----raspberry cakes cake portugal, do. ----orange, do. ----shrewsbury, do. + ----bath ----gingerbread, do. ----seed, do. ----queen, do. ----king, do. ----angelico, do. + ----oatmeal, do. ----breakfast, do. ----fine, do. ----to keep all the year ----plumb, do. ----little plumb, do. ----plumb another way ----do. ordinary calf's head collar'd to eat hot ----do. to eat cold ----hash'd ----do. white ----pye of, to make ----do. another way ----to ragoo ----to roast, to eat like pig ----feet to fricassy white ----to fry in butter ----do. in eggs ----to make minc'd pies of ----to make pie of ----jelly, to make ----flummery, do. + chars to pot catchup to make + ----walnut do. + ----fine do. cheese cakes do. ----lemon, do. ----common do. ----without currans do. cheese slipcoat, to make + ----fine rush ----bullies, do. ----cream, do. cherries, to preserve for drying ----to preserve ----to dry colliflower to pickle white ----another way chickens to fricassy white ----do brown ----surprize ----to boil + ----pie hot collops scotch, to make ----another way ----another way collops minc'd, to make cod's head, to dress ----zoons, do. cockles, to pickle cordial water of cowslips, to make cowslip syrup, do. cracknels, do. cream lemon, do. ----do. to make yellow ----do. another way ----orange ----quince ----any preserv'd fruit + cream burnt ----to fry to eat hot ----chocolate to make ----gooseberry, do. ----apple, do. ----curds, do. ----rice or almond do. cucumbers, to pickle ----another way ----to make mange of ----to make pickle for ----to stew ----to fry for mutton sauce ----soop to make curranberries, to pickle ----to preserve in bunches + ----to preserve whole ----to make jelly of custard almond ----sagoo ----scotch, to eat hot cyder, to make d damsins to preserve ----do. for tarts ----do. to keep ----do. bottle drops ratisie, to make ----lemon, do. ducks to boil ----to stew ----do. to stew whole dumplings herb, to make ----plain fruits ----apple e eels to collar ----to stew ----to pitchcock ----pie, to make eggs to fricassy white ----do. brown ----to stew in gravy ----pie, to make elder buds, to pickle ----to make pickle for f fowl, to force + ----feet fritters fruit to make ----apple, do. ----oatmeal, do. fruit to preserve green ----do. all the year french bread to make + another way g girkins, to pickle gilliflowers, do. + ginger to candy gingerbread white + ----york + ----in little tins ----red ----another way gooseberry cake ----to bottle ----to preserve ----do. red + granade + grapes to preserve all winter + ----another way gruel sagoo ----plumb ----rice goofer wafers to make h hams or tongues to salt hare, to stew ----to pot ----to jugg ----to roast with a pudding in the belly hedge hogs cupid, to make ----almond herrings to boil ----to fry ----to pickle ----to keep all the year hotch potch, to make j jam cherry to make ----bullies, do. ----damsins, do. + jelly brown + jelly curran jambals, do. ----another way l lamb leg of, boiled with loyn fry'd + larks in jelly lamb with chickens boil'd ----fricassy white ----fricassy brown lobster or crab to roast + ----a l'italienne ----to butter leatch, to make loaves oyster, do. m macaroons, to make mango of codlins + mellon, do. mead strong, do. ----another way + ----another way milk mull'd, a dish of mulberries, to preserve whole muscles, to pickle, mushrooms, to pot ----to stew ----to pickle ----another way ----another way ----to fry ----powder to make mutton stew'd fillet of ----shoulder forced ----breast to collar ----do. another way ----do. to carbonade mutton chine roasted, with sallery ----chops, to make ----leg forc'd ----french cutlets to make ----steads to fry ----artificial venison, to make ----leg of, to salt to eat like ham n neat's tongue pie, to make nasturtian buds to pickle o onions to pickle orange chips to preserve to put into glasses ----or lemons to preserve ----chips another way ----marmalade to make ----to preserve oranges whole + ----to candy whole ----tarts, to make oysters scotch to make ----to stew + ----to lard ----to fry ----to scallop ----to pickle + ox lips to dress p pallets stew'd pancakes, clare ----rice + partridges, to pot + do. another way parsnips to fry to look like trout + poverade, to make parsnips, another way paste to make for a standing pie ----for tarts ----do. another way ----do. do. ----for venison pasty ----of pippens, white ----of do. green ----of do. red patties savoury to make ----sweet pears to dry pears or pippens to dry without sugar pigeons to make a pulpatoon ----to stew ----to pot ----boil'd with fricassy sauce ----marmonaded ----to jugg ----to pickle ----to broil whole pig royal to make ----to collar ----ears to fricassy ----like lamb in winter ----head roll'd, to eat like brown pike to eat like sturgeon ----to stew ----to roast with a pudding in the belly plumbs to preserve plumb porridge to make pork to pickle posset sack to make ----another way ----to make froth for ----lemon potatoe crabs to pickle pudding black to make ----custard ----orange ----do. another way ----do. another way ----do. another way do. another way + ----lemon another way ----oatmeal do. + almond pudding + do. another way ----apple do. ----ground rice do. ----gooseberry do. ----collage do. ----potatoe + ----do. another way ----carrot + ----carrot another way ----quaking to make ----do. another way ----do. do. ----sagoo ----pearl barley ----calf's foot ----hunting + ----do another way ----liver ----for hare ----herb + ----white pot another way ----curd ----white in skins ----marrow ----bread ----colliflower punch milk, to make ----another way ----do. ----do. ----acid for to make purslain to pickle pie rich to make pie eel pie turbot-head ----herring ----orange ----ham ----woodcock ----sweet chicken ----savoury do. ----sweet veal ----candle for ----hare ----another way ----minc'd ----another way ----oyster ----codlim pickle for salmon q quidenny to make ----quinces to preserve ----do. another way ----cream to make ----to make white ----marmalade to make r rabbets to fricassy brown ----do. white ----pull'd ----dressed, to look like moor game raspberry and strawberry fool, to make s salmon, to collar + salmon en maigre ----to pot sprouts savry to boil ----cabbage, do. sauce for a rump of beef sauce for neck of veal ----for turkey ----for boil'd rabbits ----for pike sauce for boil'd salmon or turbot ----for haddock or cod ----for salmon or turbot ----for tame ducks ----for green goose ----another way ----for chickens ----for turkey, another way ----for tongues ----for cod's head ----for a cod's head another way ----for flesh or fish soop vermicelly ----hare ----green pease ----onion ----do. pease in winter ----do. in lent ----craw fish + ----white or almond ----scotch ----do without water sausages pollony to make + sheep rumps with rice + ----tongues broil'd shrimps to pickle shrub orange solomon gundie to eat in lent ----another way smelts to pot ----to pickle spinage stew'd with eggs spinage toasts to make sturgeon artificial to make ----how to order sturgeon how to make pickle for sugar to know when candy height syllabubs whip'd to make syrup of gilliflowers to make ----of mulberries ----of violets + ----of poppies stock to make for hartshorn jelly sack posset to make shell paste do. stuffing for beast kidney t tansey to make ----another way ----do. ----boil'd tarts marrow to make ----transparent ----sweetmeat toasts fry'd to make tongues to roast ----to pot ----sheep or hog, to broil tripes to fricassy ----to eat like chickens trout, or other fish to fry trench or carp to stew + mock turtle turkey to boil ----to roast ----to pot ----a-la daube v veal breast of, to brown ragoo ----do. berries ----to roll ----to stew ----to stew fillet ----breast of, to roll ----to make savoury ----to roast savoury + ----couley ----knuckles, to boil ----sweetbreads to fricassy ----cutlets to make ----another way ----do. venison to pot ----haunch of, to roast vinegar, to make of gooseberries ----another way ----do + ----do. w walnuts, to pickle green ----do. black ----to make pickle for ----do. white whigs to make wild fowl to pot wine elder to make ----do. flower ----gooseberry ----another way wine_ transcribed by david starner, kevin handy, and the online distributed proofreader team the country housewife and lady's director in the management of a house, and the delights and profits of a farm. containing _instructions for managing the brew-house, and malt-liquors in the cellar; the making of wines of all sorts_ _directions for the dairy, in the improvement of butter and cheese upon the worst of soils; the feeding and making of brawn; the ordering of fish, fowl, herbs, roots, and all other useful branches belonging to a country seat, in the most elegant manner for the table._ _practical observations concerning distilling; with the best method of making ketchup, and many other curious and durable sauces._ _the whole distributed in their proper months, from the beginning to the end of the year._ _with particular remarks relating to the drying or kilning of saffron._ by r. bradley, professor of botany in the university of _cambridge;_ and f.r.s. _the sixth edition_ _with additions._ * * * * * to the lady _wager_, consort to the right honourable sir _charles wager_, one of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, and one of his majesty's most honourable privy-council; _this book is most humbly dedicated, by_ _her ladyship's most obedient,_ _and most humble servant,_ r. bradley. * * * * * an index to the first part. a. asparagus, preserv'd. ditto drest the _dutch_ way. ditto with cream. artichoakes, to dry. ditto preserv'd. ditto pickled. ditto fryed. ditto in suckers, to eat raw. apricot wine. alamode beef. b. brandy, laurel. birch-wine. brewing. beef cake-soup. ditto to pot like venison. beef, to collar. brocoli, to boil. butter, good in _suffolk._ _buckingham_-cheese, to make. butter, why good or bad. ditto in general. butter, what milk is good. ditto made over the fire. ditto wash'd. ditto churn'd in summer. ditto churn'd in winter. beans, preserv'd, the winter. berberries, to pickle. beet-roots, red, to pickle. ditto fryed. boar's-head imitated. brawn, to collar. boar, when to be put up for brawn. c. capon, to dress. carps, to stew. cellars, which are best. cowslip-wine. cheese, spoiled. ditto what concerns its goodness. ditto why bad in _suffolk._ ditto good from one sort of cattle. ditto preserv'd in oil. ditto marygold. ditto sage. ditto sage in figures. ditto _cheshire._ ditto _cheshire_ with sack. ditto _gloucestershire._ cheese, cream. ditto why the aversion to it. churns, the sorts. clove-gilly-flower syrup. cucumbers, to pickle. codlings, to pickle, green. ditto to pickle mango. cherry-brandy. cherry-beer. cherry-cordial. cherries distill'd. cherry, cornelian, in brandy. calf's feet jelly. cockles, pickled. capons, to set upon eggs. d. dairy, how to build. different sorts of goosberries. different sorts of currans. ducks, wild, to roast. ducks, wild, hash'd. e. eels, their time of breeding. ditto in plenty. eggs, to prepare six ways. eels, to clear from mud. ditto to roast. ditto to pitchcot. ditto to collar. elder-flowers, to dry. elder vinegar. elder-wine, red. ditto white. _english_-wine. f. fowls and birds, the difference. fowl, to dress. ditto to farce. fricassee of chickens, brown. ditto white. fish gravey for soups. flounders, pickled. _frontiniac_-wine imitated. fruits preserv'd for tarts. _florence_-wine imitated. _frontiniac_-wine to make. fowls, the sorts. fish, to boil firm. fish boiled, the sauce. g. geese, when to buy. ditto to fat. ditto to roast. ditto how to kill. grapes, ripe early. grape-wine. h. herb-soup, the foundation. hops. hare, to pot. herbs, to dry. hare coursed, how to keep. ditto hunted, to dress. ditto the pudding for it. ditto to roast. hare, to stew. hung-beef. herbs infused in spirits. l. larks, to dress. m. malt, which is good. ditto liquor, to bottle. mountain-wine, to imitate. milk, to be examin'd. mace in rennet. mead, small, to make. metheglin or strong mead. mushrooms. mushroom-gravey. ditto ketchup. mushrooms, stew'd. ditto broiled. ditto fry'd. mushrooms, a foundation for sauce. mushrooms, to powder. ditto to pickle. melons, green, to pickle, like mango. mussels, scallop'd. ditto fryed. ditto pickled. morillas, to dress. morillas, to dry. ditto in ragoust. ditto to fry. o. orange-flower cordial. onions, pickled. oysters, from _colchester._ oysters, to stew. orange-wine. oysters, in scallop shells. oysters, roasted. oysters, pickled. onion-soup. p. pidgeon, wild. ditto tame, the sorts. ditto carrier, its use. ditto broiled. ditto in paste or dumplings. ditto stew'd. portmanteau pottage. pike, to roast. ditto to bake. pease, preserved all the year. pickled walnuts. ditto cucumbers. ditto for mangoes. ditto kidney-beans. ditto _nasturtium_-seeds. partridges stew'd with sallery. ditto roasted. pheasants, their sauces. ditto to dress. potatoes. perch, with mushrooms. q. quince-wine. r. rennet, how made in _essex._ ditto another way. rennet-bags, which are good. rennet-bags, how to make them good. rennet with spice. red surfeit-water. _rosa solis,_ to distil. raspberry-wine. red goosberry-wine. rabbit, roasted with a pudding. s. sausages of fish. sausages, of pork. soup of herbs. shrub, to make. sauce royal, or travelling-sauce. spinach, stew'd. sallads, to dress. sage-wine. skerrets, to dress. salsify, to dress. _scorzonera,_ to dress. saffron, to cure. snipes, to roast. soup, _a l'hyvrogne._ t. tokay-wine, to imitate. travelling-sauce. tench, which is best. trout in season. trouts, to pot. tragopogon, to dress. truffles, to broil. truffles, to stew. truffles, ragou'd. turkey, to dress. u. veal-glue. visney. venison, and its sauces. w. water-soochy. wines, boiled. wines, fermented. wines, to help, by sugar. wines, of _st. helena,_ reform'd. woodcocks, to roast. * * * * * to the ladies of _great britain, &c._ _the reason which induces me to address the following piece to the fair sex, is, because the principal matters contained in it are within the liberty of their province. the art of oeconomy is divided, as xenophon tells us, between the men and the women; the men have the most dangerous and laborious share of it in the fields, and without doors, and the women have the care and management of every business within doors, and to see after the good ordering of whatever is belonging to the house. and this, i conceive, is no less the practice of these days, than it was in the time of that great philosopher; therefore it may seem necessary that i make some apology for the work i now publish, which, for the most part, falls within the ladies jurisdiction: but i hope i am the more excusable, as my design is rather to assist, than to direct. i may call myself rather their amanuensis, than their instructor; for the receipts which i imagine will give the greatest lustre or ornament to the following treatise, are such as are practised by some of the most ingenious ladies, who had good-nature enough to admit of a transcription of them for publick benefit; and to do them justice, i must acknowledge that every one who has try'd them, allow them to excel in their way. the other receipts are such as i have collected in my travels, as well through_ england, _as in foreign countries, and are such as i was prompted to enter into my list, as well for their curiosity as for their extraordinary goodness._ _i could have launched much further in this attempt, but that i confined myself to publish only such as were necessary for the use of a farm; or, in other terms, for the good ordering of every thing which is the produce of a farm and garden: and especially i am induced to publish a tract of this nature for two reasons, which i think carry some sway with them._ _the first is, that i find many useful things about farms, and in gardens, whose goodness is so little known, or understood, that they are seldom reckon'd of any account, and in most places are looked upon as incumbrances; such as mushrooms, lupines, brocoly, morilles, truffles skirrets, scorzonera, salsifie, colerape, charddones, boorencole, and many other such like things, which are excellent in their kind, when they are well dress'd, and admired by the greatest epicures._ _the other reason which has induced me to publish this piece, is, the difficulties i have undergone in my travels, when i have met with good provisions, in many places in england, which have been murder'd in the dressing._ _i could mention many instances as bad as the common story of bacon and eggs strewed with brown sugar: but as this was done through ignorance, as the story relates, i hope i need make no further apology, or have occasion to give any other reason for making this treatise publick, but that it may improve the ignorant, and remind the learned how and when to make the best of every thing: which may be a means of providing every one with a tolerable entertainment founded upon practice and fashion; which can never fail of followers, and of making us fare much better upon the roads in the country than we were used to do._ * * * * * the country lady's director * * * * * january i shall in this month take particular notice of the pigeon, whose characteristicks are chiefly to have short legs, and their feet of a reddish colour, to have long wings, and to be quick of flight; in which the spreading of their tail-feathers greatly contribute, as well as to guide them in the air. they by for the most part two eggs for one sitting, and so more; but breed often in the year. when pigeons are once paired, it is observed they are very constant to one another, and assist each other in the incubation or sitting on the eggs, as well as in bringing up and feeding the young ones; and moreover it is remarkable, that a pigeon has no gall-bladder. the sorts are, first, the blue wild pigeon, which is the most frequent in dove-cotes, but is not very large, nor disposed to breed so early in the spring as some others: they are, however, a hardy kind, and will thrive any where, if there is plenty of water; for tho' they are not of a watery race, yet it is observable, that they covet to be where it is, and that they feed frequently upon the banks of rivers and ponds. i have known that where there were two dove-cotes, that stood within a mile of one another, and one of them was near a river, and the other remote from it, the pigeons of the house distant from the water, left their habitation to reside in that next the river, even tho' they had an allowance of good feed at home. among the tame pigeons, those which the _italians_ call'd _tronfo_, and we runts, are the largest; but these may be again distinguish'd under the characters of greater and smaller: those which are commonly call'd the _spanish_ runts, are very much esteem'd, being the largest sort of pigeon, and are sluggish, and more slow of flight, than the smaller sort of runts; but the smaller runts are better breeders, and quick of flight, which is to be esteem'd; because if they were to seek their food far, they can range much more ground, or return home much quicker on occasion of stormy or wet weather. as for the colours of their feathers, they are uncertain, so that one cannot judge of the sort by them. the next, which makes the largest figure, but is not in reality the largest bird, is the cropper; it is so named, because they usually do, by attracting the air, blow up their crops to an extraordinary bigness, even so sometimes as to be as large as their bodies. this sort is esteemed the better, as it can swell its crop to the largest size. the bodies of this sort are about the bigness of the smaller runt, but somewhat more slender. this sort, like the former, is of various colours in the feathers. the next are those pigeons call'd shakers, and are said to be of two sorts, _viz._ the broad-tail'd shaker, and the narrow-tail'd shaker: the reason which is assign'd for calling them shakers, is, because they are almost constant in wagging their heads and necks up and down; and the distinction made between the broad and narrow-tail'd shaker, is, because the broad tail'd sort abounds with tail-feathers, about twenty-six in number, as mr. _ray_ observes, and the narrow-tail'd shakers have fewer in number. these, when they walk, carry their tail-feathers erect, and spread abroad like a turkey-cock. they likewise have diversity of feathers. the next i shall take notice of, are the jacobines, or cappers: these are called cappers from certain feathers which turn up about the back part of the head. there are of these that are rough-footed: these are short-bill'd, the iris of their eye of a pearl colour, and the head is commonly white. the next is the _turbit_, commonly so call'd, but what is the occasion of the name, is not known, unless _turbit_, or _turbeck_, is a corruption of the word _cortbeck_, or _cortbeke_, which is the name the _hollanders_ give them, and seems to be derived from the _french_, where _court-bec_ would signify a short bill, which this pigeon is remarkable for; the head is flat, and the feathers on the breast spread both ways. these are about the bigness of the jacobines. the carrier pigeon is the next i shall take notice of; it is so call'd from the use which is sometimes made of them in carrying of letters to and fro: it is very sure that they are nimble messengers, for by experience it is found, that one of these pigeons will fly three miles in a minute, or from _st. albans_ to _london_ in seven minutes, which has been try'd; and i am inform'd, that they have been sent of a much longer message: however, they might certainly be made very useful in dispatches, which required speed, if we were to train them regularly between one house and another. we have an account of them passing and repassing with advices between _hirtius_ and _brutus_, at the siege of _modena_, who had, by laying meat for them in some high places, instructed their pigeons to fly from place to place for their meat, having before kept them hungry, and shut up in a dark place. these are about the size of common pigeons, and of a dark blue or blackish colour, which is one way of distinguishing them from other sorts: they are also remarkable for having their eyes compass'd about with a broad circle of naked spungy skin, and for having the upper chap of their beak cover'd more than half from the head with a double crust of the like naked fungous body. the bill, or beak, is moderately long, and black. these birds are of that nature, that tho' they are carried many miles from the place where they were bred, or brought up, or have themselves hatch'd, or bred up any young ones, they will immediately return home as soon as we let them fly. perhaps this may, in some measure, depend upon the affection the male or female bear to one another. when they are to be used as carriers, two friends must agree to keep them, one in _london_, and the other at _guilford_, or elsewhere; the person that lives at _guilford_ must take two or three cocks or hens that were bred at his friend's at _london_, and the other two or three that were bred at _guilford_; when the person at _london_ has occasion to send an express, he must roll up a little piece of paper, and tie it gently with a small string pass'd thro'it about the pigeon's neck. but it must be observ'd before, that the pigeons you design to send with a message, be kept pretty much in the dark, and without meat, for eight or ten hours before you turn them out, and they will then rise and turn round till they have found their way, and continue their flight till they have got home. with two or three of these pigeon's on each side, a correspondence might be carried on in a very expeditious manner, especially in matters of curiosity, or those things which tend to publick good. i know a gentleman that has set out on a journey early in the morning, where it was judged to be dangerous travelling, that has taken one of this sort of pigeons in his pocket, and at his journey's end, which he tells me was near thirty miles distant from his house, has turn'd off the pigeon, and it has been at its feeding place in nine or ten minutes, with an account of his safety. in _turkey_ it is very customary for these pigeons to be taken on board a ship that sails, by the captain, and if any thing extraordinary happens within the distance of six or eight leagues, the pigeon is sent back with advice, which sometimes may be a means of saving a ship from being taken by the pyrates, or other enemies, and expedite trade. the _barbary_ pigeon, or _barb_, is another sort, whose bill is like that of the _turbit_, i.e. short and thick, and a broad and naked circle of a spungy white substance round about the eye, like that in the carrier pigeon. the iris of the eye is white, if the feathers of the pigeon are inclining to a darkish colour; but is red, if the feathers are white, as we find in other white birds. smiters are another sort of pigeon, suppos'd to be the same that the _hollanders_ call _draijers._ this sort shake their wings as they fly, and rise commonly in a circular manner in their flight; the males for the most part rising higher than the females, and frequently falling and flapping them with their wings, which produces a noise that one may hear a great way; from whence it happens that their quill-feathers are commonly broken or shatter'd. these are almost like the pigeon call'd the tumbler; the difference chiefly is, that the tumbler is something smaller, and in its flight will turn itself backward over its head. the diversity of colours in the feathers makes no difference. the helmet is another kind of pigeon distinguish'd from the others, because it has the head, the quill-feathers, and the tail-feathers always of one colour: sometimes black, sometimes white, or red, or blue, or yellow; but the other feathers of the body are of a different colour. the next pigeon i shall take notice of, is that which is call'd the light horseman; this is supposed to be a cross strain between a cock cropper and a hen of the carrier breed, because they seem to partake of both, as appears from the exerescent flesh on their bills, and the swelling of their crops; but i am not determin'd concerning that point, nor can give any good judgment about it, till i have seen whether the cropper be the male or female, upon which depends a debate in natural philosophy, which has not been yet decided; this sort however is reckon'd the best breeder, and are not inclin'd to leave the place of their birth, or the house where they have been accustom'd. the _bastard-bill pigeon_ is another sort, which is somewhat bigger than the _barbary_ pigeon; they have short bills, and are generally said to have red eyes, but i suppose those colour'd eyes are belonging only to those which have white feathers. there is also a pigeon call'd the _turner_, which is said to have a tuft of feathers hanging backward on the head, which parts, as mr. _ray_ says, like a horse's main. there is a smaller sort than the former call'd the _finikin_, but in other respects like the former. there is a sort of pigeon call'd the _spot_, suppos'd, and with good judgment, to take its name from the spot on its forehead just above its bill, and the feathers of its tail always of the same colour with the spots, and all the other feathers are white. lastly, i shall take notice of the pigeon call'd the _mawmet_, or _mahomet_, supposed to be brought from _turkey_; however, it is singular for its large black eyes; the other parts are like those of the _barbary_ pigeon. these are the sorts of pigeons generally known, for the large _italian_ pigeons are only the larger runts; and i am of opinion, that the diversity of colours in pigeons only proceeds from the diversity of kinds of pigeons, that couple with one another; for i have known swine that have been whole-footed, that have coupled with those that were clovenfooted, and the pigs that were produced, were partaking of whole and cloven hoofs, some one, some two cloven hoofs, and the rest whole hoofs. concerning the life of a pigeon, _aristotle_ says, that a pigeon will live forty years, but _albertus_ finishes the life of a pigeon at twenty years; however, _aldrovandus_ tells us of a pigeon, which continued alive two and twenty years, and bred all that time except the last six months, during which space it had lost its mate, and lived in widowhood. there is a remarkable particular mention'd by _aldrovandus_ relating to the pigeon, which is, that the young pigeons always bill the hens as often as they tread them, but the elder pigeons only bill the hens the first time before coupling. _pliny_ and _athenaeus_, from _aristotle_, tell us, that it is peculiar to pigeons not to hold up their heads when they drink as other birds and fowls do, but to drink like cattle by sucking without intermission; it is easily observed, and worth observation. to distinguish which are the males and females among pigeons, it is chiefly known by the voice and cooing; the female has a small weak voice, and the male a loud and deep voice. the flesh of pigeons is hard of digestion, and therefore is not judged a proper supper-meat; it is said to yield a melancholy juice, but if boil'd are very tender, or roasted while they are called squabs, _viz._ pigeons about four days old, they are much better for the stomach, and then commonly yield, among the curious in eating, about eighteen pence, or two shillings a piece. the food which is generally given to pigeons is tares; but if we were to mix spurry-seeds with it, or buckwheat, those grains would forward their breeding, as has been try'd: however, if pigeons are fed only with tares, and are of a good kind, we may expect them to breed nine or ten times in a year; but sometimes, perhaps, not hatch above one at a time, tho' if they were in full vigour, they would breed up a pair at one sitting. in the feeding of pigeons, it is adviseable not to let them have more meat at one time than they can eat, for they are apt to toss it about, and lose a great deal of it; so that the contrivance of filling a stone bottle with their meat, and putting the mouth downwards, so that it may come within an inch of a plain or table, and will give a supply as they feed, is much the best way. and their drinking-water should be dispensed to them in the same way out of a bottle revers'd with the mouth into a narrow shallow cistern; but at the same time they should not want the conveniency of a pan of water, if there can be no better had, to wash themselves in, for they are of themselves a bird subject to contract dirt and fleas. this is what i shall say of the breeding of tame pigeons at present. as to the preparing of pigeons for the table, they are commonly either roasted, boiled, baked, or broiled; these are so generally understood, that i need not mention them, nor that parsley is almost become necessary with them either to be roasted or boiled in the body of the pigeon, or put in the sauces for them: this every one knows, but that the liver of the pigeon should be always left in the body of it, is not known every where, otherwise it would not be so generally taken out and lost, as it is in many places remote from _london_; but this may be, perhaps, because every one does not know that a pigeon has no gall. as to particular ways of dressing of pigeons, there are two or three which i think are excellent. the first i had from a lady in _essex_, whom i have had occasion to mention in this and other works, and that is in respect to broiling of pigeons whole. when the pigeon is prepared for the kitchen, tye the skin of the neck very tight with packthread, and put into the body a little pepper, salt, butter, and a little water at the vent, and tie it up close at the neck, broil this upon a gentle fire, flowring it very well, and basting it with butter. when this is brought to table, it brings its sauce in itself. to those who are not lovers of spice or salt, the butter and water will be sufficient to draw the gravy in the pigeon: but a pigeon that is split and broiled is of a very different taste from this, and not worthy, in my opinion, to be reckon'd with it. another way of ordering pigeons, which i met with by accident, and pleased me as well as several gentlemen in my company, was the boiling of pigeons in paste: the receipt the people gave me for it, was, to fill the belly of the pigeon with butter, a little water, some pepper and salt, and cover it with a thin light paste, and then to put it in a fine linen cloth, and boil it for a time in proportion to its bigness, and serve it up. when this is cut open, it will yield sauce enough of a very agreeable relish. stewing of pigeons, from mons. _la fountaine,_ an excellent cook in _paris._ pick and wash half a dozen pigeons, and lay them into a stew-pan, with a pint or more of good gravy, an onion cut small, or three or four large shalots, a little bunch of sweet herbs, some pepper and salt, a pint of mushrooms that have been well clean'd, and cut into small pieces, and a little mace; let these stew gently till they are tender, and add to them about half a pint of white-wine just before you take them off the fire; then lay your pigeons in your dish, and brown your sauce after 'tis discharged of the bunch of sweet herbs and the spice, which should be tied in a little linen cloth; pour then your sauce with the mushrooms over the pigeons, and strew the whole over with grated bread, giving it a browning with a red-hot iron; or the grated bread may be omitted. another way of dressing pigeons, from the same. take young pigeons and par-boil them, then chop some raw bacon very small, with a little parsley, a little sweet marjoram, or sweet basil, and a small onion; season this with salt, and pepper, and fill the bodys of the pigeons with it. when this is done, stew the pigeons in gravy, or strong broth, with an onion stuck with cloves, a little verjuice and salt; when they are enough, take them out of the liquor, and dip them in eggs that have been well beaten, and after that roll them in grated bread, that they may be cover'd with it. then make some lard very hot, and fry them in it till they are brown, and serve them up with some of the liquor they were stew'd in, and fry'd parsley. in the beginning of this month, as well as in _december_, the eel is commonly laid up in the mud, and we find them there in clusters folded one over another, which i suppose is the manner of coupling; for in the beginning of _march_, or end of _february_, we see young ones as small as threads on the edges of the waters. i think it is no longer to be doubted, but that the eel is viviparous; that is, it brings its young ones perfectly framed, and does not lay spawn like other fish: and the resemblance the eel bears to that fish, which is call'd by the fishermen the coney-fish, and is found at this time about the _buoy in the nore_ full of young ones, makes me the rather conclude the eel brings forth its young perfectly form'd. this fish is not accounted wholesome at this time of the year, nor fit for eating till they begin to run in _march_, therefore what i have to say relating to preparing eels for the table, will be set down in the month of _march_. * * * * * february. as our poultry will begin to lay plentifully in this month, it may not be improper to say something of them before we proceed to give the receipts for dressing and preparing their eggs for the table. it is necessary to be known first, the difference between fowls and birds; a fowl always leads its young ones to the meat, and a bird carries the meat to the young: for this reason, we find that fowls always make their nests upon the ground, while birds, for the most part, build their nests aloft; so then our common poultry are fowls, the pheasant, partridge, peacock, turkey, bustard, quail, lapwing, duck, and such like are all fowls: but a pigeon is a bird, and a stork, or crane, and a heron, are birds, they build their nests aloft, and carry meat to their young ones. the characteristick marks of the poultry kind are, besides what i have said above, to have short, strong, and somewhat crooked bills, which are best adapted to pick up grains of corn, pulse, and other seeds, which is chiefly what these fowls feed upon; and we may observe, that as neither birds nor fowls have teeth to macerate their food with, so nature has provided them not only with a crop to soften their meat, but a stomach furnish'd with thick strong mucles, whose use is to grind the grains of corn, or any hard meat swallow'd whole, which they perform by the help of little stones, which birds and fowls swallow now and then, and which supply the defect of teeth. it is observable, that fowls, for the most part, lay a greater number of eggs than birds, even many more than they can sit upon at one time. i have known about thirty eggs lay'd by one common poultry-hen, but it is seldom that any bird lays more than five or six, except the wren, and the tom-tit, and the pigeon not more than two. again, the poultry, contrary to others of the winged race, are armed with spurs; and it is observable, that the cocks of the common poultry distinguish themselves from diurnal fowls, by crowing or singing in the night, as the nightingale distinguishes itself from the rest of the bird-kind. as for the length of life in common poultry, _aldrovandus_ makes it to be about ten years, but that the cock becomes unfit for the hens when he is four years old; and we find by experience the same, as well as that a cock should not have more than six or seven hens, if we expect healthful and strong broods of chickens. about the laying-time of these fowls, spurry-seed and buckwheat is an excellent strengthening food for them. there is another thing relating to fowls of this kind well worthy observation; and that is, of capons being made to bring up a brood of chickens like a hen, clucking of'em, brooding them, and leading them to their meat, with as much care and tenderness as their dams would do. to bring this about, _jo. baptista porta_, in _lib. . mag. nat._ prescribes to make a capon very tame and familiar, so as to take meat out of one's hand; then about evening-time pluck the feathers off his breast, and rub the bare skin with nettles, and then put the chickens to him, which will presently run under his breast and belly; the chickens then rubbing his breast gently with their heads, perhaps allay the slinging and itching occasioned by the nettles, or perhaps they may contribute to warm that part where the feathers are away: however, the bare part must be rubb'd with nettles three or four nights successively, till he begins to love and delight in the chickens. when a capon is once accustomed to this service, he will not casuly leave it off; but as soon as he has brought up one brood of chickens, we may put another to him, and when they are fit to shift for themselves, we may give him the care of a third. the sorts of the house pullen, or common poultry, are many; but as the use of them for the table is the same, i shall only take notice of such as are of the large dunghill kind, or of the _hamburgh_ sort, of the game kind, and of the small _dutch_ kind; which last is admired by some for the fineness of their flesh, and for being great layers, especially in the winter: but it is certain that the larger sort sell the best at market, and lay the largest eggs, and therefore should be the most cultivated about a farm. as for the game breed, some fancy that their flesh is more white and tender than the other sorts; but they are always quarrelling, which contributes to make themselves and their brood weak. where we propose to raise a large stock of poultry, we should be careful to secure our hen-house from vermin of all sorts, and keep it dry and clean, allowing also as much air as possible; for if it is not often clean'd, the scent of the dung will give your fowls the roop: so likewise there must be easy convenience for perching of the fowls, disposed in such a manner, that the perches be not placed over any of the hen's nests, which must always lie dry and clean, bedded with straw, for hay is apt to make the sitting hens faint and weak. when we design to set a hen, we should save her eggs in dry bran, and when she clucks, put no more in her nest than she can well cover; for as to certain numbers to be more lucky in hatching, there is nothing in that: and if we fat fowls, then use the method prescribed in my _country gentleman and farmer's monthly director_, in the month of _january_, which is much the best way of any that has yet been discovered. in the choice of fowls for eating, those which are white feather'd and white legg'd, are much tenderer and finer in their flesh than those of other colours, and are much weaker; for which reason, those who understand cocking, do not approve of such as happen to be white feather'd: and those which are black feather'd, are accounted the hottest and most fiery, and their flesh is coarser than in other fowls. but let us now come to the use of the flesh of these fowls, which is either eaten roasted, boiled, fricasseed, baked, or broiled either slit or whole. it is to be noted, that the flesh of these fowls or chickens boiled is more easily digested than the flesh of those that are roasted, and the flesh of the legs is more easy of digestion than that of the breast. mr. _ray_ takes notice, that those parts of fowls, which are continually in action, are esteem'd the best, for which reason he prefers the legs of tame fowls, and what we call the wings in wild fowl, that is, the fleshy part on the breast. _gefner_ and _aldrovandus_ have both largely treated of the use of the flesh and eggs of these fowls, but i believe some of the following receipts for dressing them, will not be unacceptable, they being more adapted to the taste of our times. i shall begin with some curious ways of dressing of eggs, which i had from a gentleman of _brussels_, who had collected them from most parts of _europe_. first way of dressing of eggs. boil your eggs till they are hard, and cut the whites only into rings or large pieces; then cut some parsley and onions small, and stew them with a little salt, pepper, and nutmeg in half a pint of water, till the onion and parsley is tender; when this is done, put in your eggs well flower'd, and as soon as they are hot, put half a pint of cream to them, and thicken them for serving at the table. the yolks may be fry'd to garnish the dish. second way of preparing of eggs. boil your eggs hard as before, and cut the whites likewise as directed in the above receipt, and then prepare some gravy, a bunch of sweet herbs, a little salt, some lemon peel, some _jamaica_ pepper beaten small, an onion shred small, and let these stew together till it is sufficiently season'd; after which, strain it off, and put in the eggs to heat them thoroughly, and then thicken the whole with burnt butter. third way of preparing of eggs. break some eggs, beat them well, and season them with salt and some _jamaica_ pepper finely powder'd, then make some butter very hot in a pan, and pour in the mixture to fry, till it is hard enough to hold together; then it must be taken out, and cut into several pieces, and served with the same sauce directed in the foregoing receipt. fourth way of dressing of eggs. take the hearts of two or three cabbage-lettuces, a little sorrel, parsley, cherville, and a large mushroom, put them in water over the fire till they are tender, then chop them together very small with some yolks of hard eggs, and season the whole with salt, pepper, or nutmeg; and when the mass is well mixt together, put them in paste, making them into small flat puffs, and fry them. this may be diversify'd, by adding some sweet herbs chop'd small to the mixture, before it is put into paste. fifth way of dressing of eggs. beat as many eggs as you think convenient, and at the same time squeeze the juice of an orange among them; being well beaten, season them with a little salt, then take a stew-pan, and if it is a fast-day, put some butter into it and pour in your eggs, keeping them stirring continually over the fire till they are enough, then pour them into a plate upon sippets. but on flesh-days, instead of butter use strong gravy, or on fish-days some mushroom-gravy may be used instead of butter, or with it. sixth way of ordering of eggs. boil eggs till they are hard, peel them, and cut them lengthways, then quarter each half, and dip the several quarters in batter, made of flower, eggs and milk; fry them then in butter very hot, over a quick fire, and lay them a while before the fire to drain. in the mean while prepare for them the following sauce of burnt or brown butter, seasoned with sweet-herbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and a little elder-vinegar, with some mushrooms stew'd and hash'd; and garnish your dish, or plate, with fry'd bread, parsley, and fry'd mushrooms. these are a few out of many receipts, which the above gentleman gave me, and may serve as directions for many others; for by what i can find, all the others depend upon the same principles. the variation of these depends upon the variety of tastes: some like amletts, or frazes of eggs, with bacon, or with clary, or other high-tasted herbs, which every good housewife knows how to direct. the same gentleman observes, that amletts with boiled artichoke bottoms sliced, amletts with the tops of boil'd asparagus, green pease boiled, mushrooms stew'd and sliced, or truffles, these he tells me are extraordinary. as to the particulars relating to the dressing of farced fowls, the methods which most agree with my palate, and have been admired by the best judges of my acquaintance, are the following, which i had from _france_. to dress a capon, or other fowl. when your fowl is truss'd for roasting, cover the breast with a thin slice of fat bacon, and put an onion stuck with cloves into the belly, with some salt and pepper; when it is roasted enough, take off the bacon, and strew it with grated bread, till it is brown. this is eaten, either with orange-juice and salt, or if oysters are at hand, as they are about many farms in _england_, they may be stew'd gently with a little white wine, spice, and a little butter, which will make an agreeable sauce for it. or else it may be eaten with a very good sauce, which i have often met with, and have lik'd as well; which is made with small beer and water, equal quantities, an onion slic'd, some pepper and salt, and about an ounce of flesh, either of mutton or beef, to boil till it comes to about half, supposing at first 'tis not above half a pint; and at some places, instead of mutton, _&c._ this sauce has been only made of the neck of a fowl. this sauce, in my opinion, has a very rich taste, and has been well approv'd of by some curious travellers: where we could have this, we rather chose it than wine-sauce. capons, pullets, or others of this sort of fowl, may be also larded with bacon, if they are roasted; but the gentleman aforesaid, who gave me this receipt, told me that no water-fowl must be larded with bacon. to farce or stuff a fowl. from mr. _agneau._ when your fowl is made ready for roasting, take the liver boil'd, a shallot, a little fat of bacon, some grated bread, the bottom of a boil'd artichoke, and some mushrooms, chop these very small, and make a forc'd meat of them, season'd with salt and spices at pleasure; fill the belly of the fowl with this, and then truss it, covering the breast with a thin slice of fat bacon, and over that put a piece of writing paper. roast this, and serve it up with the following sauce: make a hash of mushrooms, an anchovy, a few capers and some gravy, boiled together with such seasoning as you approve; the sauce should be thicken'd or brown'd, and it is fit for the table. to farce fowls another way. from the same. take pullets and roast them, then take the flesh of the breast, and mince it small, with some fat of bacon boil'd, a few mushrooms, a little onion and parsley, and some crumb of bread soak'd in cream over a gentle fire; when all these are well minc'd, add the yolks of two or three eggs, and mix all together; then with this forced meat fill the breast of the fowls in their proper shape, and beat some whites of eggs to go over them, and then cover them thick with crumbs of bread, having first laid your fowls commodiously in a dish, and then put them in the oven till they have taken a fine brown colour. if you have more of this farced meat than you use in making good the fowls, either make it into balls and fry them, or else make a batter of eggs, milk, and wheat-flower, and dip small parcels of the farce into it to fry for garnishing. you may make a sauce to these farced fowls with stew'd mushrooms toss'd up with cream; the same may be done with turkeys, pheasants, _&c_. to make a brown or white fricassee of chickens. from the same. strip the chickens of their skins as soon as they are kill'd, and when they are drawn, cut their wings, legs, and most fleshy parts in pieces, then fry them a little in hog's-lard; after which, put them to stew with a little butter and gravy, for a brown fricassee, or butter and water for a white fricassee; to either of these add a glass of white wine, with a seasoning of salt, pepper, nutmeg, cherville cut small, and three or four young onions whole, that they may be withdrawn when the fricassee is enough: then brown the sauce with some of the same lard the chickens were fry'd in, and thicken it with burnt flower; to this you may add fry'd or stew'd mushrooms. but for a white fricassee, instead of the browning with the lard and burnt flower, thicken the sauces with three or four yolks of eggs, and a little verjuice; or else when the fricassee is stew'd enough, take off the fat as much as possible, and toss it up with cream; this will serve to fricassee rabbits. in lent, and on fast-days, i have eaten very good soups abroad, that were made without any flesh. and as that is not very common in _england_, i thought it convenient to bring over the receipts with me, that we may know how to make the best of every thing about a farm. to make fish-gravy for soups. to make this fish-gravy, which may serve for a foundation of all fish soups, take tench or eels, or both, well scour'd from mud, and their outsides scour'd well with salt; then pull out their gills, and put them in a kettle with water, salt, a bunch of sweet herbs, and an onion stuck with cloves; boil these an hour and a half, and then strain off the liquor thro' a cloth: add to this the peelings of mushrooms well wash'd, or mushrooms themselves cut small; boil these together, and strain the liquor thro' a sieve into a stew-pan, upon some burnt or fry'd flower, and a little lemon, which will soon render it of a good colour, and delicate flavour, fit for soups, which may be varied according to the palate, by putting in pot-herbs and spices to every one's liking; this will keep good some time. when you make any of this into soup, remember to put a glass of white wine into your soup a little before you serve it. a foundation for herb soups. take a quantity of good herbs, such as cherville, spinage, sallery, leeks, beet-cards, and such like, with two or three large crusts of bread, some butter, a bunch of sweet herbs, and a little salt; put these, with a moderate quantity of water, into a kettle, and boil them an hour and half, and strain off the liquor thro' a sieve, and it will be a good foundation for soups, either of asparagus buds, lettuce, or any other kind, fit for lent or fast-days. these herb soups are sometimes strengthened with two or three yolks of eggs, a little before they are serv'd to the table. as in this month there is plenty of oranges, so it is a proper season to make orange-wine, which is a most pleasant and refreshing liquor in the summer season. the following receipt is an approved one for it. to make orange wine. from mrs. _e. b._ take twenty gallons of water, and forty pounds of fine sugar, mix these together, boil and clarify it with the whites of eggs: against this is done, have two hundred middling oranges, pared so thin that no white appear upon the rinds; and as soon as the syrup is taken off the fire, put the peels of five and twenty oranges into it; and when the liquor is quite cold, put in the juice of the oranges, with some fresh ale-yeast spread upon a warm toast of white bread; let this work two days, and then put it into the vessel or cask, adding at the same time, two gallons of white _port_ wine; and then to every gallon of liquor, add an ounce of syrup of citron, or syrup of lemon, and in two months time it be fit to bottle. in this month it may not be unneccessary to observe that oranges are declining, and waste apaces; but they are commonly very cheap, and therefore such as have a great call for orange-peel, as confectioners, _&c._ now buy them in quantities; but a little carriage by land will contribute to their quicker decay. the orange, tho' it is not found in every garden, yet i esteem it as a necessary fruit in many cases, and what a family can hardly be without; and truly considering how good oranges we might have in our gardens, and how easily they may be cultivated against garden-walls, i much wonder that they are not more generally planted with us. there is a very good instance of their prospering well against a wall, and thriving in the natural ground, at mr. _heather_'s, a curious gentleman at _tiwittenham_, which trees bear very well, and bring very large fruit. but as i have observ'd above, that this is the season when foreign oranges are generally in the greatest plenty about _london_, it is a good time to preserve their juice; especially it may prove useful to such as have opportunities of vending _punch_ in large quantitles, or for such who find that liquor agreeable to them: for tho' i have known several who have express'd the juice of oranges and lemons, and bottled it up against a dear time, yet such juice has turn'd to be of a very disageeable sourness in a short season. the method which i have taken to preserve this juice to be used in punch, was to express the juice, and pass it thro' a jelly-bag, with about two ounces of double-refined loaf-sugar to each pint of juice, and a pint of brandy, or arrack; bottle this up, and cork it well with sound corks, and you may keep it a year. before you pass this liquor thro' the bag, you may put about the rind of two oranges to steep for two hours, into each quart of liquor, which will give it a rich flavour. when you have occasion to use it for punch, it is at the discretion of the maker to add what quantity of brandy, or arrack, he thinks proper, only remembring that there is already a pint in each bottle. this may be of good advantage to inn-keepers, _&c._ who live remote from _london_; and by this way they need not run the hazard of losing this sort of fruit, by bruising or rotting, which they will be subject to, if they are not well pack'd, and have bad roads. and besides, considering the vast difference that there is in the price of oranges, so much, that at some seasons you must pay as much for one, as will at another time purchase near a dozen, it is the best to consider of this when they are at the cheapest price. we may likewise use the same method with lemons; but it is not convenient to steep any of the peels in the liquor, for they will give it a disagreeable flavour. but it is to be understood also, that lemons are to be met with in perfection all the year; only this season they are at the cheapest price. the peel of an orange or two may be put to each quart of juice, to steep as above directed, bruising every piece of peel as you put it into the juice. note, that the lemon and orange juice must not be mix'd together in the same bottles. * * * * * march. this month all sorts of pond-fish are in season; _viz._ the jack, the carp, the tench, the perch, and the eel; but it must be noted, that both the males and females of every kind of fish are in their greatest perfection before the spawning-time, and they are sick and unwholesome for three weeks after spawning. the eel, indeed, has not yet been known to lay any spawn, but is likely to be viviparous, as i have mention'd in the month of _january_. the jack, or pike, this month runs, as the sportsmen call it; that is, they retire into the ditches, if there are any in their way, and feed upon frogs; or else, in warm days, lie upon the top of the waters, and are easily taken by snares: however, they are this month full row'd, and are then in their greatest strength, and in the best condition for the table. we judge those are the best which are broad-back'd, and deep fish; for those that are long and slender, have not their flesh firm, which is reckon'd the perfection of a fish. the way of preparing this fish in the best manner, in my opinion, if it is large, is to roast it according to the following receipt, which i had from mr. _john hughs_, an excellent cook in _london_. when a jack or pike is discharged of its scales and entrails, and well clean'd, prepare a mixture in the following manner, to be sew'd up in the belly of the fish: take of grated bread about one third part, the rivet, or liver of the fish cut small, with oysters chopped, or the flesh of eels cut small; mix these with three or four eggs butter'd in a sauce-pan, to which add pepper and salt with some dry'd sweet marjoram well pouder'd, or such other sweet-herbs as are most grateful to the palate, an anchovy shred small, and fill the belly of the fish with the preparation, and sew it up. when this is done, cut two small laths of willow, or any other wood, except deal, or such as has a turpentine juice in it, of the length of the fish, and lay the fish upon the spit, with the two laths upon the fish, and bind them together with a fillet of linnen, about an inch wide, which must be wrapp'd round them in a screw-like manner, and then laid down to the fire, and basted very well with butter, and drudged with crumbs of bread, and the same sort of sweet-herbs that were used in the mixture abovemention'd. where you have not the conveniency of oysters, or eels, to compose the aforemention'd mixture, you may add a larger quantity of butter'd eggs. where there is the conveniency of an oven, we may bake such a fish with less trouble than roasting it; and in that case rub the outside with the yolk of an egg, and roll it in some of the mixture abovemention'd, the anchovy and butter'd eggs excepted, putting some vinegar and butter in the pan. the sauce to this fish is butter melted, a little white-wine, and mix'd with a third part of season'd beef gravy, with a spoonful or two of mushroom ketchup, and an anchovy or two dissolved. the smaller sort of these fish, _i.e._ such as are about a foot long, are most commonly boiled, but they will do well baked, as above directed. the same sauce may be used with the boil'd fish; or instead of beef gravy, may be used the mushroom gravy, as directed in this work, which will have a much finer relish than the beef gravy. in this month likewise, the carp is fit for the table, and is commonly much admir'd, if it be well stew'd; otherwise i think it makes but an indifferent dish, being a fish full of cross-bones. the head is accounted much the best part of the fish, and is therefore presented as a compliment to the greatest stranger at the table. the carp, as it is a fish which thrives best in black, deep, standing waters, is therefore commonly given to taste of the mud; but to cure this, those carps you intend for the table should be put into a clear water for a week before you use them, that they may purge themselves. you may keep two brace of large carps well enough in a two-dozen hamper, plung'd into any part of a river where there is a clear stream, or trench that is fed by a spring, and they will become of an extraordinary sweet taste. and so we may do with tench and eels, when we catch them in foul feeding waters. when your fish are thus purify'd, dress your carps after the following manner: to stew carps or tench. take a brace of live carp, scale them, gut and wash them, and bleed them in the tails, so that the blood be not lost; for according to all the receipts for stewing this kind of fish, the blood, however small the quantity is of it, must make part of the sauce: lay these in a stew-pan with the blood, a pint of beef-gravy, a pint of claret, a large onion stuck with cloves, three large anchovies, a stick of horse-radish sliced, the peel of half a large lemon, pepper and salt at pleasure, a bunch of sweet-herbs, two or three spoonfuls of vinegar. this liquor should nearly cover the carps; so that if the gravy and claret, mention'd above, be not sufficient, add equal quantities of each till you have enough; cover this close, and set the stew-pan over a gentle fire, till the lower-side of the fish are stew'd enough; then turn them, and keep them stewing as before, close cover'd, till they are enough; after which, lay them in a dish upon sippets of fry'd bread, and strain off the sauce to be thicken'd and brown'd with burnt butter. this must be poured over the fish, and the dish garnish'd with the row or milt, barberries, and lemons sliced. the same method is also used for stewing of large roach, dace, and chubb; but a tench stew'd this way, is much better than a carp, the back of this fish, and the head, are the pieces which are most in esteem. it is worth our remark, that when we find our tench cover'd with black scales, they will always taste muddy, which is the fault of the river-tench about _cambridge_; but where we find tench of a golden colour, we are sure of good fish, that will eat sweet without the trouble of putting 'em into clear water to purify. as there is some trouble in the dressing of this fish, they may be stew'd the night before they are to be eaten, and will keep very well; and half an hour before they are to be serv'd up, set them over the fire to be thoroughly hot, and then brown their sauce as before directed. it is to be observ'd, that to bake these fish with the above ingredients is as good a way as the stewing them. it is likewise necessary to observe, that all fish which will keep a long time alive out of water, will sicken, and their flesh become unfirm by lying in the air; therefore, if fish are to be sent a day's journey, or kept a day before they are used, kill them as soon as they are taken out of the water, and the flesh will be firm. i shall add one thing more concerning the boiling of fish, which was communicated to me by a very ingenious gentleman, who has made fishing his study for many years: he says, that the goodness of boil'd fish consists chiefly in the firmness of the flesh; and in the next place, that the flesh parts easily from the bone; to do which, he directs to kill the fish immediately after they are taken out of the water; and when you design to boil 'em, put a large handful of salt into about two or three quarts of water, and so in proportion: put in the fish while the water is cold; then set them over the fire, and make them boil as quick as possible, without any cover over the pan. this is approved to do very well. this receipt is particularly good for boiling of flounders. his receipt for sauce for boil'd fish, is the following. sauce for boil'd fish. take beef-gravy, an onion, a little white-wine, some horse-radish sliced, lemon-peel, an anchovy, a bunch of sweet-herbs, boil them well together, and strain off the liquor, then put a spoonful of mushroom ketchup to it, and thicken it with butter mix'd with flower: or for fast-days the gravy may be omitted, and in the place of it put mushroom-gravy, or a larger quantity of mushroom-ketchup, or some of the fish-gravy mention'd in _february_, which is good to put in sauce for any sort of fish. as this is the month when eels begin to be good, i shall give two or three receipts for the dressing of them in the best manner: the first for roasting of eels, or pitchcotting them, i had from the crown at _basingstoke_ some years ago; and that for collaring of eels, from mr. _john hughs_, a celebrated cook in _london_. but i shall first observe, that the silver eel is counted the best; and that all such as lie and feed in clear streams, may be used without purging them, as i have directed above; but all pond eels must be put into clear waters for a week, at least, before they are used, if you would have them in perfection. and now to the receipts. to roast or broil an eel, from the _crown_ at _basingstoke, an. ._ take a large eel, rub the skin well with salt, then gut it and wash it well; cut off the head and skin it, laying by the skin in water and salt; then lay your eel in a clean dish, and pour out about a pint of vinegar upon it, letting it remain in the vinegar near an hour; then withdraw your eel from the vinegar, and make several incisions at proper distances in the flesh of the back and sides, which spaces must be fill'd with the following mixture: take grated bread, the yolks of two or three hard eggs, one anchovy minced small, some sweet-marjoram dry'd and pouder'd; or for want of that, some green marjoram shred small: to this add pepper, salt, a little pouder of cloves, or _jamaica_ pepper, and a little fresh butter, to be beat all together in a stone mortar, till it becomes like a paste; with which mixture fill all the incisions that you cut in the eel, and draw the skin over it: then tie the end of the skin next the head, and prick it with a fork in several places; then tie it to a spit to roast, or lay it upon a grid-iron to broil, without basting. the sauce for this is butter, anchovy, a little pepper, and lemon-juice. to pitchcot eels. take a large eel, clean well with salt and water both the skin and the inside, then pull off the skin, and prepare the following mixture of bread grated, sweet-herbs pouder'd, or minced small, such as sweet-marjoram, sage, and some pepper and salt; then rub your eel with yolks of eggs, and after that, roll it in the mixture, then draw the skin over it, and cut your eel in several pieces about three inches in length, dipping them again in yolks of eggs, and after that, in the above mixture: then lay them on the gridiron, and when they are enough, serve them to the table, with the sauce prescribed for the roasted eels, abovemention'd. to collar eels, from mr. _john hughs,_ a famous cook in _london._ take a large eel, and scour the skin and the inside very well with salt, cut off the head, and split it down the back, then lay it abroad upon your dresser, and season it well with spice, salt, and a good quantity of red sage minced small: mix these well, and sprinkle the mixture thick upon your eel, then roll it up, and tye it close in a thin cloth at each end, and in the middle; boil it then in a strong pickle of vinegar, water, salt, some spice, and a bay-leaf or two; and when it is boiled enough, take out the eel, and let it stand till it is quite cold, and when the pickle is cold likewise, pour the pickle into a glazed earthen-pan, and put your eel into it to keep for use; this will remain good several weeks, if it is kept close cover'd. when the eel is quite cold, take off the cloth. the eel is also good in pyes, fry'd and boil'd, which every one knows how to prepare. about the end of this month, the trout begins to come in season; for before this time, its body is cover'd with little insects, which is a demonstration of its being sick and unwholesome. the best way of eating this fish is to boil it, and serve it with butter and an anchovy for sauce; as is commonly practis'd about _hungerford, spenham-land_, and other noted places for trout. if the season is now mild, about the end of the month the sap in the birch-tree will begin to be very fluent. and so in the choice of fish to be seasonable, we must have regard to the temper of the air; for if the air be mild and gentle, sooner or later all parts of the creation are govern'd by it: but when i direct for this month or another any thing to be done, i suppose the temper of the air to be what it is for the generality; but the birch-tree sap we will suppose begins now to flow, and then we are to take the opportunity of making wine of it. the best receipt i have met with for making this wine, is the following. to make birch-wine. from lady _w._ when the sap of the birch-tree will run, cut a large notch in the bark of the trunk of the tree, in such a place as one may conveniently place a vessel to receive the sap; which will flow at the incision very plentifully, without doing any harm to the tree. if the trees are pretty large, you may expect about a gallon of liquor from each of them, which must be order'd in the following manner. take five gallons of the liquor, to which put five pounds of powder-sugar, and two pounds of raisins of the sun stoned; to this, put the peel of one large lemon, and about forty large fresh cloves: boil all these together, taking off the scum carefully as it rises; then pour it off into some vessel to cool, and as soon as it is cool enough to put yeast to it, work it as you would do ale for two days, and then tunn it, taking care not to stop the vessel till it has done working, and in a month's time it will be ready to bottle. this is not only a very pleasant, but a very wholesome wine. this month is esteemed one of the principal seasons for brewing of malt liquors for long keeping; the reason is, because the air at this time of the year is temperate, and contributes to the good working or fermenting the drink, which chiefly promotes its preservation and good keeping: for very cold weather prevents the free fermentation or working of liquors, as well as very hot weather; so that if we brew in very cold weather, unless we use some means to warm the cellar while new drink is working, it will never clear itself as it ought to do; and the same misfortune will it lie under, if in very hot weather the cellar is not put in a temperate state, the consequence of which will be, that such drink will be muddy and sour, and, perhaps, never recover; or if it does, perhaps not under two or three years. again, such misfortunes are often owing to the badness of the cellars; for where they are dug in springy ground, or are subject to wet in the winter, then the drink will chill, and grow flat and dead. but where cellars are of this sort, it is adviseable to make your great brewings in this month rather than in _october_; for you may keep such cellars temperate in summer, but cannot warm them in winter, and so your drink brew'd in _march_ will have due time to settle and adjust itself before the cold can do it any great harm. it is adviseable likewise to build your cellars for keeping of drink, after such a manner, that none of the external air may come into them; for the variation of the air abroad, was there free admission of it into the cellars, would cause as many alterations in the liquors, and so would keep them perpetually disturb'd and unfit for drinking. i know some curious gentlemen in these things, that keep double doors to their cellars, on purpose that none of the outward air may get into them, and they have good reason to boast of their malt-liquors. the meaning of the double doors, is to keep one shut while the other is open, that the outward air may be excluded; such cellars, if they lie dry, as they ought to do, are said to be cool in summer, and warm in winter, tho' in reality, they are constantly the same in point of temper: they seem indeed cool in hot weather, but that is because we come into them from an hotter abroad; and so they seem to us warm in winter, because we come out of a colder air to them; so that they are only cold or warm comparatively, as the air we come out of is hotter or colder. this is the cafe, and a cellar should be thus dispos'd if we expect to have good drink. as for the brewing part itself, i shall leave that to the brewers in the several counties in _england_, who have most of them different manners even of brewing honestly. what i shall chiefly touch upon, besides what i shall speak of cellaring, will relate to water, malt, hops, and the keeping liquors. the best water, to speak in general, is river water, such as is soft, and has partook of the air and sun; for this easily insinuates itself into the malt, and extracts its virtue; whereas the hard waters astringe and bind the parts of the malt, so that its virtue is not freely communicated to the liquor. it is a rule with a friend of mine, that all water which will mix with soap is fit for brewing, and he will by no means allow of any other; and i have more than once experienc'd, that where the same quantity of malt has been used to a barrel of river water, and the same to a barrel of spring water, the river water brewing has excell'd the other in strength above five degrees in twelve months, as i prov'd by a small glass-tube with a seal, and was much preferable to the taste, i must observe too, that the malt was not only in quantity the same for one barrel as for another, but was the same in quality, having been all measur'd from the same heap; so also the hops were the same both in quality and quantity, and the time of boiling, and both work'd in the same manner, and tunn'd and kept in the same cellar. here it was plain that there was no difference but the water, and yet one barrel was worth two of the other. there is one thing which has long puzzled the best brewers, which i shall here endeavour to explain; and that is, where several gentlemen in the same town have employ'd the same brewer, have had the same malt, the same hops, and the same water too, and brew'd all in the same month, and broach'd their drink at the same time; and yet one has had beer which has been extremely fine, strong, and well tasted, while the others have hardly had any worth drinking. i conjecture there may be three reasons for this difference: one may be the different weather which might happen at the different brewings in this month, which might make an alteration in the working of the liquors: or, secondly, that the yeast or barm might be of different sorts, or in different states, wherewith these liquors were work'd: and, thirdly, that the cellars were not equally good: for i am very sensible, the goodness of such drink, as is brew'd for keeping, depends upon the goodness of the cellars where it is kept; for at a gentleman's of my acquaintance, who for many years has used the same brewer, and the same method, his beer is always of the same taste, his cellars, or vaults, are very dry, and have two or three doors to them. the _dorchester_ beer, which is esteem'd preferable to most of the malt-liquor in _england,_ is for the most part brew'd of chalky water, which is almost every where in that county; and as the soil is generally chalk there, i am of opinion, that the cellars being dug in that dry soil contributes to the good keeping of their drink, it being of a close texture, and of a drying quality, so as to dissipate damps; for damp cellars, we find by experience, are injurious to keeping liquors, as well as destructive to the casks. the malt of this country is of a pale colour; and the best drink of this county that i have met with to be sold, is at a small house against the church at _blackwater,_ four miles beyond _dorchester_, in the road to _bridport_, in _dorsetshire_; they broach no beer till it is a year old, and has had time to mellow. but there must be such cellars as i speak of, which inclose a temperate air, to ripen drink in; the constant temperate air digests and softens these malt liquors, so that they drink smooth as oil; but in the cellars which are unequal, by letting in heats and colds, the drink is subject to grow stale and sharp: for this reason it is, that drink, which is brew'd for a long voyage at sea, should be perfectly ripe and fine before it is exported, for when it has had sufficient time to digest in the cask, and is rack'd from the bottom or lee, it will bear carriage without injury. it is farther to be noted, that in proportion to the quantity of liquor, which is enclosed in one cask, so will it be a longer or a shorter time in ripening. a vessel which will contain two hogsheads of beer, will require twice as much time to perfect itself as one of a hogshead; and from my experience i find there should be no vessel used for strong beer, which we design to keep, less than a hogshead: for one of that quantity, if it be fit to draw in a year, has body enough to support it two, or three, or four years, if it has strength of malt and hops in it, as the _dorseshire_ beer has; and this will bear the sea very well, as we find every day. there is one thing more to be consider'd in the preservation of beer; and that is, when once the vessel is broach'd, we ought to have regard to the time in which it will be expended: for if there happens to be a quick draught for it, then it will last good to the very bottom; but if there is likely to be a slow draught, then do not draw off quite half, before you bottle it, or else your beer will grow flat, dead, or sour. this is observed very much among the curious. one great piece of oeconomy is the good management of small beer; for if that is not good, the drinkers of it will be feeble in summer-time, and incapable of strong work, and will be very subject to distempers; and besides, when drink is not good, a great deal will be thrown away. the use of drink, as well as meat, is to nourish the body; and the more labour there is upon any one, the more substantial should be the dyet. in the time of harvest i have often seen the bad effects of bad small beer among the workmen; and in great families, where that article has not been taken care of, the apothecaries bills have amounted to twice as much more as the malt would have come to, that would have kept the servants in strength and good health; besides one thing more, which i observed above, good wholesome drink is seldom flung away by servants, so that the sparing of a little malt ends in loss to the master. where there is good cellaring, therefore, it is adviseable to brew a flock of small beer, either in this month or _october_, or in both months, and to be kept in hogsheads, if possible: the beer brew'd in _march_ to begin drawing in _october_, and that brew'd in _october_ to begin in _march_, for summer drinking; having this regard to the quantity, that a family of the same number of working persons, will drink a third more in summer than in winter, if water happens to be of a hard nature, it may be softened by setting it exposed to the air and sun, and putting into it some pieces of soft chalk to infuse; or else when the water is set on to boil, for pouring upon the malt, put into it a quantity of bran, which will help a little to soften it. i shall now mention two or three particulars relating to malt, which may help those who are unacquainted with brewing: in the first place, the general distinctions, between one malt and another, is only that one is high dried, the other low dried; that which we call high dried, will, by brewing, produce a liquor of a brown, deep colour; and the other, which is the low dried, will give us a liquor of a pale colour. the first is dried in such a manner, as may be said rather to be scorch'd than dried, and will promote the gravel and stone, and is much less nourishing than the low dried, or pale malt, as they call it; for all corn in the most simple way is the most feeding to the body. i have experienc'd too, that the brown malt, even tho' it be well brewed, will sooner turn sharp than the pale malt, if that be fairly brewed. i am told, that a gentleman in _northamptonshire_ has dried malt upon the leads of a house, and has made very good drink of it: and the method of drying malt by hot air, which was once proposed to the publick, will do very well for a small quantity, but 'tis much too tedious to be ever rendered profitable; however, any means that can be used to dry malt without parching of it, will certainly contribute to the goodness of the malt. at the _greyhound_ at _marlborough_ i have drank of the palest-colour'd ale i ever saw, and the best tasted, and the strongest that i have met with. in that place they dry their malt very tenderly, and brew with chalky water, and their cellars are dug in chalk: so at the _crown_ at _hockrell_ near _bishop-starford_ in _hertfordshire_, is excellent beer of a pale colour, strong, and well tasted; there the malt is tenderly dried and the soil chalky: likewise at _nottingham_ and _derby_ they brew with pale malt, chalky water, and their cellars are dug in chalk. these places are noted for the goodness of their ale all over _england_, insomuch that it has been computed, that there has been above two hundred thousand pounds worth of ale sold in and about _london,_ under the denomination of _nottingham, derby, dorchester,_ _&c._ in one year's time: but it is not in _london_ that we must expect to taste these liquors in perfection; for it is rare to find any of them there without being adulterated, or else such liquors are sold for them as are unskilful imitations of them; and i may add, are unwholesome into the bargain. while i am writing this, a gentleman of good judgment in this affair informs me, that the brown malt he finds makes the best drink, when it is brew'd with a coarse river water, such as that of the river _thames_ about _london_; and that likewise being brew'd with such water, it makes very good ale: but that it will not keep above six months, without turning stale, and a little sharp, even tho' he allows fourteen bushels to the hogshead. he adds, that he has try'd the high-dry'd malt to brew beer with for keeping, and hopp'd it accordingly; and yet he could never brew it so as to drink soft and mellow, like that brew'd with pale malt. there is an acid quality in the high-dry'd malt, which occasions that distemper commonly called the heart-burn, in those that drink of the ale or beer made of it. when i mention malt, in what i have already said above, i mean only malt made of barley; for wheat-malt, pea-malt, or these mix'd with barley-malt, tho' they produce a high-colour'd liquor, will keep many years, and drink soft and smooth; but then they have the mum-flavour. i have known some people, who used brewing with high dry'd barley-malt, to put a bag, containing about three pints of wheat, into every hogshead of drink, and that has fined it, and made it to drink mellow: others i have seen put about three pints of wheat-malt into a hogshead, which has produced the same effect. but all malt-liquors, however they may be well-brew'd, may be spoiled by bad cellaring, and be now and then subject to ferment in the cask, and consequently turn thick and sour. the best way to help this, and bring the drink to it self is to open the bung of the cask for two or three days, and if that does not stop the fermentation, then put about two or three pounds of oyster-shells wash'd and dry'd well in an oven, and then beaten to fine pouder, and stirring it a little, it will presently settle the drink, make it fine, and take off the sharp taste of it; and as soon as that is done, draw it off into another vessel, and put a small bag of wheat or wheat-malt into it, as above directed, or in proportion, as the vessel is larger or smaller. sometimes such fermentations will happen in drink, by change of weather, if it is in a bad cellar, and it will in a few months fall fine of it self, and grow mellow. it is remarkable, that high-dry'd malt should not be used in brewing till it has been ground ten days, or a fortnight, it yields much stronger drink than the same quantity of malt fresh ground; but if you design to keep malt some time ground before you use it, you must take care to keep it very dry, and the air at that time should likewise be dry. and as for pale malt, which has not partaken so much of the fire, it must not remain ground above a week before you use it. as for hops, the newest are much the best, tho' they will remain very good two years; but after that, they begin to decay, and lose their good flavour unless great quantities have been kept together; for in that case they will keep much longer good than in small quantities. these, for their better preservation, should be kept in a very dry place, tho' the dealers in them rather chuse such places as are moderately between moist and dry, that they may not lose of their weight. i cannot help taking notice here of a method which was used to some stale and decay'd hops the last year , to make them recover their bitterness; which was to unbag them, and sprinkle them with aloes and water, which, together with the badness of the malt of the same year's growth, spoil'd great quantities of drink about _london_; for even where the water, the malt, and the brewer, and cellars are good, a bad hop will spoil all: so that every one of these particulars should be well-chosen before the brewing is set about, or else we must expect but a bad account of our labour. and so likewise the yeast or barm that you work your drink with, must be well consider'd, or a good brewing may be spoil'd by that alone; and be sure that be always provided before you begin brewing, for your wort will not stay for it. in some remote places from towns it is practised to dip whisks into yeast, and beat it well, and so hang up the whisks with the yeast in them to dry; and if there is no brewing till two months afterwards, the beating and stirring one of these whisks in new wort, will raise a working or fermentation in it. it is a rule that all drink should be work'd well in the tun, or keel, before it be put in the vessel, for else it will not easily grow fine. some follow the rule of beating down the yeast pretty often while it is in the tun, and keep it there working for two or three days, observing to put it in the vessel just when the yeast begins to fall. this drink is commonly very fine; whereas that, which is put into the vessel quickly after 'tis brew'd, will not be fine in many months. we may yet observe, that with relation to the season for brewing of drink for keeping, if the cellars are subject to the heat of the sun, or warm summer air, it is best to brew in _october_, that the drink may have time to digest before the warm season comes on: and if cellars are inclinable to damps, and to receive water, the best time is to brew in _march_, and i know some experienced brewers, who always chuse the brewing of pale malt in _march_, and the brown in _october_; for they guess that the pale malt, being made with a lesser degree of fire than the other, wants the summer season to ripen in; and so on the contrary, the brown having had a larger share of the fire to dry it, is more capable of defending itself against the cold of the winter-season. but how far these reasons may be just, i shall not pretend to determine; but in such a work as this, nothing should be omitted that may contribute to give the least hint towards meliorating so valuable a manufacture; the artists in the brewing way are at liberty to judge as they please. but when we have been careful in all the above particulars, if the casks are not in good order, still the brewing may be spoil'd. new casks are apt to give drink an ill taste, if they are not well scalded and season'd several days successively, before they are put in use; and for old casks, if they stand any time out of use, they are apt to grow musty: unslack'd lime, about a gallon to a hogshead, with about six gallons of water put in with it, and the hogshead presently stopp'd up, will clear it of its taint, if the same be repeated four or five times; or burning of linnen dipp'd in brimstone, to be close stopped in a cask, three or four times repeated, will do the same: or else put water in your vessels, and throw in some burning coals, and stop them close, will do the like, if it be often repeated. i have now but little more to say about the management of drink, and that is concerning the bottling of it. the bottles first must be well clean'd and dry'd; for wet bottles will make the drink turn mouldy, or motherry, as they call it; and by wet bottles, many vessels of good drink are spoiled: but if the bottles are clean and dry, yet if the corks are not new and found, the drink is still liable to be damaged; for if the air can get into the bottles, the drink will grow flat, and will never rise. i have known many who have flatter'd themselves that they knew how to be saving, and have used old corks on this occasion, that have spoiled as much liquor as has stood them in four or five pounds, only for want of laying out three or four shillings. if bottles are cork'd as they should be, it is hard to pull out the corks without a screw, and to be sure to draw the cork without breaking, the screw ought to go through the cork, and then the air must necessarily find a passage where the screw has pass'd, and therefore the cork is good for nothing; or if a cork has once been in a bottle, and has been drawn without a screw, yet that cork will turn musty as soon as it is exposed to the air, and will communicate its ill flavour to the bottle where it is next put, and spoil the drink that way. in the choice of corks, chuse those that are soft, and clear from specks, and lay them in water a day or two before you use them; but let them dry again before you put them in the bottles, lest they should happen to turn mouldy: with this care you may make good drink, and preserve it to answer your expectation. in the bottling of drink, you may also observe, that the top and middle of the hogshead is the strongest, and will sooner rise in the bottles than the bottom: and when once you begin to bottle a vessel of any liquor, be sure not to leave it till all is complcated, for else you will have some of one taste, and some of another. if you find that a vessel of drink begins to grow flat, whilst it is in common draught, bottle it, and into every bottle put a piece of loaf-sugar, about the quantity of a walnut, which will make the drink rise and come to itself: and to forward its ripening, you may set some bottles in hay in a warm place; but straw will not assist its ripening. where there are not good cellars, i have known holes sunk in the ground, and large oil jars put into them, and the earth filled close about the sides: one of these jars may hold about a dozen quart bottles, and will keep the drink very well; but the tops of the jars must be kept close cover'd up. and in winter time, when the weather is frosty, shut up all the lights or windows into such cellars, and cover them close with fresh horse-dung, or horse-litter; but 'tis much better to have no lights or windows at all to any cellar, for the reasons i have given above. if there has been opportunity of brewing a good stock of small beer in _march_ and _october_, some of it may be bottled at six months end, putting into every bottle a lump of loaf-sugar as big as a walnut; this especially will be very refreshing drink in the summer: or if you happen to brew in summer, and are desirous of brisk small beer, bottle it, as above, as soon as it has done working. * * * * * april. from the beginning of this month the perch is in great perfection, and holds good till winter. one of the ways of dressing this fish, according to the _hollanders_, and which is much admired by travellers, is after the following manner, and is called _water-soochy_. to make a water-soochy. take perch about five inches long, scale and clean them well; then lay them in a dish, and pour vinegar upon them, and let them lie an hour in it; after which put them into a skillet with water and salt, some parsley leaves and parsley-roots well wash'd and scraped: let these boil over a quick fire till they are enough, and then pour the fish, roots, and water into a soop-dish, and serve them up hot with a garnish about the dish of lemon, sliced. these fish and roots are commonly eaten with bread and butter in _holland_, or there may be melted butter in a little bason for those who chuse it. it is to be noted, that the parsley-roots must be taken before they run to seed; and if they happen to be very large, they should be boiled by themselves, for they will require more boiling than the fish, this i had from mr. _rozelli_ at the _hague_. the following receipt for dressing of perch, i had likewise from the same person, and is an excellent dish. to prepare perch with mushrooms. pick, and clean, and cut your mushrooms into small pieces, and put them in a saucepan to stew tender without any liquor, but what will come from them; then pour off their liquor, and put a little cream to them; having ready at the same time a brace of large perch well scaled, wash'd, and cut in fillets or thick slices, and parboil'd: put your perch thus prepared to your mushrooms, and with them the yolks of three eggs beaten, some parsley boil'd and cut small, some nutmeg grated, a little salt, and a little lemon-juice: keep all these stirring gently over a slow fire, taking care not to break your fish; and when they are enough, garnish them with slices of lemon and pickled barberries. the following general sauce i had from the same person; it is always ready to be used with every kind of flesh, fowl, or fish that require rich sauces, and will keep good twelve months. a travelling sauce. take two quarts of claret, a quarter of a pint of vinegar, and as much verjuice; put these together in a new stone-jar that will admit of being stopp'd close: put to this a quarter of a pound of salt that has been well dry'd over the fire, an ounce of black-pepper, a drachm of nutmeg beaten fine, and as much cloves, a scruple of ginger, two or three little bits of dry'd orange-peel, half an ounce of mustard-seed bruised, half a dozen shallots bruised a little, five or six bay-leaves, a little sprig of sweet basil, or sweet marjoram, a sprig of thyme, and a little cinnamon; then stop your jar close, and let the mixture infuse for twenty-four hours upon hot embers: when this is done, strain your composition through a linnen cloth, till you have express'd as much liquor as possible, and put it in a dry stone bottle or jar, and stop it close as soon as 'tis cold. you must keep this in a dry place, and it will remain good twelve months. this is a good companion for travellers, who more frequently find good meat than good cooks. my author adds, that those who are admirers of the taste of garlick, may add it to this sauce, or diminish, or leave cut any particular ingredient that they do not approve of. it may also be made of water only, or of verjuice, or of wine, or of orange or lemon-juice; but if it is made of water, it will keep but a month good: if it be made of verjuice, it will last good three months; if we make it of vinegar, it will last a year; or of wine, it will last as long. use a little of this at a time, stirring it well when you use it. in this month i likewise judge it will be a good season to make the following curious preparation for the use of gentlemen that travel; the use of which i esteem to be of extraordinary service to such as travel in wild and open countries, where few or no provisions are to be met with; and it will be of no less benefit to such families as have not immediate recourse to markets, for the readiness of it for making of soups, or its use where gravey is required: and particularly to those that travel, the lightness of its carriage, the small room it takes up, and the easy way of putting it in use, renders it extremely serviceable. this is what one may call veal-glue. to make veal-glue, or cake-soup, to be carried in the pocket. take a leg of veal, strip it of the skin and the fat, then take all the muscular or fleshy parts from the bones; boil this flesh gently in such a quantity of water, and so long a time, till the liquor will make a strong jelly when 'tis cold: this you may try by taking out a small spoonful now and then, and letting it cool. here it is to be supposed, that tho' it will jelly presently in small quantities, yet all the juice of the meat may not be extracted, however, when you find it very strong, strain the liquor thro' a sieve, and let it settle; then provide a large stew-pan with water, and some china-cups, or glazed earthen-ware; fill these cups with the jelly taken clear from the settling, and set them in the stew-pan of water, and let the water boil gently till the jelly becomes thick as glue: after which, let them stand to cool, and then turn out the glue upon a piece of new flannel, which will draw out the moisture; turn them in six or eight hours, and put them upon a fresh flannel, and so continue to do till they are quite dry, and keep it in a dry warm place: this will harden so much, that it will be stiff and hard as glue in a little time, and may be carry'd in the pocket without inconvenience. we are to use this by boiling about a pint of water, and pouring it upon a piece of the glue or cake, of the bigness of a small walnut, and stirring it with a spoon till the cake dissolves, which will make very strong good broth. as for the seasoning part, every one may add pepper and salt as they please, for there must be nothing of that kind put among the veal when we make the glue, for any thing of that sort would make it mouldy. some of this sort of cake-gravey has lately been sold, as i am inform'd, at some of the taverns near _temple-bar_, where, i suppose, it may now be had. as i have observ'd above, that there is nothing of seasoning in this soup, so there may be always added what we desire, either of spices or herbs, to make it savoury to the palate; but it must be noted, that all the herbs that are used on this occasion, must be boiled tender in plain water, and that water must be used to pour upon the cake gravey instead of simple water: so may a dish of good soup be made without trouble, only allowing the proportion of cake-gravey answering to the abovesaid direction. or if gravey be wanted for sauce, double the quantity may be used that is prescribed for broth or soup. i am inform'd by a person of honour, that upon this foundation, there has been made a cake-gravey of beef, which for high sauces and strong stomachs, is still of good use; and therefore i shall here give the method of it. to make cake-soup of beef, &c. take a leg, or what they call in some places a shin of beef, prepare it as prescribed above for the leg of veal, and use the muscular parts only, as directed in the foregoing receipt; do every thing as abovemention'd, and you will have a beef-glue, which, for sauces, may be more desirable in a country-house, as beef is of the strongest nature of any flesh. some prescribe to add to the flesh of the leg of beef, the flesh of two old hares, and of old cocks to strengthen it the more; this may be done at pleasure, but the foundation of all these cake graveys or glues is the first. these indeed are good for soups and sauces, and may be enrich'd by cellary, cherville, beat chards, leeks, or other soup-herbs. a little of this is also good to put into sauces, either of flesh, fish, or fowl, and will make a fine mixture with the travelling sauce. so that whenever there is mentioned the use of gravey in any of the receipts contained in this treatise, this may be used on feast-days, and the mushroom gravey, or travelling sauce on fast-days. this is also a time of the year when potted meats begin to come in fashion; to do which, the following receipt may be an example. to pot a leg of beef to imitate potted venison, from col. _bradbury_ of _wicken-hall._ provide a leg of beef, and take off the skin as whole as you can, then cut off all the flesh, and season it with pepper, salt, and allspice; then break the bones and take out what marrow you can to mix among your slices of beef, which must be put in a deep earthen pot; cover then the whole with the skin, and lay the bones over that, covering all with paper, and tying it down close; after which, bake it with great bread, and let it stand in the oven all night. when this is done, take off the bones and the skin, and clear it from the liquor as well as you can, then put the meat into a wooden bowl, and beat it as small as possible with a wooden pestle, often putting in some butter, and some of the fat of the marrow, which will swim upon the gravey, but suffer none of the gravey to go in with it: when this is beat enough, while it is warm, butter the bottom and sides of the pan which you design to keep it in, and press down your meat in it as hard as possible; when that is done, cover it with melted butter. if you would have your meat look red, rub it with a little salt-peter before you season it. by the same method you may pot venison, mutton, or what flesh else you please, observing that 'tis only the fleshy or muscular parts that are used in that way; and that they must be season'd and baked till they are tender, and then beat into a sort of paste, with a little butter added now and then while the meat is beating. keep these meats in a cool dry place, and you may preserve them good several weeks. if you desire to pot a hare, take the following receipt. to pot a hare, from the same. take a hare and bone it, then mince the flesh very small, with a pound of the fat of bacon; after which, beat these in a mortar, and then season your meat with pepper, salt, cloves and mace, adding to it an ounce of salt peter: mix all these well, and let the meat lie twenty-four hours, then put it in an earthen glazed pot, and bake it three hours; after which, take it out, and dry it from the gravey, then return it to the pot again, and then cover it with clarified butter. this receipt might have been put in some of the former months, as the hare is then in season; but as it depends upon the foregoing receipt, i thought convenient to insert it in this place: however, a jack-hare may now be dress'd in this fashion, but the doe-hares are now either with young or have young ones, so that they are out of season. these potted meats are useful in housekeeping, being always ready for the table: so likewise the following receipt for collar'd beef is of the same service. to collar beef. get the rand or flank of beef cut about a foot in length; bone it, and then mix two ounces of salt peter, with a good handful of common salt: after which, carbonade the outward skin of the beef, and rub the whole well with the salts, letting it lie for twenty-four hours in salt before you collar it; but observing to turn it twice a day, at least, whilst it is in salt. when it has lain thus to season, get some sweet-marjoram, a little winter-savoury, some red sage-leaves, and a little thyme, and shred them small; among which put an ounce of pepper ground small, half an ounce of cloves and mace beat, and a handful of salt; mix these together, and stew the mixture thick over the inside of your meat, that when it is roll'd up, it may be equally bound in with the turnings of the beef: then provide some thin slices of the same beef to lay before the first turn, that the collar may not be hollow in the middle. this must be roll'd as hard as possible, so that every part is equally press'd to each other; then get some tape about an inch wide, and bind it hard about your collar of beef, in a screw-like manner, till you have closed your collar from top to bottom as tight as can be; observing to bind the top and bottom in an extraordinary manner with strong packthread. put this in a glazed earthen pan, with as much claret as will cover it, putting over the whole some coarse paste, and send it to the oven to stand five or six hours. when it is baked enough, take out your collar, and set it upright till it be cold, and then take off the fillets, or the tape that braced it together, and keep it for use. this is cut in thin slices, and eaten with vinegar, as are most of the collar'd meats and potted meats. this example is enough for any one either to collar other meats by, only observing that such flesh as is tender, as pig and a breast of veal, must not be salted before they are collar'd, and the spice or herbs to be roll'd up with them, may be at discretion; but for the boiling or baking, the time must be in proportion to their size, or natural tenderness. it must nevertheless be observed, that they must be baked or boiled till all the gravey is out of them; for the gravey being in them, will contribute to their spoiling by growing musty, or otherways foetid. we have now flounders in good perfection, and besides the common way of dressing them, either by boiling them, as mention'd in the former months, they are also sometimes fried, and sometimes broil'd; but the following is after such a manner, as is extremely agreeable, and will preserve them good a long time. these, or other fish fry'd, are kept after the same manner: the receipt i had from a worthy gentleman, where i eat some in great perfection. pickled fish. from _aaron harrington,_ esq. let the fish be fry'd after the common manner, and when they are cold lay them in a dish, and pour on the following pickle: water and vinegar equal quantities, _jamaica_ pepper, pepper and salt, a little mace, a few bay-leaves, and some white-wine: when these have boiled together, pour the pickle on the fish while it is not too hot; these eat extremely well. trouts are now in good perfection in the south parts of our country; that is, where the weather has been favourable in the former month; and then besides the common way of boiling them we may have them potted, which will make them as valuable as potted charrs, which are a sort of trout. to pott trouts. from mrs. _r. s._ of _preston_ in _lancashire._ scale and clean your trouts very well, wash them in vinegar, and slit them down the back, after which put pepper and salt into the incision, and on their outsides, and let them lie upon a dish three hours; then lay them in an earthen glaz'd pan, with pieces of butter upon them, and put them in an oven two hours, if they are trouts fourteen inches long, or less in proportion, taking care to tie some paper close over the pan. when this is done, take away from them all the liquor, and put them in a pot, and as soon as they are quite cold, pour some clarified butter upon them to cover them: these will eat as well as potted charrs. some will take out the bone upon slitting the back, and these have been often taken for charrs; tho' i don't know above two places where the charrs are, one is a pool where a river or brook runs thro' in _lancashire,_ and the other is in a pool at _naant,_ within four miles of _caernarvon._ but the charr is of the trout kind, and it must be a good judge in fish to distinguish one from another; however, there is some small difference, which the criticks in fishing take notice of. fish may also be kept in pickle several weeks, as the jack and trout especially are agreeable varieties. this time is a proper season for making a pleasant and strong wine of _malaga_ raisins, which will keep good many years, and among the best judges of wine is much admired; it is not unlike a strong mountain wine: at this time also the raisins are very cheap. to make raisin wine. take half a hundred weight of _malaga_ raisins, pick them clean from the stalks, and chop the raisins small, then put them into a large tub, and boil ten gallons of river water, or such water as is soft, and pour it hot upon them; let this be stirr'd twice or thrice every day for twelve days successively, and then pour the liquor into a cask and make a toast of bread, and while it is hot, spread it on both sides with yeast or barm, and put it into the vessel to the wine, and it will make it ferment gently, which you may know by its making a hissing noise; during the time of working, the bung of the vessel must be left open, and as soon as that is over, stop it up close. this will be fine and fit for drinking in about four months time; but if you make twice the quantity, it should stand five or six months before you broach it: observe that you set it in a good cellar, such as i have mentioned in the month of _march_, under the article of brewing. to make fronteniac wine. the foregoing receipt must be followed in every particular, only when you put it into the vessel, add to it some of the syrup of the white fronteniac grape, which we may make in _england_, tho' the season is not favourable enough to ripen that sort of grape; for in a bad year, when the white fronteniac, or the muscadella grapes are hard and unripe, and without flavour, yet if you bake them they will take the rich flavour, which a good share of sun would have given them. you may either bake the fronteniac grapes with sugar, or boil them to make a syrup of their juice, about a quart of which syrup will be enough to put to five quarts of the raisin wine. when these have work'd together, and stood a time, as directed in the foregoing receipt, you will have a fronteniac wine of as rich a flavour as the _french_ sort, besides the pleasure of knowing that all the ingredients are wholesome. this month is the principal time for asparagus, which every one knows how to prepare in the common way; but there are some particulars relating to the fitting them for the table, which i had from a curious gentleman at _antwerp,_ which i shall here set down. to preserve asparagus. cut away all the hard part of your asparagus, and just boil them up with butter and salt, then fling them into cold water, and presently take them out again and let them drain; when they are cold, put them in a gallipot, large enough for them to lie without bending, putting to them some whole cloves; some salt, and as much vinegar and water, in equal quantities, as will cover them half an inch; then take a single linnen cloth, and let it into the pot upon the water, and pour melted butter over it, and keep them in a temperate place: when you use them, lay them to steep in warm water, and dress them as you would do fresh asparagus. it is to be noted, that in _holland,_ and most places abroad, the asparagus is always white, which is done according to a method that i have inserted in my other works; the method of bringing them to table the foreign way, is to serve them with melted butter, salt, vinegar, and nutmeg grated. the tops or heads of asparagus being broken in small pieces and boil'd, are used in soups like green pease. asparagus in cream. from the same. break the tops of your asparagus in small pieces, then blanch them a little in boiling water, or parboil them, after which put them in a stew-pan or frying-pan with butter or hog's-lard, and let them remain a little while over a brisk fire, taking care that they are not too greasy, but well drain'd; then put them in a clean stew-pan with some milk and cream, a gentle seasoning of salt and spice, with a small bunch of sweet herbs; and just when they are enough, add to them the yolks of two or three eggs beaten, with a little cream to bind your sauce. the greens, which are now fit for boiling, are sprouts of cabbages, and young cabbage-plants, which every one knows how to prepare. there is also spinage, which is best stew'd without any water, its own juice being sufficient; and we have still plenty of lupines, that is, the flowring stalks of turnips, which eat very agreeably; they should be gather'd about the length of asparagus, when the tops are knotted for flowering, and the strings in the outside of the stalks stripp'd from them; then tie them in bunches, as you do asparagus, and put them in boiling water with some salt, and let them boil three or four minutes, then lay them to drain, without pressing, and serve them to table as you would do asparagus. the same way is used in the management of brocoli. the middle of this month the cowslip is in flower, or as some call it the peigle; and now is the season to make a most pleasant wine of the flowers. this receipt is the best i have met with. to make peigle, or cowslip wine, from mrs. _e. b._ to three gallons of wine, put six pounds of fine sugar, boil these together half an hour, and as the scum rises, take it off; then set the liquor to cool, and when it is quite cold, take a spoonful of the best ale-yeast, and beat it well with three ounces of syrup of citron, or syrup of lemon; mix these very well together with the liquor; and then put into it a pound and three quarters of the yellow part of the cowflip, or peigle flowers, which must be cut from the stalks a little beforehand, but no other part must be used: let these infuse and work three days in an earthen vessel, cover'd with a cloth; then strain them, and put your liquor into a clean dry cask, and let it stand to settle three weeks or a month before you bottle it. * * * * * may. as this is the busy month in the dairy, i shall here insert the remarks i have by me concerning the making of cheeses; and in this work it is first necessary to know how to manage the rennet. the rennet is made of the calves bag, which is taken as soon as the calf is kill'd, and scour'd inside and outside with salt, after having first discharg'd it of the curd, which is always found in it; this curd must likewise be well wash'd in a cullender with water, and the hairs pick'd out of it till it becomes very white, then return the curd again into the bag, and add to it two good handfuls of salt, and shut the mouth of the bag close with a skewer, then lay the bag in an earthen-pan, and cover it close, and keep it in a dry place; this will remain fit for use twelve months. when you would use it, boil a quart of water, after you have salted it, so as to bear an egg, and letting it stand to be quite cold, pour it into the bag, and prick the bag full of very small holes, and lay it in a clean pan for use. while this rennet is fresh, a spoonful of the liquor will turn or set about sixteen or twenty gallons of milk; but as it is longer kept, it grows weaker, and must be used in greater quantity: this rennet will last good about a month. this is the _essex_ and _hertfordshire_ way. another way of preparing of rennet bags, is to take the calves bag, and wash and scour it with salt, and the curd likewise, as directed above; and then salting it very well, hang it up in the corner of a kitchen chimney, and dry it; and as soon as you want to use it, boil water and salt, as before, and fill the bag with it, making small holes in the bag, as before directed, and keeping it in a clean pan. it is to be noted, that the bag of the calf, which is the part that receives the milk, is so disposed, as to change the milk into curd, as soon as it is received into it; and the curd, which is found in it, partaking of that quality of the bag, which disposes it to harden the milk; these are therefore to be preserv'd for the same use, when we employ common milk to be made into curd: but as the calves bag is warm, when it naturally receives the milk from the cow, and it then curdles in it; so, when we want to set or turn milk, for cheese or other use, we must have the milk warm as one may guess the body of the calf was, and the milk was likewise, when the calf receiv'd it from the cow. there is great danger if the milk be too hot when the rennet is put to it, for then it sets or turns to curd very quick, and the cheese will be hard; but it is good to let the milk be of such a warmth as not to come too soon, as it is called in the dairies, but to have it of such a warmth, as to let the curd set easily, and come moderately, for the quicker the curd comes, the harder it is, and the harder the curd is, the harder is the cheese. again, we must have some regard to the pasture where our cows feed; those that feed in rank grass have more watery parts in their milk than those cows which feed on short grass: and sometimes, as i have observed before, in my other works, the cows feed upon crow garlick, or the alliaria, or sauce alone, or jack in the hedge, or goose-grass, or clivers, or rennet wort, and their milk will either be ill tasted, or else turn or curd of itself, altho' the cow has had a due time after calving; and if the goose-grass or clivers happen to be the occasion of the turning of the milk, then a less quantity of rennet should be used: for the only use of rennet is to fix the milk, and turn it to curd, and if already there is near an equivalent for rennet in the milk, by the cow's eating such herbs, then a little of it will do. but as i have observ'd above, where cattle feed upon long rank grass, the milk is watery, and does not contain two thirds of the cream, or richness that there is in the same quantity of milk from cows fed upon short fine grass: so that if one was to make cheese, one would chuse the milk of cows that fed upon the purest fine grass. here the milk would be rich, and if the rennet is good and well proportion'd, the cheese will be so too. it is to be observ'd likewise, that when cows feed upon such weeds as i have mention'd, i mean the clivers, which turn their milk, the curd is always hard and scatter'd, and never comes into a body, as the pure milk will do that is set with rennet, and consequently the cheese will be hard. there is one thing likewise to be taken notice of, with regard to the rennet, that as the bag, of which it is made, happens to be good, so is the rennet good in proportion. i mean the bag is good when the milk of the cow, that suckled the calf, is good; for the goodness of the feed of the cow does not only dispose the body of the calf to produce a gentleness or softness in the acid, which promotes the curdling of the milk, when it is received into the body of the calf, but makes the rennet more tender to the setting of the cheese-curd, and so the cheese will consequently be the better for it: and i judge that one reason why the _suffolk_ cheese is so much noted for its hardness, is on account of the badness of the rennet, tho' it is certain, that the worst cheeses of that country are made of skim-milk; however, the nature of the milk is such, according to my observation, that it makes very rich butter, but the cream rises on it so quickly, and so substantially, that it leaves no fatness or richness in the other part, which we call the skim-milk, but that remains little better than water: so that 'tis no wonder in this case, and thro' the rank feed of the cows, that the cheeses of those parts are not good. i think however the cheese of _suffolk_ might be help'd in a good measure, if the farmers there were to have their rennet bags from places where the grass was short and fine; for i guess then, from the above reasoning, that the curd would be of a more tender nature, or not of so binding a quality as it now is, and the cheese consequently would be the better. but besides the goodness of the milk and the rennet, if a cheese is over press'd, it will be hard and unpleasant; but it is to be remark'd, that all cheeses that are hard press'd will keep longer than those that are gently press'd, and bear transporting thro' the hottest climates, which the more tender-made cheeses will not without corrupting, unless they are put into oil. there is one thing which i may observe particularly, relating to the rennet bag; which is, that the calf should suck it full about an hour before it is kill'd, that there may be more and fresher curd in it; tho' in the killing of calves it is a rule to let the calf fast some time before killing, which we are told contributes to the whiteness of the flesh. again, it would be an advantage in the making of cheese to have your cattle all of one sort, and to feed all upon the same sort of pasture; for when it happens to be otherwise, the cheeses are apt to decay, from the different tempers of the milk; but let our milk be what it will, be careful of the former method prescribed, _i.e._ to break the curd by gentle degrees, and as equally as possible every where: the little pains extraordinary will be paid in the goodness of the cheese, for then it will not be full of eyes or hollows, and will sell the better. but besides the way of preparing the rennet, as i have here set down, it is practised to make an artificial rennet, which will do very well for making of cheese; and that is, to boil the cliver, or as some call it goose-grass, or others rennet-wort, in water, and you may add some tops of sweet bryar; about a spoonful of which decoction, or boiled liquor, will turn a pail-full of milk, of about five gallons, without any other help; but in the preparation of this, as well as the other, for the improvement of the cheeses, in giving them rich flavours, it is adviseable to insert, while we are boiling the waters for them, either some of such sweet herbs as we like, or such spices as we most covet the taste of. as for the famous _stilton_ cheese, which i have already published the receipt of, we are to make the rennet strong of mace, by boiling the mace in the salt and water, for without that is done, the cheese will not have the true relish that the first famous _stilton_ cheeses had; and without the people of _stilton_ keep up the antient way of making it, agreeable to the old receipt, they must of necessity lose the reputation they have gain'd by their cheeses. i shall not pretend to affirm why the cheeses now in that town are not generally so good as they were formerly; but perhaps it is because some of the cheese-sellers there depend upon the reputation of the first cheeses, and now buy cheeses from other parts, where nothing of the true receipt is known but the figure. however, it would be injustice in me if i did not take notice, that the master of the _blue-bell inn_ in _stilton_ provided me with one that was excellent in its way, and yearly furnishes as many customers with them as give him timely notice: but as these cheeses require time in the dairy, before they are fit for eating, and the season of making them is in the bloom of the year, so it is necessary to speak for them betimes, to have them to one's mind. i shall not give the receipt of it at this time, as it has already fallen into a good number of hands with my former pieces, and has been thought good enough to have been copied from me, with many other articles, and published by mr. _lawrence._ i shall proceed therefore to give the receipts for making of some other kinds of cheeses, which yet have not appear'd in the world, which i have collected from some of the best dairies in _england._ the following is the famous _buckingham_ cheese, which i had from mr. _foord,_ a very curious gentleman of that place. to make _buckingham_ cheese. from mr. _foord_ of that place. prepare a cheese vat or cheese mote of a square figure, six inches over, and nine inches deep, full of small holes for the convenience of letting out the whey when the curd is put into it: then take the night's cream, and mix it with the morning's milk, and put the rennet to it to cool. when the curd is come, take it gently from the whey, and fill the cheese vat with it, and lay a board up on the curd, and as that sinks, fill up the cheese vat with fresh curds; this should be done once every hour till night. the next day turn your cheese upside down, and continue turning it every night and morning till it shrinks from the vat or cheese mote, and is stiff enough to take out without breaking, and then lay it upon the shelf to be turn'd, and shift it night and morning till 'tis dry for use. this mr. _foord_ tells me is the best sort of cheese he has met with in _england._ the following i have experienced to be an extraordinary cheese; in some places 'tis call'd the golden cheese, and in others the marygold cheese, which it is properly. the juice of the marygolds adds a very great richness to the milk, and contributes almost as much to it as cream would do. the following is the receipt to make it. to make marygold cheese. gather your marygold flowers in a dry day, and pick the golden-colour'd leaves from them, (these we call the petals of the flowers:) as soon as you have pick'd a sufficient quantity of these leaves for your use, bruise them in a mortar, or grind them, if you have conveniency, and strain out the juice; this juice, when you put the rennet to the milk, must be put into the milk, and stirr'd into it. the milk must then be set, and as soon as the curd is come, break it gently, and as equally as possible, and put it into the cheese vat, and press it with a gentle weight, letting the bottom part of the vat have such a number of holes in it, as will let out the whey easily, or else a spout to carry off the whey; but the holes are much better than the spout. this cheese, which is made in a cloth, must be used like other cheeses made after that manner. as for the making of sage-cheese, the following is the best way that i have met with, and therefore i think the receipt may be useful to the publick. to make a plain sage-cheese. gather the young tops of red sage, and bruise them in a mortar till you can press the juice from them; then take leaves of spinach or spinage, and bruise them likewise, and press out the juice to mix with the sage juice; for the sage juice of it self is not of a pleasant green colour, and the spinach juice is added to it to render it more bright to the sight; it also serves to take off the bitterness of the sage. when this juice is prepared, put your rennet to the milk, and, at the same time, mix as much of your sage and spinach juice with it, as will give the milk the green colour you desire. if you would have it strong of the sage, you must have the greater share of sage juice; or weaker of the sage, the greater share of spinach juice. when the curd is come, break the curd gently, and when it is all equally broken, put it into the vat or cheese mote, and press it gently: remember that the equal and due breaking of the curd will keep your cheese from having hollows or eyes in it, and the gentle pressing of cheese will make it eat tender and mellow. this, as well as the marygold cheese, must be salted, when it has been press'd about eight hours. to make sage-cheese in figures. those that are willing to have figur'd cheeses, such cheeses as are partly green and partly otherwise, must take the following method. provide two cheese vats of the same bigness, and set your milk in two different vessels; one part with plain rennet only, and the other with rennet and sage juice, as directed in the above receipt; make these as you would do two distinct cheeses, and put them into the presses at the same time. when each of these cheeses has been prest half an hour, take them out and cut some square pieces, or long slips, quite out of the plain cheese, and lay them by upon a plate; then cut as many pieces out of the sage cheese, of the same size and figure of those that were cut out of the plain cheese, and presently put the pieces of the sage cheese into the holes that were cut in the plain cheese, and the pieces cutout of the plain cheese into the holes of the sage cheese, contriving to make them fit exactly: for this use some have tin plate, made into figures of several shapes, with which they cut out the pieces of their cheeses so exactly, that they fit without trouble. when this is done, return them to the presses, and treat them like common cheeses, so will you have one cheese sage, with white or plain figures in it, and the other a white cheese, with green figures in it. in the making of these cheeses you must particularly observe to break your curd very equally, and press both your cheeses as equally as possible before you cut out the figures; for else when they come to be press'd for the last time, your figures will press unequally and lose their shapes. when these cheeses are made, they must be frequently turn'd and shifted on the shelf, and often rubb'd with a coarse cloath. these cheeses may be made about two inches thick, for if they are thicker, it will be more difficult to make the figures regular; these will be fit to eat in about eight months. to make cheese in imitation of _cheshire_ cheese. when your milk is set, and the curd is come, it must not be broken with a dish, as is usual in the making of other cheeses, but drawn together by the hands to one side of the vessel, gently and regularly broken; for if it is roughly press'd, a great deal of the richness of the milk will go into the whey. as you thus gather your curd, put it into the vat or cheese mote till it is full, then press it and turn it often, salting it at several times. it is to be noted, that the cheeses should be six or eight inches thick, and will be fit to eat in a year; they must be frequently turn'd and shifted upon the shelf, and rubb'd often with a dry coarse cloath, and at the year's end may have a hole bored in the middle, so as to contain a quarter pint of sack, which must be pour'd into it, and then the hole stopp'd close with some of the same cheese, and the cheese set in a wine cellar for six months to mellow; at the end of which time, the sack will be all lost, and the hole will be in a manner clos'd up. to make cheese in imitation of those made in _gloucestershire._ these cheeses are to be about two inches thick, and the vats or cheese motes must be provided accordingly; set your milk as directed in the former receipts, and breaking it as equally and tenderly as possible, put it in a cloth into the vat, and set it in the press for an hour; then take it out of the press, and cut it in small pieces, as big as nutmegs, into a pan of scalding water, taking them again soon out of the water, and sprinkle them with salt at your pleasure, and return them again to the vat or cheese mote, and keep them in the press till the next morning, and after that turn them and wipe them often, till they come to be very dry; or else when you have let one of these cheeses press about two hours, salt it on the upper side, and turn it at night, and salt the side that lies uppermost, to lie in the press till morning; but the first way of cutting and salting it is much the best. these cheeses will be fit to cut when they have been made eight months; it is to be observ'd, that if we salt them in the manner first mention'd, that is, by cutting the cheese, such cheeses will be smooth-coated. to make slip-coat cheese, which is the thin summer cheese, call'd in _london_ cream cheese. from the farm call'd the _vaises_ in _essex._ take six quarts of new milk, and a pint of cream, put it together with a spoonful of rennet just warm, and let it stand till the curd is come; then lay a cloath in your cheese vat, and with a skimming-dish cut out the curd, and lay it in the vat till it is full, turning your cheese-cloath over it; and as the curd settles, lay more on, till you have laid on all. when the whey is drain'd out, turn the cheese into a dry cloath, and then lay a weight of a pound upon it; at night turn it into another dry cloath, and the next morning salt it a little, then make a bed of nettles or ash-leaves to lay it on, and cover it with the same, shifting them twice a day, till the cheese is fit to eat, which will be in about ten days. this cheese is approved to be the best of the kind in the whole country, and may be made all the summer. it is to be observ'd, that if in any sort of cheese, which is here mentioned, there is not a strength or briskness of taste agreeable to every palate, it may be strengthned, by putting either spice into the rennet bag, as pepper, or mace, or cloves, which will make the rennet very strong, and the cheese of consequence more sharp to the palate; or else add the juices of strong sweet herbs to the milk, when the rennet is put in: the juice of marygolds especially helps the richness of the milk, or cheese. the mace in good quantity put into the rennet will give the cheese a most agreeable warmth. as for the antipathy which some people bear to cheese, i judge that it must proceed from the first impression made from the nurse that suckles children, or from the first cow's milk that is given them: for as the stomach is the first part which the nourishment is received into; so, as that nourishment is at first favourably receiv'd into the stomach, so the tone of the stomach will ever remain afterwards, unless it could be so clear'd from the first impression by such a tryal as human nature can hardly bear. i guess too, that from this prejudice in the stomach proceeds the aversion which some people have to the smell of cheese; and if i may go a little farther this way, i suppose that the dislike to cats, and the antipathy some people bear to them, is from frights which the mothers have receiv'd from them during their pregnancy: concerning which last particular, i have offer'd my sentiments in the article of the longing of women, in my _philosophical account of the works of nature_. but as for the other things, which some people bear an aversion to, as the mutton of black sheep, or a breast of mutton, _&c._ they depend upon the loathing of the stomach, from the first impression. what i have remark'd here, concerning the preparing and softning of the quality of the rennet bag, is in part a reason for the first good or bad impression that may be made upon mankind with regard to cheese; and i think the following relation, which i had from a noble peer, from whom i have learnt many curious and useful things, tending to the good of my country, will be acceptable to the world. some gentlemen that had been hunting, and were led by their sport to a retir'd part of the country, where they found only a cottage to refresh themselves in, were forc'd to take up with bread and cheese; there was nothing else to be had, and they had craving stomachs: but one of the company was so unfortunate as to have an aversion to cheese, and could never bear either the taste or smell of it; however, at this time feeing how heartily it was eaten by his companions, and being very hungry, he resolved to venture upon it, and eat heartily of it; but about an hour after was taken so very ill with purging and vomiting, that in a short time his life was despair'd of. he had the advice of the best physicians, but no medicine took place, and he was given over, after he had lain in that condition a week; however, at length the distemper went off, and by degrees he get strength enough to go homeward, and in his way happening to stop at an inn, where there stood a waggon load of _cheshire_ cheeses, he found that he had a strong appetite to eat some of that sort, and had one cut on purpose, and eat heartily of it, without suffering the least inconvenience, and has ever since been a great lover of cheese. so that there is an example of getting over this aversion; but considering the difficulty he went thro', it shews the danger of such an attempt: nothing less than the violent scouring he underwent could have chang'd the first impression made in his stomach. but thus far of cheese. it is necessary, in the next place, to say something of butter, and how far that may be mended in many parts of _england_, as well for private as for more general use. in the first place it is to be remark'd, that some grounds will never produce good butter, and others will not produce good cheese, tho' there is the best management in the dairy. again, there is one sort of cattle, which tho' we feed them in the finest grass, and best pasture, will never yield a rich milk; while on the other hand, there are some sorts of cattle which will yield a rich milk for butter in any pasture: tho', as i have observ'd before, the milk and butter will be ill tasted if the cows fed upon crow-garlick, alliaria, or saxifrage. what i have said of this, with regard to the making of cheese, must here be consider'd; that is, if the cows feed upon short fine grass, there will be more cream in the milk than if they feed upon long rank grass. indeed the long rank grass will give more milk than the short, but less butter, and worse into the bargain. again, the milk of one cow shall give richer and better butter than the milk of others, tho' they all feed on the same pasture, even so that the milk of one cow will cover or enrich the butter made from nine or ten other cows; her milk will make butter of a rich yellow colour, full of fatness, and the others will only produce a pale, lean butter, but all together will be good: i know several instances of this, and every one who is skilful in a dairy may observe it. i have already treated largely concerning this particular, in my works of husbandry, and i shall therefore proceed to speak of the management of milk in the dairy for making butter; for i am very sensible, that many farmers might have twice the benefit from their dairies, if the articles of butter and cheese were consider'd in a rational way, and the old custom could be broke through; and moreover, if the best rules for managing of the dairy were known, and put in practice, the whole country would be the better for it, every one might enjoy the benefit of good things: whereas for want of knowledge among some farmers, their goods are of small value, and the people are also disatisfied. in many parts of _england_, it is common to set milk in brass pans, and that gives an ill taste to the milk; and again, there is a custom of setting the cream in brass-kettles over the fire, and as it warms to stroak the butter as it rises to the edge of the kettle: this way is very bad for butter, for the warm brass assuredly will spoil the taste of the cream, and it is often smoak'd. the surest way is to set the milk in glaz'd earthen pans or in leaden pans, but the earthen pans are preferable. it should be particularly observ'd, that the dairy be kept cool, for that in hot weather contributes greatly to the advantage of the butter: i have known some that have had streams of water running thro' them, and at the same places, instead of glass windows, there have been no lights at all to them but thro' wyer, and shutters to them, to open or close as the sun chang'd its course. the thatching of the dairy is much cooler also than tyling; and whatever will contribute to keep off the sun, should be practis'd. there are yet in some places in _england_ some farmers that do not know the use of the churn; however, it is certain, that there is no better way of making butter than by that means, or something equivalent to it; that is, by beating the cream, so that the oily, or fat parts separate from the watery parts, in the most constant and gentle way that is possible, for to use this beating of the cream too violently, will make the butter like grease; whereas a gentle beating of the cream will render it more firm or stiff: and besides, when the cream is beat with too much hurry, the butter will ferment, and presently change to be of a bad taste; but if it be gently beat or churn'd, it will be firm, and will be fit for keeping. again, it must be observ'd, that as the beating or churning of cream, to bring it to butter, is only to separate the oily from the watery parts of the cream, so when once you begin to churn, or beat the cream, you must continue to churn or beat it in the most constant manner you can, till the butter is made: for if you had perhaps beat the cream within three or four minutes of its becoming butter, if you leave off the work but a minute, the oily and watery parts will return to one another, and will require as much labour as before to separate them: it is like oil and vinegar that have been mix'd by labour, and then let alone for a minute or two, they will divide and separate from one another, as much as if they had never been mix'd; but the beating of it too violently, will make the butter oily, as observ'd before. as for the figure of our common churn, i shall not give a draught of it, because such as are unacquainted with it may understand it much better by seeing a model of it, which may be had at any toy-shop in _london_; nay, the very beating of cream with a spoon, in a small bowl, will bring it to butter; but it must be beat regularly. in the great dairies in _holland_, where one farmer keeps four or five hundred cows, the cream is put into a large well, lined with lead, and a large beam set with cross bars is turn'd in the cream by a horse; but the violence of the motion makes the butter rather like oil than butter; and the consequence is, that it will not keep long, and as i have heard say, will not melt well, like the butter that is made by more gentle means. where a gentle way is used in making butter, it will cut like wax, and it should especially be well wrought with the hands, when it is fresh, taken from the churn and salted for common use; for if the milk be not well work'd out of it, the butter will not keep. however, if butter begins to decay in goodness, or change to an ill taste, let it be work'd well, and wash'd with water, and it will come to itself, and will bear salting and potting as well as fresh butter; but always observe not to put up butters of several sorts into the same pot or vessel, but chuse that of the same dairy, and of the same making, if possible. one of the most curious women i have met with in this way, is mrs. _cowen,_ a shopkeeper at _newport pond_ in _essex,_ who pots great quantities every year; there are undoubtedly many others who are very good in this way, but as i do not know them, therefore i may be excus'd if i mention her in particular. again, butter that was good originally, and well potted, may be wash'd and beaten in the winter, so as to be made more sweet and palatable than fresh butter, made in many places, at that time of the year; and this is frequently practiced about _london,_ where the workers of it get more than twice the first price of the butter, by their care and labour. before i conclude this article, it may be necessary to observe, that the best managers of the dairy frequently fill up their churns with cold water, before they put in the cream to churn, in the heat of the summer, for fear of over-heating the butter in the making, and in the winter heat their churns with warm water before they use them, but the over-heating of the churns spoils the butter; she best way is to set the bottom of the churn in warm water, when you churn in cold weather, to save trouble. i shall now proceed to say something of preparing cordial waters; for this month gives us a vast variety of herbs in full perfection, and in the most proper condition for the use of the shops, whether for drying, infusing, distilling, _&c._ in the first place, all herbs design'd to be dried, must be gather'd in dry weather, and laid in some room, or cover'd place, to dry in the shade, to be afterwards used for infusion or distillation, for which business the dried herbs are as useful as the green herbs, if they be such as are aromatick, _viz._ thyme, sweet marjoram, savory, hysop, sage, mint, rosemary, the leaves of the bay-tree, the tops of juniper, gill, or ground ivy, and such like: the infusions, or spirits, drawn from dried herbs are more free from the earthy and watery parts, than the infusions, or spirits drawn from green herbs. i observe, that in making such infusions as teas of dried herbs, the best way is to pour boiling water upon them, and in half a minute, at most, pour out the water again from the herbs, if we have them in small quantities, as we do sage tea, or other tea; such tea will then be of a fine green colour, and full of spirit: but if the herbs stand longer with water upon them, the water will change of a brownish colour, will lose the fine flavour of the herb, and become ill-tasted; so that in the making of sage tea, for example, pour on your boiling water, and when it has been half a minute upon the sage-leaves, pour it off and fling away the leaves; for if you pour more water upon them, you must expect your tea of a dark colour and ill tasted: therefore have fresh sage to every fresh quantity of water. and the same method should be used in the making of all kinds of teas, to make them palatable and more wholesome. but when i speak of teas having good qualities in them, i must not be understood to mean any of the foreign teas, such as green, and bohea teas, _&c._ for i have had experience enough in them to know that they are injurious to the body, of which i shall say more in a treatise by it self. what i mention here, is only with regard to the infusing of herbs in the tea manner; but there are infusions of herbs in spirits: here the spirit that the herbs are put into, must be cold, or used without any fire at all, and the herbs in this case may be used either green or dry; here they may stand several days before the spirit that they are infus'd in be drawn off, as the following cordial, call'd surfeit water, may serve to instance. to make red surfeit-water. from mrs. _b._ to three gallons of brandy, put the flower leaves of a bushel of red poppies, one pound of raisins of the sun stoned, a large stick of liquorice sliced, a quarter pound of caraway-seeds bruised, a large handful of angelica, sweet marjoram, red sage, dragon's mint, and baulm, of each a handful; let all these be cover'd close in a glass, or glaz'd earthen vessel, and stand to infuse or steep in the brandy for nine days, keeping it, during that time, in a cellar; then strain it off upon a pound and half of loaf-sugar, and put it into bottles. this is a good cordial, if used only when occasion requires. in this month, orange-flowers are in the greatest plenty; about half a pound of them put into a gallon of brandy, with a quarter pound of orange-peel, and half a pound of double refin'd loaf-sugar, makes a very agreeable cordial: we may let these ingredients infuse in the brandy nine or ten days before we pour the brandy from them. some chuse rather to put the sugar to the brandy after it is pour'd from the orange-flowers. as for the distilling part, we have already several books which treat largely of that business, both with respect to the management of what is call'd the cold still, and the alembick, to which i shall refer: but in this place i shall only take notice, that whereas several kinds of distill'd waters are drawn from many herbs, which do not appear all the year about; so if one has not an opportunity of collecting all our herbs together, just when we want them, we may yet distil those we can get at one time, and make another distillation of those we collect at another time, and so mix both spirits or waters together: for example, in those cordial waters where the ros solis, or rosa solis is used, which is an herb not always to be found, and will not keep above a day or two after 'tis gather'd, this i say may be distill'd by itself, and kept to use with other waters at pleasure; putting of this such a proportion as would have been produced from the quantity directed, of the plant, in the receipt, if it had been distill'd with the other herbs: and so of any other herb that is hard to come by. this herb, however, i may inform my reader, grows in bogs, and when we find it we may preserve it artificially, by either planting it immediately in other boggy places, or else in artificial bogs, made of earth and water in tubs, or earthen pots, made without holes at the bottom. this season affords us great variety of necessaries for food, in the farm and garden; the pond fish, as pike or jack, carp, tench, and perch, as well as eels are in season, and may be prepared for the table, as directed in _march;_ there are likewise green geese, young ducks, chickens, pigeons, and rabbits in the artificial warren; and in the garden, spinage and cabbage-lettuce to boil, some forward pease and beans, asparagus, artichokes, the first cabbages, and caulyflowers, cucumbers for stewing and in raw sallads: however, in this season all raw sallads should yet partake of some warm herbs, as i have directed in my _new improvement of planting and gardening._ the method which i most approve of for dressing a sallad, is, after we have duly proportion'd the herbs, to take two thirds oil olive, one third true vinegar, some hard eggs cut small, both the whites and yolks, a little salt and some mustard, all which must be well mix'd and pour'd over the sallad, having first cut the large herbs, such as sallery, endive, or cabbage-lettuce, but none of the small ones: then mix all these well together, that it may be ready just when you want to use it, for the oil will make it presently soften, and lose its briskness. onions should always be kept in reserve, because it is not every one that like their relish, nor is oil agreeable to every one; but where oil is not liked, the yolks of hard eggs, bruis'd and mix'd with the vinegar, may be used as above. the difficulty of getting good oil in _england,_ is, i suppose, the reason why every one does not admire it; for i was once of opinion i could never like it: but when i was once persuaded to taste such as was of the best sort, i could never after like a sallad without it. the best oil that i have met with in _england,_ is at _mr. crosse's,_ a _genouese_ merchant, at the _genouese arms_ in _katherine-street,_ in the _strand, london._ as for the ordering of the above animals and vegetables for the table, we may find directions in this work. in this month gather elder-flowers when they are dry, and pick them from the stalks; let them dry in the shade, and then put an ounce to each quart of white-wine vinegar, to stand in the vinegar for two months, then pour the vinegar from them for use. about the end of this month is a proper time to make sage-wine, which is a very pleasant one, and i think worthy a place among the best receipts. to make sage-wine. from mrs. _e. b._ to three gallons of water put six pounds of sugar, boil these together, and as the scum rises take it off, and when it is well boiled put it in a tub boiling hot, in which there is already a gallon of red sage leaves clean pick'd and wash'd; when the liquor is near cold, put in the juice of four large lemons, beaten well with a little ale yeast, mix these all well together, and cover it very close from the air, and let it stand forty eight hours; then strain all thro' a fine hair-sieve, and put it into a vessel that will but just hold it, and when it has done working, slop it down close, and let it stand three weeks or a month before you bottle it, putting a lump of loaf-sugar into every bottle. this wine is best when it is three months old. after this manner you may make wine of any other herb or flower. * * * * * june. this month is a proper season for making several sorts of wine, whether it be that of goosberries, currants, cherries, apricots, or rasberries, all which are very agreeable and worth the trouble; the expence, where these fruits are growing, being very inconsiderable. the following receipts are approved to be very excellent. preliminaries to the making of goosberry-wine. goosberry-wine is one of the richest and strongest wines made in _england_, it will keep many years, and improve by keeping, if it be well made; and is not, in my opinion, inferior to mountain _malaga_. to make this wine, we must have regard to the sort of goosberry we design to use, for there is a great deal of difference in the time of one sort's ripening and another: the earliest ripe are the champaign, the green, the black, and red hairy goosberries, every one of which has a flavour distinct from the other sorts, and so will yield each of them a wine of as different a relish from the rest, as one may expect to find among the several varieties of the _french_ growth. the most forward of these kinds about _london_ ripen early in this month, if the season be good; but the later forts are not generally ripe till the end of the month, or in _july._ the later sorts are commonly the white dutch, the amber, and the walnut-goosberries, each of which has likewise a different fort of taste: of the amber especially i have known an excellent wine to be made. again, we must consider, that as to the time of their ripening, the diversity of situations will forward or retard them a fortnight or three weeks; and beside, as we have observed above, every season is not alike, and we must have regard also to the difference of climate, one part of _britain_ is three weeks sooner or later than another: and when i say in any one of my kalendars, or monthly directories, that any particular fruit is ripe, or any particular thing is to be done in such a month, it must be understood that it is generally so, but will vary now and then, as the season is more or less forward. there is likewise another thing to be consder'd relating to the ripeness of fruits, and that is, the different opinions or tastes of mankind; some call them ripe when they just begin to turn: but what i mean by ripeness, is, when a fruit is as tender as it can be, and possessing its highest flavour: and by those fruits which i call half ripe, i mean such as have their inward juices sweet, and their outward parts a little hard and sour. in this state should the goosberry be gather'd for making of wine, see the following receipt. to make goosberry-wine. gather your goosberries in dry weather, when they are half ripe, as i have explained in the above preliminaries, pick them and bruise them in a tub, with a wooden mallet, or other such like instrument, for no metal is proper; then take about the quantity of a peck of the bruised goosberries, put them into a bag made of horse-hair, and press them as much as possible, without breaking the kernels: repeat this work till all your goosberries are press'd, and adding to this press'd juice, the other which you will find in the tub, add to every gallon three pounds of powder sugar, for _lisbon_ sugar will give the wine a taste which may be disagreeable to some people, and besides it will sweeten much more than the dry powder sugar; stir this together till the sugar is dissolved, and then put it in a vessel or cask, which must be quite fill'd with it. if the vessel holds about ten or twelve gallons, it must stand a fortnight or three weeks; or if about twenty gallons, then about four or five weeks, to settle, in a cool place: then draw off the wine from the lee, and after you have discharg'd the vessel from the lees, return the clear liquor again into the vessel, and let it stand three months, if the cask is about ten gallons; or between four and five months, if it be twenty gallons, and then bottle it off. we must note, that a small cask of any liquor is always sooner ripe and fit for drinking than the liquor of a larger cask will be; but a small body of liquor will sooner change sour, than that which is in a larger cask. the wine, if it is truly prepared, according to the above directions, will improve every year, and last several years. preliminaries to the making of currant wine. it is to be noted, that tho' there are two sorts of currants, which may be used for making of wine, that is, the red and the white; yet the taste and goodness will be the same, whether 'tis made of the white or the red, for they have both the same qualities, except in the colour. observe also, that the fruit be gather'd in a dry time, and that if you make a large quantity, it must stand longer in the vessel, before bottling, than a small quantity. to make currant wine. when your currants are full ripe, gather them, and pick them from the stalks and weigh them, in order to proportion your water and sugar to them. when this is done, bruise them to pieces with your hands, and add to every three pounds of currants a quart of water, stirring all together, and letting it stand three hours, at the end of which time, strain it off gently thro' a sieve, and put your sugar into your liquor, after the rate of a pound to every three pounds of currants. this sugar should be powder sugar, for _lisbon_ sugar would give the wine an ill taste. stir this well together, and boil it till you have taken off all the scum, which will rise plentifully; set it then to cool, at least sixteen hours, before you put it into the vessel. if you make the quantity of twenty gallons, it may stand in the vessel three weeks before it will be fit for bottling; and if you make thirty gallons, then it must stand a month before it be bottled off, observing then to put a small lump of sugar into every bottle; it must be kept in a cool place, to prevent its fretting. by this method it will keep good many years, and be a very strong and pleasant wine, at a very cheap rate. it is necessary to observe, that the same sort of currant is not always of the same sweetness when it is ripe, those growing in the shade will be less sweet than those that are more exposed to the sun. and when the summer happens to be wet and cold, they will not be so sweet as in a dry warm season; therefore tho' the standard of the above receipt be one pound of sugar to three pounds of pick'd currants, yet the palate of the person who makes the wine should be the regulator, when the sugar is put to the juice, considering at the same time, that it is a wine they are making, and not a syrup. the sugar is only put to soften and preserve the juice, and too much will make the wine ropey. this season is proper for making cherry wine, the _kentish_ and _flemish_ cherries being now full ripe, which are much the best for this purposes: this is a very pleasant strong wine. to make cherry wine. gather your cherries in dry weather, when they are full ripe, pick them from the stalks, and bruise them well with your hands till they are all broken; then put them into a hair bag, and press them till you have as much liquor from them as will run without breaking the stones. to every gallon of this juice, put one pound of powder sugar, and having stirr'd it well together, boil it and scum it as long as any scum will rise; then set it in a cool place till it is quite cold, and put it into your vessel, when it will presently begin to work. when the working is over, slop the vessel close, and let it stand four months; if it holds the quantity of twenty gallons, or more or less, as the quantity happens to be, then bottle it off, putting a lump of loaf-sugar into each bottle. it will keep two or three years, if it be set in a cool place. i have now done with the wines that are to be made in this month: i shall in the next place set down the method of keeping or preserving fruits for tarts all the year about, as i had it from a very curious person, in whose house i have seen it practised with extraordinary success. the fruits which are chiefly to be put up this month, are goosberries, currants and cherries. to preserve fruits for tarts all the year. the goosberries must be full grown, but not ripe, they must be gather'd in dry weather, and pick'd clean of their stalks and tops; then put them into quart bottles, that are made on purpose, with large wide necks, and cork them gently with new sound corks, and put them into an oven after the bread is drawn, letting them stand there till they have shrunk about a fourth part; observing to change them now and then, because those which you set at the further part of the oven, will be soonest done. when you find them enough, according to the above direction, take them out, and immediately beat the corks in as tight as you can, and cut the tops off even with the bottles, and pitch them over; you must then set your bottles by, in a dry place. i have tasted of fruits done this way, that have made as good tarts at the year's end, as those that were fresh gather'd: the only difference between the preserving goosberries and currants, is, that the currants must be full ripe when we put them into the bottles, and so likewise the cherries. there is another way of putting up fruits for this use, which is, by half preserving them with sugar, _i.e._ half a pound of sugar to every pound of fruit. apricots especially, when they are near ripe, make excellent tarts; being split and pared from the skin, and boiled in a syrup, they will keep the year round, as an ingenious lady has told me. it is also to be remark'd, that ripe goosberries make very fine tarts. the beginning of this month, when the goosberries are full grown, but not ripe, is the right season for preserving of them in sweet-meat: the white _dutch_ goosberry is the best for this use. so likewise if you have plenty of _kentish_ cherries, pick some of them from the stalks, and lay the cherries upon a fine wire sieve, and dry them in an oven; when they are dried enough, and quite cold, put them in an earthen glazed jar, and stop them up close: these must be kept in a dry place. upon the foot of the above receipt, for preserving of fruits, i have a notion that we may preserve green pease, after the same manner, in bottles, that i have mention'd for the preserving of goosberries, currants, _&c._ so that they will eat tender and well tasted at _christmas:_ it is well worth the tryal, seeing that a bottle or two cannot be any great expence, and that pease are acceptable almost to every one. this i have persuaded some of my acquaintance to try, but particularly a very curious person in such matters, who tells me, that provided this method answers what we aim at, he supposes they will be the most agreeable, either to be boiled with cream, or stew'd in gravey, after the _french_ manner, for it is a dispute with him, whether they will hold their green colour; but, as i observ'd before, it may be try'd at an easy expence. the beginning of this month is the time to pickle walnuts, for then the walnuts have not began to shell, and moreover are not so bitter nor hollow as they will be afterwards; they will now be full flesh'd, and you will have no loss. the following method i learnt from mr. _foord,_ a curious gentleman of _buckingham,_ and has been experienced to be the best way. there is one thing indeed which must be regarded in this pickle, which is, that every one does not love the taste of onion or garlick; but that may be omitted as we please, only supplying the place with ginger. to pickle walnuts. the walnuts being fit for pickling, wash them, and put them into a kettle to scald; then with a piece of flannel rub off the outer skin, and let them lie till they are quite cold, after which put them into a vessel of salt and water, and let them stand hours; then take them out, and put them again into fresh salt and water for hours more; then shift them as before, and continue this practice for fourteen days, at the end of which time wipe them dry, and lay them in a glazed earthen pot, _stratum super stratum,_ with spice, whole mustard-seed, horse-radish slic'd, and garlick, or eschalots: that is to say, make a layer of walnuts, and strew over it whole pepper, ginger slic'd, horse-radish slic'd, some whole mustard-seed, and three or four cloves of garlick; or if garlick be too strong, as many cloves of shalots. then lay upon these another layer of walnuts, and upon them the roots and spices as before, and so continue till your pot is full; then pour over the whole, as much boiling vinegar as will cover them, and immediately cover the pot close, and let it stand till the next day, when we may again pour off the vinegar from them, without disturbing them; and making it again boiling hot, pour it upon them, and stop them close, as before, to be set by for use. but these will not be fit for eating under three weeks or a month, and will be much better by keeping a few months. this month is a proper time to make syrup of clove-julyflowers, and likewise to make julyflower wine, which is a very rich liquor, and may be made in the best manner, by the following receipt from mrs. b. b. to make julyflower wine. take nine gallons of water, and twenty four pounds of sugar, boil these on a gentle fire till one gallon is lost, or evaporated, taking off the scum as it rises. then having prepared a bushel of clove julyflowers, the red flower leaves only, pour the liquor scalding hot upon them, and cover them close till the next day, then pressing them with a screw-press. when this is done, bake a piece of bread hard, without scorching, before the fire, and while it is warm, spread some ale-yeast upon it, and put it into the liquor, in an open tub, till it begins to worker ferment; the next day after which, add two quarts of sack, and one of _rhenish_ wine, and barrel it for three weeks or a month; let it then be bottled, and kept in a cool place. in this month such carp and tench are good as have not lately spawn'd; the dressing of them, and of pikes, or jacks, see in _march_. perch are now very good, the large ones for stewing, as recommended for carp, or boiled or fry'd, or else in the _dutch_ manner, call'd water soochy; which is to boil the perches with salt in the water, and parsley-roots and parsley leaves, to be brought to table in the water they are boiled in, and eaten with bread and butter. 'tis an odd way to the _english_, but is much admir'd by many genlemen who have travell'd. the garden is now very rich in eatables, as may be seen in my _gardener's kalendar_, printed for mr. _mears_. the trasopogon, or goatsbeard, is now, as well as in the former month, fit for boiling; it is in much request in some of the western parts of _england_, especially about _bristol_, as i am inform'd, where the country people call it trangompoop, or crangompoop, a corruption, as i suppose, from the true name above written: this is eaten like asparagus, and dress'd the same way, the part which is eaten is the blossomy bud a little before it would flower, with about six inches of the stalk to it. there are now chickens, pigeons, ducks, and some young wild ducks, and rabbets, which may not only make great variety at a table, to be drest after the common plain way, but may also be made into elgant dishes, after the several manners mention'd in this work, if there is an occasion to entertain particular people of fine taste. the ronceval and mooretto pease, and _windsor_ beans, are also good helps to a table: i need say nothing of their dressing; but that i am of opinion, that the _windsor_ beans, when they are blanch'd, that is, boiled long enough till we can take off their skins, and then put into large-neck'd bottles, and order'd as i have prescrib'd for the preserving of pease; by this means i suppose they may be preserv'd many months: but we may defer this experiment till the end of _september_, to be try'd upon the latter crops. near the sea we have mackrel in the height of perfection, and mullet, turbut, herrings, scate, and soles, as also lobsters and crabs; and in the rivers, salmon and trout are still good, and some cray-fish. 'tis now a proper season to put up rasp-berries, either in sweetmeat, or to infuse in brandy; but they must be gather'd dry. there are certain people who know how to mix these with _port_ wine, and imitate the richest _florence_ wine. about _midsummer_ is a proper time to put up a boar for brawn against _christmas_, or against the beginning of _december_, for then is the season it sells best, and is chiefly in request, selling at that time for twelve pence _per_ pound. for this end we should chuse an old boar, for the older he is, the more horny will the brawn be: we must provide for this use a frank, as the farmers call it, which must be built very strong to keep the boar in. the figure of the frank should be somewhat like a dog-kennel, a little longer than the boar, which we put up so close on the sides that the boar cannot turn about in it; the back of this frank must have a sliding board, to open and shut at pleasure, for the conveniency of taking away the dung, which should be done every day. when all this is very secure, and made as directed, put up your boar, and take care that he is so placed, as never to see or even hear any hogs; for if he does, he will pine away, and lose more good flesh in one day than he gets in a fortnight: he must then be fed with as many pease as he will eat, and as much skim'd milk, or flet milk, as is necessary for him. this method must be used with him till he declines his meat, or will eat very little of it, and then the pease must be left off, and he must be fed with paste made of barley meal, made into balls as big as large hen-eggs, and still the skim-milk continued, till you find him decline that likewise, at which time he will be fit to kill for brawn; the directions for making of which, with the pickle for it, see in the month of _december_. during the time he is thus feeding, great care must be taken that he has always meat before him, for neglect in this will spoil the whole design. this is the way of feeding a boar for brawn, but i cannot help thinking 'tis a little barbarous, and especially as the creature is by some people put in so close a pen, that as i hear, it cannot lie down all the while 'tis feeding; and at last, considering the expence of food, brawn is but an insipid kind of meat: however, as some are lovers of it, it is necessary to prescribe the method which should be used in the preparing it. in this month we have plenty of artichokes and it is a good season to put them up for winter use, to be used simply, or to be put in sauces, or in compound dishes; they are easily dried or pickled, to be kept, and if they are not gather'd as soon as they are in their perfection, they will lose the goodness of their hearts, or the bottoms, as some call them. in a plentiful year of them i have had a great number dried for winter use, in the following manner. concerning the gathering, and ordering artichokes for drying. in the gathering of artichokes, observe, that the leaves of what is call'd the artichoke be pointing inwards, and lie close at the top, for then the bottom will be large and full; but if you find many of the leaves of the artichoke spread from the top, then the choke, or bristly part is shot so much, that it has drawn out much of the heart of the artichoke; and as the flower comes forward, the more that grows, the thinner will be the bottom, which is the best part of it. when you cut the artichoke, cut it with a long stalk, that when you use it you may clear it well of its strings, which will else spoil the goodness of the bottom, wherein the strings will remain; to do this, lay the artichoke upon a table, and hold it down hard with one hand, while with the other hand you pull the stalk hard up and down, till it quits the artichoke, and will then pull away the strings along with it; this being done, lay the artichokes in water for an hour, and then put them into a kettle of cold water to boil, till they are tender enough to separate the leaves and the chokes from them. when this is done, lay the hearts, or bottoms upon a cullender, or some other thing, to drain conveniently; then dry them upon a wire sieve, or gridiron, in a gentle oven, by degrees, till they are as hard as wood. these will keep good twelve months if they are laid by in a dry place. when we want to use these for boiling, frying, or to accompany other meats, we must put them into warm water, often repeating it to them for eight and forty hours, by which means they will come to themselves, and be as good when they come to be scalded as if they were fresh gather'd. but they may also be preserv'd after the following manner. second way to preserve artichokes. having chosen your artichokes according to the above directions, cut the bottoms, with a sharp knife, clear of their leaves and their chokes, flinging them immediately into cold water, to prevent their turning black. when they have lain in the water for seven or eight minutes, wash them and drain them a little, and then fling them into wheat or barley flower, so that they be all over cover'd with it; after which, lay them upon wire sieves, or pieces of wicker-work to dry in an oven gently, till they are quite dry and hard: these must be kept in a dry place, and when they are to be used, steep them in water four and twenty hours, and boil them till they are tender, they will eat as well as if they were fresh cut. the artichoke may likewise be pickled in the following manner. to preserve artichokes by pickling. gather and prepare your artichokes as before, and put them into cold water to boil, with a moderate quantity of salt; then take them off the fire, and let the water stand in the kettle for a quarter of an hour, till the salt is settled to the bottom; then pour off your water clear into an earthen glazed vesel where you design to put your artichokes, and clearing them from the leaves and choaks, wash them well in two or three waters, and put them in the brine or pickle they were boiled in, when both are quite cold; upon which pour as much oil as will cover it half an inch thick, or where oil is wanting, melted butter will serve: be sure you put so much as will keep the air from the artichokes. some will add some vinegar to the water, but that is at pleasure; when this is done, cover the top of the earthen pot close with paper, and lay a board over it to keep it from any air, or else cover the pot with a wet bladder, and tie it down close. they will keep good a year, and when we want to use them, lay them to steep in cold water to take out the salt; you may shift the water three or four times, they will be the better for it, and then use them in pyes, or other compound dishes. in _holland_ i have often eaten the small suckers of artichokes fry'd, which have made an agreeable dish. the receipt for preparing them is the following. to fry small suckers of artichokes, or small artichokes. gather the young heads of artichokes, and boil them with salt and water till they are tender; these artichokes should be no bigger than middling apples; split these in four or six parts each, flower them well, and fry them crisp in hogs-lard, and eat them with butter, pepper, and a little verjuice or orange-juice. it is a common practice in _france_ to eat the small heads of artichokes raw, with vinegar, pepper, and salt; the method is to pull off the single leaves, and dip the fleshy part of the leaves into it and eat that. they are agreeably bitter, and create an appetite. this month rasberries are ripe; and as they make a most pleasant wine, i shall here give the receipt for making it. to make rasberry wine. to every quart of the juice of rasberries, put a pint of water, and to every quart of liquor a pound of fine sugar; then set it on the fire to boil half an hour, taking off the scum as it rises: then set it to cool, and when it is quite cold, put it in a vessel and let it stand ten weeks or something more if the weather prove cold; when it is settled, bottle it, and it will keep two years. altho' i have set down in this month a good experienced way of making goosberry wine, which will keep twenty years, and grow better by age; yet i cannot pass by a receipt which is highly commended for making wine of red goosberries, which i had from an acquaintance who frequently makes it. to make red goosberry wine. when the red goosberries are well colour'd and not over-ripe, but grateful to the taste, gather them in a dry day; take a peck of these, and slit them a little more than half thro' the middle, putting them into a large glazed earthen pan, with eight pounds of fine powder'd sugar strew'd over them; then boil four gallons of cyder, and pour it boiling hot upon the sugar and goosberries: this must stand eight or ten days, stirring it once each day, and at length strain it thro' a flannel in a press, and put the liquor into the vessel with a warm toast of wheat-bread, spread on both sides with ale-yeast; this must stand two or three months till it is fine, and then bottle it. this is a very strong wine, and of a bright red colour. * * * * * july. this month is the principal season for pickling of cucumbers, for that fruit is now in the greatest perfection, as well for pickling them in imitation of mango's, or as girkins. they are now to be had in great plenty, and are free from spots. the following is an extraordinary receipt for pickling of cucumbers to imitate mango's. gather large cucumbers of as green a colour as may be, wash them well in common water, and then either cut off their tops, and scoop out all the seedy part, or else cut a slice out of the side of each of them, and scrape out the seedy part with a small spoon, taking care not to mismatch the slices or tops of the cucumbers, that they may tie up the better when we come to fill them with spices, _&c_. when we have thus prepared enough to fill the jar or earthen vessel which we design for them, peel some garlick or shalots, which you like best, and put either two cloves of shalot into each cucumber, or one middling clove of garlick; and also into every one put a thin slice or two of horse-radish, a slice of ginger, and, according to custom, a tea spoonful of whole mustard-seed; but, in my opinion, that may be left out. then putting on the tops of the cucumbers, or the slices that were cut out of them, tie them close with strong thread, and place them in your jar. then prepare your pickle of vinegar, which we suppose to be about five quarts to two dozen of large cucumbers, to which put about a pound of bay-salt, half an ounce of whole pepper, about an ounce of ginger sliced, and a large root of horse-radish sliced; boil these in a brass sauce-pan for about fifteen minutes, taking off the scum as it rises, and then pour it upon your cucumbers, and cover the top of the vessel with a coarse linnen cloth four or five times double, and set the vessel near the fire to keep warm; the day following you will find them changed to a yellow colour, but that will alter in a day or two to be much greener than they were at first, if you use the following method: pour all your pickle into a brass skellet, and add to it a piece of allum as big as a walnut, and set it over the fire till it boils, then pour it on your cucumbers as before, and repeat the same every day till the cucumbers are of the greenness you desire. when you have pour'd on your pickle for the last time, the jar must be cover'd as before, but remain without corking till it is quite cold, then stop it close and set it by, in a dry place. the corks for the stopping of these jars should be cover'd with soft glove-leather, for the naked corks will make the pickles musty. see the mango's made of green melons in the month of _september_. to preserve green cucumbers for slicing in the winter, by mr. _foord_ of _buckingham._ gather cucumbers half grown, that is, before they incline to be seedy, put them in salt and water for five or six days, shifting it every day; then wipe them dry, and put them in vinegar with a little allum to green over the fire; then take out the cucumbers, and boil the pickle to pour hot upon them, covering the mouth of the jar with a coarse cloath four or five times doubled, and let the jar stand near the fire. when this pickle is quite cold, stop the jar close with a leather'd cork, as mention'd in the foregoing receipt for mango cucumbers. these cucumbers may be used in the winter to be pared and sliced like those gather'd fresh from the garden; you may cut an onion with them, and eat them with pepper, vinegar and oil. to pickle cucumbers, from mr. _foord_ of _buckingham._ gather the smallest cucumbers you can find, for it is the smallest size, which is most commonly brought to table among people of the first rank; tho' a cucumber of two inches long will do very well, or even one of three inches. these must be put in salt and water, to be shifted every day till they change to a yellow colour: wipe them dry, and prepare pickle of vinegar, a piece of allum as big as a wallnut to a gallon, or in proportion, ginger diced, mace, whole pepper, a few bay-leaves, and some dill-seed, which will do better than the herb it self. tye the seeds in a piece of muslin, that when the pickle by boiling is strong enough of the dill, you may take it out. this pickle, when it is of a right flavour, must be pour'd boiling hot upon the cucumbers, which must be laid in a stone jar or gallypot proper for them, and then cover'd with a coarse linnen cloth folded in several doubles, and let them stand near the fire: repeat the boiling of the pickle every day, pouring it hot upon the cucumbers, and covering them as before, till they become of the green colour you desire. when they are quite cold, stop them up close with a leather'd cork, as directed in the former receipt, if you use a jar, or else if you make use of a gallypot, tye them down with leather or a wet bladder. it is to be understood, that allum and boiling vinegar will strike a green colour to any unripe fruit; but care must be taken that too much allum be not used, left the stomach be offended by it. it is a custom in some places to pickle the green pods of _capsicum indicum_ with their cucumbers, which will contribute to make them much hotter or warmer to the stomach, and promote digestion in cold constitutions. but the _capsicums_ should be boiled in water gently, and wiped dry, before you put them among the cucumbers, where they must be placed before the pickle is poured upon them. kidney-beans are pickled the same way as the cucumbers, only leaving out the dill; and the dill also may be left out of the cucumber-pickle, if it is not agreeable to the palate; and so likewise in other pickles, garlick or onions, or any particular spice may be left out which is disagreeable, for it is not the business here to pin down the palate of any one to a certain relish that i may like my self, but to put it in the power of every one to preserve or order such things as a farm or garden affords, so that they may be pleased with them. the receipts which i have here given, are what i have generally found to be the most approved. we have some who pickle the green fruit of the passion-tree, the berougella, and fig: but for my part i can find nothing to recommend them, but the relish of the pickle, neither are they by any means wholesome. the flowers of the _nasturtium indicum_ make an excellent sallad in this month, and the seeds of the plant, while they are green, may be pickled to our satisfaction: the receipt for pickling them is as follows. to pickle nasturtium seeds. gather the seeds when they are full grown and green, in a dry day, and lay them in salt and water for two or three days; then boil vinegar, with some mace, ginger sliced, and a few bay-leaves, for fifteen minutes, and pour it boiling hot upon them, covering them with a cloth, as prescribed in this month for the other pickles, and repeat the boiling of the pickle, and scalding them with it for three days successively; and when the last is poured on, let it be cold before you cork it up. the folded cloth which should be put over the mouth of the jar, will suffer some of the steam of the pickle to pass thro' it, and by that means the pickles will not turn mouldy, so soon as they might otherwise do, and besides will be much greener than if they were to be close stopped. all these pickles should be kept in a dry place, and look'd into every month, lest by chance they turn mouldy; which if you find they incline to, boil the pickle afresh, and pour it on them as before. there is now the skerret fit to be eaten; it is a very nourishing and pleasant root, and is prepared in the following manner for the table: the culture of it is set forth at large in my new _improvements of planting and gardening_, printed for mr. _mears_, near _temple-bar_, the skerret, tho' it is none of the largest roots, yet is certainly one of the best products of the garden, if it be rightly dress'd; the way of doing which, is to wash the roots very well, and boil them till they are tender, which need not be very long. then the skin of the roots must be taken off, and a sauce of melted butter and sack pour'd over them. in this manner are they serv'd at the table, and eaten with the juice of orange, and some likewise use sugar with them, but the root is very sweet of itself. some, after the root is boil'd, and the skin is taken off, fry them, and use the sauce as above: so likewise the roots of salsify and scorzoncra are to be prepared for the table. the apple call'd the codlin is in good perfection for scalding, the manner of doing which, that they may be brought to table, of a fine green colour, is as follows. gather your codlins half grown, and without spots, for if they are spotted, they are commonly worm-eaten; scald them in water till the skin will come off easily, then put them again into cold water, and a small piece of allum to green in a brass pan over the fire; which they will soon do if they are kept close cover'd. the following receipt is sent me by a curious person for pickling of codlins, in imitation of mango. gather codlins green and near full grown, blanch them, that is, scald them in soft water till the skin will peel off, then prepare your pickle of vinegar and bay salt, about a large spoonful of salt to a quart of vinegar, three or four cloves of garlick, a quarter of an ounce of ginger sliced, and as much whole pepper; boil this in a brass pan, with a piece of allum as big as a horse-bean, for half a quarter of an hour, and pour it hot upon your codlins, covering the mouth of the jar with a cloth, and let it stand by the fire-side; boil the pickle again the day following, and apply it as before, and repeat the same till your codlins are as green as you desire, and when they are quite cold, cork them close, and set them by in a dry place. there is one thing must however be observed in all these picklings, which is, that if the pickles do not come to their fine green colour presently, by boiling often of the pickle at first, yet by standing three or four weeks, and then boiling the pickle afresh, they will come to a good colour; and then your pickles will eat the firmer and keep the longer, when they are not too soon brought to colour. in this month we have the morello and black cherry ripe, which both are pleasant in brandy; to those who would have drams by them, the way of making black-cherry brandy, is only to pick the cherries from the stalks, and put them whole into the brandy, about a pound of cherries to a quart; this may remain for about a month before it is fit to drink, and then the brandy may be pour'd from the cherries, and the cherries put then into a vessel of ale will make it extremely strong, only about the proportion of a pound of cherries to a gallon of ale; but some will put fresh brandy to them, and the cherries will turn the brandy of a deep colour, and give it a strong taste of ratafia; others will distill these cherries in a cold still, with as much water as will cover them, and draw a fine cordial from them. to make visney. this visney is made of pure brandy, and as many morello cherries as will fill the bottles or casks, with one ounce of loaf-sugar to each full quart; these vessels or bottles must be gently stopp'd, when the cherries are put in, and stand in a cool cellar for two months before the liquor is poured from them, and then the liquor may be put in small bottles for use: it is not very strong, but very pleasant. the cherries, when they are taken out, may be distill'd, and will yield a fine spirit. in some places, where there are laurels grow wild, without cutting or pruning, i mean, the _lauro-cerasus_, as we find in many old gardens, that plant is apt to bear berries, which in reality are cherries, from whence it has its name; these berries, or cherries, are ripe about this time, and make a fine cordial, if we infuse them in brandy for two or three months with a little sugar; this will have a flavour of abricot kernels, and be of a rich red colour. while i am speaking of this, i cannot help taking notice of a particular dram which i tasted at a curious gentleman's house at _putney_ in _surrey_, _w. curtis _esq; which he made by infusing of the cornelian cherry in brandy; that gentleman is the only one who i think has yet tried it, and to my palate it seems to be so like _tockay_ wine, that it must be a very good judge who can discover the difference. i have drank that wine in perfection, and this preparation has both the colour, taste, and proportion of strength equal to it; for the great strength of the brandy is lost in the cornelian cherry, and tho' the cornelian cherry is of a bright red colour, yet this liquor is of the colour of _tockay_ wine. those who live near _london_, may, about this season, buy geese out of the flocks, which are now drove up to that city, at about five and twenty, or thirty shillings a score; and till the season we are to turn them into the stubble, we may feed them chiefly with the offals of the garden, lettuce especially, which will fatten them, if you have enough: but as for their particular feed for fatting, i shall speak of that in another place. about this season abricots are ripe, and where there are plenty of them, we may make a pleasant wine with them. the following receipt is a very good one. to make apricot wine. from mrs. _j. l._ to every quart of water put a pound and half of apricots, that are not over-ripe, let them be wiped clean, and cut in pieces; boil these till the liquor is strong of the apricot flavour; then strain the liquor thro' a sieve, and put to every quart four or five ounces of white sugar, boil it again, and scum it as it rises, and when the scum rises no more, pour it into an earthen pot; the day following bottle it, putting into every bottle a lump of loaf-sugar, as big as a nutmeg. this will presently be fit for drinking, is a very pleasant liquor; but will not keep long. * * * * * august. in this month there are many delicacies about a country seat; all kinds of pond-fish are good, there is plenty of poultry of all kinds, wild and tame, except the water-fowl, which should yet remain untouch'd. turkey poults, pheasant poults, partridges, and some sort of pigeons, are good; but for the most part the dove-cote pigeons are distemper'd, and are now full of knots in their skins, and unwholesome. the eggs of fowls likewise at this season, as well as in the former month, are unhealthful. towards the end, pork comes again in season, and young pigs also are pretty plentiful; 'tis a good time likewise to save young pigs to grow up for now you may turn them with their dams into the stubbles, and soon after into the woods. about the end of this month, you have rabbets full grown in common warrens, and young wild ducks; and those who live near the sea, have plenty of oysters, and in great perfection, much better, in my opinion, than in the winter. hares are also now good, and buck venison is still good. turnips, carrots, cabbages, caulyflowers, artichokes, melons, cucumbers, and such like, are in prime; sallary and endive, _nasturtium indicum_ flowers, cabbage lettice, and blanch'd sweet fennel is now good for sallads. peas and beans, and kidney-beans, are likewise to be met with, so that a country gentleman and farmer may have every thing at home, and let out a table fit for a prince, without being beholden to the markets; and the great variety of fruits which this season produces, renders it still more delightful and profitable. now elder-berries are ripe and fit for making of wine, as well the white as the red sort: these are both very good, if they are rightly managed. the following drinks very much like the _french_ wine call'd _hermitage_, and is full as strong. to make red elder wine. take twenty pounds of _malaga_ raisins pick'd and rubb'd clean, but not wash'd; shred them small, and steep them in five gallons of spring water, putting the water cold to them, and stirring them every day; then pass the liquor thro' a hair sieve, pressing the raisins with your hands, and have in readiness six pints of the juice of elder-berries that have been first pick'd from the stalks, and then drawn by boiling the berries in a glaz'd earthen pot, set in a pan of water over the fire. put this juice cold into the liquor, stirring it well together, and then tunning it in a vessel that will just hold it, and let it stand six weeks or two months in a warm place; then bottle it, and it will keep a year if the bottles are well stopp'd. note, that the elder-berries must be full ripe, and gather'd in a dry day; and when you have tunn'd your wine, let the place where you set it be warm and dry, where no external air is admitted, that it may ferment or work duly, for that is a material point. if it be otherwise disposed, so that it stands in a place which is subject to heats and cold, the ferment will stop upon cold, or be too violent upon heats; but in cold weather put some straw about it. see more of the working of liquors in _march_, in the article of brewing, and likewise take care that your bottles are dry when you bottle your wine, and that you have good corks; take care likewise that your wine be clear before you bottle it, or it will be good for nothing. if this wine be rightly managed according to the above directions, it will be fit for drinking after it has been bottled a month. in the making of white elder-wine, there is no difference if you make it with raisins; but it is much the best, in my opinion, if you make it with sugar after the following manner: only it is to be consider'd, that white elder-berries are yet very scarce, and there must be more of them used in the sugar wine than in the raisin wine. to make white elder-wine, or red elder-wine, with sugar. gather the elder-berries ripe and dry, pick them, bruise them with your hands, and strain them; then set the liquor by in glaz'd earthen vessels for twelve hours to settle, then put to every pint of juice a pint and half of water, and to every gallon of this liquor put three pounds of _lisbon_ sugar: set this in a kettle over the fire, and when it is ready to boil, clarify it with the whites of four or five eggs; let it boil an hour, and when it is almost cold, work it with some strong ale-yeast, and then tun it, filling up the vessel from time to time with the same liquor saved on purpose, as it sinks by working. in a month's time, if the vessel holds about eight gallons, it will be fine and fit to bottle, and after bottling, will be fit to drink in two months: but remember, that all liquors must be fine before they are bottled, or else they will grow sharp and ferment in the bottles, and never be good for any thing. _n.b._ add to every gallon of this liquor a pint of strong mountain wine, but not such as has the borachio or hogskin flavour. this wine will be very strong and pleasant, and will keep several years. we must prepare our red elder-wine in the same manner that we make with sugar, and if our vessel hold about eight or ten gallons, it will be fit for bottling in about a month; but if the vessel be larger, it must stand longer in proportion, three or four months at least for a hogshead. this month barberries are ripe and fit for pickling; they make a pretty garnish, and are prepared as follows. to pickle barberries, or pipperages, as call'd in some places. gather your barberries in dry weather, and lay them in their bunches into an earthen glazed pot, then boil a quantity of water made strong with salt, scumming it as it rises, and let it stand to be quite cold; then pour it upon the barberries, so as to cover them an inch, and cover it close. some use half vinegar and half water for this pickle, but it is at every one's pleasure, i think one is as good as the other. partridges are now in season, and are prepared after several manners; some of the principal are the following. boil'd partridges with stew'd sallary, from lady w------. the partridges being clean'd and trussed, boil them tender, and make the following sauce for them. take half a score large sallary plants that are well whiten'd or blanched, boil them first in water and salt, and then stew them tender with gravey, salt, some pepper, and a spoonful or two of white wine; and when they are enough, thicken and brown the sauce they are stew'd in with burnt butter, lay your sallary at the bottom of the dish, and your partridges upon that, then pour your sauce over all, and garnish with lemmon or orange slic'd. this is the method of stewing sallary, which is an agreeable plate of itself. from the same lady i had the following directions for roasted partridges: partridges which are designed for roasting may be larded with fine bacon fat on the breast, or roasted without larding; but in a dish of these fowls, there should be some of one and some of the other. the sauce for them should be of two sorts, one of gravey in the dish with them, and the other of bread in saucers on the sides of the dish. the gravey is made of beef, an onion, a bunch of sweet herbs, some salt and pepper, stew'd half an hour together, in a little more water than will cover them, then strain off the liquor into the dish. the pap-sauce, or bread-sauce, is made of grated crumb of bread, boiled with as much water as will cover it, a little butter, an onion, and some whole pepper; this must be kept stirring often, and when it is very thick, withdraw the onion, and serve it in a saucer with your partridges. these sauces may likewise be served with pheasants, or quails. these may also be stew'd, farced, baked, or put in soups, or used in fricassees. thus far the lady. hares begin now to be in season, and are well dress'd by the following receipt, which i purchased a few years ago, at a noted tavern in _london_. a hare and its sauces. if you kill a hare by coursing, you may keep it if the weather be cool three days before you roast it; or if it has been run hard by the hounds, then it will not keep so long. when the skin is taken off, it is the fashion to leave the ears on, but that is at pleasure; then truss it for roasting, and take the liver and boil it, and mince it very small; add to this grated bread, a little all-spice, but fine, some butter'd eggs, a little dry'd sweet marjoram, with a seasoning of pepper and salt at discretion, and some parsley shred small: mix this well together, and add the yolk of an egg to it to bind it; then fill the body of the hare moderately with this farce, and sew up the belly. when the hare is first laid down to the fire, put about three pints of water with an onion, some salt and whole pepper, in the dripping-pan, and baste the hare with this till it is near roasted enough, and baste it with a piece of fat burning bacon, or in the place of that, common butter; but the bacon is best, if the person knows how to use it. when it is enough, pour the following sauce into the dish with it: take the liquor, with the onion and pepper in the dripping-pan, out before you baste the hare with butter or bacon, and boil it with a glass of claret; it will be very rich when it comes to be mixt with the farce out of the belly of the hare, and is little trouble. you may thicken this with a little butter and flower, if you please. the following is also a very good one: take a pound of lean beef, boil it in about three pints of water with an onion, a bunch of sweet herbs, some all-spice, pepper and salt, till the beef is boil'd half enough; then cut the beef in several places to let out the gravey, and continue to boil all those till the liquor has lost a third part; then add a little claret to it, and strain the liquor through a sieve, pouring the gravey hot into the dish before you put the hare in it; and when you lay in the hare, cut away the part that was sew'd up, or take away the thread that sew'd it. some chuse to skewer up the belly of the hare, rather than sew it. you may serve this with lemmon sliced, and in a plate by it have the following sauce. sweet venison sauce. take half a pint of claret, a little stick of cinnamon, and boil them together till the flavour of the cinnamon is in the claret; then sweeten it to your mind with double-refined loaf-sugar. or else, grate some crumb of bread, and put to it as much claret as will make it like thin pap; add to this a small piece of cinnamon, and boil it well, then sweeten it with double-refined loaf-sugar grated small. these are the sweet sauces used for hare, and all other venison. to dress a hare with white or brown sauce, from the late curious mr. _harrison_ of _henley_ upon _thames._ cut your hare in four or eight pieces, and slit the head; fry it a little in hog's lard, and then put it to stew in an earthen glazed vessel, with gravey, half a pint of white-wine, pepper, nutmeg, salt, a bunch of sweet herbs, and a slice or two of lemmon-peel; keep this close covered, and stew it gently till 'tis tender, then strain off the sauce, and brown it with fry'd flower, or burnt butter: pour the sauce hot over the hare, and serve it with a garnish of lemmon in slices; but if you would have your sauce of brighter colour, instead of the burnt butter, or fry'd flower, thicken it with the yolks of three or four eggs. this is an excellent way of dressing a hare, and more generally admired than any other. this being the season for taking honey, i shall here set down the method of making of mead, after two ways, which are both extraordinary. to make mead, from lady _g._ take eight gallons of water, and as much honey as will make it bear an egg; add to this the rind of six lemmons, and boil it well, scumming it carefully as it rises. when 'tis off the fire, put to it the juice of the six lemmons, and pour it into a clean tub, or open earthen vessel, if you have one large enough, to work three days; then scum it well, and pour off the clear into the cask, and let it stand open till it has done making a hissing noise; after which, stop it up close, and in three months time it will be fine, and fit for bottling. to make hydromel, or mead. take eight gallons of water, and as much honey as will make the water bear an egg; put to this a quarter of a pound of cloves tied in three or four pieces of muslin or linnen cloth, and set it to boil till the scum has done rising, scumming it as it rises; then take it off the fire, and take out the cloves, which may be wash'd and dry'd for other uses, and pour your mead into an open tub to ferment for about three days, till the violence of the working is over; after which, scum it very well, and pour the clear into a vessel, leaving the bung open till it has done hissing, which you may know by holding your ear close to it, for at a distance you can hardly discover it. when this hissing is over, stop it close, and let it stand three months till it is fine, before you bottle it; remember in bottling this, as well as all other liquors, that the bottles must be clean, and perfectly dry, and that every bottle be well cork'd. this will keep good several years. besides this way of making mead, there is another which i have approved to be very good, which, in all particulars, except the water, is the same with this; and instead of the water, put the like quantity of small ale-wort, brew'd with pale malt: but this will require less honey than the former, and will require more time in the vessel before it is fine and fit to bottle; but it will last many years good, and will drink like _cyprus_ wine when it is a year old. in this liquor, take particular care that your cloves are fresh and sound, for else you must add a quantity in proportion. _n.b._ we may make these meads in the spring of the year, as well as at this season; only the advantage of making it now, is, that you have an opportunity of washing the honey-combs after the honey is run off, and thereby will save expence in honey. the potatoe now begins to be gather'd, and is a very useful root, being either boil'd or roasted in hot embers; and after it is boiled, to be broiled, or after boiling it tender, and beaten in a mortar, it is used to thicken sauces, and for making of rich puddings, as i am inform'd by a skilful person in this way. the roots of red beets now begin to come in season, and are very good boiled, and sliced, to be put in a pickle of vinegar only: thus you may keep them to garnish sallads of small herbs, and in some intervals put horse-radish scraped. these roots will hold all the winter. the root of the red beet makes an excellent dish, prepared after the following manner, which i got abroad. to fry the roots of red beets. wash your beet-roots, and lay them in an earthen glazed pan, bake them in an oven, and then peel the skin off them: after this is done, slit them from the top to the tail, and cut them in the shape of the fish call'd a sole, about the thickness of the third part of an inch; dip these in a thick batter, made of white-wine, fine flower, sweet cream, the whites and yolks of eggs, rather more yolks than whites, some pepper, salt, and cloves beaten fine, all well mix'd. as you dip every piece of beet-root in this batter, strew them over thick with fine flower mix'd with grated bread, and parsley shred small, and then fry them in lard: when they are enough, let them dry, and serve them with a garnish of lemmon. these likewise may be put about stew'd carps, tench, or roasted jacks, by way of garnish, with scraped horse-radish, and pickled barberries. in the heats of this month, the following jelly is used by a curious gentleman abroad, who gave me the receipt of it, under the name of _the jelly of health:_ it is of great use to weak people, and extremely pleasant. to make the jelly of health. take some calves feet, according to the jelly you design to make, and also get a cock of the common poultry kind; wash these well, and put them in a kettle to boil, with a proportionable quantity of water, particularly taking off the scum as it rises. when these meats are boiled almost to pieces, it is a sign that your jelly is boiled enough; but take care that it is not too stiff, which you may try by taking a little out with a spoon, and then setting it to cool. then pour the liquor thro' a sieve into a stew-pan, and take off all the fat; after which, put to the liquor a proportionable quantity of double-refined loaf-sugar, a small stick or two of cinnamon, three or four cloves, and the rinds of two or three lemmons: boil all these together gently for about a quarter of an hour, till it is well-tasted, and then beat up the whites of four or five eggs, with the juice of the six lemmons, and pour them into the jelly, stirring the whole a little time over the fire; then let this mixture stand still upon the fire till it rises ready to boil over; at which time, you must take it off, and pour it into the jelly-bag, and as it runs thro' into a pan set to receive it, pour it again into the jelly-bag for three or four times till it comes clear, and then let it drop into jelly-glasses. sometimes, the above gentleman told me, he has put a little white-wine into the liquor while the meats were boiling in it, which he thinks helps it. * * * * * september. as this month produces great numbers of mushrooms in the fields, it is now chiefly that we ought to provide ourselves with them for making of ketchup, and mushroom gravey: and it is also a proper season for pickling them. indeed, where we have mushroom-beds, we may do these works at any time of the year. it is to be remark'd, that the best mushrooms have their gills of a flesh colour, even while the mushrooms are in button; and as they tend to spread in their head, or to open their cap, the gills turn redder, till at length, when their heads are fully spread open, they will become quite black. these large-flap mushrooms are still good for stewing or broiling, so long as they have no worms in them, and the gills are then in the best state for making ketchup, or mushroom-gravey; altho' the red gills will do, but the smaller buttons are what most people covet for pickling. in the gathering of mushrooms, we are sure to meet with some of all sizes; the very small for pickling, the large buttons for stewing or making mushroom-loaves, and mushroom-gravey, and the large flaps for broiling or making of ragous, or stewing, and ketchup: therefore to follow the common way, we should make two or three parcels of them. the cleaning of mushrooms, or preparing them for any of the above uses, will afford us nothing but what is useful; the parings should be saved by themselves, to be wash'd, towards the making of what is called mushroom gravey; the gills must be saved by themselves for making either ketchup, or mushroom-gravey; and the parts towards the roots, and the roots themselves, must be kept to dry in the sun, or a warm room, to raise mushrooms from, especially if they are of a large good sort that has red gills, for those which have white gills, prove oftentimes unwholesome, and are apt to turn yellow when they are cut and put in water: however, some people eat of this sort, and i have eaten of such a sort myself; but as there are some with white gills that are deadly, it is dangerous for unskilful persons to meddle with any of that fort: and therefore i thought it convenient when i was in _france_, to learn the method of raising them in beds, that we might be sure of our sort, and have them all the year about: the method of doing which, is in my _appendix_ to my _new improvements of planting and gardening_, printed for mr. _mears_, at _temple-bar_. the following receipts for making of mushroom-ketchup, and mushroom-gravey, i had from a gentleman named _garneau_, whom i met at _brussels_, and by experience find them to be very good. to make mushroom ketchup. take the gills of large mushrooms, such as are spread quite open, put them into a skellet of bell-metal, or a vessel of earthen-ware glazed, and set them over a gentle fire till they begin to change into water; and then frequently stirring them till there is as much liquor come out of them as can be expected, pressing them often with a spoon against the side of the vessel; then strain off the liquor, and put to every quart of it about eighty cloves, if they are fresh and good, or half as many more, if they are dry, or have been kept a long time, and about a drachm of mace: add to this about a pint of strong red _port_ wine that has not been adulterated, and boil them all together till you judge that every quart has lost about a fourth part or half a pint; then pass it thro' a sieve, and let it stand to cool, and when it is quite cold, bottle it up in dry bottles of pints or half-pints, and cork them close, for it is the surest way to keep these kind of liquors in such small quantities as may be used quickly, when they come to be exposed to the air, for fear of growing mouldy: _but i have had a bottle of this sort of ketchup, that has been open'd and set by for above a, year, that has not received the least damage_; and some acquaintance of mine have made of the same sort, and have kept it in quart-botles to use as occasion required, and have kept it good much longer than i have done. a little of it is very rich in any sauce, and especially when gravey is wanting: therefore it may be of service to travellers, who too frequently meet with good fish, and other meats, in britain, as well as in several other parts of europe, that are spoiled in the dressing; but it must be consider'd, that there is no salt in this, so that whenever it is used, salt, anchovies, or other such like relishing things, may be used with it, if they are agreeable to the palate, and so likewise with the mushroom gravey in the following receipt. of mushroom gravey. when you clean your mushrooms, save the parings, and wash them well from the dirt, and then put to them the gills that have been scraped from the large buttons, and with a very little water put them in a saucepan, and stir them frequently till you have got all the juice from them; then strain the liquor from them, and set it by to cool, or else till you have stew'd the mushrooms that they were taken from, and then add the liquor of the stew'd mushrooms to the aforesaid liquor, and boil them both together, with about cloves, about a drachm of mace, and two drachms of whole pepper to each quart of liquor, which will be lit to take off the fire when it has lost about a third part by boiling; then pass it thro' a dry sieve, into a dry earthen pan, and let it stand till it be quite cold before you bottle it, observing then that the bottles be very dry, for if they happen to be wet, it will soon turn mouldy. when the bottles are fill'd, cork them well with sound new corks, and tye a piece of bladder, that has been softened in warm water, over every cork as tight as possible, and set the bottles in a dry place; with this management it will keep a long time. what i learn'd else from the above mention'd gentleman, concerning the preparing of mushrooms for eating, was, that they should be always used when they are fresh gather'd, and then only such as are without worms, which may be easily perceived by cutting their stems cross-wise; and also that as soon as the peel is pared off, and the gills, let the large mushrooms be cut into pieces, of the bigness of nutmegs, and thrown into water, as well the stems as the caps, for they are both good; then wash them well, and stew them a sauce-pan, without putting any liquor to them, or spice, or salt, till they have discharged a great deal of their own liquor, and, begin to grow tender; you will then find them shrink into a very narrow compass, and must have the greatest part of the liquor poured from them, with which you may make the mushroom-gravey abovemention'd. the mushrooms being thus prepared, put to them a seasoning of pepper, salt, mace, and such other ingredients as will not rob the mushrooms too much of their own natural flavour, and stir them frequently till they are enough; then put a little white-wine and butter to them, and they will make an excellent good dish: or else they may be made brown with some burned butter, or be made into a ragout. as for the broiling of the caps of the large mushrooms, the same person's receipt directs to rub the caps with butter on both sides, and strew pepper and salt on them, and broil them till they are quite hot through, turning them two or three times on the fire, they will make their own sauce when they come to be cut. another way which he directs, is to make a pretty thick batter of flower, water, or milk and eggs beaten together with some salt and pepper, to dip them in, and then fry them like tripe; and for their sauce, he recommends butter, a little white-wine, and some of the mushroom-gravey, to be well mix'd together. some of my acquaintance, who have try'd these directions, approve of them; and, for my own part, i think them as agreeable as any that i have eaten: but as the taste is not alike in every one, i shall add an observation or two more of monsieur _garneau's_, concerning the mushroom, which i think not unworthy our notice. the mushroom, says that gentleman, is not only a good groundwork for all high sauces, but itself a good meat to be dress'd after any manner, either to compose a white or brown fricassee, or fry'd or broil'd, or baked in pyes with common seasoning, and stands in the room of flesh better than any thing that has yet been found out. this month is likewise a good time, if it is not over-wet, to gather mushroooms for drying; but they should chiefly be such as are newly open'd in their caps, before the gills turn black. for this end, take off the gills very clean, and wipe the caps with wet flannel, and as soon as they are a little dry, run a string through them, and hang them at some distance from the fire, turning them now and then till they are dry enough to be reduced to powder. when they are thus dry'd, keep them in dry bottles with wide necks, close stopp'd, till you have occasion to use them in sauces. keep this in a dry place. some dry them in ovens after the bread is drawn, but an oven in its full heat will be too strong for them. to pickle mushrooms white. take a quart of small buttons of mushrooms, cut off their roots, and wash them well with a flannel dipt in water, and then fling them into clean water, to remain there about two hours. in the next place, get ready some fresh water in a well-tinn'd vessel, or glaz'd vessel, to which put your mushrooms, and let them boil a little to soften; which being done, take out your mushrooms, and presently put them into cold water, and let them remain there till they are quite cold; after this, free them from the water, and dry them well in a linnen cloth, then put them either into a wide-neck'd bottle, or glaz'd earthen-vessel, disposing here and there among them three or four bay-leaves to a quart, two nutmegs cut in quarters, about a quarter of an ounce of mace, and boil as much white-wine and vinegar, in equal quantities, as will serve to cover the mushrooms. this pickle must be put to them cold, and the bottle, or earthen-vessel, close stopt and ty'd down with a wet bladder. the reason why the spice should not be boiled with the pickle, is, because the mushrooms would change black by means of the boil'd spices; and if this plain pickle was to be pour'd upon the mushrooms hot, it would immediately draw a colour from the spices, which would darken the colour of the mushrooms: therefore to fill up the glasses in the manner here related, is the best way to have your mushrooms look clean and white. this month is the proper time to pickle onions, which make an agreeable pickle if they are prepared after the following manner. to pickle onions, from mrs. _a. w._ when your onions are dry enough to be laid up in the house, take the smallest of them, such as are about the bigness of a small walnut, and of that sort which we call the _spanish_ onion, for these are not so strong flavour'd as the _strasburgh_ onions; take off only the outward dry coat, and boil them in one water without shifting, till they begin to grow tender; then take them off the fire, lay them in a sieve or cullendar to drain and cool; and as soon as they are quite cold, take off two other coats or skins from each, and rub them gently in a linnen cloth to dry. when this is done, put them into wide-mouth'd glasses, with about six or eight fresh bay-leaves to a quart, a quarter of an ounce of mace, two large rases of ginger sliced. all these ingredients must be interspersed here and there in the glasses among the onions, and then boil your vinegar with about two ounces of bay-salt to each quart, taking off the scum as it rises, and letting it stand to be cold; pour it into the glasses, and cover them close with wet bladders, and tie them down; they will eat well, and look very white. about the end of this month, if the season has been tolerable, the grapes in our _english_ vineyards will be ripe, and then we must be careful to gather them in dry weather, that the wine may keep the better. i have already mention'd, in my other works, the curious vineyard near _bath_, and that belonging to mr. _john warner_ at _rotherhith_, where good wines are made every year; and also that at _darking_ in _surrey_, belonging to mr. _howard_, which is a very good one: but as some years are less favourable than others to the grape, as well with us as abroad, it will not be unnecessary to take notice of a few particulars, which i have observ'd this year , concerning the management of vines, which i have only communicated to a few. i shall also set down a few directions for the making of wine, which have not been hitherto mention'd in any of my works, or by mr. _evelyn_, or mr. _mortimer_. as to the first, we are to observe, that the situation of our island occasions our seasons to be more uncertain than on the continent, or between the tropics. the cold and wet summer, , prevented the ripening of our later kind of grapes; and indeed i did not meet anywhere with a grape that had its perfect flavour, unless the vines were forced; but yet there were abundance. however, this year, , on the contrary, there are very few grapes, and those are likely to be very good, some being already ripe against common walls, without art; such as the white muscadine the th of _july_, and black cluster-grape. and at sir _nicholas garrard_'s garden in _essex_, i eat some of the black _frontiniack_ full in perfection, at the same time; and then the grisly and white _frontiniack_ grapes, which are the latest kinds, were transparent, and within a little of being fit to gather: which is a novelty so great, that has not been observ'd in _england_ in my time; for the _frontiniack_ grapes seldom ripen till the end of _september_, and then in a bad year we cannot expect them without art. however, the vines in this worthy gentleman's garden are of long standing, and have been, by his own directions, order'd and manag'd in a very artful manner for several years. and tho' this year generally we find so small a quantity in other gardens, yet at this place there are as many as i judge are in the whole county besides. in most other places that i have observ'd this year, the common way of management has been rather regarded than the rational part; and even the best gardeners have fail'd in their pruning the last year, for the production of this year's fruit. i much wonder, that after the demonstrations i have given from facts, ever since the year , that vines would grow and prosper well to be planted in old dry walls; and the instances i publish'd in the same year, in my new improvements, of vines bearing best in dry rubbish, or the most dry soil: i say, it is surprizing, that some of those to whom i gave that satisfaction, should not guard against excess of wet, especially when every one, who has judgment in the affair of vegetation, must know, that over-abundant moisture will destroy the bearing quality of any plant, and more especially of such a kind of plant as delights in dry mountainous countries, as the vine is known to do; but a common method of management has so possess'd some people, that they will not give themselves leave to think that an alteration of a season from a dry to a wet, will occasion an alteration in a plant. there is one instance particularly, which i cannot help mentioning, relating to vines, and the neccessity of keeping their roots from wet, which i observ'd this year at _twittenham_, at _john robarts_'s esq. this gentleman has several vines laid up against the side of his house, as full of grapes as i have ever seen any; but at the bottom where they grow, the ground is paved with bricks for about ten or twelve foot from the wall they are nail'd to. this pavement, in the last wet summer, kept the roots from imbibing, or receiving too much moisture, and therefore the juices of the vines were digested, and capable of producing fruit this year; whereas such vines as were not growing in dry places naturally, or had their roots defended from the violent wet by accident, have few or no grapes at all. my observations this year, in some places where there are pavements, still confirms me in my opinion; and where there was any tolerable skill in pruning, i am persuaded every one will find that there have been grapes this year, or now are on those vines that have stood in paved places, where the pavement defended the roots from the wet of the last year. and as i have already mention'd in this, and other works, the neccessity of planting vines in dry places, for regular seasons; and these instances showing us the advantage of doing the same in wet seasons; i think one may reasonably judge, that pavements made over such places where vines are planted, as well as rubbish and dry ground to plant them in, is the best way we can take for them. this way, particularly in a wet year, will keep our vines from running into long joints, and the juices consequently in digesting, as we find by experience; for no long-jointed shoots of vines are fruitful as they ought to be, and rarely bear any fruit at all. 'tis the short-jointed shoots that will bear fruit plentifully; and where there is much wet at the root, you must expect very few short joints, and also very little fruit: therefore, in this case, the roots ought always to be defended from wet. this year, , was, at the beginning, a gentle and moist spring, but _april_ and _may_ were hot; which brought every thing so forward, that our harvest was about five or six weeks forwarder than it has been for several years past. the case i have mention'd of the grapes ripening naturally, was in proportion to the forwardness of the harvest; every thing that i have observed in the same way was alike. the last year was as extraordinary in the lateness of crops, for then everything was as backward through the perpetual rain we had in the summer. sometime or other this memorandum may be of use, if my papers last so long; however, for the present, consider how these two different years have affected the vine; the last wet year made the vines shoot strong and vigorous, and there was no fruit this year: nor was this only with us in _britain_; but every where in _europe_. the last year produced such floods, from the continued rains at unexpected seasons, as was never known in the memory of man, the vines shot vigorously; and this year there were very few grapes of the first crop: but this summer was so good and favourable, by its warm months at the beginning of the summer, that the vines abroad shot out fresh crops, or second crops or grapes, which made up for the other deficiency. i expect the next year from hence, that the vines will produce a full crop of grapes abroad, because this year has settled the juices, and digested them; but what season there may be for ripening, is still uncertain, especially when we have the two last years in view. but in our gardens, i fear, we shall have worse success; for what this year has done, will give the gardeners generally a hard piece of work; for, as i imagine, there was little care taken in the beginning of the year to lay up the vines, especially because there was but a small, or no appearance of grapes then; and the neglect of that season in managing of vines, will be the occasion of losing the crop the next year. what i say here about the management of vines in the early part of the year, i have already treated of in my other works. i shall now proceed to give some particulars relating to the making of wines of grapes, which i believe may help those who make wines in our _english_ vineyards, and make them stronger and richer than they hare usually been. considering the uncertainty of seasons, and that every sort of grape will not always ripen without art, it will be necessary to contrive how that defect may be amended. the richness of wine depends upon the ripeness of the grapes; and therefore when grapes have not had the advantage of a favourable season to ripen, the liquor press'd from the grapes, may be amended by boiling; for this extraordinary heat will correct the juice, by evaporating the two great quantity of watery parts. this method, however ripe the grapes were among the ancient _greeks_ and _romans,_ was frequently, if not always practised; and is practised in those more southern climes, why is it not as reasonable in ours? but that this is not now practised any where in _europe,_ is no reason why wines may not be the better for it. i suppose the only reason why it is not now practised, is, because it would be an expence and trouble, more than the masters of vineyards have usually been at; and so long as they can sell their wines at a constant price, they do not care to go out of the way; but in a bad season there is no doubt but even the wines in _france_ might be meliorated by boiling: as in the instance of the _frontiniack_ grapes, that are sour and unripe, and without flavour, yet, by boiling or baking, they will gain the high flavour that is found in them when they are well-ripen'd, by the sun; but in baking or boiling unripe grapes in the skins, one must expect that the sourness of the skins will communicate a sourness to the juices enclosed; but the juices being press'd and boil'd, will ripen and become pleasant. in my _new improvements of planting and gardening,_ i have given large directions for making of wine of grapes, and in this, have also given variety of receipts for making of wines of fruits of our own growth; from whence we may learn the use of boiling juices of fruits, and what will require fermenting by yeast, and what do not. you will find that such wines as are boiled with sugar, are to be fermented with yeast; and such as have raisins for their foundation, will ferment in some measure of themselves. and especially observe, that while any liquor is fermenting, the vessel it is enclosed in must be kept open till it has quite done working; for if we should stop it up before that action is over, it will certainly burst the vessel; or if it has room enough, will turn sour, and be always thick and troubled. again, all wines, and other liquors, must be stopt close as soon as they have done working, or else the liquors will grow flat and dead. some wines will ferment six weeks or two months after they are in the vessel, as one may know by the hissing noise which they make; but when that is done, then the ferment is over, and they should be closed up. but some wines will ferment much longer than two months, and then it is a sign that they stand too hot; then they must be put in a cooler place, or the outside of the vessel frequently cool'd or refresh'd with water, which will stop the ferment. again, some will not ferment as they ought to do, and then they must be set in warmer places, which will raise the ferment. in very bad years we may help our wines with a small quantity of sugar, perhaps a pound to a gallon of juice, to boil together; but whether we add sugar or no, we must be sure to take the scum off the wines as it rises when they are boiling. in the colder climates, we ought not to press the grapes so close as they do in the hot countries, because in the colder parts of the world, and in places the most remote from the sun, the skins of the grapes are much thicker, and carry a sourness in them which should not be too much press'd to mix with the richer part of the grape; but in the hotter climes, the skins of the grapes are thin, and the sourness rectify'd by the sun, and will bear pressing without injuring the finer juices. there is one thing which i shall mention with regard to the endeavours that have been used to make wine in the island of _st. helena_; a place so situate, that it lies as a resting-place between these northern parts, and the _east-indies_, and so remote from other places, that could there be good wine made there, it would be of great help and assistance to the ships that sail that way: but i am informed by a curious gentleman, who has had many good accounts of that place, that the vines which have been planted there, are of such sorts, as bring the grapes ripe and rotten on one side of the bunch, and green on the other at the same time, which surely can never make good wine. but upon enquiry, they are only such sorts of grapes as grow in close clusters, and therefore the side next the sun must be ripe much sooner than the other; for the climate there is so violent hot, that there are no walls used behind them to reflect the heat to ripen the backs of the bunches. therefore, i suppose that the best way to have good wine made in those parts, is to furnish that place with vines which may bring their grapes in open or loose bunches, such as the raisin-grape, and some others, which do not cluster; for then the sun would have an equal effect upon all the grapes, and good wine might be made of them: but the worthy gentleman who told me of this, has, i hear, sent to _st. helena_ a collection of such grapes as will answer the desired end. this is likewise the month when saffron appears above ground; sometimes sooner, sometimes later, according as the season is earlier or later. this year, , i was in the saffron country, and in the beginning of _august_ the saffron-heads or roots had shut up so long in the flowering part, that the planters were forced to put them into the ground: i mean, such as were design'd for new plantations, which is sooner by near a month than they used to sprout, though they lay dry in heaps, the weather had so great an effect upon them. about _littlebury_, _chesterford_, _linton_, and some other places thereabouts, is certainly now the greatest quantity of saffron of any part of the kingdom; the famous place noted formerly for it, call'd _saffron walden_, being at this time without it. however, the people of the places which i have named, do not forbear bringing it to _walden_ market, or driving bargains there for large quantities of it, tho' the market at _linton_ is look'd upon to be much the best. what i have said in my _country gentleman and farmer's monthly director_, gives ample inductions for the management of saffron, but i may here add a word or two more concerning it; which is, that considering how many accidents the saffron is subject to, that is dry'd upon the common kilns, by the scorching of it by too hot a fire, and the unskilfulness of the dryers; i do not wonder that there is so much saffron spoiled. where there are unskilful hands employ'd in the drying part, one ought to provide such kilns for them as are large enough to distribute the heat moderately, and as constant as possible; which may partly be help'd by providing such a fire as may be constant, and not give more heat at one time than another; for there is a great deal of judgment in that. i find, that by the common way, some saffron is scorch'd, and some unequally dry'd, for which reason i have contriv'd such a kiln as must necessarily answer the end which is proposed in the drying of saffron; that is, to put it into a state of keeping with its virtue in it, and to put it out of the danger of being scorch'd in the drying. this i shall publish in my _natural history of_ cambridgeshire _and_ essex, which will soon appear in the world. as for the way which is now commonly practised in the drying of saffron, it is, when you have provided a kiln, such as i have described in my _farmer's monthly director_, with a cloth made of horse-hair on the top, strain the hair-cloth tight, and lay on two sheets of saffron-paper, that is, a sort of paper made on purpose for that use, which is very large; and prepare a little vessel with some small beer, and as many chives of saffron as will make it of a deep colour to stand by you; sprinkle over the paper with a brush or feather dipt in this liquor, and spread your saffron upon it, either in a square or a round figure, about three inches thick, and cover the saffron with two sheets more of the same kind of paper, and lay a woollen cloth upon them, and over that a board, which will cover the top of the kiln: view this now and then, till you see that the steam of the saffron comes through the upper papers. then take off the board and woollen-cloth, and taking the papers on each side with your hands, turn the saffron in the papers, so that the under-side be uppermost; taking off presently after the papers which were first the undermost, and then smooth down the side of the saffron that was first next the fire with a knife, so that it lie all equal. then cover it as it was at first, and after a little time turn the saffron as you did before, and spread then the upper-side even with a knife, as you did at first; then sprinkle your saffron with the brush dipt in the prepared liquor upon the dry part's of the cake, and cover it as before; let it lie then a little, and turn it as occasion requires, which may be sooner or later, as the fire in the kiln is quick or slow, minding every time, as you turn it, to sprinkle the dry parts with the liquor; the more it shrinks, the oftner you must turn your cake of saffron, minding still to sprinkle the dry parts; and when it has shrunk about three fourths of the first thickness, lay a stone or weight upon the board at the top of the kiln, of about seven or eight pound weight, the board already being about ten or a dozen pounds; when it is dry enough, take it off the kiln, and the paper it was dried in will be of good use; remember to keep your fire gentle and clear. we may note, that a gatherer of saffron has this year about ten pence _per_ drain, and that about six pounds, or six pounds and a half of raw saffron will dry to a pound; but generally they allow only six pounds of wet saffron to a pound of dry saffron: but that depends upon the dryers, who sometimes out of a willingness to get money, do not dry it so much as they ought to do. it is a rule among the saffron-planters in _cambridgeshire,_ that sixteen quarters of saffron-roots, or heads, will plant an acre; and that a full acre this year produces about seventeen or eighteen pounds of dry saffron, tho' the common rate is about sixteen pounds. about this time you have many green melons upon the vines which will not ripen; and besides, if they would, that fruit would now be too cold for the stomach: therefore it is advisable to pickle them, to make them imitate mango's, which some prefer before mango cucumbers. the following is the receipt to pickle them. to pickle green melons, in imitation of mango. the mango is a fruit brought to us from the _east indies,_ about the shape and bigness of a small melon; it has a large stone in it, and comes to us in a pickle, which is strong tasted of garlick, but approved by most people. when we gather melons for this use, we must wash them and cut them, as directed for the mango cucumbers, then lay them in salt and water, shifting the salt and water every four and twenty hours, for nine days successively; after which, take them out and wipe them dry, and put into the inside of each, which has been already scraped, the same ingredients directed for your mango cucumbers, and tie them up: then boil your pickle of vinegar, bay-salt, and spices, with these mangoes in it; scumming it as it rises, and with it a piece of allum as directed in the receipt for mango cucumbers, and afterwards follow that receipt till your melons are fit to use. now we have wild-ducks fit for the table, and it is to be noted, that these should not be larded as land-fowls, in the roasting of them. it must be observed, that they be sent to table with the gravey in them; but before they are laid down to the fire, it is practis'd in many places, to chop onions, the leaves of red sage, and mix these with pepper and salt, to be put in the belly of the ducks; and when they are brought to table, pour a glass of claret warm'd through the body of the ducks, which with some gravey, that must be sent in the dish, under the ducks, will make a proper sauce for them. another agreeable way of eating ducks, is roasting them, and eating them with boil'd onions; they are sometimes used in soups, and baked, and they likewise eat very well when they are half roasted, and then cut to pieces and stew'd with their own gravey and claret. now stubble geese will be in season, after they have been taken up and fed for a fortnight or thereabouts, in a close place, with barley and water; but during their confinement, they must never want victuals. note, the barley must have no more water with it than will just cover it, and they must never have their corn dry. if during the time of their feeding, you happen to let them out to ramble for a few hours, they will lose more good flesh in that time, than they can regain in three days; therefore when you have once put them up, keep them up till they are fit to kill: but if you would have them very fat, put them in a coop for a week or ten days before you kill them, and feed them with barley-meal and water, made almost as thick as paste; and always let there be several of them together, for a single one will pine, and lose flesh, instead of increasing it by eating. as to the dressing of this fowl while it is young, in the spring, under the character of a green-goose, it is fatted in a coop with barley-meal and water, and being kill'd and scalded when 'tis fat, 'tis roasted and eaten with green sauce, or scalded goosberries: but being full grown as at this time of the year, is roasted, being first salted and pepper'd within side, and salted without side. some put an onion, and some sage-leaves into the body of the goose, when it is laid down to the fire, and when it is brought to table, it is serv'd with apples stew'd and mash'd in a plate by the side; but for the sauce in the dish, there need be none but some claret heated, and pour'd thro' the body of the goose, to mix with its own gravey. some also salt geese, and boil them with greens, as with other salt meat; a goose may also be bak'd in a pye to be eaten cold. a goose is to be kill'd, by pulling first the feathers at the back of the head, and cutting pretty deep with a sharp penknife, between the back of the head and the neck, taking care that it does not struggle, so as to make the feathers bloody, for that will spoil them: and 'tis to be noted, the feathers of a full grown goose are worth four pence to be sold in the country; this i had from a gentlewoman in _surrey._ in _holland_ they slit geese down the back, and salt them with salt-petre, and other salt, and then dry them like bacon; they eat very well, if they are boiled tender. * * * * * october. this month is a noted month for brewing of malt liquors especially. brown, or high-dried malt is to be used, as i have mentioned at large in the month of _march_, under the article of brewing; to which i refer my reader, to be fully satisfied of such particulars relating to it, as seem to be the least consider'd, altho' they are the most contributing to the perfection of malt liquors. at this season, cyders, mussels, cockles, and such kind of shell-fish are good and in season; as for the oyster, it is not only to be eaten raw, but makes an agreeable dish stew'd, or in scallop-shells; and besides, being useful in many sauces, are extremely good when they are well pickled. altho' the oyster may seem foreign to a farm, or some part of the country, yet considering that we live in a part of the world surounded with a sea that produces the best oysters, and that they are a sort of shell-fish which we can keep a long time, and feed them, i think it necessary to take notice of them. about _colchester_ the oyster-pits are only small holes about twelve foot square, by the side of the river, where the salt water comes up, and has a passage into them at the height of the tides; in these places the oysters are laid, and there grow fat, and become green, by a sort of weed which is called crow-silk: and this may be done any where, if there is a river with salt water, as well as by _colchester_, and be kept two or three months; so that i wonder 'tis not practised in other places. but if we have not this conveniency, yet if we lay them in salt and water after the shells are well wash'd, just when they come from the sea, they will keep a fortnight in pretty good order, if the weather be cool, and they can have the open air; but then the salt and water should be changed every four and twenty hours. the following receipts are very good for preparing them for the table. to stew oysters. from _exeter._ take large oysters, open them, and save their liquor; then when the liquor is settled, pour off the clear, and put it in a stew-pan, with some blades of mace, a little grated nutmeg, and some whole pepper, to boil gently, till it is strong enough of the spices: then take out the spices, and put in the oysters to stew gently, that they be not hard; and when they are near enough, add a piece of butter, and as much grated bread as will thicken the liquor of the oysters; and just before you take them from the fire, stir in a glass of white-wine. roasted oysters in scallop shells. from _exeter._ provide some large scallop shells, such as are the deepest and hollowest you can get, which shells are sold at the fishmongers at _london_; then open such a number of oysters as will near fill the shells you design, and save the liquor to settle; then pour a moderate quantity of the liquor into each shell, and put a blade of mace, and some whole pepper with it; after which, put into your shells a small piece of butter, and cover the whole with grated bread: then let these on a grid-iron over the fire, and when they are enough, give the grated bread at the tops of the shells a browning with a red-hot iron, and serve them. the same person who sent the foregoing receipts, concerning oysters, advises another way of roasting oysters, which i think is a very good one, and not much known. it is, to take large oysters, open them, and hang them by the finny part on a small spit, after having first dipt them in the yolk of an egg, and roll'd them in crumbs of bread; turn them three or four times before the fire, and baste them gently with butter, till the crumbs of bread are crisp upon them, and serve them hot. as for their use in sauces, they are proper with fish, and are sometimes used with fowls; their own liquor is always put in such sauces where they are used. for pickling of oysters, the following is an excellent receipt. to pickle oysters. open a quantity of large oysters, saving their liquor, and letting it settle; then pour the liquor clear off into a stew-pan, and wash the oysters in water and salt: after which, boil them gently in their own liquor, so that they are not too hard. when they are enough, take them out, and add to the liquor some mace, a few cloves, some whole pepper, a little ginger, and a bay-leaf or two, and let the liquor boil, putting to it about a fourth part of white-wine vinegar, letting it continue to boil a little more; then take it off, and let it stand to be quite cold. when the oysters are cold, put them into jars or gally-pots, and pour the liquor with the spice cold upon them; then tie them down with leather. the mussel and cockle may be pickled after the same manner, only allowing this difference; _i.e._ that cockles and mussels are taken out of their shells by setting them over the fire, and opening them by the heat; but before-hand the shells must be wash'd very clean, and then must be put in the sauce-pan without water, they of themselves will soon produce liquor enough: then as the shells open, take out the fish, and wash every one well in salt and water; but as for the mussels, they must every one be carefully look'd into, and discharg'd from that part which is call'd the beard, and also particular care must be taken to examine whether there are any crabs in them, for they are very poisonous, and as they lie in the mouth of the mussel, may easily be discover'd; they are commonly as large as a pea, and of the shape of a sea-crab, but are properly sea-spiders: the mussels however where you find them, are not unwholesome, and it is only the eating of this little animal, which has been the occasion of people's swelling after they had eaten mussels, but the goodness of the fish is well enough worth the care of looking after that. when your mussels or cockles are all clean pick'd and wash'd, lay them to cool; and when their liquor is well fettled, pour off the clear, and boil it up with the same sort of spices mentioned above for the pickled oysters, with the same proportion of vinegar; and letting it stand till it is quite cold, put your fish into proper pots, or little barrels, and pour the liquor upon them till they are cover'd with it, and stop them up close: they will keep good two or three months, if the liquor is now and then boiled up, but it must be always cold before it be put upon the fish. in the management of cockles for pickling, or for eating any other way, let the shells be very well wash'd, and then lay the cockles in a pan of salt and water for two or three days, to scour themselves from the sand that is in them at their first taking; but observe to shift the salt and water every day. the largest cockles that i have observ'd on the _english_ coasts are those found about _torbay,_ which are sometimes brought to _exeter_ market; the fish is as large as a good oyster, and the shells of some are above two inches and a half diameter. mussels and cockles may likewise be stew'd and grill'd in scallop shells, as directed for oysters. the mussels after they are well pick'd are flower'd and fryed in some places, and eaten with butter and mustard, and the _french_ make rich soups of them. as this is a season when we have plenty of quinces, i shall insert the following receipt for making wine of them, which is very pleasant. to make quince wine. from mrs. _e. b._ gather your quinces when they are dry, and wipe them very clean with a coarse cloth, then grate them with a coarse grater or a rasp, as near the core as you can; but grate in none of the core, nor the hard part about it: then strain your grated quinces into an earthen pot, and to each gallon of liquor put two pounds of fine loaf-sugar, and stir it till your sugar is dissolved; then cover it close, and let it stand twenty four hours, by which time it will be fit enough to bottle, taking care in the bottling of it that none of the settlement go into the bottles. this will keep good about a year; observe that your quinces must be very ripe when you gather them for this use. rabbits still continue in season this month, and besides the common way of dressing them, they may be larded, and drest in the following manner; which i had from a gentleman in _suffolk._ make a farce for them, like that mentioned for the belly of a hare in the preceding month, and order its management and sauce as for a hare. a young rabbit, or hare, is known by the tenderness of the jaw-bones, which will easily break by pressing with the finger and thumb. woodcocks are now in season, and it is to be advertised of them, that they are to be only pull'd of their feathers, and not drawn like other fowls, but the guts left in them; when they are roasted, they must be serv'd upon toasts of bread, upon which the guts are spread and eaten, when they are brought to table. the inward of this bird eats like marrow; this is generally eaten with juice of orange, a little salt and pepper, without other sauce. the legs of this bird are esteem'd the most, and are therefore presented to the greatest strangers at table; but the wings and breast of a partridge are the principal parts of that fowl, for the legs are full of strings, like the legs of turkeys and pheasants. the snipe is of the same nature with the woodcock, and is ordered in every respect like it. these may be larded with bacon upon the breast, or else strew'd with salt and crumbs of bread, while they are roasting. besides the sauce used for woodcocks and snipes, the aforesaid _suffolk_ gentleman has the following which is gravey with a little minced anchovy, a rocambole, some lemon-juice, and a little white-wine boiled together; and when it is strain'd, pour it in a saucer, and serve it with the fowls. these birds are in plenty among the woody parts of _england,_ from _september_ till the end of _march,_ and then they all leave us at one time, except only such as have been lamed by the sportsmen, and disabled for flight; and then they will breed in _england,_ as there are instances enough. about _tunbridge,_ it is frequent to find them in summer; and i have known the same in _leicestershire._ i think if one could take woodcocks here in hay-nets, as they do in _france,_ and pinion them or disable a wing, and then turn them loose again, we might raise a breed of them that would stay with us; but i have experienced that they will not feed if they are confined in cages or aviaries, for they must have liberty to run in search of their food, which they find for the most part in moist places, near springs; for i have often taken both the woodcock and the snipe with such snares as are made for larks, by laying them in the night on the bank of rivulets, or watery trenches near woods. * * * * * november. pheasants are still in season, and are now chiefly roasted, for they are not so frequently boiled, till about _april,_ and then only the hens when they are full of eggs; but that, i think, is too destroying a way. the boiled pheasants are generally dressed with oyster-sauce, or egg-sauce, but the roasted are either larded on the breast with fine bacon fat, or else roasted and strew'd with crumbs of bread: these, says the _suffolk_ gentleman, who sent me the foregoing method of ordering the woodcock and snipe, should be served with the same sauces that are used for partridges. the sauces in his directions are within a trifle the same as those i have already set down in _september_ for partridges or quails, so that i shall not repeat them here. the truffle, which i have treated of at large as to its manner of growth and season of maturity, in my _gentleman and farmer's monthly director,_ affords such variety of agreeable dishes, that i have taken care to send to a curious gentleman abroad for the receipt how to dress it: they are very plenty in our woods in _england,_ as i understand by several who have found them this summer by my directions, and i believe will be much more so, since several curious gentlemen have followed my advice in propagating them. it is now, as well as in the two preceding months, that we may find them of a fine flavour; but they being something more in perfection in this month than in the others, i think it the properest to give the methods of ordering them for the table in this place: the first manner is to broil them. to broil truffles. the truffle being brought in fresh, wash it well, and cut off the rough coat on the outside: some of these will be as large as one's fist, and they are the best for this purpose; but let them be of any size, as soon as the coat is off, cut them through a little more than half-way, and put pepper and salt into the opening, and close it again; then wrap up each truffle in wet paper close, and broil them over a gentle fire of wood-embers till you judge they are enough, which will be as soon as they are very hot quite through; let them be turn'd as occasion requires, that they may be all equally done, and then serve them to the table in a folded napkin. this is a very good way of eating them, but the other i have more frequently eaten. to stew truffles in wine. the truffles must be peel'd from the rough coat on the outside, and well-wash'd; then cut your truffles into slices, and stew them in white wine, or claret, which you please, with salt, pepper, and a bay-leaf; or in the lieu of that, some _jamaica_ pepper, and serve them. white-wine for this use is generally preferred. to stew truffles after another manner. gather truffles, peel them and wash them, and then cut them in slices, after which fry them a little in a stew-pan, with either butter or hog's-lard, and a little wheat-flower; then take them out and drain them, and put them again in a stew-pan with gravey, a bunch of sweet-herbs, some salt, pepper, and nutmeg grated; and when they have stewed a little in this, strain the liquor, and dish them for the table, garnished with slices of lemmon. besides this way, they may be used in the same manner as fowls are stewed or fricasseed, with brown or white sauces, after they have been soften'd a little by boiling. while i am speaking of the truffle, i may well enough mention the receipts for the management of the morille. altho' the morille grows in _april_, which is the only time when it may be gather'd fresh, yet one may dress the dry'd ones now, by first softening them in warm water and salt for three or four minutes; but, as observ'd before, they are best fresh gather'd. and again, i chuse to put the receipts for their management in this place, because they are so near a-kin to the truffle. in the first place, i shall speak of drying them, which i have done in _england,_ after the following manner: gather, and wash them, and when they are well drain'd, then lay them in a dish, and dry them by degrees in a gentle oven; and when they are throughly dry, keep them in a dry place, and in a cover'd earthen glazed pot; but when they are fresh, order them according to the following receipts. and i am the more ready to give these to the publick, because all such who know the nicest way of eating, may nor be disappointed in their travels thro' _england,_ and denied at the inns such things as perhaps are as agreeable in that way, as any in the country. particularly i remember at _newberry,_ or _spinhamland,_ in the publick road to _bath,_ i was at the most publick and noted inn in that road, and had got some very good mushrooms, and the people there were of opinion that they were poisonous, or else did not know how to dress them, and by no means they would send them to the table. i say, if such mistakes can be made in a place where so many people of fashion travel continually, it is not likely that morilles or truffles will be received with more favour than my mushrooms; and i believe that some of the greatest niceties of our country may ever remain unknown, without a work of this nature, which i have pick'd up inch by inch, _viz._ in my travels. and besides, considering the strange disagreeable compositions which one meets with in some of our travels, as sugar with a pickled trout, and many more as ridiculous; i think this little piece of work not unworthy my time. again, there are many families in _england_ which have plenty about them, and do not know what to do with it; and therefore i think this the more necessary. but to come to my point, the morille may be dress'd when it is either fresh or blanch'd in warm water, according to the following receipts, which i had from _france._ to make a ragout of morilles. the morilles being fresh gather'd, take off the roots, and wash them in many waters, for the wrinkles in their tops harbour a great deal of dirt and sand; then slit them lengthways, and fry them a little in a stew-pan, with butter or hogs-lard, letting either be very hot when you put in the morilles; then let them drain, and put them in a fresh stew-pan with gravey, in which shred some parsley and cherville very small, with a young onion, some salt, and a little nutmeg: let these stew gently, and send them to the table garnish'd with slices of lemmon, or they may be sent to the table in cream, as we have already mentioned concerning other things in the same manner. to fry the morilles. prepare your morilles as directed in the former receipt, and boil them in a little gravey gently; when they begin to be tender, take them out of the liquor, and flower them very well, then fry them in hog's-lard: when they are thus prepared, make a sauce for them of the liquor or gravey the morilles were stew'd in, season'd with salt, nutmeg and a little juice of lemmon. the following directions i had from a gentleman in _suffolk._ the turkey is now in good season, and may be either boiled or roasted; when it is boiled, it is most commonly served with oyster-sauce, and when it is designed for roasting, it may be larded with fine fat of bacon on the breast, or else well strew'd with crumbs of bread, having first made a farce to fill the hollow of the neck, where the crop lay; this farce may be made of grated bread, spice, salt, butter'd eggs, and some sweet herbs powder'd, the whole well mix'd and bound with the yolk of a raw egg; or the liver of a fowl may be boiled and chop'd small and put into it. the receipt as i receiv'd it directs beef-suet chop'd small instead of butter'd eggs; but mr. _john hughs,_ a noted cook in _london,_ tells me that suet should be avoided in these farces, because it is apt to cool too soon, and offend the roof of the mouth, and therefore directs butter'd eggs in their stead. as for the sauce for the roasted turkey, it must be made with gravey, a bunch of sweet herbs, some lemmon-peel, a shallot or two, and some whole pepper and all-spice boiled together and strained. concerning the lark, which is now in season, the abovemention'd gentleman gives the following directions: let the larks be pick'd only and not gutted, truss the legs, with a leaf of red sage to every lark between the joints of the legs; then with a feather, dip'd in the yolk of an egg beaten, wash the body of every lark, and cover it well with crumbs of bread; after which, cut some thin slices of fat bacon, about three inches long, and an inch broad, and lay the larks in a row, side to side, with a piece of this bacon between every two larks; then have small spits about ten inches long, and pass the spits thro' the sides of the larks and the bacon, so that you have half a dozen larks upon each spit, observing to have a piece of bacon on both the outsides of the half dozen larks; baste these well while they are roasting, and for the sauce for them, fry some grated bread crisp in butter, and set them to drain before the fire, that they may harden; serve these under the larks when you send them to table, and garnish with slices of lemmon. some have their lark-spits made of silver, and serve their larks upon the spits to the table, by which means they keep hot the longer: you may eat them with juice of lemmon with the fry'd crumbs, but some like such gravey-sauce with them as is directed for the roasted turkey. tho' the guts are left in the larks, yet they are not to be eaten. in my travels i observed a kind of soup, which was very frequently used abroad, and quickly ready, that was very taking to most travellers who delighted in savoury dishes, which the people abroad call soup _a l'yvrogne_. it is made as follows. take half a score onions, peel them, and cut them in small pieces into a stewpan, and fry them brown with butter, and a little pepper and salt; and when they are enough, pour such a quantity of water upon them as you think proper to make a soup of them; then let these boil together, and thicken it with as many eggs as are neccessary, keeping it stirring to prevent the eggs from curdling. some add to this a large glass of white-wine, which i think makes it better tasted than 'tis without it: this is served with a _french_ role in the middle. at the same time i met with the following receipt for beef _a-la-mode,_ which is as good as any i have eaten. to make beef _a-la-mode._ take a fleshy piece of beef, without fat, and beat it well with a rolling pin, then lard it with pretty large pieces of bacon-fat, and if you please put over the fire a little to fry till the outside is brown, and then put it to stew in a deep stew-pan, or glaz'd earthen-vessel, with salt, pepper, bay-leaves or _jamaica_ pepper, some lemmon-peel, half a dozen large mushrooms, two gloves of garlick, or four or five cloves of shallot, half a pint of wine, and a pint of water; cover it close, and let it stew gently till it is tender: when it is enough, fry some flower in hogs-lard, and add to it, with some lemmon-juice, or a little verjuice. this is very good hot, but is for the most part eaten cold, cut in slices of about half an inch thick. * * * * * december. now is the principal season for killing of hogs, as well for pork as for bacon, and likewise for brawn. i have already in my other works given directions for making of pickled pork and bacon; so that i shall say little of it in this place, but give the receipts for ordering some particular parts of hogs. the following receipt i received from _france,_ concerning the preparing of the jole of a wild boar, and have had it try'd in _england_ with the head of a common hog; and i find little difference, especially if the hog has been fed with acorns. to dress a hog's head, in imitation of the jole of a wild boar. take a hog's head and burn it well all over upon a clear fire, till all the hair is burnt to the skin; then take a piece of brick, and rub the head all over as hard as possible, to grind off the stumps of the bristles, and finish the whole with your knife, and then clean the head very well; when this is done, you must take out all the bones, opening the head in the under part, and beginning with the under jaw-bones and the muzzle; then cleave the head, leaving only the skin over the skull to hold it together: take out the tongue and the brains. when thus you have taken away all the bones, stab the flesh with the point of your knife in many places on the inside, without wounding the skin, and put salt into every incision, then join the head together, and tie it well together with packthread, and then wrapping it up in a napkin, put it in a kettle, with a large quantity of water, a large bunch of all kinds of sweet herbs, a little coriander and anise-seeds, two or three bay leaves, some cloves, and two or three nutmegs cut in pieces, and some salt, if you think there is any wanting; add likewise two or three large onions and a sprig or two of rosemary. when this has boiled half enough, pour in a bottle of wine, and let it boil three or four hours longer till 'tis tender; for it will not be so under seven or eight hours boiling, if the hog be large; and if it is a boar's head, that has been put up for brawn, it will take more time to boil. being boiled enough, let it cool in the liquor, and then take it out and untie it, and lay it in a dish to be carry'd cold to the table, either whole or in slices. if you will, you may salt it three or four days before you boil it. to make sausages, from lady _m._ take the flesh of a leg of pork, and mince it small, and to every pound of the flesh minced, mince about a quarter of a pound of the hard fat of the hog; then beat some _jamaica_ pepper very fine, and mix with it some pepper and salt, with a little sweet-marjoram powder'd, and some leaves of red sage minced very small; mix all these very well, and if you fill them into guts, either of hogs or sheep, beat two or three yolks of eggs and mix with them, taking care not to fill the guts too full, lest they burst when you broil or fry them: but if you design them to be eaten without putting them in guts, then put no eggs to them, but beat the flesh and the fat in a stone mortar, and work the spice and herbs well into it with your hands, so that it be well mix'd, and keep it in a mass to use at your pleasure, breaking off pieces, and rolling them in your hands, and then flowering them well before you fry them. if you use them in guts, take special care that the guts are well clean'd, and lie some time in a little warm white-wine and spice before you use them; if any herb happens to be disagreeable in this mixture, it may be left out, or others added at pleasure. the following receipt to make sausages of fish for fast-days, i had at _bruxelles_, which i have experienced to be very good. to make sausages of fish. take the flesh of eels, or of tench, and to either of these put some of the flesh of fresh cod, or of pike or jack, chop these well together with parsley, and a few small onions; season these with a little salt, pepper, cloves in powder, a little grated nutmeg, and, if you will, a little powder'd ginger, with some thyme, sweet-marjoram, a little bay-leaf, all dry'd and powder'd; and mix all these well together with a little butter. then beat the bones of the fish in a mortar, pouring in among them while they are beating, a glass or two of claret, which must afterwards be poured upon the above mixture; then take the guts of a calf well wash'd and clear'd of the fat, for in that condition i find there is no scruple to use them abroad: being well discharged of the fat, fill these skins with your mixture of fish, _&c._ tying them at both ends, and lay them for twenty four hours in a pickle of wine and salt, and taking them out from thence, hang them in a chimney where they may be well smoak'd with a wood-fire, or burning saw-dust for twenty-four hours, or longer if you please, provided you have allow'd salt and spices enough. when you would use them, boil them gently in white-wine, with a bunch of sweet herbs; or in water, with one third part white-wine, and sweet-herbs. these are served cold at the table, and eat very well. the boars that were put up for brawn, are now fit to kill. it is to be observ'd, that what is used for brawn, is the flitches only, without the legs, and they must have the bones taken out, and then sprinkled with salt, and lay'd in a tray, or some other thing, to drain off the blood; when this is done, salt it a little, and roll it up as hard as possible, so that the length of the collar of brawn be as much as one side of the boar will bear, and to be, when it is rolled up, about nine or ten inches diameter. when you have rolled up your collar as close as you can, tye it with linnen tape, as tight as possible, and then prepare a cauldron with a large quantity of water to boil it: in this boil your brawn till it is tender enough for a straw to pass into it, and then let it cool; and when it is quite cold, put it in the following pickle. put to every gallon of water a handful or two of salt, and as much wheat-bran; boil them well together, and then strain the liquor as clear as you can from the brawn, and let it stand till it is quite cold, at which time put your brawn in it; but this pickle must be renewed every three weeks. some put half small beer and half water; but then the small beer should be brewed with pale malt: but i think the first pickle is the best. _note,_ the same boar's head being well cleaned, may be boiled and pickled like the brawn, and is as much esteem'd. this is a good season to make what they call hung-beef: the way of doing it, is, to take the thin pieces of the beef, and salting them with salt-petre about two ounces to a pound of common salt, and rubbing it well into the meat, dry it in a chimney with wood smoke. when this is throughly cured, it will be red quite through, which one may try by cutting; for if there is any of the flesh green, it is not smoked enough. it is, in my opinion, better than any bacon to be boiled and eaten hot. this is what i shall say, concerning the use of such things as are generally found about a gentleman's country-seat, or about a farm, which i think will be very useful, tho' a little out of the common road; and so i shall make no apology for publishing such receipts as i am sure are good. if i do not use proper terms in some of my receipts in cookery, i have at least put my receipts into such a method, as i suppose will make them intelligible, and what any one may understand: but i must take notice before i conclude, that the meaning of publishing this, is to instruct those who may not have had opportunity of observing or collecting so much as i have done, and not any way pretending to inform those who are full enough of knowledge already. however, i hope my readers will be contented with what i have here given them, and meet with something that is new and useful. finis. * * * * * the country housewife and lady's director, in the management of a house, and the delights and profits of a farm. part ii. including a great variety of the most curious receipts for dressing all the sorts of flesh, fish, fowl, fruit and herbs, which are the productions of a farm, or from any foreign parts. contained in letters, and taken from the performances of the most polite proficients in most parts of _europe_. now publish'd for the good of the publick, by r. bradley, _professor of botany in the university of_ cambridge, _and f. r. s._ to which is added, from a poulterer in _st. james's_-market, the manner of trussing all sorts of poultry. adorn'd with cuts: shewing, how every fowl, wild or tame, ought to be prepared for the spit; and likewise any kind of game. * * * * * to sir _hans sloane,_ bart. president of the royal-society. this piece of oeconomy, or management of the houshold, is most humbly presented, by his _most humble and most obedient servant,_ r. bradley * * * * * the introduction. there is nothing induces me so much, to publish this second part of directions to prepare the things about a farm or family, as the encouragement my first volume, in this way, has met with in the world; which being now in the sixth edition, has brought me many receipts, from the curious, which would be detrimental to the publick if i did not offer them to the world. i must acknowledge my gratitude, in this piece, to several persons of distinction, and good oeconomy, who have favoured me with their assistance; and, as far as their leave would suffer me, i have given their names or signatures. most of the receipts i have been witness to, at some meal or other with them, or else in publick places have purchas'd; for i always thought that there was more satisfaction in eating clean and well, if one had good provisions in a place, than to have such provisions good, and spoiled in their management. with the many noblemen i am conversant with, and in the large tract of ground i have passed over, it may not be surprizing, that i have collected so great a variety of things in this way; and there is no greater happiness i enjoy, than to communicate to the world, what i love myself: but as the proverb says, _there is no disputing about tastes_, so that every one has still the liberty of choosing or rectifying any thing as their palate directs, when they have a good foundation to go upon. i think, if these receipts had lain still in my cabinet, they might after my death have been distributed to the world in a wrong sense; but as i have particularly been present amongst many of them, i have taken the meaning of them in writing; or if i had left them behind me, they might have been lost, which, i think, are much too good to be bury'd in oblivion. * * * * * the country lady's director. part ii. since i have publish'd the receipts i gathered together, with regard to the several preparations of the products of a farm, for the table; entitled, _the lady's monthly director_, _&c._ (now in its sixth edition:) i have received a great number of letters relating to many improvements that may be made to it, and am desired to publish them, in order to render my first volume more compleat. and, as i find they will be of public use, i shall begin with one concerning the preservation of flesh, fowls and fish from putrefaction, or stinking; which is too often the case, in summer-time, when it is rare to find any sweet morsels, although they have undergone the discipline of salting. as for the common notion, that women cannot lay meat in salt, equally with success, at all times, it is false; it is the manner of doing it, and not the state of the women who handle it, that makes it right; there must be a right way of management to preserve it, and render it fit for the palate, as the following letter informs us. to mr. _bradley._ sir, i have not only read your book call'd, _the lady's monthly director_, but have tasted many elegant dishes of meat, ordered by the receipts in it; but i think, as you are a philosophical gentleman, you should have taken a little more notice of the preservation of flesh from putrefaction: for in many places i have set down to a dinner which has sent me out of the room by the very smell of it; even, though i am so much of the _french_ taste, that i can bear the _fumette_. the husband, in this case, has blamed his wife; and the wife has taken the opportunity of whispering to her husband, that the maid was not in right sorts when she salted the meat: but i am sure, i shall set you to rights in that point. i have taken pains in my family, which consists of thirty persons, to have my wife order the experiment to be made, and i am satisfied from her arguments, that there is nothing in the notion above. but now to the purpose. let your flesh-meat be fresh, and take all the bleeding arteries from it; then sprinkle it with common salt, and let it lie in the air for twelve hours; but salt the places, where the arteries were, more particularly: then wipe your meat dry, and make some salt very hot, over the fire, then rub in the salt very well, and lay the pieces of salted meat one upon another, and it will keep for several months. or with common salt, rub the several pieces of meat briskly with it, after the blood is out, and especially in the hollow places lay salt enough. so will you be sure to have your meat sweet, either beef or pork. to send _venison_ sweet in hot weather. give it a little salt, and have the haunches parted, taking out the marrow and all the veins, as they are called, that bleed; and then wipe all of it quite dry after you have wash'd it with vinegar, and then powder it with pepper, and in an open basket send it up to _london._ sometimes venison (meaning a buck) comes up to _london,_ not fit for the table; to prevent which, order the keeper, when he has killed it, to strew three or four pounds of pepper, beaten fine, upon it; and especially upon the neck parts of the sides, after he has wash'd them with vinegar and dried them well. but if it stinks, when you receive it, wash it with vinegar, and dry it, then pepper it and wrap it in a dry cloth, bury it in the ground, three foot deep at least, and in sixteen hours it will be sweet, fit for eating; then wash off the pepper with vinegar, and dry it with a cloth, and hang it where the cool air may pass, and the blue flies cannot come at it. _query._ is it not strange, that we see daily the limbs of horses hung up in trees, and they do not stink, but remain good a long while fit for dogs meat? if any one will say, that dogs all delight to eat carrion, i must deny that; but that every sort of dog will roll himself in carrion, when he can find it, is certain. to send _partridges_ a long way in hot weather. when you have killed your partridges, take out the crop, and the artery which bleeds in the neck, then fill the place with pepper; and the mouths of the fowls should be fill'd with the same, for these parts take a taint sooner than the rest; the vent too, ought to be taken care of, and open'd, and filled with pepper, beaten grossly. _n.b._ this pepper may be always wash'd away without leaving any season or flavour behind it, and is a certain antidote against corruption. so the same may be done with pheasants, and you should likewise leave on their feathers. to keep an _hare_ a long time. as soon as 'tis kill'd and discharged of its entrails, take care that all the blood be dried away with cloths about the liver, for there it is apt to settle, then dust the liver well with pepper; and fill the body with nettles, or dry moss, for these will not raise a ferment as hay and straw will do, when they come to be wet; then fill the mouth with pepper, and it will keep a long time. to keep _wild-ducks_ fresh. draw them, and fill the body with red sage, after the inside is well pepper'd; and likewise pepper the inside of the mouth, leave on the feathers. a goose may be serv'd the same way. but if they be too long kept, or through want of care, they should receive a taint; then, when they are pull'd, wash the inside very well, with vinegar and water, and dry it well with a cloth; and scrape away, if need be, what are call'd the kidneys; then strew the inside afresh with pepper, and hang them up for an hour or two, where the air may pass through them. some in such a case will put an onion into the body, which does very well towards restoring it to a freshness; then wash out all, and prepare it for the spit. helps towards the preservation of _fish._ if you would keep fish long, kill them as soon as they are out of the water, and take out their gills; then fill their heads as much as may be, with pepper, and wipe them very dry, and pack them in dry wheat-straw. _t. r._ to make _wine_ of _white elder-berries,_ like _cyprus_ wine from mrs. _warburton_ of _cheshire._ to nine gallons of water, put nine quarts of the juice of white elder berries, which has been pressed gently from the berries, with the hand, and passed thro' a sieve, without bruising the kernels of the berries; add to every gallon of liquor three pounds of _lisbon_ sugar, and to the whole quantity put an ounce and a half of ginger, sliced, and three quarters of an ounce of cloves; then boil this near an hour, taking off the scum, as it rises, and pour the whole to cool, in an open tub, and work it with ale-yeast, spread upon a toast of white bread, for three days, and then tun it into a vessel that will just hold it; adding about a pound and a half of raisins of the sun split, to lie in the liquor till we draw it off, which should not be till the wine is fine, which you will find about _january_. this wine is so like the fine rich wine brought from _cyprus_, in its colour and flavour, that it has deceiv'd the best judges, these berries are ripe in _august_, and may be had at the ivy-house at _hoxton_. to make _wine_ of _black elder-berries,_ which is equal to the best _hermitage_ claret; from _henry marsh,_ esq. _of hammersmith._ take nine gallons of spring water, and half a bushel of elder-berries, pick'd clean from the stalks; boil these till the berries begin to dimple, then gently strain off the liquor, and to every gallon of it put two pounds of good _lisbon_ sugar, and boil it an hour; then let it stand to cool, in an open tub, for if it was to cool in the copper, or brass kettle, it was boil'd in, the liquor would be ill-tasted. when it is almost cool, spread some ale-yeast upon a toast of white bread, and put it into the liquor, to work three days in the open tub, stirring the liquor once or twice a day, and then tun it in a vessel of a right size, to hold it: at the same time add to every gallon one pound of raisins of the sun whole, and let them lie in the cask till the wine is drawn off. such a small quantity of wine, as is here directed, will be fit to bottle the _january_ next after it is made, but larger casks should not be drawn off till _march_ or _april_. a receipt from _barbadoes,_ to make _rum;_ which proves very good. in _barbadoes_ the rum is made of the scum and offal of the sugar, of which they put one ninth part, or eighth part, to common water, about eighteen gallons, all together, in a wooden open vessel or tub; cover this with dry leaves of palm, or for want of them, with the leaves of _platanus_ or the leaves of fern in _england_, or the parts or leaves which flagg-brooms are made of. let this remain for nine days, till it changes of a clean yellow colour, and it will be then fit to distil; then put it into an alembic, and you will have what we call the low-wines. a day or two after distil it again, and in the cap of the still, hang a small muslin bag of sweet fennel-seeds, and the spirit will be of a fine flavour. some will use anniseed in the bag, and some use a little musk with the sweet fennel seeds, or else distil the spirit twice, _viz._, once with the sweet fennel-seeds, and the next with a little musk. _n.b._ the wooden vessels, or open tubs, must not be made of any wood that is unwholesome, or sweet-scented; such as deal, firr, or manchineel. in _england_, treacle may be used with equal success, and is cheap enough to get a good livelihood; as appears by the several ways mention'd above, that have been privately experienced. to make _citron-water,_ from _barbadoes._ take citron, or lemon flowers, for the word citron in _french_ signifies lemon; though we generally in _england_ esteem the large lemons to be citrons, and the middle-siz'd we call lemons, and the smallest of that race is call'd the lime. in these, however, there are as many varieties as we have in apples, one is finer flavour'd than the other. the oranges too are of as many different sorts, the rind of one pleasanter than the other, and the juice likewise, and so are the flowers various in their smells, some more odorous than others; yet all these are used indifferently, according to the kinds that happen to grow upon the several estates, where the citron-water is made, and this is the reason why one sort is better than another; and therefore, those who have the most pleasant sorts, make the best waters of this kind. we must take, either of citron, lemon, or orange-flowers, four ounces to a gallon of clean spirit, or _french_-brandy; put these in the spirits, with two pounds of white sugar-candy, beaten fine: then take of the best citron-peels, or lemon-peels, six ounces, and let them steep in the spirits till the liquor is strong enough of every ingredient; and when that is done, pour it off, through a sieve. and in some places they put about half a drachm of musk to six gallons of liquor; and this has been sold for sixteen shillings the quart in _london_. to make fine _vinegar._ there is no doubt but the making of vinegar will be a considerable article, seeing that few of our fine preparations for the table can be made without it. a gentleman of great note has given me the following receipt for it, _viz._ to nine gallons of water, put eighteen pounds of _malaga_ raisins, chopt a little, stalks and all; put this into a cask, bound with iron hoops, and place it in the warmest exposure you can find in the open air: then take a _florence_ flask, divested of its straw, and put the neck of it into the bung-hole, fixing it as close as may be, with some linnen-cloth, and a little pitch and rosin melted together. by this means, if the weather prove fair and warm, your vinegar will be fit for use in three weeks time. the use of the glass, is, that in the heat of the day it will fill itself with the liquor, and when the cool of the evening comes on, that liquor will again be return'd into the cask; by which means the liquor will become sour much sooner than it will otherwise do. as soon as it is clear, draw it off. to make _irish usquebaugh;_ from lord _capell's_ receipt, when he was lord lieutenant of _ireland._ to every gallon of _french_-brandy, put one ounce of liquorice sliced, one ounce of sweet fennel-seeds, one ounce of anniseeds, one pound of raisins of the sun split and stoned, a quarter of a pound of figs split, two drachms of coriander-seeds, let these infuse about eight or nine days, and pour the liquor clear off, then add half an ounce of saffron, in a bag, for a day or two, and when that is out, put in a drachm of musk. if when this composition is made, it seems to be too high a cordial for the stomach, put to it more brandy, till you reduce it to the temper you like. this is the same receipt king _william_ had when he was in _ireland_. to make green _usquebaugh._ to every gallon of _french_-brandy put one ounce of anniseeds, and another of sweet fennel-seeds, two drachms of coriander-seeds. let these infuse nine days, then take of the spirit of saffron one drachm, distil'd from spirit of wine, mix with the rest; infuse during this time some liquorice sliced in spirits, one pound of raisins of the sun, and filter it; put then a quart of pure white-wine to a gallon of the liquor, and when all is mix'd together, take the juice of spinach boil'd, enough to colour it; but do not put the spinach juice into the liquor till it is cold. to this put one pound of white sugar candied, finely powder'd, to a gallon of liquor. to make a _cabbage-pudding;_ from a gentlewoman in _suffolk,_ as it was written by herself. sir, you will excuse me, if i send you a receipt for a pudding, which is accounted so agreeable by my acquaintance, that they think it worth a place in your book, call'd, _the lady's monthly director_, in the management of the several products of a farm. it may as well be made by people of the lower as of the higher rank. take a piece of boil'd beef, which is not always done enough; the parts of it which are the least done, and chop them small: take as much boil'd cabbage as you have meat, and chop that as small as the beef, season this with pepper and salt, and two or three eggs beaten, to mix it up in the manner of farced meat. whatever else of seasoning you like, put it to it; and when it is made into a thin paste, put the mixture into a linnen-cloth, and boil it till it is enough, then serve it to the table. but this pudding is much better made with raw salt beef and boil'd cabbage, for is makes an extraordinary paste, and is much softer and fuller of gravey than the first. _n.b._ if it is of the first sort, the quantity of half a quartern loaf of fine bread, may boil an hour, and the latter sort may boil an hour and a half. _i am yours,_ c. b. serve it with butter and gravey, with lemon-juice. of the _gourmandine-pea,_ and its several ways of dressing. _p.s._ you have mention'd in one of your books a sort of pea, which is call'd the gourmandine, or gourmand; which i suppose one may call, in _english_, the glutton's pea, because we eat all of it. for the pods of it are very sweet and have no film, or skin in them, so that the cods may be as well eaten as the peas themselves; for which reason, when we have drawn the strings from them, as we do from kidney beans, you may broil them upon a gridiron, and serving them with gravey sauce, they are very good; or to cut them into pieces, and fry them with mutton steaks; or else you may fry them with beef, and they are still better. but the best way, is to cut them cross, as you do _french_-beans, and stew them in gravey with a little pepper and salt, there is not any thing in my opinion can eat better, and to be put in a gravey soop, are incomparable; especially, if they have been parboil'd, and rubb'd dry, and then fry'd in burnt butter. the smallest dwarf crooked sugar-pea, that you recommend, is of the same quality, but rather better, for all these uses, being somewhat sweeter than the former, and the pod fuller of pulp. c. b. to make _verjuice_ of grapes, unripe, or of crab-apples; from _j. s._ esq. take grapes full grown, just before they begin to ripen, and bruise them, without the trouble of picking them from the bunches; then put them in a bag, made of horse-hair, and press them till the juice is discharged; put this liquor into a stone jar, leaving it uncover'd for some days, then close it and keep it for use. this verjuice is much richer than that of the crab-apple, and has a much greater influence in the way of callico-printing; but is harder to come at, few people being willing to gather their grapes unripe; but where there is a large quantity, it is well worth while. _n.b._ it will do well, if the liquor is put into common casks, but is nicer to the palate if it is kept in glazed jars of about eight or nine gallons, and the berries might then be pick'd from the stalks. keep this in a good vault, and it will remain good for three or four years as verjuice; but a little more time will make it lose its sourness, and it will become like wine. the verjuice of crab-apples should be made of the wild crab, which produces thorns on its branches, and brings a small round apple, such as are common to be planted for fences. i am the more particular in this, because some apples, which are call'd wildings, are supposed to have a sharp juice, but such will soften by keeping a year or two. take the crabs, i speak of, in _october_, and grind them in a mill, such as they use for making cyder; then press the liquor, and put it into vessels like the former. besides the agreeable taste this has, as an _agresta_ at the table, it is good for the callico printers. a dry travelling powder, for sauce, or pocket-sauce. from _mynheer vanderport_ of _antwerp._ take pickled mango, and let it dry three or four days in the room; then reduce it to powder by means of a grater. take of this powder six ounces, to which add three ounces of mushrooms, dry'd in a gentle oven, and reduced to powder, by beating in a mortar; add to this, a dram of mace powder'd, half as much cloves powder'd; or in their room, a large nutmeg grated, and a dram of black pepper, beat fine: mix these ingredients well together, and sift them through an open hairsieve: and half a tea spoonful, or less, of the powder will relish any sauce you have a mind to make, though it be a quart or more, putting it into the sauce, when it is warm. to this, one may add about nine grains of sweet basil, dry'd and powder'd; or of summer sweet marjoram powder'd. if we use this sauce for fish, it is extremely good, adding only a little anchovy liquor and white wine. to preserve _grapes_ all the winter. take an earthen jar, well glaz'd, that will hold about six gallons, or more; then dry some oats, a little, in the sun, upon leads if you can, so that they have lost some part of their moisture; lay them then two inches thick, at the bottom of the jar, and upon them, your bunches of grapes, gathered full ripe and dry; and if in any bunch there is a rotted grape, cut it off, and see that your bunches are quite clean in their berries; and besides, that all the parts you have cut the grapes from, are quite dry. lay these on the oats, and upon them put two inches thick of oats, dry'd as before; and on them again, a layer of grapes, and so the oats upon them, continuing this practice till the vessel is full. then take a cork, well soak'd in oil, and stop it close in the jar, and seal it up with pitch, bees-wax, and a little rosin, melted together, and keep it in a cool place; but to bury it three foot under ground, is better. a collar of _mutton_ roasted. from _st. edmund's-bury_ in _suffolk._ take a coast of mutton, which is the neck and breast together, skin it in the whole piece; then parboil it, and prepare a mixture of crumbs of bread; lemon-peel grated, a little pepper, salt, nutmeg, or sweet marjoram powder'd, which answers the end of most spices, or else a little dry'd sweet basil, which we call _bush-basil_, in the gardens. to this, add the yolks of six hard eggs, beat in a mortar, with six ounces of butter; mix this with the other ingredients; then take the inside of the mutton, and cover it with this mixture, and roll it up as close as can be, and secure it in the roll; so that it may be close for the spit. it must be spitted through the middle length-ways, and basted with butter, salting it every now and then, and the gratings of crusts of bred should be sprinkled upon it, with the seasoning above. just before it is enough, when it is taken off the spit, serve it with strong gravey and lemon or orange juice, and garnish with lemon or orange sliced; or when oysters are in season, add fry'd oysters: _viz._ to fry _oysters_ for a plate, or the garnish of the foregoing dish. make a batter of eggs and flower, crumbs of bread, and a little mace, beaten fine. stew some large oysters in their own liquor gently, and wipe them dry, and flower them: dip them, after this, in the batter, and fry them in very hot butter, or lard, or seam of an hog; and they will be incrustated, or cover'd, with a sort of paste, which will be very agreeable, either for a plate, or to garnish a dish. if we have them alone, serve them with some of the liquor, a little butter, some white wine, boiling first some spices in the liquor. of a _sturgeon,_ how it ought to be cured, for cold meat, or dressed hot for the table. the sturgeon is a fish commonly found in the northern seas; but now and then, we find them in our great rivers; the _thames_, the _severn_ and the _tyne_. this fish is of a very large size; even sometimes to measure eighteen foot in length. they are in great esteem when they are fresh taken, to be cut in pieces, of eight or ten pounds, and roasted or baked; besides, to be pickled and preserv'd for cold treats: and moreover, the caviar, which is esteem'd a dainty, is the spawn of this fish. to cure, or pickle, _sturgeon;_ from _hamborough._ take a sturgeon, gut it and clean it very well, within side, with salt and water; and in the same manner clean the outside, wiping both very dry with coarse cloths, without taking any of the great scales from it: then take off the head, the fins and tail; and if there is any spawn in it, save it to be cured for caviar. when this is done, cut your fish into small pieces, of about four pounds each, and take out the bones, as clean as possible, and lay them in salt and water for twenty-four hours; then dry them well with coarse cloths; and such pieces as want to be rolled up, tie them close with bass-strings, that is, the strings of bark which compose the bass mats, such as the gardeners use: for that being flat, like tape, will keep the fish close in the boiling, which would otherwise break, if it was tied with pack-thread. strew some salt over the pieces, and let them lie three days; then provide a piece of wicker, made flat, aid wide as the copper or cauldron you will boil your fish in, with two or three strings, fasten'd to the edges, the ends of which should hang over the edges of the copper. the pans we generally boil our fish in, are shallow and very broad; then make the following pickle, _viz._ one gallon of vinegar to four gallons of water, and to that quantity put four pounds of salt. when this boils, put in your fish; and when it is boil'd enough, take it out, and lay it in single pieces, upon hurdles, to drain, or upon such boards as will not give any extraordinary taste to the fish. some will boil in this pickle a quarter of a pound of whole black pepper. when your fish is quite cold, lay it in clean tubs, which are call'd kits, and cover it with the liquor it was boil'd in, and close it up, to be kept for use. if at any time you perceive the liquor to grow mouldy, or begin to mother, pass it through a sieve; add some fresh vinegar to it, and boil it: and when it is quite cold, wash your fish in some of it, and lay your pieces a-fresh in the tub, covering them with liquor as before, and it will keep good several months. this is generally eaten with oil and vinegar. to prepare the _caviar,_ or _spawn,_ of the _sturgeon._ wash it well in vinegar and water, and then lay it in salt and water two or three days; then boil it in fresh water and salt; and when it is cold, put it up for use. this is eaten upon toasts of white bread with a little oil. to roast a piece of fresh _sturgeon;_ from mr. _ralph titchbourn,_ cook. take a piece of fresh sturgeon, of about eight or ten pounds; let it lie in water and salt, six or eight hours, with its great scales on: then fasten it on the spit, and baste it well with butter for a quarter of an hour; and after that, drudge it with grated bread, flour, some nutmeg, a little mace powder'd, pepper and salt, and some sweet herbs dry'd and powder'd, continuing basting and drudging of it till it is enough. then serve it up with the following sauce, _viz._ one pint of thin gravey and oyster liquor, with some horse-radish, lemon-peel, a bunch of sweet herbs, some whole pepper, and a few blades of mace, with a whole onion, an anchovy, a spoonfull or two of liquid katchep, or some liquor of pickled walnuts, with half a pint of white wine: strain it off, and put in as much butter as will thicken it. to this put oysters parboil'd, shrimps or prawns pickt, or the inside of a crab, which will make the same sauce very rich; then garnish with fry'd oysters, lemon sliced, butter'd crabs and fry'd bread, cut in handsome figures, and pickled mushrooms. _n.b._ if you have no katchep, you may use mushroom gravey, mention'd in the first part of your treatise, or some of the travelling sauce in the same book, or else a small tea spoonful of the dry pocket-sauce. to roast a collar, or fillet, of _sturgeon;_ from the same. take a piece of fresh sturgeon; take out the bones, and cut the fleshy part into lengths, about seven or eight inches; then provide some shrimps, chopt small with oysters; some crumbs of bread, and such seasoning of spice as you like, with a little lemon-peel grated. when this is done, butter one side of your fish, and strew some of your mixture upon it; then begin to roll it up, as close as possible, and when the first piece is rolled up, then roll upon that another, prepared as before, and bind it round with a narrow fillet, leaving as much of the fish apparent as may be. but you must remark, that the roll should not be above four inches and a half thick; for, else one part would be done enough before the inside was hardly warm'd: therefore, i have sometimes parboil'd the inside roll before i began to roll it. when it is at the fire, baste it well with butter, and drudge it with sifted raspings of bread. serve it with the same sauce as directed for the former. a piece of fresh _sturgeon_ boiled; from the same. when your sturgeon is clean, prepare as much liquor to boil it in, as will cover it; that is, take a pint of vinegar to about two quarts of water, a stick of horse-radish, two or three bits of lemon-peel, some whole pepper, a bay-leaf or two, and a small handful of salt; boil your fish in this, till it is enough, and serve it with the following sauce. melt a pound of butter; then add some anchovy liquor; oyster liquor; some white wine; some katchep boil'd together with whole pepper and mace strain'd; put to this the body of a crab, and serve it with a little lemon-juice. you may likewise put in some shrimps, the tails of lobsters, cut to pieces, stew'd oysters, or cray-fish cut into small bits: garnish with pickled mushrooms and roasted or fry'd oysters, lemon sliced, and horse-radish scraped. to make a _sturgeon-_pye; from the same. put to a quartern of flour, two pounds of butter, and rub a third part in; then make it into a paste with water, and roll the rest in at three times; then roll out your bottom, and when it is in the dish, lay some butter, in pieces, upon it; and strew on that, a little pepper and salt. then cut your sturgeon in slices cross-ways, about three quarters of an inch thick, seasoning them with pepper, salt, nutmeg and lemon-peel grated, till your pye is full, and on the top lay on pieces of butter; then close it, and put in, just before it goes to the oven, some white wine and water; and when it is bak'd, serve it: garnish it with sliced lemon, or orange. to butter _crabs,_ from the same, for garnish for the foregoing dishes, or to be served by themselves. take middle-siz'd sea-crabs; break the claws, and pick them; then take out the body, free from all the films and boney parts; mix these together with some pepper and salt, to your mind; and when you have heated some white wine over the fire, put your mixture into it, and stir it well together, and keep it warm in a gentle oven, till you want it for use: and just before you use it, pour into your mixture a little melted butter, and stir it well in; then clean your shells, as well as possible, in hot water, and put in your mixture, and serve it to the table hot. or this mixture may be serv'd on a plate, upon sippets, with slices of lemon or orange. you should fry the sippets. the manner of pickling and drying of _sheeps_ tongues, or _hogs_ tongues, which they call _stags_ tongues; from a celebrated practitioner of forty years standing in _london._ the sheeps tongues, which are commonly bought in the _london_ markets, are the best, if they are the tongues of wethers, fed in low lands; being the largest, as they are taken from the largest sort of sheep: but the tongues of all sorts of sheep are good enough to be worth pickling. but there is this difference in the value, that one large tongue, well cured, will sell for three pence, while the smallest sort, cured in the same manner, will only sell for three half-pence, or a penny. these tongues are bought in quantities of the carcass butchers, about _whitechappel_, and other butchers about town, who kill from one hundred to six hundred sheep in a day, each butcher; and they know very well how to cut out the tongues, with all their parts to advantage: but they are afterwards trimm'd, when we receive them, into a more regular shape; by those who cure them. when we are about this work, there is one thing necessary to be observ'd, especially in hot weather, but always it is best to be done; which is, cut the fleshy part of the bottom of the tongue length-ways, and you will find, towards the root, an artery, which as soon as 'tis cut will bleed, and joining to that is a kind of sweet-bread; take these out, as clean as you can, without disfiguring the tongue; otherwise the tongues will have an ungrateful smell, and putrify: so, that if you deal by wholesale, they will be return'd upon your hands, or be a trouble to the family where they are made. wash these well, after trimming, in salt and water, and then salt them with common salt, well dry'd, in an iron kettle; one pound to half an ounce of salt-petre, or nitre, powder'd and well mix'd. rub them well with the mixture, and lay them close together in a tub, or glaz'd earthen vessel; and, after a few days, when they are salt enough, take them from the pickle, and when they are a little dry, tie them by the tips, half a dozen together; and hang them up in a chimney, where deal saw-dust is burnt, till they are smoked enough, to be cured for boiling; then boil them in their bunches, and let them dry for sale. but to come a quicker way to cure these tongues, in the pickle, as we do generally, is to make a brine or pickle in the following manner; that is, take a quantity of water, and make a pickle of it with common salt, boil'd till it will bear an egg; and then put in to every pound of salt, half an ounce of nitre, or salt-petre; and when the pickle is cold, throw in your tongues: which is the quickest way. but for drying of them, the smoking-closets will do perfectly well, only we have not always those conveniencies. the _smoking-closets,_ it is to be observ'd, from your own writings, that the smoking-closets are of great use in curing of hams; and they are no less useful in drying of tongues. i have, in a place, in the country, one of them in a garret, where we enclose a room of ten foot square, where is a chimney, into which, by a register, we let in the smoke from the fire, which is made on a hearth, on the ground floor; so that the smoke then does not come too hot on the tongues, and so preserves them from turning rusty. this is much the best way of curing them, and one may cure, in such a room, fourscore dozen at a time. this place, likewise, we cure our hung-beef in. we have try'd some sheeps tongues, salted only in a brine of common salt, and dry'd in such a room; and they are very red, and well tasted, though there is no salt-petre used in the pickle. a _carp_ pye. from mrs. _mary gordon._ put to a quartern of flour a pound and a half of butter, rubbing a third part in; and make it into a paste with water: then roll in the rest of the butter, at two or three times, and lay your paste in the dish, putting some bits of butter, on the bottom paste, with some salt and pepper, at discretion. then scale and gut your carp, and wash it with vinegar, and dry it well; and make the following pudding for the belly of the carp: _viz._ take the flesh of an eel, and mince it very small; add some grated bread, some dry'd sweet marjoram powder'd, two butter'd eggs, a small anchovy minced, a little nutmeg grated, and some salt and pepper; mix this well, and fill the belly of the carp with it; and for the remaining part, make it into balls. then cut off the tail and fins of the carp, and lay it in the crust, with the balls about it; some mushroom buttons, oysters with their fins taken off, and some shrimps, a few slices of lemon, and some thin slices of fat bacon, a little mace and some bits of butter: then close it, and before you put it into the oven, pour in half a pint of claret. serve this pye hot. to make biscuits of _potatoes._ from the same. boil the roots of potatoes, till they are tender; then peel them, and take their weight of fine sugar, finely sifted; grate some lemon-peel on the sugar; and then beat the potatoes and sugar together, in a stone mortar, with some butter, a little mace, or cloves, finely sifted, and a little gum dragon, steeped in orange-flower-water, or rose-water, till it becomes a paste; then make it into cakes with sugar, finely powder'd, and dry them in a gentle oven. to make _biscuits_ of red _beet-roots;_ from the same; call'd the _crimson biscuit._ take the roots of red-beets, and boil them tender; clean them, and beat them in a mortar with as much sugar, finely sifted; some butter; the yolks of hard eggs, a little flower; some spice, finely beaten, and some orange-flower-water, and a little lemon-juice. when they are well mix'd, and reduced to a paste, make them into cakes, and dry them in a slow oven. to boil _onions,_ that they shall lose their strong scent, and become as sweet as sugar in their taste. from the same. take the largest onions, and when you have cut off the strings of the roots, and the green tops, without taking off any of the skins, fling them into salt and water, and let them lie an hour; then wash them in it, and put them into a kettle, where they may have plenty of water, and boil them, till they are tender. then take them off, and take off as many skins, as you think fit, till you come to the white part, and then bruise them, if you will, and toss them up with cream or butter, if you use them with boil'd rabbits, or under a roasted turkey; but in the last case, this sauce should be serv'd in basons, or on plates. you may also bruise them, and strain them through a cullendar, and then put cream to them; which is esteem'd the nicest way for a turkey; or if you keep them whole, you may warm them in strong gravey, well drawn, with spice and sweet herbs; and when that is done, thicken the gravey with burnt butter, adding a little claret, or white wine; or, for want of that, a little ale. this is a sauce for a turkey roasted, or roast mutton, or lamb. _hungary-water._ from mrs. _du pont,_ of _lyons;_ which is the same, which has been famous, about _montpelier._ take to every gallon of brandy, or clean spirits, one handful of rosemary, one handful of lavender. i suppose the handfuls to be about a foot long a-piece; and these herbs must be cut in pieces, about an inch long. put these to infuse in the spirits, and with them, about an handful of myrtle, cut as before. when this has stood three days, distil it, and you will have the finest hungary-water that can be. it has been said, that rosemary flowers are better than the stalks; but they give a faintness to the water, and should not be used, because they have a quite different smell from the rosemary; nor should the flowers of myrtle be used in lieu of the myrtle, for they have a scent ungrateful, and not at all like the myrtle. the manner of making the famous _barcelona snuff,_ as it was perform'd at the _lyon_ at _barcelona;_ from the same. this is also call'd _myrtle snuff._ take _seville_ snuff, and prepare a dry barrel, that has not had any wine in it, or of any scent; then cut the fresh tops of myrtle, and lay a layer of them at the bottom of the cask, an inch or two thick; then lay snuff on that as thick, and lay on more myrtle, two inches; then again, put on snuff, and so fill the barrel in the same manner, _stratum super stratum_. then press it down with a board, that will fit, and set three weights upon it of a quarter of an hundred a-piece, and let it stand four and twenty hours; then turn it out, and sift it, flinging the myrtle away; then put it into the cask, as before, with fresh myrtle, and serve it so three times, and sift it off. when this is done, add to every ten pounds of snuff, one pound of orangery snuff, and mix the whole very well, and after three days, put it into glaz'd pots, well pressed into them, and stopt close; or else into leaden pots: which last is rather the best. to make _orangery snuff._ from the same. take _seville_ snuff and orange-flowers, fresh gather'd early in the morning. and in a glaz'd earthen vessel, lay a layer of the flowers, then a layer of snuff, then a layer of flowers; and so on, till the pot is full. press it down very gently, and let the mouth of the pot be open for twenty-four hours; then turn all out, and sift your snuff, and lay in fresh flowers, with snuff, in the same manner as before; and at the end of four and twenty hours sift it off again, and repeat the same the third time: being sure that the flowers do not remain longer than twenty-four hours, else they will sour the snuff. in making this snuff, you ought to allow at least a pound for waste, for the flowers will gather a great deal of it. to make _orange-butter._ from the same. take hogs-lard (or as in some places, call'd hogs-seame) wash this well in spring-water, beating it all the while with a piece of wood; then take orange-flowers, fresh gather'd, and melt the lard gently, and put about a quarter of a pound of the flowers into a pound of lard; let them remain ten minutes, gently keeping them warm over the fire; then strain it off, and when the lard is again cold, beat it, and wash it with orange-flower-water. then melt it gently a second time, and put in fresh flowers, in the same manner as before, and it will become of a yellow colour; and, when it is cool, beat it again with a wooden paddle and orange-flower-water, and then put it into pots for use. i should remark, that the lard should be melted by putting it in a glazed vessel, and melting it by putting the vessel into boiling water. to make flour of _mustard._ those who live in the country, or go to sea, have frequent occasion to use mustard, when there is no opportunity of getting it without extraordinary trouble. it is a sauce seldom thought on till the minute we want it; and then, according to the old way of making it, if we are lucky enough to have mustard-seed in the house, we must spend an hour in the ceremony of grinding it in a wooden bowl, and an iron cannon-bullet, according to the old custom; or, if we have mustard by us, ready made, if it has stood a week, it is then of no value, if it is in small quantity. but to obviate this difficulty, the invention of grinding mustard-seed in a mill, and thereby reducing of it to flour, to be made fit for the table in an instant, has been very well received: for by that contrivance we have it always fresh, and full of brisk spirits, and may only make just what we want without any spoil, as long as we keep a stock of this flour by us. there are two sorts of mustard: _viz._ the white sort, which is a large grain, and not so strong; and the black sort, which is a small grain. that which i account the best, is from the wild mustard, commonly found growing in _essex_, which sells the best in the markets. but from whatever place we have it, regard should be chiefly had to its being free from mustiness, which happens from the gathering the seed wet, or in the dew, and laying it close together before it is thresh'd. when this seed is dry and sweet, grind it in a mill, such as a coffee-mill; but the mill must be fresh, and free from any flavour or taint: it should not indeed be used with any other thing. when you have ground a sufficient quantity, pass it through a pretty open sieve, and the next day put it into vials with open mouths, pressing it down close; stop them well, and keep it for use. when you want good mustard for the table, take a spoonful or two of this flour, and as much boiling liquor from the pot, where beef or pork is boiled, as will make it of the consistence you desire, stirring it well till it is mixt for your purpose; or for want of such liquor, boil a little salt and water together, and mix your mustard-flour with that; but in either of these ways you must observe, that while your mustard is warm, it will last better. some who do not love their mustard overstrong, put equal quantities of the white and black mustard-seed into the mill, and then the flour will not be so poignant to the palate, and will have a brighter look. if your mill be set very sharp, the flour will be so fine, that it need hardly be sifted. to keep _anchovys_ good for a long time. from mrs. _m. n._ as the people in the country have not always the conveniency of a market near them, and the anchovy is often required for fish-sauce; so should every family keep a quantity by them. they should be large, and fresh brought over when we buy them, and feel firm to the finger; neither should they have their heads on, for they are then more apt to turn rancid and stink; and if we buy them in large quantities, the frequent opening the pot we keep them in will subject them to change. but to prevent this, as the liquor falls or shrinks, add vinegar to them, which will continue them firm and free from rotting for two years. to roast a shoulder of _mutton_ like _venison._ from the same. take a shoulder of mutton, and skin it; then lay it in the fresh blood of a sheep, well stirr'd with a little salt, as it is bleeding, for six or eight hours. when you have done this, wash it in water and salt, and at last with vinegar; or else you may steep it in an infusion of warm water, a gallon, and half a quarter of an ounce of _brazil_-wood rasp'd. you may steep it in this liquor for four hours, or else you may let it pass half an hour in a gentle oven with water and salt, and a small piece of _brazil_-wood in it; either of which will give it a colour: but i think the two last are better than the blood. roast it then for its time, basting it well with water and salt, till it is near enough, and then give it a little sprinkling of salt and raspings of bread, with some flour well mixt. the sauce for this is claret boil'd with cinnamon, sweetned with a little sugar and crumbs of bread grated: but some will use the claret, sugar and cinnamon without the crumbs, in saucers; as it is now the most common way in noblemens families to do venison. but in the dish with the artificial shoulder of venison, put a strong gravey of beef; or made of some of the beef-glue which you have recommended in your book. to make a _hare-pye,_ for a cold treat. from the same. take the flesh of an hare, and beat it in a marble mortar; then add as many butter'd eggs as will almost equal the quantity of the hare's-flesh. mix these together with a little fat bacon cut small, some pepper and salt, and a little powder of cloves and mace, or sweet marjoram, to your pleasure, and mix them very well; then lay in your paste, and butter it well at the bottom with some seasoning, strew'd upon it, and lay in your preparation, and cover it with butter; then close it, and serve it when it is cold. to preserve _ginger,_ and reduce the common _ginger_ for that purpose. from the same. take the large roots of ginger, and pour scalding water upon them; and when that is cool, pour on some more scalding water: and so repeat the same till the seventh or eighth time, or till you find the ginger soft, and very much swell'd. then warm some white wine, and put it in that, for a few hours, stirring it frequently while it is in any of the liquors. boil the last liquor with fine sugar to a syrup; then put in your ginger, and boil it for some time; then set it by till the next day, and repeat the boiling of the ginger, adding every now and then a little white wine, till the ginger begins to look a little clear; and when it is cold, put it into glasses, or glazed jars, stopping it close. _marmalade_ of _oranges_ and _lemons._ from the same. it is necessary to boil the rinds of each in several waters, till the bitterness is lost, and that they are reduced to a tenderness, such as you like; then beat them in a marble mortar with as much of the pulp of golden-pippins, or golden-rennets, as you think proper. then take their weight of sugar well powder'd, and a pint of water to every pound of sugar; boil your sugar and water, and when you have made a syrup, put in your pulp, and boil them all together till they are clear. then put in the juice of oranges and lemons, so much as will give you the taste you desire; then boil it over again till it jellies, and put it into glasses, keep this in a dry place. to make _syrup_ of _mulberries._ from the same. press out the juice of mulberries with your hands, and pass it through a sieve; and when it has stood to settle, pour off the clear, and put to it, its weight of fine sugar; put this into a gallypot, and set that pot into a kettle of hot water, which should be kept simmering near two hours: stir the syrup every now and then with a silver spoon, and take off what scum may rise at times, upon it; when it is enough, let it stand till it is quite cold, and then put it into clear dry bottles with large mouths, and stop them close. keep this in a dry place. it is to be remark'd, that besides this syrup is very cooling; its use is to colour stew'd apples, or puddings, or any sweet preparation made with flour or fruit: for in itself it carries no flavour that will be predominant over that of another fruit. of _syrup_ of _raspberries, currans,_ or other fruits. from the same. these syrups are made like the former, by pressing out the juice with the hands; because if the seeds are broken, they would have an ill taste. treat these in the making just in the same way as the former, and use them in the same manner, to colour any sweet preparation; but remember, where you put any of the raspberry syrup, the flavour of the raspberry will prevail. to make a _raspberry-_pudding. from the same. take a pint of cream, and grate into it four penny _naples_ biscuits; then take the yolks of eight hard eggs chopt and broken small; then beat four eggs and put in two spoonfuls of flour, and as much powder of double-refined sugar; then put in as much syrup of raspberries as you think proper to give it a flavour and a colour. if you find that your composition is not thick enough, you may grate in more _naples_ biscuit. mix all this well together, and, if you will, make a fine crust roll'd thin and laid in a dish, and bake it in a gentle oven. _parsnip-cakes._ from the same. scrape some parsnip-roots, and slice them thin, dry them in an oven and beat them to powder; mix them then with an equal quantity of flour, and make them up with cream and spices powder'd; then mould them into cakes, and bake them in a gentle oven. _n.b._ the sweetness of the parsnip powder answers the want of sugar. to make _raspberry_ bak'd cakes. from the same. take potatoes and boil them, and when they are peel'd, beat them in a marble mortar with half the quantity of fine sugar powder'd; then put in some of your raspberry syrup, till it is coloured with it, and make up your cakes in fine sugar powder'd. then dry them, or bake them, in a gentle oven, _note_, these cakes should be made thin. of _ortolans._ from mr. _renaud._ the _ortolan_ is a bird brought from _france_, and is fed in large cages with canary-seeds till they become a lump of fat; and when they are fully fatted, they must be killed, or else they will feed upon their own flesh. when we kill them, you must take them by the beak, and holding it close between your finger and thumb, the bird will be stifled in about a minute; then pick off the feathers even those of the head, and pass a fine skewer through them, just under the wings, and roast them quick; setting small toasts under them to drip upon. serve them with strong gravey, and as much white wine hot, and garnish with slices of lemon and raspings of bread sifted and toasted before the fire. to make _sugar comfits_ of any sort. from mrs. _anne shepherd_ of _norwich._ the seeds which we generally make comfitts of, are carraways, coriander and anise-seeds; these, when they are cover'd with sugar, are call'd comfits, (_confects_). the instruments to be employ'd for this use, are first a deep-bottom'd bason of bell-metal, or brass, well tinn'd, to be hung over some hot coals. secondly, you must have a broad pan to put hot coals in. thirdly, provide a brass ladle to pour the sugar upon the seeds. fourthly, you must have a brass slice to scrape off the sugar that may chance to hang upon the side of the hanging bason. then take care that your seeds are dry, or dry them well in your hanging pan. to every quarter of a pound of seeds use two pounds of fine sugar beaten; unless to anise-seeds, use two pounds of sugar to half a pound of seeds. to begin the work, put three pounds of fine sugar into the bason with one pint of water, to be stirr'd well together till the sugar is wet; and boil it gently, till the sugar will rope from the ladle like turpentine, and it is enough. keep this however warm, upon warm embers, that it may run. freely in a ropy way from the ladle upon the seeds. when this is ready, move the seeds briskly in the bason, and fling on them half a ladle-full at a time of the hot sugar, keeping the seeds moving for some time; which will make them take the sugar the better, and be sure to dry them well after every covering, by moving the bason, and stirring the comfits. in an hour, you may make three pounds of comfits: you will know when they are coated enough with sugar, by their becoming as large as you would have them. there is no certain rule, but our own fancies, for the size of them. _note_, till they are as you would have them, cast on more melted sugar, as at first, and keep them stirring and shaking in the pan, drying them well after every coat of sugar. if you would have ragged or rough comfits, make your sugar so liquid, that it will run from the ladle; and let it fall upon the seeds about a foot and a half high. let it be very hot, for the hotter it is, the rougher will be your comfits; and for all that, the comfits will not take so much sugar as one may imagine from their appearance. put on at each time only one ladle-full, and in ten times repeating it your comfits will be perfectly well coated. for plain comfits; let not your melted sugar be too hot at first, nor too thick; neither pour it on the seeds too high: but the last two or three coverings may be thicker and hotter. as for coriander-seeds, which are large, three pounds of sugar will only cover a quarter of a pound of them. while your are at work, you should keep your melted sugar in good temper, that it may not gather into lumps, or burn to the bottom of the pan; and to prevent its growing too thick at any time, put to it a spoonful or two of water, gently stirring it now and then with your ladle, keeping your fire very clear under your pan. when your comfits are made, put them upon papers in dishes, and set them before the fire, or in a declining oven, which will make them look of a snow white; when they are cool, put them in boxes, or in crystal bottles. to make _comfits_ of various colours. from the same. if you would have your comfits of a red colour, infuse some red saunders in the water till it is deep colour'd enough; or else take some cochineel, and infuse it till the liquor is red enough; or put some syrup of mulberries with water to the sugar. if of a yellow colour; use saffron in water, which you are to mix with the sugar. if green; take the juice of spinach, and boil it with the sugar: so will your comfits be of the several colours above-mention'd. to preserve _orange_ and _lemons-peels_ in jelly. from the same. cut some of the fairest oranges and lemons in halves; then scoop out all the pulp and inside, and boil them in several waters till they are so tender, that you may pass a straw through them; then wash them in cold water. boil then the following preparation: _viz._ the quantity of a quart of water to every pound of peel; and in it some thin slices of golden-pippins, or golden rennets, till the water becomes slippery. then to this water, add as much sugar as will boil it to a strong syrup; then put in your peels and scald them, and set them by till the day following, and boil them again till the syrup will jelly. then put your peels into your glasses, and put into your syrup the juice of three large oranges, and one lemon strain'd, and boil it till it will make a stiff jelly, and pour it upon your peels. when this is quite cold, then put papers over the glasses, and keep them in a dry place. you may also pare the rinds, in rings or slices, and boil them as before; and in every respect treat them as you are directed to preserve the halves of oranges. to preserve _orange-flowers_ in jelly. gather your orange-flowers, in the morning early, when they are just open, and take the leaves of them. boil these gently in two or three waters, passing them every time through a sieve: shift the waters often, to take out the too great bitterness, but don't boil them too soft, nor to lose their whiteness. when this is done, make a strong jelly'd syrup with water and fine sugar, and add some juice of lemon or orange to it; then pour it on the leaves of the orange-flowers; and when it is cold, cover your glasses with paper. _n.b._ you may thicken your syrup with the pulp of pippins. _lemon-_cakes. from mrs. _anne shepperd_ of _norwich._ take out the pulp of lemons, as little bruis'd as possible; then boil some sugar to a candied height, and put to it the pulp and juice, and stir it quickly; then put it into a stove or into hot sand. when you observe that it begins to candy on one side, then turn them out of the glasses with a wet knife on the other side, and let that candy too, in the same manner; when all is done, put them in a box between papers, and keep them in a dry place. _tripe_ of _eggs._ from mr. _fontaine._ take the whites of eggs, and beat them very well in a porringer; prepare then some hot water and vinegar with a little salt, and then put in the eggs, till they are hard; then cut them in pieces about an inch square, and then take some white wine, and as much water and some salt. put this in a pan, and heat it over the fire with a little parsley, an onion and some spice; when it is hot, serve it up with butter and mustard, and it will eat like tripe: or else you may serve it like a ragoust, with the following sauce; _viz._ sauce for the artificial _tripe_ in _ragoust._ from the same. take strong gravey made of beef, and the ingredients which are mention'd in the drawing of gravey. warm it with a little white wine, and thicken the sauce with burnt butter: then, when the eggs are warm'd, pour the sauce over them. _bacon froize,_ or _fraise._ from mrs. _bradbury._ cut fat bacon in small pieces, about an inch long, and then prepare ten or a dozen eggs well beat; put in a little milk, some spice, at pleasure, and some flour; then put some lard or seam of an hog into a pan, and make it very hot; and when it is so, pour in the mixture, and clap a dish over it, after you have thrown some of the seam upon it. when the froize is done enough on one side, turn it with the dish, and fry it till it is quite enough. then serve it with a garnish of sliced lemons and a little butter, first letting it drain. _clary_ and _eggs,_ from the same. take eight or ten eggs; beat them well in a porringer; then take some clary leaves, and chop them small; add a little pepper and salt, and some onion chopt small. this mixture must be fry'd in hot lard or hog-seam, and serve it with slices of lemon. to stew a _pig._ from the same. roast a pig till it is hot; then take off the skin and cut it in pieces; then take some white wine and good gravey, and stew it with an onion, some pepper, salt, some nutmeg, a little sweet marjoram, and some elder vinegar, with some butter; and when it is enough, lay it upon sippits, and garnish with sliced lemon. to stew a _pig_ another way. from the same. roast a pig till you can take off the skin; cut it then in small pieces, and stew it in white wine, with a bunch of sweet herbs, an onion, some pepper and salt, a few cloves, or a little sweet marjoram powder'd. when it is enough, strain off the liquor it was boil'd in, and in some of that put some mushrooms, and thicken it with cream, and it will make an excellent dish. you may garnish it with sliced lemon and pickled barberries. to make a _fricassee_ of sheeps trotters. clean them very well from the hair; then wash them in vinegar and water; then take out the bones, and boil them in salt and water with a little lemon-peel. when they are hot, give them either of the following sauces. for a white sauce, take the following: _viz._ take some water, with some salt, a few sweet herbs, some whole pepper, some lemon-peel and a bit of horse-radish, a shallot, and a little white wine. when it is strong enough relish'd, then strain it off, and take a little of it, and mix it with butter to thicken it, or cream would do better, about half a pint: pour this over the sheeps trotters with a few capers, and serve it up with slices of lemons. a brown _fricassee_ of sheeps trotters. dress them as before, and when they are fit for sauce, then take some hogs lard, and make it very hot in a pan, then put in your trotters, when they are well covered with flour, and when they are done enough, pour over them a sauce made of gravey, some claret and some mushrooms thickned with burnt butter. this will make a good brown fricassee; and serve it up with a garnish of lemon sliced, barberries pickled, some raspings of bread lifted, and toasted before the fire. to make a _lumber-pye._ from _exeter._ take a pound of lean veal, free from strings, shred it very small, season it with cloves and mace powder'd, some powder of dry'd sweet herbs, some lemon-peel grated, some pepper and salt, three large spoonfulls of grated bread, a little juice of lemon, and five or six butter'd eggs. mix these ingredients well together into a paste or as a farced meat for balls about the bigness of small wallnuts; then take two or three large veal sweat breads, and cut them in pieces; then provide a pint of mushroom buttons well clean'd, and the yolks of eight hard eggs cut in halves, a dozen coxcombs well scalded and clean'd: lay these with a seasoning of pepper and salt in a good paste that covers the bottom of your dish; first laying bits of butter on the paste at the bottom. some will put about half a pound of currans into this pye; but every one to their fancy. when your ingredients are disposed in your dish, lay on about four ounces of marrow, and the quantity of six ounces of butter, and then close it. just before you set it in the oven, pour into your pye half a pint of water; and as soon as you take it out, pour in half a pint of white wine warm'd, and serve it hot. to make _orange_ or _lemon_ tarts. from mrs. _j. s._ take the rinds of half a score oranges or lemons, and salt them four hours; then boil them in four or five waters till they are tender, and beat them in a marble mortar till they are reduced to a pulp; then squeeze in the juice of as many of the oranges or lemons as you think fit, and sweeten the whole very well with fine sugar, and boil it till it is thick, stirring it while it boils, that it may not burn; then let it stand till it is cold, and put it into your paste. when you serve it, strew fine sugar over it. serve it cold. to make _lemon_ cheesecakes. from mrs. _m.n._ grate the rind of a large lemon, into the yolks of eight raw eggs, being first very well beat; then add a quarter of a pound of fine sugar well beaten and sifted, and four ounces of fresh butter; warm these gently over a fire, keeping it stirring all the while till it begins to thicken; then take it off, and put it in the coffins made of puff crust, and bake your cheesecakes in a gentle oven. to make _orange_ or _lemon_ cheesecakes, another way. from the same. take the rind of a large lemon or orange, and boil it in four or five waters till it is quite tender, and free from its bitterness; then either shred it or beat it very fine in a marble mortar with the yolks of eight hard eggs, six ounces of loaf-sugar finely powder'd, and a spoonfull of orange-flower-water: mix this then with as much cream, and two eggs beat, as will render it of the consistence of cheesecake-meat before it is baked; then put it into your coffins, and bake them in a gentle oven. you may put in currans if you please, but they are generally omitted: however, if you like to have them, let them be first plump'd a little over the fire in sugar and water. the best way for these cheesecakes is to make the coffins in patty-pans, and fill them with the meat near an inch thick. the proportions mention'd above will serve to direct for a large quantity. to make _cheesecakes._ from lady g. take a quart of tender curd, and drain it from the whey; then break it small; then take a quarter of an ounce of mace finely powder'd, and eight ounces of fine sugar sifted, eight yolks of eggs well beaten, four ounces of blanched almonds beat fine in a marble mortar with rose-water, or orange-flower-water, and grate four penny _naples_ biscuits into a pint of cream, and boil them together over a gentle fire, stirring it all the while till it is as thick as an hasty pudding; then mix with it eight ounces of butter, and put it to the curd, but not too hot: mix then all well together, and put it in your paste. a _sorrel_ tart. from the same. wash some spinach and sorrel leaves in two or three waters, for they are apt to gather dirt; then either shred them, and squeeze the juice out through a cloth, or else beat them in a mortar of marble, and strain off the juice; about half a pint of juice will be enough: then shred into it about a quart measure of the same herbs, and add six ounces of fine sugar beaten, and some spice, with the yolks of six hard eggs bruised, and well mix'd with it, and two eggs raw well beaten; then put in half a pint of cream, stirring it well, and put it in a paste, then bake it in a very gentle oven. when it is done, sift on some fine sugar, and garnish with orange and lemon sliced; you may put in some orange-flower-water, if you think convenient. to make _umble pye._ from _mr. thomas fletcher_ of _norwich._ take the umbles of a deer and boil them tenderly, and when they are cold, chop them as small as meat for minc'd pyes, and shred to them as much beef-suet, six large apples, half a pound of sugar, a pound of currans, a little salt, and as much cloves, nutmeg and pepper powder'd as you see convenient; then mix them well together, and when they are put into the paste, pour in half a pint of sack, the juice of two lemons and an orange: and when this is done, close the pye, and when it is baked, serve it hot to the table. to stew peaches. from the same. take peaches when they are so ripe that they begin to smell; then pare them and slit them, and the sorts i recommend will leave the stones. put these in a silver plate, or on such a one as will not communicate any ill taste to them, and pour over them a syrup made of pippins, water and sugar boil'd till it is a jelly, and add a little white wine; then stew them gently over a clear fire till they are tender; and serve them with fine sugar sifted upon them. in some cafes they pour cream upon them. red _peach tarts._ from the same. take your peaches, as before directed, and order them as you did before in paring them and slitting them; then lay them into the coffins, and when you have sifted on them some fine powder'd loaf-sugar, pour over them some syrup of raspberries or mulberries, and bake them gently: they will be tender and very highly flavoured, if you put raspberries to them, and finely colour'd; but to have them more of their own taste, put syrup of mulberries to them, and they will be finely colour'd. the coffins or crust ought to be made of melting paste, with fine sugar in it. _bitters_ to be drank with wine. take a quart of clean spirit, or good brandy, and put into it an ounce of gentian root sliced, one ounce and a half of dry'd orange-peel, and one drachm of _virginia_ snake-root; add to this half a drachm of cochineel, and half a drachm of loaf-sugar; which last will heighten the bitter to admiration. a little of this bitter in a glass of white wine creates an appetite. to stew _wild-ducks._ from _amsterdam._ when your ducks are ready prepar'd for the fire, rub their inside with pepper, salt, and a little powder of cloves, a shallot or two, with a lump of butter in the belly of each of them; then lay them in an earthen glazed pan, that will just hold them, and put three quarters of a pound of butter under and over your ducks: then pour in a pint of vinegar, and as much water with some salt, pepper, some lemon-peel, some cloves whole, a bunch of sweet herbs, and covering the pan close, let them stew three or four hours. then pass the liquor through a sieve, and pour it over your ducks; and serve them hot with garnish of lemon sliced and raspings of bread sifted. this method serves likewise for easterlings, widgeons, teal and such like. to stew a salted brisket of _beef._ from mr. _la fontaine._ to a pound of common salt, put one ounce of salt-petre, and rub your beef well with it, and let it lie a week; then lard the skin of it with bacon-fat, and lay it in a stew-pan that will shut close. cut a lemon in half with its rind, and lay a-part on each side the beef; then put in a bunch of sweet herbs, some whole cloves, half a nutmeg sliced, some pepper, an onion, or three or four shallots, half a pound of butter, a pint of claret, and a quart of water; shut your pan close, and let it stew gently five or six hours till it is very tender. then having some boil'd turnip cut in dice, flour them and fry them brown; then pour off the liquor the beef was stew'd in, and having passed it through a sieve, thicken it with burnt butter, and mix your fry'd turnips with it, and pour all together over your beef; garnish with lemon sliced, and raspings of bread sifted, and serve it hot, it is an excellent dish. neck of _mutton_ ragou'd. from the same. take a neck of mutton clean from bones, and strip it from the skin; salt it a little, and let it lie till the next day. in the mean while, bake the bones with a slice or two of fat bacon, a faggot of sweet herbs, some spice, a little salt and some lemon-peel, with half a pint of water, and half a pint of claret, to cover them; then lay your mutton in a pan, and when your baked gravey is passed through a sieve, pour it into the pan to the mutton; but first lard the fat part of the mutton with lemon-peel, and the leaner part with fat of bacon; then strew some grated bread and spice over the mutton, which will not be cover'd with the baked gravey; and when you have closed your pan, stew it gently four hours. then lay it in the dish, and when you have thickned the sauce with burnt butter, put a pint of mushroom buttons, either fresh and parboil'd, or pickled, into it, and toss them up till they are hot; then pour them all over your meat, and serve it hot, garnish'd with lemon sliced, red beet-roots pickled and sliced, capers, and horse-radish scrap'd. stew'd _beef_ in _soup._ from the same. take four pounds of beef, indifferently lean, and cut it in eight or ten pieces. put these into a pan that may be close cover'd, and then about three quarts of water, and a pint of white wine, some pepper and salt, some powder of dry'd sweet marjoram, a few cloves powder'd, half a dozen small turnips cut in dice, a carrot or two cut in the same manner, the white part of a large leek shred small, some leaves of white beet, two heads of sallery shred, and a piece of bread-crust burnt; cover close, and stew this for six hours, and serve it hot. you may garnish with lemon sliced. to dress the _liver_ and _crow_ of an _hog._ from mrs. _johnson_ in _devereux-court._ however this dish may seem dispiseable, yet if it is well dresed, few of the savoury dishes exceed it. the liver and crow of an hog, with the sweet-breads, should be used presently after the hog is kill'd, and the liver cut in lumps, twice as big as a walnut, and not in thin pieces as most do; for then they will become hard in the dressing. the crow must likewise be cut in slips about the breadth of two fingers, and so must the sweet-breads; then parboil the pieces of liver, and make a thick batter of flour, water and eggs, mixing a little salt with it, and prepare some red sage shred very fine; some grated bread, and some pepper beaten: mix these together, and when you have some butter, or lard, very hot in your frying-pan, dip the crow and sweet-bread in the batter, and immediately dip your pieces in the mixture of bread, sage, _&c._ and throw them into the pan. when these are enough, lay them to drain before the fire, and then dip the bits of liver into the batter; and after that, into the crumb'd bread, and give them a turn or two in the pan, over a quick fire: then drain them like the others, and serve them hot with butter and mustard. _sea-larks_ or _oysters,_ roasted on spits or skewers. from the same. take large oysters, and wash them from dirt; then dip them in batter made with milk, flour, powder of mace, some eggs and a little pepper; then dip them again in crumbs of bread grated, and some mace powder'd, and put them on a fine skewer, broad-side to broad-side, or upon silver lark spits; and when they are at the fire, flour them well, and baste them with butter till they are enough. prepare for them, while they are roasting, the following sauce: take crumbs of bread, a little pepper and salt, and a blade or two of mace with a little nutmeg, and boil them in some of the oyster-liquor till the bread is tender and like a pulp, and tastes well of the spice; then put in a glass of white wine, and mix it well, and serve it hot, in a plate, with the roasted oysters over the sauce. a shoulder of _mutton_ or _lamb,_ roasted with a farce of _oysters._ from mr. _norman,_ late cook in _norfolk._ take a shoulder of mutton or lamb, of the smallest size, and slip up the skin almost to the leg-joint; then cut the flesh from the bone, on the upper side, and mince it very small, take part of that, and as many oysters parboil'd without their fins, and chopt a little; then have some mace powder'd, and a little salt and pepper, with some grated lemon-peel, and some grated bread, with the yolk of an egg, or two; and make this into a paste, and lay it into the places where the flesh was taken out; and you may add to this paste a little fat of bacon cut small, or a little butter. then skewer the skin on all sides, over the farced meat, and lard the skin and the fleshy parts below with lemon-peel, and some will lard in lemon thyme likewise. then fix it on a spit with skewers, and roast it, well basted with butter and well floured. the sauce for this should be stew'd oysters, some mace, stew'd mushrooms, a little gravey, and some white-wine, with crumbs of bread; then serve it hot, garnish'd with sliced lemon, and red beet-root pickled and sliced. stew'd veal, with white sauce; from the same. take some lean of a leg of veal, and cut it in thick slices, then stew them in water and a little salt, with some mace, and a little nutmeg, and a bunch of sweet herbs. when they are almost stew'd enough with the gravey in them, put to the liquor they were stew'd in, a glass or two of white wine, and a little lemon juice, or orange juice, with a little mushroom gravey, or liquor of stew'd mushrooms. when this is done, have some mushroom buttons, that have been stew'd white in their own liquor, and spice, with a bay-leaf; then strain the liquor, and put some in the sauce: and when it is hot, put some thick cream to it, with the mushrooms; and then serve it hot with a garnish of sliced lemon. hard _pease-soup._ from the same. there are many ways of making pease-soup. in great families it is sometimes made of beef, but a leg of pork is much preferable; and in smaller families the bones of pork, as they are called. and the shin and hock of a leg of pork, after they have made sausages, may be had at the sausage-houses: these boil'd for a long time, will afford a strong jelly broth, but they are hard to be met with. however, when they are to be had, you have the directions for a broth. then pass the broth, hot, through a sieve, and put into it half a pint of slit pease to a quart of liquor; or a quart of whole pease to three quarts of liquor. the difference between one and the other, is, the slit pease will open in the liquor, when we boil it, and the other ought to be broken through a cullender, when they are boil'd: but the slit pease are the best; and when you put them into the liquor to boil, add to every quart of liquor as much sallery as you think proper, cut small; some powder of dry'd mint, some powder of dry'd sweet marjoram, some pepper, and some salt, to your mind, and let these boil till the sallery is tender. this is to be done, if we boil a leg of pork, after the pork is out of the pot; but if we make the soup from the bones, boil these ingredients afterwards in the liquor. when you serve it, put a _french_ role in the middle of the dish, and garnish the border of the dish with rasp'd bread sifted. some put in all-spice powder'd, which is very agreeable: and one might add the leaves of white beets, and in serving, put in toasted bread, cut in dice; but the last is out of fashion. to make green _pease-_pottage, with _milk._ from the same. take a quart of green pease shell'd, and boil three quarts or two quarts of milk, as you please to have them thick with pease; and add some pepper largely beaten, a little salt, some dry'd mint, and sweet marjoram in powder, and a little whole spice beaten. boil these together till the cream rises, and then stir it, and serve it hot. _n.b._ the pease should be boil'd first, if there is any opportunity; and for that reason, if when we have a dish of pease, we leave any, they may be put into the milk, and boil'd the morning following; and indeed it is the best to have the pease boil'd first. to make an artificial _crab_ or _lobster._ from mr. _f._ of _buckingham._ i suppose you have by you the large shells of sea-crabs clean'd; then take part of a calf's liver, boil it and mince it very small, and a little anchovy liquor, and but very little, to give it the fish-taste. mix it well with a little lemon juice, some pepper, and some salt, with a little oil, if you like it, and fill the shells with it; and then the outside parts of the liver, being a little hard, will feel to the mouth like the claws of the crab broken and pick'd, and the inner parts will be soft and tender, like the body of a crab. one may serve this cold, and it will deceive a good judge, if you do not put too much of the anchovy liquor into it. it is very good cold; but if you would have it hot, take the following receipt. to make artificial hot butter'd _sea-crabs._ have the great shells of crabs clean, and prepare some liver, as before; or it you cannot get calf's liver, get a lamb's liver, or a young sheep's liver will do tolerably well. boil these, and shred them as directed before, and put a little anchovy liquor to them; then add a little white wine, some pepper and salt at pleasure, and some other spice at discretion, with butter necessary to make it mellow, over a gentle fire, or a little sallet oil, if you like oil. then add a little lemon juice in the shells, stirring the mixture together. then serve them up hot with lemon sliced. to make artificial _crabs._ from m. _de la port_ of _lyons_ in _france._ take some of the white of a roasted or boil'd chicken's breast, and shred it very small; then add some roots of potatoes boil'd and beat into pulp. mix these together, and grate a little lemon-peel upon it, and add a little anchovy liquor to it, with some oil; and put a little lemon-juice to it, or vinegar, with some pepper and salt, serve it upon sippits, garnish'd with sliced lemon. these may be butter'd in shells as the former, but the first is rather the best. to make artificial _lobsters._ from the same. practise the same method with either of the former; and to imitate the tail of the lobster, put in the tails of shrimps, buntings, prawns or cray-fish; the last cut in pieces, and serve them either upon sippets in a plate, or in the large shell of the lobster. _n.b._ this is a sort of salmy, or salmy-gundy, as they call it in _england;_ but is very much like the thing we want: and i think, if the shrimps, or others, were put into the first, it would make it better than putting in the anchovy liquor; but if they are to imitate a crab, they must, (_i.e._ the shrimps or prawns) be chopt very small. to imitate _cherry-brandy,_ without _cherries,_ very good. take a clean spirit, or some good _french_ brandy, one gallon, and infuse in it the tops of laurel, one good handfull till it tastes like the kernels of cherries; then put in a quantity of mulberry syrup, enough to colour it, and make it pleasant to the taste. a good judge will not find the difference between the right and the wrong. _n.b._ when the brandy is strong enough of the laurel-buds, pour it off. to make _cherry brandy._ from mr. _cent-livre._ take black cherries, when they are at the cheapest, and pulling them from the stalks, put them into a cask of brandy, a pound to each quart of brandy, and one pound of fine sugar to each gallon. let it stand for some time, and draw it off. it will be very rich. to make _ratafia._ from the same. take the kernels of apricots, to do it in the highest way, about one hundred and fifty, and bruise them a little; then put them into three or four quarts of brandy, and let them steep four or five days: then strain them off, and add as much fine sugar powder'd, as will make it sweet to your taste. if you find that the brandy is too strong of the kernels, put some more brandy to it before you sweeten it. _memorandum,_ if you cannot get apricot or peach-stones, enough for your use, you may use the kernels of plum-stones, cherry-stones, or prunes, and they will make little difference, in great quantities. break the shells, and put in shells and all. _to make artificial_ ratafia. to a gallon of spirits or brandy, put in two handfuls of the buds of young laurel-branches; infuse this till the liquor is of a taste as you would have it: then pour off the liquor, and sweeten it to your fancy with fine sugar powder'd. this is a way that a distiller, who is dead, practised a long while, as well as the making of gin, or geneva brandy, with infusing the tops of the juniper plant in common spirits. these i told him of, and it is now at my own disposal, and therefore give it to the world. the ratafia tastes exactly as if the kernels of apricot or plum-stones had been used. to make _salmy,_ or with us _salmy-gundy._ from lady _m._ take the breast of a turkey, a chicken, or the lean of some veal that has been roasted rather than boil'd; but if that happens, it will still do. but however it is, take none of the skin, nor any fat. mince this very small about half a pound, and then take off the skin of a pickled herring, and mince the flesh of it very small, or for want of that, cut the flesh of some anchovys very small; then cut a large onion small, an apple or two as small as the rest. mix these meats together and laying them in little heaps, three on a plate, let some whole anchovys curl'd or upright, in the middle, and garnish with sliced lemon, capers and other pickles, with red beet-roots pickled and sliced. this to be served cold; and when you eat it, use oil, vinegar, and a little mustard. to serve up pickled _herrings._ from the same. take large pickled herrings, take off the skin; then take the flesh from the bones, on each side, all in one piece, crossing them every half-inch. then lay the parts next the head, in the middle of the plate, spreading their bodies to the outside, like a star, garnishing them with the roots of red beets sliced, lemon sliced, and berberries pickled. this is commonly eaten with vinegar, and bread and butter, but onion and pepper is sometimes used. _marmalade_ of _peaches._ from the same. take peaches, well grown and almost ripe; pare them, and take their flesh clean from the stones. lay them with a little water into a stew-pan, and add three quarters of their weight of fine sugar powder'd. let this stew till the peaches are tender, and then mash them with a spoon, letting them boil gently all the while, till the whole becomes thick, almost like a paste; then take it out, and cool it in a _china_ dish, or earthen glazed pan; and when it is cold, put it into glasses, and cover them over with white paper. white _peach-_tarts. from the same. make some coffins of sweet paste, and when they are gently baked, and cold, fill them with the above-mention'd marmalade of peaches, and serve them. _apricots_ preserv'd for tarts. from the same. take apricots of the largest kind, when they begin to turn to ripeness, pare them and discharge them from the stones. cut them in halves, and stew them with a little water, and their weight of fine sugar powder'd. boil these gently over a clear charcoal fire, till the liquor becomes of the consistence of a jelly, and the apricots are clear. then when they are cool, put them up in glazed gallypots, or in glasses. if you use them for tarts, put them in coffins of sweet paste, and cover them, and put them in the oven, till they are hot through. then serve them with double-refined sugar grated over them. these may be either serv'd hot or cold. the jelly of this kind, in the glasses, may be serv'd as a sweetmeat in a desert. _memorandum,_ if, when these fruits are ripe, you can have any apples near ripe, pare them, and slice them free from the core, and stew them in as much water as will cover them, and their weight in fine sugar, till by boiling and stirring, the whole becomes of a jelly; then in this, when it is clear, stew your apricots, or peaches, till they are what you desire. _n.b._ you may always colour these with syrup of mulberries, which gives no additional taste. plums to make _marmalade _of. from the same. there are several sorts of plums, which are fit for this use. and though they differ in colour, that is, some red and some white, yet the marmalade made of any of them will be white, for the colour is only in the skin; and that if it was to be used, could give no tincture; but in our case, we do not want it. the sorts are either the _bonum magnum_, as it is call'd, which is a large, long, red plum, with a pulp very tender, but sour, when it is raw from the tree. another is a large plum, rather yellowish than white, when it is ripe, and of the former shape, like an egg, which is called by some the egg-plum; but more particularly the white _holland_ plum, and is so called by the gardeners. these two have a flesh and juice much like one another, and make a fine shew in a dish by way of desert; but are in my opinion only fit for stewing. however, the skins will part easily from 'em, when they are ripe, and they both quit the stone freely. take these and peel them, and divide them; then put them in a little water and their weight of fine sugar, made into a syrup, over a gentle fire: put them in when the liquor is only warm, and when they are cover'd with the syrup, stew them gently, if you would preserve them in their shape; and put them, with the syrup, into glasses as soon as they are clear, or else mash them into the syrup, and let them boil till they become like a paste; keeping all stirring while they are over the fire, or else they will burn to the pan. this marmalade is good to be serv'd in glasses as a sweet-meat in a desert, or to be put into coffins for tarts, or to be brought upon the table in saucers among the other sweet-meats in a desert. to stew _cucumbers._ from the _devil-_tavern, _fleet-street._ take a dozen large green cucumbers, that are not too full of seed; pare them, and slice them; then take two large onions, and shred them indifferently small. put these in a sauce-pan, and set them over the fire to stew, with as much salt as you think convenient; stir them now and then, till they are tender, and then pour them into a cullender to drain from the water, and are as dry as possible you can make them; then flour them, and put some pepper to them. after this, burn some butter in a frying-pan; and when it is very hot, put in your cucumbers, and stir them continually till they are brown; then put to them about a gill of claret; and when that is well mix'd with them, serve them hot, under roast mutton or lamb; or else, serve them on a plate, upon sippits fry'd and dip'd in mutton or beef gravey. to farce _cucumbers._ from the same. take large cucumbers and pare them, then scoop out all the seeds, first cutting off one end, then prepare the following farce for them. take the hearts of some cabbage-lettuce stew'd tender in salt and water, drain them well, and chop them small, and cut some onion very fine, shred a little parsley that has been boil'd tender, and a mushroom pickled; and add a little all-spice finely powder'd, and some pepper, a little salt, and some fat of bacon chopt small. mix these well together, with the yolk of an egg or two, according to your quantity, and stuff the cucumbers full of it. then tie the ends, that were cut off close, with packthread, and stew them in water and salt till they are tender; then drain them and flour them, and fry them brown in hogs-lard very hot, and let them drain; then take off the threads that hold them together, and lay them in your dish, and pour the following sauce over them: _viz._ take gravey well season'd, and as much claret; boil these together, with some lemon-peel, and all-spice; and thicken this sauce with burnt butter. these are good to be serv'd with mutton cutlets, as well as alone. to make a _shropshire_ pye. take a couple of rabbits, and cut them in pieces; season them well with pepper and salt; then cut some pieces of fat pork, and season them in like manner. lay these into your crust, with some pieces of butter, upon the bottom crust, and close your pye. then pour in half a pint of water, and red wine mixt, and bake it. some will grate the best part of a nutmeg upon the meat, before they close the pye, which is a very good way. this must be serv'd hot. to make a _shropshire_ pye, another way. from lady _h._ take rabbits and pork, cut and season'd as above; then make a farce of the rabbits livers parboil'd, and shred small; some fat bacon shred small, some sweet marjoram powder'd, some pepper and salt, and made into a paste, with the yolks of eggs beaten; and then make this into balls, and lay them in your pye, amongst the meat, at proper distances. then take the bottoms of three or four artichokes boil'd tender, and cut in dice; and lay these likewise amongst the meat. put in also some coxcombs blanch'd; then close your pye, and pour in as much wine and water as you think convenient. bake it, and serve it hot. to make artificial _coxcombs._ from mr. _renaud._ take tripe, without any fat, and with a sharp knife pare away the fleshy part, leaving only the brawny or horny part about the thickness of a cock's comb. then, with a jagging-iron, cut pieces out of it, in the shape of cocks combs, and the remaining parts between, may be cut to pieces, and used in pyes, and serve every whit as well as cocks combs: but those cut in form, please the eye best; and, as mr. _renaud_ observes, the eye must be pleased, before we can taste any thing with pleasure. and therefore, in fricassees we should put those which are cut according to art. _calf's_ liver stuffed and roasted. from the same. take a calf's liver, the morning it is kill'd, and make a hole in it, with a large knife, to run length-ways, but not quite through it; then make a farced meat, or stuffing for it, of some of the liver parboil'd, and some fat of bacon cut very fine, some fresh lemon-peel grated, some sweet herbs powder'd, and some butter'd eggs, as much as may be necessary, to mix with the other ingredients; then add some grated bread, and some spices finely beat, with some pepper and salt: then fill that part that you cut in the liver with this farced meat; and cut other places if you will, and fill them likewise. you may then lard the liver, if you will, with bacon fat, and roast it, flouring it very well, and basting it with butter, till it is enough. but it is reckon'd rather better by some, when the liver is stuffed, to brush it over with the yolk of an egg, and strew upon it raspings of bread sifted, some flour, some dry'd sweet herbs powder'd, and some spice; and then enclose the whole with the caul of veal; so roast it, and it will make an excellent dish. to be served hot, either with venison sauce, made of claret boil'd with cinnamon, and sweeten'd with sugar, or with gravey sauce, with a little wine in it. to roast a _calf's_ liver, another way. from mrs. _m. n._ take a calf's liver, as before, and stuff it as above, only with this alteration in the stuffing. shred some veal-suet very small, and add to that some grated bread, spice, and dry'd sweet herbs finely powder'd, with some currans plump'd, and a little salt; then make this into a paste, with some eggs beaten; and when you have stuffed what parts you please, with the mixture, roast it, basting it well with butter, and strewing on, now and then, some of the above mixture, as far as it can be in powder, or admit of strewing. then serve it hot, with melted butter and lemon-juice, or verjuice, and garnish with lemon sliced, and pickled berberries. cream custard. from lady _h._ boil a quart of cream, with some grated nutmeg, and a little mace finely powder'd; then beat the yolks of twelve eggs, with half as many whites, with a little salt: then add a spoonfull of sack, and one of orange-flower water, or rose-water: then put about six ounces of fine loaf-sugar beaten fine, and well sifted; and mix all together, when the cream is not too hot; then pass it through a fine sieve, and bake it in _china_ cups. to imitate the fat livers of _capons_ roasted. from the same. take a calf's liver fresh, and cut it in pieces, in the shape of large capons livers. dip every one in flour, and spit them on lark-spits, the flat sides against each other, but minding to put between them a slice of fat bacon. roast them, and baste them well with butter, and drudging them often with rasped bread sifted, and flour with a little salt. when they are enough, serve them with the following sauce. take two or three necks of fowls, if you have them, or else, a little clean beef gravey, a little water, a little ale, or small beer; an onion and some pepper and salt: then strain off the sauce, and pour it into the dish before you lay in your livers, and garnish with slices of lemon, sliced beet-roots pickled, and sifted raspings of bread. these do well likewise to be laid about a roasted chicken. to make _pound cakes._ from the same. take a pound of double refined loaf-sugar beaten and sifted; then beat eight eggs and stir the sugar in them; then melt a pound of butter, and stir that in with the rest, and then stir in a pound of flour, some mace finely beat, with some nutmeg grated, and some sack, and orange-flower water; beat these all together for an hour and a half till all is well mix'd; then stir in some currans plump'd a little. to make good the name of the cake, there should be a pound of a sort. some put about a quarter of a pound of caraway comfits; but every way is good. bake these in little pans, in, a gentle oven, and when they are quite cold, turn them out, and keep them in oaken boxes, with papers between them, in a dry place. to make a six hour pudding. from the same. take a pound of beef suet, pick'd clean from the skins and bloody parts, and chop it pretty small; then take a pound of raisins of the sun, and stone them; then shred them, and mix them together: add to them a large spoonfull of flour, and six eggs beaten, a little _lisbon_ sugar, some salt, and some cloves, and mace, beaten. then mix these well together, and make two puddings of them, tied up in cloths well flour'd; boil them six hours, and serve them with sugar and butter in cups. this will cut very firm, and not taste at all greasy. and if you save one cold, cut it in slices, and lay it upon a grid-iron, under beef while it is roasting, and it eats very well with beef gravey hot. to make a _venison_ pasty. from the same. take six pounds of cambridge potted butter, and rub it into a peck of flour, but do not rub in your butter too small; and then make it into a paste, with water: then butter your pan well, and when your paste is roll'd out thick, lay it in the pan, preserving only enough for the lid. the _cambridge_ butter is mention'd, because it is a little salt; or else, if you use fresh butter, there should be some salt put into the crust. when that is prepar'd, take a side of venison, and take off the skin, as close as can be, and take the bones out quite free from the flesh; then cut this through length-ways, and cut it cross again, to make four pieces of it; then strew these pieces with pepper and salt, well mix'd, at discretion: and after having laid a little of the pepper and salt at the bottom of the pasty, with some pieces of butter; then lay in your pieces of venison, so that at each corner the fat may be placed; then lay some butter over it, in pieces, and close your pasty. when it is ready for the oven, pour in about a quart of water, and let it bake from five a clock in the morning till one in the afternoon, in a hot oven. and at the same time put the skin and the bones broken, with water enough to cover them, and some pepper and salt into a glaz'd earthen pan, into the same oven; and when you draw the pasty, pour off as much as you think proper, of the clear liquor, into your pasty. serve it hot, but it is properly a side-board dish, and the carver ought always to take the services, of the pasty, from the corners where the fat is, to do honour to the master and his park. to roast a _hog's_ harslet. from the same. take a hog's harslet, as soon as the hog is kill'd, lay aside the lights, and cut the liver in thick slices, and the heart in thinner pieces; then take some of the crow of an hog, and cut that in pieces equal with the rest. then take the sweetbreads, with some of the sticking-pieces, as they are called, and some slices of fat bacon. dip these into eggs beaten, and then dip them again into grated bread, some red sage chopt small, and some pepper and salt, with a little sweet marjoram, or sweet basil powder'd; then put the pieces, broad-side one to another, upon a small spit, always observing to put the bacon next the heart, and the crow next the liver; then wrap them up in a cawl of veal, and roast it. put these pieces as close as you can together, and when it is done, serve it with some melted butter and mustard, with a little lemon-juice. to make cream of _raspberries._ from mrs. _heron._ take thick cream, a quart, and put to that, either some raspberry syrup, or some jamm of raspberries; but the syrup will mix much easier with it: however, the jamm of raspberries is accounted the best by some, because that has the seeds in it. but i think, that syrup of raspberries is better, because all is smooth, and the cream tastes sufficiently of the raspberries. one must serve this with the desert. but if you use the jamm of raspberries, you must beat it with some of the cream a good while before it will mix; and then put it to the other cream, and stir it a little, and it will mix. artificial cream, to be mix'd with any preserves of fruit. from mrs. _m. s._ of _salisbury._ take a quart of milk, and when it is boil'd, put in the yolks of eight eggs well beaten with the whites of six. put not in the eggs while the milk is too hot, lest they curdle. then, when they are well mix'd, set them over a gentle fire, and stir them all the while; and when you perceive them to be thick enough, put into them what quantity you please of syrup, or jamms of apricots, peaches, or plums, or cherries, or oranges, lemons, or other fruits, stirring them well till they partake enough of the preserv'd fruit's taste, and then serve them up, in _china_ basons, cold, in a desert, without any ornament of flowers. to make sweet-meat _cream._ from the same. take either clean cream from the dairy, or else make the foregoing artificial cream, and slice preserv'd apricots, or preserv'd peaches or plums, into it, having first sweeten'd the cream well, with fine loaf sugar, or with the same syrup they were preserv'd in. mix these well, and serve them separately, cold, in _china_ basons. to embalm _pidgeons._ from a lady in _suffolk._ this receipt was communicated in this manner: _viz._ sir, i have seen the method you propose to embalm partridges, in your _farmer's monthly director,_ and have tried it so far, that i have kept them, done that way, a month. i had then a mind to try what i could do with pidgeons; and as soon as they were kill'd, i was diligent to take out all the blood, and wash them, and dry them, as is directed, with warm cloths, both inside and outside. i then laid them in pans of earthen ware, and cover'd them with melted butter, which kept them very well, for a long time. i wash'd the necks of the pidgeons, when the crops were taken out, with vinegar, and dry'd them. then i used them as you direct for partridges, and they kept sweet a month, fit for roasting; and they eat the same as if they were fresh kill'd. this i send you word of, because you may know how far your embalming of partridges has taken effect, and to tell you, the lady who told you of it, understood very well what she did. as for my part, i used fresh butter; but you did not say whether it should be salt or fresh, and i try'd pidgeons, because they are fowls which decay sooner than any. if you think this worth your notice, _i am, your humble servant._ s. f. to preserve _pidgeons_ another way. from the same. take pidgeons fresh kill'd; wash them from the blood, and take off the flesh, as clean as you can from the bones, and discharge all the inside: then season them well with pepper and salt, with a little mace and nutmeg grated, and boil them in equal quantities of vinegar and water, till they are very tender with cloves, or other spice, as you like, and if you add a bay-leaf or two it will be better. when your pidgeons are boil'd tender enough, take them from the fire, and when the liquor is cold, lay your pidgeons in a large gally-pot, and pour the liquor upon them, and cover them up close with leather, and they will keep a long time. an attempt to preserve _cucumbers,_ for stewing, in the winter. from the same. sir, you have often told me, that you was a lover of cucumbers, and more especially stew'd, than any other way; which i find many others of my friends come into. i propose, that you should pare and slice cucumbers as usual for stewing; and then with a little salt and pepper, with their own liquor stew them in a sauce-pan till they are a little tender; then pour them into a cullendar, and when they are drain'd well from the liquor, boil some white wine, with water, half one, and half the other, with whole pepper; and when the liquor is cold, put the cucumbers into a gally-pot, and pour the liquor over them: and, if you put a little oil upon the liquor, i am persuaded they will keep several months. i wish it may be try'd, for i have thought of it; and according to my judgment it may be fit to use, any time in the winter, for stewing. when you use these, pour away all the liquor, and let them pass through a saucepan with a little salt and water, till they are tender, as you would have them; then drain them again in a cullendar, and fry them brown, with burnt butter, first flouring them, and a little pepper; and when they are enough, put in a glass of claret, or a glass of white wine. _i am, your humble servant._ s. f. _pippin_ tart. from the same. cut some golden pippins in halves, pare them, and take out the cores; then stew them with half their weight of sugar, and some lemon-peel, cut in thin long slices, and water enough to cover them. when they are clear, they are enough; then set them by to cool, and strain off the liquor, or syrup, and put that in a pan to stew gently, with some candy'd lemon and orange-peel, in slices; then have a sweet paste prepared in a dish, and lay in your pippins, and pour the syrup, and sweetmeats, over them, and bake them in a gentle oven; and when it is hot, pour some cream either pure or artificial over them, and serve them to the table. to pickle _marygold-flowers._ from mr. _t._ of _buckingham._ though the marygold flower is of old date in pottage; yet it continues still its stand among the useful things of the kitchen, and cannot more easily be worn out, according to the custom of the country, when the country folks make broth. mint with pease, fennel with mackarel, and such like, cannot be forgot. and as the marygold-flowers are used in porridge, i send the receipt how to pickle them. strip the flower-leaves off, when you have gather'd the flowers, at noon, or in the heat of the day, and boil some salt and water; and when that is cold, put your marygold-flower leaves in a gallypot, and pour the salt and water upon them; then shut them up close till you use them, and they will be of a fine colour, and much fitter for porridge than those that are dry'd. seed-cake. from the same. make some paste of fine flour, such as you would make for light bread, with yeast. take five pounds of this dough, without salt in it, and cover it before a fire for half an hour, to make it rise; then take two pounds and a half of fresh butter melted, and five eggs beaten well with half a pound of fine _lisbon_ sugar. mix these well with your paste, and work it till it is as light as possible; and when your oven is very hot and clean, strew into your cake a pound of smooth caraway comfits; then put some butter on the sides and bottom of your pan, and put in your cake, and one hour and a quarter will bake it. when it comes out of the oven, cover it with cloths of linnen till it is cold; then put it, the next day, a little while into an oven. _n.b._ you must be sure to put in the sugar after the butter. one may put on an iceing if one will. to make orange-chips. from the same. take some fresh oranges about _february,_ and pare them very thin; they are then very cheap. boil them in several waters till they are tender, and have lost their bitterness; then put them into cold water for twelve hours or more. then make a syrup for them in the following manner. take about their weight of fine sugar powder'd, and mix it with as much water as it will take in, or a little more. boil this, and scum it well; then drain the orange-peels from the water they were steep'd in, and put them in a glaz'd earthen vessel, and then pour the boiling hot syrup upon them, letting them remain so till the day following; then pour the syrup from them, and boil it afresh, and pour it on a second time, and repeat the same work till your peels are very clear, and the syrup very thick; and then dry them in a stove, and they will be fit for use, in the condition we buy them. one may candy lemon-chips after the same manner. to make _hartshorn-jelly._ from the same. take six ounces of harts-horn shavings; put them into two quarts of water, and two or three bits of lemon-peel, and set this in a sand-heat, for six or eight hours, or let them infuse about ten hours upon hot embers. then boil it briskly, and when you find it will jelly, as you may do, by taking out a little of the liquor in a spoon, and cooling it; then strain it off, and add to it about half a pound of double-refined sugar powder'd very fine; about a gill of sack, or two or three spoonfuls of mountain wine, the juice of two lemons; then set this on a slow fire, and as it heats, beat the whites of two eggs to a froth, and put it into the pan, where the jelly is, at times as it rises; and then, when it just boils up, take it from the fire, and it will be clarified. then pour it by small quantities into the jelly-bag, and let it drop or run into some receiver; but it will be apt to run thick at first: then take that which is first run, if it be thick, and pour again into the jelly-bag, and you will find it come clear. then place your glasses to receive it, and change the full one for another, which you must carefully watch, that your glasses be not soil'd in the least, for the beauty of this, in one particular, is its transparency; and again, it should not be too stiff. some only take the harts-horn shavings, six ounces to two quarts of water, and boil it gently till the liquor will jelly, without the expence of a sand-heat, or setting it on hot embers. the boiling it is the best way, but requires more patience. to make a tart of the _ananas,_ or _pine-apple._ from barbadoes. take a pine-apple, and twist off its crown: then pare it free from the knots, and cut it in slices about half an inch thick; then stew it with a little canary wine, or madera wine, and some sugar, till it is thoroughly hot, and it will distribute its flavour to the wine much better than any thing we can add to it. when it is as one would have it, take it from the fire; and when it is cool, put it into a sweet paste, with its liquor, and bake it gently, a little while, and when it comes from the oven, pour cream over it, (if you have it) and serve it either hot or cold. _marmalade_ of _pine-apples,_ or _ananas._ when you have small pine-apples in fruit, which are not noble enough to be brought to the table, twist off their crowns, and pare them; then slice them, and put them into a syrup of water, sugar, and pippins; and boil them with half their quantity of sugar added to them, with a little white wine, breaking them with a spoon, as they boil, till they come to a mash, or are a little tender. then take them from the fire, and put the marmalade into glasses to keep, and cover every glass with white paper, preserving them in a dry place. to dress the giblets of a _tortoise,_ or _sea-turtle._ from a _barbadoes_ lady. take the head, the feet, and the tail, of either of these, and taking off their scales, stew them three or four hours, in salt and water, till they are almost tender; then broil them a little with pepper and salt on them, and then put them into a stew-pan with a shallot, and some spice and sweet herbs, according to your taste; some strong gravey, and some wine, and thicken the sauce, taking out the bunch of sweet herbs. you may put then some juice of limes to them, or chadocks or lemons, to make them fine. _n.b._ this is a dainty dish, if they are broil'd, after the first stewing, because as they are sinewey, the sinews ought to be a little scorched by broiling, or else they will not be so tender as one would have them. there are two sorts of tortoises, the land, and the sea-tortoise; but the sea-tortoise or turtle, is what i mean, which is that which we have about the _west-indies_. this is a fine animal, partaking of the land and water. its flesh between that of veal, and that of a lobster, and is extremely pleasant, either roasted or baked. there are some of these creatures that weigh near two hundred weight. they are frequently brought to _england_ in tubs of sea water, and will keep alive a long time. to roast a piece of _turtle,_ or _tortoise._ from the same. take a piece of the flesh of about five or six pounds, and lay it in salt and water two hours; then stick a few cloves in it, and fasten it to the spit, baste it at first with wine and lemon-juice; and when it is near enough, drudge some flour over it, with the raspings of bread sifted; and then baste it well, either with oil, or butter, strewing on, from time to time, more flour and raspings till it is enough; then take the liquor in the pan, and pouring off the fat, boil it with some lemon-peel, and a little sugar and salt, and pour it over the turtle. so serve it hot. to make a _turtle,_ or _tortoise-_pye. from the same. cut the flesh of turtle, or tortoise, into slices, about an inch thick; then take cloves beaten fine, with some pepper and salt, and a little sweet herbs, and season your pieces with them; then lay them in your crust, with some lemons sliced, and a quarter of a pint of oil-olive pour'd over them, or else some butter laid in bits upon them. in the cutting your pieces, distribute your fat and lean, equally as may be; and though the fat is of a greenish colour, it is yet very delicious: then close your pye, and just before you put it in the oven, pour in some white wine, and bake it in a gentle oven till it is tender. then serve it hot. to preserve _ginger-roots._ from the same. take roots of ginger, as we have them dry in _england_; wash them well, and lay one pound of them to steep, ten or twelve days, in white wine and water, stirring them every day. then take two quarts of white wine, and about half a pint of lemon-juice, and boil them together a quarter of an hour; then add two pounds and a half of fine sugar, and boil it to a syrup, taking off the scum as it rises; then put in your ginger, and boil it a quarter of an hour; then let it cool in a glazed pan till the next day, and then boil it again in the syrup for half an hour, and let it cool, as before, till the day following, and repeat the boiling and cooling till your ginger is clear, and put it into your glasses, and cover them with papers. it makes a fine sweet-meat for the winter. to preserve _ginger-roots,_ fresh taken out of the ground. from the same. as ginger is very common in the _west-indies_, so the roots are either preserved or pickled, when they are fresh taken out of the ground, and we have now ginger, growing in pots, almost in every garden where there is a stove; and in a year's time a single root will almost fill a pot; so that one might easily have enough of our own, to preserve every year. we must take them up, when they have no leaves upon them; and then scald them in water, and rub them with a coarse cloth till they are dry; then put them into white wine and water, and boil them half an. hour; then let them cool, and boil them again half an hour. then make a syrup with white wine two quarts, half a pint of lime or lemon-juice, and two pounds and a half of fine sugar, with two ounces of the leaves of orange-flowers. when these boil together, put in your ginger, and boil it gently half an hour; then let it cool in an earthen glaz'd vessel, and continue to boil it every day, and cooling it till the roots of your ginger are clear. then put it up in gallypots, or in glasses, and cover them with papers, to keep for use. to make paste of _pippins,_ or other fine apples. from the same. take large golden-pippins, or golden-rennets, and scald them, with their skins on; then pare them, and take out the cores, and beat them in a marble mortar very well, with a little lemon-peel grated. take then their weight of fine sugar, and a little water, and boil that in a skillet to a candy height; then put in your apples, and boil them thick in the syrup till they will leave the skillet, and when it is almost cold, work it up with fine loaf-sugar powder'd, and mould it into cakes, then dry them. to preserve _cornelian-cherries._ from the same. take cornelian-cherries, when they are full ripe, and take their weight in fine sugar powder'd; then put these into your preserving pan, and lay a layer of sugar, and another of fruit; and so on till you have laid all in, covering them with sugar; then pour upon them half a pint of white wine, and set it on the fire, and as soon as the sugar is all melted, boil them up quick, and take off the scum as it rises, stirring them every now and then: and when the fruit is clear, they are enough. then put them into glasses, and cover them with papers. to make _marmalade_ of _cornelian-cherries._ from the same. when your cornelian-cherries are full ripe, take out the stones, and to every pound of fruit, take its weight of fine sugar powder'd. wet it with white wine, and boil it to a candy'd height; then put in your fruit, with the juice that comes from them; then boil them very quick, and stir it often, scumming it clean; and when you see it very clear, and of a good consistence, put it into a glaz'd earthen pan; and when it is almost cold, put it into glasses, and cover them with white paper, and keep it in a dry room. _note_, if you let any of these sharp fruits stand to cool in your sweet-meat-pans, they will take an ill taste from them. to make _jamm_ of _damsons._ from the same. take damsons, full ripe, a gallon; pick them from the stalks, that may happen to be about them, and the leaves that are sometimes gather'd with them: then take near their weight of sugar, and about a quart of water, and boil them well together, and put in your damsons, and boil them till they are tender, breaking them with a spoon, all the while, till the whole is thicken'd. then put it in gallypots, and set it to cool; then close the pots down with leather. to preserve _currans_ in _jelly._ from the same. take some of the large _dutch_ red or white currans, when they are ripe, and pick them from the stalks; then, with a pin, pick out the stones; or, you may, if you will, leave them on the stalks, if they are large bunches, but still pick out the kernels. then take their weight in sugar, and wet it with a little water, and add a little syrup of raspberries to it; then boil it to a syrup, scumming it as it rises: then put in your currans, and boil them up quick, shaking them often, still taking off the scum as it rises. they will be enough done to put up, when the syrup will jelly, as you may try by putting some in a spoon, and letting it cool. when you find this, pour out all into glasses, when it has cool'd a little. if your currans are pick'd from the stalks, or if they are in bunches, then let the syrup be half cold, and pour it into the glasses; and then put in your bunches, placing them as you would have them situated, and as it cools, they will fix in their several stations; cover the glasses then with white paper. _note_, the red currans ought to be done by themselves, and the white by themselves, for both together will make a disagreeable mixture. to dry _apricots._ from mrs. _walsingham_ of _suffolk._ chuse for this use, the large turkey or roman-apricot, almost ripe; stone them, and pare them; then throw them into cold water, with the parings; weigh the pared apricots, and prepare an equal weight of fine sugar powder'd; then put some of the water the apricots were steep'd in, to the sugar, and boil them to a candy'd height: you may then put in your apricots, and boil them till they are clear, and when they have lain a few days, in the syrup, lay them upon a fine wyre-sieve, and dry them in a warm place. then, when they are done, put them in oaken boxes, with papers between them. to stew a rump of _beef._ from mrs. _l----_ take a small rump of beef, lay it in a long pan, deep enough to allow your beef to be cover'd; then put to it a pint of ale, a quart of claret, half a pint of verjuice, or the juice of two large lemons; and as much water added, as will make liquor enough to cover it, a crust of bread burnt, an anchovy, some bits of lemon-peel, a bunch of sweet herbs, two large _hertfordshire_ turnips cut in dice, two large onions cut in halves, some pepper and salt, a nutmeg sliced, a few cloves, and a little mace. stop this close, and let it stew, at least, five hours; then lay your beef in the dish, and pass the liquor through a sieve, and fill the dish with it; garnishing with turnips, cut in dice, boil'd tender, and then fry'd in hog's-lard, and sliced lemon, or you may bake your rump of beef, if you will, for it is much the same. and this way you may likewise bake or stew a leg of beef, or an ox-cheek, only break the bones of the leg of beef, and take out all the bones of the ox-cheek, and take especially care to clean it, for it requires some nicety to do it well. _pepper-mint water,_ from the same. take pepper-mint six handfuls, cut it a little, and infuse it two days in six quarts of clean spirit; then draw it off in a cold still, marking every bottle, as it fills, with a number, for the first bottle will be far the strongest, the second less strong, and the third weaker than the second; and so as we draw off more, they will be still weaker, till at last it becomes almost insipid, and somewhat sourish, but take none of that; then cover the mouth of your bottles with papers prick'd full of holes, and let them stand a day or two; then pour your first bottle into a large earthen glaz'd pan; and to that the second, and then the third, and the fourth, and so on, till by mixing they all become of a sufficient strength; then put them in bottles, with a knob or two of double-refin'd loaf-sugar, and cork them close. this is an incomparable pleasant dram, tasting like ice, or snow, in the mouth, but creates a fine warmth in the stomach, and yields a most refreshing flavour. this sort of mint is hard to be met with; but is lately cultivated in some physick gardens at _mitcham_. it must be kept well weeded, and the top of the bed, where it grows, must, when we cut it, be pricked up, a little, with a small fork, or the earth made fine with a trowel; because the runners, of this sort of mint, shoot along upon the surface of the ground, and so at the joints strike root, which is contrary to other sorts of mint, which shoot their runners under ground. _damson-wine_ to imitate _claret._ from the same. take nine gallons of water, make it scalding hot, and pour it upon six and thirty pounds of _malaga_ raisins well pick'd from the stalks. the raisins should be sound, or they will spoil your wine. while the water is yet hot, put into the liquor half a peck of damsons full ripe, and pick'd clean of the stalks and leaves, to each gallon of liquor; then stir them all together in the open tub we make this infusion in, and continue stirring them twice a day for six days. keep this tub cover'd with a cloth all that time: then let it stand five or six days longer, without stiring, and then draw it off: and if it is not deep-colour'd enough, put a little syrup of mulberries to it, and work it with a piece of white-bread toasted, and spread with yeast or barm, in an open vessel; and then tun it, keeping the bung of the vessel open till the wine has done singing in the cask. then slop it close, and let it stand till it is clear, which will be in two or three months; then draw it off. some will just give their damsons a scald in the water before they pour it on the raisins, which is a good way. to cure a _lap-dog,_ when he continues drowsy some days, and cannot eat. from the same. if you find a lap-dog to be sleepy, and will not take his victuals for two or three days; or if he eats, and as often discharges it soon after; take a large tea-spoon-full of rum or brandy, and as much water, and holding his head up, and his mouth open with one hand, pour it down his throat. this is quantity enough for one of the smallest dogs, and will cure him in less than half an hour; but as the dogs are larger, you may give to the biggest a large spoonful of rum or brandy equally mix'd with water, and so in proportion to the size of the dog. it is a sure remedy. _dog-grass,_ or _couch-grass,_ or _twitch-grass,_ necessary to be had, growing in pots in _london,_ to cure _lap-dogs,_ that are sick, in the summer. from the same. couch-grass is one of the gardener's plagues, and is in every garden too much. take a clump of this, and set it in a large garden-pot, and letting it stand as airy as possible, water it gently every other morning. there is one sort of it, which is finely variegated, the leaves appearing like striped ribbons. this fine sort is at the ivy-house at _hoxton_, where it may be put in pots at any time. this, or the other, should be put to a dog, at any time, when he is sick, and he will eat it greedily, and cure himself; but for want of this help, which favourite lap-dogs in _london_ want, they lose their briskness. i believe it would be worth some poor woman's while to sell this grass, in _london_, where so many fine lap-dogs are kept, and indulged so much, that they cannot be taken abroad to search their physick; while those of the larger kind take their way abroad, in the mornings, at their pleasure. this, sir, i send you with some other receipts, because dogs are not a little useful about a farm, and the little ones are no less agreeable to their keepers. and i am sure, if you publish these, they will prove very acceptable to many ladies, and gentlemen, who are admirers of these faithful creatures. _i am, &c._ j. l. _lisbon_ or _portugal-cakes._ from the same_,_ take a pound of double-refin'd loaf-sugar beaten fine, and past through a fine sieve. mix this with a pound of fine flour; then rub into these a pound of fresh or new butter, till your sugar and flour looks like bread-crumbs; then add, two or three spoonfulls of orange-flower-water, and about ten spoonfuls of canary-wine: then beat ten eggs, till their whites are whipt to snow, and mix the eggs, with the rest, with a quarter of a pound of blanched almonds beaten in a marble mortar, with some orange-flower water; and when you have butter'd your pans well, fill them half full with this mixture, and bake them, if you make them without currans, or else fill the pans fuller, first plumping the currans, which should be in proportion, as you please. _imperial florentine._ from _mr. byecorf_ at _augsburgh._ cut the leanest part of a leg of veal, in thin slices, and beat them with the back of a knife, as you would do _scots_ collups; then season the cutlets with cloves, pepper beaten fine to powder, some pepper and salt, with some nutmeg grated, a little dry'd sweet marjoram powder'd, or some sweet basil. lay this mixture pretty thick upon them, and roll them up with a little piece of fat bacon, in the middle; then lay in your paste to the dish, and over the bottom strew a little pepper, salt, and nutmeg, with some balls of farced meat, with bits of butter, placed here and there. put in then your rolls of veal, with some cocks-combs blanched, a quarter of a pint of mushroom buttons pickled, some slices of lemon, with half a pint of white wine, and about a pint of water; then close your pye, and when it is baked, serve it hot. _n.b._ before you close it, put some bits of butter on the top of your rolls of meat. to make farced meat, for the foregoing _florentine._ from the same. take the lean of a leg of veal, chop it small, and beat it well in a marble mortar, with as much fat of the kidney of veal; and then put some pepper, salt, cloves, nutmeg, powder of dry'd sweet marjoram, and some mushrooms, chopt as you please; then add as many eggs, beaten as you think proper, with some grated bread, to make it into a paste, and roll this mixture into balls. some instead of the kidney-fat of veal, will chop the same quantity of fat bacon. to make a tart of white _beet-cards._ from the same. take some white beet-cards, (or leaves) as much spinach-leaves, and the same quantity of _french_ sorrel, which has a round leaf. chop these small, or if you beat them all together in a marble mortar, it is better; then strain out the juice, and put it amongst the same proportion, or quantity, of the same herbs, fresh cut, that is, put the liquor to as many herbs as you cut before, and shred them; then add to them about five ounces of good sugar, and you may put as much currans. mix these well, and bake them; then pour over it, while it is hot, some cream that has been boil'd thick, and serve it hot: but if you use raw cream, from the dairy, you must mix it with the ingredients, and then strew fine powder'd sugar over it, but serve it hot, let it be which way you will. to make a preserve of _quinces,_ white in _jelly._ from the same. make a syrup of golden-pippins, or golden-rennets; and to make that, pare your apples, and core them, but never use two sorts together, for one will be soft before the other is half done. always take this for a rule in apples, onions, and turnips; they should be all of one kind, and all from the same place, or else you will be disappointed. boil your apples with their weight in sugar, and as much water as will mix with it: boil this to a jelly, and in the mean time, pare your quinces, and cut them in quarters, taking them clear off the core; then boil them, first in fair water, till they are a little tender, and then put them into the boiling syrup, and keep them gently boiling half an hour, or what one might more properly call stewing. if the quinces are not then clear, boil them again, the next day, in the same liquor; and when the quinces are as clear as they can be, which is never very much like other fruits, but we should rather say tender, put them into gallypots, or glasses, and pour the syrup, or jelly, over them, to keep; and as soon as they are cold, then put papers over them. to candy whole _orange,_ or _lemon-peels._ take some of the fairest oranges, or lemons, and cut a small hole in the top of them; then scoop out all the pulp, as clean as possible; lay these in water to steep eight or ten days, shifting them to fresh waters twice a day; then boil them in several waters, till they are tender enough to run a straw through them. then take one pound of double-refin'd loaf-sugar to each pound of peel, and a quart of water: then make your syrup, and boil your peels in it eight or ten minutes, and let them stand in your syrup five or six days, in an earthen glaz'd vessel, for it would spoil in a brass or copper pan: then to every pound put one pound more of sugar into your syrup, and boil your peels in it, till they are clear; then put them into gallypots, and boil your syrup till it is almost of a candy height, and pour it upon your peels; and when it is cold, cover it. the same manner they preserve the peels of green oranges, lemons, and limes, in _barbadoes_. to stew _soles._ from _yarmouth._ take the largest soles you can get, gut them, and skin them; lay them then into a stew-pan, and pour in about a pint of good beef gravey, and as much claret; some bits of lemon-peel, an anchovy or two, a stick of horse-radish, a bunch of sweet herbs, a large onion, half a large nutmeg, some cloves and mace, whole pepper, and salt, with a little bit of butter. then stew these till the fish is enough, and pour off the liquor, through a sieve, and thicken it with burnt butter, having first put to it the juice of a lemon. then pour the sauce over the fish, and garnish with lemon sliced, and the roots of red beets pickled and sliced, with horse-radish scraped, and fry'd bread. a hash of raw _beef._ from mr. _moring_ at the blue-posts _temple-bar._ cut some thin slices of tender beef, and put them in a stew-pan, with a little water, a bunch of sweet herbs, some lemon-peel, an onion, with some pepper, salt, and some nutmeg. cover these close, and let them stew till they are tender; then pour in a glass or two of claret; and when it is warm, clear your sauce of the onion, herbs, _&c_. and thicken it with burnt butter. it is an excellent dish. serve it hot, and garnish with lemon diced, and red beet-roots, capers, and such like. thin _beef-collups_ stew'd. from _oxford._ cut raw beef in thin slices, as you would do veal, for _scots_ collups; lay them in a dish, with a little water, a glass of wine, a shallot, some pepper and salt, and a little sweet marjoram powdered; then clap another dish over that, having first put a thin slice or two of fat bacon among your collups: then set your mess, so as to rest upon the backs of two chairs, and take six sheets of whited-brown paper, and tear it in long pieces; and then lighting one of them, hold it under the dish, till it burns out, then light another, and so another till all your paper is burnt; and then your stew will be enough, and full of gravey. some will put in a little mushroom gravey, with the water, and the other ingredients, which is yet a very good way. stew'd _beef-steaks._ from the _spring-gardens_ at _vaux-hall, surrey._ take good rump-beef steaks, and season them with pepper and salt; then lay them into the pan, and pour in a little water; then add a bunch of sweet herbs a few cloves, an anchovy, a little verjuice, an onion, and a little lemon-peel, with a little bit of butter, or fat bacon, and a glass of white wine. cover these close, and stew them gently, and when they are tender, pour away the sauce, and strain it; then take out the steaks, and flour them, and fry them; and when you put them in the dish, thicken the sauce, and pour it over them. this way was much approved. to make _cologn's-geneva._ from _cologn._ take good brandy, one gallon; then take two pounds of juniper-berries fresh gather'd, and full ripe. press these till you perceive a greenish liquor come from them; then put them into the brandy, and let them remain about ten days: then pour them through a cloth of coarse linnen, and squeeze it, and when you have the liquor, if you find it too strong, you may add to it some more brandy, and half a pound of fine sugar to a gallon. then put it in flasks, or bottles. then take the pressings, and infuse them again in brandy, for six or seven days, and distil them. this they call double _cologn's_ gin, and the best is sold in _holland_, at three shillings and six-pence _per_ quart. to make _scots-snuff,_ or pure _tobacco-snuff._ from mr. _hyslop._ take the leaves of good tobacco, and spread them open; then dry them gently in the sun, or before the fire, and strip them from the stalks; when the leafy part will crumble, between the fingers; then put it into a mill, and with a pestle rolling about it, the tobacco will presently be ground, as fine as snuff; or else, if you have never a mill, when your tobacco will break between the fingers, lay it on an oaken table, and pass the flat side of a knife over it, backwards and forwards, as if you was whetting it, pressing it hard, and you will make fine snuff. this i mention here, because, sometimes, the snuff-takers are without snuff, and remote from any place where it may be had, and would give any money for it; which was my case, when i learn'd this receipt, and by the last means was presently supplied: we may make it likewise of cut tobacco dry'd before the fire. or if we raise tobacco in our gardens, pick the leaves from the stalks, towards the root, when they are full grown, tie six in a bunch together, and hang them up to dry in the shade; then dip them in water, or some beer or ale, and hang them up again to dry, and then press the leaves one upon another, in their bunches, in a box or tub, as hard as possible; and in a few months time, they will make very good snuff, being order'd as above directed. _butter_ turned to _oil_ recovered. from mrs. _m. n._ there are some lands, as well as some treatments of butter in the dairy, that makes the butter so very fat and greasy, that it is hard to melt, without running to oil; while, on the other hand, there is a sort of butter, which cuts as firm as wax; and even this will sometimes turn to oil in the melting, but very seldom. however, when it so happens, pour your oil'd butter into a porringer, and letting it stand a little, melt a little fresh, and as soon as it is liquid, pour into it, by gentle degrees, at times, some of the butter that was oil'd before, keeping your sauce-pan shaking all the while; and if you find it any way difficult to be recovered, pour in a little milk, and shake them together, and it will recover. _memorandum_, a sauce-pan that is very thin at the bottom is apt to oil butter, let it be ever so good. _orange_ or _lemon-cakes._ from the same. take some preserv'd orange or lemon-peels, wash'd from their syrup; then beat them, in a marble mortar, to a pulp, adding a little orange-flower water to them, and a very little gum-arabic to it powder'd, this will become a paste; then mould it into cakes, with double-refined sugar beaten fine, and dry them; they must then be laid in boxes, between sheets of white paper, and kept in a dry place. to dry _plums,_ of any sort, without _sugar._ from the same. take a wyre sieve, and gather your plums, not too ripe, nor in the heat of the day; run a needle through the skin of each of them, and lay them on the sieve, so as not to touch one another. put your sieve then into a declining oven, and let it stand twelve hours; then set it by, and repeat the same the second and third time, and if the plums are large, then it may be they will require the fourth or fifth time; but turn them every time, when you are going to put them in the oven. they will dry by this means so well, that you may keep them all the winter, for use, in boxes, in a dry place. _memorandum_, some of them will candy on the outsides. the mussel-plum is a very good one for this use. the _shropshire_ and _worcestershire-dish._ from the same. sir, if you would please all people, by the several receipts you publish, you ought to have the particular dish that is the favourite of every county. in _worcestershire_ and _shropshire_, the following is in esteem, and i believe you will oblige several gentlemen and ladies of these parts, if you would insert it in some of your works. take some good middling bacon, and fry it; then put in some calf's liver, and cut it in thick pieces, pepper it, and salt it; and when it is enough, for it must not be fry'd hard, have ready prepared some cabbage-lettuce, some white beet-cards, or beet-leaves, and some spinach-leaves, and chop them together, with some parsley, but not too small; then chop some onion, and mix with the rest; then throw them into your frying pan, with a piece of butter, when the bacon and liver is out, and fry them till they are tender, and as brown as may be; putting in a spoonful of verjuice, or the juice of a lemon, a little before they are enough. and having kept the liver and bacon hot all the while, pour these herbs over them, which ought to be in good quantity. fine _cakes_ to keep. from the same. take a pound of fine sugar powder'd, and somewhat less than a quart of flour. rub these with a pound of fresh butter, and mix it with three or four yolks of eggs, with some orange-flower-water, and a little ale-yeast: set this paste before the fire to rise, and roll out your cakes thin, while the paste is hot; then cut them into what shapes you please, and prick them on the top, and bake them in a gentle oven. they will keep a long time and are very good. to make _penzance-cakes._ from the same. take the yolks of eggs well beaten, put to them some mace finely powder'd, with a few spoonfuls of wine, a little salt, and as much sugar as you please; then add as much flour as is necessary, and a small quantity of ale-yeast, and work your dough pretty stiff; then add some fresh butter, broken in little bits, and work it in till all the paste has partaken of it, and the dough becomes as stiff as at first. make your cakes then, and bake them. they will keep some time. to make crystal candy'd _sweet-meats._ from the same. when we propose to make these candy'd sweet-meats, we must first know what fruits, flowers, _&c_. are proper for them, and how those ought to be gathered and prepared. first of all, to begin with the flowers. take orange-flowers, or lemon, or citron-flowers; gather them, when the dew is upon them, in the morning, because the leaves of them will be then full, and then they are best to use, when the leaves are pick'd off, and then the dew will be gone; but if they lie a day, they will shrink, turn bitter, and of a yellowish brown colour. take these leaves fresh pick'd, and pour the following composition upon them. you may take also some orange, or lemon, or citron, preserved, and dry'd, and cut them in small pieces. or apricots dry'd and cut into small pieces, or such sorts as are a little hard in themselves will do. if one was to cut some pine-apple, or ananas, simply or preserv'd, and cut that in pieces, it would be entomb'd in a rock of sugar; or currans preserv'd upon their stalks may do, if you think it worth while; but orange-flower-leaves do very well. it is a fine candy to carry in the pocket. then to begin your business. take one pound of double-refined loaf-sugar beat small, and finely sifted; mix this with four or five spoonfuls of orange-flower-water, and about half a drachm of gum-arabic finely beaten; then put three spoonfuls of white wine, and mix all together, and boil them in a glazed earthen vessel till the liquor will hardly run, or at least run in ropes; then have small jars of earthen ware glazed, and put into each of them the several sorts of fruits, and flowers, you would inclose in candy'd sugar, making those jars very hot, and immediately pour the liquor upon them, and stop them close; then put the jars into a stove, for a fortnight or more, and you may then break the jars, and your several fruits and flowers will be inclosed in a crystal like candy, such as white sugar candy. and then with a slight blow of an hammer, break these candies into pieces of about a finger's length, and keep them in glasses stopt close, in a dry place, and they will remain good several years. the little pots must be broken of course. to make a _hackin._ from a gentleman in _cumberland._ sir, there are some counties in _england_, whose customs are never to be set aside; and our friends in _cumberland_, as well as some of our neighbours in _lancashire_, and else-where, keep them up. it is a custom with us every _christmas_-day in the morning, to have, what we call an hackin, for the breakfast of the young men who work about our house; and if this dish is not dressed by that time it is day-light, the maid is led through the town, between two men, as fast as they can run with her, up hill and down hill, which she accounts a great shame. but as for the receipt to make this hackin, which is admired so much by us, it is as follows. take the bag or paunch of a calf, and wash it, and clean it well with water and salt; then take some beef-suet, and shred it small, and shred some apples, after they are pared and cored, very small. then put in some sugar, and some spice beaten small, a little lemon-peel cut very fine, and a little salt, and a good quantity of grots, or whole oat-meal, steep'd a night in milk; then mix these all together, and add as many currans pick'd clean from the stalks, and rubb'd in a coarse cloth; but let them not be wash'd. and when you have all ready, mix them together, and put them into the calf's-bag, and tye them up, and boil them till they are enough. you may, if you will, mix up with the whole, some eggs beaten, which will help to bind it. this is our custom to have ready, at the opening of the doors, on _christmas_-day in the morning. it is esteem'd here; but all that i can say to you of it, is, that it eats somewhat like a _christmas_-pye, or is somewhat like that boil'd. i had forgot to say, that with the rest of the ingredients, there should be some lean of tender beef minced small. the _northampton-cake._ take a peck of flour, and a pound of fine sugar beaten well into powder, and sifted; then add a quarter of an ounce of cloves, half an ounce of cinnamon, and a large nutmeg, and beat them to powder; put to this some orange-flower-water, or rose-water; then take five or six pounds of currans well pick'd, and rub'd dry with a coarse cloth, but not wash'd. put these with your fruit, and a little salt into the flour; then take as much cream as you think proper: then melt two pounds of butter, to mix with it, and add a pint of canary-wine, and kneed it with some fresh ale-yeast, till it rises under your hand. have your oven hot before you put it in the hoop for baking. of the baking of fruit. from mr. _l. m._ it is to be observed, that all fruits that are ripe require little baking, and those which are of the hardest, or most unripe sorts, ought to have a long and gentle baking. in pears, for example, when we have some of those, which ripen in the autumn, they will bake with a tart; for as they are ripe of themselves, they require very little baking, for ripeness is one degree tending to rottenness; and as that is done by heat gently, so the oven brings that to a certain height, suddenly, with its safeguard of sugar; that the fruit comes to its full flavour, with the additional beauty, from the sugar. it would have done a great deal by nature itself, if the tree had stood in a place agreeable; but much more would it be for those baking pears, as we call them, if they had the advantage of a good climate; one may guess then how much difference there is between one and the other. in the tough and hard pears, one ought to bake them twice, that is, once with a little water and sugar, in as hot an oven as they bake bread in; and then put them in pyes, and bake them over again, so will they become tender, well tasted, and of a fine colour. but be it as it will, as soon as either of these come out of the oven, pour some cream over them, and mix it with them, if they are to be served hot, mashing the fruit all the while; but if they are to be served cold, then only pour some cream over them, when they just come from the oven, and let it remain till you serve it cold. there is one way which is practised by some, and that is, to break the hard pears, just when they are taken out of the oven, in the pye; for else the outsides, though the rind is off, will be hard, and tough: then pour on the cream. it is to be noted, that all ripe apples require less baking, and less sugar, than the hard apples, which do not become ripe till some months afterwards. when an apple, or pear, for example, is as ripe as it can be in our climate, it will have some softness, and some sweetness in it, and therefore will require less baking, as baking is only a sort of ripening; and so on the other hand: but we are providentially provided with both apples and pears, which are, some ripe sooner, and some ripe later; even that by the end of _july,_ we have some ripe, and some remain hard and sour till _june._ we ought be apprised of the sorts, to take them in their several seasons, and not to take the winter fruits, for baking, when we have ripe fruits by us. many thousand bushels of fruit are lost for want of this caution. so at any time, when you use apples, or pears, for tarts, puddings, or sauces, let them be all of one sort, and ripe; for, if they are ripe, or towards it, they will soon soften; and if you put two sorts together, one will be in pulp very soon, and the other will be hard for an hour or two, and at length will not be soft. _memorandum,_ this is not to be disregarded. to make paste. from mrs. _peasly._ there are many sorts of paste made, and among them, are some which are made with eggs, according to the old fashion; but these are always hard, when they are baked, though they will fly and crackle in the mouth, but they taste like sticks: while, on the other side, leave out your eggs, and use butter and water only, as in the following receipts, and your paste will melt in the mouth, and be agreeable to the taste. if you would have a sweet paste; then take half a pound of butter, and rub it into about a pound of flour, with two or three ounces of double-refined sugar powder'd, and make it a paste, with cold milk, some sack and brandy. this is a very good one. you may also make an hot paste, for minced pyes, or such like, by taking a quantity of flour as you like, and break a pound or two of butter into a large sauce-pan of water; and when the butter is melted, make an hollow in the midst of the flour, and scumming off the butter, throw it, at times, into the flour, with some of the boiling hot water along with it; then, when you have enough for your use, work it into a stiff paste, and lay it before the fire, cover'd with a cloth, and cut off such bits as you want, just when you are going to use them. this paste does very well for raised pyes. some will make this paste by breaking in a pound of butter into a quarter of a peck of flour, and then pouring on it some scalding hot water, enough to work it to a stiff paste. as for tarts, one may make the following puff-paste. rub in some butter into your flour, and make it into a paste with water, and when it is moulded, roll it out till it is about half an inch thick; then put bits of butter upon it, about half an inch asunder, and fold your paste together, and then fold it again: then roll it again till it becomes of the thickness it was before; and then lay bits of butter on it, as before directed, and fold it as mention'd above, and roll it again to the thickness of half an inch; then put on the rest of your butter, and fold it up, and roll it for the last time, doubling it, and rolling it twice, before you use it. this is very good for puffs, puddings, or petty-patees. as for meat-pyes, or pasties, they require another sort of paste, which is made thus. rub seven pounds of butter into a peck of flour, but not too small; then make it into a paste with water. it is good for venison-pasties, and such like great pyes. to dress a dish of fish in the best manner. from the same. to make one of these grand dishes, you ought always to have some capital sort of fish, for the middle of the dish; such as a turbut, a jowl of fresh salmon, a cod's head, or a pike boiled; and this must be adorn'd either with flounders, whitings, soles, perch, smelts, or gudgeons, or bourn trouts, which are the small river trouts, or young salmon-fry, according as you can meet with them. this kind of dish is call'd a bisque of fish. to boil fresh _salmon._ if you have fresh salmon, you wash it with salt and water, and according to the fashion, leave all the scales on, though some take them off, to prevent that trouble at the table; for the skin of the salmon. is the fattest part of the fish, and is liked by most people. lay your fish thus prepared, into the pan, where you boil it, and pour in water, with a sixth part of vinegar, a little salt, and a stick of horse-radish; this should be boiled pretty quick: thus far for boiling fresh salmon. the grand sauce for it you will see at the end of these receipts, for preparing the several sorts of fish for the bisque but if it is served alone, then let the sauce be as follows. take a pint of shrimps, a pint of oysters and their liquor, and half a pint of pickled mushrooms; or else take shrimps, and the bodies of two middling sea-crabs, or of a couple of lobsters, the tail of the lobsters to be cut in dice, but use which you have by you. if you have oysters, stew them a little, in their own liquor, with some mace, and whole pepper, then lay by the oysters, and put mushroom pickle to the liquor, and dissolve two anchovies in it; then melt what quantity of butter you think fit, and mix your prepared liquor with it, adding a little white wine, or that may be left out. i should take notice, that just before you melt your butter, put your oysters, shrimps, and mushrooms, _&c._ into your prepared liquor to boil up, and then mix all together. _note,_ the bodies of the crabs being well stirred in the liquor, will thicken it, and render the whole very agreeable. to boil _turbut, flounders,_ or _plaise, pike,_ or a _cod's-head,_ or _whitings._ when your fish are gutted and well wash'd: put them upon your fish-plate; the jacks or pikes, whether small or great, must have their tails skewer'd into their mouths, so that they make a round figure, which is the fashion. then put your fish into the kettle, into as much water as will cover them. put into this water, an onion, with some cloves stuck in it, some mace, some whole pepper, a little bunch of sweet herbs, a stick of horse-radish, and half a lemon. when your liquor boils, add a little vinegar, or verjuice; and when your fish are boiled enough, let them drain before the fire. the sauce for these, if they are served singly, is that directed for the salmon, or else some melted butter, anchovies dissolved in water, over the fire, and some shrimps; or for want of them, if you can get any of the small crabs, such as they sell in _london,_ about eight or ten a penny, and no bigger in their bodies than to contain the quantity of a golden-pippin. take the inside of the bodies of these, and thicken your sauce with them. or if you have cray-fish, take the bodies of them, and mix them well with your sauce, and cut the tails in small bits, as big as pease. the foregoing way of boiling fish gives them a relish. to fry _soles, flounders, plaise, whitings, smelts,_ and _gudgeons,_ or such like. take a large quantity of hog's-seam, or lard, and melt it in a pan, till it is very hot; then put in your fish, prepared as follows; but first you may fry some bread, in lengths, as big as one's finger, to drain for a garnish. as for soles, skin them, and gut them, then flour them well, and toss them into the pan, turning them once, when you see the upper side of a yellow colour. when they are enough, put them into a cullendar to drain before the fire. flounders are only to be gutted, and the skins wash'd with water and salt, and being well dry'd with a cloth, flour them, and fling them into the pan, and use them as you did the soles. the plaise are to be done in the same manner as the flounders. whitings must be treated in the same manner as the former. smelts must be only rub'd with a coarse cloth, and then flour'd, and thrown into the pan. gudgeons must be scaled and gutted, well dry'd and flour'd, and thrown into the hot lard: but take care in all these that you have a quick fire under them, and not too many in the pan at one time. you have now all your furniture for your bisque of fish; but to fry them still crisper, and better, use sallad-oil instead of hogs-lard; or if you have neither of these, you may use good dripping of beef, or mutton, but there must be enough of it, and it should be as hot as possible, in the pan, when you throw your fish in. serve these with melted butter, and anchovy liquor, with shrimps, or oysters, if they are single. to broil _whitings._ clean your whitings, with water and salt, after they are gutted, and drying them thoroughly, flour them well, then lay them on the grid-iron, first rubbing it with a little chalk. as you find them enough on one side, turn them, and serve them, if they go to the table alone, with butter melted, some anchovy liquor, and oyster sauce; these may make one of your grand dishes of fish, but fry'd and boiled is enough, because there is never a dish of this kind, but there are many more at the same treat, which will give the cook a great deal of difficulty, and besides you must still in this dish have some spitchcot-eels. _n.b._ i forbear to mention here the manner of dresing spitchcot-eels, as they are already set down in the first part of this book. when you fry whitings, skewer their tails in their mouths; and some take off their skins. the grand dish of fish, and its sauce. when we have prepared these things, with regard to the grand dish we design, then make the following sauce: _viz._ sauce for a bisque of fish. take a pint of gravey, two or three spoonfuls of mushroom katchep, and a spoonful or two of mushroom pickle; then add about a gill of white wine, half an onion, a slice of lemon with the peel, two anchovies shred, some cloves, and mace. when these have boiled half a quarter of an hour, take out the onion, and lemon, and thicken your liquor, with about three pounds of butter, rub'd in a little flour; then put in the body of a crab, or lobster, shrimps, oysters, and mushrooms, and it is ready to pour over your fish: but some rather chuse to serve this sauce in basons, lest it be too high for every palate. however, when you have disposed your fish well in the dish, garnish with fry'd bread, horse-radish scraped, fry'd parsley, lemon sliced and pickled, red beet-root sliced, and serve it up hot. if your sauce is serv'd in basons; then take care to have one bason of plain butter: but if all your company happens to like the rich sauce, your dish of fish will make a much better appearance to have some of the sauce pour'd over it, before you lay on your garnish. remember to lay your spitchcot eels near the edge of the dish. to broil _herrings,_ so as to prevent their rising in the stomach. from the same. take fresh herrings, scale them, gut them, and wash them; and when they are well dry'd with a cloth, strew them with flour of ginger, as you would any fish with flour, then broil them; and when they are enough, the taste of the ginger is quite lost: then serve them with claret, butter, salt, and mustard, made into a sauce, and they will not at all disturb the stomach. a white _fricassee_ of _rabbits._ from the same. take three or four young rabbits and cut them to pieces, then put them in a stew-pan, with four ounces of butter; then season them with some lemon-peel grated, a little thyme, a little sweet marjoram, pepper, salt, and a little _jamaica_, pepper beaten fine. let these be close cover'd, and stew them gently, till they are tender; then take about half a pint of veal-broth, an onion, some lemon, a sprig of sweet marjoram, and some spice, to your mind, and put to it half a gill of white wine. boil these together six or seven minutes, then pour away the butter, in the stew-pan, and strain your veal gravey through a sieve; then beat the yolks of four eggs, with half a pint of cream. then put some of the broth, by degrees, to the eggs and cream, keeping them stirring, lest they curdle, and you may put to it some parsley boil'd tender, and shred small; then put it to the rabbits, and toss them up thick with butter, adding some pickled mushrooms, and serve them hot with a garnish of sliced lemon, and red beet-root pickled. a _neat's-tongue_ roasted. from the same. take a large neat's-tongue, that has lain three weeks in salts mixed in the following manner. take a quarter of a pound of salt-petre, half a pound of bay-salt, and three pints of common salt. this is enough to salt four tongues: let them be rubb'd well with this mixture, and kept in a cool place. take, i say, one of these tongues, and boil it till the skin will come off; and when it is stript of its skin, stick it with cloves, about an inch asunder, then put it on a spit, and wrap a veal-cawl over it, till it is enough; then take off the cawl, and just froth it up, and serve it in a dish with gravey. _note_, the cawl will keep the outside tender, which otherwise would be hard. one must serve with it, in saucers, of the following: grate a penny-loaf into about a pint of water, and half as much claret; then boil it thick, with two or three chips of cinnamon, then sweeten it to your mind, as you please: strew some sifted raspings of bread about the dish, and garnish with lemon sliced. to dress a _cow-heel._ from the same. take out the bones, and clean it, cut it to pieces, and wash it; then flour it, and strew over it a little pepper and salt, then fry it brown in hog's-lard, made very hot in the pan. prepare at the same time some small onions boiled whole, till they are tender, and pull off as many of the coats or skins, till you see them pure white; then make a sauce of gravey, some white-wine, nutmeg, and a little whole spice, with a little salt and pepper, and thicken it with burnt butter. let your onions, when they are skin'd, be made hot in milk, and lay them whole in the dish, with the cow-heel, and pour the sauce over the whole. some who have strong stomachs will slice onions, and flouring them well, fry them with with the cow-heel, but this must be fry'd in butter. to make _marmalade_ of _quinces._ from the same. take the large _portugal_ quinces, pare them, and take out the cores; then cut each quince in eight parts, and throw them in water; then boil the parings, and such of the quinces as are of the worse sort, in two quarts of water, till the liquor is reduced to half the quantity: when this is strain'd, put the liquor into your preserving-pan, with a pound of fine sugar powder'd, with two pounds of quinces: boil these gently, till they are tender. then if you design your marmalade for mixing with apples in pyes or tarts, put to them a pound more of sugar to each two pounds; break them with a spoon, and boil them briskly, keeping them stirring all the while: then put them hot into the gally-pot, when they are thick, and of a reddish colour. to heighten their redness, and keep them from burning to the bottom, put into the pan four or five pieces of pure tin, as big as half-crowns. but if you would have your marmalade fine for glasses, then, when they are boil'd tender, take them out of the liquor, and beat them well in a marble mortar, and rub them through a sieve; then put to them a pound of fine sugar, and stir them well in the liquor; boil them quick, stirring them all the while, till they grow thick. _memorandum_, while they are boiling the second time, put in some pieces of tin, as before, and when they are enough, pour them hot into your glasses or cups, first taking out the pieces of tin; and when your marmalade is cool, cover your glasses and cups with white paper. boil'd _tench._ from the same. take tench, fresh from the pond, gut them, and clear them from their scales; then put them into a stew-pan, with as much water as will cover them, some salt, some whole pepper, some lemon-peel, a stick of horse radish, a bunch of sweet herbs, and a few cloves; then boil them till they are tender, and when they are enough, take some of the liquor, and put to it a glass of white wine, and a little lemon-juice, or verjuice, and an anchovy shred. then boil it a few minutes, and thicken it with butter rubb'd in flour, tossing up a pint of shrimps with the sauce, and pour it over the fish. serve it with garnish of fry'd bread, cut the length of one's finger, some slices of lemon and horse-radish scraped, with some pickled mushrooms, if you will, or you may toss up some of them in the sauce. to bake _tench._ from lady g. take your tench, fresh from the pond, gut them, and clean them from the scales; then kill them, by giving them an hard stroke on the back of the head, or else they will live for many hours, and even jump out of the pan in the oven, when they are half enough. then lay them in a pan, with some mushroom katchep, some strong gravey, half a pint of pickled mushrooms, as much white-wine as gravey, three or four large shallots, an anchovy or two, two or three slices of fat bacon, some pepper, cloves, and nutmeg, at pleasure, a little salt, some lemon-peel, and a bunch of sweet herbs; then break some bits of butter, and lay them on your fish, then cover all as close as you can, and give them an hour's baking. when they are enough, lay them in a hot dish, and pour off the liquor, and strain it, only preserving the mushrooms; then add to it a spoonful of lemon-juice, and thicken your sauce with the yolks of four eggs, beaten with cream, and mix'd, by degrees, with the sauce. pour this over your fish, and serve it hot with a garnish of beetroots sliced, some slices of lemon-peel, and some horse-radish scraped. to roast a _westphalia-ham._ from the same. boil a westphalia-ham, as tender as it will be, with the gravey in it; then strip off the skin, put it on a spit, and having done it over with the yolk of an egg, strew it all over with raspings or chippings of bread finely sifted, and mixt with a little lemon-peel grated. baste it well when it is before the fire, and drudge it frequently with the above mixture till it is enough. some, instead of roasting it, will prepare it, with a good covering of the aforesaid mixture, and set it an hour in the oven, which answers full as well. then serve it, with boiled pidgeons, _russia_ cabbages, if you can get them, or sprouts of cabbages, curll'd, as big as tennis-balls, or collyflowers, or brocoli. this is an excellent dish, especially, if the cabbages, or collyflowers, are toss'd up with butter and cream, but the brocoli must only have the butter pour'd over them. a neck of _mutton_ and _broth._ from _l. p._ esq. the method of this broth was first from a mistake, where instead of boiling a neck of mutton, as directed, the cook roasted it. the gentleman was in a hurry for it, and call'd in half an hour for his neck of mutton and broth; but the cook had only that neck in the house; which she was roasting, and was then above half done: however, she takes it from the spit, and cut it in pieces, which she presently set over the fire, with the gravey that came from it, with a small quantity of water, and serv'd it up with some turnips, as soon as possible. the relish which the meat had gain'd by roasting, gave the broth so good a flavour, that it is recommended since that time, by the gentlemen who eat of it, where-ever they go; but with this addition, that they take four or five _hertfordshire_ turnips, pare them, and cut them in dice; then boil them in the liquor with the half roasted mutton; and when they are enough, take them out of the liquor, and draining them a little, flour them, and adding a little salt, fry them either in butter very hot, or in hog's-lard, and then serve them with pottage. boil'd _venison,_ with its furniture. from mr. _l. l._ take an haunch of venison, salt it well, and let it remain a week, then boil it, and serve it with a furniture of collyflowers, _russia_ cabbages, some of the _hertfordshire_ turnips cut in dice, and boiled in a net, and toss'd up with butter and cream, or else have some of the yellow _french_ turnips, cut in dice, and boil'd like the former; or we might add some red beet-roots boiled in dice, and butter'd in the same manner. place these regularly, and they will afford a pleasant variety both to the eye and the taste. _frogs,_ a white _fricassee_ of them. from mr. _ganeau._ take large frogs, and cut off the hinder legs, strip them of the skin, and cut off the feet, and boil them tender in a little veal-broth, with whole pepper, and a little salt, with a bunch of sweet herbs, and some lemon peel. stew these with a shallot, till the flesh is a little tender; then strain off the liquor, and thicken it with cream and butter; then serve them hot with the cream, and some mushrooms pickled, toss'd up with the sauce, they make a very good dish, and their bones being of a very fine texture, are better to be eaten than those of larks. but we have in many places an aversion to them, as, in some others, some people have to mushrooms. _frogs,_ in a brown _fricassee._ from the same. prepare the frogs as before, and flour them well; then put them into a pan of hot lard, and fry them brown. then take them and drain them from the liquor they were fry'd in, and make a sauce for them of good gravey, some lemon-peel, a shallot or two, some spice beaten, a bunch of sweet herbs, an anchovy, some pickled mushrooms and their liquor, and some pepper and salt. toss up these, thick with butter, and pour the sauce over them, putting first a little claret to it, and some lemon-juice. garnish with broiled mushroom-flaps, and lemon sliced. _snails,_ to be dressed with white sauce. from the same. take the large _german_ snail, early in the morning; put them, shells and all, into salt and water, for a few hours, till they purge themselves: then put them into fresh salt and water, for a few hours more, and repeat that a third time, then give them a gentle boil in water and. salt, in their shells, and you may then pick them out, with a pin, as you do perwinkles, then stew them in veal-broth, with some cloves, a little sack, some mace, and a little salt. stew these a little while, and then pour over them this sauce thicken'd with cream and butter, and grate some nutmeg upon the sauce, and serve them hot. _snails,_ to be drest with brown sauce. from the same. take the same sort of snail, as above mention'd, and clean it as before; then give them one turn, when they are flour'd, in some hot butter, or lard, and drain them. then pour into the pan, when, the liquor is out, some strong gravey, a glass of claret, some nutmeg, some spices, and a little salt, with a little lemon-peel grated; and when the sauce is strong enough, then strain the sauce, and thicken it with burnt butter. then serve them up hot, with a garnish of sliced lemon, and some sippits fry'd in lard. a _gammon_ of a _badger_ roasted. from mr. _r. t._ of _leicestershire._ the badger is one of the cleanest creatures, in its food, of any in the world, and one may suppose that the flesh of this creature is not unwholesome. it eats like the finest pork, and is much sweeter than pork. then, just when a badger is killed, cut off the gammons, and strip them; then lay them in a brine of salt and water, that will bear an egg, for a week or ten days; then boil it for four or five hours, and then roast it, strewing it with flour and rasped bread sifted. then put it upon a spit, as you did before with the _westphalia_ ham. serve it hot with a garnish of bacon fry'd in cutlets, and some lemon in slices. to make minc'd pyes, or _christmas-_pyes. from mrs. _m. c._ take an ox-heart, and parboil it, or a neat's-tongue, boil'd without drying or salting, or the inside of a surloin of beef; chop this small, and put to each pound two pounds of clean beef-suet, cleaned of the skins and blood, and chop that as small as the former; then pare, and take the cores out of eight large apples, and chop them small, grate then a two-penny-loaf; and then add two or three nutmegs grated, half an ounce of fresh cloves, as much mace, a little pepper and salt, and a pound and a half of sugar; then grate in some lemon and orange-peel, and squeeze the juice of six oranges, and two lemons, with half a pint of sack, and pour this into the mixture. take care to put in two pounds of currans to every pound of meat, and mix it well; then try a little of it over the fire, in a sauce-pan, and as it tastes, so add what you think proper to it: put this in an earthen glaz'd pan, and press it down, and you may keep it till _candlemas,_ if you make it at _christmas._ _memorandum,_ when you put this into your pyes, press it down, and it will be like a paste. when you take these pyes out of the oven, put in a glass of brandy, or a glass of sack or white wine, into them, and stir it in them. _plum-pottage,_ or _christmas-pottage._ from the same. take a leg of beef, and boil it till it is tender in a sufficient quantity of water, add two quarts of red wine, and two quarts of old strong beer; put to these some cloves, mace, and nutmegs, enough to season it, and boil some apples, pared and freed from the cores into it, and boil them tender, and break them; and to every quart of liquor, put half a pound of currans pick'd clean, and rubb'd with a coarse cloth, without washing. then add a pound of raisins of the sun, to a gallon of liquor, and half a pound of prunes. take out the beef, and the broth or pottage will be fit for use. _amber-rum,_ from _barbadoes;_ an extra-ordinary way of making it, from that country. take the preparation of the scum and dregs of the sugar-canes. let them ferment, and distil them with the leaves of the _platanus_, or plain-tree; then put them into a still again, and hang some amber powder'd, in a muslin bag, in the cap of the still, and let all the steam pass through that, and it will be incomparable good rum. a boiled _goose_ with its garniture. from the same. take a young fat goose, and salt it, and pepper it, for four days or a week; then boil it as you would do other victuals, till it is tender; then take it from the pot, and put about it some _hertfordshire_ turnips boiled, being first cut in dice, some carrots boiled, and cut in dice, some small cabbage-sprouts, some red beet-roots cut in dice, some _french_ yellow turnips cut in dice, or such other roots, or herbs, as you like best. collyflowers, if they are in season, will do well; but they must all be toss'd up with cream and butter, except the _hertfordshire_ turnips, which should, after they are boiled, be dry'd in a cloth, and well flour'd; then fry them in hot lard, or hot butter, drain them well, and serve them with the same sauce. _memorandum_, if you have any of the yellow _french_ turnips, cut them in dice to boil, and when they are enough, treat them in the same manner as you are directed, for the _hertfordshire_ turnips. take care in the buying of the _hertfordshire_ turnips, for they are all white; but they require a longer boiling than the red-ringed turnips: the red-rings are soft presently, when they are good, and the others are near an hour in boiling, and, even then, feel hard to the spoon. _viper-soup._ from mr. _ganeau._ take vipers, alive, and skin them, and cut off their heads; then cut them in pieces, about two inches in length, and boil them, with their hearts, in about a gallon of water to eight vipers, if they are pretty large. put into the liquor a little pepper and salt, and a quart of white wine to a gallon of liquor; then put in some spice, to your mind, and chop the following herbs, and put into it: take some chervill, some white beet-cards or leaves, some hearts of cabbage-lettuce, a shallot, some spinach-leaves, and some succory. boil these, and let them be tender; then serve it up hot, with a _french_ roll in the middle, and garnish with the raspings of bread sifted, and slices of lemon. _ketchup,_ in paste. from _bencoulin_ in the _east-indies._ there is a kidney-bean, we have here, which has a fine relish in it, as the _indians_ say, but in fact there is none but what they give it by art. this bean, when it is full ripe, is taken out of the shells, and boiled to a pulp, and that pulp strain'd till it becomes like butter; then they put some of all the spices into it, in powder, as, nutmeg, cloves, mace, and pepper, garlick, and orange-juice, or some mango pickle. this being well mix'd together, makes an agreeable sauce, when it is put in any warm liquor. to dry plums with sugar. from mr. _girarde._ take large white or red plums, such as the white _holland's_-plum, the _bonum magnum_, the royal dolphin or imperial plum. cut these, and take out the stones, and to every pound of plums, put three quarters of a pound of sugar: boil your sugar with a little water, to a candy height; then put in your plums, and boil them gently on a slow fire; then set them by to cool, and then boil them afresh, taking care that they do not break; then let them lie in their syrup, three or four days, and then lay them upon sieves, to dry, in a warm oven, turning them upon clean sieves, twice a day, till they are dry. then wash them off the clamminess of the sugar with warm water, and dry them again in the oven; and when they are cold, put them up in boxes, with papers between them, and keep them in a dry place. to make small _almond-cakes._ from the same. take some orange-flower-water, or rose-water, with about two grains of amber-gris, and beat these with a pound of blanched almonds, in a marble mortar; then take a pound of fine sugar powder'd, and finely sifted, and put most of it to the almonds, when they are well beaten, and mix it well. then make your cakes, and lay them on wafers, and set them in a gentle oven, on tin plates; and when they are half baked, boil what sugar you have left, with some rose-water, to a candy height, and, with a feather, wash the cakes over with this liquor, and close your oven, and let them stand a few minutes longer. to preserve _bullace._ from the same. take your bullace before the frost has taken them; let them be fresh gather'd, and clear fruit, scald them in water: then take their weight in fine sugar, with a little water, and boil it to a syrup; then put in your bullace, and boil them till the syrup is very thick, and your fruit very clear. to preserve green _peaches._ from the same. in some gardens, where the trees are pruned and ordered, by a skilful hand, it is often that a tree will be so full of fruit, that it is necessary to take away some, when they are green, that the others may swell the better. as this sometimes happens with peaches, so i shall here direct how to preserve them. scald your green peaches in water, then, with a cloth, rub the down from them; then put them, in more water, over a slow fire, and let them stew till they are green, keeping them cover'd. then take their weight in fine sugar, and with some water, boil it to a syrup, taking off the scum as it rises; then put in your peaches, and boil them till they are clear, and put them up, with the syrup, in glasses, or gally-pots; and when they are cold, cover them with paper. note, you must gather your peaches before the stone is hard in them, which you may know by putting a pin through them. to preserve _goosberries._ from the same. the best goosberries, for this work, are the white _dutch_ goosberry, and the walnut-goosberry. take these, just when they are beginning to turn ripe, pick off the flower-tuft at the ends, and stone them; then take to every pound of fruit, one pound and a quarter of fine sugar beaten and sifted. boil the sugar with a little water to a syrup, taking off the scum as it rises; then put in your fruit, and boil them quick till they are clear, and put them in glasses, boiling the syrup a little more; then pour it upon them, and when it is cold, cover your glasses close with paper. to candy _eringo-roots._ from mr. _lufkin_ of _colchester._ take the fairest roots of eringo, fresh taken out of the ground, wash them clean, and boil them in several waters till they are very tender: wash them again, and rub them with a cloth, to dry as much as they will bear, without breaking, or bruising; slit them, and take out the pith, and twist two together, like a screw. then take to every pound of root two pounds of fine sugar powder'd, of which sugar take one pound at first, and boil it with some rose-water, to a syrup; and then put in your roots, and boil them till they are clear; then wet the rest of your sugar with rose-water, and boil it to a candy height; then put in the roots, and let them boil, shaking them often over the fire, and when you think they are enough, take them from the fire, and shake them till they are cold, and almost dry; then lay them upon dishes to dry thoroughly, and when they are done, put them up in boxes with white paper, under and over them, then keep them in a dry place. to preserve _grapes_ in _syrup._ from the same. the best grapes for this use, are those of the fronteniac kind, of which there are the white and the blue, and the red, which seldom come to ripen in _england_, with their pure flavour. but as heat is the occasion of ripening; so, though they want it with us, from the sun, we may make good that deficiency by fire, which will answer the end fully, and bring them to the highest perfection of taste, therefore the sweet-meat made of these is excellent; besides these grapes for preserving, the _st. peter_ and the warner grapes are very good, and i may mention the grizled fronteniac, which is a noble grape, when it is ripe, as well as the others. and for the other sorts of grapes, they are not fit for preserving, unless i take in the raisin grapes, red and white, and the _lombardy_ grape; all which are full of pulp, and seldom ripen. these are your sorts, and now to proceed. take your grapes, gather'd in a dry day, though they are not ripe. you may guess when we come to the end of _september_, and they are not so, they never will be ripe: pick them then from the stalks, and stone them carefully, without breaking much of the skin, save the juice; then take the weight of them in fine sugar powder'd, and boil your sugar with some water, wherein pippins have been boiled before, first straining your water, and boil them to syrup, taking off the scum as it rises. and when the scum rises no more, put in your grapes, and boil them quick till they are as clear as crystal, i mean the white grapes; but the red sorts, let them boil till they are clear, and that the syrup will jelly; then put them into glasses, and when they are cold, cover them close with white paper; but mark your papers, which are of the fronteniac kinds, for they will have a very different flavour from the other sorts, an high richness that is much admired. however, though the other kinds of grapes, mention'd in this receipt, may want a flavour by themselves, you may add some orange-flower water to the syrup, you make for them, which will give them a fine taste. _n.b._ take care that when you make this preserve, you use only one sort at one time. to dress a _calf's-head_ in a grand dish. from mrs. _e. sympson._ take a large calf's-head, and divide it, cut off the muzzle, and wash it well; then take the brains, and wash them, and dry them, and flour them, and put them in a cloth, and tye them up. boil these till they are half done; then take them from the kettle, and cut the flesh off one side of the head, in slices, like harsh'd meat, and the other side of the head must remain whole, and mark'd only with a sharp knife, cross-ways. the brains must lie till the rest are prepared. take then the harsh'd part, and with some of the liquor it was boil'd in, put a glass of white wine, a little mushroom ketchup, a little nutmeg grated, and a little mace beat fine, some pepper and salt, some grated lemon-peel, and stew them together with a bunch of sweet herbs, and some butter. when it is enough, put in a little juice of lemon, and thicken it with cream and butter, in some of the same liquor, with the liquor of oysters parboil'd, a pint of oysters, and as many pickled mushrooms, which must be toss'd up with your sauce, when you thicken it, remembring to cut the eye in pieces, amongst the harsh. then for the other side of the head, when you have cut the flesh cross ways, in diamonds, about an inch over, beat the yolks of two or three eggs, and with a feather past over it, cover it with the yolks of eggs, and then drudge upon it the following mixture. take some raspings of bread sifted, put to them some flour, a little pepper and salt, with some mace and nutmeg, in powder, and a little sweet marjoram powder'd, or shred small. mix these well together; then set it in an oven, with some bits of butter upon it, till it is enough, or before a brisk fire, till the drudging is brown: this must be laid in the middle of the dish, and the harsh round it. the brains must be cut in pieces, and strew'd with a little red sage cut very small, and a little spice and salt; and then every piece, dip'd in a thick batter, made of eggs, flour, and milk. fry these well in hot hog's-lard, or for want of that, in hot melted beef-suet; then take oysters, a little stew'd in their own liquor, with mace, and a little whole pepper; take off their fins, and dip them in the same batter, and fry them as directed above for the brains. there must be likewise some pieces of bread cut the length of one's finger, and fry'd crisp; all these are by way of garnish. one may likewise boil some skirret-roots, and peel them, and then dip them in the batter, and fry them crisp. as for the other part of the garnish, it must be red beets pickled and sliced, and lemon sliced. _calf's-head-_pye. from the same. take a large calf's-head, divide it, and when it is well cleaned, boil it half enough; then cut it in large slices, and slit the eyes, season it with nutmeg, pepper, salt, and some powder of dry'd sweet herbs; then lay it in your paste, with some pepper and salt, at the bottom, with some bits of butter; then put in the yolks of twelve hard eggs, and a farced meat made in the following manner. take some lean of veal, shred it very small, then take some eggs butter'd, and a little pepper and salt, with other spice beaten, and some sweet herbs in powder. mix this with the yolk or two of raw eggs beaten, and make it into a paste. then roll it into balls, and lay a good number of them into the pye, amongst the meat; and, if you will, put in half a pound of currans well pick'd, and only rubb'd in a cloth, without washing. then close your pye, and just before it goes to the oven, pour in a gill of white wine, and half a pint of water; bake it and serve it hot, and you may add, if you will, the following liquor, _viz._ take half a pint of white wine, and as much water, with the juice of a lemon. boil these together a minute or two, then take the yolks of four eggs, and beat them well, a quarter of a pound of butter, and as much sugar as you like to make it palatable. then mix them well together, taking care that it does not curdle, and pour it into your pye just before you serve it. _note_, one may put into this pye, cock's-combs blanched, and some citron or lemon-peel candy'd, if you design it for a sweet pye; but it is very good, whether we make it a sweet pye or not. to bake a _calf's-head._ from the same. take a calfs-head, wash it clean, and divide it; then beat the yolks of four or five eggs, and beat them well, and with a feather, trace that liquor over the out-side of the head, and strew over it some raspings of bread sifted, some flour, some pepper and salt, some mace and nutmeg powder'd, with some sweet herbs powder'd, with a little sage shred small, and the brains cut in pieces, and dip'd in thick batter; then cover the head with some bits of butter, and pour in the pan some white-wine and water, with as much gravey, and cover it close. then bake it in a quick oven, and when you serve it, pour on some strong gravey, and garnish with lemon sliced, red beet-root pickled and sliced, and some fry'd oysters, and fry'd bread. to make spirit of _lilley_ of the _valley._ from _norway._ n.b. this serves in the room of _orange-flower-water,_ in 'puddings, and to perfume _cakes;_ though it is drank as a dram in _norway._ gather your lilley-of-the-valley flowers, when they are dry, and pick them from the stalks; then put a quarter of a pint of them into a quart of brandy, and so in proportion, to infuse six or eight days; then distil it in a cold still, marking the bottles, as they are drawn off, which is first, second and third, _&c_. when you have distill'd them, take the first, and so on to the third or fourth, and mix them together, till you have as strong as you desire; and then bottle them, and cork them well, putting a lump of loaf-sugar into each bottle. things to be provided, when any great family is going into the country, for a summer. from mr. _r. s._ nutmegs. mace. cinnamon. cloves. pepper. ginger. _jamaica_-pepper. raisins. currans. sugar _lisbon._ sugar-loaf lump. sugar double-refin'd. prunes. oranges. lemons. anchovies. olives. capers. oil for salads. vinegar. verjuice. tea. coffee. chocolate. almonds. chesnuts. _french_ pears. sir, i send you this as a _memorandum_, because when some people go into the country, many of these things may be forgot, and it is sometimes the case, that one must send a mile or two for what is wanted of them. _i am yours,_ r. s. to salt a _ham_ in imitation of _westphalia,_ &c. take an ham of young pork, and sprinkle it with salt for one day, that the blood may come out; then wipe it dry, and rub it with the following mixture. take a pound of brown sugar, a quarter of a pound of salt-petre, half a pint of bay-salt, and three pints of common salt. mix all these together, and stir them in an iron pan, over the fire, till they are pretty hot, and then rub your ham with it. turn your ham often, and let it lie three weeks; then dry it in a chimney with deal saw-dust. to make artificial _anchovies._ from mr. _james randolph_ of _richmond._ about _february_ you will find, in the river of _thames_, a large quantity of bleak, or in _august_ a much larger parcel in shoals. these fish are soft, tender, and oily, and much better than sprats to make any imitation of anchovies from. take these, and clean them, and cut off their heads, and lay them in an earthen glazed pan, with a layer of bay-salt under them, and another over, a single row of them; then lay a fresh row of fish, and bay-salt over that; and so continue the same _stratum super stratum_, till the vessel is full, and in a month you may use them, and afterwards put vinegar to them. but they will be like anchovies without vinegar, only the vinegar will keep them. turn them often the first fortnight. _apple-dumplings_ in an extraordinary way. from mrs. _johnson._ take golden-rennets ripe, pare them, and take out their cores; then cut the apples into small pieces, and with a large grater, grate in a quince, when it has been pared and cored: for if you was to slice in a quince, to your apples, in large pieces, the quince would not be boil'd equally with the apples; for the quince is of a tough nature, and will not boil under twice the time that the apples will: therefore to grate them, will be enough to give their flavour to the apple, and make all enough at one time. put what sugar you think proper into each dumpling, when you take it up, and the necessary quantity of butter. it will then cat like a marmalade of quince. _note_, the crust, or paste, for these dumplings, must be of a puff-paste made with butter, rubb'd into flour, and for some other parts of the butter, break them into the paste, and roll them three times, and put in the apples to the crust, tying them into a cloth well flour'd, and boiling them. it may be understood before, that when they are taken up hot, the ceremony of sugaring and buttering is necessary. _apple-dumplings_ made with sweet-meats. from the same. take fair apples ripe, pare them, and take out the cores; then slice them thin, and with a large grater, grate in some candy'd orange or lemon-peels, and you may put in also some powder'd clove or cinnamon, and a little grated quince, or quince marmalade. put these together, the apples being first cut in small pieces, into a puff-paste, and tye it up in a cloth. these must be sweeten'd with _lisbon_-sugar, when they are taken up, and melted butter pour'd in: for if you use loaf-sugar, though it is powder'd, some of it will be harsh in the mouth; and the _lisbon_-sugar, which is the fattest sort of sugar, will not, but will give a good flavour to your fruit. an _hog_ barbecued, or broil'd whole. from _vaux-hall, surrey._ take an hog of five or six months old, kill it, and take out the inwards, so that the hog is clear of the harslet; then turn the hog upon its back, and from three inches below the place where it was stuck, to kill it, cut the belly in a strait line down to the bottom, near the joining of the gammons; but not so far, but that the whole body of the hog may hold any liquor we would put into it. then stretch out the ribs, and open the belly, as wide as may be; then strew into it what pepper and salt you please. after this, take a large grid-iron, with two or three ribs in it, and set it upon a stand of iron, about three foot and a half high, and upon that, lay your hog, open'd as above, with the belly-side downwards, and with a good clear fire of charcoal under it. broil that side till it is enough, flouring the back at the same time often. _memorandum_, this should be done in a yard, or garden, with a covering like a a tent over it. when the belly-part of the hog is enough, and turn'd upwards, and well fix'd, to be steady upon the grid-iron, or barbacue, pour into the belly of the hog, three or four quarts of water, and half as much white-wine, and as much salt as you will, with some sage cut small; adding the peels of six or eight lemons, and an ounce of fresh cloves whole. then let it broil till it is enough, which will be, from the beginning to the end, about seven or eight hours; and when you serve it, pour out the sauce, and lay it in a dish, with the back upwards. _memorandum_, the skin must not be cut before you lay it on the gridiron, to keep in the gravey; neither should any of the skin be cut, when you have any pork roasted for the same reason. _beef,_ or _pork,_ to be salted for boiling immediately, from the _shambles._ from mr. _j. p._ chymist. take any piece of beef you desire to boil, or pork for the same, dressing it fresh from the shambles, or market, and salt it very well, just before you put it into the pot; then as soon as your meat is salted, take a coarse linnen cloth, and flour it very well, and then put the meat into it, and tye it up close. put this into a kettle of boiling water, and boil it as long as you would any salt piece of beef of the same bigness, and it will come out as salt as a piece of meat, that had been salted four or five days: but by this way of salting, one ought not to have pieces of above five or six pounds weight. _n.b._ if to half a pound of common salt you put an ounce of nitre, or salt-petre, it will strike a redness into the beef; but the salt-petre must be beat fine, and well mix'd with the common salt. _potatoe-_puddings, made with sweet-meats. from mr. _moring, temple-bar._ take some clean potatoes, boil them tender, and when they are so, and clean from their skins, break them in a marble mortar, till they become a pulp; then put to them, or you might beat with them some slices of candy'd lemons and oranges, and beat these together with some spices, and lemon-peel candy'd. put to these some marrow, and as much sugar, with orange-flower water, as you think fit. mix all together, and then take some whole candy'd orange-peels, and stuff them full of the meat, and set them upon a dish, in a gentle oven; and when they have stood half an hour, serve them hot, with a sauce of sack and butter, and fine sugar grated over them. _potatoe-_pudding baked. from _mr. shepherd_ of _windmill-street._ boil some fair potatoes till they are tender; then, when they are made clean, bruise them in a marble mortar, till they become a paste, with some mace powder'd, some sugar, and the pulp of oranges, with a _naples_ biscuit or two grated in, and a large carrot grated. add to these some orange-flower water; and when all these are well mix'd, put to them some butter'd eggs, with some slices of butter laid upon your pudding, when it is put into the dish, or pan. a little baking will serve for it; and when it is enough, serve it hot, with a garnish of sliced lemon or orange. some will put this into a paste, but not cover it. to make _whipt syllabubs._ from mrs. _cater_ of _salisbury._ to a pint of cream put a gill of canary-wine, and two ounces of loaf-sugar finely beat, and a slice or two of lemon; then with a clean whisk, whip it together, adding a little milk, as it grows thick: then have your glasses clean, and put into each of them three or four spoonfuls of any sorts of wine, red in some, and white in others, sweeten'd with fine sugar powder'd; then fill your glasses with the froth of your cream, as it is whipt up. of the fashionable tables, for persons of rank, or figure, where five dishes are serv'd at a course. from _s.g._ esq. the tables i shall speak of, are so order'd, as to save a great deal of trouble to the mistress of the family, as well as to the guests; for with this table every one helps himself, by turning any dish he likes before him, without interrupting any body. you must have first, a large table with an hole in the middle, of an inch diameter, wherein should be fix'd a socket of brass well turn'd, to admit of a spindle of brass, that will turn easily in it. the table i speak of, may be, i suppose, five or six foot diameter; and then have another table-board made just so large, that as it is to act on the centre of the first table, there may be near a foot vacancy for plates, _&c._ on every side. then fix the spindle of brass in the centre of the smaller table, which spindle must be so long, as, that when one puts it in the socket of the great table-board, the smaller turning table may be about four inches above the lower board; so, that in its turning about, no salt, or bread, or any thing on the places, may be disturb'd. these tables have cloths made to each of them; the upper, or smaller table, to have an whole cloth to cover it tight, and fasten'd close, so that none of the borders hang down; and the cloth for the under table, or great table, must have an hole cut in the middle of it for the spindle of the upper table to pass thro' into the brass socket: and when this is rightly order'd, and every necessary furniture of the great, or lower table, set by every plate; then the upper table, which will turn, may be furnish'd with meats. it remains only then, in some places, for the lady of the house, to offer the soup; but after that, every one is at liberty to help themselves, by turning the upper table about, to bring what they like, before them. _i am yours,_ s. g. the manner of killing and salting _oxen,_ in the hottest months, for the sea, that the _beef_ may keep good. from a contractor with the commissioners of the _royal-navy._ sir, i have often read your books, and particularly your _lady's monthly director,_ relating to the management of the several products of a farm, but you have not taken notice of the preservation of flesh, as i expected. i send this therefore, to inform you, that upon the setting out of a fleet in _june_, it was thought difficult to salt the beef; but it was done, to full satisfaction, by the following method. we killed an hundred oxen, in _june,_ towards the close of the evening, and let them hang up whole, till the next evening: then, when the cool comes on, cut out the messes, and by every stand have a punchin of brine, and throw them into it as soon as they are cut, and in about three minutes after that, take them out, and salt them well. _note_, these pieces will by these means lose their bloody parts, in great measure, and be capacitated to receive the salt much better than otherways, and then put them up. _memorandum,_ we had not, out of all this quantity, above three pieces fail'd, though the weather was extreme hot. _cheshire-_pye with _pork._ from mr. _r. j._ take some salt loin of pork, or leg of pork, and cut it into pieces, like dice, or as you would do for an harsh. if it be boiled or roasted, it is no matter; then take an equal quantity of potatoes, and pare them, and cut them into dice, or in slices. make your pye-crust, and lay some butter, in pieces, at the bottom, with some pepper and salt; then put in your meat and potatoes, with such seasoning as you like, but pepper and salt commonly, and on the top some pieces of butter. then close your pye, and bake it in a gentle oven, putting in about a pint of water, just before it is going into the oven; for if you put in your water over night, it will spoil your pye. to bake _herrings_ in an extraordinary manner. from mrs. _m. n._ of _shrewsbury._ take fresh herrings, and when they are scaled and cleaned, put them in a glazed earthen vessel, where they can lie straight; then put in as much of the following liquor as will cover them, _viz._ an equal quantity of fine pale and old strong beer, with vinegar, which is the best, or else all vinegar, or as some do, put two parts of vinegar and one of water; any of these will do well. then put in some bay-salt, such a quantity as you think will season it to your mind, and to that a tenth part of salt-petre, which will not make it salt, but give it a fine relish: to these put two or three bay-leaves, a bunch of sweet herbs, some cloves, or _jamaica_ pepper, and some whole pepper; then cover your pan, and bake it in a quick oven, with bread. these must be eaten cold; they are excellent for a country breakfast, especially, if they are warm of the spice, and if they are well done, the very bones will dissolve. to draw _gravey_ for a private _family._ from the same. take some fleshy part of beef, without fat, and cut it in pieces about the bigness of pidgeons eggs; then flour it well, and put it in a sauce-pan, with a little fresh lard, or a little butter, a little onion sliced, some powder of sweet marjoram, and a little pepper. cover all close, and stir it now and then till the gravey is come out enough, and then pour on it some water, when the gravey is brown, and stir all together, and let them boil some time; then strain it off, adding a little lemon-juice. another _gravey,_ for a private family, where there is not an opportunity of getting _beef_ to make it of. take some butter, and some onion, cut small, put it in a sauce-pan, and set it over the fire till the butter melts; then drudge in some flour, and stir it well, till the froth sinks down, and then it will be brown; you must then have ready prepared the following mixture to throw in, _viz._ some good old beer, and as much water, an onion cut small, some pepper and salt, a small anchovy shred, a little lemon-peel grated, a clove or two, and, if you have it, a little mushroom liquor, or liquor of pickled walnuts; then let them all simmer together a little while, and it will produce a thick good gravey. the manner of trussing a _rabbit_ for boiling. [illustration: fig. ] cut the two haunches of the rabbit close by the back-bone, two inches, and turn up the haunches, by the sides of the rabbit; skewer the haunches through the lower part of the back, as at a; then put a skewer through the utmost joint of the leg at b, and so through the body, and through the other leg, so that the end of the leg reaches the shoulder-blade. then truss up the shoulders high, and let the pinnions be carried back, to take the legs at b, and lie between them and the body; and under the height of the pinnions, put a skewer, and bend the neck backwards, and pass the skewer through all, at c, so that it supports the blade-bone, and holds the head up. the manner of trussing a single _rabbit_ for roasting. from mr. _w. n._ poulterer. [illustration: fig, ] you case the rabbit all, excepting the lower joints of the four legs, and those you chop off: then pass a skewer through the middle of the haunches, after you have laid them flat, as at a; and the fore-legs, which are called the wings, must be turn'd, as at b; so that the smaller joint may be push'd into the body, through the ribs. this, as a single rabbit, has the spit pass'd through the body and head, but the skewer takes hold of the spit to preserve the haunches. but to truss a couple of rabbits, there are seven skewers, and then the spit passes only between the skewers, without touching the rabbits. to make a _pheasant_ of a _rabbit,_ truss'd in such a manner, that it will appear like a _pheasant,_ and eat like one, with its sauce. this is called, by the topping _poulterers,_ a _poland-chicken,_ or a _portugal-chicken._ but it is most like a _pheasant,_ if it is larded. from mrs. _johnson,_ at the famous eating-house in _devereux-court_ near the _temple._ [illustration: fig. ] take a young rabbit full grown; case it all, excepting the fore-feet, chop off them, and the head, as close as may be, but strip the skin from the hind legs, even to leave the claws on them. these claws are not unlike the claws of a pheasant, and some good judges may be deceiv'd by their first look, for they are little different from the legs of the fowls we design to imitate. then turn the neck-part of the rabbit, the breast inwards, to the scut or the rump, leaving the rump somewhat short, but to appear; then will the rabbit appear in the shape above, _viz._ b is the scut, or rump, of the rabbit, and c is where the neck comes; then will the part mark'd f, appear like the breast of a fowl: but you must put up the stript legs of the rabbit, over each side of the neck of it, and tie all together, with a string, as mark'd h h. so will the hind-legs of the rabbit appear like the legs of a fowl, and where you see the letter g mark'd, the back of the rabbit is broken. d, is what represents the back-side of the fowl, and e is the appearance of the wings, which are supposed to be stuck into the back, where two large orifices are made, but the bones of the wings, of the rabbit, must be taken out. a, shews the legs as they ought to be tied, and o o directs to the points of the skewers which are to run through it. [illustration: fig. ] fig. . will shew you the back of the same, when it is truss'd, with the appearance of the skewers, o, o, o, o, with the orifices, wherein are the supposed bones of the wings. if this is larded on the breast, i think it best, and it should be served with the following sauce, if it is roasted. when this is thus prepared, you may stick a pheasant's tail-feather at the scut, and roast it as you would do a pheasant, basting it well with butter, after it is drudg'd well with flour; then make the following sauce for it. take some strong gravey, and put a little lemon-peel into it, with some spice, and a little wine; then take a few buttons of mushrooms pickled, and thicken it with burnt butter, so that the sauce becomes like one fit for a ragout, or _ragoo_, as the _english_ pronounce it. pour this over the fowl or rabbit, which you please to call it, and serve it hot, with a garnish of lemon sliced, and pickled red beet-roots sliced. of trussing a _pidgeon._ from the same. [illustration: fig. ] draw it, but leave in the liver, for that has no gall; then push up the breast from the vent, and holding up the legs, put a skewer just between the bent of the thigh and the brown of the leg, first having turn'd the pinnions under the back: and see the lower joint of the biggest pinnions, are so pass'd with the skewer, that the legs are between them and the body, as at a. a _goose_ to truss. from the same. [illustration: fig. ] a goose has no more than the thick joints of the legs and wings left to the body; the feet, and the pinnions being cut off, to accompany the other giblets, which consist of the head and neck, with the liver and gizzard. then at the bottom of the apron of the goose a, cut an hole, and draw the rump through it; then pass a skewer through the small part of the leg, through the body, near the back, as at b; and another skewer through the thinnest part of the wings, and through the body, near the back, as at c, and it will be right. the trussing of an _easterling._ from mr. _w. n._ poulterer of st. _james's-_market_, london._ [illustration: fig. ] a duck, an easterling, a teal, and a widgeon, are all trussed in the same manner. draw it, and lay aside the liver and gizzard, and take out the neck, leaving the skin of the neck full enough to spread over the place where the neck was cut off. then cut off the pinnions at a, and raise up the whole legs, till they are upright in the middle of the fowl b, and press them between the stump of the wings, and the body of the fowl: then twist the feet towards the body, and bring them forwards, with the bottom of the feet towards the body of the fowl, as at c. then take a skewer, and pass it through the fowl, between the lower joint, next the foot, and the thigh, taking hold, at the same time, of the ends of the stumps of the wings a. then will the legs, as we have placed them, stand upright. d is the point of the skewer. the manner of trussing a _chicken_ like a _turkey-poult,_ or of trussing a _turkey-poult._ from. mr. _w. n._ poulterer of st. _james's-_market. [illustration: fig. ] take a chicken and cut a long slit down the neck, on the fore-part; then take out the crop and the merry-thought, as it is call'd; then twist the neck, and bring it down under the back, till the head is placed on the side of the left-leg; bind the legs in, with their claws on, and turn them upon the back. then between the bending of the leg and the thigh, on the right side pass a skewer through the body of the fowl; and when it is through, run the point through the head, by the same place of the leg, as you did before, as at a: you must likewise pull the rump b through the apron of the fowl. _note,_ the neck is twisted like a cord, and the boney part of it must be quite taken out, and the under-jaw of the fowl taken away; neither should the liver and gizzard be served with it, though, the pinnions are left on. then turn the pinnions behind the back, and pass a skewer through the extreme joint, between the pinnion and the lower joint of the wing, through the body, near the back, as at c, and it will be fit to roast in the fashionable manner. _n.b._ always mind to beat down the breast-bone, and pick the head and neck clean from the feathers before you begin to truss your fowl. a turkey-poult has no merry-thought, as it is called; and therefore, to imitate a turkey the better, we take it out of a chicken through the neck. [illustration: fig ] fig. . shews the manner how the legs and pinnions will appear when they are turn'd to the back; as also, the position of the head and neck of the chicken, or turkey-poult. the manner of trussing an _hare_ in the most fashionable way. from mr. _w. n._ [illustration: fig. ] case an hare, and in casing it, just when you come to the ears, pass a skewer just between the skin and the head, and by degrees raise it up till the skin leaves both the ears stript, and then take take off the rest as usual. then give the head a twist over the back, that it may stand, as at a, putting two skewers in the ears, partly to make them stand upright, and to secure the head in a right disposition; then push the joint of the shoulder-blade, up as high as may be, towards the back, and pass a skewer between the joints, as at b, through the bottom jaw of the hare, which will keep it steady; then pass another skewer through the lower branch of the leg at c, through the ribs, passing close by the blade-bone, to keep that up tight, and another through the point of the same branch, as at d, which finishes the upper-part. then bend in both legs between the haunches, so that their points meet under the scut, and skewer them fast, with two skewers, as at o o. a fowl trussed for boiling. from mr. _w. n._ poulterer, &c. [illustration: fig. ] when it is drawn, twist the wings till you bring the pinnion under the back; and you may, if you will, enclose the liver and gizzard, one in each wing, as at a, but they are commonly left out. then beat down the breast bone, that it does not rise above the fleshy part; then cut off the claws of the feet, and twist the legs, and bring them on the out-side of the thigh, towards the wing, as at b, and cut an hole on each side the apron, just above the sides-man, and put the joints of the legs into the body of the fowl, as at c: so this is trussed without a skewer. to truss a _pheasant_ or _partridge._ from the same. [illustration: fig. ] both the pheasant and partridge are trussed the same way, only the neck of the partridge is cut off, and the neck and head of the pheasant is left on: the plate above shews the pheasant trussed. when it is drawn, cut off the pinnions, leaving only the stump-bone next the breast, and pass a skewer through its point, and through the body near the back, and then give the neck a turn; and passing it by the back, bring the head on the outside of the other wing-bone, as at a, and run the skewer through both, with the head landing towards the neck, or the rump, which you please: b is where the neck runs. then take the legs, with their claws on, and press them by the joints together, so as to press the lower part of the breast, then press them down between the sides-men, and pass a skewer through all, as at c. remember a partridge must have its neck cut off, or else in every thing is trussed like a pheasant. to boil an artificial _pheasant,_ with _sellary._ from mrs. _johnson, devereux-court_ near _temple-bar._ prepare a rabbit in the same manner as above directed, only it must not be larded; then boil it, and give it the following sauce. take six or seven roots of sellary, and boil them, when they are well clean'd from dirt, till they are tender, then cut them into pieces of about two inches long, and toss them up with strong gravey thicken'd with burnt butter. pour this over the artificial pheasant, and serve it hot, well impregnated with spice. then garnish it with lemon sliced, or sliced orange, and some fry'd bread, and some slices of pickled red beet-roots; or round the edges of the dish, strew some sifted raspings of bread. _the end._ * * * * * index to part ii. a. anchovies, how to keep a long time. artificial lobster. artificial ratefia. abricots, preserved in jelly. ditto, for tarts. artificial creams. abricots, dry'd. almond-cakes, small. apple-dumplings, in an extraordinary way. ditto, another way. anchovies, artificial, made. b. broil'd whitings. beef, to salt, immediately. beef, hash'd raw. biscuit, of potatoes. butter'd crabs. _barcelona_-snuff, to make. bacon-froize. brown fricassee of sheep's-trotters. bitters for wine. brisket of beef, to stew. beef, to stew, in soup. beef, a rump, to stew. beet-card tart. beef-collups, from _oxford._ beet-steaks, stew'd. butter, recover'd from oil. bisque of fish. badger, its gammon roasted. bullace, preserv'd. c. _cyprus_-wine, imitated. citron-water, from _barbadoes._ cabbage-pudding. collar of mutton, roasted. cakes, sweet, made of parsnips. ditto, made of red beet-roots. comfits, to make. ditto, to make in colours. caviar, to pickle or preserve. collar of sturgeon roasted. carp-pye. currans in syrup. cakes, baked, of raspberries. cakes, of lemon. clary and eggs. cheese-cakes, of lemon. ditto, orange. ditto, good. crab, artificially made. ditto, another way. crabs, butter'd. ditto, artificial, butter'd. cherry-brandy, artificial. ditto, right. cucumbers, to stew. ditto, to farce. cocks-combs, artificial. calf's-liver, stuffed and roasted. ditto, another way. cream-custards. capons livers imitated. creams of raspberries. cornelian cherries, preserves ditto, in marmalade. currans in jelly. cakes, from _lisbon._ cakes, of orange. cakes, fine, ditto, from _penzance._ ditto, from _northampton._ cow-heel dress'd. calf's-head, dress'd in a grand manner. calf's-head-pye, ditto, baked. creams, artificial. cream, with sweet-meats. cucumbers, to preserve in the winter. _cologn_'s gin, to make. candy'd orange-peel. ditto, lemon-peel. claret, hermitage, to imitate. _cheshire_-pye. chicken, to truss. d. damsons in jamm. damson-wine. dog-grass. e. eringo-roots, to candy. easterling, to truss. extraordinary tables. f. fish, to keep, a long time. fruit, baked. flounders, dressed. frogs, white fricassee. ditto, brown fricassee. _florentine,_ imperial. farced-meat. g. gravey, drawn quick for a private family. gravey, rich, made without flesh. ginger-roots, preserv'd, green. goose, to truss. grapes, preserved in syrup. geneva, from _cologn,_ to make. gourmandine-pease, dress'd several ways. ditto, broil'd. grape, to keep the winter. ginger, to preserve. green-pease pottage. gudgeons, to dress. grand sauce for fish. goose, boiled. green-peaches preserved. goosberries, preserved. h. hermitage-wine, to imitate. hare-pye. _hungary_-water, to make. hare, to keep. hard pease-soup. herrings, pickled, to serve. hog's-harslet roasted. hartshorn jelly. hash of raw beef. hackin, from _cumberland._ ham, westphalia, roasted. hams, westphalia, artificially made. hog barbacued. herrings, broiled, not to make sick. hare to truss. herrings, baked in an extraordinary way. k. katchep, in paste, to make. l. lemons in marmalade. lemon-peels, preserv'd in jelly. lemon-cakes. lumber-pye. lap-dog, to keep in health. liver and crow. m. mustard, of several sorts. mustard-seed-flour. marmalade of peaches. ditto, of plums. marygold-flowers, preserved. marmalade of pine-apples. marmalade of quince. mutton, the neck in broth, an extraordinary way mutton, the neck ragou'd. n. neats-tongues, roasted o. oysters, fry'd. oranges in marmalade. orangery snuff. orange-butter. onions, boil'd. ortolans, to dress. orange-peels, preserved in jelly. orange-flowers, preserved in jelly. orange-tarts. orange-chips. oxen, to kill and salt in hot weather. p. peach-tarts, white. pepper mint-water. pidgeon, to truss. potatoe-puddings. provisions, to take into the country. plums, dry'd with sugar. plum-porridge. pyes, minced, or _christmas_-pyes. paste, to make, of all sorts. plums, dry'd. pippin paste. pine-apples, in marmalade. pine-apple-tarts. peach-tarts, red. pheasant, to keep sweet. powder'd, sauce. pig, to stew. ditto, to stew another way. preservation of flesh from tainting, plum, marmalade. pound-cakes. pudding, six hours. pidgeons, embalm'd. pidgeons, preserved. pippin-tart. pickled marygold-flowers. partridges, to keep, a long time in hot weather pheasant, to truss. q. quinces, preserved. quince, marmalade, red. ditto, white. r. rum, to make. rum, with amber. rabbit trussed for roasting. ditto, for boiling. ditto, truss'd like a pheasant. ditto, to roast with mushrooms. ditto, to boil. raspberry-pudding. ragout of tripe. ratafia, to make. ditto, artificial, to make. rabbits, white fricassee. s. sturgeon, cured. sturgeon, pickled. ditto, fresh, to roast. ditto, fresh, to boil. ditto, fresh, in a pye. sheeps-tongues, pickled. smoaking-closets, for hams. sorts of mustard. shoulder of mutton roasted like venison. syrup of mulberries. syrup of raspberries. sheeps-trotters, fricasseed. sorrel-tarts. stew'd peaches. stinking, of flesh, prevented. stew'd wild-ducks. sea-larks, or oysters, roasted on spits. shoulder, of mutton, farced. salmi, or salmi-gundy. _shropshire_-pye. ditto, another way. seed-cake. sick lap-dog, to cure. soles, to stew. scots snuff, to make. _shropshire_-dish. salmon-boiled. soles, fry'd. snails, fry'd. snails, with white sauce. ditto, with brown sauce. sweet-meats, candy'd, syllabubs, whipt. spirit of lilly-of-the-valley. stew'd veal. sauce for a bisque of fish. t. turkey-poult, to truss. teal, to truss. tripe, made of eggs. tortoise, or turtle, the gibblets dress'd. tortoise, or turtle-flesh, to roast. ditto, in a pye. turbut, to dress. tongue, to roast. tench, boiled. turnips, from _hertfordshire,_ to dress. turnips, yellow, from _france,_ to dress. tables, extraordinary, for treats. u. vinegar, to make. usquebaugh, the yellow sort. usquebaugh, the green sort. verjuice. umble-pye. venison, to keep. venison-pasty. venison, boiled. viper-soup. w. wild-ducks, to keep. wild-ducks, to recover from stinking. wild-duck, to truss. widgeon, to truss. the art of cookery _made easy and refined_. [transcriber's notes: text that was superscripted in the original is framed as w^{th.}. spelling in this text is fluid and archaic. changes made are noted in the list at the end of this text.] the art of cookery _made easy and refined_; comprising ample directions for preparing every article requisite for furnishing the tables of the nobleman, gentleman, and tradesman. by john mollard, cook; lately one of the proprietors of freemasons' tavern, great queen street, lincoln's inn fields; now removed to dover street, piccadilly, formerly thomas's. _second edition._ _london_: printed for the author, and sold by j. nunn, great queen street, lincoln's inn fields, and all booksellers in town and country. . _t. bensley, bolt court, fleet street._ preface. the mode of cookery which the author of the following sheets has pursued for a series of years having obtained the most distinguished approbation of the public, has induced him to commit his practice to paper; in doing which, a deviation has been made from the usual introductory methods of other treatises of the kind, in omitting to give particular directions for the choice of fish, meats, poultry, and vegetables, and at what times they respectively might be in season, &c. &c. the author conceiving the simpler method to be the most acceptable: and, therefore, as actual knowledge must ever supersede written forms, he would advise a frequent attendance at the different markets, fully assured that experience will convey greater instruction in marketing than all the theories which could be advanced. there are, nevertheless, some useful observations interspersed in the course of the work for that purpose; the author having confined himself chiefly to the practical part of cookery; he has also given some directions in a branch of the confectionary business: in both of which it has been his constant endeavour that they might be rendered as simple and easy as possible, and that economy might pervade the whole. the receipts are written for the least possible quantities in the different made-dishes and sauces, it being a frequent error in most of the books that they are too expensive and too long; by which means the art has been rendered intricate in the extreme, both in theory and practice. independent, also, of a close adherence to any given rules, there are other qualities essential to the completion of a thorough cook; such as, an acute taste, a fertile invention, and a rigid attention to cleanliness. the preceding hints and subsequent directions, it is hoped, will prove fully adequate to perfection in cookery; the work being entirely divested of the many useless receipts from other professions, (which have been uniformly introduced in books of the like nature,) and nothing inserted but what has an immediate reference to the art itself. there is prefixed a bill of fare for each month in the year, as a specimen of the seasons, which may be altered as judgment directs. there is annexed, also, at the end of the volume, an index, by which, from the first letter or word of the different articles, will be found their respective receipts. february d, . contents. page beef stock veal stock, for soups ib. consumé, or the essence of meat cullis, or a thick gravy ib. liquid of colour for sauces, &c. benshamelle to make a passing of flour and butter for cullis or benshamelle ib. soup a la reine crayfish soup ib. vermicelli soup (white) to make a leason ib. cleared brown stock for gravy soups ib. rice soup celery soup turnip soup ib. cressey soup ib. santé, or spring soup onion soup green peas soup ib. old peas soup peas soup another way giblet soup fish meagré soup mock turtle of calf's head ib. mutton broth real turtle callipee glaize for hams, larding, roasted poultry, &c. fish plain boiled, how to be prepared fish generally fried ---- to prepare for frying, &c. broiled fish, how prepared ib. ------ salmon ditto ------ mackarel, common way to stew fish ib. water souchée of perch, flounders, soles, eels, &c. roasted pike or sturgeon ib. bacquillio with herbs entrée of eels ------ of soles ib. ------ of whitings, &c. ------ of salmon ib. ------ of smelts, &c. ------ of mackarel mackarel the german way ib. olios, or a spanish dish the olio, how to be made hodge podge, or english olio light forcemeat for pies or fowls, &c. forcemeat balls for ragouts, &c. ib. egg for balls omlets of eggs for garnishing or cutting in slips ib. ox cheek beef tails haricot sauce beef collops fillet of beef larded ib. beef palates rump of beef a-la-daube, or braised ib. to make spanish onion sauce savoy sauce ib. ashée sauce brisket of beef with spanish onions ib. ------- with ashée or haricot rump of beef a-la mode ib. baked beef marrow bones mutton rumps marinated ib. to make marinate haricot mutton cutlets ib. fillet of mutton with cucumbers stewed cucumbers ib. mutton cutlets with potatoes ------ a la maintenon cutlets a la irish stew pork cutlets with red or white cabbage ib. to stew cabbage pork cutlets with robert sauce ib. to make robert sauce pork cutlets another way ib. fillet of pork roasted pigs feet and ears ib. to prepare pigs feet and ears compotte of pigeons ib. pigeons a la craupidine pigeons glaized pigeons a la sousell ib. hashed calf's head breast of veal en gallentine breast of veal ragout ib. neck of veal en erison neck of veal larded veal cutlets larded ib. loin of veal a la cream veal tendrons (brown or white) celery sauce, (white), for veal, chickens, turkies,&c. celery sauce, (brown), for pullets, &c. ib. veal cutlets au natural veal collops (brown) ib. ------------ (white) fricando veal sorrel sauce ib. veal olives breast of veal with oysters ib. lamb's head minced breast of lamb with benshamelle breast or tendrons of lamb en matelote ib. ------ of lamb with peas to stew peas for sauce, for lamb, veal, chickens, &c. ib. lamb cutlets with cucumbers neck of lamb glaized onion sauce ib. lamb cutlets with tendrons ib. turnip sauce lamb cutlets with tendrons another way shoulder of lamb glaized ---------------- en epigram ---------------- grilled ib. hind quarter of lamb marinated -------------------- with spinach leg of lamb with oysters ib. currie plain rice to be eaten with currie currie of lobster ----- of veal ib. ------ of mutton ib. pig's head currie directions for roasting ib. soup for a family to prepare a haunch of venison, or mutton, for roasting to roast woodcocks or snipes -------- larks to fry breadcrumbs ib. to roast turkies -------- rabbits ib. -------- hares ib. -------- hares another way ib. -------- pigeons -------- quails, or ruffs and rees ib. -------- guinea fowls, pea fowls, pullets, chickens, and turkey poults -------- wild fowl ib. -------- partridges and pheasants ib. -------- green geese and ducklings ib. -------- other geese and tame ducks -------- a pig -------- sweetbreads -------- ribs of beef ib. -------- fillet of veal ib. observations on meat and poultry stuffing for turkies, hares, veal, &c. ib. gravy for roast meat, steaks, and poultry peloe of rice ib. ------------- another way timbol of rice petit patties of chicken and ham patties of lobsters or oysters forcemeat patties ib. pulpton of chicken, rabbits, &c. fishmeagre pie raised ham pie, with directions for making a raised crust raised chicken pie flat chicken pie (or tourte) ib. pigeon pie raised turkey pie with a tongue ------ macaroni pie ------ beef steak pie ib. veal pie pork pie eel pie mutton pie ib. sea pie rissoles ib. to fry parsley puffs with chicken, &c. ib. wings and legs of fowls with colours ----- larded and glaized fowl a la menehout pulled chicken (or turkey) ib. another way pullet a la memorancy ib. chickens with lemon sauce to make lemon sauce ib. fricassee of chickens or rabbits (white) chickens or turkies with celery turkies, pullets, or chickens, with oyster sauce ib. to make white oyster sauce ib. chickens with peas , fricassee of chickens or rabbits (brown) ib. to fry oysters for a dish directions for poultry, &c. plain boiled ib. jugged hare glaized hare duck aux naves ib. a duck with cucumbers ------ a la benshamelle hashed mutton ib. ------ venison ------ fowls ------ hare, wild fowl, pheasants, or partridges broiled beef steaks ib. beef steak pudding oyster sauce for beef steaks to dress mutton, lamb, or pork chops in a plain manner ib. to dress veal cutlets minced veal for a dish ib. ----------- another way partridges or pheasants au choux ib. ----------------------- with truffles turkey with truffles truffle sauce for turkies, &c. ib. turkey with chesnuts ------ with ragout rabbits with onions ib. glaized sweetbreads matelote of rabbits ib. sweetbreads en erison stewed giblets plain ib. ------ with peas green truffles for a dish ib. rabbits en gallentine for a dish ham braised ib. jerusalem artichokes stewed -------------------- another way mashed potatoes ib. cauliflower with parmezan cheese ----------- a la sauce ib. ----------- a la cream stewed artichoke bottoms ib. french beans a la cream for a dish stewed cardoons ib. vegetables in a mould broiled mushrooms stewed mushrooms (brown) and (white) , mashed turnips ib. potatoes creamed stewed watercresses ib. a neat dish of vegetables vegetable pie ib. fried potatoes fried onions with parmezan cheese pickle tongue forced stewed endive ib. forced cucumbers to stew peas for a dish ib. salad of asparagus asparagus peas ib. --------- another way stewed asparagus for sauce directions for vegetables ib. pickled oysters oyster atlets scollop oysters oyster loaves ragout of sweetbreads (brown) ib. --------------------- (white) poached eggs with forrel or endive buttered eggs ib. fried eggs, &c. eggs a la trip omlet of eggs ib. fricassee of tripe lambs tails and ears ib. curried atlets to stew maccaroni stewed cheese ib. to prepare a batter for frying different articles, being a sufficient quantity for one dish fried celery ib. ----- peths ----- sweetbreads ib. ----- artichoke bottoms ib. ----- tripe and onions hard eggs fried ib. to dress a lamb's fry --------------------- another way ib. puffs with forcemeat of vegetables ib. rammequins to dress part of a wild boar plovers eggs, to be served up different ways buttered lobsters ib. meat cake collared pig red beef for slices savory jelly aspect of fish ------ of meat or fowl canopies salmagundy ib. salad of lobster french salad blancmange ib. dutch blancmange riband blancmange cleared calves feet jelly ib. marbrée jelly bagnets a l'eau apple fritters for a dish golden pippins a la cream -------------- another way stewed pippins another way cream for pies mince meat compote of oranges tea cream virgin cream coffee cream ib. burnt cream ib. pastry cream almond paste ib. cheese cakes almond nuts to make syllabub ib. trifle tarts or tartlets paste for stringing tartlets ib. to stew apples for tarts fried puffs with sweetmeats pyramid paste ib. icing for a cake cherries in brandy for desserts ib. to make buns orgeat ib. orange marmalade raspberry jam quince jam green gage jam ib. apricot jam preserved apricots for tarts or desserts ib. currant jelly crisp tart paste eggs and bacon another way ib. to make puff paste ------- an almond cake almond custards rhubarb tart ib. orange pudding rice pudding tansey pudding almond pudding ib. marrow pudding bread pudding ib. a rich plum pudding batter pudding ib. boiled apple pudding apple dumplings baked apple pudding ib. damson pudding -------------- another way ib. baked fruit pudding another way muffin pudding with dried cherries potatoe pudding carrot pudding ib. ice cream observation on stores ib. partridge soup collared eels white puddings sausage meat calf's liver roasted to dry herbs ib. to make anchovie liquor to be used in fish sauces potted lobster ib. to clarify butter for potting potted cheese ------ veal ------ larks or small birds to dry morells, mushrooms, and champignons mushroom powder ib. potted beef tarragon vinegar ib. walnut ketchup for fish sauces to pickle tongues, &c. ib. india pickle to dry artichoke bottoms to pickle cucumbers, &c. rules to be observed in pickling to pickle onions --------- mushrooms ib. --------- beet roots --------- artichoke bottoms --------- large cucumbers --------- red cabbage --------- currants --------- barberries ib. sour crout peas pudding, to be eaten with boiled pork currie, or pepper water grills and sauce, which are generally eaten after dinner salmé of woodcocks to make a haggess ib. french black puddings milk punch plum pottage candied orange or lemon peels lemonade or orangeade poivrade sauce for game, maintenon cutlets, &c. lobster sauce for fish oyster sauce for fish shrimp sauce for fish dutch sauce for fish ib. anchovie sauce for fish observations in respect of fish sauces, &c. ib. apple sauce, for pork, geese, &c. green sauce for ducklings or green geese fennel sauce for mackarel ib. bread sauce, for turkies, game, &c. melted butter ib. to make melon citron rusks, or tops and bottoms wafers ib. cracknels to bake pears to clarify sugar ib. syrup of cloves, &c. ----- golden pippins ----- capillaire flowers in sugar ib. syrup of roses to preserve cucumbers ib. ----------- currants ----------- barberries gooseberry fool sago oatmeal pottage, or gruel ib. to bottle gooseberries, &c. for tarts ----------------------- another way small cakes ib. diet bread cake sponge biscuits ib. common seed cake cinnamon cakes ib. to make red colouring for pippin paste, &c. for garnishing twelfth cakes twelfth cakes ib. bristol cakes hyde park corner cakes good gingerbread nuts ib. bride cake rice cakes bath cakes pancakes ib. shrewsbury cakes portugal cakes, or heart cakes macaroons ib. mirangles ratafias lemon puffs ib. chantilly basket green codlins, frosted with sugar pound cake ib. yest cake rich plum cake dried cherries pippins with rice to make english bread ib. french bread pulpton of apples a sweet omlet of eggs to keep cucumbers for winter use for sauces ib. to preserve mushrooms for sauces pullet roasted with batter ib. dutch beef mushroom ketchup ib. suet pudding savoy cake nutmeg syrup ib. sweetbreads with veal and ham essence of ham for sauces ox heart roasted ib. slices of cod fried with oysters small crusts to be eaten with cheese or wine after dinner ib. devilled almonds boiled tripe and onions ib. ------ sweetbreads broiled sweetbreads ib. conclusion, with remarks errata. page , line and , for _beef pallets_ read _beef palates_. ---- , ---- , ---- _half_ read _halves_. ---- , ---- , ---- _tarragon of vinegar_ read _tarragon vinegar_. ---- , ---- , ---- _pickled_ read _picked_. ---- , ---- , ---- _solomongundy_ read _salmagundy_. [illustration: for january. _ ^{st.} course_ _soup santé_ _small ham_ _tendlons veal white_ _slises crimp'd cod_ _m^{d.} & whole potatoes_ _rump beef glaiz^{d} w^{th.} harricott_ _brocoli_ _whitings broil'd_ _pullet w^{th.} oyster sauce_ _raiz'd lamb pies_ _mock'd turtle_ ^{d.} course _wood cocks roast._ _scollop shells_ _stew'd mushrooms_ _apple fritters_ _triffle_ _shellfish in an ornamented ba^{s.}_ _jelly_ _fry'd puffs w^{th.} sweetmeats_ _stew'd cardoons_ _omlett w^{th.} cullis_ _partridges roast._ neele sc. strand] [illustration: february. _ ^{st.} course_ _soup cressey_ _frieandd veal w^{th.} sorrell_ _petite patties_ _tongue w^{th.} m^{d.} turnips_ _fillet mutton roasted w^{th.} celleri_ _chickens boil'd_ _beef pallets_ _cutlets pork w^{th.} stew'd red cabbage_ _rice soup_ _crimp'd seaite_ } } _to remove soup_ _water soucher_ } _ ^{d.} course_ _capon roasted_ _golding pippins cream'd_ _lobster sallad_ _forc'd asparagus_ _sweetbread roast_ _forc'd french beans_ _slic'd brawn_ _teal roast_ _ribband blancmange_ _neele sc. strand_] [illustration: march. _ ^{st.} course_ _soup and boullie_ _soles fry'd and boild_ _crimp'd cods head_ _soup ala reine_ _ ^{d.} course_ _fillet pork roast._ _harricott of begetables_ _potatoes mash'd_ _french pie_ _mash'd turnips_ _veal olives_ _leg lamb and spinach_ _ ^{d.} course_ _turkey roast._ _marbree jelly_ _tourte_ _brocoli ala sauce_ _pick'd crabb_ _sausages_ _pyrimid of paste_ _large pidgeons roast._ _pippins w^{th.} rice_ _neele sc. strand_] [illustration: april. _ ^{st.} course_ _mock'd turtle_ _tongue boild &c._ _chickens w^{th.} sweetbreads white_ _sallad_ _beef forc'd and roasted w^{th.} oy^{s.} sauce_ _rice_ _currie_ _vermiceli soup_ _cutlets lamb_ _crimp'd salmon & fry'd smelts_ } } _to remove soup_ _stew'd tench_ } _ ^{d.} course_ _levrett roast_ _apricot tart w^{th.} carrimel_ _dutch blancmange_ _stew'd cellery_ _prawnes_ _mushrooms broild_ _almond cake_ _ducklings roast._ _apple tart_ _neele sc. strand_] [illustration: may _ ^{st.} course_ _giblet soup_ _mullets broild_ _turbot_ _spring soup_ _ ^{d.} course_ _haunch mutton roast_ _potatoes each way_ _compotte of pidgeons_ _chickens_ _beef tails stew'd_ _ham glaiz'd_ _vegetable puffs fry'd_ _ ^{d.} course_ _green goose roast_ _jelly w^{th.} strawberrys_ _asparagus_ _pine apple tartlets_ _goosberry tart_ _artichoack bottoms_ _white blancmange_ _turkey poults roast_ _ornament w^{th.} flowers_ _neele sc. strand_] [illustration: june. _ ^{st.} course_ _green peas soup_ _chicken tourte_ _cutlets mutton_ _cauliflowers_ _roast beef_ _new potatoes_ _tendlons veal w^{th.} peas_ _crimp'd trout_ _lambs head minc'd_ _ ^{d.} course_ _duckling roast._ _shellfish_ _cherry tart_ _french beans ala cream_ _sweetbread roast._ _jelly & blancmange_ _neck house lamb roast._ _codling tart cream'd_ _green peas_ _plovers eggs_ _pidgeons roast._ _neele sc. strand_] [illustration: july. _ ^{st.} course_ _rabbits w^{th.} onions_ _turtle_ _chickens_ _garden beans_ _calla pash_ _cauliflower_ _small ham glaiz'd_ _turtle_ _fillet lamb w^{th.} cucumbers_ _ small dishes fish to remove turtle_ _ ^{d.} course_ _goosberry cream in cups_ _haunch venison roast_ _apricot tart_ _french beans_ _pick'd crabb_ _artichoak bottoms_ _raspberry tourte_ _poullet roast._ _mirangles_ _neele sc. strand_] [illustration: august. _ ^{st.} course_ _soles each way_ _brest lamb w^{th.} celleri_ _pullet w^{th.} oy^{s.}_ _potatoes_ _onion soup_ _stew'd spanish onions_ _fillet beef larded & glaiz'd_ _salmon & fry'd fillets of haddock_ _raiz'd ham pie_ _small chine mutton roasted to remove the soup_ _ ^{d.} course_ _wheat ears roast_ _orange puffs_ _jelly w^{th.} peaches_ _scollop shells_ _frame_ _mushrooms stew'd white_ _almond custards_ _levrett roast_ _pulpton of apples_ _neele sc. strand_] [illustration: september. _ ^{st.} course_ _a pike baked_ _fricassee of chickens_ _fillet mutton & stew'd endive_ _fry'd celleri_ _turnip soup_ _french sallad_ _fillet pork roast_ _crimp'd cod and fry'd smelts_ _cutlets veal larded_ _ ^{d.} course_ _partridges roast_ _ragout of sweetbreads_ _maceroni_ _muffing pud^{g.} w^{th.} dry'd cherries_ _chantillie baskett_ _damson tart_ _eggs ala trip_ _larks roast_ _lambs fry_ _neele sc. strand_] [illustration: october. _ ^{st.} course_ _johndoree_ _pidgeons ala craupidine_ _foule w^{th.} trouffles sauce_ _cauliflower_ _partridge soup_ _stew'd spinach_ _chicken puffs_ _trout_ _rump beef w^{th.} spanish onions_ _ ^{d.} course_ _wild duck roast_ _raspberry tourte_ _jellys_ _fry'd sweetbreads_ _ribs house lamb roast_ _oyster attets_ _apples frosted_ _pheasant roast_ _marrow pud^{g.}_ _neele sc. strand_] [illustration: november. _ ^{st.} course_ _water souchee_ _pickle tongue forc'd_ _raiz'd pie w^{th.} macroni_ _ragout of vegetables_ _soup and boullie_ _cauliflower & french beans_ _chickens w^{th.} bershamelle_ _slices cod fry'd w^{th.} oyster sauce_ _cutlets pork w^{th.} fry'd potatoes_ _loine veale ala cream to remove soup_ _ ^{d.} course_ _wood cocks roast_ _fritters_ _coffee cream_ _jerusalem artichoaks_ _potted beef moddled_ _stew'd water cresses_ _preserved apricot tart_ _partridges roast_ _golding pippins w^{th.} jelly_ _neele sc. strand_] [illustration: december. _ ^{st.} course_ _turbot_ _leg lamb w^{th.} spinach_ _wings and legs fowles glaiz'd_ _pidgeon tourte_ _hodge podge_ _pickled beet roots_ _pheasant au choux_ _crimp'd cods head_ _small chine mutton roast_ _ ^{d.} course_ _turkey roast_ _apple tart w^{th.} perfumed cream_ _potted charr_ _pancakes_ _stew'd cardoons brown_ _jellies_ _lambs tails w^{th.} bershamelle_ _minced pies_ _prawnes_ _potatoe pudding_ _snipes roast_ _neele sc. strand_] the art of cookery. _beef stock._ cut chuck beef into pieces, put it into a pot, set it on the fire, with a sufficient quantity of water to cover it. when it boils skim it clean; add a bunch of parsley and thyme, cleaned carrots, leeks, onions, turnips, celery, and a little salt. let the meat boil till tender, skim off the fat, then strain it through a fine hair sieve. _veal stock, for soups._ take a leg of veal and some lean ham, cut them into pieces, put them into a pan with a quart of water, some peeled carrots, turnips, onions, leeks, and celery; draw them down till nearly tender, but of no colour; then add a sufficient quantity of beef stock to cover the ingredients, boil all together one hour, skim it free from fat, and strain it. some game drawn down with it will make it excellent. n. b. i have directed the veal stock not to be drawn down to a colour, as in that state it will answer two purposes; first, for white soups; and, secondly, as it might be coloured with a bright liquid to any height, which will be directed for gravy soups. it frequently happens, likewise, that, if not strictly attended to, it will burn. _consumé, or the essence of meat._ reduce veal stock to a good consistence, but be careful not to let it colour. _cullis, or a thick gravy._ take slices of ham, veal, celery, carrots, turnips, onions, leeks, a small bunch of sweet herbs, some allspice, black pepper, mace, a piece of lemon-peel, and two bay leaves; put them into a pan with a quart of water, and draw them down till of a light brown colour, but be careful not to let it burn; then discharge it with beef stock. when it boils, skim it very clean from fat, and thicken it with flour and water, or flour and butter passed. let it boil gently three quarters of an hour; season it to the palate with cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and salt; strain it through a tamis cloth or sieve, and add a little liquid of colour, which may be made as in the following receipt. _liquid of colour for sauces, &c._ put a quarter of a pound of the best brown sugar into a frying pan very clean from grease, and half a gill of water; set it over a gentle fire, stirring it with a wooden spoon till it is thoroughly burnt and of a good bright colour, then discharge it with water; when it boils skim it and strain it. put it by for use in a vessel close covered. _benshamelle._ take white veal, lean ham, turnips, celery, onions cut in pieces, a blade of mace, a little whole white pepper; sweat them down till three parts tender, then discharge it with beef stock. let it boil, skim it clean, and thicken with flour and water, or flour and butter passed; add to it a sufficient quantity of cream to make it quite white. let it simmer gently half an hour, and strain it through a tamis cloth. n. b. let it be of the thickness of light batter. _to make a passing of flour and butter for cullis or benshamelle._ put fresh butter into a stewpan over a fire, when it is melted add a sufficient quantity of sifted flour to make it into a paste, and mix them together with a whisk over a very slow fire for ten minutes. _soup a la reine._ take three quarts of veal stock with a blade of mace boiled in it; then strain it to the crumb of four penny french rolls, three quarters of a pound of sweet almonds blanched and pounded very fine, likewise the white meat of dressed fowl pounded. let all simmer together for ten minutes, and rub them through a tamis cloth till the soup is of a proper thickness; season it to the palate with salt; make it boil, and serve it up with a gill of cream in it. _crayfish soup._ take three quarts of veal stock, the crumb of four penny french rolls, the meats of a hen lobster, and half a hundred crayfish pounded, with some live lobster spawn; add all together, make it boil, skim it clean, rub it through a tamis cloth, make it of a middling thickness, and season to the palate with salt and a little cayenne pepper. serve it up with crust of french bread cut into small round pieces. _vermicelli soup, white._ take three quarts of veal stock and two ounces of vermicelli, boil them together a quarter of an hour, rub it through a tamis cloth, season with salt, make it boil, skim it, and add a leason. let it simmer for five minutes. _to make the leason._ take the yolks of four eggs, half a pint of cream, and a little salt, mixed well together. _cleared brown stock for gravy soups._ take three quarts of veal stock perfectly free from fat; add a small quantity of liquid colour to make it of a fine brown; season to the palate with salt and a little cayenne pepper; beat up together two yolks, two whites, and two shells of eggs; whisk them with the stock, set it over a fire, let it boil gently ten minutes, then strain it through a tamis cloth. this stock is required for rice, brown vermicelli, celery, santé, or turnip soups. n. b. i have directed the brown stock, for gravy soups only, to be cleared with eggs, as that method has been most approved, it being pleasant to the eye, and equally agreeable to the palate. _rice soup._ add to three quarts of cleared stock two ounces of rice, washed, picked, parboiled, and drained dry. let it boil gently till the rice is tender. _celery soup._ cut celery heads two inches long then, some of the white part into small pieces; wash, blanch, and drain it, and put to it three quarts of cleared stock. make it boil, skim it, and let the celery simmer till tender. _turnip soup._ pare good and firm turnips, cut them with a knife or scoop into shapes, fry them with a bit of lard till of a light brown colour, then drain and wipe them free from fat (or they may be steamed with a very little water, to prevent them from burning, till they are half done); then put to them cleared stock, and boil them gently till tender. _cressey soup._ take twelve large red carrots, scrape them clean, cut off only the red part in thin slices, and put them in a stewpan with a quart of water; add cleaned turnips, celery, leeks, and onions, cut in pieces, and half a pint of split peas. stew all together till tender, adding some stock to prevent burning; then rub it through a tamis, and put to the pulp five pints of veal stock and some blanched water-cresses; make it boil for twenty minutes, skim it, season it with salt, and serve it up. n. b. to be the thickness of peas soup. _santé, or spring soup._ pare, and cut into shapes, turnips and carrots, likewise celery heads about two inches long; wash them, and steam them separately with a very little water till they are three parts done; then cut the white part of the celery into small pieces, likewise leeks, cabbage, cos lettuces, endive, and chervil, of each a small quantity; blanch and drain them dry, then put all the vegetables together; add to them three quarts of cleared brown stock, and boil them gently till tender. in spring add young green peas, tops of asparagus, and button onions, steamed as the above. n. b. a small piece of bouillie beef may be stewed till tender; and ten minutes before it is to be served up wipe it dry, and put it into the soup with the vegetables. _onion soup._ take eight middling-sized peeled onions, cut them into very thin slices, pass them with a quarter of a pound of fresh butter and flour till tender; then add three quarts of veal stock; make it boil twenty minutes; skim it, season it with salt, and add a leason; mix it well with a whisk, make it simmer, and serve it up. _green peas soup._ take one quart of young green peas, four turnips pared and cut in the form of dice, two cos lettuces cut in small slices, two middling-sized onions cut very fine; wash them, add a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, and stew them till nearly done. then take two quarts of large fresh green peas, and boil them in three quarts of veal stock till tender; strain and pound them, preserving the liquor; then rub the peas through a tamis, and add the pulp with the liquor to the above herbs, a little flour and water, pepper and salt, and season to the palate, with a bit of sugar if approved. boil all together half an hour; skim it and when it is to be served up, add the pulp of some boiled parsley rubbed through a tamis to make it look green. n. b. cut pieces of bread into thin sippets, dry them before the fire, and serve up on a plate. _old peas soup._ take chuck beef cut into pieces, knuckles of ham and veal, pickle pork cut into square pieces of half a pound each; put all into a pot with peeled turnips, leeks, onions, carrots, and celery, cut into slices, and some old split peas, with a sufficient quantity of water; when it boils, skim it, and add a very small bunch of dried mint. let the ingredients boil till tender, then take the mint out, rub the soup through a tamis till of a good thickness; when done, add to the liquor, turnips cut in form of dice, celery and leeks cut small and washed. make the soup boil, skim it, season with pepper and salt, and serve it up with the pork in it. some bread cut in form of dice, and fried, to be served up on a dish. n. b. the pork to be taken out when nearly done, and added to the soup half an hour before it is served up. _peas soup another way._ put the peas with the above-mentioned vegetables into a pot with some water; stew them gently till tender, then add a little dried mint, and rub them through a tamis cloth; put the pulp to some good veal stock, likewise add some turnips pared and cut into forms like dice, some leeks and celery cut small and blanched; season to the palate with pepper and salt; then making it boil, skim it, and stew the herbs till tender. serve it up with pieces of pickle pork in it. n. b. the pickle pork to be cut into small square pieces and boiled till nearly done, and then added to the soup a quarter of an hour before it is to be served up to table. let the soup be of a proper thickness. _giblet soup._ let the giblets be scalded, picked clean, and cut in pieces; which done, put them in a stewpan, season them with herbs and spice, the same as for real turtle; add some veal stock, stew them till nearly done, pick them free from the herbs, chop the bones down, strain, thicken, and season the liquor, as for real turtle; make it boil, then add it to the giblets, stew them till tender, and serve them up with egg and forcemeat balls. _fish meagré soup._ take pieces of different sorts of fish, such as salmon, skate, soles, &c. sweat them till tender, with turnip, onion, celery, a clove of garlick, and a blade of mace; then add some plain veal broth. let all simmer together for half an hour; then strain and skim it free from fat; season with salt and cayenne pepper; clear it with white of eggs, and colour with a little saffron. n. b. it may be served up with celery or rice in it. _mock turtle of calf's head._ take a scalp cleaned by the butcher, scald it for twenty minutes, then wash it clean, cut it into pieces two inches square, add a gallon of veal stock, and boil them till nearly done. have ready some pieces of veal cut in form of dice, but four times larger, seasoned with herbs, spices, and onions, the same as real turtle; and strain to it the liquor the scalp is boiled in. let the meat simmer till almost done; pick it, and add to it the scalp with forcemeat and egg balls; then thicken the liquor as for real turtle, and when it boils skim it clean, put it to the meats, and simmer all together half an hour. _mutton broth._ take a neck of mutton cut into pieces, preserving a handsome _piece_ to be served up in the tureen. put all in a stewpot with three quarts of cold beef stock, or water with a little oatmeal mixed in it, some turnips, onions, leeks, celery cut in pieces, and a small bunch of thyme and parsley. when it boils skim it clean, and take the _piece_ of mutton out when nearly done, and let the other boil till tender; then have ready turnips cut in form of dice, some leeks, celery, half a cabbage, and parsley, all cut small, and some marigolds; wash them, strain the liquor of the meat, skim it free from fat, add it to the ingredients, with the _piece_ of mutton, and a little pearl barley if approved; season with salt, simmer all together till done, and serve it up with toasted bread on a plate. _real turtle._ hang the turtle up by the hind fins, and cut off the head overnight; in the morning cut off the fore fins at the joints, and the callipee all round; then take out the entrails, and be careful not to break the gall; after which cut off the hind fins and all the meat from the bones, callipee and callipash; then chop the callipee and callipash into pieces; scald them together, the fins being whole, but take care not to let the scales set. when cleaned, chop the fins into pieces four inches long; wash the pieces of the callipee, callipash, and fins, and put them into a pot with the bones and a sufficient quantity of water to cover; then add a bunch of sweet herbs and whole onions, and skim it when the liquor boils. when the fins are nearly done take them out, together with the remainder of the turtle, when done, picked free from bone. then strain the liquor and boil it down till reduced to one third part; after which cut the meat into pieces four times larger than dice; put it into a pot, add a mixture of herbs chopped fine, such as knotted marjoram, savory, thyme, parsley, a very little basil, some chopped onions, some beaten spices, as allspice, a few cloves, a little mace, black pepper, salt, some veal stock, and the liquor that was reduced. boil the meat till three parts done, pick it free from herbs, strain the liquor through a tamis sieve, make a passing of flour and three quarters of a pound of fresh butter, mixing it well over a fire for some time, and then add to it madeira wine, (if a turtle of seventy pounds weight, three pints,) and the liquor of the meat. when it boils, skim it clean, season to the palate with cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and salt, and strain it to the pieces of fins and shell in one pot, and the lean meat into another; and if the turtle produce any real green fat, let it be boiled till done, then strained, cut into pieces, and added to the fins and shell, and then simmer each meat till tender. when it is to be served up, put a little fat at the bottom of the tureens, some lean in the center, and more fat at the top, with egg and force-meat balls, and a few entrails. n. b. the entrails must be cleaned well, then boiled in water till very tender, and preserved as white as possible, and just before they are strained off add the balls. if a callipash is served up, the shell to be cut down on each side, and chop the pieces for the soup; the remaining part of the back shell to be pasted round with a raised crust, egged, ornamented, and baked, and the soup served in it in the same manner as in the tureens. _callipee._ take a quarter of the under part of a turtle of sixty pounds weight, and scald it, and when done, take the shoulder-bone out and fill the cavity with a good high-seasoned forcemeat made with the lean of the turtle; put it into a stewpan, and add a pint of madeira wine, cayenne pepper, salt, lemon juice, a clove of garlick, a little mace, a few cloves and allspice tied in a bag, a bunch of sweet herbs, some whole onions, and three quarts of good beef stock. stew gently till three parts done; then take the turtle and put it into another stewpan, with some of the entrails boiled and some egg balls; add a little thickening of flour and butter to the liquor, let it boil, and strain it to the turtle, &c. then stew it till tender, and the liquor almost reduced to a glaize. serve it up in a deep dish, pasted round as a callipash, ornamented and baked. n. b. i think the above mode of serving it up in a dish the best, as it frequently happens that the shell of the callipee is not properly baked. _glaize for hams, larding, roasted poultry, &c._ take a leg of veal, lean of ham, beef, some indifferent fowls, celery, turnips, carrots, onions, leeks cleaned and cut into pieces, a little lemon peel, mace, and black pepper, a small quantity of each; add three quarts of water, sweat them down till three parts done, discharge with water, and boil it till the goodness is extracted; then skim it, and strain the liquor into a large pan. next day take the fat from it very clean; set the stock over a fire, and when warm clear it with whites and a few yolks of eggs; then add a little colour and strain it through a tamis; boil it quick till reduced to a glaize, and be careful not to let it burn. n. b. in the same manner may be made glaize of separate herbs or roots, which will be serviceable on board a ship, or in the country, where herbs or roots cannot be procured at all times; and they are to be preserved in bottles, as they will not, when cold, be of a portable substance. _fish plain boiled to be prepared thus:_ put them in clean boiling pump water well salted, and when served up to be garnished with fresh picked parsley and scraped horseradish; except salt fish, which should be properly soaked, then cut in pieces and put in cold water, and when it boils let it simmer six or eight minutes, and serve it up on a napkin with boiled parsnips and potatoes round, or on a plate, and egg sauce in a boat. n. b. fish should be chosen very fresh and of good appearance, it adding as much to their beauty as gratifying to the palate when dressed, there being in my opinion but two sorts--good and bad. but as an exception to the above observation, skate will be better for eating if kept for one or two days in a cool place before it is dressed. _fish generally fried._ pieces of skate. whitings. fillets of haddocks. smelts. soles. perch. flounders. slices of hollibut. slices of cod. _to prepare the above for frying, &c._ wipe the different sorts of fish dry, beat yolk of eggs, and spread it over them with a paste brush; then put crumbs of bread over the egg. have plenty of lard in an iron frying pan, and when it almost boils put a proper quantity and fry them of a fine gold colour; drain them dry, and serve them up with fried parsley. n. b. the crumbs to be rubbed through a hair sieve. the parsley also to be picked, washed, and dried with a cloth, then to be put into the lard not very hot, and fried of a green colour. sprinkle a little salt over. _broiled fish prepared thus:_ wipe the fish dry, flour them well, and have the gridiron clean; then rub the bars with a veal caul, and put the fish at a proper distance. broil them gently over a clear coal fire till of a fine colour, and serve them up directly. n. b. fish in general to be floured, except herrings, which are only to be scored with a knife, and the following methods of broiling other fish to be observed. _broiled salmon to be prepared thus:_ take pieces or slices of salmon, wipe them dry, dip them in sweet oil, and season with pepper and salt; fold them in pieces of writing paper, broil over a clear fire, and serve them up very hot. n. b. in the same manner are to be done red mullets, &c. _broiled mackarel, common way._ wipe them dry, split them down the back, sprinkle with pepper and salt, and broil them gently. _to stew fish._ add to some cullis a few chopped eshallots, anchovies, a bay leaf, horseradish scraped, a little quantity of lemon peel, and some red port; season it well with cayenne pepper, salt, and juice of lemon, and when it boils let it be of a proper thickness, and strain it to the fish; then stew it gently, and serve it up in a deep dish with the liquor, and fried bread round it. if carp or tench, some of the hard roe mixed in batter and fried in pieces. the roes likewise of different fish may be stewed in the same manner, and served up as a dish of themselves. eels, soles, or other fish may be done the same way. _water souchée of perch, flounders, soles, eels, &c._ take perch cleaned and fresh crimped; put them into boiling pump water well-seasoned with salt, and when they boil, skim them clean. take them out with a large skimmer, put them into a deep dish, strew parsley roots and scalded parsley over, and add some of the liquor. serve them up as hot as possible, with slices of brown bread and butter on a plate. n. b. the time the fish are to boil must be according to their size; and the parsley roots are to be cleaned, cut into slips, and boiled by themselves till tender. _roasted pike or sturgeon._ let the fish be well cleaned, then make a stuffing of capers, anchovies, parsley and thyme chopped fine, a little grated nutmeg and lemon peel, pepper, salt, breadcrumbs, fresh butter, and an egg. fill the fish and sew it up; turn it round, and fasten the head with the tail; then egg the fish over and breadcrumb it; after which bake or roast it gently till done, and of a good brown colour. serve it up with a sauce over, made of cullis, fresh butter, cayenne, anchovie essence, and lemon pickle. _bacquillio with herbs._ let the fish be well soaked; then boil them and pick free from bone. wash and chop small some spinach, sorrel, green onions, and parsley; after which add fresh butter, essence of anchovies, cayenne pepper, and plenty of the juice of seville oranges. sweat the herbs down, add the fish, and simmer them till tender. _entrée of eels._ take good-sized eels, bone and cut them in pieces of three inches long; pass them over a slow fire in a small quantity of sweet herbs and eshallots, fresh butter, pepper, salt, and lemon juice. when three parts done put all on a dish, dip each piece in the liquor, breadcrumb, and broil them over a clear fire. serve them up with anchovie sauce in a boat. _entrée of soles._ let good-sized soles be cleaned and filletted; roll them up, put them into a stewpan, add a little fresh butter, lemon juice, pepper, and salt, and simmer them over a slow fire till done. serve them up with a sauce over, made of button onions, mushrooms, egg balls, pickle cucumbers scooped round, slices of sweetbreads, and good strong cullis coloured with lobster spawn. n. b. the above fillets may be fried, and served up with the sauce round. _entrée of whitings, &c._ take fillets of haddocks or whitings, wet them with whites of eggs, and lay upon them slices of salmon, seasoned with pepper and salt. put them into a stewpan with a little fresh butter; stew the fish over a slow fire till done, with the pan close covered. serve them up with a sauce over, made with chopped parsley, chopped mushrooms and eshallots, a little rhenish wine, mustard, and cullis, mixed and boiled together for ten minutes. _entrée of salmon._ make white paper cases, and put a little sweet oil at the bottom of each. cut into pieces some fresh salmon, pepper and salt them, and put them into the cases; then set them over a fire on a baking plate and in a stewpan covered over, with a fire at top and bottom. when broiled enough, serve them up with poached eggs on the top of the salmon, and anchovie sauce in a boat. _entrée of smelts, &c._ clean, turn round, and fry of a good colour, some fresh smelts; then three parts boil a slice of fresh crimped cod cut two inches thick; pull it into flakes, have ready some benshamelle, whisk it with the yolks of two eggs, add the flakes of the cod, season with salt and lemon juice to the palate, and simmer the fish over a slow stove till done. serve it up with the fried smelts round the dish, and a few over the stew. _entrée of mackarel._ split them down the back, season with pepper and salt, and lay a sprig of fennel in them. broil them gently, and when served up, the fennel to be taken out, and a mixture of fresh butter, chopped parsley, green onions, pepper, salt, and plenty of lemon juice to be put in its stead. _mackarel the german way._ split them down the back and season with pepper and salt; broil them, and serve them up with the following sauce in a boat:--pick and wash fennel, parsley, mint, thyme, and green onions, a small quantity of each. boil them tender in a little veal broth; then chop and add to them some fresh butter, the liquor, a grated nutmeg, the juice of half a lemon, a little cayenne pepper and salt. let it boil, and make it of a proper thickness with flour and water. _olios, or a spanish dish._ the articles that are wanted consist of the following: viz. leg of mutton of ten pounds. leg of veal ditto. chuck beef ditto. lean ham six pounds. best end of a neck of mutton. breast of veal, small. two pieces of bouillie beef of one pound each. two pair of pigs feet and ears. a bologna sausage. a fowl. a pheasant. two partridges. two ruffs and rees. two quails. two teal. two pigeons. two rabbits. one hare. two stags tongues. one quart of burgonza peas. turnips. carrots. celery. onions. leeks. parsley. thyme. garlick. allspice. cloves. mace. nutmegs. black pepper. haricot roots. fried bread. eggs. saffron, and lemons. _the olio to be made as follows:_ take the beef, veal, mutton, and ham; cut them into pieces, put them into a pot, cover with water, and when it boils skim clean; then add carrots, celery, turnips, onions, leeks, garlick, parsley, and thyme, tied in a bunch; allspice, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, mace, and a little ginger, put in a cloth. boil all together till it becomes a strong stock, and strain it. then cut the breast of veal into tendrons, and best end of neck of mutton into steaks, and half fry them; pigs feet and ears cleaned; hare cut into joints and daubed with bacon; bouillie beef tied round with packthread; poultry trussed very neat, with the legs drawn in close; the tongues scalded and cleaned; and the rabbits cut into pieces. when the different articles are ready, blanch and wash them, then braise each in a separate stewpan, with the stock that was strained. when the different things are braised enough, pour the liquors from them into a pan, leaving a little with each to preserve from burning. when they are to be served up, skim the liquor very clean, and clear it with whites of eggs; then cut turnips and carrots into haricots, some button onions peeled, and heads of celery trimmed neat; after which blanch them, cut the bologna sausage into slices, boil the burgonza peas till three parts done, then mix all together, add some of the cleared liquor, and stew them gently till done. the remainder of the liquor to be coloured with a little saffron, and served up in a tureen with a few burgonza peas in it. when the olio is to be served up, take a very large deep dish, make several partitions in it with slips of fried bread dipped in whites of eggs, and set it in a slow oven or before a fire; then lay the tendrons, birds, beef, mutton, fowls, &c. alternately in the partitions, and serve up with the haricot roots, &c. over. n. b. the whole of the liquor to be seasoned to the palate with cayenne pepper and lemon juice. [this receipt for a spanish olio is only written to shew how expensive a dish may be made, and which i saw done. as a substitute i have introduced the following english one, which has been generally approved; and i think, with particular attention, it will exceed the former in flavour.] _hodge podge, or english olio._ take four beef tails cut into joints, bouille beef two pieces about a quarter of a pound each, and two pieces of pickle pork of the same weight. put them into a pot, cover with water, and when it boils skim clean, and add half a savoy, two ounces of champignons, some turnips, carrots, onions, leeks, celery, one bay leaf, whole black pepper, a few allspice, and a small quantity of mace. when the meats are nearly done, add two quarts of strong veal stock, and when tender take them out, put them into a deep dish, and preserve them hot till they are to be served up; then strain the liquor, skim it free from fat, season to the palate with cayenne pepper, a little salt, and lemon juice, and add a small quantity of colour; then have ready turnips and carrots cut into haricots, some celery heads trimmed three inches long, and some whole onions peeled. let them be sweated down, till three parts tender, in separate stewpans, and strain the essences of them to the above liquor; clear it with whites of eggs, strain it through a tamis cloth, mix the vegetables, add the liquor to them, boil them gently for ten minutes, and serve them over the meats. _light forcemeat for pies or fowls, &c._ cut in pieces lean veal, ham, and fat bacon; add chopped parsley, thyme, eschallots, a little beaten spices, juice of lemon, pepper and salt, a few cleaned mushrooms, or mushroom powder. put over a slow fire till three parts done; then pound in a marble mortar till very fine, and add a sufficient quantity of yolk of raw eggs and breadcrumbs to bind it. _forcemeat balls for ragouts, &c._ cut lean veal and beef suet into small pieces, and add chopped parsley, thyme, marjoram, savory, eschallots, pepper, salt, breadcrumbs, a little grated nutmeg, and yolk of raw eggs. pound all well together, and roll into balls. n. b. the balls should be boiled or fried before they are added to any thing. _egg for balls._ boil six eggs, take the yolks, pound them, and add a little flour and salt, and the yolks of two raw eggs. mix all well together, and roll into balls. they must be boiled before added to any made dish or soup. _omlets of eggs for garnishing or cutting in slips._ take eggs, break them, and put the yolks and whites into separate pans; beat them up with a little salt, and then put them again into separate earthen vessels rubbed with sweet oil. have ready a pot of boiling water over a fire, put them in close covered, and let the omlets steam till thoroughly done. _ox cheek._ bone and wash clean the cheek; then tie it up like a rump of beef, put it in a braising pan with some good stock (or water); when it boils, skim it, add two bay leaves, a little garlick, some onions, champignons, celery, carrots, half a small cabbage, turnips, a bundle of sweet herbs, whole black pepper, a little allspice and mace. let the cheek stew till near done, then cut off the strings, put the cheek in a clean stewpan, strain the liquor through a sieve, skim off the fat very clean, season with lemon juice, cayenne pepper and salt, add a little colour, clear it with eggs, strain it through a tamis cloth to the cheek, and stew it till tender. _beef tails._ cut the tails into joints, and blanch and wash them; then braise them till tender, drain them dry, and serve them up with haricot sauce over. _haricot sauce._ take clean turnips and carrots, and scoop or cut them into shapes, some celery heads cut about two inches long, button onions peeled, some dry or green morells, and artichoke bottoms cut into pieces. let them all be blanched in separate stewpans till three parts done; then drain and put them all together with some small mushrooms stewed, and a good cullis well-seasoned, and simmer the vegetables till done. _beef collops._ take the fillet from the under part of a rump of beef, cut it into small thin slices, and fry them till three parts done; then add to them slices of pickle cucumbers, small mushrooms stewed, blanched oysters, some good-seasoned cullis, and stew them till tender. _fillet of beef larded._ take a fillet or piece of a rump, force it and lard it with bacon, turn it round like a fillet of veal, roast it, glaize the top, and serve it up with the following sauce made with cullis, lemon pickle, and ketchup; add likewise some scalded celery heads and button onions; then stew till tender, and put the sauce round the beef. _beef pallets._ scald and scale the pallets clean, and boil them till tender; when cool roll them up with forcemeat in the middle, and tie them with thread; braise them as white as possible and serve them up with a sauce made of ham, breast of fowl, pickle cucumbers, omlets of eggs, and good-seasoned cullis or benshamelle. n. b. the ham, &c. are to be cut in the form of dice, and the omlets made as omlets for garnishing. _rump of beef a-la-daube, or braised._ bone a rump of beef and daub it with slips of fat bacon, seasoned with sweet herbs, eschallots, beaten spices, pepper, and salt. bind it round with packthread, and braise it till tender; then wipe it dry, glaize the top, and serve it up with the sauce round. either spanish onion sauce, or savoy, haricot, or ashée sauce may be used. n. b. it may be served with the sauce either plain or daubed. _to make spanish onion sauce._ braise six spanish onions with the beef till three parts done; then peel them, and add some good cullis, seasoned with cayenne pepper, salt, lemon juice, and a little sifted lump sugar, and stew them till tender. _savoy sauce._ cut some savoys in quarters, blanch them, and then tie them round and braise them with the beef till half done. take them out of the liquor, cut off the string, and put them into a stewpan with good strong cullis, and simmer them till tender. _ashée sauce._ take some pickle cucumbers chopped small, then capers, parsley, eschallots, breast of a fowl, lean of ham, carrots, and yolks and whites of eggs. then add to them a good-seasoned cullis and a little mushroom ketchup. simmer all together a quarter of an hour. n. b. the ham, fowl, egg, and carrot to be boiled before they are chopped. _brisket of beef with spanish onions._ to be done in the same manner as the rump, but not to be daubed with bacon. _brisket of beef with ashée or haricot._ to be done in the same manner as the preceding. _rump of beef a-la mode._ bone the rump, daub it with slips of fat bacon seasoned with sweet herbs, beaten spices, and pepper and salt. bind it round with packthread, put it into a braising pan, cover it with some veal stock, make it boil, skim it, and add a pint of red port, some onions, turnips, celery, a few bay leaves, garlick, champignons, a few whole allspice, and a little mace. let it stew till nearly done; then take it out of the liquor, cut off the strings, wipe it dry, and put it into a clean stewpan. then strain the liquor, skim the fat off clean, season with cayenne, salt, a gill of vinegar, lemon pickle, and a small quantity of juice of lemon; add a little colour, clear it with whites of eggs, and strain it through a tamis cloth to the beef. stew it gently till done, and serve it up in a deep dish. n. b. to the liquor, when cleared with eggs and strained, may be added some passing of flour and butter, by way of thickening, if approved. the reason for clearing the liquor is, that it will make it appear bright either thickened or plain. _baked beef._ bone a leg of beef, wash it clean, chop plenty of parsley, a middling quantity of thyme, eschallots, marjoram, savory, and a little basil. then mix them together, and add a small quantity of beaten allspice, mace, cloves, pepper, and salt. rub the beef well with the ingredients, set it in an earthen pan, put to it a gill of vinegar, half a pint of red port, eight middling-sized whole onions peeled, two bay leaves, a few fresh or dried champignons. let the meat remain till next day; then add a sufficient quantity of water to it, cover the pan close, and bake the meat till tender. _marrow bones._ chop the bones at each end so as to stand steady; then wash them clean, saw them in halves, set them upright in a saucepan with water, and boil them two hours. serve them up very hot, and with fresh toasted bread. _mutton rumps marinated._ clean and cut the rumps of an equal length, and lay them in a pan and the marinate liquor for a whole night; then pass them in butter till nearly done. lay them on a dish to cool, wash them over with yolk of egg, and breadcrumb them. fry them gently in boiling lard till done, and of a nice colour. drain them dry, and serve them up with a very good-seasoned cullis sauce and ketchup in it. n. b. in the same manner may be done mutton steaks. _to make marinate._ take a little gravy, vinegar, salt, whole black pepper, a few bay leaves, onions sliced, a clove of garlick, and a little thyme. boil all together and strain it. _haricot mutton cutlets._ cut a loin or best end of a neck of mutton into steaks, trim them neat, and fry them till three parts done, and of a nice colour. put them into a stewpan, add a little liquor to preserve them from burning, and simmer till tender. lay the steaks round in a dish, and serve them up with haricot sauce over. n. b. the essence that the steaks were stewed in to be strained, skimmed clean from fat, and added to the sauce. _fillet of mutton with cucumbers._ take the best end of a neck of mutton, cut off the under bone, leaving the long ones on; then trim it neat, lard it, or let it remain plain; roast it gently, glaize it, and serve it up with cucumber sauce under. _stewed cucumbers._ take fresh gathered cucumbers, pare them, cut them into shapes if seedy, or slices if young. put them into a stewpan, and add a little salt, vinegar, and an onion. simmer them over a fire till nearly done and the liquor reduced, or fry them with a bit of fresh butter, and add a good strong cullis. let the cucumbers stew till done, and serve them up with the mutton, which may be roasted with larding (or plain). n. b. the cucumbers may be served as an entrée of itself, and fried bread put round them. _mutton cutlets with potatoes._ cut a loin of mutton into steaks, beat them with a chopper, and trim them neat. pass them in sweet herbs, eschallots, pepper, salt, and lemon juice. when nearly done, lay them on a dish till almost cool, and then egg, breadcrumb, and fry them in boiling lard till of a light brown colour. place the steaks round in a dish, leaving a cavity in the center, which is to be filled up with potatoes, and the sauce under the steaks. n. b. the potatoes to be peeled, scooped, or cut into shapes. then fry them of a light colour, and put them before the fire till wanted; and add to the sauce the steaks were passed in, a little cullis and ketchup; then strain and reduce it almost to a glaize. _mutton cutlets a la maintenon._ get the best end of a loin of mutton, take off the under bone, and cut it into chops; beat them, and trim them neat; then add to them a bit of fresh butter, chopped parsley, thyme, eschallots, pepper, salt, a little pounded mace, and lemon juice. pass them till nearly done; then lay them on a dish, pour the liquor over the chops, and, when nearly cool, breadcrumb, and put them separately in oiled white paper; fold them up, broil them over a slow fire, and serve them up with hot poivrade sauce in a boat. n. b. see _poivrade sauce_ receipt. _cutlets a la irish stew._ get the best end of a neck of mutton, take off the under bone, and cut it into chops; season them with pepper, salt, a little mushroom powder, and beaten mace. put them into a stewpan, add a large onion sliced, some parsley and thyme tied in a bunch, and a pint of veal broth. simmer the chops till three parts done, then add some whole potatoes peeled, and let them stew till done. serve it up in a deep dish. n. b. let the parsley and thyme be taken out when the stew is to be served up. _pork cutlets with red or white cabbage._ take a piece of back pork, cut it into chops, beat and trim them, season with pepper and salt, broil them gently till done and of a light brown colour. serve them up with stewed red or white cabbage under. _to stew cabbage._ cut the cabbage into slips, and blanch and drain them dry. put them into a stewpan, with a bit of fresh butter, pepper, salt, an onion, some vinegar, half a pint of veal broth, and a little allspice tied in a cloth. stew the cabbage gently till done and the liquor nearly reduced, and then take the spice and onion out. _pork cutlets with robert sauce._ get a piece of back pork, or the best end of a loin, and take off the under bone; then cut the chops neat, season with pepper and salt, broil them gently, and serve them up with the sauce underneath. _to make robert sauce._ take some cullis, a bay leaf, an onion sliced, a blade of mace, a little mustard, and a gill of rhenish wine. boil all together a quarter of an hour, strain it, and reduce it nearly to a glaize. _pork cutlets another way._ trim the chops neat as above, pass them with a bit of fresh butter, chopped eschallots, pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice. when nearly done, breadcrumb and broil them till of a light brown colour. serve them up with the following sauce placed underneath; that is to say, cullis, mushroom, ketchup, lemon pickle, and mustard, a little of each, and reduce nearly to a glaize. _fillet of pork roasted._ take a piece of back pork, cut the chine bone from the under part, and lay it in a marinate all night. when it is to be roasted run a lark spit through, tie it on another spit, cover it with paper, and roast it gently; and when to be served up, if not coloured enough, glaize it lightly, and put some robert sauce underneath. _pigs feet and ears._ take prepared feet and pass them, with chopped parsley, thyme, eschallots, pepper, salt, and lemon juice. when done, breadcrumb and broil them gently. let the ears be cut in slices, and add cullis well-seasoned; then stew them for ten minutes, and serve them up with the feet over. _to prepare pigs feet and ears._ scald and clean them; then split the feet and tie them round with packthread; put them in a pot covered with water; make it boil, skim it clean, and add a little garlick, thyme, eschallots, onions, bay leaves, whole black pepper, allspice, mace, salt, and udder of veal. braise them till tender, and put them in an earthen pan for use. _compotte of pigeons._ cut off the pinions, draw the legs in close, colour the breast in boiling hot lard, and then blanch and wash them; which done, put them in a stewpan, add a little veal broth, and simmer them gently till nearly done, and then make a ragout of blanched sweetbreads, button mushrooms, truffles, morells, artichoke bottoms, egg balls, cullis, and the liquor of the pigeons strained, and season well to the palate. let the ingredients stew for ten minutes, then add them to the pigeons, and serve up all together in a deep dish. _pigeons a la craupidine._ cut off the pinions, draw in the legs, cut the breast so as to lay back, then pass them with sweet herbs, mushrooms, eschallots chopped fine, a little fresh butter, grated nutmeg, lemon juice, pepper, and salt. let them simmer till nearly done; then lay them on a dish, and when nearly cool, egg with yolk of eggs, and strew them with crumbs of bread rubbed through a fine hair sieve. fry them of a light colour in boiling hot lard (or broil them). serve them up with a good cullis and sharp sauce underneath. _pigeons glaized._ put some good-seasoned forcemeat in the pigeons, cut off the pinions, lay back the legs, blanch them, and roast them gently with vine leaves and bards of fat bacon over them. when they are to be served up glaize the top part, and serve them with cullis sauce, or celery heads, or asparagus tops, &c. under them. _pigeons a la sousell._ bone the legs and wings of four pigeons and draw them in; then fill them with a high-seasoned forcemeat, and braise them in a half pint of veal stock. when done enough, take the pigeons out, wipe them dry, glaize the top, and serve them up with stewed sorrel underneath. n. b. the liquor they were braised in to be strained, skimmed free from fat, and reduced almost to a glaize, and added to the sorrel. (or they may, when three parts done, be wiped dry, egged and breadcrumbed over, then fried in boiling lard, and served up with sorrel sauce underneath as above). _hashed calf's head._ take a head, without the scalp, chopped in half; wash and blanch it, peel the tongue, cut it in slices, and likewise the meat from the head. add blanched morells and truffles, egg and forcemeat balls, stewed mushrooms, artichoke bottoms, and well-seasoned cullis. let the meat stew gently till nearly done, and then add slices of throat sweetbreads. when it is to be served up, put round the hash the brains and rashers of bacon; and, if approved, half the head to be put on the top, which is to be prepared thus:--one half of the head when blanched to be done over with yolk of raw egg; then season with pepper and salt, strew with fine breadcrumbs, bake till very tender, and colour with a salamander if requisite. the brains to be egged and rolled in breadcrumbs, and fried in boiling lard. the rashers of bacon to be broiled. _breast of veal en gallentine._ bone the veal and lay a light forcemeat over it, and upon that some slips of lean ham, pickle cucumbers, fat bacon, and omlets of eggs white and yellow. roll it up tight in a cloth, tie each end, and braise it till tender. when it is to be served up, take it out of the cloth, wipe it dry, and glaize the top; then put under it stewed sorrel or stewed celery heads, or ragout. _breast of veal ragout._ take off the under bone and cut the breast in half, lengthways; then cut them in middling-sized pieces, fry them in a little lard till of a light brown colour, wipe them dry, put them into a stewpan with half a pint of veal stock, simmer them till nearly done and the liquor almost reduced; then add blanched morell, truffles, slices of throat sweetbread, egg balls, artichoke bottoms, a little ketchup, and some cullis; season to the palate with cayenne pepper and salt, and a little lemon juice. let all stew together till done. _neck of veal en erison._ cut off the scragg and the under chine bone, then lay a light forcemeat on the top of the veal about half the way, and wash it with whites of eggs with a paste brush, and work a sprig or any other device as fancy directs, with pickle cucumber, ham, breast of fowl, omlets of eggs white and yellow, boiled carrots, and some capers. put the veal into a stewpan, add a little stock, and stew it gently till tender, taking care the ornament is not disturbed. when it is to be served up glaize the plain part, and put under a cullis sauce with asparagus or peas. n. b. in the same manner may be done heart sweetbreads. _neck of veal larded._ take off the under bone of a neck of veal, leave only a part of the long bones on; trim it neat, lard it, and roast it gently with a veal caul over. ten minutes before it is done take off the caul, and let the veal be of a very light colour. when it is to be served up glaize it, and put under some sorrel sauce, celery heads, or asparagus tops. _veal cutlets larded._ cut the best end of a neck of veal into chops, leaving only a part of the long bone; then lard, blanch, and braise them; and when they are to be served up, drain, dry, glaize, and place them round each other in a dish, and put green truffle sauce, or white mushroom sauce, in the center. _loin of veal a la cream._ take the best end of a loin of veal, joint it, and cut a little of the suet from the kidney; cause it to lay flat, and then make an incision in the center of the top part about three inches deep and six inches long. take the piece out, chop it, add to it the suet or beef marrow, parsley, thyme, green truffles, mushrooms, eschallots, lemon peel, chopped very fine, and season it with pepper and salt, and a little beaten spice. put all together into a marble mortar, add the yolks of two eggs, and a little french bread soaked in cream; then pound the ingredients well, and fill the cavity with the forcemeat, and cover it with a piece of veal caul; after which tie it down close and cover the whole with a large piece of caul, roast it gently, and when it is to be served up, take off the large piece of caul, let it colour a little, glaize it lightly, and put under it a benshamelle or a ragout of sweetbreads, &c. n. b. in the same manner may be done a fillet of veal instead of plain stuffing. _veal tendrons (brown or white)._ take a breast of white veal, cut off the under bone and the top skin; then cut it into three long slips, and the slips again into pieces of two inches thick; blanch and put them into a stewpan, then add a little water, bards of bacon, and slices of lemon. braise them till tender, drain them dry, and serve them up with green truffle sauce, or celery, asparagus, or peas. the sauce to be served over the veal. _celery sauce, (white), for veal, chickens, turkies, &c._ cut celery heads three inches long, trim them, wash and blanch them, drain them dry, add a little stock, boil them till nearly done, and the liquor almost reduced; then put to them some benshamelle, and, if approved, five minutes before the sauce is put over the meat or poultry, add a leason of two yolks of eggs and cream. _celery sauce, (brown,) for pullets, &c._ dress celery heads as above, but instead of benshamelle add a good cullis only. n. b. the above sauces may be served up in dishes with fried bread round the celery heads, as an entrée of itself. _veal cutlets au natural._ cut the best end of a neck of veal into chops, trim off the bone, pass the steaks with a bit of fresh butter, chopped parsley, thyme, and eschallots, and season with pepper, salt, and lemon juice. when nearly done, lay them on a dish with the liquor; and when cool, egg, breadcrumb, and broil them gently. serve them up placed round each other, with a sauce in the center made with cullis, a little ketchup, lemon pickle, and artichoke bottoms cut into pieces. _veal collops (brown)._ cut veal cutlets (taken from the fillet) into small thin pieces, and fry them in a little boiling lard till of a light brown colour. drain them dry, put them into a stewpan, add cullis, stewed mushrooms, some blanched truffles, morells, pieces of artichoke bottoms, some slices of throat sweetbreads, and egg balls. let them simmer over a slow fire till tender, season to the palate, and serve them up with rashers of broiled bacon round them. _veal collops (white)._ cut the collops as for brown, but instead of frying, put them into a stewpan with a bit of fresh butter, a little lemon juice, and a blade of mace. simmer them till nearly done, then strain the liquor to some benshamelle, and add the collops with some slices of throat sweetbreads, some cocks combs blanched, egg balls, pieces of artichoke bottoms, and stewed white mushrooms. let them stew gently, season to the palate with salt, and make the sauce of a sufficient thickness to adhere to the ingredients. n. b. five minutes before the collops are to be served up a leason may be added of eggs and cream. _fricando veal._ cut off a long or round piece of veal from the leg, beat it flat with a chopper, and make an incision in the under part. put into it a little light forcemeat, sew it up, lard the top part with pieces of fat bacon very neat, blanch it, put it into a stewpan with a little stock, and cover it close; then let it stew till very tender, and the liquor nearly reduced. when it is to be served up glaize the larding, and put stewed sorrel under. n. b. the forcemeat, if not approved, may be omitted; and instead of only one piece of veal, three or four small pieces may be served on a dish. _sorrel sauce._ wash clean, squeeze and chop fine, plenty of sorrel, and put it into a stewpan with a bit of fresh butter; stew it till the liquor is almost reduced, and then add a little strong cullis. let the sauce be of a good thickness. _veal olives._ cut thin bards of fat bacon of six inches long and four broad, lay upon them very thin slices of veal of the same dimensions, wash the veal with yolk of egg, and put upon it some light forcemeat. then roll them up, run a lark spit through sideway of each olive, tie a string over them to prevent their falling off, trim each end with a sharp knife, roast them gently, and froth and serve them up with a cullis sauce under _breast of veal with oysters._ cut off the under bone of a breast of white veal, and the skin from the top; then blanch and braise it, or roast it gently till very tender with a veal caul over. when it is to be served up take off the caul, glaize the top of the breast, and put round it white oyster sauce. (see receipt for _oyster sauce_.) _lamb's head minced._ chop the head in halves, and blanch it with the liver, heart, and lights. then chop the heart, &c. and add to them a little parsley chopped very fine, a small quantity of shredded lemon peel, and some cullis; then stew it gently till done, and season to the palate. wash the head over with yolk of egg, season it with pepper and salt, strew fine breadcrumbs over, and bake it gently till very tender. when it is to be served up, colour it with a salamander, put the mince under, and the brains fried round it, with rashers of broiled bacon. n. b. to prepare the brains, clean them in warm water, wipe them dry, dip them in yolk of egg, breadcrumb, and fry them in boiling lard. _breast of lamb with benshamelle._ take off the under bone, then blanch and put it into a stewpan, with parsley, thyme, and eschallots, chopped very fine, a bit of fresh butter, pepper, salt, a little essence of anchovie, and lemon juice. let it simmer over a slow fire till nearly done; then lay it on a dish, and, when almost cool, egg and breadcrumb it, broil it over a slow clear fire till tender, and let it be of a nice brown colour. serve it up with a benshamelle sauce under. _breast or tendrons of lamb en matelote._ cut the breast into two long slips, trim off the bone and skin, cut them into small pieces, blanch and boil them in a little stock and lemon juice. when nearly done, add peeled and half-boiled button onions, pieces of pickle cucumber cut of the same size, a few button mushrooms stewed, some slices of throat sweetbreads, blanched omlet of egg (the same kind as for garnishing) cut into pieces the form of dice, and lean ham cut in the same manner; then add a cullis or benshamelle. when it is to be served up, put sippets of fried bread round. _breast of lamb with peas._ cut off the under bone, and then blanch and braise it. when it is to be served up, glaize the top and put the stewed peas under. _to stew peas for sauce: for lamb, veal, chickens, &c._ to a quart of shelled young green peas add two ounces of fresh butter, a very little sifted sugar, and some salt. put them into a stewpan, cover it close, simmer the peas till nearly done, then add some good-seasoned cullis, and stew them till tender. _lamb cutlets with cucumbers._ take the bone from a loin of lamb, cut it into chops, beat them flat with a chopper, and trim off some of the fat. pass them with a piece of fresh butter, chopped parsley, thyme, eschallots, lemon juice, and pepper and salt. when three parts done, put them on a dish, and, when nearly cool, egg, breadcrumb, and fry them in boiling lard till of a light brown colour. drain them dry, place them round each other in the dish, and serve them up with the cucumber sauce in the center. n. b. in the same manner may be done mutton and veal cutlets. _neck of lamb glaized._ cut the scragg and the chine bone from a neck of house lamb; then take off the skin, trim part of the fat away to lard the neck lengthways, blanch it, and braise or roast it gently with a veal caul over. when it is to be served up, glaize the larding, and put round it white onion sauce made thus: _onion sauce._ take boiled onions, rub them through a hair sieve; then add to them fresh butter, cream, flour, salt, a very little of each, and let it stew five minutes. _lamb cutlets with tendrons._ cut a neck of house lamb into chops, leaving only the long bone; then beat them flat, and pass them with parsley, thyme, eschallots, chopped very fine, and add a little lemon juice, mushroom powder, pepper, and salt. when they are three parts done lay them on a dish, and when half cold breadcrumb them and broil them on a stewpan cover over a slow fire with a bit of fresh butter. when they are to be served up, put in the center of the dish some braised tendrons of the breast of lamb, and round them the cutlets, and turnip sauce over the center. _turnip sauce._ pare four turnips, sweat them with a little water till they are done and the liquor reduced, then rub them through a tamis sieve. add to them a small quantity of benshamelle, and then cut some more turnips in shapes as for a haricot. sweat them in the like manner, and add the benshamelle to them. _lamb cutlets with tendrons another way._ the tendrons may be served in the center of the dish, with the cutlets larded, braised, and glaized, to go round them; and the sauce made in the same manner, but instead of benshamelle add cullis. _shoulder of lamb glaized._ bone a shoulder of house lamb, then season it with pepper, salt, mushroom powder, and beaten spice; fill the cavity with some light forcemeat; sew it up, and make it in the form of a leg of lamb; after which blanch it, and braise in a little stock and bards of fat bacon. when it is done wipe it dry, glaize it, and serve it up with sorrel sauce under; or a strong cullis sauce with a little tarragon of vinegar in it. _shoulder of lamb en epigram._ roast a shoulder of lamb till three parts done, and let it stand till cold; then take the blade-bone out with the meat, leaving only the skin whole in the form of a fan. cut the meat into slips, add to it parsley, thyme, eschallots, and mushrooms, chopped fine, some good-seasoned cullis, and a little lemon pickle. let it stew gently for a quarter of an hour; and let the fan of the shoulder and the blade bone be broiled, and served up over the stew. _shoulder of lamb grilled._ roast it till three parts done, then score it with chequers, season with pepper and salt, and grill it gently till done. let it be of a light brown colour, and serve it up with a sauce over it made with cullis, ketchup, lemon juice, and a bit of fresh butter. _hind quarter of lamb marinated._ bone the leg, fill the cavity with a light forcemeat well-seasoned, sew it up and lard the top part of the quarter with slips of fat bacon. when done, take a quart of veal stock, half a gill of vinegar, whole black pepper, some salt, two bay leaves, three onions cut in pieces, a little garlick, and half a pint of rhenish wine. boil all the ingredients together a quarter of an hour, put the lamb into a deep dish, and strain the liquor to it. let it lay five or six hours, turn it several times, then roast the lamb gently with a veal caul over it. when it is nearly done, let it colour a little and glaize the top. serve it up with a sauce under it, made with the above liquor boiled down almost to a glaize, with some cullis added. n. b. in the same manner may be done a shoulder or leg of lamb. _hind quarter of lamb with spinach._ boil the leg, preserve it as white as possible, serve it up with spinach under, and the steaks round it very hot. the loin to be cut into chops, and seasoned with pepper and salt; then fried or broiled. pick and boil the spinach till nearly done; then strain and squeeze it dry, chop it, and add a little piece of fresh butter, pepper, and salt, a little cullis or cream, and let it stew for five minutes. n. b. the spinach may be served up as a dish with fried bread round it. _leg of lamb with oysters._ bone the leg, fill the cavity with light forcemeat, and some blanched and bearded oysters pounded with it. sew it up, put over it slices of lemon, salt, bards of fat bacon, and paper. roast it gently, and when it is to be served up, glaize it, and put a sauce round it made with oysters blanched and bearded, stewed mushrooms, boiled button onions, some cullis, and the oyster liquor they were blanched in. season to the palate with cayenne and lemon juice. _currie._ cut two young chickens into pieces, and blanch and drain them dry; then put them into a stewpan with two table spoonfuls of currie powder and a gill of veal stock, and stew them gently till half done. then cut into slices three middling-sized onions, and put them into a stewpan with a table spoonful of currie powder, a quart of veal stock, two ounces of jordan almonds blanched and pounded fine, and boil till the onions are tender; then rub it through a tamis sieve to the chicken, and season to the palate with cayenne pepper, salt, and lemon or tamarind juice. let the chickens stew till three parts done, then pour the liquor into another stewpan, and add three ounces of fresh butter, a very little flour and water, and reduce it to three gills. strain it through a tamis sieve to the chickens, and let them simmer till tender. n. b. rabbits may be done in the same manner. _plain rice to be eaten with currie._ pick one pound of rice, and wash it very clean; then have ready some boiling water and put the rice in. let it simmer till three parts done, and strain and wash it in several waters till free from slime. drain it in a large hair sieve, and when dry put it into a stewpan with some paper and the cover over it. set it in a moderate oven for one hour and a half, or longer, if there be a greater quantity. _currie of lobster._ boil lobsters till three parts done, and pick and cut the claws and tails into good-sized pieces; then add currie powder, and proceed with the same directions as with the chickens, only pound the body of the lobsters and spawn, if any, and add them to the almonds and other ingredients. _currie of veal._ cut a piece of breast of veal into tendrons, and fry them in a little lard till of a light colour; then drain them dry, add currie powder, and proceed with the same directions as for chicken currie. _currie of mutton._ take three pounds of the best end of a loin of mutton, cut off the bone and some of the fat; then cut the meat into small square pieces, fry them, and proceed with the same directions as for veal. _pig's head currie._ take a young porker's head, cleave it in half, blanch and wash it, then cut it into small thick pieces, fry them, and dress in the same manner as veal and mutton; only omit the fresh butter, as there will be a sufficient quantity of fat. _directions for roasting._ observe that in roasting it requires a good quick fire, but not too strong, and the meats should be well-jointed, trimmed neat, and covered with paper to preserve it from being too high a colour. beef and mutton should not be done too much; veal, pork, and lamb, should be done well; and some little time before it is to be served up, take the paper off, sprinkle the meat with salt, and when of a proper colour, froth it with butter and flour. large poultry to be papered and done in the same manner; but small poultry, such as chickens, woodcocks, rabbits, wild fowls, &c. will not require papering. the time the several articles will take roasting depends upon a little practice, as the weather and the different strengths of fires make a material alteration. i have given directions for some particular roasts which require a preparation; as for others which are served with sauces, they may be found under their respective heads: and for the trimmings of meat, &c. i have wrote a receipt to make into soup, or they may be put into the beef stock pot. _soup for a family._ cut the particles of meat from the trimmings of different joints, as beef, mutton, veal, pork, &c. and when done put the bones into a pot, cover with water, and boil them till the goodness is extracted. then strain the liquor, wash the trimmings of the vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, onions, leeks, celery, and a little cabbage. cut all small, put them into a pot with the above liquor and some split peas; boil till the peas are tender, add a little dry mint, and rub it through a tamis cloth or sieve. then season the meat with pepper and salt, sweated down till three parts tender, and add the pulp. boil all together till the meat is done, skim it and serve it up with fried bread in the form of dice. _to prepare a haunch of venison, or mutton, for roasting._ take great care the venison is well hung and good. wipe it, take the skin from the top part, and put butter and plenty of salt over it; then put paste confined on with four or five sheets of paper braced with packthread. roast it gently, and ten minutes before it is done, take off the paper, let it colour gradually, and froth it with flour and butter. serve up with the venison warm currant jelly in a boat, and some good gravy with a little red port in it in another sauce boat. _to roast woodcocks or snipes._ take out the trail, then roast the birds, and ten minutes before they are done bake a toast, put the trail into a stewpan, with a little cullis and fresh butter, and boil them together. when the woodcocks are to be served up put the sauce over the toast, and the woodcocks upon it. n. b. if the woodcocks are thin roast them with a bard of bacon over. _to roast larks._ take the entrails out of the birds, wash and wipe them dry, put them upon a lark spit, with small thin slices of fat bacon and a piece of a vine or green sage leaf between each, if approved; and while roasting, put over them crumbs of bread, or roast them plain. when they are done, serve them up with fried breadcrumbs round them, and melted butter in a sauce boat. _to fry breadcrumbs._ rub crumbs of bread through a hair sieve, have ready a clean frying pan, put them into it with a piece of fresh butter, set them over a moderate fire, keep stirring with a wooden spoon till they are of a light brown colour, and put them upon a plate. _turkeys._ to be roasted with a stuffing in the breast, and served with bread sauce in a boat. _rabbits._ to be roasted either plain, or a stuffing, with the liver chopped in it, put into the belly, and served up with parsley and butter in a boat. _hares._ to be dressed in the same manner as rabbits, with stuffing; but served up with cullis and fresh butter put over, and warm currant jelly in a sauce boat. _hare roasted another way._ stuff as above, and while roasting drudge it with flour, baste it with milk, and so alternately till a quarter of an hour before the hare is done; then baste it with a quarter of a pound of fresh butter put into the dripping pan. serve it up with a cullis sauce and butter put over, and currant jelly in a sauce boat. n. b. baste it repeatedly, as there must be a good crust over. it will require three pints of warm milk for that purpose. _pigeons._ may be roasted with a little stuffing in them, or plain; and served up with parsley and butter. _quails, or ruffs and rees._ to be roasted with bards of bacon and vine leaves over them, with sauce in a boat made with cullis and red port in it. _guinea fowls, pea fowls, pullets, chickens, and turkey poults._ to be roasted either larded or plain, and served up with gravy under, and bread and egg sauces in separate boats. _wild fowl._ to be roasted plain, not done too much, and served up with onion sauce in a boat; as also a small quantity of gravy and red port boiled together. _partridges and pheasants._ to be roasted plain, and served up with poivrade sauce hot, and bread sauce in boats. _green geese and ducklings._ to be roasted with pepper and salt put in the bellies, and served with green sauce in a boat. _other geese and tame ducks._ to be roasted with onion and sage chopped fine, seasoned with pepper and salt put into the inside, and served up with apple sauce in a boat. _to roast a pig._ make a stuffing with chopped sage, two eschallots, two eggs, breadcrumbs, and fresh butter, and season with pepper and salt; put it into the belly, sew it up, spit it, and rub it over with a paste brush dipped in sweet oil. roast it gently, and when done cut off the head; then cut the body and the head in halves, lay them on a dish, put the stuffing with the brains into a stewpan, add to them some good gravy, make it boil, and serve up the pig with the sauce under it. _to roast sweetbreads._ blanch heart sweetbreads till half done, then wash and wipe them dry, cut off some of the pipe, put yolk of eggs on the tops with a paste brush, and strew fine breadcrumbs over. roast them gently till done and of a nice colour, serve them up with a toast under and melted butter poured over, together with some cullis sauce round. _to roast ribs of beef._ bone the beef, roll it round like a fillet of veal, put a good stuffing in the center, bind it tight, roast it gently, and serve it up with brown oyster sauce round it. _fillet of veal._ to be done in the same manner as the above, with white oyster or cullis sauce round. _observations on meat and poultry._ meats to be preferred when of a good fatness and the lean appears juicy, but not particularly streaked with fat, as it then frequently happens to eat hard. when the season will permit let it hang for a week, and not more, as i have found that period bring it to its best state. poultry, likewise, should be chosen tolerably fat and of a soft grain. let them hang three or four days, which will add to their better eating; except woodcocks, snipes, larks, or pigs, which should be dressed fresh. be particular that the poultry are trussed very neat. _stuffing for turkies, hares, veal, &c._ chop very fine beef suet, parsley, thyme, eschallots, a very small quantity of marjoram, savory, basil, and lemon peel, with grated nutmeg, two eggs (or milk), pepper, salt, and an anchovie chopped (if approved). mix all well together. _gravy for roast meat, steaks, and poultry._ cut slices of chuck beef, veal, and lean ham; pare onions, turnips, a carrot, and cut them with celery; then add a bunch of parsley and thyme, a few whole pepper, and a little mace. put all the ingredients into a stewpan, set them over a moderate fire, sweat down till the liquor becomes of a light brown colour, and be careful not to let it burn. discharge it with water or beef stock, season to the palate with salt, and, if required, add a little liquid of colour. let it simmer till the meat is perfectly done, skim it free from fat, and strain it through a tamis cloth. _peloe of rice._ wash, pick, and dress, in the same manner as the directions for plain rice, observing only, that, before it is to be set in the oven, add a little pounded mace with the rice; and put into a stewpan a chicken half boiled and a piece of pickle pork three parts boiled, and cover with the rice. when it is to be served up, put the fowl and pork at the bottom of the dish, the rice over, and garnish with boiled or fried button onions and halves of hard eggs, which should be hot. _peloe of rice another way._ wash and pick two pounds of rice, boil it in plenty of water till half done, with a dozen of whole cardamum seeds; then drain it, pick out the seeds, put the rice into a stewpan, with three quarters of a pound of fresh butter and some pounded mace, and salt to the palate. take a loin of house lamb or some fresh pork cut into small pieces; put them into a frying-pan, add cinnamon, cloves, cummin and cardamum seeds, a small quantity of each pounded and sifted, with a bit of butter and some cayenne pepper, and fry the meat till half done. then take two bay leaves, four good-sized onions sliced, and add to them a pint and a half of veal stock. boil them till tender and rub them through a tamis cloth or sieve; then boil the liquor over a fire till it is reduced to half a pint, add it to the fried meat and spices, together with some peeled button onions boiled. then put some of the rice at the bottom of another stewpan, then a layer of meat and onions on the rice, and so on alternately till the whole is put in. cover the pan close, set it in a moderately heated oven for two hours and a half, and when it is to be served up turn the rice out carefully on a dish. _timbol of rice._ pick, wash, and parboil the rice; then strain it, put it into a stewpan with a little oiled butter and yolk of egg. simmer it gently till tender; then fill an oval tin mould with the rice, press it down close, take the shape out of the mould, wash it lightly with a paste brush with yolk of egg, and set it in a quick oven. when it is a good colour cut a square piece out of the top, scoop out the inside, and fill the cavity with fricassee of chickens, or any thing else you please. _petit patties of chicken and ham._ sheet the pans with puff paste, and put a bit of crumb of bread the bigness of a dice in each; then cover them with more paste, trim round the pan, wash the tops of the paste with egg, and bake the patties of a light colour. when they are to be served up take out the bread, have ready the white meat of dressed fowl, lean ham, an eschallot chopped fine, a spoonful of consumé of veal, a little cream, flour, salt, cayenne, and lemon juice, a small quantity of each. mix all the ingredients together over a fire, boil them for five minutes, fill the patties with it, and serve them up very hot. _patties of lobsters or oysters._ bake patties as before directed, fill them with lobsters or oysters chopped, add to them a little strong consumé of veal, a small quantity of flour, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, a bit of lemon peel, an eschallot chopped fine, an anchovie rubbed through a sieve, and mixed over a fire for five minutes. n. b. the lobsters or oysters are to be half boiled before they are chopped. _forcemeat patties._ sheet the pans as for chicken patties, but instead of bits of bread fill them with a light forcemeat well-seasoned. cover and bake them, and serve them up with a little cullis added to the forcemeat. _pulpton of chicken, rabbits, &c._ take veal suet or beef marrow, chop it, put it into a stewpan over a fire till melted, and when lukewarm mix it to some flour with a little water into a paste. knead it well, and rub fresh butter round the inside of a mould of any shape, and strew vermicelli upon the butter. then sheet the mould over the vermicelli with the paste rolled of the thickness of half an inch, and within the paste put a layer of chicken, slices of sweetbread, mushrooms, artichoke bottoms, truffles, and morells; after which put a little light forcemeat round with a paste over, close it well, egg, and bake it gently. when to be served up, turn it out of the mould, make a little hole in the top, and put into it a good cullis. n. b. cut the chicken in pieces and blanch them; the sweetbreads, truffles, and morels to be blanched, and afterwards season with pepper and salt. _fishmeagre pie._ bone and cut into pieces a male carp; make it into a forcemeat with some of the roe, parsley, thyme, eschallots chopped very fine, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, pepper, salt, a little beaten spice, half a pint of cream, four eggs, and crumb of french bread. afterwards take pieces of eel, salmon, and skate, pass them with sweet herbs, pepper, salt, lemon juice, and a bit of butter. when they are cold, put some of the forcemeat at the bottom of a deep dish, and mix with the fish some stewed mushrooms, button onions, truffles and morells blanched, and the roe cut into pieces, and put them into the dish with more forcemeat round the top; then cover with puff paste, ornament with leaves of paste, egg it, and bake it. when it is to be served up cut a small hole in the center of the top, and add a good cullis. _raised ham pie, with directions for making a raised crust._ take water boiling hot, put a piece of fresh butter into it, and mix it with flour into a paste, and as it gets cold knead it several times, taking care it is of a good consistence but not too stiff, and then raise it into any shape you please. have ready part of a ham boiled till half done, trim it to the shape of the crust, which must be big enough to put some light forcemeat at the bottom and round the ham when in the pie. cover it with the same kind of paste, pinch round the top, and egg and ornament it. just before it is set in the oven add half a pint of madeira wine, bake it gently for four hours, and when it is to be served up add some good cullis, but be careful it is not too salt. _raised chicken pie._ cut chicken into pieces, and put them into a stewpan, either blanched or not, with a bit of fresh butter, lemon juice, pepper and salt, parsley, thyme, eschallots chopped very fine, and a little pounded mace. when the chicken are half done put them on a dish, and when cold raise the crust, put light forcemeat at the bottom, the chicken upon it, and more forcemeat round the top. cover, bake gently, and when served up, cut off the lid, and add a ragout of sweetbreads, cocks combs, &c. &c. n. b. rabbits and veal may be done in the same manner; as also pigeons, but they are to be put into the crust whole. _flat chicken pie (or tourte)._ cut chicken into pieces, blanch them, and season with pepper and salt; then put a light forcemeat at the bottom of a deep dish, and upon it some of the chicken, some slices of throat sweetbreads seasoned, some stewed mushrooms, truffles and morells, and upon them the remainder of the chicken. cover it with a puff paste, then egg and ornament the top with leaves of paste of the same kind, bake it of a nice colour, and when it is to be served up put into it a good cullis. n. b. the chicken may be passed with sweet herbs, &c. and when cold put into the dish as above. rabbits also may be done in the same manner. _pigeon pie._ wash the pigeons in cold water and wipe them dry; then put into a deep dish a rump steak cut into pieces, beat with a chopper, and seasoned with pepper and salt, and upon it the pigeons with the liver, &c. seasoned. add also some yolk of hard eggs, cover it with puff paste, egg and ornament it with small leaves, bake it, and add some cullis. _raised turkey pie with a tongue._ bone a turkey, and have ready a boiled pickled tongue; pare the principal part, put it into the center of the turkey with some light forcemeat well-seasoned, and some slices of throat sweetbreads. sew it up, and put it into boiling water for ten minutes. then make a crust with raised paste big enough to receive the turkey, which, when cold, put in with bards of fat bacon upon it and forcemeat at the bottom of the crust; then cover and ornament it as a raised chicken pie, and bake it. when it is to be served up, take off the lid and the bards of bacon, glaize the breast lightly, and add a cullis or green truffle sauce. n. b. pullets, chickens, partridges, and pheasants, may be done in the same manner; but instead of the tongue put in whole green truffles pared, and some truffles pounded with the forcemeat, and when served up, add a good cullis. or, instead of a raised crust, they may be put in a dish and covered with puff paste, &c. _raised macaroni pie._ raise a crust and ornament and bake it, and when it is to be served up have ready some hot macaroni stewed and a white fricassee of chicken in separate stewpans. put them alternately into the pie, strew a little grated parmezan cheese over it, put a slip of paper round the edge of the pie to prevent from burning, and colour the cheese with a salamander. _raised beef steak pie._ take prime steaks of a rump of beef, cut the skin from the fat, beat the steaks with a chopper, cut them into middling-sized pieces, then pass them with a bit of fresh butter, pepper, salt, lemon juice, and eschallots chopped, and when they are half done put them into a dish till cold. blanch oysters, strain them, and preserve the liquor; then raise a crust, put a layer of steak at the bottom, some oysters upon it, and so alternately; cover the pie, ornament and bake it. when it is to be served up put into it a good cullis, with the oyster liquor and some ketchup mixed with it. n. b. in the same manner put steaks and oysters into a deep dish, and cover them with puff paste. _veal pie._ cut the best end of a loin of veal into thin chops, take off part of the bone and some of the fat from the kidney, season with pepper and salt, put them into a deep dish with yolks of boiled eggs, cover with puff paste, egg and ornament with leaves, bake it, and when it is to be served up, put into it some good consumé. _pork pie._ take a piece of loin of pork with the rind and part of the under bone cut off; then cut into chops, season them with pepper and salt, cover them with puff paste, bake the pie, and when it is to be served up put into it cullis, with the essence of two onions and a little mustard mixed with it. n. b. i have directed puff paste to be used for meat pies, it having the best appearance when baked; but there is another mode which may be thought preferable; and which is, to mix together half a pound of sifted flour, six ounces of fresh butter, the yolks and whites of two eggs well beaten, and a little milk and salt; then knead it well. _eel pie._ skin and clean the eels, cut them into pieces of two inches long, pass them with chopped parsley and eschallots, a little grated nutmeg, pepper, salt, and lemon juice, for five minutes; then put a little light forcemeat at the bottom of a deep dish, put the eels over it, cover with puff paste, bake it, and put into it some benshamelle or cullis. _mutton pie._ take off the bone from part of a loin of mutton, cut it into chops, and season with pepper and salt. then put into a deep dish a layer of chops, and upon them some slices of peeled potatoes (and if approved, some thin slices of onions); put the remaining chops over, cover with puff paste, bake it, and add some cullis. or, the chops may be passed with sweet herbs, &c. and when cold put into small or large raised crusts with the above vegetables, and when baked add some cullis. _sea pie._ take small pieces of salt beef and pickle pork, veal and mutton chops, a goose or a duck cut into pieces, onions and potatoes cut into thick slices, and season with a little salt and plenty of pepper. make a paste with beef suet chopped fine, some flour and water; knead them well together, then roll out the paste, sheet a large bowl with it, put into it the above ingredients alternately; cover it with the paste, put a cloth over, and boil four hours. when it is to be served up take off the cloth, make a little hole in the top, and add a good consumé. _rissoles._ cut into small slips breast of fowl, lean ham, pickle cucumbers, and anchovies; add to them consumé, cayenne pepper, breadcrumbs, and raw yolk of egg. simmer them over a fire for five minutes, and be careful not to let the mixture burn. then put the mixture on a plate, and when cold, cut into pieces, and dip them in yolk of raw egg, afterwards in fine breadcrumbs, and mould them with the hands into what form you please. have ready boiling lard, fry them of a nice colour, drain them dry, and serve them up with fried parsley under. _to fry parsley._ take fresh gathered parsley, pick, wash, and drain it very dry with a cloth. have ready clean boiling lard, put the parsley into it, keep stirring with a skimmer, and when a little crisp, take it out, put it on a drainer, and strew salt over. _puffs with chicken, &c._ chop breast of fowl, lean ham, and half an anchovie; then add a small quantity of parsley, lemon peel, and eschallots, cut very fine, with a little cayenne and pounded mace. put them into a stewpan with a ragout spoonful of benshamelle, set them over a fire for five minutes; then put the mixture on a plate, and when cold roll out puff paste thin, cut it into square pieces, put some of the mixture on them, fold the paste, run a jagger iron round to make them in form of a puff, fry them in boiling lard, and serve them up with fried parsley under. _wings and legs of fowls with colours._ cut the legs from a good-sized fowl and the wings as large as possible, leaving no breast bone; then fill the cavities with light forcemeat, sew them up neat, blanch them, drain them dry, wash the tops with raw white of egg, and lay a small quantity of forcemeat on it, and work a sprig with slips of lean ham and white and yellow omlets of eggs. then put them into a stewpan with a little stock, cover the pan close, and stew them gently till done and the liquor nearly reduced. when they are to be served up, put under a cullis boiled almost to a glaize. n. b. they may be done in the same manner and served up cold; or put round them savory jelly, instead of cullis, for an ornamental supper. _wings and legs larded and glaized._ cut the wings and legs and force them as before directed, then lard very neat and blanch them, and stew them with a little stock. when they are to be served up, glaize the larding, and put under a strong cullis, or sorrel sauce, or benshamelle. n. b. they may be done likewise in the above manner, and served up cold for a ball supper. _fowl a la menehout._ take the bones out of the legs and wings, and draw them in; then split the fowl from the top to the bottom of the back, skewer it down close, pass it with chopped parsley, thyme, and eschallots, pepper, salt, and lemon juice. when three parts done put it on a dish, and when cold wash it with yolk of egg with a paste brush, strew breadcrumbs over, and broil gently till done and of a light brown colour. serve it up with a cullis sauce under, with ketchup and lemon-pickle mixed in it. _pulled chicken (or turkey)._ boil a fowl till three parts done, and let it stand till cold; then take off the skin, cut the white meat into slips, put them into a stewpan, add a little cream, a very small quantity of grated lemon-peel and pounded mace, cayenne, salt, one eschallot chopped, a little lemon juice, and a spoonful of consumé; thicken with a little flour and water, simmer it over a fire ten minutes, during which time score the legs and rump, season them with pepper and salt, broil them of a good colour, and serve them up over the pulled chicken. _another way._ cut the fowl as above, and add to it some benshamelle; or, instead of thickening with flour and water as the above, add, five minutes before it is to be served up, a leason of two eggs. _pullet a la memorancy._ bone it, leaving the legs and wings on; then season the inside with pepper, salt, and beaten spice. put a light forcemeat into it, sew it up, truss it as for roasting, set it with hot water, lard it neat, and roast it gently with a veal caul over. when it is done, take off the caul, glaize the larding, and serve it up with white ragooed sweetbreads round it, or with strong cullis or plain benshamelle. _chickens with lemon sauce._ boil two chickens as white as possible, or braise them with bards of bacon over them; and when they are done wipe them dry and pour the sauce over. _to make lemon sauce._ pare two lemons and cut them into very small pieces in the form of dice; then take the liver and scalded parsley chopped, put them into a stewpan, add some boiling benshamelle and a little melted butter, and simmer over a fire for two minutes. _fricassee of chickens or rabbits (white)._ cut them into pieces and blanch and drain them dry; then put them into a stewpan with a little veal stock, a blade of mace, and a middling-sized whole onion. stew them gently till three parts done; then add slices of blanched throat sweetbreads, stewed white button mushrooms, egg balls, and pieces of artichoke bottoms. when they are all nearly stewed, season with salt and a little lemon juice, add a leason of three eggs, simmer it over a fire for five minutes, taking care not to let it curdle, and serve it up very hot, with the mace and onion taken out. n. b. instead of a leason, the stock it is stewed in may be almost reduced, and a benshamelle added with the sweetbreads, mushrooms, &c. _chickens or turkies with celery._ boil or braise them, and when they are to be served up wipe them dry, and pour over them white celery sauce. or they may be served with brown celery sauce under them, and the breast of the poultry glaized. [see _celery sauce, white and brown_.] _turkies, pullets, or chickens, with oyster sauce._ boil them, wipe them dry, and when they are to be served up pour over them white oyster sauce. _to make white oyster sauce._ blanch large oysters till half done, and strain and preserve the liquor; then beard and wash them, and put the liquor, free from sediment, into a stewpan. add to it two ounces of fresh butter, half a pint of good cream, a piece of lemon peel, and a blade of mace; put it over a fire, and when it nearly boils add mixed flour and water to thicken it properly. season to the palate with lemon juice, salt, and a little cayenne pepper if approved; then strain it through a fine hair sieve to the oysters, and boil them gently five minutes. n. b. in the same manner may be done stewed oysters for dishes, only serve them up with sippets of bread round. _chickens with peas._ truss them as for boiling, blanch them five minutes, and wash them clean; then braise them till tender with a little veal stock and bards of fat bacon or with white paper over them. when they are to be served up wipe them dry, glaize the tops lightly, and put pea sauce under. _another way to stew chickens with peas._ cut the chickens into pieces, blanch and drain them dry, and put them into a stewpan with a little veal stock; then stew them till tender and the liquor almost reduced. when they are to be served up, put them on a dish, and the peas sauce over. _fricassee of chickens or rabbits (brown)._ cut the chickens into pieces, and fry them in a little lard till of a light brown colour; then drain them with a cloth very dry; after which put them into a stewpan, add button mushrooms stewed, pieces of artichoke bottoms, blanched truffles, morells, egg balls, and some good-seasoned cullis. set them over a moderate fire, stew them gently till done, and serve up with fried oysters round them. _to fry oysters for a dish._ open twenty-four large oysters, blanch them with their own liquor, and when three parts done strain them, and preserve the liquor; then wash and let them drain. in the meanwhile make a batter with four table spoonfuls of flour, two eggs, a little pepper and salt, and their liquor. beat it well with a wooden spoon or a whisk for five minutes. put the oysters into the batter, mix them lightly, and have ready boiling lard. take the oysters out singly with a fork, put them into the lard, and fry them of a nice brown colour. then put them on a drainer, strew over a small quantity of salt, and serve them up. if they are for a dish put fried parsley under them, or stewed spinach. _directions for poultry, &c. plain boiled._ let it be observed that turkies, chickens, and meats, intended to be plain boiled, should be soaked in cold water, and put afterwards into plenty of boiling pump water, kept skimmed and preserved as white as possible. the time they will take dressing depends on a little practice, as in roasting. be particular in trimming the meats neat, and in trussing the poultry. the carving, likewise, should be carefully attended to, which is frequently expressed by the phrase of _cutting into pieces_. _jugged hare._ case the hare, cut off the shoulders and legs, and the back into three pieces. daub them well with fat bacon, and put them into a stewpot with the trimmings. add to them allspice, mace, whole pepper, a little of each; a small clove of garlick, three onions, two bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and savory, tied together in a small bunch; a quart of veal stock, three gills of red port; and simmer them over a fire till three parts done. then take out the shoulders, legs, and back; put them into another stewpan, strain the liquor to them, and add some passed flour and butter to thicken it a little. let it stew till tender, skim it free from fat, season with cayenne, salt, and lemon juice, and serve it up in a deep dish. _glaized hare._ case the hare, bone it as whole as possible, wash it, and fill the inside with light forcemeat; then sew it up, and truss it as for roasting. lard the back with bacon, the same as a fricando veal; cover it with a veal caul, and roast it very gently. when it is to be served up, take off the caul, glaize the larding, and put strong cullis, with a gill of red port boiled with it, under the hare. _duck aux naves._ bone a tame duck as whole as possible, and season the inside with beaten spices, pepper, and salt; then draw in the legs and wings, and fill the inside with light forcemeat. sew it up, braise it in a pint of veal stock, cover it with white paper and the cover of the stewpan. let it stew gently till tender, and the liquor almost reduced. when it is to be served up glaize the breast, and pour the sauce round it, which is to be made with turnips cut into shapes as for haricot; afterwards to be put into a stewpan and sweated with a bit of fresh butter till three parts done; then add a good cullis and the essence in which the duck was braised. when it boils, skim free from fat, season to the palate, and stew the turnips till done. _a duck with cucumbers._ the duck to be boned, braised, and served up in the same manner as the above, but instead of turnips put cucumber sauce, or peas, as for veal tendrons. _a duck a la benshamelle._ bone, braise, and glaize the duck as mentioned in the preceding article, and when it is to be served up put a sauce round it made with heads of sprue grass boiled in a little veal stock, and when tender rub them through a tamis. add the pulp to a small quantity of benshamelle, boil them together for five minutes, and let the sauce be very white and strong. _hashed mutton for a dish._ take mutton ready dressed, cut it into thin slices, put them into a stewpan with slices of pickle cucumbers, or walnuts, or onions; then make a sauce with chopped eschallots or onions passed with a bit of fresh butter over a slow fire till three parts done; after which add a pint of veal stock, or gravy, and a little ketchup. boil it ten minutes, season to the palate with cayenne pepper and salt; then strain it to the mutton, let it stew gently till thoroughly hot, and add a small quantity of liquid of colour. n. b. in the same manner may be done beef; and when it is to be served up put the bones (which are to be seasoned with pepper and salt, and grilled) over the hash. _hashed venison._ take the part least done of ready-dressed venison, cut it in slices, and put them into a stewpan; then pass a bit of fresh butter and flour and chopped eschallots over a slow fire for ten minutes, and add to them half a pint of red port, a pint and a half of veal stock, its own gravy, if any, a little piece of lemon peel, cayenne pepper, salt, and lemon juice. season to the palate, boil all together a quarter of an hour, and strain it to the venison. let it simmer gently till thoroughly hot. n. b. the venison should not be put into the liquor above ten minutes before it is to be served up, by reason of the fat dissolving too much. _hashed fowls._ cut into pieces (very neat) ready-dressed fowls, turkies, or rabbits, and put them into a stewpan; then make a thickening with a bit of fresh butter, flour, and chopped eschallots or onions mixed over a slow fire. discharge it with veal stock, add a little lemon pickle and ketchup, season to the palate, put a small quantity of liquid of colour, boil for ten minutes, strain to the poultry, and let it stew gently. when served up, there may be put a few pieces of the fowl grilled round it. n. b. instead of the thickening and veal stock, may be added cullis with lemon pickle and ketchup. _hashed hare, wild fowl, pheasants, or partridges._ cut the poultry into neat pieces, put them into a stewpan, and add a liquor made in the same manner as for venison; or put cullis and red port with their own gravy. _broiled beef steaks._ take a small fat rump of beef, and cut off the fillet and the first two or three steaks; then cut the remainder into steaks also, and cut the skin from the fat. beat them with a chopper, and season with pepper and salt just before they are to be put on the gridiron, which should be well cleaned, and the steaks frequently turned. when they are done according to desire, serve them up on a hot dish with a little gravy under, some scraped horseradish, chopped eschallots, and pickles, on small plates, and oyster sauce in a sauce boat, or with slices of onions dipped in batter and fried. n. b. the fillet and outside steaks of the rump may be made into a pudding, in order to have prime steaks for broiling. _beef steak pudding._ take flour, chopped suet, some milk, a little salt, and one egg, and mix them well together. roll out the paste of half an inch thick, and sheet a bason or a bowl with it. then trim the skin from the meat, beat the steaks well with a chopper, cut them into middling-sized pieces, season with pepper and salt, put them into the bason with blanched oysters and slices of potatoes alternately (or slices of onions, if approved). cover the top with paste, and tie a cloth over the bason. boil the pudding (if of a middling size) two hours; and when it is to be served up put into it a little cullis and ketchup. _oyster sauce for beef steaks._ blanch a pint of oysters, and preserve their liquor; then wash and beard them, and put their liquor into a stewpan with india soy and ketchup, a small quantity of each, and a quarter of a pound of fresh butter. set them over a fire, and when nearly boiling thicken with flour and water; season to the palate with a little cayenne pepper, salt, and lemon juice; strain it to the oysters, and stew them gently five minutes. _to dress mutton, lamb, or pork chops in a plain manner._ cut a loin of mutton, lamb, or pork, into chops of a middling thickness; beat them with a chopper, trim off a sufficient quantity of the bone and fat; then season with pepper and salt, broil them over a clear moderate fire, and serve them up very hot with gravy. n. b. lamb chops may have stewed spinach or fried parsley underneath. _to dress veal cutlets._ beat the cutlets with a chopper, and cut them into middling-sized pieces; then strew on each side of them a mixture of breadcrumbs, chopped parsley and thyme, grated nutmeg, pepper and salt, and broil them over a clear fire till done and of a nice colour. serve them up with cullis sauce and ketchup in it, or stewed mushrooms and cullis. rashers of broiled bacon and fried oysters (a few of each if approved) may be put round the cutlets or chops, which may be done in the same manner. _minced veal for a dish._ cut into small pieces ready dressed veal, put it into a stewpan, add to it a very small quantity of grated lemon peel and a little benshamelle; season to the palate with cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and salt; stew the veal gently ten minutes, and serve it up with sippets of bread round it either fried or plain. _minced veal another way._ add to the veal a little stock, one eschallot chopped fine, some grated nutmeg and grated lemon peel, a very small quantity of each. season with cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and salt. let it stew ten minutes, and just before it is to be served up add a leason of two eggs and cream, simmer them together five minutes, and be careful it does not burn nor curdle. sippets of bread, likewise, to be placed round. _partridges or pheasants au choux._ bone the birds, put into them some light forcemeat well-seasoned; sew them up, blanch and wipe them dry, and braise them in a pint of stock till tender. after which cut two savoys into quarters and boil them till a fourth part done; then squeeze them and tie round with twine, put them into a stewpan, add a pint of stock, and boil them gently till done. then take the savoys out, cut off the strings, put the birds into the center of a dish, the savoys round them, and set the dish in an oven or in a warm place covered over. then mix the two liquors together, season to the palate with pepper, salt, and lemon juice. make it of a proper thickness with flour and water, boil it till three parts reduced, add a little colour and strain it. when the birds are to be served up glaize their breasts lightly, and put the sauce over the savoys. _partridges or pheasants with truffles._ bone the birds, and force and braise them in a small quantity of stock. when they are to be served up glaize the breasts lightly, and put green truffle sauce round them, with the essence of the birds mixed in it. _turkey with truffles._ truss the turkey as for boiling, put some light forcemeat with truffles pounded with it into the cavity near the breast, and secure it from falling out. then put slices of lemon, some salt, and bards of fat bacon on the breast, and white paper over it bound on with packthread, and roast gently (if a good-sized turkey) one hour and a half. when it is to be served up, take off the paper, glaize the breast, and put the truffle sauce round the turkey. n. b. in the same manner may be done pullets or chickens. _truffle sauce for turkies, &c._ put green truffles into water, clean them well with a hard brush, cut the outside paring thinly off, trim them into shapes or round, put the trimmings into a marble mortar, pound them, and add to the forcemeat which is to be put into the cavity near the breast of the turkey. then put the truffles into a stewpan with a pint of beef stock, stew them gently, and when the liquor is almost reduced add some cullis well-seasoned. _turkey with chesnuts._ truss the turkey as for boiling, stuff it with light forcemeat and spanish chesnuts whole, and paper and roast it as a turkey with truffles. when it is to be served up, glaize the breast and put chesnut sauce round it, made with good cullis and chesnuts, which should be boiled till half done, and then roasted in a frying pan till wholly done; after which let them be peeled and put into the cullis five minutes before the turkey is served up. _turkey with ragout._ stuff it in the plain way, boil it, and when it is to be served up put over the following sauce:--take slices of throat sweetbreads blanched, white button mushrooms stewed, artichoke bottoms boiled till half done and cut in halves, cocks combs boiled till done, a few egg balls scalded; add a good benshamelle, and stew them gently for ten minutes. or, instead of benshamelle, there may be put to the above ingredients half a pint of veal stock, and let them all be boiled ten minutes; then add a leason of three eggs and cream, simmer them together five minutes more, and season with salt, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. _rabbits with onions._ boil them as white as possible, and when they are to be served up, wipe them dry and put over onion sauce, made thus:--take mild onions peeled, and boiled till three parts done; then squeeze and chop them but not too small; add a bit of fresh butter, a little salt and flour, a sufficient quantity of cream to mix them, and a little white ground pepper, if approved. let the sauce be of a good thickness, and simmered over a slow fire for ten minutes. _glaized sweetbreads._ lard very neat two heart sweetbreads, then blanch and braise or roast them; and when they are to be served up, glaize the top part, and put stewed endive under them. _matelote of rabbits._ cut them into pieces and blanch and wash them; then put them into a stewpan with a gill of water, cover close and preserve them as white as possible. when they are nearly done and the liquor almost reduced, which should not be of any colour, add half a pint of good benshamelle, a few whole boiled cocks combs, pickle cucumbers, ham, tongue, omlets of eggs (the same as for garnishing) cut into small squares, and a few stewed button mushrooms. stew them together for ten minutes, and serve the matelote up directly. _sweetbreads en erison._ to be done in the same manner as neck of veal, which see. _stewed giblets plain._ cut two pair of scalded goose giblets into pieces of two inches long; then blanch them, trim the bones from the ends, and wash the giblets; after which drain them dry, put them into a stewpan with half a pint of stock, cover the pan close, simmer over a slow fire till three parts done and the liquor nearly reduced, then add good-seasoned cullis, and stew them till tender. _stewed giblets with peas._ proceed as with the above, except, instead of plain cullis, take a pint of shelled young green peas, and sweat them till three parts done with a bit of fresh butter and a little salt; then add some cullis, put them to the giblets, and stew them till tender. if requisite put a little liquid of colour. _green truffles for a dish._ well clean two pounds of green truffles; then put them into a stewpan with half a pint of stock, a gill of red port, and a little salt, and boil them gently half an hour. when they are to be served up, drain them dry and put them into a folded napkin. they are to be eaten with cold fresh butter, or with oil, vinegar, and cayenne pepper. n. b. the liquor they were boiled in may be made into a cullis, and put into different sauces, such as haricot, ragout, or celery, &c. _rabbits en gallentine for a dish._ bone two rabbits, lay them flat, put a little light forcemeat upon them, and slips of lean ham, breast of fowl, and omlets of eggs white and yellow, the same as for garnishing. roll the rabbits up tight and sew them, lard the top part with slips of fat bacon very neat, and blanch and braise them. when they are to be served up glaize the larding, and put good cullis under them. _ham braised._ take a mellow smoked ham perfectly clean; then well trim and put it into a braising pan; after which, add to it four quarts of water, a bottle of madeira wine, and a few bay leaves. cover the pan close, and simmer the ham over a moderate fire till very tender. then wipe it quite dry, take off the rind, glaize the top part, and serve it up on a large dish with stewed spinach on one side and mashed turnips on the other. n. b. hams may be plain boiled and served up in the same manner. pickled tongues may be stuffed with marrow and boiled, then peeled, and served up with the above vegetables and in the same manner. _jerusalem artichokes stewed._ pare and cut them into halves, boil them in a little consumé till nearly done and the liquor almost reduced; then add a bit of fresh butter, salt, flour, and cream, a small quantity of each. set them over a fire for five minutes, and serve them up with fried bread round. _jerusalem artichokes another way._ pare and cut them into shapes as for haricot, and fry them in boiling-hot lard till of a light brown colour; then drain them dry, put them into a stewpan, and add a little strong cullis with a small quantity of vinegar and mustard mixed in it. serve them up with fried bread round. _mashed potatoes._ pare and steam or boil floury potatoes, and mash them with a wooden spoon; then add a bit of fresh butter, a little salt, and some milk or cream. mix them well together over a fire for five minutes, then put them in the center of a dish, make them smooth, chequer the top with the back of a knife, and put some whole potatoes round if approved. serve them up very hot, but be careful the mash is not too thin, and preserve them as white as possible. n. b. the same mash may be put into scollop shells and coloured with a salamander; or the mash may be mixed with yolk of egg, then moulded with the hands into round balls, and fried in boiling lard. _cauliflower with parmezan cheese._ cut off the leaves and stalk, boil it in salt and water till nearly done, and drain till dry. have ready a dish with fried bread dipped in white of raw egg, and put round the rim. set the flower in the center of the dish, and pour over it a sauce made with boiling-hot benshamelle, and, three minutes before it is to be put over the cauliflower, add grated parmezan cheese. _cauliflower a la sauce._ boil the flower, and either serve it up whole or in pieces, placed round each other in a dish. the sauce over it to be boiling hot and of a good thickness, made with strong cullis, a little vinegar, and fresh butter mixed together. n. b. broccoli may be done in the same manner. _cauliflower a la cream._ boil the flower and pour over it the following sauce:--take a gill of consumé and a table spoonful of vinegar, which put into a stewpan and set over a fire till hot, and five minutes before it is to be sent to table add a leason of two eggs and a gill of cream. _stewed artichoke bottoms._ boil six artichokes till half done; then take the leaves and choke away, trim the bottoms neat with a knife, or cut them with a shape; after which put them into a stewpan, add half a pint of stock, a little salt and lemon juice, and boil them gently till done. when they are to be served up wipe them dry, put them in the center of a dish with fried bread round the rim, and a strong bright cullis over them, or benshamelle. _french beans a la cream for a dish._ cut young beans in slips, boil them in plenty of water and salt to preserve them green, and when they are done drain them dry. then put into a stewpan two ounces of fresh butter, the yolks of three eggs beat up in a gill of cream, and set over a slow fire. when it is hot add a table spoonful of vinegar and the beans, simmer all together for five minutes, and keep stirring the beans with a wooden spoon to prevent the mixture from burning or curdling. _stewed cardoons._ cut the heads in pieces, take off the outside skin, wash, and scald them; then put them into a stewpan, add a little stock to cover them, boil till three parts done and the liquor almost reduced, then add a small quantity of benshamelle and stew them gently till done. serve them up with sippets of fried bread and stewed watercresses alternately round the rim of the dish, and the cardoons in the center. or they may be done in the same manner with cullis instead of benshamelle. _vegetables in a mould._ sheet the inside of an oval jelly or cake mould with bards of fat bacon; then put upright alternately round the inside of the bacon slips of cleaned turnips, carrots, pickle cucumbers, and celery and asparagus heads. lay a forcemeat at the bottom and round the inside of the vegetables, filling the center with small pieces of veal or mutton passed with sweet herbs, pepper, salt, and lemon juice. cover it with forcemeat, wash it with yolk of egg, and bake it. when it is to be served up turn it gently out of the mould into a deep dish, take off the bacon, make a little hole at the top, and add a small quantity of good cullis. _broiled mushrooms._ clean with a knife fresh forced mushrooms, and wash and drain them dry. then make a case with a sheet of writing paper, rub the inside well with fresh butter, and fill it with the mushrooms. season them with pepper and salt, put them upon a baking plate over a slow fire, cover them with a stewpot cover with some fire upon it, and when the mushrooms are nearly dry, serve them up very hot. _stewed mushrooms (brown)._ clean with a knife a pottle of fresh forced mushrooms, put them into water, and when they are to be stewed take them out with the hands to avoid the sediment. then put them into a stewpan with an ounce and an half of fresh butter, a little salt, and the juice of half a lemon. cover the stewpan close, put it over a fire, and let the mushrooms boil for five minutes. then thicken them with a little flour and water mixed, add a small quantity of liquid of colour, (some cayenne if approved,) and stew them gently for five minutes more. _stewed mushrooms (white)._ let the same process be followed as above; but instead of adding liquid of colour put to them a gill of good cream. _mashed turnips._ pare and boil them till three parts done; then squeeze them between two plates, put them into a stewpan, add flour, fresh butter, cream, and salt, a little of each. mix them well over a fire, stew them gently for five minutes, and preserve them as white as possible. _potatoes creamed._ pare good potatoes, cut them into quarters, trim them round, and put them into a stewpan. boil them gently till half done, drain them dry, add to them cream, salt, and fresh butter, a small quantity of each, or some benshamelle. stew them very gently till they are done, and be careful they do not break. _stewed watercresses._ pick and wash twelve bunches of watercresses, boil them till half done, and drain and squeeze them dry; then chop and put them into a stewpan, add to them cullis, cream, salt, pepper, and flour, a little of each. stew them gently ten minutes, and serve them up with fried bread round. _a neat dish of vegetables._ wash a dish with white of raw egg, then make four divisions in it with fried bread, and put alternately in each the following vegetables:--in the first, stewed spinach; in the second, mashed turnips; in the third, mashed potatoes; and in the fourth, slices of carrots and some button onions blanched: afterwards stew them in a little cullis, and when they are put into the dish let the essence adhere to them: or in the fourth partition put pieces of cauliflower or heads of broccoli. n. b. instead of fried bread to make the divisions, may be used mashed potatoes and yolks of eggs mixed together, and put on a dish in as many partitions as approved; afterwards baked till of a nice colour, and served up with any kind of stewed vegetable alternately. _vegetable pie._ cut celery heads two inches long, turnips and carrots into shapes, some peeled button onions or two spanish onions, artichoke bottoms cut into quarters, pieces of cauliflowers or heads of broccoli, and heads of large asparagus. let all the vegetables be washed clean; then boil each separately in a sufficient quantity of water to cover them, and as they get tender strain the liquor into one stewpan and put the vegetables into another. then add to their essences half a pint of strong consumé, thicken it with flour and water, season to the palate with cayenne pepper, salt, and lemon juice; add also a little colour. let it boil ten minutes and strain it to the vegetables; then simmer them together, and serve them up in a raised pie crust, or in a deep dish with a raised crust baked round it, of two inches high. _fried potatoes._ pare and slice potatoes half an inch thick; then wipe them dry, flour, and put them into boiling hot lard or dripping, and fry them of a light brown colour. then drain them dry, sprinkle a little salt over, and serve them up directly with melted butter in a sauce boat. _fried onions with parmezan cheese._ pare six large mild onions, and cut them into round slices of half an inch thick. then make a batter with flour, half a gill of cream, a little pepper, salt, and three eggs, beat up for ten minutes; after which add a quarter of a pound of parmezan cheese grated fine and mixed well together, to which add the onions. have ready boiling lard; then take the slices of onions out of the batter with a fork singly, and fry them gently till done and of a nice brown colour. drain them dry, and serve them up placed round each other. melted butter with a little mustard in it to be served in a sauce boat. _pickle tongue forced._ boil it till half done, then peel it, and cut a piece out of the under part from the center, and put it into a marble mortar. then add three ounces of beef marrow, half a gill of cream, the yolk of two eggs, a few breadcrumbs, a little pepper, and a spoonful of madeira wine. pound them well together, fill the cavity in the tongue with it, sew it up, cover it with a veal caul, and roast till tender, or boil it. _stewed endive._ trim off the green part of endive heads, wash and cut them into pieces, and scald them till half done; then squeeze, chop, and put them into a stewpan; add a small quantity of strong cullis, stew it till tender, and serve it up in a sauce boat, or it may be put under roast mutton. _forced cucumbers._ pare fresh gathered cucumbers of a middling-size; then cut them into halves, take out the seeds with a knife, fill the cavity with forcemeat, and bind the two halves together with strong thread. put them into a stewpan with vinegar, salt, and veal stock, a small quantity of each. set them over a fire, simmer them till three parts done, and reduce the liquor; then add with it a strong cullis, put it to the cucumbers, and stew them gently till done. _to stew peas for a dish._ put a quart of fresh shelled young peas into a stewpan, add to them a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, a middling-sized onion sliced very fine, a cos or cabbage lettuce washed and cut into pieces, and a very little salt. cover the pan close, put it over a moderate fire, and sweat the peas till half done. make them of a proper thickness with flour and water, add a spoonful of essence of ham, season to the palate with cayenne pepper, and add a small lump of sugar if approved. let the peas stew gently till tender, being careful not to let them burn. _salad of asparagus._ scale and cut off the heads of large asparagus, boil them till nearly done, strain, and put them into cold water for five minutes, and drain them dry; afterwards lay them in rows on a dish, put slices of lemon round the rim, and mix well together a little mustard, oil, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and salt, and put it over the asparagus just before they are to be eaten. _asparagus peas._ scale sprue grass, cut it into pieces the bigness of peas as far as the green part extends from the heads, and wash and put them into a stewpan. to a quart of grass peas add half a pint of hot water lightly salted, and boil them till three parts done; after which strain and preserve the liquor, which boil down till nearly reduced, and put to it three ounces of fresh butter, half a gill of cream, a little sifted sugar, flour, and water, sufficient to make it of a proper thickness; add the peas, stew them till tender, and serve them up with the top of a french roll toasted and buttered put under them in a dish. _another way._ boil the peas in salt and water till nearly done, strain and put them into a stewpan, add to them a little sifted sugar, two ounces of fresh butter, a table spoonful of essence of ham, half a gill of cream, with two yolks of raw eggs beat up in it; stew them gently five minutes, and be careful they do not burn. serve them up in the same manner as the above. n. b. large heads of asparagus may be done in the same manner whole. _stewed asparagus for sauce._ scale sprue or large asparagus, then cut off the heads as far as they are eatable, boil them till nearly done, strain them, and pour cold water over to preserve them green. then make (boiling) a good strong cullis, and put in the heads five minutes before the sauce is served up, which may be put over tendrons of veal, lamb, &c. n. b. some tops of sprue grass may be boiled in a little stock till tender, and rubbed through a tamis. the pulp to be put to the cullis before the heads are added. _directions for vegetables._ it is necessary to remember, that in dressing vegetables of every kind, they should be gathered fresh, picked clean, trimmed or pared neatly, and washed in several waters. those that are to be plain boiled should be put into plenty of boiling water and salt. if they are not to be used directly, when they are three parts done put them into cold water for five minutes, such as spinach, greens, cauliflowers, and broccoli, as it preserves their colour; and when they are to be served up put them again into boiling water till done, then drain them dry. n. b. potatoes and carrots are best steamed. _pickled oysters._ put two dozen of large oysters into a stewpan over a fire with their liquor only, and boil them five minutes; then strain the liquor into another stewpan, and add to it a bay leaf, a little cayenne pepper, salt, a gill and a half of vinegar, half a gill of ketchup, a blade of mace, a few allspice, and a bit of lemon peel. boil it till three parts reduced, then beard and wash the oysters, put them to the pickle, and boil them together two minutes. when they are to be served up place the oysters in rows, and strain the liquor over them. garnish the dish with slices of lemon or barberries. _oyster atlets._ blanch throat sweetbreads, and cut them into slices; then take rashers of bacon the bigness of the slices of the sweetbreads, and as many large oysters blanched as there are pieces of sweetbread and bacon. put the whole into a stewpan with a bit of fresh butter, parsley, thyme, and eschallots, chopped very fine, pepper, salt, and lemon juice, a small quantity of each. put them over a slow fire, and simmer them five minutes; then lay them on a dish, and when a little cool, put upon a small wooden or silver skewer a slice of sweetbread, a slice of bacon, and an oyster, and so alternately till the skewers are full; then put breadcrumbs over them, which should be rubbed through a hair sieve, and broil the atlets gently till done and of a light brown colour. serve them up with a little cullis under them, together with the liquor from the blanched oysters reduced and added to it. _scollop oysters._ blanch the oysters and strain them; then add to their liquor, which must be free from sediment, a good piece of fresh butter, a little pepper and salt, some lemon peel and grated nutmeg, a small quantity of each. then beard and wash the oysters, add them to the ingredients, simmer them over a fire five minutes, and put the oysters into scollop shells with the liquor. if there be more than sufficient, boil it till nearly reduced and add it; then put fine breadcrumbs over, smooth them with a knife, bake or set them over a fire upon a gridiron for half an hour, and colour the top part with a salamander. _oyster loaves._ take small french rasped rolls, and cut a little piece off the top part; then take the crumb entirely out, and afterwards fry the case and tops in boiling lard only till they are crisp and of a light colour. drain them dry, keep them warm, and just before they are to be served up put oysters into them, done in the same manner as for scollops, with the top of the rolls over. _ragout of sweetbreads (brown)._ take throat sweetbreads blanched and cut into slices; morells blanched, cut into halves, and washed free from grit; some stewed mushrooms, egg balls, artichoke bottoms, or jerusalem artichokes, boiled till half done and cut into pieces; green truffles pared, cut into slices half an inch thick, and stewed in a little stock till it is nearly reduced; and cocks combs boiled till three parts done. then mix all the ingredients together, add some cullis, stew them gently a quarter of an hour, and season to the palate. _ragout of sweetbreads (white)._ put into a stewpan some stewed mushrooms, egg balls, slices of blanched throat sweetbreads, cocks combs boiled till nearly done, and half a pint of consumé. stew them ten minutes, then pour the liquor into another stewpan, and reduce it over a fire to one half the quantity. beat up the yolks of two eggs, a gill of cream, a little salt, and strain them through a hair sieve to the sweetbreads, &c. then put them over a slow fire and let them simmer five minutes; or the above four articles may be put into a stewpan with some benshamelle only, and stewed till done. _poached eggs with sorrel or endive._ take a slice of bread round a loaf, and cut it to cover three parts of the inside of a dish; then fry it in boiling lard till of a light colour, drain it dry, and lay it in a warm place. then wash and chop sorrel, squeeze and put it into a stewpan with a bit of fresh butter, cayenne pepper, and a table spoonful of essence of ham; simmer it till done, thicken it with flour and water, boil it five minutes, butter the toast, poach the eggs, and drain them; then lay them over the bread, put the sorrel sauce round, and serve them up very hot. _buttered eggs._ break twelve eggs into a stewpan, add a little parsley chopped fine, one anchovie picked and rubbed through a hair sieve, two table spoonfuls of consumé or essence of ham, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter made just warm, and a small quantity of cayenne pepper. beat all together, set them over a fire, and keep stirring with a wooden spoon till they are of a good thickness, and to prevent their burning. serve them up in a deep dish with a fresh toast under them. _fried eggs, &c._ take slices of ham or rashers of bacon, and broil, drain, and put them into a deep plate. have ready a little boiling lard in a stewpan, break the eggs into it, and when they are set, turn and fry them not more than two minutes. then take them out with a skimmer, drain them, and serve them up very hot over the bacon or ham. put a strong cullis, with a little mustard and vinegar (but no salt) in it, under them. _eggs a la trip._ boil the eggs gently five minutes, then peel, wash, and cut them in halves; put them into a stewpan, add a little warm strong benshamelle, and a small quantity of parsley chopped very fine. simmer them over a fire a few minutes, and serve them up plain, or with fried oysters round them. _omlet of eggs._ break ten eggs, add to them a little parsley and one eschallot chopped fine, one anchovie picked and rubbed through a hair sieve, a small quantity of grated ham, a little pepper, and mix them well together. have ready an iron frying-pan, which has been prepared over a fire with a bit of butter burnt in it for some time, in order that the eggs might not adhere to the pan when turned out. wipe the pan very clean and dry; put into it two ounces of fresh butter, and when hot put in the mixture of eggs; then stir it with a wooden spoon till it begins to thicken, mould it to one side of the pan, let it remain one minute to brown, put a stewpan cover over it, and turn it over into a dish, and if approved (which will be a good addition) pour round it a little strong cullis, and serve it up very hot. there may be added also, a small quantity of boiled tops of asparagus or celery, some fowl, or oysters, or other ingredients, pounded and rubbed through a sieve, with a table spoonful of cream and one of ketchup. then add the pulp to the eggs, beat them well together, and fry them as above. or the mixture, instead of being fried, may be put over a fire and stirred till it begins to thicken; then put it on a toast, colour it with a hot salamander, and serve it up with a little cullis or benshamelle, or green truffle sauce underneath. _fricassee of tripe._ cut the tripe into small slips, and boil in a little consumé till the liquor is nearly reduced; then add to it a leason, of two yolks of eggs and cream, a small quantity of salt, cayenne pepper, and chopped parsley. simmer all together over a slow fire for five minutes, and serve it up immediately. or instead of the leason, &c. a little benshamelle and chopped parsley may be added. _lambs tails and ears._ scald four tails and five ears very clean, and braise them in a pint of veal stock. when the tails are half done, take them out, egg and breadcrumb them over, and broil them gently. let the ears be stewed till three parts done, and nearly reduce the liquor; then add cullis, stew them till tender, and serve them up with the sauce in the center of the dish, the tails round them, and a bunch of pickle barberries over each ear. or the tails and ears may be stewed in a little stock till tender; then add a leason of eggs and cream, and serve them up with twelve heads of large asparagus cut three inches long, boiled till done, and put over plain. let the heads be preserved as green as possible. _curried atlets._ take slices of throat sweetbreads, and slices of veal or mutton of the same size; put them into a stewpan with a bit of fresh butter, a table spoonful of currie powder, the juice of half a lemon, and a little salt. set them over a slow fire, and when they are half done add to them blanched and bearded oysters with their liquor free from sediment. simmer all together five minutes, lay them on a dish, and when cold put them alternately on small wooden or silver skewers. then dip them in the liquor, strew fine breadcrumbs on each side, broil them over a clear fire till of a brown colour, and serve them up with some currie sauce under them. n. b. the slices of sweetbread, oysters, veal, and mutton, to be of an equal number. _to stew maccaroni._ boil a quarter of a pound of riband maccaroni in beef stock till nearly done; then strain it and add a gill of cream, two ounces of fresh butter, a table spoonful of the essence of ham, three ounces of grated parmezan cheese, and a little cayenne pepper and salt. mix them over a fire for five minutes, then put it on a dish, strew grated parmezan cheese over it, smooth it with a knife, and colour with a very hot salamander. _stewed cheese._ cut small into a stewpan cheshire and gloucester cheese, a quarter of a pound of each; then add a gill of lisbon wine, a table spoonful of water, and (if approved) a tea spoonful of mustard. mix them over a fire till the cheese is dissolved; then have ready a cheese plate with a lighted lamp beneath, put the mixture in, and serve it up directly. send with it some fresh toasted bread in a toast rack. _to prepare a batter for frying the following different articles, being a sufficient quantity for one dish._ take four ounces of best flour sifted, a little salt and pepper, three eggs, and a gill of beer; beat them together with a wooden spoon or a whisk for ten minutes. let it be of a good thickness to adhere to the different articles. _fried celery._ cut celery heads three inches long, boil them till half done, wipe them dry, and add to the batter. have ready boiling lard, take out the heads singly with a fork, fry them of a light colour, drain them dry, and serve them up with fried parsley under. _fried peths._ to be done, and served up in the same manner as the above. _fried sweetbreads._ let some throat sweetbreads be blanched, then cut into slices, and served up in the like way. _fried artichoke bottoms._ let the chokes be boiled till the leaves can be taken away, then cut the bottoms into halves and fry them in batter as the beforementioned articles; then serve them up with melted butter in a sauce boat with a little ground white pepper in it. _fried tripe and onions._ cut the tripe into slips of four inches long and three inches wide, dip them in the batter and fry them. when it is to be served up put under it slices of onions cut one inch thick, and fry them in the same manner. or, instead of slips of tripe, pieces of cowheel may be used; and let melted butter be sent in a sauce boat with a little mustard in it, and (if approved) a table spoonful of vinegar. _hard eggs fried._ let the eggs be boiled five minutes; then peel, wipe them dry, cut them in halves, dip them in batter, and fry them of a light brown colour. serve them up with stewed spinach under, with a little strong cullis and essence of ham mixed in it. _to dress a lamb's fry._ scald the fry till half done; then strain, wash, and wipe it dry; dip the pieces in yolks of eggs, and breadcrumb them; fry them in plenty of boiling lard, and serve them up with fried parsley underneath. _another way._ scald the fry as above, and instead of dipping them in egg fry them in a plain way with a piece of butter till they are of a light brown colour; then drain and sprinkle a little pepper and salt over, and serve them up with fried parsley underneath. _puffs with forcemeat of vegetables._ put into a stewpan a little fat bacon cut small, the same quantity of lean veal, some parsley and eschallots chopped together, and season with pepper, salt, and beaten spice. then add six french beans, twelve heads of asparagus, six mushrooms chopped, and a little lemon juice. stew the ingredients gently for ten minutes, then put them into a marble mortar, add a little cream, breadcrumbs, and yolk of egg, pounded well together. then roll out puff paste half an inch thick, cut it into square pieces, fill them with the forcemeat, fold them, run a jagger iron round to form them like a puff, and fry them in boiling lard. let them be of a brown colour, and drain them dry; then serve them up with sauce under them, made with a little cullis, lemon pickle, and ketchup. _rammequins._ put into a pan four ounces of grated parmezan cheese, two ounces of fresh butter just warm, two yolks of eggs, a little parsley and an eschallot chopped fine, one anchovie picked and rubbed through a hair sieve, some cream, pepper, and salt, a small quantity of each, and beat them well together with a wooden spoon. then make paper cases of three inches long, two inches wide, and two inches deep, and fill them with the mixture. then whisk the whites of two eggs to a solid froth, put a little over the mixture in each case, and bake them either in an oven, or on a baking plate over a fire with a stewpot cover over them. serve them up as soon as they are done. _to dress part of a wild boar._ put into a braising pan fourteen pounds weight of the boar; add to it a bottle of red port, eight onions sliced, six bay leaves, cayenne pepper, salt, a few cloves, mace, allspice, and two quarts of veal stock. stew it gently, and when tender take it out of the liquor, put it into a deep dish, and set it in an oven. then strain the liquor, reduce it to one quart, thicken it a little with passed flour and butter, and season it to the palate with lemon pickle. let it boil ten minutes, skim it clean, pour it over the meat, and serve it up. _plovers eggs, to be served up in different ways._ boil them twenty minutes, and when they are cold peel and wipe them dry; then lay them in a dish and put chopped savory jelly round and between them, and slices of lemon and bunches of pickled barberries round the rim of the dish. or they may be served up in ornamental paper or wax baskets, with pickled parsley under them, and either peeled or not. or they may be sent to the table hot in a napkin. _buttered lobsters._ boil two lobsters till half done; then take off the tails, cut the bodies in halves, pick out the meat, and leave the shells whole. then break the tails and claws, cut the meat very small, put it into a stewpan with a table spoonful of the essence of ham, two ounces of fresh butter, consumé and cream half a gill of each, a little beaten mace, one eschallot and parsley chopped very fine, and a few breadcrumbs. then mix all together over a fire for five minutes, season to the palate with cayenne pepper, salt, and lemon juice; fill the reserved shells with the mixture, strew fine breadcrumbs over, and bake them gently twenty minutes. when they are to be served up colour the crumbs with a salamander. n. b. in the same manner may be done a pickled crab. _meat cake._ cut the fillet from the inside of a rump of beef into small pieces, also lean veal, and pound them very fine in a marble mortar. then add a little lemon juice, pepper, salt, chopped parsley, basil, thyme, mushrooms, savory, and eschallots, a small quantity of each; some beaten spices, and yolks of eggs a sufficient quantity to bind it. then add and mix with your hands some fat bacon and lean of ham cut into the form of small dice. have ready a stewpan or a mould lined with bards of fat bacon, fill it with the mixture, press it down, put on the top bay leaves and a little rhenish wine, cover it with bards of bacon, put it into a moderate oven, and bake it thoroughly. when it is cold turn it out of the mould, trim it clean, set it on a dish, put chopped savory jelly round it, and a small modelled figure on the top; or the whole of the cake may be modelled. _collared pig._ bone the pig; then have ready some light forcemeat, slips of lean ham, pickled cucumbers, fat bacon, white meat of fowl, and omlet of eggs white and yellow. season the inside of the pig with beaten spices; then lay on them the forcemeat, and on that the slips of the above different articles alternately; after which roll it up, put it into a cloth, tie each end, sew the middle part, put it into a stewpan with a sufficient quantity of stock to cover it, and stew it two hours and a half. then take it out of the liquor, tie each end tighter, lay it between two boards, and put a weight upon it to press it. when cold take it out of the cloth, trim and serve it up whole, either modelled or plain, or cut into slices, and put chopped savory jelly round. n. b. in the same manner may be done a breast of veal, or a large fowl. _red beef for slices._ take a piece of thin flank of beef, and cut off the skin; then rub it well with a mixture made with two pounds of common salt, two ounces of bay salt, two ounces of salt petre, and half a pound of moist sugar, pounded in a marble mortar. put it into an earthen pan, and turn and rub it every day for a week; then take it out of the brine, wipe it, and strew over pounded mace, cloves, pepper, a little allspice, and plenty of chopped parsley and a few eschallots. then roll it up, bind it round with tape, boil it till tender, press it in like manner as collared pig, and when it is cold, cut into slices, and garnish with pickled barberries. _savory jelly._ take the liquor, when cold, that either poultry or meat was braised in, or some veal stock, taking care it be very free from fat. make it warm, and strain it through a tamis sieve into a clean stewpan; then season it to the palate with salt, lemon pickle, cayenne pepper, and tarragon or plain vinegar. add a sufficient quantity of dissolved isinglass to make it of a proper stiffness, and whisk into it plenty of whites of eggs, a small quantity of the yolks and shells, and add a little liquid of colour. then set it over a fire, and when it boils let it simmer a quarter of an hour, and run it through a jelly bag several times till perfectly bright. _aspect of fish._ put into a plain tin or copper mould warm savory jelly about an inch and an half deep; then take fresh smelts turned round, boil them gently in strong salt and water till done, and lay them on a drainer. when the savory jelly in the mould is quite cold, put the smelts upon it with the best side downwards; then put a little more jelly just lukewarm over the fish, and when that is cold fill the mould with more of the same kind. when it is to be served up dip the mould in warm water, put the dish upon the jelly, and turn it over. n. b. pieces of lobsters, fillets of soles, &c. may be done in the same manner. _aspect of meat or fowl._ bone either a shoulder of lamb or a fowl, and season the inside with pepper, salt, and a little beaten spice; then put into it some light forcemeat, sew it up, blanch, and then braise it in stock. when it is done lay it on a dish with the breast downward to preserve it as white as possible; and when the jelly which is in the mould is quite stiff, work on it a sprig or star with small slips of ham, pickle cucumber, breast of fowl, and omlets of egg white and yellow; then set it with a little jelly, and when cold put the meat or poultry upon it, and fill the mould with lukewarm jelly. when it is to be served up turn it out as the aspect of fish. n. b. in the same manner may be done pieces of meat or poultry without forcing. _canopies._ cut some pieces of the crumb of bread about four inches long, three inches wide, and one inch thick, and fry them in boiling lard till of a light brown colour; then put them on a drainer, and cut into slips some breast of fowl, anchovies picked from the bone, pickle cucumbers, and ham or tongue. then butter the pieces of bread on one side, and lay upon them alternately the different articles till filled. trim the edges, and put the pieces (cut into what form you please) upon a dish with slices of lemon round the rim, and serve in a sauce boat a little mixture of oil, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and salt. _solomongundy._ chop small and separately lean of boiled ham, breast of dressed fowl, picked anchovies, parsley, omlets of eggs white and yellow (the same kind as for garnishing), eshallots, a small quantity of pickle cucumbers, capers, and beet root. then rub a saucer over with fresh butter, put it in the center of a dish, and make it secure from moving. place round it in partitions the different articles separately till the saucer is covered, and put on the rim of the dish some slices of lemon. _salad of lobster._ take boiled hen lobsters, break the shells, and preserve the meat as white as possible. then cut the tails into halves, put them into the center of a dish with the red side upwards, and the meat of the claws whole. then place round the lobster a row of parsley chopped fine, and a row of the spawn from the inside chopped, and afterwards mix a little of each and strew over the top of the lobster. then put slices of lemon round the rim of the dish, and send in a sauce boat a mixture of oil, vinegar, mustard, cayenne pepper, and salt, a little of each. _french salad_ consists of the different herbs in season, as tarragon, chervil, sorrel, chives, endive, silician lettuces, watercresses, dandelion, beet root, celery, &c. all of which should be very young, fresh gathered, trimmed neat, washed clean, drained dry, and served up in a bowl. the sauce to be served up in a sauceboat, and to be made with oil, lemon pickle, vinegar, ketchup, cayenne pepper, a boiled yolk of an egg, and salt. n. b. some persons eat with this salad cold boiled turbot or other fish. _blancmange._ to a quart of new milk add an ounce of picked isinglass, a small stick of cinnamon, a piece of lemon peel, a few coriander seeds washed, six bitter almonds blanched and pounded, or a laurel leaf. put it over a fire, and when it boils simmer it till the isinglass is dissolved, and strain it through a tamis sieve into a bason. let it stand ten minutes, skim it, pour it gently into another bason free from sediment, and when it begins to congeal stir it well and fill the shapes. _dutch blancmange._ put a pint of warm cleared calves feet jelly into a stewpan; mix with it the yolks of six eggs, set it over a fire, and whisk it till it begins to boil. then set the pan in cold water and stir the mixture till nearly cold, to prevent it from curdling, and when it begins to thicken fill the shapes. when it is ready to be served up dip the shapes in warm water. _riband blancmange._ put into a shape some white blancmange two inches deep, and when it is quite cold put alternately, in the same manner, cleared calves feet jelly, white blancmange coloured with cochineal, or dutch blancmange. _cleared calves feet jelly._ take scalded calves feet, chop them into pieces, put them into a pot with plenty of water to cover them, boil them gently four or five hours, strain the liquor, and preserve it till the next day in order that it may be quite stiff. then take off the fat, and afterwards wash it with warm water to make it perfectly clean; after which put it into a stewpan, set it over a fire, and when it is dissolved season it well to the palate with lemon and seville orange juices, white wine and sugar, a piece of lemon peel, cinnamon, and coriander seeds whole, (or add a few drops of liquid of colour if thought requisite). then whisk into it plenty of whites of eggs, a few yolks, and some shells. let it boil gently a quarter of an hour, run it through a fine flannel bag several times till quite bright, and when it is nearly cold fill the shapes, which should be very clean and wiped dry. n. b. when seville oranges are not in season, orange flower water may be added, or (if approved) syrup of roses or quinces. old hock or madeira wine will make it of the best quality. _marbrée jelly._ put into a mould cleared calves feet jelly one inch deep, and when it is cold put on the center, with the ornamented side downwards, a medallion of wafer paper; or ripe fruits, such as, halves of peaches or nectarines of a fine colour, or black grapes; or small shapes of cold blancmange; or dried fruits, such as, cherries, barberries, green gages, &c. then set them with a little lukewarm jelly, and when that is quite cold fill the mould with some nearly cold. _bagnets a l'eau._ take half a pint of water, a stick of cinnamon, a bit of lemon peel, a gill of rhenish wine, and a few coriander seeds; sweeten to the palate with sugar, boil the ingredients ten minutes, add an ounce of fresh butter, and when it is melted strain the liquor to a sufficient quantity of flour to make it into a batter. then put it over the fire again to simmer gently, and add six yolks of eggs. have ready boiling lard, put into it pieces of the mixture of the bigness of a damson; fry them of a light brown colour, drain them, and serve them up with sifted sugar over. n. b. the butter should be well beaten. _apple fritters for a dish._ mix together three ounces of sifted flour, a little salt, a gill of cream or milk, and three eggs; beat them for ten minutes with a spoon or whisk. then pare twelve holland pippins, cut them into halves, core and put them into the batter. have ready boiling lard, take the halves out singly with a fork, fry them till done and of a light colour, drain them dry, serve them up with sifted sugar over, some pounded cinnamon on one plate, and seville oranges on another. n. b. peaches or pears may be done in the same manner; or oranges, which are to be peeled, divided into quarters, and then put into the batter. some jam likewise may be mixed with the batter instead of the apples, and fried in small pieces. _golden pippins a la cream._ take three gills of lisbon wine, a gill of water, a stick of cinnamon, a bit of lemon peel, a small quantity of the juice, and a few coriander seeds; sweeten well with lump sugar, and boil all together for ten minutes. then have ready twelve large ripe golden pippins pared, and cored with a small iron apple scoop. put them into a stewpan, strain the above liquor to them, and stew them gently till done; then take them out, put them into a trifle dish, and reduce the liquor to a strong syrup. after which mix with it a pint of cream, the yolks of ten eggs, and a dessert spoonful of syrup of cloves; then strain it, set it over a slow fire, and whisk till it is of a good thickness. put the pan in cold water, stir the mixture some time, let it cool, and when the pippins are to be served up pour the cream over them, and put round the edge of the dish leaves of puff paste baked of a pale colour. n. b. the same kind of cream may be put over codlins, gooseberries, or cranberries, when made into pies, only omitting the pippins. _golden pippins another way._ take half a pint of white wine, a gill of water, a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves and coriander seeds, a bit of lemon peel, a little juice, and plenty of loaf sugar; boil them a quarter of an hour. then strain the liquor to twelve large pippins pared and cored, stew them gently till done, and the liquor reduced to a strong syrup of a consistence sufficient to adhere to the apples, and put them into a dish. when cold serve them up with chopped cleared calves feet jelly round them. _stewed pippins another way._ proceed with the same ingredients as the preceding, but when the apples are half done lay them on a dish to cool, and add to the syrup the yolk of eight eggs and three gills of cream; then strain and set it over a fire, whisk it till of a good thickness, and let it stand till cold. have ready boiling lard, dip the apples in batter of the same kind as for fritters, and fry them of a light colour; then drain them, and when cold serve them up with the cream under and sifted sugar over them. _cream for pies._ take a pint of new milk; then add a few coriander seeds washed, a bit of lemon peel, a laurel leaf, a stick of cinnamon, four cloves, a blade of mace, some sugar, and boil all together ten minutes. then have ready in another stewpan the yolks of six eggs and half a table spoonful of flour mixed, and strain the milk to them. then set it over a slow fire, whisk it till it is of a good consistence, and be careful it does not curdle. when it is cold it may be put over green codlins, gooseberries, or currants, &c. in pies. n. b. the cream may be perfumed, by adding, when nearly cold, a dessert spoonful of orange flower water, a table spoonful of syrup of roses, and a little ambergrise. fruit pies, likewise, should be sweetened with sifted loaf sugar, covered with puff or tart paste, and when served up the top to be cut off, the fruit covered with either of the above creams, and small leaves of baked puff paste put round. _mince meat._ roast, with a paper over it, a fillet of beef cut from the inside of a rump, and when cold chop it small. to two pounds of meat add two pounds of beef suet chopped fine, two pounds of chopped apples, one pound of raisins stoned and chopped, one pound of currants washed and picked, half a pound of citron, a quarter of a pound of candied orange and a quarter of a pound of candied lemon peels cut into small slices; add some beaten cinnamon, mace, cloves, allspice, a small quantity of each, a pint of brandy, and a very little salt. then mix all the ingredients well together, put them into a pan, and keep it close covered in a cool place. n. b. it is advised that the meat be omitted, and instead of it add one pound of the yolks of hard eggs chopped. _compote of oranges._ peel and divide into quarters china oranges; then put them into a clear syrup, boil them gently five minutes, and take them out. put into a gill of water a small quantity of cinnamon, cloves, and mace, the juice of two oranges, and a bit of the peel; boil them ten minutes, strain the liquor to the syrup, and reduce it to a strong consistence. then put into it the quarters of the oranges, and when they are cold set them in a trifle dish, and put some cleared calves feet jelly chopped round them. _tea cream._ take a pint of cream, a few coriander seeds washed, a stick of cinnamon, a bit of lemon peel, and sugar; boil them together for ten minutes; then add a gill of very strong green tea. have ready the whites of six eggs beat up, and strain to them the cream; whisk it over a fire till it begins to thicken, then fill cups or a deep dish, and when cold garnish with whole ratafias. _virgin cream._ to be done in the same manner, only omitting the tea, and adding slices of citron when put into a dish. _coffee cream._ to be done in the same way, but instead of the liquid boil an ounce of whole coffee in the cream. _burnt cream._ to be done in the same manner as virgin cream, and when it is quite cold and to be served up put sifted sugar over, and burn it with a clear red-hot salamander. put round the edge of the dish some ratafias. _pastry cream._ to a pint of cream add half a table spoonful of pounded cinnamon, a little grated lemon peel, three table spoonfuls of flour, two ounces of oiled fresh butter, eight yolks and the whites of three eggs well beaten, half a pound of sifted sugar, and a table spoonful of orange flower water. put the ingredients over a fire, and when it begins to thicken add four ounces of ratafias and two ounces of pounded citron, mixing all well together. let it stand till quite cold, then cut it into what shapes you please, and dip them singly into yolk of raw egg; then breadcrumb and fry them in boiling lard till of a light colour, drain them dry, and serve them up hot. _almond paste._ blanch and pound very fine half a pound of jordan almonds, add six yolks of eggs, a sufficient quantity of flour to bind it well, an ounce of oiled fresh butter, and sweeten to the palate with sifted sugar. mix the ingredients thoroughly in a marble mortar, and when it becomes a stiff paste roll it out, and cut it into what shapes you please; bake them, and when cold fill them with creams or jellies. _cheese cakes._ to three quarts of new milk add three parts of a gill of runnet; let it stand in a warm place, and when it is thoroughly turned drain it well, and mix into it with your hand half a pound of fresh butter, and sweeten to the palate with pounded sugar. then add a few currants washed and picked, a little citron, candied orange and lemon peels cut into small slices, and an ounce of jordan almonds pounded fine. then beat up three eggs, put them with the mixture, sheet the pans with puff paste, fill them with the curd, and bake them in a brisk oven. or the paste may be made with half a pound of sifted flour, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, and cold pump water, mixed lightly and rolled out. _almond nuts._ take three eggs, their weight of sifted sugar, flour of the weight of two eggs, and two ounces of almonds blanched and pounded fine; then beat the whites to a solid froth, and mix the ingredients well with it. have ready wafer or writing paper rubbed over with fresh butter, and with a teaspoon drop the mixture upon the paper in rows and bake them. _to make syllabub._ to a pint and a half of cream add a pint of sweet wine, a gill of brandy, sifted sugar, and a little lemon juice; whisk it well, take off the froth with a spoon, lay it upon a large sieve, fill the glasses three parts full with the liquor, add a little grated nutmeg, and put the froth over. _trifle._ put into a deep china or glass dish half a pound of spunge biscuits, two ounces of ratafias, two ounces of jordan almonds blanched and pounded, citron and candied orange peel an ounce of each cut into small slices, some currant jelly and raspberry jam, a small quantity of grated nutmeg and lemon peel, half a pint of sweet wine, and a little of the liquor of the syllabub. then make the same kind of cream as for pies, and when cold put it over the ingredients. when it is to be served up put plenty of the stiff froth of a syllabub raised high on the cream, and garnish with coloured comfits or rose leaves, which are recommended for elegance. _tarts or tartlets._ sheet tart or tartlet pans with puff paste a quarter of an inch thick, trim round the edge with a sharp knife; then fill with raspberry or apricot jam, or orange marmalade or stewed apple, and put fine strings of paste across in what form you please. bake them in a brisk oven, and be careful not to let the top colour too much. _paste for stringing tartlets._ cut a bit of puff paste into pieces, mix with it half a handful of flour, a little cold water, and let it be of a moderate stiffness, and mould it with the hands till it draws into fine threads. roll a piece out three inches long and two inches broad; then cut it into slips, draw them out singly, and put them across the tarts in any form, which may be repeated two or three times over each other, as it will add much to their appearance when baked. _to stew apples for tarts._ pare, cut into quarters, and core, some apples; put them into a stewpan, add to them a piece of lemon peel, a little water, and a stick of cinnamon. cover the pan close, put it over a fire till the apples are dissolved, sweeten to the palate with sifted sugar, add a table spoonful of syrup of cloves, and rub them through a hair sieve. let it stand till cold before it is put into the paste. n. b. to make a very fine flavoured tart, stew golden pippins in the same manner, and when they are rubbed through the sieve add only half a table spoonful of syrup of cloves, and mix well with it a quarter of a pound of pine-apple jam. this mixture will keep a month if close covered. _fried puffs with sweetmeats._ roll out puff paste half an inch thick, cut it into slips of three inches wide, the slips into square pieces, and put on each some sweetmeat of any kind. fold the paste, and run a jagger iron round to form it, or cut it with a sharp knife. have ready boiling lard, fry them of a light colour, drain them dry, and serve them up with sifted sugar over. _pyramid paste._ take a sheet of puff paste rolled of half an inch thick; cut or stamp it into oval forms, the first to be the size of the bottom of the dish in which it is to be served up, the second smaller, and so on till it becomes a pyramid; then put each piece separately on paper laid on a baking plate, and when the oven is ready, egg the top part of the pieces and bake them of a light colour. when they are done take them off the paper, lay them on a large dish till quite cold, and when to be served up set the largest piece in the dish for which it was formed, and put on it raspberry or apricot jams or currant jelly, the next size on that and more sweetmeats, proceeding in the same manner till all the pieces are placed on each other. put dried fruits round the pyramid, such as green gages, barberries, or cherries. n. b. instead of stamping the pieces it is thought better to cut them with a sharp knife; then to cut out small pieces round the edges to make them appear like spires, as, being done in this manner, it causes the paste to appear lighter. _iceing for a cake._ whisk the whites of four eggs to a solid froth, and put to it as much treble refined sifted sugar as you can; then add the juice of a lemon, mix all well together with a spoon, and spread it over the cake when warm. _cherries in brandy for desserts._ on a dry day gather the largest ripe morella cherries, and be careful they are not bruised; then cut off the stalk half way, prick each cherry with a needle four times, put them into glasses, add strong best brandy enough to cover them, and sweeten with clarified sugar. tie over them a bladder washed and wiped dry, some white leather over that bound tight, and turn the glasses bottom upwards. n. b. grapes or apricots may be done in the same manner. _to make buns._ put five pounds of best flour into a wooden bowl, set a spunge of it with a gill of yeast and a pint of warm milk; then mix with it one pound of sifted sugar, one pound of oiled fresh butter, coriander seeds, cinnamon, and mace, a small quantity of each pounded fine. roll the paste into buns, set them on a baking plate rubbed over with a little butter, put them in a moderate oven to prove, then wash them with a paste brush dipped in warm milk, and bake them of a good colour. _orgeat._ blanch a pound of jordan and one ounce of bitter almonds, pound them in a marble mortar till very fine; then put to them a pint of pump water, rub them through a tamis cloth till the almonds are quite dry, and add to the liquor more water to make it of a proper consistence for drinking; after which sweeten with clarified sugar, or sugarcandy, or capillaire; then put it into a decanter, and when it is to be used shake it together. _orange marmalade._ take seville oranges when in season, which is generally at the beginning of march; cut them into halves, and the halves again into thin slices, which put with the juice, but not too much of the core, and take away the pips. to every pound weight of orange add two pounds of sifted sugar and a gill of water; then put them into a preserving pan, set the pan over a quick fire, and when the mixture boils keep stirring and skimming till it becomes of a proper stiffness, which may be known by putting a little into a saucer and setting it in cold water. then fill the pots with the marmalade, and when cold put over white paper dipped in brandy; after which cover the pots with paper and white leather, and preserve them in a dry place for use. n. b. in the same way try the proper stiffness of other jellies or jams, and cover them in like manner. _raspberry jam._ to every pound weight of ripe picked raspberries, add fourteen ounces of sifted sugar and half a gill of currant juice; put them into a preserving pan, set them over a brisk fire, and when it boils skim it well and let it simmer till it becomes of a good consistence. n. b. the raspberries may be mashed with a spoon previous to adding the sugar, or rubbed through a wicker sieve. _quince jam._ pare ripe quinces, cut them into thin slices, put them into a stewpan with a sufficient quantity of water to cover them, let them boil gently till tender close covered, and rub them through a large hair sieve; add to a pound of the pulp a pound and a half of sifted sugar and half a gill of syrup of cloves; then put them into a preserving pan, and let them simmer together till of a good strength. n. b. a little of this jam mixed with apples in a pie will make it very good. _green gage jam._ rub ripe gages through a large hair sieve, and put them into a preserving pan; then, to a pound of pulp add a pound of sifted sugar; after which boil to a proper thickness, skim it clean, and put it into small pots. _apricot jam._ take apricots when nearly ripe, pare and cut them into halves, break the stones, blanch the kernels, and add them to the halves. to a pound of fruit put a pound of sifted sugar and a gill of the water in which the parings have been boiled. then set it over a brisk fire, stir the mixture well together till it becomes of a good strength, but let it not be very stiff. _preserved apricots for tarts or desserts._ cut ripe apricots in halves, blanch the kernels and add them to the fruit. have ready clarified sugar boiling hot, put the apricots into it, and let them stand till cold. then boil the syrup again, add the apricots as before, and when they are cold put the halves into small pots or glasses, and if the syrup is too thin boil it again, and when it is cold put it to the fruit, and cover it with paper dipped in brandy. n. b. green gages may be done whole in the same manner, or green gooseberries with the seeds taken out. these fruits may be served up with the syrup; or they may be dried on tin plates, in a moderately heated oven, and when almost cold put sifted sugar over. _currant jelly._ take two thirds of ripe red currants and one third of white, pick them, put them into a preserving pan over a good fire, and when they are dissolved run their liquor through a flannel bag. to a pint of juice add fourteen ounces of sifted sugar. set it over a brisk fire, let it boil quick, skim it clean, and reduce it to a good stiffness, which may be known as before directed in orange marmalade. n. b. in the same manner may be made black currant jelly, but allowing sixteen ounces of sugar to a pint of juice. _crisp tart paste._ take half a pound of sifted flour, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, two ounces of sifted sugar, and two eggs beaten; mix them with pump water, and knead the paste well. _eggs and bacon another way._ boil six eggs for five minutes, then peel and cut them into halves; after which take out the yolks, put them into a marble mortar with a small quantity of the white meat of dressed fowl, lean ham, a little chopped parsley, one eschallot, a table spoonful of cream, a dessert spoonful of ketchup, a little cayenne, some breadcrumbs, and sifted mace, a very small quantity of each. pound all well together, fill the halves of the whites with the mixture, bake them gently ten minutes, and serve them up on rashers of bacon or ham broiled, and put some cullis over them. _to make puff paste._ mould with the hands a pound of fresh or good salt butter and lay it in cold water; then sift a pound of best white flour, rub lightly into it half the butter, mix it with cold spring water, roll it out, put on it (in pieces) half the remaining butter, fold the paste, roll it again, and add the remainder of the butter. strew lightly upon it a little flour, fold it together, set it in a cold place, and when it is wanted for use, roll it out twice more. n. b. in summer time the white of an egg beat up may be added with the water that mixes it. _to make an almond cake._ take eight ounces of jordan and one ounce of bitter almonds, blanch and pound them very fine; then beat in with the almonds the yolks of eight eggs, and let the whites be whisked up to a solid froth. then take eight table spoonfuls of sifted sugar, five spoonfuls of fine flour, a small quantity of grated lemon peel and pounded cinnamon, and mix all the ingredients. rub the inside of a mould with fresh butter, fill it with the mixture, and bake it of a light colour. _almond custards._ add to a pint and a half of cream a small stick of cinnamon, a blade of mace, a bit of lemon peel, some nutmeg, and sugar to the palate. boil the ingredients together ten minutes, and strain it; then blanch and pound (quite fine) three ounces of jordan and eight single bitter almonds; after which rub through a hair sieve, add the fine pulp to the cream, likewise a little syrup of roses, and the yolks of six eggs beat up, and put the mixture into small cups; or it may be baked in a dish with a rim of puff paste round it. n. b. plain custards may be made in the same manner, but instead of almonds add a little orange flower water. _rhubarb tart._ take slips of green rhubarb, wash it, and cut it into small pieces the bigness of young gooseberries; put them into a dish, sweeten with sifted sugar, add the juice of a lemon, cover it with puff paste, and bake it. serve it up either plain or with cream, the same as for an apple pie. _orange pudding._ peel four seville oranges thin, boil them till tender, rub them through a hair sieve, and preserve the fine pulp. take a pound of naples biscuits, a little grated nutmeg, two ounces of fresh butter, and pour over them a quart of boiling milk or cream in which a stick of cinnamon has been boiled. when the ingredients are cold mix with them the pulp and eight eggs well beaten, sweeten to the palate, and (if approved) add half a gill of brandy. edge a dish with puff paste, put in the mixture, garnish the top with strings of paste as for tartlets, and bake it in a moderately heated oven. n. b. a lemon pudding may be made in the same manner. _rice pudding._ to a pint and a half of cream or new milk add a few coriander seeds, a bit of lemon peel, a stick of cinnamon, and sugar to the palate. boil them together ten minutes, and strain it to two ounces of ground rice, which boil for ten minutes more. let it stand till cold, and then put to it two ounces of oiled fresh butter, a little brandy, grated nutmeg, six eggs well beaten, and a gill of syrup of pippins. mix all together, put it into a dish with puff paste round it, and bake it, taking care it is not done too much. should the pudding be made with whole rice it should be boiled till nearly done before the cream is strained to it, and if approved a few currants may be added. n. b. millet or sago (whole or ground) may be done in the same manner. _tansey pudding._ blanch and pound very fine a quarter of a pound of jordan almonds; then put them into a stewpan, add a gill of the syrup of roses, the crumb of a french roll, a little grated nutmeg, half a gill of brandy, two table spoonfuls of tansey juice, three ounces of fresh butter, and some slices of citron. pour over it a pint and a half of boiling cream or milk, sweeten to the palate, and when it is cold mix it well, add the juice of a lemon and eight eggs beaten. it may be either boiled or baked. _almond pudding._ to be made as a tansey pudding, only omitting the french bread and tansey juice, and adding as substitutes a quarter of a pound of naples biscuits and a spoonful of orange flower water. _marrow pudding._ boil with a quart of new milk cinnamon and lemon peel, and strain it to half a pound of beef marrow finely chopped, a few currants washed and picked, some slices of citron and orange peel candied, a little grated nutmeg, brandy, syrup of cloves, a table spoonful of each, and half a pound of naples biscuits. when the mixture is cold add eight eggs beat up, omitting five of the whites, and bake it in a dish with puff paste round it. _bread pudding._ to be made as a marrow pudding, only omitting the naples biscuits and a quarter of a pound of the beef marrow, adding as a substitute the crumb of french bread. _a rich plum pudding._ take one pound of raisins stoned, one pound of currants washed and picked, one pound of beef suet chopped, two ounces of jordan almonds blanched and pounded, citron, candied orange and lemon peel pounded, two ounces of each, a little salt, some grated nutmeg and sugar, one pound of sifted flour, a gill of brandy, and eight eggs well beaten. mix all together with cream or milk, and let it be of a good thickness; then tie it in a cloth, boil it five hours, and serve it up with melted butter over. _batter pudding._ to a pound of flour sifted add a little salt and a gill of milk, mix them till smooth, beat well six eggs, and add them together with more milk till the batter is of a proper thickness; then put the mixture into a bason rubbed with fresh butter, tie a cloth over, boil it an hour and a quarter, turn it out of the bason, and serve it up with melted butter, sugar, and grated nutmeg, in a sauce boat; to which may be added also (if approved) a table spoonful of white wine, or a dessert spoonful of vinegar. n. b. when puddings are put into the pot the water in general should boil. _boiled apple pudding._ make a paste with flour, chopped beef suet, or marrow, a little salt and water; then knead it well, roll it out thin, sheet a bowl or bason with it, fill it with good baking apples pared, cut into quarters and cored; add lemon peel grated, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon pounded fine, a small quantity of each. lay a thin paste on the top, tie the bason in a cloth, and let the pudding boil till well done. when it is to be served up cut a piece out of the top and mix with the apples, sugar to the palate, and add a bit of fresh butter and a little syrup of quinces. _apple dumplings._ pare large baking apples, core them with a scoop, fill the cavities with quince marmalade, roll out (a quarter of an inch thick) the same kind of paste as for an apple pudding, mould over each apple a piece of paste, and boil them separately in a cloth, or wash them with whites of eggs with a paste brush, and bake them. serve them up with grated nutmeg, sifted sugar, and fresh butter, in different saucers. _baked apple pudding._ stew the apples as for a tourte or tartlets, and when they are cold add to them six eggs well beaten; put the mixture into a dish with puff paste round the rim, and bake it. _damson pudding._ make paste and sheet a bason in the same manner as for an apple pudding; then fill it with ripe or bottled damsons, cover it with paste, boil it, and when it is to be served up cut a piece out of the top, mix with the fruit, sifted sugar to the palate, and a small quantity of pounded cinnamon or grated nutmeg. n. b. puddings made with gooseberries, currants, or bullies, may be done in the same manner. _damson pudding another way._ to a pint of cream or milk add six eggs, four table spoonfuls of sifted flour, a very little salt, a small quantity of pounded cinnamon, and whisk them well together. have ready ripe or bottled damsons, rub them through a hair sieve, add to the mixture a sufficient quantity of the fine pulp to make it in substance a little thicker than batter, sweeten it to the palate, put it into a buttered bason, flour a cloth and tie over, boil it an hour and a quarter, and when it is to be served up turn it out of the bason and put melted butter over. n. b. in the same manner may be done ripe peaches, nectarines, gooseberries, apricots, green gages, or egg plums; or instead of boiling may be baked in a tart pan, sheeted with puff paste. _baked fruit pudding another way._ rub gooseberries or other ripe fruit through a hair sieve; and to half a pint of the fine pulp add a quarter of a pound of naples biscuits, three ounces of oiled fresh butter, half a pint of cream, grated nutmeg, sugar to the palate, and six eggs. beat all the ingredients together for ten minutes; then add slices of citron, and bake the mixture in a dish with puff paste round the rim. _muffin pudding with dried cherries._ to a pint and a half of milk add a few coriander seeds, a bit of lemon peel, sugar to the palate, and boil them together ten minutes. then put four muffins into a pan, strain the milk over them, and, when they are cold, mash them with a wooden spoon; add half a gill of brandy, half a pound of dried cherries, a little grated nutmeg, two ounces of jordan almonds blanched and pounded very fine, and six eggs well beaten. mix all together and boil in a bason, or bake it in a dish with paste round it. _potatoe pudding._ peel potatoes, steam them, and rub them through a fine sieve. to half a pound of pulp add a quarter of a pound of fresh butter oiled, sifted sugar to the palate, half a gill of brandy, a little pounded cinnamon, half a pint of cream, a quarter of a pound of currants washed and picked, and eight eggs well beaten. mix all together, bake (or boil) the pudding, and serve it up with melted butter in a sauceboat. _carrot pudding._ take red carrots, boil them, cut off the red part, and rub them through a sieve or tamis cloth. to a quarter of a pound of pulp add half a pound of crumb of french bread, sifted sugar, a spoonful of orange flower water, half a pint of cream, some slices of candied citron, some grated nutmeg, a quarter of a pound of oiled fresh butter, eight eggs well beaten, and bake it in a dish with a paste round the rim. _ice cream._ take a pint and a half of good cream, add to it half a pound of raspberry or other jams, or ripe fruits, and sifted sugar; mix them well together and rub through a fine sieve. then put it into a freezing mould, set it in ice and salt, and stir it till it begins to congeal. after which put at the bottom of a mould white paper, fill with the cream, put more paper over, cover close, set it in ice till well frozen, and when it is to be turned out for table dip the mould in cold water. or it may be served up in glasses, taking the cream out of the freezing mould. _observation on stores._ as frequent mention is made of syrups, jams, pounded spices, sugar sifted, grated nutmeg, and orange flower water, to be used in puddings and pies; and as a very small quantity of each is wanted at a time; it is therefore recommended (as a saving of trouble and expence) that the syrups, &c. be made when the fruits are in season, and preserved in small bottles with the different stores. but should any of the receipts be thought too expensive or rich, it is recommended, likewise, that a curtailment be made in some of the articles, pursuing nearly the same process, they being written in that state only to shew their first and best manner. the same observation may be borne in remembrance with respect to made dishes, roasting, pastry, or sauces. _partridge soup._ cut to pieces two or three picked and drawn partridges or pheasants, an old fowl, a knuckle of veal, some lean ham, celeri, onions, turnips, a carrot, and a blade of mace. put them into a stewpot with half a pint of water, set them over a fire close covered, and steam them till three parts done. then add three quarts of beef stock, simmer till the ingredients are tender, strain the liquor through a fine sieve, and when cold take the fat clean off, add a little liquid of colour, a small quantity of salt and cayenne pepper, whisk with it two eggs and their shells, clear it over a good fire, and strain it through a tamis cloth; then cut half a middling-sized white cabbage into small slices, scald it, add to the soup, and boil it gently till tender. _collared eels._ skin and bone two large eels, lay them flat, and season with plenty of parsley, an eschallot chopped very fine, pepper, salt, beaten spices, and mushroom powder, a small quantity of each. then roll and bind them tight with tape, put them into a stewpan with a pint of veal stock and a little lemon juice, simmer them over a fire till done, put them on a dish, skim the liquor free from fat, season with salt to the palate, clear it with two eggs, strain it through a tamis cloth, boil it down gently till of a strong jelly, and put it into a bason. when the eels are cold, take off the tape, trim the ends, wipe them dry, serve them up with the chopped jelly round them, a few bunches of pickled barberries on their tops, and slices of lemon round the rim of the dish. n. b. should the liquor be pale at the time it is cleared, add a few drops of liquid of colour. _white puddings._ to half a pound of beef marrow chopped fine, add six ounces of jordan almonds blanched and pounded quite fine, with a dessert spoonful of orange flower water, half a pound of the crumb of french bread, half a pound of currants washed and picked, a quarter of a pound of sifted sugar, a little mace, cloves, and cinnamon pounded, a gill of mountain wine, and the yolks of four eggs beaten. mix all well together, fill the entrails of a pig three parts full, tie each end, and boil them half an hour. _sausage meat._ take the lean meat of young pork chopped small, and to a pound of it add a pound of the flay and fat chopped, some breadcrumbs, nutmeg, allspice and mace pounded, a small quantity of each, a little grated lemon peel, sage, parsley, thyme, and two eschallots, chopped very fine, an egg beaten, and season with pepper and salt. mix all well together, with the hands, or pound it in a marble mortar; then make it into cakes and broil it, or put it into the entrails of a pig nicely cleaned. _calf's liver roasted._ make an incision in the under part of a calf's liver, fill it with a stuffing made with beef marrow, breadcrumbs, grated nutmeg, one eschallot, two mushrooms, parsley and thyme chopped fine, and one egg beaten. then sew it up, lard it with small slips of fat bacon, put a piece of veal caul over, and roast it gently. when it is to be served up take off the caul, glaize the top, put under it some good cullis sauce, and plenty of fried parsley round. _to dry herbs._ gather marjoram, savory, thyme, basil, parsley, &c. on a dry day, when in season, and not blown. divide them separately into small bunches, as in that state they will dry best. then hang them on a line in a dry room or place where the air has free admission, but no direct rays of the sun. when they are perfectly dry (which will require two or three weeks to accomplish) put them in rows in boxes close covered, and set them in a dry place. _to make anchovie liquor to be used in fish sauces._ put into a stewpan one pound of best anchovies, two quarts of water, two bay leaves, some whole pepper, a little scraped horseradish, a sprig of thyme, two blades of mace, six eschallots chopped small, a gill of red port, half the rind of a lemon, a gill of ketchup; boil all together twenty minutes, and rub them through a tamis cloth with a wooden spoon. when the essence is cold put it into pint bottles, cork them close, and set them in a dry place. _potted lobster._ boil two live hen lobsters in strong salt and water till half done; then take the meat and spawn out of the shells, put it into a stewpan, add a little beaten and sifted mace, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, salt, a small quantity of lemon juice, a spoonful of essence of ham, a dessert spoonful of anchovie liquor, the same as for fish sauce, and simmer them over a fire for ten minutes. then pound the meat in a marble mortar, reduce the liquor almost to a glaize, put it to the meat with a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, mix them well together, press the mixture down into small flat preserving pots, cover with clarified butter, and when cold put white paper over the pots, and set them in a dry place. n. b. prawns, shrimps, crayfish, and crabs, may be done in the same manner. _to clarify butter for potting._ put fresh butter into a stewpan with a spoonful of cold water, set it over a gentle fire till oiled, skim it, and let it stand till the sediment is settled; then pour off the oil, and when it begins to congeal put it over the different ingredients. _potted cheese._ to a pound of grated parmezan or cheshire cheese add three ounces of cold fresh butter, a little sifted mace, and a tea spoonful of mustard. mix all well in a marble mortar, put it into small pots, cover with clarified butter, and set the pots in a cold dry place. _potted veal._ cut small a pound of lean white veal, put it into a stewpan, with two ounces of fresh butter, the juice of a lemon, pepper, salt, sifted mace, a bay leaf, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and mushroom powder, a small quantity of each, a little parsley, thyme, savory, and two eschallots chopped fine. put them over a fire and stew them ten minutes; then pound them, and add a pound of the mellow part of a boiled pickle tongue and half a pound of cold fresh butter. mix them well together with two eggs beaten; then press the mixture down tight into small pots, cover them with paper, put them into a moderate oven, bake them twenty minutes, and when the meat is cold put clarified butter over. _potted larks or small birds._ pass them with the same ingredients as for veal, and when they are half done take them out and put the lean veal in. when the forcemeat is made put the birds into the pots with it, bake them, and proceed in the same manner as with potted veal. n. b. pheasants, partridges, chickens, &c. may be done in the same way, but will take a longer time baking. _to dry morells, mushrooms, and champignons._ take morells and champignons of the largest size, forced mushrooms of the size of a shilling, and let them be gathered fresh; then take off the stalk, wash them free from grit, drain them dry with a cloth, run a fine twine through them with a large needle, hang them up in a warm dry place, and when they are perfectly dry put them into paper bags in boxes close covered. when they are wanted for use lay them in warm water for half an hour, and prepare them as if they were fresh. _mushroom powder._ after the mushrooms or champignons are dried whole they may be set before a fire till crisp; then grind and sift them through a fine sieve, and preserve the powder in small bottles close corked. _potted beef._ take two pounds of the fillet out of the inside of a rump of beef and two pounds of best fat bacon. cut them small, put them into a marble mortar, add to them a small quantity of parsley, thyme, savory, four eschallots chopped fine, some pepper, salt, two spoonsful of essence of ham, a spoonful of mushroom powder, sifted mace, cloves, and allspice, a little of each, two eggs beaten, and a gill of rhenish wine. pound all well together till quite fine; then fill small pots with the mixture, cover with paper, bake it very gently for forty minutes, and when cold cover with clarified butter. _tarragon vinegar._ put into a stone jar half a pound of fresh gathered tarragon leaves and two quarts of best common vinegar, and let them ferment a fortnight; then run it through a flannel bag, and add to it a quarter of an ounce of isinglass dissolved in cyder. put it into a clean jar, let it stand till fine, pour it off, put it into small bottles, cork them close, and set them in a dry place. n. b. in the same manner may be done elder flowers, &c. &c. _walnut ketchup for fish sauces._ to a quart of walnut pickle add a quarter of a pound of anchovies and three gills of red port; boil them till reduced one third, strain it, and when cold preserve it in small bottles close corked. _to pickle tongues, &c._ take large tongues perfectly fresh, cut some of the root away, make an incision in the under part, rub them well with common salt, and lay them in a tub or pan close covered for four days. then pound together two parts of saltpetre, one part of common salt, one part of bay salt, and one part of moist sugar. rub the tongues well with the mixture, put all into the pan, and turn them every two days till pickled enough, which will be in ten days. n. b. pigs faces and hams to be done in the same manner, but according to their size let them lay in the different pickles for longer periods, and when well coloured smoke them. if it be wished to have the hams or tongues of a westphalia flavour add some socho to the pickle. _india pickle._ take large fresh cauliflowers in the month of july, pick them into small pieces, wash them clean, put them into a pan with plenty of salt over them for three days; then drain and lay them separately to dry in the sun, repeatedly turning them till they are almost of a brown colour, which will require several days. then put plenty of whole ginger, slices of horseradish, peeled garlick, whole long pepper, peeled eschallots and onions, into salt and water for one night; drain and dry them also; and when the ingredients are ready, boil more than a sufficient quantity of vinegar to cover them, and to two quarts of it add an ounce of the best pale turmeric, and put the flowers and the other ingredients into stone jars, pour the vinegar boiling hot over, cover them till the next day, then boil the pickle again, and the same on the third day; after which fill the jars with liquor, cover them over close with bladder and white leather, and set them in a dry place. n. b. in the same manner may be done white cabbages cut into half quarters, whole french beans, heads of celery, heads of asparagus, onions whole or sliced, or pickling melons peeled thin, cut into halves, and formed like an indian mango. _to dry artichoke bottoms._ gather the largest firm artichokes when in season, cut off the stalks, and boil them till the leaves and choke can be taken away. afterwards put them on a baking plate and set them in a very slow heated oven, or hang them up in a warm place to dry, and when perfectly so put them into paper bags. when they are wanted for use lay them in warm water and salt, and when pliable trim them neat, braise them in stock and lemon juice, which will preserve them white, and when they are done enough, if for ragout, cut them into pieces; if for dishes, serve them whole with good cullis sauce over them. _to pickle cucumbers, &c._ gather jerkins not too large, lay them in a strong brine of salt and water for three days, then wipe them dry, and put them into stone jars. then put a sufficient quantity of vinegar to cover them into a preserving pan, add plenty of whole ginger and black pepper, a middling quantity of mace, allspice and cloves, some slices of horseradish, peeled onions, eschallots, and a small quantity of garlick. let the ingredients boil for ten minutes, and pour them with the liquor over the cucumbers; cover the jars with cabbage leaves and a plate, set them in a warm place, the next day drain the liquor from them, boil it, and pour over them again, and if on the third day they are not green enough, boil the vinegar again, pour it over, and when cold tie bladder and white leather over the jars, and set them in a dry place. n. b. in the same manner may be done walnuts, love apples, barberries, capsicums, french beans, nasturtiums, and small pickling melons peeled very thin and cut into quarters. _rules to be observed in pickling._ it is recommended that the best common vinegar be in general used for pickling, and that it be put into a well-cleaned copper or brass-preserving pan just before it is to be put over the fire, and when it boils not to remain in the pan. there can be no occasion of the many arts that are used in order to preserve the ingredients green, if the vegetables are gathered fresh, on a dry day, when in season, and the process followed that has been recommended. further directions could be given that might be attended with greater expence, but which would scarcely answer a better purpose, excepting only to those who are in the habit of extensive practice. _to pickle onions._ peel small button onions into milk and water, in which put plenty of salt; set it over a fire, and when it boils strain the onions, wipe them dry, and put them into glasses. have ready cold white wine vinegar, in which whole white pepper, ginger, mace, and slices of horseradish have been boiled. pour it over the onions, and cover them with bladder and leather. _to pickle mushrooms._ take a sufficient quantity of double distilled white wine vinegar to cover the mushrooms; add to it whole white pepper, ginger, mace, peeled eschallots, and a small quantity of garlick if approved; boil all together ten minutes and let it stand till cold. then peel fresh forced button mushrooms into water, wash them clean, strain, and put them into a stewpan. to a quart of mushrooms add the juice of a lemon and a table spoonful of salt. cover the pan close, set it over a fire, and when the liquor is sufficiently drawn from the mushrooms put the whole into glasses and cover them with the pickle. tie bladder and white leather over the glasses. the general rule has been deviated from of making the pickle for onions and mushrooms with double distilled white wine vinegar, as in this instance it is requisite to preserve them white. it is likewise recommended that they be put into small jars or glasses for use; for this reason, that, if exposed to the air but for a short space of time, they will discolour. _to pickle beet roots._ boil the roots till three parts done, and cut them into slices of an inch thick. then take a sufficient quantity of vinegar to cover them, and add to it whole allspice, a few cloves, mace, black pepper, slices of horseradish, some onions, eschallots, a little pounded ginger, some salt, and a few bay leaves. boil the ingredients together twenty minutes and strain it, and when the pickle is cold add a little bruised cochineal. put the slices of beet into jars, add the pickle, put a small quantity of sweet oil on the top, and tie the jars down close. n. b. when the beet is wanted for use mix well together sweet oil, mustard, some of the liquor in which the roots were pickled, and a very little sifted sugar. lay the slices in a deep plate and pour the mixture over. _to pickle artichoke bottoms._ take large fresh and sound artichokes, boil them just enough to take the leaves and choke away, then trim and lay them in salt and water; after which boil (for five minutes) a sufficient quantity of vinegar to cover them, in which put whole allspice, black pepper, ginger, mace, cloves, eschallots, salt, a few bay leaves, and some slices of horseradish. drain and wipe dry the bottoms, put them into jars, add the liquor and ingredients to them, and tie them down close. when they are fit for use serve them up in a deep plate with a little of the pickle, oil, and mustard mixed with it. _to pickle large cucumbers._ peel them very thin, cut them into halves, throw the seeds away, and lay the cucumbers in salt for a day. then wipe them dry, fill them with mustard seed, peeled eschallots, garlick, small slips of horseradish, and mace. after which tie them round with twine, put them into jars, pour over them some boiling liquor made as for india pickle or for jerkins, and cover them down close till fit for use. _to pickle red cabbage._ cut a fresh light red cabbage into slips, wash it clean, and put it into a pan with plenty of salt for two days. then boil together for half an hour a sufficient quantity of vinegar to cover the cabbage, together with bruised black pepper, mace, allspice, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and mustard seed, a middling quantity of each. strain the vinegar and ingredients, and let them stand till cold; then add a little bruised cochineal, drain the cabbage on a large sieve till dry, put it into the jars, add the pickle, and tie the jars down close; or the liquor may be poured over the cabbage boiling hot; and when cold, before the jars are tied down, add a little bruised cochineal. this method will make the cabbage sooner fit for use. n. b. onions may be peeled and done whole in the same manner, and mixed with red cabbage. _to pickle currants._ to a quart of double distilled white wine vinegar add half a pound of loaf sugar, whole ginger, one ounce of salt, and a pint of red currant juice; boil all together, skim it clean, and let it stand till cold. then pick and put some best ripe red currants into glasses, fill them with the pickle, and cover them down close with bladder and leather. _to pickle barberries._ bruise and strain ripe barberries, and to a pint of juice add three pints of vinegar, a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar, an ounce of salt, and a quarter of an ounce of pounded and sifted ginger. boil all together, skim it clean, and put bunches of the best ripe barberries into jars, pour the pickle boiling hot over, and let it stand till cold; then add a little bruised cochineal, and tie the jars over close. n. b. bunches of currants may be done in like manner. _sour crout._ take large white cabbages when in season, cut them into halves, and then into slips; wash them clean and drain them dry. after which put into a tub a layer of cabbage, then a layer of salt, afterwards a small quantity of pounded and sifted coriander seeds, and so on alternately; when the tub is nearly full put a weight over to press it well, and set it in a cold dry place covered with a coarse cloth. when it is wanted for use put some of the cabbage into boiling water over a fire for five minutes, and strain it. have ready some pieces of salted bouillie beef (of a quarter of a pound each) nearly boiled enough; likewise some pieces of pickle pork of the same number and weight. then put them into a stewpan, add the cabbage, fresh butter, a little vinegar, onions sliced very thin, some whole pepper, allspice, and mace, tied in a bit of cloth. let all stew till tender; then take out the spices, season the cabbage to the palate with cayenne pepper, and serve it up with fried onions (done as per receipt), with fried sausages round the crout. _peas pudding, to be eaten with boiled pork._ lay a pint of best split peas into water for half an hour; strain, pick, and put them into a cloth, tie them tight, and boil them gently for three hours. then put the peas out of the cloth into a stewpan, mash them well with a wooden spoon, add a bit of fresh butter, a little pepper and salt, the yolks of two eggs, and mix all well together. put the mixture into a clean cloth, tie it up, and let it hang near a fire for half an hour; then turn it out on a dish, and pour melted butter over. _currie, or pepper water._ cut a chicken into pieces, blanch and wash it, put it into a small stewpot, add a table spoonful of currie powder, half a pint of veal broth, and simmer them till half done. then peel and cut into thin slices two good sized onions, fry them with two ounces of fresh butter till nearly done and of a brown colour; then add them to the chicken, together with a pint of veal broth, half a bay leaf, the juice of half a lemon, two table spoonfuls of the juice of tamarinds, which are to be dissolved in boiling water and strained. boil all together till the chicken is nearly done; then take it out, put it into another stewpan, rub the ingredients through a tamis sieve, and add it to the fowl with a table spoonful of flour and water to thicken it. make it boil, season it well to the palate with cayenne pepper and salt, skim it clean, and serve it up in a bowl. _grills and sauce, which are generally eaten after dinner._ season some small pieces of ready-dressed fowl or turkey with pepper and salt, and grill them gently till of a nice brown colour. in the mean time put into a stewpan a gill and a half of cullis, an ounce of fresh butter, a table spoonful of mushroom ketchup, the juice of a lemon, and a small bit of the rind, a little cayenne pepper, a tea spoonful of the essence of anchovies, and one eschallot chopped fine. boil all the ingredients together five minutes, strain the liquor, and serve it up in a sauceboat; the pieces of chicken, &c. on a dish. _salmé of woodcocks._ take two woodcocks half roasted, cut them up neatly, and let the trimmings with the entrails be pounded in a marble mortar; then put them into a stewpan, add half a pint of cullis, two eschallots chopped, half a gill of red port, and a bit of rind of lemon; season to the palate with pepper, salt, and lemon juice. boil the ingredients ten minutes, and strain the liquor to the carved woodcocks, which stew gently till done. serve them up in a deep dish with sippets of fried bread strewed over. _to make a haggess._ take the heart and lights of a sheep, and blanch and chop them; then add a pound of beef suet chopped very fine, crumb of french roll soaked in cream, a little beaten cinnamon, mace, cloves, and nutmeg, half a pint of sweet wine, a pound of raisins stoned and chopped, a sufficient quantity of flour to make it of a proper consistence, a little salt, the yolks of three eggs, and some sheep chitterlings well cleaned and cut into slips. mix all together, and have ready a sheep's bag nicely cleaned, in which put the mixture; then tie it tight and boil it three hours. _french black puddings._ pick, wash, and boil, till three parts done, two pounds of grits or rice; then drain it dry, put it into a stewpan with a quart of pigs blood preserved from curdling, with plenty of salt stirred into it when taken from the animal; add to them ground pepper, pounded and sifted mace, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, a small quantity of each, a gill of cream with a bit of crumb of french bread soaked in it, together with chopped savory, thyme, parsley, and pennyroyal, a little of each. mix the ingredients over a slow fire for twenty minutes, and when cold put with them plenty of the flay cut into small dice. have ready the entrails cleaned very nice, fill them with the mixture three parts full, tie the ends, put the puddings into hot water, boil them gently a quarter of an hour; if they are to be eaten directly when done, prick them with a fork and broil them upon a very clean gridiron for ten minutes: if they are not to be eaten immediately when made, put them on clean straw, and when they are wanted for use put them into boiling water, let them simmer ten minutes, then take them out, and prick and broil them as above. n. b. if large puddings they will take longer periods in boiling and broiling. _milk punch._ to a gallon of milk add a little cinnamon, cloves, mace, lemon and orange peel, a pint of brandy, a pint of rum, plenty of orange and lemon juice, and sweeten to the palate. then whisk with it the yolks and whites of eight eggs, put it over a brisk fire, and when it boils let it simmer ten minutes; run it through a jelly bag till quite clear, put it into bottles, and cork it close. n. b. the rum and brandy should be added when the milk is cleared. _plum pottage._ to veal and beef broths (a quart of each) add a pound of stoned pruens and the crumb of two penny french rolls, rubbing all through a tamis cloth; then mix to the pulp half a pound of stoned raisins, a quarter of a pound of currants, a little lemon juice, some pounded cinnamon, mace, and cloves, a pint of red port, a pint of claret, a small quantity of grated lemon peel, and season to the palate with lump sugar. let all simmer together for one hour; then add a little cochineal to make it of a nice colour, and serve it up in a tureen. let it be of the consistence of water gruel. _candied orange or lemon peels._ take either lemon or orange peels well cleaned from the pulp, and lay them in salt and water for two days; then scald and drain them dry, put them into a thin syrup, and boil them till they look clear. after which take them out, and have ready a thick syrup made with fine loaf sugar; put them into it, and simmer till the sugar candies about the pan and peels. then lay them separately on a hair sieve to drain, strew sifted sugar over, and set them to dry in a slow oven; or the peels may be cut into chips, and done in the same manner. _lemonade or orangeade._ to a gallon of spring water add some cinnamon and cloves, plenty of orange and lemon juices, with a bit of each peel; sweeten well with loaf sugar, and whisk with it the whites of six eggs and one yolk. put it over a brisk fire, and when it boils let it simmer ten minutes; then run it through a jelly bag, and let it stand till cold before it is drunk. this mode is recommended, the liquor having been boiled. _poivrade sauce for game, maintenon cutlets, &c._ peel and chop small twelve eschallots; add to them a gill and a half of vinegar, a table spoonful of veal consumé, half an anchovie rubbed through a fine sieve, a little cayenne pepper, and salt. serve it up in a sauceboat cold, if to be eaten with cold game; but if to be eaten with hot, roast, or grills, make it boiling. _lobster sauce for fish._ take the spawn out of live lobsters before they are boiled, bruise it well in a marble mortar, add a little cold water, strain it through a sieve and preserve it till wanted; then boil the lobsters, and when three parts done pick and cut the meat into small pieces, and put it into a stewpan. to the meat of a large lobster add a pound of fresh butter and a pint of water, including a sufficient quantity of the spawn liquor to colour it. put it over a fire, thicken it with flour and water, keep stirring till it boils, and then season to the palate with anchovie liquor, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. let it simmer five minutes and skim it. n. b. in place of the above the following method may be adopted:--instead of cutting the meat of the lobster into pieces, it may be pounded in a marble mortar, then rubbed through a tamis cloth, and the pulp put with the other ingredients when the sauce is to be made. [see _anchovie essence for fish sauce_.] _oyster sauce for fish._ blanch the oysters, strain them, and preserve their liquor; then wash and beard them, drain, and put them into a stewpan; then add fresh butter and the oyster liquor free from sediment, some flour and water to thicken it, season to the palate with lemon juice, anchovie liquor, a little cayenne pepper, a spoonful of ketchup if approved, and a bit of lemon peel. when it boils skim it, and let it simmer five minutes. n. b. muscles and cockles may be done in like manner. _shrimp sauce for fish._ boil live shrimps in salt and water for three minutes, then pick, wash, and drain them dry; after which add fresh butter, water, anchovie liquor, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and flour and water to make it of a sufficient thickness. put the ingredients over a fire, and when it boils skim it, and let the shrimps simmer for five minutes. or it may be made thus:--when the shrimps are picked, wash the shells, drain them dry, put them into a stewpan, add a little water, and boil them ten minutes; then strain the liquor to the butter (as above) instead of the water, which will make it of a better flavour. the bodies of lobsters, also, when picked, may be done in like manner for lobster sauce. _dutch sauce for fish._ boil for five minutes, with a gill and a half of vinegar, a little scraped horseradish; then strain it, and when it is cold add to it the yolks of two raw eggs, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, a dessert spoonful of flour and water, and a little salt. whisk the ingredients over a fire till the mixture almost boils, and serve it up directly to prevent it from curdling. _anchovie sauce for fish._ put half a pound of fresh butter into a stewpan, add to it three spoonfuls of anchovie liquor, walnut and mushroom ketchups a spoonful of each, the juice of half a lemon, a little cayenne pepper, a tea spoonful of india soy if approved, a sufficient quantity of flour and water to make it of a proper thickness. make the mixture boil, and skim it clean. _observations in respect of fish sauces, &c._ let it be particularly observed that fish sauces should be of the thickness of light batter, so that it might adhere to the fish when dressed, it being a frequent error that they are either too thick or too thin. the thickening should be made with the best white flour sifted, and some water, mixed smooth with a wooden spoon or a whisk, and to be of the consistence of light batter also. a little of it is recommended to be always ready where there is much cooking, as it is frequently wanted both in fish and other sauces. there are, likewise, other articles repeatedly wanted for the use of stovework; and as their possession has been found to obviate much inconvenience and trouble, they are here enumerated: that is to say, liquid of colour preserved in a bottle, strained lemon juice preserved in the same manner, cayenne pepper, ground spices, ground pepper and salt mixed, which should be preserved separately in small jars; and every day, when wanted, fresh breadcrumbs rubbed through a hair sieve; parsley, thymes, eschallots, savoy, marjoram, and lemon peel, chopped very fine, and put on a dish in separate partitions. directions are not given for serving the fish sauces with any particular kind of fish,--such as turbot or salmon with lobster sauce, &c. but the receipts have been written only for the making them; therefore it is recommended that every person make a choice, and not be biassed altogether by custom. _apple sauce for pork, geese, &c._ pare, quarter, and core, baking apples; put them into a stewpan, add a bit of lemon rind, a small stick of cinnamon, a few cloves, and a small quantity of water. cover the pan close, set it over a moderate fire, and when the apples are tender take the peel and spices out; then add a bit of fresh butter, and sugar to the palate. _green sauce for ducklings or green geese._ pick green spinach or sorrel, wash it, and bruise it in a marble mortar, and strain the liquor through a tamis cloth. to a gill of the juice add a little loaf sugar, the yolk of a raw egg, and a spoonful of vinegar; if spinach juice, then put one ounce of fresh butter, and whisk all together over a fire till it begins to boil. n. b. should the sauce be made of spinach juice instead of vinegar, there may be put two table spoonfuls of the pulp of gooseberries rubbed through a hair sieve. _fennel sauce for mackarel._ pick green fennel, mint, and parsley, a little of each; wash, boil them till tender, drain and press them, chop them fine, add melted butter, and serve up the sauce immediately, for should the herbs be mixed with the butter any length of time before it is served up, they will be discoloured. the same observation should be noticed in making parsley and butter sauce. _bread sauce, for turkies, game, &c._ soak a piece of crumb of bread with half a pint of milk or cream, add a peeled middling-sized onion, and put them over a fire; when the milk is absorbed bruise the bread, mix with it two ounces of fresh butter, a little white pepper, and salt; and when it is to be served up take out the onion. _melted butter._ in order to prevent butter from oiling, the flour and water that may be sufficient for the quantity of butter should be made boiling, skimmed clean, and the butter added to dissolve, being careful it is of a proper thickness. in the same manner may be made fish sauces, adding the liquor of the lobsters or oysters, &c. with flour and water, and when boiling add the butter with the other ingredients. _to make melon citron._ take middling-sized melons when half ripe, cut them in quarters, take away the seed, and lay the melons in salt and water for three days. have ready a thin syrup; then drain and wipe dry the quarters, put them into the sugar, and let them simmer a quarter of an hour; the next day boil them up again, and so on for three days; then take them out, and add to the syrup some mountain wine, a little brandy, and more sugar; clarify it, and boil it nearly to a candied height, put the melons into it and boil them five minutes; then put them in glasses, and cover them close with bladder and leather. _rusks, or tops and bottoms._ take two eggs beat up, add them to a pint of good mild yest and a little milk. sift four pounds of best white flour, and set a sponge with the above ingredients; then make boiling half a pound of fresh butter and some milk, a sufficient quantity to make the sponge the stiffness of common dough. let it lay in the kneading trough till well risen; then mould and make it into the form of loaves of the bigness of small teacups; after which batch them flat, bake them in a moderate oven, and when nearly done take them out, cut the top from the bottom, and dry them till of a nice colour on tin plates in the oven. _wafers._ take a table spoonful of orange flower water, a table spoonful of flour, the same of good cream, sifted sugar to the palate, and a dessert spoonful of syrup of cinnamon; beat all the ingredients together for twenty minutes; then make the wafer tongs hot, and pour a little batter just sufficient to cover the irons; bake them over a slow fire, and when taken from the tongs roll them round, and preserve them in a dry place. _cracknels._ to half a pound of best white flour sifted add half a pound of sifted loaf sugar, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, two table spoonfuls of rose water, a little salt, the yolks and whites of three eggs beat up, and mix all well together for twenty minutes. then roll it out, cut it into what shapes you please with a pastry cutter, put them on baking plates rubbed with butter, wash the tops of the paste with whites of eggs well beaten, and bake them in a brisk oven. _to bake pears._ to a pint of water add the juice of three seville oranges, cinnamon, cloves, and mace, a small quantity of each, a bit of lemon peel, and boil them together a quarter of an hour; then strain and add to the liquor a pint of red port, plenty of loaf sugar, and a little cochineal; after which pare, cut into halves, and core, twelve large baking pears, put them into a pan, add the liquor, cover the pan with writing paper, and bake them in a moderate oven. n. b. they may be done in the same manner in a stewpan over a fire. _to clarify sugar._ to four pounds of loaf sugar put two quarts of water into a preserving pan, set it over a fire, and add (when it is warm) the whites of three eggs beat up with half a pint of water; when the syrup boils skim it clean, and let it simmer till perfectly clear. n. b. to clarify sugar for carmel requires but a small quantity of water; and the different degrees of strength, when wanted, must be attended to with practice. they are generally thrown over a mould rubbed with sweet oil; for cakes, with a fork dipped in the sugar, &c. _syrup of cloves, &c._ put a quart of boiling water into a stewpan, add a quarter of a pound of cloves, cover the pan close, set it over a fire, and let the cloves boil gently for half an hour; then drain them dry, and add to a pint of the liquor two pounds of loaf sugar. clear it with the whites of two eggs beat up with a little cold water, and let it simmer till it becomes a strong syrup. preserve it in vials close corked. n. b. in the same manner may be done cinnamon or mace. _syrup of golden pippins._ take the pippins when nearly ripe, pare, core, and cut them into very thin slices, or bruise them a little in a marble mortar. then put them into an earthen vessel, add a small quantity of water, the rind of a lemon, plenty of sifted sugar, and a little lemon juice. let the ingredients remain in the pan close covered for two days, then strain the juice through a piece of lawn, add more sugar if requisite, clear it with white of egg if necessary, and boil it to a syrup. n. b. nonpareils, quinces, pine-apples, or the rind of lemons peeled very thin, may be done in the same manner. _syrup of capillaire._ clarify with three whites of egg four pounds of loaf sugar mixed with three quarts of spring water and a quarter of an ounce of isinglass; when it is cold add to the syrup a sufficient quantity of orange flower water as will make it palatable, and likewise a little syrup of cloves. put it into bottles close corked for use. _flowers in sugar._ clarify sugar to a carmel height, which may be known by dipping in a fork, and if it throws the sugar as fine as threads put in the flowers. have ready teacups with the insides rubbed with sweet oil; put into each cup four silver table spoonfuls of the sugar and flowers, and when cold turn them out of the cups, and serve them up piled on each other. _syrup of roses._ gather one pound of damask rose leaves when in high season, put them into an earthen vessel, add a quart of boiling spring water, cover the pan close, and let it remain six hours; then run the liquor through a piece of lawn, and add to a pint of the juice a pound and a half of loaf sugar; boil it over a brisk fire till of a good syrup, being careful in the skimming, and preserve it in bottles close corked. n. b. the syrup may be cleared with two eggs. _to preserve cucumbers._ take fresh gathered gerkins of a large size, and lay them in salt and water for two days; then drain and wipe them dry, put them into glasses, make boiling-hot a mixture of sugar, vinegar, and water, a small quantity of each; pour it over the cucumbers, cover and set them in a warm place, likewise boil the liquor and pour over them for three successive days. then take a quart of the liquor, add to it plenty of cloves, mace, ginger, and lemon peel. boil these ingredients for half an hour, strain and put to it plenty of sifted sugar, clear it with whites of eggs if requisite, boil to a strong syrup, and put it to the gerkins. when wiped dry and in the glasses, cover them down very close. _to preserve currants._ take large bunches of ripe currants, make a thin syrup with sugar and water, set it over a fire, when it boils put in the fruit, and let them remain in a cold place till the next day; then take them out carefully, lay them on a dish, make the liquor boil again, and put in the currants, taking care not to let them break. take them out a second time, add more sugar to the syrup, with a quart of currant juice; clarify it, boil it to a strong syrup, and when it is cold put the currants into glasses, pour the syrup over, and tie them down close. _to preserve barberries._ bruise a quart of ripe barberries, add a quart of spring water, put them over a fire, when boiling run the liquor through a fine sieve, and put with it three pounds of clarified sugar. then add a sufficient quantity of large bunches of ripe barberries, put them over a fire, when boiling-hot set them away till the next day, take the barberries out of the syrup and put them into glasses; boil the liquor to a good consistence, pour it over, and cover them close. _gooseberry fool._ put a quart of green gooseberries and a gill of water in a stewpan over a fire close covered; when the fruit is tender rub it through a fine hair sieve, add to the pulp sifted loaf sugar, and let it stand till cold. in the mean time put a pint of cream or new milk into a stewpan, with a stick of cinnamon, a small piece of lemon peel, sugar, a few cloves and coriander seeds, and boil the ingredients ten minutes. have ready the yolks of six eggs and a little flour and water well beaten; strain the milk to them, whisk it over a fire to prevent it from curdling, when it nearly boils set the pan in cold water, stir the cream for five minutes, and let it stand till cold. then mix the pulp of the gooseberries and the cream together, add a little grated nutmeg, and sweeten it more if agreeable to the palate. n. b. strawberries, raspberries, apricots, and other ripe fruits, may be rubbed through a sieve and the pulp added to the cream. _sago._ to half an ounce of sago washed clean add a pint of water and a bit of lemon peel; cover the pan close, set it over a fire, let it simmer till the sago is nearly done, and the liquor absorbed. then put to it half a pint of red port, a tea spoonful of pounded cinnamon and cloves or mace, sweeten to the palate with loaf sugar, and let it boil gently for ten minutes. _oatmeal pottage, or gruel._ mix together three table spoonfuls of oatmeal, a very little salt, and a quart of water; put them over a fire, and let it boil gently for half an hour. then skim and strain it, add to it an ounce of fresh butter, some loaf sugar, a little brandy, and grated nutmeg; or instead of these ingredients put pepper, salt, and fresh butter, to the palate; then boil it again five minutes, mix it till very smooth, and let it be of a moderate consistence. _to bottle gooseberries, &c. for tarts._ gather gooseberries on a dry day when about half grown, and pick off the stalks and blossoms; then put the fruit into wide-mouthed bottles and shake them down; cork them very close, bake them in a moderate oven till thoroughly heated through, and set them in a dry cool place. n. b. damsons, currants, cherries, or plums may be done in the same way. [the above mode of preserving fruits is recommended in preference to preserving them with sugar, it frequently happening that fruits done with syrup will fret, and in that event the whole be spoiled.] _to bottle gooseberries another way._ when the gooseberries are picked put them into the bottles and cover them with spring water; then set them in a large pan of cold water, put them over a moderate fire, and when the gooseberries appear to be scalded enough take out the bottles and set them in a cool place, and when cold cork them close. [this mode has been found to answer extremely well. the small champaign gooseberry is recommended likewise for the purpose.] _small cakes._ take half a pound of sifted sugar, half a pound of fresh butter, three quarters of a pound of sifted flour, and rub all together; then wet it with a gill of boiling milk, strew in a few carraway seeds, and let it lay till the next day; after which mould and cut it into eleven dozen pieces, roll them as thin as possible, and bake them in an oven three parts cold. _diet bread cake._ take nine eggs and sifted sugar of their weight; break the whites into one pan and the yolks into another; then whisk the whites till of a solid froth, beat the yolks, and whisk them with the whites; add the sugar with the weight of five eggs of flour, mix all well together, put in a few carraway seeds, and bake it in a hoop. _sponge biscuits._ take the same mixture as for diet bread, only omitting the carraway seeds; then rub the inside of small tin pans with fresh butter, fill them with the mixture, sift sugar over, and bake them in a moderate oven. _common seed cake._ to one pound and a half of flour put half a pound of fresh butter broke into small pieces round it, likewise a quarter of a pound of sifted sugar, and half a grated nutmeg; then make a cavity in the center of the flour and set a sponge with a gill of yest and a little warm milk; when well risen add slices of candied orange or lemon peel and an egg beat up. mix all these ingredients well together with a little warm milk, let the dough be of a proper stiffness, mould it into a cake, prove it in a warm place, and then bake it. _cinnamon cakes._ break six eggs into a pan with three table spoonfuls of rose water, whisk them well together, add a pound of sifted sugar, a dessert spoonful of pounded cinnamon, and as much flour as will make it into a good paste; then roll it out, cut it into what shapes you please, bake them on white paper, and when done take them off, and preserve them in a dry place for use. _to make red colouring for pippin paste, &c. for garnishing twelfth cakes._ take an ounce of cochineal beat very fine; add three gills of water, a quarter of an ounce of roche-alum, and two ounces of lump sugar; boil them together for twenty minutes, strain it through a fine sieve, and preserve it for use close covered. _twelfth cakes._ take seven pounds of flour, make a cavity in the center, set a sponge with a gill and a half of yest and a little warm milk; then put round it one pound of fresh butter broke into small lumps, one pound and a quarter of sifted sugar, four pounds and a half of currants washed and picked, half an ounce of sifted cinnamon, a quarter of an ounce of pounded cloves, mace, and nutmeg mixed, sliced candied orange or lemon peel and citron. when the sponge is risen mix all the ingredients together with a little warm milk; let the hoops be well papered and buttered, then fill them with the mixture and bake them, and when nearly cold ice them over with sugar prepared for that purpose as per receipt; or they may be plain. _bristol cakes._ take six ounces of sifted sugar, six ounces of fresh butter, four whites and two yolks of eggs, nine ounces of flour, and mix them well together in an earthen pan with the hand; then add three quarters of a pound of picked currants, and drop the mixture with a spoon upon tin plates rubbed with butter, and bake them in a brisk oven. _hyde park corner cakes._ take two pounds of flour, four ounces of common sugar, and half an ounce of carraway seeds pounded; then set a sponge with half a gill of yest and some warm milk, and when it works take some boiling milk, add to it five ounces of fresh butter, mix it up light, add let it lay some time; then roll it out, cut it into what forms you please, and bake them in a moderate oven. _good gingerbread nuts._ take four pounds of flour, half a pound of sifted sugar, one ounce of carraway seeds, half an ounce of ginger pounded and sifted, six ounces of fresh butter, and two ounces of candied orange peel cut into small slices. then take a pound of treacle or honey and a gill of cream, make them warm together, mix all the ingredients into a paste, and let it lay six hours; then roll it out, make it into nuts, and bake them in a moderate oven. _bride cake._ take two pounds of sifted loaf sugar, four pounds of fresh butter, four pounds of best white flour dried and sifted, a quarter of an ounce of mace and cinnamon, likewise the same quantity of nutmeg pounded and sifted, thirty eggs, four pounds of currants washed, picked, and dried before a fire, a pound of jordan almonds blanched and pounded, a pound of citron, a pound of candied orange and a pound of candied lemon peels cut into slices, and half a pint of brandy; then proceed as follows:--first work the butter to a cream with the hand, then beat in the sugar for a quarter of an hour, whisk the whites of eggs to a solid froth, and mix them with the sugar and butter; then beat the yolks for a quarter of an hour and put them to the above, likewise add the flour, mace, and nutmeg; beat all well together till the oven is ready, and then mix in lightly the brandy, currants, almonds, and sweetmeats. line a hoop with paper, rub it with butter, fill it with the mixture, bake it in a brisk oven, and when it is risen cover it with paper to prevent it from burning. it may be served up either iced or plain. _rice cakes._ whisk the yolks of seven eggs for a quarter of an hour, add five ounces of sifted sugar, and mix them well; put to them a quarter of a pound of rice, some flour, a little brandy, the rind of a lemon grated very fine, and a small quantity of pounded mace; then beat six whites of eggs for some time, mix all together for ten minutes, fill a hoop with the mixture, and bake it in a brisk oven. _bath cakes._ take a pound of fresh butter and rub with it a pound of flour, mix them into a light paste with a gill of yest and some warm cream, and set it in a warm place to rise; then mould in with it a few carraway seeds, make it into cakes the size of small french rolls, and bake them on tins buttered. _pancakes._ to half a pound of best white flour sifted add a little salt, grated nutmeg, cream or new milk, and mix them well together; then whisk eight eggs, put them to the above, and beat the mixture for ten minutes till perfectly smooth and light, and let it be of a moderate thickness. when the cakes are to be fried, put a little piece of lard or fresh butter in each frying-pan over a regular fire, and when hot put in the mixture, a sufficient quantity just to cover the bottom of each pan, fry them of a nice colour, and serve them up very hot. serve with them, likewise, some sifted loaf sugar, pounded cinnamon, and seville orange, on separate plates. n. b. before the frying pans are used let them be prepared with a bit of butter put into each and burnt; then wipe them very clean with a dry cloth, as this method prevents the batter from sticking to the pan when frying. _shrewsbury cakes._ beat half a pound of fresh butter to a cream, add to it the same quantity of flour, one egg, six ounces of sifted sugar, and a quarter of an ounce of carraway seeds. mix all together into a paste, roll it out thin, stamp it with a tin cutter, prick the cakes with a fork, lay them on tin plates rubbed with butter, and bake them in a slow oven. _portugal cakes, or heart cakes._ take a pound of flour, a pound of sifted sugar, a pound of fresh butter, and mix them with the hand (or a whisk) till they become like a fine batter. then add two spoonfuls of rose water, half a pound of currants washed and picked, break ten eggs, whisk them, and mix well all together. butter ten moulds, fill them three parts full with the mixture, and bake them in a brisk oven. _macaroons._ take a pound of jordan almonds blanched and pounded fine, with a little rose water to preserve them from oiling, and add a pound of sifted sugar; then whisk the whites of ten eggs to a solid froth and add to the above; beat all together for some time. have ready wafer paper on tin plates, drop the mixture over it separately the size of a shilling or smaller, sift a little sugar over, and bake them. _mirangles._ take the whites of nine eggs, and whisk them to a solid froth; then add the rind of six lemons grated very fine and a spoonful of sifted sugar; after which lay a wet sheet of paper on a tin, and with a spoon drop the mixture in little lumps separately upon it, sift sugar over, and bake them in a moderately heated oven, observing they are of a nice colour. then put raspberry, apricot, or any other kind of jam between two bottoms, add them together, and lay them in a warm place or before the fire to dry. _ratafias._ blanch and pound half a pound of jordan almonds, likewise the same quantity of bitter almonds, and preserve them from oiling with rose water; then add a pound of sifted sugar, beat the whites of four eggs well, and mix lightly with them; after which put the mixture into a preserving pan, set it over a moderate fire, stirring till it is pretty hot, and when it is cold roll it into small rolls, cut them into small cakes the bigness of a shilling, dip the top of your finger into flour and touch lightly each cake, put them on wafer paper, sift sugar over, and bake them in a slow oven. _lemon puffs._ put a pound of sifted loaf sugar in a bowl with the juice of two lemons, and beat them together; then whisk the white of an egg to a very high froth, add it to the mixture, and whisk it for twenty minutes; after which put to it the rind of three lemons grated very fine and three eggs, mixing all well together. sift sugar over wafer paper, drop on it the mixture in small quantities, and bake them in a moderately heated oven. _chantilly basket._ have ready a small quantity of warm clarified sugar boiled to a carmel height, dip ratafia cakes into it, and place them round the inside of a dish. then cut more ratafia cakes into squares, dip them into the sugar, pile them on the others, and so on for two or three stories high. after which line the inside with wafer paper, fill with sponge biscuits, sweetmeats, blanched almonds, and some made cream as for an apple pie, put some trifle froth over that, and garnish the froth with rose leaves, or coloured comfits or carmel of sugar thrown lightly over the top. _green codlins, frosted with sugar._ take twelve codlins, blanch them in water with a little roche-alum in it and some vine leaves; when they are nearly done take off the outside skin, rub the apples over with oiled fresh butter, and sift plenty of sugar over them; then lay them on a clean tin, put them into a slow oven, and when the sugar sparkles like frost take them out. when they are cold serve them up in a trifle glass with some perfumed cream round them made as for an apple pie, and on the top of each codlin stick a small flower for garnish. _pound cake._ take a pound of sifted sugar, a pound of fresh butter, and mix them with the hand for ten minutes; then put to them nine yolks and five whites of eggs beaten, whisk them well, and add a pound of sifted flour, a few carraway seeds, a quarter of a pound of candied orange peel cut into slices, a few currants washed and picked, and mix all together as light as possible. _yest cake._ take one pound of flour, two pounds of currants washed and picked, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, a quarter of a pound of lisbon sugar, a quarter of a pound of citron and candied orange peel cut into slices, cinnamon and mace a small quantity of each pounded and sifted. make a cavity in the center of the ingredients, add a gill of sweet wine, a little warm milk, a teacupful of yest, and let it stand till the yest works; then put a little more warm milk, mix all together, fill a hoop with it, and let it remain till risen, and bake it. _rich plum cake._ take one pound of sifted sugar, one pound of fresh butter, and mix them with the hand in a earthen dish for a quarter of an hour. then beat well ten yolks and five whites of eggs, put two thirds of them to the sugar and butter, and mix them together till it begins to be tough; after which add one pound and a half of currants washed and picked, a quarter of a pound of citron, a quarter of a pound of candied orange or lemon peel cut into slices, a quarter of a pound of jordan almonds blanched and bruised very fine. then pound a quarter of a pound of muscadine raisins, put to them a gill of sweet wine and a spoonful of brandy, strain the liquor through a cloth to the mixture, add the rest of the eggs, and mix all together as light as possible. _dried cherries._ gather the largest flemish cherries (or english bearers) when nearly ripe, pick off the stalks and take the stones away; have ready a thin syrup boiling-hot, put the cherries into it, and let them remain till the next day; then strain and boil the liquor again, and add to the cherries; the same again on the third day; on the fourth day strain the syrup, add more sugar, and clarify it; boil it to a strong consistence, add the cherries, put them into jars, and when they are cold cover them close. when wanted for use take them out, lay them on large drying sieves, and put them in a very slack oven. n. b. in the same manner may be done apricots, pears, plums, &c. _pippins with rice._ boil two ounces of whole rice with half a pint of milk, and when it is nearly absorbed put the rice into a marble mortar, add a table spoonful of brandy, a little grated lemon peel, a small quantity of pounded cinnamon and cloves, two ounces of sifted sugar, two eggs, and pound all together. then pare twelve large ripe golden pippins, core them with an apple scoop, mould over them some of the mixture with the hand, put writing paper on a tin-plate, rub it over with sweet oil or butter, put the apples on it, and bake them gently till done; then serve them up in a deep dish with melted butter over and a little of the syrup of quinces mixed with it. _to make english bread._ take a peck of the best white flour, sift it into a trough, make a cavity in the center, and strain through a hair sieve (mixed together) a pint of good yest and a pint of lukewarm water; mix them lightly with some of the flour till of a light paste, set it in a warm place covered over to prove for an hour; then mix the whole with two quarts of lukewarm water and a little salt, knead it, let it be of a good stiffness, prove it an hour more and knead it again; prove it another hour, mould it into loaves or batch two pieces together, and bake them in a brisk oven. n. b. a middling-size loaf will require an hour and a half in baking. _french bread._ sift a peck of fine flour into a trough, make a cavity in the center with the hand, strain into it (mixed together) a pint of lukewarm milk and a pint of good yest; mix them with some of the flour till of a light sponge, set it in a warm place covered over to prove for an hour; then add to it two quarts of lukewarm milk, half a pound of fresh butter, an ounce of sifted loaf sugar, and a little salt; knead it till of a nice stiffness, let it prove an hour more, knead it again, and let it prove another hour; then mould it into bricks, lay them on tins, put them into a very slack oven or warm place to prove for half an hour, and bake them in a brisk oven. _pulpton of apples._ pare, cut into quarters, and core eight good-sized baking apples; put them into a stewpan, add a bit of lemon peel and a table spoonful of rose water; cover the pan close, put it over a slow fire, and when the apples are tender rub them through a hair sieve, put to the pulp, sugar to the palate, sifted cinnamon and cloves a small quantity of each, four eggs well beaten, a quarter of a pound of the crumb of french bread soaked in a gill of cream, and mix all the ingredients together. rub the inside of a mould with fresh butter, fill it with the mixture, bake it in a moderately heated oven, when done turn it out on a dish, and serve it up with sifted sugar over. _a sweet omlet of eggs._ mix well together ten eggs, half a gill of cream, a quarter of a pound of oiled fresh butter and a little syrup of nutmeg; sweeten it with loaf sugar, put the mixture into a prepared frying pan as for a savory omlet, fry it in the same manner, and serve it up with a little sifted sugar over it. _to keep cucumbers for winter use for sauces._ take fresh gathered middling-sized cucumbers, put them into a jar, have ready half vinegar, half water, and some salt, a sufficient quantity to cover them; make it boiling-hot, pour it over them, add sweet oil, cover the jars down close with bladder and leather, and set them in a dry place. _to preserve mushrooms for sauces._ peel button forced mushrooms, wash them and boil till half done in a sufficient quantity of salt and water to cover them; then drain them and dry in the sun, boil the liquor with different spices, put the mushrooms into a jar, pour the boiling pickle over them, add sweet oil, and tie them over with bladder, &c. _pullet roasted with batter._ bone and force the pullet with good stuffing or forcemeat, paper it and put it to roast; when half done take off the paper, and baste the fowl with a little light batter; let it dry, baste it again, so repeating till it is done and nicely crusted over; then serve it up with benshamelle or poivrade sauce beneath. _dutch beef._ rub the prime ribs of fat beef with common salt, and let them lay in a pan for three days; then rub them with the different articles as for hams or tongues, and add plenty of bruised juniper berries. turn the meat every two days for three weeks, and smoke it. _mushroom ketchup._ take a parcel of mushrooms either natural or forced, the latter will prove the best, and cut off part of the stalk towards the root. wash the mushrooms clean, drain them, then bruise them a little in a marble mortar, put them into an earthen vessel with a middling quantity of salt, let them remain for four days, and then strain them through a tamis cloth. when the sediment is settled pour the liquor into a stewpan, and to every pint of juice add half a gill of red port, a little whole allspice, cloves, mace, and pepper. boil them together twenty minutes, then skim and strain the ketchup, and when cold put it into small bottles and cork them close. _suet pudding._ chop fine half a pound of beef suet, add to it the same quantity of flour, two eggs beaten, a little salt, a small quantity of pounded and sifted ginger, and mix them together with milk. let the mixture be of a moderate thickness. it may be either boiled or baked. _savoy cake._ beat well together the yolks of eight eggs and a pound of sifted sugar, and whisk the whites till of a solid froth; then take six ounces of flour and a little sifted cinnamon, and mix all the ingredients lightly together; after which rub a mould with fresh butter, fill it three parts full with the mixture, and bake it in a slack heated oven. _nutmeg syrup._ pound a quarter of a pound of nutmegs, put them into a stewpan, add a pint and a half of hot water, and boil them for half an hour; then strain, and put to a pint of liquor two pounds of sifted sugar and one egg beat up with a little cold water; set it over a fire, and when it boils skim it till perfectly clear and reduced to a good syrup, and when it is cold mix with it half a pint of brandy. having this syrup always at hand will answer a better purpose for puddings, &c. than grated nutmeg and brandy, as the mixtures can be better palated, and likewise save trouble and expense. _sweetbreads with veal and ham._ blanch heart sweetbreads eight minutes, and wash and wipe them dry; then make an incision in the under part, take out a piece and pound it with a small quantity of light forcemeat; after which fill the cavity in the sweetbread, rub the top with white of egg, lay over it a thin slice of lean ham, a slice of veal, and a bard of bacon; put paper and a thin sheet of common paste over the whole, bake them gently for an hour, and when they are to be served up take off the paste and paper, glaize lightly the bacon, and put under the sweetbreads a good benshamelle. _essence of ham for sauces._ take four pounds of slices of lean ham, and be careful it is of a good flavour; put it into a stewpan with a little water, six peeled eschallots, and two bay leaves; cover the pan close, set it over a fire, and simmer the ham till three parts done; then add two quarts of water and boil it till tender, strain it through a fine sieve, skim it perfectly free from fat, clear it with whites of eggs, strain it through a tamis, boil it till it is reduced to a pint, and when cold put it into small bottles and cork them close. _ox heart roasted._ let the heart be very fresh, wash and wipe it, fill it with a stuffing as for a fillet of veal, tie over the top a piece of veal caul, roast it gently one hour and an half, and five minutes before it is done roast it quick, froth it with flour and butter, and put it on a very hot dish. serve it up with a sauce under it made with cullis, fresh butter, a table spoonful of ketchup, and half a gill of red port boiled together. _slices of cod fried with oysters._ egg, breadcrumb, and fry in boiling lard, some slices of crimped cod; when done, drain them dry, serve them up with oyster sauce in the center, made in the same manner as for beef steaks. _small crusts to be eaten with cheese or wine after dinner._ take the crumb of a new-baked loaf, pull it into small pieces, put them on a baking plate, and set them in a moderately heated oven till they are of a nice brown colour. _devilled almonds._ blanch half a pound of jordan almonds and wipe them dry; then put into a frying-pan two ounces of fresh butter, make it hot, add the almonds, fry them gently till of a good brown colour, drain them on a hair sieve, strew over cayenne pepper and some salt, and serve them up hot. _boiled tripe and onions._ cut a prepared double of tripe into slips, then peel and boil some spanish or other onions in milk and water with a little salt, and when they are nearly done add the tripe and boil it gently ten minutes. serve it to table with the onions and a little of the liquor in a tureen. serve up, likewise, in a sauceboat, some melted butter with a little mustard mixed with it, and (if approved) there may be added a table spoonful of vinegar. _boiled sweetbreads._ blanch two heart sweetbreads, wash and trim off the pipe, then boil them in milk and water with a little salt for half an hour; drain them dry, and when they are to be served to table put over them some boiling benshamelle with a little parsley chopped very fine in it. _broiled sweetbreads._ blanch the sweetbreads till half done, wash and trim off the pipe, then cut them into large slices, season with a small quantity of cayenne pepper and salt, broil them gently over a clear fire till of a nice brown colour, and serve them up very hot, with some cold fresh butter on a plate. _conclusion, with remarks._ all sweets, pastry, shellfish or savoury dishes, either plain or modelled, with fat or butter, or ornaments of any kind, that are served up in second courses or ball suppers, &c. should be very light, airy, and neat; the pastry, likewise, of the best puff paste, well-baked, and rather inclining to a pale colour, which has a very good effect. let it also be observed, that mention should have been made in the receipt for mock turtle, of an addition to the passing of flour and butter, to each gallon of liquor half a pint of madeira wine; and (if approved) the mock turtle may be made with pieces of cow-heel or pig's head instead of calf's scalp. index. a. a la reine soup, almond cake, ------ custards, ------ nuts, ------ paste, ------ pudding, almonds devilled, anchovie essence for fish sauces, -------- sauce, apples, to stew, for tarts, apple dumplings, ----- fritters, ----- pudding baked, ------------- boiled, ----- sauce for pork, &c., apricot jam, apricots, preserved, for tarts or desserts, ib. artichoke bottoms fried, ----------------- stewed, -----------------, to dry, -----------------, to pickle, ashée sauce, asparagus peas, --------- peas another way, --------- tops for sauces, aspect of fish, ------ of meat or fowl, atlets curried, b. bacquillio with herbs, bagnets a l'eau, baked beef, ----- pears, barberries, to pickle, ----------- to preserve. bath cakes, batter, to prepare, for frying, ------- pudding, beef collops, ---- palates stewed, ---- red, for slices, ---- steaks broiled, ---- steak pudding, ---- stock, ---- tails, beet root, to pickle, benshamelle, or white cullis, black puddings, french, blancmange, white, boiled sweetbreads, breadcrumbs to prepare for frying, bread pudding, ----- sauce for turkies, &c., breast of lamb with benshamelle, -------------- en matelote, ib. -------------- with peas, breast of veal en gallentine, -------------- ragout, ib. -------------- with oysters, bride cakes, brisket of beef with spanish onions, -------------------- ashée or haricot, bristol cakes, broiled mackarel, ------- salmon, ------- sweetbreads, burnt cream, butter clarified for potting, ------ melted, buns, c. cabbage, red, to pickle, -------- to stew, calf's feet jelly, ------ head hashed, ------ liver roasted, callipash, callipee, canopies, cardoons stewed, carrot pudding, cauliflower a la cream, ----------- sauce, ----------- with parmezan cheese, ib. celery fried, ------ sauce (brown), ------ sauce (white), ib. ------ soup, champignons, &c. to dry, chantilly basket, cheese cakes, ------ stewed, cherries in brandy for desserts, chicken puffs, ------- tourte, ------- with lemon sauce, ------- or turkies with celery sauce, ------- with oyster sauce, ib. ------- with peas, -------------- another way, cinnamon cakes, citron of melons, clarified butter for potting, --------- sugar, cleared brown stock, cloves, syrup of, codlins, green, frosted with sugar, coffee cream, collared eels, -------- pig, collops, veal (brown), ------- (white), colouring for paste for garnishing, compote of oranges, ------- of pigeons, consumé, cracknels, crayfish soup, cream for fruit pies, cressey soup, crisp tart paste, cucumbers forced, ---------, to keep for winter use, ---------, to pickle, ---------, large, to pickle, ---------, to preserve, cullis, or thick gravy, currant jelly, currants, to pickle, --------, to preserve, currie or pepper water, ------ of chickens, ------ of lobsters, ------ of mutton, ib. ------ of pig's head, ------ of veal, curried atlets, cutlets, lamb, with cucumbers, -------------- with tendrons, -------------- another way, cutlets, mutton, with haricot, ---------------, with potatoes, ---------------, a la maintenon, ---------------, a la irish stew, cutlets, pork, with red or white cabbage, ib. -------------, with robert sauce, -------------, another way, cutlets, veal, larded, -------------, natural, d. damson pudding, -------------- another way, ib. diet bread, directions for meat and poultry plain boiled, ---------- for roasting, ---------- for vegetables, dried cherries, duck with benshamelle, ---- with cucumbers, ---- aux naves, dutch beef, ----- blancmange, ----- sauce, e. eel pie, egg paste for balls, soups, &c., eggs and bacon, ---- buttered, ---- fried with ham, &c., ---- poached with sorrel, &c., ---- a la tripe, endive stewed, english bread, entrée of eels, ------ of mackarel, ------ of salmon, ------ of smelts, ------ of soles, ------ of whitings, essence of ham for sauces, f. fennel sauce for mackarel, fillet of beef larded, ------ of mutton with cucumbers, ------ of pork roasted, ------ of veal prepared for roasting, fish for frying, ---- meagre pie, ---- meagré soup, ---- plain boiled, ---- prepared for broiling, ------------- for frying, ib. ------------- for stewing, flat chicken pie, or tourte, flowers in sugar, forcemeat balls for soups and ragouts, fowl a la memorancy, --------- st. menehout, fowl, &c. with oyster sauce, french beans creamed, ------ black puddings, ------ bread, ------ salad, fricando veal glaized, fricassee of chicken or rabbits (white or brown), --------- of tripe, fried parsley, ----- puffs with sweetmeats, fruit pudding baked, g. giblet soup, giblets stewed plain, ------ stewed with peas, gingerbread nuts, glaize for hams, larding, &c., golden pippins a la cream, -------------- another way, -------------- stewed, -------------- syrup of, gooseberries, to bottle, ------------- another way, gooseberry fool, gravy for meats and poultry, green codlins frosted, ----- gage jam, ----- geese for roasting, ----- peas soup, ----- sauce for poultry, ----- truffles for a dish, grills generally eaten after dinner, grown geese and ducks prepared for roasting, guinea fowls for roasting, ib. h. haggess, to make, ham braised and glaized, hard eggs fried, hare glaized, ---- jugged, hares to prepare for roasting, ----- another way, ib. haricot mutton cutlets, ------- sauce, hashed beef, in n. b., ------ calves head, ------ fowl, ------ hare, wild fowl, &c., ------ mutton, ------ venison, haunch of venison, &c. to prepare for roasting, herbs dried, hodge podge, or an english olio, hyde park corner cakes, i. j. ice cream, iceing for cakes, india pickle, jerusalem artichokes stewed, -------------------- another way, l. lamb, hind quarter of, marinated, ------------------ with spinach, ----, leg of, with oysters, ib. lamb or pork chops plain broiled, lamb's fry with parsley, ---------- another way, ib. ------ head minced, ------ tails and ears, larks, to prepare for roasting, leason for fricassees and soups, lemonade or orangeade, lemon peel candied, ----- puffs, ----- sauce, to make, light forcemeat for pies, &c., liquid of colour for sauces, lobsters buttered, lobster sauce for fish, loin of veal a la cream, m. macaroni stewed for a dish, macaroons, mackarel, broiled, common way, -------- the german way, marbree jelly, marinate, to make, marrow bones, ------ pudding, mashed potatoes, mashed turnips, matelote of rabbits, meat cake, melted butter, to prepare, milk punch, mince meat, minced veal for a dish, ----------- another way, mirangles, mock turtle, morells, &c. to dry, muffin pudding with dried cherries, mushroom ketchup, -------- powder, mushrooms broiled, ---------, to dry, ---------, to pickle, ---------, to preserve, for sauces, ---------, stewed (brown), -----------------,(white), mutton broth, ------ or lamb, &c. broiled, ------ pie, ------ rumps marinated, n. neck of lamb glaized, ---- of veal en erison, ----------- larded, nutmeg syrup, o. oatmeal pottage or gruel, observations on fish and sauces, ------------ on meat and poultry, ------------ on stores, old or split peas soup, --- peas soup another way, olios, or a spanish dish, ------ how to make, omlets of eggs for garnishing, -------------- several ways, onion sauce, ----- soup, onions fried with parmezan cheese, ------, to pickle, orangeade, orange or lemon peel candied, ------ marmalade, ------ pudding, orgeat, ox cheek stewed, -- heart to prepare for roasting, oyster atlets, ------ loaves, ------ sauce for beef steaks, ------------ for fish, ------------ (white), oysters prepared for frying, ------- scolloped, p. pancakes, parsley, to fry, partridge soup, partridges or pheasants au choux, ----------------------- for roasting, ----------------------- with truffles, passing of flour and butter, paste for stringing tartlets, &c., pastry cream, patties of lobster or oysters, ------- with forcemeat, ib. peas pudding to be eaten with pork, ---- stewed for a dish, ----, to stew, for sauce, peloe of rice, -----, another way, pepper or currie water, peths fried, petit patties of chicken and ham, pickled oysters, ------- tongues, pickle tongue forced, pickling, rules to be observed in, pig, to prepare for roasting, pigs feet and ears, ------------------, to prepare, pigeon pie, pigeons a la craupidine, ------- glaized, ------- with sorrel, ib. ------- to prepare for roasting, pike or sturgeon baked or roasted, pippins with rice, plovers eggs different ways, plum pottage, ---- pudding, very rich, poivrade sauce for game, pork pie, portugal or heart cakes, potatoe pudding, potatoes creamed, -------- fried, potted beef, ------ cheese, ------ larks, &c., ------ lobster, ------ veal, poultry, directions for plain boiling, pound cake, prepared batter for several articles, preserved barberries, --------- cucumbers, --------- currants, puff paste, puffs with forcemeat of vegetables, pulled chicken or turkey, pullet a la memorancy, ------ roasted with batter, ------ with celery sauce, ------ with oyster sauce (white), ib. pulpton of apples, ------- of rabbits, &c., pyramid of paste, q. quails, or ruffs and rees, to prepare for roasting, quarter of lamb marinated, ------- -- ---- with spinach, quince jam, r. rabbits en gallentine, ------- with onions, ------- to roast, ragout sweetbreads (brown), ------ ----------- (white), raised beef steak pie, raised chicken pie, ------ ham pie with directions to make a raised crust, raised pie with macaroni, ------ turkey pie with a tongue, rammequins, raspberry jam, ratafias, real turtle, red beef for slicing, --- cabbage, to pickle, remarks in conclusion, rhubarb tart, riband blancmange, ribs of beef to prepare for roasting, rice cakes, ---- pudding, ---- soup, ----, plain, to be eaten with currie, rich plum cake, rissoles, roasting, directions for, robert sauce, to make, rump of beef a-la mode, ------------ daubed or plain, rules to be observed in pickling, rusks, or tops and bottoms, s. sago, salad of asparagus, ----- of lobster, salmagundy, salmé of woodcocks, salmon broiled, santé soup, or with bouillie, savory jelly, savoy cake, ----- sauce, sausage meat, sea pie, seed cakes common way, shoulder of lamb en epigram, ---------------- glaized, ---------------- grilled, shrewsbury cakes, shrimp sauce, slices of cod fried with oyster sauce, small cakes, small crusts to be eaten after dinner with cheese or wine, sorrel sauce, soup a la reine, ---- for a family, sour crout, spanish onion sauce, sponge biscuits, stewed apples for tarts, ------ cucumbers, ------ peas for a dish, ----------- for sauces, stock, cleared, (brown), stores, observation on, stuffing for veal, turkey, &c., sturgeon roasted, suet pudding, sugar, to clarify, sweetbreads boiled, ----------- broiled, ib. ----------- en erison, ----------- fried, ----------- glaized, ----------- roasted, ----------- with veal and ham, sweet omlet of eggs, syllabub, syrup of capillaire, ----- of cloves, ----- of golden pippins, ----- of roses, t. tansey pudding, tarragon vinegar, tarts or tartlets, tea cream, tendrons of veal (brown or white), timbol of rice, tongues, &c. to pickle, trifle, tripe and onions boiled, ---------------- fried, truffles, green, for a dish, truffle sauce, turkey with chesnuts, ------ with celery or oyster sauce, ------ with ragout, ------ with truffles, turkies, to prepare for roasting, turnip sauce, ------ soup, twelfth cakes, v. veal cutlets common way, ---- olives, &c., ---- pie, ---- stock for soups, vegetable pie, vegetables, a neat dish of, ib. ----------, directions for, ---------- in moulds, venison, haunch of, to prepare for roasting, vermicelli soup (white), virgin cream, w. wafers, walnut ketchup for fish sauces, watercresses stewed, water souchée, white oyster sauce, white puddings, wild boar, to dress, ---- fowls to prepare for roasting, wings and legs of fowls glaized, ----------------------- with colours, woodcocks and snipes, to prepare for roasting, y. yest cake, the end. t. bensley, printer, bolt court, fleet street, london. * * * * * transcriber's notes: text uses é for fish meagré soup and e for fishmeagre pie. this was retained. all spelling on the monthly menus was retained as printed, for example, "begetables." to confirm this, please see the images included in the html version. in the remaining text, spelling was only changed where a clear majority of usage could be found in the same text. for example, "benshamelle" for "béchamel" was retained while "posssible" for "possible" was corrected. page x, "fishmeagré" changed to "fish meagré" to match usage in text (fish meagré soup) page xix, "preser ed" changed to "preserved" (preserved apricots for) page , "glaise" changed to "glaize" to match rest of usage (dry, glaize the top) page , "into it" changed to "it into" (it into a stewpan) page , "posssible" changed to "possible" (white as possible) page , "sallad" changed to "salad" (eat with this salad) page , "tea-poonful" changed to "tea spoonful" (red port, tea spoonful) page , "dumplins" changed to "dumplings" (apple dumplins, ) page , "blancmonge" changed to "blancmange" (blancmange, white, ) page , "parmesan" changed to "parmezan" to match usage in text (----------- with parmezan cheese, ib.) page , "blancmonge" changed to "blancmange" (----- blancmange, ) page , "megre" changed to "meagré" to match usage in text (---- meagré soup) page , index, reference for "india pickle" moved to land above "jerusalem". page , "blancmonge" changed to "blancmange" (riband blancmange, ) corrections and additions by greg lindahl. the forme of cury, a roll of ancient english cookery. compiled, about a.d. , by the master-cooks of king richard ii, presented afterwards to queen elizabeth, by edward lord stafford, and now in the possession of gustavus brander, esq. illustrated with notes, and a copious index, or glossary. a manuscript of the editor, of the same age and subject, with other congruous matters, are subjoined. "--ingeniosa gula est." martial. to gustavus brander, esq. f.r.s. f.s.a. and cur. brit. mus. sir, i return your very curious roll of cookery, and i trust with some interest, not full i confess nor legal, but the utmost which your debtor, from the scantiness of his ability, can at present afford. indeed, considering your respectable situation in life, and that diffusive sphere of knowledge and science in which you are acting, it must be exceedingly difficult for any one, how well furnished soever, completely to answer your just, or even most moderate demands. i intreat the favour of you, however, to accept for once this short payment in lieu of better, or at least as a public testimony of that profound regard wherewith i am, sir, your affectionate friend, and most obliged servant, st. george's day, . s. pegge. preface to the curious antiquarian reader. without beginning _ab ovo_ on a subject so light (a matter of importance, however, to many a modern catius or amasinius), by investigating the origin of the art of cookery, and the nature of it as practised by the antediluvians [ ]; without dilating on the several particulars concerning it afterwards amongst the patriarchs, as found in the bible [ ], i shall turn myself immediately, and without further preamble, to a few cursory observations respecting the greeks, romans, britons, and those other nations, saxons, danes, and normans, with whom the people of this nation are more closely connected. the greeks probably derived something of their skill from the east, (from the lydians principally, whose cooks are much celebrated, [ ]) and something from egypt. a few hints concerning cookery may be collected from homer, aristophanes, aristotle, &c. but afterwards they possessed many authors on the subject, as may be seen in athenæus [ ]. and as diætetics were esteemed a branch of the study of medicine, as also they were afterwards [ ], so many of those authors were physicians; and _the cook_ was undoubtedly a character of high reputation at athens [ ]. as to the romans; they would of course borrow much of their culinary arts from the greeks, though the cook with them, we are told, was one of the lowest of their slaves [ ]. in the latter times, however, they had many authors on the subject as well as the greeks, and the practitioners were men of some science [ ], but, unhappily for us, their compositions are all lost except that which goes under the name of apicius; concerning which work and its author, the prevailing opinion now seems to be, that it was written about the time of _heliogabalus_ [ ], by one _cælius_, (whether _aurelianus_ is not so certain) and that _apicius_ is only the title of it [ ]. however, the compilation, though not in any great repute, has been several times published by learned men. the aborigines of britain, to come nearer home, could have no great expertness in cookery, as they had no oil, and we hear nothing of their butter, they used only sheep and oxen, eating neither hares, though so greatly esteemed at rome, nor hens, nor geese, from a notion of superstition. nor did they eat fish. there was little corn in the interior part of the island, but they lived on milk and flesh [ ]; though it is expressly asserted by strabo that they had no cheese [ ]. the later britons, however, well knew how to make the best use of the cow, since, as appears from the laws of _hoel dda_, a.d. , this animal was a creature so essential, so common and useful in wales, as to be the standard in rating fines, &c. [ ]. hengist, leader of the saxons, made grand entertainments for king vortigern [ ], but no particulars have come down to us; and certainly little exquisite can be expected from a people then so extremely barbarous as not to be able either to read or write. 'barbari homines a septentrione, (they are the words of dr. lister) caseo et ferina subcruda victitantes, omnia condimenta adjectiva respuerunt' [ ]. some have fancied, that as the danes imported the custom of hard and deep drinking, so they likewise introduced the practice of gormandizing, and that this word itself is derived from _gormund_, the name of that danish king whom Ælfred the great persuaded to be christened, and called Æthelstane [ ], now 'tis certain that hardicnut stands on record as an egregious glutton [ ], but he is not particularly famous for being a _curious viander_; 'tis true again, that the danes in general indulged excessively in feasts and entertainments [ ], but we have no reason to imagine any elegance of cookery to have flourished amongst them. and though guthrum, the danish prince, is in some authors named _gormundus_ [ ]; yet this is not the right etymology of our english word _gormandize_, since it is rather the french _gourmand_, or the british _gormod_ [ ]. so that we have little to say as to the danes. i shall take the later english and the normans together, on account of the intermixture of the two nations after the conquest, since, as lord lyttelton observes, the english accommodated them elves to the norman manners, except in point of temperance in eating and drinking, and communicated to them their own habits of drunkenness and immoderate feasting [ ]. erasmus also remarks, that the english in his time were attached to _plentiful and splendid tables_; and the same is observed by harrison [ ]. as to the normans, both william i. and rufus made grand entertainments [ ]; the former was remarkable for an immense paunch, and withal was so exact, so nice and curious in his repasts [ ], that when his prime favourite william fitz- osberne, who as steward of the household had the charge of the cury, served him with the flesh of a crane scarcely half-roasted, he was so highly exasperated, that he lifted up his fist, and would have strucken him, had not eudo, appointed _dapiser_ immediately after, warded off the blow [ ]. _dapiser_, by which is usually understood _steward of the king's household_ [ ], was a high officer amongst the normans; and _larderarius_ was another, clergymen then often occupying this post, and sometimes made bishops from it [ ]. he was under the _dapiser_, as was likewise the _cocus dominicæ coquinæ_, concerning whom, his assistants and allowances, the _liber niger_ may be consulted [ ]. it appears further from _fleta_, that the chief cooks were often providers, as well as dressers, of victuals [ ]. but _magister coquinæ_, who was an esquire by office, seems to have had the care of pourveyance, a.d. [ ], and to have nearly corresponded with our _clerk of the kitchen_, having authority over the cooks [ ]. however, the _magnus coquus_, _coquorum præpositus_, _coquus regius_, and _grans queux_, were officers of considerable dignity in the palaces of princes; and the officers under them, according to du fresne, were in the french court a.d. , much about the time that our roll was made, 'queus, aideurs, asteurs, paiges, souffleurs, enfans, saussiers de commun, saussiers devers le roy, sommiers, poulliers, huissiers' [ ]. in regard to religious houses, the cooks of the greater foundations were officers of consequence, though under the cellarer [ ], and if he were not a monk, he nevertheless was to enjoy the portion of a monk [ ]. but it appears from somner, that at christ church, canterbury, the _lardyrer_ was the first or chief cook [ ]; and this officer, as we have seen, was often an ecclesiastic. however, the great houses had cooks of different ranks [ ]; and manors and churches [ ] were often given _ad cibum_ and _ad victum monachorum_ [ ]. a fishing at lambeth was allotted to that purpose [ ]. but whether the cooks were monks or not, the _magistri coquinæ_, kitcheners, of the monasteries, we may depend upon it, were always monks; and i think they were mostly ecclesiastics elsewhere: thus when cardinal otto, the pope's legate, was at oxford, a. , and that memorable fray happened between his retinue and the students, the _magister coquorum_ was the legate's brother, and was there killed [ ]. the reason given in the author, why a person so nearly allied to the great man was assigned to the office, is this, 'ne procuraretur aliquid venenorum, quod nimis [i.e. valde] timebat legatus;' and it is certain that poisoning was but too much in vogue in these times, both amongst the italians and the good people of this island [ ]; so that this was a post of signal trust and confidence. and indeed afterwards, a person was employed to _taste_, or _take the assaie_, as it was called [ ], both of the messes and the water in the ewer [ ], at great tables; but it may be doubted whether a particular person was appointed to this service, or it was a branch of the _sewer's_ and cup-bearer's duty, for i observe, the _sewer_ is sometimes called _prægustator_ [ ], and the cup-bearer tastes the water elsewhere [ ]. the religious houses, and their presidents, the abbots and priors, had their days of _gala_, as likewise their halls for strangers, whom, when persons of rank, they often entertained with splendour and magnificence. and as for the secular clergy, archbishops and bishops, their feasts, of which we have some upon record [ ], were so superb, that they might vie either with the regal entertainments, or the pontifical suppers of ancient rome (which became even proverbial [ ]), and certainly could not be dressed and set out without a large number of cooks [ ]. in short, the satirists of the times before, and about the time of, the reformation, are continually inveighing against the high-living of the bishops and clergy; indeed luxury was then carried to such an extravagant pitch amongst them, that archbishop cranmer, a. , found it necessary to bring the secular clergy under some reasonable regulation in regard to the furnishing of their tables, not excepting even his own [ ]. after this historical deduction of the _ars coquinaria_, which i have endeavoured to make as short as possible, it is time to say something of the roll which is here given to the public, and the methods which the editor has pursued in bringing it to light. this vellum roll contains _formulæ_, or recipes, and belonged once to the earl of oxford [ ]. the late james west esquire bought it at the earl's sale, when a part of his mss were disposed of; and on the death of the gentleman last mentioned it came into the hands of my highly-esteemed friend, the present liberal and most communicative possessor. it is presumed to be one of the most ancient remains of the kind now in being, rising as high as the reign of king richard ii. [ ]. however, it is far the largest and most copious collection of any we have; i speak as to those times. to establish its authenticity, and even to stamp an additional value upon it, it is the identical roll which was presented to queen elizabeth, in the th year of her reign, by lord stafford's heir, as appears from the following address, or inscription, at the end of it, in his own hand writing: 'antiquum hoc monumentum oblatum et missum est majestati vestræ vicesimo septimo die mensis julij, anno regni vestri fælicissimi vicesimo viij ab humilimo vestro subdito, vestræq majestati fidelissimo e. stafford, hæres domus subversæ buckinghamiens.' [ ] the general observations i have to make upon it are these: many articles, it seems, were in vogue in the fourteenth century, which are now in a manner obsolete, as cranes, curlews, herons, seals [ ], porpoises, &c. and, on the contrary, we feed on sundry fowls which are not named either in the roll, or the editor's ms. [ ] as quails, rails, teal, woodcocks, snipes, &c. which can scarcely be numbered among the _small birds_ mentioned . . . [ ]. so as to fish, many species appear at our tables which are not found in the roll, trouts, flounders, herrings, &c. [ ]. it were easy and obvious to dilate here on the variations of taste at different periods of time, and the reader would probably not dislike it; but so many other particulars demand our attention, that i shall content myself with observing in general, that whereas a very able _italian_ critic, _latinus latinius_, passed a sinister and unfavourable censure on certain seemingly strange medlies, disgusting and preposterous messes, which we meet with in _apicius_; dr. _lister_ very sensibly replies to his strictures on that head, 'that these messes are not immediately to be rejected, because they may be displeasing to some. _plutarch_ testifies, that the ancients disliked _pepper_ and the sour juice of lemons, insomuch that for a long time they only used these in their wardrobes for the sake of their agreeable scent, and yet they are the most wholesome of all fruits. the natives of the _west indies_ were no less averse to _salt_; and who would believe that _hops_ should ever have a place in our common beverage [ ], and that we should ever think of qualifying the sweetness of malt, through good housewifry, by mixing with it a substance so egregiously bitter? most of the _american_ fruits are exceedingly odoriferous, and therefore are very disgusting at first to us _europeans_: on the contrary, our fruits appear insipid to them, for want of odour. there are a thousand instances of things, would we recollect them all, which though disagreeable to taste are commonly assumed into our viands; indeed, _custom_ alone reconciles and adopts sauces which are even nauseous to the palate. _latinus latinius_ therefore very rashly and absurdly blames _apicius_, on account of certain preparations which to him, forsooth, were disrelishing.' [ ] in short it is a known maxim, that _de gustibus non est disputandum_; and so horace to the same purpose: 'tres mihi convivæ prope dissentire videntur, poscentes vario multum diversa palato. quid dem? quid non dem? renuis tu quod jubet alter. quod petis, id sane est invisum acidumque duobus.' hor. ii. epist. ii. and our roll sufficiently verifies the old observation of martial--_ingeniosa gula est_. [addenda: after _ingeniosa gula est_, add, 'the _italians_ now eat many things which we think perfect carrion. _ray_, trav. p. . . the _french_ eat frogs and snails. the _tartars_ feast on horse-flesh, the _chinese_ on dogs, and meer _savages_ eat every thing. _goldsmith_, hist. of the earth, &c. ii. p. , . . iii. p. . iv. p. . , &c.'] our cooks again had great regard to the eye, as well as the taste, in their compositions; _flourishing_ and _strewing_ are not only common, but even leaves of trees gilded, or silvered, are used for ornamenting messes, see no. [ ]. as to colours, which perhaps would chiefly take place in suttleties, blood boiled and fried (which seems to be something singular) was used for dying black, . . saffron for yellow, and sanders for red [ ]. alkenet is also used for colouring [ ], and mulberries [ ]; amydon makes white, ; and turnesole [ ] _pownas_ there, but what this colour is the editor professes not to know, unless it be intended for another kind of yellow, and we should read _jownas_, for _jaulnas_, orange-tawney. it was for the purpose of gratifying the sight that _sotiltees_ were introduced at the more solemn feasts. rabelais has comfits of an hundred colours. cury, as was remarked above, was ever reckoned a branch of the art medical; and here i add, that the verb _curare_ signifies equally to dress victuals [ ], as to cure a distemper; that every body has heard of _doctor diet, kitchen physick_, &c. while a numerous band of medical authors have written _de cibis et alimentis_, and have always classed diet among the _non-naturals_; so they call them, but with what propriety they best know. hence junius '[greek: diaita] græcis est victus, ac speciatim certa victus ratio, qualis a _medicis_ ad tuendam valetudinem præscribitur [ ].' our cooks expressly tell us, in their proem, that their work was compiled 'by assent and avysement of maisters of phisik and of philosophie that dwellid in his [the king's] court' where _physik_ is used in the sense of medecine, _physicus_ being applied to persons prosessing the art of healing long before the th century [ ], as implying _such_ knowledge and skill in all kinds of natural substances, constituting the _materia medica_, as was necessiary for them in practice. at the end of the editor's ms. is written this rhyme, explicit coquina que est optima medicina [ ]. there is much relative to eatables in the _schola salernitana_; and we find it ordered, that a physcian should over-see the young prince's wet-nurse at every meal, to inspect her meat and drink [ ]. but after all the avysement of physicians and philosophers, our processes do not appear by any means to be well calculated for the benefit of recipients, but rather inimical to them. many of them are so highly seasoned, are such strange and heterogeneous compositions, meer olios and gallimawfreys, that they seem removed as far as possible from the intention of contributing to health; indeed the messes are so redundant and complex, that in regard to herbs, in no. , no less than ten are used, where we should now be content with two or three: and so the sallad, no. , consists of no less than ingredients. the physicians appear only to have taken care that nothing directly noxious was suffered to enter the forms. however, in the editor's ms. no. , there is a prescription for making a _colys_, i presume a _cullis_, or invigorating broth; for which see dodsley's old plays, vol. ii. . vol. v. . vol. vi. . and the several plays mentioned in a note to the first mentioned passage in the edit. [ ]. i observe further, in regard to this point, that the quantities of things are seldom specified [ ], but are too much left to the taste and judgement of the cook, if he should happen to be rash and inconsiderate, or of a bad and undistinguishing taste, was capable of doing much harm to the guests, to invalids especially. though the cooks at rome, as has been already noted, were amongst the lowest slaves, yet it was not so more anciently; sarah and rebecca cook, and so do patroclus and automedon in the ninth iliad. it were to be wished indeed, that the reader could be made acquainted with the names of our _master-cooks_, but it is not in the power of the editor to gratify him in that; this, however, he may be assured of, that as the art was of consequence in the reign of richard, a prince renowned and celebrated in the roll [ ], for the splendor and elegance of his table, they must have been persons of no inconsiderable rank: the king's first and second cooks are now esquires by their office, and there is all the reason in the world to believe they were of equal dignity heretofore [ ]. to say a word of king _richard_: he is said in the proeme to have been 'acounted the best and ryallest vyaund [curioso in eating] of all esten kynges.' this, however, must rest upon the testimony of our cooks, since it does not appear otherwise by the suffrage of history, that he was particularly remarkable for his niceness and delicacy in eating, like heliogabalus, whose favourite dishes are said to have been the tongues of peacocks and nightingales, and the brains of parrots and pheasants [ ]; or like sept. geta, who, according to jul. capitolinus [ ], was so curious, so whimsical, as to order the dishes at his dinners to consist of things which all began with the same letters. sardanapalus again as we have it in athenæus [ ], gave a _præmium_ to any one that invented and served him with some novel cate; and sergius orata built a house at the entrance of the lucrine lake, purposely for the pleasure and convenience of eating the oysters perfectly fresh. richard ii is certainly not represented in story as resembling any such epicures, or capriccioso's, as these [ ]. it may, however, be fairly presumed, that good living was not wanting among the luxuries of that effeminate and dissipated reign. [addenda: after _ninth iliad_, add, 'and dr. _shaw_ writes, p. , that even now in the east, the greatest prince is not ashamed to fetch a lamb from his herd and kill it, whilst the princess is impatient till she hath prepared her fire and her kettle to dress it.'] [addenda: after _heretofore_ add, 'we have some good families in england of the name of _cook_ or _coke_. i know not what they may think; but we may depend upon it, they all originally sprang from real and professional cooks; and they need not be ashamed of their extraction, any more than the _butlers_, _parkers_, _spencers_, &c.'] my next observation is, that the messes both in the roll and the editor's ms, are chiefly soups, potages, ragouts, hashes, and the like hotche-potches; entire joints of meat being never _served_, and animals, whether fish or fowl, seldom brought to table whole, but hacked and hewed, and cut in pieces or gobbets [ ]; the mortar also was in great request, some messes being actually denominated from it, as _mortrews_, or _morterelys_ as in the editor's ms. now in this state of things, the general mode of eating must either have been with the spoon or the fingers; and this perhaps may have been the reason that spoons became an usual present from gossips to their god-children at christenings [ ]; and that the bason and ewer, for washing before and after dinner, was introduced, whence the _ewerer_ was a great officer [ ], and the _ewery_ is retained at court to this day [ ]; we meet with _damaske water_ after dinner [ ], i presume, perfumed; and the words _ewer_ &c. plainly come from the saxon eþe or french eau, _water_. thus, to return, in that little anecdote relative to the conqueror and william fitz-osbern, mentioned above, not the crane, but _the flesh of the crane_ is said to have been under-roasted. table, or case-knives, would be of little use at this time [ ], and the art of carving so perfectly useless, as to be almost unknown. in about a century afterwards, however, as appears from archbishop neville's entertainment, many articles were served whole, and lord wylloughby was the carver [ ]. so that carving began now to be practised, and the proper terms devised. wynken de worde printed a _book of kervinge_, a. , wherein the said terms are registered [ ]. 'the use of _forks_ at table, says dr. percy, did not prevail in england land till the reign of james i. as we learn from a remarkable passage in _coryat_ [ ]'; the passage is indeed curious, but too long to be here transcribed, where brevity is so much in view; wherefore i shall only add, that forks are not now used in some parts of spain [ ]. but then it may be said, what becomes of the old english hospitaliy in this case, the _roast-beef of old england_, so much talked of? i answer, these bulky and magnificent dishes must have been the product of later reigns, perhaps of queen elizabeth's time, since it is plain that in the days of rich. ii. our ancestors lived much after the french fashion. as to hospitality, the households of our nobles were immense, officers, retainers, and servants, being entertained almost without number; but then, as appears from the northumberland book, and afterwards from the household establisliment of the prince of wales, a. , the individuals, or at least small parties, had their _quantum_, or ordinary, served out, where any good oeconomy was kept, apart to themselves [ ]. again, we find in our roll, that great quantities of the respective viands of the hashes, were often made at once, as no. , _take hennes or conynges_. , _take hares_. , _take pygges_. and , _take gees_, &c. so that hospitality and plentiful housekeeping could just as well be maintained this way, as by the other of cumbrous unwieldy messes, as much as a man could carry. as the messes and sauces are so complex, and the ingredients consequently so various, it seems necessary that a word should be spoken concerning the principal of them, and such as are more frequently employed, before we pass to our method of proceeding in the publication. butter is little used. 'tis first mentioned no. , and occurs but rarely after [ ]; 'tis found but once in the editor's ms, where it is written _boter_. the usual substitutes for it are oil-olive and lard; the latter is frequently called _grees_, or _grece_, or _whitegrece_, as no. . . _capons in grease_ occur in birch's life of henry prince of wales, p. , . and see lye in jun. etym. v. _greasie_. bishop patrick has a remarkable passage concerning this article: 'though we read of cheese in _homer_, _euripides_, _theocritus_, and others, yet they never mention _butter_: nor hath aristotle a word of it, though he hath sundry observations about cheese; for butter was not a thing then known among the _greeks_; though we see by this and many other places, it was an ancient food among the eastern people [ ].' the greeks, i presume, used oil instead of it, and butter in some places of scripture is thought to mean only cream. [ ] cheese. see the last article, and what is said of the old britons above; as likewise our glossary. ale is applied, no. , et alibi; and often in the editor's ms. as , , &c. it is used instead of wine, no. , and sometimes along with bread in the editor's ms. [ ] indeed it is a current opinion that brewing with hops was not introduced here till the reign of king henry viii. [ ] _bere_, however, is mentioned a. . [ ] wine is common, both red, and white, no. . . . this article they partly had of their own growth, [ ] and partly by importation from france [ ] and greece [ ]. they had also rhenish [ ], and probably several other sorts. the _vynegreke_ is among the sweet wines in a ms of mr. astle. rice. as this grain was but little, if at all, cultivated in england, it must have been brought from abroad. whole or ground-rice enters into a large number of our compositions, and _resmolle_, no. , is a direct preparation of it. alkenet. _anchusa_ is not only used for colouring, but also fried and yfoundred, . yfondyt, . i. e. dissolved, or ground. 'tis thought to be a species of the _buglos_. saffron. saffrwm, brit. whence it appears, that this name ran through most languages. mr. weever informs us, that this excellent drug was brought hither in the time of edward iii. [ ] and it may be true; but still no such quantity could be produced here in the next reign as to supply that very large consumption which we see made of it in our roll, where it occurs not only as an ingredient in the processes, but also is used for colouring, for flourishing, or garnishing. it makes a yellow, no. , and was imported from egypt, or cilicia, or other parts of the levant, where the turks call it safran, from the arabic zapheran, whence the english, italians, french, and germans, have apparently borrowed their respective names of it. the romans were well acquainted with the drug, but did not use it much in the kitchen [ ]. pere calmet says, the hebrews were acquainted with anise, ginger, saffron, but no other spices [ ]. pynes. there is some difficulty in enucleating the meaning of this word, though it occurs so often. it is joined with dates, no. . . with honey clarified, . with powder-fort, saffron, and salt, . with ground dates, raisins, good powder, and salt, . and lastly they are fried, . now the dish here is _morree_, which in the editor's ms. , is made of mulberries (and no doubt has its name from them), and yet there are no mulberries in our dish, but pynes, and therefore i suspect, that mulberries and pynes are the same, and indeed this fruit has some resemblance to a pynecone. i conceive _pynnonade_, the dish, no. , to be so named from the pynes therein employed; and quære whether _pyner_ mentioned along with powder-fort, saffron, and salt, no. , as above in no. , should not be read _pynes_. but, after all, we have cones brought hither from italy full of nuts, or kernels, which upon roasting come out of their _capsulæ_, and are much eaten by the common people, and these perhaps may be the thing intended. [addenda: after _intended_. add, 'see _ray_, trav. p. . . and _wright's_ trav. p. .'] honey was the great and universal sweetner in remote antiquity, and particularly in this island, where it was the chief constituent of _mead_ and _metheglin_. it is said, that at this day in _palestine_ they use honey in the greatest part of their ragouts [ ]. our cooks had a method of clarifying it, no. . . which was done by putting it in a pot with whites of eggs and water, beating them well together; then setting it over the fire, and boiling it; and when it was ready to boil over to take it and cool it, no. . this i presume is called _clere honey_, no. . and, when honey was so much in use, it appears from barnes that _refining_ it was a trade of itself [ ]. sugar, or sugur [ ], was now beginning here to take place of honey; however, they are used together, no. . sugar came from the indies, by way of damascus and aleppo, to venice, genoa, and pisa, and from these last places to us [ ]. it is here not only frequently used, but was of various sorts, as _cypre_, no. . . . named probably from the isle of cyprus, whence it might either come directly to us, or where it had received some improvement by way of refining. there is mention of _blanch-powder or white sugar_, . they, however, were not the same, for see no. . sugar was clarified sometimes with wine [ ]. spices. _species_. they are mentioned in general no. , and _whole spices_, , . but they are more commonly specified, and are indeed greatly used, though being imported from abroad, and from so far as italy or the levant (and even there must be dear), some may wonder at this: but it shouid be considered, that our roll was chiefly compiled for the use of noble and princely tables; and the same may be said of the editor's ms. the spices came from the same part of the world, and by the same route, as sugar did. the _spicery_ was an ancient department at court, and had its proper officers. as to the particular sorts, these are, cinamon. _canell_. . . _canel_, editor's ms. . _kanell_, ibid. . is the italian _canella_. see chaucer. we have the flour or powder, no. . . see wiclif. it is not once mentioned in apicius. macys, . . editor's ms. . _maces_, . editor's ms. . they are used whole, no. . and are always expressed plurally, though we now use the singular, _mace_. see junii etym. cloves. no. . dishes are flourished with them, . . editor's ms. . . where we have _clowys gylofres_, as in our roll, no. . _powdour gylofre_ occurs . . chaucer has _clowe_ in the singular, and see him v. clove-gelofer. galyngal, . and elsewhere. galangal, the long rooted cyperus [ ], is a warm cardiac and cephalic. it is used in powder, . . and was the chief ingredient in _galentine_, which, i think, took its name from it. pepper. it appears from pliny that this pungent, warm seasoning, so much in esteem at rome [ ], came from the east indies [ ], and, as we may suppose, by way of alexandria. we obtained it no doubt, in the th century, from the same quarter, though not exactly by the same route, but by venice or genoa. it is used both whole, no. , and in powder, no. . and long-pepper occurs, if we read the place rightly, in no. . ginger, gyngyn. . . alibi. powder is used, . . alibi. and rabelais iv. c. . the white powder, . and it is the name of a mess, . quære whether _gyngyn_ is not misread for _gyngyr_, for see junii etym. the romans had their ginger from troglodytica [ ]. cubebs, . . are a warm spicy grain from the east. grains of paradice, or _de parys_, . [ ] are the greater cardamoms. noix muscadez, . nutmegs. the caraway is once mentioned, no. . and was an exotic from _caria_, whence, according to mr. lye, it took its name: 'sunt semina, inquit, _carri_ vel _carrei_, sic dicti a caria, ubi copiosissimè nascitur [ ].' powder-douce, which occurs so often, has been thought by some, who have just peeped into our roll, to be the same as sugar, and only a different name for it; but they are plainly mistaken, as is evident from . . . . where they are mentioned together as different things. in short, i take powder-douce to be either powder of galyngal, for see editor's ms ii. . , or a compound made of sundry aromatic spices ground or beaten small, and kept always ready at hand in some proper receptacle. it is otherwise termed _good powders_, . . and in editor's ms . . [ ]. or _powder_ simply, no. , . _white powder-douce_ occurs no. , which seems to be the same as blanch-powder, . . called _blaynshe powder_, and bought ready prepared, in northumb. book, p. . it is sometimes used with powder-fort, . . for which see the next and last article. powder-fort, . . seems to be a mixture likewise of the warmer spices, pepper, ginger, &c. pulverized: hence we have _powder-fort of gynger, other of canel_, . it is called _strong powder_, . and perhaps may sometimes be intended by _good powders_. if you will suppose it to be kept ready prepared by the vender, it may be the _powder-marchant_, . . found joined in two places with powder- douce. this speght says is what gingerbread is made of; but skinner disapproves this explanation, yet, says mr. urry, gives none of his own. after thus travelling through the most material and most used ingredients, the _spykenard de spayn_ occurring only once, i shall beg leave to offer a few words on the nature, and in favour of the present publication, and the method employed in the prosecution of it. [illustration: take þe chese and of flessh of capouns, or of hennes & hakke smal and grynde hem smale inn a morter, take mylke of almandes with þe broth of freysh beef. oþer freysh flessh, & put the flessh in þe mylke oþer in the broth and set hem to þe fyre, & alye hem with flour of ryse, or gastbon, or amydoun as chargeaunt as þe blank desire, & with zolks of ayren and safroun for to make hit zelow, and when it is dressit in dysshes with blank desires; styk aboue clowes de gilofre, & strawe powdour of galyugale above, and serue it forth.] the common language of the _formulæ_, though old and obsolete, as naturally may be expected from the age of the ms, has no other difficulty in it but what may easily be overcome by a small degree of practice and application [ ]: however, for the further illustration of this matter, and the satisfaction of the curious, a _fac simile_ of one of the recipes is represented in the annexed plate. if here and there a hard and uncouth term or expression may occur, so as to stop or embarrass the less expert, pains have been taken to explain them, either in the annotations under the text, or in the index and glossary, for we have given it both titles, as intending it should answer the purpose of both [ ]. now in forming this alphabet, as it would have been an endless thing to have recourse to all our glossaries, now so numerous, we have confined ourselves, except perhaps in some few instances, in which the authorities are always mentioned, to certain contemporary writers, such as the editor's ms, of which we shall speak more particularly hereafter, chaucer, and wiclif; with whom we have associated junius' etymologicon anglicanum. as the abbreviations of the roll are here retained, in order to establish and confirm the age of it, it has been thought proper to adopt the types which our printer had projected for domesday-book, with which we find that our characters very nearly coincide. the names of the dishes and sauces have occasioned the greatest perplexity. these are not only many in number, but are often so horrid and barbarous, to our ears at least, as to be inveloped in several instances in almost impenetrable obscurity. bishop godwin complains of this so long ago as [ ]. the _contents_ prefixed will exhibit at once a most formidable list of these hideous names and titles, so that there is no need to report them here. a few of these terms the editor humbly hopes he has happily enucleated, but still, notwithstanding all his labour and pains, the argument is in itself so abstruse at this distance of time, the helps so few, and his abilities in this line of knowledge and science so slender and confined, that he fears he has left the far greater part of the task for the more sagacious reader to supply: indeed, he has not the least doubt, but other gentlemen of curiosity in such matters (and this publication is intended for them alone) will be so happy as to clear up several difficulties, which appear now to him insuperable. it must be confessed again, thatthe editor may probably have often failed in those very points, which he fancies and flatters himself to have elucidated, but this he is willing to leave to the candour of the public. now in regard to the helps i mentioned; there is not much to be learnt from the great inthronization-feast of archbishop robert winchelsea, a. , even if it were his; but i rather think it belongs to archbishop william warham, a. [ ]. some use, however, has been made of it. ralph bourne was installed abbot of st. augustine's, near canterbury, a. ; and william thorne has inserted a list of provisions bought for the feast, with their prices, in his chronicle [ ]. the great feast at the inthronization of george nevile archbishop of york, edward iv. is printed by mr. hearne [ ], and has been of good service. elizabeth, queen of king henry vii. was crowned a. , and the messes at the dinner, in two courses, are registered in the late edition of leland's collectenea, a. [ ], and we have profited thereby. the lenten inthronization-feast of archbishop william warham, a. [ ], given us at large by mr. hearne [ ], has been also consulted. there is a large catalogue of viands in rabelais, lib. iv. cap. . . and the english translation of mr. ozell affording little information, i had recourse to the french original, but not to much more advantage. there is also a royal feast at the wedding of the earl of devonshire, in the harleian misc. no. , and it has not been neglected. randle holme, in his multifarious _academy of armory_, has an alphabet of terms and dishes [ ]; but though i have pressed him into the service, he has not contributed much as to the more difficult points. the antiquarian repertory, vol. ii. p. , exhibits an entertainment of the mayor of rochester, a. ; but there is little to be learned from thence. the present work was printed before no. of the antiquarian repertory, wherein some ancient recipes in cookery are published, came to the editor's hand. i must not omit my acknowledgments to my learned friend the present dean of carlisle, to whom i stand indebted for his useful notes on the northumberland-household book, as also for the book itself. our chief assistance, however, has been drawn from a ms belonging to the editor, denoted, when cited, by the signature _ms. ed._ it is a vellum miscellany in small quarto, and the part respecting this subject consists of ninety-one english recipes (or _nyms_) in cookery. these are disposed into two parts, and are intituled, 'hic incipiunt universa servicia tam de carnibus quam de pissibus.' [ ] the second part, relates to the dressing of fish, and other lenten fare, though forms are also there intermixed which properly belong to flesh-days. this leads me to observe, that both here, and in the roll, messes are sometimes accommodated, by making the necessary alterations, both to flesh and fish-days. [ ] now, though the subjects of the ms are various, yet the hand-writing is uniform; and at the end of one of the tracts is added, 'explicit massa compoti, anno dñi m'lo ccc'mo octogesimo primo ipso die felicis et audacti.' [ ], i.e. aug. , in the reign of rich. ii. the language and orthography accord perfectly well with this date, and the collection is consequently contemporary with our roll, and was made chiefly, though not altogether, for the use of great tables, as appears from the _sturgeon_, and the great quantity of venison therein prescribed for. as this ms is so often referred to in the annotations, glossary, and even in this preface, and is a compilation of the same date, on the same subject, and in the same language, it has been thought adviseable to print it, and subjoin it to the roll; and the rather, because it really furnishes a considerable enlargement on the subject, and exhibits many forms unnoticed in the roll. to conclude this tedious preliminary detail, though unquestionably a most necessary part of his duty, the editor can scarcely forbear laughing at himself, when he reflects on his past labours, and recollects those lines of the poet martial; turpe est difficiles habere nugas, et stultus labor est ineptiarum. ii. . and that possibly mesdames _carter_ and _raffald_, with twenty others, might have far better acquitted themselves in the administration of this province, than he has done. he has this comfort and satisfaction, however, that he has done his best; and that some considerable names amongst the learned, humelbergius, torinus, barthius, our countryman dr. lister, almeloveen, and others, have bestowed no less pains in illustrating an author on the same subject, and scarcely of more importance, the _pseudo-apicius_. [ ] if, according to petavius and le clerc, the world was created in autumn, when the fruits of the earth were both plentiful and in the highest perfection, the first man had little occasion for much culinary knowledge; roasting or boiling the cruder productions, with modes of preserving those which were better ripened, seem to be all that was necessary for him in the way of _cury_, and even after he was displaced from paradise, i conceive, as many others do, he was not permitted the use of animal food [gen. i. .]; but that this was indulged to us, by an enlargement of our charter, after the flood, gen. ix, . but, without wading any further in the argument here, the reader is referred to gen. ii. . seq. iii. , seq. . [addenda: add 'vi. . where _noah_ and the beasts are to live on the same food.'] [ ] genesis xviii. xxvii. though their best repasts, from the politeness of the times, were called by the simple names of _bread_, or a _morsel of bread_, yet they were not unacquainted with modes of dressing flesh, boiling, roasting, baking; nor with sauce, or seasoning, as salt and oil, and perhaps some aromatic herbs. calmet v. meats and eating, and qu. of honey and cream, ibid. [ ] athenæus, lib. xii. cap. . [ ] athenæus, lib. xii. cap. . et cafaubon. see also lister ad apicium, præf. p. ix. jungerm. ad jul. polluccm, lib. vi. c. . [ ] see below. 'tamen uterque [torinus et humelbergius] hæc scripta [i, e. apicii] ad medicinam vendicarunt.' lister, præf. p. iv. viii. ix. [ ] athenaæus, p. . . [ ] priv. life of the romans, p. . lister's præf, p. iii, but ter. an, i. . casaub. ad jul. capitolin. cap. . [ ] casaub. ad capitolin. l. c. [ ] lister's præf. p. ii. vi. xii. [ ] fabric. bibl. lat. tom. ii. p. . hence dr. bentley ad hor. ii. ferm. . . stiles it _pseudapicius_. vide listerum, p. iv. [ ] cæsar de b. g. v. § . [ ] strabo, lib. iv. p. . pegge's essay on coins of cunob, p. . [ ] archæologia, iv. p. . godwin, de præsul. p. , seq. [ ] malmsb. p. . galfr. mon. vi. . [ ] lister. ad apic. p. xi. where see more to the same purpose. [ ] spelm. life of Ælfred, p. . drake, eboracum. append, p. civ. [ ] speed's history. [ ] mons. mallet, cap. . [ ] wilkins, concil. i. p. . drake, ebor. p. . append, p. civ. cv. [ ] menage, orig. v. gourmand. [ ] lord lyttelton, hist. of h. ii. vol. iii. p. . [ ] harrison, descript. of britain, p. , . [ ] stow, p. . . [ ] lord lyttelton observes, that the normans were delicate in their food, but without excess. life of hen. ii. vol. iii. p. . [ ] dugd. bar. i. p. . henry ii. served to his son. lord lyttelton, iv. p. . [ ] godwin de præsul. p. , renders _carver_ by _dapiser_, but this i cannot approve. see thoroton. p. . . dugd. bar. i. p. . . . lib. nig. p. . kennet, par. ant. p. . and, to name no more, spelm. in voce. the _carver_ was an officer inferior to the _dapiser_, or _steward_, and even under his control. vide lel. collect. vi. p. . and yet i find sir walter manny when young was carver to philippa queen of king edward iii. barnes hist. of e. iii. p. . the _steward_ had the name of _dapiser_, i apprehend, from serving up the first dish. v. supra. [ ] sim. dunelm. col. . hoveden, p. . malms. de pont. p. . [ ] lib. nig. scaccarii, p. . [ ] fleta, ii. cap. . [ ] du fresne, v. magister. [ ] du fresne, ibid. [ ] du fresne, v. coquus. the curious may compare this list with lib. nig. p. . [ ] in somner, ant. cant. append. p. . they are under the _magister coquinæ_, whose office it was to purvey; and there again the chief cooks are proveditors; different usages might prevail at different times and places. but what is remarkable, the _coquinarius_, or kitchener, which seems to answer to _magister coquinæ_, is placed before the cellarer in tanner's notitia, p. xxx. but this may be accidental. [ ] du fresne, v. coquus. [ ] somner, append. p. . [ ] somner, ant. cant. append. p. . [ ] somner, p. . [ ] somner, p. , , , sæpius. [ ] somner, l. c. [ ] m. paris, p . . [ ] dugd. bar. i. p. . stow, p. . m. paris, p. . . m. westm. p. . [ ] lel. collectan. vi. p. . seq. [ ] ibid. p. . . [ ] compare leland, p. . with godwin de præsul. p. . and so junius in etymol. v. sewer. [ ] leland, p. , . there are now _two yeomen of the mouth_ in the king's household. [ ] that of george neville, archbishop of york, edw. iv. and that of william warham, archbishop of canterbury, a.d. . these were both of them inthronization feasts. leland, collectan. vi. p. and of appendix. they were wont _minuere sanguinem_ after these superb entertainments, p. . [ ] hor. ii. od. xiv. . where see mons. dacier. [ ] sixty-two were employed by archbishop neville. and the hire of cooks at archbishop warham's feast came to l. s. d. [ ] strype, life of cranmer, p. , or lel. coll. ut supra, p. . sumptuary laws in regard to eating were not unknown in ancient rome. erasm. colloq. p. . ed. schrev. nor here formerly, see lel. coll. vi. p. . for ed. ii. [ ] i presume it may be the same roll which mr. hearne mentions in his lib. nig. scaccarii, i. p. . see also three different letters of his to the earl of oxford, in the brit. mus. in the second of which he stiles the roll _a piece of antiquity, and a very great rarity indeed_. harl. mss. no. . [ ] see the proem. [ ] this lord was grandson of edward duke of bucks, beheaded a. , whose son henry was restored in blood; and this edward, the grandson, born about , might be or years old when he presented the roll to the queen. [ ] mr. topham's ms. has _socas_ among the fish; and see archbishop nevil's feast, e. iv. to be mentioned below. [ ] of which see an account below. [ ] see northumb. book, p. , and notes. [ ] as to carps, they were unknown in england t. r. ii. fulier, worth. in sussex, p. . . stow, hist. . [ ] the italians still call the hop _cattiva erba_. there was a petition against them t. h. vi. fuller, worth. p. , &c. evelyn, sylva, p. . . ed. hunter. [ ] lister, præf. ad apicium, p. xi. [ ] so we have _lozengs of golde_. lel. collect. iv. p. . and a wild boar's head _gylt_, p. . a peacock with _gylt neb_. vi. p. . _leche lambart gylt_, ibid. [ ] no. . . . see my friend dr. percy on the northumberland- book, p. . and ms ed. . [ ] no. . . . [ ] no. . . ms ed. . [ ] perhaps turmerick. see ad loc. [ ] ter. andr. i. . where donatus and mad. dacier explain it of cooking. mr. hearne, in describing our roll, see above, p. xi, by an unaccountable mistake, read _fary_ instead of _cury_, the plain reading of the ms. [ ] junii etym. v. diet. [ ] reginaldus phisicus. m. paris, p. . . . . et in vit. p. . . chaucer's _medicus_ is a doctor of phisick, p. . v. junii etym. voce physician. for later times, v. j. rossus, p. . [ ] that of donatus is modest 'culina medicinæ famulacrix est.' [ ] lel. collect. iv. p. . 'diod. siculus refert primos Ægypti reges victum quotidianum omnino sumpsisse ex medicorum præscripto.' lister ad apic. p. ix. [ ] see also lylie's euphues, p. . cavendish, life of wolsey, p. , where we have _callis_, malè; cole's and lyttleton's dict. and junii etymolog. v. collice. [ ] see however, no. , and editor's ms ii. . [ ] vide the proeme. [ ] see above. [ ] univ. hist. xv. p. . 'Æsopus pater linguas avium humana vocales lingua cænavit; filius margaritas.' lister ad apicium, p. vii. [ ] jul. capitolinus, c. . [ ] athenæus, lib. xii. c. . something of the same kind is related of heliogabalus, lister præf. ad apic. p. vii. [ ] to omit the paps of a pregnant sow, hor. i. ep. xv. . where see mons. dacier; dr. fuller relates, that the tongue of carps were accounted by the ancient roman palate-men most delicious meat. worth. in sussex. see other instances of extravagant roman luxury in lister's præf. to apicius, p. vii. [ ] see, however, no. , , , . [addenda: add 'reflect on the spanish _olio_ or _olla podrida_, and the french fricassée.'] [ ] the king, in shakespeare, hen. viii. act iv. sc. . and . calls the gifts of the sponsors, _spoons_. these were usually gilt, and, the figures of the apostles being in general carved on them, were called _apostle spoons_. see mr. steevens's note in ed. , vol. vii. p. , also gent. mag. , p. . [ ] lel. collect. iv. p. . vi. p. . [ ] see dr. percy's curious notes on the northumb. book, p. . [ ] ibid. vi. p. . . [ ] they were not very common at table among the greeks. casaub. ad athenæum, col. . but see lel. coll. vi. p. . [ ] leland, collectan. vi. p. . archbishop warham also had his carver, ibid. p. . see also, iv. p. . . he was a great officer. northumb. book, p. . [ ] ames, typ. ant. p. . the terms may also be seen in rand. holme iii. p. . [ ] dr. percy, . c. [ ] thicknesse, travels, p., . [ ] dr. birch, life of henry prince of wales, p. . seq. [ ] no. , . . [ ] bishop patrick on genesis xviii. . [ ] calmer, v. butter. so judges iv, . compared with v. . [ ] ib. no. , , . [ ] stow, hist. p. . [ ] lel. coll. vi. p. . and see dr. percy on northumb. book, p. . [ ] archæologia, i. p. . ill, p. . [ ] barrington's observ. on statutes, p. . . edit. d. archæolog. i. p. . fitz-stephen, p. . lel. coll. vi. p. . northumb. book, p. . and notes. [ ] no. . . . [ ] no. . [ ] fun. mon. p. [ ] dr. lister, præf. ad apicium, p. xii. [ ] calmet. dict. v. eating. [ ] calmet. dict. v. meats. [ ] barnes, hist. of e. iii. p. . [ ] no. , editor's ms. . alibi. [ ] moll, geogr. ii. p. . harris, coll. of voyages, i. p. . ed. campbell. [ ] no. . . [ ] glossary to chaucer. see the northumb. book, p. and . also quincy's dispens. and brookes's nat. hist. of vegetables. [ ] lister, præf. ad apicium, p. xii. [ ] plinius, nat. hist. xii. cap. . [ ] bochart. iii. col. . [ ] see our gloss. voce greynes. [ ] lye, in junii etymolog. [ ] but see the next article. [ ] doing, hewing, hacking, grinding, kerving, &c. are easily understood. [ ] by combining the index and glossary together, we have had an opportunity of elucidating some terms more at large than could conveniently be done in the notes. we have also cast the index to the roll, and that to the editor's ms, into one alphabet; distinguishing, however, the latter from the former. [ ] godwin de præsul. p. . [ ] in dr. drake's edition of archbishop parker, p. lxiii. it is given to archbishop winchelsea: but see mr. battely's append. to _cantuaria sacra_, p. . or the archæologia, i. p. . and leland's collectanea, vi. p. . where it is again printed, and more at large, and ascribed to warham. [ ] thorne, chron. inter x script. col. . or lel. collect. vi. p. . ed. . [ ] leland, collect. vi. p. . see also randle holme, iii. p. . bishop godwin de præsul. p. . ed. richardson; where there are some considerable variations in the messes or services, and he and the roll in leland will correct one another. [ ] vol. iv. p. . [ ] see first paragraph before. [ ] leland's collect. vi. p. . [ ] holme, acad. of armory, iii. p. . [ ] it is _pissibus_ again in the title to the second part. [ ] no. . . here no. . . . [ ] in the common calendars of our missals and breviaries, the latter saint is called _adauctus_, but in the kalend. roman. of joh. fronto, paris. , p. , he is written _audactus_, as here; and see martyrolog. bedæ, p. . the forme of cury. ... fome [ ] of cury [ ] was compiled of the chef maister cokes of kyng richard the secunde kyng of .nglond [ ] aftir the conquest. the which was acounted þe [ ] best and ryallest vyand [ ] of alle csten .ynges [ ] and it was compiled by assent and avysement of maisters and [ ] phisik [ ] and of philosophie þat dwellid in his court. first it techiþ a man for to make commune potages and commune meetis for howshold as þey shold be made craftly and holsomly. aftirward it techiþ for to make curious potages & meetes and sotiltees [ ] for alle maner of states bothe hye and lowe. and the techyng of the forme of making of potages & of meetes bothe of flessh and of fissh. buth [ ] y sette here by noumbre and by ordre. sso þis little table here sewyng [ ] wole teche a man with oute taryyng: to fynde what meete þat hym lust for to have. or [ ] to make gronnden benes . . . . . i. for to make drawen benes. . . . . . . . . ii. for to make grewel forced.. . . . . . . . iii. caboches in potage. . . . . . . . . . . . iiii. rapes in potage . . . . . . . . . . . . . v. eowtes of flessh. . . . . . . . . . . . . vi. hebolas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii. gowrdes in potage . . . . . . . . . . . . viii. ryse of flessh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix. funges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x. bursen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi. corat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii. noumbles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii. roobroth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiiii. tredure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv. mounchelet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi. bukkenade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii. connat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii. drepee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix. mawmenee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx. egurdouce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi. capouns in conney . . . . . . . . . . . . xxii. haares in talbotes. . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii. haares in papdele . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiiii. connynges in cynee. . . . . . . . . . . . xxv. connynges in gravey . . . . . . . . . . . xxvi. chykens in gravey . . . . . . . . . . . . xxvii. filetes in galyntyne. . . . . . . . . . . xxviii. pigges in sawse sawge . . . . . . . . . . xxix. sawse madame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxx. gees in hoggepot. . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxi. carnel of pork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxii. chikens in caudell. . . . . . . . . . . . xxxiii. chikens in hocchee. . . . . . . . . . . . xxxiii. for to boyle fesauntes, partyches capons and curlewes . . . . . . . . . . . xxx. v. blank manng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxvi. blank dessorre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxvii. morree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxviii. charlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxix. charlot y forced. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. cawdel ferry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. i. iusshell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. iii.[ ] iusshell enforced . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. iiii. mortrews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. v. blank mortrews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. vi. brewet of almony. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. vii. peions y stewed . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. viii. loseyns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. ix. tartletes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. x. pynnonade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. xi. rosee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. xii. cormarye. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. xiii. new noumbles of deer. . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. xiiii. nota. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. xv. nota. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. xvi. ipynee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. xvii. chyryse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. xviii. payn foundewe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ii. xix. crotoun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. vyne grace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. i. fonnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. ii. douce ame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. iii. connynges in cirypp . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. iiii. leche lumbard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. v. connynges in clere broth. . . . . . . . . xx.iii. vi. payn ragoun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. vii. lete lardes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. viii. furmente with porpeys . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. ix. perrey of pesoun. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. x. pesoun of almayn. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. xi. chiches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. xii. frenche owtes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. xiii. makke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. xiiii. aquapates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. xv. salat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. xvi. fenkel in soppes. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. xvii. clat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. xviii. appulmoy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iii. xix. slete soppes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. letelorye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. i. sowpes dorry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. ii. rapey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. iii. sause sarzyne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. iiii. creme of almanndes. . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. v. grewel of almandes. . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. vi. cawdel of almandes mylk . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. vii. iowtes of almannd mylk. . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. viii. fygey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. ix. pochee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. x. brewet of ayrenn. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. xi. macrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. xii. tostee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. xiii. gyndawdry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. xiiii. erbowle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. xv. resmolle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. xvi. vyannde cipre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. xvii. vyannde cipre of samon. . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. xviii. vyannde ryal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.iiii. ix. compost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. gelee of fyssh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. i. gelee of flessh . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. ii. chysanne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. iii. congur in sawce . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. iiii. rygh in sawce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. v. makerel in sawce. . . . . . . . . . . . . c. vi. pykes in brasey . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. vii. porpeys in broth. . . . . . . . . . . . . c. viii. ballok broth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. ix. eles in brewet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. x cawdel of samoun. . . . . . . . . . . . . c. xi. plays in cynee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. xii. for to make flaumpeyns. . . . . . . . . . c. xiii. for to make noumbles in lent. . . . . . . c. xiiii. for to make chawdoun for lent . . . . . . c. xv. furmente with porpays . . . . . . . . . . c. xvi. fylettes in galyntyne . . . . . . . . . . c. xvii. veel in buknade . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. xviii. sooles in cyney . . . . . . . . . . . . . c. ix. tenches in cyney. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. oysters in gravey . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. i muskels in brewet . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. ii oysters in cyney. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. iii. cawdel of muskels . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. iiii. mortrews of fyssh . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. v laumpreys in galyntyne. . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. vi. laumprouns in galyntyne . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. vii. losyns in fysshe day. . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. viii. sowpes in galyntyne . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. ix. sobre sawse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. x. colde brewet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. xi. peeres in confyt. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. xii. egur douce of fyssh . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. xiii. cold brewet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. xiiii. pevorat for veel and venysoun . . . . . . xx.vi. xv. sawce blaunche for capouns y sode . . . . xx.vi. xvi. sawce noyre for capons y rosted . . . . . xx.vi. xvii. galentyne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. xviii. gyngeuer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vi. xix. verde sawse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. sawce noyre for mallard . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. i. cawdel for gees . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. ii. chawdon for swannes . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. iii. sawce camelyne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. iiii. lumbard mustard . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. v. nota. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. vi. nota. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. vii. frytour blaunched . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. viii. frytour of pasturnakes. . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. ix. frytour of mylke. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. x. frytour of erbes. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. xi. raisiowls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. xii. whyte milates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. xiii. crustardes of flessh. . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. xiiii. mylates of pork . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. xv. crustardes of fyssh . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. xvi. crustardes of erbis on fyssh day. . . . . xx.vii. xvii. lesshes fryed in lentoun. . . . . . . . . xx.vii. xviii. wastels y farced. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.vii. xix. sawge y farced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. sawgeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. i. cryspes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. ii. cryspels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. iii. tartee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. iiii. tart in ymbre day . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. v. tart de bry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. vi. tart de brymlent. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. vii. tartes of flessh. . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. viii. tartletes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. ix. tartes of fyssh . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. x. sambocade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. xi. erbolat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. xii. nysebek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. xiii. for to make pom dorryes. & oþer þynges. . xx.viii. xiiii. cotagres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. xv. hart rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. xvi. potews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. xvii. sachus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. xviii. bursews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.viii. xix. spynoches y fryed . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. benes y fryed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. i. russhewses of fruyt . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. ii. daryols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. iii. flaumpens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. iiii. chewetes on flessh day. . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. v. chewetes on fyssh day . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. vi. hastletes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.xi. vii. comadore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. viii. chastletes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. ix. for to make twey pecys of flesshe to fasten to gydre. . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. x. pur fait y pocras . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. xi. for to make blank maunnger. . . . . . . . xx.ix. xii. for to make blank desire. . . . . . . . . xx.ix. xiii. for to make mawmoune. . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. xiiii. the pety peruaunt . . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. xv. and the pete puant. . . . . . . . . . . . xx.ix. xvi. xplicit tabula. [ ] this is a kind of preamble to the roll. a space is left for the initial word, intended to be afterwards written in red ink, and presumed to be Ðis. _fome_, the _lineola_ over it being either casually omitted, or since obliterated, means _form_, written foume below, and in no. . [ ] cury. cookery. we have adopted it in the title. v. preface. [ ] ynglond. _e_ was intended to be prefixed in red ink. vide note [ ] and [ ]. [ ] þ. this saxon letter with the power of _th_, is used almost perpetually in our roll and the editor's ms. every one may not have adverted to it; but this character is the ground of our present abbreviations y'e the, y't that, y's this, &c. the y in these cases being evidently only an altered and more modern way of writing þ. [ ] vyaund. this word is to be understood in the concrete, _quasi_ vyander, a curious epicure, an _apicius_. v. preface. [ ] csten ynges. christian kings. _k_ being to be inserted afterwards (v. note [ ] and [ ]) in red ink. chaucer, v. christen. [ ] and. read _of_. [ ] phisik. v. preface. [ ] sotiltees. devices in paste, wax, and confectionary ware; reviving now, in some measure, in our grander deserts. v. index. [ ] buth. _be_, or _are_. v. index. [ ] sewing. following; from the french. hence our _ensue_ written formerly _ensew_. skelton, p. ; and _ensiew_, ames typ. ant. p. . [ ] f is omitted for the reason given in note . [ ] no. xx.ii. ii. is omitted. for to make gronden benes [ ]. i. take benes and dry hem in a nost [ ] or in an ovene and hulle hem wele and wyndewe [ ] out þe hulk and wayshe hem clene an do hem to seeþ in gode broth [ ] an ete hem with bacon. [ ] gronden benes. beans ground (y ground, as no. . . .) stript of their hulls. this was a dish of the poorer householder, as also is and , and some others. [ ] a nost. an ost, or kiln. vide gloss. _voce_ ost. [ ] wyndewe. winnow. [ ] gode broth. prepared beforehand. for to make drawen benes. ii. take benes and seeþ hem and grynde hem in a morter [ ] and drawe hem up [ ] with gode broth an do oynouns in the broth grete mynced [ ] an do þerto and colour it with safroun and serve it forth. [ ] morter. mortar. [ ] drawen hem up. mix them. [ ] grete mynced. grossly, not too small. for to make grewel forced [ ]. iii. take grewel and do to the fyre with gode flessh and seeþ it wel. take the lire [ ] of pork and grynd it smal [ ] and drawe the grewel thurgh a straynour [ ] and colour it wiþ safroun and serue [ ] forth. [ ] forced, farced, enriched with flesh. vide gloss. [ ] lire. flesh. [ ] grynd it smal. bruise or beat in a mortar. [ ] stryno'. strainer. [ ] serue. serve. vide gloss. caboches [ ] in potage. iiii. take caboches and quarter hem and seeth hem in gode broth with oynouns y mynced and the whyte of lekes y slyt and corue smale [ ] and do þer to safroun an salt and force it with powdour douce [ ]. [ ] caboches. probably cabbages. [ ] corue smale. cut small. v. _i corue_ in gloss. [ ] powdour douce. sweet aromatic powder. v. pref. rapes [ ] in potage. v. take rapus and make hem clene and waissh hem clene. quare hem [ ]. parboile hem. take hem up. cast hem in a gode broth and seeþ hem. mynce oynouns and cast þerto safroun and salt and messe it forth with powdour douce. the wise [ ] make of pasturnakes [ ] and skyrwates. [ ] [ ] rapes, or rapus. turneps. [ ] quare hem. cut them in _squares_, or small pieces. v. gloss. [ ] in the wise, _i.e._ in the same manner. _self_ or _same_, seems to be casually omitted. vide no. and . [ ] pasturnakes, for parsnips or carrots. v. gloss. [ ] skyrwates, for skirrits or skirwicks. eowtes [ ] of flessh. vi. take borage, cool [ ]. langdebef [ ]. persel [ ]. betes. orage [ ]. auance [ ]. violet [ ]. saueray [ ]. and fenkel [ ]. and whane þey buth sode; presse hem wel smale. cast hem in gode broth an seeþ hem. and serue hem forth. [ ] eowtes. _lowtes_, no. , where, in the process, it is _rowtes_. quære the meaning, as roots does not apply to the matter of the recipe. in no. it is written _owtes_. [ ] cole, or colewort. [ ] langdebef. bugloss, buglossum sylvestre. these names all arise from a similitude to an ox's tongue. v. ms. ed. no. . [ ] persel. parsley. [ ] orage. orach, _atriplex_. miller, gard. dict. [ ] auance. fortè avens. v. avens, in gloss. [ ] the leaves probably, and not the flower. [ ] savory. [ ] fenkel. fennil. hebolace [ ]. vii. take oynouns and erbes and hewe hem small and do þes to gode broth. and aray [ ] it as þou didest caboches. if þey be in fyssh day. make [ ] on the same maner [ ] with water and oyle. and if it be not in lent alye [ ] it with zolkes of eyren [ ]. and dresse it forth and cast þer to powdour douce. [ ] hebolace. contents, hebolas; for _herbolas_, from the herbs used; or, if the first letter be omitted (see the contents), _chebolas_, from the chibols employed. [ ] aray. dress, set it out. [ ] make. dress. vide gloss. [ ] maner. manner. [ ] alye. mix. v. gloss. [ ] eyren. eggs. v. gloss. gourdes in potage. viii. take young gowrdes pare hem and kerue [ ] hem on pecys. cast hem in gode broth, and do þer to a gode pertye [ ] of oynouns mynced. take pork soden. grynd it and alye it þer with and wiþ zolkes of ayrenn. do þer to safroun and salt, and messe it forth with powdour douce. [ ] kerve. cut. [ ] partye. party, i.e. quantity. ryse [ ] of flesh. ix. take ryse and waishe hem clene. and do hem in erthen pot with gode broth and lat hem seeþ wel. afterward take almaund mylke [ ] and do þer to. and colour it wiþ safroun an salt, an messe forth. [ ] ryse. rice. v. gloss. [ ] almand mylke. v. gloss. funges [ ]. x. take funges and pare hem clere and dyce hem [ ]. take leke and shred hym small and do hym to seeþ in gode broth. colour it with safron and do þer inne powdour fort [ ]. [ ] funges. mushrooms. [ ] dyce hem. cut them in squares. vide _quare_ in gloss. [ ] powdour fort. vide preface. bursen [ ]. xi. take the whyte of lekes. slype hem and shrede hem small. take noumbles [ ] of swyne and boyle hem in broth and wyne. take hym up and dresse hem and do the leke in the broth. seeþ and do the noumbles þer to make a lyour [ ] of brode blode and vynegre and do þer to powdour fort seeþ oynouns mynce hem and do þer to. the self wise make of pigges. [ ] bursen. qu. the etymon. [ ] noumbles. entrails. v. gloss. [ ] lyo', lyour. a mixture. vide _alye_ in gloss. corat [ ]. xii. take the noumbles of calf. swyne. or of shepe. parboile hem and skerne hem to dyce [ ] cast hem in gode broth and do þer to erbes. grynde chyballes [ ]. smale y hewe. seeþ it tendre and lye it with zolkes of eyrenn. do þer to verious [ ] safroun powdour douce and salt, and serue it forth. [ ] corat. qu. [ ] kerve hem to dyce. v. _quare_ in gloss. [ ] chyballes. chibols, young onions. v. gloss. [ ] verious. verjuice. noumbles. xiii. take noumbles of deer oþer [ ] of oþer beest parboile hem kerf hem to dyce. take the self broth or better. take brede and grynde with the broth. and temper it [ ] up with a gode quantite of vyneger and wyne. take the oynouns and parboyle hem. and mynce hem smale and do þer to. colour it with blode and do þer to powdour fort and salt and boyle it wele and serue it fort [ ]. [ ] oþer. other, i.e. or. [ ] temper it. temper it, i. e. mix it. [ ] fort. miswritten for _forth_. so again no. . . roo [ ] broth. xiiii. take the lire of the deer oþer of the roo parboile it on smale peces. seeþ it wel half in water and half in wyne. take brede and bray it wiþ the self broth and drawe blode þer to and lat it seeth to gedre with powdour fort of gynger oþer of canell [ ]. and macys [ ]. with a grete porcioun of vineger with raysouns of coraunte [ ]. [ ] roo. roe. the recipe in ms. ed. no. . is very different. [ ] canell. cinnamon. [ ] macys. mace. v. preface and gloss. [ ] raysouns of coraunte. currants. v. gloss. tredure [ ]. xv. take brede and grate it. make a lyre [ ] of rawe ayrenn and do þerto safroun and powdour douce. and lye it up [ ] with gode broth. and make it as a cawdel. and do þerto a lytel verious. [ ] tredure. a cawdle; but quære the etymon. the french _tres dure_ does not seem to answer. [ ] lyre. mixture. [ ] lye it up. mix it. monchelet [ ]. xvi. take veel oþer moton and smite it to gobettes seeþ it in gode broth. cast þerto erbes yhewe [ ] gode wyne. and a quantite of oynouns mynced. powdour fort and safroun. and alye it with ayren and verious. but lat not seeþ after. [ ] monchelet. _mounchelet_, contents. [ ] y hewe. shred. bukkenade [ ]. xvii. take hennes [ ] oþer conynges [ ] oþer veel oþer oþer flessh an hewe hem to gobettes waische it and hit well [ ]. grynde almandes unblaunched. and drawe hem up with þe broth cast þer inne raysons of corance. sugur. powdour gyngur erbes ystewed in grees [ ]. oynouns and salt. if it is to to [ ] thynne. alye it up with flour of ryse oþer with oþer thyng and colour it with safroun. [ ] bukkenade. vide no. . qu. [ ] hennes; including, i suppose, chicken and pullets. [ ] conynges. coneys, rabbits. [ ] hit well. this makes no sense, unless _hit_ signifies smite or beat. [ ] grees. fat, lard, _grece_. no. . [ ] to to. so again, no. . to is _too_, v. gloss. and _too_ is found doubled in this manner in _mirrour for magistrates_, p. . , and other authors. connates [ ]. xviii. take connes and pare hem. pyke out the best and do hem in a pot of erthe. do þerto whyte grece þat he stewe þer inne. and lye hem up with hony clarified and with rawe zolkes [ ] and with a lytell almaund mylke and do þerinne powdour fort and safron. and loke þat it be yleesshed [ ], [ ] connat seems to be a kind of marmalade of connes, or quinces, from fr. _coing_. chaucer, v. coines. written quinces no. . [ ] yolkes, i. e. of eggs. [ ] yleesshed. v. gloss. drepee [ ]. xix. take blanched almandes grynde hem and temper hem up with gode broth take oynouns a grete quantite parboyle hem and frye hem and do þerto. take smale bryddes [ ] parboyle hem and do þerto pellydore [ ] and salt. and a lytel grece. [ ] drepee. qu. [ ] bryddes. birds. _per metathesin; v. r. in indice_. [ ] pellydore. perhaps _pellitory_. _peletour_, . mawmenee [ ]. xx. take a pottel of wyne greke. and ii. pounde of sugur take and clarifye the sugur with a qantite of wyne an drawe it thurgh a straynour in to a pot of erthe take flour of canell [ ]. and medle [ ] with sum of the wyne an cast to gydre. take pynes [ ] with dates and frye hem a litell in grece oþer in oyle and cast hem to gydre. take clowes [ ] an flour of canel hool [ ] and cast þerto. take powdour gyngur. canel. clower, colour it with saundres a lytel yf hit be nede cast salt þerto. and lat it seeþ; warly [ ] with a slowe fyre and not to thyk [ ], take brawn [ ] of capouns yteysed [ ]. oþer of fesauntes teysed small and cast þerto. [ ] vide no. , where it is called _mawmenny_. [ ] flour of canell. powder of cinamon. [ ] medle. mix. [ ] pynes. a nut, or fruit. vide gloss. [ ] clowes. cloves. [ ] hool. whole. how can it be the flour, or powder, if whole? quære, _flower_ of cand for _mace_. [ ] warly. warily, gently. [ ] not to thyk. so as to be too thick; or perhaps, _not to thicken_. [ ] brawn. fleshy part. few capons are cut now except about darking in surry; they have been excluded by the turkey, a more magnificent, but perhaps not a better fowl. [ ] yteysed, or _teysed_, as afterwards. pulled in pieces by the fingers, called _teezing_ no. . this is done now with flesh of turkeys, and thought better than mincing. vide junius, voce _tease_. egurdouce [ ]. xxi. take conynges or kydde and smyte hem on pecys rawe. and frye hem in white grece. take raysouns of coraunce and fry hem take oynouns parboile hem and hewe hem small and fry hem. take rede wyne suger with powdour of peper. of gynger of canel. salt. and cast þerto. and lat it seeþ with a gode quantite of white grece an serue it forth. [ ] egurdouce. the term expresses _piccante dolce_, a mixture of sour and sweet; but there is nothing of the former in the composition. vide gloss. capouns in councys [ ]. xxii. take capons and rost hem right hoot þat þey be not half y nouhz and hewe hem to gobettes and cast hem in a pot, do þerto clene broth, seeþ hem þat þey be tendre. take brede and þe self broth and drawe it up yferer [ ], take strong powdour and safroun and salt and cast þer to. take ayrenn and seeþ hem harde. take out the zolkes and hewe the whyte þerinne, take the pot fro þe fyre and cast the whyte þerinne. messe the disshes þerwith and lay the zolkes hool and flour it with clowes. [ ] concys seems to be a kind of known sauce. v. gloss. [ ] yfere. together. hares [ ] in talbotes [ ]. xxiii. take hares and hewe hem to gobettes and seeþ hem with þe blode unwaisshed in broth. and whan þey buth y nowh: cast hem in colde water. pyke and waisshe hem clene. cole [ ] the broth and drawe it thurgh a straynour. take oþer blode and cast in boylyng water seeþ it and drawe it thurgh a straynour. take almaundes unblaunched. waisshe hem and grynde hem and temper it up with the self broth. cast al in a pot. tak oynouns and parboile hem smyte hem small and cast hem in to þis pot. cast þerinne powdour fort. vynegur an salt. [ ] haares, contents. so again, no. . [ ] talbotes. ms. ed. no. , _talbotays_. [ ] cole. cool. hares in papdele [ ]. xxiiii. take hares parboile hem in gode broth. cole the broth and waisshe the fleyssh. cast azeyn [ ] to gydre. take obleys [ ] oþer wafrouns [ ] in stede of lozeyns [ ]. and cowche [ ] in dysshes. take powdour douce and lay on salt the broth and lay onoward [ ] an messe forth. [ ] papdele. qu. [ ] azeyn. again. [ ] obleys, called _oblatæ_; for which see hearne ad lib. nig. i. p. . a kind of wafer, otherwise called _nebulæ_; and is the french _oublie, oble_. leland, collect. iv. p. . . [ ] wafrouns. wafers. [ ] loseyns. vide gloss. [ ] cowche. lay. [ ] onoward. upon it. connynges in cynee [ ]. xxv. take connynges and smyte hem on peces. and seeþ hem in gode broth, mynce oynouns and seeþ hem in grece and in gode broth do þerto. drawe a lyre of brede. blode. vynegur and broth do þerto with powdour fort. [ ] cynee. vide gloss. connynges in grauey. xxvi. take connynges smyte hem to pecys. parboile hem and drawe hem with a gode broth with almandes blanched and brayed. do þerinne sugur and powdour gynger and boyle it and the flessh þerwith. flour it with sugur and with powdour gynger an serue forth. chykens in gravey. xxvii. take chykens and serue hem the same manere and serue forth. fylettes [ ] of galyntyne [ ]. xxviii. take fylettes of pork and rost hem half ynowh smyte hem on pecys. drawe a lyour of brede and blode. and broth and vineger. and do þerinne. seeþ it wele. and do þerinne powdour an salt an messe it forth. [ ] fylettes. fillets. [ ] of galyntyne. in galyntyne. contents, _rectlus_. as for _galentine_, see the gloss. pygges in sawse sawge [ ]. xxix. take pigges yskaldid and quarter hem and seeþ hem in water and salt, take hem and lat hem kele [ ]. take persel sawge. and grynde it with brede and zolkes of ayrenn harde ysode. temper it up with vyneger sum what thyk. and, lay the pygges in a vessell. and the sewe onoward and serue it forth. [ ] sawge. sage. as several of them are to be used, these pigs must have been small. [ ] kele. cool. sawse madame. xxx. take sawge. persel. ysope. and saueray. quinces. and peeres [ ], garlek and grapes. and fylle the gees þerwith. and sowe the hole þat no grece come out. and roost hem wel. and kepe the grece þat fallith þerof. take galytyne and grece and do in a possynet, whan the gees buth rosted ynowh; take an smyte hem on pecys. and þat tat [ ] is withinne and do it in a possynet and put þerinne wyne if it be to thyk. do þerto powdour of galyngale. powdour douce and salt and boyle the sawse and dresse þe gees in disshes and lay þe sowe onoward. [ ] peares. pears. [ ] that tat, i.e. that that. vide gloss. gees in hoggepot [ ]. xxxi. take gees and smyte hem on pecys. cast hem in a pot do þerto half wyne and half water. and do þerto a gode quantite of oynouns and erbest. set it ouere the fyre and couere [ ] it fast. make a layour of brede and blode an lay it þerwith. do þerto powdour fort and serue it fort. [ ] hoggepot. hodge-podge. _ochepot_. ms. ed. no. . french, _hochepot_. cotgrave. see junii enym. v. _hotch-potch_. [ ] couere. cover. carnel [ ] of pork. xxxii. take the brawnn of swyne. parboile it and grynde it smale and alay it up with zolkes of ayren. set it ouere [ ] the fyre with white grece and lat it not seeþ to fast. do þerinne safroun an powdour fort and messe it forth. and cast þerinne powdour douce, and serue it forth. [ ] carnel, perhaps _charnel_, from fr. _chaire_. [ ] ouere. over. so again, no. . chykenns [ ] in cawdel. xxxiii. take chikenns and boile hem in gode broth and ramme [ ] hem up. þenne take zolkes of ayrenn an þe broth and alye it togedre. do þerto powdour of gynger and sugur ynowh safroun and salt. and set it ouere the fyre withoute boyllyng. and serue the chykenns hole [ ] oþer ybroke and lay þe sowe onoward. [ ] chikens. contents. so again in the next recipe. [ ] ramme. qu. press them close together. [ ] hole. whole. chykens in hocchee [ ]. xxxiiii. take chykenns and scald hem. take parsel and sawge withoute eny oþere erbes. take garlec an grapes and stoppe the chikenns ful and seeþ hem in gode broth. so þat þey may esely be boyled þerinne. messe hem an cast þerto powdour dowce. [ ] hochee. this does not at all answer to the french _hachis_, or our _hash_; therefore qu. for to boile fesauntes. partruches. capons and curlewes. xxxv. take gode broth and do þerto the fowle. and do þerto hool peper and flour of canel a gode quantite and lat hem seeþ þwith. and messe it forth. and þer cast þeron podour dowce. blank maunger [ ]. xxxvi. take capouns and seeþ hem, þenne take hem up. take almandes blaunched. grynd hem and alay hem up with the same broth. cast the mylk in a pot. waisshe rys and do þerto and lat it seeþ. þanne take brawn of capouns teere it small and do þerto. take white grece sugur and salt and cast þerinne. lat it seeþ. þenne messe it forth and florissh it with aneys in confyt rede oþer whyt. and with almaundes fryed in oyle. and serue it forth. [ ] blank maunger. very different from ours. vide gloss. blank dessorre [ ]. xxxvii. take almandes blaunched, grynde hem and temper hem up with whyte wyne, on fleissh day with broth. and cast þerinne flour of rys. oþer amydoun [ ], and lye it þerwith. take brawn of capouns yground. take sugur and salt and cast þerto and florissh it with aneys whyte. take a vessel yholes [ ] and put in safroun. and serue it forth. [ ] blank dessorre. v. gloss. [ ] amydoun. "fine wheat flour steeped in water, strained and let stand to settle, then drained and dried in the sun; used for bread or in broths." cotgrave. used in no. for colouring white. [ ] yholes. quære. morree [ ]. xxxviii. take almandes blaunched, waisshe hem. grynde hem. and temper hem up with rede wyne, and alye hem with flour of rys. do þerto pynes yfryed. and colour it with saundres. do þerto powdour fort and powdour douce and salt, messe it forth and flour it [ ] with aneys confyt whyte. [ ] morree. ms. ed. . _murrey_. ibid. ii. . _morrey_; probably from the mulberries used therein. [ ] flour it. flourish it. charlet [ ]. xxxix. take pork and seeþ it wel. hewe it smale. cast it in a panne. breke ayrenn and do þerto and swyng [ ] it wel togyder. do þerto cowe mylke and safroun and boile it togyder. salt it & messe it forth. [ ] charlet; probably from the french, _chair_. qu. minced meat, and the next article, forced meat. [ ] swyng. shake, mix. charlet yforced. xx.ii. take mylke and seeþ it, and swyng þerwith zolkes of ayrenn and do þerto. and powdour of gynger suger. and safroun and cast þerto. take the charlet out of the broth and messe it in dysshes, lay the sewe onoward. flour it with powdour douce. and serue it forth. cawdel ferry [ ]. xx.ii. i. take flour of payndemayn [ ] and gode wyne. and drawe it togydre. do þerto a grete quantite of sugur cypre. or hony clarified, and do þerto safroun. boile it. and whan it is boiled, alye it up with zolkes of ayrenn. and do þerto salt and messe it forth. and lay þeron sugur and powdour gyngur. [ ] ferry. quære. we have _carpe in ferry_, lel. coll. vi. p. . [ ] payndemayn. white bread. chaucer. jusshell [ ]. xx.ii. iii. take brede ygrated and ayrenn and swyng it togydre. do þerto safroun, sawge. and salt. & cast broth. þerto. boile it & messe it forth. [ ] jusshell. see also next number. _jussell_, ms. ed. , where the recipe is much the same. lat. _juscellam_, which occurs in the old scholiast on juvenal iv. ; and in apicius, v. . vide du fresne, v. _jusselium_ and _juscellum_, where the composition consists of _vinum_, _ova_, and _sagmea_, very different from this. faber in thesauro cites _juscellum gallinæ_ from theod. priscianus. n.b. no. xx.ii. ii. is omitted both here and in the contents. jusshell enforced [ ]. xx.ii. iiii. take and do þerto as to charlet yforced. and serue it forth. [ ] jusshell enforced. as the _charlet yforced_ here referred to was made of pork, compare no. with no. . so in theod. priscian we have _jussetlum gallinæ_. mortrews [ ]. xx.ii. v. take hennes and pork and seeþ hem togyder. take the lyre of hennes and of the pork, and hewe it small and grinde it all to doust [ ]. take brede ygrated and do þerto, and temper it with the self broth and alye it with zolkes of ayrenn, and cast þeron powdour fort, boile it and do þerin powdour of gyngur sugur. safroun and salt. and loke þer it be stondyng [ ], and flour it with powdour gynger. [ ] mortrews. vide gloss. [ ] doust. dust, powder. [ ] stondyng. stiff, thick. mortrews blank. xx.ii. vi. take pork and hennes and seeþ hem as to fore. bray almandes blaunched, and temper hem up with the self broth. and alye the fleissh with the mylke and white flour of rys. and boile it. & do þerin powdour of gyngur sugar and look þat it be stondyng. brewet of almony [ ]. xx.ii. vii. take conynges or kiddes and hewe hem small on moscels [ ] oþer on pecys. parboile hem with the same broth, drawe an almaunde mylke and do the fleissh þerwith, cast þerto powdour galyngale & of gynger with flour of rys. and colour it wiþ alkenet. boile it, salt it. & messe it forth with sugur and powdour douce. [ ] almony. almaine, or germany. _almany_. fox, part i. p. . _alamanie_. chron. sax. p. . v. ad no. . [ ] moscels. morsels. peiouns [ ] ystewed. xx.ii. viii. take peions and stop hem with garlec ypylled and with gode erbes ihewe. and do hem in an erthen pot. cast þerto gode broth and whyte grece. powdour fort. safroun verious & salt. [ ] peiouns, pejons, i. e. pigeons, _j_ is never written here in the middle of a word. loseyns [ ]. xx.ii. ix. take gode broth and do in an erthen pot, take flour of payndemayn and make þerof past with water. and make þerof thynne foyles as paper [ ] with a roller, drye it harde and seeþ it in broth take chese ruayn [ ] grated and lay it in disshes with powdour douce. and lay þeron loseyns isode as hoole as þou mizt [ ]. and above powdour and chese, and so twyse or thryse, & serue it forth. [ ] loseyns. vide in gloss. [ ] foyles as paper. _leaves_ of paste as thin as _paper_. [ ] chese ruyan. . vide gloss. [ ] mizt. might, i.e. can. tartlettes [ ]. xx.ii. x. take pork ysode and grynde it small with safroun, medle it with ayrenn and raisons of coraunce and powdour fort and salt, and make a foile of dowhz [ ] and close the fars [ ] þerinne. cast þe tartletes in a panne with faire water boillyng and salt, take of the clene flessh withoute ayren & bolle it in gode broth. cast þerto powdour douce and salt, and messe the tartletes in disshes & helde [ ] the sewe þeronne. [ ] tarlettes. _tartletes_ in the process. [ ] foile of dowhz, or dowght. a leaf of paste. [ ] fars. forced-meat. [ ] helde. cast. pynnonade [ ]. xx.ii. xi. take almandes iblaunched and drawe hem sumdell thicke [ ] with gode broth oþer with water and set on the fire and seeþ it, cast þerto zolkes of ayrenn ydrawe. take pynes yfryed in oyle oþer in grece and þerto white powdour douce, sugur and salt. & colour it wiþ alkenet a lytel. [ ] pynnonade. so named from the _pynes_ therein used. [ ] sumdell thicke. somewhat thick, thickish. rosee [ ]. xx.ii. xii. take thyk mylke as to fore welled [ ]. cast þerto sugur a gode porcioun pynes. dates ymynced. canel. & powdour gynger and seeþ it, and alye it with flores of white rosis, and flour of rys, cole it, salt it & messe it forth. if þou wilt in stede of almaunde mylke, take swete cremes of kyne. [ ] rosee. from the white roles therein mentioned. see no. . in mi. ed. but no. there is totally different. [ ] welled, f. _willed_; directed. cormarye [ ]. xx.ii. xiii. take colyandre [ ], caraway smale grounden, powdour of peper and garlec ygrounde in rede wyne, medle alle þise [ ] togyder and salt it, take loynes of pork rawe and fle of the skyn, and pryk it wel with a knyf and lay it in the sawse, roost þerof what þou wilt, & kepe þat þat fallith þerfro in the rosting and seeþ it in a possynet with faire broth, & serue it forth witþ þe roost anoon [ ]. [ ] cormarye. quære. [ ] golyandre. coriander. [ ] þise. these. [ ] anoon. immediately. newe noumbles of deer. xx.ii. xiiii. take noumbles and waisshe hem clene with water and salt and perboile hem in water. take hem up an dyce hem. do with hem as with ooþer noumbles. nota. xx.ii. xv. the loyne of the pork, is fro the hippe boon to the hede. nota. xx.ii. xvi. the fyletes buth two, that buth take oute of the pestels [ ]. [ ] pestels. legs. spynee [ ]. xx.ii.xvii. take and make gode thik almaund mylke as tofore. and do þerin of flour of hawthorn [ ]. and make it as a rose. & serue it forth. [ ] spynee. as made of haws, the berries of spines, or hawthorns. [ ] hawthern. hawthorn. chyryse [ ] xx.ii. xviii. take almandes unblanched, waisshe hem, grynde hem, drawe hem up with gode broth. do þerto thridde part of chiryse. þe stones. take oute and grynde hem smale, make a layour of gode brede an powdour and salt and do þerto. colour it with sandres so that it may be stondyng, and florish it with aneys and with cheweryes, and strawe þeruppon and serue it forth. [ ] chyryse. _chiryse_ in the process. _cheriseye._ ms. ed. ii. . _chiryes_ there are cherries. and this dish is evidently made of cherries, which probably were chiefly imported at this time from flanders, though they have a saxon name, [anglo-saxon: cyrre]. payn fondew [ ]. xx.ii. xix. take brede and frye it in grece oþer in oyle, take it and lay it in rede wyne. grynde it with raisouns take hony and do it in a pot and cast þerinne gleyres [ ] of ayrenn wiþ a litel water and bete it wele togider with a sklyse [ ]. set it ouer the fires and boile it. and whan the hatte [ ] arisith to goon [ ] ouer, take it adoun and kele it, and whan it is þer clarified; do it to the oþere with sugur and spices. salt it and loke it be stondyng, florish it with white coliaundre in confyt. [ ] foundewe. contents. it seems to mean _dissolved_. v. _found_ in gloss. [ ] gleyres. whites. [ ] sklyse. slice. [ ] hatte. seems to mean _bubling_ or _wallop_. [ ] goon. go. crotoun [ ]. xx.iii. take the offal of capouns oþer of oþere briddes. make hem clene and parboile hem. take hem up and dyce hem. take swete cowe mylke and cast þerinne. and lat it boile. take payndemayn [ ] and of þe self mylke and drawe thurgh a cloth and cast it in a pot and lat it seeþ, take ayren ysode. hewe the white and cast þerto, and alye the sewe with zolkes of ayren rawe. colour it with safron. take the zolkes and fry hem and florish hem þerwith and with powdour douce. [ ] crotoun. ms. ed. . has _craytoun_, but a different dish. [ ] payndemayn. whitebread. v. ad no. . vyne grace [ ]. xx.iii. i. take smale fylettes of pork and rost hem half and smyte hem to gobettes and do hem in wyne an vynegur and oynouns ymynced and stewe it yfere do þerto gode poudours an salt, an serue it forth. [ ] vyne grace. named probably from _grees_, wild swine, and the mode of dressing in _wine_. v. gloss. voce _vyne grace_. fonnell [ ]. xx.iii. ii. take almandes unblaunched. grynde hem and drawe hem up with gode broth, take a lombe [ ] or a kidde and half rost hym. or the þridde [ ] part, smyte hym in gobetes and cast hym to the mylke. take smale briddes yfasted and ystyned [ ]. and do þerto sugur, powdour of canell and salt, take zolkes of ayrenn harde ysode and cleeue [ ] a two and ypaunced [ ] with flour of canell and florish þe sewe above. take alkenet fryed and yfoundred [ ] and droppe above with a feþur [ ] and messe it forth. [ ] fonnell. nothing in the recipe leads to the etymon of this multifarious dish. [ ] lombe. lamb. [ ] thridde. third, per metathesin. [ ] yfasted and ystyned. [ ] cleeue. cloven. [ ] ypaunced. pounced. [ ] yfoundred. melted, dissolved. [ ] feþ'. feather. douce ame [ ]. xx.iii. iii. take gode cowe mylke and do it in a pot. take parsel. sawge. ysope. saueray and ooþer gode herbes. hewe hem and do hem in the mylke and seeþ hem. take capouns half yrosted and smyte hem on pecys and do þerto pynes and hony clarified. salt it and colour it with safroun an serue it forth. [ ] douce ame. _quasi_, a delicious dish. v. blank desire in gloss. titles of this tissue occur in apicius. see humelberg. p. . connynges in cyrip [ ]. xx.iii. iiii. take connynges and seeþ hem wel in good broth. take wyne greke and do þerto with a porcioun of vyneger and flour of canel, hoole clowes quybibes hoole, and ooþer gode spices with raisouns coraunce and gyngyner ypared and ymynced. take up the conynges and smyte hem on pecys and cast hem into the siryppe and seeþ hem a litel on the fyre and sue it forth. [ ] cyrip. in the process _siryppe. cirypp_, contents. _sirop_ or _sirup_, as . _syryp_, . leche lumbard [ ]. xx.iii. v. take rawe pork and pulle of the skyn. and pyke out þe skyn synewes and bray the pork in a morter with ayrenn rawe do þerto suger, salt, raysouns coraunce, dates mynced, and powdour of peper powdour gylofre. an do it in a bladder, and lat it seeþ til it be ynowhz. and whan it is ynowh, kerf it leshe it [ ] in likenesse of a peskodde [ ], and take grete raysouns and grynde hem in a morter, drawe hem up wiþ rede wyne, do þerto mylke of almaundes colour it with saunders an safroun. and do þerto powdour of peper an of gilofre and boile it. and whan it is iboiled; take powdour of canel and gynger, and temper it up with wyne. and do alle þise thynges togyder. and loke þat it be rennyns [ ], and lat it not seeþ after that it is cast togyder, an serue it forth. [ ] leche lumbard. so called from the country. randle home says, _leach_ is "a kind of jelly made of cream, ising-glass, sugar and almonds, with other compounds." [ ] leshe it. vide gloss. [ ] peskodde. hull or pod of a pea. [ ] rennyns. perhaps _thin_, from the old _renne_, to run. vide gloss. connynges in clere broth. xx.iii. vi. take connynges and smyte hem in gobetes and waissh hem and do hem in feyre water and wyne, and seeþ hem and skym hem. and whan þey buth isode pyke hem clene, and drawe the broth thurgh a straynour and do the flessh þerwith in a possynet and styne it [ ]. and do þerto vynegur and powdour or gynger and a grete quantite and salt after the last boillyng and serue it forth. [ ] styne it. close it. v. gloss. payn ragoun [ ]. xx.iii. vii. take hony suger and clarifie it togydre. and boile it with esy fyre, and kepe it wel fro brennyng and whan it hath yboiled a while; take up a drope [ ] þerof wiþ þy fyngur and do it in a litel water and loke if it hong [ ] togydre. and take it fro the fyre and do þerto the thriddendele [ ] an powdour gyngener and stere [ ] it togyder til it bigynne to thik and cast it on a wete [ ] table. lesh it and serue it forth with fryed mete on flessh dayes or on fysshe dayes. [ ] payn ragoun. it is not at all explained in the recipe. [ ] drope. drop. [ ] hong. hing, or hang. [ ] thriddendele. third part, perhaps, _of brede_, i. e. of bread, may be casually omitted here. v. gloss. [ ] stere. stir. [ ] wete. wet. lete lardes [ ]. xx.iii. viii. take parsel and grynde with a cowe mylk, medle it with ayrenn and lard ydyced take mylke after þat þou hast to done [ ] and myng [ ] þerwith. and make þerof dyuerse colours. if þou wolt have zelow, do þerto safroun and no parsel. if þou wolt have it white; nonþer parsel ne safroun but do þerto amydoun. if þou wilt have rede do þerto sandres. if þou wilt have pownas [ ] do þerto turnesole [ ]. if þou wilt have blak do þerto blode ysode and fryed. and set on the fyre in as many vessels as þou hast colours þerto and seeþ it wel and lay þise colours in a cloth first oon. and sithen anoþer upon him. and sithen the þridde and the ferthe. and presse it harde til it be all out clene. and whan it is al colde, lesh it thynne, put it in a panne and fry it wel. and serue it forth. [ ] lete lardes. _lards_ in form of dice are noticed in the process. see lel. coll. vi. p. . _lete_ is the fr. _lait_, milk. v. no. . or brit. _llaeth_. hence, perhaps, _lethe cpyrus_ and _lethe rube_. lel. coll. iv. p. . but vi. p. , it is _leche_. [ ] to done, i. e. done. [ ] myng. mix. [ ] pownas. qu. [ ] turnesole. not the flower _heliotrope_, but a drug. northumb. book, p. . . i suppose it to be _turmeric_. v. brooke's nat. hist. of vegetables, p. . where it is used both in victuals and for dying. furmente with porpays [ ]. xx.iii. ix. take almandes blanched. bray hem and drawe hem up with faire water, make furmente as before [ ] and cast þer furmente þerto. & messe it with porpays. [ ] porpays. _porpeys_, contents, and so no. . porpus. [ ] as before. this is the first mention of it. perrey of pesoun [ ]. xx.iii. x. take pesoun and seeþ hem fast and covere hem til þei berst. þenne take up hem and cole hem thurgh a cloth. take oynouns and mynce hem and seeþ hem in the same sewe and oile þerwith, cast þerto sugur, salt and safroun, and seeþ hem wel þeratt þerafter and serue hem forth. [ ] perrey of pesoun, i.e. peas. _perrey_ seems to mean pulp: vide no. . mr. ozell in rabelais, iv. c. . renders _puree de pois_ by _peas soup_. peson of almayne [ ]. xx.iii. xi take white pesoun, waisshe hem seeþ hem a grete while, take hem and cole hem thurgh a cloth, waisshe hem in colde water til the hulles go off, cast hem in a pot and couere þat no breth [ ] go out. and boile hem right wel. and cast þerinne gode mylke of allmandes and a pertye of flour of rys wiþ powdour gynger safroun. and salt. [ ] almayne. germany; called almony no. . [ ] breth. breath, air, steam. ms. ed. no. . chyches [ ]. xx.iii. xii. take chiches and wry hem [ ] in ashes all nyzt, oþer lay hem in hoot aymers [ ], at morrowe [ ], waisshe hem in clene water and do hem ouer the fire with clene water. seeþ hem up and do þerto oyle, garlec, hole safroun. powdour fort and salt, seeþ it and messe it forth. [ ] chyches. _viciæ_, vetches. in fr. _chiches_. [ ] wry hem. _dry hem_, or _cover hem_. chaucer, v. wrey. [ ] aymers. embers; of which it is evidently a corruption. [ ] at morrowe. next morning. frenche [ ]. xx.iii. xiii. take and seeþ white peson and take oute þe perrey [ ] & parboile erbis & hewe hem grete & cast hem in a pot with the perrey pulle oynouns & seeþ hem hole wel in water & do hem to þe perrey with oile & salt, colour it with safroun & messe it and cast þeron powdour douce. [ ] frenche. contents have it more fully, _frenche owtes_. v. ad no. . [ ] perrey. pulp. v. ad no. . makke [ ]. xx.iii. xiiii. take drawen benes and seeþ hem wel. take hem up of the water and cast hem in a morter grynde hem al to doust til þei be white as eny mylk, chawf [ ] a litell rede wyne, cast þeramong in þe gryndyng, do þerto salt, leshe it in disshes. þanne take oynouns and mynce hem smale and seeþ hem in oile til þey be al broun [ ]. and florissh the disshes therwith. and serue it forth. [ ] makke. _ignotum_. [ ] chawf. warm. [ ] broun. brown. aquapatys [ ]. xx.iii. xv. pill garlec and cast it in a pot with water and oile. and seeþ it, do þerto safroun, salt, and powdour fort and dresse it forth hool. [ ] aquapatys. _aquapates_, contents. perhaps named from the water used in it. salat. xx.iii. xvi. take persel, sawge, garlec, chibolles, oynouns, leek, borage, myntes, porrectes [ ], fenel and ton tressis [ ], rew, rosemarye, purslarye [ ], laue and waische hem clene, pike hem, pluk hem small wiþ þyn [ ] honde and myng hem wel with rawe oile. lay on vynegur and salt, and serue it forth. [ ] porrectes. fr. _porrette_. [ ] ton tressis. cresses. v. gloss. [ ] purslarye. purslain. [ ] þyn. thine. fenkel in soppes. xx.iii. xvii. take blades of fenkel. shrede hem not to smale, do hem to seeþ in water and oile and oynouns mynced þerwith. do þerto safroun and salt and powdour douce, serue it forth, take brede ytosted and lay the sewe onoward. clat [ ]. xx.iii. xviii. take elena campana and seeþ it water [ ]. take it up and grynde it wel in a morter. temper it up with ayrenn safroun and salt and do it ouer the fire and lat it not boile. cast above powdour douce and serue it forth. [ ] clat. qu. [ ] water; r. _in water_, as in no. . appulmoy [ ]. xx.iii. xix. take apples and seeþ hem in water, drawe hem thurgh a straynour. take almaunde mylke & hony and flour of rys, safroun and powdour fort and salt. and seeþ it stondyng [ ]. [ ] appulmoy. _appulmos_. ms. ed. no. . named from the apples employed. v. no. . [ ] stondyng. thick. slete [ ] soppes. xx.iiii. take white of lekes and slyt hem, and do hem to seeþ in wyne, oile and salt, rost brede and lay in dysshes and the sewe above and serue it forth. [ ] slete. slit. letelorye [ ]. xx.iiii. i. take ayrenn and wryng hem thurgh a styunour and do þerto cowe mylke with butter and safroun and salt and seeþ it wel. leshe it. and loke þat it be stondyng. and serue it forth. [ ] letelorye. the latter part of the compound is unknown, the first is fr. _lait_, milk. vide no. . sowpes dorry [ ]. xx.iiii. ii. take almaundes brayed, drawe hem up with wyne. ooile it, cast þeruppon safroun and salt, take brede itosted in wyne. lay þerof a leyne [ ] and anoþer of þe sewe and alle togydre. florish it with sugur powdour gyngur and serue it forth. [ ] sowpes dorry. sops endorsed. v. _dorry_ in gloss. [ ] a leyne. a layer. rape [ ]. xx.iiii. iii. take half fyges and half raisouns pike hem and waisshe hem in water skalde hem in wyne. bray hem in a morter, and drawe hem thurgh a straynour. cast hem in a pot and þerwiþ powdour of peper and ooþer good powdours. alay it up with flour of rys. and colour it with saundres. salt it. & messe it forth. [ ] rape. a dissyllable, as appears from _rapey_ in the contents. _rapy_, ms. ed. no. . _rapee_, ibid. ii. . sawse sarzyne [ ]. xx.iiii. iiii. take heppes and make hem clene. take almaundes blaunched, frye hem in oile and bray hem in a morter with heppes. drawe it up with rede wyne, and do þerin sugur ynowhz with powdour fort, lat it be stondyng, and alay it with flour of rys. and colour it with alkenet and messe it forth. and florish it with pomme garnet. if þou wilt in flesshe day. seeþ capouns and take the brawnn and tese hem smal and do þerto. and make the lico [ ] of þis broth. [ ] sawse sarzyne. _sause_. contents. _saracen_, we presume, from the nation or people. there is a recipe in ms. ed. no. for a bruet of _sarcynesse_, but there are no pomgranates concerned. [ ] lico. liquor. crÈme of almaundes. xx.iiii. v. take almaundes blaunched, grynde hem and drawe hem up thykke, set hem ouer the fyre & boile hem. set hem adoun and spryng [ ] hem wicii vyneger, cast hem abrode uppon a cloth and cast uppon hem sugur. whan it is colde gadre it togydre and leshe it in dysshes. [ ] spryng. sprinkle. grewel of almaundes. xx.iiii. vi. take almaundes blaunched, bray hem with oot meel [ ]. and draw hem up with water. cast þeron safroun & salt &c. [ ] oot meel. oat-meal. cawdel of almaund mylk. xx.iiii. vii. take almaundes blaunched and drawe hem up with wyne, do þerto powdour of gyngur and sugur and colour it with safroun. boile it and serue it forth. jowtes [ ] of almaund mylke. xx.iiii. viii. take erbes, boile hem, hewe hem and grynde hem smale. and drawe hem up with water. set hem on the fire and seeþ the rowtes with the mylke. and cast þeron sugur & salt. & serue it forth. [ ] jowtes. v. ad no. . fygey [ ]. xx.iiii. ix. take almaundes blanched, grynde hem and drawe hem up with water and wyne: quarter fygur hole raisouns. cast þerto powdour gyngur and hony clarified. seeþ it wel & salt it, and serue forth. [ ] fygey. so named from the figs therein used. a different recipe, ms. ed. no. , has no figs. pochee [ ]. xx.iiii. x. take ayrenn and breke hem in scaldyng hoot water. and whan þei bene sode ynowh. take hem up and take zolkes of ayren and rawe mylke and swyng hem togydre, and do þerto powdour gyngur safroun and salt, set it ouere the fire, and lat it not boile, and take ayrenn isode & cast þe sew onoward. & serue it forth. [ ] pochee. poached eggs. very different from the present way. brewet of ayrenn. xx.iiii. xi. take ayrenn, water and butter, and seeþ hem yfere with safroun and gobettes of chese. wryng ayrenn thurgh a straynour. whan the water hath soden awhile: take þenne the ayrenn and swyng hem with verious. and cast þerto. set it ouere the fire and lat it not boile. and serue it forth. macrows [ ]. xx.iiii. xii. take and make a thynne foyle of dowh. and kerve it on peces, and cast hem on boillyng water & seeþ it wele. take chese and grate it and butter cast bynethen and above as losyns. and serue forth. [ ] macrows. _maccherone_, according to the recipe in _altieri_, corresponds nearly enough with our process; so that this title seems to want mending, and yet i know not how to do it to satisfaction. tostee [ ]. xx.iiii. xiii. take wyne and hony and found it [ ] togyder and skym it clene. and seeþ it long, do þerto powdour of gyngur. peper and salt, tost brede and lay the sew þerto. kerue pecys of gyngur and flour it þerwith and messe it forth. [ ] tostee. so called from the toasted bread. [ ] found it. mix it. gyngawdry [ ]. xx.iiii. xiiii. take the powche [ ] and the lyuour [ ] of haddok, codlyng and hake [ ] and of ooþer fisshe, parboile hem, take hem and dyce hem small, take of the self broth and wyne, a layour of brede of galyntyne with gode powdours and salt, cast þat fysshe þerinne and boile it. & do þerto amydoun. & colour it grene. [ ] gyngawdry. qu. [ ] powche. crop or stomach. [ ] lyuour. liver. v. no. . [ ] hake. "asellus alter, sive merlucius, aldrov." so mr. ray. see pennant, iii. p. . erbowle [ ]. xx.iiii. xv. take bolas and scald hem with wyne and drawe hem with [ ] a straynour do hem in a pot, clarify hony and do þerto with powdour fort. and flour of rys. salt it & florish it with whyte aneys. & serue it forth. [ ] erbowle. perhaps from the _belas_, or bullace employed. [ ] with, i.e. thurgh or thorough. resmolle [ ]. xx.iiii. xvi. take almaundes blaunched and drawe hem up with water and alye it with flour of rys and do þerto powdour of gyngur sugur and salt, and loke it be not stondyng [ ], messe it and serue it forth. [ ] resmolle. from the rice there used; for ms. ed. ii. no. . has _rysmoyle_, where _moyle_ seems to be fr. _moile_, as written also in the roll. _rice molens potage_. lel. coll. vi. p. . [ ] not stondyng. thin, diluted. v. no. . not to [too] stondyng, . vyaunde cypre [ ]. xx.iiii. xvii. take oot mele and pike out the stones and grynde hem smal, and drawe hem thurgh a straynour. take mede oþer wyne ifonded in sugur and do þise þerinne. do þerto powdour and salt, and alay it with flour of rys and do þat it be stondyng. if thou wilt on flesh day; take hennes and pork ysode & grynde hem smale and do þerto. & messe it forth. [ ] cypre. _cipre_, contents here and no. . vyande cypre of samoun [ ]. xx.iiii. xviii. take almandes and bray hem unblaunched. take calwar [ ] samoun and seeþ it in lewe water [ ] drawe up þyn almandes with the broth. pyke out the bones out of the fyssh clene & grynde it small & cast þy mylk & þat togyder & alye it with flour of rys, do þerto powdour fort, sugur & salt & colour it with alkenet & loke þat hit be not stondyng and messe it forth. [ ] samoun. salmon. [ ] calwar. salwar, no. . r. holme says, "_calver_ is a term used to a flounder when to be boiled in oil, vinegar, and spices and to be kept in it." but in lancashire salmon newly taken and immediately dressed is called _calver salmon_: and in littleton _salar_ is a young salmon. [ ] lewe water. warm. v. gloss. vyannd ryal. xx.iiii. xix. take wyne greke, oþer rynysshe wyne and hony clarified þerwith. take flour of rys powdour of gyngur oþ of peper & canel. oþer flour of canel. powdour of clowes, safroun. sugur cypre. mylberyes, oþer saundres. & medle alle þise togider. boile it and salt it. and loke þat it be stondyng. compost [ ]. c. take rote of parsel. pasternak of rasenns [ ]. scrape hem waisthe hem clene. take rapes & caboches ypared and icorne [ ]. take an erthen panne with clene water & set it on the fire. cast all þise þerinne. whan þey buth boiled cast þerto peeres & parboile hem wel. take þise thynges up & lat it kele on a fair cloth, do þerto salt whan it is colde in a vessel take vineger & powdour & safroun & do þerto. & lat alle þise thinges lye þerin al nyzt oþer al day, take wyne greke and hony clarified togider lumbarde mustard & raisouns corance al hool. & grynde powdour of canel powdour douce. & aneys hole. & fenell seed. take alle þise thynges & cast togyder in a pot of erthe. and take þerof whan þou wilt & serue forth. [ ] compost. a composition to be always ready at hand. holme, iii. p. . lel. coll. vi. p. . [ ] pasternak of rasenns. qu. [ ] ypared and icorne. the first relates to the rapes, the second to the caboches, and means carved or cut in pieces. gele [ ] of fyssh. c. i. take tenches, pykes [ ], eelys, turbut and plays [ ], kerue hem to pecys. scalde hem & waische hem clene. drye hem with a cloth do hem in a panne do þerto half vyneger & half wyne & seeþ it wel. & take the fysshe and pike it clene, cole the broth thurgh a cloth into a erthen panne. do þerto powdour of pep and safroun ynowh. lat it seeþ and skym it wel whan it is ysode dof [ ] grees clene, cowche fisshes on chargeours & cole the sewe thorow a cloth onoward & serue it forth. [ ] gele. jelly. _gelee_, contents here and in the next recipe. _gely_, ms. ed. no. , which presents us with much the same prescription. [ ] it is commonly thought this fish was not extant in england till the reign of h. viii.; but see no. . . . so lucys, or tenchis, ms. ed. ii . . pygus or tenchis, ii. . pikys, chaucer, v. luce; and lel. coll. iv. p. . vi. p. . . _luce salt_. ibid. p. . mr. topham's ms. written about , mentions _lupos aquaticos five luceas_ amongst the fish which the fishmonger was to have in his shop. they were the arms of the lucy family so early as edw. i. see also pennant's zool. iii. p. , . [ ] plays. plaise, the fish. [ ] dof, i. e. do of. gele of flessh. c. ii. take swyner feet & snowter and the eerys [ ]. capouns. connynges calues fete. & wiasche hem clene. & do hem to seeþ in the þriddel [ ] of wyne & vyneger and water and make forth as bifore. [ ] eerys. ears. [ ] thriddel. v. ad no. . chysanne [ ]. c. iii. take roches. hole tenches and plays & sinyte hem to gobettes. fry hem in oyle blaunche almaundes. fry hem & cast wyne & of vyneger þer pridde part þerwith fyges drawen & do þerto powdour fort and salt. boile it. lay the fisshe in an erthen panne cast the sewe þerto. seeþ oynouns ymynced & cast þerinne. kepe hit and ete it colde. [ ] chysanne. qu. congur [ ] in sawse. c. iiii. take the conger and scald hym. and smyte hym in pecys & seeþ hym. take parsel. mynt. peleter. rosmarye. & a litul sawge. brede and salt, powdour fort and a litel garlec, clower a lite, take and grynd it wel, drawe it up with vyneger thurgh a clot. cast the fyssh in a vessel and do þe sewe onoward & serue it forth. [ ] congur. the eel called _congre_. _sawce_, contents here, and no. , . rygh [ ] in sawse. c. v. take ryghzes and make hem clene and do hem to seeþ, pyke hem clene and frye hem in oile. take almandes and grynde hem in water or wyne, do þerto almandes blaunched hole fryed in oile. & coraunce seeþ the lyour grynde it smale & do þerto garlec ygronde & litel salt & verious powdour fort & safroun & boile it yfere, lay the fysshe in a vessel and cast the sewe þerto. and messe it forth colde. [ ] rygh. a fish, and probably the _ruffe_. makerel in sawse. c. vi. take makerels and smyte hem on pecys. cast hem on water and various. seeþ hem with mynter and wiþ oother erbes, colour it grene or zelow, and messe it forth. pykes in brasey [ ]. c. vii. take pykes and undo hem on þe wombes [ ] and waisshe hem clene and lay hem on a roost irne [ ] þenne take gode wyne and powdour gynger & sugur good wone [ ] & salt, and boile it in an erthen panne & messe forth þe pyke & lay the sewe onoward. [ ] brasey. qu. [ ] wombs. bellies. [ ] roost irene. a roasting iron. [ ] good wone. a good deal. v. gloss. porpeys in broth. c. viii. make as þou madest noumbles of flesh with oynouns. balloc [ ] broth. c. ix. take eelys and hilde [ ] hem and kerue hem to pecys and do hem to seeþ in water and wyne so þat it be a litel ouer stepid [ ]. do þerto sawge and ooþer erbis with few [ ] oynouns ymynced, whan the eelis buth soden ynowz do hem in a vessel, take a pyke and kerue it to gobettes and seeþ hym in the same broth do þerto powdour gynger galyngale canel and peper, salt it and cast the eelys þerto & messe it forth. [ ] balloc. _ballok_, contents. [ ] hilde. skin. [ ] on stepid. steeped therein. v. no. . [ ] few, i.e. a few. eles in brewet. c. x. take crustes of brede and wyne and make a lyour, do þerto oynouns ymynced, powdour. & canel. & a litel water and wyne. loke þat it be stepid, do þerto salt, kerue þin eelis & seeþ hem wel and serue hem forth. cawdel of samoun c.xi. take the guttes of samoun and make hem clene. perboile hem a lytell. take hem up and dyce hem. slyt the white of lekes and kerue hem smale. cole the broth and do the lekes þerinne with oile and lat it boile togyd yfere [ ]. do the samoun icorne þerin, make a lyour of almaundes mylke & of brede & cast þerto spices, safroun and salt, seeþ it wel. and loke þat it be not stondyng. [ ] togyd yfere. one of these should be struck out. plays in cyee. c.xii. take plays and smyte hem [ ] to pecys and fry hem in oyle. drawe a lyour of brede & gode broth & vyneger. and do þerto powdour gynger. canel. peper and salt and loke þat it be not stondyng. [ ] vide no. . qu. for to make flaumpeyns. c. xiii. take clene pork and boile it tendre. þenne hewe it small and bray it smal in a morter. take fyges and boile hem tendre in smale ale. and bray hem and tendre chese þerwith. þenne waisthe hem in water & þene lyes [ ] hem alle togider wit ayrenn, þenne take powdour of pepper. or els powdour marchannt & ayrenn and a porcioun of safroun and salt. þenne take blank sugur. eyrenn & flour & make a past wit a roller, þene make þerof smale pelettes [ ]. & fry hem broun in clene grece & set hem asyde. þenne make of þat ooþer deel [ ] of þat past long coffyns [ ] & do þat comade [ ] þerin. and close hem faire with a countoer [ ], & pynche hem smale about. þanne kyt aboue foure oþer sex wayes, þanne take euy [ ] of þat kuttyng up, & þenne colour it wit zolkes of ayrenn, and plannt hem thick, into the flaumpeyns above þat þou kuttest hem & set hem in an ovene and lat hem bake eselich [ ]. and þanne serue hem forth. [ ] lyer. mix. [ ] pelettes. _pelotys_ ms. ed. no. . balls, pellets, from fr. _pelote_. [ ] deel. deal, i.e. part, half. [ ] coffyns. pies without lids. [ ] comade. qu. [ ] coutour. coverture, a lid. [ ] euy. every. [ ] eselich. easily, gently. for to make noumbles in lent. c. xiiii. take the blode of pykes oþer of conger and nyme [ ] the paunches of pykes. of conger and of grete code lyng [ ], & boile hem tendre & mynce hem smale & do hem in þat blode. take crustes of white brede & strayne it thurgh a cloth. þenne take oynouns iboiled and mynced. take peper and safroun. wyne. vynegur aysell [ ] oþer alegur & do þerto & serue forth. [ ] nyme. take. perpetually used in ms. ed. from sax. niman. [ ] code lyng. if a codling be a _small cod_, as we now understand it, _great codling_ seems a contradiction in terms. [ ] aysell. eisel, vinegar. littleton. for to make chawdon [ ] for lent. c. xv. take blode of gurnardes and congur & þe paunch of gurnardes and boile hem tendre & mynce hem smale, and make a lyre of white crustes and oynouns ymynced, bray it in a morter & þanne boile it togyder til it be stondyng. þenne take vynegur oþ aysell & safroun & put it þerto and serue it forth. [ ] chawdoun. v. gloss. furmente with porpeys. c. xvi. take clene whete and bete it small in a morter and fanne out clene the doust, þenne waisthe it clene and boile it tyl it be tendre and broun. þanne take the secunde mylk of almaundes & do þerto. boile hem togidur til it be stondyng, and take þe first mylke & alye it up wiþ a penne [ ]. take up the porpays out of the furmente & leshe hem in a dishe with hoot water. & do safroun to þe furmente. and if the porpays be salt. seeþ it by hym self, and serue it forth. [ ] penne. feather, or pin. ms. ed. . fylettes in galytyne. c. xvii. take pork, and rost it tyl the blode be tryed out & þe broth [ ]. take crustes of brede and bray hem in a morter, an drawe hem thurgh a cloth with þe broth, þenne take oynouns an leshe hem on brede an do to the broth. þanne take pork, and leshe it clene with a dressyng knyf and cast it into þe pot broth, & lat it boile til it be more tendre. þanne take þat lyour þerto. þanne take a porcion of peper and saundres & do þerto. þanne take parsel & ysope & mynce it smale & do þerto. þanne take rede wyne oþer white grece & raysouns & do þerto. & lat it boile a lytel. [ ] the broth. supposed to be prepared beforehand. veel in buknade [ ]. c. xviii. take fayr veel and kyt it in smale pecys and boile it tendre in fyne broth oþer in water. þanne take white brede oþer wastel [ ], and drawe þerof a white ... lyour wiþ fyne broth, and do þe lyour to the veel, & do safroun þerto, þanne take parsel & bray it in a morter & the juys [ ] þerof do þerto, and þanne is þis half zelow & half grene. þanne take a porcioun of wyne & powdour marchant & do þerto and lat it boile wele, and do þerto a litel of [ ] vynegur. & serue forth. [ ] buknade. v. no. . [ ] wastel. v. gloss. [ ] juys. juice. [ ] litel of vynegur. we say, _a little vinegar_, omitting _of_. so , _a lytull of lard_. sooles in cynee [ ]. c. xix. take sooles and hylde hem, seeþ hem in water, smyte hem on pecys and take away the fynnes. take oynouns iboiled & grynde the fynnes þerwith and brede. drawe it up with the self broth. do þerto powdour fort, safroun & hony clarified with salt, seeþ it alle yfere. broile the sooles & messe it in dysshes & lay the sewe above. & serue forth. [ ] cynee. _cyney_, contents, both here and no. . . see before, no. . tenches in cynee. xx.vi. take tenches and smyte hem to pecys, fry hem, drawe a lyour of raysouns coraunce witþ wyne and water, do þerto hool raisouns & powdour of gyngur of clowes of canel of peper do the tenches þerto & seeþ hem with sugur cypre & salt. & messe forth. oysters in gravey. xx.vi. i. schyl [ ] oysters and seeþ hem in wyne and in hare [ ] own broth. cole the broth thurgh a cloth. take almandes blaunched, grynde hem and drawe hem up with the self broth. & alye it wiþ flour of rys. and do the oysters þerinne, cast in powdour of gyngur, sugur, macys. seeþ it not to stondyng and serue forth. [ ] shell, take of the shells. [ ] hare. their. _her_. no. . chaucer. muskels [ ] in brewet. xx.vi. ii. take muskels, pyke hem, seeþ hem with the owne broth, make a lyour of crustes [ ] & vynegur do in oynouns mynced. & cast the muskels þerto & seeþ it. & do þerto powdour with a lytel salt & safron the samewise make of oysters. [ ] muskles. _muskels_ below, and the contents. muscles. [ ] crustes. i.e. of bread. oysters in cynee. xx.vi. iii. take oysters parboile hem in her owne broth, make a lyour of crustes of brede & drawe it up wiþ the broth and vynegur mynce oynouns & do þerto with erbes. & cast the oysters þerinne. boile it. & do þerto powdour fort & salt. & messe it forth. cawdel of muskels. xx.vi. iiii. take and seeþ muskels, pyke hem clene, and waisshe hem clene in wyne. take almandes & bray hem. take somme of the muskels and grynde hem. & some hewe smale, drawe the muskels yground with the self broth. wryng the almaundes with faire water. do alle þise togider. do þerto verious and vyneger. take whyte of lekes & parboile hem wel. wryng oute the water and hewe hem smale. cast oile þerto with oynouns parboiled & mynced smale do þerto powdour fort, safroun and salt. a lytel seeþ it not to to [ ] stondyng & messe it forth. [ ] to to, i. e. too too. vide no. . mortrews of fyssh. xx.vi. v. take codlyng, haddok, oþ hake and lynours with the rawnes [ ] and seeþ it wel in water. pyke out þe bones, grynde smale the fysshe, drawe a lyour of almaundes & brede with the self broth. and do the fysshe grounden þerto. and seeþ it and do þerto powdour fort, safroun and salt, and make it stondyng. [ ] rawnes. roes. laumpreys in galyntyne. xx.vi. vi. take laumpreys and sle [ ] hem with vynegur oþer with white wyne & salt, scalde hem in water. slyt hem a litel at þer nauel.... & rest a litel at the nauel. take out the guttes at the ende. kepe wele the blode. put the laumprey on a spyt. roost hym & kepe wel the grece. grynde raysouns of coraunce. hym up [ ] with vyneger. wyne. and crustes of brede. do þerto powdour of gyngur. of galyngale [ ]. flour of canel. powdour of clowes, and do þerto raisouns of coraunce hoole. with þe blode & þe grece. seeþ it & salt it, boile it not to stondyng, take up the laumprey do hym in a chargeour [ ], & lay þe sewe onoward, & serue hym forth. [ ] sle. slay, kill. [ ] hym up. a word seems omitted; _drawe_ or _lye_. [ ] of galyngale, i. e. powder. v. no. . [ ] chargeour. charger or dish. v. no. . laumprouns in galyntyne. xx.vi. vii. take lamprouns and scalde hem. seeþ hem, meng powdour galyngale and some of the broth togyder & boile it & do þerto powdour of gyngur & salt. take the laumprouns & boile hem & lay hem in dysshes. & lay the sewe above. & serue fort. loseyns [ ] in fyssh day. xx.vi. viii. take almandes unblaunched and waisthe hem clene, drawe hem up with water. seeþ þe mylke & alye it up with loseyns. cast þerto safroun. sugur. & salt & messe it forth with colyandre in confyt rede, & serue it forth. [ ] loseyns. _losyns_, contents. sowper of galyntyne [ ]. xx.vi. ix. take powdour of galyngale with sugur and salt and boile it yfere. take brede ytosted. and lay the sewe onoward. and serue it forth. [ ] sowpes of galyntyne. contents has _in_, recte. _sowpes_ means sops. sobre sawse. xx.vi. x. take raysouns, grynde hem with crustes of brede; and drawe it up with wyne. do þerto gode powdours and salt. and seeþ it. fry roches, looches, sool, oþer ooþer gode fyssh, cast þe sewe above, & serue it forth. cold brewet. xx.vi. xi. take crome [ ] of almaundes. dry it in a cloth. and whan it is dryed do it in a vessel, do þerto salt, sugur, and white powdour of gyngur and juys of fenel and wyne. and lat it wel stonde. lay full & messe & dresse it forth. [ ] crome. crumb, pulp. peeres [ ] in confyt. xx.vi. xii. take peeres and pare hem clene. take gode rede wyne & mulberes [ ] oþer saundres and seeþ þe peeres þerin & whan þei buth ysode, take hem up, make a syryp of wyne greke. oþer vernage [ ] with blaunche powdour oþer white sugur and powdour gyngur & do the peres þerin. seeþ it a lytel & messe it forth. [ ] peeres. pears. [ ] mulberes. mulberries, for colouring. [ ] vernage. vernaccia, a sort of italian white wine. v. gloss. egurdouce [ ] of fysshe. xx.vi. xiii. take loches oþer tenches oþer solys smyte hem on pecys. fry hem in oyle. take half wyne half vynegur and sugur & make a siryp. do þerto oynouns icorue [ ] raisouns coraunce. and grete raysouns. do þerto hole spices. gode powdours and salt. messe þe fyssh & lay þe sewe aboue and serue forth. [ ] egurdouce. vide gloss. [ ] icorue, icorven. cut. v. gloss. colde brewet. xx.vi. xiiii. take almaundes and grynde hem. take the tweydel [ ] of wyne oþer the þriddell of vynegur. drawe up the almaundes þerwith. take anys sugur & branches of fenel grene a fewe. & drawe hem up togyder with þer mylke take poudour of canell. of gyngur. clowes. & maces hoole. take kydde oþer chikenns oþer flessh. & choppe hem small and seeþ hem. take all þis flessh whan it is sodenn & lay it in a clene vessel & boile þer sewe & cast þerto salt. þenne cast al þis in þe pot with flesh. &ter. [ ] [ ] tweydel. two parts. [ ] &ter. i. e. serue forth. pevorat [ ] for veel and venysoun. xx.vi. xv. take brede & fry it in grece. drawe it up with broth and vynegur, take þerto powdour of peper & salt and sette it on the fyre. boile it and messe it forth. [ ] pevorat. peverade, from the pepper of which it is principally composed. sawse [ ] blaunche for capouns ysode. xx.vi. xvi. take almandes blaunched and grynd hem al to doust. temper it up with verions and powdour or gyngyner and messe it forth. [ ] sawse. _sawce_, contents. as no. . sawse noyre for capouns yrosted. xx.vi. xvii. take the lyuer of capons and roost it wel. take anyse and greynes de parys [ ]. gyngur. canel. & a lytill crust of brede and grinde it smale. and grynde it up with verions. and witþ grece of capouns. boyle it and serue it forth. [ ] de parys. of paradise. v. pref. galyntyne [ ]. xx.vi. xviii. take crustes of brede and grynde hem smale, do þerto powdour of galyngale, of canel, of gyngyner and salt it, tempre it with vynegur and drawe it up þurgh a straynour & messe it forth. [ ] galyntyne. galentyne, contents. gyngener [ ]. xx.vi. xix. take payndemayn and pare it clene and funde it in vinegur, grynde it and temper it wiþ vynegur, and with powdour gyngur and salt, drawe it thurgh a straynour. and serue forth. [ ] gyngener. from the powder of ginger therein used. verde [ ] sawse. xx.vii. take parsel. mynt. garlek. a litul serpell [ ] and sawge, a litul canel. gyngur. piper. wyne. brede. vynegur & salt grynde it smal with safroun & messe it forth. [ ] verde. it has the sound of _green-sauce_, but as there is no sorel in it, it is so named from the other herbs. [ ] a litul serpell. wild thyme. sawse noyre for malard. xx.vii. i. take brede and blode iboiled. and grynde it and drawe it thurgh a cloth with vynegur, do þerto powdour of gyngur ad of peper. & þe grece of the maulard. salt it. boile it wel and serue it forth. cawdel for gees. xx.vii. ii. take garlec and grynde it smale. safroun and flour þerwith & salt. and temper it up with cowe mylke. and seeþ it wel and serue it forth. chawdoun [ ] for swannes xx.vii. iii. take þe lyuer and þe offall [ ] of the swannes & do it to seeþ in gode broth. take it up. take out þe bonys. take & hewe the flessh smale. make a lyour of crustes of brede & of þe blode of þe swan ysoden. & do þerto powdour of clowes & of piper & of wyne & salt, & seeþ it & cast þe flessh þerto ihewed. and messe it forth with þe swan. [ ] chawdoun. v. gloss. [ ] offall. _exta_, gibles. sawse camelyne [ ]. xx.vii. iiii. take raysouns of coraunce. & kyrnels of notys. & crustes of brede & powdour of gyngur clowes flour of canel. bray it [ ] wel togyder and do it þerto. salt it, temper it up with vynegur. and serue it forth. [ ] camelyne. qu. if _canelyne_ from the _fluor of canel_? [ ] bray. bray. lumbard mustard. xx.vii. v. take mustard seed and waishe it & drye it in an ovene, grynde it drye. farse it thurgh a farse. clarifie hony with wyne & vynegur & stere it wel togedrer and make it thikke ynowz. & whan þou wilt spende þerof make it tnynne with wyne. nota. xx.vii. vi. cranes [ ] and herouns shul be armed [ ] with lardes of swyne. and eten with gyngur. [ ] cranes. a dish frequent formerly at great tables. archæologia, ii. p. . mentioned with herons, as here, ms. ed. . where the same recipe occurs. et v. lel. coll. iv. p. . vi. p. . rabelais, iv. c. . e. of devon's feast. [ ] armed. ms. ed. no. . has _enarmed_, as may be read there. _enarmed_, however, in lel. collect. iv. p. . means, decorated with coate of arms. sheldes of brawn are there _in armor_, p. . however, there is such a word as _enorned_. leland, p. . . . which approaches nearer. nota. xx.vii. vii. pokok and partruch shul be parboiled. lardid and rosted. and eten with gyngeuer. fry blaunched. xx.vii. viii. take almandes blaunched and grynde hem al to doust, do þise in a thynne foile. close it þerinnne fast. and fry it in oile. clarifie hony with wyne. & bake it þerwith. frytour of pasternakes of apples [ ]. xx.vii. ix. take skyrwater and pasternakes and apples, & parboile hem, make a batour of flour and ayrenn, cast þerto ale. safroun & salt. wete hem in þe batour and frye hem in oile or in grece. do þerto almaund mylk. & serue it forth. [ ] frytour, &c. contents has only, _frytours of pasternakes_. n. b. _frytour_ is _fritter_. frytour of mylke. xx.vii. x. take of cruddes [ ] and presse out þe wheyze [ ]. do þerto sum whyte of ayrenn. fry hem. do þerto. & lay on sugur and messe forth. [ ] cruddes. curds, per metathesin. [ ] wheyze. whey. frytour of erbes. xx.vii. xi. take gode erbys. grynde hem and medle [ ] hem with flour and water & a lytel zest and salt, and frye hem in oyle. and ete hem with clere hony. [ ] medle. mix. rasyols [ ]. xx.vii. xii. take swyne lyuoers and seeþ hem wel. take brede & grate it. and take zolkes of ayrenn. & make hit sowple [ ] and do þerto a lytull of lard carnoun lyche a dee [ ]. chese gratyd [ ] & whyte grece. powdour douce & of gyngur & wynde it to balles [ ] as grete as apples. take þe calle of þe swyne & cast euere [ ] by hym self þerin. make a crust in a trape [ ]. and lay þe ball þerin & bake it. and whan þey buth ynowz: put þerin a layour of ayrenn with powdour fort and safroun. and serue it forth. [ ] rasyols. rasiowls, contents. qu. the etymen. [ ] sowple. supple. [ ] carnoun lyche a dee. cut like dice, diced. fr. _de_; singular of _dice_. [ ] gratyd. grated. _igrated_, no. . [ ] wynde it to balles, make it into balls. [ ] euere. each. [ ] trape. pan, or dish. french. whyte mylates [ ]. xx.vii. xiii. take ayrenn and wryng hem thurgh a cloth. take powdour fort, brede igrated, & safroun, & cast þerto a gode quantite of vynegur with a litull salt, medle all yfere. make a foile in a trape & bake it wel þerinne. and serue it forth. [ ] mylates. contents, _milates_; but as here. qu. crustardes [ ] of flessh. xx.vii. xiiii. take peiouns [ ], chykens, and smale briddes smyte hem in gobettes. & seeþ hem alle ifere in god broþ wiþ veriaws [ ] do þerto safroun, make a crust in a trape. and pynche it. & cowche þe flessh þerinne. & cast þerinne raisouns coraunce. powdour douce and salt. breke ayrenn and wryng hem thurgh a cloth & swyng þe sewe of þe stewe þerwith and helde it [ ] uppon the flessh. couere it & bake it wel. and serue it forth. [ ] crustards. pies. [ ] peiouns. pigeons. v. ad no. . [ ] veriaws. verjuice. [ ] helde it. pour, cast. mylates of pork. xx.vii. xv. hewe pork al to pecys and medle it with ayrenn & chese igrated. do þerto powdour fort safroun & pyneres [ ] with salt, make a crust in a trape, bake it wel þerinne, and serue it forth. [ ] pyneres. vide pref. crustardes of fysshe. xx.vii. xvi. take loches, laumprouns, and eelis. smyte hem on pecys, and stewe hem wiþ almaund mylke and verions, frye the loches in oile as tofore. and lay þe fissh þerinne. cast þeron powdour fort powdour douce. with raysons coraunce & prunes damysyns. take galyntyn and þe sewe þerinne, and swyng it togyder and cast in the trape. & bake it and serue it forth. crustardes of eerbis [ ] on fyssh day. xx.vii. xvii. take gode eerbys and grynde hem smale with wallenotes pyked clene. a grete portioun. lye it up almost wiþ as myche verions as water. seeþ it wel with powdour and safroun withoute salt. make a crust in a trape and do þe fyssh þerinne unstewed wiþ a litel oile & gode powdour. whan it is half ybake do þe sewe þerto & bake it up. if þou wilt make it clere of fyssh seeþ ayrenn harde. & take out þe zolkes & grinde hem with gode powdours. and alye it up with gode stewes [ ] and serue it forth. [ ] erbis. rather _erbis and fissh_. [ ] stewes. v. no. . lesshes [ ] fryed in lenton [ ]. xx.vii. xviii. drawe a thick almaunde mylke wiþ water. take dates and pyke hem clene with apples and peeres & mynce hem with prunes damysyns. take out þe stones out of þe prunes. & kerue the prunes a two. do þerto raisouns sugur. flour of canel. hoole macys and clowes. gode powdours & salt. colour hem up with saundres. meng þise with oile, make a coffyn as þou didest bifore & do þis fars [ ] þerin. and bake it wel and serue it forth. [ ] leshes. v. leche lumbard in gloss. [ ] lenton. lentoun, contents, i. e. lent. [ ] fars. vide gloss. wastels yfarced. xx.vii. xix. take a wastel and hewe out þe crummes. take ayrenn & shepis talow & þe crummes of þe same wastell powdour fort & salt with safroun and raisouns coraunce. & medle alle þise yfere & do it in þe wastel. close it & bynde it fast togidre. and seeþ it wel. sawge yfarced. xx.viii. take sawge. grynde it and temper it up with ayrenn. a saweyster [ ] & kerf hym to gobettes and cast it in a possynet. and do þerwiþ grece & frye it. whan it is fryed ynowz cast þerto sawge with ayren make it not to harde. cast þerto powdour douce, messe it forth. if it be in ymber day; take sauge butter & ayrenn. and lat it stonde wel by þe sause [ ], & serue it forth. [ ] saweyster. qu. [ ] stonde wel by the sause. become thick with the sawce. sawgeat [ ]. xx.viii. i. take pork and seeþ it wel and grinde it smale and medle it wiþ ayren & brede. ygrated. do þerto powdour fort and safroun with pyner & salt. take & close litull balles in foiles [ ] of sawge. wete it with a batour of ayren & fry it. & serue it forth. [ ] sawgeat. so named from the sage, or _sawge_ [ ] foiles. leaves. cryspes [ ]. xx.viii. ii. take flour of pandemayn and medle it with white grece ouer the fyrer in a chawfour [ ] and do the batour þerto queyntlich [ ] þurgh þy fyngours. or thurgh a skymour. and lat it a litul [ ] quayle [ ] a litell so þe þer be hool þerinne. and if þer wilt colour it wiþ alkenet yfoundyt. take hem up & cast þerinne sugur, and serue hem forth. [ ] cryspes. ms. ed. no. . _cryppys_, meaning _crisps_, chaucer having _crips_, by transposition, for _crisp_. in kent _p_ is commonly put before the _s_, as _haps_ is _hasp_, _waps_ is _wasp_. v. junius. v. _happs_, and _haspe_, and _wasp_. [ ] chawfour. chaffing dish. [ ] quentlich'. nicely. [ ] a litul. dele. [ ] quayle. an cool? cryspels. xx.viii. iii. take and make a foile of gode past as thynne as paper. kerue it out & fry it in oile. oþer in þe [ ] grece and þe remnaunt [ ], take hony clarified and flaunne [ ] þerwith, alye hem up and serue hem forth. [ ] þe grece. dele _the_. [ ] þe remnant, i. e. as for the remnant. [ ] flaunne. french _flau_, custard. tartee. xx.viii. iiii. take pork ysode. hewe it & bray it. do þerto ayrenn. raisouns sugur and powdour of gyngur. powdour douce. and smale briddes þeramong & white grece. take prunes, safroun. & salt, and make a crust in a trape & do þer fars [ ] þerin. & bake it wel & serue it forth. [ ] þer fars, r. þe fars. tart in ymbre [ ] day. xx.viii. v. take and parboile oynouns presse out þe water & hewe hem smale. take brede & bray it in a morter. and temper it up with ayren. do þerto butter, safroun and salt. & raisouns corauns. & a litel sugur with powdour douce. and bake it in a trape. & serue it forth. [ ] ymbre. ember. tart de bry [ ]. xx.viii. vi. take a crust ynche depe in a trape. take zolkes of ayren rawe & chese ruayn [ ]. & medle it & þe zolkes togyder. and do þerto powdour gyngur. sugur. safroun. and salt. do it in a trape, bake it and serue it forth. [ ] de bry. qu. _brie_, the country. [ ] chese ruayn. qu. of roisen. v. ad . tart de brymlent [ ]. xx.viii. vii. take fyges & raysouns. & waisshe hem in wyne. and grinde hem smale with apples & peres clene ypiked. take hem up and cast hem in a pot wiþ wyne and sugur. take salwar salmoun [ ] ysode. oþer codlyng, oþer haddok, & bray hem smal. & do þerto white powdours & hool spices. & salt. and seeþ it. and whanne it is sode ynowz. take it up and do it in a vessel and lat it kele. make a coffyn an ynche depe & do þe fars þerin. plaunt it boue [ ] with prunes and damysyns. take þe stones out, and wiþ dates quarte rede [ ] dand piked clene. and couere the coffyn, and bake it wel, and serue it forth. [ ] brymlent. perhaps midlent or high lent. _bryme_, in cotgrave, is the _midst_ of winter. the fare is certainly lenten. a.s. [anglo- saxon: bryme]. solennis, or beginning of lent, from a.s. [anglo-saxon: brymm], ora, margo. yet, after all, it may be a mistake for _prymlent_. [ ] salwar samoun. v. ad no. . [ ] plaunt it above. stick it _above_, or on the top. [ ] quarte red. quartered. tartes of flesh [ ]. xx.viii. viii. take pork ysode and grynde it smale. tarde [ ] harde eyrenn isode & ygrounde and do þerto with chese ygronde. take gode powdour and hool spices, sugur, safroun, and salt & do þerto. make a coffyn as to feel sayde [ ] & do þis þerinne, & plaunt it with smale briddes istyned & counyng. & hewe hem to smale gobettes & bake it as tofore. & serue it forth. [ ] tartes of flesh. so we have _tarte poleyn_, lel. coll. iv. p. . i.e. of pullen, or poultry. [ ] tarde, r. _take_. for see no. . [ ] to feel sayde. perhaps, _to hold the same_. tartletes. xx.viii. ix. take veel ysode and grinde it smale. take harde eyrenn isode and yground & do þerto with prunes hoole [ ]. dates. icorue. pynes and raisouns coraunce. hool spices & powdour. sugur. salt, and make a litell coffyn and do þis fars þerinne. & bake it & serue it forth. [ ] hoole, whole. tartes of fysshe. xx.viii. x. take eelys and samoun and smyte hem on pecys. & stewe it [ ] in almaund mylke and verious. drawe up on almaund mylk wiþ þe stewe. pyke out the bones clene of þe fyssh. and save þe myddell pece hoole of þe eelys & grinde þat ooþer fissh smale. and do þerto powdour, sugur, & salt and grated brede. & fors þe eelys þerwith þerer as [ ] þe bonys were medle þe ooþer dele of the fars & þe mylk togider. and colour it with saundres. make a crust in a trape as before. and bake it þerin and serue it forth. [ ] it. rather hem, i.e. them. [ ] þereras. where. v. no. . sambocade [ ]. xx.viii. xi. take and make a crust in a trape. & take a cruddes and wryng out þe wheyze. and drawe hem þurgh a straynour and put in þe straynour crustes. do þerto sugur the þridde part & somdel [ ] whyte of ayrenn. & shake þerin blomes of elren [ ]. & bake it up with curose [ ] & messe it forth. [ ] sambucade. as made of the _sambucus_, or elder. [ ] somdel. some. [ ] blom of elren. elder flowers. [ ] curose. erbolates [ ]. xx.viii. xii. take parsel, myntes [ ], sauerey, & sauge, tansey, veruayn, clarry, rewe, ditayn, fenel, southrenwode, hewe hem & grinde hem smale, medle hem up with ayrenn. do butter in a trape. & do þe fars þerto. & bake it & messe it forth. [ ] erbolat, i.e. herbolade, a confection of herbs. [ ] myntes, mint. nysebek [ ]. xx.viii. xiii. take þere þridde part of sowre dokkes and flour þerto. & bete it togeder tyl it be as towh as eny lyme. cast þerto salt. & do it in a disshe holke [ ] in þe bothom, and let it out wiþ þy finger queynchche [ ] in a chowfer [ ] wiþ oile. & frye it wel. and whan it is ynowhz: take it out and cast þerto suger &c. [ ] nysebek. qu. [ ] holke. qu. hollow. [ ] queynchche. an _queyntlich'_, as no. . [ ] chowfer. chaffing dish, as no. . for to make pomme dorryle [ ] and oÞer Þnges. xx.viii. xiiii. take þe lire of pork rawe. and grynde it smale. medle it up wiþ powdre fort, safroun, and salt, and do þerto raisouns of coraunce, make balles þerof. and wete it wele in white of ayrenn. & do it to seeþ in boillyng water. take hem up and put hem on a spyt. rost hem wel and take parsel ygronde and wryng it up with ayren & a party of flour. and lat erne [ ] aboute þe spyt. and if þou wilt, take for parsel safroun, and serue it forth. [ ] pomme dorryle. contents, _pom dorryes_, rectè, for ms. ed. , has _pommedorry_; and see no. . so named from the _balls_ and _the gilding_. "pommes dorées, golden apples." cotgrave. _poundorroye_. ms. ed. ; but vide _dorry_ in gloss. [ ] erne. qu. cotagres [ ]. xx.viii. xv. take and make þe self fars [ ]. but do þerto pynes and sugur. take an hole rowsted cok, pulle hym [ ] & hylde [ ] hym al togyder saue þe legges. take a pigg and hilde [ ] hym fro þe myddes dounward, fylle him ful of þe fars & sowe hym fast togider. do hym in a panne & seeþ hym wel. and whan þei bene isode: do hem on a spyt & rost it wele. colour it with zolkes of ayren and safroun, lay þeron foyles [ ] of gold and of siluer. and serue hit forth. [ ] cotagres. this is a sumptuous dish. perhaps we should read _cokagres_, from the _cock_ and _grees_, or wild pig, therein used. v. _vyne grace_ in gloss. [ ] self fars. same as preceding recipe. [ ] pulle hym, i.e. in pieces. [ ] hylde. cast. [ ] hilde. skin. [ ] foyles. leaves; of laurel or bay, suppose; gilt and silvered for ornament. hert rowee [ ]. xx.viii. xvi. take þer mawe of þe grete swyne. and fyfe oþer sex of pigges mawe. fyll hem full of þe self fars. & sowe hem fast, perboile hem. take hem up & make smale prews [ ] of gode past and frye hem. take þese prews yfryed & seeþ [ ] hem þicke in þe mawes on þe fars made after [ ] an urchoun withoute legges. put hem on a spyt & roost hem & colour hem with safroun & messe hem forth. [ ] hert rowee. contents, _hart rows_; perhaps from _heart_. [ ] prews. qu. v. in gloss. [ ] seeþ. there is a fault here; it means stick. [ ] after, i. e. like. potews [ ]. xx.viii. xvii. take pottes of erþe lytell of half a quart and fyll hem full of fars of pomme dorryes [ ]. oþer make with þyn honde. oþer in a moolde pottes of þe self fars. put hem in water & seeþ hem up wel. and whan þey buth ynowz. breke þe pottes of erþe & do þe fars on þe spyt & rost hem wel. and whan þei buth yrosted. colour hem as pomme dorryes. make of litull prewes [ ] gode past, frye hem oþer rost hem wel in grece. & make þerof eerys [ ] to pottes & colour it. and make rosys [ ] of gode past, & frye hem, & put þe steles [ ] in þe hole þer [ ] þe spyt was. & colour it with whyte. oþer rede. & serue it forth. [ ] potews. probably from the _pots_ employed. [ ] pomme dorryes. vide ad no. . [ ] prewes. v. ad . [ ] eerys. ears _for_ the pots. v. . [ ] rosys. roses. [ ] sleles. stalks. [ ] þer. there, i.e. where. v. . sachus [ ]. xx.viii. xviii. take smale sachellis of canuas and fille hem full of þe same fars [ ] & seeþ hem. and whan þey buth ynowz take of the canvas, rost hem & colour hem &c. [ ] sachus. i suppose _sacks_. [ ] same fars. viz. as . bursews [ ]. xx.viii. xix. take pork, seeþ it and grynde it smale wiþ sodden ayren. do þerto gode powdours and hole spices and salt with sugur. make þerof smale balles, and cast hem in a batour [ ] of ayren. & wete hem in flour. and frye hem in grece as frytours [ ]. and serue hem forth. [ ] bursews. different from _bursen_ in no. ; therefore qu. etymon. [ ] batour. batter. [ ] frytours. fritters. spynoches [ ] yfryed. xx.ix. take spynoches. perboile hem in seþyng water. take hem up and presse . . . out of þe water [ ] and hem [ ] in two. frye hem in oile clene. & do þerro powdour. & serue forth. [ ] spynoches. spinage, which we use in the singular. [ ] out of the water. dele _of_; or it may mean, _when out of the water_. [ ] hem r. _hewe_. benes yfryed. xx.ix. i. take benes and seeþ hem almost til þey bersten. take and wryng out þer water clene. do þerto oynouns ysode and ymynced. and garlec þerwith. frye hem in oile. oþer in grece. & do þerto powdour douce. & serue it forth. rysshews [ ] of fruyt. xx.ix. ii. take fyges and raisouns. pyke hem and waisshe hem in wyne. grynde hem wiþ apples and peeres. ypared and ypiked clene. do þerto gode powdours. and hole spices. make bailes þerof. fryen in oile and serue hem forth. [ ] rysshews. _russhewses_, contents. qu. daryols [ ]. xx.ix. iii. take creme of cowe mylke. oþer of almandes. do þerto ayren with sugur, safroun, and salt, medle it yfere. do it in a coffyn. of ii. ynche depe. bake it wel and serue it forth, [ ] daryols. qu. flaumpens [ ]. xx.ix. iiii. take fat pork ysode. pyke it clene. grynde it smale. grynde chese & do þerto. wiþ sugur and gode powdours. make a coffyn of an ynche depe. and do þis fars þerin. make a thynne foile of gode past & kerue out þeroff smale poyntes [ ]. frye hem in fars [ ]. & bake it up &c. [ ] flaumpeyns. _flaumpens_, contents. v. no. . [ ] points, seems the same as _prews_, no. . [ ] in fars, f. _in the fars_; and yet the fars is disposed of before; ergo quære. chewetes [ ] on flesshe day. xx.ix. v. take þer lire of pork and kerue it al to pecys. and hennes þerwith and do it in a panne and frye it & make a coffyn as to [ ] a pye smale & do þerinne. & do þeruppon zolkes of ayrenn. harde. powdour of gyngur and salt, couere it & fry it in grece. oþer bake it wel and serue it forth. [ ] chewets. v. . [ ] as to, as for. v. no. . chewetes on fyssh day. xx.ix. vi. take turbut. haddok. codlyng. and hake. and seeþ it. grynde it smale. and do þerto dates. ygrounden. raysouns pynes. gode powdoer and salt. make a coffyn as tofore saide. close þis þerin. and frye it in oile. oþer stue it in gyngur. sugur. oþer in wyne. oþer bake it. & serue forth. hastletes [ ] of fruyt. xx.ix. vii. take fyges iquarterid [ ]. raysouns hool dates and almandes hoole. and ryne [ ] hem on a spyt and roost hem. and endore [ ] hem as pomme dorryes & serue hem forth. [ ] hastletes. _hasteletes_, contents. [ ] iquarterid. iquartered. [ ] ryne. run. [ ] endore. endorse, ms. ed. . ii. . v. ad . comadore [ ]. xx.ix. vii. take fyges and raisouns. pyke hem and waisshe hem clene, skalde hem in wyne. grynde hem right smale, cast sugur in þe self wyne. and founde it togyder. drawe it up thurgh a straynour. & alye up þe fruyt þerwith. take gode peerys and apples. pare hem and take þe best, grynde hem smale and cast þerto. set a pot on þe fuyrer [ ] wiþ oyle and cast alle þise þynges þerinne. and stere it warliche, and kepe it wel fro brennyng. and whan it is fyned cast þerto powdours of gynger of canel. of galyngale. hool clowes flour of canel. & macys hoole. cast þerto pynes a litel fryed in oile & salt, and whan it is ynowz fyned: take it up and do it in a vessel & lat it kele. and whan it is colde: kerue out with a knyf smale pecys of þe gretnesse & of þe length of a litel fyngur. & close it fast in gode past. & frye hen in oile. & serue forth. [ ] comadore. qu. [ ] fuyr. fire. chastletes [ ], xx.ix. ix. take and make a foyle of gode past with a roller of a foot brode. & lyngur[ ] by cumpas. make iiii coffyns of þe self past uppon þe rolleres þe gretnesse of þe smale of þyn arme. of vi ynche depnesse. make þe gretust [ ] in þe myddell. fasten þe foile in þe mouth upwarde. & fasten þee [ ] oþere foure in euery syde. kerue out keyntlich kyrnels [ ] above in þe manere of bataiwyng [ ] and drye hem harde in an ovene. oþer in þe sunne. in þe myddel coffyn do a fars of pork with gode pork & ayrenn rawe wiþ salt. & colour it wiþ safroun and do in anoþer creme of almandes. and helde [ ] it in anoþer [ ] creme of cowe mylke with ayrenn. colour it with saundres. anoþur manur. fars of fygur. of raysouns. of apples. of peeres. & holde it in broun [ ]. anoþer manere. do fars as to frytours blanched. and colour it with grene. put þis to þe ovene & bake it wel. & serue it forth with ew ardaunt [ ]. [ ] chastelets. litlle castles, as is evident from the kernelling and the battlements mentioned. _castles of jelly templewise made._ lel. coll. iv. p. . [ ] lynger. longer. [ ] gretust. greatest. [ ] þee, i. e. thou. [ ] kyrnels. battlements. v. gloss. keyntlich, quaintly, curiously. v. gloss. [ ] bataiwyng. embatteling. [ ] helde. put, cast. [ ] another. as the middle one and only two more are provided for, the two remaining were to be filled, i presume, in the same manner alternately. [ ] holde it broun. make it brown. [ ] ew ardaunt. hot water. _eau_, water; anciently written _eue_. for to make ii. [ ] pecys of flessh to fasten togyder. xx.ix. x. take a pece of fressh flesh and do it in a pot for to seeþ. or take a pece of fressh flessh and kerue it al to gobetes. do it in a pot to seeþ. & take þe wose [ ] of comfery & put it in þe pot to þe flessh & it shal fasten anon, & so serue it forth. [ ] ii. _twey_, contents. [ ] wose. roots of comfrey are of a very glutinous nature. quincy. dispens. p. . _wose_ is a.s. [anglo-saxon: paer], _humour_, juice. see junius. v. _wos_, and mr. strype's life of stow, p. viii. pur fait ypocras [ ]. xx.ix. xi. treys unces de canett. & iii unces de gyngeuer. spykenard de spayn le pays dun denerer [ ], garyngale [ ]. clowes, gylofre. poeurer long [ ], noiez mugadez [ ]. maziozame [ ] cardemonij [ ] de chescun i. quart' douce [ ] grayne & [ ] de paradys stour de queynel [ ] de chescun dim [ ] unce de toutes, soit fait powdour &c. [ ] pur fait ypocras. id est, _pour faire ypocras_; a whole pipe of which was provided for archbishop nevill's feast about a.d. , so that it was in vast request formerly. [ ] le pays d'un denerer, i.e. _le pays d'un denier_. [ ] garyngale, i.e. _galyngale_. [ ] poeurer long, r. poiurer long, i.e. _poivre long_. [ ] mugadez, r. muscadez; but q. as the french is _muguette_. nutmegs. [ ] maziozame, r. _marjorame_. [ ] cardemonij, r. _cardamones_. [ ] quartdouce, r. _d'once._. five penny weights. [ ] &. dele. [ ] queynel. perhaps _canell_; but qu. as that is named before. [ ] dim. dimid. for to make blank maunger [ ]. xx.ix. xii. put rys in water al a nyzt and at morowe waisshe hem clene, afterward put hem to þe fyre fort [ ] þey berst & not to myche. ssithen [ ] take brawn of capouns, or of hennes. soden & drawe [ ] it smale. after take mylke of almandes. and put in to þe ryys & boile it. and whan it is yboiled put in þe brawn & alye it þerwith. þat it be wel chargeaunt [ ] and mung it fynelich' [ ] wel þat it sit not [ ] to þe pot. and whan it is ynowz & chargeaunt. do þerto sugur gode part, put þerin almandes. fryed in white grece. & dresse it forth. [ ] blank maunger. very different from that we make now. v. . [ ] fyre fort. strong fire. [ ] ssithen. then. [ ] drawe. make. [ ] chargeaunt. stiff. so below, _ynowhz & chargeaunt_. v. , . v. gloss. [ ] mung it fynelich' wel. stir it very well. [ ] sit not. adheres not, and thereby burns not. used now in the north. for to make blank desne [ ]. xx.ix. xiii. take brawn of hennes or of capouns ysoden withoute þe skyn. & hewe hem as smale as þou may. & grinde hem in a morter. after take gode mylke of almandes & put þe brawn þerin. & stere it wel togyder & do hem to seeþ. & take flour of rys & amydoun & alay it. so þat it be chargeant. & do þerto sugur a gode party. & a party of white grece. and when it is put in disshes strewe uppon it blaunche powdour, and þenne put in blank desire and mawmenye [ ] in disshes togider. and serue forth. [ ] blank _desne_. _desire_, contents; rectè. v. gloss. the recipe in ms. ed. is much the same with this. [ ] mawmenye. see no. . for to make mawmenny [ ]. xx.ix. xiiii. take þe chese and of flessh of capouns or of hennes. & hakke smale in a morter. take mylke of almandes with þe broth of freissh beef, oþer freissh flessh. & put the flessh in þe mylke oþer in the broth and set hem to þe frye [ ]. & alye hem up with flour of ryse. or gastbon [ ]. or amydoun. as chargeant as with blanke desire. & with zolkes of ayren and safroun for to make it zelow. and when it is dressit in disshes with blank desire styk above clowes de gilofre. & strewe powdour of galyngale above. and serue it forth. [ ] mawmenny. _mawmoune_, contents. _maumene_ ms. ed. . . vide no. . see preface for a _fac-simile_ of this recipe. [ ] þe frye. an fyre? [ ] gastbon. qu. the pety peruaunt [ ]. xx.ix. xv. take male marow [ ]. hole parade [ ] and kerue it rawe. powdour of gynger. zolkes of ayrenn, dates mynced. raisouns of coraunce. salt a lytel. & loke þat þou make þy past with zolkes of ayren. & þat no water come þerto. and forme þy coffyn. and make up þy past. [ ] pety peruaunt. a paste; therefore, perhaps, _paty_; but qu. the latter word. [ ] male marow. qu. [ ] parade. qu. payn puff [ ]. xx.ix. xvi. eodem modo fait payn puff. but make it more tendre þe past. and loke þe past be rounde of þe payn puf as a coffyn & a pye. [ ] payn puff. contents has, _and the pete puant_. [ ]xplicit. [ ] a blank was left in the original for a large _e_. the following memorandum at the end of the roll. "antiquum hoc monumentum oblatum et missum est majestati vestræ vicesimo septimo die mensis julij, anno regno vestri fælicissimi vicesimo viij ab humilimo vestro subdito, vestræque, majestati fidelissimo edward stafford, hæres domus subversæ buckinghamiens." n.b. he was lord stafford and called edward. edw. d. of bucks beheaded . h. viii. | henry, restored in blood by h. viii.; and again ed. vi. | edw. aged , ; born . . ob. . f. . | edw. b. . ---- born. ancient cookery. a.d. . _hic incipiunt universa servicia tam de carnibus quam de pissibus_ [ ]. i. for to make furmenty [ ]. nym clene wete and bray it in a morter wel that the holys [ ] gon al of and seyt [ ] yt til it breste and nym yt up. and lat it kele [ ] and nym fayre fresch broth and swete mylk of almandys or swete mylk of kyne and temper yt al. and nym the yolkys of eyryn [ ]. boyle it a lityl and set yt adoun and messe yt forthe wyth fat venyson and fresh moton. [ ] see again, no. i. of the second part of this treatise. [ ] hulls. [ ] miswritten for _seyth_ or _sethe_, i.e. seeth. [ ] cool. [ ] eggs. ii. for to make pise of almayne. nym wyte pisyn and wasch hem and seth hem a good wyle sithsyn wasch hem in golde [ ] watyr unto the holys gon of alle in a pot and kever it wel that no breth passe owt and boyle hem ryzt wel and do therto god mylk of almandys and a party of flowr of ris and salt and safron and messe yt forthe. [ ] cold. iii. cranys and herons schulle be euarund [ ] wyth lardons of swyne and rostyd and etyn wyth gyngynyr. [ ] perhaps _enarmed_, or _enorned_. see mr. brander's roll, no. . iv. pecokys and partrigchis schul ben yparboyld and lardyd and etyn wyth gyngenyr. v. morterelys [ ]. nym hennyn and porke and seth hem togedere nym the lyre [ ] of the hennyn and the porke and hakkyth finale and grynd hit al to dust and wyte bred therwyth and temper it wyth the selve broth and wyth heyryn and colure it with safroun and boyle it and disch it and cast theron powder of peper and of gyngynyr and serve it forthe. [ ] v. mortrews in gloss. [ ] flesh. vi. caponys inc oneys. schal be sodyn. nym the lyre and brek it smal in a morter and peper and wyte bred therwyth and temper it wyth ale and ley it wyth the capoun. nym hard sodyn eyryn and hewe the wyte smal and kaste thereto and nym the zolkys al hole and do hem in a dysch and boyle the capoun and colowre it wyth safroun and salt it and messe it forthe. vii. hennys [ ] in bruet. schullyn be scaldyd and sodyn wyth porke and grynd pepyr and comyn bred and ale and temper it wyth the selve broth and boyle and colowre it wyth safroun and salt it and messe it forthe. [ ] hens. viii. harys [ ] in cmee [ ]. schul be parboylyd and lardyd and rostid and nym onyons and myce hem rizt smal and fry hem in wyte gres and grynd peper bred and ale and the onions therto and coloure it wyth safroun and salt it and serve it forth. [ ] hares. [ ] perhaps _cinee_; for see no. . ix. haris in talbotays. schul be hewe in gobbettys and sodyn with al the blod nym bred piper and ale and grynd togedere and temper it with the selve broth and boyle it and salt it and serve it forthe. x. conynggys [ ] in gravey. schul be sodyn and hakkyd in gobbettys and grynd gyngynyr galyngale and canel. and temper it up with god almand mylk and boyle it and nym macys and clowys and kest [ ] therin and the conynggis also and salt hym [ ] and serve it forthe. [ ] rabbits. [ ] cast. [ ] _it_, or perhaps _hem_. xi. for to make a colys [ ]. nym hennys and schald hem wel. and seth hem after and nym the lyre and hak yt smal and bray it with otyn grotys in a morter and with wyte bred and temper it up wyth the broth nym the grete bonys and grynd hem al to dust and kest hem al in the broth and mak it thorw a clothe and boyle it and serve it forthe. [ ] cullis. v. preface. xii. for to make nombles [ ]. nym the nomblys of the venysoun and wasch hem clene in water and salt hem and seth hem in tweye waterys grynd pepyr bred and ale and temper it wyth the secunde brothe and boyle it and hak the nomblys and do theryn and serve it forthe. [ ] umbles. xiii. for to make blanche brewet de alyngyn. nym kedys [ ] and chekenys and hew hem in morsellys and seth hem in almand mylk or in kyne mylke grynd gyngyner galingale and cast therto and boyle it and serve it forthe. [ ] kids. xiv. for to make blomanger [ ]. nym rys and lese hem and wasch hem clene and do thereto god almande mylk and seth hem tyl they al to brest and than lat hem kele and nym the lyre of the hennyn or of capouns and grynd hem smal kest therto wite grese and boyle it nym blanchyd almandys and safroun and set hem above in the dysche and serve yt forthe. [ ] blanc-manger. see again, no. , . ii. no. . chaucer writes it _blankmanger_. xv. for to make afronchemoyle [ ]. nym eyren wyth al the wyte and myse bred and schepys [ ] talwe as gret as dyses [ ] grynd peper and safroun and cast therto and do hit in the schepis wombe seth it wel and dresse it forthe of brode leches thynne. [ ] frenchemulle d'un mouton. a sheeps call, or kell. cotgrave. junius, v. _moil_, says, "a french moile chaucero est cibus delicatior, a dish made of marrow and grated bread." [ ] sheep's fat. [ ] dice; square bits, or bits as big as dice. xvi. for to make brymeus. nym the tharmys [ ] of a pygge and wasch hem clene in water and salt and seth hem wel and than hak hem smale and grynd pepyr and safroun bred and ale and boyle togedere nym wytys of eyrynn and knede it wyth flour and mak smal pelotys [ ] and fry hem with wyte grees and do hem in disches above that othere mete and serve it forthe. [ ] rops, guts, puddings [ ] balls, pellets, from the french _pelote._ xvii. for to make appulmos [ ]. nym appelyn and seth hem and lat hem kele and make hem thorw a clothe and on flesch dayes kast therto god fat breyt [ ] of bef and god wyte grees and sugar and safroun and almande mylk on fysch dayes oyle de olyve and gode powdres [ ] and serve it forthe. [ ] see no. . [ ] breth, i. e. broth. see no. . [ ] spices ground small. see no. , . . . ii. no. . . or perhaps of galingale. ii. . . xviii. for to make a froys [ ]. nym veel and seth it wel and hak it smal and grynd bred peper and safroun and do thereto and frye yt and presse it wel upon a bord and dresse yt forthe. [ ] a fraise xix. for to make fruturs [ ]. nym flowre and eyryn and grynd peper and safroun and mak therto a batour and par aplyn and kyt hem to brode penys [ ] and kest hem theryn and fry hem in the batour wyth fresch grees and serve it forthe. [ ] fritters. [ ] pieces as broad as pennies, or perhaps pecys. xx. for to make chanke [ ]. nym porke and seth it wel and hak yt smal nym eyryn wyth al the wytys and swyng hem wel al togedere and kast god swete mylke thereto and boyle yt and messe it forthe. [ ] quære. xxi. for to make jussel. nym eyryn wyth al the wytys and mice bred grynd pepyr and safroun and do therto and temper yt wyth god fresch broth of porke and boyle it wel and messe yt forthe. xxii. for to make gees [ ] in ochepot [ ]. nym and schald hem wel and hew hem wel in gobettys al rawe and seth hem in her owyn grees and cast therto wyn or ale a cuppe ful and myce onyons smal and do therto and boyle yt and salt yt and messe yt forthe. [ ] gese. [ ] hochepot. vide gloss. xxiii. for to make eyryn in bruet. nym water and welle [ ] yt and brek eyryn and kast theryn and grynd peper and safroun and temper up wyth swete mylk and boyle it and hakke chese smal and cast theryn and messe yt forthe. [ ] quære the meaning. xxiv. for to make craytoun [ ]. tak checonys and schald hem and seth hem and grvnd gyngen' other pepyr and comyn and temper it up wyth god mylk and do the checonys theryn and boyle hem and serve yt forthe. [ ] vide ad no. of the roll. xxv. for to make mylk rost. nym swete mylk and do yt in a panne nyn [ ] eyryn wyth al the wyte and swyng hem wel and cast therto and colowre yt wyth safroun and boyl it tyl yt wexe thikke and thanne seth [ ] yt thorw a culdore [ ] and nym that, leyyth [ ] and presse yt up on a bord and wan yt ys cold larde it and scher yt on schyverys and roste yt on a grydern and serve yt forthe. [ ] read _nym_. [ ] strain. see no. . [ ] cuilinder. [ ] that which is left in the cullinder. xxvi. for to make cryppys [ ]. nym flour and wytys of eyryn sugur other hony and sweyng togedere and mak a batour nym wyte grees and do yt in a posnet and cast the batur thereyn and stury to thou have many [ ] and tak hem up and messe hem wyth the frutours and serve forthe. [ ] meaning, _crisps_. v. gloss. [ ] it will run into lumps, i suppose. xxvii. for to make berandyles [ ]. nym hennys and seth hem wyth god buf and wan hi ben sodyn nym the hennyn and do awey the bonys and bray smal yn a mortar and temper yt wyth the broth and seth yt thorw a culdore and cast therto powder of gyngenyr and sugur and graynys of powmis gernatys [ ] and boyle yt and dresse yt in dysches and cast above clowys gylofres [ ] and maces and god powder [ ] serve yt forthe. [ ] quære the meaning. [ ] pomegranates. v. no. . [ ] not clove-gilliflowers, but _cloves_. see no. , , . [ ] see no. , note [ ]. xxviii. for to make capons in casselys. nym caponys and schald hem nym a penne and opyn the skyn at the hevyd [ ] and blowe hem tyl the skyn ryse from the flesshe and do of the skyn al hole and seth the lyre of hennyn and zolkys of heyryn and god powder and make a farsure [ ] and fil ful the skyn and parboyle yt and do yt on a spete and rost yt and droppe [ ] yt wyth zolkys of eyryn and god powder rostyng and nym the caponys body and larde yt and roste it and nym almaunde mylk and amydoun [ ] and mak a batur and droppe the body rostyng and serve yt forthe. [ ] head. sax. [anglo-saxon: heofod] and [anglo-saxon: hevod], hence our _head_. [ ] stuffing. [ ] baste. [ ] vide gloss. xxix. for to make the blank surry [ ]. tak brann [ ] of caponys other of hennys and the thyes [ ] wythowte the skyn and kerf hem smal als thou mayst and grynd hem smal in a morter and tak mylk of almaundys and do yn the branne and grynd hem thanne togedere and and seth hem togeder' and tak flour of rys other amydoun and lye it that yt be charchant and do therto sugur a god parti and a party of wyt grees and boyle yt and wan yt ys don in dyschis straw upon blank poudere and do togedere blank de sury and manmene [ ] in a dysch and serve it forthe. [ ] vide _blank desire_ in gloss. [ ] perhaps _brawn_, the brawny part. see no. , and the gloss. [ ] thighs. [ ] see the next number. quære _mawmeny_. xxx. for to make manmene [ ]. tak the thyys [ ] other the flesch of the caponys fede [ ] hem and kerf hem smal into a morter and tak mylk of almandys wyth broth of fresch buf and do the flesch in the mylk or in the broth and do yt to the fyre and myng yt togedere wyth flour of rys othere of wastelys als charchaut als the blank de sure and wyth the zolkys of eyryn for to make it zelow and safroun and wan yt ys dressyd in dysches wyth blank de sure straw upon clowys of gelofre [ ] and straw upon powdre of galentyn and serve yt forthe. [ ] vide number , and the gloss. [ ] thighs. [ ] quære. [ ] see no. , note [ ]. xxxi. for to make bruet of almayne. tak partrichys rostyd and checonys and qualys rostyd and larkys ywol and demembre the other and mak a god cawdel and dresse the flesch in a dysch and strawe powder of galentyn therupon. styk upon clowys of gelofre and serve yt forthe. xxxii. for ro make bruet of lombardye. tak chekenys or hennys or othere flesch and mak the colowre als red as any blod and tak peper and kanel and gyngyner bred [ ] and grynd hem in a morter and a porcion of bred and mak that bruer thenne and do that flesch in that broth and mak hem boyle togedere and stury it wel and tak eggys and temper hem wyth jus of parcyle and wryng hem thorwe a cloth and wan that bruet is boylyd do that therto and meng tham togedere wyth fayr grees so that yt be fat ynow and serve yt forthe. [ ] this is still in use, and, it seems, is an old compound. xxxiii. for to make blomanger [ ]. do ris in water al nyzt and upon the morwe wasch hem wel and do hem upon the fyre for to [ ] they breke and nozt for to muche and tak brann [ ] of caponis sodyn and wel ydraw [ ] and smal and tak almaund mylk and boyle it wel wyth ris and wan it is yboylyd do the flesch therin so that it be charghaunt and do therto a god party of sugure and wan it ys dressyd forth in dischis straw theron blaunche pouder and strik [ ] theron almaundys fryed wyt wyte grece [ ] and serve yt forthe. [ ] see no. . [ ] till. _for_, however, abounds. [ ] see no. . note d. [ ] perhaps, _strained_. see no. ; and part ii. no. . [ ] perhaps, _stik_, i.e. stick; but see . [ ] grese. fat, or lard. xxxiv. for to make sandale that party to blomanger. tak flesch of caponys and of pork sodyn kerf yt smal into a morter togedere and bray that wel. and temper it up wyth broth of caponys and of pork that yt be wel charchaunt also the crem of almaundys and grynd egges and safroun or sandres togedere that it be coloured and straw upon powder of galentyn and strik thereon clowys and maces and serve it forthe. xxxv. for to make apulmos [ ]. tak applys and seth hem and let hem kele and after mak hem thorwe a cloth and do hem im a pot and kast to that mylk of almaundys wyth god broth of buf in flesch dayes do bred ymyed [ ] therto. and the fisch dayes do therto oyle of olyve and do therto sugur and colour it wyth safroun and strew theron powder and serve it forthe. [ ] see no. . [ ] ymyced, i.e. _minced_. xxxvi. for to make mete gelee [ ] that it be wel chariaunt. tak wyte wyn and a party of water and safroun and gode spicis and flesch of piggys or of hennys or fresch fisch and boyle them togedere and after wan yt ys boylyd and cold dres yt in dischis and serve yt forthe. [ ] meat jelly. xxxvii. for to make murrey [ ]. tak mulbery [ ] and bray hem in a morter and wryng [ ] hem thorth a cloth and do hem in a pot over the fyre and do thereto fat bred and wyte gresse and let it nazt boyle no ofter than onys and do thereto a god party of sugur and zif yt be nozt ynowe colowrd brey mulburus and serve yt forthe. [ ] morrey. part ii. no. . [ ] this is to be understood pluraly, _quasi_ mulberries. [ ] read _wryng_. for see part ii. no. . b. chaucer, v. _wronge_ and _ywrong_. xxxviii. for to make a penche of egges. tak water and do it in a panne to the fyre and lat yt sethe and after tak eggs and brek hem and cast hem in the water and after tak a chese and kerf yt on fowr partins and cast in the water and wanne the chese and the eggys ben wel sodyn tak hem owt of the water and wasch hem in clene water and tak wastel breed and temper yt wyth mylk of a kow. and after do yt over the fyre and after forsy yt wyth gyngener and wyth cornyn and colowr yt wyth safroun and lye yt wyth eggys and oyle the sewe wyth boter and kep wel the chese owt and dresse the sewe and dymo [ ] eggys thereon al ful and kerf thy chese in lytyl schyms and do hem in the sewe wyth eggys and serve yt forthe. [ ] perhaps, _do mo_, i.e. put more. xxxix. for to make comyn. tak god almaunde mylk and lat yt boyle and do ther'in amydoun wyth flowr of rys and colowr yt wyth safroun and after dresse yt wyth graynis of poungarnetts [ ] other wyth reysens zyf thow hast non other and tak sugur and do theryn and serve it forthe. [ ] vide no. . xiv. for to make fruturs [ ]. tak crommys [ ] of wyte bred and the flowris of the swete appyltre and zolkys of eggys and bray hem togedere in a morter and temper yt up wyth wyte wyn and mak yt to sethe and wan yt is thykke do thereto god spicis of gyngener galyngale canel and clowys gelofre and serve yt forth; [ ] fritters. [ ] crumbs. xli. for to make rosee [ ]. tak the flowris of rosys and wasch hem wel in water and after bray hem wel in a morter and than tak almondys and temper hem and seth hem and after tak flesch of capons or of hennys and hac yt smale and than bray hem wel in a morter and than do yt in the rose [ ] so that the flesch acorde wyth the mylk and so that the mete be charchaunt and after do yt to the fyre to boyle and do thereto sugur and safroun that yt be wel ycolowrd and rosy of levys and of the forseyde flowrys and serve yt forth. [ ] vide no. . [ ] i.e. rosee. xlii. for to make pommedorry [ ]. tak buff and hewe yt smal al raw and cast yt in a morter and grynd yt nozt to smal tak safroun and grynd therewyth wan yt ys grounde tak the wyte of the eyryn zyf yt be nozt styf. cast into the buf pouder of pepyr olde resyns and of coronse set over a panne wyth fayr water and mak pelotys of the buf and wan the water and the pelots ys wel yboylyd and [ ] set yt adoun and kele yt and put yt on a broche and rost yt and endorre yt wyth zolkys of eyryn and serve yt forthe. [ ] vide no. . [ ] dele _and_. xliii. for to make longe de buf [ ]. nym the tonge of the rether [ ] and schalde and schawe [ ] yt wel and rizt clene and seth yt and sethe nym a broche [ ] and larde yt wyth lardons and wyth clowys and gelofre and do it rostyng and drop yt wel yt rostyd [ ] wyth zolkys of eyrin and dresse it forthe. [ ] neat's tongue. _make_ signifies _to dress_, as ii. . [ ] the ox or cow. lye in jun. etymolog. v. _rother_. [ ] shave, scrape. [ ] a larding-pin. [ ] pehaps, _wyle it rostyth_. xliv. for to make rew de rumsy. nym swynys fet and eyr [ ] and make hem clene and seth hem alf wyth wyn and half wyth water cast mycyd onyons thereto and god spicis and wan they be ysodyn nym and rosty hem in a grydere wan it is yrostyd kest thereto of the selve broth hy lyed wyth amydoun and anyeyd onyons [ ] and serve yt forth. [ ] to be understood plurally, _ears_. [ ] miswritten for _mycyd_, i. e. minced onyons. xlv. for to make bukkenade [ ]. nym god fresch flesch wat maner so yt be and hew yt in smale morselys and seth yt wyth gode fresch buf and cast thereto gode mynced onyons and gode spicerye and alyth [ ] wyth eyryn and boyle and dresse yt forth. [ ] vide no. . [ ] stiffen, thicken it. see no. . where _lyed_ has that sense. see also . xlvi. for to make spine [ ]. nym the flowrys of the haw thorn clene gaderyd and bray hem al to dust and temper hem wyth almaunde mylk and aly yt wyth amydoun and wyth eyryn wel rykke [ ] and boyle it and messe yt forth and flowrys and levys abovyn on [ ]. [ ] this dish, no doubt, takes its name from _spina_, of which it is made. [ ] read, þykke, _thykke_. [ ] it means _laid upon it_. xlvii. for to make rosee [ ] and fresee and swan schal be ymad in the selve maner. nym pyggus and hennys and other maner fresch flesch and hew yt in morselys and seth yt in wyth wyn and [ ] gyngyner and galyngale and gelofre and canel [ ] and bray yt wel and kest thereto and alye yt wyth amydoun other wyth flowr of rys. [ ] vide no. . [ ] perhaps, _in wyn with_. [ ] cinamon. vide gloss. xlviii. for to make an amendement formete that ys to [ ] salt and over mychyl. nym etemele and bynd yt in a fayr lynnen clowt and lat yt honge in the pot so that yt thowche nozt the bottym and lat it hongy thereynne a god wyle and seþh [ ] set yt fro the fyre and let yt kele and yt schal be fresch ynow wythoute any other maner licowr ydo thereto. [ ] id est, _too_. [ ] read, seth, i.e. then. xlix. for to make rapy [ ]. tak fygys and reysyns and wyn and grynd hem togeder tak and draw hem thorw a cloth and do thereto powder of alkenet other of rys and do thereto a god quantite of pepir and vyneger and boyle it togeder and messe yt and serve yt forth. [ ] vide part ii. no. . . l. for to make an egge dows [ ]. tak almaundys and mak god mylk and temper wyth god wyneger clene tak reysynys and boyle hem in clene water and tak the reysynis and tak hem owt of the water and boyle hem wyth mylk and zyf thow wyl colowr yt wyth safron and serve yt forth. [ ] vide ad part ii. no. . there are no eggs concerned, so no doubt it should be _eger dows_. vide gloss. li. for to make a mallard in cyney [ ]. tak a mallard and pul hym drye and swyng over the fyre draw hym but lat hym touche no water and hew hym in gobettys and do hym in a pot of clene water boyle hem wel and tak onyons and boyle and bred and pepyr and grynd togedere and draw thorw a cloth temper wyth wyn and boyle yt and serve yt forth. [ ] see no. . lii. for to make a bukkenade [ ]. tak veel and boyle it tak zolkys of eggys and mak hem thykke tak macis and powdre of gyngyner and powder of peper and boyle yt togeder and messe yt forth. [ ] vide no. . liii. for to make a roo broth [ ]. tak parsile and ysop and sauge and hak yt smal boil it in wyn and in water and a lytyl powdre of peper and messe yt forth. [ ] _deer_ or _roes_ are not mentioned, as in mr. brander's roll, no. , ergo quære. it is a meager business. can it mean _rue-broth_ for penitents? liv. for to mak a bruet of sarcynesse. tak the lyre of the fresch buf and bet it al in pecis and bred and fry yt in fresch gres tak it up and and drye it and do yt in a vessel wyth wyn and sugur and powdre of clowys boyle yt togedere tyl the flesch have drong the liycoure and take the almande mylk and quibibz macis and clowys and boyle hem togedere tak the flesch and do thereto and messe it forth. lv. for to make a gely [ ]. tak hoggys fet other pyggys other erys other partrichys other chiconys and do hem togedere and serh [ ] hem in a pot and do hem in flowre of canel and clowys other or grounde [ ] do thereto vineger and tak and do the broth in a clene vessel of al thys and tak the flesch and kerf yt in smal morselys and do yt therein tak powder of galyngale and cast above and lat yt kels tak bronches of the lorer tre and styk over it and kep yt al so longe as thou wilt and serve yt forth. [ ] jelly. [ ] seþ, i. e. _seeth_. [ ] not clearly expressed. it means either cinamon or cloves, and either in flour or ground. lvi. for to kepe venison fro restyng. tak venisoun wan yt ys newe and cuver it hastely wyth fern that no wynd may come thereto and wan thou hast ycuver yt wel led yt hom and do yt in a soler that sonne ne wynd may come thereto and dimembre it and do yt in a clene water and lef yt ther' half a day and after do yt up on herdeles for to drie and wan yt ys drye tak salt and do after thy venisoun axit [ ] and do yt boyle in water that yt be other [ ] so salt als water of the see and moche more and after lat the water be cold that it be thynne and thanne do thy venisoun in the water and lat yt be therein thre daies and thre nyzt [ ] and after tak yt owt of the water and salt it wyth drie salt ryzt wel in a barel and wan thy barel ys ful cuver it hastely that sunne ne wynd come thereto. [ ] as thy venison requires. see gloss. to chaucer for _axe_. [ ] dele. [ ] a plural, as in no. . lvii. for to do away restyn [ ] of venisoun. tak the venisoun that ys rest and do yt in cold water and after mak an hole in the herthe and lat yt be thereyn thre dayes and thre nyzt and after tak yt up and spot yt wel wyth gret salt of peite [ ] there were the restyng ys and after lat yt hange in reyn water al nyzt or more. [ ] restiness. it should be rather _restyng_. see below. [ ] pierre, or petre. lviii. for to make poundorroge [ ]. tak partrichis wit [ ] longe filettis of pork al raw and hak hem wel smale and bray hem in a morter and wan they be wel brayed do thereto god plente of pouder and zolkys of eyryn and after mak thereof a farsure formed of the gretnesse of a onyoun and after do it boyle in god breth of buf other of pork after lat yt kele and after do it on a broche of hasel and do them to the fere to roste and after mak god bature of floure and egge on bature wyt and another zelow and do thereto god plente of sugur and tak a fethere or a styk and tak of the bature and peynte thereon above the applyn so that on be wyt and that other zelow wel colourd. [ ] vide no. . [ ] with. explicit servicium de carnibus. hic incipit servicium de pissibus_ [ ]. [ ] see p. i. for to make egarduse [ ]. tak lucys [ ] or tenchis and hak hem smal in gobette and fry hem in oyle de olive and syth nym vineger and the thredde party of sugur and myncyd onyons smal and boyle al togedere and cast thereyn clowys macys and quibibz and serve yt forthe. [ ] see no. below, and part i. no. . [ ] lucy, i presume, means the _pike_; so that this fish was known here long before the reign of h. viii. though it is commonly thought otherwise. v. gloss. ii. for to make rapy [ ]. tak pyg' or tenchis or other maner fresch fysch and fry yt wyth oyle de olive and syth nym the crustys of wyt bred and canel and bray yt al wel in a mortere and temper yt up wyth god wyn and cole [ ] yt thorw an hersyve and that yt be al cole [ ] of canel and boyle yt and cast therein hole clowys and macys and quibibz and do the fysch in dischis and rape [ ] abovyn and dresse yt forthe. [ ] vide no. . [ ] strain, from lat. _colo_. [ ] strained, or cleared. [ ] this rape is what the dish takes its name from. perhaps means _grape_ from the french _raper_. vide no. . iii. for to make fygey. nym lucys or tenchis and hak hem in morsell' and fry hem tak vyneger and the thredde party of sugur myncy onyons smal and boyle al togedyr cast ther'yn macis clowys quibibz and serve yt forth. iiii. for to make pommys morles. nym rys and bray hem [ ] wel and temper hem up wyth almaunde mylk and boyle yt nym applyn and par' hem and sher hem smal als dicis and cast hem ther'yn after the boylyng and cast sugur wyth al and colowr yt wyth safroun and cast ther'to pouder and serve yt forthe. [ ] rice, as it consists of grains, is here considered as a plural. see also no. . , . v. for to make rys moyle [ ]. nym rys and bray hem ryzt wel in a morter and cast ther'to god almaunde mylk and sugur and salt boyle yt and serve yt forth. [ ] vide gloss. vi. for to make sowpys dorry. nym onyons and mynce hem smale and fry hem in oyl dolyf nym wyn and boyle yt wyth the onyouns roste wyte bred and do yt in dischis and god almande mylk also and do ther'above and serve yt forthe. vii. for to make blomanger [ ] of fysch. tak a pound of rys les hem wel and wasch and seth tyl they breste and lat hem kele and do ther'to mylk of to pound of almandys nym the perche or the lopuster and boyle yt and kest sugur and salt also ther'to and serve yt forth. [ ] see note on no. . of part i. viii. for to make a potage of rys. tak rys and les hem and wasch hem clene and seth hem tyl they breste and than lat hem kele and seth cast ther'to almand mylk and colour it wyth safroun and boyle it and messe yt forth. ix. for to make lamprey fresch in galentyne [ ]. schal be latyn blod atte navel and schald yt and rost yt and ley yt al hole up on a plater and zyf hym forth wyth galentyn that be mad of galyngale gyngener and canel and dresse yt forth. [ ] this is a made or compounded thing. see both here, and in the next number, and v. gloss. x. for to make salt lamprey in galentyne [ ]. yt schal be stoppit [ ] over nyzt in lews water and in braan and flowe and sodyn and pyl onyons and seth hem and ley hem al hol by the lomprey and zif hem forthe wyth galentyne makyth [ ] wyth strong vyneger and wyth paryng of wyt bred and boyle it al togeder' and serve yt forthe. [ ] see note [ ] on the last number. [ ] perhaps, _steppit_, i. e. steeped. see no. . [ ] perhaps, _makyd_, i.e. made. xi. for to make lampreys in bruet. they schulle be schaldyd and ysode and ybrulyd upon a gredern and grynd peper and safroun and do ther'to and boyle it and do the lomprey ther'yn and serve yt forth. xii. for to make a storchoun. he schal be shorn in besys [ ] and stepyd [ ] over nyzt and sodyn longe as flesch and he schal be etyn in venegar. [ ] perhaps, _pesys_, i.e. pieces. [ ] qu. _steppit_, i.e. steeped. xiii. for to make solys in bruet. they schal be fleyn and sodyn and rostyd upon a gredern and grynd peper and safroun and ale boyle it wel and do the sole in a plater and the bruet above serve it forth. xiv. for to make oystryn in bruet. they schul be schallyd [ ] and ysod in clene water grynd peper safroun bred and ale and temper it wyth broth do the oystryn ther'ynne and boyle it and salt it and serve it forth. [ ] have shells taken off. xv. for to make elys in bruet. they schul be flayn and ket in gobett' and sodyn and grynd peper and safroun other myntys and persele and bred and ale and temper it wyth the broth and boyle it and serve it forth. xvi. for to make a lopister. he schal be rostyd in his scalys in a ovyn other by the feer under a panne and etyn wyth veneger. xvii. for to make porreyne. tak prunys fayrist wasch hem wel and clene and frot hem wel in syve for the jus be wel ywronge and do it in a pot and do ther'to wyt gres and a party of sugur other hony and mak hem to boyle togeder' and mak yt thykke with flowr of rys other of wastel bred and wan it is sodyn dresse it into dischis and strew ther'on powder and serve it forth. xviii. for to make chireseye. tak chiryes at the fest of seynt john the baptist and do away the stonys grynd hem in a morter and after frot hem wel in a seve so that the jus be wel comyn owt and do than in a pot and do ther'in feyr gres or boter and bred of wastrel ymyid [ ] and of sugur a god party and a porcioun of wyn and wan it is wel ysodyn and ydressyd in dyschis stik ther'in clowis of gilofr' and strew ther'on sugur. [ ] perhaps, _ymycid_, i.e. minced; or _mycd_, as in no. . xix. for to make blank de sur' [ ]. tak the zolkys of eggs sodyn and temper it wyth mylk of a kow and do ther'to comyn and safroun and flowr' of ris or wastel bred mycd and grynd in a morter and temper it up wyth the milk and mak it boyle and do ther'to wit [ ] of egg' corvyn smale and tak fat chese and kerf ther'to wan the licour is boylyd and serve it forth. [ ] vide note [ ] on no. . of part i. [ ] white. so _wyt_ is _white_ in no. . below. xx. for to make grave enforse. tak tryd [ ] gyngener and safroun and grynd hem in a morter and temper hem up wyth almandys and do hem to the fir' and wan it boylyth wel do ther'to zolkys of egg' sodyn and fat chese corvyn in gobettis and wan it is dressid in dischis strawe up on powder of galyngale and serve it forth. [ ] it appears to me to be _tryd_. can it be _fryd_? xxi. for to make hony douse [ ]. tak god mylk of almandys and rys and wasch hem wel in a feyr' vessel and in fayr' hoth water and after do hem in a feyr towayl for to drie and wan that they be drye bray hem wel in a morter al to flowr' and afterward tak two partyis and do the half in a pot and that other half in another pot and colowr that on wyth the safroun and lat that other be wyt and lat yt boyle tyl it be thykke and do ther'to a god party of sugur and after dresse yt in twe dischis and loke that thou have almandys boylid in water and in safroun and in wyn and after frie hem and set hem upon the fyre sethith mete [ ] and strew ther'on sugur that yt be wel ycolouryt [ ] and serve yt forth. [ ] see part ii. no. i; and part i. no. . [ ] seth it mete, i.e. seeth it properly. [ ] coloured. see no. . below. xxii. for to make a potage feneboiles. tak wite benes and seth hem in water and bray the benys in a morter al to nozt and lat them sethe in almande mylk and do ther'in wyn and hony and seth [ ] reysons in wyn and do ther'to and after dresse yt forth. [ ] i.e. seeth. xxiii. for to make tartys in applis. tak gode applys and gode spycis and figys and reysons and perys and wan they are wel ybrayed colourd [ ] wyth safroun wel and do yt in a cofyn and do yt forth to bake wel. [ ] perhaps, _coloure_. xxiv. for to make rys alker'. tak figys and reysons and do awey the kernelis and a god party of applys and do awey the paryng of the applis and the kernelis and bray hem wel in a morter and temper hem up with almande mylk and menge hem wyth flowr of rys that yt be wel chariaunt and strew ther'upon powder of galyngale and serve yt forth. xxv. for to make tartys of fysch owt of lente. mak the cowche of fat chese and gyngener and canel and pur' crym of mylk of a kow and of helys ysodyn and grynd hem wel wyth safroun and mak the chowche of canel and of clowys and of rys and of gode spycys as other tartys fallyth to be. xxvi. for to make morrey [ ]. requir' de carnibus ut supra [ ]. [ ] vide part i. no. . [ ] part i. no. . xxvii. for to make flownys [ ] in lente. tak god flowr and mak a past and tak god mylk of almandys and flowr of rys other amydoun and boyle hem togeder' that they be wel chariaud wan yt is boylid thykke take yt up and ley yt on a feyr' bord so that yt be cold and wan the cofyns ben makyd tak a party of and do upon the coffyns and kerf hem in schiveris and do hem in god mylk of almandys and figys and datys and kerf yt in fowr partyis and do yt to bake and serve yt forth. [ ] perhaps, _flawnes_, or custards. chaucer, vide _slaunis_. fr. _flans_. xxviii. for to make rapee [ ]. tak the crustys of wyt bred and reysons and bray hem wel in a morter and after temper hem up wyth wyn and wryng hem thorw a cloth and do ther'to canel that yt be al colouryt of canel and do ther'to hole clowys macys and quibibz the fysch schal be lucys other tenchis fryid or other maner fysch so that yt be fresch and wel yfryed and do yt in dischis and that rape up on and serve yt forth. [ ] vide part i. no. . xxix. for to make a porrey chapeleyn. tak an hundred onyons other an half and tak oyle de olyf and boyle togeder' in a pot and tak almande mylk and boyle yt and do ther'to. tak and make a thynne paast of dow and make therof as it were ryngis tak and fry hem in oyle de olyve or in wyte grees and boil al togedere. xxx. for to make formenty on a fichssday [ ]. tak the mylk of the hasel notis boyl the wete [ ] wyth the aftermelk til it be dryyd and tak and coloured [ ] yt wyth safroun and the ferst mylk cast ther'to and boyle wel and serve yt forth. [ ] fishday. [ ] white. [ ] perhaps, _colour_. xxxi. for to make blank de syry [ ]. tak almande mylk and flowre of rys. tak thereto sugur and boyle thys togedere and dische yt and tak almandys and wet hem in water of sugur and drye hem in a panne and plante hem in the mete and serve yt forth. [ ] vide ad no. . of part i. xxxii. for to make a pynade or pyvade. take hony and rotys of radich and grynd yt smal in a morter and do yt thereto that hony a quantite of broun sugur and do thereto. tak powder of peper and safroun and almandys and do al togedere boyl hem long and hold [ ] yt in a wet bord and let yt kele and messe yt and do yt forth [ ]. [ ] i.e. _keep_, as in next number. [ ] this recipe is ill expressed. xxxiii. for to make a balourgly [ ] broth. tak pikys and spred hem abord and helys zif thou hast fle hem and ket hem in gobettys and seth hem in alf wyn [ ] and half in water. tak up the pykys and elys and hold hem hote and draw the broth thorwe a clothe do powder of gyngener peper and galyngale and canel into the broth and boyle yt and do yt on the pykys and on the elys and serve yt forth. [ ] this is so uncertain in the original, that i can only guess at it. [ ] perhaps, _alf in wyn_, or dele _in_ before _water_. explicit de coquina que est optima medicina. index and glossary to mr. brander's roll of cookery. the numbers relate to the order of the recipes. n.b. many words are now written as one, which formerly were divided, as al so, up on, &c. of these little notice is taken in the index, but i mention it here once for all. our orthography was very fluctuating and uncertain at this time, as appears from the different modes of spelling the same words, v. to gedre; v. wayshe; v. ynowkz; v. chargeant; v. coraunte; &c. a. a. abounds, a gode broth, . , al a nyzt, . _in_. a two, . an. and. passim. aftir. proem, like, , wiclif. aray. dress, set forth, . chaucer. alf. ms. ed. . ii. . half. alye it. . . mix, thicken, hence _alloy_ of metals. from french _allayer_. alay, . aly, ms. ed. . see junij etymolog. v. alaye. lye. here no. . lyed. thickened. ms. ed. , . randle holme interprets lyth or lything by thickening. hence lyour. a mixture, . alith_ for alyed. ms. editor. no. . awey. ms. ed. . ii. . away. auance. . forte avens. _caryophylla_, miller, gard. dict. axe. ms. ed. no. . chaucer. ayren. v. eyren. al, alle. . . proem. all. chaucer, _al to brest_. all burst. ms. ed. no. . als. ms. editor. no. . chaucer, in v. it means _as_. almandes. . very variously written at this time, almaunde, almandys, almaundys, almondes, all which occur in ms. ed. and mean almond or almonds. almaund mylke. . almonds blanched and drawn thickish with good broth or water, no. . is called _thyk mylke_, . and is called after almaunde mylke, first and second milk, . almaunds unblaunched, ground, and drawn with good broth, is called mylke, . cow's milk was sometimes used instead of it, as ms. ed. i. . creme of almands how made, . of it, lel. coll. vi. p. . we hear elsewhere of almond-butter, v. butter. azeyn. . again. lel. coll. iv. p. . alibi. chaucer. a.s. [anglo- saxon: azen]. aneys, anyse, . . aneys in confit rede other whyt, . . i.e. anis or aniseed confectioned red, or white, used for garnish, . amydon. . v. ad locum. almony. . v. ad locum. almayne. . germany, v. ad loc. ms. editor, no. . . alkenet. . a species of buglos. quincey, dispens. p. . . used for colouring, . . fryed and yfoundred, or yfondyt, . . anoon. . anon, immediately. wiclif. arn. ms. ed. ii. . are. chaucer, v. _arne_. adoun. . . down. v. chaucer, voce _adoune_. ms. edit. no. i. avysement. proem. advice, direction. chaucer. french. aymers. . embers. sax. [anglo-saxon: aemyrian], cineres. belg. _ameren_. aquapatys. . a mess or dish. alker. rys alker. ms. ed. ii. . appulmoy. . a dish. v. ad loc. appelyn, applys, apples. ms. ed. . . abrode. . abrod. ms. ed. ii. . abroad. so _brode_. ms. ed. . broad. alite. v. lite. ale. . v. pref. aside. . apart. wiclif. aysell. , . a species of vinegar. wiclif. chaucer, v. _eisel_. alegar. . armed. . v. ad loc. alygyn. v. brewet. b. bacon. no. i. benes. i. alibi beans. chaucer, v. _bene_. bef. . ms. ed. . beef, buf, buff. ms. ed. . , . buth. . . . alibi, been, are. chaucer has _beth_. ben. ms. ed. . . be. chaucer v. _bein_ and _ben_. balles. . balls or pellets. blank desire. , . bis. lel. coll. vi. p. . in no. , we meet with _blank desne_, but the contents has _desire_, which is right, as appears from the sequel. in ms. ed. . it is _blank-surry_, and _sury_, and _sure_, and _de sur_. ii. . de syry, . and here no. , it is dessorre. and we have _samon in sorry_. lel. coll. vi. p. . perches, ibid. eels p. . . where it is a potage. whence i conceive it either means _de surrey_, i. e. syria, v. chaucer. v. _surrey_. or it may mean _to be desired_, as we have _horsys of desyr_. lel. coll. iv. p. . see no. . and it is plainly written _desire_ in godwin de præsul. p. . in this case, the others are all of them corruptions. blank dessorre. v. blank desire. blank desne. v. blank desire. berandyles. ms. ed. . bred, breed. ms. ed. passim. bread. bove. . above. chaucer. belg. _boven_. blode. . alibi. blod. ms. ed. . blood. batour. . of eggs, . . batur, . batour. ibid. . batter. boter. ms. ed. . butter. borage. . betes. . beets. fr. _bete_. bursen. n. name of a dish. bursews, no. , is a different dish. brek. ms. ed. . . break, bruise. brest, breste. ms. ed. . . burst. bukkennade. . a dish. buknade, . where it means a mode of dressing. vide ms. ed. . . bryddes. . briddes, . . birds, per metathesin. chaucer. brawn of capons. . . flesh. braun. ms. ed. . v. chaucer, we now say, _brawn of the arm_, meaning the flesh. hence _brawn-fall'n_. old plays, xi. p. . lylie's euphues, p. . . chaucer. brawn is now appropriated to these rolls which are made of brawn or boar, but it was not so anciently, since in no. we have _brawn of swyne_, which shews the word was common to other kinds of flesh as well as that of the boar; and therefore i cannot agree with dr. wallis in deducing _brawn _ from _aprugna_. blank maunger. . . chaucer writes _blank manger_. blomanger. ms. ed. . . . ii. . n. b. a very different thing from what we make now under that name, and see holme, iii. p. . bronchis. ms. ed. . branches. braan. ms. ed. ii. . bran. bet. ms. ed. ii. . beaten. broche. ms. ed. . a spit. brewet of almony. . v. almony. of ayrenn, or eggs, . ms. ed. . eles in brewet, . where it seems to be composed of bread and wine. muskles in brewet, . hens in bruet, ms. ed. . cold, . . bruet and brewet are french _brouet_, pottage or broth. bruet riche, lel. coll. iv. p. . _beorwete_, p. , as i take it. _blanche brewet de alyngyn_, ms. ed. . . boon. . bone. chaucer. brennyng. . . burning, per metathesin, from _bren_ or _brenne_, used by skelton, in the invective against wolsey, and many old authors. hence the disease called brenning or burning. motte's abridgement of phil. trans. part iv. p. . reid's abridgement, part iii. p. . wiclif has _brenne_ and _bryne_. chaucer, v. _bren_, _brinne_, &c. blake. . black. chaucer. berst. . . . burst. chaucer. a.s. [anglo-saxon: berstan]. breth. . air, steam. ms. ed. n° . hence _brether_, breather. wiclif. bronn. . brown. a.s. [anglo-saxon: brun]. butter. . . . . boter, ms. ed. . and so _boutry_ is buttery. lel. coll. iv. p. . _almonde butter_. lel. vi. p. . rabelais, iv. c. . bynethen. . under, beneath. chaucer, bineth. bolas. . bullace. chaucer. bifore. . before. wiclif. matth. xiv. chaucer has _biforne_, and byforne. brasey. a compound sauce, . ballac broth. . brymlent. tart de brymlent. . v. ad loc. bloms. . flowers, blossoms. chaucer. bothom. . bottom, pronounced _bothom_ now in the north. chaucer, bottym, ms. ed. . brode. . broad, v. abrode. bataiwyng. . embatteling. qu. if not misread for _bataillyng_. see chaucer, v. batailed. bord. ms. ed. ii. . board. chaucer. breyt, breth. ms. ed. . . broth. blank surry. ms. ed. . ii. . v. blank desire. bismeus. ms. ed. . c. c. omitted, v. cok. v. pluk. v. pryk. v. pekok. v. phisik. v. thyk. on the contrary it often abounds, hence, schulle, should; fresch, fresh; dische, dish; schepys, sheeps; flesch, flesh; fysch, fish; scher, cheer, &c. in ms. ed. v. gl. to chaucer, v. schal. craftly. proem. properly, _secundum artem_. caboches. . alibi. cabbages. f. fr. caboche, head, pate. caraway. . v. junij etymolog. carvon. . carved, cut. corvyn, ms. ed. ii. , . cut. _corue_, i. e. corve, . cut. v. ycorve. v. kerve. canell. passim. cinamon. wiclif. v. pref. cuver. ms. ed. . cover. cumpas. by cumpas, i.e. compass, . by measure, or round. lel. coll. iv. p. . cool. . cole or colwort. belg. _kool_. corat. . name of a dish. culdore. ms. ed. . . a cullender. span. coladers. casselys. ms. ed. . cranes. . _grues_. v. ad loc. chyballes. . chibolls, . young onions. littleton. ital _cibolo_. lat. cæpula, according to menage; and see lye. colys. ms. ed. ii. see the pref. cawdel. . . caudell, contents. see junius. of muskels or muscles, . cawdel ferry, . in e. of devon's feast it is _feny_. conynges. . connynges, , . coneys, rabbets. calle. . cawl of a swine. connat. . a marmolade. v. ad loc. clowes. . cloves. v. pref. canuas, or canvass. . fr, canevas. belg. kanefas. coraunte. raysouns of coraunte. . so _rasyns of corens_, northumb. book, p. . _raisin de corinthie_. fr. i.e. of corinth, whence our currants, which are small raisins, came, and took their name. _corance_, . . _coraunce_. . _coronse_, ms. ed. . raisins are called by way of contradistinction _grete_ raysouns, . . see northumb. book, p. . coronse. v. coraunte. chargeant. . stiff. v. ad loc. ms. ed. writes _charchant_, , _charghaunt_, . _charchaunt_, . _chariaunt_. i.e. _charjaunt_, . ii. . _chariand_. i.e. _charjand_, . comyn. ms. ed. . colure. ms. ed. . to colour. coneys. . seems to be a kind of sauce. ms. ed. . but the recipe there is different, v. ad no. . chanke. ms. ed. . col, cole. . . cool, also to strain, , . alibi. ms. ed. ii. . cleared. comyn. ms. ed. ii. . come. cowche. . . lay. ms. ed. ii. . chaucer, v. couche. cynee. . a certain sauce. perhaps the same with coney. no. . plays in cynee, . sooles, . tenches, . oysters, . harys [hares] in cmee. ms. ed. . where doubtless we should read cinee, since in no. there it is _cyney_. it is much the same as _bruet_, for _sooles in cynee_ here is much the same with _solys in bruet_. ms. ed. ii. . chykens. . . chicken is a plural itself. but in ms. ed. . it is _chekenys_ also; and _chyckyns_. lel. coll. iv. p. . _checonys_ ms. ed. carnel of pork. . v. ad loc. corvyn. v. carvon. curlews. . not eaten now at good tables; however they occur in archb. nevill's feast. lel. coll. vi. p. . and see northumb. book, p. . rabelais iv. c. . and earl of devon's feast. confit, or confyt. v. aneys and colyandre. charlet. . a dish. v. ad loc. chese ruayn. . . perhaps of rouen in normandy, _rouen_ in fr. signifies the colour we call _roan_. crems. . for singular cream, written _creme_, . . crem and crym, in ms. ed. . ii. . fr. _cresme, creme_. cormarye. . a dish. qu. colyandre. . . where it is _in confyt rede_, or red. white is also used for garnish, . [anglo-saxon: celenðre], a.s. [anglo-saxon: ciliandro], span. chyryse. . a made dish of cherries, v. ad loc. cheweryes. . cherries. v. ad loc. and ms. ed. ii. . ubi _chiryes_. crotoun, . a dish. v. ad loc. crayton. v. crotoun. cleeve a two. . cloven. a.s. [anglo-saxon: cleopan]. cyrip. . sirrup. v. ad loc. chyches. . vetches, v. ad loc. chawf. warm. fr. _echauffer_, whence chaucer has _eschaufe_. clat. . a dish. qu. chef. proem, chief. fr. calwar salmoun. . v. ad loc. compost. . a preparation supposed to be always at hand. v. ad loc. comfery. . comfrey. v. ad loc. chargeours. . dishes. v. ad . chysanne. . to be eaten cold. congur. . . lel. coll. vi. p. . bis. p. . _cungeri_ are among the fish in mr. topham's ms. for the conger, little used now, see pennant. iii. p. . coffyns. . pies raised without their lids, . . . . ms. ed. ii. . . in wiclif it denotes baskets. comade. . comadore. . couertour. . coverture, lid of a pye. codlyng. . grete codelyng, . v. ad loc. chawdoun. . for swans, . _swan with chawdron_. lel. coll. iv. p. . which i suppose may be true orthography. so _swann with chaudron_. earl of devon's feast. and it appears from a ms. of mr. astle's, where we have among _sawces swanne is good with chaldron_, that _chaldron_ is a sauce. crome. . pulp, kernel. crummes. . chaucer. the crum is now the soft part of a loaf, opposed to the crust. cury. proem. cookery. we have assumed it in the title. camelyne. . a sauce. an _canelyne_, from the flour of canel? crudds. . . curds, per metathesin, as common in the north. crustards. . pies, from the _crust_. quære if our _custard_ be not a corruption of crustard; junius gives a different etymon, but whether a better, the reader must judge. crustard of fish, . of herbs, . and in the earl of devon's feast we have _un paste crustade_. cryspes. . cryspels. . v. ad loc. _fritter crispayne_, lel. coll. vi. p. . which in godwin de præsal p. . is _fruter crispin_. chawfour. . cowfer, . a chafing dish. chafer. lel. coll. iv. p. . v. junius voce _chafe_. corose. . curiously. perhaps from _cure_, to cook, chaucer has _corouse_, curious. clarry. . clary. cotagres. . a dish. v. ad loc. cok. . a cock. sic. lel. coll. iv. p. . chewets. . . a dish. rand. holme, iii. p. . , . birch, life of prince henry, p. . comadore. v. comade. chastlet. . v. ad loc. christen. proem. christian. d. do. , . put, cause. ms. ed. . . chaucer. _make_. . done, . so chaucer has _do_ for _done_. dof. do off. . draw. drawen . strained, hence . . . _drawe the grewel thurgh straynour_. to boil. . . as, _drawe hem up with gode brothe_. also . . to put, . . to make. . . as, _draw an almand mylke_. dee. . singular of dice, the fr. dè. v. quare. drepee. a dish. qu. dates. . . . the fruit. dyssh. . dish. dessorre. . v. blank desire. doust. . alibi dust. dowhz. . dowh. . dow. ms. ed. ii. , dough, paste. a.s. [anglo-saxon: dah]. douce ame. . quast a delicious dish. v. blank desire. drope. . drop, to baste. ms. ed. . dorry. sowpes dorry, . sops endorsed. from _endore_, . ms. ed. , ii. . vide ad . deel. . . part, some. v. sum. chaucer. dicayn. . v. ad loc. dokks. as _sowre dokks_, . docks. dorryle. v. pomme. daryols. . a dish. a custard baked in a crust. hear junius, v. dairie. 'g. _dariole_ dicitur libi genus, quod iisdem gallis alias nuncupatur _laicteron_ vel _stan de laict_.' desne. v. blank desire. desire. v. blank. dressit. . dressed. dresse. ms. ed. . et passim. chaucer in voce. hence ydressy. ms. ed. ii. . dysis. ms. ed. . dice. v. quare. demembre, dimembre. ms. ed. . dismember. dows, douze. ms. ed. . ii. . drong. ms. ed. . drunk. e. e. with _e_ final after the consonant, for _ea_, as brede, bread; benes, beans; bete, beat; breke, break; creme, cream; clere, clear; clene, clean; mede, mead; mete, meat; stede, stead; whete, wheat; &c. e with _e_ final after the consonant, for _ee_, as betes, beets; chese, cheese; depe, deep; fete, feet; grene, green; nede, needful; swete, sweet. endorre. ms. ed. . endorse. ete. . eat. _eten_, . eaten. _etyn_. ms. ed. . a.s. [anglo-saxon: etan]. ms. ed. . oat. enforse. ms. ed. ii. . seasoned. erbes. . herbs; _herb's_, . _erbys_, . eerbis, . eyren, and ayren. , . . eyryn, s. ed. . eggs. 'a merchant at the n. foreland in kent asked for eggs, and the good wyf answerede, that she coude speak no frenshe--another sayd, that he wolde have _eyren_, then the good wyf sayd that she understood hym wel.' caxton's virgil, in lewis' life of caxton, p. . who notes 'see sewel's 'dictionary, v. _ey_.' add, urry's chaucer, v. aye and eye. note here the old plural _en_, that _eggs_ is sometimes used in our roll, and that in wicht _eye_, or _ey_ is the singular, and in the _germ_. see chaucer. v. _aie_, and _ay_. eowts. . v. ad loc. egurdouce. . v. ad loc. of fysshe, . egge dows, ms. ed. . malè. egerduse. ibid. ii. . our no. , is really an eagerdouce, but different from this here. a seville orange is aigre-douce. cotgrave. esy. . easy. eselich, . easily. chaucer. eny. . . any. elena campana. . i.e. enula campana, _elecampane_. erbowle. . a dish. v. ad loc. erbolat. . a dish. v. ad loc. eerys, eris. . . . ears. _eyr_. ms. ed. . chaucer has _ere_ and _eris_. elren. . elder. _eller_, in the north, without _d_. erne. . qu. euarund. ms. ed. . eelys. . eels. _elys_, _helys_. ms. ed. ii. . . _elis_. chaucer. f. forced. . farced, stuft. we now say, _forc'd-meat_, yfarced, , . _enforsed_. ms. ed. ii. . _fors_, . called _fars_, . it seems to mean _season_, no. . mixt. where potage is said to be _forced_ with powdour-douce. fort. passim. strong. chaucer. fresee. ms. ed. . fenkel. . . _fenel_, . . _fenell_, . fennel. germ. venikol. belg. venckel. forme. proem. . forme. funges. . mushrooms, from the french. cotgrave. holme iii. p. . the romans were fond of them. fesants. . . fynelich wel. . very wel, constantly. fro. . ms. ed. . chaucer. from. so therfro. . lel. coll. iv. p. . chaucer. fleysch. . fleissh, . flesh, a.s. [anglo-saxon: þlæþe]. germ. _fleisc_. feneboyles. ms. ed. ii. . fyletts. . fillets. florish and flour. . . . garnish. lel. coll. vi. p. . . chaucer, v. floure. foyles. . rolled paste. _foyle of dowhz_, . . et per se, . . _foile of paste_, . leaves of sage, . chaucer. v. ad . hence carpe in foile. lel. coll. iv. p. . _a dolphin in foyle_, _a suttletie_. vi. p. . _lyng in foyle_, p. . _cunger_. ibid. _samon_. ibid. _sturgen_. p. . et v. p. . n.b. foyle in these cases means paste. fars. v. forced. fle. . flea, flaw. ms. ed. ii. . flawe, flein, flain, flawed. . . . fonnell. . a dish. frot. ms. ed. ii. . rub, shake, _frote_, chaucer. feyre. . ms. ed. ii. . . _feir_. chaucer. fair. ferthe. . fourth, hence ferthing or farthing. furmente. . . _furmenty_, ms. ed. i. _formete_. ibid. . _formenty_, ib. ii. . from lat. _frumentum_, per metathesin; whence called more plausibly _frumity_ in the north, and frumetye in lel. collect. iv. p. . vi. p. . . . but see junius, v. formetie. frenche. . a dish. v. ad loc. fest. ms. ii. . feast. chaucer. fygey. . because made of figs. fygs drawen. . ms. ed. ii. . found. . mix. dissolve, . fond. . v. y fonded. lye, in junii etym. v. founder. fete. . chaucer. fet, ms. ed. . feet. flaumpeyns. . . ferst. ms. ed. ii. . first. fanne. . to fan or winnow. a.s. [anglo-saxon: pann], vannus. frytour. , , . fruturs. ms. ed. . . fritters. _fruter_, lel. coll. iv. p. . frytor. vi. p. . flaunne. . flownys. ms. ed. ii. . fr. flans, custards. chaucer. v. slaunnis. et v. junium voce _flawn_. feel. . hold, contain, perhaps same as _feal_, occultare, abscondere, for which see junii etymol. fuyre. . fire. _fyr fort_. . a strong fire. _fere_, chaucer. _fyer_, lel. coll. iv. p. . belg. _vuyn_, _fere_. ms. ed. . ferry. v. cawdel. flowr, flowre. ms. ed. . . flour. fronchemoyle. ms. ed. . froys. ms. ed. . fraise. farsure. ms. ed. . stuffing. forsy. ms. ed. . season. g. gronden. . . ground or beaten. _to grynde_ is to cut or beat small. . . . for compare . yground . . . to pound or beat in a mortar. . ms. ed. . gode. no. . alibi, good, strong. chaucer. _god_, ms. ed. passim. grete. mynced. . not too small. _gretust_, . greatest. _gret_, ms. ed. . and chaucer. gourdes. . fr. gouhourde. gobettes. . . gobbettys, gobettis. ms. ed. . alibi. chaucer. _gobbins_, holme iii. p. , . large pieces. wiclif. junii etym. grees. . . grece, . alibi. ms. ed. . . . alibi, whyte grece, . fat, lard, conys of high grece. lel. coll. iv. p. . qu. gravey. , . _grave_. ms. ed. ii. . _gravy_. lel. coll. vi. p. . galyntyne. . . a preparation seemingly made of galingale, &c. . and thence to take its name. see a recipe for making it, . as also in ms. ed. . bread of galyntyne, . soupes of galyntyne, . lampervey in galantine. lel. coll. iv. p. . vi. p. . swanne, vi. p. . garlete and garlec. . . garlick. a.s. [anglo-saxon: garleac]. grapes. . . galyngale. . the powder, . the long-rooted cyperus. gl. to chaucer. see northumberland book, p. . gleyre. of ayrenn. . the white, from fr. glaire. chaucer. _lear_ or _leir_ of an egg. holme interprets it _the white beaten into a foam_. goon. . ms. ed. . go. belg. _gaen_. gylofre. . gelofre. ms. ed. . cloves; for see no. , . . there; from gr. [greek: charuophullon]. gyngawdry. . a dish. grave. ms. ed. ii. . gravey. gele. , . jelly. fr. gelée. gawdy grene. . perhaps, light green. gurnards. . greynes de parys. . and so chaucer, meaning _greynes de paradys_, or greater cardamoms. see dr. percy on northumb. book, p. . chaucer has _greines_ for _grains_. and belg. greyn. grate. . v. i or y grated. gastbon. . f. _gastbon_, quasi _wastbon_, from _wastel_ the finest bread, which see. hence the fr. gasteau. gyngynyr, gyngenyr, gyngyner, gyngener. ms. ed. , . . . ginger. gyngyner-bred, . grotys. ms. ed. ii. oat-meal grotes, i.e. grits. grydern, grydern, gredern. ms. ed. . . ii. . h. h. for _th_, as hem, them; her, their; passim. _hare_, . chaucer. wiclif. it is sometimes omitted; as _wyt_ and _wyte_, white. sometimes abounds, as schaldyd. ms. ed. . ii. scalded. v. _thowehe_. hye. proem. high. _hy_, ms. ed. . a.s. [anglo-saxon: heah]. hem. , . i.e. hem; them. lye in junii etym. hulle. . a verb, to take off the husk or skin. littleton. hence hulkes, husks or _hulls_, as . _holys_, ms. ed. . sax. helan, to cover. v. lye in junii etym. v. hull. hulkes. v. hulle. hewe. . cut, mince. _yhewe_, . minced, hewn. ms. ed. . . _hewin_, chaucer. a.s. [anglo-saxon: heþyan]. hakke. . ms. ed. . hack, bruise. junii etym. v. hack. ms. ed. has also _hak_ and _hac_. hebolace. . name of a dish. herdeles. ms. ed. . hurdles. hennes. . . including, i presume, the whole species, as _malard_ and _pekok_ do below. hool. . . alibi. _hole_, . . _hoole_, . whole. chaucer has hole, hool, and hoolich; and wiclif, _hole_ and _hool_. ms. ed. has _hol_ and _hole_. hooles. . holes. holsomly. proem, wholesomely. herthe. ms. ed. . earth. hit. . . . it. hytt. northumb. book, p. . _hit_, gloss. wiclif. in marg. a.s. [anglo-saxon: hit]. hoot. . alibi. hot. hares. . hoggepot. . v. ad loc. hochee. . hachè, fr. but there is nothing to intimate cutting them to pieces. hersyve. ms. ed. ii. . hair-sieve. _her_ is _hair_ in chaucer. helde. . . throw, cast, put. v. . _heelde_, poured, shed. wiclif. and lye in junii etym. v. held. holde. . make, keep. ms. ed. ii. , . hawtheen. . hawthorn. junius, v. haw. hatte. . bubling, wallop. quasi _the hot_, as in chaucer. from a.sax. [anglo-saxon: hatt]. hong. . hing, or hang. chaucer. ms. ed. . honde. . hand. chaucer. so in derbyshire now. heps. . fruit of the canker-rose. so now in derbyshire, and v. junius, voce _hippes_. hake. . . a fish. v. ad loc. hilde. . to skin, from to hull, to scale a fish, . vide . . compared with ms. ed. ii. . herons. . ms. ed. . holme, iii. p. , . but little used now. heronsew. lel. coll. iv. p. . _heronshawe_. vi. p. i. heronsews. chaucer. the poulterer was to have in his shop _ardeas sive airones_, according to mr. topham's ms. written about . and _heronns_ appear at e. of devon's feast. holke. . qu. hollow. hertrowee. . a dish. _hert_ is _the hart_ in chaucer, a.s. [anglo-saxon: heort]. hi. ms. ed. . they. hevyd. ms. ed. . v. ad loc. hom. ms. ed. . home. i. i. . for e. proem. so _ith_ for _eth_. ibid. in. . et sæpius. in. _inne_, . alibi. jushell. . a dish. v. ad loc. is. plur. for es. . . proem. nomblys. ms. ed. . nombles. v. pees. rosys, , roses. i. for y. v. y. iowtes. v. eowtes. irne. . _iren_, chaucer. and the saxon. iron. juys. . . _jus_, ms. ed. ii. . the fr. word, _ieuse_, chaucer. k. kerve. . cut. _kerf_, . ms ed. . v. carvon, and chaucer, voc. carfe, karft, kerve, kerft. kydde. . flesh of a kid. kedys. ms. ed. . kids. keel. . . . ms. ed. . gl. to chaucer and wiclif, to cool. kyt. . alibi. ms. ed. . _ket_, ibid. ii. . to cut. _kyted_, cut. lel. coll. iv. p. . chaucer, v. _kitt_. keintlick. v. queintlick. kyrnels. . a species of battlements, from _kernellare_; for which see spelman, du fresne, and chaucer. kever. ms. ed. . cover. kaste, kest. ms. ed. . . cast. v. ad loc. kow. ms. ed. . cow. l. l. for ll. ms. ed. sæpe. lat. . . alibi. ms. ed. , . let. chaucer. belg. _laten. latyn_. ms. ed, ii. . _let_. lire, and lyre. . . . ms. ed. sæpe. the fleshy part of meat. a.s. [anglo-sxon: lire]. see lyre in junii etymol. also a mixture, as _dough of bread and raw eggs_, . hence 'drawe a lyre of brede, blode, vyneg, and broth,' . so lyour and layour. ii. . all from _lye_, which see. lay seems to mean _mix_, . as _layour_ is mixture, . lye it up. . to mix; as _alye_, which see. leke. in sing. . . leeks. langdebef. . an herb. v. ad loc. _longdobeefe_ northumberland book. p. . bugloss. lytel. . passim. _litul_ and _litull_, . . 'a litel of vynegar,' . of lard, . loseyns, losyns. . . on fish-day, . a lozenge is interpreted by cotgrave, 'a little square cake of preserved herbs, flowers, &c.' but that seems to have no concern here. _lozengs_. lel. coll. iv. p. . lyche. . like. _lichi_. wiclif. _lich_. chaucer. _ylich_. idem. lombe. . lamb. hence wiclif, _lomberen_, lambs. chaucer, and germ. leche lumbard. . from the country doubtless, as the mustard, no. . see also lel. coll. vi. p. . . _leches_. ms. ed. . are cakes, or pieces. rand. holme makes _leach_, p. . to be 'a kind of jelly made of cream, ising-glass, sugar, and almonds, &c.' the _lessches_ are fried, . v. yleeshyd. _leyse damask_. lel. coll. iv. p. . _leche baked_. vi. p. . _partriche leiche_. ibid. _leche damaske_. ibid. see also, p. . _leche florentine_, p. . _leche comfort_. ibid. _leche gramor_. ibid. leche cypres, p. . which in godwin de præsul. p. . is _sipers_, malè. lete lardes. . v. ad loc. lave. . wash. leyne. . a layer. lewe water. . lews water, ms. ed. ii. . warm; see gloss. to wiclif. and junius. v. lukewarm. lumbard mustard. . from the country. v. leche. how made, no. . lef. ms. ed. . leave. _lefe_, chaucer. lite. . a few, _alite_, as they speak in the north. chaucer, v. lite, and lyte, and mr. lye in his junius. laumpreys. . lampreys, an eel-like sea fish. pennant, brit. zool. iii. p. . laumprons. . the _pride_. pennant, ibid. p. . see lel. coll. vi. p. . . bis . mr. topham's ms. has _murenulas sive lampridulas_. looches, loches. . . the fish. lardes of swyne. . i.e. of bacon. hence _lardid_, . and _lardons_. ms. ed. . . from the fr. which cotgrave explains _slices of lard_, i.e. bacon. vide ad . lorere tre. ms. ed. . laurel tree. chaucer. lyuours. . livers. a.s. [anglo-saxon: lyper]. led. ms. ed. . carry. _lide_, chaucer. lenton. . lent. lynger. . longer. chaucer has _longer_ and _lengir_. v. lange. lopuster, lopister. ms. ed. ii. . . v. junii etymolog. lust. as, hym lust. proem, he likes. chaucer, v. lest. lewys. ms. ed. . leaves. lefe, chaucer. v. lef. lie. liquor. chaucer. ms. ed. . ley. ms. ed. . lay. lese, les. ms. ed, . ii. , . pick. to _lease_, in kent, is to glean. m. make. . ms. ed. . . ii. . to dress. _make forth_, . to do. ms. ed. ii. . monchelet. . a dish. mylk, melk. ms. ii. . milk of almonds, . . . alibi. moton. . ms. ed. . mutton, see lel. coll. iv. p. . flemish. _motoen_. mawmenee. . . a dish. v. ad loc. how made, . _mamane_. lel. coll. iv. p. . mamonie. vi. p. . . royal, . manmene, ms. ed. , . _mamenge_. e. of devon's feast. morterelys. v. mortrews. medle. . . alibi. to mix. wiclif. chaucer. messe. to messe the dysshes, . messe forth, . morre. . ms. ed. . ii. . a dish. v. ad loc. mortrews. . _mortrews blank_, . of fish, . _morterelys_, ms. ed. . where the recipe is much the same. 'meat made of boiled hens, crummed bread, yolk of eggs, and safron, all boiled together,' speght ad chaucer. so called, says skinner, who writes it _mortress_, because the ingredients are all pounded together in a mortar. moscels. . morsels. chaucer has _morcills_. moscels is not amiss, as _mossil_ in chaucer is the muzle or mouth. mete. . a.s. and chaucer. meat. _meetis_, proem. meats. it means also _properly_, ms. ed. ii. . chaucer. myng. . ms. ed. . _ming_, . meng, . . ms. ed. . chaucer. to mix. so _mung_, . is to stir. wiclif. v. mengyng. a.s. [anglo-saxon: mengan]. morow. at morow. . in the morning. ms. ed. . a morrow, chaucer. on the morow. lei. coll. iv. p. . makke. . a dish. meel, mele. . . meal. _melis_, meals. chaucer. belg. _meel_. macrows. . maccharone. vide ad locum. makerel. . muskles, muskels. . muscles. a.s. [anglo-saxon: murcule]. malard, maulard. . meaning, i presume, both sexes, as ducks are not otherwise noticed. holme, iii. p. . and mr. topham's ms. mylates, whyte. . a dish of pork, . myddell. . midle. _myddes_. . the same. mawe. . stomach of a swine. chaucer. junii etym. moold. . mould. maziozame. . marjoram. see the various orthographies in junius, v. majoram. male marrow. . qu. moyle. v. ris. v. fronchemoyle. mulberries. . . v. morree. myce, myse. ms. ed. . . mince, myed. ii. . minced, ymyed, . for ymyced. myney, ii. . myneyd, ii. . mo. ms. ed. . more. chaucer. maner. _of_ omitted. ms. ed. . , . ii. . . mad, ymad. ms. ed. ii. . made. mychil. ms. ed. , much. chaucer, v. moche. junius v. mickel. myntys. ms. ed. ii. . mint. _myntys_, brit. n. a nost, i. crasis of _an oste_, or kiln; frequent in kent, where _hop-oste_ is the kiln for drying hops. 'oost or east: the same that kiln or kill, somersetshire, and elsewhere in the west,' ray. so _brykhost_ is a brick-kiln in old parish-book of _wye_ in kent, h. viii. 'we call _est_ or _oft_ the place in the house, where the smoke ariseth; and in some manors _austrum_ or _ostrum_ is that, where a fixed chimney or flew anciently hath been,' ley, in hearne's cur. disc. p. . _mannors_ here means, i suppose manor-houses, as is common in the north. hence _haister_, for which see northumb. book, p. . . and chaucer, v. estris. noumbles. . . entrails of any beast, but confined now to those of a deer. i suspect a crasis in the case, quasi _an umble_, singular for what is plural now, from lat. _umbilicus_. we at this day both say and write _umbles_. _nombles_, ms. ed. . where it is _nomblys of the venyson_, as if there were other nomblys beside. the fr. write nombles. non. . no. chaucer. a.s. [anglo-saxon: nan]. nyme. . take, _recipe_. sax. niman. chaucer. used in ms. ed. throughout. see junius. v. nim. notys. . wallenotes, . so _not_, ms. ed. ii. . chaucer. belg. note. nysebek. . a dish. quasi, nice for the _bec_, or mouth. nazt, nozt. ms. ed. . not. o. oynons. . . . fr. oignons. onions. orage. . orache. other, oother. , . . . ms ed. sæpe. chaucer. wiclif. a.s. [anglo-saxon: oþer]. or. on, oon. . . alibi. in. as in the saxon. _one_ ms. ed . ii. . chaucer. obleys. . a kind of wafer, v. ad loc. onys. ms. ed. . once, _ones_, chaucer, v. _atones_, and _ones_. onoward, onaward. . . . onward, upon it. of. omitted, as powder gynger, powder gylofre, powder galyngale. abounds, v. lytel. oot. . alibi. oat. otyn. ms. ed. ii. oaten. opyn. ms. ed. . open. offall. . _exta_, giblets. oystryn. ms. ed. ii. . oysters. of. proem. by. ochepot. v. hochepot. ovene. i. oven. a.s. [anglo-saxon: oren]. belg. oven. _ vyn_, ms. ed. ii. . olyve, de olyve, olyf, dolyf, ms. ed. olive. owyn. ms. ed. . own. p. plurals increase a syllable, almandys, yolkys, cranys, pecokys, &c. so now in kent in words ending in _st_. this is saxon, and so chaucer. plurals in _n_, pisyn, hennyn, appelyn, oystrin. powdon douce. . pref. powdon fort. , ii. v. pref. pasturnakes. . seems to mean _parsnips_ or carrots, from _pastinaca_. _pasternak of rasens_, . of apples, . means pastes, or paties. persel. . . alibi. _persele_ ms. ed. ii. . fr. _persil_. parsley. parcyle. ms. ed. . pyke, pike. . . pick. chaucer, v. pik. pluk. . pluck, pull. a.s. [anglo-saxon: pluccian]. pellydore. . v. ad loc. peletour. . v. ad . paast. ms. ed. ii. . paste. potell. . pottle. pyncs. . alibi, v. pref. pecys. . alibi. _pece_, . _pecis_, ms. ed. . chaucer. pieces, piece, i. peper. . . ms. ed. i . has _pepyr_. pip. . . ms. ed. . _pepper_. a.s. [anglo-saxon: peopor] and [anglo-saxon: pipor]. papdele. . a kind of sauce. probably from _papp_, a kind of _panada_. pise, pisyn, ms. ed. . pease. peers. . . _pers_, . perys, ms. ed. ii. . pears. pery, a pear tree, chaucer. possynet. . . a posnet. partruches. . . _partyches_, contents. partridges. _perteryche_, e. of devon's feast. panne. . . a pan. a.s. [anglo-saxon: panna]. payndemayn. . . where it is _pared_. flour. . . , white bread. chaucer. par. ms. ed. . pare. peions. . . pigeons. if you take _i_ for _j_, it answers to modern pronunciation, and in e. of devon's feast it is written pejonns, and pyjonns. pynnonade. . from the pynes of which it is made. v. pynes. _pynade_ or _pivade_. ms. ed. ii. . pryk. . prick. pettels. . legs. we now say _the pestels of a lark_. of veneson, lel. collect. iv. p. . qu. a corruption of _pedestals_. payn foindew. . _fondew_, contents, v. ad loc. peskodde. . hull or pod of pease, used still in the north. v. coddis in wiclif, and coddes in junii etymolog. payn ragoun. . a dish. qu. payn puff, or puf. . _payne puffe_. e. of devon's feast. pownas. . a colour. qu. v. preface. porpays, porpeys. . . salted, . roasted, . _porpus_ or porpoise. _porpecia_, spelm. gl. v. geaspecia, which he corrects _seaspecia_. it is surprising he did not see it must be _graspecia_ or _craspiscis_, i.e. _gros_ or _crassus piscis_, any large fish; a common term in charters, which allow to religious houses or others the produce of the sea on their coasts. see du cange in vocibus. we do not use the porpoise now, but both these and seals occur in archb. nevill's feast. see rabelais, iv. c. . and i conceive that the _balænæ_ in mr. topham's ms. means the porpus. perrey. . v. ad loc. pesoun. , . _ pise, pisyn.,_ ms. ed. . pease. brit. _pysen._ partye. . _a partye,_ i.e. some. ms. ed. . chaucer. porrectes. . an herb. v. ad loc. purslarye. . purslain. pochee. . a dish of poached eggs, v. junius, voce _poach._ powche. . crop or stomach of a fish. _paunches,_ , . pyke. ici. the fish. v. ad loc. plays. . . . plaise; the fish. _places,_ lel. coll. vi. p. . pelettes. . balls. pellets. pelotys. ms. ed. . paunch. v. powche. penne. . a feather, or pin. ms. ed. . wiclif. v. pennes. pekok. . peacock. _pekokys,_ ms. ed. . where same direction occurs. pekok. lel. coll. iv. p. . presse. . to press. chaucer. pyner. . qu. v. pref. prunes. . junius in v. _prunes and damysyns._. . _prunes damysyns_. . . _primes,_ . should be corrected _prunes._ prunys, ms. ed. ii. . _prognes._ lel. coll. vi. p. . _ prune orendge,_ an orange plumb, p. . _prones,_ northumb. book, p. . plant it with prunes, . stick it, lel. coll. vi. p. . . as the trade with damascus is mentioned in the preface, we need not wonder at finding the plumbs here. primes, v. prunes. prews of gode past. . qu. potews. . a dish named from the pots used. pety peruant. . _petypanel, a marchpayne._ lel. coll. vi. p. . parade. hole parade. . qu. plater. ms. ed. ii. . platter. puff. v. payn. phitik. proem. physick. poumegarnet. . poungarnetts, ms. ed. . powmis gernatys. ibid. . pomgranates, per metathesin. penche. ms. ed. . partyns. ms. ed. . parts. pommedorry. ms. ed. . poundorroge, . _pomes endoryd_. e. of devon's feast. pommys morles. ms. ed. ii. . porreyne. ms. ed. ii. . porrey chapeleyn, . q. quare. . it seems to mean to quarter, or to square, to cut to pieces however, and may be the same as to _dyce_. . . dice at this time were very small: a large parcel of them were found under the floor of the hall of one of the temples, about , and were so minute as to have dropt at times through the chinks or joints of the boards. there were near pair of ivory, scarce more than two thirds as large as our modern ones. the hall was built in the reign of elizabeth. to _quare_ is from the fr. quarrer; and _quayre_ or _quaire_, subst. in chaucer, skelton, p. . . is a book or pamphlet, from the paper being in the quarto form. see annal. dunstap. p. , ames, typ. antiq. p. . . hence our quire of paper. the later french wrote _cahier_, _cayer_, for i presume this may be the same word. hence, _kerve hem to dyce_, into small squares, . _dysis_, ms. ed. . quybibes. . quibibz. ms. ed. . alibi. cubebs. quentlich. . keyntlich, . nicely, curiously. chaucer. v. _queintlie_. quayle. . perhaps, cool. it seems to mean fail or miscarry. lel. coll. vi. p. ii. sink or be dejected, p. . see junius, v. quail. queynchehe. . f. queynch. but qu. r. r. and its vowel are often transposed. v. bryddes, brennyng, crudds, poumegarnet, &c. rapes. . turneps. lat. _rapa_, or _rapum_. vide junium in voce. ryse. . . rys, . alibi. ms. ed. . ryys, . the flower, . rice. fr. ris. belg. riis. roo. . roe, the animal. rede. . alibi, red. a.s. [anglo-saxon: read]. roost. . alibi, rowsted, . substantive, . to rost. belg. roosten. rether. ms. ed. . a beast of the horned kind. ramme. . to squeeze. but qu. rennyns. . perhaps, _rennyng_, i. e. thin, from _renne_, to run. leland itin. i. p. , . alibi. skelton, p. . . alibi. indeed most of our old authors. lel. coll. iv. p. , . chaucer. ruayn. v. chese. rape. . a dish with no turneps in it. quære if same as _rapil_, holme iii. p. . rapy, ms. ed. . resmolle. . a dish. v. ad loc. ryal. . _ryallest_. proem. royal. lel. coll. iv. p. . . vi. p. . bis. . chaucer. v. rial. rote. . root. _rotys_, ms. ed. . chaucer. junius, v. root. roo broth. ms. ed. . roche. . the fish. lel. coll. vi. p. . rygh. . a fish. perhaps the ruffe. rawnes. . roes of fish. _lye_ in junius. v. roan. rest. ms. ed. rustied, of meat. restyn, restyng. no. . rustiness. junius. v. restie. rasyols. . a dish. _ransoles_. holme iii. p. . reyn. ms. ed. . rain. chaucer. rysshews. . name of a dish. qu. rew de rumsey. ms. ed. . ryne hem on a spyt. . run them on a spit. rosty. ms. ed. . rost. rounde. . round. french. rosee. . a dish. v. ad loc. resenns. . raysons, . raisins. used of currants, . v. ad loc. _reysons_, _reysins_. ms. ed. ii. . . _rassens_ pottage, is in the second course at archp. nevill's feast. s. spine. v. spynee. sue forth. . et passim. serue. . . from this short way of writing, and perhaps speaking, we have our _sewers_, officers of note, and _sewingeis_, serving, lel. coll. iv. p. . unless mis-written or mis-printed for _shewinge_. slype. ii. slip or take off the outer coat. a.s. [anglo-saxon: slipan]. skyrwates. . . skirrits or skirwicks. savory. . sauuay. . . sawey. . self. . same, made of itself, as self-broth, . the owne broth, . ms. ed. . . chaucer. seth. passim. ms. ed. i, . chaucer, to seeth. a.s. [anglo-saxon: seothan]. seyt. ms. ed. i. to strain. . . smite and smyte. . . . cut, hack. a.s. [anglo-saxon: smitan]. sode. v. ysode. storchion. ms. ed. ii. . v. fitz-stephen. p. . sum. . sumdell, . somdel, . some, a little, some part. chaucer has _sum_, and _somdele_. a.s. [anglo-saxon: sum]. saunders. . used for colouring. ms. ed. . v. northumb. book, p. . sandall wood. the translators of that very modern book the arabian nights entertainments, frequently have _sanders_ and sandal wood, as a commodity of the east. swyne. . alibi. pork or bacon. ms. ed. . bacon, on the contrary, is sometimes used for the animal. old plays, ii. p. . gloss. ad x script. in v. see. ms. ed. . sea. chaucer. sawge. . _sauge_, . ms. ed. . sage. _pigge en sage_. e. of devon's feast. shul. . schul. ms. ed. . should, as no. . schulle, schullyn. ms. ed. . . sawse madame. . qu. sauce. sandale. ms. ed. . sawse sarzyne. . v. ad loc. serpell. . wild thyme. _serpyllum_. sawse blancke. . sawse noyre. . . sawse verde. . sow. . to sew, _suere_. also . a.s. [anglo-saxon: siwian]. stoppe. . . to stuff. swyng. . . alibi. ms. ed. . . alibi. to shake, mix. a.s. [anglo-saxon: swengan]. sewe. . . . sowe. . . alibi. ms. ed. . chaucer. liquor, broth, sous. wiclif. a.s. [anglo-saxon: seaþ]. v. lye in d alphabet. schyms. ms. ed. . pieces. stondyng. , . . stiff, thick. smale. . alibi. small. lel. coll. iv. p. . spynee. . v. ad loc. straw. . strew. a.s. [anglo-saxon: streawian]. sklyse. . a slice, or flat stick for beating any thing. junius. v. sclise. siryppe. . v. ad loc. styne. . perhaps to close. v. ystyned. a.s. [anglo-saxon: tynan]. stere. . . to stir. chaucer. a.s. [anglo-saxon: styrian]. sithen. . ssithen, . then. chaucer. v. seth and sithe. a.s. [anglo-saxon: siððan]. sithtyn, sethe, seth, syth. ms. ed. _then_. salat. a sallad. saladis, sallads. chaucer. junius, v. salad. slete soppes. . slit. a.s. [anglo-saxon: slitan]. spryng. . to sprinkle. wiclif. v. sprenge. a.s. [anglo-saxon: sprengan]. samoun. . salmon. so lel. coll. vi. p. , . fr. _saumon_. stepid. , . steeped, _frisiis_, stippen. sex. . . six. a.s. sool. . _solys_, . soale, the fish. schyl oysters. . to shell them. a.s. [anglo-saxon: scyll], a shell. sle. . to kill. _scle_, chaucer, and _slea_. a.s. [anglo-saxon: slean]. sobre sawse. . sowpes. . . sops. a.s. [anglo-saxon: sop]. dorry. ms. ed. ii. . spell. . qu. stary. ms. ed. . stir. swannes. . pye, . cygnets. lel. coll. vi. p. . sonne. ms. ed. . sun. chaucer. sarse, and _a sarse_. . a sieve or searse. souple. . supple. _sople_, chaucer; also _souple_. fr. stewes. . . liquor. to stue, . a term well known at this day. sars. . . error perhaps for _fars_. . . . sawcyster. . perhaps, a saussage. from fr. _saucisse_. soler. ms. ed. . a solar or upper floor. chaucer. sawgeat. . v. ad loc. skymour. . a skimmer. salwar. . v. calwar. sarcyness. ms. ed. . v. sawse. syve, seve. ms. ed. ii. , . a sieve, v. hersyve. southrenwode. . southernwood. sowre. . sour. _souir_, chaucer. stale. . stalk. handle. used now in the north, and elsewhere; as a fork-stale; quære a crasis for a fork's tail. hence, shaft of an arrow. lel. coll. vi. p. . chaucer. a.s. [anglo-saxon: stele], or [anglo-saxon: stela]. spot. ms. ed. . sprinkle. sachus. . a dish. v. ad loc. sachellis. . bags. satchells. spynoches. . spinages. fr. espinars in plural. but we use it in the singular. ital. spinacchia. sit. . adhere, and thereby to burn to it. it obtains this sense now in the north, where, after the potage has acquired a most disagreeable taste by it, it is said to be _pot-sitten_, which in kent and elsewhere is expressed by being _burnt-to_. sotiltees. proem. suttlety. lel. coll. vi. p. . seq. see no. . there was no grand entertainment without these. lel. coll. iv. p. , . vi. . seq. made of sugar and wax. p. . and when they were served, or brought in, _at first_, they seem to have been called _warners_, lel. coll. vi. p. . . vi. p. , . as giving _warning_ of the approach of dinner. see notes on northumb. book, p. , . and mr. pennant's brit. zool. p. . there are three _sotiltes_ at the e. of devon's feast, a stag, a man, a tree. quere if now succeeded by figures of birds, &c. made in lard, and jelly, or in sugar, to decorate cakes. sewyng. proem. following. leland coll. iv. p. . chaucer. fr. _suivre_. spete. ms. ed. . spit. made of hazel, . as virg. georg. ii. . states. proem. persons. scher. ms. ed. . sheer, cut. chaucer. v. shere. schyveris. ms. ed. . ii. . shivers. chaucer. v. slivere. schaw. ms. ed. . shave. t. thurgh. . alibi. thorough. a.s. [anglo-saxon: ðurh]. _thorw_. ms. ed. ii. tansey. . herb, vide junii etymol. trape, traup. . alibi. pan, platter, dish. from fr. to gedre. . to gydre, . to gyder, . to geyder, . to gider, . to gyd, . to gedre, . so variously is the word _together_ here written. a.s. [anglo-saxon: togaðere]. tredure. . name of cawdel. v. ad loc. to. . . ms. ed. . . too; and so the saxon, hence to to. . v. ad loc. also, lel. coll. iv. p. . . vi. p. . _to_ is _till_, ms. ed. . . _two_. ii. . v. unto. thyk. . a verb, to grow thick, as no. . thicken taken passively. adjective, . . _thik_, . _thykke_, . _thike_, chaucer. teyse. . to pull to pieces with the fingers. v. ad loc. et junius, voce tease. hence teasing for carding wool with teasels, a specics of thistle or instrument. talbotes. . qu. v. ad loc. tat. . that. as in derbysh. _who's tat?_ for, who is that? belg. _dat_. thenne. . alibi. then. chaucer. a.s. [anglo-saxon: ðanne]. thanne. . ms. ed. . then. a.s. [anglo-saxon: ðan]. than. ms. ed. . teer. . tear. a.s. [anglo-saxon: teran]. to fore. . alibi. before. hence our _heretofore_. wiclif. chaucer. a.s. [anglo-saxon: toforan]. thynne. . ms. ed. . thin. a.s. [anglo-saxon: ðinn]. tarlettes. . afterwards _tartletes_, rectiùs; and so the contents. _tortelletti_. holme. p. . v. tartee. godwin, de præsul. p. . renders _streblitæ_; et v. junius, voce tart. thise. . alibi. these. take. . taken. chaucer. thridde. . . alibi. third, per metathesin. chaucer. thriddendele, . thriddel, . . _thredde_, ms. ed. ii. . v. junius, voce thirdendeal. to done. . done. _to_ seems to abound, vide chaucer. v. _to_. turnesole. . colours _pownas_. vide ad loc. ther. . . they. chaucer. ton tressis. . an herb. i amend it to _ton cressis_, and explain it cresses, being the saxon [anglo-saxon: tunkerse], or [anglo-saxons: tuncærse]. see _lye_, dict. sax. cresses, so as to mean, _one of the cresses_. turbut. . tried out. . drawn out by roasting. see junius, v. try. tweydel. . twey, ms. ed. . chaucer. _twy_ for _twice_ runs now in the north. a.s. [anglo-saxon: twa], two. [anglo-saxon dæl], pars, portio. talow. . mutton sewet. v. junii etym. thyes, thyys. ms. ed. , . thighs. tartee. , . alibi. tart. de bry, . de brymlent, . tartes of flesh, . of fish, . v. tarlettes. towh. tough, thick. . see chaucer, v. tought. a.s. [anglo-saxon: toh]. tharmys. ms. ed. . rops, guts. there. . where. chaucer. thowche. ms. ed. . touch. to. . for. hence, _wherto_ is _wherefore_. chaucer. towayl. ms. ed. ii. . a towel. thee. . thou, as often now in the north. temper. ms. ed. . et sæpe. to mix. u. uppon. . alibi. upon. urchon. . urchin, _erinaceus_. unto. ms. ed. . until. v. _to_. chaucer. v. violet. . v. ad loc. verjous. . . veriaws. . verious. . verjuice, fr. verjus. v. junium. veel. . alibi. ms. ed. . veal. vessll. . a dish. vyne grace. . a mess or dish. _grees_ is the wild swine. plott, hist. of staff. p. . gloss. to douglas' virgil, v. grisis. and to chaucer. v. grys. thoroton, p. . blount, tenures. p. . _gresse_. lel. coll. iv. p. . _gres_. . both pork and wine enter into the recipe. vyaunde cypre. . from the isle of cyprus. vernage. . vernaccia. a sort of italian white-wine. in pref. to _perlin_, p. xix. mis-written vervage. see chaucer. it is a sweet wine in a ms. of tho. astle esq. p. . venyson. . often eaten with furmenty, e. of devon's feast, _in brothe_. ibid. verde sawse. . it sounds _green sauce_, but there is no sorel; sharp, sour sauce. see junius, v. verjuice. vervayn. . w. wele. . . old pronunciation of _well_, now vulgarly used in derbysh. _wel_, . alibi. _wel smale_, . very small. v. lel. coll. iv. p. . . hearne, in spelm. life of Ælfred. p. . wyndewe. . winnow. this pronunciation is still retained in derbyshire, and is not amiss, as the operation is performed by wind. v. omnino, junius. v. winnow. wayshe, waissh, waische. . . . to wash. a.s. [anglo-saxon: wæscan]. whane, whan. . . . when. so sir tho. elliot. v. britannia. percy's songs, i. . ms. romance of sir degare vers. . a.s. [anglo-saxon: hwænne]. wan, wanne. ms. ed. . . when. wole. proem. will. _wolt_. . wouldst. chaucer, v. wol. warly, warliche. . . gently, warily. a.s. [anglo-saxon: wære], wary, prudent. chaucer. v. ware. junius, v. warie. wafrouns. . wafers. junius, v. wafer. with inne. . divisim, for within. so _with oute_, . welled. . v. ad loc. ms. ed. . wete. . . wet, now in the north, and see chaucer. a.s. [anglo- saxon: wæt]. wry. . to dry, or cover. junius, v. wrie. wyn. ms. ed. . alibi. wine. v. wyneger. wryng thurgh a straynour. . . thurgh a cloth, . almandes with fair water, . wryng out the water. ibid. wryng parsley up with eggs, . chaucer, voce wrong, ywrong, and wrang. junius, v. wring. womdes, wombes. . quære the former word? perhaps being falsely written, it was intended to be obliterated, but forgotten, _wombes_ however means _bellies_, as ms. ed. . see junius, voce _womb_. wyneger. ms. ed. . vinegar. v. wyn. wone. . _a deal_ or _quantity_. chaucer. it has a contrary sense though in junius, v. whene. whete. . wete. ms. ed. . ii. . wheat. a.s. [anglo-saxon: hwæte]. wastel. . white bread. _yfarced_, . of it. ms. ed. . ii. . gloss. ad x script. v. simenellus. chaucer; where we are referred to verstegan v. but _wassel_ is explained there, and not _wastel_; however, see stat. henry iii. hoveden, p. . and junius' etymol. wheyze. . . whey. a.s. [anglo-saxon: hwæz]. serum lactis. g often dissolving into y. v. junium, in y. wynde it to balles. . make it into balls, turn it. chaucer. v. wende. junius, v. winde. wallenotes. . walnuts. see junius, in voce. wose of comfrey. . v. ad loc. juice. wex. ms. ed. . wax. were. ms. ed. . where. y. y. is an usual prefix to adjectives and participles in our old authors. it came from the saxons; hence ymynced, minced; yslyt, slit; &c. _i_ is often substituted for it. v. gloss. to chaucer, and lye in jun. etym. v. i. it occurs perpetually for _i_, as ymynced, yslyt, &c. and so in ms. editoris also. written z. . . alibi. used for _gh_, . ms. ed. . chaucer. v. z. hence ynouhz, . enough. so ms. ed. passim. quere if _z_ is not meant in mss for g or _t_ final. dotted, [anglo-saxon: y( )], after saxon manner, in ms. ed. as in mr. hearne's edition of robt. of gloucester. ycorve. , . cut in pieces. icorvin, . gloss. to chaucer. v. _icorvin_, and _throtycorve_. zelow. . _yolow_. ms. ed. . yellow. a.s. [anglo-saxon: zealuwe] and [anglo-saxon: zelew]. yolkes. . i. e. of eggs. junius, v. yelk. ygrond. v. gronden. yleesshed. . cut it into slices. so, _lesh_ it, . . _leach_ is to slice, holme iii. p. . or it may mean to _lay in the dish_, . . or distribute, . . ynouhz. . ynowh, . . ynowh, . ynow. ms. ed. . enough. chaucer has _inough_. yfer. . . id est _ifere_, together. _feer_, a companion. wiclif, in _feer_ and _scukynge feer_. chaucer. v. fere, and yfere. junius, v. yfere. yfette. proem. put down, written. yskaldid. . scalded. ysode. . _isode_, . _sodden_, . boiled. ms. ed. ii. . chaucer. all from to seeth. ysope. . . ysop. ms. ed. . the herb hyssop. chaucer. v. isope. yforced. v. forced. yfasted. . qu. zif, zyf. ms. ed. . . if. also give, ii. . . ystyned, istyned. . . to _styne_, . seems to mean to close. yteysed. . pulled in pieces. v. ad loc. and v. tease. ypaunced. . perhaps pounced, for which see chaucer. yfonndred. . _ifonded_, . . _yfondyt_, . poured, mixed, dissolved. v. _found_. fr. fondu. yholes. . perhaps, hollow. ypared. . pared. ytosted, itosted. . . toasted. iboiled. . boiled. yest. . junius, v. yeast. igrated. . grated. ybake. . baked. ymbre. . . ember. ypocras. how made, . hippocras. wafers used with it. lel. coll. iv. p. . vi. p. , . . . . and dry toasts, rabelais iv. c. . _joly ypocras_. lel. coll. iv. p. . vi. p. . bishop godwin renders it _vinum aromaticum_. it was brought both at beginning of splendid entertainments, if apicius is to be underslood of it. lib. i. c. . see lister, ad loc. and in the middle before the second course; lel. coll. iv. p. . and at the end. it was in use at st. john's coll. cambr. years ago, and brought in at christmas at the close of dinner, as anciently most usually it was. it took its name from _hippocrates' sleeve_, the bag or strainer, through which it was passed. skinner, v. claret; and chaucer. or as junius suggests, because strained _juxta doctrinam hippocratis_. the italians call it _hipocrasso_. it seems not to have differed much from _piment_, or pigment (for which see chaucer) a rich spiced wine which was sold by vintners about . mr. topham's ms. hippocras was both white and red. rabelais, iv. c. . and i find it used for sauce to lampreys. ibid. c. . there is the process at large for making ypocrasse in a ms. of my respectable friend thomas astle, esq. p. . which we have thought proper to transcribe, as follows: 'to make ypocrasse for lords with gynger, synamon, and graynes sugour, and turefoll: and for comyn pepull gynger canell, longe peper, and claryffyed hony. loke ye have feyre pewter basens to kepe in your pouders and your ypocrasse to ren ynne. and to vi basens ye muste have vi renners on a perche as ye may here see. and loke your poudurs and your gynger be redy and well paryd or hit be beton in to poudr. gynger colombyne is the best gynger, mayken and balandyne be not so good nor holsom.... now thou knowist the propertees of ypocras. your poudurs must be made everyche by themselfe, and leid in a bledder in store, hange sure your perche with baggs, and that no bagge twoyche other, but basen twoyche basen. the fyrst bagge of a galon, every on of the other a potell. fyrst do in to a basen a galon or ij of redwyne, then put in your pouders, and do it in to the renners, and so in to the seconde bagge, then take a pece and assay it. and yef hit be eny thyng to stronge of gynger alay it withe synamon, and yef it be strong of synamon alay it withe sugour cute. and thus schall ye make perfyte ypocras. and loke your bagges be of boltell clothe, and the mouthes opyn, and let it ren in v or vi bagges on a perche, and under every bagge a clene basen. the draftes of the spies is good for sewies. put your ypocrase in to a stanche wessell, and bynde opon the mouthe a bleddur strongly, then serve forthe waffers and ypocrasse.' addenda. [ the addenda have been placed above within the text where appropriate, labeled "addenda:". ] advertisement. since the foregoing sheets were printed off, the following very curious rolls have happily fallen into the editor's hand, by the favour of john charles brooke, esq. somerset herald. they are extracted from a ms. belonging to the family of nevile of chevet, near wakefield, com. ebor. and thence copied, under the direction of the rev. richard kay, d.d. prebendary of durham. these rolls are so intimately connected with our subject, as exhibiting the dishes of which our roll of _cury_ teaches dressing and preparation, that they must necessarily be deemed a proper appendix to it. they are moreover amusing, if not useful, in another respect; _viz_. as exhibiting the gradual prices of provisions, from the dates of our more ancient lists, and the time when these rolls were composed, in the reign of henry viii. for the further illustration of this subject, and extract from the old account-book of _luton_, _hen_. viii is super-added; where the prices of things in the south, at the same period, may be seen. and whoever pleases to go further into this matter of _prices_, may compare them with the particulars and expence of a dinner at stationer's-hall, a.d. . which appeared in the st. james's chronicle of april , . we cannot help thinking that, upon all accounts, the additions here presented to our friends must needs prove exceedingly acceptable to them. rolls of provisions, with their prices, dishes, &c. temp. h. viii. the marriage of my son-in-law gervas[ ] clifton and my daughter mary nevile, the th day of january, in the st year of the reigne of our soveraigne lord king henry the viiith. l s d first, for the apparell of the said gervys clifton and mary nevill, yards of russet damask, every yard s[ ], item, yards of white damask, every yard s. item, yards of tawney camlet, every yard s. d[ ]. item, yards of tawney velvet, every yard s. item, rolls of buckrom, item, black velvet bonnits for women, every bonnit s. item, a fronslet[ ] of blue velvet, item, an ounce of damask gold[ ], item, laynes[ ] of frontlets, item, an eyye[ ] of pearl, item, pair of gloves, item, yards of kersey; black, white, item, lining for the same, item, boxes to carry bonnits in, item, pasts[ ], item, a furr of white lusants[ ], item, whit heares[ ], item, black conies, item, a pair of myllen[ ] sleves of white sattin, item, white lamb skins, item, yards of white cotton, item, yards and / black sattin, item, girdles, item, ells of white ribon, for tippets, item, an ell of blue sattin, item, a wedding ring of gold, item, a millen bonnit, dressed with agletts, item, a yard of right white sattin, item, a yard of white sattin of bridge[ ], the expence of the dinner, at the marriage of said gervys clifton and mary nevile. imprimis, three hogsheads of wine, white, red, claret item, oxen, item, brawns[ ], item, swans[ ], every swan s, item, cranes[ ], every crane s. d. item, heron sews[ ], every one d. item, bitterns, each d. item, couple of conies, every couple d, item, as much wild-fowl, and the charge of the same, as cost item, capons of grease[ ], item, other capons, item, pigs, every one d. item, calves, item, other calf, item, lambs, item, withers[ ], ever wither s. d. item, quarters of barley[ ] malt, every quarter s. item, quarters of wheat, every quarter s. item, dozen of chickens , besides butter, eggs, verjuice, and vinegar in spices as followeth. two loaves of sugar[ ], weighing lb. oz. at d. per lb. item, pound of pepper, every pound d. item, pound of ginger, item, pound of currants, every pound d item, pound of proynes[ ], every pound d. item, lb. of marmalet, item, poils[ ] of sturgeon, item, a barrell for the same, item, lb. of dates, every lb. d. item, lb of great raisons[ ], item, lb. of cloves and mace, item, quarter of saffron, item, lb. of tornself[ ], item, lb. of ising-glass, item, lb. of biskitts, item, lb. of carraway seeds, item, lb of cumfitts, item, lb. of torts[ ] of portugal, item, lb. of liquorice and anniseeds, item, lb. of green ginger, item, lb. of suckets[ ], item, lb. of orange buds, s. item, lb. of oranges in syrup, ----------- totall l. ----------- [footnote : gervas] below _gervys_. so unsettled was our orthography, even in the reign of henry viii. so _nevile_, and below _nevill_. mary, third daughter of sir john nevil of chever, was first wife of sir gerv. clifton of clifton, com. nott. knight.] [footnote : s.] the sum is l. . s. d. but ought to be l. . s. so that there is some mistake here. _n.b_. this manuscript is given in our common figures; but the original, no doubt, is in the roman.] [footnote : s. d.] this again is wrongly computed. there may be other mistakes of the same kind, which is here noted once for all; the reader will easily rectify them himself.] [footnote : fronslet.] f. frontlet, as lin. .] [footnote : damask gold.] gold of damascus, perhaps for powder.] [footnote : laynes.] qu.] [footnote : eyye.] f. egg.] [footnote : pasts.] pastboards.] [footnote : lusants.] qu.] [footnote : heares]. f. hares.] [foornote : myllen], _milan_, city of lombardy, whence our _millaner_, now _milliner_, written below _millen_.] [footnote : bridge]. brugge, or bruges, in flanders.] [footnote : brawns]. the boar is now called a brawn in the north, vid. p. .] [footnote : swans]. f. swans.] [footnote : cranes]. v. p. .] [footnote : heron sews]. in one word, rather. see p. .] [footnote : of grease]. i presume fatted.] [footnote : withers]. weathers.] [footnote : barley malt]. so distinguished, because wheat and oats were at this time sometimes malted. see below, p. .] [footnote : loaves of sugar]. so that they now had a method of refining it, v. p. xxvi.] [footnote : proynes]. prunes, v. p. .] [footnote : poils]. misread, perhaps, for joils, _i.e._ jowls.] [footnote : great raisons, ] v. p. .] [footnote : tornselt]. turnfole, v. p. .] [footnote : torts]. qu.] [footnote : suckets]. these, it seems, were sold ready prepared in the shops. see the following rolls.] sir john nevile, of chete, knight. the marriage of my son-in-law, roger rockley[ ], and my daughter elizabeth nevile, the th of january, in the th year of the reigne of our soveraigne lord king henry the viiith. l s d first, for the expence of their apparel, yards of russet sattin, at s. per yard, item, mantilles of skins, for his gown, item, yards and / of black velvet, for his gown, item, yards of black sattin, for his jacket and doublet, at s. the yard, item, yards, of black sattin, for her kertill, at s. per yard, item, a roll of buckrom, item, a bonnit of black velvet, item, a frontlet for the same bonnit, item, for her smock, item, for a pair of perfumed gloves, item, for a pair of other gloves, second day. item, for yards of tawney camlet, at s. d. per yard, item, yards of black sattin, for lining her gown, at s per yard, item, yards of black velvet, for her gown, item, a roll of buckrom, for her gown, item, yards of yellow sattin bridge[ ], at s. d. per yard, item, for a pair of hose, item, for a pair of shoes, ----------- sum l. ----------- item, for dinner, and the expence of the said marriage of roger rockley, and the said elizabeth nevile. imprimis, eight quarters of barley-malt, at s. per quarter, item, quarters and / of wheat, at s. d. per quarter, item, hogheads of wine, at s. item, hogshead of read wine, at ----------- sum total l. ----------- for the first course at dinner. imprimis, brawn with musterd, served alone with malmsey. item, frumety[ ] to pottage. item, a roe roasted for standert[ ]. item, peacocks, of a dish. item, swans of a dish. item, a great pike in a dish. item, conies roasted of a dish. item, venison roasted. item, capon of grease, of a dish. item, mallards[ ], of dish. item, teals, of a dish. item, pyes baken[ ], with rabbits in them. item, baken orange. item, a flampett[ ]. item, stoke fritters[ ]. item, dulcets[ ], ten of dish. item, a tart. second course. first, marterns[ ] to pottage. item for a standert, cranes of a dish. item, young lamb, whole roasted. item, great fresh sammon gollis[ ]. item, heron sues, of a dish. item, bitterns, of a dish. item, pheasants, of a dish. item, a great sturgeon poil. item, partridges, of a dish. item, plover, of dish. item, stints[ ]., of a dish. item, curlews[ ], of a dish. item, a whole roe, baken. item, venison baken, red and fallow[ ]. item, a tart. item, a march[ ] payne. item, gingerbread. item, apples and cheese scraped with sugar and sage. for night. first a play, and straight after the play a mask, and when the mask was done then the banckett[ ], which was dishes, and all of meat; and then all the gentilmen and ladys danced; and this continued from the sunday to the saturday afternoon. the expence in the week for the flesh and fish for the same marriage. imprimis, oxen, item, brawns, item, roes s and for servants going, s. item, in swans, item, in cranes , item, in peacocks , item, in great pike, for flesh dinner, , item, in conies, dozen, item, in venison, red deer hinds , and fetching them, item, fallow deer does -- -- -- item, capons of grease , item, mallards and teal, dozen, item, lamb , item, heron sues, doz. item, shovelords[ ], doz. item, in bytters[ ] , item, in pheasants , item, in partridges , item, in curlews , item, in plover, dozen, item, in stints, doz. item, in surgeon, goyle[ ], item, seal[ ], item, porpose[ ], ----------- l. for frydays and saturdays. first, leich brayne[ ]. item, frometye pottage. item, whole ling and huberdyne[ ]. item, great goils [ ] of salt sammon. item, great salt eels. item, great salt sturgeon goils item, fresh ling. item, fresh turbut. item, great pike[ ]. item, great goils of fresh sammon. item, great ruds[ ]. item, baken turbuts. item, tarts of several meats[ ]. second course first, martens to pottage. item, a great fresh stugeon goil. item, fresh eel roasted. item, great brett. item, sammon chines broil'd. item, roasted eels. item, roasted lampreys. item, roasted lamprons[ ]. item, great burbutts[ ]. item, sammom baken, item, fresh eel baken. item, fresh lampreys, baken. item, clear jilly[ ]. item, gingerbread. waiters at the said marriage. storrers, carver. mr. henry nevile, sewer. mr. thomas drax, cupbearer. mr. george pashlew, for the sewer-board end. john merys, \ marshalls. john mitchill, / robert smallpage, for the cupboard. william page, for the celler, william barker, for the ewer, robert sike the younger, and john hiperon, for butterye. to wait in the parlour. richard thornton. edmund north. robert sike the elder. william longley. robert live. william cook. sir john burton, steward. my brother stapleton's servant. my son rockley's servant to serve in the slate. [footnote : rockley]. elizabeth eldest daughter of sir john nevile, married, roger eldest son, and afterwards heir, of sir thomas rockley of rockley, in the parish of worsborough, knight.] [footnote : bridge]. see above, p. , note [ ].] [footnote : frumety]. v. p. .] [footnote : standert]. a large or standing dish. see p. . l. .] [footnote : mallards]. v. p. .] [footnote : baken]. baked.] [footnote : flampett]. f. flaunpett, or flaumpeyn, v. p. .] [footnote : stoke fritters ]. baked on a hot-iron, used still by the brewers, called a stoker.] [footnote : dulcets]. qu.] [footnote : marterns]. qu. it is written martens, below.] [footnote : gollis]. f. jowls.] [footnote : stints]. the stint, or purre, is one of the sandpipers. pennant, brit. zool, ii. .] [footnote : curlews]. see above, p. . and below. curlew knaves, also below.] [footnote : fallow]. if i remember right, dr. goldman, says, fallow-deer were brought to us by king james i. but see again below, more than once.] [footnote : march payne]. a kind of cake, very common long after this time, v. below.] [footnote : banckett]. banquet.] [footnote : shovelords]. shovelers, a species of the wild duck. shovelards, below.] [footnote : bytters]. bitterns, above; but it is often written without _n_, as below.] [footnote : goyle]. jowl, v. above, p. . l. .] [footnote : seal]. one of those things not eaten now; but see p. above, and below, p. . l. .] [footnote : porpose]. v. p. , above.] [footnote : leich brayne] v. p. , above, but qu. as to brayne.] [footnote : huberdyne]. miswritten for haberdine, i.e. from aberdeen; written below heberdine.] [footnote : goils]. v. above, p. . l. .] [footnote : pyke]. v. above, p. . and below, often.] [footnote : ruds]. qu. roaches, v. below.] [footnote : meats]. viands, but not fleshmeats.] [footnote : lamprons]. v. p. . above.] [footnote : burbatts]. qu. turbuts.] [footnote : jilly]. jelly.] the charges of sir john nevile, of chete, knight, being sheriff of yorkshire in the th year of the reigne of king henry viii. lent assizes. l s d imprimis, in wheat quarters, item, in malt, quarters, item, in beans, quarters, item, in hay, loads, item, in litter, loads item, part of the judge's horses in the inn, item, hogsheads of wine, claret, white, red, item, salt fish, couple, item, barrells herrings, item, barrells salmon, item, seams[ ] of sea fish item, in great pike and pickering, score and , item, great pike from ramsay, item, in pickerings from holdess iiii xx, item, received of ryther great breams, item, received of said ryther, great tenches, item, received of said ryther great eels and touling[ ] eels, and lb. of brewit[ ] eels, and great ruds, item, in great fresh sammon, item, a barrell of sturgeon item, a firkin of seal, item, a little barrell of syrope[ ], item, barrells of all manner of spices, item, bag of isinglass, item, a little barrell of oranges, item, gallons of malmsey, item, little barrells of green ginger and sucketts, item, bretts, item, in vinegar, gallon, quart item, large table cloths of yards in length, of them d per yard, and one d, item, doz. manchetts[ ], item, gallons vergis[ ], item, in mayne bread[ ], item, bread bought for march payne, item, for sugar and almonds, besides the barrells, item, for salt, item, for gallons of mustard, item, a draught of fish, great pikes and breams, item, gallons of honey, item, horse-loads of charcoal, item, loads of talwood[ ] and bavings, item, streyners, item, for graines[ ], item, doz. of cups, item, elaskits and maund[ ], item, doz. earthen potts, item, staff torches, item, for yearbes[ ], days, item, for waferans[ ], days[ ], item, for onions, item, gallipots, item, for yeast, days, item, doz. borrowed vessels, item, for carriage or wheat, malt, wine, and wood, from the water-side, item, for parker the cook, and other cooks and water-bearers, item, doz. of trenchers, first, for making a cupboard, [footnote : seams]. quarter, much used in kent, v. infra.] [footnote : touling eels]. qu. see below.] [footnote : brewit eels]. _i.e._ for brewet; for which see above, p. . also here, below.] [footnote : syrope]. v. p. above.] [footnote : manchetts]. a species of bread, see below.] [footnote : vergis]. verjuice.] [footnote : mayne bread]. pain du main, v. p. . above.] [footnote : talwood and bavings]. chord-wood, and bavins. see dr. birch's life of prince henry: wetwood and bevins occur below, p. .] [footnote : grains]. qu.] [footnote : maund]. a large basket, now used for apples, &c.] [footnote : yearbes]. yerbs are often pronounced so now; whence _yerby grease_, for herb of grace.] [footnote : waferans]. v. above, p. .] [footnote : days]. qu. perhaps gathering, or fetching them.] the charge of the said sir john nevile of chete at lammas assizes, in the th year of the reign of king henry the viiith. l s d imprimis, in wheat, quarters, item, in malt, quarters, item, oxen, item, weathers, item, calves, item, capons of grease, item, other capons, item, pigs, item, hogsheads of wine, item, swans, item, cranes, item, heronsews, item, shovelards, item, bitters, item, partridges, item, pheasants, item, curlews, item, curlew knaves , item, doz. plovers, item, doz. pidgeons, item, mallards, teal and other wild fowl, item, baskets of all manner of spice, item, in malmsey, gallons, item, in bucks, item, in stags, -- -- -- fryday and saturday. first, couple of great ling, item, couple of heberdine, item, salt sammon, item, fresh sammon and great, item, great pike, item, pickerings, item, great breams, item, tenches, item, touling eels and brevet eels, and ruds, item, a firkin of sturgeon, item, in fresh seals, item, seame of fresh fish, item, bretts, item, a barrell of green ginger and sucketts, item, gallon of vinegar, / item, horse-loads of charcoal, item, load of wetwood and bevins, item, for salt, item, doz. of manchetts, item, gingerbread for march payne, item, gallon of mustard, item, for loan of doz. vessels, item, gallons of honey, item, for the costs of cooks and water-bearers, item, for the judges and clerks of the assize, for their horse-meat in the inn, and for their housekeeper's meat, and the clerk of the assize fee, item, for my livery coats, embroidered, item, for my horses provender, hay, litter, and grass, at both the assizes, in a vellum ms. account-book of the gild of the holy trinity at luton, com. bedford, from hen. viii. to the beginning of ed. vi. there are the expences of their anniversary feasts, from year to year, exhibiting the several provisions, with their prices. the feast of hen. viii. is hereunder inserted; from whence some judgement may be formed of the rest. l s d quarters, bushels of wheat, bushels of wheat flower, quarters malte, barrels beer, brewing quarters malte, bakyng, geys, pyggs, capons, / chekyns, rabetts, and carriage, beyf, quarters, a lyfte, a shodoar & cromys, moton & welle[ ] quarter, leggs of welle & shodours, a marebone & suet, & calwisfere, quarter of moton, and calwisfere, lamys, dressyng of lamys, wine, galons, a potell, & a pynte, wenegar potellis, warg[ ] galon, / spyce, lb pepur & half, oz. of clovis & mace, & quartron, lb. of sugur & half, / lb. of sinamon, lb. of great resons, lb. of smale resons, / lb. of gynger, / lb. of sandurs, lb. of lycoras, lb. of prunys, lb. of comfetts, / lb. of turnesell, lb. of grenys, lb. of anesseds, lb. of almonds, oz. of safron and quarton, lb. of dats, eggs , butter, mylke galons, galons and gal. of crem, / hone galons, salte / boshell, fyshe, fresche, and the careeg from london, a frefche samon, salte fyche for the coks, rydyng for trouts mynstrels, butlers, cokys, [footnote : veal, now in the south pronounced with _w_.] [footnote : verjuice.] finis. distributed proofreaders canada team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net cakes and ale _by the same author_ the flowing bowl a treatise on drinks of all kinds and of all periods, interspersed with sundry anecdotes and reminiscences by edward spencer ('nathaniel gubbins') author of "cakes and ale," etc. _crown vo., cloth gilt, / net._ second edition. with cover design by the late phil may. "the flowing bowl" overflows with good cheer. in the happy style that enlivens its companion volume, "cakes and ale," the author gives a history of drinks and their use, interspersed with innumerable recipes for drinks new and old, dug out of records of ancient days, or set down anew. london: stanley paul & co. , essex street, strand, w.c. cakes & ale a dissertation on banquets interspersed with various recipes, more or less original, and anecdotes, mainly veracious by edward spencer ('nathaniel gubbins') author of "the flowing bowl," etc. _fourth edition_ stanley paul & co. , essex street, strand, w.c. _first printed april reprinted may cheap edition february reprinted _ to the modern lucullus john corlett grandest of hosts, best of trencher-men i dedicate (without any sort of permission) this book preface a long time ago, an estimable lady fell at the feet of an habitual publisher, and prayed unto him:-- "give, oh! give me the subject of a book for which the world has a need, and i will write it for you." "are you an author, madam?" asked the publisher, motioning his visitor to a seat. "no, sir," was the proud reply, "i am a poet." "ah!" said the great man. "i am afraid there is no immediate worldly need of a poet. if you could only write a good cookery book, now!" the story goes on to relate how the poetess, not rebuffed in the least, started on the requisite culinary work, directly she got home; pawned her jewels to purchase postage stamps, and wrote far and wide for recipes, which in course of time she obtained, by the hundredweight. other recipes she "conveyed" from ancient works of gastronomy, and in a year or two the _magnum opus_ was given to the world; the lady's share in the profits giving her "adequate provision for the remainder of her life." we are not told, but it is presumable, that the publisher received a little adequate provision too. history occasionally repeats itself; and the history of the present work begins in very much the same way. whether it will finish in an equally satisfactory manner is problematical. i do not possess much of the divine _afflatus_ myself; but there has ever lurked within me some sort of ambition to write a book--something held together by "tree calf," "half morocco," or "boards"; something that might find its way into the hearts and homes of an enlightened public; something which will give some of my young friends ample opportunity for criticism. in the exercise of my profession i have written leagues of descriptive "copy"--mostly lies and racing selections,--but up to now there has been no urgent demand for a book of any sort from this pen. for years my ambition has remained ungratified. publishers--as a rule, the most faint-hearted and least speculative of mankind--have held aloof. and whatever suggestions i might make were rejected, with determination, if not with contumely. at length came the hour, and the man; the introduction to a publisher with an eye for budding and hitherto misdirected talent. "do you care, sir," i inquired at the outset, "to undertake the dissemination of a bulky work on political economy?" "frankly, sir, i do not," was the reply. then i tried him with various subjects--social reform, the drama, bimetallism, the ethics of starting prices, the advantages of motor cars in african warfare, natural history, the martyrdom of ananias, practical horticulture, military law, and dogs; until he took down an old duck-gun from a peg over the mantelpiece, and assumed a threatening attitude. peace having been restored, the self-repetition of history recommenced. "i can do with a good, bold, brilliant, lightly treated, exhaustive work on gastronomy," said the publisher, "you are well acquainted with the subject, i believe?" "i'm a bit of a parlour cook, if that's what you mean," was my humble reply. "at a salad, a grill, an anchovy toast, or a cooling and cunningly compounded cup, i can be underwritten at ordinary rates. but i could no more cook a haunch of venison, or even boil a rabbit, or make an economical christmas pudding, than i could sail a boat in a nor'-easter; and madam cook would certainly eject me from her kitchen, with a clout attached to the hem of my dinner jacket, inside five minutes." eventually it was decided that i should commence this book. "what i want," said the publisher, "is a series of essays on food, a few anecdotes of stirring adventure--you have a fine flow of imagination, i understand--and a few useful, but uncommon recipes. but plenty of plums in the book, my dear sir, plenty of plums." "but, suppose my own supply of plums should not hold out, what am i to do?" "what do you do--what does the cook do, when the plums for her pudding run short? get some more; the museum, my dear sir, the great storehouse of national literature, is free to all whose character is above the normal standard. when your memory and imagination fail, try the british museum. you know what is a mightier factor than both sword and pen? precisely so. and remember that in replenishing your store from the works of those who have gone before, you are only following in their footsteps. i only bar sydney smith and charles lamb. let me have the script by christmas--d'you smoke?--mind the step--_good_ morning." in this way, gentle reader, were the trenches dug, the saps laid for the attack of the great work. the bulk of it is original, and the adventures in which the writer has taken part are absolutely true. about some of the others i would not be so positive. some of the recipes have previously figured in the pages of the _sporting times_, the _lady's pictorial_, and the _man of the world_, to the proprietors of which journals i hereby express my kindly thanks for permission to revive them. many of the recipes are original; some are my own; others have been sent in by relatives, and friends of my youth; others have been adapted for modern requirements from works of great antiquity; whilst others again--i am nothing if not candid--have been "conveyed" from the works of more modern writers, who in their turn had borrowed them from the works of their ancestors. there is nothing new under the sun; and there are but few absolute novelties which are subjected to the heat of the kitchen fire. if the style of the work be faulty, the reason--not the excuse--is that the style is innate, and not modelled upon anybody else's style. the language i have endeavoured to make as plain, homely, and vigorous as is the food advocated. if the criticisms on foreign cookery should offend the talented _chef_, i have the satisfaction of knowing that, as i have forsworn his works, he will be unable to retaliate with poison. and if the criticisms on the modern english methods of preparing food should attract the attention of the home caterer, he may possibly be induced to give his steam-chest and his gas-range a rest, and put the roast beef of old england on his table, occasionally; though i have only the very faintest hopes that he will do so. for the monster eating-houses and mammoth hotels of to-day are for the most part "run" by companies and syndicates; and the company within the dining-room suffer occasionally, in order that dividends may be possible after payment has been made for the elaborate, and wholly unnecessary, furniture, and decorations. wholesome food is usually sufficient for the ordinary british appetite, without such surroundings as marble pillars, etruscan vases, nude figures, gilding, and looking-glasses, which only serve to distract attention from the banquet. it is with many a sigh that i recall the good old-fashioned inn, where the guest really received a warm welcome. nowadays, the warmest part of that welcome is usually the bill. it is related of the wittiest man of the nineteenth century, my late friend mr. henry j. byron, that, upon one occasion, whilst walking home with a brother dramatist, after the first performance of his comedy, which had failed to please the audience, byron shed tears. "how is this?" inquired his friend. "the failure of my play appears to affect you strangely." "i was only weeping," was the reply, "because i was afraid you'd set to work, and write another." but there need be no tears shed on any page of this food book. for i am not going to "write another." contents chapter i breakfast formal or informal?--an eccentric old gentleman--the ancient britons--breakfast in the days of good queen bess--a few tea statistics--garraway's--something about coffee--brandy for breakfast--the evolution of the staff of life--free trade--the cheap loaf, and no cash to buy it pages - chapter ii breakfast (_continued_) country-house life--an englishwoman at her best--guests' comforts--what to eat at the first meal--a few choice recipes--a noble grill-sauce--the poor outcast--appetising dishes--hotel "worries"--the old regime and the new--"no cheques"; no soles, and "whitings is hoff"--a halibut steak--skilly and oakum--breakfast out of the rates - chapter iii breakfast (_continued_) bonnie scotland--parritch an' cream--fin'an haddies--a knife on the ocean wave--_À la français_--in the gorgeous east--_chota hazri_--english as she is spoke--dâk bungalow fare--some quaint dishes--breakfast with "my tutor"--a don's absence of mind - chapter iv luncheon why lunch?--sir henry thompson on overdoing it--the children's dinner--city lunches--"ye olde cheshyre cheese"--doctor johnson--ye pudding--a great fall in food--a snipe pudding--skirt, not rump steak--lancashire hot-pot--a cape "brady" - chapter v luncheon (_continued_) shooting luncheons--cold tea and a crust--clear turtle--such larks!--jugged duck and oysters--woodcock pie--hunting luncheons--pie crusts--the true yorkshire pie--race-course luncheons--suggestions to caterers--the "jolly sandboys" stew--various recipes--a race-course sandwich--angels' pie--"suffolk pride"--devilled larks--a light lunch in the himalayas - chapter vi dinner origin--early dinners--the noble romans--"vitellius the glutton"--origin of haggis--the saxons--highland hospitality--the french invasion--waterloo avenged--the bad fairy "_ala_"--comparisons--the english cook or the foreign food torturer?--plain or flowery--fresh fish and the flavour wrapped up--george augustus sala--doctor johnson again - chapter vii dinner (_continued_) imitation--dear lady thistlebrain--try it on the dog--criminality of the english caterer--the stove, the stink, the steamer--roasting v. baking--false economy--dirty ovens--frills and fingers--time over dinner--a long-winded bishop--corned beef - chapter viii dinner (_continued_) a merry christmas--bin f--a _noel_ banquet--water-cress--how royalty fares--the tsar--_bouillabaisse_--_tournedos_--_bisque_-- _vol-au-vent_--_pré salé_--chinese banquets--a fixed bayonet--_bernardin salmi_--the duck-squeezer--american cookery--"borston" beans--he couldn't eat beef - chapter ix dinner (_continued_) french soup--a regimental dinner--a city banquet--_baksheesh_--aboard ship--an ideal dinner--cod's liver--sleeping in the kitchen--a _fricandeau_--regimental messes--peter the great--napoleon the great--victoria--the iron duke--mushrooms--a medical opinion--a north pole banquet--dogs as food--plain unvarnished fare--the kent road cookery--more beans than bacon - chapter x vegetables use and abuse of the potato--its eccentricities--its origin--hawkins, not raleigh, introduced it into england--with or without the "jacket"?--don't let it be _à-la_-ed--benevolence and large-heartedness of the cabbage family--pease on earth--pythagoras on the bean--"giving him beans"--"haricot" a misnomer--"borston" beans--frijoles--the carrot--crécy soup--the prince of wales--the black prince and the king of bohemia - chapter xi vegetables (_continued_) the brief lives of the best--a vegetable with a pedigree-- argenteuil--the elysian fields--the tomato the emblem of love--"neeps"--spinach--"stomach-brush"--the savoury tear-provoker--invaluable for wasp-stings--celery merely cultivated "smallage"--the "_apium_"--the parsnip--o jerusalem!--the golden sunflower--how to get pheasants--a vegetarian banquet--"swelling wisibly" - chapter xii curries different modes of manufacture--the "native" fraud--"that man's family"--the french _kari_--a parsee curry--"the oyster in the sauce"--ingredients--malay curry--locusts--when to serve--what to curry--prawn curry--dry curry, champion recipe--rice--the bombay duck - chapter xiii salads nebuchadnezzar _v._ sydney smith--salt?--no salad-bowl--french origin--apocryphal story of francatelli--salads _and_ salads--water-cress and dirty water--salad-maker born not made--lobster salad--lettuce, wipe or wash?--mayonnaise--potato salad--tomato ditto--celery ditto--a memorable ditto - chapter xiv salads and condiments roman salad--italian ditto--various other salads--sauce for cold mutton--chutnine--raw chutnee--horse-radish sauce--christopher north's sauce--how to serve a mackerel--_sauce tartare_--ditto for sucking pig--delights of making _sambal_--a new language - chapter xv supper cleopatra's supper--oysters--danger in the aden bivalve--oyster stew--ball suppers--pretty dishes--the _taj mahal_--aspic--bloater paste and whipped cream--ladies' recipes--cookery colleges--tripe--smothered in onions--north riding fashion--an hotel supper--lord tomnoddy at the "magpie and stump" - chapter xvi supper (_continued_) old supper-houses--the early closing act--evans's--cremorne gardens--"the albion"--parlour cookery--kidneys fried in the fire-shovel--the true way to grill a bone--"cannie carle"--my lady's bower--kidney dumplings--a middleham supper--steaks cut from a colt by brother to "strafford" out of sister to "bird on the wing" - chapter xvii "camping out" the ups and downs of life--stirring adventures--marching on to glory--shooting in the tropics--pepper-pot--with the _rajah sahib_--goat-sacrifices at breakfast time--simla to cashmere--manners and customs of thibet--burmah--no place to get fat in--insects--voracity of the natives--snakes--sport in the jungle--loaded for snipe, sure to meet tiger--with the gippos--no baked hedgehog--cheap milk - chapter xviii compound drinks derivation of punch--"five"--the "milk" brand--the best materials--various other punches--bischoff or bishop--"halo" punch--toddy--the toddy tree of india--flip--a "peg"--john collins--out of the guard-room - chapter xix cups and cordials five recipes for claret cup--balaclava cup--orgeat--ascot cup--stout and champagne--shandy-gaff for millionaires--ale cup--cobblers which will stick to the last--home ruler--cherry brandy--sloe gin--home-made, if possible--a new industry--apricot brandy--highland cordial--bitters--jumping-powder-- orange brandy--"mandragora"--"sleep rock thy brain!" - chapter xx the daylight drink evil effects of dram-drinking--the "gin-crawl"--abstinence in h.m. service--city manners and customs--useless to argue with the soaker--cocktails--pet names for drams--the free lunch system--fancy mixtures--why no cassis?--good advice like water on a duck's back - chapter xxi gastronomy in fiction and drama thomas carlyle--thackeray--harrison ainsworth--sir walter scott--miss braddon--marie corelli--f. c. philips--blackmore--charles dickens--_pickwick_ reeking with alcohol--brandy and oysters--_little dorrit_--_great expectations_--micawber as a punch-maker--_david copperfield_--"practicable" food on the stage--"johnny" toole's story of tiny tim and the goose - chapter xxii restoratives william of normandy--a "head" wind at sea--beware the druggist--pick-me-ups of all sorts and conditions--anchovy toast for the invalid--a small bottle--straight talks to fanatics--total abstinence as bad as the other thing--moderation in all matters--wisely and slow--_carpe diem_--but have a thought for the morrow - chapter i breakfast "the day breaks slow, but e'en must man break-fast." formal or informal?--an eccentric old gentleman--the ancient britons--breakfast in the days of good queen bess--a few tea statistics--"garraway's"--something about coffee--brandy for breakfast--the evolution of the staff of life--free trade--the cheap loaf, and no cash to buy it. this is a very serious subject. the first meal of the day has exercised more influence over history than many people may be aware of. it is not easy to preserve an equal mind or keep a stiff upper lip upon an empty stomach; and indigestible food-stuffs have probably lost more battles than sore feet and bad ammunition. it is an incontestable fact that the great napoleon lost the battles of borodino and leipsic through eating too fast. when good digestion waits on appetite, great men are less liable to commit mistakes--and a mistake in a great man is a crime--than when dyspepsia has marked them for her own; and this rule applies to all men. there should be no hurry or formality about breakfast. your punctual host and hostess may be all very well from their own point of view; but black looks and sarcastic welcomings are an abomination to the guest who may have overslept himself or herself, and who fails to say, "good-morning" just on the stroke of nine o'clock. far be it from the author's wish to decry the system of family prayers, although the spectacle of the full strength of the domestic company, from the stern-featured housekeeper, or the chief lady's-maid (the housekeeper is frequently too grand, or too much cumbered with other duties to attend public worship), to the diminutive page-boy, standing all in a row, facing the cups and saucers, is occasionally more provocative of mirth than reverence. but too much law and order about fast-breaking is to be deplored. "i'm not very punctual, i'm afraid, sir john," i once heard a very charming lady observe to her host, as she took her seat at the table, exactly ten minutes after the line of menials had filed out. "on the contrary, lady v----" returned the master of the house, with a cast-iron smile, "you are punctual in your unpunctuality; for you have missed prayers by the sixth part of one hour, every morning since you came." now what should be done to a host like that? in the long ago i was favoured with the acquaintance of an elderly gentleman of property, a most estimable, though eccentric, man. and he invariably breakfasted with his hat on. it did not matter if ladies were present or not. down he would sit, opposite the ham and eggs--or whatever dish it might chance to be--with a white hat, with mourning band attached, surmounting his fine head. we used to think the presence of the hat was owing to partial baldness; but, as he never wore it at luncheon or dinner, that idea was abandoned. in fact, he pleaded that the hat kept his thoughts in; and as after breakfast he was closeted with his steward, or agent, or stud-groom, or keeper, for several hours, he doubtless let loose some of those thoughts to one or the other. at all events we never saw him again till luncheon, unless there was any hunting or shooting to be done. this same old gentleman once rehearsed his own funeral on the carriage drive outside, and stage-managed the solemn ceremony from his study window. an under-gardener pushed a wheelbarrow, containing a box of choice cuttings, to represent the body; and the butler posed as chief mourner. and when anybody went wrong, or the pall-bearers--six grooms--failed to keep in step, the master would throw up the window-sash, and roar-- "begin again!" but this is wandering from the subject. let us try back. having made wide search amongst old and musty manuscripts, i can find no record of a bill-of-fare of the first meal of the ancient britons. our blue forefathers, in all probability, but seldom assisted at any such smart function as a wedding-breakfast, or even a hunting one; for the simple reason that it was a case with them of, "no hunt, no breakfast." unless one or other had killed the deer, or the wild-boar, or some other living thing to furnish the refection the feast was a barmecide one, and much as we have heard of the strength and hardiness of our blue forefathers, many of them must have died of sheer starvation. for they had no weapons but clubs, and rough cut flints, with which to kill the beasts of the country--who were, however, occasionally lured into pitfalls; and as to fish, unless they "tickled" them, the denizens of the streams must have had an easy time of it. they had sheep, but these were valuable chiefly on account of their wool; as used to be the case in australia, ere the tinned meat trade was established. most of the fruits and vegetables which we enjoy to-day were introduced into britain by the romans. snipe and woodcock and (in the north) grouse may have been bagged, as well as hares. but these poor savages knew not rabbits by sight, nor indeed, much of the feathered fowl which their more favoured descendants are in the habit of shooting, or otherwise destroying, for food. the ancient britons knew not bacon and eggs, nor the toothsome kipper, nor yet the marmalade of dundee. as for bread, it was not invented in any shape or form until much later; and its primitive state was a tough paste of flour, water, and (occasionally) milk--something like the "damper" of the australian bush, or the unleavened _chupati_ which the poorer classes in hindustan put up with, after baking it, at the present day. the hardy, independent saxon, had a much better time of it, in the way of meat and drink. but with supper forming the chief meal of the day, his breakfast was a simple, though plentiful one, and consisted chiefly of venison pasty and the flesh of goats, washed down with ale, or mead. "a free breakfast-table of elizabeth's time," says an old authority, "or even during the more recent reign of charles ii., would contrast oddly with our modern morning meal. there were meats, hot and cold; beef and brawn, and boar's head, the venison pasty, and the _wardon pie_ of west country pears. there was hot bread, too, and sundry 'cates' which would now be strange to our eyes. but to wash down these substantial viands there was little save ale. the most delicate lady could procure no more suitable beverage than the blood of john barleycorn. the most fretful invalid had to be content with a mug of small beer, stirred up with a sprig of rosemary. wine, hippocras, and metheglin were potations for supper-time, not for breakfast, and beer reigned supreme. none but home productions figured on the board of our ancestors. not for them were seas traversed, or tropical shores visited, as for us. yemen and ceylon, assam and cathay, cuba and peru, did not send daily tribute to their tables, and the very names of tea and coffee, of cocoa and chocolate, were to them unknown. the dethronement of ale, subsequent on the introduction of these eastern products, is one of the most marked events which have severed the social life of the present day from that of the past." with the exception of the wardon pie and the "cates," the above bill-of-fare would probably satisfy the cravings of the ordinary "johnny" of to-day, who has heard the chimes at midnight, and would sooner face a charging tiger than drink tea or coffee with his first meal, which, alas! but too often consists of a hot-pickle sandwich and a "brandy and soda," with not quite all the soda in. but just imagine the fine lady of to-day with a large tankard of burton ale facing her at the breakfast-table. _tea_, which is said to have been introduced into china by djarma, a native of india, about a.d. , was not familiar in europe until the end of the sixteenth century. and it was not until , when garraway opened a tea-house in exchange alley, that londoners began tea-drinking as an experiment. in pepys writes-- "home, and there find my wife making of tea"--two years before, he called it "tee (a china drink)"--"a drink which mr. pelling the pothicary tells her is good for her cold and defluxions." in the price of tea ranged from s. to s. per lb. in , , lbs. were drunk in england, and in , , , . in the duty was s. ¼d. per lb.; in s. d. per lb.; and in d. per lb. the seed of _the coffee-tree_, which, when roasted, ground, and mixed with water, and unmixed with horse-beans, dandelion-root, or road-scrapings, forms a most agreeable beverage to those who can digest it, was not known to the greeks or romans, but has been used in abyssinia and along the north-east coast of africa almost as long as those parts have been populated. here, in merry england, where coffee was not introduced until the eighteenth century, it was at first used but sparingly, until it almost entirely took the place of chocolate, which was the favoured beverage of the duchesses and fine madams who minced and flirted, and plotted, during the reign of the merry monarch, fifty years or so before. the march of knowledge has taught the thrifty housewife of to-day to roast her own coffee, instead of purchasing it in that form from the retail shopkeeper, who, as a rule, under-roasts the berry, in order to "keep the weight in." but do not blame him too freely, for he is occasionally a poor law guardian, and has to "keep pace with the stores." during the georgian era, the hard-drinking epoch, breakfast far too often consisted chiefly of french brandy; and the first meal was, in consequence, not altogether a happy or wholesome one, nor conducive to the close study of serious subjects. the history of _the staff of life_[ ] would require a much larger volume than this, all to itself. that the evolution of bread-making has been very gradual admits of no denial; and as late as the tudor and stuart periods the art was still in its infancy. the quality of the bread consumed was a test of social standing. thus, whilst the _haut monde_, the height of society, lords and dukes, with countesses and dames of high degree, were in the habit of consuming delicate manchets, made of the finest wheaten flour, of snowy purity, the middle classes had to content themselves with white loaves of inferior quality. to the journeyman and the 'prentice (who had to endure, with patience, the buffets of master and mistress) was meted out coarse but wholesome brown bread, made from an admixture of wheat and barley flour; whilst the agricultural labourer staved off starvation with loaves made from rye, occasionally mixed with red wheat or barley. the introduction of _free trade_ --by no means an unmixed blessing--has changed all this; and the working-classes, with their wives and families, can, when out of the workhouse, in the intervals between "strikes," enjoy the same quality of bread, that "cheap loaf" which appears on the table of the wicked squire and the all-devouring parson. in yorkshire, at the present day, almost the worst thing that can be urged against a woman is that she "canna mak' a bit o' bread." "just look," wrote an enthusiastic free trader, a quarter of a century ago, "at the immense change that has latterly taken place in the food of the english peasantry. rye bread and pease-pudding exchanged for wheaten loaves. a startling change, but not greatly different from what has occurred in france, where, with the abuses of the bourbon rule, an end was put to the semi-starvation of french tillers of the soil. black bread is now almost as much a rarity in france as on our side of the channel; while barley in wales, oats in scotland, and the potato in ireland, are no longer the food-staples that they were." i have no wish for anything of a contentious nature to appear in this volume; but may deliver, with regard to the above, the opinion that pease-pudding is by no means despicable fare, when associated with a boiled leg of pork; and i may add that too many of the english peasantry, nowadays, have been reduced, by this same free trade, to a diet of no bread at all, in place of wheaten, or any other loaves. wedding breakfasts, with the formal speeches, and cutting of the cake, have gone out of fashion, and the subject of the british breakfast of to-day demands a new chapter. chapter ii breakfast (_continued_) "sit down and feed, and welcome to our table." country-house life--an englishwoman at her best--guests' comforts--what to eat at the first meal--a few choice recipes--a noble grill-sauce--the poor outcast--appetising dishes--hotel "worries"--the old regime and the new--"no cheques"; no soles, and "whitings is hoff"--a halibut steak--skilly and oakum--breakfast out of the rates. by far the pleasantest meal of the day at a large country-house is breakfast. you will be staying there, most likely, an you be a man, for hunting or shooting--it being one of the eccentric dispensations of the great goddess fashion that country-houses should be guestless, and often ownerless, during that season of the year when nature looks at her loveliest. an you be a woman, you will be staying there for the especial benefit of your daughter; for flirting--or for the more serious purpose of riveting the fetters of the fervid youth who may have been taken captive during the london season--for romping, and probably shooting and hunting, too; for lovely woman up-to-date takes but little account of such frivolities as berlin wool-work, piano-practice, or drives, well wrapped-up, in a close carriage, to pay calls with her hostess. as for going out with the "guns," or meeting the sterner sex at luncheon in the keeper's cottage, or the specially-erected pavilion, the darlings are not content, nowadays, unless they can use dapper little breech-loaders, specially made for them, and some of them are far from bad shots. yes, 'tis a pleasant function, breakfast at the castle, the park, or the grange. but, as observed in the last chapter, there must be no undue punctuality, no black looks at late arrivals, no sarcastic allusions to late hours, nor inane chaff from the other guests about the wine cup or the whisky cup, which may have been drained in the smoking-room, during the small hours. her ladyship looks divine, or at all events regal, as she presides at what our american cousins would call the "business end" of the long table, whilst our host, a healthy, jolly-looking, "hard-bitten" man of fifty, faces her. his bright keen eye denotes the sportsman, and he can shoot as straight as ever, whilst no fence is too high, too wide, nor too deep for him. sprinkled about, at either side of the table, amongst the red and black coats, or shooting jackets of varied hues--with a vacancy here and there, for "algie" and "bill," and the "angel," who have not yet put in appearance--are smart, fresh-looking women, young, and "well-preserved," and matronly, some in tailor-made frocks, and some in the silks and velvets suited for those of riper age, and some in exquisitely-fitting habits. it is at the breakfast-table that the englishwoman can defy all foreign competition; and you are inclined to frown, or even say things under your breath, when that mincing, wicked-looking little _marquise_, all frills, and ribbons, and lace, and smiles, and ess bouquet, in the latest creation of the first man-milliner of paris, trips into the room in slippers two sizes too small for her, and salutes the company at large in broken english. for the contrast is somewhat trying, and you wonder why on earth some women _will_ smother themselves with scents and _cosmetiques_, and raddle their cheeks and wear diamonds so early in the morning; and you lose all sense of the undoubted fascination of the marquise in speculating as to what manner of "strong woman" her _femme de chambre_ must be who can compress a -inch waist into an -inch corset. there should, of course, be separate tea and coffee equipments for most of the guests--at all events for the sluggards. the massive silver urn certainly lends a tone to the breakfast-table, and looks "comfortable-like." but it would be criminally cruel to satisfy the thirst of the multitude out of the same tea-pot or coffee-pot; and the sluggard will not love his hostess if she pours forth "husband's tea," merely because he _is_ a sluggard. and remember that the hand which has held two by honours, or a "straight flush" the night before, is occasionally too shaky to pass tea-cups. no. do not spare your servants, my lord, or my lady. your guests must be "well done," or they will miss your "rocketing" pheasants, or fail to go fast enough at that brook with the rotten banks. "the english," said an eminent alien, "have only one sauce." this is a scandalous libel; but as it was said a long time ago it doesn't matter. it would be much truer to say that the english have only one breakfast-dish, and its name is _eggs and bacon_. pardon, i should have written two; and the second is ham and eggs. a new-laid egg--poached, _not_ fried, an ye love me, o betsy, best of cooks--and a rasher of home-cured hog are both excellent things in their way; but, like a partridge, a mother-in-law, and a baby, it is quite possible to have too much of them. the english hostess--i do not refer to the typical "her ladyship," of whom i have written above, but to the average hostess--certainly launches out occasionally in the direction of assorted fish, kidneys, sausages, and chops, but the staple food upon which we are asked to break our fast is, undoubtedly, eggs and bacon. the great question of what to eat at the first meal depends greatly upon whether you sit down to it directly you emerge from your bedroom, or whether you have indulged in any sort of exercise in the interim. after two or three hours "amateur touting" on such a place as newmarket heath, the sportsman is ready for any sort of food, from a dish of liver and bacon to a good, thick fat chop, or an underdone steak. i have even attacked cold stewed eels (!) upon an occasion when the pangs of hunger would have justified my eating the tom-cat, and the landlady as well. but chops and steaks are not to be commended to furnish forth the ordinary breakfast-table. i am coming to the hotel breakfast presently, so will say nothing about fried fish just yet. but here follows a list of a few of what may be called _allowable breakfast dishes_ mushrooms (done plainly in front of the fire), sausages (toasted), scrambled eggs on toast, curried eggs, fish balls, kidneys, savoury omelette. porridge may be useful for growing boys and briefless barristers, but this chapter is not written solely in their interests. above all, do not, oh! do not, forget the grill, or broil. this should be the feature of the breakfast. such simple recipes as those for the manufacture of fish balls or omelettes or curried eggs--though i shall have plenty to say about curries later on--need not be given here; but the following, for a grill-sauce, will be found invaluable, especially for the "sluggard." _gubbins sauce_ the legs and wings of fowl, turkey, pheasant, partridge, or moor-hen should only be used. have these scored across with a sharp knife, and divided at the joints. and when your grill is taken, "hot as hot," but _not burnt_, from the fire, have poured over it the following sauce. be very particular that your cook pours it over the grill just before it is served up. and it is of the most vital importance that the sauce should be made, and well mixed, on a plate _over hot water_--for instance, a slop-basin should be filled with boiling water and a plate placed atop. melt on the plate a lump of butter the size of a large walnut. stir into it, when melted, two teaspoonfuls of made mustard, then a dessert-spoonful of vinegar, half that quantity of tarragon vinegar, and a tablespoonful of cream--devonshire or english. season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne, according to the (presumed) tastes and requirements of the breakfasters. let your sideboard--it is assumed that you have a sideboard--sigh and lament its hard lot, under its load of cold joints, game, and pies,--i am still harping on the country-house; and if you have a york ham in cut, it should be flanked by a westphalian ditto. for the blend is a good one. and remember that no york ham under lb. in weight is worth cutting. you need not put it all on the board at once. a capital adjunct to the breakfast-table, too, is a reindeer's tongue, which, as you see it hung up in the shops, looks more like a policeman's truncheon in active employment than anything else; but when well soaked and then properly treated in the boiling, is very tasty, and will melt like marrow in the mouth. a simple, excellent august breakfast can be made from a dish of freshly-caught trout, the legs and back of a cold grouse, which has been roasted, _not_ baked, and _a large peach_. but what of the wretched bachelor, as he enters his one sitting-room, in his humble lodging? he may have heard the chimes at midnight, in some gay and festive quarter, or, like some other wretched bachelors, he may have been engaged in the composition of romances for some exacting editor, until the smallish hours. poor outcast! what sort of appetite will he have for the rusty rasher, or the shop egg, the smoked haddock, or the "billingsgate pheasant," which his landlady will presently send up, together with her little account, for his refection? well, here is a much more tasty dish than any of the above; and if he be "square" with mrs. bangham, that lady will possibly not object to her "gal" cooking the different ingredients before she starts at the wash-tub. but let not the wretched bachelor suffer the "gal" to mix them. i first met this dish in calcutta during the two months of (alleged) cold weather which prevail during the year. _calcutta jumble._ a few fried fillets of white fish (sole, or plaice--sole for choice), placed on the top of some boiled rice, in a soup plate. pour over them the yolks of two _boiled_ eggs, and mix in one green chili, chopped fine. salt to taste. "another way:" mix with the rice the following ingredients:-- the yolks of two _raw_ eggs, one tablespoonful anchovy sauce, one _small_ teaspoonful curry powder (raw), a sprinkling of cayenne, a little salt, and one green chili chopped fine. each ingredient to be added separately, and the eggs and curry powder to be stirred into the rice with a fork. fillets of sole to be served atop. how many cooks in this england of ours can cook rice properly? without pausing for a reply, i append the recipe, which should be pasted on the wall of every kitchen. the many cookery books which i have read give elaborate directions for the performance, of what is a very simple duty. here it is, in a few lines-- _to cook rice for curry, etc._ soak a sufficiency of rice in cold water for two hours. strain through a sieve, and pop the rice into _boiling_ water. let it boil--"gallop" is, i believe, the word used in most kitchens--for not quite ten minutes (or until the rice is tender), then strain off the water through a sieve, and dash a little _cold_ water over the rice, to separate the grains. here is another most appetising breakfast dish for the springtime-- _asparagus with eggs_. cut up two dozen (or so) heads of cooked asparagus into small pieces, and mix in a stewpan with the well-beaten yolks of two raw eggs. flavour with pepper and salt, and stir freely. add a piece of butter the size of a walnut (one of these should be kept in every kitchen as a pattern), and keep on stirring for a couple of minutes or so. serve on delicately-toasted bread. _an hotel breakfast._ what memories do these words conjure up of a snug coffee-room, hung with hunting prints, and portraits of derby winners, and churches, and well-hung game; with its oak panellings, easy arm-chairs, blazing fire, snowy naperies, and bright silver. the cheery host, with well-lined paunch, and fat, wheezy voice, which wishes you good-morning, and hopes you have passed a comfortable night between the lavender-scented sheets. the fatherly interest which "william," the grey-headed waiter, takes in you--stranger or _habitué_--and the more than fatherly interest which you take in the good cheer, from home-made "sassingers" to new-laid eggs, and heather honey, not forgetting a slice out of the mammoth york ham, beneath whose weight the old sideboard absolutely grunts. heigho! we, or they, have changed all that. the poet who found his "warmest welcome in an inn" was, naturally enough, writing of his own time. i don't like fault-finding, but must needs declare that the "warmest" part of an inn welcome to be found nowadays is the bill. as long as you pay it (or have plenty of luggage to leave behind in default), and make yourself agreeable to the fair and haughty bookkeeper (if it's a "she") who allots you your bedroom, and bullies the page-boy, nobody in the modern inn cares particularly what becomes of you. you lose your individuality, and become "number ." instead of welcome, distrust lurks, large, on the very threshold. "_no cheques accepted_" is frequently the first announcement to catch the eye of the incoming guest; and although you cannot help admiring the marble pillars, the oak carving, the gilding, the mirrors, and the electric light, an uncomfortable feeling comes over you at meal times, to the effect that the cost of the decorations, or much of it, is taken out of the food. "waiter," you ask, as soon as your eyes and ears get accustomed to the incessant bustle of the coffee-room, and your nostrils to the savour of last night's soup, "what can i have for breakfast?" "what would you like, sir?" "i should like a grilled sole, to begin with." "very sorry, sir, soles is hoff--get you a nice chop or steak." "can't manage either so early in the day. got any whitings?" "afraid we're out of whitings, sir, but i'll see." eventually, after suggesting sundry delicacies, all of which are either "hoff," or unknown to the waiter, you settle down to the consumption of two fried and shrivelled shop eggs, on an island of chicago ham, floating in an Ægean sea of grease and hot water; whilst a half quartern loaf, a cruet-stand the size of a cathedral, a rackful of toast of the "zebra" brand, and about two gallons of (alleged) coffee, are dumped down in succession in front of you. there are, of course, some hostelries where they "do" you better than this, but my experience of hotel breakfasts at this end of the nineteenth century has not been encouraging, either to appetite or temper; and i do vow and protest that the above picture is not too highly coloured. the toothsome, necessary bloater is not often to be met with on the hotel's bill-of-fare; but, if soft roed--use no other--it will repay perusal. toast it in a dutch oven in front of a clear fire, and just before done split it up the back, and put a piece of butter on it. the roe should be well plumped, and of the consistency of devonshire cream. a grilled sole for breakfast is preferable to a fried one, principally because it is by no means impossible that the fried sole be second-hand, or as the french call it _réchauffé_. and why, unless directions to the contrary be given, is the modest whiting invariably placed, tail in mouth, on the frying pan? a grilled whiting--assassinate your cook if she (or he) scorches it--is one of the noblest works of the kitchen, and its exterior should be of a golden brown colour. do not forget to order sausages for breakfast if you are staying at newmarket; there is less bread in them than in the metropolitan brand. and when in lincoln attempt a _halibut steak_, of which you may not have previously heard. the halibut should, previous to grilling or frying _in salad oil_, be placed on a shallow dish and sprinkled with salt. then the dish should be half filled with water, which must not cover the salt. leave the fish to soak for an hour, then cut into slices, nearly an inch thick, without removing the skin. sprinkle some lemon juice and cayenne over the steaks before serving. if you wish to preserve an even mind, and be at peace with the world, a visit to _the hotel parish_ is not to be recommended. the irish stew at dinner is not bad in its way, though coarse, and too liberally endowed with fat. but the breakfasts! boiled oatmeal and water, with salt in the mess, and a chunk of stale brown bread to eat therewith, do not constitute an altogether satisfactory meal, the first thing in the morning; and it is hardly calculated to inspire him with much pride in his work, when the guest is placed subsequently before his "task" of unbroken flints or tarred rope. chapter iii breakfast (_continued_) "there's nought in the highlands but syboes and leeks, and lang-leggit callants gaun wanting the breeks." bonnie scotland--parritch an' cream--fin'an haddies--a knife on the ocean wave--_À la français_--in the gorgeous east--_chota hazri_--english as she is spoke--dâk bungalow fare--some quaint dishes--breakfast with "my tutor"--a don's absence of mind. for a "warm welcome" commend me to bonnie scotland. though hard of head and "sae fu' o' learning" that they are "owre deeficult to conveence, ye ken," these rugged caledonians be tender of heart, and philanthropic to a degree. hech, sirs! but 'tis the braw time ye'll hae, gin ye trapese the highlands, an' the lowlands as well for the matter o' that--in search o' guid refreshment for body an' soul. even that surly lexicographer, doctor samuel johnson (who, by the way, claimed the same city for his birthplace as does the writer), who could not be induced to recognise the merits of scotch scenery, and preferred fleet street to the trossachs, extolled the luxury of a scotch breakfast above that of all other countries. and sir walter scott, who never enthused much about meat and drink, is responsible in _waverley_ for a passage calculated to make the mouths of most people water: "he found miss bradwardine presiding over the tea and coffee, the table loaded with warm bread, both of flour, oatmeal, and barley meal, in the shape of loaves, cakes, biscuits, and other varieties, together with eggs, reindeer ham, mutton and beef ditto, smoked salmon, and many other delicacies. a mess of oatmeal porridge, flanked by a silver jug which held an equal mixture of cream and buttermilk, was placed for the baron's share of the repast." "and," as mr. samuel weller would have observed, "a wery good idea of a breakfast, too." a beef-ham sounds like a "large order" for breakfast, even when we come to consider that the scotch "beastie," in sir walter scott's time, was wanting in "beam" and stature. i have seen and partaken of a ham cut from a yorkshire pig, and weighing lbs.; but even a scotch beef-ham must have topped that weight considerably. fortunately the sideboards of those times were substantial of build. missing from the above bill-of-fare is the haddock, _the fin'an haddie_, a bird which at that period had probably not been invented. but the modern scottish breakfast-table is not properly furnished without it. the genuine "fin'an" is known by its appetising savour and by its colour--a creamy yellow, which is totally distinct from the vandyke browny hue of the haddock which is creosoted in the neighbourhood of the blackfriars road, london, s.e. "strip off the skin," says the recipe in one cookery book, "and broil before the fire or over a quick clear one." another way--_my_ way--is _not_ to strip off the skin and to _steam_ your haddies. place them in a dish which has been previously heated. throw boiling water on them, and cover closely with a plate; place on a hot stove, and in from to minutes the fin'ans will be accomplished. drain, and serve hot as hot, buttered, with a sprinkling of cayenne, and, maybe, a dash of worcester sauce. salmon is naturally a welcome guest at the table of the land of his birth, served fresh when in season, and smoked or kippered at all times. _a salmon steak_ with the "curd" between the flakes, placed within a coat of virgin-white paper (oiled) and grilled for minutes or so, is an excellent breakfast dish. a fry of small troutlets, a ditto of the deer's interior economy--_mem._ when up at the death of a hunted stag, always beg or annex a portion of his liver--are also common dishes at the first meal served by the "gudewife"; and i once met a cold haggis at . a.m. but this, i rather fancy, was "a wee bit joke" at my expense. anyhow i shall have plenty to say about the "great chieftain o' the puddin' race" in a later chapter. _off to gold-land!_ those that go down to the sea in ships, and can summon up sufficient presence of mind to go down to the saloon at meal times, have far from a bad time of it. living was certainly better on the ocean wave in the days when livestock was kept on board, and slaughtered as required; for the effect of keeping beef, pork, and mutton in a refrigerating chamber for any length of time is to destroy the flavour, and to render beef indistinguishable from the flesh of the hog, and mutton as tasteless as infantine pap. but the ship's galley does its little utmost; and the saloon passenger, on his way to the other side of the equator, may regale himself with such a breakfast as the following, which is taken from the steward's book of a vessel belonging to the union line:-- porridge, fillets of haddock with fine herbs, mutton chops and chip potatoes, savoury omelet, bacon on toast, minced collops, curry and rice, fruit, rolls, toast, etc., tea and coffee. cannot my readers imagine a steward entering the state-room of the voyager who has succumbed to the wiles and eccentricities of the bay of biscay, with the observation: "won't you get up to breakfast, sir?--i've reserved a _beautiful_ fat chop, with chips, o' purpose for you, sir." and the lot of the third-class passenger who is conveyed from his native land to the cape of good hope, for what mr. montague tigg would have called "the ridiculous sum of" £ : s., is no such hard one, seeing that he is allotted a "bunk" in a compact, though comfortable cabin, and may break his fast on the following substantial meal:-- porridge, yarmouth bloaters, potatoes, american hash, grilled mutton, bread and butter, tea or coffee. an american breakfast is as variegated (and i fear i must add, as indigestible) as a scotch one; and included in the bill of fare are as many, or more, varieties of bread and cake as are to be found in the land o' shortbread. the writer has, in new york, started the morning meal with oysters, run the gamut of fish, flesh, and fowl, and wound up with buckwheat cakes, which are brought on in relays, buttered and smoking hot, and can be eaten with or without golden syrup. but, as business begins early in new york and other large cities, scant attention is paid to the first meal by the merchant and the speculator, who are wont to "gallop" through breakfast and luncheon, and to put in their "best work" at dinner. _a mediterranean breakfast_ is not lacking in poetry; and the jaded denizen of malta can enjoy red mullet (the "woodcock of the sea") freshly taken from the tideless ocean, and strawberries in perfection, at his first meal, whilst seated, maybe, next to some dreamy-eyed _houri_, who coos soft nothings into his ear, at intervals. the wines of italy go best with this sort of repast, which is generally eaten with "spoons." in fair france, breakfast, or the _déjeûner à la fourchette_, is not served until noon, or thereabouts. coffee or chocolate, with fancy bread and butter, is on hand as soon as you wake; and i have heard that for the roisterer and the _p'tit crevé_ there be such liquors as _cognac_, _curaçoa_, and _chartreuse verte_ provided at the first meal, so that nerves can be strung together and headaches alleviated before the "associated" breakfast at midday. in the country, at the _château_ of _monsieur et madame_, the groom-of-the-chambers, or _maître d'hôtel_, as he is designated, knocks at your bedroom door at about . . "who's there?" "good-morning, _m'sieu_. will _m'sieu_ partake of the _chocolat_, or of the _café-au-lait_, or of the tea?" upon ordinary occasions, _m'sieu_ will partake of the _chocolat_--if he be of french extraction; whilst the english visitor will partake of the _café-au-lait_--tea-making in france being still in its infancy. and if _m'sieu_ has gazed too long on the wine of the country, overnight, he will occasionally--reprobate that he is--partake instead of the _vieux cognac_, diluted from the syphon. and _m'sieu_ never sees his host or hostess till the "assembly" sounds for the midday meal. i have alluded, just above, to french tea-making. there was a time when tea, with our lively neighbours, was as scarce a commodity as snakes in iceland or rum punch in holloway castle. then the thin end of the wedge was introduced, and the english visitor was invited to partake of a cup of what was called (by courtesy) _thé_, which had been concocted expressly for her or him. and tea _à la française_ used to be made somewhat after this fashion. the cup was half-filled with milk, sugar _à discrétion_ being added. a little silver sieve was next placed over the cup, and from a jug sufficient hot water, in which had been previously left to soak some half-dozen leaf-fragments of green tea, to fill the cup, was poured forth. in fact the visitor was invited to drink a very nasty compound indeed, something like the "wish" tea with which the school-mistress used to regale her victims--milk and water, and "wish-you-may-get" tea! but they have changed all that across the channel, and five o'clock tea is one of the most fashionable functions of the day, with the _beau monde_; a favourite invitation of the society _belle_ of the _fin de siècle_ being: "_voulex-vous fivoclocquer avec moi?_" the _déjeûner_ usually begins with a _consommé_, a thin, clear, soup, not quite adapted to stave off the pangs of hunger by itself, but grateful enough by way of a commencement. then follows an array of dishes containing fish and fowl of sorts, with the inevitable _côtelettes à la_ somebody-or-other, not forgetting an _omelette_--a mess which the french cook alone knows how to concoct to perfection. the meal is usually washed down with some sort of claret; and a subsequent _café_, with the accustomed _chasse_; whilst the welcome _cigarette_ is not "defended," even in the mansions of the great. there is more than one way of making coffee, that of the lodging-house "general," and of the street-stall dispenser, during the small hours, being amongst the least commendable. without posing as an infallible manufacturer of the refreshing (though indigestible, to many people) beverage, i would urge that it be made from freshly-roasted seed, ground just before wanted. then heat the ground coffee in the oven, and place upon the perforated bottom of the upper compartment of a _cafetière_, put the strainer on it, and pour in boiling water, gradually. "the duke" in _geneviève de brabant_ used to warble as part of a song in praise of tea-- and 'tis also most important that you should not spare the tea. so is it of equal importance that you should not spare the coffee. there are more elaborate ways of making coffee; but none that the writer has tried are in front of the old _cafetière_, if the simple directions given above be carried out in their entirety. as in france, sojourners (for their sins) in the burning plains of ind have their first breakfast, or _chota hazri_, at an early hour, whilst the breakfast proper--usually described in lower bengal, madras, and bombay as "tiffin"--comes later on. for _chota hazri_ (literally "little breakfast")--which is served either at the mess-house, the public bath, or in one's own bungalow, beneath the verandah--poached eggs on toast are _de rigueur_, whilst i have met such additions as _unda ishcamble_ (scrambled eggs), potato cake, and (naughty, naughty!) anchovy toast. tea or coffee are always drunk with this meal. "always," have i written? alas! in my mind's eye i can see the poor indian vainly trying to stop the too-free flow of the _belati pani_ (literally "europe water") by thrusting a dusky thumb into the neck of the just-opened bottle, and in my mind's ear can i catch the blasphemous observation of the subaltern as he remarks to his slave that he does not require, in his morning's "livener," the additional flavour of mahommedan flesh, and the "hubble-bubble" pipe, the tobacco in which may have been stirred by the same thumb that morning. "coffee shop" is a favourite function, during the march of a regiment in india, at least it used to be in the olden time, before troops were conveyed by railway. _dhoolies_ (roughly made palanquins) laden with meat and drink were sent on half way, overnight; and grateful indeed was the cup of tea, or coffee, or the "peg" which was poured forth for the weary warrior who had been "tramping it" or in the saddle since a.m. or some such unearthly hour, in order that the column might reach the new camping-ground before the sun was high in the heavens. it was at "coffee-shop" that "chaff" reigned supreme, and speculations as to what the shooting would be like at the next place were indulged in. and when that shooting was likely to take the form of long men, armed with long guns, and long knives, the viands, which consisted for the most part of toast, biscuits, poached eggs, and _unda bakum_ (eggs and bacon), were devoured with appetites all the keener for the prospect in view. it is in troublous times, be it further observed, that the hindustan _khit_ is seen at his best. on the field of battle itself i have known coffee and boiled eggs--or even a grilled fowl--produced by the fearless and devoted _nokhur_, from, apparently, nowhere at all. at the indian breakfast proper, all sorts of viands are consumed; from the curried prawns and europe provisions (which arrive in an hermetically sealed condition per s.s. _nomattawot_), to the rooster who heralds your arrival at the _dak_ bungalow, with much crowing, and who within half an hour of your advent has been successively chased into a corner, beheaded, plucked, and served up for your refection in a scorched state. i have breakfasted off such assorted food as curried locusts, boiled leg of mutton, fried snipe, europe sausages, _iron ishtoo_ (irish stew), _vilolif_ (veal olives, and more correctly a dinner dish), kidney toast--chopped sheep's kidneys, highly seasoned with pepper, lime-juice, and worcester sauce, very appetising--parrot pie, eggs and bacon, omelette (which might also have been used to patch ammunition boots with), sardines, fried fish (mind the bones of the asiatic fish), _bifishtake_ (beef steak), goat chops, curries of all sorts, hashed venison, and roast peafowl, ditto quail, ditto pretty nearly everything that flies, cold buffalo hump, grilled sheep's tail (a bit bilious), hermetically-sealed herring, turtle fins, guava jelly, preserved mango, home-made cake, and many other things which have escaped memory. i am coming to the "curry" part of the entertainment later on in the volume, but may remark that it is preferable when eaten in the middle of the day. my own experience was that few people touched curry when served in its normal place at dinner--as a course of itself--just before the sweets. "breakfast with my tutor!" what happy memories of boyhood do not the words conjure up, of the usually stern, unbending preceptor pouring out the coffee, and helping the sausages and mashed potatoes--we always had what is now known as "saus and mash" at my tutor's--and the fatherly air with which he would remind the juvenile glutton, who had seated himself just opposite the apricot jam, and was improving the occasion, that eleven o'clock school would be in full swing in half an hour, and that the brain (and, by process of reasoning, the stomach) could not be in too good working-order for the fervid young student of herodotus. the ordinary breakfast of the "lower boy" at eton used to be of a very uncertain pattern. indeed, what with "fagging," the preparation of his lord-and-master's breakfast, the preparation of "pupil-room" work, and agile and acute scouts ever on the alert to pilfer his roll and pat of butter, that boy was lucky if he got any breakfast at all. if he possessed capital, or credit, he might certainly stave off starvation at "brown's," with buttered buns and pickled salmon; or at "webber's," or "the wall," with three-cornered jam tarts, or a "strawberry mess"; but smith _minor_, and jones _minimus_ as often as not, went breakfastless to second school. at the university, breakfast with "the head" or any other "don" was a rather solemn function. the table well and plentifully laid, and the host hospitality itself, but occasionally, nay, frequently, occupied with other thoughts. a departed friend used to tell a story of a breakfast of this description. he was shaken warmly by the hand by his host, who afterwards lapsed into silence. my friend, to "force the running," ventured on the observation-- "it's a remarkably fine morning, sir, is it not?" no reply came. in fact, the great man's thoughts were so preoccupied with greek roots, and other defunct horrors, that he spoke not a word during breakfast. but when, an hour or so afterwards, the time came for his guest to take leave, the "head" shook him by the hand warmly once more, and remarked abstractedly-- "d'you know, mr. johnson, i don't think that was a particularly original remark of yours?" chapter iv luncheon "'tis a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance." why lunch?--sir henry thompson on overdoing it--the children's dinner--city lunches--ye olde cheshyre cheese--doctor johnson--ye pudding--a great fall in food--a snipe pudding--skirt, not rump steak--lancashire hot pot--a cape "brady." "'more honoured in the breach,' do you say, mr. author?" i fancy i hear some reader inquire. "are these your sentiments? do you really mean them?" well, perhaps, they ought to be qualified. unless a man breakfast very early, and dine very late, he cannot do himself much good by eating a square meal at . or . p.m. there can be no question but that whilst thousands of the lieges--despite soup-kitchens, workhouses, and gaols--perish of absolute starvation, as many of their more fortunate brethren perish, in the course of time, from gluttony, from falling down (sometimes literally) and worshipping the belly-god. years ago sir henry thompson observed to a friend of the writer's: "most men who seek my advice are suffering under one of two great evils--eating too much good food, or drinking too much bad liquor; and occasionally they suffer under both evils." "this luncheon," writes oliver wendell holmes, "is a very convenient affair; it does not require any special dress; it is informal; and can be light or heavy as one chooses." the american--the male american at all events--takes far more count of luncheon than of breakfast. but in many cases luncheon and early dinner are synonymous terms. take the family luncheon, for instance, of the middle classes, where mother, governess, and little ones all assemble in front of the roast and boiled, at the principal meal of the day, and the more or less snowy tablecloth is duly anointed with gravy by "poor baby," in her high chair, and the youngest but one is slapped at intervals by his instructress, for using his knife for the peas--at the risk of enlarging his mouth--or for swallowing the stones of the cherries which have been dealt him, or her, from the tart. this is not the sort of meal for the male friend of the family to "drop in" at, if he value the lapels of his new frock-coat, and be given to blushing. for children have not only an evil habit of "pawing" the visitor with jammy fingers, but occasionally narrate somewhat "risky" anecdotes. and a child's ideas of the christian religion, nay, of the creator himself, are occasionally more quaint than reverent. "ma, dear," once lisped a sweet little thing of six, "what doth god have for hith dinner?" "s-sh-sh, my child!" replied the horrified mother, "you must not ask such dreadful questions. god doesn't want any dinner, remember that." "oh-h-h!" continued the unabashed and dissatisfied _enfant terrible_. and, after a pause, "then i thuppose he hath an egg with hith tea." in a country-house, of course, but few of the male guests turn up at the domestic luncheon, being otherwise engaged in killing something, or in trying to kill something, or in that sport which is but partially understood out of great britain--the pursuit of an evil-savoured animal who is practically worthless to civilisation after his capture and death. it is in "the city" that vile man, perhaps, puts in his best work as an eater of luncheons. some city men there be, of course--poor, wretched, half-starved clerks, whose state nobody ever seems to attempt to ameliorate--whose midday refections are not such as would have earned a meed of commendation from the late vitellius, or from the late colonel north. for said refections but seldom consist of more important items than a thick slice of bread and a stale bloater; or possibly a home-made sandwich of bread and dutch cheese--the whole washed down with a tumbler of milk, or more often a tumbler of the fluid supplied by the new river company. during the winter months a pennyworth of roasted chestnuts supplies a filling, though indigestible meal to many a man whose employer is swilling turtle at birch's or at the big house in leadenhall street, and who is compelled, by the exigencies of custom, to wear a decent black coat and some sort of tall hat when on his way to and from "business." but the more fortunate citizens--how do they "do themselves" at luncheon? for some there is the cheap soup-house, or the chop-and-steak house reviled of dickens, and but little changed since the time of the great novelist. then, for the "gilt-edged" division there is _birch's_, the little green house which, although now "run" by those eminent caterers, messrs. ring and brymer, is still known by the name of the old alderman who deserved so well of his fellow citizens, and who, whilst a _cordon bleu_ of some celebrity, had also a pretty taste as a playwright. the old house has not changed one jot, either in appearance, customs, or fare. at the little counter on the ground floor may be obtained the same cheesecakes, tartlets, baked custards, and calf's-foot jellies which delighted our grandfathers, and the same brand of scottish whisky. upstairs, in the soup-rooms, some of the tables are covered with damask tablecloths, whilst at others a small square of napery but partially obscures the view of the well-polished mahogany. _turtle soup_ is still served on silver plates, whilst the cheaper juices of the bullock, the calf, and the pea, "with the usual trimmings," repose temporarily on china or earthenware. _pâtés_, whether of oyster, lobster, chicken, or veal-and-ham, are still in favour with _habitué_ and chance customer alike, and no wonder, for these are something like _pâtés_. the "filling" is kept hot like the soups, in huge stewpans, on the range, and when required is ladled out into a plate, and furnished with top and bottom crust--and such crust, flaky and light to a degree; and how different to the confectioner's or railway-refreshment _pâté_, which, when an orifice be made in the covering with a pickaxe, reveals nothing more appetising than what appear to be four small cubes of frost-bitten india-rubber, with a portion or two of candle end. a more advanced meal is served in leadenhall street, at "_the ship and turtle_," said to be the oldest tavern in london, and which has been more than once swept and garnished, and reformed altogether, since its establishment during the reign of king richard ii. but they could have known but little about the superior advantages offered by the turtle as a life-sustainer, in those days; whereas at the present day some hundreds of the succulent reptiles die the death on the premises, within a month, in order that city companies, and stockbrokers, and merchants of sorts, and mining millionaires, and bicycle makers, and other estimable people, may dine and lunch. then there are the numerous clubs, not forgetting one almost at the very door of "the house," where the odd (some of them _very_ odd) members are regaled on the fat of the land in general, and of the turtle in particular, day by day; and that mammoth underground palace the "palmerston," where any kind of banquet can be served up at a few minutes' notice, and where "special greek dishes" are provided for the gamblers in wheat and other cereals, at the adjacent "baltic." there be also other eating-houses, far too numerous to mention, but most of them worth a visit. a "filling" sort of luncheon is a portion of a _cheshire cheese pudding_. a little way up a gloomy court on the north side of fleet street--a neighbourhood which reeks of printers' ink, bookmakers' "runners," tipsters, habitual borrowers of small pieces of silver, and that "warm" smell of burning paste and molten lead which indicates the "foundry" in a printing works--is situated this ancient hostelry. it is claimed for the "cheese" that it was the tavern most frequented by dr. samuel johnson. mr. c. redding, in his _fifty years' recollections, literary and personal_, published in , says: "i often dined at the "_cheshire cheese_." johnson and his friends, i was informed, used to do the same, and i was told i should see individuals who had met them there. this i found to be correct. the company was more select than in later times, but there are fleet street tradesmen who well remembered both johnson and goldsmith in this place of entertainment." few americans who visit our metropolis go away without making a pilgrimage to this ancient hostelry, where, upstairs, "doctor johnson's chair" is on view; and many visitors carry away mementoes of the house, in the shape of pewter measures, the oaken platters upon which these are placed, and even samples of the long "churchwarden" pipes, smoked by _habitués_ after their evening chops or steaks. _ye pudding_, which is served on wednesdays and saturdays, at . and . , is a formidable-looking object, and its savour reaches even into the uttermost parts of great grub street. as large, more or less, as the dome of st. paul's, that pudding is stuffed with steak, kidney, oysters, mushrooms, and larks. the irreverent call these last named sparrows, but we know better. this pudding takes (_on dit_) ½ hours in the boiling, and the "bottom crust" would have delighted the hearts of johnson, boswell, and co., in whose days the savoury dish was not. the writer once witnessed a catastrophe at the "cheshire cheese," compared to which the burning of moscow or the bombardment of alexandria were mere trifles. . on saturday afternoon had arrived, and the oaken benches in the refectory were filled to repletion with expectant pudding-eaters. burgesses of the city of london were there--good, "warm," round-bellied men, with plough-boys' appetites--and journalists, and advertising agents, and "resting" actors, and magistrates' clerks, and barristers from the temple, and well-to-do tradesmen. sherry and gin and bitters and other adventitious aids (?) to appetite had been done justice to, and the arrival of the "procession"--it takes three men and a boy to carry the _pièce de résistance_ from the kitchen to the dining-room--was anxiously awaited. and then, of a sudden we heard a loud crash! followed by a feminine shriek, and an unwhispered saxon oath. "tom" the waiter had slipped, released his hold, and the pudding had fallen downstairs! it was a sight ever to be remembered--steak, larks, oysters, "delicious gravy," running in a torrent into wine office court. the expectant diners (many of them lunchers) stood up and gazed upon the wreck of their hopes, and then filed, silently and sadly, outside. such a catastrophe had not been known in brainland since the great fire. puddings of all sorts are, in fact, favourite autumn and winter luncheon dishes in london, and the man who can "come twice" at such a "dream" as the following, between the hours of one and three, can hardly be in devouring trim for his evening meal till very late. it is a _snipe pudding_. a _thin_ slice of beef-skirt,[ ] seasoned with pepper and salt, at the bottom of the basin; then three snipes beheaded and befooted, and with gizzards extracted. leave the liver and heart in, an you value your life. cover up with paste, and boil (or steam) for two-and-a-half hours. for stockbrokers and bookmakers, mushrooms and truffles are sometimes placed within this pudding; but it is better without--according to the writer's notion. most of the fowls of the air may be treated in the same way. and when eating cold grouse for luncheon try (if you can get it) a fruit salad therewith. you will find preserved peaches, apricots, and cherries in syrup, harmonise well with cold _brown_ game. _lancashire hot-pot_ is a savoury dish indeed; but i know of but one eating-house in london where you can get anything like it. here is the recipe-- place a layer of mutton cutlets, with most of the fat and tails trimmed off, at the bottom of a deep earthenware stewpan. then a layer of chopped sheep's kidneys, an onion cut into thin slices, half-a-dozen oysters, and some sliced potatoes. sprinkle over these a little salt and pepper and a teaspoonful of curry powder. then start again with cutlets, and keep on adding layers of the different ingredients until the dish be full. whole potatoes atop of all, and pour in the oyster liquor and some good gravy. more gravy just before the dish is ready to serve. not too fierce an oven, just fierce enough to brown the top potatoes. in making this succulent concoction you can add to, or substitute for, the mutton cutlets pretty nearly any sort of flesh or fowl. i have met rabbit, goose, larks, turkey, and (frequently) beef therein; but, believe me, the simple, harmless, necessary, toothsome cutlet makes the best lining. in the cape colony, and even as high up as rhodesia, i have met with a dish called a _brady_, which is worthy of mention here. it is made in the same way as the familiar irish stew; but instead of potatoes tomatoes are used. chapter v luncheon (_continued_) "he couldn't hit a haystack!" shooting luncheons--cold tea and a crust--clear turtle--such larks!--jugged duck and oysters--woodcock pie--hunting luncheons--pie crusts--the true yorkshire pie--race-course luncheons--suggestions to caterers--the "jolly sand boys" stew--various recipes--a race-course sandwich--angels' pie--"suffolk pride"--devilled larks--a light lunch in the himalayas. there is no meal which has become more "expanded" than a shooting luncheon. a crust of bread with cheese, or a few biscuits, and a flask of sherry sufficed for our forebears, who, despite inferior weapons and ammunition, managed to "bring 'em down" quite as effectually as do the shootists of this period. most certainly and decidedly, a heavy luncheon is a mistake if you want to "shoot clean" afterwards. and bear this in mind, all ye "johnnies" who rail at your host's champagne and turtle, after luncheon, in a comfortable pavilion in the midst of a pheasant _battue_, and whose very beaters would turn up their noses at a pork pie and a glass of old ale, that there is nothing so good to shoot upon as cold tea, unless it be cold coffee. i have tried both, and for a shooting luncheon _par excellence_ commend me to a crust and a pint of cold tea, eaten whilst sitting beneath the shelter of an unpleached hedge, against the formal spread which commences with a _consommé_, and finishes with guinea peaches, and liqueurs of rare curaçoa. of course, it is assumed that the shooter wishes to make a bag. but as, fortunately for trade, everybody does not share my views, it will be as well to append a few dishes suitable to a scratch meal of this sort. first of all let it be said that a _roast loin of pork_, washed down with sweet champagne, is not altogether to be commended. i have nothing to urge against roast pork, on ordinary occasions, or champagne either; but a woodcock takes a lot of hitting. such a pudding as was sketched in the preceding chapter is allowable, as is also the lancashire hot-pot. _shepherd's pie_, _i.e._ minced meat beneath a mattress of mashed potatoes, with lots of gravy in the dish, baked, is an economical dish, but a tasty one; and i have never known much left for the beaters. rabbit pie, or pudding, will stop a gap most effectually, and _plover pudding_ --the very name brings water to the lips--is entitled to the highest commendation. this is the favourite dish at the shooting luncheons of a well-known royal duke, and when upon one occasion the discovery was made that through some misunderstanding said pudding had been devoured to the very bones, by _the loaders_, the--well, "the band played," as they say out west. and a stirring tune did that band play too. _such larks!_ stuff a dozen larks with a force-meat made from their own livers chopped, a little shallot, parsley, yolk of egg, salt, bread crumbs, and one green chili chopped and divided amongst the twelve. brown in a stewpan, and then stew gently in a good gravy to which has been added a glass of burgundy. this is a _plât_ fit for an emperor, and there will be no subsequent danger of his hitting a beater or a dog. another dainty of home invention is _jugged duck with oysters_. cut the fleshy parts of your waddler into neat joints, and having browned them place in a jar with nine oysters and some good gravy partly made from the giblets. close the mouth of the jar, and stand it in boiling water for rather more than an hour. add the strained liquor of the oysters and a little more gravy, and turn the concoction into a deep silver dish with a spirit lamp beneath. wild duck can be jugged in the same way, but _without_ the addition of the bivalves; and a mixture of port wine and worcester sauce should be poured in, with a squeeze of lemon juice and cayenne, just before serving. another dish which will be found "grateful and comforting" is an _old_ grouse--the older the tastier. stuff him with a spanish onion, add a little gravy and seasoning, and stew him till the flesh leaves the bones. all these stews, or "jugs" should be served on dishes kept hot by lighted spirit beneath them. this is most important. _a woodcock pie_ will be found extremely palatable at any shooting luncheon, although more frequently to be met with on the sideboards of the great and wealthy. in fact, at christmas time, 'tis a pie which is specially concocted in the royal kitchen at windsor castle, to adorn her most gracious majesty's board at osborne, together with the time-honoured baron of specially fed beef. this last named joint hardly meets my views as part of a breakfast _menu_; but here is the recipe for the woodcock pie. bone four woodcocks--i _don't_ mean take them off the hooks when the gentleman is not in his shop, but tell your cook to take the bones out of one you've shot yourself--put bones and trimmings into a saucepan with one shallot, one small onion, and a sprig of thyme, cover them with some good stock, and let this gravy simmer awhile. take the gizzards away from the heart and liver, pound, and mix these with some good veal force-meat. place the woodcocks, skin downwards, on a board; spread over each two layers of force-meat, with a layer of sliced truffles in between the two. make your crust, either in a mould, or with the hands, put a layer of force-meat at the bottom, then two woodcocks, then a layer of truffles, then the other two woodcocks, another layer of truffles, and a top layer of force-meat, and some thin slices of fat bacon. cover the pie, leaving a hole for the gravy, and bake in a moderate oven. after taking out pour in the gravy, then close the orifice and let the pie get cold before serving. _n.b._--it will stimulate the _digging_ industry if one or two _whole_ truffles have been hidden away in the recesses of the pie. another good pie i have met with--in the north country--was lined with portions of grouse and black game (no bones), with here and there half a hard-boiled egg. nothing else except the necessary seasoning. with regard to _hunting luncheons_ it cannot be said that your nimrod is nearly as well catered for as is the "gun." for, as a rule, the first-named, if he be really keen on the sport of kings has to content himself, during the interval of a "check," with the contents of a sandwich-case, and a flask, which may contain either brown sherry or brandy and water--or possibly something still more seductive. i have heard of flasks which held milk punch, but the experience is by no means a familiar one. if your nimrod be given to "macadamising," instead of riding the line, or if he sicken of the business altogether before hounds throw off, he can usually "cadge" a lunch at some house in the neighbourhood, even though it may only "run to" bread and cheese--or, possibly, a wedge of a home-made pork-pie--with a glass, or mug, of nut brown ale. not that all ale is "nut brown," but 'tis an epithet which likes me well. would it were possible to give practical hints here as to the true way to manufacture a pork-pie! to make the attempt would, i fear, only serve to invite disaster; for the art of pork-pie making, like that of the poet, or the play-actor, should be born within us. in large households in the midland counties (wherein doth flourish the pig tart) there is, as a rule, but one qualified pie-maker--who is incapable of any other culinary feat whatever. i have even been told that it requires "special hands" to make the crust of the proper consistency; and having tasted crusts _and_ crusts, i can implicitly believe this statement. here is a recipe for a veritable savoury _yorkshire pie_. bone a goose and a large fowl. fill the latter with the following stuffing:--minced ham, veal, suet, onion, sweet herbs, lemon peel, mixed spices, goose-liver, cayenne, and salt, worked into a paste with the yolks of two eggs. sew up the fowl, truss it, and stew it with the goose for twenty minutes in some good beef and giblet stock, with a small glass of sherry, in a close stewpan. then put the fowl inside the goose, and place the goose within a pie-mould which has been lined with good hot-water paste. let the goose rest on a cushion of stuffing, and in the middle of the liquor in which he has been stewed. surround him in the pie with slices of parboiled tongue and chunks of semi-cooked pheasant, partridge, and hare, filling in the vacancies with more stuffing, put a layer of butter atop, roof in the pie with paste, bake for three hours, and eat either hot or cold--the latter for choice. for a skating luncheon _irish stew_ is the recognised _entrée_, served in soup-plates, and washed down with hot spiced ale. in the way of _race-course luncheons_ our caterers have made giant strides in the last dozen years. a member of a large firm once told me that it was "out of the question" to supply joints, chops, and steaks in the dining-rooms of a grand stand, distant far from his base of operations, london. "impossible, my dear sir! we couldn't do it without incurring a ruinous loss." but the whirligig of time has proved this feat to be not only possible, but one which has led to the best results for all concerned. in the matter of chops and steaks i hope to see further reforms introduced. these succulent dainties, it cannot be too widely known, are not at their best unless _cut fresh_ from loin or rump, just before being placed on the gridiron. the longer a cut chop (raw) is kept the more of its virtue is lost. it might, possibly, cause a little extra delay, and a little extra expense, to send off loins and rumps from the butcher's shop, instead of ready-cut portions, but the experiment would answer, in the long run. the same rule, of course, should apply to restaurants and grill-rooms all over the world. during the autumn and winter months, race-course caterers seem to have but one idea of warm comforting food for their customers, and the name of that idea is irish stew. this is no doubt an appetising dish, but might be varied occasionally for the benefit of the habitual follower of the sport of kings. why not pea-soup, jugged hare (hares are cheap enough), hot-pot, scotch broth, mullagatawny, hotch-potch, stewed or curried rabbit, with rice, shepherd's pie, haricot ox-tails, sheep's head broth (scotch fashion), and hare soup! what is the matter with the world-renowned stew of which we read in _the old curiosity shop_--the supper provided by the landlord of the "jolly sandboys" for the itinerant showmen? here it is again: "'it's a stew of tripe,' said the landlord, smacking his lips, 'and cowheel,' smacking them again, 'and bacon,' smacking them once more, 'and steak,' smacking them for the fourth time, 'and peas, cauliflowers, new potatoes, and sparrowgrass, all working up together in one delicious gravy.' having come to the climax, he smacked his lips a great many times, and taking a long hearty sniff of the fragrance that was hovering about, put on the cover again with the air of one whose toils on earth were over. "'at what time will it be ready?' asked mr. codlin faintly. 'it'll be done to a turn,' said the landlord, looking up at the clock, 'at twenty-two minutes before eleven.' "'then,' said mr. codlin, 'fetch me a pint of warm ale, and don't let nobody bring into the room even so much as a biscuit till the time arrives.'" and i do vow and protest that the above passage has caused much more smacking of lips than the most expensive, savoury _menu_ ever thought out. true, sparrowgrass and new potatoes, and any peas but dried or tinned ones are not as a rule at their best in the same season as tripe; but why not dried peas, and old potatoes, and rice, and curry powder, and onions--charles dickens forgot the onions--with, maybe, a modicum of old ale added, for "body"--in this stew, on a cold day at sandown or kempton? _toujours_ irish stew, like _toujours_ mother-in-law, is apt to pall upon the palate; especially if not fresh made. and frost occasionally interferes with the best-laid plans of a race-course caterer. "i don't mind a postponed meeting," once observed one of the "readiest" of bookmakers; "but what i cannot stand is postponed irish stew." than a good bowl of _scotch broth_, what could be more grateful, or less expensive? shin of beef, pearl barley, cabbages, leeks, turnips, carrots, dried peas (of course soaked overnight), and water--"all working up together in one delicious gravy." also _hotch potch_. with the addition of cutlets from the best end of a neck of mutton, the same recipe as the above will serve for this dish, which it must be remembered should be more of a "stodge" than a broth. there are more ways than one of making a "hot-pot." the recipe given above would hardly suit the views of any caterer who wishes to make a living for himself; but it can be done on the cheap. the old lady whose dying husband was ordered by the doctor oysters and champagne, procured whelks and ginger beer for the patient, instead, on the score of economy. then why not make your hot-pot with mussels instead of oysters? or why add any sort of mollusc? in the certain knowledge that these be invaluable hints to race-course caterers, i offer them with all consideration and respect. the writer well remembers the time when the refreshments on newmarket heath at race-time were dispensed from a booth, which stood almost adjoining the "birdcage." said refreshments were rough, but satisfying, and consisted of thick sandwiches, cheese, and bread, with "thumb-pieces" (or "thumbers") of beef, mutton, and pork, which the luncher was privileged to cut with his own clasp-knife. said "thumbers" seem to have gone out of favour with the aristocracy of the turf; but the true racing or coursing sandwich still forms part of the _impedimenta_ of many a cash-bookmaker, of his clerk, and of many a "little" backer. 'tis a solid, satisfying sandwich, and is just the sort of nourishment for a hard worker on a bitter november day. let your steak be grilling, whilst you are enjoying your breakfast--some prefer the ox-portion fried, for these simple speculators have strange tastes--then take the steak off the fire and place it, all hot, between two _thick_ slices of bread. the sandwich will require several paper wrappings, if you value the purity of your pocket-linings. and when eaten cold, the juices of the meat will be found to have irrigated the bread, with more or less "delicious gravy." and, as sam weller ought to have said, "it's the gravy as does it." "but what about the swells?" i fancy i hear somebody asking, "is my lord tomnoddy, or the duke of earlswood to be compelled to satisfy his hunger, on a race-course, with tripe and fat bacon? are you really advising those dapper-looking, tailor-made ladies on yonder drag to insert their delicate teeth in a sandwich which would have puzzled gargantua to masticate?" not at all, my good sir, or madam. the well-appointed coach should be well-appointed within and without. of course the luncheon it contains will differ materially according to the season of the year. this is the sort of meal i will provide, an you will deign to visit the arabian tent behind my coach, at ascot: lobster mayonnaise, salmon cutlets with tartar sauce (_iced_), curried prawns (_iced_), lobster cutlets, _chaud-froid_ of quails, _foie gras_ in aspic, prawns in ditto, plovers' eggs in ditto, galantine of chicken, york ham, sweets various, including iced gooseberry fool; and, as the _pièce de résistance_, an _angel's pie_. many people would call this a pigeon pie, for in good sooth there be pigeons in it; but 'tis a pie worthy of a brighter sphere than this. six plump young pigeons, trimmed of all superfluous matter, including pinions and below the thighs. season with pepper and salt, and stuff these pigeons with _foie gras_, and quartered truffles, and fill up the pie with plovers' eggs and some good force-meat. make a good gravy from the superfluous parts of the birds, and some calf's head stock to which has been added about half a wine-glassful of old madeira, with some lemon-juice and cayenne. see that your paste be light and flaky, and bake in a moderate oven for three hours. pour in more gravy just before taking out, and let the pie get cold. this is a concoction which will make you back all the winners; whilst no heiress who nibbles at it would refuse you her hand and heart afterwards. this is another sort of _pigeon pie_ which is best served hot, and is more suited to the dining-room than the race-course. line a pie dish with veal force-meat, very highly seasoned, about an inch thick. place on it some thin slices of fat bacon, three bordeaux pigeons (trimmed) in halves, a veal sweetbread in slices, an ox palate, boiled and cut up into dice, a dozen asparagus tops, a few button mushrooms (the large ones would give the interior of the pie a bad colour) and the yolks of four eggs. cover with force-meat, and bake for three hours. some good veal gravy should be served with this, which i have named _suffolk pride_. it is a remarkable fact in natural history that english pigeons are at their best just at the time when the young rooks leave the shelter of their nests. therefore have i written, in the above recipe, "bordeaux" pigeons. here is a quaint old eighteenth-century recipe, which comes from northumberland, and is given _verbatim_, for a _goose pie_. bone a goose, a turkey, a hare, and a brace of grouse; skin it, and cut off all the outside pieces--i mean of the _tongue_, after boiling it--lay the goose, for the outside a few pieces of hare; then lay in the turkey, the grouse, and the remainder of the tongue and hare. season highly between each layer with pepper and salt, mace and cayenne, and put it together, and draw it close with a needle and thread. take lbs. of flour, put lbs. of butter into a pan with some water, let it boil, pour it among the flour, stir it with a knife, then work it with your hands till quite stiff. let it stand before the fire for half an hour, then raise your pie and set it to cool; then finish it, put in the meat, close the pie, and set it in a cold place. ornament according to your taste, bandage it with calico dipped in fat. let it stand all night before baking. it will take a long time to bake. the oven must be pretty hot for the first four hours, and then allowed to slacken. to know when it is enough, raise one of the ornaments, and with a fork try if the meat is tender. if it is hard the pie must be put in again for two hours more. after it comes out of the oven fill up with strong stock, well seasoned, or with clarified butter. all standing pies made in this way. verily, in the eighteenth century they must have had considerably more surplus cash and time, and rather more angelic cooks than their descendants! during cold weather the interior of the coach should be well filled with earthenware vessels containing such provender as hot-pot, hare soup, mullagatawny, lobster _à l'américaine_, curried rabbit, devilled larks--with the _matériel_ for heating these. such cold viands as game pie, pressed beef, boar's head, _foie gras_ (truffled), plain truffles (to be steamed and served with buttered toast) anchovies, etc. the larks should be smothered with a paste made from a mixture of mustard, chili vinegar, and a little anchovy paste, and kept closely covered up. after heating, add cayenne to taste. gourmets interested in _menus_ may like to know what were the first _déjeuners_ partaken of by the tsar on his arrival in paris in october . on the first day he had huîtres, consommé, oeufs à la parisienne, filet de boeuf, pommes de terre, nesselrode sauce, chocolat. next day he ate huîtres, consommé, oeufs dauphine, rougets, noisettes d'agneau maréchal, pommes de terre, cailles à la bohémienne, poires bar-le-duc. the writer can recall some colossal luncheons partaken of at dear, naughty simla, in the long ago, when a hill station in india was, if anything, livelier than at the present day, and furnished plenty of food for both mind and body. our host was the genial proprietor of a weekly journal, to which most of his guests contributed, after their lights; "sport and the drama" falling to the present writer's share. most of the food at those luncheons had been specially imported from europe; and although the whitebait tasted more of the hermetical sealing than of the thames mud, most of the other items were succulent enough. there were turtle soup, and turtle fins; highly seasoned _pâtés_ of sorts; and the native _khansamah_ had added several dishes of his own providing and invention. a young florican (bustard) is by no means a bad bird, well roasted and basted; and though the eternal _vilolif_ (veal olives) were usually sent away untasted, his snipe puddings were excellent. what was called _picheese_ (twenty-five years old) brandy, from the _atelier_ of messrs. justerini and brooks, was served after the coffee; and those luncheon parties seldom broke up until it was time to dress for dinner. in fact, our memories were not often keen as to anything which occurred after the coffee, and many "strange things happened" in consequence; although as they have no particular connection with high-class cookery, they need not be alluded to in this chapter. but, as observed before, i am of opinion that luncheon, except under certain circumstances, is a mistake. chapter vi dinner "some hae meat and canna eat, and some wad eat that want it; but we can eat and we hae meat, and sae the lord be thankit." origin--early dinners--the noble romans--"vitellius the glutton"--origin of haggis--the saxons--highland hospitality--the french invasion--waterloo avenged--the bad fairy "_ala_"--comparisons--the english cook or the foreign food torturer?--plain or flowery--fresh fish and the flavour wrapped up--george augustus sala--doctor johnson again. it is somewhat humiliating to reflect that we britons owe the art of dining to our first conquerors the romans--a smooth-faced race of voluptuaries whose idea of a _bonne bouche_ took the form of a dormouse stewed in honey and sprinkled with poppy-seed. but it was not until the normans had fairly established themselves and their cookery, that the sturdy saxon submitted himself to be educated by the foreign food-spoiler; and at a later period the frequent invasions of france by britain--when money was "tight" in the little island--were undoubtedly responsible for the commencement of the system of "decorating" food which so largely obtains to-day. the name "dinner" is said--although it seems incredible that words should have become so corrupted--to be a corruption of _dix heures_, the time at which (a.m.), in the old norman days, the meal was usually partaken of; and the time at which (p.m.), in later years, when none of the guests ever knew the hour, in that loose-and-careless period, the meal was occasionally partaken of at limmer's and at lane's, in london town. froissart, in one of his works, mentions having waited upon the duke of lancaster at p.m., "after his grace had supped"; and it is certain that during the reigns of francis i. and louis xii. of france, the world of fashion was accustomed to dine long before the sun had arrived at the meridian, and to sup at what we now call "afternoon tea time." louis xiv. did not dine till twelve; and his contemporaries, oliver cromwell and the merry monarch, sat down to the principal meal at one. in , two was the fashionable time; and in we read that the duchess of somerset's hour for dinner was three. the hour for putting the soup on the table kept on advancing, until, after waterloo, it became almost a penal offence to dine before six; and so to the end of the century, when we sit down to a sumptuous repast at a time when farm-labourers and artisans are either snug between the blankets, or engaged in their final wrangle at the "blue pig." the romans in the time of cicero had a light breakfast at . a.m., lunched at noon, and attacked the _coena_ at periods varying between and p.m.--according to the season of the year. they commenced the first course with eggs, and each noble roman was supposed to clear his palate with an apple at the conclusion of the third course. "a banquet with vitellius," we read, "was no light and simple repast. leagues of sea and miles of forest had been swept to furnish the mere groundwork of the entertainment. hardy fishermen had spent their nights on the heaving wave, that the giant turbot might flap its snowy flakes on the emperor's table, broader than its broad dish of gold. many a swelling hill, clad in the dark oak coppice, had echoed to ringing shout of hunter and deep-mouthed bay of hound, ere the wild boar yielded his grim life, by the morass, and the dark grisly carcase was drawn off to provide a standing dish that was only meant to gratify the eye. even the peacock roasted in its feathers was too gross a dainty"--especially the feather part, we should think--"for epicures who studied the art of gastronomy under caesar; and that taste would have been considered rustic in the extreme which could partake of more than the mere fumes and savour of so substantial a dish. a thousand nightingales had been trapped and killed, indeed, for this one supper, but brains and tongues were all they contributed to the banquet; while even the wing of a roasted hare would have been considered far too coarse and common food for the imperial table." talk about a bean-feast! according to suetonius (whose name suggests "duff") the villain nero was accustomed to dine in a superb apartment, surrounded with mechanical scenery, which could be "shifted" with every course. the suppers of "vitellius the glutton" cost, on the average, more than £ a-piece--which reads like a "kaffir circus" dinner at the savoy--and the celebrated feast to which he invited his brother was down in the bill for £ , . now a-nights we don't spend as much on a dinner, even when we invite other people's wives. "it consisted"--i always think of little dombey and the dinner at doctor blimber's, on reading these facts--"of two thousand different dishes of fish, and seven thousand of fowls, with other equally numerous meats." "sharp-biting salads," salted herrings, and pickled anchovies, were served, as _hors d'oeuvres_ during the first course of a roman banquet, to stimulate the hunger which the rest of the meal would satisfy; but although vitellius was, according to history, "a whale on" oysters, they do not appear to have been eaten as a whet to appetite. and it was the duty of one, or more, of the emperor's "freedmen" to taste every dish before his imperial master, in case poison might lurk therein. a garland of flowers around the brows was the regular wear for a guest at a "swagger" dinner party in ancient rome, and, the eating part over, said garland was usually tilted back on the head, the while he who had dined disposed himself in an easy attitude on his ivory couch, and proffered his cup to be filled by the solicitous slave. then commenced the "big drink." but it must be remembered that although the subsequent display of fireworks was provided from lively early christians, in tar overcoats, these romans drank the pure, unadulterated juice of the grape, freely mixed with water; so that headaches i' th' morn were not _de rigueur_, nor did the subsequent massacres and other diversions in the amphitheatre cause any feelings of "jumpiness." the roman bill-of-fare, however, does not commend itself to all british epicures, one of whom wrote, in a convivial song-- "old lucullus, they say, forty cooks had each day, and vitellius's meals cost a million; but i like what is good, when or where be my food, in a chop-house or royal pavilion. at all feasts (if enough) i most heartily stuff, and a song at my heart alike rushes, though i've not fed my lungs upon nightingales' tongues, nor the brains of goldfinches and thrushes." my pen loves to linger long over the gastronomies of those shaven voluptuaries, the ancient italians; and my caledonian readers will forgive the old tales when it is further set forth that the romans introduced, amongst other things, _haggis_ into bonnie scotland. yes, the poet's "great chieftain o' the puddin' race" is but an italian dish after all. the apician pork haggis[ ] was a boiled pig's stomach filled with fry and brains, raw eggs, and pine-apples beaten to a pulp, and seasoned with _liquamen_. for although some of the romans' tastes savoured of refinement, many of them were "absolutely beastly." the idea of pig's fry and pine-apples mixed is horrible enough; but take a look into the constitution of this _liquamen_, and wonder no longer that gibbons wrote his _decline and fall_ with so much feeling and _gusto_. this sauce was obtained from the intestines, gills, and blood of fishes, great and small, stirred together with salt, and exposed in an open vat in the sun, until the compound became putrid. when putrefaction had done its work, wine and spices were added to the hell-broth, which was subsequently strained and sent into the roman market. this _liquamen_ was manufactured in greece, and not one of all the poets of sunny italy seems to have satirised the "made-in-greece" custom, which in those days must have been almost as obnoxious as the "made-in-germany" or the "made-in-whitechapel" scare of to-day. the usual farinaceous ingredient of the roman haggis was frumenty, but frequently no grain whatever was applied; and instead of mincing the ingredients, as do the scots, the ancients pounded them in a mortar, well moistened with _liquamen_, until reduced to pulp. we are further told in history that a roman gladiator was capable, after playing with eggs, fish, nightingales' tongues, dormice, and haggis, of finishing a wild boar at a sitting. but as the old lady remarked of the great tragedy, this happened a long time ago, so let's hope it isn't true. the saxon dining-table was oblong, and rounded at the ends. the cloth was crimson, with broad gilt edgings hanging low beneath the table, and, it is to be feared, often soiled by the dirty boots of the guests, who sat on chairs with covered backs, the counterfeit presentments of which are still to be seen in the tottenham court road. the food consisted of fish, fowls, beef, mutton, venison, and pork--wild and domestic--either boiled, baked, or broiled, and handed to the company by the attendants on small _sples_. a favourite "fish joint" of the old saxon was a cut out of the middle of a porpoise; and bread of the finest wheaten flour reposed in two silver baskets at each end of the table, above the salt, the retainers having to content themselves with coarser "household" out of a wooden cradle. almost the only vegetable in use amongst the saxons was colewort, although the romans had brought over many others, years before; but hatred of anything foreign was more rampant in early saxon days than at present. forks were not introduced into england until during the reign of king "jamie": so that our ancestors had perforce to "thumb" their victuals. the fair queen elizabeth (like much more modern monarchs) was accustomed to raise to her mouth with her virgin fingers a turkey leg and gnaw it. but even in the earliest days of the thirteenth century, each person was provided with a small silver basin and two flowered napkins of the finest linen, for finger-washing and wiping purposes. grapes, figs, nuts, apples, pears, and almonds, constituted a saxon dessert; and in the reign of edward iii. an act of parliament was passed, forbidding any man or woman to be served with more than two courses, unless on high days and holidays, when each was entitled to three. here is the bill for the ingredients of a big dinner provided by a city company in the fifteenth century: "two loins of veal and two loins of mutton, s. d.; one loin of beef, d.; one dozen pigeons and rabbits, d.; one pig and one capon, s.; one goose and eggs, s. ½d.; one leg of mutton, ½d.; two gallons of sack, s. d.; eight gallons of strong ale, s. d.; total, s. d." alas! in these advanced days the goose alone would cost more than the "demmed total." cedric the saxon's dining table, described in _ivanhoe_, was of a much simpler description than the one noted above; and the fare also. but there was no lack of assorted liquors--old wine and ale, good mead and cider, rich morat (a mixture of honey and mulberry juice, a somewhat gouty beverage, probably), and odoriferous pigment--which was composed of highly-spiced wine, sweetened with honey. the virgin queen, at a later epoch, was catered for more delicately; and we read that she detested all coarse meats, evil smells, and strong wines. during the georgian era coarse meats and strong wines were by no means out of favour; and highland banquets especially were gargantuan feasts, to be read of with awe. the dinner given by fergus macivor, in honour of captain waverley, consisted of dishes of fish and game, carefully dressed, at the upper end of the table, immediately under the eye of the english stranger. "lower down stood immense clumsy joints of beef," says the gifted author, "which, but for the absence of pork, abhorred in the highlands, resembled the rude festivity of the banquet of penelope's suitors. but the central dish was a yearling lamb, called a "hog in har'st," roasted whole. it was set upon its legs, with a bunch of parsley in its mouth, and was probably exhibited in that form to gratify the pride of the cook, who piqued himself more on the plenty than the elegance of his master's table. the sides of this poor animal"--the lamb, not the cook, we suppose is meant--"were fiercely attacked by the clansmen, some with dirks, others with the knives worn in the same sheath as the dagger, so that it was soon rendered a mangled and rueful spectacle." a spectacle which reminds the writer of a dinner table at the royal military college, sandhurst, in the early sixties. "lower down," continues sir walter, "the victuals seemed of yet coarser quality, though sufficiently abundant. broth, onions, cheese, and the fragments of the feast, regaled the sons of ivor, who feasted in the open air." the funeral baked meats used after the interment of the chief of the clan quhele (described in _the fair maid of perth_) were also on a very extensive scale, and were, like the other meal, "digested" with pailfuls of usquebaugh, for which no highland head that supported a bonnet was ever "the waur i' th' morn." and the custom of placing bagpipers behind the chairs of the guests, after they have well drunk, which is still observed in highland regiments, was probably introduced by the aforesaid fergus macivor, who really ought to have known better. and so the years rolled on; and at the commencement of the nineteenth century, old england, instead of enjoying the blessings of universal peace, such as the spread of the gospel of christianity might have taught us to expect, found herself involved in rather more warfare than was good for trade, or anything else. the first "innings" of the corsican usurper was a short but merry one; the second saw him finally "stumped." and from that period dates the "avenging of waterloo" which we have suffered in silence for so long. the immigration of aliens commenced, and in the tight little island were deposited a large assortment of the poisonous seeds of alien cookery which had never exactly flourished before. the combat between the roast beef of old england and the bad fairy "_ala_," with her attendant sprites grease, vinegar, and garlic, commenced; a combat which at the end of the nineteenth century looked excessively like terminating in favour of the fairy. it has been repeatedly urged against my former gastronomic writings that they are unjustly severe on french cookery; that far greater minds than mine own have expressed unqualified approval thereof; that i know absolutely nothing about the subject; and that my avowed hatred of our lively neighbours and their works is so ferocious as to become ridiculous. these statements are not altogether fair to myself. i have no "avowed hatred" of our lively neighbours; in fact, upon one occasion on returning from the celebration of the grand prix, i saw a vision of----but that is a different anecdote. my lash has never embraced the entire _batterie de cuisine_ of the _chef_, and there be many french _plats_ which are agreeable to the palate, as long as we are satisfied that the _matériel_ of which they are composed is sound, wholesome, and of the best quality. it is the cheap _restaurateur_ who should be improved out of england. i was years ago inveigled into visiting the kitchen of one of these grease-and-garlic shops, and----but the memory is too terrible for language. and will anybody advance the statement that a basin of the _tortue claire_ of the average _chef_ deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with a plate of clear turtle at birch's or painter's? or that good genuine english soup, whether ox-tail, mock-turtle, pea, oyster, or palestine, is not to be preferred to the french _purée_, or to their teakettle broth flavoured with carrots, cabbages, and onions, and dignified by the name of _consommé_? then let us tackle the subject of fish. would you treat a salmon in the british way, or smother him with thick brown gravy, fried onions, garlic, mushrooms, inferior claret, oysters, sugar, pepper, salt, and nutmeg, _en matelote_, or mince him fine to make a ridiculous _mousse_? similarly with the honest, manly sole; would you fry or grill him plain, or bake him in a coat of rich white sauce, onion juice, mussel ditto, and white wine, or cider, _à la normande_; or cover him with toasted cheese _à la cardinal_? the fairy "_ala_" is likewise responsible for the clothing of purely english food in french disguises. thus a leg of mutton becomes a _gigot_, a pheasant (for its transgressions in eating the poor farmer's barley) a _faisan_, and is charged for at special rates in the bill; whilst the nearest to a beef-steak our lively neighbours can get is a portion of beef with the fibre smashed by a wooden mallet, surmounted by an exceedingly bilious-looking compound like axle-grease, and called a _châteaubriand_; and curry becomes under the new _régime_, _kari_. undoubtedly, the principal reason for serving food smothered in made-gravies lies in the inferiority of the food. few judges will credit france with the possession of better butcher's-meat--with the exception of veal--than the perfidious island, which is so near in the matter of distance, and yet so far in the matter of custom. and it is an established fact that the fish of paris is not as fresh as the fish of london. hence the _sole normande_, the _sole au gratin_, and the sole smothered in toasted cheese. but when we islanders are charged at least four times as much for the inferior article, in its foreign cloak, as for the home article in its native majesty, i think the time has come to protest. it is possible to get an excellent dinner at any of the "gordon" hotels, at the "savoy," the "cecil," and at some other noted food-houses--more especially at romano's--by paying a stiff price for it; but it is due to a shameful lack of enterprise on the part of english caterers that a well-cooked english dinner is becoming more difficult to procure, year after year. there be three purely british dishes which are always "hoff" before all others on the programme of club, hotel, or eating-house; and these are, irish stew, liver-and-bacon, and tripe-and-onions. yet hardly a week passes without a new _dîner parisien_ making its appearance in the advertisement columns of the newspapers; whilst the cheap-and-nasty _table d'hôte_, with its six or seven courses and its spanish claret, has simply throttled the roast beef of old england. "sir," said dr. johnson, after examining a french _menu_, "my brain is obfuscated after the perusal of this heterogeneous conglomeration of bastard english ill-spelt, and a foreign tongue. i prithee bid thy knaves bring me a dish of hog's puddings, a slice or two from the upper cut of a well-roasted sirloin, and two apple-dumplings." "william," said george augustus sala to the old waiter at the "cheshire cheese," "i've had nothing fit to eat for three months; get me a point steak, for god's sake!" the great lauder of foreign cookery had only that day returned from a special mission to france, to "write up" the works of the _cordon bleu_ for the benefit of us benighted englishmen. no man in the wide wide world knew so much, or could write so much, on the subject of and in praise of the fairy "_ala_," as george sala; and probably no man in the wide wide world so little appreciated her efforts. but how has it come about that the fairy "_ala_" has gained such headway in this island of ours? the answer must commence another chapter. chapter vii dinner (_continued_) "it is the cause!" imitation--dear lady thistlebrain--try it on the dog--criminality of the english caterer--the stove, the stink, the steamer--roasting _v._ baking--false economy--dirty ovens--frills and fingers--time over dinner--a long-winded bishop--corned beef. now for the cause, alluded to at the end of the last chapter. _imprimis_, the french invasion is due to the universal craze for imitation, which may be the sincerest form of flattery, but which frequently leads to bad results. for years past the fair sex of great britain have been looking to paris for fashion in dress, as well as in cookery; whilst the other sex have long held the mistaken notion that "they manage things better in france." the idea that france is the only country capable of clothing the outer and the inner man, artistically, has taken deep root. thus, if the duchess of dulverton import, regardless of expense, a divine creation in bonnets from the rue de castiglione, and air the same in church, it is good odds that little mrs. stokes, of the talbot road, bayswater, will have had the _chapeau_ copied, at about one-twentieth of the original cost, by the next sabbath day. dear lady thistlebrain, who has _such_ taste (since she quitted the family mangle in little toke street, lambeth, for two mansions, a castle, and a deer park), and with whom money is no object, pays her _chef_ the wages of an ambassador, and everybody raves over her dinners. mrs. potter of maida vale sets her "gal" (who studied higher gastronomy, together with the piano, and flower-painting on satin, at the board school) to work on similar _menus_--with, on the whole, disastrous results. the london society and fashion journals encourage this snobbish idea by quoting _menus_, most of them ridiculous. amongst the middle classes the custom of giving dinner parties at hotels has for some time past been spreading, partly to save trouble, and partly to save the brain of the domestic cook; so that instead of sitting down to a plain dinner, with, maybe, an _entrée_ or two sent in by the local confectioner--around the family mahogany tree, all may be fanciful decoration, and not half enough to eat, electric light, and _à la_ with attendance charged in the bill. the only way to stop this sort of thing is to bring the system into ridicule, to try it on the groundlings. a fair leader of _ton_, late in the sixties, appeared one morning in the haunts of fashion, her shapely shoulders covered with a cape of finest russian sables, to the general admiration and envy of all her compeers. thereupon, what did her dearest friend and (of course) most deadly rival do? get a similar cape, or one of finer quality? not a bit of it. she drove off, then and there, to her furriers, and had her coachman and footman fitted with similar capes, in (of course) cheaper material; and, when next afternoon she took the air in the park, in her perfectly appointed landau, her fur-clad menials created something like a panic in the camp of her enemy, whilst fur capes for fair leaders of "_ton_," were, like hashed venison at a city luncheon, very soon "hoff." it is extremely probable that, could it be arranged to feed our starving poor, beneath the public gaze, on _sôles normandes_, _côtelettes à la reform_, and _salmi de gibier truffé_; to feast our workhouse children on _bisque d'écrévisses_ and _ananas à la créole_, the upper classes of great britain would soon revert to plain roast and boiled. but after all it is the english caterer who is chiefly to blame for his own undoing. how is it that in what may be called the "food streets" of the metropolis the foreign food-supplier should outnumber the purveyor of the roast beef of old england in the proportion of fifty to one? simply because the roast beef of old england has become almost as extinct as the dodo. there are but few english kitchens, at this end of the nineteenth century, in the which meat is roasted in front of the fire. in order to save the cost of fuel, most english (save the mark!) cooking is now performed by gas or steam; and at many large establishments the food, whether fish, flesh, fowl, vegetables or pastry, all goes, in a raw state, into a species of chest of drawers made of block-tin, in which receptacle the daily luncheons, dinners, and suppers are steamed and robbed of all flavour, save that of hot tin. the pity of it! better, far better for mankind the _à la_ system than to be gradually "steamed" into the tomb! it is alleged that as good results in the way of roasting can be got from an oven as from the spit. but that oven must be ventilated--with both an inlet and an outlet ventilator, for one will not act without the other. it is also advisable that said oven should be cleaned out occasionally; for a hot oven with no joint therein will emit odours anything but agreeable, if not attended to; and it is not too sweeping a statement to say that the majority of ovens in busy kitchens are foul. the system of steaming food (the alleged "roasts" being subsequently browned in an oven) is of comparatively recent date; but the oven as a roaster was the invention of one count rumford, at the beginning of the nineteenth century. in one of his lectures on oven-roasting, this nobleman remarked that he despaired of getting any englishman to believe his words; so that he was evidently confronted with plenty of prejudice, which it is devoutly to be prayed still exists in english homes. for i do vow and protest that the oven odours which pervade the neighbourhood of the strand, london, at midday, are by no means calculated to whet the appetite of the would-be luncher or diner. this is what such an authority as mr. buckmaster wrote on the subject of the spit _versus_ the oven: "i believe i am regarded as a sort of heretic on the question of roasting meat. my opinion is that the essential condition of good roasting is constant basting, and this the meat is not likely to have when shut up in an iron box; and what is not easily done is easily neglected." in this connection there are more heretics than mr. buckmaster. but if during my lifetime the days of burning heretics should be revived, i shall certainly move the court of criminal appeal in favour of being roasted or grilled before, or over, the fire, instead of being deprived of my natural juices in an iron box. some few "roast" houses are still in existence in london, but they be few and far between; and since mr. cooper gave up the "albion," nearly opposite the stage-door of drury lane theatre, the lover of good, wholesome, english food has lost one old-fashioned tavern in the which he was certain of enjoying such food. it has been repeatedly urged in favour of french cookery that it is so economical. but economy in the preparation of food is by no means an unmixed blessing. i do not believe that much sole-leather is used up in the ordinary _ragoût_, or _salmi_; but many of us who can afford more expensive joints have a prejudice against "scrags"; whilst the tails of mutton chops frequently have a tainted flavour, and the drumsticks and backs of fowls are only fit to grill, or boil down into gravy. and it is not only the alien who is economical in his preparation of the banquet. many of the dwellers in the highways and bye-ways of our great metropolis will boil down the outer skin of a ham, and place a portion thereof, together with such scraps as may also be purchased, at a penny or twopence the plateful, at the ham and beef emporium, with maybe a "block ornament" or two from the butcher's, in a pie dish, with a superstructure of potatoes, and have the "scrap pie" cooked at the baker's for the sunday dinner. poor wretches! not much "waste" goes on in such households. but i have known the "gal" who tortured the food in a cheap lodging-house throw away the water in which a joint had just been boiled, but whether this was from sheer ignorance, or "cussedness," or the desire to save herself any future labour in the concoction of soup, deponent sayeth not. by the way, it is in the matter of soup that the tastes of the british and french peasantry differ so materially. unless he or she be absolutely starving, it is next to impossible to get one of the groundlings of old england to attempt a basin of soup. and when they do attempt the same, it has been already made for them. the scotch, who are born cooks, know much better than this; but do not, o reader, if at all thin of skin, or refined of ear, listen too attentively to the thanks which a denizen of the "disthressful counthry" will bestow upon you for a "dhirty bowl o' bone-juice." how many modern diners, we wonder, know the original object of placing frills around the shank of a leg or shoulder of mutton, a ham, the shins of a fowl, or the bone of a cutlet? fingers were made before--and a long time before--forks. in the seventeenth century--prior to which epoch not much nicety was observed in carving, or eating--we read that "english gentlewomen were instructed by schoolmistresses and professors of etiquette as to the ways in which it behoved them to carve joints. that she might be able to grasp a roasted chicken without greasing her left hand, the gentle housewife was careful to trim its foot and the lower part of its legs with cut paper. the paper frill which may still be seen round the bony point and small end of a leg of mutton, is a memorial of the fashion in which joints were _dressed_ for the dainty hands of lady-carvers, in time prior to the introduction of the carving-fork, an implement that was not in universal use so late as the commonwealth." how long we should sit over the dinner-table is a matter of controversy. at the commencement of the nineteenth century, in the hard-drinking times, our forefathers were loth indeed to quit the table. but the fairer portion of the guests were accustomed to adjourn early, for tea and scandal in the withdrawing-room, the while their lords sat and quarrelled over their port, with locked doors; and where they fell there they frequently passed the night. the editor of the _almanach des gourmands_ wrote: "five hours at table are a reasonable latitude to allow in the case of a large party and recondite cheer." but the worthy grimod de la reymière, the editor aforesaid, lived at a period when dinner was not served as late as . p.m. there is a legend of an archbishop of york "who sat three entire years at dinner." but this is one of those tales which specially suited the dull, brandy-sodden brains of our ancestors. the facts are simply as follows:--the archbishop had just sat down to dinner at noon when an italian priest called. hearing that the dignitary was sitting at meat the priest whiled away an hour in looking at the minster, and called again, but was again "repelled by the porter." twice more that afternoon did the surly porter repel the italian, and at the fourth visit "the porter, in a heate, answered never a worde, and churlishlie did shutte the gates upon him." then the discomfited italian returned to rome; and three years later, encountering an englishman in the eternal city, who declared himself right well known to his grace of york, the italian, all smiles, inquired: "i pray you, good sir, hath that archbishop finished dinner yet?" hence the story, which was doubtless originally told by a fly-fisher. it is not a little singular that with increasing civilisation, a gong, which is of barbaric, or semi-barbaric origin, should be the means usually employed to summon us to the dinner-table. in days of yore the horn, or cornet, was blown as the signal. alexander dumas tells us that "at the period when noon was the dinner hour, the horn or cornet (_le cor_) was used in great houses to announce dinner. hence came an expression which has been lost; they used to say cornet (or trumpet) the dinner (_cornez le diner_)." and we are asked to believe that to this practice "corned" beef owes its derivation. "in days when inferior people ate little meat in the winter months save salted beef, the more usual form of the order was _cornez le boeuf_, or 'corn the beef.' richardson errs egregiously when he insists that corned beef derived its distinguishing epithet from the grains or corns of salt with which it was pickled. corned beef is trumpeted beef, or as we should nowadays say, dinner-bell beef." well--"i hae ma doots," as the scotsman said. i am not so sure that richardson erred egregiously. but after all, as long as the beef be good, and can be carved without the aid of pick and spade, what does it matter? let us to dinner! chapter viii dinner (_continued_) "the strong table groans beneath the smoking sirloin stretched immense." a merry christmas--bin f--a _noel_ banquet--water-cress--how royalty fares--the tsar--_bouillabaisse_--_tournedos_--_bisque_--_vol-au-vent_--_prè salé_--chinese banquets--a fixed bayonet--_bernardin salmi_--the duck-squeezer--american cookery--"borston" beans--he couldn't eat beef. a christmas dinner in the early victorian era! _quelle fête magnifique!_ the man who did not keep christmas in a fitting manner in those days was not thought much of. "dines by himself at the club on christmas day!" was the way the late mr. george payne of sporting memory, summed up a certain middle-aged recluse, with heaps of money, who, although he had two estates in the country, preferred to live in two small rooms in st. james's place, s.w., and to take his meals at "arthur's." and how we boys (not to mention the little lasses in white frocks and black mittens) used to overeat ourselves, on such occasions, with no fear of pill, draught, or "staying in," before our eyes! the writer has in his mind's eye a good specimen of such an old-fashioned dinner, as served in the fifties. it was pretty much the same feast every christmas. we commenced with some sort of clear soup, with meat in it. then came a codfish, crimped--the head of that household would have as soon thought of eating a _sôle au vin blanc_ as of putting before his family an uncrimped cod--with plenty of liver, oyster sauce, and pickled walnuts; and at the other end of the table was a dish of fried smelts. _entrées?_ had any of the diners asked for an _entrée_, his or her _exit_ from the room would have been a somewhat rapid one. a noble sirloin of scotch beef faced a boiled turkey anointed with celery sauce; and then appeared the blazing pudding, and the mince-pies. for the next course, a dish of toasted (or rather stewed) cheese, home-made and full of richness, was handed round, with dry toast, the bearer of which was closely pursued by a varlet carrying a huge double-handed vessel of hot spiced-ale, bobbing or floating about in the which were roasted crab-apples and sippets of toast; and it was _de rigueur_ for each of those who sat at meat to extract a sippet, to eat with the cheese. how the old retainer, grey and plethoric with service, loved us boys, and how he would manoeuvre to obtain for us the tit-bits! a favoured servitor was "joseph"; and though my revered progenitor was ostensibly the head of the house, he would, on occasion, "run a bad second" to "joseph." memory is still keen of a certain chilly evening in september, when the ladies had retired to the drawing-room, and the male guests were invited to be seated at the small table which had been wheeled close to the replenished fire. "joseph," said the dear old man, "bring us a bottle or two of the yellow seal--_you_ know--bin f." the servitor drew near to his master, and in a stage whisper exclaimed: "you can't afford it, sir!" "what's that?" roared the indignant old man. "you can't afford it, sir--hawthornden's won th' leger!" "good gad!" a pause--and then, "well, never mind, joseph, we'll have up the yellow seal, all the same." one of the writer's last christmas dinners was partaken of in a sweet little house in mayfair; and affords somewhat of a contrast with the meal quoted above. we took our appetites away with a salad composed of anchovies, capers, truffles, and other things, a russian sardine or two, and rolls and butter. thence, we drifted into _bouillabaisse_ (a tasty but bile-provoking broth), toyed with some _filets de sôle à la parisienne_ (good but greasy), and disposed of a _tournedos_, with a nice fat oyster atop, apiece (_et parlez-moi d'ça!_). then came some dickey-birds _sur canapé_--alleged to be snipe, but destitute of flavour, save that of the tin they had been spoiled in, and of the "canopy." an alien cook can _not_ cook game, whatever choice confections he may turn out--at least that is the experience of the writer. we had _cressons_, of course, with the birds; though how water-cress can possibly assimilate with the flesh of a snipe is questionable. "water-creases" are all very well at tea in the arbour, but don't go smoothly with any sort of fowl; and to put such rank stuff into a salad--as my hostess's cook did--is absolutely criminal. to continue the mayfair banquet, the salad was followed by a _soufflée à la noel_ (which reminded some of the more imaginative of our party of the festive season), some cheese straws, and the customary ices, coffee, and liqueurs. on the whole, not a bad meal; but what would old father christmas have said thereto? what would my revered progenitor have remarked, had he been allowed to revisit the glimpses of the moon? he did not love our lively neighbours; and, upon the only occasion on which he was inveigled across the channel, took especial care to recross it the very next day, lest, through circumstances not under his own control, he might come to be "buried amongst these d----d french!" the following _menu_ may give some idea as to how _royalty_ entertains its guests. said _menu_, as will be seen, is comparatively simple, and many of the dishes are french only in name:-- huîtres ---- consommé aux oeufs pochés bisque d'écrevisses ---- turbot, sauce d'homard fillets de saumon à l'indienne ---- vol-au-vent financière mauviettes sur le nid ---- selle de mouton de galles rotie poulardes à l'estragon ---- faisans bécassines sur croûte ---- chouxfleur au gratin ---- plum pudding bavarois aux abricots ---- glace à la mocha truly a pattern dinner, this; and 'twould be sheer impertinence to comment thereon, beyond remarking that english dishes should, in common fairness, be called by english names. her imperial majesty the tsaritza, on the night of her arrival at darmstadt, in october , sat down, together with her august husband, to the following simple meal:-- consommé de volaille cronstades d'écrevisses ---- filet de turbot à la joinville ---- cimier de chevreuil [a haunch of roebuck is far to be desired above the same quarter of the red deer]. ---- terrine de perdreaux ---- ponche royale ---- poularde de metz ---- choux de bruxelles ---- bavarois aux abricots ---- glaces panachées the partiality of crowned heads towards "bavarois aux abricots"--"bavarois" is simply bavarian cheese, a superior sort of _blanc mange_--is proverbial. and the above repast was served on priceless meissen china and silver. the only remarks i will make upon the above _menu_ are that it is quite possible that the capon may have come from metz, though not very probable. french cooks name their meat and poultry in the most reckless fashion. for instance, owing to this reckless nomenclature the belief has grown that the best ducks come from rouen. nothing of the sort. there are just as good ducks raised at west hartlepool as at rouen. "rouen" in the bill-of-fare is simply a corruption of "roan"; and a "roan duck" is a quacker who has assumed (through crossing) the reddish plumage of the wild bird. as for (alleged) surrey fowls, most of them come from heathfield in sussex, whence £ , worth were sent in . let us enquire into the composition of some of the high-sounding _plats_, served up by the average _chef_. _bouillabaisse._--of it thackeray sang-- "this bouillabaisse a noble dish is-- a sort of soup, or broth, or brew, or hotch-potch of all sorts of fishes that greenwich never could outdo: green herbs, red peppers, mussels, saffron, soles, onions, garlic, roach, and dace; all these you eat at terré's tavern, in that one dish of bouillabaisse." avoid eels and herrings in this concoction as too oily. soles, mullet, john dory, whiting, flounders, perch, roach, and mussels will blend well, and allow half a pound of fish for each person. for every pound of fish put in the stewpan a pint of water, a quarter of a pint of white wine, and a tablespoonful of salad oil. if there be four partakers, add two sliced onions, two cloves, two bay-leaves, two leeks (the white part only, chopped), four cloves of garlic, a tablespoonful chopped parsley, a good squeeze of lemon juice, half an ounce of chopped capsicums, a teaspoonful (or more _ad lib._) of saffron, with pepper and salt. mix the chopped fish in all this, and boil for half an hour. let the mixture "gallop" and strain into a tureen with sippets, and the fish served separately. _tournedos._--no relation to tornado, and you won't find the word in any gallic dictionary. a _tournedos_ is a thin collop of beef, steeped in a _marinade_ for twenty-four hours (personally i prefer it without the aid of the marine) and fried lightly. turn it but _once_. the oyster atop is simply scalded. _try this dish._ _bisque._--in the seventeenth century this was made from pigeons by the poor barbarians who knew not the gentle lobster, nor the confiding crayfish. heat up to boiling-point a mirepoix of white wine. you don't know what a _mirepoix_ is? simply a faggot of vegetables, named after a notorious cuckold of noble birth in the time of louis xv. two carrots, two onions, two shalots, two bay-leaves, a sprig of thyme and a clove of garlic. mince very small, with half a pound of fat bacon, half a pound of raw ham, pepper and salt, and a little butter. add a sufficiency of white wine. in this mixture cook two dozen crayfish for twenty minutes, continually tossing them about till red, when take them out to cool. shell them, all but the claws, which should be pounded in a mortar and mixed with butter. the flesh of the tails is reserved to be put in the soup at the last minute; the body-flesh goes back into the _mirepoix_, to which two quarts of broth are now added. add the pounded shells to the soup, simmer for an hour and a half, strain, heat up, add a piece of butter, the tails, a seasoning of cayenne, and a few _quenelles_ of whiting. _vol-au-vent financière._--this always reminds me of the fearful threat hurled by the waiter in the "bab ballads" at his flighty sweetheart: "flirtez toujours, ma belle, si tu oses, je me vengerai ainsi, ma chère: je lui dirai d'quoi on compose vol-au-vent à la financière!" make your crust--light as air, and flaky as snow, an you value your situation--and fill with button mushrooms, truffles, cock's-combs, _quenelles_ of chicken, and sweetbread, all chopped, seasoned, and moistened with a butter sauce. brown gravy is objectionable. garnish the _vol_ with fried parsley, which goes well with most luxuries of this sort. there are some words which occur frequently in french cookery which, to the ordinary perfidious briton, are cruelly misleading. for years i was under the impression that _brillat savarin_ was a species of filleted fish (brill) in a rich gravy, instead of a french magistrate, who treated gastronomy poetically, and always ate his food too fast. and only within the last decade have i discovered what a _pré salé_ really means. literally, it is "salt meadow, or marsh." it is said that sheep fed on a salt marsh make excellent mutton; but is it not about time for britannia, the alleged pride of the ocean, and ruler of its billows, to put her foot down and protest against a leg of "prime down"--but recently landed from the antipodes--being described on the card as a _gigot de pré salé_? the meals, like the ways, of the "heathen chinee" are peculiar. some of his food, to quote poor corney grain, is "absolutely beastly." _li hung chang_ was welcomed to carlton house terrace, london, with a dinner, in twelve courses, the following being the principal items:--roast duck, roast pork and raspberry jam, followed by dressed cucumber. shrimps were devoured, armour and all, with leeks, gherkins, and mushrooms. a couple of young chickens preserved in wine and vinegar, with green peas, a _purée_ of pigeon's legs followed by an assortment of sour jellies. the banquet concluded with sponge cakes and tea. in his own land the _chinaman's evening repast_ is much more variegated than the above. it is almost as long as a chinese drama, and includes melon seeds, bitter almonds, bamboo sprouts, jelly-fish, cucumber, roast duck, chicken stewed in spirit dregs,[ ] peas, prawns, sausages, scallions, fish-brawn, pork chops, plum blossoms, oranges, bird's-nest soup, pigeons' eggs in bean curd--the eggs being "postponed" ones--fungus, shrimps, macerated fish-fins, ham in flour, ham in honey, turnip cakes, roast sucking-pig, fish maws, roast mutton, wild ducks' feet, water chestnuts, egg rolls, lily seeds, stewed mushrooms, dressed crab with jam, chrysanthemum pasties, _bêche-de-mer_, and pigs' feet in honey. can it be wondered at that this nation should have been brought to its knees by gallant little japan? _the englishman in china_ has not a particularly good time of it, in the gastronomic way, and h.m. forces in hong kong are largely dependent on shanghai for supplies. there is "plenty pig" all over the land; but the dairy-fed pork of old england is preferable. and the way "this little pig goes to market" savours so strongly of the most refined cruelty that a branch of the r.s.p.c.a. would have the busiest of times of it over yonder. reverting to french cookery, here is an appetising dish, called a _bernardin salmi_. it should be prepared in the dining-room, before the eyes of the guests; and grimod de la reyniere (to whom the recipe was given by the prior of an abbey of bernardin monks) recommends that the _salmi_ should be conveyed to the mouth with a fork, for fear of devouring one's fingers, should they touch the sauce. take three woodcocks, underdone, and cut them into neat portions. on a silver dish bruise the livers and trails, squeeze over them the juice of four (?) lemons, and grate over them a little of the thin rind. add the portions of woodcock, seasoned with salt, and--according to the prior--mixed spices and two teaspoonfuls of french mustard; but the writer would substitute cayenne _seul_; over all half a wine-glass of sherry; and then put the dish over a spirit lamp. when the mixture is _nearly_ boiling, add a tablespoonful of salad oil, blow out the light, and stir well. _four_ lemons are mentioned in this recipe, as at the time it was written lemons were very small when "cocks" were "in." _two_ imported lemons (or limes) will amply suffice nowadays. _a salmi of wild duck_ can be made almost in the same way, but here the aid of that modern instrument the _duck-squeezer_ is necessary. cut the best of the meat in slices, off a lightly-roasted wild-duck, after brought to table; break up the carcase and place in a species of mill (silver) called a "duck-squeezer," which possesses a spout through which the richness of the animal escapes, after being squeezed. make a gravy of this liquor, in a silver dish (with a spirit lamp beneath), added to a small pat of butter, the juice of a lemon, a tablespoonful of worcester sauce, with cayenne and salt to taste, and half a wine-glassful of port wine. warm the meat through in this gravy, which must not boil. of course these two last-named dishes are only intended for bachelor-parties. lovely woman must not be kept waiting for "duck-squeezers" or anything else. _the jesuits_ introduced the turkey into europe, of which feat the jesuits need not boast too much; for to some minds there be many better edible birds; and the "gobbler" requires, when roasted or boiled, plenty of seasoning to make him palatable. the french stuff him in his roasted state, with truffles, fat force-meat, or chestnuts, and invariably "bard" the bird--"bard" is old english as well as old french--with fat bacon. the french turkey is also frequently brazed, with an abundant _mirepoix_ made with what their cooks call "madére," but which is really marsala. it is only we english who boil the "gobbler," and stuff him (or her, for it is the hen who usually goes into the pot) with oysters, or force-meat, with celery sauce. probably the best parts of the turkey are his legs, when grilled for breakfast, and smothered with the sauce mentioned in one of the chapters on "breakfast"; and _pulled turkey_ makes an agreeable luncheon-dish, or _entrée_ at dinner, the breast-meat being pulled off the bone with a fork, and fricasseed, surrounded in the dish by the grilled thighs and pinions. who introduced the turkey into america deponent sayeth not. probably, like topsy, it "growed" there. anyhow the bird is so familiar a table-companion in the states, that americans, when on tour in europe, fight very shy of him. "tukkey, sah, cranberry sarce," used to be the stereotyped reply of the black waiter when interrogated on the subject of the bill of fare. _coloured help_ is, however, gradually being ousted (together with sulphur matches) from the big hotels in new york, where white waiting and white food are coming into, or have come into, regular use. in fact, with the occasional addition of one or other of such special dishes as terrapin, soft-shell crab, clam chowder, and the everlasting pork and beans, a dinner in new york differs very little at the time of writing ( ) from one in london. the taste for _clam chowder_ is an acquired one, nor will stewed tortoise ever rank with thick turtle in british estimation, although 'tis not the same tortoise which is used in london households to break the coals with. a _canvass-back duck_, if eaten in the land of his birth, is decidedly the most delicately-flavoured of all the "quack" family. his favourite food is said to be wild celery, and his favoured haunts the neighbourhood of chesapeake bay, from whose waters comes the much prized "diamond-back" terrapin, which is sold at the rate of $ or $ the dozen. the canvass-back duck, however, suffers in transportation; in fact, the tendency of the ice-house aboard ship is to rob all food of its flavour. but however good be the living in _new york city_ --where the hotels are the best in the world, and whose _mr. delmonico_ can give points to all sorts and conditions of food caterers--it is "a bit rough" in the provinces. there is a story told of a young actor, on tour, who "struck" a small town out west, and put up at a small inn. in the course of time dinner was served, and the landlord waited at table. the principal cover was removed, disclosing a fine joint of coarsish, indifferently-cooked beef. our young actor was strangely moved at the sight. "what?" he cried. "beef again? this is horrible! i've seen no other food for months, and i'm sick and tired of it. i can't eat beef." whereupon his host whipped out a huge "six-shooter" revolver, and covering the recalcitrant beef-eater, coolly remarked: "guess you kin!" but i don't believe that story, any more than i believe the anecdote of the cowboys and the daylight let through the visitor who couldn't eat beans. chapter ix dinner (_continued_) "the combat deepens. on ye brave, the _cordon bleu_, and then the grave! wave, landlord! all thy _menus_ wave, and charge with all thy devilry!" french soup--a regimental dinner--a city banquet--_baksheesh_--aboard ship--an ideal dinner--cod's liver--sleeping in the kitchen--a _fricandeau_--regimental messes--peter the great--napoleon the great--victoria--the iron duke--mushrooms--a medical opinion--a north pole banquet--dogs as food--plain unvarnished fare--the kent road cookery--more beans than bacon. "what's in a name?" inquired the love-sick juliet. "what?" echoes the bad fairy "_ala_." after all the fuss made by the french over their soups, we might expect more variety than is given us. if it be true that we english have only one sauce, it is equally true that our lively neighbours have only one soup--and that one is a broth. it is known to the frequenters of restaurants under at least eleven different names _brunoise_, _jardinière_, _printanier_, _chiffonade_, _macédoine_, _julienne_, _faubonne_, _paysanne_, _flamande_, _mitonnage_, _croûte au pot_, and, as sam weller would say, "it's the flavouring as does it." it is simply _bouillon_, plain broth, and weak at that. the addition of a cabbage, or a leek, or a common or beggar's crust, will change a _potage à la jardinière_ into a _croûte au pot_, and _vice versa_. great is "_ala_"; and five hundred per cent is her profit! the amount of money lavished by diners-about upon the productions of the alien _chef_ would be ludicrous to consider, were not the extravagance absolutely criminal. the writer has partaken of about the most expensive dinner--english for the most part, with french names to the dishes--that could be put on the table, the charge being (including wines) one guinea per mouth. another banquet, given by a gay youth who had acquired a large sum through ruining somebody else on the stock exchange--the meal positively reeking of _ala_--was charged for by the hotel manager at the rate of _sixteen pounds_ per head, also including wines. i was told afterwards, though i am still sceptical as to the veracity of the statement, that the flowers on the table at that banquet cost alone more than £ . and only on the previous sunday, our host's father--a just nobleman and a god-fearing--had delivered a lecture, at a popular institution, on "thrift." here follows the _menu_ of the above-mentioned guinea meal, _a regimental dinner_, held at a well-known city house. _vins._ | _hors d'oeuvres._ | crevettes. thon mariné. beurre. | radis. | | _potages._ madère. | tortue claire et liée. | gras de tortue vert. | | _relevés de tortue._ ponche glacé. | ailerons aux fines herbes. | côtelettes à la périgueux. | | _poissons._ | souché de saumon. schloss johannisberg. | turbot au vin blanc. | blanchaille nature et kari. | | _entrées._ amontillado. | suprême de ris de veau à la princesse. | aspic de homard. | champagne. | _relevés._ piper heidsieck, . | venaison, sauce groseille. boll et cie., . | york ham au champagne. burgundy. | poulardes à l'estragon. romanée, . | ----- | asperges. haricots verts. | pommes rissoliées. | | _rôt._ port, . | canetons de rouen. | | _entremets._ claret. | ananas à la créole. patisserie parisienne. château léoville. | gelées panachées. | | _glace._ liqueurs. | soufflés aux fraises. | | _dessert, etc._ and some of the younger officers complained bitterly at having to pay £ : s. for the privilege of "larking" over such a course! there are only three faults i can find in the above programme: ( ) confusion to the man who expects the british army to swallow green fat in french. ( ) whitebait is far too delicately flavoured a fowl to curry. ( ) too much eating and drinking. _city dinners_ are for the most part an infliction (or affliction) on the diner. with more than fourscore sitting at meat, the miracle of the loaves and fishes is repeated--with, frequently, the fish left out. "i give you my word, dear old chappie," once exclaimed a gilded youth who had been assisting at one of these functions, to the writer, "all i could get hold of, during the struggle, was an orange and a cold plate!" the great and powerful system of _baksheesh_, of course, enters largely into these public entertainments; and the man who omits to fee the waiter in advance, as a rule, "gets left." bookmakers and others who go racing are the greatest sinners in this respect. a well-known magnate of the betting-ring ( ) invariably, after arriving at an hotel, hunts up the _chef_, and sheds upon him a "fiver," or a "tenner," according to the size of the house, and the repute of its cookery. and that metallician and his party are not likely to starve during their stay, whatever may be the fate of those who omit to "remember" the commissariat department. i have seen the same bookmaker carry, with his own hands, the remains of a great dish of "hot-pot" into the dining-room of his neighbours, who had been ringing for a waiter, and clamouring for food for the best part of an hour, without effect. the same system prevails aboard ship; and the passenger who has not propitiated the head steward at the commencement of the voyage will not fare sumptuously. the steamship companies may deny this statement; but 'tis true nevertheless. _dinner afloat._ here is an average dinner-card during a life on the ocean wave: julienne soup, boiled salmon with shrimp sauce, roast beef and yorkshire pudding, jugged hare, french beans _à la maître d'hôtel_, chicken curry, roast turkey with _purée_ of chestnuts, _fanchouettes_ (what are they?), sausage rolls, greengage tarts, plum-puddings, lemon-jellies, biscuits and cheese, fruit, coffee. plenty of variety here, though some epicures might resent the presence of a sausage-roll (the common or railway-station bag of mystery) on the dinner table. but since the carriage of live stock aboard passenger ships has been abandoned, the living is not nearly as good; for, as before observed, the tendency of the ice-house is to make all flesh taste alike. civilisation has, doubtless, done wonders for us; but most people prefer mutton to have a flavour distinct from that of beef. my _ideal dinner_ was partaken of in a little old-fashioned hostelry (at the west end of london), whose name the concentrated efforts of all the wild horses in the world would not extract. familiarity breeds contempt, and publicity oft kills that which is brought to light. our host was a wine-merchant in a large way of business. "i can only promise you plain food, good sirs," he mentioned, in advance--"no foreign kick-shaws; but everything done to a turn." six of us started with clear turtle, followed by a thick wedge out of the middle of a patriarchal codfish, with plenty of liver. and here a pause must be made. in not one cookery-book known to mankind can be found a recipe for cooking the _liver of a cod_. of course it should not be cooked _with_ the fish, but in a separate vessel. the writer once went the rounds of the kitchens to obtain information on this point. "'bout half-an-hour," said one cook, a "hard-bitten" looking food-spoiler. "_ma foi!_ i cook not at all the liver of the cod," said an unshorn son of normandy. "he is for the _malade_ only." after asking a number of questions, and a journey literally "round the town," the deduction made from the various answers was that a piece of liver enough for six people would take eighteen minutes, after being placed in _boiling_ water. to continue with our dinner. no sauce with the oysters, but these simply scalded in their own liquor. then came on a monster steak, an inch thick, cut from the rump immediately before being placed on the gridiron. and here a word on the grilling of a steak. we english place it nearer the fire than do our lively neighbours, whose grills do not, in consequence, present that firm surface which is the charm of an english steak. the late mr. godfrey turner of the _daily telegraph_ (who was almost as great an authority as mr. sala on gastronomies) once observed to the writer, "never turn your steak, or chop, more than once." though by no means a disciple of _ala_, he was evidently a believer in the french method of grilling, which leaves a sodden, flabby surface on the meat. the french cook only turns a steak once; but if he had his gridiron as close to the fire as his english rival, the _chef_ would inevitably cremate his _morçeau d'boeuf_. i take it that in grilling, as in roasting, the meat should, in the first instance, almost touch the glowing embers. we had nothing but horse-radish with our steak, which was succeeded by golden plovers (about the best bird that flies) and marrow bones. and a dig into a ripe stilton concluded a banquet which we would not have exchanged for the best efforts of francatelli himself. yes--despite the efforts of the bad fairy _ala_, the english method of cooking good food--if deftly and properly employed--is a long way the better method. unfortunately, through the fault of the english themselves, this method is but seldom employed deftly or properly. and at a cheap english eating-house the kitchen is usually as dirty and malodorous as at an inexpensive foreign restaurant. as both invariably serve as sleeping apartments during the silent watches of the night, this is, perhaps, not altogether to be wondered at. but there is one _plât_ in the french cookery book which is not to be sneered at, or even condemned with faint praise. a properly-dressed _fricandeau_ is a dainty morsel indeed. in fact the word _fricand_ means, in english, "dainty." here is the recipe of the celebrated _gouffé_ for the fricandeau: three pounds of veal fillet, trimmed, and larded with fat bacon. put in the glazing stewpan the trimmings, two ounces of sliced carrot, two ditto onion, with pepper and salt. lay the _fricandeau_ on the top; add half a pint of broth; boil the broth till it is reduced and becomes thick and yellow; add a pint and a half more broth, and simmer for an hour and a quarter--the stewpan half covered. then close the stewpan and put live coals on the top. baste the _fricandeau_ with the gravy--presumably after the removal of the dead coals--every four minutes till it is sufficiently glazed; then take it out and place on a dish. strain the gravy, skim off the fat, and pour over the meat. it may be added that a spirit lamp beneath the dish is (or should be) _de rigueur_. in their clubs, those (alleged) "gilded saloons of profligacy and debauchery, favoured of the aristocracy," men, as a rule dine wisely, and well, and, moreover, cheaply. the extravagant diner-out, with his crude views on the eternal fitness of things, selects an hotel, or restaurant, in the which, although the food may be of the worst quality, and the cookery of the greasiest, the charges are certain to be on the millionaire scale. for bad dinners, like bad lodgings, are invariably the dearest. _at the mess-table_ of the british officer there is not much riot or extravagance nowadays, and the food is but indifferently well cooked; though there was a time when the youngest cornet would turn up his nose at anything commoner than a "special _cuvée_" of champagne, and would unite with his fellows in the "bear-fight" which invariably concluded a "guest night," and during which the messman, or one of his myrmidons, was occasionally placed atop of the ante-room fire. and there was one messman who even preferred that mode of treatment to being lectured by his colonel. said officer was starchy, punctilious, and long-winded, and upon one occasion, when the chaplain to the garrison was his guest at dinner, addressed the terrified servant somewhat after this wise: "mr. messman--i have this evening bidden to our feast this eminent divine, who prayeth daily that we may receive the fruits of the earth in due season; to which i, an humble layman, am in the habit of responding: 'we beseech thee to hear us, good lord.' mr. messman, don't let me see those d----d figs on the table again." at a military guest-night in india, a turkey and a "europe" ham are--or were--_de rigueur_ at table; and on the whole the warrior fares well, if the _khansamah_ do not attempt luxuries. his chicken cutlets are not despicable, and we can even forgive the repetition of the _vilolif_ but his _bifisteakishtoo_ (stewed steak) is usually too highly-spiced for the european palate. later in the evening, however, he will come out strong with _duvlebone_, and grilled sardines in curlpapers. the presence of the bagpipes, in the mess-room of a highland regiment, when men have well drunk, is cruelly unkind--to the saxon guest at all events. the bagpipe is doubtless a melodious instrument (to trained ears), but its melodies are apt to "hum i' th' head o'er muckle ye ken," after a course of haggis washed down with sparkling wines and old port. "tell me what a man eats," said brillat savarin, "and i'll tell you what he is." _peter the great_ did not like the presence of "listening lacqueys" in the dining-room. peter's favourite dinner was, like himself, peculiar: "a soup, with four cabbages in it; gruel; pig, with sour cream for sauce; cold roast meat with pickled cucumbers or salad; lemons and lamprey, salt meat, ham, and limburg cheese." "lemons and lamprey" must have had a roughish seat, atop of pig and sour cream. i once tasted lampreys--only once. it was in worcestershire, and said lampreys were stewed (i fancy) in burgundy, and served in a small tureen--_en casserole_, our lively neighbours would have called the production, which was grateful, but much embarrassed with richness. _napoleon the great_, whose tastes were simple, is said to have preferred a broiled breast of mutton to any other dinner-dish. napoleon iii., however, encouraged extravagance of living; and zola tells us in _le débâcle_ that the unfortunate emperor, ill as he was, used to sit down to so many courses of rich foods every night until "the downfall" arrived at sédan, and that a train of cooks and scullions with (literally) a "_batterie_" _de cuisine_, was attached to his staff. _her majesty_ queen victoria's dinner-table is invariably graced with a cold sirloin of beef, amongst other joints; and the same simple fare has satisfied the aspirations and gratified the palate of full many a celebrity. the great _duke of wellington_ was partial to a well-made irish stew; and nothing delighted charles dickens more than a slice out of the breast of a hot roast-goose. a word about the mushroom. although said to be of enormous value in sauces and ragouts, i shall always maintain that the mushroom is best when eaten all by his quaint self. his flavour is so delicate that 'tis pitiful to mix him with fish, flesh, or fowl--more especially the first-named. i have seen mushrooms and bacon cooked together, and i have seen beef-steak (cut into small pieces) and bacon cooked together, and it was with some difficulty that my irish host got me out of the kitchen. if ever i am hanged, it will be for killing a cook. above all never eat mushrooms which you have not seen in their uncooked state. the mushroom, like the truffle, loses more flavour the longer he is kept; and to "postpone" either is fatal. "the plainer the meal the longer the life." thus an eminent physician--already mentioned in these pages. "we begin with soup, and perhaps a glass of cold punch, to be followed by a piece of turbot, or a slice of salmon with lobster sauce; and while the venison or south-down is getting ready, we toy with a piece of sweetbread, and mellow it with a bumper of madeira. no sooner is the mutton or venison disposed of, with its never-failing accompaniments of jelly and vegetables, than we set the whole of it in a ferment with champagne, and drown it with hock and sauterne. these are quickly followed by the wing and breast of a partridge, or a bit of pheasant or wild duck; and when the stomach is all on fire with excitement, we cool it for an instant with a piece of iced pudding, and then immediately lash it into a fury with undiluted alcohol in the form of cognac or a strong liqueur; after which there comes a spoonful or so of jelly as an emollient, a morsel of ripe stilton as a digestant, a piquant salad to whet the appetite for wine, and a glass of old port to persuade the stomach, if it can, into quietness. all these are more leisurely succeeded by dessert, with its baked meats, its fruits, and its strong drinks, to be afterwards muddled with coffee, and complicated into a rare mixture with tea, floating with the richest cream." hoity, toity! and not a word about a french _plât_, or even a curry, either! but we must remember that this diatribe comes from a gentleman who has laid down the theory that cold water is not only the cheapest of beverages, but the best. exception, too, may be taken to the statement that a "piquant salad" whets the appetite for wine. i had always imagined that a salad--and, indeed, anything with vinegar in its composition--rather spoilt the human palate for wine than otherwise. and what sort of "baked meats" are usually served with desert? _how the poor live._ an esteemed friend who has seen better days, sends word how to dine a man, his wife, and three children for ½d. he heads his letter _the kent road cookery_. a stew is prepared with the following ingredients: lb. bullock's cheek ( ½d.), ½ pint white beans ( d.), ½ pint lentils ( d.), pot-herbs ( d.), lb. potatoes ( d.)--total ½d. when he has friends, the banquet is more expensive: lb. bullock's cheek ( ½d.), ½ lb. cow-heel ( ½d.), ½ lb. leg of beef ( d.), pint white beans ( d.), ½ pint lentils ( d.), pot-herbs ( d.), lb. potatoes ( d.)--total s. d. as we never know what may happen, the above _menus_ may come in useful. _doctor nansen's banquet_ on the ice-floe, to celebrate his failure to discover the pole, was simple enough, at all events. but it would hardly commend itself to the _fin de siècle_ "johnny." there was raw gull in it, by way of a full-flavoured combination of _poisson_ and _entrée_; there was meat chocolate in it, and peli--i should say, pemmican. there were pancakes, made of oatmeal and dog's blood, fried in seal's blubber. and i rather fancy the _relevé_ was _chien au nature_. for in his most interesting work, _across greenland_, doctor nansen has inserted the statement that the man who turns his nose up at raw dog for dinner is unfit for an arctic expedition. for my own poor part, i would take my chance with a porterhouse steak, cut from a polar bear. _prison fare._ another simple meal. any visitor to one of h.m. penitentiaries may have noticed in the cells a statement to the effect that "beans and bacon" may be substituted for meat, for the convicts' dinners, on certain days. "beans and bacon" sounds rural, if not absolutely bucolic. "fancy giving such good food to the wretches!" once exclaimed a lady visitor. but those who have sampled the said "beans and bacon" say that it is hardly to be preferred to the six ounces of australian dingo or the coarse suet-duff (plumless) which furnish the ordinary prison dinner. for the tablespoonful of pappy beans with which the captive staves off starvation are of the _genus_ "haricot"; and the parallelogram of salted hog's-flesh which accompanies the beans does not exceed, in size, the ordinary railway ticket. chapter x vegetables "herbs and other country messes, which the neat-handed phyllis dresses." use and abuse of the potato--its eccentricities--its origin--hawkins, not raleigh, introduced it into england--with or without the "jacket"?--don't let it be _à-la_-ed--benevolence and large-heartedness of the cabbage family--peas on earth--pythagoras on the bean--"giving him beans"--"haricot" a misnomer--"borston" beans--frijoles--the carrot--crécy soup--the prince of wales--the black prince and the king of bohemia. item, the potato, earth-apple, murphy, or spud; the most useful, as well as the most exasperating gift of a bountiful providence. those inclined to obesity may skip the greater part of this chapter. you can employ a potato for almost anything. it comes in very handy for the manufacture of starch, sugar, irish stew, scotch whisky, and colorado beetles. cut it in half, and with one half you restore an old master, and with the other drive the cat from the back garden. more deadly battles have been waged over the proper way to cook a potato, than over a parish boundary, or an irish eviction. strong-headed men hurl the spud high in air, and receive and fracture it on their frontal bones; whilst a juggler like paul cinquevalli can do what he likes with it. worn inside the pocket, it is an infallible cure for chronic rheumatism, fits, and tubercular meningitis. worn inside the body it will convert a living skeleton into a daniel lambert. plant potatoes in a game district, and if they come up you will find that after the haulms have withered you can capture all your rich neighbour's pheasants, and half the partridges in the country. a nicely-baked potato, deftly placed beneath the root of his tail, will make the worst "jibber" in the world travel; whilst, when combined with buttermilk, and a modicum of meal, the earth-apple has been known to nourish millions of the rising generation, and to give them sufficient strength and courage to owe their back rents, and accuracy of aim for exterminating the brutal owner of the soil. the waiter, bless ye! the harmless, flat-footed waiter, doesn't know all this. potatoes to him are simply d. or d. in the little account, according to whether they be "biled, mash, or soty"; and if questioned as to the natural history of the floury tuber, he would probably assume an air of injured innocence, and assure you that during his reign of "thirty-five year, man and boy," that establishment had "never 'ad no complaints." the potato is most eccentric in disposition, and its cultivator should know by heart the beautiful ode of horace which commences _aequam memento rebus in arduis_ . . . the experiences of the writer as a potato grower have been somewhat mixed, and occasionally like the following:--set your snowflakes in deeply-trenched, heavily-manured ground, a foot apart. in due time you will get a really fine crop of groundsel, charlock, and slugs, with enough bind-weed to strangle the sea-serpent. clear all this rubbish off, and after a week or two the eye will be gladdened with the sight of the delicate green leaf of the tuber peeping through the soil. slow music. enter the earl of frost. no; they will not _all_ be cut off. you will get _one_ tuber. peel it carefully, and place it in the pig-stye--the peeling spoils the quality of the pork. throw the peeling away--on the bed in which you have sown annuals for choice--and in the late spring you will have a row of potatoes which will do you credit. but this is frivolous. the origin of the potato is doubtful; but that it was used by the ancients, in warfare, is tolerably certain. long before the spaniards reached the new world it was cultivated largely by the incas; and it was the spaniards who brought the tuber to europe, in the beginning of the sixteenth century. it was brought to england from virginia by sir john hawkins in ; and again in by sir francis drake, to whom, as the introducer of the potato, a statue was erected at offenburg, in baden, in . in schools and other haunts of ignorance, the credit for the introduction of the tuber used to be and is (i believe) still given to sir walter raleigh, who has been wrongly accredited with as many "good things" as have been theodore hook or sidney smith. and i may mention _en parenthèse_, that i don't entirely believe that cloak story. for many years the tuber was known in england as the "batata"--overhaul your _lorna doone_--and in france, until the close of the eighteenth century, the earth apple was looked upon with suspicion, as the cause of leprosy and assorted fevers; just as the tomato, at the close of the more civilised nineteenth century, is said by the vulgar and swine-headed to breed cancer. now then, with or without the jacket? and the reader who imagines that i am going to answer the question has too much imagination. as the old butler in wilkie collins's _the moonstone_ observes, there is much to be said on both sides. personally i lean to the "no-jacket" side, unless the tuber be baked; and i would make it penal to serve a potato in any other way than boiled, steamed, or baked.[ ] the bad fairy _ala_ should have no hand in its manipulation; and there be few æsthetic eaters who would not prefer the old-fashioned "ball of flour" to slices of the sodden article swimming in a bath of grease and parsley, and called a _sauté_. the horrible concoction yclept "preserved potatoes," which used to be served out aboard sailing vessels, after the passengers had eaten all the real articles, and which tasted like bad pease-pudding dressed with furniture polish, is, happily, deceased. and the best potatoes, the same breed which our fathers and our forefathers munched in the covent garden "cave of harmony," grow, i am credibly informed, in jermyn street. moreover if you wish to spoil a dish of good spuds, there is no surer way than by leaving on the dish-cover. so much for boiling 'em--or steaming 'em. the cabbage is a fine, friendly fellow, who makes himself at home, and generally useful, in the garden; whilst his great heart swells, and swells, in the full knowledge that he is doing his level best to please all. though cut down in the springtime of his youth, his benevolence is so great that he will sprout again from his headless trunk, if required, and given time for reflection. the romans introduced him into great britain, but there was a sort of cow-cabbage in the island before that time which our blue forefathers used to devour with their bacon, and steaks, in a raw state. "the most evolved and final variety of the cabbage," writes a _savant_, "is the cauliflower, in which the vegetative surplus becomes poured into the flowering head, of which the flowering is more or less checked; the inflorescence becoming a dense corymb instead of an open panicle, and the majority of the flowers aborting"--the head gardener usually tells you all this in the scottish language--"so as to become incapable of producing seed. let a specially vegetative cabbage repeat the excessive development of its leaf parenchyma, and we have the wrinkled and blistered savoy, of which the hardy constitution, but comparative coarseness, become also more intelligible; again a specially vegetative cauliflower gives us an easily grown and hardy winter variety, broccoli"--_broccilo_ in costerese--"from which, and not from the ordinary cauliflower, a sprouting variety arises in turn." in jersey the cabbage-stalks are dried, varnished, and used as spars for thatched roofs, as also for the correction of the youthful population. cook all varieties of the cabbage in water already at the boil, with a little salt and soda in it. the french sprinkle cheese on a cauliflower, to make it more tasty, and it then becomes _choufleur aû gratin_. remove the green leaves, and _underboil_ your cauliflower. pour over it some butter sauce in which have been mixed two ounces of grated cheese--half gruyère and half parmesan. powder with bread crumbs, or raspings, and with more grated cheese. lastly, pour over it a teaspoonful of oiled butter. place in a hot oven and bake till the surface is a golden brown, which should be in from ten to fifteen minutes. serve in same dish. vegetarians should be particularly careful to soak every description of cabbage in salt and water before cooking. otherwise the vegetarians will probably eat a considerable portion of animal food. here occurs an opportunity for the recipe for an elegant dish, which the french call _perdrix aux choux_, which is simply _partridge stewed with cabbage, etc._ a brace of birds browned in the stewpan with butter or good dripping, and a portion of a hand of pickled pork in small pieces, some chopped onion and a clove or two. add some broth, two carrots (chopped), a bay-leaf, and a chopped sausage or two. then add a savoy cabbage, cut into quarters, and seasoned with pepper and salt. let all simmer together for an hour and a half. then drain the cabbage, and place it, squashed down, on a dish. arrange the birds in the middle, surround them with the pieces of pork and sausage, and pour over all the liquor from the stew. this is an excellent dish, and savours more of teutonic than of french cooking. but you mustn't tell a frenchman this, if he be bigger than yourself. the toothsome pea has been cultivated in the east from time immemorial, though the ancient greeks and romans do not appear to have had knowledge of such a dainty. had vitellius known the virtues of duck and green peas he would probably have not been so wrapt up in his favourite dormice, stuffed with poppy-seed and stewed in honey. the ancient egyptians knew all about the little pulse, and not one of the leaders of society was mummified without a pod or two being placed amongst his wrappings. and after thousand of years said peas, when sown, have been known to germinate. the mummy pea-plant, however, but seldom bears fruit. our idiotic ancestors, the ancient britons, knew nothing about peas, nor do any of their descendants appear to have troubled about the vegetable before the reign of the virgin queen. then they were imported from holland, together with schnapps, curaçoa, and other things, and no "swagger" banquet was held without a dish of "fresh-shelled 'uns," which were accounted "fit dainties for ladies, they came so far and cost so dear." in england up-to-date peas are frequently accompanied by pigeon pie at table; the dove family being especially partial to the little pulse, either when attached to the haulm, in the garden, or in a dried state. so that the crafty husbandman, who possesses a shot gun, frequently gathereth both pea and pigeon. a chalky soil is especially favourable to pea cultivation; and deal sawdust sprinkled well over the rows immediately after the setting of the seed will frustrate the knavish tricks of the field mouse, who also likes peas. the man who discovered the affinity between mint and this vegetable ought to have received a gold medal, and i would gladly attend the execution of the caitiff who invented the tinned peas which we get at the foreign restaurants, at three times the price of the english article. here is a good simple recipe for pea soup, made from the dried article: soak a quart of split peas in rain-water for twelve hours. put them in the pot with one carrot, one onion, one leek, a sprig or two of parsley (all chopped), one pound of streaky bacon, and three quarts of the liquor in which either beef, mutton, pork, or poultry may have been boiled. boil for nearly three hours, remove the bacon, and strain the soup through a tammy. heat up, and serve with dried mint, and small cubes of fat bacon fried crisp. green-pea soup is made in precisely the same way; but the peas will not need soaking beforehand, and thrifty housewives put in the shells as well. harmless and nutritious a vegetable as the bean would appear to be, it did not altogether find favour with the ancients. pythagoras, who had quaint ideas on the subject of the human soul, forbade his disciples to eat beans, because they were generated in the foul ooze out of which man was created. lucian, who had a vivid imagination, describes a philosopher in hades who was particularly hard on the bean, to eat which he declared was as great a crime as to eat one's father's head. and yet lucian was accounted a man of common sense in his time. the romans only ate beans at funerals, being under the idea that the souls of the dead abode in the vegetable. according to tradition, the "caller herrin'" hawked in the streets of edinburgh were once known as "lives o' men," from the risks run by the fishermen. and the romans introduced the bean into england by way of cheering up our blue forefathers. in the roman festival of lemuralia, the father of the family was accustomed to throw black beans over his head, whilst repeating an incantation. this ceremony probably inspired lucian's philosopher--for whom, however, every allowance should be made, when we come to consider his place of residence--with his jaundiced views of the _faba vulgaris_. curiously enough, amongst the vulgar folk, at the present day, there would seem to be some sort of prejudice against the vegetable; or why should "i'll give him beans" be a synonymous threat with "i'll do him all the mischief i can?" there is plenty of nourishment in a bean; that is the opinion of the entire medical faculty. and whilst beans and bacon make a favourite summer repast for the farm-labourer and his family, the dish is also (at the commencement of the bean season) to be met with at the tables of the wealthy. the aroma of the flower of the broad bean was once compared, in one of john leech's studies in _punch_, to "the most delicious 'air oil," but, apart from this fragrance, there is but little sentiment about the _faba vulgaris_. a much more graceful vegetable is the _phaseolus vulgaris_, the kidney, or, as the idiotic french call it, the _haricot_ bean. it is just as sensible to call a leg of welsh mutton a _pré salé_, or salt meadow. no well-behaved hashed venison introduces himself to our notice unless accompanied by a dish of kidney beans. and few people in europe besides frenchmen and convicts eat the dried seeds of this form of bean, which is frequently sown in suburban gardens to form a fence to keep out cats. but the suburban cat knows a trick worth a dozen of that one; and no bean that was ever born will arrest his progress, or turn him from his evil ways. it is criminal to smother the kidney bean with melted butter at table. a little oil, vinegar, and pepper agree with him much better. in the great continent of america, the kidney-bean seed, dried, is freely partaken of. pork and "borston" beans, in fact, form the national dish, and right good it is. but do not attempt any violent exercise after eating the same. the mexicans are the largest bean-eaters in the world. they fry the vegetables in oil or stew them with peppers and onions, and these _frijoles_ form the principal sustenance of the lower orders. an english "bean feast" (vulg. _beano_) is a feast at which no beans, and not many other things, are eaten. the intelligent foreigner may take it that _beano_ simply means the worship of bacchus. with the exception of the onion there is no more useful aid to cookery of all sorts than the lowly carrot, which was introduced into england--no, not by the romans--from holland, in the sixteenth century. and the ladies who attended the court of charles i. were in the habit of wearing carrot leaves in the hair, and on their court robes, instead of feathers. a similar fashion might be revived at the present epoch, with advantage to the banking account of vile man. as the flemish gardeners brought over the roots, we should not despise carrots cooked in the flemish way. simmer some young carrots in butter, with pepper and salt. add cream (or milk and yolk of eggs), a pinch of sugar, and a little chopped parsley. h.r.h. the prince of wales, according to report, invariably eats carrot soup on the th of august. the french call it "crÉcy" soup, because their best carrots grow there; and crécy it may be remembered was also the scene of a great battle, when one englishman proved better than five frenchmen. in this battle the black prince performed prodigies of valour, afterwards assuming the crest of the late bohemian king--three ostrich feathers (surely these should be carrot tops?) with the motto "_ich dien_." _crécy soup._ place a mirepoix of white wine in the pot, and put a quantity of sliced carrots atop. moisten with broth, and keep simmering till the carrots are done. then pour into a mortar, pound, and pass through a tammy. thin it with more broth, sweeten in the proportion of one tablespoonful of sugar to two gallons of soup; heat up, pop a little butter in at the finish, and in serving it add either small cubes of fried bread, or rice boiled as for curry (see page ). chapter xi vegetables (_continued_) "earth's simple fruits; we all enjoy them. then why with sauces rich alloy them?" the brief lives of the best--a vegetable with a pedigree--argenteuil--the elysian fields--the tomato the emblem of love--"neeps"--spinach--"stomach-brush"--the savoury tear-provoker--invaluable for wasp-stings--celery merely cultivated "smallage"--the "_apium_"--the parsnip--o jerusalem!--the golden sunflower--how to get pheasants--a vegetarian banquet--"swelling wisibly." it is one of the most exasperating laws and ordinations of nature that the nicest things shall last the shortest time. "whom the gods love die young," is an ancient proverb; and the produce of the garden which is most agreeable to man invariably gives out too soon. look at peas. every gardener of worth puts in the seed so that you may get the different rows of marrow-fats and telephones and _ne plus ultras_ in "succession"; and up they all come, at one and the same time, whilst, if you fail to pick them all at once, the combined efforts of mildew and the sun will soon save you the labour of picking them at all. look at strawberries; and why can't they stay in our midst all the year round, like the various members of the cabbage family? then look at asparagus. the gardener who could persuade the heads of this department to pop up in succession, from january to december would earn more money than the prime minister. the favourite vegetable of the ancient romans was introduced by them, with their accustomed unselfishness, into britain, where it has since flourished--more particularly in the alluvial soil of the thames valley in the neighbourhood of mortlake and richmond, ground which is also especially favourable to the growth of celery. in an ancient work called _de re rustica_, cato the elder, who was born b.c., has much to say--far more, indeed, than i can translate without the aid of a dictionary or "crib"--about the virtues and proper cultivation of asparagus; and pliny, another noble roman, devotes several chapters of his _natural history_ (published at the commencement of the christian era) to the same subject. "of all the productions of your garden" says this mr. pliny, "your chief care will be your asparagus." and the cheerful and sanguine householder of to-day who sows his asparagus, and expects to get it "while he waits" has ample consolation for disappointment in the reflection that his labours will benefit posterity, if not the next tenant. the foreigners can beat us for size, in the matter of asparagus; but ours is a long way in front for flavour. in france the vegetable is very largely grown at argenteuil on the seine, a district which has also produced, and still produces, a wine which is almost as dangerous to man as hydrocyanic acid, and which was invariably served in the restaurants, after the sitting had been a lengthy one, no matter what special brand might have been ordered. english hosts play the same game with their "military" ports and inferior sherries. the argenteuil asparagus is now grown between the vines--at least acres are in cultivation--hence the peculiar flavour which, however grateful it may be to frenchmen, is somewhat sickly and not to be compared with that of the "little gentleman in green," nearly the whole of whom we english can consume with safety to digestion. according to greek mythology, asparagus grew in the elysian fields; but whether the blessed took oil and vinegar with it, or the "bill-sticker's paste," so favoured in middle-class kitchens of to-day, there is no record. it goes best, however, with a plain salad dressing--a "spot" of mustard worked into a tablespoonful of oil, and a dessert-spoonful of tarragon vinegar, with pepper and salt _ad lib_. asparagus is no longer known in the british pharmacopoeia, but the french make large medicinal use of its root, which is supposed to still the action of the heart, like foxglove, and to act as a preventive of calculi. in cooking the vegetable, tie in small bundles, which should be stood on end in the saucepan, so that the delicate heads should be _steamed_, and not touched by the boiling water. many cooks will contest this point; which, however, does not admit of argument. there was once a discussion in a well-known hostelry, as to whether the _tomato_ was a fruit or a vegetable. eventually the head-waiter was invited to solve the great question. he did so on the spot. "tumarter, sir? tumarter's a hextra." and as a "hextra" it has never since that period ceased to be regarded. a native of south america, the plant was introduced into europe by the spaniards, late in the sixteenth century, and the english got it in . still until a quarter of a century ago the tomato has not been largely cultivated, save by the market gardener; in fact in private gardens it was conspicuous by its absence. those who eat it do _not_ invariably succumb to cancer; and the dyspeptic should always keep it on the premises. as the tomato is also known as the "love-apple," a great point was missed by our old friend sergeant buzfuz, in the celebrated bardell v. pickwick trial, when referring to the postscript, "chops, and tomato sauce." possibly charles dickens was not an authority on veget---- i beg pardon, "hextras." here is a french recipe for _tomate au gratin_: cut open the tops and scoop out the pulp. pass it through a sieve, to clear away the pips, and mix with it either a modicum of butter, or oil, some chopped shalot and garlic, with pepper and salt. simmer the mixture for a quarter of an hour, then stir in some bread-crumbs, previously soaked in broth, and some yolks of egg. when cold, fill the tomato skins with the mixture, shake some fine bread raspings over each, and bake in quick oven for ten or twelve minutes. the _turnip_ is not, as might be sometimes imagined, entirely composed of compressed deal splinters, but is a vegetable which was cultivated in india long before the britons got it. the scotch call turnips "neeps"; but the scotch will do anything. probably no member of the vegetable family is so great a favourite with the insect pests sent on earth by an all-wise providence to prevent mankind having too much to eat. but see that you get a few turnips to cook when there is roast duck for dinner. _spinach_ was introduced into spain by the arabs, and as neither nation possessed at that time, at all events, the attribute of extra-cleanliness, they must have eaten a great deal of "matter in the wrong place," otherwise known as dirt. for if ever there was a vegetable the preparation of which for table would justify any cook in giving notice to leave, it is spinach. the germans have nick-named it "stomach-brush," and there is no plant growing which conduces more to the health of man. but there has been more trouble over the proper way to serve it at table than over armenia. the french chop up their _épinards_ and mix butter, or gravy, with the mess. many english, on the other hand, prefer the leaves cooked whole. it is all a matter of taste. but i seem to scent a soft, sweet fragrance in the air, a homely and health-giving reek, which warns me that i have too long neglected to touch upon the many virtues of the _onion_. indigenous to india in the form of _garlic_ (or _gar-leek_, the original onion), the egyptians got hold of the tear-provoker and cultivated it years before the christian era. so that few of the mortals of whom we have ever read can have been ignorant of the uses of the onion, or _gar-leek_. but knowledge and practice have enabled modern gardeners to produce larger bulbs than even the most imaginative of the ancients can have dreamt of. to mention all the uses to which the onion is put in the kitchen would be to write a book too weighty for any known motive power to convey to the british museum; but it may be briefly observed of the juice of the _cepa_ that it is invaluable for almost any purpose, from flavouring a dish fit to set before a king, to the alleviation of the inflammation caused by the poison-bearing needle which the restless wasp keeps for use within his, or her, tail. in fact, the inhabited portion of the globe had better be without noses than without onions. like the tomato, celery is a "hextra"--and a very important one. if you buy the heads at half-a-crown per hundred and sell them at threepence a portion, it will not exercise your calculating powers to discover the profits which can be made out of this simple root. celery is simply cultivated "smallage"; a weed which has existed in britain since the age of ice. it was the italians who made the discovery that educated smallage would become celery; and it is worthy of note that their forefathers, the conquerors of the world, with the greeks, seem to have known "no touch of it"--as a relish, at all events; though some writers will have it that the "apium," with which the victors at the isthmian and other games were crowned was not parsley but the leaf of the celery plant. but what does it matter? celery is invaluable as a flavourer, and when properly cultivated, and not stringy, a most delightful and satisfactory substance to bite. in fact a pretty woman never shows to more advantage than when nibbling a crisp, "short" head of celery--provided she possess pretty teeth. with boiled turkey, or ditto pheasant, celery sauce is _de rigueur_; and it should be flavoured slightly with slices of onion, an ounce of butter being allowed to every head of celery. the french are fond of it stewed; and as long as the flavour of the gravy, or _jus_, does not disguise the flavour of the celery, it is excellent when thus treated. its merits in a salad will be touched upon in another chapter. the parsnip is a native of england, where it is chiefly used to make an inferior kind of spirit, or a dreadful brand of wine. otherwise few people would trouble to cultivate the parsnip; for we can't be having boiled pork or salt fish for dinner every day. the vegetable marrow is a member of the pumpkin family and is a comparatively tasteless occupant of the garden, its appearance in which heralds the departure of summer. in the suburbs, if you want to annoy the people next door, you cannot do better than put in a marrow plant or two. if they come to anything, and get plenty of water, they will crawl all over your neighbour's premises; and unless he is fond of the breed, and cuts and cooks them, they make him mad. the frugal housewife, blessed with a large family, makes jam of the surplus marrows; but i prefer a conserve of apricot, gooseberry, or greengage. another purpose to which to put this vegetable is-- scoop out the seeds, after cutting it in half, lengthways. fill the space with minced veal (cooked), small cubes of bacon, and plenty of seasoning--some people add the yoke of an egg--put on the other half marrow, and bake for half-an-hour. this baked marrow is a cheap and homely dish which, like many another savoury dish, seldom finds its way to the rich man's dining-room. the artichoke is a species of thistle; and the man who pays the usual high-toned restaurant prices for the pleasure of eating such insipid food, is an--never mind what. boil the thing in salt and water, and dip the ends of the leaves in oil and vinegar, or holland sauce, before eating. then you will enjoy the really fine flavour of the--oil and vinegar, or holland sauce. the so-called jerusalem artichoke is really a species of sunflower. its tuber is not a universal favourite, though it possesses far from a coarse flavour. the plant has nothing whatever to do with jerusalem, and never had. put a tuber or two into your garden, and you will have jerusalem artichokes as long as you live on those premises. for the vegetable will stay with you as long as the gout, or the rate-gatherer. pheasants are particularly partial to this sort of crop. by far the best vegetable production of the gorgeous east is the _brinjal_ 'tis oval in shape, and about the size of a hen's egg, the surface being purple in colour. it is usually cut in twain and done "on the grating"; i have met something very like the _brinjal_ in covent garden; but can find no record of the vegetable's pedigree in any book. although there are still many vegetarian restaurants in our large towns, the prejudice against animal food is, happily, dying out; and if ridicule could kill, we should not hear much more of the "cranks" who with delightful inconsistency, would spurn a collop of beef, and gorge themselves on milk, in every shape and form. if milk, butter, and cheese be not animal food i should like to know what is? and it is as reasonable to ask a man to sustain life on dried peas and mushrooms as to feed a tiger on cabbages. once, and only once, has the writer attempted a _vegetarian banquet_. it was savoury enough; and possessed the additional merit of being cheap. decidedly "filling at the price" was that meal. we--i had a messmate--commenced with (alleged) scotch broth--which consisted principally of dried peas, pearl barley, and oatmeal--and a large slice of really excellent brown bread was served, to each, with this broth. thereupon followed a savoury stew of onions and tomatoes, relieved by a "savoury pie," apparently made from potatoes, leeks, bread crumbs, butter, and "postponed" mushrooms. we had "gone straight" up to now, but both shied a bit at the maccaroni and grated cheese. we had two bottles of ginger beer apiece, with this dinner, which cost less than three shillings for the two, after the dapper little waitress had been feed. on leaving, we both agreed to visit that cleanly and well-ordered little house again, if only from motives of economy; but within half an hour that programme was changed. like the old lady at the tea-drinking, i commenced to "swell wisibly"; and so did my companion. "mon alive!" he gasped. "i feel just for all the wor-rld like a captive balloon, or a puffy-dunter--that's a puffing whale, ye ken. i'll veesit yon onion-hoose nae mair i' ma life!" and i think it cost us something like half a sovereign in old brandy to neutralise the effects of that vegetarian banquet. chapter xii curries "thou com'st in such a questionable shape that i will speak to thee." different modes of manufacture--the "native" fraud--"that man's family"--the french _kari_--a parsee curry--"the oyster in the sauce"--ingredients--malay curry--locusts--when to serve--what to curry--prawn curry--dry curry, a champion recipe--rice--the bombay duck. the poor indian grinds his coriander seeds, green ginger, and other ingredients between two large flat stones; taking a whiff at the family "hubble-bubble" pipe at intervals. the frugal british housewife purchases (alleged) curry powder in the warehouse of italy--where it may have lived on, like claudian, "through the centuries"--stirs a spoonful or two into the hashed mutton, surrounds it with a wall of clammy rice, and calls it benares curry, made from the recipe of a very dear uncle who met his death while tiger-shooting. and you will be in the minority if you do not cut this savoury meat with a knife, and eat potatoes, and very often cabbage, with it. the far-seeing eating-house keeper corrals a _lascar_ or a discharged _mehtar_ into the firm, gives him his board, a pound a month, and a clean _puggaree_ and _kummerbund_ daily, and "stars" him in the bill as an "indian _chef_, fresh from the chowringhee club, calcutta." and it is part of the duties of this oriental--supposed by the unwary to be at least a prince in his native land--to hand the portions of curry, which he may or may not have concocted, to the appreciative guests, who enjoy the repast all the more from having the scent of the hooghly brought across the footlights. i was once sadly and solemnly reproved by the head waiter of a very "swagger" establishment indeed for sending away, after one little taste, the (alleged) curry which had been handed me by an exile from ind, in snow-white raiment. "you really ought to have eaten that, sir," said the waiter, "for that man's family have been celebrated curry-makers for generations." i smole a broad smile. in the land of the moguls the very babies who roll in the dust know the secret of curry-making. but that "that man" had had any hand in the horrible concoction placed before me i still resolutely decline to believe. and how can a man be cook and waiter at the same time? the "native curry-maker," depend on it, is more or less of a fraud; and his aid is only invoked as an excuse for overcharging. at the oriental club are served, or used to be served, really excellent curries, assorted; for as there be more ways than one of killing a cat, so are there more curries than one. the french turn out a horrible mixture, with parsley and mushrooms in it, which they call _kari_; it is called by a still worse name on the boulevards, and the children of our lively neighbours are frequently threatened with it by their nurses. on the whole, the east indian method is the best; and the most philanthropic curry i ever tasted was one which my own _khitmughar_ had just prepared, with infinite pains, for his own consumption. the poor heathen had prospected a feast, as it was one of his numerous "big days"; so, despising the homely _dhal_, on the which, with a plate of rice and a modicum of rancid butter, he was wont to sustain existence, he had manufactured a savoury mess of pottage, the looks of which gratified me. so, at the risk of starting another mutiny, it was ordained that the slave should serve the refection at the table of the "protector of the poor." and a _pukkha_ curry it was, too. another dish of native manufacture with which the writer became acquainted was a _parsee curry_. the eminent firm of jehangeer on one occasion presented a petition to the commanding-officer that they might be allowed to supply a special curry to the mess one guest-night. the request was probably made as an inducement to some of the young officers to pay a little on account of their "owings" to the firm; but it is to be feared that no special vote of thanks followed the sampling of that special curry. it was a curry! i tasted it for a week (as the frenchman did the soup of swindon); and the parsee _chef_ must have upset the entire contents of the spice-box into it. i never felt more like murder than when the hotel cook in manchester put nutmeg in the oyster sauce; but after that curry, the strangling of the entire firm of jehangeer would, in our cantonments, at all events, have been brought in "justifiable homicide." "oyster sauce" recalls a quaint _simile_ i once heard a bookmaker make use of. he was talking of one of his aristocratic debtors, whom he described as sure to pay up, if you could only get hold of him. "but mark you," continued the layer of odds, "he's just about as easy to get hold of as _the oyster in the sauce_, at one of our moonicipal banquets!" but return we to our coriander seeds. there is absolutely no reason why the frugal housewife in this country should not make her own curry powder from day to day, as it may be required. here is an average indian recipe; but it must be remembered that in the gorgeous east tastes vary as much as elsewhere, and that bengal, bombay, madras (including burmah), ceylon, and the straits settlements, have all different methods of preparing a curry. a few coriander and cumin seeds--according to taste--eight peppercorns, a small piece of turmeric, and one dried chili, all pounded together. when making the curry _mixture_, take a piece of the heart of a cabbage, the size of a hen's egg; chop it fine and add one sour apple in thin slices the size of a keswick codlin, the juice of a medium-sized lemon, a salt-spoonful of black pepper, and a tablespoonful of the above curry powder. mix all well together; then take six medium-sized onions which have been chopped small and fried a delicate brown, a clove of garlic, also chopped small, two ounces of fresh butter, two ounces of flour, and one pint of beef gravy. boil up this lot (which commences with the onions), and _when boiling_ stir in the rest of the mixture. let it all simmer down, and then add the solid part of the curry, _i.e._ the meat, cut in portions not larger than two inches square. remember, o frugal housewife, that the turmeric portion of the entertainment should be added with a niggard hand. "too much turmeric" is the fault which is found with most curries made in england. i remember, when a boy, that there was an idea rooted in my mind that curries were made with doctor gregory's powder, an unsavoury drug with which we were periodically regaled by the head nurse; and there was always a fierce conflict at the dinner-table when the bill-of-fare included this (as we supposed) physic-al terror. but it was simply the taste of turmeric to which we took exception. what is turmeric? a plant in cultivation all over india, whose tubers yield a deep yellow powder of a resinous nature. this resinous powder is sold in lumps, and is largely used for adulterating mustard; just as inferior anchovy sauce is principally composed of armenian bole, the deep red powder with which the actor makes up his countenance. turmeric is also used medicinally in hindustan, but not this side of suez, although in chemistry it affords an infallible test for the presence of alkalies. the coriander has become naturalised in parts of england, but is more used on the continent. our confectioners put the seeds in cakes and buns, also comfits, and in germany, norway, sweden, and (i fancy) russia, they figure in household bread. in the south of england, coriander and caraway seeds are sown side by side, and crops of each are obtained in alternate years. the coriander seed, too, is largely used with that of the caraway and the cumin, for making the liqueur known as kÜmmel. cumin is mentioned in scripture as something particularly nice. the seeds are sweet-savoured, something like those of the caraway, but more potent. in germany they put them into bread, and the dutch use them to flavour their cheeses. the seeds we get in england come principally from sicily and malta. and now that my readers know all about the ingredients of curry-powder--it is assumed that no analysis of the chili, the ginger-root, or the peppercorn, is needed--let them emulate the pupils of mr. wackford squeers, and "go and do it." another recipe for curry-powder includes fenugreek, cardamoms, allspice, and cloves; but i verily believe that this was the powder used in that abominable parsee hell-broth, above alluded to, so it should be cautiously approached, if at all. "fenugreek" sounds evil; and i should say a curry compounded of the above ingredients would taste like a "number one" pick-me-up. yet another recipe (doctor kitchener's) specifies six ounces of coriander seed, five ounces of turmeric (_ower muckle, i'm of opeenion_) two ounces each of black pepper and mustard seed (_ochone!_), half an ounce of cumin seed, half an ounce of cinnamon (_donner und blitzen!_), and one ounce of lesser cardamoms. all these things are to be placed in a cool oven, kept therein one night, and pounded in a marble mortar next morning, preparatory to being rubbed through a sieve. "kitchener" sounds like a good cooking name; but, with all due respect, i am not going to recommend his curry-powder. a malay curry is made with blanched almonds, which should be fried in butter till lightly browned. then pound them to a paste with a sliced onion and some thin lemon-rind. curry powder and gravy are added, and a small quantity of cream. the malays curry all sorts of fish, flesh, and fowl, including the young shoots of the bamboo--and nice tender, succulent morsels they are. at a hotel overlooking the harbour of point de galle, ceylon, "run," at the time of the writer's visit, by a most convivial and enterprising yankee, a canning concocter of all sorts of "slings" and "cocktails," there used to be quite a plethora of curries in the bill-of-fare. but for a prawn curry there is no place like the city of palaces. and the reason for this super-excellence is that the prawns--but that story had, perhaps, best remain untold. curried locusts formed one of the most eccentric dishes ever tasted by the writer. there had come upon us that day a plague of these all-devouring insects. a few billions called on us, in our kitchen gardens, in passing; and whilst they ate up every green thing--including the newly-painted wheelbarrow, and the regimental standard, which had been incautiously left out of doors--our faithful blacks managed to capture several _impis_ of the marauding scuts, in revenge; and the mess-cook made a right savoury _plât_ of their hind-quarters. it is criminal to serve curry during the _entrée_ period of dinner. and it is worse form still to hand it round after gooseberry tart and cream, and trifle, as i have seen done at one great house. in the land of its birth, the spicy pottage invariably precedes the sweets. nubbee bux marches solemnly round with the mixture, in a deep dish, and is succeeded by ram lal with the rice. and in the madras presidency, where _dry_ curry is served as well as the other brand, there is a procession of three brown attendants. highly-seasoned dishes at the commencement of a long meal are a mistake; and this is one of the reasons why i prefer the middle cut of a plain-boiled tay salmon, or the tit-bit of a lordly turbot, or a flake or two of a grimsby cod, to a _sole normande_, or a red mullet stewed with garlic, mushrooms, and inferior claret. i have even met _homard à l'américaine_, during the fish course, at the special request of a well-known duke. the soup, too, eaten at a large dinner should be as plain as possible; the edge being fairly taken off the appetite by such concoctions as _bisque_, _bouillabaisse_, and _mulligatawny_--all savoury and tasty dishes, but each a meal in itself. then i maintain that to curry whitebait is wrong; partly because curry should on no account be served before roast and boiled, and partly because the flavour of the whitebait is too delicate for the fish to be clad in spices and onions. the lesson which all dinner-givers ought to have learnt from the ancient romans--the first people on record who went in for æsthetic cookery--is that highly-seasoned and well-peppered dishes should figure at the end, and not the commencement of a banquet. here follows a list of some of the productions of nature which it is allowable to curry. _what to curry._ turbot. sole. cod. lobster. crayfish. prawns,--but _not_ the so-called "dublin prawn," which is delicious when eaten plain boiled, but no good in a curry. whelks.[ ] oysters. scallops. mutton. veal. pork. calf's head. ox palate. tripe.[ ] eggs. chicken. rabbit (the "bunny" lends itself better than anything else to this method of cooking). pease. kidney beans.[ ] vegetable marrow. carrots. parsnips. bamboo shoots. locust legs. a mistaken notion has prevailed for some time amongst men and women who write books, that the indian curry mixture is almost red-hot to the taste. as a matter of fact it is of a far milder nature than many i have tasted "on this side." also the anglo-indian does not sustain life entirely on food flavoured with turmeric and garlic. in fact, during a stay of seven years in the gorgeous east, the writer's experience was that not one in ten touched curry at the dinner table. at second breakfast--otherwise known as "tiffin"--it was a favoured dish; but the stuff prepared for the meal of the day--or the bulk thereof--usually went to gratify the voracious appetite of the "_mehters_," the hindus who swept out the mess-rooms, and whose lowness of "caste" allowed them to eat "anything." an eccentric meal was the _mehter's_ dinner. into the empty preserved-meat tin which he brought round to the back door i have seen emptied such assorted _pabulum_ as mock turtle soup, lobster salad, plum pudding and custard, curry, and (of course), the surplus _vilolif_; and in a few seconds he was squatting on his heels, and spading into the mixture with both hands. in the bengal presidency cocoa-nut is freely used with a curry dressing; and as some men have as great a horror of this addition, as of oil in a salad, it is as well to consult the tastes of your guests beforehand. a prawn curry i have seen made in calcutta as follows, the proportions of spices, etc., being specially written down by a _munshi_:-- pound and mix one tablespoonful of coriander seed, one tablespoonful of poppy seed, a salt-spoonful of turmeric, half a salt-spoonful of cumin seed, a pinch of ground cinnamon, a ditto of ground nutmeg, a small lump of ginger, and one salt-spoonful of salt. mix this with butter, add two sliced onions, and fry till lightly browned. add the prawns, shelled, and pour in the milk of a cocoa-nut. simmer for twenty minutes, and add some lime juice. but the champion of curries ever sampled by the writer was a dry curry--a decided improvement on those usually served in the madras presidency--and the recipe (which has been already published in the _sporting times_ and _lady's pictorial_), only came into the writer's possession some years after he had quitted the land of temples. _dry curry._ lb. of meat (mutton, fowl, or white fish). lb. of onions. clove of garlic. ounces of butter. dessert-spoonful of curry powder. dessert-spoonful of curry paste. dessert-spoonful of chutnee (or tamarind preserve, according to taste). a very little cassareep, which is a condiment (only obtainable at a few london shops) made from the juice of the bitter cassava, or manioc root. cassareep is the basis of that favourite west indian dish "pepper-pot." salt to taste. a good squeeze of lemon juice. first brown the onions in the butter, and then dry them. add the garlic, which must be mashed to a pulp with the blade of a knife. then mix the powder, paste, chutnee, and cassareep into a thin paste with the lemon juice. mash the dried onions into this, and let all cook gently till thoroughly mixed. then add the meat, cut into small cubes, and let all simmer very gently for three hours. this sounds a long time, but it must be remembered that the recipe is for a _dry_ curry; and when served there should be no liquid about it. 'tis a troublesome dish to prepare; but, judging from the flattering communications received by the writer, the lieges would seem to like it. and the mixture had better be cooked in a _double_ or porridge-saucepan, to prevent any "catching." already, in one of the breakfast chapters, has the subject of the preparation of rice, to be served with curry, been touched upon; but there will be no harm done in giving the directions again. _rice for curry_ soak a sufficiency of rice in cold water until by repeated strainings all the dirt is separated from it. then put the rice into _boiling_ water, and let it "gallop" for nine or ten minutes--_no longer_. strain the water off through a colander, and dash a little _cold_ water over the rice to separate the grains. put in a hot dish, and serve immediately. a simple enough recipe, surely? so let us hear no more complaints of stodgy, clammy, "puddingy" rice. most of the cookery books give far more elaborate directions, but the above is the method usually pursued by the poor brown heathen himself. soyer's recipe resembles the above; but, after draining the water from the cooked rice, it is replaced in the saucepan, the interior of which has in the interim been anointed with butter. the saucepan is then placed either near the fire (not on it), or in a slow oven, for the rice to swell. another way: after washing the rice, throw it into plenty of boiling water--in the proportion of six pints of water to one pound of rice. boil it for five minutes, and skim it; then add a wine-glassful of milk for every half pound of rice, and continue boiling for five minutes longer. strain the water off through a colander, and put it dry into the pot, on the corner of the stove, pouring over the rice a small piece of butter, which has been melted in a tablespoonful of the hot milk and water in which the rice was boiled. add salt, and stir the rice for five minutes more. the decayed denizen of the ocean, dried to the consistency of biscuit, and known in hindustan as a bombay duck, which is frequently eaten with curry, "over yonder," does not find much favour, this side of port said, although i have met the fowl in certain city restaurants. the addition is not looked upon with any particular favour by the writer. "i have yet to learn" once observed that great and good man, the late doctor joseph pope,[ ] to the writer, in a discussion on "postponed" game, "that it is a good thing to put corruption into the human stomach." chapter xiii salads "o green and glorious, o herbaceous meat! 'twould tempt the dying anchorite to eat. back to the world he'd turn his weary soul, and dip his fingers in the salad bowl!" nebuchadnezzar _v._ sydney smith--salt?--no salad-bowl--french origin--apocryphal story of francatelli--salads _and_ salads--water-cress and dirty water--salad-maker born not made--lobster salad--lettuce, wipe or wash?--mayonnaise--potato salad--tomato ditto--celery ditto--a memorable ditto. if sydney smith had only possessed the experience of old king nebuchadnezzar, after he had been "turned out to grass," the witty prebend might not have waxed quite so enthusiastic on the subject of "herbaceous meat." still the subject is a vast and important one, in its connection with gastronomy, and lends itself to poetry far easier than doth the little sucking pig, upon whom charles lamb expended so great and unnecessary a wealth of language. but look at the terse, perfunctory, and far from satisfactory manner in which the _encyclopædia_ attacks the subject. "salad," we read, "is the term given to a preparation of raw herbs for food. it derives its name from the fact that salt is one of the chief ingredients used in dressing a salad." this statement is not only misleading but startling; for in the "dressing" of a salad it would be the act of a lunatic to make salt the "chief ingredient." long before they had learnt the art of dressing the herbs, our ancestors partook of cresses (assorted), celery, and lettuces, after being soaked in water for a considerable period; and they dipped the raw herbs into salt before consuming them. in fact, in many a cheap eating-house of to-day, the term "salad" means plain lettuce, or cress, or possibly both, absolutely undressed--in a state of nature, _plus_ plenty of dirty water. even the english cook of the end of the nineteenth century cannot rid himself, or herself, of the idea that lettuce, like water-cress, knows the running brook, or the peaceful pond, as its natural element. and thirty years before the end of that century, a salad bowl was absolutely unknown in nine-tenths of the eating-houses of great britain. there is no use in blinking the fact that it is to our lively neighbours that we owe the introduction of the salad proper. often as the writer has been compelled, in these pages, to inveigh against the torturing of good fish and flesh by the alien cook, and the high prices charged for its endowment with an alien flavour, let that writer (figuratively) place a crown of endive, tipped with baby onions, upon the brows of the philanthropist who dressed the first salad, and gave the recipe to the world. that recipe has, of course, been improved upon; and although the _savant_ who writes in the _encyclopædia_ proclaims that "salad has always been a favourite food with civilised nations, and has varied very little in its composition," the accuracy of both statements is open to question. "every art," observes another writer, "has its monstrosities; gastronomy has not been behind-hand; and though he must be a bold man who will venture to blaspheme the elegancies of french cookery, there comes a time to every englishman who may have wandered into a mistaken admiration of sophisticated messes, when he longs for the simple diet of his native land, and vows that the best cookery in the world, and that which satisfies the most refined epicureanism, sets up for its ideal--plainness of good food, and the cultivation of natural tastes." and yet the french have taught us, or tried to teach us, how to prepare a dish of raw herbs, in the simplest way in the world! "now a salad," says the same writer, "is simplicity itself, and here is a marvel--it is the crowning grace of a french dinner, while, on the other hand, it is little understood and villainously treated at english tables." ahem! i would qualify that last statement. at _some_ english tables i have tasted salads compared with which the happiest effort of the _chef_ deserves not to be mentioned in the same garlic-laden breath. and "garlic-laden breath" naturally reminds me of the story of francatelli--of which anecdote i do not believe one word, by the way. it was said of franc., whilst _chef_ at the reform club, that his salads were such masterpieces, such things of beauty, that one of the members questioned him on the subject. "how do you manage to introduce such a delicious flavour into your salads?" "ah! that should be my secret," was the reply. "but i will tell him to you. after i have made all my preparations, and the green food is mixed with the dressing, i chew a little clove of garlic between my teeth--so--and then breathe gently over the whole." but, as observed before, i do not believe that garlic story. o salad, what monstrosities are perpetrated in thy name! let the genteel boarding-house cook-maid, the young lady who has studied harmony and the higher mathematics at the board school, spread herself over the subject; and then invite the angels to inspect the matter, and weep! for this is the sort of "harmony" which the "paying guest," who can appreciate the advantages of young and musical society, an airy front bed-chamber, and a bicycle room, is expected to enthuse over at the _table d'hôte_: a _mélange_ of herbs and roots, including water-cress and giant radishes, swimming in equal parts of vinegar and oil, and a large proportion of the water in which the ingredients have been soaking for hours--said ingredients being minced small, like veal collops, with a steel knife. and the same salad, the very identical horror, obtrudes itself on the table at other genteel establishments than boarding-houses. for they be "mostly fools" who people the civilised world. let it be laid down as a golden rule, that the concoction of a salad should never, or hardly ever, be entrusted to the tender mercies of the british serving-maid. for the salad-maker, like the poet, is born, not made; and the divine _afflatus_--i don't mean garlic--is as essential in the one as in the other. we will take the simple mixture, what is commonly known as the _french salad_, first. this is either composed, in the matter of herbs, of lettuce, chopped taragon, chervil, and chives; or of endive, with, "lurking in the bowl," a _chapon_, or crust of bread on which a clove of garlic has been rubbed. but the waiter, an he be discreet, will ask the customer beforehand if he prefer that the _chapon_ be omitted. the dressing is simplicity itself: within the bowl of a table-spoon are placed, in succession, a spot of made mustard, and a sprinkling of black pepper and salt. the bowl is filled up with vinegar, and with a fork in the other hand the waiter stirs quickly the mustard, etc., afterwards emptying the contents of the spoon over the green-stuff. then the spoon is refilled--either twice or thrice, _ad lib._--with lucca oil, which is also poured over the salad. then the final mixing takes place, in the salad bowl. but there be many and elaborate ways of salad-making. here is the writer's idea of a _lobster salad_ for half-a-dozen guests: in a soup plate, mix the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs--boiled for thirty minutes, and afterwards thrown into cold water--into a smooth paste with a teaspoonful of made mustard, and a tablespoonful of plain vinegar, added drop by drop. keep on stirring, and add a dessert-spoonful of tarragon vinegar, a few drops of essence of anchovies, a teaspoonful (_not heaped_) of salt, about the same quantity of sifted sugar, and a good pinch of cayenne. [the tendency of black pepper is to make a salad gritty, which is an abomination.] lastly, add, drop by drop, three tablespoonfuls of oil. pour this dressing (which should be in a continual state of stir) into your salad bowl. add the pickings of a hen lobster cut into dice, and atop of the lobster, lettuces which have been shred with clean fingers, or with ivory forks; a little endive may be added, with a slice or two of beetroot; but no onion (or very little) in a lobster salad. a few shreds of anchovy may be placed atop; with beetroot cut into shapes, the whites of the eggs, and the coral of the lobster, for the sake of effect; but seek not, o student, to achieve prettiness of effect to the detriment of practical utility. i need hardly add that the sooner after its manufacture a salad is eaten, the better will be its flavour. and the solid ingredients should only be mixed with the dressing at the very last moment; otherwise a sodden, flabby effect will be produced, which is neither pleasing to the eye, nor calculated to promote good digestion. i am perfectly aware that the above is not a strict _mayonnaise_ dressing, in which the egg yolks should be raw, instead of cooked. but, like the scotsman, i have "tried baith," and prefer my own way, which more resembles the _sauce tartare_, than the _mayonnaise_ of our lively neighbours, who, by the way, merely wipe, instead of wash, their lettuces and endive, to preserve, as they say, the flavour. of course this is a matter of taste, but the writer must own to a preference for the baptised article, which must, however, on no account be left to soak, but be simply freed from dirt, grit, and--other things. what is the origin of the word "mayonnaise"? no two frenchmen will give you the same answer. "of or belonging to mayonne" would seem to be the meaning of the word; but then there is no such place as mayonne in the whole of france. grimod de la reyniere maintained that the proper word was "bayonnaise," meaning a native of bayonne, on the spanish frontier. afterwards grimod, who was a resourceful man, got hold of another idea, and said that the word was probably "mahonnaise," and so named in honour of marshal richelieu's capture of the stronghold of mahon, in the island of minorca. but what had this victory got to do with a salad dressing? what was the connection of raw eggs and tarragon vinegar with marshal richelieu? then up came another cook, in the person of carême, who established it as an absolute certainty that the genuine word was "magnonnaise," from the word "_manier_," to manipulate. but as nobody would stand this definition for long, a fresh search had to be made; and this time an old provençal verb was dug up--_mahonner_, or more correctly _maghonner_, to worry or fatigue. and this is now said by purists to be the source of _mayonnaise_--"something worried," or fatigued. and the reason for the gender of the noun is said to be that in ancient times lovely woman was accustomed to manipulate the salad with her own fair fingers. in the time of rousseau, the phrase _retourner la salade avec les doigts_ was used to describe a woman as being still young and beautiful; just as in yorkshire at the present time, "she canna mak' a bit o' bread" is used to describe a woman who is of no possible use in the house. so a _mayonnaise_ or a _mahonnaise_--i care not which be the correct spelling--was a young lady who "fatigued" the salad. more shame to the gallants of the day, who allowed "fatigue" to be associated with youth and beauty! but can it possibly matter what the word means, when the mixture is smooth and savoury; and so deftly blended that no one flavour predominates? and herein lies the secret of every mixture used for the refreshment of the inner man and woman; whether it be a soup, a curry, a trifle, a punch, or a cup--no one ingredient should be of more weight or importance than another. and that was the secret of the "delicious gravy" furnished by the celebrated stew at the "jolly farmers," in _the old curiosity shop_ of charles dickens. mayonnaise (we will drop for the nonce, the other spelling) is made thus: in the proportions of two egg yolks to half a pint of lucca oil, and a small wine-glassful of tarragon vinegar. work the yolks smooth in a basin, with a seasoning of pepper (cayenne for choice), salt, and--according to the writer's views--sifted sugar. then a few drops of oil, and fewer of vinegar; stirring the mixture all the time, from right to left, with a wooden, or ivory, spoon. in good truth 'tis a "fatiguing" task; and as in very hot weather the sauce is liable to decompose, or "curdle," before the finishing touches are put to it, it may be made over ice. "stir, sisters, stir, stir with care!" is the motto for the _mayonnaise_-mixer. and in many cases her only reward consists in the knowledge that through her art and patience she has helped to make the sojourn of others in this vale of tears less tearful and monotonous. "onion atoms" should "lurk within the bowl," on nearly every occasion, and as for a potato salad--don't be afraid, i'm not going to quote any more sydney smith, so don't get loading your guns--well, here is the proper way to make it. _potato salad._ cut nine or ten average-sized kidney potatoes (cooked) into slices, half an inch thick, put them in a salad bowl, and pour over them, after mixing, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, one tablespoonful of tarragon vinegar, six tablespoonfuls of oil, one of minced parsley, a dessert-spoonful of onions chopped very fine, with cayenne and salt to taste. shredded anchovies may be added, although it is preferable without; and this salad should be made a couple of hours or so before partaken of. the german recipe for a potato salad is too nasty to quote; and their herring salad, although said to be a valuable restorative of nerve power, by no means presents an attractive appearance, when served at table. far more to the mind and palate of the average epicure is a _tomato salad_. this is the author's recipe: four large tomatoes and one spanish onion, cut into thin slices. mix a spot of mustard, a little white pepper and salt, with vinegar, in a table-spoon, pour it over the love apples, etc., and then add two tablespoonfuls of oil. mix well, and then sprinkle over the mixture a few drops of lea and perrins's worcester sauce. for the fair sex, the last part of the programme may be omitted, but on no account leave out the breath of sunny spain. and mark this well. the man, or woman, who mixes tomatoes with lettuces, or endives, in the bowl, is hereby sentenced to translate the whole of this book into court english. _celery salad._ an excellent winter salad is made with beetroot and celery, cut in thin slices, and served--with or without onions--either with a mayonnaise sauce, or with a plain cream sauce: to every tablespoonful of cream add a teaspoonful of tarragon vinegar, a little sugar, and a suspicion of cayenne. this salad looks best served in alternate slices of beet and celery, on a flat silver dish, around the sauce. _a gentleman salad maker._ although in the metropolis it is still customary, in middle-class households, to hire "outside help" on the occasion of a dinner-party, we have not heard for some time of a salad-dresser who makes house-to-house visitations in the exercise of his profession. but, at the end of the th century, the chevalier d'allignac, who had escaped from paris to london in the evil days of the revolution, made a fortune in this way. he was paid at the rate of £ a salad, and naturally, soon started his own carriage, "in order that he might pass quickly from house to house, during the dining hours of the aristocracy." high as the fee may appear to be, it is impossible to measure the width of the gulf which lies between the salad as made by a lover of the art, and the kitchen-wench; and a perfect salad is, like a perfect curry, "far above rubies." _a memorable salad_ was once served in my own mansion. the _chef_, who understood these matters well, when her hair was free from vine leaves, had been celebrating her birthday or some other festival; and had mixed the dressing with colza oil. her funeral was largely attended. chapter xiv salads and condiments "epicurean cooks sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite." roman salad--italian ditto--various other salads--sauce for cold mutton--chutnine--raw chutnee--horse-radish sauce--christopher north's sauce--how to serve a mackerel--_sauce tartare_--ditto for sucking pig--delights of making _sambal_--a new language. it has, i hope, been made sufficiently clear that neither water-cress nor radishes should figure in a dressed salad; from the which i would also exclude such "small deer" as mustard and cress. there is, however, no black mark against the narrow-leaved corn salad plant, or "lamb's lettuce"; and its great advantage is that it can be grown almost anywhere during the winter months, when lettuces have to be "coddled," and thereby robbed of most of their flavour. instead of yolk of egg, in a dressing, cheese may be used, with good results, either cream cheese--_not_ the poor stuff made on straws, but what are known as "napkin," or "new forest" cheeses--or cheddar. squash it well up with oil and vinegar, and do not use too much. a piece of cheese the size of an average lump of sugar will be ample, and will lend a most agreeable flavour to the mixture. _roman salad_ lucullus and co.--or rather their cooks--had much to learn in the preparation of the "herbaceous meat" which delighted sydney smith. the romans cultivated endive; this was washed free from "matter in the wrong place," chopped small--absolutely fatal to the taste--anointed with oil and _liquamen_, topped up with chopped onions, and further ornamented with honey and vinegar. but before finding fault with the conquerors of the world for mixing honey with a salad, it should be remembered that they knew not "fine demerara," nor "best lump," nor even the beet sugar which can be made at home. still i should not set a roman salad before my creditors, if i wanted them to have "patience." an offer of the very smallest dividend would be preferable. _italian salad._ the merry italian has improved considerably upon the herbaceous treat (i rather prefer "treat" to "meat") of his ancestors; though he is far too fond of mixing flesh-meat of all sorts with his dressed herbs, and his boiled vegetables. two cold potatoes and half a medium sized beet sliced, mixed with boiled celery and brussels sprouts, form a common salad in the sunny south; the dressing being usually oil and vinegar, occasionally oil _seule_, and sometimes a _tartare_ sauce. stoned olives are usually placed atop of the mess, which includes fragments of chicken, or veal and ham. _russian salad._ this is a difficult task to build up; for a sort of cleopatra's needle, or pyramid, of cooked vegetables, herbs, pickles, etc., has to be erected on a flat dish. carrots, turnips, green peas, asparagus, french beans, beetroot, capers, pickled cucumbers, and horse-radish, form the solid matter of which the pyramid is built. lay a _stratum_ on the dish, and anoint the _stratum_ with _tartare_ sauce. each layer must be similarly anointed, and must be of less circumference than the one underneath, till the top layer consists of one caper. garnish with bombs of caviare, sliced lemon, crayfish, olives, and salted cucumber; and then give the salad to the policeman on fixed-point duty. at least, if you take my advice. _anchovy salad._ this is usually eaten at the commencement of dinner, as a _hors d'oeuvre_. some shreds of anchovy should be arranged "criss-cross" in a flat glass dish. surround it with small heaps of chopped truffles, yolk and white of hard-boiled eggs, capers, and a stoned olive or two. mix all the ingredients together with a little chili vinegar, and twice the quantity of oil. the mixture is said to be invaluable as an appetiser; but the modest oyster on the _deep shell_--if he has not been fattened at the bolt-hole of the main sewer--is to be preferred. cooked vegetables, for salad purposes, are not, nor will they ever be, popular in england, nine out of ten britains will eat the "one sauce" with asparagus, in preference to the oiled butter, or plain salad dressing, of mustard, vinegar, pepper, salt, and oil; whilst 'tis almost hopeless to attempt to dissuade madame the cook from smothering her cauliflowers with liquefied paste, before sending them to table. many a wild weed which foreign nations snatch greedily from the soil, prior to dressing it, is passed by with scorn by our islanders, including the dandelion, which is a favourite of our lively neighbours, for salad purposes, and is doubtless highly beneficial to the human liver. so is the cauliflower; and an eminent medical authority once gave out that the man who ate a parboiled cauliflower, as a salad, every other day, need never send for a doctor. which sounds rather like fouling his own nest. _fruit salad._ this is simply a french _compôte_ of cherries, green almonds, pears, limes, peaches, apricots in syrup slightly flavoured with ginger; and goes excellent well with any cold brown game. try it. _orange salad._ peel your orange, and cut it into thin slices. arrange these in a glass dish, and sugar them well. then pour over them a glass of sherry, a glass of brandy, and a glass of maraschino. _orange sauce._ cold mutton, according to my notions, is "absolutely beastly," to the palate. more happy homes have been broken up by this simple dish than by the entire army of europe. and 'tis a dish which should never be allowed to wander outside the servants' hall. the superior domestics who take their meals in the steward's room, would certainly rise in a body, and protest against the indignity of a cold leg, or shoulder. as for a cold loin--but the idea is too awful. still, brightened up by the following condiment, cold mutton will go down smoothly, and even gratefully:-- rub off the thin yellow rind of two oranges on four lumps of sugar. put these into a bowl, and pour in a wine-glass of port, a quarter pint of dissolved red-currant jelly, a teaspoonful of mixed mustard--don't be frightened, it's all right--a finely-minced shallot, a pinch of cayenne, and some more thin orange rind. mix well. when heated up, strain and bottle off. but amateur sauces should, on the whole, be discouraged. the writer has tasted dozens of imitations of lea and perrins's "inimitable," and it is still inimitable, and unapproachable. it is the same with chutnee. you can get anything in that line you want at stembridge's, close to leicester square, to whom the writer is indebted for some valuable hints. but here is a recipe for a mixture of chutnee and pickle, which must have been written a long time ago; for the two operations are transposed. for instance, _the onions should be dealt with first_. _chutnine._ ten or twelve large apples, peeled and cored, put in an earthenware jar, with a little vinegar (on no account use water) in the oven. let them remain till in a pulp, then take out, and add half an ounce of curry powder, one ounce of ground ginger, half a pound of stoned raisins, chopped fine, half a pound moist sugar, one teaspoonful cayenne pepper, one tablespoonful salt. take four large onions (_this should be done first_), chop very fine, and put them in a jar with a pint and a half of vinegar. cork tightly and let them remain a week. then add the rest of the ingredients, after mixing them well together. cork tightly, and the chutnine will be ready for use in a month. it improves, however, by keeping for a year or so. _raw chutnee_ is another aid to the consumption of cold meat, and i have also seen it used as an accompaniment to curry, but do not recommend the mixture. one large tomato, one smaller spanish onion, one green chili, and a squeeze of lemon juice. pulp the tomato; don't try to extract the seeds, for life is too short for that operation. chop the onion and the chili very fine, and mix the lot up with a pinch of salt, and the same quantity of sifted sugar. i know plenty of men who would break up their homes (after serving the furniture in the same way) and emigrate; who would go on strike, were roast beef to be served at the dinner-table unaccompanied by horse-radish sauce. but this is a relish for the national dish which is frequently overlooked. _horse-radish sauce._ grate a young root as fine as you can. it is perhaps needless to add that the fresher the horse-radish the better. no vegetables taste as well as those grown in your own garden, and gathered, or dug up, just before wanted. and the horse-radish, like the jerusalem artichoke, comes to stay. when once he gets a footing in your garden you will never dislodge him; nor will you want to. very well, then: having grated your horse, add a quarter of a pint of cream--english or devonshire--a dessert-spoonful of sifted sugar, half that quantity of salt, and a tablespoonful of vinegar. mix all together, and, if for hot meat, heat in the oven, taking care that the mixture does not curdle. many people use oil instead of cream, and mix grated orange rind with the sauce. the germans do not use oil, but either make the relish with cream, or hard-boiled yolk of egg. horse-radish sauce for hot meat may also be heated by pouring it into a jar, and standing the jar in boiling water--"jugging it" in fact. _celery sauce_, for boiled pheasant, or turkey, is made thus: two or three heads of celery, sliced thin, put into a saucepan with equal quantities of sugar and salt, a dust of white pepper, and two or three ounces of butter. stew your celery slowly till it becomes pulpy, but _not brown_, add two or three ounces of flour, and a good half-pint of milk, or cream. let it simmer twenty minutes, and then rub the mixture through a sieve. the carp as an item of food is, according to my ideas, a fraud. he tastes principally of the mud in which he has been wallowing until dragged out by the angler. the ancients loved a dish of carp, and yet they knew not the only sauce to make him at all palatable. _sauce for carp._ one ounce of butter, a quarter pint of good beef gravy, one dessert-spoonful of flour, a quarter pint of cream and two anchovies chopped very small. mix over the fire, stir well till boiling, then take off, add a little worcester sauce, and a squeeze of lemon, just before serving. _christopher north's sauce._ this is a very old recipe. put a dessert-spoonful of sifted sugar, a salt-spoonful of salt, and rather more than that quantity of cayenne, into a jar. mix thoroughly, and add, gradually, two tablespoonfuls of harvey's sauce, a dessert-spoonful of mushroom ketchup, a tablespoonful of lemon juice, and a large glass of port. place the jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and let it remain till the mixture is very hot, but not boiling. if bottled directly after made, the sauce will keep for a week, and may be used for duck, goose, pork, or (christopher adds) "any broil." but there is but _one_ broil sauce, the gubbins sauce, already mentioned in this work. _sauce for hare._ what a piece of work is a hare! and what a piece of work it is to cook him in a laudable fashion! crumble some bread--a handful or so--soak it in port wine, heat over the fire with a small lump of butter, a tablespoonful of red-currant jelly, a little salt, and a tablespoonful of chili vinegar. serve as hot as possible. mackerel is a fish but seldom seen at the tables of the great. and yet 'tis tasty eating, if his joseph's coat be bright and shining when you purchase him. when stale he is dangerous to life itself. and he prefers to gratify the human palate when accompanied by _gooseberry sauce_, which is made by simply boiling a few green gooseberries, rubbing them through a sieve, and adding a little butter and a suspicion of ginger. then heat up. "a wine-glassful of sorrel or spinach-juice," observes one authority, "is a decided improvement." h'm. i've tried both, and prefer the gooseberries unadorned with spinach liquor. now for a sauce which is deservedly popular all over the world, and which is equally at home as a salad dressing, as a covering for a steak off a fresh-run salmon, or a portion of fried eel; the luscious, the invigorating _sauce tartare_, so called because no tallow-eating tartar was ever known to taste thereof. i have already given a pretty good recipe for its manufacture, in previous salad-dressing instructions, where the yolks of hard-boiled eggs are used. but chopped chervil, shallots, and (occasionally) gherkins, are added to the _tartare_ arrangement; and frequently the surface is adorned with capers, stoned olives, and shredded anchovies. in the chapters devoted to dinners, no mention has been made of the sucking pig, beloved of charles lamb.[ ] this hardened offender should be devoured with _currant sauce_: boil an ounce of currants, after washing them and picking out the tacks, dead flies, etc., in half a pint of water, for a few minutes, and pour over them a cupful of finely grated crumbs. let them soak well, then beat up with a fork, and stir in about a gill of oiled butter. add two tablespoonfuls of the brown gravy made for the pig, a glass of port, and a pinch of salt. stir the sauce well over the fire. it is also occasionally served with roast venison; but not in the mansions of my friends. what is sauce for madame goose is said to be sauce for old man gander. never mind about that, however. the parents of young master goose, with whom alone i am going to deal, have, like the flowers which bloom in the spring, absolutely nothing to do with the case. this is the best _sauce for the goose_ known to civilisation: put two ounces of green sage leaves into a jar with an ounce of the thin yellow rind of a lemon, a minced shallot, a teaspoonful of salt, half a ditto of cayenne, and a pint of claret. let this soak for a fortnight, then pour off the liquid into a tureen; or boil with some good gravy. this sauce will keep for a week or two, bottled and well corked up. and now, having given directions for the manufacture of sundry "cloyless sauces"--with only one of the number having any connection with _ala_, and that one a sauce of world-wide reputation, i will conclude this chapter with a little fancy work. it is not probable that many who do me the honour to skim through these humble, faultily-written, but heartfelt gastronomic hints are personally acquainted with the cloyless _sambal_, who is a lady of dusky origin. but let us quit metaphor, and direct the gardener to cut the finest and straightest cucumber in his crystal palace. cut both ends off, and divide the remainder into two-inch lengths. peel these, and let them repose in salt to draw out the water, which is the indigestible part of the cucumber. then take each length, in succession, and with a very sharp knife--a penknife is best for the purpose--pare it from surface to centre, until it has become one long, curly shred. curl it up tight, so that it may resemble in form the spring of a waterbury watch. cut the length through from end to end, until you have made numerous long thin shreds. treat each length in the same way, and place in a glass dish. add three green chilies, chopped fine, a few chopped spring onions, and some tiny shreds of the blue fish of java. having performed a fishless pilgrimage in search of this curiosity, you will naturally fall back upon the common or italian anchovy, which, after extracting the brine and bones, and cleansing, chop fine. pour a little vinegar over the mixture. "sambal" will be found a delicious accompaniment to curry--when served on a salad plate--or to almost any description of cold meat and cheese. it is only fair to add, however, that the task of making the relish is arduous and exasperating to a degree; and that the woman who makes it--no male christian in the world is possessed of a tithe of the necessary patience, now that job and robert bruce are no more--should have the apartment to herself. for the labour is calculated to teach an entirely new language to the manufacturer. chapter xv supper "we are such stuff as dreams are made of." cleopatra's supper--oysters--danger in the aden bivalve--oyster stew--ball suppers--pretty dishes--the _taj mahal_--aspic--bloater paste and whipped cream--ladies' recipes--cookery colleges--tripe--smothered in onions--north riding fashion--an hotel supper--lord tomnoddy at the "magpie and stump." that cruel and catlike courtesan, cleopatra, is alleged to have given the most expensive supper on record, and to have disposed of the _bonne bouche_ herself, in the shape of a pearl, valued at the equivalent of £ , , dissolved in vinegar of extra strength. such a sum is rather more than is paid for a supper at the savoy, or the cecil, or the metropole, in these more practical times, when pearls are to be had cheaper; and there is probably about as much truth in this pearl story as in a great many others of the same period. i have heard of a fair _declassée_ leader of fashion at monte carlo, who commanded that her _major domo_ should be put to death for not having telegraphed to paris for peaches, for a special dinner; but the woman who could melt a pearl in vinegar, and then drink----_halte la!_ perhaps the pearl was displayed in the deep shell of the oyster of which the "noble curtesan" partook? we know how mark antony's countrymen valued the succulent bivalve; and probably an oyster feast at wady halfa or dongola was a common function long before london knew a "scott's," a "pimm's," or a "sweeting's." thanks partly to the "typhoid scare," but principally to the prohibitive price, the "native" industry of britain has been, at the latter end of the nineteenth century, by no means active, although in the illustrated annuals uncle john still brings with him a barrel of the luscious bivalves, in addition to assorted toys for the children, when he arrives in the midst of a snow-storm at the old hall on christmas eve. but uncle john, that good fairy of our youth, when charles dickens invented the "festive season," and the very atmosphere reeked of goose-stuffing, resides, for the most part, "in sheffield," in these practical days, when sentiment and goodwill to relatives are rapidly giving place to matters of fact, motor cars, and mammoth rates. the asiatic oyster is not altogether commendable, his chief merit consisting in his size. once whilst paying a flying visit to the city of kurachi, i ordered a dozen oysters at the principal hotel. then i went out to inspect the lions. on my return i could hardly push my way into the coffee-room. it was full of oyster! there was no room for anything else. in fact _one_ kurachi oyster is a meal for four full-grown men. more tragic still was my experience of the bivalves procurable at aden--which cinder-heap i have always considered to be a foretaste of even hotter things below. instead of living on coal-dust (as might naturally be expected) the aden oyster appears to do himself particularly well on some preparation of copper. the only time i tasted him, the after consequences very nearly prevented my ever tasting anything else, on this sphere. and it was only the comfort administered by the steward of my cabin which got me round. "ah!" said that functionary, as he looked in to see whether i would take hot pickled pork or roast goose for dinner. "the last time we touched at aden, there was two gents 'ad 'ysters. one of 'em died the same night, and the other nex' mornin'." i laughed so much that the poison left my system. yet still we eat oysters--the _sans bacilles_ brand, for choice. and if we can only persuade the young gentleman who opens the bivalves to refrain from washing the grit off each in the tub of dirty water behind the bar, so much the better. and above all, the bivalves should be opened on the _deep_ shell, so as to conserve some of the juice; for it is advisable to get as much of the bivalve as we can for the money. every time i crunch the bones of a lark i feel that i am devouring an oratorio, in the way of song; and whilst the bivalve is sliding down the "red lane" it may be as well to reflect that "there slips away fourpence"; or, as the scotsman had it, "bang went saxpence!" in connection with mr. bob sawyer's supper party in _pickwick_, it may be recollected that "the man to whom the order for the oysters had been sent had not been told to open them; it is a very difficult thing to open an oyster with a limp knife or a two-pronged fork: and very little was done in this way." and in one's own house, unless there be an adept at oyster-opening present, the simplest way to treat the bivalve is the following. it should be remembered that a badly-opened oyster will resemble in flavour a slug on a gravel walk. so _roast_ him, good friends, in his own fortress. _oysters in their own juice._ with the tongs place half-a-dozen oysters, mouths outwards, between the red-hot coals of the parlour or dining-room fire--the deep shell must be at the bottom--and the oysters will be cooked in a few minutes, or when the shells gape wide. pull them out with the tongs, and insert a fresh batch. no pepper, vinegar, or lemon juice is necessary as an adjunct; and the oyster never tastes better. at most eating-houses, _scalloped oysters_ taste of nothing but scorched bread-crumbs; and the reason is obvious, for there is but little else in the scallop shell. _natives only_ should be used. open and beard two dozen, and cut each bivalve in half. melt two ounces of butter in a stewpan, and mix into it the same allowance of flour, the strained oyster liquor, a teacupful of cream, half a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, and a pinch of cayenne--death to the caitiff who adds nutmeg--and stir the sauce well over the fire. take it off, and add the well-beaten yolks of two eggs, a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, and a teaspoonful of lemon juice. put in the oysters, and stir the whole over a gentle fire for five minutes. put the mixture in the shells, grate bread-crumbs over, place a small piece of butter atop, and bake in a dutch oven before a clear fire until the crumbs are lightly browned, which should be in about a quarter of an hour. _oyster stew_ is thoroughly understood in new york city. on this side, the dish does not meet with any particular favour, although no supper-table is properly furnished without it. open two dozen oysters, and take the beards off. put the oysters into a basin and squeeze over them the juice of half a lemon. put the beards and the strained liquor into a saucepan with half a blade of mace, half a dozen peppercorns ground, a little grated lemon rind, and a pinch of cayenne. simmer gently for a quarter of an hour, strain the liquid, thicken it with a little butter and flour, add a quarter of a pint (or a teacupful) of cream, and stir over the fire till quite smooth. then put in the oysters, and let them warm through--they must not boil. serve in a soup tureen, and little cubes of bread fried in bacon grease may be served with the stew, as with pea-soup. be very careful to whose care you entrust your barrel, or bag, of oysters, after you have got them home. a consignment of the writer's were, on one memorable and bitter cold christmas eve, consigned to the back dairy, by matilda anne. result--frostbite, gapes, dissolution, disappointment, disagreeable language. _ball suppers._ more hard cash is wasted on these than even on ball dresses, which is saying a great deal. the alien caterer, or _charcutier_, is chiefly to blame for this; for he it is who has taught the british matron to wrap up wholesome food in coats of grease, inlaid with foreign substances, to destroy its flavour, and to bestow upon it an outward semblance other than its own. there was handed unto me, only the other evening, what i at first imagined to be a small section of the celebrated _taj mahal_ at agra, the magnificent mausoleum of the emperor shah jehan. reference to the bill-of-fare established the fact that i was merely sampling a galantine of turkey, smothered in some white glazy grease, inlaid with chopped carrot, green peas, truffles, and other things. and the marble column (also inlaid) which might have belonged to king solomon's temple, at the top of the table, turned out to be a tay salmon, decorated _à la mode de charcutier_, and tasting principally of garlic. a shriek from a fair neighbour caused me to turn my head in her direction; and it took some little time to discover, and to convince her, that the item on her plate was not a mouse, too frightened to move, but some preparation of the liver of a goose, in "aspic." this said aspic--which has no connection with the asp which the fair cleopatra kept on the premises, although a great french lexicographer says that aspic is so called because it is as cold as a snake--is invaluable in the numerous "schools of cookery" in the which british females are educated according to the teaching of the bad fairy _ala_. the cold chicken and ham which delighted our ancestors at the supper-table--what has become of them? yonder, my dear sir, is the fowl, in neat portions, minced, and made to represent fragments of the almond rock which delighted us whilst in the nursery. the ham has become a ridiculous _mousse_, placed in little accordion-pleated receptacles of snow-white paper; and those are not poached eggs atop, either, but dabs of whipped cream with a preserved apricot in the centre. it was only the other day that i read in a journal written by ladies for ladies, of a dainty dish for luncheon or supper: _croûtons_ smeared with bloater paste and surmounted with whipped cream; and in the same paper was a recipe for stuffing a fresh herring with mushrooms, parsley, yolk of egg, onion, and its own soft roe. i am of opinion that it was a bad day for the male briton when the gudewife, with her gude-daughter, and her gude cook, abandoned the gude roast and boiled, in favour of the works of the all-powerful _ala_. and now let us proceed to discuss the most homely supper of all, and when i mention the magic word _tripe_ there be few of my readers who will not at once allow that it is not only the most homely of food, but forms an ideal supper. this doctrine had not got in its work, however, in the 'sixties, at about which period the man who avowed himself an habitual tripe-eater must have been possessed of a considerable amount of nerve. some of the supper-houses served it--such as the albion, the coal hole, and more particularly, "noakes's," the familiar name for the old opera tavern which used to face the royal italian opera house, in bow street, covent garden. but the more genteel food-emporiums fought shy of tripe until within three decades of the close of the nineteenth century. then it began to figure on the supper bills, in out-of-the-way corners; until supper-eaters in general discovered that this was not only an exceedingly cheap, but a very nourishing article of food, which did not require any special divine aid to digest. then the price of tripe went up per cent on the programmes. then the most popular burlesque _artiste_ of any age put the stamp of approval upon the new supper-dish, and tripe-dressing became as lucrative a profession as gold-crushing. there is a legend afloat of an eminent actor--poor "ned" sothern, i fancy, as "johnny" toole would never have done such a thing--who bade some of his friends and acquaintance to supper, and regaled them on sundry rolls of house flannel, smothered with the orthodox onion sauce. but that is another story. practical jokes should find no place in this volume, which is written to benefit, and not alarm, posterity. therefore let us discuss the problem _how to cook tripe_. ask for "double-tripe," and see that the dresser gives it you nice and white. wash it, cut into portions, and place in equal parts of milk and water, boiling fast. remove the saucepan from the hottest part of the fire, and let the tripe keep just on the boil for an hour and a half. serve with whole onions and onion sauce--in this work you will not be told how to manufacture onion sauce--and baked potatoes should always accompany this dish to table. some people like their tripe cut into strips rolled up and tied with cotton, before being placed in the saucepan; but there is really no necessity to take this further trouble. and if the cook should forget to remove the cotton before serving, you might get your tongues tied in knots. in the north riding of yorkshire, some of the farmers' wives egg-and-bread-crumb fillets of tripe, and fry them in the drip of thick rashers of ham which have been fried previously. the ham is served in the centre of the dish, with the fillets around the pig-pieces. this is said to be an excellent dish, but i prefer my tripe smothered in onions, like the timid "bunny." edmund yates, in his "reminiscences," describes "nice, cosy, little suppers," of which in his early youth he used to partake, at the house of his maternal grandfather, in kentish town. "he dined at two o'clock," observed the late proprietor of the _world_, "and had the most delightful suppers at nine; suppers of sprats, or kidneys, or tripe and onions; with foaming porter and hot grog afterwards." i cannot share the enthusiasm possessed by some people for sprats, as an article of diet. when very "full-blown," the little fish make an excellent fertiliser for marshal niel roses; but as "winter whitebait," or sardines they are hardly up to "derby form." sprats are not much encouraged at the fashionable hotels; and when tripe is brought to table, which is but rarely, that food is nearly always filleted, sprinkled with chopped parsley, and served with tomato sauce. this is the sort of supper which is provided in the "gilt-edged" _caravanserais_ of the metropolis, the following being a _verbatim_ copy of a bill of fare at the hotel cecil:-- souper, s. consommé riche en tasses. laitances frites, villeroy. côte de mouton aux haricots verts. chaudfroid de mauviettes. strasbourg evisie. salade. biscuit cecil. a lady-like repast this; and upon the whole, not dear. but roast loin of mutton hardly sounds tasty enough for a meal partaken of somewhere about the stroke of midnight. still, such a supper is by no means calculated to "murder sleep." upon the other hand it is a little difficult to credit the fact that the whole of the party invited by "my lord tomnoddy" to refresh themselves at the "magpie and stump," including the noble host himself, should have slumbered peacefully, with a noisy crowd in the street, after a supper which consisted of "cold fowl and cigars, pickled onions in jars, welsh rabbits and kidneys, rare work for the jaws." chapter xvi supper (_continued_) "to feed were best at home; from thence the sauce to meat is ceremony; meeting were bare without it." old supper-houses--the early closing act--evans's--cremorne gardens--the "albion"--parlour cookery--kidneys fried in the fire-shovel--the true way to grill a bone--"cannie carle"--my lady's bower--kidney dumplings--a middleham supper--steaks cut from a colt by brother to "strafford" out of sister to "bird on the wing." the early closing act of had a disastrous effect upon the old london supper-houses. what mr. john hollingshead never tired of calling the "slap-me-and-put-me-to-bed law" rang the knell of many a licensed tavern, well-conducted, where plain, well-cooked food and sound liquor were to be obtained by men who would have astonished their respective couches had they sought them before the small hours. _evans's._ the "cave of harmony" of thackeray was a different place to the "evans's" of my youthful days. like the younger newcome, i was taken there in the first instance, by the author of my being. but captain costigan was conspicuous by his absence; and "sam hall" was _non est_. i noted well the abnormal size of the broiled kidneys, and in my ignorance of anatomy, imagined that evans's sheep must be subjected to somewhat the same process--the "ordeal by fire"--as the strasbourg geese. and the potatoes--zounds, sirs! what potatoes! "shall i turn it out, sir?" inquired the attentive waiter; and, as he seized the tuber, enveloped in the snow-white napkin, broke it in two, and ejected a floury pyramid upon my plate, i would, had i known of such a decoration in those days, have gladly recommended that attendant for the distinguished service order. in the course of many visits i never saw any supper commodity served here besides chops, steaks, kidneys, welsh-rarebits, poached eggs, and (i think) sausages; and the earliest impression made upon a youthful memory was the air of extreme confidence which pervaded the place. we certainly "remembered" the waiter; but not even a potato was paid for until we encountered the head functionary at the exit door; and his peculiar ideas of arithmetic would have given bishop colenso a succession of fits. who "evans" was, we neither knew nor cared. "paddy" green, with his chronic smile, was enough for us; as he proffered his ever-ready snuff-box, inquired after our relatives--"paddy," like "spanky" at eton, knew everybody--and implored silence whilst the quintette _integer vitæ_ was being sung by the choir. we used to venerate that quintette far more than any music we ever heard in church, and i am certain "paddy" green would have backed his little pack of choristers--who, according to the general belief, passed the hours of daylight in waking the echoes of st. paul's cathedral, or westminster abbey, and therefore, at evans's, always looked a bit stale and sleepy--against any choir in the world. as for harry sidney, the fat, jolly-looking gentleman who was wont to string together the topics of the day and reproduce them, fresh as rolls, set to music, we could never hear enough of him; and i wish i had now some of the half-crowns which in the past were bestowed upon herr von joel, the indifferent _siffleur_, who was "permanently retained upon the premises," and who was always going to take a benefit the following week. "kidneys and 'armony"--that was the old programme in the "cave." and then the march of time killed poor old paddy, and another management reigned. gradually the "lady element" was introduced, and a portion of the hall was set apart for the mixed assembly. and then came trouble, and, finally, disestablishment. and for some time before the closing of the cave as a place of entertainment, it was customary to remove the fine old pictures (what became of them, i wonder), from the walls, at "varsity boat race" time. for the undergraduate of those days was nothing if not rowdy. youth will have its fling; and at evans's the fling took the form of tumblers. well do i recollect a fight in "the old style" in the very part of the "cave" where eminent barristers, actors, and other wits of a past age, used to congregate. the premier boxer of cambridge university had been exercising his undoubted talents as a breaker of glass, during the evening, and at length the overwrought manager obliged him with an opponent worthy of his fists in the person of a waiter who could also put up his fists. several rounds were fought, strictly according to the rules of the prize ring, and in the result, whilst the waiter had sustained considerable damage to his ribs, the "cambridge gent" had two very fine black eyes. well do i remember that "mill," also the waiter, who afterwards became an habitual follower of the turf. if cremorne introduced the fashion of "long drinks," sodas, and et ceteras, the suppers served in the old gardens had not much to recommend them. a slice or two of cold beef, or a leg of a chicken, with some particularly salt ham, formed the average fare; but those who possessed their souls with patience occasionally saw something hot, in the way of food--chiefly cutlets. the great virtue of the cutlet is that it can be reheated; and one dish not infrequently did duty for more than one party. the rejected portion, in fact, would "reappear" as often as a retiring actor. "i know them salmon cutlets," the waiter in _pink dominoes_ used to observe, "as well as i know my own mother!" in fact, cremorne, like the "night houses" of old, was not an ideal place to sup at. but, _per contra_, the "albion" _was_. until the enforcement of the "slap-me-and-put-me-to-bed" policy there was no more justly celebrated house of entertainment than the one which almost faced the stage door of drury lane theatre, in great russell street. one of the brothers cooper--another kept the rainbow in fleet street--retired on a fortune made here, simply by pursuing the policy of giving his customers the best of everything. and a rare, bohemian stamp of customers he had, too--a nice, large-hearted, open-handed lot of actors, successful and otherwise, dramatic critics ditto, and ditto journalists, also variegated in degree; with the usual, necessary, leavening of the "city" element. the custom of the fair sex was not encouraged at the old tavern; though in a room on the first floor they were permitted to sup, if in "the profession" and accompanied by males, whose manners and customs could be vouched for. in winter time, assorted grills, of fish, flesh, and fowl, were served as supper dishes; whilst tripe was the staple food. welsh rarebits, too, were in immense demand. and i think it was here that i devoured, with no fear of the future before my plate, a _buck rarebit_. during the silent watches of the rest of the morning, bile and dyspepsia fought heroically for my soul; and yet the little animal is easy enough to prepare, being nothing grander than a welsh rarebit, with a poached egg atop. but the little tins (silver, like the forks and spoons, until the greed and forgetfulness of mankind necessitated the substitution of electro-plate) which the hebes at the "old cheshire cheese" fill with fragments of the hostelry's godfather--subsequently to be stewed in good old ale--are less harmful to the interior of the human diaphragm. a favourite albion supper-dish during the summer months was _lamb's head and mince_. i have preserved the recipe, a gift from one of the waiters--but whether ponsford, taylor, or "shakespeare" (so-called because he bore not the faintest resemblance to the immortal bard) i forget--and here it is: the head should be scalded, scraped, and well washed. don't have it singed, in the scottish fashion, as lamb's wool is not nice to eat. then put it, with the liver (the sweetbread was chopped up with the brain, i fancy), into a stewpan, with a spanish onion stuck with cloves, a bunch of parsley, a little thyme, a carrot, a turnip, a bay leaf, some crushed peppercorns, a tablespoonful of salt, and half a gallon of cold water. let it boil up, skim, and then simmer for an hour. divide the head, take out the tongue and brain, and dry the rest of the head in a cloth. mince the liver and tongue, season with salt and pepper, and simmer in the original gravy (thickened) for half-an-hour. brush the two head-halves with yolk of egg, grate bread crumbs over, and bake in oven. the brain and sweetbread to be chopped and made into cakes, fried, and then placed in the dish around the head-halves. ah me! the old tavern, after falling into bad ways, entertaining "extra-ladies" and ruined gamesters, has been closed for years. the ground floor was a potato warehouse the last time i passed the place. and it should be mentioned that the actors, journalists, etc., who, in the 'seventies, possessed smaller means, or more modest ambitions, were in the habit of supping--on supping days--at a cheaper haunt in the strand, off (alleged) roast goose. but, according to one joseph eldred, a comedian of some note and shirt-cuff, the meat which was apportioned to us here was, in reality, always bullock's heart, sliced, and with a liberal allowance of sage and onions. "it's the seasoning as does it," observed mr. samuel weller. then there was another bohemian house of call, and supper place, in those nights--the "occidental," once known as the "coal hole," where, around a large, beautifully polished mahogany table, many of the wits of the town--"harry" leigh and "tom" purnell were two of the inveterates--sat, and devoured welsh rarebits, and other things. the house, too, could accommodate not a few lodgers; and one of its great charms was that nobody cared a button what time you retired to your couch, or what time you ordered breakfast. in these matters, the occidental resembled the "limmer's" of the "billy duff" era, and the "lane's" of my own dear subaltern days. _parlour cookery._ it was after the last-named days that, whilst on tour with various dramatic combinations--more from necessity than art, as far as i was concerned--that the first principles of parlour cookery became impregnated in mine understanding. we were not all "stars," although we did our best. salaries were (according to the advertisements) "low but sure"; and (according to experiences) by no means as sure as death, or taxes. the "spectre" did not invariably assume his "martial stalk," of a saturday; and cheap provincial lodgings do not hold out any extra inducement in the way of cookery. so, whilst we endured the efforts of the good landlady at the early dinner, some of us determined to dish up our own suppers. for the true artist never really feels (or never used to feel, at all events) like "picking a bit" until merely commercial folks have gone to bed. many a time and oft, with the aid of a cigar box (empty, of course), a couple of books, and an arrangement of plates, have i prepared a savoury supper of mushrooms, toasted cheese, or a _kebob_ of larks, or other small fowl, in front of the fire. more than once have i received notice to quit the next morning for grilling kidneys on the perforated portion of a handsome and costly steel fire-shovel. and by the time i had become sufficiently advanced in culinary science to stew tripe and onions, in an enamel-lined saucepan, the property of the "responsible gent," we began to give ourselves airs. landladies' ideas on the subject of supper for "theatricals," it may be mentioned, seldom soared above yeast dumplings. and few of us liked the name, even, of yeast dumplings. but perhaps the champion effort of all was when i was sojourning in the good city of carlisle--known to its inhabitants by the pet name of "cannie carle." a good lady was, for her sins, providing us with board and lodging, in return for (promised) cash. my then companion was a merry youth who afterwards achieved fame by writing the very funniest and one of the most successful of three-act farces that was ever placed upon the stage. now there is not much the matter with a good joint of ribs of beef, roasted to a turn. but when that beef is placed on the table hot for the sunday dinner, and cold at every succeeding meal until finished up, one's appetite for the flesh of the ox begins to slacken. so we determined on the wednesday night to "strike" for a tripe supper. "indeed," protested the good landlady, "ye'll get nae tripe in this hoose, cannie men. hae ye no' got guid beef, the noo?" late that night we had grilled bones for supper; not the ordinary _grilled bones_ which you get in an eating house, but a vastly superior article. we, or rather my messmate, cut a rib from off the aforementioned beef, scored the flesh across, and placed the bone in the centre of a beautifully clear fire which had been specially prepared. it was placed there by means of the tongs--a weapon of inestimable value in parlour cookery--and withdrawn by the same medium. some of the black wanted scraping off the surface of the meat, but the grill was a perfect dream. the gubbins sauce, already mentioned in this volume, had not at that time been invented; but as i was never without a bottle of tapp sauce--invaluable for parlour cookery; you can get it at stembridge's--we had plenty of relish. then we severed another rib from the carcase, and served it in the same manner. for it was winter time and we had wearied of frigid ox. next morning the landlady's face was a study. i rather think that after some conversation, we propitiated her with an order for two for the dress circle; but it is certain that we had tripe that evening. an ideal supper in _miladi's boudoir_ is associated, in the writer's mind, with rose-coloured draperies, dainty china, a cosy fire, a liberal display of _lingerie_, a strong perfume of heliotrope and orris root--and _miladi_ herself. when next she invites her friends, she will kindly order the following repast to be spread:-- clear soup, in cups. fillets of soles parisienne. chaudfroid of quails. barded sweetbreads. perigord pâté. by way of contrast, let me quote a typical supper-dish which the "poor player" used to order, when he could afford it. _kidney dumpling._ cut a large spanish onion in half. take out the heart, and substitute a sheep's kidney, cut into four. season with salt and pepper, join the two halves, and enclose in a paste. bake on a buttered tin, in a moderate oven, for about an hour. _n.b._--be sure the cook _bakes_ this dumpling, as it is not nice boiled. an artistic friend who at one time of his life resided near the great horse-training centre of middleham, in yorkshire, gave a steak supper at the principal inn, to some of the stable attendants. the fare was highly approved of. "best scotch beef i ever put tooth into!" observed the "head lad" at old tom lawson's stables. "ah!" returned the host, who was a bit of a wag, "your beef was cut from a colt of lord glasgow's that was thought highly of at one time; and he was shot the day before yesterday." and it was so. for lord glasgow never sold nor gave away a horse, but had all his "failures" shot. and then a great cry went up for brown brandy. chapter xvii "camping out" "thou didst eat strange flesh, which some did die to look on." the ups and downs of life--stirring adventures--marching on to glory--shooting in the tropics--pepper-pot--with the _rajah sahib_--goat-sacrifices at breakfast time--simla to cashmere--manners and customs of thibet--burmah--no place to get fat in--insects--voracity of the natives--snakes--sport in the jungle--loaded for snipe, sure to meet tiger--with the gippos--no baked hedgehog--cheap milk. the intelligent reader may have gathered from some of the foregoing pages that the experiences of the writer have been of a variegated nature. as an habitual follower of the turf once observed: "when we're rich we rides in chaises, and when we're broke we walks like ----" never mind what. it was an evil man who said it, but he was a philosopher. dinner in the gilded saloon one day, on the next no dinner at all, and the key of the street. such is life! those experiences do not embrace a mortal combat with a "grizzly" in the rockies, nor a tramp through a miasma-laden forest in darkest africa, with nothing better to eat than poisonous _fungi_, assorted grasses, red ants, and dwarfs; nor yet a bull fight. but they include roughing it in the bush, on underdone bread and scorched kangaroo, a tramp from benares to the frontier of british india, another tramp or two some way beyond that frontier, a dreadful journey across the eternal snows of the himalayas, a day's shooting in the khyber pass, a railway accident in middlesex, a mad elephant (he had killed seven men, one of them blind) hunt at thayet myoo, in british burmah, a fine snake anecdote or two, a night at cambridge with an escaped lunatic, a tiger story (of course), and a capture for debt by an officer of the sheriff of pegu, with no other clothing on his body than a short jacket of gaily coloured silk, and a loin cloth. my life's history is never likely to be written--chiefly through sheer laziness on my own part, and the absence of the gambling instinct on that of the average publisher--but like the brown gentleman who smothered his wife, i have "seen things." in this chapter no allusion will be made to "up river" delights, the only idea of "camping out" which is properly understood by the majority of "up to date" young men and maidens; for this theme has been already treated, most comically and delightfully, by mr. jerome, in the funniest book i ever read. my own camping experiences have been for the most part in foreign lands, though i have seen the sun rise, whilst reclining beneath the royal trees in st. james's park; and as this book is supposed to deal with gastronomy, rather than adventure, a brief sketch of camp life must suffice. on the march! what a time those who "served the widdy"--by which disrespectful term, our revered sovereign was _not_ known in those days--used to have before the continent of india had been intersected by the railroad! the absence of one's proper _quantum_ of rest, the forced marches over _kutcha_ (imperfectly made) bye-roads, the sudden changes of temperature, raids of the native thief, the troubles with "bobbery" camels, the still more exasperating behaviour of the _bail-wallahs_ (bullock-drivers), the awful responsibilities of the officer-on-baggage-guard, on active duty, often in the saddle for fifteen hours at a stretch, the absolutely necessary cattle-raids, by the roadside--all these things are well known to those who have undergone them, but are far too long "another story" to be related here. as for the food partaken of during a march with the regiment, the bill-of-fare differed but little from that of the cantonments; but the officer who spent a brief holiday in a shooting expedition had to "rough it" in more ways than one. there was plenty of game all over the continent in my youthful days, and the average shot need not have lacked a dinner, even if he had not brought with him a consignment of "europe" provisions. english bread was lacking, certainly, and biscuits, native or otherwise--"otherwise" for choice, as the bazaar article tasted principally of pin-cushions and the smoke of dried and lighted cow-dung--or the ordinary _chupatti_, the flat, unleavened cake, which the poor indian manufactures for his own consumption. cold tea is by far the best liquid to carry--or rather to have carried for you--whilst actually shooting; but the weary sportsman will require something more exciting, and more poetical, on his return to camp. as for solid fare it was usually _pepper-pot_ for dinner, day by day. we called it pepper-pot--that is to say, although it differed somewhat from the west indian concoction of that name, for which the following is the recipe:-- put the remains of any cold flesh or fowl into a saucepan, and cover with _cassaripe_--which has been already described in the curry chapter as extract of manioc root. heat up the stew and serve. our pepper-pot was usually made in a gipsy-kettle, suspended from a tripod. the foundation of the stew was always a tin of some kind of soup. then a few goat chops--mutton is bad to buy out in the jungle--and then any bird or beast that may have been shot, divided into fragments. i have frequently made a stew of this sort, with so many ingredients in it that the flavour when served out at table--or on the bullock-trunk which often did duty for a table--would have beaten the wit of man to describe. there was hare soup "intil't" (as the scotsman said to the late prince consort), and a collop or two of buffalo-beef, with snipe, quails, and jungle-fowl. there were half the neck of an antelope and a few sliced onions lurking within the bowl. and there were potatoes "intil't," and plenty of pepper and salt. and for lack of cassaripe we flavoured the savoury mess with mango chutnee and tapp sauce. and if any cook, english or foreign, can concoct a more worthy dish than this, or more grateful to the palate, said cook can come my way. the old _dak gharry_ method of travelling in india may well come under the head of camping out. in the hot weather we usually progressed--or got emptied into a ditch--or collided with something else, during the comparative "coolth" of the night; resting (which in hindustan usually means perspiring and calling the country names) all day at one or other of the _dak bungalows_ provided by a benevolent government for the use of the wandering _sahib_. the larder at one of those rest-houses was seldom well filled. although the _khansamah_ who prostrated himself in the sand at your approach would declare that he was prepared to supply everything which the protector-of-the-poor might deign to order, it would be found on further inquiry that the _khansamah_ had, like the player queen in hamlet, protested too much--that he was a natural romancer. and his "everything" usually resolved itself into a "spatch-cock," manufactured from the spectral rooster, who had heralded the approach of the _sahib's_ caravan. _a rajah's_ ideas of hospitality are massive. labouring under the belief that the white _sahib_ when not eating must necessarily be drinking, the commissariat arrangements of rajahdom are on a colossal scale--for the chief benefit of his _major domo_. i might have bathed in dry champagne, had the idea been pleasing, whilst staying with a certain genial prince, known to irreverent british subalterns as "old coppertail"; whilst the bedroom furniture was on the same liberal scale. true, i lay on an ordinary native _charpoy_, which might have been bought in the bazaar for a few _annas_, but there was a grand piano in one corner of the apartment, and a buhl cabinet containing rare china in another. there was a coloured print of the governor-general over the doorway, and an oil painting of the judgment of solomon over the mantelshelf. and on a table within easy reach of the bed was a silver-plated dinner service, decked with fruits and sweetmeats, and tins of salmon, and pots of guava jelly and mixed pickles, and two tumblers, each of which would have easily held a week-old baby. and there was a case of champagne beneath that table, with every appliance for cutting wires and extracting the corks. another time the writer formed one of a small party invited to share the hospitality of a potentate, whose estate lay on the snowy side of simla. the fleecy element, however, was not in evidence in june, the month of our visit, although towards december simla herself is usually wrapt in the white mantle, and garrisoned by monkeys, who have fled from the land of ice. tents had been erected for us in a barren-looking valley, somewhat famous, however, for the cultivation of potatoes. there was an annual celebration of some sort, the day after our arrival, and for breakfast that morning an _al fresco_ meal had been prepared for us, almost within whispering distance of an heathen temple. and it _was_ a breakfast! there was a turkey stuffed with a fowl, to make the breast larger, and there was a "europe" ham. a tin of lobster, a bottle of pickled walnuts, a dreadful concoction, alleged to be an omelette, but looking more like the sole of a tennis shoe, potatoes, boiled eggs, a dish of irish stew, a fry of small fish, a weird-looking curry, a young goat roasted whole, and a plum pudding! the tea had hardly been poured out--kussowlie beer, epps's cocoa, and (of course) champagne, and john exshaw's brandy were also on tap--when a gentleman with very little on proceeded to decapitate a goat at the foot of the temple steps. this was somewhat startling, but when the (presumed) high-priest chopped off the head of another bleating victim, our meal was interrupted. the executions had been carried out in very simple fashion. first, the priest sprinkled a little water on the neck of the victim (who was held in position by an assistant), and then retired up the steps. then, brandishing a small sickle, he rushed back, and in an instant off went the head, which was promptly carried, reeking with gore, within the temple. but if, as happened more than once, the head was not sliced off at the initial attempt, it was left on the ground when decapitation had been at length effected. the deity inside was evidently a bit particular! nine goats had been sacrificed, ere our remonstrances were attended to; and we were allowed to pursue our meal in peace. but i don't think anybody had goat for breakfast that morning. later on, the fun of the fair commenced, and the _paharis_, or hill men, trooped in from miles round, with their sisters, cousins, and aunts. their wives, we imagined, were too busily occupied in carrying their accustomed loads of timber to and fro. your himalayan delights in a fair, and the numerous swings and roundabouts were all well patronised; whilst the jugglers, and the snake charmers--in many instances it was difficult to tell at a glance which was charmer and which snake--were all well patronised. later on, when the lamps had been lit, a _burra nâtch_ was started, and the bengali baboos who had come all the way from simla in _dhoolies_ to be present at this, applauded vigorously. and our host being in constant dread lest we should starve to death or expire of thirst, never tired of bidding us to a succession of banquets at which we simply went through the forms of eating, to please him. and just when we began to get sleepy these simple hill folks commenced to dance amongst themselves. they were just a little monotonous, their choregraphic efforts. parties of men linked arms and sidled around fires of logs, singing songs of their mountain homes the while. and as they were evidently determined to make a night of it, sleep for those who understood not the game, with their tents close handy, was out of the question. and when, as soon as we could take our departure decently and decorously, we started up the hill again, those doleful monotonous dances were still in progress, although the fires were out, and the voices decidedly husky. a native of the himalayas is nothing if not energetic--in his own interests be it understood. a few months later i formed one of a small party who embarked on a more important expedition than the last named, although we traversed the same road. it is a journey which has frequently been made since, from simla to cashmere, going as far into the land of the great llama as the inhabitants will allow the stranger to do--which is not very far; but, in the early sixties there were but few white men who had even skirted thibet. in the afternoon of life, when stirring the fire has become preferable to stirring adventure, it seems (to the writer at all events) very like an attempt at self-slaughter to have travelled so many hundreds of miles along narrow goatpaths, with a _khud_ (precipice) of thousands of feet on one side or the other; picking one's way, if on foot, over the frequent avalanche (or "land slip," as we called it in those days) of shale or granite; or if carried in a _dhoolie_--which is simply a hammock attached by straps to a bamboo pole--running the risk of being propelled over a precipice by your heathen carriers. it is not the pleasantest of sensations to cross a mountain torrent by means of a frail bridge (called a _jhula_) of ropes made from twigs, and stretched many feet above the torrent itself, nor to "weather" a corner, whilst clinging tooth and nail to the face of a cliff. and when there is any riding to be done, most people would prefer a hill pony to a _yak_, the native ox of thibet. by far the best part of a _yak_ is his beautiful silky, fleecy tail, which is largely used in hindustan, by dependants of governors-general, commanders-in-chief, and other mighty ones, for the discomfiture of the frequent fly. a very little equestrian exercise on the back of a _yak_ goes a long way; and if given my choice, i would sooner ride a stumbling cab-horse in a saddle with spikes in it. but those days were our salad ones; we were not only "green of judgment," but admirers of the beautiful, and reckless of danger. but it was decidedly "roughing it." as it is advisable to traverse that track as lightly laden as possible, we took but few "europe" provisions with us, depending upon the villages, for the most part, for our supplies. we usually managed to buy a little flour, wherewith to make the inevitable _chupati_, and at some of the co-operative stores _en route_, we obtained mutton of fair flavour. we did not know in those days that flesh exposed to the air, in the higher ranges of the himalayas, will not putrefy, else we should have doubtless made a species of _biltong_ of the surplus meat, to carry with us in case of any famine about. so "short commons" frequently formed the bill of fare. our little stock of brandy was carefully husbanded, against illness; and, judging from the subsequent histories of two of the party, this was the most miraculous feature of the expedition. for liquid refreshment we had neat water, and _thé à la mode de thibet_. doctor nansen, in his book on the crossing of greenland, inveighs strongly against the use of alcohol in an arctic expedition; but i confess that the first time i tasted thibet tea i would have given both my ears for a soda and brandy. the raw tea was compressed into the shape of a brick, with the aid of--we did not inquire what; its infusion was drunk, either cold or lukewarm, flavoured with salt, and a small lump of butter which in any civilised police court would have gained the vendor a month's imprisonment without the option of a fine. the people of the district were in the habit of gorging themselves with flesh when they could get it; and polyandry was another of their pleasant customs. we saw one lady who was married to three brothers, but did not boast of it. thibet is probably the most priest-ridden country in the world, and ought to be the most religious; for the natives can grind out their prayers, on wheels, at short intervals, in pretty much the same way as we grind our coffee in dear old england. but we reached the promised land at last; and here at least there was no lack of food and drink. meat was cheap in those days; and one of the party, without any bargaining whatever, purchased a sheep for eight annas, or one shilling sterling. mutton is not quite as cheap at the time of writing this book ( ), i believe; but in the long ago there were but few english visitors to the land of lalla rookh, and those who did go had to obtain permission of the rajah, through the british resident. with improved transit, and a railroad from rangoon to mandalay, matters gastronomic may be better in british burmah nowadays; but in the course of an almost world-wide experience i have never enjoyed food less than in pagoda-land during the sixties. and as a burmese built house was not a whit more comfortable than a tent, and far less waterproof, this subject may well be included in the chapter headed "camping out." fruits there were, varied and plentiful; and if you only planted the crown of a pine-apple in your compound one evening you would probably find a decent-sized pine-apple above ground next--well, next week. at least so they told me when i arrived in the country. this fruit, in fact, was so plentiful that we used to peel the pines, and gnaw them, just like a school-boy would gnaw the ordinary variety of apple. but we had no mutton--not up the country, that is to say; and we were entirely dependent upon madras for potatoes. therefore, as there was only a steamer once a month from madras to rangoon, which invariably missed the irrawaddy monthly mail-boat, we "exiles" had to content ourselves with yams, or the abominable "preserved" earth-apple. the insects of the air wrestled with us at the mess-table, for food; and the man who did not swallow an evil-tasting fly of some sort in his soup was lucky.[ ] as for the food of the burman himself, "absolutely beastly" was no name for it. strips of cat-fish the colour of beef were served at his marriage feasts; and he was especially fond of a condiment the name of which was pronounced _nuppee_--although that is probably not the correct spelling, and i never studied the language of that country--which was concocted from a smaller description of fish, buried in the earth until decomposition had triumphed, and then mashed up with _ghee_ (clarified--and "postponed"--butter). there was, certainly, plenty of shooting to be obtained in the district; but, as it rained in torrents for nine months in every year, the shooter required a considerable amount of nerve, and, in addition to a boyton suit, case-hardened lungs and throat. and, singularly enough, it was an established fact that if loaded for snipe you invariably met a tiger, or something else with sharp teeth, and _vice versa_. also, you were exceptionally fortunate if you did not step upon one of the venomous snakes of the country, of whom the _hamadryad's_ bite was said to be fatal within five minutes. i had omitted to mention that snake is also a favourite food of the burman; and as i seldom went home of an evening without finding a rat-snake or two in the verandah, or the arm-chair, the natives had snake for breakfast, most days. the rat-snake is, however, quite harmless to life. i have "camped out" in england once or twice; once with a select circle of gipsies, the night before the derby. i wished merely to study character; and, after giving them a few words of the romany dialect, and a good deal of tobacco, i was admitted into their confidences. but the experience gained was not altogether pleasing, nor yet edifying; nor did we have baked hedgehog for supper. in fact i have never yet met the "gippo" (most of them keep fowls) who will own to having tasted this _bonne bouche_ of the descriptive writer. possibly this is on account of the scarcity of the hedgehog. "tea-kettle broth"--bread sopped in water, with a little salt and dripping to flavour the soup--on the other hand, figures on most of the gipsy _menus_. and upon one occasion, very early in the morning, another wanderer and the writer obtained much-needed liquid refreshment by milking the yield of a jersey cow into each other's mouths, alternately. but this was a long time ago, and in the neighbourhood of bagshot heath, and it was somebody else's cow; so let no more be said about it. i fear this chapter is not calculated to make many mouths water. in fact what in the world has brought it into the midst of a work on gastronomy i am at a loss to make out. however here it is. chapter xviii compound drinks "flow wine! smile woman! and the universe is consoled." derivation of punch--"five"--the "milk" brand--the best materials--various other punches--bischoff or bishop--"halo" punch--toddy--the toddy tree of india--flip--a "peg"--john collins--out of the guard-room. the subject of punch is such an important one that it may be placed first on the list of dainty beverages which can be made by the art or application of man or woman. first, let us take the origin of the word. doctor kitchener, an acknowledged authority, during his lifetime, on all matters connected with eating and drinking, has laid it down that punch is of west indian origin, and that the word when translated, means "five"; because there be five ingredients necessary in the concoction of the beverage. but doctor kitchener and his disciples (of whom there be many) may go to the bottom of the cookery class; for although from the large connection which rum and limes have with the mixture, there would seem to be a west indian flavour about it; the word "five," when translated into west indianese, is nothing like "punch." having satisfied themselves that this is a fact, modern authorities have tried the east indies for the source of the name, and have discovered that _panch_ in hindustani really does mean "five." "therefore," says one modern authority, "it is named punch from the five ingredients which compose it--( ) spirit, ( ) acid, ( ) spice, ( ) sugar, ( ) water." another modern authority calls punch "a beverage introduced into england from india, and so called from being usually made of five (hindi, _panch_) ingredients--arrack, tea, sugar, water, and lemon juice." this sounds far more like an east indian concoction than the other; but at the same time punch--during the latter half of the nineteenth century at all events--was as rare a drink in hindustan as _bhang_ in great britain. the _panch_ theory is an ingenious one, but there are plenty of other combinations (both liquid and solid) of five to which the word punch is never applied; and about the last beverage recommended by the faculty for the consumption of the sojourner in the land of the great mogul, would, i should think, be the entrancing, seductive one which we britons know under the name of punch. moreover it is not every punch-concoctor who uses five ingredients. in the minds of some--youthful members of the stock exchange, for the most part--water is an altogether unnecessary addition to the alcoholic mixture which is known by the above name. and what manner of man would add spice to that delight of old ireland, "a jug o' punch?" on the other hand, in many recipes, there are more than five ingredients used. but after all, the origin of the name is of but secondary importance, as long as you can make punch. therefore, we will commence with a few recipes for _milk punch_. . three bottles of rum. the most delicately-flavoured rum is the "liquid sunshine" brand. one bottle of sherry. lbs of loaf-sugar. the rind of six lemons, and the juice of twelve. one quart of boiling skimmed milk. mix together, let the mixture stand eight days, stirring it each day. strain and bottle, and let it stand three months. then re-bottle, and let the bottles lie on their sides in the cellar for two years, to mature. the flavour will be much better than if drunk after the first period of three months. it is not everybody, however, who would care to wait two years, three months, and eight days for the result of his efforts in punch-making. therefore another recipe may be appended; and in this one no "close time" is laid down for the consumption of the mixture. . put into a bottle of rum or brandy the thinly-pared rinds of three seville oranges, and three lemons. cork tightly for two days. rub off on lbs of lump sugar the rinds of six lemons, squeeze the juice from the whole of the fruit over the lbs of sugar, add three quarts of boiling water, one of boiling milk, half a teaspoonful of nutmeg, and mix all thoroughly well together until the sugar is dissolved. pour in the rum or brandy, stir, and strain till clear; bottle closely. there is more than one objection to this recipe. ( ) rum, and not brandy (by itself), should be used for milk punch. ( ) there is an "intolerable amount" of water; and ( ) the nutmeg had better remain in the spice-box. . cut off the thin yellow rind of four lemons and a seville orange, taking care not to include even a fragment of the _white_ rind, and place in a basin. pour in one pint of jamaica rum, and let it stand, covered over, twelve hours. then strain, and mix with it one pint of lemon juice, and two pints of cold water, in which one pound of sugar-candy has been dissolved; add the whites of two eggs, beaten to a froth, three pints more of rum, one pint of madeira, one pint of strong green tea, and a large wine-glassful of maraschino. mix thoroughly, and pour over all one pint of boiling milk. let the punch stand a little while, then strain through a jelly-bag, and either use at once, or bottle off. here let it be added, lest the precept be forgotten, that the _very best materials_ are absolutely necessary for the manufacture of punch, as of other compound drinks. in the above recipe for instance by "madeira," is meant "rare old east indian," and _not_ marsala, which wine, in french kitchens, is invariably used as the equivalent of madeira. there must be no inferior sherry, gladstone claret, cheap champagne, nor potato-brandy, used for any of my recipes, or i will not be responsible for the flavour of the beverage. the following is the best idea of a milk punch known to the writer:-- . over the yellow rind of four lemons and one seville orange, pour one pint of rum. let it stand, covered over, for twelve hours. strain and mix in two pints more of rum, one pint of brandy, one pint of sherry, half-a-pint of lemon juice, the expressed juice of a peeled pine-apple, one pint of green tea, one pound of sugar dissolved in one quart of boiling water, the whites of two eggs beaten up, one quart of boiling milk. mix well, let it cool, and then strain through a jelly-bag, and bottle off. this punch is calculated to make the epicure forget that he has just been partaking of conger-eel broth instead of clear turtle. _cambridge milk punch._ this a fairly good boys' beverage, there being absolutely "no offence in't." put the rind of half a lemon (small) into one pint of new milk, with twelve lumps of sugar. boil very slowly for fifteen minutes, then remove from the fire, take out the lemon rind, and mix in the yolk of one egg, which has been previously blended with one tablespoonful of cold milk, two tablespoonfuls of brandy, and four of rum. whisk all together, and when the mixture is frothed, it is ready to serve. _oxford punch._ there is no milk in this mixture, which sounds like "for'ard on!" for the undergraduate who for the first time samples it. rub off the yellow rind of three lemons with half-a-pound of loaf sugar. put the result into a large jug, with the yellow rind of one seville orange, the juice of three seville oranges and eight lemons, and one pint of liquefied calf's-foot jelly. mix thoroughly, then pour over two quarts of boiling water, and set the jug on the hob for thirty minutes. strain the mixture into a punch-bowl, and when cool add one small bottle of capillaire (an infusion of maidenhair fern, flavoured with sugar and orange-flower water); one pint of brandy, one pint of rum, half-a-pint of dry sherry, and one quart of orange shrub--a mixture of orange-peel, juice, sugar, and rum. after drinking this, the young student will be in a fit state to sally forth, with his fellows, and "draw" a dean, or drown an amateur journalist. i have a very old recipe, in ms., for "bischoff," which i take to be the original of the better known beverage called "bishop," for the manufacture of which i have also directions. for the sake of comparison i give the two. _bischoff._ cut into four parts each, three seville oranges, and slightly score the rinds across with a sharp knife. roast the quarters lightly before a slow fire, and put them into a bowl with two bottles of claret, with a little cinnamon and nutmeg. infuse this mixture over a slow heat for five or six hours, then pass it through a jelly-bag, and sweeten. it may be drunk hot or cold, but in any case must never be allowed to boil. _bishop._ two drachmas each of cloves, mace, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice, boiled in half-a-pint of water for thirty minutes. strain. put a bottle of port in a saucepan over the fire, add the spiced infusion, and a lemon stuck with six cloves. whilst this is heating gradually--it must not boil--take four ounces of loaf sugar, and with the lumps grate off the outer rind of a lemon into a punch-bowl. add the sugar, and juice, and the hot wine, etc. add another bottle of port, and serve either hot or cold. i am prepared to lay a shade of odds on the "op" against the "off." another old recipe has been quoted in some of my earlier public efforts, under different names. i have improved considerably upon the proportion of the ingredients, and now hand the whole back, under the name of _halo punch_. with a quarter pound of loaf sugar rub off the outer rind of one lemon and two seville oranges. put rind and sugar into a large punch-bowl with the juice and pulp, mix the sugar well with the juice and one teacupful of boiling water, and stir till cold. add half-a-pint of pine-apple syrup, one pint of strong green tea, a claret-glassful of maraschino, a smaller glassful of noyeau, half-a-pint of white rum, one pint of brandy, and one bottle of champagne. strain and serve, having, if necessary, added more sugar. note well the proportions. this is the same beverage which some cleveland friends of mine, having read the recipe, thought _boiling_ would improve. the result was--well, a considerable amount of chaos. _glasgow punch._ the following is from _peter's letters to his kinsfolk_, and is from the pen of john gibson lockhart:-- the sugar being melted with a little _cold_ water, the artist squeezed about a dozen lemons through a wooden strainer, and then poured in water enough almost to fill the bowl. in this state the liquor goes by the name of sherbet, and a few of the connoisseurs in his immediate neighbourhood were requested to give their opinion of it--for in the mixing of the sherbet lies, according to the glasgow creed, at least one-half of the whole battle. this being approved of by an audible smack from the lips of the umpires, the rum was added to the beverage, i suppose, in something about the proportion from one to seven. does this mean one of sherbet and seven of rum, or the converse? last of all, the maker cut a few limes, and running each section rapidly round the rim of his bowl, squeezed in enough of this more delicate acid to flavour the whole composition. in this consists the true _tour-de-maitre_ of the punch-maker. well, possibly; but it seems a plainish sort of punch; and unless the rum be allowed to preponderate, most of us would be inclined to call the mixture lemonade. and i do not believe that since glasgow has been a city its citizens ever drank much of _that_. a few more punches, and then an anecdote. _ale punch._ one quart of mild ale in a bowl, add one wine-glassful of brown sherry, the same quantity of old brandy, a tablespoonful of sifted sugar, the peel and juice of one lemon, a grate of nutmeg, and an iceberg. _n.b._--do not insert old ale, by mistake. and for my own part, i think it a mistake to mix john barleycorn with wine (except champagne) and spirits. _barbadoes punch._ a tablespoonful of raspberry syrup, a ditto of sifted sugar, a wine-glassful of water, double that quantity of brandy, half a wine-glassful of guava jelly, liquid, the juice of half a lemon, two slices of orange, one slice of pine-apple, in a long tumbler. ice and shake well and drink through straws. _curaçoa punch._ put into a large tumbler one tablespoonful of sifted sugar, one wine-glassful of brandy, the same quantity of water, half a wine-glassful of jamaica rum, a wine-glassful of curaçoa, and the juice of half a lemon; fill the tumbler with crushed ice, shake, and drink through straws. _grassot punch._ this has nothing to do with warm asparagus, so have no fear. it is simply another big-tumbler mixture, of one wine-glassful of brandy, a liqueur-glassful of curaçoa, a squeeze of lemon, two teaspoonfuls sugar, one of syrup of strawberries, one wine-glassful of water, and the thin rind of a lemon; fill up the tumbler with crushed ice, shake, and put slices of ripe apricots atop. drink how you like. most of the above are hot-weather beverages, and the great beauty of some of them will be found in the small quantity of water in the mixture. here is a punch which may be drunk in any weather, and either hot or cold. _regent punch._ pour into a bowl a wine-glassful of champagne, the same quantities of hock, curaçoa, rum, and madeira. mix well, and add a pint of boiling tea, sweetened. stir well and serve. _apropos_ of the derivation of "punch," i was unaware until quite recently that messrs. bradbury's & agnew's little paper had any connection therewith. but i was assured by one who knew all about it, that such was the case. "what?" i exclaimed. "how can the _london charivari_ possibly have anything to do with this most seductive of beverages?" "my dear fellow," was the reply, "have you never heard of mark _lemon_?" i turned to smite him hip and thigh; but the jester had fled. and now a word or two as to "toddy." one of the authorities quoted in the punch difficulty declares that toddy is also an indian drink. so it is. but that drink no more resembles what is known in more civilised lands as toddy than i resemble the late king solomon. the palm-sap which the poor indian distils into arrack and occasionally drinks in its natural state for breakfast after risking his neck in climbing trees to get it, can surely have no connection with hot whisky and water? yet the authority says so; but he had best be careful ere he promulgates his theory in the presence of scotsmen and others who possess special toddy-glasses. this is how i make _whisky toddy_. the irish call this whisky punch. but do not let us wrangle over the name. into an ordinary-sized tumbler which has been warmed, put one average lump of sugar, a ring of thin lemon peel, and a silver teaspoon. fill the tumbler one quarter full of water as near boiling point as possible. cover over until the sugar be dissolved and peel be infused. then add one wine-glassful--not a small one--of the best whisky you can find--the "pollok" brand, and the "r.b." are both excellent. then drink the toddy, or punch; for should you attempt to add any more water you will incur the lifelong contempt of every irishman or scotsman who may be in the same room. if irish whisky be used, of course you will select "john jameson." 'twixt ale-flip and egg-flip there is not much more difference than 'twixt tweedledum and tweedledee. both are equally "more-ish" on a cold evening; and no christmas eve is complete without a jug of one or the other. _ale-flip._ pour into a saucepan three pints of mild ale, one tablespoonful of sifted sugar, a blade of mace, a clove, and a small piece of butter; and bring the liquor to a boil. beat up in a basin the white of one egg and the yolks of two, mixed with about a wine-glassful of cold ale. mix all together in the saucepan, then pour into a jug, and thence into another jug, from a height, for some minutes, to froth the flip thoroughly but do not let it get cold. _egg-flip._ heat one pint of ale, and pour into a jug. add two eggs, beaten with three ounces of sugar, and pour the mixture from one jug to the other, as in the preceding recipe. grate a little nutmeg and ginger over the flip before serving. were i to ask what is _a peg_? i should probably be told that a peg was something to hang something or somebody else on, or that it was something to be driven through or into something else. and the latter would be the more correct answer, for at the time of my sojourn in the great continent of india, a peg meant a large brandy-and-soda. at that time whisky was but little known in punkahland, and was only used high up in the punjaub during the "cold weather"--and it is cold occasionally in that region, where for some months they are enabled to make ice--but that is _une autre histoire_. rum i once tasted at simla, and gin will be dealt with presently. but since the visit of h.r.h. the prince of wales, a peg has always signified a _whisky_-and-soda. and yet we have not heard of any particular decrease in the death-rate. despite what those who have only stayed a month or two in the country have committed to print, alcohol is _not_ more fatal in a tropical country than a temperate one. but you must not overdo your alcohol. i have seen a gay young spark, a fine soldier, and over six feet in height, drink _eight_ pegs of a morning, ere he got out of bed. there was no such thing as a "split soda"--or a split brandy either--in those days. we buried him in the bay of bengal just after a cyclone, on our way home. by the way, the real meaning of "peg" was said to be the peg, or nail, driven into the coffin of the drinker every time he partook. and the coffin of many an anglo-indian of my acquaintance was all nails. a _john collins_ is simply a gin-sling with a little curaçoa in it. that is to say, soda-water, a slice of lemon, curaçoa--and gin. but by altering the proportions this can be made a very dangerous potion indeed. the officers of a certain regiment--which shall be nameless--were in the habit of putting this potion on tap, after dinner on a guest night. it was a point of honour in those evil, though poetical, times, to send no guest empty away, and more than one of those entertained by this regiment used to complain next morning at breakfast--a peg, or a swizzle, and a hot pickle sandwich--of the escape of "private john collins" from the regimental guard-room. for towards dawn there would not be much soda-water in that potion--which was usually served hot at that hour. chapter xix cups and cordials "can any mortal mixture breathe such divine, enchanting ravishment?" "the evil that men do lives after them." five recipes for claret cup--balaclava cup--orgeat--ascot cup--stout and champagne--shandy-gaff for millionaires--ale cup--cobblers which will stick to the last--home ruler--cherry brandy--sloe gin--home-made, if possible--a new industry--apricot brandy--highland cordial--bitters--jumping-powder--orange brandy--"mandragora"--"sleep rock thy brain!" i suppose there are almost as many recipes for claret cup as for a cold in the head. and of the many it is probable that the greater proportion will produce a cup which will neither cheer nor inebriate; for the simple reason that nobody, who was not inebriated already, would be physically capable of drinking enough of it. let us first of all take the late mr. donald's recipe for claret cup: _a._ bottle claret. wine-glassful fine pale brandy. ½ do. chartreuse yellow. ½ do. curaçoa. ¼ do. maraschino. bottles soda or seltzer.[ ] lemon, cut in thin slices. a few sprigs of borage; not much. ice and sugar to taste. here is a less expensive recipe: _b._ put into a bowl the rind of one lemon pared very thin, add some sifted sugar, and pour over it a wine-glassful of sherry; then add a bottle of claret, more sugar to taste, a sprig of verbena, one bottle of aerated water, and a grated nutmeg; strain and ice it well. once more let the fact be emphasised that the better the wine, spirit, etc., the better the cup. here is a good cup for ascot, when the sun is shining, and you are entertaining the fair sex. _c._ put in a large bowl three bottles of claret (st. estephe is the stamp of wine), a wine-glassful (large) of curaçoa, a pint of dry sherry, half a pint of old brandy, a large wine-glassful of raspberry syrup, three oranges and one lemon cut into slices; add a few sprigs of borage and a little cucumber rind, two bottles of seltzer water, and three bottles of stretton water. mix well, and sweeten. let it stand for an hour, and then strain. put in a large block of ice, and a few whole strawberries. serve in small tumblers. another way and a simpler: _d._ pour into a large jug one bottle of claret, add two wine-glassfuls of sherry, and half a glass of maraschino. add a few sliced nectarines, or peaches, and sugar to taste (about a tablespoonful and a half). let it stand till the sugar is dissolved, then put in a sprig of borage. just before using add one bottle of stretton water, and a large piece of ice. my ideal claret cup: _e._ bottles pontet canet. wine-glassfuls old brandy. wine-glassful curaçoa. pint bottle sparkling moselle. bottles aerated water. a sprig or two of borage, and a little lemon peel. sugar _ad lib._: one cup will not require much. add the moselle and popwater just before using; then put in a large block of ice. those who have never tried can have no idea of the zest which a small proportion of moselle lends to a claret cup. my earliest recollection of a cup dates from old cricketing days beneath "henry's holy shade," on "a match day"--as poor old "spanky" used to phrase it; a day on which that prince of philosophers and confectioners sold his wares for cash only. not that he had anything to do with the compounding of the _cider cup_. toast a slice of bread and put it at the bottom of a large jug. grate over the toast nearly half a small nutmeg, and a very little ginger. add a little thin lemon rind, and six lumps of sugar. then add two wine-glasses of sherry, and (if for adults) one of brandy. (if for boys the brandy in the sherry will suffice.) add also the juice of a small lemon, two bottles of lively water, and (last of all) three pints of cider. mix well, pop in a few sprigs of borage, and a block or two of ice. remember once more that the purer the cider the better will be the cup. there is an infinity of bad cider in the market. there used to be a prejudice against the fermented juice of the apple for all who have gouty tendencies; but as a "toe-martyr" myself, i can bear testimony to the harmlessness of the "natural" norfolk cider made at attleborough, in the which is no touch of podagra. for a good _champagne cup_ _vide_ claret cup _a._ substituting the "sparkling" for the "ruby," the ingredients are precisely the same. a nice, harmless beverage, suitable for a tennis party, or to accompany the "light refreshments" served at a "cinderella" dance, or at the "breaking-up" party at a ladies' school, is _chablis cup_. dissolve four or five lumps of sugar in a quarter of a pint of boiling water, and put it into a bowl with a very thin slice of lemon rind; let it stand for half-an-hour, then add a bottle of chablis, a sprig of verbena, a wine-glassful of sherry, and half-a-pint of water. mix well, and let the mixture stand for a while, then strain, add a bottle of seltzer water, a few strawberries or raspberries, and a block of ice. serve in small glasses. _balaclava cup._ "claret to right of 'em, 'simpkin' to left of 'em-- cup worth a hundred!" get a large bowl, to represent the valley--which only the more rabid abstainer would call the "valley of death." you will next require a small detachment of thin lemon rind, about two tablespoonfuls of sifted sugar, the juice of two lemons, and half a cucumber, cut into thin slices, with the peel on. let all these ingredients skirmish about within the bowl; then bring up your heavy cavalry in the shape of two bottles of château something, and one of the best champagne you have got. last of all, unmask your soda-water battery; two bottles will be sufficient. ice, and serve in tumblers. _crimean cup._ this is a very serious affair. so was the war. the cup, however, leads to more favourable results, and does not, like the campaign, leave a bitter taste in the mouth. here are the ingredients: one quart of syrup of orgeat (to make this _vide_ next recipe), one pint and a half of old brandy, half a pint of maraschino, one pint of old rum, two large and one small bottles of champagne, three bottles of seltzer-water, half-a-pound of sifted sugar, and the juice of five lemons. peel the lemons, and put the thin rind in a mortar, with the sugar. pound them well, and scrape the result with a silver spoon into a large bowl. squeeze in the juice of the lemons, add the seltzer water, and stir till the sugar is quite dissolved. then add the orgeat, and whip the mixture well with a whisk, so as to whiten it. add the maraschino, rum, and brandy, and strain the whole into another bowl. just before the cup is required, put in the champagne, and stir vigorously with a punch ladle. the champagne should be well iced, as no apparent ice is allowable in this mixture. _orgeat._ blanch and pound three-quarters of a pound of sweet almonds, and thirty bitter almonds, in one tablespoonful of water. stir in by degrees two pints of water and three pints of milk. strain the mixture through a cloth. dissolve half-a-pound of loaf sugar in one pint of water. boil and skim well, and then mix with the almond water. add two tablespoonfuls of orange-flower water, and half-a-pint of old brandy. be careful to boil the _eaû sucré_ well, as this concoction must not be too watery. _ascot cup._ odds can be laid freely on this; and the host should stay away from the temptations of the betting-ring, on purpose to make it. and--parenthetically be it observed--the man who has no soul for cup-making should never entertain at a race meeting. the servants will have other things to attend to; and even if they have not it should be remembered that a cup, or punch, like a salad, should always, if possible, be mixed by some one who is going to partake of the same. dissolve six ounces of sugar in half-a-pint of boiling water; add the juice of three lemons, one pint of old brandy, a wine-glassful of cherry brandy, a wine-glassful of maraschino, half a wine-glassful of yellow chartreuse, two bottles of champagne. all these should be mixed in a large silver bowl. add a few sprigs of borage, a few slices of lemon, half-a-dozen strawberries, half-a-dozen brandied cherries, and three bottles of seltzer water. put the bowl, having first covered it over, into the refrigerator for one hour, and before serving, put a small iceberg into the mixture, which should be served in little tumblers. how many people, i wonder, are aware that _champagne and guinness' stout_ make one of the best combinations possible? you may search the wide wide world for a cookery book which will give this information; but the mixture is both grateful and strengthening, and is, moreover, far to be preferred to what is known as _rich man's shandy gaff_, which is a mixture of champagne and ale. the old irishman said that the "blackgyard" should never be placed atop of the "gintleman," intending to convey the advice that ale should not be placed on the top of champagne. but the "black draught" indicated just above is well worth attention. it should be drunk out of a pewter tankard, and is specially recommended as a between-the-acts refresher for the amateur actor. _ale cup._ squeeze the juice of a lemon into a round of hot toast; lay on it a thin piece of the rind, a tablespoonful of pounded sugar, a little grated nutmeg, and a sprig of balm. pour over these one glass of brandy, two glasses of sherry, and three pints of mild ale. do not allow the balm to remain in the mixture many minutes. one of the daintiest of beverages is a _moselle cup_. ingredients: one bottle of moselle. one glass of brandy. four or five thin slices of pine-apple. the peel of half a lemon, cut very thin. ice; and sugar _ad lib_. just before using add one bottle of sparkling water. _sherry cobbler_ although a popular drink in america, is but little known on this side of the atlantic. place in a soda-water tumbler two wine-glassfuls of sherry, one tablespoonful of sifted sugar, and two or three slices of orange. fill the tumbler with crushed ice, and shake well. drink through straws. _champagne cobbler._ put into a large tumbler one tablespoonful of sifted sugar, with a thin paring of lemon and orange peel; fill the tumbler one-third full of crushed ice, and the remainder with champagne. shake, and ornament with a slice of lemon, and a strawberry or two. drink through straws. _home ruler._ this was a favourite drink at the bars of the house of commons, during the reign of the uncrowned king. it was concocted of the yolks of two raw eggs, well beaten, a little sugar added, then a tumbler of hot milk taken gradually into the mixture, and last of all a large wine-glassful of "j.j." whisky. _cordials._ in treating of cordials, it is most advisable that they be _home made_. the bulk of the cherry brandy, ginger brandy, etc., which is sold over the counter is made with inferior brandy; and frequently the operation of blending the virtue of the fruit with the spirit has been hurried. we will commence with the discussion of the favourite cordial of all, _cherry brandy_. this can either be made from black gean cherries, or morellas, but the latter are better for the purpose. every pound of cherries will require one quarter of a pound of white sugar, and one pint of the best brandy. the cherries, with the sugar well mixed with them, should be placed in wide-mouthed bottles, filled up with brandy; and if the fruit be previously pricked, the mixture will be ready in a month. but a better blend is procured if the cherries are untouched, and this principle holds good with all fruit treated in this way, and left corked for at least three months. _sloe gin._ for years the sloe, which is the fruit of the black-thorn, was used in england for no other purpose than the manufacture of british port. but at this end of the nineteenth century, the public have been, and are, taking kindly to the cordial, which for a long time had been despised as an "auld wife's drink." as a matter of fact, it is just as tasty, and almost as luscious as cherry brandy. but since sloe gin became fashionable, it has become almost impossible for dwellers within twenty or thirty miles of london to make the cordial at home. for sloes fetch something like sixpence or sevenpence a pound in the market; and in consequence the hedgerows are "raided" by the (otherwise) unemployed, the fruit being usually picked before the proper time, _i.e._ when the frost has been on it. the manufacture of sloe gin is as simple as that of cherry brandy. all that is necessary to be done is to allow lb. of sugar (white) to lb. of sloes. half fill a bottle--which need not necessarily be a wide-mouthed one--with sugared fruit, and "top up" with gin. if the sloes have been pricked, the liquor will be ready for use in two or three months; but _do not hurry it_. in a year's time the gin will have eaten all the goodness out of the unpricked fruit, and it is in this gradual blending that the secret (as before observed) of making these cordials lies. as a rule, if you call for sloe gin at a licensed house of entertainment, you will get a ruby-coloured liquid, tasting principally of gin--and not good gin "at that." this is because the making has been hurried. properly matured sloe gin should be the colour of full-bodied port wine. _apricot brandy._ this is a cordial which is but seldom met with in this country. to every pound of fruit (which should not be quite ripe) allow one pound of loaf sugar. put the apricots into a preserving-pan, with sufficient water to cover them. let them boil up, and then simmer gently until tender. remove the skins. clarify and boil the sugar, then pour it over the fruit. let it remain twenty-four hours. then put the apricots into wide-mouthed bottles, and fill them up with syrup and brandy, half and half. cork them tightly, with the tops of corks sealed. this apricot brandy should be prepared in the month of july, and kept twelve months before using. _highland cordial._ here is another rare old recipe. ingredients, one pint of white currants, stripped of their stalks, the thin rind of a lemon, one teaspoonful of essence of ginger, and one bottle of old scotch whisky. let the mixture stand for forty-eight hours, and then strain through a hair sieve. add one pound of loaf sugar, which will take at least a day to thoroughly dissolve. then bottle off, and cork well. it will be ready for use in three months, but will keep longer. _bitters._ one ounce of seville orange-peel, half an ounce of gentian root, a quarter of an ounce of cardamoms. husk the cardamoms, and crush them with the gentian root. put them in a wide-mouthed bottle, and cover with brandy or whisky. let the mixture remain for twelve days, then strain, and bottle off for use, after adding one ounce of lavender drops. _ginger brandy._ bruise slightly two pounds of black currants, and mix them with one ounce and a half of ground ginger. pour over them one bottle and a half of best brandy, and let the mixture stand for two days. strain off the liquid, and add one pound of loaf sugar which has been boiled to a syrup in a little water. bottle and cork closely. "_jumping powder_" comes in very handy, on a raw morning, after you have ridden a dozen miles or so to a lawn meet. "no breakfast, thanks, just a wee nip, that's all." and the ever ready butler hands round the tray. if you are wise, you will declare on _orange brandy_ which, as a rule, is well worth sampling, in a house important enough to entertain hunting men. and orange brandy "goes" much better than any other liqueur, or cordial, before noon. it should be made in the month of march. take the thin rinds of six seville oranges, and put them into a stone jar, with half-a-pint of the strained juice, and two quarts of good old brandy. let it remain three days, then add one pound and a quarter of loaf sugar--broken, not pounded--and stir till the sugar is dissolved. let the liquor stand a day, strain it through paper till quite clear, pour into bottles, and cork tightly. the longer it is kept the better. _mandragora._ "can't sleep." eh? what! not after a dry chapter on liquids? drink this, and you will not require any rocking. simmer half-a-pint of old ale, and just as it is about to boil pour it into a tumbler, grate a little nutmeg over it, and add a teaspoonful of moist sugar, and two tablespoonfuls of brandy. good night, hamlet! chapter xx the daylight drink "something too much of this." "a nipping and an eager air." evil effects of dram-drinking--the "gin-crawl"--abstinence in h.m. service--city manners and customs--useless to argue with the soaker--cocktails--pet names for drams--the free lunch system--fancy mixtures--why no cassis?--good advice like water on a duck's back. whilst holding the same opinion as the epicure who declared that good eating required good drinking, there is no question but that there should be a limit to both. there is, as shakespeare told us, a tide in the affairs of man, so why should there not be in this particular affair? why should it be only ebb tide during the few hours that the man is wrapped in the arms of a bacchanalian morpheus, either in bed or in custody? the abuse of good liquor is surely as criminal a folly as the abstention therefrom; and the man who mixes his liquors injudiciously lacks that refinement of taste and understanding which is necessary for the appreciation of a good deal of this book, or indeed of any other useful volume. our grandfathers swore terribly, and drank deep; but their fun did not commence until after dinner. and they drank, for the most part, the best of ale, and such port wine as is not to be had in these days of free trade (which is only an euphemism for adulteration) and motor cars. although mine own teeth are, periodically, set on edge by the juice of the grape consumed by an ancestor or two; although the gout within me is an heritage from the three-, aye! and four-, bottle era, i respect mine ancestors, in that they knew not "gin and bitters." the baleful habit of alcoholising the inner sinner between meal times, the pernicious habit of dram-drinking, or "nipping," from early morn till dewy eve, was not introduced into our cities until the latter half of the nineteenth century had set in. "brandy-and-soda," at first only used as a "livener"--and a deadly livener it is--was unknown during the early victorian era; and the "gin-crawl," that interminable slouch around the hostelries, is a rank growth of modernity. the "nipping habit" came to us, with other pernicious "notions," from across the atlantic ocean. it was brother jonathan who established the bar system; and although for the most part, throughout great britain, the alcohol is dispensed by young ladies with fine eyes and a great deal of adventitious hair, and the "bar-keep," with his big watch chain, and his "guns," placed within easy reach, for quick-shooting saloon practice, is unknown on this side, the hurt of the system (to employ an americanism) "gets there just the same." there is not the same amount of carousing in the british army as in the days when i was a "gilded popinjay" (in the language of mr. john burns; "a five-and-twopenny assassin," in the words of somebody else). in those days the use of alcohol, if not absolutely encouraged for the use of the subaltern, was winked at by his superiors, as long as the subalterns were not on duty, or on the line of march--and i don't know so much about the line of march, either. but with any orderly or responsible duty to be done, the beverage of heroes was not admired. "now mind," once observed our revered colonel, in the ante-room, after dinner, "none of you young officers get seeing snakes and things, or otherwise rendering yourselves unfit for service; or i'll try the lot of you by court martial, i will, by ----." here the adjutant let the regimental bible drop with a bang. tea is the favourite ante-room refreshment nowadays, when the officer, young or old, is always either on duty, or at school. and the education of the modern warrior is never completed. but the civilian--sing ho! the wicked civilian--is a reveller, and a winebibber, for the most part. very little business is transacted except over what is called "a friendly glass." "i want seven hundred an' forty-five from you, old chappie," says reggie de beers of the "house," on settling day. "right," replies his friend young "berthas": "toss you double or quits. down with it!" and it would be a cold day were not a magnum or two of "the boy" to be opened over the transaction. the cheap eating-house keeper who has spent his morning at the "market," cheapening a couple of pigs, or a dozen scraggy fowls, will have spent double the money he has saved in the bargain, in rum and six-penny ale, ere he gets home again; and even a wholesale deal in evening journals, between two youths in the street, requires to be "wetted." very sad is it not? but, as anything which i--who am popularly supposed to be something resembling a roysterer, but who am in reality one of the most discreet of those who enjoy life--can write is not likely to work a change in the system which obtains amongst english-speaking nations, perhaps the sooner i get on with the programme the better. later on i may revert to the subject. amongst daylight (and midnight, for the matter of that) drinks, the cocktail, that fascinating importation from dollarland, holds a prominent place. this is a concoction for which, with american bars all over the metropolis, the cockney does not really require any recipe. but as i trust to have some country readers, a few directions may be appended. _brandy cocktail._ one wine-glassful of old brandy, six drops of angostura bitters, and twenty drops of curaçoa, in a small tumbler--all cocktails should be made in a small silver tumbler--shake, and pour into glass tumbler, then fill up with crushed ice. put a shred of lemon peel atop. _champagne cocktail._ one teaspoonful of sifted sugar, ten drops of angostura bitters, a small slice of pine-apple, and a shred of lemon peel. strain into glass tumbler, add crushed ice, and as much champagne as the tumbler will hold. mix with a spoon. _bengal cocktail._ fill tumbler half full of crushed ice. add thirty drops of maraschino, one tablespoonful of pine-apple syrup, thirty drops of curaçoa, six drops of angostura bitters, one wine-glassful of old brandy. stir, and put a shred of lemon peel atop. _milford cocktail._ (dedicated to mr. jersey.) put into a half-pint tumbler a couple of lumps of best ice, one teaspoonful of sifted sugar, one teaspoonful of orange bitters, half a wine-glassful of brandy. top up with bottled cider, and mix with a spoon. serve with a strawberry, and a sprig of verbena atop. _manhattan cocktail._ half a wine-glassful of vermouth (italian), half a wine-glassful of rye whisky (according to the american recipe, though, personally, i prefer scotch), ten drops of angostura bitters, and six drops of curaçoa. add ice, shake well, and strain. put a shred of lemon peel atop. _yum yum cocktail._ break the yolk of a new-laid egg into a small tumbler, and put a teaspoonful of sugar on it. then six drops of angostura bitters, a wine-glassful of sherry, and half a wine-glassful of brandy. shake all well together, and strain. dust a very little cinnamon over the top. _gin cocktail._ ten drops of angostura bitters, one wine-glassful of gin, ten drops of curaçoa, one shred of lemon peel. fill up with ice, shake, and strain. _newport cocktail._ put two lumps of ice and a small _slice_ of lemon into the tumbler, add six drops of angostura bitters, half a wine-glassful of noyau, and a wine-glassful of brandy. stir well, and serve with peel atop. _saratoga cocktail._ this is a more important affair, and requires a large tumbler for the initial stage. one teaspoonful of pine-apple syrup, ten drops of angostura bitters, one teaspoonful of maraschino, and a wine-glassful of old brandy. nearly fill the tumbler with crushed ice, and shake well. then place a couple of strawberries in a small tumbler, strain the liquid on them, put in a strip of lemon peel, and top up with champagne. _whisky cocktail._ put into a small tumbler ten drops of angostura bitters, and one wine-glassful of scotch whisky. fill the tumbler with crushed ice, shake well, strain into a large wine-glass, and place a strip of peel atop. but the ordinary british "bar-cuddler"--as he is called in the slang of the day--recks not of cocktails, nor, indeed, of columbian combinations of any sort. he has his own particular "vanity," and frequently a pet name for it. "gin-and-angry-story" (angostura), "slow-and-old" (sloe-gin and old tom), "pony o' burton, please miss," are a few of the demands the attentive listener may hear given. orange-gin, gin-and-orange-gin, gin-and-sherry (o bile where is thy sting?), are favourite midday "refreshers"; and i have heard a well-known barrister call for "a split worcester" (a small wine-glassful of worcester sauce with a split soda), without a smile on his expressive countenance. "small lem. and a dash" is a favourite summer beverage, and, withal, a harmless one, consisting of a small bottle of lemonade with about an eighth of a pint of bitter ale added thereto. in one old-fashioned hostelry i wot of--the same in which the chair of the late doctor samuel johnson is on view--customers who require to be stimulated with gin call for "rack," and irish whisky is known by none other name than "cork." the habitual "bar-cuddler" usually rubs his hands violently together, as he requests a little attention from the presiding hebe; and affects a sort of shocked surprise at the presence on the scene of any one of his friends or acquaintances. he is well-up, too, in the slang phraseology of the day, which he will ride to death on every available opportunity. full well do i remember him in the "how's your poor feet?" era; and it seems but yesterday that he was informing the company in assertive tones, "now we _shan't_ be long!" the "free lunch" idea of the yankees is only thoroughly carried out in the "north countree," where, at the best hotels, there is often a great bowl of soup, or a dish of jugged hare, or of irish stew, _pro bono publico_; and by _publico_ is implied the hotel directorate as well as the customers. in london, however, the free lunch seldom soars above salted almonds, coffee beans, cloves, with biscuits and american cheese. but at most refreshment-houses is to be obtained for cash some sort of a restorative sandwich, or _bonne bouche_, in the which anchovies and hard-boiled eggs play leading parts; and amongst other restorative food, i have noticed that parallelograms of cold welsh rarebit are exceedingly popular amongst wine-travellers and advertisement-agents. the genius who propounded the statement that "there is nothing like leather" could surely never have sampled a cold welsh rarebit! _bosom caresser._ put into a small tumbler one wine-glassful of sherry, half a wine-glassful of old brandy, the yolk of an egg, two teaspoonfuls of sugar, and two grains of cayenne pepper; add crushed ice, shake well, strain, and dust over with nutmeg and cinnamon. _a nicobine_, (or "knickerbein" as i have seen it spelt), used to be a favourite "short" drink in malta, and consisted of the yolk of an egg (intact) in a wine-glass with _layers_ of curaçoa, maraschino, and green chartreuse; the liquors not allowed to mix with one another. the "knickerbein" recipe differs materially from this, as brandy is substituted for chartreuse, and the ingredients are shaken up and strained, the white of the egg being whisked and placed atop. but, either way, you will get a good, bile-provoking mixture. in the _west indies_, if you thirst for a rum and milk, cocoa-nut milk is the "only wear"; and a very delicious potion it is. a favourite mixture in jamaica was the juice of a "star" apple, the juice of an orange, a wine-glassful of sherry, and a dust of nutmeg. i never heard a name given to this. _bull's milk._ this is a comforting drink for summer or winter. during the latter season, instead of adding ice, the mixture may be heated. one teaspoonful of sugar in a _large_ tumbler, half-a-pint of milk, half a wine-glassful of rum, a wine-glassful of brandy; add ice, shake well, strain, and powder with cinnamon and nutmeg. _fairy kiss._ put into a small tumbler the juice of a quarter of lemon, a quarter of a wine-glassful each of the following:--vanilla syrup, curaçoa, yellow chartreuse, brandy. add ice, shake, and strain. _flash of lightning._ one-third of a wine-glassful each of the following, in a small tumbler:--raspberry syrup, curaçoa, brandy, and three drops of angostura bitters. add ice, shake and strain. _flip flap._ one wine-glassful of milk in a small tumbler, one well-beaten egg, a little sugar, and a wine-glassful of port. ice, shake, strain, and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. _maiden's blush._ half a wine-glassful of sherry in a small tumbler, a quarter of a wine-glassful of strawberry syrup, and a little lemon juice. add ice, and a little raspberry syrup. shake, and drink through straws. _athole brose_ is compounded, according to a favourite author, in the following manner:-- "upon virgin honeycombs you pour, according to their amount, the oldest french brandy and the most indisputable scotch whisky in equal proportions. you allow this goodly mixture to stand for days in a large pipkin in a cool place, and it is then strained and ready for drinking. epicures drop into the jug, by way of imparting artistic finish, a small fragment of the honeycomb itself. this i deprecate." _tiger's milk._ small tumbler. half a wine-glassful each of cider and irish whisky, a wine-glassful of peach brandy. beat up separately the white of an egg with a little sugar, and add this. fill up the tumbler with ice; shake, and strain. add half a tumbler of milk, and grate a little nutmeg atop. _wyndham._ large tumbler. equal quantities (a liqueur glass of each) of maraschino, curaçoa, brandy, with a little orange peel, and sugar. add a glass of champagne, and a _small_ bottle of seltzer water. ice, and mix well together. stir with a spoon. _happy eliza._ put into a skillet twelve fresh dried figs cut open, four apples cut into slices without peeling, and half a pound of loaf sugar, broken small. add two quarts of water, boil for twenty minutes, strain through a--where's the brandy? stop! i've turned over two leaves, and got amongst the _temperance drinks_. rein back! _mint julep._ this, properly made, is the most delicious of all american beverages. it is mixed in a large tumbler, in the which are placed, first of all, two and a half tablespoonfuls of water, one tablespoonful of sugar (crushed), and two or three sprigs of mint, which should be pressed, with a spoon or crusher, into the sugar and water to extract the flavour. add two wine-glassfuls of old brandy--_now_ we shan't be long--fill up with powdered ice, shake well, get the mint to the top of the tumbler, stalks down, and put a few strawberries and slices of orange atop. shake in a little rum, last of all, and drink through straws. _possets._ (an eighteenth-century recipe.) "take three gills of sweet cream, a grated rind of lemon, and juice thereof, three-quarters of a pint of sack or rhenish wine. sweeten to your taste with loaf sugar, then beat in a bowl with a whisk for one hour, and fill your glasses and drink to the king." we are tolerably loyal in this our time; still it is problematical if there exist man or woman in merry england, in our day who would whisk a mixture for sixty minutes by the clock, even with the prospect of drinking to the reigning monarch. _brandy sour._ this is simplicity itself. a teaspoonful of sifted sugar in a small tumbler, a little lemon rind and juice, one wine-glassful of brandy. fill nearly up with crushed ice, shake and strain. whisky sour is merely scotch whisky treated in the same kind, open-handed manner, with the addition of a few drops of raspberry syrup. _blue blazer._ don't be frightened; there is absolutely no danger. put into a silver mug, or jug, previously heated, two wine-glassfuls of overproof (or proof) scotch whisky, and one wine-glassful of _boiling_ water. set the liquor on fire, and pass the blazing liquor into another mug, also well heated. pass to and fro, and serve in a tumbler, with a lump of sugar and a little thin lemon peel. be very particular not to drop any of the blazer on the cat, or the hearth-rug, or the youngest child. this drink would, i should think, have satisfied the aspirations of mr. daniel quilp. one of the most wholesome of all "refreshers," is a simple liquor, distilled from black-currants, and known to our lively neighbours as _cassis._ this syrup can be obtained in the humblest _cabaret_ in france; but we have to thank the eccentric and illogical ways of our customs department for its absence from most of our own wine lists. the duty is so prohibitive--being half as much again as that levied on french brandy--that it would pay nobody but said customs department to import it into england; and yet the amount of alcohol contained in cassis is infinitesimal. strange to say nobody has ever started a cassis still on this side. one would imagine that the process would be simplicity itself; as the liquor is nothing but cold black-currant tea, with a suspicion of alcohol in it. _sligo slop._ this is an irish delight. the juice of ten lemons, strained, ten tablespoonfuls of sifted sugar, one quart of john jameson's oldest and best whisky, and two port wine-glassfuls of curaçoa, all mixed together. let the mixture stand for a day or two, and then bottle. this should be drunk neat, in liqueur-glasses, and is said to be most effectual "jumping-powder." it certainly reads conducive to timber-topping. take it altogether the daylight drink is a mistake. it is simply ruin to appetite; it is more expensive than those who indulge therein are aware of at the time. it ruins the nerves, sooner or later; it is _not_ conducive to business, unless for those whose heads are especially hard; and it spoils the palate for the good wine which is poured forth later on. the precept cannot be too widely laid down, too fully known: _do not drink between meals!_ better, far better the three-bottle-trick of our ancestors, than the "gin-crawl" of to-day. chapter xxi gastronomy in fiction and drama "let me not burst in ignorance." "a chiel's amang ye, taking notes." thomas carlyle--thackeray--harrison ainsworth--sir walter scott--miss braddon--marie corelli--f. c. philips--blackmore--charles dickens--_pickwick_ reeking with alcohol--brandy and oysters--_little dorrit_--_great expectations_--micawber as a punch-maker--_david copperfield_--"practicable" food on the stage--"johnny" toole's story of tiny tim and the goose. considering the number of books which have been published during the nineteenth century, it is astonishing how few of them deal with eating and drinking. we read of a banquet or two, certainly, in the works of the divine william, but no particulars as to the _cuisine_ are entered into. "cold banquo" hardly sounds appetising. thomas carlyle was a notorious dyspeptic, so it is no cause for wonderment that he did not bequeath to posterity the recipes for a dainty dish or two, or a good derby day "cup." thackeray understood but little about cookery, nor was whyte melville much better versed in the mysteries of the kitchen. harrison ainsworth touched lightly on gastronomy occasionally, whilst charles lamb, sydney smith, and others (blessings light on the man who invented the phrase "and others") delighted therein. miss braddon has slurred it over hitherto, and marie corelli scorns all mention of any refreshment but absinthe--a weird liquid which is altogether absent from these pages. in the lighter novels of mr. f. c. philips, there is but little mention of solid food except devilled caviare, which sounds nasty; but most of mr. philips's men, and all his women, drink to excess--principally champagne, brandy, and green chartreuse. and one of his heroines is a firm believer in the merits of cognac as a "settler" of champagne. according to mr. r. d. blackmore, the natives of exmoor did themselves particularly well, in the seventeenth century. in that most delightful romance _lorna doone_ is a description of a meal set before tom faggus, the celebrated highwayman, by the ridd family, at plover's barrows:-- "a few oysters first, and then dried salmon, and then ham and eggs, done in small curled rashers, and then a few collops of venison toasted, and next a little cold roast pig, and a woodcock on toast to finish with." this meal was washed down with home-brewed ale, followed by schiedam and hot water. one man, and one man alone, who has left his name printed deep on the sands of time as a writer, thoroughly revelled in the mighty subjects of eating and drinking. need his name be mentioned? what is, after all, the great secret of the popularity of _charles dickens_ as a novelist? his broad, generous views on the subject of meals, as expressed through the mouths of most of the characters in his works; as also the homely nature of such meals, and the good and great deeds to which they led. i once laid myself out to count the number of times that alcoholic refreshment is mentioned in some of the principal works of the great author; and the record, for _pickwick_ alone, was sufficient to sweep from the surface of the earth, with its fiery breath, the entire blue ribbon army. mr. pickwick was what would be called nowadays a "moderate drinker." that is to say, he seldom neglected an "excuse for a lotion," nor did he despise the "daylight drink." but we only read of his being overcome by his potations on two occasions; after the cricket dinner at muggleton, and after the shooting luncheon on captain boldwig's ground. and upon the latter occasion i am convinced that the hot sun had far more to do with his temporary obfuscation than the cold punch. bob sawyer and ben allen were by no means exaggerated types of the medical students of the time. the "deputy sawbones" of to-day writes pamphlets, drinks coffee, and pays his landlady every saturday. and it was a happy touch of dickens to make sawyer and allen eat oysters, and wash them down with neat brandy, before breakfast. i have known medical students, aye! and full-blown surgeons too, who would commit equally daring acts; although i doubt much if they would have shone at the breakfast-table afterwards, or on the ice later in the day. for the effect exercised by brandy on oysters is pretty well known to science. breathes there a man with soul so dead as not to appreciate the delights of dingley dell? free trade and other horrors have combined to crush the british yeoman of to-day; but we none the less delight to read of him as he was, and i do not know a better cure for an attack of "blue devils"--or should it be "black dog?"--than a good dose of dingley dell. the wholesale manner in which mr. wardle takes possession of the pickwickians--only one of whom he knows intimately--for purposes of entertainment, is especially delightful, and worthy of imitation; and i can only regret the absence of a good, cunningly-mixed "cup" at the picnic after the chatham review. the wine drunk at this picnic would seem to have been sherry; as there was not such a glut of "the sparkling" in those good old times. and the prompt way in which "emma" is commanded to "bring out the cherry brandy," before his guests have been two minutes in the house, bespeaks the character of dear old wardle in once. "the leathern bottle," a charming old-world hostelry in that picturesque country lying between rochester and cobham, would hardly have been in existence now, let alone doing a roaring trade, but for the publication of _pickwick_; and the notion of the obese tupman solacing himself for blighted hopes and taking his leave of the world on a diet of roast fowl bacon, ale, etc., is unique. the bill-of-fare at the aforementioned shooting luncheon might not, perhaps, satisfy the aspirations of sir mota kerr, or some other _nouveau riche_ of to-day, but there was plenty to eat and drink. here is the list, in mr. samuel weller's own words: "weal pie, tongue: a wery good thing when it ain't a woman's: bread, knuckle o' ham, reg'lar picter, cold beef in slices; wery good. what's in them stone jars, young touch-and-go?" "beer in this one," replied the boy, taking from his shoulder a couple of large stone bottles, fastened together by a leathern strap, "cold punch in t'other." "and a wery good notion of a lunch it is, take it altogether," said mr. weller. possibly; though cold beef in slices would be apt to get rather dryer than was desirable on a warm day. and milk punch hardly seems the sort of tipple to encourage accuracy of aim. mrs. bardell's notion of a nice little supper we gather from the same immortal work, was "a couple of sets of pettitoes and some toasted cheese." the pettitoes were presumably simmered in milk, and the cheese was, undoubtedly, "browning away most delightfully in a little dutch oven in front of the fire." most of us will smack our lips after this description; though details are lacking as to the contents of the "black bottle" which was produced from "a small closet." but amongst students of _pickwick_, "old tom" is a hot favourite. the deputy shepherd's particular "vanity" appears to have been buttered toast and reeking hot pine-apple rum and water, which sounds like swimming-in-the-head; and going straight through the book, we next pause at the description of the supper given by the medical students, at their lodgings in the borough, to the pickwickians. "the man to whom the order for the oysters had been sent had not been told to open them; it is a very difficult thing to open an oyster with a limp knife or a two-pronged fork; and very little was done in this way. very little of the beef was done either; and the ham (which was from the german-sausage shop round the corner) was in a similar predicament. however, there was plenty of porter in a tin can; and the cheese went a great way, for it was very strong." probably the oysters had not been paid for in advance, and the man imagined that they would be returned upon his hands none the worse. for at that time--as has been remarked before, in this volume on gastronomy--the knowledge that an oyster baked in his own shells, in the middle of a clear fire, is an appetising dish, does not appear to have been universal. it is questionable if a supper consisting of a boiled leg of mutton "with the usual trimmings" would have satisfied the taste of the "gentleman's gentleman" of to-day, who is a hypercritic, if anything; but let that supper be taken as read. also let it be noted that the appetite of the redoubtable pickwick never seems to have failed him, even in the sponging-house--five to one can be betted that those chops were _fried_--or in the fleet prison itself. and mention of this establishment recalls the extravagant folly of job trotter (who of all men ought to have known better) in purchasing "a small piece of raw loin of mutton" for the refection of himself and ruined master; when for the same money he could surely have obtained a sufficiency of bullock's cheek or liver, potatoes, and onions, to provide dinner for three days. _vide_ the "kent road cookery," in one of my earlier chapters. the description of the journeys from bristol to birmingham, and back to london, absolutely reeks with food and alcohol; and it has always smacked of the mysterious to myself how sam weller, a pure cockney, could have known so much of the capacities of the various hostelries on the road. evidently his knowledge of other places besides london was "peculiar." last scene of all in _pickwick_ requiring mention here, is the refection given to mr. solomon pell in honour of the proving of the late dame weller's last will and testament. "porter, cold beef, and oysters," were some of the incidents of that meal, and we read that "the coachman with the hoarse voice took an imperial pint of vinegar with his oysters, without betraying the least emotion." it is also set down that brandy and water, as usual in this history, followed the oysters; but we are not told if any of those coachmen ever handled the ribbons again, or if mr. solomon pell spent his declining days in the infirmary. in fact, there are not many chapters in charles dickens' works in which the knife and fork do not play prominent parts. the food is, for the most part, simple and homely; the seed sown in england by the fairy _ala_ had hardly begun to germinate at the time the novels were written. still there is, naturally, a suspicion of _ala_ at the very commencement of _little dorrit_, the scene being laid in the marseilles prison, where monsieur rigaud feasts off lyons sausage, veal in savoury jelly, white bread, strachino cheese, and good claret, the while his humble companion, signor john baptist, has to content himself with stale bread, through reverses at gambling with his fellow prisoner. after that, there is no mention of a "square meal" until we get to mr. casby's, the "patriarch." "everything about the patriarchal household," we are told, "promoted quiet digestion"; and the dinner mentioned began with "some soup, some fried soles, a butter-boat of shrimp sauce, and a dish of potatoes." rare old casby! "mutton, a steak, and an apple pie"--and presumably cheese--furnished the more solid portion of the banquet, which appears to have been washed down with porter and sherry wine, and enlivened by the inconsequent remarks of "mr. f.'s aunt." in _great expectations_ occurs the celebrated banquet at the chateau gargery on christmas day, consisting of a leg of pickled pork and greens, a pair of roast stuffed fowls, a handsome mince pie, and a plum-pudding. the absence of the savoury pork-pie, and the presence of tar-water in the brandy are incidents at that banquet familiar enough to sir frank lockwood, q.c., m.p., and other close students of dickens, whose favourite dinner-dish would appear to have been a fowl, stuffed or otherwise, roast or boiled. in _oliver twist_ we get casual mention of oysters, sheep's heads, and a rabbit pie, with plenty of alcohol; but the bill of fare, on the whole, is not an appetising one. the meat and drink at the maypole hotel, in _barnaby rudge_, would appear to have been deservedly popular; and the description of gabriel varden's breakfast is calculated to bring water to the most callous mouth: "over and above the ordinary tea equipage the board creaked beneath the weight of a jolly round of beef, a ham of the first magnitude, and sundry towers of buttered yorkshire cake, piled slice upon slice in most alluring order. there was also a goodly jug of well-browned clay, fashioned into the form of an old gentleman not by any means unlike the locksmith, atop of whose bald head was a fine white froth answering to his wig, indicative, beyond dispute, of sparkling home brewed ale. but better than fair home-brewed, or yorkshire cake, or ham, or beef, or anything to eat or drink that earth or air or water can supply, there sat, presiding over all, the locksmith's rosy daughter, before whose dark eyes even beef grew insignificant, and malt became as nothing." ah-h-h! there is not much eating in _a tale of two cities_; but an intolerable amount of assorted "sack." in _sketches by boz_ we learn that dickens had no great opinion of public dinners, and that oysters were, at that period, occasionally opened by the fair sex. there is a nice flavour of fowl and old madeira about _dombey and son_, and the description of the dinner at doctor blimber's establishment for young gentlemen is worth requoting: "there was some nice soup; also roast meat, boiled meat, vegetables, pie, and cheese." [_cheese_ at a small boys' school!] "every young gentleman had a massive silver fork and a napkin; and all the arrangements were stately and handsome. in particular there was a butler in a blue coat and bright buttons" [surely this was a footman?] "who gave quite a winey flavour to the table beer, he poured it out so superbly." dinner at mrs. jellyby's in _bleak house_ is one of the funniest and most delightful incidents in the book, especially the attendance. "the young woman with the flannel bandage waited, and dropped everything on the table wherever it happened to go, and never moved it again until she put it on the stairs. the person i had seen in pattens (who i suppose to have been the cook) frequently came and skirmished with her at the door, and there appeared to be ill-will between them." the dinner given by mr. guppy at the "slap bang" dining house is another feature of this book--veal and ham, and french beans, summer cabbage, pots of half-and-half, marrow puddings, "three cheshires" and "three small rums." of the items in this list, the marrow pudding seems to be as extinct--in london, at all events--as the dodo. it appears to be a mixture of bread, pounded almonds, cream, eggs, lemon peel, sugar, nutmeg, and marrow; and sounds nice. david copperfield's dinner in his buckingham street chambers was an event with a disastrous termination. "it was a remarkable want of forethought on the part of the ironmonger who had made mrs. crupp's kitchen fireplace, that it was capable of cooking nothing but chops and mashed potatoes. as to a fish-kettle, mrs. crupp said 'well! would i only come and look at the range? she couldn't say fairer than that. would i come and look at it?' as i should not have been much the wiser if i _had_ looked at it i said never mind fish. but mrs. crupp said, 'don't say that; oysters was in, and why not them?' so _that_ was settled. mrs. crupp then said 'what she would recommend would be this. a pair of hot roast fowls--from the pastry cook's; a dish of stewed beef, with vegetables--from the pastry cook's; two little corner things, as a raised pie and a dish of kidneys--from the pastry cook's; a tart, and (if i liked) a shape of jelly--from the pastry cook's. this,' mrs. crupp said, 'would leave her at full liberty to concentrate her mind on the potatoes, and to serve up the cheese and celery as she could wish to see it done.'" then blessings on thee, micawber, most charming of characters in fiction, mightiest of punch-brewers! the only fault i have to find with the novel of _david copperfield_ is that we don't get enough of micawber. the same fault, however, could hardly be said to lie in the play; for if ever there was a "fat" part, it is wilkins micawber. _martin chuzzlewit_ bubbles over with eating and drinking; and "todgers" has become as proverbial as hamlet. in _nicholas nickleby_, too, we find plenty of mention of solids and liquids; and as a poor stroller myself at one time, it has always struck me that "business" could not have been so very bad, after all, in the crummles combination; for the manager, at all events, seems to have fared particularly well. last on the list comes _the old curiosity shop_, with the celebrated stew at the "jolly sandboys," the ingredients in which have already been quoted by the present writer. with regard to this stew all that i have to remark is that i should have substituted an ox-kidney for the tripe, and left out the "sparrowgrass," the flavour of which would be quite lost in the crowd of ingredients. but there! who can cavil at such a feast? "fetch me a pint of warm ale, and don't let nobody bring into the room even so much as a biscuit till the time arrives." codlin may not have been "the friend"; but he was certainly the judge of the "punch" party. in this realistic age, meals on the stage have to be provided from high-class hotels or restaurants; and this is, probably, the chief reason why there is so little eating and drinking introduced into the modern drama. gone are the nights of the banquet of pasteboard poultry, "property" pine-apples, and gilded flagons containing nothing more sustaining than the atmosphere of coal-gas. not much faith is placed in the comic scenes of a pantomime nowadays; or it is probable that the clown would purloin real york hams, and stuff wall's sausages into the pockets of his ample pants. champagne is champagne under the present regime of raised prices, raised salaries, raised everything; and it is not so long since i overheard an actor-manager chide a waiter from a fashionable restaurant, for forgetting the _soubise_ sauce, when he brought the cutlets. in my acting days we usually had canvas fowls, stuffed with sawdust, when we revelled on the stage; or, if business had been particularly good, the poultry was made from breakfast rolls, with pieces skewered on, to represent the limbs. and the potables--gadzooks! what horrible concoctions have found their way down this unsuspecting throttle! sherry was invariably represented by cold tea, which is palatable enough if home-made, under careful superintendence, but, drawn in the property-master's den, usually tasted of glue. ginger beer, at three-farthings for two bottles, poured into tumblers containing portions of a seidlitz-powder, always did duty for champagne; and as for port or claret--well, i quite thought i had swallowed the deadliest of poisons one night, until assured it was only the cold leavings of the stage-door-keeper's coffee! the story of tiny tim who ate the goose is a pretty familiar one in stage circles. when playing bob cratchit, in _the christmas carol_ at the adelphi, under mr. benjamin webster's management, mr. j. l. toole had to carve a real goose and a "practicable" plum-pudding during the run of that piece, forty nights. and the little girl who played tiny tim used to finish her portions of goose and pudding with such amazing celerity that mr. toole became quite alarmed on her account. "'i don't like it,' i said," writes dear friend "johnny," in his _reminiscences_; "'i can't conceive where a poor, delicate little thing like that puts the food. besides, although i like the children to enjoy a treat'--and how they kept on enjoying it for forty nights was a mystery, for i got into such a condition that if i dined at a friend's house, and goose was on the table, i regarded it as a personal affront--i said, referring to tiny tim, 'i don't like greediness; and it is additionally repulsive in a refined-looking, delicate little thing like this; besides, it destroys the sentiment of the situation--and when i, as bob, ought to feel most pathetic, i am always wondering where the goose and the pudding are, or whether anything serious in the way of a fit will happen to tiny tim before the audience, in consequence of her unnatural gorging!' mrs. mellon laughed at me at first, but eventually we decided to watch tiny tim together. "we watched as well as we could, and the moment tiny tim was seated, and began to eat, we observed a curious shuffling movement at the stage-fireplace, and everything that i had given her, goose and potatoes, and apple-sauce disappeared behind the sham stove, the child pretending to eat as heartily as ever from the empty plate. when the performance was over, mrs. mellon and myself asked the little girl what became of the food she did not eat, and, after a little hesitation, she confessed that her little sister (i should mention that they were the children of one of the scene-shifters) waited on the other side of the fireplace for the supplies, and then the whole family enjoyed a hearty supper every night. "dickens was very much interested in the incident. when i had finished, he smiled a little sadly, i thought, and then, shaking me by the hand, he said, 'ah! you ought to have given her the whole goose.'" chapter xxii restoratives "raze out the written troubles of the brain, and with some antibilious antidote cleanse the stuff'd bosom of that perilous stuff which weighs upon the soul." william of normandy--a "head" wind at sea--beware the druggist--pick-me-ups of all sorts and conditions--anchovy toast for the invalid--a small bottle--straight talks to fanatics--total abstinence as bad as the other thing--moderation in all things--wisely and slow--_carpe diem_--but have a thought for the morrow. "i care not," observed william of normandy to his quartermaster-general, on the morning after the revelry which followed the battle of hastings, "who makes these barbarians' wines; send me the man who can remove the beehive from my o'erwrought brain." this remark is not to be found in macaulay's _history of england_; but learned authorities who have read the original ms. in early norman, make no doubt as to the correct translation. "it is excellent," as the poet says, "to have a giant's thirst; but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant." and not only "tyrannous" but short-sighted. for the law of compensation is one of the first edicts of nature. the same beneficent hand which provides the simple fruits of the earth for the delectation of man, furnishes also the slug and the wasp, to see that he doesn't get too much. our friend the dog is deprived of the power of articulation, but he has a tail which can be wagged at the speed of revolutions to the minute. and the man who overtaxes the powers of his inner mechanism during the hours of darkness is certain to feel the effects, to be smitten of conscience, and troubled of brain, when he awakes, a few hours later on. as this is not a medical treatise it would be out of place to analyse at length the abominable habit which the human brain and stomach have acquired, of acting and reacting on each other; suffice it to say that there is no surer sign of the weakness and helplessness of poor, frail, sinful, fallen humanity than the obstinacy with which so many of us will, for the sake of an hour or two's revelry, boldly bid for five times the amount of misery and remorse. and this more especially applies to a life on the ocean wave. the midshipmite who over-estimates his swallowing capacity is no longer "mast-headed" next morning; but the writer has experienced a cyclone in the bay of bengal, ere the effects of a birthday party on the previous night had been surmounted; and the effects of "mast-heading" could hardly have been less desirable. in that most delightful work for the young, dana's _two years before the mast_, we read: "our forecastle, as usual after a liberty-day, was a scene of tumult all night long, from the drunken ones. they had just got to sleep toward morning, when they were turned up with the rest, and kept at work all day in the water, carrying hides, their heads aching so that they could hardly stand. this is sailors' pleasure." dana himself was ordered up aloft, to reef "torpsles," on his first morning at sea; and he had probably had some sort of a farewell carouse, 'ere quitting boston. and the present writer upon one occasion--such is the irony of fate--was told off to indite a leading article on "temperance" for an evening journal, within a very few hours of the termination of a "derby" banquet. but how shall we alleviate the pangs? how make that dreadful "day after" endurable enough to cause us to offer up thanks for being still allowed to live? come, the panacea, good doctor! first of all, then, avoid the chemist and his works. i mean no disrespect to my good friend sainsbury, or his "number one pick-me-up," whose corpse-reviving claims are indisputable; but at the same time the habitual swallower of drugs does not lead the happiest life. i once knew a young subaltern who had an account presented to him by the cashier of the firm of peake and allen, of the great continent of india, for nearly rupees; and the items in said account were entirely chloric ether, extract of cardamoms--with the other component parts of a high-class restorative, and interest. saddening! the next thing to avoid, the first thing in the morning, is soda-water, whether diluted with brandy or whisky. the "peg" may be all very well as an occasional potation, but, believe one who has tried most compounds, 'tis a precious poor "livener." on the contrary, although a beaker of the straw-coloured (or occasionally, mahogany-coloured) fluid may seem to steady the nerves for the time being, that effect is by no means lasting. but the same panacea will not do in every case. if the patient be sufficiently convalescent to digest a _doctor_ (i do _not_ mean a m.r.c.s.) his state must be far from hopeless. a "doctor" is a mixture of beaten raw egg--not forgetting the white, which is of even more value than the yolk to the invalid--brandy, a little sifted sugar, and new milk. but many devotees of bacchus could as soon swallow rum-and-oysters, in bed. and do not let us blame bacchus unduly for the matutinal trouble. the fairy _ala_ has probably had a lot to do with that trouble. a "doctor" can be made with sherry or whisky, instead of brandy; and many stockbrokers' clerks, sporting journalists, and other millionaires prefer a _surgeon-major_, who appears in the form of a large tumbler containing a couple of eggs beaten, and filled to the brim with the wine of the champagne district. _a scorcher_ is made with the juice of half a lemon squeezed into a large wine-glass; add a liqueur-glassful of old brandy, or hollands, and a dust of cayenne. mix well, and do not allow any lemon-pips to remain in the glass. _prairie oyster._ this is an american importation. there is a legend to the effect that one of a hunting party fell sick unto death, on the boundless prairie of texas, and clamoured for oysters. now the close and cautious bivalve no more thrives in a blue grass country than he possesses the ability to walk up stairs, or make a starting-price book. so one of the party, an inventive genius, cudgelled his brains for a substitute. he found some prairie hen's eggs, and administered the unbroken yolks thereof, one at a time, in a wine-glass containing a teaspoonful of vinegar. he shook the pepper-castor over the yolks and added a pinch of salt. the patient recovered. the march of science has improved on this recipe. instead of despoiling the prairie hen, the epicure now looks to madame gobble for a turkey egg. and a _worcester oyster_ is turned out ready made, by simply substituting a teaspoonful of lea and perrins' most excellent sauce for vinegar. _brazil relish._ this is, i am assured, a much-admired restorative in brazil, and the regions bordering on the river plate. it does not sound exactly the sort of stimulant to take after a "bump supper," or a "kaffir" entertainment, but here it is: into a wine-glass half full of curaçoa pop the unbroken yolk of a bantam's egg. fill the glass up with maraschino. according to my notion, a good cup of hot, strong tea would be equally effectual, as an emetic, and withal cheaper. but they certainly take the mixture as a pick-me-up in brazil. _port-flip_ is a favourite stimulant with our american cousins. beat up an egg in a tumbler--if you have no metal vessels to shake it in, the shortest way is to put a clean white card, or a saucer, over the mouth of the tumbler, and shake--then add a little sugar, a glass of port, and some pounded ice. strain before drinking. leaving out the ice and the straining, this is exactly the same "refresher" which the friends of a criminal, who had served his term of incarceration in one of h.m. gaols, were in the habit of providing for him; and when the cold bath fields prison was a going concern, there was a small hostelry hard by, in which, on a monday morning, the consumption of port wine (fruity) and eggs ("shop 'uns," every one) was considerable. this on the word of an ex-warder, who subsequently became a stage-door keeper. one of the most unsatisfactory effects of good living is that the demon invoked over-night does not always assume the same shape in your waking hours. many sufferers will feel a loathing for any sort of food or drink, except cold water. "the capting," observed the soldier-servant to a visitor (this is an old story), "ain't very well this morning, sir; he've just drunk his bath, and gone to bed again." and on the other hand, i have known the over-indulger absolutely ravenous for his breakfast. "brandy and soda, no, dear old chappie; as many eggs as they can poach in five minutes, a thick rasher of york ham, two muffins, and about a gallon and a half of hot coffee--that's what i feel like." medical men will be able to explain those symptoms in the roysterer, who had probably eaten and drunk quite as much over-night as the "capting." for the roysterer with a shy appetite there are few things more valuable than an _anchovy toast_. the concoction of this belongs to bedroom cookery, unless the sitting-room adjoins the sleeping apartment. for the patient will probably be too faint of heart to wish to meet his fellow-men and women downstairs, so early. the mixture must be made _over hot water_. nearly fill a slop-basin with the boiling element, and place a soup-plate over it. in the plate melt a pat of butter the size of a walnut. then having beaten up a raw egg, stir it in. when thoroughly incorporated with the butter add a dessert-spoonful of essence of anchovies. cayenne _ad lib_. then let delicately-browned crisp toast be brought, hot from the fire. soak this in the mixture, and eat as quickly as you can. the above proportions must be increased if more than one patient clamours for anchovy toast; and this recipe is of no use for a dinner, or luncheon toast; remember that. after the meal is finished turn in between the sheets again for an hour; then order a "doctor," or a "surgeon-major" to be brought to the bedside. in another twenty minutes the patient will be ready for his tub (with the chill off, if he be past thirty, and has any wisdom, or liver, left within him). after dressing, if he live in london and there be any trace of brain-rack remaining, let him take a brisk walk to his hair-dresser's, having his boots cleaned _en route_. this is most important, whether they be clean or dirty; for the action of a pair of briskly-directed brushes over the feet will often remove the most distressing of headaches. arrived at the perruquier's, let the patient direct him to rub _eau de cologne_, or some other perfumed spirit, into the o'er-taxed cranium, and to squirt assorted essences over the distorted countenance. a good hard brush, and a dab of bay rum on the temples will complete the cure; the roysterer will then be ready to face his employer, or the maiden aunt from whom he may have expectations. if the flavour of the anchovy be disagreeable, let the patient try the following toast, which is similar to that used with wildfowl: melt a pat of butter over hot water, stir in a dessert-spoonful of worcester sauce, the same quantity of orange juice, a pinch of cayenne, and about half a wine-glassful of old port. soak the toast in this mixture. the virtues of old port as a restorative cannot be too widely known. _st. mark's pick-me-up._ the following recipe was given to the writer by a member of an old venetian family. ten drops of angostura in a liqueur-glass, filled up with orange bitters. one wine-glassful of old brandy, one ditto cold water, one liqueur-glassful of curaçoa, and the juice of half a lemon. mix well together. i have not yet tried this, which reads rather acid. for an _overtrained_ athlete, who may not take kindly to his rations, there is no better cure than the lean of an underdone chop (_not blue_ inside) hot from the fire, on a hot plate, with a glass of port poured over. a _hot-pickle sandwich_ should be made of two thin slices of crisp toast (no butter) with chopped west indian pickles in between. and for a _devilled biscuit_ select the plain cheese biscuit, heat in the oven, and then spread over it a paste composed of finely-pounded lobster worked up with butter, made mustard, ground ginger, cayenne, salt, chili vinegar, and (if liked) a little curry powder. reheat the biscuit for a minute or two, and then deal with it. both the last-named restoratives will be found valuable (?) liver tonics; and to save future worry the patient had better calculate, at the same time, the amount of estate duty which will have to be paid out of his personalty, and secure a nice dry corner, out of the draught, for his place of sepulture. a _working-man's livener_, (and by "working-man" the gentleman whose work consists principally in debating in taverns is intended) is usually a hair of the dog that bit him over-night; and in some instances where doubt may exist as to the particular "tufter" of the pack which found the working-man out, the livener will be a miscellaneous one. for solid food, this brand of labourer will usually select an uncooked red-herring, which he will divide into swallow-portions with his clasp-knife, after borrowing the pepper-castor from the tavern counter. and as new rum mixed with four-penny ale occasionally enters into the over-night's programme of the horny-handed one, he is frequently very thirsty indeed before the hour of noon. i have seen a journalist suck half a lemon, previously well besprinkled with cayenne, prior to commencing his matutinal "scratch." but rum and milk form, i believe, the favourite livener throughout the district which lies between the adelphi theatre and st. paul's cathedral. and, according to doctor edward smith (the chief english authority on dietetics), rum and milk form the most powerful restorative known to science. with all due respect to doctor smith i am prepared to back another restorative, commonly known as "a small bottle"; which means a pint of champagne. i have prescribed this many a time, and seldom known it fail. in case of partial failure repeat the dose. a valuable if seldom-employed restorative is made with _bovril_ as one of the ingredients. make half-a-pint of beef-tea in a tumbler with this extract. put the tumbler in a refrigerator for an hour, then add a liqueur-glassful of old brandy, with just a dust of cayenne. this is one of the very best pick-me-ups known to the faculty. a _swizzle_, for recuperative purposes is made with the following ingredients:--a wine-glassful of hollands, a liqueur-glassful of curaçoa, three drops of angostura bitters, a little sugar, and half a small bottle of seltzer-water. churn up the mixture with a swizzle-stick, which can be easily made with the assistance of a short length of cane (the ordinary school-treat brand) a piece of cork, a bit of string, and a pocket knife. a very extraordinary pick-me-up is mentioned by mr. f. c. philips, in one of his novels, and consists of equal parts of brandy and chili vinegar in a large wine-glass. such a mixture would, in all probability, corrode sheet-iron. i am afraid that writers of romance occasionally borrow a little from imagination. the most effectual restorative for the total abstainer is unquestionably, old brandy. it should be remembered that a rich, heavy dinner is not bound to digest within the human frame, if washed down with tea, or aerated beverages. in fact, from the personal appearances of many worthy teetotallers i have known digestion cannot be their strong suit. then many abstainers only abstain in public, for the sake of example. and within the locked cupboard of the study lurks a certain black bottle, which does _not_ contain kopps's ale. therefore i repeat that the most effectual restorative for the total abstainer--whether as a direct change, or as a hair of the dog--is brandy. our ancestors cooled their coppers with small ale, and enjoyed a subsequent sluice at the pump in the yard; these methods are still pursued by stable-helpers and such like. a good walk acts beneficially sometimes. eat or drink nothing at all, but try and do five miles along the turnpike road within the hour. many habitual roysterers hunt the next morning, with heads opening and shutting alternately, until the fox breaks covert, when misery of all sorts at once takes to itself wings. and i have heard a gallant warrior, whilst engaged in a polo match on york knavesmire, protest that he could distinctly see _two_ polo balls. but he was not in such bad case as the eminent jockey who declined to ride a horse in a hood and blinkers, because "one of us must see, and i'm hanged if _i_ can!" it was the same jockey who, upon being remonstrated with for taking up his whip at the final bend, when his horse was winning easily, replied: "whip be blowed! it was my balance pole: i should have fell off without it!" _straight talks._ in the lowest depth there is a lower depth, which not only threatens to devour, but which will infallibly devour the too-persistent roysterer. for such i labour not. the seer of visions, the would-be strangler of serpents, the baffled rat-hunter, and other victims to the over-estimation of human capacity will get no assistance, beyond infinite pity, from the mind which guides this pen. the dog will return to his own vomit; the wilful abuser of the goods sent by a bountiful providence is past praying for. but to others who are on the point of crossing the rubicon of good discretion i would urge that there will assuredly come a time when the pick-me-up will lose its virtue, and will fail to chase the sorrow from the brow, to minister to the diseased mind. throughout this book i have endeavoured to preach the doctrine of moderation in enjoyment. meat and drink are, like fire, very good servants, but the most oppressive and exacting of slave-drivers. therefore enjoy the sweets of life, whilst ye can; but as civilised beings, as gentlemen, and not as swine. for here is a motto which applies to eating and drinking even more than to other privileges which we enjoy: "wisely, and slow; they stumble who run fast!" a resort to extremes is always to be deprecated, and many sensible men hold the total abstainer in contempt, unless he abstain simply and solely because a moderate use of "beer and baccy" makes him ill; and this man is indeed a rarity. the teetotaller is either a creature with no will-power in his composition, a pharisee, who thanks providence that he is not as other men, or a lunatic. there can be no special virtue in "swearing off" good food and good liquor; whether for the sake of example, or for the sake of ascending a special pinnacle and posing to the world as the incarnation of perfection and holiness. in the parable, the publican was "justified" rather than the pharisee, because the former had the more common sense, and knew that if he set up as immaculate and without guile he was deceiving himself and nobody else. but here on earth, in the nineteenth century, the publican stands a very poor chance with the pharisee, whether the last-named assume the garb of "social purity," or "vigilance," or the sombre raiment of the policeman. this is not right. this is altogether wrong. the total abstainer, the rabid jackass who denies himself--or claims that he does so--the juice of the grape, and drinks the horrible, flatulent, concoctions known as "temperance beverages," is just as great a sinner against common sense as that rabid jackass the habitual glutton, or drunkard, who, in abusing the good things of life--the gifts which are given us to enjoy--is putting together a rod of rattlesnakes for his own back. there is nothing picturesque about drunkenness; and there is still less of manliness therein. there is plenty of excuse for the careless, happy-go-lucky, casual over-estimater, who revels, on festive occasions, with his boon companions. 'tis a poor heart that never rejoices; and wedding-feasts, celebrations of famous victories, birthday parties, and christmas festivities have been, and will continue to be, held by high and low, from the earliest times. but there is no excuse, but only pity and disgust, for the sot who sits and soaks--or, worse still, stands and soaks--in the tavern day after day, and carries the brandy-bottle to bed with him. i have lived through two-thirds of the years allotted to man, and have never yet met the man who has done himself, or anybody else, any good by eating or drinking to excess. nor is the man who has benefited himself, or society, through scorning and vilifying good cheer, a familiar sight in our midst. "keep in the middle of the road," is the rule to be observed; and there is no earthly reason why the man who may have applied "hot and rebellious liquors" to his blood, as a youth, should not enjoy that "lusty winter" of old age, "frosty but kindly," provided those warm and warlike liquors have been applied in moderation. i will conclude this sermon with part of a verse of the poet dryden's imitation of the twenty-ninth ode of horace, though its heathen _carpe diem_ sentiments should be qualified by a special caution as to the possible ill effects of bidding too fierce a defiance to the "reaction day." "happy the man, and happy he alone, he who can call to-day his own; he who, secure within, can say;-- to-morrow, do thy worst, i've liv'd to-day!" index "_ala_," the fairy, "albion," the, alexander dumas, allowable breakfast-dishes, _almanach des gourmands_, , anchovy toast, angel's pie, _apium_, the, apricot brandy, artichoke, the, jerusalem, ascot luncheon, asparagus, with eggs, aspic, athole brose, baksheesh, ball suppers, banquet, a vegetarian, "beano," a, beans, "borston," beef, "can't eat," bernardin salmi, a, birch's, _bischoff_, biscuit, a devilled, bishop, bisque, bitters, blackmore, r. d., blue blazer, bombay duck, a, bones, grilled, bosom caresser, a, bouillabaisse, bovril, braddon, miss, brandy, apricot, cherry, ginger, orange, sour, brazil relish, breakfast, allowable dishes at, french, indian, mediterranean, with "my tutor," brillat savarin, brinjal, the, broth, scotch, buckmaster, bull's milk, burmah, food in, burns, john, cabbage, the, calcutta jumble, "cannie carle," canvass-back duck, a, carlton house terrace, carlyle, thomas, carrot, the, cassis, cauliflower, the, cedric the saxon, celery, sauce, champagne and stout, charles dickens, , _chateaûbriand_, a, chef, indian, "cheshire cheese," the, pudding, chinaman's meal, a, chops, _chota hazri_, _choufleur aû gratin_, chowringhee club, the, christmas dinner, a, chutnee, raw, chutnine, cinquevalli, paul, city dinners, clam chowder, cleopatra, "coal-hole," the, cobbler, champagne, sherry, cocktail, bengal, brandy, champagne, gin, manhattan, milford, newport, saratoga, whisky, yum yum, cod liver, coffee tree, the, cold mutton, collins, john, coloured help, corelli, marie, cow, milking a, crécy soup, cremorne gardens, cup, ale, ascot, balaclava, chablis, champagne, cider, claret, crimean, moselle, curry, benares, dry madras, locust, malay, parsee, powder, prawn, rice for, , what to, when served, cyclone, a, dana, delmonico, devilled biscuit, a, dickens, charles, , dingley dell, dinner, afloat, city, christmas, an ideal, doctor, a, samuel johnson, donald, duck, bombay, canvass-back, jugged, with oysters, rouen, -squeezer, dumas, alexander, dumpling, kidney, early christians, closing act, eggs and bacon, elizabeth, queen, englishman in china, the, evans's, fairy "_ala_," the, kiss, a, fergus macivor, fin'an haddie, fixed bayonet, a, flash of lightning, a, flip, ale-, egg-, -flap, fowls, surrey, free trade, french soup, _fricandeau_, a, garlic, gin, sloe, ginger brandy, glasgow, the late lord, goats, sacrifice of, goose pie, gordon hotels, green, "paddy," greenland, across, grilled bones, grouse pie, gubbins sauce, haggis, halibut steak, a, happy eliza, hawkins, sir john, hawthornden, help, coloured, highland cordial, hollingshead, john, home ruler, horatius flaccus, horse-radish sauce, steaks, hotch potch, hotel breakfasts, "parish," hot-pot, lancashire, hunting luncheons, indian breakfasts, irish stew, james i., king, japan, jesuits, the, johnson, doctor, john collins, "jolly sandboys," the, "joseph," jugged duck with oysters, jumping powder, kent road cookery, the, kidney dumpling, in fire-shovel, king james i., kiss, a fairy, kitchener, doctor, knickerbein, a, lamb, charles, lamb's head and mince, lampreys, lancashire hot-pot, large peach, a, larks, such, lightning, a flash of, li hung chang, liver, cod's, _lorna doone_, louis xii., xiv., lucian, luncheon, ascot, race-course, simla, macaulay, lord, _madère_, maiden's blush, majesty, her, mandragora, marrow, vegetable, marsala, mayfair, mayonnaise, mediterranean breakfast, a, mess-table, the, miladi's boudoir, milk, bull's, mint julep, _mirepoix_, a, mutton, cold, nansen's banquet on the ice, napoleon the great, nero, new york city, nipping habit, the, "no cheques accepted," off to gold-land, "old coppertail," onion, the, orange brandy, sauce, orgeat, out west, oven, the, overtrained, oysters, aden, in their own juice, kurachi, prairie, sauce, scalloped, stewed, worcester, "paddy" green, parsnip, the, parlour cookery, payne, george, peake and allen, pea soup, pease, "peg," a, pepper-pot, peter the great, physician, an eminent, pick-me-up, "number one," st. mark's, pickles, hot, pie, angel's, goose, grouse, pigeon, pork, wardon, woodcock, yorkshire, poor, how they live, pope, doctor joseph, possets, pork, roast, potato, the, salad, port-flip, powder, jumping, _pré salé_, a, prison fare, "property" food, pudding, cheshire cheese, plover, rabbit, snipe, pulled turkey, punch, ale, barbadoes, cambridge, curaçoa, grassot, glasgow, halo, milk, oxford, regent, queen elizabeth, rabbit pie, race-course luncheons, sandwich, rajah's hospitality, a, raleigh, sir walter, rat snakes, regimental dinner, a, rice for curry, , richardson, roasting, romans, the, royalty, rouen ducks, salad, anchovy, a memorable, boarding-house, celery, cheese in, corn, francatelli's, french, fruit, herring, italian, lobster, maker, a gentleman-, orange, potato, roman, russian, tomato, salads, sala, george augustus, _salmi bernardin_, of wild-duck, salmon steak, sandhurst r.m.c., sandwich, a race-course, _sambal_, st. leger, the, sauce, carp, celery, christopher north's, currant, goose, gooseberry, gubbins, hare, horse-radish, orange, oyster, tapp, _tartare_, savarin, brillat, saxon dining-table, a, scorcher, a, scott, sir walter, scalloped oysters, scotch broth, shandy gaff, rich man's, shepherd's pie, ship and turtle, the, sidney, harry, simla, luncheon at, to cashmere, sligo slop, sloe gin, smith, sydney, snipe pudding, soup, french, "spanky," spinach, sprats, staff of life, the, steaks, salmon, thoroughbred horse, steam-chest, the, stew, irish, "jolly sandboys," oyster, stout and champagne, straight talks, suetonius, suffolk pride, such larks, supper, hotel cecil, ball, surgeon-major, a, surrey fowls, swizzle, a, tapp sauce, tartar sauce, tea, _à la française_, thibet, thumb-piece, tiger's milk, toddy, whisky, tomato, the, tomnoddy, lord, toole, john lawrence, _tournedos_, a, tripe, how to cook, tsar, the, tsaritza, the, turkey, the, pulled, turmeric, turnip, turner, godfrey, vegetarian banquet, a, vitellius, _vol-au-vent financière_, waiter, the, wardon pie, a, wellington, duke of, west indies, the, west, out, whisky, sour, wild-duck, salmi of, william the conqueror, woodcock pie, working man, the, wyndham, yates, edmund's reminiscences, york, new, yorkshire pie, the end miller, son, and compy., limited, printers, fakenham and london. footnotes: [ ] it is incorrect to speak of bread as the sole "staff of life." eggs, milk, cheese, potatoes, and some other vegetables, supply between them far more phosphoric acid than is to be got from bread, either white or brown. and a man could support existence on "beer and baccy" as well as he could do so on bread alone. [ ] in most recipes for puddings or pies, rump steak is given. but this is a mistake, as the tendency of that part of the ox is to _harden_, when subjected to the process of boiling or baking. besides the skirt--the _thick_ skirt--there be tit-bits to be cut from around the shoulder. [ ] the cannie scot, however, never made his haggis from anything belonging to the pig. the dislike of the scots to pork dates from very long ago, as we read in a note to sir walter scott's _waverley_. king "jamie" carried this prejudice to england, and is known to have abhorred pork almost as much as he did tobacco. his proposed banquet to the "deil" consisted of a loin of pork, a poll (or head) of ling, with a pipe of tobacco for digestion. [ ] this dish must somewhat resemble the "fixed bayonet," which at one time was the favourite tit-bit of "tommy atkins," when quartered in india. it consisted of a fowl, stuffed with green chilis, and boiled in rum. the fowl was picked to the bones, and the soldier wound up with the soup. very tasty! [ ] kidney potatoes should always be boiled, as steaming makes them more "waxy." [ ] doubtful starters. [ ] formerly assistant-surgeon royal artillery. a celebrated lecturer on "the inner man," and author of _number one, and how to take care of him_, etc. [ ] "of all the delicacies in the whole _mundus edibilis_ i will maintain it to be the most delicate--_princeps obsoniorum_. i speak not of your grown porkers--things between pig and pork--those hobbydehoys; but a young and tender suckling, under a moon old, guiltless as yet of the sty, with no original speck of the _amor immunditiae_, the hereditary failing of the first parents, yet manifest--his voice as yet not broken, but something between a childish treble and a grumble--the mild forerunner or _praeludium_ of a grunt. he must be _roasted_. i am not ignorant that our ancestors ate them seethed, or boiled--but what a sacrifice of the exterior tegument! "his sauce should be considered. decidedly a few bread-crumbs, done up with his liver and brains, and a dash of mild sage. but banish, dear mrs. cook, i beseech you, the whole onion tribe. barbecue your whole hogs to your palate, steep them in shalots, stuff them out with plantations of the rank and guilty garlic--you cannot poison them, or make them stronger than they are; but consider, he is a weakling--a flower."--_lamb on pig._ [ ] our then commanding officer was noted for his powers of self-control. i once noticed him leave the table hurriedly, and retire to the verandah. after an interval he returned, and apologised to the president. our revered chief had only swallowed a flying bug. and he never even used a big d. [ ] an excellent aerated water and a natural one, is obtained from springs in the valley beneath the long mynd, near church stretton, in shropshire. in fact, the stretton waters deserve to be widely known, and are superior to most of the foreign ones. transcriber's note: text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). page numbers enclosed by curly braces (example: { }) have been incorporated to facilitate the use of the index. * * * * * [illustration: the larder.] [illustration] the english housekeeper: or, manual of domestic management: containing advice on the conduct of household affairs, and practical instructions concerning the store-room, the pantry, the larder, the kitchen, the cellar, the dairy. the whole being intended for the use of young ladies who undertake the superintendence of their own housekeeping. _sixth edition._ (improved by the introduction of many new receipts.) by anne cobbett. london: published by a. cobbett, , strand. . [_price six shillings._] london: geo. peirce, printer, , strand. {iii}introduction. "she looketh well to the ways of her _household_, and eateth not the bread of idleness. her children arise up, and call her blessed: her husband also, and he praiseth her. many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."--proverbs, chap. xxxi., vs. , , & . i have taken so much pains to make the following work deserving of the title it bears, that i could not, without affectation, pretend to undervalue my own performance, by anticipating doubts of its utility, or by expressing any fear lest my friends should be disappointed when they look into it. every publication of this description is necessarily calculated to be of some essential service; for it must not only be practical in its descriptions and directions, but must relate to matters touching the daily and hourly wants of all mankind; and it will, of course, be approved according as it may happen to meet those wants. as a mere cookery-book, mine must submit to be placed in a lower rank than some others, because i do not profess to bring to light discoveries in the culinary art, neither do i design to favour epicurism. i have no pretension beyond that of advising young ladies who are their own housekeepers; and the receipts which will be found in my selection, are such as appeared to me suitable to any family of moderate style in living, and such as may be easily comprehended and put in practice. these have been carefully {iv}revised and amended in the present edition, and some others added. while i am offering advice with respect to the manner of conducting domestic affairs, i cannot refrain from expressing my regret that so large a proportion of the young ladies of england are sadly deficient in that information, and in those practices of economy which are the most essentially necessary to their welfare as persons of influence and authority in a house. i am by no means singular in lamenting that the advantages of a knowledge of housekeeping seem to be so entirely lost sight of by those who have the responsibility of bringing up either their own or other people's daughters; and i find it frequently the subject of remark that the ladies of the present day have become incapable of being so skilful in the discharge of their domestic duties as the ladies of a former period were, in proportion as they have become more cultivated and more accomplished. but is it so? are there now a greater proportion of women whose minds are really cultivated than there were formerly? is there not rather a greater pretence of learning with less of it in reality? it is erroneous to suppose that persons of real learning look upon the minor duties of life with contempt, because of their learning; for, though learning does not, perhaps, give sense, it surely does not destroy it, and there is not only a want of sense, but a positive folly, in that affectation of refinement, and that assumption of superiority, which has led to the result now complained of. but the system of education which has prevailed of late years is certainly in fault; a system which assigns the same species of learning, indiscriminately, to young persons of every rank and degree, without distinction even as to ability. such a method of bringing up has unavoidably been productive of very injurious effects; for, while it withdraws the daughters of farmers and tradespeople, and others, during a great part of their youth, from the practice of those homely arts which belong to their {v}stations, it leaves them, in nine cases out of ten, without anything more than the mere fancy that they possess acquirements of a higher order. the desire which many persons feel to give their children a better education than has been bestowed upon themselves is laudable, because it proceeds from sincere affection: but how often is the success equal to the motive which actuates? how often is the manner of attempting at all calculated for attaining the object so earnestly sought? an ambition to promote the welfare of children reconciles parents to part with them at that tender age when they ought to command more constant care than they generally need at a more advanced time of life; and this ambition is so strong that it will even cause little girls to be consigned to the blighting atmosphere of a crowded schoolroom, there to bewail the loss of the warm hearth, or the airy room of their own homes, and all the comforts which depend upon a mother's solicitude. with a view to their being educated, that is to say, fitted for the world, and for the discharge of their respective duties in it, girls are sent to school, and are there condemned to a dull course of lessons, before their minds have sufficient strength to imbibe any kind of learning that requires mental labour, and before their understandings are equal to any greater exertion than that of perceiving the difference between a roasted apple and a sugar-plum. a knowledge of housekeeping is not difficult to attain. it needs no natural superiority of talent, and no painful application. it is rather a habit than a science, and, like the neatness so characteristic of english women, this knowledge rarely comes to perfection at all, unless it be partly formed in early life, and by means of our very earliest associations. little girls are always prone to imitate the ways of older persons, particularly in housekeeping matters. they very soon begin to find amusement in learning to make preserves, pastry, and such things. those children, therefore, who are brought up at home, {vi}and have the daily and hourly practice of domestic duties before their eyes, will naturally fall into habits of usefulness, and acquire, by degrees and imperceptibly, a knowledge of what belongs to home, which should constitute the elementary education of every woman who is not born to rank and to luxury. but the unhappy little creatures who drag through seven or more years of continuous monotony within the walls of a school, their minds taking little or no part in the tasks which their memories are racked upon, have but little chance of learning any thing which will benefit their after lives; for, those whose mothers knead the bread, churn the butter, and help to cook the dinner, have not the benefit of that sort of society that would teach them to apply their learning, that would call forth their acquirements, or that would be able to appreciate those acquirements when displayed. during the period which these children spend at school, their mother continues her old-fashioned occupations, and, as time passes on, she looks forward, perhaps, with cheering anticipations to the _help_ which her daughters are to afford her. but alas! how often do these daughters return from school with false notions of the lives they are to lead, and with mistaken ideas of their own consequence, such as lead them to despise the humble occupations of their home, although their "education" may not have given them one single idea to justify any pretension of the kind. it is generally acknowledged, that girls educated at schools are seldom far advanced in learning. where history and geography, and other sciences, are learnt by rote, "a page of greece on monday," a "page of rome on tuesday," a "page of universal biography on wednesday," with occasional readings of the middle ages, of modern times, and application being made to maps, globes, charts, &c., to fill up the time which is not devoted to the fine arts (for it all goes on at once), the stock of real solid information which is gained by the end of the year, will be very scanty, or will probably {vii}have resolved itself into such a confused mass of imperfect information that all practical benefit may be despaired of. no wonder, if, after having undergone a course like this, a young girl is often found to have gained less from books than others have gained from vulgar report, and be puzzled to say whether it was scipio or washington who was the first president of the united states of america. they learn lessons, but they do not reason or think about what they are getting by heart; and many girls, whose education has cost a large sum of money, are unable to answer a question of name, place, or date, in their geography or history, without first running over a certain portion of one whole lesson, the sound of which has left a deeper impression on the ear, than its sense has left on the understanding. just as, when wanting to ascertain the number of days in a particular month, we repeat the words, "thirty days hath september," &c., thus recalling by means of the jingle of words, what of itself had slipped our memories. girls so educated are very much to be commiserated. they live, through that part of their lives in which the mind is most open to receive impressions, without any opportunity for exercising their powers of observation, till, at last, those powers fall into a state of inertness; and their education is finished without their having gained the least knowledge of what the world really is, or of the part which they are to be called upon to act in it. having had no intimate association with persons really well informed, it is no matter of surprise, if they become conceited of their supposed attainments, or if they remain in ignorance of the fact, that a little music, a little drawing, and a very little french and italian, are not sufficient to make an accomplished woman, and that merely going the round of primers will not, of itself, constitute what is looked for in a "good education." nor is it, indeed, to be wondered at, if the home, which has been so cherished in recollection from one holiday time to another, fail to realise all the anticipations {viii}of pleasure and of happiness which the thought of it has excited. its simple occupations are not of a kind to make them, as novelties, attractive to one who is _only_ a fine lady; the want of capacity to fill domestic duties will, of course, render them rather disagreeable than otherwise; and it is but natural that young women who, during all the early part of their lives, have been unaccustomed to think of household cares, should entertain some degree of aversion to them, and feel dissatisfied when called upon to take a part in them. many a father has repented that he did not rather lay up for his daughter, the money which has been expended to no better purpose than to cause her to repine at the condition in life in which he must leave her. and many a mother's pride, in the fancied superiority of her daughter, has been saddened by the recollection, not only that her daughter was incapable of helping her, but that the time must come when that incompetent daughter would be left to take care of herself. my readers may imagine that i forget my proper theme: they may wish me to remember that this book professes only to aid those young ladies who are uninformed on this subject, _how to keep house_, and that i am diverging from that subject, and raising objections to a very common way of bringing up children. but when it is generally acknowledged that there is, in the ladies of the present day, a great want of skill as regards the affairs of their household, an ignorance, in fact, of some of their first duties, it cannot be impertinent for me to inquire, whether this want of skill, and this ignorance, be not properly ascribable to a defective, or even to a mischievous, course of education. i certainly do think that habits of usefulness, and the cultivation of talents, may be combined, but then the acquiring of the useful, and the cultivating of the finer accomplishments must proceed hand in hand. there are, doubtless, many who do not think it beneath them to be able to make a pudding, merely because they can execute a difficult piece of music, or sing with good taste; who do not regard these as things absolutely incongruous; and who do not consider, when they receive applause for excelling in fashionable powers to charm, that the offering carries with it an excuse for their being inefficient and helpless mistresses of families. there are, however, not a few, who do think that {ix}qualifications of a refined nature render it unbecoming in their possessors to give that personal superintendence to the affairs of the kitchen, of the store-room, and of all the other branches of household arrangement, which is so necessary, that, for the want of it, moderate fortunes often prove inadequate to the support of families in the middle rank. young persons cannot be expected to entertain a proper estimation of the value of useful habits, as compared with the value of ornamental acquirements, unless they have grown up in the exercise of those habits. the idea that capability in the domestic, is incompatible with taste in the elegant accomplishments, is so deeply rooted in the minds of most persons who aspire to be fashionable, that i despair of the power to do much towards eradicating the fatal error. and yet, i would fain represent to parents, the wrong which is done to children by suffering this idea to plant itself in their minds; for it not only reduces young women to a standard of comparatively little consequence, by making them helpless in all the ordinary business of life, but it produces incidentally, a variety of injurious effects on the health, on the spirits, and even on the temper. it is proverbial, that the largest portion of happiness belongs not to the higher ranks of society; and the reason is, not that the rich and luxurious are, as a matter of course, unworthy and consequently unhappy; but that their minds are not diverted by necessary cares, that their amusements are easily obtained, and that the enjoyment of them is never interrupted by their having duties to perform. pleasures fail to excite and interest the mind, unless they come in the way of relaxation. therefore it is, that even in youth, something by way of employment is necessary to keep gaiety from subsiding into dulness; and in mature life nothing is more salutary than occupation. to have _something to do_, to be obliged to _be doing_, withdraws the mind from the contemplation of fancied sorrows, and prevents its being subdued by the recurrence of unavailing regrets. women who have been accustomed, in their youth, to be industriously engaged and to contribute to the daily happiness of others, are sure to enjoy the greatest share of tranquillity and satisfaction in a review of days gone by, to show the most courage in adversity, the most patience in sickness, and to be the most cheerful and resigned under the infirmities of age; and those parents, {x}therefore, who instil into the minds of their daughters the principle of _making themselves useful_, will confer upon them one of the greatest of blessings. let it not be supposed, however, that by _useful_, i mean that a woman should be a mere household drudge, that all her ideas should be confined within the limits of her domestic offices, or that her guests as well as her family, should be entertained by nothing better than details of the household. ladies who have houses and servants to look after, should be capable of superintending the whole in a manner so systematic, as that they may have a due portion of their time, and of their thoughts, to give to other, and, if they deem them such, higher matters. i by no means recommend, as patterns, the fussy people, who are always busy and have never done, who let you know every thing that they have to do, and who, sometimes, do very little after all. neither is it advisable to imitate, too closely, that class of housewives who are distinguished by the phrase--"very _particular_:" for even the virtue of neatness, when incessantly exercised, or manifested too much in matters of little moment, becomes an intruder upon comfort, and, consequently, offensive. what i recommend is, that quiet and orderly method of conducting the business of a house, which tends rather to conceal than to make an appearance of much to do, which puts all that part of the family, who are not immediately engaged in it, as little as possible out of the way, and which may enable strangers to remain under the roof without being constantly reminded of the trouble they occasion. every woman who presides over a home, and who wishes to preserve its attraction, should bear in mind the many minute cares which all contribute to give to that home, not only the semblance, but the substance of enjoyment; and i earnestly impress upon my youthful readers the important fact, that, as far as mere fortune is concerned, those often prove to be the most poor in reality, who may have been thought to be the most rich. competence and ease may be changed for narrowed circumstances, and a struggle may ensue, to stem a torrent of difficulties which follow in succession, and threaten to destroy the home which has been hitherto considered secure. then she who has passed her life in total listlessness, possessing no acquirements but of a showy kind, and {xi}ignorant of what is wanted to preserve the foundation of a family's happiness; then such a woman will prove as unfitted to lighten sorrow, as she has been careless to avert it: for herself, she can but quail as difficulties assail her; for others, she can only seek for protection where, if she were capable, she might be of assistance; and, instead of aiding to alleviate distress, she will become the main cause of rendering the common burden intolerable. how often do we see families stricken to the very dust, by the first, and perhaps only a slight blow, of misfortune; and this, merely for the want of a little of that practical knowledge, and that experience, which would have enabled them to husband their diminished means so that they might still supply sufficient to meet all real wants, and still procure every material comfort. from a want of this experience, some of the very best intentioned persons will so misapply the resources left to them, at one time laying out money where they ought to refrain altogether, and at another parting with more than the occasion requires, that, by degrees, those resources dwindle away to nothing before they seem to be aware of the natural consequences, and not only poverty, but destitution and misery are let into an abode where comparative ease and contentment might still have remained. the great art of economy in domestic life, is comprised in the two very homely phrases, "_to turn every thing to account_," and "_to make the most of what you have_." but their meaning is often perverted, and the habit of _turning every thing to an account_, and of _making the most of every thing_, is ascribed to those who are actuated, not by a laudable desire to produce as much comfort as their circumstances will admit, but by an inclination to indulge in a strong propensity to stinginess. but of this class of persons i am far from being the advocate; between extravagance and parsimony the widest possible interval exists; and that economy, that management and application of means, which i deem perfectly consistent with the most rigid virtue and the most generous impulse, is of too admirable a character to partake either of the spendthrift's criminality or of the miser's meanness. if my censures upon the present system of educating young ladies should appear to be presumptuous, i greatly fear that any disapproval of that which is now so {xii}universally adopted with regard to _the poor_ will be still more unpopular; but it does appear to me that _there_, there exists a mistake also, which, perhaps, in its consequences, will prove still more fatal. it appears to me that something better might be done, more advantageous to both rich and poor, by educating the latter to be useful members of society; and i think that ladies who live in the country may have ample opportunities of training up good servants, by attending to the education of poor neighbours of their own sex. by _education_, i do not mean that kind of teaching which merely qualifies them for reading letters and words. small literary accomplishments, accompanied by idle habits, are already but too common, though the fact is more generally known than acknowledged. nor do i mean that sort of education which creates expectations of gaining a livelihood by any other means than those of honest industry; or which tends to raise the ideas of persons who are born to work above the duties which fortune has assigned to them. i mean such an education as shall better their condition, by making them better servants. in large establishments, where there are old and experienced persons in service, it is very much the custom to have younger ones as helpers, and thus the latter have the benefit of learning all the duties of the household; but these establishments are comparatively few in number. the fashion of the day is opposed to my opinion, and the same ladies who now condescend to teach poor children to read and write, because it is the fashion to do so, would, in many cases, think it beneath them to teach a little girl to make a pudding. it would, in a work of this nature, be a hopeless and presumptuous attempt, to argue against the all-powerful influence of fashion, against which the keenest shafts of invective and ridicule, and in short every weapon of satire, have been so often aimed in vain; but, all are not under the dominion of so senseless and so capricious a tyranny, and i have to regret my inability to set before my readers the benefits which mistresses of families would confer and receive, from bringing up young country girls to be good servants. there might always, in a country-house, be one or more young girls, according to the size of the establishment; to be placed under older servants, or be instructed by the mistress herself, in all household occupations, from {xiii}the hardest work and most simple offices, to the more delicate arts of housekeeping, including needle-work. this practice would not only insure more good servants than there now are; but, young girls so trained would, by the force of hourly tuition and good example, imbibe a right sense of duty, and acquire good habits, before they could have had time to become vicious or unmanageable. when ladies take the trouble to teach the poor to read and write, they mean well, no doubt, and think they are doing the best they can for their pupils. but teaching industry is more to the purpose; for when learning has been found insufficient to preserve the morals of princes, nobles, and gentry, how can it be supposed that it will preserve those of their dependents? the supposition is, in fact, injurious to the cause of true learning, since the system founded upon it has been attended by no moral improvement. our well-being is best secured by an early habit of earning our bread by honest labour; and "not to know at large of things remote from use, obscure, and subtle, but to know that which before us lies in daily life, is the prime wisdom; what is more, is fume. or emptiness, or fond impertinence, and renders us in things that most concern, unpractis'd, unprepar'd, and still to seek." a country girl, the daughter of a labourer, would, by making herself in some way practically useful to society, and gaining a respectable livelihood, be more profitably employed than in going through that long course of literary exercise which has, of late, been so generally bestowed on the children of poor people, but which, i fear, has not generally imparted to them much of what milton styles "the prime wisdom." it should also be considered, that the literary education of the poor, such as it is, cannot be much more than half completed at the age when the children cease to receive lessons from their charitable instructors. they are taught to read, to write a little, and perhaps something of the elements of arithmetic. the reading, however, is the principal attainment; and in this, they generally become well enough schooled before they are eleven, or, at most, twelve years of age. but alas! have they at that age, or at the age of thirteen or fourteen, {xiv}been taught all that is necessary for girls so young to learn, with regard to the _choice of books_? with the use of _letters_, indeed, as the mere components of words, they have been made acquainted. but why have they been taught to read at all, unless there be some profit to be derived from their reading; and how can any profit be looked for from that reading, unless there be the same kind of pains taken to point out the proper objects of study as there have been to teach the little scholars to spell? surely that advice which is required by all young persons in the pursuit of book-learning, is at least as necessary to those who can do no more than just read their own native language, as it is to those who are brought up in a superior way. the education of youth, among the higher and middle classes, does not terminate, or, at least, it never should, immediately on their leaving school. at that period, a fresh series of anxieties occur to the parent or the guardian, who is quite as sedulous as before, to finish that which has been, in fact, only begun at school. if this be not the case, how is it, that though the son may have been eight or ten years at the best schools, the father, after the schooling is ended, finds it necessary to consult the most discreet and experienced advisers, concerning the right guidance of his child in the course of his future studies? the attention paid to the studies of young ladies, after they come from school, is, to be sure, not precisely the same as that which parents think requisite for their sons. but, while the daughter has generally the advantage of being with her mother, or with some female relative much older than herself; and while the success in life of our sex does not so frequently depend upon literary acquirements, and the proper employment of them; yet under such circumstances, favourable as they are, we all know that there is still much wanting, both in the way of counsel and attractive example, from the parent or guardian, to render the learning which a young girl has acquired at school, of substantial service to her in after years. if the daughters of the rich require to be taught, not merely to read, but, also, _what_ to read, why should not this be the case with the daughters of the poor? in whose fate, it is too often proved, that "a little learning is a dangerous thing," owing to the want of that discretion which is necessary to prevent the little learning becoming worthless, and even mischievous, to its possessor. {xv}in the way of practical education, there are many things of importance to the poor, which ought to be taught them in early youth. at the age of fifteen or sixteen, a girl should already have learned many of the duties of a servant; for if her education up to that age have been neglected, she must necessarily, for the next three or four years of her life, be comparatively useless and little worthy of trust. the poor do not, as some may suppose, inhale with the air they breathe any of that knowledge which is necessary to make them useful in the houses of their parents or their employers. to learn cookery, in its various branches; making bread; milking, butter-making, and all the many things that belong to a dairy; household offices innumerable; besides the nice art of getting up fine linen, and plain work with the needle; not only requires considerable time, but, also, unless the learner be uncommonly quick and willing, great attention on the part of the person who undertakes to teach them. it is lamentable to see how deficient many female servants are in some things, the knowledge of which ought to be thought indispensable. some are so ignorant of plain needle-work as to be incapable of making themselves a gown; and this, too, where they happen to be what the country-people call "scholars," from their ability to read a little, and to make an awkward use of the pen. a maid-servant who can assist her mistress in plain needle-work, is a really valuable person. strange as it may seem, however, there are but few common servants who can do so, notwithstanding that superiority in learning by which the present generation of the labouring people are said to be distinguished from their predecessors. with young servants, nothing has a better effect than _encouragement_. if they are, by nature, only good tempered, and blest with as much right principle as those who have not been spoiled generally possess, whatever you say or do in the way of encouraging them, can hardly fail to produce some good, though it may not always accomplish everything that you would desire. a cheerful tone in giving directions, a manner of address which conveys the idea of confidence in the willingness, as well as the ability, of the person directed, has great influence upon the minds of all young persons whose tempers and inclinations have not been warped by ill-usage, or soured {xvi}by disappointment. very young servants frequently take pride in their work, though of the most laborious kind, and many a young girl might be proud to improve in the more refined departments of housewifery, and would regard a little congratulation upon the lightness of her pastry, or the excellence of her cakes, as worth ten times all the thought and care which she had bestowed upon them. there is no mistress who does not acknowledge the importance of a servant who can assist in preserving, pickling, wine-making, and other things of this description, which demand both skill and labour, and which must, where there is no one but the mistress herself sufficiently acquainted with them to be trusted, take up much of her time and give her considerable trouble. to teach poor children to become useful servants, may, perhaps, be thought a serious task; but it surely cannot be said that this sort of instruction is at all more difficult than that which is necessary to give them even a tolerable proficiency in the lowest branches of literature. the learning here recommended, seems naturally more inviting, as well as more needful, than that which is taught in the ordinary course of school education; and it possesses this advantage, that while its benefits are equally lasting, they are immediately perceptible. it is sometimes said that the poor are ungrateful, and that after all the pains and trouble which may have been taken in making them good servants, it often happens, that instead of testifying a proper sense of the obligation, they become restless, and desirous of leaving those who have had all the trouble of qualifying them for better places and higher wages. servants cannot be prevented from bettering themselves, as they call it, but that constant changing of place which operates as one of the worst examples to young women who are at service, would become less frequent if their employments were occasionally varied by relaxation and amusement, and their services now and then rewarded by small presents. the influence of early habits is so universally felt and acknowledged, that it seems almost superfluous to ask why an early and industrious education of the poor, and the teaching of the youth of both sexes to look upon prosperity and right endeavour as inseparable, should not produce a taste, the reverse of that which leads to a discontented and unsettled existence. {xvii}it is equally the interest of the rich and of the poor, that the youthful inhabitants of the mansion and those of the cottage, should grow up with sentiments of mutual good will. if the poor are indebted to their opulent neighbours for the assistance which makes a hard lot tolerable, there exists a reciprocal obligation on the part of the rich, since they could not obtain the comforts and the luxuries which they enjoy, without the aid of those who are less fortunate than themselves. but there is another and superior motive, which ought to narrow the distance between the poor and the rich: the lady of the mansion, when she meets her washerwoman in the village church, must know that, in that place, she and the hard-working woman are equals. the lady of the mansion, when she beholds the ravages which but a few years of toil have wrought in the once blooming and healthful country girl, is astonished, perhaps, that her own looks and health have not undergone a similar change; but, she forgets that the pitiable creature before her has been exposed to the damp floors and steams of a wash-house, to the chill of a cold drying-ground, and the oppressive heat of an ironing stove, in order to earn her miserable portion of the necessaries of life. no wonder that her beauty has vanished; that her countenance betrays the marks of premature age, and that her air of cheerfulness is exchanged for that of a saddened resignation. but the lady of the mansion should not, in the confidence of her own happier fate, lose sight of the fact, that this poor and destitute creature is a _woman_ as well as herself; that her poor inferior is liable to all those delicacies and weaknesses of constitution of which she herself is sensible; and that, in the eyes of their maker, the peeress and the washerwoman hold equal rank. the ingratitude of the poor is often made a pretext for neglecting to relieve their wants. but are not their superiors ungrateful? is "the ingratitude of the world," of which philosophers of the earliest ages have said so much, confined to the lowly and unrefined? by no means. high birth and refinement in breeding do not, alone, ensure feelings of honour and of kindness to the heart, any more than they ensure common sense and sound judgment to the head; for these qualities seem to be in the very nature of some, while it passes the power of all art to implant them in {xviii}others. it is for those who have known what adversity is to say whether they have not met with instances of devoted attachment, of generosity, and of every other good feeling, on the part of servants, at the very time when they have been depressed by the heart-sick sensation caused by the desertion of friends. those have been unfortunate in their experience of human nature, who cannot bear testimony to the admirable conduct of servants in fulfilling that wearisome, and often most trying, but at the same time most imperative of all earthly duties, attendance upon a sick bed. perhaps it has not occurred to most others, as it has to me, to witness such proofs of virtue in poor people. among the truly charitable there are, no doubt, many in whom disgust has been excited by ingratitude; but has it been excited by the hard-working and the half-starving only? it is but a very limited acquaintance with this life, which can justify the unselfish and noble nature in denouncing the _poor_, for being ungrateful. be this, however, as it may, one thing is certain, that no probability of disappointment, no apprehensions of an ungrateful return, ought to have any influence with the mind of a christian, and that such obstacles were never yet a hinderance to any man or woman whose desire was to do good. {xix}table of contents. page introduction iii chapter i. general observations relating to housekeeping, with remarks on the fitting up of a house, and conducting its affairs. on the choice and management of servants. chapter ii. the store room; the mode of fitting up, and the uses of it chapter iii. the pantry; the uses of it, with receipts for cleaning plate and furniture. chapter iv. the larder; with directions for keeping and salting meat. seasons for meat, poultry, game, fish and vegetables chapter v. the kitchen, with observations upon the fitting it up chapter vi. directions for jointing, trussing and carving, with plates of animals and various joints chapter vii. general instructions for boiling, followed by directions for boiling various joints chapter viii. general instructions for roasting, followed by directions for roasting particular joints chapter ix. directions for baking chapter x. directions for broiling chapter xi. directions for frying chapter xii. general instructions for the making of soups and broths, and directions relating to particular sorts chapter xiii. instructions for boiling, frying, baking, pickling and potting fish chapter xiv. general instructions for made dishes, and directions relative to particular dishes chapter xv. {xx} stuffing and forcemeat chapter xvi. gravies and sauces chapter xvii. seasonings chapter xviii. general and particular instructions for cooking vegetables, and also for mixing salads chapter xix. general instructions for making pastry, with particular directions relating to meat, fish, and fruit pies chapter xx. general and particular directions for making puddings chapter xxi. directions for making bread, cakes, biscuits, rolls and muffins chapter xxii. general observations on confectionary, and particular instructions for making jellies, creams chapter xxiii. general and particular instructions for making preserves chapter xxiv. instructions for making pickles chapter xxv. instructions for making vinegars chapter xxvi. instructions for making essences chapter xxvii. instructions for making catsups chapter xxviii. general remarks upon the cellar, followed by directions for brewing beer, and the making of wines and cordials chapter xxix. general observations relating to the fitting up, and the care of the dairy, with directions for making cheese and butter chapter xxx. observations upon cooking for the sick, and receipts for broths, jellies, gruels chapter xxxi. medical recipes chapter xxxii. various receipts chapter xxxiii. observations relating to, and directions for cooking for the poor { }the english housekeeper. ---- chapter i. general observations. it would be impossible to give rules for the management of a domestic establishment, because they would necessarily be subject to many and various exceptions, produced by various circumstances. but a few general observations, accompanied by remarks on the most important matters in domestic life, may not be unacceptable to young housekeepers. in the young and thoughtless, a spirit of emulation, leading them to vie with those who are richer than themselves, is often the source of domestic unhappiness, by causing so much to be sacrificed to appearance, as to circumscribe the means of enjoying the substantial comforts of life. it sometimes manifests itself in houses, equipages, and retinues of servants; but amongst persons of moderate income, for whose use this work is principally intended, it is commonly displayed in costly furniture and expensive entertainments. many young married women conceive the notion, that unless they have as fine a house, as expensive furniture, plate, china, and glass, as some others have, and give as fine entertainments as others give; in short, unless they make the appearance of living quite as well as their richer neighbours, they will not be held in equal estimation. it is not that they derive any real pleasure from the false appearance which they make; indeed, expensive furniture is but an annoyance to its possessor, if there be not a sufficient number of good servants to keep it in order. where the whole family concur in this sort of pride, no { }mortification arises from difference of opinion, but the unanimity tends only to accelerate the ruin. the young housekeeper should consider the serious consequences that are likely to result from setting out in a style of lavish expenditure, and she should remember that, while it is easy to extend, it is extremely difficult to reduce, her establishment. one expensive article requires another to correspond with it, and one expensive entertainment imposes the necessity of other equally expensive entertainments; for it requires no small share of moral courage to risk the loss of consequence which may result by its being surmised that we are not so well off, as we have been supposed to be. and when the time comes, as sooner or later it assuredly must, when the means are not adequate to the demands, what sacrifices are made, and what unseemly contrivances are resorted to, in order to keep up, to the last, a poor remnant of "_appearance!_" and, when this can no longer be effected, then comes the humiliation, with all the bitter feelings attendant upon _retrenchment_; of all which feelings, the bitterest is, the dread of being degraded in the world's estimation. to endure privations with resignation, to feel the want of habitual comforts, yet be grateful for the blessings which are left to us, is the duty of every christian, and is the less arduous when the reverse of fortune which has befallen us, has not been produced by any fault of our own. but if, in addition to the distresses of adversity, the wife and the mother be doomed to writhe under the pang of self-reproach, great indeed must be her suffering, and one for which i can suggest no adequate relief. to the young and generous-minded, the hardest portion which accompanies reverses of fortune, is, the change which they sometimes produce in the behaviour of acquaintances. when we are become poorer than we were, and have lost the ability to entertain guests in the accustomed manner, it is painful to perceive some of those very people who have been the most hospitably entertained, and who, in our prosperity, have appeared the most attached to us, turn from us and our difficulties, while they banish from their minds the recollection of past kindness. to meet with indifference in those whose smiles have courted ours; to feel that we have thrown away sincere friendship upon mere heartlessness, is hard to be endured, even by the faultless, but how { }intolerable must it be, when aggravated by the consciousness that we have incurred it by our own misconduct. to the experienced, this is one of the severest vicissitudes of life; what, then, must it be to us, before we have acquired that equanimity of mind, which falls only to the lot of those who have passed through the ordeal of the world, and who have been amply compensated for the desertion of the many, by the sincerity, the warmth of heart, and the steadfastness of the few. houses and furniture properly belong to the extraordinary expenses of the household. when a young woman is called upon to exercise her judgment in the choice of a house, she must pause before she rejects one which, though she may consider it rather too small, might, nevertheless, be made to accommodate the family _well enough_, and might be fitted up at a less cost than a larger one. such a house would require fewer servants, and would certainly present a better appearance, than one that is rather too large for the quantity, or for the style of its furniture, and is, perhaps, larger than is actually required for the number of its inhabitants. it is easier to remove from a small to a large house, when circumstances require it, than it is to remove from a large to a small one. it is so easy to increase our wants, and so difficult to reduce them, that young persons should begin the world with caution, and not multiply their wants, lest, in time, they lack the means of gratifying them. in fitting up a house, the young housekeeper, who sets out with a determination to choose furniture suitable to her circumstances and station in life, will be content with that which is just _good enough_, rather than be induced to exceed her previous good intentions, and gratify her fancy at the expense of her comforts. she must never yield to the seductive reflection, that "_only_ five pounds more cannot make much difference;" for, the same argument may be equally applied to the sofa, the tables, the carpet, the curtains, the grate, the fire-irons and fender; all of which are necessary to furnish a dining room; to say nothing of the lamps, the mirrors, and other articles of ornament, which fashion in some cases makes of absolute necessity. if "_only five pounds_" be given for some of these, and two, or even one pound, for others, more than is necessary, she { }will find that the "difference" is very great by the time that she has fitted up only one room. the rage for vying with our superiors shows itself in the bad taste which encumbers houses with unsuitable furniture. massive sideboards, and unwieldy chairs, occupy too much space in a small room, while draperies not only obscure the light, but have an inelegant appearance, unless the room be large and lofty, or in keeping with the size and weight of cornices, cords, tassels, and other ornaments, which give offence to the eye when too gorgeous or prominent. of equal bad taste, is the habit of occasionally changing furniture, to suit the varying of fashions; which is so much the practice that even persons in trade, having families to provide for, change furniture, sufficiently good to serve its purpose for a lifetime, for other no handsomer, but a little more fashionable. it is strange that persons pretending to gentility should not rather imitate the higher class of their superiors, who value their high-backed chairs the more because they are old, and would on no account exchange them for modern finery. when expensive furniture is introduced into the houses of persons of small fortune, the long upholsterer's bill rises like a phantom before the misplaced couches, ottomans, and ottoman sofas, crowded into small drawing rooms; and my feelings of regret become almost feelings of indignation on seeing plate, which belonged to fathers and mothers, or to grandfathers and grandmothers, and spoons which have touched those lips which spoke tenderness to our infancy, about to be bartered for the "prince's," the "king's," or the "fiddle pattern," or for some other pattern that may happen to offer the newest temptation to vulgar taste. every young woman who has the good taste to wish that her house may be characterised by its simplicity, and be more remarkable for comfort than for show, will, if she wish to spare herself and her family much discomfort, avoid having show-rooms; such rooms, i mean, as are considered too fine to be habitually occupied by the family, and are, therefore, kept shut up; except when, on particular occasions, and perhaps only a few times in the year, a fire is lighted for the reception of company. upon such occasions, children are seen to look about them as if they { }had never beheld the place before; the master of the house fidgets from one seat to another, as if he were anywhere but at home; and it is probable, that before the entertainment is over, the mistress of the house is heard to remark, that she is "never so comfortable as in the room she is accustomed to;" by which her friends discover that their visit has put her out of the way. true hospitality conceals from guests any trouble which their presence may unavoidably occasion; but in the luxurious taste of the times, there is little real hospitality left: friendly intercourse seems lost in ostentatious display, and in our vain attempts to equal, if not to outshine, each other. most persons acknowledge this to be the case, and lament that it is so; yet few have the courage to pursue a different system. there is no species of decoration which produces so much effect in ornamenting a house as flowers. the artificial productions of the painter and the upholsterer, the gilded ceilings, glittering mirrors, and couches of brocade, are more splendid and durable, and are worthy of admiration for their individual beauty and the ingenuity and industry which has produced them, but they have not the lively, gay, and varied attractions of flowers. vases, whether gaudy or elegant, excite interest only as mere objects of curiosity, unless filled with flowers. to point to any particular department of the household, as demanding the greatest share of attention, would tend rather to mislead than instruct; for a due proportion ought to be bestowed upon every department; where the mistress of the house is over particular on any one point, other matters, of equal importance, may be neglected. perfect and uniform neatness is indispensable, not only for comfort, but appearance. by uniform neatness, i mean, that nothing which presents itself, whether about the house, in the dress of mistress, children, or servants, should be left open to unfavourable remark. a young lady who relaxes in attention to her own dress, merely because she has more important cares after, than she had before her marriage, does wrong; but she whose studied attire forms a contrast to the little soiled fingers which are forbidden to approach it; she who strikes the beholder as having bestowed care on herself, while her children bear the appearance of neglect, does infinitely worse. to preserve the { }neatness of a house, there must be regular attention on the part of the mistress. i am a great enemy to the system of periodical scrubbings and general house-cleanings, which prevails to so great an extent, and especially in the country, where, when the appointed day comes round, carpets are taken up, and floors, even though they be delicately clean, are washed, whether the weather be suitable or otherwise, the health of the family being left to take its chance. the day of _general house-cleaning_ is no other than a day of commotion and discomfort. one attendant evil is, the make-up dinner, which does not, perhaps, content all the family; and it is a singular piece of good fortune if friends do not select that very day for paying you a visit. it is certainly a more simple process to clean a house, than it is to keep a house clean; for mere labour is required for the one, while method is necessary for the other. but this method every young housekeeper should endeavour to acquire. sweeping, dusting, and polishing, should proceed daily. carpets should be swept every day with a hair broom; but only once a week with a carpet broom, because it wears them: and damp tea leaves should always be used, whether in sweeping carpets or boards, as they lay the dust, which would otherwise fly over the furniture, and again settle on the floor. bed room carpets should be in different pieces, not nailed to the floor, for the convenience of shaking, which may then be done once in a week. bed rooms should be swept every day, and a damp mop passed under the beds, chests of drawers, &c., &c., which will remove all the flue and dust, and prevent accumulation of dirt, so that the washing of boards will not be so often required during the winter. in summer, indeed, frequent washings refreshen the atmosphere, and are also beneficial in removing the collections of light dust which engender insects so difficult to get rid of. upon the subject of wet boards, i believe that my dislike to great scrubbings was acquired in that cleanest of cities, philadelphia; where, though american servants do not and will not work so hard as english servants, yet, because it was the custom of the place, they were, notwithstanding severe cold, everlastingly scrubbing the stairs during the months of december and january. some years afterwards, at rome, one of the dirtiest of cities, and in the middle of { }summer, i recalled to mind, with a complacency i had never bestowed on them before, the scrubbing-brushes and the curd-white pails of philadelphia, and marvelled, as every one must, that in wet and cold countries people wash their houses so much, and that, in hot and dry countries, they do not wash them at all. with regard to the ordinary expenses of housekeeping, the most important branch of domestic duty which devolves upon the mistress is, to estimate and keep an exact account of the expenditure of her family. she may make this a simple affair by first ascertaining the sum of money to be allotted to it, and then making such arrangements as will confine the expenses rigidly _within_ that sum. by keeping a strict account of every article for the first three months, and making a due allowance for casualties, she will be able to form an estimate for the year; and if she find she has exceeded in these three months the allotted sum, she must examine each article, and decide where she can best diminish the expense; and then, having this average to go by, she may calculate how much to allow each month for meat, bread, groceries, washing, and sundries. having formed her plan, whatever excess circumstances may have required in one month, she must make up for in the next. i should not advise paying for everything at the moment, but rather once a week; for if a tradesman omit to keep an account of the money received for a particular article, he may, by mistake, make a charge for it, as something had upon trust. a weekly account has every advantage of ready money, and is a more convenient mode of payment. all tradesmen may be paid on a monday morning, the bills receipted, endorsed, and put by in a portfolio or case (which should have the date of the year on the outside), and they can then be referred to as vouchers, or to refresh the memory as to the price of any particular article. it is a satisfaction, independently of the pecuniary benefit, for the head of a family to be able, at the end of the year, to account to herself for what she has done with her money. having, in the arrangement of her house, and in the choice of her servants, kept in view the two main objects, namely, the comfort of her family, and the care of her purse, the young housekeeper ought to commence her career, by strictly adhering to order and regularity in the { }performance of those duties which devolve peculiarly upon herself. if the mistress of a house be regular in the superintendence of her domestic affairs, if she proceed every day to each department at the appointed time, and never pass over any neglect, in such a manner as to give the servants an idea that it had escaped her observation; if, in short, she be regular herself, her servants must be so too, and she will find the business of housekeeping a matter of no difficulty, and of comparatively little labour. the comfort and respectability of a house depend, in a great degree, upon the servants. clean, neatly-dressed, and well-behaved servants, always impress a visitor with a favourable idea of the mistress of a house; while it is scarcely possible not to be somewhat prejudiced against her, if they be the reverse. servants who understand their work, and do it without being continually looked after, are invaluable; and, as regards wages, not to be compared with ignorant and incapable ones, who perform their services only as they are directed at every turn. a few pounds a year more to a good servant is not, therefore, a consideration; the addition in wages will occasion little additional cost; for, the bad servant consumes as much as the other, and she wastes or damages more. the hours of meals should vary as little as possible; particularly the first meal of the day; for the work may be said to commence immediately after breakfast, and when that takes place one hour only, after the usual time, the whole business of the house is retarded. in even the most regular families, the time of dining may unavoidably be postponed. but this should happen as seldom as possible: for if the dinner ordered for five, be kept waiting till half-past six, one day, and, perhaps, later still another day, the cook may be prevented from performing some other part of her work, for which she had allotted the time; she will naturally be dissatisfied in having to consume that time in watching over the dinner; and if the dinner upon which she has, perhaps, exerted her utmost skill, be spoiled by waiting, she may be excused if she reproach herself for having taken so much trouble in its preparation. if the trial of her patience and temper be repeated, she will soon take little interest in pleasing her employers; she will { }take _her_ turn to be irregular, and that, perhaps, on some occasion when it may produce inconvenience to the family. under such circumstances, it would be unreasonable to find fault with the cook, who would only be following the bad example of those whose duty it is to preserve regularity. their hours for going to bed, and getting up, should be as early as other arrangements will permit. but, those ought to be so regulated as to make it unnecessary that the servants should be kept up late, except on extraordinary occasions. late dinners have, in a great measure, done away with hot suppers. where these are not eaten, the labours of the twenty-four hours may be ended by ten o'clock at night; and that is the latest hour at which the servants of a family of the middle rank, and of regular habits, ought to remain up. some one of the family should see that fires have been put out, and doors and windows secured. the honesty of servants depends, principally, upon their bringing up. but it also depends much, with young servants especially, upon the temptations to be dishonest they may have had to contend with; and it is the duty of every master and mistress to put all such temptations out of their way, as much as possible. the practice of locking up does not, as a matter of course, imply _distrust_, but it denotes _care_; and surely carefulness is one of the first principles to impress upon the mind of a poor person. i would as scrupulously avoid anything which should lead a servant to imagine that a drawer or tea-chest was locked up from _her_, as i would avoid giving the same idea to an acquaintance; but it is a culpable practice to leave tea, sugar, wine, or other things, open at all times, or only now and then locked up. the _habit_ is bad; and it is the result, not of generosity, but of negligence; it is also a habit which cannot fail to excite, in the minds of experienced and well-disposed servants, feelings rather of contempt, than of respect for their employers; while to the young, and more particularly to those of unsettled principles, it is nothing less than a temptation to crime. little pilferings at the tea-chest, perhaps, have been the beginning of that which has ended in depriving a poor girl of her character, and, consequently, of all chance of gaining her bread by honest means. to suspect servants of being disposed to be dishonest merely because they are servants, is as silly as it is unfeeling. i should { }never hesitate to give my keys to a servant, when it happened to be inconvenient to me to leave company, any more than i should hesitate to entrust them to one of my own family; but such an act of confidence is far different in its effects, from that neglect which often proceeds from mere idleness, and, while it proclaims a disregard of the value of property, is the occasion of much waste, and, in the end, proves as ruinous to the employer as it is fatal in the way of example to servants. that "_servants are plagues_" may be the fact; but when the hardships which belong to the life of a maid-servant are taken into consideration, the wonder is, that they are not less obedient to the will of their employers, and more callous to their displeasure, than we really find them. it is too much the habit to regard servants as inferior beings, hired and paid to perform certain services, but whose feelings are unworthy of the consideration of those upon whom they wait, for whom they cook, and whom they enable to sit at their ease, or to go about, and take their pleasure. true, they are paid for what they do; but how paid? not in a degree adequate to their services. the double or the treble of what they are paid, would not compensate us for the discomfort of having to work for ourselves. yet, "they are _paid_ for it," is said in justification of unreasonable demands upon the time, strength, and patience of servants; when, in fact, the whole of the pay to a female servant consists of that food, without which she would be unable to work, and of a sum of money, barely sufficient to keep her clothed, which she is required to be, for the credit of the house she lives in. ladies who shudder as they meet the cold air, in descending to their breakfast rooms, forget the sufferings of the female servant, who has, perhaps, gone to bed over-night exhausted by fatigue, but whose duty compels her to rise again, some hours before she is rested, to begin her work afresh, and to do over again all that had been done the day before. a lady who thinks her servant _sufficiently paid_ for all she endures, has never known what it is to get up in the dark of a cold winter morning, and to spend half-an-hour on her knees, labouring to produce a polish on the bars of a grate, which bars were burnt black yesterday, and will be burnt black again to-day. such a lady has never suffered from the drudgery of a kitchen, not { }from the scorching of a kitchen fire, either of which is sufficient to impair the constitution of any woman, independently of all that wearing of the spirits, which those exposed to such trials must experience. it is true, also, that it is by their own choice that servants go to service; they are not compelled to do so by any other law than that of necessity; but starvation is their only alternative; and we should think it hard to be reduced to the alternative of either starving to death, in the bloom of our youth, and of quitting a world which was made for us, as well as for our more fortunate fellow beings, or of yielding up the whole of our lives, to promote the ease of those who deem us amply rewarded, in being fed and clothed, and suffered to repose from toil, at those times only when their wants happen not to require our attention. the apprehension of lowering our dignity and encouraging disrespect, by giving way to familiarity with inferiors, is pleaded by some as an excuse for haughty and overbearing demeanour towards servants. but such as adopt that kind of demeanour are mistaken. there are few better judges of good breeding than servants. their ideas upon this subject are not formed by rules, or by fashions; but they have generally, from observation, a remarkably correct knowledge both of what is due to themselves, and of what is most becoming to the dignity of their superiors. i have occasionally been astonished at the quickness with which a servant has made the discovery, that some upstart person, notwithstanding her lofty bearing, "was no lady." the behaviour which characterises such persons is more likely to give rise to contempt, in those who are beneath them, than any behaviour that is unaffectedly conciliating and kind. to be loved, and to be cheerfully served, is for those only who respect the feelings, and consult the comfort of their dependents; and, as a single trait is often sufficient to reveal the whole character, they will most assuredly be disappointed, who expect to meet with the qualities which conduce to the happiness of domestic life, in a woman who considers the feelings of a female servant as unworthy of the same consideration as that which she gives to the feelings of others of her own sex. with regard to the general character and merits of servants, nothing is more common than the remark, that { }"servants are not so good as they used to be." this is surely an error. there cannot be a greater predisposition to misconduct in them now than formerly. it may be said, that there are more frequent instances of bad conduct; but this does not warrant the idea, that the servants of the present day have a degree of inborn viciousness from which those of times past were free. if all who rail at the negligences, the waste, the want of care, the dislike of work, and the liking for dress and for gadding, to which servants are as much addicted as their betters; if all such were themselves as free from fault as they would have their servants be, it would probably be found that the effect, what with precept and example combined, would be quite enough to banish this commonplace remark. the truth is, that the change which has taken place in the habits of the middle class, has produced a change, but a very natural change, in the habits of those of a more humble station. there exists now a greater degree of high living than formerly; and consequently, a want of frugality, a waste in all sorts of ways, formerly unknown. persons of moderate income keep more company than persons of the same class used to keep; they imitate the late hours, and other fashionable habits which used to be reckoned among the privileges of their superiors in fortune, instead of wisely avoiding emulation in such things, and keeping to their own more simple, and less hazardous mode of life. what wonder, then, if we find the most humble copying those of the middling, when the middling are doing all they can to rival those of the highest rank. servants were formerly more the object of care with their employers than they have been of late. when ladies gave a considerable portion of their time to domestic duties, and prided themselves on their skill in household matters, they were not above maintaining a certain degree of friendly intercourse with their servants. this afforded opportunities for giving good counsel, and for superintending their conduct, and was a more efficient check upon them than "a good scolding now and then," which many think better than "being always on the watch." in addressing myself to young persons, it may not be considered impertinent or foreign to the general purpose of this work, to offer a few remarks upon the subject of { }company. i do not mean in respect to the selection of friends and acquaintance, or the _kind_ of visitors proper to be invited, but simply as to the mode of entertaining them, which must, necessarily, be a matter of importance in housekeeping, and, therefore, comes properly within the scope of domestic economy. it should be a rule, not to invite such visitors as cannot be entertained without trespassing on the comforts and conveniences of the family. true hospitality may be enjoyed without much ceremony, and may be practised in the plainest manner; but when efforts to entertain _company_ disturb the usual arrangements of a house, they are inconsistent with their object. let nothing, therefore, be attempted which cannot be performed without difficulty; let nothing be provided which cannot be provided plentifully; let nothing which is necessary be wanting, and nothing produced which may seem to be out of place or uncalled for. do nothing, in short, which you cannot really afford to do; and the result will be, that while you consult your own ease, you will, at the same time, ensure that freedom from restraint which contributes, more than all besides, to make visiting agreeable, and which never fails to create in your departing guest, those mixed feelings of regret at going, but of pleasure at the prospect of returning, which are amongst the most flattering acknowledgments that genuine hospitality can receive. { }chapter ii. the store room. every housekeeper knows the value of a good store-room; for it seems to be little less essential than a good kitchen. few modern town residences, except those for large establishments, have a store-room sufficiently large to answer all its purposes. in the country a good store-room is so indispensable that where there is none it ought to be built; it should be on the same floor with, and as near as possible to, the kitchen; and as this would be on the ground floor, it would be necessary to make a cellar underneath, or to raise the building a little distance from the ground, to prevent its being damp, above all things to be guarded against, in a place where stores are kept. it may, perhaps, be kept dry by flues from the kitchen fire; and this would be a saving of fuel and labour; but if not practicable, the room should have a fire-place. if it be sufficiently large, and there be no other place for the purpose, there might be a closet, or press, for household linen. this should always be kept in a dry situation, and in some houses a small room is fitted up, with closets or presses round it, some of these having shelves or drawers for linen, and others with hooks, for a variety of things belonging to a family; but in this room there ought to be a fire-place, unless it be aired by one adjoining. in the store-room, there should be a closet or shelves for china and glass, not in every-day use. but as these ought to be free from dust, open shelves would not be so desirable as a closet; and if expense is not of importance, glass doors would be the most convenient. preserves and pickles require air; they will ferment if shut up, or the place very warm; and, therefore, open shelves are best for them; and they should be at a convenient distance from the ground, so as not to be out of sight, for they ought to be examined frequently, and the coverings dusted. for { }bottles of green gooseberries, peas, or any kind of fruit preserved dry, without sugar, have shelves with holes in them, to turn the bottles with their necks downwards. this effectually excludes the air. a dresser is a convenience in a store-room; or a table in the middle of the room may answer the purpose; but in either of these, or at the bottom of the linen press, there should be drawers for dusters, tea-cloths, &c., &c., unless they be kept in the pantry. there should be boxes for candles and soap, but as these smell, the store-boxes may be kept in a garret, or some dry place, and a smaller quantity in the store-room for immediate use. late in the summer is the best time to provide the year's stock of candles and soap. both are the better for being kept some time before they are used: and the latter should be cut in pieces the size required for the different household purposes, and left, before packed in the box, a few days exposed to the air; but not in a thorough draught, for that would cause the soap to crack. it is mismanagement to buy candles a few at a time, and soap just as it is wanted; and not good to buy cheap candles. the dearest articles are not always the best; but it is very certain that the best are the cheapest. good candles afford more light than bad; and do not waste, particularly if they have been kept some time, even for a year. there ought to be a place in the store-room appropriated to groceries, for they, too, should be laid in, not oftener than two or three times a year. the price of starch varies with the price of flour; and, therefore, as it keeps well, a stock should be laid in when flour is at a low price. rice keeps very well, and is useful in a family, particularly in the country, where new milk and eggs are plenty. we once kept a quantity more than three years, by spreading a well-aired linen sheet in a box, and folding it over the rice, the sheet lifted out on the floor, once in two or three months, and the rice spread about upon the sheet for a day or two. this had the effect of keeping away the weevil. jars and canisters, with closely fitting lids, for tea, sugar, coffee, cocoa, mustard, pepper, spices, and such things, will last many years. by giving, in the course of the year, one or two large orders, to any respectable shop, and always to the same one, you may pretty well depend upon { }being supplied with good articles; but not so, if you send here and there, and for small quantities at a time; besides the inconvenience of finding yourself, now and then, without the very thing which you want. to dispose of these things properly, they should be kept in a closet, some in earthen jars, others in tin or japan boxes; and the spices in little drawers very closely fitted. if drawers, which are preferable, they should be labelled. as it may be convenient sometimes to perform little culinary matters in the store-room, there should be a rolling pin, pasteboard, and pestle and mortar kept there, in addition to those of the kitchen, and on this account a small marble slab would be very useful, for making pastry in hot weather. the fire-place might have an oven attached to it; for though it would be imprudent to heat the store-room, on account of preserves, &c., it may be occasionally used, when there is more cooking than usual. besides which, in the season for making preserves, a hot plate in the store-room would be found useful. weights and scales of various sizes are absolutely necessary, that the housekeeper may be able to ascertain the weight of the largest joint of meat, as well as of the smallest quantity of spice. care should be taken to keep these in good order.--a hanging shelf is also a good thing in a store-room. here the flour-bin may find a place, if there be no other more suitable. a store-room of this description is not adapted for keeping fruit; it would be too warm, besides that the fruit might prove injurious to other stores, from the smell which it occasions. there are various methods of keeping apples through the winter; but scarcely any other will be found to succeed so well as that of making layers of fruit, and layers of perfectly fresh and dry straw, in hampers, boxes, or the corner of a dry room. the apples should be examined every now and then, the specked ones taken away for use, the others wiped, and covered up again. in hard frosts, windows that have no shutters could be covered with rugs, old carpet, or mats, and something of the same kind spread over the apples. when we were in america, we were surprised to find that our neighbours took so little care to preserve their apples, during the three months of unremitting hard frost, which occur in their winter season. they merely { }laid their apples on the floor of a spare room, sometimes of the barn, or of an outhouse, each sort by itself, and then covered them with a linen sheet. the people told us that their apples never became frozen, and attributed this to the dryness of the atmosphere. apples and pears may also be preserved in the following way. gather them on a dry day: wipe, and roll them, singly, in very soft paper, then pack them in jars, each containing about a gallon. put a cover on the jar, and cement it closely, so as to keep out the air; and place the jar in a dry cellar. when a jar is opened, the fruit will eat the better for being taken out of the paper, and exposed to the air of a warm room for two or three days. large baking pears may be suspended by their stalks on lines, placed across near the ceiling of a room. there are many ways of preserving grapes; but the best way is, to gather them with about five or six inches of the branch to each bunch, to seal the end with common sealing wax, and hang them to lines in a dry room. examine them frequently, and cut out the mouldy berries. nuts of all kinds may be preserved in jars, the covers cemented, the jars in a dry cellar. in this short sketch of what a store-room ought to be, even in the plainest houses in the country, many things requisite to the fitting up of a complete one are omitted. but one thing more necessary to be observed than any other, must not be omitted; which is, that it must be always in order, and everything kept in its proper place, or the main object in having it will be defeated. a store-room out of order can be compared to nothing but a drawer in a state of confusion. a lady once dressing in haste, to keep an appointment for which she was already too late, needed the assistance of all about her, to aid in her search for different articles necessary to complete her toilet. i sought a pair of gloves, and discovered many single ones of various sorts and colours, but no two to form a perfect match. and with this ill success must have ended my labours, if the drawer had not been regularly _put to rights_: and by the time that scarfs were folded, ribands rolled, collars smoothed, and scissors disentangled from sewing silk, half a dozen gloves were paired. the saving of time occasioned by observing order, and the waste of time occasioned by want of order, are { }incalculable. a general putting to rights, every now and then, does not answer the purpose, because, in that case, it is sure to happen that some things will find new places; and persons coming in a hurry be unable to find them. the mistress of a house, when she sends her servant or a child to a store-room, should be able to say precisely where what she wants may be found. negligence, and its companion disorder, are the two demons of housekeeping. once admit them, and, like the moth, they gradually but completely destroy. chapter iii. the pantry. what is commonly called the _butler's pantry_, does not of necessity imply the presence of a butler; nor does it require to be spacious, when the china and glass not in daily use are kept in the store-room. where women servants only are kept, the care of the pantry belongs either to the parlourmaid or the housemaid, and the same servant usually performs the office of laying the cloth, and waiting at table: which is always done better by women than by men servants, except it be the higher order of men servants, those who are in the daily practice of it, and whose occupation is in the house. the same hands which, in the morning, rubbed down the horses, swept the stable, cleaned the harness, and blackened the shoes, seem unfit to be employed in placing dishes on the dining-table, folding up napkins, and handling tea-things. it is almost impossible that occupations so widely differing should be equally well suited to one and the same person. the employing of men servants in work which properly belongs to women is highly objectionable; and nothing renders travelling in the south of france and italy so disagreeable as being waited on by men, acting as housemaids and chambermaids. if, indeed, men were employed to scrub the floor, wash the stone halls, and clean the dirty doorsteps in london, the lives of many female servants might be saved. but the more delicate { }occupations, such as wiping glasses, trimming candles, and waiting in the parlour, seem more suitable for women. some women servants, it is true, never learn to wait at table well; but, then, others are very expert at it. short people are generally the most nimble, but it is desirable that the servant who waits at table be tall, for the convenience of setting on and taking off dishes; and it requires long arms to carry heavy mahogany trays. practice is as necessary to good waiting as it is in any of the higher domestic occupations. the mistress, therefore, should require the same particularity in preparing the table, arranging the sideboard, and waiting at dinner, when her family dines alone, as she requires when there are visitors; because, in the latter case, an increase in number gives sufficient additional trouble to a servant, without her being thrown into confusion by having to do what she may have forgotten, from being out of practice. there is one item of expenditure in housekeeping which should not be too narrowly restricted, and that is the washing of table-cloths and napkins. the fineness is not so much a matter of consideration with me: neither should i desire a clean table-cloth every day, merely for the sake of the change; but, if at all soiled, i would rather not see it on the table again. it is a very neat practice to spread a napkin on the centre of the table, large or small according to the size of the latter, and to remove it with the meat. in italy this napkin is clean every day, and i have seen it folded in a three-cornered shape, and then crimped at the edges with the thumb and finger, which, when the napkin was spread out, gave it a pretty appearance. it is also a neat practice to place the dessert on the table cloth, and a convenient one too, where there are few servants, because the cloth saves the table; and rubbing spots out of dining tables, day after day, seems waste of labour. but the cloth must be preserved from gravy spots, or it will disgrace the dessert. a baize between two cloths is sometimes used, and this, being rolled up with the upper cloth and removed with the dinner, leaves the under cloth for the dessert. a table cloth _once folded_ may be laid over the one which is spread, and then removed with the dinner. a table cloth press is a convenience. the fitting up of the pantry must, in a great measure, be { }regulated by the style of the establishment, but, in any case, there should be a dresser, furnished with drawers, one for table cloths, napkins and mats (unless all these be kept in sideboard drawers); another for tea cloths, glass cloths, dusters, &c. &c., and another drawer lined with baize, for the plate which is in use. plate-leathers, flannels and brushes, kept in a bag; and the cloths and brushes used in cleaning furniture, in another bag, to preserve them from dust. a small sink, with the water laid on, indispensable. there should also be a horse, or lines, for drying tea and glass cloths upon. china and glass, whether plain or of the finest kind, require to be kept equally clean; and the servant whose business this is ought to have soft cloths for the purpose. china should be washed in warm water, with a piece of flannel, and wiped with a clean and soft cloth, or it will look dull. glass washed in cold water, drained nearly dry, and then wiped; if the cloth be not clean and dry, the glasses will not look clear. for cut glass a brush, because a cloth will not reach into the crevices to polish it; and dull looking salts, or other cut glass, spoil the appearance of a table. wash lamps and lustres with soap and cold water. when looking glasses are become tarnished and dull, thump them over with a linen bag containing powdered blue, and wipe it off with a soft cloth. paper trays are the best, considering the small difference in the price, compared with the great difference in the appearance: it would be better to save in many other things, than to hear tea-things, glasses, or snuffers, jingle on japan. paper trays are very durable, if taken care of. they will seldom require washing; but when they do, the water should only be lukewarm, for if hot water be poured on them the paper will blister. wipe clean with a wet cloth, and when dry, dust a little flour over, and wipe that off with a soft cloth. to prevent their being scratched, keep tea-boards and trays in green baize cases, under the dresser of the pantry, or, if convenient, hung against the wall, to be out of the way, when not in use. plate, plain, handsome, old or new, looks badly, if not perfectly clean and polished. washing is of great consequence; and if in cold soft water, wiped dry with a linen cloth, and then polished with leather, it will not want any other cleaning oftener than once a week. unskilful { }servants may do great injury by using improper things to polish plate, or by rubbing it too hard, for that may bend it. plate should be kept covered up, when not in use, to preserve it from tarnish. tea pots, coffee pots, sugar bowls, cream jugs, candlesticks, and all large things, each in a separate bag of cloth, baize, or leather; a lined basket for that which is in daily use, preserves it from scratches. where there is neither butler, nor housekeeper, to take charge of it, the mistress of the house usually has the plate basket taken at night into her own room, or that of some one of the family, where it may, occasionally, be looked over and compared with the inventory, kept in the basket. if a spoon or any article be missing, it should be immediately inquired after; the effect of this will be that the servant who has the care of these things will take more care of them for the future. it has happened to us to have spoons found, at different times, in the pig-sty, which had been thrown out in the wash. if they had not been discovered there, the servant, who was only careless, might have been suspected of dishonesty. _to clean plate._ having ready two leathers, and a soft plate brush for crevices, and the plate being washed clean, which it always should be first, rub it with a mixture of prepared chalk, bought at the chemist's, and spirits of wine; let it dry, rub it off with flannel, and polish with leather. i find this the best way of all. much of the labour necessary to keep tables in good order might be saved, if mats were used, when jugs of hot water are placed on the table; and, also, if the servant were brought to apply a duster, the instant any accident had occurred to cause a stain. for this purpose a clean and white duster should always be in readiness. rosewood and all polished, japanned, or other ornamental furniture, is best _dusted_ with a silk handkerchief, and wiped with a soft leather. china and all ornaments dusted with clean leathers. so little furniture is now used which is not _french polished_, that i shall only give the plainest receipt i know of, for cleaning mahogany. take out ink spots with salts of lemon; wet the spot with water, put on enough to cover it, let it be a quarter of an hour, and if not disappeared, put { }a little more. wash the table clean with stale beer, let it dry, then brush it well with a clean furniture brush. to polish it, use the following furniture paste:--½ lb. beeswax, turpentine to moisten it, _or_ spirits of wine, melt it, stirring well, and put by in a jar for use. rub some on with a soft cloth, rub it off directly, and polish with another soft cloth. nothing betrays slovenliness and want of attention more than ill-used and badly cleaned knives and forks. plate, glass and china, however common, may be made to answer every purpose; but knives and forks ought to be good in quality, or they soon wear out, and nothing looks so bad on a table as bad knives and forks, and when good they are so expensive that it is unpardonable not to take care of them. carving knives are of great consequence; there should be a judicious assortment of them, to suit various joints, or different carvers, and particular attention paid to their cleaning and sharpening. when it can be done, knives and forks should be cleaned immediately after they have been used; but when not, they ought, if possible, to be dipped in warm (not hot) water, wiped dry, and laid by till the time of cleaning comes. after bath brick has been used, dip the handles into lukewarm water, or wipe them with a soaped flannel, and then with a dry soft cloth. inexperienced men servants seldom _wipe_ knives and forks sufficiently; but it is next to impossible for a woman to clean them well, and it is a masculine occupation. to preserve those not in daily use from rust, rub with mutton fat, roll each one in brown paper, and keep in a dry place. a good knife-board indispensable; covered with leather saves the steel, but the knives not so sharp as if cleaned on a board, and bath brick. both knives and forks are the better for being occasionally plunged into fresh fine earth, for a few minutes. it sweetens them. knife-trays do not always have so much care as they ought to have. out of sight when in the dining-room, they are often neglected in the pantry; but they ought to be as clean as the waiters on which glasses are handed. the tray made of basket work and lined with tin, is best; there should be a clean cloth spread in it, before it is brought into the parlour, and also one in the second tray to receive the knives and forks, as they are taken from the table. { }chapter iv. the larder. a good larder is essential to every house. it should have a free circulation of air through it, and not be exposed to the sun. if it can be so contrived, the larder ought to be near the kitchen, for the convenience of the cook. for a family of moderate style of living it need not be very roomy. there should be large and strong hooks for meat and poultry; a hanging shelf so placed as for the cook to reach it with ease; and a safe, either attached to the wall, or upon a stand, for dishes of cold meat, pastry, or anything which would be exposed to dust and flies on the shelf. wire covers should be provided for this purpose, and in hot weather, when it may be necessary to place dishes of meat on a brick floor, these covers will be found to answer every purpose of a safe. there should be a pan, with a cover, for bread, another for butter, and one for cheese. a shelf for common earthenware bowls, dishes, &c., &c., &c. cold meat, and all things left from the dinner, should be put away in common brown or yellow ware; there ought to be an ample supply of these. tubs and pans for salted meat sometimes stand in the dairy, but it is not the proper place for them, for meat ought not to be kept in a dairy. meat should be examined every day in cold, and oftener in warm weather, as it sometimes taints very soon. scrape off the outside, if the least appearance of mould, on mutton, beef, or venison; and flour the scraped parts. by well peppering meat you may keep away flies, which cause so much destruction in a short time. but a very coarse cheese-cloth, wrapped round the joint, is more effectual, if the meat is to be dressed soon. remove the kidneys, and all the suet, from loins which are wanted to hang long, in warm or close weather, and carefully wipe and flour that part of the meat. before you put meat which is rather stale to the fire, wipe it with a cloth dipped in vinegar. a { }joint of beef, mutton, or venison, may be saved by being wrapped in a cloth and buried, over night, in a hole dug in fresh mould. neither veal, pork, or lamb should be kept long. poultry and game keep for some length of time, if the weather be dry and cold, but if moist or warm, will be more liable to taint, than venison or any kind of meat, except veal. a piece of charcoal put inside of any kind of poultry will greatly assist to preserve it. poultry should be picked, drawn and cropped. do not wash, but wipe it clean, and sprinkle the parts most likely to taint with powdered loaf sugar, salt, and pepper. as i should reject the use of all chemical processes, for the preservation of meat, i do not recommend them to others. frost has a great effect upon meat, poultry, and game. some cooks will not be persuaded of the necessity for its being completely _thawed before it is put near the fire_; yet it neither roasts, boils, nor eats well, unless this be done. if slightly frozen, the meat may be recovered, by being five or six hours in the kitchen; _not_ near the fire. another method is, to plunge a joint into a tub of _cold_ water, let it remain two or three hours, or even longer, and the ice will appear on the outside. meat should be cooked immediately after it has been thawed, for it will keep no longer. if the tastes of all persons were simple and unvitiated, there would be little occasion for the cook's ingenuity to preserve meat after it has begun to putrefy. an objection to meat in that state, does not arise merely from distaste, but from a conviction of its being most unwholesome. there may have been a difference of opinion among the scientific upon this subject: but, it seems now to be generally considered by those who best understand such matters, that when meat has become poisonous to the air, it is no longer good and nutritious food. the fashion of eating meat _à la cannibale_, or half raw, being happily on the decline, we may now venture to express our dislike to eat things which are half decomposed, without incurring the charge of vulgarity. salting and curing meat. the counties of england differ materially in their modes of curing bacon and pork; but the palm of excellency in { }bacon has so long been decreed to hampshire, that i shall give no other receipts for it, but such as are practised in that, and the adjoining counties. the best method of keeping, feeding, and killing pigs, is detailed in cobbett's _cottage economy_; and there, also, will be found directions for salting and smoking the flitches, in the way commonly practised in the farm-houses in hampshire. the _smoking_ of bacon is an important affair, and experience is requisite to give any thing like perfection in the art. the process should not be too slow nor too much hurried. the skin should be made of a dark brown colour, but not black; for by smoking the bacon till it becomes black, it will also be made hard, and cease to have any flavour but that of rust.--before they are dressed, both bacon and hams require to be soaked in water; the former an hour or two, the latter, all night, or longer, if very dry. but, according to some, the best way to soak a ham is to bury it in the earth, for one, two, or three nights and days, according to its state of dryness. meat will not take salt well either in frosty or in warm weather. every thing depends upon the first rubbing; and the salt, or pickle, should not only be well rubbed in, but this is best done by a hard hand. the following general direction for salting meat may be relied on:--" lbs. of salt, lb. of coarse sugar, and oz. of saltpetre, boiled in gallons of water, skimmed and allowed to cool, forms a very strong pickle, which will preserve any meat completely immersed in it. to effect this, which is essential, either a heavy board or flat stone must be laid upon the meat. the same pickle may be used repeatedly, provided it be boiled up occasionally with additional salt to restore its strength, diminished by the combination of part of the salt with the meat, and by the dilution of the pickle by the juices of the meat extracted. by boiling, the _albumen_, which would cause the pickle to spoil, is coagulated and rises in the form of scum, which must be carefully removed." it is a good practice to wash meat before it is salted. this is not generally done; but pieces of pork, and, more particularly, beef and tongues, should first lie in cold spring water, and then be well washed to cleanse them from all impurities, in order to ensure their being free from taint; after which, drain the meat, and it will take the salt much { }quicker for the washing.--examine it well; and be careful to take all the kernels out of beef. some persons like salted meat to be red. for this purpose, saltpetre is necessary. otherwise, the less use is made of it the better, as it tends to harden the meat. sweet herbs, spices, and even garlic, may be rubbed into hams and tongues, with the pickle, according to taste. bay salt gives a nice flavour. sugar is generally used in curing hams, tongues and beef; for the two latter some recommend lump sugar, others treacle, to make the meat eat short. in cold weather salt should be warmed before the fire. indeed, some use it quite hot. this causes it to penetrate more readily into the meat than it does when rendered hard and dry by frost. salting troughs or tubs should be clean, and in an airy place. after meat of any kind has been once well rubbed, keep it covered close, not only with the lid of the vessel, but, in addition, with the thick folds of some woollen article, in order to exclude the air. this is recommended by good housekeepers; yet in hampshire the trough is sometimes left uncovered, the flitches purposely exposed to the air. _to cure bacon._ as soon as the hog is cut up, sprinkle salt thickly over the flitches, and let them lie on a brick floor all night. then wipe the salt off, and lay them in a salting trough. for a large flitch of bacon, allow gallons of salt, lb. of bay salt, cakes of salt prunella, a ¼ lb. of saltpetre, and lb. of common moist sugar; divide this mixture into two parts; rub one half into it the first day, and rub it in _well_. the following day rub the other half in, and continue to rub and turn the flitch every day for three weeks. then hang the flitches to drain, roll them in bran, and hang them to smoke, in a wood-fire chimney. the more quickly, in reason, they are smoked, the better the bacon will taste. _to cure a ham._ let a leg of pork hang for three days; then beat it with a rolling pin, and rub into it oz. of saltpetre finely { }powdered, and mixed with a small quantity of common salt; let it lie all night. make the following pickle: a quart of stale strong beer, ½ lb. of bay salt, ½ lb. of common salt, and the same of brown sugar; boil this twenty minutes, then wipe the ham dry from the salt, and with a wooden ladle, pour the pickle, by degrees, and as hot as possible, over the ham; and as it cools, rub it well into every part. rub and turn it every day, for a week; then hang it, a fortnight, in a wood-smoke chimney. when you take it down, sprinkle black pepper over the bone, and into the holes, to keep it safe from hoppers, and hang it up in a thick paper bag. _another._ for one of lb. weight. rub the rind side of the ham with ¼ lb. of brown sugar, then rub it with lb. of salt, and put it in the salting-pan, then rub a little of the sugar, and oz. of saltpetre, and oz. salt prunel, pounded, on the lean side, and press it down; in three days turn it and rub it well with the salt in the pan, then turn it in the pickle for three weeks; take it out, scrape it well, dry it with a clean cloth, rub it slightly with a little salt, and hang it up to dry. _another._ beat the ham well on the fleshy side with a rolling pin, then rub into it, on every part, oz. of saltpetre, and let it lie one night. then take a ½ pint of common salt, and a ¼ pint of bay salt, and lb. of coarse sugar or treacle; mix these ingredients, and make them very hot in a stew-pan, and rub in well for an hour. then take ½ a pint more of common salt and lay all over the ham, and let it lie on till it melts to brine; keep the ham in the pickle three weeks or a month, till you see it shrink. this is sufficient for a large ham. _another, said to be equal to the westphalian._ rub a large fat ham well, with oz. of pounded saltpetre, oz. of bay salt, and a ¼ lb. of lump sugar: let it lie two days. prepare a pickle as follows: boil in quarts { }of stale ale, lb. of bay salt, lb. of common salt, ¾ lb. of lump sugar, oz. of salt prunella, oz. of pounded black pepper, and ½ an oz. of cloves; boil this well, and pour it boiling hot over the ham. rub and turn it every day for three weeks or a month; then smoke it for about a fortnight. _to cure a mutton ham._ a hind quarter must be cut into the shape of a ham: rub into it the following mixture: ¼ lb. saltpetre, ¼ lb. bay salt, lb. common salt, and ¼ lb. loaf sugar; rub well, every other day, for a fortnight, then take it out, press it under a weight for one day, then hang it to smoke ten or fifteen days. it will require long soaking, if kept any length of time, before it is dressed. boil very gently, three hours. it is eaten cut in slices, and these broiled for breakfast or lunch.--_or_; the ham smoked longer, not boiled, but slices very thinly shaved to eat by way of relish at breakfast. _to pickle pork._ for a hog of score.--when it is quite cold, and cut up in pieces, have well mixed gallons of common salt, and ½ lb. of saltpetre; with this, rub well each piece of pork, and as you rub, pack it in a salting tub, and sprinkle salt between each layer. put a heavy weight on the top of the cover, to prevent the meat's swimming. if kept close and tight in this way, it will keep for a year or two. _leg of pork._ proceed as above, salt in proportion, but leave out the saltpetre if you choose. the hand and _spring_ also, in the same way--and a week sufficient for either. rub and turn them every day. _pig's head_ in the same way, but it will require two weeks. _to pickle a tongue._ rub the tongue over with common salt; and cut a slit in the root, so that the salt may penetrate. drain the tongue next day, and rub it over with oz. of bay salt, { } oz. of saltpetre, and oz. of lump or coarse sugar, all mixed together. this pickle should be poured over the tongue, with a spoon, every day, as there will not be sufficient liquor to cover it. it will be ready to dress in three weeks or a month. _to salt beef._ be sure to take out the _kernels_, and also be sure to fill up the holes with salt, as well as those which the butcher's skewers have made. in frosty weather, take care that the meat be not frozen; also, to warm the salt before the fire, or in a frying pan. for a piece of lb. weight.--sprinkle the meat with salt, and let it lie twenty-four hours; then hang it up to drain. take oz. of saltpetre, a ½ oz. of salt prunella, a ¼ lb. of very coarse sugar, oz. of common salt, all finely powdered, and rub it well into the beef. rub and turn it every day. it will be ready to dress in ten days, but may be kept longer. _to salt a round of beef._ for one of lb. weight.--rub common salt well into it all over and in every part, cover it well with salt: rub it well next day, pouring the brine over the meat. repeat this every day for a fortnight, when it will be ready. let it drain for minutes, when you are going to cook it. you may, if you wish it to look red, add oz. salt prunel, and lb. saltpetre to the pickle. _an edge bone._ to one of or lb. weight allow ¾ lb. of salt, and oz. of moist sugar. rub these well into the meat. repeat the rubbing every day, turning the meat also, and it will be ready to dress in four or five days. _tongue beef._ after the tongues are taken out of the pickle, wash and wipe dry a piece of flank or brisket of beef; sprinkle with salt, and let it lie a night; then hang it to drain, rub in a { }little fresh salt, and put the beef into the pickle; rub and turn it every day for three or four days, and it will be ready to dress, and if the pickle have been previously well prepared, will be found to have a very fine flavour. _to smoke beef._ cut a round into pieces of lb. weight each, and salt them very well; when sufficiently salted, hang the pieces in a wood-smoke chimney to dry, and let them hang three or four weeks. this may be grated, for breakfast or luncheon. _another._--cut a leg of beef like a ham, and to one of lb. make a pickle of lb. salt, lb. brown sugar, oz. saltpetre, and oz. bay salt. rub and turn the ham every day for a month, then roll it in bran and smoke it. hang it in a dry place. broil it in slices. _to make pickle for brawn._ to rather more than a sufficient quantity of water to cover it, put or handsful of bran, a few bay leaves, also salt enough to give a strong relish; boil this an hour and a half, then strain it. when cold, pour the pickle from the sediment into a pan, and put the meat into it. any of these pickles may be used again. first boil it up and take off all the scum. ---- the seasons for meat, poultry, game, and vegetables. it is always the best plan to deal with a respectable butcher, and to keep to the same one. he will find his interest in providing his regular customers with good meat, and the _best_ is always the _cheapest_, even though it may cost a little more money. _beef_ is best and cheapest from michaelmas to midsummer. _veal_ is best and cheapest from march to july. _mutton_ is best from christmas to midsummer. _grass lamb_ is best from easter to june. _house lamb_ comes in in february. _poultry_ is in the greatest perfection, when it is in the greatest plenty, which it is about september. { }_chickens_ come in the beginning of april, but they may be had all the year round. _fowls_ are dearest in april, may, and june, but they may be had all the year round, and are cheapest in september, october, and november. _capons_ are finest at christmas. _poulards_, with _eggs_, come in in march. _green geese_ come in in march, and continue till september. _geese_ are in full season in september, and continue till february. _turkey poults_ come in in april, and continue till june. _turkeys_ are in season from september till march, and are cheapest in october and november. _ducks_ are in season from june till february. _wild ducks_, _widgeons_, _teal_, _plovers_, _pintails_, _larks_, _snipes_, _woodcocks_, from the end of october till the end of march. _tame pigeons_ are in season all the year, _wild pigeons_ from march till september. _pea-fowl_ (young ones) from january till june. _partridges_ from st september till january. _pheasants_ from st october till january. _grouse_ from the th of august till christmas, also _black cocks_ and _grey hens_. _guinea fowls_ from the end of january till may; their eggs are much more delicate than common ones. _hares_ from september to march. _leverets_ from march to september. _rabbits_ all the year round. _fish._ the seasons of fish frequently vary; therefore the surest way to have it good is to confide in the honesty of respectable fishmongers; unless, indeed, you are well acquainted with the several sorts, and have frequent practice in the choosing of it. no fish when out of season can be wholesome food. _turbot_ is in season from september to may. fish of this kind do not all spawn at the same time; therefore, there are good as well as bad all the year round. the finest are brought from the dutch coast. the belly of a turbot { }should be cream coloured, and upon pressing your finger on this part, it should spring up. a turbot eats the better for being kept two or three days. where there is any apprehension of its not keeping, a little salt may be sprinkled on it, and the fish hung in a cool dry place. _salmon._--this favourite fish is the most unwholesome of all. it ought never to be eaten unless perfectly fresh, and in season. salmon is in season from christmas till september. the severn salmon, indeed, is in season in november, but it is then obtained only in small quantities. this, and the thames salmon, are considered the best. that which comes from scotland, packed in ice, is not so good. _salmon peel_ are very nice flavoured, but much less rich than large salmon; come in june. _cod_ is in perfection at christmas; but it comes in, generally, in october; in the months of february and march it is poor, but in april and may it becomes finer. the dogger bank cod are considered the best. good cod fish are known by the yellow spots on a pure white skin. in cold weather they will keep a day or two. _skate_, _haddocks_, _soles_, _plaice_, and _flounders_ are in season in january, as well as _smelts_ and _prawns_. in february, _lobsters_ and _herrings_ become more plentiful; _haddocks_ not in such good flavour as they were. in march _salmon_ becomes plentiful, but is still dear. and in this month the _john dory_ comes in. in april _smelts_ and _whiting_ are plentiful; and _mackerel_ and _mullet_ come in; also river _trout_. in may _oysters_ go out of season, and _cod_ becomes not so good; excepting these, all the fish that was in season at christmas, is in perfection in this month. in june _salmon_, _turbot_, _brill_, _skate_, _halibut_, _lobsters_, _crabs_, _prawns_, _soles_, _eels_ and _whiting_ are plentiful and cheap. middling sized lobsters are best, and must weigh heavy to be good. the best crabs measure about eight inches across the shoulders. the silver eel is the best, and, next to that, the copper-brown backed eel. a humane method of putting this fish to death is to run a sharp-pointed skewer or fine knitting needle into the spinal marrow, through the back part of the skin, and life will instantly cease. in july fish of all sorts plentiful, except oysters, and about at the cheapest. cod not in much estimation. { }in the months of august and september, particularly the former, fish is considered more decidedly unwholesome than at any other time of the year, and more especially in london. _oysters_ come in, and _turbot_ and _salmon_ go out of season. in choosing oysters, natives are best; they should be eaten as soon after they are opened as possible. there are various ways of _keeping_ and _feeding_ oysters, for which see index. in october _cod_ comes in good season, also _haddocks_, _brill_, _tench_, and every sort of shell fish. in november most sorts of fish are to be got, but all are dear. _oysters_ are excellent in this month. _fresh herrings_ from november to january. _river eels_ all the year. _red mullet_ come in may. _flounders_ and _plaice_ in june. _sprats_ beginning of november. _gurnet_ is best in the spring. _sturgeon_ in june. _yarmouth mackerel_ from may till august. _vegetables._ _artichokes_ are in season from july to october. _jerusalem artichokes_ from september till june. _asparagus_, forced, may be obtained in january; the natural growth, it comes in about the middle of april, and continues through may, june, and july. _french beans_, forced, may be obtained in february, of the natural growth, the beginning of july; and they continue in succession through august. _red beet_ is in season all the year. _scotch cale_ in november. _brocoli_ in october. _cabbage_ of most sorts in may, june, july, and august. _cardoons_ from november till march. _carrots_ come in in may. _cauliflowers_, the beginning of june. _celery_, the beginning of september. _corn salad_, in may. _cucumbers_ may be forced as early as march; of their natural growth they come in july, and are plentiful in august and september. { }_endive_ comes in in june, and continues through the winter. _leeks_ come in in september, and continue till the spring. _lettuce_, both the coss and the cabbage, come in about april, and continue to the end of august. _onions_, for keeping, in august. _parsley_, all the year. _parsnips_ come in in october; but they are not good until the frost has touched them. _peas_, the earliest forced, come in about the beginning of may; of their natural growth, about the beginning of june, and continue till the end of august. _potatoes_, forced, in the beginning of march; and the earliest of natural growth in may. _radishes_, about the beginning of march. _small salad_, in may and june; but may be had all the year. _salsify_ and _scorzonera_, in july and august. _sea kale_ may be found as early as december or january, but of the natural growth it comes in in april and may. _eschalots_, for keeping, in august and three following months. _spring spinach_, in march, april, and three following months. _winter spinach_ from october through the winter. _turnips_, of the garden, in may; but the field turnips, which are best, in october. { }chapter v. the kitchen. the benefit of a good kitchen is well known to every housekeeper, but it is not every mistress that is aware of the importance of having a good cook. i have seen kitchens which, though fitted up with every convenience, and certainly at considerable expense, yet failed to send forth good dinners, merely because the lady of the house was not happy in her choice of a cook. i do not in the least admire gourmands, or gourmandism; and yet i would be more particular in selecting the servant who is to perform the business of preparing the food of the family, than i should deem it necessary to be in selecting any of the other servants. in large establishments there is a greater quantity of cookery to be performed, and, consequently, a greater quantity of waste is likely to be caused by unskilful cooks, than there can be in small families; but even in the latter considerable waste may be the consequence of saving a few pounds a year in the wages of a cook. an experienced cook knows the value of the articles submitted to her care; and she knows how to turn many things to account which a person unacquainted with cooking would throw away. a good cook knows how to convert the remains of one dinner into various dishes to form the greater part of another dinner; and she will, also, be more capable than the other of forwarding her mistress's charitable intentions; for her capability in cooking will enable her to take advantage of everything which can be spared from the consumption of the family, to be converted into nourishing food for the poor, for those of her own class who have not the comfort of a home such as she herself enjoys. the cook who knows how to preserve the pot-liquor of fresh meat to make soup, will, whenever she boils mutton, fowls, or rabbits, &c., &c., carefully scum it, and, by adding peas, other vegetables, or crusts of bread, and proper seasonings, make some tolerable soup for poor { }people, out of materials which would otherwise be thrown away. to be a good cook she must take pleasure in her occupation; for the requisite painstaking cannot be expected from a person who dislikes the fire, or who entertains a disgust for the various processes necessary to convert meat into savoury dishes. but a cook who takes pride in sending a dinner well dressed to table, may be _depended upon_, and that is of great importance to the mistress of a house: for though englishmen may not be such connoisseurs in eating as frenchmen, i question whether french husbands are more dissatisfied with a badly-cooked dinner than english husbands are. dr. kitchener observes, "god sends us victuals, but _who_ sends us cooks?" and the observation is not confined to the doctor, for the walls of many a dining-room have echoed it, to the great discomfiture of the lady presiding at the head of the table. ladies might, if they would, be obliged to confess that many ill humours had been occasioned by either under or over roasted meat, cold plates, or blunt knives; and perhaps these _are_ grounds for complaint. of the same importance as the cooking is neatness in serving the dinner, for there is a vast difference in its appearance if neatly and properly arranged in hot dishes, the vegetables and sauces suitable to the meat, and _hot_--there is a vast difference between a dinner so served, and one a part of which is either too much or too little cooked, the meat parting from the bone in one case, or looking as if barely warmed through in the other case; the gravy chilled and turning to grease, some of the vegetables watery, and others crisped, while the edges of the dishes are slopped, and the block-tin covers look dull. a leg of mutton or piece of beef, either boiled or roasted--so commonly the dinner of a plain-living family--requires as much skill and nicety as the most complicated made dishes; and a plain dinner well cooked and served is as tempting to the appetite as it is creditable to the mistress of the house, who invariably suffers in the estimation of her guests for the want of ability in her servants. the elegance of the drawing-room they have just left is forgotten by those who are suffocating from the over-peppered soup; and the coldness of the plate on which is handed a piece of turbot bearing a reddish hue, may hold a place in the memory of a visitor, to { }the total obliteration of the winning graces, and agreeable conversation, of the lady at the head of the table. it is impossible to give particular directions for fitting up a kitchen, because so much must depend upon the number of servants, and upon what is required in the way of cookery. it was the fashion formerly to adorn it with a quantity of copper saucepans, stewpans, &c., &c., very expensive, and troublesome to keep clean. many of these articles, which were regularly scoured once a week, were not, perhaps, used once in the year. a young lady ought, if she has a good cook, to be guided by her, in some measure, in the purchase of kitchen utensils; for the accommodation of the cook, if she be a reasonable person, ought to be consulted. but, where there is no kitchen-maid to clean them, the fewer coppers and tins the better. it is the best plan to buy, at first, only just enough for use, and to replace these with new ones as they wear out; but all stewpans, saucepans, frying-pans, &c., &c., should be kept in good order--that is to say, clean and in good repair. some of the best cooks say that iron and block tin answer every purpose. there is an useful, but somewhat expensive, article, called the _bain-marie_, for heating made dishes and soups, and keeping them hot for any length of time, without over-cooking them. a _bain-marie_ will be found very useful to persons who are in the habit of having made dishes. a _braising_ kettle and a _stock-pot_ also; and two or three cast-iron _digesters_, of from one to two gallons, for soups and gravies. saucepans should be washed and scoured as soon as possible after they have been used: wood ashes, or very fine sand, may be used. they should be rinsed in clean water, wiped dry (or they will rust), and then be turned down on a clean shelf. the upper rim may be kept bright, but it seems labour lost to scour that part where the fire reaches; besides which, the more they are scoured the more quickly they wear out. copper utensils must be well tinned, or they become poisonous. never allow anything to be put by in a copper vessel; but the fatal consequences of neglect in this particular are too well known for it to be necessary here to say much in the way of caution. the fire-place is a matter of great importance. i have not witnessed the operations of many of the steam cooking apparatuses, which the last thirty years have produced, but { }the few i have seen do not give me satisfaction. it is certainly desirable that every _possible_ saving should be made in the consumption of coals; but it is _not possible_ to have cooking in perfection, without a proper degree of heat; and, as far as my observation has gone, meat cannot be well roasted unless before a good fire. i should save in many things rather than in coals; and am often puzzled to account for the false economy which leads persons to be sparing of their fuel, whilst they are lavish in other things infinitely less essential. a cook has many trials of her temper, but none so difficult to bear as the annoyance of a bad fire; for she cannot cook her dinner well, however much she may fret herself in the endeavour; and the waste caused by spoiling meat, fish, poultry, game, &c., is scarcely made up for by saving a few shillings in coals. "economy in fuel" is so popular, that every species of invention is resorted to, in order to go without fire; and the price of coals is talked of in a fine drawing room, where the shivering guest turns, and often in vain, to seek comfort from the fire, which, alas! the brightly polished grate does not contain. the beauty of the cold marble structure which rises above it, and is reflected in the opposite mirror, is a poor compensation for the want of warmth. i advise young housekeepers to bear in mind, that of the many things which may be saved in a house, without lessening its comforts, firing is _not_ one. it is best to lay in coals in the month of august or september, to last until the spring. they should be of the best kind; paid for in ready money, to prevent an additional charge for credit. the first year of housekeeping will give a pretty correct average to go by: and then the consumption should be watched, but not too rigidly. to return to the fire-place.--perhaps there is no apparatus more convenient for a family of moderate style of living than the common kitchen range, that which has a boiler for hot water on one side, and an oven on the other side. it is a great convenience to have a constant supply of hot water, and an advantage to possess the means of baking a pie, pudding, or cake; and this may always be done, when there is a large fire for boiling or roasting. there is a great difference in the construction of these little ovens. we have had several, and only three which { }answered; and these were all, i believe, by different makers.--a _hot plate_ is also an excellent thing, as it requires but little fire to keep it sufficiently hot for any thing requiring gradual cooking; and is convenient for making preserves, which should never be exposed to the fierceness of a fire. the charcoal stoves are useful, and so easily constructed that a kitchen should not be without one. there is a very nice thing, called a _dutch stove_, but i do not know whether it is much in use in england. on a rather solid frame-work, with four legs, about a foot from the ground, is raised a round brick-work, open at the top sufficiently deep to receive charcoal, and in the front, a little place to take out the ashes; on the top is a trivet, upon which the stew-pan, or preserving-pan, or whatever it may be, is placed. this is easily moved about, and in the summer could be placed anywhere in the cool, and would, therefore, be very convenient for making preserves.--where there is much cooking, a _steamer_ is convenient; it may be attached to the boiler of the range. i have seen lamb and mutton which had been steamed, and which in appearance was more delicate than when boiled, and equally well flavoured. but there is an _uncertainty_ in cooking meat by steam, and, besides, there is no liquor for soup. puddings cook well by steam.--the _jack_ is an article of great consequence, and also a troublesome one, being frequently out of repair. a _bottle-jack_ answers very well for a small family; and where there is a good _meat screen_ (which is indispensable), a stout nail and a skein of worsted will, provided the cook be not called away from the kitchen, be found to answer the purpose of a spit. there are now so many excellent weighing-machines, of simple construction, that there ought to be one in every kitchen, to weigh joints of meat as they come from the butcher, and this will enable the cook to weigh flour, butter, sugar, spices, &c., &c. the cook should be allowed a sufficiency of kitchen cloths and brushes, suitable to her work. plates and dishes will not look clear and bright unless rinsed in clean water, after they are washed, then drained, and wiped dry with a cloth which is not greasy. a handful of bran in the water will produce a fine polish on crockery ware. { }as they do not cost much, there need be no hesitation to allow plenty of jelly-bags, straining cloths, tapes, &c. &c. these should be very clean, and scalded in hot water before they are used. there should be a table in the middle of the kitchen, or so situated as not to be exposed to a current of air, to arrange the dishes upon, that blunders may not be committed in placing them upon the dining-table. much of the pleasure which the lady at the head of her table may feel at seeing her guests around her, is destroyed by the awkward mistakes of servants in waiting; who, when they discover that they have done wrong, frequently become too frightened and confused to repair the error they have committed. the cook in a small family should have charge of the beer; and where there are no men servants, it should be rather good than weak, for the better in quality, the more care will be taken of it. when more is drawn than is wanted, a burnt crust will keep it fresh from one meal to another, but for a longer time it should be put into a bottle, and corked close; it would be well for the cook to keep a few different sized bottles, so that the beer may not stand to become flat before she bottle it. a clock, in or near the kitchen, will tend to promote punctuality. but the lady herself should see to its being regulated, or this piece of furniture may do more harm than good. there is nothing fitter to be under lock and key than the clock, for, however true to time, when not interfered with, it is often made to bear false testimony. that good understanding which sometimes subsists between the clock and the cook, and which is brought about by the instrumentality of a broom-handle, or some such magic, should be noted by every prudent housekeeper as one of the things to be guarded against. the kitchen chimney should be frequently swept; besides which, the cook should, once or twice a week, sweep it as far as she can reach; for where there are large fires in old houses, accidents sometimes occur; and the falling of ever so little soot will sometimes spoil a dinner. every lady ought to make a receipt-book for herself. neither my receipts nor those of any cookery book can be supposed to give equal satisfaction to every palate. after { }performing any piece of cookery according to the directions given in a book, a person of common intelligence would be able to discover whatever was displeasing to the taste, and easily alter the receipt, and so enter it in her own book that the cook could not err in following it. this plan would be found to save much trouble. as soon after breakfast as she conveniently can, the mistress of a house should repair to the kitchen; which ought to be swept, the fire-place cleaned, tea-kettles, coffee-pots, and anything else used in preparing the breakfast, put in their appropriate places, and the cook ready to receive her orders for the day. without being parsimonious, the mistress should see, with her own eyes, every morning, whatever cold meat, remains of pastry, bread, butter, &c., &c., there may be in the larder, that she may be able to judge of the additional provision required. having done that, she should proceed to the store-room, to give the cook, the housemaid, and others, such stores as they may require for the day. this will occupy but very little time, if done regularly every morning; and having done this, she should proceed to make her purchases at once, lest visitors, or any accidental circumstance, cause her to be late in her marketing, and so derange the regularity of the dinner hour, the servants' work, &c., &c. many ladies, in consequence of their own ill health, or that of their children, are compelled to employ their servants to market for them; but when they can avoid doing so it is better. i do not say this from a suspicion that either tradespeople or servants are always likely to take advantage of an opportunity to impose upon their customers or their employers, but because this important part of household management ought to be conducted by some one of the family, who must necessarily be more interested in it than servants can be. besides, more judgment is required in marketing than all servants possess. a servant, for instance, is sent to a fishmonger's for a certain quantity of fish, and she obeys the order given her and brings home the fish, but at a higher price, perhaps, than her mistress expected. now if the lady had gone herself, and found that the weather, or any other circumstance, had raised the price of fish for that day, she would probably have made a less expensive one suit her purpose, or turned to the butcher or poulterer to supply her table. { }also it is a hindrance to a servant to be sent here and there during the early part of the day, not to mention the benefit which the lady of the house would derive by being compelled to be out of doors, and in exercise, for even a short time, every day. although i like french cookery, i am not sufficiently acquainted with the interior of french kitchens to know whether we should improve in the fitting up of ours by imitating our neighbours. when i was abroad, and had opportunities of informing myself upon this subject, i had not the present work in contemplation. and though it is the object of travellers in general to inquire into almost every thing while passing through a foreign country, it happened once to me to meet with so much discouragement, when prying into the culinary department of a large hotel in the south of france, that i hesitated to enter a foreign kitchen again. i was then on the way to italy, and from what was afterwards told me respecting the kitchens of the latter country, i have reason to think that my resolution was not unwise, since, had it been overcome by fresh curiosity, i might have been induced to starve from too intimate knowledge of the mode in which the dishes of our table were prepared. we had, at the hotel i am speaking of, fared sumptuously for three days. there were, among other things, the finest poultry and the most delicate pastry imaginable. but some chicken broth was wanted for an invalid of our party, and the landlord suggested that if mademoiselle would herself give directions to the cook, the broth might, perhaps, be the better made; and he went, accordingly, to announce my intended visit to the important person who commanded in the kitchen. upon receiving intimation that all was ready, i descended, and was introduced to the said cook, who met me at the door of a large, lofty, vaulted apartment, the walls of which were black, not from any effect of antiquity, but from those of modern smoke, and decorated with a variety of copper utensils, all nearly as black on their outsides as the walls on which they hung. of what hue their insides might be i did not ascertain; and, at the moment, my attention was suddenly diverted by the cook, who, begging me to be seated, placed a chair by the side of a large, wild-looking fire-place. i had not expected to see a tall, thin and bony, or a short and { }fat woman, like the cook of an english kitchen; i imagined a man, somewhat advanced in age, and retaining some traces of the _ancien regime_, with large features and a small body, with grizzly and half-powdered hair, and, perhaps, a pigtail; at all events, with slippers down at heel, hands unclean, and a large snuff-box. it was, therefore, not without surprise that i found the very contrary of this in the personage who, dressed in a white apron, white sleeves, and white night cap of unexceptionable cleanness, and bowing with a grace that would have done credit to the most accomplished _petit maître_ of the last century, proceeded to relate how he had been instructed in the art of making chicken broth by an english _miledi_, who in passing into italy for the benefit of her health, had staid some weeks at the hotel de l'europe. his detail of the process of broth-making was minute, and no doubt scientific, but unhappily for the narrator, it was interrupted by his producing a delicate white fowl, which he without ceremony laid on the kitchen table, which stood in the middle of the room, and rivalled the very walls themselves in blackness. i was assured, by the first glance at this table, by reason of the fragments of fish, fowl, and pastry, strewed over it, that the same piece of furniture served every purpose of _chopping-block_ and _paste-board_. when, therefore, under these circumstances, i saw the preparation for the broth just going to commence, the exclamation of "dirty pigs!" was making its way to my lips, and i, in order to avoid outraging the ears of french politeness, in the spot of all france most famous for the romantic, made the best of my way out of the kitchen, and endeavoured, when the next dinner-time arrived, to forget that i had ever seen it. whenever afterwards the figure of this black table appeared to my fancy, like a spectre rising to warn me against tasteful and delicate looking _entremets_, i strove to forget the reality; but i never recovered the feeling of perfect security in what i was about to eat until the sea again rolled between me and the kitchen of the hotel de l'europe, and i again actually saw the clear bright fire, the whitened hearth, the yellow-ochred walls, the polished tins, the clean-scrubbed tables and chairs, and the white dresser cloths, of the kitchen, such as i had always been used to see at my own home. { }chapter vi. jointing, trussing, and carving. below will be found the figures of the five larger animals, followed by a reference to each, by which the reader, who is not already experienced, may observe the names of all the principal joints, as well as the part of the animal from which the joint is cut. no book that i am acquainted with, except that of mrs. rundell, has taken any notice of this subject, though it is a matter of considerable importance, and one as to which many a young housekeeper often wishes for information. _venison._ [illustration] . shoulder. . neck. . haunch. . breast. . scrag. { }_beef._ [illustration] . sirloin. . rump. . edge bone. . buttock. . mouse buttock. . leg. . thick flank. . veiny piece. . thin flank. . fore rib: ribs. . middle rib: ribs. . chuck rib: ribs. . brisket. . shoulder, or leg of mutton piece. . clod. . neck, or sticking piece. . shin. . cheek. _mutton._ [illustration] . leg. . shoulder. . loin, best end. . loin, chump end. . neck, best end. . breast. . neck, scrag end. _note._ a chine is two loins; and a saddle is two loins, and two necks of the best end. { }_veal._ [illustration] . loin, best end. . fillet. . loin, chump end. . hind knuckle. . neck, best end. . breast, best end. . blade bone, or oyster-part. . fore knuckle. . breast, brisket end. . neck, scrag end. _pork._ [illustration] . leg. . hind loin. . fore loin. . spare rib. . hand. . belly or spring. { }_cod's head._--fig. . [illustration] _cod's head_ (_fig. _) is a dish in carving which you have nothing to study beyond that preference for particular parts of the fish which some persons entertain. the solid parts are helped by cutting through with the fish trowel from _a_ to _b_ and from _c_ to _d_, and so on, from the jaw-bone to the further end of the shoulder. the _sound_ lies on the inside, and to obtain this, you must raise up the thin part of the fish, near the letter _e_.--this dish never looks so well as when served dry, and the fish on a napkin neatly folded, and garnished with sprigs of parsley. _haunch of venison._--fig. . [illustration] _haunch of venison_ is cut (as in _fig. ._) first in the line _a_ { }to _b_. this first cut is the means of getting much of the gravy of the joint. then turning the dish longwise towards him, the carver should put the knife in at _c_, and cut, as deep as the bone will allow, to _d_, and take out slices on either side of the line in this direction. the fat of venison becomes cold so very rapidly, that it is advisable, when convenient, to have some means of giving it renewed warmth after the joint comes to table. for this purpose, some use water plates, which have the effect of rendering the meat infinitely nicer than it would be in a half chilled state. _haunch of mutton_ is carved in the same way as _venison_. _saddle of mutton._--fig. . [illustration] _saddle of mutton._ this is prepared for roasting as in _fig. _, the _tail_ being split in two, each half twisted back, and skewered, with one of the kidneys enclosed. you carve this by cutting, in straight lines, on each side of the backbone, as from _a_ to_ b_, from _c_ to _d_. if the saddle be a fine one, there will be fat on every part of it; but there is always more on the sides (_ee_) than in the centre. { }_edge bone of beef._--fig. . [illustration] _edge bone of beef_, like the round of beef, is easily carved. but care should be taken, with both of these, to carve neatly; for if the meat be cut in thick slices or in pieces of awkward shape, the effect will be both to cause waste and to render the dish, while it lasts, uninviting. cut slices, as thin as you please, from _a_ to _b_ (_fig. _). the best part of the fat will be found on one side of the meat, from about _c_ to _d_. the most delicate is at _c_. _fore quarter of lamb._--fig. . [illustration] _fore quarter of lamb_ is first to be cut so as to divide the _shoulder_ from the rest of the quarter, which is called { }the _target_. for this purpose, put the fork firmly into the shoulder joint, and then cut underneath the blade-bone beginning at _a_ (_fig. _), and continue all round in the direction of a circular line, and pretty close to the under part of the blade-bone. some people like to cut the shoulder large, while others take off no more meat with it than is barely necessary to remove the blade-bone. it is most convenient to place the shoulder on a separate dish. this is carved in the same way as the shoulder of mutton. (see _fig. _.) when the shoulder is removed, a lemon may be squeezed over that part of the remainder of the joint where the knife had passed: this gives a flavour to the meat which is generally approved.--then, proceed to cut completely through from _b_ to _c_, following the line across the bones as cracked by the butcher; and this will divide the ribs (_d_) from the brisket (_e_). tastes vary in giving preference to the ribs or to the brisket. _leg of mutton._--fig. . [illustration] _leg of mutton_, either boiled or roasted, is carved as in _fig. _. you begin, by taking slices from the most meaty part, which is done by making cuts straight across the joint, and quite down to the bone (_a_, _b_), and thus continuing on towards the thick end, till you come to _c_, the _cramp-bone_ (or, as some call it, the _edge-bone_). some { }mutton is superfluously fat on every part of the leg. the most delicate fat, however, is always that which is attached to the outside, about the thick end. after cutting as above directed, turn the joint over, and cut longwise the leg, as with a haunch of venison (see _fig. _). some people like the _knuckle_, that part which lies to the right of _b_, though this is always the driest and the leanest. a few nice slices may be taken at _d_, by cutting across that end: these are not juicy, but the grain of the meat is fine; and here there is also some nice fat. _shoulder of mutton._--fig. . [illustration] _shoulder of mutton._--cut first from _a_ to _b_ (_fig. _) as deep as the bone will permit, and take out slices on each side of this line. then cut in a line with and on both sides of the ridges of the blade-bone, which will be found running in the direction _c_ to _d_. the meat of this part is some of the most delicate, but there is not much of it. you may get some nice slices between _e_ and _f_, though these will sometimes be very fat. turn the joint over, and take slices from the flat surface of the under part: these are the coarsest, yet some think the best.--in small families it is sometimes the practice to cut the under side while hot; this leaves the joint better looking for the next day. { }_ham._--fig. . [illustration] _ham_ is generally cut by making a deep incision across the top of it, as from _a_ to _b_, and down to the bone. those who like the _knuckle_ end, which is the most lean and dry, may cut towards _c_; but the prime part of the ham is that between _a_ and the thick end. some prefer carving hams with a more slanting cut, beginning in a direction as from _a_ to _c_, and so continuing throughout to the thick end. the slanting mode is, however, apt to be very wasteful, unless the carver be careful not to take away too much fat in proportion to the lean. _sucking pig_ should always be cut up by the cook; at least, the principal parts should be divided before the dish is served. first, take off the _head_ immediately behind the ears: then cut the body in two, by carrying the knife quite through from the neck to the tail. the _legs_ and the _shoulders_ must next be removed from the sides, and each of them cut in two at their respective joints. the _sides_ may either be sent to table whole, or cut up: if the latter, separate the whole length of each side into three or four pieces. the _head_ should be split in two, and the lower jaws divided from the upper part of it; let the _ears_ be cut off. in serving, a neat cook will take care to arrange the different parts thus separated so that they may appear, upon the dish, as little uneven and confused as possible. the sides, whether whole or in several pieces, should be laid parallel with each other; the legs and { }shoulders on the outer side of these, and opposite to the parts to which they have respectively belonged; and the portions of the head, and the ears, may be placed, some at one end, and some at the other end, or, as taste may suggest, at the sides of the dish. _hare, or rabbit, for roasting._--fig. . [illustration] _hare, or rabbit, for roasting_, is prepared for the spit as in _fig. _.--to carve: begin by cutting through near to the back-bone, from _a_ to _b_; then make a corresponding cut on the other side of the back-bone; leaving the _back_ and the _head_ in one distinct piece. cut off the _legs_ at the hip joint (_e_), and take off the _wing_ nearly as you would the wing of a bird, carrying the knife round the circular line (_c_). the _ribs_ are of little importance, as they are bare of meat. divide the _back_ into three or four portions, as pointed out by the letters _f g h_. the _head_ is then to be cut off, and the lower jaws divided from the upper. by splitting the upper part of the head in the middle you have the _brains_, which are prized by epicures. the comparative goodness of different parts of a hare, will depend much on the age, and also upon the cooking. the back and the legs are always the best. the wing of a young hare is nice; but this is not so good in an old one, and particularly if it be not thoroughly well done. the carving of a _rabbit_ is pretty much the same as that of a hare: there is much less difficulty, however, with the former; and it would always save a good deal of trouble, as well as delay, if hares which are not quite young were sent to table already cut up. { }_rabbit, for boiling._--fig. . [illustration] _rabbit, for boiling_, should be trussed, according to the newest fashion, as in _fig. _. cut off the _ears_ close to the head, and cut off the _feet_ at the foot-joint. cut off the _tail_. then make an incision on each side of the backbone, at the _rump-end_, about an inch and a half long. this will enable you to stretch the legs further towards the head. bring the _wings_ as close to the body as you can, and bring the legs close to the outside of the wings. the _head_ should be bent round to one side, in order that, by running one skewer through the legs, wings and mouth, you may thus secure all and have the rabbit completely and compactly trussed. _turkey, for roasting._--fig. . [illustration] _turkey for roasting_, is sometimes trussed with the _feet_ on; and it is sometimes brought to table with the _head_ as { }well as the feet. but such trussing is exceedingly ugly, and altogether unworthy of a good cook. the manner here described (see _fig. _) is the most approved. if the breast-bone be sharp, it should be beaten down, to make the bird appear as plump as possible.--see _carving_, in observations on _fig. _. _goose._--fig. . [illustration] _goose._--for carving, see observations on _fig. _. _fowls, for roasting._ [illustration: fig. .] [illustration: fig. .] _fowls, for roasting._--the most modern way of trussing these is as in _figs. _ and _ _. if it be but a chicken, or a small fowl, a single skewer through the wings, and the legs simply tied, as in _fig. _, will be sufficient. but a large fowl is best kept in shape by the other method (_fig. _).--see _carving_, in observations on _fig. _. { }_turkey or fowl for boiling._--fig. . [illustration] _turkey or fowl, for boiling._--for boiling, turkeys and fowls should, according to the newest fashion, both be trussed in the same way. there is nothing peculiar in this way, excepting as to the legs, which are to be trussed _within the apron_. to do this, the cook must first cut off the feet, and then, putting her fingers into the inside of the fowl, separate the skin of the leg from the flesh, all the way to the extreme joint. the leg, being drawn back, will thus remain, as it were, in a bag, within the apron; and, if this be properly done, there need be no other break in the skin than what has been occasioned at the joint by cutting the feet. if it be a turkey, or a large fowl, the form may be better preserved, by putting a skewer through the legs as well as through the wings (_see fig. _). but with small fowls there needs no skewer for the legs. all skewers used in trussing should be taken out before the dish comes to table. to carve fowls, turkeys, &c., see _fig. _. begin by taking off the _wings_, cutting from _a_ to _b_, _c_ to _d_. next the _legs_, putting your knife in at _f f_. then, if it be a large bird, you will help slices from the breast (_e e_). but with the smaller birds, as chickens, partridges, &c., a considerable portion of the breast should come off with the wing, and then there is not enough left to spare any thing more from the breast-bone. _the merry-thought_, situated at the point of the breast-bone, is taken off by cutting straight across at _h h_. in helping, recollect that the _liver-wing_ is { }commonly thought more of than the other. the _breast-bone_ is divided from the back by simply cutting through the ribs on each side of the fowl. the _neck-bones_ are at _g g_; but for these see _fig. _, and the directions for carving the _back_. _back of a fowl._--fig. . [illustration] rest your knife firmly on the centre of the back, at the same time turning either end up with your fork, and this part will easily break in two at _a b_. the _side-bones_ are at _c d_; and to remove these, some people put the point of the knife in at midway the line, just opposite to _c d_; others at the rump end of the bones _e f_. the _neck-bones_ (at _g h_) are the most difficult part of the task. these must be taken off before the breast is divided from the back; they adhere very closely, and require the knife to be held firmly on the body of the fowl, while the fork is employed to twist them off. _duck._--fig. . [illustration: _breast._] [illustration: _back._] _duck._--this should be trussed as in _fig. _. the _leg_ is { }twisted at the joint, and the _feet_ (with the _claws_ only cut off) are turned over, and so brought to lie flat on the rump.--for _carving_, see observations on _fig. _. _pheasant._--fig. . [illustration] _partridge._--fig. . [illustration] _pheasant and partridge._--these two are trussed nearly in one way, as in _figs. _ and _ _, excepting, that the _legs_ of the partridge are raised, and tied together over the apron, crossing each other. for _carving_, see observations on _fig. _. { }chapter vii. boiling. there is no branch of cookery which requires more nicety than plain boiling, though, from its simplicity, some cooks think it does not. they think that to put a piece of meat into water, and to make that boil for a given length of time, is all that is needful; but it is not so. to boil a leg of mutton, or a fowl, properly, requires as much care as to compound a made dish. meat which is poor and tough cannot be made tender and fine flavoured by boiling; but that which was, to all appearance, very fine meat before it was put into the pot, has often been taken out really good for nothing. and many a butcher and poulterer have been blamed, when the fault was not theirs. meat should be put into cold water, enough to keep it _well_ covered. the longer in reason it is coming to a boil, the better, as a gradual heating produces tenderness, and causes a separation from the meat of the grosser particles, which rise in the shape of scum to the surface, and which should be carefully taken off. the finest leg of mutton must be disgusting, if garnished with flakes of black scum. care should be taken to watch the first moment of the scum's appearing in order to remove it, and then, by throwing in a little salt, the remainder will be caused to rise; and if the fast boiling of the water render the scumming difficult, pour in a very little cold water. the practice of boiling meat, such as poultry, veal, and lamb, in floured cloths, to keep it white, must have been the invention of lazy cooks, if not of tasteless and extravagant housewives; for the meat is rendered less juicy, and the liquor in which it has been boiled, so good for broth or gravy, must be lost. when the pot has been well scummed, and no more scum to be seen, set in such a situation on, or by, the fire, that it may continue to boil _gently_ and _regularly_, for the time required; and see that it do not stop boiling { }altogether at one time, and then be hurried to a wallop at another time, for this dries up the juices, hardens the meat, and tears it. a kettle of boiling water should be at hand, in order to replenish the pot, as the quantity diminishes, taking heed not to exceed the original quantity, namely, enough to _cover_ the meat, for the less water, the better the broth will be. salted meat, if very salt, and all smoked meat, should be washed, and in some cases, _soaked_ before it is boiled. if too little salted, it must not be either washed or scraped, and may be put on to boil in water a little heated, because a slow process would help to freshen it. no positive rule can be given for the time required to boil meat, any more than to roast, for much depends on its freshness, and a piece of _solid_ meat requires a longer time to boil than a joint of equal weight but of less thickness. salted and smoked meat require longer boiling than fresh meat, veal longer than beef, mutton, or lamb; and pork, though ever so little salted, still longer than veal. a leg of mutton which has hung long will boil in less time than one which is quite or nearly fresh; but then the former ought not to be boiled at all, but roasted, for the fire takes away mustiness, and all the impurities with which the boiling water would only tend still more to impregnate the meat. a quarter of an hour, and a quart of water, to every pound of meat, is the rule of boiling, but practice must teach this, as well as many other important parts of culinary science. by a little care and attention, a cook will soon gain sufficient experience to preserve her from the risk of sending a joint to table too little, or too much done. when meat is sufficiently boiled, take it up directly; and if it have to wait, stand it over the pot it was cooked in, to keep it hot; remaining in the water will sodden it. the next thing for consideration, after that of cooking the meat properly, is the turning to account the liquor in which it is boiled. this, be the meat what it may, is good as a foundation for _soups_ or _gravies_ unless it be the liquor of ham or bacon, and that can only be used in small quantities, to flavour. the liquor of pork makes good pease soup. when such liquor is not wanted for the family, it may always, at a trifling expense, be converted { }into wholesome and nourishing food for the poor. (_see cookery for the poor._) _round of beef._ if too large a joint to dress whole, for a small family, or where cold meat is not liked, it may be cut into two or even three pieces, taking care to give to each piece a due portion of fat; skewer it up tightly, of a good shape, then bind it with strong coarse tape, or strips of linen. the vessel roomy, the beef placed on a fish drainer (as should all large joints), and care taken to keep it covered with water. three hours for a piece of lbs. about three hours and a half to lbs., and so on, in proportion. put in carrots and turnips two hours after the meat. see that there be no scum left on, before you send it to table. garnish with sliced carrots, and serve mashed turnips or greens, in a separate dish. also dumplings, if approved. the whole round, if lbs. weight, will require to boil five hours. but remember, that the _boiling_ should be only steady _simmering_. place the vessel over the fire, that the water may come to a boil; then draw it to the side, and never let it cease to simmer. have a kettle of boiling water by the side, to fill up with. _edge bone of beef._ one of lbs. weight will require to boil three hours and a half. one of lbs. weight will be done in two hours. the soft fat is best hot, the hard fat cold. _brisket of beef._ this being a long, awkward joint, may be cut in two; it requires longer boiling than the edge bone; five hours not too much for a large piece. (see _beef to press._) for _bouilli_ and other ways of cooking beef, see the _index_. _leg of mutton._ this joint should be kept from two days to a week. cut out the pipe, and carefully wipe the meat to clear it of all { }mustiness. chop but a very small piece off the shank. boil carrots and turnips with it if you _like_, but the former will not improve the colour; and do not put them in before the pot has been carefully scummed. a leg of lbs. will take three hours _slow_ boiling. garnish with slices of carrot, or a rim of mashed turnip. serve caper sauce in a boat. _walnut_ also is good, in place of capers. if chickens or a fowl be wanted for the same dinner, they may boil in the same vessel with the mutton, but not with vegetables. the _broth_ will be better for this addition. if broth be wanted the same day, put into the water, as soon as it has been scummed, some barley or rice, and after it has boiled one hour and a half, lift out the mutton and place it by the fire, covered to keep warm; take the lid off the pot, and let it boil quickly till the liquor be reduced to the quantity you desire; put in turnips and carrots, in small pieces, a head of celery, and a little parsley; return the mutton, and boil it slowly half an hour.--a leg of mutton, if too large to cook at once, may be divided into two; roast the fillet and boil the shank. _or_: you may take cutlets off the large end two days running, and then dress the shank.--tongue is good with boiled mutton. _neck of mutton._ should be very much trimmed of its fat, and, if from to lbs. weight, boil _slowly_ two hours; it will likewise make very good broth, as the leg. garnish and serve in the same way.--some do not cut off any of the fat, until after it is cooked, then pare it off, and put it by: this, shred finely, makes light pudding crust. _leg of lamb._ a delicate dish, if nicely boiled, served with parsley and butter, and garnished with sprigs of cauliflower, brocoli, or spinach. a dish of the latter should be served with it. (_see in the index._) if small, the loin may be cut into steaks, fried, and placed round the leg, lightly garnished with crisped parsley; or they may be placed round mashed potatoes, in another dish. a leg of lbs. should _simmer_ gently two hours, counting from the time it is first put on, in cold water. { }_calf's head._ wash it well in several waters, and soak it in warm water for a quarter of an hour, but first take the brains out, and having well washed, let them soak in cold water with a little salt for an hour. _half_ the head (without the skin), will require _gentle_ boiling two hours; with the skin, another hour. put it on in cold water. boil or sage leaves, and the same quantity in bulk of parsley, half an hour, then drain, chop very fine, and spread them on a plate. scald and peel the skin off the brains, put them into a saucepan with plenty of cold water: when it boils, carefully scum it, and let it boil gently fifteen minutes; chop the brains, but not very fine, and put them into a small saucepan with the parsley and sage, also table-spoonsful of thin melted butter, a little salt, and, if you like, cayenne and lemon juice. take the tongue out of the head, trim off the roots, skin and place it in the middle of a dish, the brains round it. pour parsley and butter over the head, garnish with broiled rashers of bacon. serve ham, bacon, or pork, and greens. save a quart of the liquor to make sauce for the hash (_which see_). a very good sauce for this, eaten in france, is as follows: table-spoonsful of chopped eschalots, of parsley, of tarragon and chervil, of salt, a little pepper, table-spoonsful of salad oil, of vinegar: mix well together and serve cold. _veal._ in some parts of england a boiled fillet is considered a delicacy. it should not be large. stuff it the same as for roasting (_which see_), or with the forcemeat directed for boiled turkey. serve white sauce, and garnish with slices of lemon and barberries.--the neck is good boiled, and eaten with parsley and butter. _pork._ this must be exceedingly well done. wash and scrape a leg, and let it lie in cold water a quarter of an hour to whiten; put it on to boil in cold water; do not let it boil fast, because the knuckle will be broken to pieces, before the thick part of the meat is done. be careful to { }take off all the scum, and let a leg of lbs. weight simmer three hours. if to eat cold, do not cut it in the middle, because that will allow too much gravy to be lost, but cut from the knuckle, and it will eat more tender. peas pudding with leg of pork, also parsnips, carrots, turnips or greens, and mashed potatoes. _petit-toes._ put a thin slice of bacon at the bottom of a stew-pan, with a little broth or thin melted butter, a blade of mace, a few peppercorns, and a sprig of thyme; in this boil the feet, the heart, liver and lights, till tender; the three latter will be done first; take them out and mince them fine: put this mince and the feet into another saucepan with some good gravy thickened with butter rolled in flour, season with pepper, salt, and a small quantity of walnut and mushroom catsup; let it simmer five minutes. while this is cooking prepare some sippets of toasted bread, lay them round a dish, pour the mince and sauce into the middle, and having split the feet, lay them lightly on the top.--a little cream may be added. (_see to fry._) _poultry._ be careful in picking, that the skin be not broken. some cooks wash poultry, but if wiping will be sufficient, it is best not washed. chickens and fowls will keep two or three days, except in very hot weather. a fowl put on in cold water, should simmer by the side of the fire, from twenty-five minutes to half an hour. some cooks boil a little fresh suet sliced, and also slices of lemon peel, with fowl. some boil them in milk and water. the water must be well scummed. _boiled fowls_ with white sauce, or mushroom, oyster, celery, liver, or lemon sauce, or parsley and butter. a pretty remove of fish or soup, is, a small tongue in the centre, a boiled chicken on each side, and small heads of brocoli, with a few asparagus and french beans to fill the spaces. serve any of the above sauces.--always ham, bacon or tongue, and some sort of green vegetable, with fowl and turkey; chine with the latter. garnish with slices of lemon. { }_ducks._ choose fine fat ones. some persons salt them slightly, for two days, others boil them without. smother them with onions, or serve onion sauce. _turkey._ let it hang four days, and take care not to blacken it in singeing. it is usual to fill the crop of a turkey with forcemeat (_see forcemeats_), or with a stuffing of bread-crumbs, suet shred fine, a little parsley, thyme, and lemon peel, chopped fine, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, the whole mixed together by an egg. in america it is the practice to stuff turkeys with oysters chopped and mixed with bread-crumbs. about would be sufficient. a large turkey, with the crop filled, requires two hours _slow_ boiling; not filled, half an hour less; and a small hen turkey an hour. serve with oyster or celery sauce, and either chine, bacon or tongue. the forcemeat may be enriched by grated tongue or ham, chopped veal, an anchovy and a little bit of eschalot. (_see to hash, also grill._) _rabbits._ a full-sized one will boil in half an hour; an old one above an hour. some use _milk_ and water. serve with onion sauce poured over; or a sauce made of melted butter, and the livers, previously boiled, and minced small, with a little parsley. lay slices of lemon round the dish. ham or bacon. _bacon_ should be well washed and scraped, and old bacon soaked in cold water. after coming slowly to a boil, let a piece of lbs. simmer by the fire two hours, if young and fresh cured, less time. some cooks put fat bacon into hot water, and lean into cold. take off the rind and set it before the fire to dry up the oozing fat. strew bread-raspings over. _ham._ the main thing to be attended to is the previous soaking, and the requisite time must be left to the discretion of the cook, for, whereas one night would be sufficient for a small { }and tender ham, if very old and dry, less than four days and four nights will scarcely be enough. the water should be changed every day, and the night before it is boiled, scrape well, pour warm water over it, and trim off all the rusty, ill-looking, bits, then lay it in the water again. scum the pot, and let the ham _simmer from three to five_ hours, according to its weight. when done, take the skin off gently, and after covering the ham with bread-raspings, set it before the fire, to crisp it. twist writing paper round the shank, and garnish with greens, or little heaps of bread-raspings. the liquor, if well scummed at first, may be strained or put by, and if you boil fowls or veal on the following day, you may put the two liquors together, boil them rapidly down; add pepper, mace, eschalot, and a faggot of herbs, and you will have a highly relishing gravy. some persons contend that the practice of boiling a ham until half cooked, and then finishing by _baking_ it, improves the flavour. (_see to bake meat._) _tongue._ if you buy it salted, learn how long it has been in pickle, for according to that it must soak. if old and hard, twenty-four hours will not be too much. have plenty of water, and let it be a full hour in coming to a boil; then _simmer gently_ for three hours; longer if very large. the root is an excellent ingredient for peas soup. _tripe._ cut in cutlets, or not, as you choose, and simmer it in milk and water till quite tender. peel and boil a dozen button onions, put the tripe in a deep dish with some of the sauce, and the onions on the top; or you may boil it in plain water. mustard sauce is good.--as all persons would not choose onions, you may serve onion sauce as directed for rabbits (_which see_). serve rashers of bacon, if approved. _cow-heel._ when well boiled, cut into nice pieces, egg, bread crumb, and fry them of a light brown, and serve with fried onions or any piquant sauce. is very good only boiled, and served with parsley and butter. { }chapter viii. roasting. for roasting, meat should be kept longer than for boiling, or it will not, though ever so good, eat well. the proper length of time depends upon the state of the weather, and the age of the animal when killed, for young meat bears keeping less time than old meat. two days of hot weather will do as much to render meat fit for the spit, as a week of cold weather. next after the state of the meat, the thing of most consequence is preparing the fire, which ought to be made up (of the size required by the length and breadth of the joint) half an hour before the meat is put down. it should not at first be exposed to a fierce fire. let there be a backing of wetted cinders or small coals: this tends to throw the heat in front; lay large coals on the top, smaller ones between the bars, give the fire time to draw, and it will be clear. before you put down the meat, stir the fire, clear it at the bottom, and see that it be free from smoke in front. some cooks make a practice of washing meat, with salt and water, then wiping it dry, before it is roasted. where there is mustiness, or slimy appearance, it should be wiped off with a wet cloth, otherwise much washing is neither necessary nor beneficial. see that it be properly jointed; if there be too much fat, cut it off (it is better for puddings, in the shape of suet, than dripping); cover the meat with kitchen paper, _tied_ on with twine, and not fastened by _pins_; see also, that the spit be bright and clean, and take care to run it through the meat, in the right place, at once, for the more the meat is perforated, the greater chance will be given for the escape of the gravy. great nicety is required in spitting, that the joint may be accurately balanced. in the absence of spits and smoke-jacks, a bottle-jack, or a stout nail with a strong string or skein of worsted, will { }dangle a joint, and if the fire be made proportionably high to the length of the joint, there is no better mode of roasting. a strong skewer must be run in, at each end of the joint, in order to turn it. the larger the joint the greater distance it should, at first, be from the fire, that the outside may not be shrivelled up before the middle is warmed. a quarter of an hour to a pound of meat, is the rule for roasting, and it admits of the same exceptions as in the case of boiling, with this addition, that fat meat takes longer than lean meat, as do pork and veal longer than any other kind. fillets and legs, on account of their solidness, longer than loins and breasts. much depends upon the situation of the fire-place, and whether the joint be exposed to draughts of cold air, or whether it be preserved from them, and the fire assisted, by a meat screen. where there is none, a contrivance must be resorted to, by way of substitute, such as small wooden horses, or chairs, with cloths hung over them; these will keep off the cold, but a meat screen, lined with tin, keeps in the heat, and acts as a reflector.--twice, or if the roast be large, oftener, remove the pan, pour off the dripping (it ought to be strained), draw the spit to a distance, and stir the fire, bring forward the hot coals, and put fresh at the back. be careful that cinders do not reach the dripping-pan, for the smoke which they cause to rise from the fat, gives a disagreeable flavour to the meat, besides the injury to the dripping. (_see dripping._)--when the meat is nearly done, the steams will draw towards the fire; take the paper off, and move the joint nearer to the fire, particularly the ends, if they want more cooking; sprinkle salt lightly over the roast; then pour off all the remaining dripping, dredge flour _very lightly_ over the joint, and baste with a very little fresh butter, which will not injure the gravy in the pan, but give a delicate froth to the meat. to the gravy now flowing from the meat, the best addition is a teacupful of boiling water. (_see gravies._) with a clear strong fire (and meat cannot be well roasted without a strong fire), time allowed for gradual cooking, a cook may ensure for her roasts that fine pale brown colour, to produce which is esteemed one of the greatest proofs of a cook's skill. { }_sirloin of beef._ after reading the foregoing observations, the cook must gain, by observation and practice, that experience which will enable her to send this very best of joints to table, done enough, yet not overdone. a piece of lbs. weight will require nearly four hours to cook it well: cover it with two half sheets of foolscap paper, and put it near to the fire for a few minutes; then rub it well over with butter, and draw it back to a distance (provided always that there is a very _good, steady_ fire); and in this case do not baste at all, but put some boiling water into the dripping-pan when you first put the meat down, and this, by the time the meat is done, will be good gravy, after you have poured the fat off. the older fashion is to baste with dripping as soon as you put it down, and continue the basting every quarter of an hour; but i think the other method gives the meat the most delicate taste and appearance. however, a cook should try both ways, and afterwards follow the one which best suits the taste of her employers. the old fashion of yorkshire pudding with roast beef is too good a one to be abandoned, though its substitute of potatoe pudding is not to be rejected. garnish with finely scraped horseradish.--where cold roast beef is not liked, or if too underdone to eat cold, slices may be gently simmered over the fire in gravy or broth, or a very little water, and a little pepper and salt, eschalot vinegar, or some sort of catsup. the sirloin always came to table whole in the house in which i was brought up; therefore, i am able to give instructions for cooking it. no spit will carry round a whole sirloin; it must be _dangled_, and one which weighs (after great part of the suet has been taken out) lbs. will roast in five hours, for it is no thicker than a piece of lbs. weight. the fire must be large and high, the heat, of course, very great. many a cook's complexion, to say nothing of her temper, has suffered in the cause of our "noble sirloins." if the inside, or tender-loin, be taken out leaving all the fat to roast with the joint, this part may be cooked to resemble hare. for this purpose, spread some hare stuffing over the beef, roll that up tightly with tape, and tie it on the spit. send this to table with the sauces for roast hare. when the whole joint is roasted, the inside { }will be sufficiently underdone to make hashes. if only a part of the sirloin be cooked, the inside is best eaten hot, as it is not so good cold as the upper side.--roast beef bones should be taken care of, for soup and gravy, and used before they become musty. _rump of beef._ roast in the same manner. _half_ of this joint makes a nice family dish. parboiled potatoes, browned in the dripping-pan are good. _ribs of beef._ roasted the same as the sirloin. but it requires to be basted. is a better joint to eat cold than sirloin. or lbs. weight, three hours or more, according to the size. paper the fat and the thin part. another way is to take out the bones, lay the meat flat, and beat it with a rolling pin; soak it in two thirds of vinegar and one of water, or, better still, white wine in place of vinegar, a night; next day cover it with a rich forcemeat, of veal, suet, grated ham, lemon peel, and mixed spices. roll it tightly up, fasten with small skewers and tape, and roast it, basting constantly with butter, and serve with venison sauce.--_or:_ you may take out the bones, roll the meat up like a fillet of veal, lard it, then roast and serve with tomata sauce. _leg, loin, haunch, saddle, and shoulder of mutton._ cut out the pipe that runs along the back bone, wipe off all mustiness. rather a _quick_ fire is required for mutton, particularly if it have been kept. roast in the same manner as beef. paper it, and baste every twenty minutes till the last half hour, when lightly sprinkle with salt, baste with _butter_, and dredge flour lightly over, and as soon as the froth rises, take it up. onion, sweet sauce, or currant jelly, are eaten with mutton. some think it an improvement to the _haunch_ and _saddle_ to take the skin off; to do this you must beat it well with a rolling pin, slip the skin with a sharp knife from the meat, and with a cloth pull it off nearly to the shank. some put a thin paste over, as directed for venison, others paper only, and the latter is sufficient, if the cook baste enough, and do not let { }it burn.--a good sauce for roast mutton is made by putting glasses of port wine, of reading sauce, and a tea-spoonful of garlic vinegar into a small saucepan, and pouring the contents hot over the joint just before serving it. _haunch of mutton._ _to dress as venison._--keep it as long as you can, then rub with the following, and let it lie in it, thirty-six hours. mix oz. of coarse sugar, oz. of salt, and ½ oz. of saltpetre. a taste somewhat peculiar to our house, and of american growth, is stewed cranberries, as sauce with roast mutton, and i recommend the trial to all who can procure good cranberries. tomata sauce is also good with roast mutton. _bullock's heart._ soak it well in lukewarm water to disgorge, dry and stuff the interior with a veal stuffing, and roast it two hours. _calves'_ and _sheep's_ heart the same. _tongue._ stick a fresh tongue all over with cloves, roast it, baste with butter, and serve with port wine sauce, and currant jelly. _sucking pig._ the age at which it ought to be killed is a matter of dispute; some say at twelve days old, others at three weeks; but all agree that the sooner it is cooked after, the better. after the inside is taken out, wash the pig well with cold water. cut off the feet at the first joint, leaving the skin long enough to turn neatly over. prepare a stuffing as follows: ½ oz. of mild sage, onions, parboiled and chopped fine, a tea-cup full of grated bread crumbs, oz. of good butter, and some pepper, cayenne and salt; put this into the pig, and carefully sew the slit up. some cooks baste, at first, with salt and water, and then keep brushing the pig with a brush of feathers, dipped in salad oil. others tie a piece of butter in muslin, and diligently rub the crackling with it; either is good. it should be dredged with flour, soon after it is put down, and the { }rubbing with butter or oil never cease, or the skin will not be crisp. the fire should be brisk, and a pig iron used, or the pig will be unequally cooked, for the middle will be burnt up, before the two ends are done. a good-sized one will take two hours. a pig should never go whole to table. take the spit from the fire, and place it across a dish, then with a sharp knife cut the head off, cut down the back, and slip the spit out. lay it back to back in your dish, and the ears, one at each end, which ought to be quite crisp. for sauce, clear beef, or veal gravy, with a squeeze of lemon, and, if approved, the brains and liver, or a little of the stuffing out of the pig, mixed in it, also a very little finely chopped sage. apple sauce and currant sauce are not yet out of fashion for roast pig. chili or eschalot vinegar is an improvement to pig-sauce. the easiest way is to _bake it_. (see _baking._) _venison, haunch or shoulder._ this will hang three weeks with care, but must be watched. wet it as little as possible; a damp cloth, only, should be used to cleanse it. butter a sheet of kitchen paper, and tie it over the fat side of the joint, then lay over that a paste of about ½ an inch thick of flour and water; tie another sheet of paper over that, fasten all on firmly, and rub butter over the outside paper, that the fire may not catch it. baste well, and keep up a strong clear fire. a haunch of from to lbs. weight, in a paste, will take from four to five hours, and not be overdone. half an hour before it is ready take off the coverings, and put it nearer the fire to brown and froth. baste with fresh butter, and lightly dredge it with flour. for sauce, currant jelly in heated port wine, in one boat, and clear drawn, unspiced gravy, in another. (_see gravies._) raspberry vinegar may be used in making sauce for venison. some epicures like eschalots or small onions, served with venison, hare, or any meat, eaten with sweet sauce.--the shoulder, breast, and neck, are all roasted, but the two latter are best in pies; and if lean, may be used in soup.--serve french beans, and currant jelly. _fawn._ this should, like a sucking-pig, be dressed soon after it { }is killed. when quite young, it is trussed and stuffed like hare. but it is best, when large enough, cut in quarters, and dressed like lamb. the hind quarter is the best. it may be half roasted, and then hashed like hare or venison.--_or_: in pies the same as venison. it may also be baked. venison sauce. _veal_ must have a strong and brisk fire. it must not only be _well done through_, but be of a nice brown. for the fillet a stuffing of forcemeat made thus: two parts of stale bread-crumbs, one part suet, marrow or fresh butter, a little parsley boiled for a minute and chopped fine, tea-spoonsful of grated lemon peel, a little nutmeg, a very little cayenne and some salt, the whole to be worked to a proper consistence, with yolks of or eggs. many things may be used in flavouring stuffing, such as grated ham, beef, sausages, pickled oysters, anchovy, sweet herbs, eschalots, mushrooms, truffles, morels, currie powder and cayenne. the fillet should be covered with paper, and securely fastened in a nice shape. baste well, and half an hour before you take it up, remove the paper, and bring the meat nearer the fire, to brown it. garnish with slices of lemon. when in the dish, pour some thin melted butter over it, to mix with its own gravy. a fillet of lbs. weight will require hours' roasting. serve sausages, ham, or bacon, and greens. _shoulder of veal._ stuff it, using more suet or butter than for the fillet. serve and garnish the same. from three hours to three and a half. _loin of veal_ must be well jointed. the kidney fat papered, or it will be lost. toast half the round of a loaf, and place it in the dish under the kidney part, and serve and garnish the same as the fillet. about three hours. _breast of veal._ keep it covered with the caul till nearly done, for that will preserve the meat from being scorched, and will also { }enrich it.--from one hour and a half to two hours. some put in a very delicate stuffing. _neck, best end._ two hours to roast. _lamb._ lamb must be young, to be good, and requires no keeping to make it tender. it is roasted in _quarters_, or _saddles_, _legs_, and _shoulders_; must be well done, but does not require a strong fire. put oiled paper over a fore quarter. one of lbs. weight will require two hours.--when the shoulder is removed, the carver ought to sprinkle some salt, squeeze ½ a lemon, and pour a little melted butter (it _may_ have finely chopped parsley in it), over the target, and then replace the shoulder for a few minutes.--mint sauce; and garnish with crisp parsley, sprigs of parsley, sprigs of cauliflower, or alternate slices of lemon and sprigs of water cress.--serve salad, spinach, french beans, cauliflower or green peas. (_see sauces._) _pork_ requires a very strong fire, and must be well done. _leg of pork._ make a slit in the shank, and put in a stuffing of mild sage, and parboiled onions, chopped fine, also pepper, salt, grated stale bread-crumbs, a piece of butter, a tea-spoonful of made mustard, and an egg to cement the whole, then sew it up. rub the skin often all over with salad oil or fresh butter, while the roast is going on. the skin must be scored about twenty minutes after the pork is put down. a leg of lbs. about three hours. serve onion sauce, mustard, or apple sauce. (_see sauces._) _spare rib._ when put to the fire, dust some flour over, and baste gently with some butter. have some sage leaves dried and rubbed through a hair sieve, and about a quarter of an hour { }before the meat is done, sprinkle this over it, just after the last basting with butter. apple sauce; mashed potatoes. _loin and griskin._ score the loin, and, if you like, stuff it as the leg, or mix powdered sage and finely-chopped onion with the basting. a loin of lbs. two hours; if very fat, half an hour longer. a griskin of or lbs. one hour and a half. either of these may be baked. score the rind, rub over it well with butter or oil, and stand it in a common earthen dish, with potatoes peeled and cut in quarters; and, if you like, add some apples also, and two or three onions previously parboiled and cut up. dress the pork round with these when you serve it. _apples roasted_, and sent to table in their skins, are very good with pork. _turkey._ it is not a good practice to wash poultry, only to wipe it out quite clean; but if it be _necessary_ to wash it, then dredge flour over before you put it down to the fire. a turkey ought to hang as long as the weather will allow. take care, in drawing, not to break the gall bag, for no washing would cure the mischief. it is still the custom, in some counties, to send a roast turkey to table with its head on. press down the breast-bone. fill the craw with a stuffing as follows: a large cup of bread-crumbs, oz. minced beef suet, a little parsley (always parboiled, as well as onions, for stuffings), a little grated lemon peel, two or three sprigs of thyme, some nutmeg, pepper and salt; mix the whole well, and cement it with an egg. add, if you choose, parboiled oysters (a few), or a little grated ham. do not stuff too full, and keep back some of the stuffing to make little balls, to fry and garnish with, unless you have sausages. paper the breast. score the gizzard, dip it in melted butter, and then in bread-crumbs, fix it under the pinion, cover it with buttered paper, and be sure that it has its share of basting, as well as the liver, which must be placed under the other pinion. the fire must be the same as for beef. keep the turkey at a distance from the fire, at first, that the breast and legs may be done. a very large one will require three hours, and is never so good as a { }moderate sized one, such as will roast in little more than one hour and a half. dredge with flour, and baste with fresh butter, or wash it with salt butter. half an hour before it is done, take off the paper, to let the turkey brown, and when the steam draws towards the fire, lightly dredge it with flour; then put a good sized piece of butter in the basting ladle, hold it over the turkey, and let it drop over it as it melts. this will give a finer froth than basting from the dripping-pan. clear gravy in the dish, and more in a tureen, with egg, bread, or oyster sauce, in another. chine and greens. _capons and common fowls._ roasted the same as turkeys, and stuffed, if the size will admit. a large, full-grown fowl will take about one hour and a quarter; a chicken from thirty to forty minutes. the sauces for fowls are, gravy, parsley, and butter, either with or without the liver (roasted) chopped up in it, or mushroom, bread or egg sauce. three or four slices of fat bacon, not too thick, may be attached by skewers to the breast of a fowl, and is an improvement to a large one. _goose._ well wash and dry it in a cloth; then stuff it with four onions, parboiled, a fourth of their bulk in sage, and half, or, if you like it, the whole of the liver; parboil these together slightly, and mix them with the crumb of a penny loaf and an egg. _or_, prepare a stuffing of six good onions, two or three apples, and some sage; chop these together quite fine, season with pepper and salt, and warm it in a saucepan sufficient to half cook it. put the stuffing in the goose, tie that tightly at both ends, when on the spit: keep it papered the first hour, and baste with a little dripping. froth it the same as turkey. the fire must be kept brisk. a large goose will require two hours. take it up before the breast falls. its own gravy is not good. serve a good gravy flavoured with port wine, or cider, and walnut catsup, also a table-spoonful of made mustard.--it is a good plan for the cook to cut up the goose, remove the joints separately on another _hot_ dish, then pour the gravy boiling hot over. this may not be fashionable, but it preserves the { }goose from eating _greasy_, saves the lady of the house trouble, and insures its being hot when helped. serve apple sauce.--some persons like goose stuffed with potatoes, previously boiled, then mashed without butter, and well peppered and salted. _green geese_ will roast in half an hour; are not stuffed. put a good sized piece of butter inside, pepper and salt. froth and brown nicely. gooseberry sauce. _ducks_ will keep three days, but are better dressed the day they are killed. ducks may be stuffed or not (the same as geese), according to taste. but if two are roasted, one may be stuffed, and the other merely seasoned inside, with pepper, salt, an eschalot, and cayenne, if liked. serve green peas with ducks. from three quarters to an hour will roast them. baste well, and give a good froth. (_see sauces and forcemeats._) some persons squeeze a lemon over the breasts when dished. _wild ducks_ take from twenty-five minutes to half an hour. have a clear brisk fire. they are, generally, preferred underdone, but brown outside. cut slices in the breast, and squeeze in lemon juice with cayenne; _or_ put an oz. of butter into a stew-pan with a little cayenne, the rind of an orange cut thin and previously blanched in boiling water, and the juice of a lemon; warm this over the fire, and when melted, but not oiled, pour it over the duck and serve. (_see sauces._) _pheasants, partridges, guinea and pea-fowl_, require a brisk fire. all are trussed in the same way, and the heads left on. make a slit in the back of the neck to take out the craw; do not turn the head under the wing, but truss it like a fowl, and fasten the neck to its side with a skewer. thirty minutes will roast a young pheasant, and forty or fifty minutes a full grown one. good sized partridges take nearly as long. baste with butter, and { }froth them. clear, well-flavoured gravy, in which there should be a tea-spoonful of the essence of ham. also bread sauce. french cooks lard all these. (_see to lard._) they also have a method of dressing them thus: lay slices of lemon over the breast, and upon these, slices of fat bacon, cover with paper, and roast them. another way is to fill the bird with a delicate stuffing of veal, grated ham, lemon grated, and spice; then roast it. _woodcocks, snipes, and ortolans_, should be kept as long as they are good. do not draw woodcocks, for the trail is considered a delicacy, nor cut off their heads. they should be tied to a bird spit, or dangled singly. the fire must be clear. twenty or thirty minutes is enough for woodcocks, and less for the rest, in proportion to their size. lay some slices of toasted bread, the crust cut off, in the dripping-pan, to dish them on. serve melted butter. garnish with slices of lemon.--in france they stuff woodcocks with truffles, and other things, then roast, or stew them. _grouse, black game, plovers, rails, quails, widgeons and teal_, are roasted the same as partridges, the head of grouse twisted under the wing. do not let them be over-done. a rich gravy, and bread sauce. garnish with fried bread-crumbs. _pigeons._ clean them as soon as killed, and the sooner they are dressed the better. wash them very well, stuff each with a piece of butter the size of an egg, a few bread-crumbs, a little parsley, and the liver chopped, if you like: season well with pepper and salt. roast twenty-five or thirty minutes. pour into the dish a little thin melted butter, with or without the parsley, to mix with their own gravy. serve bread or rice sauce, or parsley and butter. they may be served on a thin toast. wood-pigeons should hang till tender, then roasted and served in rich gravy. they require less roasting than tame pigeons. { }_larks, wheat-ears, and other small birds._ some of these are nice eating, particularly the _wheat-ear_, which, from its superior flavour, has been called the english ortolan. a roast of small birds is so much the fashion in france, that you seldom travel many days together without finding it one of the principal dishes of the supper table. in the autumn, and, indeed, through the winter, you will constantly see a partridge, or a woodcock, served up in the midst of a numerous company of blackbirds, thrushes, larks, and a variety of such small birds; a truly "dainty dish to set before a king." this custom is remarkable because there is a comparative scarcity of small birds in france, whilst we in england are overstocked with them. the _sparrow-pudding_ is _known_ in many country places, but is not often seen. indeed, in this land of beef and mutton, it would be hard if these little creatures could not be left to sing and build their nests in peace. with the french there is such an avidity for all sorts of small birds, that a string of them is one of the most ordinary articles in the larder. nothing that flies in france above the order of humming-birds in its size, is too insignificant to come within the scope of the sportsman's ambition, and the purveyor's nets and springes. i am not sure whether our exquisite neighbours ever proceed so far as to devour sweet philomel herself; but they certainly do what would be deemed still more shocking in england, making no exception in favour of that little bird, to injure which is here a sort of crime; they kill the robins and cook them by dozens at a time. the forest of ardennes abounds in them, and in the season the traveller may fare sumptuously upon these pretty little creatures, without being aware of what he is eating. lovers of delicacies might find it worth their while to travel in the countries where the vine and the fig-tree abound. there the small birds feed and fatten on the grapes, even in the winter, for, long after the conclusion of the vintage, refuse grapes may always be found hanging. this food, so superior to our blackberries, hips and haws, may well cause the flavour of the birds to be in the highest perfection: for the fruit is so nutritious that the labouring people almost entirely live upon it through one whole season of the year. in sicily the grapes will keep for months { }after they are quite ripe, hanging on the vines in the open air. there is a little bird, about the size of the nightingale, called the _fig-pecker_, from its feeding upon the figs. this is one of the most prized delicacies of the south of france and italy.--all the above-named birds require to be well cleaned. then put them on a bird-spit or skewer, and tie that on another spit, or dangle it before the fire. baste constantly with good butter, and strew sifted bread-crumbs over as they roast. french cooks generally put a thin small slice of bacon over the breast of each bird, bringing it over each wing. fifteen minutes will roast them. serve larks on bread-crumbs, and garnish with slices of lemon.--_or_: dip the birds into a batter, then roll them in bread-crumbs. _hare_ should, unless a leveret, hang several days, to become tender. cooks differ as to the proper method of keeping it. some keep it unpaunched, while others see that it is paunched instantly, wiped clean and dry inside, and then let it hang as many as eight days. if really an _old_ hare, it should be made into soup at once, for it will never be tender enough to roast. the heart and liver should be taken out as soon as possible, washed, scraped, parboiled, and kept for the stuffing. most cooks maintain the practice of soaking hares for two hours in water, but more are rendered dry and tasteless by this method than would be so naturally. a slit should be cut in the neck, to let the blood out, and the hare be washed in several different waters. prepare a rich and relishing stuffing, as follows: the grated crumb of a penny loaf, a ¼ lb. beef suet, or oz. of marrow, a small quantity of parsley and eschalot, a tea-spoonful of grated lemon-peel, the same of nutmeg, salt, pepper, and the liver chopped, mix all together with the yolk of an egg; and an anchovy, if approved; put it inside the hare, and sew it up. for basting, most cooks use milk and water till within twenty minutes, or thereabouts, of the hare being done, and then baste with butter. but a cook of ours, first basted it with milk and water, for about ten minutes, to draw away the blood, then with ale, and for the last half hour with fresh dripping, until about five minutes before the hare was taken up, when she basted with butter to give { }a froth, having previously lightly floured it. where cream and eggs abound, you may, after the hare has been basted with butter, empty the dripping pan, and baste with warm cream, and the yolk of an egg mixed in it. a good-sized hare will take one hour and a quarter to roast. serve good gravy in a tureen, and currant jelly, or some piquant sauce. (_see sauces._) kid is dressed the same way. _rabbit_ is roasted in the same manner as hare; in addition to the stuffing, put three or four slices, cut very thin, of bacon. liver sauce. chapter ix. baking. some joints of meat bake to advantage. it is convenient, occasionally, to send the dinner out to be cooked, and the meat which suffers least from such cookery ought to be selected; veal is good baked, so is pork, a sucking pig, a goose, and a duck; but not mutton. some pieces of beef bake well, with peeled potatoes under to catch the gravy, and brown. some sorts of fish also bake well. (_see fish in the index._) _breast, loin, fillet, or shoulder of veal._ the two last stuffed with forcemeat; put the joint on a stand in a deep baking dish, and stick bits of butter over the top. the heat of the oven strong, but not fierce. baste often; when nearly done, sprinkle salt over, and ten minutes before it is taken out, dredge with flour. _pig._ put it in a shallow baking dish, wrap the ears and tail in buttered paper; send a good sized piece of butter tied in muslin, for the baker to rub over it frequently. _goose and duck._ prepare as for roasting: put them on a stand, and turn { }them when half done.--_wild goose_ the same, with a piece of suet inside. _ham._ boil it till half done, then cover it with a paste of flour and water, and set it in an oven, hot enough for bread, till you think it done. _ox cheek._ cover with a strong seasoning of pepper, salt, and minced onion. bake three or four hours, according to its size, then set it by till next day, take off the fat, and warm it as you want it. a _shin of beef_ in the same way. _hare and rabbit._ prepare as for roasting, and baste it constantly with butter. the stuffing should be rich. _a fawn._ put a caul over and set it in the oven; about a quarter of an hour before it is done, take off the caul and baste well with butter. it will bake in the same time that a pig requires. meat pies require the oven to be as hot as for joints of meat, yet they should not be scorched. they also require time to soak through, or the meat will not be done. fish pies require half an hour less baking than the same sized meat pies. great nicety is required in baking fruit pies and light pastry. all these ought to be baked at home; when the precise heat of the oven, required, may be attained, which it rarely can be at the bakehouse. pastry suffers, too, in being exposed to the air on its way to the oven; and it ought not to wait long before it is baked. _pork._ any joint will bake well. it must be scored. rub it over with oil, or stick bits of butter all over it. put it on a stand, and put peeled potatoes under it; also, you may put onions and apples. sprinkle dry sage over, before you serve it. stuff the pork, or not, as you choose. { }chapter x. broiling. this is seldom excelled in, though it appears simple, and is of general utility; for few like to dine on cold meat, and none dislike a broil. there is no economy in broiling, but such meat, poultry, or game, as cannot be hashed with advantage, had best be broiled. the great art in broiling is to have a suitable fire. it must be strong, bright, and clear, and entirely free from smoke; if half burnt down, so much the better. have two gridirons, one for meat and poultry, the other for fish. those which hang before the fire are useful. a gridiron should be rubbed clean immediately after being used, not set aside with a particle of grease or soot attached to it. just before you lay meat on, after you have made it hot, rub the gridiron with a piece of fresh suet, if for meat; if for fish, rub with chalk. a pair of steak-tongs is indispensable. above all things, it is necessary that the broil be served immediately, closely covered on its way from the fire to the table, and that the plates and the dish be hot. _beef steaks._ these are eaten in perfection in england only, and, it is said, best in the chop-houses in london, where daily practice makes the cooking perfect, and because in london the best beef may always be procured. no skill in broiling will render tough meat tender. steaks are best from the middle of the rump (unless it be the under part of the sirloin), after the meat has been killed five days (if the weather permit), or even longer. they should be of about ¾ of an inch in thickness; beat them a very little. sprinkle a little salt over the fire, lay the steaks on the hot gridiron, { }turn them frequently, and when the fat blazes and smokes much, quickly remove the gridiron for an instant, till it be over, and the steak will be sufficiently done, in from ten to fifteen minutes. have a hot dish by the side of the fire; and, to gratify the taste of some persons, rub it with a piece of eschalot; at all events let the dish be _hot_, and as you turn the steaks, if there be any gravy at the top, drop it into the dish. before you dish them, put a piece of fresh butter, and a spoonful of catsup in the dish; then sprinkle the dish with a little salt, lay the steaks in the dish, and turn them once or twice, to express the gravy. garnish with horse-radish, or pickles. oyster, and many other sauces may be served; some beef steak eaters say that its own gravy, pepper and salt, are all that a good beef steak requires, unless it be a little sliced raw onion or tarragon; others like fried onions. _beef steaks, with potatoes._ beat them flat; season on both sides with pepper, salt, and such mixed spices as you choose; dip the steaks in melted butter, lay them on the gridiron, and broil them, as directed in the last receipt. have a little finely-rubbed parsley, or chopped eschalot, a piece of butter, and some pepper and salt, in a hot dish; when the steaks are done, lay them in it, turn them once or twice, and arrange slices of potatoes fried, round them. _or_: spread mashed potatoes quite hot in the dish, and lay the steaks on. _blade bone of veal._ broil it till quite done. serve it with stewed mushrooms, or a garnish of pickled mushrooms and slices of lemon. _mutton and lamb chops, also rabbit and fowl cut up, sweetbread and kidneys._ these may all be broiled in the same way as plain beef steak. take care that the fat which drops from mutton and lamb, does not smoke the chops; where there is danger, take off the gridiron, and hold it aslant over the fire. { }kidneys must, to prevent their curling, be stretched on a skewer. they may be dressed in a more savoury way, thus: dip them in egg, then in a mixture of bread-crumbs, and savoury herbs, before you put them on the gridiron. for mutton, a piece of butter in a hot dish, with a little catsup, is good sauce; but no catsup for lamb; cucumber sauce is better.--(_see blade bone of pork._) _pork chops_ require a very strong fire, and more cooking than mutton, for they must be well done, about a quarter of an hour; cut them once to ascertain the state they are in. mix in a _little_ gravy, rather thin than rich, a spoonful of made mustard; pour this quite hot, over the chops, in the dish, to mix with their own gravy; then strew over them a little dry sage, rubbed small, and some chopped eschalot. pork chops may be dressed in a dutch oven. _blade bone of pork._ cut it with a small quantity of meat to it: lay it on the gridiron, and when nearly done, pepper and salt it well, then rub a piece of butter over, and serve it directly. mutton in the same way. _chickens and pigeons._ after a chicken is picked, singed and washed, or wiped clean, truss, and lay it open, by splitting down the back; season the inside with pepper and salt, and lay that side on the gridiron, at a greater distance from the fire than you put a steak, for it will take longer to cook; at least half an hour is necessary for a good sized chicken. from time to time remove the chicken from the fire, and rub it over with a piece of butter, tied in muslin. run a knife into the breast to ascertain if it be done. the gizzard should be scored, well seasoned, broiled and divided, to garnish the chicken, with the liver, and slices of lemon. serve mushroom sauce or parsley and butter. you may egg the chicken and strew grated bread over it, and broil till it is of a fine brown; take care that the fleshy side is not { }burnt. pigeons are broiled in the same way, or may be done whole; in which case truss and put inside each a large piece of butter, pepper and salt, tie close at both ends, lay them on the gridiron, and turn them frequently. you may brush them with egg, and roll them in bread-crumbs and chopped parsley, with which mixture dredge them whilst broiling. parsley and butter in the dish, with mushroom catsup, if you like. stewed mushrooms are served with these, or pickled mushrooms as garnish. chickens should be skinned before they are broiled for a sick person. _partridges._ prepare as above, and place them in a frying-pan in which you have melted a little very delicate dripping, or butter; let them stay ten minutes; turn them once, finish on the gridiron; this makes them more firm than they would otherwise be. poor man's sauce (_see sauces_) is good with all broiled birds. (_see in index for devils, also in made dishes, for cutlets._) _note._--_sauce robert_ is good with all broils. { }chapter xi. frying. not so difficult to _fry_ as it is to _broil_ well, and it is quite as good, for some things, but the fat must be good. lard, butter, dripping, topfat (i.e. the cake of fat which is taken off soup or broth, when it has stood a night), oil, and suet, are all good for frying. if butter, suet and dripping be clarified, the pan will not be so apt to burn, and the fat will be more delicate. housekeepers lose much of their credit by neglecting this, and similar niceties. the pan should be thick at the bottom: an oval shape is best, particularly for fish. the fire not fierce, as fat soon scorches, and the meat may be burnt, before it is half cooked; neither must it be too slack, for then the meat will be soddened; and if fish, of a bad colour, and not crisp. ascertain the heat by throwing a bit of bread in; if the pan be too hot the bread will be burnt up. the fat in which veal, lamb or sweetbreads have been fried, will do for fish; let it stand to settle, then pour the top carefully from the sediment, and put it by. fritters, pastry or sweet things, must be fried in good butter, lard or oil. care is required to fry fish well, and is attainable only by practice. to ascertain the heat of the pan, dip the tail of the fish into the boiling fat, and if it crisps quickly, the pan is ready. fries, as well as broils, served hot, as soon as off the fire, or they will be spoiled. _to clarify butter._ cut in pieces, and put it into a jar: set that in a kettle of boiling water, to melt; skim carefully, take the jar out of the water, let the butter cool a little, then pour it gently off, keeping back the milky sediment. { }_suet._ chop beef, mutton, or veal suet, take off all skin and fibrous parts, melt it _slowly_, as in the last receipt, or in a dutch oven, before the fire. strain, and pour it off: beef or mutton dripping may be done the same way, and is good for peas soup, and for plain pastry. for soup, it may be seasoned, after it is melted and strained. a piece of charcoal will remove a rancid taste, put into the melting fat, and stirred round a few minutes. use butter or lard in frying white meat. _beef steaks and mutton chops_ must be fried in butter. steaks the size directed for broiling will be done in from ten to fifteen minutes. when nearly done, cover with a dish and let the pan remain five minutes by the fire, after you take it off. then lay the steaks in a hot dish, and add to the gravy in the pan a piece of butter rolled in flour, a glass of port wine, or some catsup, a very little water, pepper, salt, a little minced eschalot or onion; let this boil, then pour it over the steaks. garnish with horse-radish, and serve mashed potatoes and pickles. (_see made dishes, for cutlets._) _veal cutlets_ may be cut from the fillet or the loin, ½ an inch thick: brush them over with egg, cover with bread-crumbs, and fry of a nice light brown, in a good deal of butter or lard. you may, if you choose, add to the bread-crumbs, a mixture of parsley, lemon thyme, lemon peel, and a little nutmeg and cayenne. when done place the cutlets in a hot dish, while you make some gravy in the pan; pour all the fat out, and pour in ¼ pint of boiling water, the same of melted butter, and let it boil till thickish, then add harvey sauce, white wine, and any other sauce you like: strain this over the cutlets. garnish with rashers of bacon, curled parsley, and slices of bacon. cutlets, _without gravy_, may be served round mashed potatoes. _lamb and pork chops._ pork chops may be cut from neck or loin. fry the same { }as veal, either plain or egged. garnish with slices of lemon, or crisped parsley. pork chops, egged, are improved, to some persons' tastes, by a little finely chopped onion and sage. you may make a sauce thus: put the chops on a dish, keep hot while you pour part of the fat from the pan, stir in a tea-spoonful of flour, moisten ½ pint of water, or broth, a table-spoonful of vinegar, a little salt and pepper, and small gherkins or slices (or _for lamb, pickled mushrooms_), put the chops back into the pan to re-warm in the sauce, and serve it altogether. you may add mustard to the sauce; also, chopped onions, for pork. if there be no herbs used before, you may sprinkle dried parsley over lamb chops in the dish; also, lemon peel. _sausages._ some suppose that these do not require fat to fry them. it should be butter or dripping, not lard (a little for beef or pork, more for veal), and sausages ought to cook slowly, that they may be done, without being scorched, and not burst. prick them with a darning needle to prevent this, but gradual heating is the best preventative. drain, _very_ lightly flour, and set them before the fire to froth. for dinner or supper, serve mashed potatoes with sausages. _rabbits_ _must_ be young, either tame or wild. carve in joints, brush these with egg, and dip them in bread-crumbs, in which there may be, if you like it, some dried parsley, grated ham or lemon peel; fry nicely and serve with rashers; make some gravy in the pan as directed for veal cutlets. _eggs with ham or bacon._ soak the slices, of ham or bacon, in lukewarm water, and dry them in the folds of a cloth; and they will be less hard than fried bacon usually is. the pan used to fry eggs should be delicately clean. a good method is, to melt a little fat in the pan, pour that off, and then, whilst the pan is quite hot, rub it hard with a cloth. let the bacon be nearly done, and if the fat be burnt, pour that off, and put in some fresh; then slip the eggs gently in. when they { }are done lay the slices of bacon in a dish, trim the eggs, and lay them on the bacon. the eggs may be fried in one pan, and the bacon in another; some prefer the latter broiled. for breakfast, slices of ham or bacon should not be broiled or fried, but toasted before the fire. _sweetbreads._ parboil them while fresh, and then fry them in long slices, or whole, in plain butter; or else egged, covered with bread-crumbs, and seasoned with lemon peel, pepper, and a sprig of basil. garnish with crisped parsley, and lemon sliced: serve on a toast, with either parsley and butter, or plain butter, and a very little walnut, mushroom or any other catsup. garnish with small slices of crisped bacon. (_see made dishes._) _ox, calves', and lamb's liver, and pig's harslet_, must be quite sound. cut the liver in long thin slices, soak in water, then dry them in a cloth, flour, and season with pepper, salt, a little onion, or eschalot and sage, chopped fine. fry the slices in butter or lard, of a light brown, and when nearly done, put into the pan some slices of bacon. when you take the liver and bacon out of the pan, pour in a tea-cupful of boiling water, dredge some flour in, let it boil up, and pour this gravy over the liver. you may fry a handful of parsley in the gravy. you may improve this gravy, by adding to it pepper, salt, a wineglass of vinegar, lump of sugar, and a tea-spoonful of made mustard. garnish with crisped parsley; serve mashed potatoes, or better still, stewed cucumbers. of the pig's harslet, the lights, sweetbread, and heart may be parboiled, cut up, and fried with the liver. _or_:--after the fashion of _herefordshire_, cut in slices, inches thick, the liver, griskins, heart, kidney, lights, crow, and some fat of bacon; rub these slices well with a seasoning, composed of onions, apples, a _little_ sage, and plenty of pepper and salt; then put them on a small spit in alternate slices of lean and fat, cover all over with a pig's caul, and roast it three hours, or more, if the harslet be large. when done, remove the caul and pour a kettle of boiling water over. make some gravy of the water that has been poured over, and flavour it with port wine, cyder, and walnut catsup. serve apple sauce. _harslet_ is { }very good stewed in just enough water to make gravy, and seasoned well. a little cayenne. _tripe._ boiled tender, cut in long narrow slips, these dipped in a batter of egg and flour, and, if you like, a little minced onion and salt. fry from seven to ten minutes, of a light brown. serve, if approved of, onion sauce.--(_cow-heel the same._) _to fry parsley._ after it has been washed and picked, shake the parsley backwards and forwards in a cloth till dry; then put it into a pan of hot fat, and fry it quickly of a light brown; take it out with a slice the moment it is crisp--it will be spoiled if done too much. lay it on a sieve before the fire. herbs, lemon peel, and onions, must always be chopped fine before they are mixed with bread-crumbs to fry. _or_: spread it on paper in a dutch oven before the fire, and turn it often till it is crisp. _to fry bread sippets._ cut a slice of bread about a ¼ inch thick, divide it into pieces of any shape you like. make some fat quite hot, in the frying-pan, put in the sippets, and fry of a light brown; take them up with a slice, and drain them before the fire ten minutes. take care the pan be not hot enough to burn. _to fry bread crumbs._ the bread two days old: rub it into very smooth crumbs, put them into a stew-pan with some butter; set it near a moderate fire, and stir them constantly with a wooden spoon, till of a fine light brown; spread them on a sieve to drain, and stir occasionally. serve with roasted sweetbreads, small birds, and game, if approved. (_see made dishes._) { }chapter xii. soups and broths. the prejudice against french soup, arising from a belief that it must be _maigre_, is as ridiculous as was the assuming that all frenchmen are the small, thin, miserable looking creatures which they used to be represented in caricatures. soup is nourishing, and also economical, as it converts into palatable food, the coarser parts of meat, all trimmings, and much that could not be cooked with effect in any other way. the french excel, merely because they take such pains in making soup, and not from the quality or quantity of their ingredients. a little meat with slow and regular boiling, will produce richer soup, than double the quantity, if the soup kettle be suffered to boil fast one quarter of an hour, and to stop boiling altogether the next quarter of an hour.--the fault most common in english soup is, the want of the juice of meat, caused by too quick and irregular boiling, to remedy which want, recourse is had to pepper, herbs, and wine. it is very easy to vary the _sort_ of soup, by making a good clear _stock_, or what the french call _bouillon_, and the next or following days, flavour it, or add vegetable ingredients to your taste. soup made solely of brown meat or game, without vegetables, will keep better than that made of veal, fowl, any vegetable substance, or fish. as the french are great economists in their kitchens, and are most scientific cooks, it may not be amiss to recommend their practice. read the directions for boiling meat, for they must be observed in the first process of soup making. always use the softest water; and, as a general rule, give a quart to a pound of meat for soup, rather less for gravy. place the soup-kettle over a moderate fire, that the meat may be gradually heated through, which will cause it to swell and become tender; also the water will penetrate into it, and { }extract all the gross particles, which will then go off in scum. if it be suffered to boil up quickly, it will be just as if scorched before the fire, and will never yield any gravy.--after the soup has been near to a boil for half an hour, let it boil _gently_, to throw up the scum; remove that carefully, and when you think no more will appear, put in the vegetables and a little salt: these will cause more scum to rise; watch and take it off, then cover the pot close, and place it so, by the fire, that it may boil or _simmer_ gently, and not vary its rate of boiling. from four to six hours may be enough, but an hour more would not be too much, for the bare meat and vegetables; all flavouring ingredients should be allowed the shortest possible time, because their flavour evaporates in boiling. great extravagance is often committed for the want of attention to this, for a larger quantity of costly ingredients is used, than need be if they were put in just at the proper time. it may be necessary to put in _some_ of these things earlier than others; but this must rest with the discretion of the cook. remember that where catsup is used, care must be observed not to give so much salt as where there is none. if the soup waste much in boiling, add boiling water. keep the lid close, and remove it as seldom as possible, because so much of the flavour escapes by that means. if the soup be over-watered, leave the lid half way off, that some of it may evaporate in steam. french cooks, i believe, invariably brown the meat and vegetables first, thus: put a good piece of butter in a stew or frying-pan, then the meat and vegetables and a little water (no seasoning), set it over a sharp fire, turn it frequently that none of it may burn, or the flavour will be spoiled; when it is all browned, put your quantity of water to it. the soup may, perhaps, have a finer flavour, but it will not be so clear, for after the meat has been fried the scum will not be extracted from it in boiling. thickening may be made of bread-raspings. but that most commonly used, is flour rubbed in butter or fat skimmings. flour or meal is coloured, spread on a plate, in a dutch oven before the fire. turn it with a spoon till it is of the colour you wish. keep covered close, for use. potato flour, a table-spoonful, mixed smooth in a cup of water, is a nice thickening. barley and oatmeal, also indian { }corn meal, in the same quantity. thickening should be put in after that scumming has taken place which the vegetables have made necessary. but the french mode of thickening soup is best of all. (_see roux._) some persons boil vegetables by themselves to a mash, and pulp them through a sieve into the soup. this helps to thicken it. the fatter the meat, the more of green vegetables, such as leeks and greens, may be used. meat should not be very fat, nor yet all lean, for soup. no seasoning whatever, except salt, should be given to plain stock, if not to be eaten the day it is made. thickened soup requires a greater quantity of flavouring ingredients than clear soup, as the thickening material absorbs a portion of the flavouring.--take care not to over-season, for this is a common fault. of wine, the quantity should not exceed a wine-glassful to a quart. the sort must depend upon taste, but claret is best for brown soup; madeira for mock turtle; brandy is used in soup, and so is lump sugar. vegetable soup requires a little cayenne. soup or stock to be eaten on the following day, should stand by the side of the fire a quarter of an hour to settle, before it is strained; the fat skimmed carefully off, and put by. strain the stock into an unglazed vessel. in hot weather, let it stand in a cool place; if you wish to keep it three or four days, boil it up every day. when you rewarm it, take off the cake of fat at the top, and hold back the sediment. be careful in warming soup, that it do not get smoked. also remember that it should but just come to a boil, and be taken off the fire, for every bubble tends to flatten its flavour. when macaroni, or other paste, or any kind of green vegetable, is added at the time of re-warming the soup, of course time must be given for such addition to be cooked; it is best partly cooked by itself first. ham is used for making stock; but except for ragouts, or sauces very highly flavoured, i should reject it. when cream is added, it must be boiled first, or it will curdle. pour it in by degrees, stirring all the while. the french use earthenware soup-kettles, and some prefer them to the cast-iron digester, or stock-pot. tammis cloths (bought at the oil shops) are better for straining than sieves. never use stale meat for broth or soup. vegetables as { }fresh as possible. the older and drier the onion, the stronger its flavour. _plain stock._ having read the foregoing directions, get a leg or shin of beef, break it in two or three places, wash it, and cut some nice pieces to eat. cover with water, and boil it slowly. if you wish it to be very good, add an old fowl, rabbit, any trimmings of meat, or gizzards of poultry, or bones, but mind that whatever it be, it is quite fresh; take care that you take off the first scum as it rises, then put in salt, and a large carrot, a head of celery, two turnips, and two onions. simmer this so gently as not to waste the liquor, from four to five hours, then strain as directed.--rabbits are excellent in making stock. more onions may be used than i have given directions for in this receipt; indeed, where their flavour is not objected to, it is scarcely possible to use too many, for nothing enriches soup and gravy so much. the meat of shin of beef is excellent for your family dinner; before what is cut into smallish pieces are cooked too much, take them out and keep hot to serve with a little of the soup poured over, as sauce. serve pickles. _soup and bouilli._ about lbs. of fresh, juicy rump, or flank of beef, four quarts of water, let it come slowly to a boil, put in a heaped table-spoonful of salt, taking off all the scum carefully; put in three carrots, four turnips, two leeks, one head of celery, three onions (one burnt), three cloves in each, a small bunch of herbs; this should boil very gently five hours. all the vegetables cut or sliced. some persons like a small cabbage cut up in this. serve the bouilli garnished with the vegetables; put slices of bread in your tureen and pour the soup over, without straining. tomata sauce is good with bouilli. _good plain stock._ lbs. of knuckle of veal cut in pieces, five inches in diameter, also ¾ lb. of lean ham, cut in dice, put ¼ lb. of butter into a stew-pan, turn it round, then put in the meat, two { }onions, four cloves in each, a turnip, carrot, leek and a head of celery. cover the pan and keep skimming its contents over a sharp fire, until there be a thick white glaze that will adhere to the spoon; then put in four quarts of soft water, and when coming to a boil, set it on one side of the fire, that it may _simmer_ for three hours. skim off the fat, and strain it. _very good clear gravy soup._ first heat, then rub with a coarse cloth, a good-sized stew-pan or stock-pot, then rub the bottom and sides with a marrow, or a large piece of butter. lay in about or lbs. of shin of beef chopped across, a knuckle or scrag of veal, four shanks or the knuckle part of a leg of mutton, and any trimmings of meat, game or poultry you have, a slice of carrot, a head of celery, two onions, two leeks, and turnip sliced, and two table-spoonsful of salt. let this catch, not burn, over a rather brisk fire, and add five quarts of soft water. when it has been carefully scummed once, give it a pint of cold water, to throw up more scum. simmer slowly full four hours. place it by the side of the hearth to settle, skim off the fat, and strain it. of this soup, which ought to be very clear, are made many sorts, on following days, thus:-- _vermicelli._--boil the quantity you wish to use, in a little water, till nearly cooked enough, then put it into the clear soup, when you put that on the fire to re-warm. _brown thickening, which see, in the index._ _maccaroni soup._--the same as the last, but do not make it too thick. boil the maccaroni till rather more than three parts cooked, and put it into the soup to finish while that is heating. cream is an improvement. serve grated parmesan. _white thickening._ _carrot or turnip soup._--cut red carrots in thin strips, boil them till tender, and put them into clear soup, when it is rewarmed. _or_: boil six or eight carrots quite tender, then pulp them through a sieve into the soup. scoop turnips into little balls, or cut them in any shapes you like, boil them till tender, and put into the soup. _brown thickening._ _celery and asparagus soup._--cut these in pieces rather more than ½ an inch in length, and boil them gently, till { }tender, then put them into clear gravy soup. cream may be used if the thickening be white. _julienne soup._--cut leeks and celery in squares, turnips and carrots in strips, boil them till tender, and put into clear brown soup. _or_: cut carrots and turnips in strips, put a large tea-cupful of these into a stewpan with ½ lb. of butter, and shake it over the fire till they are tender and look transparent, then pour in the stock; add young peas, two onions, two leeks, a small lettuce, some sorrel and chervil, all these cut small; simmer gently till the vegetables are cooked, then put in three lumps of sugar. _clear herb soup._ cut up what herbs you like the flavour of; also leeks, celery, carrots, turnips, cabbage, lettuce, and young onions, in preference to old ones, a handful of young peas, put the whole into boiling water, and give them just a scald. drain them on a sieve, put them into some clear stock, and simmer slowly till the roots are tender. season with salt, and a very little cayenne, if you choose. _a clear soup._ cut lbs. of gravy beef small, put it into a large stewpan, with two onions, a small carrot and turnip, a head of celery, a bunch of sweet herbs, and a pint of water. stew slowly an hour, add nine pints of boiling water. simmer it slowly six hours, strain, and let it stand till next day. take off the fat, pour it from the sediment, and boil up with whatever flavouring ingredient you choose. this may be made _julienne_ by putting in the mixture of vegetables as directed above. also _ox-tail_ by adding one to it. _brown soup._ make this as clear gravy soup, and strain it. then fry to a nice brown lbs. rump steaks, cut in small pieces, drain them from the fat, and put them in the soup. let them simmer an hour, add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste, also a wine-glassful of any catsup you like, and when done, let it stand by the fire, to allow the fat to rise; take that off, and serve the soup with the steaks. { }_plain white soup._ soak a large knuckle of veal, put it into the soup-kettle with fowls skinned, or a rabbit, ¼ lb. of lean undressed bacon or ham, a bunch of lemon thyme, onions, carrot, turnip, a head of celery, a few white peppercorns, and blades of mace, cover with water, and boil for two hours and a half, and strain. this should form a jelly. to re-warm it, take off the top fat, clear the soup from the sediment, and put it in a stewpan. add vermicelli or maccaroni, previously boiled, till nearly done. _another white soup._ fry ½ lbs. veal, and ¼ lb. ham or bacon, with a faggot of herbs, onions, a parsnip cut small, and a head of celery. when the gravy is drawn, pour upon it quarts of water, and quarts of skim milk. boil it slowly an hour and a half. add table-spoonfuls of oatmeal, rubbed smooth in a tea-cupful of broth. boil half an hour, then strain it into the tureen. _cow heel_ and _calf's feet_ are good in making white soup; also rabbits, in place of fowls. when veal is dear, use lean beef. _another with herbs._ boil a quart of beef and a quart of veal stock together, with a table-spoonful of chopped tarragon, and one of chervil; when tender, have ready a coffee-cupful of cream and three eggs beaten together, stir them gently in, and keep stirring till cooked, but do not let it boil. _lorraine soup._ blanch ½ lb. of sweet and oz. bitter almonds, pound them in a mortar, with a very little water, to a paste. take all the white part of a cold roast fowl, skin and mince it very fine, with the yolks of hard-boiled eggs, and some fine bread-crumbs; put this into a pint of _plain white soup_, with a large piece of lemon peel, and a little mace and nutmeg; let it come to a boil, add a quart more of the same stock boiling hot, and after it has simmered a few minutes, strain the soup, and add, by degrees, a quart of cream which has been boiled. { }_onion soup._ the number of onions must depend upon taste; if or , chop and stew them, in a saucepan, with a good piece of butter; stew them gradually, and when done, add some good stock: salt, pepper, and cayenne, if the stock be not already seasoned. this may be strained, and a pint of boiling cream added, to make it more delicate.--_another_: cut small silver onions in rings, fry them of a light colour, drain and cook them for twenty minutes in _clear gravy soup_. serve toasted sippets. _onion soup maigre._ fry in clarified butter large onions, heads of celery, a large carrot and a turnip, all chopped. when soft, pulp them through a sieve, into quarts of boiled water, thickened with or oz. of butter, worked up with potato flour, and seasoned with mace and white peppercorns, lumps of sugar, or you may thicken with the beat yolks of eggs. bread sippets in the tureen. _green peas soup._ an old-fashioned, but good receipt. boil quite soft, pints of green peas, and work them through a hair sieve. put into the water in which the peas were boiled, large slices of ham, a small knuckle of veal, a few beet leaves shred small, a turnip, carrots, and a little more water. boil an hour and a half. then strain the liquor into a bowl, and mix it with the pulp. put in a little juice of spinach, which is obtained by squeezing the spinach, after it has been boiled, through a cloth. this will give a good colour. then give it a gentle boil, to take off the taste of the spinach, slice in the whitest part of a head of celery, and a lump of sugar the size of a walnut. cut a slice of bread into little square pieces, a slice of bacon in the same manner, and fry together in fresh butter, of a light brown. cut a large lettuce in slices, fry that, after the other, then put them all together into the tureen. have ready boiled, a pint of young peas, put them also into the tureen, and pour the soup over.--onions may be added if approved.--serve toasted bread, and also dry powdered mint. { }_green pea or asparagus soup._ put pints of peas, with ½ lb. of butter and ¼ lb. lean ham, in dice, into a stew-pan with two onions cut up and a little parsley, moisten it with water, and keep stirring or shaking over a sharp fire; when quite tender put in a thickening of flour rubbed smooth with water or broth, and having stirred that well in, add quarts of any stock you have; whatever salt and pepper you think is required, also cayenne if you like, and lumps of sugar: boil ten minutes and strain it. this may be served at once; or, after you have strained it, you may boil it up again with ½ pint of boiling milk, skim it, and serve on crisp sippets. _asparagus_ the same way: keep back part of the heads, and boil them separately, not very tender, cut them in pointed pieces, and put into the strained soup. _artichoke soup._ wash and peel doz. jerusalem artichokes, and cut them in thin slices. put large onions, turnip, a head of celery, bay leaves, a sprig of thyme, and lb. of lean ham into a stew-pan, with ½ lb. butter, stir all the time, and let it fry over a slow fire minutes; it will form a white glaze, then take it off, and put it all with the artichokes into a stew-pan with a pint of thin broth or soft water, and simmer it, till all the vegetables are quite tender, then put in table-spoonsful of flour rubbed smooth with broth, mix well together; add quarts of good stock and a pint of boiled milk, a tea-spoonful of salt, the same of sugar, let it just boil up, then strain it, and boil it up again with mushroom catsup, and a glass of white wine; and pour it over fried bread in the tureen. _a good maigre soup._ melt slowly, in a stew-pan, ¾ lb. butter, put in a head of celery, carrot, and turnip sliced, shake them well and let them brown; add three quarts of boiling water, ½ pint of young peas, and some black pepper; when these are done, let it settle, strain the soup into another stew-pan, leaving all sediment; put it on again with large onions in slices, { }another head of celery, and turnips and carrots in pretty shapes. boil slowly till done, then serve the soup. _yellow peas soup_ should soak the night before, and if old, again in the morning, in lukewarm water. allow ½ lb. to quarts of soft water, with lbs. of lean sinewy beef, or fresh trimmings of meat, poultry, or roast beef bones, a small piece of pickled pork, the shank of a bacon or mutton ham, or the root of a tongue a little salted, and soaked and washed; also carrots, turnips, and rather small onions. scum well, as soon as it boils, and stir the peas up from the bottom; add another quart of boiling water, or the liquor of any boiled meat. (pot liquor should always be saved for peas soup.) let it simmer till the peas will pulp. then strain through a coarse sieve. take the onions out from the pulp, and put the latter back into the soup, with a fresh head of celery, or a large tea-spoonful of celery seed, tied in muslin, and some salt and pepper. simmer it, if thin, three-quarters of an hour, to thicken it; then put it into the tureen, let it stand covered a few minutes, and remove the fat which will have gathered on the top. shake dried mint or parsley over the soup, and serve with dice of toasted bread.--this soup may be made in a very economical way, by the means of pot liquor, roast beef bones, fragments of meat, and fresh clarified dripping. the liquor in which a leg of pork has been boiled, should be saved for peas soup.--very little pieces of boiled pork may be served in peas soup, also cucumbers cut and fried, or bacon cut and fried. a pickled herring is used to give flavour, when there is no pot liquor. peas soup is very good quite maigre; the water must be soft, and the peas boiled long and slowly, before they are pulped. _carrot soup plain._ scrape and wash six large carrots, and peel off the outsides quite thick; put these into a soup-kettle, with a large head of celery, an onion cut thin, two quarts of soft water, or pot liquor, and, if you have them, roast beef bones. after this has been boiled and scummed, set it by the fire, keep it close covered and simmer it gently two hours. { }strain through a sieve, and pulp the vegetables, with a wooden spoon, into a clean saucepan, and as much broth as will make it as thick as peas soup; season with salt and pepper. make it hot, and send it to table. add what spices you like. serve toasted bread, either fried or plain.--_celery_ and _turnip_ soup the same way. when celery cannot be procured, the seed pounded fine, about ½ a drachm, put in a quarter of an hour, will give the flavour of two heads of celery. _mock turtle soup._ make it the day before it is wanted. get a good sized calf's head, the skin on, scald and split it, take out the brains, and the bones of the nose, and lay it in lukewarm water to soak. change the water often, to draw out the blood and slime. when the head is quite clean, put it into a stew-pan with rather more soft cold water than to cover it. let it come to a boil rather quickly, and scum well. then boil gently, rather more than half an hour. take out the head, place it in a dish, and when cold, cut it into small neat pieces: skin the tongue, and cut it up. keep the meat covered, and set it by till the next day. put all the bones and refuse parts of the head into the soup-kettle, in the liquor in which it was boiled, with a knuckle of veal broken, and about lbs. shin of beef, but the latter must be soaked first. let this boil, then take off all the scum, and simmer it gently from four hours and a half to six hours, strain it into a pan, and set it by. when you want to make the soup, take off the cake of fat, and pour the stock into a large stew-pan, holding back the sediment; set it on the fire, let it come quickly to a boil, then throw in a little salt to facilitate the rising of whatever scum there may still be, and take this off. put in from to sliced onions, browned in the frying-pan; also a few sprigs of fried sage, a few leaves of sweet basil, and the peel of a large lemon, not fried; a little cayenne, black pepper to your taste, a very little allspice, three blades of mace, some cloves, one eschalot, and the thickening; which latter may be of flour worked up in butter, or of brown _roux_ (which _see in the index_). let it simmer nearly two hours, or till it taste strong, and be of a good colour; pass it gently through a hair-sieve into another stew-pan, and put into that the cut { }up pieces of head, and what wine you choose, madeira, sherry, or claret, about a wine-glassful of either of the two former, to a quart of soup. when the meat is tender, the soup is done, and from half to three-quarters of an hour ought to cook it. have ready each of forcemeat and egg balls to serve in the tureen. _forcemeat balls_ are made of veal or fowl, suet and parsley, all minced very fine, mixed with bread-crumbs, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon-peel, nutmeg, and allspice, and wetted with yoke of egg, to make up into balls. fry of a light brown, and lay them in a small sieve to drain before you put them in the tureen. _egg balls_ are eggs boiled hard, the yoke taken from the white and pounded well in a mortar, a little salt added, and as much raw yolk of egg and flour as will bind these into balls, not bigger than a marble. put them into the soup soon enough to cook them. before you serve the soup, squeeze the juice of a lemon into the tureen. some persons put ox palates, in slices, in mock turtle; pickled cucumbers cut very thin may also be an improvement. the above is not an expensive receipt, though, perhaps, quite rich enough. _cheaper mock turtle_ may be made of cow-heels or calf's feet, stewed gently, strained, and the liquor added to plain stock of beef, an onion, and what herbs and other seasonings you like. cut up the feet, and put them into the soup, just before you serve it. add lemon juice and wine, if you like. _hare soup._ the hare must be quite fresh. cut it up (washed, but not soaked), put it in a stewpan, with six middling-sized onions (two burnt), two bay leaves, a blade of mace, three cloves, a bunch of parsley, a little sweet basil, thyme, and celery, also a little broth, plain stock, or, if you have neither, soft water, to cover the meat. if you desire it to be very good, add lb. of gravy beef, notched and browned first; when it has come to a boil, and been scummed, put in three quarts of water, and simmer, if the hare be young, three hours; if old, longer. strain it, set the best pieces cut rather small apart, to serve in the tureen, and cut all the meat off the other parts, to pound with soaked crumb of { }bread, to give thickness to the soup. when this is put into the strained soup, season it to your taste, and add catsup and port wine; also fried forcemeat balls, if you like. _another, and a better._ if you happen to have two hares, one old and tough, the other young, cut up the first and put it on in three quarts of water, with three onions, two anchovies, six cloves, a blade of mace, a teaspoonful of salt, half a one of cayenne, and simmer it four hours. meantime, roast the other hare, properly stuffed, till half done, then cut it up, and put it all, with the stuffing, into the soup, and let it simmer gently nearly an hour. you will have kept back some of the best pieces to serve in the soup the next day, unless you prefer it clear without any meat, in which case put it all in. next day, when you re-warm it, add a tumbler of port wine. not having the old hare, two rabbits may be found very good. _rabbit soup._ cut up the rabbits, and if two, put the pieces into water sufficient to cover them; let it boil slowly, and take off all the scum; when no more rises, add two quarts of good stock (or soft water), prepared of shin of beef and veal, or of knuckle of veal alone, or of trimmings of veal and two or three shanks of mutton: this stock must be already flavoured with onions or eschalots, white peppercorns, and mace; simmer gently till the meat is quite tender, and then put it by till next day. take off all fat before you re-warm it; take out the liver, rub it through a sieve, moisten with a little flour and butter, and add to the soup, also a teacupful of port, the same of white wine, a table-spoonful of walnut catsup, and lemon pickle. _game and venison soup_, may be made of any and of every kind of game. skin the birds; if large ones, carve them; if small ones, only split down the back; fry them, with slices of ham or bacon, and a _little_ sliced onion and carrot. drain the pieces, lay them in a stewpan with some good _stock_, a head of celery, a little chopped parsley, and what seasonings you like. stew gently { }for an hour. if venison be at hand, fry some small steaks, and stew with the birds. serve the meat in the soup, taking out the ham. _another, and plainer._ in the season, and in houses where game abounds, make soup as follows: cut the meat off the breasts of any cold birds, and pound it in a mortar. boil the legs, and all the bones, in whatever broth you have, for an hour. boil four large turnips to a mash, and pulp them to the pounded meat, mix these well, then strain in the broth, by degrees, and let it stand close by the fire, in the stew-pan, but do not let it boil. season to your taste. just before you serve it, beat the yolks of eggs in a pint of cream, and pass through a sieve; then put the soup on the fire, and as it is coming to a boil, stir in the cream, and keep stirring a few minutes, but do not let it quite boil, or it will curdle. _stewed knuckle of veal and soup_, may be made of the breast, shoulder-blade, or scrag, but best of the knuckle. cut it in three pieces: wash, break, and place it on skewers, in the stew-pan, with lb. of streaked bacon, a head of celery, onions, carrots, turnip, a bunch of parsley and lemon thyme, and a few black and jamaica peppercorns. cover the meat with water, and let it simmer till quite tender. strain the soup, put it on the fire again, and season and thicken it to your taste. either serve the meat in the tureen with the soup, or put it in a dish with the bacon, and the vegetables round it. you may pour parsley and butter over the meat, or serve it in a boat. a little rice flour is good to thicken with. some have whole rice boiled, as for eating, and put to the soup when it is returned to the fire. others use vermicelli. eggs and cream beaten together and strained, would enrich this soup; when you put them in, stir all the time, and take off the soup before it quite boils. _mulligatawny soup._ put a few slices of bacon into a stew-pan with a knuckle of veal, and no vegetables; simmer an hour and three { }quarters; cut about ½ lbs. of breast of veal into rather small pieces, add the bones, and gristly parts of the breast, to the knuckle which is stewing; fry the pieces of meat, and sliced onions, in a stew-pan, with a piece of good clarified dripping or butter. strain the stock if done, and put the fry to it, set it on the fire, and scum carefully; simmer it an hour. have ready mixed in a batter, dessert-spoonsful of curry powder, the same of lightly browned flour, and salt and cayenne as you choose; add them to the soup. simmer the meat till quite tender. you may have chickens parboiled, and use them in place of the breast of veal. the above receipt is a plain one. _another and richer._ make a strong stock of a knuckle of veal, roast beef bones, a ham bone, a faggot of sweet herbs, carrots, turnips, onions, clove of garlic, heads of celery, previously fried in butter, cloves, some black pepper, salt, cayenne, mace, and mushroom powder; stew it all in quarts of water, eight hours, then strain through a fine sieve. when cold take off all the fat, and if the stock be not rich enough, add to quarts, a pint of good gravy; rub table-spoonsful of curry powder, of ground rice, and of turmeric with some butter and flour, then moisten with a little stock, and add it by degrees to the rest, and simmer it two hours. add or wine-glassfuls of sherry or madeira, of oyster, of walnut pickle, of eschalot or chili vinegar, table-spoonsful of soy, of harvey or reading sauce, and of essence of anchovy; simmer it a few minutes. have ready chickens, or a rabbit, parboiled, then browned in fresh butter, or pieces of ox-tail previously cooked, add whichever of these it may be to the soup, simmer it again till the meat be cooked, then squeeze in the juice of a lemon and serve. serve rice, cayenne, chili vinegar, and pickles.--_cold arrack_, or _rum punch_, after mulligatawny. _ox-tail soup._ three tails will make a good sized tureen-ful of soup; it is very strengthening, is considered an elegant, and is by no means an expensive soup. have the tails divided at the { }points, rub with suet, and soak them in lukewarm water. lay them in a stew-pan with onions, a turnip, carrots, some peppercorns, and quarts of soft water. let it simmer two hours and a half; take out the tails, cut them in small pieces, thicken it brown, then strain it into a fresh stew-pan, put in the pieces of meat, boil up and skim it; put more pepper, if wanted, and either catsup, or port wine. _grouse soup._ roast birds, cut off all the meat, reserve some nice pieces to serve in the tureen; put the bones and all the rest into quarts of good stock, and boil them half an hour; then pound the meat in a mortar; put a large onion, ½ a carrot and turnip, cut up, into a stew-pan with ½ lb. butter, sprigs each of parsley, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and ½ a blade of mace, and stir them a few minutes over the fire; then add a pint of stock, and stew it all till tender, put in the pounded meat, and oz. of flour rubbed smooth, and the soup, mix it all well together, simmer it minutes, stirring all the while; if required, add salt, and a table-spoonful of sugar; strain it into another stew-pan, boil it up, skim it well, and pour into the tureen over the reserved slices of meat, and some fried pieces of bread, cut in any shape you please. the _stock_ for the above is good made of or lbs. of beef and or rabbits, according to the quantity, and the richness you require. i should put a large wine-glassful of port into a moderate sized tureen-ful. _partridge and pheasant soup._ the same as the above. _poacher's soup._ this excellent soup may be made of any kind of game. about lbs. of any of the coarse parts of venison, beef, or the same weight in shanks, or lean mutton, for the stock; boil in it celery, onions, carrots, turnips, what herbs you like, and ¼ oz. of mixed black and jamaica peppers. simmer three hours, then strain it. skin and cut up a black cock, a woodcock, a pheasant, half a hare, a rabbit, a brace { }of partridges, or grouse, or slices of venison; any one, or parts of several of these, according to what you may require and what game you may have. season the meat with such mixed spices as you like, then flour and fry it in the frying-pan, or put them, at once, into the strained stock, for the frying process is not actually necessary. put in with the pieces of meat, about small onions, heads of celery cut up, and peeled potatoes; when the stock comes to a boil, add a small white cabbage, or a lettuce quartered, black pepper, salt, and allspice if you like. simmer till the meat be tender. if the meat be composed of small birds, the vegetables must be put into the soup and cooked before the meat, for _that_ must not be _overdone_. this may be enriched by wine, catsup, anchovies, and forcemeat balls. _scotch barley broth._ about lbs. of mutton to quarts of water, and ¼ lb. of scotch barley (more or less according to taste), a large spoonful of salt, also a large cup of soaked split peas, if in season. scum carefully, and let the broth boil slowly an hour. then add carrots, turnips, cut small, onions, or leeks sliced, and a head of celery, or a bunch of parsley, and some green or split peas. when these are done, season to your taste. this may be made of beef, with greens instead of turnips. the meat, if mutton, is served in a dish, with parsley and butter; and the vegetables in the soup. remove the fat from the top before you serve. _hotchpotch, a german dish._ cut lbs. of either beef or mutton, or both, into nice shaped pieces, and put to them as much water as you require soup. boil and scum well, then put in carrots and turnips sliced, parsley chopped, leeks and german greens cut up, suiting the quantity to the meat. serve all together. _a pepper pot._ three quarts of water, lbs. of mutton or veal, and a small piece of lean bacon; a fowl if you have it; as many carrots, turnips, and onions as you like, and a tea-cupful of { }rice. scum well, season highly, and let it stand a little before you serve it, to take off the fat. _scotch cock-a-leekie._ make a stock of lbs. of shin of beef, strain, and put to it a large fowl trussed for boiling, and when it boils, put in six leeks (blanched), in pieces an inch long. in half an hour put in six more leeks and the seasoning; if these leeks do not make the soup thick enough, put more. when the fowl is done, serve it in the soup. _mutton broth._ put lbs. of scrag of mutton into a saucepan, with just enough water to cover, and when that is near boiling, pour it off, and carefully take all the scum off the meat; then put it back into the saucepan with four pints of boiling water, a table-spoonful of grits, a little salt, and an onion; set it over a slow fire, scum well, and then put in two turnips, and simmer it slowly two hours. (_see cooking for the sick._) _veal broth._ the knuckle is best, but the scrag is good. a gallon of water to the knuckle, add an onion, a blade of mace and salt. carefully scum, and boil it gently till the meat be thoroughly done, and the liquor greatly reduced. add vermicelli or rice. _chicken broth_ should simmer very gently, and its strength will be in proportion to the quantity of water. a good-sized chicken will make a quart of very good broth. as this is seldom made except for invalids, neither onion, carrot, nor turnip ought to be used. a bunch of parsley may be boiled in the broth, then taken out and chopped fine. skim the fat off the broth, and serve the parsley in it. _milk soup._ boil two quarts with a little salt, cinnamon, and sugar. { }lay thin slices of toasted bread in a tureen, pour a little hot milk over them, and cover close that they may soak. beat the yolks of five eggs, add them by degrees to the milk; stir it over the fire till it thickens, take it off instantly or it will curdle; pour it into the tureen upon the bread. you may stir into the boiling milk a ¼ lb. of sweet almonds, and a few bitter ones, all blanched. in france _buttermilk_ is cooked in this way, and poured on thin slices of boiled apples, spread in a tureen. _ox-head soup._ put half an ox cheek into a tub of cold water, and let it soak two hours. take it out, break the bones not already broken, and wash it well in lukewarm water. then put it in a pot, cover with cold water, and let it boil; scum carefully, put in salt, one head of celery, one turnip, two carrots, two large onions (one burnt), a bay leaf, two dozen berries of black pepper, the same of allspice, a good handful of parsley, some marjoram, savory, and lemon thyme; cover the soup kettle close, and set it over a slow fire. as the liquor is coming to a boil, scum will rise, take that off, and let the soup stew gently by the fire three hours. then take out the head, pour the soup through a fine sieve into a stone-ware pan, and set both by till the next day. cut the meat into small pieces, skim all fat from the top of the liquor, and put about two quarts of it, all the meat, and a head of celery cut up and fried with an onion, into a clean saucepan, and simmer it half an hour. cayenne may be added, a glass of white wine, or a table-spoonful of brandy. _giblet soup._ scald two sets of fresh giblets, and pick them very clean. cut off the noses, split the heads, and divide the gizzards and necks into small pieces; crack the bones of the legs, put all into a stewpan, and cover them with cold water. when it boils scum well, and put in three sprigs each of lemon thyme, winter savory, or marjoram, and a little bunch of parsley; also twenty berries of allspice, and the same of black pepper, in a muslin bag; let this _stew very gently_, till the gizzards are tender, which will be in about an hour and { }a half. lift out the giblets with a skimmer, or spoon with holes, into a tureen, and keep it, covered, by the fire. melt ½ oz. of fresh butter in a clean saucepan, stir in enough flour to make a paste, and pour in, by degrees, a ladleful of the giblet liquor, and the rest by degrees, and boil it ten minutes, stirring all the time. skim and strain the soup through a fine sieve into a bason. rince the stewpan, return the soup into it, and add a glass of port wine, a tablespoonful of mushroom catsup, and a little salt. give it one boil up, put the giblets in to get hot, and serve it.--you may make this much better by using plain stock in place of water, and a ham bone. you may add a pint of madeira also; squeeze a small seville orange into the tureen, and add three lumps of sugar and a little cayenne. _soup maigre._ cut the white part of eight-loaved lettuces small as dice, wash and drain them, also a handful of purslain, the same of parsley. cut six large cucumbers into pieces the size of a crown piece, peel and mince four large onions, and have three pints of young peas. put ¾ lb. of fresh butter into a stewpan, brown it of a high colour, and put in all the vegetables, with thirty whole peppers, and stew it ten minutes, stirring all the time, to prevent burning. add a gallon of boiling water, and one or two french rolls, cut in three pieces, and toasted of a light brown. cover the stew-pan, and let the soup stew gradually two hours. put in ½ drachm of beaten mace, two cloves bruised, nutmeg and salt to your taste; boil it up, and just before you serve, squeeze the juice of one lemon into it: do not strain it.--soup may be made of any, and of every sort of vegetable, in the same manner, but they must be thoroughly cooked. cream is an improvement, and french rolls, if not stewed in the soup, may be cut in slices, toasted, and put into the tureen before the soup. _stock for fish soup._ this may be made of either meat or fish, the latter for maigre days. if meat, make it the same as for meat soup. if fish be used, it may be cod's head, haddocks, whitings, { }eels, skate, and all white fish. boil the fish for stock in two quarts of water, with two onions, some salt, a piece of lemon peel, and a bunch of sweet herbs. scum carefully, and strain it. if the soup is to be brown, you may brown the fish for stock in the frying-pan before you boil it. fish stock will not keep. _lobster soup._ for this there should be a good stock, of beef, ham, onions, and fresh fish trimmings; strain it and pulp back the onions. pound the spawn and all the body of the lobster, and stir it smoothly into the soup. cut all the meat of the claws in small pieces, and put it in the soup also. add cayenne, white pepper, and a glass of sherry. _or_--having a stock of fish prepared, cut up the meat of the lobster in pieces, and mix the coral with it. bruise the spawn with a little flour in a mortar, wet it with a little of the strained stock, and mix it by degrees into the rest. take half of the cut up meat and coral, add oysters, an anchovy, a blade of mace, nutmeg, lemon peel grated, and a little cayenne; pound all together, with the yolks of two eggs, and a very little flour, and make forcemeat balls for the soup; fry or brown them in a dutch oven, or use them without being browned or fried. put the balls and the remainder of the cut up meat into the soup, let it simmer half an hour, then serve it, first squeezing half a lemon or seville orange in the tureen. madeira may be added. _oyster soup._ veal makes the most delicate stock; it should be strong and clear: put to it a quart of the hard part of fresh juicy oysters, which have been pounded in a mortar with the yolks of six hard-boiled eggs. simmer for half an hour, then strain it into a fresh stewpan, and put in another quart or more of oysters, trimmed, and washed from their shells, also some mace and cayenne, and let it simmer ten minutes. beat the yolks of three eggs, take out a little soup in a cup, let it cool, mix it by degrees with the eggs, and stir into the soup, having first drawn that aside from the fire; stir all the time until you send it to table, or it will curdle. give { }this soup any additional flavour you like. the oysters put in whole, may be first run on fine wire skewers, and fried. _another maigre._ into four pints of water put five onions fried in butter, some mace, salt, pepper, and what herbs you like, in a small quantity. when this has boiled, and been carefully scummed, put in lb. of fresh butter, a few mushrooms, and a oysters; thicken with vermicelli, and let the soup boil gently a quarter of an hour. _cray fish soup._ if to be maigre, the stock must be made of fish alone; it must be quite fresh, and lbs. will make two quarts; put in an onion or two, and some black and jamaica peppers. boil the fish to a mash, and keep straining the liquor till clear. about four dozen cray fish will be enough, pick and stew them in the soup, after it has been strained, till done; add a little cayenne, and the spawn of a lobster pounded, and stirred in to thicken as well as flavour the soup. _prawns_, _cockles_, and _muscles_, in the same way. it may be made of meat stock, and flavoured to be richer. _eel soup._ to lbs. of eels, cut in pieces, allow three quarts of water; after this has boiled and been scummed, add two rather large crusts of toasted bread, eight blades of mace, three onions, a few whole peppercorns, and a faggot of herbs. let this boil gently till half wasted, and then serve it with dice of toasted bread. you may add ¼ pint of cream, with a dessert-spoonful of flour, rubbed smooth in it. (_for fish forcemeats see in the index._) { }chapter xiii. fish. _to boil._ the fish-kettle ought to be roomy: the water should, according to some, be cold, and spring water, and be slow in coming to a boil. i incline to this: according to others, it ought to be hot at the time of putting in the fish, upon the supposition that the shorter time it is in water the better. experience must, however, be the best instructor; and much depends on the size, and sort of the fish. a handful of salt in the water, helps to draw the slime from the fish, and gives it firmness. vinegar is used for the latter purpose, particularly for cod and turbot.--when the water boils, take off the scum, and place the fish-kettle by the side of the fire, to simmer gently; the usual allowance of time is twelve minutes to the pound, but there is no certain rule. run a sharp knife into the thick part, and if it divide easily from the bone, it is done. when you think the fish done, lift up the strainer, and place it across the kettle to drain, and if it have to wait, put a heated cover on it, and over that, several folds of flannel; this is the best substitute for a _bain marie_. it must not stay an instant in water, after it is done. serve on a fish drainer, which, as well as the dish, ought to be quite hot, for half cold fish is very bad. crisp parsley, slices of lemon and barberries, also picked red cabbage, are used to garnish. some cooks say that _salt fish_ should scarcely _boil_ at all, but remain till tender, in hot water, just coming to a boil; put it on in cold water, and let it be a long time heating through. stock for gravy, for stewing, or sauce, is made of meat or fish, according to whether it be to be maigre or not. any white fish, and the trimmings of all quite fresh fish, may be used. these may be browned first, in the { }frying-pan, then put into or quarts of water, according to the quantity you require, with a bunch of sweet herbs, onion, eschalot, mace, and lemon peel; boil it and scum well; then strain it, and put in the fish to stew. fish stock is best made on the morning it is wanted. _court bouillon_, for boiling or stewing fish, is as follows: to a gallon of water, a handful of salt, onions, carrots, and eschalots, a bunch of parsley, thyme, and basil, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cloves, also a large piece of butter. stew, then strain it. this may be enriched as required. it keeps well, and is a good basis for stock. _to fry._ this is rather difficult, and requires exceeding care and attention. some people consider that lard is essential, but clarified dripping is as good. oil is used in countries where the olive tree grows. wash, and lay the fish in the folds of a clean cloth, for it must be quite dry. flour it lightly, if to be covered with bread-crumbs, for if not quite dry, the bread will not adhere to it. the crumbs of stale bread; or to be very delicate in appearance, use biscuit powder. having floured the fish, brush over with yolk and white of egg, then strew over the crumbs or powder, so as to cover every part of the fish. the frying-pan of an oval shape. the fire hot, but not fierce. if not hot enough, the fish will be soddened, if too hot, it will catch and burn. there should be fat enough to cover the fish; let it boil, (for frying is, in fact, _boiling in fat_,) skim it with an egg slice, as it becomes hot, then dip the tail of the fish in to ascertain the heat; if it become crisp at once the pan is ready, then lay in the fish. when done, lay it before the fire to dry, either on whity brown paper or a soft cloth; turn it two or three times, and if the frying fat has not been sufficiently hot, this will, in some measure, remedy the defect.--fat in which veal or lamb has been fried may be used for fish, when it has settled long enough to be poured from the sediment. _turbot to boil._ first wash well, and soak it in salt and water; when quite clean, score the skin of the back, or the belly will crack { }when the fish begins to swell. do not take off the fins, as they are a delicacy. place it on a fish-strainer, in a roomy turbot-kettle, the back downwards. you may rub it over with lemon juice, to keep it white. cover the fish with cold water, and throw in salt. allow lb. salt to a gallon and a half of water. it should be quite half an hour in coming to a boil, scum well, then draw the kettle to the side, and if a fish of lbs. weight (larger are not so good), let it simmer minutes, but if it do not simmer _gently_ the fish will be spoiled and the skin cracked. when done, garnish with slices of lemon, scraped horse-radish, parsley, barberries, whole capers, or the pea of a lobster, forced through a sieve. a very few smelts or sprats fried, laid round the turbot. lobster sauce is most esteemed, but shrimp or anchovy sauce answer very well. (_see to dress cold turbot._) _brill._ the same as turbot, except that you put it into boiling water, the flesh being softer. _or_: parboiled, covered with egg and crumbs, and browned before the fire, or in the frying-pan. if lbs. simmer it ½ an hour, but when it begins to crack it is done. _john dory._ the same as brill. _sole to boil._ wash clean, cover it with cold water, put in a handful of salt, and let it come gently to a boil, take off the scum, and set the fish-kettle aside; let it simmer very gently five minutes, and it is done, unless very large, then eight or ten minutes. oyster sauce. _cod to boil._ wash clean, and rub the inside with salt; cover it with water, in the kettle. a small fish will be done in fifteen minutes after the water boils; a large one will take half an hour; but the tail being much thinner than the thick part, it will be done too much if boiled all at once; { }therefore, the best way is to cut the tail in slices, to fry, and garnish the head and shoulders, or serve separately. lay the roe on one side, the liver on the other side of the fish. serve oyster, shrimp sauce, or plain melted butter; also scalloped oysters.--garnish with lemon, and horse-radish. if the fish be in _slices_, the water should be made to boil as soon as possible after they are in it, and minutes will cook them: pour shrimp or anchovy sauce over the slices. if you wish it to be rich, having some clear broth, put in a boned anchovy, some pickled oysters, chopped fine, pepper, salt, a glass of port wine, and a thickening of butter and flour; boil this up, skim it, and pour over the slices of cod. _cod to boil crimp._ put it into boiling hot salt and water, draw it to the side, and let it simmer or minutes, according to its size. slices less. oyster sauce. _salt cod and ling._ soak it, according to the time it has been salted. if hard and dry, two nights, changing the water two or three times. the best _dogger bank_ split fish require less. let there be plenty of water, and the fish a long time in becoming heated through. then simmer _very gently_, or it will be tough. garnish with hard-boiled eggs, in quarters. serve egg sauce, parsnips, or beet-root. _cod to fry._ cut in thick slices; flour or egg, and cover with bread-crumbs or biscuit powder. fry in hot dripping or lard. _cod's head and shoulders._ wash clean, then quickly dash boiling water over it, which will cause the slime to ooze out; this should be carefully removed with a knife, but take care not to break the skin; wipe the head clean, and lay it on a strainer, in a turbot-kettle of boiling water; put in salt and a tea-cupful of vinegar. take care that it is quite covered. simmer { }from thirty to forty minutes. drain, and put it into a rather deep dish; glaze it with beaten yolk of egg, strew bread-crumbs, pepper, salt, and lemon-peel over, stick in bits of butter, and brown it before the fire; baste with butter, constantly strewing more bread-crumbs and chopped parsley over.--a rich sauce for this is made as follows; have a quart of beef or veal stock; or, if to be maigre, a rich well-seasoned fish stock; thicken with flour rubbed in butter, and strain it; add oysters, picked and bearded, or the hard meat of a boiled lobster cut up, and the soft part pounded, glasses of sherry, and the juice of a lemon. boil it altogether, five minutes, skim and pour part into the dish where the fish is: the rest serve in a sauce tureen. it may be garnished with fried smelts, flounders, or oysters. the french stuff it with meat or fish forcemeat, with some balls of the same fried, as a garnish.--_cold cod_ may be dressed as cold turbot. the head may be baked; bits of butter stuck all over it. _cod sounds._ scald, clean, and rub them with salt; take off the outer coat, and parboil, then flour and broil them. pour over a thickened gravy, which has a tea-spoonful of made mustard, cayenne, and what other seasoning you like.--_or,_ fried, and served with the same kind of sauce.--_or_, dressed in _ragout_, parboiled, cut in pieces, and stewed in good gravy, or in white sauce. serve mustard and lemon. _cabeached cod._ boil vinegar enough to cover the pieces of fish, a little mace, a few peppercorns, a few cloves, and a little salt; when this is cold put a tea-cupful of olive oil. cut the tail part of a cod fish in slices, rub pepper and salt on each, fry them in oil, then lay them on a plate to cool; when cold, put them into a pan or jar, and pour the pickle over. if you like, lay thin slices of onion between the fish. _salmon_ is good in this way. serve salad with this. _cod to stew._ lay three slices of cod in a stewpan, with ½ pint of weak { }white wine, _not_ sweet, oz. butter, two dozen oysters and their liquor, three blades of mace, salt, pepper, and a few crumbs of bread; stew this gently, and thicken with flour before you serve it. _salmon to boil_, should be well cleaned and scaled (the less washing the better), and cut open as little as possible. let there be water enough to well cover the fish, and salt in the proportion of lb. to a gallon and a half. when it begins to boil, scum well, and put the fish in; for most cooks, i believe, are of opinion that salmon eats _firmer_ when put on in hot or boiling water. a fish of lbs. will take a full hour, or a little more, but it must only simmer all the time. let the drainer be hot, put a folded napkin on it, and serve the fish directly. garnish with curled parsley, horseradish, or slices of lemon. serve shrimp, anchovy, or lobster sauce, also plain melted butter. cucumber, and also salad, are eaten with salmon. _to boil crimp._ cut off the head, with about two inches of the neck, and clean the fish, opening it as little as possible, and do not cut it up the breast; also cut off the tail. then cut the fish in circular slices, wash them, and lay them in salt and water. put the head and tail on the strainer of the kettle, and pour in boiling water, with a little salt, and a very little vinegar; boil it five minutes, then put in the slices, and boil fifteen minutes, scumming all the time. put the head and tail in the middle of the dish, the slices round. sauces the same as the last.--mustard is good with salmon. _salmon to grill._ split the salmon, and endeavour not to mangle it in taking out the bone. cut it into fillets four inches in breadth. dry, but do not beat or press them, in the folds of a linen cloth, or dust them with flour to dry them. have a clear fire, as for steaks, rub the gridiron with chalk, lay on the slices, and turn them occasionally. serve very hot, with anchovy or shrimp sauce. french cooks steep the { }slices in oil, cover them with seasonings and fine herbs, and broil them, basting the while with oil. caper sauce with this. salmon may be thus prepared, then _fried_.--some put the slices in paper to broil. _salmon, trout, haddock, or gurnet to bake._ mix a seasoning of salt, pepper, and allspice, and rub a little in the fish. if a small salmon, turn the tail round to the mouth, and run a skewer through the fish to keep it in form. place it on a stand, in a deep dish, cover with bits of butter, and strew the remainder of the seasoning over. put it in the oven (an american or dutch oven, before the fire, is very good for this), and baste occasionally with the liquor which runs from it. garnish and serve the same sauce as boiled salmon. _slices_ of salmon may be baked this way.--or: make it richer as follows: boil in a quart of vinegar, a piece of butter, onions, the same of eschalot and carrots, a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, a bay leaf, some basil, cloves, and allspice. having cleaned and scaled the fish, fill it with fish forcemeat, sew it up, turn the tail into the mouth and skewer it. place it on a stand in a baking dish, and pour the liquor over. baste it from time to time. when the fish is done, pour off the liquor, and boil it up with an anchovy, cayenne, lemon juice, and a little thickening of butter rolled in flour. place the fish in a rather deep dish, and strain the liquor round it. a _salmon peel_ is best suited to this, being less rich than large salmon. (_see haddock to stew._) _salmon to pickle._ cut the fish in pieces, not very small, and boil them in a little water and salt, scumming carefully all the time. when done, lift the fish out into a pan, and boil the liquor up with vinegar and spices to your taste, with black pepper, mace and ginger. pour it cold over the fish.--_or_: into the best vinegar, put pint of white wine (supposing there to be quarts of liquor or water to of vinegar), add mace, ginger, horse-radish, cloves, allspice, a bay leaf, a sprig of lemon thyme, salt, and pepper. pour it cold over the fish. put away carefully, in a vegetable dish, any salmon left at table, strew over it ½ a salt-spoonful of cayenne; boil { }allspice in a pint of white wine vinegar, and pour it scalding hot over the salmon. keep it in a cool place. _salmon to dry._ cut the fish down, take out the roe, and rub the whole with common salt; let it hang twenty-four hours to drain. pound oz. saltpetre, oz. bay salt, and oz. coarse sugar; rub these into the salmon, and lay it on a large dish for two days; then rub with common salt, and in twenty-four hours it will be fit to dry. drain it, wipe it dry, stretch it open and fasten it with pieces of stick, in order that it may dry equally; hang it in a chimney corner where wood or peat is burnt, and it will be smoked in five days. broil slices for breakfast. if too much smoked, or too dry, soak the slices in lukewarm water, before you broil them. to make this more relishing, dip the slices in oil, then in a seasoning of herbs and spices, and broil them. _salmon to collar._ clean, scale, and bone the fish, then season it highly with mace, cloves, pepper and salt, roll it up into a handsome collar, and bandage it; then bake it with vinegar and butter, or simmer in vinegar and water. serve melted butter, and anchovy sauce. _salmon to pot._ do not wash, but clean with a cloth, and scale the fish, rub with salt, and let it lie three hours; then drain, and cut it into pieces. sprinkle over them a seasoning of mace, black and jamaica pepper, pounded, and lay them in a dish; cover them with melted butter, and set the dish in the oven. when done, drain the fat from the fish, and lay the pieces into little pots; when cold, cover with clarified butter. _sturgeon_ is generally roasted or baked, if the former, tie a piece of or lbs. on a lark spit, and fasten that to a large one, baste with butter, and serve with a rich meat or maigre gravy highly flavoured. serve besides, or instead of gravy, { }oyster, lobster, or anchovy sauce. _slices_ of sturgeon may be egged, rolled in bread-crumbs, seasonings, and herbs, then broiled in buttered papers. also it is _stewed_ in good beef gravy. _skate._ this should be broad, thick, and of a bluish cream colour. it must be quite fresh, if to be crimp, and put on in hot water. it will keep, in cold weather, two or three days, but will eat tender. shrimp, lobster, or caper sauce, parsley and butter, or onion sauce.--_or_: put into a stew-pan ½ pint of water, ½ pint of vinegar, all the trimmings of the skate, two onions, a clove of garlic, some parsley, and a little basil. boil till the trimmings are cooked to a mash, then strain and put the skate into the liquor; it should just come to a boil, and stand by the side of the fire ten minutes. garnish with the liver. serve caper sauce. _skate to fry._ parboil it first, then cut in thin slices, and dip them in egg and bread-crumbs. then either fried or broiled. both ways skate is good _cold,_ with mustard, pepper, oil and vinegar. _thornback and maids._ dress the same as skate. _trout to boil._ put a good-sized fish into boiling water, in which there is a handful of salt, and simmer gently minutes. melted butter plain, or with chopped gherkins. _haddock to boil._ the night before, fill the eyes with salt, and hang the fish up. _or_, for a few hours before cooking, sprinkle them with salt. serve egg sauce. it may be stuffed, as in the next receipt. _haddocks to stew, bake, or roast._ if you have six small ones, take the heads, tails and { }trimmings of all, and one whole fish, boil these in a quart of water or broth, with an onion, sweet herbs, and cayenne; boil well, and thicken with brown flour; add spices, and mushroom catsup, or essence of anchovy; strain this, boil again, and skim well; then lay in the rest of your haddocks, cut in pieces. if there require more sauce, add as much as is necessary, of any broth or gravy you have; some oysters, or oyster-pickle. when done, take the fish out with a slice, lay it in a dish, and pour the sauce, which ought to be thick, round. this fish may be stuffed with meat, or rich forcemeat, and dressed whole in the above gravy.--_another_: the fish being well cleaned, dry it, and put in the stuffing directed for fillet of veal; tie the tail to the mouth, put the haddock in a pie-dish, rub it over with flour, half fill the dish with veal stock, and bake it in a slow oven minutes. a glass of white wine, or half a one of brandy, oyster-pickle, or lemon juice, either of these may be used, according to taste. _gurnet_ the same. _to roast_: stuff a good-sized one with veal stuffing, and dangle it before the fire; baste with butter, and when nearly done, take the gravy out of the pan, skim off the fat, then boil up the gravy with pepper, salt, and a wine-glassful of port wine. _haddocks to bake, quite plain._ boil and mash some potatoes. season the fish, and put a piece of butter inside, lay it in the middle of the dish, and put a thick border of the potatoes round. brush over the whole with egg, stick bits of butter over the fish, and bake for half an hour; when in the oven a short time, pour a little melted butter and catsup in the dish. _haddock or mackerel to broil._ split the fish, bone the haddock, salt it, and hang it for two days in the chimney corner. _haddocks, soles, flounders, plaice, perch, tench, trout, whitings, and herrings to fry._ haddocks, soles, and generally whitings, are skinned. plaice wiped, not washed, and must lie three or four hours { }after being rubbed with salt. when the fish is cleaned and wiped dry, dust with flour, and lay it gently into the boiling fat; having first egged and dipped it into bread-crumbs. the fat may be either lard, butter, dripping, or oil. turn it carefully, lift it out when done, and lay it on a sheet of paper in a sieve, whilst you fry the rest; or put it before the fire, if it require drying. garnish with curled parsley, and slices of lemon. serve very hot. shrimp or anchovy sauce, and plain butter. _whitings_ and _haddocks_ should have the tail skewered into the mouth. _mackerel and herrings to boil._ the fresher these are eaten the better. they require a great deal of cleaning. choose soft roes to boil. a small mackerel will be done in a quarter of an hour. when the eye starts it is done, and should not stand in the water. serve fennel boiled and chopped, in melted butter, and garnish with lumps of chopped fennel. both these may be broiled, whole or split, and sprinkled during the cooking with chopped herbs and seasonings. _mackerel and herrings to bake._ choose fine ones, in season, cut off the heads and take out the roes. pound together some mace, nutmeg, jamaica pepper, cloves, and salt; put a little of this into each fish, then put a layer of them into a pan, and a layer of the mixture upon them, then another layer of fish, and so on. fill the vessel with vinegar, and tie over close with brown paper. bake them or hours. to be eaten cold. _mackerel and herrings to pickle._ the same as salmon.--_or_: as follows: get them as fresh as possible. take off the heads, split the fish open, and lay them in salt and water an hour; prepare the following pickle: for ½ dozen mackerel, take lb. common and lb. bay salt, oz. saltpetre, oz. lump sugar broken, and mix well together. take the fish out of the water, drain and wipe them. sprinkle a little salt over them, put a layer into a jar or cask (the skin side downwards), then a layer of { }the mixture, till the vessel is full. press it down, and cover close. ready in three months. _red herrings and sardinias to broil._ open and trim them, skin them or not, as you like. if hard, soak in lukewarm water. broil them, either over or before the fire, and rub butter over as they broil. _carp, perch, and tench to stew._ if very large, divide the fish. rub the inside with salt and mixed spices, stick in a few cloves, and a blade or two of mace, in pieces, lay them in a stew-pan, and cover with good fish, or meat stock. put in onions, an anchovy chopped, cayenne, glasses of claret, or of port. when done, take the fish up, and keep it hot, while you thicken the gravy with butter and browned flour; add mushroom catsup, oyster-pickle, chili vinegar, or the juice of a lemon; simmer the sauce, skim and pour it over the fish. the roe may be kept back and fried, to garnish the fish, with sippets of bread fried. use horse-radish and slices of lemon also, to garnish. where meat gravy is not used, more wine is required.--_cod's skull, soles, eels, flounders, trout, whitings and fillets of turbot, cod and halibut_, may be dressed the same way. _or_: having parboiled the fish, brown it in the frying-pan, and stew it in good gravy seasoned with sweet marjoram, lemon thyme, basil, onions, pepper, salt, and spices: when nearly done, thicken the sauce, and flavour it, with a small portion each, of worcester, harvey's and reading sauces, soy, anchovy sauce, oyster-pickle, catsup, and an equal portion of port and white wine. the carp's blood should not be omitted. _carp and pike (or jack) to boil or bake._ if to be maigre, make a forcemeat of the yolks of eggs, some oysters bearded, anchovies, an onion and some parsley, all chopped; mace, black pepper, allspice, and salt, pounded; mix this with biscuit flour, or crumbs of bread, and the fish being well cleaned and scaled, fill it with the stuffing, and sew it up. if to bake, lay it in a deep dish, { }stick butter over, and baste plentifully, as it bakes, in a moderate oven. serve anchovy sauce. _or_: you may take the fish out, and keep it hot, whilst you make a rich sauce thus: thicken the gravy in the dish, and boil it up with parsley and sweet herbs; then strain it, add made mustard, a glass of port wine, and one of chili or any other flavouring vinegar, also pounded mace, salt, and cayenne. pour this over the fish. _eels to stew._ skin and cut them in pieces. they may be egged and rolled in bread-crumbs, or merely floured. if to be maigre, stew them in fish stock; if otherwise, in good clear beef gravy, in which seasoning herbs, and roots have been boiled. stew the fish gently, until done, then take them out, keep them hot, and thicken the gravy with browned flour, or what you like; add a glass of white wine, and one of mushroom catsup, also a spoonful of made mustard; boil it up, strain and pour it over the fish. garnish with scraped horse-radish, and barberries. _whiting_, also _slices of turbot_, in the same way. _lampreys to stew._ after cleaning the fish carefully, remove the cartilage which runs down the back, and season well with cloves, mace, nutmeg, allspice, a tea-spoonful of mushroom powder, a little black pepper and cayenne; put it into a stew-pan with good gravy to cover it, and sherry or madeira; keep the pan covered till the fish is tender, then take it out, and keep it hot while you boil up the liquor with essence of anchovy, lemon pickle, gloucester sauce, and thickening; add the juice of a lemon, a spoonful of made mustard, of soy, and of chili vinegar. fry the spawn to put round the fish. _eels to fry._ they should always be _gently parboiled_, before they are either fried or broiled, then allowed to be cold, before they are cut up; but if very small, turn the tail round to the mouth, and fry it whole. rub with a mixture of spices, { }brush with egg, and cover them with bread-crumbs. fry of a light brown, and lay them on a sieve to drain.--small eels are sometimes boiled, and served with dried sage and parsley strewed over. _eels to collar._ choose a large eel. slit open the belly and take out the bone. rub it well with a mixture of pepper, salt, parsley, sage, thyme, and lemon peel. roll up, quite tight, and bind it with tape; then boil it gently, in salt, a little vinegar, and water to cover it, till tender. it will keep in the pickle it was boiled in. _eels to spitchcock._ they are not skinned, but well cleaned, and rubbed with salt. take out the bone, wash and dry them in a cloth. either cut in pieces, or roll them round and cook them whole. first (parboiled) dip the fish into a thick batter of eggs, chopped parsley, sage, eschalot, lemon peel, pepper and salt; then roll them in bread-crumbs or biscuit powder, dip again in batter, and again in the crumbs. broil over a clear fire. garnish with curled parsley or slices of lemon, and serve anchovy sauce, or butter flavoured with cucumber vinegar. _trout to stew._ the fish being cleaned, put it into a stew-pan, with half champagne and half rhenish, or half moselle and half sherry, in all a tumbler full; season with pepper, salt, an onion with cloves in it, and a very little parsley and thyme, also a crust of bread. when the fish is done, lift it out whilst you thicken the sauce; bruise the bread, but if that be not enough, add a little flour rubbed smooth, and a bit of butter, boil it up and pour over the trout in the dish. garnish with sliced lemon and fried bread. _sprats, smelts, and gudgeon to bake, boil, or fry._ rub the gridiron with chalk or mutton suet, and set it over a clear fire. run a long thin skewer through the heads of the sprats, and lay them on the gridiron. they { }should be eaten quite hot.--to _bake_, lay them in a deep dish, strew bits of butter, pepper, salt and spices over, cover with vinegar, and set them in the oven.--to _fry_, dip them in batter, then in a mixture of seasoning, chopped herbs, and biscuit powder, and fry them. _allice or shad._ these are broiled and eaten with caper sauce. _red mullet._ the inside is not taken out. wash the outside of the fish, fold it in oiled paper, lay in a rather shallow dish, and bake it gently. make a sauce of the liquor, a piece of butter rolled in flour, a little anchovy essence, and a glass of sherry. boil it up, and serve in a tureen. send the fish to table in the paper. _water souchy._ _eels, whitings, soles, flounders, and mackerel_ are generally used. stew it in clear fish stock, until done, eight minutes will be enough; add cayenne, catsup, an anchovy, and any other flavouring ingredient; let it boil up, skim, and serve hot altogether in a tureen. _pipers to dress._ stuff the fish with a forcemeat of suet, bread-crumbs, eggs, chopped parsley, pepper, salt and cayenne. skewer the tail in the mouth, flour and egg the fish, and bake in a hot oven. drain it, and serve with dutch sauce. _cray fish to boil._ boil in the shell; five minutes is enough. some cooks put a bunch of herbs in the water. serve on a napkin. _lobsters and crabs to boil._ have plenty of water, make it quite salt, brush the lobster or crab, and put it in. from forty to fifty minutes { }for the middling size, more if very large, less if very small. they will throw up a great deal of scum, which must be taken off. wipe the lobster with a damp cloth, rub a piece of butter over, then wipe it with a dry cloth. take off the large claws, and crack them; split down the tail, and place the whole neatly in a dish. a very nice sauce, as follows: boil hard eggs, pound the yolk in a mortar, with a little vinegar, and the spawn of the lobster, make it quite smooth, add a large spoonful of salad oil, spoonsful of good vinegar, a tea-spoonful of made mustard, and a little cayenne and salt. _lobster or crab, to eat hot._ cut the meat in pieces, or mince it fine; season with spices, nutmeg, cayenne and salt, and warm it in a little good gravy, thickened: or if maigre, fish stock, or just enough water to moisten the meat, and a good-sized piece of butter rolled in flour, a little cream, and some catsup. serve on toasted sippets; or have the shell of a lobster or crab cleaned, and serve the meat in it.--_another way_ is, not to warm the mince _over_ the fire, but to put it into the shell, and set that before the fire in a dutch oven, strew some fine bread-crumbs or biscuit powder over all, and stick some bits of butter over that; brown with a salamander, and serve quite hot. _prawns_ the same way.--lobster is sometimes fricasseed, in rich veal gravy; or with cream, and yolk of egg. garnish with pickled cucumber, or other pickle.--lobster may be cooked as follows: chop the meat of a large one, and mix with it a very little lemon peel, pepper, salt, nutmeg, butter, cream, and crumbs of stale bread; roll this well, and divide it into small quantities; put each one into light puff paste, the size of sausages, rub them over with yolk of egg, then with bread-crumbs; fry of a yellow brown, and serve with crisped parsley.--_or_: wash and clean some spinach and put it into a saucepan, with the meat of a lobster, or a pint of picked shrimps cut small, an onion, a clove of garlic minced, salt and cayenne; when nearly done, add onions sliced and fried; cover close a few minutes; garnish with slices of lemon. _lobsters and crabs to pot._ parboil the fish, cut it into small pieces, put a layer into { }a potting can, or deep tin dish, sprinkle salt, pepper, cayenne and pounded mace over, then a layer of the spawn and coral, then a layer of the meat, and so on, till all is in, press it down, pour melted butter over, and put it half an hour in a slow oven. let it then get cold, take off the butter, take out the meat and pack it into small pots; clarify the butter, and pour over. the butter left may turn to account in sauces, as it will be highly flavoured. if for sandwiches, the meat must be pounded in a mortar before it is baked, that it may spread more easily. _prawns, shrimps, and cray fish to pot._ boil them in salt and water, pick them carefully, then pound in a mortar, with, to lb. fish, a salt-spoonful of mace, the same of allspice, half the quantity of salt and cayenne, the ¼ of a nutmeg grated, and butter to make it a thick paste. put into pots, pour clarified butter over, and tie it down close. _prawns and shrimps to butter._ take them out of their shells, and warm them in gravy, with a bit of butter rolled in flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. simmer it a little, stir all the time, and serve with toasted sippets. _prawns or cray fish in jelly._ make a good calf's-feet or cow-heel jelly, and boil in it some trimmings of cod, turbot, and skate, a little horse-radish, lemon peel, an onion, a piece of pounded mace, grated nutmeg and grated tongue, hung beef, or ham. boil it well, strain, and let it get cold. take off the fat, pour the jelly from the sediment, and boil it up with glasses of white wine, and the whites of eggs whisked to a froth. do not stir this as it boils. when done, let it stand a quarter of an hour to settle; then pass it through a jelly bag: pour some of it into a mould, or deep dish, to become firm; then stick in the fish, neatly picked, in any form you like, and fill up the dish with jelly. when quite cold, turn it out. _fish cake._ pick the fish from the bones, add lb. of mashed { }potatoes to lbs. fish, a little white pepper, mace, cayenne, and lemon peel; flavour either with essence of anchovy, of lobster, of shrimp, or of oyster, according to taste and the sort of fish; add harvey's or camp or gloucester sauce, also lemon pickle and eschalot vinegar, to your taste: mix the whole with a little melted butter and an egg, dip in bread-crumbs, and fry of a light brown. use no salt with the above sauces.--_another_: having some cold boiled fish, add to it the third of its weight in bread-crumbs, a little butter beaten with a spoon, a small onion, parboiled and minced fine, pepper, salt, and the whites of eggs to bind; mixed well together, make it in the form of a thick cake, and fry on both sides of a light brown: stew it in good gravy, made from either meat or fish stock, and flavoured with onion, pepper, and salt. thicken the sauce, and add mushroom catsup. _fish to pull._ when cold, pick the fish clean from the bones, and to lb. add two table-spoonsful of anchovy, two of lemon pickle, one of harvey's, one of camp sauce, one of chili vinegar, a little cayenne, white pepper, and mace; when nearly hot, add a piece of butter rolled in flour to thicken it, then make it quite hot, put it in a dish, grate bread-crumbs over, and baste with melted butter, to moisten them, then brown with a salamander, or in a dutch oven, or on a tin before the fire, with a scotch bonnet behind it.--_or_: pick from the bones, in flakes, any cold or boiled fish, salmon, cod, turbot, sole, skate or pike; and to lb. fish, add ½ pint of cream, or ¼ lb. of butter, a table-spoonful of mustard, the same of essence of anchovy, mushroom catsup, any flavouring sauce you like, salt and pepper; heat it in a saucepan, put it into a hot dish, strew crumbs of bread over, moisten the top with thin melted butter, and brown in a dutch oven. _a salmagundi._ wash and cut open, then take out the meat from the bones of two large herrings, mince the fish with cold chicken, two hard-boiled eggs, one onion, a boned anchovy, and a little grated ham, season with cayenne, vinegar, and oil, salt, if necessary; and serve the mince, garnished with { }heaps of chopped boiled egg, parsley and pickles, also spun butter. _oysters to stew._ choose plump natives, beard and stew two dozen in their own liquor, till just coming to a boil; take them out and lay them in a dish, whilst you strain the liquor into a saucepan; add a little piece of butter rubbed in flour, a blade of mace, a few peppercorns, lemon peel, three table-spoonsful of cream, and a little cayenne. lay the oysters in, cover the saucepan, and let them simmer five minutes, very gently. have toasted sippets in a deep dish, take out the oysters when done with a silver spoon, lay them in and pour the gravy over.--the french strew grated parmesan over the oysters, before the sauce. _oysters to grill._--toss them in a stew-pan in a little of their own liquor, a piece of butter, and a little chopped parsley, but do not let them boil. clean their own shells, lay an oyster in each, and some little bits of butter. put the shells on the gridiron, in two minutes they will be done. _oysters to brown._--open carefully, lift them out of their liquor, and dip each one in yolk of egg, beaten up with flour, pepper and salt, then brown them in a frying-pan, with a piece of butter; take them out, pour the liquor into the pan, thicken with a piece of butter rolled in flour, add a little catsup, minced lemon peel, and parsley, let it boil up, put in the oysters, and stir them in it a few minutes. serve on toasted sippets. _oysters to fry._--make a batter of three or four eggs, a table-spoonful of flour, a tea-spoonful of salt, and the ¼ of one of cayenne, also a very little mace. cover the oysters well with this, and fry in boiling lard of a light brown; then grate toasted or brown bread over them, and put before the fire for three minutes in a dutch oven. _oysters or cockles to scallop._--stew the oysters in their own gravy. have ready some bread-crumbs, put a layer into the scallop shells, or dish, moisten with the oyster liquor, and put some little bits of butter, then a layer of oysters, then of crumbs, till the shell is full; a light sprinkling of salt, pepper, and cayenne; let bread-crumbs be at the top, and lay on some little bits of butter. brown before the fire in a dutch oven. _cold fish_ may be re-cooked in this way for supper or luncheon. _oysters in dean swift's way._--wash the shells { }clean, and put the oysters, unopened, into an earthen pot, with their hollow sides downwards; set the pot, covered, in a kettle of water, and make that boil. do not let the water get into the shells; three or four minutes will cook the oysters. _oysters to keep._ wash them clean, lay them, bottom downwards, into a tub, and cover them with strong salt and water, in the proportion of a large handful of salt to a pail of water. some persons sprinkle them with flour or oatmeal; this fattens them, but does not always improve the flavour. see in the index for _curry of fish_. chapter xiv. made dishes. what is generally understood in england to represent a "made dish" is something too rich, or too highly seasoned, to be available for a family dinner; but this is an error. made dishes are not of necessity rich or costly, but judgment is required in compounding them, and, by a little practice, a cook will acquire this judgment, and then will be able to convert the remains of joints, and much that would not appear to advantage if plainly cooked, into nice palatable dishes. it is the proper application of seasonings and flavouring ingredients, and not the superabundance of them, which constitutes the excellence of "made dishes."--(_see in the index for sauces._) it has been directed, in making soup, that it must not boil fast. made dishes should never boil at all; _very_ gentle simmering, and the lid of the stewpan must not be removed, { }after the necessary scumming is over. time should be allowed for gradual cooking, and that over, the stewpan ought to stand by the fire a few minutes, that the fat risen to the top be taken off, before the dish is served. indeed, ragouts are better made the day before, because then the fat is more completely taken off. shake the stewpan if there be danger of burning, but if the lid be removed, the savoury steams escape, and also much of the succulent qualities of the meat. great delicacy is required in re-warming made dishes; they should be merely heated through; and the safest mode is to place the stewpan in a vessel of boiling water. all made dishes require gravy, more or less good, and, in most houses, this, by a little previous forethought, may always be ready; for if the liquor in which meat has been boiled be saved, that seasoned, flavoured, and thickened, the cook will always be provided with gravy for a ragout or fricassee. (_see the chapter on soup, and also that on gravy._) the following is a good store gravy.--boil a ham, or part of one, in water to cover it, with four onions, a clove of garlic, six eschalots, a bay leaf, a bunch of sweet herbs, six cloves, and a few peppercorns. keep the pot covered, and let it simmer three hours. the liquor is strained, and kept till poultry or meat of any kind is boiled; put the two together, and boil down fast till reduced to three pints; when cold, it will be a jelly, and suits any sort of ragout or hash. every cook ought to learn the art of _larding_, and also of _braising_, as they are both used in made dishes. _to lard._ have larding pins of various sizes. cut strips of bacon, with a sharp knife, put one into the pin, pierce the skin and a very little of the flesh, and draw it through; the rows may be either near together or far apart. the bacon is sometimes rolled in seasonings to suit the meat. _to blanch, either meat or vegetables._ this gives plumpness as well as whiteness. put whatever it be into a saucepan with cold water to cover, and let { }it come to a boil; take it out, plunge it into cold water, and let it remain till cold. _to braise._ this is, in fact, to stew in highly seasoned fat. poultry must be trussed as for boiling. either lard, or stuff it, with good forcemeat, and provide a thick-bottomed stew-pan, large enough to hold it. line this with slices of bacon, or fat beef, sliced onion, carrot, and turnip. strew in a few chopped herbs, salt, mace, black and jamaica pepper, bay leaves, and a clove of garlic. (the seasoning to suit the meat.) lay the meat in, and cover it, first with the same quantity of herbs and spices as above, then with thin slices of bacon, and, over all, white paper; wrap a cloth about the lid of the stew-pan, and press it down, setting a weight on the top. place the stew-pan over a slow fire, and put embers on the lid. the cooking process should be very slow. braised joints are generally glazed. _to glaze._ when the meat is sufficiently cooked, take it out of the stew-pan and keep it covered. strain the gravy into a clean stew-pan, put it on the fire, and let it boil quickly, uncovered, a few minutes; brush the meat over with this, let it cool, and then brush again. what is not used may be kept in a jar tied down, in a cool place.--_fowls_, _hams_, and _tongues_, cooked by plain boiling, are often glazed, to be eaten cold.--_another way_ is, to prepare a glaze beforehand, for _hams_, _tongues_, or _fricandeaux_, thus: break the bone of a knuckle of veal, cut the meat in pieces, the same with shin of beef, add any poultry or game trimmings, and a few slices of bacon; put them in a stew-pan over a quick fire, and let them _catch_, then put in a little broth of cow-heels, or calf's-head, or feet. let this stew to a strong jelly; then strain, and put it by in jars. it may be flavoured to suit the dish, at the time it is heated to be used. glaze should be heated in a vessel of boiling water, and when quite hot, brushed over the meat. when _cream_ is used, it should be first heated (not boil), poured in by degrees, and stirred, to prevent curdling. in making a stew, remember to let it stand by the fire nearly ten minutes, not simmering, that { }you may remove the fat, before you put in the thickening. the _flour_ for this should be of the finest kind, well dried. for _ragouts_, you may brown it, before the fire, or in the oven, and keep it ready prepared. it is convenient to keep spices ready pounded; the quantity so prepared, as to be proportioned to the usual consumption. _kitchen pepper_ is: oz. ginger, ½ oz. each, of nutmeg, black and jamaica pepper, and cinnamon; pound or grind, and keep them in small phials, corked, and labelled. for _white sauces_, white pepper, nutmeg, mace, and grated lemon peel, in equal proportion, may also be kept prepared; cayenne, added or not, as taste requires; cayenne is used in preparations of brains, kidneys, or liver. made dishes are sometimes served on a _purée_ of mushrooms or vegetables. this is: boiled to a mash, just thicker than a sauce, and much used in french cookery. to _marinade_ is to _steep_ meat or fish, in a mixture of wine, vinegar, herbs and spices. _onions_, small silver ones, are blanched, peeled and boiled in good broth to serve as garnish to _bouilli_ and many other made dishes; or not blanched, but stewed with butter, if to be brown. when very strong you may parboil them with a turnip, for a stew, or forcemeat. some persons use _brandy_ in made dishes. _wine_ in the proportion of a wine-glassful to a pint of gravy; the quantity of brandy small in proportion. _truffles_ and _morells_ are a valuable addition to gravy and soup. wash oz. of each, boil them five minutes in water, then put them and the liquor into the stew. _rump of beef to stew, ragout, or braise._ cut out the bone, break it, and put it on in cold water, with any trimmings you can cut off the rump; season with onion, sweet herbs, a carrot, and a turnip. scum, and let it simmer an hour; then strain it into the stew-pan in which you stew the beef. season the rump highly with kitchen pepper (_which see_), and cayenne; skewer and bind it with tape. lay skewers at the bottom of the stew-pan, place the meat upon them, and pour the gravy over. when it has simmered, rather more than an hour, turn it, put in a carrot, turnip, and onions, all sliced, an eschalot, and a glass of flavouring vinegar. keep the lid quite close, and { }let it simmer hours. before you take it up, put in a little catsup, made mustard, and some brown _roux_, or butter rolled in flour, to thicken the gravy.--_or_: having taken out the bone, lard the beef with fat bacon, and stew it for as many hours, as the beef weighs pounds, in good gravy, or plain water, with vegetables and seasoning, as in the other receipt, to which you may add a head of celery. this dish should be nicely garnished; for which purpose have carrots boiled, and cut into any shapes you like, also button onions, brussels sprouts, sprigs of cauliflower, &c., &c.; a border of mashed potatoes round the meat, and carrot or green vegetables disposed upon it, is also nice. stewed tomatas also, or tomata sauce. _brisket of beef to stew._ wash, then rub the beef with salt and vinegar, put it into a stew-pan to just hold it, with water or broth; when it boils scum well, and let it stew an hour; add carrots, turnips, and onions, cut up. stew it hours, take out the bones, skim the gravy, add butter rolled in flour, a little catsup and mixed spices. put the meat into a dish; add made mustard, and more catsup, to the gravy, pour some into the dish, and the rest in a tureen. this may be enriched by walnut and mushroom catsup, truffles, morells, and port wine; also, carrots and turnips cut in shapes, boiled separately, and, when the meat is dished, spread over and round it. serve pickles. _beef, or veal à la mode._ the rump, the thick part of the flank, the mouse buttock, and the clod, are dressed as follows; take from to lbs. beef, rub well with mixed spices and salt, and dredge it with flour. put some skewers at the bottom of a stew-pan, and on them thin slices of bacon, table-spoonsful of vinegar, and a pint of good gravy or broth; then put in the beef, and more bacon. cover close, and let it stew slowly hours; then turn the meat, and put in cloves, black and jamaica peppers, bay leaves, and a few mushrooms, or catsup, also a few button onions, browned in the frying-pan, and a head of celery. let it stew till the meat is tender, then take out the bay leaves, put in a tea-cupful of port { }wine, and serve the meat with the gravy in the dish. the gravy will have thickened to a glaze. some cooks lard the beef with thick slices of fat bacon, first dipped in vinegar, then in a mixture ready prepared, of black pepper, allspice, a clove and parsley, chives, thyme, savoury and knotted marjoram, all chopped very fine. serve _salad_ or _cucumber_. when veal is dressed this way (the breast is best), flavour with oyster catsup, lemon peel, lemon pickle, mace, bay leaf, and white wine. garnish with pickled mushrooms, barberries, and lemon. this may be cooked in the oven, in a baking dish with a close fitting lid. _beef to collar._ the thin flank is best; the meat young, tender, not very fat. rub it with salt and a very little saltpetre, lay it across a deep dish one night, to drain; rub in a mixture of brown sugar, salt, pounded pepper and allspice; let it lie a week in the pickle; rub and turn it every day. then take out the bones, cut off the coarse and gristly parts, and the inner skin, dry it, and spread over the inside some chopped herbs of whatever flavour you choose, and mixed spices; roll it up as tight as you can, and bind with tape; allow it four or five hours' slow, but constant boiling. when done press it under a heavy weight, and put by to eat cold. it is sometimes served hot. _boeuf royale._ bone the brisket, then scoop holes or cut slits in the meat, about an inch asunder, fill one with small rolls of fat bacon, a second with chopped parsley and sweet herbs, seasoned with pepper and salt, the third with oyster cut small and powdered with a very little mace and nutmeg. when all the apertures are stuffed, tie up the meat in a roll, put it into a baking pan, pour over it a pint of sherry, quite hot, and six cloves, flour the meat, cover close and set it in the oven for three hours; pour off the gravy, and put it by to cool that you may skim off the fat; if it is not already in a jelly, which it should be, boil it a little longer. serve the beef cold, and the jelly round it. _beef to fricandeau._ lard a piece of lean beef with strips of bacon, seasoned { }with salt, pepper, cloves, mace, and allspice; put it into a stew-pan, with a pint of broth, a faggot of herbs, parsley, half a clove of garlic (if you like), one eschalot, four cloves, pepper and salt. let it stew till tender, take it out and keep hot by the fire; strain the gravy, and boil it quickly, till reduced to a glaze; and glaze the larded side of the beef. serve on stewed sorrel or cucumbers. _ox cheek to stew._ having washed the cheek, tie it up round, and stew it in good gravy, or water, with two bay leaves, a little garlic (if approved), two onions, mushrooms, two turnips, two carrots, half a small cabbage, a bunch of sweet herbs, six whole peppers, a little allspice, and a blade of mace. scum well, and when nearly done, take out the cheek, cut off the tapes, put it into a fresh stew-pan; strain the liquor, skim off the fat, add lemon juice, or vinegar, salt, cayenne, and catsup; whisk in some white of egg to clear it, pour it through a strainer, to the cheek; and stew it till quite tender. _ox palates._ parboil them till the upper skin will easily come off, and either divide, or cut them in slices. stew them slowly, in gravy thickened with browned flour, with a little minced eschalot or onion, or a spoonful of onion pickle, some catsup, and cayenne. if to be dressed high, add wine, mushrooms, truffles, and morells to the sauce, and forcemeat balls in the dish. stewed cucumbers with this.--_beef skirts_ the same way.--_or_: boil the palates in milk, and serve them in white sauce, flavoured with mushroom powder and mace. _to pickle ox palates._ clean and simmer them in water, scum well, then put as much mace, cloves, pepper, salt, and sweet herbs, as will make them highly seasoned, and let them boil gently hours, or till quite tender; then take the skin off, cut them into small pieces, and set them by, to cool. cover them with a pickle of half white wine, half vinegar, and spices as above: when this is cold, strain it, and pour over the palates; add bay leaves, if you like. cover very close. { }_bouilli._ see this in direction for soup. but if to be dressed without soup, boil a piece of the flank or brisket in water to cover it, with a sufficiency of cut carrot and turnip to garnish, also a head of celery and or button onions, browned; add a small table-spoonful of black and jamaica peppers tied in muslin; simmer it gently; and it requires a long time to cook it enough. when it has boiled till tender, take out enough of the liquor to make sauce; thicken it with brown _roux_, or flour rubbed in butter, add catsup, cayenne, and made mustard. garnish with the vegetables. caper, walnut, or tomata sauce. pickled gherkins on the table. _tongue to stew._ cut off the root, and boil a salted tongue tender enough to peel. stew it in good gravy, with herbs, celery, soy, mushroom catsup, and cayenne. to be very rich this is served with truffles, morells, and mushrooms. lard it if you like.--_or_: put the tongue into a pan that will just hold it, strew over a mixture of pepper, cloves, mace, and allspice, and thin slices of butter, put a coarse paste over, and bake it slowly, till you think a straw will pass through it. to eat cold. _ox tails to stew._ divide them at the joints. scald or parboil, then brown them in a stew-pan, with a little piece of butter, to keep from burning. stew them slowly till tender, in broth or water, enough to make sufficient gravy, seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne, chopped parsley, and a spoonful of made mustard. thicken the gravy with brown flour. if you approve, put into the stew three onions (one brown), two carrots, and a bay leaf; or you may boil some cut carrots and turnips, stew them in melted butter, and serve round the pieces of meat in the gravy. _irish stew._ this excellent dish is made of mutton or beef. chops cut from a loin or neck of mutton, trimmed of most of the { }fat, and well seasoned with salt, pepper, and spices. parboil and skin as many potatoes as you think enough, the proportion is lbs. weight to lbs. of meat. peel or onions (for lbs. meat), lay some sliced suet at the bottom of the stew-pan, or a tea-cupful of melted butter, put in a layer of potatoes sliced, a layer of chops, slice a layer of onions over, then potatoes and mutton, and so on, the top layer potato; pour in half a pint of broth or water. a shank or small piece of ham is an improvement. this should stew very slowly; when the meat is tender the potatoes _may_ be boiled to a mash, therefore have some boiled whole, by themselves. beef steaks, and any of the coarser parts, make a better stew than mutton. _rump steaks to stew._ the steaks should be of one thickness, about ¾ of an inch. put about oz. of butter into a stew-pan, and onions sliced, lay in the steaks, and let them brown nicely on one side, then turn them to brown on the other side. boil a large tea-cupful of button onions three quarters of an hour, strain, and pour the liquor over the steaks; if not enough to cover them, put a little more water or broth, add salt, and peppercorns. stew them very gently half an hour, then strain off as much of the liquor as you want for sauce; put it into a saucepan, thicken with brown flour, or _roux_, add catsup, a little cayenne, also a glass of red wine. lay the steaks in a dish, and pour the sauce over. the boiled onions may be laid over the steaks. mushrooms stewed with steaks are an improvement; or tomatas, also, will help to enrich the stew, and about pickled walnuts may be put in. harvey's and reading sauces may be used to flavour, also chili or eschalot vinegar. _with cucumbers, or potatoes._--having your steak either broiled or fried, pour over it the following:-- large cucumbers and onions, pared, sliced, browned in the frying-pan, and then stewed till tender in ½ pint of gravy or water.--_or_: cut the under side of the sirloin into steaks, broil them three parts, rub a piece of butter over each, and finish in the dutch oven: serve them on potatoes, parboiled, cut in slices and browned.--_italian steak_: have a large tender one, season it with salt, pepper, { }and onion, or eschalot: put it, without any water, into an iron stew-pan, with a close-fitting lid, and set it by the side of a strong fire, but do not let it burn: in hours, or a little more, it will be tender: serve, in its own gravy. _rolled beef steaks._ prepare a forcemeat of the breast of a fowl, ½ lb. veal, ¼ lb. ham, fat and lean, the kidney of a loin of veal, and a sweetbread, all cut very small, also a few truffles and morells stewed, an eschalot, a little parsley, thyme and grated lemon peel, the yolks of eggs, ½ a nutmeg and ¼ pint of cream, stir this mixture over the fire ten minutes, then spread it on very tender steaks, roll them up and skewer them; fry them of a fine brown, then take them from the fat, and stew them a quarter of an hour with a pint of beef gravy, a spoonful of catsup, a wine-glassful of port wine, and, if you can, a few mushrooms. cut the steaks in two, serve them the cut side uppermost, and the gravy round. garnish with lemon or pickled mushrooms.--the forcemeat may be less rich, according to what you have. a _fillet of beef_, namely, the under cut of the rump, makes very nice steaks; cut in pieces ¼ inch in thickness, put them on the gridiron over a sharp fire, season them whilst broiling with pepper and salt, and turn them often, to keep the gravy in. make a sauce of the yolks of eggs, ½ lb. butter, in slices, salt, pepper, the juice of ½ a lemon, and a little chopped parsley; keep stirring it over the fire in every direction, till rather thick, then take it off and keep stirring until the butter is melted; if too thick, add milk or cream, and pour round the steak. _beef olives._ cut slices, of ½ an inch thick, about long, and inches broad. beat, dip them in egg, then in a seasoning of chopped herbs, bread-crumbs, salt, mixed spices, and a little finely shred suet. roll up and fasten them with thread. these may be roasted in a dutch oven, or stewed in clear gravy, after being browned in the frying pan. thicken the gravy, and add catsup and walnut pickle; dish { }the olives, skim, and pour the gravy hot over them. they may be made of slices of cold roast beef, forcemeat spread over them, and when neatly tied up, stewed in gravy, or boiling water, with brown flour rubbed in butter, to thicken it.--_or_: spread on the slices of beef this mixture; mashed potatoes worked to a paste, with cream, the yolks of eggs, and spoonful of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper; when this is spread on the slices, strew over each a very little finely chopped onion, parsley, and mushrooms; roll the olives up, fry in butter, or bake in a dutch oven. _beef marrow bones._ fill up the opening with a piece of paste, tie a floured cloth over that, and place them upright in the pot. two hours' boiling. serve on a napkin, with slices of dry toast. _beef heart._ soak it and cut off the lobes. put in a good stuffing, and roast, or bake it, two hours. serve gravy and currant jelly.--when cold, hash it like hare. _hunter's beef._ take the bone out of a round, and rub in the following mixture, all in fine powder: ¼ lb. saltpetre, ¼ lb. lump sugar, oz. cloves, nutmegs, and handfuls of salt; this for lbs.; rub and turn it every day, till you think it salted enough to boil; take it out of the brine, wipe it with a sponge, and bind up firmly with tape. if you choose, a stuffing may be put into the place where the bone came out. put the meat into an earthenware pan just to hold it, with a pint of broth or thin melted butter; put some pieces of butter or suet on the top of the beef, lay folds of brown paper over the pan, or a coarse crust is still better, and bake it at least five hours. this is generally eaten cold, but it may be eaten hot. the gravy left in the pan is preserved to flavour soups and sauces. it may be made of the _ribs_: rub into a piece of lbs., boned, oz. bay salt, oz. saltpetre, ½ lb. coarse brown sugar, lbs. salt, and a teacupful of juniper berries bruised: rub and turn every day for three weeks, then bake it, covered with a coarse paste. { }_hamburgh beef._ rub a rump or round of beef well with brown sugar, and let it lie five days; turn it each day. sponge, and rub into it a mixture of oz. common salt, oz. bay salt, and oz. saltpetre, well beaten, and spices to your taste. rub and turn it every other day, for a fortnight: then roll up, tie it, put it in a cloth, then under a heavy weight; that done, hang for a week in a wood-smoke chimney. cut pieces to boil as it is wanted, and when boiled enough, press the meat again under a weight, to eat cold. _hung beef._ rub the best end of the ribs well with lump sugar, or treacle, and saltpetre; on the third day rub with common salt and saltpetre; rub and turn it every day for a week; let it lie a fortnight, turning it every other day, pouring the brine over. take it out, wipe, and dust bran over, then hang it to dry (not smoke) six or eight weeks. _boeuf à la flamande._ lard a piece of ribs of beef of lbs. weight, and braise it over a slow fire, a slice of bacon under and over it; then add a pint of fresh mushrooms, lbs. truffles, doz. forcemeat balls, made with plenty of eggs, and ½ pint madeira. carrots and turnips, cut small, boiled separately in broth till quite tender, also silver onions as directed for made dishes; all or any of these may be laid over the beef. _beef to press._ bone the brisket, flank, or ribs, and rub it with a mixture of salt, sugar, and spices; let it be a week, then boil till tender, and press it under a heavy weight till cold. _beef to hash, or mince._ cut thin slices of the underdone part, leaving aside the gristly parts and burnt outside to make gravy, with the bones; put these on in a quart of water, pepper, salt, two onions, a little allspice, cayenne, sweet herbs, and parsley: when the water has wasted one half, thicken with flour, { }mixing it in by degrees, a little at a time; when this has boiled up, skim off the fat, set it by the side of the fire to settle, strain it into another saucepan, and put it again on the fire; add mushroom catsup, pickle, or whatever ingredient you choose; when hot, put in the slices of meat, and all the gravy left of the joint; let the meat slowly warm through, but not _boil_, or it will become hard; a very few minutes will be sufficient. toasted sippets round the dish. you may add any flavouring sauce you choose; eschalot vinegar is good, but use no onion. a table-spoonful of curry paste makes it a good curry. _beef cecils._ mince cold meat very finely, and mix it with bread-crumbs, chopped onion, parsley, pepper, and salt. put it into a stew-pan with a very little melted butter, and walnut pickle, stir it over the fire a few minutes, pour it in a dish, and when cool, put enough flour to make it into balls, the shape and size of large eggs; brush with egg, roll them in bread-crumbs, and brown before the fire. pour good gravy over them. the minced beef may be warmed in scallop shells, between layers of mashed potatoes, or only a layer spread thinly over the top, and little bits of butter stuck on, and then browned before the fire: this may be moistened with any gravy you have, or walnut pickle.--_or_: you may serve the mince on toasted bread, or under poached eggs. chopped _onions_, previously parboiled, make this more relishing to some persons' tastes. _beef collops._ cut thin slices of very tender beef, divide them in pieces three inches long, beat them with the blade of a knife, and flour them; fry them in butter three minutes, then stew them in a pint of water or gravy; if water add salt and pepper, half a pickled walnut, small gherkins, or a table-spoonful of capers, a lump of butter and flour to thicken it. take care it do not boil, but stew gently. the pickles all cut small.--_or_: do not stew, but fry them in butter with onion in slices, till cooked, about ten minutes; then put them in a hot dish, keep that covered, while you boil { }up in the pan a table-spoonful of boiling water, a tea-spoonful of lemon pickle, of oyster pickle, walnut catsup, soy and made mustard; pour all hot over the collops. _beef en miroton._ cut thin slices of cold boiled (not salted), or roast beef, or tongue. put onions chopped into a saucepan with ¼ lb. of butter, turn it round frequently, and in a few minutes add a little flour mixed in a tea-cup of broth, and a wine-glass of white wine; let it be on the fire until the onions are cooked; then put in the meat with salt, pepper, and a spoonful of vinegar. after one boil, stir in a spoonful of made mustard, and serve it; the edge of each slice lying a little over the other round the dish. _bubble and squeak._ cold boiled beef is best, but roast meat is very good. cut it in thin slices, pepper well and fry them in butter, then keep them hot, while you fry some boiled cabbage, chopped; when done, put this high in the middle of the dish, and lay the slices of meat round: if you like, an equal portion of cold potatoes, chopped and fried with the cabbage. serve thick melted butter, with pickled cucumbers, or onion or capers, and a little made mustard. _veal_ may be cooked this way, with spinach instead of cabbage.--_or_: what is more delicate, cut bits of cold veal without any skin, about an inch long, and warm them in the frying pan with the white part of a boiled cauliflower in little bits, ½ pint of cream, and a light sprinkling of salt and cayenne. _beef to pot._ lean meat is best. salt, and let it lie two days. drain, season with pepper, and spices; bake it in a slow oven. when done, drain it from the gravy, and set it before the fire, to draw the moisture from it. tear in pieces, and beat it up well in a mortar, with mixed spices, and enough oiled butter to make it the proper consistence. flavour with mushroom powder, anchovy or minced eschalot. put it into potting-cans, and pour clarified butter { }over, which may afterwards be used for various purposes. _potted beef_ is generally made of meat which has been used to make clear gravy, _or_ the remains of a joint. _mock hare._ put the inside of a sirloin of beef into an earthen pan, cover it with port wine, and let it lie hours: then spread over it a forcemeat of veal, suet, and anchovies, chopped, also grated bread, mace, pepper, and mushroom powder, lemon peel, lemon thyme, eschalot, and the yolks of two eggs: roll up the beef tight, and roast it, by dangling before the fire: baste with the wine in which it was soaked, till half done, then with cream, or milk and butter, and froth it, till well coated, like hare. serve a rich gravy, flavoured with walnut or mushroom catsup, and a table-spoonful of eschalot vinegar. sweet sauce.--_or_: a cold uncut inside of a roasted sirloin may be re-warmed whole, in gravy flavoured with eschalot vinegar, walnut or mushroom catsup, and port wine. _fillet of veal to stew._ stuff it with a good forcemeat, roll tightly, and skewer it. lay skewers at the bottom of a stew-pan, place the meat on them, put in a quart of broth, or soft water, lay some bits of butter on the top of the fillet, cover the stew-pan close, after taking off all the scum, and let it simmer slowly till the meat is tender; take it out, strain the sauce, thicken it, and put it on the fire to re-warm; season with white pepper, mace, nutmeg, a glass of white wine, and the juice of a lemon, pour it hot over the meat; lay slices of lemon, forcemeat balls, pickled mushrooms, or fresh ones stewed, over the meat, and round the dish. serve white sauce.--this dish is made more savoury if you put mushrooms, and ham or tongue, in the forcemeat. also, you make it richer by putting the best part of a boiled tongue, whole, where you take the bone out, fill up the cavities round the fillet with forcemeat; tie it up in a good shape, and either stew or bake it, in gravy, as above; or roast it, basting well. this may be served with a wall of mashed potatoes round, and that ornamented with pieces of tongue and bacon, cut in dice, alternately, with sprigs of green { }vegetable; or pieces of stewed cucumber; or jerusalem artichokes cooked in white sauce; or garnish with lumps of young green peas. _neck of veal to braise._ lard the best end with bacon rolled in a mixture of parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg: put it into a stew-pan with the scrag end, a slice of lean ham, onion, carrots, and heads of celery, nearly cover with water, and stew it till tender, about two hours. strain off the liquor, and put the larded veal (the upper side downwards) into another stew-pan, in which you have browned a piece of butter, then set it over the fire, till the meat is sufficiently coloured; keep it hot in a dish whilst you boil up quickly a little of the strained liquor; skim it, put in a glass of madeira, some orange or lemon juice, and pour it hot over the veal. garnish with slices of lemon.--this joint may be covered with a veal caul and roasted; ten minutes before it is done, uncover it to brown. serve it on sorrel sauce, celery, or asparagus tops: or with mushrooms fricasseed, or in sauce. _breast of veal to stew, ragout, or collar._ an elegant dish for the second course. put on the scrag and any bones of veal you have, to make gravy; put a well seasoned forcemeat into the thin part, sew it in; egg the top of the breast, brown it before the fire, and let it stew in the strained gravy an hour; when done, take it out and keep it hot over boiling water, while you thicken the sauce, and put to it oysters cut up, a few mushrooms chopped, lemon juice, white pepper and mace; or catsup and anchovy sauce may be used to flavour it; also cream, white wine, truffles, and morells, at discretion. pour the sauce hot over the meat, and garnish with slices of lemon and forcemeat balls, also pickled mushrooms.--a _scrag_ of veal is very good, stewed in thin broth or water, till very tender; make a sauce of celery, boiled in two waters to make it white, then put into very thick melted butter, stir in a coffee-cupful of cream, shake it two minutes over the fire, and pour it over the veal. _or_ tomata or onion sauce. _to ragout_--make a little gravy of the scrag and bones of { }the breast, cut the meat into neat pieces, rather long than broad, and brown them in fresh butter. drain off the fat, and stew them in the gravy, with a bunch of sweet herbs, a piece of lemon peel, a few cloves, a blade of mace, two onions, white pepper, salt, and a little allspice. simmer slowly, keeping it covered close. when done, take out the meat, skim off the fat, strain and thicken the gravy, add the juice of a lemon and a glass of white wine, and pour it hot over the veal, holding back the sediment. _breast_ and _neck of veal_ may be stewed in water, or weak broth, without forcemeat. _veal_ is sometimes stewed with green peas, chopped lettuce, and young onions.--_lamb_ may be dressed this way, and served with cucumber sauce.--_rabbit_ the same, with white onion sauce. _to collar_--bone it, take off the skin, and beat the meat with a rolling pin; season it with pepper, salt, pounded mace, and a mixture of herbs, chopped very fine, then lay on thick slices of ham or calves' tongues, boiled and skinned; bind it up in a cloth, and fasten it well with tape. simmer it in enough water to cover it, over a slow fire, till quite tender, which will be about three hours and a half; then put it under a weight till cold. you may put in, in different parts, pigs' and calves' feet boiled and taken from the bones; also yolk of hard-boiled egg, grated ham, chopped parsley, and slices of beet root. _collared veal to be eaten hot_--spread a forcemeat over the breast (boned), then roll, bind it up tight, and stew it in water or weak broth. serve it in good veal gravy, or on fricasseed mushrooms, and artichoke bottoms. this is sometimes roasted. _veal olives or veal rolls._ cut long thin slices and beat them, lay on each one a very thin slice of bacon, and then a layer of highly seasoned forcemeat, in which there is a little eschalot. roll them tight the size of two fingers inches long; fasten them with a skewer, rub egg over, and either fry them of a light brown, or stew them, slowly, in gravy. add a wine-glassful of white wine, and a little lemon juice.--if you do not choose the bacon, put only forcemeat strongly flavoured with ham; or grate ham thickly over the slices. garnish with fried balls and pickled mushrooms. { }_scotch collops._ cut small slices of the fillet, flour and brown them in fresh butter in the frying-pan, and simmer them very gently in a little weak broth or boiling water; when nearly done, add the juice of a lemon, a spoonful of catsup, a little mace, pepper and salt; take out the collops, keep them hot in the dish; thicken the sauce with browned flour, and pour it hot over the collops; garnish with curled slices of bacon. _veal en fricandeau._ the fat fleshy side of the knuckle, a little thin slice from the fillet, or the lean part of the neck boned. take off the skin, beat the meat flat, and stuff with forcemeat; lard it, or not, as you like. lay some slices of bacon at the bottom of a stew-pan, the veal on them, and slices of bacon on the top; put in ½ pint of broth, or water, the bones of the meat, or shanks of mutton; a bunch of herbs, turnip, carrot, onions sliced, a blade of mace, bay leaves, some white pepper, and lastly, more slices of bacon. let this stew slowly, after being scummed, two hours, keeping the stew-pan closely covered, except when you baste the upper side of the fricandeau. the meat ought to be cooked to eat with a spoon. take it out, when done, and keep it hot while you take all the bones out of the gravy, skim off the fat, and let it boil quickly till it thickens, and becomes a glaze; pour it over the meat. mushrooms, morells and truffles may be added. sorrel or tomata sauce.--_another_: put the veal into a stew-pan, the larded side uppermost, add tumblers of water, carrots and onions in slices, cloves, pepper and salt to taste, and a bunch of parsley: boil slowly three hours and a half; then brown the veal with a salamander; served with stewed mushrooms. _knuckle of veal to ragout, or with rice._ break the bone and put it into a stew-pan with water to make a quart of broth, with the skin, gristles, and trimmings of the meat, a bunch of parsley, a head of celery, one onion, one turnip, one carrot, and a small bunch of lemon { }thyme; this being ready, cut the meat off the knuckle, the cross way of the grain, in slices smaller than cutlets, season with salt and kitchen pepper, dredge with flour, and brown them in another stew-pan. then strain the broth, pour it over them, and stew it _very_ slowly half an hour; thicken the gravy with white _roux_, and add the juice of half a lemon. _with rice_--cut off steaks for cutlets, or a pie, so as to leave no more meat on the bone than will be eaten hot. break and wash the shank bone; put it into a stew-pan, with two quarts of water, salt, an onion, a blade of mace, and a bunch of parsley. when it boils, scum well, put in ¼ lb. of well-washed rice, and stew it at least two hours. put the meat in a deep dish, and lay the drained rice round. serve bacon and greens. _granadin of veal._ line a dish, or shape, with veal caul, letting it hang over the sides of the dish; put in, first a layer of thin slices of bacon, then a layer of forcemeat, made of herbs, suet, and crumbs of bread, then a layer of thin slices of veal, well seasoned, and so on till the dish is filled; turn the caul over the whole, tie a paper over the dish, and bake it. mushrooms may be added. when done, turn it out of the dish, and serve with a clear brown gravy. _veal à la daube._ cut off the chump, and take out the edge-bone of a loin of veal; raise the skin and put in a forcemeat; bind the loin up with tape, cover with slices of bacon, and put it into a stew-pan, with all the bones and trimmings, one or two shanks of mutton, and just cover with water, or broth; a bunch of sweet herbs, two anchovies, some white pepper, and a blade of mace. put a cloth over the stew-pan, and fit the lid tight, with a weight on the top. simmer it slowly two hours, but shake the pan occasionally. the gravy will have become a strong glaze; take out the veal, the bacon, and herbs; glaze the veal, and serve it with tomata or mushroom sauce, or stewed mushrooms. _veal to haricot._ shorten the bones of the best end of the neck; you may { }cut it in chops, or dress it whole. stew it in good brown gravy, and when nearly done, add a pint of green peas, a large cucumber pared and sliced, a blanched lettuce quartered, pepper, salt, a very little cayenne, and boiling water, or broth, to cover the stew. simmer it till the vegetables are done, put the meat in a hash dish, and pour the stew over. forcemeat balls to garnish, if you choose. _veal cutlets à la maintenon._ _see mutton steaks à la maintenon_; or cook them without paper as follows: first flatten, and then season them with mixed spices, dipped in egg first, then in bread-crumbs mixed with powdered sweet herbs, grated nutmeg, and lemon peel. broil them over a quick, clear fire, and serve directly they are done, with good gravy well flavoured with different sauces; or catsup in melted butter, or mushroom sauce. garnish with lemon and curled parsley. they may be dressed in the dutch oven, moistened, from time to time, with melted butter. the fat should be first pared off pretty closely. serve pickles. _calf's heart._ stuff it with a rich forcemeat, put the caul, or a well buttered paper over, and roast it an hour. pour a sauce of melted butter and catsup over it.--_or_: stuff, and brown it in a stew-pan, with a little butter, or a slice of bacon under it; put in enough broth or water to make a very little gravy, and let it simmer gently till done; take out the bacon, simmer and thicken the gravy, and pour it over the heart. sweet sauce, or currant jelly.--_sheep's_ hearts are very nice, in the same way; a wine-glassful of catsup, or of port wine, in the gravy. _calf's pluck._ parboil half the liver and lights, and mince them. stuff the heart with forcemeat, cover with the caul, or a buttered paper, or, instead of either, lay some slices of bacon on, and bake it. simmer the mince of the liver in gravy or broth, add salt, pepper, chopped parsley, the juice of a lemon and catsup: fry the rest of the liver in slices, with parsley. { }when done, put the mince in a dish, the heart in the middle, the slices round. garnish with fried parsley, or toasted sippets.--_or_: cut the liver into oblong slices an inch thick, turn these round, and fasten with thread, or form them into any shape you like. chop onions very fine, also mushrooms and parsley, fry these in butter, pepper and salt; then dredge flour over the pieces of liver, and put them into the frying-pan; when done enough, lay them in a dish, pepper slightly and keep them hot, whilst you pour enough broth or boiling water into the frying-pan to moisten the herbs; stew this a few minutes, and pour it over the liver. a nice supper or breakfast dish.--_lamb's pluck_ the same way.--_calf's liver_ is very good stewed. this is made rich, according to the herbs, spices, and sauces used. chili vinegar is good. _veal sweetbreads._ parboil a very little, then divide and stew them in veal broth, or milk and water. when done, season the sauce with salt and white pepper, and thicken with flour; add a little hot cream, and pour it over the sweetbreads.--_or_: when parboiled, egg the sweetbreads, dip them in a seasoned mixture of bread-crumbs, and chopped herbs; roast them gently in a dutch oven, and pour over a sauce of melted butter and catsup.--_or_: do not parboil, but brown them, in a stew-pan, with a piece of butter, then pour over just enough good gravy to cover them; let them simmer gently, till done, add salt, pepper, allspice and mushroom catsup; take out the sweetbreads, thicken the sauce with browned flour, and strain it over them. mushroom sauce and melted butter are served with sweetbreads.--_or_: par-roast before the fire, cut them in thin slices, then baste with thin melted butter, strew bread-crumbs over, and finish by broiling before the fire.--truffles and morells may be added to enrich the gravy. _calf's tails._ clean and parboil the tails, brown them in butter, then drain and stew them in good broth, with a bunch of parsley, a few onions, and a bay leaf. green peas, sliced { }cucumber, or lettuce, may be added and served altogether, when done, and the fat skimmed off. _calf's head._ wash and soak it in warm water, take out the brains, and the black part of the eyes. boil it in a large fish-kettle, with plenty of water and some salt. scum well, and let it simmer gently nearly two hours. lift it out, carefully sponge it to take off any scum that may have adhered, take out the tongue, and slightly score the head, in diamonds; brush it with egg, and sprinkle it with a mixture of bread-crumbs, herbs, pepper, salt and spices; strew some little bits of butter over, and put it in the dutch oven to brown. wash and parboil the brains; skin, and chop them with parsley and sage (parboiled); add pepper and salt, with melted butter, to a little more than moisten it, add the juice of a lemon, and a small quantity of cayenne; turn this a few minutes over the fire: skin the tongue, place it in the middle of a small dish, the brains round it; garnish with very small sprigs of curled parsley, and slices of lemon; serve the head in another dish, garnish the same. serve melted butter and parsley. if you have boiled the whole head, half may be dressed as above, and the other half as follows:--cut the meat into neat pieces along with the tongue, and re-warm it in a little good broth, well seasoned with spices and lemon peel; when it is done, put in the juice of a lemon, pour it into your dish, lay the half head on it, garnish with brain cakes and lemon.--_calf's head to stew_--prepare it as in the last receipt to boil; take out the bones, put in a delicate forcemeat, tie it up carefully, and stew it in veal broth or water; season well with mace, mushroom powder and a very little cayenne. stew very slowly, and when done, serve it with fried forcemeat balls, and a fricassee of mushrooms. it may be enriched to almost any degree, by flavouring sauces, truffles and morells, also oysters. _a collared calf's head_ in the same way: when boned season as in the last receipt; put parsley in a thick layer, then thick slices of ham or the tongue, roll it up, tie as firmly as you can in a cloth and boil it, and put it under a weight till cold. { }_brain cakes._ take off all the fibres and skins which hang about the brains and scald them; beat them in a bason, with the yolks of two eggs (or more, according to the quantity of brains), one spoonful of flour, the same of bread-crumbs, a little lemon peel grated, and two tea-spoonsful of chopped parsley; add pepper, salt, nutmeg, and what spices you like; beat well together, with enough melted butter to make a batter; then drop it, in small cakes, into boiling lard, and fry of a light brown. calf's or lamb's brains, in this way, for garnishing, or a small side dish. _brains à la maître d'hotel_: skin the brains and soak them in several waters, then boil them in salt and water, with a little piece of butter, and a table-spoonful of vinegar. fry in butter, some thin slices of bread, in the shape of scollop shells. lay these in a dish, the brains divided in two on them, and pour over a maître d'hotel sauce. _calf's head to fricassee, and to hash._ first parboil, then cut the meat into small pieces, and stew it, in a very little of the liquor in which it was boiled, or in rich white gravy, seasoned with white pepper, salt, onion and sweet herbs. simmer gently, and, when nearly done, thicken with butter, rolled in flour, and just before you dish it, add a tea-cupful of hot cream, or the yolks of two eggs beaten; let it simmer, but not boil. garnish with brain cakes, or curled slices of bacon.--_to hash_: calf's head cold, makes an excellent hash, and may be enriched to any degree, by adding to the following plain hash, some highly flavouring ingredients, such as sweetbreads, truffles, artichoke bottoms, button mushrooms, forcemeat and egg balls.--cut the head and the tongue into slices. take rather more than a quart of the liquor in which it was boiled, two shanks of mutton, or bones or trimmings of veal, and of the head; a bunch of sweet herbs, parsley, one large onion, a piece of lemon peel and some white pepper; boil this slowly, so that it may not waste too much, till it is well flavoured gravy, then thicken it with butter rubbed in flour, and strain it into a clean saucepan, add pounded mace, a large spoonful of oyster catsup or lemon pickle, sherry, and { }any sauce you like; put in the slices of meat, and warm them by gently simmering. garnish with forcemeat balls, curled slices of bacon, or fried bread, in sippets, or brain cakes. _mock turtle._ soak a large head, with the skin on, in hot water, then parboil it, in sufficient water to cover it, with a bunch of sweet herbs, onions and a carrot; and after it has boiled to throw up the scum, simmer it gently half an hour. then take the head out and let it get nearly cold before you cut it up. take out the black parts of the eyes, and cut the other part into thin round slices, the gristly parts of the head into strips, and the peeled tongue into dice or square bits. put the bones and trimmings of the head back into the stew-pan, and keep it simmering by the fire. fry some minced eschalot or onion, in plenty of butter dredged with browned flour; then put it into a clean stew-pan, with all the cut meat, toss it over the fire a few minutes, then strain into it, a sufficient quantity of the stock to make the dish a stew-soup; season with pounded mace, pepper, salt, and a pint of madeira; simmer it very slowly, till the meat is done, add a large spoonful of catsup or soy, a little chopped basil, tarragon and parsley. it must be skimmed before it is served; add the juice of a lemon, and pour it into a tureen. forcemeat balls may be used as garnish: this is made richer by a cow heel, and also, by sweetbreads parboiled, or oysters and anchovies being added. _veal to mince._ cold veal is generally used to mince, but undressed meat is the most savoury. mince it finely, only the white part, and heat it in a little broth, or water (a piece of butter rolled in flour, if the latter), salt, white pepper, pounded mace, and plenty of finely chopped or grated lemon peel; when warm, put to it a small coffee-cupful of hot cream, and serve with sippets round the dish. this preparation does for _patties_ or _cecils_ or _scallops_, the same as directed for _beef_.--you may mix with the mince some stewed mushrooms. _veal_ may be _hashed_ the same as beef; adding to the gravy, mace, nutmeg, and lemon peel. { }_veal to pot._ season a thick slice of an undressed fillet, with mace, peppercorns and cloves, bake or stew nearly four hours, pound it quite small in a mortar, with salt, and butter sufficient, just melted. put it in pots, and cover with clarified butter. a portion of ham is an improvement. _veal cake._ boil eggs hard, cut two in half, the others in rings, put some of the latter and the halves round the bottom of a deep dish or shallow mould, and between each, a light sprig of parsley to make a layer; then a layer of very thin small pieces of cold veal, ham or tongue, and sprigs of parsley between, and more egg, moisten as you go on with a very good savoury jelly, flavoured with cayenne.--_or_: make a very pretty dish; having boiled two calf's feet or a cow heel for jelly, or other purpose, put some nice little bits of the meat at the bottom of a deep round pudding mould, and little bits of ham or tongue and sprigs of parsley between, season to taste, then another layer, till full, moisten as you go on with some of the liquor. set in a rather cool oven just to stiffen, then in a cool place, and turn it out of the shape. bunches of barberries to garnish it. _mutton to haricot._ cut the neck or loin, into chops, and trim off all the fat and bones. have pints of good broth, in which a turnip, carrot, bunch of parsley and onions have been boiled. season the chops well with kitchen pepper, and flour them; then brown them in the frying-pan, with a piece of butter, put them in a stew-pan, and pour the strained broth over. let them stew very slowly half an hour, then put in large carrots, cut in slices, and notched on the edges, or pieces of turnip, cut in fanciful shapes, button onions, previously half roasted in the frying-pan, or parboiled, also a head of celery, cut up. when the chops are tender, skim the gravy, thicken it with browned flour; add pepper and salt, and a table-spoonful of walnut catsup, the same of camp sauce, of universal sauce, { }of chili or eschalot vinegar, and a wine-glassful of either port or white wine. lay the chops in a hash dish, the vegetables on them, and pour the gravy hot over. _cucumbers_ sliced, _endive_ parboiled and cut up, or _haricots_ parboiled, are good in this. _veal cutlets_, _beef steaks_, and _lamb chops_, in the same way. young lettuces and celery are more suitable to veal than turnip and carrot. garnish with pickled mushrooms. _leg of mutton with carrots._ lard the leg and put it in a stew-pan just large enough to hold it, with a piece of butter. set it over the fire five or ten minutes, and turn it to every side; take it out, and mix in the saucepan, with the butter, a spoonful of flour, and two tea-cupsful of broth or boiling water; let this simmer, turning the saucepan often; put in the mutton, and fill up with broth or boiling water; add salt and pepper, and a small bunch of herbs. boil it slowly two hours, then put in a large plate of carrots cut in small pieces, and browned in another saucepan. boil the mutton another hour after the carrots are added, and then serve it. any lean joint of mutton may be cooked in this way. _loin of mutton to roll or to stew._ keep it till quite tender, take out the bones, and put them on in water to cover them, with an onion and herbs, to make a good gravy. season the meat highly with black and jamaica pepper, mace, nutmeg and cloves, and let it lie all night. flatten the meat with a rolling-pin, and cover it with a forcemeat, as directed for roast hare; roll it up and bind with tape; bake it in a slow oven, or half roast it before the fire, and baste from time to time with the made gravy. let it get cold, skim off the fat which will have settled on it, dredge it with flour, then finish the cooking by stewing it in the gravy with which you basted, which must be carefully preserved, after the roasting or baking be over. when cooked enough, put to the gravy an anchovy pounded, a wine-glass of catsup, one of port wine, and a table-spoonful of lemon pickle. mushrooms are an improvement.--_the loin_ may be boned, larded, stuffed with { }forcemeat, then rolled, and stewed in white stock, with plenty of delicate vegetables, and served with spinach round it, and a sharp sauce. _shoulder of mutton._ the same as the loin; or stuffed with oysters solely (bearded); the meat rolled up, bound with tape, and stewed in broth, with a few peppercorns, a head of celery, and one or two onions. when done, take off the tape, and pour oyster sauce over.--_or_: half roast a well-kept shoulder of mutton, let it get nearly cold, then score it on both sides, put it in a dutch oven, before the fire, with a clean dish under to catch the gravy, and let it continue to roast. bone and chop four anchovies, melt them in the basting ladle, add pepper and salt, then mix it into ½ pint of hot gravy, ¼ pint of port wine, a spoonful of mushroom, the same of walnut catsup, and ½ a spoonful of lemon pickle; baste the meat with this as it roasts; when done, lay it on a clean hot dish, skim the dropped gravy, heat it, if necessary, and pour over the mutton.--_or_: bone the shoulder, and steep it in wine, vinegar, herbs, and spices; have ready a stuffing, in which there are either oysters or mushrooms, put it in, cover the shoulder with a veal caul, and braise it. serve with venison gravy, and sauce. some like the flavour of garlic in this. _breast of mutton to grill._ cut off all fat which will not be eaten with the lean, score that in diamonds, and season with pepper and salt. brush it with egg, and strew a mixture of bread-crumbs and chopped parsley over. either roast or broil it in a dutch oven, baste well with butter, strewing more crumbs and parsley over. serve with chopped walnut or capers in butter. _neck of mutton to stew._ cut off some of the fat, and the meat into chops, put it into a stew-pan with water or broth to cover it, pepper, salt, an onion, and what herbs you like, cover close, and let it stew very gently; when half the water is wasted, put it by the side to let the fat rise, take that off, put in ½ pint claret, { } oysters, and let it stew till quite tender; take out the herbs, thicken the gravy, and add the juice of ½ a lemon, and what catsup you like. _to dress kidneys._ skin and split mutton kidneys, rub with salt and pepper, and pin them out with small wire skewers, to keep them open. dip in melted butter, then lay them on the gridiron, the inside downwards first, that when you turn them the gravy may be saved. put the kidneys in a very hot dish, and pour melted butter into each one.--_or_: cut a fresh kidney into slices or mouthfuls; soak in warm water and well dry them, dust them with flour, and then brown with butter in the frying-pan: put them in a stew-pan with the white of young onions chopped, salt, pepper, parsley, a table-spoonful of eschalot vinegar, and then let them simmer till the kidney is quite done. mushroom or walnut catsup may be used. serve mustard with this.--_or_: mince the kidney and season well with salt, pepper, and cayenne; fry this, and moisten it with gravy or boiling water, or use what catsup or flavouring vinegar you like. serve on a hot dish for breakfast.--_or_: put the mince into a stew-pan with a bunch of sweet herbs and an onion tied up in muslin, as soon as it is just browned cover with boiling water and let it simmer hours, then take out the herbs, and sprinkle over the mince a table-spoonful of sweet herbs in powder. _mutton or lamb chops and collops._ _cutlets_ for a supper or breakfast dish may be cut from a rather underdone leg: put a good sized piece of butter in the frying-pan, when hot lay the slices of meat in, and turn them often till done, then take them out and keep them hot, while you make a little gravy in the pan, of parsley, other herbs if you like, and a very little broth or boiling water; any flavouring sauce you have, and cayenne. the gravy should be thick of herbs; dish the cutlets in the centre, and the herbs round.--_or_: pare and slice some cucumbers, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, pour a little vinegar over, and let them lie an hour; then stew them with the collops in broth, enough to make sufficient gravy; season { }with catsup and what flavouring ingredient you prefer, skim the gravy when the meat is done, and serve in a hash dish.--_or_: chop the leaves of sprigs of parsley with eschalots, very fine, season with salt and cayenne, and mix all well together with a table-spoonful of salad oil, cover the cutlets on both sides with this, then shake grated bread-crumbs over, and fry them in fresh butter. _cutlets à la maintenon._ lightly season and lay them in a pan with table-spoonsful of oil; fry over a moderate fire till parts cooked, then take them out, and fry table-spoonsful of chopped onions of a light brown, pour off the oil and put in a pint of good brown sauce, table-spoonsful of tomata sauce, a tea-cupful of chopped parsley, a little sugar, nutmeg, pepper and salt, reduce it till rather thick, then put in the cutlets for about minutes: take them out, let them be cold in the sauce, and fold each one (the gravy about it), in white paper (oiled), and broil them minutes over a moderate fire. serve in the papers. sauces for cutlets may be made of oysters, mushrooms, tomatas, anchovies, &c., &c., by stewing them in gravy, suitably seasoned; always add some lump sugar. serve with jerusalem artichokes, cooked in white sauce, round them: _or_, a bunch of asparagus in the centre, the cutlets round, and more grass cut in points to garnish: _or_, french beans or peas the same way: _or_ (a very pretty dish), divide in or pieces nicely boiled small cauliflowers, and put them into a saucepan with a tea-cupful of white sauce, a tea-spoonful of lump sugar, and a little salt; when it boils, pour in the yolk of an egg mixed with table-spoonsful of cream, and serve it as above. _mutton to hash._ when a leg of mutton comes from the table, cut slices to hash the next day, and leave them in the gravy; if the joint be underdone, all the better. make a gravy of the gristles, trimmings and any bones of mutton, pepper, salt, parsley, and or cut onions; skim off the fat, strain it, and put in the meat (having well floured each slice), with salt to { }your taste, and cayenne: simmer very gently about five minutes, to warm the meat through, and serve with toasted sippets round the dish. this may have walnut catsup or any other you choose: or pickled walnuts, cut up, and a little of the liquor; or, and this is a great improvement, when the gravy is ready, put in tomatas, and simmer for a quarter of an hour before you put in the meat. stewed mushrooms are a nice accompaniment. mutton may be minced and warmed in a pulp of cucumbers or endive, which has been stewed in weak broth.--_or_: put a good sized piece of butter into a stewpan with ½ pint of mushrooms, ½ an eschalot minced, and boil them gently; then mix in, by degrees, a table-spoonful flour, ½ pint broth, and stew till all the flavour be extracted; let it cool a little, and put in some minced underdone mutton, to heat through, without boiling. _hunter's pie._ line a mould with mashed potatoes, fill it with slices of cold beef or mutton, or mutton or lamb chops, well seasoned, cover with mashed potatoes, and bake it. some add a very little minced onion. _leg of lamb with vegetables._ cut the loin of a small hind quarter into chops, and fry them. boil the leg, delicately white, place it in the middle of the dish, a border of spinach round, and the fried chops upon that.--_or_: instead of spinach, put a sprig of boiled cauliflower between each chop. pour hot melted butter over the leg.--_or_: season the chops, brush them with egg, and roll them in a mixture of bread-crumbs, chopped parsley, grated lemon peel, nutmeg, and salt; fry them in butter, and pour over a good gravy, with oysters or mushrooms. serve hot; garnish with forcemeat balls. _breast of lamb._ stew it in good broth twenty minutes, let it cool, then score it in diamonds. season well with pepper, salt, and mixed spices; dredge flour over, stick on some little bits of butter, finish in the dutch oven, and serve on spinach, stewed cucumbers, or green peas. { }_lamb cutlets and steaks._ flatten, season, and stew them in veal broth, and a little milk; season with white pepper and mace. when nearly done, thicken the sauce with mushroom powder, a bit of butter rolled in flour, and add a tea-cupful of hot cream.--_lamb chops with potatoes_--cut handsome chops from the neck, and trim the bone. season, egg, and dip them in bread-crumbs and parsley, and fry of a pale yellow. mash some potatoes thin, with butter or cream, place this high in the centre of a dish, score it, and arrange the chops round, leaning each one on the side of the adjoining one. garnish with lemon slices, and pickled mushrooms. _shoulder of lamb stuffed._ take out the bone, and fill the vacancy with forcemeat. this may be roasted; or, if to be rich, stewed in good gravy, or braised. glaze it, if you like, and serve with sorrel, or tomata sauce.--_or_: parboiled, allowed to cool, scored in diamonds, seasoned with pepper, salt, and kitchen pepper, and finished on the gridiron, or in a dutch oven. _sauce robert_, mushroom, or sorrel sauce, or a clear gravy. _or_: bone a small shoulder, lard the under side, with strips of bacon, rolled in a mixture of cloves, mace, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, in small proportions. roll the meat up, tie, and stew it in veal broth: or braise, and then glaze it. serve it on cucumbers stewed in cream, or on stewed mushrooms. _lamb's head_ may be dressed the same as _calf's head_.--_or_: parboil, then score, season and egg it, cover with a mixture of bread-crumbs and parsley, and brown it before the fire. mince part of the liver, the tongue, and heart, and stew till tender, in a little broth or water, with pepper and salt. fry the rest of the liver with parsley. put the mince in a dish, the head on it, and the fried liver round. _lamb fricassee._ cut the best part of the brisket into square pieces of { }inches each; wash, dry, and flour them. simmer for ten minutes oz. butter, of fat bacon, and some parsley, then put in the meat, an onion cut small, pepper, salt, and the juice of half a lemon: simmer this two hours, then add the yolks of two eggs, shake the pan over the fire five minutes, and serve it. _lamb's sweetbreads._ blanch, then stew them in clear gravy twenty minutes; put in white pepper, salt, and mace; thicken with butter rolled in flour, and add the yolks of two eggs well beaten, and stirred into a coffee-cup of cream, a little nutmeg and finely chopped parsley; pour the cream and eggs in by degrees, then heat it over the fire, but stir all the time. _veal sweetbreads_ in the same way. the best mode of re-warming _lamb_ is to _broil_, either over or before the fire. _venison to hash._ cut in thin slices, and warm it in its own gravy; season with pepper, salt, mace, grated lemon peel, one wine-glassful of port and white wine mixed, and a table-spoonful each, of mushroom and walnut catsup and soy. serve toasted sippets round it. if lean, mix with it some thin small slices of the firm fat of mutton. cold venison may be minced and dressed as directed for beef. _shoulder of venison to stew._ if too lean to roast, then bone and flatten it, lay over some thin slices of fat, well-flavoured mutton; season well with white pepper, salt, and mixed spices, roll it up tight, bind with tape, and stew it slowly in beef or mutton gravy, in a stew-pan which will just hold it; the lid close. when nearly done, put in a very little cayenne, allspice, and ½ pint of claret or port. stew three hours. take off the tape, place the meat in a dish, and strain the gravy over. venison sauce. _venison collops and steaks._ a good way to dress what is too lean to roast well. having cut thin long slices from the haunch, neck, or loin; { }make a good gravy of the bones and trimmings, strain it into a small stew-pan, put in a little piece of butter rolled in flour to thicken it, then a very little lemon, a wine-glassful of port or claret, pepper, salt, cayenne, and nutmeg; whilst this simmers gently, fry the collops, and pour the sauce hot over. you may add tarragon or eschalot vinegar, also soy and mushroom catsup. garnish with fried crumbs. season the steaks, and dip them in melted butter, then in bread-crumbs, and broil them in buttered papers, over a quick fire. serve very hot, with good gravy in a tureen. _pig to collar._ it should be three or four weeks older than for roasting. bone it, and season well with mixed spices; then spread over a layer of thin forcemeat of herbs, hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine, and a _little_ suet, then a layer of thin slices of veal, a layer of seasoning, and so on; roll it up, tie in a cloth, and stew it three hours, in just enough water to cover the pig. it will then require to be tied tighter at each end, and put under a weight till cold. _pork to roll._ bone the neck, spread over the inside a forcemeat of sage, crumbs, salt, pepper, and a very little allspice. tie it up, and roast very slowly. _pork chops with onions._ season the chops on both sides with pepper and salt, brush them over with olive oil, and roll them in bread-crumbs; put them on the gridiron, taking care that the fire be clear, and do not turn the chops more than once. put large onions in slices, into a saucepan with a large piece of butter, turn the saucepan frequently that the onions may imbibe the butter equally; add half a tea-cupful of boiling water, some pepper and salt, and let the onions simmer three quarters of an hour; strain and mix with them a little made mustard. place the onions in a dish and the chops on them. _pig's head roasted._ divide the head of a young porker in half, take out the { }brains and clean the inside; stuff it with bread-crumbs, sweet herbs, lemon peel, a very little suet, and an egg, to bind it, tie the head up carefully, and roast it. serve with brain and currant sauce. _pig's feet and ears soused._ clean carefully, soak them some hours, then boil them tender, and when cold pour over the following pickle: some of the liquor they were boiled in, ¼ part of vinegar and some salt. cut the feet in two, slice the ears, dip them in batter and fry them. serve melted butter, vinegar and mustard. _to fricassee._ boil, and when cold cut in pieces, and simmer them in a very little veal broth, with onion, mace and lemon peel; just before you serve it, add a little cream, and a bit of butter rolled in flour. _corned pork with peas._ put a large piece of butter into a stew-pan with half a table-spoonful of flour, and when it is melted add a tea-cupful of boiling water, chopped herbs and pepper. wash in three waters a small piece of corned pork, put it in the stew-pan, and when it has cooked half an hour add three pints of green peas, and let it cook one hour. take out the herbs and pork, pass the rest through a sieve; serve the peas round the pork. _hare to jug._ a tender young hare is better jugged than an old one, but one that is too old to roast, may be good jugged. cut it in rather small pieces, season with salt and pepper, and you may lard them if you like, if not put into the jar two slices of good bacon, then put in the pieces of hare with the following mixture; half a tea-spoonful of cayenne, a blade of mace and a very small bunch of sweet herbs, four silver onions, one stuck with six cloves, two wine-glassfuls of port wine, half a pint of water, or thin broth, and a table-spoonful of currant jelly. set the jug in a saucepan of boiling { }water, or put it in the oven for two or three hours, according to its age. lay the meat on a dish before the fire, strain the liquor, boil it up, and pour hot over the hare; you may add lemon juice, walnut or mushroom catsup, and another glass of port wine.--_or_: you may put lbs. of coarse beef in, to make the gravy better. this, and especially if the hare be an old one, will require an hour longer. _hare to stew._ cut off the legs and shoulders, cut down the back and divide each side into three. season these with pepper, salt, and mixed spices, and steep them or hours in eschalot vinegar, and or bay leaves. make about ½ pint of good gravy, of beef or mutton stock, the neck, head, liver, heart and trimmings of the hare, onions, a carrot, a bunch of sweet herbs, black peppers, the same of allspice, and a slice of bacon, in small pieces. strain this into a clean stew-pan, and put the hare and the vinegar into it; let it stew slowly, until done. if required, add salt, more spices, and cayenne; also good sauces, and port wine if you choose. thicken with browned flour. an _old hare_ may be larded and stewed in a braise. _hare to hash._ into a pint of gravy put silver onions, cloves, and a very little salt and cayenne, simmer gently till the flavour of the spice and vegetables is extracted, then take them out, add table-spoonsful of red currant jelly, the same of port wine, and when quite hot, put in the slices of hare, and any stuffing there may be. serve it hot with sippets and currant jelly. _rabbits with fine herbs._ joint white young rabbits, and fry the pieces in butter with some rasped bacon, a handful of chopped mushrooms, parsley, eschalot, pepper, salt, and allspice; when of a nice brown put it into a stew-pan, with a tea-cupful of good gravy and a tea-spoonful of flour. stew slowly till done, skim and strain the sauce, and serve it hot about the { }meat; the livers minced and cooked with it. when you serve it, add the juice of ½ a lemon and a very little cayenne. _rabbits to fricassee._ cut them in joints and parboil them; take off the skin, and stew them in gravy of knuckle of veal, lean ham, sweet herbs, mace, nutmeg, white pepper, lemon peel and mushroom powder; when the meat is tender, thicken the gravy with the yolks of or eggs in a pint of cream; stir in gradually table-spoonsful of oyster, of lemon pickle, and of essence of anchovy. serve very hot. stewed mushrooms are good with this. garnish with slices of lemon and pickled barberries. _rabbit, hare, and game to pot._ _rabbit_ must be seasoned with pepper, salt, cayenne, mace, and allspice, all in fine powder.--_hare_ with salt, pepper, and mace.--_partridges_, with mace, allspice, white pepper, and salt in fine powder.--read directions to pot beef, and proceed in the same way. _turkey to braise._ truss it as for boiling: put onions, a carrot, turnip, and a head of celery, all sliced, at the bottom of a stew-pan, with a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, bay leaves, cloves, and a blade of mace, also ½ lb. of lean ham, and lbs. of veal cut small, put in quarts of water, and then the turkey (the breast downwards), cover close, and let it simmer over a slow fire about two hours, according to its size; then take it up, and keep it hot, strain the stock into a stew-pan, boil it over the fire, and skim off all the fat; have oz. butter melted in another stew-pan, stir in enough flour to make it thickish, and keep stirring till it is cooked enough, but keep it white, then take it from the fire, and keep stirring till half cold, pour in the stock, add a little sugar, and boil it all up, stirring all the time: place the turkey on the dish, with either some cauliflower heads or brussels sprouts round it, and pour the sauce over. { }_fowls, with mushroom sauce._ braise them the same as directed for turkey, and when the stock is strained into the stew-pan, put in some mushrooms, and stew it till they are cooked, add lump sugar, and, at the last, stir in the yolk of egg, beat up with a table-spoonful of cream, take it off the fire, and pour over the fowl in the dish.--_or_: do not braise, but stew the fowl, in good stock, and when done, thicken the gravy, and put in enough button mushrooms; serve mushroom sauce with this, or a white fricassee of mushrooms round it.--_fowl with oysters_: the same as either of the above, using oysters in the place of mushrooms. _fowl to force._ bone, then stuff a large fowl with a forcemeat made of ¼ lb. of veal, fowl, or turkey; oz. grated ham, oz. yolk of hard-boiled egg, lemon peel, mixed spices, and cayenne to taste; beat the whole in a mortar, to a paste, adding raw eggs to bind it. sew up the fowl, form it into its own natural shape, draw in the legs, and truss the wings. stew it slowly in clear white broth; when nearly done, thicken the sauce with butter, rolled in flour; just before you serve it, add a little hot cream, by degrees, to the sauce, stirring all the time. squeeze the juice of a lemon into a dish, lay the fowl in the centre, and pour the sauce over it.--_or_: the stuffing may be of pork sausage, and the fowl roasted; serve good gravy in the dish, and bread sauce in a tureen. _chickens, pigeons, or rabbits, to braise._ bone and stuff them as directed in the last receipt, and lay slices of bacon on them. brown a few sliced onions in a stew-pan, and add all the bones and trimmings, with, if you can, two shanks or a scrag of mutton, or a shank of veal, a bunch of sweet herbs, mace, and a pint of broth or soft water; simmer gently one hour. then put in the chicken, cover the lid of the stew-pan with a cloth in thick folds, and let it stew very gently till done. if you wish to glaze the chicken, pigeon, or rabbit, take it out, and keep it hot while you strain the gravy, and boil it quickly to a jelly; { }glaze the chicken, and serve with a brown fricassee of mushrooms. _chickens to fricassee._ cut them up, and season the joints with mixed spices and white pepper. put into a pint of clear gravy or stock, two onions, three blades of mace, a large piece of lemon peel, and a bunch of sweet herbs. when ready put in the chickens, and stew them gently half an hour, covered close. when done, take them out, keep hot over boiling water, strain the sauce, thicken it with butter rolled in flour, and add salt and nutmeg. just before you serve it, pour in, by degrees, ¼ pint of cream, heated, and the yolks of two eggs, beaten; keep stirring least it curdle, and do not let it boil: pour it over the chickens. a glass of white wine may be added. garnish with lemon. you may put into the stew-pan, a quarter of an hour after the chickens, some quite young green peas and lettuce.--the french _fricassée naturel_ is as follows: cut up the chickens, blanch them in hot water a few minutes, then dip them into cold water, and put them into a stew-pan with oz. butter, parsley, green onions, and a tea-cupful of trimmed button mushrooms, to warm through, and slightly brown; add salt and white pepper, and dredge flour over them; then put in a little of the liquor they were blanched in, and let it simmer half an hour, or till the chickens are done: take them out, and keep hot, strain the sauce, give it a quick boil, add the yolks of two eggs, and pour it over the chickens. _fowl à la chingara._ cut a fat fowl down the back and breast, then across, to be in four equal parts. melt a very little piece of butter in a stew-pan, put in four slices from the thickest part of a boiled ham, then the fowl, and stew it gently, till done; take out, keep it hot, pour the fat off the glaze at the bottom of the stew-pan, and pour in a little good gravy, salt, pepper, and cayenne. simmer gently a few minutes, during which, fry, in the fat you have poured off, four toasts, dust over them a little pepper and salt, place them in a dish, a quarter of the fowl on each; either with the ham or not. skim the sauce, and serve in a tureen. { }_cold fowl or turkey to pull._ take off the skin, and pull the meat off the breast and wings, in long flakes; brown these in the frying-pan with a piece of butter, drain them from the fat, put them into a saucepan with a little gravy previously seasoned with salt, pepper, nutmeg and mace. simmer gently, to warm the meat; during which, score and season the legs, if turkey, and broil them, with the sidebones and back. thicken the sauce with the yolks of two eggs, and add a tea-cupful of hot cream. serve the hash in the middle, the broil round. garnish with toasted sippets. mushroom sauce good with this. _boudins_ are made thus: mince the meat which is left on fowl or turkey; put a tea-spoonful of chopped onion and a piece of butter into a stew-pan and turn it over the fire, for a minute or two, then put in a table-spoonful of flour and mix it well, a pint of stock and the mince, season with pepper, salt, and sugar; simmer it till heated through, and then stir quickly in, the yolks of three eggs well beaten, stir it over the fire, but do not let it boil, and pour it out on a dish to get cold; divide it into equal parts, and roll them round or to your fancy, egg and bread-crumb them two or three times, and fry of a light brown. these may be flavoured with ham, tongue or mushroom cut up in the mince. _goose or hare to braise._ stuff it for roasting, lay thin slices of bacon over it; line a stew-pan with bacon, put the goose and giblets in the centre, or onions, carrots and turnips, a clove of garlic, all sliced, salt, black and jamaica peppers, bay leaves, and a slight sprinkling of finely chopped herbs. moisten with boiling water. lay a sheet of paper over, cover close, lay a folded cloth over the lid, put a weight on the top to keep it tight, and stew gently. (_see instructions for braising._) apple, pear, or currant jelly sauce. _turkey or hare en daube._ lard the breast and legs of the turkey with strips of bacon, with salt, pepper, spices, and herbs; and lay slices of bacon over the breast. line a stew-pan with bacon, { }and put in the turkey, with a hock of ham or a calf's foot (both if you can), also the head and feet of the turkey, onions, carrots, young onions, a few sprigs of thyme, a bunch of parsley, and cloves; moisten this, with a tea-cupful of melted butter, and cover it with white paper. simmer it five hours; take it off the fire, and let it stand by the side twenty minutes, or half an hour. take out the turkey, strain the gravy, and boil it down quickly; beat up an egg, stir it into the gravy, put it on the fire, and let it come nearly to a boil, then stand by the side of the fire half an hour, and it will be a jelly; strain it again if not clear, and pour it over the turkey. _pigeons to stew._ put a piece of butter, rolled in flour, a little chopped parsley, and the liver, into each pigeon, truss, then place them on slices of bacon, in a stew-pan; cover with more slices of bacon, and stew them three quarters of an hour. serve good brown gravy. stewed mushrooms, if liked. garnish with sprigs of boiled cauliflower, or small heads of brocoli. _or_: add bread-crumbs to the stuffing, truss them for roasting, and brown them in the frying-pan; then put them into the stew-pan, with good stock of beef, flavoured with herbs, mace, anchovies, mushroom powder, onions, and pepper; stew till tender, then add oyster, mushroom and walnut catsup, port and white wine, soy, gloucester and camp sauces. garnish with egg balls and pickled mushrooms.--_or_: first stuff them with bread-crumbs, spices, parsley, and a little fresh butter; half roast them in a dutch oven, and finish in the stew-pan, in good gravy; to which wine, lemon peel, and mushrooms may be added. pour it over the pigeons. asparagus may be laid round and between them.--_pigeons in jelly_--pick, wash, and singe two plump pigeons; leave the heads and feet on, clean them well, clip the nails close to the claws, and truss them, propping the heads up with skewers; season inside with pepper and salt, and a bit of butter in each. put a quart of the liquor of boiled knuckle of veal, or calf's head or feet, into a baking-dish, with a slice of lean ham, a blade of mace, a faggot of sweet herbs, white pepper, lemon peel, and the pigeons. bake them in a moderate oven; when done, take them out { }of the jelly, and set by to get cold, but cover them to preserve their colour. skim the fat off the jelly when cold, then boil it up with the whites of eggs beaten, to clear it, and strain through a bag. place the pigeons in a dish, the clear jelly round, and over them, in rough heaps. instead of baking, you may roast the pigeons, and when cold, put a sprig of anything you like into their bills, place them on some of the jelly, and heap more of it round.--_pigeons in forcemeat_--spread a savoury forcemeat in a dish, then in layers, very thin slices of fat bacon, young pigeons cut up, sliced sweetbreads blanched, palates boiled tender and cut up, mushrooms, asparagus tops, cockscombs and the yolks of eggs boiled hard; spread more forcemeat on the top, bake it, and turn it out in a dish, with rich gravy poured round. _pigeons en compote._--parboil large pigeons; take them out of the water, and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the breast of each. have prepared in a stew-pan ¼ lb. of butter, a table-spoonful of flour, and tea-cupsful of weak broth, a faggot of herbs, pepper, salt, a piece of ham and mushrooms in quarters: place the pigeons in this, and stew them slowly till tender. blanch button onions, and a ¼ of an hour before they are done, put them in the stew-pan. when done, take out the herbs and ham, skim the gravy, pour it over the pigeons, in a dish, and the onions round. _ducks with peas._ season them with salt, pepper, cayenne and mixed spices. lay some very thin slices of bacon in a stew-pan, the ducks on them, more slices over them, moisten with broth, or water, and stew them from half to a whole hour, according to their age, and size. while they are stewing, parboil, and fry in butter, or with bits of bacon, or pints of young green peas, pour off the fat, put them in a stew-pan with a very little water or broth, salt, pepper, sugar, a bunch of parsley, and some young onions. take the onions and parsley out from the peas, skim off the fat, and pour the gravy over the ducks.--_or_: half roast the ducks, and stew them in a pint of good gravy, a little mint, and sage leaves chopped small, cover close and let it stew half an hour. boil a pint of green peas as for eating, and put them in, after you have thickened the { }gravy: put the ducks into a dish, and pour the gravy and peas over. _ducks to ragout._ prepare them the same as pigeons to stew, brown them all round, in the frying-pan, then stew them in good broth, till tender. season well with pepper, salt, onions, sage, and what other herbs you like. thicken the sauce with browned flour and butter. add a glass of port, if you like, and pour it over them. _ducks to hash._ cut them up, as at table, and if you have not any gravy suitable, prepare some of the trimmings, onions, a bunch of herbs, pepper, salt, sugar, and spices. strain, thicken it, and put in the pieces of duck; do not let the gravy even simmer, but keep hot by the side of the fire until the meat is heated through. port wine or catsup, and cayenne may be added.--_goose_ may be hashed in this way, the legs scored, seasoned and broiled, laid on the hash, or served by themselves. _wild fowl to ragout._ half roast the bird, score the breast in at each side, lightly strew mixed spices and cayenne into each cut, squeeze lemon juice over the spices. stew it till tender, in good brown gravy, take it out and keep hot; add or finely shred eschalots to the gravy, also a glass of port wine, and pour it over the wild fowl; any game may be re-warmed cut up, in good gravy, boiling hot, thickened with bread-crumbs, and seasoned with salt, spices to taste, wine, and lemon juice, or pickle. _snipes, landrails or woodcocks to ragout._ pick or very carefully, take out the trail, and lard them with slices of fat and lean ham, dredge well with flour, and fry in butter of a light brown: then stew in good gravy, flavoured with sherry or madeira, port or claret, anchovy, oyster, and lemon pickle, and walnut catsup, table-spoonsful of soy, cayenne and gloucester sauce. thicken with { }flour and butter. just before serving add the juice of a lemon, and table-spoonful of eschalot vinegar. pound the trail with salt, lay it on slices of buttered toast, before the fire, put it in a deep dish, serve the ragout over. _partridge or wild duck salmi._ par-roast two partridges, which have been kept long _enough_, when cold, skin and carve them, put them into a small saucepan with one eschalot, a bit of lemon peel, a very little dressed ham in small bits, all the trimmings of the birds, a large glass of madeira, half a wine-glassful of the best olive oil, pepper, salt, cayenne and the juice of a lemon. when just heated through, dish the birds on a very hot dish, pour the strained sauce over, and serve very hot, with grilled toasts. a little good sauce of veal gravy, the trimmings, cayenne, and the juice of a bitter orange; then put in the pieces of duck, and simmer till hot. _tripe to fricassee._ stew a piece of the thick part in well-seasoned veal stock. cut it in strips, shake it over the fire in white sauce, five minutes; squeeze the juice of a lemon in the dish, pour the fricassee in, and garnish with slices of lemon. if maigre, cream and yolk of egg will enrich it. _mock brawn._ having cleaned a hog's head, split it, take out the brains, cut off the ears, and rub the head well with salt. let it drain for twelve hours, spread oz. common salt and ½ oz. bay salt over it, and the next day put it into a pan, cover with cold water, and let it stand a day and night. then wash well, and boil it until the bone comes out; skin the head and tongue, and cut both into bits. put half of the skin into a pan, spread the meat in layers, season with salt and pepper, press it down hard, and cover with the other half of the skin. if too fat, add bits of lean pork. make a pickle of oz. salt, a pint of vinegar, and a quart of the liquor; boil it three times, and when cold pour it over. { }_tripe in the scotch fashion._ first boiled and cold; then simmer it gently in milk and water, with salt, and a piece of butter. when quite tender, take it out, and let it cool, whilst you prepare a thick batter of three eggs, three spoonsful of flour and some milk; add green onions or chives, parsley chopped fine, and ginger. cut the tripe in square cutlets or strips, dip them in the batter, thick enough to form a thick crust, and fry in beef dripping. _a scotch haggis._ having cleaned a sheep's pluck, cut some places in the heart and liver, to let out the blood, and parboil it all (during which the windpipe should hang over the side of the pot in a bowl, that it may empty itself). scum the water, as the pluck boils: indeed, it ought to be changed. from half to three quarters of an hour will be sufficient. take it all out, cut off about half of the liver, and put it back to boil longer. trim away all pieces of skin and black-looking parts from the other half of the liver, the heart, and part of the lights, and mince all together, with lb. of beef suet and three or four onions. the other half of the liver having boiled half an hour longer, put it in the air to get cold; then grate it to the mince, and put more onions if you like, but slightly parboiled. toast a large tea-cupful of oatmeal flour; turn it often with a spoon, that it may be dried equally of a light brown. spread the mince on a board, and strew the meal lightly over, with salt, pepper and cayenne. have ready the haggis bag (it is better to have two, for one may burst), put in the meat, with broth to make a thick stew; the richer the broth the better; add a little vinegar, but take care that the bag be not too full, for the meat must have room to swell. when it begins to boil, prick the bag with a needle; boil it slowly, three hours. the _head_ may be parboiled, minced and added. _curry of chicken, rabbit, or veal._ _read in the chapter on seasonings, the part relating to curry powder._--curry may be made of cold meat, and makes a variety with the common mode of re-warming { }meat, but not so good a _curry_ as when made of undressed meat. cut the meat into pieces, as are served at table, and brown them, in butter, with or sliced onions, over a quick fire. when of a fine amber colour, put it and the onions in a saucepan, with some veal, mutton broth, or stock of poultry and veal, or mutton trimmings; when this has simmered long enough to cook the meat, put in the curry powder, from to dessert-spoonsful, according to the quantity of meat, rubbed and mixed very smooth with a spoonful of flour; stir this carefully in the sauce, and simmer it five minutes; when done, put in the juice of a lemon, and stir in by degrees a coffee-cupful of thick cream. a small part of the meat and the livers of poultry may be pounded to thicken the sauce.--_or_: rub the powder into a thin paste, with cream, and rub each piece of meat with it, when half cooked, then return it to the saucepan to finish stewing.--_another_--fry large sliced onions in oz. of butter, and put all into a stew-pan, with either a loin of lamb in steaks, a breast of veal cut up, chicken, duck or rabbit jointed, or any thing undressed and _lean_, with a pint of good stock, or more, according to the quantity of meat; stew till tender: then take out the meat, and mix with the gravy about dessert-spoonsful of turmeric powder, pounded coriander seeds, cayenne to taste, and table-spoonsful of chili, or eschalot vinegar. boil these till thoroughly mixed and thick, and till the turmeric has lost the raw flavour; then put in the meat, and give it one boil. squeeze in the juice of a lemon or a lime, and serve it _very hot_, in a deep dish, with plenty of gravy; the rice in another.--stewed onions, stewed cucumbers, or stewed celery, _brown_, are good with curry. serve pickles (melon mangoes most suitable), and chili vinegar.--_veal cutlets_ fried with onions in butter, and stewed in gravy as above. _lamb_, _duck_, _cow-heel_, and _lobster_ make good curries. indeed tender _steaks_ and _mutton chops_ are also very good dressed in curry. _curry kebobbed._ cut into bits, either chicken and tongue, or veal and ham; season with eschalot, and fasten them in alternate slices on small skewers. mix with flour and butter dessert-spoonsful of curry powder, or of curry paste, of { }turmeric, and add by degrees ½ pint of good gravy. fry the meat with onions, chopped in butter, and put all into a stew-pan with the gravy, a tea-spoonful of mushroom powder, a wine-glassful of sherry or madeira, table-spoonsful of lemon pickle, of garlic or tarragon vinegar, of soy, of walnut pickle, of claret or port, and a tea-spoonful of cayenne vinegar.--garnish with pickles. _curry of fish._ slices of _cod_, _turbot_, _brill_, and _halibut_, also _whitings, haddocks_, and _codlings_, may all be curried. to be maigre, make the gravy of well-seasoned fish stock; if not, of beef or veal broth, in which an onion and carrot have been boiled; thicken with butter rubbed in browned flour. bone the fish, and cut them into neat pieces, rub with flour, and fry them in butter, of a light brown. drain them on a sieve. mix very smoothly a table-spoonful of curry powder (more or less according to the quantity of fish), with a dessert-spoonful of flour, and mix it to a paste with a little of the broth; add onions, beaten in a mortar, and ¼ pint of thick cream, mix this in the gravy, or roll the piece of fish in it, then put them in the gravy, and stew them gently till tender; place them in a dish, skim the fat off the sauce, and pour over the fish.--_lobsters_, _prawns_, _shrimps_, _oysters_, and _muscles_ are curried in the same way, to form a dish by themselves, or with other fish.--slices of _cold_ cod, turbot, or brill are re-warmed in curry sauce. _beef or ham chutney._ to oz. of grated meat, put small onion chopped very fine, tea-spoonful of grated ginger, and cayenne to taste; mix well together, adding vinegar or lemon juice. _fish chutney._ parboil an onion, chop it very fine, and add to the fish, which should be rather salted, and chopped fine, or grated; add cayenne and vinegar to taste. _rice to boil for curry._ pick, and soak it in water; then boil very quickly, with a { }little salt in the water, till tender, but not soft; drain, and lay it on a sieve reversed, before the fire, to dry. turn it with a fork, as lightly as possible, but do not use a spoon. serve it in a dish by itself; or round the dish in light heaps, the curry in the middle. after it is boiled, some cooks pour cold water over, and then set it before the fire to dry. every particle ought to be distinct, yet perfectly tender.--_another_ way is, to wash it in warm water, pick it carefully, pour boiling water over it in a stew-pan, cover that close, and keep it by the side of the fire to be quite hot. in an hour's time, pour off the water, set the stew-pan on the fire, and stir briskly with a fork till the rice is dry, but not hard.--the _hindostanee_ mode is this: when well picked, soak it in cold water a quarter of an hour; strain and put it into boiling water rather more than enough to cover it; boil it ten minutes, skimming, if necessary; then add a gill of milk for each lb. of rice, and boil it two or three minutes; take it off the fire, strain, and put it back into the saucepan over a slow fire; pour on it ½ oz. of butter melted, and a table-spoonful of the water in which it was boiled; boil it slowly, another eight minutes, and it will be ready.--in _carolina_ they soak the rice two hours in salt and water, wash it, put it in a bag of cheese cloth, then steam it twenty minutes, and each grain will be separated. _a pillau._ stew some rice in broth, or melted butter, till tender, season with salt, pepper, and mace. prepare a boiled fowl, or mutton chops, or veal cutlets, dressed as you like; place them in a hot dish, and if fowl or veal, slices of boiled bacon over; cover the meat with the rice, glaze it with beaten egg, and place it before the fire, to brown. garnish with hard-boiled egg and slices of lemon.--_or_: half roast a breast of veal, cut it in pieces, season with pepper and salt (curry powder, if you like), and stew them in gravy, or broth. place a high border of rice round a dish, the veal in the centre, thin slices of bacon on it, and cover with rice, glaze with yoke of egg, and brown it. a turkey capon, or old fowl, larded, may be dressed in this way; or cold poultry, or rabbit. { }_sausages._ to the following receipts saltpetre may be added, to give a red hue. mushrooms and oysters give a nice flavour, but the sausages do not keep well. sausage meat may be cooked without skins: mould it into flat cakes, moistening with yolk of egg, to bind, and then fry them. these cakes form a pretty supper dish, garnished with curled parsley; also a garnish for roast turkey or fowl. the ingredients must be _well mixed_. herbs ought to be used sparingly. _pork sausages._--cut lbs. of fat, and lbs. of lean pork, into thin slices, scrape each one, and throw away the skin; cut the meat altogether, as small as possible, with oz. salt, ½ oz. pepper, tea-spoonsful of sage, chopped fine, nutmegs, and eggs. boil a pint of water, let it get cold, put in the crumb of a penny roll, to soak all night; the next morning mix it with the other ingredients, and fill the skins. _oxford sausages._--to lb. pork, add lb. veal, oz. beef suet, oz. grated bread, eggs, well beaten, with mace, black pepper, salt, and sweet herbs, these last chopped, then pounded in a mortar, before they are put to the other ingredients. anchovy is an improvement.--_or_: leave out the bread, herbs and suet, have plenty of fat to mix with the lean, mix it with yolk of egg, into long thin cakes, and fry them. _epping sausages._--equal portions of young tender pork, and beef suet. mince them very finely, season with salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, and a little chopped sage. _veal sausages._--equal quantities of lean veal and fat bacon, ½ a handful of sage leaves, salt, pepper, and a few anchovies; beat all well in a mortar. roll this into cakes and fry them. _bologna sausages._--an equal portion of beef, veal, lean pork and fat of bacon, minced and mixed well together. season with pepper, salt, and spices; fill a large skin, and boil it an hour. _rissoles._ any sort of cold meat, but veal, chicken, turkey and sweetbreads are best. mince the meat, season with salt and pepper, and stew it two minutes in well-seasoned gravy; use no more than sufficient to moisten the mince. let it get cold, then roll into balls; dip these into egg beaten; then into bread-crumbs, and fry them of a light { }brown. when done, place them in a dish, and pour good gravy into it.--_or_: roll out thin puff paste, spread some mince on it, and roll up, in what shape you please; fry of a light brown. rissoles may be made of cold turbot, shrimps, lobster and cod; season with cayenne and thin melted butter; add the yolk of an egg to bind it, then roll up in thin puff paste and fry them. _a bread border._ cut slices of firm stale bread, the thickness of the blade of a knife, into any shape you like. heat some top fat, or oil, in a saucepan, and put in the sippets. take some out before they are much browned, and let the rest brown more. drain well, fasten each one up with white paper, until you are ready to use them; then pierce the end of an egg, let out a little of the white, beat it up with a knife, and mix in a little flour. heat a dish, dip one side or point of each sippet in the egg, and stick them, one by one, on the dish, in what form you please, and put the ragout or fricassee in the centre. _a rice border._ soak the rice well, then stew it with salt and a blade of mace; to be richer, use butter and yolk of egg. when just tender, and no more, place it round the dish, as an edging; glaze with beaten yolk of egg, and set it in the oven, or before the fire, a few minutes; then put in the curry, or hash, &c. &c. _potatoe border._ mash them nicely; and form a neat border round the edge of the dish; mark it and glaze with yolk of egg; brown it in the oven, and put the hash in the centre. _omelets._ these with practice, are easily made, and are convenient to make out a dinner or supper, especially in the country, where fresh eggs may almost always be obtained. omelets are so common in france, that the poorest inn by the road { }side will always furnish one. _fresh_ eggs are essential; the frying-pan should be round and small. the basis of most omelets is the following: beat well the yolks of and the whites of eggs, put to them a little salt and table-spoonsful of water; put ½ oz. fresh butter into the frying-pan, and hold it over the fire; when the butter is hot, pour in the eggs, shake the pan constantly, or keep stirring the eggs till they become firm, then with a knife lift the edge all round, that the butter may get under. if over done, it will be hard and dry. gather the border up, roll the omelet, and serve in a hot dish. this may be flavoured in various ways: with grated lemon peel, nutmeg and mace; _or_ with the juice of a seville orange; _or_ with grated ham, tongue, _or_ veal kidney, pepper and salt; _or_ finely chopped parsley, green onions, chives and herbs: _also_, for maigre dinners, lobster meat, shrimps or the soft parts of oysters may be pounded, seasoned and put into the eggs. a pounded anchovy, and, also, mushroom powder, may be used to give flavour. potatoe or wheaten flour, about a table-spoonful, is sometimes added to the eggs. _eggs to poach._ boil some spring water, skim it, and put in a table-spoonful of vinegar. break off the top of the egg with a knife, and let it slip gently into the boiling water, turning the shell over the egg, to gather in the white; this is said to be a better way than to break the egg into a cup, then turn it into the water. let the saucepan stand by the side of the fire till the white is set, then put it over the fire for two minutes. take them up, with a slice; trim them, and serve on toasts, spinach, brocoli, sorrel, slices of broiled ham, or in the centre of a dish, with pork sausages round. _eggs to fry._ melt a piece of butter in a frying-pan, and slip the eggs in.--_or_: lay some thin slices of bacon in a dish before the fire, to toast; break the eggs into tea-cups, and slip them gently into boiling lard, in a frying-pan. when done, little more than two minutes, trim the white, and lay each one on a slice of bacon. make a sauce of weak broth, cayenne, made mustard and vinegar. { }_eggs to butter._ beat eggs with table-spoonsful of gravy; melt ¼ lb. butter, stir the eggs and this together, in a bason with pepper, salt, and finely minced onion, if liked. pour this backwards and forwards from one bason to another, then into a stew-pan on the fire, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, to prevent burning. when of a proper thickness, serve on toast. _eggs to fricassee._ boil them hard, then cut the eggs in slices, pour a good white sauce over, and serve with sippets round the dish. _eggs to ragout._ boil eggs hard, take off the shell, cut them in quarters. have ready a pint of gravy, well seasoned and thickened, and pour it hot over the eggs.--_or_: melt some butter, thicken with flour, season with nutmeg and mace, add a tea-cupful of cream, and pour hot over the eggs. _swiss eggs._ put a piece of butter the size of a small egg into a saucepan with ¼ lb. grated cheese, a little nutmeg, parsley and chives finely chopped, and ½ a glass of white wine. stir it over a slow fire, till the cheese is melted; then mix in eggs well beaten, set it on the fire, and keep stirring till done. serve in the centre of a small dish, with toasted sippets round. _scotch eggs._ boil eggs hard, as for salad, peel and dip them, first in beaten egg, then in a forcemeat of grated ham, crumbs and spices. fry in clarified dripping, and serve in gravy. _or_: in white sauce. _eggs à la tripe._ fry sliced spanish onions in butter, then dust in some flour, let it catch to a light brown, put in a breakfast { }cupful of hot milk, salt and pepper, and let it reduce. then add hard-boiled eggs, some in halves or quarters, others in slices, mix these gently in the sauce (a tea-spoonful of made mustard if you like), and serve it. _eggs à la maitre d'hotel._ fry onions as in the last receipt, add melted butter, with plenty of parsley chopped in it, put in the eggs and serve quite hot. _fondu._ mix an equal quantity of grated parmesan and gloucester cheese, add double the weight in beaten yolk of egg and cream, or melted butter; beat all well together, add pepper and salt, then the whites of the eggs, which have been beaten separately: stir them lightly in, and bake in deep tin dish, or in paper cases, but fill only half full, as it will rise very much. serve quite hot. _ramakins._ beat an equal portion of gloucester and cheshire cheese in a mortar, with the crumb of a french roll, soaked in milk, and the yolks of eggs; season with salt and pepper, and when beaten to a paste, add the whites of eggs, and bake them in saucers, in the dutch oven.--_or_: roll paste out thin, lay a thin slice of cheese on it, cover with paste, and bake like puffs.--_or_: beat ¼ lb. cheshire cheese with eggs and oz. butter, and form it into cakes to cover thin pieces of bread cut round with a wine-glass. lay these on a dish, not touching one another, put it on a chaffing dish of coals, hold a salamander over till quite brown, and serve hot. _asparagus and eggs._ beat eggs well, with pepper and salt. cut some dressed asparagus into pieces the size of peas, and stir into the eggs. melt oz. of butter, in a small stew-pan, pour in the mixture, stir till it thickens, and serve hot on a toast. { }_mushrooms and eggs._ slice and fry some large onions and a few button mushrooms; drain them well; boil some eggs hard, and slice them; simmer in good gravy, or melted butter, with pepper, salt, mustard, and eschalot vinegar. _devils._ these are made of legs, rumps, backs and gizzards of cold turkey, goose, capon, and all kinds of game, venison, mutton kidney, the back bone of mackerel well buttered, biscuits and rusks. the meat must be well scored for the seasonings to find their way into it: salt, pepper, cayenne, curry, mushroom, truffle, and anchovy powder, must be used according to taste. broil, over a quick strong fire, and serve them dry, if to eat with wine; but they may be served with anchovy, or any _piquant_ sauce. served in a hot water dish.--_biscuits_ are spread with butter, heated before the fire and sprinkled with the seasonings. _anchovy toasts._ fry thin slices of bread, without the crust, in butter. spread them with pounded anchovies mixed with butter. _mock caviare._ bone anchovies, pound them in a mortar with dried parsley, a clove of garlic, cayenne, salt and salad oil, also lemon juice if you like. serve on toast or biscuit. _sandwiches._ the bread should be cut in thin slices with a sharp knife. various things are used. slices of beef, ham, or tongue, or either of the last two grated or scraped; also german or pork sausage, anchovies and shrimps; forcemeat, and all kinds of potted meat. some persons cut the meat in very little pieces, and spread them over the bread; a mixture of ham and chicken in this way makes delicate sandwiches: or ham and hard-boiled yolk of egg, seasoned with salt, mustard, or curry powder, according to the meat. cheese sandwiches are made thus: parts of grated parmesan or { }cheshire cheese, one of butter, and a small portion of made mustard; pound them in a mortar; cover slices of bread with a little, then thin slices of ham, or any cured meat, cover with another slice of bread, and press it lightly down; cut these sandwiches small. _maccaroni._ (_see to make the paste._) boil oz. in good broth or gravy, till tender; add a small piece of butter, and a little salt, give it a turn in the stew-pan, and put it in the dish. scrape parmesan, stilton, or any other dry rich cheese over, and brown it before the fire.--_or_: mix a pint of milk and a pint of water, put in oz. maccaroni, and simmer it slowly three hours, till the liquor is wasted, and the maccaroni tender. add grated cheese, salt, and cayenne, mix well, and brown it before the fire. maccaroni plain boiled, with a little salt, till tender, and the gravy of roast or boiled meat poured over it, is light and nourishing for an invalid. _maccaroni in the italian way._--mince about six livers of fowl or game with a very little celery, young onion, and parsley (blanched), and stew them in good butter. then have six more livers cut small, not minced, and cooked in a little butter. boil oz. of maccaroni in white gravy, season it, if necessary, add powdered mace and cayenne; when done, put a layer of it in a deep hot dish, then a layer of the mince, a layer of grated parmesan, then maccaroni, and at top the chopped livers and more cheese, and enough of the gravy to moisten it sufficiently; put it before the fire a quarter of an hour, or on a slow stove: then brown it or not as you choose. _another_ (_italian_).--boil it in water, pass it through a cullender, and having ready prepared some tomata sauce (_which see_), lift a layer of the maccaroni lightly with two forks out of the cullender into a deep vegetable or hash dish, put a light sprinkling of grated cheese, then tomata sauce, then maccaroni, and again tomata sauce, till the dish be full; if the maccaroni be dry, add butter in little bits, and cayenne, if you think proper. this is not browned. you may omit the cheese. _maccaroni maigre._--simmer oz. maccaroni in a pint of milk and a pint of water (mixed) three hours, and the liquor wasted: stir into it grated cheese, salt, and cayenne, and brown it before the fire. { }_toast and cheese._ toast a slice of stale bread half an inch thick, without the crust, butter one side, and lay on slices of toasting cheese; put it into a cheese-toaster before the fire; when done, lightly pepper and salt it, and serve it hot. _welsh or scotch rabbit._ there are many receipts for this, and the following is a good one. mix some butter with grated cheese (unless that be so fat that the butter is not required), add salt, pepper, made mustard, and a tea-cupful of brown stout or port wine; put this into a cheese-toaster, stir till the cheese be dissolved, then brown, and serve it quite hot: toasts in a separate dish. chapter xv. stuffing and forcemeat. with regard to the flavouring ingredients to be used in making these, no precise instructions can be given, because what is disagreeable to one palate is indispensable to another one, therefore, practice alone will teach a cook how to succeed in the art of forcemeat making; and so many flavouring condiments may be used that she may vary her forcemeats to almost any variety of dishes, taking care that no one flavour predominates, but the whole be so blended that the proper zest be given without too much poignancy. some choose the flavour of onions, thyme, and other herbs, to be strong, while others dislike even a very little of either. onion is milder for being parboiled in two waters, and some think the flavour of eschalot preferable.--suet is indispensable; but if it cannot be obtained, beef marrow, or good fresh butter, are the best substitutes.--bread-crumbs are better soaked in milk, than grated dry; in the former case their quantity must be { }judged by bulk, not by weight: the bread should be stale. the french use _panada_, and prepare it thus: soak slices of bread in hot milk, when moist press out the milk from the bread, and beat the latter up, with a little rich broth or white sauce, and a lump of butter. stir till somewhat dry, add the yolks of eggs, and pound the whole well together. sweetbreads make delicate forcemeat flavoured with tongue. stuffing and forcemeat require to be well pounded in a mortar, and thoroughly mixed: it ought to be firm enough to cut with a knife, but not heavy. the following flavouring ingredients may all be used. ham. tongue. eggs, boiled hard. anchovy. oysters. pickled ditto. lobsters. mushrooms. truffles. morells. salt. white pepper. jamaica pepper. nutmeg. mace. mushroom powder. cayenne. cloves. curry powder. onion. parsley. tarragon. savory. knotted marjoram. thyme and lemon thyme. basil. sage. lemon peel. chervil. garlic. eschalot. _the french preparation, called godiveau._ scrape lb. of fillet of veal, mince ½ lb. beef suet, chop scalded parsley, young onions and mushrooms, enough to season the meat, add pepper, salt, allspice, and mace; pound the whole well, mixing in raw eggs at different times, with a little water. _another, called gratin._ ½ lb. fillet of veal (if for fowl the livers parboiled), veal udder skinned and parboiled, and panada, equal parts of each; pepper, salt, cayenne, and fine herbs; with eggs. { }_forcemeat for veal, turkey, fowls, or rabbits._ scrape fine oz. of lean undressed veal, the same of ham, beef or veal suet, and bread-crumbs; add parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg or mace; pound well, and add the yolk of an egg to bind it. add, if you like, a little onion, parboiled and chopped; sweet herbs, according to taste. for _boiled_ turkey, the soft parts of oysters, or an anchovy may be added.--_room should be given for stuffing to swell._ _plain stuffing for veal, poultry, or fish._ chop ½ lb. of beef or veal suet, mix it with oz. bread-crumbs, chopped parsley, thyme, marjoram, a bay leaf, salt and pepper, and eggs. _stuffing for goose or duck._ mix together oz. bread-crumbs, oz. onion, parboiled, ½ oz. sage leaves, pepper and salt.--_or_: the liver, some bread-crumbs, butter the size of a walnut, a sage leaf or two, a sprig of lemon thyme, pepper and salt. _for hare._ about oz. beef suet, drachm of parsley leaves, the same of marjoram, lemon thyme, lemon peel, ½ a drachm of eschalot, and nutmeg, pepper, and salt; (an anchovy, and cayenne if you choose), mix with an egg; it must be a stiff stuffing; add the liver, parboiled and minced. _forcemeat balls for made dishes._ pound a piece of veal with an equal quantity of udder, or a third part the quantity of butter; moisten bread-crumbs with milk; (or soak a piece of bread in warm milk), then mix in a little chopped parsley and eschalot, pound it together to a smooth paste; rub through a sieve, and when cold mix it with the veal and udder, and the yolks of three hard-boiled eggs; season with salt, pepper, curry powder or cayenne, add the raw yolks of two eggs, and mix well together in a mortar. this does for small balls to fry, or to boil in soup. { }_egg balls._ boil four eggs ten minutes and put them into cold water; when quite cold, pound the yolks in a mortar with a raw yolk, a tea-spoonful of flour, chopped parsley, salt, black pepper and cayenne; roll into small balls, and boil them two minutes. _curry balls._ panada, hard-boiled yolk of egg, and fresh butter, pounded well, and seasoned with curry powder. boil two minutes. _stuffing for a pike._ grated bread-crumbs, herbs to taste, oz. beef suet, salt, pepper, mace, ½ pint of cream and the yolks of eggs; mix well, and stir over the fire till it thickens. _fish forcemeats, for fish soup, stews, or pies._ put about oz. of either turbot, sole, lobster, shrimps or oysters, free from skin, into a mortar with oz. fresh butter, oz. bread-crumbs, the yolks of eggs boiled hard, a little eschalot, grated lemon peel, and parsley, minced fine; season with salt and cayenne. break in the yolk and white of one egg, mix well, and add an anchovy pounded.--_another_: beat the meat and the soft parts of a middling sized lobster, ½ an anchovy, a large piece of boiled celery, the yolk of a hard egg, a little cayenne, mace, salt, white pepper, table-spoonsful of crumbs or panada, of oyster liquor, of mushroom catsup, oz. warmed butter, and eggs well beaten: make into balls, and fry of a fine brown. { }chapter xvi. gravies and sauces. read the directions for making stock for soup.--a cook ought never to be without stock for gravy, as she may preserve all bones and trimmings of meat, poultry and game; also liquor in which meat (unsalted), and poultry have been boiled, and thus seldom buy meat expressly for the purpose. sauces in which cream and eggs or acids are mixed, must be constantly stirred to prevent their curdling. cream heated first, then stirred in by degrees.--the greatest nicety should be observed in thickening gravy, both for look and taste. the common method is to rub flour in butter; but the french _roux_ is better. the following is a list of store sauces, to keep in the house, to flavour hashes and stews. a bottle of each lasts some time, and the cost not very great.--the basis of all sauces for made dishes of _fish_ is soy and chili vinegar.--a little practice and _great attention_ will enable a cook to use these judiciously, to suit the dish, and the taste of her employers. some like a combination of flavours, others prefer one, or two at most. worcester sauce. camp sauce. gloucester sauce. harvey's sauce. oude sauce. reading sauce. tomata sauce. lopresti's sauce. essence of shrimps. oyster catsup. walnut catsup. mushroom catsup. chili vinegar. universal sauce. essence of anchovy. essence of lobster. eschalot vinegar. tarragon vinegar. lemon pickle. gravy ought to be perfectly clear and free from fat; flavoured, to suit the dish it is intended for; and always served hot; if in a tureen, that ought to be covered. { }some very good cooks use _brandy_ in making sauces, particularly for ragouts; _sugar_ also. _white roux._ melt slowly lb. of good butter in a little water, then stir in lb. of fine, well dried flour; stir till as thick as paste, then simmer it a quarter of an hour, stirring all the time, or it will burn. it will keep two or three days. the common mode of browning soup and gravy with burnt sugar is not so good as brown flour, but the browning is prepared thus: put ¼ lb. of fresh butter with ½ lb. of lump sugar into a saucepan, shake it often, and when of a clear brown bottle it for use. _to brown flour._ spread flour on a plate, set it in the oven, or before the fire, and turn often, that it may brown equally, and any shade you like. put it by in a jar for use. _brown roux._ melt butter very slowly, and stir in browned flour; it will not require so long as to cook white _roux_, because the flour has been browned. will keep two or three days. when you use either of these _roux_, mix the quantity you wish (a table-spoonful for a tureen of soup), with a little of the soup or gravy quite smooth, then use it. the basis of most english sauces is melted butter, yet english cooks do not excel in making it, and the general fault is deficiency of butter. _to melt butter, the french sauce blanche._ break ¼ lb. of good butter in small pieces, into a saucepan, with table-spoonsful of sweet cream, or milk, milk and water, or water alone; dredge fine dried flour over, hold the saucepan over the fire, toss it quickly round (always one way) while the butter melts, and becomes as thick as very thick cream; let it just boil, turn the saucepan quickly, and it is done. butter for oysters, shrimps, lobsters, eggs, or any { }thickening ingredient, should be made rather thin, and if to be rich, a great proportion of cream. if for catsup or any flavouring ingredient, melt the butter with water only, and stir the ingredients in, by degrees, just before you serve it. _to brown butter._ toss a lump of butter in a frying-pan, over the fire, till it becomes brown. skim, then dredge browned flour over, stir round with a spoon till it boils; it ought to be quite smooth. this, adding cayenne, and some flavouring vinegar, is a good fish sauce. _parsley and butter, or maitre d'hotel sauce._ tie the parsley in a bunch, and boil it in salt and water, or minutes, according to its age, drain it, cut off the stalks, mince very fine, and stir it into melted butter. _fennel_, _basil_, _burnet_, _cress_, _chervil_, and _tarragon_ the same. when you have not the fresh vegetable, boil celery or parsley seeds in the water to be used with the butter. _ham extract._ cut away all skin and the fat of an undressed ham; cut out the bone, and put it into a large saucepan, with quarts of water, large carrots, onions ( in slices), a bunch of sweet basil and parsley, cloves, and a table-spoonful of mushroom powder: let this simmer by the fire two hours; stirring up the vegetables from time to time; then take out the bone, put in the meat, and stew it hours, or till the liquor, when strained and cold, is a jelly. a table-spoonful will flavour a tureenful of soup, and half the quantity in melted butter, is good sauce for poultry and game. also good in veal and chicken pie. _to draw plain gravy._ notch and flour lb. of gravy beef, or an ox melt, and put it in ½ pint cold water; scum carefully, and stew gently, till all the juice is extracted from the meat, and about half an hour before it is done, put in a piece of crust of bread. when done, strain and clear it from the { }fat, and pour it again into a saucepan to thicken, with butter rolled in flour; season with salt, black or cayenne pepper. _beef gravy._ this, the basis of many rich sauces, is made of lean juicy meat. cut lbs. into thin slices, and score them; place a slice of streaked bacon, or the knuckle of a ham, at the bottom of a stew-pan, the beef upon it, and bits of butter; add half a large carrot, onions, half an eschalot, and heads of celery, all cut up; also a bunch of sweet herbs. brown it over the fire, shaking the saucepan occasionally; in half an hour the juices will be drawn; then put in quarts of boiling water, scum well, and when that is no longer necessary, wipe the edges of the saucepan and lid, and cover close. simmer hours, by the side of the fire; let it stand to settle, then strain it into an earthen vessel, and put it by in a cool place. for hare, add an anchovy. _savoury gravy._ line a stew-pan with thin slices of ham or bacon, and add lbs. of fillet of veal, or of beef, in slices, a carrot and onion; moisten this with a tea-cupful of broth. the juices will form a glaze. take the meat out on a dish, pick it all over, put a little more broth, or boiling water, add young onions, parsley, and sweet herbs to taste, also celery, cayenne, a bay leaf, mushrooms, and garlic, if you like; and after it has been scummed, simmer very gently. strain, and then stand it in a cool place. this gravy may be enriched and flavoured at the cook's discretion. wine, flavoured vinegar, truffles, morells, curry powder, tarragon, anchovy, pickled mushrooms and oysters, may be used to suit the dish it is required for.--some cooks use more carrots and onions than i have directed. _white gravy sauce._ part of a knuckle of veal, and some gravy beef. (the quantity will depend upon the degree of richness required.) cut it in pieces, and put it in a stew-pan, with any { }trimmings of meat or poultry. moisten with broth or water, and add a carrot, onions, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and chopped mushrooms, if convenient. let the meat heat through, without burning, and prick it, to let the juices flow. when the knuckle is sufficiently cooked for the table, take it out, let the stew-pan stand by the fire a few minutes, skim the fat off the sauce, strain, and boil it again till reduced to the quantity you require; thicken it with white _roux_ (it can be thinned afterwards), boil it again, and skim if needful; keep stirring, lifting it often in a spoon and letting it fall, to make it smooth and fine. sweet thick cream is a nice substitute for white _roux_, in this sauce.--_or_: put lbs. of lean gristly veal, and ¼ lb. lean bacon or ham, in little bits, into a stew-pan, in which some butter has been melted, let the gravy flow, but do not brown the meat. mix table-spoonsful of potatoe or rice flour smooth, with a little water, put it into a stew-pan, with a quart or pints of veal broth, water, or milk; also an onion, a bunch of parsley and lemon thyme, a bay leaf, a piece of lemon peel and a tea-spoonful of white peppercorns; stew it very slowly an hour and three quarters, then stand a few minutes to settle, strain it, add a tea-cupful of cream, boil it up, and strain again.--a nice sauce for boiled fowls is made of thin veal broth and milk, seasoned as above, and thickened with the yolk of an egg stirred in, just before you serve it.--mushrooms may be put in this sauce.--_another_ very good sauce for boiled fowls, veal, rabbits, and fricassees, is as follows: to ½ pint of the liquor in which either of these have been boiled, an onion sliced, a small bunch of parsley, lemon thyme and basil, a little pounded mace, nutmeg, and a few white peppercorns. strain, boil it again, with a piece of butter rolled in flour, and at the last a little cream. if for boiled fowls, put the peel of a lemon in this, and add the juice just at the last. _gravy without meat._ slice a large onion, flour, and fry it in butter; put it into a saucepan with a breakfast-cupful of good fresh beer, the same of water, a few peppercorns, salt, grated lemon peel, cloves, and a table-spoonful of catsup. simmer { }nearly half an hour, then strain it. an anchovy may be added. _gravy that will keep a week._ put some lean beef, in thin slices, into a stew-pan with butter, and what herbs and roots you like, strewed over: cover close, and set it over a slow fire. when the gravy is drawn, keep shaking the stew-pan backwards and forwards several minutes, that it may dry up again, then put in as much water as you require, let it simmer an hour and a half. keep it in a cool place. a thin slice of lean ham may be added. _jelly for cold meat_ may be made of the knuckle of a leg or shoulder of veal, or a piece of the scrag, and shanks of mutton, or a cow heel. put the meat, a slice of lean ham or bacon, some herbs, blades of mace, onions, a tea-spoonful of jamaica peppers bruised, the same of black pepper, and a piece of lemon peel, into a stew-pan; cover with about pints of water, and let it boil; scum well, and let it simmer till the liquor is strong: strain it, and when nearly cold take off all the fat. put it rough round cold poultry or veal. eaten with cold meat pies. _savoury gravy for venison._ make a pint of good gravy, of the trimmings of venison, and mutton shanks; the meat should be browned first in the frying-pan, then stewed slowly, in water, to make the quantity required; scum carefully and strain it when done: add salt, pepper, walnut pickle, and a wine-glass of port or claret. _mutton gravy, for venison or hare._ broil a scrag of mutton, in pieces, rather brown; put them into a stew-pan, with a quart of boiling water; cover close, and simmer gently an hour: uncover the stew-pan, and let it reduce to ¾ pint; pour it through a hair sieve, take the fat off, add a little salt, and serve it quite hot. { }_orange gravy sauce, for game and wild fowl._ put into a pint of clear good veal broth, an onion, twelve leaves of basil, a large piece of orange or lemon peel, and boil it slowly ten minutes; then strain, and put it back into the saucepan, with the juice of a seville orange or a lemon, ½ a tea-spoonful of salt, the same of pepper, and a wine-glass of port. serve quite hot. add cayenne, unless it be the practice to introduce it into cuts in the breast of the birds, at table. _relishing sauce for goose, duck, or pork._ steep oz. of fresh sage leaves, oz. lemon peel, oz. minced eschalot, the same of salt, ½ a drachm of cayenne and of citric acid, in a pint of claret, a fortnight; shake it well every day. let it stand hours, to settle, then strain into a clean bottle, and cork it close. a table-spoonful to ¼ pint gravy or melted butter, heat it up, and serve quite hot.--_another_, to make at once: stir a tea-spoonful of mustard, ½ tea-spoonful of salt, a little cayenne, and a wine-glass of port or claret, into a ¼ pint of good melted butter or gravy.--_or_: the mixture may be heated by itself and poured into the goose, by a slit made in the apron, just before you serve it. _sauce robert, for broils of every kind._ put oz. butter into a saucepan, with half a large onion, minced very fine; shake the saucepan frequently, or stir the butter with a wooden spoon, till the onion be of a light brown. rub a table-spoonful of browned flour smooth, into a little broth or water, add salt and pepper, a table-spoonful of port wine, and of mushroom catsup, and put this with ½ pint more of broth or water into the saucepan with the onions; boil it, add a tea-spoonful of made mustard, the juice of ½ a lemon, and two tea-spoonsful of any flavouring vinegar you like. _another grill sauce_ is: to ½ pint of clear drawn gravy, add oz. butter, rubbed smooth in flour, a table-spoonful of mushroom catsup, tea-spoonsful of lemon juice, ½ tea-spoonful of made mustard, the same of capers, tea-spoonful of essence of cayenne, ½ a one of black peppers, and of chili vinegar; simmer it a { }few minutes, pour some over the grill, and serve the rest in a tureen. _sauce for turkey or fowl._ season veal gravy with pepper and salt, the juice of a seville orange and a lemon, wine-glassfuls of port wine, and serve it in a sauce tureen. _liver sauce for fowl._ parboil the liver, and mince it fine; pare a lemon thin, take off the white part, and cut the lemon in small bits, picking out the seeds; mince a quarter part of the peel very fine, and put it with the lemon, the minced liver, and a little salt, to ½ pint of melted butter. heat it over a gentle fire, but if it boil it will become oily. parsley may be chopped with the liver.--_or_: chop the parboiled liver, and stir into thin melted butter, boil it up, and then thicken it with the yolk of an egg; add a tea-spoonful of made mustard, and the same of walnut catsup. _egg sauce for poultry and salt fish._ boil eggs hard, dip in cold water, and roll them under your hand, that the shell may come off easily; chop the whites and yolks separately, stir first the whites, then the yolks, into boiling hot melted butter. serve directly. _mushroom sauce._ wash and pick, a bason full of small button mushrooms, take off the thick skin, and stew them in veal broth, with pepper, cayenne, salt, mace, and nutmeg, lumps of sugar, also enough butter rolled in flour, or arrow root, to thicken the sauce. stew gently, till tender, stirring occasionally. when done, keep the sauce hot, and pour it over fowls, veal, or rabbit.--_or_: stew the mushrooms in thin cream, instead of broth, and thicken as above. pickled mushrooms, may be fried to make this sauce, instead of fresh ones. _celery sauce, for boiled turkey and fowls._ cut a young head of celery into slices of ½ inch long, { }season with salt, a very little white pepper, nutmeg and mace, and then simmer till the celery be quite tender, in weak broth, or water. thicken with butter rolled in white flour. the juice of a lemon may be added, when the sauce is ready. pour it over the fowls, or serve in a tureen. this may be made brown, by thickening with browned flour, and adding a glass of red wine. _rimolade, for cold turkey or fowl._ chop an eschalot very fine with sprigs of parsley; beat yolks of egg, and mix table-spoonsful of olive oil with them, beat the mixture till quite thick, then stir in the eschalot and parsley with a tea-spoonful of good vinegar, a salt-spoonful of salt and the same of cayenne. _tomata sauce._ put the tomatas into a jar, and place it in a cool oven. when soft, take off the skins, pick out the seeds, beat up the pulp, with a capsicum, a clove of garlic, a very little ginger, cayenne, white pepper, salt and vinegar; rub it through a sieve, and simmer it, a very few minutes. a little beet root juice will improve the colour.--_or_: stew them in weak broth or water with salt and pepper, when done, pass them through a rather wide sieve, add butter, stir well and serve it hot.--italians, who use tomatas a great deal, cut them open, squeeze them gently to get rid of their liquor, and just rinse them in cold water, before they dress them. _apple sauce._ pare, core, and slice large apples, and boil them gently, in a saucepan, with a very little water, to keep them from burning; add lemon peel to taste. when they are soft, pour off the water, and beat them up, with a small bit of butter and some sugar. some add a table-spoonful of brandy. _gooseberry sauce._ cut off the tops and tails of a breakfast-cupful of gooseberries; scald them, till tender, then stir them into melted { }butter.--_or_: mash the gooseberries after they are scalded, sweeten to taste, and serve, without butter. _cucumber sauce._ pare the cucumbers, slice, and cut them in small pieces, stew them in thin broth or melted butter, till tender, then press them through a sieve into melted butter, stir and beat it up; season with mace, nutmeg, lemon peel, and finely grated ham. a dish of _stewed_ cucumbers answers the purpose. _onion sauce._ peel onions, and lay them in salt and water a few minutes, to prevent their becoming black. boil them in plenty of water, changing it once. when done, chop fine, and rub them with a wooden spoon, through a sieve; stir this pulp into thin melted butter, or cream, and heat it up. the onions may be roasted, then pulped, in place of being boiled. a very little mace, or nutmeg, may be added to onion sauce having cream in it. _brown onion sauce_ is made by frying, in butter, some sliced spanish onions; simmer them in brown gravy, or broth, over a slow fire, add salt, pepper, cayenne, and a piece of butter, rolled in browned flour. skim the sauce, add ½ a glass of port or claret, the same of mushroom catsup, or a dessert-spoonful of walnut pickle, or eschalot vinegar. to make the sauce milder, boil a turnip with the onions. _eschalot sauce._ chop enough eschalot to fill a dessert-spoon, and scald it in hot water, over the fire; drain, and put it into ½ pint of good gravy or melted butter, add salt and pepper, and when done, a large spoonful of vinegar.--_or_: stew the eschalots in a little of the liquor of boiled mutton, thicken with butter rolled in flour, add a spoonful of vinegar, and this is good sauce for the mutton. _sauce partout._ take pint of walnut pickle liquor, the same of { }catsup, ½ pint of white wine, ½ lb. anchovies unwashed, cloves of garlic, one stick of horse-radish, a faggot of sweet herbs, the rind of a lemon, and cayenne to cover a sixpence. boil together till the anchovies are dissolved. strain and bottle it for use. _chetna sauce._ pour heated vinegar over eschalots, let it stand twelve hours, then strain and add ½ pint of walnut, and ½ pint of mushroom catsup, wine-glassfuls of soy, a tea-spoonful of cayenne, ½ a tea-spoonful of chili vinegar: boil five minutes, then bottle and rosin it. _carrier sauce, for mutton._ boil some chopped eschalots in gravy, seasoned with salt and pepper, and flavoured with vinegar. _horse-radish sauce._ scrape fine, or grate, a tea-cupful of horse-radish, add salt, and a little cupful of bread-crumbs, stew this in white gravy, and add a little vinegar.--this may be made brown by using browned gravy; a tea-spoonful of made mustard is an improvement. vinegar may be used alone, instead of gravy.--_or_: to table-spoonsful of cream, put table-spoonsful vinegar, tea-spoonful made mustard, a little salt, and grated horse-radish. _mint sauce._ wash and pick some young mint, and mince the leaves very fine; mix them with powdered sugar, put these into the sauce tureen, and pour good white vinegar over. _sauce for cold meat._ chop some eschalots, parsley, and mint, and put to them an equal portion of olive oil, vinegar, and a little salt.--_another_: chopped parsley, vinegar, oil, and a tea-spoonful of made mustard.--you may add to either of these an equal portion of tarragon and chervil. { }_coratch sauce._ half a clove, or less, according to taste, of garlic pounded, a large tea-spoonful of soy, the same of walnut pickle, a little cayenne, and good vinegar. _miser's sauce._ chop onions, and mix them with pepper, salt, vinegar, and melted butter. _poor man's sauce._ mince parsley and a few eschalots, and stew them in broth or water, with a few peppercorns; add a little vinegar when done. good with broils of poultry and game. _sauce for roast beef._ mix ½ table-spoonful of grated horse-radish with a dessert-spoonful of made mustard, the same of brown sugar; add vinegar to make it as thin as mustard. _lemon sauce._ pare a lemon, and take off all the white part; cut the lemon in thick slices, take out the seeds, and cut the slices into small pieces; mix them by degrees into melted butter, and stir it, that the butter may not oil. _caper sauce._ mince table-spoonful of capers very fine, and another one not so fine, put a spoonful of good vinegar to them, and mix all into ½ pint of melted butter, or gravy. stir it well or it may oil.--this is a good sauce for fish, with a little of the essence of anchovies.--a very good substitute for capers, is made by chopping pickled gherkins or nasturtiums or radish pods: a little lemon juice will improve these.--walnut sauce made in the same way, is good with boiled mutton.--some persons deem it better not to mince capers, but have them whole. { }_bread sauce._ put a small tea-cupful of grated bread-crumbs into a small saucepan, and sufficient to moisten them of the liquor in which fresh meat, or poultry, has been boiled; let it soak, then add a small onion (parboiled), salt, mace, and six or eight peppercorns. beat it up from time to time, and when the bread is smooth and stiff, take out the onions and peppercorns, and put to the sauce two table-spoonsful of cream. some persons add cayenne, a _little_. _rice sauce._ by some preferred to bread sauce. wash and pick oz. rice, and stew it in milk, with a parboiled onion, salt, and peppercorns. when tender, take out the onion and peppercorns, rub the rice through a cullender, and heat in milk, cream, or melted butter. _sweet sauce._ melt some white, or red currant jelly, with a glass or two of red, or white wine. _or_: send the jelly to table in glasses, or glass dishes. _sharp sauce._ melt ¼ lb. of loaf sugar-candy in ½ pint of champagne vinegar; take off the skim as the sugar dissolves. _store sauces for ragouts, &c., &c._ to ¼ pint good mushroom catsup, add the same of walnut catsup, of eschalot and basil wine, and soy, oz. of slices of lemon peel, drachm of concrete of lemon, a wine-glassful of essence of anchovies, drachm of the best cayenne, and wine-glassfuls of tarragon or eschalot vinegar. let these infuse ten days, then strain and bottle for use: table-spoonsful will flavour a pint of gravy. _another, for roast meat, steaks, or chops._--take ½ pint of mushroom or oyster catsup, the same of walnut pickle, add ½ oz. jamaica pepper in powder, the same of scraped horse-radish and of minced eschalot, and grains cayenne. infuse these { }ten days, strain and bottle for use. a table-spoonful or two, according to the quantity of gravy. melted butter flavoured with this, to pour over steaks or chops. _sauce for tench._ to ½ a tea-cupful of gravy an equal quantity of white wine, anchovies, eschalots and a small piece of horse-radish: simmer till the anchovies are dissolved, then strain and thicken it: add a tea-cupful of cream, also a little lemon juice. _a good store sauce for fish, stews, &c._ to pint of sherry add ½ pint of walnut pickle, ¼ pint of soy, ¼ pint of lemon pickle, pint of white wine vinegar, a wine-glassful of eschalot and the same of chili vinegar, ¾ pint of essence of anchovy, the peel of and the juice of lemon, eschalots, blades of mace, nutmegs, black and white peppers, some cayenne, and mushroom powder: boil ten minutes, and when cold strain and bottle it. good with all fried fish, and with salmon. _an excellent fish sauce._ chop cloves of eschalot, of garlic, a handful of horse-radish and anchovies; put them into pint of white, and pint of port wine, also wine-glassfuls of soy, the same of walnut catsup, and wine-glassful of chili vinegar. boil well, strain, and when cold, bottle and rosin it. _a plain fish sauce._ boil in ¼ pint water anchovies, onions, and a faggot of herbs, all chopped, a little horse-radish (scraped), and a large spoonful of vinegar. boil till the anchovies are dissolved, then strain it, and mix what proportion you like with melted butter, or send it to table in a cruet. _lobster sauce._ a hen lobster is best. pound the coral and spawn with a bit of butter, and rub it through a coarse sieve into melted { }butter, mix smooth, and season with cayenne; then add the meat of the tail, cut in very small dice, and let the sauce heat up, but not boil. a little essence of anchovy, or catsup, and spices may be added; also cream, heated first. _crab sauce_ the same way. _oyster sauce._ do not open them till ready to make the sauce, then save all the liquor; put it and the oysters into a small saucepan, and scald them; lift them out on a sieve with a spoon with holes in it; let the liquor settle, and pour all but the sediment into good melted butter; beard the oysters, put them into a saucepan, and pour the butter over them; let it nearly boil, then stand by the side of the fire till they are tender, for boiling makes them hard. when ready, stir in a little cream.--a very little mace, lemon peel, and a tea-spoonful of oyster catsup, or essence of anchovy, may be added. _anchovy sauce._ bone and pound anchovies, with a piece of butter, and stir into thick melted butter. add cayenne, soy, essence of anchovy, mustard, horse-radish or vinegar. _shrimp and cockle sauce._ shell and wash carefully, put them into thick melted butter, let it boil, and then stand covered two minutes. _roe sauce._ boil or soft roes, take off all the filaments which hang about them, bruise in a mortar with the yolk of an egg, and stir them in thin parsley, or fennel, and butter; add pepper, salt, and a small spoonful of walnut pickle. _dutch fish sauce._ boil equal quantities of water and vinegar, season with pepper and salt, and thicken with beaten yolk of egg; stir the egg in, but do not boil, or it will curdle. { }_sauce for devils._ thicken some good gravy (of either fish or meat stock,) with browned flour, till it is a batter, add a dessert-spoonful of walnut catsup, a tea-spoonful of essence of anchovies, the same of made mustard, capers and a bit of eschalot, all finely minced, a tea-spoonful of grated lemon peel, and a little cayenne. simmer for a minute, pour a little of it over the broil, and serve the rest in a tureen. chapter xvii. seasonings. except in the matter of plain roasting, boiling, or baking, the test of good cooking is the taste and skill displayed in giving _flavour_ to the composition. care is not all that is required here; there needs study, and practice. no rules can be given, except to avoid over flavouring, and to suit the ingredients, as much as possible, to the compound which is to be flavoured. in order to be able always to do this, some forethought is requisite on the part of the housekeeper, who will save herself much vexation and trouble by keeping a small assortment of seasonings always ready for use in her _store room_; and by taking some little pains, to have a sufficient _variety_. many prefer cayenne made from english chilies to any other: they are in season in september and october; cut off the stalks, and lay them before the fire to dry for twelve hours. when dry, pound them in a mortar with one fourth their weight in salt, till they are as fine as possible, and put the mixture into a close stopped bottle. before spices are rubbed into meat, they should be pounded, and well mixed. for the convenience of the cook they may be kept prepared in the following manner. { }_kitchen pepper._ fill little square bottles with an equal quantity of finely ground or pounded ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon and cloves. keep these corked tight, and when "kitchen pepper" is required, take the proper proportion of each, and mix them, with common salt. for _white sauces_, use white pepper, nutmeg, mace, lemon peel (dried), ginger and cayenne; pounded or grated, and kept in bottles. _savoury powder._ oz. of salt, ½ oz. mustard, ¼ oz. allspice, ¼ oz. ginger, ¼ oz. nutmeg, ½ oz. black pepper, ½ oz. lemon peel, and drachms cayenne; grate and pound well together, pass the mixture through a fine sieve and bottle it.--some leave out allspice and ginger, substituting mace and cloves. _curry powder._ take oz. of coriander seeds, oz. cummin seeds, oz. fenugreek seeds, oz. ginger, oz. black pepper, oz. cayenne, and oz. pale turmeric. pound the whole and mix well together. put these ingredients before the fire, stir and rub them frequently, till quite dry. then set them by to get cold, rub through a hair sieve, and put them into a dry bottle, cork close, and keep in a dry place. a table-spoonful will make curry sufficient for one fowl.--_another_: take ¼ lb. coriander seed, ½ oz. turmeric, oz. cummin seed, ½ oz. black pepper, and cayenne to taste; then proceed in the same way.--_another_: oz. coriander seeds, ¼ lb. turmeric; of black pepper, flour of mustard, cayenne and ginger, each oz.; of lesser cardamoms ½ oz., cummin seed ¼ oz., and fenugreek seeds ¼ oz.--_another_: oz. turmeric in powder, oz. of coriander, oz. carraway seeds in powder, oz. fenugreek, and cayenne to taste.--_curry paste_ is very good, but it may be better to prepare curry powder at home; for different curries require different flavouring; as fish and veal require more acid than fowls, rabbit, &c., &c. the ingredients may be kept in bottles, and mixed when used. { }_herbs._ as these cannot always be procured green, it is convenient to have them in the house, dried and prepared, each in the proper season. the common method is to dry them in the sun, but their flavour is better preserved, by being put into a cool oven, or the meat screen, before a moderate fire, taking care not to scorch them. they should be gathered when just ripe, on a dry day. cleanse them from dirt and dust, cut off the roots, put them before the fire, and dry them quickly, rather than by degrees. pick off the leaves, pound and sift them; put the powder into bottles, and keep these closely stopped. basil, from the middle of august, to the same time in september. winter and summer savory, july and august. knotted marjoram, july. thyme, orange thyme, and lemon thyme, june and july. mint, end of june and through july. sage, august and september. tarragon, june, july, and august. chervil, may, june, july. burnet, june, july, august. parsley, may, june, july. fennel, may, june, july. elder flowers, may, june, july. orange flowers, may, june, and july. the following mixture of herb powder is good for soups or ragouts: oz. each of parsley, winter savory, sweet marjoram, and lemon thyme, oz. each of sweet basil and lemon peel, cut very thin. for made dishes, the cook may keep this mixture, with one fourth part of savory powder mixed in it. dried herbs may be infused in spirits of wine or brandy ten days or a fortnight; then strained, the spirit closely corked, and put by for use.--some recommend the following mixture: infuse in pint of wine, brandy, vinegar, or spirits of wine, ½ oz. each of lemon thyme, winter savory, sweet marjoram, and sweet basil, drachms grated lemon peel, drachms minced eschalots, and drachm celery seed: shake it every day for a fortnight, then strain and bottle it. { }_horse-radish powder._ in november and december, slice horse-radish the thickness of a shilling, and dry it, _very gradually_, in a dutch oven; pound and bottle it. _pea powder._ this gives a relish to pea soup. pound drachm celery seed, ¼ drachm cayenne pepper, ½ oz. dried mint, ½ oz. of sage; when well mixed, rub through a fine sieve, and bottle it. _mushroom powder._ wash ½ a peck of large mushrooms, quite fresh, and wipe them with a piece of flannel; scrape out the black clean, and put them into a saucepan without water, with large onions, cloves, ¼ oz. mace, and tea-spoonsful of white pepper, all in powder; simmer and shake them till all the liquor be dried up, but do not let them burn; lay them on tins or sieves, in a slow oven, till dry enough to beat to a powder, then put it in small bottles, and keep them in a dry place. cayenne, if you choose; a tea-spoonful sufficient for a tureen of soup. to flavour gravy for game, and for many made dishes. _mushrooms to dry._--wipe them clean, and take off the brown and skin; dry them on paper, in a cool oven, and keep them in paper bags. they will swell, when simmered in gravy, to their own size. _anchovy powder._ pound the anchovies, rub them through a hair sieve, then work them into thin cakes with flour, and a little flour of mustard. toast the cakes very dry, rub them to a powder, and bottle it. for sauces, or to sprinkle over toasts, or sandwiches. { }chapter xviii. vegetables. persons who live in the country, may generally have fresh vegetables; but in towns, and especially in london, the case is different; and vegetables not quite fresh are very inferior to those which have been only a short time out of the ground.--take the outside leaves off all of the cabbage kind, and plunge the part you mean to cook into cold water, the heads downwards; let there be plenty of water, and a large piece of salt, which helps to draw out the insects. examine the leaves well, and take off all the decayed parts. they should be boiled in soft water, to preserve their flavour, and alone, to preserve their colour. allow as much water as the vessel will hold, the more the better; and a handful of salt. the shorter time they are in the water the better, therefore see that it boil fast, before you put the vegetables in, and keep it boiling at the same rate afterwards; let the vessel be uncovered, and take off all scum. when done, take them out of the water instantly, and drain them; they ought then to go to table, for vegetables, particularly green ones, suffer in look and in taste, every moment they wait. in dressing vegetables, as well as in making soup, the french greatly excel us, for they always cook them enough. besides they make more of them than we do, by various ways of dressing them, with gravy and cream. several receipts are here given, by which a side or supper dish, may be prepared at very little cost, particularly in the country, where fresh vegetables are always at hand. salads, if mixed with oil, are not injurious, except in peculiar cases, for they are cooling and refreshing in hot weather, and beneficial in many respects, in the winter. most persons, particularly the londoners, eat cucumbers, but strange to say, they do not, generally, value a well made salad so highly. { }_potatoes to boil._ the best way, upon the whole, is to _boil_, not steam them. much depends upon the sort of potato, and it is unfair to condemn a cook's ability in the cooking of this article, until it be ascertained that the fault is really hers, for i have seen potatoes that no care or attention could boil enough, without their being watery, and others that it would be difficult for any species of cookery to spoil. they should be of equal size, or the small ones will be too much done before the large ones are done enough; do not pare or cut them; have a saucepan so large that they will only half fill it, and put in cold water sufficient to cover them about an inch, so that if it waste, they may still be covered; but too much water would injure them. put the saucepan on the fire, and as soon as the water boils, set it on one side, to simmer slowly till the potatoes will admit a fork; the cracking of the skin being too uncertain a test; having tried them, if tender, pour the water off, and place the saucepan by the side of the fire, take off the cover, and lay a folded cloth, or coarse flannel, over the potatoes. middling sized ones will be boiled enough in fifteen minutes. some (and i believe it is the practice in ireland), when they have poured off the water, lay the potatoes in a coarse cloth, sprinkle salt over, and cover them a few minutes, then squeeze them lightly, one by one, in the folds of a dry cloth, peel and serve them. some peel potatoes for the next day's dinner and put them into cold water enough to cover them, over night; the water is poured off just before the potatoes are boiled. after the beginning of march potatoes should be peeled before they are boiled, and after april they should always be mashed. potatoes may be dressed in various ways to make supper or side dishes, and there are sauces suitable to enrich them. _young potatoes._--rub the skin off with a cloth, then pour boiling water over them in a saucepan, let it simmer, and they will soon be done. _potatoes to fry, broil, or stew._ cold potatoes may be cut in slices and fried in dripping, or broiled on a gridiron, then laid on a sieve to drain; serve on a hot dish, and sprinkle a little pepper and salt { }over them. garnish with sprigs of curled parsley, or the parsley may be fried and strewed over.--_or_: when the potatoes are nearly boiled enough, pour off the water, peel and flour them, brush with yolk of egg, and roll them in fine bread-crumbs or biscuit-powder, and fry in butter or nice dripping.--_or_: stewed gently with butter; turn them, while stewing; pour a white sauce in the dish. _potatoes to mash._ peel them, cut out the specks, and boil them: when done, and the water poured off, put them over the fire for two or three minutes, to dry, then put in some salt and butter, with milk enough to moisten sufficiently to beat them to a mash. the rolling-pin is better than anything else. cream is better than butter, and then no milk need be used. potatoes thus mashed may be put into a shape, or scallop-shells, with bits of butter on the top, then browned before the fire; either way makes a pretty dish.--_or_: they may be rolled up, with a very little flour and yolk of egg into balls, and browned in the dripping-pan under roast meat. these balls are pretty as a garnish.--_or_: make them up into a _collar_, score it, and brown it before the fire, then serve it with a brown gravy in the dish. _colcannan._ boil lbs. potatoes, also as many of the inside leaves of curled kale as will fill a saucer. mash the two together in the saucepan the potatoes were boiled in, to keep them hot; put a piece of butter in the centre, when you serve it. some prefer parsley to kale, but use less. _potatoes to roast._ some cooks half boil them first. they should be washed and dried. if large, they will take two hours to roast, and should be all of a size, or they will not all be done alike.--_or_: pour off the water, peel and lay them in a tin pan, before the fire, by the side of roasting meat. baste, from the dripping-pan, and turn them to brown equally. { }_potatoe pie._ having washed and peeled the potatoes, slice them, and put a layer into the pie dish, strew, over a little chopped onion, small bits of butter, salt, and pepper (and, if you like, hard-boiled egg in slices), then put more potatoes, and so on, till the dish is full; add a little water, then stick over the top nearly ¼ lb. of fresh butter, in bits; cover with a light puff paste, and bake an hour and a half. _potatoe balls._ mash quite smooth or mealy potatoes, with oz. of butter, table-spoonsful cream, of essence of anchovy, and or eschalots _very finely_ chopped; make up into balls, dip them into egg beaten, and brown them. garnish with curled parsley, for a side or supper dish. _potatoe ragout._ mash lb. of potatoes with butter (no milk or cream), and grate in some ham, nutmeg, salt, pepper, eggs beaten, and a very little flour. mix well together, and form it into loaves, or long thin rolls, fry or stew of a light brown, for a garnish to veal cutlets, or a dish by themselves. _potatoes à la maître d'hotel._ boil, peel, and cut the potatoes in slices ½ an inch thick, put them into a stew-pan with some young onions skinned, chopped parsley, butter (a large piece), pepper, salt, and a little broth to moisten the potatoes. toss them till the parsley is cooked; serve with parsley and butter poured over. _cabbages to boil._ wash well, and quarter them, if large. a young cabbage is done in from twenty minutes to half an hour, a full grown one will take nearly an hour. have plenty of water, that they may be covered, all the time they are boiling; scum well. serve melted butter. _savoys, sprouts, and young greens._--boil the same as cabbages, but twenty minutes will be sufficient. { }_cabbage à la bourgeoise._ wash and pick quite clean a large cabbage; take the leaves off one by one, and spread upon each some forcemeat, made of veal, suet, parsley, salt, and pepper, mixed with a little cream and an egg; then put the leaves together, in the form of a whole cabbage, tie this up securely at each end, and stew it in a braise. when it is tender, take it out, and press in a linen cloth to clear it from the fat. cut in two, in a dish, and pour good gravy over it. _red cabbage to stew._ melt sufficient butter, to stew the quantity of cabbage; cut it into shreds and put it into a saucepan, with a chopped onion, cloves, a bay leaf, cayenne pepper and salt. keep the saucepan covered close, and when done, add a good spoonful of vinegar. this may be spread in a dish, and sausages served on it. _cabbage, greens, or spinach to curry._ after they are boiled, drain, chop and stew them in butter with curry powder to taste; the powder previously mixed with salt, pepper, and vinegar. it is an improvement to spinach, to add sorrel; and some like a small quantity of chopped onion. to these curries you may add minced veal, chicken or rabbit, and serve with a gravy of veal; _or_, if to be maigre, minced cold fish, prawns or oysters, and fish gravy. _spinach._ as spinach harbours insects, and is often gritty, wash it in two or three waters; then drain it on a sieve. some boil it in very little water, but this is not a good way. put a small handful of salt into the water, and when it boils, scum well; put in the spinach, and boil it quickly till quite tender, ten minutes will be enough. pour it into a sieve, then squeeze between two plates or trenchers, chop fine, and put it into a small saucepan, with a piece of butter and a little salt. stir with a spoon, five minutes over the fire, spread in a dish, score nicely, and serve it hot.--_spinach, sorrel, and chicory_, may be stewed, the two former in equal { }portions together, or all separately, for fricandeaus. wash, pick, and stew very slowly, in an earthen vessel, with butter, oil, or broth, just enough to moisten them.--_or_: do not put any liquid at all, but when tender, beat up the sorrel, &c. &c. with a bit of butter. _spinach au gras._ when boiled, pour through a sieve and press it, to squeeze the water out; put a large piece of butter or dripping into a saucepan, and, when it has melted, put in some sippets of toasted bread for a few minutes, take them out and put in the spinach chopped fine, and a little good gravy of the day before, or out of the dripping-pan, if you be roasting meat, or some good broth, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and flour; simmer a few minutes, and serve with the toasts round it. _au sucre._--having boiled and squeezed all the water from spinach, chop, and put it into a saucepan with a good sized piece of butter, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and a little flour. shake the saucepan over the fire a few minutes, then put in some cream or very good milk, to moisten the spinach, and or lumps of sugar, according to taste. simmer very gently, and serve it garnished with toasts. _asparagus and sea kale._ scrape the stalks quite clean, and throw them into a large pan of cold water. tie them in bundles of equal size with tape, not string, as that is likely to break off the heads; cut the ends of the asparagus even, and having a pot of boiling water ready (it ought to be scummed when the water boils), put in the bundles. when the stalks are tender, the asparagus is done; but loses flavour by being a minute too long in the water; indeed, it is the only one which will bear being a _little firm_. before it is done, toast the round of a loaf, dip it into the boiling water, lay it in a dish, and the asparagus on it. serve melted butter with asparagus and kale. the french, when the butter is melted, beat up the yolk of an egg, and stir in it, by degrees, a small quantity of vinegar, enough to flavour it; stir well for two minutes over the fire, and it is an excellent sauce for asparagus, or any green vegetable. { }_cauliflower and brocoli._ choose middling sized ones, close and white, trim off the outside leaves, and cut off the stalks at the bottom. strip off all the side shoots, peel off the skin of the stalk, and cut it close at the bottom. boil and scum the water, then put the vegetables in; cauliflower will be done in fifteen or twenty minutes, and spoiled if it boil longer. brocoli in from ten to fifteen minutes. lift out of the water with a slice. serve melted butter. both may be served on toasts, and the sauce for asparagus served with them, either for the second course or for supper. _cauliflower with parmesan._ boil nicely and place it in a dish (not a close one), grate cheese over, and then pour white sauce over. brown it, grate more cheese, then pour more white sauce over. brown it again before the fire, or with a salamander. serve it with white sauce, or melted butter in a dish. _cauliflower to stew._ boil a large cauliflower till nearly done, then lift it out very gently, separate it into small pieces, put these into a stew-pan, with enough rich brown gravy to moisten, and let it stew till tender. garnish with slices of lemon.--_or_: if you have no gravy, put into a stew-pan a piece of fat bacon, or green onions, chopped small, a blade of mace, and a very little lemon thyme, shake the stew-pan over the fire, ten minutes, then put in the cauliflower, let it brown, add a very little water, and let it stew.--_or_: if to be a maigre, put a lump of butter into a saucepan, an onion minced, some nutmeg, salt, and pepper, shake the saucepan over the fire a few minutes, then put in the pieces of cauliflower, and pour in enough boiling water to moisten; simmer it a few minutes, add the yolks of eggs well beaten, turn the saucepan over the fire till the eggs are cooked, then serve the cauliflower. _cauliflower or brocoli to fry._ boil till nearly tender enough to eat, then pick it in nice { }pieces, dip them in a batter made of ¼ lb. flour, the yolks of eggs and a coffee-cupful of beer, pepper, and salt. then fry the pieces in boiling lard, of a light brown, and put them on a sieve to drain and dry before the fire.--_or_: dip them first in egg, then in fine crumbs of bread, and then egg again, before you fry them.--celery and onions the same.--serve white sauce. _peas._ they should be shelled but a short time before they are cooked. the younger, of course, the better. when the water boils, scum it, put the peas in, with a little salt, and a piece of sugar, and let them boil quickly from fifteen to twenty minutes. when done, drain, and put them in a dish with some bits of fresh butter; stir the peas with a silver spoon, and cover the dish. some like mint boiled with peas; others boiled alone, chopped, and laid in little lumps round them.--_or_: after they are partly boiled, drain and stew the peas in a little broth, with a lettuce, a little green onion, and mint, or a sliced cucumber in the place of the lettuce; stew them till nearly done before you put in the peas; add a little salt, pepper, and brown or white sugar. essence of ham, or mushroom catsup, may be added.--_or_: when the peas are partly cooked, drain, and rub in some butter kneaded in flour, then stew them in weak broth, till quite done; add salt, a bunch of parsley, and green onions. before you serve the peas, drain them, dip a lump of sugar into boiling water, stir it amongst them, and grate parmesan over. for maigre dinners, use more butter, instead of broth. _in white sauce._--put quite young peas into a stew-pan, with a piece of butter, a cabbage lettuce, and a little each of parsley and chives. do not add any liquor, but stew them very gently over a slow fire. when done, stir, by degrees, ½ pint cream, and the beat yolks of eggs, into the peas; let it thicken over the fire, but not boil, then serve it. the peas which are eaten in their shells may be dressed in this way. _windsor beans._ boil in plenty of water, with salt, and a bunch of parsley. { }serve parsley and butter; garnish with chopped parsley. the french parboil them, take off the skins, stew them, and when done pour a rich veal gravy over. _french beans._ cut off the stalks, and if the beans are not young, string them, cut them in two, slantways; if old, split first, then cut them slantways; if very young, do not cut them at all. lay them in water, with a little salt, for about half an hour. then put them into water, boiling fast, and boil till tender. serve melted butter. these beans may be stewed in all the ways directed for peas. _beans à la maitre d'hotel._--warm them up in parsley and butter. _turnips._ some think turnips are most tender when not pared before they are boiled, but the general practice is to cut off a thick peel. most persons slice them also, but it is not the best way. an hour and a half of gentle boiling is enough. when done, lift them out with a slice, and lay them on a sieve to drain; when dry, serve them. to very young turnips leave about an inch of the green top. _to mash turnips._--squeeze them as dry as possible between two trenchers, put them into a saucepan with a little new milk or cream, beat well with a wooden spoon, to mash them, add a piece of butter and a little salt; stir over the fire till the butter is melted, then serve them. it is an improvement to put in with the cream a table-spoonful of powdered sugar. _to ragout._--turnips may be made a ragout to serve under or round meat. cut in slices an inch thick, and parboil them; then stew them in broth, which, if not already seasoned, may be seasoned at the time the turnips are put to it. when done, skim off the fat, and serve in the dish with any stew or braise, or by themselves. _turnips and parsnips to stew white._--parboil, cut in four, and stew them in weak broth, or milk and water (enough liquid to keep the turnips from burning); add salt and mace. as the liquid diminishes, put in a little good cream, and grated nutmeg. when done, mix with them a piece of butter rolled in flour. { }_turnip tops._ when they have been carefully picked, let them lie in cold water an hour. boil in plenty of water, or they will taste bitter. if quite fresh and young, twenty minutes will be enough. drain them on the back of a sieve. _parsnips._ boil them the same as turnips; or longer, according to their size and quality. _carrots._ boil the same as turnips; but if old, longer.--_turnips_, _carrots_, and _parsnips_ may be dressed together, or separately, in the following way:--cut up or onions (or less, according to the quantity of roots), and put them into a stew-pan, with a large piece of butter kneaded in brown flour. shake the saucepan a few minutes over the fire, then put in a little broth, let it stew slowly while you prepare the roots. scald, or parboil, turnips, carrots, parsnips, and celery, cut them in thin slips, and put them to the onions; season with salt and pepper. when done, add a little made mustard and vinegar.--_or_: wash and parboil them, cut in thin slices, and put them in a saucepan with a large piece of butter, a bunch of parsley, sweet basil, chives, a clove of garlic, and an eschalot. shake them over the fire, add a little salt, whole pepper, a blade of mace, and some flour, then put in a very little broth or milk and water. stew it gently till they are tender, and the liquid reduced. lift out the herbs, and put in some cream (according to the quantity required), with or eggs beaten up in it. turn the saucepan, over the fire, till the sauce thickens. when done, add a little vinegar. _beet root and mangel wurzel._ wash but do not scrape it, for if the skin be broken, the colour is lost. a middling-sized beet root will take from three to four hours to boil, and the same sized mangel wurzel another hour. when quite tender it is done. serve it, cut into thin slices; thick melted butter poured over. { }_onions to boil._ peel and boil them till tender in milk and water. the time required must depend upon their size.--they may be served in white sauce. _onions to stew._--spanish onions are best. peel and parboil very gently; then stew them in good broth, or milk and water, and season with white pepper and salt. when done, thicken the sauce with butter rolled in flour, lift out the onions, place them in a dish, and pour the sauce over.--_or_: stew them in rich, brown gravy. _onions to roast._--roast them before the fire, in their skins. _cucumbers to stew._ pare the cucumbers, and cut them in four, longways; to each one put a _small_ onion, sliced; then stew them in broth, with cayenne, pepper, salt, and nutmeg. when done, lay them in a dish, thicken the sauce with butter rubbed in flour, and pour over them. for maigre dinners, stew them in enough water to moisten them, with a large piece of butter: when done, pour some cream, mixed with beaten yolk of egg, into the saucepan, enough to make a sufficiency of sauce, let it thicken over the fire, lay the cucumbers in a dish, and pour the sauce over.--_or_: cut onions and cucumbers in halves, fry in butter, and pour good broth or gravy over them; then stew till done, and skim off the fat. _celery to stew._ cut the head in pieces of inches long, and stew as directed for cucumbers. some cooks stew it whole, or, if very large, divided in two, and in strong brown gravy.--_or_: if to be white, in rich veal broth, and add some cream. it must be cooked till quite tender to eat well. _mushrooms and morels._ both are used in sauces and ragouts. for stewing, button mushrooms, or the smallest flaps, are best. trim them carefully, for a little bit of mould will spoil the whole. stew them, in their own gravy, in an earthen vessel, with a very little water to prevent their burning. when nearly done, add as much rich brown gravy as is required for { }sauce, a little nutmeg, and, if you like, finely sliced ham, cayenne, pepper, and salt, if required; thicken, by mixing the yolk of an egg, by little and little, into the gravy. if to be white, squeeze lemon juice over the mushrooms, after they have stewed in their own gravy: add a tea-spoonful of cream, a piece of butter rolled in flour, cayenne, white pepper, salt, and nutmeg; thicken with the yolk of an egg. _mushrooms to broil._--the largest flaps are best, but should be fresh gathered. skin them, and score the under side. lay them, one by one, into an earthen vessel, brushing each one with oil, or oiled butter, and strewing a little pepper and salt over each. when they have steeped in this, an hour and a half, broil, on both sides, over a clear fire, and serve with a sauce of melted butter, minced parsley, green onions, and the juice of a lemon. _salsify._ boil the young shoots, about a year old, as asparagus. _scorzonera and skirrets._ the same as carrots; and are good in soup. _artichokes._ take off the outer leaves and cut off the stalks. wash well in cold water, and let them lie in it some time. put them head downwards, into the pot, take care to keep the water boiling, and add more as it diminishes, for they ought to boil two hours, or more. float a plate or dish on the top to keep the artichokes under. draw out a leaf, and if tender, they are done, but not else. drain them dry, and serve melted butter, in a tureen. _to fry._--cut off an inch or more, of the leaves, and cut the artichoke down in slices of ¾ of an inch thick, taking out the choke. parboil the slices in salt and water, then fry them in a pan nearly full of boiling lard, to be quite crisp, and of a fine colour. drain them before the fire a few minutes. _jerusalem artichokes._ boil, but do not let them remain in the water after they { }are done, or they will spoil; pour melted butter over.--_or_: they may be cooked in a rich brown gravy, or white sauce, and served with sippets of toasted bread. _artichoke bottoms._ if dried, soak them, then stew in gravy.--_or_: boil in milk, and serve them in white sauce. _endive to stew._ trim off all the green part, wash, cut in pieces, and parboil it till about half done; drain well, and chop it, not very fine; put it into a stew-pan with a little strong gravy, and stew gently till quite tender; season with pepper and salt, and serve as sauce to roast meat or fricandeaus. _lettuce to stew._ wash, parboil, and stew, in rich brown or white gravy; if to be white, thicken with cream and yolk of egg. lay them in a dish and pour gravy over. _cabbage lettuce with forcemeat._ parboil gently, for half an hour, then dip into cold water, and press them in your hand. strip off the leaves, spread a forcemeat, rich or maigre as you please, on each leaf:--_or_: put the forcemeat into the middle of each lettuce; tie them up, neatly, in their original shape, and stew them in gravy. when done, serve with the gravy poured over. _vegetable marrow._ this may be boiled and served on toast, like asparagus; serve melted butter.--_or_: when nearly cooked enough by boiling, divide in quarters, and stew gently in gravy like cucumbers.--_or_: serve it in white sauce. _marrow to stuff_ (_italian_). cut very young ones, about six inches long, in two, lengthways; take out the seeds and pulp with a small spoon, put a little salt on each one, and lay them between { }cloths, the hollow part down, to draw the water out. soak some crumb of bread in warm broth or milk and water, beat it up like thick pap, add pepper, salt, the beaten yolks of eggs, nutmeg and lemon peel; to this the italians add grated parmesan; pour off the water, and fill the vegetable marrow with this stuffing; put the halves together, bind them slightly with thread, brush over beaten yolk of egg, cover with bread-crumbs, and lay them, singly, in a broad shallow stew-pan, well rubbed round the sides and the bottom with butter. place the stew-pan over a slow fire, cover it, and when the butter is dried up, keep the marrow moistened with broth. when nearly cooked enough, put in some tomata sauce, and then put hot coals on the lid of the stew-pan to brown the vegetables. minced fowl and grated ham may be added to the stuffing. _to fry._--cut the long shaped ones (quite young), in four, longways, and each piece into long thin slices, lay these between cloths, sprinkle salt over to draw out the water, and let them lie half an hour: during which, prepare a smooth batter of flour, water, and eggs, dip the marrow into it, and fry in lard, of a light brown. shake the pan gently, but do not touch the fry, lest the paste should break and the fat get in, and make it greasy. spread a sheet of paper on a sieve, lay the fry on it, before the fire a few minutes to dry, then serve it. _cardoons._ choose the whitest, and cut them into pieces of inches long; half boil them in salt and water, with a very little vinegar; pour off the water, take out the cardoons, and peel off the threads; finish by stewing them, in stock of fish or meat, and butter, if required, to enrich it. mix some flour with a little oil, the whites of eggs, and a little white wine. cut the pieces of cardoon in , dip them in the above mixture, and fry them in lard, of a light brown. _lentils_ are chiefly used to make cullis for soups and made dishes, as follows: pick and wash ½ a pint or more, according to the quantity wanted. stew them in broth; when done, pulp them through a sieve, and season as you like. { }_samphire to boil._ boil in a good deal of water, with salt in it, till quite tender. serve melted butter. _laver._ this is generally prepared at the sea coast, and requires only to be heated. this is done best over a lamp, or, at a distance over the fire. when hot stir in a piece of butter, and a very little lemon juice or vinegar. _haricots blanc._ these should be soaked, at least, all night. then be poured from the water, and stewed in broth, or with butter, salt, pepper, chopped parsley and young onions. they must be cooked till tender, or they are not eatable. ---- salads. lettuce, endive, and small salading, are the most commonly used, but there are many other greens which eat well, as salads. they should be fresh gathered, well washed, picked, and laid in water with a little salt in it. when you take them out, which should not be till just before they are wanted, shake them well, lay them in a cloth, shake that, to make them as dry as possible, but do not squeeze, for that will destroy their crispness. in countries where salad is in more general request than in england, the greatest pains are bestowed to have it in perfection. it is essential to a good salad, that the leaves of lettuces should be crisp; and the french people shake them in a basket, made for the purpose, which answers better than anything. the french are justly famed for their salads, but the main cause of their superiority in them, is attributable to the abundance and goodness of both the oil and the vinegar used in the mixture. _to dress salad._ do not cut it up till you are going to mix it. strew a { }little salt, and then pour over it, table-spoonsful of oil to ½ of vinegar, add a little pepper, and stir it up well with a spoon and fork. there ought not to be a drop of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. to this may be added hard-boiled yolk of egg, also beet root well boiled and sliced. any kind of salad may be dressed in this way. good oil is not dear, but exceedingly wholesome. the least degree of the flavour of garlic is liked by some in salad, and may be obtained by cutting open a clove and rubbing it a few times round the salad bowl. some persons like a very little grated parmesan, in their salad. where oil is not liked, use oiled butter, or cream. rub very smooth on a soup plate the yolks of hard-boiled eggs, with thick cream; when this is done, add more cream, or oiled butter, vinegar, pepper, and salt to your taste, and mix the salad in it: or pour the mixture into the bowl, the salad on the top, and do not stir it up at all, but leave this to be done at table. the top of a dressed salad should be garnished with slices of beet root, contrasted with rings of the white of hard-boiled eggs; or a few young radishes and green onions, or cresses, tastefully arranged on the top. plovers and sea birds' eggs may be laid on the top, arranging some herb to form each one's nest; or all in one nest, in the centre. a pretty salad is a great ornament to a table, and not an expensive one. the following list may be imperfect, but though there may be other herbs which would be useful in salads, all these are good. lettuce. radishes. water cresses. young onions. corn salad. endive. celery. mustard and cress. chervil. coriander. tarragon. nasturtiums. sorrel. young spinach. french fennel. burnet. basil. chicory. the french make salads of cold boiled cauliflower, celery, french beans, and haricots. a mixture of either with { }some green herbs, dressed with oil, is very good; by way of variety. _lobster salad._ prepare a mixture of white lettuce, and green salading, mix it with cream or oil; take out the coral of the lobster, and dispose it amongst the vegetables so as best to contrast the colours.--_or_: lobster may be cut up, dressed as eaten at table, then mixed with lettuce and small salading also cut up and dressed; the dressing of each must be according to taste. some persons dress their lobster with lemon juice and cayenne. put the mixture into a salad bowl, light sprigs of cresses on the top, and heaps of the coral amidst them. _italian salad._ about three hours before the salad is wanted, bone and chop anchovies, and mix them in a salad bowl, with an eschalot, and some small salading, or lettuce, or any herbs, fresh gathered; boil eggs hard, bruise the yolks, then mix them with spoonsful of oil, of vinegar, a little pepper, and a little made mustard. to this sauce, put very thin slices of cold roast meat of any kind, fowl, game, or lobster (and any cold gravy), and leave them to soak. garnish it prettily. cold fish may be dressed in this way; then hard-boiled eggs may be added; and, with either meat or fish, cold boiled vegetables. nicely garnished, these salads are pretty for supper tables. capsicums, barberries, and pickled fruit are of use in ornamenting them. _cucumbers_ should be fresh, mixed with onion, and never eaten without oil. { }chapter xix. pastry. practice is more requisite than judgment to arrive at perfection in making pastry, particularly raised crusts, and very little can be given in the way of general instruction on the subject.--the flour should be of the best quality, dried before the fire, and then allowed to get cool before it is wetted.--good salt butter, washed in several waters, to extract the salt, is cheaper in some seasons, and is as good as fresh butter. fresh butter should be worked, on a board, with a wooden spoon, or the hand, to extract the butter-milk, before it is used for delicate pastry; after you have well worked, dab it with a soft cloth. finely shred suet makes very good crust for fruit, as well as meat pies, and, if good, is more delicate and wholesome than lard; veal suet is the most delicate. some cooks cut the suet in pieces, and melt it in water, then, when cold, press out the water, pound the suet in a mortar, with a very little oil, till it becomes the consistence of butter, and use it for pie crust; but i prefer fresh suet very finely _shred_, not chopped. for this purpose it must be quite sweet.--lard varies much in quality; and if not good, the paste will not be light. sweet marrow is very good. a marble slab is very useful for making pastry, particularly in hot weather. pastry is never good made in a warm room, neither will it bear being exposed to a draught of air. the sooner it is baked, the lighter it will be. there is ample room for display of taste in ornamenting pastry, both for meat pies and sweets. paste cutters are not expensive, and if kept in good order, will last a long time; but, if not delicately clean, the paste will be spoiled. for very _common meat pies_, a crust may be made of mashed potatoes, spread thickly over the top. for more delicate pies, rice may be boiled in milk and water till it { }begins to swell, then drained, and mixed with or eggs well beaten, and spread in a thick layer over the meat. _a glazing_ for meat pies is made of white sugar and water; yolk of egg and water; yolk of egg and melted butter. _to ice paste_, beat the white of an egg, and brush it over the tart, when half baked; then sift finely powdered sugar over that.--_another way_: pound and sift oz. refined sugar, beat up the white of an egg, and by degrees add it to the sugar, till it looks white, and is thick; when the tarts are baked, spread the iceing over the top with a brush, and return them to the oven to harden, but take care that the iceing do not burn. be careful to keep the pasteboard and rolling-pin quite clean; and recollect that the best made paste will be spoiled, if not nicely _baked_. _plain crust for meat pies._ to lbs. of fine, well dried flour, put lb. finely sliced fresh suet, and a little salt, mix it up lightly, with enough cold water to mould it, then roll out thin, fold it up, roll again, and it is ready. put more suet to make it richer. _another._--common bread dough, or french roll dough, makes very good crust for plain pies. roll it out, and stick bits of butter and lard into it, and roll up again. if the dough be good the crust will be light. _richer crust._ for lbs. of flour, break in pieces ½ lb. washed salt butter, rub it in the flour, wet it up with the yolks of eggs well beaten, and mixed in from ½ to a whole pint of spring water. roll the paste out thin, double it, and roll out again; repeat this three times, and it is ready. _an elegant crust._ wash ¾ lb. of very good butter, and melt it carefully, so that it do not oil, let it cool, and stir into it an egg well beaten: mix this into ¾ lb. of very fine well dried flour. it should not be a stiff paste, and must be rolled out thin. { }_a flaky crust._ wet lb. of well dried flour, with as much water as will make it into a stiff dough. roll it out, and stick bits of butter over. ¾ lb. of butter should be divided in , and rolled in at three different times. _puff paste._ weigh an equal quantity of fine flour, and fresh, or well washed salt butter: crumble one third part of the butter into the flour, mix well together, and wet it with cold water to make it into dough. dust some dry flour over the pasteboard, and work the dough well, with your hands, into a stiff paste; then roll out thin, and stick little bits of butter into it, sprinkle flour lightly over, fold the paste, roll out again; stick in more butter, fold up again, and repeat the same till all the butter is used. lay a wet cloth in folds over, till you use it. _another._--rub ½ lb. fresh butter into lb. fine flour, with the yolks of eggs beaten, and some finely sifted sugar: rub all together very smoothly, wet with cold water, and work it into a stiff paste. _crisp paste._ rub ¼ lb. butter into lb. flour, add table-spoonsful of sifted loaf sugar, and the yolks of eggs, work it well with a horn spoon, roll it out very thin, touching it as little as possible. _a good light crust._ rub a piece of butter the size of an egg, the same of lard, and soda to lie on a shilling, into lb. flour; mix it into a stiff paste with egg and a little water; roll it out times, spread lightly, once with butter, and twice with lard. _short crust not rich._ rub into lb. of flour, oz. butter, oz. sifted white sugar, and the yolks of eggs mixed with a little cream or new milk. to make it richer, use more butter and perfume { }the paste with orange or rose water, or flavour with lemon juice. the butter must all be crumbled into the flour before it is wetted; the less it is rolled the better. _a nice crust for preserved fruits, cheesecakes, &c._ beat ½ lb. good fresh butter, in a bason, with a spoon, till it becomes cream, add oz. finely sifted sugar, and mix in lb. fine flour, then wet it with the whites of eggs well beaten, and roll out the paste. if not stiff enough, use more flour and sugar.--_or_: rub together equal quantities of flour and butter, with a little sifted sugar; work it into a paste with warm milk, roll it out thin and line your patty pans. _another._--melt oz. of butter in a saucepan, with a tea-spoonful of water, oz. sifted sugar, and a bit of lemon peel; when the butter is melted, take out the lemon peel, and first dredge a little flour into the liquid, shake the saucepan, then put in as much more flour, with a spoon, as the butter will take, keep the saucepan over the fire, and stir briskly with a wooden spoon. turn it out into another saucepan and let it cool; then put it over the fire, and break in, first egg, stir it well, then more eggs, and stir well again, till the paste is ropy. _raised crust for meat pies._ put ¾ of a pint of water and ½ lb. lard into a saucepan, set it on the fire; have ready on the paste-board, ½ lbs. of flour, make a hole in the middle, and when the water in the saucepan boils, pour it into it, gently mixing it by degrees with the flour, with a spoon; when well mixed, knead it into a stiff paste. dredge flour on the board, to prevent the paste from sticking, continue to roll, and knead it, but do not use a rolling-pin. let it stand to cool before you form the crust for the pie, as follows: cut out pieces for the bottom and top, roll them of the proper thickness, and roll out a piece for the sides; fix the sides round the bottom pieces, cement them together with white of egg, and pinch the bottom crust up round to keep it closed firmly; then put in the meat and lay on the top crust, pinching the edges together closely.--it must be thick in proportion to the size of the pie. { }_rice paste._ mix ½ lb. rice flour into a stiff paste with the yolk of an egg and milk, beat it out with a rolling-pin, and spread bits of butter over, roll it up, and spread more butter till you have used ½ lb. this will boil as well as bake. _maccaroni paste._ work lb. flour into a paste with eggs; it will be very stiff; must be well kneaded, and then beaten for a long time with a rolling-pin, to make it smooth; then roll out very thin, and cut it in strips. this is rather toilsome than troublesome, because it is difficult to roll thin enough, on account of its stiffness; yet is well worth the trouble, to those who like maccaroni. it cooks in much less time than that which is bought, and is much more delicate. _meat pies._ some cooks say that meat should be a _little_ stewed with seasoning, a piece of butter, and only a _very_ little water, before it is put into a pie.--common meat pies should have a thin under crust; but the covering must be thick, or it will be scorched up, before the meat is cooked. meat pies require a hot, but not a fierce oven. _venison pasty._ make a stiff paste of lbs. of flour and lb. of butter, or fresh suet shred finely, wet it with or eggs well beaten and mixed in warm water. roll it out several times, line the sides of the dish, but not the bottom.--some cooks _marinade_ or _soak_ the venison for a night, in port wine and seasonings.--take out all the bones, season the meat with salt, pepper, pounded allspice and mace, and a little cayenne, then put it into a stone jar, and pour over some gravy of the trimmings, or of mutton or beef; place the jar in a saucepan of water, and simmer it over the fire, or on a hearth two or three hours, but the meat should not be over done. put it by till the next day; remove the cake of fat from the top, lay the meat in alternate pieces of fat { }and lean in a pie dish, add more seasoning if required, the gravy, and ¼ pint of port or claret; also a little eschalot or any flavouring vinegar. if the venison want fat, slices of mutton fat may be substituted.--the breast is best for a pasty, but the neck is very good; also the shoulder if too lean to roast. if any gravy be left have it ready to pour hot into the pasty. _beef steak pie._ cut small steaks from the rump: season, and roll up as olives, or lay them flat, fat and lean mixed, seasoned with salt, pepper, and spices. then put in ½ pint of gravy, or ½ pint of water, and a table-spoonful of vinegar. if you have no gravy, a piece of kidney will enrich the gravy of the beef, and is a valuable addition to a meat pie. forcemeat in layers between the slices of beef, or in small balls, makes this much richer; if to be eaten cold, suet must not be used: some cooks put in a few large oysters also. walnut or mushroom catsup. a good gravy may be poured into the pie, when baked. _pork pie._ this is generally made in a raised crust, but in a common pie dish, with a plain crust, it is very good. season with pepper and salt. cut all the meat from the bones, and do not put any water into the pie. pork pie is best cold, and small ones are made by laying a paste in saucers or small plates, then the meat; cover with paste, turning the two edges up neatly.--the griskin is best for pies. _sausage rolls._ use sausage meat; or, take equal portions of cold roast veal and ham, or cold fowl and tongue; chop these very small, season with a tea-spoonful of powdered sweet herbs and a tea-spoonful of mixed salt and cayenne: mix well together, put table-spoonsful of the chopped and seasoned meat, well rolled together, into enough light paste to cover it, and bake half an hour in a brisk oven.--these may be tied in a cloth and boiled; the crust plainer. { }_mutton pie._ cut cutlets from the leg, or chops from the neck or loin, season with pepper and salt, and place them in a dish, fill this with gravy or water, and, if you choose, strew over a very little minced onion or eschalot and parsley, and cover with a plain crust.--_squab pie_, is made of mutton, and between each layer of meat, slices of apples, potatoes, and shred onions. _lamb pie._ the same as mutton pie; only being more delicate, it does not require so much seasoning, and is best, made to turn out of patty pans. _veal pie._ cut chops from the neck or breast, or cutlets from any other part, season with salt, pepper, mace, nutmeg, lemon peel, or what herbs you like, lay them in the dish; very thin slices of bacon over them; pour in a little gravy, made from the bones or trimmings, or a little water. forcemeat balls, hard-boiled yolks of eggs, scalded sweetbreads, veal kidneys, truffles, morels, mushrooms, oysters and thick cream, may be used to enrich this pie.--_or_: slices of veal, spread with forcemeat, and rolled up as olives; make a hole in the top part of the crust, and when it comes out of the oven, pour in some good gravy.--to be very rich: put the olives in a dish, and between and round them, small forcemeat balls, hard-boiled yolks of eggs, pickled cucumbers cut in round pieces, and pickled mushrooms; pour in good gravy, a glass of white wine, the juice of a lemon, or lemon and oyster pickle. _maccaroni pie._ swell ½ lb. in broth or water; put a thick layer at the bottom of a deep dish, buttered all round, then a layer of beef steak cut thin, or thin slices spread with forcemeat, and rolled up like olives; season the beef, then another layer of maccaroni, then more beef, the top layer maccaroni; pour over gravy or water to fill the dish, and cover with a _thin_ { }crust, and bake it. as the maccaroni absorbs the gravy, there ought to be more to pour in, when it comes from the oven. a light sprinkling of cheese over each layer of maccaroni is an improvement. this pie may be made of fowl, or veal and ham. it is excellent. to be eaten hot.--the _white chedder_ is as good as parmesan cheese. _calf's head pie._ clean and soak, then parboil the head for half an hour, with part of a knuckle of veal, or shanks of mutton, in a very little water, with onions, a bunch of parsley, and winter savory, the rind of a lemon, a few peppercorns, and blades of mace. take it up, and let it cool, cut it into neat pieces, skin and cut the tongue into small bits. boil in the liquor a few chips of isinglass, till of a strong jelly. spread a layer of thin slices of ham, or tongue, at the bottom of a dish, a layer of the head, fat and lean assorted, with forcemeat balls, hard-boiled yolks of eggs, and pickled mushrooms: then strew over salt, pepper, nutmeg, and grated lemon peel; put another layer of slices of ham, and so on, till the dish is nearly full; pour in as much of the jelly as there is room for, cover with a crust, and bake it. good cold only, and will keep several days. _sweetbread pie._ boil ½ a neck of veal and lbs. gravy beef in quarts of water, with ½ a tea-spoonful of grated nutmeg, and equal quantities of mace and cayenne, and a tea-spoonful of salt; simmer this till it is reduced to ½ pint, and strain it off. put a good puff paste round your dish; put in sweetbreads, stuffed with green truffles, and oysters with their liquor (omit either or both, as you choose); but take care that the fish and meat are distributed; then fill the dish with the gravy, put on the top crust, and bake, in a quick oven, an hour and a quarter. to be eaten hot. _pigeon, rook, or moorfowl pie._ season them inside with salt and pepper, and put in each a bit of butter, rolled in flour. (some parboil the livers, minced with parsley, and put them inside also.) lay a beef { }steak (some stew it first) at the bottom of the dish, or veal cutlets, seasoned, and thin slices of bacon; put in the pigeons, the gizzards, yolks of hard-boiled eggs (forcemeat balls, if you like), and enough water to make gravy. cover with a puff paste, and bake it. some cooks cut up the pigeons, and use no beef steak, as they say that the pigeons, if cut up, will produce a sufficiency of gravy. port and white wine may be added; also catsups, sauces, and mushroom powder.--_rooks_ must be skinned; the back-bone cut out.--_moorfowl pie_ must not be over-baked: when done, you may pour in a hot sauce of melted butter, lemon juice, and a glass of claret. _hare pie._ cut up a leveret, and season it well; to be very rich, have relishing forcemeat balls, and hard-boiled yolks of eggs, to mix with the meat in the dish. put plenty of butter, rolled in flour, and some water, and cover with a paste. this pie will require long soaking, as the meat is solid; but, unless it be a leveret, much the best way is, to stew the hare first, like venison for pasty. _chicken, or rabbit pie._ cut up the chickens, season each joint with salt, white pepper, mace, and nutmeg, lay them in the dish, with slices of ham or bacon, a few bits of butter, rolled in flour, and a little water, cover with a crust, and bake it. this pie may be made richer, by putting veal cutlets or veal udder, at the bottom of the dish, adding forcemeat balls and yolks of hard-boiled eggs; also a good jelly gravy, seasoned with peppercorns, onions, and parsley, and poured over the chickens before the pie is baked. mushrooms are an improvement. forcemeat for _rabbit_ may be made of the livers, suet, anchovies, eschalot, onion, salt, and pepper. _goose pie._ bone, then season well, a goose, and a large fowl; stuff the fowl with the following forcemeat: oz. grated ham, the same of veal and suet, a little parsley, salt, pepper, { }and eggs to bind it. place the fowl within the goose, and put that into a raised crust; fill up round with slices of tongue, or pigeons, game, and forcemeat; put pieces of butter, rolled in flour, over all, and cover with a crust. bake it three hours. _giblet pie._ stew the giblets in broth, with peppercorns, onions, and parsley. when quite tender, take them up, to get cold, then divide, and lay them, on a well-seasoned beef steak, in a pie dish, and the liquor in which they were stewed, and cover with a plain crust. when done, pour in a tea-cupful of cream. _partridge, also perigord pie._ made the same as pigeon pie.--or: instead of the steak (some use veal), at the bottom of the dish, spread a thick layer of forcemeat, put in the partridges, bits of butter rolled in flour, and a few scalded button mushrooms, or a table-spoonful of catsup. cover with a good crust, and bake (if partridges), an hour.--_perigord pie_: singe and truss partridges, lard, season highly, and stuff them with a forcemeat made of lbs. of truffles (brushed, washed, and peeled), the livers of the partridges, and a piece of veal udder parboiled; season with salt, pepper, spices, minced onion and parsley, all pounded; put a little into each partridge, and fill up with whole truffles; line a raised crust with thin slices of bacon and forcemeat, put in the partridges, cover the pie, and bake it. _pheasant pie._ cut off the heads of two pheasants, bone and stuff them, with the livers, bread-crumbs, lemon peel, ham, veal, suet, anchovies, mace, pepper, salt, mushroom powder, and a little eschalot; stew them in good gravy a few minutes, then put them into a baking dish, with some balls of the forcemeat and pickled mushrooms; fill up with good gravy, flavoured with lemon, oyster, and mushroom pickle, a table-spoonful of brandy, and the same of camp sauce. { }cover with puff paste, and bake it. good either hot or cold. _sea pie._ cut up a fowl or two, and thin slices of salt beef, the latter soaked in lukewarm water. make a good paste of half flour and half mashed potatoes, with butter, lard, or dripping; roll out thin, put a layer at the bottom of a deep tin baking dish, then a layer of fowl and beef, season with pepper, salt, and a little shred onion; then another layer of paste, and one of meat, till the dish is nearly full, fill up with cold water, and bake it; when done, turn it out and serve quite hot.--_or_: slices of bacon, and no beef. _parsley pie._ this may be made of veal, fowl, or calf's feet, but the latter partly cooked first; scald a cullender full of fresh parsley in milk, drain it, season it with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, add a tea-spoonful of broth, and pour it into a pie dish, over the meat. when baked, pour in ¼ pint of scalded cream. _herb pie._ one handful of spinach, and of parsley, small lettuces, a very little mustard and cress, and a few white beet leaves; wash, then parboil them, drain, press out the water, mix with a little salt, cut them small, and lay them in a dish: pour over a batter of flour, eggs, a pint of cream, and ½ pint of milk: cover with a rich crust and bake it. _fish pie._ the fish should be boiled first; indeed, the remains of the previous day's dinner may answer the purpose. as any and every sort of fish is good in pies, one receipt will do for all, leaving it to the taste of the cook to enrich or flavour it.--if _turbot_, cut the fish in slices, put a layer in the dish, strew over a mixture of pepper, salt, pounded mace, allspice, and little bits of butter, then a layer of fish, then of the seasoning and butter, till the dish is full. having saved some of the liquor in which it was boiled, { }put it on to boil again, with all the skin and trimmings of the fish, strain and pour this into the dish for gravy. lay a puff paste over, and bake in a slow oven half an hour. _cod sounds_ must be washed well, then soak several hours, and lay them in a cloth to dry. put into a stew-pan oz. fresh butter, and half an onion sliced, brown these, and add a table-spoonful of flour rubbed into a small piece of butter, and ½ pint boiling water; let it boil up, put in about cod sounds, season with pepper, the juice of a lemon, and essence of anchovies, stir it a few minutes over the fire, put it in a pie-dish, cover with a light paste, and bake it an hour.--_another and richer_: cut the fish into fillets; season them with pounded mace, pepper, cayenne, and salt; or, if whitings, eels, trout, or any fish that will admit of it, do not cut them up, but season the inside, and turn the fish round, fastening with a thread. have some good fish stock, warm it, add seasoning, and any catsup you like. if you wish it to be _very_ rich, line the dish with fish forcemeat, lay some bits of butter at the bottom, put a thick layer of the fish, then strew over chopped shrimps, prawns, or oysters, then the rest of the fish, strain the stock over it, enough for gravy, cover with a light puff paste, and bake it. _lobster pie._ this is a rich compound, at its very plainest, and may be made very rich indeed. parboil , , or , according to the size of your dish. take out all the meat, cut it in pieces, and lay them in the dish, in alternate layers, with oysters cut in two, and bread-crumbs, moisten with essence of anchovies. whilst you are doing this, let all the shells and the spawn of the lobster be stewed in half water and half vinegar: add mace and cayenne; when done, strain it; add wine and catsup, boil it up, and pour over the lobster. lay a light puff paste over, and bake it. _herring, eel, or mackerel pie._ skin eels, and cut them in pieces inches long. season highly, and put a little vinegar into the sauce. this, and all fish pies, may be baked _open_, with a paste edging. { }_shrimp and prawn pie._ having picked, put them into little shallow dishes, strew bits of butter over, season as you like, but allspice and chili vinegar should form a part, white wine, also anchovies, if you like. cover with a puff paste. _salt fish pie._ soak the fish a night. boil it till tender, take off the skin, and take out the bones. if the fish be good, it will be in layers, lay them on a fish drainer to cool. boil eggs hard, cut them with onions, and potatoes in slices; put a layer at the bottom of a pie dish, season with pepper and made mustard, then a layer of fish, season that, another layer of the mixture, and so on till the dish be full; lay some bits of butter on the top, pour in a tea-cupful of water, with a tea-spoonful of essence of anchovy, and of catsup and oyster pickle. cover with a puff paste, and bake it an hour.--the _sauces_ appropriate to fish, are suitable to fish pies. _fresh cod pie._--salt a piece of the middle of a fish, one night; wash, dry, and season it with pepper, salt, and nutmeg; lay it in a deep pie dish, with some oysters, put bits of butter on it, pour in some good broth, and cover with a crust. when done, pour in a ¼ pint of hot cream, with a bit of butter rolled in flour, nutmeg, and grated lemon peel. _patties._ these are convenient for a side dish at dinner, or a principal one at supper or luncheon. an expert cook may contrive to reserve meat or fish, when cooking a large dinner, to provide a dish of patties. the compound must be very nicely minced, suitably seasoned, and sent to table in baked paste; or fried in balls, for a garnish. _crust for savoury patties._ if you can, get from the pastry-cook empty puff patties, it will save you trouble; if not, make a thin puff paste, and line the patty pans; cut out the tops, on white paper, with a thin stamp, and mark them neatly; put a piece of soft { }paper crumpled, in the middle of the lined patty pan, to support the top; put it on and bake them. prepare the mince, and when the patties are baked enough, lift off the top, put the mince in (not so much as to run over the edges), and lay the top on. _chicken, or turkey and ham, or veal patties._ mince very finely, the breast, or other white parts of cold chicken, fowl, turkey, or roast veal, and about half the quantity of lean ham, or tongue. have a little delicate gravy, or jelly of roast veal or lamb, thicken it with butter, rolled in flour, add pepper, salt, cayenne, and lemon juice; put the mince in, and stir it over the fire till quite hot, and fill the baked patties with this quite hot. a few oysters may be minced with the meat. _rabbit and hare patties._ mince the best parts with a little mutton suet. thicken a little good gravy, and season with salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, mace, lemon peel, and port wine, also the stuffing that may be left of the hare or rabbit; heat the mince in it, and fill patties, as above. _beef patties._ mince a piece of tender, underdone meat, with a little of the firm fat; season with salt, pepper, onion, a chopped anchovy, and a very little chili or eschalot vinegar; warm it in gravy, and finish, like other patties. _oyster patties._ beard and wash in their own liquor, some fresh oysters; strain the liquor, and if of , put to it oz. butter rolled in flour, with the oysters cut small, a little salt, white pepper, mace, nutmeg, and lemon peel, add to the whole table-spoonful of thick cream; warm, and put it hot into the baked patties.--_or_: parts of oysters, prepared as above, and one part of fresh mushrooms, cut in dice, fried in butter, and stewed in enough gravy to moisten them; stir the oysters to the mushrooms, and fill the patties. { }_lobster and shrimp patties._ chop finely the meat of the tail and claws of a hen lobster; pound some of the spawn, with ½ oz. of butter, and a little meat gravy or jelly, or a table-spoonful of cream; season with cayenne, salt, lemon peel, and essence of anchovy. _gooseberry, or green currant pie._ top and tail fruit enough to fill your dish; lay a strip of paste round the edge, put in half the fruit, then half the sugar, the rest of the fruit, more sugar, and cover with a good puff paste. mark the edges neatly, and ornament the top. when it comes out of the oven, sift powdered sugar over.--first put a little cup in the centre of the dish, to preserve the juice. _rhubarb pie._ when old and stringy, peel the skin off, cut the stalks slantways, and make it into a pie, the same as gooseberry: if young, do not peel it.--some like lemon peel in it. _red currants, raspberries, ripe gooseberries, cherries, plums, all sorts of damsons, apricots, and peaches_, make excellent pies; allow plenty of sugar, put in a little cup, and fill the dish high in the middle with fruit. divide the apricots and peaches. _green apricot tart._ the fruit should be stewed till tender in a very little water and some sugar; baked in a pie dish with a covering of puff paste, and is an excellent tart. _apple pie._ russetings, ribstone pippins, and such apples as are a little acid, are best. pare, core, and slice them; sprinkle sugar between, as you put them in the dish, also a little pounded cinnamon and cloves. slices of quince are an improvement, or quince marmalade, or candied citron or orange peel. put a strip of paste round the edge of the dish, and { }cover with a light paste. if they are dry, put in a little lemon juice, and a wine-glassful of white wine. _green codling tart._ make the pie as directed in the last receipt, and when it comes out of the oven, with a sharp knife cut round the crust, an inch from the edge, take it off, and pour over the apples, a plain or rich custard; have ready baked on a tin, some paste leaves, and stick round the tart; or else cut the top, you have taken off, into lozenges, or the best shape you can, and stick them round. in the country, fresh cream ought to accompany fruit pies. clouted cream is excellent with fruit pies.--_apples_, _gooseberries_, and _rhubarb_ stewed, with sugar enough to sweeten, are better for children, than cooked in paste.--_or_: fruit thus prepared, may be spread on very thin paste, covered up in turn-overs, and baked on tins. _cranberry tart._ the cranberries should be stewed first, with brown sugar, and a very little water, then baked in open tarts, or in patty-pans lined, and covered with light puff paste. _tarts of preserved fruits._ cover patty-pans, or shallow tins or dishes with light puff paste, lay the preserve in them, cover with light bars of paste, or with paste stars, leaves, or flowers. for delicate preserves, the best way is to bake the paste, first, then put in the preserves, and ornament with leaves baked for the purpose, on tins. _small puffs._ roll out light paste nearly ½ an inch thick, cut it in pieces of inches wide, lay preserves on each, fold it over, wet the edges, and pinch them together, lay these on buttered paper, and bake them.--_or_: cut the paste into squares, lozenges, and leaves, bake them on tins, and then lay different preserves on each one, and arrange them tastefully in a dish. { }_spanish puffs._ boil ½ the rind of a lemon, a small stick of cinnamon, and a bit of butter the size of a nut, in ¼ pint of milk, strain it, and set it on the fire in a stew-pan; when it boils, stir in spoonsful of flour, and a large table-spoonful of brandy, take it off, and rub it well together; when quite cold, add eggs, one at a time, rubbing well all the while; divide the mixture into tea-spoonsfuls, or on a plate, let it stand to grow firm, then fry in plenty of boiling lard. _apple puffs._ stew the apples, pulp them through a sieve, and sweeten with white powdered sugar; make them as directed for _small puffs_, and bake in a quick oven. _orange and lemon puffs._ grate the peel of seville oranges, or lemons, and mix with it ¾ lb. grated lump sugar. beat up the whites of eggs to a solid froth, put that to the sugar, beat the whole, without stopping, for half an hour, pour it in little round cakes, on buttered paper laid on tins, and bake them in a moderate oven. when cold, tear off the paper. _minced pie meat._ par-roast, or slightly bake, about lbs. of lean beef (some prefer neat's tongue); when cold, chop it finely; chop lbs. beef suet, also lbs. apples, peeled and cored, lb. stoned raisins, and the same of currants; mix these together in a pan, with lb. of good moist sugar, nutmegs, grated, oz. salt, oz. ginger, ½ oz. coriander seeds, ½ oz. allspice, ½ oz. cloves, the juice of lemons and their rinds, grated, ½ lb. candied citron, the same of candied lemon, ½ pint of brandy, and the same of sweet, ginger, or madeira wine. mix well, and it will keep some time, in a cool place. to use it, stir it, and add a little more brandy. cover patty pans or shallow dishes with a puff paste, fill with the mince, and put a puff paste over: bake in a moderate oven.--_or_: lb. beef, lbs. suet, lbs. raisins, lbs. currants, ½ lbs. sugar, lbs. apples, the rind of lemons, and the { }juice of ½ lbs. candied lemon; nutmeg, ginger, and pepper to taste. these receipts are both good. _a bride's pie._ boil calf's feet quite tender, and chop the meat. chop separately lb. suet and lb. apples, quite fine; mix these with the meat, add ½ lb. currants, ½ lb. raisins (chopped fine), ¼ oz. cinnamon, drachms nutmeg, and mace (all pounded), oz. candied citron and lemon peel, sliced thin, a wine-glass of brandy, and of madeira. line a tin pan with puff paste, put in the mince, cover with a paste, and ornament it. _maigre mince meat._ to lbs. currants add lbs. raisins, oz. cloves, ½ oz. mace and nutmeg, lbs. fine powdered sugar, the rinds of lemons, and sharp apples, all these ingredients chopped or pounded separately, and then mixed together; add a pint of brandy. let it stand a day or two, and stir it from the bottom once or twice a day. it will keep in a dry place, for months. add butter or suet, when you make it into pies, also citron, if you like. _note._--mince meat is improved by the currants being plumped in brandy. raisins should be chopped _very_ fine. { }chapter xx. puddings. practice, which, generally speaking, is every thing in cooking, will not ensure success in making puddings, unless the ingredients be good. for pudding crust, nothing is so good as veal suet finely shred, though beef suet and beef marrow make light crust. fresh dripping is also very good. lard is not so good, for either meat or fruit puddings. meat puddings (or dumplings, as they are called, in some of the counties in england) are generally liked, and are, either in crust or in batter, an economical dish, when made of the trimmings of beef or mutton, or the coarser parts of meat, which, though very good, would not so well admit of any other species of cooking. the meat should be quite fresh, and a due mixture of fat and lean. a piece of kidney, cut in bits, will enrich the gravy of beef steak or hare pudding. the crust for these puddings should be less rich, and thicker than for fruit puddings. puddings will not be light unless the flour be fresh, and dried before the fire. the number of eggs must be regulated by their size, for a small egg is but half a large one. break them separately into a tea-cup, and put them into the basin one by one; by this means you ascertain their freshness before you mix them together, for if one be the least stale, it will spoil any number with which it may be mixed. beat them well, the two parts separately, and strain them to the other ingredients. butter, whether salt or fresh, should be perfectly sweet; and milk or cream, if only a little upon the turn, will render of no avail all the labour that has been bestowed upon either pudding or custard. let all seasoning spices be finely pounded; currants { }washed, rubbed dry, carefully picked, and laid on a sieve before the fire to plump; almonds must be _blanched_, namely, covered with hot water, and then peeled. puddings of both meat and fruit may be boiled in a mould or bason, but they are lighter in a cloth; but then the crust must be thicker, for if it break, the gravy or juice will be lost. spread the cloth in a cullender, or bason, flour it, lay in the crust, then the fruit or meat, put on the top, and pinch the edges firmly together, but do not let them be so thick as to form a heavy lump at the bottom, when the pudding is turned out. pudding cloths should not be washed with soap, but boiled in wood ashes, rinsed in clear water, dried, and put by in a drawer. when about to use it, dip the cloth in boiling water, squeeze dry, and dredge it with flour. do not put a pudding in the pot till the water boils fast, and let there be plenty of it; move the pudding from time to time for the first ten minutes; and, as the water diminishes, put in more, boiling hot. the water should boil _slowly_, and never for a minute cease to boil during the time the pudding is in. when you take it out of the pot, dip the pudding into cold water for an instant, and set it in a bowl or cullender, for two or three minutes; this will cause it to turn more easily out of the cloth. a pudding in which there is much bread should be tied up loosely, to allow it to swell. a batter pudding tied tight. batter requires long beating; mix the milk and eggs by degrees into the flour, to avoid making it lumpy; this will be the case sometimes, and then the batter may be strained; but such waste may be avoided, by care in mixing at first. tie meat puddings up tight. more care is necessary in baking than in boiling puddings. they should not be scorched in a too hot, nor made sodden, in a too cool oven. it is an improvement to puddings, custards, and cakes, to flavour them with orange flower, or rose water, or any of the perfumed distilled waters. _paste for meat puddings._ shred ½ lb. suet and rub it into ¼ lb. flour, sprinkle a little salt, and wet it into a stiff paste with cold water; { }then beat it a few minutes with a rolling pin. clarified dripping is not so good, but more economical. _beef steak pudding._ the more tender the steak, the better, of course, the pudding. cut it into pieces half the size of your hand, season with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. spread a thin crust in a buttered bason, or mould; or a thicker one in a cloth: put the meat in, and a little water, also a wine-glassful of walnut, the same of oyster catsup, or oysters, and a table-spoonful of lemon pickle; cover it with the top crust, fasten the edges firmly, and tie it up tightly. finely minced onion may be added. a piece of kidney will enrich the gravy. a beef pudding of lbs. of meat ought to boil _gently_ four hours. _hare, rabbit, and chicken_, make good puddings, the same as beef; slices of ham or bacon are an improvement to the two latter. boil _hare pudding_ as long as beef. _dumplings._--chop beef small, season well, and put it into dumplings, the same as apple dumplings, and boil one hour.--_sausage_ meat, or whole sausages, skinned, may be boiled in paste, and are very good. _suet pudding and dumplings._ chop oz. suet very fine, put it into a basin with oz. flour, oz. bread-crumbs, and a tea-spoonful of salt, stir well together, and pour in, by degrees, enough milk, or milk and water, to make it into a light pudding; put it into a floured cloth, and boil two hours. for dumplings, mix the above stiffer, make it into dumplings, and tie them separately in a cloth; boil them one hour. or eggs are an improvement. oz. of currants to the above quantity, make _currant dumplings_. _meat in batter._ cut the meat into chops or steaks, put them in a deep dish, season with pepper and salt, and fill up the dish with a batter, made of three eggs, and large table-spoonsful of flour, to a pint of milk; then bake it.--_or_: bake the meat { }whole, and if a large piece, let it be in the oven half an hour before you pour in the batter, or else they will be cooked unequally. _kidney pudding._ split and soak or ox kidneys, and season well; line a bason or cloth with a crust, put them in, and boil it two hours and a half; rather less, if in a cloth. _fish pudding._ pound some slices of whiting in a mortar, with ¼ lb. butter; soak slices of french rolls in cold milk, beat them up with pepper and salt, and mix with the fish. boil this, in a buttered bason, about an hour and a half. serve melted butter.--_mackerel_ is made into puddings; for this follow the directions for beef steak pudding. _black pudding._ they are made of hog's blood. salt, strain, and boil it _very slowly_, or it will curdle, with a little milk or broth, pepper, salt, and minced onion; stir in, by degrees, some dried oatmeal and sliced suet; add what savoury herbs you like, fill the skins, and boil them. some put in whole rice or grits (parboiled), in place of oatmeal. _hog's puddings, white._ mix ½ lb. almonds blanched and cut in pieces, with lb. grated bread, lbs. beef or mutton suet, lb. currants, some cinnamon and mace, a pint of cream, the yolks of and whites of eggs, some lisbon sugar, lemon peel, and citron sliced, and a little orange-flower water. fill the skins rather more than half, and boil in milk and water. _apple pudding to boil._ make a paste in the proportion of oz. suet, or oz. butter, lard, or dripping, to oz. flour, and a little salt. some use an egg or two, others cold water only, but it should be a _stiff_ paste. line a mould, bason, or cloth, with this paste, rolled smooth, put in the apples, pared, { }cored, and sliced; sweeten with brown sugar, and flavour with cloves, cinnamon, or lemon peel, as you like. some persons put in or cloves, or a small piece of cinnamon, also lemon peel. _green apricot pudding._ the same as the last, and is delicious. let the crust be delicate, and use white powdered sugar. _roll pudding._ roll out a paste as directed for apple pudding, spread jam or any other preserve you like on it, roll it over, tie it in a cloth, and boil it.--a very nice mixture to spread over paste in place of preserves, is composed of apples, currants, and a very little of mace, cinnamon, and sugar. _another jam pudding_: line a bason with a thin paste, spread a layer of preserve at the bottom, then a thin paste to cover it, then a layer of preserve, and so on, till the bason is filled, cover with paste, pinch it round the edges, and boil it. _apple dumplings._ peel large apples, divide them, take out the cores, then close them again, first putting clove in each. roll out thin paste, cut it into as many pieces as you have apples, and fold each one neatly up; close the paste safely. tie up each dumpling separately, very tight, and boil them an hour. when you take them up, dip each one into cold water, stand it in a bason two or three minutes, and it will turn more easily out of the cloth. _green currants_, _ripe currants_, _and raspberries_, _gooseberries_, _cherries_, _damsons_, and all the various sorts of _plums_, are made into puddings, the same as _apple pudding_. _plum pudding._ for this national compound there are many receipts, and rich plum puddings are all very much alike, but the following receipts are very good:--to oz. finely shred beef { }suet, add oz. flour, oz. stoned raisins, oz. well picked and plumped currants, pounded allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar to taste, and a tea-spoonsful of salt; mix these ingredients well, and wet them with eggs well beaten, and as much milk as is required to mix it into a rather stiff pudding. you may add a wine-glassful of brandy, or of sweet white wine; indeed, brandy is rarely omitted; some prefer the flavour of orange flower or rose-water. this pudding may be made richer by the addition of oz. candied lemon peel, and ½ oz. citron. it should boil at least four hours.--_or_: ½ lb. of slices of stale bread, pour ½ pint of boiling milk over, and cover close for fifteen or twenty minutes; beat this up with ½ lb. suet, ½ lb. raisins, and the same of currants, all chopped fine; add table-spoonsful of flour, eggs, a little salt, and as much milk as is required. this may be either boiled or baked.--_or_: to ¾ lb. currants, ¾ lb. raisins, and ½ lb. suet, add ½ lb. bread-crumbs, eggs, a wine-glassful of brandy, ½ a tea-cupful of fine sugar, ½ a nutmeg grated, and as much candied orange or lemon peel as you like: mix well, and boil three hours. no other liquid is required. _a christmas pudding._ to lb. suet add lb. flour, lb. raisins, lb. currants (chopped fine), oz. bread-crumbs, table-spoonsful sugar, of grated lemon peel, a blade of mace, ½ a nutmeg, a tea-spoonful of ginger, and eggs well beaten. mix well and boil five hours. _marrow pudding._ pour a quart of boiling milk over a large breakfast-cupful of stale crumbs, and cover a plate over. shred ½ lb. fresh marrow, mix with it oz. raisins, oz. currants, and beat them up with the soaked bread; sweeten to your taste, add a tea-spoonful of cinnamon powder, and a very little nutmeg. lay a puff paste round the edge of a shallow pudding dish, and pour the pudding in. bake from twenty-five minutes to half an hour. you may add lemon peel, a wine-glassful of brandy, some almonds blanched and slit; also candied citron and lemon peel. { }_sauce for plum pudding._ melt good fresh butter, thicken it, and stir in by degrees, a wine-glassful of white wine, the same of brandy or old rum; sweeten to your taste, and add grated lemon peel and cinnamon. _a store pudding sauce._--to ½ pint brandy, and pint sherry, add oz. thinly pared lemon peel, and ½ oz. mace; infuse these two or three weeks, then strain and bottle it. add as much as you like to thick melted butter, and sweeten to taste. _french plum pudding._ mix oz. suet, oz. grated bread, oz. sugar, eggs, a coffee-cupful of milk, a table-spoonful ratafia, or of rum, and ½ lb. french plums; let it stand two hours, stir well again, and boil it in a mould, two hours. _plum pudding of indian corn flour._ to lb. corn flour add ½ lb. shred suet, and what currants, raisins, and spices you choose; mix the whole well together, with a pint of water, and boil the pudding in a cloth three hours. _maigre plum pudding._ simmer in ½ pint milk, blades mace, and a bit of lemon peel, for ten minutes; strain into a basin, to cool. beat eggs, with oz. lump sugar, ¼ of a nutmeg grated, and oz. flour; beat well together, and add the milk by degrees; then put in oz. fresh butter, or oz. bread-crumbs, oz. currants, and oz. raisins; stir all well together. boil it in a mould two hours and a half. serve melted butter sweetened, and flavoured with brandy. _bread pudding._ pour a pint of boiling new milk over a breakfast-cupful of stale bread-crumbs, cover till cold, then beat them with a spoon; add oz. currants, or a few cut raisins, a little sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and or eggs, well beaten; beat well together, and either boil in a buttered mould, or { }bake in a dish. it may be enriched by candied citron, or lemon peel, and flavoured with orange flower or rose water. this may be baked in little cups, turned out into a dish, and served with sweet sauce. _brown bread pudding._--grate ½ lb. stale brown bread, and mix it with ½ lb. shred suet, and ½ lb. currants; sugar and nutmeg to taste, eggs, table-spoonful of brandy, and of cream. boil it three hours, and serve with sweet sauce. _sweet sauce._ flavour thick melted butter with cinnamon and grated lemon peel, sweeten to taste, add or wine-glassfuls of white wine.--_or_: sweeten some thin cream, put in a little piece of butter, heat it, then flavour with cinnamon or lemon peel, and white wine; pour it hot over the pudding, or serve in a tureen.--_or_: break a stick of cinnamon into bits, boil it ten minutes, in water enough to cover it, add ¼ pint of white wine, table-spoonsful of powdered sugar, and boil it up, strain, and pour over the pudding. _bread and butter pudding._ lay thin slices of stale bread and butter in a pudding dish, sprinkle currants over, then another layer of bread and butter, and so on till the dish is full to about an inch; pour over an unboiled custard ( eggs to a pint of milk), sweeten to taste, soak it an hour, and bake half an hour. _custard pudding._ boil a stick of cinnamon and a roll of lemon peel, in a pint of new milk, or cream, and set it by to cool. beat eggs, pour the milk to them, sweeten to taste, and bake in a dish lined with puff paste twenty minutes. you may add a wine-glassful of brandy. _to boil._--prepare a mould as follows; put into it enough powdered sugar, to cover it, set it on the stove for the sugar to melt, and take care that the syrup cover the whole inside of the mould; grate lemon peel over the sugar, and pour the above mixture of milk or cream and eggs into it; tie a cloth over, and put instantly into boiling water, and boil it half an hour. turn it out, and garnish with preserves. these puddings are good, hot or cold. { }_little puddings._ grate a penny loaf, and mix well with a handful of currants, a very little fresh butter, nutmeg, and the yolk of an egg; make it into little balls, flour them, tie separately in a cloth, and boil them half an hour. serve quite hot, with wine sauce. _an excellent pudding._ boil a bit of cinnamon in a pint of milk, pour it over thin slices of french roll, or an equal quantity of rusks, cover with a plate to cool; beat it quite smooth with oz. shred suet, ¼ lb. currants, eggs beaten, and a little brandy, old rum, or orange-flower water. bake an hour. _oatmeal pudding._ steep the oatmeal all night in milk. pour off the milk, and stir into the meal some cream, currants, spice, sugar, or salt, to your taste, and or eggs; or, if no cream, use more eggs. stir well, and boil it in a basin an hour. pour melted butter, sweetened, over it. _batter pudding._ beat eggs and mix them smoothly, with table-spoonsful of flour, then stir in by degrees, pint of new milk, beat it well, add a tea-spoonful of salt, and boil in a mould an hour, or bake it half an hour.--_black cap pudding_ is made in the same way, with the addition of oz. currants; these will fall to the bottom of the basin, and form a black cap when the pudding is turned out.--_batter pudding with fruit_ is made as follows: pare, core, and divide, large apples, put them in a deep pudding dish, pour a batter over, and bake it.--cherries, plums, damsons, and most sorts of fruit, make nice puddings in this way.--serve sweet sauce with batter puddings.--_or_: raspberry vinegar, such as is made at home, clear, and possessing the flavour of the fruit. _yorkshire pudding._ this is batter, the same as the last receipt, baked, and { }eaten with roast meat; but in some houses it is not baked, but cooked under the meat thus: pour it into a shallow tin pan, put it under roasting meat, and stir till it begins to settle. after one or two trials a cook will know when to put the pudding under the meat, for that must depend upon the size of the joint, as it ought to go to table as soon as it is done, or it will be heavy. they are much lighter not turned. the fat will require to be poured off, once or twice. _potato puddings._ boil in a quart of milk, a bit of lemon peel, and some nutmeg. rub smooth, in a little cold milk, table-spoonsful of potato flour, and stir it, by degrees, into the hot milk; when cool, add sugar, and or eggs, or more as you like, put it into a dish, and bake an hour. add brandy or orange-flower water. _carrot pudding._ mix ½ lb. grated raw carrot with ½ lb. grated bread, and stir these into a pint of thick cream and the yolks of eggs well beaten, then stir in ½ lb. fresh butter, melted, spoonsful of orange-flower water, ½ a wine-glassful of brandy, a nutmeg grated, and sugar to your taste; stir all well together, and if too thick, add a very little new milk, pour it into a dish lined with paste and bake it an hour. _hasty pudding._ beat the yolk of an egg into ½ pint new milk with a little salt, stir this by degrees into table-spoonsful of flour, and beat it to a smooth batter. set ½ pint of milk on the fire; when scalding hot pour in the batter, keep stirring that it may be smooth and not burn: let it thicken, but not boil. serve it directly. _buttermilk pudding._ use fresh buttermilk, and make the same as batter pudding, but without eggs. this is very good, with roast meat.--_or_: warm quarts of milk with a quart of { }buttermilk, then pour it through a sieve; when the curd is dry, pound it with ½ lb. sugar, the peel of a lemon boiled till tender, the crumb of a roll, bitter almonds, oz. butter, the yolks of and whites of eggs, a tea-cupful of good cream, a wine-glassful of sweet wine and of brandy; mix well, and bake in small cups, well buttered. serve quite hot, with sweet sauce. _save-all pudding._ put scraps of bread, or dry pieces of home-made cake, into a saucepan, with milk according to the quantity of bread; when it boils, beat the bread smooth, add eggs, sugar, nutmeg, ginger, and lemon peel; put it into a buttered dish, and strew over the top oz. shred suet, or butter. bake or boil it three quarters of an hour. _currants_ or _raisins_ are an improvement. _camp puddings._ melt ¼ lb. butter in ½ pint of water, with a little salt, sugar to your taste, and grated lemon peel. when melted, stir in ¼ lb. flour, and when nearly cold, add eggs well beaten. bake in cups twenty minutes, or fry them in plenty of lard. _pretty puddings._ a pint of cream, or new milk, eggs (leave out whites), ½ a nutmeg grated, the pulp of large apples (boiled), ¼ lb. butter melted, and a tea-cupful of grated bread. beat it well together, sweeten to your taste, and bake it. _nursery pudding._ cut the crumb of a twopenny loaf in slices, pour on it a quart of boiling milk, cover close for ten minutes; beat it and stir in ¼ lb. fresh butter, eggs, a little nutmeg, and sugar. bake in patty-pans, or in a dish, half an hour. _arrow root pudding._ rub dessert-spoonsful of arrow root quite smooth in a little cold milk, pour upon it by degrees, stirring all the { }time, a pint of scalded new milk; put it on the fire a few minutes to thicken, but not boil; stir carefully, or it will be lumpy. when cold add sugar, and yolks of eggs. boil, or bake it half an hour. _ground rice pudding._ mix oz. ground rice with ½ pint of cold milk; scald ½ pint of new milk, and pour the rice and milk into it, stirring over the fire till it thickens: let it cool, then add eggs well beaten, oz. of powdered sugar, nutmeg, and a spoonful of orange-flower water, stir all well together, and bake in a dish, with a paste border, half an hour. currants may be added. it may be boiled in a mould, an hour. indian corn flour makes good puddings the same way; and there are preparations of indian corn, such as _soujie_, _semolina_, and _golden polenta_, which may be dressed in the same way. _semolina pudding._ mix oz. of semolina quite smooth, with a little cold milk, then pour over it a pint of boiled milk, and sweeten to your taste, then put it into a saucepan, and keep stirring till it boils, take it off the fire, and stir till only lukewarm; add a slice of butter, the yolks of eggs, the juice of a lemon, and a wine-glassful of brandy. bake in a dish lined with paste, half an hour. _indian corn mush._ the same thing as oatmeal porridge, but made of indian corn meal. boil quarts of water with a little salt, and mix it, by degrees, into lb. corn meal; boil very gently three quarters of an hour, stirring all the time, that the meal may not adhere to the bottom of the saucepan, and burn. _hommony._ boil one third of a pound of indian meal in water to cover it, for twenty minutes, or until nearly all the water is wasted; it must be like thick paste. put a piece of butter the size of a walnut into a vegetable dish, pour in the hommony, { }and serve it, like mashed turnips. dip your spoon in the middle when you help it. in some parts of america, what they call _hommony_ is made of the _cracked_ corn: and if so, it must be something of the same kind as our peas-pudding, but not boiled in a cloth. _polenta._ the best thing to prepare this in, is a three legged iron pot, hung over the fire. let the fire be hot, and also blazing, if possible. to a quart of water, when it boils, put in a little salt, then add oz. of meal, but be careful to do it in the following manner: while the water is boiling stir in half the meal first, but be sure to stir quickly all the time, or it may be lumpy, then you may put in the remainder at once, but keep stirring constantly. when it has been on the fire a quarter of an hour, cease to stir, take the pot off the fire and set it on the floor for two minutes, then put it on the fire again, and you will see the polenta first rise in a great puff, then break and fall; as soon as you perceive this, take it off the fire, and turn it out into a dish; it ought to come out quite clean, not leaving a particle adhering to the pot, else there has been some fault in the boiling. it is stirred with a long stick, thicker at one end than the other. of this the italians make an endless variety of dishes, some of which are the following: the most simple mode of dressing the polenta is thus: pour it from the boiling into a bowl, when cold turn it out; take a coarse thread in your two hands, put it on the side of the polenta away from you, draw the thread towards you, and you will find that it cuts a clean slice of polenta off, continue till you have cut it all into slices, and then you may dress them in different ways: the commonest is to cut the slices _thick_ and brown them on a gridiron. _whole rice pudding._ rice should be soaked an hour in cold water. wash well, and pick, a tea-cupful of good rice, boil it slowly ten minutes, in a little water, pour that off, and pour over the rice ½ pint of new milk; let the milk boil up, pour it into a deep dish, stir in a bit of butter, sugar to your taste, a little pounded cinnamon, and grated lemon peel; { }bake it, and it will be a good plain pudding. this is made richer by adding to the rice and milk, when poured into the dish, some sliced suet, and raisins, or candied peel, also or eggs.--_or_: apples pared, cored, and sliced, spread at the bottom of the dish, the rice and milk poured over them.--_little rice puddings_ are made by boiling the rice (after it has been parboiled in water) in a pint of cream, with a bit of butter; let it get quite cold, then mix with it the yolks of eggs, sugar, lemon peel, and cinnamon; butter some little cups, lay slices of candied citron, or lemon, at the bottom, fill up with rice, bake, turn them out in a dish, and pour sweet sauce round. ratafia is an improvement. _rice pudding to boil._ wash and pick ¼ lb. of rice, tie it in a cloth, leaving room to swell, boil it two hours. turn it out in a dish, pour melted butter and sifted sugar over.--_or_: apples sliced may be mixed with the rice when it is put into the pudding cloth.--_or_: boil ½ lb. of rice in ½ pint of milk till tender, then mix with it ½ lb. suet, and the same of currants and raisins chopped, eggs, table-spoonful of sugar, the same of brandy, a little nutmeg and lemon peel; beat well, put table-spoonsful of flour to bind it, and boil in a mould or bason three hours. _snow balls._ boil ½ lb. whole rice tender in water, with a large piece of lemon peel; drain off the water. pare and core large apples. divide the rice into equal parts, roll out each one, put an apple in, cover with the rice, and tie each one tightly up in a cloth, and boil half an hour. pour pudding sauce round. _buxton pudding._ boil pint new milk; rub smoothly with a little cold milk, table-spoonsful of flour, and mix it by degrees to the boiled milk, and set it over the fire, let it boil five minutes, then cool; stir in oz. melted butter, eggs, oz. lump sugar, and the rind of a lemon grated. bake half an hour. { }_vermicelli pudding._ boil ½ pint of new milk, put to it oz. fine vermicelli, boil them together till the latter is cooked; add ¼ lb. butter; the yolks of eggs, ¼ lb. sugar, a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon peel grated. boil in a bason; or bake twenty minutes. cream is an improvement. _sago, or tapioca pudding._ wash it in several waters, then soak it an hour. boil table-spoonsful in a quart of new milk, with sugar, cinnamon, lemon peel and nutmeg, to taste; when cold add eggs, bake it in a dish with a paste border, in a slow oven. some prefer the prepared sago powder. _pearl barley pudding._ wash table-spoonsful of pearl barley in cold water, then boil it two hours or till quite soft, in a quart of milk, then beat in eggs, some sugar, and drops of essence of lemon: bake it in a pie dish. _millet pudding._ wash oz. of the seeds, pour on them ½ pint of boiling milk, add oz. butter, a little sugar, ginger, and nutmeg; cover with a plate, and let it remain till cold, then stir in eggs: boil or bake it. _maccaroni pudding._ simmer oz. pipe maccaroni in ½ pint of milk, and a little salt, till tender. (_or_: simmer it in water, pour that off, then put the hot milk to the maccaroni.) let it cool, add the yolks of eggs, a little nutmeg, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and a table-spoonful of almond-flower water, and bake it.--_or_: to make it richer, put a layer of any preserve in the centre of the maccaroni. lay a paste round the edge of the dish.--_or_: simmer oz. maccaroni till tender, pour the water off, and let the maccaroni cool. beat the yolks of eggs, the whites of , and stir them into ½ pint of good cream, with a very little salt and pepper. { }skin and mince the breast of a cold fowl, with half its quantity of lean ham; grate ½ oz. parmesan over the mince, and mix it with all the rest; then pour it into a shape or bason; boil or steam it.--_excellent._ serve a good clear gravy with this. _a pudding always liked._ put ¼ lb. ratafia drops, oz. jar raisins stoned and slit in two, oz. sweet almonds slit and blanched, oz. of citron and candied lemon (both sliced), in layers in a deep dish, and pour over a wine-glassful of sherry and the same of brandy; pour over a good, rich, unboiled custard, to fill up the dish, then bake it. _cheese pudding._ grate ½ lb. of cheshire cheese into a table-spoonful of finely grated bread-crumbs, mix them up with eggs, a tea-cupful of cream, and the same of oiled butter; bake in a small dish lined with puff paste. serve this quite hot. _ratafia pudding._ blanch, and beat to a paste, in a mortar, ½ lb. of sweet, and ½ oz. of bitter, almonds, with a table-spoonful of orange-flower water; add oz. of fresh butter, melted in a wine-glassful of hot cream, eggs, sugar to taste, a very little nutmeg, and a table-spoonful of brandy. bake in a small dish, or little cups buttered: serve white wine sauce. _staffordshire pudding._ put into a scale eggs in the shells, take the same weight of butter, of flour, and of sugar: beat the butter to a cream, then add the flour, beat it again, then the sugar and eggs. butter cups, fill them half full, and bake twenty minutes in a slow oven. serve in sweet sauce. _baked almond pudding._ beat oz. of sweet and bitter almonds to a paste; mix this with the yolks of eggs, oz. butter, the grated peel { }and juice of a lemon, ½ pint of cream, a glass of white wine, and some sugar. put a paste border round a dish, pour in the pudding, and bake it half an hour. _wafer pudding._ melt oz. butter and mix it with a gill of cream; when this is cold, work it into ½ table-spoonful flour, and eggs, mix well, and bake it in saucers, half an hour. serve with wine sauce. _orange pudding._ grate the rind of a large seville orange into a mortar, put to it oz. fresh butter and oz. finely powdered sugar; beat well, and mix in, gradually, eggs; have ready soaked in milk sponge biscuits, and mix them to the rest; beat well, pour it into a shallow dish, lined with a rich puff paste, and bake till the paste is done.--_or_: the yolks of , and whites of , eggs well beaten, table-spoonsful of orange marmalade, oz. pounded sugar, oz. fresh butter, oz. pounded naples biscuits, table-spoonsful of cream, of sherry, and of good brandy; mix all together, and bake in a dish with a very thin paste. _lemon pudding._ put ½ lb. fresh butter with ½ lb. lump sugar into a saucepan, and stir it over the fire till the sugar is melted, turn it out to cool; beat eggs, very well, add to them the juice of , and the grated peel of , lemons, and mix these well with the butter and sugar, also a wine-glassful of brandy; bake in a dish lined with puff paste, half an hour.--_or_: boil in several waters the peel of large lemons, and when cold pound it in a mortar with ½ lb. of lump sugar; add ½ lb. fresh butter beaten to a cream, yolks of eggs, whites, table-spoonsful of brandy, and the juice of lemons, mix well, and bake in a moderately quick oven; when done strew sifted sugar over.--some persons put sponge biscuits into the mixture. _cabinet or brandy pudding._ line a mould, first with raisins stoned, or with dried { }cherries, then with thin slices of french roll, then with ratafias or maccaroons, then put in preserved, or fresh, fruit as you like, mixed with sponge, and what other cakes you choose, until the mould be full, sprinkling in at times glasses of brandy. beat eggs, yolks and whites, and put them into a pint of scalded and sweetened new milk or cream, add grated nutmeg and lemon peel; let the liquid sink gradually into the solid part, tie a floured cloth tight over, and boil the pudding one hour, keeping the bottom of the bason up.--_another_: pour a pint of hot cream over ½ lb. of savoy biscuit, and cover it; when cold, beat it up, with the yolks and whites of eggs, beaten separately, sugar and grated lemon peel: butter a mould, stick some stoned raisins round, and pour in the pudding: boil or bake it. _baked apple or gooseberry pudding._ having pared and cored them, stew lb. of apples, or quart of gooseberries, in a small stew-pan, with a very little water, a stick of cinnamon, or cloves, and grated lemon peel: when soft, pulp the apples through a sieve, sweeten them, or, if they want sharpness, add the juice of half, or a whole lemon, also ¼ lb. good fresh butter, and the yolks of eggs well beaten; line a pudding dish, or patty-pans, with a good puff paste; pour the pudding in, and bake half an hour, or less, as required. a little brandy, or orange-flower water, may be used.--you may mix oz. of naples biscuit, with the pulp of gooseberries. _another._--prepare the apples as in the last receipt: butter a dish and strew a very thick coating of crumbs of bread, put in the apples and cover with more crumbs; bake in a moderate oven half an hour, then turn it carefully out, and strew bits of lemon peel and finely sifted sugar over.--rice may be used instead of crumbs of bread, first boiled till quite tender in milk, then sweetened, and flavoured with nutmeg and pounded cinnamon; stir a large piece of butter into it. _quince pudding._ scald lb. fruit till tender, pare them, and scrape off all the pulp. strew over it pounded ginger and cinnamon, { }with sugar enough to sweeten it. to a pint of cream, put the yolks of eggs, and stir enough pulp to make it as thick as you like. pour it into a dish lined with puff paste, and bake it. any stone fruit may be coddled, then baked in the same way. _swiss apple pudding._ break some rusks in bits, and soak them in boiling milk. put a layer of sliced apples and sugar in a pudding dish, then a layer of rusks, and so on; finish with rusks, pour thin melted butter over, and bake it. _peach, apricot, and nectarine pudding._ pour a pint of boiling, thin cream, over a breakfast-cupful of bread-crumbs, and cover with a plate. when cold, beat them up with the yolks of eggs, sugar to taste, and a glass of white wine. scald large peaches, peel them, take out the kernels, pound these with the fruit, in a mortar, and mix with the other ingredients; put all into a dish with a paste border, and bake it. _another apricot pudding._--coddle large apricots till quite tender, cut them in quarters, sweeten to your taste, and when cold, add yolks of eggs and whites, well beaten, also a little cream. put this in a dish lined with puff paste, and bake it half an hour in a slow oven: strew powdered sugar over, and send it to table. for this and all delicate puddings requiring little baking, rather shallow dishes are best; and if the pudding is not to be _turned out_, a pretty paste border only is required; this formed of leaves neatly cut, and laid round the dish, their edges just laying over each other. _a charlotte._ cut slices of bread, an inch thick, butter them on both sides, and cut them into dice or long slips, and make them fit the bottom, and round the sides of a small buttered dish or baking tin, and fill up with apples which have been stewed, sweetened, and seasoned to taste; have some slices { }of bread soaked in warm milk and butter, cover these over the top, put a plate or dish on the top, and a weight on that, to keep it down, and bake in a quick oven: when done, turn it out of the dish.--this is very nice, made of layers of different sorts of marmalade or preserved fruit, and slices of stale sponge cake between each layer. _another of currants._--stew ripe currants with sugar enough to sweeten them: have ready a basin or mould buttered and lined with thin slices of bread and butter, pour in the stewed fruit hot, just off the fire, cover with more slices of bread and butter, turn a plate over, and a weight on that: let it stand till the next day, then turn it out, and pour cream or a thin custard round it, in the dish. _bakewell pudding._ line a dish with puff paste, spread over a variety of preserves, and pour over them the following mixture:--½ lb. clarified butter, ½ lb. lump sugar, yolks, and whites of eggs, and any thing you choose to flavour with; bake it in a moderate oven. when cold you may put stripes of candied lemon over the top, and a few blanched almonds. to be eaten cold.--this without any preserves is called _amber pudding_. _citron pudding._ mix ½ pint of good cream by degrees, with table-spoonful of fine flour, oz. of lump sugar, a little nutmeg and the yolks of eggs; pour it into a dish or little cups, stick in oz. of citron cut very fine, and bake in a moderate oven. _maccaroon pudding._ pour a pint of boiling cream or new milk, flavoured with cinnamon and lemon peel, over ¼ lb. maccaroon and ¼ lb. almond cakes; when cold break them small, add the yolks of and the whites of eggs, table-spoonsful of orange marmalade, oz. fresh butter, oz. sifted sugar, a glass of sherry, and one of brandy mixed: mix well, put it into cups, and bake fifteen minutes. { }_new college pudding._ (the original receipt.) grate a stale penny loaf, shred fine ½ lb. suet, beat eggs, and mix all well together, with oz. of sifted sugar, a little nutmeg, a wine-glassful of brandy, a little candied orange and lemon peel, and a little rose or orange flower water. fry these in good butter, and pour melted butter with a glass of white wine over them in the dish. the several ingredients may be prepared apart, but must not be mixed till you are ready to fry them.--_another_: to oz. of grated bread add oz. suet shred fine, oz. currants, eggs, table-spoonsful of brandy, with sugar, lemon peel, and nutmeg to your taste; mix well together, make into little puddings, and boil them an hour. _paradise pudding._ pare and chop apples very fine, mix them with oz. bread-crumbs, oz. powdered sugar, oz. currants, eggs, oz. of suet, a little salt, nutmeg, and lemon peel, also a glass of brandy. boil in a bason one hour and a half. _yeast or light dumplings._ put ½ table-spoonful of good yeast into as much lukewarm water as will mix a quartern of fine flour into dough; add a little salt, knead it lightly, cover with a cloth, and let it stand in rather a warm place, not exposed to a current of air, two hours. make it into dumplings, let them stand half an hour, put them into a large vessel of boiling water, keep the lid on, and they will be done in fifteen or twenty minutes. serve melted butter. _hard dumplings._ sprinkle a little salt into the flour and mix it up rather stiff with water, make it into dumplings, and boil them with beef or pork. they may be made in cakes as broad as a small plate, about an inch thick; place a skimmer in the pot, lay the cake on it, boil it half an hour; score it deeply, and slip slices of butter in, sprinkle a little salt over, and serve it quite hot. a very little _lard_ may be rubbed into the flour. { }_pancakes._ the batter requires long beating, but the great art consists in frying them. the lard, butter, or dripping must be fresh and hot, as for fish. beat eggs and stir them, with a little salt, into table-spoonsful of flour, or allow an egg to each spoonful of flour, add pounded cinnamon, and, by degrees, a pint of new milk, and beat it to a smooth batter. make a small round frying-pan quite hot, put a piece of butter or lard into it, and, when melted, pour it out and wipe the pan; put a piece more in, and when it has melted and begins to froth, pour in a ladle or tea-cupful of the batter, toss the pan round, run a knife round the edges, and turn the pancake when the top is of a light brown; brown the other side; roll it up, and serve very hot. currant jelly, or marmalade, may be spread thinly on the pancake before it is rolled up. cream and more eggs will make it richer; also brandy or lemon juice. _whole rice pancakes._ boil ½ lb. rice in water till quite tender, strain, and let it cool; then break it very fine, and add ½ lb. clarified butter, ½ pint of scalded cream, or new milk, a little salt, nutmeg, and eggs, well beaten. mix well, and fry them. garnish with slices of lemon, or seville orange. _ground rice pancakes._ stir, by degrees, into a quart of new milk, table-spoonsful of ground rice, and a little salt; stir it over the fire till it is as thick as pap; stir in ½ lb. butter and grated nutmeg, and let it cool; add table-spoonsful of flour, a little sugar, and eggs; beat well, and fry them. _fritters._ make batter the same as pancakes, but stiffer; pour a large spoonful into boiling lard; fry as many at a time as the pan will hold. sift powdered sugar over, and serve on a hot dish. fritters are usually made with minced apple or currants, stirred into the batter, or any sweetmeat stiff enough to be cut into little bits, or candied lemon or orange { }peel.--_or_: grate the crumb of a stale roll, beat it smooth in a pint of milk over the fire, then let it get cold, and mix it with the yolks of eggs, oz. sifted sugar, and ½ a nutmeg. fry in boiling lard, and serve hot. sweet sauce in a tureen. _curd fritters_--rub a quart basin full of dried curd with the yolks of and whites of eggs; oz. sugar, ½ a nutmeg grated, and a dessert-spoonful of flour; beat well, and drop the batter into boiling lard. _apple fritters_--make a stiff common pancake batter. boil ½ a stick of cinnamon in a breakfast-cupful of water, and let it cool. peel and core some large apples, cut them in round slices, and steep them half an hour, or more, in the cinnamon water; then dip each piece in the batter, and fry them in lard, or clarified dripping. drain, dust sugar over each one, and serve hot.--_or_: to make a pretty dish, drop enough batter into the pan to form a fritter the size of the slices of apple, lay a slice of apple upon that, and drop batter on the top.--_or_: the apples may be pared, cored, half baked (whole), then dipped in the batter, and fried. _a rice white pot._ boil lb. whole rice quite tender, in quarts of new milk, strain, and beat it in a mortar with ¼ lb. blanched almonds, and a little rose water. boil quarts of cream with a blade or of mace, let it cool, and stir into it eggs well beaten, sweeten to taste, pour it into the rice, mix well, and bake half an hour. lay some slices of candied orange and citron on the top before you put it into the oven.--_or_: to a quart of new milk add the yolks of and the whites of eggs, a table-spoonful of rose water, and oz. sugar; beat well, and pour it into a pie dish, over some thin slices of bread: bake it half an hour. _pain perdu._ boil a pint of cream, or new milk; when cold, stir in eggs and put in a french roll, cut in slices, to soak an hour. fry the slices in butter, of a light brown, and serve with pudding sauce poured over. { }chapter xxi. bread, cakes, biscuits, rolls, and muffins. almost every county has its peculiar fashion of making bread: and almost every hand differs in the practice. the receipt here given is the one followed by most persons in hampshire; and i select it, being the one i am most familiar with, and not because that county is famed for excellence in bread; for much depends upon the goodness of the flour, and some other parts of england excel hampshire in this respect. good bread is so essential, that no pains ought to be spared to procure it. for this purpose the flour ought to be well prepared, and kept in a dry place. some persons like brown bread, but it is not, in general, so wholesome as that which is all white. six pounds of rye flour, to a peck of wheaten flour, makes very good bread. the advantages of making bread _at home_, in preference to buying it at the baker's, are stated in cobbett's "cottage economy"; and i refer my readers to that little work, to convince them that they will benefit greatly by following the advice there given on this subject. small beer yeast is the best for making bread, as ale, or strong beer yeast, is generally too bitter. _to take the bitter from yeast._--put the yeast to the water you use to mix the "batter," or as the country people call it, "set the sponge," and stir into it or good handfuls of bran; pour it through a sieve or jelly bag (kept for the purpose), and then mix it into the flour. the bran not only corrects the bitterness of the yeast, but communicates a sweetness to the bread.--_or_: put into the yeast or pieces of wood coal, stir them about, pour the water in, and then strain it. { }_household bread._ (from cobbett's cottage economy.) "supposing the quantity to be a bushel of flour, put it into the trough, and make a deep hole in the middle. stir into a pint (or if very thick and good, ½ or ¾ pint), of yeast, a pint of soft warm water, and pour it into the hole in the flour. in very cold weather the water should be nearly hot, in very warm weather only lukewarm. take a spoon and work it round the outside of this body of moisture, so as to bring into that body, by degrees, flour enough to form a _thin batter_, which you must stir about well for a minute or two. then take a handful of flour and scatter it thinly over the head of this batter, so as to _hide_ it. cover a cloth over the trough to keep the air from the bread, and the thickness of this covering, as well as the situation of the trough as to distance from the fire, must depend on the nature of the place and state of the weather, as to heat and cold. when you perceive that the batter has risen enough to make _cracks_ in the flour that you covered it over with, you begin to form the whole mass into _dough_, thus: you begin round the hole containing the batter, working the flour into the batter, and pouring in, as it is wanted, soft water, or half milk and half water, in winter a _little_ warm, in summer quite cold; but before you begin this, you scatter the salt over the heap, at the rate of a lb. to a bushel of flour. when you have got the whole _sufficiently moist_, you _knead it well_. this is a grand part of the business; for unless the dough be _well worked_, there will be _little round lumps of flour in the loaves_; besides which, the original batter, which is to give fermentation to the whole, will not be duly mixed. the dough must, therefore, be well worked. the _fists_ must go heartily into it. it must be rolled over; pressed out; folded up, and pressed out again, until it be completely mixed, and formed into a _stiff_ and _tough dough_." the loaves are made up according to fancy, both as to size and shape; but the time they require to bake will greatly depend upon the former, for the household loaf of a hampshire farm-house takes three hours or three hours and a half, while that of a norfolk farm-house does not, i should imagine, require half the time. { }_french bread or rolls._ warm ½ pint of milk, add ½ pint yeast; mix them with fine flour to a thick batter, put it near the fire to rise, keeping it covered. when it has risen as high as it will, add ¼ pint of warm water, ½ oz. salt, oz. butter; rub the butter first with a little dry flour, mix the dough not quite so stiff as for common bread; let it stand three quarters of an hour to rise, then make it into rolls. bake in a quick oven. _rice bread._ to ¼ lb. wheat flour, allow lb. rice; the latter first boiled in four times its weight of water, till it becomes a perfect pulp, then mix by degrees, the flour with the rice, and sufficient yeast for the quantity of bread; knead and set it to rise. it was the fashion in this country to present a variety of cakes, some hot and some cold, on the tea-table; but now, except in some of the northern counties, the good custom is obsolete. in america, it is the general custom to dine early, to take tea rather late, and no supper; and there the tea table is a matter of as much consideration as the dinner table is in england or france. every house in america, especially in the country, has one, two, or more cottage ovens of various sizes. i believe that these very useful things are known in some parts of england, but i never saw them except in america. they are particularly adapted to open fire-places, where wood or peat are burnt. they are much the same as the iron pots, which stand on legs, except that the bottom of the oven is flat, not round, and that the lid fits into the top, leaving a space sufficient to hold a layer of hot coals: the oven stands upon legs, at a little distance from the ground, to admit of hot coals being placed under it. a loaf the size of our quartern loaf may be baked in this way, as well as tarts, cakes, custards, apples, pears, &c., &c. by means of this little oven, much labour and fuel are saved. another appendage to an american kitchen, is the _girdle_ for baking many sorts of cakes, and crumpets; and on this girdle they cook their far-famed buckwheat cakes. it is a round iron plate with a handle over it, which is hung upon the crane upon which { }iron pots are hung, or it will stand upon a trivet, and then the crumpets are cooked in the same way as pancakes; and are much better thus, fresh made, than as they are generally eaten. in the country, where eggs, cream, and flour (the chief ingredients), are always to be obtained in perfection, there is no excuse for an absence of cakes for the tea, or of rolls at the breakfast table. in most houses, there are young ladies who might attend to this department, with very little loss of time, and with much credit to themselves, and i should be glad if i saw reason to hope that those who are now growing up would not despise the practice. the more difficult and intricate articles of ornamental confectionary, may be too troublesome for any but professors of the art; but all _cakes_ may be made at home. nothing worth knowing, is to be learned without trouble; but in the art of making and baking cakes, few failures can arise after any number of trials. flour for cakes should be of the best quality, well dried, and sifted. the eggs fresh, beaten separately, and beaten well. currants well washed, picked, and dried in a cloth, or before the fire. the ingredients thoroughly mixed, and the cake put into the oven _instantly_, unless there be yeast, and then time must be given for it to rise. sal volatile is used, not to make cakes rise, but to prevent their flattening, after they have risen, but though the practice may not be injurious, it had better be avoided. yeast ought to be sweet, white, and thick; and may be prepared in the manner directed for bread. pearl-ash is sometimes used to lighten bread and cakes. an iceing is made as follows: to ½ lb. finely sifted sugar put the whites of eggs, beaten with a little water; beat all well with a whisk till quite smooth, and spread it thickly over the cake, with a spoon; for small cakes, put it on lightly, with a brush. ovens vary so much, that experience alone can teach what quantity of fuel, and what portion of time may be required to heat any particular one. when such knowledge is once obtained, it will be a matter of no great difficulty so to manage the oven that it be always of the right temperature; which it must be, or all labour is lost. cakes keep moist covered with a cloth, in a pan. { }_common currant loaf._ melt ¼ lb. butter in a pint of milk, and mix it with oz. yeast and eggs, then stir it into lbs. flour, beat well with a wooden spoon, and set it before the fire to rise; then add lb. currants, and oz. sifted sugar, and bake it an hour in a moderate oven. _a rich plum cake._ to lb. each, of currants and flour, rubbed together, add oz. fresh butter beaten to a cream. beat the whites and yolks of eggs, put to them nearly lb. finely powdered sugar, set this mixture over the fire, and whisk it till the eggs are warm; then take it off, beat till cold, and stir in, first, the butter, then the flour and currants; beat well, add ½ oz. bitter almonds, beaten to a paste, oz. sweet almonds, blanched, and cut the long way, ½ oz. pounded cinnamon and mace, and ½ lb. candied peel, either citron, lemon, or orange, or a portion of each; add a little brandy or any highly flavoured liquor. paper a hoop and pour in the cake. an hour and a half, or two hours will bake it.--_another_: beat lb. butter to a cream, put to it ¾ lb. sifted sugar, and a little rose or orange flower water, beat it; then add yolks of eggs, the whites of , ½ lb. almonds, blanched and beaten, ½ lb. currants, a little each, of cinnamon, mace, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, and lb. flour. you may add table-spoonsful of brandy, oz. citron, oz. candied lemon peel, and the same of orange peel. bake two hours. _a very good cake._ beat lbs. fresh butter, with a little rose water, till it is like cream; rub it into lbs. well dried flour; add the peel of a lemon grated, lb. loaf sugar pounded and sifted, eggs (beat the whites by themselves, the yolks with the sugar), a ¼ pint of brandy, the same of lisbon or marsala, ½ lbs. currants, ½ lb. almonds, blanched and cut in slices, beat well together, put it into a buttered tin or dish, bake two hours. candied lemon or citron may be added. { }_pound cake._ to lb. flour add lb. butter beaten to a cream, and eggs: beat well, add sifted sugar, and grated lemon peel. you may add currants or carraways, to your taste. beat well, and bake in rather a quick oven, an hour. _common cake._ to lbs. flour, add ½ lb. butter, ½ lb. sugar, eggs, lb. currants, oz. candied citron or lemon, oz. carraway seeds, a little nutmeg, and table-spoonsful yeast. beat well, for half an hour, then put it in the oven _directly_. _a cake without butter._ take the weight of eggs (in their shells), in sifted sugar, and the weight of in flour: beat the eggs, add first, the sugar, then the flour, the rinds of large lemons grated, and a wine-glassful of sherry or brandy. bake in a tin mould in a quick oven.--_another_: to a quartern of dough add ½ lb. butter, eggs, ½ lb. currants, and ½ lb. sugar, beat all well together more than half an hour, and bake in a buttered tin. _a rich seed cake._ mix lb. sifted sugar into lb. flour, and stir in, by degrees, eggs, beaten, whisk well together, and add oz. sweet almonds blanched and cut, some candied citron, lemon, and orange peel, and oz. butter, beaten to a cream; a little pounded cinnamon, mace, and carraway seeds. pour it into a papered hoop, and strew carraways on the top.--_or_: put lbs. flour into a deep pan, and mix in ¼ lb. sifted white sugar. make a hole in the centre, pour in ½ pint of lukewarm milk and table-spoonsful good yeast; stir a little of the flour in, cover a cloth lightly over, and let it stand an hour and a half to rise. then work it up, with ½ lb. melted butter, a little allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and oz. carraway seeds; adding warm milk sufficient to work it to a proper stiffness. butter a hoop or dish, and pour in the cake; let it stand in a warm place another half hour to rise, then bake it. you may add table-spoonsful of brandy. { }_a rice cake._ mix oz. ground rice, oz. sugar, the grated peel of ½ a lemon, the yolks of and whites of eggs, and table-spoonful orange flower water; break the eggs into a deep pan, and put the rice flour to them at once, mix it with a wooden spoon, then add the sugar and the other ingredients; beat well for twenty minutes, and it will be a fine light sponge; then immediately half fill the moulds, put them into a moderate oven, and bake three quarters of an hour, of a light brown colour. _little rice cakes_-- lb. ground rice, lb. oz. sugar, ¾ lb. butter, eggs, and flour to make it into a stiff paste.--_or_: lb. sugar, ½ lb. flour, ½ lb. ground rice, oz. butter, yolks and whites of eggs. both these require long beating. roll the paste out, cut it in shapes, and bake on buttered tins. some persons add a few drops of the essence of lemon, and of almond flavour. _harvest cake._ mix into lbs. flour ¼ oz. of powdered allspice; in another bowl put ¾ lb. sugar, either moist or lump, oz. butter, eggs, table-spoonsful of yeast; beat well, then mix in the flour, with ¾ lb. currants, and warm milk and water, to make up the cake; set it by the fire an hour to rise. _temperance cake._ rub ¼ lb. butter into lb. flour, add ½ lb. moist sugar, ½ lb. currants, and a tea-spoonful of carbonate of soda, dissolved in a ¼ pint of warm milk; mix well, and bake it in a tin. _sponge cake._ the weight of eggs in sifted sugar, and the weight of in fine flour; beat the eggs separately, stir the sugar into the yolks, and beat well, then put in the whites and beat again, add a little nutmeg and rose-water, and just before you put the cake into the oven, stir the flour lightly into the eggs and sugar. this cake must be beaten with a whisk. bake, in rather a quick oven, three quarters, or nearly an hour.--_or_: beat, separately, the yolks and whites of eggs, { }put them together, add grated lemon peel, and oz. fine sugar, beat again an hour and a half, then stir in as lightly as possible oz. flour, previously dried before the fire.--_or_: boil ¾ lb. lump sugar in ½ pint of water to a syrup; beat eggs well, and pour the syrup, boiling hot, into them, stirring all the time; then beat it three quarters of an hour, and just before it is put in the oven, stir in lightly oz. of fine flour, pour it in a mould, and bake in a slow oven. lemon peel may be added. some persons put in a dessert-spoonful of essence of lemon. _marlborough cake._ beat eggs, strain, and put to them lb. finely sifted sugar, and beat the mixture well half an hour; then put in ½ lb. well dried flour, and oz. carraway seeds, beat well five minutes, pour it into shallow tin pins, and bake in a quick oven. _gingerbread._ put ¼ lb. treacle on the fire, and as it gets hot, take off the scum; stir in ¼ lb. of fresh butter, and let it cool; then mix it into a paste with ½ lb. flour, oz. brown sugar, a little ginger, and allspice; cut it into shapes, and bake on tins. more butter, or a little cream may be added. candied orange, lemon peel, or carraway seeds, may be added.--_another_: mix lb. flour, ½ lb. butter (rubbed in), ½ lb. brown sugar, lemon, ginger, and ½ lb. treacle; let it stand all night, and bake it the next day. _soft gingerbread_--six tea-cupfuls of flour, of treacle, of cream, and of butter, eggs, a table-spoonful of pearl-ash, dissolved in cold water, a table-spoonful of ginger, tea-spoonful of pounded cloves, and a few raisins, stoned; mix well, and bake in a rather slow oven. _gingerbread nuts_--they may be made the same way as the receipt before the last, adding more spice. cut in small cakes, or drop them from a spoon, and bake on paper. _parliament_--melt ¾ lb. butter with lbs. treacle, and lb. sugar, add ½ oz. ginger, the juice and grated rind of a lemon, and sufficient flour to make it into a paste: roll out thin, cut it into cakes, and bake it. { }_parkin._ mix lbs. of meal with lbs. treacle, lb. sugar, lb. butter, and ½ oz. ginger, with a tumbler full of brandy and rum; add nutmeg and mace if you like, and bake in large cakes. _volatile cakes._ melt ½ lb. butter, and stir in eggs, tea-spoonful of powdered volatile salts, dissolved in a tea-spoonful of milk, ½ lb. flour, ¼ lb. finely powdered loaf sugar, a few currants and carraway seeds. mix well, and drop the cakes on tins. they will rise very much. bake in a quick oven. _ginger or hunting cakes._ to lbs. sugar, add lb. butter, oz. ginger, and a nutmeg grated; rub these into lb. flour, and wet it with a pint of warm cream, or as much as is sufficient; roll out in thin cakes, and bake in a slack oven. _rough cakes._ rub oz. butter into lb. flour, ½ lb. sifted sugar, ½ lb. currants, and a little mace or lemon peel, break in eggs, work it all into a rough paste, and drop on tins. you may add oz. almonds. _ginger rock cakes._ pound lb. of loaf sugar, leaving a part of it as large as hemp seed; beat the whites of eggs to a froth, add a dessert-spoonful of refined ginger (sold by the druggists in bottles), mix well with a tea-spoon, drop it on tins, and bake in a moderate oven, a quarter of an hour. _plain biscuits._ to lb. flour, put the yolk of egg, and milk sufficient to mix it to a stiff paste, knead it smooth, then roll out thin, cut it in round shapes, prick with a fork, and bake them in a slow oven.--_or_: to lb. flour add ¼ lb. butter, beaten to a cream, oz. loaf sugar, eggs, and some { }carraway seeds: beat well for an hour, and pour the biscuits on tins, each one a large spoonful. if not sufficiently thin and smooth, add another egg, or a little milk.--_or_: rub oz. fresh butter very smooth into oz. flour, add oz. sifted sugar, and a table-spoonful of carraways: then add the yolks of eggs, and a table-spoonful of cream. bake in a quick oven. _indian corn biscuits._ to ½ lb. butter, add oz. pounded sugar, and eggs; when well mixed, add ¾ lb. corn flour, a little nutmeg, and carraway seeds, beat well, and bake on little tins.--_or_: into ¾ lb. flour, rub oz. butter, add oz. sifted sugar, and nearly oz. carraway seeds; make into a paste with eggs, roll out thin, and cut them in any shape you like. _dr. oliver's biscuits._ put lbs. flour into a shallow pan, mix table-spoonful of yeast with a little warm water, and pour it into a hole in the middle of the flour, work a little of the flour into the yeast, and set the pan before the fire a quarter of an hour. melt ¼ lb. butter in milk to mix the flour into a stiff paste, and bake on tins. _lemon biscuits._ beat the yolks of , and the whites of eggs, with lb. loaf sugar: when the oven is ready, add table-spoonsful rose water, oz. flour, the juice and rind of lemons, grated, a few almonds if you choose. bake in a quick oven.--_or_: mix lb. sifted sugar with ¼ lb. butter melted, the rind of a lemon grated, eggs, and a very little flour: roll into little flat cakes, and bake on tins. _rusks._ boil a quart of milk, let it cool, then put to it ½ pint of yeast, eggs, oz. coriander seeds, oz. carraway seeds, a little ginger, and ¼ lb. finely pounded sugar, beat these together and add flour to make a stiff paste: divide it into { }long thin bricks, put these on tins and set them before the fire a short time to rise, then bake them. when cold, cut in slices, and dry them in a slack oven.--_or_: melt ½ lb. butter in a quart of milk, let it cool, add egg, ½ pint yeast, and oz. sifted sugar, beat this a few minutes, then work in flour to make a light dough, and set it by the fire to rise. make this into little loaves, bake them on tins, in a quick oven; when half done take them out of the oven, split, and put them back to finish. _maccaroons, and ratafia cakes._ blanch, and pound, with the whites of eggs, lb. of sweet almonds, lbs. fine sugar, and beat it to a paste; add more whites of eggs and beat well again. drop it from a knife, on buttered paper, and bake on tins. _ratafia cakes._--the same as maccaroons, only use half bitter and half sweet almonds. _jumbles._ rub ½ lb. flour, ½ lb. sifted sugar, with ¼ lb. butter, add a table-spoonful brandy and eggs; keep out part of the flour to roll them out with; twist them up, and bake on tins. if too soft, leave out white of egg. _small plum cakes._ mix lbs. flour with lb. sugar, rub in lb. butter, lb. currants, add eggs. when well mixed, roll out the paste equally thin and flat; cut it into small round cakes with a wine-glass, and bake them in a moderate oven.--_or_: do not _cut_, but _pull_ it into small cakes. _small carraway cakes._ mix lb. flour, oz. butter, or table-spoonsful of yeast, yolks of eggs and white, into a paste, with cream. set it before the fire half an hour, to rise; add a small tea-cupful of sugar and ½ lb. carraway seeds. roll out into cakes, wash them over with rose water and sugar, and prick the top, with a knife. the oven rather quick. { }_shrewsbury cakes._ beat ½ lb. butter to a cream, mix it with oz. sifted sugar, oz. flour, pounded cinnamon, carraway seeds, eggs, and a little rose water. roll out the paste a ¼ inch thick, cut the cakes into shapes, and bake on tins in a slack oven. _shortbread._ melt lb. butter and pour it on lbs. flour, ½ a tea-cupful of yeast, and oz. carraway seeds; sweeten to your taste, and knead well. roll out thin, cut this into pieces, pinch round the edges, prick well with a fork, and bake on tins.--_or_: rub ½ lb. butter, melted without water, into the th of a peck of flour, add oz. sifted sugar, oz. each of candied orange, citron and blanched almonds, all these cut in rather large pieces; work it together, but not too much, or the cake will not be crisp; roll the paste out, about ½ inch thick, divide it into cakes, pinch the edges neatly, and mark them on the top with a fork; strew carraways, strips of citron, and little bits of almonds on the top, and bake on buttered papers. _derby short cakes._ rub lb. butter into lbs. flour, ½ lb. sifted sugar, egg, and milk to make it into a paste. roll out thin, cut the cakes in slices, and bake on tins, twenty minutes. _cinnamon cakes._ beat eggs, with a coffee-cupful of rose water, add lb. sifted sugar, ¼ oz. pounded cinnamon, and sufficient flour to make it into a paste. roll out thin, and stamp it into small cakes. bake on paper. _rout cakes._ beat lb. butter to a cream, and stir in the yolks of eggs, oz. flour, some grated lemon peel, and a few pounded almonds, or some orange flower water. mix well, and pour it into a mould not more than an inch high, and lined with paper; bake it, and when it has cooled, cut it into { }shapes, with a sharp knife; moisten the sides of these with sugar, and crisp them before the fire. _queen cakes._ lb. well dried flour, lb. butter, worked to a cream, lb. sifted sugar, and eggs. beat the yolks and whites separately, put half the sugar into the butter, and the other half into the eggs, beat them well, then beat all together, except the flour, which must be lightly dredged in as you continue beating the mixture, and shaking in ½ lb. currants. _buns._ mix ½ lb. moist sugar with lbs. flour, make a hole in the centre, and stir in ½ pint of lukewarm milk and a _full_ table-spoonful of yeast. cover it for two hours, in a warm place. melt to an oil, lb. butter, stir it into the mixture in the middle of the pan, and, by degrees, work it into a soft dough, dust it over with flour, cover with a cloth, and let it stand another hour. make it into buns the size of a large egg, then lay them on a floured paste-board, and put them before the fire to rise to the proper size; bake on tins, in a hot oven; when done, brush them over with milk.--_cross buns_: in the same way, adding to the plain buns, about oz. of ground allspice, mace, and cinnamon; when half baked, take them out of the oven, and press the form of a cross on the top; brush them over with milk when done.--_another for plain buns_: melt oz. butter, mix it well with eggs, ½ lb. sifted sugar, lb. flour, and a tea-spoonful of volatile salts dissolved in a tea-spoonful of warm milk; add ¼ lb. currants, with seeds to taste, and bake ten minutes. a tea-spoonful of essence of lemon, and one drop of essence of almond may be added.--_seed or plum buns_: mix into the same quantity of bun dough as the first receipt, oz. carraway seeds, or currants, or smyrna raisins. butter small tart pans, mould the dough into buns, put one into each pan, and set them to rise; ice them, with white of egg, dust fine sugar over, and dissolve that by sprinkling water lightly over. bake them ten minutes, in a quick oven. mark the edges, and ice the top, or not, as you choose.--_bath buns_: rub ½ lb. butter { }into lb. flour, wet it with eggs, and a wine-glassful of yeast, set it before the fire to rise; add oz. sifted sugar, and a few carraway seeds. make into buns, brush them over with white of egg, and strew sugar carraways over the top. _sally lumm's tea cakes._ warm a pint of new milk, or cream, with oz. butter; then add ¼ lb. flour to make it a stiff dough. roll to the size you choose, and bake it on a tin. when done, cut it in or more slices, butter, and send it to table directly; if it wait before the fire it will quickly be spoiled.--some add eggs, a little yeast, and sugar, to make it eat shorter. _breakfast cakes._ rub oz. butter into lb. flour, and a little salt. mix egg with a table-spoonful of yeast, and a little warm milk, and wet the flour, using as much milk as is required to make a light batter, as for fritters; beat well with the hand, then cover, and let it stand three or four hours, in a warm place, to rise. add flour to make it into a paste to roll out. make the cakes the size you choose, let them stand half an hour before the fire, prick them in the middle, with a skewer, and bake in a quick oven.--_or_: mix pint of cream, eggs, a table-spoonful of yeast, and a little salt, into ½ lb. flour. cover and let it rise. bake on tins.--_or_: melt ¼ lb. butter in new milk enough to wet up lbs. flour, add eggs, table-spoonsful yeast, and wet up the flour; let it stand ten minutes, make it into cakes, prick them with a fork, and let them stand covered near the fire, half an hour; bake in a moderate oven, a quarter of an hour. _yorkshire cakes._ mix ½ pint of warm milk, with a tea-spoonful of good yeast, into flour to make a thick batter; let it stand, covered, in a warm place, to rise. rub oz. butter into a little flour, add eggs, mix well, then mix it with the batter, add flour enough to work it into a stiff dough, and let it stand again a quarter of an hour; then knead again, { }and break it into small cakes, roll round and smooth, then put them on tins, cover lightly, and set them by the fire fifteen minutes, to rise, before you put them into the oven. _roehampton rolls._ to lb. of flour, add the whites of eggs, oz. butter, and spoonful of yeast, wet it with milk into a stiff dough; let this rise, before the fire, an hour, make it into rolls, and bake ten minutes.--_or_: to ½ pint of yeast add eggs, lumps of sugar, a piece of butter the size of an egg, and quarts of milk, beat well, and strain in as much fine flour as it will take up, mix well, and divide it into rolls; set them before the fire, an hour, then bake half an hour. _muffins._ mix a pint of scalded milk, with ¼ pint fresh yeast, and flour to make a thick batter. set it in a warm place to rise. rub oz. butter in a little flour and add it to the batter, with flour to make it into dough; cover and let it stand again; knead well, and make it into muffins: put them on tins, let them stand a quarter of an hour, then bake them. _crumpets._ mix a quart of good milk into flour to make a thick batter, add a little salt, egg, and a table-spoonful of small beer yeast; beat well, cover, and let it stand near the fire half an hour, to rise. hang the girdle, or put the frying-pan over the fire, and when hot wipe it clean with a wet cloth. tie a piece of butter in muslin, and rub it over the girdle: then pour on it a tea-cupful of batter, and as it begins to cook, raise the edge all round, with a sharp knife; when one side is done, turn it and bake the other side. when done, put it in a plate before the fire, rub the girdle with the buttered rag, and pour in another cupful of batter, then spread butter over the one in the plate, and so on, till they are all baked. send a few at a time, quite hot, to table. crumpets made thus are lighter than in the common way. rye flour makes excellent cakes this way, and likewise indian corn meal. n.b.--receipts for various ways of cooking _indian corn_ flour or meal will be found in "cobbett's cottage economy." { }_scotch slim cakes._ rub oz. butter into ½ lb. flour, mix it into a light dough with eggs and warm milk. roll lightly out, and cut them round, the size of a saucer, bake them, as directed, for crumpets. butter, and serve them quite hot. chapter xxii. confectionary. as i should always have recourse to the confectioner for all ornamental dishes, i shall give under this head, only such things as may be prepared at home with comparatively little risk of failure, and consequent waste of materials; observing, at the same time, that the plainest custard requires as much attention as the richest cream, and that all sweet dishes require to be flavoured with judgment. it is impossible to produce delicate creams, jellies, &c., &c., unless the ingredients, particularly cream, milk, and eggs, be perfectly fresh, and unless there be _enough_ of them. if served in glasses or dishes, use only eggs; but, if the cream is to be turned out of a shape, isinglass must be used to stiffen it. the quantity greatly depends upon the size of the shape; oz. to a pint is the general allowance, but more is often necessary.--the sugar used in jellies ought to be clarified, for one point of excellence is clearness.--to prevent oiling, put a little rose water into the mortar in which you pound almonds.--where there is much practice in making sweet dishes, all the vessels should be kept wholly for that purpose. jelly bags and sieves delicately clean, always dipped into, and wrung out of, hot water, before they are used. _common custards._ to ½ pint new milk, put a little piece of lemon peel cut { }very thin, a little cinnamon, and bitter almonds blanched and pounded. simmer the milk ten minutes. then strain, and when cool, put to it a pint of cream, the yolks of eggs, table-spoonsful sifted sugar, and set it in a saucepan over the fire. stir one way, all the time; take care that it do not burn, and not boil. when thick enough it will be done, and a minute or two too much will cause it to turn. when taken from the fire, add half a glass of brandy, and stir a quarter of an hour before you pour it into cups. in case of no cream, use more eggs.--_or:_ mix a table-spoonful of rice flour in a little cold milk, and add the beaten yolks of eggs. have ready boiled, a quart of new milk, with a bit of lemon peel, and cinnamon; let it cool, then stir the eggs and some sugar into it: let it thicken over the fire, but not boil, stirring all the time. take it off the fire, pour it into a jug, and stir till cool. serve in cups, or a glass dish, and grate nutmeg over. some persons boil custards in a jug, set into a deep saucepan of water, which is kept boiling. _rich custards to bake, or boil._ boil a quart of cream with mace and cinnamon. take it off the fire, add sugar to taste, and let it stand till no warmer than milk from the cow; then add eggs, well beaten. strain it, and fill the cups very full. the oven must be as hot as for tarts, and the cups often turned; or finish by boiling them in a jug stood in boiling water, but keep stirring all the while. brandy is an improvement, in the proportion of a wine-glassful to a quart. some flavour with ratafia, peach water, or orange flower water. a dessert-spoonful of isinglass will add to the firmness of custards made entirely of milk. _lemon custards._ beat the yolks of eggs till they are as white as milk, add the grated rinds and juice of lemons, sweeten to taste; pour in a pint of boiling water and stir over the fire till it thickens, add a wine-glassful of white wine, and the same of brandy, stir over the fire again for a few minutes, then pour it into cups. { }_orange custards._ beat the rind of a seville orange (previously boiled), to a paste, and mix it with a dessert-spoonful of brandy, the juice of a lemon, oz. sugar, and the yolks of eggs; beat it well, a quarter of an hour, and pour in, by degrees, a pint of boiling cream; keep on beating till cold, then pour it into cups, and set them in a deep dish in boiling water, till very thick. _spanish custards._ set ½ pint of thin cream over the fire, leaving out a tea-cupful; put in or bitter almonds, and ¼ oz. isinglass dissolved in a basin with boiling water enough to cover it; simmer for three-quarters of an hour, or till the isinglass is dissolved; mix smoothly into the cold cream a table-spoonful of ground rice, pour it into the hot cream, stirring all the time, and simmer it gently till it thickens sufficiently. flavour with table-spoonsful of orange flower, or rose water, or what you like; strain through a coarse hair sieve, and stir till nearly cold, when pour it into cups dipped in cold water. let these stand in a cool place; when firm, turn them out on a dish, stick them with blanched almonds sliced, and garnish with preserved cucumber, citron, or other preserve; when about to serve, pour a little cold cream into the dish.--_or_: boil a pint of cream with a stick of cinnamon, let it cool, strain it, add table-spoonsful of rice flour, the whites of eggs well beaten, sugar, and a little rose water; set it over the fire, and simmer till as thick as hasty pudding; wet a mould with rose water, pour the custard in; when cold, turn it out. _custards with apples._ pare, core, and either stew or bake some apples, in an earthen pan, with as little water as possible, and sugar to sweeten. when they are fallen, put them into a pie dish, and let them stand to get cold; pour over an unboiled custard, and set the dish into the oven, or before the fire, until the custard is fixed. { }_custard with rice._ boil some rice in milk till quite tender, with cinnamon and a very few bitter almonds; when cold, sweeten it, and form a thick high wall round a glass dish, and pour a boiled custard in the centre. just before it goes to table, strew coloured comfits, in stripes, up the wall. _a trifle._ whisk a quart of good cream with oz. powdered sugar, a glass of white wine, the juice and grated peel of lemon, and a little cinnamon. take off the froth as it rises, and lay it on a sieve, reversed, over a bowl. this should be done early in the morning, or the day before, that the froth may be firm. place in a deep trifle dish or sponge cakes, some maccaroons, and ratafia cakes, also a few sweet almonds blanched and split, then pour over enough white wine, with a little brandy, to moisten them; when the wine is soaked up, spread over the cakes a layer of raspberry jam, or any good preserve, and pour over that a _rich_ and boiled custard. heap the whip lightly on as high as the dish will allow. the preserve used or left out, according to taste. _gooseberry or apple trifle._ scald the fruit, and pulp it through a sieve, sweeten it, and put a thick layer in a glass dish. mix ½ pint of milk, ½ pint of cream, and the yolk of egg, scald it over the fire, stirring all the time, add sugar, and let it become cold, then lay it on the fruit, and on it a whip, as directed in the last receipt.--_or_: scald, pulp, and sweeten the fruit, then stir it over the fire, into a thin custard: when cooked enough, pour it into a glass dish, to get cold. if apple, grate nutmeg and cinnamon, or lemon peel, over the top, add also lemon juice, and lay a whip on the top. _a tipsy cake._ put a stale sponge cake into a deep china or glass dish, pour round it some raisin wine or marsala, and brandy to your taste, but enough to saturate the cake: when it is { }soaked up, strew sifted sugar over, and pour in the dish a rich custard. ornament the top of the cake by sticking a light flower in the centre, or bits of clear currant jelly; _or_, sweet almonds blanched and split. _crême patisserie._ boil a quart of new milk with cinnamon and lemon peel. rub a heaped table-spoonful of flour quite smooth with a little cold milk; stir the boiled milk, by degrees, into it; add eggs, and sugar to taste. stir it over a slow fire till it thickens; pour it into a dish, and stir it slowly a few minutes. flavour with vanilla, orange-flower water, ratafia, or brandy. this is flavoured with _tea_ or _coffee_, in the following manner: put a heaped table-spoonful of green tea into the milk, boil it up, cover the saucepan, simmer it a few minutes, then strain it. this will give a strong flavour of tea. for coffee: make a breakfast-cupful of very strong coffee, and put it into the milk just before it boils: use no other flavouring ingredient, and sweeten the cream sufficiently.--_or_: boil in a pint of thin cream, the peel of a large lemon grated or pared very thin, sugar to taste, and a very small piece of cinnamon. work up a table-spoonful of flour with the juice of the lemon; pour the boiling cream to it, by degrees, and stir it over the fire till the flour is cooked; pour it into a dish, and stir slowly till nearly cold; garnish with candied sweetmeats. _chocolate cream._ boil a quart of cream, having first scraped into it oz. scented chocolate; add nearly ¼ lb. lump sugar, and whites of eggs; whisk well, and, as the froth rises, take it off, and put into glasses. _a plain cream._ boil together, or separately, a pint of cream and a pint of new milk, with lemon peel, cinnamon, and sugar to taste; then add sweet and bitter almonds, pounded to a paste, with a little rose water, also a table-spoonful of rice flour rubbed smooth in cold milk; scald it, pour into a jug to cool. serve in glasses, or a glass dish. { }_italian cream._ boil ½ pint of sweet cream with ½ pint of new milk, the rind of a lemon cut thin, and sugar to taste; then let it cool. beat the yolks of eggs, add them to the cream, set it over the fire, stir till it thickens, and put in about oz. of melted isinglass, to stiffen it. whisk well, and strain it through a fine sieve into a mould, to turn out. first try a little in a saucer to ascertain if more isinglass be wanted. it may be flavoured with _curaçoa_ or _noyeau_. _ginger cream._ the same as chocolate cream; using only cream, no milk. flavour it by boiling in the cream either preserved, or essence of ginger. serve it in cups.--_or_: after the cream has thickened over the fire, add isinglass, as directed for italian cream, and strain it into a mould. _lemon cream._ beat the whites of eggs with one yolk, till as thin as water, but not frothed, add table-spoonsful cold water, and the juice of lemons, with sugar to taste: strain it through a fine sieve, put in a piece of lemon peel, and stir it over the fire, till as thick as cream. do not let it stay long on the fire, to get too thick.--_or_: steep the peel of lemons, cut very thin, in a pint of water, all night, then sweeten and boil it; stir in the whites of eggs beaten to a froth, and keep stirring over the fire till thick, then add the yolks. you may add ¼ oz. of isinglass, which makes it more like ice.--_or_: boil up a pint of thick cream with the beaten yolks of eggs, oz. sugar, and the thin rind of a lemon; stir till nearly cold, and pour it upon the juice of a lemon, in a bowl; stir it till cold.--_white lemon cream_ is made by using whites of eggs only. _orange cream._ pare a large orange very thin, put the peel into a bason, and squeeze oranges over it; pour in pint of cream, and set it over the fire; before it quite boils take out the peel, or the cream may be too bitter. let the cream become cold, { }then stir in the yolks and whites of eggs, and sugar to taste. set it over the fire again, and just scald it. pour into cups.--_or_: squeeze and strain the juice of oranges, sweeten well with pounded loaf sugar, and stir over a slow fire till the sugar be melted, taking off the scum as it rises; when cold mix it with the beaten yolks of eggs, mixed with a pint of cream, stir it over the fire again to thicken, and serve in a glass dish or cups.--_or_: boil ¾ oz. of isinglass in ½ pint of water, till half reduced, and when nearly cold stir in the juice of oranges and lemon well sweetened, and a pint of cream previously beaten to a froth, stir it over a slow fire till it begins to thicken, and then pour it into a mould.--n.b. the juice of any fruit may he used in the same way, always adding the juice of a lemon. _lemon or orange cream frothed._ squeeze the juice of a large lemon, or orange, into a glass or china dish. sweeten a pint of cream, and let it just boil; pour it out to get cold, put it into a tea-pot, hold it up as high as possible, and pour it upon the juice. _alamode cream._ grate lemons into a bason, squeeze in the juice, add ¼ lb. sifted sugar; melt ½ oz. isinglass in a tea-cupful of hot water, strain it on the lemon, stirring all the time, then pour in a pint of cold cream, but stir all the while, or it may be lumpy. pour it in a glass dish, and keep it in a cool place. garnish with almonds and apple paste. _velvet cream._ put into a deep glass or china dish, table-spoonsful of lemon juice, a little grated peel, and preserved apricot cut small, table-spoonsful of white wine or brandy, and powdered sugar. scald a pint of cream, put in ¼ oz. of melted isinglass, stir it over the fire a few minutes, and continue to stir till no warmer than new milk; then strain, and pour it into the dish. made the day before it is wanted. _vanilla cream._ boil ½ a stick of vanilla in a tea-cupful of milk till the { }flavour is as strong as you like, and mix it with a jelly made of calf's feet, or made with oz. of isinglass in a pint of water and a pint of cream, sweeten to taste, stir it till nearly cold, then pour it into a mould which has stood in cold water. the day before it is wanted. _burnt cream._ boil a stick of cinnamon with a large piece of lemon peel, in a pint of cream; when nearly cold, stir in gently the yolks of eggs; sweeten it, take out the spice and peel, strew pounded sugar over, and brown it with a salamander. _snow cream._ pare, core, and stew, or apples and pulp them; beat the pulp nearly cold, stir in enough finely powdered sugar to sweeten, a little lemon peel, and the whites of eggs, already beaten, whisk, till it becomes stiff, and lay it in heaps in a glass dish. _currant and raspberry cream._ mash the fruit and strain ¼ pint of juice through a fine sieve, add rather more than ½ pint of cream, sugar to taste, and a little brandy; whisk it the same as a trifle.--_or_: put a very little sifted sugar into ½ pint of cream, a tea-cupful of raspberry jelly, the grated rind of and the juice of ½ a lemon, whisk well, for half an hour, till it be thick and solid, then pour it into a glass dish or cups. _strawberry cream._ the same as the last.--_or_: sweeten some cream, and make a strong whip. beat up what remains of the cream with yolk of egg ( to ½ a pint), and scald it; let it cool, mix the fruit with it, pour it into glasses or a dish, and lay the fruit on the top. the pulp of apples, apricots, and plums may be mixed with cream, in this way.--_or_: it may be formed in a mould by adding melted isinglass to the cream, just scalding, then straining it: when nearly cold, add the fruit and put it into a shape. { }_clouted cream._ put blades of mace and a wine-glassful of rose water, into a ¼ pint of new milk, scald and strain it; let it cool, stir in the yolks of eggs, and a quart of cream. stir it over the fire till scalding hot, and it is done. excellent with fruit stewed, or with fruit pies. creams and jellies are _iced_, by putting the shape (the mixture being _perfectly cold_), in a bucket of ice broken in small bits. let it stand till you are ready to send it to table, then take it out, wrap a towel, dipped into hot water, round the mould, and turn it out. _strawberry ice cream._ mash the fruit, strain off the juice, and sweeten it. mix it, in the proportion of lb. of fruit to a pint of sweet cream, whip it, pour it into glasses, and freeze as directed; or, add melted isinglass, and freeze it in a shape.--_raspberry ice cream_, the same. _pine apple ice cream._ to ½ gill of pine apple syrup, add the juice of ½ lemon, and a pint of cream, sweeten, then stand it in the ice, and let it freeze as thick as butter. if you would have it the shape of a pine, take the shape and fill it; then lay half a sheet of brown paper over the mould before you put it into the ice, and let it remain some time; be careful that no water gets into it. _coffee ice._ a refreshing preparation, and suitable to entertainments. make some strong coffee, sweeten with sugar candy, add what cream you like, pour it into a bowl, place that in an ice pail till the coffee is frozen: serve in glasses. _paris curd._ put a pint of thin cream on the fire, with the whites of eggs and the juice of a lemon; stir till it becomes a curd; hang it all night in a cloth, to drain; add oz. sweet { }almonds, beaten to a paste, sugar to taste, and a little brandy. mix well, and put it in shapes. _blancmange._ blanch oz. sweet and ½ an oz. of bitter almonds and pound them with a little brandy, put them with ½ an ounce of isinglass into a bowl with ½ a pint of milk and ½ a pint of cream, and oz. of pounded sugar, and let it stand hours; then stir it over the fire till it begins to boil, when take it off and strain it, but keep stirring it till nearly cold, and then pour it into a mould. if you choose, have bitter, no sweet almonds, a wine-glassful of brandy and a table-spoonful ratafia.--when about to turn it out, wrap a towel dipped in hot water round the mould, and draw a silver knife round the edge of the blancmange. _rice blancmange._ boil oz. of whole rice in water till it begins to swell, pour off the water, and put the rice into nearly a quart of new milk, with sugar, a little cinnamon and lemon peel. boil slowly till the rice is mashed, and smooth. do not let it burn. put it into a mould to turn out. this may be in the centre of a dish with custard round it. _blancmange with preserves._ boil pint of cream with cinnamon and lemon peel; sweeten it, add oz. isinglass dissolved in a little water, stir it over the fire till it is on the point of boiling, then pour it into a jug, stirring it occasionally; when milkwarm add a wine-glassful of brandy and a table-spoonful of ratafia. have ready in a china or glass dish, some east or west india preserves, pour the blancmange on it, and set it by till the next day. _jaunemange._ dissolve oz. isinglass in nearly a pint of boiling water; put to it ¾ pint of white wine, the juice of oranges, and lemon, the peel of a lemon shred fine, sugar to taste, a little cinnamon and brandy, and the yolks of eggs. simmer gently a few minutes, then strain it into moulds. { }_rice flummery._ boil oz. sifted ground rice in a quart of new milk, with ½ oz. bitter almonds, table-spoonsful rose water, and sugar to sweeten; keep stirring till very thick, then put it into a mould. when cold turn it out, stick blanched almonds in, and pour round it some thick cream sweetened and flavoured with white wine; or no cream, but preserves in lumps. _dutch flummery._ boil the rinds of and juice of lemons in ½ pint of white wine, ½ pint water, ¼ lb. sugar and oz. of isinglass, ten minutes, then strain and mix it gradually with the yolks of eggs, stir it over the fire five minutes, then stir till nearly cold, and pour it into a mould. _rice cups._ sweeten a pint of new milk, with sifted sugar, and boil in it a stick of cinnamon, when it boils stir in ½ oz. of sifted ground rice; then take it off the fire, and add the beaten whites of eggs, stir again over the fire, for three minutes, and pour into cups, previously dipped in cold water. when cold, turn them out, pour a custard round, and ornament with preserves or stewed pears. _syllabub._ pour a bottle of sherry or port into a china bowl, sweeten, and add plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon. milk into it nearly double the quantity, and let it froth up high. serve with sponge cakes. some add a little brandy. _solid syllabub._ scald a pint of cream, and sweeten it; when cold, add ½ a pint of white wine, the juice of a lemon, the peel grated: more sugar if required. dissolve oz. isinglass in water, strain, and when cold, stir it into the mixture, and put it into a mould the day before it is wanted. { }_whipt syllabub._ rub ½ lb. sugar on lemon rind, and put into a deep narrow pan, with ½ pint white wine, the juice of ½ a lemon, the rind of a whole one, and a pint of thick cream; whisk well, always one way and without stopping, till it is all in a good froth; put it in glasses. it will be more firm the next day.--_or_: to ½ pint of cream, add a pint of milk, ½ pint sack or white wine, sweeten with loaf sugar, and whisk it to a froth; pour a little white wine in the glasses, and the froth on the top. _calf's feet jelly._ the day before you want jelly, boil a cow heel and one foot in ½ quarts of water, till they are broken, and the water half wasted, strain and put it by till the next day. then remove all the fat as well as the sediment, put the jelly into a saucepan with sugar, wine, lemon juice, and peel to your taste. let it simmer, and when the flavour is rich, add the whites of eggs well beaten, also their shells; let it boil gently twenty minutes, but do not stir it; then pour in a tea-cupful of warm water, let it boil gently five minutes longer, take the saucepan off the fire, cover close, and let it stand by the side, half an hour. it ought to be so clear as to require only once running through the jelly bag. some mutton shanks ( to calf's feet), make the jelly richer. raisin wine is generally used, but marsala is better: it gives a more delicate colour to the jelly.--this is made _noyeau jelly_ by using noyeau in sufficient quantity to give a strong flavour. also _madeira wine jelly_. but as the firmness of the jelly may be diminished by the wine, add a little isinglass. some think that jelly eats best in the rough, not out of a mould.--_another_: boil feet in ½ quarts of water, boil twelve hours, or till all their goodness is extracted. the next day remove all fat as well as sediment, put the jelly into a saucepan with ½ pint of sherry or marsala, the peel and juice of lemons, and sugar to your taste. finish in the same way as directed above, and when strained, add a wine-glassful of champagne brandy. you may add oz. isinglass to make the jelly very stiff, but some object to this, as it makes it tough { }as well as stiff. some use a coarse brown bag, in preference to flannel. _punch jelly._ boil oz. isinglass in a pint of water, add the juice of lemons, and the grated rind of one, put to this oz. loaf sugar, previously boiled in a very little water till it is a rich clear syrup, then add table-spoonsful of rum.--_or_: make a good bowl of punch (_which see_), stronger if you like. to every pint of punch add ½ oz. isinglass, dissolved in ¼ pint of water; pour this into the punch whilst hot, then fill the moulds, taking care that they are not disturbed until the jelly is completely set. _savoury jelly._ boil lbs. knuckle of veal, lb. lean beef, and mutton shanks, in quarts of water, with salt, pepper, mace, and onion; boil till the liquor is reduced one half, then strain it; when cold, put it into a saucepan with the whites of eggs, stir well, then set it over the fire till it boils, and strain through a jelly bag. a table-spoonful of soy will improve the colour. _orange and lemon jelly._ grate the rinds of seville, sweet oranges, and lemons; squeeze the juice of sweet, seville oranges, and lemons; mix the rinds and juice together; boil slowly lb. lump sugar in a pint of water to thick syrup, turn it into a bowl; when _nearly_ cold, add the juice and stir well; boil ¼ lb. of isinglass in a pint of water till dissolved, let it cool, add it to juice, stir till cold, and fill the mould.--_another, and much better_: rub the rinds of oranges with lump sugar, and boil a quarter of an hour in the stock of calf's feet and ½ oz. isinglass, with sugar to your taste; have the juice of the oranges, the juice of lemons, and the whites of eggs in a bason, pour the stock in, stir well, and boil altogether ten minutes; then pour in a wine-glassful of cold water, let it stand ten minutes, then pour through a jelly bag.--_lemon jelly_ is made the same way; the rind of and juice of large lemons, the rind and juice of orange. { }_colouring for jelly._ boil slowly in ½ pint water, for half an hour, grains cochineal in fine powder, ½ drachm of cream of tartar, and a bit of alum the size of a pea; let it stand till the next day, then pour it off. _arrow-root jelly._ put ¼ pint of water into a saucepan, with a wine-glassful of sherry, or a spoonful of brandy, sugar, and grated nutmeg. boil up once, then mix it, by degrees, with a dessert-spoonful of arrow-root, rubbed smooth, and mixed with spoonsful of cold water. return it into the saucepan, stir, and boil it three minutes.--_or_: steep for three hours the rind of a lemon, and bitter almonds, pounded, in table-spoonsful water, strain, and mix the water with table-spoonsful arrow-root, and of lemon juice, of brandy; sweeten, stir over the fire till thick, and put it into glasses. _hartshorn jelly._ to quarts of water put lb. hartshorn shavings, and oz. isinglass, boil gently till it becomes a jelly (about four hours); the next day melt it, add the juice of lemons, half the peel, and a pint of sherry, also the whites of eggs beaten to a froth, and sugar to taste; boil for a few minutes, and pass it through a jelly bag till clear. _apple jelly._ pare firm apples, and simmer them in a quart of water till quite cooked, but not broken; strain the liquor, and put to it oz. isinglass, the juice of lemons, the peel of one cut thin, sugar to taste, and a little cochineal, tied in muslin; boil till the isinglass is dissolved and the jelly of a nice colour, strain, and pour it into a mould. _isinglass jelly._ dissolve oz. isinglass in ½ pint of water, and put to it ½ lb. lump sugar, the juice of a large lemon, the peel cut thin, and a pint of sherry; boil five minutes, then strain it into a mould. { }_gâteau de pomme._ dissolve ½ oz. isinglass in ½ pint water, and boil it with ½ lb. sugar, the juice and rind of a lemon and lb. of apples, pared and cored; boil it three quarters of an hour, pour it into a mould; when quite cold, turn it into a glass dish, and pour a good custard round. _a bird's nest._ make some clear jelly, of an amber colour, and fill a small round basin half full. have some bird's eggs blown, fill them with blancmange; when the latter is quite cold, peel off the shells, and it will represent small eggs. put some moss round a glass dish, turn the jelly out, into the middle, lay some lemon peel, cut in thin strips to represent straws, on the jelly, and the eggs on the top. _strawberry jelly._ boil oz. isinglass in ¼ pint of water till dissolved, skimming it all the time; then strain and let it cool. mash a quart of fresh fruit in an earthen vessel, with a wooden spoon; add powdered sugar and a very little water. pass it through a jelly bag, stir the melted isinglass into it, and fill your mould.--_raspberry_ and _red currant_ jelly in the same way. _lemon and orange sponge._ dissolve ½ oz. isinglass in a pint of water, strain it, and the next day put to it the juice of lemons, and the grated peel of ; then rub some raspberry jam through a hair sieve into the mixture, and whisk it well, till it is like sponge; then put it into an earthen mould in a cool place. any preserve may be used, or lemon only, or orange; or it may be flavoured with raspberry vinegar.--_or_: dissolve ¾ oz. isinglass in a little water, add ¾ pint of cream, the same of new milk, and ½ pint of raspberry jelly, and the juice of a lemon: whisk well, one way, till it is thick, and looks like sponge; then pour it into the mould.--_or_: pour a pint of boiling water on oz. isinglass, when dissolved add the strained juice of seville and sweet oranges or { }lemons, sugar to taste; whisk well, half an hour, then pour it into a mould.--_or_: dissolve oz. isinglass in ½ pint of water, strain and add to it, the juice of sweet oranges, and the grated rind of , the juice of lemon, and sugar to taste; when nearly cold whisk it till it looks like sponge, and pour it in a mould. make it in the evening, to turn out next day. some use more isinglass. _rice soufflè._ boil table-spoonsful ground rice very slowly, in ½ pint good milk, with a piece of lemon peel, stirring all the time. let it cool, then stir in the yolks of eggs, and some sugar, stir it over the fire a few minutes, and let it cool again. then add the whites of eggs, well whipped; put it into a deep and round dish, and bake in a rather slack oven till the _soufflè_ rises; send it to table _instantly_, or it will flatten. _potato soufflè_,--half the quantity of potato flour, as directed for rice flour, and make it the same way. _a good soufflè._ soak or slices of sponge cake in sherry and brandy mixed, and sweetened, cover with a layer of preserves, then pour over a rich boiled custard; beat the whites of eggs to a froth, and lay it over the top to look rough; brown it in a dutch oven, and serve _directly_, or it will be spoiled. _orange soufflè._ mix a table-spoonful of flour with a pint of cream, put it into a saucepan, with table-spoonsful rose water, some orange and lemon peel; stir till it boils, then strain and sweeten it: when cold add table-spoonsful orange marmalade. beat eggs, stir in a wine-glassful of brandy, mix with the other ingredients, and put all into a buttered shape; place it in a saucepan of boiling water, over a stove: let the water boil an hour and a quarter without any cover to the shape. _lemon soufflè._ pour ¾ pint of boiling water over oz. isinglass, the juice of lemons, and oz. sifted sugar; when dissolved, { }boil all together five minutes, pour it into a large bason, when the steam is gone off whisk it till it becomes spongy, then put it in a glass dish. it should be made the day before it is wanted, and requires long whisking. _omelet soufflè._ beat the yolks of eggs, and whip the whites; strain and sweeten the yolks with powdered sugar; add a little grated lemon peel; stir in lightly the whites, and pour the whole into a frying-pan, in which you have just melted a large piece of fresh butter. cook over a slow fire, but do not let it scorch, and, when done, turn it carefully out, and set it in the oven to rise. _sweet omelets._ mix a table-spoonful of fine flour, or potato flour, in ½ pint of new milk; then whisk together the yolks and whites of eggs, and add to the milk. put fresh butter enough to fry the omelet into a pan, about ¼ lb., make it hot over a clear fire, and pour in half the mixture; when this is a little set, put table-spoonsful of red currant jelly, or any other preserve, or apple pulp in the centre, and the remainder of the mixture on the top; as soon as the upper portion is fixed, send the dish to table.--_or_: the omelet being fried, spread the preserve on it, in the pan, and roll it. apples boiled to a pulp and sweetened, may be used instead of preserve. _soufflè of apples._ pick, wash, and scald oz. whole rice, drain off the water, and put the rice into a quart of new milk, or thin cream, which has been boiled with a bit of cinnamon or lemon peel. simmer it very slowly till the rice is swelled, (not broken), drain it, and having brushed the edge of the dish with white of egg, place the rice in the form of a high wall round it. mix with some apple jam, or pulped apples, oz. butter, sugar to taste, and the yolks of eggs; stir this over the fire, a few minutes, to cook the eggs; then stir in by degrees, the whites of or eggs, whipped, put it in the centre of the dish, and bake till it rises sufficiently. { }_gooseberry and apple fool._ pick or pare the fruit, put it in a jar, with a tea-cupful of cold water, and a little moist sugar; set the jar in a vessel of boiling water, or on a stove, till the fruit will pulp; press it through a cullender, and when nearly cold, mix in it some good cream, or thin custard. _orange fool._ to a pint of cream add the juice of seville oranges, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar to taste. set this over a slow fire, and stir till as thick as melted butter; it must not boil; pour it into a dish to be eaten cold. _stewed oranges._ pare sweet oranges, and be careful to remove the white part without breaking the skin; pare lemons very thin, cut the peel in narrow lengths, and boil it in ½ pint water, with ¼ lb. lump sugar, until it becomes a thick syrup, then add the oranges, the juice of lemon, and ¼ lb. lump sugar, and simmer it a quarter of an hour. _red apples in jelly._ pare and core some fine pippins, and throw them into a pan of cold water, then boil them in a very little water, with some cochineal, and when done, put them in a dish; boil the water with sugar, lemon peel, and a little isinglass, till it jellies; let it cool, scoop it into heaps with a tea-spoon, and lay it amongst the apples. garnish with rings or straws of lemon peel, and some green sprigs. _pears to stew._ after peeling them, cut the pears in halves, take out the cores, and lay the pears, flat side upwards, in a tin saucepan, with sugar to taste, ¼ pint of port wine, water to cover them, and a few cloves; spread the peel over the pears, and stew them gently till tender; the saucepan covered. { }_apples to bake._ pare and core, but do not divide them, unless very large. bake them in an earthen dish, with sugar, a little port wine, pounded cloves, and grated lemon peel.--_or_: pare large apples, and put them with lb. sifted sugar, juice of lemon, and a tea-cupful water, in a large flat dish; cut the rind of the lemon in strips, and put them over the apples; bake in rather a quick oven, and baste from time to time with the syrup. _excellent._--_or_: pare fine large apples, scoop out the core, without dividing the fruit, and fill the hole with butter and sugar, bake in a deep dish, and baste frequently. _also very good._ _cheesecakes._ beat the curd of pints of milk quite smooth, mix with it ½ lb. currants, a little pounded cinnamon, and the rind of a lemon, rubbed off with lumps of sugar (add more sugar, as you like), the yolks of eggs, ½ pint scalded cream, and a wine-glassful of brandy. mix well, and bake in patty-pans, lined with a light puff paste, twenty minutes, in a quick oven.--for _almond cheesecakes_, mixed pounded sweet and bitter almonds, instead of currants. _lemon cheesecakes._ boil the peel of one lemon in water, till tender, then pound it in a mortar with ¼ lb. lump sugar, the juice of lemons, and a table-spoonful of brandy; stir in ¼ lb. fresh butter, melted, and eggs; mix well and pour into saucers or patty-pans, lined with a very light paste.--_or_: to lb. lump sugar (in lumps), add ¼ lb. butter, the yolks of eggs, the whites of , the juice of lemons, and the rinds of , grated. simmer over a slow fire till the sugar is dissolved, begins to thicken, and looks like honey. stir gently one way, or it will curdle. this will keep a long while, closely tied down in a jar, in a cool place.--_or_: ½ lb. butter, ½ lb. lump sugar, stir over the fire till melted, let it get cold, then add the yolks of eggs, juice of a large lemon, mix it very well, and bake in a crust to turn out.--_or_: beat eggs, leaving out whites; melt ½ lb. butter in a tea-cupful of cream, stir in ½ lb. sifted sugar, { }and when cold, stir in the eggs, then the grated rind of lemons, then the juice: stir it over the fire till near boiling, then fill your patty-pans, and put them in the oven, to brown of a light colour. you may add ½ lb. of sweet almonds, blanched and pounded with rose water. _another curd cheesecake._ beat the curd of quarts new milk, quite smooth, with oz. butter; then mix it with ½ oz. of sweet, and bitter almonds, blanched and pounded with table-spoonsful rose water, add a ¼ lb. lump sugar, the peel of lemons, the yolks of eggs, candied citron cut small, ¼ lb. currants, ½ pint of cream, and a wine-glassful of brandy. mix well, and bake in patty-pans, lined with thin paste. _orange cheesecakes._ beat ½ lb. sweet almonds with orange flower water, add ½ lb. sugar, lb. butter, melted, and nearly cold, the beaten yolks of and the whites of eggs, beat candied oranges, the peel of a fresh one (the bitterness boiled out), till they are as tender as marmalade, then beat all well together, and bake in little patty-pans, lined. _apple cheesecakes._ ½ lb. each, of grated apples, sugar and butter, the juice of lemon, and the rind cut thin, eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately: mix well and bake in lined patty-pans. _rice cheesecakes._ beat the yolks of with the whites of eggs, add oz. sifted ground rice, the same of sugar and melted butter, a wine-glassful brandy, and the grated peel of lemon; mix well and bake in patty-pans, lined with paste. _lent potatoes._ blanch, then pound with a little rose water, oz. of sweet, and or bitter almonds; add oz. butter, eggs beaten and strained, table-spoonsful white wine, { }and sugar to taste; beat well, grate in savoy biscuits, and make into balls with a very little flour, the size of walnuts; boil in lard of a pale brown, drain and serve with sweet sauce. _stewed french plums._ stew ½ pound in a pint of rhenish wine, till tender, then set them by to cool in a glass dish. some use half port and half water. _note._--those who like to use _gelatine_ will find directions with the packets, when they buy it. it is useful as a means of taking wine and brandy in the form of jelly, and is quickly prepared, but has little else to recommend it. chapter xxiii. preserves. fruit for every sort of preserve, ought to be the best of its kind; ripe enough, but not over ripe; gathered _on_ a dry day, and _after_ a dry day. the sugar of the best quality, and plenty of it, otherwise they are not good, neither will they keep; and much is wasted by boiling up a second time. long boiling injures the colour of preserves, and they _must_ be boiled too long, if there be not sugar enough. the bags and sieves should be kept delicately clean; wring them out of hot water the moment before you use them. do not squeeze the bag, or press the fruit much, or the jelly will not be clear; this is not wasteful, for the fruit which is left, and a little fresh added to it, will make jam, or black butter; a very useful preserve. in boiling jams, try a little in a saucer; if the juice runs off as it cools, the jam requires longer boiling. some persons clarify all the sugar they use, but, for common preserves for private families, good loaf sugar, not clarified, answers the same purpose. after the { }preserve is poured into the jar, let it stand uncovered two days, then put brandy paper over, and cover with bladders, or paper, tied down close. keep in a dry place, or they will be musty; but very hot, they will dry up, and be spoiled. _to clarify sugar._ break lump sugar in pieces, and to every pound you put into the preserving-pan, add ¼ pint of water, and to every lbs. sugar, the white of egg, beaten; stir over the fire, till the sugar dissolves. when it boils it will throw up scum; take that off, with a slice, and lay it on a sieve, reversed, over a basin, that the syrup may run off. pour into the pan the same quantity of cold water as you put in at first, and boil it up gently. take off the scum, and return into the pan all the syrup which drains from it; keep it gently boiling until no scum rises.--_to candy sugar_, boil it till the surface is covered with little clusters, in the form of pearls.--_moist sugar_ is clarified in the same way, but requires longer boiling and scumming; it answers for common jams, for immediate use, but they will not keep so long as when made of lump sugar. _red currant jelly._ strip the currants and put them into an earthen pan or jar, set that in a vessel of boiling water, and keep it boiling till the fruit is all burst; then pass through a jelly bag, but do not squeeze it. when the juice has all run off, put it into a preserving-pan, and to each pint allow ¼ lb. of lump sugar; less may do, but the jelly will not be so sure to keep. boil the jelly, rather quickly, from fifteen to twenty minutes, scumming carefully all the time; try a little in a saucer, to see if it be stiff enough, then fill your pots or glasses; leave them uncovered two days; cover brandy papers over, and tie skins over tight. _white currant jelly_--the same; but rather less boiling. the sugar must be very fine, to insure delicate clearness for the jelly. _black currant jelly_--the same as red currant jelly. when the juice is put into the preserving-pan, with the sugar, add a very little water. less sugar _may_ do. but boil it well. { }_currant jam._ when jelly is made, if the bag be not squeezed, the fruit in it will have juice enough for jam; or, if not, put a fourth part of fresh fruit to it, then boil it up, with its weight of sugar, fifteen or twenty minutes. _raspberry jam._ take parts of raspberries and part of red currant juice, boil it fifteen or twenty minutes, with an equal weight of sugar. skim off the dross, as it rises.--_or_: use raspberries alone, and no juice.--_or_: some persons recommend the _antwerp_, they are so juicy as to require boiling by themselves until nearly dry; then add lb. fine lump sugar to quart fruit, then boil again fifteen minutes, and no more, or the colour will be injured. _strawberry jam._ gather fine scarlet strawberries, just ripe, bruise, and put them into a preserving-pan, with about a fifth part of red currant juice; strew over nearly their weight of sifted lump sugar, and boil quickly fifteen minutes. _gooseberry jam._ this may be made of gooseberries only, in the same manner as directed for currant jam, or of a mixture of red or black currants and gooseberries. _green gooseberry jam._ first crack them in a mortar, put them into a preserving-pan with ¾ lb. lump sugar, to lb. fruit, and boil till it begins to look clear. a nice preserve for tartlets. _damson jam._ boil lb. sugar to lb. fruit, till the juice adheres to the fruit. for _open tarts_. _rhubarb jam._ boil an equal quantity of rhubarb, cut in pieces, and { }gooseberries, before they are quite ripe, with ¾ lb. loaf sugar to lb. of fruit. well boiled, it forms a rich jam, similar to apricot. _or_: boil lbs. fruit cut in square pieces, lbs. lump sugar, and let it stand a few hours, to draw out the juice, boil the juice three different times, and pour over the rhubarb. _black butter._ a very nice preserve to spread on bread, and is a mixture of currants, gooseberries, cherries, raspberries, or strawberries. to every lbs. fruit, put lb. sugar, and boil it till reduced one-fourth. _fruit for puddings._ pare apples, pears, plums, and any fruit you have, and put them in a stone jar with brown sugar, to sweeten. place the jar in a cool oven till the fruit is cooked. _to preserve damsons, bullaces, morella cherries, gooseberries, and currants, for winter use._ all these fruits may be put into wide-mouthed bottles, with about oz. lisbon sugar to each; put corks lightly in, and set them in a vessel of cold water, and then let it boil very gently till the syrup rises over the fruit; when the fruit is cold, make the corks tight, dip them in rosin, and tie bladders over. _to bottle green gooseberries and currants._ the same as the last receipt, only without sugar. let them remain in the water till the fruit begins to shrivel; take them out, and when the fruit is cold, cork the bottles tight, and dip them in melted rosin. the rough sort is best. _to bottle raspberries._ mix an equal weight of crushed fruit and powdered loaf sugar, put them into wine-bottles, cork tight, and rosin the corks. { }_damsons for tarts._ gather damsons quite dry, put them into large stone jars, having pricked them with a pin, tie bladders over, and put the jars into a vessel of cold water; set that over the fire, and let it simmer (not boil) for two hours, or till you see the damsons begin to sink (the water should reach nearly to the top of the jars), then wipe the jars, and put them away in a dry place.--_or_: choose jars to hold or lbs., of equal size at top and bottom; put in each jar one fourth of the fruit, then a fourth of good moist sugar (allow lbs. sugar to lbs. fruit), then another layer of fruit, and so on, till the jar is full; put it in an oven just hot enough to bake it through. when household bread is drawn the oven is generally hot enough for this purpose, and the jars may remain in all night. when the fruit is cold, put a clean stick, a little forked at one end, into the middle of the jar, leaving the forked end a little above the top; put a piece of white paper over the fruit (which ought to reach the neck of the jar), then run melted mutton suet over it, of an inch thick, and keep the jar in a cool place. when you open it, lift up the covering of suet by the stick. _apricots for tarts._ cut the apricots in two, but do not pare them, take out the stones, and to every pound of fruit put lb. lump sugar, pounded. let them stand all night, then stew them gently over a slow fire till tender; skim them, as they simmer, till they are quite clear. put them in pots, and when quite cold, cover with silver papers dipped in brandy, and tie down close. _apple marmalade._ pare and core the apples, leave them in a cool oven all night; the next day boil them up gently with an equal quantity of sugar, a little lemon peel and pounded cinnamon. _apple jelly._ take the blossoms and stalks out of lbs. ripe apples, but do not pare them; put them into a stew-pan with { }scarcely enough water to cover them, cover close, and stew them to a pulp, pour it into a cloth, and hang that up to drain, but do not squeeze it. to a quart of juice allow ½ lb. lump sugar, boil gently to the consistency of other jelly, and before it is quite done add the juice of lemons.--_or_: pare and core your apples as if for pies, put them in the oven till quite soft, then squeeze them through thin muslin: to every pint add lb. of lump sugar, half a wine-glassful of white wine, and a tea-spoonful of brandy, with the rind of a lemon; boil twenty minutes, or till it sets. _peach, apricot, or plum marmalade._ skin the fruit, take out the stones, and mash it in a bowl; put an equal weight of fruit and sugar into a preserving-pan, boil it fifteen minutes, taking off all the scum. the kernels may be bruised and added. _quince marmalade._ cut the fruit in quarters, and to lbs. weight, and lbs. sugar, add a pint of water; cover a piece of white paper over to keep in the steam, and simmer gently three hours; then beat them up to a jam, add ½ lb. more sugar, and simmer the jam another half hour.--_or_: take the parings and cores of lbs. quinces, cover them with water, and let it boil well; add lbs. sugar, and when that is dissolved in the liquor, set it over a slow fire, and let it boil till it becomes a thick syrup; but the scum must be taken off as it rises. let it get cold, then put in the quinces, with a little cochineal, and set it over a slow fire; stir and beat with a pewter spoon till it is done. _quince jelly._ weigh them and measure pint of water to lb. fruit; pare the quinces as quickly as possible, as they are done, throw them into the water, then simmer gently until they are a little broken, but not long enough to redden the liquid, which should be very pale. turn the whole into a jelly bag, and let it drain without pressure. weigh the juice and boil it quickly minutes, take it from the fire and stir in till dissolved, ¾ lb. lump sugar to each pound of juice, or { }rather more, if the fruit be very acid; then boil gently from ten to twenty minutes, or until it jellies strongly in falling from the skimmer, but stir it all the while, and take off all the scum as it rises. pour it into glasses or moulds: it ought to be firm enough to turn out of the latter, and be rich and transparent. _damson and bullace cheese._ put the fruit into a stone jar, cover it, and set it on a hot hearth, or in an oven, and let it coddle for about six hours, stirring it now and then. pulp the damsons through a sieve, add ½ lb. lump sugar to every lbs. of fruit, and some of the kernels, blanched, and beaten in a mortar. put it all in a stew-pan, and boil very gently for two or three hours (it can hardly boil too long, as boiling makes it firm), skimming carefully all the time. some persons boil it only one hour; it is clearer, but less firm. some add a very few bitter almonds, blanched and cut small. _apricot cheese._ pare, then boil them with their weight of sugar, previously melted with a very little water; as the fruit breaks, take out the stones, blanch and pound the kernels, and put them to the fruit. let the apricots boil, not more than half an hour. pour the cheese into shapes. _orange cheese._ scrape off the outward rind of seville oranges, take out the pulp and skin, boil the peel tender, in water, beat it in a marble mortar to a pulp, add its weight of loaf sugar (already dissolved in the juice), and boil it quickly an hour; when done pour it into moulds, or on plates, to cut in shapes. keep it in a dry place. _pine apple to preserve._ pare off the rind, and divide the pine apple into rather thick slices; boil the rind in ½ pint water, with lb. loaf sugar in powder, and the juice of a lemon, twenty minutes. strain this liquor, and boil the slices in it for half an hour; { }next day pour off the syrup, and boil it, taking care to scum as it rises, and pour it hot over the fruit; tie down the jar with a bladder, brandied paper being over the preserve. _cucumbers to preserve._ choose the greenest and most free from seeds, some small, to preserve whole, others large, to cut in long slices. put them in strong salt and water, cover with vine leaves, and set them in a warm place till yellow; then wash, and set them over the fire, in fresh water, with a little salt and fresh vine leaves; cover the pan close, but take care the fruit does not boil. if they are not of a fine green, change the water, and that will help to green them; cover as before, and make them hot. when of a good colour, take them off the fire and let them get cold; then cut the large ones into quarters, take out the seeds and soft parts, put them into cold water, for two days, but change the water twice every day to take out the salt. boil lb. loaf sugar, and ½ pint of water, scum well, add the rind of a lemon, and oz. scraped ginger. when the syrup is very thick, take it off the fire, and when cold, wipe the cucumbers dry, and put them in. the syrup should be boiled once in two or three days, for a fortnight, and you may add more to it if necessary. when you pour the syrup upon the cucumbers, be sure that it is cold. cover close and keep in a dry place. _strawberries to preserve whole._ choose fine scarlets, not over ripe; have their weight in sifted sugar, and sprinkle _half_ over the fruit, and let it stand all night. next day simmer it gently with the rest of the sugar, and pint of currant juice, to lb. of fruit, till it jellies. _raspberries whole._ gather them on a dry day, after a dry night. to lb. fruit, ¾ lb. sugar; put these in alternate layers in a preserving-pan, and keep shaking till it boils, then boil ten minutes, taking off all the scum. when cold, cover with brandy papers and bladders. { }_strawberries in wine._ fill a wide mouthed bottle three parts full of strawberries gathered quite dry, strewing amongst them table-spoonsful of finely pounded sugar; fill up with fine old sherry, and cork it close. _red gooseberries whole._ they must be just ripe, but no more. clip off the top of each berry, make a little slit in the side, with a needle, that the sugar may penetrate, and take an equal weight of fruit and of sugar: boil them together, very gently, scum well, and when the skins begin to look transparent, take out the fruit, with a skimmer, and put it into jars or glasses; boil the syrup till it jellies, then strain, and pour it over the fruit. _morella cherries._ cut off the stalks, and prick the fruit with a needle, boil a fourth more than its weight of sugar, about five minutes, with ¼ pint of red or white currant jelly; then put in the cherries, and simmer gently till they look bright. some take out the stones. _cherries en chemise._ cut off half the stalk of large ripe cherries; roll them, one by one, in beaten white of egg, and then lightly in sifted sugar. spread a sheet of thin white paper on a sieve reversed, and place that on a stove, spread the fruit on the paper, and send them from the stove to table. bunches of currants, or strawberries, in the same way. _cherries in syrup._ take out the stones, put the fruit into a preserving-pan, with lbs. lump sugar to lbs. fruit, let it come slowly to a boil, set it by till next day, boil up again, repeat this the third day, when they will begin to look bright and plump; then pot them in the syrup. { }_to dry apricots._ pare thin, then cut in half, lbs. of apricots, weighed after they are pared, and add lbs. sifted sugar. when the sugar is nearly all melted, put it into a pan, and simmer it very gently over a slow fire; as each piece becomes tender lift it out into a china bowl, and when all are done, let the syrup cool a little, then pour it over the fruit. in two days pour out the syrup, leaving only a little in each half. keep the apricots in a sunny place, and turn them every day, till quite dry. keep in boxes, between layers of paper. _dried cherries._ to every lbs. cherries, stoned, allow lb. lump sugar. scald the fruit in a preserving-pan, with very little water, then take it out, dry it: put it into the pan, with the sugar powdered, and put it over the fire to get scalding hot, then set it aside to get cold, put it on the fire again, and repeat this a third time, then drain them from the syrup, and lay them singly to dry on dishes, in the sun, or on a stove. keep in boxes, between layers of white paper. _orange chips._ cut oranges in halves, squeeze the juice through a sieve; cut the peel off very thin, and steep it a night in water, and the next day boil it till tender in the same water. then cut the peel in strips and put them with the juice, in an earthen pan, with an equal weight of lump sugar, set it high over a moderate fire or stove, till the chips candy, stirring frequently; then spread them out in a cool room for a fortnight, to dry. _orange marmalade._ get the clearest seville oranges you can; cut them in , scoop out all the pulp and juice into a basin, and pick out the seeds and skins. boil the rinds in spring water, changing that two or three times, to take off their bitterness: if for smooth marmalade, heat the rinds in a marble mortar, if for thick marmalade cut the rinds in thin pieces, { }add it to the juice and pulp, put it all into a preserving-pan, with double the weight of lump sugar, boil it over a fire, rather more than half an hour. put it into pots, cover with brandy papers, and tie down close.--_or_: put seville oranges into a scale, and weigh their weight, and half their weight again, of lump sugar: to every lb. of fruit measure a wine-pint of cold spring water. cut the fruit in quarters, remove the pips, and throw them into the water; then cut the oranges in slices on plates, so as not to lose any part of the juice or pulp, then take the pips out of the water, put all the fruit, juice, and sugar in, and boil it gently an hour, or until it is sufficiently consistent. put by in pots. both these are good receipts. _oranges to preserve._ cut a hole at the stalk end, and scoop out the pulp, tie each one in muslin, and lay them in cold spring water, to cover them, for two days, changing the water twice a day; then boil them in the last water, till tender. take the oranges out of the liquor and allow lbs. of the best lump sugar, and pint of water, to every lb. of fruit, and put it into the liquor; boil and scum till it is a clear syrup, let it cool, then put in the oranges, and boil them gently half an hour. boil the syrup every day, for a week, or till it looks clear.--_or_: grate the oranges, put them in water, change it twice a day, then boil gently, till tender, and put them in cold water again, for two or three hours. cut a small piece off the top, take out the seeds, and to every orange allow ½ lb. of lump sugar, strew it over them in a preserving-pan, without any water, and set that over a gentle fire, turning the oranges occasionally: when clear, lift them out, put them into little pots, boil up the syrup, and pour it hot over the oranges. if the oranges do not look clear, boil them half an hour, for two or three days: then boil the syrup by itself, or make a fresh one thus: pare and core some green apples, and boil them to make the water taste strong; do not stir the apples, only put them down, with the back of a spoon; strain the water till quite clear, and to every pint put lb. double refined sugar, and the juice of a lemon strained, boil it to a strong jelly, drain the oranges out of the syrup, each one in a { }jar the size of an orange, the hole upwards, and pour the jelly over. cover with brandy papers, and bladders. do _lemons_ the same way.--_or_: pare the oranges, tie them separately in cloths, boil them in water till tender, that a straw may pass through them: cut a hole in the stalk end, take out the seeds, but not the pulp. make a syrup of sweet oranges, lemons, and sugar, and when clear, put in the oranges. _apricots, peaches, magnum bonum plums, and greengages._ pare and stone the finest fruit, not over ripe, and weigh rather more than their weight of lump sugar. spread the fruit in a dish, the split part upwards, strew the sugar over, and let them stand all night. break the stones, blanch the kernels, and simmer the whole gently, till the fruit looks transparent: scum well, lift the fruit out carefully into pots, pour the syrup over, and, when quite cold, cover close. _to preserve green apricots._ spread vine or apricot leaves at the bottom of the pan, then fruit, then leaves, till the pan be full, but the upper layer thick of leaves, fill up with water, and cover quite close, to keep the steam in. keep the pan at such a distance from the fire, that in four or five hours, the fruit may be soft, not cracked. make a thin syrup of sugar and some of the water, and drain the fruit; when both are cold, put the fruit and syrup back into the pan, no leaves, and keep it over the fire till the apricots are green, but they must not boil or crack; repeat this for two or three days: then pour off as much of the syrup as you think necessary, and boil it with more sugar and some sliced ginger to make a rich syrup; when this is cold, drain the apricots, and pour it over them. what there is left of the _thin_ syrup will be useful to sweeten fruit tarts. _orlean plums._ an equal quantity of sugar and of plums. the fruit gathered before it is quite ripe. put it into a pan with { }cold water, simmer it till the skins appear to crack, so that you may peel them off. have ready, a thin clear syrup made of lb. sugar, and a gill of water, put in the plums, give them a gentle boil, and put them by in a basin, till the next day; if they then appear done enough, drain them from the syrup, if not, boil again, and remain till the following day; then drain them, add the remainder of the sugar to the syrup, boil it till rich, and quite clear; put the plums into jars, pour the syrup over, leave them open till the next day, then put brandy papers over, and over them run mutton suet. _jargonelle pears._ pare smoothly and thinly, some large, well shaped pears. simmer in a thin syrup, and let them lie two days. then pour off the syrup, add more sugar: simmer and scum it; then put the pears in, simmer till they look transparent, lift them out into pots, pour the syrup over, and tie closely. rather more than the weight of fruit in sugar. a grain of pounded cochineal may be put in the syrup; lemon juice is an improvement. _quinces._ pare the quinces very thin, and put them into a stew-pan; cover with their parings, and fill the saucepan with hard water, set it over a slow fire, and keep the lid close that the steam may not escape; when the fruit is tender take it out, and put to it quart of water, ½ lbs. lump sugar, to make a clear syrup: put in the quinces, boil them ten or twelve minutes, and set them by, for four or five hours; then boil again five or six minutes, take them off the fire, and set them by two days: boil again, ten minutes, with the juice of lemons. let the quinces be quite cold, put them into broad pans, singly, and pour the syrup over. cover with brandy papers, and skins over the whole.--_or_: cut them in quarters, and to lbs. fruit, put lbs. sugar, and ½ pint water; lay a piece of white paper over, to keep in the steam, and let them simmer gently, three hours. fruit _pastes_ are made by boiling the fruit with clarified sugar to a thick marmalade; moulded into thin cakes, and dried in a stove. { }_to candy fruit._ put fruit, finished in syrup, in a layer, in a new sieve, and dip it quickly into hot water; spread it on a napkin before the fire to drain, and do more in the sieve; sift double refined sugar over the fruit, till white all over. spread it on the shallow ends of sieves to dry in a _warm_ oven, turning it two or three times. do not let it get cold before it is dry. watch it carefully. _almacks._ lb. each of baking pears, apples, apricots, and plums; slice the two first, and open the others, put them, in alternate layers, in an earthen jar, in a slow oven. when the fruit is soft, squeeze it through a cullender, put to it lb. lump sugar, and simmer gently, stirring all the while, till it leaves the pan clear, then put it in small moulds, or drop it in little cakes; when cold, put them by. _peaches, apricots, and plums in brandy._ gather peaches before they are quite ripe, prick them with a needle, and rub off the down with a piece of flannel. pass a quill carefully round the stone to loosen it. put them into a large preserving-pan, with cold water, rather more than enough to cover them, and let it gradually become scalding hot. if the water does more than simmer very gently, or the fire be fierce, the fruit may crack. when tender, lift them carefully out, and fold them in flannel, or a soft table cloth, in several folds. have ready a quart, or more, as the peaches require, of the best brandy, and dissolve in it oz. of powdered sugar. when cool, put them into a glass jar, and pour the brandy and sugar over. cover with leather, or a bladder. _cherries in brandy._ gather morella cherries on a dry day, when quite ripe; cut off _half_ the stalk, and put them into wide mouthed bottles, strewing layers of finely pounded sugar between. allow to each bottle half the weight of the fruit in sugar. { }when the fruit reaches the neck of the bottle, fill up with brandy; cork and rosin it tight. _grapes in brandy._ put some close bunches, of any sort, into a jar (having pricked each grape), strew a good quantity of pounded sugar candy over them, and fill up the jar with brandy. tie a bladder over, and keep in a cool place. _barberries for tartlets._ pick barberries without stones, from their stalks, and put them into a stone jar, in a kettle of water, or on a hot hearth, and simmer very slowly till the fruit is soft: then put it into a pan with ¾ lb. lump sugar to lb. barberries, and boil slowly for fifteen minutes. use no metal but silver. _barberries in bunches._ tie the stalks of the fruit on little flat pieces of wood, inches long, a ¼ inch wide. simmer these in syrup two successive days, and when cold, cover them with the syrup. on the third day candy them. (see to candy fruit.) { }chapter xxiv. pickles. the great art of pickling consists in using good vinegar, and in selecting the various articles, at the proper seasons.--pickles are indigestible, but their liquor is good to give relish to cold meat, therefore the strongest vinegar should be used, because a less quantity will suffice. they should be kept in a dry place, and glass jars are best, because then it is easy to perceive whether the vinegar diminishes, and if it does, more should be boiled with spice, and poured over the pickles. fill the jars parts full with the pickles, but always let there be inches above their surface of vinegar. if earthenware jars are used, let them be unglazed; and vinegar should always be boiled in unglazed earthenware; indeed, it ought never to _boil_ at all, but be just scalding hot, for boiling causes much of the strength to evaporate. keep the bottles closely stopped, with bungs, and a bladder, wetted in the pickle. when you have opened a bottle, cork it again, put a fresh bladder over, if you wish the pickles to keep. when the pickles are all used, the vinegar should be boiled up with a little more spice, and bottled when cold. the colour of pickles is a matter of no small difficulty, though of the greatest consequence, when used by way of ornament. a fine colour is sometimes preserved by keeping pickles a long time in scalding hot vinegar, the vessel being covered. when a bottle of capers or pickles is opened, it should be kept filled, by fresh boiled vinegar. artichokes are in season in july and august. cauliflowers, in july and august. capsicum pods, end of july and beginning of august. cucumbers, the end of july to the end of august. french beans, july. { }mushrooms, september. nasturtium pods, middle of july. onions from the middle to the end of july. radish pods, july. red cabbage, august. samphire, august. tomatas, the end of july to the end of august. _walnuts._ make a strong brine of salt and water, about ¼ lb. salt to a quart of water, and steep the walnuts in it a week, previously pricking them with a large needle; then put them, with the brine, into a stew-pan, gently simmer them, pour off the liquor, lay the walnuts on a sieve to drain in the air two days, to turn them black. have ready made a pickle of strong vinegar; add to each quart oz. ginger, oz. strong pepper, oz. eschalots, oz. salt, ½ oz. allspice, and ½ a drachm of cayenne (some persons add garlic, brown mustard-seed, bay leaves, cloves, mace, chopped chilies, and horse-radish); put all into a stone jar, tie over a bladder wetted with vinegar, and over that a leather; keep it close by the side of the fire two days and nights; shake it frequently. put the walnuts into jars, and pour the pickle hot over them; when cold, put in bungs, and tie wetted bladder over. _walnuts, green._ the best time is while the shells are still tender, and before they are quite ripe. lay them in a strong brine of salt and water for ten days, changing the brine twice during that time; put in a thin board to float over, that the air may not get to them and turn them black; then pour the brine from the walnuts, and run a large needle several times through each one; lay some vine leaves at the bottom of an earthen pan, put in the walnuts, and cover with more leaves, fill up the vessel with water, and put it on the fire till scalding hot; then pour off the water, put fresh in, let that become hot, pour it off, and repeat this once again; scrape off the husks, rub the walnuts smooth with flannel, and throw them into a vessel of hot water. boil, three minutes, a quart of vinegar for every walnuts, with { }white pepper, salt, ginger, cloves, and cayenne (in the proportion of the last receipt), and after rubbing the walnuts, dry them out of the water, and pour the vinegar over them. _gherkins._ the best are about inches long, and inch in diameter. put them into unglazed jars, or open pans, and pour salt and water over (¼ lb. salt to a quart of water), cover, and set them by the side, when not convenient for them to stand before the fire; in two or three days they will be yellow; pour off the water, and cover them with scalding hot vinegar: set them again before the fire, and keep them of an equal heat, if possible, for ten days, and they will become green; then pour off the vinegar, and have ready to pour over the gherkins (in jars), the same pickle as that for walnuts, leaving out the eschalots if you choose. the vinegar poured from the gherkins should be bottled, for it will be good cucumber vinegar. _onions._ take off the tops and coats of small round silver button onions, the size of a nutmeg, and put them into a stew-pan three parts full of boiling water; put no more at once than just enough to cover the top of the water. as soon as the onions look transparent, take them up in a sieve, lay them on a folded cloth, whilst you scald the remainder. make them quite dry with these cloths, then fill the jars three parts full, and pour over them the following pickle, quite hot: to a quart of strong vinegar put oz. allspice, oz. ginger, oz. mace, oz. scraped horse-radish, oz. black pepper, and oz. salt; infuse it by the fire three or four days; when the pickle and the onions are cold, bung the jars, and cover them, first with bladder wetted in vinegar, then with leather.--_or_: put the onions into salt and water, change that every day for three days, then put them in a stew-pan with cold milk and water, let that stand over a fire till _near_ to a boil, take out the onions, dry, and put them into jars, and pour a pickle over of good vinegar, salt, mace, and pepper, boiled and become cold. { }_cucumbers and onions._ boil in pints of vinegar ¼ lb. flour of mustard, mixed as for table use; let it get cold; slice large cucumbers, and ½ gallon large onions; put them into jars with oz. ginger, ½ oz. white pepper, and a small quantity of mace and cloves, and pour the vinegar, cold, over them. _red cabbage._ cut out the stalk, and divide a firm, dark coloured middling sized cabbage, then cut in slices the breadth of straws; sprinkle salt over, and let it lie two days; then drain the slices very dry; fill the jar, parts full, and pour a hot pickle over them, of strong vinegar, heated with black pepper, ginger, and allspice. cover the jar to keep the steam in, and when the pickle is cold, put in bungs, and tie bladders over. _melon mangoes._ cut a small square piece out of one side, and take out the seeds; fill them with brown mustard seeds, garlic, eschalot, scraped horse-radish, ripe capsicums, and a little finely pounded ginger: stuff the melons as full as the space will allow, replace the square piece, and bind them up tightly with thread. boil a gallon of white wine vinegar, with ¼ oz. mace, ¼ oz. cloves, ½ oz. ginger, ½ oz. black and long pepper, and ½ oz. cayenne; as it is coming to a boil, pour in a wine-glassful of essence of horse-radish, and of garlic vinegar. _beet root._ boil them very gently from an hour and a half to two hours, or till parts done; take them out of the water to cool; peel and cut them in slices about half an inch thick. prepare a pickle of good vinegar, and to each quart oz. black pepper, ½ oz. salt, ½ oz. horse-radish, ½ oz. ginger, and a little cayenne; infuse these by the fire three days, and let the pickle be cold before you pour it over the beet-root. { }_mushrooms._ take the red inside out of the large ones, and rub both large and small, with a piece of flannel and salt; put them into a stew-pan, with a little mace and pepper, and strew salt over; keep them over a slow fire, till the liquor which will be drawn, dries up again; shake the stew-pan often; then pour over as much vinegar as will cover them, let it become hot, but not boil, and put all into a jar.--_or_: boil buttons in milk and water till rather tender, put them into a cullender, and pump cold water on them till they are cold; put them into salt and water, for twenty-four hours, then dry them in a cloth. make a pickle of distilled vinegar, mace, and ginger, if to be _white_, if not, white wine vinegar. it must be cold before you pour it over the pickle. _india pickle._ put into a jar a gallon of white wine vinegar, lb. sliced ginger, ½ oz. turmeric bruised, ½ lb. flour of mustard, ½ lb. salt, oz. long pepper, bruised; peel ½ lb. garlic, lay it on a sieve, sprinkle it with salt, let it stand in the sun, or before the fire, three days to dry, then put it into the vinegar. place the jar by the side of the fire, cover close, and let it remain three days, shake it every day, and it will be ready to receive the vegetables.--_or_: boil in a gallon of vinegar, ten minutes, oz. black and white peppercorns, oz. flour of mustard, oz. turmeric, and oz. ginger, oz. of the best cayenne, and a good quantity of young horse-radish: (you may add ½ oz. more turmeric, and oz. white mustard seed), add curry powder and eschalots.--_or_: to a gallon of the strongest vinegar allow oz. curry powder, the same of flour of mustard, rub these together with ½ pint of olive oil, oz. ginger bruised, oz. turmeric, and ½ lb. of eschalots, and oz. garlic (both these sliced and slightly baked in the dutch oven), ¼ lb. salt, and drachms cayenne; put it all into a jar, cover with bladder wetted in the vinegar, and keep it by the side of the fire three days, shake it several times during each day, and it will be ready to receive the vegetables. great care is required, to prepare the vegetables; they should be gathered, as they come in season, on a dry day. { }parboil in salt and water strong enough to bear an egg, then drain and spread them in the sun, before the fire, or on a stove, to dry; this will occupy two days; then put them into the pickle. the vegetables are, large cucumbers sliced, gherkins, large onions sliced, small onions, cauliflowers, and brocoli in branches, celery, french beans, nasturtiums, capsicums, white turnip radishes, coddling apples, siberian crabs, green peaches, a large carrot in slices, nicked round the edges, and a white cabbage cut up; neither red cabbage nor walnuts. small green melons are good; cut a slit to take out the seeds, parboil the melons in salt and water, drain and dry, then fill them with mustard seed, and or cloves, tie round, and put them into the pickle.--some persons boil it up after the vegetables are in. these receipts are all good. _lemons._ cut them across, about half way through, and put ½ tea-spoonful of salt into each one, let them lie in a deep dish five or six days; to each lemon add ½ nutmeg, grated, table-spoonful of black mustard seed, and a little mace; boil till tender, in vinegar to cover them, then put them by. keep the jar filled with vinegar.--_or_: cut the lemons in parts, but not through, fill with fine salt, put them in layers in a jar, and sprinkle fine salt over each layer. examine and turn them, every five or six days, and in six weeks they will be ready. if dry, add lemon juice to them.--_or_: grate the rind of lemons, rub well with salt, and turn them every day for a week: put them into a jar with oz. race ginger, a large stick of horse-radish sliced, tea-spoonsful flour of mustard, of cayenne, oz. turmeric, and vinegar enough to cover them. put more vinegar if required. _cauliflower_ and _brocoli_ before they are quite ripe, may be picked in neat branches, and pickled, the same way as _gherkins_; also _french beans_, nasturtiums and radish pods, in the same way. { }chapter xxv. vinegars. vinegar is seldom made at home, and as the best is made from wine only, it is scarcely worth the trouble, for, for every purpose, the best vinegar is the cheapest. _gooseberry vinegar._ to every quart of bruised ripe gooseberries, put quarts of spring water, stir well, and steep them eight and forty hours; then strain into a barrel, and to every gallon of liquor, put lbs. white pounded sugar, and a toast soaked in yeast. put it in the sun in summer, and by the fire in winter, for six months, without stopping the bung hole, but keep it always covered with a plate. white currants, stripped, in the same way.--_or_: boil lb. coarse brown sugar in a gallon of water, a quarter of an hour, scumming well; put it in a pan; when nearly cold put in a thick slice of toasted bread spread with yeast: let it work twenty-four hours, put it in a cask or jar, and place that in the sun, or near the fire. you may add some ripe gooseberries, bruised. _good common vinegar._ to every gallon of water, put lbs. coarse sugar, boil and skim. put it in a pan or tub, and when sufficiently cold add a slice of toast, spread on both sides with fresh yeast. let it stand a week, then barrel, and set it in the sun or by the fire, for six months. _cider vinegar._ to every gallon of cider, put lb. white sugar, shake well, and let it ferment, four months. { }_vinegar of wine lees._ boil the lees half an hour, during which, skim well. pour it into a cask, with a bunch of chervil. stop the cask close, and in a month it will be ready. _cayenne vinegar._ put into a quart of the best vinegar, oz. cayenne, oz. salt, oz. cloves, oz. garlic broken, and grains cochineal bruised; shake it every day, for a fortnight. _chili vinegar._ put fresh gathered red chilies into a quart of the best white wine vinegar; infuse them, ten days, shaking the bottle every other day. ½ an ounce of really good cayenne will answer the purpose of the chilies.--a spoonful or two in melted butter, for fish sauce. _chili wine._--the same way as the last, using sherry, or brandy, instead of vinegar. a fine flavouring ingredient. _eschalot vinegar or wine._ infuse in a pint of vinegar, oz. eschalots, peeled and sliced, a little scraped horse-radish, and tea-spoonsful cayenne: shake the jar or bottle, once a day for three weeks, then strain and bottle the liquor. _wine._--very good for flavouring made dishes: peel, mince and pound in a mortar, oz. eschalots and steep them in a pint of sherry ten days, pour off the liquor and put in oz. fresh eschalots, and let it stand again ten days, then pour off and bottle it. _tarragon vinegar._ pick the leaves on a dry day, about midsummer, make them perfectly dry before the fire, then put them into a wide-mouthed bottle or jar, and pour in vinegar to cover them; steep them fourteen days, then strain through a flannel jelly bag, into half pint bottles; cork carefully, and keep in a dry place. { }_vinegar for salads._ take of chives, savory, tarragon, and eschalots, each oz., of balm and mint tops, a handful each. dry, pound, and put them into a wide mouthed bottle or jar, with a gallon of the best vinegar, and cork close. set it in the sun, for a fortnight, strain it, squeeze the herbs; let it stand a day, then strain and bottle it. _garlic vinegar._ peel and bruise oz. garlic, infuse it in a quart of vinegar, three weeks. strain and bottle it. a few drops to a pint of gravy; a very slight flavour is approved of by some, which by others, is considered highly offensive. _green mint vinegar._ fill a wide mouthed bottle with the green leaves, cover with vinegar and steep them a week; pour off the vinegar, put in fresh leaves, let it stand another week, then bottle it. _horse-radish vinegar._ prepare this about november. scrape oz., also oz. eschalots, and drachm of cayenne, pour on them a quart of vinegar, and let it stand a week, then strain, and it is ready. _camp vinegar._ put into a pint of the best vinegar, drachm of cayenne, table-spoonsful soy, table-spoonsful walnut catsup, a small clove of garlic, minced fine, and anchovies chopped. steep a month, shake it every other day, strain it, pour it into pint or ½ pint bottles. _cucumber vinegar._ pare or large cucumbers, cut in thin slices, and put them into a china bowl, with onions sliced, a few eschalots, a little salt, white pepper, and cayenne. boil a quart of { }vinegar, let it cool, then pour it into the bowl; cover close, let it stand three days, and bottle it. _basil wine._ about the end of august fill a wide mouthed bottle with fresh leaves of basil, cover with sherry and infuse them ten days; strain and put in fresh leaves, infuse another ten days, then pour off, and bottle it. a table-spoonful to a tureen of mock turtle, just before it is served. _raspberry vinegar._ this, besides being a nice sauce for batter and other light puddings, is good with water, as a summer drink, also for colds, sore throat or fever. it will not be good unless made with fresh fruit; and the finer the sugar, the clearer the syrup.--to quart of fruit add pint of vinegar (cold); cover close for twenty-four hours; pour off the liquor, and put to it a quart of fresh fruit, cover close and let it again stand for twenty-four hours; repeat this for the third time. then boil up the vinegar, with a lb. of lump sugar to each pint, until it becomes a syrup. { }chapter xxvi. essences. some of the following are useful in culinary, others in medicinal compounds, and some in both. _essence of ginger._ put oz. fresh grated ginger, and oz. thinly cut lemon peel into a quart of brandy, let it stand ten days, and shake it every day.--_essence of allspice_--oil of pimento, drachm, strong spirits of wine, oz., mix them by degrees; a few drops will flavour a pint of gravy or wine.--_essence of nutmeg, clove, or mace_--put drachm of either into oz. of the strongest spirit of wine. a few drops will be sufficient.--_essence of cinnamon_-- oz. spirits of wine, and drachm of oil of cinnamon. _essence of savoury spice._ oz. black pepper, ½ oz. allspice finely pounded, ¼ oz. grated nutmeg, infused in a pint of brandy ten days. _essence of cayenne._ steep oz. good cayenne in pint of brandy, or spirits of wine, a fortnight, then strain and bottle it, for use. _essence of seville orange and lemon peel._ rub lump sugar on the lemon or orange, till quite saturated with the rind, then scrape the sugar so saturated into the jar you keep it in, rub the rind again, and so on, till you have enough, press the sugar down close, and keep it for use. this imparts a very nice flavour to custards and puddings. tincture of lemon peel is made by paring the peel, and steeping it in brandy. { }chapter xxvii. catsups. these should be made at home, as well as pickles. a small quantity of catsup every year is sufficient, and very little time and trouble will provide it. it should be put into small bottles (filled to the neck), for when a cork is once drawn, catsups, essences, and pickles begin to decay. the bottles kept lying on their side, because this tends to preserve the cork. keep them in a dry place. _mushroom catsup._ made in september. the large flaps are best. break off whatever parts are dirty or decayed, and lay the rest in pieces, in an earthen pan in layers, with salt between; put a folded cloth over, and let it stand a day and night, or longer, by the side of the fire; then strain off the liquor into the saucepan, and to every quart, put ½ oz. black peppercorns, a ¼ oz. allspice, ½ oz. sliced ginger, a few cloves, and or blades of mace. boil the liquor, fifteen minutes, over a quick fire, though it will be stronger and keep longer, if boiled until the quantity be reduced one half, and then the spices need not be put in until it has been boiling about twenty minutes. when you take it off the fire, let it stand to settle, pour off clear, and bottle it; the sediment may be strained and bottled also, for it answers for fish sauce and brown soup. anchovies, bay leaves, and cayenne, may be added to the spices. dip the corks in melted rosin. some put a table-spoonful of brandy into each pint bottle. a table-spoonful of mushroom catsup is sufficient to flavour ½ pint of sauce.--_or_: break them in a pan, sprinkle salt between and let them stand till the next day, when, if their liquor be not drawn, add fresh mushrooms and more salt: the next day pour off { }the liquor, boil it three hours, let it settle, strain and add to every quarts, ½ oz. of cloves, ½ oz, nutmegs, ½ oz. mace, oz. race ginger, oz. jamaica, and oz. black pepper, some eschalots and horse-radish, and pint of port wine, then boil it again half an hour. this will keep well. _walnut catsup._ gather them green, prick them with a large needle, and let them lie three days, in an earthen pan, sprinkled with a handful of salt, and a very little water. mash them well each day, with a rolling pin. on the fourth day, pour some scalding hot salt and water over, mash again, and let them stand the whole day; then with a spoon or cup, lift out what liquor there is, pound the walnuts well, and pour a little good vinegar and water over them, which will extract all their juice; pour this off, and put to it what you already have, boil it slowly, and scum well. when there is no longer any scum, put to every quart oz. bruised ginger, oz. allspice, oz. black pepper, a ¼ oz. each of cloves, mace, and nutmeg; simmer it three quarters of an hour, when cold, bottle it.--_or_: when of a full size, but tender, pound the walnuts, strain out the juice, let it settle and boil it up, taking off the scum as it rises: to each quarts allow lbs. anchovies, and boil gently till they are dissolved, then strain, and boil again with a small quantity of garlic and eschalots, a stick of cinnamon, ½ an oz. each of black pepper, cloves and mace, the rind of lemons, pints of vinegar, wine-glassfuls of port wine, and the same of strong beer; boil it gently three quarters of an hour; scum well. the longer this is kept the better. _oyster catsup._ use fresh melton oysters. pound them in a marble mortar, and to a pint of oysters add a pint of sherry. boil them up, then add oz. salt, drachms of pounded mace, and drachm of cayenne; boil up again, skim, then strain it through a sieve, and when cold, bottle it, and seal down the corks. brandy will assist to keep it: it is a nice catsup for white sauces.--cockles and muscles, the same way, but a pounded anchovy or two may be added to give { }flavour.--_or_: boil oysters in pints of sherry, with lb. of anchovies, and lemon sliced, for half an hour; then strain it, add a ¼ oz. cloves, ¼ oz. mace, oz. eschalots, and nutmeg sliced, boil it a quarter of an hour: when cold, bottle it, with the spice and eschalots. if the oysters are large they should be cut. _tomata catsup._ take doz. tomatas, doz. eschalots, doz. cloves of garlic, sticks of horse-radish, and bay leaves; slice and put them in ½ pint of vinegar, with a handful of salt, oz. pepper, oz. allspice, and a little mace. boil well together, ten minutes, pour it into a pan, let it stand till the next day, add a pint of sherry, give it one boil, take it off the fire, skim it, and after it has stood a few minutes, add a tea-cupful of anchovy sauce, and a tea-spoonful of cayenne. strain, and when cold, bottle it. the pulp may be rubbed through a sieve for sauce. _lobster catsup._ get a lobster of about lbs. weight, and full of spawn, pick out all the meat, and pound the coral with anchovies in a marble mortar: when completely bruised, add the meat, pound and moisten it with ½ a pint of sherry or madeira, a tea-spoonful of cayenne, a wine-glassful of chili or eschalot vinegar, and ½ pint of eschalot wine; mix well, put it into wide-mouthed bottles, on the top put a dessert-spoonful of whole black peppers, to each bottle: cork tightly, rosin them, and tie leather over. keep in a cool place. or table-spoonsful to a tureen of thick melted butter. { }chapter xxviii. the cellar. a good cellar, besides its general convenience, in regard to a variety of household purposes, is indispensable to every one who wishes to have good beer. however skilful and successful the brewer, no beer, nor, indeed, any fermented liquors (with few exceptions), can be kept good, any length of time, especially in the summer months, unless they be secured from being turned sour by heat, and by sudden variations of the atmosphere. no cellar can be considered perfect which is not below the surface of the ground. houses in the country are frequently without the convenience of underground cellaring; but every house ought, where it is practicable, to be built over cellars, which, independently of other advantages, contribute very materially to the dryness and warmth of the building. the directions for brewing, given by my father, in his "_cottage economy_," are so circumstantial, and so simple, clear, and intelligible, that any person, however inexperienced, who reads them with attention, may, without further instruction, venture to brew without risk of a failure. it is certain that many families, who had previously never thought of brewing their own beer, have been encouraged by the plainness and simplicity of his directions to attempt it, and have never since been without good home-made beer. brewing is not, perhaps, in strictness, a feminine occupation; there are, nevertheless, many women who are exceedingly skilful in the art. it is obviously not within the province of the mistress of a house, even to superintend the brewing department, but, when circumstances may render it necessary that she should undertake the task, she cannot, when about to give her directions, do better than consult the "_cottage economy_." { }the utensils necessary are: a copper, a mash-tub and stand, an under-back, to stand under the edge of the mash-tub, when the malt is put in, two buckets, a strainer, a cooler, a tun-tub, and a cask to put the beer in. having these utensils, the next thing is, materials for making the beer. these are, soft water, malt, and hops. the water should be _soft_, because hard water does not so well extract the goodness of the malt; but if you have none but hard water, soften it by letting it stand two days in some open vessel in the air. the malt should be (or, at least, usually is) ground or bruised into a very coarse meal. the hops should be fresh, of a bright yellow, and highly scented. farnham hops are the cleanest and best. i give receipts for finings, but do not recommend them, though they certainly will make beer clear which might not be so without them. the process is this: if you mean to make about a hogshead of beer, take gallons of water (soft, or softened by exposure to the air), and put it into the copper. when it has boiled, pour it into the malt. this is rather a nice matter; if you put in the malt too soon, it cakes and becomes dough. the old-fashioned rule is, to let the steam keep flying off till you can see your features in the water; but as the weather frequently renders this an uncertain criterion, take your thermometer, and plunge it into the water now and then, and when the quicksilver stands at , the heat is about right. pour the malt in gently, taking care to stir it about as it goes in, so as to separate it, and make every particle come in contact with the water; when it is all in, stir it for twenty minutes or half an hour; then put your stirring-stick across the mash-tub, and cover cloths all over to keep in the heat. let this, which is called _mashing_, go on for four or five hours. it cannot well be too long about. when the malt has remained soaking all this time, draw off the liquor by means of your buckets, and put it into the copper again. this liquor is called the "_sweet wort_." light the fire under the copper, and pour into it, for _every bushel_ of malt that you have mashed, ¾ lb. of _hops_, or, if not very good, lb. for every bushel. stir these well into the wort, and keep it on a good hard boil for an hour, being very particular to make it boil all the while. this being done, you have now to cool the beer: { }rake the fire out from under the copper, and again take out your liquor in your buckets; put the cooler in some place away from the chances of dirt falling into it, and where it may stand level; then strain the liquor into it. the next operation is, the _working_; and the most difficult part of this is, to ascertain when, precisely, the liquor is cool enough to bear it. experienced brewers generally ascertain this by the feel of the liquor, by merely putting the finger into it; but it is better to use the thermometer again; plunge it in, and when the quicksilver stands at the heat is right. then, with your buckets again, put the whole of the liquor out of the cooler into the tun-tub; and take a pint, or thereabouts, of fresh yeast (balm), and mix it in a bowl with some of the liquor; then pour it into the tun-tub with the liquor that is now cool enough to be set to work; mix it up a little by dipping the bowl in once or twice, and pouring it down from a height of two or three feet above the surface of the liquor in the tun-tub; then cover the tun-tub with cloths, as you did the mash-tub. in a few hours it will begin to work; that is, a little froth, like that of bottled porter, will begin to rise upon the surface; when this has risen to its height, and begins to flatten at the top and sink, it should be skimmed off, and is good yeast, and the beer is ready to put into the cask in your cellar. when you put it into the cask, let it stand a day, without being bunged down, because it may work a little there. when you find that it does not, then, if you use finings, put them in, and bung down tightly. the following receipt is given to me by a gentleman who is celebrated for the excellence of his beer. suppose the brewer is about to make a hogshead of beer of good strength. eight bushels of malt will be sufficient. let the water, if not _soft_, stand two days in some vessel in the open air, which will soften it. one hundred and twenty gallons will be sufficient; and, if he uses ground malt, let him remember to attend to the heat of the water in the mash-tub before he puts it in, and also to the stirring and separating as it goes in. when it has stood long enough in the mash-tub, he must draw it off, and put it into the copper, and then throw in ¾ lb. of good hops _for every bushel of malt_; or, if the hops be not really good and strong, lb. _to the bushel_. boil the liquor at least an hour; { }but be very particular to make it boil the whole time; for much depends on this. beer that has not boiled well is always crude, and soon spoils. it is the great fault of most brewers, that, to save the evaporation caused by a good boiling, they cool the liquor before it is sufficiently cooked. when it has boiled the proper time, pour it immediately, hot as it is, into a clean cask; put the bung and vent-peg in lightly; watch the cask, and when you find fermentation going on, which will show itself by a little oozing out of froth round the bung, take out both bung and vent-peg, and let them remain out till the working is over, and the froth begins to sink down into the cask; then put the bung and vent-peg in tightly, and the brewing is over. the cask should not be filled to running over, yet very little space should be left below the bung when driven in, as the body of air that would fill this vacancy would deaden the beer. this mode deviates from that practised by my father, in two essential points: namely, the _cooling_ and the _working_ of the beer; for, in the last receipt it is not cooled at all, and no yeast is required to work it. if it answers, it is a less troublesome, and, calculating the cost of the coolers, less expensive mode of brewing than that detailed in the "_cottage economy_." the "cottage economy" speaks of the necessity of keeping the casks in good order; and this is a matter, though of great importance, often neglected. new casks should be seasoned before they are used; one way recommended is, to boil pecks of bran or malt dust in a copper of water, pour it hot into the cask, stop close, and let it stand two days, then wash it out well, and drain the cask. servants are negligent about vent-pegs and bungs. they should be put in tight, the tap taken out, and a cork put in, as soon as the last beer is drawn. if the casks were kept in proper order, beer would not so often be spoiled. of equal consequence, is the cleanness of the brewing utensils. they should be scoured well with a brush and scalding water, after they have been used. do not use soap or any thing greasy. a strong ley of wood ashes may be used, if there be any apprehension of taint. when hops are dear, gentian may be substituted in part for them, in the proportion of ¼ oz. gentian, and lbs. hops, to bushels of malt. { }_to fine beer._ draw out a gallon of ale, put to it oz. isinglass, cut small and beaten; stir the beer, and whip it with a whisk, to dissolve the isinglass, then strain, and pour it back into the cask, stir well, a few minutes, and put the bung in lightly, because a fresh fermentation will take place. when that is over stop it close; let the vent-peg be loose. fermentation is over, make the vent-peg tight; and in a fortnight the beer will be fine. drink parts, and bottle the rest.--a good way to fine new beer, is to run the wort through a flannel into the tun, before it has worked. _for stale small beer._ put lb. chalk, in small pieces, into a half hogshead, and stop it close. it will be fit to drink on the third day.--_or_: put half chalk, and the other half hops. _to bottle beer._ stone bottles are best. the best corks the cheapest, put them in cold water half an hour before you use them. the bottles perfectly clean and sweet, fill them with beer, put in each bottle a small tea-spoonful of powdered sugar, and let them stand uncorked, till the next day: then cork, and lay the bottles on their sides; or, better still, stand them with the necks downwards.--when a bottle is emptied, the cork should be returned into it directly, or it will become musty. _to make cider._ the apples quite ripe, but not rotten. if the weather be frosty, gather the apples, and spread them from to feet thick, on the ground, and cover with straw; if mild, let them hang on the trees, or remain under, if fallen, until you are ready to make the cider. it should not be made in warm weather, unless they are beginning to rot, in which case you must not delay. unripe fruit should be made by itself, as the cider never keeps.--large cider mills will make from to gallons in a day, according to the difference in the quality of fruit, some sorts of apples being { }more tough and less juicy than others, consequently requiring more grinding. not more than or bushels should be put into the mill at once. they should be ground, till the kernels and rinds are all well mashed, to give the flavour to cider. pour the cider from the mill into a press; press the juice well, then pour it into hogsheads. when it has done fermenting, and the time for this is very uncertain, rack it off into other hogsheads, let it settle, and then bung it down. ---- english wines and cordials. fruit of every kind should be gathered in dry sunny weather, quite ripe. all home made wines are the better for a little brandy; though some persons never use any. _to clear wine._ dissolve ½ lb. hartshorn shavings in cider or rhenish wine; this is sufficient for a hogshead.--_or_: to table-spoonsful boiled rice, add ½ oz. burnt alum in powder: mix with a pint, or more, of the wine, stir it into the cask, with a stout stick, but do not agitate the lees.--_or_: dissolve ½ oz. isinglass, in a pint or more of the wine, mix with it ½ oz. of chalk in powder, and put it into the cask: stir the wine, but not the lees. _british sherry, or malt wine._ take quarts of the best sweet wort, from pale malt, let it cool and put it into a gallon cask. take as much water as will be required to fill up the cask, put it on the fire, with lbs. of the best lump sugar, stir from time to time, and let it boil gently about a quarter of an hour, taking off the scum as it rises. take it off the fire, let it cool, pour it into the cask, and put in a little good yeast. it may, perhaps, continue to ferment two or three weeks; when this has ceased, put in lbs. raisins, chopped fine; these may cause fresh fermentation, which must be allowed to subside; then put in the rinds of seville oranges, and their juice, also a quart of good brandy; at the end of three { }or four days, if a fresh fermentation have not taken place, put the bung in tight. keep it a year in the cask, then bottle it; the longer it is kept the better.--_or_: stir lbs. good moist sugar into gallons of water, till it is dissolved, then boil it twenty minutes; let it cool in a tub, then put in lbs. good malaga raisins, picked and chopped; when it is quite cold pour in gallons of strong beer ready to be tunned, and let it stand eight days; then taking out the raisins, put it into a gallon cask, with quarts of the best brandy, lb. bitter almonds blanched, and oz. isinglass. bottle it in a year. _british madeira._ boil lbs. moist sugar in gallons of water, half an hour, and scum well. let it cool, and to every gallon put quart of ale, out of the vat; let this work, in a tub, a day or two; then put it in the cask, with lb. sugar candy, lbs. raisins, quart of brandy, and oz. isinglass. when it has ceased to ferment, bung it tight, for a year. _english frontiniac._ boil lbs. lump sugar in gallons of water, half an hour; when only milk warm, put it to nearly a peck of elder flowers, picked clear from the stalks, the juice and peel of large lemons, cut very thin, lbs. stoned raisins, and or spoonsful yeast: stir often, for four or five days. when quite done working, bung it tight, and bottle it in a week. _red currant wine._ to lbs. of moist sugar, allow gallons of water, pour it over the sugar, and stir it well. have a sieve of currants (which usually produces between and quarts of juice), squeeze the fruit with the hand, to break the currants, and as you do so, put the crushed fruit into a horse-hair sieve, press it, and when no more will run through the sieve, wring the fruit in a coarse cloth. pour the juice on the sugar and water, mix it, and then pour it all into a gallon cask, and fill it with water, if the barrel should not be full.--the cask should be filled up { }with water every day, while the wine ferments, and be bunged up tight, when it ceases. this is a cheap and simple method of making currant wine.--_or_: put a bushel of red, and a peck of white currants, into a tub or pan, squeeze well; strain them through a sieve upon lbs. of powdered sugar; when the sugar is dissolved put in some water in the proportion of ½ gallon to gallon of juice, pour it all into the barrel, add or pints of raspberries, and a little brandy. _raisin wine._ put the raisins in at the bung-hole of a close cask (which will be the better for having recently had wine in it), then pour in spring water, in the proportion of a gallon to lbs. raisins; the cask should stand in a good cellar, not affected by external air. when the fermentation begins to subside, pour in a bottle of brandy, and put the bung in loosely; when the fermentation has wholly subsided, add a second bottle of brandy, and stop the cask close. in a year it will be fit to bottle, immediately from the cask, without refining. malaga raisins make the finest wine: smyrna, rich and full, and more resembling foreign wine. _gooseberry wine._ to every pound of green gooseberries, picked and bruised, add quart of water, steep them four days, stirring twice a day. strain the liquor through a sieve, and to every gallon add lbs. loaf sugar; also to every gallons, a quart of brandy, and a little isinglass. when the sugar is dissolved, tun the wine, and let it work, which it will do in a week, or little more, keeping back some of the wine to fill up the cask, before you stop it close. let it stand in the barrel six months, bottle it, in six more begin to drink it. _to make gallons of elder wine._ boil peck of berries in gallons of water, half an hour; strain and add ½ lbs. moist sugar. to every gallon of water add ½ oz. cloves, and oz. ginger, tied in a linen { }bag, boil it again five minutes, and pour it into a pan. when cold, toast a piece of bread on both sides, spread it with good yeast, and put it in the wine. when worked sufficiently, put it into a spirit cask, and cork it down; take the spice out of the cloth, and put it into the cask, with a tumbler of brandy. leave the vent peg out a few days; in three weeks or a month bottle it. _elder wine to drink cold._--boil gallon of berries in gallons of water, two hours and a half. add lbs. moist sugar to every gallon of wine; boil it twenty minutes. next day work it with a yeast toast. when worked enough, cask it, with ½ a bottle of brandy, and lbs. raisins. _ginger wine._ boil in gallons of water lbs. loaf sugar, lbs. of moist, oz. good ginger sliced, and the rind of lemons, half an hour, scumming all the time; let it stand till lukewarm, put it into a clean cask with the juice of the lemons, lbs. chopped raisins, and a tea-cupful of yeast, stir every day for ten days, add ¾ oz. of isinglass and quarts of brandy. stop close, and in four months bottle it.--_or_: in gallons of water boil lbs. loaf sugar, oz. ginger, and the rind of lemons, half an hour, scumming all the time; then put it in the cask with the lemon juice, lbs. raisins, and the yeast, stir every day for a fortnight, add oz. isinglass and quart of brandy. _mountain wine._ to lbs. of large malaga raisins, chopped very small, put a gallon of spring water; steep them a fortnight; squeeze out the liquor, and put it in a barrel: do not stop close until the hissing is over. _primrose wine._ boil lbs. lump sugar in gallons of water, with the juice of lemons, seville oranges, and the whites of eggs; boil half an hour, taking off the scum as it rises; when cool put in a crust of toasted bread, soaked in yeast, let it ferment thirty-six hours: put into the cask the peel of lemons, and of seville oranges, with gallons of { }primrose pips, then pour in the liquor. stir every day for a week, add pints of brandy; stop the cask close, and in six weeks bottle the wine. _cowslip wine._ boil ½ lbs. lump sugar in quarts of water an hour, skim and let it stand until lukewarm, pour it into a pan, upon quarts of cowslip flowers; add a piece of toasted bread spread with yeast, and let it stand four days: put in as many lemons, sliced, as you have gallons of wine, mix and put it into a cask, and stop close. _grape wine._ to gallon of bruised grapes (not over ripe), put gallon of water. let it stand six days, without stirring, strain it off fine, and to each gallon put lbs. moist sugar; barrel, but do not stop it, till it has done hissing.--_or_: the fruit barely half ripe, pick from the stalks, and bruise it, then put it in hair cloths, add an equal weight of water, and let it stand eighteen hours, stirring occasionally: dissolve in it from lbs. to ½ lbs. lump sugar, to each gallon, as you wish the wine to be more or less strong. put it in a cask, fill it to the brim, and have or quarts in reserve to fill up with, as it diminishes by fermenting. let it ferment ten days, when that is over, and there is no danger of the cask bursting, fasten it tight, leaving a small vent to open once a week, for a month. fine and rack the wine in march, and bottle it in october; for a _brisk_ wine, it must ferment eight days longer, and be bottled the following march, in cold weather. _parsnip wine._ boil bushel of sliced parsnips in quarts of water, one hour, then strain it, add lbs. lump sugar, boil one hour more, and when cold ferment with yeast; add a quart of brandy, then bottle it.--_or_: to each gallon of water add lbs. of parsnips, washed and peeled, which boil till tender; drain, but do not bruise them, for no remedy will make the wine clear: to each gallon of the liquor add lbs. loaf sugar, and ½ oz. crude tartar, and when cooled to the { }temperature of , put in a little new yeast; let it stand four days, in a tub, in a warm room; tun it, and bung up when the fermentation has ceased. march and october are the best seasons. it should remain twelve months in cask before it is bottled. _almond wine._ warm a gallon of water, add lbs. loaf sugar, stir well from the bottom, and put in the white of an egg well beaten. when the water boils, stir, skim, and boil it an hour, put it in a pan to cool, and add ½ pint of yeast. tun it next day, work it ten days, stirring once a day, then add to every gallon lb. of sun raisins chopped, and rather less than ¼ lb. of almonds (pounded), more of bitter than sweet, and a little isinglass. stop the cask close, for twelve months. _cherry bounce._ to quarts of brandy, lbs. of red cherries, lbs. of black cherries, and quart of raspberries, a few cloves, a stick of cinnamon, and a bit of orange peel: let it stand a month, close stopped, then bottle it; a lump of sugar in each bottle. _orange wine._ to gallons of spring water put lbs. of lump sugar: mix well, and put it on the fire with the whites of eggs well beaten; do not stir before it boils: when it has boiled half an hour, skim well, put it into a tub, and let it stand till cold. then put to it a pint of good ale yeast, and the peels of seville oranges very thin, let it stand two days, stirring night and morning. then barrel it, adding the juice of seville oranges, and their peels. when it has done working, stop it close for six months before it is bottled.--_or_: to gallons of water, put lbs. loaf sugar, and the whites of eggs, beaten, boil as long as any scum rises, take that off, pour it through a sieve, and boil again, until quite clear; then pour it into a pan. peel seville oranges, very thin; when the steam is a little gone off the water, put the peel into it, keeping back about a double handful. when the liquor is quite cold, squeeze in the { }juice; let it stand two days, stirring occasionally; then strain it, through a hair sieve, into the cask, with the peel in reserve. if the fermentation has ceased, it may be bunged down in a week or ten days. _orange brandy._ steep the rinds of seville oranges and lemons with lbs. lump sugar, in gallon of brandy, four days and nights. stir often, and run it through blotting paper. _a liqueur._ fill one third of a quart bottle with black currants and a quarter part as much of black cherries, fill up with brandy, put in a cork, and let it stand a month; strain it through linen, put in sugar to taste, let it stand again a month, then strain and bottle it.--_quince_ may he used the same way, but in _rum_. _shrub._ to quart of strained orange juice, put lbs. loaf sugar, and pints of rum or brandy; also the peels of half the oranges. let it stand one night, then strain, pour into a cask, and shake it four times a day for four days. let it stand till fine, then bottle it.--_lemon shrub_: to gallon of rum or whiskey, put ½ pint of strained lemon juice, lbs. of lump sugar, the peel of lemons, and bitter almonds. mix the lemon juice and sugar first, let it stand a week, take off all the scum, then pour it from one jug carefully to another, and bottle it. _currant rum._ to every pint of currant juice lb. lump sugar, and to every quarts of juice, pint of water, set it over the fire, in a preserving pan, boil it, take off the scum, as it rises, and pour it into a pan to cool, stir till nearly cold, add to every pints of liquor, quart of rum, and bottle it. _ratafia._ infuse oz. each of anise, dill, carraway, coriander, { }carrot, fennel, and angelica seeds, in quarts of brandy, a fortnight in summer, and three weeks in winter: in the sun in summer, and in a chimney corner in winter. shake it every day; strain through a jelly bag, and to every pint put oz. of sugar, dissolved in water. strain again, that it may be quite fine.--_or_: _for pudding sauces_: blanch an equal quantity of peach, apricot, and nectarine kernels, slit and put them into a wide-mouthed bottle, with oz. white sugar candy; fill it with brandy. _noyeau._ put ¼ lb. sweet and ¼ lb. bitter almonds with lbs. sugar and the rinds of lemons into a quart of brandy (white is best), with ½ pint new milk: shake and mix well together, every day for a fortnight; then strain and bottle it. _real drogheda usquebaugh._ oz. anise seeds, ½ oz. fennel, oz. green liquorice, drachm coriander seeds, of cloves and mace, each drachm, lb. raisins of the sun, and ½ lb. figs. slice the liquorice, bruise the other ingredients, and infuse all in a gallon of brandy eight days. shake it or times a day; strain it, add oz. of saffron in a bag: in two days bottle it. _milk punch._ take quarts of water, quart of milk, ½ pint of lemon juice, quart of brandy, and sugar to your taste: put the milk and water together a little warm, then the sugar, then the lemon juice, stir well, then add the brandy; stir again, run it through a flannel bag, till very fine; then bottle it. it will keep a fortnight or more.--_or_: steep the rinds of lemons in a bottle of rum three days; add quart of lemon juice, quarts of cold soft water, quarts of rum, lbs. lump sugar, and nutmegs grated; mix well, add quarts boiling milk, let it stand five hours; strain through a jelly bag, and bottle it. _excellent punch._ put a piece of lemon peel into pints of barley water, let { }it cool, add the juice of lemons, and ½ pint of brandy; sweeten to taste, and put it in the cool, for four hours. add a little fine old rum. _norfolk punch._ steep the pulp of lemons and oranges, in gallons of rum or brandy, twenty-four hours. boil lbs. of double refined sugar in gallons of water, with the whites of eggs, beaten to a froth; scum well; when cold, put it into the vessel with the rum, quarts of orange juice, the juice of lemons, also quarts of new milk. shake the vessel, to mix it; stop close, and let it stand in the cask two months, before you bottle it. _roman punch._ to the juice of lemons and oranges, add the peel of orange cut thin, and lbs. pounded loaf sugar, mix well, pass through a sieve, and mix it, gradually, with the whites of eggs, beaten to a froth. ice it a little, then add champagne or rum to your taste. _regent's punch._ a bottle of champagne, a ¼ pint of brandy, a wine glass of good old rum, and a pint of very strong green tea, with capillaire or any other syrup, to sweeten. _a cool tankard._ mix wine-glassfuls of sherry, and of brandy, in a tankard, with a hot toast, and sugar to taste; pour in a bottle of clear nice tasted ale, and stir it with a sprig of balm: then let it settle and serve it. _porter cup._ put a bottle of porter, the same of table ale, a wine-glass of brandy, a dessert-spoonful of syrup of ginger, lumps of sugar, and half a nutmeg grated into a covered jug, and set it in a cold place half an hour; just before you serve it stir in a table-spoonful of carbonate of soda. { }_cider cup._ begin with whatever quantity of brandy you choose, and go on, doubling the other ingredients, namely: sherry, cider, soda water, a little lemon peel and cinnamon, sugar to your taste, and a bush of borage. some persons put in a very little piece of the peel of cucumber, but this must be used sparingly, as the flavour is strong. _ginger beer._ boil lbs. lump sugar in ½ gallon of water, with oz. ginger, bruised, one hour; then add the whites of eggs, well beaten; boil a little longer, and take off the scum as it rises; strain into a tub, and let it stand till cold; put it into a cask with the peel of lemons cut thin, also the juice, a pint of brandy, and half a spoonful of ale-yeast at the top. stop the cask close for a fortnight: then bottle, and in another fortnight it will be ready. stone bottles are best.--_or_: oz. powdered ginger, ½ oz. cream of tartar, large lemon sliced, lbs. lump sugar, to gallon of water, simmered half an hour: finish as above. _ginger imperial._--boil oz. cream of tartar, the rind and juice of lemons, pieces of ginger bruised, and lb. of sugar, in quarts of water, half an hour. when cool, add or spoonsful yeast, and let it stand twenty-four hours, then bottle in ½ pint bottles, and tie down the corks. in three days it will be ready. an improvement to this is ¾ lb. sugar, ¼ lb. honey, and tea-spoonful of essence of lemon. _spruce beer._ mix a pint of spruce with lbs. of treacle, stir in gallons of water, let it stand half an hour, put in more gallons of water, and a pint of yeast, stir well, and pour it into a gallon cask, fill that with water, and let it work till fine; bottle it; let the bottles lie on their sides three days, then stand them up, in three more days it will be ready. _crême d'orange._ slice oranges, pour over them gallon of rectified { }spirits, and ¼ pint of orange flower water; in ten days, add lbs. of clarified syrup, a quart of water, and ½ oz. of tincture of saffron: keep it closed, and in a fortnight strain the liquor through a jelly bag, let it settle, then pour from the sediment, and bottle it. _raspberry or mulberry brandy or wine._ bruise fine ripe fruit with the back of a wooden spoon, and strain into a jar through a flannel bag, with lb. of fine powdered loaf sugar to every quart of juice; stir well, let it stand three days, covered close; stir each day: pour it off clear, and put quart of brandy, or of sherry, to each quart of juice; bottle it, and it will be ready in a fortnight. _spring sherbet._ scrape sticks of rhubarb and boil them, ten minutes, in a quart of water; strain the liquor through a tammis cloth into a jug, add the peel of lemon, very thin, and table-spoonsful of clarified sugar; in six hours it is ready. ---- flip. while a quart of ale is warming on the fire, beat eggs with oz. moist sugar, a tea-spoonful of grated ginger or nutmeg, and a quart of rum or brandy. when the ale is near boiling, pour it into one pitcher, the eggs and rum into another, and turn it from one to the other, until smooth as cream. _egg wine._ to quart of lisbon white wine, put quart of water, sweeten to taste, and add a little nutmeg. have ready the yolks of eggs well beaten; boil the mixed wine and water, and pour it quickly on the beaten eggs, and pour from one bason to another, until it froths high. serve in cups. _to mull wine._ boil the quantity you choose, of cinnamon, nutmeg { }grated, cloves or mace, in a ¼ pint of water; add a pint of port, and sugar to taste, boil it up, and serve it hot. _the pope's posset._ blanch, pound, then boil in a little water, ½ lb. sweet, and a very few bitter almonds, strain, and put the liquid into a quart of heated white wine, with sugar to sweeten; beat well, and serve hot. chapter xxix. the dairy. this, of all the departments of country house-keeping, is the one which most quickly suffers from neglect; and of all the appendages to a country dwelling, there is nothing which so successfully rivals the flower garden, in exciting admiration, as a nice dairy. from the show-dairy, with its painted glass windows, marble fountains and china bowls, to that of the common farm house, with its red brick floor, deal shelves, and brown milk-pans, the dairy is always an object of interest, and is associated with every idea of real comfort, as well as of imaginary enjoyment, attendant upon a country life. the management of this important department in a country establishment, from the milking of the cows, to the making of the butter and the cheese, must necessarily be almost wholly intrusted to a dairy maid, who ought to be _experienced_ in the various duties of her office, or she cannot be skilful in the performance of them. those persons who have excelled in dairy work, have generally learnt their business when quite young, as a knowledge of it is not to be hastily acquired. the great art of butter and cheese-making, consists in extreme care and scrupulous cleanliness; and an experienced dairy maid knows, that when her butter has a bad taste, some of the dairy utensils, the churn, the pail, or the pans, have been neglected in the scalding, _or_, the butter { }itself not well made: unless, indeed, as is sometimes the case, the fault lies in the food provided for the cows. _note._--cobbett's "cottage economy" contains directions for the keeping and feeding of cows. the utmost care and diligence, on the part of the dairy maid, may, however, prove ineffectual, if the dairy itself be not convenient, and provided with the proper utensils. the principal requisites of a dairy are, coolness in summer, and a temperature warmer than the external air, in very cold weather. the building should, therefore, be so constructed, as to exclude the sun in summer, and the cold in winter. the windows should never front the south, south east, or south west. they should be latticed, or, which is preferable, wired, to admit a free circulation of air, with glazed frames, to be shut and opened, at pleasure. the room should be lofty, and the walls thick, as nothing more effectually preserves an even temperature, or excludes extremes of cold and heat. it should be paved with brick or stone, and laid with a proper descent, so that all water may be drained off. the floor should be washed every day in summer, and three or four times a week in the winter. the utensils should not be scalded in the dairy, as the steam from hot water is injurious to milk. neither rennet, cheese, or cheese-press, should be kept in it, as they diffuse an acidity. the dairy should not be used as a larder; it cannot be too scrupulously devoted to its own proper purposes. the cows should be milked twice a day, and as nearly at the same hour as possible; and they should be milked _quite clean_: this is a matter of great consequence, not only as being conducive to the health of the animals, but if neglected, very much diminishes the value of their produce; for that which is milked last, is much richer than that which is first milked. some persons when they strain the milk into pans, for creaming, pour into each one, a little boiling hot water (in the proportion of quart of water to pails of milk); this was never done in our dairy in hampshire, but i believe the effect is, to destroy the taste of turnip. it is very good, for this purpose, to keep a piece of saltpetre in the cream pot. this latter should have a stick in it, and be well { }stirred up twice a day, or, every time the dairy maid goes into the dairy. the cream should not be kept longer than four days, before it is made into butter. if twice a week be too often to churn, it ought not to be less frequent than three times in a fortnight. in private families the milk is generally skimmed only once, and this leaves the milk very good; but where butter is made for sale, and quantity rather than quality, is the object, a second skimming is generally resorted to. some dairy maids object to the second skimming, on account of the bitter taste, which they say the cream so skimmed is sure to give the butter. _to make butter._ in summer the churn should be filled with cold spring water, and in winter scalded with hot water, preparatory to churning; then pour the cream in, through a straining cloth. in warm weather the churning should be performed in a cool place; and, in a general way, the butter will come in an hour; but it often does come in half the time, though it is not the better for coming so quickly. in very cold weather the churning must be done in a warm place; indeed, it is sometimes necessary to bring the churn near the fire, but this should never be allowed but in extreme cold weather, when the butter will sometimes be five or six hours in coming: when this is the case, it is almost always of a white colour and a poor taste. the butter being come, pour off the buttermilk, leaving the butter in the churn, pour in a pailful of cold water, wash the butter about, pour off the water, and pour in a fresh pailful; let the butter stand in this ten minutes. scald a milk-pan, and stand it half an hour or more in cold water, lift the butter out of the churn into it, pour fresh water over, and wash the butter about well, drain the water off as dry as possible, and then proceed to work the buttermilk out of the butter. some persons do this with the hands (which should first be dipped in hot water), others with a straining-cloth: if the latter, scald and wring it dry; then work the butter by squeezing it, by degrees, from one side of the pan to the other, pour cold water over to rinse, and pour that off; then work the butter back again, and rinse again; repeat this till the rinsing water is no longer coloured with milk, { }and then you may be sure that the buttermilk is all worked out; for, if there be any of it left, the butter will have streaks of white when cut, and will not be sweet. having worked out the milk, the next thing is, to put in the salt. the quantity must depend, in some measure, on taste; some persons like their butter very much salted, while others think that the flavour of salt should not be distinguishable in fresh butter. roll it quite fine, and you may allow ½ lb. to lbs. butter: press the butter out thin, sprinkle over it some salt, fold up the butter, press it out again, strew over more salt, fold it up again, and so on, till all the salt is in, work the butter about well, to mix the salt with it, and pour off whatever liquid there may be in the pan. take the butter out, a piece at a time (if the quantity be great), on a square wooden trencher (previously scalded and dipped into cold water), and, either with the hand, a fresh cloth, or a flat, thin piece of wood (made for the purpose), beat the butter out thin, fold it up, beat it out again, and repeat this several times, till the water is all beaten out. by the time it has arrived at this latter stage, it ought to be quite firm, except in extreme hot weather, when no pains are sufficient to make it so. when the water is all out, make up the butter, in what form and size you choose; place it on a board, or a marble slab, in a cool place, but not before a window, as too much air will not benefit it; spread over it a cheese-cloth, first scalded, then dipped in cold water, and it will harden in a few hours. different parts of england vary so much in the butter they produce, that what is considered very good in one county would be regarded as inferior in another. this is caused by difference in the pasturage, and not by variation in the mode of preparing the cream or making the butter; except, indeed, in some parts of the west of england. in devonshire the cream is always, i believe, prepared according to the following directions, which were written for me by a devonshire lady. _to make butter without a churn._ spread a linen cloth in a large bason, pour in the cream, tie it up like a pudding, fold another cloth over it, and bury it in a hole two feet deep, in light earth, put all the earth { }lightly in, lay a turf on the top, and leave it twenty-four hours; take it up, and it will be found in the state that butter is when it is just come. the buttermilk is lost, but this method answers very well in hot weather. we tried it in america. _clouted cream._ strain the milk, from the cow, into glazed earthenware vessels, and let it stand twelve hours in summer, and twenty-four, or thirty-six, in winter, before you scald it. then place the vessels over a very small fire or hearth, for half or three-quarters of an hour, until the surface begins to swell, and the shape of the bottom of the pan appears on it (but if made hot enough to simmer, it will be spoiled); then set it to cool, and in twelve hours' time in summer, and eighteen or twenty-four in winter, the cream may be taken off with a skimmer which has holes. _butter from clouted cream._ scald well a large wooden bowl, then rinse it with cold water, but do not wipe it dry. put in the cream, work it well with the hand (in one direction only), until the milk comes from it, which should be drained off, and will serve for making cakes and puddings; when the milk is all beaten out, wash the butter with cold water to cleanse it from the milk, then salt it, thus: spread it out on the bottom of the bowl, sprinkle salt over, roll it up, wash it again with cold water, beat out again, then shape and print it, as you please. the hands should be well washed in hot water, before you begin to work the butter. in winter and in weather of a moderate temperature the butter is speedily made, but in very hot weather it will take nearly or quite an hour of stirring round, and working with the hand, before it will come into butter. _to pot butter for winter use._ in the summer, when there is plenty of butter, care should be taken to preserve enough for winter use. but observe, that none but good butter, well made, and quite free from buttermilk, will pot well. have potting pans, to hold from to lbs. of butter. put a thick layer of butter { }in the pan, press it down hard, then a layer of salt, press that down, then more butter, and so on: allowing oz. of salt to every lb. of butter. if too salt, it can be freshened by being washed in cold water, before it is sent to table. always keep the top well covered with salt, and as that turns to brine, more salt may be required. tie paper over, and keep the pan in the dairy, or cellar. some persons use one quarter part of lump sugar, and the same of saltpetre, to two parts of common salt. _to make cheese._ the milk should be just lukewarm, whether skimmed or not. to a pailful put table-spoonsful of rennet, cover the milk, and let it stand, to turn: strike down the curd with the skimming dish, or break it with the hand, pour off the whey, put the curd into a cheese-cloth, and let two persons hold the four corners, and move it about, from side to side, to extract the whey: lay it into the vat, fold the cloth smoothly over the cheese, cover it with the lid of the vat, and put a weight of or lbs. on the top. let it stand twelve hours; then take it carefully out, put it on a wooden trencher, or a clean hanging shelf, and sprinkle salt thickly over the top. the next day, wipe it dry all over, turn it the other side upwards, sprinkle salt on the top, and repeat this every day, for a week: after that, turn it every day, and occasionally wipe it.--_another_: to quarts new milk, add quarts lukewarm water, and sufficient rennet to turn it: when the curd is settled put it into a small vat, about a foot square, and ½ inch deep, with holes in the bottom; place a lid on it, and put on that a lb. weight, for a day.--_another_: put quarts of the last of the milking into a pan, with table-spoonsful of rennet; when the curd is come, strike it down with the skimming dish two or three times, to break it: let it stand two hours. spread a cheese-cloth on a sieve, put the curd on it, and let the whey drain; break the curd with the hand, put it into a vat, and a lbs. weight on the top. when it has stood twelve hours, take it out and bind a cloth round it. turn it every day, from one board to another. cover the cheese with nettle leaves, and put it between pewter plates, to ripen. it will be ready in three weeks. { }chapter xxx. cookery for the sick. often when the doctor's skill has saved the life of his patient, and it remains for the diligent nurse to prepare the cooling drinks and restorative foods, the taste and the appetite of sick persons are so capricious that they will reject the very thing which they had just before chosen: and frequently, if consulted upon the subject, will object to something which, if it had appeared unexpectedly before them, they would, perhaps, have cheerfully partaken of. everything which is prepared for a sick person should be delicately clean, served quickly, in the nicest order; and in a small quantity at a time. _see, in the index_, _mutton_ and _chicken_ broths. _mutton chops to stew._ chops for an invalid may be stewed till tender, in cold water to cover them, over a _slow fire_; scum carefully, add onion, and if approved, turnips. the broth will be very delicate. _a nourishing broth._ put lb. lean beef, lb. scrag of veal, and lb. scrag of mutton, into a saucepan with water enough to cover, and a little salt, let it boil to throw up the scum, take that off, pour off the water, and take off all the scum hanging about the meat: pour in ½ quarts of warm (not hot) water, let it boil, and simmer gently till very much reduced, and the meat in rags. a faggot of herbs may be added, and a few peppercorns: also an onion, if desired. when the broth is cold remove the fat. if to serve at once, the fat may be taken off, by laying a piece of blotting paper over the top.--_tapioca_ is very nice in broths for invalids.--_or_: put { }a knuckle of veal, with very little meat, and shanks of mutton, into an earthen jar or pan, with blades of mace, peppercorns, an onion, a thick slice of bread, quarts of water, and salt: tie a paper over, and bake it, four hours: then strain, and take off the fat. _calf's-feet broth._ boil feet in quarts of water, with a little salt: it should boil up first, then simmer, till the liquor is wasted half: strain, and put it by. this may be warmed (the fat taken off), a tea-cupful at a time, with either white or port wine, and is very nourishing.--_or_: boil the feet with oz. lean veal, the same of beef, half a penny roll, a blade of mace, salt, and nutmeg, in quarts of water: when well boiled, strain it, and take off the fat. _eel broth._ this is very strengthening, ½ lb. small eels will make pint of broth. clean, and put them into a saucepan with quarts of water, parsley, a slice of onion, a few peppercorns, and salt; simmer, till the broth tastes well, then strain it. _beef tea._ notch ½ lb. of beef (the veiny piece), put it into a saucepan with a quart of water, let it boil, take off the scum, and let it continue to simmer two hours. beef tea should be free from fat and scum, and not burned. _beef jelly._ let a shin of beef be in water an hour, take it out, and drain it; cut it in small pieces, break the bones, and put all in a stew-pan or jar, with quarts of milk. put it in the oven, and stew it till reduced to quarts; skim off the fat, take out the bones, strain through a jelly bag, and add oz. hartshorn shavings and a stick of cinnamon. boil again gently over a slow fire, but be careful not to burn. take every morning fasting, and at noon, a tea-cupful, warmed with a glass of wine. { }_shank jelly_ (_very strengthening_). soak shanks of mutton, then brush and scour them very clean. lay them in a saucepan with blades of mace, an onion, jamaica and black peppers, a bunch of sweet herbs, a crust of bread, browned by toasting, and quarts of water; set the saucepan over a slow fire or hearth, keep it covered, let it simmer, as gently as possible, five hours. strain, and keep it in a cold place. you may add lb. of lean beef. _for a weak stomach._ cut lbs. of lean veal and some turnips into thin slices. put a layer of veal and a layer of turnips into a stone jar, cover close and set it in a kettle of water. boil two hours, then strain it. you may not have more than a tea-cupful of liquor, which is to be taken, a spoonful at a time, as often as agreeable. this has been known to stay on a weak stomach, when nothing else would.--_or_: put a cow heel into a covered earthen jar or pan, with pints of milk, pints of water, oz. hartshorn shavings, and a little fine sugar. let it stand six hours in a moderate oven, then strain it.--_or_: bake a neat's foot, in quarts of water and quarts of new milk, with ½ lb. sun raisins, stoned. when the foot is in pieces, set it by to get cold, and take off the fat. a tea-cupful, dissolved in warm milk or wine. _bread jelly, for a sick person._ pare all the crust off a penny roll, cut the crumb in slices, toast these on both sides, of a light brown. have ready a quart of water, boiled, and cold, put the slices of bread into it, and boil gently until the liquor is a jelly, which you will ascertain, by putting some in a spoon, to cool. strain through a thin cloth, and put it by for use. warm a tea-cupful, add sugar, grated lemon peel, and wine or milk as you choose; for children the latter. this jelly is said to be so strengthening that one spoonful contains more nourishment than a tea-cupful of any other jelly.--_or_: grate some crumbs very fine; put a large tea-cupful of water into a saucepan, with a glass of white wine, sugar and nutmeg to taste, make this boil, stir in the crumbs, by degrees, { }boil very fast, stirring all the time, till it is as thick as you like. _jelly for a sick person._ boil oz. of isinglass, in a quart of water, with jamaica peppers, and a crust of bread; let the water reduce one half. a large spoonful of this may be taken in wine and water, milk, or tea.--_or_: boil ¼ oz. of isinglass shavings in a pint of new milk, till reduced half; sweeten to taste, and take it lukewarm. _panada._ boil a chicken, till parts cooked, in a quart of water, let it get cold, take off the skin, cut the white meat into pieces, and pound it in a marble mortar, with a little of the water it was boiled in, salt and nutmeg. boil it in more of the liquid, till of the proper consistency. _strengthening jelly._ boil ¾ lb. hartshorn shavings, ½ oz. of isinglass and candied eringo root, in quarts of water, to a strong jelly, strain it, add ¼ lb. brown sugar candy, the juice of a seville orange, and ½ pint of white wine. a wine-glassful three times a day.--_or_: put oz. of the best isinglass, oz. gum arabic, oz. white sugar candy, and a little nutmeg, in a white jar with a pint of port or sherry, and simmer it twenty-four hours in a vessel of water; then strain it. take the size of a walnut three times a day. _gloucester jelly._ boil oz. hartshorn shavings, oz. pearl barley, oz. sago, ½ oz. candied eringo root, and pints of water, till reduced to a quart. a tea-cupful, warmed, morning and evening, in wine, milk, broth, or water. _port wine jelly._ boil pint of port wine, oz. isinglass, oz. sugar candy, ¼ oz. gum arabic, and ½ a nutmeg, grated, five { }minutes, and strain it through muslin. some add lemon peel and juice, cloves, and nutmeg. for table, colour it with cochineal. _arrow-root jelly._ if genuine, this is very nourishing. put ½ pint of water into a saucepan, with a wine-glass of sherry, or a table-spoonful of brandy, sugar, and grated nutmeg; let it come quickly to a boil; rub smooth a dessert-spoonful of arrow-root in two table-spoonsful of cold water; stir this by degrees into the wine and water, put it all into the same saucepan, and boil it three minutes.--_or_: pour _boiling_ (not merely _hot_) water over the arrow-root, and keep stirring; it will soon thicken. add brandy, lump sugar, and, if approved, lemon juice. _tapioca jelly._ wash well, and soak it five or six hours, changing the water two or three times; simmer it in the last water, with a piece of lemon peel, until clear; add lemon juice, wine, and sugar to taste. _sago to boil._ put a large table-spoonful into ¾ of a pint of water. stir and boil very gently, till it is as thick as you require. add wine, sugar, and nutmeg to taste.--_tapioca_ in the same way. soak both these two or three hours before they are boiled. they may be boiled in milk, like rice. _gruel._ put table-spoonsful of the best grits into ½ pint cold water; let it boil gently, and stir often, till it is as thick as you require. when done, strain, and serve it directly; or if to be put by, stir till quite cold. boil in it a piece of ginger, and, if for caudle, lemon peel also. _barley gruel_--wash oz. of pearl barley, boil it in two quarts of water, with a stick of cinnamon, till reduced half; strain, then warm it with wine-glassfuls of wine. { }_barley cream._ boil lb. of veal, free from skin and fat, with oz. pearl barley, in a quart of water, till reduced to a pint, then rub it through a sieve till it is of the consistency of cream, perfectly smooth; add salt and spice to taste. _water gruel._ put a large spoonful of oatmeal into a pint of water, mix well, and let it boil up three or four times, stirring constantly; then strain, add salt to taste, and a piece of butter. stir till the butter is melted, and the gruel will be fine and smooth. _caudle._ make some smooth gruel, well boiled, strain, and stir it. some like half brandy and half white wine; others, wine, sugar, lemon peel, and nutmeg.--_or_: add to ¼ pint gruel a large table-spoonful of brandy, the same of white wine, capillaire, a little nutmeg and lemon peel. some use _ale_; no wine or brandy. _rice caudle_--soak table-spoonsful of rice in water, an hour, then simmer it gently in ¼ pint of milk till it will pulp through a sieve; put the pulp and milk back into the saucepan, with a bruised clove and a bit of sugar. simmer ten minutes; if too thick, add warm milk.--_or_: rub smooth some ground rice with cold water, then mix with boiling water; simmer it a few minutes, add lemon peel, nutmeg pounded, cinnamon, and sugar, a little brandy, and boil it for a minute. _rice milk._ wash, pick, then soak the rice in water, boil it in milk, with lemon peel and nutmeg: stir often, or it may burn.--_ground rice milk_: rub a table-spoonful quite smooth, with a little cold water; stir in, by degrees, ½ pint of milk, with cinnamon, lemon peel, and nutmeg; boil till thick enough, and sweeten to taste. _a mutton custard for a cough._ into a pint of good skim milk, shred oz. of fresh { }mutton suet, and let it boil; then simmer gently an hour, stirring it from time to time. strain, and take it at bed-time. old fashioned, but good for tightness of the chest.--_another remedy for the same_: heat the yolk of a fresh egg, and mix with a dessert-spoonful of honey, and the same of oatmeal; beat well, put it into a tumbler, and stir in by degrees, boiling water sufficient to fill it.--_or_: mix a fresh laid egg, well beaten, with ¼ pint of new milk _warmed_, a table-spoonful of capillaire, the same of rose water, and a little grated nutmeg. do not warm the milk after the egg is added to it. _artificial asses milk._ to ½ oz. candied eringo root, add ½ oz. hartshorn shavings, and ½ oz. pearl barley; boil them in a pint of water over a slow fire till the water is reduced half. mix a tea-cupful, with the same quantity of warmed milk, and take it half an hour before rising. _onion porridge._ put small, and large onions, cut small, into a saucepan with a large piece of butter, shake over the fire, but do not let them burn: when half cooked, pour in a pint of boiling water, and simmer it till they are cooked. some thicken with flour. _french milk porridge._ stir some oatmeal and water together, and let it stand to settle; pour off the liquid, add fresh water to the oatmeal, and let it stand: the next day pass it through a sieve, boil the water, and while boiling, stir in some milk, in the proportion of parts to of water. _white wine whey._ let ½ pint new milk come to a boil, pour in as much white wine as will turn it; let it boil up, and set the saucepan aside till the curd forms: then pour the whey off, or strain it, if required. some add ½ pint of boiling water, and a bit of sugar; lemon juice may be added. { }_rennet whey._ steep a piece of rennet, about an inch square, in a small tea-cupful of water, boiled and become a little cool. then warm a quart of new milk, to the same temperature as from the cow, and when in this state, add a table-spoonful of the rennet. let it stand before the fire until it thickens, then in a vessel of boiling water, on the fire, to separate the curds from the milk. _vinegar or lemon whey._ pour into boiling milk as much vinegar or lemon juice as will make a small quantity clear, dilute with warm water till it be of an agreeable acid; sweeten it to taste. _mustard whey._ strew into a pint of milk, just coming to a boil, flour of mustard to turn it; let it stand a few minutes, then strain it. _treacle posset._ into a pint of boiling milk pour table-spoonsful of treacle, stir briskly till it curdles, then strain it. _orgeat._ beat oz. of sweet, and or bitter almonds, with a tea-spoonful of orange-flower water, to a paste: mix them with a quart of milk and water, and sweeten with sugar or capillaire. some add a little brandy. _lemonade._ pare lemons very thin, and put the rinds into pints of boiling water, and keep covered till cold. boil lb. of lump sugar in water to make a thin syrup, with the white of an egg to clear it. squeeze lemons in a separate bason, mix all together, add a quart of boiling milk, and pass it through a jelly bag till clear. keep it till the next day.--_or_: pour boiling water on a little of the peel, and cover close. boil water and sugar together to a thin { }syrup, skim, and let it cool; then mix the juice, the syrup and water, in which the peel has infused, all together, and strain through a jelly bag. some add capillaire. _barley water._ wash oz. of pearl barley, boil it in very little water, pour the latter off, then pour a quart of fresh water over, and boil it till reduced to half the quantity. some boil lemon peel in it, others add lemon juice or cream of tartar, and sugar. a small quantity of gum arabic is good boiled in it.--_another_, and by some doctors considered the best, is merely to pour boiling water on the barley, let it stand a quarter of an hour, and then pour it off clear. _capillaire._ put lbs. of loaf sugar, lbs. coarse sugar, and eggs well beaten, into quarts of water; boil it up twice, skim well, and add ¼ pint of orange-flower water. strain through a jelly bag, and bottle it. a spoonful or two in a tumbler of either warm or cold water is a pleasant drink. _linseed tea._ boil quart of water, and as it boils put in a table-spoonful of linseed; add two onions, boil a few minutes, then strain it, put in the juice of a lemon, and sugar to your taste. if it gets thick by standing, add a little boiling water.--_or_: put the linseed in a piece of muslin, then in a quart jug, pour boiling water over and cover it close, an hour. _lemon and orange water._ put slices lemon peel into a tea-pot, with a dessert-spoonful of capillaire, and pour ½ pint of boiling water over.--_or_: pour boiling water over preserved orange or lemon.--_or_: boil lemon or orange juice in some thin syrup of sugar and water. _apple water._ pour boiling water over slices of apple in a covered jug. { }_toast and water._ toast a piece of bread quite brown, without burning, put it in a covered jug, and pour boiling water on it; before the water is quite cold strain it off. _a drink for sick persons._ boil oz. of pearl barley in pints of water, with oz. sweet almonds beaten fine, and a bit of lemon peel; when boiled to a smooth liquor, add syrup of lemons and capillaire.--_or_: _to take in a fever_: boil ½ oz. tamarinds with ¾ oz. raisins and oz. currants stoned, in pints of water, till reduced half; add a little grated lemon peel. _saline draughts._ pour ½ pint spring water on drachms salt of wormwood, and table-spoonsful lemon juice; table-spoonsful lump sugar may be added, if approved.--_or_: pour table-spoonsful lemon juice on grains of salt of wormwood, add a small piece of sugar, finely pounded. when the salt is killed, add table-spoonsful of plain mint water, and the same of spring water; strain, and divide it into draughts, to be taken every six hours. if the patient be bilious, add grains of rhubarb, and of jalap, to the morning and evening draught.--_or_: pour into one glass a table-spoonful of lemon juice, and dissolve in it a lump of sugar; dissolve ½ a tea-spoonful of carbonate of soda in table-spoonsful of water, in another glass: pour the two together, and drink in a state of effervescence. for delicate persons, a wine-glassful of sherry takes away the debilitating effect. _coffee._ to be good must be made of a good kind, for poor, cheap coffee, though ever so strong, is not good. a breakfast-cup, quite full, before it is ground, makes a quart of good coffee. when the water boils in the coffee-pot, pour in the coffee, set it over the fire; the coffee will rise to the top, in boiling, and will then fall; boil it slowly three minutes longer, pour out a cupful, pour it back, then another, and let it stand five minutes by the side of the fire. a small { }piece of dried sole skin will fine it, or lumps of sugar.--coffee requires cream or boiled milk. _chocolate._ some prefer milk alone, others milk, and half its quantity in water; let it boil (be careful it do not burn), and put in the chocolate, scraped; in quantity according to the strength desired; mill it quickly, and let it boil up, then mill it again.--for sick persons, use thin gruel, not milk. _tea._ for invalids who do not take tea for breakfast, its flavour may be given, by boiling a dessert-spoonful of green tea in a pint of milk, five minutes, then strain it. this renders it comparatively harmless. _barley sugar._ put the beaten whites of eggs in an earthen pipkin with a pint of water, and lbs. clarified lump sugar, flavoured with essence or oil of lemons; boil quickly, skimming all the time, till stiff enough. pour into a shallow brown dish, and form it as you please. _everton toffy._ to ¼ lb. treacle, put ½ lb. sugar, and oz. butter, boil them together until they become hard when dropped in cold water. then take the pan off the fire, and pour the toffy immediately into a tin dish. { }chapter xxxi. medical recipes. in almost every family little illnesses are likely to occur, which may require medicine, though not, perhaps, the aid of a doctor; it is, therefore, convenient to keep a small supply of common medicines in the house, especially in the country. the list i give was written by a medical gentleman; but while i am induced to insert it in this work, from a belief that it may, in some cases, be found of use, i cannot refrain from observing that it is far from my desire to lead any young housekeeper to adopt the fatal error that _doctors_ may be dispensed with, when anything approaching to serious illness betrays itself. too many instances have occurred wherein life has been lost, for the want of timely medical skill, which might, perhaps, have arrested the progress of disease at its feeble commencement, and before it had acquired sufficient strength to baffle opposition. the following receipts have all been tried by the persons who gave them to me; many of them may be old fashioned, but some i can assert to be good. that for the _croup_ has been resorted to, several times in our own family, and always with success. the complaint is a violent one, its attacks are sudden and the progress of the disease is so rapid that there ought not to be an _instant_ of delay in administering the remedies. the _croup_ is of common occurrence in america, and the following receipt came from that country. _for the croup._ the healthiest children are the most liable to this complaint, which is caused by sudden changings in the atmosphere, draughts of cold air, and checking of the perspiration, { }it betrays itself by a hoarse croaking cough, something like the hooping cough.--put the child into a warm bath placed opposite the fire; cover it all over with flannel, or a blanket; in the meantime chop an onion or two, squeeze the juice through a piece of muslin, mix it in the proportion of tea-spoonful with table-spoonsful treacle; get the child to swallow as much of this, from time to time, as you can: when it has been in the bath ten or twelve minutes, take it out in a blanket, and as quickly as you can, rub the stomach and chest with a mixture of rum and oil, or goose grease, wrap the child in a flannel and put it to bed, or keep it in the lap by the fire; if the child go to sleep, it will be almost sure to awake free from the disorder. these remedies may not succeed if there be delay in applying them. _for weakness of stomach._ drachm of prepared columba root, and ½ drachm of rhubarb root, infused in ½ pint of boiling water, one day: add oz. tincture of columba, and a little sugar. table-spoonsful, twice a day.--_or_: put about camomile flowers into ½ a pint boiling water, with cloves, and hops, cover close and let it stand all night: a tea-cupful first in the morning, and again an hour before dinner. if giddiness ensues, the camomile does not agree with the patient, and must not be continued. where it does agree, this will be found to restore the appetite. _camphor julep._ rub ¼ oz. of camphor in a mortar, with a few drops of spirits of wine, and a few lumps of sugar; add, by degrees, a quart of water, boiled, and cold. let it stand twenty-four hours, then strain through muslin, and bottle it. _for bilious complaints and indigestion._ pour over twenty grains each of rhubarb and ginger, and a handful of camomile flowers, a pint of boiling water. a wine-glassful the first in the morning, and an hour before dinner. { }_a mild aperient._ (_to take in the spring._) put oz. of senna into a jar, and pour quart of boiling water over it; fill up the vessel, with prunes and figs; cover with paper, and set it in the oven, with household bread. take every morning, one or two prunes, and a wine-glass of the liquor.--_or_: dissolve oz. of spanish liquorice in one pint boiling water, add oz. socotrine aloes in powder, and pint brandy. take tea-spoonful in a wine-glassful of water, either in the morning, at night, or both.--_or_: a large tea-spoonful of magnesia, a lump of sugar, a dessert-spoonful of lemon juice, in ½ pint of spring water. _gout cordial._ rhubarb oz., senna, coriander seeds, sweet fennel seeds, cochineal, saffron, and liquorice root, of each, a ¼ oz., and of jar raisins oz. let the raisins be stoned, and all the ingredients be bruised. put them into a quart of french brandy. shake well every day for a fortnight. take table-spoonful, with peppermint, or plain water. _hallett's gout and bilious cordial._ infuse in a gallon of distilled aniseed water, oz. turkey rhubarb, oz. senna leaves, oz. guaiacum shavings, oz. elecampagne root, oz. fennel seed, oz. saffron, oz. cochineal, lb. sun raisins, oz. aniseed; shake it every day for a fortnight; strain and bottle it.--a table-spoonful (or two) an hour after dinner. _for nervous affections._ take a small wine-glassful of the following mixture: a tea-spoonful of sal volatile, of tincture of hops, and an equal portion of infusion of orange peel and of gentian. _mustard whey, for dropsy and for rheumatism._ boil ½ oz. bruised mustard seed, in a quart of milk and water, till the curd which forms is separated. strain it and take a tea-cupful three times a day. _another for rheumatism._--a handful of scraped horse-radish, and a { }table-spoonful of whole mustard seed, infused in a bottle of madeira; the longer the better. a wine-glassful in bed at night, and another before the patient rises. _an embrocation for rheumatism._ dissolve oz. of gum camphor in oz. of rectified spirits of wine; add by degrees, shaking the phial frequently, oz. spirits of sal ammoniac and drachms oil of lavender. this has been used with success.--_another_: (known to mitigate the tic douloureux), is the _caja peeta oil_, but it _must_ be genuine. it is also good for strains, bruises, and chilblains.--_or_: a mixture of drachms french soap, drachms ether, and oz. spirits of wine. _for a sore throat._ at the beginning of a sore throat, get fresh ivy leaves, tack them together, warm them, and put the shady side to the throat.--_or_: wet bread-crumbs with brandy, and tie them round the throat. make a gargle of carrots, sliced and boiled, and use it often.--_or_: dissolve oz. camphor in a pint of rectified spirits of wine. dip a piece of new welsh flannel into this, and apply it to the throat. be careful to wet frequently. _a remedy for a common cold._ grains compound extract of colocynth, and grains of soap, in pills, taken at going to bed. the following night, take or grains of compound powder of contrayerva, and ½ a pint vinegar whey.--breakfast in bed the next morning. _syrup for a cough._ boil oz. balsam of tolu, very gently, two hours, in a quart of water; add lb. white sugar candy, finely beaten, and boil it half an hour longer. strain through a flannel bag twice; when cold, bottle it. you may add oz. syrup of red poppies, and the same of raspberry vinegar. a spoonful when the cough is troublesome.--_or_: oz. honey, table-spoonsful vinegar, oz. syrup white poppies, and oz. gum arabic: boil gently to the consistency of treacle; { }a tea-spoonful when the cough is troublesome.--_or_: table-spoonful treacle, of honey, of vinegar, drops laudanum, and drops peppermint. simmer together a quarter of an hour. a dessert-spoonful to be taken at going to bed.--_or_: mix together in a phial, drachms of compound tincture of benjamin, drachms ethereal spirits of nitre, drachms of compound tincture of camphor, and drachms of oxymel; a tea-spoonful in a wine-glass of warm water, when the cough is troublesome.--_or_: mix oz. gum arabic, oz. sugar candy, and the juice of a lemon; pour on it a pint of boiling water; a little when the cough is troublesome. _extract of malt, for a cough._ over ½ a bushel of pale ground malt, pour hot (not boiling) water to cover it, let it stand eight and forty hours; drain off the liquor, without squeezing the grains, into a stew-pan large enough to boil quickly, without boiling over. when it begins to thicken, stir, till it is as thick as treacle. a dessert-spoonful three times a day. _for a cold and cough._ to quarts of water, put ¼ lb. linseed, two pennyworth stick liquorice, and ¼ lb. sun raisins. boil it, until the water be reduced half; add a spoonful of rum and of lemon juice. a ¼ pint at bed time, and in smaller quantities, during the night, if the cough be troublesome. _for the hooping cough._ dissolve scruple of salt of tartar in ¼ pint of cold water: add grains of pounded cochineal, and sweeten with lump sugar.--the dose increased in proportion to the age of the patient; for a child five years old, a table-spoonful is sufficient; for adults table-spoonsful times a day.--abstain from all acids. _garlic syrup, for hooping, or any other cough._ put roots of garlic, sliced thinly and transversely, with oz. honey, and oz. vinegar, into a ½ pint bason, { }and set that into a large wash-hand bason; let it infuse half an hour, then strain it. take the first in the morning, and the last at night, a tea-spoonful of the syrup, in an equal quantity of brandy and water; put the water in the glass first. _almond emulsion for a cough._ beat well in a marble mortar, drachms of sweet almonds blanched, and drachms of white sugar, add pint cold water, by degrees; strain, then add table-spoonsful of sweet spirits of nitre. cork, and keep it in a cool place, or in cold water. a tea-spoonful three times a day. _for a hoarseness._ sweeten a ¼ pint of hyssop water with sugar candy, and set it over the fire; when quite hot, stir in the yolk of an egg well beaten, and drink it off; this may be taken night and morning.--_or_: put a new laid egg in as much lemon juice as will cover it: let it stand twenty-four hours, and the shell will be dissolved. break the egg, then take away the skin. beat it well together, add oz. of brown sugar candy pounded, ¼ pint of rum, a wine-glassful of salad oil, and beat all well together. a table-spoonful the first in the morning, and the last at night. _plaster for a cough._ beat together oz. each, of bees-wax, white burgundy pitch, and rosin, ¼ oz. coarse turpentine, ½ oz. oil of mace; spread it on white leather, the shape of a heart; when it flies off, renew it, two or three times. _bark gargle._ boil oz. powdered bark and drachm myrrh, in ½ pint of water, over a slow fire, till one third is wasted; strain, then add a table-spoonful of honey, and a tea-spoonful of spirits of lavender. _an excellent gargle for a sore throat._ half fill a teapot with _dark_ red rose leaves, pour boiling { }water over; when cold strain it into a oz. bottle, add a tea-spoonful of tincture of myrrh, and drops of elixir of vitriol: if the throat be ulcerated, a tea-spoonful of tincture of cayenne. _chilblains._ make a liniment, of oz. of palma oil, oz. of expressed oil of mace, and drachms of camphor. _for burns or scalds._ keep in a bottle, tightly corked, ½ oz. of trefoil, and the same of sweet oil; apply with a feather, immediately that the accident has occurred. _linseed_ or olive oil, applied instantly, will draw out the fire; _treacle_ will have the same effect, and is recommended by some persons, in preference to anything else. others say that _fine flour_, applied _instantly_, is the best thing; as soon as it becomes warm, replace it with fresh. _wadding_ also laid on the part instantly is good to draw out the fire. _for bruises, cuts, or wounds._ keep in the house a bottle containing a mixture of ¾ oz. of scented trefoil, of rum, and of sweet oil.--_or_: have a bottle three parts full of brandy, fill it quite full with the white leaves of the flowers of the garden lily, and cork it close. lay some of the leaves on the wound, and keep it wet with the liquor. the root of the same lily is used to make _strong_ poultices. _for a sprain._ stir the white of an egg with alum, until it curdles; rub the part affected often. _vegetable ointment._ a small handful of smallage, red pimple, feverfew, rue, and pittory of the wall; simmer them in lb. of unsalted butter, over a slow fire, half an hour: stir and press well, then strain it. { }_opodeldoc._ put a pint of rectified spirits of wine in a bottle, with oz. camphor, and oz. soft soap; shake it three times a day for three days, and it is ready. _elder ointment._ melt lbs. of mutton suet in pint of olive oil, and boil in it lbs. weight of elder flowers, full blown, till nearly crisp; then strain, and press out the ointment.--_another_: take oz. each, of the inner bark of the elder tree, and the leaves, boil them in pints of linseed oil, and oz. of white wax. press it through a strainer. _a carrot poultice._ boil washed carrots, and pound them to a pulp with a wooden pestle; add an equal quantity of wheaten meal, and table-spoonsful yeast, and wet it with beer or porter. let it stand before the fire to ferment. the _soft_ part to be made into a poultice with lard. _an excellent bitter._ cut ½ oz. of gentian in thin slices into a stone jar, with the same quantity of fresh orange peel and sliced ginger. pour over them quart of boiling water, and let it stand ten hours. strain it, add a gill of sherry, and bottle it. for a weak stomach, a wine-glassful the first thing in the morning will create an appetite. _for weak eyes._ (dr. bailey's.) boil quarts of water, and stir into it ¼ oz. camphor, pounded in a mortar with a bitter almond, oz. bolalmanack, and ½ oz. copperas; when cold, bottle it. bathe the eyes often.--_or_: dissolve in spring water, grains of white vitriol, and grains of sugar of lead. wash the eyes four or five times a day.--_or_: boil in spring water five minutes, ¼ oz. white copperas and ¼ oz. of common { }salt. put a drop in the eye with a feather the last thing at night. the bottle to be marked _poison_.--_another_, and very good: put drops of laudanum and drops of goulard into a ¼ pint of elderflower water: bathe the eyes with it. _for the tooth-ache._ each of the following remedies _have_ been known to alleviate suffering. turn up a wine-glass, put a little powdered alum on the round part, rub it to a paste with sweet spirits of nitre, and apply it directly to the cavity of the tooth, if there be one, if not, on the gum round it. repeat this often.--_or_: mix drachms of alum, in impalpable powder, and drachms of nitrous spirits of ether.--_or_: drachms of alum powdered very fine, with drachms of nitrous spirits of ether.--_or_: a drop of ether and of laudanum on cotton: this will also relieve the _ear-ache_.--_or_: oz. tincture of myrrh, oz. tincture of gumlac, ½ oz. tincture of bark: mix the two last, shake well, add the myrrh by degrees, and shake well together. table-spoonful to of hot water; wash the mouth frequently, holding it in for some time.--_for an intermitting pain in the teeth_: boil ½ oz. bark, grossly powdered, in a pint of cold water, till it wastes to a pint; then strain through muslin and bottle it. when the teeth are free from pain, put table-spoonsful of laudanum, then gargle and wash the mouth well with it. repeat it several times in the day. _peppermint water._ pour drops of oil of peppermint on a lump of sugar. put the sugar into a ½ pint phial, with a tea-spoonful of brandy, and fill up with water. _soda water._ to grains of carbonate of soda, add grains of tartaric acid in small crystals. fill a soda bottle with spring water, put the mixture in, and cork it instantly, with a well fitting cork. { }_medicinal imperial._ useful in the spring, or in slight fevers, or colds. pour quarts of boiling water over ½ oz. of cream of tartar, oz. epsom salts, ¾ lb. lump sugar, the peel of lemons, and the juice of ; cover close half an hour, then boil up, skim and strain it through thin muslin, into decanters.--a wine-glassful before breakfast. _lime water._ mix oz. quick lime in pints of soft water, and let it stand covered an hour; then pour off the liquid. _seidlitz powders._ put into one tumbler, drachms of rochelle salts, and scruples of carbonate of soda; into another tumbler put scruples of tartaric acid, fill each tumbler rather more than a quarter part, then pour the two together.--_or_: mix carefully drachms of sulphate of magnesia in fine powder, with scruples of bicarbonate of soda, and mark the packet no. ; in another packet, marked no. , put grains of tartaric acid in fine powder. mix in two different tumblers, each a quarter part filled with water, and drink in a state of effervescence. _medicines to keep in the house._ camomile flowers. camphorated spirits. castor oil. epsom salts. hartshorn. jalap powder. magnesia calcined. peppermint water. rhubarb. sal. volatile. salt of wormwood. senna leaves. soda carbonate. spirits of lavender. sweet spirits of nitre. tincture rhubarb. tincture myrrh. { }chapter xxxii. various receipts. _eau de cologne._ into quarts spirits of wine, at , put drachms essence of bergamot, the same of essence of cedrat (a superior kind of bergamot), drachms essence of citron, oz. essence of rosemary, and a ¼ drachm of the essence of neroly (an oil produced from the flowers of the seville orange tree); let it stand hours, then strain through brown paper, and bottle it. _lavender water._ into pint of spirits of wine put oz. oil of lavender, ½ a drachm essence of ambergris, ½ a drachm essence of bergamot. keep it three months.--_or_: oz. spirits of wine, drachm oil of lavender, drops of ambergris, and drops of essence of bergamot. _milk of roses._ thirty grains of salt of tartar, pulverised, oz. oil of almonds, oz. of rose water; mix the two first, then the rose water by degrees.--_or_: oz. of sweet almonds in a paste, drops oil of lavender, and oz. rose water.--_or_: oz. oil of almonds, pint rose water, and drops of oil of tartar. _henry's aromatic vinegar._ camphor, drachms; oil of cloves, ½ a drachm; oil of lavender, drachm; oil of rosemary, drachm; and a ½ oz. of the best white wine vinegar; macerate for ten days, then strain it through paper. { }_wash for the skin._ an infusion of horse-radish in milk, or the fresh juice of house leek, are both good.--_honey water_, very thick, is good in frosty weather.--also, a wash made of oz. potash, oz. rose water, and oz. lemon juice, mixed with quarts of water; pour table-spoonsful in a bason of water. _pomade divine._ put ½ lb. of beef marrow into an earthen vessel, fill it with spring water, and change that every day for ten days, drain it off, put a pint of rose water to it, let it stand hours; take the marrow out, drain and wipe it thoroughly dry in a thin cloth, beat it to a fine powder, add oz. of benjamin, the same of storax, cypress nuts, florence, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ½ oz. of cloves: mix all these together first, then mix up with the marrow, and put into a pewter vessel with a close-fitting lid; put this vessel into a copper of boiling water, and boil it three hours, having boiling water to replenish the copper, so that the pewter vessel may be covered with water all the time. in three hours pour the mixture through fine muslin into pots, and, when cold, cover close with paper. _lip salve, very good._ two oz. white wax, oz. of unsalted lard, ½ oz. spermaceti, oz. oil sweet almonds, drachms balsam of peru, a lump of sugar, and drachms of alkali root; simmer together, then strain through muslin. _pomatum._ mix ½ lb. fresh lard with oz. marrow, and beat them with a shilling bottle of essence of lemon. _cold cream._ to ½ a pint of rose water add ½ a pint of oil of almonds, oz. virgin wax, and oz. spermaceti; melt over a slow fire, and beat them together till quite cold.--_or_: melt ½ lb. hog's lard in a bason over steam; add ¾ pint rose water, { }and ½ a wine-glassful of oil of almonds; stir together with care till of a proper consistency. _for chapped hands._ mix / pint double distilled rose water, ½ oz. oil of almonds and grains salt of tartar.--_or_: yolks of eggs, table-spoonsful honey, table-spoonsful brandy, and sweet almonds, pounded.--_or_: dissolve a tea-spoonful of pulverised borax in a tea-cupful of boiling soft water, add a tea-spoonful of honey, and mix well together. after washing, wipe the hands very dry, and put the mixture on with a feather.--_oil of almonds_ or spermaceti rubbed on at night are soft and healing. _almond paste for the hands._ to lb. stale bread grated, ½ lb. bitter almonds (blanched and pounded), ¼ lb. honey, and table-spoonsful of oil of almonds. beat well together and keep it in jars with bladders tied over. as you use it add more honey and oil, if it requires moisture. _tooth powder._ bol ammoniac, gum mastic, red coral, and myrrh, of each an equal quantity finely powdered.--_another_: oz. camphor, oz. powdered cinchona bark, oz. prepared charcoal, and sufficient spirits of wine to dissolve the camphor. mix thoroughly, and pass through a fine sieve.--the mixture of chalk and camphor is very good for preserving as well as cleansing teeth. _curling fluid._ melt a bit of bees-wax, about the size of a filbert kernel, slowly, in oz. of oil of almonds, and then add a drop or two of ottar of rose. _to clean carpets._ mix ox gall and water; rub the carpet with a flannel dipped into the mixture, then with a linen cloth. sometimes carpets shrink after being wetted, therefore fasten them to the floor. { }_to clean silk dresses._ the dress must be taken to pieces. take out all grease spots, with spirits of turpentine; rub the silk over, with a sponge dipped in an equal quantity of honey, and soft soap, with spirits of wine, sufficient to make it nearly liquid. when well cleaned, dip the silk in cold spring-water, hang it up to dry; when nearly cold, smooth it on the wrong side, with a cool iron.--_or_: make some strong salt and water, in the proportion of a handful of salt to a bucket of cold water, lay in the breadths of silk, do not rub, but occasionally lift them up and down singly, for three days, rinse the silk in cold spring-water, hang it up to dry, and when nearly dry, smooth it out; iron it on the wrong side with a cool iron. _to take grease out of silk or stuff._ moisten ½ lb. fuller's earth with water, dry it before the fire, then pound, sift, and mix it with oz. starch (beaten and sifted), ½ the white of an egg, ¼ pint camphorated spirits, and of turpentine; mix well, and bottle it. spread it over the spot: if too dry moisten with soft water. _to remove grease from satin, silk, muslin, drawing-paper, and other things._ drop pure water upon the spot, and scrape on it caked magnesia, until it is saturated with the powder. when dry brush it off, and the grease, in most cases, will be removed. some find _soda_ to answer. _to clean blond._ soap it well, with curd soap, in lukewarm water, and let it lie all night; then wash it out, rinse in cold water, made blue, fold in a cloth, and iron it, with a cool iron. _to wash silk stockings._ put them into lukewarm water to cover them, soap the feet well, and rub that part which is soiled, with smelt blue; lay them smooth in the water, strew some blue { }between the folds, and let them lie all night; be careful in washing to rub them well, as the blue is hard to come out: the second lather must be of equal heat, but not quite so blue. cut bear is used to tinge them pink. _to clean floor cloths._ sweep, then rub the floor cloth with a damp flannel, then with milk or milk and water, and polish with a clean dry cloth. this is better than wax. _to clean stone stairs._ boil in quarts of water ½ pint of size, the same of stone blue, table-spoonsful of whitening, and cakes of pipe-maker's clay. wet a flannel with this, wash the stones with it, and when dry, rub with a clean flannel and brush. _to take oil from stone or boards._ to a strong ley of pearl-ashes, add some unslacked lime, let it settle, pour it off clear; lower it with water, and scour the grease spots; but it must be done quickly. _to get a stopper out of a decanter._ drop a few drops of spirits of wine on it, and it will soon come out. _to take rust from steel._ rub well with sweet oil, and two days after, rub with unslacked lime till the rust disappears. _to clean steel stoves and fire irons._ rub with a piece of flannel dipped in oil, then in emery powder; polish with a leather and rotten stone. _to clean paint._ put a very little pearl-ash or soda into the water, to soften it, then wash the paint with a flannel and soft soap; wash the soap off, and wipe dry with clean linen cloths. { }_to clean papered walls._ the very best method is to rub with stale bread. cut the crust off very thick, and wipe straight down from the top, then go to the top again, and so on. _to clean tin covers._ they should be wiped dry after being used, to prevent their becoming rusty. mix a little fine whitening with sweet oil, and rub well, wipe this off clean, then polish with a leather and dry whitening. _to clean copper utensils._ if the kitchen be damp, or very hot, the coppers will turn black. rub brick dust over, then a flannel dipped in oil; polish with leather and rotten stone. _marking ink._ mix scruples of silver caustic, drachms of gum arabic, scruple of sap gum, in oz. distilled water, in a glass bottle. the _wash_ to use previously; ½ oz. of soda subcarbonate in oz. distilled water. _ink._ infuse in a gallon of rain or soft water, ¾ lb. of blue galls, bruised; stir every day, for three weeks. add oz. green copperas, oz. logwood chips, oz. gum arabic, and a wine-glassful of brandy.--_or_: put ½ oz. nut galls pounded, oz. gum arabic, oz. copperas into ½ pint of rain water: shake every day for a fortnight, and it is ready. _blacking for shoes._ boil oz. ivory black, oz. bees-wax, and oz. mutton suet, in pints of water till melted and mixed.--_or_: quart vinegar, oz. treacle, oz. ivory black, and the yolks of eggs, well beaten. boil together till well mixed, keep it covered close.--_or_: mix into a pint of small beer, oz. ivory black, oz. coarse sugar and a table-spoonful sweet oil. { }_pot pourri._ mix together one handful of orange flowers, of sweet marjoram, lemon thyme, lavender flowers, clove pinks, rosemary, of myrtle flowers, of stock flowers, of damask roses, ½ a handful of mint, and the rinds of lemons, dried and pounded; lay some bay salt at the bottom of your jar, then a layer of the mixture, till the jar is full. _to thicken the hair._ simmer ½ lb. of the best lard in a tea-cupful of olive oil half an hour, scumming all the time: add drops of any scent. rub it in three times a week. _to destroy bugs._ corrosive sublimate, in spirits of wine, poured into crevices, or put on with a feather; it should be repeated as often as necessary. a deadly poison. _paste._ mix a very small portion of white lead in paste which is to be used about books, drawings, &c., &c. this will keep away the worm which is so destructive. _poison._ { }chapter xxxiii. cookery for the poor. i have selected such receipts as appear to be the most profitable to adopt; and the insertion of these will accomplish nearly all that i can hope to effect under the above head, for we all know that a supply of food alone can avert the misery of hunger, and that if there were a thousand different _systems_ for feeding the poor by the means of voluntary aid, the success of each system must depend on the practical efforts made in its application. some persons object to making soups, &c., for the poor, on the ground that poor people are not so well satisfied with this mode of relief as they would be if the materials were given them to dispose of in their own way. this objection is just in some cases, but not so in all; because, as respects domestic management, there are two distinct classes among the poor, the one having learned arts of economy while faring well, and the other being ignorant of those arts from never having had enough means to encourage them to make such things their study. it is true that the old-fashioned english cottagers, that class so fast falling into decay, are by no means wanting in the knowledge of housekeeping and of cooking in an economical manner. not only does their labour in the fields produce fertility, bring the richest harvests, and cause those appearances on the face of the country which make it admired as one of the most beautiful in the world; but the habitations of the labourers themselves, their neat cottages, and their gardens so abounding at once with the useful and the elegant; these have always been regarded as one complete feature, and that not the least important, in the landscape of england. and, if we look at the interior of these dwellings, we there find every thing corresponding with what we have remarked without. where the father, after having done a hard day's work for his master, will continue, in the evening, to toil upon his own small { }plot of ground for a couple of hours, and where the children are bred up to respect the edges of the borders, the twigs of the shrubs, and the stems of the flowers, and to be industrious and even delighted in such things, it is natural that the mother should take the same pains with all that belongs to the inside of the dwelling. and, accordingly, those who have occasionally visited the poor of the rural districts of england, must have observed, that if they are often deficient in the means of living well, they are, as often, patterns of cleanliness, and as anxious to make a respectable appearance with their scanty furniture, to polish their half dozen pewter platters, to scrub their plain table or dresser, to keep clean and to set in order their few cups and saucers of china-ware, as their betters are to make a display of the greatest luxuries of life. these excellent habits of the people are so fixed, that we see a portion of them still clinging to those labourers, perhaps the most of all to be commiserated, who are employed in the factories of the north of england. but the condition of the other class is very different. some of these have never, from their earliest infancy, been accustomed to any of those scenes in which, though there be difficulties, there are circumstances to excite perseverance, and to reward painstaking. these are born in absolute want; their experience under the roof of their parents has been but a course of destitution; and they go forth into the world rather as fugitives from misery than as seekers to be more prosperous. if they obtain employment, their labour is perhaps repaid by wages barely sufficient to keep them alive; destitute of the means of practising anything like household management, never having known what it is to have a home, worthy to be so called, for a single day, it is scarcely possible for them to obtain that knowledge, simple as it is, which is required to contrive the various modes of making much out of a little. besides, if the poor people existing in this condition were ever so inclined to do well, there are the strongest inducements held out to them to mismanage their small stock of means; they are continually standing in need of some temporary sustenance; and, who can wonder if thus bereft of all power to _provide_ or to _economise_, they yield to destruction, and suffer themselves to be allured by the { }glare of the gin-palace, or the revelry of the pot-house! it is one of the signs of misery with such persons, that they are little acquainted with the art of cookery. here and there may be found a poor woman who has become skilful by serving in the kitchens of other persons: but this is only an exception, and too rare to be of account. in almost every family there are, occasionally, things which may be spared from its consumption, to be converted, by an experienced cook, into palatable and nourishing food for poor people, but which, if given to them in the shape of fragments, they would be totally ignorant how to make use of. such, for instance, as bones with very little meat on them, trimmings of meat, of poultry, &c., some cooked, some uncooked, crusts of bread, and pieces of dripping; yet these, with a little pepper, salt, and flour to thicken, may, by careful cooking and scumming, be made to produce an excellent meal for a family of children.--few servants are unwilling to take the trouble of helping their poor fellow creatures, and, if the head of every family would give as much as she can spare to the poor who live immediately in her own neighbourhood, more general good would be done than ladies can reasonably hope to do by subscribing their money to "societies," which, though they may have been established by the best-intentioned persons, and for the kindest of purposes, can never be so beneficial in their effects as that charity which one individual bestows on another. the relief which is doled out by a "society" is accompanied by very imperfect, if any, inquiries into the particular circumstances of the persons relieved; by no expressions of sympathy, by no encouraging promises for the future, to cheer the heart of the anxious mother as she bends her way homeward with her kettle of soup: the soup which has been obtained by presenting a ticket is apportioned to the little hungry creatures, without their being reminded who it is that has so kindly provided for them, and after it is eaten there is no more thought about the source whence it came than about the hunger which it has removed. the private mode of charity is superior to the public in every way. there are great advantages arising from the former which the latter can never procure. not only must the attentions of a known individual be the most { }gratefully appreciated by a poor man and woman, but the child which has often gone to bed satisfied and happy, after a supper provided by some good neighbour, cannot be expected to grow up without some of those feelings of personal respect and attachment for its benefactor, which, while they prevent the contrast of riches with poverty from becoming odious, are the strongest assurances of union between him who claims a property in the soil and him whose labour makes that property of value. self-interest and humanity are not the least at variance in this matter; the same course of policy is dictated to both. it may seem glorious to be advertised throughout europe, and to be read of in newspapers, as a large subscriber to a public institution; but the benefits which are confined to a single parish are the more lasting from being local, and the fame of the distributor, though bounded in distance, is all the more deserved, the longer kept alive and cherished, and, consequently, the better worth endeavouring to obtain. the soup i would recommend for poor people, should be made of the shin, or any coarse parts of beef, shanks and scrags of mutton, also trimmings of any fresh meat or poultry. pound of meat to every pint of soup (that is, every three ½ pints of water), and then all the meat should not be boiled to rags, but some be left to eat. there should be a sufficient quantity of turnips, carrots, onions and herbs; also pepper and salt; and dumplings, of either white or brown flour, would be a good addition. a quart of soup, made in this way, with about ½ lb. of meat, and a dumpling for each person, would be a good dinner for a poor man, his wife and children; and such a one as a lady who has a kitchen at her command, may often regale them with. less meat will do where there is pot-liquor. the liquor of all boiled meat should be saved, in a clean pan, and made the next day into soup. that of a leg of mutton will require but little meat in addition, to make good soup. the liquor of any fresh meat, of boiled pork, if the latter be not very salt, will make good peas soup, without any meat.--soak a quart of peas all night, in soft water, or pot-liquor, and, if the former, some bones or pieces of meat; a small piece of pork would be very good. put in onions, cut up, a head of celery, a { }bunch of sweet herbs, and what salt and pepper you think it requires. let it boil, and then simmer gently _by the side_ full three hours, or longer if the peas be not done; stir the peas up from the bottom now and then. when you have neither meat nor pot-liquor, mix or oz. of dripping with an equal quantity of oatmeal, and stir it, by degrees, into the soup, or boil in it some dumplings of flour and suet. in houses where a brick oven is heated once a week or oftener, for bread, it would give little additional trouble to bake a dish of some sort or other for a poor family. soup may be made in this way: first put the meat on the fire in just enough water to cover it; when it boils, take off the scum, pour off the water, put the meat into an earthen pan, with carrots cut up, a turnip, onions, pepper and salt, and stale dry crusts of bread; pour over boiling water, in the proportion of a gallon to lbs. meat, and let it bake three hours. shanks of mutton, cowheels, ox and sheep's head, may be cooked in this way, but the two latter must be parboiled, to cleanse them; and will require four or five hours' baking. the soup made of ox head is not so nourishing as that of shin of beef. if there be room in the oven, a plain pudding may be baked as follows. pour boiling skim milk over stale pieces of bread, and cover with a plate or dish. when it has soaked up the milk, beat the bread, dust in a little flour, add sugar, an egg or two, or shred suet, or pieces of dripping, and more milk if required; butter a brown pan, pour in the pudding, and bake it three-quarters of an hour.--_or_: a batter pudding, made with two eggs, a quart of milk; or if eggs be scarce, leave them out, and use dripping; rub it into the flour, with a little salt, mix this by degrees with some milk into a batter and bake it. a batter pudding of this kind, rather thick, is very good with pieces of meat baked in it; in the proportion of lb. solid meat, to a batter made with quart of milk. pickled pork, not very salt, makes a very good pudding. a plain rice pudding, without egg or butter, made with skim milk, and suet or dripping, is excellent food for children. but rice costs something, and my object is to point out to young housekeepers how they can best assist the poor without injury to their own purses; and, therefore, i do not { }urge the use of barley, rice, sugar, currants, &c. &c. they do not, of themselves, produce much nourishment; sufficient, perhaps, for children, and for persons who do not labour, but for hard working people, the object is to provide as much animal food as possible; therefore, when money is laid out, it ought to be for meat. puddings with suet approach very nearly to meat. a thick crust, with a slice of bacon or pork in it, and boiled, makes a good pudding. _hasty pudding_, made with skim milk, in the proportion of quart to table-spoonsful of flour, would be a good supper for children, and the cost not worth consideration, to any lady who has a dairy. _buttermilk_ puddings, too, are cheap and easily made. _milk_ is of great value to the poor. where there is a garden well stocked with vegetables, a meal for poor people may often be prepared, at little expense, by cooking cabbages, lettuces, turnips or carrots, &c. &c. in the water which has been saved from boiling meat, or thin broth. the vegetables, stewed slowly till tender, with or without a small piece of meat, and the gravy seasoned and thickened, will be much more nourishing, as well as palatable, than plain boiled. _to dress cabbages, lettuces, brocoli and cauliflower._ put ½ lb. bacon or pork, in slices, at the bottom of a stew-pan, upon them a large cabbage, or two small ones, in quarters; a small bunch of herbs, some pepper and salt, the same quantity of bacon or pork on the top, and a quart of water or pot liquor; let it simmer till the cabbage is quite tender. _another_: wash a large cabbage or lettuce, open the leaves, and put between them little pieces of bacon or pork, and any fragments of fresh meat cut up; tie up the cabbage securely, and stew it till tender in a very little broth or water, with a little butter rolled in flour, and some seasonings. a little meat will go a great way in making this a palatable dish. turnips, carrots, and potatoes, either raw, or such as have been cooked the day before, may be { }just warmed up, or stewed till tender in a little weak broth, thickened with flour, and seasoned with salt and pepper, and then, poured with the gravy on slices of bread in a tureen, they will be good food for children. in "cobbett's _cottage economy_" there will be found a variety of receipts for cooking indian corn meal. the end. { }index. page allice, to broil, anchovy toasts, artichokes, to boil, jerusalem, ib. bottoms, asparagus, to boil, bacon, to salt and cure, , to boil, to broil or fry, baking, directions for, beans, windsor, french, beef, to joint, to carve, to salt, to smoke, round of, to boil, edge-bone of, to do., ib. brisket of, to do., ib. sirloin of, to roast, rump of, to do., ribs of, to do., ib. steaks, to broil, with potatoes, to fry, to stew, ragout, or braise, à la mode, to collar, royale, ib. to fricandeau, ib. bouilli, steaks, to stew, rolled, olives, ib. marrow bones, heart, ib. hunter's, ib. hamburgh, hung, à la flamande, ib. to press, ib. to hash or mince, ib. cecils, collops, ib. en miroton, bubble and squeak, ib. to pot, ib. beer, to brew, ginger, spruce, ib. beet root, to boil, birds, small, to roast, biscuits, to make, indian corn, dr. oliver's, ib. lemon, ib. blanch, directions to, boiling, general directions for, boudins, to make, braise, directions to, brawn, mock, pickle for, bread border, a, to make, french, rice, ib. brill, to boil, brocoli, to boil, to fry, ib. broiling, general directions for, broth, scotch barley, mutton, veal, ib. chicken, ib. butter, to make, without a churn, from clouted cream, to pot, ib. to clarify, to brown, to melt, parsley and, ib. cabbage, to boil, red, to stew, ib. to curry, ib. à la bourgeoise, ib. lettuce, with forcemeat, cakes, to make, common currant, , rich plum, very good, ib. without butter, rich seed, ib. a rice, harvest, ib. temperance, ib. sponge, ib. marlborough, ib. gingerbread, ib. parkin, volatile, ib. hunting, ib. rough, ib. rock, ib. rusks, maccaroons, ratafia, ib. jumbles, ib. small plum, ib. carraway, ib. shrewsbury, shortbread, ib. derby short, ib. cinnamon, ib. rout, ib. queen, buns, ib. sally lunn's tea, breakfast, ib. yorkshire, ib. roehampton rolls, muffins, ib. crumpets, ib. scotch slim, calf's head, to boil, heart and pluck, to dress, to fricassee, brains, ib. mock turtle, tails, to dress, catsup, mushroom, walnut, oyster, ib. tomata, lobster, ib. cardoons, to boil, carp, to stew, carrots, to boil, carving, directions for, cauliflower, to boil, with parmesan, ib. to stew, ib. to fry, ib. caviare, mock, celery, to stew, cellar, observations relating to the, cheese, to make, to toast, chicken, to broil, to braise, to fricassee, curry of, chutney, beef or ham, fish, ib. cider, to make, cup, cocks, black, to roast, cod, to boil, to fry, head and shoulders, ib. to bake, sounds, ib. cabeached, ib. colcannon, cow-heel, to boil, crab, to boil, to eat hot, to pot, ib. cray fish, to boil, to pot, in jelly, ib. cream, clouted, to make, crumbs, to fry, cucumbers, to stew, to dress, curry, directions for making, kebobbed, of fish, balls, powder, vegetables to, confectionary, to make, custards, ib. rich, to bake or boil, lemon, ib. orange, spanish, ib. with apples, ib. with rice, trifle, a, ib. gooseberry or apple, ib. tipsy cake, ib. crême patisserie, cream, chocolate, ib. a plain, ib. italian, lemon, ib. orange, ib. " frothed, alamode, ib. velvet, ib. vanilla, ib. burnt, ib. snow, ib. currant and raspberry, ib. strawberry, ib. clouted, ice, ib. paris curd, ib. blancmange, rice, ib. with preserves, ib. jaunemange, ib. flummery, dutch, ib. rice cups, ib. syllabub, ib. solid, ib. whipt, ib. jelly, calf's feet, ib. punch, savoury, ib. orange and lemon, arrow-root, hartshorn, ib. apple, ib. isinglass, ib. strawberry, gâteau de pomme, ib. bird's-nest, a, ib. sponge, lemon and orange, ib. souffle, a good, rice, ib. orange, ib. lemon, ib. omelet, sweet, ib. of apples, ib. fool, gooseberry and apple, orange, ib. oranges, stewed, ib. apples, red, in jelly, ib. pears, to stew, ib. apples, to bake, cheesecakes, ib. lemon, ib. curd, orange, ib. apple, ib. rice, ib. lent potatoes, ib. plums, french, stewed, dairy, the, observations upon, devils, dory, john, to boil, duck, to truss and carve, to boil, to roast, wild, to do., ib. salmi, to bake, to dress with peas, to ragout, to hash, ib. curry of, dumplings, apple, yeast, hard, ib. eels, to stew, to fry, ib. to collar, to spitchcock, ib. eggs, to fry, , to poach, to butter, to fricassee, ib. to ragout, ib. swiss, ib. scotch, ib. à la tripe, ib. à la maître d'hotel, with asparagus, ib. with mushrooms, balls, endive, to stew, essence of ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, mace, cinnamon, ib. savoury spice, ib. cayenne, ib. orange and lemon peel, ib. fawn, to roast, to bake, fish, seasons for, directions for cooking, soups, to pull, cake, pies, patties, flounders, to fry, flour, to brown, forcemeat, balls of, fish, fondu, fowl, to truss and carve, , to boil, to roast, guinea, to do., pea, to do., ib. to broil, to force, à la chingara, to pull, wild, to ragout, fritters, to make, curd, ib. apple, frying, general directions for, furniture, to clean, game, seasons for, to truss and carve, glaze, directions to, godiveau, to make, goose, to truss and carve, to roast, green, to do., to bake, to braise, gratin, to make, gravy, directions for making, ham extract for, to draw plain, ib. beef, savoury, ib. without meat, to keep a week, jelly, for cold meat, ib. savoury, for venison, ib. mutton, for venison or hare, ib. orange, for game and wildfowl, grouse, to roast, gudgeon, to boil, to bake, ib. to fry, ib. haddock, to boil, to stew, ib. to bake, to fry, ib. to broil, ib. haggis, scotch, ham, to cure, mutton, to do., to carve, to boil, to bake, to broil or fry, haricots blanc, hare, to roast, to bake, mock, to jug, to stew, to hash, to pot, to braise, en daube, ib. heart, bullock's, to roast, heart, calf's, to roast, ib. sheep's, to roast, ib. calf's and sheep's, to dress, herrings, to fry, to boil, to bake, ib. to pickle, ib. to broil, ib. indian corn pudding, mush, hommony, ib. polenta, biscuits, irish stew, jointing, observations and directions relating to, , , kale, to boil, kidney, to broil, to dress, kitchen, directions for arranging of the, knives, to clean, lamb, to carve, to boil, to roast, chops, to broil, to fry, to dress, leg of, with vegetables, breast of, to stew, ib. cutlets and steaks, shoulder of, stuffed, ib. head, ib. fricassee, ib. sweetbreads, curry of, lard, directions to, larks, to roast, laver, to dress, lentils, to boil, lettuce, to stew, liver, to fry, lobster, to boil, to eat hot, to pot, ib. maccaroni, to dress, paste, to make, pie, mackerel, to boil, to broil, to bake, to pickle, ib. maids, to boil, marrow, vegetable, to boil, to stuff, ib. meat, the season for, to preserve, to salt, mutton, to joint, to carve, to salt and smoke, leg of, to boil, neck of, to do., leg of, to roast, loin of, to do., ib. haunch of, to do., ib. to dress as venison, saddle of, shoulder of, ib. chops, to broil, to fry, to haricot, leg of, with carrots, loin of, to roll or stew, ib. shoulder of, breast of, to grill, ib. neck of, to stew, ib. kidneys, to dress, chops and collops, ib. cutlets à la maintenon, to hash, ib. hunters' pie, ib. morels, to stew, mushrooms, to stew, ib. omelets, onions, to dress, ortolan, to roast, ox cheek, to bake, to stew, palates, ib. to pickle, ib. tails, to stew, oysters, to stew, to keep, pain perdu, to make, pancakes, to make, whole rice, ib. ground rice, ib. parsley, to fry, partridge, to truss and carve, to roast, to broil, to stew, parsnips, to boil, pastry, general directions for making, glazing for, iceing for, ib. paste, plain, for meat pies, richer, ib. elegant, ib. a flaky, puff, ib. crisp, ib. good light, ib. short, ib. for preserved fruits, raised, for meat pies, ib. rice, ib. maccaroni, ib. for patties, for puddings, patties, to make, chicken, turkey and ham, veal, rabbit and hare, ib. beef, ib. oyster, ib. lobster and shrimp, peas, to boil, perch, to fry, to stew, pheasant, to truss and carve, to roast, pickles, observations on the making of, pickle, walnuts to, gherkins, onions, ib. cucumbers and onions, cabbage, red, ib. mangoes, melon, ib. beet root, ib. mushrooms, india, ib. lemons, cauliflower and brocoli, ib. pie, meat, venison, ib. beefsteak, pork, ib. sausage, ib. mutton, lamb, ib. veal, ib. maccaroni, ib. calf's head, sweetbread, ib. pigeon, rook, or moor-fowl, ib. hare, chicken, ib. rabbit, ib. goose, ib. giblet, partridge or perigord, ib. pheasant, ib. a sea, parsley, ib. herb, ib. fish, ib. lobster, herring, eel, mackerel, ib. shrimp or prawn, salt fish, ib. rhubarb, gooseberry, or green currant, green apricot, ib. apple, ib. codling, ib. cranberry, ib. of preserved fruits, ib. small puffs, ib. spanish puffs, apple, ib. orange, ib. lemon, ib. mince, ib. without meat, a bride's, ib. pig, sucking, to roast, to bake, harslet, to fry, to roast, ib. to collar, head, to roast, ib. feet and ears, soused, to fricassee, ib. pigeons, to roast, to broil, to braise, pike or jack, to boil, to bake, ib. pillau, a, pipers, to dress, plate, to clean, plaice, to fry, plovers, to roast, potatoes, to boil, to fry, broil, or stew, to mash, ib. to roast, ib. pie, balls, ib. ragout, ib. à la maître d'hotel, ib. a border of, pork, to joint, to boil, petit-toes, to cook, to salt, to roast, griskin, to ditto, to bake, chops, to broil, bladebone of, ib. chops, to fry, with onions, to roll, ib. corned, with peas, porter, cup, poor, the, cooking for, poultry, seasons for, to truss and carve, , , , to boil, to roast, to broil, to dress, powder, curry, savoury, ib. horse-radish, pea, ib. mushroom, ib. anchovy, ib. prawns, to pot, to butter, ib. in jelly, ib. preserves, to make, sugar, to clarify, jelly, currant, ib. apple, quince, jam, currant, raspberry, ib. strawberry, ib. gooseberry, ib. green, ib. damson, ib. rhubarb, ib. butter, black, fruit, for puddings, ib. for winter use, ib. to bottle, ib. damsons for tarts, marmalade, apple, ib. orange, quince, cheese, damson, apricot, ib. orange, ib. pine apple, ib. cucumber, strawberries, ib. raspberries, ib. strawberries in wine, gooseberries, whole, ib. morella cherries, ib. in brandy, cherries en chemise, in syrup, ib. to dry, apricots to dry, ib. to preserve, orange chips, to preserve, plums, to preserve, in brandy, greengages, pears, fruit, to candy, grapes, in brandy, barberries, ib. puddings, general directions for making, paste, for meat, beefsteak, suet, ib. meat in batter, ib. kidney, fish, ib. black, ib. hog's, ib. apples, currants, gooseberries, cherries, damsons, rhubarb and plums, apple, baked, green apricot, roll, ib. plum, ib. a christmas, marrow, ib. french plum, maigre plum, ib. bread, ib. and butter, custard, ib. little, an excellent, ib. oatmeal, ib. batter, ib. yorkshire, ib. potatoe, carrot, ib. hasty, ib. buttermilk, ib. save-all, camp, ib. pretty, ib. nursery, ib. arrow root, ib. ground rice, semolina, ib. whole rice, snow balls, buxton, ib. vermicelli, sago, ib. tapioca, ib. pearl barley, ib. millet, ib. maccaroni, ib. one always liked, cheese, ib. ratafia, ib. staffordshire, ib. baked almond, ib. wafer, orange, ib. lemon, ib. cabinet, ib. gooseberry, baked, quince, ib. swiss apple, peach, apricot and nectarine, ib. a charlotte, ib. bakewell, citron, ib. maccaroon, ib. new college, paradise, ib. punch, excellent, milk, ib. norfolk, ib. roman, ib. regent's, ib. quails, to roast, rabbit, to truss and carve, to boil, to roast, to bake, to broil, to fry, with fine herbs, to fricassee, to pot, ib. to braise, curry of, welch, rails, to roast, to ragout, ramakins, recipes, medicinal, recipe, for the croup, ib. for weakness of stomach, camphor julep, ib. for bilious complaints, ib. a mild aperient, gout cordial, ib. hallett's, ib. for nervous affections, ib. mustard whey, ib. almond emulsion, for hoarseness, ib. plaster for a cough, ib. bark gargle, ib. gargle for a sore throat, ib. for chilblains, burns, ib. cuts or wounds, ib. a sprain, ib. vegetable ointment, ib. elder, opodeldoc, ib. carrot poultice, ib. for weak eyes, ib. toothache, peppermint water, ib. soda water, ib. medicinal imperial, lime water, ib. seidlitz powders, ib. medicines to keep in the house, ib. receipts, various, eau de cologne, ib. lavender water, ib. milk of roses, ib. aromatic vinegar, ib. wash for the skin, pomade divine, ib. lip salve, ib. pomatum, ib. cold cream, ib. for chapped hands, almond paste, ib. tooth powder, ib. curling fluid, ib. to clean carpets, ib. silk dresses, to take grease out of silk or stuff, to clean blond, ib. silk stockings, ib. floor cloths, stone stairs, ib. to take oil from stone or boards, ib. to take rust from steel, ib. to clean stoves and fire irons, ib. to clean paint, ib. to clean papered walls, to clean tin covers, ib. to clean copper utensils, ib. marking ink, ib. ink, to make, ib. blacking for shoes, ib. pot pourri, to thicken hair, ib. to destroy bugs, ib. paste, to make, ib. rice, to boil for curry, border, white pot, rissoles, roasting, general directions for, roux, white, brown, ib. salads, directions for making, lobster, italian, ib. salmon, to boil, to grill, ib. to bake, to pickle, ib. to dry, to collar, ib. to pot, ib. salmagundi, a, salsify, samphire, to boil, sandwiches, sardinias, to broil, sauces, directions for making, list of, ib. sauce blanche, maître d'hotel, white gravy, for game and wild fowl, for goose, duck and pork, ib. robert, for broils, ib. for turkey or fowl, liver, ib. egg, for poultry and fish, ib. mushroom, ib. celery, ib. rimolade, tomata, ib. apple, ib. gooseberry, ib. cucumber, onion, ib. eschalot, ib. partout, ib. chetna, carrier, ib. horse-radish, ib. mint, ib. for cold meat, ib. coratch, miser's, ib. poor man's, ib. for roast beef, ib. lemon, ib. caper, ib. bread, rice, ib. sweet, ib. sharp, ib. store, for ragouts, ib. for tench, good store, for fish and stews, ib. plain fish, ib. excellent fish, ib. oyster, anchovy, ib. shrimp, ib. cockle, ib. roe, ib. dutch fish, ib. for devils, sausages, to fry, to make, scorzonera and skirrets, seasonings, directions for preparing, shad, to broil, shrimps, to pot, in jelly, ib. sippets, to fry, sick, the, cooking for, chops, to stew, ib. broth, a nourishing, ib. calf's feet broth, eel broth, ib. beef tea, ib. beef jelly, ib. shank jelly, for a weak stomach, ib. bread jelly, ib. jelly for a sick person, panada, ib. gloucester jelly, ib. port wine jelly, ib. arrow root jelly, tapioca jelly, ib. sago, to boil, ib. gruel, ib. barley cream, water gruel, ib. caudle, ib. rice milk, ib. mutton custard, ib. asses milk, onion porridge, ib. milk porridge, ib. white wine whey, ib. rennet whey, vinegar or lemon whey, ib. mustard, ib. treacle posset, ib. orgeat, ib. lemonade, ib. barley water, capillaire, ib. linseed tea, ib. lemon and orange water, ib. apple water, ib. toast and water, drink for sick persons, ib. saline draughts, ib. coffee, ib. chocolate, tea, ib. barley sugar, everton toffy, ib. skate, to boil, to fry, ib. smelts, to fry, to bake, ib. to boil, ib. snipe, to roast, to ragout, sole, to boil, to fry, soup, general directions for making, stock, plain, bouilli, ib. good clear gravy, vermicelli, ib. maccaroni, ib. carrot, ib. turnip, ib. asparagus, ib. celery, ib. julienne, clear, ib. clear herb, ib. brown, ib. plain white, another white, ib. another, with herbs, ib. lorraine, onion, ib. onion maîgre, ib. green pea, ib. another, artichoke, ib. good maîgre, ib. another maîgre, yellow pea, carrot, plain, ib. mock turtle, hare, , rabbit, game and venison, ib. knuckle of veal, mulligatawny, ib. ox-tail, grouse, partridge, ib. pheasant, ib. poacher's, hotch potch, pepper pot, ib. cock-a-leekie, milk, ib. ox-head, giblet, ib. stock for fish, lobster, oyster, maîgre, ib. cray fish, ib. eel, ib. spinach, to boil, au gras, sprats, to fry, to bake, ib. to boil, ib. stuffing, to make, seasonings for, for veal, poultry, ib. fish, ib. goose, ib. duck, ib. hare, ib. pike, sturgeon, to dress, suet, to clarify, sweetbreads, to broil, to fry, to dress, , tankard, a cool, teal, to roast, tench, to fry, to stew, thornback, to boil, tongue, to pickle, to boil, to stew, tripe, to boil, to fry, to fricassee, in the scotch fashion, trout, to boil, to fry, ib. to stew, turbot, to boil, turkey, to truss and carve, to boil, to roast, to braise, to pull, turnips, to boil, tops, ib. veal, to joint, to boil, fillet of, to roast, shoulder of, to do., ib. loin of, to do., ib. breast of, to do., ib. neck of, to do., to bake, to broil, cutlets, to fry, à la mode, fillet of, to stew, neck of, to braise, to stew, ragout, or collar, ib. olives or rolls, scotch collops, en fricandeau, ib. knuckle of, with rice, ib. granadin of, à la daube, ib. to haricot, ib. cutlets à la maintenon, heart, ib. pluck, ib. sweetbread, mock turtle, to mince, ib. to pot, cake, ib. curry of, vegetables, the seasons for, directions for cooking, vinegar, gooseberry, good common, ib. cider, ib. of wine lees, cayenne, ib. chili, ib. eschalot, ib. tarragon, ib. for salads, garlic, ib. green mint, ib. horse-radish, camp, ib. cucumber, ib. basil, ib. raspberry, ib. venison, to joint, to carve, to roast, to hash, shoulder of, to stew, ib. collops and steaks, ib. wine and cordials, to make, british sherry or malt, ib. madeira, frontiniac, ib. red currant, ib. raisin, gooseberry, ib. elder, ib. ginger, mountain, ib. primrose, ib. cowslip, grape, ib. parsnip, ib. almond, cherry bounce, ib. orange, ib. brandy, a liqueur, ib. shrub, ib. currant rum, ib. ratafia, ib. noyeau, usquebaugh, ib. crême d'orange, raspberry brandy and wine, mulberry brandy, ib. sherbet, ib. flip, ib. egg, ib. to mull, ib. posset, the pope's, widgeons, to roast, wheat-ears, to roast, whitings, to fry, woodcock, to roast, to ragout, n.b.--_all the books undermentioned are published by a. cobbett, at no. , strand, london, and are to be had of all other booksellers._ selections from cobbett's political register; being _a complete abridgement of the volumes which comprise the writings of_ "porcupine," _and the_ "weekly political register" (_from to _) with notes, historical and explanatory, by john m. cobbett and james p. cobbett, esqrs., barristers-at-law, is now published, in six volumes, vo., with a complete analytical index to the whole. the index to this work gives it an advantage over the original one, which, being without any general index, and the indices to the volumes being scanty, where there are any, and being omitted in a great many of the volumes, is, in fact, a work very difficult to refer to. the great object of the editors of this abridgement has been to preserve a series of the best papers of mr. cobbett's writings, and to render them easily referred to by a general analytical index. the price of the six volumes vo. is l. s. boards. ---- the cobbett library. when i am asked what books a young man or young woman ought to read, i always answer, let him or her read _all_ the books that i have written. this does, it will doubtless be said, _smell of the shop_. no matter. it is what i recommend; and experience has taught me that it is my duty to give the recommendation. i am speaking here of books other than the register; and even these, that i call my library, consist of _thirty-nine_ distinct books; two of them being translations; _seven_ of them being written by my sons; _one_ (tull's husbandry) revised and edited, and one published by me, and written by the rev. mr. o'callaghan, a most virtuous catholic priest. i divide these books into classes, as follows:-- books for teaching language; . on domestic management and duties; . on rural affairs; . on the management of national affairs; . history; . travels; . laws; . miscellaneous politics. here is a great variety of subjects, and all of them very _dry_; nevertheless, the manner of treating them is in general such as to induce the reader to go through the book when he has once begun it. i will now speak of each book separately, under the several heads above-mentioned. n.b.--all the books are bound in boards, which will be borne in mind when the price is looked at.--w.c. . books for teaching language. english spelling-book. i have been frequently asked by mothers of families, by some fathers, and by some schoolmasters even, to write a book that they could _begin_ teaching by; one that should begin at a beginning of book learning, and smooth the way along to my own english grammar, which is the entrance-gate. i often promised to comply with these requests, and, from time to time, in the intervals of political heats, i have thought of the thing, till, at last, i found time enough to sit down and put it upon paper. the objection to the common spelling books is, that the writers aim at teaching several important sciences in a little book in which the whole aim should be the teaching of spelling and reading. we are presented with a little arithmetic, a little astronomy, a little geography, and a good deal of religion! no wonder the poor little things imbibe a hatred of books in the first that they look into! disapproving heartily of these books, i have carefully abstained from everything beyond the object in view, namely, the teaching of a child to spell and read; and this work i have made as pleasant as i could, by introducing such stories as children most delight in, accompanied by those little woodcut illustrations which amuse them. at the end of the book there is a "stepping-stone to the english grammar." it is but a step; it is designed to teach a child the different _parts of speech_, and the use of _points_, with one or two small matters of the kind. the book is in the duodecimo form, contains pages of print, and the price is s. d.--w. c. english grammar. cobbett's english grammar. (_price_ s.)--this work is in a series of letters addressed to my son james, when he was years old. i made him _copy the whole of it_ before it went to press, and that made him a _grammarian at once_; and how able an one it made him will be seen by his own grammar of the italian language, his ride in france, and his tour in italy. there are at the end of this grammar "six lessons intended to prevent statesmen from using false grammar;" and i really wish that our statesmen would attend to the instructions of the whole book. thousands upon thousands of young men have been made correct writers by it; and it is next to impossible that they should have read it with attention without its producing such effect. it is a book of principles, clearly laid down; and when once these are got into the mind they never quit it. more than , copies of this work have been sold.--w. c. french grammar. cobbett's french grammar (_price_ s.); or, _plain instructions for the learning of french_.--this book has had, and has, a very great effect in the producing of its object. more young men have, i dare say, learned french from it than from all the other books that have been published in english for the last fifty years. it is like the former, a book of _principles_, clearly laid down. i had this great advantage too, that i had learnt french _without a master._ i had grubbed it out, bit by bit, and knew well how to remove _all the difficulties_; i remembered what it was that had _puzzled_ and _retarded_ me; and i have taken care, in this, my grammar, to prevent the reader from experiencing that which, in this respect, i experienced myself. this grammar, as well as the former, is kept out of _schools_ owing to the fear that the masters and mistresses have of being looked upon as cobbettites. so much the worse for the children of the stupid brutes who are the cause of this fear, which _sensible_ people laugh at, and avail themselves of the advantages tendered to them in the books. teaching french in _english schools_ is, generally, mere delusion; and as to teaching the _pronunciation_ by _rules_, it is the grossest of all human absurdities. my knowledge of french was so complete thirty-seven years ago, that the very first thing in the shape of a book that i wrote for the press, was a grammar to _teach_ the frenchmen english; and, of course, it was _written in french._ i must know all about these two languages; and must be able to give advice to young people on the subject: their time is precious; and i advise them not to waste it upon what are called _lessons_ from masters and mistresses. to learn the pronunciation, there is no way but that of _hearing_ those, and _speaking_ with those, who speak the language well. my grammar will do the rest.--w. c. a grammar of the italian language; or, a plain and compendious introduction to the study of italian. by james paul cobbett. this work contains explanations and examples to teach the language practically; and the principles of construction are illustrated by passages from the best italian authors. price s. a latin grammar. a latin grammar, for the use of english boys; being an explanation of the rudiments of the latin language. by james paul cobbett. _price_ s. boards. french exercises. exercises to cobbett's french grammar (price s.) is just published. it is an accompaniment to the french grammar, and is necessary to the learner who has been diligent in his reading of the grammar. by james cobbett. french and english dictionary. cobbett's french and english dictionary.--this book is now published. its price is s. in boards; and it is a thick octavo volume. geographical dictionary of england and wales. this book was suggested to me by my own frequent want of the information which it contains; a suggestion which, if every compiler did but wait to feel before he puts his shears to work, would spare the world many a voluminous and useless book. i am constantly receiving letters out of the country, the writers living in obscure places, but who seldom think of giving more than the _name_ of the place that they write from; and thus have i been often puzzled to death to find out even the _county_ in which it is before i could return an answer. i one day determined, therefore, for my own convenience, to have a list made out of _every parish_ in the kingdom; but this being done, i found that i had still _townships_ and _hamlets_ to add in order to make my list complete; and when i had got the work only half done, i found it a book; and that, with the addition of bearing, and population, and distance from the next market town, or if a market town, from london, it will be a really useful _geographical dictionary._ it is a work which the learned would call _sui generis_; it prompted itself into life, and it has grown in my hands: but i will here insert the whole of the title-page, for that contains a full description of the book. it is a thick octavo volume, _price_ s.--w. c. "a geographical dictionary of england and wales; containing the names, in alphabetical order, of all the counties, with their several subdivisions into hundreds, lathes, rapes, wapentakes, wards, or divisions; and an account of the distribution of the counties into circuits, dioceses, and parliamentary divisions. also the names (under that of each county respectively), in alphabetical order, of all the cities, boroughs, market towns, villages, hamlets, and tithings, with the distance of each from london, or from the nearest market town, and with the population, and other interesting particulars relating to each; besides which there are maps; first, one of the whole country, showing the local situation of the counties relatively to each other, and then each county is also preceded by a map, showing, in the same manner, the local situation of the cities, boroughs, and market towns. four tables are added; first a statistical table of all the counties; and then three tables showing the new divisions and distributions enacted by the reform law of th june, ." ---- ii. books on domestic management and duties. cottage economy. cobbett's cottage economy (_price_ s. d.); containing information relative to the brewing of beer, making of bread, keeping of cows, pigs, bees, ewes, goats, poultry, and rabbits, and relative to other matters deemed useful in the conducting of the affairs of a labourer's family; to which are added, instructions relative to the selecting, the cutting and bleaching of the plants of english grass and grain, for the purpose of making hats and bonnets; and also instructions for erecting and using ice-houses, after the virginian manner. in my own estimation, the book that stands first is the poor man's friend; and the one that stands next is this cottage economy; and beyond all description is the pleasure i derive from reflecting on the number of happy families that this little book must have made. i dined in company with a lady in worcestershire, who desired to see me on account of this book; and she told me that until she read it she knew nothing at all about these two great matters, the making of bread and of beer; but that from the moment she read the book, she began to teach her servants, and that the benefits were very great. but, to the labouring people, there are the arguments in favour of good conduct, sobriety, frugality, industry, all the domestic virtues; here are the reasons for all these; and it must be a real devil in human shape who does not applaud the man who could sit down to write this book, a copy of which every _parson_ ought, upon pain of loss of ears, to present to every girl that he marries, rich or poor.--w. c. "differing as i do from mr. cobbett in his politics, i must say that he has been of great use to the poor. this 'cottage economy' gives them hints and advice which have, and continue to be, of the greatest service to them; it contains a little mine of wealth, of which the poor may reap the advantage; for no one understands the character of the english labourer better than mr. cobbett. since writing the above, mr. cobbett is no more; his 'cottage economy' should be considered as his legacy to the poor."--jesse's gleanings. vol. . p. . "whatever difference of opinion may exist as to cobbett's political writings, and as to his peculiar views and prejudices, there cannot be a doubt that all his works on domestic management, on rural affairs, and on the use of language, are marked by strong sense, and by great clearness of thought and precision of language. his power of conveying instruction is, indeed, almost unequalled; he seems rather to woo the reader to learn than to affect the teacher; he travels with his pupil over the field of knowledge upon which he is engaged, never seeming to forget the steps by which he himself learned. he assumes that nothing is known, and no point is too minute for the most careful investigation. above all, the pure mother english in which his instructions are conveyed, makes him a double teacher; for whilst the reader is ostensibly receiving instruction on some subject of rural economy, he is at the same time insensibly imbibing a taste for good sound saxon english--the very type of the substantial matters whereof his instructor delights to discourse. most of cobbett's works on rural and domestic economy, though written for the industrious and middle classes of this country, are admirably adapted to the use of settlers in new countries. for an old and thickly-peopled country like england, perhaps cobbett carried his notion of doing everything at home a little too far; but in a new country, where a man is at times compelled to turn his hand to everything, it is really well to know how everything connected with rural economy should be done, and we really know of no works whence this extended knowledge can be acquired so readily as from those of cobbett. he understood all the operations incidental to the successful pursuit of husbandry, and his very prejudice of surrounding the farm with a wall of brass, and having every resource within, prompted him to write on rural affairs with completeness. "the little half-crown book, which we now introduce to our readers, contains a mine of most valuable instruction, every line of which is as useful to the colonist as to those for whom it was written. we have just read it through, from the title to the imprint, with especial regard to the wants of the colonists, and we do not believe there is a single sentence of the instructional portion that need be rejected. the treatise on brewing and making bread are particularly applicable to new zealand. we observe by the published list of prices, that while flour was there selling at a moderate price, bread was enormously high. there is nobody to blame for this; it arises simply out of the high rate of retail profit which prevails in new countries, and we know no reason why bakers should be expected to keep shop for less remuneration than other tradesmen. the remedy then is, not to abuse the baker, but to bake at home. how this is to be accomplished cobbett here points out. some idea of the saving by means of home baking in our colonies, where retail profits are high, may be gleaned from the great difference between the price of flour and that of bread at wellington, at the same date. when flour was selling at _l_. per ton, the bakers of wellington were charging s. d. for the lb. loaf. now, one cwt. of flour would make from lb. to lb of bread, that is, on an average, loaves of lb. each. these would cost:--flour s, yeast s, salt d, with fuel s--together s d, or something under d per lb loaf. here, then, would be an enormous saving to the settler's family by means of home bread making:--is not cobbett right when he deprecates the idea of the farm labourer going to the baker's shop? and, if he be right in england, where the baker works for a small profit, his recommendation has ten times the force when applied to a colony like new zealand. let it be remembered also, that, by home-baking, the quality of the bread is guaranteed. doubtless, honest bakers do exist; but if there be only a few who occasionally make use potatoes, and other materials less nourishing than wheat, surely the guarantee is worth something where soundness of muscle and sinew is of so much importance. earnestly, then, do we recommend every new zealand emigrant to purchase this little book, and make himself master of all it contains."--new zealand journal, th january, . advice to young men. cobbett's advice to young men, and (incidentally) _to young women, in the middle and higher ranks of life_ (_price_ s.) it was published in fourteen numbers, and is now in one volume complete. sermons. cobbett's sermons (_price_ s. d.): there are thirteen of them on the following subjects:-- . hypocrisy and cruelty; . drunkenness; . bribery; . the rights of the poor; . unjust judges; . the sluggard; . murder; . gaming; . public robbery; . the unnatural mother; . forbidding marriage; . parsons and tithes; . good friday; or, _god's judgment on the jews_.--more of these sermons have been sold than of the sermons of all the church parsons put together since mine were published. there are some parsons who have the good sense and virtue to preach them from the pulpit.--w. c. ---- iii. books on rural affairs. tull's husbandry. cobbett's edition of tull's husbandry (_price_ s.): the horse-hoeing husbandry; or, a treatise on the principles of tillage and vegetation, wherein is taught a method of introducing a sort of vineyard culture into the corn-fields, in order to increase their product and diminish the common expense. by jethro tull, of shalborne, in the county of berks. to which is prefixed an introduction, explanatory of some circumstances connected with the history and division of the work: and containing an account of certain experiments of recent date, by william cobbett.--from this famous book i learned all my principles relative to farming, gardening, and planting. it really, without a pun, _goes to the root_ of the subject. before i read this book i had seen enough of _effects_, but really knew nothing about the _causes_. it contains the foundation of all knowledge in the cultivation of the earth.--w. c. year's residence in america. cobbett's year's residence in america, with a map (_price_ s.); treating of the face of the country, the climate, the soil, the products, the mode of cultivating the land, the prices of land, of labour, of food, of raiment, of the expenses of housekeeping, and of the usual manner of living; of the manners and customs of the people; and of the institutions of the country, civil, political, and religious; in three parts. the map is a map of the united states. the book contains a journal of the weather for one whole year; and it has an account of my farming in that country; and also an account of the causes of poor birkbeck's failure in his undertaking. a book very necessary to all men of property who emigrate to the united states.--w. c. the english gardener. cobbett's english gardener (_price_ s.); or a treatise on the situation, soil, enclosing and laying-out of kitchen gardens; on the making and managing of hot-beds and green-houses; and on the propagation and cultivation of all sorts of kitchen-garden plants, and of fruit-trees, whether of the garden or the orchard. and also on the formation of shrubberies and flower-gardens; and on the propagation and cultivation of the several sorts of shrubs and flowers; concluding with a kalendar, giving instructions relative to the sowings, plantings, prunings, and other labours to be performed in the gardens, in each month of the year.--a complete book of the kind. a plan of a kitchen-garden, and little plates to explain the works of pruning, grafting, and budding. but it is here, as in all my books, the principles that are valuable: it is a knowledge of these that fills the reader with delight in the pursuit. i wrote a gardener for america, and the vile wretch who pirated it there had the baseness to leave out the dedication. no pursuit is so rational as this, as an amusement or relaxation, and none so innocent and so useful. it naturally leads to early rising; to sober contemplation; and is conducive to health. every young man should be a gardener, if possible, whatever else may be his pursuits.--w. c. the woodlands. cobbett's woodlands (_price_ s.); or, a treatise on the preparing of ground for planting; on the planting; on the cultivating; on the pruning; and on the cutting down of forest trees and underwoods; describing the usual growth, and size, and uses of each sort of tree, the seed of each; the season and manner of collecting the seed, the manner of preserving and sowing it, and also the manner of managing the young plants until fit to plant out; the trees being arranged in alphabetical order, and the list of them, including those of america as well as those of england, and the english, french, and latin name being prefixed to the directions relative to each tree respectively.--this work takes every tree at its seed, and carries an account of it to the cutting down and converting it to its uses.--w. c. a treatise on cobbett's corn. cobbett's corn-book (_price_ s.); or, a treatise on cobbett's corn, containing instructions for propagating and cultivating the plant, and for harvesting and preserving the crop, and also an account of the several uses to which the produce is applied, with minute directions relative to each mode of application. this edition i sell at s. that it may get into _numerous hands_. i have had, even _this year_, a noble crop of this corn; and i undertake to pledge myself, that this corn will be in general cultivation in england in two or three years from this time, in spite of all that fools and malignant asses can say against it. when i get time to go out into the country, amongst the labourers in kent, sussex, hants, wilts, and berks, who are now _more worthy_ of encouragement and good living than they ever were, though they were always excellent, i promise myself the pleasure of seeing this beautiful crop growing in all their gardens, and to see every man of them once more with a bit of meat on his table and in his satchel, instead of the _infamous potato_.--w. c. ---- iv. management of national affairs. the curse of paper money. the curse of paper money; showing the evils produced in america by paper money. by william gouge; and reprinted with a preface, by william cobbett. _price_ s. poor man's friend. cobbett's poor man's friend (_price_ d.); or, a defence of the rights of those who do the work and fight the battles: my _favourite_ work. i bestowed more labour upon it than upon any large volume that i ever wrote. here it is proved, that according to all laws, divine as well as human, no one is to die of hunger amidst abundance of food.--w. c. manchester lectures; price s. d. cobbett's manchester lectures. a small duodecimo volume, containing six lectures delivered at manchester in the winter of . in these lectures i have gone fully into the state of the country, and have put forth what i deem the proper remedy for that state. i fully discussed the questions of debt, dead weight, sinecures and pensions, church, crown lands, army and navy; and i defy all the doctors of political economy to answer me that book. it contains a statement of the propositions which, please god, i intend to make as a ground-work of relief to our country.--w. c. usury laws.--price s. d. usury laws; or, lending at interest; also the exaction and payment of certain church fees, such as pew rents, burial fees, and the like, together with forestalling traffic; all proved to be repugnant to the divine and ecclesiastical law, and destructive to civil society. to which is prefixed a narrative of the controversy between the author and bishop coppinger, and of the sufferings of the former in consequence of his adherence to the truth. by the reverend jeremiah o'callaghan, roman catholic priest. with a dedication to the "society of friends," by william cobbett. every young man should read this book, the _history_ of which, besides the learned matter, is very curious. the "jesuits," as they call them, in france, ought to read this book, and then tell the world how they can find the _impudence_ to preach the _catholic religion_, and _to uphold the funding system_ at the same time.--w. c. legacy to labourers; price s. d. or, what is the right which the lords, baronets, and squires, have to the lands of england? in six letters, addressed to the working people of england; with a dedication to sir robert peel. by wm. cobbett. legacy to parsons; price s. d. or, have the clergy of the established church an equitable right to the tithes, or to any other thing called church property, greater than the dissenters have to the same? and ought there, or ought there not, to be a separation of the church from the state? in six letters addressed to the church parsons in general, including the cathedral and college clergy and the bishops; with a dedication to blomfield, bishop of london. by william cobbett. third edition. ---- v. history. protestant reformation; price s. cobbett's history of the protestant reformation in england and ireland, showing how that event has impoverished and degraded the main body of the people in these countries; in a series of letters, addressed to all sensible and just englishmen; with a list of the abbeys, priories, nunneries, hospitals, and other religious foundations, in england and wales, and in ireland, confiscated, seized on, or alienated, by the protestant "reformation" sovereigns and parliaments. this is the book that has done the business of the _established church_! this book has been translated into all living languages, and there are two stereotype editions of it in the united states of america. this is the source from whence are now pouring in the petitions for the _abolition of tithes_.--w. c. this new and cheap edition has been published in monthly parts, d. each, and is now complete in two vols., s. d. each vol. roman history; price s. cobbett's roman history; vol. i. in english and french, from the foundation of rome to the battle of actium; selected from the best authors, ancient and modern, with a series of questions at the end of each chapter; for the use of schools and young persons in general. vol. ii. an abridged history of the emperors, in french and english; being a continuation of the history of the roman republic, published by the same authors, on the same plan, for the use of schools and young persons in general. this work is in french and english. it is intended as an _exercise-book_, to be used with my french grammar, and it is sold at a _very low price_, to place it within the reach of young men in general.--w. c. life of andrew jackson; price s. regency and reign of george iv. price s. d. cobbett's history of the regency and reign of george iv.--this work is published in nos. at d. each; and it does _justice_ to the late "_mild and merciful_" king.--w. c. lafayette's life (_price_ s.); a brief account of the life of that brave and honest man, translated from the french, by mr. james cobbett. ---- vi. travels. letters from france; price s. d. mr. john cobbett's letters from france, containing observations on that country during a journey from calais to the south, as far as limoges; then back to paris, and then, after a residence, from the eastern parts of france, and through part of the netherlands; commencing in april, and ending in december, . ride in france; price s. d. mr. james cobbett's ride of eight hundred miles in france, in (the third edition); containing a sketch of the face of the country, of its rural economy, of the towns and villages, of manufactures and trade, and of such of the manners and customs as materially differ from those of england; also, an account of the prices of land, houses, fuel, food, raiment, labour, and other things in different parts of the country; the design being to exhibit a true picture of the present state of the people of france; to which is added, a general view of the finances of the kingdom. tour in italy. mr. james cobbett's tour in italy, and also in part of france and switzerland (_price_ s. d.); the route being from paris through lyons to marseilles, and thence to nice, genoa, pisa, florence, rome, naples, and mount vesuvius; and by rome, terni, perugia, arezzo, florence, bologna, ferrara, padua, venice, verona, milan, over the alps, by mount st. bernard, geneva, and the jura, back into france. the space of time being from october to september : containing a description of the country; of the principal cities and their most striking curiosities; of the climate, soil, agriculture, horticulture, and products; of the price of provisions, and of labour, and of the dresses and conditions of the people. and also some account of the laws and customs, civil and religious, and of the morals and demeanor of the inhabitants in the several states. tour in scotland. tour in scotland, by mr. cobbett; the tour taken in the autumn of , and the book written during the tour. it is a small duodecimo volume, s. d. ---- vii. law. martens's law of nations. price s. cobbett's translation of martens's law of nations; being the science of national law, covenants, power, &c. founded upon the treaties and customs of modern nations in europe. by g. f. von martens, professor of public law in the university of gottingen. translated from the french, by wm. cobbett. one of my first literary labours. an excellent commonplace book to the law of nations.--w. c. ---- viii. miscellaneous politics. collective commentaries; price s. cobbett's collective commentaries; or remarks on the proceedings in the collective wisdom of the nation, during the session which began on the th of february, and ended on the th of august, in the third year of the reign of king george the fourth, and in the year of our lord, ; being the third session of the first parliament of that king. to which are subjoined, a complete list of the acts passed during the session, with elucidations, and other notices and matters; forming, altogether, a short but clear history of the collective wisdom for the year. twopenny trash; price s. twopenny trash, complete in two vols., mo. _just published, price s., boards_, sixth edition, with many new receipts, of the english housekeeper; or, manual of domestic management; containing advice on the conduct of household affairs; in a separate treatise on each particular department, and practical instruction concerning the kitchen, the larder, the cellar, the pantry, the oven, the dairy, the store room, the brewhouse. together with hints for laying out small ornamental gardens; directions for cultivating and preserving herbs; and some remarks on the best means of rendering assistance to poor neighbours. for the use of young ladies who undertake the superintendence of their own housekeeping. by miss cobbett. books for emigrants. "if the emigrant require elementary works on any subject of domestic management--extending the term domestic matters outside as well as inside of the house--it is not too much to say that the name of cobbett may be considered a guarantee that he will find the subject treated with completeness, and in a style at once simple and attractive. whilst we say this, the reader must not be alarmed lest we design to thrust all cobbett's political views down his throat. like all strong-passioned men he was not unfrequently inconsistent; on subjects of social and politico-economical science especially, he was as often unsound as sound; he frequently threw himself into the stream of popular prejudice, not only closing his mind to the reasonings of others, but scarcely daring to use his own strong powers lest he should be convinced against his previous determination. but on the subjects embraced by the cottage economy, and others of a like character, cobbett was and is a trustworthy instructor, and we hesitate not to say that the emigrant who will follow his instructions will, in a few years, find himself a wiser, a wealthier, a better, and, above all, a happier man, in consequence of having done so. the english housekeeper is by miss cobbett, and bears evident marks of the cobbett school of domestic management. the same wholesome healthy tone--the same simplicity of taste pervades all its recommendations; and even in the good sound mother-english in which it is written we recognise the pure source whence it sprung. it cannot be expected that we should examine all the receipts and pronounce our opinion on their merits. to confess the truth, we are not competent to the task. the reader, therefore, must be content with the information that this part of the work appears to be very amply stored with the good things of this world, and, what is more to the purpose, a very cursory glance has convinced us that the colonist family might avail themselves of the greater part of this division of the book with advantage and profit. the truly valuable portions of the work are those which relate to domestic management. we have not space to go into particulars, and extracts would scarcely serve any good purpose. as one might expect from a cobbett, the chapter devoted to the cellar contains some excellent directions for the making of british wines, many of which will be found applicable to new zealand and the australian colonies, and afford a cheap luxury to colonist's family. here also we have some useful directions brewing, in addition to the instructions given in the cottage economy. cookery for the sick, and cookery for the poor, are two valuable chapters; and it is an additional recommendation that many of the articles under these heads may easily be made at sea. in conclusion, we earnestly recommend the books to the emigrant's notice. the general instructions may be studied with profit during the voyage, and when fairly settled we have no doubt the colonist's wife would insensibly find the book constantly in her hand."--_new zealand journal_, jan. , . the english housekeeper; or, manual of domestic management. "this excellent household book has now reached a third edition. we can recommend it heartily to every young lady who undertakes the management of her domestic affairs, not only for the valuable instructions it contains concerning all that relates to the kitchen and cookery, but for the sensible advice it offers to females in the most important duties of domestic life. this to us most interesting portion of the work is written in the plain, forcible, and convincing style of the author's late father. there is the same wholesome and practical advice put forward in that easy, familiar way which impresses itself indelibly upon the reader's mind. there are some observations upon the mode of educating daughters which should be attentively perused by every mother. there is a truth and beauty, and a spirit of kind womanly feeling in the chapter on servants. it is a noble vindication of the poor, which ought to be written in letters of gold upon the walls of the rich man's chamber. of the culinary receipts, the directions for managing the pantry, larder, store-room, &c., we can speak in terms of unqualified commendation. the medical and miscellaneous receipts are numerous and valuable."--sunday times, january , . "if we had seen the _twentieth_ edition on the title of the 'english housekeeper,' instead of the _third_, we should not have been surprised. we passed our humble opinion on the merits of this work upon its first appearance. now we behold a new and improved edition, enlarged, and with numerous indispensible recipes, rendering it one of the most complete works of the kind that has come under our criticism; everything as regards housekeeping being laid down in a clear, concise style, not only of essential utility to the young housekeeper, but to the already experienced practitioner. miss cobbett must have devoted years to the production of the volume, for turn to what page you will, it abounds with striking and useful, as well as practical facts, so admirably arranged, that a very young lady might become, after a few hours' perusal, well qualified to discharge the domestic duties of a wife."--blackwood's ladies' magazine, . ---- g. peirce, printer, , strand.